Chapter Text
“You don’t love me anymore,” Seokjin states one day, causing Jungkook to jolt in surprise.
Reluctantly, he presses pause on his game because this feels like a conversation he should have while he’s playing. He turns to Seokjin, who is glaring at him from the side of the room with his hands on his hips.
He knows well enough by now, with three years of being in a relationship under his belt, that Seokjin is just being his melodramatic self. He also knows that if Seokjin isn’t acknowledged within less than 45 seconds, it’ll only get worse.
“Excuse me?” Jungkook questions incredulously. “I just told you that I love you this morning.”
“Words don’t mean anything when there’s no real feeling behind them,” Seokjin holds his ground, shaking his head.
No real feeling? Did Seokjin forget that Jungkook has literally been head over heels in love with him since the day they met five years ago? When he was just an awkward 18-year-old kid trying his best to win the affections of Seokjin. Seokjin who was the most handsome, coolest guy he’d ever seen, completely out of his league.
Fast forward two years later – Jungkook holding a bouquet of Seokjin’s favorite flowers, lilies, as he tried his best to stutter his way through asking Seokjin out. In retrospect, it had been such a shitty place to ask someone out, at the arcade of all places – but at twenty, he was still very much an idiot. And at the time he had been fully expecting that Seokjin would say no, would laugh at him, because why would someone like him go out with someone like Jungkook? Despite that fear, he still wanted to give it his best shot even if his chances were slim, he didn’t want to not try at least.
And yes, Seokjin did laugh, but he wasn’t laughing at him. More so, a euphoric kind of happiness.
“Of course, I’ll go out with you, silly,” Seokjin lifted his cheek with one hand, cheeks red, with the most brilliant smile Jungkook had ever seen on his face. “I thought we already were, kinda.”
Fast forward another three years after that – they live together now, and Jungkook still feels the same way about Seokjin as he did on day one. Well, except for the cool part. It wasn’t hard for him to figure out early on that Seokjin – while handsome, intelligent, kind, perfect, the list goes one really – was in no way cool. One too many dad jokes sort of disillusioned that for him.
Fast forward to now – Jungkook is very much astounded that Seokjin would say such a thing. They’re basically relationship goals, at least that’s what Jimin always told him when he was drunk whining about the woes of being single.
“Are you serious?” Jungkook asks him.
“You don’t love me anymore,” Seokjin repeats, gritting his jaw. “You hardly even look at me anymore or listen to anything I have to say, it’s like your head is always occupied with something else. You don’t even kiss me anymore, only touch me when you want to get some. All you ever want to do is play your stupid video games!”
Jungkook feels his jaw gape open as he tries to scramble for a response to that, but finds that he’s actually speechless. That was so untrue. Of course, Jungkook listened to Seokjin and of course, he still thought he’s handsome. Maybe he’s been lacking in the random kisses and dates department, but he tries his best.
“Babe, I’m a video game developer – it’s sort of my job to develop them and test them out,” Jungkook argues.
“I work as a doctor, yet somehow, I always manage to find time for you,” Seokjin replies. “Don’t pull that bullshit on me.”
Jungkook bounds off the couch, walks to Seokjin and takes his hands in his.
Slowly, he says, “Seokjin, baby, I love you.”
Seokjin scoffs, shaking his hands from his, “Try again when you actually mean it.”
And with that, Jungkook finds himself standing alone in their living room, confused and a little hurt.
It vaguely occurs to him, that this is what some people would call an argument. Something that’s so foreign between the two of them, because Jungkook never really gets angry and neither does Seokjin. Yes, he’s petty as hell, but they never really have anything more than a small squabble that can’t be solved with a kiss or a small bribe.
Apparently, Jungkook has to convince Seokjin all over again that he really does love him. That shouldn’t be too hard, after all, loving Seokjin is one of the only things Jungkook knows without a shadow of a doubt even if he hasn’t been the best at showing it.
Show Seokjin that he loves him with actions rather than words, Jungkook can do this.
♥
Seokjin walks out of their shared bedroom the next morning, bleary eyed as he attempts to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Jungkook stills, tries not to look too guilty, but it’s more than obvious what he’s been doing.
“What’s that smell?” Seokjin asks him, sitting down at the island.
Jungkook hesitates, “I – uh – I made breakfast?”
