KTH | 1:04 p.m. | apt. 07

"can taehyung stay with us?"

jungkook's voice came timid and unsure, his eyes hopeful as he looked from seokjin to namjoon to hoseok.

"stay with us?"

"yeah. like," jungkook paused. "like... live with us."

taehyung didn't even look up from the table, too afraid that the answer would be no.

"i'll pay part of the rent, i have a job," he said. "and i don't mind sleeping on the couch."

"did something happen at home?" seokjin asked.

and taehyung hesitated.

he didn't want to open up to the other boys just yet. it wasn't like he knew them all that well, and he didn't want to worry them with his own problems. so taehyung took a breath of relief when jungkook answered first.

"yeah, just some issues with his dad."

and taehyung could tell that the words felt heavy in jungkook's throat; could tell that jungkook wanted nothing more than to explain the full weight of the 'issues' and not reduce it to something so vague and simple.

but he also knew that jungkook understood that taehyung wasn't ready yet, so he knew it would be alright.

it also didn't take much to convince seokjin, namjoon, and hoseok to let taehyung stay with them for the time being, and lunch went by quickly after that. they ate, cleaned up, and then separated to attend to their own things, the three boys each disappearing into their own rooms leaving taehyung and jungkook curled up together on the couch.

"jungkook?"

"hm?"

"can we stop by my place?"

jungkook's face fell and was instantly etched with worry and something taehyung could vaguely make out as fear.

"why?"

"i need to get some things," taehyung said. "my dad probably isn't home right now. i'll be in and out in five minutes."

jungkook took a few breaths as he played with the hem of his shirt. "are... are you sure?"

JJK | 2:35 p.m. | apartment 263

"if i'm not back in half an hour, call the police and wait right here, okay?"

"tae-"

"don't come in. promise me jungkook."

jungkook had tried reasoning with taehyung, and then turned to begging him to let him come too. he felt worried letting taehyung go alone, knowing how defenseless the boy would be left if his father was home for whatever reason.

but taehyung had refused, sending a not-so-reassuring smile jungkook's way before walking off, and jungkook felt a lump in his throat that seemed to not go away.

it had been twenty minutes since taehyung had left, and jungkook rubbed his eyes, heart beating rapidly because if taehyung was alright, he would have been back by now.

it was right then that his phone rang, and jungkook sensed that it was something urgent. a sickening feeling filled his stomach as he picked up his phone.

"taehyung?"

"jungkook..."

his breathing was heavy, raspy, and there were distant noises in the background of a man shouting curse words and profanities.

"tae? are you okay?"

a gasp on the other end, and then the sound of a door being shoved open.

"kook, call the cops. call the cops-"

"what even-"

"he's going to kill me, jungkook," taehyung sobbed. "kook, he's going to fucking kill me."

there was a sudden thud and piercing slap and taehyung coughed and groaned, pain evident in his voice.

"oh my god, tae-"

"stupid bastard!"

jungkook came to the crushing realization that that was taehyung's father.

"i told you to come home to make dinner!"

jungkook felt his eyes fill with tears as he listened to taehyung cry out.

"dad, please, it hurts, it hurts-"

it took everything in jungkook to finally hang up, and he dialed 911 as he made his way out of the car and listened to the ringer go off as he sprinted through the parking lot.

"911, what's your emergency?"

jungkook stepped into the apartment complex.

"hi, i'm at the westward apartment complex and i think a friend might be in trouble."

he went up the stairs, skipping every other step.

"he's hurt. his dad's hurting him."

he stepped onto the landing after the last flight of stairs and walked down the hall, briskly.

"can i know the apartment number, please?"

"263."

he stopped in front of the door briefly.

"i'll send people right over."

and then, jungkook heard a scream and a sob and a crash, and something in him snapped.

"useless bastard!"

"i'm sorry, it hurts, it hurts-"

jungkook burst through the door.

his stomach lurched at the sight of taehyung on the floor, hands covering his face in anticipation as his father kicked at him.

tears rolled down his pink cheeks, and blood was beginning to drip down his forehead. his father held a belt, raising it in the air to strike taehyung again, and it was then that jungkook lunged forwards, shoving the man to the side.

and he hit and smacked and punched blindly, hoping that he could get taehyung's father unconscious so that he could go and hold taehyung until the police came.

anger surged through his chest, and jungkook was completely livid, hands shaking and eyes wet because this was the man who had hurt taehyung a million times before, and jungkook had hated this man before he had even met him.

"jungkook, jungkook..." taehyung's voice was hoarse, and jungkook stopped. the man was nearly unconscious, eyes drooping downwards and mouth hanging open.

figuring they'd be alright then, jungkook made his way to taehyung, pulling him close to his chest.

"i told you not to come," taehyung murmured. "you could have gotten hurt."

"but i didn't," jungkook whispered, hugging taehyung's shaking form closer.

"you shouldn't have come."

"you're hurt so bad."

their words blended into each other and then taehyung pulled away from jungkook so that their eyes met.

"i can't believe you didn't listen to me," taehyung said. "i told you to stay, you little dipshit."

"well, little dipshit decided he wanted to be the prince charming for once and save the princess's ass."

"bullshit."

taehyung was shaking, trembling violently as he spoke with an everlasting grin gracing his features.

"it's all over now?" taehyung asked.

"all over."

the door opened and paramedics rushed inside.

"that's nice."

"nice? i thought you wanted to go to your safe place? with your mom?"

"she's not coming back."

taehyung spoke with a strange bitterness evaporating from his tongue, and his smile seemed to fade briefly.

"but it's alright, cause i have you."

"am i enough?"

something glistened in taehyung's eyes. it wasn't the tears; it was something inside that blinked up at jungkook. like stars. something that resembled an emotion portrayed into a material object; hope and newfound happiness and pain all shoved into a box and left to explode in taehyung's bright eyes.

"you're my home," taehyung said. "and home is more than enough."

and after years of existing, taehyung knew that he had finally found home in the arms of a surviving boy named jeon jungkook.

and in the midst and chaos of police sirens and his father's yelling and alcohol bottles shattered all over his living room floor, taehyung decided he really wanted to go home.

taehyung was going to go home.

-end-