Of Lace and Lust | Taehyung x Reader

Part 6

For as long as you've been roommates (three years this coming September), Sunday has always been laundry day. In the interests of saving water, you decided a while back that it was more efficient to wash your shirts and such together. You skipped the last two weeks as part of the whole 'avoiding Tae' thing, but even you, with the massive mountain of clothes, have to run out of wearable tops sometime. Currently, the machines tucked away in the tiny room adjacent the kitchen are working as hard as you on the couch, tapping away on your laptop.

"Essay?" Taehyung interrupts your rhythm as he strolls out, stuffing his phone into his shoulder bag.

"Yup." You look up and are assaulted by the vision of him in a patterned button-up top, casually half-tucked into dark jeans that make his legs look miles long. "You're heading out?"

"Yeah, I've got a thing. How do I look?" He spreads his arms and grins. Your heart betrays you with the quiet ache.

"Really good." You rest your fingers on the top of your laptop. "I'll get the clothes when they're done then."

He shuffles closer and you realize what he's going for. so you stick out your cheek for him to drop a kiss. "Thanks, you're the best."

"I know. Now, shoo. I'm working. Have fun at whatever you're doing."

Taehyung flashes you a peace sign. "See ya."

Fifteen minutes after he leaves, the machine buzzes. You heed its call, thinking that this all worked out nicely, as you were going to offer to do it anyways. As you grab the clothes from the dryer, you sort them into the proper hamper. Well, most of them. When you come across your favorite pair of panties, a number done in delicate cream-white lace, you drop them right into Tae's basket before piling a few of his shirts on top.

Some might say it's an accident. Others a prank.

To you, it's plan B.

After you return the hamper to Taehyung's room, the only thing you can do is wait. It's several hours later, closer to eight, that you hear him return. "I'm home!" He calls out, the noise easily filtering through your half-open door.

"Hey!"

"Thanks for getting my clothes."

"No prob."

As he walks into his room, shuts his door, you try to refocus. But the literary critic on your screen has become even more tedious than before as you imagine him rifling through his clothes to fold. He's usually decent about doing his chores in a timely manner, so there's no reason that should be any different now, right?

Apparently, this time is an exception.

With each hour that passes (of which it's now been two), your mind becomes increasingly agitated, swirling with overactive thoughts of impossible scenarios. You've moved from the desk to the bed, lying on your back with legs spread. Truth is, you haven't felt this nervous since the time you asked your crush out in high school. That day, Taehyung had been hiding behind a wall as you spilled your feelings, and he was the one to take you out for ice cream when you were rejected. When the entire process repeated itself a year later, Taehyung had been there too.

He's the thread that runs through your memories, your life. Irreplaceable. He's the one that's always supported you, regardless of what shitty decisions you made or failures that life threw your way. And you went and fucked that all up by being attracted to him. And you're in the process of making it worse. But it's not like you can run over and snatch the panties out of his hands.

Maybe you could play it off. Maybe you could just tell him that you think something fell in with his clothes by pure mistake, and could you please take a quick look inside the basket? You're solidifying a plan in your head when you hear the knock.

You sit up. Your back is straighter than it has ever been. "Come in."

"Hey." The door is nudged open. When you meet Taehyung's eyes, you try to read his expression but it's infuriatingly neutral.

"What's up?"

"Well, you definitely don't have a future working at a laundromat." He grins. "You mixed in your stuff with mine."

"Oh, really?" Your voice comes out squeaky.

"Yeah. Catch."

You do, receiving the panties that he tosses like an underhanded baseball. You're so distracted, you don't even notice that they're slightly warmer than they should be.

He's already pulling back to leave, but he takes a second, a pause. "That makes me, what, the 30th guy to see your underwear now? Lucky number!"

"Tae!" You groan. "Get out!"

He complies with a burst of laughter, shutting the door behind him. You collapse back onto your bed, face burning. Apparently, ever since you overheard him that night, that fine line between you has disappeared. The wall guarding the world of things-that-can't-be-talked-about has now been knocked down. Has he always been paying attention to the men in your life?

You suppose it is progress, in a way. But not in the way you wanted. And there are no indications that it'll ever go that way. You toss the underwear aside and go for your phone.

[10:38pm] you: hes not interested. i just gotta get over it.
[10:38pm] leens: wait, what?

You see that she's typing but you're not in the mood to discuss. You close the app, lock your screen, and for some reason, shut your entire damn phone off. You don't want to think about Kim Taehyung anymore. At least, not for tonight.