Hotline.

Chapter 5

It was the third week of taehyung working at the store, a cold wednesday afternoon, where the said male was lying on the familiar park bench trying to sleep, but the coldness of the wind wasn't allowing him to.

He covered his upper body with the jacket, curling his legs up to get as warm as possible and closed his eyes again in hopes of getting some sleep because he was insanely tired; and lack of sleep most definitely wouldn't help his situation.

In fifteen minutes, he still hasn't slept but he refused to open his eyes anyway. That, until he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

His eyes shot open as he sat up, scared. He looked at the person in front of him and immediately relaxed once he saw it was only jungkook. "What are you doing here?" was the first thing that left the other's lips.

"Me?" taehyung pointed at himself, "uh i just- i don't know, i guess i just fell asleep?"

"In this cold? You fell asleep on a freezing park bench?" jungkook raised an eyebrow at taehyung who instantly lowered his head and started fiddling with his fingers, afraid if he looked the other in the eye, he might start crying.

Jungkook stayed silent before slowly taking a seat next to taehyung, "doesn't look like 'accidentally falling asleep' to me. you have your bag used as a pillow and your jacket used as a blanket."

"I'm sorry." taehyung felt so small right now, and definitely stupid for saying such an obvious lie.

Jungkook looked at taehyung before hesitantly asking, "you don't have anywhere to stay, do you?"
Taehyung quickly looked at him, surprise evident on his face, just before he looked away and covered his face with his hands. This was already too much for him, he couldn't keep his tears in.

Jungkook didn't know how to react, he didn't mean to offend the boy or make him cry, he was just worried about him.

He rested his hand on taehyung's back, slowly staring to rub the spot there in an attempt to soothe the boy and stop his tears from falling, "i'm so sorry tae, i didn't mean to make you cry, i'm just worried about you, you can't keep staying here, you'll freeze out here."

Taehyung didn't say anything, but warmth spread through him at the nickname jungkook gave him, he hadn't heard anyone call him that since he was little.

When the boy stayed silent, jungkook decided to do what felt right for him at that moment as he brought taehyung in for a hug. The latter was quick to fist at jungkook's shirt as he laid his head on his chest, still crying.

After a few minutes, when taehyung's cries turned to sniffles, jungkook stood up as he held taehyung's hand in his and pulled him up.

"What are you doing?" taehyung asked in a small voice and the other shrugged, "just come with me."

When they arrived at the familiar building where jungkook's apartment was, taehyung shook his head but the older insisted to bring taehyung inside his home. The boy was freezing and tired, he needed somewhere warm to stay and get some sleep.

Jungkook helped taehyung sit in front of the chimney as he started the fire. When everything was set, he sat next to him.

"Aren't you going to ask about it?" taehyung started and watched as jungkook looked at him with a small smile, "well, do you wanna talk about it?" jungkook asked.

"I ran away from home." taehyung started, voice so soft and vulnerable that all jungkook wanted to do at that moment was hug him and tell him that everything will be fine, but instead he just nodded at him to continue.

Taehyung took a deep breath as he played with the hem of his hoodie before talking again, "i'm just 21, i don't have much so i can't support myself properly. you might be thinking that someone who wants to run away and leave everything behind must at least have a plan for himself or some money, but i couldn't do that. i barely had any time."

"My- my parents weren't the nicest." he said and a sniffle was heard right after. Then jungkook looked at him again and saw him trying to stop himself from crying, so he patted his thigh in a comforting manner before he heard him speak again, "i- i don't think they loved me, at least not the last couple of years. and i couldn't tolerate the way they treated me any longer, so i left. even though now, with the situation i put myself in of not having anything or anyone with me, i still don't regret it, because living at that place was far more worse than this."

Jungkook nodded again in hopes the other would continue, but taehyung shook his head, "that's all i feel comfortable talking about. maybe i'll tell you more with time. i'm sorry."

He felt a light squeeze on his thigh, "don't feel bad about it, you can talk at your own pace, i'm not rushing you, not at all. i'm thankful you could at least tell me this. thank you."

Taehyung shook his head, "thank you for being so nice to me. i don't deserve it."

"Don't say that, you're amazing okay? Don't put yourself down for anyone." jungkook started, "now you go get some rest, hmm? you're definitely tired, night shifts are exhausting."

Taehyung didn't know what to do. Did jungkook mean he can stay and take a nap at this comfortable couch of his?

"S-should i-" he said pointing at the couch, not sure what the other meant.

"Get up, cmon." jungkook reached his hand for the other to take, so he did, even if he hesitated for a bit.
They walked together to jungkook's room, "you can get comfortable on my bed, okay?"

"No way, i can't take your bed, that's too much really."

Jungkook shook his head and insisted, "cmon, get some sleep." With a little insisting from jungkook's side, taehyung laid on the bed and jungkook quickly covered him with the comforter, "sleep well."

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