bikers & beaches | tk ✓

❧14

a/n: tw for aquaphobia

❧ Talk, not Touch ❧

"So you feel obligated to stay by them?" Taehyung frowned, eyes dancing over to the leather jacket. What would it feel like to wear? Was it warm? It must have been considering it was the only jacket Jeongguk wore.

"Wouldn't you? If someone helped you when you needed them most?" The biker muttered. "You already do feel that way. With Jin."

"I wouldn't ever condone any illegal shit, though. Not that he'd ever do that, but—"

"Right. He hasn't. So you don't know that."

"Hey," Taehyung's gaze hardened. "Jin Hyung wouldn't throw away his life for a night of stupid recklessness."

"You and your stupid future plans." Jeongguk drawled, the endless boredom of his voice preying on the surfer's patience. "You don't even know if you'll be alive tomorrow. You've already almost died when you least expected it."

"Isn't this conversation supposed to be about you?"

"Is it?"

"Of course," Taehyung scoffed. "Because you threw rocks at my door just to argue with me."

"Maybe I did." The biker let his skull tip to the side like a rag doll, the older snapping his gaze away when they intersected.

"Why the hell would you waste your precious sleep time to do that?"

"Funny of you to assume I'd be sleeping in the first place." Jeongguk scoffed. "I hardly get a wink of sleep on nights like these."

"Nightmares?"

"Can't even have nightmares if your head keeps you awake."

"Oh." The surfer looked over to see Jeongguk still observing, eyes wandering along his face like he was visually tracing his features. He wanted to punch those lids shut, block out the ridiculous staring, but he never did. Just let Jeongguk do it.

"What did they do to gain your loyalty like that?"

"Loyalty? I'm not a fucking dog." The biker grumbled.

"You're so irritating, you know what I mean. Tell me or just say you won't answer."

"I can go with the second?" Jeongguk turned to his side, propping his head up on an arm. An incredible wave of familiarity hit Taehyung. His gaze flicked to the earring resting along the biker's jaw, glinting just like the leather bunched by his neck.

He silently shook his head, throat running dry as the dead weight of his hand kept him from reaching out to touch the shimmery dangler pierced into Jeongguk's ear.

The biker let out a small breath, contemplating.

"They gave me a home when mine was falling apart." Taehyung jerked his gaze up to meet the biker's dazed eyes, letting out a breath with the words. "Another incredible difference we have."

He nodded that time. Why was it so hard to speak? To just say a word? He wasn't usually speechless with Jeongguk. Never had been, in fact.

"Your mom?" He finally voiced.

"When my parents were fighting. I was thirteen back then." It was all he got in relation to the story, not that he needed much more to connect the vague dots.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"For what?" The biker rolled his eyes, head turning away to watch the crashing waves, but leaving his chest turned to him. "The only one who should be sorry is that bitch."