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Today marks the second anniversary of Taehyung moving back into his parents’ house. Two years and six months after losing his mother to cancer. 

Life has been very quiet ever since.

“I took out the trash,” his father says, dropping a deck of cards onto the kitchen table and trudging to the bathroom.

Taehyung closes the back door, leaving his bag on a counter. His eyes linger on the box that shines gold with the words Prague The Golden City on the cover.

“Is this new?” He traces the drawing of a tower with his fingers.

His father’s voice echoes down the hall. “Found ‘em just now.”

They’ve been playing cards for months, trying out some board games, too. Whenever Taehyung arrives home from work, he sits with his old man at the kitchen table, joined by the naked orange bulb hanging above their heads and a cup of green tea with ginger between their hands—his mother’s favorite.

“Twenty-six?” he shouts.

“Yeah, hang on a minute!”

Taehyung gets closer to the hallway and tips his head to the side. He hears the toilet flushing, water filling the tank, his father groaning. When the door opens, he pushes himself off the wall and takes a seat.

“Open it.” His father gestures at the deck of cards while limping to a chair. His pants are pulled up high, showing a pair of socks with faded diamond shapes.

“Does your leg hurt?”

The man flicks his wrist before sitting down. He adjusts himself. “I think Hyungsik left these here on your mother’s fiftieth birthday.”

That was ten years ago, when Taehyung was nineteen. “The one with Tzuyu and the broken keyboard?”

“No, that was when your sister still lived here. I’m talking about the one with the pineapple salads.”

Taehyung nods, taking the cards from the golden box and shuffling them on the table. He puts the pile in the center, lifting his eyebrows. “You go.”

His father splits the deck in two and leans back in his chair as Taehyung deals. “I also did your laundry.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.”

A grin pulls up the corners of Taehyung’s mouth. He knows something’s up when his father starts doing random things around the house and telling him about it. “What do you need?”

It doesn’t sound like a question, and that makes his father scowl. “Why, you think I did it because I need something?”

Taehyung takes his stock of cards and inspects it, his father doing the same thing with his. After a moment, a faint snort makes Taehyung look up.

“Hyungsik asked me for his stove. He wants it back along with his old pans.”

Hearts and spades stare at Taehyung for a long second. He discards some and lets his father play. “Okay,” he says. Not asking any questions. The idea of meeting with Hyungsik, his uncle from his mother’s side, is dreadful, but he cannot deny his father a favour like that. The old man isn’t allowed, under any circumstance, to move heavy stuff or drive. Taehyung’s the one who does everything for him, ever since he suffered a stroke more than a year ago.

“You sure? It’s a lot for one person, and you’ll need a big car. I can go with you if—”

“No.” Taehyung shakes his head, draws some cards, flips them. “I’ll ask Hoseok.”

The wrinkles in his father’s forehead are a clear indication that he’s thankful. In his own way. He keeps playing without another word, and Taehyung repeats to himself Tell Hoseok five times inside his head so as to not forget.

A week.

It takes Taehyung a whole week to send a text. But he knows once the message reaches Hoseok’s phone, there won’t be any more calm days, only offers from his friend to hang out.

He prepares himself.

This is Taehyung’s worst nightmare, meeting with the friend of a friend of a friend. A total stranger. But this is what he gets for being closed off and not having any other acquaintances in this town. And he really needs the help.

The only day Hyungsik is free to meet is 11 AM on a Wednesday. Taehyung tried to schedule this random family reunion on the weekend, but his uncle needs his stuff as soon as possible.

Thankfully, Taehyung was able to get the morning off for the hour-long trip, which means he has until lunch to get this over with. His afternoon is full of business meetings and deadlines he can’t cancel, yet the guy Hoseok talked about hasn’t even arrived.

In the living room, with his phone in his hand and his parents’ wedding picture to his left, Taehyung stands next to the large window. He peeks outside for any traces of a car before sending another message.

Taehyung glances out the window again. Ms. Choi is taking her dogs out, and the neighbor’s daughter is playing with her hula hoops. To them, the morning might be like any other, but it feels weird to Taehyung. He should be working.

The sound of an engine rumbles through the street, catching Taehyung’s eye. The little girl jerks and hops on the sidewalk as a pink moving truck slows to a crawl.

The driver’s side door pops open and a pair of white sneakers come out. The guy is wearing a tight yellow t-shirt and yellow shorts, as bright as a warning sign, showing off his toned arms and legs. And even though summer is here, Taehyung thinks that’s a bit too much—or too little, actually.

He breathes out, closes his eyes, and prepares himself for what’s next. Meeting strangers has never been part of his favorite activities.

“You’re okay,” he tells himself—five times. Adds an extra one to hype himself up before grabbing his keys and wallet and going outside.

“Taehyung?” The guy is showing a smile that fits his bright clothes perfectly. “Sorry for being late. My cat got himself in a situation, and I couldn’t leave.”

Taehyung freezes a few feet away from his mailbox, hands in his pockets. His eyes search for something on the other’s expression they cannot find. “You’re being honest.”

“I am.” The guy’s lips stretch even wider, and his teeth make an appearance. Taehyung doesn't like those types of smiles much, but something on his face is nice to stare at. “Why? Is that weird?”

Taehyung wants to say yes, but he just bobs his head, walks the last steps to the pink car, and stops.

The man scrunches his nose as he supports all of his weight on one leg. The morning sun makes his face shine. “Now I’m curious. Do people lie to you a lot?”

That has Taehyung searching inside his brain for an answer. He finds many of them.

“People like to give excuses when being late.”

“Yeah? What’s the most common one you’ve heard?”

“Heavy traffic.”

The guy shakes his head with a grin. He even lets out a snort, and Taehyung is not sure if it’s because he finds him weird or because he agrees with him.

“Jungkook,” he says, stretching out his hand. Taehyung takes it, but instead of shaking it like normal people do, he holds it for a beat. Something flashes in Jungkook’s eyes, and a faint smirk takes over his mouth, making Taehyung drop his arm and hate himself for being this awkward.

“The stuff’s in the garage.” He spins around and walks back to the house, in part to hide how red his cheeks must be.

Immediately after, he hears Jungkook’s shoes against the pavement as he follows him behind.

Thirty-five minutes later, they’re on the road.

“The AC’s broken,” Jungkook says, patting the dashboard where a plastic gnome figurine shakes. “But we can roll down the windows if you want.”

Taehyung doesn’t like being in a car with the windows open. His hair always gets messy. He chooses to stay silent, eyes jumping from the vehicles outside to the gnome to Jungkook’s yellow clothes.

“Do you smoke?” he asks. Taehyung has never smoke in his life.

“Nope. Not a fan.” Jungkook glances to his right as he raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Your gnome smokes.” Taehyung points at the little figurine. It has a gold chain around the neck, a black backwards baseball hat, and a brown pipe between its lips. Funny.

Jungkook laughs. “My younger brother bought it for me on one of our family trips I couldn’t go to. I’ve been meaning to replace it with something different.”

“You travel with your family?”

“Yeah, a lot.” Jungkook looks at him. “Don’t you?”

“Not recently, no.” Because Taehyung hasn’t left town since his mother died. The trips he’s had amount to short walks between his house and the outdoor table during family gatherings. And it’s been months, maybe a year, since the last time Taehyung used the backyard.

“Do you have any siblings?”

“A sister,” Taehyung replies. “Younger than me.”

“How old?”

“Twenty-five.”

The way Jungkook turns his head to face Taehyung is quick. He doesn’t snap his neck, Taehyung notices. Perhaps he’s used to being this excited. “My brother’s in his early twenties! We should make them meet. They might like each other.”

Taehyung frowns. “You can’t go around assuming people are straight.”

“I wasn’t.” Jungkook’s right hand lets go of the gear stick and shakes twice in the air. “They could just be friends.”

“Oh.” That’s true.

“And what if they’re bi?” Jungkook asks, sounding a little defensive.

“You’re right.” With his eyes on the windshield, Taehyung says, “I’m bi.”

He feels Jungkook’s gaze on him.

“Me too.”

Taehyung then remembers this guy is a complete stranger, not even Hoseok’s close friend. Suddenly, the situation turns weird and Taehyung starts overthinking.

“Is your sister bi?” he hears.

“No.” Taehyung shakes his head once, then glances at Jungkook. “What about your brother?”

Jungkook smiles. “Straight as an arrow.”

They look at each other. Somehow, Jungkook makes Taehyung feel like they’ve met before, a long time ago. Maybe it’s his energy. Taehyung has felt it somewhere. He knows he’s craved it.

Comfort takes root between his ribs despite himself, and he can’t fight his lips from twitching up any longer.

“I need to pee.”

Jungkook perks up. “Sure. Let me— Wait. I’ll stop here.”

“I need a bathroom.”

“You”—Jungkook narrows his eyes at him—“can’t take a leak behind a tree?”

“No, not since I was eight.”

“What happened when you were eight?”

“Wheein saw me peeing.”

Jungkook snorts through a grin. “I’m sorry.”

“She was my neighbor, and not the friendly type. She was popular.”

“You weren’t popular back in school?”

“No.” Taehyung eyes him. “I wasn’t.” He’s never been anyone’s favorite person.

After a long second, Jungkook shrugs. “I wasn’t either.”

Taehyung sits straight, rubbing at his pants to calm his nerves. “Let’s stop at the next gas station.”

Taehyung rests in the seat as he waits for Jungkook to get back from the store. He watches him run down the stairs and rush to the car with his hands full.

“Bought you some juice,” he says, opening the door and getting inside.

“Thanks.” Taehyung takes the bottle and scans it. Grape flavor. It’s super random, but something warm tingles in his chest. “You didn’t have to.”

“It’s okay. For the lack of AC.”

The apartment buildings where Hyungsik lives are all the same—beige walls, white window panes, and brown doors. They stand out against the malls around them, which look like they came out of a Tom Cruise sci-fi movie.

