groovy || pt. 2 (FINAL)
↳ PART OF MY REWIND SERIES
Even in the 70s, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t have feelings for your best friend’s little sister.
pairing: tae x childhood friend!reader
word count: 10k
genre: 1970s au, fluff, ANGST, eventual smut, f2l
warnings: tae & OC do the NASTY (smut is being edited), Jimin is an endearing pothead, themes of death, unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol and sex
A/N: This fic was entirely inspired by the song If I Could Tell her by from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. Go give it a listen ;)
OFFICIAL PLAYLIST
01 | 02 (FINAL)
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PART TWO (FINAL) **UNEDITED**
Hoseok crossed his arms over his chest, "Jimin, you gotta be higher than a kite to stand here and tell me that Jaws is scarier than The Exorcist."
"Objection, your honor! How is that relevant to the argument?" Jimin turned towards Taehyung, his bottom lip jutting out ever so slightly.
"Overruled. I'll allow it just this once." Taehyung stated decidedly, rubbing at his chin dramatically.
"Fine." Jimin squinted, turning back towards Hoseok, looking coy. "I will neither confirm nor deny that accusation, but I still vote Jaws."
The two friends were in a heated debate over which of the two films reigned supreme. What started as a mere difference in opinions quickly turned into something far more dramatic, the three boys using it as a means to pass the time as the final hours of the day approached.
"Regan's head literally spins. She was like a fucking owl, man." Hoseok emphasized.
"The Exorcist is unrealistic.” Jimin waved off easily. “Ya know what's real and scary? Sharks.”
Hoseok shook his head in frustration, his dark locks shifting as he did so.
"I don't deny that Sharks are scary but a little possessed girl crab walking down the stairs? Scarier."
"Dude, The Exorcist was gross." Jimin frowned.
Hoseok gasped, quickly turning to his blond friend. "Objection! Your honor, that was a biased claim on his part."
"Sustained. No raggin' on either film." Taehyung agreed, causing Jimin to sigh.
"Fine. The Exorcist was graphic.” Jimin corrected himself. “Who wants to see a little girl projectile vomit all over herself?”
Suddenly, Hoseok brought his hand down onto the counter, the loud noise causing both Taehyung and Jimin to jump.
"Exactly!" He declared far too enthusiastically. "It's grotesque— disturbing even! That's what makes it so damn scary. The Exorcist is the superior horror film. I rest my case."
"Uh... is now not a good time?"
The sound of an entirely new voice appearing suddenly caused all three men to turn around. You were standing by the shop’s door, a perplexed yet amused expression on your pretty face. Taehyung was so taken aback by your sudden arrival that he nearly missed the Tupperware container that was being held between your hands.
"Y/N, Hey!" Taehyung exclaimed, an embarrassed hue crawling over his face. "No, uh, we were just... We didn't hear the bell, sorry!"
You laughed lightly, "No worries."
It hadn't been long since the last time Taehyung had seen you. As a matter of fact, just yesterday morning he had driven you back home so it didn’t make much sense for his heart to be pounding this loudly at the sight of you standing here in front of him.
Your hair had been thrown up in a ponytail that looked last minute but neat all the same, but it wasn’t your hairstyle that caught his attention. Crawling up your legs and underneath your denim skirt were a pair of bright yellow stockings, very much like the ones you used to wear when you were younger.
You were brilliant, he realized. Standing there in all your colored stocking glory, you were absolutely captivating and the blond boy suddenly wished he had put more effort into getting ready today.
His hair was lying flat against his head, having gone unstyled, and he had run out of his contact lenses, forcing him to wear his unflattering frames today.
You took note of his glasses' sudden appearance immediately; the last time you had seen Taehyung with them was when the two of you were still both puberty plagued teenagers. Still, there was something about the bespeckled boy that was comforting to see and much to his chagrin, you stared at him openly.
"U-Uh, you’ve met my friends Hoseok and Jimin, right?" Taehyung stuttered, growing flustered under your stare.
At his words, you looked over at the two boys in question– the shorter of the two had light brown hair and offered you a pleasant smile while the other one stared at you stone-faced, arms crossed over his chest.
"Jung Hoseok, right?" You recalled, flashing the solemn boy a nod.
Hoseok's eyes noticeably widened.
"Wasn't sure you remembered me." He responded cautiously.
You cocked your head to the side, "You were the first guy to ever kick my brother's ass. Hard to forget a moment like that."
"Yeah, well, someone had to knock that asshole down a peg." Hoseok smirked causing Taehyung to bump his shoulder into the dark-haired boy disapprovingly.
"Uh... no disrespect, of course." Hoseok corrected himself. You shook your head.
"No, you're right. He definitely had it coming." You smiled softly.
The exact moment the two of you were referencing had occurred in your junior year of high school, before Jungkook's death. You didn't know much of your brother's social life other than that Taehyung was in it but you remembered hearing the name Hoseok thrown around once or twice. From your understanding, he was someone in Jungkook's social circle that he didn't particularly care for but seemed to tolerate for Taehyung’s sake.
That all changed, however, one day in your school’s courtyard.
You weren't surprised to hear that your brother had started yet another fight in school– he had an awful temper and an even worse ability to control it –but you were, in fact, pleasantly surprised to find out that the fight had ended with Jungkook getting his ass handed back to him by Hoseok.
Both boys were suspended but Jungkook's punishment lasted far longer than Hoseok's was– the fight having not have been his first offense on school grounds.
Jungkook never got to see the end of his suspension, you realized suddenly. He died two weeks before he was due back.
Pushing that dark thought away, you shook your head, putting on a pleasant expression.
"I don't know what was more bruised, his eye or his ego." You joked. Hoseok grinned at your words, clearly surprised at how lightly you spoke of the situation.
“I gotta say, Jeon, you’re not nearly as shitty as your brother.” Hoseok chuckled.
There was something off about the smile that you gave him in reply and, for a split second, he feared that he had said something out of line. Taehyung noticed it too. Seeping through the place where your lips met was a bitter truth– a silent disagreement that you were in fact just as shitty as your brother but lacked the courage to say it.
