The front door to the house slammed open, catching Taehyung's and Jungkook's attention. The small brunette boy felt his heart stop beating in his chest as he began to hear voices from downstairs. He looked over at Jungkook, his eyes wide with fear as he shuffled closer to his boyfriend.
Fear struck him to his core, his breath hitching in the back of his throat when the voice started getting louder. His anxiety had spiked, causing him to tremble and shake as he kept his eyes glued to his bedroom door.
The voices started growing, and when they slowly became louder, they started sounding familiar. He knew those voices, and he knew who was finally back in town, and he felt like panicking right now.
"Where is he?!"
His dad.
His heart leaned into his throat, and he felt like he was suffocating as he tried to swallow it down. He was practically sitting in Jungkook's lap now with the older's arms wrapped securely around his waist.
Tears were clouding his vision, slowly trickling down his porcelain cheeks. He jumped when the doorknob violently jiggled, burying his face in his boyfriend's shoulder as he silently cried.
He tried staying as quiet as possible, too scared to make a single noise because he didn't want his parents to know he was home. Jungkook ran a hand up and down his spine as they tried staying quiet, holding him tightly in his arms.
Suddenly, the doorknob stilled, and he no longer heard voices coming from the other side of his bedroom door. He looked over, eyes round and glossy, tears streaming down his cheeks as he held his breath, listening for any other noises.
He was almost convinced his parents were gone.
Almost.
He looked up at Jungkook who looked back at him, both boys not knowing if they were still there or if they were gone by now. But neither one of them dared to move a single muscle.
They stayed in this position for a little while longer, just waiting for a sign that his parents were still in the house, but the home was absolute dead silent. He hoped and prayed they were gone, but he had a feeling they were still sticking around.
His whole body had a mind of its own, because the next thing either of the boys know is Taehyung getting off the bed and making his way to his bedroom door.
His fingers wrapped around the knob as quietly as possible, afraid to make too much noise. He unlocked the door before slowly opening it, taking a few glances over his shoulder where Jungkook was still seated, frozen in his spot.
Neither one of the boys have exchanged any words, both too scared to muster anything up.
He opened the door, peeking through a small crack he made for himself. He scanned the hallway, finding that it was clear and no signs of his parents anywhere. He was trying to keep his breathing steady-trying to be quiet.
His hands were shaking, his knees were weak, and his stomach was churning and uneasy as he opened the door a little wider. He poked his head through, looking and listening carefully downstairs, but he couldn't hear or see anything.
He stepped out of his room, looking over the railing. "There he is." Taehyung gasped, turning his neck to see his parents standing in the doorway of their bedroom. He froze, his heart leaping in his throat yet again as his eyes grew wide.
He took a shaky step back, his parents taking a step closer and making him cower like they always did. "What-what are you-you doing h-here? I-I thought you-you weren't c-coming back?" He stuttered, his nerves going crazy as he wondered where the hell Jungkook currently was and what he was doing.
"You really thought we wouldn't come back?" His mother sneered, her eyes narrowing onto her son as he placed her hands on her hips, "We always come back, and you know that."
"Then why did you leave in the first place?" He questioned them, causing their eyes to visibly darken.
Bad mistake.
The next thing he knows is a sudden piercing, stinging pain on his left cheek, his dad's ring cutting the porcelain skin. He whimpered, cupping his cheek as he bit down on his lower lip, the stinging invading his skin as he stumbled back a little.
He really thought this was finally over.
"Do you have a friend over, Taehyung?" His mother interrogated him, and he hated it when she did that. He couldn't lie, if he lied, the punishments would only get worse, and if he told the truth, he would still get in trouble for inviting someone over.
He knew the rules.
And he broke them.
Again.
"N-No," he lied, shaking his head a little. He watched as his parents shared a look before they casted their gaze back onto their son, their arms folding over their chests as they gave him a disbelieving look.
"You're lying," his father declared through clenched teeth, "There's a car in our driveway that doesn't belong to anyone we know. Now, we're going to ask you one last time; is someone else here?"
There was no way he could allow them to do what they were doing to him to Jungkook. The older mattered more than he did at this moment, and he couldn't allow them to do what they pleased with his boyfriend.
He couldn't live with himself if they did.
"Please, don't hurt him," he pleaded, eyes round and glossy, tears threatening to spill from his chestnut eyes. His parents' eyes went to his closed bedroom door, and Taehyung felt his blood run cold for just a second.
They didn't even make their way to the bedroom-they stayed put and shared a look with each other before their narrowed their gaze onto their son. He bit the inside of his bottom lip nervously, unaware of what was going on inside their heads.
He was suddenly jerked forward, his dad's hands clutching the collar of his hoodie. He gasped, eyes growing wide as his mouth parted a little. "We told you no one is allowed in this house," he seethed, his eyes darkening.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Again? This is twice now, Taehyung," his mother stated through clenched teeth, the back of her hand connecting with his cheek, a loud smack echoing through the quiet halls, "And you lied to us about it the first time we asked."
"I-I just don't want h-him t-to get h-hurt," he stuttered, holding his cheek as hot tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
"What is he to you? Your boyfriend?" His mom questioned sarcastically, but when Taehyung stayed quiet and didn't deny her accusations, her eyes narrowed onto him again. "He's your boyfriend."
"So now we have a fag in the family," his dad stated in a disgusted tone, "Always known there was something wrong with you."
The next thing Taehyung knows is a fist connecting with his jaw, the grip on his shirt loosening as he fell to the ground with a loud cry. He held his face, tears spilling down his porcelain cheeks.
