Exchange student - one year ᵗᵃᵉᵏᵒᵒᵏ

41

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

After they got out of the shower, Taehyung was still introverted and distant. He sat down on the soft, cozy bed and stared at his phone as if he felt the anxiety of making a call to his family.
Jungkook, who had hung his wet clothes on the clothes rail, walked slowly and deliberately over to him, careful not to startle him, and sat down carefully next to him so that their bodies were lightly touching.

With a worried, sympathetic look on Taehyung's pensive, anxiety-stricken face, framed by a few damp strands of hair clinging to his cheeks and partially obscuring his eyes, Jungkook gently placed his warm, comforting hand on the older man's back, which was covered by a thin, white T-shirt. The blond began to trace soothing, circular motions on it, slowly, gradually increasing in size.
He could feel the muscles tense under his touch, as if they were fighting back against the rising emotions that threatened to overwhelm Taehyung, and then slowly, gradually relax, as if surrendering to the comforting presence of the blond, ready to support him in this moment of weakness and vulnerability.

He didn't know what had triggered this sudden, unexpected behavior or why Taehyung possessed such behavior in the first place. All he knew was that he wanted to be there for him, to listen to him and help him.
To Taehyung's relief, Jungkook didn't notice the scars on the older man's body. He was too busy radiating comfort and warmth, focusing all his attention and compassion on the dark-haired man. His eyes were closed most of the time as he concentrated on Taehyung's agitated breathing at the time.

Finally, after a deep sigh that expressed all his despair and worry, the dark-haired man decided to dial his mother's number. He held the phone to his ear, trembling, while his heart pounded loudly in his chest and his hands became wet from nervousness.
The ringing sounded a few times, which seemed like an eternity and increased his tension even more before it finally subsided. "Hello, my darling, how are you?" she asked anxiously. Her voice sounded warm and loving, like a gentle ray of sunshine on a cold winter's day. He felt his throat constrict and his eyes moisten as he tried to keep his emotions under control.

Taehyung sighed again, a feeling of relief and worry spreading through him at the same time. She didn't sound like she was in pain, but he knew all too well that it didn't have to mean anything. Over the years, she had also learned to hide her pain well, behind a mask of strength and perseverance that she put on day after day.
Without answering her question, the dark-haired man immediately asked in a trembling voice: "I want to know how you are. Ma, has he hurt you since I left?" He immediately got to the point of why he was calling her. He needed to know, and the sooner the better. He couldn't bear to know that his mother could be suffering while he wasn't with her to protect her.

Jungkook listened to him intently, but didn't understand a word he said. He only saw Taehyung's body tense up and his lips pressed together as if he was in pain. He carefully sat down at his side, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he was afraid of disturbing the dark-haired man. He put his arm over the dark-haired man's back and stomach once and interlocked his own hands again. He rested his head on the older man's shoulder and simply held him as he had done for the last hour.
His skin was still completely soaked from the warm water of the shower, but he didn't care. He was much more worried about the dark-haired man next to him, who had quietly and secretly crept into Jungkook's heart over the last few weeks.
Jungkook's eyes filled with tears, which he desperately held back as he hugged the older man even tighter. He felt helpless and wished he could do something to ease Taehyung's pain. He wished he could tell him that everything would be alright, but he knew that wasn't enough. He knew the older man needed more than just comforting words, much more, and he couldn't give him that without background information.

The younger man felt Taehyung's body slowly relax under his touch and he snuggled up to him. A warm feeling of affection filled Jungkook's heart as he knew that he could give him comfort in this moment. Even if he couldn't take away all of his worries, he wanted to be there for him as best he could.
He heard Taehyung talking on the phone, his voice soft and broken, and he wished there was something he could do to help him besides hold him. "Now please answer me," Taehyung said with a hint of desperation in his voice, since he still hadn't gotten a response from his mother. This silence was already clear proof that she wasn't well and that his father had broken his promise not to hurt her. The dark-haired man tensed his entire body and a feeling of anger and helplessness spread through him. "Ma please," he almost pleaded, tears in his eyes.

Then he heard a sigh on the other line and a quick: "Your father is coming, I have to hang up. I love you, my darling, and I'm fine." He then heard a beep, signaling that the line was disconnected. Taehyung lowered the phone and slumped his shoulders. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his emotions and not hit anything.
The blond noticed the sudden tension in the older man, of course, and therefore only pressed himself closer to him. "Is everything alright?" Jungkook asked cautiously, although he could have saved himself the trouble of asking, as he could clearly feel the excitement emanating from the dark-haired man.

"Jungkook," Taehyung began and turned in his direction, causing the shorter man to loosen his grip and look at him with a worried expression.
The dark-haired man took the blond's face in his hands and brushed a few strands of hair from his face. "I just had a dream. I'm fine now... Thank you," he said softly and smiled timidly to reassure Jungkook.
Jungkook looked at him with his lip slightly pushed forward and his eyes glazed over as he placed his own hands on the taller man's arms. "That must have been quite the dream... if you reacted the way you did," Jungkook mumbled meekly, averting his eyes as tears welled up again when he thought back to the sight. The pain-distorted face and the despair and fear in Taehyung's eyes made his heart heavy.

Taehyung let a depressed sigh escape his chest as he averted
his gaze from Jungkook's features. Instead, he looked back at their entwined hands resting in his lap. The younger man's hands felt delicate and vulnerable as he gently took them in his own.
He didn't know how to explain it. He couldn't explain it. His reaction was clear: there was nothing to play down. But he couldn't tell him the truth, the whole, unvarnished truth, either. Taehyung didn't want to.

His subconscious kept whispering to him that he had made a serious mistake, that what he was doing was wrong. This confusion of emotions that Jungkook had triggered in him tugged at him like a whirlpool, pulling him inexorably into the depths, straight towards hell. And that was a fact that even he could not deny.
If he hadn't kissed Jungkook, if this boy with the bright eyes that were constantly crying and the cruel driving style hadn't upset his emotional world so much, he wouldn't have had this nightmare. If he hadn't returned the kiss and allowed himself to be lulled by these overwhelming feelings, he wouldn't have to be afraid that something terrible would follow from his actions - something he couldn't control.

With a short swallow and another sigh, Taehyung tried to organize his thoughts. His eyes were still fixed on their entwined hands as he hesitantly began to speak. "I..." he breathed barely audibly, feverishly thinking of the best way to tell his story without revealing too much of the actual truth. "I had an accident back then and nearly died. The doctors had to resuscitate me four times," he added quietly. "I dreamt about this situation and phantom pains spread through me. But now everything is fine again," he concluded his explanation and fervently hoped that Jungkook would believe this watered-down version of the truth. Except that he had used the word