Archive of Our Own ^beta

Taehyung is lying on the grass in his backyard with his eyes closed as the sun gently shines down on him. He spent the last couple of hours on his knees in his garden, weeding and tending to his flowers and vegetable patches. He decided to take a break, letting his back stretch out after being bent over for so long to make sure every plant he’d grown was happy and healthy. He could hear Yeontan walking around the yard and sniffing every inch of it, the sound of the bell on his collar mixing with the wind chimes his neighbor has hanging in his backyard – creating a symphony that he’d started to associate with summer.

He’s thinking of the homemade lemonade he has in his fridge, trying to decide if getting up from his comfortable spot beneath the sun is really worth it to go get some, when he hears Yeontan’s tiny bark and his tinier paws running through the grass. He feels someone lie down next to him, and with a small smile without opening his eyes, he says, “Hi, Jungkookie.”

“Hi, Tae,” he says back, and the sound of his soft voice makes Taehyung feel the fluttering of butterfly wings.

They lie together under the sky. Neither of them say a word. They just enjoy the moment together, until Yeontan walks across Taehyung’s chest to reach Jungkook and licks all over his face. Taehyung opens his eyes at the sound of his giggles, a sound he’d come to associate with summer too. And winter and spring and hopefully fall once it arrived.

Taehyung had fallen in love. It didn’t take very long, just the passing of a few seasons. And for a little while, he thought that maybe Jungkook loved him too. 

He looks over to Jungkook, who sat up with one knee brought to his chest while he throws a ball for Yeontan to fetch. The sun is falling across him as his long hair dances in the wind, the sounds of birds chirping all around them. Jungkook looks over to him then. He rests his chin on his knee and watches him, a soft smile on his face. He turns back to take the ball from Yeontan, his other hand reaching over to rest on Taehyung’s arm, just wanting to touch and be close.

Taehyung loves him. 

In the winter, it was just a harmless crush on his new neighbor. Taehyung isn’t one to get crushes. He is a reader, an artist, a romantic who sees the beauty in everyone, notices all the small, lovely details about them. But his observations never grow into anything more, just passing admiration. There was something about Jungkook, though, that lingered even when he wasn’t around. Maybe it was the way his pale skin looked so beautiful when it snowed, the way it made his pink lips and dark eyes stand out, or the way a blush spread across his cheeks like a drop of watercolor paint on a blank page when Taehyung pointed it out. Maybe it was the way Taehyung returned from work one evening and saw Jungkook shoveling the path to his doorway for him, because the temperatures that day were as low as they’d been that season and he knew Taehyung got cold easily. Or maybe it was the way Jungkook showed up to his door one day with a bag of cookie ingredients, requesting that they make some together.

In the spring, along with the daffodils and hyacinths and cherry blossom trees, his harmless crush bloomed into something more. It could have had something to do with how sometimes when he checked his mailbox, there would be a few wildflowers there, or maybe a couple of dandelions – one white and puffy one for him to make a wish on and watch the seeds float around him, one soft and yellow one to keep pressed between the pages in a book. Or it could have had something to do with the way Taehyung would sometimes wake up to the sound of a lawnmower and would look out front to see Jungkook cutting his grass for him. It could have had something to do with the way Jungkook’s touches started to linger, the way he sometimes pulled Taehyung into a hug out of nowhere, the way Taehyung would catch him looking at him when he was focused on something else, or the way he would tell him that he’s pretty, that he’s funny, that he’s so smart and kind. 

In the summer, lying on the grass in his backyard beneath the sun, he looks at Jungkook and thinks, not for the first time, nor anywhere near the second or the third, that he is so in love with him. 

“What are you thinkin’ about?” Jungkook asks, pulling Taehyung’s eyes away from where they were watching the clouds above them again, daydreaming about what it might be like to feel Jungkook’s lips – always just slightly chapped no matter the season – pressed against his. 

“Hmm?” he says. He sits up with his hands behind him to hold himself up.

“I said,” Jungkook says, turning his body to lie down with his head in Taehyung’s lap, “what are you thinking about?”

Taehyung brushes his long fingers through Jungkook’s dark hair. He lightly scratches at his scalp, and Jungkook closes his eyes. He allows himself to take his time studying every inch of his face, something he avoids doing too often for fear of getting caught or fear of falling even more deeply. 

His eyes follow the curve of his sharp jawline, which contrasts with his soft cheeks, making him look a bit intimidating one moment and sweet the next. He counts the beauty marks on his face: one beneath his lip, another on the bridge of his nose, and another on the tip of it, so small that it’s easy to miss. He looks at the small scar on his cheek, a tiny indent that he has thought about kissing every time he’s noticed it. 

“Not thinking about anything in particular,” he says, looking away.

“Do you have any plans later?” Jungkook asks. Taehyung brushes through his hair again, then he starts to braid it to give his hands something to do so they don’t reach over to hold Jungkook’s own.

“Nope. Why do you ask?”

Yeontan comes trotting over and climbs onto Jungkook’s chest, making himself at home. Jungkook smiles, his bunny teeth making an appearance, and scratches Yeontan’s head.

“I was wondering if you wanted to have a movie night with Jimin and me.”

Jimin. 

Taehyung sighs, so softly that the wind just carries it away.

“We were planning on making my backyard all cozy and watching something on the projector,” Jungkook continues. “It’d be fun if you came.”

Taehyung first met Jimin in the spring. Taehyung was unloading the groceries from his car when Jungkook’s front door opened. He perked up, quickly fluffing up his hair and expecting to see Jungkook, when a man he hadn’t seen before walked out. He had bubblegum pink hair that was a bit messy, as was the wrinkly shirt hanging off his shoulder – too big for his small frame and clearly belonging to Jungkook. 

The man was just about to get in his car when Jungkook called out, “Hey, hyung, wait!” He ran out and handed the man something, then the man kissed Jungkook on the forehead. They said a few more words, then the stranger finally got in his car. 

Taehyung quickly looked away, not wanting to be caught staring, and busied himself with grabbing the grocery bags he’d let go of. “Oh, hi, Taehyung!” Jungkook said. Taehyung gave a small wave and an even smaller smile, and Jungkook walked over. “Do you want some help carrying your groceries in?”

“That’s okay, I’ve got it,” he said, but Jungkook was already trying to take some of the bags out of his hands. “No, really, Jungkook, I’m fine.” Something in the tone of his voice made Jungkook pause.
 
“Oh, okay. Do you want to hangout tonight?” he asked, scratching the back of his neck. “I’ve been craving kimbap and was thinking of getting it delivered.”

“I’m not feeling too well,” Taehyung said. He felt terrible lying, even worse when he watched the way a subtle look of hurt settled across Jungkook’s face like he knew he wasn’t telling the truth. But seeing someone leave Jungkook’s house in his clothes made something painful settle in his chest, and he just wanted to spend the evening reading his book and cuddling with Yeontan.

Jungkook nodded. “I hope you feel better then. You’ll text me if you need anything?”

“Sure, Jungkookie,” Taehyung said, and Jungkook nodded again and made his way back to his house.

Taehyung saw the same man a few more times over the following couple of weeks, sometimes sitting out front with Jungkook while he worked on his yard, sometimes arriving late at night or leaving early in the morning. He wasn’t intentionally watching out for them; something just seemed to not be on his side because the man would always come and go when he was taking Yeontan for a walk, or leaving for work or arriving back home.

On a particularly slow night, Taehyung told the two others that were working with him at the local bookshop he owned that they could go home early. It was quiet, just the sound of his footsteps every few moments, the sliding of a book back onto its shelf, the classical piano music playing in the background. 

The bells hanging from the door rang, and he turned to greet the newcomers. He saw Jungkook and the man walking up to him.

“Hi, Tae!” Jungkook said with a smile, and Taehyung didn’t like the butterflies he felt for him when there was another man standing beside him. “This is Jimin.”

“Hi!” the man – Jimin – said, his voice soft and sweet. It was the first time he had seen him up close, and his eyes disappeared when his lips spread into a smile, one crooked tooth showing.

“Hi, Jimin, it’s nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m Taehyung.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Jungkookie here,” he said, holding onto Jungkook’s arm. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Um, well, I have to finish shelving these books,” Taehyung said, turning away. He saw Jungkook’s eyebrows furrow. “I'm a little behind on things.”

“I hope we see each other again soon!” Jimin said, pulling on Jungkook’s arm to lead him out the shop.

Taehyung nodded and smiled, one that would look genuine to anyone, but Jungkook seemed to catch something that gave it away. He tilted his head in question at him, and Taehyung just turned away, setting a book on its shelf.

He met Jimin a few more times – passed by him in town, saw him at their local coffee shop, spoke with him when he got to Jungkook’s – and he grew to really like Jimin, to his slight dismay. Jimin made it nearly impossible to not like him. He was sweet and caring, always asked, “How are you?” and really wanted to know. He was so kind, always had something nice to say to him or anybody he knew. He was funny and energetic and had a gentle presence. And if it were under any other circumstances, Taehyung knew that he’d really like to be friends with him.

But when he looked at Jimin, he thought of Jungkook. Of Jimin getting to see Jungkook late at night or early in the morning, of getting to hear about his day every day and not only some of them like Taehyung did, of the way he’d turn to Jungkook when he laughed, falling over into his lap.

“Tae?” he hears a voice say, then something flicks his cheek and he’s brought back to his backyard, under the blue sky with the boy he loves who is with somebody else. 

“Hey,” he says, pouting and rubbing his cheek.

Jungkook is sitting back up, and he reaches his hand up. Taehyung freezes. Jungkook holds his cheek, softly moving his thumb back and forth over the spot where he’d flicked him. It’s moments like these where Taehyung thinks that maybe Jungkook loves him back. He lets himself imagine. Maybe in another universe, Jungkook is his, and he leans forward to leave one, two, three soft kisses on his lips. And in that universe Taehyung tackles him to the ground and throws his leg over him, attacking his sides with tickles while Jungkook giggles and tries to push him away, and Yeontan barks at them and their play fighting. And Taehyung relents and looks at him, the both of them out of breath from their laughter, and he tells him he loves him. And it's not the first time he says it, maybe not even the hundredth. And Jungkook says it back, because Jungkook is his, because Jungkook loves him back.

“Hey,” Jungkook says, and he's brought back to this universe, the same summer day but with two different stories. “Are you okay? You keep… disappearing somewhere.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, sorry. What were you saying?” 

Jungkook studies his face, looking worried. “Do you wanna have a movie night with me and Jimin?” 

“Oh, um. No, that’s okay. You guys can have your own night together; I don’t mind. I haven't been feeling too well lately, so I just wanna have a quiet night in.”

“Are you sure?” Jungkook asks. “Things are always better with you there.”

He says it so softly, looking at him in that way again. The way that made him fall, because he thought Jungkook would be there to catch him.

“I’m sure. Thank you though.”

“Okay. Well, if you change your mind, just come over,” Jungkook says, standing up and brushing the grass off his shorts. He ruffles Taehyung’s hair, and Taehyung slaps his hand away. Jungkook giggles, then says, “Your hair is pretty like this. Wavy and honey-colored. Makes you glow in the sun a little bit. You kinda did before you lightened it too though, so maybe it’s just you.”

Taehyung looks down, shy and confused, fiddling with his fingers in his lap until he hears the gate on his white picket fence open and close. 

He cleans up all of his gardening tools and goes inside, Yeontan following behind him. 

– ☼ –

Taehyung is sitting at his kitchen table, reading a book while he eats some ice cream with a clay mask on his face, when he sees Jungkook and Jimin go outside into Jungkook’s backyard. Jungkook connects his laptop to the projector, then he gets on the blanket and pillow bed next to Jimin, who rests his head on his shoulder. 

Taehyung pulls his eyes away and puts his bookmark back in his book. He finishes his ice cream, then goes to wash his face mask away. He sits on his couch – which does not have a view of Jungkook’s yard – and pulls up Yoongi’s contact on his phone to call him.

After a few rings, Yoongi sighs into the phone and says, “Yeah?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes. “What are you up to?”

“Just finished making dinner and was about to eat before you interrupted.”

“What’d you make?”

“Is there a reason why you’re calling me, Taehyung?”

“Um…” His voice comes out small, and it tells Yoongi the reason why he’s calling because he’s heard it a few times before.

“I made japchae.” 

“I’m so jealous. I had ice cream for dinner.”

“What kind?”

“Strawberry, obviously. Don’t ask dumb questions.”

