🩹scared | taegyu

🩹fifty

bubbles.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

taehyun taps his feet nervously. wondering when they're planning on returning his shoelaces, so he can finally remove the loose zipties acting as laces from his shoes. 

he looks up at the plastic clock mounted to the wall. a quarted past eleven. taehyun wonders if beomgyu is alright staying at home all day. what if he's lonely? what if his step-mum is home? 

a nurse passes by his room and taehyun shouts after them. "eunwoo!" 

cha eunwoo, the nurse that looks after taehyun when he's out and about, stops in his tracks. poking his head into the younger's room. 

"yeah? are you alright, taehyun?" 

"mhm, i was just wondering if you'd give me my laces back soon? i hate the feelings of loose shoes, it's really gross."

"if i'm not mistaken, you're being released today. i'll go talk to yerin and make sure, okay?" eunwoo smiles at him. 

"yes, please. thank you," taehyun sighs happily. 

   

        

"are you here to sign his papers?" eunwoo asks yongsun as he stops by the front desk. he has a hand on taehyun's shoulder, and taehyun's bag in his other hand. 

"yeah, i'm kim yongsun." she says, tapping her fingers on the reception desk. eunwoo hands her the bag and goes behind the desk to find the documents for the guardian to sign. 

"where's mommy?" taehyun asks, squeezing the teddy bear harder between his fingers. ever since soobin had given him the gift from beomgyu, he hadn't been able to let go of it. he refuses to let go of it. 

"she's parking the car, don't worry." 

and as if on cue, hyejin comes stomping down the hall in her chunky shoes.

"shhh!" taehyun says to her as she stops next to them.

"what?" hyejin asks with a confused look on her face. 

"the patients must think there's a troll walking around the hospital if you keep stomping around like that!" he lets out with a giggle. eunwoo and yongsun burst out into laughter and hyejin's cheeks turn pink in embarrassment. 

"was i really that loud?"

"of course you were, i thought there was an elephant coming down the hall for a second." 

    

    

   

taehyun enters the quiet house first. carefully taking off his shoes and coat. he's already excited to lace his shoes later on. he puts his belongings away neatly, holding the teddy bear tightly in his hands. he's acting as if he doesn't live here. 

it has been almost theee weeks since he's been here. it's different now. that's why he's acting like it isn't his house. 

there are plants where there used to just be empty spaces. the sofa is different,  it's mustard coloured now. a few photos on the wall have been swapped with pictures of yongsun and his mum. 

the house smells different too, it smells like birthday cake and fresh air. taehyun takes a deep breath and smiles. it still feels like home, thankfully. 

and for once, the kitchen counter isn't messy. there aren't any dirty plates piled ontop of each other until the plate tower almost topples. yongsun has really moved in, she has finally moved in properly. 

"we have a surprise for you." hyejin smiles as she enters after him. yongsun nods eagerly, shutting the front door. 

"you do?" taehyun asks, completely caught off guard. a surprise?

"yeah!" 

the two women guide him towards the bathroom. and taehyun grows nervous, he hasn't been in there for three weeks. it feels so strange walking towards the room he tried to end his life in. 

how is ever going to use the bathroom again? with the dreadful bathtub staring him straight in the face? 

"open the door, raindrop." his mommy smiles, and he pushes the doorhandle down. 

his eyes sting a bit as he notices what has happened since he was here last. the bathtub is gone. it has been replaced by a walk-in shower. 

"the water pressure is insane now that that stupid bathtub is gone." 

"when-? when did you install this?" taehyun asks in disbelief. 

"over the weekend, it took no time at all."

taehyun smiles, slowly walking into the bathroom. he runs his fingers across the glass panel that divides the bathroom from the shower. the entire room feels bigger now that the bathtub is gone. he walks into the shower, slowly spinning in circles to take it all in.  

"do you want to try it out?" yongsun asks, "i know the showers in the hospital are really shit." 

"yes, please." taehyun smiles, walking out of the shower again. 

"we'll go make some lunch then," yongsun smiles and the two women walk out and shut the bathroom door behind them. 

"wow." taehyun says, as he puts the teddy bear on the toilet seat. he sits down on the bathroom floor and takes off his socks. 

"so what should i name you, little guy?" he says, asking the bear as if it'll answer him. 

"beomgyu is so nice to have given you to me." he smiles and his heart almost bubbles over at the thought of the other. 

"my heart is betraying me right now," taehyun laughs to himself, imagining literal bubbles coating his heart. 

"bubbles." he says, pointing at the bear, "beomgyu gives my heart bubbles. oh my god it's so fitting." 

taehyun pats himself on the back, "you're doing to well, hyunnie." 

"bubbles, isn't the shower really nice?" he asks the teddy bear again, "i've always wanted a cool shower like this." 

taehyun almost laughs as he waits for an imaginery response from the bear. talking to eunwoo and the other nurses for two weeks straight was really boring. he misses beomgyu everyday. but at least he has a bear that reminds him of the older. 

taehyun spends the rest of the day with beomgyu on his mind. when he's showering, eating, doing his overdue homework and even when he's getting ready for bed. 

he falls asleep in between his moms, with bubbles tightly clutched in his arms and dreams about beomgyu.

taehyun dreams of finally seeing him again and that beomgyu has missed him and thought about him as much as he had. 

taehyun smiles to himself in his sleep. he can't wait to see beomgyu again. 

   

☁️

i'm feeling better. thank you for letting me take a short break.
i love you all! ♡