Chapter Text
Taehyung feels weird being here. He stands out with his green cast, and with his cane most people have been able to come to the correct conclusion that he’s Dr. Taehyung Kim from the Ditko Institute, former colleague of Dr. Edgar Sims.
Former, of course, because Sims is dead.
He wasn’t sure if he should go, but a few doctors in other departments had organized a group of them via email to attend. His therapist thought it would be a good idea too.
It was Yoongi’s idea, making him see a therapist. He can’t remember anything from his accident, and while he was fine with that before he’s a thousand times more grateful for it now. That memory of Sims getting shot is still crystal clear in his mind. So is the memory of him killing Butcher.
Jungkook refuses to call it that, but Taehyung knows what he did. He’d do it again. And maybe that should scare him, but it gives him comfort to know that strength is in him. That he has the power to protect someone like that. To protect Jungkook like that.
He and his therapist don’t talk about Butcher of course, at least not the killing part. They talk about Sims getting shot in front of him and discovering Cho’s body and Butcher holding him hostage. Taehyung’s been over the story so many times now it’s starting to feel like just that—a story. But he understands why it’s important and why Yoongi pushed him to do it. He doesn’t see it being something he does long-term, even though Yoongi would probably prefer that. But it’s good to dissect his feelings on what happened with an objective third-party.
Jungkook isn’t in therapy. Taehyung thought about suggesting it when he mentioned he was going, but he decided against it. He’s talking to Jin though, and that’s good. Maybe even better than talking to a licensed therapist.
He fights the urge to check his phone; Jungkook’s planning to meet him afterwards. Jungkook didn’t say anything about wanting to come to the funeral, which Taehyung can understand. Taehyung’s not sure he was even invited anyway.
Taehyung sits at the end of a pew beside his colleagues and watches Carolyn Sims at the pulpit at the front of the church, giving Dr. Sims’ eulogy. Well, she’s not Carolyn Sims anymore. Taehyung’s not sure what it says about Dr. Sims, that his ex-wife is apparently the only person either qualified or willing to speak on his life. He’s not sure what it says about their relationship either, that she’s doing it. From his understanding she organized the funeral.
It's a modest turnout. Most everyone in the room is a good two decades older than him, but he’s used to that. When the service ends he stands up with the rest of the group and files out of the church. He doesn’t have any plans to attend the burial. Carolyn is posted at the door to the church, shaking hands and accepting condolences. Taehyung’s leg aches as he speeds up to walk pass her, but she catches his eye nonetheless.
She only nods at him, and he steps outside into the crisp, cold air.
He limps a few yards away from the entrance before he stops and pulls his gloves out of his coat. It’s hard doing things with a bad leg; it’s even harder to do them with a bad leg and a bad hand. At least it’s his left wrist that broke. Otherwise he’d be screwed using his cane. He tucks his cane under his arm and tries to hold open his glove with the fingers of his left hand. His wrist throbs dully with the movement and he clamps his tongue between his teeth, trying to get his right hand in the glove. It’s fucking freezing out here.
“Need some help with that?”
Taehyung looks up to see Jungkook walking towards him. It’s only been a few hours since they’ve seen each other, but Taehyung’s stomach erupts into butterflies. Jungkook’s been staying at his apartment a lot recently. He started patrolling again two nights ago, after Taehyung deemed him healed enough. He’s jealous of the way Jungkook can bounce back; he’s stuck with his cast for the next five weeks.
He flashes Jungkook a grateful smile and holds out his hand. Jungkook kisses his chilled fingertips before sliding his glove on and grabs his cast to kiss his other fingers for good measure. It’s sweet, overly so.
If Jimin was here, he’d gag.
Taehyung doesn’t mind, he’s always liked sugar. He captures Jungkook’s cheek in his now warm and gloved hand to kiss him. The wind is picking up, swirling the last of the falling leaves around them, but Taehyung doesn’t feel it. Kissing Jungkook makes him feel like there’s fireworks exploding inside him.
