Boy By The Sea • taekook

Fourteen

Taehyung paces in front of the brownstone house, hand fidgeting with the lighter inside his jacket pocket, mindlessly tracing its outline over and over.

It has taken him another week after seeing Yoongi, to build up the courage to slowly find his way back to the familiar house in Greenwich.

Taehyung mumbles to himself and feels the cold sweat on his palms, the wind chilly against his face.

Then, exhaling deeply, Taehyung walks up the steps to the front door, absently counting each one on his mind as he's always done.

With shaky hands, he presses on the doorbell, musing to himself how it's the first time he's had to do that. Just like a regular guest.

Not his place anymore.

The brief moment of waiting feels like eternity. Taehyung mumbles to himself again, mind scattered with things he's planned to say, trying hard to curb the looming thoughts that the whole thing is a big mistake.

Fuck.

As he contemplates leaving, the door opens. And the face that peeks through makes his mind go blank, all the rehearsed lines evaporated in an instance.

All he sees is the darkness in Jeongguk's eyes. Hollow and distant.

Taehyung bites his lip before speaking, "Yoongi said I should talk to you."

There's surprise on Jeongguk's face, and his hand freezes by the door, "it's...you."

Taehyung sighs and gestures, "so? Do I get to come in?"

Jeongguk purses his lips but relents. Taehyung steps in and follows his lead, walking past the pristine but lifeless living room, and straight to the kitchen in the back.

The long marble counter, large industrial overhead lamps, his favourite bar stool next to the one Jeongguk always uses when he works - everything is painfully familiar. But all traces of the life they shared are gone; books and magazines scattered about, jackets hung near the back entrance, random branches he use to collect and place in glass jam jars, all gone. The air is cold, and every surface empty, saved for Jeongguk's laptop and a few documents piled up on the counter.

Taehyung finds his way to the armchair by the fireplace, the one he loved for practicing guitar. He sits down and struggles to find the right words.

Jeongguk settles on the couch facing him. When he finally speaks, his voice is deeper than Taehyung remembers, "how are things?"

"Can't complain. Got a place to stay, and a crappy job at a coffee shop." Taehyung chuckles nervously, pushing the corners of his lips into a grin, "I'm normal now. It's boring."

"Good." Jeongguk comments, his shoulders stiff. The weariness in his eyes makes Taehyung soften his own voice.

"I heard about Jimin."

Jeongguk's gaze turns hard, "what did Yoongi tell you?"

"That it has been really tough on you."

His brows are knitted, "he shouldn't have dragged you into this, it's personal."

Taehyung purses his lips before speaking, voice a tad raised, "I didn't know Jimin for long but I considered him a friend, I wish you had been the one to tell me, I wish-" there's a lump in his throat, but he twitches his lips and forces the last words out, "I would've appreciated a chance to say goodbye..."

Jeongguk's dark eyes meet his briefly, before lowering his gaze, "nobody got a proper goodbye. Nobody."

Taehyung frowns and exhales sharply. No matter how hard he tries to ignore it, his heart feels cracked open, and all the sorrow is gushing out and making him misty eyed. Then he hears Jeongguk add quietly, "I'm sorry. I know you were close to him."