this chapter is kinda different, it's about how they got together 

enjoy;;♥

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Jungkook was seventeen. Well, almost.

Friday, May 2nd

2014

7.54 pm

As soon as Jungkook heard his phone ring and saw the caller, he immediately threw his disgusting textbook (teenage-boy-disgusting; greasy food and sugary energy drink splattered all over it; he tried cleaning it with a dry tissue but it wasn’t working so he just left it to be, and now was struggling to read the lines) on the bed and picked up with a wide grin.

“What’s up babe?”

“Jungkook,” the voice on the other end was out of breath. “We…need to talk.”

“Is that so? What about?” He furrowed his brows in confusion.

“Meet me at our usual place in ten minutes.”

 

“I’ll be back in a few,” Jungkook shouted while struggling to put on his shoes by the door, cursing silently when he couldn’t tie his shoe properly because his hand kept shaking from nervousness. “I’m meeting Yebin.”

His mother hummed, her attention on the TV in front of her. She was watching a cooking show, as always; she spent plenty of time in the kitchen. Her husband didn’t have the heart to tell her that ninety percent of time what she made was inedible anyway, but Jungkook was okay with it, usually.

“Don’t be too late.”

 

Their ‘usual place’ was a small café not far from the apartment complex Yebin’s family lived in, so she arrived earlier and Jungkook was late, as usual.

He leaned in for a small peck, and Yebin accepted with an embarrassed smile.

“Let’s go in, Jungkook.” Her voice sharp, sharper than usual, and the fierce aura around her small frame was intimidating, to say the least. Jungkook’s never seen her like that before that.

They sat down in the very corner, the barista already on his way to take their order.

“Just the usual, Seokjin, thank you.” The came to this place enough for everyone to know exactly who they are, and of course they weren’t best friend with the staff, but they talked a few words every once in a while.

“Drinking coffee so late? You won’t be able to sleep,” Seokjin winked and Yebin giggled at him. Jungkook was confused, again.

 

“What did you want to talk about, princess?”

She obviously flinched at the nickname, and took a sip of her latte, placing the cup down on the table, but she almost knocked it over when she brought her hands to her cheeks to bury her face in her palms.

“Jungkook, I,” she looked up, and stared at his eyes. “I want to end this relationship.”

Jungkook was shocked. It came so out of the blue, that he didn’t register the words completely, but Yebin continued talking.

“I haven’t been happy in this relationship for some time now.” Bull, Jungkook thought. “And I believe it’s the best for both of us if we go our separate ways.”

He felt tears gather at the back of his eyes. He didn’t cry often, but when it came to his loved ones, there was no limit to his sobbing.

“Okay,” he managed to say. “Okay. Let’s break up,” he hurriedly pulled of the silver ring from his pinky finger, and slammed it on the table. “I’ll be nice and give it back. Sell it, or whatever.”

He stood up, and a few customers turned their heads to him at the noise the chair made. He always wondered how the café was so full all the time.

“I wish the best for you,” he whispered, and meant it. He wasn’t the one to hold grudges, to be honest, and he wasn’t planning on starting now. He placed some banknotes on the table, and walked out to the chilly air. Surprisingly chilly air.

 

He didn’t allow himself to cry while walking home, but he did allow himself to think.

Their relationship wasn’t an exceptionally long lasting one, seven months, to be exact, but she was a lot of Jungkook’s firsts, and it was painful.

(He also knew bull when he heard it, and it was obvious that Yebin found someone, but he didn’t want to mull over this for too long.)

 

By the time he got home, it was almost 9 pm, and, leaving his shoes on, he rushed to his bedroom, grabbed his phone and his wallet (he never had it with him, he usually just stuffed some money in his pocket, but he also need his ID) and went to the living room. As soon as his mother spotted him, her eyes widened. “Everything okay, sweetie?”

“I’m going out,” was the only answer she received, and the sound of the front door slamming painfully behind his back.

