Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Dude, you know there are like, creepy fifty year old guys on that site, right?” Jimin says, as he flops onto his stomach next to Taehyung. He lays his head down on a pillow, the right side of his face turned up so he could look at Taehyung’s laptop.

The orange-haired boy waves his hand around dismissively. “It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine if you end up dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“Jimothy, my dearest bestest bro,” Taehyung begins dramatically, looking away from his laptop to stare at his roommate. “I know what I’m doing. I’m a professional omegler.”

“I wasn’t aware that that was a thing.”

“It is now,” Taehyung notes. “I know how to weed out the creeps like I know how to weed out actual weed from kenaf leaves.”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “You couldn’t tell vodka from vinegar last week.”

“Probably because I was high out of my mind,” Taehyung tries to reason.

“I’m pretty sure you were sane,” Jimin recalls. “You’re just an idiot.” He takes another glance at his laptop, frowning. “An idiot who spends his time on Omegle answering weird questions at 11:30pm instead of working on his neuroscience essay.”

Taehyung glares, but Jimin’s known him long enough to know that there’s no menace behind the action.

“You’re the one who’s best friends with said idiot and isn’t doing shit, so.”

Jimin grins. “Touché.” He flips over onto his back and then sits up on the bed, leaning against the wall. Taehyung’s twin-sized mattress is way too small for two men in their twenties, and Jimin rests his legs on top of Tae’s comfortably.

“Bro, did you shave your legs?” Taehyung asks, as he disconnects from yet another person asking for nudes.

“Yeah, why?”

“They’re soft as hell.”

“Thanks.”

“Like a baby’s butt.”

“Thanks.”

“Or maybe my butt.”

Jimin grimaces. “I don’t even wanna…” He stops and lets his head rest on Taehyung’s shoulder, eyes scanning the words on Taehyung’s mac. “Does that say ‘do a sexy roleplay please’?”

“Incredible! You can read!” Taehyung exclaims, fingers poised on his keyboard, ready to type.

“Shut up--dude, what are you doing?” Jimin blurts, eyes widening as Taehyung types in i’m cumming!!! into his textbox. “Holy shit, dude, what the fuck?”

“Calm down, Jiminie,” Taehyung chastises, bringing a hand up to pat at his best friend’s head like a puppy, or maybe an overgrown man-child. “This is all for good fun. Professional omegler, remember?”

Jimin mumbles something about someone tracking down their apartment through the wifi and Taehyung thinks he hears the word illuminati, but he ignores it when a soft beep sounds from his laptop.

“Aw, that’s lame,” he says, pouting. “They just sent three dots. Must be a virgo.” He types ahhh ooohh yeaah baby harder yesss and sends it into the chat.

“You’re so weird,” Jimin says, getting off the bed. “I’m going to sleep. Don’t give out your phone number or our address or nudes or whatever.”

“Professional omegler.”

“Whatever. Goodnight.”

“Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” Taehyung calls after him as Jimin shuts his bedroom door. Then he looks down at the chat, mouse hovering over the disconnect button. If this stranger isn’t going to play along, this won’t be fun at all.

But then:

Stranger: ahhhHHhhhhh

Taehyung grins, feeling victorious. He begins to type.

You: ah yeah do you like that baby

Stranger: sure

Taehyung snorts. That’s the spirit, he thinks.

You: aw man this is so good im so hard mmmmmm

Stranger: yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

The orange-haired boy purses his lips. The conversation isn’t really going anywhere interesting and he’s starting to get bored, fast. He shrugs as he types whoops, i farted and sends it without expecting much.

He waits a bit. After a full twenty seconds, he thinks the stranger isn’t going to respond. Then:

Stranger: wtf u ruined the mood :/

You: sorry babe, i’ll try to make it up to u

Stranger: how?

You: any way u want ;)

Taehyung swears high and low that he’s not a fuckboy. Not in real life, at least.

Stranger: hmm...ok

Stranger: i’ll only accept ice cream as payment though

You: how does an ice cream sundae sound?

You: complete with a scoop of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla w/ whipped cream and cherries

You: and my dick can be the banana

Stranger: sounds delish

Stranger: but idk how i feel about biting off ur dick :/

Taehyung, forgetting that he’s currently leaning against the wall, tilts his head back as he laughs. His skull hits off the edge of his window pane and he half giggles and half groans in agony before replying.

You: oh shit, i didn’t think about that

Stranger: i mean if ur into that, i won’t judge

Stranger: it’s just not in my comfort zone

You: i gotchu babe, dw

You: how bout we lay down some limits

Stranger: k

Stranger: no cannibalism

Taehyung sends a long string of sad faces as he grins.

You: darn, there goes our honeymoon plans

Stranger: sorry :*

Stranger: honeymoon??

You: yes, we’re getting married now

Taehyung doesn’t know what’s so amusing about getting fake-married to strangers over the internet, but it has him giggling like a tween boy.

You: can i know the name of my bride-to-be?

It’s a good thing Jimin isn’t here, Taehyung thinks, because otherwise he’d be getting all sorts of stranger danger!! motherly shit. It’s not like Taehyung’s asking for the person’s full name, nor is he going to give his own full name either. It’s safe, he knows it is. He’s a professional omegler, after all.

Stranger: oh...that’s awkward.

You: what is it sweetcheeks

Stranger: i can’t be a bride if i’m a guy

Taehyung blinks. Oh. The stranger’s a guy.

Not like Taehyung minds, of course. Actually, it makes things a hundred times better, seeing as Taehyung’s always preferred nice asses and muscles over boobs and small waists ever since he could spell homosexual as fuck.

You: s’ok pumpkin spice latte, we can still get married

You: if ur ok with that

Stranger: im cool

You: nice

Stranger: u can call me jungkook

Taehyung wonders if that’s his real first name or not. A lot of the time, people are truthful about their first names--it’s not like you can track someone down with just that information alone. But Taehyung’s never been the type to put his actual given name. He prefers to just make one up.

But first, pickup lines.

You: and u can call me tonight ;)

Stranger: pft

Stranger: lame, try again

You: rude

What fake name should he use this time? He racks his brain.

Then he grins.

You: call me jimin

If Jimin ever finds out, the reason Taehyung ends up dead in a ditch will be because of him.

Stranger: oh nice, i love it when u talk dirty to me

The orange-haired boy laughs again. He likes this guy’s sense of humour already.

You: well jungkook

You: why are u on omegle at midnight on a thursday doing sexy rps w/ strangers?

Stranger: technically it's friday

Stranger: and i could ask u the same thing, jimin

You: i asked u first

Stranger: k whatever

Stranger: i’m avoiding my responsibilities like every other college student in the world

Stranger: oh fuck, i just gave u my age didn’t i

Taehyung smirks in amusement.

You: college-boy kook. has a ring to it

Stranger: if ur 50 im disconnecting

Taehyung’s fingers fly over the keyboard faster than they ever have before.

You: no!!! don’t leave pls

You: i like u

You: ur funny

You: also im in uni too so

Stranger: whatever

Stranger: not like we’re gonna meet irl anyway

You: true

You: in that case, im a 46 y/o woman named tigress looking for hot young singles

Stranger: ha

Taehyung frowns. That joke deserved at least three ha’s. Maybe even a capitalized LMAO, but he doesn’t want to get too cocky. Jungkook doesn’t say anything for an entire minute and Taehyung feels a bit disheartened.

You: am i not funny enough for u :(

It takes a while for him to respond.

Stranger: what

Stranger: no

Stranger: sorry i just remembered that i have to write an essay for philosophy

Stranger: i fucking hate essays

You: i agree

Stranger: i hate uni too

You: ur just a lil bundle of hate now arent ya

Stranger: stfu

Stranger: it’s not like uni was my idea anyway

Taehyung stares. They’ve strayed pretty far from their original conversation. Normally at this point, he’d disconnect and find someone else to talk to, but he doesn’t. Instead, he wonders why Jungkook hates university and how come it wasn’t his idea to go, and so he asks.

You: u didn’t wanna go to uni???

He takes a while to answer again. Taehyung thinks that maybe he’s hesitating--it’s not everyday that a stranger asks you to spill the beans about your angsty college life, and Taehyung wouldn’t be surprised if Jungkook disconnected right then and there.

He doesn’t.

Stranger: i mean, yeah i did

Stranger: for the ~college experience~ everyone talks about

Stranger: but my parents chose my major for me so it kinda sucks

Taehyung makes a sound of sympathy. His parents didn’t choose his major for him; he chose neuroscience himself. But two years in, he realized that he didn’t quite like his major and wanted to switch out, only to be told not to. He can relate to Jungkook, and he tells him.

You: yo dude i totally feel u

You: i started not really liking my major starting this year but im super into acting lol

You: but my parents wouldnt let me switch out and i can’t really argue bc they’re helping me pay

You: and i almost have my degree anyway

You: also...well, they’re myp arents so

You: my parents*

You: idk

You: u know what i mean?

Stranger: yeah

Stranger: this might sound lame but

Stranger: i wanted to be an english major bc i wanna be a writer or whatever

Stranger: my parents made me take business bc it’s “safer”

Stranger: smfh

You:  sucks :/

Stranger: yeah :/

You: well…

You: idk if ur a freshman or a sophomore or whatever but

You: hopefully if ur a freshman

You: u know what u want, so i encourage u to just fuck it and be an english major

You: it’s too late for me bc i’m a third year and i have good grades

You: and it’s not like i toTALLY hate neuroscience or whatever

You: and i dont want all my hard work and tears to be for nothing

You: but it’s not too late for u!

Stranger: oh

Stranger: hm

Stranger: maybe i should just fuck it

You: you definitely should

You: and i know u said u hate uni but idk

You: u’ll find something u find beautiful about it one day

You: (hopefully)

You: where there’s negativity, there’s gotta be positivity

Stranger: …this suddenly got all deep and inspiring

Stranger: wasn’t i talk about biting off ur dick like twenty mins ago

You:  yeah haha

You: life is funny that way i guess

Stranger: yeah, i guess

Taehyung finds himself talking to Jungkook for another hour and a half. It’s not his longest Omegle conversation to date (he had one where they roleplayed being minions and they just sent gibberish to each other for three hours straight), but it’s the longest Omegle conversation and the only Omegle conversation where he actually, properly, talked about himself.

They talk about what kind of music they like (Taehyung likes SNSD, but Jungkook insists that IU trumps all girls groups in existence), their families (Jungkook has an older brother in the army, Taehyung has two younger siblings), discussed what their dream jobs were (Taehyung a moviestar, Jungkook a writer), and got onto the topic of what the correct raspberry to banana ratio in a raspberry-banana smoothie is (Jungkook says it's half a cup of raspberries to one banana, but that's only because he likes bananas better and so Taehyung deemed his opinion utterly irrelevant because who the fuck likes bananas more than raspberries? Savages, that’s who).

It’s almost two in the morning when Taehyung finds himself bidding the stranger a goodnight, his eyelids beginning to droop. Time had flown by so quickly while talking to this guy that he didn’t even realize he had class in six hours.

He types.

You: it was nice talking to u

You: u weird, banana-loving man

You: honestly who the fuck likes bananas more than raspberries

Stranger: ...thanks i guess

Stranger: and yeah it was nice talking to u too

Stranger: byewaIT

Stranger: wait wait wait

You: what??

Stranger: u know how i complained to u about wanting to be a writer and hating my major and stuff

You: yeah

Stranger: i’ve never told anyone that so

Stranger: idk, just in case we meet irl

Stranger: and i know we prob won’t bc what are the chances right

Stranger: but im kinda paranoid so

You: don’t tell anyone??

Stranger: ...yeah. please

Taehyung can’t help but think this Jungkook guy is kind of cute.

You: dont u worry

You: my lips are sealed

Stranger: ok thanks

Stranger: bye

You: goodbye kookie <3

Stranger: kookie…

You: its a cute nickname, accept it kookie

Stranger: go to sleep

You: okay

You: goodnight kookie <3

Stranger: gn jimin

Taehyung shuts down his laptop and goes to sleep.

---

Jungkook yawns tiredly into his coffee. He’d just pulled his first allnighter of the year--and December just started, it's ridiculous, he thinks--and he can barely keep his eyes open.

“Dude.”

It doesn’t help that his professor’s voice is low and soothing. The lecture sounds more like a lullaby rather than some long spiel on what personhood consists of (Jungkook has no idea what’s going on; it’s probably the result of him having a jar of exactly zero fucks to give) and all he wants to do is curl back up in his bed.

“Dude.”

He considers sleeping for a bit. A power nap, just fifteen minutes.

“Dude?”

The girl right next to him seems to be doing fine. Maybe if he flirts with her, he can get her course notes.

“Jungkook!” The exclamation comes with a swift whack on the head with a notebook and the black-haired boy turns to his left with a scowl.

“What?” he hisses at Hoseok, rubbing the spot where he’d gotten hit.

“You were falling asleep,” his friend points out in a whisper.

Jungkook glares. “I was trying to?”

“Oh. Whoops.”

The younger sighs. “Whatever. I probably would’ve drooled all over my notes anyway.”

The girl beside him makes a face and Jungkook inwardly scoffs when she lowkey pulls her papers closer to her.

“Why are you so tired anyway?” Hoseok questions. He’s folding a paper airplane out of one of their handouts--his mind has never quite left high school. Or elementary, for that matter.

“I forgot about the essay that was due today,” Jungkook reveals, relaxing back in his chair. “I was up all night writing. Plus, I was on Omegle,” he adds as an afterthought.

Hoseok snorts. “What the hell were you doing on Omegle? Hopefully not sending nudes.” When Jungkook sends him a pointed look, he scrunches his face up in disdain. “Okay, Jungkook, I know you have a hot body and all, but sending nudes to strangers is a definitive no-no.”

“I wasn’t sending nudes, dumbass,” Jungkook retorts with a roll of his eyes. “I was doing the question thing because I was bored. Ended up talking to some guy for, like, two hours.”

Hoseok looks impressed. “Really? You guys must be soulmates.”

“Ha ha, hilarious.”

“Okay, well, that’s not important right now anyway.” Hoseok leans closer so he can whisper into Jungkook’s ear. “There’s this party tonight. At Seokjin-hyung’s.”

Jungkook raises his eyebrows. “I hate parties,” he deadpans, taking a sip of his coffee.

Hoseok grins. There’s a mischievous glint in his eye, as if he knows something that Jungkook doesn’t, and the black-haired boy doesn’t know what to make of it. And then:

“I know, but...Taehyung’s gonna be there.”

Coffee dribbles out of Jungkook’s mouth in surprise and Hoseok has to hold back a loud cackle. Jungkook’s frantically trying to find something to mop it up with, settling for some old Subway napkin in his bag that he never used.

“So?” Hoseok presses on, practically bouncing in his seat. “You coming? You better be coming.”

Jungkook sighs. He’s never been much of a party-person--he hates places with lots of loud people and drunk strangers--but the promise of Taehyung being there forces him to rethink.

After all, Jungkook’s had a crush on the guy since the first day of school.

It was an embarrassing first encounter, to say the least: it was Jungkook’s first day at his new dorm on the university campus, and he’d gotten into the elevator at the same time as Taehyung.

“Heya neighbour, I’m Kim Taehyung!” Taehyung had greeted kindly, friendly box-shaped smile and all. “What floor? I’m going to the lobby.”

Jungkook had just happened to bite his tongue at the exact moment he was going to respond, resulting in him smushing the sentences “I’m going down too” and “ow, fuck, my tongue” and he’d loudly exclaimed, “I’m down to fuck my tongue”. In a moment of extreme panic, he’d blabbered out a ridiculous flurry of swears and apologies, got back out of the elevator before the doors could close after making up some excuse that he’d forgotten something, and then hightailed it the fuck back to his room.

Jungkook swore he’d never come out of his dorm after that.

But, of course, it being that he had to actually pass his classes, he did come out of his dorm. He would always take the stairs after that little incident (that Hoseok likes to call the “elevator tongue-fuck”, but Jungkook keeps insisting that that sounds plain weird), terrified that he’d end up alone in the elevator with the orange-haired senior.

However, despite purposely avoiding the boy that lives all the way down the hall from him for the sake of his own pride and sanity, Jungkook still ended up seeing Taehyung everywhere.

Truth be told, it’s not hard to miss a head of flaming orange hair. But, as months passed and Jungkook kept seeing him around campus, dancing on the couches in the lobby, in the library, occasionally at the diner he works at, et cetera, he found it even harder to miss his voice. Jungkook thinks he can pick out Taehyung’s laugh in a group of a hundred people and they haven’t even properly met yet (because like hell is he going to count the “elevator tongue-fuck” as their first meeting).

Jungkook’s aware that it’s a stupid, helpless crush. He doesn’t even know why he likes Taehyung. There's just something about seeing his smile from across a cafe, hearing his muffled laughter from the table in front of his in the library, that has butterflies flutter up in Jungkook’s stomach for no real reason. He can’t help it.

And here is Hoseok, his best friend, giving him a chance to meet him. In a respectable fashion.

If Friday night college parties could be counted as respectable, that is.

“Okay,” Jungkook agrees hesitantly. “And only because you said it’s Seokjin-hyung who’s hosting it,” he adds quickly. Seokjin works part-time as a waiter at the same restaurant that Jungkook and Hoseok do, and Jungkook thinks he can trust him well enough. “Just...don’t do anything weird.”

Hoseok beams at him, smile bright. “Oh man, this is great! Out first college party! I’m gonna get Seokjin-hyung to make you look so hot. You’re gonna get laid. This is gonna be great.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes at him and turns back to the professor at the front of the room.

---

“Jimin!” Taehyung screeches, as he bursts into his best friend’s room.

Jimin, who’d just came back from working out at the gym, was in the process of doing the splits as part of his cool down stretch. But with Taehyung scaring the crap out of him, he accidentally dropped all of his weight down at once, and the force of a million suns settles upon his crotch. He rolls around on the floor in agony, tears prickling at his eyes as he whimpers out, “We need to get locks on our doors. Seriously.”

“Sorry dude,” Taehyung says, staring down at his friend innocently. “Anyway--”

“Taehyung, I am in excruciating pain,” Jimin chokes out, hands clutching his groin. “Can you, like, get me ice or something?”

“Yeah, sure, anything for my best bro for life.” Taehyung runs out of his room at top speed. When he returns, Jimin merely stares at him.

“Tae, that’s our container of chocolate ice cream.”

“We ran out of ice. Do you want strawberry instead?”

Jimin sighs and holds his hand out. Taehyung gives him the ice cream, face serious as if he isn't, in fact, giving his best friend their dessert to put over his balls.

“We really need to get locks,” Jimin repeats. There’s less of a crack in his voice this time, which he thinks is a good sign. He doesn’t have to go through puberty again.

“What for?” Taehyung asks, looking offended. “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked.”

“Tae, please.”

“No homo, all the bromo,” he states proudly.

Jimin shakes his head. “Dude, why did you even come in here?”

Taehyung blinks at him. “Uh...the party?” he says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Seokjin-hyung from the diner? His party? Remember?” He gestures down at his outfit and Jimin should’ve remembered just by looking at him alone--Taehyung usually wears sweatpants and oversized sweaters, but now he’s clad in tight jeans, a black t-shirt and a leather jacket. It gives him kind of a badass vibe, which is the exact opposite of the idiotic ball of homo-erotic sunshine that he is.

“Oh my God, how did I forget?” Jimin exclaims, getting to his feet. He wobbles to his dresser and pulls out a drawer. “Yoongi-hyung’s gonna be there, right? Oh my God, how am I supposed to dance all sexily and get him to notice me when I just crushed my balls?”

Taehyung strides over to him and helps him look through his collection of clothes. “S’okay man, we’ll just make you look extra hot so you don’t have to dance to look sexy. Where are your black skinny jeans?”

“My black skinny jeans? Why?”

“Because your ass is killer in those, bro.”

“Wow. Thanks bro.”

“No problem.”

They locate his pair of jeans in seconds and Taehyung tries to convince Jimin to put on some atrocious green sweater (“Christmas spirit, Jiminie! Do it for Santa!”), when Jimin finally manages to shut him up and settles for a red tee instead.

“Simplicity is best,” Taehyung says, nodding approvingly. Jimin decides not to mention how he was literally trying to get him to wear a sweater with reindeer heads and golden tassels and shoves him out the door.

---

Jungkook hates parties, but he likes attention.

So when Seokjin agreed to make him look, in Hoseok’s words, “hot like the sun, which is very hot”, Jungkook was all up for it. Especially since he’ll be able to look hot in front of Taehyung.

“Wow. I’m amazing,” Seokin breathes, stepping back to admire his masterpiece. “Look at you, Jungkookie! I’m so amazing. I did this to you. I’m wonderful.”

Jungkook’s learned to tune out Seokjin’s endless self-praise ages ago, and he merely nods.

“Thanks, hyung.”

Seokjin glances down at his watch. “People should be coming by pretty soon.”

Which means Taehyung will be coming soon, Jungkook thinks, and he goes to rub at the back of his head nervously when Seokjin all but shrieks.

“No! Do not touch your hair, Jeon Jungkook. It’s perfect. I made it perfect.”

Hoseok scoffs from where he’s laying on Seokjin’s bed, playing a game on his phone. “He’s just nervous, hyung. Leave the boy be.”

“Nervous?” Seokjin turns to Jungkook, a smirk on his face. “Why? Is someone special coming?” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and Jungkook scowls.

“No,” he says, and Seokjin squeals.

“That’s adorable, Jungkook,” Seokjin gushes. “Is it someone I personally invited or is it someone that’s just stopping by because everyone knows that my parties are the best?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, but there’s no denying that everyone loves Seokjin’s parties. He has connections with one of the best underground DJs in Seoul and, of course, he’s rich. His parents bought him a fancy, three-story house with glass floor-to-ceiling windows and an in-ground pool in the back, and Jungkook still doesn’t know why Seokjin bothers to work part-time at the diner when he could just start accepting all the modelling offers he gets and live off that and his parents. But whenever he or Hoseok would ask, he’d brush off the question easily.

“It’s no one,” Jungkook finally responds, a huff in his voice. He can feel his cheeks starting to warm and he looks away from Seokjin’s curious eyes.

“It’s Kim Taehyung,” Hoseok pipes up and the black-haired boy shoots him a dark glare.

“I hate you,” he whispers.

“Oh my God, Taehyungie? That’s so cute!” Seokjin screeches, and Jungkook stares at him in surprise.

“Taehyungie--what? You know him?”

“Of course I do?” Seokjin snaps his fingers in front of Jungkook’s face. “You do know he’s a regular at the diner that we’ve”--he gestures at the three of them--”been working at for the past, what, month and a half? I always end up being his waiter and he’s kind of a chatterbox, so we became friends.”

Jungkook turns to Hoseok. “Wait, seriously? He’s a regular?”

His best friend shrugs. “You always work in the back so I guess you never see him.”

“And you never told me?”

“I mentioned it once!” Hoseok exclaims. “But it was when you were in your denial stage and all you said was ‘pfftt who the fuck is that I don’t care why are you telling me’. God, you were angsty.”

Jungkook flushes. He does remember that happening.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go downstairs,” Seokjin says. “Someone’s probably coming up to the door right now.” The sound of the doorbell punctuates his words and he grins. “I can even tell the future; give me one reason not to love me,” he states, making his way down the stairs.

“You’re pretentious as fuck,” Hoseok mutters at his retreating back and Jungkook stifles a giggle. “Why are we friends with him again?”

“Because he’s the only one who'll share his weed with you on weekends.”

“Oh...that’s true.”

---

Jungkook doesn’t have many friends. Honestly, he only ever talks to Hoseok and Seokjin, and so when stranger after stranger fills the elder’s home, he really doesn’t have much to do.

Seokjin is being a perfect host as always, making sure everyone has a drink in hand and an emergency number to call (“I have five guest rooms and four seats in my car if you need a ride home; there is going to be no drunk driving after my party!” he announces at regular intervals, which reminds Jungkook of another reason he’s friends with Seokjin--he’s extremely nice, despite being narcissistic sometimes).

Hoseok, on the other hand, has always been a social butterfly and had run off to talk to some Yoongi guy ten minutes ago, leaving Jungkook to sit by himself at the kitchen table like a loser.

An hour passes and the party is now in full-swing, with people drinking and shouting and dancing and Jungkook eating out of Seokjin’s fruit bowl for the past fifteen minutes, bored out of his mind. He's midway through a strawberry when he sees a familiar flash of orange hair in the sea of people and he almost chokes.

Taehyung’s here.

Jungkook finishes his strawberry and takes a couple more grapes to calm himself down before getting up. He takes a deep breath, goes over the plan in his head and--

Jungkook realizes that he doesn’t actually have a plan and he sits back down in a panic.

Okay, calm down, think this through, don’t be weird...just go up to him and then…

“Jungkook!” Hoseok shouts loudly. The freshman looks up and sees his friend pushing his way towards him, but his mouth runs dry when he sees Taehyung.

Because Kim Taehyung is staring straight at him and Jungkook thinks he's saying something by the way his lips move--oh god, his lips--but he can’t be sure. Something with two syllables...look here? Cookie? Maybe he’s imagining things.

“Kookie!” Hoseok calls out again. He rushes up to him, grabs the other boy by the shoulders. “You can’t stay here all night. Get up and dance or something. Mingle with the singles.” He leans in close to whisper, “Besides, Taehyung just came,” and Jungkook swallows nervously.

He takes a peek over Hoseok’s shoulder to take a subtle glance at the third-year and his heart flips.

Why is he staring at me? He looks around, but there’s no one else lame enough to sit in the kitchen during a party except for him, so he can't be looking at anyone else.

“Is there something on my face?” Jungkook asks Hoseok, palms starting to get sweaty with nerves. He always thought that he’d be the indifferent type when it came to romantic relationships, but here he is, sweating up a storm, butterflies in his stomach, heart threatening to break out of his chest, and Taehyung looking at him (or in his general direction--Jungkook can’t know for sure) isn’t helping.

“What?” Hoseok gives his face a once-over. “No, you’re good. Why?”

Jungkook shakes his head. “Nothing.”

If Hoseok thought his behaviour was odd, he doesn’t mention it. Instead, he pulls Jungkook up to his feet and drags him into the living room. Jungkook’s eyes widen when he realizes that Hoseok is pulling him directly towards Taehyung and he digs his heels into the hardwood floor in protest.

“Jung Hoseok, what the hell are you doing?” he hisses.

“You’re welcome,” is the last thing Jungkook hears before Hoseok forcefully throws him right into Taehyung’s arms.

Jungkook quickly learns that Taehyung is not the smoothest of people. They collide, a mess of limbs and sweat, and Taehyung falls unceremoniously to the ground, Jungkook landing on top.

“Whoops!” Hoseok exclaims, giggling like a fucking schoolgirl. “My bad. Sorry Jungkook!”

Jungkook would turn around and punch his best friend repeatedly in the face if it weren’t for the fact that his own face was currently nestled in Taehyung’s neck and oh my god, he smells so good? He’s suddenly hyper-aware of everything around him, with everything being Kim Taehyung because their hands are around each other’s waists, legs tangled together, and Jungkook nearly jumps out of his skin when Taehyung giggles from underneath him and pats him on the head.

