Nyctophilia // A Taekook Story

S I X T Y - S I X

"You should've just let Jungkook beat me up," Jimin mumbled, sipping hot chocolate as he rested his head on Taehyung's shoulder, his fluffy, golden locks warm against Taehyung's cheek.

"I'm gonna beat you up if you fall into that self-pitying trap, Chim," Taehyung muttered, watching the way his dark hot chocolate twirled in his mug. "C'mon, baby, you're just gonna make yourself feel worse."

"I'm such an asshole, Taehyung," Jimin ignored the other, woe darkening the sparkles in his eyes like it would a dove with broken wings. "I didn't even ask him if I could kiss him. I just did it." He sighed sadly.

"Why'd you do it?" Taehyung whispered, stroking the blond's hair.

Jimin lifted his head, looking into Taehyung's eyes deeply. "I don't even know, Tae. We were just watching the movie, and I turned my head for a second, and..." his eyes turned lucid and dreamy again, "he was just so beautiful. His little gummy smile, it just... it just lights up his entire face, and-and his eyes—god, his eyes are gorgeous.

"They're like this-this... You remember that one teddy bear Jin Hyung and Joonie Hyung bought together with their first paycheck?" Taehyung nodded, smiling fondly at the way Jimin's honey-hazel eyes glowed like topazes as he talked about Yoongi. "His eyes remind me of that teddy bear. They're so warm, and—have you seen them in the sun? Taehyung, believe me when I say they look like literal fresh coffee that you find on those aesthetic pictures."

Jimin laughed, his eyes no longer paying attention to Taehyung. "And he's got this breezy, light voice, so delicate yet powerful; it's is like-like... the wind! So refreshing and cold—in the best way possible. Oh! And when he smiles his cheeks just squish up, and it's so fucking adorable, but he looks like a little kitten, and I just want to put him on my lap and cuddle him all day," the blond ranted, his voice animated and arms lively as he laughed softly.

"I just started staring at his lips, and I got... swept away. I don't even know what came over me," Jimin slowly slumped again, a guilty expression returning to his stunning features, but Taehyung felt his chest hollow at the raw sadness that soaked his face. "I knew he loved someone else. I didn't know it was Hoseok Hyung of all people, but I knew. We were just supposed to be fuck buddies, but now I messed everything up. I even messed stuff up for you."

The blond's nails pierced into his palms, and the second Taehyung noticed he entwined his fingers with his friends. "You didn't mess up anything, Chim. Kook and I have gotten into arguments before; we're gonna be fine."

Taehyung's voice turned softer as he rubbed his thumbs in circles against Jimin's knuckles. "You fucked up," he murmured in the gentlest way possible, but he knew Jimin had to hear it, "but all we can do now is mend what we can. There's no way to change the past, right?" Jimin nodded gloomily.

"Tae?" Taehyung hummed. "What would you do if you were in my position?" Jimin asked, looking up at the brunet with flecks of hope and curiousity dancing across his irises.

Taehyung thought for a moment before responding, "I'd apologize to Yoongi Hyung first. And if he seemed stable enough, I'd tell him how I felt—tell him that," Jungkook's milky white face shone in Taehyung's mind, making him smile sweetly, "he means the world to me. Tell him what I really think about him. And then give him some time to decide or whatever.

"I'd apologize to Hobi Hyung after that," Taehyung thought out-loud. "I mean technically it wouldn't have been my fault, if I was you, because I didn't know that the hyungs have a... complicated relationship."

"What does that mean?" Jimin furrowed his crescent brows.

"Well, Yoongi Hyung's liked Hobi Hyung for a really, really long time, but previously Hobi Hyung was in love with someone else. Neither of them confessed, but it was obvious to everyone except the ones they loved," Taehyung chuckled lightly, thinking back to the time Yoongi had mentioned it was so blatantly visible that he and Jungkook liked each other.