Chapter One

            When Taehyung walked into his apartment he was hyper aware of the situation. He saw the beer bottles that littered the entranceway next to the half crumpled up pieces of paper that were marked red in warning stating words like, overdue and eviction notice. Taehyung tried his hardest to do simple jobs around the city, long since dropping out of high school to try and support his family. His older brother Jin worked too but even that wasn’t enough, because when it came down to it two teens trying to support a family still wasn’t enough.

            Walking closer down the hallway is when Taehyung heard it, the soft whimpers coming from his wretched father’s room. His father who was the main cause of their problems, their struggle. Their father who was a gambling alcoholic, a self bastard who drowned the death of his wife in soju. A beautiful women who died of leukemia just two years ago. With each passing day that she got weaker the drunker their father got and when Taehyungs mother finally died it was as though both his parents passed away that day.

            Taehyung was going to ignore the sounds coming from his father’s room until he heard a soft voice. The sounds were still muffled and with each creeping step forward the knots in Taehyungs stomach grew tighter.

            “God Yi Na I’ve missed you some much…you feel so…” Hearing his mother’s name he froze next to the table that had once held a precious photo of his mother. Now it was covered in empty bottles and cigarette buds. Gripping on of the bottles in his hand Taehyung moved forward and nearly dropped the bottle upon entering the bedroom. He would have given anything in that moment to not have to see what was placed in front of him. His brother Jin, tears cascading down his face. His clothes laid ripped, draped across his shaking shoulders. Seeing his father positioned behind Jin, he couldn’t control it. Rushing forward Taehyung tackled his father to the floor, tripping over the trash that riddled the floor. Before his father could even get a word out Taehyung smashed the bottle in his hand across the man’s face, sending a rush of blood from his father’s nose.

            “Tae, stop he didn’t mean to.” His brother said through his tears, choking on the false words as they left his mouth.

            Taehyung couldn’t hear those words though all he could see was the red of the blood across Jin’s thighs and the red he was causing to rush out from his father. When he felt a pair of hands grip at his throat he reached out for something, anything to help get this disgusting man off him and his hands soon wrapped around another bottle, a broken one. Wrapping his hands against the glass he shoved forward, forcing the bottle up and into something solid. He did this again and again until he felt warm, almost hot liquid all over his hands. He couldn’t hear the shouts from his brother, he couldn’t hear the broken yell coming from his father. His ear rang with the adrenaline that was erupting through his body and when his eyes finally focused on the red that he know could finally see as blood the only thing he could do was run.

I*Need*U

Jungkook

            Walking down the street Jungkook gripped at his jacket, while it was warming up the nights were still quite chilly. He pushed forward toward a handout bin he visited every now and then in search of something larger than his ratty long sleeve. He knew that it was dangerous to come to this part of town but it was also a lot safer, away from curious eyes. He was in every aspect of the way a runaway teen. Though he was seventeen, he still did not want to risk being thrown back into the foster care system, not when he had something important to do. He wasn’t worried though, the thought of not having a home was one of the most freeing feelings he’s had in a while. Home to Jungkook was never a place with four walls and a roof, it was people themselves. In his seventeen years of life Jungkook had people walk in and out of his life, it was typical of an orphan but he still believed that those people are the ones that shape he. Jungkook was not naïve, people come and go like the wind he knew but it was one person who seemingly made the wind stop. Someone out there who became home to him and he would do anything he could to find them again, even if that meant walking down a back ally to find semi-decent clothes. Reaching into the goodwill bin Jungkook tried to look quickly, freezing when he heard a sound.

            “Well look what we have here boys?”  A slimy voice said, echoing down the alley. Jungkook was by no means the only homeless teen in these parts and while he was not the violent type, the others were extremely dangerous, acting more like wild animals in a concrete jungle than as people in a city. Jungkook slowly moved away from the clothing bin, pulling the jacket onto himself. This was one thing he couldn’t lose, he needed it if he was going to survive out here.

            Jungkook knows how to play his cards, and if this was only one or two people he might be able to outrun them, but this was a group of at least five; it was a gang. Homeless kids tend to stick together, the larger numbers make it much safer for them to live on the streets away from peering eyes, and even more dangerous men. Staying quiet Jungkook took a step sideways, positive that he didn’t want to be cornered.

            “I like that jacket you’ve got there, looks mighty warm.” A large boy said, probably the leader of the little makeshift gang.

            With each step the group took closer to Jungkook the more worried he got, and when they were just inches away from  him Jungkook knew two things: One that this was going to be extremely painful and two, he wasn’t going to give this jacket up ever.

            When a hand wrapped around his neck Jungkook forced it off himself, much to the boy’s surprise. If they were going to try and take it they sure as hell were not going to do it easily. Fist after fist landed upon his already soft body, weak from malnutrition, but still he pushed through, even when a knee connected to his face. When a leg landed against his rib, Jungkook did little to fight back. When he was pushed against the wall he looked up at his attackers and smirked through the blood and the throb that dominated his entire body. These boys could do whatever they wanted and Jungkook wouldn’t care as long as he made it out alive, as long as he got to see that someone again, and right before the final blow landed onto his temple Jungkook smiled at the memory of the boy in the red jersey.