 

He was supposed to be learning History, but there he was, in the club, ordering his third drink so far that night, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. This was the only place he could think of where he could spend the night miserably suffering because of his breakup with alcohol, other bars and clubs were quite strict on not serving minors, but Kim Namjoon owned this place, so two things were guaranteed every weekend: wild parties and hangover the next morning.

Wild parties, heh.

Jungkook was sitting at the counter with two empty shot glasses, and one almost empty, the music was throbbing loudly, he could feel it in his chest, and not-so-sober people were dancing all over the place, and all over him, when suddenly a boy with blond hair threw himself on the bar stool next to him. He was wearing all black, a simple t-shirt and jeans combo, with black sneakers. He had smeared eyeliner under his eyes, and he was clutching a yellow envelope in his hands so hard his knuckled were starting to turn white. Jungkook didn’t hear the words he exchanged with the bartender, but a few minutes later the boy had five shot glasses in front of him, he downed the content of two almost immediately.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked, turning to Jungkook. He didn’t notice that he was still staring. The boy wasn’t angry, he just sounded extremely lost, and…sad.

“Sorry,” he shouted because of the loud music, and turned his attention back to his drink. Now the boy was the one staring, he could feel it.

“I’m Taehyung,” he exclaimed. “Kim,” he added when Jungkook still didn’t look at him. “What’s your name?”

“Jungkook,” he answered, finally glancing to his right. Taehyung tilted his head curiously. “Jeon Jungkook,” he shrugged.

“Okay.”

They were silent for a good ten minutes afterwards, both lost in their thoughts. Jungkook couldn’t stop thinking about Yebin, and Taehyung seemed like he had his own problems as well. Jungkook didn’t know whether he should ask or not. Then he did.

“What’s wrong?”

Taehyung didn’t move or give any signs of hearing his question, so he repeated it.

“Everything o-“

“I heard you,” Taehyung looked up, after finishing his fourth drink. “I have a pretty tolerance for alcohol, so sorry if you can’t understand me,” he giggled. “Are you really curious? Or are you just asking because I look so miserable that you feel sorry for me?”

Jungkook bit his lip. Both, he wanted to say.

“Genuinely interested.”

Taehyung hesitated for a few seconds, then he handed Jungkook the piece of paper in his hand.

It was hard to read in the semi darkness, but he still managed to process the information. Apparently, Kim Taehyung was not accepted into any of the universities he applied to.

“Oh,” Jungkook breathed. “I’m sorry-“

“That’s not all,” Taehyung interrupted him, slurring his words. “My mother told me that, I quote, I am an useless piece of that is completely worthless to the Kim family and that she should’ve aborted me like she was planning to. And also, my…so I was broken up with last week but I don’t give a because I won’t be sad because of that ,” he said with one breath. “God, I need another shot,” he laughed and drank another.

Jungkook felt bad now that this boy has way more problems than him and yet he’s the sad one.

“Also,” Taehyung was obviously already drunk, his words were hard to understand. “I want to dance. I really want to dance, come with me Jungkook?”

Jungkook wanted to say no, but there were teary puppy eyes staring at him, and he didn’t have the heart to refuse. “Okay.”

 

Taehyung was a terrible dancer, to say the least, but he seemed to enjoy himself, so it was okay. The problems started when started feeling very touchy. They were face-to-face, and the position allowed Taehyung to put his arms around Jungkook and grind against him.

“You know,” he leaned to his ear with a smirk. “I like to think that I’m strong when it comes to beautiful men, but then someone like you comes along, and I’m proven wrong.” A sigh. “I couldn’t resist Jonghyun either, and it turned out terrible, so.”

Jungkook gulped audibly.

Taehyung now grabbed his hips.

Jungkook felt…strange.

Big, boney hands were all over his body, touching his skin and his clothes, and Taehyung seemed like he didn’t know what he was doing, so Jungkook grabbed his wrists firmly, and started leading them out to the street.

