JJK | 1:27 a.m. | corner convenience store
"i hope tae's not mad at us," jungkook murmured. "he seemed upset last time when he rushed out."
hoseok nodded, taking a sip of the coffee they had managed to sneak out of the gas station while namjoon wasn't looking.
it technically wasn't illegal; they had left two dollars in front of the door, and the only reason they had had to sneak out the coffees in the first place was because seokjin would have scolded them for drinking coffee at one in the morning.
jungkook leaned against the counter, exhaustion seeping into his chest as he closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. he was so drained; days of graveyard shifts and assignments to finish for his professors were starting to take a toll on him. money, school, work, money, school, work, bills and rent and food... they had enough to survive, but it was hard to get that enough.
jungkook was nearly asleep when the chimes rang.
"taehyung?" hoseok's voice rang out in the store.
the exhaustion was drained out from jungkook and he sat up abruptly, eyes snapping open.
"hi," taehyung said, eyes tired. blood was dried next to his lips, as if he'd been coughing up blood hours ago, and he held his stomach tightly, wincing with every breath.
"are you alright?"
"yeah, i just need a place to stay for the night, and i thought the convenience store was my best option."
"what about yoongi and jimin?" jungkook asked.
the convenience store surely wasn't the best option, as there was nowhere to sit comfortably, let alone sleep.
"i didn't want to bother them," taehyung said. "i didn't want to bother you guys either, so i just came by here to sit at the tables. that way, no one needs to do anything." his eyes fell slightly. "wait, sorry, actually, maybe i should go. i didn't really think this through and-"
"it's fine," hoseok said. "just stay here. i'll go get you something to eat."
taehyung looked hesitant.
"i don't need to eat anything, i'm not hungry."
"bullshit," jungkook argued. he stepped out from the counter and pulled taehyung to a table. "we'll get you something quick to eat. how about a bag of chips?"
"i'm really-"
hoseok set down a bag of chips in front of him. "it's literally a dollar. i'd rather take you to the restaurant across the street for lunch later, but i know you wouldn't let me."
taehyung bit his lip and wrapped a hand around his stomach again.
"thank you."
the urge for jungkook to make sure taehyung wasn't hurt was too much, but he didn't want him to go running off again if he asked.
so jungkook didn't ask.
instead, he opened the bag of chips for taehyung and handed it to him, noticing how awfully tired he looked.
up close, his eyes were rimmed red and glossed over with moisture as if he'd been crying. his nose was dusted over with a light pink, and there was a faint redness to only one of his cheeks.
it took jungkook seconds to realize that taehyung had been hit.
he swallowed a sob, and rubbed away the blood dried on his cheek.
"you were coughing up blood, huh?"
taehyung didn't respond, eyes downcast with a faraway look.
"let's go to our place after our shift is over," hoseok said. "seokjin can cook something decent for you."
JJK | 5:02 a.m. | apt. 07
"your cheek looks red," jungkook said. "and you keep hugging your stomach."
taehyung was sitting on the couch with jungkook, the t.v. on in the background. the lights were off for the most part, except for the kitchen light which was what illuminated the living room.
"you're hurt, aren't you?"
taehyung hesitated.
"yeah."
one lie unraveled means a thousand more.
"how bad? can i take a look?"
taehyung didn't answer, but, to jungkook's relief, didn't protest either when he was picked up and taken to the bathroom.
jungkook lifted taehyung's shirt off of his shoulders and peeled it away, setting it on the floor beside them.
"shit, tae."
he got up and opened their cabinet, taking out a box and opening it. he made his way back to the floor with antiseptic and bandages.
angry red welts.
the cold colors of the constellations of bruises contrasted to the red, warm welts that were blooming all over taehyung's stomach and back. blood seeped out from them, slowly oozing over taehyung's skin like paints on a canvas. had blood meant beauty, jungkook could have called them beautiful.
but blood meant pain, and seeing the blood made his heart lurch over and over again because taehyung had seemed so fine.
how did he hide it so well?
"it looks like you were whipped," jungkook choked out.
he took some gauze and wiped away the blood, gently.
"it was your dad, wasn't it?"
the words slipped from jungkook's mouth easily, heavy but quick.
"no."
liar.
"don't lie to me."
taehyung's lack of response to the comment indicated that jungkook was right.
"it doesn't hurt as bad as it looks."
why do you keep lying to me?
jungkook dabbed antiseptic onto the irritated skin, apologizing every time taehyung winced.
"sorry, i'll do it quick."
taehyung nodded, knuckles whitening as he squeezed his fists, eyebrows furrowed in pain.
jungkook then wrapped the bandages around taehyung's waist, heart falling as he felt how frail the older boy really was.
"you need to start eating better," jungkook said, softly. "i know you feel like a burden when we give you things to eat, but just take it, okay? you need it."
"i'm getting by fine, kook," taehyung murmured. "don't worry so much about me. i'm not worth it."
"don't say that," jungkook whispered, gaze falling.
he cut the bandages and finished wrapping it up.
then, he took one of taehyung's hands in his own and locked gazes with him, dark orbs screaming with a sense of authority that had taehyung looking star struck.
"don't say you're not worth it, because you're worth everything, taehyung," jungkook said. "you deserve the world and the world gave you nothing, and it's not fucking fair." his lips spoke with surety, with nothing even remotely close to ambivalence. "i know you're a liar. you lie about being fine and not being hungry because you don't want to be a bother, but tae, if we help you, we help you because we want to, because you need it and we're willing to give it to you. so," his hands tightened around taehyung's fingers as he spoke. "so, come to me for help when you need to, okay? remember? we're your safe place. you're safe with any of us, so just come when you need to."
taehyung closed his eyes as they welled with tears, hands shaking.
"can you... can you be my home?"
"your home?"
"my safe place," taehyung said. "can you be my home?"
jungkook smiled.
"tae, of course."