natural figure | taegi

chapter twelve

•) Wednesday Afternoon

Before Taehyung had even realised it he'd already arrived at Jimin's place, and before he noticed his hands were shaking he was knocking against the door. Jimin soon appeared, Taehyung gulped down the fear and summoned up whatever courage he had and greeted him quietly. "Hey Chim, long time no see."

"Come in." Jimin spoke like a blunt knife to his chest and disappeared inside. Taehyung hesitated, thought a moment to just make a run for it back to his car and then entered. There were a pair of shoes by the door Taehyung didn't recognise, they couldn't have been Jimin's new shoes as they were clearly worn in and they weren't anything he would wear. Someone else was here. Taehyung headed to the kitchen where he could hear Jimin milling about. This place he knew so well, that he spent so much time in now felt cold and unwelcoming. It made Taehyung hurt at the chest a little. Jimin opened the fridge and retrieved a white cardboard box and placed it on the kitchen island. Taehyung took a seat on a bar stool. "How have you been?"

Taehyung wasn't sure how to answer, was it a trick question? If he said he had been good would Jimin chew him out for 'being good' while things were still rough? If he said he'd been bad would Jimin tell him off for feeling shit when he wasn't the one who'd been hard done by? Taehyung tapped his knuckles against the bench nervously. "I've been alright... I guess."

"Yeah?" Jimin's voice was as usual, but there was clearly something lying beneath it. He was angry. Taehyung sighed.

"Jimin, I want to apologise-"

"For what?" Jimin asked him, placing a small plate in front of Taehyung and then he began to slice him a piece of cake. Taehyung's voice caught in his throat. Had Jimin somehow miraculously lost his memory? What was going on?

"For... what?" Taehyung's head cocked to one side, face tightening with puzzlement. Jimin placed a serving on his plate and handed him a spoon. Taehyung took it from him in two unsure fingers.

"What are you apologising for?" Jimin clarified himself. Taehyung was even more confused. He slowly dug the spoon down into the cake and stopped when it touch the plate underneath.

"For lying?"

"Why did you lie?"

"I-... I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"Is this poisoned?" Taehyung brought the spoon upwards and looked at it closely. He didn't know what kind of conversation they were having right now. Was this a test? Were these all trick questions? Why hadn't Jimin ripped into him yet? When he looked over it was clear, the cake wasn't poisonous, it was Jimin's eyes that were. "I should've just told you. I was... I was worried that maybe..." Jimin said nothing, just watched him with a sharp glare. Taehyung set his spoon down again. His gaze followed with it.

"I was worried you still had feelings for Yoongi-Hyung... I didn't want to hurt you." Though true, now that Taehyung had said it out loud he realised how stupid and naïve this reasoning he had truly was. He had everything twisted and this whole time Taehyung thought he was doing Jimin a favour keeping it secret. Convinced it was better for him to not know at all so he wouldn't be pained by Yoongi's return. It wasn't really ever that, Taehyung had kept him secret because part of him feared Jimin would take him away when he found out. That somehow they would reconnect. The passion they once had returns and Yoongi would forget Taehyung for a chance to re-experience moments from the past. "I'm lying again... I'm the one who didn't want to get hurt, I'm sorry Jimin."

Jimin was still quiet where he stood. Still watching carefully. Taehyung could feel his eyes on the top of his head, he couldn't look up and face him. He was a liar, and a selfish friend. Jimin deserved better then that.