“Ooh, where are we going?”

“Somewhere very fun,” Jungkook said with impossibly little enthusiasm, but Taehyung’s eyes still lit up.

 

They ended up sitting down on a curb ten meters from the club, because Taehyung was so drunk he could barely walk, but at least he was breathing fresh air, which, hopefully, sobers him, at least a little, and after a good twenty minutes of sitting in silence, he did seem to be more focused.

Jungkook could only assume his age, but since Taehyung was supposed to go to university this year, he could safely say that he was a good two years older.

As if reading his mind, Taehyung spoke up.

“How old are you?”

“I’m,” Jungkook stopped, not sure if he should tell. “I’m turning 17 in September,” he said in the end.

“That means,” Taehyung furrowed his brows, and was obviously thinking very hard. “That you were born in ’97?”

Astonishing math skills.

“Yeah.”

“I was born two years earlier. Wasn’t supposed to, but yeah.”

Jungkook’s head shot up alarmingly fast, and he stared at the other’s dark eyes.

“And by that you mean...?”

Taehyung sighed, then laughed, but it was so forced, so fake and so painful, Jungkook’s heart ached.

“This is what I told you inside.” He was quick to get drunk, but just as quick to sober up apparently, because he obviously wasn’t drunk anymore, but tipsy enough to talk. “My mom wanted to abort me, she told me – well screamed this at me – today. Or yesterday, depending on what time it is.

(It was almost midnight, Jungkook quickly checked on his phone.)

“I always had a pretty relationship with them, but you know, at least I thought that she wanted me for like..ten minutes,” he laughed and it was heart-wrenching. “Then when I didn’t get accepted into any universities, she completely lost it, along with my father, by the way. They...wanted to kick me out. Once they did.”

“Why?”

Taehyung started fidgeting nervously with his shoelaces, and Jungkook put a hand on his thigh to try and calm him down. “I was around your age? Two years ago? A little less I think,” he started and stood up, gesturing for Jungkook to get going. “Let’s take a walk, I think.”

Neither of them knew where they were headed, but after five minutes, they were in the park, sitting in the wet grass but they couldn’t care less.

“So basically,” Taehyung was obviously having a hard time with words, like he wasn’t sure if he could trust Jungkook enough with whatever he was trying to say. “When I, umm, came out to them, they were furious, and my dad deadass looked at me in the eye and told me to pack my stuff and go wherever I wanted to, that’s how I ended up living with my grandma for like...two weeks before they decided that they should take care of their ing son, and allowed me to move back in.”

He was now crying, and he wasn’t doing a great job at hiding it. “I don’t know why I’m telling random people that I’m gay as hell but I’m so done living in the closet, you know?” He looked at Jungkook with eye filled with fear. “You-“

“Don’t worry,” he interrupted him. “I’m not judging you, and it was pretty obvious by the way you were ogling other boys,” he laughed and Taehyung sinked a little. “Also Jonghyun is a quite masculine name.”

Taehyung was embarrassed, his cheeks were becoming more and more flushed with every second.

 

They didn’t stop talking until 2. Taehyung told him about ‘his ty family background’, as he liked to call it, and Jungkook listened. He didn’t have too much to say, but he did add a few things here and there about himself as well, and about Yebin too.

“So she just left without any explanation?”

“Well, kind of?” They were now at the playground, sitting on the swings, but their legs were both too long. “She said that she wasn’t happy anymore, but I can tell that someone else is definitely in the picture.”

“Do you still love her?” The older asked suddenly, and Jungkook wanted to scream. He thought about saying yes instantly, but as he thought about it, he became unsure.

“I don’t know,” he turned his head to face the other. “Maybe it was all just attachment? I mean, don’t feel that desperate, you know? I don’t know though, maybe it will sink in later and then I’ll be crying and screaming.”

