honey | taekook

four

in a short few hours almost everything had been unpacked and organized. 

the bedroom had shelves lined with memories and awards, with photos of jungkook and his daughter. tae made sure to place the best ones right in the line of sight.

he had organized his clothes by color and sleeve length, ensuring that everything was cohesive as he drifted through the apartment and put the finishing touches at each corner.  he wanted jungkook to feel comfy and cozy. to feel at least a bit at home.

his almond eyes scanned over the baby grand piano that sat proudly near the wall length windows. the view outside was spectacular, truly made for somebody with money. it felt luxurious to even look. 

tae ensured that it was dusted and displayed properly, that jungkook's guitar was propped next to it, tuned and ready to be used if sudden motivation hit. everything seemed in order; he was proud of his efforts.

namjoon had run out, for business, to grab dinner.  jungkook hadn't returned.

and it felt odd, to have the whole place to himself, like he was an intruder, invading a space that he'd never belong in.  this apartment was worth more than his life, the furniture a far cry from the tattered couch he'd been sleeping on and he wondered if jungkook had wandered through a furniture store looking for it? had him and his (almost ex) wife shopped for it together? had his daughter fallen asleep against the arm rest before being carried to bed?

"tae! this looks incredible!" namjoon appeared with two bags in hand, takeout boxes housing something that smelled delightful, "you did all of this in an afternoon? would have taken jungkook months, maybe years!"

"are you telling me he's not exactly the type to decorate?" the younger could only smile, following joon into the completely spotless kitchen where he grabbed a few plates for the food.

the grape-haired boy shook his head, "when him and i lived together way back when, he was a total pig. boxes of food, socks everywhere- we got into a few quarrels over it..." his eyes seemed so fond recalling the good old days, "i tried calling him. i'm a bit worried where he's at. didn't see him while I was out though..."

"he'll come back. the night is still young!" 

namjoon could only nod along, plopping a pile of noodles onto his plate as he anxiously kept his eyes on the door.  he was nervous, anxious, anticipating a phone call from the police yet again, "i'm going to step out for a cigarette quick before i eat. it's a bad stress habit, i know!"

taehyung wasn't offended, his own eyes glued to his phone as he scrolled through the social media accounts of the love of his life, the one who had got away.  he looked content in california- annoyingly so.  it was hard to even tell where his time with tae ended and everything else began, his entire account erased of the year they had spent in the arms of one another.

that feeling in his stomach that had become all too familiar bubbled up, leaving him nauseous, suddenly aggressively unhungry for the food in front of him. 

"who are you?" a voice, a tad higher pitched than expected echoed through the kitchen, each syllable slurred together. it was evident it wasn't namjoon.

tae hit the button on the side of his phone, turning so his back was no longer facing the stranger. sunken doe eyes like those of a deer who was half dead stared back at him. each iris seemed dark, almost the color his pupil- they were impossible to glance away from.

he had seen pictures of jeon jungkook, coated along billboards and moving posters through the city.  he had seen him on the news, seen pictures of him with joon and jin, but standing before him in the flesh- it was different.