“Hey, what’s in the container?” Taehyung finally spoke up, eager to shift the topic to something lighter.
“Oh. Right!" You blinked, your entire demeanor changing, "That’s actually why I came. I made brownies.”
Jimin noticeably perked up, eyes falling onto the container silently.
“What kind of brownies?” Jimin wondered lowly.
Hoseok shot him a look before turning to you, "You made us brownies?"
You shrugged, "Well, technically, I made them for Blondie but you guys are more than welcome to have some."
Taehyung's ears went pink. The idea that you made and brought brownies specifically for him was so overwhelmingly endearing he thought his heart might combust.
"F-For me?" He stuttered. You nodded eagerly.
Something you always liked about Taehyung was how easy it was to know what he was thinking, even if he didn’t want you to. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and was pretty much an open book to all.
You knew there was a small part of you that was jealous of him. Jealous of how transparent and honest he was. Because if you tried to be that way it wouldn't be something admirable or wonderful at all. It would be ugly and spiteful.
When Jungkook first died, you were something like a bomb, fragile yet on the verge of exploding at any given moment. You were angry all the time and lost a lot of friends who you treated poorly, taking from their wells of forgiveness until they had entirely run dry.
So for the moment, you were content with presenting a false version of yourself to others. If you had to paint a picture of yourself for them then at least you would make sure it was a pretty one.
"Yeah. Think of it as a thank you for letting me stay over the other night." You continued.
Hoseok's eyebrows raised, finding the context of your words incredibly interesting given the last thing he knew of your and Tae’s relationship was that it had been severed when Taehyung had tried to kiss you in your brother’s room.
"Oh? Is that so?" Hoseok mused cheekily causing Taehyung to send him a glare.
"It's... uh, no big deal." Taehyung dismissed easily, ignoring the way his friend was staring at him suggestively.
"So," Jimin spoke up once more, "are they just regular brownies or...?"
"For fuck's sake, Jimin, they're not weed brownies!" Hoseok laughed, causing the shorter boy to huff.
"What makes you think that's why I was asking? I could have a nut allergy for all you know." Jimin defended.
Taehyung blinked, "You don't have a nut allergy?"
"Yeah, I don't." He admitted, turning to you with a boyish smile.
"They're just regular brownies. Sorry to disappoint." You laughed, setting the container down onto the counter.
"Don’t sweat it. I’m still stoked." Jimin shrugged, walking over to pry open the container. "Free food is free food.”
And with that, the three boys finally began to dig in and you watched cautiously as they did so, hoping that at least some of your mother’s baking ability had been passed down to you.
"These are ace!" Was your eventual reassurance, coming from a satisfied looking Jimin, who shot you a thumbs up with his unoccupied hand.
Taehyung and Hoseok made noises of agreement, mouths too full to verbally agree.
“Aren’t you gonna have one?” Jimin pressed, shoving his mouth with the remaining piece of his brownie.
“They’re really good, Y/N.” Hoseok added.
You shook your head, “Oh no, I don’t really care too much for sweets. I just know Taehyung loves the recipe my family uses.”
Taehyung's head turned towards you, swallowing down the food in his mouth harshly as he looked at you in surprise.
“I didn’t know you knew that.” He admitted, licking his lips clean. You tucked your hands into the pockets of your skirt, a familiar memory creeping into your brain.
“I remember one Sunday night when you were sleeping over my mom made brownies and you ate like eight pieces. And then, when you thought everyone was sleeping, you snuck back into the kitchen for more.”
Taehyung’s eyes went as wide as saucers, “Wait, hold on... you knew about that?”
Honestly, this was the first time Taehyung had thought back on the moment in years but he remembered it vividly. Slipping out of bed without waking up a sleeping Jungkook and tiptoeing past you and your parent’s room felt like mission possible at the time and he was under the impression that he had gotten away with it.
“Yep. I heard you walk past my room. I got curious so I followed you into the kitchen and watched you pig out.” You laughed heartily, your ponytail swaying side to side as you did so.
“You watched me?!”
“I was always watching you.” You admitted coolly, picking up a brownie crumb from the container lid and plopping it into your mouth.
“That sounds... kind of creepy, Jeon.” Hoseok muttered, flashing you a concerned look.
You shrugged, leaning your hip against the counter.
“I was a kid and, well, I wasn’t exactly allowed to just go up and talk to Blondie. Jungkook would’ve literally killed me if he found out that I had a cru–”
Cutting your sentence off abruptly, you cleared your throat, oblivious to the way Taehyung had gone stiff, heart in his throat.
“Anyway, where were you guys with the trial?” You turned towards Hoseok, face burning as you change the topic onto the debate that was taking place before you arrived.
Holy shit.
You had a crush on Taehyung?
He felt like he had been dunked into an ice-cold pool; was it really possible that you ever saw Taehyung the way he still saw you?
He exhaled in disbelief, tucking a hand into his jeans.
He could die of happiness. They could bury him six feet under and it wouldn’t phase him in the slightest. It didn’t even matter that you no longer felt the same way. Just knowing that his one-sided love for you wasn’t always so one-sided was fulfilling enough.
Then again… he could be wrong. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. You hadn’t finished your sentence, after all, you could’ve gone on to say any number of things. He was probably just overthinking like he always did. He spent nearly every second of his teenage years watching you, he would’ve noticed if you had any sort of feelings towards him... Right?
Your face felt like it was on fire. Worst yet, you could feel Taehyung’s eyes on you. He wasn’t saying a word and it made your chest feel tight.
“Oh. That. Whatever, I retract my statement, let Hobi have this win.” Jimin shrugged, too concerned with grabbing a second brownie to keep the debate going.
“Wait, really?” Hoseok frowned, suspicion gleaming in his eyes.
“Sure. If you say The Exorcist is scarier, then it's scarier.” Jimin concluded, moving to bite into his brownie.
“Right on!” Hoseok laughed, throwing an arm over the shoulders of his passive best friend suddenly.
The action took Jimin by surprise as he was yanked into Hoseok’s side, a small noise of disappointment escaping his lips as he lost grip of his brownie and it flopped onto the floor.
Hoseok showed no indication that he even noticed, his cocky grin persisting.
