a/n: tw for aquaphobia

❧ Talk, not Touch ❧

"So you feel obligated to stay by them?" Taehyung frowned, eyes dancing over to the leather jacket. What would it feel like to wear? Was it warm? It must have been considering it was the only jacket Jeongguk wore.

"Wouldn't you? If someone helped you when you needed them most?" The biker muttered. "You already do feel that way. With Jin."

"I wouldn't ever condone any illegal shit, though. Not that he'd ever do that, but—"

"Right. He hasn't. So you don't know that."

"Hey," Taehyung's gaze hardened. "Jin Hyung wouldn't throw away his life for a night of stupid recklessness."

"You and your stupid future plans." Jeongguk drawled, the endless boredom of his voice preying on the surfer's patience. "You don't even know if you'll be alive tomorrow. You've already almost died when you least expected it."

"Isn't this conversation supposed to be about you?"

"Is it?"

"Of course," Taehyung scoffed. "Because you threw rocks at my door just to argue with me."

"Maybe I did." The biker let his skull tip to the side like a rag doll, the older snapping his gaze away when they intersected.

"Why the hell would you waste your precious sleep time to do that?"

"Funny of you to assume I'd be sleeping in the first place." Jeongguk scoffed. "I hardly get a wink of sleep on nights like these."

"Nightmares?"

"Can't even have nightmares if your head keeps you awake."

"Oh." The surfer looked over to see Jeongguk still observing, eyes wandering along his face like he was visually tracing his features. He wanted to punch those lids shut, block out the ridiculous staring, but he never did. Just let Jeongguk do it.

"What did they do to gain your loyalty like that?"

"Loyalty? I'm not a fucking dog." The biker grumbled.

"You're so irritating, you know what I mean. Tell me or just say you won't answer."

"I can go with the second?" Jeongguk turned to his side, propping his head up on an arm. An incredible wave of familiarity hit Taehyung. His gaze flicked to the earring resting along the biker's jaw, glinting just like the leather bunched by his neck.

He silently shook his head, throat running dry as the dead weight of his hand kept him from reaching out to touch the shimmery dangler pierced into Jeongguk's ear.

The biker let out a small breath, contemplating.

"They gave me a home when mine was falling apart." Taehyung jerked his gaze up to meet the biker's dazed eyes, letting out a breath with the words. "Another incredible difference we have."

He nodded that time. Why was it so hard to speak? To just say a word? He wasn't usually speechless with Jeongguk. Never had been, in fact.

"Your mom?" He finally voiced.

"When my parents were fighting. I was thirteen back then." It was all he got in relation to the story, not that he needed much more to connect the vague dots.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"For what?" The biker rolled his eyes, head turning away to watch the crashing waves, but leaving his chest turned to him. "The only one who should be sorry is that bitch."

"Right," Taehyung sighed, seeing the leather jacket slip off one shoulder and reveal the edge of his black tee underneath, blending with the wing painted up the pale skin.

"What's got you so quiet?" Jeongguk turned back to look at him, trying to catch his mindless gaze, but Taehyung stayed trained on the ink engrained on his skin.

"Thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"You."

"Oh, fuck yeah, finally." The biker chuckled and the surfer bit back a smile. "What about me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Damn, Kim, you and your brother are being so fun today." The younger let out a low whistle, leaning forward and the gap between them shrunk to a mere foot or two.

"My brother? What did he do?"

He felt a touch trickle over his sleeved arm, Jeongguk's hand outreached to spark fire over Taehyung's limb. Fire at the entrance to the ocean. Fire burning inside his drowned lungs.

Jeongguk made burning lungs feel good.

"I've never seen Namjoon impressed by someone outside of our trio." Another pause, a shake of a head, but a smile lingered nonetheless. "The little exit move he pulled— god, I want him to stop being cool. I don't want to like him."

"Jin Hyung's cool whether you think so or not." Taehyung smiled softly. "Namjoon was impressed?"

"We all like a good challenge." The hand retreated to the younger's side. The removal gifted a cold douse of air to put out the fire in his chest.

"Yeah, you told me that."

"Well, back to before. What about me are you thinking about?"

Taehyung's smile fell, pausing to recollect the thought. "Why you drag yourself through dirt and stand in the middle of their stupid fighting. Even with the obligation thing. It's painful for you to sit through."

