Summary: Black Swan, an up-and-coming alternative metal rock band, is going on its first official tour. Jungkook looks forward to proving himself in a cutthroat industry, and Taehyung looks forward to the groupies. Neither expects to find the comfort their hearts truly desire in one another.
Pairing: Drummer Taehyung x Singer Jungkook
Chapter Rating: Explicit
Chapter WC: 5,596
Chapter CW: The best sex I've ever written in my whole entire life, I was basically crying by the end of it, we're in our healing era
A/N: this chapter was brought to you by r/AskGaybrosOver30 cuz if there's one thing jai will do for you, it's do extensive research on what it feels like to top someone for the first time to make sure you have the optimal reading experience. the downside? this triggered my gender envy jskdfhsk it's FINE i'm just agender and wish i had a dick. it's fINE
Fic Masterlist
Later, Taehyung will see the missed calls and text messages from Jimin and Seokjin, when it’s too late to respond and they’re already back in their hotel room, fast asleep. Right now, he’s too busy wrestling his legs from his tight, wet shorts while Jungkook kisses him with his face cradled in his hands.
Because Taehyung is pretty sure they're gonna do it, and he's acting like a virgin about it.
The thing is, every band has a designated sex symbol. People might argue that Black Swan has four, as long as Seokjin isn't wearing his suburban dad ensemble. (Or, maybe, when he is.) Regardless, sex sells, and Taehyung is the band-appointed merchant. They toss him up front on stage when the crowd is dying. They steer him toward the girls during meet-and-greets and afterparties. They may flaunt Jungkook on their socials—he's got the rockstar look, long, messy hair, tattoos, washboard abs, dark stare—but Taehyung knows how to pimp out in real life. He knows how to half-smirk and look bored in the kind of way girls scramble after, hoping they'll be different, that they'll be the ones to capture his attention.
It's easy. Taehyung could do it in his sleep.
And then there's Jungkook.
Sweet, beautiful, perfect Jungkook. Impossible Jungkook. Jungkook, Jungkook, Jungkook. Taehyung's brain skips, a rock fighting not to drown in the ocean, a broken record. Jungkook, who kisses him, warm and wet, the suck of his tongue and bottom lip louder than the hum of the hotel room's AC unit. His tattooed hand slides from the side of Taehyung's face to dig into his frizzy hair. Taehyung follows wherever Jungkook's grip takes him. Tilted to the left, noses bumping together. They share exhales, panting into each other's mouths when their lungs burn as hot as their arousal, pooling low.
“How much pent-up energy do you have left?” Jungkook asks as he chases Taehyung’s mouth whenever Taehyung tries to bend over. He needs to wiggle his shorts further down his legs.
“Jungkook-ah” — Taehyung’s mouth parts in a slow smile that presses his teeth to Jungkook’s lips — “that’s not fucking funny anymore.”
A shudder runs through Taehyung when he kicks his shorts away and finally feels Jungkook’s naked body against his. Shockingly, the world doesn't end.
“Just answer the question,” Jungkook insists between kisses, “so I can know how much you’re willing to put up with.”
Taehyung jerks away from him with a deep frown, forcing Jungkook to drop his hands to his sides. “The fuck does that mean?”
The AC unit hums in the silence of their hotel room, making Taehyung’s body shiver with goosebumps. The heat that climbs across his face isn’t from the temperature. He doesn't even get the chance to process that he and Jungkook are standing in front of each other, as exposed and vulnerable as they could ever be.
“I what?” Taehyung doesn’t mean to snap, he’s just scared.
There it is—he admitted it to himself. He’s fucking terrified, of Jungkook, of what they’re doing, about to do, of fucking up because Taehyung has always been a fuck-up. No matter how good things are going, he manages to ruin them. There aren’t many things Taehyung can be sure of in life, but he knows without a doubt that he can’t afford to lose Jungkook. He’s already on thin fucking ice.
Ducking his chin, Jungkook takes a deep breath. When he looks back up, his eyes are watery.
Taehyung’s stomach drops. He watches Jungkook sit on the edge of the bed and can't understand how physically ill he feels when the distance between them grows.
“Koo…”
“You don’t even like men, Taehyung. And, yeah” — Jungkook pauses to take a shuddery breath — “I said I wanted this, but it’s just really hard when I know you’re only going to fuck me because you feel sorry for me, even though it makes you uncomfortable. And I didn’t realize” — he blinks up at the ceiling — “that it was going to hurt this bad, okay?”
“Jungkook,” Taehyung speaks slowly, with a frown he can’t shake. “What do you mean, I feel sorry for you?”
“I told you how I’m not like you… that first time, when we were together. I have to… I can, I can only feel this way with friends. I have to force it with strangers, and it’s really shitty. And you said you’d give me whatever I needed, but this was a bad idea.”
Fuck.
It was the night they watched porn together, jerking off like it was the most normal thing to do with a best friend. Like it wouldn't completely alter the rest of their lives—or, at least, Taehyung's. Taehyung replays the conversation in his head, searching for the part, the part he missed, the part Taehyung couldn't understand because he was so caught up on how Jungkook sounds when he comes, and how Jungkook looks with his head thrown back, the long column of his throat on display.
"I’m not like you… I can’t just fuck someone. But hiding to go jack off alone in the bathroom every time I crave intimacy is really pathetic..."
That was the part Taehyung had missed.
"I’m here for you, right? Whatever you need, whenever you need it. I got you, you know that. I got you…"
What Taehyung had said was true then, and it's true now. He would do anything for Jungkook. Everything. He already has, right? How long has it been since he's had something to drink? Rather than alcohol, Taehyung swallows, and it's Jungkook he tastes on his tongue these days. He finds he craves that more than the strongest drink.
He just never told Jungkook.
"God, I'm such a fucking idiot." Taehyung laughs bitterly, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t be here, doing this, if I didn’t want to,” he admits with a slow exhale.
And it's true. It's so true it hurts because there's a part of Taehyung that doesn't want it to be true. Life would be so much easier if he could look Jungkook in the eyes and tell him that his chest doesn't tighten when Jungkook smiles at him, or his stomach doesn't drop when Jungkook cries, or his mind doesn't run away at night with the sound of Jungkook's moans while he's trying to sleep.
Taehyung's pulse pounds in his throat as he kneels on the edge of the bed between Jungkook’s legs because he knows it's where he belongs.
Jungkook scoots back, giving Taehyung space, but his gaze never wavers—starry-eyed even though they’re no longer beneath the night sky. He watches Taehyung with eyes that could make even the most grounded person feel like they’re floating. It’s almost too much.
“You swear?” Jungkook asks as his fingertips skirt across Taehyung’s bare hip.
“Like a fuckin’ sailor, yeah.” Taehyung grins, his cockiness a deceit they both recognize. He doesn’t even try to dodge the pinch Jungkook gives his side.
“You have a really weird way of expressing affection,” Jungkook had told him.
Taehyung presses forward, nudging Jungkook down until he’s flat on his back, the heaviness of Taehyung's body blanketing him—not the weight of the world bearing down on them. And when Taehyung kisses him—harder than before—he thinks his way of showing affection isn’t so bad.
“You don’t like men, though.”
Jungkook won’t let it go. He whispers against Taehyung's lips, stealing the air from his lungs just to punch what’s left out of his chest with those words.
Taehyung lets his head hang and squeezes his eyes shut. But the storm inside him quiets when Jungkook combs his fingers through Taehyung's hair.
“I don’t know..." Taehyung whispers.
Jungkook's fingertips trace Taehyung's cheeks, his nose, down to the bow of his lips. When they skim over his mouth, Taehyung kisses them.
“Hyung,” Jungkook murmurs, pressing his fingers to the underside of Taehyung’s chin.
Taehyung finally lifts his head to lock eyes with Jungkook. His unruly hair is fanned out beneath him, damp strands curling at the ends as they dry. How long has it been since they got back from the hot tub? How long until Jungkook's patience for Taehyung runs out?
“I just don’t want to force you to—”
Taehyung kisses him before he can finish.
It doesn’t matter. It shouldn't matter. Taehyung doesn't want it to matter. If he thinks too hard about this, he'll psych himself out. It's just sex, just casual sex; that's the mantra he repeats to himself as he opens his mouth to let Jungkook's tongue slide against his. Taehyung is great at sex. Amazing, actually. The best. Big Dick Kim Taehyung. He knows how to use it.
None of this matters.
But then Jungkook lets out a content sigh between kisses, the kind that isn't quite debauched enough to be a whimper but still breathy enough to make Taehyung's body tingle. And he knows he can't keep fucking lying to himself.
Jungkook grabs Taehyung’s arm as he starts to pull away. “Where are you going?”
“Gotta get a condom,” Taehyung says, cocking his head in the direction of the dresser where they tossed their bags earlier. Super casual, cool as a motherfucking cucumber.
"Trojans?" Jungkook says the word like it's glass cutting the inside of his throat.
"Uh… yeah?"
"You're so straight, hyung."
Taehyung frowns. "Okay, so what?"
Jungkook wiggles his lip piercing with his teeth, and Taehyung tries not to be a freak about it. Instead, he waits as patiently as he can, subconsciously tapping a beat with his fingertips against the outside of Jungkook’s thighs.
“When was the last time you got tested?”
The meaning behind the question isn’t lost on Taehyung. Jungkook wants Taehyung to fuck him raw.
Taehyung’s cock jumps involuntarily, and embarrassment finally hits him full force when Jungkook laughs.
“Leave me the fuck alone,” Taehyung snaps, but he’s not tough enough to cut through Jungkook’s near-hysteria.
Jungkook tosses his head back as he tries to regulate his breathing through the laughter—firm, muscular chest rising and falling. His cock is hard but well-behaved, sitting there waiting for Taehyung to get his shit together. God, Taehyung feels like he shouldn’t look at it, definitely shouldn’t stare, but he can’t help the desire that seeps through. It’s liquid hot, lava in his veins.
Taehyung’s cock kicks up again.
“Damn, hyung, are you that horny—”
“After that time I went out with Hobi and Namjoon,” Taehyung interrupts before Jungkook can embarrass him further. He averts his eyes, keeping his gaze locked on the alarm clock. Wonders how long Seokjin and Jimin will be gone. “That's the last time I got tested. Just ‘cause, y’know, I hadn’t since we started the tour. But, uh, I haven’t been with anyone since.”
It was the day Taehyung returned to their rental house early in the morning, covered in hickeys that Jungkook wouldn’t stop staring at the rest of the day. The girl he’d gone home with that night was hot, probably in the top five since going on tour—not that Taehyung is counting how many girls he has slept with. They all blur together at some point. He doesn’t even remember this particular one’s name, but it doesn’t matter. The high of fucking her was real good, but Taehyung crashed hard the moment he saw Jungkook the next morning. He was sleepy-eyed, with a sad smile still somehow warm with kindness Taehyung didn’t deserve, doesn’t deserve.
“Ahh, yeah” — Jungkook sits up, making Taehyung take a step back from the bed to give him room — “I remember.”
“It didn’t mean anything,” Taehyung blurts before he can stop himself, not needing to say what it is. There’s no point in explaining himself. They both already know it didn’t. Sex never means anything to Taehyung, aside from it being a means to an end.
There’s this look Jungkook gives Taehyung that he doesn’t understand. It makes him feel guilty, maybe even a little inadequate, like he has just failed a test Jungkook expected him to pass.
“For me, it was before the tour,” Jungkook says, ignoring Taehyung’s unwanted confession. “Obviously, I haven’t needed to go again since then...”
Taehyung nods, swallowing down the words he wants to say. It wasn’t that obvious. At least, not to Taehyung. But he needs to shut the fuck up.
“Okay," Taehyung says, the word slipping out on a shaky breath. His fingers trace slow, deliberate circles along Jungkook’s outer thighs, raising goosebumps in their wake. God, he's so sensitive.
“Okay,” he says again like he’s convincing himself. “Yeah. No condom.”
It’s been years since he fucked someone without one.
Jungkook lightly squeezes Taehyung's forearm. “You’re thinking too much,” he murmurs. “Come here, Tae.”
Taehyung’s cock twitches at the sound of his voice, low and alluring. His hands tremble where they rest against Jungkook’s thighs, blood roaring in his ears. He wants to push Jungkook down into the mattress and fuck him stupid—wants to ruin him, make him cry.
And that realization is fucking terrifying.
“What if I hurt you?”
It's not the question Taehyung really means to ask, but it’s something. Something is better than nothing.
Jungkook tilts his head, his hair clinging to his damp forehead and doe eyes uncharacteristically dark. But his lips quirk in amusement. "Well… you are big.”
Taehyung lets out a strangled laugh and drags his hands down his face. “Jungkook, what the fuck. That has never sounded more like an insult in my entire fucking life.”
“Shut up.” Jungkook grins. “Some positions make it harder to take big dick, okay?” He reaches up, taking one of Taehyung's hands to lace their fingers together. “Let me ride you.”
Taehyung swallows hard. His grip on Jungkook’s thighs tightens like he needs something to steady him. "Yeah,” he breathes. “Yeah, okay. That’s—uh, yeah. That’s dope.”
They dance around each other, Jungkook sliding off the bed as Taehyung crawls onto it, sitting back against the pillows. Taehyung watches Jungkook dig through his duffle bag for a small bottle of lube, and he feels pretty useless lying on top of the white starched sheets, waiting.
With girls, it's always Taehyung leading during sex—calling the shots and setting the pace. He's the one who does the seducing, who buys the condoms, who takes control. Yet here he is, brain buzzing like static, white noise making him feel fuzzy while he watches Jungkook kneel on the bed.
The mattress dips with Jungkook's weight, and the frame creaks as he crawls over Taehyung, settling in his lap. He palms the bottle of lube, rolling it in his hand and giving it a light squeeze just to watch the liquid squish in the clear plastic. His free hand slides up Taehyung’s chest, fingertips grazing over his collarbone, up the column of his throat, and the hinge of his jaw.
"You good?" Jungkook asks, dragging the question out with his fingers along Taehyung's jawline.
It’s overwhelming, the weight of Jungkook straddling his lap and looking at him like this. Like he's memorizing the pattern of his breathing and the freckles scattered across his face. Like Taehyung is something worth cherishing. He swears his heart is hammering hard enough in his chest that it could break one of his fucking ribs.
"Yes?" Taehyung says, though it comes out more like a question than an answer. He can't be fucked to feel embarrassed when Jungkook laughs under his breath.
"That didn’t sound very convincing."
Jungkook opens the cap of the lube with one hand, squeezing out a drop onto his fingers. He rubs them together absentmindedly as if this is the most normal thing for them to do right now. When his gaze flicks up to Taehyung again, his expression is soft and relaxed—patient, in a way that makes Taehyung's chest ache.
"Relax,” Jungkook murmurs, kissing the corner of Taehyung’s mouth before trailing his lips along his jaw. "I said I want you, Tae. So let me have you."
Taehyung groans, barely able to hold himself together. “Fuck, okay."
He wants to say more, but his tongue is heavy in his mouth, and his heart is lodged in his fucking throat. Regardless, he's afraid if he opens his mouth, something terrifying will slip out. Maybe he'll admit that he's not even convincing himself. That his confidence is virtually nonexistent. That Jungkook is so pretty, Taehyung could fucking die.
With shiny and slick fingers, Jungkook rises to his knees high enough to easily reach behind himself. And, fuck, Taehyung doesn't need a play-by-play to know what Jungkook is doing. His breathing comes out in uneven gasps, his body rocking slightly. When Jungkook shifts forward even more, his cock drags against Taehyung's, precum smearing.
"Shit, Koo." Taehyung's fingers flex, but he digs them into the sheets instead of Jungkook's tight waist.
It's hard to stay grounded when the personification of forbidden fruit is fingering himself in Taehyung's lap. Taehyung has never given a shit about buttholes, but he finds himself burning with the desire to see how Jungkook circles his rim with lubed fingers, pressing his fingers into the tight, wet heat like Taehyung had in the hot tub.
Jungkook's eyes close as he exhales slowly. He bites his bottom lip, wiggling it with his front teeth like he's concentrating. Something about the action makes Taehyung feel like he's doing it on purpose.
"You can touch me, you know." Jungkook doesn't open his eyes when he speaks.
There's a long list of shit Taehyung hates, authority being right at the top. Yet the moment Jungkook gives him permission, Taehyung reaches for him like a man possessed. His hands tremble as he slides them up Jungkook's strong thighs. The hair on his legs is sparse, but dark and so much different than the smooth skin Taehyung is accustomed to caressing during sex. He follows the curves of Jungkook's body to his hips, skipping his cock because his heart is practically in his mouth.
"You're so hot," Taehyung mumbles absentmindedly as the white noise in his head fades until all he hears is Jungkook's breathy sighs.
"Yeah?"
Taehyung hums in response, wrapping his hands around Jungkook's tiny waist.
Jungkook shivers, shifting in Taehyung’s lap, and fuck, the movement sends electricity shooting straight to Taehyung’s cock. His grip on Jungkook's waist tightens, and his body burns so hot that he feels like he's going to go insane if they don't do something.
Grabbing Taehyung's cock, Jungkook gives it a few slow strokes, slicking him up with lube. He squirts the liquid directly onto Taehyung’s cock as if he remembers how Taehyung said he likes it, wet and messy.
For a moment, their eyes lock. In the hallway, someone lets out a sharp laugh, followed by a chorus of giggles that fade into the distance as quickly as they'd appeared.
Jungkook laces his fingers with Taehyung's and holds their hands against his hip. "We don't have to do this…"
If you don't want to. Jungkook doesn't need to verbalize the rest.
Shaking his head, Taehyung trails his fingers down Jungkook's body, past his lower back, before settling at the curve of his ass. He squeezes, fingers curling inward until they almost reach his sticky rim.
A content hum is all Jungkook gives in response before he lifts himself onto his knees. With a firm grip on Taehyung's cock, he lines it up with his hole, and then he sinks back down. He lifts up again just an inch, only to sink down a few inches more. It's a back-and-forth, easing himself onto Taehyung's cock. And Taehyung? He chokes on the first drag of the head of his cock popping through Jungkook's tight rim.
Jungkook exhales shakily, adjusting, getting used to the stretch. "You feel so fucking good, Tae," he moans.
Taehyung throws his head back against the pillows. "Jesus."
Jungkook moves carefully at first, rolling his hips like he's experimenting, using Taehyung's cock however he wants. His brows furrow, his bottom lip caught between his teeth, and Taehyung can see the tension in his body, the way his thighs tremble as he takes him in.
Taehyung slides his hands up Jungkook’s torso to splay across his chest. His thumbs brush over Jungkook’s nipples, drawing a gasp out of him.
Somehow, it feels exactly like he thought it would and not at all like anything he could have imagined. His hands slip lower, gripping Jungkook’s ass, guiding him into a deeper roll of his hips.
But Jungkook won't let him. He grabs Taehyung's wrists, yanking his hands back up to his waist. "Let me do it."
"But—"
Jungkook presses his fingers to Taehyung's lips, ducking his chin with an embarrassed smile when Taehyung opens his mouth to let him slide his fingers against his tongue.
To be perfectly honest, Taehyung's got soup for brains. He lies back and watches Jungkook ease himself into a steady rhythm of fucking himself on Taehyung's cock. Their bodies gently bounce on the mattress, springing up every time Jungkook lifts until only Taehyung's tip is inside him and drops down to the base again.
It's slow and torturous, but so fucking deep. Waves of electric lava shoot through Taehyung's veins, making his cock twitch inside of Jungkook.
Fuck, he's gonna come.
In a panic, Taehyung sits up, jostling Jungkook in his lap. He wraps his arms around his waist and holds him still for a second, face buried in his chest.
"What? What's wrong?" Jungkook holds the back of Taehyung's head as he pants against his skin, open-mouthed and hot. Taehyung is sure he can feel each shudder that racks through his body.
"Don't move!" Taehyung squeezes Jungkook tighter when he tries to get up and his body clenches around his cock. "Was gonna come."
"Wow..." There's no need to see Jungkook to hear the smirk in his voice.
"Fuck off."
Never in Taehyung's life has he almost come so quickly. Even worse, the sensation snuck up on him. One minute, he's vibing. The next, he's got that fluttery feeling in his stomach, breathing heavy, cock pulsing with this tight feeling. It's fucking embarrassing. At least Jungkook seems proud of himself for eliciting such a response from Taehyung. He giggles, tickling the back of Taehyung's neck and making it so much harder for Taehyung to calm down.
"Let's flip," Jungkook offers once he decides to be helpful. "If you're on top, you can control your strokes."
With a nod and a deep breath, Taehyung lifts up and flips Jungkook onto his back, pleased that he manages the move without slipping out of him. This is a more natural position for Taehyung, when he isn't hitting it from the back. People act like missionary is vanilla sex, but Taehyung likes the control it gives him, even when he's doing what his partner needs to get off. A people-pleaser in the most attention whore kind of way, Taehyung loves watching his partner fall apart.
And, if he really likes them, there's something about being able to mold himself into his partner. Like he does now, with Jungkook. Taehyung fucking whimpers into the crook of Jungkook’s neck as he thrusts deeper, slower like he's trying to hide inside the safety of Jungkook's body.
Jungkook’s hands find Taehyung's hair, twisting his fingers into the curls. "Tae" — he lets go of Taehyung to slide his hand across the sheets — "get a pillow."
Taehyung sits back, kneeling between Jungkook’s legs, the head of his cock still snug inside his ass. The hotel pillows are bodyless, but it's just enough cushion to make a difference when Taehyung slips it beneath Jungkook’s hips.
"This okay?" Taehyung asks softly, gaze sweeping over Jungkook's body. He's so beautiful like this, laid out for Taehyung.
Taehyung always thought being a man who gets fucked was some kind of surrender, an act that makes a man vulnerable, weak. And yeah, he fucking knows he shouldn't have thought that. But knowing doesn’t erase the weight of his parents’ expectations, the memories of stinging slaps and tender bruises, or the pressure to be the right thing, whatever that means. It all gets jumbled inside him, twisted into knots in his stomach and tangled with words he can't get right in his head because Taehyung runs away from the messes he makes.
So when he looks down at Jungkook, doe-eyed and open, Taehyung understands that he has never been as strong as Jungkook is right now—nothing weak about him or this.
"Yeah, this is a lot more comfortable," Jungkook says after clearing his throat. "Try to keep me tilted back, hips upward."
Nodding, Taehyung clings to Jungkook's instruction, agreeing to whatever he says despite having no idea what he's talking about. He taps his fingers along Jungkook's ribs, not a coherent thought blossoming in his brain.
Jungkook must be able to tell because he rolls his eyes with an annoyed smile. "Hyung," he scolds, "I'm trying to teach you how to hit my prostate. You've got a slight curve."
"Your what?" Taehyung blinks, forcing the unfamiliar English word through the fog in his head.
"Taehyung, my prostate." They stare at each other for a few beats until Jungkook sighs, endeared and utterly uninterested in giving Taehyung an anatomy lesson in the middle of sex. "It's basically the male g-spot."
That Taehyung understands.
"Shit, where is it? Did I hit it yet?" Taehyung adjusts his position, a little more of his cock pushing into Jungkook.
"Kind of? Whenever I ride someone, I know how to hit it. But like this, the pillow will help."
Taehyung scowls, but Jungkook kicks his side to knock the look off his face.
