Jungkook is waiting. Waiting’s been his weakness since he was a kid. Waiting for his turn in the swing. Waiting for his father to arrive home because they will not start eating dinner without him. Waiting for his sister to go out from the bathroom. Waiting in line to get his lunch in the cafeteria. Waiting for his friends when they planned to have a movie night in his house. Waiting for a boring class to end. Waiting for his Yoongi-hyung to come out (he’s not sure when or if he’ll ever) from his studio. Waiting for his flight when he decided to take a break from the city. And yes, waiting is really hard. Especially if you’ve been waiting for someone you’ve promised yourself to marry years ago.

"Mind if I join you?" 

He was brought back to reality by a woman’s voice. He looks at where the voice's from and sees a middle-aged woman who’s beaming towards him. She looks very grand. Even though what her age might be, you can see ‘class’ written on her whole body. Realizing her question, he gives her a quizzical look. He looks around and sees that there are maybe more than five customers inside and three of them are already heading out. He's not rude, he’s just confused why. He was thinking if it’s not rude to ask the woman to seat to an another table (because he wants to sulk and swim to his loneliness this time) when the woman asks him, "Are you Mr. Jeon?"

Surprised is not enough to express what’s feeling right now. "Uhm, ye--yes?" The woman smiles. "I mean ‘yes’. May I know how did you know?" And the woman motions her hand to the chair like she's asking the younger's permission for her to seat and Jungkook nods.

She answers, smiling after she sat down, "Well, there’s a young man whom I met in one of my travels in Prague who’s eyes are always twinkling every time he talks about a Jeon Jungkook."

She smiles again but towards the window where you can see the frozen pavement and twinkling lights from the stores. You can see a lot of people roaming around while spending the holidays with someone special. And Jungkook was envious of them. He must have unconsciously followed the woman’s gaze towards outside that he sulked because his alone again. The woman laughed.

"Are you not going to ask who is this young man?"

He smiles sadly. He doesn't have to.

And the woman smiles again. "Well, of course. You already know."

He’s hesitating to ask about him. And as if reading his thoughts, the woman opens her lips.

"He's fine. I know that being alone for a long time is very hard. Because I’ve been there. But he’s really doing fine. Although he’s very sorry that he made you wait. He told me that waiting is not your thing." He smiles shyly while the woman sips from her cup.

"Little rascals. You must be very much in love with each other. Learning throughout the whole process. The other is learning about waiting and the other is 'taking his lessons' about his separation anxiety."

Jungkook smiles. It’s still a fresh memory. When he stayed in Jeonju for five days for his photography club camp. He always calls the elder every night and there will always be tears and heart-breaking goodbyes each time. His roommate, Hyungsik, will always go out to give them their personal time. And he’s very thankful for that because he’ll be able to cry too. They always stick with each other. His hyung wants to be with him every moment that they can spend. That’s why it was so heart-breaking when he encouraged him to go to Prague when his boyfriend was granted a scholarship. He was not there when the elder was at the airport with his family, waiting for his flight. He knows that he was so cruel. But it’s alright to take the blame than his heart be hit like a ton of bricks if sees him crying and begging him to say that he wants the elder to stay. Jungkook believes that his hyung needs it. That he needs to spread his wings further without any 'ifs' and regrets.

"Mr. Jeon, I know that it’s hard. I know that it’s almost three years. But I know that you can do it. He believes in you also. He never blamed you. Saying that he knows what you did. He genuinely understands." Jungkook looks at the woman. She beams at him again. It is very comforting and very warm. It warmed his heart from the very cold weather. He's trying his best not to cry because it's not really a best thing for first impressions.

"I know. He always understands. That’s why I love him. His heart is always on his sleeves."

"Yes. It is indeed."

There was only 30 minutes left before Christmas. "Uhm, did he looked normal? Did he look like someone who eats regularly?"

The woman laughs again. "Oh, yes dear. I thought you’re going to ask something different." She sips again from her cup. And then her eyes widen as if she remembered something. After, she grabs her bag and searches for something.

"Oh! Mr. Jeon, would you look at this." She takes out a very beautiful card with the sketch of Prague’s street drawn on it, whom Jungkook is sure that was drawn by his boyfriend.