"I survive." Jeongguk's jaw clenched, annoyed that that was the thought running through Taehyung's head. Among other things it could be.

"What happened to living?" The surfer raised a brow. "You were so keen on spending every day to the fullest."

"And that's with my hyungs."

"Who remind you of pain."

"They don't always do that, okay?" Jeongguk's wall shot up. "No one's flawless and they're good more often than bad, so I deal with the bad. They are my closest people."

"M'kay." Taehyung knew it would be impossible to budge the younger in one conversation. "Then what're you doing here and not with them?"

"It's fucking strange, Saltine." Frustration, pent up annoyance at no one but himself, lined his words. "I was at the diner shore at midnight, you didn't show and I didn't feel like being there alone. Even though I did that all summer last year."

"Because it's not last year."

"Wow, I had no idea, thank you." Jeongguk snipped. "You being there just feels normal now."

"It's not just one or another's spot." Taehyung shrugged. "It's our venting place."

"But even if we share it doesn't mean we are a part of each other's."

"Then explain what you just told me." The surfer smiled at the clamped lips that lacked even an utter of response. "Exactly, Romeo."

"Venting." Jeongguk repeated instead. "Leave it to Yoongi to find the most dangerous type. I'm not innocent either." The biker snorted. "Don't even want to be. I'll break something for a good vent."

"There's plenty of safer ways to vent," Taehyung looked up at the twinkling crystals of night, tracing them with his drooping eyes.

He felt warm again. Goosebumps lasting on his skin from where Jeongguk had ghosted a touch over his arm. It made everything suffocating, even out in the open with no confiding space— the ocean itself was endless.

"Like what?" Jeongguk was staring. He was staring so much and Taehyung wasn't telling him off because he suddenly didn't care. Maybe because letting the biker do it his way made him speak more openly.

That was one hell of an excuse he convinced himself with.

"Safer than breaking things," the older clarified, hearing the leather shift quietly. "I journal. Like a personal diary... helps you move the thoughts... from your... head to— Jeon— what are you doing?"

Jeongguk was nearly hovering above him, the arm that had been propping the side of his head up then bracing his body with placement next to Taehyung's ear. He was a foot above the surfer, gazing down and if Taehyung couldn't believe himself before, he was absolutely astonished then.

His long fingers snapped up to push back on the leathered shoulders, shivering at how cold the material was under his touch, Jeongguk's warmth slipping through in some addicting contrast.

"What the hell are you—"

"I'm not going to journal, baby," Jeongguk hummed. "That's some terrible romantic shit for you to do."

"You don't have to be romantic to journal, dumbass... Jeongguk, what are you doing?"

His hands gripped the fabric, pushing him back as the biker tried closing in on the small foot of space he had created. The surfer's eyes narrowed, feeling the distaste grow as Jeongguk ignored all his questions like they hadn't been said.

The free one of those calloused hands, rough from steering handles and motorcycle upkeep, the maintenance tools hardening his skin into a textured state, suddenly grazed his hair. It fixed some lose strand, flicking it out of his eyes and trailing down to follow his jawline's path.

"Jeon—"

"Plenty of other wordless ways to vent my frustrations out." He hummed, voice so low, like it was only for Taehyung to hear— not even for the ocean, which heard all their secrets.

Taehyung's mouth sucked in a sharp warm breath, chest expanding quicker as did his heart beat faster.

What the hell, what the hell, what the hell—

The Jeongguk he'd been so close to just a few nights ago in the aftermath of cracking the biker's surface, his eyes so soft and embracing, was a new kind of breathtaking in that current moment.

Eyes hooded and hair falling like the earring swinging against his face, his lips were sparkling with the wetness of licking his lips, Taehyung noticing a small mole below the bottom one. His eyes wandered back up to the focused gaze and his arms felt like jello against leather.

Like water trying to put out too large of a fire.

"You can paint," Taehyung tried. "That doesn't require words."

"Requires supplies." The biker leaned down a bit more, head shifting to fit into the square of space by his head and shoulder. "Who has the time for that?"

"I do." He whispered, eyes shutting as Jeongguk broke their visual connection. He tried refocusing himself in the darkness, tried willing his hands to shove back on leather arms hard enough and get the space to breathe.

