cw // violence, outing

Some said the world would end by God's wrath.

As Yoongi came to learn, his world would come to a brutal end at the hands of Jess, the one person he would have thought would have his back.

"Yoongi Min and Hoseok Jung, please report to the Principal's office."

Immediately all eyes were on Yoongi, and Yoongi ignored them all, slowly standing up from his seat. Namjoon eyed him warily, but Yoongi only remained calm, though his insides were caving in on themselves. His teacher gave him a pass, and he walked to the principal's office, his heart lurching out of his chest as he saw Hoseok already seated. Hoseok didn't bat an eye as Yoongi walked in and took the seat next to him, his arms neatly folded across his chest.

"I assume you know why you are here."

The Principal's voice was stern, tinged with the tiniest drop of disgust. Hoseok played dumb, and Yoongi followed suit. They had done nothing wrong as far as it was concerned, so they had no reason to be called down. Unless, of course, this had nothing to do with their academic and school records and more what they were doing during their outside time.

At their silence, their principal only sighed discontentedly, moving her monitor towards the two of them. There, in perfect quality, was a picture of the two of them arm in arm, looking like a couple. Hoseok's face betrayed no emotion as he looked at the monitor, and Yoongi forced himself to do the same. There was nothing wrong with the picture. No matter what they said, what Hoseok and Yoongi had was normal. No matter how disgusted and displeased their principal looked, it wouldn't stop the fact that Hoseok and Yoongi were a regular couple.

"What do you have to say about this?"

Hoseok shrugged. "Is there anything to say?"

"Don't play coy with me, Jung," she scolded. "I expect this type of behavior from you, but I could never have thought you would spread your ideas to our star student." She looked at Yoongi worriedly. "You can tell me if he's doing anything to you. We will protect you from him."

Yoongi knew that was how they were going to see everything, but it still shocked him that in all of this, they still assumed that he was the victim in the situation. Hoseok scoffed, expression washed in disbelief, but he said nothing, waiting expectantly for Yoongi's reaction. Mrs. Watson's eyes pleaded for Yoongi to say something about the matter, to reassure them that Yoongi was innocent in all of this, but all it did was increase the gnawing in Yoongi's stomach.

"I don't need protection from Hoseok."

Though Yoongi's voice was soft, it was firm all the same. He looked at Hoseok, noticing the almost invisible twitch of his lips and the slightest bit of relaxation seeping through Hoseok's body as if the older was relieved that Yoongi had decided not to throw Hoseok under the bus. It was a warranted thought, but one that still hurt all the same. Maybe a couple of months ago, he would have been able to make that decision, but now? He couldn't.

His heart beat ardently for Hoseok, and the love they shared was one of the only things that brought him stability. No matter how badly everyone looked at them, all that mattered was that the love they shared was as real as any other type of love, more so when, against all odds, they managed to come together. Nothing was wrong with their relationship. It wasn't strange, unnatural, or illegal. It was pure, and it was theirs.

"I'm disappointed you've decided to indulge in these godless activities," she sighed, turning her monitor back around. "St. John's doesn't allow this in its school. We might have to take disciplinary action."

"My mom is already on her way," Hoseok said. "You might want to rethink that disciplinary action over something as innocent as pictures."

"What is your relationship with each other?" she asked, eyes narrowing as she looked at the two of them.

The relationship between them was obvious, but Yoongi suspected she wanted Yoongi and Hoseok to formally say it. He realized this was his last chance to back out and that she was giving Yoongi that out. The out that he had already refused before and would not be taking. Every action had an equal and opposite reaction, and Yoongi had to bear the consequences of choosing to be with Hoseok. Hoseok stayed silent, and Yoongi knew he was only doing it to protect Yoongi. Even with the pictures out on display, Hoseok was still putting Yoongi's comfort first, and Yoongi's heart swelled with love.

"We're dating," Yoongi spoke, surprised that his voice was calm and poised. "Hoseok's my boyfriend."

The sudden smile in Hoseok's eyes was unmistakable at Yoongi's words. Mrs. Watson looked shocked, her face playing as she stared at Yoongi, hoping that what he had said was a lie. Yoongi Min, the golden boy of St. John's, had become fully corrupted. Swirling speculations had now become solidified answers, and it was a small school. Everyone would know by the end of the day.

