It felt whatever progress they’d been making suddenly stopped, and the door Taesu had opened to let his brother into his thoughts was promptly slammed shut. Seojin would never understand that it felt like he was marooned on his own island, left to wither away each day until there would eventually be nothing left of him. People came to his rescue, sure, but it was always because they wanted the right to brag they’d slept with a Veela, or because they wanted some kind of story, some trophy to parade around.

Tae’s lips twisted into a humorless scoff before he shook his head. “Every time I trust someone, it feels like I’m handing them a blade and turning my back.” People wanted the Veela experience, but it often came with wearing a face of their choosing via polyjuice. No one came for him, not the person beneath all the sharp edges and the scars. That was the truth he’d learned long before Jin. Not even his own mother wanted him. Or his adopted mother. Or the people at the orphanage. It felt like every single person he’d ever opened up to left him in the end.

“It’s a miracle I trust you, Seojin-hyung.” Tae whispered, although deep down he knew once Abeoji was gone he’d be alone in the world again, and as depressing as it was, Taesu had already made peace with the fact.

He finally looked up at Jin, eyes narrowing just lightly, and then his shoulders stiffened as he leaned back as if trying to put a little distance between them. “You make being handsome sound like a gift, but it’s not. People don’t come close because they like me, they come close because they can’t help it. It’d rather be nameoji with you.”

Then, as if testing Jin, he reached out for the morsel at the end of the chopstick, but his movements were hesitant, uncertain, like he was weighing whether or not he should actually trust his brother anymore. “You charge too much.” Taesu grumped, although he finally took the bite.

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