All apologies

    "You've been crying,"

    "No,"

Taehyung's eyes threaten to roll when Jeongguk snickers at his denial, but he just ignores him as he packs his clothes.

    "I can tell," The ravenette says as he leans against the doorframe of Taehyung's room eating the pack of crackers Seokjin gave him.

    "What'd Seokjin say?" Taehyung sighs facing him, ignoring his comment.

    "Healthy as a horse," Jeongguk says showing off the bandage on the inside of his elbow. "Didn't think he'd have to bleed me dry to tell me that."

    "He did you a favor," Taehyung says grabbing his satchel and putting it over his shoulder.

    "He did you a favor," Jeongguk says biting another cracker. "I told you I was fine."

Taehyung doesn't stop himself from rolling his eyes this time. "Are you in a shitty mood or something?"

Jeongguk hums as if he has to think about it, crumbling the empty package in his hand and dropping it in the bin by the door before answering. "I don't think so."

    "Do you still want me to go with you?" Taehyung asks, his tone flat yet annoyed.

    "Yes," Jeongguk smirks. "Do you still want to come?"

    "Not if you're going to be mean,"

    "I'll wear my charm then,"

Taehyung shakes his head as he walks past him, heading downstairs to say goodbye to Jimin.

Jeongguk follows him down, taking his satchel off his shoulder and putting it over his own.

    "You aren't gonna faint again are you?" Jeongguk asks when they meet Jimin downstairs.

    "You aren't gonna come back from the dead again are you?" Jimin shoots back with an annoyed expression.

    "I don't know, if it's this fun every time I might consider it," The ravenette shrugs with a smug expression. "Are you coming with us?"

    "Jimin has an obligation to the commune," Seokjin says appearing with a small black case with Taehyung's medication inside. "I'm afraid he can't join you two."

    "Who put you in charge of everything?" Jeongguk asks narrowing his eyes.

    "I'm not in charge of anything," Seokjin smiles as he hands Taehyung the case.

    "You make all the decisions," Jeongguk says. "Sounds like being in charge."

    "And who's in charge of you?" Seokjin asks without breaking eye contact, his expression somehow friendly and stern. "At Solis?"

    "I'm in charge myself," Jeongguk says with a challenging expression. "We don't let know it all pricks run us around like a bunch of mutts on leashes."

    "Jeongguk," Seokjin chuckles. "I understand that you haven't been around for a while but things are different here now~"

    "How different?"

    "There's a difference between being in charge and being responsible,"

    "Meaning?" Jeongguk asks.

    "Meaning that I'm responsible for the well-being of the people of the commune, but I don't make decisions for them and I don't force them to do anything they don't want to do," Seokjin says deliberately. "Maybe the brainless prick that let's you all run around like wild animals should re-evaluate his methods of subsistence."

Taehyung looks at Jimin who snorts in humor, looking down as he bites away his own smile.

    "Taehyung, sweetheart, you be safe, okay?" Seokjin says to him with a softer tone. "Radio in when you get there if you can."

    "Thanks, Seokjin," Taehyung chuckles. "I will."

    "Come on, Jimin," Seokjin says turning and leaving, expecting Jimin to follow.

    "Be careful," Jimin says to Taehyung as he walks away, stopping short and addressing Jeongguk. "Oh yeah, and Jeongguk, stay dead next time."

    "Haha," Jeongguk says dryly as he turns and heads for the door. "Come on, Taehyung."

Taehyung waves at Jimin before following Jeongguk out of headquarters.

    "You didn't have to be rude to Seokjin," He says as he follows Jeongguk to the millenicopter waiting for them. "He's not doing anything wrong here."

    "I don't give a shit," Jeongguk says, clearly in a bad mood now. "He's an asshole."

Taehyung doesn't argue, it was useless. They get to the millenicopter and Jeongguk climbs into the driver's seat, Taehyung in the passenger seat.

    "Are you sure you know how to drive one of these?" Taehyung asks as he watches him nervously.

    "It's not rocket science," Jeongguk quips before starting the vehicle. "It's a two hour drive so get comfortable."

    "Two hours?" Taehyung asks in shock. "You said twenty minutes before."

    "Yeah, well I guess I lied," Jeongguk says stepping on the gas and jerking them into motion. "What? You don't want to be stuck in here with me for two hours? Because you're gonna be stuck with me a lot longer than that from here on out."

    "If you lie again I'm gonna kill you," Taehyung says. "And I promise you'll stay dead this time."

    "That joke's already dead, Taehyung," Jeongguk says looking over at him with an amused expression. "C'mon, you promised not to treat me like a stranger."

    "No, I didn't."

    "Yeah, you did."

Taehyung shakes his head, looking out of the window in silence.

    "What can I do to make you warm up to me?" Jeongguk asks, focusing on the open terrain in front of him. "What do you want me to do?"

    "I want you to shut up," Taehyung says.

    "No," The ravenette says rolling his eyes. "I'm serious, tell me. Do you want to say sorry again?"

    "What are you sorry for exactly?" Taehyung asks looking at him with an expectant expression.

    "I'm sorry for not giving away my ticket," Jeongguk says. "I wish would've."