She crossed her arms. "We'll have to inform your parents about this, Yoongi. They will not be pleased."

"You can't tell his parents," Hoseok protested. "It's not allowed to out someone to their parents. That's against the law."

"Yoongi's parents have a right to know about his son's misbehavior," she answered. "His parents deserve to know Yoongi's heading down the wrong path."

"My mom's a lawyer for the ACLU," Hoseok said, expression cold. "I can assure you if you invade Yoongi's privacy by informing his parents, you will be breaking the law. He'll be able to sue the school."

To that, Mrs. Watson relented, though she still brimmed with unhappiness.

"This goes against everything we are for," she remarked. "How can I let you two return to class knowing that you're like this? It was one thing for people to think that you were, Hoseok, and we've kept that secret well, but for you, Yoongi? Do you not have anything to say to yourself?"

Yoongi frowned. "What am I supposed to say? If it would have been up to me, you would have never seen that picture. Who gave it to you?"

"It doesn't matter where we got this," she responded bluntly. "What matters is that we've been informed about your ill-fated...urges. I would like you both to grab your things and come back here until Hoseok's mother gets here. Your parents will be informed that you're being let out early, Yoongi, but on Hoseok's suggestions, I will not be disclosing why. We will be implementing new measures to ensure you two are not alone together. We don't want to make this worse than it already is."

But there was nothing wrong with what Yoongi and Hoseok had.

God, was this how Yoongi sounded before? Their principal wasn't looking at them as if they were human. Her eyes shone with fear, and Yoongi had quickly noticed how she had already moved a couple of centimeters back, as if what Yoongi and Hoseok had was transmissible. It was an explicit rejection, one that embedded daggers onto Yoongi's chest, who used to see the principal as someone he could rely on. He could only wonder what all the other teachers, who had already shunned him for befriending Hoseok, would do once they realized that St. John's first "outed" homosexual relationship was in their midst. He was sure they'd be glad that Hoseok and Yoongi only had a few months left, but that also put everything into question.

They'd already been left out of Winter Formal. As seniors, Yoongi and Hoseok still had senior prom and graduation. Would they be stripped of those privileges too? Would Yoongi and Hoseok not be allowed to go to prom because they were in a relationship? Would they be allowed to walk the stage of their school and celebrate their accomplishments? So many things had been placed into jeopardy, all because of his decision to love someone who wasn't the opposite gender.

"You can't just keep us apart," Yoongi said. "You know everyone's going to figure it out if you do that. If you're trying to keep it under wraps, like we have been doing, then just act like everything's normal. Nothing's changed."

He wondered if Hoseok was proud of hearing his words right now. He would assume otherwise, but this was the first time Yoongi was owning up to himself, and while he was terrified, now that the car was out of the bag, it wasn't something that could just be glossed over. While his wording choice could have been better, all of it still meant the same thing. To insinuate that everything is normal and that the only unnormal thing was them trying to get a leg at him for being with Hoseok, despite Yoongi and Hoseok not harming anyone for being together.

"But we can't allow you two to remain together while you're on our school campus," she argued, horrified at Yoongi's words. "We'd be sending a message that what you are doing is tolerated. Do you know how many parents would get upset at us if they knew we were allowing this kind of behavior to exist in our school? We listen to the word of God, Yoongi. You may have fallen into temptation made by the Devil and lost yourself, but we have not. All we can do is pray that you come to your senses and ensure that you can't act on these immoral urges while on school grounds."

"The only thing immoral happening on school grounds are you trying to discriminate against a group of students for their sexual orientation," Hoseok retorted. "My mother already threatened to take you to court when you refused to let us open a safe space for those who weren't heterosexual, and now you're trying to keep Yoongi and me apart. What do you think is going to happen when my mom gets here, and I tell her everything you're telling me right now? Everything you say is recorded, remember? You have cameras in your office for that reason."

She blanched. "Go get your things."

Hoseok was the first to stand up. He turned to Yoongi, offering his hand. Yoongi's eyes flickered to the principal and back to Hoseok, contemplating the decision for a bit. He gave Hoseok his hand, and Hoseok pulled him up, threading their hands together, much to their principal's dismay. Hoseok led him out of the room, and the staff looked at them, leaving hand in hand. Yoongi's heart was bursting out of his chest, though he couldn't tell if it was because they were showing their relationship in front of them or if the nerves of his parents finding out along with the entire school were leaving him without air.