"Never really met someone like you before, Taehyung." Jeongguk complimented, words ringing in his ears. "Someone who gets me talking and not touching."

Taehyung could feel how his head dug into the sand, the grains burying into his hair and nesting a home there. His body was drowning in flushed warmth, the biker's knee tickling his thigh, bracing arm straining to touch his dark wavy hair.

The free hand moved to hold his chin, cool fingers guiding his burning skin over to look at him again.

"I'm not going to do anything unless you tell me." Jeongguk breathed out, and the surfer's eyes widened as he noticed the quickened inhales of the younger.

He, too, was having some effect on the man.

"I can kiss you and we can still hate each other. Doesn't have to change a thing." The biker nudged, but Taehyung thought far from that. He didn't like the hookups Jeongguk partook in, it was never something that interested him.

"Get off," he shuddered, feeling uncomfortable in the thickness of air throwing all his common sense out the window. "Get off and talk."

A deflated sigh left the pretty mouth, shifting away as Jeongguk pulled back and left more distance between them than they had before.

It was suddenly cold.

Taehyung raked a hand down his face, fingers lingering on his chin like he could still feel Jeongguk's hold there. He wondered, for a mere flash of time, what it would be like kissing the biker.

All he saw was rushed, messy and something heavy. It wasn't at all what he would want for the first kiss with someone.

"Talk." The bitter noise left Jeongguk's throat. "You're awful. Probably the type to wait until marriage to get laid."

"I'm not a virgin." Taehyung grit out. "There's nothing wrong with wanting that either; not everyone plays around like you."

"Then they're missing out." Jeongguk was frustrated. "And if you've done shit, why not do shit with me? Why are you shoving me aside?"

"Because I don't want to do shit the way it happened only once before, ugh. I'd rather hold someone's hand, get a fucking kiss of the forehead before we made out."

"Absolutely awful. That's so cheesy, I might throw up."

"I don't care what you think about it. Go find someone else to hook up with, douchebag." Taehyung's hand shifted to rub his chest, pulse slowing with the massaging touch.

"Do you still hate me that much?"

The question made him freeze. Why was that on Jeongguk's mind when he had bigger things to worry about? Perhaps that was a good thing, Taehyung realized, for the biker to be distracted.

"What makes you think that?"

"You talk to me like you hate me, and then you trust me with your life, so I don't know what to think."

"It's called lack of coinciding opinions, Greased Lightning. You know that I appreciate what you've done to help me."

"You wouldn't appreciate me if I fucked up, though." Jeongguk declared, making the older's lips purse. "Like you said, you don't condone illegal shit."

"Look, I don't care who it is, I wouldn't condone it regardless. It's not right, nor safe."

"I won't." Jeongguk huffed out.

"Won't what?"

"Hurt someone."

"I know."

And he did. Because Jeongguk played around, but he still had the respect to keep his hands from fucking with someone's health. He didn't like blood, and he certainly wouldn't like being the cause of it.

Taehyung certainly hoped it stayed that way.

"That's why I have opinions of Yoongi, and now Namjoon, but you're still okay."

"Just okay?" The faint smile tugged on the biker's lips and Taehyung rolled his eyes.

"Now you're being cheesy."

"Answer the question. 'You just putting up with me because I'm helping you with the water, or you actually like having me around?"

"What would happen if I answered the way you wanted?"

"I dunno, Saltine," the biker chuckled. "But I don't wanna hear you answer just because. Tell me if I'm wasting my time looking for something more."

The steady beat of his heart was distorted again, chest shaking as he let out a slow exhale. "Nah, it's nice having you around out here."

"Good. You, too. The nightly shore's less empty."

"The beach wasn't made for just one person anyway, Jeon."

"I think two's more than enough. We are a handful."

Taehyung laughed at that, the sound airy and light, drifting into the slow tides feet from his cold toes. It was warm again. Comforting. It was nice knowing he could feel warm around Jeongguk without those heated touches.

A grin bloomed on that handsome face, both of them relaxing. The surfer let his eyes flutter into darkness again, the image of the starry sky above dulling behind his lids.

"Hey, Jeongguk?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't make me actually hate you."