“Are you, uh, gonna get up?”

Oh my god, kill me. Jungkook jumps to his feet at lightning speed. He brushes down his jeans and clears his throat awkwardly and prays to whatever god there may be that his face isn’t as flaming red as it feels.

“Sorry,” he spits out quickly, looking down at the floor. “Sorry, that--that was an accident.” Like fucking hell it was. He puts ‘strangle Jung Hoseok’ on his mental to-do list.

Taehyung gets up and laughs. Jungkook’s heart does more of its stupid acrobatics in his chest, blush spreading up to his ears. Hearing Taehyung’s laugh right in front of him is totally different from hearing it muffled from across the library and he vaguely wonders if he’s going through cardiac arrest.

“It’s okay,” he says. “Kookie,” he adds as an afterthought and it sounds like a question. The younger looks up at him in surprise.

“You...what?”

Taehyung opens his mouth to say something, and then closes it and gives an awkward smile instead. “Sorry, no, it’s...I--I heard your friend say your name,” he manages to get out. “That’s a nickname, right? It’s cute.”

Jungkook flushes. “Uh…” What am I supposed to say to that?

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Taehyung begins suddenly. “Um...what’s your major?”

Jungkook stares at him, a bit taken aback. “My major? Business, why?”

Taehyung nods slowly. “Sounds fun!” He looks at him again and a flicker of recognition sparks in his eyes. Jungkook feels small under his gaze. “I’ve seen you before, haven’t I? You look kinda familiar.”

“I--uh--well--”

“We live on the same floor!” Hoseok chimes in helpfully, throwing an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders. The black-haired boy breathes a sigh of relief. Maybe I’ll take ‘strangling Jung Hoseok’ off the priorities section of my to-do list.

“Oh, do we?” Taehyung beams. “Maybe that’s why! I’m Kim Taehyung.” He holds out a hand to Jungkook and the younger takes it awkwardly.

“Jeon Jungkook,” he responds, cursing at the awkward hesitation in his voice.

“Well, I’ll leave you two be,” Hoseok says, sounding like the kind of aunt that sets her nephews up on blind dates. He whispers, “Be cool, man. I think he forgot about the elevator tongue-fuck” into Jungkook’s ear and then runs off to who-knows-where.

“I rarely see you for someone who lives on the same floor as me,” Taehyung mentions conversationally. He seems to be good at small-talk and Jungkook is grateful.

“Yeah, uh...fifth, right? I’m in 512.” Why did you just give him your room number, oh my god.

“Oh, then we are! I’m in 501.” Taehyung tilts his head as he takes in Jungkook’s face. “But...do you have classes at a weird time or something? I never see you on the elevator and almost everyone takes the elevator at the same time in the morning.”

“Uh…” What the hell is he supposed to say to that? Oh, it’s probably because I’ve been avoiding the elevator ever since the tongue-fuck incident and I didn’t want to run into you and make more of an embarrassing ass out of myself, sorry.

Thankfully, he’s saved from giving a response by a shorter guy running up to them and clamping a hand down onto Taehyung’s shoulder. Jungkook recognizes him only because he’s around Taehyung almost 24/7, and his voice is cheery when he speaks.

“Hey Tae--” he begins, but Hoseok suddenly reappears out of nowhere, pushing Taehyung’s friend into a blonde guy that’s innocently passing by. But instead of crashing into each other like Jungkook and Taehyung had, the guy Hoseok was trying to push Taehyung’s friend into effectively dodges him and the shorter boy goes sprawling.

“Oh shit,” Hoseok says, grimacing. “Shit, seriously. My bad. Sorry Jimin!”

Jungkook wonders if Hoseok is trying to play cupid or something tonight, until the other guy’s name settles into his mind.

Jimin.

Jimin.

No...that’s not possible, right? Jungkook gives himself a shake. The chances of meeting someone you’ve talked to on Omegle in real life is slim to none. There’s probably tons of people named Jimin that go to university--there’s no guarantee that this Jimin is sexy roleplay Omegle Jimin. No way at all.

Right?

Jimin gets up and brushes dust off of his jeans. He sends a withering glare to Hoseok and Taehyung--who is currently doubled-over in laughter (“oh my god, Jiminie, that was embarrassing. Wait, oh my god, are your balls okay?” Jungkook decides not to ask).

“What the hell was that?” Jimin exclaims, but he can’t keep glaring for long because in seconds he’s grinning, holding back a laugh over his own humiliating scene. “Seriously?”

Hoseok smiles sheepishly. “Yoongi-hyung wasn’t supposed to move out of the way.”

“Yeah, obviously,” Jimin retorts, face flushed. “I hate you.” He notices Jungkook staring at him and he offers a small smile. “Uh, hi. Sorry you had to see that.”

Jungkook cracks a polite grin. “No, it’s...it’s fine.”

“Right, introductions!” Hoseok stands so that Jimin is to his right and Jungkook is to his left. “Jimin, this is Jungkook, my roommate. And Jungkook, this is Jimin, from dance class.”

Dance class. Did omegle-Jimin ever mention a dance class? Jungkook doesn’t think he did. He feels oddly relieved. So he doesn’t know that I secretly want to be a writer. Cool. Good. I guess.

“Siblings?”

Jungkook blinks and turns to Taehyung in surprise. It’s the first thing the orange-haired boy said after he was finished laughing at Jimin, and Jungkook doesn’t remember there being any point in the conversation that would turn it towards this topic.

“What?”

“Do you have any siblings?” Taehyung elaborates.

“I have an older brother,” Jungkook replies slowly, feeling confused. “Why?”

“He’s weird; you get used to it,” Jimin interjects, slapping his friend on the back thrice. “Anyway, I’m gonna go find Yoongi-hyung and try and seduce him in a normal way.” He gives Hoseok a pointed look before scampering off deeper into the house. Hoseok follows him yelling, “That was normal! It would’ve been romantic if he caught you!” and Jungkook and Taehyung are left alone again.

Taehyung looks at him and gives him that stupid box-shaped smile of his that makes Jungkook’s heart skip a beat and the younger looks away, awkward.

“Um…” He shifts his weight from foot to foot.

"Do you like bananas?”

Jungkook blinks. “I--yes?” When Taehyung just nods, looking amused and satisfied, he says, “Are you interrogating me or something?”

He bites his tongue right after the words leave his mouth. You sound like a dick, Jungkook. Thankfully, Taehyung laughs, and the younger feels like he might just implode when the orange-haired boy hits him good-naturedly on the arm.

“No, sorry dude, I’m just--” He pauses, then grins. “Were...Okay, this is gonna sound kinda weird, but were you on Omegle last night? You were, weren’t you?”

Jungkook’s eyes flick up to meet his in surprise. “W-what?”

Taehyung’s smile widens. “I think...I think I might’ve been on the other end of that conversation.”

“But...you said your name was--”

“Jimin, yeah, I know.” Taehyung laughs. “That’s my best friend that you just met. I was just...it was a spur of the moment decision, I dunno what I was thinking. But yeah, you were...you were talking to me, I think.”

Jungkook is in disbelief. “You’re...you’re joking.”

Taehyung’s eyes swim with mirth, apparently entertained by the whole situation. “You like bananas more than raspberries,” he reveals. “Which is, by the way, messed up. Go get your tongue switched or something. Also, you like dogs more than cats, you like IU more than SNSD and you secretly want to be a wri--”

Jungkook clamps a hand over Taehyung’s mouth in a panic, and the other boy licks a stripe across his skin immediately.

“Oh my g--what the fuck?” Jungkook recoils, bringing his hand away and wiping his palm over his jeans. “Did you just lick me?” This was definitely not how he imagined his first ‘proper’ meeting with Taehyung to be like--granted, he didn’t know what he was expecting exactly, but it surely wasn’t this.

“What did you cover my mouth for?” Taehyung whines. He doesn’t appear one bit bothered by the fact that he just licked someone’s hand and he gives Jungkook a weird look. As if Jungkook’s being the weird one. The freshman scoffs.

“You were...I’m...Oh my god, wait, our longest conversation started as a sex roleplay,” Jungkook whispers under his breath. He looks scandalized and Taehyung doesn’t really blame him. It’s not every day that you meet someone online and your first words are “i’m cumming!!!”

“Yeah…” Taehyung laughs again, but he doesn’t seem as awkward about it as Jungkook does. “But, ya know, I feel like this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

“Friend--what?” Jungkook splutters. Taehyung notices that his ears are tinged pink at the tips and he thinks it’s cute. “We’re...are we...friends?”

Taehyung shrugs and starts to make his way over to the kitchen. Jungkook follows and they both sit next to each other at the table. The black-haired boy resumes his eating of grapes out of Seokjin’s fruit bowl as the third-year begins to speak.

“I mean...well, I kinda confessed that I wanted to be an actor and that I didn’t really like my major to you.” Taehyung goes to reach for a strawberry and Jungkook pulls his hand out of the container quickly. “I haven’t told that to anyone, not even Jimin. It’s a stupid dream of mine, and I don’t want to worry anyone with my complaining over my major or whatever.”

“And I told you about wanting to be a writer, oh my god.” Jungkook folds his arms onto the table and rests his head on them. “That’s so embarrassing, holy crap.”

Taehyung blinks. “How’s that embarrassing?”

Jungkook grumbles. “I dunno. It’s just…” He sits up, gestures down at himself. “No one would expect someone like me to be a writer, you know? Do I look like a writer to you?”

“Honestly?” Taehyung lets his eyes rake across his figure and he pretends not to notice the way Jungkook seems to regret the question, blushing all over again. “You’re kinda hot.” He smirks, amused, when Jungkook curls into himself and puts his head back down onto the table.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Jungkook mumbles. Finding out that the stranger he talked to on Omegle was his crush and now talking about secrets that he hasn’t even told Hoseok or Seokjin? He wouldn’t be surprised if he was dreaming.

But the sound of Taehyung’s laugh right next to his ear, the feel of their knees bumping underneath the table, convinces Jungkook that it’s real.

“Neither can I,” Taehyung says. “But life is funny that way, I guess.”

Jungkook tilts his head up to give Taehyung a look. “You said that on Omegle last night.”

“Did I?”

“Yeah.”

Taehyung smiles. “I’m pretty sure I also told you to screw your major and take English and become a writer.”

Jungkook sits up again and looks around cautiously, making sure no one can hear them. He says, in a small voice, “I want to.”

“Then go for it.”

Jungkook gathers up the courage to meet the other’s eyes and tries to blatantly ignore the way his heart kicks up into double-time. “I can say the same thing to you, you know. Why don’t you just screw neuroscience and become an actor?”

“I’m getting my bachelor’s in a year,” Taehyung explains, sounding exasperated. He looks more relaxed and casual now, and Jungkook wonders if they passed the boundary of acquaintances and crossed over into friends-I-can-complain-about-stuff-to. “I don’t wanna just...give up.” He rests his elbow on the table and puts his chin in his hand. “But I guess it wouldn’t really be called giving up if it’s me actually doing what I like…”

“Exactly.”

Taehyung sighs and leans back, the front legs of his chair lifting up until he’s teetering dangerously. Jungkook wants to reach out and grab him, tell him it’s not safe, but he’s sure that any more physical contact with Taehyung will make him burst into flames.

“Maybe I should,” Taehyung says, a wondering tone in his voice.

“Maybe you should,” Jungkook replies.

“Maybe you should become an English major and write a book,” the elder suggests. “Better yet; write a script and have me be your lead actor.”

Jungkook’s lips quirk up into a smile at that. “Maybe I should,” he says.

“Maybe you should,” Taehyung replies.

“But...I’d have to go against my parents,” Jungkook notes, popping another grape into his mouth. Despite his heart beating a hundred miles an hour, he feels slightly more relaxed around Taehyung. He’s easy to talk to, he realizes--some kind of trustworthy aura that Jungkook feels himself drawn to.

“Ah, the parents,” Taehyung sighs.

“Yeah.” Jungkook hesitates, mulling over his words before speaking them. “Going against my parents would kind of, well, suck, you know? Because my mom’s...kinda sick. So I don’t wanna let her down when she’s going through a hard time. Plus, we don’t have enough money for me to switch majors after already paying for this year and a business degree seems more promising than an English one so…”

“Hmm.” The other boy ponders for a moment, before asking, “You don’t have to have a degree or anything to write something, do you?”

Jungkook pauses. “Well...no.”

“Then just write.” Taehyung smiles at him again, and Jungkook finds that the action comforts him now rather than make him sweat like a nervous schoolboy. “If you work hard enough, if it’s really meant to be, you can make it happen. Just write.”

“Maybe I should.”

“You definitely should.”

---

Jungkook and Taehyung exchange numbers after the party.

“You can come and complain to me whenever you want,” Taehyung informs him. “As long as I’m allowed to complain to you,” he adds in cheekily.

“Of course you’re allowed,” Jungkook says, grinning. He wants to tell him that he can talk to him without the need to complain, but he can’t get himself to spit out the words. Not yet, at least.

Taehyung beams. “Good.” Then, when Jungkook’s just about to say goodbye, he speaks up again. “It’s weird.”

“Huh?” The black-haired boy stares at him questioningly.

“Us. We’re weird,” Taehyung elaborates. “Or maybe it’s just me, but...I feel like I can trust you with anything. Even though we technically just met. I dunno. It’s weird, right?”

Jungkook feels warm despite the two of them standing outside Seokjin’s house in the middle of a December night. He shrugs and says, “Not really.” He chews on his lip awkwardly. “I--I feel like I can trust you too.”

Taehyung smiles again. “Good.”

---

“So…?” Hoseok asks, as he flings himself onto Jungkook’s bed. He pokes his friend in the ribs. “How was the party? I saw you talking to Taehyung in the kitchen for a while.” He raises his eyebrows up and down suggestively. “The atmosphere looked...nice.”

Jungkook groans, pulling his blanket over his head. “What time is it?”

“I dunno. Eight-ish?”

The black-haired boy grumbles some more. “It’s fucking Saturday, Hoseok. Why are you waking me up at eight in the morning on a Saturday?”

“Because you wouldn’t give me the deets last night,” Hoseok whines, kicking at him weakly. “Are you guys dating now? Did you ask him out? Did you woo Kim Taehyung into your pants?”

Jungkook takes his pillow and puts it over his face. “Go away.”

“I take that as a no.” Hoseok huffs, sitting up. He tries to pull Jungkook’s pillow away, but the other boy is relentless, not giving up on his iron grip. “Did you at least get his number?”

“...yeah.”

Hoseok makes a weird screeching sound and, all of a sudden, he’s across Jungkook’s bedroom and is doing some kind of boisterous dance in the corner.

“You got his nuuuum-ber, you got his nuuuuum--”

“Please shut up,” Jungkook whines, pressing his pillow even harder into his face. He’s half trying to drown out Hoseok’s terrible singing, half trying to suffocate himself to death. He’s always hated talking about his crushes to people, and his best friend is no exception.

“So? Are you gonna call him? Text him? Do a booty-call? What’s your next move?” Hoseok asks eagerly, flying across the room to jump onto Jungkook’s bed again.

“My next move is gonna be kicking you in the goddamn face,” he snaps, sitting up and whipping the brown-haired boy in the head with his pillow. “It’s not...I didn’t confess or anything, Jesus. We’re...friends, I guess.”

“With benefits?”

“Oh my God, Hoseok.” Jungkook shakes his head, defeated. “Friends. Like you and me, but more awkward because he’s really, really hot.”

“Are you saying I’m not really really hot?”

“You’re like...lukewarm.”

“Ouch.” Hoseok wipes away a fake tear. “I’m offended.”

“Good.”

“Okay, real talk.” Hoseok gets up from his spot on Jungkook’s bed. “We actually have a shift at the diner starting in, like, an hour. Just thought I’d let you know.”

“What?” Jungkook scrambles out of his bed. “I thought we were working the evening shift tonight!”

Hoseok shrugs. “Two people called in sick this morning, so now we’re on until four.”

Jungkook groans loudly in response.

“But hey, Seokjin-hyung told me that Taehyung goes to the diner for lunch on Saturdays, so…”

Jungkook’s heart flips excitedly. “Oh.”

Hoseok has a knowing grin on his face. “Oh, indeed.”

---

Jungkook strides over to the table by the window where Taehyung and Jimin are sitting, menus in hand.

“Hello, I’ll be your waiter for today,” he says, biting on his cheek to keep himself from smiling too widely. There’s something about Taehyung that makes him want to smile until his face aches and he can’t help the way his lips twitch up in his presence.

Taehyung looks up at him in apparently pleasant surprise. “Hey, Jungkook! I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Yeah, haha.” Jungkook gives them the menus and then rubs his neck awkwardly. “I usually work in the kitchen, so…” He makes a mental reminder to treat Hoseok for dinner. After all, it’s Hoseok who’s supposed to be waiting tables, not him--his best friend offered to switch roles today, and Jungkook’s grateful.

“Ahh, I see.” Taehyung grins as he picks up a menu. “Well, now I know where to go for my daily dose of Jeon Jungkook.”

The younger flushes. “What?”

“My addiction has started, it’s too late,” he breathes dramatically, falling back into his seat, a hand on his forehead. “I’m gonna go through withdrawal without you.”

Jimin giggles from his seat across Taehyung. “He’s been watching a lot of dramas, ya see. Don’t take it personally--I don’t think he’s actually addicted to you.”

Jungkook hopes he doesn’t look too disappointed. “Of course he’s not,” he says with a laugh and then takes their orders.

Fifteen minutes later, and Jungkook is secretly giving them free refills for their drinks and subtly overfilling their basket of fries.

"Do you do this for all your customers?" Taehyung inquires, eyes shining when Jungkook slides him an extra large slice of cheesecake, free of charge. "I'm flattered."

Jungkook shrugs wordlessly.

"You should be our waiter all the time," Taehyung continues, holding out a fry for the younger to take.

He doesn't know what comes over him then, doesn't know what odd, confident spirit possesses him, but Jungkook leans forwards and bites the fry right out of Taehyung's fingers instead of grabbing it with his hand. Taehyung looks a bit surprised, but his expression quickly melts into a small smile.

"Maybe I should," Jungkook says, chewing.

"You definitely should."

---

When Jungkook goes down the stairs as he usually does on any regular Monday morning, he sees a familiar head of orange hair a couple steps ahead of him.

“Taehyung?” He says it more to himself, in disbelief, because why would Kim Taehyung be taking the stairs? He always takes the elevator. Jungkook (note: he is not a stalker, he swears) should know.

The third-year turns around, smiling when he sees Jungkook standing at the top of the stairs.

“Hello!” he muses.

“Hi?” Jungkook goes down the few steps it takes to catch up to him, and they walk down together. “You...you don’t usually take the stairs, do you?”

Taehyung shrugs. “I figured a little simple exercise in the morning wouldn’t hurt. Thought I should stretch my legs before the day starts, ya know?”

“I...I guess.” Jungkook thinks that there are better ways to stretch your legs before the day starts that doesn’t include walking down five flights of stairs, but he doesn’t mention it.

“So...are you writing something?” Taehyung questions as they reach the third floor.

“Writing--” Jungkook begins, confused, but then he remembers that Taehyung knows. Knows that he secretly wants to be a writer, knows that he hasn’t told anyone except for him. “Oh. No, not really.”

“You should get to it,” Taehyung tells him, skipping two steps and almost tripping over his own feet. He always seems to be going at a faster pace than others, Jungkook realizes. As if he’s trying to win a race that only he knows about, and the freshman finds it oddly endearing.

“Maybe I should,” Jungkook replies, skipping the same two steps that Taehyung did, just for fun. He doesn’t trip like Taehyung, sticking his landing quite gracefully if he does say so himself, and the elder beams at him.

“You definitely should.” They’re on ground level now and are making their way outside of the building. “You have any ideas? Can I hear them?”

Jungkook stares. “What?”

“I wanna hear your ideas. I’m curious.” Taehyung’s a few feet ahead of him, and he turns around to walk backwards so he can face Jungkook. He pushes the door open with his back and they step outside into the crisp, winter air. “Gotta know what kind of part I should be practicing for when your script gets accepted.”

“My script--” Jungkook shakes his head, a small smile on his face. “You’ve got this all planned out, huh?”

“Of course!” Taehyung almost trips again, and Jungkook reaches forward on reflex to grab his arm. Taehyung grins, the air that they’re breathing visible between them. “Thanks babe.”

“N-no problem.” Babe? he screams in his mind. He quickly lets go of his arm and rushes ahead. Taehyung skips after him and Jungkook thinks that maybe Taehyung wasn’t on the stairs for some morning exercise because he seems perfectly energetic without it. “What’s your plan, then?”

“You’re gonna write this killer script,” Taehyung says, going ahead of Jungkook and turning around so he could walk backwards again. “And it’s gonna be all kinds of fucking awesome, I know it is. And I’m gonna be the super cool lead of that super cool script. We’ll be livin’ the dream, Kookie. Become hallyu stars or something. Go to America and go on the blue carpet.”

“Red carpet.”

“Red carpet,” he corrects, giggling. “Red carpet. Why the hell did I say blue carpet?”

Jungkook laughs. “I dunno. You’re kinda ridiculous, Taehyung.”

Taehyung looks at him, an unreadable expression on his face. “You don’t call me hyung.”

“Oh.” Jungkook blushes, only realizing it now. “Sorry. I’ll--”

Taehyung waves a dismissive hand. “No no, don’t bother. You don’t have to.”

“But--”

Taehyung grins that stupid, adorable grin of his and Jungkook’s protest falls dead on his tongue.

“Okay,” he concedes. “What about you, though? Are you really going to become an actor? Or are you just...just daydreaming?”

“Impossibility is a kiss away from reality.”

Jungkook’s heart thuds in his chest. “What?”

Taehyung laughs. “It’s a line from a show on Netflix. But anyway, what’s stopping me from making my daydreams become my reality? I just gotta finish up this degree so I’ll have something to fall back on if things don’t work out.”

“It’ll work out,” Jungkook finds himself saying. “If it’s you, it’ll probably work out.”

Taehyung beams. “You better start writing that super awesome script then, Kookie. We should become the best tag-team in South Korea.” He walks into a tree before Jungkook can warn him and snow from the branch above lands on his head. Jungkook chuckles and helps him brush it off.

“Maybe we should,” he says, fingers running through the elder’s hair to get the snow out.

“We definitely should!”

---

“You’re pretty close to Taehyung now, aren’t ya?” Hoseok mentions one day, as he packs his things into a suitcase. He’s getting ready to head back to his hometown for winter break, and Jungkook’s relaxing on the couch with his laptop in his lap, not needing to pack because he’s staying in his dorm all break long.

“I guess,” Jungkook says, typing away.

“Whatcha doing?”

“Writing,” Jungkook replies without thinking.

“Writing what?”

“Uh...nothing.” He closes his laptop and sits up. “Why’d you bring up Taehyung, anyway?”

“I was just wondering if you guys were dating yet,” he says, giving Jungkook an over-exaggerated wink. The black-haired boy rolls his eyes.

“We’re just friends.” He puts his laptop down onto the coffee table. “Baby-steps, Hobi.”

“You’re taking ant steps,” he informs him. “Go ask him out already. Confess!”

“We’ve only been friends for, like, two weeks,” Jungkook reasons. “It’s too early.”

“Too early my ass.” Hoseok holds up a pair of boxers. “Are these yours?”

Jungkook blinks. “No?”

“Weird.” Hoseok tosses them over his shoulder. “Anyway, you guys have been hanging out every day for the past two weeks, so...I say you should get to it. Hop on that d--”

“Stop.” Jungkook holds up a hand. “I’m not gonna...just...we’re friends and it’s nice. It’s fine.”

Hoseok shrugs. “Whatever you say. Just ask him out before you get too scared to ruin your friendship, alright?”

“Alright.”

Too late.

---

It’s the middle of winter break, and Jungkook wakes up to the sound of his phone dinging underneath his pillow.

“What the…” he mumbles, temporarily blinding himself as he turns on the screen. The clock reads that it’s four in the morning and he’s about to ignore it and go back to sleep, but then he sees the sender. “Taehyung?” He opens up his messaging app.

     count to ten

     and then open ur door

     ur in 512 right

Jungkook’s half-asleep mind whirls.

wtf?     

dude it’s 4am?     

     count to tennnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!

     and get ready to open ur door

Jungkook sighs and kicks off his blankets. The things I do when I like someone, he thinks to himself. He slowly starts to count as he walks over to the door.

“Eight...nine...ten.” He opens it and Taehyung is there, nose red, panting as if he'd run a marathon, a beanie placed snugly over his orange hair.

“Happy New Year’s!” Taehyung yells, and he throws a handful of streamers into Jungkook’s face. “Woohoo! Yay! Happy New Year’s!” He runs into Jungkook’s room and starts throwing pieces of confetti at him from his pockets. “Happy New Year’s!”

Jungkook can’t help the incredulous laugh that bubbles passed his lips. “You’re ridiculous, Kim Taehyung. Aren’t you supposed to be in Daegu?”

“I was!” Taehyung’s still throwing confetti at him, face bright and beaming, and Jungkook shakes his head at him. “I came back just now. Thought I’d celebrate New Year’s with you.”

“At four in the morning?”

“What better time is there?”

“Oh, I dunno...four in the afternoon?”

“I sprinted here all the way from the bus stop for you, Jeon Jungkook. This is the treatment I get when all I wanted was to see you?” Taehyung asks jokingly, walking over to the fridge and opening it as if he lives there.

Jungkook’s heart skips a beat. Did he hear that correctly? “You what?”

“Your milk is expired,” Taehyung says instead of answering. “Do you have any ice cream? I’m in the mood for some ice cream.” He opens up the freezer.

“I...what? Ice cream in the middle of winter?”

“I’m also in the mood for pancakes. Should I make some pancakes?"

"Um...maybe you should."

Taehyung nods to himself. "I definitely should."

Jungkook stares at him fondly. Taehyung’s going through his fridge and his cupboards in search of pancake ingredients and Jungkook’s glad he’s not looking at him because he’s not sure how much of the smile on his face reads “you’re so weird” as opposed to “I’m so stupidly in love with you”.

---

“Valentine’s Day,” Hoseok proclaims, going up to Jungkook and closing his laptop. Jungkook glares at him venomously.

“You’re gonna ruin my train of thought,” he says.

Hoseok rolls his eyes. “You’re always typing stuff on your laptop. What are you even doing?”

“Work.”

“Dude, you’re at work,” Hoseok points out, gesturing to the mostly empty diner around them.

“Schoolwork.”

Hoseok sighs. He shouldn’t have expected a different answer; Jungkook never gives him a straight reply. “Anyway, it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow.”

“So?”

“So you should confe--”

“It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow!” a voice echoes enthusiastically, and Jungkook and Hoseok jump in shock. Taehyung comes bounding into the diner, arm linked with Jimin’s, smiling from ear-to-ear like he usually is. “Got any plans, Jungkookie? How ‘bout you, Hoseok?”

“No plans,” Jungkook responds, tone deadpan, and Hoseok glares at him.

“Me neither,” Hoseok says in turn.

“Single forever!” Taehyung exclaims, sounding way too happy about that notion. “Bachelors till the day we die!”

