Work Text:
It’s funny just how accustomed Jungkook has gotten to Taehyung.
After a few years, he can easily tell whenever his boyfriend is happy. Can tell when he’s a little sad, notices it when he’s angry about something or frustrated with himself. Can see it in the way the bites his lip, the way he starts pulling on his cuticles or how his eyes are just a little dimmer, his glow a little less bright.
“... Don’t you think we should lower the marketing? Make it more professional. Obviously, we attract individuals, but it’s the companies we’re interested in. They bring in the big money,”
Jungkook tilts his head, snaps his gaze away from Taehyung to the man sitting across him. This business dinner is pretty important, and even though they could bring their significant others, it’s essential for the company. So he should pay attention to this man, to the woman sitting next to him and to the whole table, actually, because everyone’s expecting an answer.
But Jungkook can’t focus, because Taehyung’s lips jut out a little bit and his fingers drum impatiently on the table, his legs swinging over the floor.
“I think we should, indeed,” He coughs once, rasps his throat. “I already had a meeting with Kim from marketing and she and her team will try to think of a way to approach businesses better,”
“Oh, that’s good! I think it will really…”
The sound moves into the background, and Jungkook blocks it out. Deems it unimportant, at least less important than this, because he sees Taehyung’s eyes fill with tears a little and his leg starts bouncing anxiously, lips pouting more.
And Jungkook knows him well, really well. Has been dating him for years now, has gotten accustomed to him so much. Can tell his mood by the pull of his lips and can see whether he’s stressed by just one glance at his hands, so he knows exactly what’s up now.
He bites his lip. Oh baby.
Slowly, his hand finds Taehyung’s shaking thigh and he squeezes it softly. He watches him with careful eyes, sees how Taehyung immediately relaxes under the touch.
“You slipped, huh?” he whispers.
And then Taehyung looks up at him with full pouted lips, his cheeks squished up a little. Big eyes full of stars. Expression so open, so- so little . So tiny. It’s all the confirmation Jungkook needs.
“‘M sorry , Kookie,”
Jungkook smiles at him, softly. Once Taehyung had told him it calms him down, when he smiles like that, that it soothes is nerves. He lets his hand travel to Taehyung’s thin fingers, that are still drumming anxiously on the table.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here,”
Taehyung breathes a soft sigh in relief, nods at him. His hair bounces a little when he does. His fingers latch onto Jungkook’s without hesitation, then, and he starts playing with them, starts bending them with gentle movements and rubs over them with his thumb, threads them through his, holds them under the table.
Jungkook knows Taehyung needs something to fiddle with when he’s little, something he can play with to keep him distracted when he’s slipped. He likes suckling on something even more, a thumb or a pinkie or just something- a lolly, a pacifier, but as much as Jungkook would like to slip his pinkie into his mouth, he can’t do that now in the middle of the restaurant. So he has to settle for this. Rubs his thumb sweetly over his knuckles.
“What do you think about that, sir?”
Jungkook blinks.
“Sorry, what?”
“I was wondering if you had a thought on the current raise Van Beckel and Hostend is having- will it affect their stocks or will we stay on top?”
And that’s how he gets sucked back in again into the business slur, the talking about things he spends his whole days thinking about. Don’t get him wrong, he likes his job, but he really doesn’t love to talk about it at dinner, too. The day at the office was rough, lots of meetings and calls, and he can’t bring himself to focus enough right now to talk about these important things, not with Taehyung being little next to him.
But he needs to. Big boss, and all. Responsibility .
Though, the distraction of Taehyung playing with his hands and softly stroking the skin makes it just a bit more bearable.
At some point, Taehyung nudges his arm a little. Jungkook looks at him and sees that his lip is red, bitten raw. It’s what he does when he feels anxious. Jungkook’s heart hurts for him. He doesn’t want this for his baby boy.
“D-daddy?” Taehyung whispers, whining a little, a lisp in his voice, “Daddy, can I play a game on your phone? Taetae’s game? The one with the dolphins?” His voice is soft, and so very very shy, because he’s in public and when Taehyung’s little and in public he just closes off. Jungkook squeezes his hand in reassurance, smiles.
