CW: anxiety attack
Taehyung didn't feel good. No, in fact, he felt awful.
For three hours he'd been tossing and turning in his bed in what was now his 'little room', trying to relax and get some sleep, but his mind wouldn't leave him alone. It wasn't often, but there were nights like these when he couldn't get his parents or the things that they said out of his head. He'd generally just get frustrated and upset, and would combat that by slipping, but today the thoughts had forced him out of littlespace at one of the times when he felt like he needed it the most.
He missed his parents, he really did. There were times when they were so caring and so lovely, but the thought that they now hate him just because he's gay, it destroyed him. He hadn't seen them since that night, they weren't in when he went to pick up some of his stuff anyway, yet he couldn't possibly go back. He'd pick his boyfriends, his happiness, over them any day, but if they found out he was dating not one but two guys, he feared what they would do. He supposed it was the fear holding him back from trying to repair that relationship, because he kept expressing how he wasn't ready to, without actually figuring out if he would ever be ready for it.
His little room was a place that he could go when he was feeling small, and Jimin and Jungkook had transformed the spare bedroom into a room with a comfortable, decorative single bed, dozens of stuffed toys, and lots of things that would help Taehyung to slip when he was sad or just feeling small.
Yet even if he used his dummy, and no matter how much he hugged his Tata bear close to his chest, nothing was working. He wasn't calm enough to slip, and ironically, he needed to slip in order to calm down.
He couldn't help but swear under his breath when he felt his heart rate begin to pick up, sweat forming in small beads along his brow line and his breathing coming out a little shallower than usual. This had happened a few times before, but the realisation that he was having an anxiety attack only made Taehyung freak out more. He wasn't sure what to do.
And so, he jumped out of bed on shaky legs and timidly walked down the hallway, seeing Jungkook's and Jimin's room at the end of the hall. He'd usually sleep in their bed when he was big anyway, so entering wasn't an issue, but he could feel his nerves getting worse the moment he saw how Jungkook and Jimin were comfortably fast asleep. Asking for help still seemed so daunting, but he really wasn't sure what else to do in that moment.
"Kookie? J-Jimin?" He shakily whispered into the dark room, fidgeting noticeably with his hands to try and hold off the attack for a little longer. His voice was too soft to wake the boys, so Taehyung was forced to stifle a sob as he walked round the side of the bed and reached out for his nearest boyfriend, who happened to be Jungkook. He placed his trembling hands gently on Jungkook's shoulders and shook the younger male, knowing that he was a lighter sleeper than Jimin who would sleep like a rock, and luckily, Jungkook quickly began to stir.
The ravenette turned over and groaned with fatigue, rubbing his eyes and licking his lips to try and gain some sense of what was happening in order to work out why he'd woken up.
"K-Kookie? Are you awake?"
When Jungkook heard Taehyung's voice, his eyes snapped open, confused as to why Taehyung was up at such a late hour.
"Huh... Tae? Go back to bed, it's too early for this." He mumbled sleepily, but when he saw how Taehyung's dark silhouette shook his head violently and he heard a quiet sob, Jungkook immediately sat up and flicked the bedside light on. His eyes filled with worry the moment he saw the older boy standing by the bed with a trembling frame, and he quickly reached out for him, immediately forgetting his tiredness.
"Oh no, baby I'm sorry- come here. What's wrong?" He hummed in concern, attentively bringing Taehyung into his arms and letting the brunette sit on his lap, Taehyung's face pressed to his shoulder.
"I c-can't slip... I-I can't d-do it-" he cried quietly, shaking more violently now that he was in Jungkook's arms and he knew he was safe, so his anxiety just began to take over. Guessing what was happening, Jungkook shuffled back on the bed so that his back was against the headboard and Taehyung was sat on his lap with his legs around his waist, the brunette's arms tucked between their bodies. "I've got you, Tae. I've got you." Jungkook gently hushed him, immediately beginning to rock the panicking boy in his arms as he rubbed Taehyung's back softly.
Taehyung choked on his breath, clinging onto Jungkook so tightly that it was hurting his knuckles, but he didn't care about that. He was desperate to feel small in his boyfriend's arms.
