Geek!Taehyung is obsessed with video games, but his best friend Jimin starts getting jealous, more particularly because of Taehyung's new online friend, captainkook97.
Short chapters. Phone texts shots inserted.
[Revised and republished on AO3 (acc...
Taehyung is absent-mindedly pushing the buttons of his joystick, barely answering Jungkook on the other line. Yoongi is sitting next to him, on his mattress, being the third player in the game.
"Are you guys okay? You don't talk much," Jungkook asks after a moment. "Am I making this awkward?"
"No, it's not your fault," Taehyung immediately replies. "I really wanted you to meet Yoongs. I'm just not really in the mood. I– I actually had an argument with a friend of mine. I'm sorry."
"Oh. How do you feel?"
"Honestly, a bit lost. I never imagined I'd be needing him that much. He's not answering my texts or anything. I think he's really mad at me."
Yoongi has remained silent so far. He takes a look at his friend and makes him understand he is leaving them alone so they can talk about the Jimin issue, something Taehyung seems grateful for. Yoongi knows he would not be much helpful, as no one ever really confides into him, being the listless sourpuss he is.
So he just makes it to the living-room to turn the TV on, but hears faint whimpers coming from the Kims' bedroom. Yoongi frowns, and hesitates. Should he pretend he did not hear anything? He puts the remote control back on the sofa and gets to the door, knocking slightly before pushing the half-open door. Seokjin is sitting on her bed, her face buried in her hands, sobbing loudly.
"Mrs Kim? Are you alright?" he timidly asks.
His friend's mother seems embarrassed and looks away, trying to hide her tearful face. However, she does not stop crying – she cannot. Yoongi closes the door behind him as he gets in, and shyly approaches her, finally sitting by her side. The teenager tries to catch her gaze, and repeats his enquiry.
Mrs Kim finally turns to face him, sniffing, and she asks in a breaking voice, "I know I shouldn't be asking you this, but..." She bites her lower lip and looks away. "Could I hug you?"
Yoongi first cringes, taken aback. But he ends up slightly opening his arms, and Taehyung's mother throws herself into them, although she is almost twice his size. They stay like this for a long time, but Yoongi does not find it uncomfortable.
When they part, Seokjin whispers, "Thank you, Yoongi. I'm just– I'm sorry, but this is just too much, I can't take this anymore. I cannot keep on living this nightmare, being alone all day, just waiting for my husband to come home and give me twenty minutes of his time. I know I'm losing him a bit more every day." She offers her interlocutor a sad smile, and goes on in a louder voice, "And I'm not even talking about Tae. Because I've lost him a long time ago. I'm not the mother he wishes he had. I'm not the mother I wish I were."
"But Mrs Kim," Yoongi tries to reassure her, "I've already told you so many times, you're a wonderful mom. Why would you worry about this?"
"But is that all I am? Am I just a mom?" she desperately says.
"You're so much more than this, ma'am. Mr Kim and Taehyung might not see it, but you're everything anyone could wish for. You're always so kind to me, I don't know what I would've become without you in my life. You've taught me, and brought me, so much."
When he stops talking, Jin is faintly smiling to him – she seems to feel better. The two stare at each other silently, and Mrs Kim ends up leaning forward, getting closer to Yoongi. It takes time for the young boy to notice her hand raising to hold his chin, but he finally pushes her away, violently tapping her hand.
"What are you doing?" he whispers, suddenly appalled.
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