It was almost noon on that Tuesday when Taehyung and Jungkook started heading towards the hut to have lunch there and continue helping Namjoon with his latest project. Jungkook was driving and they sat in a comfortable silence until Jungkook ventured:

J: “Hey, can I ask you something?”

T: “Sure.”

J: “This is just the impression I’m getting and you can totally tell me I’m trippin’ if it’s not true, but do you… like me or something?”

T: “Excuse me?”

J: “I mean… I know in a way you like me, this morning wouldn’t have happened if not, but… How should I say this… Right! The forehead kissing! I have really tried remembering if I ever had my forehead kissed before, during or after anything remotely ual and I came up empty. And there’s a lot of other kissing and touching happening between us that are not a means to an end, as in not intended to facilitate , and there are other things that don’t involve physical contact as well, and I’m not complaining about it, it’s just that it’s odd and it kinda seems like it comes from… affection? Yeah, affection is what it feels like… I think… So I guess I was trying to ask you if you feel affection towards me… Again – you can totally tell me I’m just imagining things.”

T: “How should I answer something like that… Okay, 1 – I do like you very, very much and 2 – affection could summarize about 40% of what I feel towards you. Another 30% is admiration, like I told you not that long ago, 20% is arousal, which is pretty obvious…”

J: “Only 20% arousal? Damn… I guess it’s no wonder with the kinds of clothes I’ve been wearing since I came here… What’s the remaining 10%?”

T: “Annoyance.”

J: “Oh, now that one I fully understand.” Jungkook said and they both laughed about it.

Taehyung had heard from Jungkook that most of his many relationships fell into 2 categories. One was when the other person tried controlling Jungkook by demanding this and that and Jungkook would just soon move on from those people. The other was when Jungkook and the people he was seeing had very little emotional involvement with the other and therefore influenced each other in a limited manner.

As such, it was not that surprising that Jungkook was relatively unfamiliar with and awkward about affection between lovers. Taehyung didn’t want to fall in either of the categories for Jungkook’s relationships, so he thought that telling Jungkook he felt affection for him was really good as long as Taehyung didn’t start expecting and demanding for Jungkook to feel the same way.

T: “Also I just wanna say that nothing at all would’ve happened if it had been just my hormones running wild after meeting a very cool and y person. It happened because I couldn’t help developing all kinds of feelings after meeting and getting to know a really wonderful and fascinating person.”

J: “Oh… I see…” Jungkook let out laughing awkwardly, then spacing out, shaking his head and slapping himself to come back to his senses and lighting another cigarette to help him stay focused on driving.

Taehyung laughed at that sequence of actions and he was sure that affection was affecting Jungkook as well, but it’d be a really bad idea to ask him about it or force him into admitting it.

After lunch, they chatted a bit and restarted working on the space for the wood that Namjoon had already made progress with during the morning. A few times during that, Taehyung stopped to look at his phone and started grinning widely, so Namjoon asked him what good thing happened.

T: “I took Jungkook’s advice, pulled back a bit and didn’t initiate contact with my family for around 2 days. My mom got worried and my little sisters also contacted me. I was told to dress warmly and eat properly.” Taehyung explained, looking really happy that, apparently, his family didn’t like losing contact with him either.

J: “That’s great, Taehyung!” Jungkook cheerfully let out, coming up to Taehyung to hug him and kiss his temple, then suddenly switched his expression to panicked and raised his hands in the air with lighting speed before backing away. “I… gotta… head inside for a bit.”

What had just happened? Was it wishful thinking assuming that Jungkook was feeling affection but was now having a hard time acknowledging it? Did he change his mind on everything going on between him and Taehyung? Namjoon was confused about that reaction, but Taehyung was even more confused.

Jungkook entered the hut like a storm, but Seokjin didn’t even take his eyes off the monitor at that.

J: “Hey. Can you help me with something?”

S: “I’m kinda in the middle of work, but let’s hear what it is first.”