(Taehyung smiled. He could tell that that was never going to happen by the way the younger was so careless about the situation.)

“I was sad, for like, a few hours though, does that count?”

The blond laughed. “Definitely.”

Silence.

“And, Jungkook, how do you feel right now? I mean, is it like ‘I don’t want a relationship ever again’, or ‘I’ll be okay with dating someone else’?”

“Neither.”

Taehyung hummed questioningly.

“I didn’t think about this yet, but I guess I’m just going with the flow. Saying that I want to date someone is assuming that I’m hot enough that someone would want to date me.”

“You are. I mean this is coming from me, a certified gay man, so you can believe me.”

Jungkook laughed, and his heart suddenly felt heavy. “Thanks. You’re not ugly yourself.”

“Rude.”

 

He arrived home at 4 am, with Taehyung’s number in his phone, and chest light with happiness.

 

That summer was one of the most memorable for ones for Jungkook. They started spending an unhealthy amount of time together, and only then did he realize how much of a dork Taehyung really was. His looks were deceiving, because he had a face of a model, but a heart and mind of a small child. Jungkook liked to about it.

It was the last day of summer, and they were sitting in Starbucks, a salted caramel mocha in front of Taehyung (as always), and Jungkook himself ordered an iced Americano (as always).

“Why were you in Busan the day we met, by the way?”

“You know how I got that letter that day.” He was fanning himself with both hands. He always complained about how Jungkook was never sweating even in a hundred degrees, but he was always too hot. “And I didn’t open it, because my cousins made me promise that we would do it together, so me and my parents travelled to Busan, and that’s why I was here, and you know about the rest. The ty part is that my cousins saw me and my parents fight, but, happens am I right?” he chuckled.

After that night, his parents immediately headed back to Daegu, and Taehyung stayed in Busan, moved in with his cousins for the summer, and started looking for a job to save up for university, because his parents are obviously not going to support him financially anymore. 

“I’m glad you stayed in Busan,” Jungkook smiled. “But school starts tomorrow, and we won’t be able to meet as often.”

Taehyung nodded. “I know, but I also work starting tomorrow, so we’re both be busy as hell, but that doesn’t mean we can’t meet.”

“Right,” Jungkook agreed. “Speaking of working,” he grinned slyly. “Since you work at Subway now, do I get free sandwiches?”

The brunette (because yes, Taeyung dyed his hair for the second time that summer, and Jungkook was sure that his hair is going to fall out) scoffed. “No? I’m just a worker, you pay, I give you food.”

“.”

“Yes.”

As Taehyung put his cup down, he almost spilled all of the coffee in his own lap, and he just rolled his eyes at his own clumsiness. “Anyway, it’s also your birthday tomorrow.”

“Why? Got anything planned for me, Taetae?” Jungkook leaned back on his chair with shining eyes.

“Actually yes,” he was fidgeting nervously with his ring, and he tried to hide his anxiety with a smile. “Don’t make too many plans for tomorrow after school.”

“Oh, about that,” Jungkook scratched the back of his neck, making the other go pale.

I didn’t plan everything for you to tell me that you’re busy, Jungkook.

“I actually have way too many plans for the whole following week, so sorry, I gotta hang out with my other friends, sorry for ditching you.”

Taehyung threw a napkin at him. “ you, I actually thought that I’m going to have to reorganize everything!”

“I’m serious, Taehyung,” he flipped his hair so that it’s not in his eyes, and he heard the boy in front of him gulp.  “I can’t leave my friends alone.”

“You don’t have friends. Literally no one likes you.”

“Yet here you are, having coffee with me.”

“Bless my soul,” Taehyung sighed dramatically, and they both laughed. “No but really, I’ll pick you up at six.”

The younger glanced to the street through the window, noting with a frown that it was definitely going to rain. “Forgot you already have a license.”

“Yes, because I’m an adult.”

He turned back raised eyebrows. “Sure. But, if I were Baekhyun, I wouldn’t let you borrow my car.”

