Worthless; a #taekookau Jungkook sits on the chair, eyes on the...

46 views Aug 14, 2026 ~92 min read

Worthless; a #taekookau

Jungkook sits on the chair, eyes on the police officer who is filing away the papers.

“He is your…” the police officer arches a brow, eyes moving from Jungkook to the CEO, “I mean…”

Taehyung lets out a breath, “family friend.”

                            2
                        
Jungkook snorts, does not bother with hiding it. He ignores the glare the man beside him gives him. His eyes are stuck on the papers. He counts them, almost twelve.

When the police officer nods, says it's okay for them to leave, Taehyung is on his feet, storming out.

                            3
                        
Jungkook rolls his eyes, gets up leisurely, takes the gloves and the wallet and his mobile before he walks out of the station.

His eyes easily find the CEO leaning against his car, arms crossed and jaw locked, while he watches Jungkook.

Jungkook sighs, walking up to him.

                            4
                        
"How many times do I have to come and bail your ass out of jail in a month, Jungkook?" Taehyung grits out, "how many times-"

"Then don't," Jungkook rounds the car, getting inside, "I never asked you to come and save my ass."

Taehyung slams the door closed, "oh, yeah?"

                            5
                        
"Who is going to do it then?" Taehyung's voice drips with mockery, "your parents? Who already disowned you? Your brother? Who wants nothing to do with a spoilt brat like you? Or your friends who fled when you got caught racing? Who is going to save your ass?!"

                            6
                        
Jungkook resolutely keeps his eyes on the passing buildings, hands crossed on his chest.

He can't wait for the ride to come to an end, so he can get out of the car and leave.

A hand grasps at his jaw, turning him to face the CEO who is glaring at him, "I am fcking talking!"

                            7
                        
"I think my ears are working, and I don't like seeing your face!" Jungkook wrenches his face free, looks back at the window, "get off me!"

Taehyung lets out a curse, closing his eyes and leaning back in his seat, "next time you get caught illegally racing your bike, I swear…"

                            8
                        
"If anyone gets a whiff of this, do you realize how the tabloids are going to react?" Taehyung hisses, "how they are going to paint me in the public?! I am a respected person in the society and my husband-"

Jungkook kicks the driver's seat, "divorce me then! For God's sake!"

                            9
                        
"You uptight piece of shit, divorce me and free yourself from this humiliation that is being married to me," Jungkook glares, "you don't have to come for me. You don't have to hide the fact that you are married. You don't have to babysit me any more. Let me fcking go!"

                            10
                        
"Go where, exactly?" Taehyung grits out, "go where? Where are you going to go? Stay where? Your father is tired of your antics. Your mum is ashamed of you. No one in your family wants to do anything with you. Where will you go? Tell me that!"

                            11
                        
Jungkook closes his eyes, "far away from all this. I will leave and never come back. I promise," his voice wavers for a second before he steels it, "I will go away. You got the property, and my family got the promised share in your dad's company. Both parties are fine. Right?"

                            12
                        
"It has been two years," Jungkook blinks fast, eyes focused outside, "the contract can't bind you to anything and neither can your dad pull away from the partnership with my family business. Now I can leave. Right?"

                            13
                        
"Where will you go?" Taehyung hates how the thought is scary to him, Jungkook just getting lost in the crowd and him never getting a hold of the younger, "who will save your ass when you get in trouble? Who would you expect to save-"

                            14
                        
Jungkook's eyes shift on his face, effectively muting Taehyung, "if I have no hope of you coming for me, I would probably be more careful. I promise. If that's what you are worried about, I will make sure to not end up in sketchy places anymore. Yeah?"

                            15
                        
Taehyung snorts, "how long before I get a message that something happened and you-"

"No one knows you are my husband when we are married officially," Jungkook whispers, "do you really think anyone would know when we do separate? Do you really think I will tell someone?"

                            16
                        
"You will have a peaceful life," Jungkook urges, begs almost, "you will get to date, hell, why date? You will get to marry someone your family will be proud of publicly showing off. You will get to reconnect with your ex. You will live the life you wanted, always. Please."

                            17
                        
"You will have a partner who values you," Jungkook takes Taehyung's hand in his, "who will respect your relationship. Who you would want just as much as they would want you. Just…" Jungkook gulps, "let me go. Don't come for me, even if someone does call you. Please."

                            18
                        
"Just let me go," Jungkook's voice cracks, "if I have to go back to that place one more time, I will go mad. I can't. Please," he looks out with longing, "let me go."

The plea is heart-wrenching. As if a wild animal begging to be let out of its cage.

A bird, dying to fly off.

                            19
                        
Taehyung's eyes search that face, hand grasping Jungkook's in his for dear life, "you can't just evaporate. You can't-"

"I will let you know once I settle somewhere," Jungkook squirms closer, hope igniting in his eyes, "I will call you," he pauses, thinks, "you might be busy."

                            20
                        
He shakes his head, "I will leave a message-"

"Was I ever," Taehyung shoves the bile down his throat that is trying to push out of his mouth, "was I ever ignorant-"

Jungkook shakes his head, a small tilt of his lips is painful to Taehyung, "no. You never were. It's not that."

                            21
                        
"Then why can't you stay?" Taehyung looks down at their joined hands, their wedding rings gleam under the passing street lights, "why can't you just stay?"

"We are not meant to be," Jungkook murmurs, "this is not a marriage both of us wanted. No? We are not made for each other."

                            22
                        
Taehyung pulls away, his eyes on the streets outside, "if that's all you want…" there is a pain Taehyung can't explain, he frowns, "Jimin will send you the divorce file."

Jungkook hums, lets out a breath, "thank you. Thank you."

Taehyung can't breathe easily, he nods, "yeah."

                            23
                        
=== x ===

                            24
                        
It takes two months to get the divorce done. It takes just three or so days to make their families understand the situation.

Jungkook's family heaves a sigh when Taehyung's father says he would not pull out of the partnership and Taehyung's family is happy about the divorce too.

                            25
                        
"We got the partnership," Mr. Kim chuckles, "we got 70% share of their Japan branch. We are fine, Tae," he winks at Taehyung, "now it's good news that the trouble is getting off your back without us having to do anything. Yeah? It's a good news."

                            26
                        
Taehyung comes home that night to Jungkook packing his bag. A small duffle bag that he neatly folds a few clothes into.

Taehyung stands by the doorframe, eyes on the man as he moves around.

"When are you leaving?" Taehyung pushes off the doorframe, "the date?"

                            27
                        
Jungkook pauses, looks over at Taehyung with a small smile, "maybe in a week? Yeah."

Taehyung nods, "it's late. Sleep now."

Jungkook hums, "good night, Taehyung. See you."

Taehyung nods, "good night, Jungkook. See you tomorrow."

He goes to his room.

                            28
                        
The next morning Taehyung wakes up to an empty apartment.

When he dashes inside Jungkook's room, he finds a letter on Jungkook's bed.

Taehyung notices the phone, the wallet that has all the cards and cash in it, and their wedding ring on the letter.

“𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝘩𝑢𝑠𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒. 𝑆𝑜 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑒. 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑏𝑦𝑒, 𝑇𝑎𝑒𝘩𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑔. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝘩𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒.”

                            30
                        
> See you tonight for the last few parts 

> 23:00 IST

                            32
                        
"Would you like to dance?"

Taehyung watches the man, his smile genuine and eyes crinkling while he waits for Taehyung's answer.

Taehyung nods, "sure."

While they walk up to the dance floor, Taehyung can easily spot his parents and relatives eyeing him, playfully smiling.

                            33
                        
"I am Dongsun," the guy smiles, lets Taehyung guide him on the dance floor, "Lee Dongsun."

Taehyung knows, he nods.

Dongsun laughs, "you know me?"

Taehyung exhales, "of course. You are the heir of the Lee Enterprise. Everyone knows you here, Dongsun ssi."

                            34
                        
Dongsun waves his hand, "drop the formality, Tae. We are to work together for the next project of our companies."

Taehyung feels the burn in the pit of his stomach. The burn that ignites in him every time he thinks of his father's words…

                            35
                        
“𝑆𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝘩𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛.”

The thought makes him nauseous. His eyes are on Dongsun, but his mind races.

It has been a year since Jungkook left. A year since he last heard from the man.

A year since the divorce.

                            36
                        
Taehyung takes a step back when his eyes find his father's and his father is laughing with Mr. Jeon. Both of them too engrossed in their conversation.

Taehyung frowns, shakes his head, "excuse me," he points outside, "I don't feel good."

He walks out of the ballroom.

                            37
                        
The emptiness is soothing somehow.

The vacant place he calls home welcomes him with open arms when Taehyung walks into the flat he once shared with Jungkook.

He goes over to sit on the couch, face hidden in his hands.

Taehyung does not understand.
What is going wrong with him.

                            38
                        
He didn't love Jungkook. Far from it. They never really shared anything other than animosity because Taehyung never liked how the younger led his life and Jungkook always mocked Taehyung for his strict work ethics and morals.

They never shared anything to hold onto for a year.

                            39
                        
Taehyung undresses, throws the coat and shirt on the couch before walking into the bathroom.

He splashes some water on his face before he looks in the mirror. At himself.

His eyes automatically travels downwards.

The ring shines against his chest, hanging from the gold chain.

                            40
                        
The other ring, his ring, shines on his finger. 

Still there. 

Still carrying something dead for a year now.

Taehyung lets out a breath, tries to stir his mind away from those thoughts.

But they invade his mind anyway.

He didn't search for Jungkook.

No one did.

                            41
                        
Maybe Mr. Jeon knows. Maybe his father knows too. But Taehyung never asked.

He doesn't want to know.

He knows Jungkook would not want him to know.

"Just be safe," Taehyung whispers, tears brimming in his eyes, "fck, wherever you are, just be safe. Please be safe."

                            42
                        
He can easily get someone to look into it. To get the information.

He can easily hire someone to find Jungkook out.

But there is this hesitance.

The questions bubble in Taehyung's mind.

“𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒. 𝐼𝑓 𝘩𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝘩𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦, 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑡.”

“𝑊𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒? 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤.”

“𝑊𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝘩𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑚𝑒? 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝘩𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑒?”

                            44
                        
Taehyung snorts, wipes his face furiously.

Jungkook probably forgot him like a nightmare and here he is… remembering him like a dream he never wanted to have but got anyway.

And now he doesn't know how to break out of it.

Maybe he should find someone too.

Get life going…

                            45
                        
Taehyung walks inside that room, still the same. Still the same.

His eyes trail over each furniture before he goes over to the table.

Where a few papers are pinned on the bulletin board.

One has a bike's photo. One is a poetry. One is a quote about a free life.

                            46
                        
Taehyung's fingers skim over the pages, feeling them under his touch.

His eyes read those lines over and over again.

His eyes always get stuck on that last note.

                            47
                        
“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓,” it reads, “𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑚 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝘩𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑒.”

Taehyung's lips mumble those words. He tries not to think about them. But they are there and he can't stop.

                            48
                        
Taehyung can't let go of that note. He can't stop thinking of the ways he suffocated Jungkook enough for him to leave like that.

Not even a goodbye.

Not even a proper closure.

Taehyung snorts, "would you hear about my wedding if I do get married? Would you feel something?"

                            49
                        
"Would you come back?" Taehyung turns away from that note, eyes searching the room for answers he knows he will not find here, "would you come back for once so I can tell you," his voice breaks, "about all those times I thought of reaching out and like a fool, I didn't."

                            50
                        
"If you would let me, I will tell you now, how almost every night, like a creep, I came to stand in front of your closed door. Hesitated, thought of walking in and see you. Greet you after a tiring day at work. But left for my room because I was too proud to break first."

                            51
                        
"Just call me once," Taehyung sits down on the bed, elbows on his knees and face in his palms, "just call me once and tell me to let go. Tell me you are doing fine, and I don't need to think this much. Shout at me. Do something. Just…" Taehyung looks around, "say you are fine."

                            52
                        
No one answers him. Just like every day, Taehyung falls asleep on the bed.

He wakes up to the maid cleaning the room mutely. Her eyes find him once he gets up.

She tells him the chef is sending breakfast, he should shower.

Taehyung leaves for his room, ignoring her heavy eyes.

                            53
                        
"You need to take the Lee's son out for the exhibition," Seokjin read monotonously, "he is coming over. Mr. Kim said to-"

Taehyung tunes the words out, "how long before I have to settle down with him?"

Seokjin's eyes widen, his blank mask falling for a second before he sighs.

