"No I did NOT cry! And even if I did, I was just ten years old back then!" Taehyung protested, stamping his foot down on the pavement as he looked at Jungkook with a pout.

"Stop making fun of me!" He punched Jungkook's arm.

"You DID cry and for the record, you cried every time I made you watch that scene later on. You were scared!" Jungkook chuckled, moving out of the way of another punch. Taehyung huffed and tried to punch him again. Jungkook dodged again and started laughing.

Taehyung narrowed his eyes and exhaled. "Fine! Now give me a kiss before you leave." He tugged at Jungkook's jacket sleeve and the latter's mischievous smile melted into a warm, doting one. 

Jungkook leaned in to kiss Taehyung's lips. As he closed his eyes and Taehyung's lips were just about to meet his, Taehyung slapped his cheek and Jungkook was left with his eyes and mouth wide open in shock, a surprised smile on his face.

"Huh?!...Taehyung?!" Jungkook raised his arms up in the air, laughing incredulously as he watched Taehyung walk away from him. "Taehyung!!" He said loudly.

"That'll teach you not to make fun of me!" Taehyung said, turning his head to Jungkook with a sly smile. He turned back and kept walking towards the coffee shop a few buildings down, his smile deepening and his cheeks going pink.

Jungkook ran and in a few seconds, he had crossed Taehyung and came to stand right in front of him.
Taehyung stopped in his tracks, looking up at Jungkook's face and his face went red even as he smiled from ear to ear. He giggled as Jungkook grabbed his arms and pulled him to himself, kissing him. A few children who were crossing the road giggled, looking at them. Taehyung pushed Jungkook, breaking the kiss, looking at him with wide eyes. "We're on the street! Have some sense!"

"Yeah, so what? I'm kissing my boyfriend, not some random person." Jungkook said and let go of Taehyung. He leaned in and planted a kiss on Taehyung's cheek.

"Boyfriend"
It still seemed weird to Taehyung when they said that word. Maybe it was because neither of them had consciously hoped and expected there would really be a day when they would kiss and call each other other by that name. 

Or maybe because Jungkook had always been everything to him. He had never pictured Jungkook in a well-explained role in his life, neither had the need for defining their relationship by a label ever been on  his mind. His Jungkook was just the boy he loved madly, needed every moment and the boy whose face - his thoughts, his words, his mischief - these were the things that made up Taehyung's world.

Taehyung blinked, smiling at Jungkook. He moved his fingers through the fringe falling over the left side of his forehead and leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek just like Jungkook had done before.

"I'll see you later at home." Taehyung said and Jungkook nodded before crushing him in a hug.

He watched Jungkook cross the road and his back disappear in the jovial crowd on the streets, lined with shops whose windows were now decorated with festive lights. The town was getting ready for Christmas. Another christmas. A different, much happier one. One in which Taehyung had his Kookie.

The bell of the coffee shop tinkled as Taehyung walked in. He greeted Mrs Lee, the owner of the coffee shop,an old lady with kind eyes and a cheerful smile. 

"Taehyung! How long it's been! My beautiful precious boy."

Mrs Lee took his smiling face in his hands and kissed his forehead as he lowered his head. This shop had been there since Taehyung and Jungkook were toddlers. Mrs Lee had set up the coffee shop with her husband and run it for over fifteen years, till he passed away and she now run it alone. Taehyung had heard that her grand-daughter was coming over to help her for the busy hours during Christmas. 

"I know, Halmuhnee...We missed you so much too. We missed the comfort of this little haven of yours." He beckoned with his head towards the insides of the shop.

"We?! Do you mean that monkey has returned home?" Mrs Lee said, her eyes going wide in happiness. "Where is Jungkook?! I'm going to give him such a thrashing when he shows his face here! He didn't think of coming to meet me even once?"

Taehyung flashed his box smile, taking Mrs Lee's hands in his. "He wanted to. But he's scared of your thrashing." 
Mrs Lee laughed. 

"He has gone for some important work today. But you will meet him at the Christmas party at our house. Ajumeoni must have-…I mean Mrs Jeon must have told you." Taehyung said.

"Oh yes! Jihae told me last evening to come. And to bring my Jennifer as well." Mrs Lee nodded.

Taehyung raised his eyebrows at the familiar name that he'd heard from Jungkook when they talked about Jin hyung.

"Your-...did you say your Jennifer?'

"Yes! My grand-daughter! She is in Jungkook's college too. He might know her. There -..." She turned, pointing inside the cafe, to a girl in a peach coloured jumper and a cute face.

She was sitting at the edge of a sofa and talking, with a cheerful smile to a customer.  "Jennifer! Jenni ah!" Mrs Lee called out to her.