"Quit that shit," he says with narrowed eyes. "Like as if I haven't had to listen to you fuck other people for months."
Guilt racks through Taehyung before Jungkook even finishes. Regret is a tough pill to swallow, and Taehyung has a couple of bottles to get through.
"Imagine it's like aiming for my belly button from the inside," Jungkook continues.
Placing his palm on Jungkook's stomach, Taehyung presses down lightly as he eases his cock inside him. The pillow helps with hitting the right angle. One of Jungkook's legs twitches the harder Taehyung presses, and Jungkook lets out a quiet whine.
"Like this?" Taehyung asks, voice low, alluring.
"Mhm, just keep a rhythm" — Jungkook swallows thickly — "even if I go soft, just keep going."
Taehyung hooks Jungkook's leg over his shoulder, the one that's still. The twitchy one Taehyung grabs by the back of the thigh and presses up and outward, opening Jungkook to give himself more room as he snaps his hips forward.
This time, Jungkook's head falls back against the pillows, and Jungkook's hands grasp at the bed sheets to ground himself.
"Oh god," Jungkook says with a gasp. His hand flies down to grab his cock. He gives it a few quick strokes, twisting his wrist at the tip on each upward drag of his fist.
Taehyung wants to jerk Jungkook off himself, to give him double the pleasure. But he doesn’t trust himself to keep a rhythm, doesn’t think he has the fucking coordination to pull it off when all the blood in his body has drained to his dick.
"Is it good?" he asks between thrusts, his voice crackling like gravel.
Am I good? He can't bring himself to ask that question; he never has and never will.
"Mhm, mhm," Jungkook whimpers, nodding. "So good, so full."
Jungkook reaches up to press his hand against the bed frame so he won't hit it when Taehyung thrusts particularly hard. His other hand holds his cock, occasionally stroking it when more precum dribbles from his slit.
Jungkook stomach flutters with each flex of his abs and shallow breath, but Taehyung keeps his hand pressed down as he fucks into him. Taehyung's body moves on instinct now, chasing every breathy moan that falls from Jungkook’s lips. He gets his groove, fucking Jungkook hard enough that he's convinced he'll get bruises on his hips from it.
Fucking Jungkook is so different.
Most of the girls Taehyung fucks put on a performance. It isn't to fake an orgasm; Taehyung definitely gives them at least one. The performance is more about attraction, them trying to make themselves sexy for him, something pretty and filthy to fuck. Lots of tit squeezing, over-the-top giggly moaning, playing up their feminine innocence.
But with Jungkook, it's raw (literally) and genuine. It's real.
There's something about knowing Taehyung is the one getting Jungkook off, making him feel good. It almost doesn't matter how good Jungkook's ass feels gripping Taehyung's cock with each thrust—just seeing Jungkook's eyes glaze over and his lips fall open in a shameless moan is enough to wreck him.
His thrusts quicken, sharp and deliberate, punching wrecked sounds out of Jungkook with every snap of his hips. The initial fear of hurting Jungkook melts away with the heat of his body. Jungkook fluctuates between soft whimpers and deep, masculine groans, all of which hit Taehyung right in the cock in the best way.
"Tae, stay, stay like this." Jungkook reaches for him, his nails dragging down Taehyung’s chest, leaving red, stinging lines mapped across his smooth skin. "Fuck, I'm gonna come."
Jungkook's ass clenches around Taehyung's cock, tightening up, gripping him with such intense heat.
And then Jungkook comes, untouched.
Taehyung barely has the time to process it before he feels it, the way Jungkook's legs begin to shake and the sudden wet warmth of his cum spilling between them. And fuck, the look on his face—pure, unadulterated pleasure, mouth open as Taehyung continues fucking him through his orgasm—is almost enough to make Taehyung come right then and there, too.
He didn't even know men could come untouched like that.
"Shit, that was so fucking hot," Taehyung whines against the curve of Jungkook's ear, voice low and wrecked.
Taehyung continues fucking him, even as Jungkook's legs shake so hard he almost has a hard time keeping Jungkook still. The bed creaks even louder, and the frame thumps against the wall in quick, sharp bursts. He leans over Jungkook, nearly folding him in half as he presses their bodies together, grinding into him as deep as he can. His arms tremble as he braces himself above Jungkook, his breath coming in ragged pants, his body coiled so tightly that it hurts.
Jungkook cups Taehyung's face, tilts his chin, and kisses him. It isn't desperate like before, just soft, almost airy. It feels like permission, like love, if Taehyung is brave enough to believe it.
"You're fucking me so good, Tae," Jungkook whispers against Taehyung's lips, his nose scrunched up, so fucking adorable even after he literally just came all over them. It isn't fair. "You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this."
The words barely leave Jungkook's lips before Taehyung comes so hard he sees black spots in his vision.
He moans into Jungkook's mouth, breath hitching as he chants his name. "Jungkook, Jungkook." It's just as reverent as it is filthy, the only kind of prayer Taehyung has ever uttered. Each sound tumbles out of him as his cock pulses, shooting his cum deep inside Jungkook in waves.
Taehyung doesn’t realize he’s shaking until Jungkook’s fingers thread through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. Jungkook sighs softly, arms wrapping around him, holding him close.
It hits him, then, that he just came inside of Jungkook, filled him up with cum that spills out of his hole when Taehyung pulls out. He stares, large hands squeezing the backs of Jungkook's thighs to hold him open. Jungkook's gaping hole clenches, pushing Taehyung's cum out in milky streams.
"Holy fuck, Jungkook."
Jungkook chuckles, his chest still rising and falling in deep, shuddering breaths. With a shaky hand, he reaches down to run his fingertips against his own rim, smearing the cum leaking out.
“Are you going to thank me for sex again?” Jungkook teases, voice rough.
Taehyung chokes on his own laugh, his head hanging down and his face half-hidden by his sweaty bangs. "Shut up."
Despite being sweaty and cum-soaked, Jungkook latches onto Taehyung. Their limbs are still entangled, their chests still heaving. With his head resting on Jungkook's chest, Taehyung can hear his heartbeat through their attempts to regulate their breathing.
It's quiet like this. Calm. Taehyung isn't the type to stay behind after sex. Funny, because at least while they're on tour, Jungkook is the one he goes home to every night—no matter who Taehyung fucks.
"Thank you," Taehyung whispers against Jungkook's collarbone. He smiles, small and soft, when Jungkook laughs again.
"Wanna shower?"
Taehyung nods, but his grip around Jungkook's torso tightens. "In a little, yeah." Taehyung is calm and collected. He's casual, just like the sex they had.
Jungkook doesn't question him, but Taehyung isn't surprised. Sweet, perfect Jungkook who has guided Taehyung into so many leaps of faith.
There's so much more Taehyung could say, should say. But he keeps quiet and listens to the steady thrum of Jungkook's heart against his ear and the gentleness of his breathing. And maybe he melts into the soft caress of Jungkook's fingers tracing his spine, massaging his scalp, touching the freckles scattered across his flushed face. He's not sure if sex has ever left him feeling satiated like he does now, something holistic, whole-bodied. It isn't just the pleasure of busting a nut.
Jungkook squeezes Taehyung a little tighter as if he can hear how loud his thoughts are.
And this time, Taehyung doesn't panic.
Fic Masterlist
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REVIEW: Jeongguk and Taehyung try filming their first sex tape together after some hesitation. What starts soft and unsure turns into Jeongguk finally tapping into his dom side. It's very hot! Taehyung is pliant, pretty, and so ready for everything Jeongguk gives him. Hot, emotionally charged, and insanely well-written.
" Taehyung, who is gazing at the endless galaxies in Jungkook’s deep brown eyes, answers him in whispers. “I love the stars as well.” Jungkook, unaware that Taehyung didn’t speak of nature's stars but those of his, looks up at Taehyung."
Pairing: Vampire!Jungkook x Vampire!Taehyung
Genre: established relationship!AU, polyamory!AU, Slice of Life Fluff
Warnings: Tae tries so hard and it's reciprocated!, they're actually so in love :(, idk man this entire polycule just hits so hard whenever i write for them, a cute date, and Tae being an excited bean, and Kook being a cutie, goodness this is so cute and romantic :(
Wordcount: 2.7k
a/n: i cry into my pillow each night. i love this family so much :(
Taehyung and the others have returned from The Plains two days ago. Life at the estate didn’t change during the days they spent far away in the other realm. The plants still grew, the rooms were still homely and the sun still felt the same on the skin. Jimin was already at home again after going on a trip with Hoseok where they visited Seokjin and Emma in Gordes. The entire family had dinner together on the first night reunited. Conversation was amazing and laughter was great.
But this story is neither about the wonderful dinner nor the reunion. This story is about Taehyung and his unbearable desire to see Jungkook.
It has been five hours since he last saw him in the home gym and Taehyung is going mad without him. Such intense feelings are still unbelievably unfamiliar to him. Truly, Taehyung isn’t used to being so needy for a person. Not in a sexual way, but an emotional way. All Taehyung craves is to hear Jungkook’s laugh, to experience his scent, to gaze at his face and feel his hug. He also craves every story Jungkook could possibly tell and needs every single word this man could ever utter. Oh, he craves this man so very much.
The door to Jungkook’s wing is unlocked and Taehyung sees it as his consent to go in. He takes off his shoes by the door, using the audible cues as his guidance. He has music playing and judging by the pungent scent of paint in the air, he is repainting walls.
It was very easy to return to his real self after coming home from The Plains. Being human was fun and a new experience, but Taehyung must admit that he prefers to be a vampire. He enjoys his heightened senses and how invincible his body is again. The only thing he misses is his pulse and how real his body warmth felt. It was so utterly exciting to feel both of these things rise whenever Taehyung found himself close to Jungkook.
Speaking of Jungkook, Taehyung finds him in his living room. Well, his living room to be. Jungkook is still in the midst of renovating the room. Taehyung knocks on the opened door. He was incorrect about the walls. Jungkook is actually painting the ceiling. He chose a dark blue to contrast with the white walls.
Jungkook lowers the paint roller, studying Taehyung.
“Hello”, Taehyung says, waving his hand shyly.
“Hey there.”
“The, uhm, the ceiling is already looking very good.”
“Yeah, right? It’s coming along nicely. I’m really liking the colour.”
“Yes, it is a very beautiful colour.”
“At first I was worried that it would be too dark, but I like it now.”
“Indeed, it fits the room very well.”
Jungkook sinks the roller into new paint and spreads it on the ceiling. He thinks that Taehyung merely came here to chat, unaware that the vampire wants to ask him for a date. Taehyung doesn’t take it to heart, watching the younger vampire with a fluttering stomach. Now that he is in front of him, Taehyung forgot every single word he ever learned.
Jungkook manages to cover quite a lot before Taehyung finally feels courageous enough to ask.
“Jungkook, may I ask you something?”
“Hm? Yeah, sure. What’s up?” Jungkook says, placing the roller aside and climbing off the ladder to hurry to Taehyung.
“You, uhm, you have paint on your face.”
“I do? Crap.” Jungkook wipes his face blindly. “It’s the position. It’s getting everywhere.”
Taehyung takes the cloth from Jungkook’s overalls and licks a corner of it to wipe his face with it.
“May I?”
“Yeah.”
Jungkook lets him with bated breath, eyes racing over his features. He misses how much his heart raced in The Plains. Now it stays still eventhough Jungkook doesn’t feel calm. He feels giddy. Really, really giddy. Like a person who can’t believe that their crush likes them back.
“There. Now you are clean”, Taehyung finishes the job, stuffing the cloth back into Jungkook’s pocket.
“Thank you, chèri.”
Their eyes meet briefly. Jungkook grins. Taehyung flusters.
“How did that sound?”
“Nice”, Taehyung whispers and tugs Jungkook’s into a kiss by his hips.
“Mhm”, Jungkook lets out, keeping his hands away from Taehyung in order not to get him dirty.
The kiss breaks because Jungkook broke it, chuckling fondly as he does.
“Nice, it feels so nice”, Taehyung murmurs, snuggling into the crook of Jungkook’s neck.
“I’m dirty, you know.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’ll care when I accidentally put paint on your expensive shirt.”
Taehyung laughs with Jungkook, fingers playing with his belt loops mindlessly.
“What’s up? You wanted to ask me something.”
“Ah yes! Do you perhaps want to come to my wing later? I want to show you my atelier.”
“Uh, atelier tour. Yeah, I’d like that. Am I gonna see your star painting then?”
“Yes, it will be the first thing I will show you.”
“Neat. Is it okay for you if I finish the ceiling first? I don’t want it to get patchy.”
“Of course, take your time. I shall wait for you in my wing. Please take your time.”
“I’ll be quick. Promise”, Jungkook says and turns to return to his task.
Taehyung leaves his wing as well, bursting in giddy excitement. He will be able to show Jungkook his stars ceiling and his secret room. Jungkook will be the second person after you to know of the room’s existence (Taehyung isn’t aware that Yoongi knows the room as well after he once found you sulking in it a long time ago).
“Taehyung?”
Taehyung is in the atelier, doing the last finishing touches, when Jungkook calls out for him. The older vampire hurries outside, speeding up when his eyes fall upon Jungkook waiting by the front door. He dressed up, body hued in blue jeans and a red button up. Taehyung feels his stomach flutter. He is so beautiful.
“Look at you. You are so handsome”, he gushes, greeting Jungkook by taking both his hands and kissing his knuckles.
“You’re handsome too”, Jungkook says, gazing at him fondly.
Taehyung straightens up, touching Jungkook’s waist. Truly, he cannot keep his hands to himself.
“Please, come in. I am so happy that you are finally here.”
“Sorry it took me a while. I had to shower and everything”, Jungkook excuses himself as he slips out of his house shoes.
All of you mostly wear house shoes when you hurry around the estate, but take them off once you are in each other’s wings. It is cleaner this way and less cold on the feet.
“No worries, I told you to take your time and I meant it. I prepared wine and chocolate. I hope you like them.”
“I love wine and chocolate.”
They intertwine their hands as they wander to Taehyung’s atelier. Jungkook has already been in Taehyung’s wing before, having spent his time in his bedroom and bathroom, so he is familiar with the artful hallways the older vampire curated over the centuries.
“I am very happy to hear that. I find wine and chocolate to be a wonderful combination.”
“Yeah, right.”
They reach the atelier. Taehyung stops and turns to take both of Jungkook’s hands.
“Do you trust me?”
“I do.”
“Close your eyes.”
Jungkook follows with a giggle, squeezing Taehyung’s hands in excited anticipation.
Taehyung leans in and steals a kiss, eliciting another giggle from Jungkook. Only once the kiss was stolen and Jungkook properly charmed, does Taehyung finally lead him inside.
“Keep them closed.”
“I am.”
Taehyung places Jungkook in the middle of his atelier, right underneath the moon and endless stars. He lets go of his hands and steps aside.
“Open them.”
Jungkook opens his eyes, gasping in delighted surprise.
“Wow, it’s beautiful here”, he says softly, looking around the room. The artful murals, the countless canvases, the scattered art supplies and well-preserved antiques. The love Taehyung has for this room and which he also poured into his art in this room is felt greatly by Jungkook.
“This is the most beautiful studio ever. I love it so much” he gushes, “is the stars painting one of those paintings?” he asks and steps closer to the huge canvases Taehyung keeps leaned against the wall.
“Look up”, Taehyung tells him, almost bursting in excitement.
Jungkook lifts his head. His face falls, his eyes widen.
“Holy fuck.”
Taehyung giggles and cackles, bouncing on the spot as his face contorts into the brightest smile.
“Woah. Yo, holy shit. Wow.”
Taehyung grabs Jungkook’s arm, shaking it in excitement. The latter looks at him, unable to hide his true bafflement.
“This is blowing my mind. This is the most beautiful ceiling I have ever seen.”
“I, I painted it myself.”
“You did what?!”
Taehyung steps closer, shaking Jungkook’s arm harder. He might burst in giddiness.
“I painted it. I spent three years of my life watching the sky and painting what I saw.”
“Holy fuck, Tae. This is the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen. Wow”, Jungkook says, looking up at the ceiling again to take in the beauty of it, “wow…”
“I had hoped that you would like it.”
“I love it. It’s seriously baffling to me. You painted that, like, holy fuck.”
Taehyung giggles and cuddles Jungkook from the side.
“You make me so giddy.”
Jungkook chuckles, wrapping his arm around him. He cranes his neck to kiss the crown of Taehyung’s head.
“You’re cute and fucking talented. Wow, I can’t stop staring. Wow.”
“Do you want to know how I was able to watch the sky?”
“Of course. Did you go outside on the balcony?”
“No, better.”
“Better?”
Taehyung tugs Jungkook with him by his hands.
“Follow me. I want to show you something very special. It is my place of tranquillity. Only ___ knows of it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“Wow Tae, seriously this room is amazing. Did you paint the murals too?”
“I did.”
“Damn Tae, just wow.”
Jungkook has to exclaim yet another round of “wow”s, when Taehyung shows him the entrance to his secret room. He follows him with even more exclaims of wonder on his lips, meeting his crescendo when he finally stands in the octagon shaped library. Taehyung, bursting in giddiness, lies him down on the mattress and tells him to keep his eyes on the ceiling. Then he hurries to the lever, opening it with his eyes not once leaving Jungkook’s face. He wants to take in his first reaction.
“Wow!” Jungkook gasps and then becomes silent as the view steals his words. All he can do is stare and gaze in wonder as the ceiling moves aside to make space for the endless night sky.
Taehyung hurries to him, lying down beside him. He cuddles into him in a way which still allows him to look at his face.
“What are you thinking?”
“This is so beautiful”, Jungkook whispers, tearing up, “I love the stars so much.”
Taehyung, who is gazing at the endless galaxies in Jungkook’s deep brown eyes, answers him in whispers.
“I love the stars as well.”
Jungkook, unaware that Taehyung didn’t speak of nature’s stars but those of his’, looks up at Taehyung.
“I can’t believe that I lived here all these months without knowing that this room exists.”
“I keep it well hidden. I find great healing in this room and only people most special to me get to know of its existence.”
Jungkook blinks away tears, “thank you so much for trusting me.”
Taehyung kisses his lips. Softly and with love.
“I will always trust you”, he whispers, caressing his cheek slowly.
Jungkook flusters, lowering his eyes shyly. He might still be far away from perfect control, but at least with Taehyung, he can experience gentle love already. Jungkook feels at peace in his presence. And uncontrollably giddy. He lifts his eyes again so he could look at the face which makes his stomach flutter so very much. Jungkook thinks that he is even more beautiful with the stars as his backdrop.
“Do you want to see something else? And then we can finally enjoy the wine and chocolate under the stars”, Taehyung asks with sparkling eyes.
“Of course, show me”, Jungkook whispers.
“Follow me”, Taehyung drags Jungkook to one of the shelves.
“Is it by the books?” the younger follows with a fond smile.
“Indeed, yes indeed. I have books you could enjoy. I, I gathered them here for you”, Taehyung says and takes out a big heap of books, putting them on the floor.
He and Jungkook sit down cross legged and while Taehyung stares at him in anticipation, Jungkook takes one of the books.
“Really?” he gasps, eyes lighting up and racing over the other books as well, “all of these books are about the stars and the universe and, and astronomy!”
“Indeed. Yes, indeed”, Taehyung giggles, bouncing on the spot, “do you know any of them already?”
“No. I don’t know any of them yet. Oh my god, this one! I wanted to read this for so long, but I could never find it anywhere!”
“It is first edition. I knew the author and they gave me a copy when it was first released.”
“Wow, oh wow this is so cool, wow”, Jungkook wipes his eyes quickly, giggling, “I can’t believe I’m holding these books.”
“You can have them.”
“What?”
Their eyes meet. Jungkook has widened his eyes so immensely that they appear almost round.
“You can have them. I want to give them to you.”
“But. No. No, I can’t take them. They’re yours and they’re expensive and, and valuable.”
“And I want them to be yours”, Taehyung assures him, “they would catch dust up here with me. Knowing that they could find a worthy home with you, would mean so much more to me.”
“I can’t take them, no.”
“Yes, you can. They are yours. Truly.”
“But-”
“No buts. I insist”, Taehyung shoves them closer to Jungkook, “they are yours.”
“Are you really sure?”
“I am. So very sure.”
“Oh god. Thank you”, Jungkook falls around Taehyung’s neck, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Taehyung smiles, hugging him as tightly as possible. The sweet scent of true happiness radiates off of Jungkook. His squeaky giggles are yet another indicator of the immense happiness Taehyung makes him feel.
“Thank you so much. Thank you so, so much.”
“I’m so happy to know that they found a new home. They will be well taken care of.”
“They will, oh god”, Jungkook sits back on his heels, beaming at Taehyung with glassy eyes, “you have no idea how much I dreamed of having more astronomy books. I, I only have a few and, and they are either very modern or really ruined already. I, I read all of them so many times already and, and now I have new things to go through, oh god. I want to cry, oh god”, Jungkook hides his face in his hands and sobs a little.
“Goodness, don’t cry”, Taehyung gasps, rubbing his arms soothingly.
“I’m just feeling overwhelmed. I appreciate this so much. How did you know I would like all of this?”
“I truly hoped that you would. You told me about your love for astronomy and so I wished for all of this to be of your liking.”
“It is. All of it. Oh god”, Jungkook sobs softly. He is being seen and therefore loved. If this is what dating a man feels like, Jungkook is so glad that he can finally experience it. It feels so good to be treated so well.
“Are these happy tears? I cannot tell anymore.”
Jungkook nods his head, “I’m happy.”
“Yes? Oh, mon amour I’m happy to know”, Taehyung gushes, dropping his hands to Jungkook’s thighs.
Jungkook lowers his hands to hold Taehyung’s, smiling at him even if he sniffles.
“I’m so happy. I’m so, so happy.”
Taehyung smiles, feeling incredibly warm in his chest.
“This means more to me than you might think. All I want is your happiness, my north star.”
“Oh god”, Jungkook giggles, falling around Taehyung’s neck again, “oh god, Tae. I love you.”
Hi I've been reading tk fics for the past two years and at this point i'm looking for a comfort fic that I can read when i'm really missing them or when i'm feeling very down .. something like pure love between them, when they are with each other from the very start or best friends to lovers/enemies to lovers when there's no third person involved and definitely a happy ending with top taehyung I know it sounds very sappy but I read to relax my mind tk fics are only thing I read I respect everyone's preferences but i'm really looking for a comfort book angst can be there but not too much please recommend me something like that Thankyou
ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ
↝ Taehyung was painfully aware of the truth; life was never free. Every decision he made had a consequence, and it seemed clear what price he would have to pay if someone got to know about the true character of his and Jungkook's relationship. However, he had come this far and there was no turning back or throwing it away. Sadly, he wasn't too brave either.
↝ Taehyung's and Jungkook's relationship right under the nose of obviousness.
ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢꜱ
↝ taekook, idol⥏ taehyung x idol⥏ jungkook
↝ idol⥏ taehyung x original male character
↝ straight namjoon
↝ namjin, idol⥏ namjoon x idol⥏ seokjin
↝ idol⥏ seokjin x original male character
ᴛᴀɢꜱ ⥏ ɢᴇɴʀᴇ
↝ secret relationship, slow-burn, awkward first times, awkward romance, complicated friendships, taehyung forgets he should play a detective,
↝ idolsAU, BTS 2016
ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ
ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ
ᴊᴀɴᴜᴀʀʏ 2016
Taehyung wasn't sure for how long he was eyeing the opposite wall while his hands, raised in front of his face, were marking the abstract shadows on the white paint spread in multiple layers over the imperfections under it. As the last rays shone in through the setting sun, the paint appeared to glow in shades of orange and red. He opened up his palm, stretching his fingers so wide that the dry skin around his knuckles, red from the cold, harsh weather, threatened to break, and closed them right away, watching how the thin string of a spider web drew patterns on the back of his hand, reaching past his sleeve and ending in the bending where his forearm met his elbow.
If Taehyung had to list the pros and cons, how strictly professional had Namjoon named them, about their new place with the same set of doors and the colour of their sofa matching the kitchen counters, he would copy Hoseok’s enthusiasm seeping through his big bold letters on the plain paper and drag his pen above the faint lines, writing the word ‘bigger’ right at the begging of the first column. But as soon as everyone would nod, peeking in between his fingers, and looked away, too busy with their own lists and minds, he would place the sharp tip of his pen until the ink wouldn’t leak through, and write, ‘but I liked the small cosy more’.
Taehyung took a deep breath in, filling his nose with the smell of novelty coming from the plastic bags stuck with an easy-to-tear tape to the furniture pilling behind the door of his shared room with Namjoon and reached out his hand even more, until the sleeve of his pyjama top wasn’t brushing over his wrist, showing off his favourite bracelets. If he did the same while surrounded by the paper boxes instead of shelves and cabinets, and pillows instead of chairs, in his old room with two bunk beds, the tips of his fingers would brush past the wood planks over Jimin’s old bed and if he stretched out his legs, snapping the bubbles in his knees, his toes would touch the blankets hanging off the mattress. Taehyung felt an indescribable feeling jerking his legs and arms while he was counting the distance between his and Namjoon’s empty bed.
"At least fifteen Mario figures," thought Taehyung as he ran his eyes over the red shine of the hat the plastic man in blue overall was wearing, while kissing the floor, lying by the leg of the wardrobe that was rattling every time someone in the apartment above decided to run instead of walking. He had never thought the distance of furniture could make him feel so lonely.
The unexpected knock cleared the wrinkle of concentration pulling Taehyung’s eyebrows together in a frown and he turned his head, squinting at the gleam dusting of the night under the gap of his closed door. He let his hand fall, hitting his side before bouncing on the mattress. Taehyung grasped the bed sheets, scratching at the soft fabric with his nails, as if they could send strength to his tired muscles and sighed when his bare soles came into contact with the coldness of the floor.
Another soft knock resonated through the room, pulling a huff out of Taehyung’s mouth before a quiet, but loud enough, travelling on the waves of streaming air, “Hyung?” fell on his ears.
Taehyung was standing at the other side of the wood, blinking at the shadow pushing from the hallways and almost touching his toes, while he stared at his arm, pleading it to lift up and set on the handle under his eyes.
“Are you sleeping?” came a muffled voice and once Taehyung’s sleepy mind recognised its familiarity trying to wave away the fog from his awareness, a lazy smile raised up his cheeks, melting the confusion away.
He pushed open the door, jerking in an alert at the loud creaking jumping from the empty hallways and blending with the swoosh of air that tickled his toes. Taehyung’s eyes fell on the figure preventing him from seeing how the opposite walls kept trembling from the powerful snores escaping from the Seokjin’s room.
Jungkook’s socked feet were stomping a step away from the threshold, blowing away the crumbled up polystyrene, rolling from the boxes full of fragile glass, with every thump of his heels, while his knees were shaking, despite the blanket thrown over his shoulders reaching up to his mid tights. Jungkook pulled the edges of the thin fabric closer together as soon as the draught hit him, they were now touching under his chin and stretching over his back while showing the hard bumps of muscles under the smooth surface.
“Hey,’ Jungkook whispered, ‘Can I go in?” he sniffled and looked at Taehyung’s room wrapped in dark.
Taehyung, pouting at the red tint of Jungkook’s scrunching nose, stepped away and pulled the boy inside, covering him in the familiar night ruling over the safety of his asylum, before closing the door behind them.
As soon as the click of the lock drew a smile on Jungkook’s lips, Taehyung pushed him towards his empty bed until the back of his knees didn’t hit his mattress, prompting him to lose his balance and fall between his messy sheets. A soft laugh resonated in the background of the sharp breath as the air stuck within the confines of Jungkook’s lungs, but before it could reach its full potential and scare the spiders undisturbedly spinning their webs, Taehyung plopped down over his body and trapped the sound inside his own throat as his lips moved against Jungkook’s in a shy peck. He could feel Jungkook’s raising chest under his and the quivering of his abdomen muscles as another laugh pushed past his teeth, slamming against Taehyung’s mouth. Soon, both of them were biting on their lips to restrain their giggles from escaping and waking up the other members sleeping in their rooms.
“Kook,’ Taehyung hid his face in the juncture of Jungkook’s shoulder, kissing the point where the joyful rhythm of his life was pulsating erratically against his cheek, ‘you really need to stop showing up in the middle of the night like this,’ he sighed and hoisted up on palms placed on either side of Jungkook’s body, searching for the maknae’s eyes, ‘You're going to get us caught one day. And you know, the price we pay may be too high.”
“But it's the thrill of it, hyung,’ grinned Jungkook, seemingly unfazed, ‘Besides,’ Taehyung could more feel than hear a hand rising on the side of his body, struggling to keep straight, supported only by his weak arms on the wiggly mattress, ‘being with you is worth it.” Something cold touched the sliver of Taehyung’s skin peeking between his pyjama collar and hair tickled his nape. The shiver didn’t even have time to run down his spine, when that something freezing pressed on his neck and his arms gave up under him. Taehyung fell on Jungkook’s chest, knocking his nose against the sharp bone of his chin.
“Almost,” joked Jungkook and the hot air blew on his exposed forehead. Then two strong arms encircled his waist and lifted him up until their lips didn’t meet once again in the dance they were no longer shy to perform.
Taehyung hummed into the kiss, enjoying the warm feeling spreading in his chest, contrasting with the cold fingers boring into his cheeks, reminding him that their inner peace didn’t walk hand in hand with their bodies subconsciously reacting to the low temperatures portraying the pillows and blanket in a welcoming light.
“You are unfair,” it wasn’t clear if the whine was meant to support his words or if the noise chortling in his throat was a reaction to the lack of hot slicked lips forcing his own to part.
“But you like it. Don’t gimme that look,’ uttered Jungkook, ‘I will leave before Namjoon hyung comes,” he said and stole one last kiss, its wetness squelched not only in Taehyung’s ears but also made him pull away and bring the back of his hand to wipe the saliva dripping down his chin while the hit on Jungkook’s shoulder followed the disgusted grimace pulling the corners of his mouth down.
“How was your evening, Kook?” yawned Taehyung and grabbed the pillow fearing to fall down the edge to let his head bore into the plush softness reminding him of his exhaustion ticking towards the late hour with the fog spreading over his consciousness. He reached for Jungkook’s hand moving up and down on his stomach to the rhythm of his regular breaths and pulled it over his body, only to frown when it didn’t bring him the warmth he was hoping for despite where the naked skin of his palm pressed on his uncovered hip a sweat was forming from the heat. Taehyung wished to pull the offensive top protecting Jungkook’s chest over his head and dive into the tropical waves.
“Good,’ mumbled Jungkook, his eyes rolled back to find his face, ‘Busy, as always, but,’ with a sigh he lifted his legs until they were no longer touching the floor and threw them over Taehyung’s - Taehyung could feel his heels sinking into bed under their weight, ‘now I am with you,” he whispered close to his ear - borrowing the corner of the soft pillow to rest his head on - as if Taehyung’s simple presence could lift the strain of his shoulders.
Taehyung turned his head, the sound of his hair rubbing against the pillow case buried his heavy sigh, “Hey, guess what, Kook-ah?’ he began softly, his lips moving close to the tip of Jungkook’s nose, if someone turned the blinds falling over the window, he would be able to count the freckles rising up as the faded brownish spots on the slope of Jungkook’s nose, they were lying that close, ‘Hyungu hyung invited me over to his place tonight, he cooked some delicious tteokbokki just for Jin hyung and me. Trust me, you missed out on a culinary masterpiece! I wish I could save you the leftovers, but we ate everything,” as he proceeded, his voice carried an exciting tone, almost as if he could imagine himself sitting in the savory filled kitchen.
“Oh?” the dark brush of eyebrows lifted up over Jungkook’s eyes in what had to be a surprise. Taehyung had never mentioned why was he pulling the zipper of his winter jacket up sooner than the others still sweating in front of the mirror tonight.
“How's that going?” Jungkook asked simply, but barely masking the curiosity in his voice. It wasn’t rare for Jin’s boyfriend to call him over dinner, if anything, he liked to push in the gaps of Taehyung’s and Jin’s free period to sneak a chocolate bar or not-so-innocent bag of his favourite snacks into his diet while busying himself with the familiarity of Jin’s presence. Taehyung wasn’t stupid, he was well aware that he served as a cover-up, skipping behind Jin’s back like a wiggly tail every time the familiar ringtone of Jin's phone was followed by a photo of Hyungu's freshly shaved face, gleaming on his lit-up phone screen. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling like a small kid whose mouth could be shut up with a sweet stop to his hunger pangs, that were hitting the walls of his empty stomach, while he was glaring at the couple embracing under the brightest lamp.
“It's…,” Taehyung took a while to think, his excitement suddenly gone. He brought his hand close to Jungkook’s face and traced the curve of his nose, prominently sticking out between his cheeks until he didn’t find the narrow dip close to his cheek bone under his fingertip, “Different,” he said at least.
“I am so glad for them, although maybe not quite as much as Hyungu hyung when he looks at Jin hyung. They look so happy together… But you know, here’s the thing,’ after his finger returned to the middle of Jungkook’s face, copying his nose shape, probably to engrave it into his memory, Jungkook’s eyes met in the middle, watching his hand with a new interest, ‘he told me that Namjoon hyung, that he has been urging him to come out to the company, about their relationship.” Taehyung pressed on the squishy tip until it didn’t lay flat, touching the spot beneath, just above the gentle curve of his lips, and Jungkook’s mouth opened to take the air in. They both were following the movement of Taehyung’s digit hovering over Jungkook’s open mouth and a short stroke of tension ran over them before they coughed and hid their burning cheeks behind their palms.
“Uh… complicated,’ said Jungkook eventually, taking over the line of embarrassing closeness they have not yet chosen to cross, ‘Do you think he will?”
“I am clueless, Kook,’ huffed Taehyung, shaking his head, back on his pillow, ‘Jin hyung is… I guess he is torn. It may be not just about them, he's afraid of what it might mean for all of us, especially,’ he rolled his eyes before finishing, ‘uh, what will be Bang PD-nim's reaction.”
“It's tough, hyung,’ Jungkook was slow to nod, ‘Coming out is never easy, and the industry,’ it seemed that the gulp that bobbed with his throat pushed out the words he had carefully thought about before, ‘can be unforgiving.”
Taehyung sighed, “Who wouldn’t be worried about the consequences?” as the last word rolled out of Taehyung’s tongue, his heart thumped against his ribcage with a striking force, if it wasn’t more careful it would imprint its shape there temporarily.
Taehyung’s ears were ringing in the silence they both fell into, meaningfully filling the gaps with their thoughts, louder than their sealed mouth could ever dare to reveal, muffled by a new feeling, heavier than they were familiar with.
“It's tough, isn't it, hyung?’ Taehyung wondered how Jungkook could speak through the lump in his throat, ‘All this hiding and pretending."
Taehyung felt as if someone had stepped in the middle of his chest and with every breath he tried to take, the sole of the stranger’s shoe had only bored deeper, until the liquid swaying inside wasn’t bumping against its unevenness.
The gaze felt begging, tingling on the side of his face and when he answered it, staring right into the wetness of Jungkook’s eyes, expecting his own self to reflect there, however instead he was flooded with sudden waves of memories falling over his mind. He remembered those days characterised by his self-doubt and insecurities, when his fears built up barriers between his desires as he would steal glances at Jungkook but was quick to punish his heart racing towards dreams he had forbidden himself from seeing. He didn’t like returning to those dark times, especially when they were only a knock of the last hot summer away, when he fought with his identity, struggling to the point it felt like he was drowning. He preferred to hide his face behind a facade, put a mask in front of his true emotions, but it became impossible to conceal them from his mind. More than battling with the fear of societal judgment, he was stabbing his own inner turmoil, but instead of vanishing into non-existence it bled, bled so much it poured into the truth.
Taehyung still felt guilty for pushing Jungkook away, wiping his lips, but they continued to ooze the screaming red. But Jungkook had never given up on himself - if Taehyung felt selfishly daring, he would say on them - coming clean and risking a heartbreak. Now, as they lay together in the quiet of Taehyung’s room, he couldn't help but feel a relieving sense of gratitude for the love that had brought them under his blanket.
Their relationship started as a delicate one, catching Taehyung off guard every time he spotted Jungkook’s eyes in the mirror, communicating through the gentle blinks brushing past their cheeks in the mass of other faces, blind to the blush rising on their skin. It all bubbled inside his stomach like the first love, and maybe it really was, on the background of stolen kisses in the dimly lit corners of their practice room, or hidden behind the door of a cubicle, breathing in the sickly reek of toilets, while busy lost in each other’s eyes. But as their love had grown, so had the challenges they faced. The entertainment industry was unforgiving, and the pressure to conform to its expectations weighed heavily on their shoulders. Taehyung knew that Jin’s dilemma about coming out to the company was just a reflection of the larger struggle they all faced.
“Yeah, Kookie, it is. But you know what? It is the path we've chosen, at least for the time being.” Taehyung rubbed his eyes, clearing the sleep filling their corners with his fists. He was momentarily enjoying the lack of grey shadows seeping through, while the wetness spread behind the eyelids eased the itching sensation painting the milky surface faint red.
When Jungkook’s hand grazed along his covered belly, he jerked, not anticipating it, but nuzzled closer until his bent knees didn’t poke the curve of Jungkook’s waist. “I just,’ he could hear Jungkook smack his lips, they had to be just a thin line dipping the corners of his mouth now, ‘wish we didn't have to sneak around like this. It's exhausting,” the whisper sounded on the border of a cry, coping his exasperation.
As Taehyung’s fingers gently stroked Jungkook's hair, he spoke softly, 'I know,’ he spoke more bravely than he felt inside, ‘But remember why we're doing this. We're protecting our love and the group."
Jungkook's sigh filled the room and his voice carried a familiar longing, "I get it, hyung, I do. It's just... sometimes I wish we could be open about us,” he confessed, his grip on Taehyung's fingers tightened, as if not wanting to let go.
Taehyung felt his heart swell with affection and concern, wishing he could offer Jungkook a solution rather than more worries. "I am with you on that, Jungkook,’ he nodded, his voice strained with the weight of their shared burden, ‘But we can't risk it. What if someone catches on? What if they already have?"
Jungkook's arm wrapped around him, drawing him closer, their bodies once again finding comfort in the closeness of their embrace. "Hey, don't worry,’ Jungkook reassured him, his nose tracing the contours of Taehyung's shoulder. He pulled away slightly, allowing a cool rush of air between them. "We've been careful, and Jin hyung is on our side. And if someone does suspect anything,’ his voice gained a newfound strength, as if he was trying to convince both Taehyung and himself, ‘we'll deal with it together, just like we always do."
Taehyung remained silent for a long moment. His fingers were lightly tracing the lines on Jungkook's palm as if he could uncover their future lying in the complex of webs spiralling and tying together into others, but it stayed the same, uncertain. The dread of exposure weighed heavily on him.
“I wish it was a truth,” Taehyung’s lips wrapped around the words but no sound vibrated within his throat.
Taehyung found himself too caught up in the approaching storm, roaring behind the mountains of the future. He stretched his neck to see how far were the fortresses built of pretence that the thunderbolt was setting ablaze, before it hammered on the front door and unleashed where the peace in his life was currently ruling. However, he was only met with the same uncertainty in two eyes watching him, sliding down his cheek. Taehyung’s heavy breath of non-spoken wants spread before their senses of perception, perhaps fogging into the hard-to-see-through mist falling over the room’s midnight shadows, playing with their memories responsive to new-found desires for the alone time together, that they have forgotten about the second bed’s empty mattress and the pillows fluffed against the headrest, winking at them just behind it.
The next time Taehyung reached to rub the sleep away from his eyes, to continue strolling towards what looked to be an infinite night, he found them swollen with a satisfying rest, same as the state of his mind, while lying on the pillow that impressed the fabric lines into the pliant skin of his cheek, with the half of Jungkook’s body thrown over his, in the new day’s rays absorbed room. And his heart dropped with the sound of huffing coming from his left. Taehyung’s chest felt tense and the muscles in his neck screamed the protests, even going as far as pulling at the sensitive nerve ending, making him to hiss in pain.
Taehyung felt caught red-handed staring right into Namjoon’s eyes, watching him from behind the glasses set on his nose, while he was sitting on his bed. Namjoon brought his index finger to his mouth and stuck out his tongue to wet its surface before the dampness glued it onto the page of the book he was reading. The quiet rustling of a paper must have visited Jungkook’s dreams because he stirred in Taehyung’s arms.
“Hyung?’ gulped Taehyung, ‘Good morning?” he wasn’t sure why the tone of his voice kept rising into the questions. He tried to understand Namjoon’s expression, but it appeared unreadable, hardening around his mouth corners yet with an empty glint in his eyes. As Jungkook shifted again, blowing a snore over his bare neck and raising a panic slowly climbing up from behind Namjoon’s eyebrow raise, he quickly came up with an excuse, ‘We… uh, we were just playing some games last night,’ the way a drop of sweat shone on his forehead had presented him in a guilty light, ‘and I guess we fell asleep?”
The second eyebrow, resting low over Namjoon’s eyelids till now, joined the first one, pulling at the skin, high, close to his hairline. Taehyung attempted an awkward smile but inside he was freaking out. Were they too obvious?
Namjoon’s pursed lips enhancing his noticeable silence continued to play on Taehyung’s anxiety. His mouth opened subconsciously while his teeth found sank into the plush of his bottom lip, tugging at the old habits in nervousness.
Namjoon’s gaze shifted once again between Taehyung’s flush rising on his pale face and Jungkook’s furrowed eyebrows while his dreams were slowly meeting their end. He closed the book with a loud thud, spreading the musty smell of old pages, and nodded simply before getting up and leaving the room without saying a word.
As soon as Namjoon’s wide bare back disappeared behind the closed door, Taehyung’s head fell. He ran his eyes over Jungkook’s black tangled strands, seeping the aroma of shampoo all over his pyjama top, while his hand fisted the creased loose fabric around the hem.
“Jungkook-ah,’ whispered Taehyung, his voice still hoarse, brushing over Jungkook’s hair, ‘wake up,” he tapped his shoulder, but the boy’s fingers only tightened around his T-shirt, baring his stomach.
“C’mon.”
“Mmm…’ grunted Jungkook, ‘five mo-ah,’ his mouth stretched around a yawn and his hot breath tickled Taehyung around his navel, ‘five more minutes, Tae,” he mumbled, forgetting about honorifics in the state of half-sleep. Jungkook turned his head so his nose was boring in the gap between his ribs now.
“Jungkook-ah, it’s important,’ Taehyung spoke louder this time, sounding more urgently, ‘Wake up, now!” he shook him by his shoulders.
“Huh?’ Jungkook’s lips parted before his eyelids raised, smoothing the skin over his rolling eye whites, ‘What’s going on, Tae?” he yawned again and squinted lazily at Taehyung’s face.
“It's about Namjoon hyung, I think he knows something,’ he hurried to answer, checking the closed door after he thought he heard a movement somewhere close, creaking on their floor.
“Wake up.”
Jungkook ruffled his hair, combing his finger through the knots around the crown of his head. “Namjoon hyung?’ he asked, sounding confused, ‘What do you mean?” a painful hiss escaped between his teeth when he pulled at the untamed hair more harsher than he intended. Taehyung reached out and even if overwhelmment spread into his arm as hot blood traveled to his numb from disuse fingers, he ran them through Jungkook’s messy locks.
“You shouldn’t have stayed here last night,” Taehyung began but before he could voice out his concern, he was stopped short by a voice just a few steps away from where they were lying under the sheets, “Hyu-, oh… um,” Jimin mumbled, his foot lingering between Taehyung's room and the hallway. Taehyung watched the slipper slipping off Jimin's toes in the same awkward manner as his eyes were shifting between Jungkook's guilty face and his.
“Jimin hyung,” Jungkook smiled nervously while his fingers circled around Taehyung's wrist trying to pull his hand away from his hair. Jimin's chin jerked as his eyes followed the not so subtle movement.
“Jungkookie, good morning,' Jimin nodded curtly in acknowledgement, pointedly ignoring Taehyung's burning gaze, 'Have you seen Namjoonie hyung?” his words carried an underlying tension that seemed to fill the air around them.
Taehyung noticed Jungkook's chest lifting as he expanded his lungs with the answer, but before it could bubble on his tongue, Taehyung spoke up, “He's not here,' he said sternly, 'Maybe check the living room,” his tone was icy but he couldn't deny the annoyance that rose up his throat as he watched Jimin's head twitching towards him but never meeting his eyes.
Despite the smoke of irritation spiralling out of his fuming nostrils, Jimin couldn’t pretend he had plugs stuffed inside his ears. His face was twisted with frustration and his jaw tightened as soon as Taehyung cleared his throat. He grunted a reluctant, “Thanks,” before kicking into his slipper until it didn't slide back on his foot and he stomped out of the room. The obvious scoff bounced from the walls seconds after he left, among other voices bowing him a greet in the hallway.
As soon as Jimin vanished from the sight, Taehyung became aware of the unvocalized words gulped down by Jungkook’s throat or bitten down by Jungkook’s tongue and one sharp intake of air was enough for him to cut through the possibility with a swish of raising hand to let them be heard.
“Don’t-”
“Hyung, talk to Jimin already,’ however, Jungkook's voice was a wrecking ball that tore down all of Taehyung's flimsy attempts, like a hurricane breaking down all of his efforts, ‘You’ve been avoiding him for too long.”
‘Too long’ perfectly described the passed time since his last year’s late night New York escapade, maybe too perfectly, sighed Taehyung. He couldn’t remember when was the last time Jimin’s smile didn’t turn bitter when he caught Taehyung’s gaze during the group meetings held to discuss their ‘America success- winter 2015’. It was not a secret, at least not for Jungkook, as Taehyung spent the majority of their late night talks complaining about Jimin and Jimin only, that when Jimin turned his back towards the open door and rather had chosen the already crowded room, Taehyung took it personally. “Hyung can be pretty petty if he wants,” Jungkook gave him a look.
“I know,’ Taehyung lowered his eyes, ‘but I'm scared, Kook,’ he hesitated for a moment, ‘Scared that it might be too late.”
Jungkook stared intensely, a mix of emotions on his face, from frustration to concern and sadness. "The longer you stay quiet, the harder it'll be, Tae hyung," he said firmly.
“It’s like Vegas,” Jungkook suddenly blurted out, his face burning red.
He heard Taehyung’s head turn to look at him. “Huh?”
