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Reaching behind him, Jungkook felt nothing but cold sheets and something fluffy. But, he wasn't worried. Taehyung had a habit of waking up before Jungkook because he overheated and needed water. He turned over, eyes still closed as he pulled the blanket over his body closer to him as he waited for his husband to come back into the bedroom.
Sure enough, he heard the telltale sound of his feet softly patting the floor, trying to be quiet so he didn't wake Jungkook up. It warmed his heart even after all this time of being together. The bed dipped with Taehyung's weight, a soft sigh coming from his lips and Jungkook could feel the heat from his body as he moved closer to pull Jungkook into his arms.
"Babe", he spoke softly and Jungkook cracked an eye open, eye sight a little blurry with sleep but then it cleared up quickly. Even now, Taehyung was ethereal to Jungkook, silvery hair messy and bare face a little puffy from waking up. When they first started sleeping together, Taehyung was a little self conscious of how he looked first thing in the morning but Jungkook assured him that he didn't care, because Taehyung was still as beautiful to him, bare face and all. It made Jungkook smile to this day.
Taehyung's quiet murmuring brought Jungkook back to the present. "Hm? What did you say?" Taehyung only smiled patiently at his husband, reaching up to smooth his hair. "Did I wake you up?" Jungkook felt his face break out into a soft smile, one only reserved for moments like this. "No, I woke up on my own", he said, voice a little gruff from not being used. "Felt like something was missing."
Taehyung let out a soft laugh in the form of a huff. "But everything is okay now, right?"
With those words, Jungkook felt himself reminisce to high school, when he was still growing into his face and his limbs felt like they were too long for him. That's when they met and even then, Jungkook thought Taehyung was beautiful, inside and out. Those were some tough times in itself for their friendship, with Taehyung losing his grandmother and going through a long period of grief that was hidden with smiles and over affection at all of his friends.
All Jungkook could do is silently support Taehyung until he could find some semblance of peace within himself. But even he had a breaking point and Jungkook was the one who bore witness to Taehyung showing up at his house at one in the morning, eyes shining with unshed tears and face blotchy. Jungkook had the passing thought of him looking like a tomato and then he had an armful of a sobbing 17 year old male who was barely holding himself together. He could barely pull him to his room and lay him down, the grief overwhelming both of them and making Jungkook also sob.
There they were, two teenage boys, almost reaching adulthood, in a bed two small to fit both of them, crying their eyes out, one out of immense grief and the other out of pain. "Kookie, why are you crying?" Taehyung hiccuped through his tears as he spoke, gripping Jungkook's white tee shirt that was growing to be a little too tight on him. He needed to get new clothing soon.
For a while, Jungkook sat there, quiet as he contemplated the elder's question, trying to place his feelings correctly. But all he could manage was "Because you're hurting". It was silent, not uncomfortable but an understanding tension sat between the two. For a while, Jungkook thought Taehyung fell asleep, his crying tiring him out. But, Taehyung pulled Jungkook close to him and touched foreheads with him. "Thank you, Kook."
After that, their friendship only gotten better. Taehyung was always an affectionate friend, but it only gotten stronger as the years went on. Graduation, they stood next to each other, Jungkook stealing glances at him until the elder turned to him, eyes shining with tears of happiness. Then, he felt a hand grasp his, the warmth seeping into his chest.
At some point during their college years, while Jungkook was going through his art thesis while playing Overwatch at the same time, laptop perched precariously on his knee as he jerked his controller around, Jimin sighed, oversized hoodie that he stole from Seokjin on for a date with him and Yoongi (Jungkook still was confused about how that worked). "Kook, what are you doing?"
"Trying to figure out why the Cubism movement is actually important to me right now while silently lamenting on them nerfing one of the only playable characters in the fucking game. Why, what's up?" He reached for the water bottle that was below him, pausing the game as he unscrewed the cap and takes a swig. "Oh, nothing, I'm just curious if I'll need to set a tarp down so you and Taehyung don't get any bodily fluids on the couch." Jungkook sputters, the water dripping onto his sweatpants and the couch as Jimin wheezes. "What the hell, hyung? Who says shit like that?" Jimin continues to laugh, hanging off the side of the couch as if he told the funniest joke ever. "Geez, Kook, chill out. You and I both know you're a virgin, even if you and Taehyung eye fuck each other anytime you get a chance to."
Jungkook beamed the water bottle at Jimin as he ran out the front door, cackling all the while Jungkook leans back to focus on his game, face burning. Jungkook regrets telling Jimin about his school boy crush on Taehyung to this day. "I swear, I'm gonna break his damn di-"
"What are you going to break now, Kookie?", Taehyung's voice calls, apparently walking through the front door as Jimin ran out. "And why did I walk past Jimin laughing his damn ass off?"
