Chapter Text
Jungkook’s palms are sweating as he turns the knob of the door. He arrives 30 minutes earlier than he would usually pick Taehyung up. He’s nervous, maybe a little more than nervous. He’s apprehensive and a coward and a –
Better stop that train of thought before he chickens out. There’s an ugly pause in time space between when Jungkook enters and when Taehyung finally panders on to the living room.
He sees Jungkook and clears his throat. “I, um, got your note. What did you wanna talk about?” He asks as he sits down on the sofa, pulling over a grey sock on his right foot. Jungkook clears his throat as he pulls up the sleeves of his dress shirt, fiddling with the sleeves.
He’s been meaning to talk to Taehyung about how they are, how uncomfortable it’s been and what he could do to fix things. Somehow, he convinced himself to even be okay if Taehyung asked him to keep things strictly professional, no comfortability, no inside jokes, no nothing.
“Um, are we okay?” he decides to start, getting to the point as well.
Taehyung pauses from putting his shoes on. He turns his head to look at Jungkook and at that moment, there are a million ways the scenario could play out. He could fake it and say they are, continue the ridiculous charade he’s been putting up. Taehyung could also break then and there and tell Jungkook what he’s feeling, how much of it is for Jungkook and just how much Taehyung has been holding in.
He decided to go for a middle ground.
Jungkook stares at Taehyung, waiting for an answer. Watching the bend of his neck as his head turned, the glint of his eyes, full of thought. There’s a soft pause, a non-existent wind as something bigger than themselves passes through the room.
An audible sigh, and what Jungkook could swear was an audible smile emanates from Taehyung.
“’Course we are, Kookie.” Taehyung says with a sad smile. “I’ve just been busy a lot this week, that’s all.” Taehyung continues as he finally stands up after putting his shoes on.
Jungkook frowns in thought, not really believing the answer and focuses on a spot on the carpet. “Stop frowning!” Taehyung says, flicking at the spot in between Jungkook’s brows “Hey!”
“Go to Japan with me.” Taehyung asks, tells him from behind the counter he was leaning against. “What?” Jungkook asks, turning around. This isn’t really the way he thought the morning would go.
“I have to check on a branch there and Joohyun can’t go with me. You have to get me coffee.” Taehyung says, a slight lilt in his voice. He brings out two cups from the cupboard under the sink and turns on the electric kettle. “So?” Taehyung asks, waiting for Jungkook’s answer.
“Are you really bringing me to Japan just so I can get you your coffee?” he asks seriously.
“Jesus of course not! We’re also going to be driving around a lot. I could take taxis or trains but my dad needs me to keep up appearances so,” Taehyung shrugs, still staring at him. “I’m not really asking, you have to go with me.” He says with a mischievous laugh.
“Well, then I’m not really answering you with a yes, am I?” Jungkook looks at him pointedly, reaching over to turn off the kettle and pour the dark contents in one cup. “Drink up, I’m getting you your coffee in advance.” He says.
Taehyung smiles at him as he reaches for the cup. It’s warm as their hands meet, definitely from the coffee. “That’s a still a yes.” He says with a teasing look as he walks out of the kitchen towards to where he left his briefcase. “Let’s go! There’s art needing to be stared at and paperwork needing to be ignored.” Taehyung laughs as he walks of his door.
Jungkook follows suit, locking the door with his set of keys and pads down the carpeted hallway slowly.
Taehyung sips from the cup while they’re in the elevator, the bitter taste in his mouth reminding him of his horrid plan he pushed through. The Japan trip should have been a “sort-out-your-feelings-for-Jungkook trip but ofcourse, he manages to bring him along.
It’s been only a few hours since their taxi from the airport dropped them off the hotel and Taehyung is already knocking at Jungkook’s door, calling him out to look around.
“Come on, it’s not that far and you don’t have to drive!” Taehyung says through the door. Jungkook slips his shirt on and opens the door a small way. “Then why don’t you go yourself?” he asks tiredly. “Cause I don’t trust myself not to get lost. Why is your shirt backwards?” Taehyung says, pulling at the tag sticking out under Jungkook’s chin. He looks down and finds the tag tickling his chin. “Oh.”
“Anyways, get changed! I’ll wait for you in the lobby, okay?” Taehyung says, smiling as he walks away. “Okay,” Jungkook answers softly, closing the door and leaning against it. His heart is still beating from the very silly reason that Taehyung’s hands smells like cherry blossoms and it as too near and too warm and just, basically, too much.
He changes into a grey shirt and plain dark pants. He grabs a black beanie along the way and his denim light wash jacket to protect him from the soft chill of a Japanese spring.
“Hey, melon bun.” Taehyung calls out to him as he walks nearer to where he was sitting in the lobby. His steps falter as he coughs out. “Did you just call me melon bun?” he says eyes wide.
“The-? No? Here’s a melon bun.” Taehyung replies incredulously, handing him a plastic wrapped melon bun from the hotel’s café.
“Oh, okay thank you.” Jungkook laughs at his mistake and reaches for it. They haven’t eaten anything yet since they arrived. He was planning to sleep with an empty stomach but it seems Taehyung has some plans to eat outside.
“Although, I could call you that if that’s like, your thing.” Taehyung says with a smirk, leaning back.