“This is why I keep you around, you know.” Hoseok teased. “What’s that you always say? Get laid, don’t fight?”
“Make love, not war.” Jimin grumbled, still mourning the loss of his fallen snack.
“Same shit.” Hoseok dismissed, turning towards Taehyung. “So then, your honor, what’s the final verdict?”
Maybe if Taehyung weren’t so preoccupied with staring at you, then he would have heard Hoseok’s call, but it wasn’t like he had much of choice. You were staring down at your shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world, bottom lip tucked in between your teeth as you appeared lost in thought.
“Tae? Anyone home?” Jimin laughed, finally pulling the blond out of his Y/N focused trance.
“Huh?” Taehyung replied.
Something both of his friends never gave Hoseok enough credit for was his ability to read people. So the moment he laid eyes on Taehyung staring at you like a love-struck puppy, he knew he had to do something to help.
“Actually… I think it’s about time Jimin and I headed out.” Hoseok announced suddenly, glancing down at his watch lazily.
“What? Why?” Jimin turned towards Hoseok in confusion.
“Yeah, what? You guys can stay until closing, you know that.” Taehyung added.
"You mean stay and have to help you clean and close up shop? Nah, man.” Hoseok scoffed, waving off the idea with a hand.
“Listen, I’m sure you and Y/N have lots of other nostalgic brownie stories to reminisce on.” Hoseok turned to meet Jimin’s eyes. “Besides, Jimin and I have stuff to do. Isn’t that right, Jimin?”
Jimin blinked, unsure of what was happening but knowing Hoseok well enough not to question whatever scheme he had cooking up.
“Uh… yeah! Lots of things. You know us, busy busy! People call us the busy boys, you know.”
Taehyung squinted, recognizing the boy’s awkward rambling as his attempt to lie. While Hoseok had a real knack for trouble, Jimin was just not cut out for such mischief.
“No one calls you guys that.” Taehyung pointed out flatly.
“Well, they should.” Hoseok chimed in, pulling the flustered hippie towards the door.
“Guys–”
"Check ya later, Tae!" The older boy called out, the door’s bell harmonizing with his goodbye. Taehyung frowned.
“Bye, Tae. It was nice meeting you, Y/N. Thanks for the brownies!” Jimin added, flashing you both a wide smile before the front door closed shut, leaving Taehyung alone with you.
There was a record playing somewhere in the back of the room. You remembered hearing it when you first arrived but forgot all about it once you began to speak to Taehyung and his friends.
It sounded somewhat familiar, but not familiar enough for you to pin down a title. You thought you recognized the artist– The Isley Brothers, maybe?
You crossed your arms as you listened briefly, opening your mouth to ask Taehyung before shutting it before you got the chance.
Taehyung was doing that nervous sleeve thing, you noted.
God, this was so awkward. You had to say something. Maybe you should clear up what you meant earlier.
“Hey, I’m–”
“Do you–’”
The two of you spoke in unison, surprising each other. Taehyung felt his shoulders relax as you burst out into light giggles, clearing finding amusement in the situation. Your laugh could lift any mood, he was sure.
“You go first.” Taehyung insisted happily.
Things were okay, you realized. There was no need to go back and dwell on things that would just make things complicated.
You shook your head, “No, nothing, I just… Your friends are nice. I like them. I miss that feeling.”
“What feeling?”
“Being surrounded by friends, I guess. I don’t really have any. I miss hanging out with people.” You shrugged.
Automatically, Taehyung flashed you a sympathetic look. You knew it was a normal response and that it came from kindness but it made you feel uneasy. You were far too used to people looking at you with pity.
“So.” You say, clearing your throat.
“So.” Taehyung countered.
“What were you going to say?” You asked.
“Huh?”
“Before I interrupted you, what were you going to say?” You reminded. A look of remembrance flashed onto Taehyung’s face before a lopsided smile crept onto his face.
You cocked your head at his expression, raising an eyebrow as you awaited his next words.
“Do you want Burger King?”
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“Yes, I know I should have called sooner.” You sighed, listening to your frantic mother’s voice seeping through the phone.
“Mom, I–”
Your eyes flickered over your shoulder, meeting a worried-looking Taehyung who was holding a fry up to his mouth. You stuck your tongue out at him, hoping to lighten up the mood.
He could hear your mother’s muffled but clipped voice through his house phone. Naturally, after the two of you picked up food, you found yourself back at Taehyung’s house to eat it. It wasn’t until you had finished your meal that you realized you hadn’t come back home as scheduled and that your parents were most likely furious.
Despite Taehyung’s efforts to get you home in one piece the other day, your lack of change in clothes clued them in on the fact that you hadn’t gone out to spend the night at a friend's like you had claimed.
One heated confrontation later and the truth of your excursion came to light. Your mother had broken down into tears when you told her that Taehyung had found you drunk and alone on the side of the road; as far as your parents were concerned, you had stopped such reckless behavior years ago.
You let your mother ramble over the phone for a bit before finally explaining yourself.
“Mom. I’m at Taehyung’s.” You explained. Your words were met with a brief pause on your mother’s end and Taehyung quirked his head in confusion.
Something he couldn’t hear must have been said, however, as a satisfied grin took over your face and you bid your mother a light-hearted goodbye, promising you’d call when you were on the way back home.
At the sound of the line going dead and you putting the earpiece back into the phone, Taehyung spoke up.
“Everything okay?”
“Mm? Oh yeah. All it took was mentioning you and her whole tune changed.” You nodded, walking over to where Taehyung was sat on his couch.
The blond boy flashed you a toothy grin.
“Really? That’s all it took?”
You laughed.
“Are you kidding? Your every parent’s dream kid. Kind, responsible, hard-working... Man, they love you, Taehyung.”
Suddenly, a pensive look fell over you as you appeared to get lost in thought.
“It’s hard not to.” You sighed finally, grabbing a fry from Taehyung’s plate and popping it into your mouth casually.
He wasn’t sure what to make of your words but warmth found his face all the same.
