chapter 2

Taehyung took you to a park that was close by, and while the sun wasn’t out shining, there was a real charm to the dull grey – with little hints of blue dotted throughout the sky.

The two of you sat on a bench overlooking a field of grass and trees, with flowers scattered about, growing in sparse groups.

“You know, I’m sorry for teasing you.” He murmured, looking forward.

You smiled, only a little.

You often day-dreamed about Taehyung taking you out, but back then he didn’t have a name to his face. He was just the smiling boy who’d come in whenever he felt like it, with no routine.

But now that you knew the kind of flirtatiousness and deadly charm of which he was capable, it got you to thinking. Just what exactly was it that you liked about him? He had every right to tease you, and to question – because in his eyes you were just a silly girl with an even sillier, baseless crush.

You turned to look at his side profile, marvelling at the perfect sculpture of it. “You are?”

“Yeah. Can I tell you the truth?” There was an odd sort of smile on his lips – that met somewhere between a grin and a grimace.

You nodded – hopefully he caught it in his peripheral vision.

“At first I was annoyed with you – for telling me you liked me so carelessly. I thought maybe you’d said it to lots of people before me, I got jealous I suppose.” He leaned off to the side of the bench and sat back up with a daisy in his hand, and when he started picking at the petals you supposed it was to put his energy somewhere. “But seeing the way you act when I even… look at you. The way you look at me, it’s…” he sighed softly, thoughts dribbling off into nothingness.

You hadn’t even realised he thought so deeply about you, you felt awful for making him uncomfortable – even without realising it.

“What I’m trying to say is that I understand you.” He finalised “I’m drawn to you, too, more than I can understand why.”

 You smiled softly, suddenly feeling very warm.

“But, you don’t know me, Y/N.” He looked at you – looking far too beautiful in all his earnest composure. “Can you live with that?”

“For now.” You whispered, “But I meant what I said before, is it so wrong to want to get to know you?”

“Which…” He inhaled and reclined into the bench, legs splayed out in a boyishly charming manner “Which me did you start to like, how was I?”

You thought about the confusing question for a moment, “You smiled a lot. Made a lot of weird, goofy faces at inanimate objects my father and I made. Ridiculously charming stuff.” You giggled “And you’d always buy the silly things that my dad loves and I loathe. You know, the wooden sculptures with odd anatomy. I told him there was no market for it, but you became the market.” You bit your lip to keep from laughing harder.

You paused, “I’ll only be a little upset if that isn’t the real you.”

He pulled his lower lip through his teeth and turned to look at you, there was something indiscernible about his gaze, “Only a little?” he whispered.

A lie.

“Yeah…” You trailed off

“Do you make it a habit to lie?” he scoffed, turning away from you. “I already told you, you’re a bad liar.”

“’Shit’, I believe was your adjective of choice.”

You watched him grin, if you were brave enough to call it that. “I’m serious, Y/N. If you want my truths you have to give me yours, it’s the only way we can figure out…” his index finger flicked between the two of you in an exaggerated gesture “Whatever this is.”

He was right. He was probably always right.

“I’d be upset, but I’m sure I could get used to every part of you.”

Satisfied, he seemed to drop it. “Good, because it is a part of me, before you that is.”

You quirked your brow, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You make me nervous.” He concluded simply.

“I make you nervous? You never let that on, at all.” You murmured, truthfully confused.

Taehyung seemed very well put together. He was a person who you’d always assumed never gave two shits about the thoughts of other people. But the more time you spent with him alone, the more you realised your awful habit of projecting personalities onto people was a dangerous game to play.

The Taehyung you had feelings for was only a small part of his personality, there was more depth to him than he let on.

“I’m a better liar than you.” He was looking at you fully, now. 

It was silent for a while before he spoke up again, “My mom took me to this area when I was a little younger during the holidays. You didn’t work at the shop at that time but I vaguely remember seeing your face. I loved the eccentric toys your father made, so I always asked my mom to bring me back.”