J: “What happens when a person feels affection?”

S: “Say what?”

Jungkook repeated his question and he looked troubled, so Seokjin couldn’t just brush him off.

S: “Well, generally speaking, 1 of 2 things happens – either that person invites a lot of happiness into their life or a lot of misery. The outcome largely depends on whether the person they feel affection towards also feels affection towards them.”

J: “That person also feels affection. A confirmed 40% of their current feelings are affection.”

S: “What are the remaining 60%?”

J: “Admiration, arousal and annoyance… in that order from greatest to lowest.”

S: “Ah, I fully understand that last one.” Seokjin said after stopping his laughing fit. “Well then, those are very good stats. What does the first person feel besides emerging affection?”

J: “…”

S: “JK?”

J: “I don’t know.”

Jungkook looked troubled but, since he himself didn’t know how he felt, what could Seokjin even say to him? Still, he took a risk and said:

S: “Listen, JK – a combination of affection, admiration, arousal and annoyance is pretty much the standard formula for love. If you run away from it, it’ll mark the first time I see you running away from something and, also, it’ll make you miss out on something that could be great and really fun.”

J: “I never said I was gonna run away from it. I’m just really confused right now.”

S: “About what exactly?”

J: “I… thought I just wanted a certain kind of experiences with someone. Now that those experiences already kinda happened and I realized I might be feeling affection, I don’t know what I want anymore.”

S: “And is something forcing you to figure it out and decide right now?”

J: “Uhm, no. Not really.”

S: “Then why don’t you just enjoy the ride and see where it takes you?”

J: “Oh… You’re right.”

S: “Of course I am. Head on out now. I gotta get back to work.”

Jungkook exited the hut, went up to where Taehyung was, grabbed him by the collar and kissed him.

J: “I… may be also… kinda… feeling affection… Arousal, admiration and annoyance are there too, for sure. I don’t know in what percentages, but I… may have all the elements in the formula.”

Taehyung could only wrap his head around maybe half of what Jungkook was saying, but he didn’t have time to think too much because Jungkook initiated a very passionate kiss and there was no way he could use his rational side during something like that.

Namjoon was really in the dark about what exactly was happening in front of him, so he decided to leave those two alone for a while and go inside the hut to just sit beside Seokjin.

S: “Couldn’t handle the PDA?”

N: “It’s not that. I just felt awkward third-wheeling on that whole scene… Also – I told you they got together. You better pay up your end of the bet.”

S: “Fine. I’ll give you your massage before bed tonight. But they got together only halfway. One’s still afraid of admitting that he’s in love and the other one’s so inexperienced with things like this, he might not even realize it when he ends up feeling like that.”

N: “But they both have you there to provide guidance.”

S: “I can guide you to that window over there, where you can see if it’s okay for you to go out or not.”

N: “It’s not. They’re still kissing and stuff.” Namjoon stated after looking out the window.

S: “Then maybe you can join me for some private displays of affection.”

N: “Aren’t you working right now?”

S: “I am. But I can make time for the people important to me. Especially for the greatest source and target of my affection, admiration, arousal and annoyance.”

Namjoon didn’t quite understand what Seokjin was referencing, but he knew a few very nice moments were awaiting him.

Later on, after finishing quite a lot of the project for keeping the wood dry, they had dinner that was made on the portable stove instead of a campfire or the grill. Taehyung told Jungkook to drink if he wanted to because he would drive them back. Taehyung was feeling really good so, when they reached the guest house and entered Jungkook’s room, Taehyung pinned him against the mattress of the bed, but Jungkook was smiling widely and occasionally giggling.

T: “What is it?”

J: “I guess I’m just excited.”

