title, m y  s c a r s  a r e  m a d e  o f  i r o n  a n d  t h e y  w e i g h  m e  d o w n  (b u t  y o u  a l w a y s  p i c k  m e  u p  w h e n  i  f a l l)

>> vmin // angst // laps // 1.8w // tw: abuse, abusive/alcoholic father, drug addict mother //  a.n: more vmin yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay and this one's hella sad lmao prepare yourselves, and please take caution~ / also idk what this name is ??? dont judge me pls lol / alSO very ?? very ??? lightly ?????? based on my dad when he's drunk ????? but only slightly

taehyung watches as jimin struggles to sit down on his bed without cringing in pain. taehyung watches as jimin looks up and jumps from having taehyung's wide eyes stare blankly at him before smiling, tears lining his waterlines from the pain that shoots across his face because there's a cut on his cheek that certainly does not like the gesture. jimin never likes to show his pain, never likes to make taehyung worry. even if he shows up at taehyung's door step with bruises and cuts littering his body, evidence of his father's drunken rage and hours of beatings, almost fainting from the pain; like today.

taehyung's never been to jimin's house, has never met jimin's parents. he doesn't know exactly what goes on in jimin's house, he only knows his father is an alcoholic that uses him as a punching bag and his mother is a drug addict that ignores him and leaves him to fend for himself; only sees what's already been done, only sees jimin's reassuring smile, even though the injuries dotting his body like tattoos betray him. but that alone is enough to make taehyung want to cradle jimin against his chest and keep him in his house, keep him safe and make sure no one harms this precious, precious ball of sunshine again.

so he simply watches jimin shift on his bed to get more comfortable, but his body is too weak and aching with pain. "jimin," taehyung whispers, opening his arms.

jimin blinks before crawling over and sitting on taehyung's lap. taehyung gently holds jimin's body up with one arm and scoots back on his bed until his back is against the wall, lifting his legs from under jimin to bend them at the knees to press his feet flat against his bed and spreading them to make room for jimin. the older smiles, slipping between taehyung's legs and leaning against him slowly to lessen the pain of the bruise on his shoulder and bicep pressing against taehyung's chest.

"jimin, don't." taehyung mumbles into jimin's ear, moving the older until his back is against his chest. "don't put yourself in more pain to make me believe your lies of everything is alright."

"everything is alright," jimin whispers, leaning back against taehyung.

"no it's not." taehyung argues, but his voice is soft and quiet and muffled from his face being pressed into jimin's neck.

"tae," jimin sighs. "everything is alright. completely alright. i've been dealing with this for years now, before i met you, so just calm down, yeah?"

"that doesn't make it any ing better, jimin." taehyung hisses, raising his head to stare down into jimin's glistening eyes.

jimin sighs again, leaning back against taehyung and doesn't respond. taehyung frowns, lowering his head again and presses a few kisses to jimin's neck. "i'm sorry. i'm sorry."

"it's okay." jimin whispers, but with how his voice is quiet and stiff, taehyung knows he said a little too much and hurt jimin. taehyung peppers jimin's neck with gentle, apologetic kisses and soon, jimin has his eyes closed, relaxed completely in taehyung's hold.

"i love you." taehyung murmurs into the skin behind jimin's ear in hopes of cheering jimin up a little; he really didn't mean to upset him, he just hates seeing someone so important to him show up every other day covered in nasty wounds.

"love you." jimin responds, voice quiet and soft, almost like he didn't want taehyung to hear him.

but that's okay, because taehyung just wants jimin to do what he wants.

it's three weeks later from that day when it happens. when taehyung manages to convince jimin to let him come to his house (five hours of puppy dog eyes, begging, and pampering the older) when it happens. everything was okay at first; jimin's mom couldn't give an ounce of a about taehyung being there, simply sitting in her chair in the living room and smoking her cheap pot. jimin and taehyung stayed in jimin's room to avoid any difficulties, and they were fine. they played one or two games, did their homework, cuddled on jimin's bed.

but then it happened; jimin heard stomping and he gasped, standing up and turning to look at taehyung with frantic eyes. "t-tae, under the bed, now."

taehyung frowns, standing up and stepping up to jimin. "jimin—"

"tae, please," jimin reaches out to cup taehyung's cheeks gently and he looks like he's on the verge of tears already as the stomping gets closer and closer. "i can't let him hurt you— i won't let him hurt you. please, get under the bed."

taehyung's frown draws deeper, but jimin kisses him deeply for a few seconds then hurriedly pushes him onto the ground when there's a thump outside his door. taehyung manages to fit his lanky body underneath jimin's bed, turning to watch as a new pair of feet stumble into the room. jimin doesn't have time to open his mouth before an insult is spat at him.

