TAEKOOK | HOPE

• 19 bittersweet

Don't @ me aft this (won't be that bad)
_

_____________________________________________

☣

The difference in the tone in the studio is immediately obvious. Without any deadlines or expectations to work against, they're all looser and more relaxed, and it bleeds into the music as well. Jeongguk thinks it's some of the most fresh, unique work he's heard from either of them in years, and that's saying a lot. He's so impressed that he almost doesn't want to share his own stuff with them, but Namjoon, ever the leader (even during their hiatus), eventually goads him into it.

He sings bits and pieces of a few songs to them, experimenting with melodies and adjusting lyrics as he goes. When he's finished, he finds them both staring at him, speechless; Namjoon's face is very soft, and Yoongi's eyebrows are raised. Jeongguk swallows.

"What?" he asks nervously. "That bad?"

"No," Namjoon shakes his head. "Just the opposite, actually. It's really good, Jeongguk-ah."

"Oh," Jeongguk says, shifting under the two scrutinizing stares that are still directed at him. "Thanks."

Namjoon looks thoughtful, clearly choosing his words carefully. "Jeongguk - "

"Where the hell did all of that come from?" Yoongi interrupts. His arms are folded over his chest, feet kicked up on an empty chair.

Jeongguk blinks at him. "What - "

"There's a lot of pain in that song, bro," Yoongi says, like it's obvious, and Jeongguk supposes maybe it is. "Like, someone ran over my heart with a bulldozer kind of pain."

"Oh," Jeongguk repeats. He looks down at his feet, embarrassed.

"Want to tell us about it?" Namjoon prompts gently. "Or him? Her?"

Jeongguk's stomach twists nervously, but as with Jimin all those months ago in New Zealand, he finds he no longer has it in him to lie about his feelings anymore. Forcing himself to meet their concerned gazes, he wonders how much they've guessed at already.

"Taehyung," is all he manages to say, his voice tight. As if that alone explains everything, although from the looks on his hyungs' faces, maybe it does.

Yoongi lets out a low whistle, and Namjoon nods slowly. Neither of them seems particularly shocked, and Jeongguk wonders if he's really been that obvious this whole time.

"You knew?" he asks quietly, mostly because the silence is making him uncomfortable.

"I mean, not really," Namjoon says. "But we wondered." Yoongi nods in agreement.

"Guess I'm not as subtle as I thought," Jeongguk says ruefully.

Yoongi snorts. "You're not subtle at all, kid. But for the record, neither is he."

Jeongguk's heart gives a funny little twist at that. It's been so long since he and Taehyung were together that he sometimes forgets his feelings were once reciprocated.

"You wanna talk about it?" Namjoon asks again.

Jeongguk shrugs. He's not sure he needs to go down that particular rabbit hole right now. "It was a long time ago."