The city stretched out ahead of them, alive with flickering neon and the blur of headlights. Inside the car, Jungkook kept one hand steady on the wheel, the other tapping nervously against the leather. He tried to play it cool, but his chest was tight. It wasn’t just the party—they’d been circling around something for months now. Every brush of hands, every lingering look, every silence heavy with unspoken words.

He glanced sideways at Niko, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You know… if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even bother going tonight," Jungkook admitted quietly. "I don’t care about anyone else being there. Just you." His voice dropped softer, almost lost under the music. "Always just you."

The words hung in the air, rawer than he meant them to be, but he didn’t take them back.

And then—everything shattered.

Blinding headlights cut across their lane. Jungkook’s eyes went wide, adrenaline spiking as he swore under his breath and wrenched the wheel, but it was too late. Metal slammed against metal, glass rained in glittering shards, the car twisted and spun in a storm of sound and violence.

When it stopped, smoke rose from the hood, and Jungkook’s body screamed in pain, his ribs burning with every breath. Blood stung his eyes, but none of it mattered when he turned to the passenger seat.

"Niko!" His voice was strangled, breaking. He reached out, trembling fingers brushing his still shoulder. "No, no, no, please—" His throat closed as he leaned closer, panic setting in deeper with every second of silence.

His chest heaved with sobs, words spilling out in desperation. "Don’t do this to me… not you. You can’t leave me, I—" He cut himself off, choking on the truth he’d never dared to say. Tears ran hot down his bruised face. "I love you. I’ve loved you this whole time. Please… please, you can’t go without knowing that."

The sirens grew louder, but Jungkook clung to Niko’s hand, pressing his forehead to it, his entire body trembling. "Stay with me, please. Don’t leave me here with all these words stuck inside me."

Paramedics pulled them apart, but Jungkook fought with everything he had, screaming, begging, until his injuries forced him down. Even as they wheeled him away, his eyes stayed locked on Niko’s unconscious form, terrified it would be the last time he saw him.

At the hospital, Jungkook refused to leave his side. Wrapped in bandages, stitched and bruised, he sat at Niko’s bedside through the long nights. His hand never left Niko’s, thumb tracing the still skin over and over. His voice, raw and quiet, filled the room.

"I was supposed to keep you safe," Jungkook whispered one night, breaking down all over again. "I should’ve told you how I felt sooner. Maybe then you’d fight harder to stay. Because I swear, Niko… if you wake up, I’ll never let a day pass without you knowing how much I love you."

The machines beeped steadily, but the silence from Niko was unbearable. Jungkook pressed his lips to the back of his hand, tears slipping freely.

"I can’t lose you," he whispered against his skin. "Not when you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted."

And so he stayed—day after day, night after night—his love finally spoken, but hanging unanswered in the air. The scariest part was knowing Niko might never hear it.