Sound of Winter || Taegyu

Chapter Twenty Three

"Are you okay?" Taehyun asks, snapping him out of his thoughts. Beomgyu's eyes advert from the wooden porch, meeting Taehyun's gaze and catching a glimpse of the frown that resides on his face.

It looks almost too natural on Taehyun now, and he feels awful knowing that it's his fault that the younger isn't happy anymore. It's not intentional, he would never do anything to make him sad, but he can't help but feel like he could do more to fix things, even if that means faking being better.

He trusts Taehyun, yet for some reason he can't bring himself to talk about the things that are going on inside of his head. And as much as he hates lying to Taehyun, maybe he needs to pretend to be okay until he actually is. Maybe if he seems happy, Taehyun will be happy as well.

They just got back from his doctor's appointment, and being out in public has taken more of a toll on him than he could begin to imagine. It's the first time that he's been out since he left the hospital, and even though he knows that Seiji is probably long gone by now, he still fears that Seiji is lurking around every corner, waiting for the perfect opportunity to return him back to his own personal hell.

"Gyu?"

"Huh?" Beomgyu asks, slightly startled. He completely forgot that Taehyun asked him a question a few moments ago, shaking his head to rid himself of the lingering thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good."

Taehyun lets out a sigh before sliding his hand into his pants pocket, pulling out his keys and grabbing the small silver one to their home tightly in his hand. He hesitates, closing his eyes tightly before glancing back at Beomgyu. "You know that if you're not okay, you can talk to me. You know that, right?"

Beomgyu nods, pursing his lips.

The front door opens and the familiar scent of their home fills his senses as he steps inside, doing his best to shake off the faint feeling of anxiety that has settled within him. He's okay now, he's safe and has nothing to worry about, or at least he hopes that telling himself that will eventually make him believe it.

Taehyun places his work bag down on the couch, leaning against the back of it with his arms crossed over his chest. "Are you glad you don't have to wear the brace anymore?" Taehyun asks, motioning his hand towards Beomgyu's ankles, his eyes following the younger's motion.

"I guess so," Beomgyu answers softly, turning around to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge before gently twisting the cap off. "It feels a bit weird to walk on." Glancing down, he moves his ankle a bit, frowning at the sensation. It feels lighter, as if freed from the protective shell that it has been encased in for months.

Taehyun nods understandingly. "Maybe it's just an adjustment period, Gyu. I mean, you've been wearing that cast for what, two months now? And if it does give you any issues, we can always go back and get it checked." He suggests, pushing himself off the couch and walking towards him.

"Has it really been two months?" He frowns.

Taehyun hums. "Yeah, it's September now."

"Oh."

He gazes out the window, bottle still held tightly in his hands. The trees sway rhythmically outside, the gentle breeze weaving through the branches and causing them to dance in unison. Leaves, still vibrantly green with a hint of impending transformation, flutter gracefully in the air before falling down to the ground, joining a colorful carpet of red, yellow, and orange leaves.

Two months.

It's been two months since he's been back home, yet he still feels trapped in a mental labyrinth, unable to shake the constant feeling of fear. Despite Taehyun constantly providing him with unconditional love and support, the feeling of loneliness clings to him like a persistent fog. The walls that surround him were once comforting, his safe haven, but now they seem to confine him, suffocating the remnants of his shattered courage.