Jennifer raised her eyes and looked at her grandmother and then glanced at Taehyung. She looked back to her grandmother after the brief glance but her eyes widened. She looked back at Taehyung, opening in an excited smile and her eyes twinkling. She took leave from the customer and made her way, skipping through the vacant spaces between the sofas and chairs, coming to stand right in front of Taehyung.

"Taehyung shi!! Isn't that you?" She said. Her grandmother placed a hand over in surprise. 

"I've seen your picture so many times, I have your face memorised." Jennifer continued.

Taehyung stared at her with the characteristic open mouthed "blank Tae" face.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................

Taehyung laughed heartily, as Jin blushed, covering his face with a menu card.
"No, Jin shi, don't do that. Don't hide your pretty face." Jennifer reached over and lowered the menu card, exposing Jin's scarlet face.

"Then stop making jokes at my expense!" Jin said. 

Taehyung laughed. "I really like this girl!" He said, pointing to Jennifer, whose face lit up in happiness.

"Really? Thanks!" Jennifer said.

"And I hate you both. I should have just avoided the coffee shop today. Ever since I walked in an hour ago, you both have not missed a chance to roast me." Jin said, laughing.

"Yes, but Jin shi, if you had avoided it, you wouldn't have met me here." Jennifer said, smiling. Jin met her gaze and smiled back. 
They didn't say anything for a few seconds. Taehyung looked from Jin's face to Jennifer's a few times and coughed forcefully.

Jin looked away and picked up the menu card, suddenly very interested in the pastry section. Jennifer blushed and said, "I should go and help Gran. Aish, Jin shi every time you are a customer at any coffee shop I work at, you make me ignore my job. I'll see you guys later. Nice meeting you, Taehyung shi! Oh and..." She added, blushing and looking down at the ground. "Say "Hi" to Jungkook oppa for me!" She said and left.
"Thay hi thu dungoo obba bo mi!" Jin mimicked her last words, sticking out his tongue at the end and frowning.

Taehyung threw his head back and laughed, clutching his stomach. Jin started laughing too. 
"That punk has all the girls at the college crushing on him…some of the guys as well. And all the while he has been in love with you. The irony."

The bell at the coffee shop gate opened again and they heard Mrs Lee gushing and making a fuss over someone again. Taehyung turned to see Yoongi being hugged by her with a very awkward smile on his face. She pointed out the place where Jin and Taehyung were sitting and Yoongi moved as if to walk over. His eyes spotted Taehyung and he stopped. Taehyung's smile died as he stared at Yoongi's impassive face. They hadn't talked to each other, ever since Yoongi had told him off after his engagement to Jimin.
Behind him, Jin got up. 
"Hey, Tae, I'm late already. I'll just say bye to Suga and leave." He patted Taehyung's head before turning towards the door. "Whichever idiot out of us gave him that nickname anyway. Look at his face now - we should have called him "Salt" instead."

Taehyung watched as Yoongi smiled at Jin and then frowned as Jin hugged him. They exchanged a few words and Jin left. Taehyung was watching, peeking over the edge of his seat. Now, as Jin left, he watched Yoongi with a sad face. Yoongi rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pocket. Taehyung exhaled in relief as Yoongi walked over to the place where he was sitting, putting his bag down on the chair where Jin had been sitting and sinking into the sofa next to Taehyung.

"Hey." Yoongi said, picking up a menu card, not looking at Taehyung's face.

"Hey, hyung." Taehyung said in a very small voice. After a few seconds of silence, Taehyung leaned over and poked Yoongi's arm. Yoongi turned his head towards him.

"Hyung are you still pissed at me?" Taehyung said.

"No, why would I be?" Yoongi said, turning his eyes back to the menu.

"Coz I knew you were pissed with both of us, me and Jungkook. But…But you talk to Jungkook...but not to me." Taehyung said, looking down, with a pout. "Have I done something wrong, Hyung?"

Yoongi sighed. 
"I'm sorry if I have, hyung." Taehyung said. "Really...I can't take it when you don't talk to me."

Yoongi put the menu card down on the table.  He put his hands in the pocket of his jacket and fished for something. He pulled out a chocolate bar and held it out in front of Taehyung, not turning his head to look at Taehyung.

"Here." Yoongi said, his voice curt.

Taehyung's face lit up in a burst of happiness and relief. He snatched the chocolate out of Yoongi's grip and leapt up, crushing Yoongi in a hug. 
"Ughhh…Taehyung, get off! I hate this! GET OFF!"  Yoongi said, pulling Taehyung off and frowning at him.

Taehyung sighed, smiling at Yoongi fondly. "You remembered my chocolate!" 
This was the gift that Yoongi would give to Taehyung every year since their childhood days, when Yoongi had not had the ability to afford much more than that  
out of his own pocket money. Taehyung had jumped in joy every time, nevertheless. By the time they grew up, this had become a tradition. Every year, Yoongi brought the chocolate for Taehyung before the actual gift he would give him for Christmas.

