Boy By The Sea • taekook

Twelve

The alley beside the bar is dark and away from the street. Taehyung leans against the brick wall of the building exterior, and pulls out a lighter from his jeans pocket. He flicks it a few times and watches as the small flame tremble in the air.

A hand reaches in to cup next to his, shielding the draft and helping the flickering flame grow. Taehyung glances at Jeongguk wordlessly, and leans in.

Ignite, puff, exhale.

The flames is extinguished with a turn of the wrist, but the burning cherry travels between Taehyung's long fingers in the dark. As he takes another long puff and exhales to the side, a thin veil of smoke shrouds the outline of his face.

"Still can't believe you came here." Taehyung's voice is dreamlike, his shoulders slumped and relaxed.

"I was curious."

A light chuckle, "Curious about the bar or what I look like actually working." He extends his hand out and offers the cigarette expectantly. Jeongguk shakes his head and thinks of the pack of cigarette he leaves in the office at home. Taehyung must've noticed.

Taehyung retracts his hand and takes another puff, "Goos to see you here though." His voice is quiet but Jeongguk hears every word. There's a hint of longing between the lines, but he can't be sure if he's dreamt it up.

"It's... an interesting place."

"Yeah." Taehyung agrees, wide eyes reflecting the tiny bit of light coming from the distant street lights. "Well, I gotta make a living somehow, this is really not so bad."

Jeongguk tries to ignore the thoughts bubbling up but words tumble out before he regrets it, "You don't have to be here, I could help you find another job if you want."

Taehyung dips his head, "I don't need another job, definitely not from you. You've given me enough, more than enough."

Taemin's abrasive gaze flashes across Jeongguk's mind, and he replays the way his fingers touched Taehyung under the chin, "you're still weak, this is not the best place. wouldn't hurt to take it easy for a bit either."

Taehyung grumbles, "I can take care of myself."

He inches closer and stares into Jeongguk's eyes, "Why don't you just ask me straight up? What he was talking about back at the bar..."

Jeongguk doesn't respond.

Taehyung huffs and throws the cigarette to the ground, stomping on it as he speaks, "that's the thing about you. Always silent, never speaking what's on your mind."

He wants to snap back, to let the words gush out, but they thistle on the back of his throat, and only a curt little sentence is pushed out instead, "I don't care what's in your past."

"You don't care? Well, I can't make you care. But what if-" A small grin spreads on Taehyung's face, eyes hollow and looking past Jeongguk, "-what if I told you I slept around and hurt people when he told me to? What if you find out I'm messed up in the head, not worth your time?"

Jeongguk tightens his clammy hands. Taehyung's slender frame retracts into the dark wall behind him, yet his eyes shine intensely, seeing right through him and daring for him to respond. Jeongguk murmurs, "It's all in the past, not who you are now."

"Stop. If you are not gonna to speak your mind - if you're just gonna keep up with this front that you put up, then there's no point."

He inches closer and looks at Jeongguk, one hand reaching to grip his arm. His voice is low but testing, "what am I, hmm? A charity case? Or something more? Do you even know, Gukkie?"