Pastel Palette ㅡ Taekook

fifty-nine

"How long have you been staring at me, Mr. Jeon?" Taehyung asks the first thing he wakes up. His voice was raspy from sleep, and his body was sore all over. Jeongguk just stares at him some more, lips curling into a sly smile.

"Not too long, really," He answers, fingers now playing with Taehyung's tangled hair. Taehyung just hums in response, shifting his body so that he could get closer to Jeongguk.

"What time is it?" He asks, plopping his chin on Jeongguk's chest.

"It's just 2 in the morning, Tae. Go back to sleep," Jeongguk ushers him but the older doesn't budge. Instead, he wraps his arms around Jeongguk's torso, making the younger giggle because he's nuzzling his face on it and it tickles.

"Don't want to," he mumbles. Jeongguk takes a deep breath, the smile now gone from his face. He ponders for awhile, staring off into the distance and Taehyung notices it when everything fell silent.

"Hey, what's wrong?" It's when Taehyung asks the question that Jeongguk snaps out of his reverie. He looks at the boy beside him, fingers starting to trace Taehyung's face.

"You trust me, right, baby?"

"Gukkie, of course I do. I trust you with my whole life," Taehyung assures him.

"I just want you to know that I trust you, too... and I want to tell you everything. I think I'm ready, Tae. I'm ready to tell everything about Storm's mother," Jeongguk whispers anxiously, looking anywhere but Taehyung. The older's chest bubbles with something akin to relief and pain combined. He's relieved, because Jeongguk finally had the courage to open up. He's pained, because he doesn't really know what to expect. He doesn't know whether it's pure angst, or a bittersweet one.

"Just tell me whenever you're ready, Gukkie. I will listen," Taehyung mumbles, pressing a soft kiss on Jeongguk's temple.

It took 10 more minutes before Jeongguk could even start from the very beginning. He told Taehyung about the life he had in the past, the struggles he went through just to carry Storm on his back and feed him. He told every single detail; all the things he experienced in the hands of his past lover, and the things that changed his life to become a better person after Storm had arrived. Taehyung listened to him attentively, tears falling down his cheeks when Jeongguk told him about how they were homeless for a week. He wept and wept, until he was a shaking mess to the point that Jeongguk had to remind him that it's all in the past now.

"Gukkie, you were so strong... You were so brave... You have no one yet- yet you survived..." Taehyung says amidst sobs.

"I only had Storm that time, but he was enough to keep me going. I left everything else behind, Tae. Now, I've got you. You and Storm are my life now. The two of you are more than enough," Jeongguk breathes out against Taehyung's hair.

"How about her? Do you have any news about her?"

"I stopped looking for her a long time ago, Tae. Like I said, she lost me and Storm the moment she walked out of the house. She has no one to return to anymore," the younger says sternly, jaw tensing a little.

"Gukkie..."

Jeongguk looks at Taehyung in the eyes, and before he could even stop himself, he suddenly blurts out the words: "I want to marry you, Tae."

"I know we only knew each other not too long ago, and we started being enemies, but right now, all I could ever think of is marrying you. I want to build a family with you because I see home in you. It's been too long since Storm and I had someone that willingly took care of us. Storm loves you. I love you. I just want you to promise me something," Jeongguk utters wholeheartedly, eyes never leaving Taehyung's tearful ones.