BTS Oneshot ( Book 1 )

Faded Echoes ( VHope )

The sound of rain pattering against the windows filled the room as Taehyung sat in the dim light of his apartment, staring at the empty space across from him. The room was quiet, too quiet, and the stillness weighed heavy on his chest. He looked down at the half-empty cup of coffee in front of him, its warmth long gone. It had been three weeks since Hoseok had left, and the apartment still felt like it belonged to two people, even though it had been just him for a while now.

Taehyung sighed, leaning back against the couch, memories rushing in like an unwelcome flood. He didn’t know how they’d gotten here. One moment, everything between them had felt perfect—late-night talks, inside jokes, the way Hoseok would pull him close in the middle of the night. And then, without warning, it had all unraveled.

His phone buzzed on the table, cutting through his thoughts. He glanced at it and saw Hoseok’s name flash on the screen, his heart skipping a beat. He hadn’t heard from him since that night. The night it all fell apart.

Hesitating, Taehyung stared at the phone, his mind racing. Should he answer? Was this some sort of closure call? Before he could think it through, his fingers acted on their own, swiping the screen.

"Hello?"

There was a pause on the other end, a soft intake of breath. "Hey, Taehyung."

Hoseok’s voice was calm, familiar, yet distant, as if there was a wall between them now. Taehyung’s chest tightened at the sound. "Hoseok," he murmured, unsure of what to say. The awkward silence lingered before he finally spoke again. "Why are you calling?"

"I… I’ve been thinking," Hoseok said, his tone hesitant, uncertain. "I know things ended badly between us, but… I wanted to talk. Maybe try to understand what happened."

Taehyung’s fingers clenched around the phone, his heart heavy. "Understand what? We both know why it ended, Hoseok. You said it yourself, remember? You needed space, you needed time, and I—" He stopped, swallowing hard. "I wasn’t enough."

"That’s not what I meant," Hoseok interrupted softly, his voice laced with regret. "I didn’t say you weren’t enough, Tae. I never meant to hurt you like that."

"Then why did you leave?" Taehyung asked, his voice breaking slightly. "Why did you just walk away like everything between us was nothing?"

There was silence on the other end, and Taehyung could hear the faint sound of rain through the phone, mirroring the weather outside his own window.

"I was scared," Hoseok admitted quietly. "I was scared that we were moving too fast, that I wasn’t ready for everything we were becoming. It felt like things were spiraling, and I panicked."

Taehyung bit his lip, the bitterness of the breakup resurfacing. "So, you decided to walk away instead of talking to me about it? Instead of trying to figure it out together?"

"I didn’t know how to talk to you about it," Hoseok confessed, his voice tinged with guilt. "I thought… maybe if I stepped back, it would give me clarity. But all it did was make me realize how much I miss you. How much I miss us."

Taehyung closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the couch. The pain in Hoseok’s voice was real, but it didn’t erase the hurt that had settled deep within him. "You can’t just come back like nothing happened, Hobi."

"I know," Hoseok replied softly. "And I’m not asking for that. I just wanted you to know how I feel. I’m not expecting you to forgive me, or to take me back. I just… I needed you to know that I didn’t walk away because I didn’t care."

"You left me," Taehyung whispered, his voice barely audible. "You left me when I needed you the most. You said you needed space, but all I wanted was to be with you. I thought we could get through anything if we were together, but you… you didn’t even give us a chance."

"I know," Hoseok repeated, his voice cracking. "I messed up, Tae. I messed up so badly, and I don’t expect you to forget that."

Taehyung felt a lump form in his throat as he listened to the sincerity in Hoseok’s voice. It wasn’t easy to hear, but a part of him knew that Hoseok’s words were coming from a place of truth. But the damage had already been done.

"I don’t know if I can do this again," Taehyung admitted, his voice shaky. "I don’t know if I can go back to how things were."

"I’m not asking you to," Hoseok said gently. "I just… I wanted to talk. Even if that’s all this is."

Taehyung let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. He stood up from the couch and walked to the window, watching the rain drizzle down the glass, mirroring the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"I don’t know what to say, Hoseok."

"You don’t have to say anything," Hoseok replied quietly. "I just wanted you to know that I still care. I still think about you, about us, every day."

Taehyung pressed his forehead against the cool glass, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on him. "It’s not that simple."

"I know," Hoseok said softly. "It never is. But maybe… maybe we can start over. Not as lovers, but… as people who shared something important. Maybe we can just be… friends."

The word "friends" hung in the air between them, and Taehyung felt his heart twist at the thought. Could they really be friends after everything that had happened? After the love, the heartbreak?

"I don’t know if I can be your friend, Hobi," Taehyung whispered, his voice raw. "Not after everything."

Hoseok didn’t respond right away, the silence stretching between them like a chasm. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, resigned. "I understand. I won’t push you."

Taehyung wiped at his eyes, feeling the weight of the conversation settling deep within him. "I just need time."

"I can give you that," Hoseok said quietly. "Take all the time you need."

Taehyung nodded, even though Hoseok couldn’t see him. "Okay."

There was another pause, this one less heavy, as if both of them were trying to find some semblance of peace in the midst of everything.

"Take care of yourself, Tae," Hoseok said, his voice gentle. "I’ll be here if you ever want to talk."

Taehyung’s chest ached, but he managed a small, bittersweet smile. "You too, Hobi."

The call ended, leaving Taehyung standing by the window, the rain still falling steadily outside. He leaned his head against the glass, letting the coolness soothe the ache in his heart.

Maybe one day, things would make sense again. Maybe one day, they could both heal. But for now, they were two people trying to navigate the broken pieces of what they once had, uncertain of where the future would take them.

But even through the pain, there was a small part of Taehyung that held onto hope. Because even though their love had faded into echoes of the past, it wasn’t entirely gone. It was just waiting, somewhere in the silence, for the right moment to resurface.

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TBC