Lately, it felt like he was always finding double meaning in your words and he wasn’t sure if they were purposeful or if he was just getting more and more desperate to paint the narrative that you somehow loved him too. He had to force himself to push back such ideas, his own selfish desires too much for his fragile heart to endure.
“Taehyung?”
Realizing that you had been standing while he sat all this time, Taehyung stood up suddenly. It was an awkward repositioning but you paid it no mind, your next words clearly weighing heavily on your mind.
"What would've happened if my parents didn't come home that day?”
Taehyung froze. He opened his mouth to respond but thankfully shut it right away, needing a moment to collect himself.
The question had blind-sighted him; he had spent the better half of the past three days trying not to think about the unfortunate event that went down in Jungkook’s bedroom.
He’d never stop hating himself for that moment.
Still, he wasn’t sure what to make of your question. He allowed for a few more moments of wordlessness before he decided that answering honestly would be his best bet.
Tucking his hands into his pockets, he swallowed harshly. "I probably would have kissed you."
He had no doubt he was blushing, especially with the way your eyes refused to pull away from his face.
"To comfort me?”
"I, uh… No."
“Then, why?” You pressed.
Taehyung bit down on his lip, wondering just how honest to be with you right now. Was this how he was going to admit that he had been in love with you all these years?
He shook his head.
“I just… wanted to.” He admitted, before continuing hurriedly, “B-But I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking– seriously, I shouldn’t have taken advantage of such a vulnerable moment. I’m really, really sorry. I should’ve apologized sooner.”
You nodded.
“It's okay. I’d just prefer if you didn’t, you know, try to kiss me in my dead brother’s bedroom.”
Taehyung grimaced at your words, offering you an awkward laugh and sheepish smile, “Yeah… Definitely not the right time or place.”
Taehyung felt like he could breathe easier now knowing you hadn’t looked too deeply into the attempted kiss. Hopefully, this meant things could stop being so awkward between you two and things could go back to the way they were before. He missed having you around.
“Um…”
Taehyung’s thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of one of your hands reaching out and gripping onto the fabric of his sleeve, much like the way he would himself when he was nervous. He glanced down at the gesture, eyes wide at your proximity.
"We’re not in his room anymore." Your words were muttered lowly, as if suddenly shy.
Taehyung blinked.
What?
Did that mean what he thought it did? Did you just imply that he could kiss you? Or did he just fail to wake up this morning and was stuck in another one of his sad, pining dreams about you?
Gaze fixated on where your fingers were still wrapped around the fabric of his sleeve, you were unable to meet his eyes.
"Huh?" Taehyung replied, simply because he couldn't conjure up a single intelligent thought.
Your eyes met his for a moment before flickering away once again, brows furrowed.
"My parents aren't here either so..."
Taehyung's heart was banging against his chest as if wanting to lurch right out of it and offer itself to you as you were its rightful owner.
No way.
There was just no way the girl he had been in love with since he was fifteen was standing in front of him asking him to kiss her.
“I'm... Are you–"
"Geez, Blondie." You cut him off, voice pitched high at the thought of having to repeat it. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"
If it were in any other situation, the tone in your voice would have suggested that you were angry, but the way you tugged at his sleeve let him know you weren't upset, but rather just incredibly embarrassed, unable to express directly just how much you wanted Taehyung to kiss you.
To your surprise, instead of Taehyung awkwardly stuttering out an apology, two large palms found either side of your face, forcing you to look back over at him. Before your eyes even got the chance to make contact with his, however, his mouth found yours, eliciting a small noise of surprise from the back of your throat.
The kiss was everything you imagined a kiss from Taehyung would feel like.
Soft. Gentle. Perfect.
His mouth felt warm against yours, distracting you from the subtle way his hands trembled. Despite the way your mouths moved against each other cautiously, still unfamiliar with such intimacy, something about the exchange felt natural, as if the two of you were always meant to embrace each other like this. And as Taehyung pulled away, you let that thought run through your mind, his warm eyes holding yours.
Silence rang between the two of you; Taehyung bit onto the inside of his cheek, waiting for you to say something but neither of you could seem to work up the nerve.
“Should I not have done that?” He spoke finally, heart in his throat.
“Probably not.” You murmured, still slightly dazed from the kiss.
Suddenly, you placed a hand against his chest, the faint pounding of his heart kissing your palm. Part of you was thrilled to see that the kiss had affected him as much as it had you, but there was also a part of you— a bitter one— that knew that taking this any further would be unfair to Taehyung.
Something told you that if you asked Taehyung for his heart that he’d give it to you, that he was just that kind, and that scared the hell out of you. Taehyung deserved a hell of a lot more than the selfish little sister of his dead best friend.
Sure, you did your best to paint a pretty picture but that didn’t negate the parts of you that were monstrously ugly.
When Jungkook first died, you picked up drinking; weekends usually blurring by as you drifted through the days without regard. You used to think it helped, that drinking all night only to wake up the next morning still just as intoxicated would silence your screaming thoughts of self-loathing, but you came to find out quickly that alcohol was merely a temporary novocaine.
That’s when you turned to sex. It was usually coupled with alcohol, having had realized that inebriation was a great crutch to cling onto the next morning when you hated yourself for your actions.
You weren’t exactly sure when the thought process behind it manifested but you had turned to nameless faces and their bodies to help make you feel desired as you couldn’t love yourself. Whenever friends would raise their concerns, you would brush them off with a clipped tone, claiming that you were merely having fun, oblivious to the fact that all your self-worth was stemming from how many people you could lure into bed with you.
Both reckless behaviors were meaningless attempts at filling a void you refused to acknowledge and if it weren’t for your parents eventually stepping in, there’s no telling just how bad things could have gotten.
You and Jungkook were similar in that aspect, you suppose. Both Jeon siblings having had their tendencies for self-loathing and self-destruction, only Jungkook ended up a corpse on your bathroom floor while you got to walk away without a scratch.
Sometimes, when your mind got particularly dark, you wondered why Jungkook was dead and not you. Why were you the one who had to remain alive, damned to hold up the crushing burden of being the living sibling?
With your brother dead, you had to stay alive— not just for your parents, but for Jungkook as well. If you were going to be chosen as the Jeon sibling that lived then you couldn’t go and destroy your life, not when Jungkook had lost his.