Jungkook stares at him with dead eyes and stands up. “Thanks for the food, I’m going back upstairs.”
Taehyung reaches out and his hands circles Jungkook’s wrist. “Hey I’m just kidding! C’mon let’s go. The light show is about to start.” He says, pulling Jungkook to help him stand up as well. He let’s go when he’s steady on his feet, which took a while cause he stood up to fast. The time his hand circled Jungkook’s wrist makes the tips of fingers tingle and makes Jungkook’s cheeks feel warm.
“Where is this anyway?” Jungkook says, obliging. “Just near the train station Taehyung says, walking a bit faster, leading Jungkook. “It’s very near. It’s a actually a small shopping district, you’ve heard of Shinsaibashi?” Taehyung mumbles as he walks.
“Shinsaibashi is not a small shopping district, it’s the freaking biggest one in Osaka, hyung. And we’re two train stations away. Are we really walking there?” Jungkook says through the cold, hands covering his mouth. Taehyung turns back to look at him and smiles sheepishly. It’s very fortunate that Jungkook’s hands were covering his mouth because his jaw literally drops open.
“Okay you got me.” Taehyung admits. “I just really wanted to walk around. I really don’t know where we’re going.” He laughs as he walks at the same pace.
They find a really cool old place that’s being preserved with some sort of festival going on inside. There’s a fountain in the middle of the festivities and Jungkook tells Taehyung to wait there so he could get them some warm drinks.
“Hyung.” He calls out, waving the hot tea from the vending machine in front of Taehyung’s face. Taehyung snaps his head to look at him and smiles. “Sorry, I spaced out. Thanks.” He says with a smile, reaching out to grab the drink and brushing Jungkook’s fingers in the process. Jungkook coughs and clears his throat with a sip of his own tea.
Taehyung stares at him as he drinks and resolves that he needs some time away to think, to finally settle on what he should do about his feelings. “I’ll walk around? You can walk around too, I’ll be back in a bit?” Taehyung asks. “You don’t wanna walk together?” Jungkook asks but interrupts when Taehyung is just about to answer. “Oh, yeah okay. I’ll wait for you back the entrance.” Jungkook continues, flashing Taehyung a tight smile as he tightens the cap on his bottle of warm tea. His hands clench and he shakes his head as he walks away, berating himself.
Taehyung obviously wanted to be alone, he brought Jungkook here so he won’t get lost and to get him tea and that’s the end of it.
Taehyung stares at the back of Jungkook’s head and sighs. He wanted so much to just enjoy this trip together but he’s so afraid that he’d just get more invested, and therefore, more hurt.
Jungkook decides to walk around and buy souvenirs for his family since he doesn’t know what things they’d have to do the rest of the trip. He finds a really nice marble jade-looking bracelet with alleged healing powers for his mom’s back and a cool amulet for long life for his dad. He buys his little brother a nice calligraphy pen for his drawings and when he’s done, he goes back to the entrance to wait for Taehyung.
It’s probably 2 hours and three warm drinks past when Jungkook is finally forced by his bladder to go to a comfort room and find Taehyung. He wanders out of the restrooms and onto the big plaze in the middle where the fountain they saw awhile ago is still displaying really pretty tricks with water and light.
He finds Taehyung staring at it, one arm around himself, the other supporting his chin. His mouth is slightly open and Jungkook tries his hardest to stop himself from kissing it close.
“I forgot to tell you, thank God you found me cause signal here is pretty shitty.” Taehyung says when he finally notices Jungkook beside him.
“I remember you spacing out around here. How you looked at the fountain.”
“Yeah?” Taehyung asks, looking at him and the purple lights from the fountain lines Jungkook’s face perfectly.
“Yeah.” Jungkook replies quietly.
“Don’t you think,” Taehyung starts, looking back at the fountain. “Don’t you think it’s such a shy metaphor?” he asks Jungkook.
“What do you mean?” Jungkook looks back at him, brows knotting in effort to explain. “Like it’s saying so much things by showing them in small things, small lights, small colors.” Taehyung mumbles softly.
Jungkook nudges his shoulders. “No, like, what do you mean by a shy metaphor?” he laughs softly.
“Hmm, a shy metaphor, like telling you I love you by giving you food, or worrying about your day, or holding your hand while you sleep.” Taehyung replies in all seriousness
“Are those like, your relationship goals?”
“Ugh moment ruiner much.” Taehyung huffs.
“IM SORRY OKAY.” Jungkook says, and a really weird pause engulfs them. Jungkook clears his throat.
“Here um, so you mean like, telling you I love you by playing you music, giving you coffee or taking care of you when you’re sick?” he asks Taehyung
Silence, Taehyung replies with silence. He looks at Jungkook with that same weird look he gave him back home and he turns back his head to the fountain and says the damnest thing.
“Yeah, like saying I love you by not saying it at all.”
“Really don’t know how you get that from just a fountain.” Jungkook replies to make the air lighter and Taehyung laughs.
“GOD you ruin all my philosophical moments-” he starts with a fake exasperated huff when Jungkook cuts him off. “Thank you its my pleasure.” He says with a grin and stares back at the fountain with a genuine smile and a really light heart.