Archive of Our Own

“Fuck you, this isn’t what I ordered.”

Jungkook is pissed. Really fucking pissed. Not only does he have to put up with morning classes, courtesy of his own dumb ass that decided that it’d be a good idea, but he also has to put up with Kim Taehyung’s dumb ass. Every. Single. Morning.

“Well maybe you should have spoken more human-like when you first ordered,” Taehyung replies with a nonchalant shrug. Just the look on Taehyung’s face is enough to annoy Jungkook that bit more.

Jungkook knows for a fact that he had spoken his coffee order clearly to Taehyung, no matter how tired he may be, and he knows Taehyung had heard it too, having repeated the order back to Jungkook to be sure. And even then, it doesn’t matter if Jungkook said it properly or not because it’s the same thing he always orders; an iced, black Americano, no cream, one sugar. Boring, yet simple.

“It’s a fucking Americano,” Jungkook seethes, head beginning to hurt with the thought of his soon to be starting photography lecture. “It’s the simplest thing on the menu. How the fuck do you get that confused with a caramel macchiato with whipped cream and chocolate sauce?”

Taehyung seemingly ignores Jungkook’s words as he continues to wipe an empty coffee cup dry, using a red and white dish cloth and being way too meticulous for such a small task.

“Are you even listening to me?” Jungkook says. He knows he’s on the verge of whining now so he decides to back down, huffing out loud and making to leave. But that’s only until Taehyung decides to talk back.

“Don’t you have morning classes to get to? Am I really worthy enough for the Jeon Jungkook’s time?” he asks, a hint of teasing in his voice. But to Jungkook it just sounds like plain brattiness.

Jungkook stops in his tracks and whips himself back around, fingers clenching into fists at his sides. “Use that tone of voice again and we’ll see how worth my time you are.”

Jungkook knows he’s being a bit too grumpy right now, even grumpier than usual, but he feels like it’s justified since Taehyung has decided to be an extra asshole today. Jungkook realises then, that he himself is just making true the usual rumours from strangers about him being a rude, scary guy who gets his tattoos only because he likes the pain and grows his hair out long to hide his hatred filled eyes. But still, even with eyes of people he sometimes sees around campus on him and Taehyung, he continues to allow his fist-that isn’t holding the coffee-to tighten ever so slightly.

But, here’s the thing. Taehyung’s never been one to fall for the rumours, being one of the only people to challenge Jungkook apart from his own friends. It’s the only thing Jungkook admittedly likes about the barista.

“What are you going to do, Jeon?” Taehyung asks, amusement gone from his face and replaced with narrowed eyes. “You going to fuck me?”

Then there’s silence.

Jungkook almost drops his coffee as he watches Taehyung falter before realisation fills his features, narrowed eyes becoming impossibly wide and pink mouth forming an ‘o’ shape.

“I meant fuck me up!” Taehyung exclaims, cheeks starting to colour over with a slight pink shade, contrasting with his milk coffee coloured skin. Jungkook feels his own cheeks heat up and he thinks his face is probably a mirror image of Taehyung’s. This is fucking awkward.

“You know what?” Jungkook says, hating the way his voice cracks. “I think this is okay.” He tilts his head to gesture to the cup in his hand. “Um I- um need to- um go.”

Jungkook’s never been happier to be going to a morning class.

✧✧✧

“I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life,” Taehyung whines, “and the fact that it was him makes it even worse!”

Taehyung resists the urge to tug at his long red hair, only because if he pulls it, he’ll mess up the rare effort he had put into styling it this morning. Instead he busies himself with watching the way his co-barista and dear friend, Jimin, rushes around to stack the coffee cups away.

Ever since they had met, back when The Seoulery had been mass hiring staff to run the café, they had clicked, quickly realising they were the nation’s favourite platonic soulmates.

“So, would you date me?” Jimin had asked, raising one eyebrow teasingly. They had only met one another that day though it seemed as though they didn’t need to go through the ‘awkward strangers phase’ and that they could get along like they’d known each other for years.

“Jiminie,” Taehyung has pouted, reaching up to fluff up Jimin’s pastel pink hair. It was one of the many things they had in common; the love of dying their hair unnatural, bright shades. “You know I’m starting to love you, right? But the thing is, I tend to go for the tough, gothic type. No offence to you but you look like the complete opposite, like a ray of sunshine.”

Jimin had laughed, making Taehyung start to love him even quicker with the way he knew how to take a joke. “So I’m not hot to you?”

“Of course you’re hot!” Taehyung had exclaimed, over-dramatically, taking no care of the customers that were in the café. “I mean we pretty much have the same style and look the same. And since I’m hot, you’re hot too.”

At his words Jimin had wiggled his brows at him, making the most unattractive faces he could muster before he was interrupted by the ringing of the bell, signalling someone’s entrance. The way Jimin had stood up straight and quickly reached up to fix his hair had been enough for Taehyung to turn around, eyeing the two men walking in.

“Now that’s what you call hot,” Jimin had whispered, rushing straight towards the counter, where a man with a weird heart shaped smile was standing. Taehyung had to agree, the guy was pretty good looking with the way he smiled wide and the way his sleek hair fell over his ears. But again, sunshines were not Taehyung’s type.

Taehyung’s type, however, was the man that had walked in with sunshine guy, standing at the other till, looking uninterestedly at Taehyung. His hair was jet black and long, way too long, flopping over his eyes and making it almost impossible to see the brown orbs lurking behind. The parts of his ears that weren’t covered by hair were very obviously adorned with silver earrings, some dangling freely and rubbing at the side of the guy’s neck. As Taehyung looked even closer, squinting slightly, he took notice in the tattoos peaking through from under the neck line of his black t-shirt, feeling his heart skip a beat. Because damn, this guy was the embodiment of Taehyung’s exact type. The exact guy he has been waiting for, for the whole twenty two years of his life. The exact-

“Are you going to stand there and stare, or take my fucking order?” the guy suddenly spoke harshly, looking down to inspect his nails in boredom. The rude tone in his voice was a major turn off, if Taehyung’s ever seen one.

Still, Taehyung had power-walked the small distance to get to the counter, leaning forward ever so slightly in hopes that the guy would see him as an attentive person. And Taehyung had been attentive. Very, for that matter, as he watched the guy’s mouth move around his words and- oh god, did Taehyung just see a tongue piercing? A bloody tongue piercing? Taehyung’s heart may have as well flown away with how fast it had been beating.

“Are you sure you’re a barista?” the guy snapped, pulling Taehyung completely out of his daze. “I said I want a fucking iced, black Americano, no cream, one sugar.”

Now, the guy may have been the most ethereal being Taehyung had laid his two eyes on, but he wasn’t going to let anybody get away with talking to him the way the (handsome) guy had.

“Do you have to be such a dick?” Taehyung asked, before he could think his words through. The glare the guy directed at him was completely and utterly hostile, no bit of sympathy or remorse in there, and that was when Taehyung had decided that he didn’t need to waste his energy on a person like that. “Name,” he stated monotonously, taking the order down.

“Jungkook.”

“One iced, black Americano, no cream and one sugar?”

“Yes.”

“Coming right up.”

Taehyung had prepared the drink almost instantly, having had plenty of experience in his last coffee shop job and he had tried not to pay attention to the way Jimin had been having a friendly conversation with the sunshine guy he had taken the order for. It wasn’t that Taehyung was jealous, just sort of disappointed that he hadn’t been able to chat with someone he had been attracted to while Jimin was obviously having a great time.

In the heat of the moment, Taehyung hadn’t even tried to stop himself as he wiped the condensation from the side of the Americano cup and purposely wrote ‘Jungcock’ on it, underlining it twice for good measures. And he hadn’t even thought about the fact that he could have easily lost his job because of his actions-which would have left him in a hopeless situation-until after Jungkook had given him the dirtiest look, before storming out of the café, with the guy Jimin had been talking to (who he had later found out was called Hoseok) trailing after him quickly.

“Yeah but,” Jimin says, taking a slight pause as he sticks his head into a cupboard, probably looking for some coffee beans, “why should you feel embarrassed? It’s not your fault you’re dyslexic and you have trouble with words sometimes.”

Taehyung almost runs forward in a haste, just to clasp his hand over Jimin’s mouth. “Shush! Not here.”

“Tae, for the last time,” Jimin sighs, voice muffled. He stands up straight then, turning around to face him and only then does Taehyung let his hand, that had previously been holding Jimin’s mouth shut, fall to his sides. “Seokjin hyung wouldn’t fire you just because you’re dyslexic.” He speaks quietly, voice coming out barely as a whisper.

Taehyung glances around before replying. The morning rush is over and there only seems to be a lull in the usual background noise, making Jimin’s words seem like they’re way too loud, even though Taehyung knows they’re not. There’s the occasional ticking of laptop keys as the girl with the long acrylic nails taps away in the corner of the café. There’s also a middle aged woman seated right near the wide window, leading onto the street, though she seems to be way to invested in her phone to care about their conversation.

“We’ve talked about this Minnie,” Taehyung says, “the only way I can look after Miyoung is if I have a job. I can’t risk anything.”

Jimin is the only one who knows about Taehyung’s dyslexia, others who knew having passed away. Well, ‘others’ being his mother and father. Jimin is also the only person who knows that he had lied on his application form for The Seoulery (and every other job application for that matter), stating he had no learning difficulties or any type of impairment apart from his horrible eyesight and his need for glasses. Taehyung is still convinced, even to this day, that the only reason he has the barista job at such a popular café, is because he hadn’t mentioned his Dyslexia. Of course, the fact that he has tonnes of experience at other cafés was helpful but he believes the overall reason he is here today, is because nobody-who may have been as good as him, yet without any difficulty-had managed to over-take him.

“Maybe you should stop being so hard on Jungkook,” Jimin suggests, settling down onto one of the stools they have behind the till. “I mean, Hoseok is so nice so why wouldn’t Jungkook be?”

Taehyung frowns, before pushing his glasses further up his nose bridge when it slides off the slightest bit. “You’re just saying that because you’re in love with Hoseok,” Taehyung says, exasperated, “and you have no idea what Jungkook’s like.”

Jimin’s cheeks seem to brighten at Taehyung’s words, obviously because of the mention of one sunshine guy, though they’re quickly hidden away by his tiny hands that come up to cup his own cheeks. “I know exactly what Jungkook’s like because I’ve spoken to him way too many times,” Jimin says, rubbing at his cheeks, “and he’s so nice that I honestly can’t imagine him doing half the things you say he does.”

“Why does he hate me so much?” Taehyung huffs. He lets his arms fly up in front of him dramatically because just the mention of Jungkook apparently gets him in his feels.

“Maybe because you’ve messed up his name spelling so many times.”

“Okay, but most of them were not my fault!”

“Which is why you should tell him you’re dyslexic.”

It’s quiet then, as Jimin frustratedly turns around to face the café and Taehyung knows that this is the moment he’s supposed to give him space. He understands why Jimin is frustrated by it all, his close friends being completely unable to get along with one another, but he still feels a pang in his heart at the thought that Jimin dislikes it this much.

Taehyung silently moves to sit beside Jimin, swinging the tiniest bit to keep himself occupied. And it isn’t an uncomfortable silence either, even after that little exchange, but rather a moment to clear their thoughts and let the hard feelings simmer.

“Why did you even give him a caramel macchiato when you know for a fact he always gets an iced, black Americano,” Jimin asks, fiddling with a wooden coffee mixing stick.

“No cream, one sugar?” Taehyung says in an unnecessarily high pitched voice to mimic Jungkook. And just like that the mood is back to normal as Jimin laughs out loud, sending a tingle down Taehyung’s ears as well as earning a pointed look from the girl with the long acrylics. Taehyung’s always loved Jimin’s laugh; a fairy giggle if he’s ever heard one.

“You know he doesn’t like too much sweet,” Jimin says as his laughter dies down.

“I thought he’d appreciate it,” Taehyung states, “because he looked extra grumpy today and sugar always makes me feel better.”

“If he’s the dick you make him out to be, why do you want to make him not grumpy?” Taehyung hates this question. Jimin and his dumb questions. "In other words, why do you want to make him happy?"

“I don’t like that question.”

“Because you can’t answer it.”

“You’re dumb. And you ask dumb questions.”

“Tae,” Jimin sighs, so loudly, that Taehyung thinks he’ll reach up to pinch the bridge of his nose in disappointment some time soon. “It’s not a dumb question. The only way you can answer it, is if you sort out your feelings and accept those feelings.”

Jimin and his dumb advice.

✧✧✧

“So, do you need any help with the recent topics?” Namjoon asks, walking behind Jungkook and keeping up easily with his long legs. “You know, for the test we have soon?”

Jungkook tries his hardest not to huff in annoyance at Namjoon’s eagerness. His persistence. Because Namjoon really is a nice guy who tries his best to be there for everybody and anybody. Just a little bit more for Jungkook.

Jungkook knows Namjoon has a crush on him, it’s pretty obvious in the way he constantly tries to have conversations and set dates that only he sees as dates. And Jungkook really does feel bad because Namjoon’s feelings are unrequited. No matter how much he looks up to Namjoon, he knows he’ll never see him as more than just a friend. And Jungkook knows his feelings.

“No hyung,” Jungkook says, picking up his pace as he rushes down the pavement. “Thanks for asking though.”

“It’s just that,” Namjoon says, breathing heavy in an effort to keep up, “I thought we could study together maybe? This Saturday?”

Jungkook walks even faster at his words, if that’s even possible, to the point where he’s almost in a light jog. He feels his dangling earring smack against the side of his neck continuously and he begins to feel a sweat coming on. It just doesn’t make sense to Jungkook, because Namjoon is the university’s biggest heart-throb with hundreds of girls and boys lining up just to see him, let alone pine for him. Yet here he is, chasing after a boy who wants nothing more than friendship. And he knows Namjoon knows this too.

“Actually I’m kind of busy,” Jungkook lies right through his teeth as he comes to an unwanted stop at a crossing, watching cars start to drive past them. “I have this-“

“Hello boys,” interrupts a brand new (English) voice and Jungkook turns to find a middle-aged, European woman looking right at Namjoon. “My name is Sue Sharpe and I am currently working on a sociological case study, here in South Korea.“ Namjoon nods at her words albeit rather reluctantly. “One of my sociological friends actually found that families living in poor conditions can have a major impact on a child’s education. For example, cold and damp housing may result in a child getting ill easily and regularly, meaning more absences from school. However, I’m here in Korea because I want to find out how this can affect women in a household-“

Jungkook takes in the interesting words the woman has to say so far then ignores the rest when he turns back to face his front, remembering the problem at hand. He knows the traffic light is about to display the green man and he feels the excitement rush through him at the idea of getting away. As soon as he sees the red man disappear, Jungkook is off, pretty much sprinting to the other side of the road. And he thinks he’s made it, until-

“Hey Jungkook,” Namjoon shouts from the other side of the crossing, “wait up!”

But Jungkook only speeds up, sprinting down the pavement and mentally thanking himself for going to the gym every other day and competing in track when he was younger. He’s surely got the stamina to out-run Namjoon.

Jungkook comes to an abrupt stop when he notices some sort of protest going on right in the middle of the pavement, people blocking any little way that Jungkook could have squeezed past. It’s probably filled with the stench of sweating teenagers and Jungkook has no intention of going through that with his sensitive ass nose.

But the sound of running footsteps behind him makes him contemplate it and he’s a second away from saying fuck it and running right through the mass of people when he looks to his left. The Seoulery really is a miracle because there it is staring right back at him, windows glistening in the afternoon sun. Jungkook suddenly gets an idea. Jimin. He needs Jimin.

Jungkook enters the café in a haste, nearly shoving a chair over as he looks around for the familiar head of pink hair but it’s of no use because Jimin is nowhere to be seen. The only thing that catches his eye is the bright red hair, as Taehyung busily wipes a table clean. He’s slightly confused as to why Taehyung is still working now when he had been here in the morning, having served him that Caramel Machiatto, and he wonders if it’s okay for him to be working so long. But he pushes the thought away when he hears the ringing of the bell as the café door opens again, and Jungkook doesn’t even think twice before he’s rushing straight forward and towards the guy who always seems to get on his nerves.

The sound of him pushing a chair out of the way must alert Taehyung, because he turns around quickly with a startled look on his face. “Jung-“

“Hug me,” Jungkook interrupts, keeping his voice hushed so that Namjoon doesn’t hear over the music playing in the café. “Like, right now.”

Taehyung’s startled face drops almost immediately, being replaced by one of utter confusion, brows furrowed and all. So, Jungkook takes matters into his own hands and strides the last steps forward before wrapping his arms tightly around Taehyung’s waist, pulling him close. At first Taehyung is stock still and for that Jungkook holds him even tighter, urging him to follow, and it works. Because Taehyung finally reaches his own arms up to wrap around Jungkook’s neck, holding him back just as tightly.

Jungkook doesn’t mean to let out a sigh of contentment, but it happens because the warmth that this hug is providing him with, is something he’s never felt before. Plus, Taehyung smells absolutely amazing, the smell of coffee just a tiny layer over his actual (is that strawberry?) scent. And Jungkook can smell his actual scent so well and he likes (loves) it so much that he can’t help but burrow his face into the soft red locks, breathing in subtly.

“Jungkook?” comes the voice from behind him and it’s almost like it brings him back to reality. Jungkook hates that he had forgotten Namjoon was standing here the whole time, too awestruck by Taehyung, of all people.

“Oh, Namjoon hyung,” Jungkook says, adding as much surprise to his voice as he can, though it isn’t that hard considering how unbelievable it is that he actually enjoyed a hug, from Kim Taehyung. He turns around then, keeping one arm latched around Taehyung’s middle. “This is Taehyung.”

Namjoon says nothing, does nothing, but stare.

“I’m sorry I ran like that,” he adds, not so subtly pulling Taehyung closer. “I just remembered I had to meet with him and I was getting late for our scheduled time.”

“Oh,” Namjoon finally says, looking between the two of them with a crest-fallen expression. “Are you two...” he trails off, and Jungkook feels Taehyung stiffen at his side.

“Um yeah,” Jungkook nods, “he’s my boyf-“

“Friend,” Taehyung interrupts, pulling away from Jungkook completely. Jungkook’d never admit it aloud, but he immediately misses the warmth. “I’m his friend. Nice to meet you, Namjoon was it?” Jungkook’s soft feelings are gone, just like that because Taehyung has just ruined his plan.

Jungkook is about to reach back for Taehyung again and ‘correct’ him but he doesn’t need to, what with the look of disbelief on Namjoon’s face.

“Nice to meet you too, Taehyung,” Namjoon nods back, before pointing a thumb behind him. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you guys to it? See you around Jungkook?”

“Yeah hyung, see you later,” Jungkook replies, feeling himself relax a little.

Just like that, Jungkook and Taehyung are left in the quietness of the café, with only lofi jazz playing softly in the background. Taehyung doesn’t start until the door has completely shut.

“What the fuck Jungkook?” Taehyung cries. So dramatic. Way too dramatic.

“Look, he’s been chasing me since the start of the year and this was my only option.”

“You had no right to do that to me.”

“What? Hug you?”

“Now he thinks we’re dating.”

“Well, no. You actually ruined that plan.”

It’s silent then, even the café song having finished and paused before the next song, as the both of them glare at one another. As Taehyung continues to look at him pointedly, Jungkook uses the time to finally take in his face properly; he doesn’t know why he feels the need to do it but he does it anyway.

Taehyung has the clearest skin Jungkook has ever seen, miles and miles of smooth caramel plains spread all over his face and body. It looks as if it glows slightly too and the wide framed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose seem to glimmer too. From this close Jungkook finally gets a better looks at his eyes behind his glasses and he notices Taehyung has the longest, wispiest lashes he’s ever seen, curving down to create shadows at his cheekbones. Taehyung also has the cutest mole on his lower lash line, making him look so charming and although Jungkook doesn’t like him all that much, he can admit that Taehyung is ethereally beautiful. He can also safely admit that he’s attracted to Taehyung. Very much so.

“Be my boyfriend,” he blurts out, only now catching the way Taehyung’s cheeks have changed colour to almost match his hair. He’s quick to correct himself. “I mean, my fake boyfriend.”

Taehyung simply just blinks back, the flush from his cheeks having disappeared.

“I mean like,” Jungkook starts, hating the way he has to look away, with Taehyung staring deep into his soul. “If I told Namjoon that you’re my boyfriend, he’d leave me alone. It might take some convincing and he’ll probably visit because he’s nosy as fuck, but it could work.”

Taehyung looks impossibly more confused. “You hear what you’re saying, right?” he asks, accusatory. “You hate the living daylights out of me and now you want me to be your boyfriend?”

“Fake boyfriend,” Jungkook emphasises, rather childishly. Now that Taehyung says it like that, he realises how stupid the idea is. But Jungkook isn’t one to back down. “Come on, it’ll only be until Namjoon realises I’m not interested.”

“And what do I get out of it?”

Of course. How could Jungkook possibly not have thought about the fact that Taehyung would need something in return? Well that is what an agreement is, right?