So you tried your best to clean up your act.
You cut off all ties to your old habits and old friends; it was lonely sometimes but you were sober and your parents were happy, and so were you for the most part. Denial became your coping mechanism and any sadness you felt towards your brother passing morphed into anger, forcing you to detach yourself from him altogether.
It was healthier than the other ways you had tried to cope but it was still just a temporary numbing solution, one which Taehyung had wiped away easily, which is why you had turned once again to alcohol and sex. Thankfully, Taehyung found you on the side of the road that night.
“Y/N?” Taehyung called out, watching the way your expression had darkened. You furrowed your eyebrows, eyes flickering up to meet his.
“I’m… I’m sorry. I can’t do this to you. Let’s stop.”
Taehyung frowned, “Do what to me?”
Taehyung looked so incredibly confused that you found yourself looking away, unable to face him.
“I know you care about me which is why we shouldn’t go any further than this.”
Taehyung felt his heart sink into his stomach. Was kissing you a mistake? It didn’t feel like one but you couldn’t even meet his eyes so he knew something was wrong.
You let your hands fall off his chest before continuing.
“I… I care about you. You mean a lot to me, probably more than you know, which is why I won’t risk you getting hung up on someone like me.”
He could see the way you had begun to shrink; you were standing in front of him like you were insufficient and frail when he knew you weren’t any of those things.
“Someone like you? What are you talking about?”
“I’m not the girl you think I am. I’m not the girl you knew when we were kids anymore. I’m bitter and angry and have got so much baggage– I’m not going to put you through carrying any of that. You deserve a lot better than that.” You explained, hating yourself for the way your voice was wavering.
Once again, you were crying in front of Taehyung and you couldn’t stand it.
“Y/N, c’mon—”
“I’m serious!” You cried, hands shaking. “I used to drink myself numb and I slept around with so many people— the majority of them whose faces I don’t even remember —and I’ve hurt and pushed away everyone who's ever cared about me and just— fuck, Blondie! I’m a fucking shitty person!”
“No, you’re not.” Taehyung said quietly, hand coming up to cup your cheek.
“I know you, Y/N. Maybe you’re not the girl who dances in her room or reads teen magazines anymore but you’re still the girl who wears yellow stockings and bakes me brownies just because she remembered I liked them.”
As his thumb ran over your wet cheek, you weren’t sure whether to laugh or cry so you did both, once again crumbling under his touch.
“You’re more than just a series of bad decisions. You’re hurting and you’re doing it alone when you shouldn’t have to. You’re a hell of a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for and,” Taehyung swallowed roughly, losing footing of his voice, “And you deserve better too, dammit. You deserve so much more.”
There were only a few things Taehyung couldn’t forgive himself for, and leaving you by yourself after Jungkook died was one of them. He knew what it felt like to sink back into the dark place he was in after his best friend’s death but he had his parents and his friends to pull him back out– it made his heart heavy to think that you had been drowning in that lonely limbo this whole time.
“You don’t have to be alone. You don’t have to do this on your own. You’re not made out of stone, Y/N, you’re human. It’s okay to rely on others and accept help and love and everything we think we're not worthy of.”
Taehyung could see the way his words were hitting your skin; he could see the way you flinched as if you couldn't believe them but the way your watery eyes held onto his told him that you wanted to.
“Don’t push me away.” He pleaded finally, voice firm but tender all the same.
You wish you could’ve told him straight up that you wouldn’t, but your mouth was void of any and all words as you answered him with a kiss, hoping for it to say everything you thought Taehyung deserved to hear.
The kisses grew more heated and emotions became intertwined and there was a small voice eating away at the back of your mind telling you that you didn’t deserve this, that you didn’t deserve him. Even as the two of you found yourself in Taehyung’s bedroom, laid out on his bed, the voice persisted, silenced only by the sound of Taehyung speaking suddenly.
“Is this okay? For me to kiss you like this?” Taehyung asked, breathing heavy as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip nervously.
You fought back the blush that wanted to make its way onto your skin, the question catching you off guard as there wasn’t any need for it in the first place. You wanted Taehyung to do far more than just kiss you. Taehyung had you pinned underneath him, your legs parted by his thigh as he hovered over you, and you were alight with an insatiable need for him.
Your fingers found his glasses; they were struggling to hold onto his face as he stared down at you. Gently, you took them off, chest tightening as Taehyung’s eyes widened at your action.
“Taehyung.” You cooed, eyes flickering to his lips. You wondered if their red color mirrored yours right now.
Taehyung wanted so badly to kiss you again but the last thing he wanted to do was to push things in a direction you weren’t comfortable with.
“Yeah?”
“Touch me, please.” You murmured, causing Taehyung’s heart – among other parts of him – to stir.
A small sound of surprised content escaped you as Taehyung’s mouth found your neck, wasting little time as he began to bruise the delicate skin there. He wasn’t being nearly as gentle as you imagined he would, taking your skin between his teeth before soothing over the bite with a soft flick of his tongue before moving to another spot.
His fingertips were running up and down your sides frustratingly; it was a side of Taehyung you had never seen and it excited you to no end, small whimpers and sighs falling from you.
Taehyung was in absolute bliss– he had the girl he had been in love with for years laid out underneath him, panting his name as he marking you as his, loving the way your hips were rutting up, not so subtly trying to grind against his thigh.
He felt it too, of course; the strain of his aching cock pressing against his pants becoming harder and harder to ignore, and before he could think to ask, he moved between your legs, urging your skirt up to your waist so that he could grind into you.
A low grunt left his mouth as he began to rock into you, your soft whines only edging him on. But he knew there were far too many layers separating the two of you.
“Why don’t… Why don’t you go ahead and take some clothes off?” Taehyung suggested, slightly caught up in the feeling of your legs tightening around his hips.
You let out a small huff, not because you didn’t like the idea but because he had stilled his motions. As lovely as the friction was, it wasn’t nearly enough to get you where you wanted. You sat back up on your elbows.
