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「𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞」
⠀ ≖ ⠀ ⠀
sunday mornings were quiet in the kim house. this was true for any sunday that didn't involve a barbecue or morning tea gathering. today is was quiet because ms. kim was still in bed, a sore throat keeping her under the covers and her son at her side, tea warm and honey ready to be added when she asked.
"i can go get more." her son had said, already moving to stand but hesitating when her hand reached for his.
"darling that's okay." ms. kim smiled, "this is good." she said, taking a sip of the tea and setting it back down on the nightstand beside her bed. taehyung simply nodded, "i'm still going to the store to pick up some things, you need more tissues." he pointed at the few empty boxes already piled beside the bed from the night before.
his mom sighed, knowing very well her son tended to make up his mind and stick to it. "i'll nap while you're gone." she said.
taehyung nodded again and stood up from the side of her bed, making sure to be quiet as he clicked off the light and closed the bedroom door. he heard his mom say thank you again, calling him a sweetheart and making him feel worse.
it wasn't really a lie, he was going to go to the store. except, there would be a pit stop on the way.
taehyung looked at his phone and saw the time, seeing how close it was and hopping down the steps of the stairs to make it out and down the driveway as fast as he could. the other males shift would end soon, and taehyung really hoped he got there in time.
instead of walking through the sliding glass doors of the grocery market, the boy pushed open the door to the hardware store. there were tools and stacks of wood and rows of wheelbarrows inside the small store. taehyung thought it smelled like sawdust and oil.
"hi, how can i help-" he cut himself off when seeing the one that walked through the door. "oh hey taehhung." hoseok smiled at him.
it sent his stomach into a swirl of everything pretty with a side of confusion.
taehyung smiled back still. "hey hoseok."
it got quiet after that, and hoseok rose an eyebrow. he was wearing a simple collared shirt and jeans, an apron over that with a name tag clipped to the end of it. "what are you looking for?" hoseok asked.
taehyung knew he was talking about something in the store. right now he could only stare at the handsome older and blink.
"where are your screws?" taehyung blurted.
the older walked around the counter and nodded his head over further into the store. "what kind of screws are you looking for?" hoseok asked, glancing over his shoulder briefly to make sure the other boy was following him still.
maybe he should have asked where the hoses were. there couldn't have been more than one kind of hose. taehyung looked at the wall of screws and blanked mentally. "uhh." he trailed off. "just normal ones. you know, for the wall and stuff." he said.
hoseok chuckled a little at that. "are you hanging something?" he asked.
"exactly!" taehyung grinned. "hanging stuff."
"alright." hoseok hummed and looked at all the options in front of them. it only took him a second to pick out a small container with maybe ten screws in it. "i think this is what you're looking for." he said, handing the screws over to the boy that was already looking at him and nodding along as he spoke.
taehyung took the screws and smiled, "thanks, you helped a lot." he said.
"no problem." hoseok said.
it was quiet again, and taehyung really wished he prepared something better to say so he didn't have to leave so soon. "let's ring that up for you." hoseok said, breaking the silence and leading the way back to the register.
taehyung dropped the small box on the counter and the sound of the screws rattling was heard. he was busy getting out his wallet to pay when hoseok spoke up, surprising him with the words he spoke. "hey, i get off work in a few minutes. are you hungry?"
it was invitation that taehyung didn't think he'd ever get. it had him freezing and soon smiling at the older. "i am." taehyung said, feeling the swirl in his stomach and the giddyness sneak into his system.
"cool." hoseok smiled down at the register drawer and counter the boys change, maybe even getting it wrong since he was in a small hurry to get out of there.
the two boys left the hardware store together. they walked down the sidewalk with their footsteps and rattling of screws filling the silence between their words. hoseok showed him a gyro place, one with the best greek yogurt and pita bread apparently. "they have this whole section just for sauces." he had said, opening the door for the younger when they walked inside.
the color of taehyung cheeks stayed pink, a rosy tint that never wanted to go away, not when he was with hoseok. it was so blinding, that feeling he got.
it must have been the answer he was looking for. taehyung set out to find that answer in words, to talk to the older and figure things out for sure and see if hoseok was really considering anything happening between them. this must have been his answer, the way he felt when he was with him. taehyung knew his feelings wouldn't lie to him.
feelings only blinded you, they never lied.
the laughs and smiles blinded us from the truth, from the other things in life that were just as nice. we become dependent on one source of joy, only to forget that it can also exist elsewhere — and it could be even better there.
taehyung giggled and wiped the sauce from his lips, this whole lunch going by like a blur and soon his stomach was full and he was in hoseoks car.
there was music playing and the windows down, everything about that day seemed perfect so far. taehyung even remembered to buy the tissues and honey for his mom on the way back to the olders car.
it was going so well, the wind in his face and only showing more of the blush on his cheeks while his hair was blown back. taehyung didn't think something could ruin this, not as hoseok pulled up to his house and slowed at the curb. hoseok said he had a good time and maybe they'd do it again, that was enough for taehyung to look forward to maybe something happening again.
he just wasn't expecting to see anyone else today, no one other than his moms sweet smile thanking him for the honey and tissues, and the lunch he planned to make her when he got inside.
taehyung wasn't expecting his stomach to churn so soon after getting out of the car, seeing the man sitting on the first step of the few stairs leading up to his front door. he could hear the car drive away, a distant buzz that was barely acknowledged when all taehyung could stare at was jungkook standing up now, leaving the little bouquet of purple flowers on the step where he once sat.
