things we don’t say: part 2 (kth)
banner credit: @itaeewon
summary: Three years after graduating college, everything seems to be falling into place for you: stable job, cozy apartment, and a long-term boyfriend with a ring box hidden in his desk drawer. But when a mutual friend makes a remark that your best friend of nearly two decades is clearly in love with you, you realize that life may not be as simple as it seems.
pairing: Taehyung x Reader (with some VERY brief Seokjin x Reader and Yoongi x Reader)
rating: 18+ (minors dni)
genres: best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, slooooow burn, angst, fluff
word count: 11.4k
chapter warnings: IN THE SOOP TAE, swearing, alcohol consumption, feelings?, implied sexual situations (not for oc), that chicken fight game you can play in a pool (definitely not the animal cruelty kind, just want to clarify), bartender jungkook (who is also an absolute MENACE), infidelity, namjoon’s chest
a/n: we’re heading into the thick of things now! thank you to everyone who has shown this series love thus far. and even to those who may be silently reading, i appreciate each and every one of you. these characters have been in my head for years, and it’s so incredible to finally get to share them!
PREVIOUS // SERIES MASTERLIST // MASTERLIST
Read on ao3
You’re starting to think you might be a terrible friend.
It's been a week and a half since Maya's art show when Jimin slides into the chair next to you in your office building's cafeteria. You've worked at the same company since graduation but in different departments, so while you don't see each other every day, you occasionally grab lunch together or pop over to each other's desk for a quick chat.
"Hey, stranger," he chirps, setting his food on the table before peering closely at your face. "Almost forgot what you looked like."
You roll your eyes at him. After the incident at the gallery sent your brain into an emotional spiral, you had decided to put some distance between you and Taehyung until you could figure out what the hell this all meant for your friendship. As a result, you hadn't been over to the guys' apartment since then—an unusually long amount of time for you to stay away.
Jimin frowns at your lack of a response, leaning forward until you look at him. "You avoiding us?"
"No," you say simply, busying yourself by taking a bite of your lunch.
"Sorry, let me rephrase. Are you avoiding Tae?"
You chew slowly, carefully considering your words before settling on, "Why would I be?"
"I don't know, that's why I'm asking. For a friend of course." Jimin shrugs. "He mentioned that you haven't really been talking to him—asked if I knew why. Plus, you missed two Sunday meal preps."
"I've missed them before—"
"Two!"
You purse your lips, guilt creeping in at the thought of Taehyung spending two nights cooking alone as you broke your tradition. "You can tell him what I told him—I've been busy."
Jimin frowns again, watching you stare at the table as you chew another bite. "Is something going on? Did he say something to you?"
"About what?" you ask, eyes snapping up to his.
"I..." he hesitates, suddenly uneasy. "I don't know. I just know that I've never seen you two like this."
"Like what?"
"Apart."
You give a dry laugh, more out of nerves than anything. "Chim, we're not literally attached at the hip, you know? We have our own lives."
"Yah, you know that's not what I mean." He sighs. "I can just tell he's missing you, that's all.”
If getting called out on missing meal prep nights made you feel guilty, then this is the true slap to the face. Taehyung may be mild and introspective by nature—a quiet force in his own right—but he holds close those who are dear to him, and you know he can't be pleased with your recent silence.
Still, any guilt tingling through your veins inevitably winds up outweighed by the memory of the flash of heartbreak that had crossed his face at the party, reinforcing your need for space.
"Well we'll see each other in a couple days," you murmur, a tiny burst of excitement breaking into your mind at the thought of your upcoming vacation.
Property of Jungkook's family, the beach house rarely used by his parents had become a staple for your friend group over the years as the go-to site for New Year’s parties and summer holidays. When Hoseok and Sunny had lamented the astronomical cost of the wedding and how they were going to opt out of having bachelor and bachelorette parties to help save money, Jungkook had offered up the house to do a combined pre-wedding bash to celebrate their upcoming nuptials.
Jimin taps his fingers on the table, looking at you quietly before accepting the change in topic. "It should be fun. Jace coming?"
"No, he has that conference."
"Damn," Jimin huffs. "Does that guy ever get a day off?"
"Guess he had to afford the ring somehow," you say, the corners of your mouth tilting up on impulse.
Jimin smiles back. "And here I was, wishfully thinking we might get a front row seat to a proposal this weekend."
“Not his vibe.” You scrunch your nose. “He never went to the house as frequently as everyone else. And I don’t know if he’d want a bunch of other people around. At least not people who know us.”
“Aww, why not?” Jimin whines. “We could all celebrate with you! And Maya could take pictures!”
“Or Tae.”
“Or—yeah, or Tae.”
You pretend not to have noticed his hesitation or the way he startled at that, and certainly not the way it made your pulse jump. Has everyone really been seeing this except you?
“Regardless,” you say, trying to ignore the sudden nausea rolling in your stomach, “I don’t think he’ll do it in front of you guys. And if he was going to ask Maya to take pictures, I think he would’ve done so by now if he was going to propose soon.”
When you had told Maya about the ring the afternoon after the gallery opening, she’d seemed genuinely surprised, clapping her hands together and immediately calling dibs on being maid of honor.
Go figure.
“Ah, well,” Jimin sighs. “There’s always the planning to help with.” He holds up a hand and begins ticking off his fingers. “And the bridal shower, the bachelorette party, rehersal dinner, eventual baby shower—“
“Woah, Park, getting a little ahead of yourself now, no?”
“Y/N, this is an exciting time for you! I’m excited for you!” He slurps down a mouthful of his noodle bowl. “And maybe I’m living a little vicariously through you. Maybe. A little.”
“Geez, Kook’s right, you are in a drought.”
“Oh, great. You too now?”
You giggle as he dramatically presses a hand to his forehead, food puffing out his cheeks.
“But really though,” he says, leaning forward again with concern in his eyes, “you are excited, right? After you told us about the ring, you seemed a bit off.”
Shit.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen you get drunk that fast in a while.”
“I was happy for Maya and Tae.”
“And yourself?”
“Yeah, and myself.”
Jimin stares at you for a long few seconds, clearly not buying what you’re selling. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” He leans back in his chair in a way that says he’s letting you off the hook. “But you’d better figure out this weird thing with Tae before he corners you at the house. Good luck avoiding him then.”
Okay, maybe not entirely off the hook.
The rest of the short work week passes in a blink, and you quickly find yourself packing for your trip on Wednesday night, the plan being to leave Thursday morning and stay until Monday. Jace fiddles with his phone on the bed, occasionally glancing up to watch you flit around the room as you fill your travel bag with an excessive amount of clothes.
"Are you leaving for five days or a month?" he teases as you cram ten pairs of underwear into a side pocket.
"I like to keep my options open," you say. "Never know what could happen with the weather."
"Or your bladder, apparently."
"Hey, it's gonna be hot. I'll have to hydrate."
He laughs at that before his eyes settle on you with a warmth that has you shifting under his gaze.
“What?”
