sope au ❊ 6.1k, rated t ❊ angst!!, rekindling feelings, getting back together, happy ending
Hoseok is very afraid of flying. So when he has to get on a flight for a business trip, it’s no surprise when he freaks out and grabs the hand of the person sitting next to him. And it wouldn’t have been that bad, if the person whose hand he grabbed wasn’t Min Yoongi, his ex.
jimin’s favorite day of every month is the day taehyung comes to pick him up. he always runs out the house and sits on his front steps way earlier than he needs to, with a packed duffle bag sitting next to him. he waits, ignoring the shouting coming from inside and instead listening out for the puttering of taehyung’s beat-up car.
he's not quite sure why taehyung insists on driving all the way from daegu to busan and back when his car looks like it could break down at any moment, but he always refuses jimin’s offers to take a train and miraculously makes it there and back in one piece every month, so jimin's just stopped questioning it.
and taehyung always shows up with the biggest smile on his face, says the mildly alarming noises his car is making are its way of saying it missed him, and every time jimin scrunches up his nose at how lame his best friend is, but can’t hide the grin that spreads across his face anyway.
jimin loves the weeks he spends with taehyung more than anything. except maybe taehyung himself of course. those weeks are like a breath of fresh air for him, a moment where all the burdens of home are taken off his shoulders, off his chest, and he can finally just exist.
when they're together they make the most of it, check off all the things they've planned to do since jimin was last there, hand in hand, refusing to let each other go for even a second. and when they get back to taehyung's place in the evening they talk for hours, deep into the night, about all their hopes and dreams, their fears and their secrets, entrusting each other to be the sole keeper of each every part of their hearts.
the only times jimin truly feels free is when he’s with taehyung. he has no worries when they're together, he just feels safe, loved. taehyung's made him feel that way for as long as he can remember, and he's always been so grateful to have him in his life.
so of course, jimin’s least favorite day of the month is when taehyung drives him back home.
the week always goes by too fast, seven days not nearly enough to satisfy jimin's need for freedom, for comfort, for love, but a week is all his parents allow. so every time he just blinks back tears as he repacks his bag, blames every sniffle on his allergies. “you need to dust more often taehyungie. you're killing me" he says, and taehyung amuses him by chuckling, promises the place will be spotless next time he's over, but a heaviness looms in the air.
they try to lighten the mood by joking around in the car, blasting their favorite songs and singing at the top of their lungs with the windows down. and it works for a while, but it always gets quiet as they enter busan and near jimin’s house.
this time, like many times before, when taehyung turns down the music and the buildings passing by start to get more familiar, jimin's head fills with many thoughts. of what might await him when he gets home, of how many more days until he gets to be with taehyung again, if he'll even be able to wait that long.
jimin misses when taehyung lived just down the street. he misses the innocent times when they were just two kids messing around, getting toothaches from eating too much candy, holding hands on swing sets, and riding their bikes around town. he misses when taehyung was always right there to hold him, when all he had to do when things got too much at home was walk two minutes to taehyung’s house and the two could run away to wherever they wanted to clear their heads. but now he has to wait 30 days in between each breath of fresh air.
and jimin’s happy for taehyung, of course he is. he's happy taehyung was able to break free from the toxicity of his home and be able to flourish like he was meant to—that's all he ever wanted for him. but the distance makes things a little harder, and jimin can't help but wish he could have gone with him.
that's why jimin’s been saving up, money and courage, and he supposes maybe next year he’ll be able to move into a nice apartment with taehyung. just the two of them, together, somewhere far away from here.
but for now, jimin savors his last moments of being able to have taehyung by his side for a while.
“hey you,” taehyung says softly from the driver’s seat.
“hm?” jimin hums, lifting his head from where it was resting against the window.
“you okay?”
“yeah." he sighs. "just thinking.”
“about?” jimin smiles.
“how much i love you.”
taehyung makes a sound of disgust but a huge grin plasters his face. it makes jimin giggle.
taehyung glances at him, then, after a moment, the corner of his mouth curls up in a sly grin, one he gets whenever he's come up with a “genius” idea.
“jimin-ah.”
“yeah?”
“should we just keep driving?” jimin's eyebrows furrow as he tilts his head.
“huh?”
“what if… what if i just kept driving. past your house, past your town, and just go far away from here?” jimin blinks.
“what?”
“what if we went to a train station instead. and went to seoul and started a new life there. together.” taehyung continues. “or we go to an airport and leave the country. go to tokyo, or italy, or paris, or new york, or LA, or hawaii, or-”
“tae slow down” jimin giggles, endeared by how excited he had just gotten. “what are you even talking about?”
“i'm talking about you not going home. you staying with me. for a long time. maybe forever.” jimin starts to laugh but taehyung has stopped smiling, face now serious.
“are you serious?” taehyung nods. jimin pauses. “i mean, i guess i could stay with you a couple more days. it's not like my parents would notice anyway.”
“no jimin-ah,” taehyung says gently. “i mean leaving. really leaving. like i did."
oh.
it's not like jimin hasn't thought about it, running away. he has, a million times, but he wasn’t prepared to do it today. jimin lets out a nervous laugh.
“well, we'd have to stay around here. how would we even leave the country right now?”
“you carry your passport on you, don’t you?” jimin does. since he doesn't have his license, it's really his only form of identification.
“yeah, but what about you?” taehyung grins again and reaches into the compartment in between them. out he pulls his passport and waves it in front of jimin, clickling his tongue. jimin giggles again.
“why do you have that in there? have you been planning this?” taehyung shrugs.
