Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jungkook Jeon taps his foot impatiently on the pavement outside the LaGuardia Airport baggage claim. 

He’s been waiting for almost an hour for his boyfriend of eight months, Yejun Kim, to pick him up. And needless to say, Jungkook is getting increasingly annoyed as the minutes tick by.

He checks his phone again.

JK: where the fuck are u

JK: ??????

JK: Yejun

JK: ASNWER ME YOU BUTT!!!!

Yejun❤😘: be there soon babe

Yejun❤😘: chill the fuck out

JK: ok but text me when ur close

No new messages since the last one from over thirty minutes ago. 

He tries to relax, tries not to worry. He checks the traffic app on his phone. No accidents en route to the airport from Yejun’s house in Brooklyn. 

“What the fuck is taking him so long?” he mutters to himself as he kicks at his duffle bag on the ground by his feet. 

He’d given up carrying it long ago, the contents weighing down his already exhausted frame. 

He’d spent two weeks at his parents lake house in Michigan, a visit he’d been putting off until right before his classes were scheduled to start back up at his university, Brooklyn College. The same university where he’d met Yejun way back in November when Jungkook had gone to a Homecoming party at Yejun’s fraternity, Kappa Sigma. All it took was an offer of a green jello shot and the rest was history.

Despite being away from his boyfriend for so long, missing him – Jungkook’s visit with his family had been a good one. Nothing monumental or anything, just a lot of relaxing and eating and playing board games – the same things they always did at the cabin on the shores of Lake Michigan. But he was glad to be back in New York, back to the city that he now considers home. More specifically, Brooklyn, where he shares an apartment right above an amazingly delicious Puerto Rican restaurant with his roommates: Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok.

“Should have asked Hobi to pick me up,” he grumbles as he lights a cigarette to pass the time. “But I stupidly assumed Yejun would be on time for once.”

He blows out a plume of smoke and leans against the building, envying all the other travelers being greeted by family and friends, getting into cars and driving off to wherever they’re going to next. 

Jungkook wants to give his boyfriend the benefit of the doubt, thinking maybe Yejun is picking him up in style in his dad’s newly restored 1959 red Ferrari, with a big bouquet of pink peonies in the passenger seat. That maybe he took extra time getting ready so he’d look good for Jungkook. Maybe he’d even be wearing that nice blue button-up shirt Jungkook had bought Yejun for his 22nd birthday back in May. 

He smiles to himself as he takes another drag of the cigarette, deciding he won’t let his annoyance at his boyfriend’s lateness show in his face. Promises himself he won’t start a fight about it. 

After all, it’s been two weeks since he last saw Yejun. Two weeks without sex. Jungkook is too horny and touch starved to get into a senseless argument. 

But all thoughts of keeping things copasetic disappear into thin air when a familiar car pulls up to the curb and a person who is not his boyfriend steps out.

“Hey, Jungkook! I’m sorry I’m so late. Yejun texted me like ten minutes ago asking me to pick you up.”

Jungkook takes one last puff of his cigarette and taps it out against the building. 

“Thanks, Tae,” he sighs as he picks up his bag. 

“Let me get that for you,” Taehyung Kim, Yejun’s older brother, says as he takes the bag from Jungkook’s hand. And he lets him, because Jungkook is too disappointed and too tired to haul it any longer.

“How was your trip?” Tae asks, an easy smile on his face that would normally have Jungkook smiling back.

But Jungkook is trying to force down the annoyance that’s crept up again. He doesn’t want to make Taehyung feel bad, especially since he was nice enough to pick him up. 

“It was…pretty good, actually,” Jungkook says as he watches Taehyung carefully place his bag in the trunk of his old Cutlass Supreme. The car is old, and a weird green color, but Taehyung loves it – despite also owning a sleek, black BMW Roadster.

“Did your mom finally get her petunias to grow?”

Jungkook grins. “She did. Finally. They're really pretty too.”

He can’t help but smile at the way Taehyung asks, like he’s truly interested. The fact that Taehyung even remembers Jungkook mentioning his mom’s foray into gardening is surprising in itself. 

“I took some pictures of the garden. Wanna see?”

Taehyung nods. “Of course I do.”

Like the gentleman he is, Taehyung opens the passenger door for Jungkook with smooth elegance. It’s like he’s never had to be taught how to treat someone the way they ought to be treated.

It’s a characteristic Jungkook thinks Yejun lacks more often than he’d care to admit.  

“Got you something there,” Taehyung says as he points to the center console. 

Jungkook looks to see a large 7-11 Slurpee sitting in the cupholder. 

“Tae! Oh my god! Thank you! I’m fucking dying. It’s so hot outside.”

Taehyung chuckles. “I know. And I also figured you needed something to keep you from murdering my brother for not picking you up himself. Cold, liquid sugar should do the trick.”

Jungkook chuckles and dives right into the delicious frozen drink the minute Taehyung shuts the car door.

“I still want to murder him though,” Jungkook says when Taehyung slides into the driver seat and cranks up the AC.

“I don’t blame you.”

“Where is he anyway?”

Taehyung shrugs. “Couldn't tell ya. I haven’t seen him at all this week.”

Jungkook frowns, and Taehyung must see it because he quickly changes the subject. 

“How’s your dad? Did he take you golfing like he said he would?”

It does the trick, and Jungkook launches into telling Taehyung all about going to the Muskegon country club and meeting all of his dad’s new friends now that he’s picked up his golfing hobby.

“He’s gotten surprisingly good. I feel like I’m going to have to start hitting the driving range on the regular just to keep up.”

Taehyung smiles. “Well, if you can’t get Yejun to go with you, let me know. Jin and I go to the Aviator range a lot.”

Jungkook’s mood is a million times better now that he’s in an airconditioned vehicle with a cold drink and good conversation. Yejun doesn’t deserve a brother as nice as Taehyung. And he’s just about to tell the older one that very thing when his phone pings with a text. 

Yejun❤😘: sry for sending tae

Yejun❤😘: i’ll make it up to u 

Yejun❤😘: pick u up at 9 to go out tnite

JK: sure ur gonna show up???

Yejun❤😘: yah! 

Yejun❤😘: c u later babe

“That my brother?” Taehyung asks, eyes on the road as he weaves through the streets towards Jungkook’s apartment. 

“Mm-hmm,” Jungkook says as he leans his head back and closes his eyes. “He said he was sorry. So am I. You shouldn’t have had to pick me up, Tae.”

But Taehyung shakes his head. “It was no problem at all. I just got off work, and the airport isn’t out of my way.”

Still, Jungkook is grateful. “I owe you one, though.”

Taehyung nods. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”

And that reminds Jungkook. “Oh! How did your interview go with GUESS? Did you get the job?” Jungkook asks, knowing Taehyung had been interviewing with some fashion brands over the past month. The latest one being a position designing for GUESS men’s clothing. 

Jungkook had always been impressed with Taehyung’s career as an up and coming fashion designer. He’d worked hard in college and graduate school, and Jungkook had often found himself completely stunned by Taehyung’s talent when he’d let Jungkook take a peek at one of his sketchbooks or when he’d wear one of his own designs to Sunday lunch at the Kim house. 

Taehyung’s passion and drive was inspiring, to say the least. And Jungkook was proud of his boyfriend’s big brother, even though Yejun sometimes rolled his eyes at Taehyung’s commitment to his craft. 

“It went very well,” Taehyung grins like he’s got a big secret to tell. “I got the job, but I turned it down.”

Jungkook stops drinking mid-sip. “What for?”

“Something better came up,” he says. “But I’ll let Yejun fill you in if you guys want to come out to Eclipse tonight to celebrate.”

“Eclipse?” Jungkoook gasps. “Really?”

Taehyung nods. “Really. So wear something fierce.”

Jungkook grins. “I will.”

*****

“It’s 9:37 and that asshole still isn’t here. Why the fuck do I put up with his shit?”

Yoongi smirks. “Do you really want my answer to that question or are you just thinking out loud?” he asks as he sits on the floor, rolling a joint on the coffee table. 

“It’s not like it matters what you say. Kook will still put up with Yejun’s shit,” Namjoon chimes in from where he’s laying on the couch, feet up on the armrest and throwing a hackysack into the air.

“The dick can’t be that good,” Hoseok adds, flipping channels until he lands on an episode of Adventure Time. 

“Leave it here,” Yoongi says. “This is the one where Finn gives up his sight so he can get out of the dungeon.”

Jungkook frowns as he stands there watching his three best friends loaf around – almost wishing he could just stay home, put on some sweats, and get high with them. But he’d dressed hot, just like Taehyung told him to. And whether or not his boyfriend shows up, Jungkook is not going to let his effort go to waste. Especially when he’s been dying to go to Eclipse , the newest club in downtown Manhattan.

“Do you guys think I should break up with him?”

Three sets of eyes immediately land on their youngest friend. 

“Fuck yes.”

“Yep.”

“Done been said, Kook.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“What do you even like about Yejun? Other than his dick?” Yoongi asks.

But before Jungkook can answer that question, there’s a knock on their front door. 

Jungkook immediately brightens. 

“Bye boys,” he says as he crosses the living room to leave. “Don’t wait up for me.”

He doesn’t listen to the grumbles of his friends as he opens the door to find Yejun standing there, smiling innocently.

“Hey,” Jungkook says, expressionless. He’s not letting Yejun off the hook that easily.

“Missed you, Kookie,” Yejun says as he steps forward and pulls Jungkook into his arms, holding him tightly.

Jungkook melts. When he has Yejun’s full and complete attention, everything is so good between them.

“You ready to go?”

Jungkook nods as he pulls away. “I’ve been ready, Jun. For forty-five minutes.”

Yejun grins sheepishly. “I know, I know. I’m late. But for a good reason! I was securing us a table in the VIP section.”

Jungkook’s eyebrows shoot up at that. 

“How did you manage that?” he asks as the two make their way down the three flights of stairs to the cab waiting for them.

“You know Tae’s friend, Jimin? Well, he knows one of the managers and hooked us up with our own table.”

Jungkook chuckles. “What would you do without your big brother?”

Yejun shrugs. “I think I’d get by alright.”

Jungkook wants to disagree, but he keeps his mouth shut. He’s still trying his best to not get into an argument tonight. 

“I missed you,” he says instead as they ride in the backseat of the cab, holding hands.

Jungkook is tired from his travels, but getting to go to Eclipse and be back with Yejun gives him the boost of energy he needs. 

“I missed you too,” Yejun murmurs right before pressing his lips against Jungkook’s.

They make out all the way into Manhattan, making up for lost time. 

It’s only when the cab driver is clearing his throat loudly when they arrive in front of the club, that they pull away from each other. 

Jungkook stifles a yawn, the long day hitting him, but once they make it past the bouncer and into the club, exhilaration floods his veins.

The scene inside Eclipse unfolds like a neon fever dream. 

Swirling above on the cavernous ceilings are hypnotic LED projections mimicking cosmic storms and glimmering constellations.

The dance floor is in the very center of the club, sunken and surrounded by sleek glass balconies, where clubbers are sipping iridescent cocktails from what looks like custom-cut crystal glasses.

Jungkook can smell the scent of burning sage and citrus in the air, blending ancient ritual with ultra-modern decadence. It’s a spectacular spectacle, to say the least.

But it’s the floating DJ booth suspended above the crowd with dancers in futuristic outfits moving through the haze – bathed in rhythmic flashes of strobe and ultraviolet – that has Jungkook gasping in consummate awe. 

It’s obvious that no expense has been spared to make the club an unforgettable experience for anyone with the means to be there. Any irritation Jungkook had felt towards Yejun has completely evaporated, replaced by a need to fully enjoy himself, get drunk and dance his ass off.

But before they’re allowed to join the other patrons, they’re stopped by a young woman dressed in head to toe silver. She smiles at them and points to a sign on the table next to her.

“No phones allowed. Drop off here and get a claim ticket” it reads.

“What happens at Eclipse stays at Eclipse,” Yejun says into Jungkook’s ear.

Jungkook hands over his phone and gets his ticket, carefully placing it in the inside pocket of his white, cropped jacket. 

Yejun takes his hand and the two are suddenly immersed in a world of galactic luxury, the whole place a smorgasbord for the senses.

At the bar, Jungkook leans back on his elbows, the ice in his drink crackling as he swirls it absentmindedly. 

The lighting shifts above him. First violet, then indigo – casting sharp, dreamy shadows across his cheekbones. Beside him, Yejun’s eyes are wide, lips slightly parted, soaking it all in like he’s stepped into another dimension. 

It’s probably way too obvious that it’s their first time at Eclipse – in the way their shoulders keep brushing as they instinctively lean closer to each other, overwhelmed but electric.

“I feel like we just got dropped into a parallel universe,” Yejun says, laughing under his breath as he watches a woman in a chainmail catsuit and holographic wings glide past them.

Jungkook grins, sipping his drink. “It’s either a dream or a cult,” he murmurs, his voice low and amused.

“Wouldn’t be the worst cult,” Yejun replies, nudging him gently. “Drinks are good. Vibe is cool. You’re hot. I like it here.”

The bartender, dressed like some kind of space priest, slides another pair of iridescent cocktails towards them without being asked. 

Jungkook raises a brow. “Did we order these?”

The bartender smiles. “Courtesy of that hot guy over there,” he says with a nod to the right of them.

“Taehyung,” Yejun says, already taking a sip. “He’s here with Jimin and Jin.”

Jungkook looks over to see Taehyung standing on a large, neon lit cube and grinning at them as he holds up a drink just like the ones he’d ordered for them.

“He looks good!” Jungkook says, unable to hide his surprise at Taehyung’s fit for the night. 

He’s never seen Taehyung out at a club before, has never seen the partier side of Yejun’s older sibling. 

But Taehyung really does stand-out, wearing an expensive looking pair of dark gray slacks and a jet-black silk shirt unbuttoned just enough to flash a few delicate gold chains against his collarbone.

He’s also wearing makeup – eyes rimmed in smoky bronze, lashes thick, his mouth tinted a glossy pink that catches the light when he smiles. Two silver rings hug his fingers, and a diamond-studded ear cuff gleams like a constellation against his skin.

“He works in fashion. What do you expect?” Yejun snipes. “Better not go falling in love with him or something.”

He bumps his shoulder against Jungkook's, bringing his gaze back to him instead of his older brother.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Jungkook tells him with a seductive smile as he leans in for a kiss to seal the promise. “You’re the only Kim I want.”

And then, out of nowhere, the beat drops and the DJ begins to spin a thick, liquid bass that has the floor vibrating while the crowd moves like a tide under strobes and cosmic light.

Jungkook's eyes drift back over to this very different version of Taehyung, and he watches as Yejun’s brother jumps down from the cube table and heads to the dance floor. Within seconds, Taehyung is at the center of it, flanked by his best friends, Jimin Park and Seokjin Kim, both equally radiant and grinning like they own the night. Jimin dancing like fire – sharp, fast, and magnetic. Seokjin is all fluid elegance, hair slicked back, champagne in hand.

But it’s Taehyung who owns the room.

He moves like he’s made for the music. Hips loose, gestures fluid, like the beat is something only he can fully hear. He isn't just dancing. He’s performing. Commanding. Playing with rhythm like it’s silk between his fingers. Every move with intention.

Jungkook blinks. “Whoa.”

Yejun smirks at Jungkook’s shock as he sips his iridescent drink like this wasn’t the least bit surprising.

“I’ve never seen him like that,” Jungkook says, watching Taehyung laugh as Jimin spins him and Jin mock-bows dramatically. “Is he high?”

Yejun chuckles. “He might be, but it’s not just that.”

He turns toward Jungkook and leans in closer, speaking into his ear to be heard over the music.

“Tae landed a new job. But not just any job, the job. He’s now head of menswear design at Maison Nocturne. You know the label. Paris-based, avant-garde, all draped velvet and brutalist tailoring?”

Jungkook’s jaw drops. “Wait. That’s Taehyung’s new gig? The one he turned down GUESS for?”

Yejun nods. “They recruited him a couple weeks ago. Flew him out to Paris, offered him full creative control of the spring line. He’ll be working in the New York office with a full team working under him. Dude has been glowing ever since.”

Jungkook looks back towards the dance floor where Taehyung is tossing his head back in laughter, spinning under a shower of strobes with his friends.

“He just decided,” Yejun goes on, “that he wasn’t going to hide away in his apartment working all the time and not getting paid his worth. No more second-guessing himself and his designs. He said if he was going to finally live his dream, he would stop apologizing for how big it is. He couldn’t wait to quit that stupid styling position he had. He was sick of being an underling.”

Jungkook doesn’t respond right away. He’s still watching Taehyung, thoughtful, impressed.

Something about seeing him like this – this uninhibited, self-possessed, powerful – makes Jungkook feel like he’s witnessing the beginning of a whole new version of Taehyung Kim.

“Damn,” Jungkook finally says, a grin tugging at his lips. “Remind me to never underestimate your brother again.”

Yejun clinks his glass against Jungkook’s. “Welcome to the new era. Because the perks he’ll be getting, we can take advantage of too,” he says with a wink.

Jungkook nods. “Yeah, but only if it’s cool with Taehyung. I don’t want us to overstep.”

Yejun rolls his eyes at that. “Just because he’s a big shot now, doesn’t mean he’s not still altruistic to a fault.”

Still, Jungkook would never take advantage of Taehyung’s kindness. Instead, he smiles. “Let’s go dance with them! We need to celebrate!” 

Yejun nods in agreement and the two join Taehyung, Jimin, and Seokjin on the dance floor under the shifting colored lights and thumping music.

“Congratulations, Tae!” Jungkook yelps as he clinks his glass against Taehyung’s. “Yejun just told me the news!”

Taehyung’s boxy smile grows bigger as he wraps an arm around Jungkook’s waist, pulling him close. Very close. 

"Thank you, Kook," he says, eyes locked on Jungkook's, lips parted like there's more he wants to say.

Jungkook can’t seem to look anywhere else, and he doesn’t know why.

But for whatever reason, Taehyung doesn’t say anything more as the two of them move together to the music.

He’s too aware of that fact that he has never been this physically close to Taehyung before, and doesn’t know why it feels like his heart has suddenly stopped beating. Maybe it’s just because Taehyung is so handsome, and anyone would have this kind of reaction to being held by a man like him. 

Regardless, Jungkook looks behind him to see if Yejun has noticed the close proximity between his brother and boyfriend – and hopes it doesn’t look like something it isn’t.

But Yejun is too busy dancing loose and silly with Jimin and Jin to have any reaction.

When Jungkook looks back at Taehyung, he feels his cheeks suddenly grow hotter. He doesn’t know if it’s from all the body heat around him or if it’s the way Taehyung is looking at him, the way he’s still holding Jungkook in his arms. He thinks he should say something or pull away. But he doesn’t. 

And then, as if coming out of a trance, Taehyung abruptly lets go of the man in his embrace.

“I-I’m sorry!” he stammers, eyes wide. “I’m so drunk right now. I’m really sorry, Jungkook.” 

But Jungkook isn’t uncomfortable. Not at all. Though his heart is beating a mile a minute for a reason he can’t even begin to explain.

Maybe he’s drunk too.

“Don’t worry about it!” he shouts over the music, smiling big while he cups Taehyung’s face in his hands. “Let’s just dance!”

Taehyung gives him a weak smile, looking relieved. 

“This place is amazing!” Taehyung says, changing the subject before downing the rest of his drink in one, big gulp. “I think I could dance all night!”

Jungkook laughs. He likes this side of Taehyung. A side that seems so carefree and unrestrained. Even if he got a little too handsy moments ago, Jungkook is pretty sure he’s never seen Taehyung this happy before. And if anyone deserves it, it’s him.

Ever since he had first met Taehyung – after Jungkook and Yejun had been dating for almost a whole month – he’d seen what an exceptional person Taehyung was. 

In fact, all of the Kims’ were wonderful people through and through. Jungkook had immediately felt comfortable with them when Yejun had first invited him to Sunday lunch – a weekly tradition. Joking with Yejun’s dad about their rival football teams. Talking to Mrs. Kim about the latest celebrity scandals. Looking over nail polish colors with Yejun’s little sister, Janie. 

And then Taehyung had walked in, apologizing for being late, but immediately giving his mother a bouquet of flowers and a kiss on the cheek before handing his father a cigar followed by a strong hug. 

“ This is Taehyung. My big brother, ” Yejun had said, a tight look on his face that Jungkook didn’t quite understand at the time.

But Taehyung had smiled that boxy smile and held out his hand to shake Jungkook’s. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook. ”

Needless to say, Jungkook had been charmed right away. It was impossible not to be. Taehyung was clearly a good person, a good son and brother. Janie had wrapped herself around him and hadn’t let go until it was time to eat. 

It wasn’t until later that Yejun explained his strange behavior when Taehyung had arrived.

“He’s just always been everyone’s favorite ,” Yejun had lamented when the two were driving back to Jungkook’s apartment later that evening. “ And I love him, don’t get me wrong. But it’s that classic thing of living in your brother’s shadow, ya know? ”

Jungkook had nodded. He had an older brother too, and he understood – to a degree – where Yejun was coming from. 

“ Yeah, Junghyun will do something great and my parents will go on and on about it, ” Jungkook had told his boyfriend, wanting to do his best to comfort him. “ It’s a pain in the ass.”

Yejun had rolled his eyes in agreement. “Right? And with Tae, he’s always been so dependable. Smart and shit. And I guess…sometimes I resent him for it. In high school…some of the people I dated only were interested in me because of him. It was fucking annoying.”

Jungkook had sighed, feeling genuinely sorry for Yejun. 

“Well, you know that’s not the case with us. You’re the only Kim I want to date.”

Yejun had given him a big grin, seemingly pleased to hear the reassurance. And Jungkook had meant it. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t secretly impressed with Taehyung. 

At the time, Yejun’s brother was just a month shy of turning 25-years-old, had graduated at the top of his class at the Fashion Institute of Technology and had gone on to get his master’s degree in fashion marketing. He was working as an intern for an up and coming fashion designer and dating a model from Venezuela named Lola who had recently been featured in Vogue France . He had saved up all his money as far back as high school to buy a swanky apartment overlooking the East River and a BMW.

And yes, Jungkook could admit that Taehyung Kim was also stupidly gorgeous.

Tousled black hair, honey-warm skin, piercing but thoughtful eyes. He was the kind of good-looking that made people lose their train of thought mid-sentence. A dangerous beauty in a slow burn kind of way. A face that could start and end fights. 

And the kicker was, he didn’t even seem to realize it about himself. 

If you didn’t know any better, you might think Taehyung’s humbleness is all an act. But it isn’t. Not even a little.

Taehyung was every bit the angel he came across as. A great listener who remembered all the little details. A kind heart, steady and wide, but he didn't show it off. He kept it tucked just beneath the surface and offered in quiet gestures, soft glances, loyalty that didn’t need announcing.

He was deeply grounded. Kind to strangers. Protective of people he loved. The kind of person who would notice when your hands were cold and offer his gloves without saying a word.

There was softness in him, but not weakness. A strength that came from knowing who he was and choosing gentleness anyway.

So yes, Taehyung was beautiful in all the ways. But that didn’t mean Yejun wasn’t. 

Yejun wasn’t like his brother – a fact that sometimes seemed to bother Yejun, but it didn’t bother Jungkook.

Where Taehyung burned like a spotlight – brilliant and impossible to ignore – Yejun was more like a flickering candle in a quiet room. He was steady, warm, and just bright enough to draw you closer without ever demanding it. 

Taehyung’s beauty was all curves and warmth, dramatic silhouettes and smoldering charisma, contrasting with Yejun’s sharper, clean-cut elegance, understated and precise. 

Yejun had a lean frame that was made for modern tailoring, the kind of person who could wear anything and make it look like a luxury brand no one else could afford.

His features were sculpted – high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a mouth that rarely smiled wide, but when it did, it felt earned. It was sharp in its precision, like he knew exactly how to use that smile and when .

His eyes were cooler in color than Taehyung’s, a deep gray-brown with flecks of something unreadable, like city light on wet pavement. There was calculation in his gaze sometimes, but also curiosity, intelligence, a flicker of something else he kept close to the chest.

His hair was always neat, parted with intention. Not rigid, just controlled. Yejun looked like someone who knew exactly what suited him and didn’t waste time on anything that didn’t. So he wore a simple stainless steel watch and minimal cologne. Just a trace of something clean and smoky that lingered when he leaned in close.

He had a kind of effortless cool, all clean lines and tailored edges. He didn’t need the room to look at him. He preferred it when it didn’t. But Jungkook always did.

There was something grounding about Yejun. The way he leaned in when he laughed, how his fingers brushed Jungkook’s arm in a casual but intentional way. He was composed and a little aloof in public, but behind closed doors he’d say things that lingered. Charming, quiet compliments that Jungkook would catch himself repeating in his head hours later.

He wasn’t overly romantic, and he wasn’t always emotionally transparent. But when Yejun did open up and let you in, even just a little, it felt like being chosen. And that did something to Jungkook, made him feel wanted in a way past boyfriends hadn’t made him feel.

Still, there were moments, small ones, when Yejun’s cool turned cold. When silence stretched just a little too long after a joke. When his eyes flicked to Jungkook across the room with something unreadable behind them. When he changed the subject a little too quickly if things got vulnerable.

But Jungkook told himself not to overthink it. Everyone had their moments. Relationships weren’t perfect.

And besides, when Yejun kissed him with careful hands and parted lips, and said his name low and slow like a secret, Jungkook didn’t want to look too closely at those lingering, dark shadows. Not yet.

Right now, he was still in that glowing place where affection blurred the edges of everything else.

So when Yejun finally grabs his wrist and pulls him close so they can dance together, Jungkook goes willingly. 

“You look so fucking good, baby,” Yejun murmurs in his ear. 

Jungkook’s body shivers. Two weeks apart was two weeks too long. Maybe that’s why he’d gotten so warm in Taehyung’s arms. Touch starved…that’s all. 

“Yeah? Maybe it’s time to leave then?” he asks.

Yejun chuckles. “You read my mind.”

For whatever reason, Jungkook feels a wave of relief.

“Then let’s get out of here.”

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Jungkook wakes up the next morning to find himself alone in his bed.

Through blurry eyes, he grabs for his phone. 

He peeks at the screen with one eye closed to see a text from his mom, a text from one of his coworkers, a missed call from Yoongi, and finally, a text from Yejun.

Yejun❤😘: sorry had to dip

Yejun❤😘: call u later

Yejun❤😘: last nite was fun 😉

Jungkook sighs heavily. Typical. 

He calls Yoongi back.

“You’re still asleep? Kook, don’t you have to give a campus tour at noon?”

Jungkook groans at the reminder. 

“Fuck. Yes. I totally forgot.”

“What? Yejun fuck you forgetful?”

“Shut-up, Yoongi.”

“How was Eclipse?”

“It was very cool. We should try to go sometime soon.”

“Was Jimin there?"

Jungkook chuckles. “Not even beating around the bush anymore, huh? Just ask him out, man.”

“Put in a good word with Taehyung first.”

“Not until you fix my ceiling fan like you said you would Mr. Fix-Shit.”

“Ugh. Fine. I’ll do it when I get home. In the meantime, get your ass up and get to work.”

Jungkook ends the call with a grunt before forcing himself out of his bed. 

He doesn’t know how he could have let himself forget about work, but he wishes he’d taken the day off knowing it would be his first day back in the city after his trip. It’s only now that he regrets having stayed out so late the night before. 

Granted, it had been worth it. Eclipse had been amazing. And the sex with Yejun afterwards was pretty good too.

Fortunately, Jungkook’s job at his college is one he enjoys, even though campus tours aren’t his favorite. But he likes answering questions about Brooklyn College. Questions that are mainly asked by parents and not by the shy incoming freshmen that are on the tour to learn about where they might be living for the next four years.

Jungkook has a lot to say about his own experience at the school, and mostly positive. This year is the one he’s been the most ready for. It’s his senior year, his last year to finally finish up his Television and Radio bachelor’s degree and get started on his career. 

He’s already landed a paid internship for next summer at KNYC Radio, and still has his part-time paying gig as one of the nighttime DJ’s for the Brooklyn College campus radio station. 

It’s something he’s beyond proud of, and has worked hard to build into something that gets him a level of experience and recognition he needs in order to make his dream of being a radio personality come true.

Jungkook is too shy to be in front of a camera, but he comes alive over the radio waves. 

“You are almost late,” Nadine tells him when Jungkook finally arrives at the BC Student Center offices wearing his navy tour polo and carrying a tray of lattes.

“But, I brought you an afternoon treat,” Jungkook tells her as he holds out the tray.

Nadine plucks one of the lattes from the drink carrier and grins. 

“You’re the best, Kookie. We missed you, by the way!”

Jungkook raises an eyebrow. “Yeah? Or maybe you just missed my willingness to go on coffee runs.”

“Not true!” his other co-worker, Trisha, pipes in. “We missed your willingness to give campus tours too.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, smirking. “What can I say? I got the face for it,” he teases.

But he knows it’s not far from the truth as the two girls snicker and sip their latte’s. 

“If I had a dollar for every time a newbie falls for our Kookie, I could afford my tuition without financial aid,” Nadine jokes. 

“Well, it did get me a boyfriend,” he smirks. “Yejun says my handsomeness was the first thing he noticed about me.”

Nadine and Trisha give each other a look that he doesn’t miss.

“I know you two don’t like Yejun. You can say it,” he says, trying to seem unbothered. But his coworkers in the Student Center office have never been shy when it comes to their feelings in regards to Jungkook’s choice of boyfriend.

“It's not that we don’t ‘like’ him, Kookie,” Trisha says with a wince. “He’s just–”

“He’s not who we would pick for you,” Nadine finishes. 

Jungkook sighs. It seems as if the topic of Yejun not being good enough for him comes up on a weekly basis from various people in his life. Everyone from his friends to his coworkers to his family. 

“You guys just don’t know him like I do,” he says as he grabs a bag of swag items for his tour guests.

“It’s his vibe, Kook. His vibes are off.”

Jungkook shakes his head, ready for the subject to be over.

“I gotta go, ladies, or I’ll be late.”

This time, he doesn’t notice the concern in his coworkers eyes as he leaves.

*****

The atelier is quiet except for the hum of a soft jazz playlist and the rhythmic scratch of pencil against paper.

Taehyung sits at his long worktable, shirt sleeves rolled to the elbows, one hand braced on the desk, the other sketching rough outlines of a silhouette that refuses to come together. 

The model’s waist is too narrow. The line of the coat feels too harsh. The proportions aren’t right. But the real problem isn’t the design.

The real problem is Jungkook.

He’s in Taehyung’s head again. Has been all morning. Always is.

The memory of him at the club a few nights ago with his soft curls, silver hoops, a white jacket worn like it was borrowed from a dream – keeps flickering behind Taehyung’s eyes like a strobe. 

The way Jungkook’s mouth had curled in amusement. The way the lights danced across his skin. The way his hand had fit so easily in Yejun’s hand. The way he’d looked at him across the bar – grateful for the free drink from Taehyung but eyes barely ever leaving Yejun. Jungkook’s boyfriend. Taehyung’s little brother.

Taehyung presses the pencil down too hard, snapping the tip. He curses under his breath and reaches for the sharpener, jaw tight.

“Why does this design suck ass?” he mutters to himself, though he knows the lines are fine. It isn’t the sketch, it’s his focus.

He stands up abruptly and walks to the tall windows overlooking the city. He leans his forehead against the cool glass. 

“Get it together, Kim.”

He’s working at Maison Nocturne, for god’s sake – a brand that has taken a chance on him, one of the youngest lead designers they’d ever hired. He has deadlines, mood boards to revise, fabrics to review. 

But all he can think about is the way Jungkook had felt in his arms for that fleeting moment that Taehyung had been too bold, too wrapped up in his excitement and drunken spirit. 

Jungkook hadn’t even seemed to mind. Had laughed it off after Taehyung apologized – like it was nothing, no big deal.

And, of course, Jungkook ended up dancing with Yejun for the rest of the night until the two had left together.

Because Jungkook is Yejun’s. Jungkook is not Taehyung’s.

He hears the office door creak open and doesn’t even have to turn around to know who it is. He’s grateful that Jimin’s own office building is so close by, that they can get together for lunch or a midday coffee break easily.

“Is this a moment, or do you want your sad latte now?” Jimin’s voice is light but knowing, laced with the kind of amusement that comes from watching Taehyung unravel slowly over the past eight months. Ever since he’d met Jungkook Jeon.

Taehyung groans and drags a hand through his hair. “I can’t get over the humiliation, Jimin.”

Jimin hands him the coffee and does his best to pacify his best friend. “You’re torturing yourself over something that wasn’t a big deal, Tae,” he says before taking a sip of his own coffee. 

“So what if you kind of made a very subtle move on Jungkook? I’m sure he’s forgotten all about it. We were all drunk and celebrating.”

Taehyung looks out the window again. “Yeah…he’s probably forgotten all about it.”

Jimin sighs. “You’re being tragic. I hate it when you’re tragic. You’re too hot and successful to be mooning over some college kid.”

Taehyung turns and sits back down at the drafting table. “Jungkook is not just ‘some college kid’, Jimin. But you’re right. I need to stop. And I think I have a plan that could help me.”

Jimin smirks. “And what’s your plan?”

“To avoid him as much as possible.”

It’s honestly the only solution Taehyung can seem to come up with at this point. A solution he hasn’t tried yet and thinks might do the trick.

“You think you can do that?” Jimin asks with a laugh. “You went running as soon as Yejun asked you to pick Kook up at the airport.”

“I couldn’t just leave him there!”

“He could have Uber’d.”

Taehyung avoids Jimin’s probing gaze by drinking his coffee and staring at his unfinished design. 

“Okay. So. Avoidance. That’s where we’re at now?”

Taehyung nods. “I’ll just have to come up with some good excuses for not showing up to Sunday lunch.”

“Your mom will be very sad, TaeTae,” Jimin tsks. 

“Then you should go in my place. I think she loves you more than me anyway.”

Jimin laughs. “That’s not true and you know it. You are your mother’s pride and joy, Taehyung Kim. But, I could use a home cooked meal while also helping you out. So yes, I will go in your place this Sunday.”

Taehyung smiles with relief. “Thank you, Jimin. You're the best of best friends.”

Jimin doesn’t argue with that. “I know I am. But I still don’t think the plan to make yourself scarce around Jungkook is going to help.”

“And why is that?”

“Because,” Jimin says, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

*****

ONE MONTH LATER…

The living room lights are low, the TV muted in the background, and the smell of popcorn and weed mix together in the air as Yoongi strums his guitar. 