“Should I leave the yellow stockings on for nostalgia’s sake?” You joked dryly. You hadn’t meant it seriously, of course, you were hoping to elicit a laugh from Taehyung but to your surprise, his response was anything but humorous.
His palm came down onto your covered thigh, moving forward to bring his mouth to your ear.
“Unless you want a few new rips in them, I’d suggest you take them off as well.” He hummed darkly, his voice sending a shiver down your spine.
A grin found Taehyung’s face as he leaned back away from you, watching as your expression fell into one of surprise, clearly not expecting such a forward statement from him.
Flustered, you began to undress clumsily, struggling to do so as the feeling of Taehyung pressing kisses against your jaw was incredibly distracting.
Where the hell did this surge of confident from Taehyung come from and why the hell was it so hot?
The second you finally freed yourself from your garments, you threw a leg over his lap, forcing him back down onto the bed.
Your fingers found his shirt without so much as a second thought, undoing the buttons of his shirt as you began to trail hot kisses down his chest. A low sound emerged from Taehyung’s chest and if you had any shame whatsoever, you might have felt embarrassment as the sound caused your panties to dampen.
His skin was soft and you let your tongue trace the ridges of his abdomen. You imagined you might have stopped to press some more permanent marks on his skin if you didn’t have another destination in mind, hand slipping down further and further.
For the second time today, Taehyung wondered if dreaming; you were sat up on his lap in nothing but your panties, lips parted as you tried to catch your breath, hand rubbing over Taehyung’s clothed cock lightly.
Taehyung let out a groan, causing you to smirk.
“Poor, Blondie. Bet you’re dying to get out of these pants, huh?” You teased, applying more pressure to your touch.
“Fuck, Y/N. You really are such a tease.” Taehyung hissed, thrusting up to meet your touch.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You replied innocently, cocking your head one side to truly sell the act.
“Sweetheart, I’m gonna give you five seconds to stop that little game you’re trying to play with me and lay back down on the bed.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’m going to cum in my pants and, fuck, I’d really much rather cum inside of you.”
You paused your actions begrudgingly, realizing you also would rather him cum inside you. You crawled off him and laid back beside him as instructed.
“Good girl.” He praised, kissing one of your bare breasts, causing you to whine. “Why don’t you let me play with you now, hm?”
One of Taehyung’s hands was quick to make its way between your legs, wasting no time to drag this out any longer.
“Oh, fuck.” He hissed, middle fingering running up and down your clothed slit. Your eyes fluttered shut for a moment, his actions earning him a sharp inhale of his name.
“Sweetheart, you’re so wet.” Taehyung cooed. “We only just started too.”
“D-Don’t tease me.” Your voiced hiccuped slightly as the tip of his finger found your clit, rubbing at the swollen pearl lightly. Taehyung laughed, pressing a peck against your bottom lip that was jutting out slightly.
You took advantage of the moment immediately, hand reaching out to slip into Taehyung’s hair so you could deepen the kiss. You could feel him smile into the kiss, clearly pleased with how desperate you were for him.
The feeling of one of Taehyung’s long fingers sinking into you caused you to grasp, pulling away from the kiss as his fingers ministrations began to occupy all your attention.
Taehyung admired you from his spot beside you, watching the way your face scrunched up and you threw your head back as one finger became two.
“You’re so pretty like this, baby.” He found himself purring into your ear, head too clouded with the sounds of your moans to hold himself back.
“God, I... fuck.” Was your intelligent response, hand clasped around his wrist as his motions began to quicken.
Your thighs were beginning to shake, the obscene sound of Taehyung’s fingers entering your wet pussy filling the room.
A particularly hard rub against your clit sent out a chirp of his name, pulling Taehyung away from your breasts, where he had temporarily fixed his attention.
“You need something?” He teased, flicking his tongue against your nipple frustratingly.
You let out a groan, sending Taehyung a glare as a sharp wave of pleasure ran through you, causing your spine to arch.
And just like that, his fingers were pulled off you, evoking a small cry of disappointment from your lips. The kiss that followed, however, was enough to silence your protest, Taehyung moving to rest in between your hips again, only this time, he fumbled to take off his jeans.
“I’m going to make love to you, sweet girl. Is that okay?” He asked as he freed himself of his garments.
Your eyes widened at the sight of his cock, swollen and red-tipped, and you nearly begged for him to fuck you right then and there.
You nodded eagerly, eyes still fixated on Taehyung’s newly revealed state. You bit down on your bottom lip, insides fluttering with desire as Taehyung adjusted himself, rubbing the length of his cock against your sopping center.
A small cry left your lips as he finally entered you and Taehyung knew he was absolutely ruined, wrecked by the way your warm, velvet walls wrapped around him.
“F-Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” Taehyung was absolutely beside himself as he began to rock into you, moaning as you took every inch of him, profanities spilling from your swollen lips.
You jolted as his thumb found your clit, clearly set on getting you to cum.
“That feel good?” He hummed, pressing a kiss to your collarbone cheekily.
Your eyes were shut, overwhelmed by the feeling of Taehyung filling you, bringing you closer and closer to your climax with every rock of his hips and fingers.
“So... ah, so good.” You whimpered, voice trembling as you tried to meet every one of Taehyung’s thrusts.
Taehyung was close to his own release, balls tightening as he relished in how well you took his cock and how pretty his name sounded falling off your tongue like that. You were so beautiful– your chest and neck glistening lightly with sweat, breathing labored as you entirely lost yourself in the sensations being sent your way.
“Taehyung, I–”
Your sentence was cut short as your orgasm washed over you, a broken whine leaving your lips. Taehyung hardly had time to admire the lovely way your body was shuddering in pleasure when his own orgasm hit him, your walls tightened around him as he coated your walls with hot spurts of cum.
Tangled sounds of pants and whimpers fell between the two of you as you both came down from your highs.
“You okay?” Taehyung spoke finally as he pulled out of you.
You let out a sigh at the feeling, suddenly empty. You offered a nod in response, not trust your voice to respond to him verbally. Taehyung laid down beside you, gesturing for you to come closer; the cold of his room had suddenly caught up with you both as you huddled into one another for warmth.
Your head found itself on Taehyung’s chest, listening to the way his breathing evened out with post-coital bliss.
