Friday, October 29th

2021

3:08 am

Jungkook was sitting awake on their shared bed, the only light coming from the digital clock on the bedside table. Taehyung was sleeping soundly next to him, while hugging a big white pillow to his chest, keeping it in place with his legs. Jungkook moved his hand to his hair, the red locks standing out even in the dark.

For the second time that week, Jungkook cried.

The first time was on Monday, when Taehyung called his parents to let them know what’s going on. It wasn’t pretty. They haven’t been properly in touch since he moved out, they had gotten into a fight (it’s not like they had a good relationship before that, but at least they talked every once in a while at dinner), and Taehyung’s parents told him things that no parent should ever say to their children, and that was when he decided to cut off all contact with them, except for the occasional money he sent for them. He’s always been more part of the Jeon family anyway.

When he told them, Taehyung’s mother cried. His father didn’t.

She made her son promise that he would come to Daegu as soon as possible, and Taehyung vowed to be home by the weekend.

Jungkook didn’t want him to leave. Taehyung asked him to come along, but Jungkook wasn’t stupid, he’s not going somewhere even Satan himself would be more welcome. Taehyung pouted.

And after the older had gone to sleep that night, Jungkook sneaked out of his embrace and put a pillow in his place, skipping to the bathroom, and he stood under the shower. His hair was still wet from washing it about an hour ago, and his cheeks were already wet from his tears.

That Monday was the day Jungkook truly realized how serious the situation was. He tried pretending things were okay but they weren’t, so he allowed himself to be sad, to cry, and to let everything out just for this one time, he told himself. He thought back to their first kiss seven years ago and their last one so far, about twenty minute ago. He only realized then that he was biting his lips so hard it drew blood, and he sighed.

He had to be strong for Taehyung.

(But, Taehyung wasn’t stupid. He knew the younger more than he knew himself and he knew that Jungkook was suffering just as much. He acted like he believed Jungkook was okay, though.)

 

The second time he cried was on Friday, when a loud thump startled him awake. He heard it from the streets, so he didn’t really care that much, but it was enough distraction that he couldn’t go back to sleep.

So, instead, he stared at his boyfriend.

He could sleep through World War III, so it was no surprise that he didn’t flinch one bit.

Beautiful, Jungkook thought. Absolutely stunning.

For others, Taehyung could have looked funny, maybe, his hair was messy and he was drooling all over the pillow, but for Jungkook, it was the most breathtaking sigh he’s ever seen. He felt tears gather at the back of his eyes.

I don’t want to lose you.

He got up from the bed and silently walked to the wardrobe at the other side of the room, and opened it. There were clothes scattered all over the place, not even one shirt on the hangers, and he laughed a little before pulling out a drawer.

There was nothing but a small, yellow envelope, the words bucket list written over it, along with plenty of hearts and smiling faces. So Taehyung-like.  

He opened it.

As always, he found the piece of paper with a numbered list, and an even smaller envelope, don’t open this!!! written with smudged red ink. It said don’t open, so Jungkook didn’t. As always. As much as he was dying to know what was inside, he never opened it, he respected privacy.

1. find a four leaf clover

It was crossed, done scribbled next to it. Jungkook thought back to how panicked Taehyung was the morning after their little trip to the park, because apparently they had forgotten Taehyung’s clover there. Jungkook reassured him that it wasn’t true, but it was, and he had to get up after four hours of sleep to find another leaf and try to do another clover and then slip back under the blanket. It took him ages, again. But when Taehyung woke up, he was content with it, and even if he did notice the difference, he didn’t say anything.

2. get a tattoo

This was always the one that made Jungkook smile the most, along with number eight.

It was already Friday, and Taehyung was leaving to Daegu for three days the next morning, so they had to complete it today. Jungkook had thought about it, they had an appointment at their friend’s tattoo parlor, everything was set. Jungkook will pick Taehyung up from work at five, and then by half past five they will be in Songpa.

Hoseok prided himself on being the best tattoo artist in all of Korea, and no one argued.

His works were more like paintings most of the time, but despite his success, he managed to stay humble, and was more like a friend to his customers.