“I’d rather not die alone, thanks,” Hoseok says, laughing. He gets up, grabbing his mini notebook and a pencil. “You guys wanna get a table? I’ll be your waiter.”

“God yes, I’m starving,” Jimin breathes, following after Hoseok to a table next to the window.

Jungkook looks up when Taehyung slides into the seat across from him.

“What?” he asks.

“What?” Taehyung counters.

“Aren’t you gonna sit with Jimin?”

“Well if you want me to leave so badly--”

“No!” Jungkook responds a bit too quickly. Taehyung merely smiles.

“Alright. Then I’ll stay and chat for a bit.” He spreads his arms across the table, stretching. His tongue darts out to lick at his lips absentmindedly and a thought lights up in Jungkook’s mind.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“You just did.”

Jungkook stares at him pointedly and Taehyung laughs.

“Yeah, what?”

“Do you…” Jungkook pauses, thinks of how to word it. “Do you remember on the first day of school...There was this guy in the elevator.”

Taehyung blinks. “Huh?”

“He might’ve said something really weird…and then he might’ve run out of the elevator really fast and never gone on it again after that because he was paranoid…”

“Wait…” Taehyung’s mouth twitches up into a grin. “Wait, are you saying that you’re the I’m-down-to-fuck-my-tongue guy?”

Jungkook laughs a little. “Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”

“Dude.” Taehyung tips his head back and cackles. “Dude! That’s awesome, oh my god. You’re the I’m-down-to-fuck-my-tongue guy and sexy roleplay Omegle guy. Amazing.”

“Truly.”

“I’m gonna go tell Jimin.” Taehyung gets up and hurries over to his friend, just as Hoseok makes his way back to Jungkook.

“It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow,” Hoseok starts again, just as Jimin yells, "You used my name for a sex roleplay with a stranger on Omegle?"

"What the..." Hoseok shakes his attention away from the third-years and drops his voice to a harsh whisper. "Jungkook, it's Valentine's Day tomorrow. So go confess."

Jungkook groans.

“I'm being serious.”

“I will!” he says. “Just...not yet. Later.” When Hoseok gives him a pointed look, Jungkook scowls. “I know what I’m doing. It’s fine.”

He has no idea what he’s doing.

---

It’s April, and Jungkook and Taehyung spend so much time together that Jimin starts to get jealous.

“I feel like my best bro is leaving me,” Jimin complains one night, as he and Taehyung sit on the couch, watching a movie. “I feel replaced.” He frowns when Taehyung doesn’t respond. “Tell me you love me~” he whines, shaking his friend’s arm.

“What?” The orange-haired boy looks up from his phone. There’s a wide smile across his face and Jimin raises his eyebrows.

“What are you smiling at?”

“Jungkookie sent me a dubsmash video,” he says, holding up his phone to show Jimin. “Isn’t he cute?”

Jimin stares at the video of the freshman moving his mouth to the sound of a chicken clucking and he sighs.

“You two are so weird.” Jimin shakes his head. “I still can’t believe he was sexy roleplay Omegle guy.”

“Must be fate,” Taehyung muses.

“Must be fate,” Jimin agrees.

---

Taehyung looks up from his manga when Jungkook’s phone rings.

“Your phone!” he calls from where he’s sitting, back against the side of Jungkook’s bed. “It’s Seokjin-hyung. Want me to answer it for you?”

“Put it on speaker,” Jungkook says, flipping a page in his economics textbook.

“Jungkook~” Seokjin says, voice thin on the speaker of the phone. “Wanna come to Japan with me and Hoseok next week?” He can hear Hoseok in the background chanting, “Japan! Japan! Japan!”

Jungkook pauses his reading. “Next week?”

“Yeah, your exams will be over by then, right? Let’s start summer vacation in Okinawa!”

“Oh.” He looks over to Taehyung, who had resumed to his reading, not paying attention. “Sounds fun, hyung, but…”

“But?”

“I promised Tae I’d hang out with him.”

There’s silence on the other end. Then, “Wow. Okay, you’re lame. Bye.” There’s a beep as Seokjin hangs up.

“You could’ve gone, you know,” Taehyung comments, turning a page. “I don’t mind.”

“I’d rather stay here with you,” Jungkook answers without thinking. His face flushes and he looks away from the boy sitting on the floor. “I don’t like planes anyway.” That’s a lie.

Taehyung smiles up at him and Jungkook’s heart still flips like it did on the first day of school.

I really have to confess, he thinks. But seeing Taehyung casually reading Naruto in his room makes him way too afraid to ruin what they already have.

“Maybe I should just come with you on your next vacation,” Taehyung suggests nonchalantly.

The thought makes Jungkook giddy. “Maybe you should.”

“I definitely should.”

---

“Are you and Jungkook dating?” Jimin asks one day, as he and Taehyung sit in the library. They’ve officially started their fourth and final year of university, yet they’re still as poor and clueless as they were when they started.

“What?” Taehyung looks up from his neuroscience textbook, eyebrows furrowed.

“Are you and Jungkook dating?” he repeats.

“No?” Taehyung frowns. “Why do you ask?”

Jimin shrugs. “I dunno. He never calls you hyung, so I thought you guys were dating or something.”

“Oh. Well, we’re just friends.”

It looks like Jimin wants to say more, but he doesn’t. Instead, he just goes, “okay”, and turns back to his book.

Taehyung tries to go back to studying too, but he suddenly can’t focus on any of the words on the page.

---

“Are you sure you don’t wanna come?” Hoseok asks, striding into Jungkook’s room. “It’s Seokjin-hyung’s party and it’s Halloween night, c’mon~”

Jungkook waves him away. “I’m busy,” he says, as he types away on his laptop.

Hoseok frowns. “You’re always busy nowadays. It’s either you’re hanging out with Taehyung or you’re doing something on your laptop.”

“Mm.”

“You gonna tell me what you’re doing on your laptop?”

“Nah.”

Hoseok huffs. “Alright, suit yourself.” He starts to walk out of Jungkook’s room, but he peeks his head back in and says, “You’re gonna miss out though. I heard that Jimin’s dressing up as a maid.”

Jungkook grimaces. “Why would I want to see that?”

“Namjoon’s dressing up as someone from Sailor Moon.”

Jungkook raises his eyebrows. “The DJ? What the hell?”

Hoseok shrugs. “I dunno. I think Seokjin-hyung made him do it. Their relationship is kinda sketchy, to be honest.”

“Him and Seokjin-hyung? Relationship? Really?” Jungkook frowns. “Isn’t that Namjoon guy all deep and philosophical, like ‘work hard for your dream, it’s not called success if you ride on someone else’s coattails’ or whatever?”

“Yea--oohhhh.” Hoseok gives Jungkook a knowing look. “Is that why Seokjin-hyung is working at the diner? To make his own money instead of counting on his parents or his looks?”

“Oooohhhh.”

“That’s cute.” Hoseok grins and then his expression contorts into a pleading one. “But are you coming to the party?”

Jungkook looks down at the document he has open on his laptop. He had writer’s block for the majority of last month, and he really doesn’t want to mess up the creative vibe he has going on. He only has a few lines left, but he has to make them perfect.

“I’m really not a party-per--” he begins, but he gets cut off by a loud pounding on the door and Hoseok jumps, surprised. He goes over to answer the door, Jungkook getting off the bed and following at his heels.

Hoseok swings the door open, revealing the smiling figure of Kim Taehyung.

“Hello!”

“Hey,” Jungkook says, pushing passed Hoseok at the sight of the orange-haired senior. “What are you--oh my god, Kim Taehyung, oh my god what the fuck, oh my god.”

Hoseok is cackling, doubled-over in laughter. “Dude! I love your costume. Absolutely incredible. Jungkook, don’t you think it’s incredible?”

The black-haired boy is torn between covering his eyes and staring because Taehyung is dressed up as fucking Adam--as in Adam from the bible--and he is looking anything but holy. Taehyung is completely and utterly naked, save for the fake leaves covering up his genitals and the coat that hangs loosely around his shoulders. The coat is so big on him that Taehyung is practically swimming in it, and Jungkook would think that he’s absolutely adorable if not for the fact that he’s not wearing any goddamn clothes.

What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, Jungkook repeats in his mind like a mantra, not sure where to put his eyes. What the fuck!?

“I--I think you’re gonna get cold,” he finally manages to choke out, and Taehyung laughs.

“That’s why I have a coat.”

“Adam doesn’t wear a coat.”

“Technically, Adam doesn’t wear leaves over his crotch either. Should I take that off too?”

“No! Oh my god, what the fuck.” Jungkook’s face is flaming. “Close up your jacket, Jesus Christ. Please.”

“Only because you said please.” Taehyung buttons it up, long fingers moving deftly, and Jungkook feels like he can breathe easier.

“So I’m guessing you’re going to the party?” Hoseok says, after he’s finished laughing. Jungkook thinks that he’s laughing more at his reaction rather than Taehyung’s costume, and he feels embarrassed beyond belief. Taehyung really has no shame at all.

“Yeah, I was,” Taehyung replies. “Was. You're not a party-person right? I was just gonna hang out here.”

“With clothes?” Jungkook squeaks out.

Taehyung giggles. “Yes, with clothes,” he says, turning so Jungkook could see the bag on his back. “I just wanted to see your reaction.” He grins. “I’m satisfied.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Why do I even like you?

Hoseok shakes his head incredulously. “Well, whatever. You two have fun. See ya guys after the party!”

And then he’s off, leaving Jungkook and a half-naked Taehyung at his doorstep.

---

“So whatcha doin’?” Taehyung asks, as he pulls on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He sits next to Jungkook who’s on his bed, laptop in lap.

“Writing.”

Taehyung’s face lights up. “Whoa, really? Can I read it?”

Jungkook flushes. “I dunno…”

Taehyung blinks up at him, gives Jungkook his best puppy-dog look, and the younger caves immediately.

“I’m...it’s not good,” he says quickly. “I’m an amateur, I don’t really...know what I’m doing…and I still have a couple of lines to do and...” He looks away awkwardly. “This is kinda embarrassing.”

“More embarrassing than me showing up at your door, naked with plastic leaves over my dick?”

Jungkook grumbles incoherently and Taehyung grins. He takes the laptop from Jungkook’s lap.

“It’s long,” he notes. “How long have you been working on this?”

“Since...since the first day you took the stairs. You--you said I should, so...”

Taehyung stares at him, apparently surprised.

“What?” Jungkook asks.

Taehyung smiles and ruffles his hair affectionately. “Nothin’. It’s just that no one really listens to me--you know how everyone says that I think of weird things. I was just kinda shocked.”

“I listen to you,” Jungkook mumbles quietly, leaning into Taehyung’s hand without meaning to.

“I know you do.” Taehyung pulls his hand away and Jungkook snaps back to his senses. “I’m gonna read the whole thing, okay?”

“All of it?”

“All of it.” He scrolls to the top of the document. “I read slow, so get comfy.”

Jungkook nods and lays down. “I hope you like it.”

“I’m one million percent sure that I will, Kookie.” He pauses. “No, two million percent sure. An infinity percent sure. An infinity and one percent sure.”

Jungkook laughs, chest feeling warm. He can feel Taehyung smiling at him and he looks up.

“Maybe you should take a nap or something,” Taehyung suggests.

“Maybe I should.” Jungkook looks away from him, eyes going down to stare at Taehyung’s hand. He wants to hold it, but he restrains himself. “Will you still be here when I wake up?”

He doesn’t know why it matters, whether Taehyung leaves or if he stays, and he says it so quietly that he isn’t sure Taehyung even hears him in the first place. When he doesn’t get a reply, he figures that he didn’t.

And it’s only when Jungkook’s breathing becomes consistent and deep, his eyes closed, body curled up innocently against Taehyung’s side, does the orange-haired boy respond.

“I’ll always be here.”

---

Jungkook wakes up to something heavy on his stomach and the sound of sniffling.

He blinks, rubbing sleep out of his eyes with a closed fist, and his vision clears enough for him to realize that Taehyung is fucking straddling him.

And he’s...crying?

“Tae, what are you doing?” he croaks out, voice hoarse. He shifts a little, but Taehyung’s weight pins him to the bed and his mind is starting to short circuit.  “Why are you...on me? And why the hell are you crying?”

“I hate you,” he whispers.

Jungkook’s throat closes up. “What?”

Taehyung points angrily at the laptop that he had placed on Jungkook’s nightstand. “What the fuck was that?”

“Huh?” Jungkook goes to sit up, and Taehyung slides off of him to sit cross-legged at the end of the bed, wiping at the tears on his cheek.

“It started off all funny and nice and then it tore out my fucking heartstrings, Jeon Jungkook what the fuck.”

“I’m...sorry?”

“It was so good,” Taehyung says, still wiping at his eyes. “Look at me, sobbing like a baby. Oh my god, that was so beautiful. You called yourself an amateur? This is amazing. I don’t even--I have no words. I’m dead. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“You’ll probably go to hell for that unholy costume of yours.”

“Fine. I’ve died and gone to hell,” he says, laugh sounding congested and stuffy. "God, I hate you. I can't believe you wrote that."

"So...you think it's good?"

"Good?" Taehyung gives him an incredulous look. "It's all kinds of fucking awesome, Jungkook! You have to send this into...into wherever people send scripts. This is phenomenal, I swear."

Jungkook sits up and leans against the wall. His smile spreads impossibly wider when Taehyung continues to chatter on about the script, about the complexity of the characters, their development, the uniqueness of the plot and the "fucking incredible plot-twist, holy shit!"

"Can I tell you my theory about the church bells?" Taehyung asks, practically shaking with energy. "I'm gonna tell you even if you say no. Okay, so you know how the main guy Taekwon first hears the bells when he wakes up from his coma? But they technically weren't real bells because they were from the TV, right? Okay, so I think it symbolizes his--are you okay?"

Jungkook looks at him. "Huh?"

"You...look like you're gonna cry."

"What?" Jungkook brings up a hand to rub at his eyes, realizing that there are, in fact, tears. "Whoa. What the hell?"

"Are you okay?" Taehyung repeats, shuffling forwards on the bed. He extends a hand to touch Jungkook's face and his fingers are calloused but gentle, wiping away a tear that managed to escape. "What's up?"

Jungkook swats his hand away impulsively and he regrets it right after. He misses the warmth of Taehyung's hand and he wonders why he just can't accept it when people start being affectionate to him.

"Nothing, sorry. I'm sorry." Jungkook presses the heels of his palms into his eyes and takes a breath. "Sorry," he reiterates. "I dunno why...I don't know..."

Taehyung smiles at him, but it's different this time. Jungkook thinks it's...softer. Not excited and over-exuberant like it usually is, but more genuine. Intimate. Something that only Jungkook has seen.

"Happy tears," Taehyung says. Despite Jungkook pushing him away earlier, he brings his hand back up to brush at his cheek again. "Maybe you're just really happy."

"I guess."

"You're really happy that I like your script."

"Yeah."

Taehyung stares right into his eyes then. He does that often--keeping eye-contact with that intense gaze of his. Jungkook always thinks that Taehyung can see right through him, and what the senior says next makes him think that he really can.

"Do you like someone?"

"...what?"

Taehyung shrugs innocently. "The one-sided love in the script is really...realistic. I could really feel it, ya know? So I was just wondering if you like someone."

Jungkook's mouth is dry and he can hear his heart pounding in his ears. "I...do."

There it is again--that genuine, intimate smile that Jungkook thinks only he has seen.

"Are you gonna confess to them?"

He pauses. "I don't know," he admits.

"Maybe you should."

Jungkook laughs weakly. "Maybe I should." He swallows awkwardly. "Do...you like someone?"

Taehyung looks away from him then. "Yeah."

Jungkook feels a stone drop into his stomach. "Oh."

"I mean, I might. I think so. I don't really know."

Jungkook frowns. "How...how do you not know if you like someone?"

He shrugs again. "I dunno. I've never really..."

"You haven't liked someone before?" Jungkook's surprised.

Taehyung smiles and doesn't answer him. Instead, he repeats, "Maybe you should confess."

Jungkook scoffs. "I don't know," he says again. "Maybe you should confess."

"Maybe I should."

Jungkook doesn't really like that idea. "Maybe I should," he counters stupidly.

"You definitely should."

"You definitely should."

"So you should."

"Maybe I should."

"So are you gonna confess?"

"...no," Jungkook mumbles.

"Huh." Taehyung leans back on his hands. "Then I won't either."

Jungkook doesn't know how to respond to that. Luckily he doesn't have to, because Taehyung suddenly does an absolutely terrible sommersault off of Jungkook's bed, landing in a giggling heap on the floor.

"Let's make some pancakes!" he exclaims, jumping to his feet. His usual smile is back--excited and exuberant, the kind he shows to everyone.

It feels like Jungkook was just slapped in the face with how fast Taehyung switched topics. "What?"

"Pancakes!" He does a weird little dance and then runs out of Jungkook's bedroom, singing some SNSD song as he goes.

Jungkook shakes his head and gets up. He checks the alarm clock on the nightstand and his eyes widen.

"You wanna make pancakes at two in the morning?"

"What better time is there?" Taehyung retorts, the clanging of pans punctuating his words.

Jungkook laughs as he joins him in the kitchen. "There's no better time," he says, grabbing the bag of flour from the cupboard.

As long as it's with you, any time is perfect.

---

“What the hell!” Hoseok exclaims as he gets hit by a red shell, courtesy of Jungkook. “I was in first place, you dick.” He scowls. “Since when did you get so good at Mario Kart?”

“Taehyung plays it all the time,” Jungkook says, grinning as he wins the race.

“Figures,” Hoseok mumbles, getting up and going towards the kitchen of their dorm. “Wanna drink? Up for some hot chocolate?”

“There’s no more hot chocolate,” the younger replies casually, as he exits out of the game and turns off the Wii.

“What? Why not?” Hoseok frowns. “Didn’t we buy some last week?”

“Taehyung had the bright idea of making waffles with all the hot chocolate powder,” Jungkook explains, waving a dismissive hand.

“Wait...it’s you two who set off the fire-alarm at three AM two days ago, wasn’t it?” the brown-haired boy states. When Jungkook just shrugs, he groans. “You dicks. You told me it was that girl down the hall. I’ve been knocking on her door and then running away before she could answer just to piss her off, oh my god.”

“You were studying for your midterms and we didn’t want you to kick us out,” he defends.

“Kookie,” Hoseok begins, expression suddenly melancholy. “When did ‘me’ become ‘us’ to you?”

“Huh?”

“Whenever you talk about yourself, Taehyung always makes his way into the conversation,” he elaborates.

“Oh.” He blushes. “I didn’t...I don’t mean to do that.”

“I know you don’t.” Hoseok goes over to him, forgetting about the drinks. “Did you confess to him yet?”

Jungkook holds back a sigh. “No,” he murmurs.

“You’ve got to do it soon, Jungkook,” Hoseok says, and he sounds like a concerned mother. “Did you even tell him that you’re leaving?”

Jungkook shifts around awkwardly. “No,” he says again.

Hoseok sighs. “You guys are together almost every single day, he sleeps over here all the time--wait, does he sleep in your bed with you?”

The younger coughs. “He...I offered to go on the couch, but he says it gets really cold and he likes to cuddle.”

“For God’s sake.” Hoseok shakes his head. “You guys are practically dating.” He gives Jungkook a look. “You have to tell him, man. Confess. And tell him about...leaving.”

“I will,” Jungkook assures him. “Soon.”

---

It’s exactly one year after (properly) meeting each other, and they spend it at Seokjin’s house at yet another one of his parties. They’re in the kitchen, much like last year, eating all of Seokjin’s fruit and telling stories.

Taehyung hands Jungkook a bottle of beer. “Cheers!” he exclaims, clinking his bottle against Jungkook’s. “It’s our one year anniversary!”

The younger glares at him playfully, but his stomach twists. “You make it sound like we’re married, Tae.”

Taehyung laughs. “Oh yeah, did I ever tell you about how Jimin thought we were dating?”

His heart skips a beat. He clears his throat awkwardly. “No, you didn’t. What...what did you tell him?”

Taehyung gives him a weird look. “Hm? What do you mean? Of course I told him that we weren’t.”

“Past tense,” Jungkook points out.

“Aren’t. Present tense,” Taehyung corrects himself. “Of course I told him that we aren’t.”

“Of course.” Jungkook laughs weakly.

“No homo, all the bromo,” Taehyung proclaims and Jungkook snorts, giving him a fond smile.

“It’s weird,” Jungkook says.

“Huh?” The orange-haired boy stares at him questioningly.

“Us. We’re weird,” Jungkook elaborates. There’s a bit of deja vu about this moment, and he vaguely remembers having this conversation, but in reverse. He wonders how much Taehyung has rubbed off on him in the year they’ve been together. “Or maybe it’s just me.”

“I think it’s just us,” Taehyung says, and Hoseok’s words ring in Jungkook’s ears.

When did ‘me’ become ‘us’ to you?  Jungkook wants to ask.

He doesn’t.

“But what’s weird?” Taehyung presses on.

“We’re in the kitchen eating grapes and everyone else is dancing,” Jungkook points out. He adds a silent or making out at the end of it. Guess which one I wanna do.

Taehyung hums, thinking. Then he asks, “Wanna dance?”

Jungkook’s heart thuds at the offer and he immediately blurts, “No.” He curses inwardly.

“Yeah, I knew you’d say that,” Taehyung says. “You don’t like dancing with a bunch of strangers.” He pauses. “Maybe we should get out of here and have a dance party just for us.”

The suggestion has Jungkook reeling. Just for us? he thinks. As in, just us two? Alone?

It’s not like he’s nervous about being alone with Taehyung. Hell, they’ve become so close that not being with Taehyung makes him feel like something’s missing and being alone with him is as natural as breathing.

But tonight’s the night that Jungkook decided to tell him.

“Maybe we should,” Jungkook responds.

Taehyung meets his eyes and smiles. “We definitely should.”

---

They trudge through the snow with heavy boots and long scarves wrapped tightly around their necks. Taehyung thinks Jungkook looks absolutely adorable in his big puffy jacket and beanie, and he stares at him in adoration as his nose starts to turn red.

“You’re like Rudolph,” Taehyung comments and Jungkook glares at him.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Jungkook asks.

They’re off of campus now. The streets are dark and it’s cold, but the way Taehyung keeps looking at him makes Jungkook feel warm.

“Wherever our feet take us,” Taehyung replies dramatically.

Jungkook just smiles.

They walk for what feels like ages, talking about nothing and everything. Taehyung slips on ice twice in the span of three minutes, successfully dragging Jungkook down the second time. They end up having an impromptu snowball fight too, snow ending up down Jungkook’s jacket and in Taehyung’s hair. Their laughs are loud and irrepressible, their breaths heavy and panting, visible against the winter air.

“This is cheating!” Taehyung shrieks out as Jungkook lifts him up and throws him into a pile of snow. They’ve stopped at an old playground where two swings are rocking gently in the wind, pieces of red underneath the white of the snow barely noticeable on the plastic slide.

“How’s that cheating?” Jungkook puffs out, grinning. “Not my fault I’m stronger than you.”

Taehyung pouts and holds out an arm. Jungkook rolls his eyes and grabs his hand to help him up, but Taehyung pulls him down with him instead. He hits the snow with a soft thud and he scowls.

“Asshole,” he murmurs.

“Love you too, Kookie,” Taehyung laughs.

The words make Jungkook gulp and butterflies start up in his stomach again. He wonders if he should get up, because he’s scared that Taehyung will hear his heartbeat if he lays so close, but he doesn’t move. Taehyung doesn’t move either, and so they lay there in the snow, gazing up at the sky.

“I’m gonna miss you, Tae,” Jungkook whispers, half hoping that he doesn’t get heard, but of course he does, because Taehyung hears every single word Jungkook says. He hears every single word he doesn’t say too, except for the most important ones, it seems.

Taehyung sits up and looks down at him. “What?”

“I’m gonna miss you,” he repeats quietly.

The orange-haired boy looks concerned. “Why? Where are you going?”

Jungkook forces a smile. “America.”

“What!?” Taehyung shouts, eyes wide. “You’re...what? Are you serious? If you’re fucking with me, I’m shoving an entire snowball into your mouth, I’m not even joking.”

He shakes his head and Taehyung looks like he just got slapped in the face. His shoulders slump and he lays back down beside Jungkook.

“Why?” he asks, voice strained.

“You know how I told you that my mom was sick?” When he nods, his head making a crunching sound against the thick snow, Jungkook continues. “It’s...I never went into details about her with anyone, so you’re one of the first to know, but she’s...really sick. And apparently there’s this specialist in America that can help her. The survival rate isn’t that high...it’s only forty percent, but...you know. It’s better than nothing.”

“Oh, Jungkook. I’m so sorry.” Taehyung grabs the other’s hand. Their gloved fingers intertwine naturally and Jungkook’s mind is swirling with thoughts; his mom, moving to another continent, and Taehyung, Taehyung, Taehyung. “I’m so sorry.”

Jungkook wants to cry. “Yeah.”

Taehyung’s grip on his hand tightens. “I’m...I’m gonna miss you too,” he whispers. “How long are you gonna be gone?”

“I don’t know. A while, probably.” Jungkook turns his head to the side to face Taehyung and his breath catches in his throat when they end up centimetres apart. He can count the number of eyelashes Taehyung has when they’re this close, can see the snowflakes that stick to his eyebrows. He doesn’t turn away and neither does Taehyung.

“Are you gonna come back?” Taehyung asks, breath warm against Jungkook’s cheek. His voice comes out low and scratchy and the younger wonders if he’s trying not to cry too.

“I don’t know,” he admits. “I want to. I hope so.”

“I hope so too.”

There’s no better time than now to confess, Jungkook thinks. He takes a deep breath.

“Taehyung, I--”

“Don’t.”

A stone lodges in Jungkook's throat. “What?”

Taehyung closes his eyes and presses their foreheads together. “Don’t," he repeats.

“Don’t what? You don’t even know what I’m going to say,” Jungkook retorts hotly.

“Yes I do.” Taehyung sighs and all Jungkook wants to do is close the rest of the space between them and kiss him, but Taehyung’s words are scaring him. “I know.”

“No you don’t. You don’t know anything,” Jungkook says. “This entire time, I’ve--”

“Jungkook!” Taehyung shouts, and it shuts him up effectively. “I know. I know. Just don’t say it. Please.”

He feels frustrated and confused and now he really wants to cry and Jungkook can’t bare to look at him anymore. He sits up and stares up at the dark sky that’s a thousand times more peaceful than the painful riot going on in his heart. He forces his tears back and his throat feels tight, burning each time he takes a breath.

“Why not?” he demands, tone harsh. “Why can’t I say it?”

“Because you’re gonna say it like it’s the last time you ever will,” Taehyung mumbles. “I don’t want it to be the last time. We’re gonna see each other again, after you come back from America, and then you can say it.”

Jungkook sighs, exasperated. “Taehyung, I don’t even know if I’m coming ba--”

“No,” he cuts in. “You are. Or I’m--I’m going there, or we’ll meet somewhere in the middle or something, I don’t fucking know, but we’re going to see each other again so don’t you fucking tell me anything and just wait until...wait until I’m an actor. I’ll be an actor and I’ll travel the world and if you’re still stuck in America, I’m going to come get you.” His words turn into a choked slur at the end and Jungkook thinks he’s crying. He’s too scared to look.

