Writing About Love

Stability

   Taehyung liked Jin. He didn't know how the man had escaped his notice until the stand-off with Jimin but he was determined to make up for lost time. Jin was like a mother hen always worrying after him and his reckless endeavors like climbing the trees in the courtyard of his apartment complex. It surprised him when Jin had agreed to hang out with him once his shift ended but he wouldn't complain at all.
"So why do you work so much? If you can afford this why not work a little less and just get a smaller place?" The place Jin lived was a lot bigger than his and Jimin's place but it felt more homey.
"I take care of someone and they live here with me sometimes. I want him to have the best I can afford and so I work hard." Jin said it in the most offhand way as if anyone would give up all of their free time for someone who wasn't even around all the time.
"Who's this special someone? You said 'him' so maybe a brother who got sick and he stays here during treatments? A lover you never got ahold of but still hold a flame for that's in an abusive relationship? Maybe an older family member that's involved with the mafia and he refuses to hide-out in a place lower than his standards." Taehyung heard Jin laugh from the kitchen as he plopped down on the couch and moved to turn upside down. He was extremely curious as to what the rest of the place looked like but he also had to remember that Jin and he weren't very close yet and rooting through his stuff would probably ruin any chances to get closer.
"He's actually just a student who I've known for a long time. When I went to school I picked up the job at the store and he would come in every day to talk. Sometimes he'd have a few marks on him and I'd take care of him but one day it was really bad and he needed to go to the hospital. He refused and so we ended up here."
"What were the marks from? What kind of marks? That's so vague but also so expected. You know, tortured art student running from his disapproving parents into your arms would've been my fourth guess." Taehyung righted himself when Jin's face came into view from around the corner looking shocked.
"How did you know he was an art student?"
"Oh my god, Jin," He couldn't stop laughing, "It was a joke. I can't believe you're harboring some art student in your house." The rest of Jin came into view and he was blushing but he still sat the tray of finger foods down on the table and pushed it towards Tae as he glared.
"Jungkook isn't just some art student I picked up from the streets. Do you know how insensitive you are?"
"I'm often told. It's not that I'm insensitive though. At least, I don't think so."
"What would you call it then?"
"I call it freedom. If you refuse the social norms and just do as you want then you can be free. You want to sacrifice all your free time for some charity case and I want to say what I'm thinking without everyone jumping all over me for being insensitive. Do you really think that I'd be best friends with Jimin, who you're great Min Yoongi loves," at that word he put air quotes up to emphasize what he really thought of Yoongi being capable of loving something, "if I was just a git who hates everything? I just want to have fun. I know when to stop though. Notice I haven't insulted this precious kid of yours. I've just said what he is and you took offense to it."
Jin sat back against the couch and sipped at his drink for a moment. Taehyung hated trying to explain himself to others. He thought Jin was on his way to being almost as fun to hang out with as Jimin but if he really needed things spelled out for him then maybe he should reconsider friendship with him. Taehyung had the kind of personality you had to understand that you wouldn't understand. He wouldn't stop for any explanations and if you couldn't keep up and were always questioning him, he had no issues leaving you where you left off.
"I get it. I can get that, I suppose." And with that Jin turned on the TV and they sat in silence, perfectly content.
After a while, Taehyung had to use the restroom and he used that opportunity to snoop. Everything was so immaculate without looking unused. There were still signs of life everywhere and the photos in the hallway were just one example. The frame closest to him was of Jin and Yoongi with the roommate whose name Tae could never remember draped across their laps and making a cute face. Or a face that could be considered cute if anyone besides Taehyung were assessing it. The next was of Jin and the roommate alone and it looked like a couple photo if anything. They were looking into each others eyes and Jin had a pair of chopsticks poised at his lips as though he were considering what was before him a masterpiece. Across the hall there was one a dark brunette boy with both of his hands around Jin's neck while he was seated on his back. He looked rather young so Taehyung figured it was either a younger brother or this mysterious art student who captured Jin's attention.
"If you wanted a tour you could have asked." Taehyung, to his credit, didn't even jump but he did have the decency to look down at his shoes and feel a bit guilty.
"I was just admiring the beauty in the photographs." He tried to flirt but Jin laughed at him and walked up to the next picture.
"Sorry, but you're too much of a wild card for me. I like stability."
"We can make sleeping together a scheduled thing if you really want stability." He was rewarded with another laugh and he decided then he wanted to hear it more. If he was being honest, he didn't want to sleep with the man in front of him. He wouldn't object to it but most of his goading came from habit more than anything. Jimin considered him a casanova but he wasn't too experienced in things like love or even taking someone home. Flirting was just his way of communicating and it seemed Jin understood because he didn't get offended or question it like he had earlier. Instead he talked about the rest of the pictures.
"That one you're in front of is Jungkook. So is that last one down the hallway. This one is my older brother and my parents," he was gesturing around him and looking content and Taehyung's desire to look at the pictures grew less and less until he was just watching Jin, "That last one is one of Jungkook's art pieces. Actually, many of the decorations here come from him. He hasn't decided on any medium he prefers so he works with as many as possible. I also have a few of Yoongi's photos and the music piece under the TV was something Namjoon wrote for me a long time ago before he married his music and let his boyfriend move in with him."
"You and boyfriend don't get along?" Jin studied his nail beds before making eye contact with him.
"You could say that."
"He doesn't treat Namjoon right. He needs something more stable."
"And you're the queen of stability, right? I get it, the boyfriend doesn't get along with you is more accurate than." Taehyung wrapped an arm around Jin's shoulders and turned him to face further down the hallway. "Show me the rest of the castle then, my queen."
Jin was eager to brush off that topic and he guided Taehyung around the rest of the place before they resettled in the kitchen. It really wasn't as grand as Taehyung made it out to be but Jin could tell the boy wasn't used to much. When Jin brought in the dishes he had used to prepare everything for earlier, Taehyung helped out without putting up a fuss even when Jin insisted he sit down as the guest but the words seemed to roll through one ear and out the other.
He decided that Taehyung wasn't so bad when you really thought about it. Or maybe when you didn't think about it at all and instead just went with what felt right. They ended the night after a few hours of horror movies that left Jin disgusted and Taehyung in tears of mirth but both were content. Jin closed the door behind Taehyung and they both were thinking of a next time. Suddenly, his shift at the store tomorrow didn't seem so bad.