"This is our sanctuary
We can find shelter and peace
This is our sanctuary
You are, you are safe with me

When the rain starts to take its toll
You can slow me down
'Cause we both know that the world's turned cold
And I just need you now
Keep holding on"

Taehyung had to try and hide the pain while he was at work. He worked at a local flower shop, trying to save up enough money to put down a deposit on an apartment.

He waddled to the back to get an order from a customer when the door chimed, indicating a new customer.

"Taehyung-ah!"

Taehyung couldn't contain his smile as he rushed around the counter, embracing his hyung. "Jin-hyung! I haven't seen you in so long!" Taehyung handed the order to the customer, telling them goodbye.

Jin shrugged. "We're all super busy now I guess."

Taehyung leaned on the counter, as it was less painful than standing up straight. He couldn't disguise the light wince that escape his lips.

"Kim Taehyung, why are you in pain? Do I need to call an ambulance?" He pulled out his phone and started to dial for an ambulance when he was stopped.

"No! Oh God, no! I don't need an ambulance."

Jin put his phone back in his pocket with a curious look in his eyes. "Then why did you wince a second ago?"

Taehyung bit his lower lip. He knew that Jin would be upset knowing why he was so sore.

Suddenly, Jin's eyes grew as large as saucers. "Kim Taehyung! You were so innocent, what happened to you?"

Taehyung giggled a little. "What happened to me? I started dating my Jungkookie."

Jin had a slight look of disgust on his face. "I should whoop that boy's ass."

"Hyung!" He slapped Jin's arm playfully. "I love him, don't ruin this for me!"

Jin put his hands up in defense. "Fine, fine. But next time tell him to use more lube or a condom or some shit so you're not in so much pain." Jin gathered up a bundle of flowers before handing them to Taehyung to tie together.

"These are beautiful. Who're they for?"

Jin smiled. "It's Namjoon and I's two year anniversary tonight."

Taehyung couldn't help but feel envious. He wanted that with Jungkook. He wanted to spend forever with his beloved Kookie. "Cute." He handed the bouquet to Jin, who paid and then waved goodbye to the younger.

••
Taehyung entered the apartment, unable to stop smiling. His hands nervously fiddled with the now-open envelope. "Kookie?"

A moment later, Jungkook's head popped out of his bedroom. "What is it, Tae?"

Taehyung's heart was about to beat out of his chest. "I have some news! I'm not sure how you'll take it though."

Jungkook's smile turned into a frown as he walked over to the older, planting a kiss on his cheek before he crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay, now I'm scared. What is the news?"

Taehyung handed the envelope to Jungkook, who opened it cautiously. He eyed the paper before raising his eyes back up to meet the other's.

Taehyung still wore a smile on his face, although it was wavering slightly at Jungkook's silence. He cleared his throat. "That is my most recent paycheck. It means that I now have enough money to pay a deposit and first month's rent at an apartment. I can move out and have my own place, and you can have your apartment back!" Jungkook stood in silence, still eyeing the check in his hands. "Kookie?"

Jungkook placed the check back in the envelope before handing it over to the other. Taehyung's eyes went big as tears started to form. He wasn't liking Jungkook's silence one bit.

Jungkook wrapped his arms around the fragile older's waist. "I have another option." Taehyung sighed a huge breath of relief when Jungkook spoke. He hummed in acknowledgement.

"Instead of moving your stuff into another apartment, you could just move your stuff into my bedroom."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. He wasn't understanding what the younger meant. "What do you mean? That doesn't make sense."

Jungkook chuckled, pecking both of Taehyung's cheeks. "I'm asking you to move in with me, Tae baby. But not to help you out, as my boyfriend. That would mean we would share a bed. A shower. A closet. We could decorate this whole place to be ours instead of just mine. We could use the spare bedroom for whatever we want."

Taehyung had silent tears flowing down his tanned cheeks. He nodded before wrapping his arms around Jungkook's neck, slamming their lips together.