Jungkook sits curled into the corner of the couch, phone abandoned on the coffee table, screen dark. His jaw is tense, and his eyes keep flicking toward it like maybe Yejun will still text him, even though it’s nearly midnight and their plans had been canceled hours ago.

“He said he had to help finish a group project,” Jungkook mutters, arms crossed. “Some presentation that’s due tomorrow for his economics class.”

Hoseok glances over from the floor, where he’s leaning against the couch with a blunt pinched between his fingers. “Didn’t he say that last week? Or was it his friend with the broken fridge that needed his help?”

“No, last week it was his coworker’s car dying,” Namjoon says gently from the armchair, legs crossed, glasses slipping down his nose. “Fridge was the week before.”

Yoongi, on the other end of the couch, lets out a quiet snort. “Dude is collecting excuses like they’re loyalty points.”

Jungkook sighs, rubbing at his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe he really is just busy. Work’s been crazy for him, and he’s not great at time management. H–he told me that when we first started dating.”

“Kook, he’s an assistant manager at a smoothie shop. How busy can he actually be?” Yoongi scoffs.

“He also told you he was excited to see you tonight,” Namjoon adds. “And you’ve been sitting here in your date outfit since seven.”

Jungkook glances down at himself. The black button-up is still perfectly pressed. He hadn’t had the heart to change yet.

“I just…” he swallows, voice smaller now. “I feel like I’m always waiting for him to want to see me as much as I want to see him.”

Yoongi looks over, eyes softer now beneath his usual dry tone. “That’s not how it should feel, Jungkook.”

Hoseok reaches up to ruffle Jungkook’s sleeve. “You’re one of the most loyal people I know, JK. And you love hard. Like, ‘heart on fire, nothing held back’ kind of love. Someone like that deserves someone who actually shows up.”

There’s a long silence other than Yoongi’s gentle plucking of guitar strings.

Jungkook stares at his hands. “I know I ask this all the time, but I’m for real this time…do you guys think I should break up with him?”

No one answers right away. And that, more than anything, is the answer.

Finally, Namjoon speaks, careful but firm. “I think you’ve been holding onto the version of Yejun that you saw in the beginning. And I get it, we’ve all done that. But if he’s not showing up for you now...maybe it’s time to ask if he ever really will.”

Yoongi adds, “Or worse…if he already thinks he doesn’t have to.”

Jungkook blinks hard. It definitely isn’t the first time the thought has crept in, but hearing it out loud makes it feel heavier. Realer. Especially when he knows it’s not in jest, that his friends are being honest.

It’s Hoseok who breaks the silence. “You don’t have to decide tonight. But just remember – being with someone shouldn’t feel like you're auditioning for their time.”

Jungkook lets out a shaky breath. “Yeah.” He nods slowly, eyes misty but not about to cry. “Yeah, you guys are right.”

He doesn’t say anything else for a while. Just sits there with his friends, in the warmth of people who do show up, who don’t cancel last minute or make him feel like too much.

And maybe, he will actually listen to their advice this time. 

*****

“Tonight’s ‘JK’s Oldie But Goodie’ is a song from 1993…yes, ladies and gentlemen, from a year I was not yet born but can still appreciate for the amazing musical gems that the year of Jurassic Park and Beanie Babies gave us. So, let me give all you listeners the audible eargasm you’re in dire need of by spinning this classic from Santa Monica’s finest of the alternative rock bands, Mazzy Star. Here’s ‘Fade Into You’.”

It’s then that the sound of the slide guitar comes over the radio, followed by the haunting voice of Hope Sandoval filling Taehyung’s ears as he sits cross-legged out on his balcony, the East River stretching out in a lazy shadow below.

He’s got an old hoodie pulled up, covering his head as he cradles a cup of tea and just listens.

“I want to hold the hand inside you…”

Taehyung exhales slowly, the breath barely visible but heavy in his chest. He’s being tragic, brooding, but in the privacy of his own home, away from Jimin who he knows would be forcing Taehyung to do something about it. Like go out and get drunk, or get laid, or both. 

But Taehyung doesn’t want to do any of that. He wants to listen to Jungkook’s radio show, even if it does nothing to soothe the ache in his chest.

It’s been a month. A full, deliberate month of not seeing Jungkook. No Sunday lunches. No accidental run-ins. No airport pick-ups or nightclub outings. 

He’s told himself over and over that it’s necessary. That he needs to get over it – whatever this is. This fluttering, gnawing, impossible thing he feels for his younger brother’s boyfriend. Yejun’s sweet, thoughtful, unfairly charming boyfriend who doesn’t even realize how often he lingers in Taehyung’s mind.

And yet here Taehyung is. Still listening. Still pining. Not getting over it at all.

He closes his eyes as Hope’s voice melts into the guitar, soft and sorrowful and slow, like a secret being confessed into the dark.

Taehyung wonders what it must feel like to be Yejun.

To be that effortless. That unbothered. Yejun has never had to try to be charming, or steady, or responsible. He just is what he is. And whatever that is, allowed him to have Jungkook.

Taehyung, on the other hand, has a good job. A future. He pays the bills, shows up to family dinners with wine, makes sure Janie gets plenty of his attention. Their parents never say it out loud, but he feels it – that he’s the one holding the ends of the rope together while Yejun and Janie float freely in the wind.

And maybe that’s why he doesn’t know how to want like this. Not out in the open. Not recklessly. Not the way Yejun can.

Taehyung opens his eyes again, and his gaze sweeps over the river’s surface, dark and endless.

The song is winding down now, its last chords humming low and blue through the radio.

He presses the mug to his lips but doesn’t drink. He just listens. To the silence between words. To Jungkook’s smooth voice when it returns. 

“I wasn’t planning to play this next one tonight, but...I don’t know. It felt right.”

There’s a pause. A breath with something unsaid.

“This 1998 special is for...anyone out there trying not to feel something they can’t stop feeling.”

And then, that opening riff. Like a heartbeat echoing through fog.

“And I’d give up forever to touch you…”

Taehyung wonders if Jungkook is okay. And only because all the songs he’s played so far tonight seem to have a theme. Moody songs. Songs about love. Sad.

For some reason, it takes him back to when he first met Jungkook Jeon – on a chilly December Sunday. A day that changed everything.

As much as he’s always loved the weekly lunch with his family, he hadn’t been in the mood to go that day – not when he had deadlines breathing down his neck and fittings scheduled every other day that coming week. His plate was full, figuratively speaking, but his mother had texted twice that morning and called once, her voice laced with that guilt giving charm only mothers seem to possess. 

And so he’d stopped by the florist two blocks from his apartment, picked up a small, elegant bouquet of red poinsettias, and even remembered to grab one of those little cigarillos his father likes from the corner shop on the way.

He’d walked into the house still smelling faintly of cold wind and bergamot, juggling gifts and car keys and his own mild irritation at being late. But when he stepped inside, the warmth of home wrapped around him instantly. The scent of his mother’s cooking, the low hum of conversation from the eat-in kitchen, instantly mollified him.

“Taehyung, finally!” his mother called out. “Come say hello!”

He’d gone directly into the kitchen, leaned in to kiss her cheek and handed her the bouquet with a small smile. “You look beautiful today, Ma .”

She waved him off with a pleased flush, already bustling to find a vase.

“You’re late, Taehyung, ” his father had said from where he stood at the counter chopping up a head of cabbage.

“But your favorite child brought you something too, Pa,” Taehyung grinned as he handed his father the cigarillo before engulfing him in a hug.

“Tae!” Janie had yelped as she jumped up from her chair to wrap her arms around her oldest brother. 

For being thirteen, she had no shame in still being sweet and affectionate, unlike most teenagers. 

“Hey, sweetie,” Taehyung had said, hugging her back and placing a kiss on the top of her head.

And then Taehyung turned and saw him.

The most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on was sitting at the kitchen table beside Yejun, a mug in both hands and an uncertain smile on his stunning face. There was a warmth in his cheeks, like he’d been laughing just moments before, and a shyness in his posture that didn’t quite fit the tattoo ink on his hand or the confident set of his jaw.

“This is Jungkook, ” Yejun had said, nudging him proudly, as if introducing a prized possession. “My boyfriend .”

And then Yejun had gotten a strange look on his face when he’d turned to Jungkook. “This is Taehyung. My big brother.”

At the moment, Taehyung didn’t have the cognitive capacity to figure out what Yejun’s deal was. Instead, he had stepped forward, smoothing his jacket sleeves, already slipping into the role of polite older brother. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook, ” he’d said, extending his hand.

Jungkook stood to shake it – and Taehyung noticed, fleetingly, how firm his grip was. How clear his eyes were. How he looked directly at Taehyung like he wasn’t afraid to.

“It’s really nice to meet you too, ” Jungkook had replied.

And then, Taehyung’s entire world had turned upside down.

He didn’t know what it was. He just knew that he stood a little straighter. That his polite smile was genuine. That he spent the rest of lunch trying not to look too interested in the way Jungkook spoke, the way he listened, the way he was.  But he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything . 

He told himself it was just curiosity. That he was being protective of his little brother. Observant.

But now, months later, as he sits alone in the quiet of his own apartment, he can freely admit to himself, that wasn’t it. Not even close.

From the moment Jungkook shook his hand, Taehyung had felt it, something tugging at him. Something small, but stubborn. A quiet voice whispering: This one is different. This one matters.

At first, he wanted to believe it was just a physical attraction that drew him to the younger one. That maybe once he got to know Jungkook better, he would no longer be so infatuated. That Jungkook’s warm, curious eyes and cupid’s bow lips would no longer pull Taehyung in so easily.

No. The more Taehyung got to know Jungkook, the more he fell. Because he couldn’t help but notice everything , even the little things. Like the way Jungkook would straighten pictures hanging on the walls without thinking. How he would drum his fingers along his thigh when he was concentrating on something. How he treated music like a second language, his face lighting up when he talked about vinyl records or obscure blues tracks from the '60s. And, of course, 90’s love songs. His knowledge regarding all things television and radio was incredibly impressive. Taehyung had learned so much, and wanted to keep learning.

But there were other things too. Like how Jungkook would never rush to fill silence, confident enough to sit in a quiet moment, but thoughtful when he would listen to others. For being so young, he was wise beyond his years, able to offer advice and give constructive feedback. Even Janie had become attached to asking Jungkook all kinds of questions about boys and dating. Watching the two talk with each other always made Taehyung smile.

And he loved making Jungkook laugh. The real kind of laugh. The one that bubbles up from his chest and crinkles the corners of his eyes. Taehyung knows exactly how to get it, too. With a dry, offbeat comment at the perfect moment. A ridiculous impression delivered with deadpan seriousness. The way Jungkook would sometimes try to hold it in but fail, his lips twitching before his whole face softens and he lets out that beautiful, unguarded sound.

Taehyung was undeniably and helplessly drawn to Jungkook. And it wasn’t long before admiration turned into affection, and affection quietly became something deeper, something that felt like falling and being caught at the same time.

Taehyung can’t pinpoint when it happened exactly, but sometime in the past nine months, he’d fallen in love with Jeon Jungkook.

But how fucked it all is, how the way he feels doesn’t matter, of the amount of time he spends wondering what would happen if or when Jungkook and Yejun were to ever break up. 

Would he pursue Jungkook for himself? Or would he never see Jungkook again and finally be able to get over him?

Would he even be able to put aside his moral obligations to go after Jungkook? 

The first answer that comes to mind is that it wouldn’t be right. It would be selfish of him. It would be unfair.

Because even though the two brothers are very different, and don't always get along, Taehyung would never want to do anything that could cause a rift in his relationship with his little brother. He’s supposed to look out for Yejun, protect him. Not steal his boyfriend. 

But who's to say Jungkook would even want him anyway? He’s never gotten any indication from Jungkook that he could be interested. In fact, Jungkook looks rightfully smitten with Yejun. 

“And that’s the way it should be,” Taehyung tells himself. “I shouldn’t be hoping for it to be any different.”

He shakes his head and gets up from where he’s been sitting. It’s getting too cold out and Jungkook’s radio show had ended right after one last song. 

“Linger” by The Cranberries.

Taehyung faintly recalls the song being one that he’d found his parents dancing to in the kitchen one night when he was in middle school and trying to sneak a midnight snack. 

His mother had been singing along with Dolores O’Riordan’s smooth, soft voice as his father spun her around and around. 

At the time, Taehyung had rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself as he went back to his room,  thinking his parents were so weird. 

But now, the memory makes him smile. It’s a good song for Jungkook to end on. He wishes he could tell him so. 

But he doesn’t. Instead, he puts his empty tea cup in the sink, turns off the lights, and goes to bed.

He wonders if he’ll dream of Jungkook again, or maybe get a reprieve and dream of being in a 90’s rock band instead. 

But no luck. As he sleeps, his mind conjures dreams filled with nothing but the man he loves dancing, smiling, under thousands of colorful lights.

*****

A few nights after his cancelled date with Yejun, Jungkook is home alone.

Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok had gone out to their favorite karaoke bar after having done the best they could to get Jungkook to join them. But their youngest just wasn’t in the mood. 

Staying at home sulking was the only thing Jungkook felt like doing, regardless of how unproductive it was.

So when he hears the knock on his apartment door – at almost eleven at night – he feels his heart skip in his chest. The knock is soft and tentative, and he already knows who it is.

Jungkook opens it to find Yejun standing in the hallway, his hair slightly mussed, holding a brown paper bag and wearing a tired, apologetic smile.

“Peace offering,” Yejun says, lifting the bag. “From that noodle place you love. They closed at ten-thirty, but I bribed the guy.”

Jungkook doesn’t say anything, just steps back silently to let Yejun in, watches him toe off his sneakers like he belongs there. Like this is just another night in instead of going out on a date.

Yejun sets the food on the coffee table, then turns and looks at him, something unreadable in his expression.

“I’m sorry,” he says, voice low. “I’ve been a shit boyfriend lately.”

Jungkook’s heart jumps at the word. Boyfriend. Like it still carries weight. Like it still means what it used to.

“I know work and school are not good excuses,” Yejun continues, walking over slowly. “And I keep making you wait. I hate that I do that. I don’t mean to.”

Jungkook looks at him for a long moment before he finally speaks. “Then why does it keep happening?”

Yejun hesitates. “I don’t know. I think...sometimes I forget how lucky I am that you don’t leave. That you stay so true to me.”

Jungkook’s breath catches. He thinks the words are honest, but they don’t feel like healing. They feel like gravity. Like an anchor. Yejun will get his way tonight. He always does. With his smooth talking and crooked grin, Jungkook can’t seem to resist him.

So he doesn’t move back when Yejun steps closer and slides a hand around the back of Jungkook’s neck. 

“You’re the best thing I’ve got going, Kook.”

It isn’t enough. Not really. The food, the apology, the quiet desperation in Yejun’s voice. But Jungkook wants to believe it is. He really wants to believe it’s enough.

And then Yejun pulls him in, lets their foreheads rest together, lets the warmth of that closeness melt some of the resentment.

But somewhere under it all, there’s a small, tired voice inside whispering to him.

He doesn’t ask how your day was. He just doesn’t want to lose you.

Yejun leans in and kisses him. It’s slow, familiar, just enough sweetness to make the ache blur for a second.

Jungkook kisses him back. Of course he does. He’s a sucker for Yejun’s attention. Always has been. But the question is: why? Why does he crave this so much?

He knows this isn’t healthy. He knows it’s not what he deserves. But it feels easier than ending things. Because his heart still wants to believe that Yejun loves him back. Because sometimes, when someone finally shows up, you forget how many times they didn’t.

*****

The scent of sesame oil and garlic drifts through the sunlit kitchen as Yejun’s mother moves gracefully between the stove and the countertop, humming under her breath.

Janie sits cross-legged on a kitchen stool, peeling fruit and scrolling on her phone between each slice.

Jungkook is sitting at the table, chin in hand, half-listening to Yejun’s dad talk about a client from his firm who’d bought a second home just to store wine. Yejun, across from him, nods dutifully, smiling at all the right moments.

It’s a perfectly normal Sunday. And yet, something feels like it’s missing.

Jungkook glances at the empty chair at the end of the table. Taehyung’s chair. 

He thinks about how often Taehyung would lean back in it while dramatically quoting fashion icons like they were his own, personal gospel. How he would playfully roll his eyes when Janie made a joke at his expense, or steal bites off Yejun’s plate like it was his birthright.

But lately, that chair has stayed empty for the past five Sundays. Including the one where Jimin came by and ate with them. 

Jungkook clears his throat casually. “Taehyung’s not coming again?” he asks.

Yejun doesn’t look up from his rice. “He’s busy. New job and all.”

Make that six Sunday’s.

Janie snorts under her breath. “He says that, but I saw him tagged at a gallery opening two nights ago.”

Yejun gives her a sharp look. “He is busy. His job is demanding as hell.”

Their mother, ever diplomatic, smiles as she sets down another dish on the table. Yejun attacks it immediately. 

“Taehyung’s career is important to him.”

“What about us, though?” Janie whines. “Isn’t family supposed to be the most important?”

“Give him a break, Janie,” Mr. Kim chimes in. “Taehyungie will show up eventually, when things calm down for him.”

Jungkook forces a small smile and looks back down at his plate. He hadn’t meant to ask in front of everyone, it had just slipped out. But now that the question has been voiced, he can’t stop thinking about it.

He actually misses Taehyung. Misses the banter, the dramatic flair. The way Taehyung looks at him like he sees it all, even the parts Jungkook doesn’t always know how to name.

And worse, he keeps thinking about that night at the club.

The moment Taehyung had slid an arm around his waist and held him. Not in passing, not by accident, not because he was drunk and euphoric. Jungkook knew better than that.

And it had been warm. Solid. Lingering.

But what seemed to surprise Jungkook most wasn’t that it had happened. 

It was that it hadn’t bothered him.

Not then. Not even now.

He pokes at his food and thinks about how freaked out Taehyung had looked by it, had apologized so profusely. He wonders if Taehyung is embarrassed. If maybe that’s why he hasn’t come to Sunday lunch.

Does he think I’m upset with him? Jungkook wonders to himself.

He wants to text him. Ask something casual. Something like: “Hey, missed you today. Hope you’re okay.”

But even that feels loaded.

When Yejun’s knee bumps his under the table, it suddenly grounds him, reminding him of where he is.

Jungkook smiles, tells himself to fucking relax, and takes a bite of radish kimchi. He concentrates on chewing and not on getting lost in his thoughts again.

“Everything okay?” Yejun asked quietly, eyes on him.

Jungkook’s heart jumps, but he nods. 

“Yeah. Just tired.”

But the truth is, he feels restless. He wants to clear the air with Taehyung. He doesn’t want to be the reason why Taehyung hasn’t been home, disappointing his family with this absence. 

He’ll try to make it right. He just isn’t sure how to.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Taehyung tells himself he’s doing great. He’s a grown man. So no more depressed, pining Taehyung. Avoidance works. Out of sight, out of mind.

He’s doing it. Mind over heart. 

Skipping six Sunday lunches in a row and using side streets to avoid passing Jungkook’s campus office building, his apartment, the places he hangs out – has got to be working. Because, honestly, that’s just good strategy. It’s self-preservation. Because the heart can only handle so much staring at someone else's boyfriend before it cracks like cheap ceramic.

He’d even blocked Jungkook’s Instagram stories. Not unfollowed – Taehyung isn’t a fucking monster. But hiding them seemed like a good idea, for mental health reasons. And because he’d watched a single boomerang of Jungkook sipping an iced Americano four times in a row like it was a short film nominated for Best Picture.

And he hasn’t spent any more sorrowful nights on his balcony listening to Jungkook’s radio show. Nope. None of that. He’s got better things to do with his time.

So yes, Taehyung is doing great.

Which is why, naturally, he finds himself sighing dramatically into the fabric swatches on his design table, muttering “I’m fine” while Seokjin and Jimin exchange the kind of look only best friends watching their other best friend spiral exchange with each other.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Jimin says, flopping onto Taehyung’s studio couch like he lives there. “You’re not just avoiding Jungkook, you’re avoiding your whole family. Sweet Janie is so sad! She even texted me to complain about you.”

“I know,” Taehyung groans into a bolt of muslin. “I can’t keep this up much longer. My mom threatened to bring me the leftovers in my elementary school lunchbox if I don’t come home for a meal soon.”

“The Snoopy one? Dude, that thing is vintage classic!” Seokjin exclaims between sips of tea.

“Still,” Jimin continues, “you’re pining like a Victorian widow for a man who doesn’t even know how heartbroken you are.”

“I’m not heartbroken,” Taehyung snaps, sitting up. “I’m being mature. I’m respecting boundaries.”

“You’re writing poetry in the margins of your sketchbook,” Jimin says dryly. “The other day you rhymed ‘tragedy’ with ‘iced green tea.’”

“That was artistic expression,” Taehyung replies defensively.

“It was a cry for help, Tae.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes and reaches for a pen. “Look, absence makes the heart grow stronger.”

“Fonder,” Jimin corrects him. “I told you that absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“Mine’s growing stronger,” Taehyung insists. “Stronger, harder, colder. Like a designer boot on sale. Beautiful, limited, and completely unattainable.”

Jimin snorts. “That was somehow poetic and unhinged at the same time.”

“Thank you.”

“Great analogy, Taehyungie,” Seokjin says, clapping. “I need to find a way to use that at my next marketing meeting.”

But even as they joke around about Taehyung’s plight, he feels the tug. The soft ache that comes at inconvenient moments. Waiting at crosswalks, brushing his teeth, hearing a song that Jungkook played on his show. 

He picks up a swatch of black velvet and presses it to his cheek with a long-suffering sigh. He can try and believe whatever he wants, but the truth is – falling out of love with Jungkook isn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped. In fact, it might be impossible. 

“Regardless, I want you guys to know that I’m fine,” he says again, still trying to convince himself more than he’s trying to convince his two best friends.

Jimin leans over and gently takes the velvet out of his hand. “You’re in love. It’s okay to not be fine.”

“I’m not in love with my brother’s boyfriend,” Taehyung insists.

He’s never said it out loud before, not even to himself.

“Yes you are. You’re in love and in deep denial,” Seokjin mutters.

They all burst out laughing, even Taehyung. Because if he can’t laugh at his pain, he’d be crying. And crying is definitely too dramatic. He can’t let himself get to that point. He feels ridiculous enough as it is.

Still, as he goes back to his designs, he catches himself sketching a silhouette with a profile that looks just a little too familiar.

Sharp jaw. Soft mouth. Eyes that always see a little more than they let on.

Taehyung sighs.

Maybe Jimin was right. Absence didn’t make the heart grow fonder, it just made it more obvious.

“I have to get over this, guys,” he tells them. “And I’m at a loss for how I’m going to do that.”

It’s the most frustrating predicament Taehyung has ever been in. Even more than that time he double booked himself throwing his parents wedding anniversary party on the same day as Jimin’s 21st birthday party.

“It’s just going to take time, Taehyung,” Seokjin tells him. “You’ll eventually find someone who will make you forget all about Jungkook.”

Jimin nods in agreement. “And if not, you can always move out of the country.”

Taehyung throws a wad of swatches at his best friend. 

“Not helpful, Jimin.”

But Jimin grins as he picks a swatch of crushed velvet from his head.

“Just sayin’, Tae. I heard Bora Bora is lovely all year round.”

*****

Jungkook is standing on the subway platform, hands buried in the pockets of his coat, shoulders hunched against the wind curling through the tunnels. His phone in his back jeans pocket with texts he’s read too many times.

Yejun❤😘: sorry babe, smth came up 

Yejun❤😘: can we raincheck? x

Once again, something had come up. Plans were canceled at the last minute.

Work. Family. School. Kappa Sigma. 

Not to mention the last-minute plans with friends Jungkook has yet to meet. New friends that Yejun has made but doesn’t talk much about.

There was a time – in those earlier months – when he thought he knew everything about Yejun. But it doesn’t feel that way as much anymore. 

He scuffs his boot against the concrete as the train thunders into the station. Light spills across the platform, and Jungkook steps back without moving to board. Let it go. Let them all go ahead. He isn’t in a rush anymore.

The original plan had been a late dinner, something casual but cozy. There was a new ramen spot in Bushwick he’d wanted to try, and he and Yejun hadn’t seen each other all week. So even with his own busy schedule to consider, Jungkook had managed to carve out the time. He’d even turned down a group hang with his roommates just to make it happen.

And now he’s here. Alone. Again.

He eventually takes the train back to his own apartment, the city rushes past in electric blurs and smeared light. Everything feels muted. Like he’s watching his own life happen from just outside of it.

By the time he walks through the door, Yoongi is curled up on the couch under a blanket, headphones on, a record spinning low on the player. Hoseok is half-asleep in the recliner while a Tarantino movie plays on the TV. Namjoon looks up from where he’s reading a book on their ugly orange beanbag chair. 

“You didn’t go out?” he asks.

Jungkook just shakes his head, kicking off his shoes. “Yejun canceled.”

Again.

Namjoon gives a low, sympathetic hum but doesn’t say “I told you so.” He doesn’t need to.

Jungkook goes to the kitchen to grab a beer he doesn’t really want and sits on the edge of the sofa, elbows on his knees, hands curled around the bottle.

He feels unmoored. Not angry. Not even sad. Just...tired.

There’s a part of him, some voice deep down, that keeps whispering: You could just walk away. End it. Start over.

And yet, he still hasn’t. And he keeps asking himself why. What is he even holding on to?

It isn’t as if things with Yejun have been good lately. 

As hard as it was to admit at first, he knows that the sparkle has dulled. The laughs are shorter, the silences are longer. Jungkook feels as though he’s constantly reaching across some invisible distance between himself and Yejun, only to come up short.

So why the hell is he still doing this to himself?

He sips his beer, shivers from the cold of it.

Maybe it’s really about all the other things he would lose if he was no longer with Yejun. 

Like, as ridiculous as it sounds but – the really good sex. And also, going to the best parties on campus because they’re always thrown by Yejun’s fraternity. Not to mention the free smoothies from Yejun’s work. The rides in Mr. Kim’s Ferrari on special date nights. The incredible home-cooked meals on Sunday afternoons. Listening to Janie’s 8th grade gossip while painting each other’s nails. And, of course, all the meaningful talks with Taehyung.

There are too many good things that Jungkook would have to give up if Yejun were no longer his boyfriend. If he says goodbye to Yejun, he’d have to say goodbye to all of the Kim’s.

And Jungkook isn’t sure if he’s ready for that yet. 

He needs to think about this more. Which is really just his excuse for not yet having the nerve to do what he knows he should do, but he can’t fully admit that to himself. He’s not ready to.

So he decides, for now, that’s all he needs – to get a good night's rest and think about it more.

He leaves his unfinished beer on the coffee table and heads to his room without another word. If he isn’t going out, he can at least try to get plenty of sleep.

*****

Over the past week, Taehyung has been keeping up his daily affirmations of being “totally fine” while also throwing himself into his work.

Was he thinking about Jungkook any less? Well, no. But he has certainly been on his game when it comes to his designs. His bosses at Maison Nocturne are madly in love with him already.

And he has even been looking forward to some brotherly bonding with Yejun when the younger one had agreed to come by the studio to help Taehyung out by trying on some sample sizes for a menswear capsule he was in the process of developing. 

Taehyung needs to check proportions and drape, and Yejun has the right kind of build for it. 

Nothing like having a younger brother to help you out in a pinch. He will just have to do his very best to not ask about Jungkook. Not a word. Not unless Yejun were to bring him up first, of course.

And Taehyung had just gotten everything lined up on the wardrobe rack when his phone suddenly buzzes with a text.

Little bro: something came up. can’t make it.

Little bro: sending Kook instead

Little bro: hope that’s okay? hes cool with it lol

Taehyung stares at the message for a full ten seconds.

Then another five.

Then flops down onto a chair and sighs.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

He immediately calls Jimin.

“What’s happened? Why are you calling me this early on a Saturday?”

“A disaster, Jimin,” Taehyung groans. “Yejun bailed.”

“That’s not new.”

“He’s sending Jungkook in his place.”

“Oh,” Jimin says, then his voice suddenly brightens. “Ohhh.”

“Don’t you dare laugh.”

Jimin chuckles. “What? I wouldn't dare. But you should go fix your hair.”

“My hair is fine!”

“Go fix your hair, don’t do anything stupid, and call me later.”

Taehyung ends the call and rushes to the bathroom to fix his unruly, Saturday morning hair. Once he thinks he looks presentable, he nervously paces his office.

By the time Jungkook knocks on the studio door, Taehyung has somehow changed shirts three times and ended up settling for the first one. Neutral colors. Soft drape. Minimal cologne. Professional. Casual.

This is not a crisis. Nope.

Jungkook steps in, hair slightly tousled, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. 

“Hey,” he says, offering a small, polite smile. “Long time no see.”

Taehyung’s mouth goes dry at the sight before him. 

Why does Jungkook have to always look and smell so fucking good?  

He doesn’t think his heart can handle it.

“Yeah,” he manages to say, forcing ease into his voice. “Thank you so much for coming on such short notice.”

Jungkook shrugs. “I didn’t really ask questions. Yejun said you needed a model and I thought it might be fun.”

He pauses before adding.

“And…I’ve missed you, Tae.”

Taehyung swallows and tries to discreetly wipe his sweaty hands on the back of his pants. 

“I-I’ve missed you too. B-been real busy.”

Jungkook nods, like he understands. “I’m sure you have. You’re in the big time now.”

Taehyung smiles, but things feel incredibly awkward between them, or maybe it’s just Taehyung being his usual awkward self whenever he’s near Jungkook. 

Fortunately, Jungkook seems in the mood to talk and easily fills the usually quiet studio with tales of the Sunday lunches Taehyung has missed. About how his dad let Jungkook help him work on the Ferrari, and his mom tried a new chocolate cake recipe that was “to die for.”

“And your mom took a chance and let Janie make the kimchi a couple weeks ago. It turned out pretty good!”

Taehyung smiles as he sifts through the racks and hands Jungkook the first look – a structured, collarless jacket over high-waisted trousers. 

“The thought of Janie cooking is only a little bit terrifying.”

Jungkook laughs as he takes the clothes and disappears into the changing room. 

Taehyung takes a deep breath as he busies himself arranging pins and measuring tape, pretending not to pace.

When Jungkook steps out, Taehyung turns. And stares.

Jungkook looks...perfect. Heartbreakingly so.

The lines of the jacket hit just right at his shoulders, the trousers falling in soft, clean folds down his legs. It isn’t flashy, but it’s intentional. Artful. Like something meant just for him and only him.

Taehyung blinks and clears his throat. 

“Okay. Yeah. That’s...that’s good.”

Jungkook chuckles softly. “You sound surprised.”

“I just–” Taehyung smiles sheepishly. “Didn’t realize how well you’d wear my designs.”

Jungkook’s cheeks suddenly turn pink, and Taehyung wonders if maybe the changing room is too warm. It couldn’t be that Jungkook is feeling shy from what he said. Could it?

He puts the thought out of his mind and hands Jungkook the next outfit.

They move through the fittings, with Taehyung adjusting the sleeves here, adding a pin at the waist there. Silently begging his hands to stop shaking from being so close to Jungkook. From getting to touch him, if only fleetingly.

But somewhere between outfit three and four, things get easier. Natural. Taehyung is kind of able to breathe somewhat normally despite the close proximity to his crush.

And they start talking more.

It’s just random things at first. How school is going for Jungkook. How work is going for Taehyung. How Jungkook is taking on more responsibilities at his job, getting paid a little more. How the radio show doesn’t feel like work at all because he loves it so much. 

Taehyung tells Jungkook about his boss who’d visited from Paris a few days earlier and took him out to a French restaurant.

"We went to this painfully chic French place where everything was tiny and beige. I spent half the night pretending to understand the menu and the other half wondering if the escargot was judging me."

They laugh, and Jungkook tells Taehyung about his strange professor who used to be a radio DJ back in the 70’s.

“He calls his lectures ‘sets’ and says things like, ‘Stay tuned for more History of Broadcasting after the break.’"

At one point, Jungkook is half out of a mock turtleneck when he says, “You know, I always thought fashion people were a little cold.”

Taehyung raises a brow. “Do I seem cold?”

Jungkook grins. “You used to. A little. But I think you’re just shy.”

“Excuse me, but I believe the term is enigmatic.”

Jungkook laughs, and Taehyung feels it bloom in his chest like light through a cracked curtain. God, he’d missed that laugh.

After the last fitting, Jungkook stands by the rack in his regular clothes, fidgeting with the zipper of his hoodie.

“This was actually fun,” he says, quieter now. “It was really good to see you, Tae.”

Taehyung looks up. Something in Jungkook’s expression – open, unsure – makes it hard to look away.

“It was really good to see you too,” Taehyung replies.

The words hang between them, soft but honest.

They don’t talk about the club. About that night. But they don’t need to, and Taehyung decides he doesn’t need to be embarrassed about it anymore. Everything is cool between him and Jungkook. And he knows he’ll cherish this day they spent together for as long as he lives.

And then Jungkook smiles again and reaches for his bag. 

“Let me know if you need help again. Seriously. And I hope you get some time in your schedule to come to Sunday lunch soon.”

Taehyung nods. “I’m going to try my best.”

They say goodbye, and Taehyung watches Jungkook go, his smile lingering in his mind longer than it should. 

He doesn’t say it out loud to himself, but maybe this was worse than absence. Because now his heart is growing fonder and stronger. 

But…Jungkook is still Yejun’s.

*****

“We didn’t talk about my brother the entire time,” Taehyung says later that night when he meets up with Seokjin and Jimin at a bar around the corner from Taehyung’s apartment. 

Both of his friends raise their eyebrows in unison. 

“Oh really? Not once, huh?” Jimin asks.

Taehyung shakes his head no.

“It’s only the second time I’ve hung out with Jungkook alone and it was so…easy.”

“Well, a car ride isn’t really hanging out,” Seokjin points out.

Taehyung shrugs. “Yeah, but still. Even with Yejun not around, things weren’t weird. It’s almost more comfortable with my brother not there.”

Suddenly, Jimin frowns. “Tae. Don’t go there, babe.”

“What do you mean?” he asks as he takes a sip of bourbon. 

“I mean , don’t let your heart run away with your head. Jungkook is Yejun’s boyfriend. Yejun is your brother . Shit is already complicated enough on your side of it. And as your best friend, I can't stand to watch you get your hopes up.”

Taehyung scoffs. “You told me to fix my hair!”

