#taekookau “Taehyung,” A soft voice calls out, he registers it, but doesn’t hear him. His expression doesn’t falter, staring at the obnoxious flaw on his white wall. “why are you still in bed?”

Why? Good question. He doesn’t know why. He hears a sigh before feeling the mattress sink, Jungkook’s warm hands now rubbing circles onto his stomach. “Baby, are you okay?” Taehyung doesn’t know if he’s okay, he doesn’t feel anything. It’s numb.

Just like his legs, not having switched positions for a few hours. Or maybe it was minutes. Or days. He doesn’t know. “I’m fine.” A lie. Or is it? He’s unaware. The hand starts stroking his chest, the center, a little to the left.

As if Jungkook’s trying to reach his heart. Let it speak for him. “Okay, then how about we play a game?” A game? Taehyung let’s his eyes wander from that one hideous dot to another less aggravating. “Sure.”

He doesn’t want to play a game, or maybe he does. He doesn’t know. Jungkook sits on the bed completely, still dressed in the outfit he chose this morning before going to class. It’s been hours since he left his house and Taehyung has been in the same spot ever since.

His hand retreats and gets underneath Taehyung’s shirt; knowing his boyfriend likes the skin-ship regardless of his mood. Innocent touches, skin to skin, scars on scars, flaws on perfections. He draws circles around his belly button with his index finger before speaking,

“Truth or dare.” Taehyung knows where this is going, “Dare.” Jungkook and him made two pacts, the truth and dare game and their pinky swears. One is to never lie and to approve their communication.

And the other is to never break a promise, no matter what the universe throws at them. Both are sacred actions they never use in vain. Never. “I dare you to look at me.”

Taehyung tears his gaze from the ceiling, looking at his boyfriend— only then does he realize Jungkook is there. The brown in his doe eyes. The glossy lips he makes sure to take care of.

The skin full of memories and emotions, outbreaks from stress and scars from childhood shenanigans. The newly cut hair making him look absolutely breathtaking, sharpening his features. “There we go, hey there, baby.”

Jungkook leans in to place a soft peck on his lips, hand still warming his skin while drawing goosebumps onto his torso. Taehyung feels the gloss stick onto his own, the smell of watermelon clinging to his nose even after they pull away.

The kiss is quick, yet a wet sound comes out of Taehyung’s mouth— the saliva that built up from his silence mixed with tears he’s swallowed. “Hey.” He manages to let out, not touching Jungkook back even though every cell in his body shrieks in desperation.

“Your turn, I’ll pick dare.” Taehyung tries to think but can’t get the kiss out of his head, his empty mind full of Jungkook. “Kiss me again.” He does, leaning in, this time letting the taste of watermelon linger on his tongue. “Truth or dare, my love?”

Taehyung doesn’t feel like sharing his truth so he picks dare again, making Jungkook sigh before taking his hand up to reach for his boyfriend’s neck— exposing his sun kissed skin. “I dare you to tell me the truth.” Taehyung shakes his head, “That’s cheating.”

Jungkook holds onto Taehyung’s neck, searching for his pulse, just to make sure his boyfriend is alive and steady. “It’s not. Now tell me the truth about what’s going on.” Taehyung gives in, not in the mood to argue. “I’m feeling numb.”

Jungkook hums, waiting for more. “I—“ That’s when he chokes, tears traveling down the wrong hole. Jungkook is quick to get water from the fridge while instructing his boyfriend to sit up. Taehyung feels now, pain, physically in his throat. Coughing fire.

“Take it easy, here. Drink some water.” He pats his boyfriend’s back, gently while he drinks the cold beverage. The familiar feeling of consuming something on an empty stomach being his second source of pain.

When his breathing steadies and his violent shaking stops, he drops the bottle before leaning onto Jungkook’s chest. His face in the crook of his neck as the latter embraces him. “There you go, take it easy. Breathe.”

His mind stays unphased while his body reacts on its own, crying into his safe space. His inner child being held by sincere arms. “What happened, baby? Did someone say something? Did you see something?”

Taehyung isn’t sensitive, he doesn’t find himself numb often, but he has his moments. He’s human. He’s a being controlled by hormones. It’s inevitable. His way of dealing with it is just unhealthy.

Shutting himself out, deleting his senses as if it’s a mere application on his phone. “I don’t know. Just tired. Overwhelmed.” Jungkook kisses the top of his head before pushing him away lightly, getting a good look on his teary cheeks. The redness in his pale face.

“My beautiful boy. Why do you do this to yourself?” Taehyung shrugs, more tears escaping. Jungkook takes a hold of his face and licks them away, making both of them laugh lightly. “Stop.“ The crying man says without any meaning behind it. “Not until you stop crying.”

Taehyung inhales from his nose and agrees not to cry, making the latter wipe his face with his t-shirt. “First you lick my face and now you’re using my shirt as a towel.” Jungkook snorts, “These are outdoor clothes. I’m not gonna put their bacteria on your face.”

Taehyung pinches his side, “Oh, how selfless of you.” The sarcasm oozes without any harm, his mood already shifting. “I mean it!“

Taehyung pinches him again and Jungkook sees it as a challenge, a merciless tickling fight erupting. Both of them rolling around the bed trying to catch their breaths when Jungkook finally decided to submit. “Okay, okay. I can’t take it. Please, stop.”

They both find themselves panting before meeting each other’s eyes. Two shades of brown, two different souls, two separate bodies. One relationship, an unison; two people who found each other and walked into love hand in hand. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth.” Taehyung captures his lips, savoring the taste before he has to pull away again. The numbness lessening, getting replaced by something else, someone else. “Did you fart while laughing just now?”

Jungkook nods and they both laugh until their hearts are content. “Let’s go eat, I’m starving and your mouth smells.” Taehyung blows hot air onto his face, “Says the guy that just farted on me.”

The days where the blue sky becomes grey, he finds Jungkook sitting by his side. His person. His boy. He listens. He asks. He communicates and makes sure to never belittle or invalidate whatever Taehyung is going through.

He’s allowed to have a bad day, it makes him appreciate the good ones. The good moments. The feeling of warmth. Sadness. Happiness. Anything else than numb. “Shut up.” Jungkook smiles while pushing him away. Yeah, Taehyung will be fine.

— dedicated to my boy; I’ll never let him read this but you guys deserve to be fed (even though the writing sucks) https://curiouscat.live/bisouvante