"I'll try. Just for you, baby."

"Oh, scrapping that stupid name would be the first step." Taehyung laughed again, eerily touched by simply hearing the ocean sing with his favorite biker's voice.

Such an obscure combination, raspy intwined with splashes of nature. So odd, but so right.

"Hey, Taehyung?" The biker recycled his words.

"What's up?"

"I meant it. What I said earlier about how I've never met someone like you. I don't like talking about myself, and yet you've managed to take the mess of ranting blows."

"I asked for it." Taehyung shrugged. "And I know it helps you."

"How do you do it?"

"Sorry?"

"Just... be so easy to talk to. God, what's even making you stick around for more than your fear, honestly?" Jeongguk let out a noise that the older couldn't quite put an emotion on. "Mark's a decent guy. Way more decent than me."

"I don't like Mark like that." He groaned. "I already told you that it's not like that anymore."

"So you like me like that?"

"I never said that. Don't twist my words."

"Mhm, got it." Jeongguk smiled deviously. "How terribly cute of you."

Taehyung blindly reached a hand out to smack the leather sleeve, hearing a bark of laughter roll off Jeongguk's tongue when he landed a hit.

"Maybe I do hate you." The surfer grumbled. His voice softened the next moment. "I stick around 'cause you're more than just that stupid leather."

A pause. A shift. A slight deterrence.

"You found out about that on accident." Jeongguk muttered, tentative, and Taehyung knew he was referring the small moment of panic that had sent him delirious.

"You got any hobbies?" He shook his head, driving the conversation another way. Jeongguk seemed thankful for it. "Besides driving your bike and fucking people, I mean."

"Ah, damn, you know me so well." The biker pitched in a high tone. "Not really, that's about it. Sometimes it's cool to help my dad around the garage."

"Garage?"

"Auto maintenance."

Taehyung's eyes sparked with recognition. "Hoseok Hyung loves cars. They'd get along."

"They'll probably never meet." Jeongguk corrected, the surfer pouting. "Does he like motorcycles?"

"Maybe. Probably hates them because of you guys, though."

"Do you like motorcycles?"

"Uh..." Taehyung glanced over at the leather sleeve between their bodies. "Don't think I'd mind."

"You've never been on one, right?"

"Nope."

"I'm taking you on a drive."

"Rain check. I'm fucking tired." Taehyung giggled at the deadpan of Jeongguk's expression. "Not my fault you woke me up in the middle of the night."

"We've been meeting at night, I didn't think that this would be an issue. You didn't show at midnight by the diner anyway."

"Oh, so desperate for my presence." The surfer cooed.

"Who wouldn't wanna hear that sexy voice?"

"No," Taehyung sighed. "My voice is not—"

"It's deep. But light. Kinda just sounds like nighttime." The biker grimaced. "That doesn't make any sense, nevermind."

The elder, though, blinked in surprise. "Wait... no, it does make sense. Wow, okay, you sure you don't like words? Because you sure just put it nicely."

"Nights can be sexy, too."

"I take it back, asshole."

He couldn't help but smile along with the younger's small laugh. It made him turn to look over at Jeongguk again.

It almost hurt him how different the guy was at night, by his side, by the water. He wished that the Jeongguk of night existed all the time. Staying out of trouble, talking and joking, eased and not breaking things.

"Why're you looking at me like that?"

"Got eyes on the side of your head now, Romeo?" Taehyung raised a brow, noticing how Jeongguk never looked over once.

"Yup."

His voice stooped in volume, matching the quiet white noise of the sea. "Your tattoo... can you tell me about it?"

"What about it? Like the design? You've already seen that."

"No, I mean why. The reason for getting it."

"Is that one of your stupid painting principles?" Jeongguk was so aggravatingly evasive, and Taehyung saw right past it.

"Art is built upon stories. Emotions. That's what makes it so real." The artistic man shrugged, sand itching at his back. "I don't know if you realize, but that tattoo is one of the prettiest things I've seen."

"The story sure is real." Jeongguk answered. "And cool, I guess, that you think it's nice. But, I don't have it to impress people."

"I know. Doesn't mean you can't awe people with it." Taehyung countered. "It helped me find you. And actually stay once I did."