Jungkook thinks about it for a second, really thinks about it, because what is there that he could help Taehyung with? They have absolutely nothing in common apart from the capability of being bitchy so there can’t be anything that Jungkook could help him with. But then it clicks. Help him with.

“I can help you in the café,” Jungkook says quickly. “And you keep the whole pay check.” Jungkook decides not to mention the fact that he’s noticed how long Taehyung’s shift seems to be, with the way he’s been here for a minimum of seven hours as far as Jungkook knows. He decides it’s best to keep the worry out of it because why on earth would Jungkook worry for Taehyung in the first place?

“I don’t think my manager would-“

“Come on,” Jungkook huffs with a roll of his eyes. “Your manager doesn’t need to know about the extra hands you’ll have wiping the tables for you.” Jungkook almost regrets the way he words that, making himself out to be some sort of slave to Taehyung, but he thinks it’s okay in this context. Anything to get Taehyung to agree, right? “Besides, the more I’m here with you, the more Namjoon’ll believe that we’re dating. And it’s a win-win for you with the fact that you get extra help and you have Jeon Jungkook being the one helping you.” Jungkook makes sure to add as much boast in his voice as he can.

But his teasing is gone in an instant when he remembers this is Kim Taehyung he’s talking to, the reason why his bad mornings turn even worse. Also, Taehyung is looking at him warily which he knows is usually the dangerous line between hate and toleration. And he’s not ready for that.

“Taehyung, what are you still doing here?” comes a loud voice and Jungkook turns to find a tall, broad-shouldered man walk in from presumably the break room. Something about him-even with his casual jeans and buttoned shirt-screams authority and for that, Jungkook knows for a fact that this is Taehyung’s manager. “How many times must I tell you, you can’t keep doing this overtime.”

“Sorry hyung, I-“

“You know this could get me in trouble right,” the guy interrupts, giving Taehyung quite the pointed look and barely even acknowledging Jungkook’s existence. The tone of his voice angers Jungkook. “I could get in trouble for making my workers work longer than allowed, and the thing is, it’s you who decides to stay, not me. You need to go home now, Taehyung.”

“I need to stay Seokjin hyung. Just one more hour? I really need the money. Hyung, plea-“

“Jooheon will be here any minute for the evening shift.”

“Can you stop interrupting him?”

Come to think of it, those words, coming from Jungkook, are quite ironic.

“And who are you?” ‘Seokjin hyung’ asks, a snarky tone evident in his voice. It’s annoying that he doesn’t seem afraid of Jungkook, as most people usually do on first meeting. The unbothered look on his face only makes it even more irritating.

Maybe it’s because of the newly found information that Taehyung is in need of money, so badly that he’s apparently willing to work more hours than he’s legally allowed to. Maybe it’s because of their recently made agreement and he’s just following the rules.

(Maybe it’s because he actually cares.)

But Jungkook says the words, loud and clear for Seokjin to hear, puffing his chest out. “I’m Taehyung’s boyfriend,” he speaks lowly, reaching around to place an arm over his ‘boyfriend’s’ shoulder. And he thinks this is going somewhere when Taehyung raises his own arm up to wrap around Jungkook's waist.

Until, he feels a painful pinch at his side, forcing him to remove his arm.

“Huh?” Seokjin asks, apparently missing the violence. “Tae, you’ve never talked about a boyfriend.”

Taehyung is silent for a moment and from what Jungkook can feel by just his arm brushing against his own, he’s tense.

“I mean you and I are not really on personal talking terms, hyung,” he finally says and Jungkook can hear the smile in his voice even if it probably is forced. Wow, Taehyung’s a good actor, he thinks. This is perfect.

“Okay well, boyfriend or not,” Seokjin says, skeptically looking away from Jungkook and back to Taehyung. “You need to go home. I’m saying this to help you, not to be mean. You overwork yourself, Tae.”

Jungkook feels Taehyung physically deflate at his side as his shoulders drop down and he begins to shuffle his feet around. “Okay hyung,” he says, defeatedly, to which Seokjin nods once and leaves them alone.

Jungkook takes a step away from Taehyung and stands there for a while, waiting for him to say anything or at least move. And when he finally does start to move, he’s heading towards the back room, probably to fetch his things, but he doesn’t fully disappear before saying, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Jungkook shrugs as nonchalantly as he can. “Yeah, I’ll be here after class,” he says, walking backwards to leave the shop.

As Jungkook’s walking home and for the rest of the evening, all he can think about is the pout Taehyung had had on his lips, a pout that displayed genuine disappointment. No matter how many times Jungkook has said mean things to Taehyung, he’s never seen such a look of sadness on his face and Jungkook thinks maybe he never wants to see something like it again.

Jungkook knows there must be a reason for why not being able to work a longer shift had hurt Taehyung so much. It’s just a matter of finding out.

✧✧✧

“When will you have a day off, Taetae oppa?” Miyoung whines loud and clear over the crackling on the phone.

Taehyung had left early in the morning, before his five year old sister had even woken up to get ready for school, only because he knew that she’d be even more grumpy about him leaving than she normally was in the mornings. It’s like a routine for him. Wake up, avoid Miyoung, make sure Yoongi’s awake, go to work, come back home, play with Miyoung, sleep, and repeat.

“Mimi, we said we wouldn’t ask that question,” comes Yoongi’s voice just as Taehyung finishes stacking yesterdays cups away. “Taehyungie works super hard so a little monster like you has all the banana milk in the world.”

Taehyung smiles (probably goofily) as he watches his brother ruffle his sister’s bangs rather harshly. Well, Yoongi isn’t Taehyung’s biological brother, rather someone who he’s known since the day he was born but way more than just just a family friend. Even if they aren’t blood related, Taehyung can’t imagine having any other older brother. Yoongi works from home, producing songs and sending them off to whoever would buy them and the fact that he’s always there to care for Miyoung when Taehyung isn’t home is the most anyone’s ever done for him and he would never be able to pay Yoongi back for that.

Taehyung walks back out to the front, glancing around quickly to find that there’s no new customers. “Mimi, I’ll be home very soon,” he says loudly, trying to be heard over the kerfuffle that Yoongi and Miyoung seem to be having. It’s obviously a lie, considering it’s not even been eight hours yet when he’s worked twelve hours before. But he decides it’s best to tell Miyoung he’ll be there soon, just so she wouldn’t start one of her meltdowns. “Hyung, did the teacher mention anything today?” Taehyung asks, remembering how a few weeks before Ms Han had arranged a meeting with him, telling him all about how unfocused Miyoung would be in class. Never disrupting, just too busy daydreaming.

“No, Ms Han said she did really good on her Maths today,” Yoongi replies, making his voice a few octaves higher as he squishes Miyoung’s cheeks affectionately.

“I’m so happy to hear that, Mimi,” Taehyung coos wanting nothing more than to reach into the phone screen and hug her tight. Miyoung just coughs in return, though there is a proud smile playing at her lips.

“That reminds me,” Yoongi says suddenly, his face coming fully into view. “Her cough’s getting worse. Temperature’s going up too.”

Taehyung frowns. “What, really? I thought it’d start going down by now.” He feels his heart physically hurt at the thought of his baby sister having to put up with getting ill, even with her tiny frame that is surely too weak for it. “I’ll see if I can pick up some medicine on the way back.”

“Oppa!” Miyoung shouts and just like that his mood is lifted back up at seeing her cute face. “Guess what?” she exclaims, mouth full with what he presumes is her favourite after school snack, bread.

“What is it?”

“Yoonie oppa bought me a brand new bunny toy,” she brags, “and it’s super fluffy and super pink and super-duper cute!”

Taehyung can genuinely feel his cheeks hurting at how hard he’s smiling. “That’s great, Mimi. Make sure she’s free when I get home so I can have a turn cuddling her!” Taehyung mentally adds to his to do list: scold Yoongi for spending money when he didn’t need to, even after Taehyung’s insisted on multiple occasions that he doesn’t need to spend a penny on Miyoung, that Taehyung’s got it all under control.

“No Taetae!” Miyoung shouts so loud that Taehyung is forced to turn his volume down. She’s moved slightly into the light now and Taehyung catches sight of her pink nose, worrying him even more. “Cooky is a he! I called him Cooky.”

“That’s adorable,” Taehyung says, to which Miyoung replies to with a rather throaty cough. “I have to hang up now, okay? I’ll try to bring medicine so we can get you feeling tip-top again.”

“Do you have to go?” Miyoung whines.

“Oppa has work to do. Don’t worry, I’ll be home before you know it.”

They say their goodbyes and Taehyung feels a part of him shatter at the upset look in Miyoung’s eyes. As soon as the line is cut, Taehyung pulls out his wallet, praying to everything he can that he has enough for at least a bottle of cough syrup for Miyoung. And he knows he wouldn’t be able to use his card because tomorrow is Saturday, meaning grocery shopping day, when he’d most likely be using his card. Taehyung takes a deep breath and begins to open up his wallet, mentally pleading to find just a mere note to pay for the damn medicine. He slowly pulls the two leather sides apart and-

“If you need money I can give you some, if you’d like,” comes a voice from right in front of him. Taehyung startles so hard that his wallet literally falls out of his hands.

“What the fuck? Jungkook? How long have you been here for?” Taehyung exclaims, clutching a hand at his chest. “You don’t just sneak up on someone like that,” he accuses, watching as Jungkook spins on the swivelling bar stool, long black hair swirling around him like some sort of aura.

“I can lend you however much you need and you can just pay me back later,” Jungkook says, ignoring Taehyung’s obviously frightened state. Jungkook looks down at his fists, clenching and unclenching his hands, watching his knuckle tattoos move around as if this is all normal. As if he’s ever been this nice to Taehyung.

“Why would you help me?”

“I’d help your little sister, not you,” Jungkook says, keeping his eyes downcast, continuing to tense his hands. Taehyung would never admit it aloud, it’s something he had noticed earlier on today when Jungkook had come in the morning for his normal order, but Jungkook looks extra good today. His hair is more unkempt than it usually is, puffing out at the sides and almost covering his eyes completely. Every single one of his tattoos that are on display look darker as well, probably having been touched up and something about that makes Taehyung want to train his eyes solely on them and never look away.

“What are you doing here?” Taehyung asks, hoping to steer both the topic of money and his thoughts on how good-looking Jungkook is, completely away. “You’re only ever here in the morning. It’s almost four pm right now.”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Jungkook shrugs. “Is it even healthy that you’ve been working for almost nine hours now?”

“And why does it matter to you?”

“It doesn’t.”

“So why are you asking?”

“You changed the subject. You want money or not?”

Taehyung looks down to where his wallet had fallen and even from here he can see that there’s not a money note in sight. But he doesn’t want Jungkook’s money.

“No, I don’t need your money.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, reaching into his pocket anyway. “Can you stop being a prick,” Jungkook snaps, passing a note over the counter. “Take it. Not from me to you but from me to your sister.”

Taehyung shakes his head rapidly, just about resisting the urge to push Jungkook’s hand away himself. “I can’t,” he says, forever stubborn.

Jungkook rolls his eyes once again and at this point Taehyung’s worried he could get some sort of condition by how many times he seems to roll his eyes in a day. “Fine,” he huffs, stuffing the money back into his pocket and replacing it to play with a sachet of sugar.

“If you rip that sugar packet, you’re paying for it,” Taehyung warns. It’s petty, he knows, but he’s never had a civil conversation with Jungkook so right now he’s feeling slightly awkward. Jungkook is willingly sitting here, for reasons he doesn’t know, and Taehyung just doesn’t know how to react to that.

Jungkook seems to notice.

“If you really don’t want me here, I can leave,” Jungkook states, seemingly not offended at all.

Taehyung doesn’t really know what to reply to that with, especially when Jungkook looks so unbothered by all of this, contrasting massively with what’s going on with Taehyung’s insides. Finally, he decides to reply with, “I mean I can’t really kick you out considering I could get fired for that.” Nice and ambiguous, he thinks.

“Right,” Jungkook says, dragging the end of the word out. “I mean I’m here because Namjoon should be showing up any minute. When I said he’s nosy, I meant it.” Taehyung nods in reply. “Plus, I’m a man of my words. I’m here to help you.”

“Hi,” comes a new voice and Taehyung quickly turns to the customer. Taehyung hates that he hadn’t even heard the bell ring, missing the man’s entrance all because he was too focused on Jungkook.

“Hello sir,” Taehyung replies, “what can I get for you?” he asks and it’s all automatic now, the way the words leave his lips.

The customer is tall and handsome, hair swept neatly off and out of his face, styled to perfection. “Anything that’s as sweet as you,”-he glances at Taehyung’s name tag-“Taehyung.”

Taehyung smiles back at the man, providing the best possible customer service that he can, even if the man’s words hadn’t really affected him in any way. “Well, I’m going to need the name of the drink,” he smirks. It’s not unusual for him to be getting hit on, considering it happens almost everyday, sometimes multiple times a day.

“How about you surprise me, gorgeous?” the guy smirks back, as he stands up straighter and puffs out his chest the slightest bit. At those words Taehyung can feel the way Jungkook’s attention is caught, brown eyes digging right into the side of his face.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Taehyung says, ignoring the obvious stare that Jungkook has directed at him. It’s probably his way of saying to hurry the fuck up with this customer so he can get started on his help already. “You’ll have to tell me what you’d like to order.”

“But, pretty,” the guy says, almost whining. “I think it would be better if-“

“Make an order or just fucking leave,” comes Jungkook’s very irritated voice. Taehyung snaps his head towards Jungkook to find that he has his eyes narrowed aggressively at the customer, fists clenched atop of the counter.

“Jungkook!”

“What? He’s just wasting time.” Jungkook keeps his eyes trained on the guy, staring him down. Taehyung tries not to look, but Jungkook’s biceps are right there on full display (what with the short sleeved t-shirt he’s wearing) as he tenses his muscles with the way his fists are clenched. It’s intimidatingly hot.

Taehyung turns his gaze back to the customer, eyes starting to hurt because of the strain he’s putting on them with how wide his eyes are. The guy looks between him and Jungkook a few times before shoving his hands into the pockets of his trench coat with a loud huff.

“Whatever,” he says, eyes now focused on Taehyung. “You’re not even that pretty anyway.”

And with that the guy turns around and storms straight out of the café.

“What the fuck was that?"

Jungkook has the audacity to look away, spinning around on his chair to face the complete opposite direction.

“I’ve just lost a customer because of you! He’ll probably give bad ratings now as well.” Jungkook doesn’t even flinch. “For that you have to clean every single one of the tables before Jin hyung comes back.”

“Easy,” Jungkook finally speaks up, though his head is still turned the other way.

Taehyung seats himself down again, shaking his head as he watches Jungkook get to the cleaning. Namjoon has yet to show up so Taehyung tries to mentally brace himself for that, get his actor game on.

It isn’t until hours later when Taehyung is helping Seokjin shut the shop for the night, Namjoon hasn’t come, and Jungkook has left, that he sees it. There on the countertop with a sugar sachet placed on it, is a 10,000 won note. Beside it sits a napkin with a message written scruffily on it with black ink.

‘Just take the fucking money you idiot and get your sister better again,’ it says. ‘Also that asshole customer is a liar.’

✧✧✧

“Seriously hyung!” Jungkook exclaims, lounging back into the sofa, wanting nothing more than for it to swallow him whole. “It’s not funny.”

Hoseok snorts. “It is kind of funny.”

“I don’t even know why it affected me so much,” Jungkook argues, feeling his cheeks heat up.

“So you watch Taehyung chat with his little sister via FaceTime and you lose your heart to that because something nobody knows about you is that you have a weak heart for children. So then this guy comes in, flirts with Taehyung and you just say the first thing that comes to mind and tell him to fuck off. Then you blush like a teenage boy when you realise what you just did so you opt for hiding your face from him completely. Then before leaving, you leave some money and a note, basically implying that he’s pretty in your eyes.” Hoseok says it all so quickly, seemingly having gotten a pretty good grasp on the entire story. “It sounds pretty obvious to me. You-“

“Don’t say it.”

“You would love to-“

“Hyung, don’t.”

“You would absolutely love to-“

“Seriously hyung, stop.”

“You would absolutely love to be Taehyung’s sugar daddy.”

“What?” Jungkook cries, pulling himself up into a sitting position. “That’s not-“

“Then what is it?” Hoseok smirks. That tattooed, not so intimidating, sunshine-like, bastard seems to know his way around these sorts of things. Not that Jungkook knows what ‘these sorts of things’ actually is. Hoseok sips from his McDonald’s cup.

“I don’t know,” Jungkook replies, rather weakly.

“Well if you were to ask me for my opinion-“

“I wasn’t asking.”

“If you were to ask me,” Hoseok repeats, accentuating the words, “I’d say that feeling a bout of jealousy isn’t enough to prove if these feeling are really feelings.”

“You’re acting like you’re an expert just because you’re head over heels in love with Jimin, practically want to marry the guy-“

“So if I were you,” Hoseok interrupts with a pointed look, “I’d get to know Taehyung more, just to be sure if what I’m feeling is a weird one time thing, or if it actually is the you know what.”

Jungkook decides not to reply, popping a fry into his mouth and keeping his eyes trained on the television. And what he appreciates is that his roommate understands that that’s the end of the conversation as he too focuses on the anime albeit with a small smirk playing at his lips.

Hoseok has always been one to give him advice, and good advice at that. Such good advice that Jungkook often heard Hoseok’s voice in his head during the actual moment. So it’s no surprise that it’s happening now as he walks along the pavement towards The Seoulery on a Saturday morning when he could be snuggled up in bed.

“-get to know Taehyung more-“ the voice says, repeating the words like some sort of mantra. And it doesn’t stop until he’s pushing the glass door to the café open.

Jungkook’s mildly surprised to find the café packed to the brim with customers, mostly middle-aged people looking ready to get to the office. He didn’t think office workers could work on weekends too, but hey, you learn something new everyday. Something else Jungkook doesn’t understand is why Taehyung seems to always be here doing just that. Working.

Today, Taehyung has a black beret perched on top of his scarlet head of hair, as well as his usual wide glasses that always look to be on the verge of falling off his nose. He’s rushing around behind the counter with a few other baristas and he pays no attention to Jungkook entering and queueing up.

Time goes by quickly, even with the line being as long as it is. Jungkook spends that time thinking about what he’ll say first because surely Taehyung is going to be asking about what he’s doing here on a Saturday morning. What is Taehyung even doing here on a Saturday morning? As far as he knows. Taehyung works every weekday, staying for incredibly long shifts, so Jungkook is slightly confused as to why he’s working weekends too, feeling kind of worried at the thought that he overworks himself too much. And just now Jungkook realises that he had walked all this way to the café without even knowing for sure if Taehyung was going to be here, chancing it and admittedly hoping that he would be here; of course he was only hoping so he could get to know Taehyung more as Hoseok had suggested. But now that Jungkook thinks about it properly, the buzz of chatter all around him hardly being a distraction, his hoping for Taehyung to be here makes him selfish. Taehyung works plenty of hours as it is so why would he wish for Taehyung to be here, just for his own wants (and needs). Jungkook promises he isn’t that shitty of a person.

“Good morning, what can I get you?” asks a girl from behind the counter and only then does Jungkook realise the barista is talking to him, having made it to the front of the line. It’s not Taehyung, with the red-head too busy rushing around and making up drinks to realise Jungkook is even here.

“Oh um,” Jungkook stutters out, “I’ll have an iced, black Americano, no cream, one sugar,” he says, never once removing his eyes from the black beret and the gold framed glasses.

“Anything else?”

“Nope.”

Jungkook pays for his drink, glancing away from Taehyung for all but a millisecond to look at his wallet, before looking straight back again as he takes a seat on the only vacant swivelling chair. He doesn’t mean to stare but with Hoseok’s very suggestive words still there in the back of his mind, he can’t help but overthink things. Jungkook will admit Taehyung is very handsome, like a piece of artwork actually, but being attracted to someone and actually liking them are completely different. Besides Jungkook has yet to have a proper conversation with the guy so even if Hoseok had said what he had, Jungkook knows he shouldn’t be quick to jump to conclusions.

Suddenly, Taehyung looks up, making eye contact immediately with Jungkook. He has a surprised look on his face, eyes wide and lips pouted out slightly. Jungkook feels his own eyes widen as he bashfully looks away, definitely having been caught staring. He just about resists the urge to rub at his cheeks even if he knows they're probably bright pink right now, judging by how warm they feel.

“What are you doing here?” comes Taehyung’s baritone voice just seconds later. Jungkook doesn’t looks up, just accepts the coffee cup that Taehyung hands over.

“Chungkook? Really?” Jungkook’s flustered state is gone just like that, when he notices the way Taehyung has spelt his name on the cup.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Are you not even going to apologise?”

“Do I ever apologise?”

