Caught you at a bad time
Jeongguk is on edge all of the next week.
His argument with Taehyung had left an acrid taste in his mouth, and he doesn't know why.
Usually he loves tearing the older man down, lashing out at him and watching him get flustered, but something feels wrong.
It's not bringing him the same satisfaction that he had been getting earlier. Maybe he hadn't ever been getting any satisfaction at all, but he'd been able to delude himself into thinking he did.
Maybe Jeongguk had just gotten so used to Taehyung's presence in the last few weeks, and the sudden silence from the elder is leaving him agitated.
He'd finished a night shift at the hospital, and considers just falling asleep without changing out of his scrubs. But he pauses right in front of Taehyung's door.
The older man had been quiet lately. No fire alarms, no random knocks on Jeongguk's door asking him about the proper way to peel an onion.
Nothing. And Jeongguk wishes he wasn't so
damn affected by the silence.
Jeongguk taps his foot in irritation, chewing his bottom lip as he glances at Taehyung's door.
I shouldn't do this.
It's none of my business.
But I'm his doctor. What if he's dead or something?
He clicks his tongue in annoyance, finally turning to face Taehyung's door. His heart is beating abnormally fast but he pushes the nervous feeling away to press the doorbell.
It feels like an eternity as he waits for someone to answer, and it gives him time to think of a million different excuses as to why Taehyung wouldn't open the door.
Maybe he's still asleep.
Maybe he's on a business trip.
What if he's mad at me? The last bit makes Jeongguk scoff because Taehyung has no right whatsoever to be mad at Jeongguk. If anything, Jeongguk should be pissed at Taehyung. Ruining his life ten years ago. Ruining his life now.
Just as he decides to call it quits, there's a scuffling on the other side of the door, and it opens.
Jeongguk opens his mouth to say something moderately valid as to why he's knocking on the door of his worst enemy, but there's no need.
"Can I help you?" Jeongguk's blood drains from his face as he takes in the woman standing in front of him, in what is obviously one of Taehyung's dress shirts, hair mussed. He notes the pink and purple marks along her exposed neck, and the faint flush in her cheeks.
"Uhm... I was just..." Jeongguk's mouth is suddenly dry. Usually his mind is running at a mile a minute, but right now his entire body is frozen-- including his brain, apparently.
The woman's eyes widen in sudden realization. "Oh my god! You're Dr. Jeon Jeongguk, aren't
you?"
Jeongguk manages to nod. "I've been following your research for quite some time now! Taehyung's told me so much about you, and I just-- gosh I just admire you so much!"
There's a sickly tightening to Jeongguk's skin. His body feels uncomfortable and lethargic. He doesn't know whether it was his graveyard shift at the hospital or the fact that he'd failed to consider the idea of Taehyung having a life outside of annoying Jeongguk.
"Hey babe who's at the--"
Taehyung. Who appears from seemingly nowhere, with a towel slung low on his hips, droplets of water still clinging to his hair, dotting the golden skin of his chest. He looks out the door expectantly, and when he realizes it's Jeongguk, his face pales.
It's silent for a moment, as they simply stare at each other, having two different conversations in languages neither of them can understand.
Taehyung looks like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and Jeongguk just wants the floor to swallow him up so he doesn't have to think about the senseless irritation, the seething anger, the burning rage and betrayal currently coursing through his body.
"I've caught you at a bad time," Jeongguk manages to say, and it's beyond him how his voice can remain even, detached, when all he wants to do is scream.
The woman, so affectionately dubbed babe by Taehyung, giggles, bringing a hand up to her mouth prettily as she laughs. "No, it's alright. I'm glad to finally have met you, although I wish it were in better, more professional circumstances," she says, looking down at her attire-- Taehyung's dress shirt a pale blue, which, in Jeongguk's opinion, does not go well with her skin tone--and blushes bashfully.
"Perhaps we could go get dinner some time. I would love to talk to you about your mitral valve procedure."
It takes all of Jeongguk's willpower to rip his eyes away from Taehyung and the silent battle they're having, and he nods, just barely.
"I would love to," He forces a thin smile on his lips for good measure. "I-I should be heading home now. I just wanted..." What do I want? "I just wanted to check in."
"Of course! I'm Ryu Sujeong by the way," the girl extends her hand and Jeongguk makes to shake it.
"It's such an honor to meet you, Jeongguk ssi."
"Same." Jeongguk bows his head slightly, before stepping back. He glances--against his will--at Taehyung, who's still standing behind Sujeong, frozen, and the older man's expression floors him.
He turns away quickly, punching in his code at record speed, before slamming the door shut. He
needs to take a long shower and find a nice big bottle of wine.
