peace | taekook

chapter twenty-one

jungkook was quick to swap the flowers around and he moved the picture to a different spot, replacing it with one from the guest book table, "is this one better?"

tae hadn't expected him to be so helpful, "much. thank you."

"now how about you sit in the front row for a minute, i'll track jimin down and he'll sit with you while i try to get a flow for the viewing down, okay?"

"oh- okay." tae really hadn't realized how tired his legs were, his whole body really.

he was grateful to just have a minute. he needed it.

the petite blonde slid in next to him, the faint scent of chamomile rooming between the two of them, "how are you doing? hanging in there?"

"you guys have all been so helpful. thank you." tae took his best friends hand in his, squeezing it tightly, "gram hated you."

"oh i know!" jimin audibly laughed, the first ounce of joy in days, "if she were here she'd be scolding me for something!"

"probably your shoes. you didn't properly shine them!" tae loved the way his grandmother and jimin would banter.

the summer they'd all toured paris, the two had been each other like cat and mouse. she always said she could see what people saw in jimin, but she saw through it and he admired her for that.

"and my tie; it's a clip on!" jimin blushed in embarrassment.

tae gasped, "even your dad would be upset with that!"

"well the tutorial videos i watched were too hard and i don't want yoongi to think i'm incompetent yet!"

"tell him thank you by the way. for everything. he's been insanely helpful!" it was true, yoongi had picked up the catering, did the heavy lifting with jungkook. they had put every plan tae laid out into motion.

"he's just happy to be able to help you in any way he can. he knows how special you are."

after what felt like barely seconds of silence, music erupted through the hall and guests flooded in. his brother and father had slipped in at some point, thanking everyone for their condolences while tae stood in-between with anxious eyes.

"you okay?" joon sipped his bottle of water between guests, glancing at his brother who looked shaken, "i know it's hard."

"just having deja vu." he remembered his mother's funeral. the same venue and so many of the same faces- so many new faces.

all these people his mother would never meet. and all these people outlived two of his loved ones. how was that fair?

the clock shifted to mid-afternoon and the three men sat down in front. tae was grateful that all of his friends were seated right behind him, jungkook's hand resting sweetly on his shoulder, the scent of jimin's cologne reminding him that his best friend was there. he couldn't get through this without them.

the man dressed in a crisp black suit spoke from the front, "next we'll hear from her beloved grandson. one of many but everyone that knew the two of them, knew their bond was beyond family."

tae felt shaky on his feet as he got up to the podium. he was used to public speaking- work events, galas and charities- he'd attended it all and talked about work or passions or other people but talking about gram felt undeniably personal. like his diary entries out there for the world to see.

a screech erupted as he tapped the microphone but nobody even flinched, too fixated on what tae was going to say.

"hello everyone!" he tried to smile, "thank you for coming to honor one of the greatest women who walked this planet. i know that labeling somebody as such, is subjective but, anyone in this room can agree that gram was a force."