Twilight of Itaewon | Taekook ✔

69.Closer to you

The sun comes up from the pit of the ocean. Lazy morning scattering around the Itaewon streets, accentuating its beauty to the nth level. Taehyung woke up to an empty bed, a pillow on his side in Jimin's place. He recalled yesternight. Without forcing his brain and understanding that maybe Jimin carried him to bed, Taehyung got up. He rubbed his eyes, flickering his eyes twice as if he's ensuring where he's once again and walked to the bathroom for his daily routine. The aroma of mouth-watering pancakes filling in the air as he walked out and strolled to the kitchen.

He was confused for a moment after seeing Yoongi's friend cooking in his kitchen, two batches of pancakes ready for him to devour with his favorite strawberry syrup. Without making any sound, Taehyung stood behind the other who was first- shirtless, second- wearing earphones while cooking, and the third- didn't notice his presence. Taehyung scanned the surroundings but couldn't find his friends. Not even Jimin. Suspicious, he patted on the male's shoulder who was too lost in the pancakes and the song playing in his ear. The other jolted, made Taehyung's back hit on the kitchen counter. He stood straight but stunned when the other took out his earphones, a worried expression staying on his face as he said those words. 

"Tae…

Oh, Tae you scared me… are you okay? Did you hurt somewhere bab---" 

When the other paused his words, one hand cupping his face, the other on his waist, face pale yellow and concerned, Taehyung felt his body burning. Each touch on his body felt like scratching his heart. A very familiar scent squeezed into his lungs and Taehyung thought his heart was on fire. The soft touch on his cheeks shook his senses, and he oh so badly wanted to lean into that feather-like caressings. It felt right. The doe-eyes gaping to his soul, ready to hold him away from the world, the fingertips soothing the wounds yet to heal on his mind to body, the deep voice whispering against his lips, the erratic beating of the heart Taehyung can feel under his palms while his hand resting on the other's chest, it all felt damn right. That's until the raven-haired doe-eyed male completed his sentence. 

"Are you alright, Taehyung-ssi…?" 

No. I'm not. Taehyung wanted to whisper. He doesn't know how to control the crack widening in his heart when the male used honorifics with his name. He doesn't know why he feels like he knows that heartbeat very well. He doesn't know why his body is telling him to lean into those arms, why his heart trusts that those arms will never let him fall. He doesn't know anything. So, he stared. He stared into those black orbs like he was memorizing the galaxies he saw before.
It's an illusion. An illusion Taehyung oh so badly wanted to be true. Pull yourself together, the moon is not within your reach. Taehyung chanted inside and moved away from the male, murmuring he's okay.

He didn't miss the way the other's face transformed into a relaxed state with a small sigh of relief. He walked to the living room and sat next to the small library, pulling out some magazines. The clouded mind was still wandering in the kitchen around the pancakes and the one making them. It was sudden when Taehyung found a wallet on the table and his head told him to open it. He breathed before whispering.

"Jeongguk…" 

The name rolled out of his tongue with an explosion of stars in his tummy. The anticipation of naming the favorite portrait in his head was gone. He was shaking while whispering that to himself. Breathing hard, Taehyung clutched his heart. The things just a name does to him were inexplicable. Head obscured with the weird sentiments, Taehyung repeated the name, which made the younger from the kitchen run towards him with a nervous expression. He crouched down to Taehyung's level and cupped his face. The doe-eyes dropped to the hand on his chest as Taehyung blinked multiple times. That same burning is back. His heart and body were on fire.