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"Don't leave the thoughts and demands of the world in front of me, this is my home, leave me alone. Just don't come in here..."

~Home-Tablo

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When Mrs. Park called them downstairs, the first thing she did was hug Taehyung. Tightly, for kind of a long time, she didn't let go until Taehyung hugged her back, and when he hugged back, she squeezed tighter before letting go, only to brush Taehyung's bangs out of the way and kiss his forehead. What are you doing? Don't play games, don't lead me on like this.

Taehyung was confused. He liked it. It was exactly what he wanted, someone to care, actually care, not pretend to give a damn, then turn around and damn him. But he didn't want to hope for this, didn't want to get his hopes up that maybe Mrs. Park cared, that she loved him, and that he wasn't just a job, because he wanted--He wanted so much to call her Eomma.

Taehyung found himself crying again when she took a step back and looked at him. "You're a sweetheart, Taehyung, don't cry." She said with a sad smile.

Taehyung nodded, but couldn't really help the hot tears that went down his face, in slow, painful succession. Don't do this, then leave me. Don't do this, then hurt me. Please. Please... He thought of that word again. Adopt.

He thought of all those times a couple would play with him and talk with him at the orphanage, then adopt someone else. Every time it broke his heart to know that he just wasn't good enough to meet their standards, that nobody wanted a child like him. He remembered thousands of nights he'd cried himself to sleep, he remembered seeing dozens of kids come and go, people he liked, people he didn't like, boys, girls, babies--all of them, going to loving families.

Mrs. Park hugged Taehyung again, rubbing his back, then went to Jimin and hugged him to. "You're right, protecting someone is human nature." She kissed his forehead too. "Just, please, in the future, try to use restraint, I don't want you coming home beat up like this."

Jimin smiled slightly. "Yeah, okay, Eomma."

"Good boy." Mrs. Park said, ruffling Jimin's hair. "Wanna bake cookies?"

Jimin nodded and pulled Taehyung closer by the arm, volunteering him. "We'd love to, right?"

Taehyung looked over at Jimin, his lip was split and he could see a bruise or two forming. He'd gotten those actually doing something when Jae-hwa did those awful things. The thought brought up that picture briefly, and he frowned, but then since Jimin was waiting for an answer, he nodded.

I wonder what Mrs. Park had to think over...

~~~

The next day, since Jimin was suspended until Monday, he sat with Taehyung when Jin came over to tutor him. Jin was trying to make it interesting again, telling puns as he went along, 'Can't helium, or curium, so you'll have to barium.' or, 'If we want to find the value of AB, we'll have to account for all that honey.' He had a lot of those to tell, and each made Taehyung smile a little, but it felt like he was treating him like a little kid. I'm 18, treat me like I'm 18.

Mid-lesson, Jimin groaned. "Where are you getting all these lame jokes?"

Jin pouted. "The Internet. I'm trying to make it fun, when you go tutor teenagers, tell me about how many I've-got-no clue-what's-happening-and-I'm-about-to-fall-asleep faces you get, then tell me you won't crack bad jokes every once in a while."

Jimin shrugged. "Okay, maybe, but really? You had to use the lamest jokes you could find?"

"What? My jokes aren't lame! That's like saying eating is lame!" Jin said, absently going to get the math book.

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