The Symbol Of Darkness

㉖Why Can't You Say It?

 
Taehyung paced in front of the intercom, glancing at his phone almost every five seconds since the moment Jungkook hung up on him. He felt a stinging discomfort to his stomach because of his injury the more he paced around, but his concerned state impeded him from caring much about it. 

His phone beeped, and he instantly opened the new message. Before he could read it, the bell resounded through the apartment. He buzzed Jungkook in and focused his eyes on his phone. 

Namjoon: Don’t think too much about what Jungkook says tonight. He’s always like that when he has a fever. Give him some medicine and tell him to sleep. 

He’s always like... what? Taehyung questioned in his head. He cracked the door open and went off to search for any medicine, hoping to have some paracetamol or aspirin left. 

He rummaged in the medicine chest and thankfully found both medicines. He scurried out of his room, heading to the door. He pulled it back and stared at the elevator until the doors split open. Then, Jungkook bobbed in his vision. His steps were ponderous and small as he approached him, and his eyes seemed to fight to stay open. 

Every bewildering thought dispersed from Jungkook’s head the moment his eyes fell on Taehyung and detected his concerned countenance. “Tae.” His name leaked out of his mouth unwittingly, and the next moment, his body disobeyed him, too. As if he didn’t have any control over his sense, he threw his arms around Taehyung’s shoulders and tugged him close to him. 

Taehyung’s eyes enlarged with surprise, sucking in a breath at the unexpected action. His hands hung in the air, as though he didn’t know what to do with them, but when the initial shock toned down, he set them on his back. “Kook.” He brushed his palm against him in little circles, feeling Jungkook’s hold around him tighten. “Let’s go inside. You need to lie down.”

Jungkook didn’t move right away. And he wouldn’t if Taehyung didn’t pull back. He followed him into the apartment and resumed his way to the armchair as Taehyung closed the door. 

“Not there.” Taehyung’s voice stopped him before he could sit. “Bedroom.”

“But I—”

“Now.” Something firmer crept into Taehyung’s voice this time that didn’t give room for debate. 

“Fine. Need to change my sweater, anyway. This one stinks.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Taehyung was quick to argue as they trod towards his room. “It smells nice.”

“But I wear it all day,” Jungkook murmured as he pulled the neck of his sweater to his nose and smelled it. “Here, it smells funny.” He suddenly swerved and stood in front of him, pushing his sweater towards Taehyung’s face. 

Taehyung flinched at the obstacle that sprang up in front of him. He didn’t bother smelling it since he already took a few drags of his intoxicating scent earlier, but his eyes leaped at the chance to leer at his exposed collarbones. “I told you it smells nice. You can’t smell bad.”

“Sure I c—” 

“To me,” Taehyung added in a whisper, his gaze straying away from him. He brushed past him without another word and entered his room a few seconds later. He went to the closet and scanned his sweaters, trying to find an oversized one. Upon completing his search, he rotated and pattered towards Jungkook, who just sat on the edge of the bed. “I’d give you yours, but it hasn’t dried yet.” 

“It’s okay. Do you mind if I take a shower? I really feel like I’m burning up.”

“Of course. Let me give you clean boxers and pants.” Taehyung went back to the closet and found the said items. Once he twisted around again, though, the clothes near slipped through his grasp at the sight of a shirtless Jungkook, who was now unbuttoning his jeans without a care in the world. He couldn’t form words to say. He couldn’t stop him because he didn’t want him to stop.