“Of course, sweetie.” He gets his phone out of his suit jacket and hands Taehyung the device. Taehyung takes it with gentle hands, always so careful, and unlocks it with his thumb, navigating easily.
When he glances around, he sees all his colleagues look Taehyung, scrumptizing gazes aimed at him. Now, Jungkook couldn’t care less about those people. Let them watch . But he knows how much Taehyung hates it, hates how much it can upset him when people judge him with weird looks and nasty words.
So he squeezes his thigh gently. “Can you maybe play under the table, baby?”
He feels downright horrible when he asks, because Taehyung shouldn’t ever have to hide himself.
The boy glances up at him, a little surprised, like he was already lost in the game, and then looks around him. Immediately shrinks into himself, the light in his eyes dimming, shoulders hunching and lips turning downward, and Jungkook wants to wrap him up in his arms. Protect him from the nasty world.
“Y-yeah. Yeah, okay.” Taehyung nods, more to himself. “Okay, Tae- Taetae can do that,”
Jungkook watches his hands rest in his lap and suddenly, with the way Taehyung pouts a little and with how his breaths tremble, he doesn’t want to be here at all.
He needs to get out of here, needs to take Taehyung with him to a safe place so he can be himself without feeling like he needs to do anything different.
He can’t just leave , knows that. This is an important dinner and people here rely on him, the business relies on him. But right now, he can’t give a single fuck. He doesn’t owe these people anything . Taehyung, little Taehyung, safe Taehyung, happy Taehyung. That’s what matters.
He tries to drag it out as long as possible, but when the dessert comes and Taehyung frowns at his fancy sorbet he ordered earlier, eyes instead trailing longingly along with the waiter who’s serving a smaller ice cream with extra sprinkles and a small umbrella, Jungkook’s had enough.
“Do you want to leave, little one?” he whispers, quiet enough so no one hears, brushing a lock of blond hair behind Taehyung’s ear. The boy shudders a little at the nickname.“We can leave- it’s okay,”
Taehyung blinks at him with his big eyes, licks his lips. His voice is hesitant. “But- but this is important. Jungkookie- ”
“Nah,” Jungkook smiles, leans in a little closer and wants to kiss his cheek. “I couldn’t care less about this. Just wanna take care of you,”
At that, Taehyung’s mouth lifts up into a small grin. “... Really ?”
“Yep,” Jungkook grins, scrunches his nose when Taehyung squeezes his hand harder. “What do you say we get out of here and get you some real ice cream, huh?”
And Taehyung smiles . Smiles so widely Jungkook can see both rows of teeth and feels his heart lift with his lips. So bright, too good for the world. And that smile, that’s really all Jungkook ever needs. Fuck Nyquil, fuck aspirin. He should bottle Taehyung’s smile. It would cure everything.
He stands up and takes Taehyung’s hand, bows to everyone at the table and Taehyung does too. Always so polite. So well-mannered.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announces, rasps his throat and everyone looks up at him. “Unfortunately, Taehyung and I have to leave,”
Some man named Seol Jungheok protests. “But- I still wanted to talk to you about the prospects of us getting into the Janatai Market, if we could make it-”
“Send me an email, alright?” Jungkook says as nice as he can, squeezes Taehyung’s hand. “Really, I’d like to stay but Taehyung is not feeling well,”
“Yeah- yeah, Tae- I’m not,” Taehyung licks his lips at his little slip up, looks down, all the gazes on him making him shy, “not feeling so good. I feel sick ‘n… have a headache,” The lilt in his voice slips through and it’s a little softer, a little higher than his usual deep voice, but Jungkook is proud.
He rubs his thumb over his palm. Good job.
“I will see you on Monday, no?”
“Yes, boss,”
Some other man perks up. “And I hope you feel better soon, Taehyung,”
“Thank you,” he murmurs.
There’s a chorus of goodbyes and Jungkook fixing Taehyung’s jacket around his shoulders before they’re outside.
Taehyung sighs happily. Fingers linking with Jungkook’s immediately.