"you worthless ," jimin's father growls, slapping jimin with the back of his hand. the force is strong enough to send his head to the side. he doesn't say anything, biting his bottom lip and holding back his tears. his father grabs his wrists forcefully, the grip bruisingly tight and painful, before shoving him down to the ground.

taehyung's eyes widen when jimin's entire body is suddenly in his view with a loud thump, wrists and cheek bright red. taehyung digs his teeth into his bottom lip, cringing when he watches a foot slam into jimin's stomach. as taehyung watches jimin get relentlessly kicked, punched and slapped, the younger wants nothing more than to come out from under this bed and push jimin's father down to the floor to wrap his fingers around his throat, squeezing, squeezing, and squeezing until he stops in air, but he knows he can't. it wouldn't be smart to do that right now; it wouldn't be smart to do that in front of jimin.

jimin's fragile and easily triggered, so taehyung can't kill someone in front of him, especially not his father despite how much of a bastard he is. so taehyung makes sure to keep his sobs quiet, focusing on his anger just enough to keep his cries at bay, to keep the waters calm save for the occasional ripple where a tear falls from one of his eyes. taehyung's hands are curled into tight fists and he's not really worried about how it feels like his nails are going to break skin any second. all he's worried about is the love of his life being beaten barely seven feet away from him.

it's not that much longer when his father stops and stumbles out of the room, but the beating also lasted quite a while, slurred insults spat with venom in between each hit. barely two seconds after jimin's father leaves with a slam does taehyung crawl out from under the bed and look jimin over.

"oh god, baby," taehyung whimpers, carefully lifting jimin's head onto his lap and leaning down to press their foreheads together. only now does he let his tears go, and once they've started, they won't stop. they river down his face, dropping off his chin and onto jimin's cheeks.

taehyung knew all of this happened, he knew everything jimin had to deal with, but this is his first time seeing it and it hurts so much worse. seeing it happen hurts so much more than seeing the aftermath a few hours later when jimin manages to sneak out of his house. jimin smiles weakly, raising a hand to caress taehyung's cheek. "i'm fine, tae. as long as you're okay."

and that only makes taehyung cry harder because jimin was just ing beaten, but he still puts on a smile and he still puts taehyung before himself and taehyung hates it. taehyung wants jimin to be selfish for once, to actually worry about his injuries instead of whether or not taehyung's upset or worrying, to break down into tears from the pain, but above all of that, taehyung just wants jimin to be safe and happy. taehyung wants jimin to be able to wake up with a smile and not have to worry about when his father is going to burst into his room to let out all of his drunken rage on.

"why can't you just stay with me?" taehyung whispers, gently lifting jimin bridal style and laying him down onto his bed. he kneels down beside the bed, holding one of jimin's hand between both of his. "you'll be safe there. my, my parents won't mind at all, a-and i could get a job to help pay for your share of food and clothing."

jimin smiles sweetly, sitting up with difficulty and tugging his hand enclosed by taehyung's up. taehyung immediately leans up until their noses are brushing and jimin kisses him. taehyung can feel jimin's pain in the kiss, can feel how much jimin desperately wants to do just that and let taehyung whisk him off his feet and take care of him for the rest of their lives, but when jimin pulls away, taehyung almost starts crying all over again because he can see in jimin's eyes that he can't.

jimin caress taehyung's cheek again. "i'm sorry, taetae, but i can't. i'm sorry, my dad would file a missing child report and some how manage to get you, your parents, or both put in jail for kidnapping and it would be like how it was before you entered my life. just wait a little while longer, okay? we'll be able to move to a different city, out of busan, or maybe even out of korea, and go settle down somewhere else. a nice big house with a large, white fence and maybe get a cat, or dog, or whatever animal you want. doesn't that sound nice?"

taehyung releases a breathy sob, bottom lip trembling from his cries and he nods. he nods because it does sound nice, the thought of moving away to get a house of their own where it'll just be him and jimin, just jiminie and taetae, where they can be happy and safe and can take care of each other sounds more than nice. jimin's smile widens at this, and tears fill his eyes because he can't stand to see taehyung cry and there's a spark of pain that shoots through his face from the slap, thumb brushing away some of taehyung's tears.

"so wait just a little longer, taetae. just a little longer. for now, let's just get to your house so your mom can patch me up, yeah?"

and taehyung simply nods, lifting jimin bridal style and managing to squeeze them out of jimin's bedroom window. he walks the whole way back to his house, and he doesn't care that people stare and give them weird looks and whisper amongst themselves, because all he cares about is getting jimin to his home where he can be patched up and safe, even if just for a few hours.