Chapter 48

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After not showering in Taehyung's presence for half a year Jungkook found himself feeling a lot more awkward than he had in the past. Maybe because at the time he had just slipped into those behaviors while now he was making a conscious decision to not tell Taehyung to leave as he undressed. It just felt wrong.

And yet he found himself talking the whole time. It just felt good to be talking to Taehyung again. Especially because Taehyung actually seemed to be curious about what had been going on in Jungkook's life.

"And Eunji really wants to meet you... which I'm still not sure if it's a good idea because-" Jungkook hesitated for a second to search for the right words before giving up. "...well you are you, you know." It really was weird how at one hand he felt a little awkward and maybe just a little nervous Taehyung was back but on the other hand he was excited like a child on Christmas night.

He grabbed the soap glancing over at Taehyung who was sitting next to sink attentively listening. "I'm really considering taking you to meet people more... its part of the human experience but you would really have to promise me that you won't hurt anyone. I'm already fucked up enough mentally, I really don't need some guilt from someone dying because I took you to meet them."

He wiped the water out of his eyes before looking down at the floor. The water was pooling at the bottom of the bathtub, not properly draining. "If we do go out and anyone touches you, I'd really appreciate if you'd just keep the fact that people just sometimes touch each other and no it's not them picking a fight, in mind."

He saw Taehyung nod in his peripheral vision. This time it was the shampoo he grabbed, squirting some onto his hand. For a second, he wondered if sirens ever needed something like shampoo or soap, but then he remembered that he had not even once noticed Taehyung smelling badly. His scent mostly stayed the same and his hair always looked perfectly clean, so probably not.

"Oh right!" Jungkook hoped he hadn't startled Taehyung with his sudden loud voice. That had echoed a lot more in the room than he had intended for it. For a second, he considered washing the shampoo off his face, just to check on Taehyung, but then decided against it.

"You remember Minji right?"

Seemingly considering that Jungkook couldn't see him Taehyung actually answered with his voice. "Yeah... your girlfriend?"

"Ex! Ex-girlfriend. She left me to go to Seoul." Jungkook was still bitter about that. The last few weeks had been peaceful, and he had seen her around campus and actually managed staying polite, but he certainly didn't like her either. "While you were gone, she came back to visit her parents." Jungkook grabbed the towel and shut off the water.

Carefully he stepped out of the shower wiping the water from his face, before starting to dry off his body. He could feel Taehyung's eyes on him, watching him. It was funny how exposed and awkward he had felt earlier in those clothes Taehyung clearly didn't like and how unembarrassed he was now, naked with just a towel. Maybe because to Taehyung what he had worn earlier had been more unnatural than this was.

"Anyways she came to me and apologized. To forgive her everything she has done, and I guess I did kinda. It's really weird you know?" Jungkook leaned against the sink to look at Taehyung. "You probably can't imagine it because you have never had a partner but loving someone and then that love changing to hatred... it's exhausting. But it's easier to hate someone than miss them."

Taehyung really looked like he couldn't imagine it. Jungkook tried to find a way to explain it. To put his emotions into words Taehyung could actually understand. "If Jimin suddenly tried to kill you without a reason, wouldn't you hate him?"

"Why would he?"

"It's a hypothetical. Would you hate him?"

For a second Taehyung actually seemed to contemplate his answer before shaking his head. "I wouldn't hate him... I couldn't."

And for some reason that made Jungkook's heart drop a little. He wondered if humans were even capable of loving anyone the way sirens did. Being as loyal. To a human sirens were scary creatures but the more Jungkook spent time with both Taehyung as well as Jimin he realized how deeply they were capable of loving.

His first impression of Taehyung being completely emotionless had been more than off. Taehyung didn't function the exact same way Jungkook did but what the hell was Jungkook expecting of a thousand-year-old mythical creature? For it to be exactly like a human? That seemed a bit of an unfair standard.

"I'm sure Jimin would say the exact same about you... wanna take a bath? I got you something!" Jungkook remembered a little excited. It was probably dumb, and Taehyung probably wasn't even going to like it, but Jungkook had had his fun buying it.

He squatted down to search the cupboard for it, because he was pretty sure he had put it there somewhere. "I also got you some clothes because mine never quite fit you." He finally spotted the bright blue package in the back of the cupboard. With a triumphant laugh he pulled it out and held it up for Taehyung to see.

"I though you might like this and if you don't that's alright too. But I saw it and just had to get it for you." He walked over to Taehyung to hand him the package before continuing on to the bathtub. He quickly washed away any foam from his shower.

"It's bathsalt. Humans made it to simulate being in the ocean." He turned on the faucet and plugged up the bathtub. "I picked one that doesn't have any additional scents and honestly I'm glad I did after your reaction today to my scent."

Jungkook barely noticed Taehyung had gotten up until he felt his hair brush his neck a little, which tickled so much Jungkook almost lost his balance in the attempt to move away. Taehyung had totally just sniffed his neck like an animal.

"You smell better now. And you look like you again too."

Jungkook laughed, moving back a little to get some distance between him and Taehyung. "Don't sneak up on me like that, you're going to give me a heart attack." Once again Jungkook found himself stunned at how pretty Taehyung was. With his smooth bright skin, soft lips, and cute nose. His hair falling into his eyes, that were probably the most beautiful part about him.

They had both the dangerous, scarily stunning spark to them, but they had also gotten softer in comparison to when they first met. At least when Taehyung looked at Jungkook.

"Wanna try the bathsalt? It's probably not the same as the ocean, but I thought it might give you some of the feeling." Jungkook nodded towards the bag in Taehyung's arms.

"I want to try it." Taehyung looked down at the package of bathsalt, before looking back up at Jungkook and smiling warmly. "Thank you for getting that for me."

Jungkook felt his heart speed up a little at that. Oh, fucking hell.

A/N

I do wonder what jk was thinking that last line👀

A small warning... I will update whenever I want for now but that means that whatever posting rythm I might end up with for now is not guaranteed.

Because I rlly want to write more rn but reality is I'll likely also get more busy every once in a while so I won't promise you anything.

The only thing I can promise is that this story is written with love and I guarantee I will finish it!