15 Years Ago, Christmas Eve

“Oh, momma! Please? I really really need this!” A six year old Jungkook tugs desperately at his mother’s sleeve, trying to pull her over to this amazing IronMan action figure at the end of the isle. Mrs. Jeon sighs and apologizes to the person she was talking to, receiving a chuckle and an ‘it’s okay’ before turning to her son.

“Do you need it? Or do you just want it?” She asks rhetorically. Jungkook just looks up at her with big, round, confused eyes.

“Mom, I need this! I’ll die if I don’t have this!” He collapses against the shelf dramatically, hand to his forehead and his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth. The guest laughs and Mrs. Jeon rolls her eyes exasperatedly. She digs through her purse and pulls out a few bills, handing them to her son.

“Ok, you can get it, but that’s one less Christmas present this year. You got that?” She says, and little boy Jungkook nods rapidly, eyes wide with excitement.

“Got it, mom!” She ruffles his hair and shoos him off, going back to her conversation with the guest.

Jungkook zooms through the isle, picking up the figurine and hugging it tight to his chest.

“You’re gonna be my favorite toy for forever!” He exclaims excitedly, dashing to the register to pay for his new bestie.

“Aw, there’s a line...looks like we have to wait IronMan. “ Jungkook pouts and steps behind the line of five people, all here for last minute Christmas shopping.

Jungkook preoccupies himself by miming his IronMan flying in his box, making blast off noises with his mouth and swinging his arm about.

“And IronMan saves the day again! Oh, IronMan, my hero!”

“Can I play?” Jungkook freezes, pulling his still-boxed toy protectively to his chest.

The boy who was standing in front of him had turned around, and he had a big rectangular smile on his face. Jungkook noted his worn, old clothes and dirt smudged face. His hair was matted and his shoes ratted. He was a bit taller than Jungkook was, looked only a bit older, and he was holding a box of shoes in his hands.

But his smile was pretty.

His eyes were wide and kind.

Jungkook nodded shyly.

The boy’s smile impossibly widened and Jungkook couldn’t find it in his six year old heart to not smile back.

They passed the boxed toy back and forth between them as they waited in line for their turn.

“Oh no! Dr. Octopus is coming! Quick! We need a plan!”

“Ahhhh! No! Not the bunnies! Anything but the bunnies!”

The two boys giggled maniacally, and the people witnessing the scene smiled softly at the scene unfolding in passing by.

“Next!” The boys turn to the voice, noticing that it was now the stranger boy’s turn. He walked up to the counter to slide the shoebox onto it before digging through his pockets to pull out hand-fulls of coins and a few crumpled dollars and dumping them onto the counter too. The woman behind the counter scoffs in disbelief at the mess on her counter.

“What the heck boy? What’s all this?” The boy flinches a bit at her harsh tone, and Jungkook frowns.

“I wanna buy these shoes, for my momma please, ma’am.” He looks down at his worn sneakers and scuffs the tip against the shiny floor. Jungkook sees the woman roll her eyes before slowly sorting through the coins reluctantly. After a few long seconds of coins noisily scraping against the counter, Stranger boy speaks up.

“Can you hurry, ma’am? Daddy says there isn’t a lot of time left.” The cashier looks hmms uninterested.

“You see, ma’am. Momma’s been real sick for a while now.” He proudly smiles at the shoes at the edge of the counter, “Momma’s gonna smile so big when she sees these.” He nods excitedly at her, “She always liked pretty things, you know? And these Christmas shoes are so so pretty! She’s gonna look so pretty when she meets Jesus.” He sighs dreamily, “He’s gonna fall for momma, just like daddy fell for momma!” By now the cashier had stopped counting the coins, looking at the boy with a weird face. Jungkook stood behind the boy with a deep frown, wondering why the stranger boy was so happy about his momma meeting this Jesus man.

Jungkook would cry if his mom left him for some other man instead of his dad.

The boy looks expectantly at the cashier lady.

