the boy at the bus stop • taegyu

Healing

Both boys sat, shoulders touching, taking in the cold breeze of the night, awaiting the bus. It would take half an hour more or so. The feeling of deja vu was surreal.

"You know..my mom loved me a lot. She used to take me out every weekend because dad was usually on work trips and also bought me whatever I asked for." Beomgyu suddenly started, interlacing his fingers with Taehyun, who intently listened.

"But one day around 4 years ago, we got a call. Dad had died. He shot himself in the head."

Taehyun's breath hitched. 

"Yeah. Apparently he went bankrupt. The note he left said he couldn't dare to show his face to his family again. I wish he knew we wouldn't be upset."

Their hold on each other's hands tightened.

"After that, mom changed. She was never the same again. She got into drugs and started staying out for days at a time, refusing to talk to anyone, even me. A few days after the incident, she began to blame me for it. And...and maybe she was right."

"Dad was trying to save and earn money for my future college expenses after all. For my education. That's one of the reasons something like this happened to him."  Taehyun pressed closer to him. 

"It really wasn't your fault Beomgyu. You were young and couldn't even have known. Plus your dad was doing the bare minimum as a parent should, which is save up for their kid's further education. What happened in no way was your fault." he said, catching Beomgyu's other hand too.

The latter smiled at him, a relieved one.

"Thank you Taehyunnie, I wish this is what my mother realized too. But she didn't. She ended up hanging herself the next year because she couldn't deal with the pain of the loss."

Taehyun gasped.

His heart ached for the boy. He couldn't imagine having to go through two terrible losses in such a short amount of time, let alone suffer in between too.

"I'm so sorry Beomgyu...I really wish you didn't have to go through this alone, especially at such a young age. Thank you so much for trusting me with this. I promise I'll be here for you, always. Please talk to me whenever you need to."

Beomgyu smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Of course Taehyunnie, thanks to you, my chest feels a little lighter now."

Taehyun pulled him into a hug again, holding him as if he would disappear like he almost did a while ago and Beomgyu returned the hug with equal intention.

They sat there, content in each other's arms until the familiar headlights approached.

~

"Hyuuung, that was supposed to be Taehyun's new year's drink." Beomgyu groaned, watching Yeonjun down an entire pack of milkshake in less than a minute.

"Too bad it's mine now~" The older said with a laugh. "How do you manage to whine like that with such a deep voice man?"

Beomgyu threw a sock at him, before brushing his now dyed hair back.

"By the way hyung, do you think these highlights suit me?"

Yeonjun nodded right away.

"This hairstyle was made for you Gyu. You're gonna sweep Taehyun right off his feet." He replied, making a smug face at his roommate who's ears immediately started to turn red.

"Looks like I've done that already, considering his responses to the picture I sent him." Beomgyu said, laughing.

 Yeonjun leaned in to look at the text conversation, bursting into laughter at the sight of the numerous questionable keysmashes because of Beomgyu's hair colour.