Swallowing, Jungkook also turned to look at him. “London,” he breathed. “It’s like Vegas, right? What happens in London…”
It wasn’t like Vegas at all. Vegas and London were as different as you could get.
He trailed off and saw Taehyung’s expression dawn with understanding.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Tae said quickly. “It’s like, overseas rules, plus the wedding rules.”
“Makes sense,” Jungkook swallowed.
Pairing: taekook, side yoonmin
Rating: M+16, sfw
Tags: one-shot, friends au (based on monica x chandler), friends to lovers, warm and fuzzy, fluff, falling in love, romantic fluff, minor hurt/comfort
Warnings: tooth-rotting fluff and sweetness, implied nsfw, toxic parents
Word Count: complete, 23.4k
summary: after hooking up in London at Yoongi's disaster of a non-wedding, Taehyung and Jungkook find out how hard it is to stay away from someone you found an unexpected connection with, and how perfectly things work out sometimes - even with an overprotective older brother, and when it's all a big secret from everyone they know.
Reposting and/or translating is prohibited. Works are available on my ao3 or twitter
There was only so much Jungkook could take.
“Of course we wanted to pay half, this might be the only wedding we ever get to be a part of after all.”
“We’re just so proud of our Yoongi, he’s always been so successful. Our genius son.”
“Oh yes. Well, Jungkook is our other son. He’s here too. Oh, no, no he’s not as successful as Yoongi, but I guess he makes enough money to pay his way here, so we’re grateful for that.”
He sighed heavily as he leaned against the french doors, a glass of half empty champagne in one hand, the other shoved into the pocket of his slacks, and the damp-smelling London air cooling him down. He should be used to it, the back-handed comments and subtle put downs - he’d been hearing them his whole life. But they still hurt and cut and cut and cut at his mood until he couldn’t maintain a facade of indifference and his smile wasn’t fooling anyone.
He didn’t blame Yoongi, not at all. He loved his brother more than anything, and he knew that Yoongi had his own issues with their parents. He just wished that they were a little less condescending and acted as if he was worth something in their eyes, more than just being the disappointment. He wished they’d stop making him feel worthless in front of strangers, who looked at him with eyes full of pity.
Jungkook flinched in surprise at the sudden hand on his shoulder, and then sagged back onto the doorframe when he saw who it was.
“How you doing, Kook?”
It could have been an innocuous question, but it was Taehyung asking and Jungkook knew that questioning and sympathetic expression on his face. Plus, Tae had been Yoongi’s best friend since college, so he knew all about their family dynamics having witnessed it firsthand for years more intimately than most.
Jungkook sighed again and took another sip of his champagne before deciding to down it all in one big gulp. There was no point in lying to Taehyung - as much as he was Yoongi’s best friend, he was also one of Jungkook’s and Tae could always tell when something was wrong.
Taehyung gave a small laugh, but it wasn’t because he found anything particularly funny, and his hand rubbed soothing circles over Jungkook’s shoulder blade.
“That good, huh?”
“Yep,” Jungkook answered, popping the ‘p’. “I’m doing fantastic. I’m the other son.”
Taehyung gave a soft hum of disapproval, and even though Jungkook wasn’t looking at him, he knew he was frowning.
“I’m sorry you have to hear things like that. Min Jungkook is a lot more than just a spare.”
Jungkook snorted a self-deprecating laugh, but he was still a little grateful that Taehyung noticed how he was feeling. He was the only who’d bothered to ask him the whole night.
“Thanks, Tae.”
He nudged Taehyung with his elbow, and Taehyung nudged him back, grinning before he looked over his shoulder at the rehearsal dinner slowly drawing to a close behind them.
“Wanna head to the rooms?” He asked. “If I have to listen to Ailee’s maid of honour bitch about Ailee and her choice of colour for their bridesmaid dresses, and then try and hit on me a second longer, I’ll rip my hair out. And I like my hair.”
Jungkook glanced at him with an amused quirk of his eyebrow and a lilt to his lips.
“You do have nice hair,” he commented. “I think black is your best look.”
“Oh, I know,” Tae replied with a wink. “Come on, let’s go Kook.”
Jungkook turned around and looked over the party.
His parents were fussing over Yoongi, who was scowling slightly but still looked a little pleased at the attention. Ailee seemed to be cooing beside him, smiling with their parents and fitting in like the daughter they had always wished they had. What a picture perfect family, Jungkook thought bitterly.
Hoseok had already left with Becky. They’d claimed they were tired, but Jungkook knew they’d already planned to go to a show and have a date night, he’d seen the tickets in Becky’s purse. He didn’t blame them, if he had a boyfriend he’d ditch as well.
Jin and Namjoon were busy flirting with some of Ailee’s friends, having a great time being single unlike Jungkook, whose singleness had been a topic of too much conversation for too many years. He wished he could be more like them, or more specifically, like Jin, who was so effortlessly confident and self-assured and charismatic.
Since Jimin had decided not come to the wedding and had stayed in New York (understandably, in Jungkook’s opinion), there was no one else he had any desire to talk to or any reason to stick around for. He turned back to Tae and gave him a grateful smile.
“Hell yes, let’s get out of here.”
Having the pre-wedding party at the hotel they were staying at was convenient - at the very least it made leaving easier. Taehyung kept his mind occupied on the way to their floor with lame jokes and one bad attempt at wrestling him to the ground as punishment for ignoring him. They laughed when some other hotel guests caught them and shot them strange looks, and Jungkook doubled over at Taehyung jokingly shooting their backs rude gestures as they left.
They agreed to hang out in Taehyung’s room, but first, both of them were dying to get out of their clothes. Dress clothes weren’t natural attire for either of them. Jungkook practically lived in sweatpants since he was a personal trainer, and Taehyung’s work as a curator at an art gallery gave him a lot of freedom in how he could dress. Fitted slacks were not his go-to outfit - but Jungkook had to admit whenever he wore them he pulled them off really well.
Jungkook took his time in the shower, letting the semi-decent water pressure and warm water wash away as much of the heaviness he was feeling as possible. It helped him feel a little better. He wrapped his towel around his waist and checked his phone when he got out, having heard it vibrate a few times on the bathroom bench while he was showering.
Tae: I forgot you take the longest showers in the world.
Tae: I’m so hungry…
Tae: Did you drown? Idc. I’m ordering food. You can eat what’s leftover.
He grinned and sent a quick reply back saying he’d be there in ten minutes.
An hour later they were lounging on Taehyung’s bed with a tray of half-eaten room-service desserts and an almost empty bottle of wine, watching some television show that they didn’t really understand the humour of but laughed quietly at anyway.
Thoughts that he wanted to ignore kept creeping back into his subconsciousness and Jungkook didn’t realise how outwardly affected he seemed until Taehyung spoke up.
“Are you really okay, Jungkook?” Taehyung asked, voiced laced with soft concern. “You’re being way too quiet, even for you.”
Jungkook stared at the television for a few moments before he answered. Maybe it was because he was a little buzzed, or maybe it was just because it was Taehyung asking, but instead of just replying with the customary ‘I’m fine’ or ‘I’m used to it,’ he took a deep breath and spilled out the truth.
“I love Yoongi, and I do love my parents, but sometimes I just want to…” he trailed off with a strangled groan. “I’m just never good enough,” he mumbled. “Maybe they’re right.”
Jungkook watched from his peripheral in a tense silence as Taehyung suddenly moved. He picked up the remote and turned off the television, then cleared the tray of food off the bed before he sat back beside him, fully facing him and gave Jungkook a hard and disapproving stare that Jungkook wanted to shrink away from.
“Jungkook, if I ever hear you say something like that again, I’m going to punch you.”
Surprised at the unexpected threat, Jungkook just blinked in response. Taehyung reached over and took his hands from his lap and held them both tightly.
“I mean it, Kook. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t go to college like Yoongi, or that you’re not working for some big name firm in a job that you hate. Fuck that 9 to 5 life. You’ve achieved so much on your own. You’ve walked your own path. It’s not your fault that your parents don’t understand it or approve it because they haven’t bothered to try to learn that the world has changed.”
Jungkook’s mouth dried as he stared back at Taehyung, who was looking at him so intensely through his dark lashes and serious gaze.
“You’ve created a life for yourself that makes you happy. You are good enough, Jungkook. You’re better than good enough - you’re one of my best friends and I think you’re amazing. Okay?”
Jungkook swallowed and looked down at their hands. Taehyung was still holding his tightly and his chest squeezed with longing and loneliness.
“Oh, Jungkook’s been single forever. I’m sure we’ll throw the biggest party when he finally brings someone home - but who knows when that will be.”
“It’s not just the job, Taehyung,” he murmured. “Yoongi’s getting married, and I’m still single. Didn’t you hear them telling people it was probably the only wedding they’re ever get? Maybe they’re right about that too.”
Taehyung let go of his hands and gripped his cheeks, squishing them between his palms until Jungkook's lips twisted into funny shapes.
“They’re not right!” Taehyung stressed. Jungkook was a little surprised by how adamant and desperate he sounded. “You, Min Jungkook, are probably one of the sweetest guys I’ve ever known. There is someone perfect for you out there, it’s just not the right time yet. And if they’re saying that about you, what about me, huh? I’m two years older than you and I’m single too!”
Taehyung gave him a goofy little smile, breaking through the seriousness and lightening the air that had become heavy with intent and feeling and let Jungkooks face go. Jungkook wanted to retort and remind Taehyung that he was always being asked out, he was just picky, but he stayed silent.
“I know the words hurt, even if you like to pretend they don’t. But you don’t need to live life at anyone else’s pace,” Taehyung said, his voice gentler now.
Jungkook felt warm from the sincerity in his friends voice. He gave a half-smile and looked away for a moment before turning back to Taehyung, who was waiting for his response.
“It’s kind of pathetic though, isn’t it?” Jungkook asked after a moment.
“What is?” Taehyung asked warily.
“Being single at a wedding,” he replied, smiling genuinely enough that Taehyung knew he was okay now.
The tension released from Taehyung’s shoulders and he gave a little snort and chuckle.
“That’s a social myth made to make us feel bad about ourselves. It’s totally normal to be single at a wedding,” he said.
Jungkook hummed. “It’s nice to have someone to go home with though.”
Taehyung laughed. “Just admit you wanna get laid, Jungkook. You don’t care about the rest of it at all.”
“I care a little,” Jungkook grinned.
Taehyung rolled his eyes and moved to lay back on the bed, his head on the pillows beside where Jungkook was sitting against the headboard. A comfortable silence fell between them and Jungkook glanced down at Taehyung, whose eyes were closed.
Taehyung always been handsome, but Jungkook thought that as the years went on Taehyung just kept getting more and more good-looking. Ageing suited him. He could imagine Taehyung at fifty being just as sought after as he was at twenty-nine. He wondered why Taehyung, who always had a line of men and women wanting to date him, turned so many people down.
“Weddings are traditionally a place for singles to hook-up with each other,” Taehyung murmured, slowly blinking his eyes open and breaking Jungkook out of his thoughts about how handsome his friend was. “Places for the pressures of society to enforce the law of bad decisions because we’re lonely.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow, wondering at what Tae was saying and why his voice had taken on a such a strange tone.
“So what are you saying?” Jungkook questioned, scrunching his nose in confusion. “We should find people to hook up with?”
Taehyung gave a wry smile and pushed himself up onto his elbows.
“Wouldn’t need to look very far,” he replied with a mumble, averting his eyes.
Jungkook took a moment for the words to sink in and then his eyes widened slightly as he could swear he saw Taehyung’s cheeks turn just a little bit pink. For a moment there was silence and then Jungkook cleared his throat and settled back on the pillows beside him.
“No… I guess we wouldn’t,” Jungkook answered slowly.
Because, well, it was true. Technically. They could literally just look at each other and see someone single and, apparently, ready for something. They were barely a ruler’s length apart. That wasn’t far. At all.
Taehyung gave a nervous sounding chuckle.
“I mean, it wouldn’t be that weird, would it? We’re friends.”
“Best friends,” Jungkook said. His chest fluttered and he felt a little warm and a little in disbelief that this conversation was taking place.
“Yeah,” Taehyung answered quickly. “It’s better than finding some stranger who might turn into some crazy stalker.”
“Safer,” Jungkook nodded.
Because it was. Technically.
Taehyung laid back on the pillows and Jungkook heard the shakiness in his breath as he let out a little huff of air. An awkward silence fell over the two of them as they stared at the ceiling. Jungkook’s heart was thumping in his chest and his stomach was twisting with anxiety that felt a little less strange and a little more anticipatory than he expected. Then he felt more nervous because the thought of being with Taehyung in that way - a thought he’d never actually considered before - wasn’t making him cringe or feel revolted, it actually sounded really appealing.
Way too appealing.
“It’s like Vegas,” Jungkook suddenly blurted out, his face burning red.
He heard Taehyung’s head turn to look at him. “Huh?”
Swallowing, Jungkook also turned to look at him. “London,” he breathed. “It’s like Vegas, right? What happens in London…”
It wasn’t like Vegas at all. Vegas and London were as different as you could get.
He trailed off and saw Taehyung’s expression dawn with understanding.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Tae said quickly. “It’s like, overseas rules, plus the wedding rules.”
“Makes sense,” Jungkook swallowed.
The silence that fell over them now wasn’t awkward like before, but tight with an undercurrent of waiting and wanting and uncertainty. Jungkook wondered if Taehyung’s hands were sweaty like his, or if his heart was racing wildly too, and if his stomach was in knots that were getting hotter and lower as the seconds past looking into each other’s eyes.
Before he knew what was happening, Taehyung’s lips were on his, his breath warm against his skin. The kiss was firm, and only lasted a few seconds, and Jungkook didn’t know who had kissed the other first but he knew he didn’t want it to stop. Taehyung pulled back just enough for them to be able to see each other without being cross-eyed.
They looked at each other for just a second before they clashed together again, Jungkook rolling him and Taehyung slightly so he was hovering over Taehyung’s body to angle into the kiss better. He felt Taehyung snake an arm around his waist and gently pull him closer so their bodies were pressed together instead of Jungkook holding himself up like he had been. The kiss deepened and the air around them grew hotter and Jungkook found himself lost in the taste and wetness of Taehyung’s mouth, in the smell of his freshly washed hair and the feel of his body beneath him.
He moaned lightly when Taehyung’s hand moved from his waist and slipped under the elastic of his sweatpants to rest over the curve of his ass, while the other hand moved under the fabric of his shirt and over his abs, up his chest and pulled on the fabric of his shirt. Jungkook nudged Taehyung’s legs wider with his knee, and moved it up to between his thighs. Taehyung made a noise in the back of his throat as Jungkook bit lightly into his lower lips.
“Kook,” Taehyung breathed, tugging on his shirt and looking up at him.
Their noses were touching, panting breaths being exchanged and lips and mouths wet with each other.
“This is okay, right?” He sounded as nervous as Jungkook felt. “We’re going to do this?” Taehyung asked breathlessly.
Jungkook licked his lips. He wanted to, his whole body was screaming at him to just lose himself in Taehyung. He gave a small nod, not trusting his words at that second.
Taehyung swallowed. “Then get under the covers and take off our clothes,” he whispered.
Jungkook gave him a little smile, seeing the way Taehyung’s cheeks darkened.
“I thought I was the shy one between the two of us,” he teased.
Taehyung rolled his eyes again and pushed Jungkook off him with a gentle hand at his chest.
“Shut up,” he mumbled, embarrassed and red in the face. “This is weird.”
Jungkook bit his lip, hesitant and uncertain.
“Do you… we don’t have to do this,” he said, trying not to feel disappointed. “I mean, we are friends. It won’t be weird if we stop, it’ll just be a funny story one day.”
Taehyung got off the bed and stood for a moment and Jungkook stared at his back, until he turned around and quirked an eyebrow at him, leaning down slightly and gripping the edge of the bed covers.
“Can’t get under the covers if you’re on top of them, Kook,” he said, eyes sparkling with some amusement and something else that made Jungkook’s stomach tighten.
Jungkook scrambled off the bed and mortifyingly tripped over his own feet in his haste, landing on the ground in an ungraceful tumble and thump. There was silence as he laid there for a few seconds until he heard Taehyung burst out with laughter. Jungkook rolled onto his back on the floor and covered his face with his hands out of embarrassment and groaned, laughing at himself despite feeling like a complete idiot.
He could hear Taehyung moving the sheets while he was laughing and slowly pushed himself back up to his feet, only to be met with Taehyung still laughing, but now only standing in his underwear beside the bed.
The atmosphere quickly turned from humorous to anticipatory as Taehyung’s laughter died down and Jungkook’s eyes drifted over his body, lingering just above the band of his underwear at the soft but thin waist before moving his gaze back up to Taehyung’s face. He felt his stomach drop at the way Taehyung was looking at him; eyes dark, lower lip caught between his teeth in a way that was both shy and enticing.
“Your turn,” Taehyung said.
Jungkook swallowed and nodded. His hands moved to the hem of his oversized t-shirt and he hesitated a moment before quickly pulling it over his head and dropping it on the floor behind him. He felt tingles of pride and desire burst across his skin as he watched Taehyung’s eyes drop to his chest and abs and saw his throat rise and fall as he swallowed. Jungkook knew his body was good, he worked hard on it. But he also knew that Taehyung had seen him shirtless multiple times before, so for it to affect him made Jungkook feel really good.
With a new burst of confidence, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his sweatpants and slowly pushed them down his thighs until the fell away themselves, keeping his eyes on Taehyung the whole time and feel flushed as Taehyung licked his lips as his eyes hovered over Jungkook’s crotch before moving to look at his thighs.
They met eyes again and slow and purposeful, moved toward each other on their knees over the bed. Tentatively, Jungkook reached out to grip Taehyung’s waist, while Taehyung placed a hand over Jungkook’s pectoral over his heart, his palm just grazing Jungkook’s hardened nipple.
“What happens in London,” Taehyung breathed.
They moved closer to one another.
Jungkook gave a small nod, his eyes on Taehyung’s parted lips.
“Stays in London.”
***
Taehyung frowned deeply as he was woken up by the sound of someone banging on his hotel door, and then his heart almost leaped out of his throat when the sound of a keycard being used dinged and the door opened, only to be caught by the privacy bar.
“Ow, fuck - Taehyung, shit, are you up?”
It was Yoongi.
Min Yoongi. His best friend. And Jungkook’s older brother. Shit.
“Taehyung,” Yoongi called out a little louder.
He shot up from his bed and cleared his throat. He looked down at Jungkook, who was the deepest sleeper in the world and, thankfully, still knocked out. His eyes lingered a moment on his exposed collarbones and the red marks on them and he swallowed, before he weakly called out to Yoongi that he was awake now.
“Have you seen Kook? We’re supposed to have breakfast with our parents in an hour and he’s not in his room or the gym.”
Taehyung slid out of bed and chuckled nervously. The room smelt faintly of sex still, there was no way that he could let Yoongi into the room, or let him see the state either of them was in.
“Ah, yeah, he crashed here last night. Wasn’t feeling too good after the party. I’ll make sure he’s up and ready,” Taehyung said, desperately hoping that he kept any strain out of his voice.
“Oh, then can I come in?” Yoongi questioned.
“No!” Taehyung replied a little too quickly. He smacked his forehead with his palm and took a deep breath. “Um. The rooms a mess and Kook sleeps like the dead, you know. He needed it.”
Yoongi was silent for a moment.
“Okay. I’ll just talk to you later then,” he said quietly, and then left with a quick word of good-bye and Taehyung slumped down on the side of the bed and let out a breath of relief that he’d remembered to close that privacy lock on the door the night before.
“Tae?”
Jungkook’s voice was deep and rough and full of sleep, and it made Taehyung’s heart thump hard against his ribs in a bout of fondness that didn’t cause him as much concern as it should have.
He slipped back under the sheets beside Jungkook, who rolled sleepily onto his side.
“Morning Kook,” Taehyung said quietly. “How - how are you?”
Nerves rattled around in Taehyung’s empty stomach as he waited for Jungkook to wake up, watching as he smacked his lips and licked them, and squeezed his eyes even more shut a few times before blearily opening them again.
“Hi,” he mumbled.
Taehyung chuckled softly. His body released some of its nervous tension when he realised that Jungkook was too sleepy to form any coherent response to his spoken, and all the unspoken parts of his question.
“Hi.”
Jungkook let out a long breath and Taehyung could see him forcing himself to wake up.
“Time’s it?”
Taehyung rolled over to check his phone, and frowned at what he saw on the screen. He sat up and unlocked his phone, his eyes widening as he read the messages that had come through less than an hour ago.
“Tae?” Jungkook sounded a little more awake, and a little concerned.
“Oh my god,” he breathed. “Fuck. Jimin, what did you do?”
“What happened?” Jungkook was suddenly a lot more alert behind him, sitting up and moving to see him. “Is Jimin okay?”
Taehyung’s mind flashed back to moments earlier when Yoongi had asked to come in and talk and he felt his heart fall. He turned and passed the phone to Jungkook before getting up and quickly finding some fresh underwear and heading to the bathroom to wash his face quickly.
Jungkook appeared at the doorway a few moments later, looking tired but not from sleep.
Taehyung spat out his toothpaste in the sink.
“Yoongi came by before,” he said, looking at Jungkook through the mirror. He looked panicked for a moment before Taehyung assured him he couldn’t get into the room because of the privacy lock on the door. “He wanted to talk. Fuck, I feel bad now.”
Jungkook shook his head. “It’s not your fault. I guess we should have seen this coming,” he sighed, sliding Taehyung’s phone onto the bathroom bench.
“You need to go get ready for breakfast with your family,” Taehyung told him. “Just - Yoongi needs you. I’ll find Jimin.”
He put his toothbrush back in its container and filled his hands with some water before wetting at his face to wash and wake himself up a little more.
Jungkook gave a slow nod, and Taehyung saw him hesitate in the doorway.
“Tae, I - ”
Taehyung gave a tight smile. “We’ll talk later,” he said.
Taehyung first met Yoongi the day they both moved into the dorms at their college and discovered they were roommates. Their friendship didn’t form immediately, despite Taehyung’s proclamations that Yoongi totally loved him from day one - he was just pretending otherwise.
Yoongi was an introvert who needed space and quiet, Taehyung liked to talk and be loud. Yoongi was immaculate (a trait Taehyung soon discovered his younger brother also shared) and Taehyung had shit everywhere. Yoongi studied a lot, hardly missed a class and rarely passed with less perfect grades, and Taehyung winged a lot of his classes, constantly overslept and charmed his professors into giving him extensions all the time. They were almost perfect opposites and Taehyung was certain for months that Yoongi hated him, until one night he came home from a party, drunk off his ass and bawling his eyes out because his asshole boyfriend had humiliated and dumped him in front of half the student body. Yoongi had been pissed to be woken up, but he’d still taken care of him - helped him shower and changed and hydrate, the next day Taehyung woke up to a plate of greasy, disgusting food that was perfect for his hangover and made sure he was fine for the rest of the weekend.
Their friendship really kicked off after that weekend, and they discovered they had a lot more in common than they originally thought. Taehyung’s assumption that Yoongi was a bit of a cold asshole was wiped clean upon discovering his quiet and often overlooked caring nature, and Yoongi’s early assumptions that Taehyung was an eccentric, lazy, airhead were cleared away when he learned that Taehyung was a deep thinker and creative who just saw the world a little differently. They spent four years learning that they complemented each other in a lot of ways, learned a lot from their differences, and helped each other grow in different ways.
