Take My Breath Away

11

Jimin was sitting in the library working on an essay on the
'Joseon Dynasty' for his Korean history class. He tapped his pen against his textbook as he tried to concentrate on the text under the title 'State Council of Joseon'. He had been putting off writing this essay for several days, he just hadn't been able to concentrate.
All weekend Jimin had felt like he was walking on clouds.
After his date with Jungkook he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the boy. He kept catching himself smiling for absolutely no reason, humming some happy song while he was preparing lunch, and checking his phone to see if the younger boy had texted him. Even Hoseok had called him out on it as they were sitting on the floor of the dance studio on Saturday, the boy had nudged him and asked why he looked so happy. Jimin had muttered something about school going well, not feeling ready to disclose the source of his sudden change in temperament.
Jimin turned the page and sighed. He didn't like history that much, he'd rather be doing anything else if he were completely honest. It was therefore a welcome distraction when he saw his phone light up next to him on the table.
He reached for his phone and smiled thinking it was a text from Jungkook, but as he saw the name on the display anxiety built up in his chest. It was from Taehyung.

Tae
Come paint with me?

Jimin stared at the words for a few seconds. His best friend hadn't talked to him for a week. He'd seen him at school a few times when he'd returned on Wednesday, but it was clear Taehyung was avoiding him. Jimin had taken Hoseok's advice and given the boy his space, hoping he would come talk to him eventually. As the days past his hope started to dwindle and he almost thought Taehyung would never reach out to him.
He opened the chat and typed a reply.

Jimin
Okay.

Jimin quickly gathered his things, threw his half-empty water bottle in his backpack and hurried out of the library.
When Taehyung was going through a hard time he would often use art to express his feelings. Jimin had sat by his friend for hours on end as the boy slathered paint across a canvas trying to make sense of his emotions. They'd talk as the boy would paint and in the end they would walk out together, Taehyung a bit more collected. It was therefore easy for Jimin to understand where his best friend was even though he hadn't given him a location.
He walked down the corridors of the dance and art building until he found the room he was looking for. When he opened the door to the art studio the face of his best friend looked up at him from behind a big canvas. Taehyung looked tired, he had bags under his eyes and his skin was void of the usual colour flushing his cheeks. He had some paint on his forehead and his hair looked unkempt, like he hadn't brushed it for a few days.
Jimin stood still in the doorway for a moment before he properly entered the room and closed the door behind him.
He walked over to his best friend and sat down beside him.
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, Jimin just watched as Taehyung dipped his brush in red paint and added some brushstrokes to the canvas.

The two friends seldom sat in silence. Taehyung was lively and at times loud and Jimin loved that about him. They always had something to talk about so sitting there next to his best friend in complete silence made Jimin a bit uncomfortable. He was nervous, afraid of what the inevitable conversation they were going to have would result in. Taehyung had constantly been on Jimin's mind for the last week, even over the weekend despite how loved up he'd felt after his date with Jungkook. Being so distant from Taehyung physically hurt and he desperately wanted them to go back to being friends.
"What are you painting?" Jimin finally decided to say not being able to bare the silence anymore.
"I don't know yet." Taehyung answered, dipping his brush in the paint again.
Silence fell over them again. Jimin observed as Taehyung added more colours to the painting, swirls of blue, red and yellow were spreading out over the canvas. He wasn't sure of what else to say. His thoughts were swirling around in his head, no words seemed to be able to accurately describe his feelings.
"I'm sorry for lying to you." He finally decided to say, eyeing Taehyung nervously.
"I know." Taehyung nodded and pressed his lips together into a line. Jimin watched as the boy added some dots that he thought might be flowers. "I'm sorry too."
Those words released something inside of Jimin, a twisted knot that had been forming in his stomach all week. It seemed like the tension between them eased up a little.
"I understand why you did it, Hoseok explained it to me." Taehyung's voice was laced with sadness. "It still hurts that you felt like you couldn't trust me."
Jimin's stomach sunk. He never wanted to hurt Taehyung.
He had hoped his actions hadn't cut that deep but hearing those words come out of his best friend's mouth and seeing his tired and dishevelled form Jimin knew that the boy had been just as upset as himself.
"I wanted to tell you so many times, but I was scared you wouldn't want to be my friend if you knew the truth." Jimin admitted. He needed Taehyung to know that he never wanted to hide anything from him, but it wasn't easy to overcome the things that had happened to him in the past.
Taehyung turned his head towards the blonde boy next to him, putting his brush down on the stool beside him.
"You're my best friend Jimin, I would never do that to you."
Jimin just nodded, looking down at the floor. He'd heard it all before. His friends had told him they wouldn't look at him differently, that they would treat him just like they had before they found out, only to do the exact opposite. Jimin wanted to believe Taehyung, he desperately did, but a part of him was afraid history would repeat itself and he would lose him like he'd lost so many of his other friends.
Taehyung reached his hand out and grabbed Jimin's. "I love you Jimin, you can always talk to me about anything.
I would never judge you."
Jimin looked into Taehyung's warm brown eyes. Taehyung didn't lie, it wasn't in his nature, and there was no hint of deception in his face. He meant it and Jimin could tell. A small voice in his mind told him that most of his other friends had meant it too, they thought they could treat him the same, but in the end they still didn't. Jimin pushed the thought away. He'd never had a friend like Taehyung, none of his previous friends even compared. He needed to trust him.
The blonde boy wrapped his arms around his best friend and gave him a tight hug. He nuzzled against his neck and bunched up the fabric of the boy's hoodie in his hands.
Jimin didn't think he'd ever gone this long without hugging Taehyung and now that he had his arms wrapped around him again it felt amazing, it felt like home.
"Aish, Jiminah you'll get paint on your clothes." Taehyung complained but Jimin could tell he was smiling.