                            54
                        
"I don't know, sir," Seokjin shakes his head, "your father is yet to tell me about his next orders."

Taehyung turns to see the skyline through his vast window, leaning back against the chair, "you can leave, hyung. Thank you."

Seokjin does not hesitate, leaves right away.

                            55
                        
"He is a good person," Mr. Kim nods to himself, "he is the only son of his family. He owns his own company. Very successful. He matches you, Taehyungah. He will make a great husband. This time I am actually looking into your domestic life. He is perfect. You both fit so well!"

                            56
                        
They do. They are quite similar. Taehyung knows that because of those few dates they have been to.

He knows how the tabloids are on him, always clicking away his photos with his companion, and Taehyung lets them.

He purposefully slows down to give them the best content.

                            57
                        
"Do you want to change this to a guest room?" Dongsun asks, looking around the flat, "god, Tae, you didn't redecorate in ages, did you? We have to get rid of everything before we start. Yeah? Let's change a few things. Turn this room into a guest room before the wedding. Okay?"

                            58
                        
Taehyung listens, carefully keeping his ears all for Dongsun. Dongsun describes a home he always wanted.
Taehyung nods along while the man in front of him rants about the colours of the house, the furnitures and what they have to change about it all.

                            59
                        
That night, Taehyung finds himself in Jimin's apartment.
Jimin is making dinner while Taehyung just sits on the couch, curled up in himself with a blanket around him that Jimin put on him.
He is mindlessly shuffling the channels, eyes scanning over the content before he moves on.

                            60
                        
He pauses on a channel. His hand clutching the remote while he listens to the song that channel is playing.

It's an interview, the man is bobbing his head while the song plays, a small smile on his lips.

The anchor turns to face the camera then, with a practised smile.

                            61
                        
"Please welcome, Min Yoongi, as known as Suga, on tonight's show," the host smiles, points at Yoongi, "he is here to talk to us about his latest single and the singer he claims to find from the streets."

Taehyung's ears ring. He ignores how Jimin comes running to sit beside him.

                            62
                        
"Would you tell us about the singer more, Yoongi ssi?" Yoshik smiles, "the voice is so new yet so charming, it's taking over the nation and I have heard the song is doing really well overseas too."

Yoongi smiles, a shy nod of his head, "thank you. Well," he gives a cheeky smile.

                            63
                        
"The singer is like my own brother," Yoongi looks at the host with a genuine tilt of his lips, "I found him at a bar I frequent. He was asking what to order, and I just wanted to mess with him," Yoongi laughs, "told him to order Irish bomb. Kind of stupid, I know, but…"

                            64
                        
"He did end up ordering it, and we had a laugh while sharing the drink," Yoongi sounds fond, "he didn't have anywhere to stay, got to know more as we drank. So I offered him to stay with me. It has been, what?" Yoongi makes a face, "a year since then. I guess? Yeah."

                            65
                        
"Turns out he has no one," Yoongi's face morphs into a grimace, "orphan. He is," the producer frowns down at his hands, "so I kept him. He turned out to be really good at singing. But he is really shy, so he doesn't want to make an appearance. Ever. Trust me when I say-"

                            66
                        
"I got tired of begging him to debut publicly. But he won't. He denies vehemently and threatens to run away if I force too much," Yoongi scrunches his nose up fondly, "and I can't let that happen. I don't want to lose him. Ever."

The sincerity of that statement breaks Taehyung.

                            67
                        
"So is he the vocal side of Cypher now?" the host grins suggestively, "you three can do with another member in the group?"

Yoongi laughs, "no. He is on his own. I want him to flourish on his own. He has that drive. He wants to do something for himself. Without our help."

                            68
                        
"May we at least know his name?"

Yoongi nods, "he goes by the name Byeol," Yoongi holds his hands up, "sorry. I can't say anything more than this," he looks at the camera and smiles, "please give the song a lot of love. My brother worked really hard on it. Thanks."

                            69
                        
"Byeol…" Jimin murmurs, "a beautiful star."

Taehyung breaks out of his trance, his voice choked in his throat, "what is the song, Jiminah?"

Jimin sighs, pulling up his phone to search it up, "Dreams of you."

Taehyung sucks in a breath, "ohhh..."

                            70
                        
Jimin goes back to cooking and Taehyung pulls up the song on his account to listen to it.

With a long breath, he plugs the earpiece in his ears and closes his eyes after clicking on the 'play' button.

The soft tune fills his ears, making Taehyung hold his breath.

“𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢...
𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝘩𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑦 𝘩𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜.
𝑇𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒 𝘩𝑜𝑤 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 𝑟𝑢𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢?”

“𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑤𝑒 𝘩𝑎𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑒.
𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠
𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑓.
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝘩𝑜𝑤 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑟𝑢𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡
𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝘩? 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔…”

                            73
                        
Taehyung knows he is crying. He knows the voice, he knows how those eyes must have held so much accusation when he wrote these lines.

He knows how painful it probably felt to sing about someone who has done everything to turn into Jungkook's worst nightmare.

“𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑜𝑠 𝐼 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒,
𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠...
𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛,
𝘩𝑜𝑤 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐, 𝐼 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤.
𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛
𝑚𝑦 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛...”

                            75
                        
Taehyung cradles the phone closer to his chest. His eyes closed while images flashes across his mind.

How many times Jungkook got caught by the police. 

How many times Taehyung had to get him out.

He realizes, those were the only times they talked.

Only times they met.

— The lyrics are by me. Not from a song. So don't take them without my permission. 😂

— I will finish it tomorrow (it's still Valentine's Day here, lol)

— Buy me a ko-fi if you want? Thank you x

ko-fi.com/amyungv27

                            77
                        
Taehyung can't help but think about the times Jungkook asked him if he would like to go out, or if Taehyung would like for them to eat together.

He remembers vividly how he had too much work and denied the offer of going out and came home too late to see Jungkook sleeping.

                            78
                        
He remembers Jungkook losing hope. Those wide eyes, full of wonder, slowly turning hopeless and withdrawn.

The last straw was Taehyung's father's birthday party. 

Where his father so joyously spilled how Jungkook was his last choice for Taehyung because of the business.

                            79
                        
Taehyung wipes his eyes, looking over his shoulder at Jimin, "do you know how to contact this rapper?"

Jimin is swaying to a song, plating the foods, he nods, "yeah. My dad's company. He used to be an artist of my dad's company. I know him."

Taehyung stands up, "fix a meeting."

                            80
                        
Jimin pauses, eyes on Taehyung with a small smile on his lips, "that's how you would meet him? In a meeting room? Surrounded by the business that pushed you two away? That's how you want to show up in his life all over again? The ruthless CEO who never cared enough?"

                            81
                        
Taehyung fumbles for words, his eyes on Jimin, "I just," he frowns, "that's what I am. How do you want me to meet him? With a bouquet and at his doorstep? Like a punk or something?"

Jimin sighs, slowly plating the foods, "be a person, Tae. Show up as Taehyung. Not Mr. Kim."

                            82
                        
Taehyung looks away, the awkwardness of the idea crawling up his spine, "what can I possibly tell him after a year? What are we... what if he doesn't want anything to do with me?"

Jimin places the plates on the tea-table and looks at Taehyung, "what do you want from him?"

                            83
                        
“𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝘩𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑦 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒. 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒. 𝑅𝑖𝑔𝘩𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒.”

Taehyung bites his lower lip, "I want to clear out a few things. Before-"

Jimin snorts, glaring at him, "clear it out to yourself first, Tae. You are still so hesitant!"

                            84
                        
Taehyung curses, "I don't know, Jiminah. I don't know what I should probably say to you. What do I want from him? I want him to come back and live with me! I want him to wear this damn ring and free me from carrying it everywh-"

"He freed you a year ago, Taehyung!" Jimin hisses.

                            85
                        
Jimin gets up to come and stand in front of Taehyung, "you need to be able to answer him if he asks why you want him back. Why do you want him back, Taehyung? Why are you doing this when your father has already chosen your life-partner and you both have moved forward? Why?"

                            86
                        
"Because..." Taehyung gulps, the words push against his chest, ribcage contorting around the thought he is yet to acknowledge.

Taehyung turns back to Jimin, "this is not from your best friend, Jiminah. This is from your boss. Fix a damn meeting with Min Yoongi."

                            87
                        
=== - ===

                            88
                        
"Why do we have to work on Valentine's Day, hyung?" Jungkook whines, burying his face into the pillow, "come on. You can't be serious."

Yoongi chuckles, ruffling his hair, "come on. It will take an hour, maximum. Then we will be free. Yeah? What do you want to do afterwards?"

                            89
                        
Jungkook peeks over the pillows, "you have a date."

Yoongi snorts, "I will cancel. We can watch something, or you can just do whatever you want. Yeah? I promise. Just a meeting."

Jungkook gets up, sits on the bed, "who is it with?"

Yoongi shrugs, "the Kim Entertainment."

                            90
                        
For a second, Jungkook freezes.

The name bringing back memories he is always running from.

The name bringing back a face he is yet to forget.

He gulps, looks down at his hands, "I can't go. I am sorry."

Yoongi frowns, "why? What is it, bun? Is anything wrong?"

                            91
                        
Jungkook's eyes water. The elder's soft voice, laced with concern is more than the care he got in his entire life.

He looks up at Yoongi with tearful eyes, "I knew this is too good to come true. I knew I had to leave this too. They won't let me live. They-" he looks away...

                            92
                        
Yoongi sits down on the bed, worried to his core now, "who is it? What is going on? Bun, tell me!"

Jungkook wipes his eyes, looks down at his hands, "my family. His family," his voice wavers, "him."

Yoongi arches a brow, "him?"

Jungkook looks up at him, lips wobbly, "him."

                            93
                        
=== x ===

                            94
                        
Taehyung sits at the head of the table, his eyes fixed on the door, while Jimin sits on his right.

It's just him and Jimin.

The door creaks open, the guard bowing while Min Yoongi walks in.

The door closes as Yoongi takes a seat without even greeting Taehyung. Across from him.

                            95
                        
"You are alone," Taehyung looks at the door and back at the rapper, "where-"

Yoongi leans back against the chair, "you wanted to talk to me."

Taehyung frowns, "along with your vocalist. I wanted both of you here."

Yoongi shrugs, "he has plans for the night."

                            96
                        
Taehyung leans forward, "I fixed this meeting a week ago!"

Yoongi's eyes are on him, face void of any emotion, "with me."

Taehyung grits his teeth, hand slamming on the tabletop, "are you seriously defying me when I own your company's ass? Are you seriously-"

                            97
                        
Yoongi's palm supports his chin, his lips curving upwards in a smirk, "that company's ass is not Min Yoongi's ass. I am this country's topmost rapper. If that company falls, I will find another. Your point?"

For a second the room is quiet. Jimin gripping the edge of the table.

Taehyung feels the anger, the frustration grow in him.

The night is not going according to the plan. He glares at the man in front of him.

His father's words ringing in his ears.

“𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝘩𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑟-𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑑.”

                            99
                        
Taehyung composes himself, "it will not take me any effort to wipe you off this country. You have no idea-"

Yoongi bites back a yawn, "an artist has no boundaries, Taehyung. I will fly off to another country. You can stop your silly act of trying to intimidate me, kid."

                            100
                        
Yoongi leans forward then, elbows on the tabletop, eyes on Taehyung, "there are two ways this meeting can go, kid. I can walk out of here, and you can try to reach me with your power or whatever. Or," he sighs, "you can tell me why you want to meet Jungkook after what happened."

                            101
                        
Taehyung pauses, "you…" he looks at the rapper, trying to understand the elder, "you know?"

Yoongi's jaw tightens for a second, those eyes burning into Taehyung's, "I do," his voice drops an octave, "I do, and I am here trying to understand your point. Like an adult."

                            102
                        
"I am trying to get to the point where it all went so terribly wrong," Yoongi snorts, "well, I can see where it did, but I would like to give you a chance to clear yourself. Otherwise-"

Taehyung glares, "otherwise, what?"

Yoongi shrugs, "I will take him out of this country."

                            103
                        
"Why?" Taehyung snorts, lips curling up in disgust, "do you love him?"

Yoongi nods, unblinking, "Yes, I do. I love him. Unlike you," he lets out a chuckle, "I am mature enough to accept it and unlike you, I am brave enough to acknowledge it. I love him."

                            104
                        
Jimin squirms on the seat, "if you love him," he winces when both of the men's eyes turn to him, "why are you here trying to mend it?"

