[here's a solid 1k of angst before the cute shit lmao.]

"where the fuck were you?"

taehyung flinched away from his mother who now stood in front of him, angrily spitting accusations his way.

"i was with a friend."

"you break the window open and disappear for two nights?"

"i... i was just hungry."

taehyung trailed off, defeated and eyes downcast.

a slap echoed through the empty room, piercing through the sound of the television at the wall. taehyung's head jerked to the side from the force and he stumbled a bit, cradling his cheek and managing to keep his feet on the floor.

"i'm sorry."

another slap, another sharp clash of pain across taehyung's cheek, this time hard enough to send him to the floor on his hands and knees. his shoulder hit the corner of their coffee table, and taehyung held back a yelp of pain as he fell.

"go to your room. now."

taehyung sat up, pushing himself upright with shaky arms before his mother threw a vase across the room, sending him back to the floor in fear. taehyung whimpered, raising his hands above his head the instant the vase broke, tears streaming down his face in sudden panic.

"get up."

his mother's voice was eerily calm, each consonant stressed. her face was stoic, emotionless, and she was so solemn that it hurt. taehyung pushed himself back upright and was on his knees when hands suddenly gripped at his hair. he yelled out, desperate hands reaching to his mother's wrist as he was dragged across the room, strands seeming to rip from his scalp. he was forced to his feet and then pushed roughly into his room.

"four days," she spat, shutting the door behind her.

taehyung leaned back against his bed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bruise on his shoulder. his window was duct taped together sloppily, and cold air from outside was no doubt seeping into the room. remnants of the night he ran away still remained: the glass shards on the floor his mother had never bothered to clean up, the lamp, now snapped in half, sitting daintily on his bed, and the water all over his bathroom floor from how he drank from the faucet. taehyung sighed quietly, pulling away his sleeve and looking at the cuts marring his wrist.

there weren't many, but there were enough to serve as a reminder of his self hatred. he picked up a glass shard from beside the bed and took a deep breath before dragging it along his wrist. he engraved two shallow cuts, dropping the glass shard to the floor and letting his arm lay limp on his thigh.

he pulled his phone from his pocket.

you ok?

taehyung smiled at the text, calling yoongi's number as he made his way to the bathroom.

"starboy?"

"that's me."

"are you okay?"

taehyung turned on the sink and slid his wrist beneath the running water, washing away the blood gently.

"yeah. she locked me in my room again."

"shit. want me to come rescue you?"

taehyung laughed lowly, turning off the water and wiping his wrist on an old towel that was hanging off of his bed.

"i'll be alright."

he sat down on his bed.

it was cold from the air that had been making its way through his window, and the rest of his room was slowly beginning to get colder too.

"if you say so, starboy."

they said goodbye and hung up, and then taehyung changed into warmer clothes before crawling into his bed.

this was going to be a long four days.

* * *

four days in and the room was completely freezing.

taehyung was shivering uncontrollably, starved body unable to withstand the cold. he put on another sweatshirt, hunger clawing at his insides and eating away at the skin pulled taut across his ribs. he was dying, taehyung was sure of it. he couldn't even muster up the energy to move anymore, laying in bed with jackets on and trying to contain the tremors that were shaking his body back and forth.

maybe i'll be warm six feet under, he thought to himself bitterly.

his bedroom door opened with a squeak and his mother stepped inside.

"make dinner," she muttered. "and then get the hell out of here."

she left, leaving taehyung forcing himself to sit up straight as his vision swirled in front of him. he stumbled into the kitchen, wrapping his hoodie tighter around him.

while the rest of the apartment was a bit warmer, it was still cold. taehyung assumed that their heat was probably cut off again.

he legs were weak and he felt like he was going to pass out. he used the wall to keep himself steady.

"faster, kid," his mother shouted across the room. "i don't have all day."

and taehyung fell, legs finally giving out and crumbling beneath him. he gasped softly, using his arms to catch himself. he braced himself for the harsh words to come clawing at his heart again, for insults and screams and emotional scars.

"you little fuck, get up."

taehyung felt tears fill his eyes. his entire body felt numb, freezing cold and in pain. he coughed harshly, thin frame arching forwards.

"you're so useless. so worthless," his mother said. "i'd be better off if you were dead."

i know, taehyung wanted to say. i know i deserve to die.

something crashed and broke beside him, sending him curling up into a ball on the floor. he nearly sobbed then, throat aching from unsaid words and eyes stinging from unshed tears.

"get out of my sight, you stupid brat."

those words sent taehyung scrambling to his feet and stumbling out of the apartment, sobs constricting his chest and shivers running down his spine because he was still so fucking cold.

taehyung walked slowly down the street once he was out of the apartment complex, eyes glazed over and expression dazed.

the world was spinning so quickly, time was passing so quickly, and things were changing so quickly.

why wasn't anything changing for him?

why didn't his life ever get better?

his legs gave out again as he was walking and he crouched down, shivering violently now. he pulled his phone out from his pocket with a shaky hand and called the first contact that came to mind.

"starboy, what's up?"

taehyung let out a choked sob at the familiar voice he had missed so much.

"yoongs," he murmured. "i think i'm dying."

* * *

yoongi found taehyung passed out on the sidewalk in front of an empty store.

he looked so fragile, almost ghostly, with his skinny frame curled up beneath the dim street lights. yoongi sighed and picked him up, toes curling inwards at just how cold his entire body was.

"what'd your mother do to you this time, starboy?"

taehyung stirred as he was lifted off the ground, humming softly in response.

"i'm hungry," he said. "and really cold."

"i can tell," yoongi muttered.

something sick filled yoongi's stomach as he came to the realization that he could feel every bone in taehyung's body, spine leaving prominent dips in his back, shoulder blades digging into yoongi's arms, and ribs constantly bumping against his chest as he walked. a light bruise lay upon the boy's cheek along with a scratch along his temple, and then yoongi spoke again.

"starboy, you can't go back."

"go back where, yoongi?"

his voice shook with every shiver his body brought upon him, lips trembling and now a light blue.

"you can't go back to your mother."

taehyung smiled softly.

"normally, i'd refuse," he said. "but i think i'd actually kind of like staying with you."

yoongi grinned back, slowing his steps so he could look into taehyung's eyes again, back into the bouncing stars and planets reflected to him.

"so it's a yes?"

"it's a hell yes."

taehyung's eyes lit up, bright and alive.

there were no stars in the sky that night, but the stars in taehyung's eyes were more than enough to make it seem as if there were.