Red Revenge ✓ tk

And You Gave Me Hope

I'm curious to see you guys' opinions about this chapter ❀

Taehyung was sat in an old noodle bar, slurping ramen as the man in the expensive suit next to him took a gulp from his beer. They sat with their backs to the restaurant on high stools, staring out of the window, their elbows sometimes brushing together. The city was covered in a white blanket, the dark of the night in contrast to the snow littering the streets.

Seokjin had invited him out for a late-night dinner and Taehyung had accepted seeing as Jeongguk was at Hoseok's house. Seokjin had just come from work and was still in his suit, his stomach had been empty for hours. "So, how's life?" Seokjin asked after finishing his glass. He picked up his chopsticks again and picked up a piece of pork. "Anything new happened?"

"We literally met up five days ago." Taehyung snorted, watching the thick broth drown the egg in his ramen. "But, yeah, actually, something new did happen. Jeongguk and I talked things through."

"About me?" Seokjin asked, well aware of the jealousy Jeongguk harbored towards him once he got to know about Seokjin's existence. "It's good that you talked things out."

"Yeah, it was quite frustrating at the beginning though." Taehyung sighed. "He's quite insecure about himself and even though I didn't give him any reason to think so, he's scared I'll leave him for someone else." Taehyung stirred the broth, watching the spring onions get carried in the whirl.

"Didn't you tell me he changed after coming back?" Seokjin asked.

"He did and he changed for the better, but his insecurity has never been like this before." Taehyung frowned. Seokjin watched the man stare at his soup, lost in thought.

Seokjin let a reassuring hand rest on the man's shoulder. "You're worrying too much. You said you talked, didn't you? Let's just hope it's fine now."

Taehyung nodded, eyebrows still furrowed because he had a feeling something still wasn't right. It itched at the back of his head and it stayed there, reminding him that only a little ignition could start a fire.

»»————-　🥊　————-««

A few days later Jeongguk strolled into the kitchen, his feet – wrapped in a pair of soft green Christmas socks – padding across the kitchen tiles. The boy hummed a soft tune as his upper body almost drowned in the big black hoodie he had gotten from Taehyung for his birthday two months back. It was a simple hoodie but it gave him warmth from both the texture and the fact Taehyung had given it to him. In pale blue writing it said soft boi on the sleeves because Taehyung had told him he was a soft boy.

A little ding interrupted Jeongguk's little adventure to the fridge and the boy glanced around to check for the source of the sound. He made a little noise when he found Taehyung's phone carelessly left on the kitchen counter, the screen lighting up from a new notification.

Jeongguk's heart thudded painfully against his chest when he glanced at the message displayed on the phone's screen, immediately forgetting about his plan to open the fridge and look for shredded cheese to snack on. He meant to pick it up and give it to Taehyung who was downstairs doing administrational work after the gym had closed, but after reading the message written across the screen he froze in his tracks.

Seokjin

Taehyung, don't say that. To be honest, if that's the case his behavior is just toxic. Don't get rid of me just because Jeongguk can't handle his jealousy.

"Toxic?" Jeongguk muttered to himself, rereading the text several times before he could feel the hot red anger pumping through his veins. "Toxic? I'm toxic?"