Byeol tells Yugyeom everything
A/N: this post will go into small details of abusive relationships (mentally, emotionally and physically) and may be triggering to some, please don't read if that is a trigger for you. I will post *TWSTART* before the part starts and end it with *TWEND* when that part is over if you'd like to skip over it but still read the post.
Byeol had calmed herself down and was now sitting back up, stomach full of yummy food. But really all she wanted to do was vomit. The memories coming up that she had blocked off were hitting her hard. She looked at Yugyeom and knew he was pissed, not at her. He was never really good at controlling his facial expressions.
"I don't—we can talk about something else. Or watch bad movies." She said quietly and Yugyeom looked at her and shook his head. "No! Well, I mean if you want too. But I'm here to listen. If it'll help. And I think it will." She nodded, silently thanking him before continuing.
*TWSTART*
"That was the beginning. But it just got worse and worse. Ruined my relationship with my family. I barely talk to them and when I do, it's not the same. They don't know what happened. Well, now they will. But I knew they were disappointed." She took a deep breath.
"When I finally left, for good, it didn't end pretty." Yugyeom frowned, not really sure if he wanted to hear this, but it didn't matter right now. All that mattered was her talking and letting this all out. Because she needed someone just as much as the rest of them did. And he somehow felt they had failed her.
"I had packed and was ready to leave, I wanted to leave before he came home. I knew he'd be angry and threaten me or his own life if he was there and I tried to leave. But for whatever reason, he thought that coming home early that day was a good idea. A nice little surprise he called it."
"And I opened the door and he was standing right there. I froze. He saw my bag, put two and two together and honestly, Gyeom, I don't think I'll ever forget the look of hatred and rage on his face in that moment. It haunts me. I tried to explain myself, I tried to make an excuse but one punch shut me up."
"I was seeing stars and I tasted the blood in my mouth. He pushed me against the wall, hard. My head bashed into it and I was seeing stars. He was kicking me, punching me. I really thought that I was gonna die. I prayed. For my family to find peace, for leaving them. For everyone I had left behind for him. For you all to debut and live happily."
"Then he just stopped. He just stopped and left and I laid there. I couldn't breathe, Gyeom. I couldn't. I really thought I was gonna die and I accepted that. Then the neighbor had heard the screaming and had run over. She called an ambulance. I healed up, but he messed me up good. Not just physically, but mentally too."
*TWEND*
Yugyeom looked at her with wide eyes. "That's when—when you were out for three months? Right before we debuted. That was because of—of what he did?" She nodded, leaning back against the couch. "I don't know what the manager at the time told you or JYP. But yeah. I was in the hospital."
Yugyeom shook his head in disbelief. How had none of them known that it wasn't just a simple broken ankle? Who stays in a hospital for three months with a broken ankle? Were they all really that stupid back then to just believe whatever came out of their boss's mouth? And speaking of boss's, did he know and not tell any of them?
He jerked as Byeol flicked his forehead with a weak smile. "Stop thinking, Gyeom. I asked them not to tell you all. Begged them. They barely knew anything either. I wasn't exactly forthcoming." Yugyeom still shook his head. "We should have known it was bigger than that. I'm so sorry, Moon. I'm so sorry."
She laid down, head in his lap with the same weak smile on her face. "You don't need to be sorry. It was my decision to hide it away and well, now everyone knows. But thank you for listening. I actually feel much better." Her eyes were closed but Yugyeom had questions and he needed answers.
"The nightmares. You had them for a while after you came back. You'd wake us all up with your screaming. Was it because of that—because of him?" She tensed a little and he unconsciously placed a hand on her head, scratching her scalp. She hummed at his touch, briefly nodding her head.
"Do you still have them?" He asked quietly and she nodded. "They went away kind of the more I moved on or whatever but with all this back—they've come back. I'm sorry if I've woken you up." He shook his head. "You haven't screamed." She looked relieved at that. "Is it better if someone is sleeping with you?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I've never really tried it." Yugyeom hummed before picking her up and stalking off towards her room. He dropped her on the bed and climbed in next to her, a look of determination on his face. She looked at him, very confused and a little shocked. "What are—what are you doing?" She asked and he looked at her like she was asking the dumbest question.
"We're going to watch movies in here because I like your TV better and I'm going to sleep here to see if it works. Duh." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world as he found her remote and turned the TV on. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "You're so weird." He shrugged, not caring.
That night, Byeol didn't have any nightmares.