Jungkook chases his lips for more but Taehyung pulls away. They both blink at each other for a moment, blushing as they remember where they’re standing.
Jungkook links their arms as they start walking down the street towards the subway station. Another reason Taehyung wants to get this stupid cast off—it sucks that after all this time they’re finally together, and he can’t even properly hold Jungkook’s hand.
“How was it?” Jungkook asks him.
Taehyung thinks for a moment. “Strange.”
“Are you glad you went?”
“I think so. Better than if I hadn’t.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah.” Taehyung keeps his eyes on his shoes. Even though his leg is in better shape it’s still been touch and go. He has to be extra careful not to take a wrong step. “Between this and Captain Cho’s viewing, I think I’m done with funeral stuff for a while.”
Jungkook flashes him a faint smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “I know what you mean.”
Taehyung can’t take his hand, not properly, so instead he grasps the hem of Jungkook’s coat between his fingers.
“I know you do.”
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
“Taehyung, quit squirming.”
“Dad, I really have to pee, can I please-”
“Quiet,” his mom whispers, hushing him and his dad. “It’s almost over.”
Taehyung fidgets in the uncomfortable wood pew. It’s so hot. Even though they have the church doors wide open, there’s no breeze at all on this sweltering July day. The sun beats down through the stained-glass windows.
Was Mr. Kim even religious?
Taehyung didn’t know him, not really. The Kims lived a few streets away from him and his family. The main thing people would point out is how they had the same last name. Well, the couple did. Their nephew didn’t.
Jungkook Jeon.
Another person Taehyung doesn’t know much about. He keeps to himself most of the time. He’s really smart, Taehyung does know that. He’s just really quiet. Taehyung thought about asking him to hang out a few times, but he’s always gotten swept up with school and extracurriculars. His parents have mentioned it a few times too, that he should see if Jungkook Jeon wants to come over. They’re practically neighbors, or whatever.
He knows Jungkook is in the yearbook club. He’s seen Jungkook’s pictures before—they’re really good. But he’s only actually talked to Jungkook once or twice, and it’s always been about school.
He doubts Jungkook wants to talk to him much now.
All he knows about Mr. Kim is that he worked for the electric company that would come to their house when there were power outages. He knows that Jungkook’s other uncle works at the local homeless shelter. His parents would always talk about the Kims in regards to how much they do for the community. Taehyung guesses that’s pretty apparent here today—the church is completely packed. It’s really not helping with the heat situation.
A bead of sweat runs down Taehyung’s neck. He has to pee so bad.
He can just barely make out Jungkook Jeon all the way up in the front. He’s sitting beside his uncle. Taehyung doesn’t think he’s moved or spoken since the service started. Taehyung and his parents got there only a few minutes before then, so they’re towards the back. The bathrooms are right behind them, he could just go now-
“Dad,” he whispers. “Dad, I really have to go, can I please-”
“Taehyung, stop talking,” his mom admonishes.
He gives her his best pleading eyes. “Mom, I drank a whole Gatorade before this-”
“Go,” his dad sighs. “Try to be quiet.”
Taehyung, of course, bangs his knee against the pew as he stands. Thankfully only a few heads turn to look at him. He ducks his head and speedwalks back towards the bathrooms. He’s about to burst through the door to the men’s room when a sign stops him in his tracks.
OUT OF ORDER
“Oh, come on,” he whispers to himself. “Are you kidding me?”
He doesn’t want to pee in the bushes out front, but at this point he’s seriously considering it.
Thankfully, there’s a smaller sign posted beneath it.
Use bathrooms located at the front of the church.
Great.
Taehyung weighs the benefits of sprinting down the side aisle and definitely not pissing his pants against walking at a normal pace and not attracting attention.
In the end, the thought of his mom’s angry glare makes him walk carefully and quietly along the left wall of the church. Jungkook’s uncle is at the front. Taehyung is too focused on getting to the bathroom to listen to what he’s saying, but his heart gives a wrench of pity when he sees the tears running down his face. Jungkook still hasn’t moved.