“I just love you, you know?” he hums.
Warmth blooms in your chest. “I love you, too.”
“It’s going to suck being apart.”
“I know,” you sigh. “I wish you could’ve come.”
At your words, you feel like you can literally see a light bulb turn on in his head as his expression brightens with an idea. “Do you want to take my jacket?”
He can only mean one jacket. You’d found it together a month after you started dating at a thrift shop downtown, and it’s been his signature piece of clothing ever since. Jace had pulled the bomber jacket and its bright green satin off the rack, and your first reaction had been to laugh. The thing practically glowed.
“You’ll look like a traffic light,” you’d giggled.
But Jace was already pulling the shimmering material over his shoulders. “Consider this your green light to jump my bones whenever you want,” he’d said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
“I’d feel bad separating you from it, to be honest,” you say in the present. “I’m pretty sure a piece of your soul is tied to that jacket by now.”
He pouts. “You’ll be carrying a piece of my heart already; what’s a piece of my soul?”
“Smooth.” You poke at your bag. “I may not have any extra room in here though.”
“Fair enough, but if you change your mind, the offer still stands. What time are you leaving tomorrow?"
"Eleven. Should get us there a little before lunch."
"Us?" He pauses, setting down his phone. "You're driving with Tae?"
"No, Maya." A tinge of panic drops into your chest at the mention of Taehyung's name. Does he know? "Why?"
Jace shrugs, nonchalant. "No reason, just wondering. And you're back Monday?"
"Mhm, by dinnertime." You settle on the bed next to him, trailing your fingers along his forearm. "Do you want to maybe do a date night after work that day?"
He sighs deeply, tilting his head back against the headboard. "We have our conference debrief Monday, so who knows when I'll get home." You nod in understanding, but the disappointment must show on your face because then Jace is leaning forward to take your hand in his. "I'll tell you what, I know work has been keeping me from you lately, so let me make up for it.”
The pads of his fingers lightly dance along your jaw. "Fancy date night next Saturday? That upscale Italian place on Fifth that you love so much? I can make a reservation."
Your heart pounds as you will your eyes not to subconsciously drift to his desk, and you put on your best poker face. "It's a date."
The drive proves an easy one for you and Maya as sunny weather and a surprising lack of traffic has you at the house in under an hour. As you drive through the iron gates, a small mansion, white and pristine, spreads itself out before you, and you're once again reminded of just how wealthy a family Jungkook comes from.
You had grown up very well-off, sure, but Jungkook’s parents and their vast real estate portfolio are on an entirely different level of rich. And while your parents had immediately cut you off right after you left for college, Jungkook’s parents continue to supplement his bartending income with a monthly allowance to this day.
The word “spoiled” is a bit of an understatement when it comes to your friend.
"You sure you don't want anything more serious with Kook?" you tease Maya, who sits in the passenger seat with her dark sunglasses over her eyes. "All this could be yours."
"As if," she scoffs. "Not worth it to have to put up with his ass for the rest of eternity."
You key in the code for the front door and are greeted by a multitude of voices, the cavernous open-concept kitchen/dining room/living room only serving to amplify those inside. Hoseok and Sunny are quick to reel you in, introducing you to Sunny's three bridesmaid friends, Hoseok's brother (who you’ve met a few times before), and—
"Joonie!"
Namjoon swoops in to pull you into a bear hug while lamenting how long it's been since he last saw you. Hoseok's best friend since freshman year of college, the former pre-med major had been a core member of your group of friends, but med school combined with helping to manage his family's restaurant means that you rarely see him nowadays in spite of him sharing an apartment with Hoseok and Sunny.
"How's the roomie search going?" you ask as Namjoon pulls Maya into an equally crushing hug.
"Mmph, still no luck. Though I may have an old friend from grade school moving into the city soon, so we'll see if that pans out." He throws a quirked brow at Hoseok. "But I haven't entirely given up on convincing these two to reconsider breaking up the dream team."
"Ah, Joon, you really wanna live with two newlyweds that badly?" Hoseok whines. "Just think about it for two seconds. Really think about it."
Namjoon clicks his tongue, cheeks now tinged with a dusting of pink. "Okay, maybe you have a point."
The light mingling continues as everyone settles in, and you find yourself taking stock of the kitchen and planning a grocery run with Sunny's friends when the last three members of your party come spilling through the door.
Your companions head back to the entrance for introductions, but you stay firmly put, mindlessly busying yourself with plates and silverware, nerves alight at the thought of who just entered the house.
Voices still echoing from the living room, it's only a minute or so later when you sense the quiet presence of someone stepping into the kitchen, and, ever in sync, you don't need to turn around to know who.
"Hey, can I talk to you?"
You turn on instinct, your body responding to his voice before your brain can remind you of your avoidance. Taehyung leans against the kitchen island in a long-sleeved yellow shirt, baseball cap turned backwards on his head. Chin slightly tilted towards his chest, he's gazing at you from under his lashes, and you recognize it as nerves.
"I, um, I'm about to go on a grocery run."
"I can come with?" he offers. "Keep you company, carry the heavy stuff—"
"I made plans to go with Sunny's friends, actually."
"Oh, okay." His shoulders drop ever so slightly, and you glance away at the shoreline crashing in the distance, anywhere but at your best friend looking like a kicked puppy in front of you because of your own cowardice.
"Listen, Y/N—"
"Later?" You quickly interrupt, not mentally prepared to have this conversation right now, especially with Jimin casting you looks from where he stands in the living room.
Taehyung licks his lips, seeming to scan your face for something before he swallows down words on the tip of his tongue, grimacing as if they're nails. "Yeah, okay. Later."
When you said later, you truly meant it. While you and Sunny’s friends (Taehyung thinks their names were Iseul, Hana, and Yumi) run out for groceries, the rest of the group bustles around the house, splitting up rooms, settling in, and eventually migrating to the pool. Taehyung tries to catch you again when you return, but you hurry past him with a box of liquor, mumbling something about helping Jungkook set up the bar out back. Sunny’s friends dump the rest of the groceries on the kitchen island before scurrying away to the back deck with everyone else, which is how Taehyung winds up unpacking the bags.
Alone.
Nice.
He’s pushing a box of ramyeon on top of the fridge when he hears the back door click and slide open behind him.
“Need a hand?”
Namjoon walks into the kitchen, fingers poking at one of the bags.
“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”
They unload the groceries in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before Namjoon says, “So how have things been?”
Taehyung shrugs a shoulder. “Ah, you know, the usual. You?”
“Same.”
Quiet takes over again, and Taehyung thinks the conversation has ended before it even really started as he moves to place a bottle of orange juice into the fridge. But then—
“I heard about Y/N and Jace.”
Taehyung freezes mid-motion, the cool air from the open fridge slipping out and chilling his skin. When he looks up at Namjoon, the other man is studying him with a calm intensity that raises goosebumps along his arms. It’s not his first time being under Namjoon’s microscope, but he’ll never get used to the feeling of being simultaneously picked apart and comforted. Because while his friend may exude a quiet warmth, he always gives the sense that there’s also a million calculations going on under the surface at any given time.