The conversation flows from topic to topic – how the bookshop is doing, how Yoongi’s master’s degree is going, Taehyung telling him all the intricacies of the entire plot of the drama he’s watching, unprompted. Then it finally arrives on why he called. What he wanted to avoid.

“So his boyfriend’s over, huh?”

“Yeah… He invited me to have a movie night with them but I told him I don’t feel well.”

“I’m sorry, Tae.”

“It’s okay. Just sucks, you know? The first time I really start to like someone, start to…” he swallows, “love someone, and it’s this way. And sometimes I wish I was a bit different maybe. Because it’s my own fault. I didn’t take the chance when I had it because I just wasn’t fully there yet and then someone else came along and wouldn’t take so long and–”

“Tae, I know you love Jungkook, and I’m not saying anything about him or his character or anything like that, but you’re worth waiting for. God, that was disgusting, but you know what I mean.”

Taehyung laughs, then sniffles. “Thanks. Anyway, speaking of love and boyfriends, how’s yours?”

“He’s fine. Actually, we were talking about getting our friends together and going out to dinner or for a drink. It’d just be the four of us. Me, him, you, and his childhood best friend too. You in?”

“Yes! When? I don’t even care when. I’ve been waiting to meet him and see my tough, grumpy Yoongi-hyung being in love.”

“Fuck off. Does tomorrow night work?”

“Yep, just send me the time and place and I’m there.”

“Will do. I’m hanging up now. I love you, Tae. Things’ll work out.”

“Love you too, hyung. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He sighs and goes to get a glass of water. He remembers why he was avoiding the kitchen when he sees Jimin and Jungkook lying together. He turns away and goes to get ready for bed.

He thinks about if he would have said something to Jungkook months ago, if it would have made a difference.

He remembers the winter, when they were Christmas shopping together. They went to see the holiday windows too, and as they watched one that was a scene with Santa and Rudolph, he got a chill from the cold. Jungkook set down their bags and took off his scarf. He wrapped it around Taehyung’s neck and ignored his, “You don’t have to, Kookie.” 

“Don’t want my Taehyungie to get cold.” Jungkook looked at him. He put his hands on his cheeks, stroking the skin with his thumb. “So pretty, hyung.” He thought Jungkook might kiss him. He was nervous at the thought, so he averted his eyes. 

Jungkook let go and grabbed their bags again, and they finished the rest of their shopping.

There were small moments where he thought Jungkook might try again, and each time he started to want it just a bit more. The night Jungkook helped him hang up his Christmas lights and put his arm around him to step back to admire their work. Taehyung saw the different colors reflected in Jungkook’s eyes, then he watched the way those eyes looked down at his lips. He turned his head to look back at the lights, and Jungkook did too.

He remembers the spring, when he wanted nothing more than for Jungkook to take another chance on him. They’d grown closer, spent nearly every day they could together. He’d sometimes catch Jungkook looking at his lips again, but he was the one to look away first those times. Taehyung thought that he could take the chance, be the one to kiss Jungkook. But he was inexperienced, nervous, too scared to be the one to take that step.

Jungkook started leaving little kisses on the top of his head instead, or one on his forehead when he pulled him into a hug at random some days.

He remembers the warm spring day when his car broke down, and Jungkook checked out the engine to fix whatever the problem was. He leaned against the door, listening to Jungkook trying to explain it all even though it went through one ear and out the other. “Your arms are so muscular,” he said, interrupting Jungkook telling him what a distributor was and what the oil filter did, and it made Jungkook startle and hit his head on the hood.

“Oh no, I’m sorry,” he said, giggling and standing in front of him while rubbing the back of his head. Jungkook put his hands on the side of Taehyung’s neck, softly caressing the skin there. He had a small smudge of engine grease on his cheek, and Taehyung reached up with his other hand to wipe it away. He watched Jungkook’s eyes flit down to his lips again. Jungkook sighed and ran his fingers through Taehyung’s hair, then stepped away. And Taehyung knew that he’d taken too long.

“Come watch what I’m doing,” Jungkook said. “I’m not gonna be here to fix your car for you for forever.”

“Why not?” he asked. “Are you gonna leave me?”

Jungkook looked at him. Then he went back to the engine. “No, I won’t.” He started explaining something to him again, but Taehyung just watched the side of Jungkook’s face with his words fluttering around in his stomach. 

Not too long after, Jimin came around, and Taehyung understood that he’d missed his chance, but he’d fallen in love anyway. 

Sometimes he thought that Jungkook might love him too. When he’d rest his head on his shoulder when they watched their series together, when he’d show up at his bookshop and say, “You look cute in that outfit. That color looks pretty on you.” When he thought he caught Jungkook looking at him with something like longing, but convinced himself that he was just too used to feeling that himself and was trying to see what wasn’t there. 

He just had to watch Jimin and Jungkook together. Jungkook’s bunny smile directed at someone who wasn’t him, Jimin’s big eyes looking at the boy they both loved, who loved only one of them. 

– ☼ –

Taehyung wakes up to someone knocking on his door, making Yeontan start barking. He groans and rubs his eyes on his walk there and opens it to Jungkook, whose face brightens when he sees him.

Taehyung freezes. He looks down and remembers he’s wearing his old university shirt, faded after so many washes that the red color has become more of a pink – which is not incriminating or inappropriate, even if it is a few sizes too small after its number of times in the dryer. What is a bit more questionable is that his shirt is a bit too short and shows off his navel piercing, but even more is that just beneath it, he is wearing a pair of white cotton panties with a small pink bow at the top – ruining his chances of claiming that they’re just regular briefs. 

Jungkook’s eyes slowly trail down his body, causing him to shiver, before they land on his panties. They’re not sexy ones – not lace or a thong – just soft cotton ones that he thinks are cute and comfortable and make him feel pretty. Jungkook doesn’t look away, and Taehyung snaps out of it, moving aside so he’s partly hidden behind his door. “Um, Jungkook,” he says with a nervous laugh, “what are you, uh, what’re doing here?”

Jungkook shakes his head as if coming out of a haze, then blushes. “Um, hey,” he says, his hands going up to cover his ears – something he does whenever he gets shy. “I came over to… to um… oh! Yeah, I came over to ask you if you’re feeling better.”

“W-What?” Taehyung asks.

“Yesterday. You were–you were saying that you didn’t feel well.” His eyes keep darting down to what he’s wearing. When Taehyung gets flustered, his hands get restless, and they go down to fidget with the bow on the front of his panties without realizing. Jungkook’s eyes zero in on him absentmindedly pulling on the bow, tugging the fabric down just a bit and showing off more skin. Taehyung realizes what he’s doing when he follows Jungkook’s gaze, and he quickly pulls arms behind his back, his hands holding his elbows.

“Um, you can come in. I’m just gonna,” an awkward laugh, “gonna go put on some clothes.”

He steps aside and lets Jungkook in, quickly walking towards his room. Then he remembers that Jungkook would see his ass jiggling with his steps – which would not be a bad thing if Jungkook were single – so he slows down.

When he gets in his room, he holds his face in his hands for a few seconds, willing the embarrassment away. 

He pulls on a pair of athletic shorts and the closest sweatshirt to him, brushes his teeth and tries to tame his bedhead, then walks back out to Jungkook who’s standing in the middle of his living room like he’s never been there before.

“Um, sorry about that,” Taehyung says nervously, scratching his temple. “I wasn’t fully awake so I wasn’t really thinking.”

“No, that’s okay. You’re really–” Jungkook looks away, “um, anyway. Are you feel–is that my sweatshirt?” He tilts his head to the side in question.

Taehyung looks down to see what he’s wearing for the second time that morning, and realizes it is a sweatshirt Jungkook left over one night. “Oh, yeah, it is. I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize. I’ll take it off so I can wash it and give it b–”

“No, it’s okay, you, uh… I like the way you look in it.”

“Oh,” Taehyung says. 

“Are you doing anything this afternoon?” Jungkook asks, seeming to have finally calmed down. 

“Nope. I have plans later in the evening, but nothing until then.”

“Ooh, evening plans. Got a date?”

Taehyung lets out a small laugh which ends up sounding rather bitter. “No. No date.”

“Oh, good. I mean–not good! Not not good. I’m just… I’m gonna leave and then come back and we can start the morning over because otherwise I think I’m going to die.” And without a word from Taehyung, Jungkook walks past him and out the door. 

It’s so absolutely endearing to him and just so Jungkook that when he hears a knock at his front door a few seconds later, without really thinking about it, he opens it and nearly crashes his body into Jungkook’s, wrapping his arms around his neck.

Jungkook lets out an oof and stumbles back a step before steadying himself and wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s torso shyly. He slowly holds onto him more tightly, and Taehyung’s mind just thinks safe, safe, safe. 

His face is in Jungkook’s neck, and he smells so familiar, and his arms are holding him so tight, and Jungkook’s face is in his own neck too, and Taehyung is so, so in love with him. For a brief moment, he considers telling him. But he remembers Jimin, then he remembers that he would most likely lose Jungkook. So he pushes his feelings down and unwraps his arms from around his neck.

“Um, sorry,” he says, meekly. “I made the morning weird again. If you want I can close the door and we can try again.”

“No, that made the morning perfect.” He runs his fingers through Taehyung’s hair, then trails his hand down his neck, down his shoulder, then down his arm, and Taehyung’s knees feel weak. “I came here to ask if you’re feeling okay, and to ask you if you would like to go on a walk with me.”

Taehyung nods. “I’m gonna go shower really quick. I won’t be long.”

“Take your time,” he says. “I don’t mind waiting for you.” And if Taehyung lets himself believe it, something about Jungkook’s face, about the way he says the words, feels like he means more than just that morning. 

– ☼ –

Taehyung and Jungkook are walking down the middle of a secluded street, one no longer in use due to the crumbling potholes from winters past. Trees and wildflowers and overgrown grass surround them, and the only sounds are their footsteps and the rustling of leaves. Jungkook lightly bumps his shoulder into Taehyung's, looking over at him with a smile, and Taehyung bumps him back. Jungkook reaches between them and laces their fingers together, and it feels so normal, so natural that it takes a few moments for Taehyung to realize it. He looks down at their hands slowly swinging between them with their steps and bites his bottom lip to try to hide his smile, but when he looks back up, he sees that he’s been caught. He looks ahead and shyly squeezes his hand, and Jungkook squeezes his back. 

Their comfortable silence is broken with Jungkook’s soft, “Hey, Tae?”

Taehyung looks over to him. “Yeah?”

“I’m, um…” He looks away shyly, but then back at Taehyung, meeting his gaze, “I’m really, really happy we met.”

And Taehyung wants to stop in the middle of this forgotten road and turn to Jungkook and kiss him. He doesn’t think he’s ever wanted anything more. 

But he just squeezes his hand again and says, “I am too.”

Jungkook brings their hands up to his lips and kisses the top of his hand. Taehyung usually remembers Jimin at moments like these, but he’s so lost in Jungkook that it’s like nothing else exists.

“Wanna sit and take a break?” Jungkook asks, nodding to a log fallen on the side of the road.

“Sure.” He sits down, and Jungkook sits so close that their thighs touch. Jungkook puts his arm around his shoulders and pulls him close. He wraps his arm around Jungkook’s waist and tells himself that this is something that friends do. He’d do it with Yoongi if Yoongi wouldn’t gag and push him away. It’s platonic. What is not so platonic, though, is the way Jungkook turns his head and nuzzles his nose in his hair, then says, “You always smell good. Smell like my Taehyungie.” 

Taehyung sighs in contentment, telling himself that this would be enough. He would let himself have this, and it would be enough. He can’t have Jungkook in the way he wants, but he can love him from afar and feel lucky just to be a part of his life. It would be enough.

– ☼ –

Taehyung sees Yoongi standing outside the restaurant, leaning against the brick wall. His blonde hair looks just the slightest bit tinted as the yellows and pinks and oranges from the sunset shine onto him.

“Hey, Tae,” he says. He kicks off the wall and goes in to hug him, surprising Taehyung because Yoongi isn’t one to initiate physical touch. But he leans into it and holds onto Yoongi tightly, not wanting the moment to pass by. 

“Hi, hyung. Are they inside?”

“Not yet,” he says, pulling away. “Wanna wait with me?”

He nods, and Yoongi asks about his day. He tells him about his morning with Jungkook, walking together in the quiet, easy world they disappear into whenever they’re together. He tells him about Jungkook holding his hand, how normal it all felt.