•••
Taehyung yawned as he stretched his body. The light shining in through the window made him squint at the man next to him.

Jungkook smiled at his boyfriend before kissing the tip of his nose. "Good morning, baby."

Taehyung blushed. It was all so surreal. He had found the man of his dreams, and was now sharing a bed with him. Sure, they had slept in the same bed before, but this was completely different. Now Taehyung could call this his bed too, instead of just Jungkook's.

"What would you like for breakfast today?" Jungkook smirked as he wrapped an arm around the older's waist.

Taehyung didn't even have to consider his options. "Chocolate chip waffles?"

Jungkook laughed, pecking Taehyung's lips. "Chocolate chips waffles, coming right up!" Jungkook rolled over and climbed out of bed, stretching with his back facing the other.

On the younger's lower back was a small scar. It blemished his otherwise-clean skin, and it made Taehyung's heart drop. He climbed over the bed to be closer as he ran a finger softly on the scar.

"I know what this is from," Taehyung mumbled.

Jungkook stopped stretching as he turned his head to see the older frowning immensely. Instead of saying anything, he nodded his head, showing that Taehyung's assumption was correct.

"They tried to make it so it wouldn't have a scar, but there were some, uh, difficulties with the sutures." Jungkook rubbed his neck nervously.

Taehyung placed a soft kiss on the scar. "I'm so sorry he hurt you. It was different when it was just me that he hurt, but once you were hurt, I snapped."

Jungkook's eyes went wide as he fully turned his body, gripping the older's shoulders in a tight grasp. "Tae, what did you do?"

Taehyung chuckled darkly. "I, uh..." He cleared his throat. "I fought back. You gave me the strength to fight back."

The younger's eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean by 'fight back'?" He could feel the worry washing over him.

Taehyung averted his eyes. "When I was... being raped, I stopped it by smashing a beer bottle on his head, and then I shoved him off of me. He was unconscious. I took the opportunity to call the police. Of course, I waited a little bit because you called me, and I needed to hear your voice. I couldn't take the pain anymore, Jungkook. I answered your call, putting off the call to the police. He woke up before I could say anything back. He almost beat me to death, but I had managed to get the police on the phone before I passed out. I woke up in a random apartment. Apparently, one of the police officers was a friend of my father's from their college days."

Taehyung took a deep breath before grabbing Jungkook's hands from where they lay on his shoulders. He guided the younger to sit on the bed next to him. "I woke up the next morning in his bed, n-naked. There were a-alcohol bottles strewn throughout the room." Jungkook tenderly wiped the tears from his boyfriend's cheeks. "He was passed out next to me. H-He was a-also n-naked. I grabbed my c-clothes from the floor and e-escaped. He had some money on the counter and s-so I took it. I bought a new phone. New number. And the first thing I did was text you. The next day is when we were reunited."

Jungkook unknowingly had tears in his eyes. Taehyung grabbed him by the neck and dragged his head to the left side of his chest while the younger sobbed, hearing the story for the first time. The boys had their arms wrapped around each other's waists.

"Do you hear my heart beating, Jungkookie?" The younger nodded into Taehyung's shirt. Taehyung lifted him up to look at him in the eyes. "The only reason why it is beating is because I fell in love with you. I would be dead without you. You gave me the strength. That photo from my room? That was the background on my phone. I would look at it every night after my father would beat me. I knew that I had to at least see you one more time before I died. It's a good thing I survived because now I get to see you so much more than I had planned, and I couldn't be happier."

Jungkook smiled a bunny-toothed smile through the tears, and Taehyung smiled in return before placing a soft kiss on his lips. They stared at each other for a minute before the younger wiped away his tears and stood up.

"Okay. Chocolate chip waffles await!" Jungkook kissed Taehyung's forehead before exiting the room. The older could hear his soft sobs from the kitchen while he cooked the waffles.

•••

I almost cried writing this.

{edited}