It’s easy to let one’s guard down around Namjoon.
With that in mind, Taehyung opts for the simplest answer, slowly closing the refrigerator and saying, “Yeah?”
Namjoon nods, equally slow. “Are you alright?”
“I’m great,” Taehyung says, breaking the eye contact and closing the refrigerator to reach for another bag. “She’s always wanted this. And Jace is…” He finds himself rooting around his brain trying to find a descriptor for the guy. For someone who he’s known for several years, it’s bizarre how he can’t find a single word for him.
Weird.
“She’s happy with him,” is what he eventually comes out with.
“But is he right for her?” Namjoon presses.
“You think he’s not?”
Namjoon reaches up to put a few bags of snacks into a cupboard. “I don’t know. It’s like he was always around in college, but he was never truly present, you know?”
“That’s a Joon-ism if I’ve ever heard one.”
Namjoon smiles, a dimple dotting his cheek. “You don’t get what I mean?”
“No, I do. But that’s not important, is it? It doesn’t matter if we think he’s the right guy; it matters if she thinks he’s the right guy. And if she does, then I support it. It’s not my place to do anything else.”
The words settle in the room, and he means every one.
“You know, I’ve always admired the two of you,” Namjoon says after a moment. “The way you care for each other is…extraordinary, to say the very least.”
The sincerity in his voice makes Taehyung blush. “Well, we only had each other growing up, you know? She saved my life when we were kids. I truly believe that.”
“I know, you’ve said that before. She gave you a way out.”
“A way out, a purpose, a friend.” He crumples a plastic bag into his hand. “She chose me when no one else did. Not even my own family.”
And you had, when no one else seemed to want anything to do with him, there you were, hanging by his side like his own personal guardian angel.
“She’s the most incredible person I know, and I would just…do anything for her.”
“Including watch her marry him, apparently.”
“Yes,” Taehyung says. Unhesitating. “If that’s what she wants.”
“And where does that leave you?”
Taehyung has nothing to answer that with—his worst fear laid bare in front of him. It’s the thought that keeps him up at night, plagues the very marrow of his bones every time someone mentions that tiny velvet box. Your childhood friendship may have allowed you to grow together as one through the years, but just as trees grow apart as they grow upwards, it feels like only a matter of time before your branches no longer intertwine, drawn apart by jobs and relationships, life and love.
How long until you’ve outgrown him? How long until you’ve started your own family and left him behind?
He has no right to you, and he knows that. The last thing he would ever want to do is hold you back, but perhaps a part of him thought he’d have more time. Now, with you suddenly not talking to him for reasons he can’t even begin to grasp, he feels like he may have already lost you.
Namjoon puts him out of his misery. “Do you know what Plutarch said about friendship?”
“Who?”
“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.”
Taehyung stares, stunned and confused. Because Namjoon couldn’t possibly be suggesting…
“You’re saying I should tell her to say no to him?”
“I’m saying it’s possible to be selfless to a fault.”
It doesn’t sound terribly different in Taehyung’s mind, but he tries to consider Namjoon’s words regardless. Your happiness has always been his utmost priority, but could his unconditional support really be doing more harm than good? He likes to believe that if he felt your well-being were truly at risk, he would speak up.
Then again, with the way his friend is looking at him, he also can’t help but feel like he’s missing something important.
“What are you trying to specialize in again?” he asks, deflecting.
“Psychiatry.”
“Of course.”
Namjoon chuckles. “It’ll all work out in the end.” He winks, moving to rejoin your friends outside. “Life finds a way.”
You’ve managed to evade Taehyung all day, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t felt his eyes on you.
The early hours had been easy, your supermarket run giving you an (albeit weak) excuse to put some physical distance between the two of you. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, especially after your group gathered together to decide what to do tonight.
When you’d entered the living room, Taehyung had already been seated at the end of the couch, a free spot open on his left; with the way that his hand had been resting, it was almost as if he was saving it for you. Instead, you’d chosen an armchair diagonally across from him, squirming more and more the longer he looked at you. Throughout the entire conversation, as the group decided upon going to the beach bar down the street to kick off your first night at the house, you don’t think his eyes left you even once.
You’re being a coward, and you know it.
Now, you sit at the vanity in your room, struggling with your necklace and just about ready to give up on the damn thing so you don’t hold everyone else up. The clasp doesn't want to cooperate, your fingers can't seem to get purchase on the thin metal, and really, who are you trying to look good for anyway?
Right as you prepare to abandon the cause and stuff the offending item back in your bag, someone knocks on the door and you yell for them to come in.
Taehyung saunters into the room, now wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, his hair pushed back in such a way that you can tell he's been running his hands through it. His eyes skim your figure as he softly closes the door behind him, and you feel your pulse double in pace. "Need help?"
"It's okay—I, um—" but before you can stutter out an excuse, he's already taking the thin chain from your hands, and all you can do is try not to focus on how his fingers feel brushing the back of your neck.
"There. Easy peasy." He eyes you up and down again before clearing his throat. "Looks good on you."
"I, uh, thanks." Your voice is practically a whisper, and you busy yourself with your make-up case...which may have been an adequate distraction if not for the fact that you've already done your make-up and so your hands are only left to wander aimlessly. Glancing up, you catch Taehyung gazing at you over your shoulder in the mirror, and the intensity of his stare has you dropping the case back to the table. "What?"
"You're avoiding me." He states it as a fact, eyes unwavering, and you turn to face him.
"I'm not."
"You are." He searches your face as if to find the answer written there in big, bold letters. "Why?"
A tiny spider makes its way across the corner of the ceiling, and you find yourself staring at it as you chew on your bottom lip, not knowing what to say.
"Hey," Taehyung murmurs, pulling your attention back to him. "It's me, yeah? We don't keep secrets."
But still you hesitate. "You won't get mad?"
He reaches out to hook his pinky with yours. "Of course not."
Letting out a shaky breath, you ask, "Are you okay with Jace proposing?" The question hangs between you for a second, the air thickening with apprehension.
His eyebrows press together, confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know, it's just..." You pause to collect your thoughts. "When I told you about the ring at the gallery opening, there was a second where you appeared to be…bothered."
"Ahh, well..." He pushes his hands through his hair, mulling over his next words. "Do you want me to be honest?"
"Please."
"I know we're friendly, but I've just never been his biggest fan, even in college." Taehyung shrugs. "You know I want the best for you, and he seems like a good guy and all, I just—I don't know." Another run of his hand through his hair. "I just get a weird vibe from him sometimes."
You smirk at that. "A weird vibe?"
"Yeah, like," he licks his lips, still fidgeting. "I can't put my finger on anything in particular, just something about him rubs me the wrong way sometimes." You open your mouth to respond and he quickly cuts in, "But I will 100% support you! If he's who you want and he makes you happy and treats you well, then I will cheer you on the whole way. Hell, I'll even walk you down the aisle if you want me to." That draws a small laugh from you, and he smiles. "If you’re happy, then I’m happy for you. That's all I care about."
