Roses You Left For Me

34

Days turn into weeks before Seokjin and Jimin even consider Jeongguk as okay. With his meds kicking back in the way they should, he feels more sure of himself. Although there are moments where he wavers, Seokjin and Jimin are right there to catch him before he falls.

"I'm still not sure about you going back," Jimin says quietly as he chews his nails.

"I'm okay, hyung," Jeongguk responds, voice soft as if he were speaking to a frightened animal. "You can come with me if you want,"

"If he's going then I'm going too," Seokjin speaks up.

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. "May as well bring the whole family along,"

"Oi," Seokjin snaps as he slaps Jeongguk on the arm. "If this goes ass up, you're gonna need support from me and Chim,"

The plan that Jeongguk had formed, isn't exactly the best. It's as if he suddenly realizes this when he walks back into the club, a rose by his side. Seokjin and Jimin follow closely behind, looking around, whereas Jeongguk walks straight up to the bar where Hoseok looks surprised to see him.

"Jeongguk-"

"I need to see Taehyung," he says, cutting off Hoseok before he has a chance to speak properly.

"He's made it clear with me that he won't be offering services to you," the bartender says.

"I'm not here for services. If you don't tell him I'm here, I'll go in myself,"

"Jeongguk-"

But the younger is already marching to the bouncers, struggling against them as they hold him back. "Let me in for fuck sake!" Jeongguk yells out.

"Fucking hell," he hears Hoseok mutter. "Just let the boy in, he's got permission,"

With a glance exchanged between the guards and Hoseok, they step aside and allow Jeongguk to go in with hard looks on their faces. Jeongguk marches through the halls, determined to find Taehyung and talk to him. He barges into the purple room and looks around, seeing the bathroom door is open. As he walks in, he sees Taehyung sitting cross-legged on the floor as he cleans a selection of colorful dildos.

"Taehyung," Jeongguk speaks up, watching how the dancer's head shoots up.

"How did you get in here?"

"I'm here to tell you something,"

"Who let you in here?" Taehyung demands to know.

"I like you, Taehyung,"

With a roll of his eyes and a heavy sigh, Taehyung drops the toy he was cleaning and runs a hand through his hair. "Not this shit again, Kook. You don't like me. You're in love with the idea of me. The way I satisfied you and the way you relied on me,"

"You can't keep denying that I feel something for you. And you can't blame it on being unstable or any of that shit. I feel so clear and sure of what I want,"

"And what do you want?" Taehyung asks.

"You," Jeongguk replies instantly.

"Yeah? Just a few weeks ago you were pining for your ex. Who's to say I won't be just a cast off once you find someone you really want?"

"Suho made me believe that no one would ever want me. You showed me differently. I can walk out of here, Taehyung. If that's what you want, I'll leave and I won't bug you again. Or I can stay and we can talk. We can start over properly,"

"Start over, huh?" Taehyung scoffs.

"Don't beat down shit you've never tried," Jeongguk says.

"That's the thing, Kook," Taehyung speaks up. "I have tried. I have dated a customer. I got my heart broken by the same one too. You speak so freely, saying how I've never tried to do this with anyone else and that I'm afraid or some shit. I am afraid, Jeongguk. I'm afraid that it'll happen again. I'm afraid that I'm breaking my promise to myself to never do that again. I can't put myself through that emotional turmoil again just because you say you love me,"

"That was never on me," Jeongguk argues. "I never want to hurt you, Taehyung. I never wanted you just for sex. You in yourself is my escape. I could just listen to you talk and I'd feel better. All those times I tried to talk to you. You can't discredit me for that,"

"I know," Taehyung says quietly as he looks away.

"And maybe this isn't the best place to tell you such things, I mean- you're literally on a bathroom floor cleaning sex toys," Jeongguk says as Taehyung lets out an amused breath of air through his nose. "But I want you as you. Not as that dancer on stage, not as the man who boldly just rides people in bathtubs. I want the vulnerable man on this floor, cleaning sex toys and telling me what he really feels. I want to start over, Taehyung. I want to be able to buy you loads of roses and tell you how beautiful you look just to see that sparkle in your eyes. I want you,"

The younger watches as Taehyung stands gracefully before he walks over. The oversized shirt he wears engulfs him, making him look smaller than he is. He looks vulnerable, scared. His eyes glance down at the rose in Jeongguk's hand before he reaches out and takes it, their fingers just barely brushing together. "Start over," Taehyung whispers to himself before he looks up, handing the rose out to Jeongguk. "Hi, my name is Taehyung,"

Jeongguk's eyebrows furrow for a moment before the penny drops and a huge smile breaks out across his face. "I'm Jeongguk. Would you like to go for dinner sometime, Taehyung?"

"I'd like that,"