His fingertips were running along the length of your bare arm as the two of you lay there, causing light goosebumps to pull at your skin.
“What are you thinking about?” Taehyung said suddenly, sensing the melancholy that lingered in the air.
You didn't respond immediately, taking a few moments to yourself before pulling yourself up to face Taehyung.
"I was thinking about my family and how they'd react if I told them about us." You admitted.
"My parents would be thrilled. Both of them. Dad has always seen you like a second son and if my mom were twenty years younger, she would've snatched you up herself."
Taehyung let out a contemplative hum, "And Jungkook?"
It was the question that was weighing on both your minds. There was a small prickling feeling of guilt there as if the two of you were doing something behind his back, even though he was gone.
"I'm not sure."
“I think Jungkook would kill me if he knew I slept with you.” Taehyung admitted honestly, his frows furrowing ever so slightly.
“Probably.” You nodded before pausing. “But he would’ve forgiven you.”
“You think?”
“Are you kidding? You were his favorite person, he never shut up about you.” You chuckled, laying back down beside him.
“You’re a good guy, Blondie. I think that’s why he liked you so much. Everything became so bad so quickly but you stayed good. You never left his side. You always had his best interests in mind, even when he didn’t deserve it.” You yawned, pulling the blanket up to your chin.
Suddenly, Taehyung’s expression fell into an unreadable one, the room’s atmosphere growing heavy as his aura suddenly darkened. Your eyes ran down his profile as he stared off across the room, clearly deep in thought.
“I knew.” He said finally, voice small.
“You knew what?”
“The drugs. I knew.” He clarified, turning his head towards you.
“I didn’t know exactly what he was using but I knew something was wrong. And I didn’t say anything. I hate myself every day for nothing saying something.” Taehyung confided solemnly.
You turned away towards him, silence fell over the two of you. You didn't know what to say– the idea that Taehyung wasn't this perfect, happy human completely throwing you off guard. Not once did you think to consider how Taehyung had dealt and continued to deal with the death of his best friend. You contemplated his words for a moment.
Shifting slightly, you moved further down the bed, letting your head rest on his chest once again.
“How do you live with yourself?”
Your question wasn’t malicious in any sense. No. It was pure, unadulterated curiosity that prompted it and Taehyung was felt a quiet feeling of relief in that fact that you hadn't dwelled on his confession any further than needed. You held no judgment in your tone, but rather a desire to understand, undoubtedly stemming from the need to replicate the answer for yourself.
“I learned to forgive myself.” He said before pausing.
“I learned to forgive him.” He added after a moment of silent contemplation.
You frowned, letting your eyelids fall shut.
"I can't. Not yet, at least." You confessed wistfully.
Taehyung let out a hum, "That's okay. I didn't know at first."
“So what did you do before you found yourself at that point?”
You could hear Taehyung's sigh through his chest, it was soft and reverberated lowly.
“I looked for the things that made me happy. The music, the people– you just gotta keep on keepin’ on. It'll start to hurt a little bit less every day until one day you'll wake up to find that the good outweighs the bad.”
"You're a good." You said suddenly, catching Taehyung by surprise.
"Huh?"
You lifted your head, turning it so that you could face him.
"The bad is heavy and it hurts but... you're definitely a good." You murmured gently. "You're my good, Blondie."
Taehyung didn't care that he was blushing or that you could probably feel the way his heart rate had spiked because, as you leaned over to kiss him, all he could find himself caring about was the fact that he was your good and that you were his too.
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"You're a sneaky little minx, you know that, right? I gave in that time but now I seriously have to go." Taehyung sighed, causing you to frown.
Taehyung had been taking a shower, on his way to get ready for his morning shift at Rose's when a certain someone slipping into his shower had extended his time spent in there tenfold, unable to resist your advances.
The two of you were in towels now; your fooling around in the shower now over.
"Nooo." You whined. "Stay."
You had pulled Taehyung into an embrace, your arms snaking around his waist as you propped up onto your toes and pressed kisses onto his collar bone.
The nature of the kisses seemed harmless, but with the way two of you had spent all night, and now morning, Taehyung knew that things would only escalate from here.
"As much as I'd love to make love to you all day, I'm needed at the record shop." He stated decidedly, causing you to pull your mouth away from his skin.
"Can you call in sick?" You moped childishly. Taehyung shook his head no, chuckling as he leaned over to place a chaste kiss against your mouth.
"Seven years, Blondie! We were robbed of seven years together. We deserve to be going at it like rabbits." You looked up at him through your lashes, a sour pout on your lips.
The blond boy let out an abrupt laugh as if he wasn't expecting those words to leave your mouth.
"So dramatic." He hummed teasingly.
Despite his words, the truth was he couldn't agree more and if it weren't his moral obligation to his job, then he would gladly spend the day with you in bed.
You tilted your head in contemplation, "Has it not been seven years since you first started liking me?"
You felt Taehyung physically stiffen against you, and it suddenly occurred to you that Taehyung was still under the impression that you had no idea about his childhood crush on you.
"You knew?!" Taehyung gaped, mouth falling ajar slightly.
You raised an eyebrow at him, "Of course I knew."
"Wha– How? For how long?" Taehyung pressed, voice rising in pitch. You tried your hardest to suppress your amused smile, enjoying the way he was growing increasingly flustered.
"Well... you trying to kiss me in Jungkook's room was a huge giveaway," You laughed, "but I think I figured it out when you talked about the purple streaks I put in my hair."
At your confession, Taehyung frowned, clearly not understanding. You pulled away from him, letting out a sigh as you accepted the fact that you weren't going to convince Taehyung not to go to work any time soon.
"You told me Jungkook liked my purple hair."
Taehyung paused for a moment, digesting your words. He nodded slowly; it was a lie he had told you in an attempt to comfort you. He should have figured it would come back to bite him in the ass.
"... Yeah?"
"I dyed my hair after he died." You revealed, leaning back against the bathroom sink.
Taehyung thought back to Jungkook's funeral, trying to make sense of where his memories had gotten muddled.
You were right, of course.
