SOLDIER // VKOOK

Chapter 17

Taehyung flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank look on his face. His body was now fresh with new wounds, on his knuckles for punching and on his ankles for kicking repeatedly. He stared at the white ceiling, his eyes drifting off to the glaring white light fixed on top of him. He closed his eyes, trying to breathe and regulate himself. Before he could do much, his mind was going to a complete shutdown. He felt that he could not open his eyes, it seemed sealed shut.

He was not sleeping, he knows it. He somehow was still aware of his own surroundings but could not bring himself to sit up or open his eyes. He was struggling in the dark as his mind started to drift away from him and brought him down memory lane once again.

He was back on that year where Taehyung was at a nearby pub waiting for Jung took to arrive. It was a huge bar alright, a party was being held there and apparently Taehyunghad a status and high and important enough to get invited. He did not dress up with anything fancy, just something casual... if you can count his dark green military uniform as casual then sure, he was dressed up casually.

Taehyung propped up his elbow onto the wooden counter and grabbed a drink from the counter. The bartender muttered something under his breath and went back making drinks at the back. Taehyung took a whiff of the drink and something sour attacked his nose, he sipped it and cringed at the strong alcohol and lemonade taste. He immediately set down the cup and ordered another drink, something less alcoholic and more refreshing. The brunette tossed the bartender a note before taking the drink that was placed on the countertop. He took another experimental sip, this time contented with his new drink. He was about to turn around when someone loomed over him, Taehyung caught the familiar scent of cinnamon and lavender mixed together.

The new figure was pressing against his back and his breathed was hitched in his throat.

"You are late," Taehyung said matter-of-factly, turning over and faced Jung kook. The man cracked a smile before sliding into the seat beside the brunette and ordering a drink from behind.

"And you are..." He tapped his chin as he surveyed Taehyung uniform. "as unkempt as ever." He reached out and fixed the latter's collar and buttons, his nimble fingers working over the fabric and metal like he had done it hundreds of times. He smoothed out the uniform and retracted his hand, giving a soft smile before turning around and grabbing the drink from the counter. The brunette studied Jung kook's outfit, dark green uniform and pants, fitted with badges and pins on his collar and near his side pocket. Taehyung's heart raced, not only his friend looked great, he had never seen Jung kook treat him so well before, usually, it was cold shrugs and glares, sometimes random acts of kindness and compassion that the black haired would later deny.

Being the reckless man he was, he chugged down the drink in one gulp, trying to distract himself with the freezing drink in his throat. Smooth jazz started playing, people were beginning to dance. Some were still on their tables, drinking and talking the night away. The couples were starting to sway on the ground gracefully, hands together as they glided on the ground. Taehyung looked away and balanced his chin with the heel of his hand. He saw Jung kook stand up and felt someone grabbing his uniform collar, Taehyung was being dragged out of his chair and onto the dance floor. Jung kook grabbed Taehyung's hand and placed his own on the taller's neck and begin to dance with him.

"Um...I don't think this...well... I was trying to say that I... we... J-jung kook?" Taehyung rambled, unable to speak. Words were clogged up at his throat and he could not seem to come up with the right words to express himself. Everything was too complicated, he cannot say what he wanted to say.

"Shut up and dance. It's not every day I can have a nice night with you, you have to ruin it." Jung kook complained, swaying to the music.

"Sorry." Taehyung apologized, he placed his hand on Jung kook's waist and followed the groove of the song. "Jung kook?"