“Thank you, Kookie,”
The corner of Jungkook’s lip lifts as he watches Taehyung, walking with a happy little bounce in his step, the soft evening sun shining over his soft face. He looks so pretty like this. Ethereal.
“What for?”
“That we could leave,” Taehyung pouts a little, looks down at their linked hands. “I don’t- Taetae didn’t feel nice because it was so loud and there were so many people, ‘n- ‘n I felt so panicky and- and you were talking and I couldn’t hug you and play with your piercings, so- so Taetae just felt sad,”
“Oh, baby,” Jungkook rubs his thumb over his palm soothingly and pulls him a little closer, voice soft. “Are you still sad now?” Jungkook brings his hand up and gives it a little kiss, and Taehyung smiles, mischievously so.
“No… “ He giggles a little. “But I need more kisses to stay not-sad,”
“Little brat,” Jungkook grins and kisses his hand again. Just because. Just because he loves him and adores Taehyung and he deserves all the kisses in the world. “Now, let’s get that ice cream for you, huh?”
Taehyung squeals and his smile glows. “Oh! Can I have the pink one? Or- or the blue or the green, daddy, Taetae likes the green!”
And that’s how they end up in the ice cream store five minutes later, Taehyung gasping softly over every taste, fingers pointing at every pretty colour.
“ Look ! Look, they have mango! It’s yellow, daddy, Taetae wants the yellow- oh, no, I want the white one with the red- daddy- ”
Jungkook sighs, gives the older man behind the counter a nod, a small. Sorry .
The man just shakes his head, grins. Probably amused by Taehyung, too.
“Daddy,” Taehyung tugs on his arm. “Daddy- can I have three scoops?”
“No, sweetheart,” Jungkook slings an arm over his shoulder when Taehyung pouts. “Two is enough. You already had dinner, too, remember?”
“Yes, but,” Taehyung’s pout deepens and he blinks up at him, “Taetae wanted the- the yellow one and the white one and the green one! And now, now he can only pick two...”
Jungkook bites his lip. God, he’s weak. He doesn’t even like ice cream.
“You know what?” He suggests. “How about you get the yellow and the white, and then I’ll get the green. And then if you’re good, you’ll get a bite from me,”
“Taetae’s always good,” Taehyung frowns a little, crosses his arms.
“Then you won’t have a problem getting a bite, right?” Jungkook asks, teasingly, and Taehyung perks up at that, pretty eyes shining and mouth lifted into a smile. Jungkook nudges him forward. “Go on, order for us,”
“Okay,” Taehyung grins, steps up. “Hello! Taetae loves all the pretty colours!”
“Thank you so much!” The man laughs, winking at Jungkook. “And they taste really good too!”
Jungkook watches with a smile as Taehyung orders for them, gasping at how high the ice cream goes on his cone. They bid the man farewell after they have payed, and then Taehyung tugs him to a bench close to the water. They settle down, watch the ducks in the water as they eat.
“Is it good?” Jungkook asks as he watches Taehyung lick eagerly, tongue flicking out in little kitten licks. It’s cute.
“Mm,” Taehyung hums, nods with sparkly eyes. “So good, daddy. You wanna taste?” He holds it out and sticks it in Jungkook’s face. “Go- it’s really yummy,”
So Jungkook does, and he hums. He doesn’t really like ice cream at all. It’s too sweet, too sticky. But it’s nice. Taehyung’s smiling brightly and licking at the yellow ice again and Jungkook’s heart melts.
“Now I wanna taste yours!” Taehyung announces, leaning forward, but Jungkook stops him with a small smile.
“Nuh-uh,”
“But I’ve been good !”
“Can I have a kiss first?”
“Mmm,” Taehyung squints, tries to play it cool, but then he giggles and leans forward. It’s a sweet little peck. His lips taste like mango and yogurt and Jungkook doesn’t like ice cream but he does like it off Taehyung’s lips.
The boy pulls back, small smile on his face, glitters in his eyes. “Kookie’s lips tasted like it,”
Somehow, that makes him feel warm inside. Something about the intimacy, about Taehyung’s sweet smile. Jungkook laughs. “And did you like it?”