Taehyung cupped the side of his face with one hand and lowered himself to kiss Jungkook sweetly. The latter was still smiling into the kiss, so everything that followed had a fun vibe to it. Taehyung did exactly what Jungkook had done during the morning regarding the lube and the stretching, but he was being really playful with other forms of touching and kissing, so Jungkook constantly switched between aroused and amused. After the ing began, arousal clearly won that battle and the playful touching turned into passionate merging of different body parts. It felt good for both of them in a different way from that morning and the shockwave from the took a little longer to subside. After everything was done, Taehyung applied Ibuprofen cream, but Jungkook said:

J: “There’s really no need. I’ve got so much dopamine running through me right now, I could take a pickhammer to the gut and still not feel anything.”

T: “Does that mean I was too rough?”

J: “No. It means I’m numb from how good everything felt.”

T: “I’m really happy to hear that.”

J: “Then I’ll say it to you even when it’s not true.”

T: “Hey!” Taehyung let out and Jungkook laughed before they kissed and hugged a lot and then debated on whether they would take a shower in the morning or right then.

Wednesday morning came and they were woken up by kids screaming as they were playing on the terrace. Because they were feeling lazy, they wasted more time just staying bed, then decided to take a shower together for efficiency. They grabbed breakfast and coffee to consume on the road because they wanted to get to the hut faster and finish the space for the wood by that day’s dinner time. Jungkook fed Taehyung as he was driving and it seemed like everything was right and rosy-colored in the world.

But it was not.

Right when they arrived at the hut, they saw that Namjoon and Seokjin were having an argument and then Namjoon left to go somewhere higher up on the mountain. Taehyung asked Jungkook to go after him, since Jungkook had a much higher chance of keeping up with him if he kept on climbing, and after Jungkook went to follow Namjoon, leaving the car in the middle of the road, Taehyung went into the hut to talk with Seokjin.

T: “What happened?”

S: “Mr. Cha stayed for an hour-long chat again. When he left, I made a very sarcastic and bitter remark and it made Joon snap. I often lack patience, so I can’t really blame him for losing his patience with me complaining about these things so often.”

T: “Ah, it’s this issue again…”

S: “Yeah… Why can’t I get past this? I’ve put so much effort into not letting these things get to me anymore and not giving him crap about it, but it still sometimes spills out.”

T: “Joon knows you’ve been putting in that effort though and he appreciates it. Maybe he just woke up more tired today or something.”

S: “No. Everything was as usual. But he’s human too and he has limits he reaches when something frustrates him just like anyone else. It actually amazes me how long it takes him to snap like today.”

T: “Well, since you seem to think you were in the wrong, apologize sincerely and I think it’ll pass.”

S: “Okay. But the problem is that I can’t help thinking if we’re gonna last like this. We’re very different people and some of our traits go against each other. Both of us put effort into adapting to the other one, but things like this still happen. What if we’ll never manage to properly adapt to one another? Should we just break up before it gets really bad?”

T: “And do you wanna break up?”

S: “No! I don’t. He’s unlike any other person I’ve ever met. These past 2 years have been full of fear, frustration and exhaustion more than any other 6 years of my life put together. But they’ve also been the most fun I’ve ever had. And I’m willing to go through this kinda frustration over and over and over again if I can still see him have fun next to me.”

T: “I think you just answered all of your dilemmas with that.”

S: “Yeah…” Seokjin let out before letting out a very heavy sigh, slapping his knees and turning towards Taehyung with determination. “I wanna make some of his favorite foods that I rarely make because we rarely have the ingredients at hand and it takes a long time. Can you go buy some things for me while I get started with what we have here?”

T: “Sure.”

Taehyung realized only when he got into the car that he’d have to turn it around on that kind of terrain without any help and he only had an idea of how to do it from watching Seokjin and Jungkook. He was starting to feel tense, but then he remembered this wasn’t the time to think about himself and that he’d only be hurting himself if he messed up, so he did what he could to turn the car around. Along the way towards the town, after he had reached the asphalted road, Taehyung realized:

T: “Wait a minute… I’d only be hurting myself if I messed up… and that’s okay?! What the hell?! Did I get Jungkook-efied or something? Argh!”

A.N. Today it'll just be a photo of a pretty lake.