"Where's your class?" Hoseok asked, never once letting go of Yoongi's hand. "I'll go with you."

Yoongi blushed. "Ah, I don't need anyone to come with me, Seok. I can get my things just fine."

"I want to," Hoseok said, pulling Yoongi close to his body. A giggle escaped Yoongi's lips, and his free hand went up to Hoseok's chest.

"What if someone sees us?" Yoongi asked, knowing that there were definitely students walking around the halls. Hoseok shrugged.

"We're already screwed, might as well make the most of it," he murmured, tilting Yoongi's head up. Yoongi's eyes fluttered close as Hoseok leaned in, his lips molding perfectly with Yoongi's. Though his cheeks were burning with the color of a thousand roses, it did not deter their love. Hoseok pulled away, smiling softly as he pressed a kiss on Yoongi's cheek. "Your stuff."

Yoongi nodded, almost in a daze, as he led Hoseok towards his class. Once they got there, Hoseok opened the door for him, and he walked in. With all eyes on him, he gathered his things, ignoring the way everyone had broken out in even more whispers. Namjoon looked at him questioningly, eyes going from Hoseok and back. He must have pieced it together because his eyes lit up, and he nodded once, promising Yoongi that he would help catch him up with everything.

He hoisted the backpack over his shoulder, and Hoseok waved a peace sign, smiling snidely as he closed the door brutally in their faces. Hoseok looked at peace as if getting exposed to the entire school was something he was happy to endure. For Yoongi, it was nerve-wracking, but knowing that he'd be with Hoseok through it all made it just the tiniest bit bearable. There was immense pressure in his chest like he didn't know what could happen in the next couple of hours, but all he had to do was remind himself that he was with Hoseok.

Hoseok wouldn't let him drown.

Hoseok would be with Yoongi every step of this uncharted territory. He wouldn't abandon Yoongi.

When Hoseok's mother made it to campus, she was beyond furious. Yoongi had little idea what had happened at the office as Hoseok and Yoongi were both waiting for Hoseok's mother in his car, Hoseok's thumb brushing across Yoongi's knuckles in a repeated motion as if to calm Yoongi down and reassure him that everything was going to be fine. Little words were spoken between the two of them; everything they needed to communicate passed through their eyes, ones that never once left each other.

"I love you."

Yoongi didn't know why he sounded like he was on the verge of tears as he said the words, no clue why the statement sounded like his parting words to Hoseok. Hoseok's hold on his hand tightened, and Hoseok brought Yoongi's hand to his lips, leaving a whisper of kisses on his hand.

"We're going to be okay."

As much as Yoongi wanted to accept it, he and Hoseok both knew the statement was nothing more than a mere echo in the wind.

—🏝—

"Are you sure you can handle being at home?"

Yoongi smiled, attempting to give Hoseok a reassuring look to no avail. Despite trying to keep a smooth expression on his face, Yoongi's hands couldn't stop shaking, and though Hoseok was only just getting close to his street, he couldn't help but know that something bad was going to happen. He didn't want to go home yet, not after the fiasco that had happened at school, but he couldn't really on Hoseok's clothes to get him by the rest of the year. There was still hope that his parents didn't know, and that was a chance he would have to take.

"You don't have to go," Hoseok's voice was soft, reassuring, but even Yoongi knew that it was for nothing. "We can get you new clothes? You can keep borrowing some of mine? We could wait till my mom gets home to come to get your stuff."

Yoongi shook his head. "Then they're going to know something's wrong. Just wait a couple of houses down. I'll text you if anything happens."

Hoseok was not satisfied with the response, but he took it, eyeing Yoongi warily as he got out of the truck. He drove off first, letting Yoongi slowly walk towards his house. Yoongi zeroed in where Hoseok had parked, his hand clutching his phone like his life depended on it. He held onto the vain hope that his parents knew nothing, and because they were unaware, he would be safe.

He should have known that was merely wishful thinking.

