Adorable humans
I've told you how much you make me smile right?
Well, it I haven't, you make me smile everyday and I thank you for it
That said...
This is going to be an angsty chapter
I'll probably be crying with you....
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Jungkook had gone home.
That was what Namjoon told Taehyung as he was racing blindly through the murky dark streets, salty tears still streaming down his face no matter how hard he tried to brush them away.
He was trying to beat Taehyung back to the parlor; he thought he had seen the hoodie Taehyung was after lodged under his bed and had wanted to surprise the blonde.
However, when he returned, instead of Taehyung's brightly smiling face, Jungkook had been given an ashen skinned and grim Namjoon, anxiously sitting on the couch and wringing his fingers together in the darkened and empty tattoo parlor. He'd told Jungkook to go. A moment of alarm had flashed through his eyes when he saw Jungkook back at the parlor, hoodie in hand, but had covered it smoothly before the ravanette could question it. Namjoon appeared to be expecting someone but he had told Jungkook that Taehyung was fine and that his father had come home early.
Akin to his own, Namjoon expected Taehyung to be racing back to the parlor, ready to throw himself at Namjoon, as he had done so many times in the past, and Namjoon was ready to patch him up. Taehyung didn't want Jungkook to know about his familial situation, so Namjoon had to send the ravanette home. Perhaps that was a bad idea because
He had not expected Taehyung to go to Jungkook's
The older blonde had yet to come to the conclusion or knowledge of how much the two depended on each other, or that someone else was filling his shoes of protector. Not that Namjoon was against Jungkook, he loved the kid, but it was such a second nature to him, taking care of Taehyung, that he had a hard time grasping the fact Taehyung found better comfort in Jungkook.
But Taehyung had been clear on the phone call, it was not Namjoon he was craving and there was only one person who would be able to aid the blonde...
(phone convo - bold = Namjoon, italics=Taehyung and regular is back to dialogue:))
"N-namjoonie-h-hyung?"
"Tae? Is everything ok?"
Namjoon while happy at first to hear the blonde's voice, the unmistakably resonance of pain and sorrow was ever present in his typically cheery voice, immediately setting Namjoon on edge as he sat forward. He positioned himself on the edge of the sofa, knocking Jin's head off his shoulder as he went. The brunette sent him a curious glance but didn't question him, sensing the suffocating unease and anticipation wafting off the younger.
There was no response on the other end of the line for a moment as Namjoon came to the painful conclusion Taehyung was running; his labored breath was coming across the receiver and the rushing of wind was beginning to drown the blonde out. A slight crackle of thunder rang across the phone; rain and more stuttered breaths of Taehyung, seeming to grow more frantic by the minute. Namjoon could practically feel the blood drain from his face, worry overtaking his body completely.
"Taehyung? Taehyung, sweetie, I need you to answer me. Where are you? Are you headed back to the shop?"
Namjoon tried to keep his voice calm, even. If any semblance of Namjoon's worry got across to Taehyung, it would suck the blonde into guilt laden memories, often times making him unresponsive. Namjoon couldn't risk that while Taehyung was wandering the streets alone late into the night. There was a whimper on the other side of the phone, Taehyung seeming to have stopped for a moment to survey his surroundings.
"Jungkook. I need" Taehyung sucked in a breath of air, obviously tired "I need Jungkook"
Namjoon was startled for a moment. Taehyung didn't exactly seem to be talking to him, more like to himself, but he hadn't fallen prey to his thoughts, so at least there was one positive.
"H-hyung how do I get to Jungkook? I need his help. H-how-how do I get to him, please hyung"
The desperation was evidently clear, ringing through the receiver and striking Namjoon straight in the heart. This was a bad one. Whatever had happened in the short time Taehyung had been gone had been enough to reduce the 17 year old to a stuttering, hyperventilating mess. But there was recklessness thrown in the mix too; Taehyung knew not to wander from his basic bearings, the blonde being problematically directionally challenged he got lost. Easily. Yet, here he was, running through the streets with no sense of direction or knowledge of where he was heading, and it had dawned on the younger during the call, just how lost he was.
"Tae, calm down. It's ok. I'll get you to Jungkook, just try to tell me where you are, and I'll tell you where to go, ok? You can do that for me, right?"
He was coddling, gentle, trying to ease his way past the howling wind and increasing cry of thunder in the sky. Taehyung took one shaky breath, taking timid, tiny steps down the sidewalk. His eyes were flitting chaotically around the street, completely tense and alert to any form of danger. The chill of night was nipping at his skin and his limp was more prominent after the extensive running, paining him.
