taekook au— a day before jungkook’s wedding, taehyung disappears.

jimin’s eyes glisten with tears as jungkook cries his heart out, his body wracking with sobs. “no, this isn’t — taehyung will come back. i know he will. he can’t leave me like this.” jungkook rambles, tears streaming down his face, nose pink, his eyes starting to redden.

jimin crouches down in front of him, “jungkook please,” he whispers, his own voice hoarse and broken. he tries to take the letter out of jungkook’s hand but jungkook lets out a cry, his grip tightening around the letter as he presses it to his chest. “no! no please no.”

“he-” jimin pulls jungkook to his chest, wrapping his arms around his shoulder, hand cradling the back of jungkook’s head as the younger cries into his shirt. “he can’t do this to me hyung. he’ll come back!” “he won’t,” jimin says, his own vision blurring with tears.

“you don’t understand hyung, he has to come back — he has to. i have to tell him… you don’t understand.” jungkook rambles. he keeps saying that jimin doesn’t understand but he does. “shhh… i know. you’re a lot more obvious than him.” jimin says w/ a huff. jungkook pulls back.

“w-what?” he asks, staring at jimin with wide teary eyes. jimin blinks, “i mean… i knew something was there, you had this-this look in your eyes like he’s your fucking universe or something. i wasn’t sure, i grew even more confused when you introduced us to seri.”

“i-i thought i wasn’t normal for feeling that way. i thought that by doing this i could still keep taehyung by my side. i-,” he chokes, “i don’t know what to do now. where should i find him, hyung?” jungkook asks, fisting the front of jimin’s shirt, bottom lip quivering.

“jungkook,” jimin says, eyebrows pinching together, “you’re getting married tomorrow.” jungkook pulls away from jimin abruptly and backs himself up against the wall as he shakes his head. “i can’t do this. i can’t. taehyung’s gone, i need to find him. hyung, i /need/ him.”

jimin reaches out to cup jungkook’s face. “we will, i promise we will find him. you need to do this first.” he says and jungkook’s face crumples as he shakes his head, calling taehyung’s name out of desperation. “you need to do this first, jungkook.” jimin says, sternly.

1 YEAR LATER

jungkook closes his eyes, taking a deep breath he smiles. he imagines taehyung standing next to him, he imagines his lips stretching into a wide smile, he imagines holding his hand. taehyung never stopped talking about going to paris together.

city of love, he used refer to it as, eyes shining brightly. “maybe, you’ll realise you’re in love with me, there.” taehyung had said one day, nudging jungkook who huffed in response. “i’m already in love with you.” taehyung had laughed, slapping his shoulder. “stop joking!”

if only jungkook had the courage to say he isn’t joking instead of agreeing, they’d be together right now. jungkook feels the telltale sting of tears at the back of eyes. he shakes his head, he promised himself he wouldn’t cry, not today, not now. “i miss you.” he whispers.

he pushes back from the railing and stuffs his hands into his pockets. “i miss you,” he whispers again before he looks up. the world suddenly stops spinning. jungkook freezes, his heart stops beating in his chest because he sees him, taehyung. jungkook blinks, squinting.

he convinces himself that it’s not taehyung. that maybe his heart is messing with his brain, creating delusions. jungkook walks closer with hurried footsteps. he sucks in a harsh breath because it is taehyung, standing with a crowd, his head tipping back as he laughs.

it’s him. there was not a single day where jungkook didn’t think about what he’ll do when he sees taehyung again. he thought about punching him, he thought about yelling & screaming, asking taehyung why he left him alone. he thought about crying, begging him to come back.

but right now, all jungkook can do is stare, frozen, heart pounding in his chest, so loudly that jungkook cannot think. it’s taehyung. taehyungie. his taehyung. and finally, as if sensing jungkook’s stare, taehyung glances in his direction. and, their eyes meet.

taehyung freezes as well, he stops talking mid-sentence, his eyes widen and lips part with surprise. they stare at each other for what seems like hours, it seems like time has frozen around them yet moving too fast. taehyung is what all that matters to jungkook right now.

jungkook makes his way towards him with large strides, hurried steps, stumbling with unblinking eyes because he’s too afraid that taehyung might disappear. jungkook pants as he stops to stand in front of taehyung. he opens his mouth, a lump in his throat, “you-”

“taehyung! are you coming?” a girl asks fluently in english, cutting jungkook off who clamps his mouth shut, gulping, throat suddenly dry. taehyung nods. “i’ll be there in a few minutes,” he replies in english, thick with accent but still so fluent. jungkook stares.

jungkook wants to laugh, he suddenly remembers taehyung whining and complaining about how he’s bad at english, promising himself that he’ll talk fluently one day. the girl nods and walks away. taehyung turns back to look at jungkook, they’re alone now.