You take in his beaming figure and are reminded of how thankful you are to have this man in your life. But the voice in the back of your head is still not entirely placated and before you can stop yourself, you're blurting, "And that's really it?"
Taehyung's smile fades, lips slowly turning downward into a frown, and you silently curse yourself. After seventeen years of friendship, the man can practically read your mind and you know it. "What aren't you telling me?"
You sigh. Seems like there's no way getting around it at this point, and so you decide you may as well dive in. Tucking your hair behind your ears, you quietly ask, "You don’t…have feelings for me?”
Taehyung's eyes blow wide, and you're surprised his jaw isn't touching the floor. After several moments of stunned silence, he lets out a strangled, "What?"
"No, I just—" you stutter. "Look, someone said you did, and after you seemed upset about Jace proposing, I thought maybe..."
He's deeply scowling now, the crease back between his eyebrows, and a flare of his nostrils indicates that he's pissed. "Who?" he asks.
"Who what?"
"Who said that?"
"Tae—"
"No, Y/N, if people want to talk about me behind my back and screw with my private life, I have a right to know who."
He stares you down until you purse your lips and break. "Maya."
"Fucking hell," he says under his breath as he rubs at the lines in his forehead, and his lack of a denial has your head spinning.
"So it's true?"
"Y/N—"
"You haven't answered the question—"
"No!" He almost shouts it. "I don't."
"Because if you did have feelings for me, you could tell me. No secrets, right?"
He lets out a huff and stuffs his hands in his pockets, leveling his gaze back at you. "No," he says. Firmly. Definitively. "No, Y/N, I don’t have feelings for you."
You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. But something in your blood continues to tingle.
"Okay."
And really? You should've known. Should've trusted to get the truth from him and not secondhand from your friends who, though they mean well, have been known to meddle and gossip (and sure, maybe that includes yourself at times).
The heightened tension has dissipated from the room, but the two of you are still left looking awkwardly at each other. After a stretch of time, Taehyung shifts on his feet and asks, "Y/N, are we good?"
There's a hint of fear in his eyes, and it has any residual worry you're feeling melting away. This is still Tae. Your Tae.
"Of course we are." You link your pinky with his. "Always."
The beach bar is relatively crowded for a Thursday night, the warm summer air and mix of bodies driving your group to disperse around the venue. Some migrate towards the live band, while others choose to mingle (and flirt) with the other patrons.
Noticing the way one guy at the bar has been eyeing you since you got here, Taehyung sticks close to your side, just in case. That is, until Namjoon finds his way back to the two of you looking harried, drawing you in so he can gently rest his hands on your elbows.
“Y/N, can I borrow you?” His light smile and the way he leans in close are clearly meant to project the image of intimacy, but his eyes are desperately screaming for help. “There’s an intoxicated woman who seems determined to motorboat me, and I don’t know where Maya is. I need a fake girlfriend.”
You pretend to swoon. “Joonie, with a chest like that, I’d be honored to be your fake girlfriend.”
Something aches behind Taehyung’s ribs as he watches you walk away on Namjoon’s arm when he just got you talking to him again. Still, a bit of breathing room is probably for the best. His conversation with you has him rattled; he doesn’t think his pulse has fully returned to normal since you suggested he has feelings for you. At the very least, he was able to smooth things out, which has noticeably eased the weight he’s been carrying the past couple of weeks.
But speaking of your conversation, you being summoned away by Namjoon gives him the opportunity to address the other elephant in the room.
He scans the crowd, determinedly ignoring the woman who’s been trying to catch his eye from a few tables over. (She pouts in his peripheral vision, shifting the neckline of her shirt to sit lower on her chest.) Finally spotting his target making her way back from the bathroom, he quickly moves to intercept her before she can join you and Namjoon at the bar.
Maya startles as he tugs lightly on her arm, leading her to a quieter spot towards the edge of the beach before abruptly spinning to face her.
"What the fuck?"
"What?" she quirks an eyebrow as if in askance but her overall countenance says that she knows exactly what this conversation is going to be about.
"You know what."
"Maybe, but I want to hear you say it."
Taehyung takes a deep breath. He loves Maya like a sister, but that sibling relationship means that she often gets under his skin like one, too. "You told Y/N that I'm in love with her?"
Her other eyebrow joins the first one in climbing her forehead. "Are you?"
"No."
Maya scoffs. "I'm going to give you another chance to say that, but try to sound like you actually believe it this time."
"You had no right—"
"So you're not denying it now?"
"I said no."
"Okay, that time was better, but it could still use some work—"
"Maya, fuck!" He scrubs a hand over his face. "Don't do this."
"She needs to know! What did you tell her?"
“That I don’t—“
“I thought you two didn’t lie to each other.”
“I didn’t!”
“You’re full of shit, and you know it.”
He’d swear he can feel his eyelid twitch. Maya always seems to know which buttons to press to get a reaction out of him. "She's getting married, for fuck's sake!"
"No, she has a boyfriend with a ring box in his drawer."
"Same difference."
"It's not."
"It is."
"She hasn't said yes yet, Tae."
He goes quiet at that. It’s painfully reminiscent of his conversation with Namjoon, and yet he’s equally at a loss. What are they honestly expecting him to do here? What could he possibly do that would accomplish anything other than drive you away, and rightfully so?
Maya’s gaze rakes over his face, scrutinizing him with a mixture of frustration and pity. "Tell me it isn't killing you."
Taehyung licks his lips, looking out across the bar until he finds where you’re standing with Namjoon. The latter says something that makes you laugh, and his stomach flips watching the way your eyes twinkle with mirth as you toss your head back, hair spilling over your shoulders.
You’re radiant. Stunning.
"She's happy," he finally croaks, but it comes out like he's physically straining to push out the words. "Leave it the fuck alone."
“Hey.”
You find Taehyung in the kitchen bright and early the next morning, already rummaging around and littering the counters with bowls and ingredients. The soft morning light drenches him in a golden glow, highlighting his honey skin, the slope of his nose, the long lines of his fingers as he works.
“Hey!” The smile he gives you is light and easy, the awkwardness between you having evaporated as easy as steam after your discussion last night. “Want to help me make breakfast?”
You jump in, immediately falling into rhythm with the way he maneuvers around the kitchen. God, you’ve missed this. It may have only been a few weeks, but cooking with Taehyung is one of your life’s greatest joys, and after missing two of your meal prep nights, it feels like a part of you has come home. There’s no doubt that you’re breathing a little easier today with the air cleared between you.
And honestly, how stupid to let a single comment from Maya drive a wedge between the two of you. You’ve known Taehyung practically your whole life. If he did have feelings for you, you would’ve figured it out by now.
Surely, he would’ve told you.
Lost in your thoughts, you don’t even notice that Taehyung is sneaking up on you until he’s already smeared a streak of waffle batter across your cheek.