Jungkook put the envelope back to the drawer, but not before quickly reading everything over. Some were easier to carry out than others, but he was determined to do it.

He sat back on the bed, facing Taehyung, who was now snoring. As usual.

Jungkook stared at him with nothing on his mind. He felt that tears were threatening to fall, and he cursed himself for breaking his own promise of not crying anymore. He was not some sort of crybaby, he muttered to himself.

Taehyung stirred in his sleep.

“Jungkookie…” he whispered and Jungkook’s heart was about to burst. “I love you,” he continued, and for a moment Jungkook wondered if Taehyung was awake, but he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t; in addition to his terrible snoring, he often talked in his sleep.

(Jungkook has no idea how he manages to sleep next to him every day.)

But that was also the moment that he said it, and started crying again, silencing his sobs with his palm against his lips. He didn’t try to calm down or stop, because the man he loves the most is resting in front of him, wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, and he wants to protect him at all costs, but he can’t and he feels guilty.

 

He stays awake until his alarm rings at 6 am sharp, just staring at the ceiling, and he feels his eyes sting from the tears and lack of sleep, he feels tired and just wants to die, but he takes a deep breath and rolls over to face Taehyung, who is mumbling something about murdering his boss so he doesn’t have to work. Not a very great plan.

“Want me to drive you to work?” Jungkook asks, restraining a smile.

Taehyung’s eyes snap open, looking at him like a guardian angel, then he grins and scoots closer to Jungkook.

“You’re my hero.”

“You bet.”

 

Taehyung’s day at work went absolute . Bad days at the office were rare, things usually went smooth, but today of all days, his boss decided to be an to all of her employees.

She was screaming all day about how “no one in this goddamn office knows how to do their work correctly,” and similar adorable things.

By five, Taehyung’s ear was ringing from all the shouting and he was sick and tired of everything and just wanted to get home, and he thought that the short walk home would definitely do him good but as soon as he stepped out to street, wrapping his thin scarf around his neck (it was cold, way too cold for autumn), he spotted a familiar black car across the street and he sighed.

His hero.

The moment he slammed the car door shut, he sighed and practically threw his coat and scarf on the backseat.

“Bad day?” Jungkook asked carefully, in a way of getting his feet wet.

“I need, like,” Taehyung threw his arms in the air. “A ten-hour hug. At least.”

Jungkook leaned over to plant a long kiss on his lips, Taehyung sighing in relief almost immediately.

“That ing witch,” Taehyung continued as they pulled away. “Was sitting in the kitchen all day and if someone left their room, I went for a glass of water, she would scream at whoever it was for ‘not doing their job’. I wanted to drink.” He leaned his temple against the window. “But,” he glanced at Jungkook with a wide, boxy grin and Jungkook just wanted to die. What a love-struck teenager, what the actual . “Now my day is better with you in it.”

“What’s with the cheesy ?” He laughed and started the car because they had somewhere to be.

“That hurt,” Taehyung placed both palms on his chest, over his heart, and faked pain.

“Sorry, babe,” Jungkook put his right hand on Taehyung’s inner thigh, and received a long exhale in return.

“Where are we going?”

“We,” Jungkook stopped mid-sentence when he took a sharp left turn, and in all honesty, Taehyung found it amusing. Well, at least he was paying attention to the road, which is always nice. “Are getting ourselves tattoos.”

“Why would we-oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“Did you arrange this?”

Jungkook smiled at him for a moment before his turned his attention back to driving.

“Are we going to Hoseok?”

A small nod.

“Are you serious?” Taehyung screamed and Jungkook got startled for a moment before grinning. He loved Taehyung and Hoseok’s friendship. They met in college a few years ago and developed a relationship so close it never failed to amuse Jungkook; even if they didn’t talk for a long amount of time they could always pick up where they left off.

“He told me absolutely nothing about this, I’ll beat his ,” the older declared. “I’ve been begging him for months to give me an appointment but he always refused saying he was too busy, and now you managed to get him to do a tattoo in like two days, tops.”

Jungkook stayed silent. Taehyung didn’t need to know that he told Hoseok a tad bit too much about his condition, at which Hoseok panicked and called at least three customers trying to find a new appointment for either of them.