“Does he know we’re here?” Jungkook grips the steering wheel, leaning forward enough to peek through the windshield.

Taehyung hums. “I already texted him.”

Of course. It’s not the first time this happens when it comes to Taehyung’s uncle. Mingyu, one of his cousins, is always there to handle things for him.

“Thanks, man. We appreciate it. I’m starting a new business so we really needed this.” Mingyu kicks the stove with his large-sized slippers, his shorts a bit ragged. The clothes could pass as pajamas.

Taehyung dips his head. He doesn’t say a thing because it isn’t worth it—getting into how much trouble it was to come here on a work day. That he’s full of other responsibilities. Not to mention the fact that he had to ask for help and then listen to Mingyu tell Jungkook the most absurd things all the way up to the apartment. Glad it’s over. “We’re leaving now.”

“Sorry I can’t offer you guys lunch.” Mingyu looks at Jungkook. “But there’s a good place down the street. They have a parking lot and all. Pretty cheap, too.”

Taehyung wants to say no. His body is hungry, but heading back home and reaching his office sounds way more appealing. Unfortunately, Jungkook seems to be on a different page. Or on a whole different book, for that matter.

“That sounds great. I’m starving!”

Maybe this was a mistake.

This is exactly what Taehyung needed.

A serving of fries drenched in ketchup and a dish of his favorite vegetables in front of him, some already in his mouth, making him feel a lot better. He was getting annoyed at nothing earlier. Now he can listen to Jungkook without cringing.

“So, how do you know Hoseok?”

Taehyung stops chewing for a second. “He’s my best friend.”

“From?”

“College.”

“How long ago was that?”

“You want to know how old I am?”

Jungkook nods, sliding his dish to the side.

“I’m twenty-nine.”

“I’m younger than you, then.”

Hands clap and voices sing in the background.

“How young?” Taehyung asks, ignoring the noise.

Leaning back against the red booth, Jungkook shrugs a shoulder. “Take a guess.”

“I would say older than thirty, but now I know that can’t be possible.”

“What?” Jungkook makes a face, looking offended. “Are you serious?”

“It’s your muscles.” And what he wears, but Taehyung bites his tongue before saying that.

“What’s up with them?”

“They’re big.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook says, one eyebrow raised. “It’s my job to keep them big.”

That piques Taehyung’s curiosity. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a Personal Trainer. You?”

That explains the neon workout clothes. “I’m an Accountant,” Taehyung says. Jungkook laughs, all loosened up and free. It startles Taehyung at first, then annoys him. He wants to join in. “What?”

“Sorry. Are you serious or…?” Jeongguk stares at him.

“I am.”

Jungkook laughs some more. “It’s just— There was this TikTok trend.” He side-eyes Taehyung. “Have you seen it?”

“If you explain it, then I’ll let you know if I’ve seen it or not.” But Taehyung couldn’t have possibly seen it. He doesn’t have TikTok. He just wants to know what made Jungkook look like he was having a blast.

“Some people who work as strippers, or earn money on OnlyFans, say they’re accountants so no one asks them questions.”

“I don’t see the fun in that.” Taehyung keeps eating, disappointed by the explanation. He gets asked multiple times a day about what an accountant does. Just normal stuff. “These people can't be honest.”

Jungkook’s expression softens. His eyes glow with a different kind of light. “You and the lying topic again. What’s up with that?”

“I appreciate honesty a lot.”

“Good thing I’m an honest man, then. A Personal Trainer. You, on the other hand, an Accountant…” Jungkook narrows one eye before smiling. “What are you hiding, Taehyung?”

The ride back home is quiet. Jungkook connects his cellphone to the car’s bluetooth and turns the mini road trip to Taehyung’s street into a 90’s Pop concert. The gnome over the dashboard dances to the rhythm.

“I thought we’d listen to EDM,” Taehyung says, as the truck stops in front of his house. He fidgets with the hem of his shirt over his lap.

“That’s for my classes only. If you ever wanna join me, let me know.”

“Thank you, but I have a treadmill at home.”

“Your neighborhood is pretty, though.” Jungkook gestures with his thumb towards the driver’s side window, at the trees and houses outside glowing under the afternoon sun. “And it’s summer. You could run outside.”

“Not my thing.” Placing his fingers on the door handle, Taehyung smiles at Jungkook. There’s something that draws him to the guy, pulling him in. The seat belt no longer keeps him in place and still it’s hard to leave. But he has to. It’s already scary to feel this way for a complete stranger. “Thank you for your help today.” Before he forgets, he grabs his wallet and takes out some cash.

Jungkook shakes his head. “Don’t worry. It was a favor.”

“No, it was a job.”

“You can pay me back with dinner.” Jungkook stares straight at him, eyes soft. He’s sitting with one shoulder against the door, his hand slack on the steering wheel, his other resting on the seat. No hint of nervousness showing, as if saying something like that was easy. “This Saturday? I can pick you up.”

Taehyung stills, eyes on Jungkook’s rosy lips. He’s smiling the way he did when they first met today, and it feels like a thick amount of time has gone by since then. Did something change between this morning and now?

Taehyung doesn’t want to find out. 

He drops the money on the dashboard, next to the gnome, and gets out of the car.

Taehyung groans inside of his cubicle, hands on his head. He entertains the idea of going out for a couple of seconds before letting out a curse.

He keeps working.

Hoseok arrives at 9:32 PM.

“Looking good,” he says before patting Taehyung’s back and slipping past him into his house. “Gotta use your bathroom real quick!”

Outside, next to the hardy hibiscus Taehyung’s mother planted, Jungkook stands with his hands inside the pockets of his black jeans. He looks somewhat out of place, but the form-fitting jacket he chose highlights his body well. Like a Rock Star. Not like the personal trainer Taehyung has seen dressed as Skittles. He now looks as if he was covered in large-sized tattoos underneath faux leather and could grace a gigantic billboard.

“Hey,” Jungkook says, voice soft and deep.

Taehyung leans on the door frame, thoughtful. Drinking is what he will have to do if he has to watch Jungkook looking like that while people hit on him all night.

“Let’s take it easy.” Jungkook grabs the glass from between Taehyung’s hands. He has one arm resting on a bookcase, his eyes roaming over Taehyung’s.

The loud music and chattering in the room brings them closer to each other. 

“So.” Taehyung narrows his eyes. “I’ve seen you turning down everyone that’s tried to come here and ask you to dance.”

A smirk curls Jungkook’s lips. “I don’t wanna dance.”

“What? Why? This is a party.”

“Are you dancing right now?”

Taehyung glances around, then at his feet and hands. It all starts to blur. “No.”

“And it’s still a party.”

Taehyung glares at him, licking his teeth and the inside of his cheeks, savoring the citrus hints of his fifth and last Margarita. “I didn’t know you were actual friends with Hoseok.”

“He kindly invited me tonight.”

“But are you friends?”

“I think we are at this point. Maybe not close ones, but I’ve met his brother, I know his sister-in-law, and he joined my football team once.” 

“You play football?”

“For fun.” Jungkook shrugs, and he looks so sexy doing that; his jacket is perfectly pressed to all his hard places, pants tight around a slim waist Taehyung usually doesn’t find this attractive in other men. Or women.

He gets closer, trying to be heard above the noise. “And all of the sudden Hoseok told you Hey Jungkook, there’s a party tonight.”

Jungkook tips his chin. “Exactly.”

“And you said yes, knowing that he’s my best friend and that maybe I’d be here.”

“I didn’t know you’d also say yes. Hoseok told me you’re not a party-goer.”

“Well, I did.” Taehyung looks at Jungkook’s eyes. They’re red and blue and green, and sometimes dark. And they are always on him. “I said yes.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“And this is a party.”

“It is.” Jungkook’s mouth morphs into a grin, and it feels like it’s just for Taehyung. In a place full of striking people, wearing little to no clothes. 

Taehyung’s wearing an ugly suit.

“And you’re Jungkook,” he says, feeling a warm yet strong grip on his hip. He’s close, so close. The next thing he says sounds like a whisper. “A stranger who helped me with my uncle’s stove.”

Jungkook takes a deep breath before his words, drenched in cherry flavor, brushes the corner of Taehyung’s lips. “That’s me.”

No. Taehyung shakes his head. He shakes it and the room spins, but Jungkook stays still. He’s the constant in this place that doesn’t make Taehyung dizzy. 

And he’s not a stranger, Taehyung thinks. He shakes his head. No. 

The word stranger doesn’t sit well on his tongue anymore.

Out of nowhere, Taehyung falls onto his bed, in his childhood bedroom at, what, 8 AM?

“It’s 8 AM,” he says, pointing at his clock showing fuzzy neon green numbers.

Jungkook’s voice comes from his right. He’s struggling with something. “3 AM. It’s time to sleep.”

A shoe drops on the floor. It’s all dark, and Taehyung wants to lift himself up. Jungkook is somewhere he cannot see.

“Are you there?”

Taehyung hears Jungkook’s breathing as something warm grabs his pinky finger. “I’m here.”

He now sees him; Jungkook is crouching down, one hand on Taehyung’s hand and the other holding Taehyung’s other shoe. The faint light from outside carves its way through the room and drips white over his short black hair that Taehyung wants to touch.

“Thank you,” he says. He means it. “Sorry I kissed you.”

Jungkook laughs in a very gentle way. “You didn’t. But you know I’m an honest man, and I gotta say: one, you shouldn’t feel sorry for kissing someone, and two, I wanna kiss you someday.”

Throat dry, Taehyung tries to swallow. 

“Want me to get you some water?”

He nods.

Twenty minutes later, Taehyung is falling asleep under his covers, with an empty glass of water on his bedside table and Jungkook closing the door behind him.

