THE CARESS OF STARS | TaeTzu Oneshots

(cosmetics)

HC#69: My girl is so pretty with or without makeup, Taehyung thinks, watching her group's Estée Lauder IG Live.

「 First posted on Twitter: Sept. 4, 2020 | Rated G | 904 words 」

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"Whatcha watching, hyung?" Jungkook nonchalantly asks, casually walking into Taehyung's room without even knocking.

Taehyung holds up his phone. He's tuned in to the Twice Instagram live broadcast. "Boyfriend duties."

The Bangtan maknae plops down beside him on the bed. "Did they come out with a new makeup line?"

Taehyung gives him a look. "Why do you care?"

Jungkook shrugs. "You know I collect cosmetics."

"For men," Taehyung says. "These are for women. Obviously."

"Whatever, man. Just saying Estée Lauder is a good brand. Eunwoo endorses it for a reason." Taehyung rolls his eyes as Jungkook takes a closer look at the screen. "It's a shame they're wearing masks, though."

"I know," Taehyung answers. "They're ambassadors for make-up, but their faces are covered. It's a little strange to watch."

"This virus made the entire world strange," Jungkook agrees. "I really hope it disappears soon."

"Me too," Taehyung says.

"So are you seeing her after?" Jungkook asks, tilting his head towards the screen just as Tzuyu is speaking.

"Not tonight," Taehyung answers after listening to what Tzuyu was saying. "I'll see her tomorrow."

"I'm really happy for you guys," Jungkook says, clapping Taehyung's shoulder. "You're making it work. It's been, what, two years now?"

"Yeah," Taehyung replies, pressing the button to leave more hearts on the live. "2 years and 3 months."

"Nice," Jungkook says admiringly, and maybe a little wistfully. "I want that, too."

Taehyung puts down the phone briefly to offer Jungkook a sympathetic gaze. "You'll find her soon," he says kindly. He knows Jungkook went through a breakup last May, and while Taehyung is grateful that Jungkook seems to have bounced back from that relatively well, he knows there's still some pain left that Jungkook hasn't talked about yet. "Or... you know, maybe, get her back?"

"Nah, it's over," Jungkook says, leaning back against the headboard and rearranging his legs to sit more comfortably. "Just as well. If she broke up with me because of a simple mistake I made, then that makes our love seem so... fragile? Shallow? To begin with. I don't want to waste my time on that."

"Not to take her side," Taehyung says, "but maybe what you think is a simple mistake wasn't that simple for her."

"Yeah, I get that," Jungkook replies. "But even then. Maybe it's better this way."

Taehyung gives Jungkook another sympathetic smile and pats his thigh twice in what he hopes was a reassuring one. He turns back to the Twice IG live.

The two of them watch in silence for a few minutes. "I have a question," Jungkook says after a while.

"Hmm?" Taehyung hums, not taking his eyes off the phone.

"Have you seen Tzuyu without makeup?"

Taehyung snorts. "That's your question?"

Jungkook chuckles. "Well, yeah."

Taehyung answers without looking at Jungkook. "Yeah, I have. I see her bare face in the morning sometimes. When we spend the weekend together."

Jungkook punches Taehyung's arm playfully. "You dog. So?"

"So... what?"

"'So what?'" Jungkook repeats, singing the same phrase from their song. Taehyung laughs and hums the next few bars, then joins Jungkook in singing the phrase again. "'So what?'"

"So?" Jungkook tries again. "Is she as pretty in the morning?"

"Why would you want to know that?" Taehyung deflects the question although he's still smiling.

Jungkook shrugs. "My ex wasn't as pretty when she wakes up."

It was Taehyung's turn to punch his arm. "You dog." Then he laughs. "That was mean."

"I mean, she's still pretty. But she looks... different."

"So you like her better with makeup on?"

"Honestly?" Jungkook pretends to think it over. "Yeah."

Taehyung chuckles. "Jungkookie, you're just saying that because you're not together anymore."

"Maybe." Jungkook leans back against the headboard again. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Honestly?" Taehyung asks. Jungkook nods. "I like Tzuyu better without makeup."

"Really?"

Taehyung nods, solemnly. "Really." He reaches over Jungkook to the nightstand to grab his other phone-his iPhone, which he still uses as his personal phone-and scrolls through the camera roll to look for a picture he took of Tzuyu two weeks ago. He picks the one where she's still asleep and curled up against his chest, and shows it to Jungkook. "Her natural look is more beautiful to me. She looks so angelic. I can't get enough."

"Jiminie-hyung is right," Jungkook says. "You're so whipped for her."

"That shouldn't surprise you," Taehyung counters. "You've seen us together."

"I know," Jungkook says. He brushes his bangs away from his eyes. "I'm just, I dunno, happy for you, I guess. I didn't think you'd be this serious over a girl."

Taehyung sets down his iPhone. "Hey!" he says in mock protest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jungkook holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Nothing!" He fends off Taehyung's playful punches on his abdominals. "It's just, that, you know, you're you. If I were as handsome as you, I'd date five girls at once."

"You are handsome," Taehyung says sincerely. "But we both know dating many girls at the same time isn't your style. And it's not mine, either."

"You're right," Jungkook concedes. "That actually sounds exhausting."

"Uh-huh," Taehyung says, ruffling Jungkook's hair in jest. "I don't have the energy for that. My heart has room for only one."

Jungkook smiles at that. "You're really in love with her, aren't you?"

Taehyung turns back to his phone just as Twice is wrapping up. "Yeah, I am."

FIN

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