“Augh, Tae!”
“What?” He quickly backpedals out of your reach, anticipating retaliation, but grinning widely. “You were clearly somewhere else. Had to bring you back to me somehow.”
A while later, as Taehyung sets out the platters of waffles, fruit, and eggs, you begin making the rounds to let everyone know that breakfast is ready. Sunny and her friends thank you from where they’re hanging out on the back deck and say that they’ll be in soon. Moving back into the hallway, you greet Hoseok and his brother, Jiho, as they pass you; Hoseok gives you an appreciative high five when you tell them about the food. Namjoon and Jimin have their door wide open, so you only need to poke your head in, Jimin immediately taking off down the hall at the mention of waffles.
When you get to Taehyung and Jungkook’s door, it’s closed, a series of muffled groans coming from inside. Unhesitating, you knock hard, and the groaning stops, followed by a curse and the sound of shuffling before Jungkook is opening the door halfway, blocking your view of the room. Clad in only a pair of gray joggers, a light sheen of sweat coats his bare chest, and you raise an eyebrow at him.
“Can I help you?”
“Tae and I made breakfast. You’re welcome to join.” You nod your chin at the area behind him. “Unless, you know, you have better things to do.”
Jungkook smirks, amused. “Alright, I’ll be out in a minute.”
He moves to close the door, but you manage to stick a foot out to block him.
“Maya, you too!”
There’s a moment of silence as you stand there, Jungkook looking as smug as ever, before a voice sounds from inside the room.
“Okay!”
It's a cloudless, sunny day so your group heads down to the beach after breakfast. Jungkook's beach house sits down the street, away from the center of town and tourist areas, which allows you a relatively private, uncrowded stretch of sand. The air is sticky with humidity, only mitigated by the breeze coming off the water. It's an oddly soothing combination of hot and cool that has you pulling in deep breaths of the salty air. You could stay out here forever.
"This is paradise," Hana says, verbalizing your own thoughts. "I wish I could live here."
You're sitting on your towel in the sand helping Maya sunscreen her back, but you don't miss the cocky grin on Jungkook's face.
"Well, pretty ladies like you are always welcome here."
Maya's shoulders tense up under your hands, and you're tempted to say something snarky in her defense before Sunny beats you there.
"Not my friends, Kook!"
Hana giggles, Jungkook feigns innocence, and you think that's that, stretching out on your towel to sunbathe. But an hour later, Taehyung is plopping down next to you in the sand.
"I need your help."
You slide your sunglasses to the top of your head so you can look at him better. "Sunny trying to set you up with someone again?"
He blushes. "No, Kook wants to have a chicken fight."
You push your glasses back down your face. "No."
Taehyung is quick, reaching over to pull the shades off your eyes entirely.
“Tae!”
“Look,” he murmurs, leaning in close. “Normally I’d blow him off, but he’s pairing up with Hana, and Maya actually seems kind of bothered.”
You peek over his shoulder to where Maya is now chatting with Jimin, throwing furtive glances at Jungkook and Hana flirting by the water’s edge.
“I know they’re not exclusive,” Taehyung continues, “but you have to admit Kook is being a bit of a dick, and I kind of want to show him up.”
You’re still hesitant, lips turning downwards, and so he presses closer, until all you can see are big brown eyes.
“Please? For me?”
The past two weeks creep into your mind, two weeks of intentionally avoiding him—hurting him—due to your own idiocy, and that’s when you cave. You owe him.
“Okay, fine.”
You follow Taehyung down to the shoreline, where Jungkook grins widely at your approach and claps his hands together.
"A challenger!"
You shake your head at his antics and move to tie your hair up and away from your face. "Do we have any stakes?"
Jungkook strikes a dramatic pose: calf-deep in water, hands on hips, six-pack abs already glistening as he pouts his lips in thought.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, he says, "Loser cooks dinner tomorrow."
Well, that's much tamer than you expected. "Just dinner? No, 'loser has to go skinny dipping' or anything like that?"
His mouth forms into a tiny "o", eyes wide with excitement. "Do you...want that?"
"No," you're quick to clarify. "It just doesn't seem like much of a punishment for us."
Jungkook shrugs his shoulders. "I like your food."
"Okay, but what if we win?" Taehyung asks, nodding from your right.
The cocky grin is back. "You won't."
Seagulls circle above like curious spectators to your game as you get into position. Taehyung squats in the surf so you can scale his back, sliding your legs over his tanned shoulders. He wraps his arms and hands tightly around your knees to secure you as he walks deeper into the ocean until the water is up to his waist. Roughly ten feet across from you, Jungkook and Hana have assumed a similar stance, and you're not sure if it's the waves rolling in or if Jungkook is actively bouncing on his heels.
"Jimin, wanna count us off?" he shouts.
From his spot on the beach, you see Jimin cup his hands around his mouth.
"On your mark...get set...GO!"
The men charge at each other through the water until you and Hana collide, grappling at each other's arms. In spite of a tiny build, she's surprisingly strong and sturdy, and you already have to adjust yourself on top of Taehyung, who likewise rearranges his grip on your legs.
"You good?" he grunts from under you, and you assure him you're fine.
You change your tactic, moving to push at her shoulders and send her backwards, but Jungkook shifts his legs to keep the two of them balanced. This gives Hana the chance to bump you with an elbow, and Taehyung likewise has to tighten his hold on you again to keep you steady.
This back-and-forth goes on for a short while, your friends now cheering from the sidelines, until Jungkook pushes forward and Hana collides with you again. This time, Taehyung adjusts to the hit by sliding his hands upwards, his long fingers skating up the soft inner flesh of your thighs and digging in.
A flash of heat rushes straight to your belly.
The sensation forcefully jolts your entire body and sends both you and Taehyung tumbling into the water. You kick around trying to find your footing before he pulls you up, sopping wet and spluttering as Jungkook and Hana celebrate their victory with raised arms and whoops.
“Are you alright? What happened?”
Hell if you know. You’d swear you can still feel the pads of his fingers on your legs, and so you merely blink at him with a shake of your head.
A biological reaction, you tell yourself, as you wade your way back to dry land. Nothing more.
You will your body to get a grip as you settle back down on your towel. You love Jace, you’re taken, and you and Taehyung have just reestablished the platonic nature of your friendship. Letting his touch have that kind of effect on you is nothing short of wildly inappropriate on two counts.
Trying to shake the shame poking at your brain, you angle yourself towards the waves and snap a quick selfie to send off to your boyfriend.
You [2:05pm]: miss you so much, wish you were here <3
It’s not long before your phone chimes with a reply, and you open the message to see a picture of Jace taken at a similar angle. He stands in a sea of businessmen and conference booths, suit crisp and hair neatly combed. The smile he wears is bright, eyes crinkling in the way you love so much and setting of a flurry of butterflies in your belly.
