MY MERBOY || TK

CHAPTER 31: Love amidst Absence

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"But don't you wonder how being with Jeongguk could be?" Hoseok tried to say. "Sure it won't be all sunshine and rainbows but.." He spoke carefully, trying to form the right encouraging words. "At least you'll have each other."

"Yeah. It is painful but fulfilling."

Taehyung stared at the two humans by his side. Are they speaking from experience? Or are they projecting their romantic fantasies onto him? "You sound as if you have lovers." He grumpily spoke.

Hoseok blushed, nervously grinning. "Actually.. I have one."

"You traitor!" Jimin gasped horrified. "I thought you and Annis were no more!"

"We got back together the other day. I wasn't able to tell you because you got lost out here!"

"I was back today though?! And I did NOT get lost!" Jimin hissed, crossing his arms.

"You so were!" Hoseok said sticking out his tongue, irritating the shorter man. "And for the record, I wasn't given a chance to tell you because you dragged me and Taehyung out here!"

"Couldn't you tell me on the way?!"

"Such matters shouldn't be spoken of so casually! It is best spoken of when in a good and calm mood."

"But I am your brother! The only one who has taken such great care of you--" Hobi interrupted, his face tired. "I am older than you."

Several waves rippled in the far distance as Taehyung said, "Enough!" The waves grew stronger for a moment before returning to their calm state. "The two of you are such children! Why are you fighting over such a ridiculous matter?"

"What ridiculous matter? He didn't tell me he got back together with his lover! Understand the betrayal I am feeling!"

As he sighed exasperatedly, he was about to scold some sense into Jimin when he heard what Hoseok had to say. "Jeongguk is a great man."

Taehyung, taken aback by the sudden change of topic, turned to face Hoseok. The black-haired man looked at him, calm and empathetic. "I wasn't confident I could do my duty as a soldier of Sparta or my duty as a husband and father. Thus, I have resisted the idea of marriage since I was a young child." Hoseok then smiled, his eyes sparkling with blushing cheeks. "Unexpectedly, I have come to love. Despite what I promised my young self."

Even though Jimin was still aggravated and angry about not being told, his anger subsided when he saw Hoseok's expression. This is a great joy for him to see his friend found love and marriage, rather than copulation with a stranger. The reddish-blonde pouted though, still sour.

The blue-head stared at the blushing man. He felt bitter. In a relationship filled with uncertainty and separation, how can this human blindly enter? It is unlikely that they will be together, close to each other, and within sight while the war continues. Love brings the parties together, so why enter a relationship that does the opposite?

"Will you.. be satisfied? With what you'll obtain from the limited time you have together..?" Taehyung asked, his voice wary.

"We have plenty of time together. It may not be consistent but we have time." Hoseok smiled.

Jimin glimpsed at Taehyung. The look on his face made his heart drop. This man appeared completely uncertain, confused, and empty. He doesn't know why, but he feels as if he has known the Xenoi for years. Some sort of bond that pulls him into the other.

"Twenty years.." Taehyung said so quietly, the two others missed it.

"Huh?" 

Saying it louder, Taehyung hardened his gaze, frowning. "Twenty years. Although there was plenty of time, I never once saw or heard from him, I expected it but was still disappointed. It was consistent... two decades of consistent nothing." Taehyung spoke harshly, his legs folding against his chest and his arms wrapped around it. "If we have a relationship, it is highly likely it would be the same. What's the point..?"

A staring sorrowful look passed between Hoseok and Jimin as they stared at the blue-head who had been deeply hurt by Jeongguk's long silence. In seeing him like this, they remembered the countless times their youngest had sobbed, woken by nightmares about never seeing Taehyung again.

"My mother told me," Jimin started. "That after giving birth to me, my father had not returned. My brothers had lost all hope and considered him dead. But my mother never stopped waiting.. Every day she told me numerous stories of their love. Even if their time together was short, their love had never ceased. When-- my father-- umm," Tears slid down his cheeks at the memory of the letters given by his father's friend being given to his crying mother. "He didn't-- he didn't make it.. But we found out he had been writing letters for us. In honor of our father, his friend brought most of them back." Jimin smiled at Taehyung who gave him a small piece of cloth, using it to wipe his tears. "It was all about him apologizing for the lack of attention and time, for his absence during our happy moments. He said.. that he loved us with his whole heart and soul. And that we were all he thought about, we were the reason he was fighting for his life, to someday be a whole family."

Taehyung's eyes pooled with tears, while Hoseok was already wiping the waterworks. "As his son, did you not hate him for being absent..?" the blue-head asked, relating to the human.

"At first, yes.. but my mother told me something." Jimin sniffled. "Good things come to those who wait." The reddish-blonde smiled, blowing his nose. "We waited for him. My brothers, although they hated him so much, deep down I knew they were waiting too. And something good did happen. Despite the fact that they were only letters, we felt the sadness and pain our father felt, as well as his love through his writing. Somehow, he came back.. in the form of letters."

"That's so tragic.." Hoseok sobbed, his tears flooding non-stop. Clicking his tongue, Taehyung rubbed his wet cheeks with a cloth, the sight making Jimin giggle and hiccup. "My f-father and mother never loved each other.." Hoseok cried out. "But a-at least they respected each other as individuals. What about you Taehyung?"

"Huh?"

"H-How was your parents like?" Jimin hiccupped, rubbing his nose.

".. I never met my mother. And I don't remember my father.." Taehyung said calmly. His sentence made Hoseok and Jimin freeze, before bursting, sobbing harder. They both hugged Taehyung.

"How u-unfairrr!" Jimin cried, clinging to Taehyung's shoulder. "You basically have n-never met them!" He cried louder, his tears soaking Taehyung's chiton. The hapless Hoseok couldn't even speak clearly, blabbing something out with his sobs, hugging Taehyung like there was no tomorrow.

A sigh escaped Taehyung as he patted both crying humans.

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