"I thought you said it was because of your fear? And wasting my summer for the benefit of yours." Jeongguk reached his arms back behind his head, resting his skull on the palms. "You never mentioned that you stayed for that."

"I just want to learn about it. Sure, I can make my own story, but... it's different hearing the real one."

Jeongguk didn't answer. One of those moments where he dug into the silence and hid in the lack of response.

"I've never told anyone, Taehyung. Not even my hyungs. I wouldn't bet on it."

And that's how he knew it had to do with the incident earlier. With something so chained down inside, breaking through and ripping away all control in the biker.

"You know more than anyone does already. Even from just that one accident." Jeongguk added, and the air was sickly cold again.

"Would you try?" He asked instead. "One day, any day, just try to tell someone? If talking to me is so easy, then maybe one day out here you can tell me?"

"You're not that special."

"Then who is?"

Jeongguk didn't have an answer. And he wouldn't ever have an answer for that. Because Taehyung was unlike anyone he'd ever met, someone that made him speak like a real person, not mask pain behind a leather wall of snarky playfulness.

"It's something I don't want to relive."

"Well, the way you're holding it in," Taehyung murmured, caught off guard by the flicker of moonlight reflecting on the biker's face as Jeongguk raised an arm towards the sky. "It'll consume you inside out."

Another long whiff of the ocean's cries singing solo, accompanied by an occasional rush of wind that bristled at any vegetation among the beach homes around them.

"You know what's worse than blood?"

"What's worse, Jeongguk?"

"Someone else's blood on your hands."

His heart fell into his stomach, the sick cold suddenly exploding into an overwhelming rush of doubts.

Someone else's blood, Jeongguk— there was no way that—

"You killed someone?"

"No," his voice was so gone, exhausted, just so tired of the chains. "But I might as well have."

Taehyung let out a shaky breath, sitting up and dusting off his hair. He needed to think. He really needed to just take it in and think.

But with one glance at Jeongguk, eyes widening at the smallest glisten of wetness rimming his waterline, Taehyung forgot about thinking.

The tendency to forget about themselves when the other was deep in fear, seemed to be a similarity they uncovered behind all the differences.

He shifted over and cupped that face in his hands. Thumbs running over smooth cheekbones and stifling a small gasp at how pretty the younger was, how smooth and warm his skin was, arguing with the patchy emotions and chilling story within his eyes.

He nervously bit his tongue, flinching when Jeongguk reached up to grip his forearm, not ever meeting his gaze. Instead the younger's eyes fluttered shut, the gentleness of Taehyung's touch transmitting care to the broken heart.

Jeongguk pushed his hands away after a few seconds, nodding to assure Taehyung he was alright. The surfer pulled away, but remained seated by Jeongguk's upper body, observing just in case.

The biker was clenching his hands, gripping onto air and then releasing the tension. It seemed to ease him further.

Taehyung did what he knew best. He reached his soft, long fingers to enclose around Jeongguk's. Every nerve sparking at the touch, his breath leaving his chest.

The hand ripped away from his, making Taehyung jump and freeze all together. Jeongguk abruptly sat up and curled away from Taehyung like he'd been burned, a strangled cry leaving his lips.

"Don't—" the biker choked out, hugging his hands to his chest and Taehyung reeled away, eyes shocked wide. "Don't do that."

"I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"You didn't know. I know. But now you do so don't fucking do it again." He heaved for air, head buried into his knees as the leather strained with a caved chest.

The surfer whispered a small okay before letting the biker be, occasionally reaching a hand out to pat his back or touch his shoulder, but the skin never actually met tleather.

"Should we call it for tonight?" Taehyung eventually broke the silence, timing it with the prior trembles rattling through the younger slowing.

He caught the numb shake of dark hair.

"No?" He confirmed.

Jeongguk fell back to lay down again, sickly pale and shivering. His hands were still clutched to his chest, holding each other.

"There's no better place than here." He rasped.

If he went home, he'd see Yoongi and Namjoon, both of whom he'd wanted space from. He shouldn't even be on the surfer's property, but both were too unbothered to get to the diner.

"Okay. Let's stay here."

"You're tired. Go sleep." Jeongguk's voice calmed, the turbulence passing. "Go rest."

"I'm good." Taehyung hummed. "You okay?"

