Puppetry - P.JM. [ON-HOLD]

Twenty-Five

"Can you please bring some food up, Jimin?"

The sound of the voice was familiar and deep. A large hand ran through my hair gently, being careful not to pull at it and cause my head pain. I smelled the faint smell of pine wafted to my nose, my body relaxing a bit. It was safe.

"Of course, Master Taehyung," I heard another familiar voice again, this one a bit more higher pitched but quiet. It was farther away than the voice that was running its hand through my hair.

A quiet squeak entered my ears, footsteps walking away in the distance. I gave a small sigh, my fingers curling into the blankets. They were smooth and warm, nothing like any itchy blanket I had in the past. There was always a barrier with parts of my life with the luxury I endured sometimes and the things that would fall apart when you would touch them.

"You awake?"

"Taehyung?" I said, my voice coming out in a croak. I pulled my hand up, grabbing onto the hand that was running through my hair gently. I could see the sun pouring through my eyelids. "Why aren't you at work?"

Taehyung's large fingers curled around my hand softly. "I wanted to keep an eye on you today. You were hysterical last night, so I just want to see if you're okay today."

I pulled my eyelids open, my vision being filled with light and blurriness. My head suddenly pounded. I slammed my eyelids down for a second, then opened the again gently, trying to let my eyes get used to the light again.

Taehyung was sitting up in the bed, looking down at me with caring and worrying brown eyes. His red hair was blinding in the sunlight, my eyes catching sight of all his tattoos with no shirt in sight. The skeleton on his back curled around his sides gently to just show a bit of his ribs, his whole arms covered in the ink to show the arm and hand bones. His shoulders also contained their bones, the ink going to the clavicles. The final touch was the neuron that curled around his neck. It was always strange to see someone's skin so covered up with precise ink.

"I'm fine," I murmured, looking at the hand that encased mine. I saw all the bones that made it up, the ink flexed above the the tendons and meat. "Go to work. I'll be okay."

"I'm not leaving you side today," Taehyung counteracted, his thumb running over my hand. I saw his face and knew he wasn't going to back down anytime soon. "You're my main priority. If it means risking some of my clients, I'm okay with that."

I gave a sigh, staring at his face. The memories of yesterday were trickling slowly, exposing what had happened. Images of Jimin and Taehyung flooded into my head, then the hysteria of going to Jungkook gave an image of what decisions I had made. My heart dropped to my stomach, my whole body starting to hurt at the thought. I had given in.

"So, the deal with the wedding," Taehyung murmured, almost sounding like he didn't want to talk about the topic. It brought anxiety to myself as well. "What are you thinking? Feelings towards me? Work for the future?"

"I don't think I'm going back to work anytime soon," I said brainlessly. I hated to hear those words come out of my mouth, but I had gone into autopilot. I had no emotions left from exploding of them the night before. "I'm obviously going to need help from here and on. My head is so messed up that I probably can't work normally anymore."

I saw Taehyung give a bit of hesitation with his thoughts, his teeth biting down on his lip for a second. He released it and met my eyes, coming off as a bit bashful and nervous. "What are your feelings towards me . . . ?"

I paused for a second, my heart seeming to follow. Taehyung and I stared at each other for a moment, the air becoming thick around us. I started feeling some pressure being put on me. I felt like the pressure was crushing me, telling me to say that I liked him once again. I didn't. I knew I didn't. I couldn't lie to my best friend. After everything about yesterday, I felt like it was a feeling as if I needed to like him.