Normally Jungkook would be pissed right about now, heat flaring through his body at just the thought of Taehyung’s snarky face. But maybe it’s because it’s Saturday today, the dread of going to morning classes not there to aggravate his grumpiness. Maybe it’s because Jungkook had gotten a good night’s sleep for once with Hoseok’s loud ass being out for the evening with one Park Jimin. Maybe it’s because of said loud ass man’s words about a certain Kim Taehyung that had done nothing more than confuse Jungkook even more than he needs to be, opening up thoughts that he had never had before. Or maybe it’s because of Kim Taehyung himself for reasons Jungkook doesn’t want to think, let alone talk about. But for once, Jungkook feels completely calm, not an ounce of anger in him.

“How’s your sis-“

“I have to-“

They both speak then stop at the exact same time and Jungkook has to force his eyes completely away from Taehyung, urging his cheeks not to heat up yet again. This is odd. Why is he feeling like this?

He decides to keep his question about Taehyung’s sister to himself though, when he looks up he sees the inquisitive look in Taehyung eyes.

“I um,” Taehyung starts, looking like he has so much to say, “I have to get back to work.” He points a thumb behind himself and Jungkook sits back a bit trying to show how casual he is even though his insides are a completely different story.

“Yeah, that’s cool,” Jungkook shrugs, “I’m alright just chilling here.” He takes a sip from his cup.

Taehyung raises a brow at that, though he doesn’t say anything more, nodding once, before slipping away back to the coffee machines. Jungkook does his best to keep his traitorous eyes-that seem to act on their own accord-away.

“Oh, Jungkook!” Jungkook wants to groan.

“Hey Namjoon hyung,” Jungkook smiles, trying his best to make it not come out as a grimace. “What are you doing here?”

Namjoon stands right behind Jungkook’s seat, seeing as there are no other chairs available, smiling widely down at him, accentuating his dimples that every single person seems to fall for. Well, except Jungkook, unfortunately for him.

“I could ask the same to you,” Namjoon replies, raising a perfectly arched brow behind his glasses. “You said you were busy when I suggested revising together today.” Namjoon doesn’t say it maliciously, but rather teasingly.

At first Jungkook has no idea what to reply with, can’t think of a single excuse the rattle off to Namjoon as he normally would because he’s actually caught him red handed, with the way he’s standing here in flesh and blood. But that’s quickly changed as an idea pings in Jungkook’s mind. It’s such a great idea that he’s certain if he were in a cartoon there’d be a lightbulb above his head.

“Actually,” he says, turning to fully face Namjoon, “I’m here for Taehyung.” He cocks his head to the side, directing Namjoon’s eyes to the barista. “Remember him?”

The smile that had been on Namjoon’s face is completely wiped off of his lips, though there isn’t any look of sadness or disappointment on them, just a line (a rather puffy line, considering how large Namjoon’s lips are) hinting at no emotion whatsoever. Jungkook watches him silently as Namjoon looks at Taehyung, who’s probably busy making cups of coffee for the people in the ever-growing queue. After a few seconds the corners of Namjoon’s lips quirk up the slightest bit, so faintly that Jungkook almost misses it.

“Oh?” Namjoon asks. “Your friend Taehyung?”

Jungkook is at a complete loss of words. He had no idea Namjoon could be like this.

“I mean,” Namjoon continues, “he looks sort of busy right now. Mind if I keep you company for the time being?”

Jungkook wants to say no. Really wants to say no. Because Namjoon is a nice guy, too nice for his own good, and such an amazing friend, who Jungkook really doesn’t want to lead on.

But he’s a bit of a coward.

“Sure,” he sighs, turning back to rest his elbows on the countertop just as the woman with a black bob and pencil skirt-who had been seated beside him-stands up, ready to leave. Perfect timing, he thinks sarcastically, as Namjoon promptly sits down on the now abandoned stool.

“So Jungkook, how’s your morning been so far? Don’t think I’ve ever seen you up this early on a Saturday.” Namjoon clutches his coffee mug slightly and Jungkook can tell, just from that small action, that he’s nervous. It makes him feel bad.

“I guess it’s been tiring,” he says, swirling his straw around in his cup. He’s about to end his reply there when he thinks of something. “But as soon as I saw Tae,”-he mentally cringes slightly at the nickname-“I felt way better.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Namjoon smiles. “He must be a really close friend then.”

Jungkook hums in response, knowing if he replied to that Namjoon would immediately know that it’s all a lie.

“You um,” Namjoon stutters out after a few minutes of silence, “you look nice today.”

Jungkook turns his full attention to Namjoon at those words, to find the man looking down at his hands rather than making eye contact, with a light pink blush adorning his cheeks. Jungkook frowns, looking down at himself and the old black hoodie and torn up jeans he’s got on, then back at Namjoon and his large wool cardigan and slacks. None of this makes sense at all to Jungkook.

“I look like a mess,” he chuckles back.

“Is that a new tattoo?” Namjoon asks averting his eyes from his own hands to stare at Jungkook’s. It shocks him to the max that Namjoon has noticed something so small that not even Hoseok-his own roommate and best friend-had noticed. The small tattooed ‘J’ on his ring finger.

“Oh yeah,” Jungkook unconsciously smiles, “got it done at two am.”

“What’s it for?”

Jungkook pauses for a second then decides Namjoon probably won’t find it stupid. “Well, I thought the only way I would love myself was if I gave myself a kind of wedding ring with my first initial on it.”

Namjoon laughs aloud, seemingly loosening up a bit. “So you married yourself?”

“No!” Jungkook laughs. “Just a reminder, really.”

There’s a pause in the conversation as Jungkook leans down to sip from his cup, hearing the ice cubes rattle around inside. Namjoon is the one to break the quiet.

“I like that meaning. The idea of loving yourself,” he clarifies. “I feel like we’re all always so busy trying to get into relationships to feed off of love from other people and also feed love to others when in reality there’s no point in trying to love others when you can’t even love yourself.” He’s looking down and fiddling with his fingers, having let go of his mug. There seems to be unspoken words there, almost like Namjoon is having to purposely keep his mouth shut. Jungkook can hear the words clearly.

I try to get love from you, Jungkook, but you give me nothing.

“Well,” Jungkook starts, nipping at his bottom lip, “I think that there’s no point in trying to give someone all the love you can offer if that’s the case. If you know you’re only hurting yourself by loving a person, maybe you shouldn’t have started loving them in the first place.”

“What if you had no way of knowing they’d hurt you when you first started loving them?”

Jungkook doesn’t miss a beat. “You move on. That’s life.”

He knows it’s harsh, quite mean actually, but Jungkook knows it’s for the best. Namjoon is a great friend, somebody Jungkook wants to be just like with the way he’s so intelligent, caring, kind. But he isn’t someone Jungkook wants to love in a way that’d make the friendship they have go away.

Jungkook thinks Namjoon isn’t going to reply and it’s safe to say that the usually shy man manages to shock him, yet again.

“But sometimes you just don’t know how to give up, you know? It’s like an addiction.”

Jungkook sighs. “Then that’s not love. If you consider someone to be your addiction, it isn’t healthy at all.”

“I guess,” Namjoon replies, trailing off.

For the nth time they’re sitting in complete silence, even with all the background noise of hushed chatter multiplied by about fifty (considering the amount of people in here) and the clatter of cutlery and mugs on the tables.

Jungkook looks up and straight ahead, avoiding all possible eye contact with Namjoon. He doesn’t realise, until he’s found the head of red hair, that he’d been looking for it in the first place.

Taehyung is seated now (much to Jungkook’s approval- whatever that means), staring down at his nails, picking at the cuticles surrounding them. Jungkook notices then that although there are still many people in the café, there is no longer a queue of people waiting to buy drinks and muffins. No matter how much he hates to admit it, for that Jungkook is grateful because finally Taehyung can rest. But just like that, the relief is gone because Taehyung’s getting back up and heading over to one of the tables near the windows with a wet cloth in hand. The dark circles are visible all the way from here, charcoal crescents smudged underneath Taehyung’s tired looking eyes, and his lips seem to be stuck with a permanent pout.

“He looks tired as hell,” Namjoon pipes up, snapping Jungkook out of his stare.

And Jungkook’s about to say something stupid like yeah, I feel really bad or I wish I could just do it all for him but an idea pops up in his mind and this is too good of a chance to miss.

“Ah yeah, I kept him up all night,” he says, trying to make it sound as suggestive as possible, only for it to come out wobbly. Because this is nothing to joke about. Taehyung must really be struggling. And Namjoon notices it too.

“Jungkook, what’s going on?” Namjoon asks, brows furrowed. “To me it seems like you’re just-“

“Hey babe? Can you pass me that dry cloth?” With the words comes a strong whiff of strawberry as well as gentle touch at his bicep. He knows immediately who it is and even with the sudden skip of his heartbeat, he immediately knows how to play along.

“Yeah sure,” he smiles, grabbing the towel from in front of him then tentatively placing his own hand on top of Taehyung’s own, as he passes it to him.

Taehyung leans forward slightly and to Jungkook’s surprise, he places his chin right on top of his black hair. “Want a refill?” Taehyung asks and Jungkook’s sure he feels him rub his nose at his hair. Luckily, he’d remembered to wash his hair this morning.

“Yes please,” he replies, not knowing what else to say or how else to act with Taehyung still leaning into him like it’s nothing.

“Oh hey again, Namjoon-ssi,” Taehyung says, into Jungkook’s hair, sending an out of place shiver straight down his spine. “Great to see you here.” Jungkook can hear the smile in his voice. It’s probably that awful boxy smile of his that always seems to crinkle up his eyes and force his glasses off his nose that little bit more. It’s awful. Or is it awe-full?

“Hello,” Namjoon replies. “It’s a lovely place you’ve got here, but I actually need to go. I’ll be sure to stop by again.” The awkward tilt in Namjoon’s voice is sort of satisfying. “See you later Jungkook?” he asks, standing up and dusting down his slacks.

With that, before Jungkook can even reply, Namjoon is off, rushing straight towards the door.

“You owe me,” Taehyung mutters, still into his hair, “big time.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “No I fucking don’t.”

They both know who’s right and who’s wrong.

✧✧✧

“Where the fuck are the clean cloths?

Taehyung groans.

“I’ve told you seven fucking times! In the drawer next to the sinks!”

Taehyung would have never thought Jungkook would be this much of a whiny brat. It’s been a week since he’s started ‘helping’ Taehyung out at the café and although he admits, the extra hands can be useful at times, dealing with Jungkook’s constant whinging and complaining isn’t the most ideal thing.

It’s a Sunday afternoon and Taehyung’s got his head inside one of the bottom cupboards, face beginning to get overheated because he can’t find the extra fucking coffee beans. What a day for there to be a shortage of staff, with most people busy working on end of year university projects. Luckily for Seokjin, Taehyung doesn’t go to university.

Taehyung rustles around through all the useless things in this cupboard (he needs to speak to Seokjin about that because seriously, what is a striped red and green sock doing in here?) and in the process feels the way his forehead begins to dampen with sweat. Where the fuck is the bag of coffee beans? How has it just disappeared in the span of a day? How the hell is Taehyung meant to refill the-

“What are you looking for?”

Taehyung jumps, literally jumps while on his knees which he had no idea he could do, and feels his head collide harshly with the top of the cupboard.

“Fuck!” he exclaims crawling backwards and clutching at his head. He just about resists the urge to lay down on the cold floor and curl up into the foetal position.

“Shit,” Jungkook says and Taehyung doesn’t hear whatever else he says next with all the blood rushing to his ears. Shit, is he concussed?

“What the fuck Jungkook!” he shouts, so loudly he feels his brain rattle. “How can you just sneak up on someone like that?”

“Look at me,” Jungkook replies and he sounds so close now, that Taehyung’s worried he’s starting to black out and that Jungkook sounding closer is all just an illusion. “Look at me,” Jungkook repeats sounding even more closer than before.

And there Jungkook is. Right in front of Taehyung’s face, as he looks up to make direct eye contact with the man, less than two inches away.

“Okay your eyes look fine. No concussion,” Jungkook breathes out, eyes staying completely locked with Taehyung’s.

Up this close, Jungkook really is handsome. Not that Taehyung didn’t know that already. Almost everything about his face is sharp like his brows that sit arched above his eyes and his chiseled out jawline that looks just about sharp enough to cut Taehyung’s finger. Now that he thinks about it, Jungkook is close enough to touch and Taehyung wants nothing more than to run his finger right over that jaw because he knows how nice his own tanned skin would look against Jungkook’s paler skin. And he’s just about to do that, reach out and touch, when something else catches his eye below Jungkook’s jaw and on his neck. It’s a mole. The cutest mole Taehyung’s ever seen. And it’s then that he realises, Jungkook’s isn’t only hot and handsome, he’s pretty and cute.

“Taehyung?” Said pretty and cute voice snaps him straight out of the daze. “You okay? You spaced out.” Taehyung can't bring himself to answer. “Maybe we should get you to the doctor after all,” Jungkook frowns.

Not only is Taehyung unable to speak, leaving them in complete silence, but his eyes remain glued to Jungkook and it’s like there’s some sort of pull keeping him in place, tying his eyes to Jungkook’s. Jungkook’s face is suddenly tomato red and his eyes (that are quite big naturally), are widened even further, looking so big that it could hurt. Taehyung wills the heating of his own face away and decides on the only words he can think of in that moment.

“Blinking is a natural phenomenon that is needed by all humans in order to survive. Without it we’d all be dead with a case of ‘dry eyes’ and I think all you need to do right now, is lubricate your eyeballs.”

Jungkook blinks.

“Oppa!” They both startle, heads snapping towards the countertop, trying to catch a glimpse over it and into the seating area of the café. But that proves to be quite difficult when you’re a mere few centimetres away from one another. In other words, Taehyung headbutts Jungkook’s massive nose. Hard. “Oppa! Where are you?”

Through the adrenaline of it all, hearing Miyoung’s voice and possibly breaking Jungkook’s nose, Taehyung has no control over what happens next. His hand is coming up in front of him, without his permission, and he’s placing it right on top of Jungkook’s hand that desperately clutches his nose. “Miyoung? Is that you?” he calls out at the exact same time.

“Taetae! Yoongi oppa said that we- oh.” Miyoung ends her own sentence with her lips pouted out in a perfect circle shape, as she comes to a stand at the entryway. “Is that your boyfriend? I like his skin pictures.”

“What? No he-“

“Miyoung! I told you to wait up,” comes a new voice as well as quick footsteps and the café door bell. “How many times do I have to tell you not to run off like that?” Yoongi is breathing heavy but as soon as he sees the predicament he’s quiet.

Then the bell rings again.

“Excuse me? Are you alright?” Jungkook groans at the new voice. “I saw you running and I-“

“This is not what it looks like,” Taehyung says, smiling sheepishly up at Miyoung, Yoongi and Namjoon, all while keeping his hand soothing at Jungkook’s nose.

And that’s how they find themselves sitting in the café (luckily there are barely any customers) with Namjoon holding an ice pack to Jungkook’s nose, no matter how many times he says he can do it himself, with Miyoung sitting on the counter right behind Jungkook, playing with the injured man’s “super-duper, extra long, extra fluffy, magical hair” as said by the girl herself.

“So you’re telling me, that that hunk of a man is pining after your Jungkook?”

“Hyung!”

“And Jungkook wants nothing to do with him so now you two are fake dating?” Taehyung nods at Yoongi’s question, sighing out in relief when he finally finds the stupid bag of coffee beans. “Let me tell you something, if I were Jungkook, I’d already be on my knees-“

“Hyung! That’s enough.”

“Sounds like you’ve got yourself in a bit of a pickle,” Yoongi says, leaning back in his chair with a muffin in hand.

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Because as far as I know, you have the biggest crush on that dude and being his fake boyfriend is far from what you want.”

Taehyung stops what he’s doing just to glare. “How can I have a crush on him, when he’s the biggest asshole alive?”

“Judging by the way you’re talking to me right now but sending him heart eyes, it’s kind of obvious.”

Taehyung tears his eyes away from Jungk-Miyoung. From Miyoung. “I was looking at Miyoung.”

“Which totally explains why your cheeks are turning as red as the Red Sea.”

“The Red Sea isn’t even red, hyung.”

“Ah ha! So you admit your cheeks are going red?”

“Hyung! I just-“

“Is it alright for me to take Miyoung to the bathroom in the back?” Taehyung promptly shuts his mouth. Jungkook stands there, hands linked with Miyoung at his side, looking completely oblivious.

“I need to pee Taetae!”

“Oh that’s fine,” Taehyung rushes out, “I’ll take her. You get back to that ice pack.”

“No seriously, my nose is fine.”

“I can take her, it’s fine.”

“You look busy right now, I’ll take her. Seriously, my nose doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

“No it’s fi-“

“Jungkook will take her,” Yoongi interrupts, dramatically pinching the bridge of his nose. “Gosh, by the time you two are finished with your weirdly soft arguing, she’ll have peed her pants.”

A slight chuckle can be heard from back where Jungkook and Miyoung had previously been and as the two rush away, Taehyung spots the way Yoongi has suddenly gotten very obviously flustered.

“Oh Namjoon-ssi,” he calls out, beckoning over the 6ft, dimpled, well-styled, slick man. Come to think of it, he’s just Yoongi’s type. “This is my brother, Yoongi.”

“Oh, hello,” Namjoon smiles a tight lipped smile, bowing quickly. “I’m Nam-“

“The guy I’ve been seeing in my dreams.”

Namjoon’s glasses almost fall off.

“I mean,” Yoongi says, way too loudly, waving both of his hands in front of him, “not in those types of dreams. My dreams. Just normal dreams. Like my hopes and dreams and future.” It’s quiet again. “Not that I see you in my future, I don’t even know you.”

“Ah yes,” Namjoon nods, slowly. “We did only just meet.”

Yoongi nods back and Taehyung feels all levels of awkward right now. “Yeah, we don’t know each other. Like at all. But I’d like to get to know you.”

“I mean-“

“Not in a creepy way. Just that-“

“Ah yes, I under-“

“Just that, you’re really handsome and I-“

“You’re handsome too.”

“Time for me to go check up on Mimi,” Taehyung says, looking back and forth between the two of them. They both look awkward yet still shy and Taehyung thinks it’s a good place to start.

Taehyung double checks that there aren’t any new customers, making sure that the few people seated at tables are okay. Then he heads into the back room, leaving Yoongi and Namjoon seated on the stools, taking big strides on the way. And he’s almost made it all the way inside the break room, before he spots Jungkook seated on the leather sofa inside, looking down at presumably Miyoung beside him. He also observed the way Jungkook’s huge rucksack is on the floor beside them, zipped completely open and spilling out it’s contents that he can’t see too well from here.

“Thank you for the banana milk! It’s my favouritest drink ever even though Taetae likes strawberry and Yoonie likes chocolate,” Miyoung waffles. It’s a habit of hers, talking a lot without any breaks when she’s with people she’s comfortable with. Which means she’s comfortable with Jungkook. That’s makes Taehyung’s heart skip a beat.

“It’s okay, lovely,” Jungkook replies and from here Taehyung can see the way a little hand reaches up to twiddle with his hair. “Banana milk is my favourite too.”

“Your hair is the best Kookoo!’ Miyoung exclaims and Taehyung just about stops himself from laughing aloud. Kookoo? They’re already that friendly?

“Thank you, lovely,” Jungkook replies. “I love your bangs.”

Taehyung sees the top of Miyoung’s head as she bounces up on down in her seat. “Taetae says they make me look extra cute and he says that my eomma loved them too.”

“Where is your eomma?”

Taehyung holds his breath.

“Taetae says eomma and appa are gone to Heaven,” Miyoung says, sounding just as excited as she had seconds ago, both hands coming up now to clutch at Jungkook’s locks. Sure, Miyoung had been way too young to even remember their parents, before they had passed away, but he wouldn’t have expected her to answer so straightly. Taehyung feels his heart rate pick up because what is Jungkook going to say to that?

From what he can see Jungkook has completely deflated, apart from his shoulders that stand tense and stiff. But then, just like that, they are back to normal. “Oh,” he starts, “well once I had a pet bunny and she’s gone to Heaven too so maybe your eomma and appa and my bunny are friends in Heaven. What do you think?”

“Yes!” Miyoung yips, “best friends forever like me and you!” She’s quiet for a bit, still ruffling around with Jungkook’s hair, then, “I have a toy bunny called Cooky! He looks like you Kookoo.” And the mood is back to normal again. Taehyung allows himself to inhale and exhale once, before walking in.

“What’s all this best friends talk?” he asks, sparing Jungkook all but a glance. The last thing he wants right now is to make eye contact with him. “I thought I was your best friend Mimi!”

Miyoung laughs, excitedly turning to face him. “You are oppa! But Kookoo is my other best friend.”

“What’s so special about Kookoo?” he smirks, accentuating the nickname but still keeping his eyes away, as he takes a seat on the arm of the sofa beside his sister. “You only just met him, less than an hour ago.”

Miyoung looks up at him, bright eyed and smiley. “Kookoo has the coolest drawings on his skin!” she exclaims, tugging Jungkook’s hand forward to show him.

