Speeding Into Trouble || Taekook

10

Taehyung barely stumbled through the front door when the house shook with the force of his father's thunderous roar.

His stomach dropped like he'd just plummeted down a roller coaster. Oh, great. What now? He froze, as if standing perfectly still would magically turn him invisible. Spoiler: it didn't.

"TAEHYUNG!" His father's voice boomed again, loud enough to wake the dead.

Taehyung flinched so hard it was a miracle he didn't dislocate a shoulder. His brain went into overdrive.

What could he possibly have done this time? Everything went fine with Sara-or at least he thought it did-so what in the name of all things unholy was going on?

"Yes, Father?" Taehyung finally managed to squeak out, stepping into the living room like a man walking to the gallows.

Before he could brace himself, something came hurtling through the air-a book. A BOOK.

Taehyung's reflexes kicked in, and he caught it mid-flight. He stared at the cover, his blood turning to ice.

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no. It was that book-a gay novel. His gay novel. The one he'd hidden so deep in his cupboard he was sure even a ghost couldn't find it.

"What the fuck is this doing in your room?" His father's voice was venomous, each word dripping with disgust.

Taehyung's brain short-circuited. Lying! Think of a lie! But no words came out. He stood there, frozen, holding the literal smoking gun of his father's fury.

"I-I don't know," Taehyung stammered, the lamest excuse in the history of excuses. It did nothing to cool the fire blazing in his father's eyes.

Then came the slap-a sharp, ringing sound that echoed through the room. The force of it sent Taehyung stumbling back, his cheek on fire, his lip split open.

The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth as he touched his stinging face. Fantastic, he thought bitterly. Now I taste as bad as this situation feels.

"It was hidden in your almirah," his father spat, pacing like a rabid animal.

"Like you were trying to keep it secret. Don't tell me you actually read this filth! Are you-" He paused, as if the word itself was too vile to say. "One of them?"

"No, Father!" Taehyung blurted out so fast he nearly choked on his own lie. "I don't read them! I swear! A-a student gave it to me as a gift. I didn't know what it was!"

His father narrowed his eyes, the suspicion hanging thick in the air. For a moment, Taehyung thought he might actually combust under the weight of that glare.

But then, miraculously, the anger seemed to ebb-slightly. His father looked like he wanted to believe him, or maybe he was just too tired to keep yelling.

"You better not be lying to me," his father growled, his voice low and dripping with warning. "Now get out of my sight. Go to your room."

"Yes, Father..." Taehyung mumbled, clutching the cursed book like it was a ticking time bomb.

Without a second glance, he bolted to his room, closing the door behind him with a shaky breath.

_____

Once inside his room, Taehyung collapsed onto his bed like the world's most exhausted drama lead, clutching the novel as if it might spontaneously combust in his hands.

Cry? Scream? Run away to join a circus? He didn't know what to do.

The crushing weight of his father's expectations, mixed with the sheer terror of being outed, had him spiraling faster than a cheap ceiling fan.