"He gave this to me before I left. But I wasn’t able to look at it because my clumsy husband was so busy burning our kitchen when I was about to," she laughs at the memory of her husband's remorseful look at her while holding a pan on fire, while their son was amazed by his father's 'magic show'. "That I needed to come and save the damsel in distress." They both laugh.

Jungkook was always called as someone who’s golden but what he realized was, it's his boyfriend who's the true golden one. He’s ethereal, kind, and talented. While the woman is reading, he rests his eyes on the sketch and asks himself what might his hyung was thinking or feeling while he was drawing the sketch. Was he imagining the two of them walking by that street? Was he also hurting because they are not the people who’re walking by that sreet? That’s when he heard the woman gasped. She looks at him and hands him the card.

He got up and thanked the woman. The woman hugged him and wished him luck while smiling. He runs right after he got out from the café. When he read the letter and saw the latter part of it. His heart burst with emotions.

To Mrs. Kim,

It was really nice meeting you. I had a great time with you, your husband and your adorable son. I’m really envious of you. These past few weeks that I was with your family were so lovely and warm. Even though you may say that your husband is very clumsy, I can see your love towards him whenever he makes a poem or song for you. And also every time your son starts his peculiar adventures, I know that even though it makes you tired it always makes your heart flutter whenever you hear his melodious giggles. I hope that me and Jungkook will share something like yours. I will wait for it. Thank you and bon voyage.

-Park Jimin

P.S.

Let’s meet on new year’s eve in Korea. I want you to meet Jungkook. I just need to fix other things so that I’ll be able to spend the Christmas with him. I’m very sad that we’ll not be able to go home together. Take care Mrs. Kim

He runs and runs. At first he didn’t know where to go. But he thought that sometimes your feet drags you where you’re supposed to be. And yes this is the right place. The place where he’s supposed to be. He silently walks towards the bench where a man is sitting. The man has blonde which is a new colour but definitely familiar hair. The man who’s hands are covered with warm gloves, curled into fist, covering his lips. The man who looks warm which is very ironic from the very cold weather.

"Hello. Mind if I join you?" Jungkook asks and the man looks up and sees him. He can see tears beginning to swell inside the man’s eyes. The man smiles and his eyes grew into crescent which stayed the same even after many years. And yes, even years have passed, it still makes Jungkook’s heart swell with warmness and happiness.

"Well, of course."

They stayed silent. No one wants to break the ice (figuratively and literally) between them. There are some people roaming around. The man cleared his throat.

"You were not answering your phone, so-- Uhm, how did you know that--it’s here?"

"I always go here every Christmas. Because this where I first saw--Uhm. Yeah."

"Yeah. Of course you did. Well, is it alright to assume that you’re alone waiting during those times?" He's looking straight ahead and can see from his peripheral view that the man is now looking at him.

The word ‘waiting’ ticked him off. Well, he knows that it's very childish. But well.

"Of course, I was ALONE. I was waiting for someone who stayed somewhere far, longer from what I expected and didn’t say anything about it." He answers and his tone changed. He allowed his words pierced through the man’s heart. And it’s very successful because the warm expression that the man has a while ago was changed to exasperated.

"Well, maybe if you didn’t pushed that person away you will not be alone waiting. And that guy must have said something to you if you didn’t shut your door before he left."

"Is--is that so?" Yes, he’s childish and very competitive. And he doesn’t want to lose this argument. "Well, I heard from a certain woman with a clumsy husband and an adorable son that the person I was waiting for understands why I did that." And he’s happy knowing that he’s winning the argument from the man’s expression.

"How--y-you actually---her?" And there’s silence.

The man cleared his throat and releases a deep sigh.

"If I just knew that it will be like this, I should have stayed longer." Jungkook tries his best not to look at the man. "I should have accepted my professor's offer to teach there."And the man stands up. And that’s when Jungkook realized that he went too far.

'You're so stupid Jungkook! What are you doing?!' He thought.

'Well, it's his fault. He should have returned after a year when his grant ended.' Other part of his brain says.

He knows that he crossed the line, having a war in his mind, and was contemplating to stand up when he feels that someone’s sits on his lap. Someone rests his head at the crook of his neck. He felt tears. Hot tears. And guilt flowed throughout his body.

"I hate you. You’re so childish. Even after three years, you’re still the same. You never let me win." The man mumbles. Hands wrapping around the younger’s neck. And Jungkook thinks that he’s going to cry.