J <3 [2:07pm]: i’d say i wish you were here but i wouldn’t wish this place on my worst enemy let alone my favorite girl lol
J <3 [2:07pm]: i miss you too, beautiful :(
By the time the sun starts its descent, you’ve all moved to the pool on the expansive back deck, Jungkook immediately hopping behind the outdoor bar to make drinks.
“You know,” you say from your perch atop one of the stools, “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who can match your enthusiasm for your job.”
He smiles, rattling a cocktail shaker. “It gets me booze and ladies. What more could I ask for?”
Yumi soon joins you at the bar top to ask Jungkook for a margarita, and is quick to strike up a conversation with you. Unsurprisingly for one of Sunny’s friends, she’s incredibly nice, and you learn she works as a hairdresser in the city.
“I’ll have to check out your salon!” you say. “I’ve been meaning to get a trim.”
She claps her hands together eagerly. “If you want to give me your number, I can text you the address!”
As you’re putting your contact information into her phone, she looks at you thoughtfully and adds, “Not to sound like I have an ulterior motive, but Sunny also mentioned that you’re going to be getting married soon, too?”
Heat creeps into your cheeks. “Ah, yeah, nothing official yet. But, you know, it seems like it’s coming.”
“Exciting!” she declares. “Just figured I’d let you know that I do weddings, too, in that case. And I know we’ve just met, but I’d still give you the friends discount. Sunny’s friends are my friends, as far as I’m concerned.”
“That’s so sweet of you. I’ll definitely give you a call to talk about it once we’re actually planning.”
“That sounds gre—“
“Sorry to interrupt.” Taehyung wanders up to where you sit, handing you a plate of steaming beef and cucumber salad. “Hoseok and Jimin got the first round of meats done. I knew you’d want it hot.”
The moan you let out as you take the plate from him is downright scandalous. “Ugh, you’re the best.”
You’re rewarded with a light chuckle and a signature boxy grin. “I know.”
As he heads back to the grill and you dig into your food, Yumi lets out a dreamy sigh. “It’s no wonder he’s planning to put a ring on your finger. I wish someone would look at me like that.”
A piece of food lodges itself in your throat, and you cough hard. Yumi stares at you in alarm until you regain your breath and turn to her with wide eyes. “Tae and I aren’t together.”
She looks back and forth between the two of you like she’s trying to solve a puzzle. “You’re not?”
“No.” You shake your head emphatically. “We grew up together. My boyfriend is at a work event.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” she exclaims. “I just noticed how close you were at the bar last night and how he’s always—“ She cuts herself off with a shake of her head. “Nevermind. That’s my fault. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
You assure her it’s fine, and she changes the subject, asking how you know the others and what college was like. Your chat carries on for a while longer before you excuse yourself to use the bathroom.
You don’t even make it halfway across the deck, though, before a tattooed arm is snaking across your waist, lifting you off your feet, and carrying you in the direction of the pool.
“Jeon Jungkook, don’t you fucking dare!” you screech, trying to wiggle yourself out of his grip to no avail.
All you hear behind you is a maniacal giggle before you’re tossed through the air and land in the water with a splash.
When you come up to the surface, pushing your wet hair out of your eyes, you find Jungkook cackling by the pool’s edge. You glare at him.
“Asshole!”
“C’mon, Y/N! It’s a tradition!” he laughs. “It’s not a beach house trip without—“ But he doesn’t get to finish that thought before Taehyung shoulders him hard in the back, propelling him into the water next to you.
You only give Jungkook a second to get his bearings before you’re hopping onto his back and trying to play wrestle him back under the water to the laughter of your friends. It’s hopeless really—Jungkook is basically a mountain of hard muscle that barely budges under your touch—but a few minutes of scrambling all over him with determination, and he eventually concedes and humors you by allowing you to dunk him below the surface.
It’s later, once you’ve clambered out of the pool and are toweling off on the deck when you hear him talking to Jiho behind you.
“He got you good. You didn’t even hear him coming, did you?” There’s a shuffle and a “Pow!” like Jiho is reenacting Taehyung’s takedown.
“Ah, it’s alright,” Jungkook laughs, no hint of a grudge in his voice. “I messed with his girl.”
Your party stretches on into the night until the sky has turned inky black, peppered with stars that shine intensely this far removed from the city. Almost ironically, your group has mellowed out as the alcohol has flowed, settling into smaller groups scattered around the deck. Namjoon sits with Hoseok and Jiho, clearly getting philosophical around the fire pit. Sunny is gathered to the side with her friends as they sloppily braid each other’s hair, the occasional burst of laughter coming from their general vicinity. Jimin lays on his back at the side of the pool, drunkenly tracing constellations with his finger. And Maya and Jungkook are nowhere to be found.
There’s a sense of peace that flows through your veins as you watch your friends smile and talk while you grab yourself a beer from the poolside bar. You’ve always loved coming here. Sure, getting a free stay at a waterfront mansion is nothing you’d ever say no to, but it’s really getting to spend quality time with your friends—away from all of your real world responsibilities—that makes this place feel almost magical.
You look out to the shoreline and spot a figure sitting alone on the beach, staring out at the waves. You’d been thinking about joining Namjoon’s group by the fire, but that plan is immediately pushed out of mind as you grab a second bottle and make your way towards the sea.
You’re not loud in your stroll, the soft sand muting your steps, but Taehyung seems to sense your approach anyway, not startling a bit as you seat yourself next to him and hand him a beer.
“Contemplating the wonders of the universe?” you ask. From this angle, he looks almost like he did in Maya’s photograph of him—the same constellations in his eyes.
Taehyung stretches his legs out with a sigh, leaning back on his palms. “Where do you think we’ll be this time next year?”
You sip at your drink. Honestly, you can’t imagine things being all that different.
“Right back here?” you say. “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of coming here. This is my ultimate happy place.”
Taehyung hums in agreement. “It could be your pre-wedding party we’ll be having next year.”
“You think?”
His brow furrows at your doubt. “I’d expect you’d at least be planning then, no? Or you could already be married by then if you guys want to move fast.”
The thought sends jitters running down your spine. “Who knows?” you challenge. “Maybe you’ll be the one married. Maybe you’ll meet your soulmate tomorrow and elope because you know it’s fate, and there’s no point in waiting.”
Taehyung barks out a laugh. “That sounds somewhat out-of-character, no?”
“Hmm, true. You’re more of a wait five years to move in and another five years to propose kind of guy. Work on your credit score and establish a detailed financial plan before even thinking about merging assets. And don’t even get me started on the background check.”
“Geez, Y/N. Does Jace know you just casually talk dirty to other guys like this?”
You playfully shove at his shoulder, and the pink of his tongue pokes through his teeth as he laughs.
“Oh, wow, look.”
Taehyung points a delicate finger as a tiny flash blazes through the sky, trailing light and stardust in its wake. He turns to you, smiling.
“Make a wish?”
The words come out on a whisper like a secret meant just for the two of you.
