Uncharted | k.th. (Limited Time)

5| Coping

Noel canceled her plans for the day and stayed home with Taehyung. Though he spent hours in his room, she wanted to be around in the event he left his room. She spent all of her time in the living room, watching movies, and prepared food for them in case he was hungry.

Heartbreaks wasn't something she felt equipped to handle because she's allowed her own heart to be guarded in order to avoid situations such as this. However, she wanted so much to burst into his room and hold him for minutes, hours or days if needed, but she wrestled with this thought, thinking maybe he needed time alone.

Noel peered down the small hallway before getting up and quietly tiptoed to his door. She held her hand up to knock, but drew it back. She hated to disturb him, but he concerned her. Noel wondered what Taehyung's been doing in his room all day. She knocked anyway. "Tae..." she called, only for a silent reply. She leaned her ear against the door and heard a melody playing. Noel rested her hand on the doorknob and called him again, but no answer. She took a deep breath and turned the knob and entered Taehyung's room.

She quietly gasped at what she saw.

Countless papers decorated his unmade bed. Even a few on his floor. Taehyung, aware of Noel entering, but never turned to acknowledge her. He stood at his window, wearing only a pair of baggy sweatpants, and concentrated on the drawing in his hand.

Noel sauntered to his bed and picked up a very detailed sketch of Jungkook smiling. She gulped as she picked up another and yet another. The subject was the same in all. "Taehyung." She whispered.

Hearing his full name from her lips broke his attention. Noel rarely called him by it. He lifted from his sketch, but only to gaze out the window. Noel meandered behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tight. The moment her skin brushed his, he lowered his head, allowing his tears to fall. Taehyung felt her tears against him and acknowledged a sense of compassion from his best friend. Heartbreak may not have been Noel's thing, but something about seeing him like this hurt her in ways she didn't understand.

Taehyung laid his sketch pad on the windowsill and turned to face Noel, eyes wandering to each other's. Noel's kind smile greeted him. "I'm worried about you." She glanced toward the bed. "What is this?"

"Coping." The rasp in his voice showed he spoke little since he awoke. This comforted Noel, as she worried he would spend the day trying to contact Jungkook and leaving painful voicemails.

"Taehyung, get some air. You've been in here all day. You need to breathe." His roommate suggested.

"I can't breathe." He mumbled.

"You can. I will help you." She offered.

A small sparkle in Taehyung's chocolate gaze ignited his heartbeat as he peered down at Noel. He's never been close to any woman in his life. His mother kept him sheltered while she lived her life the way she wanted, with little admittance of him and his father never made time for him. Taehyung always relied on the comfort of his best friend and shared many things with including his first kiss, but when he moved away, loneliness took his place.

He could have easily slipped into a darkness if it wasn't for his cousin Namjoon who took him under his wing and protected him. Namjoon never judged him and always encouraged him to be himself. Taehyung found comfort sharing his life with him, and has the same consolation in Noel.

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