Tzuyu’s yelling wakes him up before the sun does. His sister loves to be loud like that.

“Dad will be staying with me until Tuesday.” She fills a bag with their father’s clothes as the man works in the kitchen. Most of his belongings were ready since the day before, but Tzuyu likes to rearrange things, so Taehyung lets her.

“I wish I could go with you,” he says, smoothing his hair while sitting on the edge of the bed.

His sister raises an eyebrow at him. “You look like hell. Maybe take some rest this weekend.”

“I will.”

“And don’t you wanna go out with some friends? A girlfriend? Boyfriend?” She isn’t looking at him, so she misses the way Taehyung glares at her.

“I went out yesterday. I just want to stay at home.” He remembers the night with Jungkook, how he never left his side and helped him get home safe. Taehyung rubs his chest roughly.

“What’s up with you?”

He looks up and finds his sister’s worried gaze on him. “Nothing. I’m good.”

In the living room, their father sits on the brown old couch.

“I wanna bring a pillow.”

“I have plenty at home, Dad,” Tzuyu says, walking to the door. “You won’t need an extra.”

Their father groans, crossing his arms in front of his chest like he’s not going anywhere. “It’s your mother’s pillow. I want it.”

Taehyung raises a hand in his sister’s direction when he notices she’s going to protest. That stops her and gives him time to walk down the hall into his father’s room, grab the white pillow on the left side of the bed, and go back to the living room.

His father doesn’t say anything, just takes it and rises from his spot. Taehyung helps him walk to Tzuyu’s car, closing the passenger’s door once he’s settled.

“Have fun,” he tells the both of them. Tzuyu gives him a small smile from behind the wheel while his father looks straight ahead. 

When they leave, something leaves with them.

Taehyung stays outside, takes a minute to think, looking at the empty neighborhood and breathing in the smell of freshly cut grass. All of a sudden, the pink moving truck he now recognizes rolls down the street. It stops in front of him before Jungkook gets off with his lips pulled from ear to ear. Today, his clothes are a deep blue.

“Hey, you.” He walks closer to Taehyung with his hands patting his hips. Glancing down at his shorts, he laughs. “Shit, these don’t have any pockets.”

That makes Taehyung grin, though slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanna invite you to a football match.”

Wrinkles settle on Taehyung’s forehead. “I don’t play football.”

“You will today. We’re in need of one guy.”

The idea sounds terrible. Taehyung hasn’t played any sports since high school, and he thought it would stay that way forever. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. My head’s a mess.”

“Oh, I—” Jungkook turns around, opens the driver’s side door, and grabs something from inside. Taehyung tries to dodge the sun with a hand, wanting to get back to the house as soon as possible. “Brought you some breakfast.”

Jungkook is holding a cup of coffee in one hand and two sandwiches in the other.

Taehyung bites his bottom lip. “I don’t like coffee.”

“It’s green tea. With a bit of ginger. It’ll make you feel better.”

Taehyung’s heart flips. That’s how he likes his tea, but he doesn’t remember telling Jungkook about it. “How did you know?”

Jungkook’s smile broadens, and Taehyung doesn’t understand how that’s even possible. “You told me yesterday before playing ping pong.”

“We played ping pong?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook says through a laugh. He closes one eye because of the sun, looking cute. “You lost.”

Jungkook is slowly getting under Taehyung’s skin. And the thought is scary, because Taehyung feels the urge to spend more time with him. To get to know him. He just can't stop wondering why Jungkook would want to spend his time with him.

“I’m not good,” Taehyung says. At football, he means. Maybe at something else, too. Not worth diving into right now.

“It doesn’t matter.” Jungkook gets closer, puts the cup of tea in Taehyung’s hand, and smiles. “We all suck.”

Jungkook clearly doesn’t suck.

His blue figure runs across the field as if FC Barcelona paid him like they pay Messi. And he does it while laughing like he enjoys it.

Dressed in Jungkook’s clothes, because all of Taehyung’s sportswear were too old and small, Taehyung tries to catch up. He looks like a traffic cone, but that’s the last thing bothering him. The first is his breathing—difficult and burning. He doesn’t want to show how hard this is getting, so he lifts his chest, puts both hands on his hips, and rests.

Someone nudges his arm. “You good?”

Jimin, Jungkook’s best friend, gives Taehyung a warm smile. He’s been checking on him since Taehyung’s fall five minutes into the game.

He’s nice.

“Yes.”

The guy grins. “Here.” He hands Taehyung a bottle of water and pats his back. “Don’t rest too much or your muscles will hurt like hell after this.”

Jungkook is chasing the ball on the other side of the field, his friend Yoongi running behind him like an awkward teenager during P.E. class. No one is as fast as Jungkook. The guy can fly, and Taehyung can’t stop staring.

When Jungkook kicks the ball inside the net, he yells and looks around. It’s shocking how easy he finds Taehyung and a grin takes over his face. How easy he makes Taehyung’s skin itch.

Taehyung is on the rival team, but he’s already smiling back.

“You punk. There’s no way we can beat you anytime soon.” Yoongi is sprawled on the grass, eyes turned upwards at the sky, chest heaving.

All the other players have left. Only Jungkook’s close friends and Taehyung are there now.

Jungkook drinks some water and then cleans his mouth with the back of his hand. “You should stop smoking. That thing’s killing you from inside.”

Taehyung stares at him while putting on some sunscreen, impressed by his raw honesty.

“I know. Shit. I’m trying.”

“It’s okay. If you want to.” Jimin glares at Jungkook while tying his shoelaces. “It took Namjoon years, but he made it.”

It’s Taehyung’s first time hearing that name, and he wonders who he is. Jungkook’s face is expressionless.

“That’s because he had this guy’s help.” Yoongi points at Jungkook. “If I had a boyfriend who’s not a fan of smoking, I also wouldn’t be addicted.”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Jungkook says, firm and dry. He drinks from his bottle again and avoids looking at Taehyung.

Going to a bar after the game was Jimin's idea, and Taehyung couldn’t say no. He tried. A shower and his bed sounded better, but Jimin insisted. And Taehyung wanted to get along with him and the others, even though he doesn’t know why.

“So, Taehyung.” Yoongi looks at him, elbows resting on the table. “How’d you know Jungkook?”

“Hoseok sent me his phone number. I needed help with moving some things.”

“You guys remember Hoseok, right?” Jungkook rests back in his seat. “He joined us once for a game.”

Yoongi nods, taking a sip of his beer and licking his lips. “He was nice.”

“You took Pink with you?” Jimin asks in Jungkook’s direction, his fingers curled around a glass of wine.

Jungkook leans to the side. “Pink is my truck,” he tells Taehyung.

“I figured. It’s pink.”

“No, he named it after the singer,” Yoongi says, a smirk on his face, voice drenched in mockery.

“Who wouldn’t?” Jungkook rolls his eyes.

Jimin laughs. “Yeah, not my style.” The song Dancing Queen starts playing over the noise in the bar. Jimin searches his pockets and picks up his phone while his friends burst into teasing. “Hello?” His gaze drops, then focuses on Jungkook. “Hey, Joon! How are you?” He makes a face. “Ah, yeah. We’re at The Rover.” Taehyung glances at Jungkook and sees him narrowing his eyes at his friend. “Yeah, yeah, sure. Okay, bye.” Jimin hangs up with an apologetic smile. “He’s coming.”

“It’s okay,” Jungkook says, his lips tight.

The waiter appears with their fries and Taehyung’s second glass of grape juice. 

He looks at it and breathes out.

“I had a good time,” Taehyung says before opening the passenger door. 

A hand on his arm stops him. “Wait.”

“I’ll wash your clothes and let you know when they’re ready.”

“No, it’s not that. I wanna apologise for any awkward moment with my ex.”

Taehyung turns and sits straight again, his hands resting on his lap. “It wasn’t awkward.”

“You’re lying.”

“I am.”

Jungkook laughs, eyes small and dancing in glee. Taehyung’s noticing he likes to look at him when he’s like that.

“What happened to the I appreciate honesty thing?” Jungkook asks.

“It’s hard to practice that when I’m nervous.”

Jungkook raises an eyebrow. “Are you?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want you to be.” He runs his fingers on the wheel under Taehyung’s gaze. “I like you a lot... And Namjoon and I are over. It’s been months, almost a year.”

Taehyung ignores the confession and holds onto the second part of the sentence. “I’m glad you’re still friends.”

“He’s always been closer with Yoongi and Jimin, but yeah. I’m glad, too.”

Taehyung’s lips are in a thin line, gaze fixed on his hands. “Being your friend seems like a nice thing.”

“You wanna be my friend?” Jungkook asks softly.

Taehyung’s heart skips a beat. He feels it, then, going faster, pounding against his chest.

He blinks and shakes his head from side to side.

“Good.” A smile blooms on Jungkook’s entire face to the point where it looks like he’s glowing. “Because I don’t wanna be friends with you either.”

Next day, Taehyung sends Jungkook his first text message.

He’s in a cab. Above the glove compartment, a medium gnome figurine shakes with the maneuvers of the driver. It has a big white beard and a flute on its hands. Taehyung snaps a picture and sends it to Jungkook.

Taehyung stops searching for gnomes online when he catches Jungkook’s last message.

Taehyung thinks about it. He imagines Jungkook’s apartment, what color the walls must be, how he moves between them, how he handles himself in his safe space. Taehyung wants to see that.

He wants to experience it.

“Two tomatoes, fourteen ounces of soft tofu, one handful of peanuts, a teaspoon of cumin powder, one of salt, eight ounces of noodles…” Jungkook is speaking out loud while reading what seems to be a recipe on his phone. 

They are sitting at his kitchen island, two dishes in front of them with pasta and red sauce, ready to try it out. Taehyung has half of his body turned to Jungkook, one leg close to his neon green pants. There are also pink mugs with tea and a grey cat, Murphy, sleeping on the couch.