He received a pout as an answer. “Good thing you’re not him, then. Mainly because I wouldn’t want such an cousin.”

“Shut up.”

 

The next day, as soon as he got home from school, he panicked and started going through all of his clothes to find something worth wearing next to Taehyung. When the door opened at quarter past five, and his mom stepped in, he ran to the kitchen to throw questions at her without a greeting.

“Mom, what do I wear?”

She stepped back with a startled expression, then proceeded to put the groceries on the table. “Hello to you too, my dearest son.”

“Yeah, hi,” he waved his hand dismissively. “But on a more important note, Taehyung is picking me up in thirty, and I want to look great, but I have nothing to wear.” He was aware that he was behaving like a teenage girl in love, but he was a teenage boy in love, which is almost that same.

“You really like him, don’t you?” His mother smiled, and started putting away the food. Jungkook sat down at the table and grabbed an apple, watching his mother.

“Yeah, I guess,” he answered with a shrug, and it was true. Over the summer, he started liking Taehyung more and more, and it didn’t take him too long to realize that he didn’t like him as a friend only, and what he felt wasn’t just admiration. He was crushing, hard. “And, you know, for once I feel like I actually have a chance? I don’t want to seem too delusional, but finally I feel like it’s truly reciprocated, and I don’t want to it up.”

“Language.”

“Sorry.”

“Well, to be honest,” his mother answered while she was making coffee. “I don’t know him that much, you’re always in your room when he’s over, but maybe he’s afraid?”

“What do you mean?”

She sat down in front of him, stirring the black liquid in his cup. “Don’t forget that the only thing he knows about your...love life is that you dated Yebin, so even if Taehyung likes you in a romantic way, he’s afraid of rejection for a reason. You could do something about that today.”

“For example,” she grinned devilishly. Oh no, Jungkook thought. “Confess today.”

“Yes, and then spend the rest of my birthday mulling over rejection. I’ll pass, thanks.” He threw away the half-eaten apple, and his mother flinched. She hated wasting food, and Jungkook was doing just that.

“Then we’ll see what he has planned for today, then we’ll figure something out.”

Jungkook nodded. He and his mother never talked about their relationship, but they had one of the strongest mother-son bonds he has ever seen, they were almost best friends, and he was thankful that she never tried to be too…mom-like, because he would feel strange looking at her like a...mother, and not like a friend. It wasn’t always good, but they were okay with it.

“Don’t stress too much, though. Just wear a white t-shirt like you always do.”

Jungkook stuck his tongue out.

 

In the end, he did go for a white t-shirt and black jeans, because he wanted to look natural, he didn’t want Taehyung to think that he prepared too much for the night, but he did, and he was slowly freaking out.

At 6 pm sharp, he heard a car stop in front of their house, and he freezed. He was tying his shoes, and he looked up at his mother, who was cooking dinner, and she smiled with a wink. “Chill, son, you’re swag.”

Jungkook sighed, cringing. “Mom, don’t use words like that.”

 

Taehyung was already waiting; he was leaning against the car with his arms folded. He was wearing simple clothes, all black, and now that he thought about it, it was the same outfit he wore when they first met. And did he look hot as hell.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jungkook breathed out. “Let’s go.”
 

Their first destination was the cinema, because Taehyung wanted to watch “the greatest film of our century”.

(Jungkook fell asleep, so he has no idea what it was about, but when he was asked if he liked it, he nodded vigorously, and let Taehyung do all the talking.)

It was way past eight when they got out of the mall, and Taehyung was still holding the small action figure he got when he bought popcorn.

“It’s almost dark,” the older declared. Not like Jungkook didn’t notice, so he just nodded. “I have something for you in my car, so I’ll just grab it real quick, I’ll be back in a minute.”

And he ran away, and Jungkook was left alone in front of the mall, standing alone on the street.

Well, okay.