“ Yes . Wan’ more,” Taehyung grins and then kisses him again, making a nice smacking sound when he pulls back. “‘S nice,”
“Mm,” Jungkook grins, ruffles his hair and it makes Taehyung lean into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed and body sagging against him. Putting his head on Jungkook’s shoulder, he sighs contently and Jungkook threads a hand into the hair on the back of his head. It always relaxes the little boy.
Taehyung’s silent for a little while.
“... I’m happy, Jungkookie,”
Jungkook smiles. This is what he loves about little Taehyung. Big Taehyung won’t ever say things like that, will simply just give him a kiss or maybe do him good but never really says he’s happy. Never says it blatantly like that, never wears his heart on his sleeve. Will say that the day was fun or that he loves him, but never like this . This Taehyung is different. Always tells Jungkook how much he loves him, how happy he makes him, mostly accompanied by little kisses and squishes of cheeks.
Jungkook buries his nose in Taehyung’s hair, gives him a kiss. It smells like vanilla. “I’m glad, baby,”
Taehyung hums softly, pleased, and shuffles deeper into his side, head tucked safely under his chin and thighs pressed together.
“... Are you happy, too?”
Jungkook can’t help but laugh a little, making Taehyung’s head bounce on his chest. It’s so sweet. Such a sweetheart, his boyfriend. He’s so lucky.
He scratches over his scalp, feels waves of warmth through him at the words.
“So happy, little one”
“Mmm,” Taehyung sighs. He presses a few kisses to his neck, just soft pecks against skin, and then his hand finds Jungkook’s and intertwines with it. “Taetae’s glad. Really glad,”
The sun slowly sets on the horizon and Taehyung watches it with his head tucked safely in Jungkook’s neck, engulfed in warmth and love. When the last sliver of sun has disappeared, it’s only a few minutes later that Jungkook softly squeezes Taehyung’s hand, tugs at his hair a little.
“Not falling asleep, baby?”
“Nuh-uh,” Taehyung whispers, but his voice is thick with sleep and Jungkook feels him sag against him.
It makes him chuckle a little. “No? Not tired?”
“... No,”
“You sound a little tired,” Jungkook teases, and Taehyung whines, buries his head deeper into his neck.
“‘M not!” But the protest is weak and Taehyung sighs sleepily into the crook of his neck. “You’re so warm, Kookie,”
There’s a little flutter in Jungkook’s chest at those words. Admiration. Love, lots of it.
“Come on, baby,” With a little coaxing, he nudges Taehyung up, a hand under his jaw, cupping it securely. “Let’s go home, huh?”
Taehyung blinks at him. His hair is mussy, eyes blearily, half lidded as he looks at Jungkook. “Mm,”
“What do you say? Gonna get you a nice bath and then go to bed?” He brushes his thumb over Taehyung’s cheekbone. The skin’s soft, smooth. Taehyung nods, barely perceptible.
“M’kay,”
As Jungkook stands up, Taehyung clings to his arm, nuzzling his face into his shoulder. It makes Jungkook feel giddy, a surge of protectiveness rushing through him he only really gets when his boy is small.
God, it’s almost disgusting how soft he gets whenever Taehyung has slipped.
There’s a strong arm wrapped around Taehyung’s waist to hold him close and the boy murmurs sweet little words that make no sense into his neck, and with that, they walk home.
-
“Is it too hot?”
“‘S a little hot,”
“But too hot? Or just nice hot?”
“Mmm… hot,”
“Honey- please ,”
“‘S okay Jungkookie,” Taehyung smiles and retracts his foot from the water. “It’s nice,”
“Okay, good,” Jungkook steps forward and pulls at the hem of Taehyung’s shirt. “Now let’s get you out of these clothes, huh?”
Taehyung likes it when he’s coddled, he once admitted when Jungkook had made him undress himself. Pouting, he’d stared at the ground and really quietly asked, can- can Kookie do it for Tae-taetae? and Jungkook had laughed, pulled him into a hug and since then he knows Taehyung needs it.