“And it’s all plant-based?”

“Yeah, no meat. I figured if I don’t wanna eat Murphy, then I can’t eat any other animal, or anything that comes from them.” Jungkook looks serious about this. “And it wasn’t that good for my health.”

Taehyung thinks for a second. “Now that you mention it, my dad’s Doctor sent us to a Nutritionist, who gave us a meal plan, and meat wasn’t on it.”

Jungkook’s eyebrows twitch. He nods with his head as he swallows, drinks some tea, and asks, “What happened to your dad?”

“He suffered from an ischemic stroke after my mom died.”

“I’m sorry.” Jungkook’s right knee nudges Taehyung’s left one. “Is he okay?”

“He is, he’s just tired.”

“Are you okay?”

Taehyung takes a sip from his mug before smacking his lips together. “I am.”

“And your sister?”

“She’s fine. She’s married with a baby, lives four hours away from here. Has her whole life figured out.”

“So you’re the one who takes care of your dad.”

Taehyung shrugs. “Our house is here.”

“And what do you do besides looking after him and working?”

Silence falls over. “You have a lot of questions.”

Jungkook cleans his mouth with a napkin. “I wanna get to know you, that’s all.” He looks at Taehyung while he eats.

After a long moment, Taehyung asks, confused, “What?”

“Don’t you wanna get to know me?”

Setting his plate aside, calm and relaxed, Taehyung turns to Jungkook. “I do.” He’s sure. He cannot be more sure after the short yet highly intoxicating amount of time he’s spent with him. 

Even more after seeing the smile that splits his face right now.

“Then,” Jungkook says, scooting to the edge of his seat, a foot on the other stool’s steel plate, eyes scanning Taehyung’s face, “you can ask me anything you want.”

“Where do your parents live?”

“Thirty minutes from here. They share the house with some friends. But now they’re enjoying their free time on a long vacation in Greece.”

Taehyung dries a bowl with an orange cloth and leaves it on the counter. “Are they retired?”

“Yup.” The water runs down to the sink where Jungkook rubs a purple sponge against a glass. Everything is colorful here. “Now they’re both into dance and cooking classes, Yoga and Spinning in their local gym, and hosting small gatherings in their favorite restaurant every weekend.”

It seems that that’s where Jungkook’s interesting personality comes from. It brings a grin to Taehyung’s lips. “They sound fun.”

“They are.”

Taehyung wonders if he’ll ever get to meet them.

“What does your roommate do?”

Jungkook sits in his rolling chair, resting his hands on the plastic arms. “He makes greeting cards.”

“Really?” Taehyung’s voice comes out high. He feels his neck burning as he faces Jungkook’s wall where pictures hang, a lot of them showing Jimin and Yoongi smiling. “Is the pay good?”

“He invests in the stock market so he can do what he loves.”

“Which is writing corny messages to strangers.”

Jungkook laughs as he spins around. “Very good messages. Funny ones.”

“Have you ever gotten one?”

“Once, yeah. For my birthday.”

Taehyung’s eyes flicker from the wall to Jungkook. “Which is?”

“My birthday? September 1st.”

“Hm, a Virgo.” It might explain the vibes of the room—utterly clean in all its messy splendor.

“Do you believe in that?”

“My sister does.”

One of Jungkook’s eyebrows twitches up. “What are you?”

“A Capricorn. December 30th.”

“And how’s our match?”

Taehyung shrugs, fidgeting with a pen over the desk just to do something. His heart is going wild inside his chest, and he doesn’t want to let it show. “I’ll ask her and let you know.”

An easy smirk takes over Jungkook’s face as he spins around one more time in his chair.

“Why didn't things work out with Namjoon?”

They are sitting in two plastic chairs on Jungkook’s balcony, looking at the night sky.

“It was a mutual decision.” Jungkook leans forward and rubs his hands together. “Things just didn’t feel right anymore.”

It’s hard for Taehyung to understand that. “What does right even mean?”

“I don’t know. I guess it’s when you know the other person showed up in your life to stay.”

“But Namjoon’s still there. In your life.”

Jungkook’s gaze flicks to meet Taehyung’s, sliding to his lips. “Not in a way that matters.”

Taehyung swerves his head to the buildings ahead, avoiding whatever has formed between him and Jungkook after touching on this topic. It makes his hands shake a little, wondering about what Jungkook means. Taehyung wants to look back at him, dwell further on this, see how far it could go. But he prefers to ignore it for now.

Once the moment passes, and the conversation strays, Taehyung notices Jungkook has been answering all of his questions without getting annoyed. Not once.

Monday comes, and Taehyung is busy. Really busy. But he texts with Jungkook all day, talking about everything.

He goes to bed that night with an unfamiliar feeling in his chest. Something he’s never felt before.

Hope.

On Tuesday, Tzuyu is back with their father.

They are preparing dinner when Taehyung’s phone vibrates on the kitchen table, next to the deck of cards.

Taehyung feels a big fat butterfly flapping inside his chest. He’s been feeling it for a while now, yet it’s still weird and new.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Tzuyu stopped cutting vegetables to look at her brother, a hand on her hip. “Are you talking to someone?”

“A friend.” Though the word leaves a bitter taste in Taehyung’s mouth. He doesn’t want to have Jungkook as a friend, he wants more. But for that to happen, he has to take the next step. “I was thinking of inviting him over. Can I?”

“Yeah,” his father says, putting away the cards. Tzuyu raises her eyebrows and gets back to cooking.

Thirty minutes later, Jungkook walks through the front door. He’s not wearing his neon workout clothes but brown pants instead with what looks like an expensive floral shirt.

“Thank you for the invitation.” He smiles at Taehyung while holding out a paper bag of food. “I made a healthy brownie this morning.”

Taehyung bites his bottom lip, breaking eye contact. Jungkook’s presence today feels heavier than other days, like the universe knows what’s coming. Taehyung just wishes he can do this right.

“What do you do for a living, Jungkook?” Tzuyu asks him when they are finally sitting at the table.

“I’m a Personal Trainer, and I have a moving truck. It’s not an official business, but”—he glances at Taehyung—“it helps me with the bills and meeting interesting people.”

“So you were the one who drove my brother to our uncle’s place?”

“Yeah, I did.” His body slouches a little, his gaze avoiding Taehyung. A grin is on his face, though—loud and clear. 

Taehyung wants to kiss him.

“So how does this work?”

Jungkook has his hands over the board game Taehyung’s father wanted to play. The old man got excited about having two extra people available. 

“It’s called The Game of Life.” Tzuyu smiles. “You start with one person, then you have to get a job, get married, have kids, buy a house. It’s fun because you can do all of that here instead of in real life.”

“You’re married, you want to buy a house soon, and you’re a mother to a three-year-old,” Taehyung tells his sister.

She rolls her eyes as their father groans.

“Let’s just play,” he says.

“Yeah, Tae. Shut up and give me the blue little people to put in my white little car.”

“I want a pink one.” Jungkook looks at Taehyung with smiling eyes.

Taehyung definitely wants to kiss him.

“Second time in your room.” With his hands in his pockets, Jungkook walks over to Tenyung’s bed. “Your childhood room.”

All the trophies Taehyung has ever won are there, along with pictures of him and his classmates he never saw again.

Curiosity sparks in Jungkook’s face. “Where did you live before moving back here?”

“Two hours away. Alone in a studio.”

“Did you like it?”

“It was fine. Work was good, too. I did miss this house and the people in it.”

“A place for yourself.”

Taehyung nods.

“Did you ever show it to your dates?”

“I don’t know what idea you have about me in your head”—Taehyung crosses his arms in front of his stomach—“but I've never been good at dating.”

Jungkook rests back on the bed, a hand behind his nape against the wall. “Why’s that?”

“I’m weird.”

“No. You’re not.”

“Maybe you’re weird too, and that’s why you don’t see it.”

“Maybe.” Jungkook smiles. “Come here.”

It takes Taehyung three steps for his knees to meet his bed covers. Jungkook stretches out an arm, fingers closing and releasing, gesturing for Taehyung to get closer in a cute way.

“Remember what I told you when I helped you get home the other night?”

Taehyung feels Jungkook’s hand grabbing the hem of his shirt. He nods. “You said you wanted to kiss me.”

Jungkook licks his lips, lets go of the fabric, and scoots to the side to leave an empty space on the mattress. “I don’t wanna pressure you,” he says as he pats the covers. Taehyung sits, then rests his back on a pillow. His feet almost reach the end of the bed. “But can you feel what I’m feeling? Whenever we’re near?”

Yes, Taehyung can. He feels it, too. Even when they’re apart, each in their own space. He likes it. “I’ve never had it with someone.”

“Me neither.” Their faces are close. Jungkook is resting on his side now, hands under his left cheek as he stares at Taehyung. His words seem to bear the weight of all the things he’s been keeping to himself.

“Not even with Namjoon?” Taehyung asks.

Jungkook shakes his head no. “And I’m not sure what it means.”

A sweeping silence takes over before Taehyung speaks. “I don’t know, but—” His heart speeds up. It sends chills all the way down to his toes. He swallows and looks at Jungkook and waits before adding, “I’d like to find out.”

The smile stretching Jungkook’s lips slowly fades. His eyes wander over Taehyung, taking him in. Taehyung does the same, and he finds every corner of his face breathtaking. He knows he can’t wait anymore. There’ve been too many opportunities to discover how Jungkook’s mouth feels, and he has let them all slip away.

He needs to know now.

It happens fast, or at least that’s how Taehyung grasps it. The way he lifts to rest on his elbow and loom over Jungkook, his eyes settling on his lips. They are rosy, and they part, and Taehyung moves closer. He is not nervous now. His heart pounds at a normal rate because this is not a stranger. 

This is Jungkook.