He steps into the living room, hair a muted orange as it's been a while since he touched up the red, a pair of paint splattered sweatpants hanging off his waist paired with a ratty band tee shirt. He only wears that outfit if he was at the art studio. "Nothing, hyung", Jungkook waves off, catching his laptop before it completely slipped and made out with their shitty grey carpet. Taehyung only smiles, picking up the water bottle Jungkook threw and tossing it back to him as he made his way to the kitchen. He reached into their fridge and pulled out two drinks, a banana milk for Jungkook and an orange soda for himself.
"Here." He passes the small carton to Jungkook, settling directly next to him as he cracked open his can, thighs touching. "Kook, lemme play a few rounds while you write that." Jungkook only hesitated for a moment, passing the controller over to Taehyung as he pulled his computer closer to actually put all of his attention towards the thesis. It was quiet, save for the TV and Taehyung's occasional exclamations, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was, nice. Like everything fell into place and was supposed to be this way. It always felt like this when they were together.
His heart still stuttered whenever Taehyung even looked in his direction but all he felt was a warmth in his chest that spread throughout his body, like he was bathing directly in the sunlight on a spring morning. He felt safe with Taehyung, like nothing could ever hurt him, even if he was in pretty built due to those gym trips (thanks, Jin-hyung). "Jungkook. Can I ask you something?" Jungkook's entire being froze up because Taehyung never actually said his full name unless he was serious. "Yeah? What's up?"
Taehyung pulled the computer away, so that Jungkook was forced to look Taehyung in his assymetrical but still beautiful eyes. They've been together for about 6 years and Jungkook couldn't imagine his life without Taehyung. He wasn't even sure where he would be without Taehyung. But he wasn't dependent on him. Back then, when he was insecure and still getting used to having friends, he would cling to his hyungs like they were his lifeline. But, now, he feels like he can breathe easier, capable of doing anything, especially with Taehyung's encouragement. He meant a lot to Jungkook and he wouldn't ever try to ruin it because Jungkook loved him.
"Jungkook, did you hear me?" Jungkook came back to Taehyung, who looked concerned. "S-sorry, what did you say?" Taehyung only sighed, not out of frustration but slight amusement. "I said, do you like me?" Jungkook felt his heart rate go up but didn't react to it. "Of course I like you, Tae. You're my best friend." "No, I mean..." Taehyung moved closer to Jungkook, leaning into his space. "I mean, do you like me? Like do you have feelings for me? Because I like you a lot, Jungkook." Taehyung cupped Jungkook's face and wow, he was really warm and smelled like paint and something kind of spicy, like cinnamon or nutmeg and he's kind of focusing on Taehyung's lips as they move and he's leaning in and like, shit was going great but then he leaned away and shit was not going great.
"Um... No offense but am I dreaming?" Jungkook said and shit, why is his mouth moving by itself, please stop mouth, we have to focus. Jungkook comes back to Taehyung laughing, his boxy smile pulling at Jungkook's heart strings. "I'm gonna take that as a yes, you do like me." Jungkook only turned red in response, his heart still racing. "Yeah, I do like you, Tae. I've always like you." Taehyung's smile only grew wider and it was infectious and they both just sat there, matching grins on their face. Then Taehyung moved closer, placing his hand on Jungkook's leg and leaning in.
"Is this okay?", he asked, his lips lightly brushing against Jungkook's. "Yeah", he exhaled, leaning closer to seal their lips together, a warmth spreading throughout his chest. He felt a wave of calm wash over him as they continued to kiss, everything settling into place. If Jungkook had the poetic prose that Namjoon used on Hoseok often (read: everyday), he would comparing kissing Taehyung as kissing the sunlight on a spring day, not searing hot like the summer heat at the beach but not cold as the dim light in a barren forest during the biting winter. It was exhilarating and comforting for Jungkook, making him feel secure, like the universe finally aligned itself to make this moment happen.
When they pulled apart, foreheads pressed together, faces flushed, Jungkook can only let out a whispered "Wow". Taehyung huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, wow indeed." He felt Taehyung grab his hand and squeeze, his heart singing. "I never knew that kissing could be so... Wow." "How descriptive, Kook. Is everything okay up there?" He leaned back to tap the crown of Jungkook's head, an amused smile on his face.
"Kook?" "Hm? What did you say, love?", Jungkook asked, coming back to the present, Taehyung smiling that amused smile, his silvery hair falling into his eyes. Jungkook pushed the hair back into place as Taehyung repeated himself. "Everything's okay now, right?"
"Yeah", he answered without hesitation, grabbing Taehyung's left hand with his own, the rings mirroring each other, "Everything's okay now."
