pastel [3]

ten

Taehyung's point of view

It seemed I couldn't go anywhere anymore.

The cafe was on my list of places to go, mind stuck on the image of that decadent chocolatey drink that Jungkook had ordered. Though I had never been able to try it, so this time would be my chance. The shop was busier than I remembered, packed full of people dressed in boring greys and browns. The interior was pretty plain too, it looked a little run down after over ten years of business. Whilst I stood in the line waiting for a seat it was clear that my choice of coloured clothing was bringing some attention. Heads turned in my peripheral, eyes following my self-conscious movements. But I had always been different, what reason did I have to change that now?

The shoes on my feet felt heavy, weighted to the floor like a ball and chain. They made my feet feel too enclosed and hot. But apparently it was considered unhygienic to not wear shoes in public.

"Hey! Pastel boy!" I raised my gaze from the ground, hearing the characters loud and booming voice.

He's talking to me right?

I slowly swivelled myself around until I spotted the two people at the table staring straight at me, raising an eyebrow at the face of the person calling my name.

Why is he so familiar?

As I stared back in slow calibration of my memory the man's face drained of all colour, the person beside him having a similar expression. I tilted my head slightly, approaching their table.

"Yes?"

"I... Uhh... You... You're..." I noticed the mans police uniform, pristine and tailored to fit him perfectly. Following that observation came a sickening realisation of why he was so familiar.

"Oh god..." I managed to utter before stepping away from their table. I glanced towards the door, seeing my path was clear, then sprinted to it. Flinging the door open and running down the street.

Please don't follow me.

Just to my luck... They did.

"Hey! Wait!" The two called, they were surprisingly close consider my head start. Even as I pushed to run quicker, shoving through people in my way, they stayed close behind.

Of course, he's a cop.

I rounded a corner, running into the closest shop and hiding in the aisles. Though having such hued clothes made it difficult to stay hidden. I heard the door open and two heavily breathing males entered the small building. I hid behind a tray of flowers, flashing a smile towards a young girl who was watching me curiously. She giggled, walking up and picking up my hat. Plopping it on her head.

"You can have it if you like." I said sweetly, believing it suited her well. She gave me a look of gratitude, her eyes sparkling as she adjusted the hat as it fell over her eyes.

"Thank you sir." I didn't expect her to, but she leaned forward, pecking my cheek. Then ran away giggling happily. I smiled, watching her return to her mother and show off her new accessory. Her mother looked around for where her daughter had got the hat, but gave up. Dragging her away.

The interaction made my heart soar, the feeling of a sweet act of kindness that settled deep within my soul, bringing a moment of peace that brought me closer to feeling whole again. To be acknowledged by someone, not in disgust or fear, but in interest and curiosity. It was a thrill that had me grinning stupidly in the corner of the shop, eyes unfocused to haze into the colour around me.

This didn't last long when I remembered why I was hiding in the shop to begin with, failing to notice where the two chasing me had gone. A part of me hoped they'd left the store and given up, another part hoped they'd find me and take me to Jungkook. It was a dumb idea, but one I got caught up in.

So caught up in it that before I could refocus a tight fist yanked at the front of my shirt, tugging me up to the height of the uniformed man so that he could give a thorough inspection of my face. With his eyes squinted he pulled me closer, a grunt escaping when his fingers rubbed against the sores around my throat.

"Why did you run away from me? Does my uniform scare you?" The man growled when he noticed the way my eyes raked over every inch of him. Though it was a very different reason, instead hoping to remember more about this stranger I once knew, now unable to recall a name. In uncertainty I simply shrugged, fixing a glare on him until eventually he let go of my collar.

"I didn't do anything wrong and you were chasing after me, sounds like your powers getting to your head." The other man behind the police officer snorted at my reply, earning a glare from the taller as he stepped back and began to looked me up and down. It was with a uncomfortable awareness of those eyes that I began to readjust my shirt to cover the bandage wrapped to cover my neck.  He opened his mouth for a second of silence, before adding in a desperate concern for what this interaction meant.

"What's your name?" It was clear he knew who I was, those eyes pierced into me ready to tear me apart for what he had witnessed on Jungkook's body at my hands. I didn't want to think about the scars that would still be visible if I ever saw him again. A rushing guilt that had my confident reply wavering to one more of concern.

"Tell me yours first."

"Namjoon." He replied simply, I turned to the other and waited patiently for him to do the same.

"Seokjin."

Ah, he was the eldest right?

"Now tell me yours." Namjoon pushed back firmly, stepping closer to inspect my features. It was hard to hide the way my lip twitched with how close he was. Jaw clenched under an apprehensive decision. This was a crossroads, a time to decide whether I give in to the need to see Jungkook, to potentially tear apart his world just to leave our future to chance. Or I could run away. Lie and hide from the place that had been written at the top of my list: Jungkook's embrace. If Daehyun wasn't still pissed at me he would have screamed at how stupidly cheesy it was.

"Why do I have to?" I shuddered out with that tremble reflected in each word. This was it, this was the way forward that meant I could get a real answer on whether my future included the raven haired police man or not.

"Because it's polite." I kicked at the fake flowers that had fallen to the floor in my carelessness to hide. Now or never. So I moved my gaze to fix on Namjoon's unwavering own.

"My name is Kim Taehyung. And yes, I am alive."

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