Taehyung arrived back with something soft (it looked like a clothing item) wrapped in red and green, obviously Christmas-themed wrapping paper. Jungkook could see how much he struggled with it.

“I wanted to give this to you at the fountain, so, uhm, let’s go there?”

Taehyung was flustered, he was anxious, nervous, and everything that could express that he was ting himself.

They sat down on one of the benches, the only light coming from the colorful lights of the fountain. It wasn’t completely dark yet, but dark enough to hide Taehyung’s flushed cheeks.

“I’m not sure if you’ll like it, though, but I hope you do, and-“  he said quickly, and Jungkook stopped himself mid-sentence.

“Chill, Tae.”

“Right, okay. So, uhm, here you go, I guess.” He handed his gift over to Jungkook.

“Do I open it now?”

“If you want to?”

He wanted to, so he didn’t hesitate to tear the paper, which revealed a black sweater with a pink flamingo on it. He smiled, until he saw the tag and the brand on it, when his eyes widened.

“How much did this cost?” he gaped at Taehyung.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” the older smiled.

I had to borrow money from six different people and now I have to pay back a thousand dollars.

“Thank you so much, Taehyung,” Jungkook said gratefully, and he was, because this boy spent more money on him for his birthday than Jungkook ever owned in seventeen years.

“Try it on!” Taehyung grinned happily, his eyes almost disappearing.

It was a bit too loose for him, but he didn’t mind. It was also hot, and he was burning so he quickly took it off and put it on his back, tying the sleeves together in front of his chest.

“I have something else for you as well.” His voice was shaking, he was shaking, his soul was shaking but he was going to do it.

He stood up from the bench for a second to reach into his pockets, and hid something in his palm.

“With this, I’m either going to everything up or make things better, but I’m willing to take the risk.” He sat back down and opened his palm to reveal two simple bracelets, one with black beads and one white, and the other with white beads and one black. “Holy I’m really doing this – okay Kim Taehyung calm down. So, I’m willing to risk a lot of things right now, but I have to get this off my chest because I feel like dying around you so yeah, here I go,” he looked at Jungkook straight in the eye, and the younger could feel his legs going numb. Taehyung was playing with the bracelets, just as nervous. “I like you Jungkook – holy I really said it, good job Taehyung,” he always talked to himself, loud, and it was, in all honesty, the cutest thing Jungkook’s ever seen. “So, I like you, I’ve liked you since we met, you listened to all my problems since day one, and even if you knew everything about my ty family background, you wanted to be my friend and that’s never happened to me before, and I was so grateful to have someone, I still am, and it’s just my ty heart but I couldn’t help falling for you, because I always fall for straight guys, but with you it’s different I guess?”

Taehyung coughed, and wiped his forehead on his sleeve.

“So maybe it’s just me and my horrible ways of perceiving things, but I feel like my feelings are not completely unrequited, which I hope is the case otherwise this is really embarrassing, so…yeah. That’s it. So you can either accept this bracelet, or you can refuse to wear it, which I would understand, and if that’s what you choose, I can only hope that we can continue as friends. Rant over, Taehyung out,” he finished with a long exhale.

Jungkook was at a loss of words. He knew that he needed to say something, because Taehyung was becoming more and more panicked with every passing second, but his throat felt dry and he couldn’t bring himself to choke out anything, so he closed his eyes, mentally cursing himself for being too brave, and he did what he was wanting to do for so long.

He grabbed Taehyung’s chin with one hand, and pulled him in, smashing their lips together. He took both of the bracelets from Taehyung’s palm and put them on the bench so he could intertwine their fingers; their hands were clammy and everything was as awkward as first kisses usually are, but it was perfect, everything was perfect, they were perfect.

(When Jungkook got home and told his mother everything, she screamed and insisted that she meets Taehyung as her son’s boyfriend as soon as possible.)

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btw the sweater tae bought is a saint laurent sweater, you can find it here