As you sit there, gazing out at the shadowy horizon in the distance, you feel perfectly content. What do you wish for when you feel like you already have the world? Work has been going great, and after almost a year of unpacking boxes and rearranging furniture, you feel like you and Jace are finally settled in and cozy at your apartment. You think about Jace—his smile, the soothing feel of his hands on your skin, the little black box in his desk—and contemplate all of the joy you can sense coming your way.
And then you consider the man beside you.
His eyes are closed as he meditates on his own wish, his legs now drawn up so he can rest his forearms on his knees. It flashes you back to when you were kids, lounging away the hours in your room or hanging at your favorite spots around town—the park, the library, the ice cream shop where Mrs. Kang would often take pity and treat the two of you to free cones. When you were young, Taehyung almost always sat like this, knees to his chest as if he was trying to make himself smaller. As if he could make himself invisible to the shadows that followed him every second of each day.
Taehyung’s always been a positive person, steadfastly determined to not let his demons poison his perspective of the world. Though neither of you were fond of explicitly discussing your situations, Taehyung always maintained a bright outlook on the rare occasions when your frustrations would spill over. There’s still the family we can choose, he’d tell you. We’ll find them one day.
Still, though, you could always sense a certain anxiety lingering under the mask of his smile. It showed itself in the way he’d sit with his arms around his knees, in the way his forehead would crease during the moments when you’d catch him lost in thought. This had eased up in college, the change in scenery and your newfound friends loosening his bones and laugh lines. But since graduation, you’ve seen some of that tension return to his shoulders like he’s carrying extra weight, especially in the past year.
You consider the man beside you, and you think, then, that he deserves the world, too.
I wish for Taehyung to have everything he wants. You squeeze your eyes shut, casting the thought out to the universe with everything you have. Every last desire of his heart. He deserves it all.
No one in the world would be more deserving. Of that, you’re sure.
When you open your eyes again, he’s watching you with an unreadable expression on his face.
“What did you wish for?” is all you can think to ask, blinking at him.
“Well if I tell you, then it won’t come true.”
You roll your eyes, shaking your head with a teasing scoff. He smiles.
“Happiness,” he declares. “If I had to put it simply.”
You smile back at him, hoping those stars stay in his eyes. “Yeah, me too.”
He’ll find it. You know he will.
It's Sunday morning when shit hits the fan.
After Saturday passes with ease, another lazy day by the pool punctuated with you and Taehyung collaborating on a fried chicken dinner as per your bet with Jungkook, you wake up on Sunday to the sound of Iseul's squeals over there being no hot water, a fact which is soon confirmed after the men team up to check the heater. Jungkook calls his family handyman (apparently those come standard when you have more houses than you can count on one hand), but the man is quick to inform him that he's getting ready for his granddaughter's birthday party and won't be able to come out until tomorrow.
"There's no way I'm making it through the day without a hot shower," Maya grumbles.
Jungkook wiggles his eyebrows. "I can show you a hot shower.”
She doesn't even look at him.
You're also not enthused about the prospect of having to either take a cold shower or skip one entirely. So when Maya suggests going home a day early, you're already leaning towards the idea as well.
"It won't be that bad," Taehyung says, lips turning down in a tiny pout when you tell him. "The key is to just go fast."
"I'd rather not have to do it at all." You giggle as his pout deepens. "We're going to stay until the evening. It's only like a twelve hour difference."
"But I thought we were going to do a movie night."
Okay, now you feel bad.
"Temporary reschedule?" you suggest, poking at his bottom lip. "Jace and I are going to dinner on Saturday, but my Friday night is free."
A hand rubs at his chin as he pretends to make a show out of pondering your offer. "Deal."
Later, you're sitting on a chaise lounge on the back deck, soaking up your last few hours of sun with one of Jungkook's signature cocktails in your hand when Maya sighs deeply beside you in a similar show of disappointment.
"It really is a shame though," she laments. "Tonight was supposed to be our big send-off, and now I cleared my schedule tomorrow for nothing."
"We could do a girls night?" you say. "I have this new cab sav I found the other week that we could split."
"Ooh, twist my arm."
Plans made, you pull out your phone. Jace has been texting you on and off from his conference all weekend—just brief check-ins and I miss yous—so you shoot him a quick message now.
You [4:53pm]: the water heater here is busted so i'll be home early tonight. maya is going to come too, might stay over. can't wait to see you <3
The sky is a misty orange when you pack the car and say goodbye to your friends, Taehyung giving you a particularly tight hug. Things were great between you for the rest of the weekend, but you can feel the tension of your conversation lingering in the way he holds you that extra second.
You check your phone as Maya settles into the passenger seat and buckles her seat belt. There's still been no word from Jace. It's not particularly unusual for him to forget to answer his phone—especially since you expect he's busy wrapping up the conference—but a seed of worry still plants itself in the back of your brain. You hope everything is alright.
The ride is mostly quiet, you and Maya occasionally singing along to a song on the radio as the evening gradually turns to night. But about halfway back home, you feel the need to straighten things out.
“So I talked to Tae.”
She’s quiet for a second, her face shrouded in shadow. “Uh-huh.”
“He said he doesn’t have feelings for me.”
Maya shifts in her seat, angling herself towards you ever so slightly. “And you believe him?”
“Yes. Definitely.” There’s no doubt in your mind. “He’s never given me a reason not to.”
Silence stretches itself between you, Maya entirely unreadable as she seems to be puzzling something out in her head.
“Okay.”
It comes as a surprise, and you jerk your eyes away from the road to glance over at her. “Okay?”
Maya shrugs. “Okay.”
“That’s it?”
“Do you want there to be more?”
You work your mouth in a stunned gape. Because she’s right; why are you pushing this?
“No. We’re good.”
When you get to your apartment, you swipe you and Maya into the building and head towards the elevators. You’re a little bummed that your time at the beach house had to be cut short, but you take solace in the fact that you get some time back with Jace.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Maya asks on the ride up.
You grin. “We could play that Twilight drinking game I sent you.”
“Pfft, I know I said I have tomorrow off, but I meant I could handle a mild hangover, not alcohol poisoning.”
You fumble for your key at your apartment door, sliding it into the lock and pushing the door open. The first thing you notice is that the lights are on, so Jace must be home.
“Babe?” you call, as you and Maya dump your bags by the couch.
“Where’s that cab sav?” You nod in the direction of the kitchen, and Maya skips over to investigate.
A moan sounds through the apartment.
You and Maya both freeze, staring at each other. Goosebumps break out over your entire body, a frightening sense of impending doom slamming itself down on your consciousness.
A second moan, and now you notice the lights on under the closed door of your bedroom. There was no sign of forced entry, but the image of a wounded and bleeding Jace pushes itself to the forefront of your mind.
You rush to the bedroom door, fearing the worse.
“Jace?”
You swing it open.
And your entire world collapses.
Taehyung can’t quite shake the feeling that you’re slipping through his fingers.
Movie night had been his idea, a way to get you in one spot (and mostly to himself, if he’s being honest) after your two weeks of silence. Now knowing the reason behind your push for space, he doesn’t blame you at all. Maya throwing that wrench into your relationship was surely unsettling, and he understands wanting time alone. But he’s missed you; he’s not going to deny that. And he’s desperate to prove that things can be okay between you. Things can be normal.