“That’s really nice, Tae, but…” Yoongi pauses to carefully choose his words, then seems to decide that careful eloquence isn’t the path to take and continues, “He’s with somebody else. And if he’s doing things like that to you, it makes him bad as both a boyfriend and as your friend.”

Taehyung nods, looking down and kicking a pebble beside him. He knew this already, but it was nice to be in the moment for a little while. 

He looks up to ask Yoongi when his boyfriend and his friend are supposed to be there, and he sees Jungkook and Jimin crossing the street together towards the restaurant. His stomach sinks thinking about having to see him and Jimin on a date together in the same place he is.

He quickly looks away back at Yoongi, whose back is facing them. He starts to feel a prickle in his eyes and tries to think of an excuse to tell him about why he needs to leave, but before one can come, Jungkook and Jimin walk up to them. Jimin wraps his arms around Yoongi from behind and kisses his cheek. 

Taehyung freezes and sees Yoongi turn his head to kiss Jimin on the lips, then he hears Jungkook’s voice say, “Oh, hey, Taehyung! What are you doing here?”

“Taehyung! Hi!” Jimin says too.

Taehyung’s eyes dart from Jungkook to Jimin then back to Jungkook, and Yoongi is surprised to see that they all know each other.

“Umm… Y-Yoongi…” he says. All of the thoughts in his head are swirling around like leaves in the wind. 

“You guys know each other?” Yoongi asks.

“Yeah! Tae’s my neighbor,” Jungkook says.

Yoongi looks from Jungkook, to Jimin, then to Taehyung, trying to tie everything together. 

“Is Taehyung your dongsaeng from Daegu?” Jimin asks Yoongi, his eyes bright.

Yoongi nods. “And Jungkook is Kookie who you met as kids in Busan?”

“Yeah!” Jimin says with a laugh. “Wow, what a small world.”

Taehyung just stands there, his head somewhere far away. 

“Tae?” Jungkook asks, grabbing his hand.

Taehyung snaps out of it and yanks his hand away, a little too roughly. He tries to cover it by scratching his shoulder, but he sees the hurt pass over Jungkook’s face. “Um,” he starts, clearing his throat, “I’m, um, actually not feeling very well, so I think I’m just going to go home.”

“Oh no, are you still sick from yesterday?” Jungkook asks, his doe eyes wide, and his question is what makes it all click for Yoongi. 

“Yeah, I think so,” he says, and something in his expression makes Yoongi nod softly.

“That’s okay, Tae, we can all meet up another time,” Yoongi says. “Especially since we all seem to know each other.”

Taehyung gives him a small smile in thanks, and Yoongi nods again.

“Have fun, you guys,” he says, and with a small wave he walks back to his car.

Their town is small, so ten minutes later he’s sitting on his back deck absentmindedly petting Yeontan on his lap. If Jungkook isn’t with Jimin, then… then maybe he just doesn’t see him that way enough to want to really be with him, or maybe it's just a silly little game he plays to make him flustered. And he can’t figure out if maybe that’s even worse.

His phone vibrates beside him, and he opens a text from Jungkook.

Jungkook
hey tae, are you okay?
i know you said u don’t feel well but 
idk
i'm sorry if i made you uncomfortable this morning

Taehyung sighs.

Taehyung
you didn’t jungkookie
i’m fine
promise

“Tannie, wanna go for a walk?” he asks, and Yeontan jumps from his lap and runs to the back door. Taehyung giggles and picks up the tiny ball of fluff and holds him close to his chest, kissing his head. 

He walks inside to grab his leash and hooks it to his collar, then they set off on their stroll. Sunset had turned into night, and his path is lit by the lights on people’s houses. He waves to one of his neighbors, an old woman sitting on her porch and enjoying the weather. Another house he passes, he can see two little kids coloring at the kitchen table, and through the window of another one he sees two people eating popcorn in front of their TV.

Yeontan stops to sniff at every mailbox they pass and barks at any sign of life, intent on protecting Taehyung. 

It’s a rather perfect night outside. It’s not too hot, and the occasional warm breeze wraps around him like comforting arms. There aren’t any clouds in the sky, and the moon is bright. He can even see a few scatters of stars here and there. He hears the clicks of someone’s sprinkler in their yard, the tiny little taps of Yeontan’s paws on the sidewalk, an occasional door opening or closing. It’s a rather perfect night and he doesn’t want to take it for granted, so he tries to push his thoughts aside and settle into the moment.

Not too long later – because Yeontan gets tired quickly – they walk back towards their home. From a few houses away, he sees Jungkook sitting on his front steps, his elbows on his knees and looking the opposite direction.

“Jungkookie?” he asks as he’s walking up.

Jungkook’s head snaps towards him and he sighs, then he stands and pulls Taehyung into his arms. Taehyung freezes, then because he’s never been too good at self-preservation, he relaxes into his arms, wrapping his own around him. 

“I thought you just weren’t opening the door,” Jungkook says, his breath tickling his skin.

“Of course not, Kookie,” he says quietly, holding Jungkook more tightly as he feels tears begin to appear in his eyes.

“Hey–Tae, what’s wrong? Hey–” Jungkook pulls away when he hears a sniffle. He gently takes Taehyung’s face into his hands and brushes the tears away with his thumbs, his skin just a bit rough but still holding him so, so softly. “Talk to me, Tae,” he says, his voice so quiet on their sleepy street.

“I just–” Taehyung starts, but a sob racks through his chest and he curls in on himself. He tries to talk but his cries are louder than his words.

Taehyung has cried over Jungkook before, but only ever just a few tears when he let himself have it, almost reveling in the tragic romanticism of it all, the beautiful pain of it all.

But when it all appears, too much to be contained in just a few fallen teardrops, the pain is not romantic, nor is it beautiful. It is just pain, and Taehyung hurts. 

“Taehyungie, baby,” Jungkook says, his arms wrapped tightly around him again, the collar of his shirt slowly getting damp from his tears. “I’ve got you.” It’s whispered quietly into the air, then Taehyung feels the soft pressure of Jungkook’s lips on his temple. 

His sobbing slowly dies down into regular crying, and Jungkook says, “Let’s go sit out back so we can let Tan off his leash.”

He shakes his head and holds onto Jungkook tighter, not wanting to let any bit of distance between them. Jungkook laughs, just a small, quick exhale, and says, “Here, give me Tannie’s leash and then wrap your arms around my neck.” Once he does, Jungkook says, “Okay, now jump and wrap your legs around me.”

Past the point of being embarrassed about anything after sobbing on the front porch of his house in front of the love of his life, Taehyung just listens. He wraps his body around Jungkook like an octopus, and Jungkook holds him so he doesn’t fall. He lets out a small giggle when they start walking, and he feels Jungkook’s smile in the way his cheek moves against his head.

They get to the backyard and Jungkook closes the gate, then he walks them over to the steps on his deck. They sit down, and Jungkook unleashes Yeontan. Taehyung supposes he should probably get out of his lap, but the thought leaves him feeling so cold that he holds onto him even tighter.

Jungkook runs one hand up and down his back, the other one holding his waist and drawing little circles on it with his thumb. Taehyung hears the shuffling of some leaves on the trees around them, the tags on Yeontan’s collar softly clinking when he walks, a car slowly driving down their street.

“Tae?” Jungkook says softly, his voice blending into all the other sounds of a summer night. “Will you talk to me please?”

“Depends,” he says, his voice small and quiet. Jungkook never stops the gentle movement of his hands on him.

“On what?”

“What you wanna talk about.” He can feel the movements of Jungkook’s stomach as he laughs, and god he loves him. He untucks his head from Jungkook’s neck and rests his chin on his shoulder, looking up at the sky as if trying to figure out who was responsible for giving him so much love and so much pain, all in one person who moved in next door. 

“We don’t have to talk about it, but I’d really like to know what is making you cry like this so that maybe I can help,” he says.

With one last look to the sky, wanting to know why? or what next?, Taehyung pulls away and looks at Jungkook. And when he sees stars in Jungkook’s eyes just like the ones he'd seen above, it gives him his answer.

“I’m in love with you,” he says, and his chest feels lighter as if each word is letting him breathe a bit of the pain out. “I’m–” He rests his forehead against Jungkook’s and closes his eyes. “I’m so, so in love with you.”

He hears the sounds of crickets and cicadas, and maybe a frog just a ways away, then Jungkook’s voice. “Why is that making you cry?”

He hesitates, then says, “Because you don’t love me back,” the words so quiet they barely make a sound.

He can feel Jungkook’s soft breaths on his face, the rise and fall of his chest. 

“Taehyungie,” Jungkook says. “How could I not love you?”

Oh.

Oh.

Taehyung lets the words slowly swirl around him, breathes them in. How could I not love you?

“I thought you were with Jimin,” he says, his eyes still closed.

He feels Jungkook’s forehead move against his when he furrows his eyebrows. “I was, but I left almost right after you did to come see if you were okay.” 

“No,” he says, “I thought you and Jimin were dating.”

“What?” Jungkook says, pulling away from Taehyung to look at him, his eyes a little wide. “You thought we were dating? For how long?”

“Since the winter ended...”

“Oh, Taehyungie,” Jungkook says, his voice sounding sad. “Is that why… is that why you always left whenever he came around?”

Taehyung looks down at his lap, fidgeting with his hands, and nods. “And sometimes I… I hoped that maybe you felt the same way about me as I did about you, but you were with Jimin. So then when I realized that he and Yoongi are together and there was nothing keeping you, I thought, ‘Oh… he just doesn’t love me.’” 

“Baby…” Jungkook says. Baby. Baby. “I–” He cuts off when Yeontan tries to jump up onto Taehyung’s lap – who’s still in Jungkook’s lap – but can’t quite make it. He tries once more, but his legs are too short. Then on the third try, he jumps into the small space left on Jungkook’s lap where Taehyung’s legs are spread on either side of his thighs. 

Taehyung giggles and looks down between them at Yeontan, whose tongue is sticking out. He scratches the top of his tiny head, then says, “He probably needs some water. I should bring him inside.” Jungkook nods, and Taehyung reluctantly leaves the warmth of his body. He stretches his back and feels his spine cracking, then unlocks the back door to let Yeontan inside. As he’s about to follow behind him, Taehyung feels Jungkook pull on his wrist to turn him back towards him. Just as he’s about to ask what’s wrong, Jungkook says, “I love you, Taehyung,” and presses his lips against his own.

Jungkook tastes like strawberry lip balm, the kind Taehyung has started to buy and keep around for when Jungkook is over and doesn’t have it in his pocket. Jungkook’s lips are soft against his, each kiss so gentle. Jungkook tilts his head to the side and kisses him just a bit harder, not picking up the pace, just settling into it like he’s no longer nervous. They kiss beneath the sky, beneath the stars and the moon as they watch down upon them.

– ☼ –

A few days pass with everything the same, but with new kisses and “I love you”s and touches that Taehyung lets himself finally lean into. It feels, to him, like nothing has changed at all. He thought that maybe it would all be a huge, monumental moment when everything finally fell into place. A climax to their story or maybe a resolution, but it seems like just the turning of a page. A simple paragraph break, then their life continues.

“I can’t believe you thought I was dating Jimin,” Jungkook says while he cooks them dinner. “Or that I wasn’t so clearly in love with you. Jimin always said I was so obvious.”

“Well what am I supposed to think when Jimin leaves your house early in the morning or late at night, looking all disheveled?”

“He just sleeps over sometimes, usually unplanned so he borrows my clothes.”

"And he's always all over you and hugging you and touching you."

"Because that's just Jimin. He's that way with you too!"

“Then why didn’t you just say anything to me ever? Ask me out?” Taehyung says.

“Because you didn’t seem like you were interested! Then we became such good friends, and I thought about just taking a chance so many times, but I didn’t want to lose you as a friend.”

“Can you c’mere?” he says. Jungkook drops the spatula and turns to him, and Taehyung kisses the tip of his nose, then between his eyebrows. “I love you.”

“I love you, baby.”

Baby again. And I love you too. He's heard that so much these past few days, but he doesn't think he'll ever truly get used to it. He rests his forehead on Jungkook’s and says with wonder, “I can’t believe we can finally say that now.”

Jungkook kisses him and says, “I feel that way too,” then returns to cooking their dinner.