"Got it under control." The biker nodded. "I hate this."

"What part? Me?" His smile faltered when there wasn't any amusement glimmering back at him.

"I hate Yoongi for knocking someone out, I hate the stupid ocean for just— and this— I hate you for being so— so—"

"—so?"

"I hate how much I want to talk around you. I hate how good it feels because in the moment it just fucking hurts."

"That's normal." Taehyung dragged his knees up to his chest and perched his chin on the joint, staring down at the younger.

They was close enough for their body heat to warm the same air, close enough that Jeongguk's hand could rest on the small of his back, tingling through his sweater and making Taehyung lean into the small touch.

"It's normal to just make yourself suffer again?" The man tightened his grip on his jacket and Taehyung swayed as Jeongguk used the hold to hoist himself up to sit before him.

"It's normal to hurt when you talk about it."

"Then why talk? That's what I don't understand. Why does it feel right to talk about something that's fucking tearing me apart? Is it because of you? Maybe I should just stop meeting—"

"No."

"What do you mean no? If I can stop hurting by never meeting you again, because you keep reminding me of it, then why shouldn't—"

"Because you need to let it happen, and... and I need you here, too."

Every time the silence set in, it became harder to read Jeongguk. Figure out what was going on with his observant thoughts, whether he was thinking with leather on his mind or if he was actually thinking with his heart.

"Fine. Let's get you in the water." The biker slowly stood, wavering on his feet and Taehyung followed him up.

"Hey, we're both tired." He caught the leather sleeve in his fingers, making Jeongguk look at him. "And are you even up to deal with me?"

"You're tired. I'm fine, Saltine." Taehyung didn't say much as the younger slipped off his shoes and jacket.

"Jeon—"

"I need to think about something that's not myself. Just listen to me."

"Okay." He was quick to give in, following along and letting his sweater slide off and hit the sand. "How far?"

"You got up to the chest last time," his arm was grabbed, body pulled to the water. "Time to hit that pretty neck of yours."

Taehyung remained calm as the water hit his shins, soaking the bottoms of his sweatpants and weighing the fabric down. He was usually able to get to his thighs before the cold creeped into his chest and made his lungs constrict.

Jeongguk's hold on him remained strong, wrapped around the muscle of his bicep and Taehyung hooking his hand around the bend of the younger's elbow. They stayed linked as the rides splashed up to his waist.

Being half under the surface was where it began to affect him. Because more of him was drowning than staying afloat.

"Come on, keep going." The biker tugged him forward.

He was able to feel the liquid drench his stomach, gentle waves splashing along the height of his heart, when his mind began to shut down and his panic arose.

"M-My legs, too wobbly—" Taehyung resisted Jeongguk's pull to have the ocean shove force at his shoulder. "I'll fall, Jeongguk— I'll fall—"

"You won't fall." He shifted to stand in front of him, the surfer watching as the ocean choked around the younger's neck, consuming him in black ink.

He imagined a painting out a sight like that.

Where Jeongguk's tattoo bled dark ink into the waters of night, where they became one and Jeongguk with it.

"Tell me what you feel. You know the drill."

He wanted to sound as calm as the biker did, he wanted that calm within a whirlwind of emotion to come back.

"Your arm," he shuddered, lungs shaking, fighting against him as he willed slower, deeper breaths. "I feel you holding my arm— clothes, my clothes are heavy and wet, the— shit, Jeongguk, my legs I can't— numb—"

He figured it was because he was already half drained from being woken out of deep rest, but his legs felt like dead weight. Impossible to hold him up strong enough, trembling below the rest of him.

"Numb?" Jeongguk was confused by the new description. "Can you stand?"

"N-No—" he was a pile of dead weight that stumbled forward with the next receding tide, colliding into the firm chest with a guttural cry, water clawing at his throat.

"Back, back, go back," Jeongguk was shoving his waist, holding it firmly under the ocean's surface and pushing him back to thigh-deep waters.

Taehyung cried into his shoulder, a hand running through his hair to ease him but it all just burned. Again. Like nothing had changed. The painful sear that ripped at his throat, entire body shaking with every sway of the ocean around them.

"You're too tired." The biker sighed in his ear.

"N-No, I should try— that was an accident— let me—"

"Like hell I'm letting you when you can hardly stand." Jeongguk snapped softly.

