out of time |t.k|

four

Months go by and they keep their promise of keeping in touch, although Taehyung can see how Jeongguk's attention starts to slip and he doesn't seem fully invested in conversations about dorm life anymore. 

At the year mark Taehyung gets excited if Jeongguk replies to his texts, he knows how busy he must be in LA.

He sees Jeongguk on the TV one day and his chest swells with pride for his best friend. He naturally grabs his phone to call him. His heart sinks when he is redirected to a computerized voice letting him know the number is no longer in service. He opens Facebook to be faced with the same thing, the page shut down. 

Over the next two years, he hears from Jeongguk once, just a simple 'happy birthday', a week after his birthday. His best friend was gone. He swallows the realization harshly, but he goes on with his life with a lot of help from his college friends.

Taehyung even stumbles into love one day in the form of hunky senior with dark hair and pretty lips, and eyes cunning, complimenting his face. Hyungsik and he clicked and fell in love.

And soon enough, he lives comfortably and happy, but always keeping the memories of a ten-year friendship and a sorrowful goodbye in the back of his mind.

Taehyung leaned back into the arm of the couch, resting his hand on the hips connected to the legs that were straddling him. He smirked into the kiss as it tapered off into soft pecks on the lips. Hyungsik opened his eyes, meeting Taehyung's and they both giggled, catching their breaths.

"You mind if I shower before I go?", Hyungsik asked, getting up from the couch. Taehyung reached an arm up to hug Hyungsik back into place.

"Just what are you trying to do? Haven't you gotten enough of me today?"

Taehyung hummed in response, pulling Hyungsik down to kiss his lips. 

"I never get enough of you.", he whispered. He stands and turns Hyungsik toward the hallway. 

"Go ahead and shower, you know I don't care."

Hyungsik smiles sweetly.

Taehyung turns the TV on and starts flipping through the channels. He stops and goes back a couple of channels, stopping on a news station when he sees Jeongguk.

It was one of those awful gossipy shows that he couldn't stand, where people all just sat around and trash-talked celebrities. But just this once he left it on, listening to what they had to say.

A short video clip of Jeongguk played and Taehyung watched in horror. It was a video of the night in the picture on the tabloid cover. He watched as Jeongguk drunkenly stumbled through the club doors, knocking into a group of guys who were holding onto a girl each who seemed to get angry. 

Jeongguk then grabbed two of the girls from the guys and dragged them away giggling as they held onto the sexy pop stars arms.

Taehyung turned off the TV quickly and rolled his eyes in loathing, or was it sorrow? He took out his phone, snapping a quick picture of the tabloid cover he had sitting on the coffee table. He went to Facebook and posted the picture, captioning, 'You're better than this, Ggukie'.