A mouth-watering scent penetrated his nostrils first things first when the cherry-haired boy stepped out of his room, a smile forming on his lips as he followed it, but he halted upon hearing Jisung's voice.

"—not going to do that."

"Why?"

"Because if he wanted to talk about it, he would have done it by himself!"

"But aren't you curious?"

"I am, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pry into his boyfriend's life."

"What... are you two talking about?" Jeongguk sprang up in front of them then, unable to stifle his curiosity any longer.

"Bunbun, good morning." Seungjo tittered, trying to dissemble his shock, but failed horribly.

"What about my boyfriend's life?" he questioned with a deep frown as he took his seat at the table with his parents.

The two older males shot a glance full of discomfort and restlessness at each other as they stayed mute, something that made Jeongguk groan since he knew it would take forever to get a word out of them.

"I have training in an hour so just tell me what you two were talking about. I don't have all day."

Seungjo kicked his husband's leg under the table, hard enough to cause him to wince, but he composed his face a few seconds later. "We were just wondering," Jisung started since he had no other choice, rubbing the abused part of his body. "What is Taehyung going through? I mean, we remember how beaten his face was the first time you brought him here."

Jeongguk heaved a sigh as he reached for a waffle and placed it on his plate. "Well, I have to talk to you about something related to that, anyway." He nipped at his upper lip and gulped dryly. "Taehyung has an abusive hyung. And it's so bad that the night he slept here, he had stabbed him in his shoulder."

A worried gasp left Seungjo's lips while he threw a hand over his mouth in disbelief, sharing the same shocked expression as his husband. "Oh my God, our poor baby," Seungjo uttered, unable to take in what his son just said.

"Yeah. I can't protect him as long as he stays there, so I invited him to stay here for a while. We're going to talk to that excuse of a hyung he has, and he'll move in here in two days."

"I'm proud of you, son," Jisung said as he patted his back. "We'll take good care of him, and he can stay as long as he wants to."

"Yes. We're going to give him all the love we can. He's such an angel. I can't believe he's suffering like this." Seungjo was on the verge of tears as he thought about that sweet, adorable boy.

"Thank you, both of you. I'm so lucky to have you as my parents." He rose to his feet and engulfed both in his hug.

"We're luckier because we have you as our son," Jisung said, leading the younger's smile to grow more.

"We love you, bunbun," Seungjo said as he pulled back and caressed his cheek.

"Love you too, dads." He returned to his seat and resumed narrating everything he knew about what Taehyung had to put up with.

By the time he finished, Seungjo was a crying mess. He was emotional overall, and hearing how that angel was suffering for years was outright heartbreaking.

Jeongguk gave him another hug to comfort him and then had to leave for his training. He wasn't worried, though; he knew Jisung would be able to soothe him and reassure him that everything was going to be fine.

🥀

Once he completed his training, he drove Hoseok to his house and took his time to return home, take a shower, and eat lunch.

Taehyung had a piano lesson that day and couldn't go to the cafe earlier like they usually did, so he leisurely headed to the cafe once he was ready, and arrived forty minutes earlier than his shift.

"Taehyung has a piano lesson, huh?" Dohwan asked as he scanned the faint pout that was painted over his lips.

"Yeah." Jeongguk sighed as he sank onto a stool next to him. "I can't get enough of him. What the hell is happening to me?"

Chang Wook, who was seated next to the manager, snorted, shaking his head at his words. "What do you think, Kook? You're in love."

Dohwan expected him to grumble or get embarrassed as usual, but he was beyond stupefied to find him unfazed at the boss's remark. "You're not freaking out?"

"I am, trust me." Jeongguk dropped his head as he folded his arms over the counter. "I'm terrified by the intense feelings I have about him. Mostly because I don't know if he feels the same. I've fallen for him so hard that I'm terrified to tell him because if he doesn't feel the same, I'll be a fucking wreck."

"The Jeon Jeongguk is in love? Damn, I can't believe that day finally came," Dohwan said with a surprised chuckle.

"He's wholly attached to you, Kook. I'm sure he feels the same, but he's just too scared to say it. I think you should tell him because he's not going to do it first." Chang Wook offered him an encouraging smile, but got a sigh in return.

"But it's early, isn't it? He accepted to be my boyfriend just two weeks ago."

"Who cares? If you feel it, say it, you dummy. Love never hurt anyone," the manager said with a shrug.

"Why do they say that love hurts and shit then?"

"The breakup hurts. And when the feelings are one-sided. The actual love doesn't hurt," Chang Wook said and took a sip of his coffee as Dohwan nodded at his words.

"Oh. Were you two always this mature and wise?" Jeongguk received a glare from both at his teasing question and a nudge from Dohwan that made him chortle. "Just kidding. Thank you, though."

"No problem." Dohwan ruffled the boy's hair, knowing it was something he hated, but didn't care one bit.

 
As the time for their shift approached, Taehyung didn't make an appearance.

The three, as well as Namjoon and Seokjin who joined them later, were baffled by his absence, but when Jeongguk called him and heard that his phone was out of service, he was further past horrified.

"Maybe he's in the subway. Don't freak out," Chang Wook said in a soothing tone as he discerned how anxious the cherry-haired boy was.

But it was as if Jeongguk couldn't hear anything at that moment; he called him again and again, only to be met with the same recorded message.

"Fuck, I-I have to—to go there, I have to—"

"Jeongguk!" Chang Wook snatched him by his shoulders, shaking him to snap him out of his distressed state. "You can't drive like this. I'll drive you, okay?"

"Yes, let's go n-now."

With Jeongguk's shaky response, Chang Wook hurried to his office to take his car keys, and soon enough, they were ready to leave.