"I don't have Alzheimer's. Why wouldn't I remember?" 

"Coz you were pissed at me. Weren't you?"  Taehyung asked, his voice low.
Yoongi sighed. "Tae..."

"Hyung, please don't hide anything from me." Taehyung said.

"Taehyung, whatever you did to Jimin. It wasn't good. You messed up his life." Yoongi closing his eyes, regretting his words.

Taehyung was silent for some time. He broke the silence finally. "I know, Hyung. I can't ever forgive myself for it." 

Yoongi looked at him. He shook his head, with a regretful face. "No...that wasn't very nice of me. I'm sorry, Tae." 

"But it's true, Hyung. I did mess up Jimin's life." Taehyung said, looking down with a sad smile. "And I don't know any way to make amends." 

"Jimin is a really good boy, Hyung. I never even deserved him as a friend. And he deserved so much better than me-..." 

"But he loves you, not anyone else, Taehyung. That's not going to change." Yoongi said.

"It will...When he finds someone who deserves him. Someone who is much, much more sensible and mature than I am. Someone who can understand him and take care of him. Someone like-..."  Taehyung looked up Yoongi and said casually. "Someone like you."

Yoongi froze, stopped blinking and gulped. His face was a picture of pure shock.

Taehyung had said it very casually, to imply that Jimin would need someone mature and sensible. He had just used Yoongi as an example but watching Yoongi's reaction, he blinked in confusion.

"Hyung? Are you okay?"  Taehyung said, touching Yoongi's wrist.

"Y-yes, of course!"  Yoongi gulped. "Wh-what do you mean like me?" 

"Uh...Like you...as in someone whose got your sense of judgement. Someone who thinks and deals with everything maturely like you." Taehyung said, narrowing his eyes, studying Yoongi's face. 
Yoongi breathed in relief. "Oh. Y-yeah...if you say so." 
A thought had struck Taehyung’s mind, watching Yoongi's response just now. Which he wouldn't reveal to Yoongi, for fear of making him uncomfortable but would discuss with Jungkook later.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[Namjoon]

As his secretary bowed and walked in to stand in front of his table, Namjoon nodded.

“Yes. Tell me.” Namjoon said.

“There’s a boy who says he’s here to meet you, Sir.”

“I thought I made it very clear that I wouldn’t meet anyone without a prior appointment.” Namjoon said.

 “We said we don’t allow anyone up to your room without a prior appointment, but he-…” Namjoon’s secretary hesitated before continuing. “H-he said Sir, that…he would shout till everyone in the locality gathered at our doorstep. He said he would shout that the MD of this company is a…” He coughed before saying the word. “Is a e.” 

“What?!” Namjoon narrowed his eyes, throwing his pen on his table. “What…even…what the hell is happening here? And why haven’t you people thrown him out yet? Do we have guards or have they all gone on a vacation?”

“Sir, I would have asked the guards to take action, but umm…uh…the boy said-…umm.”

“Said what?!” Namjoon was getting frustrated. “Speak up or I’ll have you thrown out along with this boy.”

The secretary flinched. His boss had been uncharacteristically cranky over the past few days. He had snapped at his employees, like he never would otherwise and been absent minded, lost in his thoughts in meetings.

“Sir, he said you would regret it, later on, if you didn’t meet him. And that you would fire me, when you did regret it.”

Namjoon’s nostrils flared as he closed his eyes and rubbed his face. What kind of a peculiar prank was this now?

“Oh. He said that, didn’t he?” Namjoon looked up at his secretary’s face for some time, smiling rigidly. “So, bring him up. And if I don’t like what happens here, I will fire you.”

As his secretary left, Namjoon rolled his eyes, threw his hands up and slumped back against his chair.

Ugh…Might as well listen to this guy.
I haven’t been able to concentrate on any work anyway.

His eyes lingered on the spot on his desk, where last week, there had been a frame that held a very favorite picture of his…a picture of him with a fourteen year old Jimin. The spot had been vacant since he had removed the frame from his desk. He couldn’t look at it anymore.

A Christmas without Jimin.
How can I bear that?!
…Why did you do this to me Jimin ah?
Why did you destroy every claim I had made about you to our parents till now? Why did you have to prove them right?

As the door to his room began to swing open, he quickly sat up, pouring over the piece of paper in front of him on the desk. He pretended to be concentrating on work.
The person who had entered cleared their throat.
Namjoon motioned with his hand. “Go on, say what you have to. What was so important that you were ready to publicly jeopardize my reputation and character completely?”

“Your guards were going to throw me out. I was desperate. Sorry.”
Namjoon froze. He looked up at owner of the familiar voice.