"I-I can't read the road sign, it's too dark. But, I think I see the ice cream shop around the corner"
Taehyung's voice was small, scared, and still as labored as before, but Namjoon could tell he was trying his very hardest to hold it together for his hyung. Namjoon let out a silent breath of relief, realizing Taehyung wasn't terribly far from Jungkook's, thinking perhaps his feet had carried him there out of instinct.
"Ok, ok that's good. You're really close. He's two blocks down from the street across the ice cream parlor. 15th floor, room 504."
There was another pause, Namjoon thought he could hear Taehyung whipping his head around, looking for the correct direction by the sound of his collar scraping against his shirt as he turned. Namjoon tried to swallow the lump in his throat.
"Taehyung. I need you to promise me you'll be careful. I need to know you're ok"
Taehyung didn't answer for a long time. Namjoon could hear his footsteps quick and sloppy on the concrete. The whimpers the young boy let out occasionally told him his limp was acting up.
"I'm-I'm ok, hyung. I'll be ok, I promise. I'll be ok"
Namjoon didn't get to say anything else, the line had gone dead.
And Namjoon was left with his own overwhelming worries and fear for the sake of the boy he had raised for last 5 years.
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Jungkook had just gotten out of the shower, his muscles being stiff from the long day at work had been practically begging for some sort of relaxant to soothe the ache and the warm shower water did just the trick.
It was nearly nine when Jungkook stood in front of his bathroom mirror, towel drying his hair, water droplets were making their way down the back of his neck as his upper body as water droplets glistened before disappearing under his black sweatpants.
There was smooth jazz playing softly in the background and Jungkook hummed along quietly, enjoying the serenity of his quiet home yet wishing Taehyung was there to enjoy the peace with him, knowing that was all the blonde could ask for. Jungkook sighed, a small smile playing on his lips as the image of Taehyung filled his mind as it did often as of late. He hoped he was ok, but Namjoon had assured him of it, so what authority did he have to doubt his hyung?
His inner monologue, however, was interrupted by an incessant, alarmed knocking on his front door. Frowning, Jungkook gave one last tousle to his still wet hair and walked towards the door, not bothering to grab a shirt as the knocks became ever more frantic. A small pang of fear bud in the base of his stomach; something he couldn't quite identify, a gut feeling, intense and painful, constricting his heart.
His steps faltered some as he neared the door, anxious to what he would find on the other side of the door. The knob felt cold under his fingers and sent a shock through Jungkook's body as he abruptly pulled the door open, silencing the constant rap in one fell swoop.
And then his heart came to a stuttering halt, the cold numbing spreading from his hand to the rest of his body.
"Taehyung?"
"K-kookie"
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Taehyung's chest hurt. His legs hurt, his foot hurt, his head hurt, everything hurt. There had been too much accumulation of his father and cruelty over the past week, too much build up that it just spilled over at the slightest tip of the scale.
He'd bottled so much over the years, so much hurt and pain from his father's constant torture. All the lies he'd told Namjoon, the spew of 'I'm fines' and 'Just tireds' seeming to grow a mountainous hill on their own before toppling over. There is only so much the human body can take, forget physical pain, emotional pain was almost worse; living in a society where weakness is taught to be choked back, buried and never been shown at the consequence of appearing lesser; it's everyone's personal self-destruct button. The emotional pain touches everywhere, soaks into every fiber and bone until there is no more room to store the what has been kept at bay. That seemed to be where Taehyung now, that point of bubbling over, the point of inability to keep anything behind closed doors.
Maybe that was why, as the front door was wrenched open, a choked sob was wrenched out of his mouth, Jungkook's lean frame coming into his vision, concern laced throughout his features. Taehyung stared past him, his eyes unfocused and glossy, mind still reeling and every pent up emotion threatening to overcome him; Yoona for whatever reason being the trigger for all of it.
"Taehyung?"
The singular word. Pushed past cherry red lips in the most tender and gentle way possible, voice lowered to a deeper, honey soothed octave was what reached into the depths of Taehyung's mind, taking hold of him and pulling him out. Jungkook came more into focus and Taehyung breathed out a broken 'Kookie' before his knees buckled and he sunk to the floor, the tears he had tried to mask resurfacing as they had out on the street and streaming down his cold-flushed cheeks like a flood.
Jungkook sunk with him, wasting not more than a moment of shocked silence to engulf the shaking blonde in his arms, squeezing him tightly. Taehyung was sobbing, clutching onto Jungkook's biceps in a vice like grip afraid to let go. Jungkook took one hand, soothing out Taehyung's tangled, scruffy hair while maintaining his grip with the other. He had no idea what was wrong with the blonde, but he felt an immense amount of sadness coupled with anger at whoever had messed with Taehyung's cheery, smily attitude from only a couple hours prior.