So Taehyung had, naturally, known that the shy and quiet Min Yoongi had been absolutely besotted with his little brother Jungkook’s best friend, the cheerful and bright Park Jimin, since they were both in high school. During college, Taehyung had been fortunate enough to be invited to the Min household for a lot of the holidays since his own family was a little fractured and didn’t really celebrate. It was those trips that had allowed him to meet Jungkook and Jimin, and to see Yoongi properly flustered for the first time.
Yoongi and Taehyung were two years older than Jungkook and Jimin, and although they spent some time together during the actually celebrations, the younger ones were out socialising with their other friends. Despite the limited time to observe, Taehyung could immediately see Yoongi’s crush, and realise that Jimin not only knew about it, but subtly teased Yoongi with a little flirting here and there. Never cruelly, but it was also clear that Jimin didn’t reciprocate his feelings either. Yoongi was just Jungkook’s quiet and slightly nerdy older brother, and Jimin was very much a bright, cheerful, and popular high-schooler that enjoyed the affect he had on other people.
As often happens, Jungkook and Jimin drifted apart after they graduated and Jimin went off to college. It wasn’t until four years later that they reunited, and it was all a big coincidence in the end. Jimin had gotten a teaching placement in the city and needed a place to live. His family had recommended that he get in contact with Yoongi, who lived in New York and ask if he knew of anyone looking for a roommate. As it turned out, Taehyung had recently inherited his grandmother’s apartment and was looking for someone, so Yoongi had passed on Taehyung’s information and Jimin soon after moved in. Taehyung had never been more grateful that Yoongi did that, because he and Jimin quickly became friends and never looked back. Barely six weeks after Jimin arrived, Jungkook unexpectedly moved into the newly emptied apartment directly across the hall from them, followed another month later by Jin, who perfectly completed their little, fantastic apartment complex four-person social circle.
Taehyung hadn’t really been worried about Yoongi still having feelings for Jimin until their first group get together. It was obvious there was something that had lingered over the years, despite them not seeing each other and having totally separate lives and dating other people. But, what was more interesting was the slow change Taehyung noticed in Jimin’s interactions with Yoongi.
He wasn’t sure of the exact day or moment something changed about Yoongi in Jimin’s eyes, but it happened. To Jimin, Yoongi wasn’t just the older brother of his best friend anymore. He was Min Yoongi, an attractive, successful, kind, and good man. His feelings for Yoongi developed over time. It wasn’t until a year and a half ago that Jimin confessed to both him and Jungkook over drinks that he liked Yoongi - a lot.
They both encouraged him to pursue something, but Jimin didn’t for whatever reason, and Taehyung knew that Jungkook was encouraging Yoongi to do the same. But nothing happened, despite them dancing around each other enough for all of their friends to notice there was something between them. It was a source of frustration for them all.
And then, almost six months ago, Yoongi met Ailee.
No one expected Yoongi - especially considering just how long he’d been harbouring a crush on Jimin - to be the first one to move on.
“It’s Jimin, you know? He’s beautiful and he’s smart and he’s just - he’s Jimin. But I can’t keep torturing myself with dead-end feelings. I feel like I’m stuck in high school, but I’m 30 now and it’s long past the time for me to move on.”
Taehyung understood where Yoongi was coming from, but he wished he didn’t. He wished he could’ve locked the two of them in a room until they confessed or fucked or something. But when Yoongi brought Ailee around to meet them, he couldn’t deny the happy smile on Yoongi’s face. And it wasn’t like Ailee was a bad person or anything, she was nice and she was pretty and she made Yoongi happy, and that was the most important thing.
Jimin pretended he was fine with the relationship.
“I’m happy to see him happy. Honestly, it was just a crush anyway. I’ll get over it soon enough.”
No one believed him, and it was obvious he wasn’t getting over it. The more serious Ailee and Yoongi became, the more Taehyung and Jungkook could see Jimin faking his smiles and laughter around them until suddenly Jimin seemed a lot lighter all of a sudden. It didn’t take long for him to confess why to Taehyung.
“Well, how serious can it be? Ailee still lives in London, and Yoongi won’t move there, and I overheard her telling him she wasn’t sure she could pack up her entire life there to move here. Long-distance relationships are hard. I’m not sure how much longer they’ll be together by the sounds of it. I want Yoongi to be happy, and I don’t know if he is or will be if he stays with her.”
Then, a week later, the happy couple announced their engagement and intent to be married in six weeks time in London, and after, Ailee would be moving to New York. It was fast, yes, but it was what they wanted, and despite personal reservations, Taehyung supported Yoongi’s decisions.
Jimin tried to be brave, but when the time came to RSVP for the wedding, he broke down in tears in their apartment one night and confessed the depth of his feelings: that he didn’t just like him, he was in love with Yoongi and he couldn’t go to the wedding and watch him marry someone else.
He made an excuse about not being able to get off work, and Yoongi begrudgingly accepted it although it was obvious he was upset that Jimin was the only one not coming. They were friends, after all. Friends should support each other, and despite him trying to convince him right up until two days ago to come, Jimin wouldn’t relent.
But apparently, he’d changed his mind.
Taehyung stood out the front of the door of the room that Jimin had sent him over text message and took a deep breath. His mind was full of the previous night, of Jungkook and their unresolved tension and need to talk, and those niggling feelings toward the younger that he’d been pushing away for the better part of a year. Right now, though, Jimin was the priority. He knocked on the door.
“Tae?” Jimin timidly called out.
“It’s me,” Taehyung replied.
He waited for the door to open and his heart melted at the sight he was met with. Jimin with his blonde hair all mussed, eyes red-rimmed, cheeks splotchy from crying and fatigue, lips trembling. He pulled Jimin into a hug.
“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered, pressing his lips comfortingly into Jimin’s hair.
Jimin sobbed. “It’s really not, I’m such an idiot,” he cried.
Taehyung manoeuvred them into the room and shut the door, holding Jimin around his shoulders as he walked them to the bed.
“Jimin, what happened?” He asked.
Jimin sniffed and pulled back, shaking his head. “I just - I couldn’t - I was sitting at home thinking and I just couldn’t hold myself back. I just got on a plane and came here. I had to tell him.”
Taehyung looked at him, sad and frustrated. “Jimin, Yoongi’s getting married.”
“I know!” Jimin cried out, standing and moving away from him. Taehyung watched him as he ran his hands through his hair. “I know he’s getting married, Taehyung. I know I’m too late, I know I’m the most selfish person in the whole fucking world. I just, I just needed him to know.”
Jimin sunk into the desk chair behind him.
“I love him and I’m too late and I know I messed up,” he sobbed.
Taehyung bit his lip.
“What did he say?” He asked.
Jimin sighed heavily and gave Taehyung a small, resigned smile.
“Nothing I didn’t already know, and nothing you couldn’t guess: that telling him on the morning of his wedding was selfish, that he loves Ailee, and he doesn’t understand why now.” Jimin looked away. “I gave him a hug and told him that I wished him all the happiness in the world. Because I do, Tae,” Jimin’s voice broke. “I really do.”
“I know, Chim,” Tae replied sadly.
Jimin sniffed and rubbed at his face. “I feel disgusting,” he muttered. “I caught the redeye and confessed before I even showered. God, how pathetic am I?”
They both gave small laughs.
“Why don’t you shower and change, and then we’ll go get some breakfast?” Taehyung suggested. “Yoongi and Jungkook are going out with their parents now. The wedding’s not for hours. We can get some fresh air if you want?”
Jimin nodded. “Okay,” he replied, his voice weak.
“I’ll come back to get you soon,” Tae promised. “I need to shower as well.”
Jimin got up and hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I know I put you in the middle of this.”
Taehyung shook his head. “Yoongi’s my best friend, and you’re my soulmate. I wouldn’t have it any other way, Chim. It’s okay.”
Jimin held on tighter, and Taehyung faintly wondered how Jungkook was doing, with Yoongi, with his parents, but especially, with what happened between them.
***
When Jungkook was little, there were times when his parents didn’t know that their words hurt him so badly he hid and cried in his room for hours. Yoongi always came and found him and hugged him tight during those moments. When they were young, their relationship was a strained because of the favouritism Yoongi was shown and the hurt and jealousy that Jungkook felt because of it. But despite all the terrible, cruel, childish things that Jungkook said to his brother, Yoongi was always there for him.
As they got older, Jungkook slowly realised how important Yoongi was to him, and how much Yoongi had given him. He wanted to repay that by being a good support for him as well, even though his older brother was very much a suffer-in-silence type of person. Yoongi was the favourite son, but it meant that he also had a lot of internalised pressure to become successful and live up to the expectations of their parents. He tried hard to be the perfect son for them. Jungkook tried to help him loosen up a little, to stop being so hard on himself, to get outside of his head.
All of that included some relentless teasing about his incredibly obvious crush on Jimin during high school and when he was in college. That all fizzled out when he and Jimin lost touch, and when they met again as adults, Jungkook only quietly teased him with knowing smirks and winks that Yoongi rolled his eyes at.
Jungkook never expected Jimin to ever return Yoongi’s feelings. Ever.
Jimin was the opposite of Yoongi when they were young. He was incredibly popular, which Yoongi was not. He was always chatting away to everyone, making friends easily, and that was something Yoongi could not do. Plus, Jimin had always said to Jungkook that his brother was “kinda cute, but not his type” and that he knew about Yoongi’s crush and “liked to tease him because he went so red” but that was all.
So when Jimin confessed that he liked Yoongi over a year ago, Jungkook was surprised, but he was happy too, because he knew that as much as Yoongi tried to deny it, he still had feelings for Jimin. But then nothing happened between them, and they were both oblivious to each other, and it was so annoying Jungkook almost snapped and told Yoongi that Jimin liked him and vice versa.
He wished he had done it when Ailee came into the picture. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Ailee, it was just that she didn’t feel right. Not for Yoongi. She was nice enough, she tried to get along with him and with their parents. But there was just something that didn’t quite seem natural about it. Of course, his and Yoongi’s parents adored her. She was beautiful and a successful editor in a large publishing house, plus she was ‘exotic’ since she was from England, which was not true but whatever they could find to brag about her to their snobby friends was what they used.
Jungkook never expected to wake up on the morning of Yoongi’s wedding and see the messages on Taehyung’s phone from Jimin that he’d messed up and told Yoongi that he loved him and been rejected. Scratch that — Yeah, he never expected to see those messages, but first of all, Jungkook never expected to wake up next to a very soft-looking Taehyung. Not after a night of incredible sex that he never once expected to happen ever, and then have the morning interrupted by a Jimin-and-Yoongi drama, to have to leave Taehyung before they could talk, and then need to deal with a very distracted Yoongi and their parents for breakfast.
All Jungkook wanted to do was talk to Taehyung about what the hell last night meant and do it again. Immediately. He knew he was supposed to be making sure Yoongi was fine, but god, all he could think about was Taehyung, and figuring out how to get Taehyung back into bed without it being weird and ruining their friendship. Jungkook was shy and awkward, but he was no stranger to one-night-stands. Taehyung didn’t feel like a one-night-stand. He wanted to know why.
“ — kook. Jungkook.”
Jungkook snapped out of his thoughts to see his mother frowning disappointedly at him.
“What, sorry?”
She tsked at him. “Manners, Jungkook. Pardon,” she said.
Jungkook held back his sigh. “I’m sorry. Pardon?”
She pursed her lips and looked between him and Yoongi before tightly shaking her head.
“The two of you are so distracted this morning. It’s Yoongi’s wedding day. Jungkook, you should be making your brother the priority on today of all days instead of focusing on yourself.”
Jungkook felt something dark shrivel up inside him and forced at smile on his face.
“Mom, that’s not necessary,” Yoongi said.
“Your mother is right, Yoongi. It’s a special day for you,” their father chimed in, both their parents casting Jungkook meaningful looks.
Jungkook’s smile tightened. “I’m sorry for not paying more attention.”
“As long as you know,” his mother said, taking a sip of her mimosa, and then scrunching up her nose and commenting on how the orange juice seemed less than fresh, and then commenting about how much better home was.
Yoongi gave his thigh a comforting squeeze and tried to catch his eye, but Jungkook couldn’t bring himself to look, feeling a little too drained to even attempt to pretend he was okay with their parents words.
The breakfast dragged on. Nothing of much substance was spoken about. Their parents mostly spoke about the wedding with Yoongi giving distracted responses and Jungkook giving some suggestions or stating an opinion every now and again, only to have it somehow turned around on him.
When they finally parted ways and just over an hour later, Jungkook wanted nothing more than to just escape back to his room to decompress. Preferably, with Taehyung. Flashes of their night together ran through his mind. Hot mouths on each other’s lips and bodies, hands in hair, tight grips on their hips and the feeling of their bodies heating up and sliding together as they sweated and moaned each others names, overtaken by all the sensations their friction created.
“You good, Kook?”
Jungkook blinked and flushed red as he realised where his distracted thoughts had taken him and cleared his throat, focusing on Yoongi. Yoongi, who Jimin confessed his love to not that long ago. The same Jimin, who he’d been in love with half his life. Yoongi, who was about to get married to someone else.
Yoongi tensed. “How - oh. You were with Taehyung.”
The high-pitched squeak that came out of Jungkook’s mouth at that phrase coming from Yoongi was a noise he didn’t think he’d ever made before.
“With Taehyung?” Jungkook felt like his skin was breaking out in goosebumps. “I was just in his room, don’t make it sound so dirty.”
Yoongi stared at him for a moment. “Right. Okay then,” he answered, clearly thinking that Jungkook had momentarily lost his mind.
“So do you want to talk about it?” Jungkook quickly asked, needing to turn the conversation back to Yoongi and his problems and not put his foot in his mouth any longer. “It’s Jimin - ”
Yoongi put his hand up and Jungkook could see his expression was getting as drawn and frustrated as Jungkook felt inside.
“I know it’s Jimin,” Yoongi said sharply. He took a deep breath and let it go. “But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m getting married, and I love Ailee. I do.”
In that moment, seeing the way that his older brother, who so rarely showed the depth of what he was feeling, seemed to shrink in on himself, Jungkook had never felt so helpless.
“I know, Yoon,” he said quietly.
Yoongi swallowed and looked away. They started to walk slowly back toward the hotel.
“Did you know he was coming?” Yoongi asked.
“No, of course not,” Jungkook shook his head. “I wouldn’t have let him do it if I did.”
That was the truth. Because at the end of the day, Jimin was his best friend, but Jungkook’s first loyalty was always going to be to Yoongi. As much as he hated feeling stuck between them knowing how hurt they would both be, he didn’t want his brother to hurt anymore, and he knew that Yoongi had been silently hurting over Jimin for a long time.
Yoongi let out a deep sigh. “I just - on my wedding day?” He said, frustration edging into his voice. “Of all days.”
Unsure how to respond, Jungkook just grimaced in agreement.
“How long?” Yoongi suddenly stopped and stared at Jungkook.
“What?” Jungkook frowned.
“How long has he…” Yoongi’s eyes narrowed. “And don’t lie you to me, Jungkook. You and Jimin and Taehyung are thick as thieves. I know you had to have known something.”
Jungkook swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, debating on if he should tell the truth or not. Yoongi made his choice for him.
“Is it new? A few months?”
Jungkook kept silent.
“More than a few months?”
Yoongi’s eye’s widened when Jungkook didn’t respond or react to him, more than avoiding his gaze and looking guilty.
“Before… before I met Ailee?” Yoongi questioned finally, with a shaky voice.
Jungkook swallowed, and finally looked at him. He winced as the next words came out of his mouth.
“For a while before then,” he admitted quietly.
His heart grew heavy as he watched Yoongi absorb the information, seemingly to have some kind of internal struggle as emotion flashed across his eyes and his skin paled slightly. Jungkook wanted to say something, anything, but what could he say? He knew that Yoongi loved Ailee, he also knew that Yoongi would probably never be fully rid of what he felt for Jimin, as much as Yoongi tried to pretend he was. Since Jungkook had never been in love, not a real love, he didn’t have any advice to offer. So he waited silently for his brother to say something, but he said nothing. He simply turned and walked slowly back to the hotel, and Jungkook knew he needed to be alone, at least for a little while.
With a heavy heart, Jungkook pulled out his phone and sent a message to Taehyung about what had just happened, knowing that he’d want to know just so he could figure out what to do with Jimin. Writing bubbles popped up as he stared at Taehyung’s name in his phone, thinking again about what had happened between them.
Tae: This is a mess
Jungkook couldn’t agree more.
***
The secret of Jimin’s arrival and confession stayed between the four of them as the wedding preparations went on. Taehyung had tried to convince Jimin that he should tell the others that he was there, but Jimin was adamant that he didn’t want them to know. He wasn’t ready to face them, or Yoongi, and he definitely didn’t think he could handle watching the wedding.
Taehyung knew that Jungkook was torn between his loyalty to his brother and his oldest friend, and he had to keep catching his attention to stop him from dipping to deep into his conflicted thoughts about the whole situation and stop the others from getting too suspicious about why on such a happy day, he wasn’t all that happy. It was bad enough that Yoongi was subdued, but they could put that down to his quieter nature and nerves.
There was an unspoken tension between Taehyung and Jungkook. When the initial rush of preparations quietened down and the waiting period before they had to leave for the church began, they found themselves looking at each other more and more often, with an underlying feeling in their gazes. They needed to talk about it, but somehow Taehyung wasn’t that nervous. What they’d done didn’t feel like it was mistake, it didn’t feel like it should never have happened or that it was going to make things awkward. In some ways, it felt like some secret inevitability had occurred. The calmness he had about something that everyone made seem like one of the most insane and biggest deals in friendships was freaking him out more than the act.
His phone buzzed in his suit pocket, and he pulled it out to see a message from Jimin.
Chim: Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?
Taehyung’s heart twisted and his lips downturned. Instead of reply immediately, he sought out Yoongi, who was now on his second glass of whiskey and laughing with Jin and Hobi on the other side of the room. For the moment, all thoughts of Jimin seemed gone from his mind, but Taehyung knew him better than that, he was certain that it was all replaying in the back of his head on a constant loop and he was just pretending to be fine - probably for the benefit of their friends more than himself.
To Chim: He will. Just give it time, Chim.
The door to Yoongi’s suite opened after some quick knocks and Becky stuck her head in the door with a bright smile.
“Is it safe to interrupt?” She questioned.
“Yeah, babe,” Hobi replied with an equally bright smile.
She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Taehyung smiled at the way that Hobi’s eyes roamed over her in admiration. She looked stunning in an opalescent, body-hugging strapless dress that accentuated her colouring and showed off how well she took care of her body. Hobi walked over and pressed a kiss down on her temple while she snaked an arm around his waist. They were a beautiful couple, and no one could deny that.
Taehyung felt a pang of jealousy in his heart seeing them together. All their friends always said that he was just too picky, that he had a line of people dying to date him, that he had his choice of anyone. But that wasn’t what he wanted, it never had been. None of it ever felt like they genuinely were interested in him as a person, they just wanted to claim him and his good looks as some kind of conquest. And when he had dated, the ones who seemed to genuinely want to get to know him turned out to be people who didn’t want to put in the effort to understand him. Taehyung was tired of dating that way, and maybe he was lonely, but he was content to wait until the right person came along. He believed in what people said: when you know, you know.
He couldn’t help the way his eyes moved over to Jungkook as Hobi and Becky continued their adorable displays of affection, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the soft smile playing on Jungkook’s lips as he watched them. Taehyung remembered the way those lips had been on barely twelve hours earlier, soft and gentle, and then hard and passionate. As if sensing someone was looking at him, Jungkook glanced over and Taehyung quickly looked away, feeling himself blush and biting the inside of his cheek at being caught staring like some schoolboy.
His fingernails tapped the glass of champagne he held as the others started to gather their belongings, giving a last minute check that they had everything and slipping into their jackets. Taehyung looked down at the still half-full glass and quickly downed it.
“Tae, you have the rings?” Jin called from across the room.
Taehyung looked up as he placed the glass down on the table and smiled, patting the breast pocket of his suit.
“Right here,” he replied.
As the others piled out, following Becky down to where their cars were waiting, Taehyung noticed Yoongi lingering in the room. Jungkook noticed it too and hesitated, but Taehyung waved him off and indicated that he’d stay. Jungkook gave a short nod, one last glance to Yoongi and a small smile to Taehyung and left them alone.
Slowly, Taehyung made a show of fixing his hair in the wall mirror while looking through the reflection to watch Yoongi mindlessly look around and act like he wasn’t stalling.
“He’s not coming,” Taehyung said, turning around and leaning against the desk behind him.
Yoongi looked at him, catching his lower lip in his teeth and gnawing at it nervously for a moment before letting it go and then letting out a long sigh.
“Am I that obvious?” Yoongi murmured, laughing humorlessly.
Taehyung shook his head. “Just to me. And maybe to Kook,” he answered. He folded his arms over his chest. “Yoon - are you sure - ”
“Don’t ask me that,” Yoongi cut him off quickly. “Just, don’t.”
“I have to,” Taehyung told, gentle but unwavering. “You’re my best friend, Yoongi.”
“So is Jimin,” Yoongi replied, almost accusingly.
“It’s different and you know that. It’s the same with you and Joon,” Taehyung said, not taking offence. He paused. “There’s no going back if you go through with the wedding, Yoongi. I know you love Ailee.”
But it’s Jimin, went unsaid but understood.
Taehyung could see the conflict in Yoongi.
“It’s not fair he did this,” Yoongi said quietly. “Today, of all days. How - ” He cut off with a frustrated expression. “Kook - Kook told me it’s been since… since before I met Ailee.”
Taehyung went to open his mouth but Yoongi suddenly shook his head and stood with a more determined and strong stance.
“No. Don’t. This isn’t fair to Ailee. She doesn’t deserve this, and I love her. Jimin’s just… too late.”
Taehyung nodded. “If you’re sure.”
Yoongi took a deep breath. “I’m sure.”
Taehyung smiled at Yoongi. “Then let’s get you married.”
Finally, Yoongi gave him a real smile, a full smile where his gums were showing.
“Fuck. I’m getting married,” he laughed.
Taehyung clapped his shoulder, grinning with him.
“What else would we be in London for?”
***
The wedding was taking place in the same church that Ailee’s parents had been married in. It was something important to her, and something Yoongi had easily agreed to, since she was the one that would be leaving behind her entire life in England to move over to New York with him. Also, Yoongi had looked up the church on the internet and the architect in him fell in love with it, so he really didn’t have any problems with it.
Jungkook thought it was just another church, but he really didn’t know anything about religion or architecture, so he didn’t think his opinion would be welcomed by those who did. He didn’t want to get married in a church, if he ever got married - which according to his parents, seemed very unlikely, impossible even. But if he did, he wanted it to be outdoors, somewhere with a nice view. He didn’t have a particular place in mind, but somewhere that meant something to him and whoever he ended up with would be ideal.
People milled in the pews, chattering between themselves as they all waited for the bride to show up. Seokjin sat in the second row with Hobi and Becky, and Namjoon sat on the first row while he was waiting, talking to them and to Yoongi’s parents while they waited and he had to take his place among the groomsmen.
