Tattoo Boy || j.jk + k.th ✓

Secret's Out

Namjoon looked at Yoongi stunned. There was so much confidence in the speech, that even Namjoon felt swayed by it. He looked to the other members, who were staring wide eyed between the two. One eyebrow raised in question.

"He's not wrong. Taehyung's been so much happier lately. Jungkook helps. He's his anchor" Hoseok voiced, matching Namjoon's gaze with a strong-willed one of his own. "You need to open your eyes, Joon. See Jungkook for how he is now, not the trouble-maker you knew him as."

Namjoon cleared his throat, spluttering slightly at the accusations thrown his way.

"I..."

"We won't hold it over you, Joon. Your big fluffy dad side was too much in the way. Tell him to shove over for a change" Jimin spoke finally, voice full of an airy playfulness in attempt to lighten the mood yet not completely slipping from the topic entirely. Yoongi sent him a small, grateful smile and reached out, pulling the pink haired male across the couch so their hips were touching.

Namjoon gave a tiny half smile before folding his hands in his chest, eyes cast down, and appearing to be deep in thought. The mood of the scene was flipping drastically, as it once again slipped back to a grim tone, the realization that Taehyung was asleep, just in the next room, stomach a bloom of purples, blue, and red, one of the worst they had seen in a while; they all had been worse in the recent weeks actually and each man wondered what change had occured to make it that way.

"What are we supposed to do?" Yoongi whispered, voicing out the question weighing on all their minds.

"What can we do?" Hoseok responded, he too feeling the despair washing over the room in a tidal wave. "Last time we tried to go to the police, they showed up sniffing at the shop, saying we were the ones who had hurt Tae! And then..."

"And then we didn't see him for 2 weeks after that." Namjoon finished, voice flat and eyes clouded with faint memories.

The others, save for Jimin, nodded. They hadn't known what else to do; the bruises had become one too many, there had been to much patching up on their part, and Namjoon had grown increasingly concerned that a repeat of the 'Sinner' tattoo would happen. So they had taken their case to the police, without Taehyung's knowledge, a few photos they'd taken serving as their only evidence to the crimes of Taehyung's father.

Immediately upon arriving at the station and Namjoon mentioning the name of Taehyung's father, they'd been whisked to a secluded section with a woman detective, who'd seemed hesitant to hear their claim as it was. But they told her every piece of evidence they'd gathered, yet compelling as their story was, the woman had sent them away, promising to file the case for further investigation. A week later and cops had shown up at the tattoo parlor, equipped fully with handcuffs. In tow had been Taehyung's father, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face as the police had waltzed into the private property and trashed the entire place with no sense of regulations whatsoever. Taehyung was whisked out of the building by his father. He was crying but paid no attention to as the cops told Namjoon he'd been accused of child abuse on a minor. It took 3 days for him, with the help of Yoongi and Hoseok to convince the authorities otherwise.

When Taehyung came back, two weeks later, he'd been noticeably different; reserved, closed off to himself, and immensely guilty. It took a full year for him to be restored to the semi-normal he had been before, and it was a time none of them liked to remember. The bruises stopped being visible after that too, hidden under layers of clothing or strategically placed so as not to be seen, the blonde's father growing more meticulous and smart about his mistreatment.

It was clear Taehyung's father was a force when it came to manipulation and fraud as well, he was completely ok with Taehyung taking the brunt of said force if it meant Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok would stay quiet. And Taehyung, being the caring soul he was, had asked them not to talk, told them he could handle the situation. The boys had agreed hesitantly and barely, only after coming to the arrangement should they deem it to be bad enough, they would take action.