ultraviolet

seventeen

IS IT HIM, OR ME?

~

"I KNOW, (FIRST NAME)," Taehyung murmured fervently–his mellifluous voice reverberating through my ears. The corners of his lips tenderly curved upward, and his admirable gaze shifted back down to his hands. He sighed, scratching his fallen head.

"The only thing is..."

Taehyung's words trailed off into the distance, leaving me at an unpatient loss. He gnawed on his plump, rosy lips anxiously and picked at his almost too long fingernails; I grew quite apprehensive. I sheepishly reached out to him, taking both of his hands in mine. I opened my mouth slightly as to say something, but quickly shut it as I took sight of Taehyung's piercing glare–his terra-cotta eyes gleaming beneath the dim, incandescent glow of the room.

"I overheard that Jungkook told you that he was in love with you, " he said in a timid, hushed voice.

My eyes widened. "Y-You heard that..?" I asked. I was completely and utterly perplexed. Was Taehyung eavesdropping from outside the guest room? Maybe that's why he had looked so sorrowful as I walked in...

"Yeah, I heard it all.."

I begin to feel foolish and embarrassed as I replay the confession scene in my mind. Surely I'm overreacting to something that's imaginary. Okay, so Jungkook's very attractive, confident, commanding, at ease with himself—but on the flip side, he's arrogant, and for all his impeccable manners, he's autocratic and cold. Well, on the surface. An involuntary shiver runs down my spine. He may be arrogant, but then he has a right to be—he's accomplished so much at such a young age. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, but why should he?

"Jungkook would be a better choice, wouldn't he?" suggested Taehyung, half-smiling.

I felt my heart sink into an abyss that is the pit of my stomach, and my eyebrows knitted into a frown. Is he rejecting me..? I dropped my chin to confront the hardwood floor due to my inability to endure another dreadful second of staring into his eyes. Tears built up behind the dams within my eyes, and a hitched breath escaped from my lips. As every heartbreaking moment passes us by, I couldn't even handle just sitting right here in front of Taehyung.

"Are you okay?" he whispers. He snakes one arm around my shoulders, clasping me to him, while the fingers of his other hand softly trace my face, gently probing, examining me. His thumb brushes my lower lip, and his breath hitches. He's staring into my eyes, and I hold his anxious, burning gaze for a moment, or maybe it's forever...but eventually, my attention is drawn to his beautiful mouth. And for the first time in sixteen years, I want to be kissed. I want to feel his mouth on mine.

Kiss me, damn it! I implore him, but I can't move. I'm paralyzed with a strange, unfamiliar need, completely captivated by him. I'm staring at Kim Taehyung's mouth, mesmerized, and he's looking down at me, his gaze hooded, his eyes darkening. He's breathing harder than usual, and I've stopped breathing altogether. I'm in your arms. Kiss me, please. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and gives me a small shake of his head as if in answer to my silent question. When he opens his eyes again, it's with some new purpose, a steely resolve.

"우리 사랑하지말아요 (Let's not fall in love)," he whispers. What? Where is this coming from? Surely I should be the judge of that. I frown, and my head swims with rejection.

"W-Why..?" I murmur–a tear streaming down my flushed face.

"(First Name), I'm in love with you as well. Although, I would really suggest you thinking this over."

"Think what over?"

"Will it be me, or Jungkook?"

~

MORNING ARRIVES, AND I am daunted by my kitchen. It's so sleek and modern, and none of the cupboards has handles. It takes me a few seconds to deduce that I have to push the cupboard doors to open them. Perhaps I should cook the boys breakfast. I check in the fridge, where there are plenty of eggs, and decide I want pancakes and bacon. I set about making some batter, dancing my way around the kitchen.

I put the bacon under the grill, and while it's cooking, I whisk some eggs. I turn, and Taehyung is sitting on one of the barstools at the breakfast bar, leaning on it, his face supported by his steepled hands. He's still wearing the shirt he slept in. Messy bedhead really, really suits him, as does his half-buttoned white shirt; his sleeves rolled up just above his elbows. He looks both amused and bewildered. I freeze, flush, then gather myself–my knees weak at the sight of him.

"Good morning, (First Name) noona," he smiles, taking a seat at the dining table.

"Morning, oppa," I said, returning the gesture. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I'm starving."

"Well, I'm making pancakes, eggs, and bacon."

"Sounds good! Wow, I've got quite the entertainment as well."

I purse my lips. Entertaining, eh? My subconscious has doubled over in laughter at me. I turn and continue to whisk the eggs, probably beating them a little harder than necessary. In a moment, he's beside me. He gently pulls my pigtail.

"That's cute," Taehyung comments.

I turn back to the task at hand, trying to hide my smile. He's hard to stay mad at. Especially when he's being so uncharacteristically playful. He opens a drawer and takes out two slate black placemats for the breakfast bar. I pour the egg mix into a pan, pull out the bacon, turn it over, and put it back under the grill. When I turn back around, there is orange juice on the table, and he's making coffee.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

I find a couple of plates and place them in the warming tray of the range. Taehyung reaches into a cupboard and pulls out some Twinings English Breakfast tea. I purse my lips.

"Oppa?" I called for his attention.

"Yes?"

"About what you said last night-"

"Noona, good morning!" Jungkook grins as he walks into the room.

Holy shit. They've come into contact with eachother. Once again, the air crescendoes into a clouded, dense atmosphere, and it's not because I burnt the eggs. In years to come, I know I'll need intensive therapy to not feel this distressed every time I recall the moment.

- - - - - -

A/N: Dang.

This chapter though. 😭

I had a hard time controlling my feels with this one...

And I'm guessing you will too. 😏

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Please save it to your library, add it to your reading list, comment, vote, and share with your friends! 💙

I love you and have an amazing day!

~ Kanzaki-chan ☆～（ゝ。∂）