Jungkook, who closes his eyes before pressing his mouth on Taehyung’s. Gentle. Like when he smiled at him for the first time, the way he looked at him and helped him after Kwon’s party, how he offered him the tea he bought, the way he invited him to play football with his friends, how he told him he liked him. Everything Jungkook does, he does it gently.

They kiss for a long time. Taehyung can’t get enough. 

And when the last kiss falls from Jungkook’s tongue followed by the words I want you, something takes over Taehyung. He’s quick to slide down a hand under Jungkook’s pants to his crotch. Jungkook gasps and nods, and Taehyung wants to be smooth, so he spits on his fingers to start again. And he asks for the lube in his drawer to make it better. He wants to be gentle, too. He wants to give Jungkook back what he’s been giving away so freely.

He jerks him off as he presses his forehead against his temple, as he kisses the mole on his neck and grinds his hips against his thigh. 

Taehyung feels like coming first. 

He is turned on and way too sensitive, and it’s easy to let go. So he does. He picks up the pace and lets go, and when Jungkook comes a few seconds later, Taehyung can hear his name dripping out of his lips—raw and broken.

It’s beautiful.

It’s haunting.

Taehyung touches himself the next morning, before leaving for work. He touches himself thinking of Jungkook, of how he felt under his skin. The memory is fresh, better than a dream.

He’s starting to like him a lot.

Hoseok sends Taehyung a voice note on Wednesday.

“Hey, buddy. I’m letting you know that Kwon still has that offer he shared with you once. Remember? That job you said was, like, a huge opportunity? Well, he asked me why you haven’t applied for it yet. You have until Monday. Try it out.”

Taehyung has been postponing it for weeks, ever since Kwon told him about it. The guy even reminded him at his party the other night, but Taehyung forgot. 

Actually, he ignored it.

The application papers have been collecting dust on his shelf because the job is far away from here. How can he leave his father alone? How can he ask his sister to move in when her life is somewhere else? He can’t ask his father to go live with Tzuyu either. He knows how much he loves this place.

All of the options feel wrong. That’s why he hasn’t told anyone, including Jungkook.

He won’t.

Despite all the things clouding his mind, something nags at Taehyung during lunch time.

He searches for the job offer, and the more he reads, the more his chest seems to light up at the idea. The description is everything Taehyung has ever wanted, and he has all the skills the company is looking for.

He doesn’t know what to do.

“I say you do it.” Hoseok is fixing his bicycle in his front yard, sharing a beer with Taehyung who went straight to his friend’s house after work.

“I don’t know.” Taehyung sits in a wooden chair, still in his suit, looking at the tools over the grass. “First, I have to see if it’s plausible.”

“Hey,” someone says from his right. Jungkook is getting off his truck, walking over to them, dressed in black workout clothes. “I got your text. Picked up some juice on the way.”

Taehyung glances at Hoseok and then at the floor. “Thanks.” He takes the dark purple bottle while Jungkook takes a seat beside him.

“What have you been up to?”

Hoseok shrugs. “We’re talking about a job offer Taehyung got.”

Jungkook’s eyes grow bigger. “For real?”

“Yes,” Taehyung says, as he glares at Hoseok. He wanted to be the one telling Jungkook about it. “But it isn’t certain.”

“What’s it about?”

Taehyung leaves the juice between his feet. “Kwon’s cousin works at a marketing company.”

“That’s great.” Jungkook nods before drinking from his water bottle. “Kwon seems like a nice guy.”

“The thing is,” Hoseok says, “Taehyung would have to move out. It’s not local.”

“You mean”—Jungkook glances between them—“that it’s an international job?”

Taehyung scratches his neck. “I have to get a visa, though it won't be difficult with a job offer.”

The only noise around them is the one Hoseok is making with his bike. 

Jungkook is lost in his thoughts, tearing the paper from his bottle. “I think it’s great,” he says, before looking at Taehyung. “I’m so proud, and I’ve only known you for a week.”

That heats up Taehyung’s chest.

“He’s right, Tae.” Hoseok stops to focus on his friend. “It’s a great opportunity.”

“Thank you, but I'm not sure yet.”

Jungkook’s fingers brush his hand. “Whatever you need, I’ll help you.”

They lock eyes. Taehyung is thankful, he is. But he can’t lie. He would’ve loved to hear something different coming out of Jungkook’s mouth.

Kwon answers the phone before the second beep. Taehyung decided to call him after Jungkook’s insistence.

The guy is easy going and kind. He gives Taehyung some tips for the online interview and hypes him up. Taehyung wonders why he never tried to get closer to him. He’s Hoseok’s friend, older than them, but after a thirty-minute conversation, Taehyung thinks Kwon could be his friend too.

That afternoon, Jungkook is waiting outside of Taehyung’s house in his pink truck.

“Wanna help you with the application,” he says, after getting inside and kissing Taehyung twice. “It’s not gonna get filled in on its own and you know it. I made more of my brownies to help us.”

“Okay.” Taehyung kisses him back. He wants to slide both arms around his shoulders but chooses to stroke his hair near his right ear instead. “Or we could do it later. Maybe go out on that date you mentioned.”

Jungkook’s eyes light up. “I’d like that. Tomorrow sounds good. Today, let’s work on that job thing. Don’t want you to miss this chance.”

Taehyung doesn’t know how to tell Jungkook that his real chance is right here with him and he’s not sure how to take it.

“Sorry, sorry.” Jin, Jungkook’s roommate, comes into the apartment. “I’ll be here for just a second to get some stuff.”

Jungkook watches his friend get into his room and then faces Taehyung. “Are you okay?” he asks, brushing Taehyung’s wrist.

They’ve been in the living room watching Netflix for the past hour, but Taehyung hasn’t been able to concentrate. He can’t stop thinking about the application and how it’s all set thanks to his friends and Jungkook.

“Can I ask you something?”

Jungkook grabs the remote and pauses the screen. Turning to the side, he sits over one leg on the couch and rests his arm on the back pillows. “Yeah, definitely.”

“What I like about what we have is that we’re honest with each other.”

Jungkook smiles. “I know.”

Murphy jumps on Taehyung’s lap, startling him. “Jesus.” Jungkook laughs and makes cute noises to his cat. Taehyung’s chest warms up. “I want you to be honest with me.”

“Okay.” Jungkook plays with Murphy’s hair and nestles him between his arms. Taehyung likes how they look. He could get used to it.

The idea of leaving for a job now sounds depressing.

“Did you get hurt when Hoseok told you about the offer?”

Jungkook pulls a face. “No, not at all. I got a little sad because, well—” Murphy’s ears twitch and Jungkook scratches them. “I’m gonna miss you. But I’m happy for you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure.” Jungkook’s eyebrows are pinched together. “Why?”

Taehyung’s stomach churns. “No reason. I wanted to see if things were okay.”

“They are.” Jungkook leans in and kisses Taehyung on the lips. “More than okay.”

But things, in Taehyung’s head, don’t seem to be that okay. Something is bothering him, and he doesn’t know what. Maybe when he speaks to his sister and his father, the feeling will go away.

It’s between meetings that Tzuyu calls Taehyung.

“I cannot believe you didn’t tell me sooner!” Her voice is filled with excitement. She must have read Taehyung’s texts. “You and Jungkook? He’s such a sweetheart.”

“Don’t get too happy.” Taehyung puts the phone on his other ear and plays with his calendar on his desk. “I’m applying for a job I really like. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.” 

“Okay. But I don’t see how that relates to your relationship with Jungkook.”

“I’ll have to move out of the country if I get chosen.”

Silence beats at the other end of the call. Tzuyu seems to be thinking. “What about Dad?”

“That’s what I’m worried about. And I don’t want to get my hopes up because I understand it’s an issue.”

“But do you want this job?”

Taehyung opens his mouth and closes it. He bites his bottom lip, his other hand brushing the keyboard. “I don’t know. The thing with Dad and the house—”

“Stop.” Tzuyu breathes out. “Those things can be arranged. I’ve been thinking of bringing him here so he can live with us. You’ve done so much for our family, Tae. It’s my turn now.”

“But I’m sure he won’t be willing to leave.”

“That’s where I come in. If you want this job, then I can talk to him. He has to understand.” Tzuyu seems to be smiling. “Mom would’ve been so happy for you.”

Taehyung blinks fast at his mother’s mention, rubbing at his nose before shaking his head. “I’ll talk to him.”

“We’ll do it together.”

There’s a new voice message on Taehyung’s phone.

“Hey, my cousin’s boss will be calling everyone who applied. Turn on your notifications. And good luck.”

Stomach dropping, Taehyung does as Kwon says.

He hates waiting, but he waits.

The Rover is busy tonight.

Jimin is laughing with Hoseok while Jungkook chats with Yoongi, one arm around Taehyung’s shoulders. The music is loud, and people are dancing a few tables away. Taehyung is tapping his fingers near a wet spot where Hoseok dropped a bit of his vodka. He’s looking straight ahead, not noticing the frown on his forehead until Jungkook points it out.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look so fine,” Yoongi says, gesturing with his chin. “You were praised during the interview and got a second one. Why aren’t you happy?”

“I am.” Taehyung savors the lie in his tongue. He swallows.

“Would you help me out with something?” Jungkook takes his hand and motions to the hallway leading to the bathrooms.

A low whistle slips through Hoseok’s teeth. “Don’t be that obvious.”

Jungkook snorts.

“You just lied,” he tells Taehyung while leaning against a wall. “You’re not happy.”

“I really am.”

“Then, what’s with the long face?”

Eyes scanning the narrow place, Taehyung whispers, “I don’t know what we’re celebrating today. I got a second interview, yeah, but I’m still not in. And I haven’t talked to my dad yet. Things could go very wrong.”

Jungkook frees himself from the wall and cups Taehyung's face, thumbs soothing his cheeks. “We’re celebrating our friends and the opportunities that life gives us. And you.” His eyes wrinkle at the edges as a gentle smile pulls at his lips. “I love you.”