Taehyung makes it to the bathroom and shoves open the swinging door. There’s only one stall, so he locks himself inside and breathes out a sigh as he relieves himself. He can hear music coming from the chapel. He leans against the wall and decides to stay here for a bit. It’s so much cooler in the bathroom, away from everyone. He waits until the music fades out, wiping away sweat with a bit of toilet paper.
He hears footsteps a moment later, and then the bathroom door swinging open. He steps towards the lock, half-expecting whoever came in to try and open it themselves, but the footsteps halt.
And then he hears a sob.
Taehyung’s heart races as he presses his face to the small crack in the bathroom door.
Jungkook Jeon slides down onto the floor and draws his knees up to his chest, burying his head as he cries.
Taehyung freezes in place. He doesn’t know what to do.
Should he walk out? Should he try and comfort Jungkook? They aren’t exactly close. Would that make it better? Or worse?
Should he just stay hidden? Will it embarrass Jungkook if he knows someone’s here?
He tries to think of what he would want in this situation. But he’s never been in this situation, not even close. He heard his parents talking about it, and it was in the local news. How Jungkook was there when his uncle died. Taehyung can’t even imagine what that must feel like.
So he does nothing.
He keeps debating with himself inside the bathroom stall, but the longer he waits the longer he feels like revealing himself would be the wrong decision. Jungkook is quiet as he cries, muffling his sobs into his knees. It matches with what Taheyung knows about him already. How quiet he is. How shy.
Still.
Taehyung doesn’t think quiet and shy should have to mean alone.
That’s what really sticks with him, as he hides in the stall and watches Jungkook Jeon cry.
He looks so alone.
Jungkook eventually stops crying. His sobs taper off, and he stands up shakily to wash his face in the sink. His skin is blotchy and wet with tears. Taehyung watches him wipe it all away with a paper towel.
And then he leaves.
Taehyung makes himself a promise then and there.
The next time he sees Jungkook Jeon all alone, he’ll try to be his friend.
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
Every time Jungkook thinks Jin can’t possibly embarrass him even further, he reaches a whole new level.
“Stand together just like that- oh, that’s perfect! Okay, hold that…smile on the count of three. One…two…”
“Can you just take the picture already?”
“Three!” Jin frowns down at his phone. “Wait, Jungkook, you weren’t smiling.”
“I don’t really feel like smiling at the moment.”
“Oh, come on, for me? Just one.”
Taehyung nudges Jungkook in the ribs with his elbow. “Just one.” He grins.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” Jungkook mutters to him.
“Immensely.” His grin slides into more of a smirk. “Jin, we should do one with the flowers.”
“You should! That’d be so cute. Hold them up, Jungkook. I’m gonna take it again, and this time smile.”
Jungkook doesn’t have to work hard to hoist up a smile when Taehyung turns into him and lays his hand on Jungkook’s chest like a cheesy prom date. Jungkook keeps one arm around Taehyung’s waist while the other cradles the bouquet of tulips Taehyung brought him. Jin snaps another photo. His phone camera has the obnoxiously loud shutter sound on. Jungkook will have to turn that off for him; he hasn’t had much luck assimilating to the new phone Jungkook got him.
“Can we go now?” he asks. “We’re gonna be late.”
“Yes, fine. I release you. Have a good time! Be safe!”
“We will,” Taehyung promises.
“And no crime-stopping!”
“Oh my god,” Jungkook groans, as Taehyung steps away from him to accept Jin’s hug. He makes a face when Jin ruffles his hair and smacks a kiss to his cheek. “Please let me leave before I die of embarrassment.”
Jin kisses his cheek again, more tender this time. It’s a joke and it’s not, when he replies:
“It’s what Joon would’ve wanted.”
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
Jungkook’s heart is pounding as he pulls out Taehyung’s chair for him. Taehyung sinks into it, thanking him. Jungkook has tried his best to do all the ‘gentlemanly’ things Jin has drummed into his brain over the years. Holding the door, pulling out chairs, walking closer to the street. He kind of doubts Taehyung’s noticed though; he’s been talking non-stop since they left Jungkook’s house.