Yoongi looks at Jimin for the first time, acknowledges him for the first time too, "I don't know what fairytale love you have a knowledge of-"

                            105
                        
"But I love him as I want to see him happy. I want what is best for him. Unlike your friend, I love him enough to understand what he needs and," Yoongi's eyes shift on Taehyung, "who he wants. Even when that person is so blind to see it. So scared to accept it."

                            106
                        
Taehyung seethes, "if you are so noble, why didn't you bring him here? Just to keep him to yourself?! Just so you can come here, rant some shit and-"

Yoongi closes his eyes, breathing out before he looks back at Taehyung, "I didn't bring him here because, look at you!"

                            107
                        
Yoongi hisses, "look at you. You can't have a civil conversation. You are so twisted in your mind that you can't accept openly that you want him back for good. You are so wrapped around your dad's finger to call the shots for yourself. What do you want from him?"

                            108
                        
"Even if you meet him, what are you going to do? Huh? Take him away? Run away? Do what? What do you want? What is it that you want-"

"I want to see him once!" Taehyung stands up, slams his hand down on the table, "once. I want the goodbye he owes me. Face to face!"

                            109
                        
"He owes you nothing!" Yoongi stands up too, leans on his arms to glare at Taehyung, "you owe him an apology for the scar you left in the name of marriage. You owe him an apology for being so careless. You owe him an apology for the sleepless nights he still suffers from!"

                            110
                        
Yoongi presses a finger against Taehyung's chest, "you ower him a love he deserves and you know it. You owe him honesty. You owe him your love and feelings. You owe him a fcking marriage. You owe him his husband. You owe him your love. He doesn't owe you shit, you stupid!"

                            111
                        
"He owes Tae honesty," Jimin stands up, frown clear on his face, "he owes Tae a marriage. He owes Tae apologies for all the times Tae went to save his ass from trouble. He owes Tae understanding. He owes Tae the love Tae silently gave him." Jimin glares at Yoongi now, "I know-"

                            112
                        
"Tae fcked up, I know he should have been more understanding himself. I know he should have reached out to Jungkook but you can't listen to one side of the story and make my friend a villain of it," Jimin grasps Yoongi's hand and pushes it away from Taehyung, "you are biased."

                            113
                        
Jimin matches Yoongi's glare, "you are forgetting they both were shoved into his marriage. You don't know the nights Tae stayed up to make sure Jungkook came home safe. You don't know about the nights Tae spent at my apartment after Jungkook left. Just to suffer on his own."

                            114
                        
"He didn't seek Jungkook out because he wanted to respect Jungkook's choice. He is trying to put a closure to it because they both deserve it. So if you love him this much, then let them meet once and settle it all. Then," Jimin sighs, "you can take him anywhere you want. Yeah?"

                            115
                        
"You are?" Yoongi murmurs, eyes roaming over Jimin's face, "who are you?"

Jimin bows a little, "Park Jimin. Taehyung's secretary."

Yoongi frowns, "aren't you the Park Enterprise's only heir? Why are you a secretary-"

Jimin shrugs, "I wanted to do something on my own."

                            116
                        
Yoongi turns to Taehyung. His eyes skimming over Taehyung's face.

Taehyung looks back, watching Yoongi.

Then Yoongi's eyes shift on Jimin and the rapper lets out a breath.

"Fine," he nods, "you can meet him. But," Yoongi points a finger at Taehyung, "if he wants."

                            117
                        
Taehyung nods, "fine. Call him."

Yoongi opens his mouth when Jimin reaches for his hand, a pleading look on his face.

"Please," Jimin murmurs, "call him? Let's settle this, hyung. Please."

Yoongi watches Jimin and then looks back at Taehyung before he pulls his phone out.

                            118
                        
While he talks over the phone, Jimin swats at Taehyung, "behave! Oh, God, don't lose your temper like that. You will gain nothing. Calm down, Tae. Will you?"

Taehyung grits his teeth, "I hate this guy!"

Jimin lets out a curse, "we can do that later! Please!"

                            119
                        
Yoongi looks at them after cutting the call, "he will be here shortly."

Jimin lets out a breath and Taehyung sits down on the chair.

The silence is uncomfortable. Yoongi and Taehyung are glaring at each other, and Jimin is looking from one to the other.

                            120
                        
Taehyung sucks in a breath when the door creaks open after almost an hour of agonizing wait.

His whole body locks when Jungkook walks in. Dressed in a hoodie, legs wrapped in black jeans. His face soft, puffy.

Taehyung notices, heart fluttering, the piercing on his lips.

                            121
                        
Jungkook freezes by the door itself. His wide eyes on Taehyung and his hand grasping the doorknob.

Taehyung stands up and Jungkook takes a step back.
On instinct and it's not ignored by the three of them.

Taehyung gulps, watches how Yoongi holds out a hand and Jungkook reaches.

                            122
                        
Jungkook grasps onto Yoongi's hand and comes to stand behind the chair Yoongi is sitting on.

Taehyung can't look away from the man. His eyes taking in every fibre of Jungkook's body. His eyes halting when Jungkook looks up, their eyes meeting after a year.

                            123
                        
Jimin stands up, goes over to Yoongi, "let's go."

Yoongi frowns, "what?"

Jimin nods, "give them a fair chance to talk it out. We have nothing to do here. Come on."

Yoongi blinks, "I don't even know you? Where-"

Jimin shrugs, "it's about to be 14th. Let's go out for a walk."

                            124
                        
He holds Yoongi's elbow and drags Yoongi up to his feet, "Seoul is so pretty on Valentine's Day, you know? I will show you around. Come on."

Yoongi stumbles, eyes on Jungkook who is watching him with wide eyes, "no, but-"

Jimin smiles, wide, "come on, hyung. Let's go."

                            125
                        
Jimin looks over his shoulder at Taehyung as he pushes Yoongi out of the room, "don't mess it up, Tae," he mouths silently, "do not mess this last chance up."

Yoongi looks at Jungkook, nods with a hopeful smile, "you can do this, bun. Come on."

                            126
                        
=== x ===

                            127
                        
Jungkook looks down at his feet, listening how Taehyung slowly walks up to him before going past him to close the door.

The sound of the latch makes him flinch almost. He grips the chair, eyes on his whitening fingers.

Taehyung radiates the same command he used to, if not more.

                            128
                        
"I don't know why I am here," Jungkook blurts out, his eyes skipping on the boots that come to his vision, pauses close to him, "I don't know why-"

"I woke up to you gone," Taehyung murmurs, voice deeper than Jungkook remembers, "I woke up to find a letter, and you gone."

                            129
                        
That voice is close to him, "I know you have a lot of things to hold graudges against me but even you can't deny I cared for you. Always-"

Jungkook huffs out a chuckle, "people care for the plants they grow on the balcony too, Taehyung. Is that enough for a person?"

                            130
                        
"Are you calling yourself a plant?" Taehyung snorts, "do plants go off and get their asses in jail for attention? I don't know in which universe you are living, Jungkook, but in mine they stay on that damn balcony and look pretty for the one who waters them!"

                            131
                        
"I am not a bloody plant or your fucking trophy to sit quietly in that stupid mansion of yours and look pretty!" Jungkook slams his hand down on the chair, glaring up at those calm eyes, "I am not a bloody decoration to hang from the wall and please your eyes! I am a person!"

                            132
                        
"A person who has some wishes, some needs, some-" Jungkook halts when Taehyung steps closer, those feline-like eyes sharp on Jungkook's face, lips twitched in a mocking smirk.

"Needs," Taehyung tastes the word on his tongue, rolls it, "you say? Are your needs fulfilled now?"

                            133
                        
"Is he taking care of your needs?" Taehyung whispers, hand reaching out to take a hold of Jungkook's elbow, tugging him forward, "is he treating you like the person you are?" those lips press against Jungkook's ear, "the brat you are? Do you give him a hard time? Or behave?"

                            134
                        
"How do you like it?" Taehyung's words are venom, pouring down through Jungkook's ear, "when he treats you like the person you are?"

Jungkook grasps Taehyung's blazer, fingers tightening on the material, "yes," he whispers, "yes, he treats me like the person I am. Respects me."

                            135
                        
Taehyung snorts when he smells the scent on Jungkook. The same perfume he used to wear a year ago. The same perfume that used to drive Taehyung crazy. The scent that used to linger in the apartment.

The scent Taehyung has come to associate with 'home.'

He closes his eyes.

                            136
                        
The scent breaks something in him because for the past twelve months he is searching this comfort.

The comfort that comes from not just this perfume, but something very Jungkook mixed in it.

Taehyung's hand tightens on Jungkook, "respect was never the problem. I respected you."

                            137
                        
Taehyung's eyes fall on that necklace around Jungkook's neck, the 'AgustD' on the guitar pick shining back at him, blinding him almost.

He stares at him, feeling the burning up his spine, reaching his brain to burn through him.

His eyes flicker over to Jungkook's face.

                            138
                        
A mocking smile finds its way on his lips and he snorts, "maybe you never realized that I respected you because you don't know how that feeling works. Because no one ever showed it to you. No?" his hand finds the necklace, flicks at it, "is this what respect is to you?"

                            139
                        
"Wearing his brand?" Taehyung chews the words out, "wearing his claim like this? Is this how you think respect works?! I was keeping you as a decoration and when he flaunts you like this, he is not showing you off like a trophy?!"

Jungkook flinches at the words, eyes wide.

                            140
                        
"If he falunts me, I will happily obligue," Jungkook snorts, "because he made me into something that is worth flaunting. He saw something in me that is worth faulting. You used to do it for my family. He does it for me. He faulnts me for being who I am. He respects me for that!"

                            141
                        
"He makes sure I am comfortable, he takes care of me. He makes me food, he stays back from work to spend time with me," Jungkook counts on his fingers, "he stays up night after night when I am sick. He calls me every hour when he goes away for some work. He cares. So much!"

                            142
                        
"If he cares so much about you and you care so much about him then why are you still stuck on feelings that are connected to me?" Taehyung's voice halts Jungkook, "if he makes you so happy then why your songs cry about me? If he made you who you are then why I shaped you?!"

                            143
                        
Jungkook's eyes are big. Those round eyes shine with unshed tears. Clings to those long lashes.

"Because," Jungkook wipes at his eyes, "because you are the first person I loved," his voice cracks, "you were the first person I had those wishes and hopes attached to. For so long."

                            144
                        
"You married my family status, my surname, the profits," Jungkook sniffles, "I married you. I married Kim Taehyung. You saw the deals and future of your company. I saw you," Jungkook points at himself, "like a fool, I dreamt of a future with you. Not your name."

                            145
                        
"So now that I have someone who really cares for me," Jungkook pulls at his own sweater, a nervous habit Taehyung knows, "who really shows how much he cares and love me," Jungkook looks down at his sweater-paws, sniffling, "I am yet to fully accept that. I am yet to accept him."

                            146
                        
Taehyung watches the guy he lost his mind over for the past twelve months.

Sees the struggle written on that face.

Jungkook's tears speak of the things he went through.

Taehyung knows, he can say a lot of things. Say how much he suffered.

But this is not a competition.

                            147
                        
Taehyung's eyes fall on that necklace, and he notices how carefully Jungkook handled that flimsy chain, nestled against his heart.

Taehyung snorts at the thought that the name is right on top of Jungkook's heart.

He looks up at Jungkook to see the guy is looking back at him.

                            148
                        
"You should accept it," Taehyung whispers, feels the way energy drains him with those words, "him, I mean."

He turns to walk up to the vast window, looking out at the skyline, "when you left, I was going crazy. So many thoughts were running through my mind. Worry, anger, fear."

                            149
                        
"Not even for once I thought of someone replacing me," Taehyung's lips curve upwards in a snort, "because never I thought I did anything to deserve a place in your heart to begin with. Now that you have found someone who is better, I think I am jealous of losing that spot."

                            150
                        
"I am a competitive bastard," Taehyung pushes his hands in his pockets, "when I saw him, talking like he knows you so well, the first thought was to bring you here and somehow make you take my side, so I can show him who won the race. I am competitive that way."

                            151
                        
"But you are right," Taehyung nods, breathes out, watches how the glass fogs up, "you are not a trophy and I am not the winning prize I like to think I am. If you have 'almost' accepted him, then you should accept him fully. I just called you here for a closure. A final goodbye."

                            152
                        
"That day you left without a word," Taehyung sighs, "I had so much to say that I never got to," he shrugs, "now I think those words don't mean anything. I will not bore you with them. Just..." he gulps, looks over at the city lights, "I am sorry. For what it's worth. I am."

