9

“Hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.”

Taehyung startles and looks up at Jungkook. The latter gives him a tired smile. 

“You were starting to doze off,” he says, and Taehyung’s blushed cheeks send warmth to his chest.

“Thank you.” Taehyung gratefully accepts the big, white mug and gently places it next to the computer he has been staring at for the past few minutes. 

Jungkook sits down across from him and sighs, leaning back against the bench. It’s soft and further adds to the calmness he’s starting to feel, and Jungkook realizes he needs sleep. After dropping Minah off, he had to his own surprise made a detour to the university campus instead of returning to the precinct, parking outside the small diner he had only visited once before. 

Jungkook is a master at overestimating his compartmentalization skills, because as soon as he had turned the engine off, the realization of what had happened to Jiyeon and all the other girls involved had punched him in the gut. 

He might have freed himself from that torture, but it still exists. 

Jungkook knew he wasn’t ready to face Namjoon yet, knew he needed to calm down and suppress whatever breakdown was waiting along the corner in order to be able to solve this case properly, and so his body had taken control and acted upon muscle memory to bring him to the only source of comfort it knew would bring Jungkook out of the hole he had been digging. 

And the universe seemed to be feeling pity for him, because all the way in the back of the diner was Taehyung, tiredly tapping away on his computer. 

Jungkook had first decided to just sit and watch him like last time, basking in the warmth and calm he felt just by being near the boy, but then as the clock neared five and students started pouring in, he decided to cross the distance between them before someone else could. 

“You look tired,” Jungkook murmurs, and Taehyung looks up from his computer. 

“I should be saying that to you, officer,” he replies shyly, and Jungkook feels a fond smile playing on his lips. Taehyung’s eyes widen slightly and he flushes. “Detective. I’m sorry, I keep forgetting.”

Jungkook waves it off. “No worries. I do need to sleep.” 

But I can’t, he wants to say.

Sleep hasn’t come easy to him since starting this case, so Jungkook takes whatever is closest. Seeing Taehyung’s face, up close, for some reason calms him down. And Jungkook deserves to indulge a little, he’s about to solve the damn case once and for all. 

“You were watching me?” 

It’s timid, a shy comment, but Taehyung’s eyes are searching as he looks over at Jungkook, and the detective blinks, trying not to show his surprise. But he’s really ing tired and anxious and all kinds of frustrated, so quite frankly, he doesn’t care anymore. 

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, Taehyung.” 

The blush that claims the boy’s cheeks makes it worth the embarrassment of being so honest. Taehyung averts his gaze and swallows thickly. 

“I’ve come across a lot of information today,” Jungkook continues, thinking back to everything he now knows about Taehyung’s late sister, “most of it really ing ty. I needed this.”

“This?” 

“You.” 

Taehyung’s eyes widen a little and Jungkook couldn’t keep the endeared smile off his face even if he tried. Taehyung has been repressing a lot of emotions for a long, long time. Jungkook selfishly thinks it’s time he changes that. 

“How is the thesis coming along?” 

“I’ve hit a bump,” Taehyung mumbles before clearing his throat, “writer’s block. Need to find more data so I can continue.” 

“You were typing for a while earlier,” Jungkook comments. Taehyung’s cheeks warm up and he shyly averts his gaze. 

“I was writing a report.”

Jungkook arches an eyebrow. “On?”

“A news article about a famous painter. You know about Banksy?”

“Who doesn’t?”

Taehyung almost smiles and Jungkook’s insides tingle. “It’s just something I like doing in my free-time. I’m a fast writer. It’s nothing serious, but it helps me regain some motivation to continue with the bigger assignments.” 

Jungkook hesitates but then clears his throat. 

“You know, I wouldn’t judge you if you postponed your thesis until spring.”

The bomb Jungkook is going to drop tonight will for sure prevent any attempts at finishing that off, and Jungkook can only hope Taehyung seeks him out if it becomes too much. If he doesn’t, Jungkook decides patrol shifts aren’t as bad as Jackson makes them to be. He can take a couple for the next few weeks. 

Taehyung bites his lip, frowning slightly. He must have given it a thought, Jungkook thinks, because instead of arguing like last time, the boy sighs heavily and nods. 

“I should. I probably should.” 

“How are you parents?” Jungkook asks after a moment of silence. Taehyung stiffens and slowly reaches for his forgotten mug. 

“They’re fine.”

Taehyung takes a sip, trying to distract himself, but Jungkook wants to dig a bit more. He’s still curious about a few things. 

“How’s your father?”

Taehyung’s lips twitch into a frown. “Fine.” 

“And you? How are you?” 

The cup is placed next to the computer and Taehyung frowns, meeting Jungkook’s searching gaze. There’s an underlying message behind his words but Taehyung doesn’t seem sure what it is, so Jungkook decides to elaborate. 

