him | taekook

chapter 8

SEVEN YEARS AGO:

It was after the party. Taehyung was young and stupid. He had thought things were different....after that first kiss that blew his mind away and drew a permanent grin upon his face, he'd thought...he'd thought he was at least more special than a simple make-out session against a tree on a dumb party. Afterwards when Jimin had run his way and told him they should go since their mom would be back home sooner than expected, Jungkook had kissed his cheek so tenderly, with promise in his eyes and Taehyung...he'd been so damn lost. But when he saw Jungkook kissing Irene against the lockers in the middle of the hallway, just a few days later...he realized how naive and stupid he'd been. Of course Jungkook wouldn't like him that way, not him. What was special about him? What was there to like?

Jimin was there, right next to him, holding onto the strips of his backpack and biting on his lip with a pitiful expression on his eyes. "Tae..." the soft sound of his best friend's voice wasn't as comforting as it used to be. It didn't take away the breaking of his heart as he saw the way Jungkook smiled at Irene (wrinkly eyes, bunny teeth, exposed full cheekbones)...the way he'd thought was only for him.

"Don't, it's okay," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat without looking away from the happy couple.

It wasn't okay.

PRESENT DAY:

Taehyung is knocking on Jimin's door, his heart beating with fear. He wonders what he's going to say because he knows his best friend and he knows it won't be easy; nothing like this ever is. He wishes he could go back time, prevent all this from happening at all...but life is not something you can simply twist and mold however you'd like.

It takes ten seconds for the door to open, Yugyeom staring at Taehyung with curiosity. His hair is dyed a deep blue that reminds Tae of the ocean at night. He stares at it for a few seconds before the younger bluntly says, "Jimin is sleeping."

"I know. I need to talk to him."

"Is this about what I told you the other day?" Yugyeom inquiries with his eyebrows raised in wonder, a hand supporting his body against the door in a lazy, tired way. He can see his body tense when he hears his reply.

"Yeah."

"Wake him up then, I'll leave you two alone," there's a nod with his words that seems too much like an approval, not that Taehyung needed one.

"Thanks," he waves though the other has already turned away.

When he walks inside the room he finds Jimin pressing his rosy cheek against a fluffy pillow, a blanket thrown over his body carefully, as if he didn't put it there himself. His hair in disarray, his eyes puffy and he's wearing yesterday's clothes. Tae closes the door softly behind him and sits next to his best friend on the bed, running his fingers through the older's silky blond hair with a sigh.

Jimin scrunches up his nose at the sudden contact but continues sleeping. Taehyung considers leaving him there to sleep it off since it doesn't seem like a great idea to wake him up to have the conversation they've needed to have days ago, but he also doesn't want to postpone it any longer. His eyes tear up when he sees the way the sweater he's owned for so long seems to hang loose on his small frame now. He's so skinny...

Taehyung throws his arms around his best friend, hugging him to his chest, scared to lose him. He's reminded of back in high school when he was forced to tell Jimin's parents about his son refusing to eat...of having to talk to those people who were to blame for everything gone wrong in Jimin's life, who didn't love him nearly as much as he deserved. He still can't shake the betrayal in his eyes nor forget the horrible words his friend yelled at him. He knows he didn't mean any of them but the idea of going through all of that again, sends a pang to his chest.