“Taehyung…”

“I’m being serious,” he remarks, sitting up beside Jungkook. “Look at me, Kookie. I’m wearing my serious face.” He says it so lightheartedly that Jungkook actually dares to take a glance, and the moment he turns his head to face him, Taehyung presses a kiss onto his forehead.

“You’re ridiculous,” Jungkook mutters, but he knows for a fact that he probably looks like a tomato.

“I know,” Taehyung says, wrapping an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders. “I know.” There’s a double-meaning behind his words and Jungkook sighs, melting into the elder’s embrace.

“Are you gonna wait for me?” he asks quietly.

“Of course I will,” Taehyung assures him, and Jungkook rests his head on his shoulder. "I promise."

A few moments of silence pass. Then: “Tae?”

“Yeah?”

“I think...maybe you should kiss me.”

“Maybe I should.”

“You definitely should.”

---

“Aww, if it isn’t our little movie star,” Jimin says, clapping dramatically as Taehyung enters his apartment. “I thought you’d have already forgotten about us measly, unworthy peasants.”

“You’re my favourite measly, unworthy peasant, Jiminie,” Taehyung jokes, going up to his best friend and enveloping him in a hug. He pulls back quickly, staring in astonishment. “Holy shit, what’s with all this muscle? Where is squishy Park Jimin? Did you eat him and turn his bones into a six pack?”

Jimin giggles. “I’m a dance teacher, remember? I gotta keep fit.” He flexes his biceps for emphasis.

“He’s almost as bad as Seokjin-hyung,” Hoseok notes, trailing in from behind Taehyung.

“Okay, that’s offensive,” Jimin says, pouting. “Seokjin-hyung is a narcissist.”

“Excuse me, but have you seen your own Instagram?” Seokjin comes in right after Hoseok, designer sunglasses perched neatly on his nose. He closes the door behind him. “All you have are shirtless pics of your abs and you smirking like a complete asshole.”

Taehyung scoffs. “Hyung, you’re literally an underwear model. You do that for a living."

Seokjin dismisses this fact breezily and sits back on Jimin’s couch.

“Man, I missed you guys a lot,” Hoseok notes, sitting beside Seokjin as Taehyung helps Jimin bring out the snacks. “I haven’t seen any of you in ages.”

“You see me every day,” Taehyung points out as he places a bowl of chips on the table.

“I’m your manager so it doesn’t count,” Hoseok says. “I missed Jimin.”

Seokjin raises his eyebrows.

“And sometimes Seokjin-hyung.”

“I gave you free underwear, Jung Hoseok. Those were Armani.”

“Yes yes, thank you, I love you,” Hoseok states flatly, reaching over to pick up a Dorito. When Seokjin slaps his leg, he laughs. “I’m kidding, don’t worry hyung. How could I not miss the guy I got high with every Saturday night during college?”

Seokjin sighs as he remembers. “We had so much weed.”

Jimin rolls his eyes as he brings over a pack of coca-cola. “Are you guys done reminiscing about being high or?” When Hoseok throws a pillow at him, he catches it and laughs. “What movie do you guys wanna watch?”

“I vote for Hold Me Tight,” Seokjin says, raising a hand.

Taehyung groans. “Hyung, please. You know I hate watching movies where I’m the main character. It’s boring.”

“Aw, c’mon,” he whines. “It’s the movie that turned you into a star overnight. It's good.”

“Doesn't Tae have a bed scene in that?” Jimin recalls. When Taehyung says yes, he grimaces. “Yeah, let’s not watch Taehyungie getting all hot and heavy on my TV. Let’s watch something else.”

“Avengers!” Hoseok shouts excitedly.

“Avengers!” Jungkook yelled, tugging Taehyung down onto the couch beside him. “Come on, watch it with me!"

“We watched this movie, like, fifty times,” Taehyung complained. To be honest, he didn’t really mind. How could he, when Jungkook was pouting so cutely in front of him?

“Fifty times is not enough,” Jungkook deadpanned, as Taehyung flopped onto the couch. He rested his head onto the younger boy’s lap, pretended he didn’t notice the way the younger's muscles locked up. “You know there’s plenty of room on the couch, right?”

“Your thigh is comfy.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I know.” Taehyung groaned when Jungkook clicked on Avengers. “C’mon, let’s watch something else. Spider-Man. The Incredible Hulk. Up.”

“I am not watching Up with you again, oh my God.” Taehyung could feel the warmth of Jungkook’s hand hovering just over his side, as if he were contemplating on whether or not it would be okay for him to put it there. “You cried so hard the first ten minutes.”

“It was an emotional movie, and I am an emotional man,” Taehyung defended. “Why are you so obsessed with Avengers anyway?”

“It’s good,” Jungkook answered easily. “Besides, Iron Man is great in this one.”

“You’re so obsessed with Iron Man.” It sounded like a complaint, and Jungkook raised his eyebrows at him, smirking slightly.

“You jealous?” he quipped jokingly.

“Of a superhero billionaire who saves the world? Of course not,” Taehyung responded sarcastically. “If you had to choose: me or Iron Man?”

Jungkook laughed, slapping Taehyung on the shoulder. “What kind of dumb question is that?”

“Just answer it!”

It took him a full fifteen seconds to respond. “Obviously you,” he said finally. “You’re real. Why would I choose a character out of a comic book over a real human being?”

Taehyung flipped so he’d be laying on his back and hits Jungkook lightly on the underside of his chin. “Because Iron Man is super cool and I’m ridiculous and weird.”

“I like ridiculous and weird.” Jungkook cleared his throat awkwardly, Taehyung grinning when he saw the pink at the tips of his ears. “I mean--”

“Good,” Taehyung interjected, cutting off Jungkook’s flustered excuse for...whatever he was trying to cover up. “You should like me better than Iron Man anyway.”

“Should I?”

“You definitely should.”

“Tae?” Jimin asks, snapping his fingers in front of his face. “You good with Avengers or what?”

“Huh?” The actor gives himself a shake. “Yeah, sorry. I just...zoned out.”

Jimin shrugs and puts the movie on.

They’re at the part where Black Widow is talking to Loki in the prison cell thing when Hoseok’s phone goes off, causing everyone to jump.

“Who is it?” Taehyung asks. He can’t see the number from where he’s sitting beside Jimin, Hoseok on the other side, and he looks at his manager curiously.

“I dunno,” he says. “Unknown number. Maybe someone’s offering you a role; I better take this.” He gets up and is making his way to the kitchen for some privacy, but he abruptly freezes right in front of the TV.

“Outta the way,” Seokjin whines, but the look on Hoseok’s face has him pausing. “What is it?”

Hoseok holds a finger up to his mouth and Jimin goes to pause the movie.

“Oh, yeah, okay,” Hoseok says into the receiver, nodding even though the person on the other end of the line can’t see him. “I’ll tell him. Send over the script when it's done so he can look it over. Okay, thank you. Yes. Thank you very much. Okay, bye.”

“Who was it?” Taehyung questions. His voice is nonchalant as he takes a sip of his Coke, but everyone else in the room knows what he’s really thinking.

“It’s...it was just some Japanese director,” he replies. “Sorry. For a second I thought he sounded like...sorry.”

“What’re you saying sorry for?” Taehyung muses, but the dejection in his voice is evident. “I just got offered a role! By a Japanese director!” He grins. “It better not be some weird rated R thing or something.”

Hoseok laughs as he sits back down. “I’m sure it’s not anything too weird, Taehyung.”

“That’s what you said about Jump, but I ended up doing some really weird shit, man. Weird for me, and that’s saying something. I didn’t even know my leg could bend that--”

“Okay! Let’s turn the movie back on,” Jimin says quickly, and Seokjin laughs as he unpauses it.

Hoseok still looks a little guilty and he turns to Taehyung to give him a sheepish grin. “Sorry,” he repeats quietly. “I really...I just really thought it was him for a second.”

Taehyung smiles. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

He’s not okay.

---

It’s been almost five years since Taehyung’s last seen Jungkook. Four years since they had their last Skype call--it was difficult picking a time when Taehyung wasn’t looking for work or Jungkook didn’t have to study (plus the time difference). It’s been two years since they’ve had any sort of contact at all, because Jungkook stopped replying to any of his texts, phone calls, messages and letters without an explanation. It’s been one year since Taehyung gave up on sending him anything, feeling rejected and forgotten.

And it’s in December, when the snow is falling and the air is cold, that Taehyung misses Jungkook the most.

On days like this, he goes on Omegle.

It’s stupid, he knows--he’s turning twenty-seven in about a few weeks and he’s going on fucking Omegle, but he doesn’t care.

“Tae~” Jimin sings as he lets himself into Taehyung’s suite. “I brought you some of my mom’s barbecue because I know how much you like it.” He sees Taehyung at the dining table, hunched over his laptop and he sighs. “Tae, what are you doing?”

“Omegling.”

“I wasn’t aware that that was a word.”

“It is now,” Taehyung replies without missing a beat. “I’m going on spy mode this time. What question should I ask?”

“Ooh, fun.” Jimin puts the container of barbecue onto the kitchen table and runs over to him. He pulls over a chair, staring down at the screen. “Ask if they were alive when minions were a big thing.”

“Okay.” Taehyung types it in, a childish grin pulling at his lips as he presses enter. Two strangers connect to each other immediately.

Stranger 1: whats a minion

Stranger 2: an aboMINATION

Stranger 2 has disconnected

“Well.” Jimin leans back in his chair. “That was anticlimactic.”

“I think the question was just lame,” Taehyung says. “You need something to get people thinking. Like, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve put your dick in?”

“Tae, I don’t think that’s--” His friend clicks enter before he can finish his sentence.

Stranger 2: i don’t have a dick.

Stranger 1: UR MOM

Stranger 2 has disconnected

“Strangers on the internet are rude,” Jimin comments.

Taehyung waves a dismissive hand. “It’s all for good fun, Jiminie.” He asks the same question and waits.

Stranger 1: wtf i just got this question

Stranger 2: i dont have a dick

Stranger 1: neither do i! high 5

Stranger 2: cant we just change it to ‘whats the weirdest thing you’ve put in your vagina’

Stranger 1: oh true

Stranger 1: for me it’d prob be…

“Abort mission, abort mission!” Taehyung’s wails, escaping out of the question frantically.

Jimin is covering his eyes and whimpering. “Just ask a normal question!”

Taehyung giggles. “Should I ask them to do a sexy roleplay?”

At that, Jimin sobers up. He gives his best friend a look and Taehyung knows what it means immediately. He scoffs, shaking his head.

“C’mon Jiminie, not everything’s about Jung--” He pauses abruptly, throat constricting at the name. He coughs and tries again. “Not everything’s about Jungkook.”

Jimin doesn’t say anything to that, and Taehyung takes it as permission to go on. He types in do a sexy roleplay please into the question box and sends it in.

Stranger 2 is typing...

Stranger 1 has disconnected

“Wow, lame,” Taehyung says, pouting. He asks it again.

Stranger 1: yeaaaahhh baby

Stranger 2 has disconnected

“People are no fun!” he cries out, sending the question a third time.

Stranger 1: …

Stranger 1: i havent gotten this question in like 6 years lol

Stranger 2 has disconnected

Taehyung and Jimin turn to each other with wide eyes.

“That’s gotta be a coincidence, right?” Taehyung says, laughing lightly. “It’s four in the afternoon here so it’d be, like, four in the morning in America, right? He wouldn’t be on at four AM. Well, I mean, I guess he could be, but what are the chances of that being Jungkook, am I right?” He laughs again, but Jimin thinks he might be going a bit hysterical. “And six is just a random number hahaha, they were probably just exaggerating anyway. Honestly, what are the chances, right? I mean, I know I said that before I actually met Jungkook after talking to him on Omegle, but like, I guess anything is possible. But still, the probability of that actually being Jungkook is really low, but life’s funny that way, I guess. Still, though, do you think maybe--”

“Taehyung,” Jimin cuts in, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Stop.”

He takes a deep breath, calms his thoughts. “Sorry. Sorry Jiminie, I just thought…”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I just hoped…” He frowns, and then mumbles, “It’s our sixth year anniversary of becoming friends. I thought a miracle might happen or something.”

Jimin pats his head affectionately, like a mother would do to a child. “I’m sorry, Tae.”

“Yeah. Thanks Jimin.”

“No homo, all the bromo,” Jimin states proudly.

Taehyung grins.

---

“Hoseok? I’m actually right in front of his apartment right now; I can ask him for you,” Taehyung says into his phone.

“Awesome!” Seokjin exclaims. “If he says no, tell him that I’ll be forcing him to come anyway. Talk to you later, Taehyung.”

“Yup,” he responds, before bringing a hand up to knock on Hoseok’s door.

It takes a few seconds for Hoseok to answer, and he too has a phone against his ear. He looks a bit startled to see Taehyung there and he says a quick, “Hey, I’ll talk to you later, I’ve got company,” into his phone and then hangs up.

“Who was that?” Taehyung asks, walking into Hoseok’s place like he lives there.

“Just...Yoongi,” he replies. “He found a video that a fan put up of you singing at some fanmeet and now he wants to know if you wanna be part of the soundtrack to that Japanese movie I told you about.”

“Wait, Min Yoongi from college?” Taehyung whistles. “Wow, I haven’t heard from him since Jimin got into his pants senior year. Isn’t he a big shot producer now? And he wants to put me in the soundtrack?” Hoseok nods and Taehyung looks impressed. “That’s amazeballs.” He takes a seat at the kitchen table. “But I don’t even know if I wanna do that Japanese movie though. But being in a soundtrack does sound pretty cool…”

“Want my opinion?” Hoseok asks.

“Always.” Taehyung holds up a hand. “I take that back. Last time when you told me your opinion on those pants I bought a week ago--”

“Tae, they were neon orange--”

“Still, your opinion wasn’t necessary then,” Taehyung remarks. “But it is now. Tell me.”

“I think you should do it.”

“Maybe I should,” Taehyung notes. In the back of his mind, he can hear Jungkook’s voice going, “maybe you should” and he finishes the familiar conversation out loud. “I definitely should.”

Hoseok seems a little surprised that he gave in so easily, but he smiles nonetheless. “Great! They don’t exactly know when filming is gonna start though. They’re thinking of scrapping the script they have now and writing a new one, but keeping the basic plot the same. I don’t really know what’s going on, to be honest...but the director’s good, so it seems promising.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Taehyung replies breezily. “Seokjin-hyung wanted me to tell you to come to Okinawa with us next week anyway. Delayed filming is just what we need!”

---

When Taehyung doesn’t meet Jimin at his apartment on the morning of their flight like he said he would, Jimin texts him.

And calls him.

Leaves him an entire slew of impatient messages that progressively get more and more worried until Jimin opts to go to Taehyung’s place instead.

He reaches the top floor of the apartment building and knocks on the penthouse suite urgently.

“Taehyung? Taehyung!” he scowls and tries to remember the keycode to unlock the door. He rolls his eyes when he remembers that it’s just 0000 and lets himself in. Simplicity is best, he remembers Taehyung saying.

“Taehyung, where are you?” he calls out, leaving his shoes at the doorway. “Tae?”

“Jimin?” his voice is coming from his bedroom and Jimin rushes over.

“Tae, what are you doing?” Jimin asks, catching sight of his best friend. Taehyung’s sitting on the floor, his phone in hand, eyes red. “Are you crying? What happened?”

Taehyung sniffles, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Nothin’.”

Jimin sighs and sits next to him. “I know it’s not nothing.” He takes his cellphone out of his hands and looks at it. “Taehyung, I told you to stop looking at pictures of him.”

“They’re not pictures,” Taehyung snaps, snatching back his phone. “They’re his stupid dubsmash videos and I just miss his stupid face. But I’m so...I’m so fucking mad at him at the same time. It’s frustrating. He’s frustrating. Life is frustrating.” He wipes aggressively at his tears.

Jimin’s face softens. He moves closer to him and starts to rub soothing circles on Taehyung’s back with his palm. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay…”

“I said I’d become an actor and come find him in America after,” Taehyung continues, still crying, but his voice is stronger now as he lets out his anger. “And I really was going to, once I got enough money. But then he just stopped returning my messages, my letters, my texts...and now I don’t even know where he is and I don’t know what the fuck I did and now I’m just…I’m so stupid, Jimin.”

“You’re not stupid, Tae.”

“But I am!” he wails. “I’m so fucking stupid. I should’ve...I don’t know. I promised that I’d wait for him, but...I just realized that he never promised to wait for me. What if I’m waiting for nothing? What if he’s really never coming back and I’ve just wasted years of my life pining over someone I was in love with in college?

“And it hurts every time I remember that night, you know? That night when I told him not to tell me that he loved me because I was so scared of never seeing him again and I didn’t want that to be the last time he ever said it to me, but fuck I’m so stupid. Now I’m never going to hear him say it with his own voice.” He sniffles again and looks down at his phone. “Look.”

Taehyung taps a finger on one of the videos and Jimin stares intently. It’s not a weird, animal voice-over like the ones he usually sees. This time, Jungkook is mouthing over some English song that Jimin vaguely recognizes.

I’m in love with you, and all these little things.

“He sent that to me right before he left,” Taehyung says. There’s no stopping his tears now and he doesn’t even bother to wipe them away. “Because I was stupid and told him not to tell me. So he did a fucking dubsmash video of it instead.” He chokes up again and cries into his sleeve. “Oh my god, Jimin, I’m such a mess.”

“Hey, bro, c’mon,” he coos gently. “You’re a hot mess, that’s gotta count for something,” he says and Taehyung giggles through his sobs. “I’m kidding, actually. You look terrible when you cry.” He pats at Taehyung’s head. “So stop crying, Tae. We’re going to Okinawa today, remember?”

“I know,” he replies, his stuffy nose making his voice thick. “I just...while we were in university, I remember us planning out a vacation. We were gonna go to Okinawa too. That’s why I started looking over all of our stuff and...” He trails off.

Jimin sighs and pulls Taehyung in for a hug. “When I see Jeon Jungkook again, I’m gonna beat his ass for making you cry so much.”

Taehyung ignores the small twinge of hope he gets when Jimin says when and not if. He laughs weakly. “I’ll help.”

---

“Ahhh, this is so nice~” Hoseok leans back in his beach chair, angling his head up in order to soak up the sun.

“Mmhmm,” Seokjin sounds in agreement. He’s in the chair right next to Hoseok, an umbrella shielding him from the heat. He sips on a pina colada and exhales dreamily. “I wish I lived here.” He sits up a bit and then tilts his sunglasses downwards. “Where did Taehyung and Jimin go?”

“They’re being five year olds in the water,” Hoseok replies, and Seokjin looks out towards the ocean where, indeed, Taehyung and Jimin were splashing water at each other and giggling like toddlers.

“It’s good that he’s smiling again,” Seokjin says. “He scared the crap out of me when he showed up at the airport, all swollen eyes and stuffy nose. Even my amazing makeup powers wouldn’t be able to fix him up.” He turns to Hoseok then, gaze searching. “Have you heard from...?” He lets his sentence trail off.

Hoseok nods slightly and Seokjin’s eyes widen.

“Not directly,” Hoseok explains quickly. “The director for the Japanese movie told me about him.”

“Wait, what?” He sits up straighter in his chair, astonished. “Do you mean...the new writer of the script is…”

“Yeah.” Hoseok grins. “It’s him. He’s coming to Japan.”

“Oh my god,” Seokjin whispers. “Oh my god, Hoseok. Is he coming right now? To Okinawa?”

“Whatcha guys doing?” Taehyung calls out as he bounds over to them, water dripping off his body. He’s going towards his bag to get his towel when his phone starts to ring. He picks it up and stares at the unknown number in confusion.

“I think he’s already here,” Hoseok utters under his breath to Seokjin, just as Taehyung answers the phone.

---

“Hello?” he says.

“Is...is this Kim Taehyung?”

Taehyung’s heart stops. Is he hearing things? He must be hearing things. He hasn’t heard from Jungkook in years, after all; he must be going crazy. This is all just his imagination. Maybe this happened in a dubsmash video and he’s just being delusional.

But when the man on the other line says, “Hello? Tae?” Taehyung can’t deny himself anymore. Even if this is a hallucination, he’s going to get the best out of it.

“Y-yes?”

“It’s...me.”

Of course it’s him. Taehyung could never forget Jungkook’s voice and his throat constricts and it gets hard to breathe. He whispers, “I know.”

“I’m here.”

“What?”

“In Okinawa,” Jungkook goes on. “I became a writer, Tae. I really did it. I’m the new writer for that movie you’re going to be in and the director lives here and said he wanted to meet up, said that he heard from Hoseok that you guys are gonna be here too, so...I came.”

Taehyung can’t seem to process what’s going on. He repeats a weak, “What?”

Jungkook giggles on the other end of line. “I’m here, Tae. I'm here. Actually, I think I can see you. Are you wearing neon pink swimming trunks?” Taehyung whirls around on the spot, searching along the beach for him. Jungkook laughs again. “You’re ridiculous.”

No one’s called Taehyung ridiculous in years.

“Where are you?” Taehyung asks, and he doesn’t even try to hide the desperation in his voice. “I want to see you. Where are you?”

“To your left,” Jungkook replies. “On the dock. Do you see me?”

Taehyung turns towards the wooden dock and squints, breath held as he searches.

And then he sees him, sitting on the edge of the dock, waving a hand into the air. His hair is different--brown and neatly styled, not black and messy like it was during college. But even from far away, Taehyung recognizes his face. The face of the man he fell in love with, all those years ago. The face of the man he's still in love with, even after all of those years apart. It's the face of the man he'll be in love with for many more years to come and he can barely believe his eyes.

“Oh my god,” Taehyung whispers into his phone. “It’s really you. It's really really you.”

“It’s really really me.” Jungkook stops waving and Taehyung watches as the younger gets to his feet. “And I think...maybe I should go over there and tell you how much I still love you.”

Taehyung has a watery smile on his face. “Maybe you should.”

“Maybe I should.”

“You definitely should.”

A laugh. “I definitely should.”

Chapter Text

“They’re disgusting,” Seokjin proclaims. He’s laying on his couch in a bathrobe and pajama pants, some kind of fancy face-mask on and cucumber slices over closed eyelids.

Hoseok scoffs as he flips through the channels on the TV. “You can’t even see them, hyung.”

“Yeah, but I can still hear them.” He lifts a cucumber off of one eye to give Hoseok a pointed look. “And you know what I hear? Giggling and making out. Disgusting.”

“You were gushing over how cute they were a week ago,” Jimin reminds him.

“He’s just sad because Namjoon went to New Zealand,” Hoseok pipes up, and Seokjin gives a disgruntled scowl.

“Why would you go to New Zealand when I’m here,” he mutters under his breath, and Hoseok reaches over from where he’s sitting to give Seokjin’s lower leg a pitiful couple of pats.

“Yes yes, you’re the most amazing person in the world that no one would ever dare to leave,” Hoseok tells him.

“But he still left me to ‘expand his understanding of the world’.” Seokjin sits up, cucumber slices sliding off of his face. He looks a bit crazy, with the green mask spread across his skin, eyes large in disbelief. “What’s that even supposed to mean?”

Jimin, who’s sitting on the ground with his back against the coffee table and a bowl of blueberries in his lap, says, “Who knows? Namjoon-hyung’s always been weird.”

“Okay, he’s not weird,” Seokjin states, lying back down. “He’s philosophical. There’s a difference.”

“What happened to being mad at him for leaving?” Hoseok inquires and Seokjin merely groans.

“I’m just--” He gets cut off by a crashing sound coming from the kitchen and he groans again. “They’re gonna have sex on my new marble counter, aren’t they?”

The bluntness of Seokjin’s words make Jimin blush. “I’m sure they’re just...playing around. Innocently.”

Hoseok snorts. “Right,” he says, drawing out the word sarcastically. “But, I mean, they’re only trying to make up for the years they’ve been apart. I say we just leave them be.”

“But do they have to do it in my house?” Seokjin asks.

“You’re the one who invited us over.”

“To watch a movie and catch up or whatever,” he replies, exasperated. “Not--not to listen to Taekook make out in the kitchen.”

“We’re not making out in the kitchen.” Jungkook enters the living room, shooting the older man a glare.

“Well not anymore,” Taehyung adds and Jungkook elbows him in the ribs. “What?” The younger scoffs.

“And did you call us Taekook?” Jungkook asks. “What is that, a ship name or something?”

Jimin pretends he doesn’t notice that Taehyung’s shirt is buttoned up wrong and Jungkook’s hair is significantly messier than it was when they first came, and explains, “It was your fans who made it up.”

Jungkook stares at him blankly. “Huh?”

“Your fans.” Jimin pops another blueberry into his mouth, pulling a face when he realizes it’s sour. He swallows it reluctantly. “You guys are like, the best actor-writer tag team of all of South Korea. So they gave you two a name: Taekook.”

“That’s--” Jungkook begins, tone concerned, but Taehyung cuts him off.

“Adorable!” he exclaims happily, skipping over to sit next to Jimin on the ground. He pats the rug next to him and Jungkook joins, lacing their fingers together as if it were as natural as breathing. “Isn’t that adorable? They call us Taekook.” Taehyung holds out a blueberry for his boyfriend to take with his free hand.

“I guess,” Jungkook replies. Taehyung keeps waving the blueberry teasingly around Jungkook’s face, so the younger grabs his wrist and bites it, teeth leaving faint crescent marks on the other’s skin.

“Ouch!” Taehyung recoils, then grins. “Kinky.” He throws the blueberry into the air and Jungkook catches it with his mouth, smirking successfully as he chews.

“Ugh.” It’s Seokjin again. “Are you guys not grossed out by this? They’re so...so sweet.”

“Making up for lost time,” Taehyung reminds them breezily. He goes to kiss Jungkook on the cheek, but the writer turns to the side at the last second and catches his lips. They smile against each other, Taehyung giggling.

“Why did you guys stop talking for a few years anyway?” the elder asks curiously.

Hoseok and Jimin share a panicked look as Taehyung separates from Jungkook, swallowing awkwardly. He stands up and grabs the fruit bowl.

“I’m gonna get more blueberries!” he announces. “Do you have any strawberries, by the way? You know what, I’ll just check.” And then he’s striding out of the living room and into the kitchen without another word.

Jungkook coughs. He rubs at the back of his neck, uncomfortable.

Seokjin sits up from the couch again and removes the cucumbers from his eyes. He looks legitimately worried. “Did...did I say something?”

“No,” Jungkook tells him. “It’s nothing.”

---

Jungkook leans back in his recliner, a mug of hot chocolate in hand, and turns on the TV.

Actors and actresses fill the screen. Flashing lights from photographers, beautiful people with bright smiles and fancy clothes posing along a red carpet. Jungkook can make out Taehyung’s trademark box-shaped grin in the back even though the cameraman isn’t focusing on him, and his eyes don’t wander to anyone else.

One of the interviewers stops at Taehyung. He towers over her, tall and lanky like he’s always been, makeup outlining his sparkling eyes.

“Here I am now with Kim Taehyung,” the interview announces, looking kind of starstruck to be standing in front of the handsome actor. Jungkook doesn’t blame her. He’s been starstruck from the moment he first saw Taehyung in the elevator over half a decade ago.