Jungkook is more than happy to let him.
Taehyung talks all through their appetizers and their entrees, bouncing from Jimin’s recent surge in overprotectiveness to the stockpile of food Yoongi and Hoseok are putting in his fridge to the trip to Florida his parents want him to take in the spring. By the time they get to dessert (a lemon tart, just like Jungkook dreamed), Taehyung seems to finally run out of steam. Jungkook takes the opportunity to scoop a bite of tart onto his fork and move it towards Taehyung’s lips.
Taehyung quirks an unimpressed eyebrow. “I only broke just the one wrist, you know.”
“I know. Just…” Jungkook hides a blush. How does he explain this? It’s another part of his dream. “For me?”
And apparently, that’s enough.
Taehyung hums at the flavor and picks up his own fork to feed Jungkook a bite. This part Jungkook hadn’t dreamed, but only because it’s better than anything he could’ve possibly imagined.
“I- sorry,” Taehyung says, and sets down his fork again. “I just realized I’ve been doing all the talking.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do.” The pout Taehyung gives him just about knocks him off his chair. “This is our first date; I shouldn’t be monopolizing the whole conversation.”
“I really don’t mind, doc. What you’ve got to say is a lot more interesting than anything I do.”
“Okay, that’s just objectively not true.” Taehyung’s wineglass is still halfway full, but his cheeks are rosy and his eyes are the slightest bit overbright. Jungkook adores him. “Tell me something.”
“Um…” Jungkook gets Taehyung to eat another bite while he thinks. “Well, this restaurant-”
“Which I love, by the way. Everything here’s amazing. Oh, shit-” Taehyung presses his hand to his mouth. “I’m shutting up.”
Jungkook has to wait for his grin to lessen before he can speak again. “This is the restaurant my uncles went to on their first date.”
Taehyung’s gaze turns soft. There’s two tealight candles on the table, and Jungkook watches their flames dance in Taehyung’s eyes. “I didn’t know that.”
Jungkook nods. He wonders if the light looks more liquid in his eyes.
“Is that what Jin meant? About it being…what your uncle would’ve…”
“You can say his name.” Jungkook slips his hand beneath Taehyung’s, playing with his fingertips. “It’s okay.”
“I know, I just- I don’t…”
Jungkook hears what Taehyung leaves unspoken. I don’t want to upset you.
“I think Jin meant that Joon would’ve wanted me to be completely embarrassed on my first date. And I’m sure he would’ve wanted it to be here too. I think he just wanted me to be- normal, I guess. To not let what happened define the rest of my life. He would’ve…Jin told me the other day he would’ve wanted me to move on. I thought I had but now I see that I was just pushing it all down. And now…now that you know…now that Jin knows…”
“Now that Jin knows,” Taehyung prompts.
Jungkook takes a deep breath and lets it out before answering. “Now there’s nothing to hide anymore. I like talking about Joon. I think before Jin was afraid to talk much about him with me because I would get so defensive. And I was afraid to talk about him because I thought Jin would figure it out. What I did.”
Taehyung watches him with those soft eyes. Taehyung already knows what Jungkook thought he did; he’s the one Jungkook cried to after he came back from his reconciliation with Jin. Taehyung’s in a unique position; he knew Spider-Man better than anyone else. Sometimes Jungkook feels like the person he was with Taehyung back then is so different than how he is now. Spider-Man is different.
Taehyung keeps Jungkook level, reminds him that the gap between him and Spider-Man isn’t as wide as he imagines it to be. Jungkook knows Taehyung talks to Jin too, filling in the blanks Jungkook can’t. Like how it feels to love someone who puts themselves in danger every night. How to not get eaten alive by the fear they won’t come back.
Truthfully, Jungkook thinks Jin has enough experience in that area already. He’s always worried over Jungkook, over the unexplainable fights he would get in. And being scared that someone won’t come back…that fear was realized the day Namjoon died.