“I haven’t seen you since the church incidence,” he murmurs, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. Up-close, Jungkook notices how tired the boy really looks. “I’m sure you could read between the lines back then, Taehyung.”

Taehyung his lips for any residue cream, (Jungkook tries not to stare too much), and makes a visible effort not to lean back. 

“I didn’t want to jump to conclus-”

“But you must have,” Jungkook interrupts, arching an eyebrow. “You see a detective have a mental breakdown after visiting a church, surely you must have formed a few theories.”

Taehyung looks uncomfortable, and Jungkook wonders how he would react if he found out about what happened to his sister. He finds that he doesn’t quite want for him to know, if only to save him from the pain he’s sure to experience. 

“I’m sorry,” Taehyung suddenly whispers, averting his gaze. Jungkook frowns, tilting his head to the side. “I-I don’t know the exact details of what happened but-but I can imagine it must have been something terrible. 22 children, that’s-that’s horrible.”

Jungkook narrows his eyes slightly. “You searched me up?” 

“No,” Taehyung quickly says, eyes a little panicked, but then he makes himself small again and Jungkook hates that he’s the cause of it. “Or maybe I did, but I didn’t do any extensive research or anything! Just-just found your name and position in the department. You were from Busan, originally.”

His voice trails off into a shy mumble, eyes downcast. Jungkook scoffs. 

“Of course you’d realize,” he says, because almost anyone who searches up the word church and Busan together will find out about the infamous case that took place two years ago. Taehyung must have put two and two together and drawn the correct conclusion. 

“You solved the case,” Taehyung mumbles after a few moments of heavy silence, despite the loud chatter in the background. Jungkook snaps out of his thoughts. “You started a joint investigation with the police departments there and let them take the credit just to save all those children, officer. I-I really admire you for that.” 

Jungkook feels a rush of blood pulse through him, and he ignores the heat trailing up his neck.  

“It was too late. Twenty-two ruined childhoods too late.”

“You couldn’t have done anything about it back then,” Taehyung shoots back, eyebrows arched. He’s serious about this. “You’ve done something amazing, and I can’t even imagine how strong you are for still going. You even showed up at the church despite what you’ve been through.”

Jungkook doesn’t like this. He shouldn’t like this. 

Taehyung doesn’t pity him, instead he’s admiring him, praising him for what he has done. For the lives he has changed. Jungkook feels warm all over, and he thinks he needed this. Needed to hear these exact words. 

“I can’t help but- but wish that-.” 

Taehyung bites his lip and frowns, his cheeks warming up again. Jungkook’s heart is picking up speed, his fingers itching for something - he doesn’t quite know what but it’s strong. 

Taehyung looks like he’s holding himself back from saying something, frustration evident in the way his shoulders have tensed up and his face has contorted into a deep frown. And then, in just a few short moments, Jungkook seems to realize exactly what Taehyung is trying to express. 

“I wish I could be as strong as you.” 

It’s a quiet murmur, barely heard over the loudness of the other students in the diner, but Jungkook catches it and he freezes. 

Taehyung has a bitter smile on his face, shoulders finally dropping with the heaviness of his reality, of the ever present force keeping him from achieving that, from being free, and Jungkook allows himself two seconds to properly think this through before he decides he’s had enough. 

“ it,” he growls and stands up, leaning over the table to grab Taehyung’s neck and pull the boy in so their lips collide. 

A sound of surprise dies in Taehyung’s throat when Jungkook presses him even closer, pulse loud in his ears because Taehyung’s lips are soft, sweet from the whipped cream, and his scent is everywhere, fogging up Jungkook’s mind.

It feels good. It feels so ing good, and they’re just kissing.

Jungkook moves his lips, gently, but Taehyung is still frozen, hands hovering on each side of Jungkook’s shoulders, as if he isn’t sure whether he wants to push him away or pull him closer. At least his eyes are no longer wide open.

Jungkook moves his lip once more, savouring the small gasp he receives in response, and then decides he’s got his point across because they’re in a crowded diner, and despite the dim lighting they’re still at the risk of getting caught.

Taehyung hasn’t come out yet, and Jungkook finds that he doesn’t want to just throw him out there like this.

So he physically has to force himself away, fire burning in his belly when Taehyung opens his eyes wide, lips red and parted. Jungkook keeps his hand on the boy’s neck and leans closer, noticing how Taehyung instinctively inches forward before he stops himself.

. 

“You want to be like me,” Jungkook whispers, voice low and slightly hoarse, “so let yourself. Stop hiding, Taehyung.” 

And with a final squeeze to his neck, Jungkook lets go off the boy and stands up. He his lip for any remains of Taehyung, heart still thundering against his chest, and then turns on his heel and leaves the diner without another word.