“You like them?” he asks, chancing a glance at Jungkook, only to find him dumbly smiling down at Miyoung and her antics. “Should oppa get some too?” he asks, opting not to coo at the sight.

“Yes please! I want some too!”

Jungkook laughs then, taking his hand out of Miyoung’s tiny ones to pat down her hair, that had gotten messy at her eagerness. “Maybe not now, lovely. When you’re a little older.”

Miyoung nods and at the same time Taehyung’s heart melts. “Kookoo also has super cool hair! It’s very nice and very fluffy and poofy and shiny and soft.”

“I see.”

“Feel it, Taetae!” Miyoung demands, already clinging onto his thumb and pulling. “Feel Kookoo’s super soft hair.”

“No Mimi, I can’t-“

“Go ahead,” Jungkook chuckles, tiling his head towards him. Taehyung’s traitorous cheeks begin to heat up at that one small gesture.

“No seriously, it’s okay.”

“Taetae! Feel it!”

“You’re missing out,” Jungkook sing-songs.

Taehyung finally gives in when Miyoung gets up and off her seat, pushing him towards Jungkook from the side. He must say, she’s strong for her age.

Taehyung raises his hand up, then pauses for a second, locking eyes with Jungkook, to which the latter nods once.

“Oh,” he says, softly running his hand through Jungkook’s fringe. “It is actually really soft.”

“Told you!”

And it’s as Taehyung gets way too into stroking Jungkook’s hair that they make eye contact once again, this time freezing Taehyung completely. Jungkook’s eyes are practically popping out, his cheeks much too red to be healthy. Shit, is it getting hot in here or is it just Taehyung?

“Sorry,” he breathes out, pulling away quickly, almost toppling off the sofa. “Your hair is really-“

“Taetae,” Miyoung interrupts, coming back to sit between them again. “Kookoo is your bestest boyfriend ever! Can you marry him now?”

Taehyung groans, bending himself in half as he lets his face fall into his palms in his lap. This is going to be a long day.

✧✧✧

“How did you get her to love you in less than an hour?” Taehyung asks as he wipes down the table on the opposite end of the room. “Normally she’s really anti-social, can barely speak to strangers.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? With stranger danger and all?” Jungkook replies as he too clears up the spilt coffee stains from the table beside the windows.

It’s later on in the day, nearly eight pm, and since it’s a Sunday the café is closing earlier than Taehyung probably wants it to. For that Jungkook is sort of relieved, at the thought that Taehyung won’t be able to do overtime as he normally does everyday.

Earlier on, they had come back into the main café area with Miyoung in between them, to find Namjoon and Yoongi hitting it off quite well, judging by the way they had both been in tears from laughing. It had been odd for Jungkook to see Namjoon that infatuated with somebody other than himself but it had made him happy to see Namjoon was at least trying to be better to himself.

Namjoon, Yoongi and Miyoung had stayed longer than expected, having only left a few minutes back but Taehyung had insisted that nobody was bothering him or intruding on his job considering the fact that there’d been barely any customer on a day and time like this.

“Bye bye Kookoo!” Miyoung exclaimed and a part in Jungkook’s heart had melted, leaving a hole the shape of her tiny figure, including her little pig tails sticking out up top. “I’ll miss you!”

“Bye lovely,” Jungkook chuckled, bending down to meet her embrace, which basically involved her wrapping her arms around his neck, only to reach up and behind his head to fluff up his hair one more time. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again,” he said then gave Taehyung who had been watching from behind, a pointed look, “only if your oppa allows it.”

Taehyung glared back, though it was anything but intimidating, coming off as rather cute instead with the way he had had his brows furrowed and pout in place. Miyoung had barely flinched at his words, only pulling away from the hug to smirk (five year olds can smirk?) at her brother.

“When oppa marries you, you can live in our house as well and then we can see you everyday and then I can do your hair just like mine and then I can give you my favourite hair clips and then you can cuddle Cooky!"

“You’re missing a spot!” Taehyung whines, voice suddenly closer than it had been before. Actually, it sounds like he’s right behind Jungkook. “Well, I mean it’s okay, until I get complains from her teacher saying she isn’t socialising as well as somebody her age should be.”

“I’m assuming it has something to do with your parents?” Jungkook asks but as soon as he turns around to see Taehyung’s widened eyes he regrets the words. “I mean- it’s just that- Miyoung told me. I’m sorry.”

“No, no it’s fine,” Taehyung insists. Jungkook feels even more bad when Taehyung avoids eye contact. “It happened a while back so,” and he trails off.

The way Taehyung keeps his eyes downcast makes Jungkook feel weird, as he’s watching the way he fiddles around with the cloth in his hand, red hair sticking up in tufts on his head due to a hard day’s work. But there’s something about it that’s sort of breathtaking too with the way the dim lights of the café as well as the one street lamp outside make his cheekbones glow and hair shine. His nose casts a barely there shadow on his cheek too and something about the way Jungkook can barely see that mole on the tip from here, has him itching to get closer, possibly boop. Not only that, but Jungkook’s fingers itch to pick up his camera and take a picture just so he can remember this forever. But he knows no camera would be able to do Taehyung’s face justice.

Everybody’s looking for love to start a riot.

The only noise that’s filling the room around them is the music that’s playing softly through the few speakers dotted around the café.

But every time I look in your eyes, the world gets quiet.

Taehyung looks up then and Jungkook is just about to avert his own eyes when he realises that that would make it too obvious that he’d been staring in the first place. They're just standing there, with quite the distance between the two of them, yet their eyes are connected. Taehyung speaks first, cutting the quiet atmosphere with a few words.

“You were really good with Miyoung.”

“I have a way with kids,” Jungkook replies with a shrug, as Taehyung takes a step forward.

“By bribing them with banana milk?” Taehyung’s eyes crinkle up slightly as he smiles through the teasing words. The sight causes Jungkook’s heartbeat to speed up even more.

“What can I say? It’s a forte of mine.” Another step towards Jungkook.

So let it go, let it fall,

“How did you even know she likes banana milk?She literally can’t live without it.” Another step forward. Another few beats per minute.

let it fly.

“I love banana milk too so I just-“

Keep on trying.

“-I don’t know. A lucky guess?”

“Well, you must be very lucky then.”

‘Cause I knew I was in love you, when we sat in silence.

The music completely turns off then, probably having been turned off by Jooheon-Taehyung’s colleague-in the other room. And maybe it’s the look in Taehyung eyes as he stops just a few inches away from him, maybe it’s the way Taehyung drops the rag that had been in his hand onto the table behind Jungkook, maybe it’s because of the way he reaches up with his now empty hand to gently brush the hair away from his eyes, but Jungkook is pretty certain that this is real. He’s certain that it isn’t just that bout of jealousy, it isn’t just a short lived feeling that’s sure to go away soon. It’s real.

If Jungkook’s reading this correctly, Taehyung’s eyes tell the same story. Because in those deep brown orbs sit what looks to be realisation. Taehyung falters with his movements, hand coming to a momentary pause, eyes glancing away for a millisecond, before coming straight back.

Then there’s a look of alert in those eyes as Taehyung lifts his other hand up as well, both hands coming to rest at Jungkook’s cheeks.

“Jungkook,” he says, “kiss me.”

“What?” Jungkook asks, dumbly.

“Right now Jungkook,” he demands with a sense of urgency in his tone, glancing to the side and out of the windows again. “Kiss me right now.”

Jungkook can only stare into Taehyung’s encouraging eyes, not moving an inch and just barely stopping from pinching himself to see if this is all just a dream. And then suddenly Taehyung is all he can see before there’s a flash of red and then there’s soft, puckered lips pressed to his own. Jungkook doesn’t even have time to close his eyes because the sound of the bell ringing at the entrance has Taehyung pulling away again, cheeks slightly rosy, as he turns to face the person.

To say Jungkook is shook, would be the understatement of the century.

Because there, with wide eyes and a frown at his lips, stands Namjoon, hovering awkwardly near the door.

“Oh um, sorry,” he stutters out, “I just- I guess I was having so much fun I completely forgot I um, left my phone here and I only remembered it after I dropped Yoongi and Miyoung off but it’s um, it’s over there on the counter. I’ll just go and get it.”

“Namjoon hyung,” Jungkook tries, feeling all sorts of guilt flood his system, but he only gets interrupted which he kind of does deserve at this point.

“No don’t,” Namjoon says, picking up his phone and stuffing it into the back pocket of his slacks. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I’ll just be on my way.”

“Wait hyung just-“

But all Jungkook is left with is the glass door of the café in his face along with the sight of the tall man’s shadow that is cast onto the pavement outside. And it seems that all he can do nowadays is stare, while standing stark still.

“Jungkook,” comes Taehyung’s soft voice from behind him, sounding so reluctant and worried that Jungkook wants nothing more than to tell him it’s all okay. But that would be a lie.

“I’ll be here tomorrow to help,” Jungkook replies, ignoring Taehyung’s obvious worry. “I mean, I owe you lots more now because of that kiss,” he chuckles, though it comes out way too wobbly.

“Jungkook, wait a second, that’s not-“

“See you tomorrow.”

Jungkook walks down the pavement that evening with a heavy heart. Because to him, it seems like he’s lost not only his close friend but also his chances of getting to know Taehyung more with the way he’s dragged him into this mess.

✧✧✧

“And I feel like a dick because I’m the one who did this. I kissed him and then fucked shit up.”

Taehyung is on one of his only breaks right now, squished deep into the leather sofa in the staff room. Jimin’s here too, even though his break isn’t until a few hours later, having left poor Jooheon to take the very few orders that they have this late in the afternoon, all on his own; just the perks of their boss, Seokjin, being away for the day on a business trip.

“No, that can’t be it Tae,” Jimin says, shaking his head and popping a prawn cocktail crisp into his mouth. “He didn’t say anything rude to you after, did he? Didn’t go back to being the old, grumpy Jungkook?”

“Well, no,” Taehyung says with a sigh, “but he did just leave really quickly. And he said he owes me for the kiss. Like no, he doesn’t owe me!”

“So what you’re saying is-“

“He makes it seem like kissing him was such a hassle!”

“And it wasn’t?”

“Well, I mean, I don’t like the guy but-“

“But?” Jimin has an unconvinced look on his face, looking like he knows all the secrets of the world as he dusts his fingers off by rubbing them together. “Tae, you hear yourself right? If you didn’t mind kissing him, it means you wouldn’t mind doing it again. And that shit tells me you like the damn guy.”

“I don’t see how any of that correlates to liking him.”

“Well then, you’re a coward,” Jimin says, “because if you can’t just admit to yourself that you like him, none of this is going to work out.”

Taehyung frowns, feels his eyebrows knit together and almost feels his bottom lip quiver. None of this will work out, no matter what he does or doesn’t admit to himself because Jungkook doesn’t like him. That’s a fact that he’s sure of. So he voices just that, only to get a shove from his small, yet strong when angry, friend.

“You are a dumbass, Kim Taehyung,” Jimin cries, melodramatically. “Jungkook isn’t here twenty five/eight just because he owes you because correct me if I’m wrong, he lied about Namjoon coming that one time and stayed the whole day. He’s here all the time because he fucking likes you too. Open your damn eyes. He sure as hell has his eyes open all the time with the way he ogles at you.”

Taehyung feels the traitorous heat begin to rise from his neck, yet again. Of course he’d noticed the staring but he’d thought it was only murderous eyes sent his way. “No, he doesn’t,” he tries.

“Seriously Tae? Jungkook has literal heart eyes-“

“Hey guys.”

Just in time, Taehyung gets his foot, clad in his well worn out trainers, over Jimin’s mouth, as soon as he sees that head of fluffy black hair that his sister seems to love oh so much.

“I’m here to help out again,” Jungkook says, shuffling awkwardly towards the sofa with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his baggy black trousers and head mostly tilted down. “And actually apologise.”

“For wha-“

“To you Taehyung,” he interrupts, almost like he has this whole speech memorised. “For leaving like that yesterday.”

Taehyung ignores Jimin’s suggestive eyebrow lifts. That bitch seems to be completely unbothered by the way the soles of Taehyung’s (probably dirty) shoes are almost stuffed into his mouth.

“Oh um, that’s, yeah, that’s fine.” Taehyung can’t seem to get his words out right. “I’m sorry for-“

“Jungkook!” Jimin suddenly interjects, pushing Taehyung’s leg out of the way. “Your turn to sweep the floor!”

Jungkook looks up so quickly, Taehyung’s worried he’s going to snap his neck, but he’s proven wrong when Jungkook nods quickly, before racing back out to the front to do his chore. It’s laughable.

“Jimin what the fuck? I was just about to apolo-“

“Bitch, I wasn’t going to have you saying sorry about the kiss when you don’t even regret it,” Jimin whisper yells.

“Ew, stop it,” Taehyung says, scrunching up his face in disgust, “you’re spitting all over me.”

“I saved your sorry ass.”

“I didn’t even get to say sorry.”

“Good, because you wouldn’t have meant it. And that would have caused even more problems.”

Taehyung decides to be extra aggressive towards Jimin for the rest of the day, shoving past him with his shoulder every time his hands are void of any cups or plates. And he knows Jimin gets that it isn’t with malicious intent with the way he laughs every single time.

Jungkook pretty much steers clear out of Taehyung’s way, either going to Jimin or Jooheon for orders of what to help out with next and Taehyung does notice the way every time he himself goes to pick up a cleaning cloth, he finds that the table he was going to polish is spick and span. It’s sort of weird, having near to nothing to do expect serve customers-which Jungkook isn’t trained to do just yet-but it’s something he very much appreciates.

“It’s great to see that you have your boyfriend around you all the time, Taehyung,” Seokjin says. It’s closing time and he’s turning off all the fairy lights, as Taehyung and Jungkook stack the chairs. Jungkook seems to have lost track of time, having been rushing around all day, trying to do as many chores as he can. Seokjin still has no idea Jungkook is working for him.

“Ah about that-“

“But don’t you think it’s a bit unhealthy to be spending this much time together?” They all leave the café as Seokjin begins locking up. Jungkook hovers around and Taehyung notices the look of awkwardness etched into his features. He probably wants nothing more than to leave. But then Taehyung feels his eyes widening as he sees Jungkook open his mouth to speak.

“We’re at our honeymoon period,” he says with an unbelievably believable twinkle in his eyes, it almost has Taehyung a fool at his words. And just when he’d thought it couldn’t get worse, Jungkook’s moving to stand right beside him, snaking his arm around his waist. Taehyung just about manages to contain himself.

“Oh yeah,” he agrees, nodding along, “we can’t get enough of each other.”

“Ew,” Seokjin states simply. “Well, whatever makes you two happy. I’m off. See you tomorrow Taehyung. And probably you too Jungkook.” Then he’s walking in the opposite direction with a peace sign in the air.

And then they’re left in almost complete silence with only the sound of Jungkook’s coat rustling as he removes his arm from around Taehyung. Taehyung decides it’s probably his job to break the silence. But apparently Jungkook does too with the way they speak at the exact same time, with Jungkook announcing his departure.

“I should get going too.”

“You’re really good at this.”

“Oh um yeah-“

“If you need to-“

Taehyung finds it odd that it happens twice. In a row.

In the end he huffs out loud, as Jungkook let’s out an out of place chuckle.

“I mean if you need to go then,” Taehyung starts then trails off. “I was just saying, you’re really good at the improv.”

“Ah well,” Jungkook says, as he starts walking beside Taehyung. “I’ve taken a few acting classes in my time. I mean, you’re good too.”

The atmosphere is too awkward for Taehyung’s liking as the two of them shuffle down the poorly lit pavement. He doesn’t know whether it’s because they’ve never really done this before, whether it’s because they kissed just a mere day ago or whether it’s for different reasons entirely.

“Thanks. I guess I’m a natural,” Taehyung tries to lighten up the mood. When it doesn’t do shit, Taehyung thinks it’s a good time to thank Jungkook properly. “Um Jungkook?”

Jungkook nods to show that he’s listening, even though he keeps his eyes forward.

“Thanks.”

“You don’t need to thank me again,” Jungkook laughs. “You’re a good actor. It’s a fact not a compliment.”

“Wow, way to be an asshole. But that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh?”

“Thank you Jungkook,” Taehyung repeats, all while trying to stop any heat from rushing up his face. It’s sort of annoying because Taehyung doesn’t recall ever getting embarrassed or shy this many times in one day. “For helping me, I mean, because I really do appreciate all the hard work you’ve been putting in, for the past few day. And I know I was the one who suggested you work off the debt of us being ‘together’ but now I just wanted to let you know, that you don’t have to anymore.”

“What?”

“You said yourself, it seems pretty easy for me and you to pretend to be boyfriends and it doesn’t really do much harm to me. I mean, Miyoungie loves you to bits.” Taehyung pauses for a second, glancing at Jungkook as they continue to walk through the park-a shortcut Taehyung has found to be both handy and soothing at the same time-only to find his wide doe eyes already on him. He snaps his head back to the front and continues. “But I’ve worked hours on end for quite a few years now and I know just how difficult that shit is. I don’t want you to have to do the work that’s supposed to be my work just because you feel like you owe me. Because you don’t. At least not anymore.”

The crunch of the gravel pathway beneath their feet is the only sound then, as they get closer and closer towards Taehyung’s apartment. Now that he thinks about it, he’s pretty sure Jungkook’s is in the complete opposite direction meaning he should have left with Seokjin, yet here he is. Walking Taehyung home. The thought makes the sound of the gravel under Taehyung’s shoes sound distant as the beating of his own heart fills his ears.

When Jungkook finally speaks, his voice is soft, barely being heard over Taehyung’s heart. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I wouldn’t call it being nice,” Taehyung replies, not missing a beat. “This isn’t me doing you a favour. It’s me doing what my job title tells me to do, not get someone else to do it for me.”

“But,” Jungkook says, stressing the word, “in my books, that is being nice. I mean, why would you care when you can have someone else doing all the labour, that you probably don’t get paid enough for, for free?”

“Jungkook, when I said you could help me, I didn’t expect you to do everything there is to do for me! That’s just not fair on you.” They’re coming up to Taehyung’s building now, and even as they are almost at the main door, none of them seize the conversation.

“I’m such an asshole to you, Taehyung.” Jungkook says it so loudly, Taehyung’s worries that the neighbours might complain. “It’s not fair for you to be treating me so nicely when I was nothing but a dick. That’s what’s not fair!”

“I don’t get what you want me to say to that Jungkook. What’s your point? Just accept it because it’s not like I’m saying I won’t be your fake boyfriend anymore.”

“That’s exactly my point! You’re being too nice and I don’t get it. You should have fake dumped me already.” Jungkook doesn’t even seem to notice that he’s pressed the call button for the lift and Taehyung barely acknowledges it himself, as they wait for the rusty thing to make its way down. “Jimin hyung seems to hate me because of what I’ve done to you. You saw the way he gave me the chores to do straight away today.”

“What? No!” Taehyung’s shocked that Jungkook would even think like that, let alone say it. “Jimin kinda loves you in my opinion. Anytime I talk about the shit you do he doesn’t believe me. But that may just be because his boyfriend loves you.”

“Oh my god it’s probably the same with Hoseok hyung. I bet he's always complimenting how amazing of a person you are just because Jimin loves you.”

“Oh no,” Taehyung denies, “Hoseok hyung loves me because I really am amazing.” He shrugs as they walk into the lift.

Jungkook rolls his eyes, before getting back on topic. “Okay, so maybe Jimin doesn’t hate me as much I thought he did, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hate me.”

“Hate is too strong of a word. There’s not a person in this world that I hate,” Taehyung says after a moment filled with only the sound of metal clanging as the old lift fights its way up. “Why waste energy hating when the only way our world will continue working is with peace. Hating is tiring, loving is gratifying. It’s what I try to live by most of the time.”

Jungkook has his eyes fixed on Taehyung, is what he realises when he turns to face the younger. He isn’t even blinking, just staring so hard that he doesn’t notice the lift door sliding open. Taehyung looks away and walks out, fighting the urge to rub at his heating up cheeks. But turns out, he doesn’t even have to fight it because right before he gets to the apartment door, a vice like grip is wrapping around his wrist, holding him back from both reaching up to rub at his cheeks and walking any further. The heat only gets worse.

“Hating is tiring, loving is gratifying.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung chuckles, feeling goosebumps rise from the contact at his wrist all the way up to his nape. “That’s what I said.”

“Taehyung.”

“Yes.”

“Can I- would it be okay if I tried something?”

Taehyung shivers at the way Jungkook’s grip tightens. “I guess? Depends on what it is.” Taehyung’s heart may as well fly away at this point, with how fast it’s beating.

“Turn around?” Jungkook asks, voice low.

Taehyung sucks in a deep breath then twists around in the grip of Jungkook’s hand around his wrist. When he’s turned all the way around, he finds Jungkook to be looking unwaveringly at him and he wants to look away but something invisible keeps him right there, eyes latched onto Jungkook’s very dark looking ones in the dim light of this hallway.

They’re about an arm’s length away from each other but that distance is very quickly diminishing with the way Jungkook steps forward, heavy boots thumping on the carpeted floor. He’s stepping forward, moving forward, forward, forward.

