Work Text:
0.0
“ Would you like to order something, sir? I’m sorry to say that you aren’t allowed to sit at the table if you haven’t purchased anything…” Kim Taehyung stated apologetically, the other boy had been sitting there for hours all on his own, and his manager had been the one to force Taehyung out to say something.
“Oh, right, sorry.” The other boy murmured, “Can I have a filter coffee, maybe?” There’s an air of hopelessness in his tone and it makes Taehyung’s heart clench in empathy as he watches the sad lilt in the boy’s expression.
“Sure, and, since my shift is over in ten minutes—maybe you can have some company, too?” He’d always been like this; too soft and too caring to let someone leave the cafe with a sad look on their face.
The other boy looked up then, shock penetrating the forlorn darkness peppered around his irises. “That… that would be really nice, actually. Thank you…”—he reads the barista’s name tag with the sort of intensity that often frightens people, not Taehyung, though—“Taehyung?”
“You’re welcome…”—he made a show of squinting at nothing in particular as he trained his gaze on a part of the customer’s shirt—“Mister Handsome Stranger?”
He laughed at this, shaking his head all the while. “Jungkook.”
And just like that, Jungkook’s social circle comes to accommodate the enigmatic and sparkling Kim Taehyung. Just the same as Taehyung’s widens to accept the shy yet incredibly serene Jeon Jungkook.
0.4
“ Would you consider maybe, possibly, sort of… going out on a date with me?” The words had been mumbled haphazardly, half torn between a prayer for the wind to whisk them away and for the intended recipient to hear them and smile. Jungkook had bitten down on his bottom lip then. Hard enough to pull him to the brink of almost drawing blood. Four and a half months of friendship had boiled down to his; intense affection that almost bowled Jungkook over every single time he went out to meet up with his friend, or even received a single text message.
“Would I? Um, obviously I’d love to!” Had been Taehyung’s almost immediate response as he stood, cheeks bitten by the gnashing cold as it draped itself around them, aided by a particularly violent gust of air. Jungkook could remember drinking in the moment and feeling like the luckiest boy on Earth, but that was only the beginning and there was certainly more to come, he was sure of it.
And just like that their two worlds began to bleed into one another like water colour paints splashed carelessly upon a page in a sketchbook; the droplets of water meeting with a shocking magnetism that would knock anyone off their feet in a matter of moments.
1.3
“ Would you stop that?” Jungkook asks, mouth contorted into something between a laugh and a grimace as the other boy continued his relentless attack on the other, running his hands up and down the other’s sides until he was wriggling to be free from Taehyung’s grip. Jungkook was completely breathless by this point, words falling from his lips in flushed gasps. “It—it hurts,”
“Not until you admit that romcoms have more depth than action movies!” The older boy declares, shifting so that rather than awkwardly leaning over the couch to reach for him, he’s straddling his boyfriend with a proud grin.
“If I did I’d be lying, then.” The boyfriend in question managed to stutter, a teasing lilt to his strained tone. The whole… thing had been going on for what felt like an eternity, but was in fact only the previous few minutes.
Taehyung had to cease in his tickling. “You didn’t just say that—am I not hearing you correctly? Did you just… say that you’d be lying? That’s it, Jungkook, I can’t date you if we disagree on this.” He spoke with an air of finality, now completely refusing to carry on with his previous ministrations, instead he simply made heavy eye contact with the younger boy in an attempt to make him uncomfortable and therefore go back on what he’d said.
“You aren’t going to force me to say anything different, Tae.” There was a sudden spring of confidence in Jungkook’s tone while he’d regained his breath. “We both know how stubborn I can be.”
“And we also both know how stubborn I can be, don’t we?” A warning was pressed across Taehyung’s words despite the smile that adorned his practically perfect face. “This can last all day, Jungkook.”
And just like that, they both fall just that little bit harder for one another in the span of a single second, devotion clinging to them in a choke hold that’s every bit as consuming as the love that appears the deepen by the second with these two.