"Okay, it's okay, little one. You're okay. Daddy's right here, hold onto me." Jungkook hummed soothingly, pressing gentle kisses to the side of Taehyung's head as he tried to get Taehyung to slip. It was super hard to help Taehyung slip when he was stressed or anxious, but if he needed to, Jungkook had figured exactly how to do so. Taehyung's breathing sounded rapid and uncomfortable, and the amount that he was shaking was concerning to Jungkook, even though this wasn't the first time that something like this had happened.
"You're safe, sweetheart. No one's gonna hurt you, I promise. You can be small." He continued, stopping his gentle hand movements on Taehyung's back so that he could hold him better as he kept rocking him against his chest, and that's when the brunette suddenly burst out into tears.
"Dada..." he sobbed in a voice so small and broken, and Jungkook immediately sighed sadly, holding the little tightly and letting the boy cry into his neck.
"God... shh, you're so brave, baby. My good little boy." Jungkook whispered, noticing how Jimin had woken up and was now sitting up next to them, carding a tired yet gentle hand through Taehyung's sweaty hair.
"Take some deep breaths with Papa, yeah? Just listen to me, pumpkin." Jimin's gentle voice cooed to the crying boy, and Taehyung nodded against Jungkook's shoulder, following his Papa's instructions. They kept that up for a few minutes, hearing how Taehyung's breathing got more relaxed rather quickly, but he wouldn't stop crying.
"I know, Taetae, I know." Jungkook hummed sympathetically when Taehyung whimpered and clung onto him, and the youngest sent Jimin a worried look, seeing the oldest mirror his expression almost exactly. This wasn't good.
"T-TaeTae sowwy-" the little sobbed quietly, and Jimin felt his heart break when Taehyung pulled his face back from the dip in Jungkook's shoulder and revealed his tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes. The brunette's lips were set in a sad pout and his eyes seemed a little lost, so Jimin gently placed two fingers under the younger boy's chin and leaned in to place kisses on his blotchy cheeks. Taehyung sniffled and leant into the contact, finding it comforting.
"Don't apologise, bub. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for." Jimin whispered, using his small hands to wipe the tears from Taehyung's face, and the little managed a small, genuine smile.
"Who's our good boy?" Jungkook hummed, booping Taehyung's nose and cooing when the boy pointed to himself with a slightly-shaky hand.
"That's right, baby. You most certainly are." Jimin spoke with a soft smile, pressing yet another kiss to Taehyung's forehead, before lying back in bed and patting the space next to him.
"C'mon bub, come cuddle." He hummed, watching as Jungkook helped Taehyung off of his lap and let the trembly brunette lie down between them. Taehyung immediately snuggled into Jimin's chest, laying his head right above Jimin's heart and listening to it beat, the sound calming him. Jungkook lay down on his other side, wrapping his arms around the little from behind and feeling as Taehyung relaxed entirely under their touch.
"Better?" Jungkook whispered softly, and Taehyung nodded, shutting his eyes and sniffling.
"L-Lub daddy and papa." He mumbled almost-inaudibly, causing Jungkook to frown softly while Jimin smiled a little.
"We love you too, pumpkin. Get some sleep." He spoke, stroking Taehyung's face, which made the little pout.
"C-can papa gib head pats? Pease?" He requested shyly, and Jimin nodded with an 'of course bub', immediately moving his hand to Taehyung's hair to gently stroke and pat his head until the brunette had surrendered to sleep, cheek smooshed against Jimin's chest.
Noticing how Jungkook stayed silent and tucked his face into the pillow, Jimin then sighed and reached his arm over to him, carding his fingers through Jungkook's hair gently.
"It's okay, Koo." He chuckled fondly, dragging his fingernails gently along Jungkook's scalp and making the younger male sigh, enjoying Jimin's gentle touch.
"I know... I guess it's just hard to see him like that." He whispered, and the blonde male smiled sadly and nodded.
"It is, but we're doing all we can, okay?" Jimin spoke, and Jungkook put an arm over both of them as he hummed and snuggled closer.
"Yeah. Love you."
"Love you too."