The first thing he noticed was Jess's car parked perfectly in the driveway— already a bad omen as Jess had been the one to send the pictures to the school, Yoongi was sure of it. He reached for his house key, putting the key into the lock and twisting it, only to realize that it wouldn't open. Frowning, he tried the bottom lock and received the same response.

Did they lock him out?

As if to answer his question, his father was the one who opened the door, an indiscernible expression on his face. From the door opening, he could hear his mother's wails, sounding inconsolable. Dread consumed every fiber of Yoongi's being, but he forced himself to look his father in the eye, asking him if he could be led into the house. Wordlessly, his father let him through, and as soon as he had made it fully inside, his father shut the door loudly. The previous mask of calmness had twisted into one of rage, and his father grabbed Yoongi by the arm roughly, nails digging into his arm tightly. Yoongi let out a noise of surprise, protesting as his father practically hurled him into the living room, the impact of it causing Yoongi to lose his footing and fall onto the floor.

Yoongi swallowed the bile rising in his throat, and though his heart was racing out of fright with adrenaline already coursing through him, he did not move. He tried his best to control his heavy breathing, and his eyes looked upwards to see Jess staring impassively at him, though a triumphant gleam glittered across her irises as she hugged Yoongi's inconsolable mother.

"We gave you everything, Yoongi."

His father's voice was enraged, coming out more of a growl than an actual sentence. Yoongi turned to look at him, noticing the veins popping out of his father's forehead, expression reddened, with hands balled into fists meant to hurt. Yoongi scrambled up, already taking steps away in case his father did anything irrational. From the looks of it, his father was far from being rational, and Yoongi knew that once his father was thrown into a rage, it wouldn't take long for him to go overboard.

"And you willingly throw it all away to be a fucking faggot?"

"Broke my heart is what he did," Jess said, her voice coated in faux heartbreak. "I really thought we had something."

Yoongi scoffed, answering, "We had nothing between us, Jess. You know it better than anyone here."

"You led me on!" Jess accused, her eyes brimming with tears. "All so you could use me as an excuse to hang out with your boyfriend!"

His father grabbed him by the necklace, pulling Yoongi harshly as he asked, "This from him?" When he'd received no answer, but Jess's, Yoongi's father pulled the necklace hard and, ignoring the cry of pain slipping from Yoongi's lips, he forcibly yanked it, causing the necklace to break after it left imprints on Yoongi's neck. He tossed it onto the floor, and Yoongi immediately leaned to grab it, only to receive a harsh blow to the cheek, forcing him to get back.

The sudden impact left Yoongi in tears, but he stood his ground. His father only stared at him, burning with apathy, before he turned around and marched up the stairs, and Yoongi prayed at that moment that his father wouldn't rummage through his office to take out his gun. He turned to Jess, who displayed no remorse over what she had so clearly caused. If anything, she remained spiteful, enjoying each moment of Yoongi's downfall as if it were the best gift she could have ever received.

It was sickening.

"No wonder you're a bitter old hag no one befriends," Yoongi spat, seething. He tried texting Hoseok, but Jess stood up and slapped the phone out of Yoongi's hand. The phone clattered to the ground, but before Yoongi could reach for it, Jess stomped on it repeatedly until there was nothing but shards of glass left on what used to be a cell phone.

"I'm sorry my son turned out this way," his mother said, refusing to look Yoongi in the eye. "You deserve better."

The air knocked out of Yoongi's lungs, and this time, his tears ran rampant. He didn't think that his parents were going to understand his side, but knowing that his mother was fully siding with Jess and refusing to even see her son while his father was upstairs rummaging for God knew what— it tore Yoongi to pieces. He'd always seen his parents as loving as the word of God told them to be, but clearly, the word of God would never be enough for them to fully let themselves love their only child, regardless of how he identified.

When his father came down, Yoongi's worse fears came true. His father tossed the bear Yoongi had hidden in the closet, his other hand clutching his gun. He threw the bear down towards the door, and cocking his gun, shot it. His mother screamed at the sound while Yoongi stood there stunned, unable to believe his father had been crazy enough to shoot an inanimate object.

"When I see that kid, I'm killing him myself." his father seethed, purposefully cocking his gun to show he wasn't messing around.

"You're fucking crazy!" Yoongi yelled, voice breaking slightly. "You hate him that much you'd go to jail?"