That’s one blank Jungkook can fill in. He can share in that grief with Jin now, knowing Jin doesn’t and won’t blame him for what happened. That Jin forgives him. Knowing he can forgive himself.
And so they’ve started talking about Namjoon.
It’s not that they never did before, but when his name came up it felt like there was a bomb in the room about to detonate.
“When we talk about him now it feels so much more…it’s like he’s still here.” Jungkook fights the sudden lump in his throat. He’s already cried enough in the past week. Especially with Jin. “It’s not so heavy anymore. The burden of it.”
Taehyung’s eyes are swimming in the candlelight. “You finally put it down.”
“I think so. I didn’t realize…I didn’t see how stuck I was.” He can’t take the intensity of Taehyung’s eyes anymore. He looks down at their half-eaten tart. “Until you.”
When Taehyung leans over the table and kisses him, it tastes like lemon.
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
“Taehyung, what is this?”
Taehyung rolls his head towards the sound of Jimin’s voice. He’s sprawled on his bed with the book Jungkook lent him. He’s on the last chapter; he wants to finish it before Jungkook and Jin get here so he can give it back.
“What is what?”
“This was in the mail. From your landlord.”
“Oh.” Taehyung sits up straighter on the couch. “Did you open it?”
“Yeah, obviously.”
Taehyung rolls his eyes. Jimin doesn’t know the extent of what happened at Ditko, just what was reported by the police. And Taehyung hasn’t been inclined to tell him the full truth; he’s been bad enough as it is. It was like talking to a brick wall, trying to make Jimin understand why he wanted (needed, really) to go back to work at the same place he was, yes, held hostage and watched his colleague get shot. It was a simple reason. The same reason.
Curiosity.
Taehyung’s a scientist—it’s in his blood. He’s never going to be able to give that up, no matter what. He thinks he understands Jungkook in that respect. He’s tried to explain it to Jin too. Jin calls him every so often to ask him the questions he can’t or won’t ask Jungkook. On nights Jungkook comes to his apartment, bleeding and injured, Taehyung always calls Jin the next morning.
It’s been nearly a month since everything happened. Spider-Man is on the street again, stopping crime and saving lives like he always has. Taehyung is back full-time at Ditko. Sims’ research project was abandoned and his staff was reassigned. Taehyung has asked after Audra and bringing her onto his team, but HR said they hadn’t heard from her since the incident. Taehyung supposes he can’t blame her.
LabCorp got away with a slap on the wrist, only liquidating the team working directly with Sims and Butcher and turning over their assets to the government. They’re in the middle of a court case for their shady dealings, but Taehyung doesn’t see that changing much.
He thought about stopping his own project. That even with the right intentions it could still be dangerous. Jungkook was the one to encourage him to keep going.
Jungkook was offered his job back, but he hasn’t accepted it. Not yet, at least. He promised Taehyung he’d have an answer by New Year’s. Taehyung desperately wants him to. Though he knows part of that is just his desire to be around Jungkook at pretty much all times. Jungkook spends probably three nights of every week with him at his apartment, but the rest are with Jin in Queens.
Taehyung doesn’t begrudge him for it; in fact he’s the one to encourage Jungkook to go home. They’ve all been waiting on edge for the past two weeks about Jin’s official diagnosis, if the cancer spread beyond his tumor or not. It makes sense for Jungkook to be home. Jungkook even gave up the lease on his old place, which Taehyung knows made Jin happy. It was the last relic of his life before, when he worked for the Bugle and kept secrets, all under the burden of guilt he carried all by himself.
He's free of that now, or at least he’s trying to be. Taehyung’s struck at how often the Jungkook in front of him looks like the Jungkook he remembers in the park all those years ago. At peace.
“Why are you asking your landlord about adding someone to the lease?”
Jimin, on the other hand, hasn’t seemed to know even a second’s peace since Taehyung came home from getting his wrist set at the hospital. The four nights of the week Jungkook isn’t staying over, Jimin is there. Jungkook’s taken to climbing straight into Taehyung’s bedroom window on the nights Jimin is passed out on the couch and he needs a quick patch-up before heading home. It’s manageable, but Taehyung wants it to be better.