It barely registers in Taehyung’s ears. His breathing hitches, followed by a sinking feeling in his stomach that scares the shit out of him. He still gets closer, grips Jungkook’s nape to brush their mouths in a kiss. 

He doesn’t say it back, though.

He can’t.

The following afternoon, Taehyung’s father faints.

They are playing cards when he grabs his shirt over his chest and squeezes his eyes shut, gasping for air. The reason he doesn’t fall to the floor is only because Taehyung is there to catch him.

“Doctor said you’ll have to stay here for a few days.” Tzuyu is arranging her flowers, next to the ones Jungkook bought after arriving at the hospital this morning. Taehyung is sitting near the bed, with his nephew Hwan in his arms.

“It wasn’t a stroke,” the old man says. It sounds like a growl.

Tzuyu turns and rests her hands on the counter. “But it could’ve been.” She looks at Taehyung, then at her father. “I think you should come live with me.”

Hwan babbles incoherent sounds while Taehyung’s father stares at his daughter in silence.

“Tzu…” Taehyung says, not sure what he wants to do.

“No, Tae. It’s okay.” His sister nods her head as she looks at him before smiling. “Dad, it’s time. The house is old, and you can’t live there alone. You need someone to look after you every day.”

“Who says I’ll be alone? I have Taehyung.”

“Taehyung has his own life. He has dreams he wants to achieve. Travelling, maybe.” She keeps her eyes on her father. “We can put the house on sale, and you can come with me. I’ll take care of you. You’ll be able to watch Hwan grow.”

The old man turns his face to Taehyung. A frown creases his forehead like he’s angry, but his eyes are full of sadness. “Is that true?”

Taehyung gnaws at his lip, stroking his nephew’s soft hair.

“Is it true you want to travel?” his father asks again.

“I might’ve found a job.” Taehyung blinks. “I still have one interview left, but if I get in, I want to say yes.”

From the corner of his eye, he sees Tzuyu walking to the bed. “The house would be empty. I think the best option is to sell it.” She puts a hand on her father’s shoulder and strokes softly.

“But your mom—” Taehyung’s father brings a hand to his temple, gaze going distant. “I’m tired,” he says, voice hard, like the imaginary bricks that form the wall he puts between him and his kids sometimes. Taehyung always finds it hard to keep his distance. “I need to rest.”

Jungkook is drawing circles on Taehyung’s shoulder blades, kissing them over his shirt from time to time. They are resting on his bed, Murphy cuddling beside them.

“Everything will be alright,” he whispers. He starts drawing a sun with exaggerated long rays. The memory of him wearing his yellow clothes brings a smile to Taehyung's face. “Your dad will go live with your sister, and you’ll get the job.”

“What about you?”

It’s the first time they talk about Jungkook’s part in all this. Taehyung feels his insides twist.

Back to drawing circles, Jungkook sighs. “I don’t know.”

Taehyung doesn’t know either, but that answer makes his body tense. Jungkook has never told him he wants him to stay, and that breaks him a little.

“I just know,” Jungkook says, “that I’ll be missing you like hell.” 

Taehyung feels Jungkook’s mouth resting on his back, warmth spreading to his skin.

He’s the one sighing now. “Me too.”

“I’m sorry for not supporting your plan at first.”

Taehyung watches his father play with the white sheet, a tray with unfinished food on a rolling table near the bed. He looks better, though.

“I understand. It’s difficult to imagine leaving the house.”

“It is. We have many memories there.”

Sitting on a steel chair, Taehyung leans forward and locks his hands together. “I won’t do anything if you don’t want to go with Tzuyu.”

His father shakes his head. “No. You have to accept that job. Your sister’s right.”

Taehyung lowers his head, lips pressing into a grimace. “I might not even make it—”

“Then work harder,” his father says. He’s looking at him with his eyebrows touching. “Try and you’ll do good, you will get the job, and your mother and I will be proud.”

Something squeezes Taehyung’s chest. He nods once.

“We’re already proud of you.” His father grabs the edge of the table and brings it closer, fingers finding a sealed juice box. “That’s the truth.”

The second interview happens after lunch. 

Taehyung finds an empty office for it. He has to do some psychological tests and talk to the person who will be in his team. Results will be ready the next day, so they tell him to wait. He texts Jungkook and keeps working.

At 7 PM, he gets an email.

“You’re in,” Jungkook says, low at first. He stands behind Taehyung with his fingers gripping his shoulders. His voice is louder next. “You did it!”

Taehyung keeps reading his phone screen, not able to believe what’s happening. The notification came earlier than expected.

“You fucking did it.” Jungkook puts his chin on Taehyung’s shoulder and presses down. “I knew it.”

“Is this real? Does it say my name and the words ‘You’ve been selected’ next to it?”

“Yeah.” The chuckle that leaves Jungkook’s mouth sounds sweet. “That’s your name.”

Taehyung turns his head to smile at Jungkook. “I’m in.”

Jungkook grabs his chin and kisses his lips. “Gonna have to look for a place to live now and apply for that visa.”

That somehow makes Taehyung’s excitement freeze. He turns back to the screen and huffs out a breath. This is real. Life is changing for him.

Jungkook squeezes one of his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

He must have noticed something weird going on. Taehyung can feel it too, but he doesn’t know what it is.

“I’m not sure.”

Jungkook squats down next to him, a hand on Taehyung’s thigh, right above his knee. “Maybe you’re shocked. It happened pretty fast.”

“Everything has been fast.”

“What do you mean?”

Taehyung licks his bottom lip, breathing slowly. “Us.”

“Yeah.” Jungkook nods. “But I knew this was gonna be special the moment we met.”

Taehyung shakes his head, dropping his phone over the mattress. “Don’t say that.”

“Why not?” Jungkook asks through a snort. “I’m being honest.”

“Honesty hurts, too. You say I’m special and that you love me, but you want me to leave.” The words Taehyung hears coming out of him sound heavy. And Jungkook is already frowning, so he can’t take it back. 

“That’s not how it is.” Jungkook gets up, head tilting to the side.

“It’s okay.” Taehyung moves with the chair, looking at his feet. “I get it. You think you love me, but you don’t. It’s only been, what, two weeks?”

“Stop putting words in my mouth.” Jungkook grabs the armrests of the chair and spins Taehyung around until they’re facing each other. He rests his hands there, supporting his body while looking straight at him. “I know it hasn’t been long, but feelings are feelings, and they don’t know a thing about time.” He searches Taehyung’s face, jaw clenched. “If I tell you I love you, it’s because I do.”

“Then ask me to stay.” Taehyung’s voice is loud. He doesn’t recognize himself.

Jungkook lets go of the chair, his hands falling to his sides. He pokes the inside of his cheek with his tongue as he shakes his head. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

“This is about your life, Taehyung, your future. Opportunities like this don’t come twice.”

“People like you don't, either.”

Jungkook closes his eyes. He breathes in and out, then looks at Taehyung with tired lids. “I can’t ask you to choose me.”

“What if you choose me?” Taehyung lifts himself from the chair and walks over to Jungkook. He doesn’t touch him, but he stands there. Close. “Come with me.”

“I’ve thought about it.” Jungkook grabs Taehyung's arms, stroking them over his shirt down to his hands. He maps his pinky finger with his thumb. “But all of my clients are here.”

“You can start from scratch. We’ll do it together.”

“You just secured a job, Tae. You’ll be working all day while I’ll have to look for something, and that shit isn’t easy.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t go,” Taehyung says, second thoughts crowding in. “You’re here, my dad’s getting old, my sister has a baby. It’s all too much.”

“Hey, no, it’s not. Your family will be okay. And we can still have something. We can give it a try.”

“It won’t work.” Taehyung groans, turning around before facing Jungkook again. “This can also be an opportunity for you. Why are you so afraid?”

Hurt flashes in Jungkook’s eyes. “I am afraid, yeah. I’m fucking scared to lose you. But I have to think about myself, too. My career is here, my friends are here, my family is here. I can’t leave everything behind. Not before thinking this through. But that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna be with you. I still want to support you, be present in every step of your journey until you can find your way. Don’t you want that? Your dad, your sister, Hoseok— we all support you.” Jungkook reaches for Taehyung’s fingers, intertwines them with his. “There’s nothing holding you back now. Why are you looking for excuses?”

Taehyung shivers, untangling his hands from Jungkook’s. He walks backwards until his shoulder blades hit the wall.

“You’re not an excuse.”

Taehyung stops talking to Jungkook. He knows it’s for the best. 

A relationship is not what he needs right now, knowing he’s going away soon. Knowing that the other person won’t put what they have first.

In the meantime, he prepares for the visa with Kwon’s help. The guy has done it before and knows all the things that the embassy needs. 

Taehyung is quick to offer him a drink to thank him when things get settled.

The garage is not big, but it is spacious enough to hold all of his family’s memories.

“Can you call your friend?” his father asks, sitting on a chair in his pajamas against Taehyung’s orders. “You will need to take some stuff to Tzuyu’s house.”

Taehyung makes vague noises while carrying a tower of old books. “I don’t think he’s free. I’ll just rent a van.”

“Weird that he hasn’t come.” His father touches a cardboard box next to him and peeks inside. “I thought he liked the board game we showed him.”

“Don’t worry, Dad. He’s busy.”

The man growls. “You should ask for his help, anyway. You can’t do this alone.”

“Hoseok and a friend will be here soon,” Taehyung says just as some books fall onto the floor. He huffs out a breath as he squats down to get them, a small part of him wishing Jungkook was the one coming here instead.

When he’s searching for flight deals online, an ad pops up. It’s a car rental company, almost as if someone had been listening to the conversation he had with his father.

He remembers Jungkook’s truck and the little figurine over the dashboard. The funny gnome.