Seokjin seems to look much more awake after he says this, eyes wide as he stares at Jungkook.
“Breakfast? You? Make? Those words don’t fit in the same sentence,” Seokjin scoffs. “You don’t even know how to cook.”
Jungkook winces, feeling guilty for always making Seokjin do all the cooking and baking in this relationship. It’s not even that Jungkook can’t cook, it’s just that he doesn’t. Why would Jungkook even need to cook when he has a boyfriend who cooks better than most five-star chefs? Seokjin never seemed to mind, always grinning when Jungkook told him how good the food was or when he asked for a second serving. Still, he should have done something nice for Seokjin every once and a while.
“I figured I’d give it a shot,” Jungkook shrugs, placing the plate on the table. “American pancakes don’t that taste very American, but I tried.”
Seokjin looks at him warily, sniffing the plate before deciding that no, Jungkook hadn’t poisoned the food. He took the syrup off the table and added some, before finally taking his fork and taking a hesitant bite. All the while he’s chewing, Jungkook feels his heart beat steadily faster, nervous that Seokjin will say it sucks or laugh in his face at his abysmal attempt at cooking.
“It’s good,” Seokjin finally says after a moment, taking another bite. “Not very American, yes, but still good.”
Jungkook lets out a relieved sigh as he plops down next to Seokjin, “That’s good to hear.”
Seokjin studies him, “Are you trying to win back my affection with food?”
Yes, yes, he is. But Jungkook needs a better way to phrase that.
“In a way, yes,” Jungkook replies, taking a slow bite of his own food. “I also want to show you I care. I love you, Seokjin.”
Seokjin flushes, “You’re gonna have to try harder than that.”
Jungkook pouts, but he can’t quite say that he expected any less.
“Fair enough,” Jungkook replies, eyes alit with the blaze of a new challenge. “But I’ll tell you every day that I love you till you start to believe it.”
Seokjin leans back in his chair, “You can try, but my heart is still hurt. You think you can make it up to me?”
Jungkook nods, pressing a kiss to Seokjin’s lips lightly, “I know I can.”
♥
And make it up to him, he does.
Over the course of the following weeks, Jungkook spends more time on romance advice columns than he does actually working. He makes sure to give Seokjin a kiss in the morning and at night before they go to bed, and with each kiss, he reminds him with a whisper – ‘I love you.’
Seokjin doesn’t respond most of the time, usually just flushes to his ears, or just gives him a smile – but it’s something. It doesn’t hurt Jungkook, because he knows that Seokjin loves him too. This is about making Seokjin feel loved, not about him.
In the middle of the day, while Seokjin is at work and Jungkook is taking a mini break from computer programming and the stress induced headache that causes – he’ll call Seokjin.
“What do you want, Jungkook? I’m busy so this better be an emer–“
“Just wanted to say I love you and I miss you,” Jungkook will say, promptly hanging up when the strangled embarrassed noises follow through the phone afterwards.
Other times, he’ll take Seokjin out on nice dates when he comes home from work. Dinner dates at nice restaurants that he likes or more fun dates at the arcade where they pretend they’re both teenagers again for a little while.
It’s at the arcade, while Jungkook is staring at Seokjin’s face burn red in frustration as he continues to lose against him in a game of air hockey, that Jungkook is struck once again by just how much he loves this man. He’s silly, petty, and argumentative but gosh, if he isn’t the best thing that has ever happened to him.
And that’s how Jungkook loses that round, because he’s just too dazed to care.
When Seokjin starts laughing at him because he’s won, euphoric smile on his face, because ‘In your face, Kook! I told you I’d beat you!’ – Jungkook can’t help but walk over and cut him off with a kiss.
Seokjin pulls away, breathless, “Kook, we’re in a public place, you can’t just –“
“I love you,” Jungkook tells him, slowly, with meaning – hopes Seokjin gets it too.
Seokjin’s indignation seemingly melts into a soft smile, places a palm to his cheek, and Jungkook instinctively knows that he does get it.
“I love you too, Jungkook,” Seokjin replies, presses another soft kiss against his lips.
All in all, it was definitely a perfect night.
♥
And that night sticks to him, weeks after it’s over.