When he’s stripped from his shirt and his boxers, Taehyung giggles and pulls at Jungkook’s tie.
“Is- will Kookie come in the bath too?”
“You want that?”
Taehyung’s eyes light up. “Yeah!”
“Mm, then I will, I guess,” Jungkook grins, shrugs his jacket off and drops it on the floor. Fuck that it’s designer. He’s got more important things now. “How about you already go in, and I’ll get your toys and the bubbles and then I come join you?”
“Okay!” Eagerly, Taehyung nods and dips his foot into the water again. He giggles to himself. “Tickles,”
Jungkook watches with a sweet smile as Taehyung gets into the bath, his tan skin sliding into the water deeper. It’s funny. He’s seen Taehyung naked so many times, and usually it’s at least the tiniest bit arousing, but like this, it’s just- normal. Not a single part of Jungkook would want to touch him in that way now. It’d feel weird. He only wants to pepper kisses over Taehyung’s body. Over his chest, over his arms, his hands, his tummy, over the little squish, wants to cup his cheeks and nuzzle their noses together, kiss his hair and hold him tight and wants him to feel safe because he loves him so much.
He swallows, blinks his watering eyes away.
“Daddy, hurry!”
“Yeah, baby,”
He gets back within a few minutes with Taehyung’s favorite toys. A yellow duck, a little boat, a fish. He’s also got a bathbomb he’d bought for him a few weeks ago, a nice one with glitters and one that smells like vanilla. It’s Taehyung’s favorite scent.
When Taehyung sees him, naked and arms full of stuff, he squeals happily, motions for him to come in quickly so Jungkook does. The water is hot, but in a nice, comforting way. It relaxes his muscles, drains the tension out. He sits behind Taehyung, legs hooked around his and thighs securely around hips. Lets him rest against him, arms around his waist and head against his chest. He’s so warm, and so soft, wet skin smooth under his fingers as he draws little circles into his tummy.
“Can we put it in the water?” Taehyung asks sweetly, nodding at the bath bomb dangling between his fingers, and Jungkook kisses his cheek.
“You wanna do it?”
“Yes, please.”
When Taehyung takes the bomb into his hands it leaves silver streaks on his fingers, and he drops it in the water then, a few drops splattering up.
Taehyung gasps when it fizzles, the glitters dispersing in the water. It colours the bath blue, forming bubbles around them. Taehyung basks in it, his head nicely on his chest and toes wiggling in the water, little giggles escaping his mouth when Jungkook squeezes the duck and puts it on his head.
The silver streaked fingers sweep across Jungkook’s cheek at some point, of course they do, and Jungkook just laughs, pulls him closer and peppers his neck in kisses.
And he can’t believe how much he adores this boy.
-
“Baby,”
“Ngh,”
“Baby,” Jungkook nudges his side, squeezes around him once. “Gotta wake up, baby boy,”
“Mm,” Taehyung twists sleepily in his arms, making the water slosh around them.
Jungkook could have expected Taehyung would fall asleep. After all, he was already tired, and when Taehyung is little he sleeps a lot, so he could’ve seen it coming. And he doesn’t really mind, even, but now the water’s a bit cold and his fingers look like raisins, so he wants to get out.
“Are you awake?”
“Mn,”
“The water’s getting cold, sweetie, come on,”
It takes a lot of whining on Taehyung’s part and a lot of coaxing kisses from Jungkook, but eventually, they get up. Taehyung’s a little wobbly on his legs so he hold him steady as he rinses them both off, washes the bubbles off Taehyung’s body and rinses his hair through and through.
When they get out, Taehyung’s half sleeping again, lulled in by the warm water and Jungkook’s soft touches. Jungkook just chuckles amusedly. That’s his fucking baby right there.
“C’mere, sweetheart,”
Taehyung mumbles something soft as Jungkook dries him off. He starts at his feet and slowly works up, ruffles Taehyung’s hair to get the water out and then wraps the fluffy towel around him, tightly, so that he’s nice and warm.
