So? (TaeJin)

17 - Pop!

Listen to Hoax and Crazier by Taylor Swift while you read this.

Also, a long ass chapter owing to the lack of updates. 

LETSGEDDDDIIIITTTTT!

✨

Bright light is flooding the living room, and Seokjin wakes up on the couch to a stiff neck. There is an ache at the pit of his stomach, and it takes him a quick glance around the house to remember why.

He hastily flips over the shawl and the cushions around to find his phone, which is unsurprisingly low on battery. There are no notifications or missed calls. Yet, his stubborn head goes to the log to check for any calls that he missed.

The log only shows 23 outgoing-unanswered calls to Taehyung, 2 short calls to Hoseok and 1 call, that was cut short before it could ring even once, to Namjoon.

It is already afternoon. The dull ache spreads from the pit of his stomach to the rest of his body, and it clenches around his heart.

He can't decide if he is angry or sad. To be honest, there is a contrasting emotion lurking at the corners of his heart – Joy. Acknowledging its presence only adds another emotion – guilt, which is a product of his wishes that seem illegal or worse, immoral.

He pops an aspirin and calls again – this time he calls Jimin.

"Hey hyung," Jimin answers, his voice on the edge of weariness.

Now that Jimin answered the call, Seokjin doesn't know what to ask. He clears his throat and mutters a tiny 'Hey'.

There is a sound of loud laughter from Jimin's end, directed at which he yells a 'shut up'. He then sighs audibly and says to Seokjin, "Hyung. He'll be home in an hour or so. The dumbass just woke up."

His shoulders slump down in relief. Taehyung is safe and that's what matters to him.

He hums a low 'thank you' and cuts the call. Once he is back, they need to talk and not beat around the bush like teenagers.

While he brushes, he concludes that the previous night drained him pretty well and a bubble bath is what he needs. He carefully slips naked into the perfectly warm water and before he knows, he dozes off in the tub.

....

He thinks he fell asleep for 5 mins. Only when he steps out into his room, he realizes he has been out for more than an hour. The stiff neck has worsened.

He hears a light laughter from the kitchen, and it takes over 10 seconds for the daze to leave his head, and for him to remember what happened.

Jimin said Taehyung would be back. Did he bring Jimin with him too?

He takes a deep breath, prepping himself to have a honest talk with Taehyung. Just as he steps out of his room, he sees the profile of someone dressed in black disappear into Taehyung's room. Taehyung himself is at the kitchen island, picking up two bowls of sorbet.

Seokjin waits for him to notice him, because he is unsure where to start and hopes Taehyung would say something.

Fate plays against him. Taehyung does notice, but blatantly ignores his presence and continues to walk towards his room.

"Where were you?" Seokjin asks. He knows. But he had to start somewhere, right?

Taehyung stops, "You already know."

"I called you," Seokjin says. It sounds more childish that he intends to.

"Yeah," Taehyung mutters, his eyes looking everywhere except at the other guy.