Jungkook's POV
He watched Taehyung disappear into the building, the heavy lobby door closing with a dull thud, sealing away the raw tension that had filled his car. The sudden flash of headlights, the jarring return to reality – it had been a cruel interruption. Jungkook gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. He could still feel the phantom warmth of Taehyung's arm under his fingers, the subtle tremor that had gone through him. He'd been so close. So agonizingly close to finally, finally bridging that gap.
He sat there for a long time, the rain now just a whisper on the roof, the lingering scent of Taehyung's subtle cologne still clinging to the passenger seat. His chest ached, a deep, frustrated throb of longing. Taehyung had pulled away, yes, but not before Jungkook had seen the hunger in his eyes, the subtle lean, the way his breath hitched. Taehyung felt it too. The forbidden pull was real, palpable, a force neither of them could truly deny. And that knowledge, even amidst the frustration, was a powerful, intoxicating truth.
He started the car, pulling out of the park and driving aimlessly for a while, the city lights a blur through the rain-streaked windshield. He needed to clear his head, to calm the frantic beating of his heart. But every street, every turn, seemed to remind him of Taehyung. He kept seeing his face, his eyes wide with desire and fear, right before the moment was stolen.
He ended up at his own apartment, the silence inside even louder than the city outside. He peeled off his wet clothes, took a scalding hot shower, but nothing could wash away the lingering sensation of Taehyung's closeness. He grabbed his laptop, thinking he could bury himself in work, but the lines of code blurred. All he could see was Taehyung.
His phone buzzed. It was a message from an old university friend, asking if he wanted to grab drinks. He usually would have gone, a distraction, a way to numb the ache. But tonight, all he wanted was Taehyung. He wanted to scream, to confess, to bridge the distance that separated them.
He opened his messaging app. His finger hovered over Taehyung's contact. Should he? Was it too soon? Would it push Taehyung away further? But the need to connect, to acknowledge what had just transpired, even subtly, was overwhelming.
He typed, his fingers flying, raw emotion pouring into the words before he could second-guess himself.
Hyung. What just happened in that car... I don't know about you, but I felt it. I've felt it for a long time. And I don't think I can pretend anymore.
He hit send. His heart hammered. He knew this was reckless. He knew he was crossing a line, throwing a grenade into the precarious balance they'd been trying to maintain. But he was tired of pretending. Tired of the ache. Tired of the silent longing.
The seconds stretched into an eternity. He stared at the 'Delivered' notification, his breath caught in his throat. What if Taehyung hated him for this? What if this pushed him away for good?
Then, his phone buzzed. A new message. From Taehyung.
Jungkook snatched it up, his hands trembling. He held his breath, bracing himself for rejection, for anger, for the final, definitive goodbye.
But the words that flashed across his screen were not what he expected, and they opened a door to everything he had only ever dreamed of.