– ☼ –

A few nights later finds them on Taehyung’s couch, Taehyung straddling Jungkook’s lap. Their lips are moving together, every kiss still feeling so new and so settled in all at once. When Jungkook’s lips part, Taehyung parts his too, and he lets out a small gasp when their tongues meet. He opens his mouth more, inviting Jungkook in, and he moans when he starts to take control of the kiss. 

They’d just been talking, catching each other up on their days, but Taehyung was distracted by the way Jungkook was spreading his legs and leaning back into the couch. His eyes kept roaming down his body and back up, and thoughts that he’d been having lately were coming back. When he was in the shower and his mind would wander to Jungkook. When he was getting himself off and he wondered what it’d feel like if it were Jungkook’s hand instead. When their kisses became more heated and Jungkook licked into his mouth.

He’s been thinking about it for a while, about what Jungkook’s cock would feel like in his hand, what it’d feel like under his ass if he just straddled his lap. So in the middle of Jungkook’s sentence, he did just that and silenced him with a rough kiss.

He pulls Jungkook closer and can feel his semi-hard cock against his inner thigh, and he adjusts his hips so he can grind their cocks together. They moan in unison, their kiss getting deeper and Taehyung’s head getting just a bit foggy at the feeling of their cocks growing harder against each other. But when he feels one of Jungkook’s hands trail down the front of his body, he pulls back and says, “No, wait.”

Jungkook immediately yanks his hand back and says, “I’m so sorry, baby, I shouldn’t have–”

“No, darling, it’s okay. We should just… talk first.”

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry.”

“Jungkook, don’t apologize, really. It’s just, um…” he starts, but then he loses his confidence and drops his gaze.

“It’s okay, love,” Jungkook says. “You can tell me.” He takes one of Taehyung’s hands and kisses his palm before threading their fingers together, the action making Taehyung blush.

“I’ve never… done… anything with anyone before,” he finally says, his voice weak.

“Oh…” Jungkook says.

“Yeah… And I haven’t been, like, saving myself for anyone or anything like that. Just… I could never really do hookups because I’ve never really felt sexually attracted to anyone. Like, ever, basically. Well, I did with Yoongi once when he got a wavy perm, but it only lasted for, like, a minute and then I had to point it out to him and make it weird so it would go away. And it’s not like I don't want to have sex or anything, but I just never feel the urge to or the appeal when I see or meet anyone. I mean, I masturbate. A lot, actually,” he rambles, “but I never feel like having sex with someone because I guess I just need, like… I don’t know. Something more first. I just don’t feel that attraction until there’s something more.”

Jungkook nods in understanding. “We don’t have to if you’re not ready. Or even at all, ever. I just want to be with you in any way you’ll let me.”

“No, I want to,” Taehyung says, his heart feeling like it might burst at Jungkook’s words. “I really want to. I just… thought you should know.”

“Thank you for telling me, Tae. Why don’t we wait until I can take you on a date first?”

“Jungkook, I don’t need to be treated gently with this. I want to–”

“I want to take you on a date first. Please?” Jungkook asks.

Taehyung crosses his arm, gets off his lap, and says, “Fine,” his grumpy face faltering at the sound of Jungkook’s giggles. “You haven’t even asked me out.”

“Kim Taehyung,” Jungkook says. “I’ve wanted to ask for a really, really long time. So would you please allow me to take you out on a real, proper date?”

Taehyung’s boxy smile makes an appearance and he crawls right back into Jungkook’s lap, kissing him like they have all the time in the world. They kiss the way it feels like a summer day passes: slowly, lazily, and full of warmth. 

“I would love to go on a date with you, Jungkookie,” he says, his hand on Jungkook’s cheek while he softly caresses his skin.

They dive back into each other. Taehyung’s head still sometimes spins at finally getting to do what he’s daydreamed of every time he saw Jungkook. 

Their kiss turns heated once again, their tongues tangling together. His hands thread through Jungkook’s hair while Jungkook squeezes his ass. He guides Taehyung’s hips down onto his, their cocks brushing together again, and the way he sounds when Taehyung bites his lip spurs him on even more, his grinding growing faster. A tug on Jungkook’s hair seems to snap him out of it though, because he pulls away and stops the motion of Taehyung’s hips. Taehyung lets out a whine, trying to chase Jungkook’s lips again, but Jungkook turns his head to kiss his cheek, then the other one, and says, “You’re impossible to resist, which is why I’m leaving now.”

“But–”

“I’m taking you on a date first! We’re going to do this right. You’re not gonna make me cave.” Jungkook stands up, still holding him, and turns to set him on the couch. “You’re not allowed to get up until I leave because if you try to kiss me again, I’m going to end up staying.” He kisses Taehyung softly, then turns around to go.

When his back is turned and he takes a few steps, Taehyung shoots up. Jungkook runs the rest of the way to the door, Taehyung laughing as he chases him.

“No!” Jungkook says, throwing the door open and running through it. He turns around to hold his hand out. “Stay back!”

“But Jungkookieeee,” Taehyung says, faux-innocence in his voice. He tilts his head to rest on the door, trailing one finger up and down it. “Remember that morning when I opened the door in my panties?”

Taehyung sees him gulp and thinks he’s got him, but Jungkook just turns around and says, “Goodnight, Taehyung.”

Taehyung smiles and watches him go. Jungkook pauses before walking inside his own house and turns to wave at him. Taehyung blows him a kiss from across their yards, which Jungkook catches and stores in his pocket. Taehyung giggles and steps back inside, closing and locking the door.

He looks down and still sees a bulge in the front of his shorts. He smirks when he gets an idea. He palms his cock to get it to full hardness as he walks to his room. He sets up some mood lighting, his warm white twinkle lights along with his pink lights dimmed down to give him a subtle glow, then he opens the drawer to his bedside table. He shuffles through, humming as he tries to decide what to pick, then sets his supplies on his bed before walking to his dresser. 

He looks through his underwear drawer with a certain pair in mind, then he throws those on his bed too when he spots them. He sees the matching top that he bought with them, considers it for a few moments, then pulls it out too. 

He makes sure all the curtains in his room are closed, then he undresses. He carefully pulls on his panties – a light, baby pink lace pair that are more innocent and cute than hot or sexy, because he has always been more drawn to soft things. While they may be more innocent looking than other lingerie he’s seen, the way his big cock is barely contained in them along with the way they barely cover his ass – not quite a thong, but close – is anything but virtuous. He puts on the matching bralette, the triangle fabric sheer and tight enough that his hard nipples will be visible when he rubs and pinches them.

He checks himself out in the mirror, turns around and raises and lowers the heels of his feet to watch the way his ass jiggles, fluffs up his sandy blonde hair, then smirks and lies on his bed. 

His white duvet paired with the baby pink lace makes him appear even more delicate and soft, and he loves it. Loves feeling small and pretty. He grabs his phone and unlocks it, then opens his camera. He tries out a few different angles before settling on holding his phone over his body, his face out of the frame. His hand that isn’t holding his phone reaches down to rest next to his hard, lace-covered cock, his long fingers right beside it but not touching.

He takes a couple photos and scrolls through them before finally choosing one that shows off the softness of his tummy that he loves, then opens a new chat with Jungkook.

Taehyung
[image]
wish u were here jungkookie :(

He smirks to himself, then waits.

No more than thirty seconds later, he gets a reply.

Jungkook
tae…
jesus christ

He giggles to himself. He opens the camera again and changes it to video, then presses record. He glides his hand slowly up his smooth thigh, then starts to palm his cock, a small whimper escaping his lips. He moves his hand down to squeeze his balls. A louder whimper escapes him and he ends the video. 

Taehyung
[video]
i’m so hard kookie
hurts 
:(

The message shows as “read” immediately, and he blushes knowing that Jungkook must have had the chat open, waiting for something else from Taehyung.

Jungkook
baby
god
you’re so beautiful
you look so soft

Taehyung flips over on his hands and knees, then arches his back. He holds his camera behind him to take a photo of his ass just waiting for Jungkook to mount him and fill him, then sends it off to him.

Taehyung
[image]
can i touch myself kookie?
please?
feel so empty :(

Jungkook
taehyung 
fuck

The typing bubble appears and disappears a few times, and he knows that Jungkook is trying to decide whether he should rise to bait or tell him to go to bed. Finally, the typing bubble goes away, and his phone vibrates.

Jungkook
so pretty sweetheart
why don't you take your panties off and show me your pretty hole?

Taehyung feels like the temperature in the room goes up a few degrees. He obeys.

He sits up, pulls his panties off, and tosses them aside. He looks around to try to figure out how to set up a makeshift tripod. After some maneuvering of his furniture around, he sets his phone on his desk against a pile of books, then hits records. He gets on his bed in position: on his knees with his face pressed into the bed and his back perfectly arched. He reaches behind him and parts his cheeks, showing off his asshole. He clenches and unclenches a few times so Jungkook can see his hole almost begging to be filled. He gets back up to stop the video, cuts it so it starts right before he bends over and after his hole flutters.

Taehyung
[video]
can't wait for you to fuck me baby
can't wait to be yours
you’ll be the only one
the only cock that's ever been inside me

He sets his phone aside and strokes his painfully hard dick a few times to get some relief, then he grabs the bottle of lube he set out. He realizes he won’t be able to keep stopping and recording once he starts fingering himself, both because his hands will be sticky and because his mind goes blank whenever he does it.

He considers what to do next, then he grabs his phone, seeing Jungkook is still typing more messages.

Jungkook
taehyung
your pink hole is so pretty love
fuck
every part of you is so pretty

Taehyung
hey
um
you don’t have to say yes i promise it's okay
but we can video call…
if u want
just because it might be a little hard to use my phone while i finger myself
and
i wanna show you…

Jungkook
we can call baby
🖤
as long as you're comfortable with it!!

Taehyung doesn’t respond and clicks the video call icon. He sees himself in the dialing screen camera and gets just a bit timid at how his cheeks are red and his hair is a little messy from having his face pressed in the blanket, but he figures it adds to the effect he’s hoping for.

Jungkook picks up, and Taehyung can’t believe how lucky he is to get such a beautiful boy.

“Hi,” he says shyly, all of his previous confidence having left him.

“Hi, baby,” Jungkook says, his voice sounding so fond.

“Um, h-how are you?”

A big, endeared smile spreads across Jungkook’s face. “I’m good. How are you, love?”

“I’m okay…”

Jungkook bites his lip as his smile spreads wider. “You’re so cute, hyung. We don’t have to do anything. I’m more than happy to just listen to you talk to me about anything.”

“No, I–I want to,” he says. “I just got nervous…”

“Do you want me to guide you, baby?” Taehyung nods. “Okay, I’ve got you. Why don’t you set your phone down where you had it so I can see you, then make your bed comfy and fluff up some pillows against your headboard so you’ll be comfortable when you lie back.”

Taehyung nods and sets his phone down. He makes sure that Jungkook will have a good view, still close enough for him to be able to see everything clearly. He does what he says: creates a comfortable area, lies back, and waits for what to do next.

“You’re so pretty, baby,” Jungkook says. “Why don’t you take your lace top off so I can see all of you?”

He reaches back and unclasps his bralette. He throws it aside, then puts his hands in his lap.

“Can’t wait to kiss your soft tummy, Taetae. You’re so pretty, and with your belly button piercing too. Your cock is so big. You’re so pretty everywhere.”

Taehyung blushes and says, “Thank you,” quietly. 

“You said something about fingering yourself. Do you still wanna do that?” Taehyung nods. “Okay, why don’t you lie back then and slick up two of your fingers with lube.”

Taehyung does so, then brings his finger down to circle around his asshole. “Let me know when I can put it in, Kookie.”

“Whenever you’re ready, baby.”

He pushes past the ring of muscle and slowly starts to slide his finger as deep as it will go, whimpering.

“Fuck, Taehyung. So, so pretty, love. Would it be okay with you if I touch myself? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” 

Taehyung thrusts his finger in and out of himself, his whimpers turning into soft moans. “Yes, please touch yourself. Wanna see. Want… want you to get off watching me. Can I add another finger please?”

“Yeah, go ahead baby,” Jungkook says, then he hisses when he grabs his covered cock. The camera goes shaky as he pulls his boxers down, then he adjusts the angle so Taehyung can see him stroke himself.

Taehyung gasps. He can feel his mouth water. Jungkook is big. Long and so thick with a vein running up the side that he wants to trace with his tongue.

“Fuck, Kookie,” he says. “You’re so big. Gonna… gonna stretch me so good.” He lets out a full moan for the first time when he adds in another finger, brushing against his prostate. 

