"𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏' 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆."
[𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧]
in the heart of seoul, beneath dark clouds and the city's restless rhythm, the artist found himself entangled deep within his thoughts.
days had since passed from his last encounter with jungkook, and a perplexing sense of avoidance lingered in the air.
as the raindrops painted a delicate melody in his studio windows, taehyung grappled with the enigma of why the younger man seemed to be slipping away.
he hadn't seen jungkook in a few days.
but he felt as though the younger man was, for some reason, avoiding him, or doing his best to steer clear which admittedly, made the artists's head itch unpleasantly as countless thoughts danced around his head as to why that could be.
in fact, the last he had seen of the pretty boy was the night he stayed in taehyung's guest room, a week prior when they had made a start on the painting.
it was rainy that night; for there was a thunderstorm hovering over the seoul skies that had jungkook uneasy and restless. he remembered comforting the boy, holding him as the clouds rumbled and the rain hammered against the windows.
the memory of their shared night echoed in his mind; the stormy, miserable night that when jungkook sought safety in taehyung's guest room.
the thunder rumbled, the rain cascades and the vulnerability unfolded.
and taehyung racked his brain, trying to think of something that had either happened or he'd done to subconsciously drive jungkook away.
but, he just couldn't think of a reason.
frowning as he rose his wine glass to his lips, he stared hard at the canvas before him, his honey-brown eyes moving across each stroke of paint, each pencil line with such precision.
of course; the piece was nowhere near done yet and he would need to call jungkook up about arranging another session so he could make more progress. the incomplete masterpiece mirrored the unresolved tension; urging him to take the brush once more.
however, the knowledge that jungkook seemed to want to stay away stopped him from reaching out.
the knowledge that the younger man distanced himself held the artist back. questions lingered, and frustration simmered beneath the surface. jungkook was his muse, yet he seemed adamant on avoiding him.
taehyung couldn't continue the piece without him.
staring at the unfinished piece, he couldn't help but wonder. could there have been a misstep, a misinterpreted word that prompted the younger to step away?
taehyung wanted to know.
but perhaps he wasn't brave enough to make the first step.
"oh jungkook." he stood up, placing his glass of aged wine on the cabinet and sighed, lifting his hand to ruffle his own dark locks in growing, gnawing frustration as he looked around his studio almost desperately. "what did i do to drive you away?"
the soft hum from his phone made him freeze, his left hand reaching into his robe pocket to retrieve the device. he, a little too eagerly, pulled it from his sweatpants pocket and looked at the screen, his eyes widening.
"speak of the devil." he mumbled, biting down on his bottom lip as he answered the call, holding his phone to his ear. "jungkook-ah?"
"hey taehyung..." jungkook whispered softly from the other side of the phone, his voice a little shaky and breathless from what the artist assumed to be nerves. "can... can we meet up this afternoon? i-i wanna talk..." his breath grew hitched. "if- if you still want to see me after i've avoided you for days and-"
"of course i'll meet you." the artist breathed into the phone, his long, slender fingers curling around the phone as he looked down at his wine. "we're... we're friends, right?" he sighed softly. "at the cafe, mid-day?"
"i'll see you then." jungkook replied, voice soft and timid, a slight shuffling heard on the other side of the call. "thank you... i-i know i owe you an explanation."
"see you then, jungkook-ah." taehyung felt his lips twitch upwards ever-so-slightly; his prior worries instantly dissolved with jungkook soft voice and timid request.
—
the soft hum of conversation and the gentle clinking of utensils against porcelain filled the cozy atmosphere of the cafe, alongside the soft jazz that spilled from the speakers.
the mid-october raindrops continued their delicate dance on the windowpane, creating a comforting rhythm as the artist sat at his usual table in the corner by the window as he waited for jungkook to arrive, sipping on his coffee occasionally.
with a soft chime of the bell above the door, there he was. dressed in loose-fitting sweatpants with a coat, jungkook looked around nervously, his tense shoulders relaxing when he saw the handsome artist, perched elegantly in his seat.
taehyung looked up to greet him, a soft smile on his face as the younger brunette approached. "hey jungkook, how... how have you been?"
"hi, taehyung," the younger replied, his fingers nervously tracing patterns on the tabletop as he sat down. he shrugged his coat off and slowly relaxed as the fragrant aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped them. "have you been waiting long?"
"only a few minutes, jimin came and said hello." taehyung, ever the artist, found solace in the surroundings, the subdued jazz melodies harmonizing with the rain's soothing cadence. he sighed softly, shaking his head when the younger opened his mouth to talk. "we'll talk after we order, okay?"
jungkook nodded and with that, they ordered their drinks, the atmosphere between them buzzing with the unspoken tension of the past few days. once the beverages arrived, that's when the older man decided to gently breach the subject.
"so, what's been going on, jungkook-ah?" he inquired, his eyes expressing genuine concern. "you've been quite... distant lately. i was starting to think i'd done something."
"i'm so sorry, tae." the younger man apologised, his voice so soft, a mix of relief and trepidation evident in his gaze. "i-i've been avoiding you, and i know it's not fair."
the dark haired artist nodded, his eyes encouraging jungkook to share his thoughts. "you don't need to apologize, jungkook. i just want to understand."
"i was just... embarrassed." in that quaint cafe, surrounded by the comforting melody of raindrops and the muted buzz of conversation, jungkook began to unravel the emotions he had kept hidden. "i-i was embarrassed for crying the way i did, for seeking comfort over a pathetic thunderstorm. i'm a grown man, not a kid."
the artist listened attentively, watching as the younger explained without meeting his gaze, jungkook's attention on his hot chocolate. the younger was pouting, pushing his cup around absentmindedly as he spoke. "t-they just bring a bit of trauma to the surface and... and i get scared. i'm sorry you had to deal with me."
"oh jungkook-ah," taehyung spoke gently, reaching across the table to place a comforting hand on jungkook's. "you never have to apologize for being vulnerable or for having fears. i appreciate your honesty, and i want you to feel comfortable being yourself around me."
"that means a lot to me." jungkook laughed softly, biting down on his bottom lip before asking what had been on his mind. "so, uh, when would you like to continue the painting?"
taehyung's lips formed a soft smile, and with that; they fell back into their easy flow, the cafe embracing them with warmth amidst the rain's gentle melody.
______
it's currently 3:33am as i'm writing, and i have work in the morning... but i will still pull through for you guys <3
-TaesThickThighs