Out of curiosity, Taehyung opens a blank tab and looks for gnome figurines in his area like last time.

Amazon links show up first, full of pictures and reviews. He spends all his afternoon looking at them instead of booking his airplane ticket.

“I don’t like the way you look.”

Tzuyu came for the weekend with Hwan to help around the house, and has been glancing worriedly at Taehyung all morning.

“It’s rude to comment on people’s appearance.”

“But have you used a mirror?”

Taehyung shows a flat face. “Every single time I go to the bathroom.”

A sigh leaves Tzuyu in a short yet deep way. “You would tell me if there’s something wrong, right? If you need to talk?”

Taehyung stops checking his mother’s decorations from the 70’s to rest his palms against a counter and stare at his sister. She has her brown hair tucked in a bun, her bottom lip pouting, sad eyes a copy of her father’s.

“Is it about Jungkook?” she asks. “I haven’t heard from him in a while.”

Silence seems enough as a reply, so Taehyung goes back to handling the boxes.

“Tae—”

“We’re not together anymore.” But that doesn't seem right. Were they even together in the first place?

“What the hell happened?”

With a shrug, Taehyung says, “I’m leaving,” as if that explained things. But hearing it out loud makes it sound absurd.

“Long-distance relationships exist, you know.”

“It’s not the same.”

“You wanted him to go with you?” After a beat, Tzuyu breathes out. “Taehyung…”

“I’m okay.”

“What did he say?”

“He has his life here, and that’s understandable.”

“Yeah, it is. And you can’t force him to choose.” Taehyung nods at his sister. She gives him a half-smile, gaze filled with compassion. “Maybe it’s for the best.”

But, to Taehyung, the best doesn’t seem good enough if Jungkook’s not part of it.

The day the embassy approves Taehyung’s visa arrives. It took them less time than what he’d expected, probably because of the job offer.

After sending Kwon a message, they agree to hang out. 

Kwon wants to pick the place, and when Taehyung receives the address on his phone and looks it up online, he realizes what a bad idea it was letting him choose.

“Are you looking for someone?”

Kwon’s gaze is fixed on Taehyung, his back facing the people inside The Rover tonight. Neither Jimin nor Yoongi are there. Not even Namjoon.

Taehyung lowers his head as his stomach clenches. “No, I just— I want to order more juice.”

“I’m sure where you’re going people prefer stronger things. Maybe you should try mine.” Kwon slides his glass of vodka over the table in Taehyung’s direction.

Taehyung shakes his head. “I’m okay.”

He wants to take back his words as soon as he catches spots of neon yellow in the corner of his eye. His heart feels like shrinking, definitely not okay. It’s Jungkook who walks through the room and sits in a booth, followed by his friends, dressed in the workout clothes he wore when he first met Taehyung.

Jimin is the one who sees him, his smile changing.

Taehyung doesn’t stare at first. He tries not to. But Jungkook is breathtaking, even when he’s sitting inside a bar with clothes that don’t match the aesthetics. Taehyung’s eyes are magnets, bouncing off him unceasingly. Until almost two hours later, Jungkook gets up and leaves.

Taehyung forces his eyes back to Kwon, his lungs getting tight, and asks him if he wants to split the bill.

He should rent a car, drive to Tzuyu’s place with all the boxes he’s stocked. There’s even stuff in the front yard that Taehyung has yet to deal with.

He’s in the middle of cleaning when Jungkook’s bright pink truck stops by the curb. The workout clothes are all white today, including his sneakers.

“Hey.” Jungkook hops off, closing the driver’s side door and jogging to where Taehyung is standing. “I came here to ask you something.”

His chest heaves, and he has to put his hands on his hips to rest for a second. Taehyung wonders if he just got out of work or if he had been running. He looks on edge.

“Okay,” Taehyung says, holding dusty photo albums in his hands.

Jungkook hesitates, opening his mouth to close it again. He snorts through a laugh. “Shit.”

“What’s going on?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you.”

Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot up. He’s not following. “About what?”

“Kwon.”

The way Jungkook says the name stirs something inside Taehyung. “What about him?”

“What about you two?” Jungkook opens his arms to the sides and lets them fall. “Be honest with me.”

He’s jealous. Taehyung can see it on his face, in every line of his expression. And instead of avoiding Taehyung, he came here to talk. He wants the truth. It makes him look ten times more handsome. 

“If I’m gonna be honest”—Taehyung glances down, his hands gripping the album cover—“I wouldn’t even bother talking about him.”

“What does that mean?”

“That there’s nothing to say.”

“But at the bar—” Jungkook frowns, thumb up in the air, pointing at the back. Understanding softens the wrinkles on his forehead. “So you’re not with him?”

Taehyung shakes his head and grins. This is absurd. A whole mess he wants to put an end to. “Sadly, Jungkook,” he says. He waits. “My heart’s still with you.”

Two cups of green tea rest on the kitchen table. Next to them, a small dish with ginger roots waits.

Jungkook is sitting with a hand over the plastic cloth, the other one on his thigh, a leg bouncing up and down. Taehyung licks his bottom lip and sinks his teeth into it.

“What are we doing?” Jungkook asks, voice dipping lower.

Taehyung is as lost as him, but having Jungkook in his house again, stealing all the attention in the room, it’s exactly the assurance Taehyung needed. “We’re drinking tea.”

Jungkook glances down and snorts. His leg bounces harder.

“And talking,” Taehyung adds.

Inhaling loudly, Jungkook bows his head. “Sharing the space.”

Taehyung’s chest grows at a slow rate, lips relaxed, mouth opening. He looks at Jungkook’s hand on the table and stills. Little details like brown moles—he’d missed them a lot. He slides his fingers over the table until the tips kiss Jungkook’s skin.

“And touching,” he whispers.

When their eyes find each other, Jungkook’s leg stops. He looks at where their hands meet and starts caressing Taehyung’s pinky finger with his thumb. He takes his time. Taehyung feels the warmth reaching his heart, which beats as loud as the leak in the worn faucet over the sink.

Jungkook straightens himself, chest out. Then he gets closer. Close enough to reach for Taehyung’s cheek if he wanted to. Instead, his hand finds Taehyung’s leg and squeezes gently. “And?”

Taehyung swallows. He’s able to smell Jungkook, the scent of a sunny morning taking him back to the day he met him. “And?”

“What else?”

A sudden urge to grab him by the neck and press their lips together takes over. It’s so strong, Taehyung’s the one bouncing his leg now.

With his hand on top of Taehyung’s jeans, Jungkook smiles. It slowly spreads to his eyes.

Somehow, it’s easy for Taehyung to realize he wants his life to always look like this, at least until the day he boards the plane. It’s just fear that's been holding him back.

He smiles as he says, “Whatever you want.”

Once they set foot inside Taehyung's room, they kiss. It’s kind of hurried and all over the place, but control is not what they’re looking for. 

Desperate, Taehyung puts his hands under Jungkook’s shirt, trying to find something to hold on while he feels like falling. 

He’s met with perfect inches of skin that would take him years to discover. He doesn’t want to miss that.

“What happened?” Jungkook asks between the soft noises their lips make when they touch. “Are you okay?”

At this point, Taehyung is trying to calm himself. His nods are eager. He is okay. He is more than okay.

Is this how love feels like? 

“I want to be with you always.”

“But your trip—” In the glow of the sunset that bursts through the window, Jungkook looks confused. “The new job.”

“I want to be with you always, no matter the distance,” Taehyung says, making it clear. “I want this to work out, even if we live in different countries. I want it all. I need it.” He can hear how selfish he sounds.

“That’s okay.” Jungkook’s words are soft against Taehyung’s mouth. He kisses him again. “I wanna give you all, no matter where you are.”

Taehyung smiles and enjoys it, the way his cheeks puff out. His teeth must be showing, but he likes it. He even feels his eyes sparkling.

“I’ll gladly take it.”

Surrounded by everything Taehyung grew up with in his childhood bedroom, which he’s now ready to say goodbye to and let all the new in, they kiss, touch, breathe in each other’s skin and names and dreams of a life together. 

They make love for the first time.

And Taehyung knows he’s fallen in too deep when he realizes that sharing his bed with Jungkook is all he ever wanted.

The next morning, after making Taehyung and his father tofu scramble for breakfast, and eating together at the kitchen table, Jungkook helps him buy the airplane ticket.

Pink picks Taehyung up at 11 AM on a Sunday to finally go out on a date.

“She’s looking prettier than usual,” he says.

“I gave her a bath.” Jungkook eyes him subtly, hands on the wheel. “After dinner, with jasmine candles and all that stuff.”

“Jasmine?”

“Her favorites.”

Taehyung snorts. “Where can I get those kinds of baths?”

“Don’t worry,” Jungkook says, with a hint of teasing. “I’ll give you one.”

He rests a hand on Taehyung’s thigh, in a place no other person has touched Taehyung before, and leaves it there for the rest of the ride.

“You know about Namjoon and me. You even met him.” Jungkook eats his salad in the same restaurant they visited on their way back from Taehyung’s uncle’s place months ago. “But I don’t know anything about your previous partners.”

Taehyung shrugs. “I don’t have any.”

“You’ve never been in love?” Jungkook asks, blinking at him.

“I think I loved a boy once when I was ten. A girl when I was twenty.” He eats and swallows. “But we were never a thing.”

Jungkook bobs his head up and down. “Now you’re twenty-nine.”

“Yup. Almost thirty.”

“It seems that every ten years…” Jungkook trails off.

“I fall in love.” Amused by the way Jungkook is staring at him, Taehyung half-smiles.

“Who do you think you’ll fall for ten years from now?”

The question stuns Taehyung for a second, though the answer is already in his head. He drinks from his glass, taking his time, unable to resist a full-grin. He doesn’t want to think about it too much. In one slow movement, he squeezes his body against Jungkook and rests his chin on his shoulder. He looks at him, Jungkook’s cheeks turning rosy pink as Taehyung says, “I hope it’ll still be you.”

