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"Jungkook are you sure you're okay with spending the new year alone? Hoseok won't mind if you come with us--"
"Yoongi I promise you I'm fine, you two enjoy your time alone." Jungkook eyes Yoongi from where he's sitting lazily on the couch, bowl of pop corn in his lap, and corny American Christmas movie playing on their TV. "I'm good with just staying home."
Yoongi sighs, "alone? Again for this year? Why didn't you go back home to visit your parents?" he picks up his coat from the coat rack by the door, and looks at Jungkook with a concerned look in his eyes as he slips it on and buttons it over his chest.
"They're off somewhere in Italy, on a second honeymoon or some shit." Jungkook says over a mouthful of popcorn. He really couldn't care less if he spent the new year alone, he's more into being alone and binge watching old movies anyway.
Yoongi sighs one last time before he checks his phone, then looks back up at Jungkook, and at the mess of popcorn on his chest and lap. "Okay, Kook-ah." he opens the apartment door, and before he's leaving, he peaks over the edge and smiles sadly at Jungkook, "happy new year, bun."
And with that, Jungkook's all alone, with only the faint murmur of the TV to keep him company in the empty apartment.
"Happy new year, Yoongi" he says through a sigh, to no one in particular.
A movie and a whole two hours later, Jungkook checks the time and sees that it's still only fifteen past ten. He turns off the TV, gets up from the couch and shakes off all the popcorn caught in the rough fabric of his ugly sweater. He hasn't showered since Christmas when Yoongi had forced him to wear said ugly sweater. He picks up the empty bowl of popcorn and heads to the kitchen, socked-feet padding softly against the (faux) wooden floors, and sets it down in the sink for him to wash later along with the countless mugs of coffee and hot chocolate.
But is he really gonna spend his new year like this again? Alone, while Yoongi goes out with his boyfriend to coffee shops and restaurants and cute bakerys.
"Why the fuck not then?" he says as he marches towards the bathroom and strips off his clothes. He gets under the hot stream of water soon after, washes his face, washes his hair, scrubs at his body vigorously to wash off all the dirt and grime that had been piling onto his skin since his shower two days before Christmas. A whole nine days ago.
When he's done, he slips on his robe and goes about shaving his lame excuse of a week old mustache and beard, and moisturizes the fuck out of his skin.
"If I'm gonna be alone on new year, the least I could do is look good." he murmurs to himself, as he opens the door to the bathroom and lets out all the steam, slipping into his slippers and makes his way to his bedroom.
He's out the door in ten minutes, hair styled and outfit fly as fuck, leaving behind him the lonesome air of the apartment.
He doesn't necessarily do anything--just aimlessly walks down the street, breathing a heavy sigh every other minute, and watching his breath come out in cold puffs of air.
He walks by coffee shops and restaurants and raving houses that boom crazy loud music. Everyone has something to do--someone to be with on new year.
It's not like Jungkook's ever hated being single--he never did in fact, he's never in a rush to be in a relationship, but he always suddenly feels impossibly lonely around this time of year. He wouldn't mind holding someone's hand while he walked down the street, wouldn't mind huddling close to someone while they sit in the park and watch excited teens and ecstatic college kids walk around with colorful hats and new year glasses and--just being with someone.
Eventually all the clubs and restaurants turn into houses, bigger and quieter and much more grand than the ones he'd already passed.
He's somehow ended up in one of the more richer and wealthier neighborhoods in Seoul, all with their big front lawns and cobble walk ways and imposing, sleek designs. How long had he walked?
His boots are loud against the snow, snowflakes falling in his hair and catching in his lashes. He stops in the middle of the sidewalk, tilts his head up high and stares up at the dark sky, no way in telling where the clouds begin and end--blending seamlessly with the endless sky.
"Please don't let me be alone next new year's eve." he whispers to himself, eyes falling shut as he feels the soft little snowflakes land on his cheeks, and melting instantly against his heated skin.
Just as he's about to turn back and head home, he hears the insistent loud barking of a dog coming from one of the big houses. He turns around, not sure where the sound is coming from, when he hears loud shuffling, and there he sees it.
