the secret of kemet. taekook (complete)

⁶². every one of us is keeping a secret, whats yours?

Jungkook was patient, but he wasn’t blind. 

He saw the way Taehyung’s lips trembled after their tense exchange, the way his fingers twitched at his sides as if waging a silent war.

He watched, carefully, as Taehyung struggled to hold his ground, to push him away even when everything in his body screamed that he didn’t want to. 

So Jungkook softened. 

Without a word, he stepped closer, his fingers ghosting over Taehyung’s arm before sliding up to cup his jaw, firm but gentle.

His thumb brushed against his cheek, warmth seeping into Taehyung’s skin. 

"Don’t do this," Jungkook murmured. His voice was low, steady, and laced with something raw. 

Taehyung’s breath hitched. 

"Don’t put walls between us."

It was that, that made Taehyung’s resolve waver for a moment.

Jungkook was manly, strong, unwavering in every sense, but with him, he was also tender.

Always. His touch, his words, his presence, it was enough to make Taehyung feel safe, but tonight, safety wasn’t what he wanted. 

It was what he needed to destroy. 

So even as Jungkook tilted his chin up, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his lips, Taehyung forced himself to pull away. 

Jungkook’s brows furrowed. 

Taehyung’s chest ached. 

He turned swiftly, walking into the bathroom without looking back, gripping the doorknob harder than necessary before shutting it between them. 

Jungkook exhaled sharply. 

"Taehyung." His voice was firm, unwavering, but Taehyung didn’t answer. He just leaned against the cold bathroom wall, hands trembling as they came up to cover his face. 

He hated this. 

Hated everything. 

Hated fate for throwing Jungkook into a war he had no part in. 

A war that Taehyung refused to let touch him. 

Outside, Jungkook pressed a hand against the door, his fingers splayed as if trying to reach him through the solid wood.

His jaw clenched, frustration simmering under his skin, but he forced himself to exhale, to push it down. 

"I know you’re hurting," he murmured, resting his forehead against the door. "And I know you think you have to deal with this alone. But you don’t."

Silence. 

"You have me."

Still, nothing. 

Then, softly, faintly, he heard it. 

A quiet, broken sob from the other side. 

Jungkook’s heart clenched. 

He could hear the pain. 

He didn’t want to push, not when Taehyung was this fragile. Not when forcing him would only make him retreat further.

So instead, he let out a slow breath, grounding himself, and stepped back. 

"I’ll wait." His voice was quieter now, but just as firm. "If that’s what you want. I won’t force you. But I’ll be right here." 

And then, he sat. Right outside the door.