This was news to you, you didn’t remember him at all. But listening to him recollect so fondly about your store made your heart swell with pride. That’s all your father had ever wanted, a homelike store full of warmth and treasures people of all ages could enjoy.

The store was especially bustling during holiday season and irrevocably dead during off season, so it was understandable you didn’t recognize his face.

“I always drive down here when I get the time. I feel at home here for some reason because I have good memories of the store – it was so magical and big when I was a kid, not so much now, naturally.”

“Yeah, you’re huge.” You cut in.

He snickered before continuing on, “Since I felt at home in your store I always got a little comfortable, entertaining myself. But then I noticed you looking at me once, and I don't know what it was about it, but, something happened to my heart that day.”

You blinked a few times, trying to absorb all of this information. He was a wonderful speaker – his voice was so calming and deep you found it hard not to fall in.

“Your heart?” You questioned delicately, just trying to make sense of the connection the two of you seemed to have – which until today had gone severely unnoticed.

“Yeah. And before I knew it I was nervous, I couldn't act the way I usually did because I was afraid it would scare you off or something. I felt like I couldn't be myself around you, you were too beautiful for that.” He ran a hand through his hair after the statement, and you felt blessed to have seen him do it up so close.

“That’s…shallow. You were willing to change who you are, for me? Because you thought I was pretty?” You laughed lightly at the notion

He raised his eyebrow at you and leaned in close, “Shallow?”

You swallowed at the close proximity.

“You never answered my question, and I’ve been so truthful I think I deserve an answer…” He ran his tongue along his lower lip, following the teasing lilt in his tone. He was teasing you, and he wasn’t attempting to conceal it this time.

You knew exactly what question he wanted the answer to.

‘Why do you look at me like that?’

He fucking well knew the answer to it too, and you wondered if he was 50% kindness and 50% mischief – maybe 60/40.

But you were certain, even after everything he’d divulged to you – you’d take all 50% of his teasing, of his bullying and smirks and eyebrow raises and every other bloody thing that came along with Taehyung’s personality – if it meant you got to see him laugh with glee from time to time.

You’d gotten caught up in your thoughts while watching him, and you shook your head to shake you out of the dazed reverie.

“You were doing it just now.” He fell back dramatically into the bench, leaning his head back “Christ.”

“Sorry.”

“No you aren’t!”

You giggled, then.

“No really. I am, I’m sorry. I didn’t ever want to make you uncomfortable. That’s the truth. It was the last thing I wanted.” You felt a little ashamed of yourself, at not ever being able to hide your feelings well.

Your inability to do so had caused the person next to you a great deal of confusion.

“Whoever said I wanted an apology from you? I love the way you look at me. But I told you before, I’m curious.” He shifted close to you, impossibly so. Close enough that your thighs were touching – but his were clothed.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll kiss you.”

You looked at his mouth and had to fight back laughter. That was a threat? Oh boohoo, that would be awful.

Perfectly annoyed by him, you grabbed gently at the collar of his shirt and brought his mouth to yours. He let out a low, pleased noise – melting into your touch. 

His lips felt like heaven on yours, they were soft and warm – and the noises of pleasure he was making was doing little to stifle the rampant thumping of your heart. He kissed back with fervour, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you into him further.

When it had all gotten too much, he pulled away slowly and hesitantly, before putting his head into the crook of your neck and letting out a soft sigh. “That was unfair.” He whispered, leaning back to look at you. “You’re avoiding giving me an answer.”

“Are you done being a brat or are you going to admit that you already know the answer?” You wound your arms around his neck and played with the back of his hair, admiring the feel. It was as soft as you’d imagined.

“Is it so wrong to want to hear it from you?” He murmured, leaning forward and pressing his lips to yours again quickly.

You laughed softly into the little space between you, effectively ignoring him.

“I really am sorry about liking you so early. But I think it’ll be very easy to like all of you, Taehyung.” You hoped you sounded sure.

“You’re not sorry.” He bit his lip, smiling through the gesture.

“You’re right.” You whispered, leaning up and placing a delicate kiss to his forehead, and lingering far longer than necessary;

“I’m not.”

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