Jungkook was keeping an eye on Yoongi, and an eye on Taehyung, who seemed to be doing the same. Yoongi hadn’t been able to choose between the two of them for his best man, so they technically shared the title, but for the sake of formality and their parents, Taehyung said that he was honoured but Jungkook should be the official best man. As much as Jungkook didn’t mind either way, he was grateful to Taehyung for that.
“Something’s wrong.”
Jungkook turned to see Taehyung had wandered over to him and spoken quietly enough that no one else would pick up on their conversation.
“What?”
“With Yoongi,” Taehyung said, his voice growing slightly more urgent. “Jungkook, look at him.”
So Jungkook focused completely on his brother and realised that Taehyung was right. Something was wrong. Yoongi, even with people he was comfortable around rarely let people see how he was feeling. He didn’t really fidget, his expressions of discontent or anger or anything that might be considered ‘burdensome’ to others was also kept under tight control. But that wasn’t what they were seeing now. Yoongi was frowning, playing with his fingers, he was even pacing a little. He really wasn’t okay, and only he and Taehyung knew why.
“Fuck,” Jungkook muttered.
“I’m gonna - I’m going to talk to him again,” Taehyung said.
Jungkook shook his head. “No, I will.”
He met Taehyung’s eyes and for a moment, all he wanted was to just take him away somewhere private and have a repeat of the night before. Something in the way that Taehyung looked at him made him think that they were both thinking the same thing.
“Okay,” Taehyung breathed. He looked down at his watch. “But hurry. Ailee’s going to be here any second.”
Jungkook reluctantly moved away and quickly strode over to Yoongi, who flinched in surprise at his sudden appearance.
“Yoongi, you good?” He questioned.
Yoongi looked slightly panicked and Jungkook’s heart began to race.
“Kook. Get - get me out of here,” he breathed out.
Jungkook’s eyes widened. “What?” He was aware that their friends were all watching them now, he could feel their eyes on his back.
“I - I - ” Yoongi started to stammer and Jungkook quickly grabbed his arm and lead him off to the side and away from all the people who were staring. He entered a little corridor and when he was sure they were alone, he let go and turned to see Yoongi, who was now pale and shaking a little.
“Kook, I can’t do this,” he whispered. “I can’t marry her.”
Jungkook took a shaking breath in and nodded. “Okay, okay. What - what do you need, Yoon?”
He turned slightly when he heard the scuff of shoes on the stone behind him. Seeing it was Taehyung, he relaxed a little. He shook his head to tell Tae not to come any closer.
“To go,” Yoongi whispered. “I just - fuck, get me out of here, please, Kook. Please.”
Jungkook had never seen his brother like this before. He felt his heart break for him and all he could think was that he had to do what Yoongi wanted, what he needed, and damn what anyone else said. Yoongi had always been the one to protect him, now it was his turn.
“Okay. Just stay here for one second and I’ll be right back and we’ll go. Okay?”
Yoongi gave a weak nod and sunk into a crouch against the wall, his head in his hands.
Jungkook quickly turned to see a worried Taehyung hovering by the doorway.
“We’re going,” he said, quick and urgent.
Taehyung’s eyes widened but he nodded. “Take him back to the hotel. I’ll take care of - ” he waved his hand, “ - this.”
Jungkook quickly pulled him into a hug, and Tae let out a noise of surprise.
“Tonight, let’s talk tonight, no matter what,” he whispered.
He felt Taehyung’s hand grip his suit for just a moment before he let go. He pulled back and nodded.
“Take care of your brother.”
“Good luck,” Jungkook said, resisting the urge to place a kiss on Taehyung’s cheek and ignoring why he even had that urge in the first place.
He almost cracked a smile when Taehyung made a slight face at what he was about to have to face. Jungkook turned and went back to Yoongi, just as he heard Namjoon and Jin joining Taehyung, and asking what was happening.
He lifted Yoongi back to his feet, pulled him into his side, and ignored the apologetic mutterings as he rushed Yoongi out of the church through the back door.
***
Taehyung was grateful that Namjoon, Hobi and Becky had nominated themselves as the look-out for the quickly bridal party to stop them before they even got to the church. But it was obvious from the rising feeling of hostility from Ailee’s side that everyone was quickly catching on to what was happening.
Despite all of that stress that had suddenly been dumped on him, Taehyung couldn’t deny he was actually relieved that the wedding wasn’t going to happen. He took a deep breath and walked out to the front of the waiting crowd of confused, worried, and hostile people.
“So… thank you all for coming…”
***
With a party paid all paid for and a trip that no one wanted to waste, especially those who crossed the sea for it. The good thing about having a close-knit group of friends was that once they all found out what had happened, were all willing to help out and do whatever was needed.
Jin took over rearranging things with Yoongi and Jungkook’s parents and the hotel, using his celebrity charm to smooth things over. Hobi and Becky, two people who were often at the centre of any party, used their energy to put a stop to the awkwardness and get people drinking and enjoying themselves again. Namjoon went to find Jimin and tell him what had happened since Taehyung had been dealing with the brunt of anger from Ailee’s side of the guest-list and needed to recover from all of that before he did anything else.
As far as he knew, Jungkook was still with Yoongi in his suite, and Taehyung had a feeling he’d be there for a while. So he sat at the bar with a glass of white wine and did his best to ignore almost everyone who wanted to talk with him, which was hard because everyone knew he was not just a groomsman but Yoongi’s best friend. Since Yoongi was missing-in-action and people were nosy, he was their target.
After twenty minutes, Taehyung realised that there was no way he was going to be able to relax with a drink in the function room. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to Jungkook:
To JK: Need a break?
An affirmative reply came barely ten seconds later.
From JK: my room or yours?
Taehyung let himself feel warm at the not-so-subtle implications of the message. He definitely could have worded it differently, to something more discreet, but he didn’t and Taehyung was pleased to assume that Jungkook had been thinking about the previous night maybe as much as he had been. He sent back that he’d come to check on Yoongi, but Jungkook replied and told him not to bother since he was having a very uncomfortable phone call with his jilted ex and wouldn’t want company when it was done. So they met at Jungkook’s room, with Taehyung feeling mildly guilty for not going to his own because he had a small worry that Jimin would seek him out and he didn’t want to deal with anyone or anything related to the whole wedding fiasco for just a little while.
Jungkook opened the door for him and Taehyung could see how tired he looked, with his eyes bruised and face drawn, but he still smiled and suddenly instead of just collapsing into a tired pile on Jungkook’s bed like he’d originally planned, Taehyung wanted nothing more than to replace both their tiredness with exhaustion of a much more enjoyable kind.
“Hey - ”
Taehyung had Jungkook back against the wall before he could say anything else. Jungkook let out a puff of surprise and small groan of pain as his back hit the wall unexpectedly hard, but Taehyung didn’t stop kissing him. Didn’t stop slipping his tongue out and between Jungkook’s lips to open his mouth and deepen the kiss. Didn’t stop from running his hands up Jungkook’s arms and chest and into his hair. It took a second for Jungkook to respond, but he did just as passionately as Taehyung wanted and heat curled in his gut.
“I thought we were going to talk,” Jungkook said, breathless and flushed.
“No talking,” Taehyung replied. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”
Jungkook had his hands on Taehyung’s hips and suddenly lifted him as he switched their positions, forcing Taehyung to grip Jungkook’s waist with his thighs as he wrapped his legs around him and was pressed back into the wall, held up by Jungkook and moaning at the hardness he felt against himself and at the way his body flushed with heat and desire, all for Jungkook.
Spent and sweating, Taehyung held Jungkook on top of him as Jungkook trembled and panted into the crook of his neck as they both came down from their orgasms.
“That was even better than yesterday,” Jungkook mumbled, pressing a chaste kiss to Taehyung’s shoulder.
Taehyung gave a low chuckle and unwrapped his legs from Jungkook’s hips since the position was starting to hurt his own hips. Taking the hint, Jungkook shifted to his elbows and briefly pressed their foreheads together before pushing himself back and reaching to grip the condom and pull out. Taehyung watched as he tied it, propping himself up on his elbows and admiring the body on Jungkook.
Jungkook raised an eyebrow as he looked at Taehyung and smirked.
“What are you looking at?”
It was obvious that he knew. Taehyung gave a cheeky grin.
“Nothing special.”
Jungkook’s mouth dropped open slightly before he laughed and quickly moved forward and caged Taehyung in, their faces so close together that Taehyung thought he was about to get a kiss but instead Jungkook surprised him by playfully biting his cheek and jumping off the bed.
“Hey!” Taehyung protested. “Did you just bite me?”
Jungkook just laughed as he walked off naked to the bathroom to dispose of the used condom and returned a moment later with a damp towel, tossing it Taehyung with a grin. He caught it in the air and used it to wipe himself off before dumping it on the floor beside the bed.
“I can’t believe you bit me,” Taehyung muttered, not really meaning it.
Jungkook picked up his underwear from the floor and slipped it on, and Taehyung eyed him again, wondering why he wasn’t an underwear model or something. He definitely could be.
“Pass mine?” He asked.
Jungkook picked up his briefs and handed them over before laying back down beside him. The quiet between them wasn’t uncomfortable. Taehyung turned his head on his pillow to look at Jungkook, who was laying with his eyes closed and a content little smile pulling at his lips. His hair was sweaty and sticking to his forehead and his cheeks and chest were red. Taehyung thought he looked amazing.
“Why doesn’t this feel weird?” Taehyung asked.
Jungkook looked over at him.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “It just doesn’t.”
Taehyung hummed softly, now unsure of what to say.
“Maybe it’s just because we’re in London,” Jungkook said, turning to look back up at the ceiling.
“Maybe,” Taehyung said, but he wasn’t sure he believed it.
He felt Jungkook’s hand reaching for his, and without speaking, they linked their fingers together and held on tightly.
Somehow, it didn’t feel like just a London thing. But Taehyung didn’t think that was something either of them was quite ready to voice yet.
***
Jungkook jerked awake to the sound of the door to his room being beaten by someone knocking. Beside him, Taehyung also stirred. He hadn’t even realised they’d fallen asleep, though he wasn’t surprised they had either.
“Kook! Wake up!”
It was Jin.
“If you don’t wake up I’m coming in!”
Jungkook panicked. Jin would come in anyway.
“Hide!” He hissed at the half-awake Taehyung, who just blinked at him in confusion. With a grunt of frustrations, Jungkook pulled the blanket over Taehyung’s head and picked up his scattered clothes and threw them on the bed, hoping Tae was awake enough to get the message. He’d just finished arranging the blankets messier when the door opened and Jin walked in.
“Jesus, Kook, put some clothes on,” Jin complained.
Jungkook rolled his eyes. As roommates and since Jin was also his client, they had seen each other naked more times than he could count.
“What do you want, Jin?” Jungkook asked, standing in front of the bed to shield where Taehyung was laying. An added precaution, because Jin was a snoop and he was so not ready to explain why Taehyung was in his bed. “I was napping.”
“Have you seen Taehyung?” Jin asked, making Jungkook’s shoulders immediately tense up. “Jimin’s been looking for him and he hasn’t been answering his phone.”
“Ah, no. Haven’t seen him. Like I said: napping,” Jungkook replied, managing to keep the tiny bit of hysteria he was feeling out of his voice.
But he had seen him, he’d seen all of him in a very literal sense and now Taehyung was literally just meters from Jin, hiding under his covers.
Jin sighed tiredly. “Fine. Can you at least come help look for him? I’m gonna go check on Yoongi. And,” he hesitated. “Your parents are looking for you.”
Jungkook’s body sagged at that and Jin’s expression was sympathetic.
“I put them off as long as I could, I’m sorry,” he apologised. “I tried to get them too drunk to do anything but pass out. Turns out your father’s tolerance is like a freaking bulls.”
At that Jungkook let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah. He can outdrink anyone.” He sighed. “Give me some time and I’ll call you to meet you somewhere,” he replied. “I’ll have a quick shower and clean up a bit.”
Once Jin left and the door clicked shut behind him, Jungkook leaned back against it and let out a relieved breath. Taehyung sat up in the bed, Jungkook’s clothes fell off him and he blinked, looking adorably sleepy with his slightly puffy cheeks and hair all mussed up and a pout on his lips.
“Do you think he knew I was here?”
Even his voice was adorable, deeper than usual from sleep with a slight hoarseness from sleep to it. Taehyung rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hands and Jungkook felt his stomach flip at the sight.
“No,” Jungkook answered, returning to the bed. “If he did, he wouldn’t have let it go.”
Taehyung snorted. “Yeah, you’re right about that.” He let his hands fall to the bed and gave Jungkook a shy smile. “I guess you found me. You’ve got time now, so, wanna shower?”
Jungkook’s smile was slow and a little giddy. He nodded enthusiastically and Taehyung leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek before getting out of bed and leaving Jungkook sitting there with a reddening face and the question of what they were doing and why it felt so right on the tip of his tongue.
Jungkook left Taehyung by the door of his room, just a few up from his own, before sending a message to Jin that he’d found him and was coming to Yoongi’s. The tension that Taehyung had helped him so generously relieve in the shower was slowly returning as he walked through the hotel, knowing that his parents were on the look out for him and judging by his mother’s texts, if he didn’t find them soon they’d come find him. Once they’d gotten out of the shower and dressed - Jungkook in a pair of casual sweats and a long-sleeve, and Taehyung borrowing a similar outfit since his suit was no longer usable - Tae had offered to come with him to see them. But Jungkook had denied him that, he didn’t want an audience for whatever they were about to blame him for, and Jimin was looking for Taehyung anyway so they both had enough to deal with.
He knocked on the door to Yoongi’s suite, surprised to have it be his father who opened the door instead of Yoongi himself or Jin.
“Who is it, dear?” His mother called tiredly from within.
“Jungkook,” his father replied, stepping to the side so Jungkook could enter.
“Oh, so he’s finally decided to show his face then?” His mother turned to look at him. She eyed him up and down. “It’s amazing you found time to freshen up when we’ve been dealing with a crisis.”
Jungkook wanted to reply that she’d been drinking at a party during the ‘crisis’ but he stayed silent.
“Mom, leave him be,” Yoongi said tiredly from where he was sitting on the couch. “Nothing about this is Jungkook’s fault, he only did what I asked of him.”
“He shouldn’t have listened to you,” their mother said, voice displeased. “I mean, honestly, Yoongi. Running out on your own wedding is one thing, but Jungkook - you let him?” She shook her head and once again, Jungkook felt himself shrink in her presence. “You should know better.”
Jungkook clenched his jaw and looked away.
“Is that all you wanted to see me for?” He asked. “To berate me and make me feel like a dick when I didn’t do anything wrong?”
“Didn’t do anything wrong?” Their father questioned sharply. “You aided your brother in destroying his chance of happiness with a perfectly good woman. You’re not a child anymore, Jungkook. You should know your actions hold consequences.”
Jungkook could hardly believe what he was hearing. In the back of his mind, Taehyung’s words from the previous day floated around.
“You are good enough, Jungkook. You’re better than good enough - you’re one of my best friends and I think you’re amazing. Okay?”
“I can’t believe this,” he muttered under his breath.
“Oh, speak up, Jungkook,” his mother sighed. “I hate it when you mumble.”
Jungkook plastered a fake smile on his face, but before he could snap, Yoongi was up and by his side, a hand on his arm.
“That’s enough,” he said, voice hoarse but firm. He was glaring at their parents, who seemed surprised by his tone. “If you’re going to be rude to Jungkook when he’s done nothing wrong, then you can leave. You’ve been harsher to him in the last three minutes than you have been to be in the last half-hour. What the fuck is your problem?”
“Yoongi, watch your language, son,” their father said warningly. “You don’t speak to your parents like that.”
Yoongi scoffed.
“Doesn’t matter, Yoongi,” Jungkook murmured. “I’ll just leave.”
Yoongi shook his head. “No. You stay. They go.”
“Excuse me? I am your mother, Min Yoongi. You don’t get to order me around like that.”
“Get. Out.”
There was a tense silence in the room.
“Fine. We’ll see you in the morning when you’ve calmed down,” their mother sniffed. “Clearly you’re in no state to speak rationally.”
They left and Yoongi sunk back down into the couch with a heavy sigh and Jungkook did the same.
“It’s fine, I’m used to it,” Jungkook answered tiredly.
Yoongi frowned. “You shouldn’t be,” he said. “I’ll talk to them.”
Jungkook shook his head. “Don’t. Won’t help.” He ran a hand through his damp hair. “I’ll always be the disappointment in their eyes.”
“Maybe I should leave another bride at the alter and see if that changes,” Yoongi joked lamely, his voice a little lighter.
Jungkook chuckled and they sat together on the couch for a while in silence.
“How was your chat with Ailee?” He asked.
“About as you’d expect,” Yoongi scoffed. “She’s furious and hurt and embarrassed. Called me every name under the sun.”
Jungkook hummed in his throat.
“But… thanks,” Yoongi said, picking at his slacks. “Thanks for listening to me in the church. It was for the best I think.”
“Me too,” Jungkook replied, a little hesitantly. “I know you’ve said you moved on, but, I don’t think you have. Not completely.”
“No.” Yoongi let out a long sigh. “I don’t know if I ever will, to be honest. I’ve tried, but I just - everything comes back to Jimin in the end.”
“What are you going to do?”
Yoongi was silent, his lips pursed.
“I’m so fucking angry at him,” he blurt out, surprising Jungkook. “I can’t face him right now. I don’t want to see him, I don’t want to hear his voice. I really - I’m so angry.”
Jungkook put a hand on his thigh and gave a brief squeeze before letting it fall away and again, they fell into a companionable and comforting silence, one they’d had their whole lives. Neither of them were extroverted, so talking for comfort was more exhausting than anything else. The other just being there was enough for them.
“Ailee doesn’t want the honeymoon,” Yoongi said after a while. “I don’t know what to do. It’s all paid for and non-refundable.”
“You could give it to Hobi and Becky,” Jungkook suggested after a few moments thought.
“Oh. Yeah. That’d be good if they can get the extra time off work,” Yoongi nodded. “I’ll call them to come so I can ask.”
Jungkook wondered if it was too much to suggest that he and Taehyung take the tickets. The thought of laid out under the sun on a beach on one of the Greek Islands was almost mouthwatering to imagine.
“What do you think?”
Jungkook blinked, broken from his daydream, and glanced at Yoongi. “Huh?”
Yoongi gave a small roll of his eyes.
“Don’t worry, it’s not important. I’m gonna call Hobi and Becky. Do you want to stick around?”
Jungkook swallowed. He felt torn between staying with his brother and going to see if Taehyung was done with Jimin. The simmering desire to have him in bed again was growing.
“Just go,” Yoongi pushed his shoulder with a small smile. “Clearly you’re distracted by something.”
Jungkook gave him a searching look. Knowing what he was looking for, Yoongi’s expression softened.
“I’m okay, Kook. I just want to rest.”
“Just call me, okay? Love you, Yoon.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Yoongi looked away. “You too.”
Even though Yoongi rarely ever said the words back, Jungkook felt the truth and that was good enough.
***
Things seemed to work out better than expected, all things considered..
Hobi and Becky had been overjoyed at the prospect of an all-expenses paid holiday and quickly arranged for the extra time off. They were lucky that Becky’s work could be done from her computer, and Hobi was lucky his position as manager was high enough for him to be flexible when he needed to be. He’d have to do a little work while they were away, but it was a small sacrifice they were more than willing to make for time alone in Greece.
Taehyung came to Jungkook’s room in the middle of the night once Jimin had fallen asleep, before returning back to his room a few hours later because he felt guilty for leaving Jimin and neither of them wanted to, or were ready to, raise any questions with their friends.
Jungkook didn’t have to have a conversation longer than saying good-bye to his parents due to Yoongi’s intervention, for which he was grateful for. Jungkook’s worry about his older brother was lifted when he saw him in the morning, looking a lot more rested than he expected. It was obvious that Yoongi wasn’t exactly happy, but there was something lighter about him, as if some weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
On the plane ride home, because they were technically over international waters, Jungkook and Taehyung joined the mile-high club, something only them and the flight attendant that caught them leaving the stall (and probably all the attendants after that) knew about. A little while later, back in their seats, across the aisle from each other, Jungkook found himself stealing glances at Taehyung who was engrossed in the film he was watching, and wondered what was going to happen when they got back to home. He felt an uneasy churning in his gut at the thought of their ‘what happens in London, stays in London’ promise.
Yoongi and Jimin were catching a different flight home, which made everyone, including them, apprehensive. But their seats weren’t close together and Yoongi made it clear he didn’t want to speak to Jimin. There wasn’t much anyone could do, it was just the way the schedule’s had worked out since Jimin hadn’t booked a ticket home and Yoongi was supposed to be going on his honeymoon.
Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jin shared a cab home since they all lived in the same building, leaving Namjoon to wait for the next taxi. During the ride, Jungkook wondered how Jin wasn’t picking up on the tension between him and Taehyung. Clearly the ‘one last time’ in the plane bathroom hadn’t done anything to help either of them get over wanting each other, judging by the way that Taehyung, who was sitting in the middle seat, had slipped his hand onto Jungkook’s upper thigh and Jungkook had hidden it with his jacket, and was struggling to think and breathe as Taehyung’s fingers teasingly drifted and massaged everywhere around him except right where he needed them.
He gave Taehyung a small glower when he had to use his jacket to hide his semi when they got back and out of the cab. Taehyung only gave him a little smile in response. Back in his and Jin’s apartment, Jungkook let out a relieved sigh as he dumped his bags in his room and fell back spread eagle on his bed, feeling fatigued from the travel.
His mind spun around Taehyung. Worked up from the cab ride, and confused about why it was so hard for him to stop thinking about him, to stop wanting him.
“Hey.” Jin knocked on the frame of his open door. “Wanna order some food?” Jin questioned. “I’m starved.”
Jungkook nodded gratefully. “Yeah, me too.”
“I’ll go ask Tae if he wants to join.”
The three of them ate their late-night pizza at Tae’s, laughing at the stories Jin told them about the reception party they’d missed since they’d been otherwise occupied. When they were done, Jin went back to his and Jungkook’s place across the hall while Jungkook stayed.
They’d flown all afternoon and now it was after midnight. Jungkook was tired, but after the food and all the conversation, he was more awake than he had earlier. He watched from his chair at Taehyung’s round dining table as Taehyung folded up the pizza boxes, and then took all the used napkins and shoved them into the trash can.
“So when’s Jimin due back?” Jungkook asked, breaking the silence that had been building between them since Jin had left them alone a few minutes earlier.
“Not for like four or five hours,” Taehyung answered with a thoughtful hum.
He was still facing away from Jungkook, finishing up some of the cleaning around the sink.
“So.” He cleared his throat. “You’ve got the apartment to yourself for a while.”
Taehyung turned around and leaned on the bench behind him.
“Seems like it,” he answered, staring at Jungkook.
They looked at each other for a moment before the silence turned slightly awkward and Taehyung averted his gaze. Jungkook swallowed, trying to think of something, anything to say.
“We’re home now.” He cleared his throat again. His ears felt hot. “Not in London anymore.”
Taehyung glanced back at him. “Yeah, we’re in New York now.”
Jungkook bit his lip. “I guess I should go sleep then,” he said, standing.
“Oh, yeah. Me too,” Taehyung nodded slowly. “It’s late.”
