Best of Me

14. Moving On

Returning home from the funeral,Taehyung looked around and not one thing was misplaced, yet the house felt so foreign. Days of exhaustion finally settled in as he stepped in the house and his body gave up completely. He was about to fall to the ground when Jeongguk held him from beside. 

"Let's get you to bed." Jeongguk softly said,unable to look at Taehyung's broken face.

Taehyung didn't know whether it was his own feet that carried him to his room or was it Jeongguk and neither could he care.

"Do you wanna take a bath first?"  Jeongguk softly asked as he sat the older on the bed.

Hearing the words,Taehyung looked at Jeongguk, adoration,worry and care etched on the younger's face. Something moved in Taehyung as he looked at that face and he broke into tears. Jeongguk was quick to move and hold him tightly in his arms. The younger didn't ask or say anything. Just stayed there,holding him near. He knew Taehyung needed to let it out and he was glad that the older was finally ready to let go.

The next few days went in a frenzy. Jeongguk and Namjoon had to resume work again but Taehyung was never left alone. Taeri stayed for another three days before returning to the States. She assured her brothers that this time she will be in touch.

Days passed by and although the emptiness could never be filled,the sense of grief died down with time. As if everyone had accepted the undeniable truth of life.

"Hyung, do you have time?" Jeongguk softly called Taehyung who was doing something on his laptop.

"Of course." Taehyung paid his entire attention to the younger. Jeongguk has been so careful and caring with him,about anything and everything. It warms his heart. But he also cannot help feeling that he was being unfair to the younger.

"I have been transferred to Seoul." Jeongguk spitted the words in a breath and stared at Taehyung with widened eyes,waiting for a reaction or response but the older had same expression.

"I.....see....." Taehyung let the words drift away. Seoul. It was a lifelong dream to live in the metropolis city. But it was so sudden and unexpected. Everything he has known since birth,is this small town and leaving it sounds like leaving a part of himself.

"I know it can be a shock,hyung. It had been planned for a while and I should've told you earlier but it completely slipped from my mind. I'm so sorry." Jeongguk kept on blabbering mindlessly, fixed on not hurting the older.

"It's not something you could control. And honestly, it's a big dream to live in Seoul..... but everything has been so uncertain recently, I don't know how to react...." Taehyung softly explained while smiling to himself. He wasn't complaining. It was just a lot to take in.

"So when do you have to leave?" Taehyung didn't expect the shock in Jeongguk's eyes after asking that. He didn't think much about the question until he saw Jeongguk's face being the epitome of heartbreak.

"You're not coming...." Jeongguk softly whispered to himself. It wasn't a question, more like a self-confirmation. Jeongguk lowered his head to hide his expressions and smiled before looking back at Taehyung. "I have to leave this weekend. I'll go start packing." Jeongguk was about to leave when Taehyung stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

Taehyung still hadn't realise what caused such a reaction from Jeongguk but he couldn't buy notice the hurt. Jeongguk was too easy to read.

"Did I say something wrong? Why do you look so upset?" Taehyung gently asked,urging Jeongguk to sit but he younger wordlessly protested.

"It's nothing,hyung. Just getting a bit nostalgic." Jeongguk tried to smile but it didn't reach his eyes. Taehyung knew that wasn't it but he didn't want to pry further. He let the younger go.

Taehyung couldn't get the scene out of his head. Jeongguk looked too upset to be just nostalgic. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly went wrong. Jeongguk seemed to excited about moving to Seoul together-

Oh

Oh...

Oh......

Shit.

Taehyung quickly went around the house to search for Jeongguk and found him in the backyard,talking on the phone.

"I dunno,hyung. He was really clear. He isn't coming. I thought he was warming up to me...I thought maybe...just maybe....I guess I'm still a stranger after all......"

"Jeongguk...."

Jeongguk whipped his towards the sound and in a split second,again looked away. That split second was enough for Taehyung to notice what a mess the younger had become in these mere few minutes.

"Hyung,I'll call you later."  Jeonguk cut the call with Hoseok and fervently wiped his face to get rid of any stray tears.

"Ah,hyung. Do you need anything?"

"You really thought I wasn't coming?"

"Huh?? But you said..."

"That was a slip of tongue!! Oh my god,you big baby!!" Taehyung laughed out at Jeongguk's dumbfounded face. The younger was genuinely both heartbroken and surprised.

"I didn't even realize I said "you" and not "we". Look at you!" Taehyung moved forward with a big smile still plastered to his face. He couldn't but find it endearing. He wiped Jeongguk's still tear stained face with his palm and cupped his face,almost squishing his cheeks like a fish. "Of course, I'm coming with you."

Jeongguk's eyes was about to pop out almost. All the feelings were flooding in. Taehyung was coming to Seoul with him. And he couldn't deny the close proximity. They've held each other in arms before but it was to comfort or console each other but this is so different and loving. For a second, Jeongguk thought of kissing the older for coming with him. At the end,he ended up laughing too.

Taehyung's hands dropped from Jeongguk's face and swiftly found their way to the younger's hands. They stood there for a while,over the green grass,under the blue sky, holding each other's hands and laughing without any worries or care in the world.

In that moment, nothing felt more real that those hands in his own.

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I LIVE.

Well life is full of surprises and shocks. In a lot of countries/areas covid cases are getting worse again. Take care please.

And see how I went ambiguous with the last sentence, eh? I want Y'all to start a fight about who it is. Hehe. I'll reveal it along the way.

This is short yeh but I thought a pinch of fluff could work

Also this was meant to be an immunity booster for someone🙄🙄😒

Take care everyone.

Love, viri💜