It wasn’t an important detail, anyway.

They arrived at 5:36, and Hoseok was already waiting for them.

“Taehyung!” the tattoo artist yelled the moment they stepped into the parlor. Taehyung yelled back.

“Hoseok, oh my god! Haven’t seen in you in ages.”

They proceeded to hug and talk over each other, until Jungkook loudly cleared his throat.

“I’m happy that you’re happy for each other, but don’t we have something to do?”

They shot him an angry glance, but Hoseok nodded.

“Right. I’ll be back with a sample book in a minute.”

Taehyung spent almost seventeen minutes trying to find something, then on page ten million, he finally stopped.

“That one,” he pointed at a small paper plane.

“You sure?” Hoseok asked, and after Taehyung nodded, he guided them to a small room at the back of the building.

It wasn’t terribly equipped, a black leather sofa and some things Jungkook didn’t recognize but was sure that were going to touch Taehyung, and three chairs. One for Hoseok, two for any guests.

Taehyung was already lying on the sofa, body stretched entirely, feet hanging off a bit at the end. Jungkook realized for the nth time that he was a giant.

(But he was still smaller than him.)

“Have you decided about the location?”

“Sorry?”

“Like,” Hoseok looked up from the samples and pointed at Taehyung. He became so serious when it came to art and working, and it was a bit creepy, to be honest, how quick he could change personalities. But he always remained friendly.  “Where do you want the tattoo to be?”

Taehyung muttered a low ‘oh’, and glanced at Jungkook, who was standing by one of the plastic chairs. “What do you think?”

Jungkook shrugged. “It’s your decision, sunshine. But make sure it’s not too noticeable or else you’ll get in trouble at the office.”

“Can you,” the redhead propped himself up on one elbow to have a better view of Hoseok. “Do it behind my ear?”

A nod.

“Of course. Very popular choice, by the way.”

“Oh, is it?” Jungkook asked while sitting down, because his legs felt so tired already he thought they were going to give in. He had a long day at work too, but Taehyung was obviously more upset so he wasn’t complaining.

Hoseok hummed, and started disinfecting the needles.

Taehyung was ting himself. As much as he wanted a tattoo, he’d rather have jumped off a cliff at that moment; but, there’s no turning back now, as Jungkook always said. The younger had a habit of saying very dramatic phrases at ordinary situations, for example when they were making scrambled eggs for breakfast, and Jungkook looked up at him with serious eyes, and whispered ‘they know everything,’ and when Taehyung asked about it, Jungkook laughed and shrugged. It was weird, but he was used to it by now.

“So,” Hoseok started while putting on plastic gloves. “Are you ready?”

“No.”

A laugh from everyone except for Taehyung. He wasn’t enjoying feeling like dying.

“Good.”

“Can you hold my hand?” Taehyung asked Jungkook with huge puppy eyes. Like a six-year-old on his first day of school, except he was twenty-six.

“Sure.” Jungkook pulled his chair closer to Taehyung to reach out for his hand and intertwine their fingers, and he felt the older relax immediately, even if it was only slightly.

Taehyung didn’t want to seem like that customer so he didn’t ask whether it was going to hurt, and just kept silent through the preparation process. It was starting to get bad when Hoseok was actually about to touch him with the needle, and he moved further away with a nervous laugh.

“Are we doing it already?”

“Do you want it be done or not?” Hoseok’s voice was muffled because of the mask and it was hard to understand his words but Taehyung heard everything way too clearly.

“Sure, I was just not expecting to start this early.”

An eye roll. “Okay, now that you’re over this shock, let’s do this, I don’t have all day.”

Taehyung winced when the needle touched the sensitive skin behind his right ear, and he tightened his hold on Jungkook’s fingers, who massaged the back of his hand with his thumb.

The pain didn’t last long, it was over before Taehyung fully realized what was happening, and the only thing he noticed was a cotton pad cleaning off the blood and left-over ink.

“Are we done?” he asked with a hopeful smile, and Hoseok nodded. “Babe, I did it!” He turned his head to lean in for a celebratory kiss.