Jimin lets out a heavy sigh. “I was teasing you. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with being presentable in front of someone you like. But that doesn’t mean you can steal Jungkook from your brother. ”

Seokjin nods in agreement. “We don’t want you to get hurt, Tae. A crush is one thing, but if you really are in love with Jungkook…”

He doesn’t have to finish the sentence for Taehyung to understand what his friends are trying to tell him. 

Taehyung needs a reality check.

“Okay, so…what should I do?”

Jimin puts a hand on his shoulder and looks him straight in the eyes. 

“Date, dude. Date someone. Anyone. Date as many women and men as possible until you find someone that makes you forget about Jungkook Jeon.”

Taehyung sighs. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It is easy, Tae!” Jimin yelps. “Look at you! Your hot as fuck. You could pull anyone in this entire bar right now, so just do it.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes.

“Face it, Tae. You’re sexy,” Seokjin adds. “Almost as sexy as me. And in addition to being sexy, you're employed and emotionally repressed. That’s a winning trifecta in this city.”

Taehyung groans. “If I agree to go out with someone, will you stop saying the word ‘sexy’?” 

Seokjin nods. “I’ll never utter the word again if you go out on at least three dates over the next two weeks.”

It’s the encouragement Taehyung knows he needs. Because if nothing else has worked in helping him to get over Jungkook, then maybe finding someone new will be what it takes. 

So, over the next couple of weeks, Taehyung starts dating. A lot. 

Jimin had added every dating app possible to his phone. Taehyung was swiping left and right all day and all night.

It was all pretty casual at first, nothing major. Then eventually, he commits to it enough to start remembering last names. But no one really gets his attention past two dates.

And then he meets Sofía.

A model from Argentina, he meets her during a chaotic fashion shoot in the Meatpacking District. No dating apps needed.

Legs for days, a laugh like red wine, and the confidence of someone who had once walked a couture runway with a python around her shoulders. She and Taehyung have gone out on several dates. Dates that had all gone surprisingly well.

They aren’t serious – at least not yet – but she likes his style and his sense of humor, and he likes how cool and fun she is – how she acts like being a model isn’t that big of a deal. 

They had been going out for three weeks when Taehyung decides he’s ready to let his family in on who he’s been spending time with. Especially since Thanksgiving is coming up soon and he thinks it would be nice to invite Sofía to spend it with them.

So, when Sunday lunch rolls around and Taehyung mentions he might bring a guest, his mom sounds absolutely thrilled .

“A special friend, Taehyung? Really?”

And even though Taehyung had told her not to make a big deal out of it, his mother had insisted on having lunch in the formal dining room instead of at the kitchen table.

“It’s going to be so lovely!” She’d exclaimed.

Which is how he finds himself walking into the Kim family brownstone with Sofía on his arm and a bottle of wine in his other hand, wearing his best “I’m normal and emotionally available” face.

Yejun, seated beside Jungkook at the dining table, blinks. 

“You brought a date? A girl this time?”

Janie lets out a delighted gasp. “She’s so pretty, Taehyungie!”

“We’re glad to have you join us, Sofia,” Mr. Kim tells her as he shakes her hand.

Sofía smiles, says something charming in Spanish, and takes the offered seat beside Taehyung like she’s always belonged there. She kisses his cheek when he pours her a glass of wine. His mother beams excitedly and asks what seems like dozens of questions.

Everyone is full of polite smiles and small talk. Except Jungkook.

He isn’t rude, exactly. Just quieter than usual. Less spark in his jokes. Less eye contact with Taehyung. When he does speak, his voice has a flat tone that Taehyung has only ever heard once or twice before, usually when Yejun has said or done something to upset him.

When Sofía compliments the food and says she is “so glad to finally meet Taehyung’s family,” Jungkook looks down at his plate and doesn't say anything.

Taehyung catches it. A flicker of something. Annoyance? Discomfort?

Or maybe he’s totally wrong. Maybe he’s making things up in his head because he wants Jungkook to not like Sofia. And for his own selfish reasons.

Still, after lunch, as everyone moves into the living room for tea, Jungkook stays behind to help clear the table. Taehyung is about to bring a tray of empty plates into the kitchen when he catches the end of a muttered comment to Yejun.

“Weird vibe today.”

Yejun responds with a dismissive noise and puts his arm around Jungkook’s shoulder.

“I think you’re just tired.”

Taehyung lingers in the doorway a moment too long, turning away before they notice him.

That night, back in his apartment, Sofía curls up beside him on the couch and scrolls through photos from her latest shoot on her phone.

“You okay?” she asks, not looking up. “You were quiet on the ride back.”

Taehyung nods slowly. “Yeah. Just tired.”

But something tugs at him. Not guilt, not regret – just this faint, confusing ache in his chest.

Had Jungkook been bothered for real? And if so, why?

No, it has to be all in his head. Definitely. Probably. Just stupid, wishful thinking.

Taehyung leans back and closes his eyes. But Jungkook’s voice – low, cool, disappointed – keeps echoing in his ears.

Fuck.

*****

JK: i rlly hate when u make me worry

Yejun❤😘: for the millionth fuckin time IM SORRY JUNGKOOK

JK: u don’t hae to say it like that

JK: i cant help being scard something happened to u

Yejun❤😘: omg i told u i’m fine

Yejun❤😘: i didnt know my phone wouldn’t get any service

Yejun❤😘: pls chill out

JK: whatever

JK: lets just talk tmr

Yejun❤😘: k

Yejun❤😘: goodnite

JK: good night Yejun

JK: i love u 💗

JK: …

“You look tense as fuck.”

Jungkook startles at the sound of Yoongi’s voice.

He’d been sitting by the window, stressing, worried. Yejun had gone out with his friends, Greg and Roy, and hadn’t checked in all night.

Finally, Jungkook had gotten a reply back. 

“Just the usual.”

“So, Yejun’s being a dick again?”

Jungkook hums his response, sure his friends have long been tired of his drama with his boyfriend. 

“You can talk about it, Kook. Don’t feel like you have to go through this shit on your own.”

Jungkook nods. “I know. But…I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

He really doesn’t. There’s really nothing he can say at this point. He knows what the solution is to his problems. It’s getting up the nerve to do what he knows he should do that he keeps struggling with.

He’s driving himself crazy with his wishy-washy bullshit. 

“I can respect that,” Yoongi tells him. “But I’m here for you regardless. So is Joon and Hobi. You know that, right?”

Jungkook nods again. “I know. And I appreciate that. You guys are seriously the best.”

Yoongi smirks. “Then buy us pizza tonight.”

Jungkook smiles back. “You got it.”

*****

After a pizza dinner with his roommates, Jungkook is lying on his bed with his hands behind his head, staring at the blank ceiling of his room. 

A textbook sits on his chest, open to a page he hadn’t been able to concentrate on despite needing to get the chapter read before his class in the morning. 

Outside the window, the low hum of Brooklyn life buzzes on – cars, voices, the occasional honk. But inside, everything feels still. Stalled.

He exhales slowly, replaying the scene in his mind for what feels like the fiftieth time.

Sofia.

She had been stunning. That was obvious. Model-tall, with skin like polished marble and eyes that flicked around the room like she already owned it. She’d worn something effortlessly chic, all black with a slash of red lipstick and a knowing smile. She was exactly the kind of person who would fit in at a fashion shoot, or on Taehyung’s arm at some posh rooftop event in SoHo.

She was also the kind of person who’d called Jungkook “adorable” within ten minutes of meeting him. The kind of person who kissed Taehyung on the cheek in front of everyone, fingers lingering on his jacket lapel like she’d stitched it herself. The kind of person who’d looked at Taehyung like he was a trophy, a pretty thing to be claimed.

Jungkook shifts. Annoyed.

He tells himself it isn’t about her. Not really. It isn’t even about the way she talked or laughed or had good manners during lunch. 

It’s about Taehyung.

Taehyung, who had seemed a little quieter than usual. Taehyung, who had poured Sofia’s wine and listened when she talked but hadn’t said much of his own. Taehyung, who had caught Jungkook’s eye across the table only once, and then looked away like it had been a mistake.

Jungkook tosses the textbook to the floor and rolls onto his side, sighing into his pillow. The guilt is quick to follow.

He has no right to be thinking about this. Not like this . Not when his own relationship is barely holding it together, increasingly consisting of broken promises and constant apologies.

And yet, there is this quiet, bitter thing sitting heavy in his chest. Like a coin has flipped and landed wrong. As if he’s just jealous. Because Taehyung and Sofia had looked content together, in that way that a new couple who really like each other look. Maybe Jungkook just misses what that feels like now that the spark with Yejun isn’t so much a spark anymore.

Or maybe it’s that he doesn’t know Sofia, doesn’t trust her. Maybe he thinks Taehyung is too kind, too open, too quick to believe the best in people. Maybe Sofia doesn’t deserve someone like him. Someone so good and talented and smart and beautiful, inside and out.

That has to be it. He’s just looking out for Taehyung. Being protective. That’s all this is. 

Right?

But even as he tells that to himself, trying to string the logic together in his head, he knows it isn’t true.

Not really.

Because the truth is, seeing her sitting beside Taehyung had made something tighten behind his ribs. It wasn’t anger, and it wasn’t really suspicion. But it was something. Something he can’t seem to name.

Jungkook shuts his eyes. 

Whatever this is, he needs to shake it off. Taehyung is old enough to know what’s best for him. And if he’s happy dating Sofia, who is Jungkook to get in the way of that? No matter what his motives might be. 

No. He tells himself he doesn’t have any motives about anything when it comes to Taehyung.

Taehyung is Yejun’s older brother. And he’s Jungkook’s friend.

And that’s all. 

Yeah.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

“I hate that I have to be gone for a whole week,” Sofia pouts as Taehyung opens the trunk of his BMW to get out her suitcases. 

Unfortunately, she also hates the green Cutlass and kindly asked that he never drive it when they’re together. 

“You’ll be so busy it’ll go by in a blink,” he tells her. “Plus, there’s tons of things to do in Vienna. You’re going to have a great time.”

Sofia wraps her arms around his neck and sighs. “But I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with you and your adorable family.”

Taehyung presses a kiss to her fiery red lips. “There’s always Christmas.”

Sofia pouts even harder. “But I’ll be going home to visit my family.”

“How about New Year’s? Need a date?” he asks.

And that’s what gets her smiling, though Taehyung suddenly feels nauseated. Why is he planning so far ahead? He’s not sure he’s ready to commit to a New Year’s night out with a woman he still doesn’t know a lot about yet.

But then he silently reminds himself that it’s probably a good thing to have an expectation that he might end up liking Sofia enough to still be dating her six weeks from now.

Maybe he needs to stop thinking so much and just focus on the way she’s now kissing him as her hand threads through the back of his hair. 

Because, sure, he likes Sofia. And thinks she could end up being the one to cure his longing for someone who he refuses to name – even inside his mind.

But he’s nervous too, because she’ll be gone for a week on a modeling job. A whole week of no new, budding relationship distraction. A distraction that is great at keeping his mind off the person whose name he will not even think. 

Still, Thanksgiving is in a few days. Taehyung can’t avoid Thanksgiving. And he can’t avoid the fact that Yejun’s boyfriend will be there too – instead of flying home to celebrate with his own family.

And there will be no Sofia to keep him preoccupied.

Fortunately, Jimin and Seokjin are coming to Thanksgiving at the Kim home. So are the roommates of Yejun’s boyfriend, along with a few other family members and friends. It will be a full house. Taehyung can at least be hopeful that he’ll be too busy socializing with everyone else to be socializing with the person who he should not be thinking about now that he kind of has a girlfriend. 

“Are you okay, Tae?”

It takes a second for him to realize that Sofia has been staring at him.

“Y-yeah,” he stammers. “I’m just going to miss you.”

The smile that spreads across her face is as bright as the sun. “Aww, babe! I’m going to miss you too.”

She kisses him again, and this time he forces himself to not get lost in thought. 

They say their goodbyes and he watches her disappear into the crowd of travelers checking their luggage, heading off to thousands of different destinations. 

“Sir, I know you’re going to miss that beautiful woman who just left, but I’m going to need you to move your car,” a police officer tells him as politely as possible.

Taehyung apologizes before getting back behind the wheel and taking off towards the city to go back home.

It’s only when he gets a text from Yejun that he diverts his destination.

Little bro: can u hang out with Jungkook tmr? 

Little bro: keep him busy for a few hrs? 🙏

Taehyung stares at it for a minute, then types back:

TaeTae: why?

The reply comes a few seconds later.

Little bro: idk, just need you to

Little bro: pls tae

It’s suspicious and unusual for Yejun to ask such a favor. And it’s enough to make Taehyung toss his phone onto the passenger seat and head in the direction of his parents house.

When he arrives and lets himself in, he finds Yejun standing at the kitchen counter, slicing an apple like it’s the most innocent thing in the world. Taehyung leans against the doorframe, arms crossed.

“Tell me why you need me to babysit your boyfriend, Juni.”

Yejun glances up, looking only partially surprised to see Taehyung standing there. 

“I didn’t say ‘babysit’. I just thought you two could bond some more over fashion designs or whatever.”

Taehyung doesn’t budge. “You were the one who was supposed to come to the studio. Remember? But you bailed on me. So why are you bailing on Jungkook this time? Why are you asking me to cover for you?”

Yejun lets out a breath and sets the knife down. 

“I have plans.”

“What kind of plans?”

“Plans I can’t get out of. And I’ve been flaking on Kook a lot lately. But if you hang out with him, then he might not be as upset. He had fun helping you at the studio, so maybe you could do something like that again.”

No matter how sincere Yejun is trying to sound, Taehyung knows his brother too well.

“Don’t bullshit me, Jun. Tell me the real reason why you’re trying to ditch Jungkook.”

It’s then that Yejun gets an exasperated look on his face. He has a secret, and Taehyung isn’t going to let up until he finds out what it is.

“Jesus, Tae–”

“Yejun.”

His brother hesitates, then leans his hands on the counter, jaw tight. 

“There’s this guy at work. His name’s Elliott. We’ve been...talking. Hanging out a little.”

Taehyung blinks, the words taking a second to settle.

“You’re seeing someone else?” he asks, voice low.

“I’m not–I wouldn’t say that I’m seeing him. I’m just…trying to figure things out.”

“With someone else. While you’re still with Jungkook. Hanging out is the same thing as seeing someone, Yejun.”

Taehyung is stunned by what he’s hearing. He can hardly believe how completely stupid his brother is being.

Yejun straightens, looking defensive instead of guilty. “I haven’t done anything with him, Taehyung. It’s innocent.”

“You’re hanging out with another guy that you have feelings for. How is that ‘innocent’, exactly?”

Yejun huffs. “Because I haven’t even slept with him. Not yet. It’s just...” He runs a hand through his hair, clearly anxious at admitting to something he probably hasn’t told anyone else.

“Jungkook is great, I know he is. But I’ve been confused lately, and Elliott kind of…makes sense right now.”

Taehyung’s stomach turns. “Then break up with Jungkook.”

Yejun shakes his head. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Taehyung demands, anger beginning to boil deep within his chest. 

He’s never in his life been so disappointed in his little brother, so enraged at his callous behavior toward someone so undeserving of it.

“Because I don’t want to,” Yejun snaps, frustrated. “I love Jungkook. I care about him. But I don’t know if it’s enough. I’m trying to work this all out without hurting anyone.”

Taehyung’s voice is sharp now. “You're cheating on him, Yejun. That’s already hurting him. You’re not doing anything noble by lying to him.”

Yejun flinches, then drops his gaze. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I just need more time.”

Taehyung is quiet, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

“You shouldn’t be asking me to cover for you. That’s not okay.”

Yejun looks up at him, eyes pleading. “I didn’t tell you all this so you would judge me. I told you because you’re my brother. Please, Tae, just keep this between us. For now. I promise I’ll figure my shit out and do what I need to do. I just need more time.”

Taehyung exhales slowly, heart pounding. How could Yejun treat someone like Jungkook this way? Someone Taehyung can only dream of getting to be that close to. 

“Fine,” he says, voice clipped. “But don’t ever put me in this position again. This is a one time thing, Juni. One time.”

Yejun gives him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Taehyungie. You’re the best big brother ever,” he says before going back to his apple like nothing had happened.

But Taehyung stands there for a long time, unable to move, even after Yejun goes into the living room to watch TV with his apple slices neatly arranged on a plate.

The guilt sits heavy on Taehyung’s chest – not just because of what he knows, but because of who it affects. 

He wants to protect Jungkook. Not hide things from him.

Not fall for him.

Not be the only one who knows his heart is being broken in slow motion.

And yet, here he is. Silent. Sick with it. Sworn to secrecy, and completely, helplessly complicit.

*****

The morning after his talk with Yejun, Taehyung had tried on twelve different outfits before finally deciding on something casual. Jeans, a plaid flannel, and his trusty old black leather jacket. 

It was already the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and the city had begun its quiet transformation into the bustling holiday season.

Golden leaves skittering across sidewalks, windows were being trimmed with twinkle lights, and the scent of burning firewood curled through the air like a warm memory. Brooklyn felt like it was holding its breath between seasons – between endings and beginnings.

Taehyung hadn’t told Jimin and Seokjin what he was up to today, but he had sworn to himself that this would be a one time thing with Jungkook, this “keeping him busy” bullshit he was asked to do. Taehyung had already decided that this would be the only time he would cover for Yejun now that he knew the truth. Now that he knew about some kid named Elliot.

It will be hard enough to not tell Jungkook about Yejun’s secret for a whole day. To keep something like that from the man he loves, knowing how much Jungkook deserves to know the truth. If Yejun were to ever ask for his help again, how would he be able to keep living the lie?

He’s already lying by not telling Jungkook how he feels about him. He doesn’t want to add Yejun’s lie to the mix. 

Besides, he wants to give his brother the benefit of the doubt. He wants to believe Yejun will do the right thing, sooner than later.

For now, the disappointment he feels towards his younger brother is too strong to shake off. As much as he wants to have faith in Yejun, he finds it extremely difficult to do so. Sure, people make mistakes, get confused. Yejun is young and trying to figure out his life and his heart. But it doesn’t excuse treating Jungkook like a backup plan. It doesn’t excuse spending time with another guy while Jungkook sits around being canceled on over and over again. 

When it comes down to it, Taehyung knows that his brother doesn’t deserve Jungkook. That if he’s not going to choose Jungkook now, then he doesn’t deserve the chance to choose him later. After he “figures things out.”

Taehyung takes a deep breath to calm his nerves as he takes the elevator down to the parking garage. He can’t let Jungkook see how rattled he is. He’ll have to concentrate on biting his tongue – to not spill the secrets he’s keeping.

So he puts on an easy smile when he shows up at Jungkook’s apartment with a bag of pastries from the overpriced French bakery Jungkook likes to complain about but always ends up caving in for.

“Tae! Come on in, man,” Namjoon greets when he opens the door. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

Taehyung gives Namjoon a look that says it all.

“Yejun sent you because he’s not coming.”

Taehyung sighs. “Nailed it.”

Namjoon shakes his head. “It’s been happening more and more lately. But for whatever reason, Jungkook keeps hanging in there.”

Guilt surges through Taehyung all the way to his bones. He now knows why his brother keeps canceling on Jungkook, but it’s not just that. He feels as if he should have been a better influence on his brother. That he should have taught him how to treat someone that you claim to love. He can’t stop from blaming himself.

“Trust me, I wish I could shake some sense into Yejun,” Taehyung replies. “He doesn’t deserve someone as amazing as Jungkook.”

Namjoon tilts his head, as if he’s noticing something he hadn’t before. 

“You seem to care a lot about him.”

Taehyung swallows, thinks maybe Namjoon is seeing right through him. The guy is pretty smart, after all.

“I do. He’s…he’s important to our whole family. W–we all care for him.”

A knowing smile appears on Namjoon’s lips, but before he can say anything else, Jungkook appears from the hallway. Taehyung’s heart jackrabbits against his chest. 

Jungkook’s hair is still tousled from sleep, hoodie half-zipped over a vintage tee. He looks so incredibly adorable as he blinks with confusion. 

“Taehyung?”

“You busy?” Taehyung asks, lifting up the pastry bag. “They had the chocolate-almond croissants today.”

Jungkook looks at him for a beat, surprised, maybe touched.

“Yejun sent you.” It’s not a question, and he doesn’t seem surprised. He doesn’t even look upset.

Taehyung nods, vaguely noticing when Namjoon leaves the room.

“You don’t have to keep doing this, you know,” Jungkook says as they head into the kitchen. “Taking care of me when he bails.”

“I want to,” Taehyung says.

It’s honest. Of course he wants to spend time with Jungkook. He wishes he could spend time with him every single day. All day.

“I’m sure you had better things to do today.”

But Taehyung shakes his head. “I’m completely open, so I figured I’d take the chance to see if I could convince you to walk the Maison Nocturne runway next month.”

Jungkook’s eyes go wide. 

“What? No way!”

Taehyung chuckles. “Way,” he says as he opens the bag of pastries and hands one to a shocked looking Jungkook. “We’re doing a holiday show at Bergdorf Goodman on the 20th. We’re in the process of hiring models for it. And since you wore my designs so well, I thought you might want to model them in front of all our guests.”

Jungkook shakes his head before taking a bite of his croissant, humming as he chews.

“Me, with a bunch of models? Wouldn't I look out of place?”

Taehyung’s heart melts. 

“No, Kook,” he says, voice low. “You’d outshine them all.”

They say nothing for a beat, eyes locked on each other, and Taehyung suddenly feels too exposed. He quickly looks away and tries to focus on the bag of pastries, picking out one for himself.

“Well, I’m flattered,” Jungkook says, sounding shy. “But, I’m not convinced. Not yet. So it’s a good thing you’re free all day.”

Taehyung chuckles. “Did I mention it’s a paying gig?”

Jungkook grins. “Keep talking.”

*****

Jungkook and Taehyung spend the morning wandering through Fort Greene, sipping coffee and people-watching. Jungkook entertains him by pointing out cute dogs and odd fashion choices while Taehyung laughs beside him, forgetting for long stretches that he’s only here with Jungkook because of a lie.

When they reach a holiday pop-up market, Jungkook pulls Taehyung into a stall full of hand-painted ornaments. He picks out a polar bear wearing a red scarf.

“This one reminds me of you,” Jungkook says as he holds up the ornament next to Taehyung’s face.

Taehyung laughs. “It’s the red scarf,” he says as he flicks the end of said red scarf between them.

“No, it’s his eyes,” Jungkook says, smiling softly. “You both have kind eyes.”

Taehyung’s stomach swoops and he forgets how to breathe. Jungkook has never looked at him like that before. Like he’s not just seeing him as Yejun’s big brother. Like he sees him as something more than that.

It feels good.

Later, after tacos for dinner from a food truck, they sit on a bench near the water, warm cider in their hands, watching the sky bleed orange and then lavender over the Manhattan skyline.

“You ready for Thursday?” Jungkook asks after a while. “I heard you’re bringing the mashed potatoes.”

Taehyung nods. “I am,” he admits. “You’ll be there too, right?”

“Yeah. Your mom texted me directly,” Jungkook says, a little sheepish. “I think I’ve been adopted.”

“She does that,” Taehyung replies with a chuckle.

Jungkook sips his cider, then glances over. “Is Sofia coming?”

Taehyung hesitates. “Uh…no. She’s in Vienna for a shoot. Won’t be back in time.”

He doesn’t want to read into the way Jungkook’s posture seems to loosen upon hearing that, like he’d suddenly let go of whatever tension he’d been holding onto. But Taehyung remembers the way Jungkook had acted during Sunday lunch. The way he’d seemed displeased with Sofia’s presence.

“Oh,” Jungkook replies. “That’s...too bad.”

It doesn’t sound like he means it. And Taehyung thinks a quiet flicker of something unspoken passes between them. Or maybe he’s just overanalyzing everything, allowing that wishful thinking to mess with his head.

“Are you doing anything after dinner?” Jungkook asks, almost casually.

“Hmm, I’ll probably just crash,” Taehyung says. “You know how aggressive my parents’ wine pours can be on special occasions.”

Jungkook chuckles. “Oh yeah! Remember last New Year’s Eve with the champagne? I was holding onto the walls on the way to the bathroom!”

Taehyung laughs. “I remember. I could barely function the next day. I was so hungover.”

“Well, if you aren’t completely down for the count, me and the guys might hit up Eclipse. They’ve been wanting to go ever since I told them about it.”

The mention of the nightclub makes Taehyung’s pulse spike. He still thinks about it everyday – how he had held Jungkook so close. How good it had felt to have the object of his affections in his arms.

He wonders if making new memories there will erase his embarrassment from last time. That might be a good thing. A way to maybe let go of the past and get his head straight.

“That sounds fun,” he says with a nod. “And Jimin could get us a table in the VIP section again.”

Jungkook’s eyes light up at that. “It’s a date! Or…I mean…it’s a plan.”

His cheeks go pink and Taehyung is beyond endeared.

“It’s a plan.”

They sit in a comfortable silence for several minutes before Jeongguk speaks again.

“Thanks for today,” he says, voice sincere. “I didn’t realize how much I needed the company.”

Taehyung looks out at the river, his voice softer than he intended when he says, “Me neither.”

They sit there as dusk folds around them, cider cups cooling in their hands. For a moment, Taehyung allows himself to have this – not as Yejun’s brother, not as a stand-in, but just as someone who wants to be near Jungkook. Someone who would never treat him like second best. Ever.

*****

“So, did I convince you to do the runway job?” Taehyung asks with a smirk once he walks Jungkook to his door. 

Jungkook never had any intention of saying no. He could use the extra money, and it would be a great way to do some networking. And yes, getting a chance to hang out with Taehyung is also a big plus. Especially after the day they’d spent together. 

“Hmm…I don’t know…” he teases. “Maybe if you throw in dinner afterwards I’d be more inclined to accept the offer.”

Taehyung’s laugh is infectious – to the point that Jungkook’s cheeks are hurting from how much he’s been laughing and smiling all day. 

“You drive a hard bargain, Jungkook Jeon,” he says. “But yes. Dinner's on me after the show is over. I’ll even let you pick the place.”

Jungkook can’t hide his pleased grin. “Then you got yourself a model, Mr. Kim.”

He offers his hand and Taehyung shakes it, solidifying the deal. 

“And thank you again for today. I had a lot of fun.”

Taehyung smiles so big his eyes are crescents. “I did too. Sleep tight, Kook.”

“Goodnight, Tae.”

He watches as the older one descends the stairs until he’s out of sight before unlocking his door. 

When he enters the apartment, he’s immediately hit with the pungent, skunky aroma of weed, and quickly toes off his shoes to join his roommates for a smoke.

“I’m just in time, huh?” he says with an amused grin.

“Were you with Taehyung all day?” Namjoon asks, a little confused and surprised as he sits perched on the windowsill looking down at the street.

Jungkook assumes he’s watching Taehyung getting into his Cutlass to head home. The thought brings a soft smile to Jungkook’s face.

“Yeah. I was supposed to go over to Yejun’s to have our monthly Sunday movie marathon, but he bailed. I guess he felt guilty and sent Taehyung to hang out with me.”

Yoongi eyes his friend curiously. “What was his excuse this time?”

Jungkook shrugs. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

Yoongi sits back from where he’s been packing his bong on the coffee table and tilts his head.

“You don’t seem pissed about it.”

“I’m not.”

Hoseok, who's been lying on the floor doing yoga poses, stops to hand a lit joint to Jungkook as the youngest of the group passes by on his way to the couch.

As much as he’s enjoyed his day with Taehyung – it feels good to sit down in the moody warmth of his apartment and not be sulking.

“You’re not mad that Yejun canceled on you and sent his brother in his place again? You're not at all suspicious as to why he would send Taehyung in the first place?” Yoongi asks, incredulous.

It’s something Jungkook hasn’t let himself think about. But he isn’t stupid. He knows something is up with Yejun. Still, that’s not where his mind is currently at.

“I probably should be, but I’m not,” Jungkook replies between puffs. “I had fun with Taehyung. We had a really good time.”

“Yeah?” Hoseok says, raising an eyebrow.

Jungkook nods. “Yeah. Taehyung is funny, and sweet. He always has such interesting thoughts and ideas. He’s probably a genius.”

“He’s also really hot,” Yoongi adds. 

It’s impossible for Jungkook to keep his cheeks from getting warm at the observation as he bites into his lip to keep from smiling too big. 

“He…yeah,” he stutters, looking down at his hands. “Taehyung is…he’s h-handsome.”

Everyone is quiet, and Jungkook doesn’t notice it at first, but his three friends are all staring at him.

“What?” he asks, trying to sound unbothered. “Why are you guys looking at me like that?

“Because,”  Namjoon says, leaving the window to sit on the floor in front of Jungkook. “We’re wondering if that was like…a date.”

Jungkook scoffs a nervous laugh. “Huh? Are you serious?”

Hoseok starts to snicker, holding his stomach as Jungkook throws a couch pillow at him.

“It wasn’t a date! How could it be a date? I have a boyfriend.”

“Yeah. A new one, apparently,” Yoongi smirks. 

Jungkook can feel the heat in his cheeks getting even hotter at what they’re all implying. And truthfully, it doesn’t bother him as much as it should – though he’s not above denying it.

“Oh my god, you guys are so fucking immature,” he says, rolling his eyes.

“Are we?” Yoongi asks. “Or does dating Taehyung make so much more sense than staying with a dick like Yejun?”

“For real,” Hoseok says. “I like Taehyung. He’s cool as shit.”

Namjoon nods in agreement. “He’s a class act, Kook. Makes you wonder how he and Yejun are even related.”

For whatever reason, Jungkook feels a little guilty being a part of this conversation. Maybe it’s because of the harsh words about Yejun. Maybe it’s because Taehyung doesn’t deserve to be talked about behind his back. 

Regardless, Jungkook is still dating Yejun, even if things have been less than ideal lately. Way less than ideal.

“This whole conversation is ridiculous,” Jungkook grunts defensively. “Taehyung doesn’t even see me like that. And even if he did, it would be so wrong on so many levels. Plus, I’m not giving up on Yejun yet.”

Yoongi lets out a loud sigh. “Suit yourself, but I bet you’re wrong.”

“Wrong about what?”

“About how Tae sees you,” Namjoon says with a knowing look at Yoongi. 

Jungkook’s heart thumps. He doesn't want to be hearing this…or maybe he does. 

“He looks at you, Jungkook,” Hoseok chimes in. “Like really looks at you. Every time we’ve been around him – there’s just something there. He’s in tune with you, and attentive. And it’s not because you're his little brother’s boyfriend.”

Jungkook’s heart is racing. His stomach is doing somersaults. He thinks about that night at Eclipse for the millionth time. The way Taehyung had looked at him – held him.

“Are you–are you saying that Taehyung has a…a crush on me?”

Yoongi shrugs. “Could be. I mean – it’s not impossible. If anything, I bet if you made a move, he’d be into it.”

Jungkook shakes his head. There’s no way. He could never do that. If Taehyung rejected him, it would be humiliating.

“You guys are way too fucking high,” he scoffs. “Plus, he has a girlfriend now. And she’s fucking gorgeous.”

Namjoon huffs. “So are you. And besides, he’s known her for, what, a few weeks? He’s known you for almost a whole year.”

Jungkook shakes his head. “No, Joon. It’s not like that. Taehyung and I are just friends, and–”

“You should text him!” Hoseok interrupts with a yelp so loud that Yoongi nearly jumps out of his chair. “Text him about how much fun you had today. Open that line of communication with him and see where it goes.”

Jungkook chuckles, definitely beginning to feel the effects of the weed. “I–I don’t know, guys. That seems so shady. What about Yejun?”

A chorus of “Fuck Yejun” ’s erupts and Jungkook finds himself collapsing onto the living room floor in a fit of giggles. 

“Okay, so maybe you’re too high to be texting Taehyung tonight,” Namjoon chuckles. “But think about it. If anything, it would be interesting to see if there’s a new possibility on your horizon, JK.”

Jungkook takes a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat in his ears. His throat is dry and he feels like falling asleep. 

It’s been a long day, and he doesn’t know if he’ll take his friends' advice, but he knows they’ve given him a lot to think about. 

Maybe too much.

*****

The Kim house is packed. Every room hums with the voices of their guests, with laughter and the clinking of glasses. Someone has already spilled cider on the entryway rug, Seokjin is yelling about a forgotten pie in the oven, and Taehyung is certain his mother has somehow cooked for one hundred when there are maybe thirty guests.

The usual crew is there – Jimin and Seokjin are helping in the kitchen, Namjoon is reading the ingredient list off a spice bottle like it’s a philosophy text, Yoongi is DJ-ing from the living room with full authority over the Bluetooth speaker, and Hoseok is happily dancing with one of Taehyung’s younger cousins as if this were a house party and not just another chaotic Thanksgiving. 

A few extended family members drift in and out of conversations, and friends of the Kims’ fill in the gaps. It’s loud and happy and just what you want a Thanksgiving dinner to be – surrounded by the people you care most about.

And Taehyung should be enjoying himself, but his eyes keep drifting over to Yejun.

Currently, his little brother is seated at the end of the couch, shoulders hunched, head ducked over his phone. Again.

Taehyung walks over and nudges him with his knee. “Seriously?”

“What?” Yejun grunts without looking up.

“You’re at a family holiday and you’ve been on your phone for the last hour.”

Yejun locks the screen, sighing. “It’s just Elliot,” he murmurs quietly. “I’m still thinking through some stuff.”

Taehyung crosses his arms. “You mean, thinking about how to balance fucking around with a guy who’s not your boyfriend while your actual boyfriend is literally carving a turkey with our dad in the kitchen?”

Yejun winces. “I’m not trying to be a dick, Tae. And I’m not doing anything as shitty as what you’re assuming.”

“You’re doing enough,” Taehyung says, softer now. “And Jungkook doesn’t know about any of it. That’s what makes this whole thing even worse.”

“I know,” Yejun mutters. “But you’re still not going to say anything, right?

Taehyung sighs, unable to avoid his brother’s pleading eyes. “I won’t say anything…for now. But you’re running out of time to do the right thing, Juni.”

Yejun doesn’t reply. Instead, he just pulls his phone back out and taps the screen again.

Taehyung steps away, jaw tight.

In the dining room, the rest of the crowd is starting to assemble around the table. Seokjin makes it his job to call out seating assignments like a drill sergeant. Jimin is sneaking sips of wine from a glass he swears is sparkling grape juice. Namjoon and Yoongi are arguing about which one of them is responsible for burning the Brussels sprouts while Hoseok passes out napkins with flair.

