Invisible Affection | Taejin

19. Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts

"Here, have one."

Taehyung turned his gaze away from the door, where he had been intently watching, hoping for any sign of Seokjin's return. He felt a mix of worry and anticipation.

Jungkook stood nearby, holding out a cold beer with a friendly smile. Taehyung returned the smile politely and replied, "No, thank you, I'm fine." His voice was warm but distant, as his mind was still preoccupied.

As soon as he declined the drink, his eyes shot back to the door, his heart racing slightly. After they had returned from the room to join the others,  Hoseok and Jimin had taken Jin away, and since then, Taehyung found himself in a restless state.

The familiar chatter between Jungkook and his brother faded into the background, their words becoming a mere hum while his thoughts remained consumed by the uncertainty of Jin's absence.

Soon, the sharp sound of a chair scraping against the floor momentarily pulled Taehyung's attention away from his thoughts. He glanced briefly at his brother, who was dragging his chair closer, the noise creating an irritating echo. Without acknowledging him, he flicked his gaze towards the door, hoping to glimpse Jin returning, impatience gnawing at him.

"He's with his best friends; he's fine. Have a beer and relax your mind. You'll look less desperate," Jungkook offered, pushing an open beer into Taehyung's hand.

Taehyung sighed tiredly and took the cold beer handed to him. He usually didn't drink, but tonight felt different. A heavy feeling had been weighing on him, and he thought it might help to ease his mood.

As he raised the bottle, the faint sound of Jungkook's chuckle echoed in the background, mixing with his brother's voice, contrasting with his thoughts. He took a sip, tasting the bitterness, and wondered if this would really help him feel better or just distract him for a moment. Holding the bottle tightly, he looked at the amber liquid, contemplating whether it was worth it for him to be overthinking things the way he was.

However, seeing Jin in such a vulnerable state deeply troubled him. He was not used to it, and it made him more concerned that something was wrong than Jin was willing to share with him.

He sat quietly, thinking about what Jin might be going through. He hoped Jimin and Hoseok would support him, knowing the struggles of keeping feelings inside. He remembered his own struggles and how suffocating they often felt. While he had learned to cope, he worried about someone he cared for feeling that way alone.

As these thoughts continued to fill his mind, he tilted the beer bottle to his lips and drank it all in one go.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Jungkook cheered as he saw Taehyung finish the beer. Namjoon looked up from his drink to ask his brother, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good, thanks! Can I get another beer?" Taehyung asked with a smile, gesturing toward the cold bottle on the table near Jungkook.

Jungkook wasted no time in uncapping another bottle. He passed it to Taehyung, who accepted it with a small smile. Namjoon leaned back in his seat, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He watched his younger brother with a mixture of concern and understanding. He knew Taehyung didn't usually drink, but these days had been particularly tough.

The weight of their mother's passing rested heavily on him, a grief that words could hardly capture. Namjoon remembered his own times of quiet struggle. He had also looked for comfort in distractions that made him feel numb. He knew this was one of those times for Taehyung when the pain felt too great to express, and in that shared understanding, he felt empathy and helplessness.

While Namjoon had become lost in thought, Taehyung had finished a second beer and was starting on a third, listening to Jungkook talk.

"You can't just dive headfirst into your feelings for Jin," Jungkook warned, his gaze fixed intently on Taehyung. He took a sip of his beer, the amber liquid swirling in the bottle before he continued. "I'm not saying you shouldn't like him, far from it, but you really need to be careful. Trust me, it'll have you downing more beers than you'd like to admit."