So he emailed his landlord.
“I want Jungkook to move in.”
Jimin looks like he’s been sucker-punched. “What?”
“I want him to move in. I’m gonna ask him tomorrow tonight.”
“Again, what?”
Taehyung shuts his book, self-conscious as Jimin gapes at him. “What?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Um- no?”
“You just met him!”
“No I didn’t, I’ve known him for years.”
Jimin pinches the bridge of his nose. Taehyung imagines he’d be kicking something right now if he could. Probably Jungkook. He’s certainly warmed to Jungkook in the past month, but not enough to go along with this plan. Taehyung can’t totally blame him. It does seem a little crazy to an outsider. Considering-
“You’ve only been dating for like three weeks!”
“Five weeks.” Taehyung flexes his arm, finally free of its cast.
“You know what I mean. It’s insanely early to be asking your boyfriend that.”
“But I’m not asking him as a boyfriend.” Taehyung winces at Jimin’s glare. “Okay, I am, kind of. A little bit. But mostly as a friend.”
“A friend that’s going to share a one-bedroom apartment with you?”
“Well-”
“Taehyung, I have to go on record and say this is a stupid idea. You haven’t been together nearly long enough.”
“I know.”
That’s the reason, though. They spent so much time apart already. Taehyung doesn’t want to wait any longer.
“But you’re going to ask anyway.”
Taehyung sighs. “Chim, I want this. More than I’ve wanted anything in a long time. And I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense and you don’t get it, but I’m asking you to trust me.”
Jimin stares at him for a long moment. Then he collapses onto the couch beside Taehyung and drops his head on his shoulder. “Asking me to be a believer, huh?”
Taehyung finds Jimin’s hand and intertwines their fingers. “One of us has to be.”
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
“Baby, we’re gonna be late.”
“No we aren’t, we’re like a block away.”
“And it’s already two minutes after we said we’d be there.”
“Okay, well, if you didn’t make me lug this giant bag with me-”
“Jungkook, you can’t expect me to show up for Christmas dinner and not bring gifts.”
“Well-” Jungkook devolves into muffled swearing as the huge tote bag of gifts Jin insisted on bringing bangs against his knees. Both Jungkook and Taehyung told him he didn’t have to, but of course he didn’t listen.
They went to Namjoon’s grave this morning. Something else they hadn’t done often, before. Jungkook hadn’t been in years. He brought Oreos and Jin brought Namjoon’s favorite whiskey. It kept them warm as they sat by Namjoon’s gravestone and swapped old memories of Christmases past. By the time they got home it was well into the afternoon, and Jungkook helped Jin in the kitchen with the food he wanted to bring before they had to rush out for the subway.
Jin looks much healthier; he’s kept his word and taken things easy through his recovery. He’s started taking shifts at the shelter again, just short ones where he isn’t lifting anything heavy or doing anything too strenuous. Thankfully the rest of Jin’s friends and coworkers seem to be aligned with Jungkook about his whole ‘taking it easy’ promise. Otherwise Jungkook would want to keep him under lock and key to make sure he doesn’t overdo it. He can relate to Jimin in that sense, even though it’s been annoying to spend the night at Taehyung’s and have to muffle their voices because Jimin’s asleep on the couch outside. He’d just ask Taehyung to stay at his instead, but he terminated his lease pretty much the second he had a free moment after he and Jin’s conversation.
Things with Jin are better now—Jin is better now—and he’s already been hinting at Jungkook finding his own place again. Jungkook doesn’t mind. He knows Jin will always let him come home, no matter what. If he moves out he’ll make sure this time to visit more often than he did.
He made a promise to Namjoon.