“You sound so pretty, Taehyungie." Taehyung watches a drop of precum appear out of his slit, and Jungkook smooths it around the head of his cock with his thumb.

“I’m–I’m gonna add another f-finger,” he says, thrusting both of his fingers in and out, dragging them along his walls. “Is that okay?”

“Are you stretched enough for it?” Jungkook asks, his hand slowly stroking up and down his cock. Taehyung nods, his eyes following the movement. “Go ahead. Make sure you add more lube.”

He does as he says, then slips another finger into his hole, moaning loudly.

“Love seeing your hole stretch around your fingers, Tae. Why don’t you spread them apart a little so I can see?”

He scissors his fingers, stretching his hole apart. Jungkook moans, and the sound makes a drop of precum fall from the slit of his cock to add to the small puddle forming beneath his belly button piercing. 

“I wish they were y-your fingers, Kookie,” he says, louder and louder moans filling the room as he massages his prostate. 

“Me too, baby. I can’t wait to eat you out. Lick inside your pretty hole and taste you. Is that a dildo next to you?” Taehyung blinks a few times, clearing his head, then looks down and nods. “Why don’t you slick it up to fuck yourself with?”

Taehyung pulls his fingers out of his ass, clenching around nothing. He quickly adds some lube to the palm of his hand and rubs it onto the pink sparkly dildo.

“How do you want me, Kookie?”

There’s a suction at the bottom of the dildo, and Jungkook says, “Why don’t you attach it to the floor, then put the camera in front of you so I can watch you ride it?”

Taehyung blushes. He grabs the camera and sets everything up on the floor. He makes sure Jungkook can see his full body, then he lines the dildo up. He slowly sinks down. By the time he’s fully seated – Jungkook unable to even see it anymore because of how deep he sunk down onto it – he’s letting out nonstop cute little whimpers, almost sounding like a little puppy.

“Fuck, baby,” Jungkook says. Taehyung watches him speed up his hand on his cock. “Show me how you can ride it, Tae.”

He moves up until the tip is barely in his hole anymore. He slams down and immediately sets a fast pace. He can hear the sound of the lube squelching every time he pulls the fake cock out, and it spurs him on even more.

“Shit,” Jungkook says, fucking up into his fist. His cock is steadily leaking precum, and Taehyung can hear the wet sounds his hand is making. “Look at your big cock slapping around, Tae.”

“Jungkookie,” he moans, his hands going to tug at his nipples. He’s bouncing so fast that his cock makes a slapping sound when it hits his stomach. “Feels so–feels so good, ahh.” He drops down on it with it all the way inside, then he circles his hips to rub it against his prostate.

“God, Taehyung,” Jungkook moans. “Look at you. Can’t believe you’re mine.”

"All yours." He continues the circling of his hips for a little longer, then starts grinding up and down again, his moans so deep, some interspersed with Jungkook’s name.

“So beautiful, Tae, such a pretty baby. Are you close, love?”

Taehyung nods, speeding up even more so his prostate is constantly being stimulated. “Can I come, Kookie? Please, please let me–let me come.” He has tears running down his cheeks, desperate for Jungkook to see him coming all over himself.

“Y-Yeah, Tae – shit – come whenever you want, baby.” Jungkook speeds up his hand, fucking into his fist as if he were fucking into Taehyung’s ass, and both of their moans steadily get louder and louder.

“‘m g-gonna come, Kookie, ahh–hnnnm–” He pinches his nipples hard and finally reaches his release, his cum shooting everywhere as his cock continues to slap around while he rides the dildo.

“Fuck, Tae, baby, gonna–gonna come too,” Jungkook says. Taehyung watches his cock as he comes, his load gushing all over his hand and sliding down between his fingers. Taehyung finally stops moving, his breathing heavy.

“Wish I could,” Taehyung says, “wish I could taste your cum.” 

“Shit, Taehyung,” Jungkook says.

He watches as Taehyung runs his finger through some of the cum that got on his stomach, then brings it to his lips. He moans as he licks his finger clean while Jungkook watches wide-eyed. “Wish I had more,” he says with a pout.

“Taehyung,” Jungkook says, coming out as a long groan. “I’ll get hard again if you don’t stop.” 

Taehyung giggles then slowly pulls off of the dildo, blushing at the pop it makes when it’s completely out.

He leaves it there for now, telling himself he’ll clean up his mess in the morning. When he gets in bed with Jungkook still on the call, all at once he feels… empty. It’s like a void has just opened in him. “Um… K-kookie…” he says, his voice small as he feels tears coming on. “Will you come over please?”

Jungkook’s eyes go wide at the sadness in his voice, then the sniffle he lets out. “Of course, Tae, I’ll be there in five seconds.” He can see Jungkook grab the closest pair of shorts to him, then the screen goes dark as he turns off the lights. He can hear the sound of a door opening, then Jungkook is partially lit-up by the light on the outside of his house when he locks it. He runs across their yards, finds the key hidden in Taehyung’s flower box beneath his living room window, then lets himself inside. The call disconnects when he can hear Jungkook’s footsteps coming towards his room. 

“Hey,” Jungkook says softly as he slides into bed. Taehyung immediately turns to wrap his body across him. “What’s bothering my baby, hmm?” His hand is softly running up his back, and Taehyung belatedly realizes that he is still naked, and Jungkook is also shirtless.

He shrugs. “Don’t know…” he mumbles. “Just needed you…”

Jungkook holds onto him even tighter and kisses the top of his head. “I’m here, Taetae." He guides Taehyung’s chin up so he’s looking at him. “I love you, Taehyung.” He leaves the softest, most gentle kiss on Taehyung’s lips, and Taehyung feels better in the arms of his love.

“I love you, Jungkook,” he says back, closing his eyes to melt into the kiss. “I love you so much." He rests his forehead against Jungkook’s, almost feeling overwhelmed with it all, with being able to tell him, kiss him.

“My pretty, pretty boy,” Jungkook says. “Why don’t we sleep, yeah? Wanna hold you while we sleep. I’ve thought about it a lot.”

He giggles and nods, and Jungkook kisses his forehead. Taehyung reaches for the remote to turn off his lights, and they’re bathed in darkness. The two hold onto each other even tighter and whisper “good night” and “I love you” into the air, then finally fall asleep in each other's arms, the way they’ve dreamt about many, many times before.

– ☼ –

Taehyung wakes up slowly. He's confused when he’s unable to stretch himself out, then he realizes there are a pair of arms wrapped around him. He looks up from his spot on Jungkook’s chest and sees him asleep, his mouth slightly open and his face looking even younger. 

Not too long later, Jungkook starts to stir awake with a yawn. He looks down at the boy in his arms, and Taehyung thinks he looks like an angel. A sleepy, muscular, beautiful angel.

“Morning, baby,” Jungkook says.

“Morning, Jungkookie.”

They bask in the early morning for a little while longer before agreeing that they should shower and get ready for the day.

Jungkook gets out of bed and opens the curtains, filling the room with sunlight. He walks around the bed to go let Yeontan outside, but he stumbles and trips. He catches himself, but not before he hits his funny bone on the door with a loud, girlish scream. “Wh–” He turns and looks down. “Taehyung. There is a dildo still attached to your floor.”

Taehyung starts laughing so hard that tears start to fall. “Y-Your…your scream oh my–”

“Oh yeah?” Jungkook says. He dives back into bed, attacking Taehyung’s sides with his fingers, tickling him and making him let out shrieks between his laughs, curling in on himself to try to get away. “S-Stop, I’m sorry, J-Jungkookie, I’m sorry! And I’m n-naked, Jungkook!” he yells, his stomach hurting from laughing. Jungkook finally relents, then starts attacking his face with tiny kisses, making him laugh again. Jungkook finally gets up to go let Yeontan outside, and Taehyung remembers lying in the grass in his backyard with Jungkook not too many days ago, daydreaming about the two of them laughing together and in love in another universe. And he realizes that they get to be together in this universe too; it just took a little bit longer. 

– ☼ –

A few hours later, once Taehyung is showered and dressed and Jungkook returns back to Taehyung’s house after doing the same, Taehyung is sitting at his kitchen island while he watches Jungkook cut up a bunch of fruit for them for breakfast.

“So when are we gonna go on a date?” Taehyung asks. 

“What’ve you got goin’ on today?” 

“Going on a date with my best friend and hopefully boyfriend?” 

Jungkook looks up at him, his smile bright. He nods.

“What are we gonna do?” 

“‘s a surprise.”

“Jungkoooook. Come on, tell me.”

“Nope,” he says. He grabs two bowls and puts some fruit in each of them. He puts more strawberries and watermelon in Taehyung’s than his own, and it makes Taehyung bite his lip to ward off a lovesick smile. “Just don’t get your hopes up though.” His voice sounds a bit timid. “It’s not gonna be anything extravagant.” 

“Hey,” Taehyung says. He holds onto Jungkook’s cheeks and gives him a slow, sweet kiss. “I promise that we could do absolutely anything and I would be the happiest person in the world because I get to be there with you.”

A blush blooms onto Jungkook’s adorable cheeks, and he nods. 

“Wanna see how high I can spit a watermelon seed into the air?” Taehyung asks.

“Bet I can do it higher than you can.”

– ☼ –

A couple hours later finds them in Jungkook’s car, the warm air passing through the open windows. Taehyung holds Yeontan up and rests his paws on the door so he can smell everything while the wind blows through his long fur.

“We have a stop to make first before the actual date part,” Jungkook says. 

They pull into town and Jungkook parks his car. “Don’t get out so I can open the door for you,” he says, his eyebrows furrowed as he points a finger at Taehyung to let him know he’s serious.

“So cute,” Taehyung says, unable to resist leaning forward to peck his lips. “I won’t.”

Jungkook's face relaxes into a look of dreamy calm, and he gets out to jog around the front of his car and open Taehyung’s door.

“Thank you,” Taehyung says, bowing at him when he gets out. “Such a gentleman.”

Jungkook giggles and takes his hand once he sets Yeontan down. 

As they had been lately, the day is perfect. The sky is a beautiful light blue with a few puffy clouds scattered about. There are children running through the fountain at the entrance of the town’s park, the air smells like fresh bread when someone opens the door to the bakery, there's a choir of birds singing over the sound of the people around them talking and laughing. And Taehyung is holding hands with the boy he loves. 

“I packed fruit for us,” Jungkook says. “So we don’t need any of that, but I figured we could get some fresh bread and maybe some jam and whatever else you wanna snack on.” 

Taehyung smiles at him and squeezes his hand. He pulls him close and kisses his cheek. “Sounds perfect.”

They're waiting in line at a stand for gourmet dog treats that Taehyung insists they need because Yeontan deserves something out of this too, when they hear Jimin’s voice.

“Is that my best friend holding hands with my boyfriend’s best friend?”

They turn around and see Jimin and Yoongi.

“No, I think that’s my best friend holding hands with my boyfriend’s best friend.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes. “Hey, guys.”

Yoongi crouches down to scratch Yeontan’s ears, and Taehyung hands his leash off to Jungkook. Jungkook takes it and tilts his head to the side in question at him, but Taehyung says, “Hey, Jimin, can I talk to you really quick?”

“Sure,” he says, and follows him a little ways away. 

“Um…” Taehyung starts. “I’m assuming Yoongi told you everything.”

Jimin nods. “He did. I wish we could have all gotten together sooner to sort it out."

“Jimin, I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry if I ever acted cold towards you. I really, really like you. I really do, and I tried to push my… jealousy or pain aside so I wouldn’t take any of it out on you, and especially now that it was so misplaced, I feel so terrible. I’m so sorry, Jimin. I hope we can be friends.”

“Aw, Tae,” Jimin says, reaching forward to give Taehyung a hug. “You have nothing to apologize for. It was just a misunderstanding, and you never acted cold towards me. You weren’t ever anything but kind. When Yoongi and I were talking about it though, I mentioned that I hoped this would bring us closer because you seemed so quiet, so I was hoping you’d feel comfortable to come out of your shell a little bit now. Yoongi bursted out laughing and said you are the opposite of quiet. So I guess that’s where it came through a little,” Jimin laughs. “I’m sure if I thought that you were dating Yoongi this whole time and we couldn’t be together, I would have been such a bitch to you. You have nothing to apologize for at all. Promise.”

Taehyung nods. “Thanks, Jimin. Maybe we could hang out sometimes?”

“I would love that," Jimin says, his eyes disappearing when he smiles. 

