True to his word Taehyung picked Jungkook up after school the very next day. When Jungkook walked out of the main building the red head was sitting quietly on the bench under the oak tree in the courtyard. They walked home together and only barely managed to speak just before they reached Jungkook’s house. The entire way Jungkook kept thinking about how it would feel if Taehyung suddenly took hold of his hand. He wouldn’t ever find out that Taehyung was thinking the same thing. All the confidence he’d had about touching the school boy the night before had completely evaporated.

They continued their pattern, shyly encroching on invisible barriers until Jungkook would openly wrap his arms around Taehyung when he was on the back of his motorcycle.

Taehyung memorized the days he had student council and the days he had choir or vocal lessons. On his free days Taehyung waited for him at the public garden two blocks down from his school. On student council days he waited in the courtyard after everyone left. On choir and vocal days he walked Jungkook to the music school.

They talked a lot about the things they like and disliked. Jungkook would spend hs study periods thinking of things to talk about with Taehyung. Occasionally Jimin would about having a PG-13 relationship but what they were doing made Jungkook really happy.

What gave Jungkook anxiety about their relationship was his parents. No matter how many times he thought about it, the scenario in his head never ended well. He imagined them having ridiculous reactions to his boyfriend, calling him a hoodlum, saying he wasn’t good enough, telling Jungkook that he would only deter him from the future he was building. He knew his parents well. They hardly allowed him to eat ice cream because it was bad for his throat. There was no way they would be OK with his relationship with Taehyung.

Neither of them talked about their parents; Taehyung even avoided the subject of his father at times. Jungkook knew he was never going to meet Taehyung’s biological family. It was enough that Taehyung let him be around his second family, his hyungs. But with all the missing time Jungkook’s parents were sure to keeping track of it was only a matter of time before they started questioning him. And he wasn’t sure what kind of answers he would give.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Tae asked quietly. The were sitting side-by-side on the tailgate of Jin’s truck watching the others try to start a fire. His hand was in its place on Jungkook’s thigh. The feeling made Jungkook shiver, but not from the cold.

“My parents.” Jungkook whispered back.

“What about them?”

Taehyung looked at him with innocent eyes that made Jungkook buckle. “That they won’t like you at all and I don’t know what to do.”

“Will you still like me even if they don’t?” Taehyung asked after a moment of thought.

“Of course.” Jungkook didn’t hesitate.

“Then who cares. If you want to be with me than we’ll be together.”

Jungkook looked up at Taehyung, who was staring out at the horizon nonchalantly. His boyfriend seemed to always know what to say to make him feel better about everything. “Do you want to meet them?”

“I’d love to.” Tae, also, didn’t hesitate.

They set a time and date. Jungkook was uneasy all week. His parents gave him funny looks that were easy to ignore because it would only be worse on the appointed day. Friday Jungkook could go straight home. He practically skipped his way to the garden where he skidded to an abrupt stop. There on the park bench was his boyfriend in a suit. Jungkook felt his cheeks flush. About that time Taehyung noti