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
Jungkook’s never seen Taehyung’s apartment look so homey. It’s clearly the work of Hoseok and Yoongi, like the flush across Taehyung’s cheeks is the work of Jimin and his eggnog that’s mostly rum. Taehyung throws his arms around Jungkook’s neck and greets him with a kiss that has Hoseok cheering and Jimin pretending to vomit. Jin just shakes his head with a smile. He hoists the tote bag out of Jungkook’s grip (blatantly ignoring his concerned look) and carries it into the living room.
“What’s in the bag?” Taehyung asks, after he pulls away.
“I honestly don’t know,” Jungkook answers. “Jin packed everything.”
“So you didn’t get me a gift?”
“I- wait, you said we shouldn’t do them!” Jungkook didn’t get Taehyung anything, like Taehyung requested. He wrote a card for him with a stupid Christmas pun, but that’s tucked into his jacket for later.
“I’m kidding.”
“You really have to stop with the jokes, doc. Hey, you got your cast off.”
“Mhmm.” Taehyung flexes the fingers on his hand, showing off how he can turn his wrist in a neat circle. “I’m free.”
“Guess you won’t be needing my help anymore.” It’s a prospect Jungkook feels oddly sad about.
“I seem to remember the only place you were really helping me was the shower.”
Ah. That’s why he feels sad.
“Well, when you put it like that…”
Taehyung presses another kiss to his lips. “I still need plenty of help in there, I promise.”
Jungkook bites the inside of his cheeks and prays they aren’t flooding red right now. “Is Jimin staying over tonight?”
Taehyung shakes his head with a blinding smile.
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
Jin gets him a camera.
Jin brought gifts for everyone like he said, things he picked up at the flea market or the department store, but all of them are heart-felt. Taehyung in particular loves his green gloves that match the exact shade of his favorite green scarf.
Jin bought him a camera.
It’s a good one too, better than he used at the Bugle. Jin got it for him.
Jungkook can’t speak around the lump in his throat for several seconds, staring down at the box. Jin bought him a camera.
“Thanks,” he eventually croaks. “I love it.” Jin just smiles at him from across the living room. Taehyung kisses Jungkook’s shoulder, sitting beside him. His fingers tremble the slightest bit as he reads the note Jin taped to the box.
Baby,
I know you always loved photography. I’m sorry
if I ever took that love away from you. Take whatever
pictures you want.
I’ll love you always and anyway.
-🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷🕸️🕷-
“Happy birthday!”
“Happy- oh, shit, is that Mrs. Pac-Man? I haven’t seen that game in forever.”
“Could you at least finish wishing Taehyung a happy birthday before you wander away, sugar?”
Taehyung laughs as Yoongi tears his eyes away from the machine in the corner. Taehyung knows all too well the draw of a good arcade game. As soon as Jungkook gets here he wants to face off on Space Invaders. He was sleeping in after a long night out on patrol. He’ll be over soon, coming from their apartment. Their apartment. Or it will be, once Jungkook fully moves in. He agreed to Taehyung’s offer about one second after he asked. Jimin was pretty confused when Jin didn’t seem to be fazed by their decision at all, but he gave it up. In the end, he’s never been one to deny Taehyung what he wants. That doesn’t mean he isn’t scary as hell sometimes.
He’s already over by the ancient claw machine, determined to beat it into submission. Taehyung feels kind of silly renting out an entire arcade just for six people (five, since Jin’s filling in at the shelter today), but it’s what felt right. It’s much smaller than Taehyung’s eighteenth birthday party, and much quieter. Taehyung feels that way a bit too. His life is so different than it was the last time he was here. He’s happier for it, he decides.
Because this time, Spider-Man is coming.
A kiss lands on his cheek and a hand on his shoulder starts to spin him around. Taehyung turns willingly, a smile already splitting his face, and he hears those two little words he’s been meant to hear all along.
“Hey, doc.”
Jungkook Jeon stands in front of him, wearing a matching grin. He kisses Taehyung lightning-quick, their hands linked together in a way Taehyung will never get tired of. Taehyung kisses back, and tells Jungkook what he’s been meaning to say this whole time.
“I think you owe me a game.”