He brushes their teeth quickly, because Taehyung is too tired and sleepy to do it for himself, and Jungkook likes doing it anyways, likes how Taehyung opens his jaw and looks at him with those sweet eyes, how he tries to talk through the foam in his mouth.
When he’s done and rinsed his mouth, Taehyung rocks forward until his head is resting in the crook of his neck, and when Jungkook tries to get him to walk, to get him to pull away and go to bed, he only whines.
“What’s the matter?” Jungkook chuckles, amused. He rubs his arms over his back. “Hm?”
Taehyung sighs tiredly, loops his arms around his neck. “W’n… a’rry,”
“What?” He grins a little.
“... Daddy ,”
Jungkook knows . Taehyung is shy to ask for things when he’s little and Jungkook knows what he wants. Decides not to taunt his boy tonight, because he’s been such a sweetheart the whole evening and he’s just- soft for him.
Way, way too soft.
“‘Kay, angel. Okay.”
Gently, he lifts him into his arms and walks them to the bedroom like that. He’s not that heavy and Jungkook works out a lot, so it’s easy to hold him like that, to lie him down on the bed softly to make sure it isn’t uncomfortable.
“You want your jammies on?” Jungkook asks, brushes some still damp hair off his forehead.
“... No,” Taehyung whispers, shaking his head a little. It’s cute, the way his lips pout out, the way his eyelids flutter.
“Okay. Then we don’t,”
The room is dark when Jungkook slips under the covers at the other side of the bed and Taehyung immediately responds to the warmth of him, shuffling forward and tiredly throwing his arm around his waist.
Jungkook chuckles. “Hey baby,” He presses kisses to his hair and strokes over his bare skin, all soft and careful, soothing. “Tired?”
“Mm,”
Jungkook chuckles again. So fucking soft for him.
“Go to sleep then, baby boy,”
He can feel Taehyung relax next to him. The tension draining out of his limbs, the tense muscles on his back unbending under Jungkook’s strokes. There’s something so touching about it. The fact that Taehyung feels so comfortable with him that he dares to do this, that he dares to be little in his presence and be his most vulnerable self, something that others would maybe laugh at, or abuse.
Jungkook is so, so lucky.
It’s warm between them, Taehyung’s bare skin soft against his and he can feel every curve, so nice and soft, and it makes Jungkook slip away in no time. But then the moment Jungkook’s almost falling over that edge of unconsciousness, Taehyung whispers something into his chest.
Jungkook pulls him a little closer. “Hm?”
“... ‘M sorry, daddy,”
Jungkook frowns sleepily, too dazed out to listen. “What?”
“Taetae’s sorry, Kookie, he’s- he’s,” Taehyung sniffs a little and presses his face deeper into his neck. His breath is warm on his skin. “He’s sorry ,”
“Wh-” Jungkook does open his eyes this time and looks down at him, twists a little so he can take Taehyung in his arms properly. “You’re sorry?”
“Y-yeah,”
Jungkook swallows. Cards a hand through the hair on the back of his head, nails scratching over his scalp. “Hey, baby, what for?”
“For- for,” Taehyung’s breath hitches a little, sad and wet. “For slipping,”
And now that makes something simmer in Jungkook’s stomach. Anger, maybe. Protectiveness. Confusion .
“ What ?” It’s a little breathless and his arms tighten around him immediately, a hand going to his cheek, cupping it. “Taehyungie, what ? What are you talking about?”
“Tae- Tae-” And then he finally lifts his head from his chest, allows Jungkook to look at him.
And something drops in his chest when he does.
Taehyung’s eyes are glittering with unshed tears and his lip is trembling, sucked in his mouth, pressed tightly together. He looks so small, so vulnerable, weak like he could break with one single touch.
“My little angel… ” he whispers, too soft, and that makes the tears spill over the brim’s of Taehyung’s eyes.
“Taetae’s- he’s so s-sorry ,” Taehyung whines, little sobs and gasps leaving his mouth. “He didn- didn’ mean to ‘n-’n-”
“Shh, baby,” Jungkook quickly shushes him. “Hey- hey, it’s okay,” He holds Taehyung close, holds him safe and secure because he starts trembling, muscles tensing up under his hands. “Shh, I got you, Taehyungie, shh,”
Taehyung sobs it out in his neck, fingers digging into his biceps painfully. Jungkook feels the hot tears wetting his skin.