They both stood and Jungkook slowly made his way to the door. He could feel Taehyung watching him. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay, he wanted to continue what they’d started in the cab, what they’d started in London, to not break the heat simmering between them.
He had a hand on the handle before he spun around and walked back to Taehyung, who straightened slightly at his approach.
“You know, I’m still on London time.”
Taehyung broke out into a relieved smile.
“Thank god. Me too.”
All it took was two more steps before they met, slamming their bodies into each other, their arms frantically wrapping around while their mouths met in a passionate embrace and they melted into each other, again and again.
***
It took six weeks for Yoongi to stay in whatever room Jimin entered.
When it happened, everyone held their breath, waiting for him to get up and leave like he had been doing. Jimin stared at his hands in his lap, picking at his fingernails nervously until it was obvious Yoongi wasn’t going to make up some excuse to leave. Jin broke the silence by telling everyone to hurry up and dig into the food before it got cold.
They were all sitting in Taehyung and Jimin’s living room. The coffee table was filled with all the snacks and dishes Jungkook and Jin had fixed up and brought over. Being a personal trainer, and living with a health-conscious celebrity and influencer, meant that Jungkook and Jin always had some good food on hand, and since Jin was considering branching out into cooking, they’d had an over-abundance of food in their house, hence the impromptu group dinner - made even better by the fact that apparently Yoongi seemed to have forgiven Jimin, at least a little bit. Although, Jungkook had a sneaking suspicion that he’d forgiven him a while ago and was just to proud or shy or both to share a space with him while there was still such a mix up of jumbled and unresolved feelings between the pair of them.
Jungkook caught Taehyung’s eye from across the room and gave him a small, relieved smile, which Taehyung returned with a slight raise of his eyebrows that was filled with familiar intent. They hadn’t made any plans to see each other that night, but Jungkook knew that expression. He grinned and leaned forward to take one of the veggie spring rolls and dip it in the chilli sauce.
As awkward as the last six weeks between Yoongi and Jimin had been, it had been the opposite with him and Taehyung. They stole every moment they were alone to push each other against walls, to sneak into each others apartments at all hours, to make up excuses to their friends about where they’re going or where they’ve been. In part it was thrilling, the secrecy, the chance of being caught - the time they really were almost caught by Jimin’s unexpected early arrival home and Jungkook had to hide under Taehyung’s bed for twenty minutes while Jimin vented about how annoying the kids in his class had been.
They hadn’t labelled what they were doing and they hadn’t really spoken about it, but it didn’t seem like they needed to. Jungkook liked what was happening, more than he ever thought he would. Being with Taehyung like this was something he’d never experienced with anyone he’d dated before. He felt so free, so himself. They still hung out as friends just as much as they had before, they still did all the same things. When their friends were around, there was nothing different about them compared to before. It was only when they were alone that they let all the silently building tension between them loose.
Jungkook had always admired Taehyung, but there was something different in how he looked and felt about him now compared to six weeks earlier. The admiration was still there, of course, it was just tinged with something else. Something that made him feel butterflies, something that made him want to hold Taehyung’s hand and make him smile.
Something that was beginning to feel a lot more than just amazing, casual sex between friends.
***
Everything feeling that Taehyung had been pushing away for a year was coming back with a force that wouldn’t allow it to be ignored. Jungkook took up the majority of his wonderings and musings most days, distracting him while he was at the gallery, while he was eating, while he was doing the most mundane everyday things Jungkook was there, at the forefront of his mind.
Before London, Taehyung’s little crush on his best friend’s little brother wasn’t something he thought about too deeply and was easily pushed aside. It wasn’t something he ever entertained realistically. But ever since the first night they spent together, that crush had been growing bigger and bigger. They weren’t dating, they hadn’t spoken about what they were doing, and even though he was nervous about the lack of certainty, Taehyung wasn’t fearful. He wasn’t filled with anxiety about what might happen, or what could go wrong - or what could go right. It was strange, because in the past he’d always thought about that, always wondered where things were going, how the relationship was progressing. But things felt so easy with Jungkook, it felt so natural, and he could sense that it was the same for Jungkook, which also helped to make whatever they were something fun and easy, not stressful.
Plus, it was Jungkook, who everyone in their friendship group knew was probably one of the more romantic of them all. He believed in love and destiny, he was sweet and kind to those he dated in the past, no matter how briefly. Taehyung was seeing new sides to him that made him certain that Jungkook was seriously holding back on just how much of a romantic he really was. He made cheesy jokes, but behind the humour he was sincere. He was playful and mischievous with his affection. Given his mood or the general atmosphere around them, he could be the one calling all the shots, or he wanted to be taken care of. He loved cuddling, no matter how sweaty and gross they were after sex, or if they were just sitting on the couch together he liked to always have some part of them connected. Every little new side to Jungkook that Taehyung discovered only made his crush bloom into something more real.
Hope bloomed in his chest with warmth every time he caught Jungkook looking at him with soft eyes and pure contentment. It happened even when they were out with their friends at times, which made his heart race and he struggled not to reach over and kiss him senseless or something insane like that.
The only hard thing about being with Jungkook secretly was that Taehyung wasn’t used to keeping things like this to himself. In fact, he realised that Jungkook, including his crush on him, had been the only thing he’d ever kept to himself. Usually, he’d be all over Jimin or Yoongi with any feelings he was developing for someone. But Jungkook was the only exception to that. At first, he kept the crush from Jimin because he figured it was small and silly, and also because it wasn’t that long after Jimin had confessed to his feelings about Yoongi and he didn’t want Jimin to have to deal with both things at once.
Additionally, there was no way he could tell Yoongi that he was sleeping with his little brother. They’d made a pact back in college, which was kind of stupid and one-sided looking back, that family was off-limits. Since Taehyung didn’t have any family, it really only benefitted Yoongi. Taehyung knew how protective over and how much Yoongi loved Jungkook, and he knew that getting on Yoongi’s bad side was not a place he ever wanted to be. So, really, as much as he wanted to share the feelings that sometimes felt like they were bursting out of his chest, he was stuck to suffer and feel them in silence.
But that was fine, because at the end of the day, he was happy.
He was really, really happy.
During one lunch break, Taehyung met with Jin, Jungkook, and Namjoon at their favourite coffee shop. It was run by some of Namjoon and Hobi’s old high school friends, so they always had a reserved table in the lounge section.
“Oh, Taehyung. I think someone’s checking you out,” Jin teased, looking over Taehyung’s shoulder as he sat back down on the sofa beside Namjoon after returning from the bathroom. “He was definitely watching you.”
Taehyung raised an eyebrow and glanced back with some curiosity, only to catch the guy’s eye, who brightened a little and smiled. Taehyung turned back and swallowed. He didn’t look at Jungkook.
“He’s interested, and you haven’t dated for ages. Why not go over and have a chat?” Jin pressed.
Taehyung picked up his cup of tea and gave a tight smile, aware of Jungkook’s eyes on him from the armchair adjacent to him.
“I’m not really interested,” Taehyung replied, putting his cup back down. “I mean, he’s cute but,” he shrugged. “I’m not feeling it.”
Jin scoffed. “Seriously? He’s not just cute, Tae. He’s genuinely quite handsome, and clearly attracted to you.” He peered at Taehyung, somewhat suspiciously. “Are you secretly seeing someone? Is that why you’re being all cagey and not even considering him?”
“I’m not being cagey!” Taehyung denied, eyes widening. “I’m just not interested in dating some random guy from the coffee shop.”
“But a random guy from anywhere else is fine?” Jin prodded. “Because that’s how dating works, you are aware of that right?”
From his peripheral, Taehyung saw Jungkook turn his face away.
“Stop pushing him, Jinnie,” Namjoon cut in. “If Tae says he’s not interested, then he’s not interested.”
Taehyung gave him a grateful smile, which Namjoon returned, all dimpled and kind.
Jin sighed. “I don’t mean to push, but I just worry about you, Tae. You haven’t dated for like, a year now.”
Taehyung was more than aware of that. He didn’t really like to have the reminder, because he knew it was because subconsciously that crush he developed on Jungkook was what had been holding him back from pursuing anything with anyone else. Even though he’d known that nothing would ever happen between them. Or, so he had thought.
“I don’t want you to miss out on something or someone that could be great for you.”
Taehyung gave him a gentle smile. For all that Jin might be a little pushy, a little pointed with his questions and comments, underneath it all it came from a place of love and worry. There was nothing malicious or unkind about his motivations. He just wanted everyone to be happy and fulfilled.
“Thanks for worrying about me, but honestly, I’m really okay.”
He glanced at Jungkook, who was still looking away, poorly acting distracted by something across the room, before looking back to Jin.
“I’m really happy right now.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m glad,” Jin said with a satisfied smile.
He took a sip of his coffee and then he narrowed his eyes in a way that had Taehyung feel immediately nervous again.
“But you never denied that you were secretly seeing someone!”
Taehyung almost choked on his tea. He spluttered and coughed while Namjoon rubbed soothing circles on his back and Jin and Jungkook quietly laughed at him.
“I’m not seeing anyone,” Taehyung wheezed out.
Jin snorted. “You’re so red in the face, Taehyung. I really don’t believe you at all.”
“I was just choking! That’s why my face is red.”
“I don’t know,” Jin teased. “I think you’re denying this way to hard. Come on, Tae!”
Taehyung glared at Jungkook, who just grinned wider, obviously enjoying the moment, and then rolled his eyes. He hated that he could feel his cheeks heating up. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have, and especially not one he wanted to have in front of the guy he was sleeping with. Jin pointed directly at his face from across the table with a gleeful smile.
“You are! You’re blushing.”
“Oh my god, shut up,” Taehyung grumbled.
He folded his arms over his chest and sunk back into the sofa with intense embarrassment, feeling a little trapped. He could feel the expectant eyes on him and sighed knowing Jin wouldn’t be able to let this go. He looked at Jungkook, who was smirking into his mug of coffee and narrowed his eyes slightly. He was so going to kill Jungkook when they were alone.
“Fine. Maybe I am seeing someone,” he muttered.
“And you’re keeping it secret why?” Jin demanded, pleased he managed to break down Taehyung’s defences.
“Yeah, why won’t you tell us more about this mystery person, Tae?” Jungkook questioned, feigning innocence. “We’re your friends. We wanna know everything.”
Oh, Taehyung was so going to kill him.
His palms felt sweaty and he wiped them on his pants, regretting for the first time that he wore tighter trousers instead of his usual wide-legged pants.
“I’m - I don’t know,” Taehyung burst out, exasperated. “I guess we’re just seeing where it goes. Nothing official.”
“Huh,” Jin said with a small frown as he took a bite of his muffin.
“How long have you been seeing them?” Namjoon wondered curiously.
“Um. Since we got back from London, I guess?” Taehyung replied hesitantly, avoiding eye contact with everyone.
Jin’s eyes widened. “Three months and you’re still just ‘seeing where it goes’ and there’s nothing official?” At Taehyung’s hesitant nod, he shook his head. “Just drop him, Tae.”
Taehyung snapped his head from his tea to stare at Jin in surprise.
“That’s a lot of time to not have any certainty,” Jin said, still frowning. “Three months is more than enough time to know if you’re serious about someone or not, and you, Kim Taehyung, don’t strike me as the kind of person who is okay with being just a casual lover.”
“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Namjoon asked. “To ‘drop him’ just like that.”
Taehyung was very aware of the fact that Jungkook was now silent.
“Why?” Jin shrugged. “Dating shouldn’t be difficult. All these games people play, it only hurts someone in the end. Taehyungie is a catch. He’s handsome and successful and could have his pick of anyone. He doesn’t deserve to be led on, used for convenience, or have someone drag their feet in deciding if they want to be together or not.”
Taehyung felt uncomfortable. He looked down at his half drunk tea.
“He’s not leading me on,” he murmured.
That thought had never actually cross Taehyung’s mind before, but now that Jin had voiced it, all the pleasant and happy feelings he’d had about the last three months were suddenly doused in doubt and uncertainty.
“How do you know?” Jin questioned pointedly. “Have you said you’re seeing each other exclusively? And if you’re so sure, why haven’t you introduced this guy to any of us? What’s stopping you?”
Taehyung swallowed as Jin’s words hit at all his points of his suddenly exposed insecurities. He wondered how to answer. He couldn’t deny that in many ways, Jin had a point. He and Jungkook had never said they were exclusive. They’d hardly even spoken about what they were doing together. He knew that Jungkook wasn’t the kind of person that would be so unkind as to lead someone on. But then again, they weren’t exactly ‘dating’ and nothing about them was clear, so technically Jungkook wasn’t actually bound to him in any way. He glanced at Jungkook, who was looking away, glaring hard at the wall, with his tongue stuck out in his cheek - a sign that meant he was upset. But about what, Taehyung couldn’t be sure.
“Well, it’s complicated,” Taehyung replied with a frown, looking back at Jin.
“Do you want it to be?” Namjoon asked in a gentler tone.
Taehyung pressed his lips together. The conversation had taken a turn that he didn’t want to explore any further.
He glanced at his watch and sighed. “Sorry. I’d really rather not talk about this anymore, and I need to go back to work.”
He smiled faintly and shook his head when Jin tried to apologise for pushing him again, and took one last sip of his tea before he placed a few dollars for his tea on the table and slung his bag over his chest. He stepped over Namjoon’s legs to avoid walking too close to Jungkook.
Taehyung could feel Jungkook’s eyes boring into his back the whole walk out of the cafe.
***
Jungkook lit the last candle on the table and pulled back, eyes roaming over the dinner laid out on the candle-lit table, and then over the rest of the apartment, where the lights were turned off and lit on by candles on the occasional surface.
He let out a shaky, nervous breath. Taehyung would be back from work any minute, and god Jungkook hoped he’d be happy with him taking over his apartment and cooking a romantic dinner for the two of them. It was lucky that Jimin was going over to have dinner at Namjoon’s. Him and Jin were going to meet Namjoon’s new girlfriend Youhna for the first time. So he had a few hours without interruptions to woo Taehyung and hope the night went the way he was aiming it would.
Jin’s words had really hit him hard during lunch, and the uncertainty on Taehyung’s face and in his voice had made his chest hurt. Jungkook never wanted Taehyung to be unsure about him, and he wanted to make certain that he knew that since they’d started this in London, there hadn’t been anyone else. He didn’t want anyone else. The thought of someone else made Jungkook’s nose scrunch in disgust and his hole body recoiled from the idea. It was past-time they talked about what they were to each other.
He flinched when he heard the rattle of keys in the door and swallowed nervously as Taehyung came in and froze halfway through calling out for Jimin and noticing that his apartment was very differently decorated to usual. When he noticed Jungkook standing by the table, he slowly closed the door and took off his bag, gently placing it on the floor.
“Jungkook? What is this?” He asked, his voice breathy with wonder and eyes wide and confused.
Jungkook swallowed and stepped toward him. He took Taehyung’s hands in his own.
“It’s for you,” he told Taehyung quietly. “What Jin said today made me think a lot.”
Jungkook hoped Taehyung couldn’t tell how much his hands were sweating, but he probably could. Taehyung went to speak, but Jungkook quickly shook his head and Taehyung closed his mouth, and bit down on his lower lip.
“We’ve been sneaking around for a few months, and we haven’t really talked about what it means,” Jungkook continued. He took a breath. “I don’t want you to be unsure of me, Taehyung. Since London, it’s just been you.”
Taehyung swallowed. “Me too,” he said softly and squeezed Jungkook’s hands. “I - I meant what I said in the shop. I’m not interested in dating anyone.” He paused and Jungkook felt his heart drop for a moment before he continued. “Not if it’s not you.”
Jungkook felt his smile blossom in pure happiness and relief at Taehyung’s words.
“Oh thank god, otherwise this could have been really awkward,” Jungkook laughed.
Taehyung laughed with him and let go of his hands, only to cup his cheeks and pull him in to a gentle kiss, and Jungkook could feel the sweetness and affection in it.
“So what does this mean?” Taehyung asked, pulling back. “Are we exclusive?”
Jungkook smiled. “I think it means we’re boyfriends or something.”
“Or something,” Taehyung grinned giddily.
He looked over to the table, and his hand unconsciously rested on Jungkook’s arm with such familiarity that it made Jungkook’s heart soar.
“So what did you cook for me, Mr. Cheesy Romantic?”
Tae walked over to the table and exclaimed with delight that it was his favourite: hamburgers and fries, and the red wine made it that much more classy. That it had only been twenty seconds but Jungkook was in the running for best boyfriend of the year.
Jungkook was so overcome with fondness watching his happy smile and hearing the joy in his voice that he couldn’t move for a second, not until Taehyung laughed at him and told him to hurry up and come eat, and, with a suggestive tone said the quicker they eat the quicker they can get to dessert.
Jungkook didn’t think he’d ever felt so happy.
***
Being official boyfriends didn’t change much, if anything, between Taehyung and Jungkook. The only thing that was different was the feeling of something settled between them, and it was a feeling that made them both feel inexplicably warm and happy. They decided they wanted to keep it secret from their friends for a while longer, especially from Yoongi, who both of them were a little worried to tell. It wasn’t because they didn’t think their friends would be okay, but just because they wanted to stay in their own little world for a while longer. Plus, neither of them were particularly looking forward to the interrogation that would happen once they were found out.
Despite being discreet when they were out in a group, and none of the guys noticing anything different about them, Becky was not so easily fooled. An artist like Taehyung, she had an observant gaze and was quick to catch onto the smallest of detail. Close to four months of them seeing each other, Becky and Hobi caught them kissing inside Namjoon’s kitchen - because of course, after three years together, Becky had no secrets from Hobi. Apparently they’d been covertly watching them for weeks to try and confirm their suspicions.
They agreed to keep silent about their relationship only if they could have couples dates together. Taehyung and Jungkook were beyond grateful they understood why they wanted to keep things quiet and didn’t argue or try to convince them to tell everyone. It made it easy for Taehyung and Jungkook to agree to the couples dates.
Two nights later, they were at a nice restaurant together, to celebrate and congratulate the new relationship. It was liberating to be freely affectionate with each other in front of their friends and not have to worry about hiding or anyone finding out.
“You know, I was a little confused about you guys at first, but now I see you together and it makes perfect sense,” Hobi told them. “You’re kinda perfect together.”
Taehyung and Jungkook smiled at each other.
They felt like that too.
They felt so much they were overflowing with it.
***
Taehyung jumped, shoulders raised with sudden shock and fear when he heard Jimin’s scream. He quickly turned off the tap, flung open the door of the bathroom, and raced out into the kitchen to find him.
“Jimin? What happened, are you okay?” He asked, frantic and worried.
Jimin’s back was to him. “What the fuck? What the fuck?”
He kept repeating the phrase, but he didn’t seem to be hurt, which was good but at the same time Taehyung didn’t know what had happened and he was still worried.
“Chim, you’re scaring me,” Taehyung walked over tentatively. “Why’d you scream?”
Jimin spun around, eyes wide and disbelieving, and shoved Taehyung’s phone into his face. Taehyung leaned back to avoid being hit by it.
“What the fuck is this?” Jimin demanded.
Taehyung leaned back and blinked, then he saw what Jimin was showing him and his face drained of colour. It was Jungkook’s half-naked body, posed in a way that could only indicate that it was a nude. His (mouthwateringly amazing) abs were flexed, his thumb pushed into the waistband of his grey sweats, slightly pulled down, teasing.
Taehyung gaped and snatched his phone back. “N-Nothing,” he stammered. “Why are you looking through my phone?!”
Jimin stared at him incredulously.
“Nothing?” He folded his arms over his chest. “Nothing?! Jungkook is sending you nudes and sending texts calling you baby and boyfriend and it’s nothing?” His voice was high and questioning and demanding of an answer. “You better explain this right now, Kim Taehyung!”
Taehyung gripped his phone tightly and then exhaled in defeat. Now that he’d seen, there was no way they could keep hiding it from Jimin.
“Um. Because he is my boyfriend,” Taehyung said, wincing as Jimin’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock.
Before he could explode with another scream, Taehyung lunged forward and slapped his hands over Jimin’s mouth. Jimin grunted in annoyance.
“Don’t make a scene, please, please, please, Chim,” he pleaded. “Just - I’ll text him to come over and… yeah. Okay?”
Jimin narrowed his eyes and gave a quick nod, and Taehyung slowly dropped his hands from his mouth. Jimin huffed and folded his arms over his chest while Taehyung frantically sent off a series of texts to Jungkook, who he knew was next door but was working on his computer doing admin. He hated to interrupt but this, Taehyung thought, biting his lower lip and looking at the way Jimin was pouting and frowning, was a slight emergency.
Jimin’s response wasn’t as easy as Hobi and Becky’s. Once Jungkook came over, all nervous and worried, they spent the better part of ten minutes being interrogated, and then listening to a rant about how he was both of their best friends and should have been the first to know when this started happening, and then they had to calm him down when he found out Hobi and Becky found out before him just a few weeks ago.
He didn’t understand why they wanted to keep it a secret. Once Jimin was calmer and Jungkook had to go back to finish his work and he watched with wide-eyes as Jungkook pressed a kiss to Taehyung’s temple before he left, he questioned Taehyung about the secrecy, and if it was because they didn’t trust him or something since the whole Yoongi incident.
Taehyung shook his head vehemently at that suggestion.
“No, no Chim. That’s not even close,” Taehyung stressed. “It was just - well, it’s like we were in our own little world in a way? Just the two of us knowing felt like there was less pressure and we could just be. It’s not that we don’t want people to know, we’re going to tell everyone, just…” he shrugged. “It was nice to be just us for a while.”
Jimin narrowed his eyes again. “And you didn’t know how to tell Yoongi,” he said flatly.
Taehyung gave a slightly hysterical laugh.
“Yeah. That too.”
Yoongi was the one obstacle that the pair of them were still a little afraid of facing.
Jimin let out a sigh. “Well, I get that, I suppose,” he murmured. “He’s really protective of Jungkookie, and you guys have that stupid pact from college too.”
Taehyung ran his hands through his dark, curly hair and nodded.
“He might surprise you though,” Jimin said after a moment. Taehyung raised an eyebrow and Jimin shrugged. “You never know. Listen. I have an appointment to get to soon, but I’ll be back for dinner. So you and me, we’re going to have a long, long chat about this tonight, okay?”
Taehyung nodded. He would have to cancel his and Jungkook’s date, but that was fine. Jimin deserved it.
That night, instead of going out to the movies with his boyfriend - who went with Jin instead, but sent a few crying emoji’s about how he was looking forward to messing around in the theatre but couldn’t now - Taehyung was with Jimin, who demanded to know everything about his two best friends being in a relationship. Taehyung was relieved to finally have someone to let out all his feelings and thoughts that had piled up over the last almost five months, so he wasn’t as upset about missing out on his date as Jungkook was (although that mostly stemmed from him wanting to act out his horny teenage move theatre fantasies).
They sat across from each other on Jimin’s bed, sharing a plate of brownies and a homemade mojito each.
“So, when did it happen?” Jimin was wide-eyed and eager to know it all. “How did it happen? Why did it happen? Oh my god, this is so unexpected!”
Taehyung laughed and scratched at his cheek shyly. “Um. London actually,” he said.
“In London?!” Jimin exclaimed.
Taehyung nodded.
“That’s almost five months ago! And you kept it secret all this time?”
Taehyung nodded again. “To be honest, I don’t really know how it happened. It was the night before the wedding and Jungkook had a tough time because of his parents.”
