Gentle Love

Gentle Love (M)

• pairing: reader | Taehyung
• genre: fluff, a little bit of angst, smut
• word count: 5k
•'warnings: none

••••••

"I'm a virgin," you confess, the glassy glow of the green bottle pointed at you is the only thing you focus on while your ears heat up in embarrassment.
You expect the hollering to burst at any given moment, instead of the deafening silence that installs on your friend's apartment. It causes you to coil in humiliation as you know, you're deeply aware, that you're the only virgin in the room. The inexperienced and weird lady, the ice queen, who won't allow any man near her radar.
Soojin only stares at you, her eyes glistening mischievously beneath the dim lighting, "Well, if that's the case, it's your turn to down this shot."
As the alcohol burns when it reaches the bottom of your throat, Doyeon mutters, "I would never guess it."
It strikes a nerve, certainly, which is why the bitterness is uncontained before you spit a cold retort. She flinches at the hard glare thrown her way and, maybe, the evening might've taken an irreversible unpleasant turn. "Why the fuck does it shock you? Am I supposed to spread my legs to whatever guy comes my way?"
Jihyo promptly dodges your briskness with an earnest expression and a warm caress on your forearm, her tone of voice sweet like honey. "Of course not, but... haven't you found any guy that you like?"
The air freezes and your friends hold their breath in anticipation while you lower your gaze to the floor. This is not how you wanted to spend your girls night. "Sure I have, but I'm a firm believer he doesn't feel the same."
You sound so forlorn and wretchedly heartbroken that they don't want to tell you how stupid your logic is. Yet, Dawon does it regardless. "How do you know? Are you close to him, have you even tried–"
You sigh heavily as you watch them with wariness. You had foreseen their reactions, nonetheless, you couldn't have been prepared for the actual confrontation. So, you massage your temples in exasperation. "Listen, listen... I completely understand your concern, really. But, there's no need to. If the opportunity ever presents itself, I'll be the first to grab it."
"What if he feels the same?" Soojin quizzes, her eyebrow arched in amusement.
You snort, as if what she said was the most sadistic joke of the century, and to you, it definitely was. "No fucking way."
"I can't seem to understand it yet. Why are you so adamant that he isn't, in any way, going to correspond your feelings?" She presses on to the subject, and knowing the crevices of her stubbornness and curious personality, she won't drop it until she gets closure.
Encircled by your friends, you feel safe. Safer than the night before when Taehyung... "He told me," and there's no stopping the quiver in your voice.
The tears you tried to contain as you snuggled yourself with endless layers of fluffy blankets, after Taehyung's fatidic, seemingly harmless, revelation, threaten to make an appearance once again. "Shit, I'm sorry." You sniff, hiding behind the palm of your hand, and your eyes burn.
They enclose themselves around you and cradle you in a group hug. Jihyo holds your face into her soft palms and, protectively, she whispers in concern. "What happened? Did he reject you?"
Backing away from them as much as you can in the position you're into, you shake your head from side to side. "God, no," you huff underneath a breath. "We were just talking and suddenly, we entered the 'love' subject... he said it to me innocently."
Doyeon, a girl even shier than you could ever be, utters her opinion the second time that evening. "Well, at least, it's less painful this way... at least," she stumbles on her carefully chosen words, "it's less of a heartbreak than if you had confessed."
Your heart warms up at her tacit sensitivity, her evident kindness, so a tiny smile emerges from the depths of your soul as you intently observe the sweet woman. "I guess you're right. Thank you, darling."
You lift yourself up as the girls open up the space so you can stand. They follow your movements swiftly and accordingly, eyeing your countenance as if you had told them you were to commit suicide. "What?"
"I'm going to head back home," you mumble while rolling off your shoulders, with the intent of brushing the stiffness away. "Sorry to have ruined the mood. It was too much information, I guess."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Dawon resurfaces, now behind the counter, and her lips are pursed as she scans you.
"Nah," you wave her off. "I need some me time. I already bothered you guys more than I should have."
Swiftly, you move to the door, afraid they'll hold you back, but a hand stops you halfway in the hall. "You're not a bother, never will be. That's what friends are for, aren't they?"
Soojin's stern vocalization, her hand circling your wrist, had you paying her the due attention she deserved. "Yes, you're right. Thank you for having my back."
With that, she lets go of you and watches you with guarded heed – the apprising kind – before you slip through, diving fiercely into the night. "Stay safe and don't go walking down these streets right now, it's too late."