“Hello!” Taehyung greets enthusiastically, looking into the camera. He holds out his index finger and waves it back and forth. Jungkook grins. That wave is for him.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask,” the woman begins, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “You always wave like that.” She imitates him, wiggling a finger in the air. “Is there any special meaning behind it?”

“There’s a very special meaning,” Taehyung replies easily and Jungkook’s heart swells.

(“We need a secret code or something,” Taehyung announces one day, his feet in Jungkook’s lap as he lays back on the couch. The younger’s laptop is perched on top of his calves, and Jungkook pauses his typing to look at his boyfriend curiously.

“Secret code?”

“Yeah.” Taehyung leans his head against the armrest, staring at the ceiling. “For when I’m on TV or something.”

“I’m still not following.”

“Like…” He sits up, arms locked behind him to keep him upright. “I can’t say whatever I want on live television, right? So maybe I can...I don’t know, do a weird hand movement or--”

“All your hand movements are weird.”

“That’s not what you said last night.”

“Oh my god.” Jungkook slaps Taehyung’s leg, face flushing. The elder merely grins. “I’m talking about that stupid dance you do whenever you’re super happy.”

“Intense jazz hands are not stupid, Kookie.” He tilts his head to the side, thinking. “Maybe, like…” He holds up his index finger and waves it around a total of five times. “That?”

There’s a fond smile on Jungkook’s lips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I…” He waves it to the left. “Love…” To the right. “Jeon. Jung. Kook.” He finishes it with a grin. “Good?”

“You’re so cute.” Jungkook takes the hand that Taehyung was just waving with and brings it up to his lips to place a soft kiss at his palm.

“I know,” Taehyung responds. “There’s gotta be a least one attractive person in this relationship.”

Jungkook shoots him a look. Then, without warning, he nips at Taehyung’s hand with his teeth.

“Ouch!” Taehyung pulls his hand away, looking aghast. “How dare thee mark the noble hand of--”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence though, because Jungkook lifts his laptop off of Taehyung’s legs, places it onto the floor, and then dives at the elder’s sides in a no-mercy tickling attack.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding, you’re cute! You’re cute you’re cute you’re cute--”)

“Is it for a particular someone back at home?” the interviewer presses on. “I’m sure everyone would love to get a little inside scoop on your personal life.”

Taehyung laughs, shaking his head dismissively. “Oh, you guys wouldn’t be interested,” he says.

He’s lying, of course--tons of people are interested in the private life of Kim Taehyung, especially because he rarely talks about his life outside of movies and red carpets and variety programs. But Hoseok’s given him and Jungkook The Talk plenty of times for them to know where their relationship stands in their celebrity world.

In other words, absolutely no one can know that he and Taehyung are together.

“Come on, just a little sneak peek?” the woman insists, batting her eyelashes. Jungkook scoffs. Taehyung would never give into something like that.

But, of course, he pretends to. All pursed lips and reluctant whines, he finally says, “It’s for my dog.”

“Your...dog?”

“Yup!” Taehyung smiles at the camera, mirth swimming in his gaze. “His name is Kookie.”

Jungkook snorts. “You’re ridiculous,” he says to his TV screen.

“Kookie?” the interviewer echoes. “Is that not the nickname of famous script-writer and good friend of yours, Jeon Jungkook?”

Taehyung nods innocently. “Yup. He named my dog for me.”

“Quite a close relationship you guys have,” she muses.

“Yeah,” the actor agrees. Jungkook notices that his smile falters a bit as he adds, “We’re really good friends.”

“Aw, c’mon Tae,” Jungkook says, frowning a bit. He takes a sip of his drink. “You can lie better than that. Look a little happier.”

“Since you’re such good friends,” the woman continues, mic poised at her mouth. “Do you happen to have any details about the rumours surrounding Jeon Jungkook and your costar, Jung Wheein? I hear they’ve become pretty close as of late.”

Jungkook almost spills his hot chocolate into his lap. He puts the cup down onto the coffee table, exclaiming an incredulous, “What?”

Taehyung looks equally surprised. “Rumours?” he squeaks.

“Oh, did you not hear?” She chuckles, a dainty hand on her chest as she does. “I thought you’d be the first to know. I’m guessing you don’t have any details for us curious reporters then, huh?”

“I--um--no.” Taehyung’s bright demeanor has considerably darkened, and it seems like the interviewer notices it. She looks around for something to change the topic, eyes landing on a woman in a simple red dress who’s laughing loudly with one of the other actresses.

“Miss Wheein!” the interviewer calls over, and Taehyung actually glares in her direction. Jungkook puts his face in his hands.

“Tae, get a hold of yourself, honestly…” he mumbles.

“Good evening!” Wheein greets, hopping over to them. She links her arm with Taehyung’s easily and leans into his side. “What’s going on over here?”

The interviewer looks impressed by their casual skinship. “Maybe the relationship rumours should be about Wheein and you, rather than Wheein and Jeon Jungkook,” she jokes.

“Me? In a relationship with this guy?” Wheein throws her head back as she cackles. “No no, God no. He’s like my brother. Same with Jeon Jungkook.”

“Is that right?” The interviewer looks to Taehyung for confirmation.

Taehyung nods and his smile is back. Jungkook wonders if he’s acting.

“She’s like an annoying little sister,” he says, bringing up a hand and ruffling his costar’s hair.

“I’m older than you!” Wheein protests.

“Seeing as you two see each other as siblings,” the interviewer cuts in, “how is it like playing lovers on the big screen? You two had quite the chemistry in Love is Not Over.”

“That’s only because Jungkook’s writing is so amazing,” Taehyung states immediately, not giving Wheein a chance to answer. “It’s his ability to come up with such complex characters, his talent for making emotions so tangible...It’s really all him. He even helped direct this time around! He did a really phenomenal job for this movie.”

“You sound pretty proud of him.”

“Of course I’m proud of him,” Taehyung replies, beaming. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without him, trust me.”

Wheein glances up at Taehyung, a curious look on her face. “You really love that friend of yours.”

“I guess I do.” He laughs breezily to stamp out any of the seriousness that came with the statement and then smiles. He looks directly into the camera and points at it cheesily. “Everyone out there, keep an eye out for Jeon Jungkook. He’s gonna take over the movie industry, seriously.”

Jungkook shakes his head, lips tugging up into a smile. “Why are you talking about me when I’m not even there…” A fuzzy feeling settling in his chest and he sighs. “You don’t deserve someone like me,” he thinks aloud.

He watches as Taehyung and Wheein answer more questions, his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist, and Jungkook wishes they didn’t have to hide.

---

Jungkook wakes up at a little after two in the morning, his cell phone buzzing. He picks it up off the nightstand and blinks down at the screen.

It’s Taehyung.

He’s not even surprised anymore.

    count to ten

    then open ur door

Jungkook lays back in bed and laughs airily. “Kim Taehyung, why...”

    are u counting yet?

why do u always do this to me     

    bc i love u <3 <3

    now count to ten

k     

He gets up, puts on his slippers and then shuffles towards the front door of his apartment. He starts to count.

“...seven...eight…” He puts his hand on the doorknob and smiles when he remembers something like this happening back in college. It’s odd, he thinks--that day feels both like yesterday and decades ago at the same time. “Nine...ten.”

Finally, he pulls the door open.

Instead of Taehyung throwing streamers into his face like he did all those years ago, the actor launches himself straight into Jungkook’s arms and kisses him messily on the lips.

“I missed you~” he mumbles, arms wrapping around Jungkook’s sides. He nuzzles his face into his neck and breathes in the scent of his boyfriend--the scent of home.

The younger grins and kicks the door closed. He walks towards him, Taehyung stumbling clumsily backwards until his back hits the door. Jungkook leans forwards and locks it behind him, murmuring lowly against his cheek, “Shouldn’t you be at your place? Why are you here?”

“Because I missed you,” Taehyung repeats simply, kissing him again. It’s long and slow and sweet and Jungkook sighs into the other’s mouth. “I wish you came to the after party. Everyone would’ve loved to see you.”

“You know I’m not a--”

“Not a party-person, I know.” He pulls away, kisses him on the nose. “Wanna make some pancakes?

Jungkook curls his fingers around the nape of Taehyung’s neck and presses their lips together once more, never feeling satisfied, feeling like he can kiss Taehyung for the rest of his life and a day after.

“Sure,” he responds.

“Not gonna call me ridiculous?” There’s a teasing lilt to his tone, a small smirk punctuating his words.

“You’re ridiculous,” Jungkook replies, pulling away from him and walking over to his kitchen. Taehyung clamps his hands down onto Jungkook’s shoulders from behind and steers him around in pointless circles before they finally make it to the cupboards.

“And you love my ridiculousness,” Taehyung says, giving him one last kiss on the forehead before going to find the eggs.

“Hm. Do I?” Jungkook stares at him challengingly, balancing a bag of flour in his left hand. “Or am I only keeping you around for your delicious as fuck pancakes at ungodly hours?”

Taehyung grins. “Maybe I’m only keeping you around so you can have me be the lead actor in all of your hit movies.”

“I feel used,” Jungkook states, frowning. Taehyung laughs and kisses his frown into a smile.

“I love you, Kookie.”

“I love you too.”

---

“Oh, come on Tae,” Jungkook says, rolling his eyes. “You can’t be jealous over that. They’re just rumours, dumbass.”

Taehyung waves his pancake-covered fork around in angry circles. “But how did they even start? Does Wheein ask you to hang out when I’m not around or something? Like, I don’t get why there are rumours about you two dating, but there’s none about us.”

Jungkook scoffs. “Do you want there to be rumours about us dating?”

“Well, yeah.” He shoves the piece of pancake in his mouth and chews. “Because we’re actually dating.” He pours way too much syrup onto his plate and the younger grimaces.

“You’re gonna give yourself diabetes.”

“I probably already have diabetes because of how sweet you are,” Taehyung quips without missing a beat, and Jungkook stifles a laugh.

“Lame.”

“Rude.” Taehyung grins. “But honestly, how come no one’s over-analyzing our relationship? I can outright say that I love you on live television and no one bats an eye, but the moment I say the word costar when I don’t think I’m on camera, people start thinking I’m gonna get married or something.”

Jungkook shrugs helplessly as he stabs at his pancake. “It’s because no one thinks you’ll be romantically interested in a guy.”

Taehyung frowns. “That’s absolutely carrots.”

“Carrots?”

“I’m trying to make it a thing. You know how people say things are absolutely bananas when something’s crazy or whatever? So if something totally sucks, then it’s carrots.”

Jungkook stares at him, a stupidly endearing look on his face. “Is it because you hate carrots?”

“With every fibre of my being.”

The writer laughs a little. “Then yeah, it’s absolutely carrots.” He studies his food with a newfound interest. They're silent for a moment before he mumbles, “You know...I get jealous too.”

Taehyung looks up, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He cuts his pancakes into little triangles. “Not of you and your costars or anything, because I know you won’t cheat or whatever. And it’s not like they’re the ones who get to eat pancakes with you at three in the morning.” The corner of his lip jerks up in a half-smile. “But of...other couples, I guess.”

“Oh.” Taehyung plays with the syrup on his plate with his fork, making swirling designs against the off-white porcelain. “Me too. I wanna hold your hand in public and gross out old people by making out with you in the middle of McDonald’s.”

Jungkook stares at him.

“Okay, maybe not that last part,” Taehyung notes. “Unless you’re into that, of course.” Jungkook laughs and Taehyung reaches across the table to touch the other’s fingers with his own, suddenly melancholy. “Sorry that we can’t do stuff like that, Kookie. Hold hands and go on dates to the mall or whatever. I really wanna.”

“It’s not your fault,” the younger responds, flipping his hand around so his fingers can trace shapes into Taehyung’s palm. “You’re a popular actor and there are people watching you at all times, I know. And if they found out that you’re in a relationship...with a guy…” He shakes his head. “The people aren’t ready to find out that their top rising actor is gay. You’d get so much hate, Tae. I don’t wanna see that happen.”

“But I want the world to see you,” Taehyung responds. “To see us.”

“Me too.” He sighs. “One day, though. One day, everyone’s gonna be more accepting and then we can tell the world and scream it out from the rooftops.”

Taehyung smiles, but there’s still a touch of sadness in his eyes. “What’s the first thing you’re gonna scream?” he asks.

“Hmm.” Jungkook thinks for a bit, eyebrows furrowed in thought. “How about ‘Kim Taehyung secretly wears heel-lifts to make himself look taller’?”

Taehyung pouts at him and whines, “No one’s supposed to know about that.”

“Okay, then...'Kim Taehyung cried for three days when he found out that Jessica left SNSD’.”

“Asshole.” Taehyung retracts his hand from his and crosses his arms indignantly. “I was heartbroken, you know.”

“I’m kidding.” Jungkook grins at him. “How about ‘I’m in love with Kim Taehyung’?”

The elder beams. “I like how that one sounds.” He props his elbows up onto the table and places his chin into the palms of his hands. “Can you repeat that for me please?”

“I’m in love with Kim Taehyung,” Jungkook says, leaning across the table a bit.

“Hm…” Taehyung acts like he’s mulling over the words in his head, nodding slightly. “Again?”

Jungkook leans in a little closer. “I’m in love with Kim Taehyung.”

Taehyung leans in too. “Again?”

“I’m in love with Kim Taehyung.” And now they’re nose-to-nose.

“Again?” he whispers.

“I love you, Kim Taehyung.”

Taehyung smiles. “I love you too.”

---

“They’re kinda late,” Seokjin says, glancing at the time on his cell phone as he enters his living room. “You think they ditched and went on a date or something?”

“Nah, they wouldn’t do that,” Jimin replies, waving a dismissive hand. “They’re probably just being slow.”

“I bet Taehyung got caught outside his apartment by the paparazzi on his way to pick up Jungkook,” Hoseok muses.

“Shouldn’t you be helping him out with that or something?” Jimin asks. “You’re his manager.”

“His manager, not his mom.” Hoseok sits back against the couch and puts his feet up onto the coffee table. “But since they’re not here, let’s get things straight.” He sends a dubious look over to Seokjin, who’s making his way over to them. “No asking about the five year gap.”

“Five year gap?” he echoes.

“The five years that Jungkook was in America before they met up in Japan,” Hoseok explains. “The topic that you stupidly brought up the last time we were together, you asshat.”

Seokjin glares at him. “How was I supposed to know that we weren’t supposed to talk about it? I thought they sorted it all out--they seem pretty lovey-dovey to me.”

Jimin shrugs. “I dunno anymore. When he first came back, I was gonna beat the living crap out of him, remember? But he and Tae got super lovey right away so I didn’t really get the chance to and when I asked Tae if he wanted me to, he said no, so…”

“I put soy sauce in his Coke by accident once,” Hoseok pipes up, putting air quotes around the word accident.

Seokjin snorts. “Did you actually?”

“It was the least I could do.” He looks proud of himself. “And I put wasabi in his green tea icecream.”

“You have no mercy, Jung Hoseok.”

“Anyway,” Jimin cuts in. “Every time I try to ask Taehyung if he and Jungkook worked out any misunderstandings, he claims that they didn’t have any and then starts talking about something else and, I don’t know about you guys, but it all seems pretty fishy to me.”

“Huh. You think he’s lying?” Hoseok questions.

“Think? I know he is.” Jimin holds up the remote to turn on Seokjin’s flatscreen and starts to flip through the channels. “Remember the day before he met up with Jungkook again? Before the flight to Okinawa? He was a mess, guys, honestly. He was pissed.”

“At Jungkook?”

“Well, wouldn’t you be?” Seokjin pipes up. “You promise to wait for him, you do a long-distance thing for a while, and then suddenly he stops replying to whatever you send him and doesn’t even give you a reason, and then he just shows up like nothing happened?” He tsks, shaking his head. “I’d be pissed as hell. I mean, at least Joonie gave me an explanation. If I were Taehyung, I’d have left Jungkook’s ass ages ago.” He pauses. “Or, I don’t know, fucked his best friend.”

Hoseok sends him a weird glance. “You do know that I’m his--”

“Okay, wait, forget I said that. We are not going there.”

“Remember that party two years ago--”

“Shut the hell up, you little--”

“But! But,” Jimin interjects quickly. He’s apparently the only person in the room who can stay on topic and he glares Seokjin and Hoseok down so they’d pay attention. “But Taehyung doesn’t like being angry, so when Jungkook acted like nothing happened, I’m guessing that Tae tried to nonchalantly bring it up. Then Jungkook didn’t wanna talk about it and so Taehyung decided to leave the topic alone forever; you know how he hates conflicts. Now it’s now. They’re acting all lovey-dovey and things seem to be going fine.”

Seokjin speaks up first. “That doesn’t seem very healthy relationship-wise, though. Are they just...never gonna talk about it?”

“Well.” Hoseok gives a helpless shrug. “I guess not?”

“Should we tell them to?” the elder asks.

“Ehhhh….” Jimin shifts around awkwardly in his seat. “I don’t wanna get involved. Like, what if things go wrong?”

“Like what?” Seokjin asks.

“Well...they’re our best friends, right? What if they break up after we make them talk it out?”

Seokjin makes a face like he’d just bitten into a lemon and Hoseok shakes his head frantically, saying, “No no no, let’s not bring it up.”

“I still think it’s not that healthy for their relationship,” Seokjin points out, lips pursed.

Jimin sighs. “Yeah, I know.”

The front door opens right then, and Taehyung and Jungkook come bursting in, arguing about something loudly.

“Okay, hear me out,” Taehyung starts, holding up a hand. Jungkook scowls and rolls his eyes in response. “Just hear me out! Honestly, having Green Lantern’s power ring would be better than Thor’s hammer.”

“That’s bullshit,” Jungkook counters hotly, kicking his shoes off at Seokjin’s doorway first and walking passed him. “Dude, it’s Thor’s hammer. Being worthy enough to even pick it up is better than having some stupid ring.”

“That stupid ring can create anything out of pure energy.” Taehyung skips ahead and takes a seat on the love-seat couch to the left of where Hoseok, Jimin and Seokjin are staring at them, faces blank. “That’s better than Thor’s hammer.”

“You can’t even pronounce the name of Thor’s hammer.” Jungkook sits down next to Taehyung and winds his arms around his waist, tugging him so that the elder’s back is against his chest. “That’s how unworthy you are right now.”

“All the hammer can do is make storms and stuff!” Taehyung exclaims. “Orororo Munroe from X-Men can do that without a hammer.”

“But--” Jungkook stops. “Wait, what did you just say?”

“Oro--dude, Storm? Do you not know who Storm is?”

“You said Orororo.”

“Oh my god.” Taehyung’s face breaks into a grin. “Did I really?”

Jungkook bursts out laughing. “Yes, you dumbass. It’s Ororo Munroe. Not Orororo. You added too many ro’s.”

“Orororororo.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Ororororororo--”

“Do you guys even see us?” Seokjin interjects, waving an arm around.

“You sound so stupid right now,” Jungkook says, trying to cover his boyfriend’s mouth with his hand. Taehyung licks a stripe across his palm and the younger makes a face, wiping it back on Taehyung’s cheek.

“Orororororo!” Taehyung exclaims in protest, trying to wiggle himself out of Jungkook’s grip and failing miserably, breathlessly giggling at his own futile attempts.

“I don’t think they do,” Jimin whispers to Seokjin.

---

Taehyung considers bursting into Jungkook’s apartment and yelling at him.

He considers complaining like a kid.

Maybe he should give him the silent treatment. Jungkook hates the silent treatment.

But seeing his boyfriend hunched over his laptop, typing away, his eyes glued to the screen with a determined glint, he can’t bring himself to do any of that. It’s only morning but he already feels kind of tired and he doesn’t wanna go through any theatrics before being able to cuddle and make out.

So he changes plans, makes some hot chocolate, and settles for a quiet smile.

“Hey honey bunches of oats,” he greets, walking up from behind Jungkook and kissing him on the cheek.

Jungkook jumps from his seat at his desk, craning his neck to look over at his boyfriend in surprise. “When did you get here?”

Taehyung laughs. “Like, ten minutes ago, baby cakes. Honey badger. Hot stuff. Jellybean. Tall, non-fat latte with caramel drizzle.” Jungkook wrinkles his face at the nicknames, but it quickly melts into something grateful when Taehyung puts a mug down onto his workstation, carefully avoiding the neat pile of papers he has next to his laptop. “I made you some hot chocolate.”

Jungkook didn’t even know he was craving hot chocolate until he smelled it, but truth be told, he’s always craving Taehyung’s hot chocolate. Taehyung’s surprisingly skilled at making drinks (save for that time he put a chicken nugget, rice and a stick of celery into the blender).

“Man, I love you,” Jungkook breathes out as he takes a cautious sip. It has the perfect amount of cinnamon and he sighs, content.

“I would hope so,” Taehyung replies cheekily. “It would be awkward to date you if you didn’t.”

He positions his hands onto Jungkook’s shoulders and starts to dig his fingers in, massaging him. The younger groans in relief and he sets the mug back down onto his table.

“Seriously, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Taehyung curls over him so he can place a kiss onto his forehead, and then pulls back to continue his work on his shoulders. “Are you still writing that new script of yours? Did you not even go to sleep last night?”

“Sleep?” Jungkook squints to see the time in the corner of his laptop screen. His jaw drops open. “Oh my god. It’s eight-thirty in the morning.”

“Yup.” He pops the ‘p’.

“It’s...it’s Thursday.”

“Right again.”

“I said I’d meet you for breakfast at seven.”

“Uh-huh.” Taehyung presses down a little harder into Jungkook’s shoulder in spite, bordering on painful, but he eases up immediately. “Sorry. I’m just…”

“No, I’m sorry,” Jungkook says quickly. “My--my phone ran out of battery so my alarm didn’t go off and I didn’t charge it because I had my crazy writing vibe going on and--”

“I know,” he interjects. “I tried to call you. And I would’ve came earlier, but some people on the streets recognized me and I had to abandon my car and take, like, three different taxis to get here, so…”

The writer sighs and turns around in his swivel chair. He looks totally guilty and Taehyung believes him--Jungkook’s only good at faking one emotion and that’s indifference.

Taehyung cups Jungkook’s face with both of his hands, thumbs running softly against his cheeks.

“You...you should sleep, maybe. You’re probably exhausted.”

When Taehyung retracts his hands, Jungkook leans forwards and hugs him around the middle. His head is against the elder’s chest when he mumbles, “I’m so sorry. I lost track of time.”

Taehyung runs his hands through Jungkook’s hair. He’s upset, of course he is, but he doesn’t wanna fight. He never wants to fight.

“Yeah,” he says. “It’s okay.”

“No it’s not,” Jungkook responds, looking up at his boyfriend. “Our anniversary is tomorrow.”

Is he trying to make me mad or something? Taehyung just smiles at him in hopes that the distraught look on Jungkook’s face will turn into a smile as well.

“I know. It’s okay, Kookie.”

Jungkook squeezes his arms around Taehyung, clutching at him. “And we said we’d go out for the whole day today to celebrate and I totally forgot about breakfast.”

“It’s only breakfast, dumbass.” Taehyung runs his fingers through the other’s hair softly. “We still have the rest of the day.”

“But our flight to Jeju left half an hour ago.”

“We can just catch another plane,” he assures him, forever the optimist.

Jungkook whines and keeps pulling Taehyung closer until the elder has no choice but to sit on his lap, straddling him.

“I’m sorry, Tae. I’m...I’m absolutely carrots.”

Taehyung laughs at that. “I hate carrots and I love you. That’s a huge difference, stupid.” Jungkook whines again and the actor smiles when he nuzzles his nose into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. “Kookie, it’s not a problem, honestly. You’ve been working hard on this script, I know. You must have a seriously good idea.”

“I do, I promise.” Jungkook tilts his head up to look at him, plants kisses along the length of his jaw. “Not good enough to be forgiven for forgetting about our date though.”

“I forgive you anyway.” Taehyung loops his arms around Jungkook’s neck. “There’s another flight at 10:30 if you’re up for that. Also, you now owe me ice cream. And a piggy-back ride.”

Jungkook smiles at him gratefully. “Of course. Anything.” He kisses him chastely. “Man, I don’t deserve you,” he murmurs against the other’s lips.

Taehyung makes a sound of agreement. “True.” When Jungkook pulls away, frowning a little, he kisses him again. “You deserve the universe.”

Jungkook presses their foreheads together and shakes his head lightly. “Lame,” he teases.

Taehyung grins at him. “Rude.”

The writer sighs again, deep and heavy. “You do know that you’re my universe, right?”

Taehyung snorts. “I’m rubbing off on you.”

Jungkook smiles. “I really love you.”

“I really really love you.”

“I really really really love you.”

Taehyung gives him a look. “Don’t make this a competition, Jungkook.”

The younger laughs. “I’m not.” He pauses. “And even if I was, I’d probably win.”

Taehyung stares at him challengingly. “I really really really really love you.”

“I really really really--”

---

“We should head to the airport now,” Jungkook murmurs against his boyfriend’s lips.

“I wanna make out a little longer.”

“We’re gonna miss the flight,” he says, pulling away, but he’s grinning. “For the second time today.”

“That’s fine.”

“Tae, c’mon, we can continue when we're in Jeju.”

The actor sighs and places a kiss on Jungkook’s nose. “Okie dokie. Hoseok has my car because I had to leave it when I took all those taxis though. All my luggage is in there, and my phone.”

“I’ll call him for you,” Jungkook says, getting up from the couch in his living room. “Where did I leave my phone again, anyway?”

“Your room.”

“Oh yeah.”

Jungkook leaves to get his cell phone and Taehyung takes this time to go over to the writer’s laptop and read the script that he’d been working on since last night. Making out didn’t quite make up for Jungkook forgetting about their Jeju date, so Taehyung decides to make sure that the script he was working on really was as good as Jungkook claims it to be.

And it is good. Taehyung shouldn’t even be surprised, but he is. It’s a murder mystery this time, and the elder can’t help but think that Jungkook wrote this for him specifically. He’s always wanted to play a detective.

Just then, a sound comes from outside the door of Jungkook’s apartment and Taehyung freezes.

“Oh? The door’s not locked.” The voice is vaguely familiar but he can’t put it to a face and he swears in his mind.

I can’t believe I forgot to lock the goddamn door.

Taehyung drops to the ground in a hurry and crawls underneath Jungkook’s desk to hide.

Seeing as everyone thinks that the famous Taekook are just ‘best friends’, finding Taehyung in Jungkook’s apartment wouldn’t be so suspicious.

But Taehyung doesn’t know how he’d explain his messy hair, the hickeys at his collarbone, his swollen lips, and the buttons missing from his shirt because Jungkook had all but ripped it open a few minutes ago. And seeing as he can’t seem to exactly recall where he’s heard that voice, he can’t risk being seen.

“What an idiot,” says someone else, as two people enter the apartment. Taehyung recognizes that one and he breathes out in relief. It’s Seokjin.

Why is Seokjin-hyung here?

He’s about to come out of his hiding spot when the sound of two people kissing fills the room and Taehyung’s eyes widen.

