UNBLOCKED

24 | the truth

"where are we going?" jinyoung asked softly as jaebum stepped on the accelerator.

jaebum glanced over at him. jinyoung's cheeks were cast with a faint pink and his hair was soft and messy. it was enough to bring the hint of a smile to jaebum's lips.

then he sighed. "you deserve to know," he said, taking a breath, "so i'll show you everything."

jinyoung fiddled with the edges of his sweater sleeves, his eyebrows turning inwards into a frown. he couldn't understand why they had to take an entire trip to find out the truth. couldn't jaebum just tell him?

jaebum cleared his throat. raindrops began to patter down onto the windscreen, and he hit the wipers on. then he began his story.

"it started on the last day before the summer. youngjae... he'd liked me for a while before that but, i mean, everyone did."

jinyoung almost scoffed. six months ago jaebum had been nothing but a fuckboy to him, captain of the football team, heartthrob of the entire school.

"we both went to a party when school broke out," jaebum continued. "i was really drunk, and he must've been too, i guess..."

jaebum stared out at the endless road ahead of them as the memories flickered through his mind.

"he started kissing me, and being who i was, i didn't refuse. we went all the way, since we were both wasted, but that's all it should've been. but things weren't going well for me and... and i needed something... someone to just like me for once."

jinyoung listened, his attention drawn to jaebum's every word. he remembered that summer, when youngjae had started to avoid him and mark. he had no idea it was because of... jaebum.

"why?" jinyoung whispered.

jaebum paused and took a shuddery breath. "my dad was abusive," he said eventually. "he'd been hitting me and my mom for years. until..."

the rain fell down heavily for a few moments, and jaebum hit the higher wiper setting.

"...i hit him back," jaebum finished, his hands clenching the steering wheel. "i told him to get out or i'd call the cops. he was scared of going to jail, i guess. so he left. but my mom... she wasn't in the best way. mentally-"

jaebum cut himself off with a choked back sob. jinyoung slowly moved his hand over to jaebum's worming its way into his. their hands fell away from the wheel to rest comfortably in between them.

jaebum sniffed and continued. "dad leaving was what finally broke her," he said, his eyes filling with tears. "so when i let 'me and youngjae' continue into the summer, she was... she was crazy."

"did youngjae know?" jinyoung asked, squeezing jaebum's hand comfortingly.

jaebum shook his head and the tears trickled down his cheeks. "not for a while. in the middle of summer break, i brought him back to mine, and that's when he found out. he knew something was wrong with her. but he didn't understand."

"where's your mom now?" jinyoung asked fearfully. he suddenly started to wonder whether the place they were be visiting would be a graveyard.

jaebum's hand on the wheel shook, his knuckles turning white. "he called... youngjae called a mental hospital. they took her away from me. they said it was the right thing to do. but- but..."

"pull over," said jinyoung firmly as jaebum descended into tears.

jaebum roughly pulled over on the side of the road and the car came to a stop. jinyoung clambered over the gears and onto jaebum's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck.

jaebum instantly melted into him, arms snaking around jinyoung's back. he buried his face in jinyoung's shoulder, sobbing violently, his body shuddering with every breath.

"it's okay," jinyoung whispered in his ear, his hands running through jaebum's hair comfortingly. "it's not your fault..."

jaebum looked up and met his eyes. "i hated him, jinyoung," he said, his eyes wide and filled with pain, "i really hated youngjae then. i wanted to kill him. i blamed him for everything, even my dad. it was stupid. i messed up his life so much..."

"it isn't your fault," jinyoung told him gently, his hands cupping jaebum's face, "youngjae had a hard time, but he still has his mom and dad with him, and they love him so much. they've been sending him to a therapist, and he's been doing okay."

"i shouldn't have done it," said jaebum regretfully, "the rumour. it didn't even make sense. but i was so mad... i went back to the way i was when my dad was around, and it was disgusting."

"but that's not really you," jinyoung reminded him with a small smile. "i believe in you. the real you."

"i was such a dick to you, jinyoung," jaebum mumbled, casting his eyes away from him. "just like i was to youngjae-"

"oh, shut up," jinyoung interrupted. "i get what you did and why you did it. your life was shit. but it doesn't have to be like that anymore."

"do you know where we're going?" jaebum asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"what?"

"the hospital," jaebum finished. "i wanted you to meet her. my mom."

"me?" jinyoung questioned, blinking in confusion.

"and i'm gonna really need you in there," said jaebum, his lower lip quivering as he thought about it.

jinyoung looked him deep in the eyes. "i'll be there with you," he said, nodding his head.

jaebum tightened his grip around jaebum's body and pulled him closer, breathing in his scent and sighing.

"thank you," he whispered into jinyoung's hair.

jinyoung's lips curled up into a tiny smile. "always," he answered.

__________________

a/n:
and so we finally know
"the truth" wow amazing

to clear anything up that
wasn't fully explained,
basically youngjae got
jaebum's mom into a
mental hospital, and
jaebum got mad and
made up the 'youngjae
slut story' to get back
at him for that x

see you next chapter!
love you guys ♡♡♡

((also sorry for the
slightly shorter chapters))