Love is half

18

The phone rests on the table. Screen lit up, a middle aged woman is lying down on the bed.

Their shoulder's are touching, seated on chairs in front of the table with their lips curled up, smiling.

"Hey, it's Jungkook." and it's like his throat being squeezed over an over by cruel hands. His name feels meaningless when he let's them out, like as if nothing in his life matters anymore. A gasp comes from the other side of the phone, weak and hopeful, Taehyung's mom. Mrs.Kim, it's almost like her features were traced on Taehyung's face, almond eyes and thick set of eyebrows. Her eyes glows, glassy and warm, the smile on her face looks pained and half-sleepy greeting, skin wrinkled and her screen shakes from her weak hold, shaky hands.

"My god, I know. It's you-" She says. Taehyung stays quiet besides them, heads down and Jungkook almost wishes he would say something. Because pretending to sit here with a smile, half hearted greetings and tightness in his heart, it's more painful than Taehyung barging at his door and holding him as if they are friends. "How are you, it's been so..so long. You have grown a lot, beautifully so." She says, Jungkook takes a shaky breath.

He doesn't know how he is anymore. Doesn't understand how he is supposed to be. He hasn't grown a bit, because if he did, he wouldn't be here doing this. He would have kicked Taehyung out of his life the day he saw him lying on his doorstep.

" yeah it indeed has been pretty long." He says, turns to Taehyung to glance, the muscle of the olders  jaws are tight, calculated. "I have been doing very well actually, heard you miss me?"

"Miss you? Son, I have been waiting for you to arrive. Tae said you would come here soon, how long do I have to wait?" She says, her face bright and hopeful, it's like the sun.

Jungkook fears that the act he is putting up would break soon. Something tugs underneath his skin when he hears her words. This, and this and this.

He did not tell Taehyung that h e would go anywhere with him, let alone, gave him any answer.

As if Taehyung has noticed, he reaches out to hold Jungkook's hand. Motionless, still and half frozen, Jungkook doesn't intertwines it, it's there and cold. Taehyung's fingers are like fire against his, it hurts and burns him even though his hold is gentle and almost numb from how cold they are. Jungkook doesn't know if it's because of the snow or her words.

Jungkook's lips wobbles when he tries to speak next, "Don't worry about it." He says, he doesn't say anything next, Taehyung squeezes his hands, it doesn't reassure Jungkook.

"I can't stop worrying, It's been so long I want to see you again before-"

"Ah mom." it's Taehyung's voice this time. Jungkook sucks a breath because he has never heard his voice this soft and caring, "Gguk will come to see you I told you didn't I?" It's not the first time Taehyung has made him feel like this. So speechless that he wonders if he even had a voice to begin with, there's something prickles in Jungkook's eyes and he hopes it doesn't start to fall.

It's scary, because the boy who used to make him feel like the world is the happiest place, making him wonder if the life after death is better than whatever he is feeling right now.

"Okay, I will wait." She smiles, her eyes shifts and there's a frown in between her brows. "Ah, is everything okay there? Jungkook why you look like you are crying?" She asks, and it makes Jungkook shift in his chair, almost unblinking because he can feel the tears covering his lashes when he does.