Oh my god, wait, is that Namjoon? Is he back from New Zealand? Oh my god they’re taking off their clothes oh my god oh my god--

“Better for us,” the blond man replies, and Taehyung covers up his mouth to block out the shrill scream that he wants to let loose when they collapse onto the couch together.

“Won’t...your guests...realize that you...left your own party at your own house?” Namjoon manages to pant out, and Seokjin shushes him.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. This is the only place I know that we’d for sure be left alone.”

“Where are they anyway?”

“Jeju.”

Taehyung curses himself in his mind. He should’ve come out earlier when they first entered the apartment--he’s been underneath the desk and watching them in horror for far too long to be considered normal. Showing himself now would just put everyone in an awkward situation, and he looks towards Jungkook’s bedroom in a panic.

And Jungkook’s standing there, an equally panicked look on his face. The hallway he’s in shields him from Seokjin and Namjoon's line of sight from the couch, but he can see Taehyung clearly, his eyes wide.

He mouths, “what the fuck?”

Taehyung mouths, “I don’t know!?”

Jungkook moves to go into the living room, but Taehyung makes a big X with his arms, shaking his head. He points to himself, then to Jungkook and Jungkook stares at him in confusion.

Taehyung holds up a palm. Stay.

Then he army crawls out of his hiding place as quiet as possible, and from the sounds--dear lord, the sounds--that Seokjin and Namjoon are making, they don’t notice him.

It takes Taehyung a total of ten seconds to reach Jungkook, and the younger pulls him up to his feet and drags him into his bedroom.

“Why are they here?” he hisses under his breath.

“They think we’re in Jeju,” Taehyung whispers back. “And Seokjin-hyung has a party today, remember? I think they snuck out or something.”

Jungkook shakes his head. “And you...why were you hiding under the desk?”

“I didn’t know who it was so I panicked!” he yell-whispers. “What took you so long in your room anyways?”

“I couldn’t find my phone until just now,” Jungkook replies, holding it up. “I called Hoseok, like, a minute ago. He should be coming with your car.”

“What...what are we supposed to do about those two?” Taehyung asks quietly, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the living room. “I think they’re about to get down. They’re gonna do the doodly-do on your sofa, Jungkook. We do the doodly-do on your sofa. There can only be one couple who can do the doodly-do on your sofa, and that’s us.”

“Please stop saying doodly-do.”

“There can only be one couple that can have heavenly gay sexcapades on your sofa, and that’s us.”

“Go back to saying doodly-do, oh my god.”

“So what now?”

Jungkook heaves a breath. Bravely, he exits his bedroom and peeks into his living room, but runs back to Taehyung a second later, face contorted in a mix of embarrassment and disgust. “It is far too late to make them stop. I’m not gonna go talk to them.”

“I don’t want to either! It’s weird! I don’t wanna see Seokjin-hyung’s dick.”

“Okay, um…” Jungkook presses a finger into his temples. “Okay. Let’s go down the fire escape.”

Taehyung’s eyes are suddenly shining with excitement. “Like we’re on the run from the authorities? Like when the police knock on your door so you parkour down the fire escape to get away like in those cop shows?”

“We’re just going down some ladders, Taehyung.”

“Can we at least pretend we’re on the run?”

“...Fine.”

“Best anniversary date ever.”

---

“You know what people have been calling you?” the MC asks.

Jungkook and Taehyung share a blank look.

“The Taekook Tag Team,” she reveals dramatically. “TTT for short. Every movie that Jeon Jungkook writes that Kim Taehyung is in...they’re automatic hits. Taehyung, I understand that you’re one of Korea’s top rising actors, yes?”

Taehyung smiles and scratches at the side of his neck awkwardly. “I mean...I guess?”

“So modest,” the MC coos and Taehyung laughs lightly. “And you even released an album with the help of producer Min Yoongi.”

“Ah...yeah. I did.” Taehyung looks towards the camera. “You can buy it on iTunes! Go now!”

Their live-audience laughs.

The MC, grinning from Taehyung words, turns to Jungkook next. “And you, Jungkook, I hear that you’re pushing your way into the world of directors. Is screenwriting not enough for you?” she jokes.

Jungkook clears his throat. He’s still stiff in front of the cameras--he doesn’t have that natural, charismatic aura that Taehyung has, but Taehyung gives his leg a reassuring squeeze from under the table and he feels a little better.

“Um, haha, I guess not,” he replies awkwardly. “I mean...the directors I’ve worked with have all been great, I don’t mean--it’s just---um…”

“He’s kind of a perfectionist,” Taehyung cuts in after Jungkook’s sentence dies out. The latter looks at him gratefully and drops his hand under the table so they can intertwine their fingers in secret.

“A perfectionist?” The MC looks amused. “Could you give our viewers an example of this perfectionism of yours?”

Jungkook’s mind is completely blank. “Um…”

“Ah! I have something,” Taehyung says, holding up a hand. “When he’s writing a script. Once he has an idea, he has to write it all down at once and he won’t stop until it’s perfect. He’d type on his laptop for hours on end; he’d even forget to sleep.”

The woman giggles. “Really? Do you forget to eat too?”

“Tae reminds me to eat,” Jungkook finds himself revealing, and he bites his tongue right after. Was that too personal? he wonders.

“I remind him to sleep too,” Taehyung adds. “Eat, sleep, shower. Breathe,” he jokes, and the audience laughs a little.

“You two really are the best of friends, huh?” the MC continues. “So he reminds you to eat, to sleep, shower. Breathe. Don’t tell me you do all those things together now.”

“Well…” Taehyung begins, dragging out the word and looking sheepish. Jungkook stares at him incredulously. Are you gonna say that we shower together on live television?

The MC widens her eyes dramatically and someone in the audience whistles.

“We’re breathing together right now, aren’t we?” Taehyung finishes with a grin, and Jungkook lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. The crowd laughs, drinking up Taehyung’s words easily.

The MC shakes her head at him. “I don’t know what your fans would do if you told them that you two showered together,” she teases.

“Oh, I doubt they’d mind,” Taehyung answers, waving a dismissive hand. He looks directly at the camera again. “Yeah, that's right, I read all of the tweets. Some of you guys are really weird. Can’t say I don't enjoy them though.”

The audience bursts into laughter and Jungkook finds himself joining in.

“You’re ridiculous,” he whispers to Taehyung, quiet enough so that the microphone won’t catch it.

His boyfriend winks at him and whispers “I know” right back.

“So you don’t mind that some of your fans like to see you guys as...romantic rather than platonic?” the MC inquires.

“Not at all!” Taehyung replies, grinning. “It’s all in good faith, really.”

“How about you, Jungkook? What do you think about people--what’s the word again? Ah, that’s right. What do you think about people shipping you and Taehyung together as a romantic couple?”

Jungkook looks over to Taehyung for help, but the elder is merely staring at him expectantly.

“Who’d wanna date this dumbass?” he tries weakly, and he curses in his mind when the words don’t sound convincing at all. The MC and the audience seem to notice and the atmosphere slowly starts to turn awkward, until Taehyung laughs.

“Kookie, I think you just swore on family-friendly television.”

“Oh fu--shit--crap. Sorry. I’m sorry.” Jungkook blushes and the awkwardness is gone and the crowd is loving the screenwriter’s flusteredness.

“Jungkook,” the MC begins, and he turns to her. There’s an odd look in her eyes and he swallows nervously. “What if Taehyung were a girl? Would you think about dating him if he were a girl?”

“Gender doesn’t matter to me,” he blurts out impulsively, and now the cursing in his mind has turned into all-out screaming.

The studio goes silent and Jungkook rushes to continue.

“I--I mean...well...gender doesn’t matter, really,” he manages to choke out, and he feels Taehyung give his leg another reassuring squeeze--or is it a warning? He looks up at him, stares at him for a few seconds too long. There’s whispering behind the cameras and he rips his gaze away unwillingly. “It’s...I don’t know. You love whoever you love, I guess? I mean, it’s fine to be attracted to one gender and all, it’s...it’s just that some people don’t care about whatever is in your pants.”

The audience seems to like the last line because a few people chuckle quietly.

“Well.”  The MC obviously didn’t anticipate this answer, and she fans herself with her cue cards a little. “That’s...truly inspiring, Jungkook. Love whoever you love.” She nods to herself, chewing on her lip, and Jungkook doesn’t miss the perturbed glance that she sends to the crew in charge of the show.

Jungkook wishes he hasn't said anything.

“And you, Taehyung?” she continues on. “What are your thoughts? What if Jungkook were a girl? Or…” She casts a glance over to Jungkook. “Or does gender not matter to you either?”

He plans on rambling about something off-topic, like the colour of her shirt or something (his alien title that he somehow earned is very good for redirecting attention), but then he sees Hoseok behind one of the cameras, glaring him down.

The Talk. Right.

(“Don’t let people know that you’re dating, okay, Tae? It’ll ruin both your careers--you two will be known more for being gay than for your successes in the movie industry, and is that what you want? People to go ‘oh, that’s the movie with the gay actor’ instead of ‘that’s the movie with Kim Taehyung’?”

“No…”

“It sucks, Taehyung, I know. But you can’t let people know that you’re together. Don’t give them any reason to suspect anything, or everything you two have built together, the impact you’ve made on this industry, everything you’ve accomplished up until now...they’ll all be less significant compared to the measly fact that you’re gay. Maybe when you’re really famous and have the power to influence change through that fame, you can tell them. But not...not now. Don’t make people suspicious.”)

And suddenly changing the topic will definitely make people suspicious, he’s sure of it.

“It matters,” Taehyung lies, and despite being an actor, the words burn as they leave his mouth. The MC still doesn’t look convinced, and he forces himself to add, “But even if Jungkook were a girl, I don’t think I’d date him anyway. Sorry Kook.” He pats his boyfriend on the back, grinning.

The crowd laughs and there’s a few mocking awws, and Taehyung and Jungkook tighten their laced fingers together underneath the table, safe from judging eyes.

The MC starts to wrap things up, getting ready for commercial break. Taehyung takes this time to whisper into his boyfriend’s ear.

“I’m sorry.”

Jungkook nods.

---

“What the hell was that?” Hoseok exclaims. They’re in Taehyung’s company van, driving over to Jungkook’s apartment first because it’s closer than Taehyung’s.

“What the hell was what?” the actor asks innocently.

“You know I’m not talking to you.”

Jungkook scowls from his seat in the back. Taehyung takes his hand in both of his and kisses his palm gently.

“Jungkook, what were you even thinking when you answered that question?” Hoseok snaps, sounding legitimately angry. “You don’t think gender matters? Sorry to break it you man, but the majority of South Korea still thinks that gender fucking matters.”

“Well they shouldn’t,” Jungkook mumbles under his breath.

“I was gonna agree with you,” Taehyung tells him, running his thumb over the younger man’s knuckles. “But Hoseok was giving me this glare…”

“For your own good!” They stop at a traffic light and Hoseok turns around to shoot the couple a dark look. “Go check the internet right now. I guarantee that Jungkook is one of the top searched people. See what the articles are saying, what the fans are saying.”

Jungkook reluctantly takes his phone out of his pocket and searches up his name on a browser. Taehyung logs onto Twitter, scrolls through it with hesitant curiousity.

Jeon Jungkook, genius screenwriter, “Gender doesn’t matter to me”

Writer and Co-Director of Hit Indie Movie “Love is Not Over” Possibly Gay?

Jeon Jungkook: Was his roundabout confession to Kim Taehyung rejected?

“What the fuck…” he mutters, passing through the news articles.

“Babe, look.” Taehyung gives him his phone and Jungkook’s scowl deepens.

@jeonjk is too hot to be gay, tf are these “fans” saying? #teamstraightkookie #taekookarefriends

whoever thinks that @jeonjk and @ktae are just friends are lying to themselves lol #genderdoesntmatter #taekookisreal

I feel bad for @ktae...your best friend is gay for you...that’s so weird…#awkward

tbh, @jeonjk shouldve chosen a better time to come out of the closet. live tv might notve been the best move. still, #genderdoesntmatter fighting!

no wonder @jeonjk makes good romance movies...he’s just gay lol :’)

oh shiitt...did @ktae lowkey reject @jeonjk ????? #taekookarefriends #friendzoned lmao

"It hasn’t even been an hour since the interview ended…” Jungkook hands Taehyung his phone and then leans back against the headrest. He sighs, exasperated. “The only reason I write good romance movies is because I like guys? That’s so dumb. I can’t believe this.”

“Well you better start believing it pretty damn soon, because this is all you’re gonna hear for the next month or so,” Hoseok states matter-of-factly, accelerating once the light turns green. “Taehyung, don’t you even think about staying over at Jungkook’s tonight. If anyone sees you…” He shakes his head, not even bothering to finish his sentence.

Taehyung doesn’t say anything to him. Instead, he turns to Jungkook and smiles that rectangular-smile of his.

“Hey...they think I friendzoned you, haha. Loser.”

Jungkook moves to rest his head on Taehyung’s shoulder. He laughs weakly. “Shut the fuck up.”

---

“I wanna see you.”

Even though people’s voices usually sound higher pitched through the speaker of a phone, Taehyung’s remains low and warm and Jungkook closes his eyes and relishes in the sound. It’s almost as comforting as Taehyung's arms wrapping around him. Almost.

“We can Skype?” Jungkook offers, already sitting up in his bed.

“I wanna see you in person,” Taehyung elaborates. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

He bites back a smile. “It’s been five days.”

“That’s forever.”

Jungkook almost mentions how Taehyung managed to wait five years last time, but he manages to hold his tongue.

“Soon, okay? Just until the rumours die down.”

“I don’t care about the rumours.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“I…” He’s gotten better at saying exactly what’s on his mind after being with Taehyung, but despite mulling over the words carefully before speaking, there’s an embarrassed hesitation in his voice. “I care about you.”

Taehyung doesn’t say anything and he continues after a breath.

“I don’t want people to...to just dismiss what an amazing actor you are and to focus on...on details that shouldn’t be focused on, you know? I...I don’t want you to be labelled.”

“I don’t mind being labelled,” his boyfriend replies. “As long as the label has your name on it.”

The side of Jungkook’s mouth twitches up in a barely-there smile. “Still lame.”

“That was a good one, you’ve gotta admit.”

“S’alright, I guess.”

“Asshole.”

He laughs. Then he says, “I miss your two AM pancakes.”

“Yeah? Well I miss hearing you typing up a script at the asscrack of dawn,” the elder replies. He groans loudly and Jungkook can hear shuffling on the other end--he can imagine Taehyung rolling around on his bed, frustratedly kicking at his blankets.

“Sorry,” Jungkook mumbles. There seems to be a lot of sorry’s going around lately, he thinks.

“It’s not your fault!” Taehyung responds immediately. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, Kookie, don’t you worry your pretty little bunny face. The media is just dumb. Fans who claim that they’d be weirded out and won’t like us if we turn out to be together are dumb too. People who want me to be gay just so I can hold the title of ‘gay rising actor’ instead of just ‘rising actor’ are dumb.”

“There’s a lot of dumb people in this world, huh.”

“Too many.” There’s a pause. “Hey...I’m gonna ask you something serious right now, okie dokie? And you’ve gotta give me a serious answer.”

Jungkook sits up straight, focusing so he doesn’t miss a word. There’s a worried twisting in his chest and he takes a deep breath. “Yeah...yeah, okay. Okay, what is it?”

“Wanna live together?”

He blinks. “I...what?”

“Live together. You and me. One home, one roof.” He giggles childishly to himself and adds, “One bed.”

“Taehyung, we’re...we’re literally in a scandal right now and you’re asking me to live with you?” Jungkook shakes his head even though the actor can’t see him. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I know.” Jungkook can practically see his box-shaped grin, the crinkle in his eyes. “I’m still asking you to live with me. Or me with you. Or we can find a new place, just for us.”

The offer is so appealing that Jungkook doesn’t need another moment to think it over.

“Okay.”

“Wait...really?”

“Really really.”

“I’m--wow. Okay. That’s...awesome. Awesome. This is gonna be awesome. We’re gonna live together and now I can make you pancakes at two in the morning every single day and I can come home from work and kiss you on the cheek and be like, ‘Honey, I’m home!’ and it’s just gonna be awesome.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees lamely, and they both laugh. “But I don’t think I can move in with you, seeing as a bunch of celebrities live in your apartment complex.”

“Yeah…” Taehyung makes an ah! sound, and says, in the best English he can muster, “Can I stay with you?”

“Why are you...why are you talking like that.”

“Can I stay with you...please.”

“Are you pretending to be Donkey from Shrek right now?”

“You’re ruining my vibe here, Kookie.”

The writer laughs. “You’re so...why do I like you again?”

“Everyone loves Donkey,” Taehyung defends. “It’s Shrek that people are kinda iffy about. You’re lucky I love you.”

Jungkook smiles. “I know.”

Taehyung suddenly screeches on the other end, and Jungkook nearly has a heart attack.

“What? What happened?”

“Dude, you rarely say stuff like that, oh my god,” he says excitedly. “‘I know’,” he imitates, in a terrible version of Jungkook’s voice. “Dude, why can’t you be that smooth all the time? My heart is fluttering. Ten points to Slytherin.”

“Why the hell am I in Slytherin?”

“Kookie, you’re totally a Slytherin.” All of a sudden, Taehyung gasps dramatically. “What if the media finds out that you’re dating a Hufflepuff? That’s gonna cause the biggest scandal of the century.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Whatever you say.”

“This is an important discussion, Kookie.”

“More important than discussing where we’re gonna live when we move in together?”

“Ah, true. Can we get a dog?”

“Tae, one step at a time.”

Taehyung giggles on the other end of the line. “Right. Okay. Baby steps. So...not my place, right? Is yours safe? I think buying a new place together might be kinda risky. Like, what if the real estate agent or the landlord or whatever asks why we’re buying a place together or something?”

“My apartment’s pretty good,” Jungkook says. “I have a big enough place for the both of us and half of your clothes are in my closet anyways. There’s only one penthouse suite in the building, and people don’t seem to notice whenever you come over.”

“Oh! Just in case people do start to notice, I can climb in through the fire escape!” Taehyung suggests. “Then I totally won’t be seen!”

“I...don’t think that’s necessary.”

“Whatever.” Taehyung sighs happily. “This is gonna be fun. Can I move in tomorrow?”

Jungkook nearly chokes on his own spit. “What?”

“Tomorrow? Can I?”

“Tae, at least wait until the rumours die down some more,” Jungkook tells him, trying to sound stern, but Taehyung’s eagerness has him smiling.

“Hoseok said that that’d take, like, a month. Or two. Maybe even three. That’s such a long wait.”

“Aw, do you miss me that much?”

“Yes.”

Jungkook expected a blunt answer like that from his boyfriend, but it still manages to make his heart skip a beat.

“Well…” He ponders for a moment. “You think you can sneak out? You can come over today. Not move in, but like...just...I--I wanna see you too anyways, so…”

“I’m putting on my spy gear right now.”

“Wait, you can just walk in normally--”

“I’m gonna come in through the fire escape.”

“Taehyung--”

“See you in a bit!” He hangs up.

About an hour later, Taehyung’s making Jungkook pancakes in his kitchen and Jungkook’s searching the alleyway behind his apartment complex because Taehyung lost a shoe on his way up the ladder.

---

It’s a couple months after The Interview when Taehyung stumbles into his and Jungkook’s shared penthouse suite.

“You’re ridiculous,” Jungkook says, as Taehyung does a fabulous twirl in the foyer. “Are you wearing a wig?”

Taehyung grins and flips his shoulder-length black hair dramatically. “It’s all natural, baby.” He lowers his large, circular sunglasses and then puckers his lips. “Can I get a ‘welcome home’ kiss?”

Jungkook starts to lean in, but then he stops and pushes against his boyfriend’s chest to look at his face properly. “Are you...are you wearing lipstick?”

“It’s a disguise,” he explains breezily. “Some crazy fans started following me after I got out of that radio show and so I got Hoseok to drop me off at a convenience store. Put on this lovely get-up”--he gestures down at himself--”and then snuck out the back and grabbed a taxi. No one even spared me a glance!”

“Oh, I see--wait. Crazy fans?” Jungkook’s jaw tenses and Taehyung can see anger building up in his eyes. “They started following you? What did they look like?”

“Why does it matter what they look like?”

“So I can find them.”

“And then?” When Jungkook just gives him a look, Taehyung smiles. “It’s okay, you don’t have to beat up some poor teenage girls for me, Kookie. I can handle it.”

“I wasn’t going to beat up teenage girls,” Jungkook states, rolling his eyes. “I was just gonna, like, ‘accidentally’ embarrass them in front of you at one of your fanmeets or something.”

“Ah, my knight in shining armour,” Taehyung sighs, walking closer to Jungkook and looping his arms around the other man’s neck. “And are you gonna give me that kiss or what?”

Jungkook brings up a hand and rubs his thumb across the elder’s mouth, wiping off the red lipstick that, in his opinion, was actually applied quite well. He gives him a quick peck.

“You go through so much trouble,” Jungkook mumbles, encircling the other’s waist with his arms. They begin to sway together, slow-dancing to a nonexistent beat. “I’m sorry that you have to do all this. If I never said that thing at the interview…” His sentence peters away and he sighs.

“Never ever apologise for what you said.” Taehyung leans his forehead against his boyfriend’s own, breathes in his air like it’s the only oxygen in the room. “What you said made me happy, and I’m sure it made a bunch of other people happy too.”

“Mm.” Jungkook tips his jaw forward to catch Taehyung’s lips again.

“Hashtag taekookisreal,” the actor adds.

Jungkook laughs. “Make it trend.”

---

It’s March, about three months after the whole gender doesn’t matter interview, and things have calmed down with the Taekook fans.

Kind of.

Jungkook’s back to writing his script, but he’s sworn off of using Twitter and searching up his own name on the Internet. Taehyung’s been doing business as usual; moving through his schedule, going on variety shows, radio shows and auditions.

It’s a particularly cool night, the sky already pitch black and crickets chirping, when Taehyung comes into their apartment, his ear pressed against his phone. Jungkook waits until his boyfriend hangs up with a “Talk to you later, hyung” before he asks, “How’d it go?”

The writer doesn’t look up from where he’s looking at his phone, sitting at his desk with his feet up, and Taehyung slumps down onto the couch (a new one--after that incident with Seokjin and Namjoon, they could never look at the couch the same way again) with a huff. He says, “It...went.”

“You said that the director asked for you specifically, right?” Jungkook continues. "So you got the part?”

“Eh.” He waves around a weak hand.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I turned it down.”

Jungkook looks up from his phone and swivels his chair around to face him. “How come?”

“It’s not you.”

The younger sighs. “Tae, you’ve gotta accept other offers, you know. You can’t just be in only the movies I make for the rest of your life.”

“Says who?”

“Says me,” he states. He gives a withering glance down at his phone again, but Taehyung doesn’t notice. “And Hoseok. And...other people. You’re gonna stop getting offers if you don’t start accepting them. It’ll be hard to bounce back into the field if you’re out for so long, and you can’t be in another one of my movies again or the rumours will come back. We have to wait.”

“It’s fine; you're being paranoid.”

Jungkook frowns and drops his phone onto the desk. “It’s...it's not fine, Tae.”

“We’re the Taekook Tag Team,” Taehyung notes. “I’m supposed to...we’re supposed to do everything together.”

“The scandal will get even worse if we do,” Jungkook insists. “Can’t you just...accept another offer? Film a movie or two without me? Make people forget, Tae. We’ll come back as an actor-writer pair after we’re sure that the rumours are gone, alright?”

“You know how long filming a movie takes, Kookie,” Taehyung whines. “It’ll be, like, a year of me not working with you. I don’t wanna do other people’s movies when you’re here writing something a million times more amazing.”

Jungkook doesn’t remember his boyfriend being this adamant on only doing movies that he writes. It’s weird, he thinks, but he doesn’t question it.

“Taehyung, seriously, we’ve gotta work with other people right now. The media will be all over us if we don’t,” he says. “They’re already making up theories as to why you never star in anyone else’s movies. They think I'm favouring you and I'm not being fair or whatever."

Taehyung sits up and gives the writer a pointed look. “Jungkook, I don’t wanna hide anymore.”

“You...What?”

“I don’t wanna hide anymore,” he repeats, and his voice is deadpan. “Pretending that we’re not together as if...as if us being in love is a bad thing. I don’t wanna hide.”

“Taehyung, you know we can’t just…”

“We can’t? Or I can’t?” He suddenly sounds upset, and Jungkook doesn’t know if it’s because he’s tired from turning down offers and doing two radio shows in a row, or if it’s because he’s actually frustrated about this. “Because it’s been three months and people seem to have accepted you more or less.”

“More or less,” Jungkook echoes, and he’s starting to sound upset as well. “Those are the key words here. Some people are still bothered about me not being straight, some people are still making it a huge deal. It’s just that people care about you more than me.” He shoots him a look. “Why are you making this a huge deal right now?”

“This is our goddamn relationship,” Taehyung points out heatedly. “Is it not a big deal to you? I just want people to know that we’re together.”

Jungkook stares at him incredulously. He feels offended that Taehyung would think that of him, and his anger spikes up. “What the fuck are you saying? Of course it’s a big deal! I’m just...why do you want us to become public so badly all of a sudden? No one has to know.”

“No one has to know?” Taehyung lets out an irritated laugh, dry and humourless. “You...what the hell happened to wanting to walk down the streets holding hands? Do you not want to do that anymore?”

“Not if it’s going to ruin your career!” Jungkook shouts, stupidly thinking that raising his voice will get Taehyung to back down. “Why can’t you just accept that we can’t go public because of you?”

“So I’m the one to blame here.”

Jungkook stands up. “Taehyung, I didn’t fucking say that.”

“Well it sure sounded like it.” The elder scowls and turns away from him, running a hand through his hair in annoyance. “Is it because of the five year gap?”

Jungkook’s blood turns cold. “What?”

“The five years when you were in America,” Taehyung states, and Jungkook can’t believe he’s actually asking about it after not mentioning it for so long.

“Why--why the fuck are you bringing that up now?”

“Oh, sorry, is this a bad fucking time?” Taehyung snaps, and he gets up too, pacing around the living room. “I am so sorry, Jeon Jungkook. Am I supposed to never bring it up? Are we supposed to just forget how I called you and texted you and sent you letters for weeks on end, only to get no response? Do you have any idea how I felt?”

The inside of Jungkook’s mouth is dry, as if it were filled with cotton, and he swallows thickly. He doesn’t know what to say.

“I felt fucking terrible, Jungkook. You made me feel terrible. I thought you hated me.” His voice is loud and it’s shaking, like he’s holding back angry tears. Jungkook thinks that maybe he’s been holding back a lot more than tears lately, and his heart twists. How much have you been hiding?

“Or worse," Taehyung continues. "I thought that you forgot about me. I thought that I meant nothing to you. That one year of university where I spent every waking moment thinking about you, falling in love with you, meant nothing.”

“You’re...you’re not nothing, Taehyung.”

“Well you’re making me feel like nothing,” he spits out. “You hate the idea of going public--”

“It’s not like I--”

“--you broke off contact with me completely while you were in America, when you knew how much that would hurt me.”

“I can’t believe you right now,” Jungkook breathes, his brain buzzing and blank. “I can’t fucking...What is wrong with you?”

“What is wrong with me?”