“Well? Aren’t you gonna count them?” That seems to snap her out of whatever she was in and she nods, counting the coins with much vigor.

After what seemed like ages of her counting the coins, she calls out to the boy who was playing again with Jungkook.

“Excuse me, boy.” The boy turns quickly back to the register, looking at the cashier with shining eyes.

This is why hate my job. She thinks to herself ruefully.

“There isn’t enough here.” The happiness on the boy’s face quickly drains out to be replaced by dejection.

“Oh…” He whispers, looking down at the floor. He steps back away from counter, arms dropping uselessly down at his sides.

“I’m...sorry for wasting your time, ma’am.” Jungkook can just make out a tear trail down the boy’s cheek as he looks longingly at the box still on the counter.

Jungkook watches as Stranger boy walks out of the shop, not even bothering to pick up his change, with his hands in his pockets and his head down. He looks at the shoebox being picked up by the cashier lady.

“Wait!” He shouts and pads his way up to the counter. He slides his boxed toy onto the counter, having to go onto his tippy toes in order to push it all the way to the middle. The cashier lady looks down at him questioningly.

“How much for this and the shoes, ma’am?”

Jungkook runs as fast as his little legs can take him in the direction he saw Stranger boy go, the boy’s extra change jingling in the pocket of his winter jacket. He holds in his hand as a bag with a shoebox and an IronMan in it. He tries to see him through the legs of all the grownups on the sidewalk, but he can’t see.

“Aww, I missed him.” He pouts and stops at the end of an ally.

“Where did he go?” He looks around himself, turning in circles, realizing he doesn’t know where he was.

“Uh oh…” He spins around a couple more times, thinking if he turned enough times, the world would stop being so big and he would know the way back to the store.

Logic...it works.

Except, it doesn’t, Jungkook just ends up dizzy and even more confused.

“Momma…” Jungkook looks into the alley he was standing in front of, where the voice came from.

“Hello?” Jungkook calls, stepping cautiously into the empty space. He hears muffled sniffling and deduces that someone is crying and definitely needs help. So he takes his next step more confidently. And the next and the next, until he’s standing in front of the source.

It’s Stranger boy.

“Hello?” Little Jungkook reaches over and taps the boy on the shoulder. The boy looks up in shock and scrambles to his feet, wiping vigorously at his eyes and nose.

“What do you want?” The boy mumbles, still sniffling.

Jungkook smiles, bright and big, bunny teeth fully on show, and holds his bag out to him.

“Merry Christmas!” Stranger boy’s eyes widen as he slowly takes the bag from the six year old. He peeps in and gasps, looking down at the kid rocking on his heels with his hands clasped behind his back, wide smile planted firmly on his face, pleased with the reaction the boy gave.

He takes out the IronMan figurine and attempts to hand it over to the smaller boy, but Jungkook steps out of reach, shaking his head.

“Nope! I want you to have it!” Stranger boy stands frozen, his arm still out reached.

“B-but…it’s yours. I can’t take it.” He tries to hand it back again, but Jungkook dodges it once more.

“You aren’t taking it. I’m giving it to you, silly. You liked it. I want you to have it.” Jungkook sees the boy’s lips tremble and gets worried.

“W-why are you crying? Are you sad?” Stranger boy shakes his head, staring at the package in his hand.

“N-no. I’m...really happy.” He carefully puts the toy back into the bag, next to the box of shoes. He looks down at wide shining eyes with a sincere boxy smile. He wraps the smaller boy in a bone crushing hug.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Jungkook giggles, happy that the boy isn’t sad anymore.

“You’re welcome!”

Stranger boy walks Jungkook back to the store, stopping in front of it to wrap the younger in another hug. When he releases him he steps back and gives another smile.

He swings the bag in front of him, the coins once in Jungkook’s coat clang prettily at the bottom of the bag.

“You know, momma always did try to make Christmas happen at our house, but most years, to make that happen, she did without a lot of things. This year, she's gonna finally have her perfect Christmas! She’s gonna look so beautiful. Thank you.” He bows and turns to walk away.

