I Need You to Run ✔️

Prologue

Namjoon grabbed his suitcase and pushed open his bedroom door. He never really cared for living in the large home his father had been so proud of. The excessive space was rather infuriating which is why he couldn't wait to leave and finally be on his own.

Entering the silent living room, Namjoon looked up from the immaculate floors to his father standing by the front door with arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his lips. The younger of the two took a deep breath and lifted his chin as he looked at the older man with wide eyes, patiently waiting for his father to say something along the lines of how much of a failure he had become.

His father's eyes grew more narrow at the challenging exchange from his son, nostrils flaring as he exhaled. "I have never been more disappointed of you in my life."

Namjoon felt his upper lip twitch into a smirk as his father's words buried below his skin. He gripped the handle of the suitcase tighter and adjusted the duffel bag hanging off his opposite shoulder as he fought back the urge to put the old man in his place. "Have a good life dad." He replied. pushing past his father and opening the large front door.

"Don't come crawling back when you realize the mistake you've made!" His father shouted after him as he walked down the pathway and climbed into the cab that had been waiting. "You will never amount to anything!"

Namjoon slammed the door shut and pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing the first person he could think of, ignoring the muffled yells coming from his old house as the car pulled away. "Hey Jin!" He shouted, a playful smile cracking on his lips as the line was answered. "Guess who's finally moving back to Seoul."

"What?" Jin's voice chimed through the phone as a commotion of other voices could be heard in the background, signaling he was not alone. "Joon's moving back to Seoul." Jin shouted away from the phone.

Namjoon laughed as he looked out the window, squinting his eyes through the sun's rays as he watched his old neighborhood disappear. "Who's all there with you?" He asked, looking down at his jacket and playing the zipper.

"Yoongi and Kook." Jin's voice came back through the phone again.

The phone crackled before another voice shot through the speaker. "What up motha-fucker!" Yoongi shouted, the English words almost lost in his thick Hangul dialect.

Namjoon laughed as he looked back up and out the window as the taxi merged onto the freeway. "You're planning my welcome back party right?" He asked, his dimples reaching a new depth in his cheeks.

~~~~~

Taehyung sat in his room, his eyes memorizing the dark stain in the carpet next to the foot of his bed. Shouting could be heard through the walls from the next room over, proof his mother was home from work and his father was still drinking. He clenched his hands at his side, lips quivering as he fought back the tears threatening to fall.

Apparently, he hadn't picked up enough of his father's daily shipment of beer and the man was already out of the fowl liquid. How dare his mother forget to bring some home after working a fourteen hour shift with only an hour of sleep? It was absolutely unacceptable.

Thankfully, the phone his best friend had given him a few months back vibrated in his pocket, startling him out of his deep thoughts. His cold, numb fingers separated from the fists they had been locked in and reached inside his pocket, pulling out the old and dented phone.

He looked at the screen and cleared his throat before answering. "Eh?" His voice was deep and raspy, tired from the lack of sleep he had been getting.

"Did you just wake up?" Jungkook's voice was soft as he asked the question before giggling.

Tae exhaled and nodded before remembering that he was on the phone and Jungkook couldn't see his response. "Mm." He laid back on the bed, resting his arm over his eyes. "Why'd you wake me?" He lied, feeling a chill run over his body as he yawned.

The sound of gunfire from a video game sounds through the phone along with a gasp from the other boy. "Oh shit." Jungkook cursed, obviously distracted by his game. "Jin says we are hosting a welcome back party tonight for a friend of his from high school. Ah!" He shouted as the sound of aggravated clicking grew louder. "Wanna come over? He's getting alcohol."

Taehyung sat up straight as the sound of a door slamming from the other room vibrated the walls, followed by a loud crash. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "Can I come over now? My mom just left." He asked, hoping to escape from the hell that was his home.

The line was filled with gunfire before Jungkook exhaled deeply. "Of course. Bring your controller. We can murder this game in co-op."

Taehyung hung up the phone and stood from his bed. He pulled his hoodie on over his head and grabbed his key chain that held only his and Jungkook's house keys before stuffing his controller into his backpack and turning towards the door. The rest of the house seemed quiet for the moment and felt like the only time he could leave without getting in the middle of the fight that had been occupying the home and his mind. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and quickly moved through the apartment and out the front door.

~~~~~

Hoseok woke and looked around the small dark room, unable to remember the last time he had felt the urge to be outside. He used to love the sunlight and thrived from the energy it gave him, but recently, he had fallen into a slump that left him cold and sluggish. Pulling himself into an upright position and wiping the dry tears from his cheeks, he yawned, already wanting to lay back down and sleep for a few extra hours.

Stretching his arms up, his spine popped as his muscles began to wake, giving him a sense of relief and ease as the tension dispersed. Draping his legs over the side of the bed, he pressed his feet against the cold linoleum floor, his bones clenching at the sudden weight of his body as he stood for the first time that day. He hissed a sigh of pain as he slowly stepped away from the mattress, his feet aching with each pound they were forced to carry.

He crossed the small room to the bathroom and flicked on the light, his eyes closing in pain as the brightness attacked the sensitive nerves. He parted his lashes slightly and turned the sink handle, the water splashing against the porcelain bowl. Running his fingers under the warm water, he then rubbed his face, washing away the sleep that had inhabited him the last three days.

After waking up his skin, he opened the medicine cabinet revealing multiple pill bottles in various sizes. He ran his fingers over the disheveled labels before selecting the one he wanted and opened the cap. He dumped two pills into his hand and popped them into his mouth before placing the bottle back on the shelf. Leaning forward, he turned the faucet on once again and tilted his head to catch the water in his mouth.

The motions had basically become routine in his everyday life. Wake up, take pills, function. Not a day passed that he didn't consume at least one of the various pills, if not more. It was a habit he knew he should fight but never felt the strength to do.

Before he could swallow the pills, his phone buzzed from the other room, capturing his attention. Hoseok quickly swallowed back the drug and moved to the bedroom, lifting the phone to his ear.

~~~~~

Author: I'm so excited for this story! I've been going back and forth for weeks with the concept, studying the music videos and rewriting like crazy. Let me know what you think! Remember, the first few chapters are "build up" chapters and more exciting events will take place soon. Hope you enjoy !

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