Lover man (Oh, where can you be)

13

his painful experiences, it made him feel special. Taehyung was smiling and Jeongguk hints at that. "It was a good decision, I have the impression," Taehyung nods. "Yes! I don’t regret it at all, my grandparents live quietly and comfortable in Korea and I do what I like to do the most," Jeongguk thinks that everything sounds too good to be true and maybe it's his dark soul talking, but he cannot avoid the next question. "And what do you have to give Gustav besides your talent?" His tongue says faster than his brain. Taehyung looks back, his eyes wide open for a moment, surprised by the sudden opinion of the older—always so collected. Then, he relaxes in the chair, shrugging his shoulders. "A small price... to keep him company sometimes," the young artist sighs thoughtfully and for the first time sounds unsure of himself. "But I like him, therefore it’s not a sacrifice for me," There is a brief and uncomfortable silence. The waiter approaches with his orders to deposit them on the table and comments a warm "I hope you enjoy it" and leaves both who look at each other carefully, studying the best way to follow the conversation. Taehyung takes his cup and drinks a sip of his cappuccino. "I understand he took you out of your misery," Jeongguk begins and that takes the younger off guard. "But I didn’t like the way he carried you the other day. He seemed a little controlling and possessive," he explains, watching at Taehyung for a while and then drinks the black coffee from his cup. The truth is, he shouldn’t get involved at all, but he’s worried about him deeply and he’s so young and possibly inexperienced, Jeongguk’s afraid that he has become accustomed to being mistreated and normalizes those behaviors towards him. Taehyung leaves the cup on the plate firmly, though not rudely and leans with his elbows on the table. "Gustav is so much more than someone who got me out of misery Jeongguk," he says determinedly, but his voice is short and quiet. The elder closes his eyes briefly, not liking the full use of his name. "Gustav is a friend, my boss and he respects me. I think you're overreaching your limits,” Jeongguk apologizes immediately. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound out of place," he also leaves his cup on the plate and sighs, his hand scratching his thigh under the table. "It's because I'm worried about how young and alone you are in here." "Thank you, but I know how to take care of myself," Taehyung dismisses Jeongguk's exaggerated concern, terminally, but he knows that—for the moment he’s nothing more than a young and helpless artist in Jeongguk’s eyes. Taehyung, while smiling gratefully, decides to change the subject. He looks deeply into Jeongguk's gaze. "Now, if I answered something intimate, the least you can do is answer one too." The older man also leans his elbow on the table and puts his chin on one of his hands. "Like what?" "Ahhhh," he starts, leaning back in the chair. "I don’t know, maybe about your marriage."