“You’re welcome!” Jungkook shouts at the boys back and when he turns back to wave, he waves back just as enthusiastically.

“Jeon Jungkook! Where have you been young man?” It’s the first thing he hears when he opens the door and steps into the warm shop.

Mrs. Jeon marches up to her wide eyed son and pulls on his arm, ranting about how she ‘thought he was kidnapped’ and ‘never wander away like that again, do you hear me?’. Jungkook nods obediently, but he doesn’t regret going out and making Stranger boy smile again.

Oo, I wonder if we’ll meet again one day… We could play IronMan again!

Present

It’s finally moving day.

It’s finally moving day, and Kim Jungkook and Kim Taehyung were finally going to be living together after six years of being together.

It’s finally moving day, and Kim Jungkook and Kim Taehyung are breaking their backs trying to move these heavy boxes into their brand-spankin-new house.

Well… Jungkook is, at least…

“Gosh, Taehyung, are you even helping, here?” Jungkook complains, arms straining under the weight of the sofa in his hands.

“ ‘Course I am, babe! Gee, feels like my arms are going to fall off! Hurry up!” Taehyung sounds from the other side of the couch, sounding far too chipper to be someone who straining under the weight of anything. Jungkook sets down his side of the sofa and makes his way to where his husband is.

“Wait! No, don’t put it down! Ouch, my back, I-” Taehyung cuts himself off as he sees the face of his husband.

He looks down at his end of the sofa situated on top of boxes which were sitting on a dolly.

Honestly… he was just rolling his end along.

He grins sheepishly at his hubby, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Really hate you had to find out this way…” Jungkook continues to just stare at him, making him squirm and let out a wine.

“Oh, come on Jungkook! Not everyone can be as strong as you!” He stomps his foot childishly. Jungkook only sighs and steps forward to wrap his arms around Taehyung’s waist.

“Why did I take your last name, again?” He mumbles into Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung giggles at the ticklish sensation while wrapping his arms around Jungkooks neck.

“Because I top. Duh.” Jungkook laughs in disbelief.

“Only on the weekends, .” Taehyung scoffs, affronted, pulling back and hitting Jungkook on the shoulder.

“Hey! I'm the one who proposed, you emotionally constipated dickwad! Just as quick as I bought that ring I can take it back!” He scoffs, turning around in his lover's arms so his back was to him and folding his arms across his chest in contempt. Jungkook tightens his grip around Taehyung’s waist.

“Nooooo!” Taehyung nods stubbornly, refusing to acknowledge the bunny-boy nuzzling into his neck...

The hand ghosting under his shirt...

The hand kneading his …

“What the do you think you're doing Jeon?” Taehyung whispers harshly. He feels Jungkook’s chuckle vibrate against his neck.

“Nu uh uh, it's Kim now. And I'm just trying to make you smile that beautiful smile again.” He then proceeds wiggle his fingers against Taehyung’s rib cage. Immediately, Taehyung’s legs give out and he’s going down, laughter bursting through his lips and diffusing into the air of the quiet California neighborhood.

“Oh my- haha-god, stop-ah! I-hah give! I give! Let me g-go!” He squirms in his hubby’s unyielding hands, tugging him into the ground with him and rolling around uncontrollably, knocking over boxes that were stacked around the yard.

“Say, ‘I love love love Jungkookie!’ And I will let you go.” Taehyung is gasping for breath, tears leaking out of his eyes.

“Never!” Jungkook jumps back in with renewed vigor.

“Say it!” He tickles the spot at the crook of Taehyung's knees and he finally gives in.

“Ok! Ok! I love love love Jungkookie!” Both of them are huffing for air once Jungkook finally lets up on his tickle attack and collapses in the ground next to Taehyung.

Jungkook rolls over to throw an arm around Taehyung waist and nuzzle into his neck as Taehyung spoons him there on the ground.

