TAEKOOK / TIGER LILY

16.

The next day, Taehyung is really unsure whether he did the right thing. That right thing being: running the hell away, as fast as he can. As soon as his mind had made sense of the the scene, his adrenaline kicked in; as he'd seen as Jungkook's face had turned to mere shapes, all squiggles of a pencil, thin and faint in their construction; it made him shadowy and subdued, watercolored into a devil.

And, as soon as he'd seen that, he'd ran, pushing past the trees, and all the way back home. He'd ran as if Jungkook were chasing him, but, in actuality, he didn't dare to, seemingly achieving the outcome he'd wanted. Getting Taehyung to leave. Of course, whether or not Jungkook truly was to blame for what happened, Taehyung was unsure. But he couldn't very well think with the potential murderer glaring in his face.

A boy was dead. That's the main thing he needs to remember. It looked like Jungkook was the killer. And Taehyung curls himself up in bed, staring at the tiger lily he'd been gifted, that's turning more and more fragile with age. It looks as if, should he merely poke it, it would shatter before him, and, he supposes, that's who he is now as well. Easily broken.

Namjoon comes in at three pm, and he has a china cup of tea in his hand, but his hand is shaking so dearly, the liquid froths out of the sides as he attempts to place it down. Taehyung merely watches him, trying as best he can to smile, as his uncle peers toward him, looking like an amalgamation of concern and sheepish. "You feeling okay?" He inquires, gently perching himself down on the edge of the bed, sitting and watching his nephew.

Taehyung blinks, and it takes everything in him to open his eyes again, when really, he wants nothing more than to just surround himself in that sea of black. "I didn't sleep well." He says, face smooshed against the pillow, with his hair sprayed out around him, coating his soft sheets in something dark and tired.

Namjoon nods, but it comes across a little stiff and his eyes narrow with it. "You know you can always tell me if there's a problem, right?"

Taehyung thinks he might actually be sick at the idea of it, at the idea of ever letting his uncle in on the horrors he'd witnessed the night before. The horrors he was yet to fully come to terms with. Still, he gives his best smile and tells him, "thank you."

His uncle nods and releases a beautiful, sugarcoated sigh, and it glitters in the sunlight that's forcing its way through the window, and settling itself over the room, as if trying its very hardest to alleviate all the grappling grey clouds of their turmoil; the damp clouds that seep around the room and hang heavy against their shoulders. He looks back at his nephew and, in a clicking sensation of his eyes, he softly tells him, "that's a nice necklace."

Taehyung thinks even the light fluffiness of the sun can do nothing to mollify the artificial sourness of his mood. He looks down at his necklace, his emerald sunken, stolen necklace, and he feels the urge to cry — either that, or yell.

He doesn't say anything. He can't. He can't out of fear he shall tell his uncle too much; he fears he may accidentally let slip what he'd seen last night, and, in doing so, he could potentially become a target of Jungkook's and Gok's, that, or, he could get them in serious, serious trouble. God, Taehyung feels so stupid for not noticing how serenely he'd been dancing through fresh linen daydreams, skimming through billowing clothes of bright red flags. He wonders how he hadn't noticed. He wonders how he can untangle himself.

"Well," Namjoon suddenly stands, as if finally realising just how unlikely it was for the younger to suddenly want to open up to him in this moment. So, with his warmest, most milky of smiles, a smile like the tangled solar system, and pitfall nebulas, he says, "enjoy your tea, and... well, Seokjin and I made an impromptu decision of building up the gazebo today. We just want to get started, get it done in time for the barbecue we're going to have in a few weeks. So, if you get bored, we're getting started on it." He ascends toward the door, and grants Taehyung the smallest of glances, adding, "or, just catch up on your sleep, okay?"