(/ω＼)
Upon entering the room, he sees no one is in there and when he waits for a bit, there's no noise coming from washroom either, to indicate if it is being used, that means taehyung's still in there.
He goes to this walkin-changing-room-slash-walkin-wardrobe which leads to their washroom.
He doesn't want to go further but, he wants to wait for taehyung to come out so he can relax, because it's going to be almost half an hour since he'd excused himself.
So jeongguk does the most obvious thing, which can make him stay a bit longer in there, he pretends to change of course.
But when, even after him changing into his casual silk Robe, taehyung doesn't come out, he starts to think the worse.
-unless, what if he has constipation? Of course! It must be embarrassing for him to tell any of us that he's constipated, but what if, what if he's not constipated but is sick? Oh my did he faint? What if he did and I'm still standing here waiting for him to open the door when actually he can't- Jeongguk bites his lips, pacing back and forth impatiently outside of the bathroom door.
He tries to wait for another five minutes (he waited for hardly two minutes and gave up really) and there's still no sign of taehyung coming out anytime soon, he walks close to the bathroom door and stands there for another half of a minute, debating mentally whether he should knock or not. what if all of his thoughts turned out to be wrong? But what if they're true?
fuck it.
As soon as he's about to knock, the door suddenly opens and there's taehyung, caught off guard, he widens eyes in shock, looks at him in bewilderment, jeongguk's awakward fingers still hovering in the air to knock on nothing now. He looks back at him mouth open.
"I - um..." He stutters, he has officially lost the ability to form any kind of a word, totally in loss that how in the world he'd explain that now.
They just gape at each other and taehyung must've understood his predicament that he takes mercy on him and asks, "Y-you wanted to go in?"
Although it gave a kick start to jeongguk's mind to finally work in order but it seems to slip-
Fuck fuck fuck
"No! It's not that I wanted go in or like I waited for you to come out, no. I mean I didn't wait for you to come out nor that I wanted to go in or anything, oh my god I'm in a loop, I'm rambling please ignore me! But it's been a half an hour, are you constipated? If you're, should I ask someone to bring medicine or you want to go to the doctor's or-" Jeongguk shuts his mouth and closes his eyes and takes three long deep breaths and opens his eyes and sees, taehyung's blown expression.
He sighs.
"Okay. The dinner was ready and you weren't coming out, so I thought I should check up on you if you were alright. I'm sorry you had to witness all of that just now."
After some painful seconds taehyung speaks in a vulnerable voice, "I-i don't have constipation, I was just-"
Oh
OH
"Oh shit... That wasn't what-"
"I-I'm sorry," Taehyung says unexpectedly.
"What for?" Jeongguk's jaw would be next to his feet if it could dislocate off of his face right now.
"All of this. I'm sorry I ran away like an idiot out of the blue," taehyung explains. "I must've made you guys worry, I. . .i usually don't do that I can explain, I was just worried-"
"-Taehyung, no." Jeongguk has to stop him, "Please don't say that- please stop apologizing for everything you do. It's not a crime."
''No. I'm sorry-" taehyung is saying again but jeongguk is quick to stop him.
"Don't." jeongguk says at once. "Please, don't apologize. It's not- it's not something that's...this wasn't..." He pauses in the midst and realises they're practically standing in doorway to the bathroom and the said epiphany makes him turn scarlet in embarrassment, "but first, I think we should sit somewhere. . . Appropriate?" He part begs part tries to say, he doesn't know which side's heavy.
It seems the feeling of embarrassment is mutual as taehyung too turns dark shade of red and folds his lips, nodding, looking at the floor, fingers now gripping the hem of his shirt too tight.
"Alright. . . Um let's go." Jeongguk thanks the universe that his legs seems to have their own brain to take him back to their room, taehyung followed suit, because he doesn't remember moving at all, too embarrassed to admit that he was the one who ambushed taehyung back there.
