VHope: The OneShot Collection

Vhope: Meet you, never.

[Sequel to "His Shoes". I suggest you read it before you read this]

[Unedited]

Taehyung, from his peripheral vision, can see Jungkook's anxiety take the best of him. His right leg is continuously tapping, he's constantly biting his lower lip, the hand on his pant is clenching and unclenching. He can't bring himself to look away from Taehyung for even ten seconds.

Taehyung, on the other hand, is strangely calm. He's seated on the middle two seater table in the café, while Jungkook is seated next to the window, a few tables away from his left. All through the hustle and bustle of the popular café, he can only see Jungkook's nervousness and the café door, as if in a tunnel vision.

He can also see two shadows pop in from the door, laughing as they hold hands and look around to find a table, in an empty café, the same one he is in right now, but from a different time, a different dimension. One has black hair, the other has ginger, and they look like they're having the best time of their lives.

Taehyung has blonde hair.

It doesn't hurt, as much as he felt it would.

He sighs, and calls out the waitress next to him. "Could you please hand that gentleman," he points to Jungkook, who's eyes are the size of saucer plates, "A herbal tea, or something calming? Put the tab on this table,"

The waitress immediately nods her head, and notes the order. Taehyung looks at Jungkook with rolling eyes, and gives him a thumbs up to show he's OK.

I can handle it. It's been three years.

Again, through the hustle and bustle of the cafe, he can hear the door open with a chime. Except it's not two shadows from a time that doesn't exist any longer, its a time from the present that shouldn't have happened.

Hoseok looks like he's aged a bit. Perhaps matured is a better term. There's no happy vibes on his face or around him, like there used to be three years ago. He doesn't look like he has the energy to go to the moon and back, like three years ago. He doesn't look like the epitome of passion and optimism, like three years ago.

Instead, a calming aura surrounds him. Like that of a prisoner, who's spent his time in jail remembering, reflecting, understanding and apologising. His steps are careful and measured, as opposed to his former careless and jumpy. A few grey hair decorate the top of his forehead, and Taehyung consoles himself its just hairdye.

Hoseok looks around as he reaches the middle of the café, and spots him to his immediate right. For a moment, Taehyung can't breath as their eyes meet- the same electrifying feeling, the same connect was there, just like three years ago.

Except now Taehyung didn't feel the urge to hold his hand, ask him about his day, carcass and cuddle him to sleep, and whisper sweet nothings to make him smile, like he used to. He feels numb, as numb could get.

Hoseok's smiles have changed. His dull eyes light up on seeing him. "Taehyung,"

"Hoseok," its been some time since he's tasted this word on his lips, although they didn't go anywhere from his mind. He gestures Hoseok the seat opposite to him, and shifts back his long legs, and tucks them under his table.

From the corner of his eyes, he again sees Jungkook. The boy looks halfway in between murderous and hopeless. There's a cup in front of him, and its steam can be seen in the air.

It's as untouched as Taehyung's feelings for Hoseok, until now.

"How have you been doing?," a soft voice, who's vocals he can relate to in a thousand memories stored in his mind, but the decibels of which reminded him, the memories were foregone long back.