"In the darkness where sanity dares not to roam, let us revel our love like a forbidden flower."
Where taehyung is a popular model; a politician's son and jeongguk is just a middle-class university student with a desperate dream to have a better fut...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The dim city light filtered through the large window falling on the two males lying on the couch. It was an hour and a half later, jeongguk stirred awake, feeling the soft pats on his back. He slowly opens his eyes, his head still a little heavy but better than before.
He looks up to find himself securely nestled in Taehyung's embrace. It's the first time he's ever been held like this, a closeness he's never experienced before, not even from his mother.
It was the first time he had ever felt truly safe in someone’s arms. For the first time, being enveloped by a presence that offered him a profound sense of security. Taehyung's embrace not just soothed his tired body but also his inner scars.
He gazes up at taehyung who's resting with his eyes closed, long lashes touching his rosy cheeks. He looks serene, totally opposite of what jeongguk would ever be.
There is an unfamiliar stir in his heart, some complex emotions swelling within him whenever he gazes at taehyung. It feels so right, everything with him feels so right.
Jeongguk doesn't wanna face the outside world, he hates it but when he's with taehyung, he feels everything is alright. He doesn't wanna go anywhere leaving taehyung's embrace. The idea of being anywhere else now seems unbearable.
He never knew that the small crush he once had on taehyung, even when taehyung hadn’t known he existed, would grow into something so intense that the world outside would seem irrelevant.
He shifts closer to taehyung, burying his face in the crook of his neck. The contact causes taehyung to stir, his eyes fluttering open. Feeling a light tickle, taehyung runs a hand through the back of Jeongguk's hair, guiding his face up so their eyes meet.
"Ggukie, you up? Do you feel okay?" Taehyung asks removing the messy locks of jeongguk from his forehead.
Jeongguk just stares at him for a moment. He pulls his head away from taehyung's hand and buries his face firmly against taehyungs chest, rubbing his face against it.
It was after a few seconds, jeongguk became acutely aware of his actions. His face flushes a deep shade of red with embarrassment. He quickly pulls himself out of taehyung’s embrace and moves to the far edge of the couch, sitting there awkwardly.
"I-im sorry, i--"
"D-do you want something to eat?" Taehyung interrupts almost immediately, his cheeks red as he sits properly. He could barely comprehend jeongguk's behavior.
"Yeah I guess, something...to eat, let's go." Jeongguk says, his actions still a little panicked as he got up.
Taehyung held his hand and made him sit on the couch again, "you're hurt, you sit I'll make something."
"No, I'm fine,"
"Jeongguk," Taehyung glares t him as he walks towards the kitchen.
"I'm seriously fine," Jeongguk says and trails behind taehyung to the kitchen, "besides, you don't know how to cook."
Taehyung stops mid-way offended, he turns around to look at jeongguk with narrowed eyes, "I don't know what?"
"You--you said in one of your interviews that you can't cook." He mummers rubbing the back of his neck.
A chuckle leaves taehyung's mouth, "You watch my interviews?"
"Um--no it was just a small clip of---"
"Jeongguk, I may not be a chef, but I can manage a simple meal." Taehyung sassed, holding up the Ramen packets.
Jeongguk leaned against the kitchen counter as he watched taehyung cook for him, "isn't it too spicy?"
"Why? You don't like it spicy? Want me to make another one?"
"I-i mean you—you can't handle spicy food, right?," Jeongguk says, his voice faltering.
"Did you search it too?" Taehyung asks drawing closer to jeongguk who could hardly utter a word when taehyung leans way too close to him.
Taehyung's gaze moved from jeongguk's eyes to his lips. He raised his hand, hesitant thumb brushed over the bursted edge of his lips.
"Who's bad people, jeongguk?" Taehyung asks, waits for Jeongguk to answer. Their eyes met, and the silence stretches between them. Taehyung steps back eventually when jeongguk doesn't answer.
A flash of panic revives in jeongguk's eyes when taehyung backs away. He instinctively reaches for taehyung's arm. Without a word, he enveloped taehyung in a tight hug, and once again he found himself in peace.
The sudden hug caught Taehyung off guard. He lets jeongguk lean in his embrace, pulls him closer, and wraps his arms around jeongguk's shoulders. They were so close that taehyung could actually sense jeongguk's rapid heartbeat. His own heart racing.
"They—he-its my father," Jeongguk finally speaks, his shoulders visibly relaxing. He found it impossible to share this while meeting taehyung's gaze directly, "he sometimes, comes home and-- and asks for money, when I refuse he gets violent." It was not entirely untrue, his father had been violent at times.
Taehyung gently stroked jeongguk's hair, his brows furrowing at jeongguk's casual tone, it seemed odd. The bruises and injuries say otherwise, they don't look like they come from one person.
"You're so brave you know that?" Taehyung continues stroking his hair, "Tell me when you're ready." He whispers and jeongguk breaks the hug to look at him with jutted eyebrows. Did taehyung really sense the lie?
"The next time they try to harm you run up to me." Taehyung says stepping back to check the cooking ramen and a brief silence engulfs them.
"Say something," Jeongguk whispers.
"About what?"
"Anything, just keep talking."
A soft chuckle leaves taehyung's mouth as he turns around, "I've a runway show coming, next week."
"Oh, that sounds interesting," Jeongguk utters, "I mean I don't know how modeling works."
"You wanna come see it?"
"Me? No I don't," Jeongguk answers, "what would I be there for?"
"To cheer me up?"
"There would be enough people—"
"You know what jeongguk, I haven't forgiven you yet," Taehyung folds his hands against his chest, eyes narrowed at jeongguk.
"I'm sorry,"
"And sorry would solve?" Taehyung raises his eyebrow looking at him. "Nothing," Jeongguk muttered.
Taehyung passed a tight-lipped smile, "Correct, so if you wanna earn the forgiveness, you'd do as I say, alright?"
"No, I won't,"
Taehyung gazes at Jeongguk with an offensive look as he carries the Ramen pot towards the couch without uttering any words. A pout forms on his lips as he starts eating without inviting jeongguk.
A small smile threatened to escape from jeongguk's lips as he sat next to him,
