DYING TO KNOW | TAEKOOK

40. Faint of Heart

*Content warning for adult themes, potentially triggering conversations, substance misuse, mature scenes and language*

After showering, separately, at Taehyung's contrite insistence, they got dressed in silence.

Taehyung was sitting on the bed, toweling off his hair, still wild from the salt and sand, when Jungkook appeared, wearing an adorable melange of light grey french terrycloth athleisure.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, glaring at the older as though there were no acceptable answer other than yes.

Taehyung nodded, "Starving," he concurred. Jungkook offered him a hand to get up off the bed, and didn't let go for a moment, causing them to stand abnormally close together.

He gazed at Taehyung lovingly and carefully squeezed his hand, sensitive to the fact that they weren't quite normal yet.

They headed down the hall to the kitchen, where the older sat on the same stool and watched Jungkook make french toast.

"How did you know I was here?" Taehyung asked impatiently as they were halfway through breakfast.

Jungkook smirked and stifled a chuckle, "I bugged the shit out of Yoongi until he gave me the address," he admitted.

"That man is like a hidden vault of information," he continued, putting his fork down.

Taehyung laughed, "Kind of, yeah. He knows everyone's secrets, it seems. Even yours," he challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Mine?" Jungkook was genuinely curious about this one. Taehyung nodded, looking into the younger's piercing, soul crushing eyes.

"Yeah, he and Hobi seemed to know about your marriage," he snorted, poorly attempting to dial back the derision.

The younger hummed, "I didn't tell them, so I don't really know, Tae," he replied innocently, going back to his breakfast.

"I was surprised that you came here so quickly," Taehyung mused, both bitter and touched, struggling with the words resting on his tongue in malcontent.

Jungkook sat up and looked off into the distance, "I needed to. After you left, I just lost it. I felt like someone had died. But I came here to bring you back," he inhaled decisively.

The younger pressed on, shoveling french toast into his mouth between words.

"Whatever that looks like right now is fine, but I came here to bring you back to me," he finished decisively..

Taehyung felt unparalleled guilt. This was everything he wanted, right?

"So, whatever I need to do to get you to trust me is fine, I'll do it," Jungkook finished, snapping his gaze back up the older.

"Koo, it's not that simple. I can love you and forgive you, but some of this takes time," he murmured, looking down.

Jungkook sighed and nodded, "I understand," he assured the older, ignoring his regret and grief.

"I googled you," Taehyung admitted, blurting it out. He hadn't exactly planned to say that.

The younger raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, but didn't ask anything yet, despite the stampede of questions simmering away.

"To see what I could find out about your wife," he clarified, slightly red in the face. It was justified, of course, but it was embarrassing nonetheless.

Jungkook nodded slowly, "Oh," he forced out tritely.

"I could barely find anything that would indicate you had a wife at all, Koo," the older pushed the words out.