Jungkook enters the dining room from the kitchen, cheeks a little pink from the heat, his smile easy as he helps their mom carry in the mashed potatoes. He catches Taehyung’s eye across the table – and there it is again. That little flicker of something. A familiar warmth, something sweet that holds a pulse.

Jungkook crosses over to him just as they are being ushered to sit. And to his surprise, Jungkook takes the seat right next to him. 

“You think Sofia would like all of this amped up insanity?” he asks, half-smiling.

Taehyung exhales a laugh. “Maybe. I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest.”

It’s the truth. He’s been living only a day at a time with Sofia. Only thinking about her in the moment when she’s right in front of him. He feels guilty about his lack of interest, knows it’s not fair to her. And mostly because of how much he wants Jungkook to know how he really feels, to know that Sofia could never matter as much to him as Jungkook does. 

“Oh.” Jungkook looks surprised. “Are things…uh…are you two getting serious?”

It comes out so nervously, and Taehyung can’t help but be beguiled by it. And he wonders why Jungkook is asking. He’s never before been so inquisitive regarding Taehyung’s love life in the past.

For a moment, Taehyung hesitates, then shakes his head. “Not really. She’s great, but… it doesn’t feel like there’s a real future with us. I think her trip came at a good time.”

Jungkook looks at him for a beat too long before looking away.

“Taehyungie! Tell me about your new job,” Taehyung’s uncle suddenly asks, looking proud as he claps a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. “I hear you are quite the big shot in the fashion industry.”

Taehyung shrugs modestly, but soon he has an enraptured audience of family members and friends as he talks about what he’s been doing for Maison Nocturne .

“You’re such a charming, handsome young man, Taehyungie,” one of his aunts tells him from across the table. “When are you going to find a special man or woman to settle down with?”

It takes everything in him to not look at Jungkook – to not give it away that the person he wants is sitting right next to him at the table. 

“I’m still looking, Auntie Sooyun,” he answers. “And when I find ‘the one’, I’ll make sure you are the first to know.”

Auntie Sooyun giggles at that, telling him how lucky that person will surely be. 

“They will be lucky,” he hears Jungkook say quietly beside him.

Taehyung is stunned, but dares not show it on his face as he smiles softly at the younger one. 

“Thank you, Kook.”

To be continued…

Chapter Text

As dinner goes on, the room is filled with the sounds of clattering silverware and overlapping conversations. Jungkook and Taehyung’s own conversations keep drifting back to each other – to their inside jokes in between quiet glances and small smiles over the chaos.

Taehyung feels the same happy lightness he felt when he and Jungkook had hung out a few days earlier. It’s all so comfortable, so easy. He knows it’s only going to hurt more later on when he’s alone with his thoughts. But for now, he just wants to enjoy being in the moment.

That is, until he looks over and sees Yejun watching them.

A flicker of something passes across his brother’s face. Unexpected discomfort? Maybe even jealousy? Whatever that look might mean, Taehyung feels his stomach twist into knots. 

Because having a secret crush is one thing. Being obvious about it is another. 

Moments later, as everyone starts transitioning into dessert and begins to spread out back into the kitchen or living room, Yejun gets up from his seat and moves around the table to stand behind Jungkook’s chair, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey. Let’s go upstairs.”

Jungkook’s eyes flutter with surprise. “Right now?”

“Yeah,” Yejun says as he looks right at Taehyung. “I want to spend some time alone with my boyfriend.”

Jungkook looks at Taehyung for a quick moment, as if he doesn’t want to go, and maybe even feels guilty about the sudden interruption. But he nods and gets up from the table anyway to follow Yejun towards the staircase.

Taehyung stays in his seat, eyes fixed on the half-eaten slice of pumpkin pie in front of him.

The laughter around him is still as bright as ever, but he isn’t in the mood to join in on it. All he can feel is the heavy, familiar ache of watching something he wants slip just out of reach once again.

It’s right then that Jimin comes over and settles into the seat beside him, the one Jungkook just abandoned. He’s quiet for a long moment before saying, “You’re doing a really bad job pretending not to be in love with him.”

Taehyung huffs. “I know.”

And Jimin, mercifully, says nothing more. Just wraps an arm around Taehyung’s shoulder.

*****

Yejun’s bedroom is still the same as always – neat, stylish, and curated in that effortless way that probably isn’t effortless at all. 

Jungkook can’t seem to recall the last time he was in Yejun’s bedroom, but he knows it’s been a long time. Too long for two people who’ve been dating for a year.

A whole year. 

Jungkook hadn’t really given much thought to it until now. Hadn’t even thought about the fact that neither he nor Yejun have mentioned it to each other. They certainly haven’t celebrated the milestone either. And at least for Jungkook, it isn’t even about forgetting. It’s as if they’d both just let it drift past without caring to notice.

The thought hits him so unexpectedly that he almost wants to say something. He almost wants to confront Yejun about the dwindling amount of time they’ve spent alone together. It’s more glaring now than it has ever been, and he wonders if Yejun is aware of it too. And if so, does he even care?

Sadly, Jungkook doesn’t think he ,himself, cares enough to make it an issue, to get into another argument. But then, if he does…maybe Yejun will send Taehyung in his place again.

Jungkook sighs as he sits down on the edge of the bed, watching as Yejun rifles through a drawer, distracted. 

He shouldn't be thinking about Taehyung.

“So,” Jungkook says, trying to sound casual, “everyone’s heading to Eclipse tonight. Jimin pulled strings and got a VIP table with bottle service again.”

Yejun doesn’t look up. “Mm-hm. Sounds fun.”

Jungkook waits, but nothing else comes. 

“Do you wanna go?”

Yejun finally turns around. “Honestly? I don’t feel too good. Too much of grandma’s mac and cheese.”

Jungkook nods slowly. “I’m sorry, Juni. Want me to get you something?”

Yejun shakes his head no. “I’ll be okay after I lay down for a bit,” he says as he plops down onto his bed and turns on the TV. “We could just hang out here. Watch something stupid, like old episodes of Adventure Time or that one anime you love with the weird food battles.”

Jungkook smiles a little, though sitting around with Yejun in his bedroom is not even the least bit appealing to him.

“Tempting.” he says regardless. 

But what he really wants is to not be where he is at the moment. He thinks about pushing a little more, to try and convince Yejun that going to Eclipse with their friends would be fun. That he’ll feel better once he gets there. But for reasons he can’t explain, he doesn’t.

“For real,” Yejun says, quieter now as he focuses his attention fully on Jungkook, in that way he knows always works. “We haven’t had a night in together in a while. I miss that.”

And Jungkook wants to believe Yejun means it, but his words and that look just don’t land the way they used to.

He hesitates just long enough for the silence to stretch. Then gets up the nerve to say, “I think I’m just gonna head home. I’m exhausted.”

Yejun’s brows raise, clearly surprised. “You sure? You can rest here with me, ya know.”

Jungkook nods. “Yeah, I know. But I’d love to take advantage of falling asleep in a quiet apartment since the guys will be out.”

Yejun doesn’t press. “Okay, well…text me when you get in.”

Jungkook smiles, relieved by Yejun’s willingness to let him leave so easily. 

“I will.”

He leaves with a peck on Yejun’s cheek, the kind that has become automatic but hollow. By the time he’s walking back down the steps, his phone buzzes with a text.

Tae 🐻: heading out

Tae 🐻: wanna ride?

Jungkook pauses on the staircase landing, thumb hovering over the screen. He stares at the text for a beat too long.

Then he types back, sealing his fate.

JK: yeah!

JK: be right out

Outside, the air is crisp and electric with the buzz of fall in New York. The sky above is the color of dark velvet as the city pulses with life.

Taehyung’s green Cutlass pulls up with Jimin and Seokjin already in the backseat, music playing low. Taehyung rolls down the window and leans over the console to grin at him.

“Yejun staying in?” he asks.

Jungkook slips into the passenger seat, heart lighter than it has been all day.

“Yeah. He’s battling a food coma, unfortunately.”

Is it so unfortunate, though?

Taehyung laughs. “Grandma’s mac and cheese? It tends to sit like a brick until morning.”

Jungkook chuckles, nodding in agreement and not feeling even a little bit guilty about lying to Yejun. In fact, it almost feels a little like payback. And he could use a little payback, even if it’s not his main goal for the night.

He has other things in mind.

“We’ll dance enough for a quick digestion,” Jungkook replies, making Taehyung laugh even more.

And as they pull away from the curb, leaving the warm lights of the Kim household behind, Jungkook doesn’t look back.

*****

Eclipse is already pulsing by the time they step out of the car, the bass thrumming through the sidewalk like a second heartbeat. 

The bouncer barely glances at them when Jimin waves hello and says something with that practiced charm of his. Then suddenly, they’re slipping past the velvet rope and into strobing colors of light.

Even for Thanksgiving night, the club is packed.

Jimin leads the way to their table – tucked-away in a corner of the VIP section. 

The couches are soft enough to sink into, and a bottle of champagne is already chilling in a bucket of ice. 

Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi are already there with Yoongi in the middle of a story that has Hoseok practically wheezing with laughter.

“Finally,” Hoseok says, raising his glass as they approach. “The pretty ones are here.”

“Rude,” Namjoon says. “I’ve been holding this table down with my looks and my raw intellect.”

Jungkook grins as he shrugs off his jacket while glancing sideways at Taehyung, who is pulling off his coat and shaking out his hair. He looks as though he belongs in a commercial or in a movie or on a runway. 

His black turtleneck hugs his frame perfectly, sleeves pushed to the elbows, silver rings catching the light when he pours a drink.

Jungkook looks away, but his heart is pounding.

He isn’t doing this. He isn’t.

But later, after the first drink, and then the second, when the music gets louder and the dance floor fuller, Jungkook finds himself sitting next to Taehyung, thighs and shoulders touching. The heat of Taehyung’s body so close, making Jungkook's cheeks burn.

He doesn’t know if it’s on purpose or not, but they also keep brushing hands when they pass glasses of various alcoholic beverages. Keep locking eyes when someone tells a joke and their laughter finds each other’s first.

There’s a moment – brief and strange and suspended – when Jungkook is leaning against the V.I.P. bar waiting for water and Taehyung comes up beside him.

“You okay?” Taehyung asks, leaning in close to be heard over the noise of the club.

Jungkook shivers, too aware of their close proximity. “Yeah. Just…needed a breather.”

Taehyung hands him the water without asking. “You’ve been kinda quiet tonight.”

Jungkook takes a sip. “Just thinking.”

“About Yejun?” Taehyung asks, gently. “I’m sure our mom is looking after him. Don’t worry.”

Jungkook shakes his head and turns to look Taehyung in his warm, brown eyes. 

“I’m not worried about him,” he admits. “And…I guess that’s part of the problem.”

Something passes between them then. Not heavy. Not obvious. Just a flicker of something Jungkook isn’t sure he should name, or even acknowledge.

But they don’t get a chance to say anything else because Yoongi is suddenly throwing his arms around them. 

“This is the best night ever!” he yelps. “Tae! Will you ask Jimin if he would ever go out with me?”

Jungkook chuckles, rolling his eyes. “Yoongi. You’re drunk.”

Yoongi grins catlike from ear to ear. “Yes. Yes, I am. So if he wants to take advantage of me, now is his chance.”

Taehyung laughs. “You know what, I’ll definitely put in a good word for you, but maybe tomorrow when we’re all sober?”

Yoongi nods, still grinning. “Good plan. And you’re a good man. A man with the plan,” he laughs. “That rhymes!”

And then he disappears back into the crowd.

“So Yoongi likes Jimin, huh?” Taehyung asks as they make their way back to the VIP section. “You never told me that before.”

It’s just the two of them as they sit down next to each other on the couch. Jungkook’s pulse races wildly, practically stealing his breath. And he can’t blame it on dancing, because he hasn’t even danced yet. 

Truth is, there’s only one reason why his body is betraying him.

“He does. He’s always asking me to ask you to casually drop his name to Jimin, and I use it to my advantage.”

“How’s that?”

“I tell him he owes me a favor first. Like, wash the dishes when it’s my night to do it. Or let me borrow his bluetooth speaker for the week. That kind of stuff.”

Taehyung shakes his head, but he’s laughing. “And yet, you’ve never asked me to put in a good word for him.”

“That’s because I don’t think he needs our help. I believe he just needs to dig deep for some courage and ask Jimin out. Unless…do you think Jimin would say no?” 

The thought hadn’t hit him until then. He doesn’t want Yoongi to have his hopes crushed. 

But he’s relieved when Taehyung tells him no. “Jimin’s already told me that he thinks Yoongi is hot. So yeah, I think Jimin would be into him,” he says. “To be honest, I think it’s possible they would compliment each other well.”

Jungkook smiles as he toys with the condensation on his glass, “So, you really think they could work? Yoongi and Jimin?”

Taehyung tilts his head, considering. “Yeah. I do. Yoongi would be able to ground Jimin, which is something Jimin needs in a partner. And Jimin would help Yoongi to come out of hiding, to live out loud a little more. That balance…it can be rare to find.”

Jungkook’s heart pounds. He can’t take his eyes off of Taehyung.

“Do you think that’s what a good relationship takes? Balance?”

“I think,” Taehyung starts, eyes steady on him, “that people sometimes don’t even realize they’re missing something until the right person fills in that empty space.”

Jungkook swallows, throat suddenly dry despite the water he’s been sipping. 

“That sounds…nice.”

“It is,” Taehyung says, voice just above the noise of the music. “If it’s real.”

They lapse into silence, the low club lights catching the gold in Taehyung’s skin, the glint of his earring.

Jungkook suddenly finds himself speaking before he can stop the words he’s been thinking. “But what if one of them is scared? What if they’re unsure of the future, of taking the risk?”

Taehyung’s gaze doesn’t waver. “Then I hope the other person is patient enough to wait. Until they feel brave enough to say what they want and take the risk.”

Jungkook looks away, heart beating just a little too fast.

He doesn’t know what kind of courage it would take to admit out loud what he’s finally admitting to himself inside. But sitting next to Taehyung like this – close enough to brush knees, to hear every subtle shift in his voice – it’s getting harder to pretend there isn’t something there. Something he doesn’t want to miss out on.

“If Jimin and Yoongi give things between them a chance…they would be really lucky,” Jungkook murmurs.

“Yeah…they would,” Taehyung agrees.

His voice is quiet, but the weight of his words is anything but.

They don’t say anything more after that. But all the unspoken words scream loud inside Jungkook’s head. 

And he doesn’t think there’s anything that will quiet them.

*****

Taehyung is reeling. 

He has no idea what’s happening between him and Jungkook, but he knows it’s definitely not all in his head. It’s not wishful thinking anymore.

“Jimin…help!” he squeaks as he pulls his friend to the side of the dance floor. 

Jimin is sweaty from dancing for the past hour, hair curling around his face. He’s got a wide grin and glassy eyes but he stops what he’s doing when he sees the panic on Taehyung’s face.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Jungkook. I think…I think he’s kind of…interested?”

Jimin blinks. And pulls Taehyung further away and towards the bathrooms where it’s not as loud.

“Of course he’s interested! Look at you!” Jimin says, gesturing over Taehyung from head to toe.

Taehyung rolls his eyes. “I’m being serious. I need help. What should I do?”

Jimin chuckles. “And I am also being serious, Tae. Jungkook isn’t being subtle at all. That boy has had his eyes on you all night, mentally undressing you over and over again. But if you’re asking me if I think it’s okay to make a move? That’s a whole other thing – and you and I both know why.”

Yejun. They don’t even have to say it to know he’s the one they’re both thinking about.

“So I shouldn’t do anything, even though Yejun is talking to another guy?”

Jimin raises his eyebrows at that. Taehyung hadn’t uttered his brother’s secret to anyone until now. 

“Yejun has a side piece?”

Taehyung nods.

“Jungkook doesn’t know, but you do.”

Taehyung nods again.

“Are you going to tell Jungkook about it?”

Taehyung sighs. “I want to, but I swore that I wouldn’t.”

Jimin puts a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder and shakes his head. 

“Stay out of it, Tae. Stay away from the bullshit before you get even more sucked into it. Jungkook may not know Yejun is seeing someone, but he knows things between him and your brother aren’t great right now. The tension at dinner was obvious. Don’t be a pawn in whatever relationship drama they’re having.”

Taehyung swallows, and does his best to reset his resolve. Jimin is right.

“Okay,” he says, stoic. “I think I’m going to head home. Think you could ride with Joon?”

Jimin nods. “Yes,” he says before adding, “and I’m proud of you.”

Taehyung gives his best friend a quick hug before heading back to their VIP table to grab his coat. 

He’s just about to make a clean getaway while on his way towards the exit when Jungkook is suddenly in front of him.

“Are you leaving?” he asks, confusion written all over his gorgeous face. Not just confusion, but something like hurt too. 

Taehyung feels a pressure in his chest.

“Uh…yeah. I hope it’s cool if you ride home with one of your roommates.”

Jungkook stares at him, and Taehyung has to force himself to look away. Jungkook has never looked at him like that before – as if the thought of being without Taehyung’s presence is close to devastating. 

“Can I…come with you?”

The question is so incredibly unfair. And Taehyung’s body buzzes with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. He should say no, but he doesn’t want to say no. How could he ever say no to Jungkook when all he wants is to give Jungkook everything?

“Y-you…want to come with me?”

And then fingers are under his chin, lifting it so he’s forced to look Jungkook in the eyes. 

Those eyes. Those dreamy brown orbs full of galaxies…are gazing at him.

“Yes.”

Taehyung is too weak. He can’t deny Jungkook what he’s asking for.

“Okay.”

*****

Taehyung can barely breathe when the door to his apartment clicks shut behind them. His heart is pumping so hard, so loud – he’s sure his neighbors can hear it. 

Jungkook turns to look at him as he shrugs off his coat.

Taehyung does the same, and busies himself with the coat rack, saying something – he isn’t even sure what. Something about water, blankets, the couch, where the bathroom is.

When he finally turns, Jungkook is close. So close.

“Taehyung,” he says, voice low and steady despite the storm swirling in his eyes. “Can I…?”

Jungkook isn't wasting any time, and everything in Taehyung pulses as he squeezes his eyes shut. And then Jungkook is touching his face, a hand cupping his jaw. He leans in.

“Jungkook,” Taehyung whispers, not knowing if it’s a protest or a prayer.

The kiss is gentle. Hesitant and testing. Like even Jungkook can’t believe what he’s doing. Taehyung can’t believe it either. 

He can’t even move. He can’t think. He fears if he moves, Jungkook will stop kissing him – and he really doesn’t want Jungkook to stop. 

But the desire, the months of yearning, of needing – it all pushes to the forefront. He wants to take what he’s been craving. So he kisses back, hears Jungkook’s breath hitch before he sighs against Taehyung’s mouth. 

It’s so good.

Taehyung holds Jungkook’s body against him as their lips meet and separate, over and over, still a little unsure until Taehyung can’t hold back. He goes all in, licking into Jungkook’s mouth, drawing out a moan, and then another. 

He wants the younger one to know just what he’s been missing as he backs him up against the wall and lavishes attention down Jungkook’s jaw and to his neck. Sucking the soft skin into his mouth, between his teeth.

Jungkook doesn’t stop him, doesn’t ask to not be marked up. So Taehyung keeps going.

“Oh…oh god…” he hears Jungkook sigh. “Bedroom…where’s your bedroom?”

They stumble down the hallway to Taehyung’s large master bedroom in silence, the air around them charged with something almost fragile but undeniably electric. 

He has to slow this down, to memorize every second. So, clothes come off slowly, reverently, and Taehyung’s hands shake the whole time, so in disbelief that he breaks their kiss to look Jungkook in the eyes.

He searches his face for something – hesitation, guilt, regret – but he doesn’t see any of that. All he sees is a shared disbelief mirrored back at him.

“Is this really happening?” he rasps, voice thick with a lust he’s desperate to satiate. 

Jungkook nods. “I want you, Taehyung,” he practically whimpers as he gently pushes the older one down onto the bed.

Taehyung’s eyes are ravenous, unable to play it cool when he gapes at Jungkook’s naked body, so turned on he bites into his bottom lip to keep from moaning at the sight.

“You’re perfect,” he purrs. “So fucking perfect.”

Jungkook’s chest rises and falls in uneven breaths, air catching in his throat when his eyes land on Taehyung’s erection. He only hesitates for a second before sliding onto Taehyung’s lap.

“Do whatever you want to me,” Jungkook whispers against his lips. 

Taehyung thinks he might faint.

But Jungkook saves him with another scorching kiss. Their lips move in sync, open and greedy, tongues brushing in a slow, slick drag that makes Taehyung’s toes curl. 

Jungkook lets out the quietest groan against his mouth. Low and wrecked in a way that sends a shiver racing down Taehyung’s spine. 

It wasn’t just a kiss. It was a confession. A surrender.

“Touch me,” Jungkook purrs as he threads his fingers through Taehyung’s hair. “Please, Tae.”

It’s the permission Taehyung has been waiting for, and his heart slams against his ribs at being granted access to a fantasy that has become so very real.

He grins against Jungkook’s mouth, pleased with how his large hands are good for many things, but being able to take him and Jungkook both in just one of them is something he’s blatantly proud of.

“Does that feel good, baby?” he asks with no shame at all as he strokes them together.

Jungkook’s dark gaze is on him as he licks his lips before answering with more kissing, like he can’t get enough. 

When they break apart again, it’s only so Jungkook can make one simple request.

“Fuck me, Tae.”

Taehyung’s entire body goes up in flames. There’s a stutter in his chest. He blinks – still unable to believe this is real. 

He tells Jungkook to lay on the bed and inhales a deep breath when the younger one obeys. 

“Fuck…you’re gorgeous,” Taehyung groans, unable to take his eyes off of Jungkook even as he goes to his dresser to retrieve a condom and lube. 

Jungkook tracks his movements, chest rising and falling rapidly as he sits up on his elbows. He looks at Taehyung so hungrily it makes the older one’s head spin. And he wonders when Jungkook will come to his senses and change his mind about all of this. If he will change his mind. 

Taehyung hopes like hell he won’t.

And despite the reasons why they shouldn’t be doing this, all the betrayal they’re creating – he can’t stop. 

“I’ve never wanted anything as badly as I want you,” he murmurs in Jungkook’s ear once he joins him back on the bed. 

He feels Jungkook shudder beneath him. “Really?”

Taehyungs sucks his earlobe into his mouth before answering, “Really.”

Jungkook’s arms wrap around him, teeth sinking softly into Taehyung’s shoulder while he coats his fingers in lube. 

He can’t believe he’s about to touch Jungkook like this. And that Jungkook seems to want it so bad. It’s the sexiest thing Taehyung has ever experienced in his entire life.

So he takes his time moving his fingers in and out, scissoring Jungkook open for him, stretching the ring of muscle so he’ll fit with as minimal pain as possible. But when Jungkook begs for him, unable to wait any longer, Taehyung gives him what he wants. 

He pulls his fingers out, wipes them on his cock as a desperate moan leaves Jungkook’s mouth at the loss of having something inside of him. 

He whimpers and writhes on the bed. And Taehyung is obsessed with it – obsessed with Jungkook even more than he was before.

“Such a needy baby,” Taehyung grunts as he finally pushes himself inside. 

The walls of Jungkook’s ass suck him in, the tightness so good Taehyung thinks he might pass out for the hundredth time that night.

“Oh fuck…” he grits through his teeth. “Fuck, baby…you feel so amazing around my cock…”

Jungkook is panting, hands white-knuckling the sheets as Taehyung starts to move his hips, goes deeper, knows he’s hitting the sweet spot when Jungkook gasps and squeezes his eyes shut. 

“Tell me what you want, Kook.”

Jungkook opens his eyes, pupils blown. His hands fly up to Taehyung’s shoulders again. 

“Kiss me. Kiss me while you fuck me.”

Taehyung does, and this time he lets himself sink into it, gorging himself on the perfection of Jungkook’s mouth, of his kiss. 

As if the pleasure couldn’t get any more blinding, Jungkook arches his hips upwards – a wordless request to feel Taehyung deeper. Not about to deny him a damn thing, Taehyung grinds down, going as deep as he can. A yelp escapes Jungkook’s lips, and he moans Taehyung’s name, nails scraping down his back. 

“Oh my god…”

Fuck, Taehyung can’t get enough. And he knows – nothing will ever be like this for the rest of his life.

They mold together, bodies perfectly aligned. Taehyung moves on instinct, seems to know what Jungkook wants without words. It’s mind-blowing – the way they can anticipate how to take it further, make it even better. 

More than once, Taehyung thinks his heart is going to give out, the beating of it scary erratic. Especially when Jungkook ends up on top, riding Taehyung while he thrusts his tongue into the older one’s mouth over and over, biting at his lips, practically sobbing into his ear.

At one point, Taehyung manages to ask, “You okay?” 

Jungkook smirks. “I’m so fucking okay.”

It goes like that for hours, until Jungkook comes again and collapses onto the bed beside Taehyung, breathing hard and moaning for water. 

Taehyung takes care of him. Cleans him, makes him drink a full glass of water, pulls the covers over his bare body, and lets him sleep.

As exhausted as he is, Taehyung can’t sleep. Instead, he sits on the bed next to Jungkook and allows himself this moment to pine.

How many times has he thought about this? Wanted it? Hoped for it? But it was a dream never to be realized. The fact that it happened – and that Jungkook is asleep in his bed – is something Taehyung never wants to forget. 

He’s not naive. He knows this might be it. A one time deal. He’s not foolish enough to assume Jungkook will break up with Yejun and be with him instead. Too messy. Too unlikely. 

All Taehyung can hope for is that he gave Jungkook a night he’ll never forget either. And hopefully…never regret. 

*****

Jungkook wakes to the warmth of sunlight pressing through unfamiliar curtains and the softness of sheets that don’t belong to him. That don’t belong to Yejun either.

For a moment, he’s weightless – still caught in that half-sleep where dreams haven’t yet given way to the real world.

Then he turns his head and sees Taehyung. 

He’s asleep – hair tousled, one arm curled beneath his head, lips slightly parted in a way that makes Jungkook’s chest clench. He looks so peaceful, so achingly gorgeous. Like something out of one of those quiet, painterly mornings people always try to capture but never quite can.

And for a long beat, Jungkook doesn't move. He just stares. Because nothing in the world prepared him for this – for waking up beside Taehyung. Not in a fantasy, not in some far-off longing, but in absolute reality. It happened.

Memories of the night before come rushing back full force. He so clearly remembers Taehyung’s hands on his hips, the way he’d whispered Jungkook’s name like it meant something. The way he made Jungkook feel. Wanted, seen, and understood in a way that bypassed language entirely.

And still, all of it comes crashing down around him when he thinks of Yejun. His boyfriend who doesn’t know anything about the betrayal. Who thinks Jungkook went home last night to go to bed early.

He closes his eyes, breath catching as the guilt rolls over him in a wave of nausea. Heavy and inevitable.

He hadn’t meant for it to happen. Not like this. Not while he was still technically someone else’s. But hadn’t he known deep down? The way he’d let himself be drawn closer to Taehyung in recent weeks. The glances, the laughter, the comfort. 

The undeniable want.

Had it been worth it? He doesn’t want to answer that, even to himself. But what he can admit is that Taehyung is absolutely incredible. 

He kisses with a ravenous intent that had Jungkook chasing his mouth for more. That slow roll of his tongue dragging whimpers from Jungkook’s throat again and again.

And he fucks like a man on a mission to wreck you completely. Like sin wrapped in silk. And he had worked Jungkook’s body like an expert on how to hit every spot, scratch every itch. He’d had Jungkook feeling things he’d never felt before. And not just physically.

All of it was unforgettable. Amazing. Phenomenal. 

He’ll never get over it. But he can never do it again.

So he sits up slowly, careful not to wake Taehyung, and begins gathering his things. Every sound – his zipper, the creak of the bedroom door – feels deafening in the quiet apartment.

By the time he slips out the door, heart pounding, he dares not look back.

Outside, the cold hits him like clarity. His hands tremble as he pulls out his phone and texts Yoongi.

Kookie: can you pick me up?

Kookie: please. i’m in front of the coffee shop by taehyung’s

Yoongles: on my way

*****

“You look like you just ran over a puppy.”

Jungkook lets out a weak laugh. “That would almost be better than what I actually did.”

Yoongi’s eyes are sharp as he glances at his friend.

“D’you sleep with him?”

Jungkook exhales heavily. “Yes.”

Yoongi doesn’t look surprised, and he doesn’t look like he’s judging Jungkook either, despite not saying anything.

Jungkook presses the heels of his hands to his eyes. 

“I know how bad this looks…I didn’t plan it. It just…happened.”

He hates how cliche he sounds.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, Kook,” Yoongi replies. “But, do you want to talk about it?”

Jungkook nods.

“Then let’s get some pancakes and coffee.”

Yoongi passes by their apartment building and drives a little further down the road, stopping in front of their favorite breakfast diner. 

“You know that things with Yejun and me haven’t been good,” he says after the two have been seated. “He keeps pulling away, and I think I let myself…just…drift toward someone who actually seems to like being around me.”

Yoongi nods, because he’s seen the change in Jungkook’s relationship with Yejun. This is nothing new.

“Do you regret it? Sleeping with Taehyung?”

Jungkook looks down. “I regret lying to Yejun. I regret doing something that could hurt him. But last night?” His voice breaks a little. “No. I don’t regret it. And that’s the worst part.”

It’s the honest truth. Jungkook doesn’t regret one second of last night with Taehyung.

Yoongi takes a sip of his coffee, face unreadable until he finally speaks again.

“This isn’t going to be easy, Kook. But you need to think about what it is you want. Or maybe it’s easier to think about what you don’t want and go from there.”

Jungkook sighs, nodding. “What would you do if you were me?”

Chuckling, Yoongi shakes his head. “I think you already know the answer to that. But you are not me and I’m not you. You need to do what’s best for Jungkook.”

If only it were that easy.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Taehyung wakes to nothing but silence.

The first thing he notices is the cold side of his bed. The second thing he notices is the faint imprint on the pillow beside him. Still there, still soft, like a ghost that hadn't fully disappeared yet.

Jungkook is gone.

Taehyung stares at the empty space for a long moment, unmoving. 

He’s not surprised, not really. He’d known it would be like this. He’d known it the second Jungkook had leaned in last night and kissed him like it meant something, like he’d been waiting to do it. 

Taehyung had known even as he kissed him back. 

Still, it was more than just a random hookup. But that didn’t mean it would become anything other than just a one night stand.

This wasn’t going to end in sunlight and happily ever after. Not when someone was going to be hurt. Betrayed by a secret curled between Jungkook and Taehyung’s bodies like a flame they were both going to burn from. 

The one that would suffer the most…wouldn’t necessarily be Yejun.

Nevertheless, Taehyung reaches out, brushing his fingers over the crease in the sheet where Jungkook had slept.

He feels everything at once. Guilt, because Yejun is his brother and he had crossed a line he swore he never would. Bitterness, because Yejun had crossed lines too – had made space for this to happen without even realizing it. 

And something worse than all of that, a deeper kind of ache. The kind that has rooted itself in his chest permanently.

Because last night wasn’t just about lust or loneliness. It wasn’t just about weakness.

It was about how right it had felt to be with Jungkook. And it wasn’t supposed to be like that.

He rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling, heart still thudding in the hollow space where Jungkook’s warmth had been. He thinks about Jungkook’s laugh, the way he’d smiled at him after that first time they’d orgasmed together, soft and a little stunned.

Taehyung closes his eyes.

He isn’t naive. He knew Jungkook would leave. That he’d wake up and be forced to face what they’d done, the eventual consequences that would follow.

But knowing didn’t stop the sadness. Or the terrible, quiet truth that in loving Jungkook like that – even for one night – had made Taehyung fall even harder. So no, he hadn’t gotten Jungkook out of his system like he had foolishly hoped he would.

And that terrified him most of all. 

Jungkook being in his arms, in his bed…felt like fate.

But maybe fate wasn’t really on his side. 

*****

Jungkook doesn’t know how he can look into Yejun’s eyes without throwing up, but he manages.

After all, Yejun had called him, had wanted him to come over. 

It shouldn’t have been such an unusual thing to hear, but it was. And it only proved to Jungkook even more just how distanced he and his boyfriend had become with each other.

Still, for a split second, Jungkook had wondered if Yejun asking him over was so he could confront him. If somehow Yejun had found out about what Jungkook had done with his brother. If maybe Taehyung had told Yejun what had happened out of guilt. Because blood is thicker than water, right?

But no. The real reason Yejun wanted to see him was because he still didn’t feel well ever since Thanksgiving, and hoped Jungkook would come take care of him while everyone else was out shopping for all the holiday shopping deals.

It was no surprise that Jungkook’s nauseating guilt had led him to Yejun’s doorstep. That it had further led him into making some soup, using leftover turkey and vegetables, for his ill boyfriend. 

“Why the fuck am I here? Why am I doing this?” he laments quietly to himself as he washes the dishes and cleans up the kitchen.

Of course he feels guilty for what he did behind Yejun’s back, but he also knows that he and Yejun have been hanging on by a thread for months. Still, he wishes he’d just had the fucking balls to end things as soon as he started to realize he was unhappy. Maybe then he wouldn’t be in the mess he’s in now.

Because the only thing that has made him happy lately is Taehyung. He’s not happy with Yejun. But now he did something horrible, and he doesn’t know how to fix it.

He leans against the counter with a dishtowel in his hands, hoping Yejun has fallen asleep so he can sneak out, go home, and sit with the inner turmoil he created for himself. 

But right then, he hears a familiar voice calling out from the front door, and his heart stops.

“Anyone home?!”

Taehyung.

It’s been two days since he left Taehyung’s apartment without a word. The older one had texted him, asking if he was okay, but Jungkook had only replied with a thumbs up emoji. 

He has no idea what to do. How to act. And no time to even think about it before Taehyung is walking into the kitchen, stopping short when his eyes land on a terrified Jungkook.

“Hey,” he says, eyes soft.

And he’s so handsome it’s outrageously unfair.

Jungkook swallows. “Hey.”

He’s suddenly hit with the memory of that night. Of all of it. Everything. He hadn’t been sober but he hadn’t been drunk either. He doesn’t regret spending the night with Taehyung. In fact, he craves to have it again. Craves Taehyung’s body like a man starved. Craves his mouth and his hands, his smell and his taste. 