“Baby,” Jungkook whispers after a while, still stroking his skin. “Hey. Wanna tell me what’s up?”
Taehyung’s always a little extra sensitive when he’s little, cries way more often than normally but it’s never like this- this bad, and it makes Jungkook worry.
When he doesn’t respond, Jungkook cups his cheek, makes him look up at him gently.
“Sweetie?”
Taehyung’s eyes are red and the tears have dried up in streaks on his face. He still looks so sad, so tiny.
“I- I, ‘s-”
“‘S okay, you can tell me,” Jungkook tries to smile, sweetly brushes his thumb over a falling tear.
Taehyung bites his lip. It’s already red bitten, raw, wet and Jungkook wants to soothe him.
“Taetae shouldn’t- he shouldn’t-” he murmurs after a while, his breath hitching. “He shouldn’t have slipped- Kookie- ‘s, your meeting that was im -important ‘n Taehyungie should have stayed big- ”
And Jungkook feels his blood boil.
“Taehyungie,” His hold tightens a little. “Taehyungie, listen to me,”
Taehyung blinks, lip trembling again.
“Don’t you ever say that again,”
“Wh-”
“Shh, look at me,” Jungkook tilts his chin up a little again. “Honey. Never, ever apologize for slipping, okay? Never.” His gaze softens a bit. “Baby, I know you. You slip when you need it, and you should never try to hold it back,”
Taehyung’s eyes fill with tears again, but this time he doesn’t look as broken anymore. He looks relieved, instead.
“B-but,”
“No buts. Baby,” Jungkook cups his face with two hands. “Okay, maybe, this wasn’t the best time to slip, but- ” he adds in a stern voice when Taehyung starts trembling again. “But I love you, little one. I once promised you that I’d always be there when you were little, and I will. I will always take care of you, no matter when or where,”
Taehyung whimpers. Hands tighten around him. “R-really?”
“Yeah,” Jungkook chuckles a little, brushes some hair of his forehead. Feels a wave of warmth through him when he leans into the touch. “Taehyungie, you are my little boy. My pretty tiger,” - Taehyung giggles a little - “... my beautiful starry baby. I love you so, so much, hey.” He leans forward, kisses his forehead. “I’ll never be mad at you for being little. I’ll always be here for you,”
Taehyung seems speechless for a few seconds, before the tears roll freely again. But this time, Jungkook knows they’re good tears.
“You don’t have to cry, sweetheart. I love you,”
“No- no, ‘s good, Jungkookie,” Taehyung nods, furiously and presses closer to him, buries his face in his neck once more. “You’re so sweet- ‘n- ‘n Taetae loves you, so much. So much , daddy. So much . ‘Till- ‘till the moon and back and again- and again and again,”
“I love you so much too, angel,” he whispers back, smile impossible to hold back, and it’s enough for all the tension to leave Taehyung’s body again, sagging limp against him, completely spent and vulnerable.
Jungkook holds him closer.
And he knows that tomorrow morning when they wake up, Taehyung will most likely be his normal self again. He’ll be big again and he’ll wake him up with a kiss to his shoulder, a deep morning voice and he’ll probably won’t want to get out of bed, will probably suggest they skip work today, as always, and will then proceed to whine when Jungkook gets out of bed to go for a run, complaining about how cold it is now. And Jungkook will press a kiss to his mouth, will flick his forehead and shove at his shoulders or his thighs when he tries to pull him back into bed again, but he will still hold him just as safe at night and will still keep his promises, will take care of him.
He’ll still love him just as much.
But for now, he lets himself enjoy Taehyung as he is now. So small and young, innocently breathing warm air on his neck and bare legs intertwining with Jungkook’s, soft and warm and lovely in ways Jungkook could have him forever.
Taehyung murmurs something soft in his sleep. Fingers curling into his hair.
Yeah. He’ll enjoy this, for now.