"Please— I want to—"

The hand around his waist loosened and Taehyung stumbled on his feet when the biker whirled around to have his back face him.

The damp black shirt stuck to his skin, moonlight accentuating every dip of every muscle along the inked skin. He saw the nape of the pale neck damp, the hair there sticking to his head.

"Get on." Jeongguk crouched, chest down of his body disappearing underwater.

Taehyung hesitantly reached his arms forward to link around the biker's neck, clambering up onto the body and gasping as strong fingers dug into his thighs to hold him up.

"O-Okay, good." He breathed, closing his eyes and holding on for dear life. The unrelenting grip Jeongguk had on him was assuring, helping him focus on his swarming head and drowning lungs rather than the uselessness of his lower body.

The biker waded a few steps forward, Taehyung dropping his forehead against the hill of his shoulder and burying his face into the crook of his neck. His vision was blindingly blurred with salty tears, senses dangerously slacking as the enemy lapped up to his shoulders, hitting his collarbones.

"Breathe." Jeongguk sputtered out and Taehyung jerked his head up, trying to arch his skull as far away from the ocean as possible.

Jeongguk's chin was dipping into the surface, and the surfer hugged him with mere panic.

He breathed, though, and felt the heartbeat of the younger evermore in his throat, his chest up against that tattoo of Jeongguk's, those untouchable hands hooked onto his legs.

He was grounded. Felt well in Jeongguk's arms withholding the disastrous force of the water.

Taehyung let his spinning head rest against the back of Jeongguk's when the biker understood he had calmed enough to rest in that position.

The artist moved one hand to rest against the skin below Jeongguk's ear, warm against the wing engrained there. The biker leaned into his hand, making the thick strands of hair tickle against Taehyung's forehead.

He felt so safe for the few moments that it lasted there. They both did.

"You did good, Taehyung," the younger hummed when they were back on the sand, bending so Taehyung's feet could touch the ground, staying close to catch his tumble of weight.

"Thanks." He groaned softly, head aching with the grand rush topping off his pain. Jeongguk grabbed their belongings and helped him to the back porch.

Taehyung usually stored a towel in the small storage case by the door, pointing at it for Jeongguk to grab. The biker crouched before his figure seated on the patio steps, raising the towel to wrap around him.

They were dripping water everywhere, the biker stepping away to wring his shirt and the hems of his pants. Taehyung held onto the towel enclosing him, hugging it close for some warmth as his teeth chattered.

When he lifted his gaze, the biker was staring inquisitively at him.

"W-What?"

"You look like some marshmallow all bundled up in that white thing." Jeongguk teased, pacing back up to him and crouching once more.

"Shut up." Taehyung shivered, smiling softly as the younger's hands pulled the back edge of the towel up over his head, ruffling the material into his soaked hair to dry it. "Go home and sleep, Jeongguk."

"I will, Saltine, just one more thing." The biker lifted his chin and Taehyung's eyes went wide as his red lips parted in surprise. Hands pushed his clumpy strands away, keeping water from his eyes so he could look at Jeongguk properly.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"You, me, drive. Tomorrow night." Jeongguk grinned and the surfer's heart stuttered in his chest.

"Drive?"

"Rest up." The younger continued, putting his knee and standing, throwing his leather jacket over one shoulder. "Don't be late."

"Are we doing to go somewhere?" Taehyung frowned.

Jeongguk was backtracking towards the side of the house already, mocking a faint salute, but he was okay. And that was all that mattered. That he had come in high frustrations and was leaving relaxed.

That's all Taehyung cared about.

"The shore's nice, Saltine," Jeongguk paused at the edge of Taehyung's view of the side path.

"But?"

One more goofy smile, mischief lining his intentions, yet the truth of his heart slipped through those doe eyes.

"But I'm taking you to my favorite place in this entire escape tomorrow night."

❧ ❧ ❧

you know what time it is ;))))

me realizing i am most likely getting rid of all the texting in this book. it doesn't really fit anymore ;(

ALSO THE AMOUNT OF TIMES IRL JK HAS WORN LEATHER JACKETS IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS :D

your guys' comments make my whole day
THANK YOU ♡

✵ NEETO ✵