psychotic - taehyung ff

09. backstory II

"some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends and family." - unknown
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jimin learned early on what kind of person taehyung was. or rather, who he wanted people to perceive him as.

he wanted people to think he was highly self sufficient and independent. that at the end of the day, taehyung could take care of himself. but that was only the semi truth.

see, the thing about lies is some of it has to stem from some sort of truth. taehyung was all those things, but that wasn't everything. there was so much more to taehyung. he was the kind of guy who would give the clothes off his back to clothe whoever needed it. his heart was bigger than it needed to be. he would rather take care of others rather than taking care of himself. he was a good guy. this much was sure to jimin.

jimin learned early on that taehyung hid a big secret from him. and he was pretty sure he knew what it was. it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it, despite how hard he tried to hide it. the first instance was from when taehyung came early with the class president seoyeon. the two of the bonded over a trauma jimin knew nothing about, and for that jimin was glad taehyung had someone to cope with, even if that someone wasn't him. the second instant was when taehyung phoned him late at night.

jimin happened to still be awake studying when his phone vibrated, taehyung's contact photo staring back at him. this made alarm bells ring in his head because not only was it 3 am, but taehyung was a tester. a huge one. not once had jimin ever see taehyung on a phone call. so jimin picked it up, asking taehyung if he was okay.

"look jimin, i hate to do this to you but i need help," taehyung grunted. that was all jimin needed to ask how he could be there for him. taehyung asked if him and his little sister could spend the night. jimin assured him multiple times that there was a spare bedroom he and his sister could stay in and that it was no trouble and, no, his mom wouldn't mind one bit.

when jimin finally got him in a space where taehyung could come down and have some sort of peace, he asked him.

"mom or dad?"

taehyung looked genuinely shocked at this. then he sort of chuckled. of course he knew. jimin wasn't the top of his class and one of the friendliest students at their school for no reason.

"he's sooyeon's dad. mine left before i was born," taehyung murmured. taehyung hadn't even told sunny, though he didn't doubt she already knew either. but jimin had something about him that made people trust him instantly. like he would die to protect the secrets of those he cared about. it was nice to taehyung. he had never truly had a genuine friend like that before.

"mine did too. my mom told me he was too involved in his career to be bothered with a family so he gives us money now and then to feel like he's actually contributing to raising me," jimin scoffed. jimin never understood that. why get someone pregnant just to abandon them? just wrap it up??

"didn't know we had so much in common," taehyung teased, laughing when jimin smiled at him.

"and your mom? is she okay?" jimin asked, genuinely concerned. this was the second time in a span of ten minutes that jimin managed to surprise taehyung. nobody ever really asked him that before.

"she copes. i think in her heart she loves him too much. like he's going to wake up one day and realize what a shitty person he was," taehyung counters, shrugging his shoulders.

"love can make us do crazy things i suppose," jimin says after a while. taehyung nodded in agreement. he has never quite experienced that kind of emotion so deeply before, but he opens it doesn't make him this naive and blind to the reality of the situation.

"thank you," taehyung says after awhile. jimin looks up at him with slight confusion, unsure of what taehyung was giving his gratitude to.

"i have always been alone. i've gone to several different schools and meet so many people that it's rare to find genuinely good people with good hearts," taehyung begins to explain.

"i think you've got a good heart," jimin responds, to which taehyung smiles.

"you mean a lot to me man. your friendship means a lot to me. truth be told, all i have is you, seoyeon and sooyoung," taehyung confesses to him. jimin felt ecstatic to hear that taehyung valued their friendship the same way he did. he felt taehyung was one of those once in a lifetime long life friends. he would do anything for taehyung.

"i got you man. always."
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[unedited and not proofread]