“Jungkook! What the hell are you doing here?” Namjoon said, his voice low, almost a whisper. 

“What do you think I would do here?” Jungkook grabbed a chair in front of him and swung it around to sit down, without invitation, facing Namjoon. “What kind of a Hyung are you?!”

“Do I have to explain myself to you now?” Namjoon said, his face growing bitter. He shook his head. “Jungkook, after everything that happened, one would think that you wouldn’t have the guts to face me again.”

“I wouldn’t have had the guts to face you if it were about me. But this is about Jimin. Your little brother, who regards you as a God. Whom you kicked out of your life for one mistake.” Jungkook said.

Namjoon inhaled and clenched his jaw. “Jungkook, get out. You are the last person in this world that I want to talk to. You are literally the person who started all the trouble. You’re responsible for everything. Now get out before I-…”

“My threat is still active.” Jungkook shrugged casually. “I will really say that you’re a e. And you tried to violate me.”

Namjoon’s face scrunched up in utter shock and he opened and closed his mouth making incredulous sounds, unable to form proper words, “Wh-wha-…you-…I-…How- how can…what the-…”

“That is-…” Jungkook rolled his eyes, making a face like he was stating something very obvious that Namjoon did not understand. “If you don’t listen to what I have to say. Just hear me out. It’s important-…so you’d understand, right?! I don’t actually think you’re a e!” Jungkook held up his hand, shaking his head.

Namjoon gave out a small incredulous laugh. “Ha ha! I’m glad.” He continued to stare at Jungkook with the utterly shocked face.

“Sorry, Hyung! I’m being forced to threaten you! But I have no other way to make you listen to me. You’ll just have me thrown out without listening to a word otherwise. Pleaaase…please hear me out, Hyung.”

“What do you even have to say? What can you have to say that would make things any better? Your ruined everything.” Namjoon said.

“I agree. But I’m not the person who threw my brother out of my house at one provocation.” Jungkook said.

Namjoon sighed, closing his eyes. “Jungkook…there is no reason why I should explain to you. But still…Jimin broke my trust. I trusted him and loved him, more like my son than like a brother. And this is what he gave me as a reward.

Destroying our parent’s reputation in front of the society. And proving me an idiot in front of my parents…My parents are heartbroken-…”

Jungkook scoffed. “Absolute bull. They’d have to have hearts for that.” He said.

Namjoon’s voice rose in anger. “Don’t you dare talk about my parents that way!”

“Well, I’m sorry. But you know as well as I do that I’m right. Your parents are the worst people I’ve come across in my life.”

Namjoon clenched his fist on the table. “Jeon Jungkook. I swear-…”

“Your father never bothered about Jimin. And your mother could never love him because he isn’t her son. You are the only family he had in the world. And you abandoned him. You made him an orphan. Is that the way things work in your family? You cut off any portion of the family that harms your perfect reputation?...Because your reputation is of course more important than family itself.”

Namjoon drew in a deep breath, staring at Jungkook, unable to reply.

“You loved him like a son more than a brother, you say? Wow-…if that’s true, please don’t ever get married and have kids. The first mistake your kid will make, he’ll find himself in a dumpster in the lane behind your mansion.”

“Jungkook, you don’t understand what-…”

“No, I don’t! I don’t understand this.” Jungkook said, leaning forward and slamming his fist down on the table in front of Namjoon. Namjoon looked at Jungkook’s fist which had landed at the exact spot where Jimin’s picture had been before he had removed it. He looked up and met Jungkook’s eyes. Jungkook’s face wasn’t apologetic and polite like it had been before. There was anger in his face. He stared straight into Namjoon’s eyes. Namjoon observed to himself that the boy had the guts to do what most people usually didn’t, meet his eyes without being intimidated.

“I don’t understand this, Namjoon Hyung. I come from a place where you love people, not their social status…so I don’t understand how it’s possible to love your social status so much that you can sacrifice your own blood for it. I’ve grown up surrounded by people who aren’t my own blood but who would sacrifice everything if they needed to, just to see me happy. I’ve grown up-…literally been brought up by four hyungs who have taught me that you don’t give up on the people you love. I’m glad I had a best friend like Taehyung and elder brothers like Jin hyung, Yoongi hyung, Hoseok hyung…brothers whom my own mother didn’t give birth to either…But I know, no matter how many mistakes I made, they would show up to bail me out. They would take my pain on their own shoulders rather than let me face it.”

Namjoon clenched his jaws, glaring at Jungkook. His eyes stung with tears that threatened to fall, but he couldn’t show his emotion in front of Jungkook.

“And they most certainly wouldn’t have thrown me away like you did to your own brother.”

Namjoon remained silent for a while before he spoke.