ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘᴜʀᴘʟᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ || ᴋ.ᴛʜ + ᴊ.ᴊᴋ ✔️

eighteen: visitor

It hurt more than he believed it should have.

To know that Jimin, his next door neighbor for quite a while now, had all along been this person who shared such significant similarities with Taehyung. He wished he could have been happy at the thought. Jimin lived close, he was right here, they could talk and maybe be actual friends.

But when it all boiled down to it, again, it was a matter of trust. A matter of feeling betrayed, lied to, fooled, and by someone who seemed to strive to win Taehyung's trust, and for what? To be found out by his own mistake, and to try making up excuses.

Whether or not he had a valid reason, it didn't change Taehyung's feelings. Nothing would change how much it hurt to lose faith in being able to rely on the people he knew, or thought he knew.

Park Jimin. His kind, cheerful neighbor who never missed an opportunity to say hello. All this time, right under his nose. All this time and Jimin had undoubtedly known about Taehyung's condition, but tricked him into believing he was just like everyone else, a normal, day-to-day adult just trying to enjoy life.

All this time. In the same apartment building, one door to the left.

Then there was Jungkook. Evidently now, if he weren't already so sure of it, Taehyung knew there was something up with him, too. That shameful reaction at his question proved it. He wasn't sure to what degree the boy played dumb about certain things, or perhaps it had nothing to do with Taehyung himself or his blood. But then again it wouldn't make sense as to why Jungkook would have a reason to hide it, or look so guilty when asked about it.

Regardless, knowing that yet another person was keeping something from him didn't sit well with Taehyung. But at this point he could deal with it a little better - this was the norm for him now. His trust issues. They were as close a friend as Yoongi.

Yoongi. Yoongi would be visiting.

Right now, that was one of the only things keeping Taehyung sane. His best friend, his anchor throughout high school, the one person who stood by him through that last year more than anything, that hellish last year.

It was all he wanted to think about. To the best of his ability, Taehyung strove to block out his other thoughts, his hurt feelings knowing for certain now that Jungkook, too, had something he wasn't telling him about. He tried not to think of it, to forget about kissing him, as much as that hurt as well.

Even with how tense the atmosphere between them had become, Taehyung and Jungkook finished baking the several recipes they had begun and had everything stored away carefully by the end of the day. The subject from earlier that day had been dropped. And to his own surprise, Taehyung didn't fully ignore the other boy, though for a while he couldn't hide his upset disposition.

"Yoongi said he's stopping by tomorrow," Tae thought aloud. "Didn't say a time, 'cus he doesn't know yet, but he'll be staying here, you know, so we're gonna have to figure out who's sleeping where."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Jungkook said immediately. Taehyung shot him a weird look. "Well, I'm the one who's intruding. It's only fair."

"Either that or Yoongi and I squeeze on the same bed but I'll leave that up to him."

A forced chuckle spilled out of Jungkook's mouth at the comment. He didn't know how to respond. Or if he should respond at all.

"Did you want any of the sugar cookies before I put them away?"

"Hm?"

Taehyung held open the plastic container filled with the freshly made cookies. Jungkook shook his head, struggling to hold together his smile.