A quick swift kick to his stomach from his dad knocked the air completely out of his lungs, causing him to clutch his stomach as he gasped for air. "J-Jung-k-kook!" He tried yelling for him, but he could barely talk, and it hurt to scream.
"Calling for your little boyfriend already, I see," his dad snickered wickedly. Taehyung groaned in pain, holding his stomach as his dad repeatedly kicked him in the side.
"S-Stop! Pl-please! Stop! Jungkook! Please!" Taehyung yelled-fucking pleaded for Jungkook to come and help him. He tilted his head back on the floor, his eyes landing on Jungkook who was standing at the doorway of his boyfriend's bedroom, just watching with bored eyes. "Jung-"
Mr. Kim grabbed a fistful of Taehyung's hair, forcing him to stand as his son hissed and clenched his jaw, eyes screwing shut. "So, this is your little boyfriend, then, huh?" His dad whispered lowly in his ear.
His eyes opened and landed on Jungkook, tears streaking his cheeks, his eyes were red and a little puffy and his bottom lip was bleeding from biting it. Blood was dripping from the small cut on his cheek, smearing a little on his skin.
"Please, don't hurt him," he whispered pleadingly, his eyes now on his dad-or at least trying to, but the man was forcing him to look at Jungkook. "Do whatever you want with me, but please, don't hurt him."
His dad lowly chuckled, smiling wickedly at his son as his eyes landed on Jungkook, who was watching with that same bored expression plastered on his features. He didn't understand why Jungkook wasn't doing anything.
He was always saving him at school, throwing punches at Bogum and everyone who dared to step a foot too close for his liking-always protecting him, but now, he wasn't doing a damned thing.
It was like he was enjoying it.
And it was terrifying Taehyung.
It was like a flash of lightening striking when his back was met with the wall, his head smacking against it. He groaned, holding his head as he slowly slid down the wall, his knees brought up to his chest as the room began spinning.
His head was pounding, the room was spinning, his whole body ached from the punches and kicks. He groaned in pain as he tried to get the room to stop moving, but he couldn't and he was getting nauseous.
"Fight back, Taehyung." Taehyung's head snapped up at the sound of that familiar deep voice, regretting it instantly when a sharp pain shot through his head and down his spine.
His eyes landed on Jungkook who was watching with crossed arms by his bedroom doorway. He furrowed his eyebrows, not knowing if Jungkook was the one who said those words.
"W-What?" He asked in a weak and broken voice.
"Fight back, Taehyung," Jungkook repeated, and Taehyung's eyes were on his thin lips the whole time to make sure he was the one saying those words, and when he did, it pierced his heart because Jungkook would never say something like that to him.
"I ca-"
"Fight back, Taehyung!"
His dad started throwing punches, pinning Taehyung to the ground with his knees on his shoulders. Taehyung screamed, unable to free himself as punch after punch was thrown, every fist connecting with either his jaw or cheek.
"Taehyung, fight back!"
"S-Stop!"
"Taehyung!"
"No! I can't!"
"Taehyung! Baby!"
Taehyung's eyes flew open as he sat up, gasping for air. Jungkook sat up beside him, his arms wrapped around his boyfriend as he cried against his chest.
He was trembling in Jungkook's arms, body shaking and bouncing with sobs as tears soaked his plain black t-shirt. He just held him tightly against his chest, kissing the top of his head as he pulled him onto his lap.
"Shh, it's okay, baby. I'm here. I'm here," the older whispered into his hair as he rocked their bodies soothingly, "It was only a dream, baby. It was only a bad dream. It's okay."
Taehyung only cried harder, and he didn't know if it was because the nightmare was still haunting him, or if it was because he missed this Jungkook in his dream.
He clutched his shirt into tight fists, tears soaking the fabric as he cried harder and harder as time past. He couldn't get the images and the pain he felt out of his head.
He still felt the punches and the kicks. He felt the cut on his cheek still, he felt that same headache, and he felt the sharp pains that shot through his body every time he moved.
He could still feel it.
He finally started to calm down, his sobs quieting down, hiccuping every now and then. He was still crying, tears spilling from his eyes as his nightmare replayed in his head.
He couldn't escape from it.
"Are you okay now?" Jungkook whispered before kissing the top of his boyfriend's hair.
"You kept telling me to fight back," Taehyung suddenly said, his voice shaky and broken, and he sounded vulnerable.
Jungkook looked down at him, eyebrows furrowing as he pulled away so he could look at Taehyung in his dark, glossy eyes. "What're you talking about, baby?" He asked quietly.
"My-my parents," he choked out, hiccuping, "You told me to f-fight back. You just watched! You watched them hur-hurt m-me! You didn't d-do any-anything!"
"Tae, what're you talking about?" He questioned confusedly, his voice quiet and holding confusion as his eyebrows pulled together, until he realization punched him in the face, "Did... did you have a dream about your parents?"
Taehyung nodded, crying a little harder as his hot tears spilled from his eyes heavily. Jungkook's heart broke in his chest. He cupped his cheeks, wiping the spilling tears with the pads of his thumbs.
"Baby, look at me," he gently demanded, causing Taehyung to look into his eyes with his own teary ones, "It was only a dream, and I'm sorry. I promise you, though, if they ever do decide to show their faces here again, I'll protect you. I swear on my life, Tae. I won't let them touch you."
"Promise?" He didn't mean for it to come out selfish if it did, but he had to know if Jungkook was going to be there if his parents ever came to town. He needed to know Jungkook had his back if he was ever facing them.
Jungkook connected their lips into a sweet kiss with a small smile on his face. Taehyung instantly melted into the kiss, his body relaxing against his touch and in his arms. They parted, Jungkook staring into Taehyung's eyes with a sweet but reassuring smile.
"I promise, baby."