    "Okay," Taehyung nods, still looking at him expectantly."

    "I'm sorry for coming back from the dead," Jeongguk says. "I'll leave a note next time I decide to do that."

    "Okay," The silverette nods, his expression remaining the same.

    "...I'm sorry for..." Jeongguk trails off slightly as he reaches for something to apologize for. "Oh, okay, I'm sorry for gambling so much before. I don't gamble anymore so you don't have to worry about that."

Taehyung nods with a shrug, still expecting him to continue.

    "I'm sorry for not splitting my rations with you that one time," Jeongguk says. "And I'm sorry for cheating on you with Minhae when we first started dating."

    "Ah, okay," Taehyung says looking up with a short laugh before looking at him again. "And?"

    "I'm sorry for threatening to break up with you every time you didn't agree with me~"

    "Threatening?"

Jeongguk rolls his eyes a little. "I'm sorry for breaking up with you every time you didn't agree with me."

    "Mhm," Taehyung nods.

    "I'm sorry for when I kicked you out of my room that one night after curfew and you got a citation for being outside after dark," Jeongguk says, humming in thought. "I'm sorry for comparing you to my exes."

Taehyung nods along with his words. "Okay."

    "I'm sorry for not letting you hang out with Jimin unless I was around," Jeongguk says. "And I'm sorry for not putting in as much effort as I could have and I'm sorry for being dismissive when you were upset."

    "Okay," Taehyung nods.

    "Come on, Taehyung, that's literally all I got," Jeongguk says looking over at him. "I can't say I'm sorry enough."

    "I think you have enough to apologizing to do to get through this whole drive," Taehyung says looking back out of the window.

    "Are you sorry about anything?"

    "I'm sorry I chased you around like an idiot for three years,"

Jeongguk sighs, biting the inside of his mouth. "Does any of that matter when I'm trying to make things right now?"

    "It doesn't matter, no," Taehyung says. "But it makes me reluctant to believe anything you say. Since you've lied before, multiple times, and treated me like dirt."

    "You did some shit too, Taehyung," Jeongguk says. "Like throwing a rock through my bedroom window?"

    "Because you screwed Nyx?" Taehyung asks.

    "I never touched Nyx," Jeongguk argues, his voice raising an octave.

    "You lie like shit, Jeongguk, I don't know why you do it so much," The silverette laughs.

    "I never touched Nyx," The ravenette stresses.

    "Who gives a fuck about Nyx?" Taehyung shouts in aggravation.

    "You obviously do!" Jeongguk shouts back. "How is it my fault that you're so insecure that you're suspicious of everyone I'm around~"

    "Says the asshole that wouldn't leave me and Jimin alone for five minutes," Taehyung shoots at him.

    "Jimin wanted to fuck you and I know he did," Jeongguk shoots back. "You didn't see the way he looked at you because you were too busy being a fucking~"

    "Being a what?" Taehyung asks shifting to him in his seat with a heated expression. "Being a fucking what, Jeongguk?"

Jeongguk groans in frustration, clenching his teeth as he looks straight ahead. "I'm sorry."

    "It's not okay," Taehyung says. "Nothing is fucking okay."

    "Yeah, I figured that much," Jeongguk snaps. "I don't even know why you're here."

    "I don't have to be," The silverette says. "Stop driving and let me out."

    "No," Jeongguk says rolling eyes.

    "Let me out!"

    "No!"

Taehyung sits back in his seat with a huff, crossing his arms and looking out the window. He felt the urge to cry but he forced away the feeling. "I fucking hate you."

Jeongguk bites the inside of his mouth so hard he tastes blood, keeping his eyes forward.

The tension in the car rose with every passing second of silence until Jeongguk spoke after a while.

    "I don't want to fight every time we have a conversation," He says, his tone softer than it was before. "Why can't talk like normal people?"

    "Because you don't care about how I feel," Taehyung says, his voice barely audible.

    "I do care," Jeongguk says looking over at him briefly and noticing the tears shining in his eyes. "Don't cry, Taehyung."

    "I'm not crying," The silverette says turning his head to look out of the window.

    "I want things to be different now," Jeongguk continues. "I want to get along."

    "What do you want me to say?" Taehyung asks flatly.

    "I don't know," Jeongguk says. "Can you just accept that I'm sorry about everything I did before. That's not the way I am anymore...I can be a better boyfriend if you let me."

Taehyung clenches his teeth, closing his eyes briefly before looking at him. "Why do you want to be with me?"

    "I've always wanted to be with you," Jeongguk says with a small smile. "I love something about you I guess."

Taehyung rolls his eyes. "I don't know if I trust you, Jeongguk. But I can forgive you for before. We were kids, we didn't know what we were doing."

    "Thank you," The ravenette says with a sigh a relief.

    "I'm sorry about your window," Taehyung says referring to the situation all those years ago. "Next time I'll throw the rock at your head and end both our suffering."

Jeongguk laughs, shaking his head. "You're something else, Kim Taehyung."

    "So are you, Jeon Jeongguk." Taehyung says looking out of the window.

"Can we be friends, at least?"

"Whatever,"