He would run into the older one’s arms and cling to him right then and there if it wasn’t for the huge complication in the form of a sick boyfriend laying upstairs in his bedroom. 

Jungkook is so fucked.

“I…uh…I’m just here because Yejun isn’t feeling well,” not knowing why he says it that way. Like he doesn’t want Taehyung to think he’s hanging around the Kim home with the hopes of running into him.

Because he doesn’t know how Taehyung feels about him. What if their night together didn’t really mean anything to him? The thought is more devastating than Jungkook would like to admit.

But Taehyung’s face twists into something Jungkook can only describe as hurt and regret. Does he regret that they slept with each other? The thought makes him want to cry his eyes out. 

“You’re taking care of him?”

Jungkook nods. “I feel so guilty. I…I just…it’s the least I could do.”

“Did you tell him what happened?”

“No. I don’t think I can bring myself to.”

Taehyung looks down at the floor and sighs. “I feel guilty too,” he says. “But if you’re worried that I might tell him, I won’t if you don’t want me too.”

Jungkook’s heart is in his throat. “You shouldn’t be more loyal to me than your own brother.”

“I can be loyal to you both.”

And then Taehyung is looking at him, and Jungkook feels so weak. 

“Do you regret it?” he asks. 

Jungkook winces. He wants to be honest. Taehyung deserves honesty. He’s so good and kind and everything Jungkook wants, even if he shouldn’t. Even if he has no right to want Taehyung Kim.

He holds his breath. “No.”

Taehyung shakes his head. “Me either.”

They smile at each other. Jungkook wants to kiss him. 

“Are you…are you going to break up with my brother?” Taehyung stammers, like he’s nervous to put the question out there.

Jungkook’s heart races.

“Do you want me to?”

Taehyung looks him in the eyes, his gaze answering for him, but he still says a simple, “Yes.”

And that’s when Jungkook’s smile fades. 

“I–I don’t know, Tae,” he says. “Things are so complicated.”

“Do you love him?”

The question isn’t something Jungkook had expected – he’s not even sure how to answer it. He’s not sure he even has an answer.

“I..I’m not–”

He doesn’t get to say anything else because Yejun is suddenly shouting to him from upstairs.

“Jungkook! I need help with the heating blanket! Hurry!”

Taehyung rolls his eyes, but smiles at Jungkook, even if something about it feels forced.

“Maybe I’ll see you later.”

Jungkook nods. “Yeah. Maybe.”

*****

Jimin is stretched out on Taehyung’s couch with a glass of red wine in his hand, mouth open but no words coming out.

“So yeah…that’s my fucked up life as of late. Good thing I’m still killing it at work. Estelle professed her undying love to me when I sent her my latest designs for the spring line.”

But Jimin ignores that last part as he sits up slowly, setting his wine glass on the coffee table, and looks at Taehyung in a way that makes him squirm. He’s under Jimin’s scrutiny, and rightfully so.

“You slept with Jungkook,” Jimin repeats, like he needed to hear it again to believe it.

Taehyung nods.

“While he’s still with your brother?”

Another nod.

“Jesus, Tae.”

“I know,” Taehyung whispers, chest tight. “I know.”

The silence isn’t cruel, it’s just careful. Jimin leans forward, elbows on his knees, chewing the inside of his cheek like he’s trying to hold something back.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Taehyung says, voice breaking a little. “But he…he asked to come home with me, and I knew it was a bad idea. I knew. But then he kissed me, and I–” he pauses, still remembering it like it was just moments ago. “God, Jimin, I’ve wanted him for so long...”

Jimin closes his eyes and leans back with a sigh.

“I’m not mad at you,” he says eventually. “I’m…sad, I think. For all of you.”

Taehyung looks at him. “You think I’m a terrible person.”

“I think you’re only human,” Jimin replies, voice soft but firm. “You’ve been in love with Jungkook for months. I understand how it could feel impossible to not give in. But Tae…this? It’s a mess. And it’s going to hurt. A lot more than it already has.”

Taehyung sets his wine glass down with a shaky hand. 

“I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“I know,” Jimin said. “But you need to. For now.”

Taehyung’s eyes widen, surprised by the sharpness in Jimin’s tone. 

“You don’t need to see him until this thing with Yejun ends. If it ends. Otherwise, this just becomes something secret and ugly, and you don’t want that. Not for you. Not for Jungkook either.”

Taehyung stares down at his hands. “But what if it never ends with Yejun? What if he never breaks up with him?”

“Then you walk away,” Jimin says, quietly but without hesitation. “Because you deserve someone who chooses you. And you’ll never believe that if you stay a secret.”

Taehyung sighs, feeling so defeated. So ruined.

He hates that Jimin is right.

He also hates how much it hurts.

Jimin moves closer and wraps an arm around Taehyung’s shoulders, pulling him in.

“I’m not judging you,” Jimin tells him, voice sincere. “I love you. That’s why I’m saying this. Don’t make yourself smaller for someone else’s indecision.”

Taehyung buries his face in Jimin’s shoulder, eyes wet, stomach in knots.

“I don’t know how to stop,” he whispers.

“I know,” Jimin said, pressing a kiss to his hair. “But you’re going to have to try.”

Taehyung sighs. “I want to tell Jungkook about Yejun and Elliot. And I want to tell Yejun about me and Jungkook.”

He knows it’s probably an even worse idea, but maybe that’s why he’s telling his best friend.

“If you think that will make it easier for Jungkook to choose you, you’re wrong. That’s not the way to get what you want.”

“But Yejun won’t make a fucking decision, Jimin! It’s not right.”

Jimin nods. “No, it’s not. But that’s between Yejun and Jungkook. Yejun is being shitty by not making a decision, but that doesn’t mean you get to make the decision for him. You're his big brother, and sometimes big brothers have to watch their little brothers make mistakes. Besides, you also did something shitty. Don’t get it mixed up thinking other people's bad mistakes are worse than your own.”

“But Jungkook should–”

Jimin doesn’t let him finish. “Jungkook is a grown man too. He can handle his relationship himself.”

Taehyung sniffles, wiping his tears on his sleeve. He drank too much wine while receiving Jimin’s hard truths concerning his love life. 

But he’s grateful that he has a friend who doesn’t hesitate to be honest with him, even if the truth is tough to hear. Even if he has to hold a mirror up to himself and live with the betrayal he’s caused.

“Just promise me this, Tae. Promise me that for now, you will focus on work – focus on Sofia. You like her, so give it more time to turn into something real. Okay?”

Taehyung takes a deep breath. He decides it’s better that he be the one who’s hurting than for anyone else to be. 

Jungkook deserves to live his life however he wants to. And Yejun is his brother, who he loves, even if he doesn't agree with his choices.

“Okay, Jimin,” he says, finally. “I promise.”

*****

The red “ON AIR” light glows above the sound booth like a heartbeat – steady and soft. Jungkook leans into the mic, his voice low and even.

 “You’re listening to Brooklyn College Radio. With you as always on a Monday night, is your boy JK. Hope you’ll stick around with me for tonight’s ‘JK’s Oldie but Goodie,” he says with a quiet laugh, adjusting the volume slider with familiar ease. “It’s one of my favorites from all the way back in 1967. Here’s ‘To Love Somebody’ by the Bee Gees.”

He leans back in his chair, the studio dim except for the desk lamp and the soft blue glow of the control panel. The broadcast booth is his home away from home every Monday and Wednesday night, and the occasional weekend night too. 

He smiles at the note one of the other DJ’s left for him – a song request.

“JK, spin The Cure. Can’t go wrong. – Jason”

Jungkook had been tossing around what his setlist should consist of all evening, skipping over the usual upbeat stuff in favor of things that sound more like how he’s currently feeling – moody, and a little lost. 

He queues up “Lovesong”, but not just for Jason, for himself too. But mostly for Taehyung. 

He hasn’t seen or spoken to Taehyung in almost two weeks. This is the only way he’s been communicating – hopes Taehyung is out there listening. Hopes he understands that the messages in the songs are for him…not Yejun.

He isn’t sure when it had happened, but somewhere in the quiet of the past few weeks, the ache in Jungkook’s chest had shifted. Where he had once been missing Yejun, wanting his attention and affection, he discovered he didn’t care anymore. He was indifferent. Indifferent when they were together. Indifferent when they kissed. Jungkook had begun to feel…nothing at all.

And he doesn’t know what he’s holding onto. The only reason he can seem to come up with is the constant guilt he feels. 

He’s been going above and beyond to be the perfect boyfriend – but all it does is end up leaving him feeling hollow. Tired. Miserable.

But then he thinks of Taehyung’s warm, soft smile – the way he kisses with a candid passion – how his voice dips into that soft, thoughtful tone just before he says something vulnerable. 

Damn, those are the times when Jungkook feels everything.

He doesn’t say anything on-air when “Lovesong” starts to play. He just allows the music to take over. The synth curling around his ribs like longing, like he’s putting something out into the world without having to name it.

Christmas is coming soon, which means the fashion show Taehyung asked him to be in is also coming. 

Jungkook had been given information about fittings and rehearsals from Taehyung’s assistant, not Taehyung himself. 

It’s obvious that Taehyung is avoiding him. And it hurts so damn much. 

Not wanting to seem too eager for information, Jungkook had been nonchalant when asking Yejun about Taehyung. So paranoid that just saying Taehyung’s name would somehow give him away, that Yejun would know something was up.

Jungkook is in so deep, he feels transparent, even if Yejun seems completely oblivious.

“He’s still seeing Sofia,” Yejun had told him the last time Jungkook had mentioned Taehyung not being at Sunday lunch. “I guess he really likes her.”

Those words had been a punch to the gut. 

He wonders if Taehyung told Sofia about what happened while she was away. Does she know what he and Taehyung did? If so, was she mad? Apparently not enough to break up with Taehyung. Which makes him guess that Taehyung hadn’t told her. 

He hates the idea of being a dirty little secret. He hates that he’s made Taehyung a dirty little secret too.

“That was ‘Lovesong’ by The Cure. A classic 80’s song from a classic 80’s band. Fun fact, the hip-hop/funk band, 311, did a cover of that song for the 2004 movie ‘50 First Dates’ with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. It’s one of my all time favorite covers. One that I will be sure to play someday soon. In the meantime, here’s a 90’s love song I have recently been inspired to spin for you all tonight. Here’s ‘You Make Me Wanna…’ by Usher.”

Jungkook sits back as the song plays. If this doesn’t make Taehyung understand what he’s trying to say, then he doesn’t know what else will. He wants Taehyung to know his struggle. That he’s thinking about him as more than a one-night mistake. That he knows he has to get his shit together and figure out what he wants to do.

Jungkook knows it’s time to let go of whatever it is he has with Yejun. Nothing is what it once was. And he’s ready for something new. Something better. Something he is sure would be nothing less than wonderful.

He wonders if Taehyung wants the same.

He hopes he does.

*****

Taehyung is glad he’d come over to his parents house for dinner. Skipping Sunday lunch had put him in the dog house with his mom, so he’d splurged and brought her a pricey bottle of wine he knew she would love. And also love to share with him and his dad. 

“Are you ready for the fashion show?” his mother asks as she pulls a pan of chopped potatoes from the oven while Taehyung opens the wine bottle. 

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. But my bosses have started calling me their ‘wunderkind’. So yeah, no pressure or anything,” he says with a nervous laugh.

“It’s going to be amazing, my darling,” she reassures, patting him with her oven mitt. “I have no doubt. And Yejun said Jungkook will be one of the models?”

The mention of Jungkook sends Taehyung’s pulse racing. 

“Uh–yeah…thought it would be good exposure for him since there will be a lot of media there. He can do some networking.”

His mom doesn’t say anything but he can feel her eyes on him. He looks up.

“That’s sweet of you to care about Jungkook like that,” she says, voice soft.

Something in the way she’s looking at him makes his stomach swoop. Almost like she knows exactly what Taehyung has been struggling with. And he’s so caught off guard he doesn’t know what to say.

“Jungkook is a good person, but sometimes…sometimes I don’t know if Yejun is the right one for him,” she adds.

It takes everything in Taehyung’s power to keep his mouth from dropping open in shock at her words.

“W-what makes you say that?”

Mrs. Kim shrugs, but she wears a knowing smile. “A mother has instincts about these things.”

She goes back to preparing dinner, leaving Taehyung baffled.

“Tae, will you go get Janie and Yejun for dinner? It’s almost ready.”

Taehyung leaves her with a glass of the wine before bounding up the stairs and past his old bedroom to the end of the hall.

“Janie,” he calls out, knocking on his little sister’s door. “Dinner is ready.”

“Be out in a sec! I have curlers in my hair!”

Taehyung smiles to himself and moves down the hall to Yejun’s closed door.

He knocks, but there’s no answer. So he creaks the door open to find Yejun sprawled on his bed, legs tangled in the sheets, phone to his ear.

There’s a soft smile curving his lips. It isn’t the lazy smirk he usually wears. No, this is something gentler, more affectionate.

“Dinner is ready, Junie.”

“I’ll call you later, okay?” Yejun says into the phone, eyes widening when he sees Taehyung. 

And then his voice drops, rushed now. “Yeah…okay. Love you too. Bye.”

He ends the call and rolls off the bed, busying himself with smoothing out his shirt. He seems strangely on edge.

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. “Was that Jungkook?”

Yejun hesitates for a moment. 

“No.”

“Was it Elliot?”

The pause that follows is Taehyung’s answer. Yejun gives a small shrug, guilty, but not nearly guilty enough.

Taehyung crosses his arms. “So you still haven’t made a decision, I see. Are you ever going to?”

He can’t imagine what Yejun’s excuse will be this time. 

“I can’t,” Yejun says, flopping back onto the bed like the conversation is already exhausting him. 

“Right now, I have the best of both worlds. Jungkook’s hot and our sex life is amazing,” he says with an overly smug look at Taehyung. “But Elliot understands me in a way Jungkook doesn’t.”

Taehyung stares at him, stunned at how shameful his brother is being when it comes to the two men in his life. 

“Have you slept with Elliot?” he makes himself ask, despite not wanting to hear the answer he already suspects.

Yejun looks away. “Yeah, but…it didn’t feel the same. Not like with Jungkook.”

Taehyung’s stomach turns sour. “That’s disgusting. You’re cheating on Jungkook, and you don’t even seem the least bit sorry about it.”

“Don’t get on this shit again, Tae.” Yejun says, tone turning defensive. “You’re acting like you’re some kind of saint,” he scowls. “Don’t think I’m not aware of the little crush you have on Jungkook. You’ve been weird about him for months. Especially on Thanksgiving. You think I didn’t notice the way you were looking at him? How close you were getting to him?”

Taehyung’s jaw clenches. Of course Yejun had noticed. And he was foolish to think his astute little brother wouldn’t eventually.

“This isn’t about me, Yejun. This is about you being a two-timing asshole.”

“Oh, really? Because it seems to me that you’re only coming at me about this because you want Jungkook for yourself, even though you already have a girlfriend .”

The words hit harder than Taehyung expected. Shame burns hot in his chest.

“I would never do what you’re doing,” Taehyung said, voice tight. “Besides, Sofia and I are not exclusive. She’s not getting played.”

Yejun rolls his eyes. “Whatever. You’re still not better than me.”

“What you’re doing is wrong, Yejun,” Taehyung says quietly, stepping back toward the door. “And you know it. So if you don’t tell Jungkook the truth – and soon – then I will.”

Yejun looks at him, eyes flat and sharp like glass before it shatters. “Fuck you, Taehyung.”

Taehyung can feel his hands balling into fists as he stares daggers back at his brother. A brother he loves deeply, but who he also doesn’t like very much lately.

And it’s all he can do to not shout back at him, to be the responsible older brother he’s always tried to be.

So he turns and leaves, slamming the door behind him harder than he’d intended.

He grabs his coat and shouts a goodbye to his parents and Janie – who are already all seated at the dining room table.

He’s not staying for dinner.

*****

The second Taehyung steps inside his apartment, he turns off every light but the one over the stove. The soft yellow glow pools across the kitchen tiles like moonlight – not enough to banish the dark, but enough to make the quiet feel bearable.

He shrugs off his coat and leaves it in a heap by the door, doesn’t even bother to kick off his shoes.

What he wants is noise, some kind of distraction. But what he needs is silence. To think.

He leans against the counter, arms folded across his chest, and allows the weight of the evening settle over him. His brother. His lies. The smirk on Yejun’s face when he talked about Jungkook like he was just something to be used – not someone to be loved.

Taehyung’s throat tightens as he scrubs a hand over his face, trying to will away the ache that has been building behind his eyes since he’d left his parent’s house.

Why now? Why did everything feel like it was finally, painfully, clicking into place?

He hadn’t asked for this – not the guilt, not the longing, not the slow, inevitable breaking of something between him, Yejun, and Jungkook.

His thoughts drift, uninvited, to a flash of memory from months ago. It was early spring in his parents’ backyard, sun-warm and full of laughter during a barbeque that their family and friends had been invited to.

Yejun had invited Jungkook to meet all of their extended family for the first time. 

Understandably, Jungkook had been nervous, but trying to hide it behind that easy charm of his. And Yejun – he’d looked so proud, so pleased with himself as he kept his hand intertwined with Jungkook’s throughout the entire afternoon.

Taehyung remembers watching them from the kitchen window while he helped his mother with the side dishes.

Jungkook had reached over to pick a stray leaf from Yejun’s hair. Yejun had leaned in and kissed him – quick, sweet.

And Jungkook had smiled so big, like it had meant so much to him. Glowing under Yejun’s affection.

Taehyung remembers the sharp twist in his chest that he’d felt. He had told himself it was nothing. A flicker. Surprise at seeing his little brother in love.

But it hadn’t been that.

And now, knowing what he knows about Yejun – that he’s in love with Elliot – that smile from Jungkook feels like a bruise, like something precious that had been broken behind his back.

In the present, Taehyung pushes away from the counter and wanders to the window. The city stretches out beyond the glass, glowing and indifferent.

He presses a hand to the cool pane and allows the silence to press back.

He can’t fix anything, not without hurting someone.

And he doesn’t know which pain would be worse – keeping it in, or letting it all out.

*****

The backstage area of Maison Nocturne ’s holiday runway show can only be described as organized chaos – despite steamers and garment bags creating an endless mess while frantic stylists, half-dressed male models weave around clothing racks and makeup stations with practiced ease. 

The air smells like fabric starch, hairspray, and expensive cologne. Jungkook stands in front of a full-length mirror, smoothing the lapel of his velvet blazer, trying to center himself before the runway and not throw-up all over a $2,000 piece of clothing. 

Though it’s beautiful. But mostly because Taehyung is the one who made it.

Currently, it’s just a handful of days before Christmas, and the fashion show is the event that anyone who is anyone wants to be a part of. 

The experience should be a thrilling one, but Jungkook’s heart is racing for an entirely different reason.

He hasn’t seen Taehyung in over three weeks. Not since their brief encounter in the Kims’ kitchen just days after they’d slept together. 

Strangely enough, it hadn’t felt awkward between them. Hadn’t felt embarrassing. No. Whatever it was that was happening had felt intense, passionate. 

Jungkook had wanted so badly to run into Taehyung’s arms – to be enveloped in the older one’s warmth. But so much had gone unsaid, and Jungkook regrets it now. Regrets not telling Taehyung what he was feeling. Regrets not having the nerve to just break up with Yejun.

And now, he tries not to look like he’s looking for Taehyung. He refuses to ask the hairstylist fixing his hair where Taehyung might be.

But then – like magic – Jungkook’s eyes find him.

Across the room, near a clothing rack full of coats and blazers, Taehyung stands with a hand on another model’s shoulder, adjusting the collar of a structured wool coat he’d designed. 

He looks effortlessly composed in all black, a few strands of hair tucked behind one ear. His face is focused but kind, his movements precise. And he’s so handsome it’s dizzying.

But hovering just behind him, like some perfect pillar of support, is Sofia. All long legs and red lips, sipping something out of a glass bottle and pretending not to notice how everyone in the room is watching her.

Jungkook can’t look away.

His heart knocks unevenly against his ribs as Taehyung turns slightly – and their eyes meet.

It’s only for a few seconds. Maybe less. But Jungkook feels it like a hit to the heart.

There’s no anger – no awkwardness. It’s something else. Something quiet and unresolved.

Taehyung doesn’t smile. Neither does Jungkook. And the moment passes, swept away by the flurry of movement around them.

“Five minutes to showtime!” someone calls out. Another stylist tugs at Jungkook’s sleeve, giving the look one last check.

Jungkook focuses forward, lining up with the other models until it’s his turn to walk the runway. Then he’ll have to rush to put on the next outfit to walk again. He’s not sure how many times he gets to proudly show off Taehyung’s work on the runway, but he hopes Taehyung will be watching him each time. 

The applause and camera flashes might have been overwhelming if it wasn’t for the fact that Jungkook’s mind is somewhere far away – caught on the glance he and Taehyung had shared, on the silence between them, on everything that had begun to bloom only to then go dormant.

Before he has time to process what he’s just had the privilege of taking part in, all the models are lining up on the stage, holding hands. And then Taehyung walks out to take his bow. He’s smiling from ear to ear but with an air of humbleness. Still, it’s clear he’s proud as he turns to applaud all of the models who’d worn all of his brilliant designs. Including Jungkook.

Soon, the music fades, the audience is suddenly on their feet, and Jungkook knows it – as surely as he knows his own name – that he has missed Taehyung.

And he’s also very much in love with him.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

By the time Jungkook gets to the afterparty, it’s already in full swing – velvet ropes, golden lighting, curated playlists, and the usual crowd of models, editors, and influencers pretending to not be impressed with themselves. 

After spending twenty minutes out on the sidewalk debating going inside, he’s still not sure why he showed up. He doesn’t know anyone, had barely spoken to any of the other models in the backstage frenzy, and isn’t sure Taehyung even wants him there.

But the pull of “maybe he does” had won out. 

Jungkook stands near the bar with a drink he hasn’t touched, his nerves wound tight beneath the sheen of his suit and the adrenaline still lingering from the runway high.

He thinks he should try to walk around, talk to some of the radio and television media that are present. Get some contacts that could benefit him in his future career as a disc jockey. But his mind can’t seem to focus on anything other than one particular person.

He keeps scanning the room, hoping to spot Taehyung. He hasn’t seen him since his bow at the end of the show, and has no idea if he’s even at the party yet. But he wants to congratulate him. He wants things to be okay between them. He knows he owes Taehyung an apology, and even more than just that.

“Haven’t we met before?”

The sudden familiar voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

He turns – and there she is. Sofia. Statuesque and polished. Not a hair out of place, makeup perfect.  

“You’re Jungkook, the boyfriend of Taehyung’s brother?”

He straightens instinctively. “Uh…yeah. Hi.”

She smiles. “I thought so. It’s nice to see you again.”

Jungkook smiles back, albeit nervously. “How’ve you been? You were traveling recently?”

Sofia nods. “I was, and I’m doing well,” she says, before adding, “And I just want to tell you how great you were tonight. You could definitely have a career in modeling if you wanted one.”

Jungkook shifts uncomfortably, wondering if she knows anything about what he and Taehyung did while she was away. He’s not about to ask.

“Oh–uh…thank you,” he stutters out. “I just–it was just a one time thing. For Taehyung.”

Her eyes flick toward the far end of the room, where Taehyung has just walked in, surrounded by people. 

He looks radiant. Happy and proud.

Jungkook sighs. Is Taehyung happy? Have I ruined everything?

“You care about him,” Sofia says, turning her attention back to Jungkook. 

It isn’t a question.

“He cares about you too.”

Jungkook hesitates. He can see it on her face. She does know. She knows what happened and the way she furrows her brows tells him that she’s not thrilled about it. 

“I didn’t mean for–”

“I know, Jungkook” she says, gently. “And it’s okay. Tae and I have talked things out. He was honest with me. But I told him that I wanted us to remain friends. Close friends.”

He looks at her, uncertain. “Why are you telling me this?”

She huffs a laugh. “Because, though he wouldn’t say it for sure, I’m certain that all this came about because of you . Apparently you’ve caught his attention, even more than I could,” she says, voice still light but with a thread of steel beneath it.

The way she says it hits him like cold water. Her initial friendliness was a trap.

“I suppose I can see why,” she continues, the comment hovering somewhere between an observation and a warning. “He thinks you’re sweet. Somewhat interesting. Someone he seems to admire.” Her gaze lingers on him, assessing, as if she’d been assembling this truth piece by piece. “

“But here’s the thing,” she adds, her tone icy. “I’m aware that something happened between you two while I was away.”

She steps closer, as if not wanting anyone else to hear the next thing she’s about to say.

“He didn’t tell me anything specific, but I chose to let it go anyway. Because I want him to be mine , Jungkook. And I don’t plan on letting anything or anyone ruin my plans.”

Jungkook’s jaw tightens. “Taehyung isn’t something you can just claim,” he seethes. 

But Sofia doesn’t even flinch. Instead, her smile returns, polite but empty. 

“Whatever you say, I guess. But you know what the sad thing is?,” she says quietly. “It’s the way you string him along. To hold on to Yejun while pulling Taehyung closer. Playing a game with two brothers. Things like that tend to break. And it’s usually the person in the middle that gets broken.”

She takes another sip of her drink, letting the words sink in. Jungkook is too stunned to speak. He hadn’t expected the confrontation. He hadn’t even considered that Sofia might be territorial over Taehyung. It blindsides him.

“Fortunately, unlike you, I’m neither cruel nor immature like that,” she tells him. “So ask yourself if you really want to risk going up against me, because I won’t make it easy. Taehyung already sees what a good sport I am. How loyal I am. How I’m willing to put him before anyone else.”

The words land like a slap to the face as Sofia drains the last of her drink and sets the glass down on the bar with care.

She steps back, a smug smirk on her red lips. 

“Have a nice rest of your evening, Jungkook.”

He watches as she saunters off. But somewhere across the room, he hears Taehyung laugh at something being said.

Jungkook's eyes find him, and his heart throbs with a bevy of emotions. He’s in love, he’s nervous, he’s scared, he’s desperate. He knows he needs to do something. He can’t let Sofia have the upper-hand. Not when she doesn’t seem to love Taehyung. At least, not the way Jungkook does.

It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about Taehyung’s worth, and what he deserves. Jungkook wants to be what he deserves. To give him the best. To give him everything.

He watches Taehyung for a while, tries to catch his eye again like they did earlier at Bergdorf Goodman . But it doesn’t happen. Taehyung is in demand by everyone in the room.

But Jungkook just wants to be the one who matters most. 

*****

Taehyung can feel Jungkook’s presence in every single corner of the room. 

Not only that, but he can feel Jungkook’s eyes on him too. 

He tells himself it doesn’t matter, that it doesn’t really mean anything. Because Jungkook is still with Yejun and he hasn’t even heard from him ever since that November day in his parents kitchen. 

And as hard as it has been to step back and let Jungkook and Yejun deal with their relationship themselves, he’s proud of himself for not giving in and texting the younger one every single time he listens to his radio show and hears those songs he plays. Wondering if any of them are for him.

He forces himself to believe they’re not. That Jungkook is not sending him messages via song lyrics. 

He refuses to live inside a fantasy. Reality is better. Reality is safe. Even if it makes him miserable. 

And despite his fight with Yejun, the brothers have been fine. There’s a distance between them that Taehyung feels even when they text each other, but he knows the tension will eventually pass, as it always does between brothers. 

Still, his heart yearns to go to Jungkook, knowing he will easily find him amongst the perimeter of the party crowd. Jungkook is waiting, and Taehyung wonders if his curiosity in regards to why that is, will win out before the night is over.

“Everyone seems to be having a good time.”

Taehyung turns to find Sofia coming up beside him, handing him another glass of wine. For a split second he wonders if she’s trying to get him drunk. It’s the fourth glass he’s had. 

“Is that where you've been? Getting a read on how good of a party I can throw?” Taehyung teases. 

Sofia smiles radiantly at him. 

He wishes he felt something. 

“I have it on good authority that you do , in fact, throw an excellent party. Everyone is tipsy just enough and the hors d’oeuvres are delicious,” she says as she loops her arm around his. 

She kisses his cheek, and Taehyung suppresses a wince. He knows he shouldn’t care what Jungkook might see or think – if he’s watching – but he does. Because he doesn’t want Jungkook to think his relationship with Sofia is something serious. It’s not anything, actually, now that they’ve decided to just be friends.

But she’s not acting as if they’re just friends, almost as if she’s making it a point to flaunt him in front of the crowd of guests.

Taehyung pulls away gently. “I’m going to go find the restroom,” he says. “Hold down the fort for me for a moment?”

Sofia nods. “Hurry back, babe.”

Taehyung inwardly cringes at the nickname, and he feels guilty for it.

How many men and women would maim and kill to have the chance to be with someone like Sofia? A woman so smart and confident, beautiful and fun. 

Taehyung likes her a lot, but it’s only platonic. As hard as he has tried to feel something more, he just can’t. 

It’s become even more glaring to him that his heart completely belongs to Jungkook. 

Still, he tried to let Sofia down as easily as possible. He’d been honest with her when she’d returned from Vienna. He’d told her that he had been conflicted about his feelings, that there was someone in his life that he cares about, though he doesn’t know if he will ever have a future with them.

Sofia – as clever as she is – had immediately guessed it was Jungkook.

“Why do you think it’s Jungkook?” he’d asked her, trying to hide his disbelief.

Sofia had smiled, but the disappointment was visible in her eyes. “Woman’s intuition, I guess, ” she’d said. “You look at him like he’s the center of your world.”

Taehyung had neither confirmed nor denied, but Sofia was convinced anyway. 

Regardless of the breakup, she had told Taehyung how much she wanted to remain friends. Despite his hesitation, at first, he had agreed that being friends would be nice. 

And so far, it has been. But Taehyung knows Sofia hasn’t given up on the possibility that the friendship could turn into more. It hangs over him, knowing he’ll be forced to hurt her again when what she wants never happens. As harsh as it feels, Taehyung can’t live a lie. 

His hopeless heart has already been claimed.

*****

Jungkook has been tracking Taehyung’s movements for the past hour and he’s not sure he’s ever felt so pathetic. 

It’s a punishment he knows he deserves, and he takes it like a man. For the most part.

And it’s only more apparent that he’s fucked things up when Taehyung makes no attempt to approach him. 

The snub leaves him wondering if maybe it’s too late. Maybe his chance with the man he loves has passed. 

Because even trying to get Taehyung alone at the party has been next to impossible. Granted, everyone in the room seems to want a moment with the star of the night.

Ever since he’d entered the party venue, Taehyung had been bombarded by industry people, the media, his peers, his team, everyone . Every time he’d caught a glimpse – a flash of sharp tailoring, that familiar profile – someone had stepped in, drawing Taehyung into another conversation.

Not that Jungkook could blame them. Taehyung was born to shine, to be loved.

Now, leaning against the wall near the hallway to the restrooms, Jungkook’s patience has frayed thin. It feels ridiculous to corner Taehyung this way, but as soon as the older one walks back out to rejoin the party, Jungkook is waiting for him. 

Taehyung’s head is tilted as he adjusts the cuff of his jacket. The overhead lights bounce off his dark hair, catching his lashes, making his eyes look impossibly deep when he finally notices Jungkook standing there.

“Hey,” Jungkook says, voice sounding more nervous than he would have liked. 

Taehyung slows, his gaze flicking over Jungkook before settling into something guarded. 

“Hey.”

Jungkook swallows, feeling the push and pull of what he wants to say. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you all night.”

Taehyung’s lips twitch – not quite a smile, not quite a frown. “There’s been a lot of competition for my attention. It’s been a little overwhelming.”

“It has, but…I didn’t want to just say hi and congratulate you.” Jungkook says as the noise from the party becomes a distant hum. “I wanted to–to clear the air…without an audience.”

There’s a pause. Taehyung’s eyes search his face, and Jungkook can see the hesitation there, the caution that wasn’t always between them.

It hurts to see it, and to know he’s the one who created it. 

“Right now?” Taehyung asks, though there’s a faint, almost imperceptible tremor in his tone.

“Yes,” Jungkook says simply. “Can we go somewhere? Just you and me?”

The seconds stretch. The music swells behind them, laughter spilling from somewhere deeper in the room, but here in the hallway it feels still, like everything is balancing on Taehyung’s answer.

Finally, Taehyung speaks. “I really need to get back to the party. But you can give me a call sometime…or whatever.”

He gives a half smile and starts to walk away. 

Jungkook’s heart shatters in his chest. Never once has Taehyung brushed him off so thoughtlessly. And he realizes in an instant that he’s going to lose him. He’s going to lose the greatest person he’s ever known if he doesn’t do something, and fast.

“Taehyung!” he shouts his name a little too loud, causing Taehyung to abruptly stop in his tracks and turn around.

And then he’s looking at him, confusion on his face from the desperation in Jungkook’s voice.

Jungkook somehow manages to find the words he wants to say.

“Last time we saw each other, you asked me if I was in love with Yejun.”

Taehyung nods, like he remembers.

“I didn’t get the chance to tell you that I’m not. Not anymore. And I don’t want you to keep your distance from me. Not tonight. We can figure everything else out later, but tonight…I want to talk…I want to be close to you.”

Taehyung doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. It feels as if an eternity has gone by when he finally nods again, slow and deliberate. 

“Alright, Kook. We can talk.”

Jungkook exhales a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and gestures toward the exit.

The weight in his chest eases just enough to let some hope in again.

*****

“You were incredible tonight,” is the first thing he says once he and Taehyung are sitting in a quiet corner of a cozy, little jazz bar just down the street.

“Me? What about you?” Taehyung replies with a lazy smile. “I saw the way you walked that runway like you owned it.

Jungkook’s heart beats a mile a minute. He doesn’t want to mess up this chance he’s been given. But he’s so anxious he downs his drink and signals the server for another.

“It was fun, but definitely harder than it looks. I was so afraid I’d trip or something.”

Taehyung shakes his head. “You did great. I’m impressed.”

He takes a sip of the scotch he’d ordered, eyes cast down as if he’s not sure where to look.

It’s then that Jungkook addresses the elephant in the room.

“I wasn’t sure you’d talk to me,” he says, timidly. “I haven’t heard from you.”

He holds his breath, and then their eyes meet when Taehyung finally looks up.

“I haven’t heard from you either.”

Jungkook sighs. “I know…but I guess I’d hoped you were listening to my show,” he admits. “I thought maybe you’d call me when you realized that all those songs were for you.”

The look on Taehyung’s face softens, but only a little. Still, it’s something. Hopefully.