A small pomeranian dog, so impossibly small, shuffling through its doggy-door, and climbing down the stairs frantically. It dashes across the huge lawn and trips over the snow, almost disappearing from how small it was.
Jungkook barks out a laugh and coos, makes his way to the dog and kneels down in front of it. He's so small, so fluffy, and he sticks his tongue out adorably, and wags his little tail excitedly. "Aren't you the cutest little thing."
Jungkook's just about to pick up the dog, when he heard a ruckus from the house the dog came from, and suddenly the door is bursting open, a man standing at the entrance with a frantic look his eyes, and then he catches sight of Jungkook and the little dog.
"Oh thank fuck," he says, voice impossibly deep and out of breath, and he makes his way over to Jungkook. "Yeontan you can't keep doing this to me--you're gonna give me a heart attack one day." the man crouches down to pick up the dog, and Jungkook takes that as a asign to stand up straight to meet the man's height.
The man is looking at the dog with a reprimanding look in his eyes, and then he looks up at Jungkook, a smile spreading across his lips. "Thank you for not letting him get away. I can't begin to tell you how many times he'd tried to get out while I'm not paying attention," he laughs nervously. "Odd considering he's always in his playpen, I just can't figure out how he manages to escape when he's only so small."
Jungkook's staring at the man with a kind of wonder in his eyes, and his gaze snaps when he realizes that he had stopped talking, and is looking at him expectantly.
"I'm Jungkook," he says suddenly, and he extends his hand out for the man to shake--which he eagerly does.
"Taehyung." he says with a smile, and Jungkook can't help himself from openly staring at him, eyes shifting to take in his every feature--his pretty long lashes, and his full, plump lips. He's dressed in a robe, probably put on in a haste when he had realized his dog was missing, and it's tied loosely around his waist, Jungkook sneaking a look and catching the tattoos on his collarbones peaking from underneath his tshirt, and the color of his shorts. He must be freezing.
And as if Taehyung had read his mind, he's speaking up, voice gentle in the quiet around them, "would you like to come inside, it's kinda cold outside" he laughs nervously as he pulls the robe tighter around his body. "And I'm all alone," he says with a hopeful smile.
Jungkook smiles sweetly, heart pounding in his chest erratically, and he can almost feel it hitting against his ribcage. He nods silently, not trusting his words, and Taehyung then extends a hand and pulls him along to his massive house, fingers clenching around the sleeve of his coat, rather than his wrist. He's nervous, Jungkook thinks, and shy--if the blush on his cheeks is anything to go by. But then again, that could be because of the biting cold winter air around them.
"It was my brother's," Taehyung says suddenly, "the house I mean." he climbs the steps to the front porch and opens the door, waits for Jungkook to follow him in before he closes it behind him, latching the lock on the doggy-door to prevent any other escape.
"I used to live in an apartment complex down in Gangnam, but after he died, they read in his will that he was leaving everything to me." He walks to the living area and sets Yeontan down in his pen. "I couldn't possibly sell it, and there was no use in living in my apartment when I have all this, so I moved."
Jungkook looks at him with a sad look in his eyes, "I'm sorry about your brother."
"Oh don't pay it any mind." he says off-handedly, "he was sick, and he was tired of his doctors trying to keep him alive while he was in so much pain." Taehyung lets out a forlorn sigh.
"His kidneys were failing," he laughs bitterly, "and funny enough, his treatment was what triggered the cancer in his kidneys." his eyebrows furrow suddenly. "Funny how life works." his voice turns bitter.
"He never let me help him."
There's a pause, and then Taehyung's standing up from his crouched position next to Yeontan, "I'm sorry," he says nervously, "I don't know what came over me." he laughs, embarrassed and shy. He runs a nervous hand through his hair, leaving it ruffled and pulled back, all for a few strands that fall back into place, before he's ushering Jungkook up the stairs to his bedroom.
Taehyung takes off his robe when he enters his room and tosses it on the bed, the heater turned on high. Jungkook feels overwhelmed in his heavy coat and sweater, and he slips them off quietly and sets them on the bed, now only dressed in a button-down.
Jungkook doesn't have time to look around before Taehyung is pulling at his hand and dragging him to his bed, pillows set up and a pile of candy (that he swears wasn't there before) in the center of the large bed.
