in which kim taehyung was an artist in search of a muse for his upcoming gallery collection, and jeon jungkook was just a pretty boy who worked in a coffee shop.
______
"am i really that pretty?"
"oh my darling love, there is no such painting that...
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"𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚, 𝒊'𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒊 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘."
[𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨]
"you... are?" taehyung asked, his voice soft yet slow, a slight furrow on his brow. "jungkook-ah?"
the younger nodded, sniffling as he wiped his tears, his lower lip trembling. "i-i s-shouldn't have p-pushed you away, m' sorry."
as jungkook's sobbed-out confession hung in the air, a heavy silence settled between them, thick with unspoken emotions.
the artist's heart felt like it might burst with the intensity of what the younger had just admitted, his own feelings swirling in a tumultuous storm of longing and uncertainty. "jungkook-ah..." he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper as he reached out to gently pull his crying muse into his arms. "oh, jungkook..."
the brunette buried his face in the older man's chest, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs as he let out the emotions he had been denying himself for so long.
taehyung held him close, his own heart overflowing with tenderness for the younger man. he reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he gently cupped the younger's cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear from the soft skin. "jungkook-ah," he breathed against the boy's hair, his voice barely above a whisper. "you have no idea how much those words mean to me."
the boy teary eyes widened in surprise, hope flickering in their depths as he looked up and searched taehyung's face for any sign of what he was feeling. "you.. still like me?" his voice cracked. "y-you haven't moved on?" j
taehyung's heart swelled with emotion as he looked into the younger's big teary eyes, seeing the depth of his feelings reflected back at him.
the artist's voice quivered slightly as he spoke, the weight of his emotions evident in every word. "jungkook, it was... incredibly difficult for me to stay away from you," he confessed, his gaze unwavering as he looked into the younger's eyes.
jungkook gulped, and taehyung sighed before continuing. "i... missed you every single day, and not being able to talk to you, to see you... it was like a piece of me was missing. i stayed away because i shouldn't have confessed at the gallery like that."
jungkook's heart clenched at taehyung's words, the realization of how much pain he had caused hitting him like a ton of bricks. "tae, i... m' so sorry," he whimpered, his voice thick with emotion. "i never meant to hurt you like that... i-i was just... scared."
the older reached out, his hand finding the younger's and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "you shouldn't be scared, jungkook-ah," he said softly, his eyes filled with understanding. "but i need to know... is this why you broke up with yugyeom?"
jungkook hesitated for a moment, his mind racing as he tried to find the right words. "yeah," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "i realised that i couldn't be with him when my heart belonged to someone else... i-i love yugi, he's one of my best friends but..."
a mixture of relief and sadness washed over the artist as he listened to jungnkook's confession. relief that the younger man felt the same way about him, but sadness for the pain they had both endured in the process.
"listen to me, kook," tahyung said, his voice gentle but firm as he gently curled a finger under the boy's chin, lifting his head so their eyes met. "i don't want to- to rush into anything. i want to try and make this work, but only if you're sure that's what you want too."
jungkook met the older's gaze, his eyes shining with tears. "i am sure, tae," he said weakly. "i-i do want to be with you... i-it just took a while to figure that o-out.."
a soft smile spread across the artist's lips as he pulled jungkook into a warm embrace once again. "and i'm glad you did." he whispered, his voice growing into a soft tease. "i thought i'd have a second heartbreak at 30."
"i'm sorry." jungkook whispered against the artist's shoulder. "i-i hurt you and-"
"shhh." taehyung gently kissed the top of the boy's damp hair before pulling away to wipe jungkook's tears. "it"s okay. now, it's late. you go up to bed and we'll talk more in the morning, okay? you remember the room that you stayed in before, don't you?"
"yeah." jungkook choked out softly, sniffling as he stood up. "goodnight hyung."
—
as taehyung lay nestled in his bed that nigth, cocooned in the warmth of his soft sheets, the sound of rain tapping against the large window filled his room with a soothing melody.
eachj gentle pitter-patter against the glass seemed to echo the rhythm of his racing heart, a symphony of emotions swirling within him.
the dim glow of the bedside lamp cast a soft, golden hue across the room, illuminating the shadows that danced along the painting-clad walls. "jungkook loves me," he murmured softly, the words hanging in the air like a delicate promise. he traced the patterns of the raindrops with his gaze, his thoughts consumed by the heavy weight of jungkook's confession.
the memory of the younger's voice, filled with raw emotion, lingered in the artist's mind like a vivid painting. it was a moment etched into his heart, one that had the power to shift the course of their relationship forever, for the better.
with a small, contented smile playing on his lips, the dark haired artist rolled onto his side, a pillow cradled in his arms like a cherished treasure. the soft rustle of the sheets provided a comforting backdrop to his thoughts as he relished in the newfound hope that filled his soul.
"he loves me too," he whispered into the pillow, his voice barely above a whisper as a giddy smile bfoke onto his lips. it was a silent affirmation of the deep connection they shared, a bond that transcended words and time.