“I didn’t want to reach out,” he says bluntly. “And I was trying to do the right thing and just…back off.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re still with Yejun.”

Jungkook knew that would be his answer. 

“And you want me to break up with him?”

Taehyung chuckles, but there’s no humor in it. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”

Jungkook wants to ask him. He wants to know exactly what it is that Taehyung wants. If Taehyung wants him .

He wishes he had the courage to voice his questions, but Taehyung seems so wary of him. It’s heartbreaking.

“I spoke to Sofia,” he says instead. “She told me that you two are just friends now.”

Taehyung smirks. “True.”

“But she also made it clear that she’s after you. She acted like I’m her main competitor.”

Taehyung doesn’t hide his surprise at what Jungkook is telling him. “And does that bother you?” he asks with a raise of his brow.

Jungkook swallows and nods. “Yes.”

Taehyung sits back, a knowing grin on his lips. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

It’s so hot, the way Taehyung knows how much he’s wanted. Jungkook is a sucker for it, and easily gives in.

“I’m going to make sure she doesn’t get what she wants,” Jungkook says, voice laced with seduction, no edge of jealousy in his tone, just unwavering conviction. 

He makes sure that the way he’s looking at Taehyung leaves no room for doubt. He wants it to be clear what he’s after.

Taehyung understands too, because he leans forward, eyes locked on Jungkook’s. “So if I asked you to come home with me…”

“I’d say yes.”

Taehyung nods and leaves money on the table before getting up and taking Jungkook’s hand.

They leave together, and Jungkook secretly congratulates himself on being smart enough to take the subway instead of driving himself to the fashion show. Being with Taehyung in his busted Cutlass feels like coming full circle.

“I gotta say, you really wear my designs better than anyone,” Taehyung says as they drive through the streets back to Taehyung’s apartment. “It’s inspiring.”

His pulse races at the compliment.

“Am I your muse, Taehyung Kim?” Jungkook flirts.

Taehyung’s grin says it all. 

“Since the day I first met you.”

*****

Jungkook has no self control when it comes to Taehyung. 

He can’t hold back. He can’t say no. He doesn’t care about wrong or right. He just wants what he wants and he doesn’t care if that makes him a selfish dick. 

Because he can’t deny himself being in Taehyung’s arms, in Taehyung’s bed. 

“Oh…fuck…” he moans as Taehyung plows into him from behind. 

He hadn’t anticipated that his night would end up this way. Though, deep down, he had shown up at the afterparty with the hopes that he and Taehyung would leave it together. 

And despite her efforts, Sofia hadn’t gotten in his way. 

In fact, Taehyung had texted her from the bar to let her know he’d had to leave the party early. If she replied, Taehyung hadn’t mentioned her response.

With nothing holding them back, Taehyung and Jungkook had barely made it through the door of Taehyung’s apartment before Jungkook’s lips were on his, urgent but soft, like no time had passed at all. Like there hadn’t been weeks of distance, silence, and guilt. 

Jungkook had undressed himself – and Taehyung – in a frenzy, eager to be skin against skin. 

And Taehyung had kept kissing him through it like a man starved – so intense Jungkook’s knees were shaking. 

And now, as Taehyung suddenly slips out and growls a request for Jungkook to lay down on the bed so he can look at him – Jungkook shivers all over. 

It’s so good. He’s never been with someone like Taehyung. He’s never been so satisfied even though he constantly wants more, craving to have Taehyung inside him all day every day.

Because Taehyung Kim is beyond compare. Breathtaking. The way he moves with a kind of reverence, like he’s still in disbelief that Jungkook is here with him. 

His hands are everywhere – on Jungkook’s jaw, his chest, his thighs – like he’s memorizing him again. 

Jungkook gasps into Taehyung’s mouth as they sink into the mattress, bodies aligning just the way they were made to.

They make love slowly this way. No rush. No frantic hands or hurried mouths. Just touch and breath and everything unsaid a sweet thrum beneath their skin.

Jungkook realizes that he’s been just as starved. That he’d tried so hard to not think about this. About Taehyung. He tried so hard to not want this again, but he’d been fooling himself. 

Taehyung’s eyes are dark pools of passion as he gazes at Jungkook from above. The slow drag of his cock thrusting in and out is torturous, but in the best way.

Jungkook grips his shoulders, parts his lips to let whimpers of pleasure escape, knowing how the sounds drive Taehyung crazy with lust. 

“Your so fucking beautiful…” the older one groans.

Jungkook bites into his bottom lip, loves the way Taehyung’s eyes widen before wincing as he pushes himself to the hilt, causing Jungkook to yelp at how full he is. 

“Keep going…just like that, baby…love it when you go deep…”

The words have Taehyung dropping his head, moaning and mumbling something about Jungkook being a “goddamn menace” – but he does what Jungkook wants. And he does it better than anyone ever could. 

They’re unable to keep it up for long. Jungkook whines at how close he is, his erection leaking against his stomach before Taehyung wraps a hand around it and works him to a blinding climax. Taehyung comes immediately after, stays inside Jungkook as he shudders through the aftershocks.

Heavy breathing is the only sound in the room as they lie on the bed attempting to catch their breath. 

Taehyung pulls Jungkook to him, wanting the younger one close.

He lies there with his head on Taehyung’s chest, both of them slick with sweat, tangled together beneath the bed sheets. 

The city still bustles outside the window. But in here, there’s only the soft thud of Taehyung’s heartbeat under his ear.

“By the way, you killed it tonight,” Jungkook says eventually, voice hoarse. 

“What? My show or your ass?” 

Jungkook laughs. “Both,” he says. “But honestly, the show really was amazing.”

Taehyung hums. “Thank you. And thank you for being a part of it.”

Jungkook smiles, then lifts his head. “It was surreal. Walking for you. Seeing your name on the wall, the applause…” He shakes his head. “I’m so proud of you.”

Taehyung’s fingers trace slow circles along Jungkook’s shoulder. “You know what I kept thinking backstage? When I saw you walk out?”

Jungkook looks up at him.

“How much I missed you,” Taehyung says, voice quiet. “I missed you so much I thought I’d lose it right there in front of everyone.”

Jungkook’s throat tightens. “Tae…”

“Maybe you already know this, but…I have feelings for you, Jungkook,” Taehyung says, like it’s a truth he’s held for too long. “I know it’s complicated. I know it’s messy. But I do.”

Jungkook doesn’t respond right away. He searches Taehyung’s face – those eyes, always too honest – and then leans forward to kiss him once, soft and full of aching.

“I do too,” he whispers against his mouth. “I tried not to, but I do.”

They stay like that, breathing into each other’s mouths, letting the confession settle between them like something fragile and new.

Taehyung brushes a thumb across Jungkook’s cheek. “Come shower with me?”

Jungkook nods. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

They slip out of bed, fingers brushing, and walk together to the bathroom, bare skin and bare hearts, trying to ignore the storm they know waits outside these walls.

But for now, they’re here.

Together.

*****

The takeout containers are strewn between them on the coffee table – Italian, because it’s what Jungkook said he was craving. And after he had been so magnificent on the runway, Taehyung knew he would agree to just about anything the younger one could want.

It turns out to be an excellent choice too. The chicken parmesan is the best Taehyung has ever eaten. Or maybe he’s just so happy that he could eat pretty much anything at that moment and think it was the best meal he’s ever had.

Especially when he has Jungkook there to share it with.

The sliding doors to the balcony are cracked open, letting in the cold December air and the distant sounds of Brooklyn below. The heat inside, though, is a different kind. 

It’s in Jungkook’s eyes whenever he steals a glance at Taehyung. In his touch when their hands brush against each other’s. 

The heat between them is unavoidable. Taehyung hasn’t been this content in a very long time.

It feels so natural – Jungkook sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch like he's always belonged there. 

He’s wearing a pair of Taehyung’s sweats that are just a bit too long, and one of his worn college tees that’s a little snug over his shoulders. His damp hair is curling a bit at the ends, still drying from the shower. He looks impossibly soft – the glow from the lamp catching on his cheekbones as he pops a piece of breadstick into his mouth.

“God,” Jungkook says with a groan, tipping his head back against the couch cushion. “Why does food always taste better after sex?”

Taehyung chokes on a laugh. “Is eating a thing you do often after sex?”

Jungkook smirks at him, unabashed. “Yes, but now that I think about it – it’s only ever tasted this good after sex with you .”

Taehyung rolls his eyes, but he feels insanely giddy at the flirty comment, unable to hide his smile.

“Yeah, I believe that’s been scientifically proven. That sex with me enhances the flavor of most, if not all, culinary delights.”

Jungkook’s whole face lights up with amusement, his eyes crinkling just a little when he grins. 

“It’s like a superpower,” he says, chuckling.

It’s dangerous, how happy Taehyung feels. How easy this is. And how easy it would be for things to stay this way if there weren’t the complications waiting back in the real world. But Taehyung doesn’t want to think about that right now. 

The crippling guilt has no place in this moment.

“You look good in my clothes,” Taehyung says without thinking.

Jungkook glances down at himself, then up again with a crooked smile. “Yeah? I think I might have to keep them.”

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. “That so?”

“Mmhm,” Jungkook hums, nudging Taehyung’s knee playfully. “They’re comfortable. They smell like you too.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Jungkook nods. “I like the way you smell. Like musk and pine. Makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.”

Taehyung can’t help the way his chest tugs a little at that.

He reaches over and gently brushes a strand of hair off Jungkook’s forehead. “Thinking you can keep my clothes is very presumptuous of you.”

Jungkook grins. “You like it.”

Taehyung can’t argue. “You’re right. You can steal my entire closet if you want to,” he says with a teasing wink.

They fall into a quiet lull, the city muffled behind them and their legs stretched out, overlapping. Jungkook starts picking at the last bits of tiramisu and asks, “So you have been listening to my show?”

Taehyung glances down at his lap, feeling a shyness he only ever feels when he’s with Jungkook. 

“Yeah. I have. Every single time you’re on air.”

Jungkook turns to look at him more fully. “You really didn’t want to call me or text me? Not once?”

“I wanted to,” Taehyung admits, softly. “I lied when I said I didn’t. But Jimin had given me some solid advice, and I agreed with him. So I resisted the urge to talk to you. For both of our sakes.”

Jungkook nods slowly, thoughtful, like he gets it and appreciates the thoughtfulness behind it.

“Honestly, I always hoped you were listening. Every song I played was for you.”

Taehyung’s heart stumbles in his chest. “I wanted to believe that” he murmurs. “But I didn’t know for sure.”

Jungkook moves so he can take Taehyung’s hand in his. “The lyrics had messages for you. Did you know what the messages were?”

Taehyung can feel his face getting warm, knows he’s blushing from being put on the spot. He doesn’t want to be too brazen in his analysis.

“I think you were trying to tell me that maybe you were feeling something for me…but I didn’t want to assume…I didn’t want to hope.”

“Why not?”

Taehyung sighs. “You know why, Kook.”

They don’t say Yejun’s name. Not tonight. But the third person in the triangle hovers between them like a shadow they’re not ready to touch yet.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” he says as he lifts their entwined hands and kisses the back of Taehyung’s. “I was definitely trying to find a way to let you know how I was feeling. Texting or calling didn’t feel…romantic enough, I guess.”

They laugh quietly, moving closer, and then they’re kissing again. Slow and deep. Taehyung thinks he could kiss Jungkook forever and beyond if given the chance.

He’s not sure how much time passes before they break apart, but Jungkook’s cheeks are flushed pink as he leans back against the couch again. 

“Damn, Tae,” he exhales. “Can’t believe I never knew you could kiss like that.”

Taehyung doesn’t know what to say to that, but the pride he feels is immense.

“So, what’s next for you at work?” Jungkook pants.

Taehyung laughs at the abrupt subject change, but he goes with it. Talking to Jungkook one-on-one like this is something he’s never had enough of.

“Well, we’re already working on spring collections, if you can believe it. I think we’re going full denim on menswear. Denim everything .”

Jungkook perks up. “Can I come to the studio again sometime?”

“You want to?”

“Yeah. I want to see the master at work. Watch you come up with those brilliant ideas in the moment.”

Taehyung nods, something warm curling in his chest again. “I’m not sure about the brilliant master part, but I’d love to have my muse in the studio with me.”

Jungkook blushes.

Eventually, they end up in bed again, not for anything physical this time, just tangled up beneath the covers, Jungkook curled into Taehyung’s side like he belongs there.

And maybe he does.

Taehyung lies awake a while longer, listening to the steady rhythm of Jungkook’s breathing, fingers lazily brushing against the soft cotton of the borrowed shirt Jungkook still wears. 

Everything still feels delicate, like if he breathes too hard it might all break apart. But for now, it’s enough.

Jungkook is here. And he chose him. Even if only for the night.

And Taehyung will let himself have that.

*****

Taehyung wakes up to the press of a body against his back, a soft warmth that can only come from one person. 

Still, it takes him a moment to register that this isn’t a dream. 

Jungkook is still here?

He shifts his body just enough to hear a small groan, and then an arm slings itself across his middle, holding him. The steady, slow breath against the back of his neck is real. The arm slung around his waist really belongs to Jungkook.

Taehyung doesn’t move at first, afraid that if he stirs, the moment will dissolve. But then he feels Jungkook shift slightly in his sleep, fingers curling tighter against his stomach, and Taehyung allows himself the smallest smile. 

He stayed. He didn’t sneak out in the middle of the night. He’s still here.

It feels like a victory. 

Careful not to wake him, Taehyung lifts Jungkook’s arm gently and slips out of bed. He watches him for a beat – his messy hair, the way his lips are slightly parted, the faint lines of exhaustion still present under his eyes. Beautiful, even now. Especially now.

Padding quietly into the kitchen, Taehyung puts on a pot of coffee and starts rummaging through the fridge. There’s eggs, bread, a few strawberries that are still good. He hums under his breath as he moves around, his heart thrumming with a happiness that doesn’t compare to anything else. Not even his successful holiday fashion show the night before.

It’s about fifteen minutes later when Jungkook appears, hair rumpled and wearing one of Taehyung’s oversized hoodies like it’s always belonged to him. 

His eyes are puffy with sleep, and he looks so soft when he pouts his lips and leans into the counter beside Taehyung. Without saying anything, he rests his head against Taehyung’s shoulder and just watches as he scrambles eggs in the frying pan.

“Mmm,” Jungkook finally mumbles, eyes still half-lidded. “Smells good.”

Taehyung grins to himself. “You eat eggs, right?”

Jungkook nods, his arms wrapping loosely around Taehyung’s waist. 

“I’ll eat anything if you make it.”

Then he kisses Taehyung’s cheek before moving over to the cupboard to take out two coffee mugs. 

He doesn’t ask how Taehyung likes his coffee – he just seems to know. It’s not because of Yejun. They might be brothers, but they don’t drink their coffee the same way. No, apparently Jungkook has paid attention at some point. 

The thought has Taehyung weak in the knees. 

They eat together in the quiet, the kind of silence that doesn’t feel awkward or heavy. It’s just inexplicably comfortable. 

Between bites, Jungkook brushes his fingers against Taehyung’s hand. At one point, he pulls out his phone, shows Taehyung a meme he saved, and laughs when Taehyung snorts into his coffee.

It’s perfect. Or at least it feels that way. Until Taehyung opens his mouth. But he can’t stand it anymore. He needs to know.

“So…” he says softly, unable to look at Jungkook. “What happens now?”

Jungkook’s fork slows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Taehyung says, carefully setting down his mug, “what happens with Yejun?”

Jungkook sighs, the light in his eyes dimming. “I’m…I’m going to break up with him. It’s time.”

“You are?” he asks, trying not to sound too excited, though his heart is about to explode with anticipation. 

“Yeah, I am,” Jungkook nods. “Things have been over between us for a while now. One of us has to be the one to just say it. I guess it’s going to be me. Though I thought it would be Yejun.”

Taehyung licks his lips nervously. He knows this is a tender subject, but he can’t hide his desire to finally have Jungkook as his.

“H-how soon do you think you’ll…you know…talk to him?”

Jungkook looks out the window, avoiding Taehyung’s eyes. “Soon.”

Taehyung feels the word like ice in his veins, dousing the warmth that had wrapped around his heart all morning. “Soon” seems so noncommittal, like procrastination. 

Maybe he’s being impatient, but he wants to know when he can finally leave all the guilt behind in the past. He wants to know when he can love Jungkook out in the open.

“Soon,” he repeats. “What does that mean? How soon is ‘soon’?” he asks, voice quiet but sharp at the edges. 

It’s possible he’s being unfairly impatient, but Taehyung wants definites. He doesn’t want to wonder and wait. He’s done enough of that.

Jungkook pushes back slightly, his expression folding in on itself. 

“It’s going to happen, Taehyung. But please keep in mind that I’ve been with your brother for over a year now. I’m not in love with him, but I care about him. So, I need a little time to figure out what to say and how to say it. I don’t want to hurt him when–”

“He’s cheating on you, Jungkook.”

The silence that follows the interruption is instant and deafening. Jungkook stares at him.

“What?”

Taehyung swallows, chest tight. “He’s been seeing someone else. A guy named Elliott. It’s been going on for months now.”

Jungkook pushes back his chair, looking dumbfounded. 

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

“Then how–how do you know?” Jungkook asks, voice cracking.

“Because he told me,” Taehyung says, eyes shining. “Because I confronted him. Because I begged him to tell you and he wouldn’t. Because he said you were the best sex he’s ever had and he didn’t want to give that up.”

Jungkook stands up now, visibly shaken, his hands curled into fists at his sides. 

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I’m telling you now.”

Jungkook scoffs. “Before, Taehyung. Before!”

“I couldn’t,” Taehyung says, helplessly. “It wasn’t my place, and I–”

“You slept with me,” Jungkook snaps, wounded and confused. “Knowing all of that? Knowing he was cheating on me?”

Taehyung opens his mouth, then closes it. There’s nothing he can say that can make any of this better.

“I can’t believe this,” Jungkook says, shaking his head. 

His eyes are bright with unshed tears, and that’s when Taehyung feels the hurt fully bloom.

“I trusted you.”

“Jungkook, please.”

But Jungkook is already grabbing his coat.

“I can’t do this right now,” he says. “I need to go.”

He doesn’t slam the door when he leaves, but it might as well have been a thunderclap.

Taehyung sits in front of his half-eaten breakfast on the table, the scent of coffee still hanging in the air.

He didn’t think things could get even messier than they already were. 

He was wrong. 

*****

Jungkook doesn’t knock. He opens the door to Yejun’s childhood bedroom with a hard push, his hand trembling on the knob.

Yejun’s on the bed, legs crossed, scrolling through his phone like nothing’s wrong. When he sees Jungkook, he sits up straighter, blinking. 

“Jungkook! What are you doing here?”

Jungkook walks in and shuts the door behind him. 

“Have you been seeing some guy named Elliot?”

Yejun freezes. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb. Just answer me.”

Yejun’s eyes flick toward the window, like he thinks he might be able to escape the angry confrontation.

“I–I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, but there’s panic in his voice.

“Who is Elliot, Yejun?”

Jungkook knows his boyfriend well enough to know when he’s lying. There’s no getting out of this, and Yejun must realize it because he gets up from his bed and stands to face Jungkook head on.

“Who told you about him?” he asks, jaw clenched.

“Taehyung.”

There’s a pause as the silence between them sharpens.

Yejun’s mouth presses into a thin line. 

“So he really told you. Guess I never should have doubted my dear big brother.”

Jungkook’s fists curl at his sides. There’s no denial.

“So it’s true.”

Yejun drags a hand through his hair. He’s sweating, but is relatively calm despite. It’s almost as if he knew his days were numbered – that Jungkook would find out sooner or later. 

“Elliot is a coworker of mine. And yes, we’ve become close.”

“Unbelievable.” Jungkook huffs, shaking his head. “How long did you think you could keep doing this without getting caught?”

Yejun crosses his arms, his voice lifting defensively. “I have my reasons, Jungkook. But I don’t think I can make you understand.”

“Try,” Jungkook demands.

Yejun looks him in the eyes. “I didn’t want to blow everything up without being sure of what I wanted.”

“Of what you wanted or of who you wanted?”

There’s a moment of hesitation before Yejun lifts his chin to answer. “Of who I wanted.”

Jungkook steps forward. “So in the meantime, you just kept me around. Told me you loved me. Lied to my face.”

“I never lied about loving you,” Yejun mutters.

Jungkook’s eyes darken. “Then you have a pretty twisted way of showing it.”

Yejun flinches. “You don’t understand, Jungkook. Elliot and I have something you and I don’t. With him, there’s depth. Comfort. Excitement. He makes me feel things I don’t feel when I’m with you.”

Jungkook recoils like he’s been slapped. “So I’m just a fucking side piece to you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Yejun exhales sharply. “See? This is the problem between us. You’re immature as hell, and so fucking dramatic.”

Jungkook stares at him for a long beat. “Fine. Then I’ll stop being dramatic. I’ll be honest instead.”

He squares his shoulders.

“I slept with your brother.”

It’s like the air gets sucked out of the room.

Yejun blinks. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Yejun’s face twists, disbelief curdling into rage. 

“You’re lying.”

Jungkook shakes his head slowly and smirks. “I’m not. It happened. More than once.”

Yejun’s voice spikes. “Are you proud of that? Sleeping with Taehyung? That’s what this is now?”

“No,” Jungkook says. “But I wanted you to know before I walk away for good.”

“You’re disgusting,” Yejun snaps. “You judge me for sleeping with someone else while you’re off screwing my brother?”

Jungkook meets his eyes, steady and cold. “You lied and cheated for months. But I…I fell in love.”

That lands. Yejun staggers back like the weight of those words physically hits him, leaving him speechless. Jungkook uses the opportunity to keep going.

“You know what? Fuck this,” he fumes. “I don’t even care about you wanting someone else. I don’t care if you love me or not. I don’t care that we haven’t spent time together or had sex in months. What pisses me the fuck off is that I’ve been wasting my time on you while I could have been with someone else. Someone I love, who I want, who fucks me better than you ever could.”

Yejun stares at him, eyes blazing. “I knew Taehyung would do this shit. That he would poison you against me and take you for himself.”

But Jungkook shakes his head. “Taehyung didn’t poison anything. You did. So I guess I should thank you for helping me to finally see things for what they are. For helping me to see that you’ll never be the man your brother is.”

Jungkook turns and opens the door to leave. “Good riddance, Yejun.”

And then he’s gone, leaving Yejun alone with his rage, his guilt, and the sinking realization that he lost everything – because he wanted to have it all.

*****

Jungkook is packing his bags to go home for Christmas when he hears a rap on his bedroom door.

It’s Namjoon coming by to try and talk to him again. 

All three of his roommates have been concerned about him for the past two days. Maybe it’s because Jungkook had come home on the 21st after breaking up with Yejun and gone straight to his room without a word, locking himself away and not answering texts nor knocks on his door. 

Yoongi had told him goodbye before heading home for the holidays. And so had Hoseok. Namjoon was the last of the three, but Jungkook could no longer avoid him. Not when he has a flight to catch. 

“What’s going on, Kook?” Namjoon asks, deep concern on his face. 

Jungkook shakes his head. “Everything has gone to shit, Joon.”

“Let me guess…Yejun and Taehyung?”

Jungkook nods, confirming the good guess. And he thinks he’s ready to talk about it now.

“I figured – since Taehyung called Yoongi yesterday. He wouldn't tell him anything. He just wanted to know if you were okay.”

Hearing that Taehyung had called sends a thrill directly to Jungkook's heart. He hadn’t heard from Taehyung directly, and he can only imagine it’s because Taehyung is giving him space. 

But he’s not sure he wants space. He thinks he just wants Taehyung. 

“You’re upset with him?”

Jungkook shrugs. “I don’t know. I wonder if it’s even fair to be upset with him.”

Namjoon cocks his head to the side, curious. “Why is that? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Jungkook doesn’t mind, and decides to launch into the whole story. About how he’d slept with Taehyung again. How Taehyung had told him about Yejun’s cheating. About the breakup with Yejun. About being angry that Taehyung hadn’t told him the truth. 

“I feel like I should be angry at Yejun, but I honestly don’t even care about all that,” he explains. “I think I knew all along that Yejun was doing shit behind my back, but I ignored it. I didn’t want to break up with him because that would mean I wouldn’t be a part of his family anymore. That I might not see Taehyung anymore. I thought by breaking up with Yejun, I’d be breaking up with all the Kim’s,” he says, voice trembling. “And I know I’m not any better than Yejun. I was cheating on him too, and staying with him so I could still be around his family, especially Taehyung. It probably sounds stupid, but...yeah.”

Namjoon sighs and takes a seat on the bed next to Jungkook’s suitcase. 

“It’s not stupid, Kook,” he offers. “And I get how you’re feeling. The Kim’s are great people, and it became pretty obvious that you were starting to have feelings for Taehyung. Your heart was drawn in another direction. And yeah, some of this might have been avoided if you had ended things with Yejun sooner, but I understand why you didn’t, and none of this is your fault. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be in your shoes – to be falling out of love with one brother while falling in love with the other. It makes sense that you’re feeling messy.”

Jungkook feels a relief at being understood, especially by someone as levelheaded and diplomatic as Namjoon. He’s sure Yoongi and Hoseok would be saying similar things to him if they were there too. At least Jungkook can find some comfort in that, and he thanks his friend for not making him feel like a complete asshole.

“But I haven’t spoken to Taehyung since I left his apartment,” he says. “It’s like…I don’t know what to say to him. I feel played. He knew all along that Yejun was lying to me. If he’d just told me…maybe we could have figured things out weeks ago. We could be together right now.”

Namjoon nods. “I get that, but Taehyung was put in a really terrible position. Caught between you and his brother.”

Jungkook agrees. “You’re right. Taehyung was stuck in a shitty situation. I get that he was trying to be a good brother by giving Yejun a chance to tell me the truth, but it still hurts. And it makes me wonder if…if maybe I had the wrong idea about everything. What if Taehyung just felt sorry for me?’

Namjoon chuckles a little. “I don’t think Taehyung allowed things to happen between the two of you because he felt sorry for you, Kook,” he says. “Has Taehyung told you how he feels about you?”

Jungkook’s heart thumps remembering Taehyung’s words, the look on his face as he said them.

“He admitted he has feelings for me, that he’d like to see where things could go with us. No ultimatums and no pressure. But he was frustrated because I was too concerned about hurting his brother. That's why he told me about Yejun cheating on me.”

“And how do you feel about Taehyung?”

Jungkook takes a deep breath, but it’s easy to admit.

“I love him,” he says simply. “But I don’t think I can be with him. Not yet. I don’t want to start something good with him on the heels of a bad ending with someone else.”

Namjoon nods his head in understanding.

“Well, then I guess Christmas break came at a good time.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees. “I have a lot of thinking to do.”

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Christmas has always been Taehyung’s favorite time of year. It’s a week-long celebration that includes his birthday and New Years Eve. It’s a juggling act of parties and presents and tipsy nights amongst twinkling lights and snowy streets. 

Every year seems to be better than the one before, despite no longer being a kid believing in Santa – living those magical years where anything seems possible. As an adult, he enjoys the holidays for other reasons. But mainly, he loves the time he gets to spend with his family and friends while taking the whole week off of work. 

But this year isn’t the same. The festivities are dulled, because his mind keeps drifting back to Jungkook. Back to the hurt in the younger one’s eyes that morning after such an incredible night, blindsided by the truth Taehyung had kept from him.

He’d told himself that giving Jungkook space was the right thing to do, that pushing would only make everything worse. 

Still, Taehyung is gutted knowing he’d been the cause of Jungkook’s pain, that his choice to stay quiet had Jungkook feeling betrayed. But he doesn’t regret keeping Yejun’s secret. He only wishes he’d had enough self-restraint to not sleep with Jungkook while lying to him. 

He can admit he took advantage of Yejun’s betrayal. He knows he deserves Jungkook’s silence. It’s just too bad that it feels like another roadblock on their twisted path.

His chest aches wondering if every obstacle between him and Jungkook wasn’t just bad timing, but a sign that they weren’t meant to find their way to each other after all. 

And maybe it’s time to just stop. Stop waiting. Stop holding onto hope that Jungkook could be his. Maybe hope is only setting himself up for more hurt. 

He loves Jungkook, there’s no doubt about that. But love can’t survive in a place where it doesn’t have a chance to grow.

As heartbreaking as it would be to walk away, Taehyung would rather do that than be with someone who isn’t on the same page, who doesn’t want the things he wants. 

So he tucks the pain away and forces a smile when he walks through the front door of his family home with his overnight bag slung over his shoulder.

The Kim house is glowing with warm lights, with the scent of cinnamon and pot roast wafting through the air. Carols are playing quietly from the record player in the corner of the living room just as his mother is bringing out a tray carrying glasses of sikhye - the sweet rice drink from Korea that she makes every holiday.

“Hello darling!” She greets as she sets the tray down on the coffee table.

Taehyung nods his hello and is just about to greet the rest of his family when he sees Yejun across the room, standing stiff beside the Christmas tree. 

Their eyes meet for a moment, just long enough to exchange everything unsaid, and then Yejun looks away.

The tension is instant. Thick. Palpable.

Their father senses it immediately and gives Taehyung a sympathetic look. 

“Boys,” he says gently. “Why don’t you two go talk in my office?”

Taehyung nods. Yejun says nothing, but follows.

When they enter the quiet room, Taehyung allows the door to click shut behind them.

The office is dim, lit only by the twinkle lights from the backyard filtering through the frosted window. The moment they’re alone, Yejun turns, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“So. You told him.”

Taehyung exhales. “He deserved to know.”

Yejun scoffs, jaw flexing. “He broke up with me.”

“Good.”

“Good? How can you say that instead of saying sorry? You fucking slept with him, Taehyung.”

“I didn’t plan for that to happen–”

“But it did.”

Silence swells between them.

“I know Jungkook was your boyfriend,” Taehyung says finally, quietly. “But you lied to him. Repeatedly. You used him while you were falling for someone else.”

“And you were there waiting to catch him, huh? Fucking traitor.”

Taehyung flinches. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Don’t bullshit me,” Yejun spits, voice sharp. “You think I didn’t see the way you would look at him? I know you Taehyung, and I know your secrets. You’ve had a hard on for Jungkook ever since the first time I brought him home.”

“And what about you?” Taehyung snaps back. “What about your secrets? You cheated on him. You made him feel crazy for doubting you. You strung him along like he meant nothing to you.”

“I know what I did!” Yejun snaps. “I know I messed up. But at least I didn’t pretend to be some kind of savior while hooking up with my own brother’s boyfriend.”

Taehyung recoils, shame curling hot in his stomach.

Yejun’s breathing heavily now, angry and wounded. “Jungkook was mine .”

Taehyung scowls.

“Jungkook stopped being yours the moment you chose someone else,” Taehyung says, voice low but unwavering.

Yejun looks away, jaw clenched.

“Still didn’t give you the right. I’m your brother.”

Taehyung sighs. “I know. And I’m sorry for hurting you…but I’m not sorry for the way I feel about Jungkook. I love him, Yejun. This wasn’t just some meaningless fling.”

Taehyung wants to say more, but he knows that nothing he says will make this all better. 

They’re both hurt. Both guilty. And despite wanting an explanation, Taehyung knows that Yejun isn’t ready to forgive him.

A long silence follows before Yejun finally speaks.

“Let’s just try to get through Christmas. I don’t want all of mom and dad’s hard work to go to waste.”

Taehyung nods in agreement and the two drift out of the room to join the rest of their family. 

Still, dinner is subdued. Conversation flows in careful currents, with Mr. Kim telling old stories and Mrs. Kim trying to keep the mood light. Janie makes jokes that only half land. Everyone’s trying.

But Taehyung barely tastes his food. His mind drifts, again and again, to Jungkook.

The way he’d looked that morning, after the second time they’d slept together, quiet and conflicted. And then he’d been so angry. 

The sound of the door closing, and the silence that followed, was a well-deserved punishment. And Taehyung hasn’t reached out to him since, only to Yoongi just to make sure Jungkook was okay.

He knows not to demand anything, to not be a nuisance. If Jungkook doesn't want to speak to him – he’ll respect that. 

And maybe, hopefully, next Christmas will be a much better one.

*****

Janie wakes Taehyung up on Christmas morning with a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

“Merry Christmas, Taehyungie!” she chirps excitedly as she sets the mug on the nightstand. 

He groans, not ready to wake up yet but also wanting to indulge his little sister’s excitement. 

“Merry Christmas, cutie.”

Janie crawls under the warm blankets. “Scoot over,” she whines as she makes herself at home in Taehyung’s full-size bed. 

He can’t help but chuckle, happy that Janie still likes to snuggle and be sweet. Or maybe it’s just because it’s Christmas and it's still snowing outside. 

The smell of bacon frying drifts up the stairs, making Taehyung’s stomach growl with hunger. His father is already at the stove, taking over cooking duties so their mom can have a relaxing morning – the Christmas present she loves the most.

“Is dad making pancakes?”

Janie hums a yes before rolling over to face him.

“Can I ask you something?” she says, concern written in her dark brown eyes.

Taehyung nods. “Of course.”

“Are you and Yejun okay?”

Taehyung sighs. “I think we will be. Maybe not today…but in time.”

She nods, accepting the answer. And then she’s smiling mischievously. 

“You love Kookie, huh?”

“Janie.”

“Oh come on! It’s not like it isn’t obvious.”

“Oh really?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Janie giggles. “You’re not as slick as you think you are.”

Taehyung laughs. “Well then, Miss Smartypants, what are your thoughts on the whole thing?”

Janie’s lighthearted attitude about the tension from the night before is a welcome respite, but Taehyung also finds himself feeling guilty that she had to witness the turmoil between her two brothers. Still, she doesn’t say anything to make Taehyung feel any more guilty than he already does. 

He feels grateful to have a sister like Janie.

“I think Yejun hasn’t been a very good boyfriend to Jungkook. I’m glad they broke up.”

Taehyung agrees with her. “Me too.”

“And to be honest, I think you and Kookie would be cute together. I can tell you two like each other. I saw it at Thanksgiving. You were flirting!” 

She covers her face with her hands, giggling into them while Taehyung sits up to drink the hot chocolate. 

“So you would like it if Jungkook and I were together?”

Janie smiles. “Yes. And it would be nice to still have Kookie around.”

Taehyung hugs her, happy to know his family seems to be accepting of something he knows shouldn't have happened the way it has. That they don’t hold his mistakes against him. All except for Yejun, of course.