"Actually, he got every right to shoot the homosexuals," Jess piped, almost smugly. "It's the panic defense. If your father believes that you or that boy can cause him harm, he's well in his rights to defend himself against y'all."

You've got to be kidding me.

"We gave you everything, Yoongi," his father seethed, descending the stairs. "A good home, took you to church, a good education, and we even found you a good, Christian, Southern girl to appease your whims, all so you could give it up for a fag? And now you're one of them too?" Without waiting for Yoongi to respond, he continued. "You associate yourself with them, take pictures with them, and who knows what more unspeakable things you have done with that boy!"

"You know nothing about Hoseok!" Yoongi snapped. "You knew who Hoseok was before I knew it, and instead of trying to accept him, you forced Hoseok and his sister to leave, and you hurt them! You made me hurt them too! There's nothing wrong with them. The only people who have something wrong with them are y'all! You, mom, fucking Jess, all of you!"

His mother gasped. "How could you say that to us? We've done nothing but try to protect you from those people! You let yourself get tempted by the Devil! We never wanted you to be like them; never wanted you to act on those urges we knew you had!

Yoongi shook his head. "You don't get to turn this on me. Do you think God told dad to shoot a fucking teddy bear in his anger? Do you think He'd appreciate the number of insults y'all are making? Give me a fucking break! Y'all only weaponize God when it benefits y'all. I'm tired of it. I'm still your son."

"No son of mine is a homosexual," his father spat, ignoring everything else Yoongi had said. "You're no longer my son. You're lucky I'm going to be nice enough to let you grab some of your things. I never want to see you here, ever again."

So that was it.

Yoongi, though drenched in tears, forced his expression to smooth. He turned to Jess, searching for even a sliver of remorse, only to see nothing but triumph. She'd made her choice, but Yoongi wouldn't stoop to her level. Though he hated Jess with all his being, he wouldn't out her. She deserved to get her life ruined, but what more could Yoongi do when his life was already gone? It frightened him to slowly walk up the stairs, knowing that his father had the gun and could decide to use it at any second.

His father followed him up to his room and tossed him a duffel bag, screaming at Yoongi to start packing. He'd have five minutes maximum to get his things and get out, or else his father would shoot, and considering his father had just shot a teddy bear, Yoongi knew he would follow through with that promise. For the first time in his life, Yoongi didn't know whether he'd be able to make it out of his house alive, and the thought was more terrifying than when he had first figured out who he was. The parents he'd grown up devoting himself to had fully shunned him because of his sexuality, and now he was at his father's mercy, frantically grabbing what he could.

He knew this was going to happen, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

Yoongi had hoped that he would have had at least until after senior year was over. The choices were taken from him forcefully from someone he had refused to play games with and someone who clearly had no remorse over what she had done. If anything, she enjoyed making Yoongi's life miserable, acting like she was a do-gooder that had the "utmost responsibility of informing his parents about Yoongi's treacherous ways" when she was lesbian herself and could understand what Yoongi was going through.

He left out all the cards and keys his parents had given him, tossing them onto his former desk with a sick clang. He said nothing as he made his way down the stairs of what would be the last time he would be at his home and the last time he would be in contact with either of his parents. Once he turned eighteen, there wouldn't be a problem with Yoongi remaining in school— and considering that fees were already paid for, it was just going to be a loss for his parents. In ways, Yoongi knew that everything could be a thousand times worse. He could have been sent away.

In all honesty, this was the most mercy his parents could give him, and Yoongi didn't know whether this was a good or a bad thing. It meant that they knew how bad conversion therapies were but still encouraged Hosoek to go, but it wouldn't be something that they would put their son to go through. They were giving him the choice to leave and pretend that he no longer had parents. He would have rethought that they would have tried to ask him to deny all the allegations, but Yoongi knew better. If his parents had suspected Hoseok and him to like each other since freshman year, there was no way they would believe Yoongi denying everything.

They had completely given up on him.

Yoongi didn't know whether to laugh at the outcome or burst into more tears.

"We never want to see you again."

This time, it was Yoongi's mother that spoke, knocking the wind out of Yoongi's lungs. His fingers were circled around the doorknob, but upon hearing the words, he looked at his mother, his mind already repeating her words in his head. The worst part was that she looked like she meant it. Yoongi could take the words from his father, but hearing his mother finally speak those words into existence— hurt far more than Yoongi could have ever imagined. Her voice dripped with disappointment as if Yoongi had completely and utterly failed her and, because of it, no longer deserved the title of her son.