“Okay, we’ll make plans soon then.”

“Good. I’m really, really happy you and Jungkook get to be together now. He’s been pining after you for so long, and it sounds like it was mutual. So I’m so happy for you two.”

Taehyung smiles his boxy smile, then they start walking back towards their boyfriends. “I’m happy it’s you who Yoongi’s dating,” he says. “You’re exactly who I think he should be with.”

Jimin smiles shyly at him. He looks towards Yoongi with the same look that Taehyung is sure is always written on his face when he sees Jungkook.

“Hey, Tae,” Jungkook says when they return. They say goodbye to Yoongi and Jimin, and Jungkook puts his arm around his shoulders and pulls him close to him, kissing his temple. “I didn’t know which kind of treat you wanted me to get for Tan, so I got all of them.” He holds up his bag full of homemade – and no doubt expensive – dog treats that Yeontan probably will be unable to distinguish the flavor profiles between.

Taehyung wraps his arms around Jungkook’s waist and says, “I’m so in love with you, Kookie.”

Jungkook’s lips part into an “o” shape for a moment in surprise, then spread into a content smile. “I’m in love with you, Taetae.”

They share a sweet kiss that somehow feels so familiar despite being so new. 

“C’mon, let’s go,” Jungkook says, taking Taehyung’s hand and walking the three of them back towards the car to their next stop.

– ☼ –

After about fifteen minutes in the car, Jungkook pulls over on the side of an empty, forest-lined road.

“Don’t get out,” he says again, then walks around the front of the car to open his door for him.

“Thank you, Kookie,” Taehyung says when he steps out, kissing him on the cheek. “Um, so… Where are we?”

“You’ll see,” Jungkook responds. He opens the trunk to grab their bags from the market, along with a backpack that he throws over his shoulder. “C’mon.” He reaches out for his hand, which Taehyung takes as naturally as if they’d done it thousands of times before. With Yeontan in Taehyung’s arms, Jungkook leads them towards the trees, where there is definitely not a path to follow.

“Jungkook, what are we–”

“Shh,” Jungkook says. “Just a little further.”

Jungkook guides him through the sun-filled forest. Taehyung feels so young among the old trees, their love feeling so new and free. He hears the sounds of twigs snapping beneath their feet, of Yeontan’s sniffles as he smells the air, of Jungkook’s “I love you, Tae.”

A few minutes later, the trees part and they step out into a sprawling meadow. The grass is full of dandelions and wildflowers, and forest surrounds their quiet, hidden clearing. Taehyung lets Jungkook guide him towards a spot near the middle as he looks around him in awe. 

Jungkook stops, then pulls out a blanket from his backpack and spreads it across the grass. He takes out a spiral stake and twists it into the ground next to their blanket, then pulls out a long leash and clips it onto it. He takes Yeontan from his arms and hooks the other end of the leash onto his collar, then sets him down. Yeontan takes off running and the two watch him go, giggling when he almost disappears in some spots where the grass is longer.

“Wanna sit?” Jungkook asks, motioning towards the blanket. 

Taehyung sits and crosses his legs, and Jungkook sits across from him, close enough that their legs touch. He pulls out different containers from his backpack: strawberries, watermelon, peeled tangerines. He spreads out everything they bought from the farmer’s market too, then looks at Taehyung.

“Um, I know it’s… not a lot, but…”

“Jungkook,” Taehyung says, “are you joking? This is so… this is perfect, love.” He leans forward, and Jungkook meets his lips halfway. He rests his hands on Jungkook’s cheeks while they kiss, and Jungkook has one of his hands gently wrapped around the side of his neck. “Jungkookie,” he says against his lips. “You are so, so lovely.”

“So are you, hyung.” He brushes his fingers through Taehyung’s hair, then asks, “Hungry?”

Taehyung nods and grabs the fresh bread they bought from the market, then opens the jar of raspberry jam and dips a piece into it. “Hyung, use a knife, you animal.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes and does the same thing again, and Jungkook sighs and lets him be. 

“Yeontan!” Jungkook calls out. Taehyung looks around to try to find his tiny baby somewhere in the meadow. They hear the ringing of his dog tags as he runs, then he eventually emerges from a patch of flowers. 

Taehyung giggles and puts Yeontan on his lap. “Tannie, you’re all covered in dandelion puffs.” He picks some out of his fur while Jungkook holds five different treats in front of him. He was clearly hoping that Yeontan would take his time to smell each of the treats before coming to an informed, mindful decision, but Yeontan immediately snatches whichever one is closest to him, and Jungkook sighs again. “The Kim boys have no respect.”

Taehyung giggles and pours some water in a bowl for Yeontan. He sets him down in front of it, and after a few drinks, he’s off again.

Jungkook opens the container of watermelon cubes and takes one for himself, and watches Taehyung. “Did you know you chew with a pout?” he says.

Taehyung freezes, and when he does so, sure enough his mouth is in a pout. “Did you know you chew with your eyebrows furrowed?”

“I do not.”

“You do too.”

“Why are you watching me when I eat?”

“Because I’m in love with you, duh. And you’re watching me too!”

“‘s ‘cause you’re so cute.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Taehyung grumbles, then grabs a handful of strawberries. He watches Jungkook close his eyes and hold his face towards the sun. 

“Stop staring at me, creep,” he smiles.

“Mind your business.”

They eat a bit more, fawn over Yeontan when he comes back for another water break, then lie on their backs and watch the few clouds pass over them. 

“Hey,” Jungkook says.

“Yeah?”

“Do you feel kind of like… nothing has changed? I know this is all new to us, but it doesn’t feel that way. I don’t know. I feel like I should be nervous to hold your hand, or to kiss you, but I’m just not. It feels like we’ve always been doing this.”

Taehyung turns onto his side and looks at Jungkook’s profile lit up by the sun. “I feel the exact same,” he says. “I feel like… like we’ve been together for ages, not just a handful of days.”

Jungkook nods, then turns on his side to face him too. “Your hair looks so pretty in the sun. So does your skin. Both look so warm and golden.”

“You’re pretty,” Taehyung says, brushing a piece of Jungkook’s bangs out of his eyes. “I love your long hair. ‘n when you wear it half up.” 

Yeontan appears and walks between the two of them, attacking Taehyung's face with kisses. “Okay, okay, hi, Tannie, jeez." He nudges him away towards Jungkook, and Yeontan does the same to him.

Jungkook lies on his back to get away, and Yeontan walks to his water bowl to rehydrate. He seems to have tired himself out and lies beside Jungkook, just sniffing the air. Taehyung moves over so he can lie his head on Jungkook’s chest, and Jungkook starts running his tattooed fingers through his hair. 

“This is such a good day,” Taehyung says, closing his eyes. “I love being with you, Kookie.”

Jungkook hums. Taehyung can feel the vibration from it. “Every day is good with you, hyung.”

– ☼ –

They stay in the meadow until the blue sky turns to pink, clouds swirled throughout and looking like cotton candy. Jungkook leads them back through the forest before it gets too dark, then they drive back to their houses.

Once he pulls out front, Taehyung asks, “Do you wanna have a sleepover?”

Jungkook says of course he does and follows him up the path to his house.

Later on as they’re standing in the bathroom after brushing their teeth before bed, Taehyung turns to him. “Hey. Um… I was wondering if you’d like to be my boyfriend…”

Taehyung has seen a lot of Jungkook’s smiles. His shy smile when they were just friends and Taehyung picked a cherry blossom petal from his hair. His endeared smile when he play-fights with Yeontan. His excited smile when two characters on their drama were finally about to kiss. Taehyung watches a new smile spread across Jungkook’s face that he hasn’t seen before.

“Taehyungie-hyung, I would love to be your boyfriend.”

They get in bed, and Taehyung wraps his arms around Jungkook – his boyfriend – from behind, his chest against his back. “I love you, darling,” he whispers to him, his eyelids growing heavy.

“I love you, Taetae,” he says back, sounding just as sleepy.

Taehyung pulls him just a bit closer, and Jungkook laces his fingers through his own, and they fall asleep. 

– ☼ –

For the second morning in a row, and hopefully the second of many, many more, Jungkook’s face is the first thing Taehyung sees when he wakes up. He traces a finger down the bridge of his nose, making it twitch like a bunny. He giggles and watches Jungkook’s eyes move beneath his closed eyelids before slowly blinking awake.

He takes a few moments, then looks down and sees Taehyung looking up at him, having moved in the night to lie on his chest. “Mmm,” Jungkook says, pulling Taehyung closer and kissing the top of his head. “Could get used to this.”

Taehyung blushes, both at his words and his sleepy morning voice. Jungkook stretches his body out as far as he can, then sinks into the mattress.

“Wanna shower?” he asks.

“T-Together?” Taehyung stutters out.

Jungkook nods. “Yeah, unless you don’t want to, which is okay. I can go home to shower while you do.”

“No, no, that’s okay.” After several more minutes, he finally gets up. Jungkook reaches his hand out, and Taehyung uses all of his strength to pull the dead weight of Jungkook’s muscular body out of bed. 

They brush their teeth side by side in the bathroom while they wait for the water in the shower to heat up, and Taehyung revels in the warm domesticity of it all. They rinse their mouths, then he turns to shyly look at Jungkook.

“Hey, it’s just me, love,” Jungkook says. He takes Taehyung’s hand and kissing each of his knuckles. “Would you feel better if I undress you?” Taehyung nods. “Okay, cutie.”

He kisses Taehyung and pulls him closer by his waist. A shiver courses through Taehyung when he feels Jungkook’s hands travel down to grab the hem of his shirt. He slowly starts to pull it up, his fingers brushing along the sensitive skin of his stomach and sides where no one has ever touched him so gently before. “Arms up, please,” he says against his lips, and Taehyung raises his arms to let him pull the shirt over his head and drop it to the floor.

“You’re so gorgeous, baby,” he says, looking down at Taehyung’s exposed skin. He unties the string of his cotton shorts, then slowly pushes them down until they drop to his feet. Taehyung kicks them away. He's wearing a pair of lavender cotton panties with a small dark purple bow on the front. Jungkook stares down at him, his thumbs drawing circles on his hips, sometimes dipping beneath the hem.

“Do you… do you always wear panties, Taehyung?” Jungkook asks.

He nods. “Yeah. I like feeling… pretty.”

“You are,” Jungkook says, still looking down between them. “So, so pretty, hyung.” Taehyung blushes. “Can I take these off now?”

He nods again, and Jungkook slowly pulls them down, letting them fall to the floor.

Jungkook has seen him naked over video call, then briefly when they slept in bed together later that night, but this just feels different. In the morning light, the sun shining through the small window in his bathroom. Everything feels so heavy, important. 

“So beautiful, Taehyung. Every part of you.”

“Can I do yours now?” he asks.

“Of course, baby,” Jungkook says. He onto his cheeks for them to share a long kiss that leaves his head spinning. 

He’s less slow and gentle than Jungkook was, but he still removes his shirt with care, giggling when it gets caught on his head. He unties Jungkook’s shorts and pulls them and his boxer briefs off all at once, then they’re both standing with bodies and hearts bare in front of one another. 

He takes Jungkook’s hand and kisses his palm, then he leads them into the shower. 

He lets just Jungkook stand beneath the stream of water first, watching his jawline when he tips his head back to wet his hair. Jungkook moves aside so Taehyung can do the same, and when he opens his eyes again, he sees Jungkook staring at him – not with heat or desire, but with what seems like wonder. 

“Can I wash your hair for you?” Taehyung asks.

“Only if you let me wash yours after.”

“Deal,” he says, smiling while he reaches for the shampoo bottle. 

The two wash and condition each other's hair, then Taehyung squeezes some body wash into his hand. He starts at Jungkook’s shoulders, running his hands along the broad muscle, massaging in some spots. He slides his hands down his muscular back, his tiny waist. He asks him to turn around and gives the same treatment to his tattooed arms, admiring each work of art. He washes his front, spending some time indulging himself to run his hands over his abs. He washes the soap from his body and from his own hands, then shyly moves onto his knees.

He wraps his long fingers around Jungkook’s soft cock. Jungkook’s eyes open in surprise after he’d closed them from the gentle treatment he was receiving.

“Tae, you don’t have to–”

“Shh, I want to.” He strokes his cock until it’s half hard, then says, “Um… I’ve never done this before. So please tell me if I’m doing something wrong, or what feels good.”

