DYING TO KNOW | TAEKOOK

2. Divided

*Brief content warning for strong language, references to sex / sexuality*
♾♾♾

Jungkook slipped off the simple gold wedding band and tucked it into the pocket of his jeans.

With a heavy sigh, he stood, grabbed his carry on and boarded the plane. As he arrived at his seat, the other occupant of row two in first class was a mop of overgrown black hair and tinted Saint Laurent sunglasses, clad all in black.

He kept his eyes down, glancing at his phone, ignoring the phone calls and messages from Jimin, smiling thinly. His seatmate smiled back silently

Jungkook felt his usual ease evaporate as he moved to sit, muttering "Hi, how are you?" towards his sneakers.

His seatmate answered plainly, "Fine, thank you," all but ignoring Jungkook as the plane taxied from the gate, putting in an AirPod, hiding behind his sunglasses.

As the plane accelerated down the runway, Jungkook was overcome, remembering what he was running toward, and from.

His eyes, like the elementary school science experiment, dripping water onto a copper penny, counting each drop, reached their capacity and he blinked rapidly to prevent the spill.

Yet, of course, they leaked out the corners and betrayed his best efforts at a clean slate as they hurtled into the sky. Shit, stop crying, man.

He folded his hands in his lap and tried not to move or breathe in an effort not to crumble.

The man next to him, however, turned silently and pulled off his mirrored glasses, visibly concerned.

Sunglasses turned toward Jungkook and ran a bony hand down his forearm, ending in his lap, grasping Jungkook's hand. "Oh boy," he murmured, "that bad?"

Jungkook noticeably flinched and squeezed his hand before disentangling them. He shook his head.

He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, wiping his hands roughly onto his overpriced French jeans, struggling to bring his eyes up. What the fuck, you pussy, he internally admonished.

"It's fine, I'm fine," he muttered, holding his hands up defensively, "sorry" he said halfheartedly.

The smile on Sunglasses faded into a sort of smirk, not a mean one, rather a doubtful, swaggering smirk. "Don't apologize, it happens to the best of us."

Sunglasses again reached for Jungkook's arm and gave it a squeeze.

Jungkook swallowed hard and forced his mouth open, "I'm Jungkook," he croaked, hearing himself speak with an unfamiliar thickness. Get it together.

He wasn't even sure why he had chosen this exact moment to let his emotions get the best of him. Maybe it was because he knew this time, it was really done.

Sunglasses flashed his gums and nodded, "Yoongi," he mumbled, almost silently, offering his hand.

Jungkook grasped his slender fingers, shaking firmly, forcing himself to return the smile. Yoongi held his eye contact for a moment, seeming to consider his next words like one might aim a dart at a bullseye. Wondering where they might land.

"So are you leaving home, or going home?" Yoongi ventured, words blunt like a butter knife, but with no bite.

Jungkook took a slow breath, unsure of how to answer, feeling heat flutter up his neck.

"Both, I think. I'm, uh, moving to Los Angeles today but I don't live here. I have lived in Boston for a while now," he responded nervously, wanting to avoid questions, assumptions.