"We can watch movies," he says as he climbs up onto the bed, and pulls one knee up to his chest, "or we could watch the new year countdown event?" he looks at Jungkook and sees that he's staring at him, eyes soft and gaze gentle, and Taehyung blushes shyly. "Jungkook?"
He hums.
"Is there something wrong?" Taehyung says nervously.
"Why is someone like you alone on new year's eve?" he answer instead, his head tilted slightly, and one of his hands resting on the pillows goes up to push a strand of hair back behind Taehyung's blushing red ear, fingertips dancing across his jaw in a feather-light touch.
"Someone like me?" he says quietly, voice soft in the otherwise silent room.
"Beautiful, gorgeous, pretty." he says in a whisper, "which one do you like more?" Jungkook cups his cheek gingerly and this time Taehyung leans into the touch. His hand is warm against Taehyung's chilled cheek, and Taehyung hums slightly, eyes fluttering.
"I have no one to be with."
Jungkook's heart aches at how lonely Taehyung sounds, and he swipes his thumb across th swell his cheek, brushing softly against Taehyung's long lashes, marveling at how they tickle his skin with every flutter of Taehyung's eyes, hooded and hazy.
"I'm practically the new and improved version of an old cat lady--except I'm a guy, and Yeontan is a dog, and last time I checked, I wasn't old." he says with a soft laugh and Jungkook smiles playfully. His hand comes up to rest against Jungkook's, still cupping his cheek, and he holds it gently in his own, pulling it away from his cheek. He traces invisible lines into the skin of Jungkook's palm, marveling at the pretty contrast between their skin--Jungkook's slightly paler fingers twining with his own caramel-toned ones.
"Why are you alone, Jungkook?" he asks softly, his gaze shy, cast down at their hands, feeling Jungkook curl his fingers tightly around his own.
Taehyung feels a warm fuzz at the action, his cheeks feeling hot and his heart stuttering helplessly. Had holding someone's hand always felt this good--this comforting? He bites his lip nervously, as he slowly makes to look up and Jungkook, still waiting for his reply, and he ever so slightly scoots closer to him on the bed, TV forgotten and pile of candy left untouched.
"Same as you--my parents are off on a honeymoon in Italy, and my friends are out celebrating with their lovers." Jungkook pauses slightly, his tongue swiping at his lips, a nervous habit he had picked up, and he smiles--small, barely a lift of the corners of his lips, but still sweet and warm all the same. "And I'm here with you." he says softly.
Taehyung gasps, a quiet sound in their even quieter surrounding, and he feels his cheeks burn red. H mumbles mindlessly, voice drunk on Jungkook's words. "And you're here with me."
There's a moment of silence that settles between, Jungkook's thumb swiping at Taehyung's knuckles, and Taehyung's suddenly overwhelmed. They had just met afterall, how are they already so at home with eachother. Jungkook's looking at him like--like he's known him for such a long time. Like he's loved him for ever longer. He wets his lips nervously, and the action doesn't go unnoticed by Jungkook, whose eyes fall to stare at his lips, shiny with spit and red from his nervous biting.
"Let's--" he stutters out all of a sudden, looking anywhere but Jungkook, and he's slowly making to grab his robe, pulling it on gently as he tugs at Jungkook's hand. "Let's go out on the balcony," he repeats, "we can catch the firework display in the city center all the way from here."
Jungkook pauses at the mention of fireworks, and he wonders how long he had walked--how long has it been since he left his and Yoongi's apartment, and took to roaming the streets alone?
"Fireworks?" he asks incredulously, eyes widening slightly, and his grip around Taehyung's hand tightens slightly. "What time is it?"
"It's almost midnight--it was already a third till midnight when I saw you out on the side walk with Yeontan." Taehyung starts pulling at Jungkook again, guiding him to his bedroom balcony, and he's suddenly hit with the cold winter air.
Taehyung crosses the short distance to the balcony railing, and Jungkook trails behind him, a casual hand slipping into the curve of Taehyung's waist, and he swears Taehyung leans into the touch even more, an almost satisfied purr sounding at the back of Taehyung's throat.