There’s a river Jungkook found online where he takes Taehyung. Where the water sparks under the sunlight and the green of the grass is almost as bright as the clothes Jungkook owns.

“This is beautiful,” Taehyung says, breathing loudly through his nose.

Jungkook looks at him with one eye closed and a grin on his face. The sun beats down on his skin, turning it golden. “Can’t believe we had sex before even going out on a date.”

Taehyung knows Jungkook is sometimes random with his thoughts he likes to share aloud, so he just hums. “It’s no big deal.”

Jungkook leans back on his arms, neck arched. “Though I do count that football match as a date, by the way.”

“No. That was far from it.”

“Why? I picked you up, bought you some food, smiled at you a lot.”

Taehyung pushes his tongue against the corner of his mouth, thinking. “If you put it like that—”

“The only thing missing was a kiss, but there are people who don’t even kiss on their first date.”

“Oh, I definitely kiss.”

Surprise flashes in Jungkook's face. “I thought you said you weren't good at these things.”

Taehyung stares at him with a blank expression. “Is this our first date or not?”

“It is.”

“Then”—Taehyung leans back on the grass, feeling it sticking to his skin through his clothes—“come here and kiss me.”

When he shuts his eyes, he can hear the way Jungkook laughs as he gets closer.

“Thank you for today. It was nice.” Jungkook kills the engine outside of Taehyung’s front yard, the sun hanging low behind orange hues in the sky.

“Nice?”

“Yeah.”

With an eyebrow raised, Taehyung asks, “What happened that this review didn’t reach the level of great?”

Jungkook’s lips are pursed as his eyes look up and down and then at Taehyung. “You implied that you loved me, but didn’t exactly say that you loved me.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”

Taehyung’s gaze flickers around the place. “I did tell you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I’ve never told you I love you?”

Jungkook shakes his head.

“I’m sorry. I do.” The tone of Taehyung’s voice is soft. “I love you.”

“Now it feels like you’re saying it because you pity me.”

Taehyung lets out a groan. “I don’t pity you, I love you.” He laughs. “Now I can’t stop saying it.”

“Are you being honest?” Jungkook asks with an eyebrow raised.

“I am honest. You know that.”

A sly smirk graces Jungkook’s lips. “But not when you’re nervous.”

“I’m not nervous.”

“So, you’re telling me you love me without being nervous right now?”

Turning to the side to face Jungkook, Taehyung frowns. “Yes. I love you and I’m far from nervous.” He grips the wheel and scoots closer. “Not only today. This is how you make me feel—calm whenever I’m with you.”

Jungkook smiles. It shines like all of the smiles he wears when he’s with Taehyung. It’s familiar yet rare.

And just like he’s been sneaking through Taehyung’s cracks, Jungkook slides an arm around his shoulders and hides his face in the crook of his neck. Taehyung buries his nose in the scent of Jungkook’s skin. It smells as if flowers bloom there.

“You’re my favorite person,” Jungkook says. Taehyung stops breathing for a deep second. “Just wanted you to know that.”

Jungkook takes a day off to help Taehyung with boxes and his father’s stuff and drive them to Tzuyu’s place. She invited them all for lunch, said she cooked everything with Jungkook’s recipes and was excited to see them.

Three days until Taehyung has to board his plane, and he is already feeling nostalgic. His father has been emotional all week, trudging around the house and backyard, and remembering all the things he used to do with his wife. He even cried near the kitchen sink, with Taehyung in the hallway, leaning on the wall and waiting for his father to calm down so he could go inside and ask him if he wanted to play some cards.

In the end, Tzuyu and Taehyung decided not to sell the house immediately and maybe rent it. But first things first, Taehyung’s father needs to go stay with her now that Taehyung is leaving.

“Son, did you bring the board game?”

“Yes.” Taehyung gets inside the truck. “Like I mentioned. It’s in the white bag.”

Jungkook has his phone in his hands, Spotify open. “What type of music would you like to listen to, Mr. Kim?”

Taehyung’s father groans, sitting between his son and Jungkook.

“Put Marvin Gaye,” Taehyung says. “He loves him.”

The old man groans again, though this time is soft.

Jungkook grins, taps his phone screen a few times and places it over the dashboard next to the gnome. “This is my favorite.”

As the car roars and starts moving, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough pours from the speakers. Taehyung looks at Jungkook, who glances his way. They both smile.

Taehyung’s father starts snoring half a minute after the song ends.

The two of them are back at Taehyung’s house by 8 PM.

“Wanna come in?”

Jungkook hesitates. “I actually wanted to invite you to my place.”

Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot up.

It takes them twenty minutes to get there and three long kisses to reach Jungkook’s apartment using the elevator.

Once inside, Taehyung sees a faint light coming from down the hall. 

“Is Jin here?”

“He told me he left.”

Taehyung walks to the light coming from inside the bathroom. He pushes the door open with a hand, eyes narrowing, then notices a heady sweet scent. 

“You didn’t,” he says, barely above a whisper. The counters are filled with jasmine candles, and there are two towels resting on a shelf.

“I did.” Jungkook’s footsteps get closer, and not a moment later, Taehyung feels hands brushing his nape. Warm lips touch him there. “Jin helped me.”

“Thank him for me later.” Taehyung is smiling when he turns around, grabbing Jungkook by the collar of his jersey and kissing him.

“I’ll have one week free by the end of October.” Jungkook bends his neck to the side to let Taehyung rub the bar of soap against his skin. “I can add some extra days I won after covering for a guy at the gym and go see you.”

Taehyung stops what he’s doing to look at him.

“Would that be okay?” Jungkook asks, turning his face to the side.

Taehyung nods, biting his lip. He’s back to trailing his fingers with soap over Jungkook, massaging his shoulder blades and then reaching over the curve of his ass. “Yeah. That’d be great.”

Jungkook presses his body against Taehyung’s, trapping his hands between them and making him laugh. “You missed a spot.”

“Yeah?” Taehyung drums his fingers over one ass cheek. “There?” 

Jungkook shakes his head. He reaches behind his back, and when he meets Taehyung’s warm, wet hand, he holds it and puts it between his legs.

Taehyung huffs out a breath. “There?”

His palm starts stroking Jungkook before Jungkook can nod his head and drop it on Taehyung’s shoulder.

Hoseok and Jungkook organize a surprise farewell party for Taehyung at The Rover the night before his flight. Jimin, Yoongi, Jin, and Kwon are there. They all have a good time and make a promise to go visit Taehyung as soon as they can.

Even Namjoon joins them at some point, after Taehyung spots him at a nearby table and tells Jimin to invite him.

Jungkook never leaves Taehyung’s side, legs pressed together, a hand over his thigh. He rubs circles and hearts there until it’s late and they have to leave.

“I’ve never asked you before, but what exactly happened to your mom?”

Jungkook has an arm over Taehyung’s waist and his cheek against his chest. It’s late at night and they’re both laying on his mattress, unable to sleep.

“She had stomach cancer.”

Jungkook sighs. “That must’ve been hard.”

Looking at the back of Jungkook’s head in the dark, Taehyung nods. “She started to lose a lot of weight. And she would feel nauseous after every meal.” He breathes in through his nose until his lungs hurt. “We all thought she was having problems with some foods, maybe stress, but then she told us the truth.”

Silence dilates between them until Jungkook rises a little and turns to Taehyung. Even in the dark, his eyes are broad and bright. “You didn’t know?”

The pillow under Taehyung gives in as he shakes his head. “She lied about it.”

Jungkook shifts under the covers to rest on Taehyung’s chest, caressing his hip over his pajama pants. “Why?”

“I guess she didn’t want us to suffer.” Though they all did when they found out. Because by that time it was already too late. “But sometimes lying and being honest hurts just the same.”

For a moment, Jungkook stays quiet, gaze down. He’s absorbed in thought. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, finding Taehyung’s hand and holding it tight.

Taehyung closes his eyes, putting an arm over his face. “It’s okay.”

The sun is high in the sky the next morning, shining like everyone had prayed for it. It’s hot, but Taehyung has learned to like it.

He smiles at Jungkook, who’s behind the wheel. Taehyung wonders how the rays of sun will look on Jungkook’s skin where he’s going.

A traffic jam intercepts them. Thankfully, it doesn't take long. They reach the airport and unload Taehyung’s luggage with time to spare.

“Let’s not make this sad,” Jungkook says as they walk hand in hand inside the building. “No one will cry, you’ll have a great flight, and I’ll see you there in no time.”

Taehyung is trying hard not to ask Jungkook to run back home with him. He knows this is a good opportunity for his career—what he’s been waiting for since forever. He will take it, especially with Jungkook by his side.

“I got you something.” After skimming inside his bag, he takes out a little figurine. Jungkook’s eyes grow wide, warming Taehyung’s cheeks. “It reminded me of you.”

He hands Jungkook a gnome dressed in a yellow shirt and blue shorts with a ball on his knee.

Jungkook’s grin turns into a full smile. He laughs. “This is amazing.”

“It doesn’t shake, but you can still put it in your truck, to make the other one some company.”

“Totally.” Jungkook scrunches his nose before embracing Taehyung in a deep hug. His heart beats against Taehyung’s chest, his breathing slowing down. “Thank you,” he whispers.

Taehyung blinks fast to avoid shedding all the tears that want to get out and fills his lungs with air before saying, “You’re my favorite person, too.”

When they say goodbye through the glass walls, waving their hands and smiling the way they both learned these past few months, Jungkook is the one crying.

2 months later

“All is connected… no one thing can change by itself.”

—Paul Hawken 

(environmentalist, entrepreneur, 

author and activist)

The gnome Taehyung gave Jungkook:

The cards that started everything: