something old, something new | taekook

Chapter 16: The Color of Courage, Defiance, and Danger

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"Jeongguk," Taehyung's voice is serious as they stare up at the house, plain with its quaint yard and minimal decoration. Almost cold in its simplicity. "If even for a moment-,"

"I know," Jeongguk turns to him, arms tight where they've wrapped around the king's waist. He smiles up at him, leaning into his chest."I know." Taehyung kisses him while he still can, holding him close. Lips soft, his kiss gentle and sweet. They're not going into this under any pretense of this ending well. He has everything working against him. His lover, his clothes, his death.

Jimin is staying in the car. They know they won't be long.

It's getting closer to evening, the air chilling as the sun has started to make it's way past the horizon. Jeongguk doesn't know if they're even going to be awake but he walks with Taehyung up the short path regardless.

He doesn't know when they moved but it seems lived in. It's not the house Jeongguk grew up in, but he doesn't know if that's a good thing or not. Everything feels eerily unfamiliar. No memories of planting the flowers in the small garden beds, of the scratch along the bottom of the door, the tiny crack in one of the window frames. This is a stranger's home.

Briefly, he considers taking up Taehyung's offer, then forgets it. He needs to do this, he will do this.

His boots scuff against the doormat, shaking knuckles raising to rap against the painted wood. Taehyung's hand is firm around his own, shifting to lace their fingers together tightly. He's calm, his expression stony as he seems to stare through the door. Jeongguk is shaking, sweaty.

For a split second Jeongguk thinks no one is coming with no sounds coming from inside the house, but then there's the scratch of a chair against the floor. The squeak of springs like someone is pushing themselves up from a worn seat. The quiet shuffle of footsteps.

Then the lock turns.

Jeongguk realizes too late that there's no peephole. There's no buffer between the time the door opens and when the face of a boy long thought dead is revealed on their doorstep.

It swings open and Jeongguk is met with the face of his mother. Hair perfectly pinned back, like it always was. A little gray, her skin a little wrinkled. She's dressed in more casual clothes, a knitting needle in her hand, and house slippers on her feet.

His heart is racing, blood pumping loud in his ears. He doesn't know what to do.

"Can I help you?" She asks, as polite as she ever was to strangers. The perfect host, even to uninvited guests. She was the kind of person to treat her guests with the utmost respect only to curse them the moment they had stepped back out the door.

Taehyung doesn't speak, only looking at Jeongguk. He'll follow Jeongguk's lead.

"Ah," the younger clears his throat, pulling her attention. "Hi, mom."

It's quiet, the way she stares at him. The way she takes him in, eyes dropping to the floor and rising back up. The way she looks at his lover.

"Jeongguk?" Her voice is tentative, brow furrowing in confusion. No tears. No shouts of happiness.

He should have expected this.

How curious. Taehyung says quietly, words floating through his mind. How curious, indeed.

Her lips purse, forehead wrinkling. "Where have you been?" Disbelief colors her words. Jeongguk blinks, Taehyung squeezing his hand. "Do you realize how long you've been gone?"

Taehyung shifts then, stepping in front of Jeongguk. "Hello, I am Kim Taehyung." He says plainly, making sure Jeongguk is fully behind him. He does not hold a hand out to her, does not bow his head. He simply meets her eyes, making sure he's staring down his nose. "May we come in?"