“Well, sweetie…I’m not sure how possible that is. Kook and I aren't really talking right now, and Yejun might be hurt if I started dating his ex. But I don’t want you to worry about any of that, okay?”

“I’m not, Tae,” she replies. “But I think everything is going to work out. You’re a good person, and you deserve good things.”

Taehyung wants to cry at the sincerity in his sister’s voice. “You’re the best little sister a guy could have, you know that?”

Janie shoots him a smug grin. “I know!”

“I can agree with that too.”

Taehyung and Janie look up to see Yejun standing in the doorway, hair disheveled from having just gotten up – and also beckoned by the smell of breakfast cooking.

“Junie! Merry Christmas!” 

Janie jumps up from the bed to hug him, despite how often the two bicker. It’s Christmas, and their little sister is the glue to keep things relatively peaceful between the two brothers.

“Merry Christmas, Janie,” he says with a soft smile. “Could you give me and Tae just a sec?”

Janie nods. “Okay! See you downstairs.”

She bounds off down the hall as Yejun leans against the doorframe. 

“I want us to be okay,” he says.

Taehyung nods as he sets down the empty mug.

“Me too.”

Yejun nods once, but he doesn’t smile. His voice is careful when he speaks again.

“I think we can be. But I need something from you.”

Taehyung stiffens. “What is it?”

Yejun exhales, still not looking directly at him. 

“If you promise to stay away from Jungkook. Like, don’t pursue him or anything. Ever. Then, yeah, I’m willing to get past this.”

Taehyung stares at him, the words landing like ice water down his spine.

“Yejun–”

“I’m serious, Taehyung.” Yejun says, tone sharpening. “I’m not asking you to lie for me anymore. And I’m not going to try to get Jungkook back. Just…don’t make things worse by trying to be with him. He and I are over, I know that. But you and I, we’re still family.”

Taehyung swallows hard. “I don’t think you have to worry. We haven’t spoken in days.”

“Exactly,” Yejun says. “So let it go. Close the door. You’re the older one, so be the better one.”

The words slice through Taehyung cleanly. As always, he does need to be the better one. It’s his sacrifice as the oldest, as the one who tries to always be the role model to his siblings, to make his parents proud.

He’s silent for a long time. The house feels so full of life downstairs in the kitchen. He hears his grandparents arriving, the warm greetings and laughter, the faint scent of pine and cloves. But up here, it’s just the two of them, and this impossible weight.

Finally, Taehyung nods. “Okay,” he says, barely above a whisper. “I’ll let it go.”

Yejun exhales in visible relief. “Thank you, Tae.”

Taehyung doesn’t respond. He can hardly breathe as it is.

Yejun walks away and down the hall while Taehyung stays behind, heart aching.

He thinks about Jungkook. About how it felt to fall asleep beside him, to wake up tangled in warmth and quiet affection. He thinks about how right it felt to be with him, but he has no choice but to put it all behind him and make an attempt to move on – no matter how impossible it feels.

Because it’s the only way to be a good brother.

Because Jungkook isn’t talking to him anyway.

Because this is what love sometimes looks like. Painful, silent, and invisible.

Taehyung presses a hand to his chest, like he’s holding something in place.

“Merry Christmas,” he whispers to no one.

*****

Jungkook is drunk and sad. His least favorite combination made even worse by the fact that it’s Christmas.

He’s had so many beers with his older brother, Junghyun, that he’s lost count.

And he’s still not done as he and his brother sit across from each other in front of the fireplace while their parents and grandparents sit around the dining room table debating about the best way to bake the ham for New Year’s Eve.

“Should one of us change? Family pictures are over. I don’t think we have to match anymore,” Junghyun says with a roll of his eyes as he smooths a hand over the front of his sweater. 

Their mother had bought one for each of them. A bright red one with a big green wreath on the front and red sequin holly berries to add a little “shiny fun” – as their mother had put it. 

“How ‘bout we both change?” Jungkook says. “Especially if we plan to go to Jackson’s party later.

Junghyun nods. “Good call. But, are you even in the mood for a party?” he asks. “You seem kind of…not like your usual self.”

It’s no surprise his older brother would notice how despondent Jungkook has been ever since he’d arrived back home. Still, he had tried to push it all aside and just enjoy time with his family, hoping it would be enough of a distraction to keep his mind off of Taehyung. 

But it hadn’t. Taehyung is all Jungkook can think about. 

Still, Jungkook shrugs, not wanting to put a damper on the holiday with his personal bullshit.

“We don’t have to talk about it.”

But Junghyun scoffs at that. “Dude, I’m your big brother! I wouldn’t have mentioned it if I didn’t want to know what’s going on with you. Is it Yejun? Mom said you guys broke up.”

“We did,” Jungkook sighs. “But that’s not the problem.”

Junghyun doesn’t let up.

“Then tell me what the problem is. Even if I can’t help you fix it, talking about it could help.”

Jungkook gives his brother a weak smile. They’re four years apart in age, and experiencing different things in their adult lives, but Junghyun has always been there for him. And Jungkook thinks he should keep that in mind more often. Particularly in times like these.

“It’s kind of complicated…”

“Lay it on me, bro.”

Jungkook takes a deep breath.

“Well…so…I fell in love with Yejun’s brother. His older brother Taehyung.”

He waits for the inevitable shock, but his brother takes the news in stride, as if it’s not as big of a betrayal as Jungkook is making it seem.

“Is that why you and Yejun broke up?” he asks. 

Jungkook shakes his head before telling his brother everything. 

He tells him about what had happened with Yejun. How they’d been struggling for a while, how Yejun was pulling away, always distracted. 

He tells him about Taehyung. How things between them shifted into something more. How he’d started to feel seen in a way that caught him off guard.

Then he tells him the rest. How Yejun had been cheating. How Taehyung had known. How Jungkook had found out only after they’d already…

He pauses, flushing.

Junghyun doesn’t interrupt, just nods gently, sipping his beer.

“I was mad. But mostly I was just hurt. Because Taehyung didn’t tell me. And he…he means so much to me.”

Junghyun nods. “Sounds like he was stuck in a really impossible spot.”

“Namjoon said the same thing.”

“Then we’re both right,” he says, chuckling. “You’re so lucky to be surrounded by smart people.”

For the first time in days, Jungkook feels a genuine smile on his lips. “Guess that makes me pretty smart too.”

They laugh, and then Junghyun leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Look, Kook. Let me tell you what I think,” Junghyun starts. And Jungkook is more than ready to hear his brother’s perspective on it all.

“Love doesn’t show up in perfect circumstances. Sometimes it drops into your life in the middle of a mess. What matters is what you do with it,” he says. “Taehyung sounds like someone who values you. Respects you. Cares deeply about you. And if he made a mistake by trying to honor his brother while also trying to protect you …well, that says something too.”

Jungkook turns his gaze towards the crackling fire, his heart heavy and full at the same time.

“Do you think it’s too late?”

“No,” Junghyun says easily. “If he loves you, then I’m sure he’s hoping you’ll talk to him. And I think you already know you want to.”

Jungkook swallows hard, then nods. “Yeah,” he whispers. “I do.”

Junghyun reaches out and ruffles his hair like he’s still ten years old.

“Then what are you waiting for, baby brother?”

Jungkook smiles.

And for the first time in days, it reaches his eyes.

*****

“Because I’m determined to get you to smile, that’s why!” Jimin yelps when Taehyung asks him why his best friend has invaded his apartment with birthday balloons and party hats. 

“You deserve a night to celebrate your birth. A glorious birth for which we are all thankful for,” Seokjin adds with a wink from where he stands on a ladder. 

He’s tacking up a glittery rainbow birthday sign on the wall in the living room, smiling proudly at his work.

“Yeah, only because I always invite you to exclusive parties,” Taehyung teases.

“Not true!” Seokjin argues. “It’s more about the generous gifts you give when it’s our birthdays.”

Taehyung scoffs as he smacks Seokjin on the ass, causing the older one to almost stumble off the stepladder, cursing at him regardless of it being his birthday.

The whole scene has Taehyung laughing a real laugh. 

It feels good to be with his two best friends like this. He doesn’t need a big party with a bunch of other people. But he’s grateful that Jimin and Seokjin want to do something to try and get him out of the doldrums he’s been in for the past week and a half. 

He hasn’t texted Jungkook. Jungkook hasn’t texted him either.

But Taehyung misses him so much it physically pains him. His stomach ties itself into knots, wishing they could talk.

His friends must notice the sudden shift in his mood because Jimin is quickly bringing him a glass of wine as he guides Taehyung into his bedroom.

“There’s three different outfits laid out on your bed for you to try on. Pick which one you like best to wear tonight,” he says. “And drink the wine while you’re at it. It’s going to be a good night, Tae. I promise.”

He leaves the room, but not before turning on the speaker to a lively jazz playlist he “made especially” for Taehyung’s birthday party.

Taehyung is grateful, and wants to pay his friends back for all their hard work by enjoying the party as best he can. 

It won’t be easy, but he’ll try. 

*****

Trying isn’t going as well as he’d hoped. 

The party is a hit, to the point that Taehyung is beyond impressed with how many people were willing to bear the cold, snowy night just to attend.

Granted, Jimin is great at making every party he throws sound like the party of the century, a party you will regret missing if you don’t show up.

And speaking of Jimin, he’s already a little tipsy, dancing with Seokjin to some disco remix no one asked for but everyone loves. 

The apartment is glowing in golden fairy lights, music spilling from the speakers, people laughing and catching up over spiked cider and expensive cheese plates Taehyung definitely didn’t approve, but Jimin insisted on.

Taehyung leans against the kitchen island, a half-empty glass of wine in hand, doing his best to stay present. He’s smiling. He’s grateful. He knows he is.

But there’s a persistent hollowness under the surface tonight. An ache behind his ribs.

He hadn’t expected to hear from Jungkook, which was probably for the best. But he’d hoped he would, because he’d hoped that Jungkook would remember his birthday and at least acknowledge it.  

The fact that he hasn’t manages to convince Taehyung that upholding his promise to Yejun should be fairly easy to do. The promise he made on Christmas morning to step back and do the right thing – to leave Jungkook alone. Even if the right thing felt like pressing glass to his chest and breathing through the sting.

He thinks about sneaking off to his room to ride out the rest of his party alone watching anime when Jimin appears beside him and loops an arm around his shoulder. 

“You okay, birthday boy?”

Taehyung lifts a brow. “Do I not look okay?”

Jimin snorts. “You look like you’re trying to look okay.”

Taehyung gives him a weak smile. “It’s a great party, Jimin. It really is.”

“But you’re not really in the mood for this, huh?” Jimin says with an understanding squeeze. “It’s okay, TaeTae. I understand. I can kick everyone out if you want me too. You know I wouldn’t mind.”

Taehyung chuckles. “As much as I would love to see you get all authoritative, it’s fine. I don’t want the party to end. Just don’t be surprised if I disappear at some point.”

Jimin grins at him. “It’s your birthday, my love. You can do whatever you want.”

Taehyung thanks him and turns to pour himself another glass of wine, all so he can give the party another chance.

And then he hears Jimin make a noise of surprise before leaning close to whisper, “I think you’ll be disappearing to your room sooner than later. Look who’s here.”

Taehyung’s heart roars in his chest as he whips back around to see Jungkook by the front door, shrugging off his coat and handing it to Seokjin. 

“Oh my god.”

They meet eyes from across the room. And the rest of the party fades to a hum.

*****

Maybe it should feel awkward, but it doesn’t. It never does with Taehyung. Still, Jungkook sighs with relief when Taehyung gives him a soft smile that matches his kind eyes and makes his way through the crowd of party guests. 

“You came,” he says once they’re face to face.

Jungkook takes in the sight of him. It feels like it’s been months instead of days, but Taehyung looks even more handsome. 

“Yeah. Jimin invited me. And…I wanted to see you.”

“You did? I didn’t think I’d ever hear from you again.”

Jungkook feels as though the breath has been knocked out of him, seeing the hope on Taehyung’s face. The relief. And something that looks like love.

“I didn’t know what to say. Not until I was sure.”

Taehyung looks at him, confused. “Sure about what?”

Jungkook steps closer. His voice is steady, low. “Can we talk somewhere more private?”

Taehyung nods before taking Jungkook’s hand in his and leading him to his bedroom. 

When they enter, he lets the door click shut behind them and the music from the party dulls into a low thrum, just a muffled beat behind the walls. 

Inside Taehyung’s bedroom, it’s warm and quiet, the lights soft and intimate.

And suddenly, he’s aware of everything – the way his palms feel slightly sweaty, how his heart is knocking like it wants out of his chest, how Taehyung is standing just a few feet away and somehow that feels too far. He wants him closer. As close as they’ve been the other times they’d been in Taehyung’s bedroom.

“You look amazing, by the way,” Taehyung says, eyes raking over Jungkook from top to bottom. 

There’s heat in his gaze but also a reverence, and Jungkook’s body can’t help but thrill at the effect the older one has on him. The energy between them is intense, seductive and undeniable. Jungkook has never felt this way before, and he only wants to ever feel this way with Taehyung.

“So do you. Happy birthday, Taehyung.”

They stand there, eyes feasting on each other until Taehyung somehow finds the ability to break the spell.

“What did you need to be sure about, Jungkook?” he asks, a little breathless.

Jungkook swallows. He’s so nervous that he wonders if Taehyung will catch him if he passes out. 

“I–I wanted to tell you to your face how I’m…how I feel. That I want to be with you…”

Taehyung breathes in sharply. “Jungkook–”

“I’m in love with you, Taehyung.”

He looks at Jungkook with those gorgeous, brown eyes. Wide with shock, like he hadn’t expected such a confession.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. But I wanted you to know the truth.”

He looks down at his feet. Face hot, flustered. He doesn’t know when he got so brave, but hopes like hell it wasn’t all for nothing.

And then Taehyung is right in front of him, the toes of his shoes touching Jungkook’s as he tips up his chin so they’re looking right into each other’s eyes.

“Of course I feel the same. I’ve loved you since the day I met you, Jungkook.”

Jungkook bites into his bottom lip. “Then how come you look sad?”

Taehyung sighs as he places a kiss on Jungkook’s cheek.

“Because I made a promise to Yejun.”

Jungkook’s whole body stills.

“What kind of promise?”

Taehyung steps back and sits down on the edge of his bed, looking stressed out in a way Jungkook has never seen before. 

“That I would stay away from you.”

Jungkook’s heart drops to his stomach. He stares at Taehyung in disbelief.

“How could you promise something like that?” he asks, completely dumbfounded by Taehyung’s willingness to cater to Yejun’s demands.

Taehyung looks up, face distraught. “Because he’s my brother and I hurt him. He said if I promised to not be with you that he and I would be okay. And I thought it would be easy to keep that promise because you walked out and I decided not to keep waiting. I thought we were done, Jungkook. I thought maybe I was just kidding myself about being able to make things work between us.”

“I didn’t walk out on you for good, Taehyung. I just needed some time to get my head straight!”

Taehyung frowns. Frustrated. 

“But I didn’t know that, Jungkook! How could I have known what you were thinking?”

Jungkook seems equally as frustrated, but Taehyung is just glad they’re finally talking for real.

“Because I told you that I had feelings for you. And you said you felt the same. I wasn’t ready to just give that up.”

They stare at each other until Jungkook speaks again.

“But you’re right,” he says. “You didn’t know if I was ever going to talk to you again. But that makes me think…that you weren’t going to keep trying, even before you made that promise to Yejun.”

Taehyung shakes his head. “Of course I wanted to keep trying, but I don’t play games, Kook. Trying to get you to talk to me shouldn’t be proof of how I feel about you. I love you, and if you doubt that in any way…well…then I don’t know what else to say.”

Jungkook’s heart squeezes. He loves to hear those words from Taehyung’s lips, even if they’re bittersweet at the moment. 

“You’re right, Tae. And I’m sorry. I guess I kind of suck at this mature relationship stuff,” he says with a crooked smile. 

“I’m not any better at it,” Taehyung admits. “It’s like a giant trying to gently pet a baby chick without crushing it.”

They both smile, but it’s tinged with regret.

“So even though I’m standing here telling you that I love you, you’re going to keep your promise to Yejun? You're not going to be with me?”

Taehyung drops his face into his hands, defeated. And Jungkook smooths a hand through the older one’s hair, wanting to comfort him despite his frustration.

“I just want to do the right thing,” Taehyung finally says when he lifts his head. 

Jungkook nods as he crouches down on the floor in front of him. 

“I understand that, Tae. And wanting to do the right thing is one of the reasons why I love you so much. But maybe you should be doing what’s right for you and not for your selfish little brother who I think is being incredibly unreasonable.”

“Is he though? I basically stole his boyfriend.”

Jungkook doesn’t agree. “Yejun and I were already so broken. To the point that he was cheating on me with no remorse. And while that was happening, I allowed myself to fall for you. And it was so easy to fall in love with you, Taehyung. Because – in case you didn’t know – being with you…it feels good. In every way.”

Taehyung smiles softly. “Same.”

Jungkook wants to kiss him so badly, but decides it can wait. Because, as far as he’s concerned, none of this is going to be over when it’s barely been able to begin.

“Yejun doesn’t get to decide what we do,” Jungkook says gently, firmly. “He doesn’t get to make rules about who you can love, about who you can be with. Even if who you want is his ex.”

“I do want his ex.” Taehyung says with a roguish grin. “But what should I do? How do I make him understand?”

“I’m going to talk to him,” he says. “Yejun and I left things kind of messy. Maybe if we have a calm conversation and get some closure, we can get past this bullshit and he’ll get over himself and understand that we all deserve to be happy.”

Taehyung reaches out and cups Jungook’s face in his hand. “You’re amazing,” he says. “But I can’t let you fight my battles for me.”

But Jungook shakes his head. “This is my battle with Yejun that I’m going to fight. And the outcome will benefit all of us.”

Taehyung sighs. “But what if my brother doesn’t want to make peace with all this?”

Jungkook shrugs. “Then I'll give him a phone number to a support group to help him get over it. Because I’m not letting you go, Taehyung Kim. I don’t care who tries to get in my way.”

Taehyung chuckles. “Sunday lunch could get very awkward, you know.”

“I’ll keep my distance from your family for a little while. It’s okay.”

“No, Kook. If you don’t go to Sunday lunch, then I won’t go either.”

Jungkook gazes at him, unable to contain all the love he feels for this man – knows it shows all over his face. 

“Okay, but in the meantime, I brought you something.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the small, carefully wrapped box.

Taehyung looks at the gift, blinking. “You got me a gift?”

“Of course,” Jungkook says with a grin. “It’s your birthday. And I am very glad you were born.”

Taehyung unwraps it slowly, fingers brushing the edge of the box with that same quiet grace that always makes Jungkook’s heart flutter.

“Telling me that you love me was enough,” he teases. 

Jungkook blushes. “Just open it, loverboy.”

Taehyung opens the box, and inside there is a vintage fountain pen gleaming faintly in the soft bedroom light. It’s sleek, gold-trimmed, minimalist but classic. Beneath it, Jungkook has tucked a folded piece of paper. Taehyung opens it and reads it silently to himself.

Jungkook watches him realize what it is – a ripped margin from one of Taehyung’s design sketches. A note Taehyung had scribbled, probably to himself, and left behind.

“Something about this feels right. Soft and strong, grounded and impossible to ignore.”

Jungkook’s voice is barely above a whisper. “That’s how you make me feel.”

He sees the moment it hits Taehyung in the way his throat moves as he swallows, the way his fingers press tighter around the paper, how his eyes suddenly shine.

“Jungkook…god…this is beautiful. I don’t even know what to say. Thank you, baby. Thank you so much.”

And then he’s pressing a kiss to Jungkook’s lips, and it feels a little forbidden but in a good way. Because Jungkook doesn't care if they are breaking Taehyung’s promise. They deserve this. They deserve to be in love without any barriers in their way.

Jungkook breaks the kiss so he can join Taehyung on the bed, but it’s only seconds before their lips crash together again, getting more and more heated as Jungkook writhes on top of Taehyung’s lap, hands desperate to feel Taehyung’s warm skin beneath his palms as he pulls the snug, navy sweater over his head and tosses it aside. 

“Think Jimin will be mad?” Jungkook pants between fevered kisses. 

Taehyung’s low chuckle against his neck causes a shiver that goes straight to his cock.

“Honestly, my love,” he purrs. “I don’t give a fuck.”

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Jungkook wakes up on the morning of New Year’s Eve with Taehyung’s arms wrapped around him.

His thoughts drift back to the night before when Taehyung was falling asleep, whispering about Jungkook being the best birthday gift ever.

It makes his heart skip as he smiles to himself. And as much as he wants to stay in bed all morning with the man he’s down bad for, he can’t.

Because he’d texted Yejun late last night – after he and Taehyung had showered together – to ask him if they could meet up to talk. 

“I don’t want to go into a new year with unresolved shit in my life,” he’d texted. And, surprisingly, Yejun had agreed. 

So Jungkook forces himself to get out of the bed as carefully as possible, not wanting to wake Taehyung. 

He dresses in his jeans from the night before and one of Taehyung’s sweaters, and leaves a still sleeping Taehyung a note, telling him where he’s going, before leaving. 

The coffee shop is just down the street, a quick walk. It’s the same one that Jungkook had gone to when he’d waited for Yoongi to pick him up after that first night he’d slept with Taehyung. 

Funny how things have changed. How once again, Jungkook is at the cafe after having slept with Taehyung. But this time, he plans to go back – bringing breakfast with him and hopefully some good news. 

The coffee shop is warm when Jungkook walks in, a welcome reprieve from the cold outside. 

It’s a trendy spot with its brick walls and Edison bulbs. Slow, acoustic guitar plays over the speakers as baristas stay busy behind the counter. The place is full, but Jungkook spots Yejun at a small table by the window. His hands are wrapped around a ceramic mug, his eyes distant.

Jungkook hesitates for a handful of seconds, then makes his way over.

“Hey,” he greets, no malice in his tone. He wants this conversation to be completely different than the last one he had with his ex-boyfriend.

Yejun looks up, wary, but he nods. “Hey.”

Jungkook sits down, not bothering to order anything yet. His priority is talking to Yejun.

Fortunately, the initial silence between them isn’t heavy, but it’s not light either. It’s the kind of silence that comes after a storm, when the damage is done but everyone’s still figuring out where to start first.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Yejun.”

Yejun nods again. “Yeah, well…I notice we’re in Tae’s neighborhood,” he says with a frown, obviously drawing his own conclusions about why that is.

“We are. But I didn’t ask you here to get into an argument, nor to rehash everything,” Jungkook says, fingers curling around the edge of the table. “We both made mistakes. And we should have talked about everything a lot sooner.”

Yejun’s smile is tight. “Yeah. But my mistakes were worse, Kook. I realize that now.”

“You do?” 

Jungkook can’t hide his surprise. He hadn’t expected Yejun to have any clarity. In fact, he thought he’d be met with the same sort of entitlement Yejun often exhibits when he’s in a confrontation. But maybe this whole thing has forced Yejun to finally own up to his shit.

Yejun shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “Yes,” he says with a sigh. “I was reckless with your heart…and Elliott’s heart too. I told him everything…and, yeah…he also broke up with me. So I’ve been double dumped, and I know it’s all my fault.” 

He pauses and looks up, eyes meeting Jungkook’s. “I’m sorry, Kook. I wish I could go back and do things differently, but I can’t. More than that, I wish you could give me another chance.”

Jungkook sits back in his chair, hardly able to believe the anguish on Yejun’s face, the contrition in his words. But despite the apparent honesty, the regret, Jungkook has his own things to say too. 

“You know I can’t do that, Yejun. And that’s why I wanted to meet with you.” Jungkook says, hopeful their talk doesn’t take an ugly turn when he hears the whole truth. “Taehyung told me about the promise you asked him to make on Christmas. The promise that he would stay away from me.”

Yejun’s expression darkens. “Let me guess. He broke his promise already.”

“No,” Jungkook says. “I’m the one who showed up at his apartment last night. I went to him, and I told him that I love him.”

Yejun scoffs. “So he gave in that easily, huh?”

Jungkook sighs. “I know you’re hurt,” he says gently. “But the truth is…that promise never should have been made. We’ve all hurt each other, but that promise isn’t fair to you, or me, or Taehyung.”

“You don’t think I know that?” Yejun says, voice cracking slightly. “It was the only thing I had left to hold onto. I knew I lost you, Jungkook. I knew it. But I couldn’t stand the idea of losing my brother too.”

Jungkook’s chest aches. And seeing the genuine regret on Yejun’s face doesn’t make this as easy as he thought it would be. 

“You haven’t lost him. He’s still your brother.”

Yejun’s eyes flick to the window. A couple walks by, laughing. A kid presses his face to the glass.

“You really love him?” Yejun asks suddenly.

Jungkook doesn’t flinch. “I really do,” he confirms. “And as his brother, I think you can understand why.”

Yejun exhales, long and slow. “I knew there was something between you two. I saw how he would look at you when he thought no one noticed. And you…when you stopped looking at me the way you used to, I had a feeling you felt something for him too. I just didn’t want to admit it – but yeah – I understand why you fell for him. Taehyung has the best heart. It’s why he’s such a good brother.”

There’s a pause.

“I’m sorry,” Yejun says. “For how I handled things. For what I did. For hurting both of you.”

Jungkook smiles softly. “Thank you. I’m sorry too. For my part.”

Yejun looks back at him, something steadier in his eyes. 

“Please tell Taehyung to call me. But in the meantime, I don’t want him to keep that promise. If you two are going to be together…I truly hope you’ll both be happy.”

Jungkook’s throat tightens. “We haven’t even figured out what we are yet.”

Yejun smiles faintly. “Then I guess you better go find out.”

The two sit in silence for a moment longer, the tension easing. It’s not entirely gone, but it’s smaller now, manageable.

And maybe that’s all closure needs to be.

*****

Taehyung wakes up to the rustle of a paper bag and a kiss on the tip of his nose.

“Rise and shine, Sleepyhead.”

“Good morning,” Taehyung murmurs, voice scratchy with sleep.

“Hi,” Jungkook whispers when their eyes meet. 

And then he kisses him on the nose again – the lightest kiss right on the bridge. 

“I brought you breakfast, and I have news.”

Taehyung’s heart thuds with sudden anxiety. “What kind of news?”

Jungkook climbs into bed beside him, the mattress dipping with familiar comfort. 

“I just met with Yejun.”

Taehyung’s whole body tenses, but Jungkook just reaches for his hand under the covers and laces their fingers together. It grounds him.

“It’s okay,” Jungkook says softly. “He gave us his blessing. And told me to tell you that you don’t have to keep the promise.”

Taehyung stares at him, searching for any flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. He doesn’t find any.

“And he also wants to hear from you,” Jungkook adds. “So whenever you want to call him, you should.”

“I…I’m amazed,” Taehyung says, breath catching. “You’re amazing.”

Jungkook blushes, claiming that he doesn’t want to take any credit for Yejun’s change of heart, but Taehyung insists Jungkook is the hero in their story.

“I thought it would always be complicated. That we’d never really get to–”

“Be together?” Jungkook finishes. “Well, I’m here and you’re here. So we’re–”

“Together,” Taehyung says with a smile, happy at last.

“So…can we be boyfriends now?” 

Jungkook says it with a teasing grin, but there’s a shine of hopeful vulnerability in his eyes.

Taehyung doesn’t speak right away. Instead, he lifts Jungkook’s hand to his mouth and kisses his knuckles.

“I’ve wanted to be yours since the day I realized you weren’t just Yejun’s new boyfriend,” he says. “But someone I couldn’t stop thinking about. So…yes. Please. Be with me, Jungkook.”

Jungkook beams so brightly that Taehyung thinks he could live off it for weeks.

They don’t even touch the breakfast at first. Jungkook pushes it aside, pulling Taehyung into his arms instead, kissing him slowly, deeply, like a man finally letting himself have what he’s been dreaming about.

Their kisses turn hungry, then tender again. Clothes fall away in the quiet of the morning. And everything that had once been wrong – rushed, guilty, uncertain – now feels whole, earned. It’s all soft and bright and fully theirs.

*****

They stay in bed all day, making love between bouts of sleep. They order lunch and eat it on the floor in front of the TV while watching anime. 

It’s perfect.

With their new relationship cemented, they’re celebrating it in the way they want before telling everyone their news. 

“We’ll have to get ready soon. Jimin worked his magic once again to secure a table in the VIP section for us at Eclipse for the New Year’s Eve party they’re having.”

Jungkook pouts. “That means I’ll have to go home to get changed. But I don’t want to leave you.”

Taehyung chuckles, already having an idea in mind.

“How about I get ready here and then drive you to your place so you can get ready?”

And that makes the younger one smile. “Yes! Let’s do that!”

Taehyung is so endeared he thinks his heart could explode. It still feels like a dream to be with Jungkook like this. To be able to call him his boyfriend. To know he’ll have Jungkook in his arms when the clock strikes midnight. To kiss him and welcome a new year together. 

“You’re doing it again,” Jungkook says, interrupting his reverie.

“Doing what?”

“Being all cute and dreamy and gazing at me like I’m the best thing you’ve ever seen.”

“You are the best thing I’ve ever seen.”

Jungkook’s cheeks pinken. 

“Always a charmer, Taehyung Kim.”

They make out for a little while after that, until Jungkook insists Taehyung get in the shower while he puts away leftovers and cleans up the bedroom. 

And once Taehyung is showered, shaved and dressed – he gets Jungkook’s approval on his New Years Eve outfit.

“You’re always handsome. So I’m relieved that I’m your boyfriend now.”

Taehyung smirks. “Why’s that?”

“Because I won’t have to keep my hands to myself all night,” Jungkook says with a smug grin. “I can touch you as much as I want.”

“Same,” Taehyung says with a blush and a wink. 

They’re just about to leave, Jungkook reaching for his scarf on the couch, when a knock startles them both.

“Who do you think it is?” Jungkook asks, confused.

Taehyung shrugs. “Not sure. Maybe someone sent me a late birthday gift,” he jokes. 

But his smile vanishes the moment he opens the door.

“Sofia.”

She stands there in the hallway, dressed to kill. Makeup sharp, hair flawless, clutch in hand and a sparkly dress that Taehyung knows costs about as much as one month of his rent.

Guilt slams into him. How could he have been so dumb to believe she was okay with only being friends? He is well aware that he should have used better judgement, because having to hurt her feels awful.

For a second, there’s a flicker of warmth in her expression, but it hardens almost immediately when she takes in his outfit.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your party,” she says, her voice smooth but tinged with something sharper underneath. “I just got back from Barcelona, so I thought maybe we could celebrate tonight.” Her gaze sweeps over him, lingering on the suit jacket and polished shoes. “But it looks like you’re already going somewhere.”

He steels himself, knowing it’s not his fault that she showed up unexpectedly. Even so, letting her down when he knows she put in so much effort to surprise him, makes him feel shitty anyway.

“Yeah, uh…I already made plans for tonight.”

Her brows lift as her lips press into a tight line. 

“Plans,” she repeats, as if the word itself stings. Then her eyes shift past him, locking on the movement behind his shoulder.

Taehyung knows she must be looking right at Jungkook frozen near the couch, scarf still dangling from his hand.

Sofia exhales through her nose, a bitter laugh slipping out. “Of course. I should’ve known.” Her voice drops, heavy with disappointment. “Well, Jungkook, you must feel like the luckiest guy alive, huh?”

Jungkook doesn’t say a word, but Taehyung notices the way his jaw tightens.

Taehyung steps forward, trying to soften the blow, though his voice stays steady. “Sofia…I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to tell you about…about me and Jungkook. But you need to know the truth, that he’s the reason why I ended our relationship. And now…well…Jungkook and I are together. We want to try and build something real with each other.”

She stares at him for a long beat before shaking her head. “I know you were being honest with me, Taehyung, when you said there was someone else. And I knew it was Jungkook all along..” Her gaze flicks past him to Jungkook again, sharp this time. “But I guess I’d hoped he’d keep fucking things up, and you’d see that you could have something better with someone else...and I wanted that someone to be me.”

Jungkook swallows but doesn’t look away. Taehyung knows he wants to defend himself, to tell her that he doesn’t plan on fucking anything up. But he stays silent.

“I know, Sofia,” he says gently. “And if you want, we can still be friends. But I completely understand if friendship is off the table now.”

She nods, exhaling sharply. “I’d like to be friends – someday, maybe. You’re an amazing man, Taehyung.”

“And you’re a wonderful woman,” he tells her. And he means it. He knows she’ll make someone else very happy someday.

“I just hope,” she continues, her words clipped and now directed at Jungkook, “that you treat him the way he deserves. Because if you don’t, you’ll lose him. And you’ll only have yourself to blame.”

The sting of her words hangs heavy in the air as she steps back, clutch tucked tight against her side. 

“Happy belated birthday, Taehyung.”

Before he can respond, she turns and strides down the hall, her heels echoing against the floor.

Taehyung closes the door softly, leaning against it with a slow exhale. Behind him, Jungkook moves closer, his hand sliding into Taehyung’s with quiet certainty.

“You okay?” Jungkook murmurs.

Taehyung nods, giving him a small, tired smile. “Yeah. I’m okay. Are you?"

Jungkook smiles. "I'm okay too."

*****

When they arrive at Jungkook’s apartment, they’re met with the smell of cologne and the noise of hair dryers. 

All three of Jungkook's roommates are getting ready for the evening’s festivities. Taehyung is relieved he wore his favorite tailored suit. 

“It won’t take me long,” Jungkook says before giving Taehyung a quick kiss on the lips. “Make yourself at home.”

So Taehyung does as he sits on the edge of the couch with his phone in hand, thinking that now might be a good time to call his brother. 

He looks down at his phone, thumb hovering over the screen.

He could leave it alone and allow the silence to stretch another day, another week. But that’s not who he wants to be going into the new year. He wants to put this past year behind him, though not until he talks to Yejun.

So, finally, he brings up Yejun’s number and hits call.

It rings once. Twice.

“Hello? Tae?”

“Hey,” Taehyung says. 

A pause, then a quiet breath. “Hey.”

Yejun doesn’t sound surprised to hear from him, but there’s hesitancy in his tone.

Taehyung leans back into the couch cushions, trying to relax. 

“I won’t keep you long. I just…I wanted to say thank you. For letting go, and for letting me and Jungkook figure things out.”

Yejun exhales. “I wasn’t trying to be the villain, you know.”

“I know,” Taehyung says. “You weren’t. I understand what your motives were. Where your head was at.”

