Work Text:
Jungkook feels like his heart is about to jump off his chest, and it just might, if the reaction you give him is not the one he envisioned when he had the brilliant idea of surprising you with something he has never done before.
You’ve only been dating for half a year, but you feel like you’ve both known each other forever. Being with him feels so right, which is why you haven’t allowed for anything in your relationship with him to slow down. Letting things flow as naturally as possible might seem crazy to the eyes of everyone outside the relationship, but the natural course was perfect for you both.
The grip he has on the steering wheel of his car is so strong that the knuckles on his hands are turning white, emphasizing the black ink tattoos on his skin. He inhales deeply and exhales slowly, trying to calm himself down before he crashes the car out of pure nervousness.
You’ve been chattering about something that happened to you at work, Jungkook’s not sure. He’s usually a really good listener, he cares for each and every single thing you tell him, no matter if it’s office gossip or some funny meme you saw on Twitter, he’ll listen because if it matters to you then it matters to him too. But right now, all your words have gone in one ear and left through the other.
It’s not until you reach the apartment you had both moved in three months into your relationship that you notice he’s acting differently. You knew your boyfriend had a tendency to get distracted, spacing out suddenly whenever he thought deep and hard about something in particular, but his behavior throughout the night had been unlike those funny moments his eyes went wide as he stared into the abyss.
Jungkook had told you earlier that day that he had a surprise in store, but he didn’t sound all that suspicious when he had let you know about the night’s event. Taking you out for dinner wasn’t exactly all that surprising, but you were grateful that he still took time out of his busy schedule to go out with you.
Your boyfriend was a workaholic, and you figured you’d be too if you had a business of your own that you loved and were proud of just like him. His tattoo parlor was his pride and joy, probably spending an unhealthy amount of time inside the shop. You didn’t mind, though. It only filled you with adoration as he excitedly showed you all the pieces of art he had designed himself and all the bodies he had inked, a big smile on his face as he recreated his client’s faces of satisfaction.
‘‘Are you okay?’’ You ask calmly, taking the pair of uncomfortable heels of your feet.
You’re not even looking at him when you present the question, but his head turns to the side violently as he stares at you with wide eyes. Had he been too obvious? He’s never one to hide things from you, a fundamental key in why your relationship works as well as it does. You both don’t hide anything from each other, but right now he’s sitting on the biggest secret he’s ever had to keep.
‘‘Uh─yeah!’’ He quickly answers, clearing his throat as he tries to keep a stable tone. ‘‘Why do you ask?’’ He awkwardly chuckles, wiping his clammy hands against the denim of his jeans.
You shrug, ‘‘You’ve been really quiet and you probably talk as much as I do.’’ You never thought you’d find someone who could match you at speaking as much as you can, but you had found a great partner in Jungkook. Tonight, however, he’s lost track.
Looking back at him, you raise an eyebrow up as you study his facial features in hopes to find the answer to your suspicion.
‘‘Well, I’m just...tired─yeah, I’m tired!’’ Jungkook settles, quickly finding the solution to his nervous behavior.
You pout, heart softening at your poor boyfriend who had a long day at his job and probably didn’t want to let you down by canceling tonight’s date. Jungkook turns around, sighing with relief as he’s been let off the hook.
‘‘Poor bubba, you want a message?’’ You offer, crawling your way behind him and placing your arms around his neck, hands lingering to close to somewhere he doesn’t want you to be near to right now.
Usually, Jungkook would quickly agree to your magic hands. There’s an art that goes into back rubs and you’ve mastered it, he'd let you know this plenty of times. Which is why when he quickly pulls away from your embrace, you furrow your brows in concern. There’s something wrong with your boyfriend, forreal this time.
‘‘Sorry! I uh━I just want to sleep, baby.’’ Jungkook quickly explains, knowing that his sudden jump off the bed wasn’t at all normal.
Crossing your arms over your chest, you narrow your eyes at him, refusing to believe the lame and pathetic excuses he’s been giving you so far. He knows this, but he’s in too deep now. Damn, he’s really an idiot. Why did he do this in the first place?
Taehyung had even warned him, but Jungkook was adamant and decided to go through with it anyway.
