• M a k t u b : Spirit of the desert • [ Taekook ]

25. Taehyung, answer

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The next morning he woke up late, more tired than when he went to bed.

The room was quite dark. The sound of rain could be heard through the balcony door, which splashed the large blinds.

Taehyung struggled out of bed, feeling like he was up to no good. His thoughts were crippled, his movements heavy, and he had a blank look.

He wanted to believe that the languor of a rainy day was killing him, that deadness and grayness that hung over the city. He wanted to believe his soul was colored by that specter, which gives everything a terrible appearance.

But there was no truth in that.

Taehyung knew there was no malice or anger in that rain, that it was the kind rain which would wash away without question all the tears shed for Jungkook.

The man took a few steps and found himself in the dining room again. He looked once more at the displayed food on the table and the extinguished burnt candle, before he decided to make himself a coffee, to begin with.

Walking over to the kitchen cupboard, he glanced at all the groceries he had bought with the intention of sharing with the younger man.

Some anxiety that Jungkook didn't show up crept under his skin and burned him. Taehyung cried, lowering his body on the cold tiles, he pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them tightly. He knew he was alone in the cottage and he had some desire to say everything what was on his heart.

But he had no one. Nothing encouraged him to get up from the cold floor and stagger to the bed.

For a moment he thought he heard Jungkook's footsteps in the corridor, as if the door opened and closed, but he was still motionless, with his body nailed to the floor and a sleepy expression on his face. The sounds of the rain in the background deepened his deadness even more, Taehyung could only imagine.

Jungkook wasn't there.

When he gathered his strength, he got to the phone and with a few presses of the keys, called a certain number. He let it ring a few times and then hung up.

Jungkook didn't answer.

__________

Noise and rather loud music were part of the family atmosphere.

The women were mostly in the kitchen hovering around the food, serving it to the men who was sitting at the large dining table.

Muhamad was smoking a hookah while talking about something that seemed very important to him. Jungkook heard absolutely nothing of that conversation.

He sat thoughtfully, his stomach empty but too full to eat anything. The only thing he thought about was Taehyung waiting for him at the cottage. The only thing he wanted to do was be in his arms.

- Hey, honey... - there was no response.

Nadira came a little closer to her husband, so that he could hear her better.

- Jungkook. - only when he looked at the woman with his doe eyes, she continued.

- Do you like food? I personally prepared it for you.

Jungkook nodded.

- Yes of course, thank you.

- Boy, are you better now? I can see the scratches slowly disappearing. - Muhammad spoke again releasing a plume of smoke around him.

Jungkook only smoked when he went around the place by the coast, where the ocean kissed the desert and where he usually went when he thought of his mother. In other situations he always avoided cigarettes.

The younger coughed a little, afraid that Muhammad would interpret it wrongly.

He quickly straightened up and answered.

- Yes, I feel better.

- If you want, we can go to Essaouira right now and ask police again if they cought attackers... And we can...

- No! - their eyes met, the elder looked somewhat surprised at the younger appearance in front of him. Jungkook never raised his voice.

Seeing his mistake, he cleared his throat and then tried to excuse himself from the situation.

- No, because I don't want to go back to it honestly. I don't want to live again that moment. It's better not to go there... - he paused and then added.

- ...for a while.

Taehyung was on his mind. Jungkook could imagine how impatiently he had been waiting for him the whole previous night. And it was already noon, and Jungkook couldn't find an excuse to leave.

Even Nadira came unexpectedly, and Muhammad didn't give him peace. Jungkook knew that his intention was good, but it still sent shivers through his body, he should have been with him.

Suddenly his phone rang.

Jungkook quickly took the phone out of his bag and looked at the small screen. It said Taehyung's name.

Fuck. ~ he thought, then quickly closed the cover of the phone and put it back in place. His lips had long been between his teeth to prevent him from shedding tears.

__________

When he saw that the younger one would not answer, he quickly hung up.

But before he decided to throw the phone across the room, several missed calls drew his attention, it was Marissa. Tae had nothing to lose. He dialed her number and when the woman answered, he immediately asked.

- What is it about, Marissa? - all he could hear from the other side of the line was a moan and a little whimpering.

- Are you crying? Is Tannie okay? - Taehyung was on his feet again, while holding on to the back of the chair with his hand. He suddenly felt a rush of dizziness.

- Taehyung... Tannie... our son is in the hospital, Tae. And you didn't answer! Is it more important for you to spend time with those people than with your own son? - he felt a stab in his heart from those harash but true words.

- W-what? - he mumbled, unaware that the unconsciousness woven from the worst pain was already slowly dressing him in its suit.

- You better come as soon as possible, he keeps asking about you. - at the same moment he rushed to the bag, while packing everything he had. He quickly put on a tracksuit ready to close the door, he slowly returned to the bedroom again. The man dropped his bag on the floor and reached for a notebook from which he tore the paper.

If Jungkook didn't answer on his phone, he'll leave him a message.

When he finished, he locked the front door and went out through the balcony door, which he left slightly open, so that the younger man could notice. He didn't have time to bring him his key or anything.

Tae got behind the wheel and immediately headed to the airport in Marrakesh, leaving behind him in that cottage every opportunity to be happy in this life.

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...to be continued...