And just like that Taehyung’s heart beat stops altogether.

Because Jungkook’s hand is still clasped around Taehyung’s wrist, because Jungkook’s eyes are still stuck on Taehyung’s, because Jungkook’s nose brushes Taehyung’s nose.

Then Jungkook’s eyelids are sliding shut and he’s breathing out softly, air from his mouth fluttering over Taehyung’s lips, sending a shiver straight down his spine.

Taehyung knows what’s about to happen. And he finds that he doesn’t mind. He wants it to happen.

And it’s about to happen. Just milliseconds away. In fact, it just about happens with the way he feels soft lips brush against his own, just seconds after he too let’s his eyes slip shut. But then-

“Oppa, I heard the lift and I knew it was you!” comes Miyoung’s excited shrill which soon turns into an excited squeal when she sees who Taehyung’s just shoved onto the floor. “Kookoo!” she cries, “is that you?”

“Oh yeah,” Jungkook laughs, and Taehyung catches the pink tint at his cheeks. “It’s me! Hi lovely.”

“Kookoo? Why are you on the floor?” Miyoung asks with an accusatory tone in her voice. She raises her arms up without even looking at Taehyung, knowing she’ll be picked up either way.

What a spoilt brat.

Taehyung picks her up.

“Oh Mimi,” Taehyung tries, “he’s um, he’s just-“

“I’m just checking if the floor’s comfy,” Jungkook interrupts, as he pats down at the ugly grey carpet. “Yep,” he adds, before pushing off the floor and coming to stand beside Taehyung, “really comfy. I approve.”

Miyoung laughs then reaches out her chubby little hands, ushering Jungkook closer, from her place on Taehyung’s hip. Jungkook gets so close that Taehyung can smell his cologne, though he thinks the scent hadn’t even left his nose in the first place considering how close they had just been. Miyoung obviously doesn’t feel the way Taehyung stiffens up as she grabs onto Jungkook’s (still pink) cheeks and squishes them, shaking his head from side to side and laughing even more at the way his hair bobs with the movement.

“You’re so silly Kookoo,” she giggles, “because that carpet is super scratchy and not comfy at all!”

“Kim Miyoung!” comes a disgruntled Yoongi’s voice, as he comes crashing through the door. “How many times must I tell you? Do not open the door on your own!”

“Hyung, the amount of times I’ve heard words like that coming from you has me kind of worried,” Taehyung laughs, taking in the way Yoongi bends down to clutch at his knees as he breathes heavily with a red face. “Maybe I should get someone else to look after Mimi.”

“Oh please,” he huffs, “I’m her favourite oppa ever.”

“No!” Miyoung pouts, shaking her head from side to side. “Yoonie oppa made me eat carrots today! You’re not my favouritest, Kookoo is. After Taetae.”

Taehyung smiles proudly at that. Of course Miyoung would always remember to put him first.

“Of course I’m your favourite,” Taehyung coos. He wraps his arms tighter around her and positions her to be in front of him rather than on his hip, hugging her close and wiggling his nose into her neck. It’s only then that he realises how hot her skin is.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Yoongi whines and Taehyung can feel the way he begins pulling Miyoung away. “You only met Jungkook a few days ago and you love him more than me? Oh, hey Jungkook,” he adds, finally spotting the guy.

“Kookoo gave me banana milk, not yucky carrots,” Miyoung counters back and it’s then that she takes control, swivelling around to wrap her arms around Jungkook’s neck instead, to which he happily accepts, bringing her closer.

“But you know, lovely?” Jungkook says with a smile plastered on his lips. Taehyung still sees the hesitancy there because he probably feels the heat from her skin too. “Carrots are really good for us. They keep us healthy and help us to see in the dark.”

“Really?” Miyoung asks, pulling back a bit to look at Jungkook with wide, pondering eyes. Something about the scene makes Taehyung’s heart melt and he’s sure the same goes for Yoongi as he comes to stand beside Taehyung with a grin at his mouth.

“Yep!” Jungkook nods, oblivious to the eyes on him. “Also your Cooky probably loves carrots a lot since he’s a bunny.”

“Oh yeah!” Miyoung exclaims, going back to wrap her arms and legs tightly around Jungkook. “He told me so. He said carrots are his favouritest food in the whole wide world!”

Jungkook replies something back and they continue to converse with one another but Taehyung doesn’t hear, turning his attention to Yoongi. “Hyung,” he says in a hushed voice, as they all walk into the flat, “why is her skin so hot? I thought she got better.”

Yoongi’s face falls. “She’s been coughing and sneezing the whole day, barely eating too. I fed her the last of the medicine but it doesn’t seem to be helping.” Yoongi looks impossibly more crestfallen then. “I’m sorry, Tae. I wanted to go out and buy more meds for her but my most recent track didn’t sell for as much as I’d hoped it would. And although I do have enough to buy it I thought it’d be better to put that money into our savings. But that was before it got this bad-“

“Hyung stop. You shouldn’t be beating yourself up about this when Miyoung isn’t your responsibility.”

“Tae, we’ve been through this. Miyoung is my responsibility just the same as she is yours.”

It’s not something Taehyung can disagree with because Yoongi really is-no matter what their blood records show-his and Miyoung’s older brother. At least the way he acts and takes care of the both of them is what an older brother should be doing, so when it comes to things like this, Yoongi is their brother and they aren’t alone in this. And the thought of this added to the way he spots Miyoung giggling into Jungkook’s neck as the two of them are sat on the tatty sofa, managing to smile through her obvious pain, makes his eyes sting. From here he can see how red her nose has gotten, contrasting with the way her skin has turned way too pale to be healthy and the jet black of her hair.

“It’s the water during her shower isn’t it?” Taehyung croaks out, lips wobbling. “It was too cold and now she’s ill.”

“Aw Tae, come on,” Yoongi mumbles with his own wobbly voice, pulling Taehyung into a warm hug. That in itself is enough to get Taehyung going, hot tears streaming down his cheeks and soaking into Yoongi’s hoodie. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”

“Taetae? Yoonie?” Miyoung whispers and it’s only then that Taehyung realises how quiet the room has gotten. “Why are you crying?” Her voice wobbles, threatening to let out a sob at any moment now, as her blocked nose sniffles, sound through the room.

Taehyung aggressively rubs at his cheeks as soon as he feels hands gripping the knee of his trousers, pulling away from Yoongi. “Mimi, it’s-“

“I promise I didn’t mean it,” she interrupts, eyes beginning to water over. “I love all of you the same. Yoonie oppa don’t cry, I was only joking. You’re my favouritest oppa too.” Her trembling voice, soft words and few coughs has Taehyung breaking down all over again. “Don’t cry Taetae!”

Taehyung tries to tell her everything’s okay, tries so hard, but all he can get out are chuckles muffled by choked sobs. Yoongi speaks through his own tears instead, moving to pick her up.

“No baby, none of this is your fault.” Taehyung nods, albeit weakly, as he moves away a bit to allow space for Miyoung to be carried. He wraps his arms around his front, breathing coming out unevenly as he tries to stop crying. “We’re just super sleepy. Let’s all go to bed?”

Taehyung watches through his blurry vision as Miyoung blinks once, thinking about it, before nodding slowly, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

“But who will I cuddle tonight?” she asks, suddenly becoming very awake again. The fact that she’s thinking about which double bed she’d be sleeping in tonight rather than her routine of Yoongi’s one night then Taehyung’s the next, has him feeling even more soft. God, does he love her. “Kookoo? Are you staying?” Taehyung stiffens up. He had completely forgotten about Jungkook’s presence.

“Oh um,” Jungkook says, coming to stand beside them. He clears his throat. “I-“

“If you stay, you can cuddle Taetae while I cuddle Yoonie,” she suggests before sneezing right in Yoongi’s face.

“I um- I actually,” Jungkook trails off looking at Taehyung wide eyed. “I should prob-“

“It’s getting late,” Taehyung says, voice embarrassingly coming out crackled. “You can stay if you’d like.”

Jungkook raises both his hands up, shaking his head vigorously. He barely makes eyes contact with Taehyung and the latter feels kind of bad that he’d had to just witness all of that. “No I shouldn’t. Seriously I-“

“Kookoo! Stay!” Miyoung demands. Then her puppy eyes are on. “Please?”

Taehyung watches the exchange between the two. The way Miyoung tries her best to keep the puppy dog eyes on even while her blinking becomes more frequent with how tired she is. The way Jungkook stares at her for a moment before his features soften and a small smile makes its way onto his lips. Miyoung really seems to want Jungkook to stay.

(Taehyung kind of wants him to, too.)

“Okay,” Jungkook relents, “okay, I’ll stay. If that’s fine with your brothers,” he adds quickly onto the end.

“It’s whatever with me,” Yoongi says, voice coming out muffled as he rubs his face into Miyoung’s hair. “We’re going to bed. Peace.”

In that moment, no matter how much he loves him, Taehyung really wants to maybe stab Yoongi with a spork. Because now he and Jungkook are alone.

Taehyung uses the silence to look around as he sniffles quietly to himself. The living room is a mess with Miyoung’s few toys scattered around the floor, he thinks he can see a sock on the back of the sofa and the place hasn’t been hoovered in a while. This is embarrassing, he thinks, because not only has Jungkook had to watch through their family problems and breakdowns, been forgotten about while he’d sat on the sofa, but he’s also being forced to sleep in this mess. It’s so embarrassing that Tae-

“I’m just going to make a call real quick and then I’ll be right back,” Jungkook says, interrupting Taehyung’s thoughts. He doesn’t look bothered at all.

“Ah yeah,” Taehyung nods, “sure. See you in a bit.”

And with that Jungkook is going back out the front door with, weirdly, a small smile at his lips.

It makes Taehyung’s traitorous heart flutter.

✧✧✧

“This is bad hyung,” Jungkook whisper yells into his phone. “Really bad.”

He’s outside the building, letting his shoes scuff against the pebbles. Hoseok is on the other end of the call, has been on the other end for the last five minutes now and Jungkook doesn’t even bother to think about how he’d said it’d be a quick call to Taehyung.

“Jungkook listen to me,” Hoseok says. “All you have to do is be yourself. It’s not like you’re getting married or anything, you’re staying over at their house. Don’t make this bigger than it needs to be.”

Jungkook sits down on a low brick wall, swinging his legs and further messing up his shoes in the gravel. His heart hasn’t stopped beating as fast as it is since the kiss. “But hyung,” he says, voice wobbling, “this is different. I’ve just kissed him for a second and I want to kiss him again. I’ve just realised I have a massive crush on this guy and I kind of love Miyoung and this is getting bad. This is-“

“Everything is fine Jungkook. Just breathe. He was fine with the kiss until his little sister intruded which tells me he probably likes you too.” Hoseok is quiet for a second though Jungkook can hear rustling almost like he’s in between his bed sheets. “For now, just be normal.”

“Okay hyung, I’ll-“

A giggle on the other end has Jungkook pausing.

“Jiminie,” Hoseok says with a chuckle. “Not now, I’m on the phone.”

“Ew ew ew ew.” Jungkook is disgusted. “I’m hanging up. Bye hyung.”

Jungkook doesn’t even give time for Hoseok to reply as he promptly ends the call, leaving him to sit on the wall in silence. Jungkook braces himself as he gets ready to go back into the building and he’s almost done it, stood up and all, when a voice breaks him out of his progress.

“Jungkook?” asks the voice and Jungkook is both relieved and scared.

“Oh hyung?” Jungkook replies, stopping to stand right in front of Namjoon. He’s got his usual attire on, slacks and a large wool cardigan, but his hair is unkept, falling over his forehead. “Hey.”

Namjoon smiles a tight lipped smile, one that he’s never really directed Jungkook’s way before. He shuffles his feet around too before speaking up.

“Isn’t this where Yoongi hyung and Taehyung live?” he asks, cocking his head towards the building. “I live a few streets down from here and it’s just- I remember dropping Yoongi hyung and Miyoung off here. That night when,” and he trails off.

It’s all a bit cliche then because Jungkook is sure he hears crickets chirping to fill the silence. He’s about to just bid Namjoon a farewell and get going but there’s something about the way he’s looking down, streetlamp casting a glow at his glasses, that makes him think twice.

“Yeah, I’m um, staying over,” he says, causing Namjoon to look up. “Look, hyung-”

Namjoon shakes his head. “Why didn’t you just tell me directly that you didn’t want to date me?” He doesn’t sound angry, just disappointed.

And if he’s being honest, Jungkook agrees, he should have just said it directly, rather than string him along. “I lied to you,” he decides to admit. Namjoon’s eyes widen. “Or at least, what you saw was a lie. Taehyung and I aren’t dating. But I’m a coward and I didn’t have the guts to tell you that I don’t want to date you.” Jungkook’s quick to correct himself. “And that’s not me saying that you aren’t good enough, it’s just that I look up to you so much as a close friend. And I guess I’m too afraid of losing that. And for that, I am so sorry hyung. So sorry, you have no idea.” Namjoon looks down. “I still want to be your friend and it’s been eating me up on the inside. I’m just such an idiot. I should have just told you that Taehyung and I aren’t together. That it was all fake.”

“But that’s a lie as well, isn’t it?”

Jungkook promptly shuts his mouth.

“That night, when I saw you two kiss,” Namjoon speaks softly. “When you were trying to get me to stay, you both had this dazed look on your faces, almost like you were in a completely different world. It honestly looked like you were seeing the world for the first time, Jungkook, even when you were calling me, telling me to wait. All I could see in your eyes was Taehyung. All I could see in his eyes was you. And that’s when I realised that I could never be with you, never be the cause of that look on your face, because even if you didn’t know it yet, you had- no, you have eyes only for him. So you’re lying aren’t you? Because none of it is fake to you.”

Jungkook feels the backs of his eyes sting, yet again, as if crying on Taehyung’s sofa wasn’t enough. And Namjoon must notice as his eyes glass over because his face softens up and he lets out a deep exhale.

“I’m sorry, hyung.”

“And I forgive you, Jungkook. Don’t cry, just go and get the love of your life.”

Jungkook stiffens up then relaxes at Namjoon’s slightly teasing voice. He blinks his tears away, smiling at his friend. “He’s not the love-“

“Besides,” Namjoon interrupts, “not chasing after you, made me realise how much hotter other people are.”

“Hyung! That’s so mean.”

“And apparently my type isn’t black haired boys with too many tattoos and piercings.” Jungkook pouts, though he honestly loves the glinting in Namjoon’s eyes. “I have a newly found thing for kitten-like music producers, dyed silver hair and (sort of) older brothers of the cutest little girls ever.”

“No way! Yoongi?”

Namjoon winks before he starts to walk backwards. “I’ll see you around Jungkook.”

That’s how Jungkook finds himself walking back into Taehyung’s house with a less heavy heart, feeling as though a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. But there’s still that sense of nervousness in there somewhere.

“I love your place,” Jungkook says, fiddling with his fingers. Taehyung’s seated on the sofa, seemingly staring into space, and it looks like he’s been here for a while.

“No you don’t,” Taehyung snaps, with hardly any room for thinking. As soon as he looks up though he seems to falter and Jungkook prays that his own eyes aren’t red. “You don’t have to lie,” he says, softer.

“I may be an asshole but I never lie.”

“Says the guy who has a fake boyfriend.”

“Okay, that’s different and you know it.”

“It sounds about the same to me.”

“Anyway, I told Namjoon everything so there’s nothing to lie about anymore.”

Taehyung doesn’t say a word and then it’s just the two of them staring into one another’s eyes. Taehyung’s eyes are still tinted pink around his dark irises and Jungkook suddenly gets the urge to pet his hair and put him to sleep. Stop being creepy, he thinks, mentally slapping himself.

“Okay, all of that stuff may have been a lie but I’m telling the truth now. I would kill to be living in such a homely environment.” Taehyung looks away then stands up, leading Jungkook to presumably his room. “I live with my parents in a huge house,” Jungkook continues, not wanting to be left in silence again. “There’s so many rooms that I don’t know what’s behind half the doors.”

Taehyung’s knelt on the floor now, head inside his wardrobe as he rummages through with a hum, letting Jungkook know he’s listening. Jungkook accidentally glances down for a second then looks away bashfully, rubbing at his cheeks before Taehyung can turn back around.

He doesn’t know why he feels the need to continue. “And with my mum and dad barely at home with how into the whole CEO super couple of the company they are, it gets lonely as fuck.” Jungkook pauses as he takes ahold of the joggers and t-shirt Taehyung passes over.

“I guess I can see where you’re coming from,” Taehyung replies, swiftly pulling off his t-shirt to replace with his striped blue pyjama top. It looks silky. Both his shirt and his bare skin. Once again, Jungkook mentally slaps himself. “But it’s not all fun and games living in a flat like this. First off the neighbourhood can get sort of scary after eleven at night and we have to make sure everything is locked. Also the house itself is old and chipping away-“

“Wait,” Jungkook interrupts as Taehyung’s words click in his brain. He’s got the joggers on already and he’s clutching onto the t-shirt Taehyung’s given him, feeling cold air fan over his bare chest. Though he’s way too excited to pay any mind to that. “This house is really old?” Jungkook let’s the t-shirt fall to the floor, clicks his fingers and speed walks straight towards Taehyung. “It all makes sense now! Sue Sharpie or whatever her name was! She told me and Namjoon that houses that are cold and damp and prone to mould are a main cause of children getting sick. It means they are more likely to get sick and more frequently as well. That could explain why Miyoung seemed to get better but then she got ill again like a week later! Is your house cold, damp and mouldy?”

Taehyung blinks.

Jungkook blinks back.

In Jungkook’s excitement he had unintentionally gotten really close to Taehyung, practically has him backed up against his wardrobe that creaks under both of their weights.

Taehyung blinks again.

Jungkook blinks back again.

Then Jungkook blinks a few more times before placing his hands on either side of Taehyung’s head, ready to push away. “Shit, I’m sor-“

But before Jungkook can finish his sentence, let alone move away from Taehyung, arms are wrapping tightly around his middle, keeping him in place. Taehyung gives him a small smile, before he’s burying his face into the crook of Jungkook’s neck, hugging him eagerly. It takes Jungkook a few seconds to realise what’s going on but when he finally comes to his senses he lets his hands fall and wraps his own arms around Taehyung too, just as tightly. The breathing he can feel fluttering against his neck has him shivering, goosebumps forming immediately at all the skin on his body. He represses the urge to press his nose into Taehyung’s hair when he catches a whiff of strawberry because, creepy.

“Thank you,” Taehyung mutters, voice muffled against his skin. The words stop Jungkook from letting his nose touch the red hair. “For bringing Miyoung out of her shell. For caring. For loving her.”

(It’s not only her I love.)

“You didn’t answer my question,” Jungkook chuckles. “Is your house cold-“

“Shut up,” Taehyung laughs, though it’s quiet, soft. He lets go of Jungkook to which Jungkook immediately misses the warmth and places both his hands at his chest before shoving him away. “Go put a damn t-shirt on.”

Jungkook doesn’t remember the last time he was in bed with someone, fully clothed. Yet here he is, in bed, fully clothed, with Kim Taehyung. It seems that the both of them are way too tired to even find any of this weird or awkward and Jungkook is kind of dreading the morning when they’ll both be back to their senses. These are Jungkook’s thoughts as his eyes start to droop shut, the view of the back of Taehyung’s head slowly fading away, his breathing getting heavier. And he thinks he’s almost asleep until-

“Jungkook?” comes a whisper though Jungkook thinks he’s being a bit generous calling it a whisper with how loud it is.

“Hm?”

“You still awake?”

“Hm.”

“I have to tell you something.”

“Mm hm.”

“I’m dyslexic.”

“It’s cool.”

Because really, it’s fine. Jungkook doesn’t discriminate.

“No, you don’t get it.” Jungkook reopens his eyes at this, only to find Taehyung facing him, eyes wide open. “I’m dyslexic. I get words, letters and sometimes numbers messed up, sometimes when I talk too.”

“I know what dyslexia is Tae,” Jungkook mumbles as he blinks a long, drawn out blink. “Can we just sleep already? Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“Jungkook, you’re still not getting it,” Taehyung huffs and Jungkook just about manages to catch the way he blows his fringe away from his forehead. It’s cute. Really cute. “I’m dyslexic which is why I sometimes spelt your name wrong. Sure, the first time I did it, it was on purpose because Jungcock seemed fitting, and a few other times too. But most of the time it was an accident.”

“Ahhh,” Jungkook says, nodding, because it all makes sense, though it doesn’t change the fact that he’s cool with it. “So that explains the ‘fuck me’ incident.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, I guess it was sometimes my fault too. I provoked you to call me things like Jungcock and Jean Cook.” Taehyung laughs not so innocently. “It’s not funny, those actually hurt me.” Jungkook doesn’t know how he has the energy to be so over dramatic right now but the boxy smile on Taehyung’s face is enough to prompt him to continue. “Seriously, a piece of my heart broke every time you called me names.”

