an autumn's lover | tk

chapter twenty nine.

"𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑, 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅."

[𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞]

as the days passed by in an unfocused blur, jungkook found himself more and more haunted by the absence of taehyung in his life.

each passing moment seemed to magnify the void left by the artist's absence, leaving the brunette feeling adrift in a sea of loneliness.

he missed the warmth of the older man's smile, the gentle touch of his hand, and the way his laughter filled the room with joy. he missed their late-night conversations, their shared moments, and the undeniable connection that had blossomed between them.

he missed being taehyung's muse.

but despite his longing, jungkook couldn't shake the guilt that gnawed at his conscience. he knew he had hurt the older man deeply with his rejection, and the thought of causing him pain weighed heavily on his heart.

it was in the midst of his turmoil that even yugyeom, ever perceptive, noticed the change in the other's demeanor. he saw the longing in jungkook's soft, sad eyes, the way his gaze would wander off into the distance, lost in thoughts of someone else.

"hey, kook," yugyeom's voice broke through the brunette's reverie, pulling him back to the present moment. "is everything okay? you seem... distracted lately."

jungkook blinked, tearing his gaze away from the window where his thoughts had been wandering. he forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "yeah, i'm fine. just... thinking about stuff, you know?"

yugyeom studied jungkook for a moment, his expression unreadable. "is this about taehyung?"

jungkook's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the artist's name, his guilt flaring up once more. "i... yeah, i guess. i just... miss him, you know?"

yugyeom's gaze softened, his hand reaching out to gently cup the other's cheek. "i understand, kook. but you need to focus on what's best for you. if being with me makes you happy, then that's all that matters, right?"

jungkook's heart clenched at yugyeom's words, torn between his feelings for the artist and his desire to make things work with his friend. but deep down, he knew that, despite realising too late, his heart belonged to taehyung, and no amount of denial could change that fact.

"thanks, yug," the brunette murmured, leaning into his touch. "i appreciate it."

"are you happy with me?" yugyeom rose a brow, his lips tugged into a frown. "look, kook... i can tell when you're lying, you know."

"of course i am-"

"then," yugyeom leaned forward, gently grabbing jungkook's neck, pulling the other into a kiss. his sudden kiss caught the other off guard, his lips pressing against his own with a gentle urgency. for a moment, jungkook's mind went blank, his thoughts consumed by the familiar sensation of yugyeom's lips against his.

but as the kiss lingered, jungkook couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness gnawing at his heart. there was no spark, no warmth, no overwhelming rush of emotions. instead, there was only a hollow ache, a nagging sense of dissatisfaction that refused to be ignored.

as yugyeom pulled away, jungkook's eyes fluttered open, his gaze meeting yugyeom's with a mixture of confusion and guilt.

"i'm sorry." jungkook whispered, his voice barely above a whisper as he shook his head. "i.. i don't think this is right."

yugyeom's expression faltered, his eyes widening in surprise at jungkook's admission. if he was honest, he didn't expect jungkook to reciprocate the kiss, to validate the feelings that he had been harboring for so long. and as he thougt, he was met with rejection, a painful yet gentle reminder of the one-sided nature of their relationship.

"i understand," yugyeom said quietly, his voice tinged with disappointment as he stepped back, giving jungkook some space. "i just had to know for sure... did you... just accept my date offer out of pity? because of what happened in college?"

"i'm sorry." jungkook couldn't meet the younger's gaze, ashamed. god, he was a mess.

yugyeom bit his lip, sighing as he dropped his hands to his side. "is it weird that i'm not as sad as i thought i would be?" he cracked a soft smile, shaking his head. "look, if you like taehyung then go for it. go get him."

his words lingered in the air, swirling around jungkook's mind as he tried to make sense of the mess he had found himself in.

his heart ached with the weight of uncertainty, torn between the fear of rejection and the desperate longing to make things right with the dark haired artist.

"i think i already ruined that," jungkook admitted, his voice barely above a whisper as he voiced his deepest fears. "i think i... i think i broke his heart."

the thought of facing taehyung after everything that had happened filled him with a sense of dread, a gnawing sense of doubt that threatened to consume him whole.

but as he looked into yugyeom eyes, jungkook found a flicker of hope stirring within him, a glimmer of courage that he had been desperately searching for.

maybe it wasn't too late to make things right, to lay his heart bare and confess the truth that had been weighing heavily on his soul.

"oh yugy... what do i do?" jungkook asked, his voice trembling with uncertainty as he turned to the other for guidance. he knew that he couldn't undo the past, couldn't erase the mistakes he had made.

but maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to carve out a future filled with forgiveness and redemption.

yugyeom's smile was soft and understanding, a beacon of warmth in the midst of jungkook's turmoil. "you go after him," he said firmly, his voice laced with conviction. "you tell him how you feel, no matter how scared you are. because at the end of the day, jungkook, love is worth fighting for."

with a newfound sense of determination burning in his chest, jungkook nodded, his gaze steady as he met his best friend's unwavering stare. "thank you," he whispered, his voice filled with gratitude. "for everything."

"just- if you meet any cute boys, give them my number, won't you?" yugyeom gave a lop-sided grin, shoving his hands in his pockets, tilting his head. "you know i hate sleeping alone."

"i will." jungkook promised, smiling softly as his breah came out shaky. "thank you."

______

What's this?
Jungkook realising his feelings for tae? :o

i smell taekook :p

-TaesThickThighs