JJK | 5:32 a.m. | apt. 07

"jungkook, you really should sleep now," hoseok murmured.

"i need to finish."

"kook, you're going to pass out if you don't get at least an hour of sleep tonight."

jungkook eyed the papers in front of him, gaze nearly sad.

"hoseok?"

"yeah?"

"what if i can't even get through university?"

"i know you will, kid," hoseok said. "but if you don't, then so what? you live like that."

"i'm scared, hoseok."

hoseok smiled a little, leaning forwards on his elbows with a glint in his eyes.

"kook, you're doing fine," he said. "the stress is normal, you're normal, and you're doing great right now, okay?"

jungkook nodded.

"good, now let's go to sleep."

KTH | 6:32 a.m. | apartment 263

his dad had left the house again, leaving the lights off and shoving taehyung into the closet.

he was curled up against the wall, shivering and shaking and crying all at the same time, fingers slowly running over the new bruises on his arms and pain shooting through his entire body every time he moved because of the welts on his back.

he wanted to get out. he needed to get out, because he hadn't eaten in four and a half days and he didn't know when he'd be able to get out again. worse times, he'd be left in the closet for five or six days. if he was lucky, it'd only be one or two. but if he was unlucky, which he usually was, and left in the closet for six days, he would definitely starve to death, and that wasn't how he wanted to die.

he heard the front door open and flinched a bit, shrinking further into the closet.

footsteps neared the closet door, and taehyung really didn't know what to do. he cowered into the corner, shutting his eyes tight when the lock clicked and the door began to creak open.

"tae?"

he opened his eyes.

the voice was soft, not hoarse and deep. it wasn't his father.

taehyung choked out a sob when he saw who had come, and he was instantly, incredibly grateful that his father never remembered to lock their apartment door.

"yoongi?"

"yeah kid, it's me."

soft, gentle hands wrapped around his wrists and helped him to his feet:

"how did you-"

"your dad showed up to the bar i was at, and i got worried," yoongi said. "how much did he hit you? oh my god; tae, you're even thinner than i remember. have you been eating at all?"

"i don't have a lot of money, and my dad always eats out."

yoongi's eyes cast a sad look as he picked taehyung up to take him to his car.

"your father has money for drinks and food for himself, but can't feed you a meal a day?" yoongi slammed the door behind him, walking down the stairs briskly. "god, you're so tiny. you feel like a child, tae."

"how have things been with jimin? is your new apartment nice?"

taehyung buried his face into yoongi's shoulder.

"yeah, it's nice," yoongi opened the car door and set taehyung down with the care he'd give to a flower. he felt so fragile. "we have an extra bedroom too, and i guess that's where you'll be sleeping tonight."

"wait, what? yoongi!" taehyung exclaimed, and if he had had any more strength coursing through his legs, he would have shot straight out of yoongi's car. "no, i can't. you don't have to-"

"yeah, you're right. i don't have to," yoongi said. "but i want to, and jimin's going to be fine with you staying with us. he's been worried about you too, you know."

"yoongi," taehyung groaned, body slumping as his hands reached up to cover his face. "why the fuck am i such a burden?"

"oh shut up." yoongi got into the driver's seat. "get some sleep, tae. you look like you need it."

taehyung muttered something under his breath about yoongi being too generous and protective as he drifted off to sleep, listening to the quiet hum of the car and yoongi's soft breathing.

PJM | 7:47 a.m. | apt. 95

"jimin, i'm home!"

as soon as yoongi's gruff voice was heard, jimin nearly leapt to his feet and made his way to the front door.

he had expected a tired looking min yoongi to be stumbling in, with dark circles under his dull eyes and sunken cheeks.

what he had most definitely not expected, however, was what he saw.

yoongi came stumbling inside with a boy in his arms, who jimin quickly recognized as taehyung.

"oh god, is that tae?" jimin brushed away the hair from the boy's eyes. "he's hurt," he breathed.

"yeah, i found him in his hall closet," yoongi said, worry evident in his voice that was usually hoarse and deep. "jimin, he was in there covered in bruises and if i had been a day later, he probably would have starved to death." he put taehyung on the bed in their spare room, tucking him under the covers. "i should have went and gotten him sooner."

"how long was he in there for?"

"i'm not sure."

jimin felt the air leave his lungs in a heap, a sickly feeling filling his stomach as he remembered the last time yoongi had found taehyung in the closet.

he had confessed that he had been in there for five and a half days, and then they had told him that he needed to tell the police; either that or get away from his father and move in with one of them. but taehyung had adamantly refused, crying and begging and saying that he needed to stay.

but why, tae? why the hell do you need to stay with the bastard?

i-

all he does is hurt you!

she said she'd come back for me!

who, taehyung? who?

my mom!

and so that had been that, and yoongi and jimin had been too weak in the heart to drag taehyung to the police when he was crying so desperately.

"i'll get some food set on the table. we have leftover pasta, don't we?"

"yeah, i'll wake him up. thanks, yoongi," jimin said.

yoongi smiled weakly and left the room.

JJK | 6:06 p.m. | apt. 07

"do you think something might have happened to him? it's been, like, a week," jungkook said, putting on a jacket slowly, sleep outlining his every move.

"we can ask him about it later, kook," namjoon replied. "just shut up for now and get ready to go out, will you?"

"but namjoon," jungkook groaned. "what if he's hurt?"

"then we'll help him out the second we see him, okay?" seokjin reassured him. "quick, get in the car. we're late."

KTH | 6:49 p.m. | apt. 95

"oh, tae; by the way, we're having people over tonight for dinner."

"what?" taehyung shot up from the couch, flinching at the shock the motion sent though his spine. "yoongs, really? do you see my face right now?"

"yes, you're all bruised up, kid. i get it."

"and you know how i am with people."

"tae, we had this dinner planned since last month," yoongi said. "just for tonight, okay?"

"yoongi."

taehyung sat back down on the couch and pulled a blanket over his head.

"if they ask, i'm a pillow."

"oh, get up."

the doorbell rang, and taehyung glared at yoongi, then turning to jimin with pleading eyes.

"don't even think about leaving yet," jimin said. "you're still hurt, and you need to eat dinner."

"i hate this."

yoongi opened the door, and four boys burst into the apartment.

"what's for dinner?"

the voice was familiar, and taehyung's heart sank.

"dog shit," jimin called across the room. "cause yoongi cooked."

and then the boys stepped into the living room, and to his horror, taehyung recognized their faces.

"taehyung?" hoseok's eyes went wide.

jungkook cocked his head. "what-"

"he's staying here for a few nights," yoongi said. "you know him?"

hoseok smiled, "yeah, kind of a funny story, actually," he said. "but it's nice to see that you're okay."