“Yeah, what the fuck is wrong with you!?” he shouts. “Do you even remember why I left?”

“I…” His entire demeanor becomes softer, resembling the Taehyung that Jungkook usually sees. “Your mom was..." His face hardens again. "But you--”

“My mom was dying, you complete fucking asshole,” he says, and there’s too many emotions swirling around in him to even make sense of what he’d just said. Every word that comes out of his mouth feels like rusted metal against his tongue and he hates it. He’s never seen Taehyung mad before and he hates it. He’s never even been mad at Taehyung before and he hates it. They’ve never argued like this, they’ve never even raised their voices at each other like this and he hates it, hates everything, hates everyone all at once.

Taehyung looks pained as he says, “But you still didn’t even tell me. You didn’t tell me anything.”

“You knew she was sick! I told you how sick she was!”

“But you just stopped talking to me. That’s...that wasn’t fair, Jungkook.”

“Wasn’t fair--Taehyung, my mom is dead and you think that this is unfair?” His insides are screaming at him to stop talking, but the thought of America has all sorts of things going through his head and he can’t make himself shut his mouth.

“I could’ve comforted you,” Taehyung tells him, and he sounds mad again. “I could’ve done something, but instead you cut me out of your life.”

“You were in Korea. I was in America. How the hell were you supposed to comfort me when there was an ocean between us?” Jungkook demands.

“Did you have that little faith in me? Did you think that I wouldn’t be able to be there for you when you needed me most?” Taehyung asks.

“How was I supposed to know? You literally told me not to tell you that I loved you before I left. What the fuck was I supposed to think?”

“So, what, did you find someone else to comfort you then?”

Jungkook’s mind is reeling. He can’t think straight. “Of course I did! We were separated for five years, you stopped me from confessing, you were across the world from me--”

“You were with someone while you were away?” His voice is small, incredulous disbelief lacing his words.

“And you weren’t?”

“No, because I’m fucking in love with you, you asshat,” Taehyung seethes. “I can’t believe…”

“We weren’t even together!”

“But I promised to wait for you.”

“And how could I have really trusted that you would?”

Taehyung scoffs, crossing his arms. “You really have no faith in me. Is that why you don’t wanna go public, then? You think I won’t be able to handle it? Or that maybe there’s no point because you’re gonna find someone else, someone other than me, so there’s no point in revealing our relationship? Or maybe none of this”--he gestures between the two of them--”none of this has ever been serious to you?”

Jungkook is silent. He looks away and his gaze lands on his cell phone on the desk. He closes his eyes, lets out a shaky breath.

“Taehyung, it’s a known fact that...that I don’t...that you…”

“That what? That I what, Jungkook?”

“You can tell by the way I write my scripts, the storylines I make…” He shakes his head, scowling. He forces himself to look at the other man across from him and he regrets it the second he does. He looks back at his desk, pushes the words out of his mouth. “You love things openly and with all your heart and I...I don’t. I’m not like that. I’m like my characters. It’s--I’m...it’s complicated.”

“It’s complicated,” Taehyung reiterates. He tilts his head up to stare at the ceiling, blinking back tears. Voice barely above a whisper, he asks, “Are you saying that you don’t love me?”

Jungkook’s chest constricts. “No, I...I love you, it’s just--”

“It’s just that you don’t love me as much as I love you.”

They’re quiet for a while, neither of them daring to look at each other, neither of them knowing what to do.

Jungkook glances at him carefully. “People love in different ways, Taehyung.” He crosses the room to stand directly in front of him, but Taehyung backs away. “They love at different intensities,” he adds on, and it sounds like the kind of thing he’d put in one of his movie scripts. The kind of thing that he could only hope to be acted out, not used in real life. “No two people love each other exact same amount.”

“I thought we did,” Taehyung mutters. “At least, I thought we were pretty fucking close.”

“Well.” The writer sucks in a deep breath. Exhales, wants to let his soul fly out of him along with the air. “You were wrong.”

“I know that now.” He walks passed Jungkook to grab his wallet, keys and cell phone from where he’d put them on the kitchen table. “Seems like I was wrong about a few things.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees, and he can’t believe he’s letting himself say all of this. “You were.” He watches as Taehyung turns away from him, strides towards the door. He yanks it open harshly.

“I’m going to Jimin’s,” Taehyung states.

“Okay.” He can’t beg for him to stay. He’s not allowed to.

The elder stands still at the doorway for a few long, tense seconds. His head is down, eyes locked with the floor.

“This is going to sound ridiculous,” he begins. “But...I love you, Kookie.”

And then he walks out.

Jungkook takes a deep breath, tries to calm the thoughts rushing through his mind, the even faster beat of his racing heart. He coughs, chokes on a sob that he’s been holding in, and his knees hit the ground.

“Fuck.” He slams a fist into the hardwood floor. “Why did you have to…” He scowls again and wipes angrily at the tear that rolls down his cheek. He stays there for a while, just until the initial bout of frustration drains from his system, and then he gets up to grab his phone.

His fingers tremble as he types.

    hoseok

    i did it

    and i hate myself so fucking much

i’m sorry     

you know there was no other choice     

he’d never leave you alone if you didn’t do this     

Jungkook goes to respond, but he can’t see the keyboard with the tears that are blurring his vision.

I know, he wants to type. Because if Taehyung doesn’t leave him, eventually he’ll stop getting offers. And if he gets put into Jungkook’s movie, people will get suspicious again. He’ll stop being a rising actor. The rumours will come back, the fans will start to speculate, their lives will be thrown in the open, and Taehyung’s career will be ruined.

And Taehyung would never leave Jungkook unless Jungkook left him first.

“You’re ridiculous, Kim Taehyung,” he whispers to himself. “How could I love you any less than you love me?”

---

Jungkook can’t sleep.

He tosses and turns in his bed far into the morning, kicking at his blankets, never feeling comfortable. He thinks he dozes off for a minute or two, because he swears he could feel the weight of a person’s body on the other side of the mattress.

But then the sun peeks in through the blinds and hits his face, forcing him to open his eyes and to confront the reality that Taehyung’s not waking up beside him.

---

Jungkook can’t write.

He tries to. Really, he does. He has that murder mystery script that he was working on the day he forgot about going out for breakfast with Taehyung all planned out, but writing it would consist of thinking of Taehyung too much. And it hurts. He can’t get himself to type a single word.

He thinks that maybe he can write a new script. Start fresh, a blank slate. Use his loss of Taehyung to give him ideas.

He fails, however. Every sentence he makes up sounds too angsty, too dramatic, too unnatural. It’s like he’s an amateur.

It’s only then that he realizes that the one thing that’s kept Jungkook writing was Taehyung’s love.

---

Jungkook’s never been the type to hold back his anger.

And when he’s mad, he likes to throw things.

So when he ends up surrounded by broken plates and ripped up scripts and an overturned lamp, he’s not surprised. It’s the thought of Taehyung hating him now, the thought of him never coming back, that really breaks him, more than the porcelain that cuts into his fingers when he goes to clean everything up.

It’s for Taehyung’s own good, he tries to convince himself. But still...why did we have to fight like that? Why did he have to mention America? That wasn’t part of the plan.

Jungkook figures that being this stupidly in love with one of South Korea’s top actors wasn’t part of his plan either.

Not that he regrets loving him. Not one bit.

---

It’s late evening, three days after the fight, when Jungkook dares to turn on his phone and check his messages.

Ten missed calls, seven texts.

None of them are from Taehyung.

He’s not in the mood to talk to anyone and so he checks his texts first.

    Jimin: pick up the phone u asshole

    Jimin: what the hell did u do? tae wont talk

He doesn’t know how to respond, so he ignores them.

    Jin-hyung: did u guys fight?

    Jin-hyung: we have to talk

    Jin-hyung: jungkook?

    Jin-hyung: answer your phone, seriously.

He scoffs dryly. What would Seokjin have to say to him after all of this? He doesn’t care enough to ask, and he ignores those texts too.

    Hobi: ur not answering my calls, but i guess i kinda expected that. if u wanna talk, i’ll listen or...whatever. sorry about all this.

The thought of his best friend makes his temples throb and he has to hold himself back from calling him and yelling expletives at him through the phone. It’s not Hoseok’s fault, he knows that. But he’s still mad--mostly at himself, though--and he doesn’t trust himself enough to have a civilized conversation with the mastermind behind the whole fight-with-Taehyung-so-he-leaves-you-and-his-career-will-be-safe plan.

He checks his call log next. Five from Jimin, two from Hoseok, three from Seokjin. All of them left at least one voicemail, and Jungkook lets his finger linger over the latest of the three that Jimin had sent.

He gathers up the courage and taps on it, brings his phone up to his ear to listen.

It starts with a loud sigh.

“I should’ve figured that you wouldn’t pick up...I don’t know if you listened to the other voicemails I left or if you’ve even read my texts, so to sum it all up, I am so, so unbelievably pissed at you. I have no clue what kind of shit you think you’re pulling, Jungkook. And don’t try and give me the excuse of ‘oh, I wasn’t serious anyway’, because I know you were. You are. You’re serious about Tae, and I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing, breaking him like this.”

He sounds more disappointed than angry, and Jungkook lets out a shaky breath.

“I hope you know how much you hurt him, because just looking at him hurts me. Every time I called you, it was when he was asleep. You know why? Because he begged me not to call you. He doesn’t want me to be mad at you. He’s twisted his thoughts around into thinking that he’s at fault here, not you, and he’s wrong. Because you’re the one who fucked up, you hear? Tae won’t tell me what happened, but I know he’s heartbroken. And I’m sure you are too.”

Jungkook wipes a hand down his face tiredly. The next time Jimin speaks, it’s in a softer voice. Sympathetic.

“Just...fix this, okay? I don’t know why you two are letting yourselves be in pain like this, and I guess it’s not really my place to ask for details on what the hell happened, but...this is just stupid, Jungkook. And I know you’re not that stupid.”

The writer lets out a weak laugh.

“Taehyung...Taehyung’s my best friend, you know. And you’re one of my best friends too. So please...do something. Do anything, just do something, and I…” He lets out a little breath, almost like the beginning of a small laugh. “I hope this all ends with you guys grossly making out in Seokjin-hyung’s kitchen again.”

There’s a beep and the message ends.

---

Jungkook searches up Taehyung’s name on the internet and, for the first time in a month, he truly smiles.

Kim Taehyung Casted as Lead Actor in Ahn Hyejin’s “Piano Man”

“Good for you,” he says to his laptop screen. “That’s awesome, Tae. Really really awesome.” He leans back in his computer chair, swiveling from side to side. The smile on his face is wide and he’s so, so happy that Taehyung’s getting back into the field.

A knock on the door wipes the grin off of his face and he gets up, confused. No one’s visited him all month--Jimin tried a few times three weeks ago, only to give up and not come back after he heard Jungkook yell at him to go away and then, to his horror, heard him start crying like the pissbaby that he was, and Hoseok knows better than to stop by, lest he wants to get bludgeoned by Jungkook’s Iron Man figurine.

He gets up and looks through the peephole.

Seokjin-hyung?

He looks normal, to say the least. Jimin had pounded on his door looking angry, but Seokjin looks fairly calm in his designer sunglasses, and Jungkook wills himself to open the door. He needs some human contact.

“Hey,” Seokjin says, stepping over the threshold and letting himself in without being invited. “What’s up?”

Jungkook stares. “Um...nothing.”

“Cool. Good.” After kicking off his shoes, he sits down at Jungkook’s dining table. He gestures for Jungkook to sit and then clasps his hands together, a professional aura coming off of him. “So...I want to talk.”

A bad feeling washes over Jungkook as he takes the seat across from him. “Um...about what?”

“Taehyung.”

Of course. “I...don’t really wanna...talk about him.” He coughs awkwardly.

“Why?”

Jungkook gives him an incredulous look. Are you serious? he wants to scream, but he makes himself calm down and says a stiff, “I just...don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”

“Well, I think it’s a very good idea,” Seokjin replies. “The best idea I’ve had all month, especially compared to my last one.”

The writer raises his eyebrows. “What happened then?”

“You and Tae broke up.”

Jungkook feels his jaw tense at the words. “What did you just say?” he demands, tone low and threatening.

“Well, I…” Seokjin heaves a breath, as if he were preparing himself for a speech. “Okay, you know how you guys had that five year gap?”

“You…” Jungkook shakes his head slowly, anger beginning to bubble up inside of him. “Hyung, you fucking didn’t. Tell me you didn’t make him bring it up.”

Jungkook remembers that night more clearly than he would like to--can remember how Taehyung walked in while he was talking to someone on the phone, remembered him saying talk to you later hyung, and he already knows what Seokjin’s answer is going to be.

“I--” He stops himself. “Look, Kookie, I didn’t know he’d get mad. I thought he’d just talk to you about it in a peaceful way, like he does with everything. I thought you guys would talk it out maturely or something. I didn’t know that he would--that you would--”

Jungkook holds up a hand. “No, it’s…” He sighs. “We were...kind of arguing anyway. Before he brought it up. So.”

The elder’s eyes widen. “Wait, what? Arguing about what?”

“Coming out to the public.”

Seokjin’s jaw drops. “You know you guys can’t do that.”

“I know.” He sounds exasperated. “I know. Tae knows too, but I guess he got tired of hiding and...lashed out. I guess.”

“And you told him that you guys couldn’t. He got mad.”

“I mean, I was mad too. It wasn’t just him,” Jungkook explains. “I didn’t want the media to make our relationship a big deal, I didn’t want people to be prejudice against him, so I...I don’t know. He asked if it had anything to do with me being in America, so I guess he was feeling insecure because of that or something....” He trails off.

“Jungkook,” Seokjin begins quietly, “what happened in America?”

The writer sighs, wipes a hand down his face. “Nothing.”

“That’s obviously not true.”

Jungkook leans back in his chair wearily. “I just...don’t like talking about it, okay? I hate...I hate talking about stuff like this. You know how long it took Tae to make me say I love you to him every single day?”

Seokjin nods, but Jungkook doesn’t think it’s an answer. More of an action to fill up the space.

Seokjin says, “Can’t you...try? Just this once, Jungkook. It might help.” He sounds almost motherly.

“Might.” He shakes his head. “Listen, hyung, I didn’t even tell Tae or Hoseok or...just...it’s nothing.”

And all of a sudden, that motherly-aura he had about him dies away and he stares Jungkook down. “Don’t be like this, Kook. You fucked up once, don’t fuck up again. Tell me. It’ll help.”

Jungkook tilts his head back and lets out a puff of air. He doesn’t say anything for a while; just stares up at the ceiling in silence, thoughts swirling around in his mind.

Finally, he says, “Sorry.”

“Uh-huh.” Seokjin props an elbow up on the table and rests his chin in his hand. “Go on.”

Jungkook holds back a frustrated scowl and glares at him. There’s something about Seokjin that’s always made him feel like a kid in his presence. “I know I’m being difficult, so...sorry. Whatever. I don’t like--”

“You don’t like talking about your feelings,” Seokjin cuts in, “because god forbid, someone might think you were human. Just talk, Jungkook. I’m not gonna judge you. I’m not even going to tell anyone if you don’t want me to. Just talk to me.”

A sigh. “Yeah...okay. Alright.” He doesn’t say anything for a bit. He repeats, “Okay…”

“About America,” the elder pipes up. “Talk to me about America.”

“Okay...” Jungkook looks away from him, the way Seokjin is keeping his eyes trained on his face making him uncomfortable. “So...my mom. She...she didn’t know about Taehyung until we went to America. I hid it from her.”

Seokjin nods, waits for him to go on.

“She didn’t know that I was...she thought...when she found out, she…”

“She didn’t like like the idea of you being with a guy?”

Jungkook laughs weakly, focuses down at the varnished mahogany of his dining table. “She fucking hated it. Dad was kind of weirded out, but he didn’t remind me of how much of a terrible person I was like she would. Hyung was cool about it I guess...”

“And then what?”

“And then...My mom told me stop contacting him,” he continues. “With her being in the hospital, there was no way she’d know if I did, and it’s not like my dad would breathe down my back when I was at home or whatever. But it’s just…”

He keeps trailing off, getting lost in his own thoughts, and Seokjin has to knock his knuckles against the table to get him back on track.

“It’s...like, the sicker she got, the more depressed she got, you know?” Jungkook says. “And she always kept talking about how disappointed she was in me, kept saying how she’s gonna die with a failure for a son or whatever and I just...I couldn’t...I had to listen to her, you know? I had to give her something before she died. And I tried to keep in contact with Taehyung and tell her that we broke up at the same time, but I just...I couldn’t do it. I felt too guilty.

“So that went on for...two years, I think? Two years of her telling me how disgusting I was every single day, two years of her saying how she’s wasted her time raising a gay boy and that she’ll die sad if I kept loving Taehyung.”

“Jungkook…” Seokjin’s voice is soft. “That...she was being manipulative. That’s abuse, Jungkook.”

Jungkook chews on his bottom lip. “Oh.”

His response makes Seokjin’s heart twist. Did he not know that he was being abused? Did he think that it was okay for his own mother to treat him that way? Seokjin can’t even imagine being treated like that by his own mom, by someone who’s supposed to love you unconditionally, and he wants to wrap Jungkook up in a blanket and give him the support that he deserved all those years ago.

“Yeah.” Seokjin doesn’t wrap him up in a blanket though. Instead, he says, “Go on, Jungkook. You can tell me more.”

The writer takes another deep breath, takes his time to exhale it out. “Okay….uh….” He scratches the side of his neck. “She...at some point during the third year or whatever, she hooked me up with one of the nurse’s daughters. I went out with her.”

“Why?”

“Because it...it made my mom happy,” he tells him. “She didn’t have that long to live, so I wanted to do something to make her happy before she...you know. Even if it made me feel like shit. I just…”

“Felt obligated,” Seokjin puts in.

“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees. “Like it was my duty as her son to make her happy, to go out with pretty girls and never kiss a boy.” He sighs again. “Then she died, and I...I was...I’m...I felt…” He can’t think of the right words and he shakes his head helplessly. “She died.”

“And?”

Jungkook looks up at the ceiling again. “And I felt relieved, hyung. Happy. Happy that she died.” He laughs dryly. “I’m terrible, aren’t I? I’m a terrible person.”

Seokjin doesn’t say anything to that.

“I mean, of course I was sad,” Jungkook goes on. “She was my mom and all, but it’s just that...I couldn’t...I….I was just so happy when I realized that I didn’t have to hide who I was from her anymore, you know? I was so happy. And she was dead. She was dead and I was happy.” He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes and keeps them there. “Fuck. Sorry. I’m disgusting. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Seokjin responds softly. “Don’t be. It’s okay, Kookie. It’s alright…”

Jungkook can’t tell if Seokjin really thinks that or if he’s only being polite. Regardless, he forces himself to carry on with his explanation. He doesn’t want Seokjin to leave with that being the last thing he said.

“I...I was just so disgusted by myself that I...I thought I didn’t deserve anyone. If someone knew how happy I felt over the death of my own mom, I thought they wouldn’t...I thought they wouldn’t love me. So I broke it off with the nurse’s daughter and I completely broke off contact with Taehyung because...I didn’t deserve someone like him. I still don’t.”

Jungkook remembers Taehyung telling him that he deserves the universe and he feels tears prickle at his eyes. He holds them back.

“Then I met someone,” he confesses. “Another girl. She was broken and so was I and we tried to fill up the empty spaces in ourselves with each other. Honestly, we...we were kinda crazy. We’d argue all the time, we’d get in these huge fights, throwing shit at each other and screaming, and then we’d fuck and get high and forget about it all and that became my life for a while. I was just...messed up, you know?

“And then one day I got a new laptop and so I had to transfer all the stuff from my old laptop onto that one, right? And I...I found an old script that I wrote. The one I wrote because of Taehyung, and I remembered how happy I was with him and how much I loved him and missed him and I really just…”

Seokjin can see the sincerity in his face as he speaks.

“I started writing again after that. I made myself get better. I broke up with that girl and I stopped doing drugs. I really worked hard to get my shit together. And I did, hyung, I really did get better, but I swore to myself not to talk to him until I was really okay, until I could even deserve to be looked at by him again.

“With Taehyung as my inspiration, I wrote a shit-ton of scripts. And I won a bunch of short-film awards, I got pretty well-known locally, and so I made my goals higher. I wanted to see Taehyung again, and one day I searched him up on the internet and--” He stops to laugh, short and sweet. “Holy shit, I remember that day. I was so surprised to see that he starred in movies. Actual movies. I was so happy and excited that I got a little ahead of myself and submitted my screenplay to this big-shot producer in Korea.” He laughs again, the good memories suddenly overwhelming the bad ones. “Obviously I was rejected. But then he recommended me to this Japanese director--someone lesser known, not really famous--and he said that he needed someone to rewrite a script because the original writer gave up, but the plot was too good to let go.” He looks up at Seokjin then. “You know the rest.”

“And you...you never told this to Taehyung?”

Jungkook shakes his head. “You’re the first to know. I was...I was too scared to tell anyone. I’m still kinda freaked out right now that I’m actually telling you this.”

“What are you so scared about?” Seokjin asks.

The writer scoffs. “What am I so…? Hyung, were you even listening?”

“Yeah, I was.”

“You think I can just...just tell Taehyung about how happy I was that my own mother died? Tell him that I had two girlfriends and got into drugs while I was over there? He...he wouldn’t see me the same way. He’d hate me.”

“Then obviously you don’t know the same Kim Taehyung that I do, because Taehyung doesn’t hate anyone.” He pauses in thought. “Except maybe that one dude at Subway who put olives in his sub instead of green peppers.”

Jungkook cracks a grin. “He fucking despises olives.”

“And he loves you,” Seokjin tells him, smiling gently, “A lot. He could never hate you, Jungkook. Just tell him.”

The writer shakes his head again. “I can’t. At least...not now. Not yet.”

“Why the hell not?”

“The rumours,” he replies. “I don’t want people to treat Taehyung like my mom treated me. He’s too...he doesn’t deserve any of that, hyung. He’s too...too precious.”

“Jungkook,” Seokjin starts, “you have to stop treating him like he’s a fragile piece of glass. He can handle it.”

“How do you know?” Jungkook shoots back. “You know how messed up I got from my mom. What if…”

“But he has you,” Seokjin says. “He won’t push you away. If anything, he’ll pull you in closer. He’ll have you to hold onto.” He gives him a look. “Unless you’re planning on having him fend for himself?”

Jungkook’s offended. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“But you’d fight with him and push him away without giving him a reason why, without explaining a single thing.”

He sighs, puts his face in his hands. “I don’t...I don’t know anymore, hyung.” He lifts his head up to glance over at the desk in the living room, the article about Taehyung still on the screen. “I’ll--I’ll talk to him. Eventually. After he’s finished with that new movie he’s in, I’ll talk.”

“Are you sure it won’t be too late then?” Seokjin looks worried, and Jungkook feels grateful to have him there, to have a friend like him.

“I’ll think of something,” he assures him, but he still has no idea what to do. “I just wanna let him film this one movie without me, let the fans calm down some more, make sure his career is safe first. Then I’ll...we’ll talk.”

Seokjin stands up from the table. “Alright. I believe you, Jungkook.” He pushes the chair in. “Don’t fuck things up again, okay?”

“I promise, hyung.”

The elder smiles. “Also...I’m sorry. I’m really sorry I made him bring up America. I should’ve...I should’ve talked to you first, seeing as you’re the one who was actually there, and...yeah. I’m sorry.”

And then he’s out the door before Jungkook can say another word.

Huh, he thinks, leaning back in his seat and staring at where Seokjin was sitting previously. I’ve never heard him apologise before.

---

“And...cut! That’s a wrap for today; good work everyone!” the director calls out, and the cast and crew cheer in glee. “Oh, and Taehyung? Could you come over here for a bit?” she adds.

Taehyung bounds over to her quickly. “Yes?”

“How...how are you feeling?” she asks hesitantly, and the actor sends her a confused look. Hyejin is never hesitant--sometimes she can come off as soft-spoken, sure, but she always gets right to the point and never beats around the bush.

In other words, Taehyung’s nervous out of his mind.

“I’m feeling great,” he tells her, smiling wide to make his point. “Unless you don’t want me to be,” he continues quickly, “since my character’s pretty dark and stuff...did you want me to be gloomier?”

“No, it’s…” She sits up in her director’s chair and puts her hands in her lap. “You’re a bit...too gloomy.”

“I’m...what?” Taehyung’s never heard that sentence directed to him in his entire life.

“Too gloomy,” she repeats. “I went easy on you today”--Taehyung disagrees inwardly; she made him redo the piano playing scene fourteen times--“because I thought that maybe something was bothering you, and I know you’re an actor and you’re supposed to be professional, but you’re human too.”

“Oh.” He doesn’t know how to respond.

“Basically, what I’m saying is...Stop fuckin’ around.”

“I...um...huh?”

“You heard me.” She stands up from her seat and her high heels are so tall that she’s almost eye-to-eye with him. He finds her intimidating, and he shrinks into himself a little. “Stop fuckin’ around, Kim. I don’t know what’s bothering you and I have no right to know, and I accept that. I don’t wanna get involved in my actors’ personal lives; it’s a waste of time and unbusinesslike. But you are a professional. You are an actor. You are one of South Korea’s rising stars. So forget about whatever the hell it is that’s making you all Angsty McAngsty-son and do your job, for God’s sake.” She smiles at him sweetly, face kind. “So how’re you feeling now?”

Taehyung’s mouth is a bit dry. “I’m...sorry,” he manages to spit out weakly. “I didn’t know that I was--”

She holds up a pretty, manicured finger. “Don’t explain yourself to me. Just get yourself together. Act.”

“Okay.”

“Good talk.” She clamps a hand onto his shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, six o’clock sharp, yes?”

“Yes.”

She pats his shoulder a couple times before walking off, heels clacking against the floor of the set.

Taehyung lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. “Do your job,” he chastises himself. “Do your job. Act.”

Act like your entire world didn’t just leave you.

---

“You play beautifully,” she compliments, coming around the grand piano and sitting next to him. “You’re really talented.”

Taehyung turns towards her. “Oh. Thank you.” He cocks his head to the side, furrows his brow as if he’s thinking. “Have...have we met?”

She smiles at him, lips quivering, eyes shining with tears. Taehyung applauds her in his mind; Kim Yongsun is a brilliant actress (maybe even better than Wheein), and he finds it easier to slip into character when she’s acting alongside him.

“We have,” she whispers. She tries to speak again, but chokes on a sob. She puts her hand up to her mouth and turns away from him, staring down at the keys of the piano.

“Are you alright?” he asks. “Did I do something?”

“No,” she tells him, shaking her head quickly. “You didn’t. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just--”

“You’re not,” he cuts in. “It’s okay. Should...should I play you a song? Maybe you’ll feel better.”

“You should,” she agrees, smiling softly.

“I definitely should,” he finds himself saying, and that was totally not his line. He hears Hyejin scowl.

“Cut! Cut cut cut.” The director stands, hands on her hips. She looks pissed. “Taehyung? A word?”

Taehyung sighs, shoulders slumping. He mouths sorry to Yongsun, who smiles awkwardly in respond.

