Boy By The Sea • taekook

Eighteen

Taehyung sits by the long row of mixer boards and audio interfaces, dangling feet crossed and up by the edge of the boards. A thin vaporizer is tucked between his fingers precariously, its chromed surface gleaming under the dimmed studio lights.

It feels cold and smooth on his lips. There's no smoke when he inhales deeply, but the hazy tendrils fill his mind, clouding it and turning all the incessant chatters into a pleasant dullness.

A hand reaches over, and Taehyung passes the vape on wordlessly. With a deep yawn, he curls into the chair more, head rubbing on his own shoulder wearily.

Hmm, should really bring a blanket here next time.

The studio is small and intimate. Instead of the typical album art and posters on the wall, there are a few vintage style watercolour drawings, nautical themed and idyllic. And lots of plants everywhere - palms, succulents and bamboos. It's a cozy and organic place, just like the owner.

The music starts to play again, this time a ballad with swing and big band elements, all catchy chorus and infectious beats.

"I heard Bruno Mars considered using this song for a while." A voice speaks up beside him languidly.

"Don't waste your time name dropping, I wouldn't know most of them anyways." Taehyung comments lazily, "as for the song, pass."

A sigh, "that's the tenth song for today, frankly I got nothing left." The voice is right next to him, and Taehyung looks up with hooded eyes, to realize Hoseok has swivelled his chair next to him silently.

He groans and shifts in the seat, throwing his head back, "what can I say, not feeling it."

Hoseok clicks his tongue and responds, "man, what to do with you." A playful punch lands on Taehyung's arm, as he continues, "you know how many people have been asking about you? My phone was buzzing for three days straight after Cezanne. I need to feed them something - we need to."

Taehyung scoffs and takes another puff, "you sure they aren't just gawkers that enjoy digging up my past..."

"Well..." Hoseok pauses before speaking again, "LA loves gossips, the more scandalous the better."

"But-"he nudges Taehyung gently on the shoulder, "from what I've seen, the comments have mostly been positive - sympathetic and curious. Something about you-" his gaze upon Taehyung is soft, "-something that makes people swoon."

"Whatever." Taehyung flips through his hair nonchalantly, sinking into the haze more, settling in amidst the swirls of smoke on his mind. "I could care less, dig all they want."

They can't affect him, can't bring him down, not without his permission. And he's only given that power to one person in the world.

The numbness is setting in, opening him up and making the words slip out effortlessly. All the muddled thoughts are interwoven into each other, like a dark web that shadows his mind.

"What about your boyfriend? What does he say about all this?"

"Hmm." Taehyung leans into his own shoulder more, eyelids closed and fluttering, "I don't know. He says he likes it but..."

"But?" Hoseok's voice is warm and hypnotic.

"But...distant... always so close but so distant, like I'm some sort of disease that's gonna contaminate him..."

Hoseok responds breezily, "you are not a disease. And you guys always seem so in love, so very in sync."

A chuckle breaks out of Taehyung, and it has no joy in it, just a hollow sound, an instinctual reaction, "silly word...what a silly thing to say..."