Not just that night, but these past few weeks as well. In Jungkook’s attempt to prove to Seokjin just how much he loves him – he felt himself fall in love with him all over again. He feels like a giddy teenager again, eighteen, and stupidly in love with his best friend’s friend. Seokjin isn’t even mad at him anymore, they’ve gone back to their normal, but Jungkook still finds joy in showering him with his love and affection – but somehow, it’s just not enough.
He thinks of that night in the arcade again, thinks of how struck he was with how much he loves Seokjin, and starts to wonder. What kind of grand gesture could he do that could properly capture how much he loves him, something more permanent that Seokjin could remember even when he’s too busy to be the perfect boyfriend.
An idea starts to come to mind.
♥
“Why do you have me in a blindfold, Jungkook?” Seokjin questions him for the umpteenth time, making Jungkook regret several things right now. “Is this a new kink we should talk about? Sex is all about healthy communication.”
“Can you shut up and not be horny for more than two seconds?” Jungkook grumbles. “We’re almost there.”
Seokjin sighs, “You like to pretend that you’re not the real pervert between the two of us.”
Jungkook flushes, “Can we please talk about something else?”
“Are we almost there yet?” Seokjin asks him, the other question that he’s asked him almost a million times.
Jungkook groans, because he’s a nervous mess, hands sweating profusely as he leads Seokjin – but Seokjin really isn’t doing much to calm down his nerves. This could go so wrong in so many ways, feels just as nervous as he did when he was twenty, but he needs to do this.
And finally, they’re at their target destination. Which means the time is here and Jungkook can’t procrastinate anymore.
Slowly taking off Seokjin’s blindfold, he stands behind him as he lets him take in their surroundings. Also to give himself a moment to breathe before he does what might be the scariest, or stupidest, thing he’s ever done in his life.
“You brought me to the arcade?” Seokjin asks him, incredulously. “This hardly raises the need for a blindfold. But why is the place all empty?”
He turns around, mouth open, but whatever he’s about to say – Jungkook will never know because he falters and the words die on his tongue. Before Seokjin, kneels Jungkook on one knee, dressed semi-formally in a dress shirt and the slacks that Seokjin picked out for him as a birthday present last year. In one hand, there’s a bouquet of lilies – in the other, a small box.
“Jungkook…what are you doing?” Seokjin asks him slowly.
“I – I – uh – I just wanted to tell you that I really love you, that I care for you so so much, and that you’re the most amazing person in my life,” Jungkook starts, opens the box to reveal the silver band inside, eyes down because he couldn’t bear to look at Seokjin in the current moment. “I’ve known you for more than five years now, and we’ve been together for more than half of that time. I love you, I loved you when I was a dumb eighteen-year-old kid and I still love you now five years later and will continue to love you for a long time to come. I’m sorry if I hadn’t been able to show you that very well as of recently…but will you marry me?”
Seokjin laughs, causing Jungkook to look up startled, but he sees tears streaming down his face which makes Jungkook’s heart stop.
“Okay, it’s fine – we don’t have to get married, just don’t cry –“
Seokjin lifts Jungkook off the ground, with one hand, and crashes his lips into his, “I love you too, more than anything. So yes, a thousand times yes.”
Jungkook flushes to his roots, swallowing awkwardly as he takes the ring, and gingerly slips it onto Seokjin’s ring finger. It’s a perfect fit.
“I didn’t think you’d say yes,” Jungkook admits sheepishly, leaning his head against Seokjin’s. “Thought you might say I didn’t really love you or something.”
Seokjin laughs, pulling away slightly, “Did you actually believe that? I was just messing around with you.”
Jungkook feels his heart drop all the way to his stomach.
“Are you serious?” Jungkook asks.
“I thought it was obvious?” Seokjin questions, laughing in that unique way of his that both infuriated and endeared Jungkook. “I just wanted some attention.”
Jungkook punches Seokjin in the arm, hard, making Seokjin gasp.
“I can’t believe you made me go through all this crap because you wanted attention,” Jungkook replies, putting a hand to his head. “I even proposed.”
“Well, I hope you’re not regretting it now because there’s no refunds on this ring,” Seokjin says, holding his hand adorning the new ring close to his chest. “This ring is here to stay.”
Jungkook shakes his head, “Remind me why I put up with you again?”
“Because you love me, idiot,” Seokjin replies with a grin. “And now you’ll just have to put up with me forever.”
Honestly, Jungkook couldn’t think of anything more perfect than that.