“It's so warm.” Taehyung mutters into his lover's hair.

“It's Christmas Eve though.” He laughs in disbelief.

“Exactly! It should be freezing! But it's not even cold!” Jungkook hums non committedly into his collar bone.

“We should probably get up. We knocked over a bunch of boxes.” Jungkook whines out a no and hugs Taehyung tighter. He pays the younger's shoulder and sighs before trying to get up and away from the clingy arms.

“Come on, Jungkook. I want to at least be able to sleep in the bed tonight.” When Jungkook finally relinquished his hold on him, Taehyung stands and reaches down to tug Jungkook up, brushing dirt from his jeans and shirt.

As Jungkook is picking up things and putting them pack in boxes they've knocked over, he picks up a boxed toy that looks very familiar for some reason.

A memory tugs at the back of his head and he scrunches up his nose in thought.

Have I seen this before?

He turns to Taehyung who was struggling to lift a box back into it original place atop another box.

“Taehyung!” He holds up the toy inside yellowing plastic towards his Hubby when he happily drops the box he was holding, wincing when he hears something crack, and makes his way over to him.

“Yeah?” Taehyung asks when he makes it over, wrapping his arms around his lover in a back hug and peeking over his shoulder at the thing in his hands.

“Where'd you get this?” Taehyung smiles at the sight of the IronMan action figure.

“When I was eight, I had went to buy my mom a pair of shoes for Christmas. I didn't have enough money for them, turns out, but when I was I an alley crying my little heart out about it, a little kid came up and handed me a bag. In it was the shoes I was trying to buy and this.” He reaches out and takes the box from his frozen lovers hands, going onto his tip toes in order to look over his shoulder more clearly.

“Never really had the heart to take it out the box.”

Jungkook stands shocked, memories of that day he ran after a boy to hand him his gift flooding back to him.

“Hyung…” Taehyung hums behind him.

“Did...the little boy...was he the one you were playing with standing in the line?” He gulps, not sure where he was going with this.

“Mhmm.” Taehyung hums off handedly. It takes a couple seconds for the question to sink in, but when it does, Taehyung stiffens behind him.

“Wait...how'd you know I was playing in the line…” Jungkook slowly turns around, eyes wide in wonder.

“Hyung… I never did get to ask if your mom liked the pretty shoes…” He watches as Taehyung’s eyes widen, much like that time in the alley when Jungkook handed him the bag, and Jungkook wonders how he never saw the resemblance before.

“Oh my gosh, Jungkook, do you know what this means?!”

“That all these years you had an IronMan toy tucked away in your closet, and I never knew about it.” Taehyung grabs his shoulders and shakes Jungkook back and forth.

“That we were destined for each other! The Fates were foreshadowing our future together!” He tugs him close, tucking Jungkook's head into his neck like a newborn child.

“We're gonna be together forever.” Jungkook chuckles, wrapping his arms around the other man and placing a tender kiss to the neck in front of his face.

“I could've told you that even without the toy showing up.” He squeezes tight, “I love you, Kim Taehyung.”

“Love you too, Kim Jungkook.”

“I can't believe you kept the toy.”

“Shut up Jungkook, it holds sentimental value. Even more now that I know you gave it to me.”

“And you can't say anything, ‘cause I know you still have that stuffed dinosaur you told me that girl from Kinder gave you in one of these boxes.”

“Taehyung! I thought we agreed to never bring that up again!”

“Still love you, Jungkookie!”

Inspired by

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LS4_b2LbLW4

And this one picture I saw on Tumblr a couple years ago about a girl finding a picture of a boy in the bushes at a park, later growing up and marrying a man, finding the picture again and finding out that her husband was the boy in the picture like aw how sweet is that! (I found a picture of Jimin on my phone...does this mean something O_o)

MERRY CHRISTMAS/ HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY I LOVE YOU ALL CAUSE EVERYONE IS AMAZING I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS AN AWESOME DAY AHEAD OF YOU \(^_^)/