On the other end, there’s a soft laugh. “Pretty selfish of me, huh?”

Taehyung smiles faintly. “I can say the same about myself.”

Silence again, but a more comfortable one this time.

“I guess Jungkook has that effect on people.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung agrees. “I think you’re right. But who can blame us? He’s…he’s really special.”

“I know.”

“So…how are things with Elliot?” Taehyung asks gently.

Yejun sighs on the other end of the call. “Guess Kook didn’t tell you, but…Elliott broke up with me too. After I told him the truth.”

Taehyung sucks in a breath, hating how hurt his little brother sounds. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Junie. I didn’t know.”

But Yejun is quick to reassure him that it’s okay. “This whole thing forced me to grow up a little. I needed this kick in the ass, the reality check.”

“Do you really feel that way?” Taehyung asks, already feeling proud of Yejun for finding the good in all the messy drama.

“I do,” Yejun confirms. “As much as this sucks, I know everything turned out the way it was supposed to. Sure, it hurts that I lost Jungkook to you. But if I have to let him go, then I’m glad he is with someone like you, Taehyung. You’re a good person and a good brother and I know you’ll treat Jungkook the way he deserves to be treated. That you won’t take him for granted the way I did.”

Taehyung’s throat tightens. He doesn’t want to cry but it’s been a long time since Yejun told him he was a good brother. And he surely hadn’t expected to hear it after confessing his feelings for Jungkook. 

He knows Yejun has every right to be bitter and upset for as long as he needs to be. The fact that he’s handling it as well as he is makes Taehyung think that Yejun is right: that everything turned out the way it was supposed to.

“Thank you, Junie,” he says, voice low. “That means a lot to me. And yeah, we’re still figuring things out, but…I’m hopeful.”

“Well,” Yejun says with a laugh, “don’t screw it up.”

Taehyung chuckles. “I’ll try my best not to.”

There’s another pause before Yejun says a quiet, but sincere, “Happy New Year, Tae.”

Smiling to himself Taehyung says it back. “Happy New Year, Junie.”

The call ends, and Taehyung feels as if a huge boulder has been lifted from his chest. Heart no longer aching with the pain he’d caused people he loves.

It’s right then that the door to Jungkook’s bedroom creaks open behind him, and Taehyung turns to see Jungkook standing there in all black, slightly mussed hair, smiling like he already knows something good is waiting on the other side of midnight.

Taehyung’s heart beats so fast he puts a hand to his chest. The most beautiful boy in the world is smiling at him .

“You ready?” Jungkook asks.

On shaky knees, Taehyung stands and walks toward him. “I am so fucking ready.”

*****

ONE MONTH LATER…

Jungkook always enjoys hanging out with his friends, but tonight had been different. 

Because tonight was the first night that he and Taehyung had gone on a double date with another couple. 

The other couple being none other than their two best friends: Yoongi and Jimin.

Jungkook doesn’t quite know how it happened, but he likes to think that his and Taehyung’s new relationship might have had some impact – had been inspiring enough to push Jimin and Yoongi to finally do something about their growing interest in each other. 

“Took you two long enough,” Jungkook had joked at dinner after the four had made a toast to love and friendship.

“Thought Yoongi would never get up the nerve to ask Jimin out,” Taehyung adds.

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “You two are never gonna stop giving me hell, are you?”

Jungkook and Taehyung snicker while Jimin looks on with a soft smile on his handsome face.

“I think part of the problem was how clueless I was,” Jimin says. “I had no idea Yoongi was into me for as long as he was. If only I’d known sooner…"

He doesn’t finish the sentence, only smirks. And Jungkook almost thinks he sees a flush on his best friend’s face. It’s so uncharacteristic of Yoongi, but Jungkook loves seeing his friend so happy. 

The night had ended with some bar-hopping in Williamsburg before they’d parted ways, taking separate Ubers to separate apartments.  

Jungkook and Taehyung enter Taehyung’s place laughing at some goofy joke Jungkook had made. They’re both a little wine tipsy with eyes a little sleepy, but the night isn’t over yet.

With their coats half undone, and their cheeks pink from the cold – the last remnants of candlelight from dinner still lives in their eyes. 

Jungkook kicks the door shut behind them and catches Taehyung’s wrist before he can get too far.

“Wait.”

Taehyung turns to look at him, an eyebrow raised in question. 

His hair’s a little wind-tossed, lips still curved from Jungkook’s joke, and there’s something so sexy about it. And Jungkook just stares.

“What?” Taehyung asks, a teasing little smile playing on his lips.

“I don’t know,” Jungkook says, shaking his head. “You’re just so–”

He doesn’t finish. He leans in and kisses the older one instead.

It starts so sweet. Familiar and gentle. The kind of kiss that says “I’ve missed you” even though they’ve been together all night. But it deepens quickly as hands find waists and chests press close. 

Taehyung walks them backwards, lips never leaving Jungkook’s, until they stumble into the couch and fall down onto it, tangled and breathless.

Jungkook pushes Taehyung’s coat off his shoulders, kisses the corner of his mouth, then lower – his jaw, his neck. He whispers Taehyung’s name like a prayer.

Taehyung pulls back just enough to look at him, eyes dark, voice quiet.

“Wanna go to bed?”

“Yes,” Jungkook says, barely a breath.

It’s not just about sex. It’s never just that with them. It’s about trust, about worship, about how being with Taehyung makes Jungkook feel like the whole world slows down and lines up just right.

So they make their way to the bedroom slowly, lazily, stopping for more kisses, laughing when they bump into the wall. And they look at each other like they still can’t believe this is real. 

Jungkook definitely can’t believe it. And he wonders if being with Yejun had been written in the stars for the sole purpose of leading him to Taehyung – the love of his life. It’s a thought he’s had more than once over the past month, but doesn’t have time to dwell on at the moment.

Because they fall into bed, and everything is soft sheets and bare skin and murmured affection.

Taehyung touches Jungkook like he knows every inch of him. Jungkook kisses him like he’s memorizing new constellations.

“God, I love you,” Taehyung whispers when they’re caught in the stillness between gasps. “I don’t even know what I did to deserve this.”

Jungkook presses their foreheads together, noses brushing. “I don’t know what I did either…but I love you too.”

And then Taehyung has Jungkook on his back as the older one kisses his way down Jungkook’s neck, his tongue licking and nibbling until Jungkook is a writhing mess. But he doesn’t stop, and continues with the trail he’s created from his lips. 

Jungkook breathes heavily as he watches the way Taehyung darts out his tongue, licking over the hard bud of a nipple, eliciting gasps and moans from the younger one.

"Tae," Jungkook murmurs, voice ragged with need. "I want you."

Tae looks up, his coffee eyes dark with desire. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here."

Taehyung moves even lower, his tongue tracing a path down Jungkook’s stomach, his hands parting Jungkook’s thighs. 

He doesn’t let up the onslaught of licks and gentle sucking when he reaches Jungkook’s perineum, using a finger to tease the sensitive skin. Jungkook arches off the bed, his hands fisting the sheets.

"Fuck…” he groans. “Feels so good."

Tae grins, eyes never leaving Jungkook’s as he licks his way back up – tongue finding Jungkook's mouth – hungry for a deep, consuming kiss. 

Jungkook is so caught up in the deliciousness of Taehyung’s mouth that he barely notices that Taehyung has managed to grab a bottle of lube from the nightstand while never breaking the kiss. 

Within seconds, there’s a pop of a cap and then Taehyung’s slicked-up fingers working him open. 

Jungkook could come just from the stretch of those long, talented fingers. But he closes his eyes and begs himself to keep it together. He needs Taehyung inside of him first.

The bottle of lube gets tossed aside as Taehyung rolls onto his back, pulling Jungkook on top of him. 

Jungkook gasps at the sudden change in position, but more than happy to straddle the man he loves, his cock hard and leaking against Taehyung's stomach.

"Ride me, baby," Taehyung growls as his hands guide Jungkook's hips until the head of his cock presses eagerly against Jungkook’s entrance. 

And all Jungkook can do is nod, mouth dropping open as he sinks down onto Taehyung’s thick cock. They’re both so hard it’s dizzying, and he can’t help but let a pleased whimper escape his lips once Taehyung is fully sheathed inside of him.

They move slowly at first, allowing Jungkook’s body time to get adjusted to Taehyung’s size. 

His mind is more than aware that Taehyung is by far more endowed and a better lover than Yejun ever was. But he doesn’t want to think about that now – about comparing – he just wants to focus on how full he is. How blindingly good this feels. 

Jungkook grips Taehyung’s shoulders and tosses his head back, a loud groan erupting from his lips as Taehyung nips at his collarbone, soothing the bite with his tongue before peppering kisses up Jungkook’s neck.

It’s nothing but worship. There’s no hurry, no rush. Everything cracks open between them as they whisper and moan while the heat builds and sweat trickles down their foreheads and chests. 

Jungkook has never worked a cock the way he works Taehyung’s, but he wants to make sure Taehyung has no doubts about how much he wants this. 

He wants it forever. If forever is a possibility for them.

“You getting tired, baby?” Taehyung purrs between kisses against Jungkook’s chest.

“I–I don’t want to stop…”

Taehyung’s low chuckle is stupidly seductive. “I’m going to finish on top…wanna kiss you through it.”

Jungkook sighs and lets himself be laid down onto his back, sheets cool beneath his hot skin. 

His eyes focus on Taehyung hovering above him.

“You’re so hot,” he moans without thinking. 

Taehyung grins smugly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah…and you know it,” Jungkook says as he pulls the older one down for a kiss.

“And you’re beautiful, Jungkook Jeon,” Taehyung murmurs against his lips. 

Jungkook arches his back, body pressing against Taehyung’s, slick and hot as they move together as one, knowing exactly what the other wants without words needed. 

He wraps his legs around Taehyung’s waist, pushes against Taehyung’s ass to encourage him to go deeper.

Taehyung understands and his hips thrust forward and Jungkook gasps and he knows he’s not going to last much longer. His cock is leaking so much already that Taehyung must feel it because he looks down between their bodies and licks his lips.

“Come for me, my love.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Jungkook exhales with relief and lets himself go, so ready for his body to ride out the orgasm that’s been building ever since he and Taehyung got home. 

Taehyung follows right behind, unable to hold back when he sees the way Jungkook falls apart beneath him. Jungkook knows it because Taehyung has told him. 

“Watching while you come is a fantasy brought to life,” he’d said not long ago. The words had stuck with Jungkook – they’d been so seductive, so honest.

“Fuck…” Taehyung grunts, body shuddering from aftershocks.

And then they’re lying wrapped up in each other, sweat cooling, the world outside silenced by falling snow. 

Jungkook is tucked into Taehyung’s arms, his cheek against Taehyung’s chest.

Neither of them speak for a while. There’s no need.

Until Taehyung says quietly, “This is the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Jungkook kisses his chest. “Me too.”

And in the quiet hush of Taehyung’s bedroom, everything finally feels perfect.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

The “On Air” light glows red, casting a soft pulse against the window of the booth. Jungkook leans toward the mic, his voice low and steady, warmed by the hour and everything he’s feeling.

“Tonight is all about love. The best love songs from the 60’s. Yeah, you heard me. I’m spinning some of my favorite oldies tonight – dedicated to all of you lovers out there. And to one person in particular…you know who you are. This one is for you, babe.”

Jungkook sits back and lets the record play. He smiles, satisfied with the choice. “At Last” by Etta James. He knows Taehyung is listening tonight. He knows Taehyung is hearing the lyrics and aware that Jungkook picked this song just for him.

He’s feeling romantic tonight, and can’t remember the last time he felt this way. Maybe he’s never felt this way. At least, not until he fell in love with Taehyung. 

He thinks about Taehyung waiting for him in bed with sleepy eyes and warm hands. The way he makes breakfast barefoot, humming under his breath. The way he looks at Jungkook like he knows him, all the way through, and still stays.

It’s been gentle, and fun, a little messy, but real.

He thinks about the nights they’ve spent tangled up in blankets and conversation, about the quiet jokes and the shared looks, about the way Taehyung always reaches for his hand first when they’re walking somewhere. Jungkook’s heart throbs every time, giddy like it’s Christmas morning every single day.

And then he’s suddenly brought out of his dreamy state when his phone dings with an incoming text. He grins from ear to ear when he sees who it’s from.

Tae 💚: is that song for me? 😉

JK 💜: 100% 😘😘😘

Tae 💚: come home soon

Tae 💚: i miss u

JK 💜: i miss u too

JK 💜: keep the bed warm for me luv

Tae 💚: i dread the day you get sick of me

JK 💜: never gonna happen babe

Tae 💚: I love you

JK 💜: i love u too

JK 💜: i’ll be at ur place in an hour 

JK 💜: be ready for me 😉😋

Tae 💚: 😈

Jungkook’s heart thrums with anticipation. 

He’s been staying most nights at Taehyung’s apartment, still in that stage of never wanting to be apart for too long. 

His friends tease him for it, but Jungkook doesn’t mind. He knows it’s all in fun, and that his friends are just happy to see him so happy.

And he is happy. Sublimely happy. Sickeningly so.

Because Taehyung is the best boyfriend, no question about it. To the point that Jungkook will look at him sometimes and forget how to breathe – so in love it’s practically a danger to his health. 

It isn’t just that Taehyung is handsome, though he is, and in a way that’s almost disorienting. Like he’s been sculpted from light and velvet, made to be romance personified. 

Especially his eyes. Jungkook loves Taehyung’s eyes – soulful and always carrying some glint of mystery behind the lashes. Eyes that gaze at Jungkook so lovingly, so attentive. Like he’s looking at the only person that matters. Eyes that are warm and calming, patient and wise. Eyes that still make Jungkook’s heart skip a beat whenever he looks into them before a scorching kiss. 

And that’s another thing Jungkook loves – Taehyung’s mouth and everything about it. It isn’t just the softness of his lips, though he could lose himself for hours in the way they yield under his own. It’s the way they curve when Taehyung smiles, open and dazzling, making the world around him so much brighter. 

It’s the way a single corner lifts when he’s trying not to laugh, or how a pink tongue pokes out when he’s concentrating, making Jungkook want to lean in and ruin his focus with a kiss. 

And he loves the sound of Taehyung’s voice as much as the lips it comes from, every word laced with a kind of honeyed charm that sinks into his bones.

But there’s so much more than just those physical things. Like the fact that Jungkook is endlessly stunned by how effortless it is for Taehyung to command a room without even trying. The way he stands. The way he listens. The way he sees people.

And sometimes, when Jungkook catches him laughing at something small – really laughing with his head thrown back, joy lighting up his whole face, eyes crescents – he feels like the world tilts just a bit, as if gravity is shifting itself in Taehyung’s direction.

But what ruins him the most is Taehyung’s heart.

The way he takes care of people without ever needing credit for it. Especially his family. 

The way he stays late at work with his team, never taking advantage of being the boss, getting in the trenches with them to meet a deadline. The way he genuinely listens, like every word matters. The way he holds space for someone even when he’s the one hurting.

Jungkook didn’t stand a chance. Falling for Taehyung wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

He’s never known someone who could be so beautiful in a crowded room and yet somehow even more breathtaking in quiet moments, curled up in sweats and an old tshirt, making ramyeon, talking about anything, it doesn’t even matter what. Because when Taehyung speaks, Jungkook wants to always be listening.

It’s not just attraction, it’s awe.

And every time Taehyung looks at him like he’s worth loving, Jungkook wonders how the hell he got so lucky.

Of course, Taehyung says that he’s the one who got lucky. It’s the only argument they’ve had ever since they put a label on their relationship. And Jungkook knows how sickeningly sweet it is – but he loves it.

His thoughts about Taehyung makes the time at the radio station pass quickly. And soon, he starts packing up his stuff, and ends his show for the night with one last song. 

“This is for those of you who think you’ll never find ‘the one’,” he says with a soft smile to himself. “The right person might be closer than you think. So keep your eyes open.”

He presses play and the piano music starts. 

“Here’s ‘All of Me’ by John Legend. Goodnight.”

*****

Sunday morning sunlight spills into Taehyung’s apartment like honey.

The windows are fogged at the edges, the heater clicks on and outside, the city is just beginning to stir. But inside, everything is a little sleepy and soft.

Taehyung can hear noises in the kitchen as he sits up in his bed and rubs at his eyes. The sounds of Jungkook making him breakfast. 

It never gets old. Granted, things are still new. They’ve only been officially dating for a little over a month, but it’s been the best month of Taehyung’s life. 

And not just personally, but professionally too. 

He’s had a whole new creative drive when it comes to his designs, and has been churning out ideas to the point that his bosses have asked him to take the initiative to hire some more people to join his team. 

Needless to say, they’ve been impressed and pleased, and Taehyung credits Jungkook entirely. 

“I have the most incredible muse, ” he’d gushed to his creative director, Marley. “And he looks good in everything.”

Thankfully, Jungkook has been more than happy to model his designs, to allow Taehyung to use his measurements as the standard – telling him that he never imagined himself doing modeling as a side gig. But Taehyung always reminds him that he’s the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.

“How is that possible when you’re around models all the time? ” Jungkook had asked, a pink blush on his cheeks.

But Taehyung had assured him, “There is no one as gorgeous as you, my love. You don’t have to believe it, but it’s the truth.”

Jungkook had rolled his eyes, but his bashful smile had given him away. It had pleased Taehyung to no end. 

Even now, as Taehyung finds Jungkook standing at the stove – barefoot and wearing sweatpants, his hair a mess – he’s still the most breathtaking sight Taehyung has ever seen.

He watches quietly as Jungkook flips a pancake and hums under his breath, a song Taehyung had played on vinyl last night. A jazzy, sleepy tune that still lingers around them. 

Taehyung can’t hold back from coming up behind him, arms slipping around Jungkook’s slim waist.

“Something smells so good,” Taehyung mumbles into Jungkook’s shoulder, voice still raspy with sleep.

Jungkook grins. “The pancakes?”

“No,” Taehyung says. “I mean you.”

Jungkook leans back into his chest, letting his head rest against Taehyung’s. 

“Well, I did use that new bath wash you bought when I showered this morning.”

“You smell good regardless of the bath wash,” Taehyung says, lifting his head to press a kiss to Jungkook’s cheek. “But I’m sad that you showered without me.”

Jungkook chuckles. “Stop pouting,” he says. “If you can get me sweaty after breakfast, we can take one together.”

Taehyung smirks. “Challenge accepted.”

They eat together at the dining table in front of the large picture window, legs tangled underneath, plates shared between them. Taehyung steals more bites from Jungkook’s plate than his own, and Jungkook pretends to be annoyed every time, even though Taehyung knows he really isn’t.

After breakfast, they don’t rush anywhere. They lounge on the couch, Jungkook’s head in Taehyung’s lap, Taehyung idly threading his fingers through his hair, allowing their food to settle for now.

But Taehyung has plans for them. He still wants that after sex shower.

“So…I take it we’re not going to Sunday lunch today?” Jungkook asks, eyebrow raised as he looks up at Taehyung.

Taehyung sighs. “I just…I don’t know when the right time will be. How long before it won’t be weird.”

Jungkook sits up, shaking his head. “Tae, the first time is going to be weird. There’s no getting around it.”

“I guess I know that,” Taehyung agrees. “I’m just avoiding it.”

Jungkook reaches out, cupping Taehyung’s cheek with a warm hand. “I know you are, and I understand why. But I know your family well enough to know that they are missing you. If anything, you can still go. I don’t have to go with you.”

Just the suggestion of Jungkook not going makes Taehyung’s heart hurt. He doesn’t want Jungkook to be excluded from Sunday lunch, not when he’s been a part of them for so long, even if it was as Yejun’s boyfriend and not Taehyung’s. 

“I’m not going without you, Kook,” he says, resolute.

Jungkook smiles softly. “Okay, then we should go soon and get the initial awkwardness over with.”

Taehyung nods. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess I’m just afraid that it will be hard for Yejun,” he explains. “Even though he says it’s fine, that he’s fine…I wonder how ‘fine’ he really is.”

“If he says he’s fine enough for us to come around the house, then you need to trust him,” Jungkook tells him, his hand now laced with Taehyung’s, squeezing it gently. “We’re real, Tae, and we’re serious about each other. So, I have faith that everything else will fall into place in time.”

Taehyung exhales a content sigh, beyond grateful for Jungkook’s positivity and patience. 

“Fuck, I’m a lucky man,” he says as he gazes at his boyfriend, feeling so fond he can only think of one thing he wants to do for the rest of the morning. 

“So am I,” Jungkook replies with a wink. “Now let’s go back to bed.”

*****

Jungkook can’t stop smiling.

And he hasn’t stopped smiling ever since he picked Taehyung up earlier for their date.

They’d gone to a birthday party that Nadine – one of Jungkook’s coworkers at the Student Life Center – was throwing. And it had been a magical night of dancing under the stars.

Nadine had rented out the rooftop of one of the popular bars for all the Brooklyn College students that lived in the area. Jungkook hadn’t been at the bar in a long time, all because Yejun had always wanted to spend most of their social time at the frat houses on Greek Row with his friends, not Jungkook’s.

Being at the bar with his student center coworkers had not only been a really good time, but it had given him a chance to show off Taehyung.

“He’s very yummy, Kookie. Way to go! ” Nadine had said when Taehyung had gone to grab a couple glasses of champagne for him and Jungkook, after introductions had been made. 

“How did you meet him?” Trisha, his other coworker, had asked.

Almost immediately, Jungkook started to sweat. He didn’t want to lie to his friends, but he also didn’t want his explanation to sound as bad as it could. Still, he knew he could be honest with them. Nadine and Trisha had been there through all of his up’s and down’s with Yejun.

“So, you two remember Yejun, right?”

Both girls had rolled their eyes and groaned, making Jungkook laugh. 

“Well…Taehyung is his older brother.”

It had only taken a second for the information to click. 

“You traded in one brother for the other?” Nadine asked, eyes wide with a devious grin to match.

Jungkook had nodded, biting into his bottom lip nervously. 

“Not to get too deep in your business, Kook, ” Trisha had said, concern on her face. “But…does he treat you right?”

“In comparison to Yejun?” Jungkook asked with a chuckle. 

Both girls had nodded in unison.

Jungkook smiled reassuringly. “He treats me so wonderfully. It’s why I fell for him. When Yejun started pulling away from me and acting so strange, it opened my eyes to Taehyung. I realized how there was this amazing man right in front of me. And I wanted him.”

“Oh my god! That’s so sweet!” Nadine had yelped happily before giving Jungkook a hug.

“You deserve someone good to you, ” Trisha had added. “I’m so happy for you.”

Jungkook had looked over at Taehyung then, heart racing as the older one stopped to say hello to someone, unaware of how Jungkook was gushing about him.

“I’m happy for me too.”

The whole night had been romantic. Even when Jungkook had dropped Taehyung off, wanting to stay the night but insisting Taehyung get a good night's sleep. He had an interview with a big fashion magazine scheduled in the morning, and Jungkook knew his boyfriend needed to be fresh and ready for it.

“I’ll stay over this weekend, and we can do whatever you want, ” Jungkook had promised before giving Taehyung a long, deep kiss.

“All I want is to be with you,” Taehyung had said, voice low and seductive and driving Jungkook crazy. “It doesn’t matter what we do.”

And then the kissing had started again, going on for a much longer time than necessary. But neither one wanted to end it – until Jungkook had finally whispered an “I love you” against Taehyung’s lips before making himself pull away. 

“Goodnight, baby.”

“Goodnight, my love.”

And Jungkook is still smiling as he climbs the stairs to his apartment. 

It’s as if there’s a buzz beneath his skin – a warm, golden glow he can’t shake and doesn’t want to shake. It feels so good, something like eternal love. Love lasting forever and beyond.

He opens the door to find the living room bathed in soft lamplight, the TV playing an old James Bond movie, and the smell of weed and pizza in the air.

It’s a familiar and comforting sight to see Yoongi sprawled across the couch with a blanket and his phone, Hoseok perched on the armrest with a mug of tea, and Namjoon sitting cross-legged on the floor organizing a crate of vinyl albums. 

All three of them look up when Jungkook steps inside.

“Well, well,” Namjoon says, a grin tugging at his lips. “Look who’s floating.”

“Floating?” Jungkook kicks off his boots, cheeks warming. “I’m just…it was a good night, okay?”

Hoseok leans forward, eyes glinting. “‘A good night’? You’re glowing like someone just told you you’re the main character in their favorite rom com.”

Yoongi smirks without looking up from his phone. “Can’t remember the last time you came home without a cloud over your head and a slew of complaints about Yejun.”

The comment makes Jungkook pause, his grin softening into something more thoughtful. He walks into the living room, flopping down into the armchair. 

“Yeah,” he admits quietly. “It’s so different with Taehyung. It’s…easy. I have no complaints. Not even one.”

Namjoon nods like he gets it. “You deserve easy, Kook. You deserve someone who loves you the way Taehyung does.”

Jungkook’s chest tightens a little. He looks at his three roommates, the people who’ve seen him at his best and worst, who’ve sat with him through all the late-night heartbreaks and self-doubt. 

“You know,” he says, voice thick with gratitude. “I’m really lucky to have you guys.”

Hoseok tilts his head, smiling. “We know.”

“No, I mean it,” Jungkook insists. “You guys have always been here for me. And patient with me even when I wasn’t good at listening to your advice about Yejun. I just…I appreciate all three of you. A lot.”

Yoongi finally looks up, his expression softer than usual. “Well, we appreciate you too, Kook. You’re a good friend, and you’re also not an easy guy to give up on,” he says. “Especially when you’re finally getting it right.”

Jungkook laughs, leaning back into the chair. 

“Yeah,” he says, his voice quiet but certain. “I think I really am.”

His heart beats hard in his chest as his mind drifts back to Taehyung. Taehyung’s laugh, Taehyung’s hand in his, Taehyung’s smile when he looks at him. 

“We’ve lost him,” Namjoon says, making the rest of them laugh quietly in the peace of their living room hangout. 

“As long as he’s happy, right?” Hoseok chuckles.

Right.

*****

“Should I put my arm around you? Or…should we hold hands? Maybe we should just walk in without any touching at all. What do you think?”

Jungkook snickers at how nervous Taehyung is acting. But he can’t help it, today feels like a big deal. 

“I think you’re overthinking,” Jungkook says. “Let’s just be natural.”

Taehyung smiles, heart melting despite how cold it is outside. 

“Natural would be to hold your hand.”

“Then hold my hand, handsome.”

The two are standing outside of the Kim house. It’s Sunday afternoon, the day after Valentine’s Day. 

Taehyung is still feeling sleepy despite the two cups of coffee he’d had that morning. But he and Jungkook had celebrated their first Valentine’s Day together the night before.

And it had been unforgettable, to say the least. 

He hadn’t planned anything elaborate. No overpriced prix fixe dinners or grand gestures. Just the two of them, a night in his cozy apartment with music, wine, and ingredients for homemade pasta. 

He’d thought maybe Jungkook would be disappointed, but the way Jungkook’s face lit up when Taehyung handed him an apron, flour dusting both their hands minutes later, made him realize simple could be perfect.

Especially when he thinks back to the way Jungkook had kneeled on the kitchen floor to check the oven, cheeks flushed and hair a little wild, laughing when Taehyung teased him about being “too pretty to cook.” 

Jungkook had retaliated by smearing flour across Taehyung’s forehead, claiming the word “cook” was a part of his name, so of course he knew how to. And before either of them could stop, they were kissing against the counter – the scent of garlic and tomatoes wrapping around them like a promise.

After dinner – one that had actually turned out pretty delicious due to their combined efforts – Taehyung had pulled Jungkook out onto his balcony. 

The winter air had been sharp, but the lights of the city shimmered on the East River below them, brilliant and alive. He’d put on an Etta James record – having wanted something slow and smoky, and also because Jungkook loves her. 

And then he’d held out his hand.

“Dance with me,” he’d said, half teasing, half serious.

Jungkook hadn’t hesitated. He’d stepped into Taehyung’s arms like he’d always belonged there, their bodies swaying under the open sky, breaths warm against each other’s necks. Taehyung had felt it then, as sure as he’s ever felt anything. This wasn’t just infatuation. This wasn’t just the high you get from new love. This was something he would let take him apart and put him back together again. Over and over. Happily.

Later, they’d ended up in bed, slow and unhurried, as if they had all the time in the world.

Taehyung’s heart still pounds thinking about the soft press of Jungkook’s lips against his jaw, the way his voice cracked when he’d moaned Taehyung’s name, the warmth of his hands on his skin. It hadn’t been about urgency – it had been about wanting to memorize each other, piece by piece.

Even at this moment, outside his parents house, Taehyung can still feel the weight of Jungkook’s head on his chest after they’d made love into the early morning, and the sound of Jungkook’s sleepy laughter when Taehyung traced hearts on his shoulder with his fingertip.

It had been their first Valentine’s Day, but in Taehyung’s heart, it had felt like the start of a hundred more.

So he knows he shouldn’t feel like he’s doing something wrong by coming to Sunday lunch with Jungkook by his side. 

His family knows Jungkook is with him now, they’ve all seemed to graciously accept it. Even Yejun, who is already in the early stages of a new relationship himself. 

“It’s going to be fine,” Jungkook says, like he knows the conflict Taehyung is dealing with.

He takes Taehyung’s hand and squeezes it in that way that always seems to disarm him. 

Taehyung takes a deep breath. 

“Let’s go.”

*****

And, of course, it had all gone better than Taehyung could have ever expected. He’d been a nervous wreck for basically nothing.

“It’s so good to have you and Jungkook back with us for Sunday lunch,” his mom says as mother and son wash dishes together while everyone else sits at the kitchen table finishing up their slices of the lemon meringue pie Janie had made. “It’s been too long.”

Taehyung nods. “I know, ma. I was just…slightly terrified.”

“Of us?” she asks with a laugh. “You know we love you no matter what, Taehyungie.”

Taehyung exhales, partly out of relief and partly out of guilt.

“I know, but…it still felt like I might have disappointed all of you…by being with Jungkook. For hurting Yejun.”

The mention of his brother has him turning his head towards the table, only to find Yejun on his phone, smiling and texting while Jungkook and Janie talk about her school play. His dad is cutting himself another sliver of pie, groaning when Janie mentions getting to kiss her co-star, a boy named Henry who already has his drivers permit. 

It’s just like all the Sunday lunches before, except for when Jungkook looks up and locks eyes with him, winking and blowing Taehyung a kiss. 

His pulse races. This is real, and he still can’t believe he’s not dreaming.

“Honey, we’re just happy that you’re happy. And Yejun is fine,” his mother assures. “It took a couple of weeks for him to bounce back, but I could tell he was relieved that things with Jungkook had ended, and that they had resolved their issues. He’s happy to see Jungkook moving on.”

Taehyung hopes that’s the truth. And his mother must sense how unsure he’s feeling because she doubles down.

“I know Yejun isn’t always the most mature when it comes to love and relationships. I know he has a tendency to be selfish at times. But if there’s one thing I also know about my middle child, it’s that he loves his big brother fiercely, even if he doesn’t always show it.”

And Taehyung thinks he has no reason to doubt his mother’s words when Yejun confirms them later on before leaving to go meet up with his new boyfriend for a movie night.

“Today was a little different, huh?” Yejun says as Taehyung walks him out to his car while Jungkook stays inside to play Uno with Janie.

“It was,” Taehyung agrees. “And if it made you uncomfortable, I can stay away for as long as you need me to.”

But Yejun shakes his head. “I don’t want you to do that, Tae,” he replies. “I mean…yeah, it’s going to take awhile for me to get used to the new normal, but it felt good to be around you again. I missed you. I even missed Jungkook, but not in a romantic way.”

Taehyung looks closely at his little brother, wondering if he would be able to tell if Yejun was being less than honest.  But there’s no alarm bells going off. He thinks Yejun is being sincere, and it’s a relief.

“We missed you too.”

Yejun smiles and then he pulls Taehyung in for a hug.

“He looks really happy. So do you,” he murmurs. “And that makes me happy.”

They pull away, and Taehyung quickly realizes they’re both teary-eyed. 

“Thank you, Junie.”

Yejun nods, flashing another grin before getting into his car and rolling down the window.

“See you next Sunday, bro.”

Taehyung smiles. “See you next Sunday.”

*****

The sunlight is warm when Jungkook wakes, streaming in through Taehyung’s bedroom window and across the white sheets. 

Taehyung is lying beside him, one arm thrown lazily over Jungkook’s waist, hair falling into his eyes in a way that makes him look unfairly beautiful.

Jungkook doesn’t move for a while. He just watches him, letting himself drink in the sight of this man who makes everything feel lighter, easier. It’s still strange sometimes – the way his chest tightens just looking at Taehyung, like happiness is something physical.

Taehyung stirs, blinking sleepily. 

“Morning,” he sighs, voice low and raspy.

“Morning,” Jungkook replies, smiling so wide it makes his cheeks ache. “I don’t want to get up yet.”

He scoots closer, pressing his forehead against Taehyung’s shoulder. 

“We don’t have to,” Taehyung says, his hand sliding into Jungkook’s hair, fingers scratching lightly at his scalp. “We can stay here all day.”

Jungkook sighs happily. “Tempting. But it’s supposed to be a little warmer today. We could walk along the river and feed the ducks or…I don’t know…take pictures of each other being all romantic and gross. Or maybe we just stay in and make pancakes.”

Taehyung grins, his lips curving in that way that always makes Jungkook’s stomach flip. 

“Pancakes sound perfect. With way too much syrup.”

“And strawberries,” Jungkook adds, lifting his head to look at him. “And whipped cream. The real kind, not the stuff from a can.”

Taehyung chuckles and leans in to kiss him, slow and soft. “Smart Kookie.”

Jungkook blushes. His heart feels so ridiculously full. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt this at peace, this sure that where he is and who he’s with is exactly right.

They talk about little things, like Taehyung’s upcoming fashion magazine debut, about the songs Jungkook wants to play on his next radio show, about how winter seems like it’s finally giving up. 

Jungkook smiles to himself as he listens to the low warmth of Taehyung’s voice, the way his laugh vibrates all the way to his bones when Jungkook teases him. And he still can’t believe he found this, that he found true love with a man he never expected would ever become his.

They lay in bed for longer, not ready to get up yet. The city waits for them outside, but for now, Jungkook stays where he is, heart steady, Taehyung’s everlasting warmth and love grounding him. 

Right here, in this quiet morning light, he knows he’s exactly where he belongs.

In Taehyung’s arms. Happy, respected, appreciated, cared for, and loved.

The End.