Fragments | BTS Oneshots

Taejin | Going Home

Tae runs a soothing hand down Seokjin's back, trying to offer silent support because he knows that Seokjin doesn't like to talk about it — not now and not ever.

pg-13 | au - stepbrothers, hurt/comfort. | warning: domestic violence (happy ending tho!)

* * *

Taehyung watches the clock as seconds tick by.

His mother is making dinner, humming a cheerful tune under her breath, but Tae can see the tension in her shoulders that she is desperately trying to hide. He glances at Seokjin who is also watching her. His brother notices him looking and the concerned frown on his face disappears, replaced by a reassuring smile, but it is strained, and Tae wonders why he and his mother still insist on pretending, on turning a blind eye to what's really happening right in front of them.

Excuses slip out of his mother's mouth, trying to convince them and herself. It never works. "He is just late at work again," she says. "You know how he is."

And Tae does, which is why he doesn't believe her. But he smiles at his mother and lies. It isn't the first time so they all know what to expect.

Seokjin gets up and starts to help her, telling her to rest and Tae goes to sit next to her. He listens to her empty lies and smiles and agrees to whatever she says just to give her a sense of ease, no matter how small and short-living it will be.

He doesn't show up, just as he expects and Seokjin gently coaxes his mother into eating, and he manages to make her take a few bites before she is off to bed. Tae considers going to her bedroom and making up an excuse for being there but he knows that his mother doesn't like anyone to see her cry. So he swallows the lump in his throat and sits next to Seokjin to watch TV, none of them really paying attention.

At some point, Seokjin wraps his arm around him and Tae rests his head on his shoulder. He doesn't make some sort of silly story to cheer Seokjin up as he usually does because he is too tired; he is stretched too thin and he isn't sure if he can handle another day of the silent tension in his home anymore.

Seokjin doesn't talk for the rest of the night. The only sound in the room is some TV show running in the background. Tae snuggles closer to him and Seokjin holds his hands, the other playing with his hair.

Tae falls asleep like this, surrounded by Seokjin's warmth and soothing presence, and for once, nightmares don't plague his dreams.

* * *

Tae hears the familiar noise the next night. He glances at the clock and hopes that no one is awake to meet him. When he hears Seokjin's voice, he gets up quickly and as quietly as possible from his bed, peeking from the door before getting out and tip-toeing to the source of the sound. His parents' bedroom is slightly ajar but he knows that his mother isn't going to get up whether she is awake or not; she is too used to the cycle of pretending do anything about it.

He finds his father and Seokjin in his brother's bedroom. His father is yelling about something but Tae quickly tunes it out; he's found out that on days like this, his father would find anything to be angry about.

Seokjin's fists are clenched by his side. He is looking at the floor and every part of his body is tense and rigid. His father yells at him to be a man and look him in the eye and he does, face devoid of every expression.

His father starts to yell and Seokjin barely has time to answer before he interrupts Seokjin by pushing him.

The man looks sober and that worries Tae more; it means that this may not stop as quickly as it sometimes does when his father can't stand for too long to finish the argument. Tae bites his lips to stop himself from making any sounds and just watches his brother instead. Seokjin takes a couple of steps back from the impact, but his eyes never stray away from his father's stare.