“I’m proud, sunshine.” He wasn’t sure if it was sarcasm in the younger’s voice, but he shrugged it off, he was too proud of himself. “Let’s get mine over with, too.”

Taehyung’s head shot up. “Are you doing one too?”

Jungkook stood up to sit on the sofa and smiled. “We’re getting couple tattoos, by the way.”

First, Taehyung felt stupid for choosing a design that Jungkook probably didn’t like, then he felt even more stupid for his whining when he saw how much better the other coped with the pain, and his cheeks flushed red. He didn’t ask for his hand to be held, but Taehyung did anyway.

“You’re good to go.” Hoseok threw the gloved in the trash and gestured for them to go back to the hall. He handed them some papers with instructions of how to care for their skin and their ink, and then basically threw them out with a grin, saying ‘I have to do, guys.’”

 

“Woah, you really got us couple tattoos.”

They were in the car eating disturbingly unhealthy Subway sandwiches, which they got before they headed home because Taehyung started screaming about needing carbs or else he’ll die, even though it was way too late for that, so Jungkook drove to the nearest Subway place just to shut him up. Taehyung thought about starting driving again so that he could control where they eat all the time. He did have a license, but he hated driving so he dismissed the idea. And watching Jungkook drive was hot as hell, and he’d rather look at this sight every day.

“I did,” the younger grinned. They loved Hoseok’s work, Taehyung was ranting about ‘how amazing he is’ for ten minutes.

“You have some lettuce in your teeth,” Taehyung giggled, but already knew the reaction he was going to get.

“Like I care,” Jungkook dramatically threw his hands to the air.

“Wow, I’m dating a pig.”

Jungkook wiped his mouth on his sleeve (Taehyung wanted to slap him), and wiggled his eyebrows. “A hot pig, excuse you.”

The redhead sighed, and leaned in for a kiss purely out of obligation.

“I can taste this hot pig’s disgusting sandwich on his lips and I want to vomit.”

“Take that back,” gasped the younger. He had this unhealthy obsession with meatball sandwiches topped with mustard, pickles and pepper jack cheese, a combination Taehyung couldn’t have thought of even if he tried, and he only tasted it once but had recurring nightmares about it.

“Whatever,” he stuck his tongue out, not expecting the other to move forward that quickly and bite on it, but he did, which resulted in Taehyung moving back and hitting his head on the window and Jungkook bursting out laughing so hard he almost spilled all of his coke on the car carpet.

“Not funny,” he crossed his arms.

“It is.” The younger was still laughing and Taehyung was starting to get worried if he’ll ever stop laughing and be in a condition where he’ll be able to drive home safely.

“I can be mad at you even though you accepted my ty paper plane tattoo and got one yourself,” he said. “Let’s just go.”

“Aww, small child’s mad?” Jungkook teased, and covered his head by instinct to protect himself from the inevitable slap Taehyung’s going to give him.

“Who did you call a small child?” he gasped, and threw their empty plastic bags on the backseat. “Respect me, I’m older!”

“Respect me, I’m older!” The younger mocked.

“You brat,” Taehyung threw himself on Jungkook and tried to hit him, but he indeed was smaller, even though he was almost six feet, but Jungkook had muscles that could be enough for at least three others, so he was quickly stopped and in a second, he was sitting in the younger’s lap, the steering wheel digging uncomfortably into his back.

“Well, hello there.” The eyebrows, again. There was no point in denying that Taehyung adored every inch of his boyfriend’s face, especially his eyebrows. Jungkook knew this and used it for his own benefit. Teasing Taehyung, for example.

He forgot how to breath for a moment.

“Are still mad at this brat?”

There were big, strong hands roaming all over his upper body. Screw being mad.

The parking lot they were in was a quite remote one with no cars except for theirs, and was he grateful. The sun set hours ago, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing them, anyway.

“Not sure. You gotta make up for it, you know.”

“Is that so?” Jungkook moved closer so that their foreheads were touching, and he slid his hands down to grab Taehyung’s . “And how?”

“For example,” the older started in a deep voice. “Not eating that sandwich could be a great start.”

“Any other ways to make up for making you mad, baby?”

The position they were in was uncomfortable, but neither of them cared.