But the universe, it seems, is stacked against him.
He’s ambling through the house, wondering if Jimin might be up for a game of ping pong in the downstairs game room, when his phone blares in his pocket. It’s a jarring sound, violent in the way it disrupts the calmness of the house, and Taehyung frowns when he sees Maya’s name on the screen.
Maya never calls.
“Hello?”
“Tae, oh thank God.” Her voice is high and tight—clearly in distress. “You need to come to Y/N’s apartment as soon as physically possible. Grab Jimin and Kook if you need to drive them back—whatever. But just—as soon as possible.”
“Wait, wait, slow down,” he urges, hairs standing at attention on the back of his neck. “What’s going on? Is everyone okay? Is Y/N okay?”
“We got back to the apartment, and Jace he…”
Time seems to slow in anticipation of Maya’s next words—the kind of eerie stillness that precedes a storm, quiet and disarming in its disguise.
And then she drops the bomb.
“He was with someone else.”
Taehyung’s ears ring. There is no possible way he heard that right. “What?”
The breath that comes from the other side of the phone is heavy, like Maya can’t even believe the words coming out of her own mouth. “He was in bed with someone else.”
A chill drips down his spine, pushing its way through his veins until his entire body runs cold. This can’t be happening. Not to you. You’ve had enough pain and hardship in your twenty-five years of life—he’s seen it, weathered it with you. Things are supposed to be getting better; this is supposed to be the payout for years of heartache. Surely, the universe wouldn’t be so cruel.
But then it happens. A single, anguished sob rings out in the background of the call, sharp and pained in its grief.
His heart shatters, shards piercing the spaces between his ribs.
“Tae? Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“She needs you. Please just get over here.”
Then line goes dead.
Taehyung is only frozen for a second longer before he’s bounding into motion, tearing down the hallway and into the living room where Jimin lays on his back on the couch. The latter shoots into a sitting position when he sees the look on Taehyung’s face.
“You okay?”
“Y/N—she—we—“ His mouth feels like it’s filled with sand, and while he stands there, working his jaw in agonizing frustration, Jimin leaps to his feet to close the distance between them, grasping Taehyung’s shoulders.
“What’s wrong? What happened to Y/N?”
His lungs burn as he finally finds the words. “Jace is cheating on her.”
Jimin goes still, the same stunned shock registering in his body.
“We need to—we need to go,” Taehyung gasps, and Jimin is quick to sit him on the couch.
“I’ll get Kook. We’ll take care of this,” he says, voice steady. Commanding. “You just wait here and breathe.”
The next several minutes are a blur as Jimin rushes to get Jungkook, and they work on packing the car, briefly explaining the situation to the others. Taehyung can’t think of anything but you, his focus reduced down to a pinpoint in his mind. You must be devastated. In spite of what he had said about his own feelings on Jace, he knows how much you love him, how you were expecting to spend the rest of your life with him. How must you be feeling to have an entire future ripped away? To have to bear witness to and suffer that kind of betrayal?
He’s not quite sure how it happens, but he winds up in the passenger seat of his own car, Jimin sliding behind the wheel and peeling away from the house and onto the highway. The air inside the cabin is thick, a stifling combination of premature summer heat and heavy silence, with even Jungkook sitting oddly quiet in the backseat. Taehyung is thankful for the absence of conversation; he doesn’t think he can handle talking about any of this until you’re in front of him and he can hold you, feel that you’re safe.
He realizes somewhere along the way that he’s shaking, your cry still ringing in his ears.
The trip from the beach house to the city only takes about forty-five minutes, but it feels like days, headlights and street lamps zipping by like tiny suns as Taehyung wills the car to go faster, faster, faster. He’s never felt further from you before, never been so determined to close the distance between you like he is now.
Whatever you need from him, he’ll give it.
Jimin finally pulls into your apartment parking lot, and the car hasn't even fully stopped before Taehyung is bolting out at a near sprint. Jungkook and Jimin catch up to him as he pulls out the duplicate access card you had given him in case of emergencies, swiping them into the entryway and down the hall where he pounds the button for the elevators.
"It'll be okay," Jimin says, staring Taehyung down where he seems to be vibrating in his shoes. "She'll be okay."
"She'd better be," Jungkook mutters, fists clenched tight.
(Jimin hopes Jace has long cleared out of the building, lest they run into him.)
The elevator ride is tense and slow, the numbers ticking upwards in time with the pounding in Taehyung's ears.
2...
The bastard was sleeping with someone else.
3...
You thought you were going to marry him.
4...
He'd spent time with Jace all through college. Even laughed with him at times.
5...
The sound you'd made on the phone, like you were physically wounded.
6...
If he ever sees that piece of shit again—
7.
The doors open with a ding that snaps the mess of Taehyung's thoughts into focus.
He's here. You need him.
It's a brisk walk to the end of the hallway, and then he's practically punching your apartment door, which swings open almost immediately as if Maya was waiting on the other side. She and Taehyung stare at each other for a brief moment, her mouth stretched into a tight line before she simply nods her head in the direction of the bathroom. Taehyung makes the final leg of the trip in five long strides before freezing in the doorway.
The fractured shards of his heart turn to dust.
You're curled up on the bathroom floor, a tangle of arms and hair covering your face as your body trembles with quiet sobs. They echo around the tile, filling the space between you until Taehyung thinks he can feel the sound burrowing itself under his skin, a morbid tattoo he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to erase. This image, he thinks, will surely haunt him for the rest of his life.
You. Completely and utterly broken.
He falls to his knees so he can brush your hair aside, the strands draping themselves over his fingers like a tether. Your face is red and stained with tears, and he reflexively wipes at the ones he sees rolling down your cheeks as you peer up at him, only now registering his presence.
"T-tae?"
"I'm here," he murmurs as his hands continue collect your tears, trying to carry them for you.
When you hear his voice, your cries start up again in earnest, and you reach out to clutch at his shirt. Taehyung immediately gathers you into his arms and tucks you into the haven of his chest, holding you like if he squeezes hard enough, he can press your broken pieces back together.
"T-tae...h-he..." you gasp at his collarbone, words failing you as Taehyung hugs you to him even tighter.
He runs his hands through your hair, presses kisses to the crown of your head, trails his fingers up the length of your back as you burrow into him, wails escalating.
"Shh, I've got you, baby."
He does. He'll hold you forever if he has to.
"I've got you."
NEXT
a/n: thoughts? guesses as to what taehyung used his wish on? likes, reblogs, and feedback give me life :)
taglist is open!
a/n 2: oh, fun fact. when jace caught oc going through his desk in part 1, he wasn’t even thinking about the ring box when his eyes flicked to the drawer. he was worried she was going to find the condoms, which would’ve been weird since they hadn’t used them in like two years (oof) (this isn’t plot relevant, just a detail tidbit lol)
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