He'd done everything he could have to make his parents happy, to make his mother love him. As soon as Yoongi began to make his own decisions, it all turned into nothing. It was as if Yoongi had never tried at all.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be who you wanted me to be," Yoongi remarked, looking at his mother in the face. "If that's how you feel about me, fine. I don't want a love that's conditional anyhow."

"You're dead to us, Yoongi," his father said tightly. "Now, get out and take that stupid bear with you unless you want me to burn it."

Yoongi scoffed, already opening the door. "You already fucking shot it. Do what you want with it."

With that, Yoongi's story had come full circle. He'd sealed his fate as he hurriedly rushed down his driveway, eyes blurring to the point where he bumped headfirst into Hoseok, who had heard the sound of the gunshot and feared the worst. When Hoseok's arms tightened around Yoongi, Yoongi finally let out a guttural sob, clinging onto Hoseok as if his life depended on it, and in many ways, it did.

He'd lost his family.

The paradise he had lived in his entire life had been ripped away from under him because the paradise he had been in excluded people like him. Like Adam and Eve, he'd been cast out, and never again would he be able to worm his way back into that paradise. He was on his own, being forced to take paths unknown to him, and though the future was far away and could change at any given moment, he knew that the last thing he would see from his parents would be their looks of apathy— how they vainly wished to have a child that wouldn't have let them down.

His father's angry shouts swarmed through his ears, and Hoseok shielded Yoongi from them, something that, to this day, Yoongi had been grateful for. Had he heard his father's words upon seeing Hoseok holding him in plain view, he wouldn't have known what would have happened. Though he'd ask Hoseok later what his father had said to Hoseok, Hoseok wouldn't tell him until Yoongi had fully accepted his new life. In a way, Hoseok knew exactly how to shield Yoongi, and considering Yoongi was already in a fragile state, hearing his father talk about his boyfriend as if Hoseok were the plague was the last thing he wanted to endure.

All Yoongi's mind had registered was the cocking of the gun, and his father's threat of shooting Hoseok hit Yoongi full force.

"We have to go," Yoongi urged, already pulling Hoseok with him. "He'll shoot you dead."

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed his former neighbors— also carrying their own arms, starting to come out of their homes to eavesdrop on all the commotion. Hoseok nodded, gaze unfocused, and he grabbed Yoongi's duffel bag, never letting Yoongi out of his arms.

Isn't that the Jung boy? The homosexual?

Their boy is also one of them.

We'll have to pray for him.

How disgusting.

Look at how the Jung boy is grabbing him.

We ought to call the police.

If I were the boy's father, I woulda already shot 'em dead.

For the sake of our community, we should shoot 'em down.

What'll they teach our kids?

The murmurs didn't stop until Yoongi had fully managed to get in the truck. Still holding Yoongi, Hosoek had climbed in through the passenger seat, and Yoongi supposed it was to lessen the risk of him being hurt. He tossed the duffle bag behind them, and Yoongi shakily closed the door, glancing at the side mirror every so often to ensure that his father or his neighbors hadn't tried to chase him down. Once Hoseok climbed into the driver's seat, he drove off, not bothering to put a seatbelt on until they were both out of harm's way.

"Your parents are insane," Hoseok said, breaking the silence. Yoongi's lips twitched upwards slightly, but he said nothing. "I'd hate to see how your family in Florida would have reacted."

"They gave up on me, at least," Yoongi murmured. "I was sure they would have tried to put me away."

"If they had, I would have gone to get you."

Yoongi didn't need to look at Hoseok's face to know that he wasn't lying.

"The gun thing was a bit excessive, though," Yoongi added, letting out a small laugh. "He shot the bear you gave me."

"You're kidding." Hoseok gasped, voice resounding in shock. "That was the gunshot? What the fuck did the bear do?"

"Man, I don't know," Yoongi shrugged. "I don't know what point he was trying to make either. He did want to shoot you, though."

"Yeah, and the rest of your old neighborhood," Hoseok retorted. "We should have gotten you out of there sooner."

If only it would have been that simple.