“Of course,” Jungkook says, looking down at him and stroking his cheek with his thumb. “Is it okay if I put my hand in your hair? I won’t push or pull.”

He nods, and Jungkook threads his fingers through his smooth, wet hair. He opens his mouth and takes a tentative, kittenish lick at the head of his cock, looking up at him for a reaction. “Keep going, baby,” Jungkook encourages, gently massaging his scalp.

Taehyung takes another lick, this time a bit firmer. He licks the head a few more times, his eyes never leaving Jungkook’s – Jungkook’s never leaving his – then adjusts his cock to lick all around from the base to the tip, spurred on by Jungkook’s pleased sighs. 

He opens his mouth and sucks on the head like a lollipop, running his tongue all over it, and Jungkook lets out a soft moan. “You look so, so pretty, love.”

Taehyung opens his mouth further and takes more into his mouth, bobbing his head and taking a bit more each time. Jungkook’s cock is thick and it’s already starting to make his jaw a little sore, but he powers through, wanting to make Jungkook feel good. He reaches his gag reflex about halfway down his cock, knowing that he's going to have to practice to be able to take more, but the weight of Jungkook’s cock on his tongue is so surprisingly comforting to him that he’s looking forward to getting a lot more practice in. 

“Feels so good, baby. Doing so well, just like that,” Jungkook moans. Taehyung knows that it’s not the world’s best blowjob, but he’s warmed by Jungkook’s praises and encouragement. 

He shyly reaches a hand between Jungkook’s legs. He starts to massage his balls, and it almost makes Jungkook’s knees buckle before he catches himself.

“Fuck, Tae,” he moans. “So good.” He closes his eyes and throws his head back, and Taehyung feels proud of himself.

He continues bobbing his head on Jungkook’s cock, his hand stroking the part that he can't reach. He feels a bit of drool running down his chin, then he pulls off to lick around the head again.

“You’re so perfect, baby, fuck. Are your knees starting to hurt, love?”

He had been focused fully on Jungkook and didn’t notice that, yes, his knees were beginning to hurt a bit against the hard shower floor. He nods his head while still sucking his cock, looking the picture of innocence mixed with sin. 

“Why don’t you–ahh–come back up here and let me f-finish washing you, and we can move this to the bedroom?”

Taehyung pulls off with a pop and stands up, his knees cracking.

“That was so good, baby,” Jungkook says with a kiss.

“You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not! You made me feel so good.”

“If you say so,” he mumbles.

“Well, I do. Now turn around so I can wash your back.”

Jungkook ignores his hard cock while he carefully cleans Taehyung’s body. He mostly ignores Taehyung’s too except to wash it, smirking at his moan when he strokes it a few times. 

They rinse off one last time and dry each other, then Jungkook gently pushes Taehyung onto his bed before hovering over him.

“Hi,” he says.

“Hi, Kookie,” Taehyung says back with a smile.

Their first kiss is soft. The second one less so, and by the third they’re making out with little whimpers and moans passing between them. 

Jungkook kisses down his jaw to the sensitive skin of his neck, biting and sucking along the way. He trails kisses down to his collarbones and down his chest, then looks up at Taehyung as he licks across his nipple, his thumb brushing over the other one.

Taehyung doesn't know if it’s his inexperience or if he’s just naturally sensitive, but his whole body feels alight, tingling wherever Jungkook’s hands touch. Jungkooks sucks on his nipple, swirling his tongue around and nibbling on it. 

“Kookie,” he moans, his hand going to Jungkook’s long hair. 

Jungkook moves over to his other nipple, giving it the same treatment while two of his fingers massage around the other one, his saliva making the motion smooth. He moves down and kisses his squishy tummy all over, making Taehyung giggle and try to push him away when it tickles. 

“Love your belly button piercing, hyung. Makes you look so pretty.”

He licks the precum that had been pooling beneath his cock. He moans at the taste, and Taehyung thinks he could come just from that sight alone. 

Without warning, Jungkook sucks on the head of his cock. Taehyung lets out a broken moan at the unexpectedly warm, wet feeling. “Jungkook–” he moans. His moans grow louder as Jungkook starts to bob his head up and down, eventually taking it all the way until it hits the back of his throat and he swallows around it. He reaches down to squeeze his balls, then he pulls off and takes one of them in his mouth, sucking on it and moaning before doing the same to the other one.

“God, Jungkook–”

Jungkook lets his balls fall out of his mouth, then he takes Taehyung’s legs and says, “Can you pull your legs back and hold them there for me?” Taehyung does as he’s told and hears, "Good boy." It makes him whimper, and Jungkook smiles, clearly taking note of his reaction.

Jungkook gives a broad lick over his hole, and Taehyung throws his head back and lets out his loudest moan yet. He’s seen ass eating in porn a few times, but he couldn’t have imagined how fucking good it would feel. 

He lifts his head back up, wanting to see Jungkook with his face buried between his legs. He can’t stop letting out deep moans and high-pitched whimpers, and Jungkook starts to work his tongue into his hole.

“Jungkook, fuck,” he breathes out. He adjusts his hand so he’s holding one leg back by the crook of his elbow, and he shakily reaches out to take Jungkook’s hand that’s resting on his thigh. He laces their fingers together, and Jungkook pulls back and smiles. He kisses his inner thigh, then says, “You’re so cute, Tae. So sweet.” He licks over his hole again, then thrusts his tongue inside, licking his walls. “Taste so good too. Where do you keep your lube, love?”

“Nightstand. Drawer.” Taehyung rests his head back, missing Jungkook’s tongue but happy to have a bit of a break because he was getting a little overwhelmed with the new feeling – both physical and emotional.

Jungkook shuffles around and finds the bottle of lube and sets it on the bed.

“Here, why don’t you stretch out your legs for a few seconds?” he says. He takes Taehyung’s legs and slowly pulls them back out, massaging them lightly. Taehyung melts at the gentle treatment from him, falling even more in love every second, amazed that that’s even possible.

Jungkook sits beside him with his back on the headboard. He spreads his legs. “C’mere,” he says, patting the bed. “Sit here with your back to my chest.” Taehyung obeys, and Jungkook wraps one arm around his stomach, and his other hand wraps around his cock. He can feel Jungkook’s own hard cock against his lower back. He exhales and watches Jungkook’s big, tattooed hand stroke slowly up and down. He rests his head back on Jungkook’s shoulder, and Jungkook leaves little butterfly kisses on his neck. 

Jungkook never speeds up his hand. He’s not trying to get him to come, just wants him to feel good. He stops at the tip and circles his thumb around the head for a few seconds, spreading the precum there, then massages just beneath it where Taehyung is sensitive, his legs twitching just a bit. He goes back to stroking up and down his cock, leaving a kiss on his temple.

“This is…” Taehyung starts, his chest feeling heavy with the weight of his love for Jungkook, “this is nice.” 

“You’re so pretty, Taetae. Your cock is so big in my hand. Love the way your body feels against mine, so warm.”

Jungkook’s hand lets go of his cock. He rests it on his tummy, then he reaches down to massage his balls. “Ahh, Jungkookie.” Jungkook squeezes his balls, kneads them in the palm of his hand for a few seconds, then moves back to his cock again. He resumes his slow, even pace, and Taehyung starts to feel a prickle in his eyes. 

This is the first handjob he’s gotten. The first anything he’s gotten, and he never imagined that it would be this… this loving. He never knew it could be like this. Nothing they’ve done has been overly lust-driven or drenched in loud, intense passion. It’s been so tender, so adoring. It’s been about showing their love, Jungkook wanting to make him feel it.

Jungkook stops his hand when he hears a sniffle. “Tae? Hey, what’s wrong, honey?”

“N-Nothing’s wrong,” Taehyung says, reaching up to wipe a tear away. “Just–just love you so much.”

Jungkook lets go of his cock to wrap his other arm around him, holding him tight. He kisses up and down his neck. He playfully bites his earlobe, then says, “I love you, Taehyung. More than I thought I’d be able to love someone.” He kisses the back of his head. “Wanna lay back down for me?”

Taehyung does as he says. He pulls his legs to his chest again without being told, presenting his tight, pink hole to Jungkook. “God, Tae,” Jungkook says, staring at it, at him, with overwhelming admiration. “Can’t wait to be inside you, baby. Can’t wait to feel you.” He grabs the bottle of lube and pours some on his fingers. He waits a few moments to let it warm up, then brings them down to circle around Taehyung’s hole. 

“Ahh–hhhh,” Taehyung mewls just from the touch of someone else's fingers there for the first time. Jungkook pushes past the ring of muscle, and the mewls get louder. He slowly moves his finger in and out, caressing Taehyung’s tight walls. Taehyung wasn’t expecting how different it would feel to have someone other than himself finger him. Jungkook can reach so much farther than he’s able to.

“Mmmm–hnnm, ahh, Jungkook,” he moans loudly when Jungkook finds his prostate. “More, p-please?”

“So sweet, baby. Of course.”

Jungkook adds another finger, and Taehyung whimpers at the stretch, loving it.

Jungkook starts to scissor his fingers, making sure to brush against his prostate every time he’s deep inside. After a few moments he adds a third finger, and Taehyung is letting out a steady string of moans and “Jungkook”s and “Kookie”s. Jungkook keeps spreading his fingers apart, stretching his hole to be able to take his cock. 

“‘m ready, Jungkookie, please.”

Jungkook slowly pulls his fingers out, but Taehyung is almost vibrating in anticipation and barely feels the emptiness. “Do you have any condoms?”

“Um…” he says, feeling shy again. “If you’re–if you’re clean, we don’t have to use one if you want. I’m clean, since I’ve never been with anyone before. But if you’d be more comfortable using a condom, then that’s okay.”

Jungkook kisses him. “I haven’t been with anyone since I met you, love. You’ve been the only thing on my mind. We won’t use one then. Wanna be as close to you as I can.” He slicks his cock up. He groans after not having touched himself this entire time, his attention focused entirely on Taehyung. He gets in position between his legs, leaning over to hold himself up with one hand beside Taehyung’s head. “Ready, baby?” he asks. Taehyung nods, and Jungkook lines his cock up with his hole and slowly starts to push in.

“Ahh, fuck,” Taehyung moans. Jungkook’s thick cock stretches him so perfectly. And his cock is warm and soft even when it's hard, so different and so much better than a dildo. 

“Feel so good, Tae, fuck. So tight, baby.”

Jungkook finally bottoms out, pausing to let him adjust.

“You’re–you’re inside of me…” Taehyung says, out of breath when they haven’t really even started.

Jungkook giggles and nods, “I am.”

“No one’s… no one’s ever been inside of me before,” he says, looking up at Jungkook with teary eyes.

“Baby,” Jungkook says. He kisses his forehead.

“You can move now.”
 
Jungkook pulls out until just the tip is inside, inch by inch. Just as gently, he thrusts back in. He goes slow to ease him into it, but Taehyung says, “You can go harder, Jungkook, ‘m not gonna break.”

Jungkook chuckles and speeds up his thrusts, slamming in just a bit harder, enough for the slap of their skin to ring around the space. 

Taehyung whines, his moans filling the room, then he nearly screams when Jungkook’s cock finds his prostate.

“Fuck–ahh, mmm–r-right there, Jungkookie, please, right there. Hhmmnn–” He wraps his arms around Jungkook’s neck, pulling him down so their foreheads are touching, their breaths passing between them.

“Feel so fucking good, baby–god, fuck,” Jungkook moans.

“J-Jungkook, I love you,” Taehyung says, sniffling at how overwhelmed he feels. “Will you–will you go harder, please?”

“Asking so sweetly, baby. Such a–fuck–such a good boy.” He moans at Jungkook’s words, then Jungkook says, “Wrap your arms tightly around my neck, can you do that, love?” Taehyung nods and does what he says, shivers passing through him when Jungkook calls him a good boy again. 

Jungkook holds onto him and stands up, laughing when he yelps. He walks them over to the wall and presses him against it, then starts slamming into him.

“Ahh–!” Taehyung screams. His head spins at both his hard thrusts and the fact that Jungkook can carry him and hold him up as if he weighs nothing. “Jungkook–god, nnhm–”

Even as he's being fucked into with a thick cock splitting him apart, he feels so safe in Jungkook’s strong arms. So protected. “Taehyungie, feel so good, baby, knew–ahh–knew you w-would–thought about this for so long, fuck–”

The sound of Jungkook's hips hitting his ass fills the room, joining together with their moans and softly whispered words of love.