"Shh, it's ok. You're ok, Tae, I'm here" Jungkook whispered in his ear, moving to rub his back with soft yet calloused hands. Taehyung buried his head into the crook of Jungkook's arm. Jungkook pulled him into his lap, rocking his back and forth slightly.
Taehyung felt conflicted. Comforted, yes. But he felt weak, and useless, always coming crying to Jungkook. The ravanette must think he is pathetic with the amount of crying he has done in his presence. Yet at the same time Taehyung wants to pull away and hide out of shame, he feels himself wanting to burrow further into the warmth of Jungkook and hide in the protection he offered.
"'M sorry" He mumbled into Jungkook's skin, afraid to raise his head, thinking he would be met with a disappointed gaze. One that Jungkook could never give him, but Taehyung was caught in an in between of his father's words and Jungkook's. Jungkook gripped him tighter hearing his voice, choking back his own emotions. He had to be strong for him.
"Sorry? Sorry for what?"
"For being weak and pathetic and expecting you to pick me up every time-"
"Hey, hey, Taehyung, stop" Jungkook caught off his ramble, pulling the blonde back gently from his shoulder to cup one cheek in his hand, brushing his thumb under Taehyung's eye, wiping off his tears.
"Baby, I could never think you were weak or pathetic or anything of the sort" Taehyung sniffled, looking up at Jungkook with wide, tear filled puppy eyes. They were hanging on his every word and Jungkook's heart constricted tightly.
"You're not. And I will always, always, be here to pick you up. You don't have to be ashamed to be vulnerable around me. You can depend on me. I'll be here, no matter what, I promise"
And Jungkook meant it. He meant every word, and he leant down to seal his promise with a sweet, gentle kiss, carding his fingers through Taehyung's hair and caressing his cheek softly. Taehyung sighed as he pulled away, seeming to be considerably calmer and more at ease than he had been when he had first arrived. He smiled slightly, eyes suddenly tired, droopy, but grateful none the same.
"Do you wanna tell me about it?" Jungkook asked, still lightly stroking Taehyung and smiling when the younger leaning into his touch, eyes fluttering shut.
"Maybe later, wanna sleep. 'M tired" Jungkook chuckled. He wondered absently how and why Taehyung had got here. Namjoon had told him the blonde was at home. He would have to ask the elder about it later. As much as he wanted to talk more with Taehyung, finally get to the bottom of this side of him, he couldn't bring himself to press the matter any further, knowing how exhausting emotional pain was, as well as the fact, Jungkook was mostly sure Taehyung had run here.
"Come on" He said quietly, fitting one hand smoothly under Taehyung's knees and hoisting him up into his arms. "Let's get you into bed, baby. I found your favorite sweatshirt. Do you want that and your favorite pair of my sweats?"
Taehyung smiled fully then, eyes still closed as he was cradled.
"I think it's safe to say they're my sweatshirt and sweats now"
________________________________________________________________________________I'm like actually proud of myself? An update that's on time, wut??? Haha, yayyyy!!! I like this chapter, but what is it with me and making things so angsty and bitter sweet? I hope it wasn't too sad for you all and to those who have been waiting for Taehyung to tell Jungkook - soon, very soon
*UNEDITED*
Ok I have nothing to say besides Taekook have been wilding lately...have you all seen those fansigns?? I feel happy knowing they and BTS are happy right now :)
Anyone know what the room number 504 references?
What did you all think of this chapter? Lemme know!! :):)
I meant what I said in the chapter. Emotionally, there is only so much anyone can take before everything bubbles over and becomes too much to bear to the point everything is just worse when it finally does flood out. We do live in a society where most places the general thought is that showing your emotions is bad, a sign of weakness, I know, I have fallen prey to this way of thinking more than once, but I'm trying to change that. And I'm here to say, I know it might be hard, but letting yourself feel those emotions we try to avoid allow you to feel the good ones that much better. They have to co-inside. There are people around you, people who will listen. And I have to say, I've been through a lot this year, been through too many emotions but I talked to people, I let myself feel for a while and now, when there is something good, I cherish it that much more. What I'm trying to say is, don't be afraid to voice your thoughts, your insecurities, your fears. Nothing bad will happen I swear. You can always talk to me too:)
These outfits oh ma goooodddd :)
cute little bunny
________________________________________________________________________________Next chapter will be out soon!
I purple you!
-Megan<3