Taehyung, without a word, grabbed Jungkook’s face with both hands and kissed him, and the younger groaned and squeezed his hips almost painfully hard.

“Let’s go home.”

 

“Did you pack everything?” Jungkook asked at approximately midnight, when Taehyung was getting ready to leave for Daegu the next day.

“Yes, Mom.”

He rolled his eyes.

 “Jungkook, are you sure you’re not coming?”

Said man looked up from where he was lying on the bed, eyelids heavy from the exhaustion.

“Positive,” he answered. “Not really a fan of having my existence criticized every second, whatever I do.”

“Sorry about that,” Taehyung finally succeeded in zipping his white suitcase, and climbed on the bed to lie down. “You know how ty my family is.” He put his arm on Jungkook’s stomach with a sigh. “I don’t even know why I’m actually going, to be honest, they wouldn’t care about me if it wasn’t for my money.”

Jungkook didn’t try to reassure him with empty words like ‘don’t worry, they love and care about you,’ because it was all lies, so he just hummed. He was there for him when Taehyung’s parents told him how worthless he was, and his mother screamed the words ‘I should’ve aborted you, like I planned to do’ at him. It was on the night they first met, both heartbroken and so young and naïve. He was there for him when his grandmother died and his father told him that it was what he deserved. He was there for him when suddenly the Kim family started caring about Taehyung after he got a well-paying job in Seoul and they said things like ‘If you care about your parents, you’ll help us in this financial situation.’ They never had issues with money, both parties were aware of that, but they manipulated Taehyung into thinking that they were sorry and they needed his help. (Jungkook knew that was bull, but Taehyung is too kind hearted.)

And when Taehyung decided to give them one more chance and introduce Jungkook to his parents, they insulted both of them in every way possible, and Jungkook developed a burning hatred for them, and he wasn’t hiding it. They got the typical monologue about how they’re going to hell, and Jungkook answering ‘with you here, I’m already in hell’ resulted in both of them getting kicked out, but he did see Taehyung trying to suppress his giggle though.

But, Taehyung remained stubborn about sending money, for some reason.

“When does your train leave?”

“5:50,” the older groaned. “I’m going to be dead by the morning.”

“Well,” Jungkook started teasing, enjoying the reaction. “You should’ve packed earlier; you could be sleeping right now.

Another groan and whimpering. “Don’t remind me.”

 

It took them another hour to get ready for bed, which included fifteen minutes of Taehyung begging Jungkook to drive him to the station, and he just gaped at him because he’s so not getting up at five in the morning just to get Taehyung to the station.

‘But I don’t want to take the bus!’

‘Well, you’re going to have to.’

‘Babe, no,’ Taehyung pouted and flooded him with kisses, which maybe did the trick, but he won’t admit it.

It was his heart of gold that wants to help others, not the fact that he can’t say no to Taehyung.

 

So when his alarm went off after way too little sleep, he groaned and vowed to kill Taehyung when he gets home from Daegu.

 

They were five minutes away from the station, when Taehyung gasped and screamed ‘My suitcase!’ because he left it at home, so Jungkook mentally counted to ten thousand, and turned the car around and rushed home and back, but they had twenty minutes until the train leaves, so this whole skit resulted in them getting a ticket for speeding, fantastic.

“Just a reminder, you didn’t forget our appointment with Dr. Lee on Wednesday right?” Jungkook asked after getting out of the car, while he was trying to somehow lift Taehyung’s suitcase out of the boot. “Why is this so heavy?” he muttered.

Taehyung stopped walking towards him, and leaned to the side of the car with a penitent smile. “Maybe I did?”

Jungkook smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“I’ll be back before you realize that I’m gone,” Taehyung whispered when he saw his train approaching. He had to let go of Jungkook, but he couldn’t help clinging to him like it was a matter of life and death.

Jungkook buried his face in the older’s hair to inhale his scent one last time, then let go and patted his playfully. “Now go.”

As soon as Taehyung stepped on the train, he felt that things are going to go very, very wrong. He knew it had something to do with Taehyung’s parents.

(Also known as the biggest s Jungkook’s ever seen.)