“Oh shut it,” Taehyung giggles, sounding so similar to Miyoung that Jungkook’s heart doesn’t break but rather melts. “We both know it irritated you more than it hurt you.”

“That’s because you’re irritating.” Taehyung pouts, so Jungkook quickly corrects himself. “But I’m more irritating. I’m sorry for being such an asshole. I guess I’m just extra annoying in the mornings.”

“Wow who are you and what have you done with Jeon Jungkook?” Taehyung asks. He lifts his hand up almost like he’s about to reach out but backtracks as soon as Jungkook’s eyes begin to follow his movements. “I didn’t know you could be this soft. Maybe I should sleep beside you more often.”

“Oh.”

It’s silent once again and Jungkook feels wide awake all of a sudden. He imagines Taehyung’s cheeks being adorned with pink even though he can’t see in the dimness of the room, with the way it’s barely being lit up by the one street lamp’s light slipping in through the sheer-ish curtains.

“Shit,” Taehyung curses, hand coming up to cover his mouth and all Jungkook can think about is whether Taehyung sometimes has trouble thinking before he speaks. “I didn’t- I meant-“

“What if I wanted to sleep beside you more often too?” Because apparently Jungkook suffers with the same thing. “Shit. I-“

“We’re a pair of goofs,” Taehyung laughs when there’s a lull in the conversation. “Let’s just go to sleep now.” Taehyung smiles one more time at Jungkook, teeth almost glowing like starlight from how pearly and white they are, then turns back around, pulling the covers tightly over his shoulders.

Jungkook stares for an embarrassingly long amount of time, just watching the way Taehyung’s right shoulder falls and rises with each breath. Just from that movement alone he knows Taehyung’s still awake and not adhering to his suggestion of going to sleep, but there’s also the consistent shuffling around with the duvet and the kicking Jungkook’s leg by accident every so often. And it’s while all this is going on, that a voice keeps repeating the same words in Jungkook’s head. ‘We’re a pair of goofs,’ it says and all Jungkook can think about, is that he isn’t being goofy at all. He’s being completely truthful.

Taehyung’s just taken this whole thing as a joke.

None of this is a joke.

“Taehyung?” Jungkook asks, reaching forward and placing a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. The shoulder stiffens up at first but before Jungkook knows it, Taehyung is turning back around again, face inches away from Jungkook’s own. “Taehyung,” Jungkook repeats for no particular reason, moving to place his fingers lightly at the red fringe falling over Taehyung’s forehead.

“Yeah?” Taehyung replies, his eyes slipping shut, as he basks in the comfort of fingers combing through his hair.

“I think-“

Then there’s the sound of a shrill scream coming straight into the room, even through the walls. It’s followed by loud wailing and sobbing and Jungkook is up and out of bed in an instant as soon as he sees Taehyung’s eyes shoot open.

Everything happens so quickly. One second Jungkook is running towards the other room, taking in the way Yoongi holds Miyoung’s screaming form in his arms with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, the next all four of them are on the way to the hospital, with Miyoung still crying, now in Jungkook’s hold.

Jungkook has no idea how he manages to deal with three crying human beings while taking care of his own tears, but he does it and here they all are, seated beside a fast asleep Miyoung nestled in white hospital bedsheets.

Miyoung’s skin is pale, so pale that she’s almost camouflaged perfectly with the bed and one quick glance at both Taehyung and Yoongi on either side of the bed, shows Jungkook almost the exact same thing, their skin so drained of colour yet eyes wide and bloodshot.

It’s odd and sort of annoying that the hospital is busy even at this hour at nearing twelve am. Though Jungkook knows that’s selfish of him to be thinking, they’ve been waiting for quite a while now and still haven’t heard from the doctor and all he wants is to know Miyoung is okay.

Jungkook only now notices that Taehyung it clutching onto his hand from where he sits beside him, other hand gently holding Miyoung’s frail one. Jungkook doesn’t even think about making Taehyung let go, rather holds back even tighter just so he knows he’s here for him.

The clearing of a voice at the door is what snaps all their eyes away from the sleeping girl, as they stand in quite a haste.

“We are truly sorry about the wait,” the doctor says. She looks serious, white coat hanging down her frame and black bob cut framing her intimidating face. “Is anybody here Miyoung’s parent or carer? Because I’m afraid I can’t talk to just anybody about her health considering her being very underage.”

Both Taehyung and Yoongi step forward at that, though Taehyung doesn’t let go of Jungkook’s hand, arms hanging awkwardly between them. Jungkook thinks he sees the doctor cast a glance at their hands though there’s no emotion shown on her face as she looks away again.

“We’re her brothers,” Yoongi speaks up, gesturing between himself and Taehyung. Jungkook feels the doctor’s dark eyes on him then as she waits to know who he is. “Oh, he’s-“

“He’s my partner,” Taehyung interrupts, as Jungkook feels himself being pulled forward to stand in line with the two brothers. “It’s fine if he’s here.”

The doctor nods. “Okay well, we’ve run through her tests and although we couldn’t find anything at first, I’m happy to say that it was all just a scare.” Jungkook feels himself relax the slightest bit. “To me it looks like she’s got a severe form of the common cold and she should be better in no time with the medicine I prescribe her.”

“But doc,” Yoongi says, “she woke up screaming ‘it hurts’ and that can’t just be a cold.”

The doctor nods with a look of sympathy on her face. “Unfortunately, with children it’s hard to tell with these sorts of things. I myself have two kids who’ve given me too many scares in my lifetime and every single time it’s been nothing. Every test we did for Miyoung came out clear including her blood test and ultrasound, so we know her body’s working the way a five year old’s body should be working. My best bet for Miyoung, is that she had a headache from her cold and it probably came so abruptly that it woke her.” She pauses, looking at each one of the their faces to see that they’re following. “I guess you could ask her where it was hurting when she wakes up again but in my opinion it’s best to not put her through the pressure of remembering all that pain again. Chances are, she’ll forget all about it in a week or two.”

“So, how about now?” Taehyung asks, voice croaky.

“Right now she’s on painkillers so I can assure you she’s in no type of pain. After she’s on bed rest and takes her medicine, she’ll be as good as new in a few weeks.” Jungkook hears the way Yoongi exhales and feels the way Taehyung’s hand loosens up. The doctor smiles sweetly at Miyoung’s sleeping form then directs that smile at them, the first sign of emotion she’s shown. “She’s a cutie,” she says, “and so lucky to have such a caring family as you guys.”

“Oh,” Yoongi replies, chuckling awkwardly. “You’re too kind.”

“But seriously,” she says, smile still steady at her lips. “Not many families bring in a child for a mere cold, and that has more times than not led to too late diagnoses for fatal illnesses. I find it adorable that you guys care so deeply about her health.”

Jungkook directs his gaze to Miyoung. She’s still fast asleep and her breathing isn’t as heavy as it had been before and there’s the most adorable pout at her little lips. Her short hair is out of its usual hairdo that either Taehyung or Yoongi conjure up and instead surrounds her head like a dark halo, sticking up in funny shapes. Jungkook can’t even begin to stop the smile that he feels at his lips because she’s just too endearing, even in her sleep. She’s just perfect.

Jungkook turns back to the doctor to find the rest of the people around him staring at Miyoung with similar smiles on their faces. He can’t help the words that escape his mouth. “We love her.”

Jungkook feels all eyes on him then but all he can see right now is a sleeping Miyoung and a hint of red hair in his peripheral as well as that boxy smile.

I love her. I love them.

✧✧✧

Taehyung doesn’t stop working for the next couple of weeks. Sure, he’s really never stopped before, but now it’s like he has no free time at all. He’s at the café for hours on end, taking breaks only when Seokjin forces him to, and in the process saves enough money to pay for Miyoung’s hospital fees.

Miyoung had only stayed at hospital for one day but the two weeks after that consisted of bed and medicine so Taehyung and Yoongi have had to pull out money from anywhere possible just to pay it all off.

Jungkook has become a constant in their life too, having been encompassed by Miyoung’s charm, and although he has offered to pay the fees off for them (multiple times; once even going as far as almost paying it off secretly), Taehyung has denied it. Every. Single. Time.

Just like now.

“Taehyung look at me,” Jungkook says, almost whining. Taehyung ignores it. “It’s been nearly two weeks now! Miyoung is all better and she’s doing amazing in school while you’re constantly busy working your ass off here.”

Taehyung wipes his forehead, swiping his hair out of the way, before bending down to lift up the bin bag. “Your point is?” The bag doesn’t lift off the ground, so Taehyung inhales and tries again. It's not that it's heavy, his body is just exhausted. 

“My point is- wait, let me help.”

“No Jungkook,” Taehyung says, grabbing the black bag with both hands, anything to stop Jungkook from getting ahold of it.

“Look, let me just-“

“No, I can do it.”

Taehyung’s happy that it’s a quiet afternoon right now, otherwise they definitely would have been getting some weird looks and some bad reviews because Jungkook and Taehyung are wrestling. With each other. Over a bin bag.

“I’ll just take it and put it outside. Just-“

“I said I can do it Jung-“

“Just-“

At this point Taehyung isn’t even thinking straight. He’s exhausted, can barely lift the damn bin bag, and he’s so out of it that he doesn’t notice the way he and Jungkook are bent in half with Jungkook pressing into him from behind, fighting for a grip on the bag.

“I can do it just fine Jungkook,” Taehyung says, pinching Jungkook’s hand that’s trying to rip the bag out of his grip. “Just let go.”

“I said I’ll take it for you.”

“Why don’t you just let it go.”

Taehyung’s thighs are starting to burn now with the way he’s bent almost completely in half with Jungkook’s heavy weight basically on top of him, in an almost piggyback. He decides to go for a new tactic, stretching his arms out as far as he can, bag still in hold, so that Jungkook can’t reach it. But it barely helps because Jungkook starts tickling at Taehyung’s bare arms, forcing them back again.

It’s then that Taehyung turns his head the slightest bit to the side expecting to find an empty space that he could possibly slip through with the bag dragging behind. But all he finds is Jungkook’s cheek. And Taehyung’s nose is currently brushing against Jungkook’s cheek. And it’s like time has just stopped.

Taehyung doesn’t move an inch, staring straight at the milky white skin of Jungkook’s cheek with wide eyes. Only then does he realise their position. And seemingly so does Jungkook because he’s turning his head too, eyes just as wide as Taehyung’s feel. It’s not even a second later that the two of them are staring into each other’s saucer eyes, faces just centimetres apart. Taehyung has the sudden urge to just close the distance, lean in-

“What in the name of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary is going on in here?” That has the both of them startling away from each other. “I’m not even religious!”

Taehyung feels as his eyes become impossibly wider, so wide that it kind of hurts. “Seokjin hyung, it’s not what it looks like!”

“You know Taehyung,” Seokjin says, hand coming up to rub at his chin thoughtfully, “Jimin got ‘the talk’ as soon as I found out about that sunshine looking boyfriend of his but it never once even crossed my mind to tell you and your little boyfriend here. I never had to have ‘the talk’ with you because I thought you were sensible enough. But now it looks like I do.”

“No! We were just-“

“No matter what the relationship status, there should be no, I repeat, no, sexual activity of any sort going on in the café. It is unprofessional, unnecessary and, frankly, quite disturbing for me and customers. But mostly me.”

Taehyung turns to look at Jungkook, only to be met with his dumbfounded face already on him. He shakes his head and turns to the café owner. “Seokjin-ssi,” Jungkook tries, “we were only wrestling. Nothing more.”

But Seokjin seemingly doesn’t hear. “Seriously, the amount of times I’ve had to walk in on people doing shit like this. It burns my poor eyes! I’m already ageing as it is, we don’t need to speed it up by ruining my eyesight.”

“Seokjin hyung-“

“And I can’t believe I’m about to do this to you, Taehyung, after I was just forced to witness that.”

Taehyung feels his heart rate suddenly pick up in pace and all thoughts are blown out of his head. His eyes begin to prickle because is he about to get fired? The only thing that’s keeping him from bursting into tears is the hand that immediately places itself at the small of his back, as Jungkook comes to stand beside him.

“You’re a really great employee, Taehyung. One of the greatest I’ve had.”

“I’m sorry, I-“

“And I’ve already spoken to Jimin, Jooheon, Chaeyoung, the lot of them. They all seem fine with it.”

Taehyung blinks, hand involuntarily coming up to clutch at the side of Jungkook’s hoodie.

“Long story short, I’m getting married to the love of my life next week.”

“What?”

“Yes, married. You see, that ‘business trip’ I had to attend a few weeks ago, was actually my fiancée and I’s pre-wedding honeymoon.”

“Hyung, that makes no sense-“

“We’re getting married next week and then we’re moving to Amsterdam where she owns a few massive shops and companies, one of them being a café, which I will be the co-owner of.”

Taehyung blinks.

“Of course, you’re invited to the wedding. I’ll even allow you to bring a plus one, your boyfriend here I presume.”

Taehyung lets out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He blinks once more then smiles. “Oh,” he says. “Oh. Yes. Sure, we’d love to come. Yes.”

“Hold on, let me finish,” Seokjin demands, holding up a long hand. “As I’ll be leaving for Amsterdam, I’ll be leaving my precious café behind too and I can’t stand the idea of selling it off to some middle-aged, chubby man. So I’m giving it to you.”

“What?”

“All the others are busy with university and I wouldn’t want to put the extra stress of running a café on them because chances are, after they get their degrees, they’ll be off. Plus I don’t trust that Jooheon boy with those dimples of his.”

“What?”

“So I guess you’re my last resort.” Seokjin leans in then, melodramatically covering his mouth, expensive watch coming into full display. “Don’t tell them, but you’ve always been my favourite. Always been my first choice.”

Taehyung swallows, then, “what?”

“The Seoulery now belongs to one Kim Taehyung. Well, not actually now, but next week.”

“Hyung,” Taehyung breathes out, “you’re not being serious.”

“I’m dead serious,” Seokjin smirks. “Be prepared to be earning a minimum of 70,000,000 won a year.”

“What the fuck?”

“Uh uh uh,” Seokjin says, wiggling his index finger, “language like that is unacceptable when you’re a business owner, Kim Taehyung.” Taehyung feels his jaw drop to the floor. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have some wedding cake testing I need to attend to.”

Seokjin is gone in the time that it takes Taehyung to blink once, disappearing with a few long strides and leaving behind the scent of his expensive smelling cologne.

Even as Taehyung turns to fully face Jungkook and his almost ecstatic expression, he’s at a loss for words, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“Tae!” Jungkook exclaims, eyes almost disappearing from how hard he’s smiling. “Tae.”

“Jungkook,” Taehyung finally speaks as everything catches up. “Is this real? This can’t be real.”

“It’s really fucking real Tae,” Jungkook nods, smile turning surprisingly proud. “So real.”

“It’s real?” Taehyung asks rhetorically. “It’s real.”

Jungkook nods again.

“It’s real, Jungkook!”

Taehyung’s heart jumps around with him excitedly as he hops up and down, probably looking like a child that’s been fed too much sugar. And maybe it’s the adrenaline or maybe it’s the sparkle in Jungkook’s expressive eyes, but Taehyung can’t help jumping right into Jungkook and hooking his arms around his neck, laughing loudly in his ear. It doesn’t feel weird as he continues with his small hops and hoots, all while being pressed against Jungkook. It doesn’t even feel weird when after one particularly high hop, his feet don’t touch the ground again as he’s lifted into the air and spun around.

“I’m so happy for you,” Jungkook murmurs into the side of Taehyung’s neck, holding him steadily up in the air with arms wrapped around his middle. “So happy. And so proud.”

After a while of being caught in each other’s embrace, Taehyung realises just what’s happening. As Jungkook’s softly placing him back on his feet, he can’t help but wonder what the two of them look like to strangers that can see bits of what’s going on from the seating areas. He wonders whether they look like best friends getting good news, hugging it out. Or perhaps a couple so hopelessly in love and so enamoured with each other that they don’t even care that all these strangers’ eyes are on them.

Because that’s exactly how Taehyung feels right now.

“Jungkook?” Taehyung asks, finally pushing back from the warm embrace. “Will you be my plus one to Jin hyung’s wedding?”

Jungkook looks slightly taken aback as he lifts up an inked hand to tuck hair behind his heavily pierced ear. “Really?” he asks. “I thought you would have wanted to take someone- I don’t know, like a date.”

Taehyung crosses his arms. “No, I want to take you.”

Just then, Jungkook’s face turns flushed, colour filling his cheeks so inhumanely fast, Taehyung can’t stop the giggle escaping his lips. But just as quickly as it had arrived, the red is gone and Jungkook smirks. “So, this is a date you’re asking me out on, Kim Taehyung?”

Taehyung looks away immediately, trying his best to come off as unbothered even with the heat he can feel quickly rising up his face. He looks for something to do with his hands but the only things near him right now are Jungkook and that damn bin bag. Taehyung focuses his eyes in on the painting behind Jungkook, some old oil painting of a cherry blossom tree filled landscape. He thinks about that one time Jungkook had let slip that he’d love to go and photograph a place like that one day, if not for his projects, for himself. And as Taehyung lets himself stare at the painting for a little longer, trying to come up with a response to Jungkook’s flustering question, the man himself is blocking the way, moving sideways and closer to Taehyung with a sly look on his face.

Taehyung huffs, staring right at Jungkook’s questioning yet suggestive eyes. “Okay fine,” he finally lets out, throwing his hands up in the air, defeatedly. “Yes. I’m asking you out on a date.”

Jungkook’s smirk becomes annoyingly larger at that and Taehyung has to practically force himself not to look away, to stand his ground. “I’d love to go on a date with you,” Jungkook smiles, allowing his little dimples-that show up once every blue moon-to appear at his cheeks. “But I have to warn you.”

Taehyung is slightly confused. “About what?”

The smirk is gone and is replaced with a straight face, hinting at no emotion whatsoever so Taehyung can’t even tell if he’s joking or not. “I have to warn you,” Jungkook repeats, “because I clean up so well, that you’ll fall head over heels in love with me, the second you see me.”

Jungkook winks, then he’s turning around and walking towards the back doors. Carrying the damn bin bag with him.

And even as he’s left there, standing staring at Jungkook’s retreating, black hoodie-clad back, Taehyung lets himself smile. It’s probably a really goofy smile, that makes him look a little crazy but he couldn’t care less.

And it’s only as the back door slams shut and Jungkook is completely out of sight that Taehyung allows the words of the little voice to fill his mind.

‘Too late,’ it says.

✧✧✧

Now, Jungkook knows that he can get a bit cocky, a bit over-confident, but truth is, he’s just as shy as a snail. Weird simile but it’s true because just like a snail Jungkook’s got the tough outer shell that he shows to strangers around him and inside that, is just a little squishy creature. We don’t mention the slime, because he’ll have you know, Jungkook is a clean boy. Very clean boy who showers too much than is healthy and has very fresh smelling hair, not at all greasy. In fact, right now, as he stands (shyly) outside Taehyung’s shut apartment door, he pulls down a piece of his long wavy hair and gives it a whiff. Perfect. Freshly washed and styled. He looks down at himself. Perfect. Nicely dry-cleaned and ironed suit blazer and slacks. Not the comfiest set of clothing and definitely not something Jungkook enjoys wearing when he’s got a whole wardrobe full of his favourite Gucci and Prada hoodies, but it looks good, that’s for sure. Shit. Did he wash his hair today? Jungkook quickly glances at his watch to find that he’s got two minutes left until it’s seven pm, the time he’d agreed to pick Taehyung up at, since Taehyung doesn’t have a car that they could take to the wedding. Which means he has two minutes left to check that he’s washed his hair before he has to knock. Jungkook pulls down a strand of his hair and- shit he’s already done this. He knows he’s washed his hair because he does it almost everyday anyway. Meh, doesn’t hurt to double check. So he pulls the hair down a bit further and tilts his nose up-

“What are you doing?”

Jungkook nearly stumbles backwards as he comes face to face with Taehyung, who’s apparently just opened the door.

“Oh hi,” Jungkook says, “um, I was just-“

But he cuts himself off when he gets a proper look at Taehyung and his attire. He’s wearing a floral shirt beneath his baby pink suit, matching with his slightly fading red hair. Jungkook briefly thinks about the fact that he himself is wearing blue, and it’s common knowledge that blue and pink look really nice together. Jungkook blinks, then let’s his eyes travel back up, from Taehyung’s pale pink trousers, to the dangly flower earring that’s hanging from his left earlobe. It makes him look adorable. Sure, Jungkook has seen Taehyung wearing earrings before, but there’s something about this one that has him looking ethereal, so beautiful that Jungkook feels that he himself shouldn’t be allowed to be seen in public standing beside such a beautiful man. And then Taehyung’s face. Oh, his face, just looks so damn soft that Jungkook wants to reach forward and squish, possibly nuzzle into. And then Jungkook feels his eyes widen slightly at the sight of Taehyung lips. They look so shiny and pink and fuck, is that lipgloss? Taehyung’s lips. His lips look so, so kissable. So kissable that Jungkook wants nothing more than to lean in. But then (as if Meghan Trainor’s just started singing) those lips are moving.

“I’m so sorry, I’m running a bit late,” Taehyung worries, pulling the door open further. “Miyoung is being a brat. Come in.”

Jungkook forces his eyes away from Taehyung’s lips and focuses on his eyes. But it hardly helps because Taehyung eyes look amazing too with the subtle smokey eye he’s got going on, something that Jungkook would probably not have noticed if he hadn’t looked carefully. He just looks perfect. So beautiful.

Jungkook clears his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s cool.” And as Taehyung closes the door behind him he decides it’s better not to be awkward and asks, “what’s wrong with Miyoung?”

“Well,” Taehyung grimaces, “maybe you should come and see for yourself.” He says those words at the same time as the sound of a little girl’s frustrated scream.

Jungkook hesitates before following Taehyung into the living room, just in time to see Miyoung stamping her foot on the ground with a angry expression directed at a red-faced Yoongi.

“Oppa!” she exclaims, in a whiny, shrilly voice. “I’m not a baby anymore and I’m not silly! I know Taetae is going somewhere because he’s dressed up really prettily and I want to go too. It’s not fair!”

“Mimi, please-“

“No! I want to go!”

Jungkook stares on for a moment in shock, having not witnessed Miyoung in the midst of such a bad tantrum before.

“It’s because she’s tired,” Taehyung mutters from beside him, wiping at his forehead. “She gets really grumpy and bratty when she’s tired.”

Now, Jungkook knows that this isn’t the best time, but he can’t help but smile at that, as he looks from Miyoung, back again to Taehyung. Taehyung must realise exactly what he’s just said because a goofy smile is soon adorning his glossy lips. The description just rings a bell, that’s all.

“I think I’m the perfect man for this job then,” Jungkook states, standing a bit straighter with his chest puffed out proudly.

“That you are,” Taehyung nods, before cocking his head towards the scene in front of them. “Go on then.”

“What’s going on here?” Jungkook speaks, louder than before in an effort to be heard. Miyoung freezes with her hands clutched at the knee of Yoongi’s joggers.

“Kookoo?” she says, voice gone eerily quiet.

“Hey lovely,” Jungkook smiles. He approaches her slowly, holding out two arms because he just knows she’s going to run to him for a hug any minute now. And obviously he’s right because all but a second later Miyoung is rushing forward and jumping into his arms and into a tight embrace. “What’s wrong baby?”

Jungkook hugs her close but he feels that something is off with the way Miyoung suddenly pushes back, frown on her face. “It’s not fair!” she shouts, flailing about in an attempt to get out of Jungkook’s hold. “You’re going too, Kookoo? You’re going with Taetae oppa? That’s not fair!”

“Hey, hey. It’s okay,” Jungkook tries to calm her, caressing her hair softly. “Look, me and Taetae are going out,”-Miyoung’s frown deepens-“but it’s just a boring wedding, that’s all. Not at all fun for little girls like you and definitely not worth going to and being too tired for school the next morning.”

Jungkook mentally pats himself on the back at how significantly Miyoung has calmed down, eyes beginning to give way to her sleepiness. “But Kookoo,” she still has the energy to say, forever stubborn just like her brother, “I want to come too.”

“I know, lovely. But to me, it looks like you’re way too sleepy for that. Plus, I have a proposition.”

“But Kookoo?” Jungkook hums in acknowledgment to her questioning voice. “What is a pop- a popi- a propi-“

“A proposition,” Jungkook corrects, “is like a suggestion. Maybe an agreement.”

Miyoung nods.

“How about, if you go to bed with Yoongi oppa right now, me and Taetae will bring you something special from the wedding?”

Miyoung perks up at that. “Some special?”

“Yes, something special. And it’ll be ready for you to see when you wake up in the morning.”

Miyoung’s eyes begin to crinkle at that and a massive box-like smile appears at her lips. “Okay Kookoo!” she exclaims. “I accept your pospesition and I’ll go straight to bed, right now.” Jungkook coos at the mispronunciation just as Miyoung places a wet kiss on his cheek. Then she begins kicking again, before jumping to the ground and making her way towards Taehyung to do the same thing, hugging him for a bit longer. Then, just like that, she’s grabbing ahold of Yoongi’s hand and begins to drag him away. “Come on oppa. It’s our bedtime!”

Yoongi stares in awe as he lets himself get dragged away and he doesn’t say a word. And Jungkook thinks he should be proud of himself for managing to get Miyoung to go to bed but now that he thinks about it...

“Shit. What are we going to get her?”

Taehyung has a small smile on his lips, looking somewhat mischievous as he strides forwards a few steps. Jungkook feels his heart skip a beat at the way Taehyung reaches up to fix the strands of hair that have fallen out from behind his ears, tucking them gently back into place. His face is really close. Jungkook blinks.

“Well,” Taehyung says in a low voice, “that sounds like a problem for you to solve.”

Then he’s looking straight into Jungkook’s eyes, with lids slightly hooded and irises appearing so dark. Jungkook can barely move, barely breathe even, as Taehyung boops his nose.

“After all,” Taehyung adds, “you’re the perfect man for this job.”

Jungkook groans.

✧✧✧

Taehyung groans. “This is so annoying!”

Taehyung continues to huff and puff even with the pointed looks he gets from a few people in front of them. His way of thinking is that if he doesn’t know them, he doesn’t care what they think of him.

“What is?” Jungkook asks from beside him, seemingly unbothered by the glares they get as he straightens out his blazer. The moment Taehyung had laid his eyes on Jungkook in that blue blazer he had mentally lost it because damn, did he look good. But in the moment, Taehyung knows he had managed to hide his emotions well.

“It’s all my fault that we’re sitting right in the back,” Taehyung states. “If I hadn’t been late, we would have been closer to the front to watch the ceremony.”

Just as Taehyung had said, he and Jungkook are unfortunately seated right at the back, only three rows from the very last row. They’re in a massive hall, decorated with multiple glass chandeliers as well as gold detailed fairy lights lining all the way around the room. The ceiling is glass, save for the few pillars that allow the chandeliers to hang, showcasing the dark sky, twinkling stars and shining half moon. There’s a long pale gold carpet down the middle, leading to the front of the room where the ceremony is sure to take place and the seats they sit on are in neat rows facing the front, surrounding the gold carpet. As soon as they had walked in, Taehyung had been awestruck by the dangling lights and the polished marble floor but that awe had immediately disappeared as soon as he had noticed how full the place was, with only a few seats remaining at the very back.

“No, this is fine,” Jungkook says, taking a sip from the glass of champagne he had been handed at the entrance. “It’s not your fault either.”

Taehyung furrows his eyebrows at Jungkook giving him the ‘you’re lying’ face. “It’s not fine and it is my fault. How is any of this fine? First I drag you here and now you can’t even see the damn thing we’re actually here for.”

Jungkook straightens up and fully faces Taehyung. The look on his face is kind of intimidating. And hot. “First of all, I can see perfectly fine from here if I just crane my neck a bit.” And he’s right because even Taehyung can see Seokjin waiting right at the front in his elegant white suit, with a (surprisingly) nervous smile on his face. “And secondly, you didn’t drag me here.” Jungkook says those last words in a mocking tone causing Taehyung to narrow his eyes at him. “I came because I wanted to.”

Taehyung turns back to face the front, suddenly feeling too shy to look Jungkook in the eye. He wills the blush, that he feels creeping up his face, away. It’s probably because of the way Jungkook looks extra charming today-not that he doesn’t look charming usually, just extra extra charming today-that Taehyung keeps getting so easily flustered. And even as he’s facing forward he still feels Jungkook’s stare on him. So he decides to speak up.

“Just look at that,” he says, beckoning towards the rows right near the front. “Those people are getting served all the canapés while we’re here at the back, getting nothing but champagne. I don’t even drink champagne!” He hears Jungkook scoff out a laugh. “It’s not funny.”

“It is kind of funny.”

“It is not,” Taehyung repeats, crossing his arms over his chest; at this point he doesn’t care if he looks like a child.

Jungkook laughs again. “If you want a canapé, I can go and get you a canapé,” he suggests.

Taehyung’s heart is beating abnormally fast now and it’s something he can’t even control, no matter how many times he mentally slaps himself. Jungkook hadn’t even said anything particularly heart fluttering but it seems that the mere suggestion of bringing Taehyung food is enough to have his heart flying away.

“No,” Taehyung says, shaking his head. “No, it’s fine. I’m just, I’m sorry for all of this.”

“What? Why? I really am enjoying myself with this,” Jungkook replies, raising his nearly empty champagne glass and swirling around the contents inside it. “Plus, you’re good company.”

Taehyung looks straight into Jungkook’s eyes at that, then immediately regrets it because of how softly Jungkook is looking at him. He makes a scene of rolling his eyes dramatically before looking away again, focusing in on the way Seokjin taps his foot nervously at the front.

But he doesn’t want to seem rude, so with his voice as nonchalant as he can possibly get it, he says, “you’re not so bad yourself.”

It’s silent then between the two of them and the background noise of people chattering amongst themselves does little to help with the tense atmosphere.

Taehyung chances a quick glance at Jungkook but that ‘quick glance’ is soon turned into a long glance, then a full on stare when he finds the younger’s (wide) eyes already fixed on him. Then it’s like Taehyung can’t look away, even if he wanted to, because there’s this invisible pull that keeps their eyes latched together, getting them through the silence as if they’re the only ones in the room. Taehyung doesn’t think he’s breathing either-which he probably should be worried about-but in a situation like this, he finds that he doesn’t care, as long as he gets to stare into Jungkook’s twinkling eyes for the rest of his life.

Jungkook seems to snap out of his shock as he clears his throat, still keeping eyes locked with Taehyung’s. “You um,” he speaks quietly, “you look really nice tonight.” And there it is. Just a few simple words that manage to change everything. Plus, Taehyung’s heart has all but fluttered away and out of the vicinity of its place in his chest.

Jungkook’s face is gone tomato red yet he still doesn’t look away. “You look really nice too,” Taehyung says, hating the way his voice cracks. Then after a pause to think about it, he decides, fuck it. “I guess it’s true,” he starts, voice coming out shaky, “with what you said the other day, about seeing you like this and falling head over-“

Taehyung is interrupted by the sudden blasting of wedding music playing over the speakers dotted around the room and he promptly turns to face the front once again, cheeks almost overheating. He doesn’t have the guts to finish his sentence anymore, now that the loud music’s stopped him midway, but he thinks Jungkook has probably heard enough. And it makes him shiver, skin overcome with nervous goosebumps.

But for the rest of the ceremony they ignore it.

Seokjin’s bride, who Taehyung learns is named Jisoo, is beautiful. She walks down the aisle with a long white dress detailed with intricate gold designs, trailing behind her. Her hair is perfectly styled, brown curls coming down to frame her face and she looks absolutely angelic. Taehyung-along with the rest of the people in the hall-starts crying the moment he sees Seokjin spot her. His lips quiver into a huge smile and tears spill out of his eyes as he reaches out his blazer coated arm, to guide her his way. It’s such a genuine moment that has Taehyung feeling hopeful. Hopeful for the day that he’ll be this happy with the person he loves.

The rest of the ceremony goes by way too quickly, filled with both tears and laughter, as the two share their vows. Before Taehyung knows it, the happy couple are married and slow dancing in the middle of the room, chairs having been cleared to the sides and lights dimmed to a soft golden glow. Seokjin and Jisoo look perfect together and Taehyung notices the way their hands fit together like a puzzle, slot together easily as they sway back and forth, never once looking away from each other. There’s smoke snaking in around their legs too, creating such a magical atmosphere that Taehyung is actually enthralled.

The song begins fading away then, not leaving quiet for long, as a similarly slow song starts to play. A few daring people rise from their seats and bring their partners out to start dancing too, careful not to take the spotlight away from the newlyweds. And the sight of it all, of people happily letting go of any problems they may have just to dance with their loved ones, has him smiling widely, as he too sways side to side in his seat.

“I wish I could dance with Taehyung like that,” comes the very familiar voice from beside him.

Taehyung almost breaks his neck with how fast he turns to face Jungkook. “What?” he asks.

Taehyung actually sees the way realisation makes its way into Jungkook’s features, as his mouth makes an ‘o’ and his eyes widen to nearly the same shape as his mouth. It’s obvious, then, that Jungkook hadn’t meant to say those words aloud.

Jungkook’s face is bright pink, even in this dim lighting. “I- it’s just that- I-“

“If you want to-“

“Just that-“

“I mean I wouldn’t mind if-“

“Sorry,” Jungkook stumbles out, “I need to go.”

And before Taehyung can stop his own stuttering and say that he wouldn’t mind dancing with Jungkook, the latter is shooting up and out of his seat and quite literally running away.

Taehyung stares at the door for a while, where Jungkook had just run out of a second ago. Then he’s on autopilot as he pushes out of his own seat and follows to head the same way; the sound of people singing along to (ironically) Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud is being drowned out by the sound of his own heartbeat and it’s then that Taehyung thinks that he and Jungkook were fated to be together. A bit over-dramatic, he knows, but he’s not going to let this thing slip through the gaps in between his fingers when he’s finally got it in his hands. He doesn’t want to give it up.

Taehyung runs faster than he’s ever run before, straight out of the open glass doors and around the side of the building. He can still hear the music being blasted from inside though it’s muffled slightly, but the sound of the music is interrupted by a loud crash followed by profuse apologies. Taehyung goes straight for the voice.

Taehyung comes out to a lit up tree area and, lo and behold, there’s Jeon Jungkook, rashly helping an almost terrified looking waiter. Terrified isn’t even the right word because the young man looks like he’s almost about to cry as he holds his (empty) tray out with shaky hands, simply watching as Jungkook picks up all the bits and pieces from the dropped... canapés?

Taehyung has long since come to a halt and as Jungkook is busy cleaning up the mess that he most definitely caused by running into the poor guy, he takes in the scenery properly. It’s beautiful. There are cherry blossom trees, adorned with the same golden fairy lights, surrounding this one area of empty land, looking down on it like an audience. There are also stray flowers strewn out on the small area of the concrete floor, making this whole thing even more real because of how imperfectly perfect it is.

“No no,” Taehyung hears, and his eyes get snapped back to the scene in front of him. “Sir, really, it’s okay. I can just go and get some more.” The waiter’s voice trembles and he bows quickly before rushing back the other way.

Jungkook finally stands up but he still hasn’t noticed Taehyung with his back facing him. Taehyung watches the way Jungkook looks up and around himself and he can practically feel the awe diffusing off of him. But Taehyung thinks Jungkook has a right to be so in awe because it really is magnificent and it’s unbelievable that they hadn’t seen any of this from the car when they had first arrived. Seokjin, that filthy rich bastard.

“You really scared the shit out of that guy,” Taehyung chuckles, earning Jungkook’s wide-eyed attention. Just when he thinks Jungkook is about to run again, he takes a step forward and says, “no, don’t go.”

I’ll just keep on making the same mistakes,

“I didn’t even do anything, I just started helping him pick up those damn canapés.”

hoping that you’ll understand.

Taehyung smiles then takes a few more slow steps towards Jungkook.

But baby now.

He doesn’t feel like talking anymore and so he reaches out a hand.

Take me into your loving arms.

Jungkook looks at the hand for a moment, before reaching out and grabbing on, immediately tugging Taehyung towards him. It does make Taehyung’s heart skip a beat though for once it’s not because he’s nervous, but because he’s excited.

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars.

Their stars are the twinkling fairy lights above their heads, Taehyung thinks, as he eagerly wraps his arms around Jungkook’s neck. 

Place your head on my beating heart.

They’re swaying side to side now, following along with the beat of the song. The ‘stars’ overhead make Jungkook’s eyes sparkle more than they usually do, resembling the night sky better than the fairy lights do, and Taehyung wonders if he knows how beautiful he is.

I’m thinking out loud.

“Oh I-“ Jungkook stutters, hand suddenly gripping at Taehyung’s hips a little tighter. “I- uh- thanks?”

“Shit, I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Hopefully Jungkook can’t see the reddening of Taehyung’s cheeks because that would just make matters even more embarrassing. This is all way too ironic and Taehyung can’t help but let his mind wander back to the idea of fate and destiny.

“You know,” Taehyung starts, fiddling with the hair at Jungkook’s nape (he’s always wanted to feel it, as creepy as it sounds) as Ed Sheeran begins with his guitar solo, “this has all got to be some sort of coincidence. I mean the thinking out loud stuff.” And Taehyung knows that Jungkook knows exactly what he’s talking about.

“None of this is a coincidence. We’re totally different, baby,” Jungkook speaks lowly, suddenly gaining confidence. Taehyung’s heart doesn’t flutter at the use of the pet name. Definitely not. “Because we’re the two who found our destiny.”

Taehyung snorts. “What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know to be completely honest,” Jungkook admits. “I heard it in a song and thought it was cool.”

Taehyung laughs, actually laughs right in Jungkook’s face. “You really are something else, Jeon Jungkook.” When Jungkook looks away shyly for a second, then back again, Taehyung continues. “You know, you’re completely different to when I first met you. I wouldn’t have ever expected you to get flustered this easily.”

“I could say the same thing about you.”

“No but you, with your long ass hair and thousands of tattoos and grumpy ass face. Who would have ever thought.”

“I bet you thought I was hot,” Jungkook says, smirk very apparent on his lips.

“I did,” Taehyung retorts, loving the way he so easily has wiped the smirk clean off, replacing it with a bunny teeth smile. “You’re exactly my type, actually,” Taehyung says as he pulls out a stray piece of... shrimp? from Jungkook’s hair, which is surely from the canapés he had caused to perish. Taehyung pops the piece of shrimp in his mouth, smiling (probably looking way too whipped) up at Jungkook.

It’s quiet between them for a short while, with only the sound of Ed Sheeran going into his last chorus filling the air. But then Jungkook is opening his mouth to speak again. “Taehyungie hyung,” he starts, with-in Taehyung’s opinion-a smile that looks just as whipped as his own, “I’ve always wanted to photograph a cherry blossom tree forest-“

“If not for a project, for yourself.”

Jungkook looks mildly surprised, but he carries on. “Yeah exactly, because I think it’s the most beautiful thing ever and it just inspires me so much.” He pauses.

That maybe, we found love right where we are.

“But, right now, all I can look at and all I want to photograph, is you.”

Oh maybe, we found love right where we are.

Taehyung thinks, this early on, that that’s the closest they’ll get to an ‘I love you’ because they have to play by society’s rules on how early is too early to say the three words, the eight letters. And as he smiles so widely that his cheeks hurt, smushes his face into Jungkook’s neck and places a delicate kiss there, Taehyung thinks about how he wants to say the words so badly.

Because he feels it and he thinks Jungkook feels it too.

And we found love right where we are...

✧✧✧

“Do you think she’ll actually like this?” Jungkook asks sceptically, holding up a bunch of cherry blossoms that he and Taehyung had hand picked... from the floor.

It’s a few hours later and after a jam-packed after party, Jungkook’s blazer is off and placed at the crook of his elbow and his shirt is unbuttoned at the top, leaving his collar an absolute mess. Jungkook is jealous that Taehyung still manages to look beautiful even with his hair looking like a bird’s nest but he’s also grateful that even while he looks like this (cue Jungkook’s disappointed look down on himself) Taehyung has stayed with him the whole night. Even now, as he drags them down the corridor towards the apartment, he’s got a tight grip on Jungkook’s hand-at least as tightly as his tipsy self can manage-fingers intertwined and all.

“I’m sure she’ll love it,” Taehyung replies. He pats at his pockets until he pulls out his keys. “I mean, let’s be honest. She’d love anything from you. Kookoo.”

Jungkook wouldn’t say he’s drunk right now, just a tad bit caught up in that hazy state of mind, right before being full on drunk. He’s still aware of everything in his surroundings and he’s sure he’ll remember all of this tomorrow, though his mind does feel a bit jumbled. And he thinks it’s for that reason, that he gets so offended.

“Hey!” he says, way too loudly than is suitable at nearing midnight. He stops Taehyung from putting the key into the keyhole by unwinding their fingers and instead grabbing onto his wrist, spinning him around. “Do not make fun of Mimi’s nickname like that!”

Taehyung laughs, alcohol induced flushed face a mere centimetre away, nose brushing against Jungkook’s. “I’m not making fun of her, silly,” Taehyung chuckles, “I’m making fun of you.”

And then he does the unthinkable. He tilts his head the slightest bit and plants a wet kiss right at Jungkook’s lips. And he knows they’ve kissed before, but this feels different considering their little confessions earlier. Jungkook’s heart does a summersault inside his chest and he literally feels like he’s about to combust. But Taehyung pulls away far to quickly for his liking, turning back around to shove the door open.

Jungkook follows Taehyung into the dark flat, with the unspoken agreement that he’ll be staying over tonight (and hopefully forever (don’t mind him, that’s just almost-drunk Jungkook talking)) and gently shuts the door behind him. It’s atmospherically quiet in here and there’s only light coming in through the window where Yoongi must have forgotten to shut the curtains.

Jungkook hesitates for a second, watching as Taehyung’s hair bounces up and down with his steps going further into the flat. Then before he and his red locks can get too far away, Jungkook tugs him right back, backing him up into the wall beside the sofa.

Taehyung is pliant in the way he lets Jungkook crowd in around him, giggling quietly, almost as if he’d known this was going to happen, that Jungkook just can’t wait any longer, especially not after he’d just pecked him like that. Jungkook’s thoughts are just reinforced as Taehyung mutters his next words, reaching a hand up and placing it at Jungkook’s waist.

“I have been waiting to see this Jungkook for ages now,” he says, suggestively. “You’re finally feeling brave enough?”

“Shut up,” Jungkook replies, words oddly harsh, contrasting with the gentle hand he soothes along Taehyung’s cheek.

“I mean, you act so shy and reserved but I just knew you’d be a beast-“

“Shut up.”

“I’ve been looking forward to this and you’re finally- hmph.”

Jungkook decides words obviously don’t do Taehyung any good, so he attaches their lips together, figuring it’d be the only way to get him to shut up. And just like that they’re melting into one, so easily that it frightens Jungkook just a tad bit.

Taehyung is eager with the way he arches his body against Jungkook’s, despite being trapped against the wall and the grip that he has on Jungkook’s left hip gets tighter and tighter as the kiss drawls out for longer and longer. Not only is his body eager, but so is his mouth. Sure, Jungkook is the one who initiates the tongue, with a slow swipe at Taehyung’s bottom lip, but Taehyung is the one who fully takes that tongue into his mouth, claiming it as if it were his own.

The kiss is heated, not at all chaste, almost as if the both of them have been craving this for a while now. Well, Jungkook knows he has and judging by the way Taehyung is almost devouring him, it’s mutual. All Jungkook can taste is Taehyung, Taehyung, Taehyung, and shit, he doesn’t want this to ever end. He feels as though he could kiss Taehyung forever and ever and-

“Oppa?”

Miyoung doesn’t sound very aware right now, her voice coming out slightly croaky and filled with sleep. As Jungkook hurriedly pushes away from Taehyung, he’s sort of relieved to find that Miyoung stands there with Yoongi’s hand covering both her little eyes from behind. He has the ‘what the fuck?’ look mixed with the ‘we didn’t need to see that’ look mixed with the ‘you owe me’ look on his face, all coming together to showcase complete and utter terror.

“Mimi? What are you doing up?” Taehyung asks. His voice is deep, way deeper than usual and something about that has Jungkook excited, despite the situation.

“Miyoung was thirsty and so we got up to get a drink of water,” Yoongi says, voice coming out quite condescending if Jungkook’s being honest. It’s kind of terrifying, actually.

“Oh well, we were just,” Jungkook starts, watching the way Yoongi cautiously removes his hand from over Miyoung’s eyes. “You see, Taehyung had an- no, a fly in his eye and so I-“

“Taetae and Kookoo were kissing.”

Jungkook can only stare, wide-eyes, at the little girl and her very neutral facial expression. He has the quick flash of a thought that maybe she’s seen this before. Something about that has a small bout of jealousy rising through Jungkook.

And as if matters couldn’t get any more awkward, as Miyoung begins to walk towards the kitchen, a new person makes themselves known.

Namjoon walks out from the bedroom, eyes barely open, wearing a pair of baggy boxers and an ‘FG’ jumper that looks suspiciously like the one Jungkook’s seen Yoongi wear often. Often meaning almost everyday.

“What’s going on?” he mumbles, coming up behind Yoongi to wrap an arm around his waist. “I thought you guys only went to get wat-“

“Namjoon hyung?”

Miyoung huffs, before stomping her way to the kitchen seeing as she may not be getting any help anytime soon; the true grumpy while tired star player. Yoongi looks caught red handed as he gently removes Namjoon’s hand from his waist and Namjoon looks guilty. What had these two been up to? Really? With Miyoung in the house? Kind of ironic for Jungkook to be thinking these things, considering the position he and Taehyung had been in, mere second ago.

Jungkook’s about to say something but Taehyung speaks up first.

“How did you all fit on the bed?”

Now that Jungkook thinks about it, yeah, how did they all fit in a double bed. Yoongi and Miyoung may be quite small but there’s Namjoon with his tree branch arms and beanstalk legs.

Yoongi clears his throat. “Well, we just cuddled really close.”

Jungkook raises an eyebrow.

“Nothing like what you’re thinking happened,” Yoongi sighs. “We’re not stupid enough since we know Miyoung is here. But you two on the other hand...”

Jungkook had almost forgotten about the fact that they’d just been caught making out and that feeling of embarrassment creeps back inside him.

“Hyung, we’re drunk,” Taehyung says and Jungkook can hear the way he’s purposely slurring his words, making himself out to be more intoxicated than he actually is.

“That’s no excuse.”

“But,” Taehyung pushes, “Jungkook gets horny when he’s drunk.”

“What the fuck?” Well Jungkook wasn’t expecting that. “That’s not-“ But the nudge from a pointy elbow that he receives from Taehyung, is enough to shut him up.

Yoongi eventually gives up on the topic and they all go to bed, albeit with an awkward silence surrounding them. Jungkook doesn’t even think he’s sleepy, though as soon as his head hits the pillows that smell of nothing but Taehyung, he falls straight asleep. He even thinks he feels a warm, soft duvet (that smells equally as much as Taehyung as the pillows do) get draped over him.

As morning sunshine creeps in through the slight crack in the curtains, Jungkook doesn’t think he’s ever felt this good in his life. Because even with the lights very inconveniently shining right upon his face and practically blinding him, there’s a warmth in his arms stopping him from getting too grumpy about it. And that warmth smells of Taehyung. Just full on Taehyung.

Jungkook sighs and pulls Taehyung closer into his embrace, squishing his face right into the red locks of hair. Taehyung is still asleep judging by his calm yet heavy breathing, though as he gets pulled closer to Jungkook he lets out mumbles of incoherent words. It’s adorable.

Jungkook’s on the brink of falling asleep again, just by breathing in Taehyung’s soothing scent even while the sun still puts him in a spotlight. But he’s jolted right back out of the trance between awake and asleep when he feels the bed dip followed by strong hands pushing him over.

“Kookoo, I want cuddles too.”

Jungkook complies with moving over and let’s Miyoung squeeze right in between he and Taehyung. She’s quiet, which is a surprise considering she’s normally so loud that the neighbours can probably hear her. Just the thought of her not wanting to wake her brother is enough to have Jungkook cooing, moving his arms slightly to allow Miyoung space.

“What happened to Yoonie oppa?”

Miyoung pouts before nuzzling her face into Jungkook’s cheek. “Yoonie and Joonie are cuddling so all I have to cuddle is Cooky. But Cooky is somewhere in my toy box so now I only have Kookoo to cuddle.”

Jungkook feels his heart swoop with endearment and he pulls Miyoung close to him, placing a kiss at her forehead. “It’s okay lovely, you can cuddle with Kookoo whenever you want. Okay?”

Miyoung nods, with less energy than usual, probably due to the fact that she’s just woken up. She makes herself right at home in Jungkook’s arms, snuggling into him with a quiet sigh. Just as Jungkook’s about to let his eyes shut again, he feels a warm hand cover the skin at his exposed arm. Taehyung is still sleeping, judging by his breathing, but he’s now cuddling into Miyoung, keeping a tight hold on Jungkook’s arm too. This only makes Miyoung sigh louder, sounding really content.

It’s silent then as Taehyung stops shuffling around and Miyoung’s breathing starts to even out too.

“I love you Kookoo,” Miyoung whispers into the silence and Jungkook doesn’t even miss a beat with his reply.

“I love you too, my lovely,” he says. “So much.”

Life is great, Jungkook thinks, as he lets his eyes slip shut with a small smile gracing his lips. Jungkook wouldn’t ask for anything more than this. Than falling back asleep, at the break of dawn, with the people he loves the most in the entire world, right in his arms.

Come to think of it, they may just be his entire world.

✧✧✧

“Oh my god!”

It’s been less than a month, literally only three weeks, since Taehyung has become the manager of The Seoulery. Seokjin had done all the legal contracts and everything surprisingly fast and had merely left behind one of his two-fingered waves, before disappearing. It’s kind of hard to believe that he’ll miss this place judging by how quick he’d been to leave but Taehyung guesses it’s a good thing that he hadn’t been too emotional?

Unlike Seokjin, Taehyung still works here. While Seokjin had just left the employees to work (which is understandable since he had been a very busy man) Taehyung does work too, working the same jobs he’d worked before he’d become manager. But it’s different, because he doesn’t have to work long shifts or everyday anymore. And it’s like a huge mass has been lifted off his shoulders.

One thing Taehyung is still not used to is this though. This being walking in on Jimin and Hoseok in the break room.

“Oh hey Tae,” Jimin smiles from underneath Hoseok on the sofa. This bitch.

“What the fuck Jimin?” Taehyung exclaims, hands coming up quickly to cover his eyes. “I didn’t need to see any of this!”

“Chill,” Jimin laughs and Taehyung hears some shuffling around. “We weren’t even doing anything.” Taehyung can easily counteract that since the image of both Jimin and Hoseok’s shiny, spit covered lips is engraved into his mind. “Plus, it’s basically closing time, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Jimin seriously,” Taehyung sighs, finally removing his hands from his face and walking in to fetch his bag. He actually understands now, why Seokjin had made the rule of not wanting to see any romantic business going on in the break room; it all makes so much sense! “This needs to stop. We still have the rule and you two are obviously a few seconds away from fucking and I don’t want to have to witness any of that in my café.” Shit, that feels good to say.

“Oh? Your café, huh?” Jimin’s right behind Taehyung now and Taehyung decides he can’t stay angry at his best friend for any longer, especially when he’s pulled into a warm back hug. “Don’t act like you and Jungkook haven’t done anything in here.”

“For your information, we’ve never done anything in here aside from peck each other, so there’s no excuse for you to be doing anything more than that.” He turns to Hoseok who’s sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, tracing over one of his ankle tattoos with his index finger. “That goes for you too, hyung!” he warns. “Even if you don’t work here, I don’t want to see it!”

“Okay, okay Tae,” Hoseok laughs, though it doesn’t sound very believable. “No more.”

“Taehyung!” comes a voice that Taehyung knows all too well, along with the sound of the bell at the entrance. “Taehyungie hyung!”

“Sounds like your hot cup of coffee is here,” Jimin whispers right into Taehyung’s ear, voice sounding annoyingly teasing. “Actually he’s not hot. He’s an iced, black Americano-“

“Oh, here you are.” Jungkook says. The sight of his face immediately brings a smile to Taehyung’s lips. “Hey hyungs,” he adds, merely nodding at the two other people in the room, before all but shoving Jimin away and replacing him in the back hug.

“What are you doing here?” Taehyung asks. He struggles for a bit in Jungkook’s tight grip before managing to turn around in the embrace, wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s neck. “I was just about to come home.”

“I missed you,” he murmurs into Taehyung’s neck.

“Time for us to leave,” Hoseok says, voice sounding melodramatically disgusted. “This is gross.”

“After what I just witnessed,” Taehyung says, glaring, “this is nothing.”

“Whatever you say,” Hoseok says. He sounds unaffected by Taehyung’s apparent aggression and he has the same teasing smile at his lips as Jimin. “You two are just as disgusting as me and Jiminie, you just don’t realise.”

As they’re closing up the café, under the dark sky, they all joke about a bit more. Jimin purposely pushes the keys out of Taehyung’s hand, multiple times all while Hoseok gets Jungkook into a headlock. Taehyung finds that when all the locking up is done, he doesn’t really want to leave.

“See you tomorrow Tae,” Jimin waves with one hand, the other swinging in the hold of Hoseok’s.

“Now,” Taehyung starts as they begin their trek through the park shortcut, “tell me why you’re actually here.” Jungkook’s hand brushes Taehyung’s softly, but he doesn’t let it get too far away again as he grabs on to intertwine their fingers.

“What? I can’t be here because I missed you?”

“I mean you could, but you saw me only a few hours ago. Plus we spent the whole day together yesterday and the day before and the day before,” Taehyung states. “What’s the real, real reason?”

“Okay, you got me,” Jungkook chuckles. “But seriously, I did miss you. I miss you even when you get up to use the bathroom. I miss you thirty seconds after leaving you. I miss you always, because you’re constantly on my mind.”

Taehyung still gets flustered. True, it’s only been a few months since they’ve properly started to get to know each other, but they spend almost every hour of every day together, so surely, Taehyung should be over all the butterflies and tummy summersaults by now. Who is he kidding? He never wants those to go away if they’re because of Jungkook.

“You really know how to get to a man’s heart,” Taehyung smiles, looking up at Jungkook, only to find his eyes already on him. The heat that blossoms up his cheeks isn’t very convenient though it isn’t unwanted either. “But I feel the same way.”

Only the sound of their footsteps fill the air around them then and Taehyung keeps his eyes solely on Jungkook who’s facing the front now. It’s probably not the smartest idea to not be looking where he’s going but it’s like he can’t even look away if he tried. Jungkook’s walking with a bounce in his step and there’s a constant smile stuck at his lips, almost as if he can’t help himself. Taehyung is able to fully take in Jungkook's side profile, and he loves it. If there’s one thing that Taehyung had to pick out of Jungkook’s features (apart from his bunny smile), he’d say his nose is his favourite. The way the bridge sits high and the little mole on the tip that matches Taehyung’s own. The way his nose is slightly too big for his face but still manages to make him look charming and handsome. The way-

“Aren’t you being a bit nosey?” Jungkook suddenly asks, a hint of teasing in his voice.

Taehyung huffs, looking away. “How did you even know I was looking at your nose,” he asks, suddenly feeling quite flustered. “That’s a bit creepy if you ask me. I mean, you were looking forward.”

“You’ve booped and kissed my nose too many times. I think I’d know.” Taehyung shakes his head in reply, hating the way he has no comeback. Because it’s true. “Anyway, I’ve got something to show you.” Jungkook suddenly stops in his tracks, right underneath a street lamp.

“I knew you had a reason to pick me up.”

“Shut up.”

“What is it?” Taehyung asks, turning so that he’s fully facing Jungkook. The latter seems to be unable to stop with the excited jitters, with the way he’s bouncing on his heels and smiling uncontrollably. “You’re literally so excited, Jungkook. What is it?”

“So, I got something.”

“Wait, you’re not proposing are you? Because I might just say yes and we haven’t even been together that long.”

“Wait, really?”’

“Are you actually proposing?”

“I mean, not really.” Taehyung feels his brows furrow, so Jungkook elaborates. “I mean, I got something and I also need to ask you something.”

“You got me a ring and you need to ask me to marry you?”

“Maybe one day but I think we should take a step back,” Jungkook laughs. He surprises Taehyung with a sudden kiss, a chaste one on the lips, so soft that Taehyung can’t help but smile into it. And just when he’s reaching up to wrap his arms around Jungkook to deepen said kiss, Jungkook pulls back, excited smile still steady at his lips. “Look what I got,” he says, taking a step back. A whole step! Taehyung immediately misses him.

Jungkook raises both of his hands up, each one clenched into loose fists with knuckles facing one another. Taehyung spots black ink at the side of his hands, small writing going from one end to just before his pinkie fingers’ knuckles. And he knows these tattoos are new because Taehyung knows every single piece of artwork on Jungkook’s body, having studied them late at night after their rather explicit sessions using his phone’s flashlight to see. Not only this but he’s also kissed every single one of them. Multiple times. Probably leaving behind a hickey or two over his favourites.

Taehyung takes a closer look, squinting slightly to make out the letters written across Jungkook’s skin. But then he doesn’t get to read it because Jungkook is speaking again.

“Someone I know once told me these words. And they’ve inspired me so much that I’ve only gone and tattooed them onto my body.” Jungkook pauses before looking straight into Taehyung’s eyes. “You’ve inspired me, Taehyung.”

“Jungkook, what-“

“Hating is tiring,” Jungkook says, lifting up one hand, “loving is gratifying,” he adds, lifting the opposite hand.

Taehyung feels his eyes widen at the sound of the very words he lives by, and at the sight of them adorning Jungkook’s skin, he feels his widened eyes start to sting. “Jungkook, what- why did you-“

“I feel like the luckiest man in the world to have found someone like you, Taehyung, and I feel so grateful for all the time I get to spend with you. Every time I look at you I can’t help but feel inspired because of all the things you’ve done. You’ve put your own life on pause just to properly care for your little sister and now look at you! Now you own your own fucking café and it just amazes me and I feel so proud and inspired because I want to be just like you.“

Taehyung can only stare into Jungkook’s eyes in silence, not a single thought even threatening to leave his mind.

“Loving is gratifying,” Jungkook repeats, using his tattoo covered hands to clutch at each of Taehyung’s own, “and I love you.” Taehyung feels his heart stop. “And all day, all I can think is, ‘fuck, I love him so much’ but I’ve been putting off saying it out loud because people would say it’s way too early-“

“I love you too,” Taehyung interrupts as Jungkook begins to stutter towards the end, cheeks dusting over in a light pink. “I love you too, Jungkook. So much. And I don’t care what people think. I’m not holding back my feeling just because of society’s norms.” Jungkook looks gobsmacked and the thought that Jungkook wasn’t expecting Taehyung to say the words back does not sit well with him. “I love you too. I love you so much Jungkook,” Taehyung repeats, eyes definitely filling with tears now because oh, how much he’s been wanting, needing, to say this to Jungkook. He lifts up Jungkook’s hands to place light kisses at his new tattoos, eyes remaining locked with his.

“Wait really?” Jungkook asks, genuinely looking shocked.

Taehyung can only nod eagerly, trying his best to blink away the tears that threaten to fall. Jungkook doesn’t say anything more, only removes his hands carefully from Taehyung’s hold, then places them at Taehyung’s hips. It’s such a soft touch, so soothing and makes Taehyung feel grounded. Wanted.

Jungkook stares for a moment and that only makes Taehyung’s heart flutter even more than before, with the way he looks so deeply at him. The look is one Taehyung’s never received in his life, one that makes him feel like the only person on earth. And that feeling is only heightened as Jungkook pulls Taehyung in closer, hands still firmly at his waist, and attaches their lips together in a much firmer kiss than before. Taehyung feels himself melt into Jungkook as their lips basically become one, moving along with one another so rhythmically that one would assume that they have had years of practice with each other.

And Taehyung’s really enjoying it too, not even worrying about the fact they’re still in the middle of the park, even when Jungkook’s cheeky hand sneaks underneath his jumper, fingers gripping at the skin at his hips. He enjoys the smile that Jungkook presses into the kiss, enjoys the way they don’t even bother pulling away for a second to breathe, really, really enjoys the way Jungkook’s tongue swipes across Taehyung’s bottom lip, just begging for entrance. Taehyung’s about to let him in when a thought makes itself known.

“Wait,” he pants, finally pulling away and absolutely loving the way Jungkook seems to chase after his lips, eyes still shut. “What if we break up?”

Jungkook opens his eyes again, though his hands stay firmly in their place, gently rubbing at Taehyung’s skin. He seems to think about it for a second but he doesn’t even falter as he answers.

“I have no intention of breaking up with you,” he says, “ever.” Taehyung’s heart does a few backflips inside his chest. “And if one day you decided to break up with me, at least I’d have the memory of how you inspired me. How I once had you.”

Taehyung wants to say it. Wants to say that he can’t imagine himself breaking up with Jungkook. Wants to say that he kind of wants to be with Jungkook forever. That he doesn’t have to worry because 'I literally love him so much that I kind of want to marry him.’

“I kind of want to marry him too,” says Jungkook, almost like he’s heard Taehyung’s thoughts- oh wait.

“Why do we keep doing this?” Taehyung laughs. Seriously, he’s never had the habit of accidentally saying things aloud but it seems that whenever he’s around Jungkook, he doesn’t have a brain to mouth filter. Though, the same could be said about Jungkook considering he’d been the one who’d started it in the first place. “Wait,” Taehyung suddenly realises, “you said you want to marry yourself?”

Jungkook chuckles, pulling Taehyung impossibly closer into a tight hug, so close that Taehyung’s face is smushed against his neck. “I have my ‘J’ tattoo on my ring finger for a reason, Tae.”

“You asshole.” Taehyung tries pushing away by placing his hands at Jungkook’s chest but it’s of no use as Jungkook holds on even tighter.

“But who knows,” Jungkook says, before placing a gentle kiss at Taehyung’s temple, “maybe one day, there’ll be a ‘T’ right beside it.”

Taehyung sighs contently into the side of Jungkook’s neck, leaving a few flittering kisses there.

He really does love this, loves the way they can just stand in silence with nothing but sound of each other’s breathing filling the air.

Come to think of it, silence is what Taehyung and Jungkook had actually found each other in, what they understood each other in.

Silence is what Taehyung and Jungkook fell in love in.

But turns out, thinking out loud is what actually brought them together.