He hadn't drawn his robe around his body, leaving it hanging open uselessly from his shoulder, and Jungkook peaks at the ink on his collarbone, small stars and pretty little planets.
"Your tattoos are pretty." he says so quietly, as to no disturb the silence around them.
Taehyung falters slightly, before he tilts his head and rests it against Jungkook's shoulder, a shaky sigh falling past his puffy, bitten lips. "Thanks," he says hesitantly, voice sounding awfully forlorn. "My brother had the same ones, except his were colorful." he pauses for a heavy moment, and Jungkook feels Taehyung trail his hand down his arms, and interlacing their fingers togther, grip tight and unrelenting.
"I got them after he died, as a memento. He just had this obsession with space, and everything there is to know about it.
"He was studying to be an astronomer, but our parents pulled him out of college when they found out he was diagnosed with cancer." he says lifelessly, "it's heartbreaking, he lived a whole two years in the hospital, undergoing treatments and going through medical procedures, and at some point, they stopped trying to cure andjust to trying to keep him alive.
"He'd suffered so bad," Taehyung sniffs slight, a quick hand wiping at his tearful eyes, and Jungkook's heart twinges painfully at the sight.
"I'm so sorry--"
"It's messed up really--how unfair life is, how stupid our parents were. How selfish the doctors were for our money. Because in those two years that he had to live lifelessly in the hospital, he would've graduated college already, and he would've been working and doing something he loved."
Jungkook freezes, the comforting hand he had around Taehyung's waist tightening painfully around his skin.
"That's awful." Jungkook lets go of Taehyung's hand, opting to card his fingers through Taehyung's pretty hair, and he presses a soft kiss to his temple, his lips lingering for a moment as he listens to Taehyung's poorly conceled wimpers.
Taehyung turns around slightly to bury his face into the crook of Jungkook's neck, and his hands fly to clutch at Jungkook's back. He noses at his neck, Jungkook's skin warm agasint his cold nose, and he breathes in his cologne, oddly powdery and comforting, nothing like what he thought someone like Jungkook would use. He sighs wistfully, blowing cold air onto Jungkook's neck, and he pulls back slightly, tilts his head upwards to look Jungkook in the eyes, finding that he had already been staring at him, eyes soft and lips twsited in a sad small.
"I'm so grateful that you're here." Taehyung mumbles I his chest eventually, and they both hear the telltale sound of faint cheers before the fireworks show starts, a burst of colors and low hisses lighting up the sky and filling the cold, comforting silence around them.
Jungkook's quiet as he wraps his arms around Taehyung, running a gentle hand down the slope of his back, and then he whispers so quietly, so gently into Taehyung's ear, hot breath fanning agaist his chilled skin. "Happy new year Taehyung."
Taehyung clinches his fingers around the fabric of Jungkook's dress shirt, and he hums softly, "happy new year, Jungkook."
Jungkook's heart is overwhelmingly warm, pouring hard against his chest, and he's so sure Taehyung can hear it--feel free against his cheek, if the smile brushing against his chest is anything to go by. His arms wrap tighter around taehyungs waist, and Taehyung lets out a surprised yelp when Jungkook pulls him closer flush agaisnt his chest.
Taehyung's looking at him with those pretty pretty eyes, and they're no longer sad, no sign of tears or redness--only bright, so wide, and it's like he's holding the stars in his eyes--Jungkook just can't possibly look away.
Taehyung on the otherhand feels short of breath, partly because of the cold air around them, but mostly because of Jungkook's unwavering gaze--though gentle, and it's leaving him flustered, almost figeting in his place.
He's leaning over before he can realize it, and he presses a soft kiss to Jungkook's rosy cheeks, glowing red from the cold. It's soft, it's gentle--so undeniably sweet, and it's over just as fast as it began. Taehyung's cheeks burn with shyness, as he eyes Jungkook's shocked expression.
He's speaking up before Jungkook ever has a chance, and he honestly can't figure out where all this sudden confidnce is coming from. "Maybe next new year we can try something different?" he smiles slightly, innocent and sweet, and he finds that Jungkook is smiling along with him, a pleased expression painting his face as he leans forward to plant a kiss on Taehyung's forhead, smiling and laughing into the skin.
"Next new year."