Taehyung

            Rushing down the steps of the apartment complex Taehyung barreled into someone, hearing the faint words involving cops and noise complaint. Taehyung didn’t know what to do, all he knew was that there was blood all over his hands, and he just killed his own father. He needed to escape, he needed to disappear. Heading down the curves of the city, block by block Taehyung could hear the close sound of sirens. Jutting down an alleyway Taehyung saw a group of people huddled around something. He needed to hide and this was his only option, so walking up silently he yelled out, “Hey!”

A fairly large boy turned to face him and smirked before saying, “He’s all yours, let’s go boys let’s not waste any more time here, he isn’t worth it.”

When the gang of boys moved closer to him, Taehyung held his head up. The last thing he needed was another fight. Holding his breath Taehyung watched as the boy who spoke before looked at the blood on his shirt.

“You should probably ditch that outfit before those cops come.” He said before signaling the rest to follow him out of the alleyway. Looking down Taehyung noticed the blood once more. Balling up his shaking hands he walked forward, towards the figure on the ground.

“Hey…Hey I need you to get up.” Taehyung said. The last thing he needed was for the cops to see a body on the ground.

Shaking at the body he heard a pained gasp come from the person. Not wanting to risk the cops finding anything Taehyung began to drag them behind a handout bin, ignoring the moans of protest from the seemingly unconscious boy. Sliding himself and the boy down and into the darkest part of the alley behind the bin Taehyung prayed the cops wouldn’t find him. Listening to the sirens get close Taehyung pulled the boy tighter into the small corner and wished to be invisible. When he heard the sirens zoom by he finally looked down at the boy he was using as a rag doll for the past ten minutes.

His skin was a mixture black a blue, some older bruises fading into yellows and slightly green with tint. This boy was used to taking a beating, something Taehyung never had to experience from his own alcoholic father. While Taehyungs father was a drunken , he never once laid his hands on his family. Perhaps Taehyung was too naïve though, maybe there were signs because you don’t just someone out of the blue, you don’t just force someone to have to fight you off. Shaking his head trying to rid himself of the memory Taehyung stared down at the boy’s face and was surprised to see open eyes.

The boys eyes held an intensity that should not belong to a person how was clearly just jumped but the fire was there regardless, and those eyes held a message in them. One that clearly spoke of challenge.

“Are you going to just stare at me or are you going to take your turn.” A surprisingly melodic voice said, one that clearly did not match the harsh glare aimed up at Taehyung.

“My turn…no I…I needed to hide and you were in the middle of the way and; I saved you, you’re welcome for that.” Taehyung said, confusion still in his voice.  

“It’s not really saving someone if you did it for your own selfish reasons, is that my blood or…” The strange boy said, looking at the Taehyungs blood stained shirt. He really needed to get rid of it soon if he was going to leave without being noticed. 

“No it’s my…no it isn’t yours. What’s your name, mines-” Before uttering Taehyung thought about all the possible bad things that could happen if he told this stranger who he was, so he lied. Looking around he saw a poster peeling off the alley wall. Most of it was illegible after wear and tear but one letter stood out bold.

“V, my names V.” Taehyung said, trying to smile at stranger bellow. The arch in his brow told him that he didn’t believe it but it seemed like the stranger did not care.

“V? Whatever, the names Jungkook and I’d say it’s nice to meet you but that would be lying and I don’t have time for lies right now. I heard the cops before, are they gone?” Jungkook said, craning his head to the side in search of the sirens.

“No I think they passed, you need the cops? I don’t think they’ll catch the guys that did this to you if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“I don’t care about that, I don’t want the cops to find me at all.” Jungkook confessed, turning his head back to Taehyung. “What are you hiding from the cops for, wait I don’t really care but if you don’t want to get noticed you should probably ditch your shirt, in that box I’m sure you could find something for now.” Jungkook said, and as Taehyung looked more into those eyes, he was sure he knew what was there now. Jungkook had the most fearless eyes he’d ever seen. A boy who was covered in bruises that mirrored the colors of the rainbow had eyes that belonged to that of no teenage boy.

            “Yea, um thanks for the heads up. Should I just leave you hear or…I don’t know what to do here.” Taehyung confessed sliding up off the floor while positioning Jungkook’s body upright.

“This your first time on the streets?” Jungkook asked moving his hand to rest on one of his ribs. 

“You could say that I guess,” Taehyung said lifting his shirt up and over his head. Looking through the bin he pulled up a wrinkled black graphic tee-shirt a little too big for him that was decorated in gothic roses.

“Well this is not my first rodeo and if you help me out of this place and can show you a few things before we part ways.” Jungkook said staring up at Taehyung, his mouth formed into a flat line. It seemed his eyes did all the expression for him.

Looking out towards the entrance Taehyung knew moving along with another person was a really bad idea especially with not telling Jungkook what he was running away from, but one last look at Jungkook and Taehyung already knew his answer and before he could get the words out Jungkook was already slowly pulling himself up on his feet.

“Let’s go V, you have a lot to learn.” Jungkook said staggering towards the exit, not sparing him another look. Taehyung tiled his up to the sky once and let out a shaky breath, he had no idea what he was doing at this point but all he did know was that this kid just might be able to help him until he could figure something out.  So stepping forward Taehyung followed Jungkook out, into a world of uncertainty; into the urban jungle.