‘‘You’re lying to me,’’ you state. ‘‘So either you fess up right now or we’re not sleeping in the same bed tonight,’’ the threatening tone you give him is one Jungkook’s heard only a handful of times.
He can hear his heartbeat loud and clear, embarrassed that you might too. He opens his mouth several times, but quickly closes it every time no words leave his lips.
Oh, so now you don’t have the balls to be honest with her? You were acting pretty tough when you decided to go down with it.
‘‘Shut up,’’ he mumbles out loud in annoyance, earning an offended look from your behalf. ‘‘No, no, not you!’’ Jungkook quickly corrects, trying to mend his dumb mistake. He hates his brain more than anything.
You don’t back away, still waiting for him to explain himself.
‘‘I...I…,’’ Jungkook stammers, trying to get the words out of his mouth. You look at him with expectancy and even your own heart is beating fast, not ready for whatever it is he wants to say. Why is it taking him so long? Is he going to break up with you? Is he going to confess he did something so bad it will leave you heartbroken? Why plan such a lovely night to end it with such a devastating ending?
Instead, Jungkook clicks his tongue and quickly undoes the buttons of the shirt he had been wearing that night. You raise your brows in surprise, confused about the sudden move. Little by little, the skin he had been hiding is unveiled to you. Scattered pieces of ink adorning his pretty skin are shown off, and you turn your head to the side, forcing yourself to look away because if he thinks you’re going to have sex with him right now, he’s dead wr─
‘‘Look.’’
Jungkook’s voice comes out soft and it sounds...shaky. You slowly look back at him, his tonified chest fully exposed by then. The all too familiar designs displayed across his skin look normal, nothing out of the ordinary. He sighs with disappointment, having to grab your hand into his and place it just across his left pec.
‘‘Here,’’ he whispers. Your hand uncovers the hidden skin, and it’s then when you notice it.
A gasp escapes your lips, eyes turning glossy as you look at the small doodle inked right above his heart.
He searches your eyes, trying to grasp what reaction is this. Are you happy about it? Maybe it wasn’t the right to do, Taehyung had told him these sorts of things were relationship breakers and Jungkook would hate himself if this small surprise he’s done out of pure love and adoration is the catalyst that pushes you away from him.
‘‘I-Is that my─?’’ Your question comes unfinished, tracing the delicate lines of the inked heart. It looks just like you had done it yourself, but you have never touched a tattoo pen in your life so this work doesn’t come from you.
Jungkook lets out a breathless chuckle, ‘‘Yeah, it’s the heart you wrote on the sticky note with your number when we met.’’
The confirmation of your supposition is what provokes the tears to fall from your eyes, bottom lip trembling as you try not to whimper.
Your boyfriend’s eyes pop open, ‘‘Oh, baby, do you not─? Do you not like it?’’ He quickly asks, taking your arms into his hands. He should’ve listened to Taehyung, who had told him this was a completely stupid idea he would end up regretting. He doesn’t actually, but if you don’t like it then what’s the point? ‘‘I can get it covered with something else! I can do it tomorrow if you want, I’m sorry I─’’
Jungkook’s fast spoken words are cut off by your lips planting themselves over his, shutting the idea completely down. He hums as you kiss him passionately and he holds you in his arms lovingly, raveling himself in the bliss.
It takes effort to separate himself from you, ‘‘So, do you like it?’’ He asks, still unsure of what you think of the surprise.
You roll your eyes at your clueless boyfriend, ‘‘Like it? Bubba, I love it.’’ The big smile you give him lets Jungkook know that you’re not lying.
The remainder of the night is spent making out on your bed, only stopping once you’re too tired to continue. Snuggling up close to your boyfriend’s chest, you fall asleep tracing the heart across his chest.
You had drawn it automatically that day you had met him, going to his tattoo shop as your best friend’s support system while she got her first piece done. The cute and nice tattoo artist had captured your attention, and you luckily had his too. Leaving a sticky note with your name and number on it, you added a heart to it for no particular reason. Jungkook had stared at it for hours, deciding then that, if fate would have it, he’d ink it into his skin forever.
You’ve drawn the same heart ever since you were a little girl, but it has never looked as perfect as how it does on his chest.