Chapter Text
Taehyung slowly dragged the tip of the pen across the paper in methodical lines, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Martha was speaking on the phone, but he just ignored her. He made a sharp ninety-degree turn to make a corner, and then another turn to curl around the corner. He lifted his head up a little, looking over the piece. He had barely enough space for another train to go, maybe if he was careful...
"Taehyung?" Martha's voice came up from her desk. He raised his head from where he was curled on the floor, his leg wrapped in a cast stretched out long behind him. He looked up at her, his face blank. She looked tired but smiled all the same.
"I have a house for the night for you," she said, "are you alright to go?"
Taehyung looked down at his paper and made the last train. He capped the pen and got to his feet. He folded the paper neatly in his hands, fiddling with the paper for a bit as he thought. Going. He knew what going was.
"Taehyung?" Martha prompted, and Taehyung just nodded.
That seemed like it was enough for her, and with a sniff and a smile, she gently led him out the door of her office and into the hallway. The police officers were still there, although they lingered further down the hall in a small group of three speaking in low tones. They looked up as Taehyung approached, quiet when he passed, and stared at him as he and Martha headed for the front door.
"Seokjin is just waiting outside for you," she said, her hand on his lower back, "do you have everything you need?"
Taehyung looked down at his folded piece of paper. This was all he had. Everything else was kept by his mother and father. He owned nothing. Martha seemed to take his silence as an agreement and continued to press on his back until he moved forward, and then out the door.
It was dark out. The night was dry and smelled thick of darkness. What was the smell of darkness? It was dew, it was rain on concrete. It was exhaustion that made everything taste false, even if there was nothing to taste.
A car was waiting on the curb, with a man leaning against it. He was wearing pyjamas and smiled tiredly at them. Taehyung didn't smile back. He approached and without looking the man in the eye, got into the back seat.
Seokjin spoke to Martha quietly for a few moments before he got into the car. Taehyung didn't meet his eye, keeping his gaze on his fingers as he slowly pulled at his fingers, tearing at his cuticles and not flinching when they stung.
Seokjin reached back and gently pulled his hand away from his cuticles. Taehyung didn't look up and felt Seokjin slowly run the back of his thumb over the scars on his hands before he pulled them away and started up the car.
Taehyung didn't touch his fingers after that and turned his head to look out the window as they drove away from the agency. Things passed by, buildings, lights. They all blurred together in Taehyung's eyes, and before he knew it he was falling asleep.
It felt like he had been sleeping for only a few minutes when the car came to a stop. He snorted as he snapped awake, his body rushed with adrenaline for a second before he came back to himself and remembered that he was safe. Well, as safe as he could be with a stranger.
"Taehyung?" Seokjin's voice was quiet, hesitant, "we're here. Do you need help getting out?"
Taehyung mutely shook his head and wrapped his fingers around the latch of the door, unlocking it and pushing the door open. The air still smelled thick and wet, humid from the recent rain. Taehyung unbuckled his seat and scooted out, hiding a wince as his legs protested the awkward movement.
Seokjin rounded the car to the trunk and popped it while Taehyung stood on the sidewalk. Taehyung watched him for a moment in confusion. He didn't have any possessions, so what did Seokjin have.
Seokjin closed the trunk and stepped to Taehyung, weakly smiling, he lifted the garbage bag up a little. "Martha gave me some clothes that might fit you. The kids I have right now won't fit someone your size."
Kids? Seokjin had kids?
Taehyung followed him up the steps of the large house, looking up at it for a moment. In the dark of the night, the house looked like some sort of monster, baring down on Taehyung with sharp teeth. Taheyung didn't feel scared, he had felt worse kinds of fear before.
Seokjin unlocked the door and opened it and stepped inside. Taehyung followed, slipping off his shoes while Seokjin took off his own sneakers. He turned to Taehyung and beckoned him deeper into the house.
"Come on," he coaxed, "we have to be quiet because everyone else is sleeping."
"How many kids do you have?" Taehyung asked as he followed Seokjin through the dining room, the kitchen, and then down a hallway.
"Five," Seokjin replied, "most of them are a lot younger than you, but Yoongi's only a year older. That's his room," he nodded to one of the doors in the hall that was painted to resemble piano keys. Taehyung nodded slightly, feeling a little jealous. He wanted to have a door that he could paint stuff on...
Seokjin reached the door at the end of the hallway and opened it, turning on the light and stepping aside, "here we are!" He grinned at Taehyung, "it isn't much, but if you're here for longer we can decorate it however you want."
Taehyung nodded, keeping his face blank, even though inside he was excited. He looked at the doorknob, crouching down to look at it.
"Whatcha' up to?" Seokjin asked from inside the room, poking his head out, "the knobs aren't anything special-"
"Do they lock?" Taehyung asked softly, looking up at Seokjin, "I don't want them to lock."
Seokjin paused, seeming confused for a second but nodding all the same, "they don't have locks," he said, "don't worry, you can't get trapped in or out of here."
Taehyung nodded and twisted the knob a few times, it squeaked loudly. His shoulders slumped in relief even though Seokjin was wincing.
"Oh, I forgot about that," the man hissed, "I can get some DW40 for the squeak-"
"No!" Taehyung gasped, quickly standing up, then lowering his voice, "no, I like it like this."
Seokjin nodded slightly, "okay, whatever makes you feel safe, Taehyung."
Taehyung nodded back, wincing when Seokjin reached out his hand to him but found that the hand was only coming to settle on his shoulder, patting a few times.
"You're safe here, sweetie," Seokjin said softly, brushing some of Taehyung's greasy hair off of his forehead, "get some rest. You can meet everyone tomorrow and look at the house if you want?"
Taehyung hummed, his cheeks feeling a little hot. The small touches of affection were huge to him, even though he would never tell Seokjin. Those touches had him feeling safe like someone cared about him.
He could recall those touches before in his life, but they were long past. Coming back to it was like stepping into a warm bath, comfortable and safe.
Seokjin left him after another moment, and Taehyung stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He exhaled softly, turning to look around the room. It was big, bigger than the room he had been used to. It was plain, with some pastel blue walls, a walk-in closet, and a small bed that was neatly made with star-print sheets.
Taehyung walked over to the bed and ran his hand over the sheets. They were soft against his skin, and he found himself running his hand over the stars one by one. A haze drifted over his mind, one that often appeared when he was making trains or other of those activities.
It was a soothing feeling, and even as he laid down on the bed with his face pressed into the pillow, he moved his hand around until he fell asleep again.