Taehyung glanced at his phone distractedly as it vibrated atop his desk for the third time. Another call from Mrs Kim. He drummed his fingers on the desk in indecision. He didn't usually deal with work stuff during school hours but then again, he usually didn't deal with Jeongguk and they hadn't exactly left things on the best of terms last night.
After his outburst, Jeongguk had been noticeably distraught. Taehyung had hovered hesitantly at the closed door of the hybrid's bedroom for a long while before he finally decided to knock. Jeongguk hadn't answered. Disregarding the lack of response, he had called softly through the door, certain Jeongguk was listening even if he wasn't talking. He'd asked if Jeongguk wanted to have his hair washed or if they should perhaps leave it for next time. He'd taken his silence as an indication the interaction should be deferred he'd politely bid the hybrid a good night and left.
Given Jeongguk's distressed state and the unusual amount of calls from Mrs Kim, Taehyung snatched the phone up and made his way out of the lecture to the relative privacy of the hallway beyond. Mrs Kim picked up on the second ring.
"Taehyung! Oh thank god!"
"Hi Mrs Kim. Is everything ok?" He asked with concern.
"No, everything is not ok." She denied, frustration clear in her tone. "Jeongguk!" She hollered and even though she'd obviously placed her hand over the speaker of the phone, it was still jarring.
"Mrs Kim?" He queried, trying to draw her attention back to their conversation.
"Right, yes, Taehyung, sorry. Could you..? Would you mind coming over?" Her voice was tight with anger.
"I'm in the middle of my classes, at the moment, Mrs Kim." He apologised. "But after I'm done I'd be happy to-"
"No! I mean, sorry Taehyung, could you come sooner? Like now? It's kind of an emergency."
"What happened? Is Jeongguk, alright?"
"Honestly? I don't know. He's locked himself in his bedroom and nothing I'm saying is working. He's asking for Joon but I can't get a hold of him and now he's throwing the mother of all tantrums. Please. He listens to you."
Taehyung nibbled the skin on his dry bottom lip as indecision tore through him. He wasn't the sort to blow off classes, but Jeongguk was clearly distressed.
"Jeongguk!" She shouted again. Whatever reply she'd garnered drastically changed her tone, the anger draining from it to be replaced with concern. "Gukkie? Hey, please open the door." He heard Mrs Kim plead. She sighed at whatever his response had been and turned her attention back to their phone conversation. "Look, Taehyung, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."
He let out a pent up breath and nodded. "Yeah, ok. I'm on my way."
"Thank you." He could hear the relief in her voice. "See you soon."
He checked the time, calculating the time it would take to get to the Kim household by his usual methods. Even if he left now he wouldn't make the bus and it would be an hour before the next one. His lips thinned. Not fast enough. Jeongguk needed him now. Rubbing his forehead with resignation he opened the uber app. He couldn't really afford the trip, but he also couldn't afford to leave his bunny in his current state of distress any longer than absolutely necessary.
Chaos abounded when Taehyung arrived at the Kim residence. Mrs Kim greeted him at the door, cell phone glued to her ear, clearly frustrated by whatever was being said on the other end.
"-don't care what plans you had. I expect you here this weekend. Understood?" She snapped. "Bye." Then she threw him a tight lipped smile. "Taehyung, hi. Please, come in."
"Hi Mrs Kim. Is he out yet?" He asked hopefully.
She sighed and shook her head.
"I'll just go talk to him, then." He informed her, heading straight past her and down the hall to Jeongguk's room.
"Guk?" He rapped his knuckles against the door. He got no answer, but he heard a quiet shuffling which meant the boy was listening. "Hey, it's Taehyung. Can you open the door? Come on, Jeongguk, I know you can hear me. Please open the door." Complete silence greeted him, even the shuffling had stopped. He placed a hand on the door as though he might be able to reach the boy through the action. "Please, bun, I just want to make sure you're ok."
"Go away." Jeongguk finally responded. "I don't want to see you. I want Joonie!"
"I know, baby and I know Mrs Kim is trying to get a hold of him. In the meantime could you please open the door?"
"I'm not a baby!" He screamed and Taehyung cursed himself. He hadn't even realised he'd let the endearment slip.
"I know, Jeongguk, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just worried about you."
"I don't care. Go away. I hate you!"
Taehyung closed his eyes. He know Jeongguk didn't mean it, but the words stung anyway. "No you don't, bun. You're just angry and hurt. It's ok. It's ok to feel that way, Guk. But it isn't ok to act out like this when we're only trying to help. If you open the door now, I'll help you. You won't be in trouble. I'll make sure of it. But if you keep acting like a brat there will be consequences. So I'll ask you one last time, open the door." His gentle coaxing tone firmed into one of calm authority.
He heard shuffling again. "Promise you won't get mad?"
