Whisper in the Wind - Taekook, KookV

Steps Forward

KTH 

It's only an hour into his shift and Taehyung is already ready to go home. The store is running a sale on acrylic paints and he swears every artist in Seoul got the memo because he hasn't stopped to breathe for a single second. Lina is running around like a chicken with no head, desperately trying to keep the paints stocked but with people buying cases at a time. It's proving a difficult task. 

A small smile creeps on his face whenever Taehyung see's a familiar figure approaching the desk, with a stack of canvases and paints in tow. "A little birdy told me you've had a rough couple weeks" Seo Joon speaks whenever he places the items on the desk. "Do me a favor, after you charge me for these take them home would ya? Put them to good use." 

Taehyung feels his cheeks go hot under the gaze of the customers behind Seo Joon, he's a good friend of Taehyung's brother Seokjin so it worked out whenever he was in need of a T.A. position and Seo Joon was in need of a T.A. "Care to tell me why you dropped the position?" he asks with a raised brow. 

"Uh- not here." he says shyly and Seo Joon gave him the sweetest smile pushing his phone out in front of him. 

"Put your number in and let me call you then?" he winks and Taehyung is seriously blushing like crazy and quite embarrassed that the older man is hitting on him at work. He quickly punches in his number and nods with a smile. 

"Have a good day, Professor Park." He calls out and Seo Joon just laughs with a wave as he leaves the store. 

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It's 10 p.m. whenever Taehyung can finally lock the doors of the shop and head home. Pulling out the clipboard to check final inventory, his head is down so he doesn't see the figure that was walking around the store as well. 

He's deep in the shelves of the storage room, whenever he hears a cough and shrieks. Turning around not expecting to see Jeongguk standing there. "YAH, GU-" he pauses "Jeongguk you scared me. When did you get here?" 

"Been here all day" he laughed awkwardly "Sorry, didn't know you'd still be here so when I heard noise I came to check it out. I'll be on my way." 

Taehyung just nodded, and returned to his inventory. 

"Is that why you dropped the T.A position?" Jeongguk speaks out and Taehyung looks at him with furrowed brows, confusion painted all over his face "So you could date Professor Park?" 

A disgusted laugh escapes his mouth and he stands up, closing the gap between them entirely. No longer nervous by being in Jeongguk's presence because the man just keeps proving more and more that the person Taehyung has such deep feelings for is long gone. Lost somewhere with the winds of change that have blown through Seoul over the last three years. 

It's whenever they're chest the chest that Taehyung's glare is piercing Jeongguk's eyes. "I quit the T.A. position because I can't stand breathing in the same oxygen as you. It's suffocating, in the worst way." Turning on his heels, grabbing his belongings and walking briskly out of that building as fast as possible. 

Not looking back even once, to see Jeongguk who is still standing in that same position. Speechless. 

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They're on the third episode of whatever anime Jeongguk picked for them, whenever Taehyung realizes that he hasn't paid attention to a single word. Completely lost in admiring Jeongguk, who's nose scrunches every time he laughs and claps a bit like a seal when something is /especially/ funny. 

"Y'know I can feel you staring at me?" the brunette speaks out, turning to meet Taehyung's gaze, not flinching even a little whenever their noses brush. Considering he was the one that insisted Taehyung share the single seater chair with him as opposed to sitting on the couch.