The younger led the way to his house since he had memorized the route by now, unable to stop quivering by his worry for his baby. His baby who might need him now, his baby who might be hurt by now. He was so ludicrously worried even tears welled up in his clouded eyes and his heart raged in his chest nonstop.

Chang Wook's efforts to calm him down came to nothing as Jeongguk couldn't possibly be put at ease. Only if he saw that his beautiful baby bear was safe he would find peace again.

"Listen," Chang Wook said a few minutes before their arrival. "Because we don't know what's wrong and you're in no state to talk to that asshole calmly, you will wait here, and I'll go talk to him first, okay?"

"If you take more than five minutes, I'll come too and fucking kill him!"

"No, no, no, we're not here to kill anyone! You can beat him or whatever, but do you really want to waste your whole life because of him? If Taehyung is hurt right now, he will need you more than you need to beat him until he dies."

Jeongguk harshly brushed off his tears with his tremoring hand and hung his head. "Fine. You have five minutes."

"Okay." Chang Wook let out a deep sigh, and he parked the car outside of his house. "How will I get in?"

"The building's door is always unlocked. Go."

With a nod, Chang Wook stepped out of the car and entered the building, easily locating another door at the end of the hallway. He rang the bell and waited for a long time until someone finally opened it.

"Yes?"

"Hello, uh, I'm Taehyung's boss. I was wondering if you know where he is because he didn't come to work today."

"Well, that's odd. My little dongsaeng left an hour ago and said he was going to work," Jongwon said, his tone smooth and honeyed, a sickly sweet smile rooted on his face.

"So he said he's going to work and left the house?"

"Yes. Probably he lied because he wanted to spend some time with his friend. He has a busy schedule, so I understand him." He chuckled as he lifted a carefree shoulder. "I'll make sure to call him." He attempted to close the door, but Chang Wook blocked it.

"His phone is out of service."

"Well, let's not worry until we have to, right?" Another sweet chuckle flew out of his mouth. "I have work to do, so goodbye." He shut the door with a loud thud.

Chang Wook didn't believe a word he said. That facade he had of the sweet, kind man only disgusted him more.

He knew something was utterly wrong then.

He dashed back to the car and found Jeongguk pacing outside. "He said Taehyung left an hour ago to go to work, but I don't believe him. He's full of shit."

"Fuck." Jeongguk pitched forward, but the older held him before he could leave.

"Listen, we'll go back and just ask him to take a look in his house. He'll probably say no, and that's when we'll force our way inside, okay?"

"Fine!" Jeongguk growled, and they finally made their way to the door. They rang the bell and waited, but nothing happened. Jeongguk started banging on the door, a scowl engulfing his entire face as he had completely lost his patience.

"What—oh, you again." Jongwon tsked once he opened the door. "You brought reinforces or something?"

"Yes. We want to make sure that Taehyung isn't here. Will you let us in?" Chang Wook asked, still trying to remain calm.

"No, you don't have the right." Jongwon's gaze altered into a wicked one as he slammed the door in their faces.

Or so he tried because Jeongguk rammed it open again, making the man behind it stagger back.

"I can sue you for entering my house—" The rest of his remark was cut off as Jeongguk seized his neck in an iron-like grip.

"Shut the fuck up, you fucker. What did you do to him?"

"Oh, you must be that pussy my little dongsaeng is fucking around with, huh?" Jongwon sinisterly asked as he threw a punch in the boy's side.

But Jeongguk knew it was coming and compacted his left side to lessen the pain before he swiftly delivered a fierce blow right in his face. He elbowed him there as well and planted a kick in his stomach that sent the older directly at the wall behind him.

"You fucking"—he grabbed his neck and took another swipe at his face—"disgusting"—another ferocious punch—"son of"—he shoved his knee in his stomach, making him cough blood—"a bitch." He resumed with his skillful, rowdy blows, and even if Jongwon could do anything, he didn't have the time to react to his rapid-fire strikes.

Chang Wook was screaming at him the whole time to leave him alone, but Jeongguk couldn't hear a thing. He roughly grasped him then and wrenched him away. "What did we say before, huh?" he roared. "Who needs you more right now?"

Jeongguk drew in gulping gasps of air as he observed Jongwon, who was sitting on the floor with blood all over him, his body limp, as if it were lifeless, but he was still able to move.

"T-Taehyung needs m-me." He redirected his gaze to Chang Wook, who nodded at his words a moment later.

"That's right, Kook. Let's go find him."

And they did. They searched the house in haste, hoping that Taehyung would be alright, but the sight they faced when they swung his bedroom door open was the most heart-wrenching, stomach-turning sight they could ever see.

"B-b-baby." Jeongguk ran to him and fell on his knees as a sea of tears rushed down his face.

Taehyung was lying on the floor covered in blood, a pool of it under his head as well, eyes closed, unmoving.

"Taebear, w-wake up, p-p-please." He checked with quavery hands his pulse, and thankfully, although it was weak, there was a pulse.

"We need to take him to the hospital now! Pick him up," Chang Wook said, devastated by the sight, struggling to hold back his tears.

Jeongguk paid no mind to his never-ending sobs and pulled the boy in his hug as gently as possible. They walked out of the room without wasting another second, but when they were ready to leave, Jongwon's deadly low voice made them halt.

"Is he dead yet?"

Jeongguk had never felt this tremendous amount of fury and pain mixed in his life before. "You d-disgusting fucker—"

"He's not important, Kook. Let's go," Chang Wook cut in and urged him to leave the house. Once Jeongguk did, he turned to the man, who was still on the floor and wiping his face. "Be thankful that I didn't let him kill you because that's what you deserve."

With that, he banged the door on his way out and scuttled to the car, praying that it wasn't too late to help Taehyung.

⚜✳⚜

☹☹

💖I hope you have a great weekend💖