“Yes?” he speaks, once he reaches Hyejin. She hits him in the side of the head with her rolled up copy of the script.

“You’ve been messing up your lines all day.” She glares at him. “I thought I told you to sort yourself out.”

“I…” He has no excuse. “I’m sorry,” he apologises.

“You should be,” she scolds, “because you’re making filming very difficult for us right now. You’re making the most mistakes and you’re one of the better actors here. Do you need a break or something? Do you want me to cast someone else as the lead?”

“No!” he exclaims, eyes flying wide. “No, don’t--don’t replace me. Please. I’m sorry, I’ll do better. I promise. And I don’t need a break.”

She raises her eyebrows challengingly.

“I don’t,” he repeats firmly. “I...I need to work. If I’m at home doing nothing, I start thinking of...of things I don’t want to think of. I need this. Please.”

Hyejin nods slowly. “Okay, I believe you.” She moves to address the entire crew and Taehyung jumps when she speaks into the megaphone. “Everyone go to lunch! Filming resumes at two!”

There’s a chorus of yeses and the people on set disperse, the hum of conversation filling the building. Taehyung immediately goes over to Hoseok who’s standing at the side, a water bottle ready for him.

“You okay?” Hoseok asks as Taehyung gulps down the drink.

“Eh,” he replies, shrugging. “Could be better, I guess.” He hesitates before asking, “Have you...heard from him? Maybe?”

Hoseok sighs heavily. “Taehyung--”

“No, never mind, forget I asked,” he babbles, waving around a hand. “Forget I asked. I don’t care anymore. I...I don’t care about him.”

His manager offers him a comforting smile and gives him an encouraging slap on the back. “Just focus on your career right now, okay?”

“Yeah. Okie dokie.”

---

“Rise and shine, Jungkookie!” Seokjin yells, yanking the cord that pulls up the blinds of Jungkook’s bedroom window down, sunlight spilling into the room. “Time to wake up and embrace the day!”

Jungkook groans and covers his face with his blankets. “Why are you here…” he whines.

“I haven’t seen you go outside in forever,” Seokjin explains. “We need to get you out of bed--” He stops. “Why are you sleeping pressed up to the wall like that when you have a king-sized mattress all to yourself? And are you hugging a pillow?”

He grumbles. “Taehyung kicks in his sleep so I’m used to being at the side.”

“And the pillow…”

“I’m used to hugging him.”

Seokjin stares at his figure underneath the duvet and clicks his tongue.

“That’s it.” He jumps onto the bed and rips the blanket off of the younger man, snatches the pillow out of his hands. “Get up. We’re going out.”

Jungkook whines and turns over onto his stomach, pressing his face into the mattress.

“Don’t wanna.”

“You sound like a baby.”

“Fuck you.”

“A very vulgar baby.”

When Jungkook deems ultimate silence as his next movie, Seokjin launches forwards, hands on his chest.

“Get up or I’m pinching your nipples.”

“What the--Jesus, oh my god, get the fuck off, what the fuck?” Jungkook exclaims, sitting up and crossing his arms over his chest, feeling violated. “Seriously?”

“Get up!”

“I don’t want to!”

At that, Seokjin physically picks him up--bridal style--and Jungkook’s shouting out swears and insults as he gets carried throughout his apartment.

“Dude--” he chokes out, struggling. Seokjin tosses him into the bathtub as if he were a sack of potatoes. “What--”

“Take a shower and put on some nice clothes and then we’re going out.”

“Hyung--”

“Want me to take your clothes off for you?” Seokjin doesn’t wait for an answer and reaches for Jungkook’s sweatpants, fingers hooking around the waistband of his boxers.

“What the fuck! Chill out!” Jungkook slaps his hands away and shoves him.

“Jungkook, I swear to god I will--”

“I’ll take a shower! Just get the fuck out!” he yells, getting out of the tub to wrestle Seokjin out of his bathroom. He slams the door in his face and locks it.

“Lather, rinse, repeat!” Jungkook hears the elder shout from outside the door. “Let the conditioner sit in your hair for a while! Shave! Exfoliate!”

Jungkook tunes out Seokjin’s step-by-step washing instructions, removes his clothes and takes a shower.

---

“I thought we were going out,” Jungkook says, as he watches Seokjin analyze the different types of lotions at the superstore.

“We are out,” he remarks smartly, lifting up a sleek grey bottle and inspecting it.

“Oh. I thought...I thought you meant, like, out out.”

“I thought you weren’t a party-person,” Seokjin says, giving Jungkook a pointed look. Then he puts the bottle in his hand back and picks up a different one. “I’m respecting your wishes.”

“You weren’t respecting my wishes when you sexually harassed me in my own home.”

“Also, I’m doing reviews for the common-man’s lotion on my blog so I need to pick some out,” he adds, ignoring the younger’s comment dutifully.

Jungkook stares at him. “Are you being serious with me right now?”

“So serious.” Seokjin picks up another bottle and compares the two next to each other. “Which container is the most aesthetically pleasing?”

“What?”

“I’m rating the visuals too.”

“Uh….the left one?”

Seokjin tsks, turning the bottle over in his hand in contemplation. “I like the colour of the other one better though…”

Jungkook groans. “Hyung. What am I doing here?”

“Do you not want to help me out with my blog?”

“No.”

“I’m offended.”

“Good.” He sighs. “I’m just...I’m gonna go buy chips or something, alright? You have fun with your...lotion.”

“Okay,” Seokjin says, not looking up from the shelf of products. “Low-salt Lays please.”

“Whatever.” Jungkook starts to walk away.

“Seriously, get the low-salt one!” Seokjin calls after him. “I don’t wanna bloat up!”

Jungkook rolls his eyes.

He’s a metre away from the snacks aisle when a familiar voice catches his attention and he crashes into an old lady’s cart. The lady opens her mouth to scold him, and Jungkook impulsively covers her mouth and whispers, “Shh, shh, please please just shush, I’m sorry for bunking into you and I am a terrible person, I know, I’m sorry, but please do not make a scene and just quietly…” He lets go of her and gestures down the corridor. “Quietly go.”

The lady glares daggers at him and walks off with a huff. Jungkook does a ninety-degree bow until she’s out of sight, and then he rushes into the carbonated drinks aisle and peeks between two cases of Pepsi. His eyes land on Taehyung, the owner of the familiar voice he’d heard earlier. He’s dressed in the red crewneck that Jungkook had gotten him last Christmas, large sunglasses perched on his nose and a baseball cap on to somewhat hide his identity.

“Hey, do you want any chips?” Taehyung asks.

“I’M ALWAYS A SLUT FOR DORITOS,” shouts a voice that’s closer to Jungkook than it is to Taehyung, and the writer whirls, watching in disbelief as Hoseok sprints passed the aisle he’s in.

He stays frozen on the spot as Hoseok suddenly stills, backtracking to look into the hallway he’s in. His jaw drops open and Jungkook gives him an incredulous look.

What the hell? Hoseok mouths, waving his arms around wildly.

I don’t know? Jungkook mouths right back, body bustling with nerves because Taehyung is right there, but he knows he can’t just go up and talk to him. He has to hide. He should leave, get out before he’s seen, make sure Taehyung doesn’t notice him--

“Hoseok?” Taehyung questions, and Jungkook can’t help but watch him through the shelf as the elder moves down the corridor.

“DORITOS, TAE, DORITOS,” Hoseok shouts, dashing over to him and pushing him back towards the chips.

Jungkook watches from his spot behind the cans of drinks as Hoseok grabs a bag of chips that just happen to be right in front of where Jungkook is spying. He quickly throws them back into place, a strangled noise leaving his throat.

“Are you okay?” Taehyung asks, picking up the chips again. Jungkook ducks just in time, hands and knees hitting the ground with a thud. A woman passes by him and gives him an odd look and Jungkook quickly pretends to examine the price sticker on the bottles of rootbeer.

“Nothing’s wrong!” Hoseok exclaims, but there’s a reason that Taehyung became an actor and not Hoseok. Hoseok absolutely sucks at lying, and his voice is high-pitched and squeaky when he continues, “Why wouldn’t I be okay? Just get the chips, Tae. I’m a slut for Doritos, such a slut.”

“Okie dokie.”

Jungkook holds back a snort. Taehyung’s the only person he knows who would respond to someone confessing their strong desire for Doritos with the words okie dokie and his chest aches with how much he misses him.

“I’m gonna get some Coke too,” Taehyung announces, walking towards where Jungkook is, and the younger has the thought of staying in place and letting the actor see him.

But they’re not ready to see each other yet, even though it’s been about half a year. So he quickly gets to his feet and sprints to the chip aisle without looking back. Hoseok catches sight of the heel of Jungkook’s right shoe as Taehyung grabs a litre bottle of coca-cola, oblivious.

Jungkook’s heart is beating so fast that it feels like it’ll burst out of his chest. His throat is dry, and the pure, sincere feeling of want to just run over and bury his face into Taehyung’s neck is unbelievable, almost unbearable, but he forces himself to stay still.

Mere seconds later and Taehyung and Hoseok are heading towards the checkout lanes. Jungkook’s left sitting on the floor, back against the metal rack of chip bags, and he feels just like he did in college. Feels like the stupid freshman that was too awkward to go up and talk to Taehyung the third-year, heart thudding like it did back when he’d stare at Taehyung from across bookshelves at the university library.

Seokjin finds him eventually, still sitting on the ground like a lovesick loser.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

Jungkook shrugs weakly. “I don’t know anymore.”

---

“With nearly nine months in the making, award-winning director Ahn Hyejin’s Piano Man finally hits theatres around the country,” the announcer proclaims.

The crowd roars in applause and cheers.

“And I am more than delighted to introduce to you the main cast of this spectacular film,” she continues. “Kim Taehyung! Kim Yongsun! Jung Wheein! Jin Hyosang! Lee Minhyuk!”

They walk out in a straight line, Taehyung at the front. Waving at the audience, they smile wide, looking like models going down a runway (well, Hyosang really is a model--he’s one of Seokjin’s actor/model friends, the one who pulled some strings to get Taehyung that spot in the movie that turned him into a star overnight) with their crisp suits and luxurious gowns. The group stops to stand in front of a giant promotional poster for Piano Man and pose for the cameras. Flashes go off like strobe lights and Taehyung winks teasingly for good measure.

“Any words for us?” she asks, handing Taehyung the mic. He takes it, holds it up to his mouth.

“I’m so grateful that I was able to be a part of this movie,” he says, and the fans cheer even though his words are practiced and ordinary. “You won’t regret seeing it, trust me. Ahn Hyejin is a brilliant director, Moon Byulyi is a brilliant writer, and this cast was absolutely amazing to work with.” He pauses, and then grins. “Except for maybe Minhyuk-hyung.”

The people around him laugh, and Minhyuk shrugs helplessly off to the side, a what-can-I-say? look on his face.

Taehyung’s about to pass the mic over to Yongsun, but the MC goes “ah!” and he pauses, staring down at her in question.

“Where’s your little trademark wave to your dog?” she asks him innocently.

“Oh. Right.” He smiles awkwardly and then lifts a hand. He wiggles his index finger around, the secret gesture that’s meaning is only known to him and Jungkook, and he wonders if Jungkook’s watching. Probably not, he thinks. “There we go.”

The MC looks satisfied and Taehyung passes the mic.

The rest of the evening goes well; the interview was entertaining, funny, memorable. Jungkook was only brought up once in a pretty casual way, and Taehyung smoothed over the answer easily.

“How’s your best friend doing, Taehyung-ssi?” the interviewer questions, and Taehyung senses no malice behind the action. Just a normal question with no ill-intent. “Haven’t heard from him much these days.”

“Oh, he’s doing great!” he lies simply. “He’s a busy man; working on scripts day and night. I barely see him anymore, really.”

“Is that so? But you’re still friends, right?”

“Of course. The best of friends!”

And that’s the end of that.

---

Seokjin lets himself into Jungkook’s apartment at eight in the morning (he stole Jungkook’s spare key from one of the kitchen drawers and refused to give it back), only to see that Jungkook was already awake.

“Amazing,” Seokjin says, walking over to the younger man. “You’re up.”

“I never went down,” comes his reply.

“You didn’t sleep?”

“Mm.” Jungkook’s typing on his laptop, fingers flying across the keys with a fervor that Seokjin hasn’t seen in a while. “New idea.”

“Really?” Seokjin sounds elated and Jungkook prays that the elder won’t make this a big deal. “How long have you been working on it?”

“Um.” He types some more, mind seeming to only be able to focus on one thing at a time. “Uh...a while. Like, a month. I just...I’m at the end. Can’t lose my writing vibe.”

“Good,” Seokjin says. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

Seokjin mills around for another fifteen minutes or so, making some food in Jungkook’s kitchen because he’s sure that the writer hasn’t eaten yet, and when he comes back with a plate of scrambled eggs, Jungkook is leaning back in his chair, stretching his fingers out in front of him.

“Almost done?”

“Done.”

“Awesome.” Seokjin passes him the eggs. “Here.”

Jungkook shakes his head at him. “Not in the mood.”

Seokjin glowers. “I went through the trouble of making you these absolutely beautiful scrambled eggs, Jeon Jungkook. You should feel grateful. Eat them or I’m never cooking for you again.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “No thanks, hyung.”

“I hope mosquitos come find you at night.”

“Ooh, threatening.” Jungkook leans forwards again and scrolls up to the top of the document he was working on, starting to read it over.

“What’s it about, anyway?” Seokjin asks curiously. He tries to peek over Jungkook’s shoulder, but Jungkook slams his laptop shut before he could even process a word.

“Not yet,” Jungkook tells him sternly. “Wait until it’s perfect and then I’ll...or maybe I’ll show Taehyung first. I don’t know.”

“You’re...gonna show Taehyung?”

“Yeah.”

“Is this your big plan? To get you guys back together?”

Jungkook shrugs. “I mean...I’ve...I’ve always been better with writing words than saying them, right?”

Seokjin thinks back to all the screenplays that Jungkook had written before. He can remember the heartfelt confessions that Taehyung has gushed to his costars in the romance films, the frustrations and anger that Taehyung’s character would play in the coming-of-age ones, the feeling of pure, sincere happiness when Taehyung’s character finally revealed his love to the actress playing alongside him.

It makes sense now. The roles that Taehyung’s played all these years--they’ve all been Jungkook. Every single one of them was from Jungkook’s personal experience (but twisted in some way, of course--he had to keep things interesting), and it was Jungkook’s way of telling Taehyung how he really felt instead of having to say the words outright in person. He wonders if Taehyung knew.

“Are you going to offer him the lead?” Seokjin inquires.

“No,” Jungkook says. “Someone else has to play it. I’m gonna ask him to be one of the main characters still, but he can’t...he can’t play…”

“You. Not this time. He can’t play you,” Seokjin finishes. “What does that mean, then?”

“Well.” Jungkook picks a pen off of his desk and clicks it anxiously. “I just…” Click, click, click, click, click. “I just think it’d be best if he played himself, you know?”

---

Jungkook’s finally satisfied with his script a week after he finishes it. He can barely remember if he slept, can vaguely recall Seokjin stuffing chicken wings in his face in an attempt to get him to eat while working a few times, but other than that, nothing has broken him out of his crazy writing vibe.

The screenplay gets rejected a lot. Most of the producers he’s offered it to turned it down the second they finished reading the summary, and he’s not really surprised. He’s mostly pissed because “Seriously? You didn’t even read the first fucking line, you disrespectful--” and then he’s usually being forced out of the office and thrown out into the street.

But he’s going to show them. He’s going to change things with this movie, and he’s going to make them regret.

Another month passes and finally, he settles with going to a couple new-to-the-field producers. Amateurs. He almost doesn’t do it because of his pride--he’s genius scriptwriter Jeon Jungkook, after all--but then he realizes that his pride has nothing on the importance of this film.

So he meets up with them--two producers, a team. They’re foreigners, which worries Jungkook even more, but then he thinks that they might be more accepting of his script compared to the straightlaced, close-minded producers that he had to deal with before.

They meet in a small cafe. It’s a hole in the wall kind of place that Jungkook got to by going across some abandoned parking lots and through alleyways; there’s an ambient atmosphere surrounding the place, the lighting dim, a dude singing some indie song in the corner with a guitar. He thinks that Taehyung might like it, and he commits the address to memory.

He hears the producers before he sees them.

“Yo yo yo yo oh my god, is that him? That’s him right? He actually came, Mark, look, he came, oh my god.”

“Dude, be cool, come on.”

“But he’s a genius scriptwriter, right? How am I supposed to be cool? He’s probably rich.”

“So what?” The guy Jungkook presumes as Mark stands up when they make eye contact. His hair is blonde and his smile is awkward, but he bows a little when Jungkook walks over to their table. “Oh, um, I’m Mark.”

“Hi,” the other guy says before Jungkook can respond. He’s also blonde, but he has more of an athletic build compared to Mark’s slender one. “I’m Jackson.” He bows too, and then offers hand.

Jungkook takes it. “I’m Jeon Jungkook.”

Jackson whispers, “I know” in a kind of squeaky voice, eyes shining with childish excitement, and Mark hits him on the arm. “I mean. Yeah. You have a script for us, right?”

“Yes, I do.” Jungkook takes a seat and then grabs a manila envelope out of his bag. He slides it across the table. “It’s gotten rejected a few times already, but…”

Mark looks surprised. “You got rejected?”

Jungkook cracks a weak smile. “You’re rubbing salt in the wounds, man.”

Mark laughs a little. “Sorry, I just…”

“But you’re Jeon Jungkook,” Jackson says in that squeaky, excited voice.

“Yeah.” Jungkook doesn’t feel like dealing with all the senpai notice me vibes he’s getting from Jackson, and so he taps the untouched envelope on the table with a finger. “Are you...gonna look it over?”

“We accept it,” Jackson tells him.

Jungkook blinks. “What? You didn’t even--”

“I mean, we can read it now if you want,” Mark cuts in. “But we’ll accept whatever we get, really. People are kind of prejudice to us foreigners trying to make it big in the movie world, so something by someone like you...It’ll really help us out.”

“Oh.” The writer bites his lip, anxious. “You...um. You might wanna read it before you accept it. I’m not sure that...I mean...maybe this screenplay isn’t the best film for a pair of foreigners who are already dealing with discrimination to start with.”

At that, Jackson tilts his head in question. He takes the envelope into his hands, pulls out the script. Mark leans into his side to read it too, and Jungkook finds himself focusing on the singer in the corner of the room instead of the men in front of him. In about twenty seconds, they’re probably gonna reject him like everyone else has, and then--

Twenty seconds pass and neither of them say a word. Jungkook stares at them curiously.

A minute. They flip a page and continue reading. They flip another page and another and another and another.

Jackson’s the first to speak. “I love it.” His voice isn’t excited this time. It’s sincere and Jungkook thinks there’s a little more emotion in it than he’s letting on. “I’m...wow, haha. This is great.”

“Same,” Mark says. “It’s wonderful. Really.”

“It’s exactly what we need,” Jackson says, and Jungkook watches in astonishment as the pair of rookie producers in front of him intertwine their fingers, palms pressed together tightly.

“Oh.” Jungkook stares at their hands and then up at their faces. He smiles wide, practically beaming, and the action feels weird on his face. “Um. Can I...recommend an actor for you?”

---

Jungkook gets a text from Mark the next day.

    His manager accepted the script.

    Emailing it to him now.

Nervous butterflies flutter around in his stomach. There’s no going back now.

---

Jungkook wakes up a little after two in the morning the same day, his cell phone buzzing. He picks it up off the nightstand and blinks down at the screen.

His heart flips and suddenly he’s wide awake.

He rubs his eyes and blinks several times to make sure he’s not imagining things, but he knows he’s not. He can’t be.

The name Taehyung sticking out at him like a lighthouse in the middle of a dark sea.

    count to ten

    then open ur door

Jungkook doesn’t even bother to respond, his excitement and desperation getting the better of him. He flies out of bed so fast that he almost faceplants into the floor. Rushes to the door, swings it open.

Taehyung jumps, surprised. It’s February, and he’s wearing a jacket with a giant scarf that practically reaches the ground and he’s so, so adorable. There’s a bright orange beanie over his head, and it reminds Jungkook of his orange hair back in college and his chest aches with longing.

Taehyung pouts cutely at him. “You didn’t count to ten.”

“I…” He can barely speak. His desire to pull Taehyung towards him and hug him and kiss him and never let go is overwhelming, and he extends his arm hesitantly. His heart soars when Taehyung raises a tentative hand and slowly intertwines their fingers. He’s cautious, afraid maybe, but their hands together makes Jungkook feel complete again.

Finally, Jungkook breathes out, “I couldn’t...I couldn’t wait that long.”

As if the several months that they’ve been separated had no impact on their relationship, Taehyung smirks up at him. There’s a teasing lilt to his voice when he says, “Aw, the great Jeon Jungkook couldn’t wait a measly ten seconds?”

Jungkook doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t Taehyung acting like normal. He shakes his head. “No, I couldn’t.”

Taehyung pulls his hand away then and Jungkook misses the warmth immediately. The actor puts his hands behind his back and shifts his weight from his heels to his toes, looking apprehensive.

“Can...Can I…”

Jungkook understands before Taehyung has to finish and he takes a step to the side, leaving the doorway clear for him to enter. “Yeah, yeah, of course.”

Taehyung walks into the foyer, slips off his boots. They stand there in the small hall, too close to be acquaintances, too far to be lovers.

The elder clears his throat. “I read your script.”

Jungkook swallows the nervous lump in his throat. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He chews on his lip. “...And?”

Taehyung just smiles at him and then walks to Jungkook’s living room. He plops down onto the couch--the couch that he was sitting in when they had The Fight, and then pats the spot beside him.

Jungkook takes the seat. Still, they weren’t close enough to each other to be considered anything more than friends, and Jungkook’s palms get a little sweaty.

“Well,” Taehyung begins, tone light and casual. “Can I tell you my theory about the repeated dialogue?”

Jungkook stares at him. “Is...um...okay?”

“So the main guy...he’s this real broody character, you know?” he says. Jungkook’s missed the way he’d watch Taehyung’s lips move when he talked, missed the way he used his hands way too much when he’d tell a story. “Real broody. Like Director Hyejin would say: Angsty McAngsty-son. And he has this thing with symbols because he’s just oddly deep like that, ya know? He likes things that have real meanings. That’s why he likes to write.”

Jungkook cuts in before he hears his life-story being spilled out of the mouth of the man he loves. “Sorry, but...can you...skip over that? Maybe?”

Taehyung grins. “Always so impatient, Kookie.”

The nickname makes his heart skip a beat. “And you always like to build things up dramatically.”

The actor shrugs. “Well...you know me. Always trying to put in that dramatic flair.”

“Yeah.” Jungkook grins a little. “And...you know me too. Now.”

“Mm.” Taehyung looks him in the eyes then. Properly this time, like he would before--deep and searching and emotion-filled. “The script said that the plot was based off a true story.”

He rubs at the back of his neck. “Uh-huh.”

“I recognized some similarities.”

“Some?”

“A lot,” he admits. “Most of it was...pretty...recognizable. I can’t believe you remember so many details.”

How could I forget if it has to do with you? Jungkook thinks, but he doesn’t say it out loud. Instead, he replies with, “So...what did you, um...think?”

“Hm.” Taehyung brings his legs up onto the couch and shifts so he’s sitting on it sideways, body facing Jungkook. He criss-crosses his legs and scoots forwards a bit, until his knees are against Jungkook’s thighs. “I like the characters.”

Jungkook doesn’t say anything, but his body tenses up when Taehyung brings up a hand to brush a stray piece of hair into place.

“Especially Taejoon.”

The writer holds back a snort. “You like the character that’s based off of you the most?”

“I’m great, what can I say?”

“Have you been hanging around Seokjin-hyung or something?”

Taehyung slaps his leg playfully. “No, but reading your script, it sounds like you have.” He pauses, mulling over his words in his mind. “The stuff you told him...was all that...true? Or were you just adding in some drama to make it more intense or something?”

“My mom’s part was true,” he confesses. “My dad didn’t get hit by a car or anything, I just added it in to mess up my character’s mind a little more, but…”

“You sure like to torture yourself.”

He laughs weakly. “I guess I do.”

“Especially when you got into a fight with me to save my own career.”

Jungkook looks at him them. He reaches out a hand, touches Taehyung’s fingers carefully. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “I just...Hoseok said...I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” Taehyung whispers back. “For jumping to conclusions and assuming that you didn’t love me. For always avoiding confrontations and never telling you that it was okay to talk about America to me. You must’ve felt...trapped. In your mind. I’m sorry I didn’t help.”

“No, it’s okay,” Jungkook says, and he pulls on his hand. Taehyung moves forwards some more until he’s sitting on Jungkook’s lap, arms looped around the other’s neck. “It’s okay,” he repeats.

“I forgive you, by the way,” Taehyung mutters out, pressing their foreheads together. Jungkook’s missed seeing him so close, missed breathing in his scent when they’re pressed up against each other. “I forgive you for fighting with me. It was for my own good. I get it.”

“Tae.” Jungkook has his hands on the elder’s waist and he’s blinking up at him. His heart is beating hard and his mind is buzzing and there’s electricity coursing through his veins. “Taehyung…”

“Yeah?”

Jungkook runs his hands up the length of Taehyung’s back, feels each breath that the other man takes against his fingers. “I missed you,” he says.

“I missed you too.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Jeon Jungkook.” Taehyung cups Jungkook’s face in his hands, staring down at him sweetly. “You know...at the end of your script. The gay couples comes out to the media.”

Jungkook closes his eyes, lets out a breath. “Yeah.”

“And they live happily ever after.” Jungkook can feel the warmth of Taehyung’s breath as the elder leans in.

“Yeah.”

“Maybe it’s time that we live happily ever after,” he continues, and his lips move across Jungkook’s as he speaks.

Jungkook tilts his chin up and kisses him properly.

“Maybe we should.”

Taehyung smiles against his mouth. “We definitely should.”

---

“And this is the genius writer-director Jeon Jungkook, here with me today at the premiere of Maybe We Should, an unexpected blockbuster hit. It’s been revealed that this movie is, in fact, a true story between two boys who met in college, the struggle of dealing with a homophobic mother and hiding their relationship from the media, the beauty of growing up and persevering for love.” She casts him a look. “There’s been many rumours over where this true story came from. Would you like to confirm any of these rumours for us, Jungkook-ssi?”

Jungkook holds up his mic, catches Taehyung’s eye beside him.

“I...I made a promise,” he starts, and the crowd quiets to listen to him speak. “I said that one day, we’ll be able to tell the truth to the world and I would...I would scream something from the rooftops.”

“Is that so? And what is it that you have to scream?”

“Well...Kim Taehyung cried for three days after Jessica left SNSD.”

Taehyung’s jaw drops. “You little shit,” he whispers, a hand reaching up to curl around the collar of Jungkook’s suit threateningly, and the younger laughs.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding.” He looks towards the MC, then at the camera in front of him. With his face tomato red, blush rising up to the tips of his ears, he yells, “I’m in love with Kim Taehyung!”

Taehyung’s beaming so wide that his eyes disappear into dark crescents, and he throws his arms around Jungkook’s neck and kisses him on the cheek for the world to see.