“how are you doing?” jungkook asks like he isn’t seconds away from breaking down, like he doesn’t want to reach out and grab taehyung’s hand and never let him go. taehyung buries half of his face into the scarf he’s wearing. “i am doing well, jungkook.”

jungkook grits his teeth on hearing his name roll out of taehyung’s mouth, the nostalgia claws up his chest, his heart stutters as he nods, “good.” did you miss me? did you think about me? how could you leave me? jungkook breathes. did you replace me?

taehyung opens his mouth, he hesitates before asking, “how’s seri?” jungkook lets out a small laugh before he shrugs. “don’t know, haven’t seen her in a year.” taehyung’s eyes widen. “what? you didn’t-” “no.” jungkook says, eyes boring into taehyung’s, “i didn’t get married.”

“how could i get married when the reason behind it was gone?” taehyung stares. “what about you?” jungkook dares to ask. “did you find someone… like me?” taehyung blinks. “yeah. yeah i did.” jungkook’s face starts to crumple, his heart drops in his stomach.

taehyung laughs. “but they didn’t smile like you.” he takes a step closer. “they didn’t have your eyes. they didn’t have your laugh. they didn’t have that little mole under their lower lip. they didn’t call me ‘taehyungie hyung’ and i,” he takes a deep breath, “didn’t love them.”

jungkook lets out a sob. taehyung pulls him to his chest. “i’m sorry. i’m sorry for leaving you. i’m so sorry jungkook.” jungkook wraps his arms around taehyung, tightly, afraid that taehyung will disappear again. “i hate you. i hate you so much. how could you leave me?”

taehyung presses his lips against jungkook’s temple. “i’m sorry. i was scared. i didn’t think-” “i was getting married because i was terrified that you’d know and you’d leave me. i was getting married because i wanted you to be by my side but you left anyway.” “we’re fools.”

“i hate you.” jungkook cries. “i missed you.” taehyung replies. “there was not a day where i didn’t think about you. i’m sorry.” “i hate you. i love you so much, hyung.” jungkook sobs. they both pull apart when someone whistles.

jungkook sees a guy standing there, sandy brown hair, lips curled into a smile. “is he jungkook?” he asks taehyung. taehyung nods. “ville de i'amour,” the guy says with a grin and taehyung rolls his eyes. “jungkook, this is alex. alex, jungkook.” taehyung introduces them.

jungkook smiles and nods, face still half buried into taehyung’s shoulder, refusing to left go. alex laughs. “wrap it up.” he waves his hand, “it’s show time.” jungkook looks at taehyung with confusion, “what?” “i occasionally busk. kinda have a band and all.”

“you’ll listen?” jungkook makes a hurt noise in the back of his throat. “i am not letting you out of my sight,” he says, eyebrows pinching together. “you said in the letter, that you wouldn’t be able to walk away from me again so don’t walk away. i’m not gonna let you anyway.”

taehyung laughs. “that… was a bit dramatic, wasn’t it?” jungkook sniffs. “i cried.” taehyung coos. “i’m sorry. stay here and listen, i’ll dedicate a song to you.” jungkook slowly lets go and pulls back. “okay,” he says eagerly, eyes wide.

taehyung nods before he turns around and starts making his way towards a group of people standing near the bridge with the music equipment, having set up a small stage. jungkook feels this sudden emptiness in his chest again as he watches taehyung walk away from him.

“taehyungie!” he calls and as soon as taehyung turns around, jungkook grabs the lapels of his jacket and presses their lips together. it’s chaste, a physical reminder to jungkook that this is real, that taehyung is there, that he still loves him. “i love you.”

when jungkook pulls away, taehyung stares at him with wide eyes before his face breaks into a smile. “i love you.” jungkook finally lets taehyung go, his heart calm, his lips tingling. it’s not enough, this is hardly enough but for now it is and jungkook can wait.

taehyung grabs a mic. “this song is dedicated to you, to the one who found me, to the one i love with all my heart and soul.” taehyung’s eyes meet jungkook’s as he opens his mouth to sing, voice velvety thick, words rolling on his tongue. jungkook melts.

“On my pillow Can't get me tired Sharing my fragile truth That I still hope the door is open 'Cause the window Opened one time with you and me Now my forever's falling down Wondering if you'd want me now-” open.spotify.com/track/39EXZNMx…

the end ♡