Knowing - jikook au

Epilogue.

Stick around at the end for the author's note, I'm gonna be saying stuff that you might want to see. Or maybe not lmao.

~

Epilogue. Taehyung figured that if his relationship with Namjoon was a story, then this would be the epilogue. After all the days spent exploring the world together, and nights spent exploring each other. After all the laughs shared, and tears shed. After all the gentle 'I love you's, and the subtle 'don't leave me's. Taehyung and Namjoon had finally reached their end.

Taehyung fiddled nervously with his fingers, Namjoon stirring a spoon through his thoroughly-stirred coffee, both not knowing how to start the conversation that seemed so out of the question only a year ago, when they had Jungkook living on their sofa and the mission of finding Park Jimin to fulfill. It almost seemed unfair how drastically life could change in a year, especially as Taehyung cast his eyes around their - Namjoon's - apartment and could barely tell that time had moved at all. Taehyung had taken the important things when he'd left; Yeontan, most of his clothes, his sentimental items, but there were still many of Taehyung's belongings there, many of the ornaments or paintings he'd bought to liven the place up, his old toothbrush still dry in the holder, his hand cream shoved to the bottom of the bedside drawer. Evidence of Taehyung still lingered in the souvenirs from their holidays together, the dent in the coffee table after a particularly rough video game match, a dip in the sofa where Taehyung used to sit, and physical memories from dates or important chapters in their relationship together. Looking at it all now, it was almost surreal to think that they'd reached the end. The epilogue. It was almost surreal for Taehyung to think that he was ready to shut the cover, and say goodbye. But he was. He had been for months, but he'd been putting it off, hesitant, scared to finally let the storyline to rest.

"So I'll have somebody collect the rest of my stuff tomorrow and- and anything I didn't put in the boxes you can have, or you can throw out, I don't mind," Taehyung mumbled, not confident enough to bring his eyes up to meet Namjoon's - not that Namjoon had enough courage to look up, either.

"Yeah, sounds... sounds good," Namjoon said, trying not to yawn. He was tired; long shifts at the police station had taken over his life, now he didn't have much reason to be at home, in his lonely apartment. He had bags under his eyes and looked like he'd aged about five years in the past few months after his and Taehyung's first conversation after the incident at the lake, which concluded in them breaking up, Taehyung barely able to look at Namjoon without flinching. Maybe it was a horrible thing to think, but Namjoon wished that Taehyung didn't look as happy and healthy as he did when he had appeared at their - his - apartment door. It was obvious, to anybody looking from the outside, that Namjoon wasn't dealing with the loss of Taehyung in his life well, and Namjoon had a selfish hope that Taehyung would seem the same way. Alas, Taehyung had looked tanned, energized and well-fed, with more expensive clothes and softer hair. He looked brighter, slightly chubbier, with his own sun-like glow shining from beneath his skin.

"So how have you- how have you been?" Taehyung questioned hesitantly, stealing one small glance up at Namjoon through his thick eyelashes.

"Tired. Working on a big case, a series of murders, gun wounds-" Namjoon didn't miss Taehyung flinch "-think they're all connected. Long nights at the station. What about you?" Namjoon's question was received with a wince, and so he continued. "You look- you look a lot better than last time I saw you. Healthier."

"I am," Taehyung replied, slowly. Honestly, he was doing loads better, in fact his old life had fallen apart for something much better, but he was hesitant to say it - his old life was, in fact, mostly made up of them and their relationship. It would hurt Namjoon too much to state that fact. "I've got a job reporting for a newspaper - a new one, dedicated to reporting fairly. No gossip, no false rumours, just facts. After deleting Spotlight, Seokjin hired me as a PA until I worked out what I wanted to do. He made me realise that despite knowing I should end Spotlight, I still loved to write and give people the truth about situations, so he shoved the newspaper under my nose which had a reporter wanted ad circled, and made me do the rest myself. I like working there, it's really fun - the CEO is young, and he's really passionate about not being corrupt. Plus, I can afford more Gucci now."