Logolepsy (Taekook/ Vkook)

25. Braid

Read the Table Of Contents (Chapter 1) for description
Dedicated to PROUDSwiftyARMYDirec

Happy Halloween everyone!
Here's my contribution for the same!!
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The clinking of the door chime still holds the strings of Jimin's heart as unrelentingly as he knew ten years ago. The fragrance of cestrum flowers is a pinch of nostalgia mixed with the schmaltz of the bitter goodbye.

"Father, look!" he hears Jeohun chirp and waddle to the painting behung at the entryway. "It is you, the middle one. Correct?"

Jimin is reduced to a sighing chuckle at that. He upheaves the boy in his arms, a gentle kiss by his ear, and caroms a longing gaze at the painting.

" Correct. Why, aren't you an extraordinary young man?" The voice that breaks through his trance, has him smiling from ear to ear. "That indeed is your father, only less on the wrinkled side."

"Tae!" He is exuberantly gleed, much so why he jumps into the arms that part in a welcome, oddly squeezing Jeohun in with them. "I'm sorry it took me so long to-"

"That isn't how you begin conversations with a long-parted friend, now, do you?

"No, father. You don't."

Taehyung fauxs a gasp, snatching the boy to his arms. "You and I are going to make great friends, I can tell already." cooing, he starts to walk towards the red wooden door.

"Have a seat." cordially instructing Jimin, Taehyung lets down the little boy who is quick to run off to the room brimming with antiques and opulence.

While the boy gasps in awe and goes towards the majestic hammer displayed amongst other artifacts, Taehyung tilts the tea-pot in Jimin's cup. The other nervously rubs his hands on the trousers. "Tae, let me get this off my chest please."

"Fine, fine." he defenselessly raises his hands. "Just know that I never harbored hard feelings or any sort."

"I'm aware." Jimin has to bite his lip. "You must understand, though, that when you stated you're going to re-open this shop, it took us all by surprise."

"I do understand." Taehyung is nonchalant, uncharacteristically so.

"I.. we all.. We were worried, you were just spiralling back to the epicentre of the tornado again. And it took us so long that-"

"Jimin." Taehyung pointedly names, placing his cup back on the table. "Can you call back Jeohun to sit here with us?"

Jimin's forehead tugs into a frown, turning to follow Taehyung's gaze that glares at Jeohun who's making bizarre faces into the antique mirror. "Jeohunie, what are you doing there, son?

The boy continues to stick out his tongue and spin his irises strangely, to which Jimin barely spares a thought before chuckling back.

"Kids." he shakes his head.

"Don't you worry, however. A well-mannered young lad, that one. He wouldn't vandalize any precious items."

Taehyung seems unconvinced but Jimin draws him back to the topic at hand. "As I was mentioning, we only stopped you because we wanted nothing but well for you. Namjoon is still worried and weary of coming here. Considering this was the place where-"

"I could always see why you two were reluctant for me to come back here." He extends a hand and places it over the smaller one, caressing in reassurance.

"Why I never begrudged any of you. But rest assured, because after years of bollixing, this turned out to be the place for me."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." when Jeohun begins to noisily tease at the mirror, it gains Taehyung's attention. "I found my peace right where I lost it." He speaks with a distracted line of vision.

"Jeohunie, come back here! What are you doing?" Jimin beckons the kid with a signalling hand while the other hand brings up the cup of tea. He sips on it before groaning a disapproval.

"Is that why you've grown these luscious long locks of yours." He narrows his eyes in scrutiny.

Taehyung, smiling demurely, pulls his pony tail over the shoulder to the front, runs fingers through it where it lays on his chest. "Let me have this Jimin."

Before an objection, Jeohun plops himself on Jimin's lap. "Father! I was just retaliating to the man who was making funny faces at me."

Jimin snaps his head to the mirror.

There's not a single trace of any other being in the shop besides the three of them.

No matter how hard he tries to persuade himself to not listen to his whimsical seven year old, there's a sudden boulder dropping in his gut.

But Taehyung seems in a world of his own to note that, still running his dainty fingers through his hair like they're satin of the Gods.

"I feel closer to him this way. Every time I'm here, I feel the completion I felt when Jungkook was around."

Jimin pales.

His feet are jammed to the floor, heavy hands reach for Jeohun's wrists when the boy brings his thumbs to the temples, twisting them  with a tongue protruding. He pouts in return.

"Father! Stop him! He's still making funny faces at me. And now his arms are dancing."

"And someday-" Taehyung continues in hypnosis. "-perhaps when they're as long as Jungkook's, I shall color them with henna like he did and-"

"Father! Why won't you scold him?" Jeohyun points to the barren corner of the humongous room, then draws down his lower lids in an innocent infuriation.

"Look, he has a braid like Mother's."

Jimin can feel the bile rising to leave pared burns down his throat; his blood now cold and stagnant in his veins.

"Jungkook would've loved to see me in a braid like his." with a prim smile, Taehyung turns to the vacant depleted corner of the room that Jeohyun points at. "Isn't that right, darling?"

"Father, why is his braid around his neck?"

Jimin feels his world spinning away from consciousness.

"Why is he hanging from it?"

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Eeeeep

This was my entry from this month's flashfic! I hope ya'll are following the Authors Unite account for the monthly Flashfic competition entries as well my bombass writer friends!!

Thank you for sparing your time!!

Byeeeee