bikers & beaches | tk ✓

❧26

❧ Hands of Good, Not Evil ❧

It wasn't hard for Taehyung to gauge exactly what Jeongguk needed. It wasn't hard to gauge anything except time, that is.

He figured it was best to leave that part of healing to the younger, knowing Jeongguk would know himself best in terms of how long he needed away from the world. Away from his usual world.

So, when night came and the stars were hidden behind the remnants of stormy skies, clouds thick in a thankfully rainless overcast, he was hesitant in following Jeongguk out to his motorcycle.

Jeongguk himself had been hesitant and anxious since they'd finished dinner, aware that it was finally the awkward time of leaving. And it was awkward because he clearly didn't want to.

Perhaps, he didn't love the surfers' company, but it was far better than his own home's at the moment.

That much was clear in the way all his actions, unlocking the seat compartment and grabbing his helmet, wiping off any leftover droplets scattered on the leather seat that hadn't dried, took a few seconds too long to follow through with. Doing them all slowly to drag out every possible second on the surfers' driveway.

Taehyung watched him carefully as he swung a leg over to straddle the bike, face hidden behind the engulfing helmet. Jeongguk paused to look around, like he was taking in the damp air and nice smell of rain in the aftermath of the storm.

But Taehyung was focused on the way his hand shook pushing the key into the slot and how it took two tries to turn the key all the way until the engine sputtered to start.

Which lead to him acting before he could really think through everything.

He stepped around from his place in front of the bike and placed his hands on either side of Jeongguk's helmet. Jeongguk immediately turned the ignition off, brows furrowed from behind the visor as he couldn't make out what Taehyung was trying to do.

The surfer began to tug the helmet upwards and when Jeongguk understood, one hand was helping to push it up and off his skull.

"Uh— is everything okay?" The younger's eyes narrowed as Taehyung took the helmet and tucked it under an arm. "Taehyung...?"

He shrugged, thoughts slowly catching up to the mindless movements his body partook in. "You should spend the night here."

"What? No, I'm good."

"I'm serious." He frowned. "I don't think I can offer much more than the couch, but... you should stay here. For however long you need."

"I don't need that. I'm fine heading back—"

"You can't fool me anymore, Jeongguk." He met those dark eyes, and saw the biker lick his lips nervously. "You don't want to go back there, so don't."

"I need to give you guys space, too," the biker shook his head and Taehyung raised a brow.

"Really? You're gonna be a considerate self-aware guy now?" The younger snorted out a small laugh at his joke and Taehyung shook his head with a smile. "Don't be annoying and take my offer."

"Why?"

"The fuck you mean why?" He continued playfully.

"I guess part of me just thinks that you helped me earlier today out of formalities." Jeongguk admitted, smile softening to a small lingering form of it and it absorbed the jokes of the room to leave a blanket of seriousness to cover them for a few breaths. "So, this is just too much."

"You know," Taehyung bit his tongue as he reached a hand out to graze the biker's forearm. "I'm helping relax those arms that pulled me out. The legs that kept us afloat. Not the stupid mouth of yours that's at the center of all my problems."