Dreaming Alone | taekook ✔️

t h i r t y - s e v e n

Don't lie, bright eyes
Is it me that you see when you fall asleep?
'Cause I know it's you I dream about every night
Giving me a feeling like
Love in the summer
Way I've never felt with another

dreaming alone
~ atc

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"You two shitheads need to sit down and have an actual conversation about this." was what Madeline told Jeongguk before sending him on his way. "What? You really think you can just avoid him for the rest of the summer?"

Jeongguk didn't need much thought to work out where Taehyung was. In fact, a part of him wished that the brunette was purposefully there waiting for him.

And he was.

Jeongguk hadn't even opened his mouth to announce his presence before Taehyung spoke.

"I'm sorry. I should've told you."

The ravenette lowered himself down next to him— their spot, on top of the world. The peak. Away from everything and everyone. This spot high up in the air that Taehyung picked because Jeongguk mentioned adoring the sky.

"So what did you see?" Jeongguk asked.

Taehyung exhaled. "Your mom, mostly. I saw your mom a lot." He said quietly, "You look a lot like her."

"A-anything else?"

The brunette gulped before glancing at Jeongguk. "I saw your... self harm... cuts."

"So that thing about my aunt telling your mom... it was a lie." The ravenette said.

Taehyung dipped his head down in an act of remorse.

"Why did you lie?" Jeongguk said under his breath.

"Because I didn't want to scare you off." Taehyung replied, his jaw tense, "The dreams revealed so much to me. I know you don't like letting people in... I felt like I knew more than you wanted me to."

There was a brief moment of silence before Jeongguk spoke. "Yeah."

The brunette stole another glance at him.

"You're right. I don't like confiding in people because—" His voice cracked slightly and he cleared his throat. "The only thing that matters is who we are inside, right? I'm all ugly inside, Tae. Nobody likes to see that."

"Jeongguk—"

"You don't know the me before all this. The me before I met you went around hurting people, betraying them! I'm selfish!" He cried out, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, "And I— and I don't know how to fix myself!"

Taehyung saw the way he was fisting his sweater, trying to hold onto something. Another reminder that his pendant was gone. His anchor. His anchor in rough seas. Gone.

"Maybe the only way to fix things is to let them hurt me back."

"That is not true." Taehyung interjected.

"Why are you so quick to defend me, Taehyung?" Jeongguk finally met his eyes. "I've done nothing for you."

"You came after me and laid in the field with me that day I stormed out the common room. Doesn't that say something? You do care about me."

The brunette reached out and pried Jeongguk's hand off his sweater, taking it in his own and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You have a big heart, Jeongguk." Taehyung told him, "You're just afraid to use it."