                            153
                        
"Whatever it's worth, I loved you too," Taehyung chuckles, "in my fucked up ways. I think I loved you too. But feelings are stupid, and I don't work well with those. They are a burden I can do without and now, after twelve months, after everything, they hold no meaning. Right?"

                            154
                        
"Maybe I wanted to see you one last time because I loved you," Taehyung leans his forehead against the cold glass, eyes fluttering close, "just to see if you are fine. With my own eyes. You are," he smiles, "more than fine. Moving on from shit you never deserved."

                            155
                        
Taehyung hates when his eyes burn with tears. He hates when he craves something so illogical like the time to turn back so he can fix this.

He hates how breathless he feels before he whispers, "you are happy," he hates how he is not, "and I want you to be happy."

                            156
                        
"I got into this thinking about everything that you said, you were never my focus," Taehyung acknowledges, "hell, I didn't even see your photo or searched you up before getting engaged to you. So you are right in saying I married your status. But," he blinks back tears...

                            157
                        
"I didn't love it," Taehyung snorts in distaste, "I didn't get blinded by it. Like my dad is. Like your dad is. I didn't feel anything for the profit, status. I felt, whatever I did, for you. My feelings were yours. For how less it's worth, my feelings were always yours solely."

                            158
                        
A/N - A lot of you are confused after this update/ after all this, so let me clarify -

- Yoongi /is/ a romantic interest of Jungkook here. Not brotherly. We are going to leave the denial behind. Okay? Okay 😂

Now we good. Now we move on with that in mind! 😂

                            159
                        
=== V ===

                            160
                        
"I don't know what you want me to say," Jungkook's voice sounds wobbly, "I don't know what I want to say to this because," he looks away from the figure Taehyung makes, standing against the bright lights of the city, "because no matter what we felt, we are still here."

161

"There's no going back," Taehyung acknowledges, nods, "I know. I don't want you to say anything. I just..." he doesn't look back at Jungkook, "I just wanted to see you."

'𝑇𝘩𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑚𝑒, 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑒.'

Jungkook's heart screams.

'𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢.'

                            162
                        
Taehyung still has that aura around him. His presence makes Jungkook's toes curl. He can't look at the man and say his feelings because there is still a part of him that wants Taehyung to be on his knees and not like this.
Standing so proud and stoic. Even in his confession.

                            163
                        
There is a part of Jungkook that still wants Taehyung to look at him and stop him. Be unreasonable about wanting Jungkook.

Jungkook wants Taehyung to beg him to stay.

He wants the man to say his life is not the same after Jungkook left.

He wants to be important to Taehyung.

164

"How have you been?" he asks instead, "how-"

"Fine," Taehyung shrugs, shoulders taut, "I am fine."

'𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡. 𝐼 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢.'

Jungkook nods, sniffles, wipes his eyes, "I see."

There is a silence they both are hesitant to break. Both don't want to break and leave.

                            165
                        
Taehyung pulls out his phone then, looks down at the device, "I will call and see where Jimin went. You must be waiting to leave."

Jungkook grips the chair, his eyes stuck on the man.

Taehyung's thumb hover over the screen, he waits for Jungkook to stop him.

Jungkook doesn't.

                            166
                        
Taehyung dials the number then, telling Jimin to come back.

"They will be back in a few minutes," Taehyung points at the chair, "sit. Do you want something to eat-"

"No," Jungkook shakes his head, looks down at the chair before letting go of it, "I will wait outside. Thanks."

                            167
                        
"Wait here," Taehyung points at the window with his chin, "it's cold out there."

Jungkook shrugs, "I will be fine."

Taehyung sighs, "I know, but you should wait here. It's not like I am going to lock you up. When they come back, you can leave."

Jungkook shakes his head, "no."

                            168
                        
"No, what?" Taehyung frowns, "why are you being stubborn about this?"

Jungkook rolls his eyes, "you don't tell me what I would do. Okay? You are done talking, and I don't want to stand here for a second longer."

Taehyung curses, "are you this stubborn with him too?!"

                            169
                        
Jungkook shoves the chair with frustration, "no!" his voice is high, "I am not like this with him because he is not like you with me! He is a way better man than you can ever be! So don't even take his name from your foul mouth, you ass!"

                            170
                        
"He is a human with me," Jungkook storms up to Taehyung, finger stabbing on Taehyung's heart, "he is a person with me. Not like you, robotic, self-absorbed, entitled, righteous prick! Why can't you be you? Why can't you," he grasps Taehyung's blazer, shaking him, "be like him?!"

                            171
                        
Taehyung doesn't pull back, he doesn't flinch. He doesn't react at all.

Those eyes are burning on Jungkook's face and Jungkook clings to the man who his all complaints, heartbreaks, tears and dreams belong to.

                            172
                        
Jungkook steps forward, hands grasping at Taehyung's face, "why aren't you the person I want you to be?"

Taehyung's eyes flutter closed for a second before he looks back at Jungkook, those eyes hold nothing, "maybe because I am not the one you want at all."

                            173
                        
"How can I want you possibly when I never had the reasons to," Jungkook mocks, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes, "how can I want a robot like you? Hell, we never shared any intimacy as a married couple. You," he snorts, "we never kissed. We never spent time together."

                            174
                        
"You," his fingers grasp at Taehyung's hair, messing up the strands in his clutch, "you ruined my hopes, Taehyung. Take responsibilities for those at least. Apologize for stomping on all of my hopes and dreams. Why," he tugs Taehyung forward, "why did you come back?"

                            175
                        
"I was doing fine," Jungkook clings to Taehyung, breath caught in his chest, "I was doing so much better. I was ready to leave everything behind. I was ready to move on-"

"Then do so," Taehyung whispers, "I am not stopping you."

Jungkook chuckles, tears spring out of his eyes.

                            176
                        
"I will," Jungkook whispers, "after tonight, I will move on."

There are crackers, the sound is dim in the room, but the lights are right behind Taehyung.

Those lights shine bright and Taehyung's face is right in front of him.

Jungkook leans forward, "I will forget you."

                            177
                        
The kiss is soft, those lips touching Taehyung's in a tentative manner.

Taehyung holds still, his hands still in his pockets.

Jungkook lets out a shuddering breath when Taehyung's lips part, the kiss deepening.

Taehyung doesn't reach for him, and Jungkook steps back slowly.

                            178
                        
Taehyung watches Jungkook take tentative steps away from him.

Those eyes speak volume, and Taehyung understands the longing in them.

He knows, all he has to do is reach out and ask for Jungkook to stay.

All it will take is for him to ask, once, for Jungkook to stay.

                            179
                        
But his mind reels with the knowledge that Jungkook is not wrong.
Taehyung didn't grow up in a family where emotions and feelings played a huge role.
He doesn't know how to show feelings or how to be everything Jungkook deserves.
He surely is not the man Jungkook should be with.

                            180
                        
He can drag Jungkook back to him, take him back to that cage of an apartment.

But then what?

What will change?

He will still be busy for hours, work, business trips, office parties.

He will go back to neglecting Jungkook and Jungkook will have to face their families...

                            181
                        
The families who caused him nothing but pain. The people who would jump on him like hyenas if he comes back.

The life Jungkook ran away from, Taehyung represents that life.

He is the embodiment of it
.
Taehyung is rational. He knows what is the cost Jungkook will have to pay.

                            182
                        
So the stupid pain in his chest intensifies with each one of Jungkook's step away from him, Taehyung turns back towards the window.

When Jungkook lets out a sniffle, Taehyung closes his eyes, fingers digging in his thighs.

When the door opens and slams closed, he shudders.

                            183
                        
=== V ===

                            184
                        
"Did you just let him go?!" Jimin thunders as soon as he walks in, "did you just let him go like that?!" Jimin doesn't hesitate to grab Taehyung's elbow and push him to face Jimin, "did you just make him cry like he was?! What the hell did you do?!"

                            185
                        
Taehyung looks back at the window, shrugs, "it's not like we were going to make up! We are divorced. I just wanted-"

"Do not start with that crap," Jimin screams, "if that's all you wanted, you had that damn chit. You had his last letter, no?! That was your closure!"

                            186
                        
Taehyung grits his teeth, "can you stop screaming? Stop being so dramatic-"

"I am being human," Jimin grips Taehyung's collars, fury burning in his veins, "I am being a human who feels things and knows his best friend is hurting but is too proud to accept it. Taehyung!"

                            187
                        
"He has someone already. He is better off without me and the things I come with," Taehyung snorts, "the baggage I come with."

Jimin lets out a deep breath, "if he really had someone, would he cry like he was? If he really loved Yoongi hyung, would he look as he did?"

                            188
                        
Jimin pats Taehyung, "if he had someone, he would not come here at all. He would not stay. He would not be so broken. If you come with baggage, so does he. You could have said, Tae, I know you. I know you just didn't open up. Did you? You let him believe you are a shithead."

                            189
                        
"I don't feel anything-" Taehyung flinches when Jimin reaches forward to grab the chair underneath his shirt.

Jimin grabs the ring and pulls it out, "then what is this? You want him to move on, right? You do it first. Let's move on. Throw this damn ring away. Do it, Tae!"

                            190
                        
"Throw this damn ring away, go out with the man your dad chose for you, and I will believe you! Yeah?" Jimin tugs at the chain, easily breaking it, "let me throw this away. You don't need this baggage, either. It's not like that damn marriage meant anything to you, right?!"

                            191
                        
Taehyung grabs Jimin's first, forcefully opening it to snatch the ring away, "stop this madness, Jimin!"

His voice rises for the first time, eyes oozing wrath, "stop this! Leave me alone! You don't need to be my guardian angel. Stop being so childish! It's just a damn ring!"

                            192
                        
"You can hold onto the damn ring but not the person who that damn ring represents?!" Jimin throws his hands up, laughs, "you can throw him away but can't get rid of a bloody ring?! Why, Tae?! Because this damn ring doesn't ask questions?! Because this ring doesn't talk back?!"

                            193
                        
"Because this ring lets you cling to it the way you want?!" Jimin hisses on his face, "because this ring is a life-less object you can own on your own terms, and you like the control?! You like when you can have the things the way you want?! Is that it?!"

                            194
                        
"Is this how you wanted Jungkook too?" Jimin steps right in his space, "is this how you wanted the guy too? Someone who would not give you trouble, someone who would be nice and quiet and never demand anything from you? Like a bloody pet?! Never point out your flaws?!"

                            195
                        
"Wag his tail at you when you feel like entertaining yourself with him?! Be grateful that you paid it attention? As little as it might be?!" Jimin snorts, "that is not how relationships work, Taehyung. You love him, but you love your pride too much. This is not how it works."

                            196
                        
"You will have fights, you will struggle," Jimin's voice turns soft, "you will struggle with each other, against each other but work your way out of it. Together," he sighs, "Taehyung, love is not the fairytale people make it out to be. Love is just another emotion."

                            197
                        
"You fight, you love, you clash, you learn to forgive and to some extent, you learn to be honest with each other," Jimin holds Taehyung's hands, "if it's too much, surely you can get out of it, but, Tae, it's not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. It never does."

                            198
                        
"You want him," Jimin pulls Taehyung in his arms, "you fool, you love him, and you know the biggest tragedy? He loves you just as much."

Taehyung closes his eyes, buries his face against Jimin's neck.

Jimin holds him tightly, "my Taetae is scared. I know. But you can do this."

                            199
                        
"You can open your heart for him. He will accept you," Jimin nods, firm, "he will not think you are just like your father. He will not see his own father in you. He will see you. Because you are different, Tae. Stop doubting yourself. Stop hiding behind the mask of indifference."

                            200
                        
"You are not your dad," Jimin whispers, "you are not going to end up hurting your partner. You are not going to turn out to be a terrible dad. You will not be him," Jimin's eyes tearful, "you will be you. My Tae. Loving, caring, sweet. Just quiet and scared to open up."

                            201
                        
"You will not be your dad," Jimin murmurs, kisses the side of Taehyung's temple, "you are not him. You will never be him. You are not him."

Taehyung breaks, tears welling out of his eyes, "how can you be so sure when I just turned out to be like him? Just like my mum, he left."