That didn't bode well, but Taehyung was a man of his word. "I promise. Now open the door, Guk."
The door swung open on a disaster zone. When Mrs Kim said he was having the mother of all tantrums she hadn't been exaggerating. More concerning though, was Jeongguk's condition. His face was puffy and tear-streaked. That was to be expected. What he wasn't prepared for was the state of his hands and claws, the knuckles were red and raw and already darkening with bruises and one of his retractable claws appeared to be torn, bleeding sullenly where it hung tenuously from his mutated fingertip.
"Oh, baby bun, what did you do to yourself?" He breathed, crossing to Jeongguk in two large strides and enveloping the quivering hybrid in his arms tightly.
"Never mind that." Mrs Kim said from behind him. "What did you do to this room?"
Taehyung's features twisted into uncharacteristic anger at the words when he felt Jeongguk tense in his embrace. Schooling his expression back to calm he looked over his shoulder at the woman who currently paid his bills. "Mrs Kim, would you mind giving us a minute. It's important that Jeongguk is calm and settled before we deal with the rest of the situation."
"Please, Mrs Kim. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." He used the words she had spoken to him on the phone hoping it would jog some sense of obligation on her part. He needed all the leeway he could get if he was going to dig Jeongguk out of the mess he'd made.
When she nodded grimly and closed the door behind her, Taehyung drew back and led Jeongguk to the bed. The bedding was shredded. He could see little splotches of blood dotting the rags that had once been sheets. Once he was seated, Tae crouched at his feet.
"Can I see your hands?" He asked even as he was drawing the battered appendages forward. He ran his fingers lightly down them, bending them at the knuckles to check for breaks. He winced in sympathy when Jeongguk flinched. "I'm sorry, I know they must hurt. Will you let me clean and dress them?"
The hybrid nodded silently and Taehyung gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. I'll be right back, ok?"
In the hallway he found a still furious Mrs Kim. "Taehyung." She began but he held up his hand to stop her.
"I understand you're upset at Jeongguk at the moment, Mrs Kim. But he's injured and very upset. I honestly think going in there now and raising your voice to him or punishing him is going to do more harm than good." He explained calmly. "Once I've seen to his wounds and gotten him to a place of calm, I promise I'll help you deal with the whole situation. Ok?"
Her jaw clenched but she nodded.
"Thank you. I'll be out as soon as I can." He brushed past her to fetch the first aid kit from the bathroom and slipped quietly back into Jeongguk's room closing the door behind him to lend them a modicum of privacy.
Jeongguk flinched and whimpered as Taehyung cleaned his abraded knuckles with a practiced hand. His veterinary education giving his ministrations swift ease of practice.
"Better?" He asked when he was done.
Jeongguk nodded, drawing his hands protectively back against his body.
"Ready to talk to me?"
The boy shrugged, which he supposed with better than a flat out refusal.
"Is this about the phone call last night?"
Jeongguk looked away to mask the pain that flashed across his expression and lifted a shoulder sullenly.
"I don't mean to pry, but I couldn't help but overhear what you said. You wanted to visit him this weekend?"
He gave a small nod. Better than a shrug, Tae supposed.
"He said no?"
"Not exactly." Was the boy's vague response but at least now he was talking.
"But he didn't say yes." Taehyung surmised.
"He doesn't like me anymore." Jeongguk whispered and Tae's heart broke a little at the crack in his voice.
"I'm sure that's not true, bun." He reassured the boy gently, taking a seat beside him and slinging an arm about his waist to draw him into the warmth and comfort of his body. For once Jeongguk didn't fight the affectionate action, instead choosing to rest his head against Taehyung's chest and listen to the steady, dependable beat of the elder's heart.
"I miss him so much, hyung. But he doesn't even want to talk to me on the phone. He always says he's too busy." The words were heavy with resentment.
"I'm sorry, Jeongguk. Sometimes people get caught up in their own lives. It doesn't mean they don't love you anymore. They don't mean to hurt you or make you feel unwanted. It just ...happens. But it's not your fault, ok? Even if he didn't like you anymore, which I know isn't the case, it wouldn't be because you weren't likable. Because you, little bun, are the most adorable and lovable little brat I know, ok?" He gave the boy a tight squeeze at the teasing words and was relieved to see the corner of Jeongguk's mouth curve into a ghost of a smile.
"So why don't we go to the kitchen and get a glass of water and then we'll go apologise to Mama Kim for upsetting her. Ok?" He suggested.
"Ok." Guk croaked.
A/N Last one today, kiddos. And probably won't be more than one tomorrow. So savour it.
So what do you think? Is Tae being too soft on Guk? Does he need to dish out some tough love? Or does he need to wrap his bunny in softest of marshmallows and protect him from the world? Or both?
Keep those comments a-coming cos I love reading them!
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