“maybe.” jimin shakes his head, endeared. “i have been ever since i moved. i just never brought it up because i knew you weren’t ready yet.”
“what do you mean?” taehyung gives him a look, one that he uses to tell jimin he can read his mind better than he can his own. jimin sighs.
“okay but what about, like, clothes and stuff?”
“jimin. you literally have a packed bag in the back seat.” jimin pauses a moment, remembering he does in fact have a whole week's worth of stuff sitting behind him.
“and i suppose you have a packed bag in the trunk?” taehyung lets out a laugh.
“and if i did?”
“i'd think you’re crazy.”
“crazy for you, my love~” taehyung reaches out a hand to ruffle jimin's hair, which jimin swats away in between giggles. taehyung slows the car as they come to a red light. when they come to a stop he turns his full attention to jimin.
“i'm serious though. i know life’s pretty shitty over there, it’s why i left. and i know you wanna get out too. i can see the life being drained out of you, jimin. that sparkle i love is slowly leaving your eyes. but it comes back whenever you're over at my place. when you’re away from all that crap. whenever we’re together. so let's get away. just you and me and an open road ahead of us.” jimin doesn't say anything for a moment, just stares at him with wide eyes, not quite sure how he's supposed to respond.
“or,” taehyung continues when jimin stays silent, turning his attention back to the road. “i could just drop you back off at your house. i won't force you to do anything.” the light turns green and taehyung begins to drive again. the car engine gives a few sputters after sitting still for so long. jimin giggles again.
“are you sure your car can even handle any more driving?”
“with you," taehyung lifts to hand to cup jimin's chin. "anything’s possible.” jimin scoffs and rolls his eyes, but turns his head to the window to hide his blush.
jimin thinks about it, long and hard as he stares out at passing trees and buildings. it would be easy, really. to just pass the turn to his house, keep driving off until they run out of road then hop on the next plane to anywhere. it's not like anyone was really waiting for him at home.
so jimin turns back to taehyung, takes a good long look at his face to try and find any hint of kidding. there is none.
“we could really go to japan?”
a smile spreads across taehyung’s face. it makes something flutter in jimin’s chest.
“mhm,” he hums. “we could have those pancakes you’ve always wanted to try.” jimin feels something start to bubble in his chest. excitement.
“and see cherry blossoms?”
“of course.”
“and mt. fuji?”
“and climb it too.” jimin scoffs.
“yeah right. like you would be able to climb for more than 5 minutes.” taehyung gasps loudly, pretending to be offended.
“excuse you. i played trumpet in high school remember? i have lungs of steel.” jimin laughs.
“yeah, okay.” taehyung smiles.
“we can even go to malta. get a hotel room with a sea view.” jimin hums. he hasn't been to the beach since taehyung left. it used to be one of their safe places, but now it doesn't feel the same without him.
he thinks about sinking his feet in warm sand. taehyung’s hand in his as he soaks up sun. swimming through crystal blue waves. how taehyung looks with wet hair.
“what about venice?”
“absolutely.”
“can we go on a gondola ride?”
“are you asking me on a date?” jimin rolls his eyes as taehyung snickers, but jimin likes the sound of that. it makes him feel warm inside.
“if we go to america we have to find one of those diners from the movies.” taehyung says. jimin agrees.
“eat hashbrowns.”
“and fried eggs.” taehyung chimes. jimin sighs dreamily at the thought. after a moment,
“let's go to canada. try maple syrup in snow.”
“i'm starting to think you’re just hungry.” jimin laughs.
“maybe. or maybe food is my love language.” taehyung gasps dramatically and puts a hand over his heart.
“is park jimin saying he’s in love with me?”
“oh my god,” jimin groans, covering his face with his hands.
“this is the best day of my life!”
“you're so stupid.”
“but you still love me.” he does. he'll always love taehyung.
suddenly, jimin's mind is filled with flashes of pictures of the all the things they could do together. he pictures running through tulip fields in amsterdam, sipping coffee in colombia, sharing a glass of wine in paris since it’s too expensive to have separate ones.
he imagines sleeping on each other's shoulder during long train rides, holding hands under dinner tables, picnics in the backseat of this worn-down car. stargazing on cliff sides, late-night convenience store runs, slow dancing in empty parking lots, stolen kisses at stoplights.
he thinks about making memories together, all captured on taehyung’s black and white film camera, putting them all together in a scrapbook to look back at when they're older and reminiscing the past. and then they're inspired to do it all over again.
maybe they'll meet new friends while out there, be reckless kids jumping off roofs into swimming pools. be young and dumb and carefree. be free.
and maybe one day they’ll be able to buy a house together. adopt a dog that they’ll have to stop from digging up the garden they've planted in the backyard. jimin’ll wake up next to taehyung every morning and they’ll make breakfast together, spend the day cuddled up on the couch.
and maybe, just maybe, one day they can make a family of their own. one where everyone always feels loved. one where everyone is happy, where everyone wants to stay.
it all sounds amazing. perfect. like everything jimin could have ever asked for. he wants it.
“so?” taehyung’s voice cuts through his thoughts. “should we just keep driving?”
jimin takes a moment to take in his surroundings. the turn toward his house is coming up. the area outside the car is familiar, but the warmth of taehyung beside him moreso. so he looks at taehyung and smiles.
jikook au ★ 2.7k, rated t ★ hoshinamida disease, unrequited love, angst, bittersweet ending
Jeongguk is in love with Jimin. His heart aches for the other boy, and he wants nothing more than to give him everything, wash him in the sea of endless love he has for him. But he can't. Because Jimin isn't in love with Jeongguk. He is in love with someone else.
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