202

~~~ Chapter 3 ~~~

                            203
                        
"Are you okay?"

Jungkook looks over to where Yoongi stands by the door of his bedroom. In his comfy clothes, hand holding a mug of coffee and eyes holding so much concern.

Eyes so drastically different from the ones Jungkook is yet to forget.

He nods, "I will be."

                            204
                        
Yoongi sighs, "want to talk about it?"

Jungkook looks down at his lap, the soft fur of the brown, long-coat brings out a melancholic smile on his lips.

"Can you do me a favour, hyung?," he whispers, holds out the coat he clings to almost every day, "take this away from me."

                            205
                        
Yoongi eyes the coat, lets out a breath, "why?"

Jungkook shrugs, "it's not comforting anymore. It," he hesitates, "it suffocates me instead."

Yoongi walks inside the room, places the mug on the bedside table, "are you sure?"

Jungkook chuckles, "I have your leather jacket. No?"

                            206
                        
Yoongi looks down at the coat, crinkled, a little torn around the edges, the fur has gone stiff in places.

He has seen it on Jungkook's bed every day. Since he knows Jungkook.

"I am not clingy, I swear," Jungkook whispers, fiddling with the hem of the coat, "I am not."

                            207
                        
"I am not dependant, I never was," Jungkook sighs, "it's not like I ever had anyone I can fully depend on, but I don't like being like this." The frustration is clear in his voice, "this mess of a person who is stringing another person along just because he can't move on."

                            208
                        
"He comes off rude because he is closed off," Yoongi stops him, eyes on the floor, thinking, "he is quiet. He doesn't open up, and he doesn't understand how to react to emotions. I guess, he never had to deal with emotions before. He doesn't understand how to, Taehyung, I mean."

                            209
                        
Yoongi has a soft smile on his lips, "I would go as far as saying we are a lot alike. He was mad because he sat on that chair, at the head of the table, and the deal was not going according to his plan. He didn't understand how to react when his own emotions ran out of control."

                            210
                        
"He is used to corporate life, kook. Where he goes to crack a deal and comes back with a confirmed outline and plan, wins the ones that comes his way. He is used to working that way. His family, as much as you told me, never showed him how to handle emotions, and he fails at it."

                            211
                        
"He told me he loved me," Jungkook pulls the coat closer instinctively, "told me how in his own way he loved me," he snorts, "but it's past-"

"Because he doesn't know what it will gain him if it's his present and future too," Yoongi nods, "he is as scared and scarred as you."

                            212
                        
"You both were victims of your families' plans," Yoongi frowns, "you both are young. Naive. I think you both went wrong. You were demanding a drastic change, and he is too prideful to show that change. I think you both needed to be honest, but both of you chose not to."

                            213
                        
Yoongi slowly takes the coat from Jungkook, "you both are not ready to let go because the feelings are still there. I don't think throwing away his coat will prove anything as long as you have him wrapped all around your thoughts. All the time. No?"

                            214
                        
Jungkook sits up straight, "tomorrow," he hesitates, bites the corner of his lip, "let's go out tomorrow, hyung. It's Valentine's Day."

The words are heavy. The words are desperate.

Yoongi watches him, a small but melancholic smile on his lips, "rebounds don't work, kookah."

                            215
                        
His hand caresses Jungkook's cheek, thumb rubbing over the scar, "I love you, I do, but I can't be your rebound. I can't take advantage of your vulnerability. If," Yoongi sighs, pulls away, "I met you first." He looks away, "only if I met you first. Then maybe we had a chance."

                            216
                        
Jungkook grasps Yoongi's hand, "not like people don't fall in love for the second time. Not like," he scoots closer, "I don't love you."

Yoongi watches him, their faces inches away from each other, "do you?"

Jungkook's eyes flicker over Yoongi's eyes and then down to his lips.

                            217
                        
Yoongi doesn't move an inch, lets Jungkook lean closer until their foreheads rest against each other.

Their eyes on each other's lips.

Jungkook knows all he has to do is tilt his chin up and their lips will meet.

Yoongi doesn't push away or push closer.

He stays where he is.

                            218
                        
Yoongi smells of pine cone. His scent invades Jungkook's nostrils, and it's the scent that takes him back to that conference room.

Taehyung smells of summer breeze. Something Jungkook can't pinpoint but finds comforting.

It reminds him of those warm evenings he likes so much.

                            219
                        
Taehyung radiates warmth.

Something that doesn't fit with Taehyung's demeanour but he does.

Jungkook thinks about how those lips tasted of tea, Taehyung's scent engulfing him.

He hates how cold he suddenly feels, and then he is breaking down, throwing himself in Yoongi's arms.

                            220
                        
When Yoongi's arms wrap around him, without a doubt, without a question asked, without any disappointment, Jungkook can't help but cry harder.

"You are too good for me," Jungkook cries, "and if we give this a chance, I will be the lucky one. To have you. I really will be."

                            221
                        
"But will you be happy?" Yoongi asks, voice just as sad as Jungkook feels, "will you, kookah?"

No.

Jungkook pulls away, wipes his eyes on his sweater-paws, "there is nothing left. I divorced him. I left. We talked. He got his closure. Then why can't I stop waiting for him?!"

                            222
                        
Yoongi pushes Jungkook down on the bed, goes to sit on against the headrest to pull Jungkook up against his chest.

Jungkook goes easily, burying his face against Yoongi's neck, sobbing silently in hopelessness.

"Because," Yoongi pulls Jungkook closer, "you love him. Still."

                            223
                        
"I hate him," Jungkook chews out, "I hate him with everything I have in me."

Yoongi huffs out a chuckle, "because you love him, because you have expectations from him and that's why when he doesn't fulfil those, you hate him. It's complicated, but I get it."

                            224
                        
The room is quiet after that. Jungkook doesn't say another word, and as Yoongi sips his coffee, he feels the younger going lax in his hold.

Yoongi notices how, even in his sleep, Jungkook clutches the coat closer to his chest.

His own chest contorts, pain making it heavy.

                            225
                        
He wipes his eyes discreetly, slowly placing Jungkook down on the pillow when the younger falls asleep.

He pulls the duvet over Jungkook, and after a long look at the younger, he walks out of the room.

Tears are lining the rim of his eyes, some rolling down his cheeks slowly...

                            226
                        
His phone buzzes, and Yoongi jumps, pulls the device out to look down at the notification.

It's a message from a number that he doesn't recognize. He opens it to see Jimin's photo and a message.

                            227
                        
'𝐽𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝘩𝑒𝑖𝑔𝘩𝑡. 𝑆𝑒𝑒, 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢!'

For a second, Yoongi just stares in disbelief before he clicks the photo to see the height chart.

                            228
                        
A small smile tugs at his lips as he types back, "I am taller by 0.1 cm, Jiminie!"

The reply is quick, "WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE IS THAT?!"

The smile stretches across Yoongi's lips without him noticing, "the one our country acknowledges, along with math, idiot."

                            229
                        
The phone rings and Yoongi picks up, "it does count."

"It so doesn't," Jimin argues right back, "you know it doesn't!"

Yoongi goes to sit on the couch, "you are tiny. You know you are."

"Next time we go for a walk, I will push you down the street," Jimin argues, "watch it!"

                            230
                        
Yoongi closes his eyes, tilts his head back to rest against the backrest of the couch, "want to see who is stronger?"

Jimin snorts, "of course I am!"

Yoongi looks up at the ceiling, "let's go for that archery club or whatever you were talking about tomorrow. I will show you."

                            231
                        
There is a pause and Yoongi waits.

"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day," Jimin murmurs, "like, the whole day."

Yoongi shrugs, looks at the closed door of the bedroom, "I know, kind of," he sighs, "need to run off for a few hours. You know?"

Jimin hums, "I know. Hyung, I know."

                            232
                        
=== V ===

                            233
                        
Jungkook hates himself for staying in bed, faking sleep when Yoongi comes in with the tray of breakfast.

He hates himself even more when Yoongi leaves for the day, and he is still buried under the duvet.

He hates himself the most when he cries, the long-coat in his clutch.

                            234
                        
He drags himself out around nine in the morning, sitting by the living room window and watching the street from the penthouse.

His eyes are aimlessly counting the yellow cars passing by, a game he plays with himself when he has nothing better to do.

The news channel is open.

                            235
                        
The host is loud and Jungkook thinks of turning it off, but the remote is too far away, and he is exhausted.

His ears pick up the host's voice when he hears the name, "Kim Taehyung has announced his wedding. The business tycoon getting married by the end of this month."

                            236
                        
"He is right now busy with the wedding preparation, and-"

Jungkook throws his phone at the screen, seething, watches the phone crash against the screen.

The loud sound of glass breaking makes something break in him too, and he is standing up on his feet, marching away.

                            237
                        
"There is someone who wants to meet you, sir," the maid comes to bow.

Taehyung is in his home office, flipping through some papers to see the next meeting's deal.

He frowns, "who is it?"

The maid shrugs, "Jeon Jungkook."

                            238
                        
Taehyung watches her, "who?"

She watches him back, "Jeon Jungkook."

Taehyung's eyes skip over to the open door and a sigh escapes his lips when he hears the commotion, "let him i-" he pauses when Jungkook marches in, the guards following right behind.

One has bloodied nose.

                            239
                        
He eyes the others. Another has a bruise forming on his cheekbone.

Taehyung's lips twitches, eyes going from his guards to Jungkook who is glaring right at him, "this was unnecessary. Now they can sue you for-"

"Before that, I will sue you!" Jungkook thunders.

                            240
                        
Taehyung flicks his wrist, the guards and the maid walking out and closing the door behind themselves.

Taehyung points at the seat, "sit."

Jungkook rounds the table, grasps at Taehyung's collar, "you are getting married?!"

Taehyung eyes him, "yes. Your family is invited."

                            241
                        
Jungkook curses, "I have no family."

Taehyung watches the man, "I see."

Jungkook's clutch on his shirt tightens, "you see?"

Taehyung doesn't bother getting out of Jungkook's clutch, his eyes are on Jungkook, "why are you here? What are you going to sue me for?"

                            242
                        
Jungkook is breathing heavily, his eyes are round and if Taehyung can see clearly, they are glistening. He watches the man watch him for a few seconds.

"I will sue you for," Jungkook pauses, he hadn't thought about that.

Taehyung arches a brow, "you have nothing to sue me for."

                            243
                        
"But, yes, I did want to ask you something," Taehyung shrugs out of Jungkook's clutch easily, standing up to pull out a small box from his pocket, "would you mind if I use this ring for the wedding? I don't have time to go ring hunting again."

It's Jungkook's wedding ring.

                            244
                        
Jungkook watches the ring, his eyes gleaming with fresh tears this time.

He looks up at Taehyung, lips shaping words with force, "you still have this?"

Taehyung has no expression on his face, he nods, "I had it saved. I don't like wasting money. Now I can reuse it. You mind?"

                            245
                        
"He likes the ring too, and surprisingly?" Taehyung breathes out a laugh, "it fits him."

"Of course it does," Jungkook hums, slowly reaching for the ring, caressing it, "it hurt my finger. It was never made for me." 

Taehyung watches the man, "so you are fine with this?"

                            246
                        
Jungkook looks up at him, around him, "I don't know why I came here."

Taehyung watches the man's eyes roam over the room before stopping on him, "you don't know?"

Jungkook shakes his head, "I just," he hugs himself, "I saw that news and thought you can't do this to me. So..."

                            247
                        
"Whenever I am away from you, I tend to forget what an asshole you are," Jungkook whispers, "I forget why I left in the first place. Saw that news and thought I would sue you for hurting me. But that's so," he flails his arms, "childish now that I am here. In front of you."

                            248
                        
"You have your life sorted. Your house is just the same," Jungkook looks around, snorts, "damn, it's like I was never here. Cutting me off was that easy, huh?" he looks out at the corridor, at the end was his bedroom, "I am sure you made it into something too. My room."

                            249
                        
"Because, I never mattered," Jungkook stands up, shrugs, "you can surely use that ring to tie your knot with an asshole like you because I am surely not important and never was. I don't know why I came here. I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea. I don't know."

                            250
                        