As they get settled on their couch, jeongguk sits with legs little parted, elbows on his bobbing knees, a habit he'd picked up whenever he's nervous.
Taehyung sits an arm length away from him, looking everywhere but at him and is now fiddling softly with the lower buttons of his shirt. Jeongguk finds it endearing.
It's not the time dammit
When he remembers that he was the one who was supposed to continue their talk, he fake clears his throat, "I'm sorry," he says somewhat lamely. This gets taehyung to look up at him, a questioning look in his eyes.
"W-why are you sorry?" taehyung asks, now fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Jeongguk eyes the innocent movement but it's distracting okay!
"I'm- all of this." He says, repeating taehyung's previous words. "That all of the bad had to happen, That your life was forcefully. . .altered. Everything you were comfortable with, your lifestyle, your- the things you wanted to do. I'm sorry that it all had to change and now it's obviously is what's making it difficult for you to adapt or uncomfortable."
"I don't-" Taehyung interrupts him. "It's not your fault either and I don't blame you, you know that jeongguk-hyung," Taehyung says softly, he sounds a lot more like how he did when they first met. "It's new of course, but it's. . . i-i'm the one who's taking too long to adapt, but that doesn't mean I regret this." He pauses, as if in thought, then continues. "To an extent, I'm relieved, that. . .it's you."
Jeongguk tries not to smile or feel relieved at the words because taehyung hasn't finished yet.
"I know we haven't talked about this before. . .probably because of me but the thing that's bothering me isn't all of this, its-" Taehyung pauses, not sure if he should continue but he knows that not explaining things won't help either. "It's, that I'm. . . I'm afraid, afraid that I'm going to be a burden? I know we were practically strangers days before, But you did and you're still doing so much for me, when you didn't have to, I'm more frustrated with myself that, at least you're trying, and i-" A tear falls on his cheek, as he's now looking down at his hands in his lap, jeongguk sees that they're trembling now.
He shifts closer to him and hesitantly but surely takes his hands in his own and thumbs over them in assurance.
"Hey, you don't have to continue if you're not ready yet, I'm not going anywhere, remember?" He whispers, it's maybe the moment they're in, or taehyung looks so vulnerable that jeongguk thinks he'll break him if he speaks any louder.
But taehyung's shaking his head, not agreeing."-no. I want to, p-please let me" He pleads like he's desperate and jeongguk knows that he's ready to let it all out. So he nods in confirmation, "okay, I'm listening."
Taehyung takes a deep breath, and starts "-i'm frustrated that you're trying and I'm not, knowing that we're strangers who don't know each other, yet you're doing so much and I want to do the same for you too-" He wipes his eyes with his shirt sleeve and looks at him in the eyes. " The point of frustration is. . .i don't know how and where to start. Whenever I'm around you, I turn out to be an a-awkward mess because i don't know what I'll say that'll make you dislike me and realise how bad of a choice I am, I don't know you but I really want to, I know the foundation of our r-relationship isn't what it should've been but I-I really want us to work, if not as husbands but as friends? But I don't know how-"
"Taehyung," Jeongguk cuts across gently. "I don't regret choosing you."
"Don't. . .don't you feel like. . .that I'm a burden you've to deal with? T-That our marriage is what you've never wanted? I'm what you've never wanted?" Taehyung asks in small voice, looking so hurt.
"Taehyung, please, look at me." Jeongguk leans in into him to look in to his eyes, he needs him to believe him. "Is that what you think I feel? Did I ever do anything to make you feel like that, hmm?"
When taehyung looks into his eyes, "I- no, it's- you've never-" He's at loss for what to say, because honestly all jeongguk has done for him, how he has treated him, screams the opposite. So what was he even afraid of? Taehyung gapes at him, eyes wide like always.
"If I didn't, it's because I don't feel like that taehyung. You didn't choose me, I've chosen you." Jeongguk says with a smile.
Taehyung doesn't even argue, he doesn't even breathe.
(/ω＼)