in time | taekook

Hard Time

The sun was setting behind the trees in front of Jungkook's apartment, he looked out the window and noticed the cat on the wall he feeds sometimes. The cat was sleeping, probably waiting for another meal from Jungkook.

Jungkook stepped out onto his balcony with a bowl of food for the cat, set it on the wall and watched as the cat got up to eat. He looked out onto his neighbors balcony which also has a bowl of food that hasn't been eaten yet. His phone went off, it was Taehyung, wanting to know if he's free for drinks in 10. Taehyung was acting as if the argument they had the other day didn't happen and that they both can just forget it, but that wasn't how Jungkook was. He couldn't stop noticing the small things that have changed, because to him they were big and visible, something he couldn't ignore and could further cause a problem. But Taehyung couldn't avoid that forever, so Jungkook replied with a yes.

As Jungkook got ready, he made sure to bring in the empty bowl from the balcony in, he got his jacket and left his apartment.

He noticed Taehyung was already at a table waiting for him, which is a change seeing as he's always the late one.

"Am I late?" Jungkook asked him, as he sat down at the table.

"No, you're early, I knew you would come so I was already here when I sent the text." Taehyung answered him, but that made Jungkook even more confused.

"What? You knew I'd come? How?" Jungkook's face looked puzzled and he wasn't sure if more answers from Taehyung would help.

"If there's one thing I've learnt about you in this time, it's that you never go not talking to someone for at least 3 days and after that you have to talk to them." Taehyung told him.

Jungkook nodded, he couldn't exactly disagree as that is how he's always been. He signaled to order some beer while they carried on speaking.

"In the time we didn't speak, I've done a lot of thinking and I've come to an understanding with myself and the things that I've done leading up to now and why we're the way we are. I'm not good at speaking to another and expressing how I feel and how you make me feel, I know it's been a short time and we're not that close yet, we don't know the things about each other that couples would usually know by now, we're taking it slow ... or we were. Now we're.." Taehyung had seemed to be more mature than when they last spoke, Jungkook listened to what he had to say to him, every word he listened. When it was Jungkook's turn to speak, he swallowed nervously, afraid he didn't have the right words for the right moment.

"We're ... not in the same place, we're feeling different things ... I don't think we should continue this. I've become unaware of the things it takes to have a mature relationship and I just wasn't ready." Jungkook said, as Taehyung looked up at him with the saddest look Jungkook has seen on him. The light above them flickered and time around them seemed to have come to a stop, the sound of the clock ticking suddenly turned off, Taehyung struggling to stand on his own two feet got up from his seat and put his hand softly on the table, fighting off tears and trying to stay without emotion. But Jungkook could see right through his act.

"I'm ... sorry ... for the way I am." Taehyung managed to put the sentence together, before he staggered off slowly out of the small bar. Jungkook was left at the table, time resumed and it looked like nothing had happened. The waitress came over with 2 beers, Jungkook took his off the plate and just looked at the other.

"You don't need this now?" She pointed to Taehyung's beer, but Jungkook didn't think before speaking.

"I'll take it." He answered. She put the beer opposite to him and his beer. By the time the waitress had cleaned up the table behind him he had already finished one, before grabbing the other one Jungkook's phone went off, it was Taehyung. He looked at the message and read aloud.

"'I .. am sorry.' Pff. You're just sorry you weren't the one to end things." He grabbed the other beer and laughed at his phone before slamming it down to drink.

After 3 more beers, Jungkook couldn't see straight and certainly wasn't able to walk home by himself. The waitress came over to help him and get the money for the beers.

"Sir, you haven't payed." She said kindly, helping him to his feet.

"Go ask Taehyung .. Oh wait .. Haha, you can't, because he's gone and it's my fault!" Jungkook said with an angry tone, knocking over a chair in his path. She let him go, although he didn't go far.

Jungkook stumbled over to the bench that was next to the cafe, mumbling to himself before he passed out.

A few hours later the waitress was finishing her shift when she noticed Jungkook still outside asleep. She took his phone and dialed the first contact on there and told them to come to her location.

20 minutes later, the person she dialed arrived, to no surprise it was Taehyung. He tugged on Jungkook's jacket to try and wake him up, Jungkook swung his arm in his face and hit Taehyung in the way. He opened his eyes to Taehyung standing there.

"Ohh! Look who came to save the day and be the superhero of the story." Jungkook mumbled, still drunk.

"I'm here to help you." Taehyung offered his arm for Jungkook to help himself up.

"That's what Spiderman said." Jungkook laughed as he hit Taehyung's arm away.

"Why are you being so hostile, do you not remember what happened earlier? YOU broke up with me, why are you so mad about it?" Taehyung tried to keep his cool and not give into anger against Jungkook.

"Because ... I like you very much." Jungkook said looking down, with his head half hanging off the bench and avoiding eye contact.

"Then why didn't you want to make it work?" Taehyung asked him, listening to his heavy breathing.

"I'm not ready to tell you, not now, I want to go home." Jungkook looked at Taehyung with a serious face, so he helped Jungkook get up from the bench and walked him home.

When they got home, Taehyung made sure Jungkook was settled in his bed, Taehyung moved him further on the bed and pulled the blanket up to his neck, he went out to fill a glass of water for him so he could hydrate himself when he woke up. As Taehyung was about to leave the room Jungkook pulled him closer.

"Thank you." Jungkook whispered softly to him, Taehyung smiled while looking at him fall asleep.

While Jungkook was sleeping, Taehyung made a space on the sofa for him to nap and look after Jungkook when he wakes up.