Jungkook wipes his eyes, chuckles to hide the sob that is tearing through him, "maybe I did right. Coming here. I needed this last push to finally open my eyes to the fact that you never cared. I never mattered more than a show-piece. Gone? Replace with a new one."

                            251
                        
Jungkook slowly walks out of the office, walking down the corridor to the room he used to stay in.

Taehyung follows him.

Jungkook trails his fingers down the wall, familiarizing himself with the place he once called home.

He braces himself before opening the door and yes...

                            252
                        
The room is clean as new.

The mattress just as clean.

Everything is shining and polished and perfect.

Everything.

                            253
                        
Jungkook pauses when he sees the paintings on the wall, the canvas in the middle of the room.

All of those tubes of paints lining the shelves.

His eyes fall on the plants, they grew, some have flowers on them. They are well watered.

The records he had are still on the shelves.

                            254
                        
The candle is burning by the table, the room smelling of the scent Jungkook always loved.

His eyes shift to the candle, "what..."

Taehyung shrugs, "couldn't stop lighting it. If you ever came back," his eyes are on the candle too, "didn't want you to smell something bad."

                            255
                        
Jungkook walks inside, eyes flicking over to the closet, and he walks up to it.

When he opens them, the clothes are still neatly folded and kept just the way he used to keep them.

His eyes shift to the balcony, and Jungkook sniffles when he sees the swing he always wanted.

                            256
                        
He looks at the bathroom and walks in there to see the towels are freshly cleaned.

Those bathing essentials are changed to the newer ones.

Jungkook watches the boxing gloves on the tea-table, just as he left them.

He eyes the bed and frowns when he feels it hurriedly done.

                            257
                        
He pulls the duvet off to see the bedsheet is crumbled, and a breath catches in his throat when he sees that note.

The one he wrote before leaving.

It's right there, the edges crumbled, but it's right there.
He leans to grab it and when he gets up he reads it before looking up.

                            258
                        
"I am not good with changes," Taehyung murmurs, "everything is changing, and I always struggled. So," he shrugs, hands in his pockets and his shoulders taut, "that's all. Nothing-"

Jungkook grips the note, "what would you do when your husband asks you to renovate this room?"

                            259
                        
"He can't," Taehyung murmurs, "that's the only clause I have for our wedding. This room," he looks around, "stays the way it is. As long as I am here, this room stays like this."

Jungkook's eyes water, "you don't want anything else from him?"

Taehyung shakes his head, "no."

                            260
                        
"Why?" Jungkook chews out, "why?"

Taehyung's shoulders drop, his face morphing into an expression so broken it takes Jungkook's breath away, "because," his lips tremble, "I couldn't keep you, I can at least hold onto your memories."

                            261
                        
"This room," Taehyung gulps, eyes wandering, "this room reminds me of a time I would like to hold onto in my entire life. A life I have no good memories to look back on. This room is the only memory I want to store for myself. A place I want to come back home to."

                            262
                        
"A place I used to come back home to," Taehyung has a small, rueful smile on his lips, "a place I hurried all my meetings for to return to. Just to peek through the door and see you sleeping soundly on the bed before I go to my room. A place I used to visit every morning."

                            263
                        
"My mornings were made of coming to this room with a plate of breakfast before leaving it on that tea-table and leaving. After taking a glimpse of you, still sleeping on that bed."

Jungkook fumbles, "you... that, was you? I always thought the cook or maid left it there. I-"

                            264
                        
Taehyung shrugs, "I never told you. You never asked. I didn't think I needed to tell you," he sighs, "you would always forget to keep those tubes back in place. They will be scattered all over the place. I would pick them up and keep them where they belong. Buy new canvases."

                            265
                        
"Made sure to stock up on that brand of candle you love," Taehyung hugs himself, "when you left, suddenly the room started smelling like dust and I couldn't take it. It felt like that was the last trace of you I had. So," he shrugs, "bought those. Kept it going. In hopes..."

                            266
                        
"That if I can keep the room as it used to be then maybe," Taehyung almost curls in on himself, "maybe one day I will be able to," he laughs, shakes his head, "stupid, but I thought maybe one day I will wake up to you sleeping here again. Or come home to you again."

                            267
                        
"In this whole apartment," Taehyung gulps, never matches Jungkook's eyes, "this room is my home, and I couldn't let that go."

                            268
                        
"Because," the first teardrop rolls down his cheek, "I let go of that person who was home to me. I couldn't let the fragments of him leave me too. I didn't deserve him, but," his eyes finally match Jungkook's, "I deserve this. I deserve a place where I feel like I belong."

                            269
                        
"In my whole life," Taehyung doesn't wipe his eyes, tears rolling out of them, "I made sure everything and everyone belongs to me, but," he sniffles, "I never felt like I belong to someone. I felt like I am worthless. Not worth enough for someone to want me as theirs. You know?"

                            270
                        
"All my life, I have belonged to someone who made me feel worthless," Jungkook whispers, "my parents. My siblings. My family. I have always felt worthless in belonging to someone. To think you want to, willingly belong to someone to feel worthy," he shudders, "that is new to me."

                            271
                        
"I never found anything attractive or sweet in belonging to someone, maybe because they never belonged to me," Jungkook takes a tentative step forward, "maybe because they never wanted to give themselves to me. That's where we differ. You," Jungkook stumbles forward...

                            272
                        
"You have a meaning of 'worthless,' in your mind, but to me," Jungkook hesitates, those words are stuck on his tongue, and he knows the moment he lets them out, he will show his most vulnerable side to the man who is getting married in a few weeks, "you are worthless to me..."

                            273
                        
Jungkook hurries when he sees Taehyung's eyes losing the gleam, he grasps Taehyung's shirt, "you are worthless in a sense that," he gulps, eyes roaming over Taehyung's face, "what can possibly hold any worth in front of you? You are..." Jungkook chokes out, "you are priceless."

                            274
                        
"I am sure," he lets go slowly, "I am sure this time it will work out," he looks down at Taehyung's shirt, where he held the man, "I am sure he will love you as much as you deserve, and you will have the home you always wanted. I came here to shout at you, curse you, but..."

                            275
                        
Jungkook chuckles, wipes his eyes, "but, thank you," he looks around, "I guess, I needed this particular closure. I needed to know I meant something to you. I am grateful and," he blinks up at the elder, "I am sorry for whatever trouble I caused you. I hope one day..."

                            276
                        
"One day he loves you enough for you to change this room," Jungkook can't help the tears that slip out from the corners of his eyes, he smiles, "I hope one day this room sees something more than emptiness, and you do too," he reaches, wipes Taehyung's eyes, "you should."

                            277
                        
"I hold a lot of grudges against you, Taehyung, but at the end of the day, I can't really blame you," Jungkook looks around the room, his eyes taking in every detail, "we were just too different, I guess. Not meant to be. We were just not meant to be. I guess that's the thing."

                            278
                        
"I will take your leave now," Jungkook nods to himself, takes one last look around the room, "sorry for just showing up," he looks down at his hands, "the news made me so angry for no reason. I-" he shrugs, "I guess you were always right. I am reckless. Sorry."

                            279
                        
"Take this with you," Taehyung stops him, "if you are leaving, take this with you. I guess, if you are ready to move on, I should not be stuck here either."

Jungkook looks down at Taehyung's ring-finger, eyes wide on the ring.

Their wedding ring.

Taehyung pulls it off.

                            280
                        
The ring has left a patch of pale skin, hidden from the sun rays, like a tan band around Taehyung's finger.

The man probably never took it off.

He takes Jungkook's hand and puts the ring there before closing it.

There are tears in those eyes too, "free me from this too."

                            281
                        
"Because you are right," Taehyung nods, "this room and me and you, we all deserve a new beginning," he puts his hands back in his pockets, eyes on Jungkook, "maybe you are right that if I give this a chance, I might get the happiness I deserve and you get yours too."

                            282
                        
Jungkook looks down at his closed fist, "I-"

Taehyung's eyes are boring onto Jungkook's face, "just be honest with me, Jungkook, this once," when Jungkook looks up Taehyung has that old expression, blank and devoid of any emotion, "you are falling in love with Yoongi. Right?"

                            283
                        
Jungkook frowns, "what?"

Taehyung nods, "you have feelings for him."

Jungkook gapes, "wha- where did you get that from?"

Taehyung shrugs, going around Jungkook to stand in front of the window, "it's okay, Jungkook. You don't need to feel ashamed for moving on. It's okay."

                            284
                        
"You cannot be serious right now?" Jungkook glares at the man's back, "are you fucking serious?!"

Taehyung snorts, "the door is behind you, Jungkook."

Jungkook marches forward, grabs Taehyung's hand and turns him, "either you say it or I punch you in the face! What the hell?!"

                            285
                        
Taehyung's eyes are on him, "then why?" his voice comes out in a whisper, "why are you leaving?"

Jungkook bulks, eyes wide, "what do you mean why I am leaving?! You are getting married! You are trying to move on. What am I supposed to do? Beg you to stay and take me back?!"

                            286
                        
"Would you like me to do the begging?" Taehyung frowns, "would you like me to beg you to take me back?"

Jungkook stares, "what?"

Taehyung shrugs, "I don't understand what am I supposed to do for you to want me. I don't know how to make you stay. Stay with me."

                            287
                        
"I did everything I could," Taehyung closes his eyes, "I don't know what else I can possibly do-"

"Tell me you love me," Jungkook chokes out, nods when Taehyung's eyes match his, "tell me you love me. Not in the past, not in confusion, not in your pride. Tell me you love me."

                            288
                        
"Not as Kim Taehyung," Jungkook takes a step closer, "not as the CEO of your company, not as your father's son, not as the prideful man you are... say it like," Jungkook's hands grasps at Taehyung's shirt, "say it like Taehyung. Say it to Jungkook. Tell him you love him. Still."

                            289
                        
"Tell him he matters, tell him his feelings are valid, tell him his tears are not worthless, tell him you value him just as much as he values you," Jungkook pleads almost, "tell him you lost sleep over him like he lost over you. Tell him you never moved on like he never did."

                            290
                        
"Tell him," Jungkook whimpers, "tell him there is no one else-"

"Just like there is no one else for him too?" Taehyung whispers, "there is no one else?"

Jungkook shakes his head, "there never was. Probably never will be. You ruined me for others."

                            291
                        
"I love you," Taehyung breathes out, voice cracking around the edges, "I am in love with you, Jungkook."

                            292
                        
"Is this how I was supposed to say it?" Taehyung wonders, vulnerability clear in his voice, "I don't know how-"

Jungkook grips Taehyung's collars, "repeat it, say it again. Those exact words."

Taehyung's chest spasms, "I love you, Jungkook. I am in love with you."

                            293
                        
"Repeat it," Jungkook begs, comes closer to bury his face against the crook of Taehyung's neck, "say it till I fall asleep. Say it when I wake up. Say it till I believe this is not a dream, or a nightmare because I would wake up to you gone. Say it till-"

                            294
                        
"Till it's our last breath," Taehyung whispers, "I will say it for the rest of our lives, just," his arms come around Jungkook, "just promise me you will reply each time. Promise me, I will not wake up from this dream alone. Promise me you will stay. Promise me our future."

                            295
                        
"Because it wasn't you who woke up one day with the one they loved, gone, Jungook," Jungkook hears how Taehyung's heart stutters in his chest, "it was me. Since then, I don't remember if I ever slept peacefully. Promise me my peace. Promise me you will stay this time. Forever."

                            296
                        
"You are getting married," Jungkook sobs, sniffles, "you are getting-"

"Would you marry me?" Taehyung whispers, "right now? Nothing extravagant. Just a court marriage. Will you do it? Today? Right now?"

Jungkook's eyes are wide when he pulls back, "what?"

                            297
                        
"You are not serious!" Jungkook gapes, looking at the man as if Taehyung has lost his mind, "we have so much to sort through. What about your deals and contracts and-"

"I will give away everything if they want that of me," Taehyung shrugs, "would you stay though?"

                            298
                        
"Would you stay if I am not rich or can't afford this lifestyle or if we-" Taehyung pauses when Jungkook smiles.

