ᴄʀᴜᴛᴄʜᴇs || ᴊ.ᴊᴋ + ᴋ.ᴛʜ ✔️

twenty-three: empty spaces

The days passed by with little change.

The weeks, the same.

The months.

It was almost June now.

Just a couple days left of school before the summer break began. The summer break of what was now Taehyung's last year. Jungkook's, as well. And many others, of course.

Within the past couple months, Jungkook had settled into a period of low activity, more so than usual, that is. He hardly spoke when spoken to. But he listened. And although Tae couldn't know for sure if the boy were listening at the time, he spoke to him throughout those otherwise silent months in hopes that he was being listened to.

It was difficult, but he held on. For Jungkook's sake, for his own, for Jimin, who Taehyung felt in some way was counting on him not to give up on Jungkook. And it was a lot on his shoulders. A heavy, heavy weight, but he would never call it a burden.

Jungkook wasn't a burden. He never was. Maybe to himself, but never to Tae.

But really, that's what Jungkook thought of himself. Deep down, he felt like a burden to this person who he didn't understand why they wouldn't let go. A burden to this person, who he couldn't comprehend hadn't stopped talking to him yet. A burden to this boy, who seemed to want something from him when he felt he had nothing to give.

It was like nothing he had ever encountered, ever experienced, nor had to deal with in the slightest.

Namjoon still hadn't spoken to him in months, though deep down he knew why. Hoseok had finally come around, but he seemed to be allowing himself to drift to make room for Taehyung to fill the majority of the empty space.

There hadn't used to be empty space. Jungkook's head had been filled consistently with two things and two things only: soccer, and Jimin. His passion, and the boy he had been deeply in love with.

Now, with his hopes and dreams in regards to both of those things utterly crushed, there was empty space. And Jungkook could never have foreseen someone like Taehyung, someone at all but especially not like him, willingly trying to fill that space.

An enigma he was gradually, unknowingly figuring out.

This puzzle piece that Tae was.

Fitting in, after all the false pieces had fallen away.

Fitting in to that empty space. Jungkook's empty shell.

That's all Taehyung could ever ask for. But he could never see, could never know unless obvious results showed themselves before his eyes, that he was getting anywhere. In his defense, sometimes it's hard to see just how much progress you've made until there's a finished product.

This abstract painting that Jungkook was.

*

Summer break arrived as the first few weeks of June came and went. A great number of the students had plans, trips and vacations to spend their break on, these next couple months which Taehyung felt would last ages.

He didn't know until that first day of the break that Jimin and Jungkook would both be going away. According to Jimin, every summer, both of the boys' families went to the same beach resort together. Their parents were close, the boys, obviously closer. So it made sense to Taehyung. But it made him sad that he wouldn't get to see them for a while. 

Fortunately, Hoseok's family didn't have plans to go anywhere for the summer—at least not the whole summer, perhaps a day trip or two but for the most part, he would just be relaxing. Relaxing and, if he could get the boy out of his house, spending time with Taehyung.