The man looks up to him. They are now looking at each other. "But that’s what I love about you. You never changed. Your eyes." And gives Jungkook’s eyes a kiss. "Your big nose" and kisses the younger's nose. Jungkook scrunches his nose and the older giggles. "Your scar that is a proof of your competitiveness" and gives it a kiss too. "Your jaw that can pierce hearts" Jungkook dramatically gasps and the older kisses it while giggling. "And of course, your lips" and lightly kisses it. 

They are giggling and tearing up. Exchanging their apologies and confessions of longing as if making up from those seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years that they’re far from each other’s grasps. They stayed in that position until 12 o’clock strikes.

"Even your perfume is the same. This is what I gave to you on your 21st birthday, right?"

"I can't believe it. You’ve stayed there for just three years and now you're already aggressive?"

"Why? I just wanted to mark what’s mine"

"Woah! Well, I seconded."

Jungkook grabs the elder’s faced. Caresses his cheeks. He leans and gives the elder's lips a longful kiss.

Still both hands caressing the elder's cheeks, Jungkook says, "Jimin. Park Jimin. I love you. And I don’t know how long am I be able to wait. I don’t know what I should do anymore. I’m so sorry... I’m so pathetic that I just thought about my sacrifices. Knowing you and your seperation anxiety must have been harder." He continues to cry. He’s vomiting words. "I just--I don’t know what to do anymore. Please Jimin, let’s stay together." He was just afraid. Seeing this Jimin. His Jimin who’s already flying with his wings spread out. He was afraid that he will fly again and will not return anymore.

"Jungkook, look at this." Jimin cups his face and turns it to his fourth finger where a ring rests. Now, his sobs are more heart-clenching. Jimin is crying but smiling.

It was the ring that Jungkook was planning to give to Jimin before he found out that the elder got a scholarship. He never checked it again from his drawer. Just settled looking at the box.

"How--did? How did you find it?" 

Jimin answers with a sweet smile. "Yoongi-hyung accidentally congratulated me the day after we had a fight about my scholarship. I went to their house to talk to Hoseok-hyung. But he congratulated me. And I saw it when I was getting my things in your apartment."

Jungkook facepalms. Trying to cover his embarrassment. Jimin tried to get the younger's hand and assures that it was cute and alright.

"And to answer your question, yes. Mr. Jeon. Let’s stay together."

"Let’s stay together forever, Jimin. I love you."

"I love you more"

"I love you the mos--"

"Seriously?! Is this a competition again?"

---

From a different bench, a woman was smiling towards the two lovebirds. "Mind if I join you milady?"

The woman looks up and smiles at the man who's holding a hand of an adorable child with rectangular smile.

"Well, of course Mr. Clumsy Pants. And look at this adorable child. Your mother must be very beautiful" and they started laughing warmly.

"What do you mean by your question milady? Are you implying that his mother is the only reason why this child is adorable?" Her husband asks with a playful grin.

"Well..." she starts and when she sees her husband's hopeful face, she continues, "Alright, he got his brains from you." 

Her husband nods and widen his eyes when he realizes what his wife uttered. 

"Mom, is that Jimin-hyung? Is he with Mr. Jeon?" their son asks while pointing to the lovers. She smiles and nods.

"Jimin-hyung must be very happy now that he's with his husband" He smiles at his mom and dad and both of his parents nods, ignoring their son addressing Jungkook as Jimin's husband. Well, they will turn into husbands anyway.

"Well, Namjoon, darling, let's get going. Taehyung needs to take a rest now."

"Mom! I want to go to Jimi-hyu--"

"My dear, let's give them their privacy. And after all, we'll be meeting them at new year's eve. So for now, hold my hand and your father's hand and let's go home. Alright?"

Taehyung smiles widely as he imagine their new year's eve celebration with Jimin-hyung and his husband. "Alright mom!" And holds his parents' hands excitedly. The scene is very warm, ironic to the very cold weather. And yes, everyone knows that it’s really the most wonderful time of the year.

---

A/N: 

I think the morning after that night, Jimin sent a message to Mrs. Kim :)

"Happy holidays Kims :) See you very soon~ ☆☆☆

- Jimin and Jungkook ^^