"I earn enough for the two of us," Jungkook shrugs, "now I earn enough to live a decent life and," he hugs Taehyung's waist, "I will. Even if I didn't."

                            299
                        
Taehyung eyes him, a small smile tugging the corner of his lips, "so this time I will be your trophy husband?"

Jungkook bites back a smile, "maybe?"

Taehyung's face turns serious, "no, I am serious. Jungkook, will you marry me? Today? Right now?"

                            300
                        
Jungkook is breathlessly staring at Taehyung. He exhales before looking at the man who is still waiting.

"What about our families? His family?"

Taehyung steps closer, "we will sort it all out. Just, tell me. Will you?"

Jungkook chuckles, "right now?"

Taehyung nods, serious.

                            301
                        
Jungkook holds out his hand, "you will make me a priority? Us?"

Taehyung nods.

Jungkook folds a finger, "we will go on our honeymoon this time?"

Taehyung nods.

Jungkook folds another finger, "I will work on my career and you will not stop me."

Taehyung frowns, "I never did!"

                            302
                        
Jungkook hums, "you will stop misbehaving with Yoongi hyung," he rolls his eyes when Taehyung's jaw locks, "he is not like that! Will you stop-"

"He wants you!" Taehyung grabs Jungkook's hips and pulls him closer, "he wants to have you."

Jungkook sighs, "but he didn't get me."

                            303
                        
"No one got me," Jungkook knows his face is heating up, "because you always had me. You will always have me."

Taehyung's breath stutters in his chest, "yeah?"

Jungkook nods, "yeah," he hides his face against Taehyung's chest, "I will marry you. Yes."

Taehyung curses...

                            304
                        
"What?" Jungkook wonders, "what is it?"

Taehyung shakes his head, "I just," he has a pinkish hue colouring his cheeks, "I never thought you would agree."

Jungkook looks away, "shut up."

Taehyung pulls out his phone, "Lee, come to my place. Right now."

                            305
                        
"We need two witnesses, each," Taehyung combs his hair back, "I can call Namjoon hyung and Jin hyung. But for you-"

Jungkook holds his breath, "I can call Yoongi hyung."

Taehyung stills, eyes wide, "what?"

Jungkook nods, gulps, "I mean, I can ask. I mean... I-"

                            306
                        
"I don't like him," Taehyung murmurs, eyes tender, filled with something keen to pain, "but even I don't wish this on him, Jungkook. He," the man looks away, "he loves you. If it was me-"

Jungkook smiles, something broken in it, "he is not you. In every sense, he is not you."

                            307
                        
The phone rings and Jungkook holds his breath. Beside him, Taehyung doing the exact same.

"Hello," Yoongi sounds light, tone bubbly, "yes, Kookah?"

Jungkook closes his eyes, "I need your help, hyung."
Yoongi pauses, breath heavy through the line, "what is it?"

                            308
                        
"Hyung, I am getting married," Jungkook murmurs, "I am, I need a witness."

For almost a minute, there is nothing. Then Yoongi lets out a breath and Jungkook flinches, steadying himself.

Taehyung's arm grasps his shoulder.

"Taehyung?" Yoongi asks, voice void of any emotions.

                            309
                        
Jungkook closes his eyes, "hyung..."

Yoongi hums, "kookah..."

Jungkook has tears in his eyes, that name alone breaks him, "hyung..."

"Will you be happy?" Yoongi murmurs, "can you promise me that you will be happy this time?"

                            310
                        
Jungkook shakes, "I don't know, hyung. I can't promise that," his eyes find Taehyung.

"Then why?" Yoongi demands, "then-"

"Because I still love him," Jungkook whispers, "and he loves me. Hyung," his eyes don't leave Taehyung's face, "he loves me."

                            311
                        
"Is love enough?" Yoongi wonders, voice hollow, "if it wa-"

"I love him," Jungkook breaks out into a sob, "I love him, hyung. I-" he wipes his eyes, "I want this to work. I," he turns to hide his face against Taehyung's chest with the phone pressed against his ear, "I love him."

                            312
                        
Yoongi chuckles, "you know, I will break his bones if he hurts you again, right?"

Jungkook grumbles, "If he hurts me, I will break his bones first."

Taehyung takes the phone from Jungkook, "I would let you. Hyung," he grits the words out, "I apologize for how I acted."

                            313
                        
"I am sorry," Taehyung closes his eyes, "but right now I need a witness. He needs a witness. So," Taehyung's eyes shift to Jungkook, "please. Please, I know how hard it must be-"

"I will be there," Yoongi sighs, "Jimin is with me. We will be Jungkook's witness. Get yours."

                            314
                        
Yoongi cuts the call, his eyes stuck on the blank screen. He frowns when water droplets fall on the screen, one after another.

Until Jimin is stepping closer, wiping his eyes.

Yoongi looks up at Jimin, realizing he is crying.

He chuckles, "he chose Taehyung."

                            315
                        
Jimin's eyes are teary and with a start, Yoongi realizes, Jimin is crying too.

For him.

For the first time in his life, someone is crying for him.

Jimin wraps his arms around Yoongi, "between them, there was never a choice, hyung. They were always each other's only option."

                            316
                        
"How does that feel?" Yoongi wonders, burying his face against Jimin's neck, "to have someone who sees only you?"

Jimin presses his lips against Yoonig's cheek, "you will know one day. One day, you will find someone who will see only you and you will know how it feels."

                            317
                        
Yoongi wraps his arms around Jimin, sobbing silently in his arms.

Jimin cries too, pressing himself closer to the rapper.

"You didn't deserve a dayout like this," Yoongi chuckles, pulling away to wipe his eyes, "a pathetic mess like me. On Valentine's Day."

                            318
                        
Jimin shrugs, "I don't mind. You are here. I'm fine."

Yoongi's eyes find him, "what?"

Jimin's eyes widen a little before the man is waving Yoongi off, "nothing. Just, let's go. They asked to get there fast, right? Come on."

Yoongi lets Jimin drag him to their car, hand in his.

319

                            320
                        
"Are you two sure about this?" Mr. Lee asks, holding out the papers, "think this through."

All eyes move on Taehyung and Jungkook.

Taehyung nods, "we are."

Jungkook watches, with a breath caught in his chest, how Taehyung signs his name on the paper, pushing it towards him.

                            321
                        
Jungkook's eyes find Yoongi and Yoongi's eyes are already on him.

Jungkook watches how Yoongi's eyes are red-rimmed and his heart squeezes painfully in his chest.

Yoongi opens his mouth, sucking in a breath, before he smiles, nods, "I am here."

The assurance breaks Jungkook.

                            322
                        
His eyes watering.

He was never there for Yoongi.

He wants to say that, he wants to apologize.

For leaving Yoongi, making the man stand there alone.

So painfully alone.

Before he can, though, Jimin steps beside Yoongi, hand grasping Yoongi's shaking one.

Jungkook watches...

                            323
                        
Yoongi's eyes shift to Jimin and Jimin smiles at the man.

Jungkook's heart flips in his chest when he recognizes that gaze.

That is the exact gaze he always saw in Yoongi's eyes for him.

Yoongi gives Jimin a tentative smile and Jimin squeezes his hand, nodding.

                            324
                        
Jungkook takes the pen, a smile on his lips, tears trailing out of his eyes.

He signs his name, wipes his eyes and pushes the papers towards Yoongi to sign for the witness.

Yoongi grasps Jimin's hand in his left and signs with his right, never letting go.

Jungkook sniffles.

                            325
                        
Jimin signs next, pushing the paper at Jin and Namjoon.
They sign with smiles on their faces.

Mr. Lee takes the papers and goes through them before nodding at Taehyung and Jungkook.

"Congratulations on the wedding."

Jungkook sucks in a breath, squirming closer to Taehyung.

                            326
                        
Taehyung nods, "hyung," he turns to Namjoon, "did you get the jet?"

Namjoon nods, "leaving in an hour. I will handle everything here."

Jungkook frowns, "leaving for where?"

Taehyung has a mischievous smile on his lips, "I promised you a honeymoon, didn't I?"

Jungkok gapes.

                            327
                        
Taehyung leans, pressing his lips at the corner of Jungkook's parted ones, "thank you, for accepting me."

Jungkook's eyes water, he nods, looking down at the papers again, "welcome."

"We will leave now," Jin stands up, "I left a meeting for this. I need to go back."

                            328
                        
Namjoon nods, "I need to go back to the studio."

Yoongi's eyes shift to Jungkook, "I will pack up your stuff and send it here?"

Jungkook stands up, going around the table to stand in front of Yoongi, "hyung..."

Yoongi sighs, shaking his head, "come here."

                            329
                        
The hug feels like home.

Yoongi's scent feels like a home Jungkook made for himself.

He buries his face against Yoongi's neck and thinks, maybe this is how a parent's home feels like. Something he never had.

A safe-place, where a person grows up. Happy, safe, comforting.

                            330
                        
His eyes find Taehyung, who is busy talking to Namjoon.

Jungkook thinks maybe this is the home he is leaving to be with the one he loves.

The one he wants to build another home with. His marital home.

"You will always be my home, hyung" Jungkook murmurs against Yoongi's neck.

                            331
                        
Yoongi holds him close, nods, "and it's time you build yourself a safe-place with him. I," he pulls back, wiping Jungkook's eyes, "your hyung can't hold you in his arms forever. Right?"

Jungkook nods, "right. I," he looks over at Jimin, "am sorry."

                            332
                        
Yoongi shrugs, "don't be. As long as you are happy," he steps back, "I will be happy."

Jungkook nods, "thank you."

Yoongi coughs, "I will," he points at the door, "I will leave now. Excuse me."

Jungkook nods.

Yoongi turns to look at Jimin who is busy talking to Taehyung.

                            333
                        
Jimin smiles when their eyes match, "leaving?"

Yoongi nods, "yeah. You are staying?"

Jimin pouts, "I need to go home and make myself dinner and watch The Notebook."

Yoongi winces, "if you can cut The notebook, I can make you dinner, and we can watch something else."

                            334
                        
Jimin gapes, "you-"

Yoongi reaches for him, tentative, "don't want to be alone, Jiminie..."

Jimin's eyes gleam, he grasps Yoongi's hand in his, "you don't have to. If you don't want, you don't have to."

                            335
                        
=== x ===

                            336
                        
"You look funny," Jungkook giggles, hiding his lips behind his hand, "this shirt is so weird on you!"

Taehyung looks down at his red Hawaiiwan shirt, brow arched, "what is weird about this?"

Jungkook shrugs, "never saw you in anything so bright and flowery! There is a parrot!"

                            337
                        
Taehyung's arm drapes around Jungkook's waist. The man pushes the greenish sunglasses up his nose and sips the coconut water with a careless shrug, "I can't wear suit at the beach, right?"

Jungkook nods, kicking a pebble with a small smile on his lips, "no, I guess you can't."

                            338
                        
Taehyung's lips press against Jungkook's ear, "would you like to see me naked instead?"

The teasing started since they left for their honeymoon, and Jungkook is not sure how to react to it most of the time.

All he manages are glares and turning pink from the tip of his ears.

                            339
                        
Right now, his face is heating up.

"Would you like that, babe?" Taehyung's tongue licks the shell of Jungkook's ear and Jungkook startles, pulling away.

"We are out on the street!" he looks around frantically, "Tae-"

Taehyung tugs him forward, "yes, and? We are married."

                            340
                        
The elder kisses him square on the mouth. They are standing by the seashore, wrapped in each other's arms and kissing each other breathless.

Jungkook whines into the kiss, pulls away to look at Taehyung, "did you call your dad? Did he call-"

Taehyung nods, "he called."

                            341
                        
"What did he say?" Jungkook hesitates, looking anywhere but at Taehyung.

Taehyung shrugs, "that if I stay with you, I can stay here as long as I want because he doesn't need me back there. I ruined his name by marrying you again."

Jungkook flinches, "ohh..."

                            342
                        
Taehyung sighs, pulls Jungkook to a lounger and sits down with Jungkook beside him, "we tried to do whatever they chose for us, didn't we?" he pulls Jungkook closer, "I did, at least. I was never happy. This time," he leans his head on Jungkook's shoulder, "let's do it for us."

                            343
                        
Jungkook bites his lower lip, thinking, "you can't live without working. You practically built that company up to where it is now."

Taehyung shrugs, "we will open a coconut shop here," he gestures around them, "wake up, go skinny-dipping, take long walks, tend to our shop-"

                            344
                        
"Buy things and go home to cook dinner. Eat. Go to sleep with each other," Taehyung sighs, "how does that sound?"

Jungkook's eyes are misty, "wonderful."

Taehyung hums, "right? Just you and me. No need to listen or take crap from anyone. We will be happy."

                            345
                        
Jungkook pulls Taehyung closer, pressing a kiss against Taehyung's lips, "we will be happy. No matter what."

Taehyung looks over at the sunrise, his eyes taking in the soft hues that reflect on the tides. He nods.

Right now, sitting on this lounger with Jungkook, he is happy.

                            346
                        
He knows his father would never kick him off his property and will.

He knows he has to go back and face them all.

He knows life will never be as easy as he wants it to be.

But then he looks at the man beside him, those eyes so full of trust and love for him and Taehyung sighs.

                            347
                        
"I love you, Jungkook," Taehyung chokes out, "if everything changes, if everything goes wrong or our worlds trip off its axis, just know, I love you. I always will."