Taehyung throws his head back against the wall, giving Jungkook the opportunity to kiss and bite along his neck, still fucking into him without faltering.

“K-Kiss, Jungkook, please,” he says. Jungkook slows his thrusts to a stop, kissing him as their tongues wrap together. Taehyung bites on his bottom lip and Jungkook moans into his mouth.

“Gonna let you down, love,” Jungkook says. He pulls out and gently sets him down, steadying him with warm hands on his waist. “Can you go stand in front of the bed and bend over with your elbows on the mattress?”

Taehyung nods and follows his directions, arching his back and presenting himself to Jungkook, waiting to be mounted. “God, Taehyung, fuck.” He grabs onto Taehyung’s ass and kneads his hands on it. He spreads his cheeks apart to see his hole, gaping just the slightest bit when Taehyung doesn’t clench it. “So pretty, baby. My pretty, pretty baby boy.”

Taehyung whimpers, holding onto the duvet beneath him. “Please, Jungkookie,” he says quietly.

Jungkook lines his cock back up with his hole, then slams inside, immediately setting a quick, hard pace. Taehyung screams, his knuckles turning white where he’s gripping the blanket. “Fuck, J-Jungkook, god–hnnnm–” 

“So tight, Tae. Ahh–such a… such a good boy. Love you so much.”

“I l-love you, Kookie–mmmh–” His knees buckle at a particularly hard thrust to his prostate, but Jungkook easily holds him up. He’s slamming into him, abusing his prostate relentlessly, and Taehyung doesn’t think he’s ever felt so good in his life. “Jungkookie–can I… can I ride you, p-please?”

“Fuck, ‘course, Tae. I’ll give you–ahh–give you anything you want, love,” Jungkook says, then finally slows to a stop.

He sits down on the bed with his back against the headboard, and Taehyung crawls over him. “Missed your cute face, Kookie,” he says with a smile.

Jungkook giggles like he wasn't drilling into him a second ago. “Missed yours, love. So gorgeous, prettiest person I’ve ever seen.”

“Jungkoooook,” Taehyung blushes. Jungkook kisses both of his pink cheeks, and Taehyung lines his cock up to his hole again. He slowly sinks down. He sighs when he bottoms out, then asks, “Can we stay like this for a second?”

“Of course,” Jungkook says. He brushes the hair off of Taehyung’s sweaty forehead. “I love the freckle under your eye. ‘s my favorite one.”

“I love the scar on your cheek. I’ve thought about kissing it a lot.”

“Why don’t you do it then? All talk and no action.”

“Shut up,” Taehyung giggles, pushing on his shoulder. Then he turns Jungkook’s head and leaves a soft, lingering kiss on the scar like he’s thought of doing so many times before. “I love you, darling. So much.” He slowly starts to circle hips on Jungkook's cock, rubbing it against his prostate. It makes Jungkook moan and look down at the the way he grinds on him, sensually and almost teasingly. He's not here to tease though, so he rises up and slams down. 

Jungkook throws his head back and groans. He holds onto Taehyung’s hips, helping guide him, and Taehyung’s big cock slaps between their stomachs.

“Fuck, so good, baby, doing–doing so well,” Jungkook moans, and Taehyung feels dizzy from the praise. He clenches around Jungkook’s cock, wanting to make himself even tighter and make Jungkook feel even better, and he’s rewarded with a loud moan. “Tae, shit– ‘m close, love, where do you want me to come?”

“Inside, please,” he pants, leaking even more precum at the thought of Jungkook spilling his cum inside of him. Just a few seconds later, Jungkook comes with a loud groan. Taehyung matches it when he feels Jungkook flood his hole with his warm cum for the first time. He feels it slide and drip out of him as he moves up and down on his cock, smearing it inside.  

He slows to a stop, out of breath with his thighs burning, not used to the workout. Jungkook starts thrusting up into him, ignoring his oversensitivity while starting to jerk off Taehyung’s cock. “Will you come on my face, baby?” he asks, and Taehyung nearly comes right then.

He pulls off Jungkook’s cock, feeling more of his cum drip out from the sudden emptiness. He slaps Jungkook’s hand away and strokes himself quickly while on his knees. “Fuck, Jungkookie, ahh–” It only takes a few more strokes tight, quick strokes, and he comes. He watches his cum paint Jungkook’s face white. Some shoots into his open, waiting mouth, pooling on his tongue. Some streaks across his cheek, some across his forehead and getting on his hair. Jungkook never looks away from him, his innocent doe eyes looking up at him with his face covered in cum.

“Fuck,” Taehyung says. He runs his thumbs through the cum on Jungkook’s face. He collects some of it and sticks his thumb in Jungkook’s mouth, groaning when Jungkook closes his lips around it and sucks his thumb clean. “God, Jungkook.”

He collapses into Jungkook’s chest, both of them out of breath. Jungkook massages his scalp, and he could almost fall asleep feeling so loved and safe if it weren’t for the cum he can feel running down his thighs.

“We should shower again,” Jungkook says. Taehyung groans, unable to imagine getting up in the state he’s in. “I’ll carry you.”

“Fine,” Taehyung says, unhappy at the thought of leaving his bed. He wraps his arms and legs around Jungkook like a koala bear and sighs when his big, strong boyfriend carries him to the bathroom. 

While they’re standing under the warm stream, Jungkook asks, sounding a bit insecure, “How was it? Are you in any pain?”

Taehyung kisses him slowly, trying to pour every bit of love into it, hoping Jungkook can feel the gravity of his feelings. “It was perfect, Jungkookie. So, so perfect. Thank you.”

“Thank you for trusting me, hyung. And for loving me.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that, baby. ‘s the easiest thing in the world.”

– ☼ –

Summer ends with a slow goodbye, and fall arrives with beautiful reds and oranges and yellows to say hello. The season finds Taehyung and Jungkook hand-in-hand while walking Yeontan along their tree-lined street, Jungkook hopping from leaf to crunchy leaf. Mornings are spent sharing coffee and tea on Taehyung’s back deck while the days are still warm enough to do so, nights spent cuddled on the couch together watching scary movies – to Taehyung’s dismay – and always followed by romantic comedies so he would be able to sleep after. It finds Jungkook visiting Taehyung at his bookstore, helping him shelve books while sneaking kisses in hidden alcoves. It finds them in love in the colorful season.

Fall fades into winter with a flurry of snow, a flurry of kisses. It watches them as they sit in front of Taehyung’s fireplace – Taehyung reading a book while Jungkook sketches Taehyung, unbeknownst to him. It watches them at Jungkook’s house so he can prove to Taehyung that he’s not a squatter there, that he does in fact actually own the house despite never being there or inviting Taehyung over, insisting that he likes Taehyung’s house because it feels so cozy, feels so him. Winter watches them spend their first Christmas together, a small, intimate gathering to exchange Secret Santa gifts between their friend groups who have merged: Namjoon from the bookstore with his husband Jin, Hoseok from Jimin’s dance studio, and Yoongi and Jungkook and Taehyung, followed by a private exchange of gifts between Jungkook and Taehyung once everybody’s gone home.

Days pass and get warmer and warmer as the world blooms back into color, and spring arrives with a yawn. The season admires them as they walk together between the cherry blossom trees, Taehyung picking a pink petal from Jungkook’s hair the same as he did last season, followed by the same blush from Jungkook but now followed by a kiss too. Spring admires them while Jungkook admires Taehyung, talking to him and keeping him company as he sets up his garden for the season. It admires them as they watch the rain fall outside, “I love you”s falling from their lips along with it.

And finally, summer returns and looks upon them with happiness as they lie in their favorite, familiar spot on the grass in Taehyung’s backyard. Jungkook’s hair is blonde and the breeze is pirouetting through it while Taehyung’s is a fairy-like blue, matching the sky. Taehyung smells fresh-cut grass and fresh air and the flowers from his garden nearby. Yeontan is running around the yard, but this time he’s joined by a new friend: a doberman puppy named Bam with paws too big for his body and floppy ears that blow in the wind.

“Hey, Jungkookie, I have a question for you.”

Jungkook opens his eyes and turns to look at him. "Hmm?"

“So, I love you…”

“You do?” 

“Shut up. I love you, and we’ve been together for a year, but we were friends for a while before that.” Jungkook nods encouragingly. He takes his hand and kisses each of his knuckles, then his palm because he can sense his nervousness. “We see each other basically every day, and this wouldn’t even be much of a change at all, but it’s still a big step. I was wondering if you maybe wanted to move in with me…”

He watches a wide smile appear on Jungkook’s face, his nose scrunching in the way that makes Taehyung’s heart skip a beat. 

“Taehyungie!” Jungkook says. He tackles him onto his back and straddles him, peppering his face with kisses. Yeontan runs up to them and barks and growls at Jungkook, defending Taehyung. “I would love to move in with you.” He looks down at him with so much love in his eyes, and Taehyung is certain that it’s reflected right back. 

Summer passes slowly, lazily, and watches Jungkook and Taehyung carry boxes from Jungkook’s old house into his new one, a “for sale” sign out front. A week later as they’re eating breakfast, their legs tangled together beneath the table while Taehyung feeds pieces of bacon to Bam and Yeontan, Jungkook tells him, “Someone bought the house. They’re moving in today.”

“What!” Taehyung says, his eyes wide. “You didn’t even tell me you got an offer!”

Jungkook shrugs. “Sorry.”

“You’re a bad boyfriend. I’m gonna fall in love with the new neighbor again and then you’ll have nowhere to live.”

“Not so sure that you’re gonna fall in love with them,” he says, something suspicious in the tone of his voice. Just then, a moving truck drives past their window and stops in front of Jungkook’s old house.

“I hope they’re hot,” Taehyung says. “I think I have a neighbor kink.”

“That’s not even a thing.”

“Whatever. You don’t know anything. C’mon, I wanna see what they look like.”

Taehyung stands on his front steps in his pajamas, not even bothering trying to hide his nosiness. The driver's side door away from his view opens and slams, and just as the person is about to walk around, the passenger side opens too, and Yoongi and Jimin come into view. Taehyung’s mouth drops open, then with wide eyes he turns and punches Jungkook’s arm hard enough to leave a bruise.

“Ow! Jesus, Tae!” he says, rubbing his arm.

“Are you joking?!” He pushes him again and his shoulder hits the door.

“What the–I don’t know why you’re abusing me!”

“I can’t believe you kept this from me!” He takes off running across their yards and slams into Yoongi, nearly tackling him to the ground with his hug. “Yoongi! Oh my god!” Then he lets go and runs to Jimin, who welcomes him with open arms, hugging him back just as violently. 

“Tae!” Jimin says. “We’re neighbors!” 

“Jimin!” Taehyung says, both of their smiles so wide. “Oh my god, this is the best day of my life.”

“This is gonna be so much fun! I get to hangout with my best friends all the time!”

Taehyung lets go and turns to Jungkook, who slowly starts to back away in fear. “Jungkookie,” he says. He slams into him with a hug too. He jumps up to wrap his legs around him, and Jungkook catches him easily. “I love you, Jungkookie.” He attacks his cheek with wet kisses while Jungkook giggles.

“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Yoongi says. “You guys have to help us carry boxes inside.”

Jungkook lets him down so they can go change out of their pajamas, then they all start moving things out of the moving truck. About fifteen minutes later though, Jimin and Taehyung stand in the kitchen talking while Jungkook and Yoongi carry everything inside by themselves.

Once the truck is empty, Taehyung and Jungkook leave their new neighbors so they can unpack. Taehyung is on his knees working on his garden, weeding and tending to his plants. He smiles when he sees that his tomatoes are growing in perfectly, while Jungkook sits on the deck and plays fetch with their dogs. 

A little while later after they’ve had dinner, they’re cuddled together on the patio couch they have on their back deck. Taehyung’s knees are pulled up to his chest with his head resting in the crook of Jungkook’s neck, and Jungkook’s arm is wrapped around his shoulders. Their backyard is filled with the shimmering flickers of lightning bugs and the still, calming sounds of a summer night. Taehyung rests one hand on Jungkook’s cheek and softly kisses the side of his jaw, then looks up at the night sky. He thinks of all the other Taehyungs and Jungkooks out there, in love with each other in their own universes, and he hopes that they’re warm and safe and happy.

He holds onto his Jungkook tighter, and Jungkook kisses his temple, letting his lips linger before kissing it again. Then he looks back at the glimmering fireflies, and he is certain that their little universe is the happiest one.