title, i f  i  t o l d  y o u  i  s t i l l  l o v e  y o u  (w o u l d  y o u  c o m e  b a c k  t o  m e)

>> vmin // angst // cap // 1.2k // a.n: so here's the popularly (?) demanded part two of chapter 77 lol i meant to post this yesterday when i finished it, but i didnt trust myself to proofread it bc i was super crazy and all over the place so i waited until i got some well needed rest bUT YEAH HERE

From the outside, it would look like Taehyung didn't miss Jimin at all. It would look like Taehyung was doing perfectly fine living by himself in a small one story home that sees more dust and loneliness than activity from how much Taehyung travels. It would look like Taehyung was perfectly okay with being single after a breakup two years after Jimin's, especially since the break up was seen coming from both parties because Taehyung couldn't quite grasp holding a relationship after Jimin. If you were to just gaze into Taehyung's life for a few seconds, admire its pretty simplicity, like someone dragged to an art museum by a friend and deciding to give the art a few glances because it is quite nice, Taehyung would seem okay.

But only looking from the outside.

If you were to dig a little deeper, carefully inspect each of the brush and the textures in the paint smeared from the bristles, you would see how Taehyung has fleeting thoughts of Jimin more than he'd like to admit (since they are fleeting, they are short-lived, but thoughts of Jimin nonetheless). How Taehyung remembers Jimin's smile and his eyes that smile with his lips and his laugh whenever he's down. How Taehyung scrolls through a small folder of old couple pictures of them sometimes. How Taehyung misses Jimin and, he wouldn't admit this easily, still loves him.

Sometimes Taehyung wonders what would have happened if he let Jimin explain instead of breaking up with him the next day and quickly packing his things and leaving to live with a friend. What would have happened if he punched Hoseok in the face for touching his boyfriend and pulled Jimin behind him with a possessive growl instead of looking down to hide his tears with his hair and quietly leaving the room. What they would be right now.

"Dammit," Taehyung mutters a curse into the lip of his cup. He breathes a soft sigh, watching the water sliding along the curve of the glass to dip closer to his lips ripple slightly. "It's been over four years, Kim Taehyung, Jimin probably forgot you by now."

He keeps the glass at his lips, the lip of it between his pink lips and sometimes letting his teeth tap against it in his annoyance as he lazily scrolls through his old couple photos of Jimin and him. It's not healthy, he knows, but he can't help it. He had a day at work, and Jimin still manages to make him happy even in four year old pictures and hours away. Taehyung closes out the photo folder with a quick swipe of his thumbs and brings up his contacts to see if there's anyone he's up for talking with.

But then there it is. That one name standing out with the four hearts on each side and a kissy face on the right side. Taehyung frowns, thumb hovering over the call button and staring at the name quietly. What would be the point of calling after four years of nothing? Does Jimin even have his old phone? Did Jimin even keep his phone number?

Taehyung bites his bottom lip, thumb getting closer to the button then moving back. Taehyung struggles for what feels like hours before slumping. "It wouldn't hurt to try," he mumbles quietly, but still hesitates to press the button for a few seconds before pressing call and bringing the phone to his ear.

He left without letting Jimin talk, he left without letting Jimin say anything other than his name, he should let Jimin talk whilst he's feeling up for it. His stomach starts to feel lighter, his head heavier, his throat tighter, and he starts breathing just a bit too heavily. But he keeps himself from slipping into a full blown panic attack. He listens to the ringing sounds that are grating against his nerves, and right when he decides to give up, the ringing stops and there's a subtle buzz.

Taehyung waits and counts; two, three, four-

"Hello?"

Taehyung can't help but gasp; the voice on the end is so gravelly, so rough, so watery like the owner is or has been crying. "Jimin..?"

There's a sharp, shaky gasp and a few seconds of silence. "T-..Taehy-yung..?"

"Yeah.." Taehyung mutters quietly, placing his cup down onto the counter and using his now free hand to scratch the back of his head awkwardly.

"W-What," Jimin clears his throat to remove the heartbreaking rough, tear-strained edge to his voice. "What are you.. calling for...?"

Taehyung didn't mean to cringe at that. "I-I.. don't know, I just... I just suddenly missed you."

The little intake of breath that sounds so thoroughly hurt makes Taehyung purse his lips before relaxing, looking up and cursing himself internally. Jimin whimpers. "You.. You suddenly missed me? After four years o-of nothing? A-And, and that made it okay to call me? To reopen wounds that were just starting to heal?"

"What?" Taehyung's eyes widen and he feels the light, tight, heavy panic slowly attack him again. "Oh my god, n-no, Jimin. I-I've missed you this whole time, I promise."

"Taehyung," Jimin whispers, and Taehyung can hear the tremble of Jimin's bottom lip as a fresh wave of tears claws at the backs of his eyes. "I'm hanging up."

"What?" Taehyung squeaks, stomach suddenly turning into a heavy weight and it makes him want to vomit. "No! No, no, Jimin, please!"

Taehyung can hear Jimin grip the phone, holding his breath until Jimin whispers an 'okay'. Taehyung sighs in relief, slumping against the counter. "Jimin, I... can we.. meet up some time?"

Taehyung listens carefully to the line, heart beating a little too fast in panic when Jimin doesn't reply. It's a whole minute before Jimin releases a quiet, strained sob. "W-Why? Why, Tae..hyung?"

Taehyung actually feels hurt when Jimin quickly adds the last part of his name, frowning and looking at the tiled floor of his kitchen. Taehyung taps the toes of his left foot against the top of his right foot. "Well, I.. I-I want to see you again.. see how time has aged you, see how you're doing. I've worried so much about you these past four years, Jimin," he catches himself from saying his old nickname and bites the inside of his bottom lip, "I bet time has made you so beautiful." He laughs softly. "You were always beautiful, what am I talking about? I bet time has made you so ridiculously stunning and gorgeous, Jimin."

Taehyung's light smile drops immediately when he hears a sob muffled by Jimin's hand, frowning. "I-I'm sorry, Jimin, I-I.. J-Jimin, I.."

"Shut up," Jimin hisses, but there's no bite to it. "I've missed you so ing much, Taehyung. I still have all those stupid photos we took, and all those couples' items. I still have that dumb Enderman doll you bought when you had a Minecraft phase. Do you know how much it hurts in both the worst and best way to have you calling me because you want to meet up after all this time?"

Taehyung bites his bottom lip as Jimin talks, raising a hand to twirl some thin strands around his index finger. "Does.. Does that mean.. yes?"

", you're still dumb." Jimin whispers and Taehyung can picture Jimin placing the heel of his hand onto his forehead. "Yes, Tae.. yes."

Taehyung smiles, insides fluttering at the nickname that he missed hearing from Jimin (everyone calls him Tae, but it always sounded better from Jimin). "Then maybe.. we can work our way back... to what we used to be?"

"Maybe," Jimin mumbles into his forearm, "maybe, yeah. That sounds nice."