2.2
“ Would you like to move in with me?” The question had been a careless thought tossed out into the open on Jungkook’s part, something that he’d assumed was the natural progression of things. He hadn’t realised that perhaps it was the sort of query that should be carefully considered before being tentatively broached.
Of course, Taehyung had felt the exact same way as Jungkook. “Definitely—we can watch proper television series like a proper old couple, and make dinner together. Wow, it’ll be really domestic.”
“And cute?”
“And cute. Obviously.” Perhaps to those on the outside, the conversation would have seemed much too casual; too calm and collected. And yet, both Taehyung and Jungkook were helplessly encapsulated in one another—spending almost every hour of every day together was a good way to help when they both began to miss the other’s presence if they even spent five minutes apart. Jungkook had it bad. Taehyung had it bad. Simple.
And just like that, their worlds melted into one; red blending with blue to make a dazzling purple that would surely elicit reams upon reams of envy from anyone they met. Not to say that they bothered with making other people jealous. Oh no, they were much too wrapped up in one another to notice the changing world around them.
6.0
“ Would you want to go out for dinner tonight? Considering the fact it’s our anniversary and all?” It’s the morning and Jungkook’s words make Taehyung realise that they’ve been together for such a long time now, haven’t they? One year had turned into five years and those five years have turned into six in what felt like the blink of an eye to the older man.
He stopped in his tracks to stare at Jungkook for a second before murmuring “Six years? Really? Has it actually been that long? It only feels like I moved in four months ago…”
“Four years ago, actually.” Jungkook grinned at the older man, excitement dancing through his expression as memories flooded his thoughts. “And after all these years, I’m still not sick of you—what a surprise, honestly.”
“How dare you.” Taehyung shot back. “I’ll have you know that I’m a delight, thank you very much.”
Jungkook snorted and decided to leave the conversation as that.
And just like that, they set off in yet another comfortable diurnal course with one another, facing work and other trivialities much like any other day. Except this time, there’s the jolt of excitement that comes with any anniversary.
6.0
“ Would you mind driving? I’m really full after that meal—Jesus, Jungkook, they really like to stuff you in there, don’t they?” This time it’s Taehyung speaking up after the meal with a small, tired smile.
“Yeah of course, and that’s why I picked it, silly.” Jungkook shook his head and made a gesture to ask for the car keys. They’d already stood from their seats, paying the bill swiftly before exiting the restaurant and stepping out into the cool night air. After a moment of walking in silence, Jungkook opens his mouth to speak. “I love it when it’s like this—all tranquil and placid. It lets us just… be us. Without the wind or the rain or something to get in the way.”
“I love it too,” Taehyung says softly before turning to fully face his boyfriend and lean forwards to capture his lips with his own. It was sweet, soft and content; they don’t need the passion of new flames, or the ferocity of sex right now. They need each other, though, that’s for sure. And that’s what they have.
They parted and continued to make their way to the car, idle comments painting the way as they smiled and laughed a little. It was only when they actually reach the vehicle that Jungkook stopped to peer over at Taehyung from the car door he’s about to unlock.
“You don’t ask things of me very often, do you?”
With a frown, “I suppose I don’t… What of it?”
“I like it when you ask me to do things,” Jungkook said. “It makes me feel wanted, I guess.”
“Oh. Well,” There was a sudden lilt of affection that danced through Taehyung’s tone at this. “I guess I’ll have to make more requests, then.”
“Good.” Without any further ado, Jungkook moved to unlock the car and slide in to the driver’s seat with the practiced motion of an experienced driver. Nothing had started to worry Taehyung as his boyfriend pulled out from the parking space, or as they began to move down the highway. No. The worry only began to flood his senses when they was a crunch of metal and the unmistakable screech of tires as another car collided with where Jungkook had been sitting. Note the ‘had’.
And just like that, Taehyung lost it all.