Your entire family was dressed in all black, as were you. But sprinkled throughout your hair were bright streaks of indigo, contrasting almost purposely against the dark and gloomy day. Taehyung remembered thinking it suited you; the color was just as vibrant as you were, even if you remained silent and solemn the entire time.
"I dyed it the night before Jungkook’s funeral actually. I couldn’t fall asleep so my mom went out with me to buy the supplies and she helped me do it. It was a nice distraction for both of us." You remembered, your expression slightly melancholic. "Jungkook never got to see my hair. But you did.”
Taehyung's cheeks grew pink. "Not everything I told you was a lie. Everything I said before that really was Jungkook."
You nodded, a small smile visible, "Thank you for that by the way. Whether it was you or Jungkook saying those things, it meant a lot."
The corner of Taehyung's lips curled upwards.
"What about when we were younger? Did you know I liked you back then?" He wondered innocently.
"Thinking back on it now, it was kind of obvious that you did but I think I was too concerned with feelings for you to notice." You admitted through a laugh.
"So, you did have a crush on me?" Taehyung asked, a wide smile of disbelief growing on his face. You nodded shyly.
“You think I bugged you guys for all those years because I enjoyed Jungkook telling me to fuck off?” You grinned lightly. “I did it because I wanted to spend time with you.”
"I still do." You reminded him of the conversation's previous topic, pointing a finger against his naked chest.
Taehyung was absolutely buzzing, his chest full of pride at knowing that you had liked him all this time. If there were a cloud higher than cloud nine then he'd be on it– Hell, he'd be king of it.
Suddenly, the gravity beneath your feet shifted as you were scooped up in Taehyung's arms, a loud squeal of surprise leaving you.
"What are you doing?!" You laughed, arms scrambling to better hold onto Taehyung in case he accidentally dropped you.
"Screw work, I'm about to make your teenage dreams are coming true, baby." He grinned cheesily as he laid you back down onto his bed, laughter all but breaking the kisses the two of you began to exchange.
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“Are you okay?” Taehyung spoke finally.
You bit down onto your lip, contemplating your next words carefully.
“I feel dumb.”
Taehyung let out a sigh, “Y/N…”
“Sorry, sorry. I just… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” You replied, causing him to shrug.
“Just do whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Your hands found one another as you let those words sink in for a moment before nodding, ultimately sinking down onto your knees, the damp grass wetting the knees of your jeans.
“Hey, shrimp brain.” You began cautiously.
The headstone you spoke to was a light grey. Granite. There was a toss-up between granite and marble but you remembered that your parents had decided on granite.
“It’s, uh, me. I’m sorry we haven’t... talked." You frowned, still unfamiliar with the idea of talking to your dead brother's headstone.
It was actually your idea, but if it weren't for Taehyung's reassurance – and car – you would have never actually made it here.
Part of you feared that this was a mistake, some useless waste of time, but the larger part of you knew this was something you needed to do. Something you should have done a long time ago.
"I’m sorry for a lot of things actually.” You began, fingers intertwining themselves.
Laid out in front of the tombstone were a bunch of wilting flowers, undoubtedly placed there by your mother. They were sad to look at and you knew that in just a few days they would be replaced with new ones, but you couldn't help but feel Jungkook would've liked them this way. Taehyung thought so too, noting it complimented Jungkook's fashion sense as a teenager.
“Blondie and I are together now. And before you freak out, you should know that I’ve always liked him. I sometimes kinda feel like you already knew that but yeah. I hope you’re okay with that because he makes me really happy." You found yourself smiling before continuing. "I hope you're happy and blasting Jimi Hendrix... wherever you are.”
Suddenly, you felt a wave of emotion roll over you, taking you by surprise. It wasn't any kind of overwhelming anger or sadness like you usually felt, but just a slow melancholy, the kind that brought tears to your eyes but still let you hold onto your breathing.
“I know being sappy was never really our thing but I just wanted to say... that I miss you. And I love you. I’m sorry I never told you that while you were still around.”
A few moments of silence ticked by, filled only by the occasional chirp of a nearby bird, sat somewhere in one of the trees in the cemetery.
Taehyung watched as your frame began to shake slightly, placing a hand on your shoulder as he kneed down beside you.
“You’re okay. You’re doing great.” He cooed, his presence along helping to calm you down.
You sniffed, wiping your cheek dry with the back of your sleeve.
“But yeah. I hope you don’t mind if I swing by more often to bug you with some more one-sided conversations. Gotta uphold my title as the annoying little sister, after all.”
Taehyung let out a chuckle from beside you and that was all the reassurance you needed.
“I guess I’ll see ya later, shrimp brain.” You concluded finally, letting out a breath as you pushed yourself off your knees and back onto your feet.
Taehyung followed suit, eyes fixated on his best friend's gravestone.
"You really think he knew we liked each other?" He mused lightly.
"Going by what my mom said when I told her we were dating, literally everyone knew we liked each other." You laughed bitterly.
"Everyone but us, I guess." The blond boy laughed.
The sun had shifted its way behind a passing cloud then, and you couldn’t help but miss the warm feeling of it against your skin.
"What a bummer." You sighed, looking down at your brother's final resting place.
Taehyung tucked a hand into his pocket, watching the way you were standing beside him silently. He had a feeling that your words weren't just in regards to you and him anymore.
You heard the grass crunch as Taehyung moved, walking to stand behind you.
“It's not all bad."
You raised an eyebrow, opening your mouth to ask what he meant when you felt the weight on his chin rest against your shoulder.
"We found each other in the end." He said softly, causing your chest to tighten.
Because you too knew that this wasn't just about the two of you. Because although you had lost your brother, every day that you spent with Taehyung made me feel closer to your brother than you had ever been. The two of you would exchange memories of him, some of which you didn't even remember and some of which felt unimportant back then, but now brought you comfort. Sure, neither of you had a full picture of who Jungkook really was, but the pieces he had left behind finally made sense now that the two of you could hold them up beside one another.
And as Taehyung wrapped his arms around you, you let yourself sink back into his chest, for once not worried about feeling small or vulnerable.
"Yeah." You agreed, cheeks warm. "I guess we did."
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