It's been over a year since Taehyung left and Jeongguk had learnt to stop letting the thought of him invade his mind. But sometimes the past collides with the present and suddenly Taehyung is in his parlor, asking for a tiger flower tattoo and Jeong...
Jimin shrugged, walking away to clear the kitchen sink as an excuse to remove himself from the conversation.
"Jimin." Taehyung called.
"The door isn't locked."
"Jimin, I'm sorry!" The younger continued, heading over to join him in the kitchen.
Jimin sighed again, as if conflicted. Then he turned to face Taehyung and gave him a look he couldn't decipher. Taehyung saw it now that he was just a meter away from him- the white thin line that ran below his eye. The scar his dad gave Jimin because apparently "his femininity influenced Taehyung's sinful gay thoughts".
He remembered very vividly how he watched his father beat his best friend up and all Taehyung did was watch. He remembered Jimin's panicked eyes, begging him to help. He remembered the bruises that bloomed across his skin. He remembered being frozen in his spot, letting it happen. He remembered the way Jimin stumbled out the door, hopefully to the nearest clinic, and never spoke to him again.
"I was too scared to say or do anything." Taehyung admitted, "And I was the shittest friend for it. I'm so sorry."
"I don't know how I feel about you, Tae." Jimin told him.
Taehyung felt the sting of his words- the same words Jeongguk said when he first saw Taehyung again. Had he become a mere stranger to both of them just like that? Could he even blame them? Taehyung was walking bad luck. Literally everyone he tried to befriend or just interacted with had to answer to his father, had to earn his approval. The possibility of that was equivalent to chicks hatching out of supermarket eggs. And while Jimin understood this was something out of Taehyung's control, the two of them had a lot things they needed to figure out.
"You weren't there when it all went to shit, okay?" Jimin's voice got louder, "You weren't there when Gguk showed up at my door at three in the fucking morning bawling his eyes out. My mom got mad because she didn't like visitors but I convinced her to let him stay the night and he wouldn't eat for the next few days and it killed me because I had no idea what happened and I tried calling you but you disappeared off the surface of planet Earth. I didn't find out till a week later that you dumped Jeongguk."
"I didn't want to." Taehyung defended, getting increasing exasperated by all the 'it's your fault's thrown at him.
Jimin huffed, hands grasping at the counter to anchor himself. "Well, what was I supposed to think, Taehyung?" He raged on, "It took months to get Jeongguk to move on and I was there every step of the way. He was doing great. He was doing so great. Then all of a sudden you show up again and can you blame me for wanting to protect him?"
Not knowing what to say, the younger decided to shake his head.
"But I can't stop him from running back to you."
Taehyung looked up at Jimin, not knowing what to make out of that sentence.
"Because that boy fucking loves you, Tae."
Taehyung couldn't help the way his heart stopped for a split second in the hollow of his chest.
"No matter how many times he looks me in the eye and tells me he's done loving you— he isn't." The skin between Jimin's eyebrows creased as he struggled to find the right words. "And I can tell it's the same for you." The laugh he lets out was sullen. "You two risk it all for each other. So what can I do but let you dive back into each other's arms? And I wish I could punch you for all this bullshit. But I can't. Cause it's not your fault. And I don't hate you."
Taehyung didn't know where all this was coming from.
"Just—" Jimin inhaled sharply. "I'm terrified for both of you and I really want to knock each of your family members into next week. Because fuck them. They ruin everything." He meet Taehyung's gaze and his next words are firm. "You can't hurt Jeongguk again. Not like this. The boy's broken enough times."
"I won't." Taehyung answered without a thought. It was like his whole existence was solely not to cause Jeongguk any more pain. "I'll figure things out. I won't let him near us."
Famous last words.
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Oh gosh my reads shot up and I'm assuming it's because of beabea222recommending my book on iadoreguk's profile. Thank you!! It made my entire day
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Y'all I'm really sorry but mint chocolate ice cream is NOT it