Jungkook shakes his head, "I know, I love you too," he leans against Taehyung, "it will be fine. Trust me."

348

                            349
                        
"Where are you?! I keep calling!" Yoongi sighs, "Jiminie, did you eat?"

Jimin chuckles, "I am on train, hyung. I am going to Busan."

Yoongi pauses, eyes flicking over his empty apartment, "why?"

Jimin sighs, "to meet my parents."

Yoongi frowns, "when are you coming back?"

                            350
                        
"My lease ended," Jimin whines, "I will be back when I get another apartment in Seoul."

Yoongi frowns, "what do you mean by that? You work here!"

Jimin snorts, "Tae's company has a branch in Busan. I will work from here."

Yoongi stops, "what?"

                            351
                        
"I will talk to you later, hyung," Jimin murmurs, "I am so tired. I need some sleep."

Yoongi sighs when the line goes dead.

Another call makes him look at the screen, and he frowns, "Yes, Sungho?"

"Hey, Yoongi," Sungho sounds pleased, "what are you doing?"

                            352
                        
"I-" Yoongi walks more into the apartment, turning on the lights.

"I called you to tell you, I forgot my wallet at your place," Sungho chuckles, "when I was leaving today, I stumbled across Jimin. In my embarrassment, I ran and forgot my wallet on your bedside table."

                            353
                        
"Yes," Sungho hums, "he was staring at me with wide eyes and I had nothing to explain. I looked like I slept with you, you know?" he laughs, "I was so out of it. Thanks for letting me crash at your place. I-"

Yoongi stills, his eyes squeezing shut, "you were on my bed."

                            354
                        
"Shit, he thought I slept with you! Shit!" Yoongi rubs a hand down his face, "the tabloids are already saying we are hooking up, and he saw it and-"

"Is he going to spill to the paps?" Sungho sounds confused, "why are you sounding so frustrated?"

                            355
                        
Yoongi shakes his head, eyes squeezed shut, "he thinks I slept with you!"

"If he does, what is in it?" Sungho snorts, "like... you are young and so am I. He is your friend. If he thinks so, let him. Who cares?"

Yoongi does. He cares. More than he would like to think.

                            356
                        
Yoongi cuts the call and dials Jimin's number.

The ring goes straight to voicemail and Yoongi curses.
He calls again, and again, until Jimin picks up on his ninth try.

"Hell-"

"I didn't sleep with him!" Yoongi blurts out, "he was drunk-"

                            357
                        
"Why are you explaining yourself, hyung?" Jimin sounds tired, "we are nothing. You don't owe me an explanation."

Yoongi grips the backrest of the couch, eyes on the citylights, "I did not sleep with him. I didn't hook up with him. Ever."

                            358
                        
The silence makes Yoongi's heartbeat pick up. He presses the phone closer to his ear, waiting for Jimin to say something. 

Anything.

Jimin lets out a shaky breath, "you don't owe me an explanation, hyung. We are friends. I don't need an explanation."

                            359
                        
"Then come back home," Yoongi goes to stand in front of the window of his penthouse, looking out at the darkness, "please come back home."

Jimin lets out a soft chuckle, "I told you, hyung. My lease—"

"You know what I mean, Jiminie," Yoongi closes his eyes, "you know."

                            360
                        
Jimin sounds lost, his voice flitting through the line, "do I?" there is a vulnerability Yoongi hates to listen to, "know?"

Yoongi bites the inside of his cheek, "it's Valentine's Day tomorrow. You can't possibly leave me alone on this day?"

Jimin chuckles, "find a date."

                            361
                        
"You have been my date for the last two yea—"

"I wasn't your date," Jimin makes Yoongi pause, "I was a place-holder until you got someone. Third time is the charm, hyung. Find someone for this year, yeah? I really can't talk right now. My battery is dying. See you later, hyung."

                            362
                        
Jimin cuts the call, leaning his head against the window of the train.

He wipes his eyes, blinking back tears that stream down his face.

He wipes them again before closing the phone and putting in back in his bag.

"I can't anymore," he chokes out, "I can't do this anymore."

                            363
                        
Jimin doesn't know when he should have realized that he was falling.

Maybe when Yoongi sat through the Notebook for the tenth time, something even Taehyung didn't do.

Maybe when Yoongi cooked him meals, showed up at his work with his lunch, sat until Jimin finishes it.

                            364
                        
Maybe he fell a little more when Yoongi started sharing his songs with him.

When Yoongi took him to his studio, held out his headphones for Jimin to listen to the songs.

Maybe it was when Yoongi and him took those long walks, talking about nothing and everything.

                            365
                        
Jimin probably fell for Yoongi when the man sat with him, sharing drinks and all those talks he would never utter under the sun.

Maybe Jimin loved Yoongi when Yoongi took him to tour, begged Taehyung to let Jimin go with him. A few cities.

                            366
                        
Jimin realized he loved Yoongi in that dimly lit living room of the rapper.

Where they sat closer to each other, The Notebook playing and in the middle of it, Yoongi held out an earplug for him, "listen."

The song was about finding someone who gives you hope.

                            367
                        
"For you," Yoongi had said, eyes never moving from the screen.

Jimin had stilled, listening to the song. Jungkook crooning about a person who gives hope for a better tomorrow and the writer is grateful to have that person in their life. Grateful to call that person a friend.

                            368
                        
A frined.

Jimin's heart soared and broke simultenously that night.

He had hugged Yoongi, burying his face against Yoongi's neck and cried.

Happy tears mixing with the sad ones.

"Why are you crying?" Yoongi was so confused, alarmed.

"I love you so much!" Jimin had said.

                            369
                        
Yoongi had chuckled, ruffling Jimin's hair, "yeah, yeah. I know."

He didn't.

Not exactly how Jimin knew that he fucked up. He fell for a person to whom he was just a friend and who was his everything.

He had cried himself to sleep that night.

For the first time.

                            370
                        
Jimin gets off the train and drags himself out of the station to the car his father sent.

His family is on a vacation. They will join him in a week.

Jimin gets inside the car and nods at the driver before the car starts moving.

Jimin closes his eyes, falling asleep.

                            371
                        
"You are fine, right?" Taehyung sounds worried, "do you-"

Jimin shakes his head, "I am fine, Tae. You are on a vacation. In Paris. For Valentine's Day. With Jungkook. Don't waste your time on me!"

"This is not a time waste," Jungkook speaks over the line, "we are worried."

                            372
                        
"I am fine," Jimin sighs, "now, go and enjoy your day. Bye. It's your anniversary too, idiots! Leave me alone and go, have sex."

He laughs when they both wince, and cuts the call.

The laughter dries down when he looks at the screen to see the news.

                            373
                        
'AgustD is seen with the idol Kim Sungho. The rapper was getting in his building," the host gives a smirk to the camera, "it's Valentine's Day and the fans are-"

Jimin closes the television, closing his eyes as he drops the remote on the tea-table.

                            374
                        
Jimin flinches when the doorbell rings, and he looks at himself.

He is wearing a red shorts and yellow crop-top. Both are too ragged because Jimin wears them a lot.

He thinks about putting on a robe, but then he shrugs and walks down the hallway to open the door.

                            375
                        
He stills as soon as he opens the door.

Yoongi looks up, eyes dragging over Jimin's frame to settle on his face.

Jimin grips the doorknob tightly in his clutch, lips parting around a gasp, "hyung...?"

Yoongi bites the inside of his cheek, "have company? Shall I come in?"

                            376
                        
Jimin gulps, "wh- why are you," he shakes his head, points over his shoulder, "the news said you were with Sungho?"

Yoongi steps forward, crowding Jimin until Jimin gives way for the rapper to get inside the house, "those channels are always lying. I am here. In Busan."

                            377
                        
"Why are you here?" Jimin asks, following Yoongi.

Yoongi looks around the living room, "you didn't call since you came here."

Jimin sighs, "that's why you came here?"

Yoongi looks back at him, "you are alone?"

Jimin nods, "family's out on a vacation. Will be back soon."

                            378
                        
Yoongi hums, hands shoved in the pocket, "you got a nice-"

"Why are you here, hyung?" Jimin asks, crossing his arms over his chest, "I told you I am coming here, and you should find a date for your Valentine's Day."

"I am here for that date," Yoongi nods, "tonight."

                            379
                        
Jimin gapes, "what?"

Yoongi nods, there is a certain hesitance in those eyes, as if he is trying to say something he is not sure how to, "I wrote you a song."

Jimin holds his breath, "another?"

Yoongi snorts, looking away, "nowadays, all my songs are for you, it seems."

                            380
                        
Jimin frowns, "what?"

Yoongi holds out his phone, already connected to the earpiece.

Jimin takes it mutely, ushering Yoongi to the couch to sit. He hits play and watches how Yoongi looks anywhere but at him.

Jimin ignores Yoongi, focusing on the song instead.

381

"𝑊𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠, 𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘'𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛,
𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑐𝘩, 𝐼 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑎 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒.
𝐼𝑡 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒,
𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒."

Jimin frowns down at his feet, listening carefully.

382

"𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑤,
𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒...
𝑇𝘩𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑠,
𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑚."

Jimin bites his lips, looking up at Yoongi.

                            383
                        
"Then what am I?" Jimin clicks the phone off, looking directly at Yoongi, "I don't want a song to tell me what I am to you. Tell me  yourself. What am I to you?"

Yoongi's hands are grasped tightly together, "I am not good with conversations."

Jimin shrugs, "try."

                            384
                        
Yoongi lets out a shaky breath, "to play a guitar, you need a pick. Those strings move, build tune, when that pick touches the strings," those eyes match Jimin's, "you are that pick to my heartstrings, Jiminie. You play, bring out, the best tune of my life, me. You build me."

                            385
                        
"Without you, I am just a mute instrument," Yoongi sinks on his knees between Jimin's legs, "you bring out the best of me. You are the one I need to be complete. You are the one I need to be by my side. I am lost without you. I am so alone and empty without you, Jiminie."

                            386
                        
Yoongi sniffles, "I bled my fingers tuning my strings. I bled to fix the tune of my life and match it with someone else. No one fit. You did," Yoongi reaches behind himself and pulls out a box, snapping it open to hold out a necklace, "you are the one who tunes my life."

387

"Will you," Yoongi holds the necklace up, "be the pick to my guitar, Park Jimin? Play my strings right to bring out the best in me?"

Jimin looks down at the necklaces in Yoongi's hand, tears blurring his view, "hyung-"

"I love you, Jiminie," Yoongi sounds just as breathless.

                            388
                        
Jimin pulls his knees up to his chest, palms pressing down on his mouth while he sobs, "you mean it?"

Yoongi nods, tears pooling in his eyes too, "I mean it. All of it. Meant it even when I didn't realize. Meant it for a long time. A long time, Jiminie. I love you."

                            389
                        
"Meant it the first time you smiled at me," Yoongi chokes out, "meant it when you came over to keep me company. Meant it every time you pulled my leg, bickered with me. Meant it when you bought me old records. Meant it when you ordered food for me like you have them memorized."

                            390
                        
Jimin throws his arms around Yoongi's neck, "I love you, hyung. I love you so much!"

Yoongi holds Jimin closer, curses against his neck, "oh, thank God."

Jimin sniffles, biting back a laugh, "were you worried?"

Yoongi hums, "you never know. You are too perfect to want me."

                            391
                        
Jimin pulls away, a tender smile on his lips, "shut up," he points at the necklaces, "come on."

Yoongi nods, reaching out to tie one around Jimin's neck, and Jimin takes the other one, hooking it around Yoongi's neck.

They look at the necklaces and back up at each other.

                            392
                        
The kiss is soft, Yoongi pulls Jimin down with a finger hooked in Jimin's necklace.

Jimin's hands tight on Yoongi's shirt.

They both jump when the crackers go off outside, lighting up the sky.

A smile grace their lips when they look back at each other, "happy Valentine's Day."

                            393
                        
======

Jungkook pulls the duvet up to his neck, humming to himself when he feels Taehyung wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Happy Valentine's Day, gguk," Taehyung presses those words against Jungkook's neck, leaving another mark on his pale skin, "I love you."

                            394
                        
Jungkook looks over his shoulder, humming into the kiss, "Happy Valentine's Day, Tae."

They both turn to watch the fireworks through the suite's bedroom window.

A smile on their lips.

                            395
                        
~~~ The End ~~~

If you are here, thank you for reading my story. I hope you liked it.

396

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Worthless; a #taekookau Jungkook sits on the chair, eyes on the...

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