Jimin made a face and Taehyung had to agree. Jungkook’s parents really sucked.
“I felt bad and wanted to cheer him up - ”
“So you fucked him?” Jimin questioned with a laugh.
“What, no!” Taehyung reached over and pushed his shoulder, laughing with disbelief. “We were just hanging out and watching a movie in my room. And then, I don’t know. We were talking about being single at a wedding and one thing led to another…” Taehyung blushed at the memory.
“Ohhh, and then you fucked him,” Jimin grinned slyly.
Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Yes, Jimin,” he said with some exasperation.
Jimin laughed and then scrunched his nose. “Ugh. Imagining Jungkookie with someone gives me the heebie-jeebies. I’ve known him too long.” He paused. “Is he good?”
Taehyung rolled his eyes again at Jimin’s disgusted curiosity and looked away.
“Don’t tell him, or I swear to god I’ll castrate you, but fuck - he’s the best I’ve ever been with,” he admitted in a rush. “
Jimin fell back with laughter at that. “Okay, okay, don’t tell me anymore though or I’ll throw up,” he said. “So, what next! Tell me everything. I can’t believe it’s been since London.”
Taehyung smiled, soft and affectionate as he recalled the last few months.
“Me either, really.”
Jimin tilted his head and peered at Taehyung. “Oh. Tae.” Taehyung looked up at him. “You really like him don’t you?”
Taehyung blinked. “Huh?”
Jimin smiled softly. “Are you in love with him?”
Taehyung opened his mouth and then closed it.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Yeah, Chim. I’m so in love with him.”
Jimin looked like he was about to cry or burst into sparks.
“Hey, Chim. I need to tell you something. Um, you remember when you first told us about how you felt about Yoongi?” Jimin winced slightly but nodded. “Well, it was around that time when I sort of started to like Jungkook too.”
Jimin’s eyes widened. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Taehyung shrugged, pursing his lips sadly.
“I don’t know. I figured it was just a little crush, and it would go away. It did, mostly, I guess, or at least enough that I could ignore it. Plus, you were all in your head about Yoongi back then, I didn’t want to make you have to think about this too.”
“Tae, even if I was like that, I’d still liked to have been there for you,” Jimin reprimanded him gently. “Does Jungkook know? Did he have feelings for you too?”
Taehyung shook his head. “No and no. I haven’t told him, so you don’t tell him either. And don’t tell him that I love him, I haven’t even told him yet.”
Jimin scoffed. “Of course I’m not going to tell him.”
They both ate a brownie each.
“Is he good to you?” Jimin asked. “Because if he’s not, I’ll beat him up. I don’t care that he’s stronger than me. I’ve known him practically my whole life, I know all his weaknesses.”
Taehyung smiled, happy, shy, and warm.
“You don’t need to beat anyone up, Chim. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
A little while later, their mojito’s drunk and their brownies demolished, Jimin and Taehyung were laying back on the bed, and finally Taehyung brought up Yoongi.
“So what about you?” He questioned. “How are things with Yoongi?”
Jimin gave a low hum. “I’m sure Yoongi’s told you already,” he replied.
“Nope,” Taehyung shook his head. “He’s pretty much refused to talk to any of us about you unless we force him. Maybe Jungkook knows something, or Namjoon, but they won’t say anything even if they did.”
Jimin sighed. “I just feel like things are never going to be the same between us,” he said sadly. “I get it, I do. I just wish we could be friends without this invisible wall between us. I know it’s my fault, but…” he trailed off. “I miss just spending time together like we used to.”
“Maybe you guys just need a little more time,” Taehyung said.
“That’s not it,” Jimin shook his head. “Something has changed and it’s never going to change back.”
Taehyung looked over at Jimin, whose lips were downturned with longing.
“Do you still love him?” Taehyung asked quietly.
Jimin glanced over at him, and Taehyung could see that his eyes were shining.
“More than ever,” he whispered, smiling sadly. He sniffed and looked back up at the ceiling. “But it’ll never happen, not for us, not now. I’ve been thinking about dating again.”
Taehyung’s eyes widened. “What? Really?”
“Yeah. There’s a guy that goes to the gym with me and he’s been dropping hints about going out together sometime. He seems nice,” Jimin replied. “His name is Eunwoo.”
Taehyung frowned. “But - Jimin, are you sure? I mean, I’ll support you but I really think you need to have a real talk with Yoongi before you decide anything for certain. You know what he’s like, he’ll never talk about something unless he’s confronted with it.”
“I know,” Jimin said, his voice frustrated. “But he knows how I feel. I literally confessed to him. To his face. I flew across the freaking world to do it, and he rejected me.” Jimin sat up and let out an irritated sigh, then rubbed his face tiredly. “I know he didn’t get married, and I’m sorry for causing him so much pain, but why am I the one that has to risk my pride again?”
He curled in on himself, and Taehyung’s heart went out to him. Being rejected was hard, and the way that things went down with him and Yoongi was probably harder than most. He sat up slowly beside him and pulled Jimin into a hug, which Jimin fell into easily.
“I just don’t want you to regret anything,” Taehyung murmured. “Yoongi’s always loved you, since he was 16. But he’s never really believed anything could happen between you two, and when you confessed, it was when he was literally about to get married. He was confused and scared. But Chim - he didn’t go through with the wedding, and the only reason why was because of you.”
Jimin pulled back and stared at Taehyung, his lips pouted and worried.
“How would you feel if he started dating again?” Taehyung asked him gently. “And you missed your chance again?”
Jimin swallowed and shook his head. “I really don’t want that,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Then you’ve got to decide what you want to do: move on, or fight for him.”
Jimin was quiet for a moment.
“Suddenly you get a boyfriend and you’re some kind of relationship expert?” He scoffed. “Jeez, you’ve been watching too many of those rom-coms Kookie likes.”
Taehyung just grinned.
***
“I love you.”
“I love you, Taehyung.”
“Kim Taehyung, I’m in so love with you.”
Jungkook startled at the knock on the door and his razor clattered on the tiles by his feet.
“Kook, hurry up in the bathroom, I need to use it,” Jin complained loudly from outside.
“Yeah, one second,” Jungkook called back.
He leaned on the sink and huffed out a breath, staring hard at the taps and trying to psyche himself up. He looked back at himself in the mirror and nodded.
“Tonight’s the night,” he said under his breath. “Tonight I’ll tell him.”
Over the years, Jungkook had learned that a lot doesn’t go to plan. For example, he hadn’t planned to become a personal trainer whose main clientele was mainly celebrities. He had planned to work in a gym or two and save up enough money to buy his own equipment and branch out into his own business. Instead, Kim Seokjin fell into his life in the way that only Jin can: with an unmatched relentlessness to have his own way.
Jin been looking for a new PT, had seen Jungkook working out at the gym, had watched him help and older woman with her own training, immediately taken a liking to him, and had then bulldozed his way into Jungkook’s personal space and forced him to have lunch and discuss training. Jungkook was pulled along by his pace, and had never regretted it once. It was thanks to Jin and his social media savvy that his brand had taken off, and he was able to support himself as a PT and was almost able to afford to buy the space he’d been eyeing to open his own private studio.
It really shouldn’t have been surprising that the romantic night out, followed by a steamy night in, with his boyfriend that he had been planning, also didn’t go to plan.
The first half of the night went amazingly well. Jungkook took Taehyung out to eat at a restaurant that he’d mentioned was somewhere he’d like to go one day, but that was usually booked up weeks in advance. The look on Taehyung’s face when he saw where they were eating made the dent in his wallet worth it. They were seated at a table with a view over the city, and everything was perfect. The food was mouthwatering, the drinks were delicious, and despite it being somewhat outside of Jungkook’s comfort zone to eat somewhere so fancy, he never felt out of place when he was with Taehyung, because Taehyung always managed to fit wherever they went.
After the dinner, they stopped by to take some drinks - coffee for Jungkook and tea for Taehyung, and they walked, hand in hand back to their apartment building, enjoying their time together and talking about everything and nothing. They were all smiles when they arrived back home.
Jungkook pressed against Taehyung as he took out his keys to open the door, biting at his ear and loving the way that Taehyung’s breath caught in his throat and he leaned back into him. With his hands on his hips, Jungkook turned Taehyung around and gently pushed him back until his back was against the door and Jungkook slipped his knee between Taehyung’s legs.
“Can’t wait til we get inside?” Taehyung asked, his voice light and teasing.
Jungkook’s lips curled into a smile as he took in Taehyung’s pink cheeks and shining eyes.
“I can never get enough of you,” Jungkook replied, pressing his lips to just below Taehyung’s ear, letting his teeth graze over the skin and revelling in the way that Taehyung shivered, his head tilted a little, and how his arms snaked around Jungkook’s waist and pulled their bodies closer together.
Jungkook pressed wet kisses down Taehyung’s neck, sliding his hands up his waist and feeling his stomach tighten and the heat between them simmer and grow.
“Kook,” Taehyung breathed. “Kook, let’s go inside.”
Jungkook hummed and his hand moved from Taehyung’s waist to feel around for the keys in the door. He found them just as he moved his face from Taehyung’s neck to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, turning them in the door to unlock it and push it open.
They stumbled into the apartment together. Jungkook kicked the door closed behind him. They broke their kiss for just a moment, both of them dishevelled, their cheeks red, mouths wet and lips pink.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Taehyung breathed out.
Jungkook’s heart thumped in his chest and the words he wanted to say were so close to falling from the tip of his tongue, but before he could speak, Taehyung lunged forward and gripped Jungkook’s shirt and pulled him into another even more intense kiss. Just as Jungkook was slipping his hands up Taehyung’s shirt, and Taehyung’s hands were at his belt and attempting to undo the buckle, was when all the plans Jungkook had came to an abrupt halt.
“What. The. Fuck.”
Jungkook and Taehyung froze, their bodies still connected at the different points they were touching for a second. Their eyes widened and they pulled away from each other slowly, eyes wide and afraid as they turned toward the sound of the voice.
Yoongi was standing in the kitchen, holding a packet of chips in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other, staring at them with his mouth open and expression quickly turning from shock to fury. Behind him Jimin was looking at them with apology and panic, his eyes pleading and hand clapped over his mouth before he pulled it down and mouth out ‘I’m sorry.’
“What the fuck?” Yoongi said again, louder, angrier, looking between the two of them like he could not understand what he was seeing. “What the fuck is going on?”
Taehyung let out a slew of unintelligible sounds and gripped Jungkook’s forearm tightly.
“H-hey Yoongi,” Jungkook stammered out.
Jimin palmed his forehead behind Yoongi, whose eyes were blazing with a fury that Jungkook had rarely seen before. Panic was making him sweat and his heart race and he had no idea what to do or say. Yoongi put down the things he was holding.
“Taehyung.” Yoongi practically growled his name and Taehyung flinched. “What are you doing with my brother? What the fuck are you doing kissing my little brother?”
He took a step forward and Taehyung took one back.
“Yoongi - Yoon, please. I can explain - ”
“Yoongi, wait, don’t - ” Jimin stopped talking when Yoongi’s head whipped around to glare him into silence.
Yoongi took another step forward and Taehyung stepped back again, and Jungkook snapped out of his panic and quickly gripped Taehyung’s hand and pulled him forward again, which made Yoongi pause and narrow his eyes dangerously at their hands.
“You don’t speak,” Yoongi snapped, and Jungkook immediately deflated again. “I’ll deal with you in a minute. Taehyung, you better start talking right now.”
Jungkook had forgotten how terrifying Yoongi could be. He squeezed Taehyung’s hand tightly and refused to let go.
“Are you - what the fuck, are you sleeping with my brother?” Yoongi strained out.
“Uh, technically yes, but - ”
Jimin palmed his forehead again, and Jungkook knew from the way Yoongi’s face contorted that that was not the right thing to say at all. Taehyung’s hand slipped out of Jungkook’s and he was off running around the living room to get away from Yoongi, who was chasing him down.
Jimin walked over to Jungkook and they stood and watched as the two of them ran around the living room.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jungkook hissed.
“I’m sorry!” Jimin sighed. “He asked to talk and I needed to quickly grab something, but then I couldn’t get him to leave. I tried to call you.”
Yoongi and Taehyung were feinting at either end of the couch until Taehyung shot out and tried to run over to Jungkook, only for Yoongi to lunge for him and tackle him to the ground.
“Jesus christ,” Jimin muttered.
Jungkook had to agree with him. It was like watching a train-wreck. He couldn’t do anything to help and he couldn’t look away.
“Yoongi! Yoongi! Stop. Stop!” Taehyung strained from underneath him as Yoongi pinned him to the ground. “Yoongi stop, I’m not just sleeping with him. I love him!”
Suddenly room went still. Jungkook froze.Yoongi froze. Jimin seemed unsurprised but he didn’t make a sound or a move. Taehyung used the second of shock to push Yoongi off him and scramble up. Jungkook stared at his boyfriend as he stood panting and red-faced.
“You love me?” Jungkook asked in a quiet, trembling voice.
Taehyung turned away from Yoongi, who was rising to his feet. His expression softened.
“That’s not how I wanted to say it,” Taehyung murmured, walking over to Jungkook. “But yeah, Kookie.” He reached out and took Jungkook’s hands. “I love you.”
Jungkook felt his eyes dampen. “I love you, too.”
Everyone and everything else faded away in that moment, and it was just the two of them, smiling at each other, their hands and hearts connected. Neither of them noticed Jimin slip away from them to stand beside Yoongi.
“I love you so much,” Jungkook said, unable to hold back. “I was going to tell you tonight, make it special, you know?”
Taehyung huffed a small laugh. “That’s why you organised such a romantic date?”
Jungkook nodded. “You deserve it to be special.”
Taehyung smiled softly. “So do you.”
Yoongi cleared his throat and the two of them turned around.
“Can someone - what is happening right now?” He asked, looking lost and stressed.
Taehyung and Jungkook looked at each other and smiled. They stood side-by-side, holding a hand between them, all the panic from earlier now gone and replaced with something calmer and warmer.
“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you,” Jungkook started. “But Taehyung and I have been dating for a few months now.”
“They didn’t tell anyone,” Jimin said quietly. “I only found out because I saw something I want to erase from my memory on Tae’s phone.”
“So this isn’t just - you’re not just messing around?” Yoongi questioned uncertainly.
“No,” Taehyung shook his head. “Yoongi - I really love him. I have for a long time. This is real, I promise.”
Yoongi looked at him, and Jungkook knew he was working through a lot in his head, coming to terms with his best friend of just over twelve years confessing to love his little brother. His gaze shifted over to Jungkook, lingering for a moment on their entwined hands.
“And you?” He asked, his voice quieter. “You’re - you’re happy?”
Jungkook felt a swell of emotion for his brother. He nodded.
“I’m happy, Yoon. Taehyung makes me so happy.”
They were quiet while Yoongi took it all in. Jungkook glanced at Taehyung and slowly slipped his hand out to walk over and wrap his older brother into a hug. Yoongi held on to him tightly.
“It’s all okay, Yoon,” he whispered.
Yoongi didn’t reply, he just squeezed a little tighter and then let him go and cleared his throat. Jungkook looked back over to Taehyung, who also moved forward to Yoongi.
“You - ” Yoongi swallowed as he looked at Taehyung, who paused. “You take care of my brother then,” he said, folding his arms over his chest and giving Taehyung a weak glare. “I don’t care that you’re my best friend. You hurt my brother and no one will find your body.”
Jungkook broke into a grin. Taehyung looked torn between being frightened and amused.
Jimin laughed from beside them.
“You know what. I think we should leave these two to their date, Yoongi, since we apparently interrupted what was supposed to be a night of romantic confessions.”
At that, Yoongi went red with shame.
“Sorry about that,” he murmured in apology. “I’m going to need some fucking bleach for what I saw earlier though.”
At that, the four of them all burst out in laughter and Jungkook felt light and happy.
Taehyung loved him back. Yoongi was okay with them, and it seemed like Jimin and Yoongi were on better terms too.
Maybe all his plans for the evening hadn’t worked out, but that was okay.
Everything had turned out all right in the end.
***
With Yoongi now in the know, Jungkook and Taehyung were free to openly be themselves. Apparently Jin and Namjoon had figured out they were together a while back, but hadn’t said anything since it was obvious they were trying to keep it quiet. They’d had Jimin confirm it for them, and their relationship had become quiet the topic of gossip for them all, excluding Yoongi. Jin informed them that their heart eyes were disgusting and they were not as discreet as they thought they were.
On the night of their six month anniversary, Taehyung told Jungkook about his secret crush. If the way Jungkook’s eyes widened was any indication, he was thoroughly surprised by the revelation that Taehyung had had feelings for him for a lot longer than he’d realised.
“I feel bad I’d never even looked at you like that until London,” he pouted. “We could’ve been together way longer if I’d realised sooner.”
Taehyung laughed and shook his head. “No, I think it was the right timing for us. Maybe things wouldn’t have worked out if it was earlier.”
Jungkook pouted harder. “Somehow it would have worked,” he said, sure of it.
Taehyung kissed his forehead lovingly at the stubbornness in his voice.
“Yeah, Kookie. I’m sure it would have.”
Taehyung and Jungkook were curled up on the couch in Tae and Jimin’s apartment, watching a movie when the front door suddenly slammed open and shut, making them both jump with fright.
They turned around to see Jimin storming into the apartment, face tight and red with anger, quickly followed by the door once again slamming open and closed with Yoongi’s sudden arrival. The two of them were oblivious to Taehyung and Jungkook’s presence.
“You don’t get to walk away angry like that, Jimin,” Yoongi ground out through gritted teeth. “We’re not done with this conversation.”
Jimin rounded on him and gave a scoff of angry disbelief.
“I think we are,” he answered. “We were done the minute you laid all the blame for this on me. I’m not the only one at fault here!”
With small movements not to draw attention, Jungkook and Taehyung slipped off the couch, paused the film, and moved to Taehyung’s bedroom. Taehyung shook his head when he saw Jungkook had taken the popcorn with him. They sat by the door to listen to the muffled argument.
“I don’t know what you want from me, Yoongi!” Jimin exclaimed. “You say that you’ve forgiven me and that we’re friends. Fine. But that’s it, that’s all we are. What gives you the right to judge me for wanting to date someone else?”
“I’m not judging you!”
“Then what are you doing?” Jimin shot back. “I’m just trying to move on, Yoongi. You rejected me, remember?”
Jungkook and Taehyung were wide-eyed as they stared at each other, fascinated and a little guilty for listening to what was obviously a private and personal argument that was long overdue.
“You confessed to on my wedding day, Jimin! What did you expect me to do?”
“I don’t know,” Jimin said. “But I never expected you to be this petty.”
“Petty?” Yoongi sounded outraged. “How am I being petty?”
“It’s been over six months, and this whole time I’ve been doing my best to make it up to you. I know how much I fucked up that day, and I’ve apologised for it. But I don’t know what to do anymore.” Jimin sounded like he was going to cry. “Just tell me what you want from me, because I can’t keep pretending that I’m okay with how things are. I feel like you’re just dragging my feelings around to punish me. I don’t want to be in love with you anymore if you’re never going to love me back the same.”
“Oh my god,” Taehyung mouthed to Jungkook, who nodded, his eyes still as wide as anything, and shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth. Taehyung rolled his eyes.
The silence stretched out on the other side of the door.
“I’m not dragging around your feelings to punish you,” Yoongi said quietly. “I don’t - I didn’t know you felt like that.”
Jimin scoffed. “How could you? You never asked.”
There was another stretch of silence.
“No - don’t come closer,” Jimin said suddenly. “I can’t - I can’t do this with you, Yoongi.”
“Do what?” Yoongi asked.
“This - this weird tension and, and whatever unresolved feelings between us,” Jimin said, exasperated. “Just talk to me, please,” he pleaded. “If you can’t tell me what you feel, then I can’t do this anymore.”
Jungkook put the bowl of popcorn on the floor and leaned his head closer to the door to listen harder. Taehyung followed suite. This was big. This was a moment.
“I don’t - ” Yoongi cut himself off with a frustrated sigh. “You’re Park Jimin. You’re beautiful and smart and witty and everybody wants you. I’m not - ”
“We’re not in high school anymore, Yoongi,” Jimin said, his voice hard.
“I know that,” Yoongi snapped. “But you’re always going to be that unattainable, teasing Park Jimin that was my little brother’s best friend.”
Jimin mumbled something that they couldn’t hear, and apparently Yoongi didn’t hear it either since he asked to repeat it.
“You never even tried to attain me!” Jimin exploded. “Never once, never once have you ever even tried to date me. You never asked me, you never gave any hint, you never did anything! Is that your excuse? That I was unattainable so you never bothered to try?”
Yoongi was silent.
“I cannot believe you, I seriously can’t,” Jimin said, sounding upset and defeated.
It sounded like he was moving. Taehyung and Jungkook pressed their ears to the door to try and figure out what was going on.
“Where are you going?” Yoongi questioned.
“Out,” Jimin snapped. “I can’t be near you right now. Maybe I will go on that date after all. At least I’ll be with someone who has the guts to ask me out.”
“Harsh,” Jungkook whispered.
“I know,” Taehyung whispered back.
There was the sound of retreating footsteps and Taehyung widened his eyes in disbelief. Was Yoongi really going to let Jimin go like that?
“Don’t go.”
Tae and Jungkook stopped breathing. Jimin’s footsteps stopped.
“Please don’t go,” Yoongi said.
“Why?” Jimin demanded.
Jungkook and Taehyung were both fully pressed against the door now.
“Because I don’t want you to date someone else,” Yoongi said. “I don’t want you to stop being in love with me.”
They could hear Jimin walking back toward Yoongi now. His steps were quieter than before.
“Why?” Jimin asked again.
“Come on Yoongi,” Jungkook breathed, “tell him.”
Taehyung could hardly stand the silence. It was so intense.
“Because I love you.”
In a silent celebration, Jungkook fist pumped and Taehyung silently laughed at him.
“You love me?” Jimin questioned.
“That’s what I said,” Yoongi replied.
“Say it again,” Jimin told him.
Taehyung snorted.
“Why?”
“Because I’ve spent six months thinking you might hate me and have just been tolerating me, so say it again and I’ll believe you.”
Jungkook rolled his eyes and he and Taehyung grinned at each other.
Yoongi sighed. “I love you.” There was a pause. “Do you still love me?”
Taehyung reached up for the door handle while Jungkook looked on, silently turning the knob so they could crack it open a little and have a peek outside.
“Yeah, I love you, Min Yoongi.”
There was a quiet click as the door unlatched and they gently pushed it open to reveal Jimin and Yoongi wrapped in each other’s arms and kissing, quite passionately in the middle of the living room.
They went to close the door again, but Jungkook’s foot hit the bowl of popcorn and knocked it over, creating a mess and the cluttering noise alerted Jimin and Yoongi that they were there. Taehyung and Jungkook winced as the pair broke apart and stared at them, on the floor, caught in the act of spying and completely guilty.
“To be fair,” Taehyung said slowly. “You guys are the ones who didn’t notice we were here first.”
Hi lovelies, I planned on posting today at 3:30 cst but I’m a bit behind on schedule. I don’t want to rush and give you a sh!t story so it’ll be posted a bit late. Idk what time maybe around 4-7:30pm cst. Have a wonderful day I hope you like it. -dubu
