Taehyung hadn't meant to fall off the dock, but now that he found himself underwater, he kind of wished he didn't have to go back up. Especially since it involved him having to face the fact that he was presently suffering from hallucinations. If you ask him, he would much prefer to stay below, where uncertainty and conviction dwelled in equal measure. Down here, he could either admit his brain cells had started to shut down due to lack of oxygen because of his last breath hold, or he could choose to believe he had actually seen Jeon Jungkook standing among the onlookers at the pier. Scenario A being the more likely one of the two, Taehyung was presently pursuing with his decision to avoid the surface which was bound to shatter his hopes that he still retained an ounce of sanity. He closed his eyes and let himself drown further, preferring once again to imagine that the arm which had wrapped itself around his waist was that of a mermaid and not some overzealous fisherman named Manuel coming to rescue him.
He tried to wriggle his way out of his protector's hold which only tightened.
Damn. That was one strong mermaid.
As soon as he reached the realm of breathable air (and common sense), he turned around to protest vehemently against Manuel's reasonable intervention, only to find out it wasn't Manuel who had saved him. "Jungkook?"
The black fringe had grown long, and the pale skin looked like it had finally got some colour, but the twinkle in the familiar dark orbs, which were now wide open, was unmistakable. He realized the other was just mirroring his shocked expression, likely due to his own incongruous demeanour. "Jungkook!" he said once more, only to receive a splash of water in response.
A reproving frown had appeared on the other's face. "You scared me witless, you know!"
Taehyung sensed something clench inside his chest. "For what it's worth, I thought you were dead for the past three months."
Jungkook looked away, wiping his eyes. "Well, I lived. And I believe you had too. Until I got here and hit a dead end because you weren't anywhere to be found."
Taehyung, still a little confused as to why they would be arguing at this very moment, felt overcome by the urge to hug the man in front of him. Except he needed his arms to stay afloat. So he did the next best thing. Swimming closer to Jungkook until their faces were inches apart, he leaned forward to give him a tentative kiss.
Loud cheers erupted above them.
Lost in their reunion, they had forgotten about the crowd which, from the sound of it, was very much enjoying the show. Except perhaps for Carina, whose eyes were glowing with something fierce. And Manuel, who looked rather conflicted.
No sooner had they set foot on the dock that all hell broke loose. Jungkook was harshly pinned to ground by a fuming Manuel while Taehyung was being dragged away by an equally furious Carina. "Who are you and what do you want?" yelled the fisherman, grip tightening around the young man's throat.
"Let him go, Manuel! What are you doing?" roared Taehyung who yanked his arm out of the girl's grasp. He tried rushing to his man's rescue only to find himself swarmed by a mob of screaming villagers who were evidently arguing over several issues, including the identity of l'uomo in rosa as they called him. Some were concerned by the fact that Angelo had kissed a mobster, while others suggested they quietly terminate the foreigner and promptly dispose of his body to avoid being the target of a plausible vendetta. Those who had cheered for them earlier were very much against that, because everyone knows mafiosi don't usually come in such perfect specimens.
Jungkook's face had turned blue by the time Taehyung got to him. Manuel did not even see the swinging blow that hit him in the jaw. He stumbled backwards, lip bleeding and mind stunned.
"You've all gone mad, I swear!" Angelo had never looked so enraged. In fact, people had never witnessed him angry, and now that they had, they kinda wished they hadn't. The sight was positively frightening. With a smile that was nowhere to be found and eyes as dark as the skies before a storm, the rage brewing underneath the contained facade threatened to unleash unspeakable suffering upon them.
Except Angelo had better things to do than to lecture them about the fire in their veins which consistently contributed to cloudy judgements and irrational verdicts. So, instead of wasting his time trying to reason with the wary mob, he knelt by the stranger's side and gently lifted his head up. "Hey there," he said with a concerned grin.
Jungkook smiled back, quite at loss as to what had just happened and why. "Italian folks are lovely people," he managed to utter, throat still sore from all the choking.
"I won't let them hurt you, I promise." Taehyung looked around at the two factions who had resumed arguing over this new development: Angelo was friends with the mafia. "They do things a little differently here. Being Continentals and all," he added with a shrug.
"Were you here the whole time?"
"I was."
"I should have come sooner. Forgive me."
"Stop talking and start walking. We need to get out of here before they run out of insults to throw at each other."
Jungkook couldn't help but chuckle at that as they slipped away from the rumpus. They had already made it all the way up a side street when they heard the shout.
"KIM TAEHYUNG!"
Carina's voice echoed in the empty cobbled alleyway.
The man turned around, shocked to hear her call him by his name. "How do you know?"
A sad smile graced her lips. "How could I forget?" She walked up to them and stopped when she arrived within arm's reach. Cautiously, she placed a hand on Taehyung's cheek, purposely avoiding Jungkook's glare.
"You were my first kiss. My only kiss!"
"Carina, I was only fourteen!" Taehyung uttered apologetically, voice breaking at the memory of their teenage fling.
To Jungkook, this sounded very much like a huge misunderstanding which would disperse in a matter of seconds. However, Taehyung's distorted face and trembling shoulders had him wonder what this somewhat random domestic squabble was really all about.
"And I was twelve," replied the girl. "So what? My parents kissed when they were ten."
Taehyung lifted a shaky hand to his mouth, feeling noxious. "I-I didn't think you'd remember."
"Like I said, how could I forget?"
Jungkook believed the situation was turning into a farce and placed himself in between them, eager to get this confusion over with and head back to his hotel where he and Taehyung had some catching up to do. They were both still bloody soaking wet for crying out loud! "Listen, miss. He told you he was only fourteen at the time. We all make mistakes. You just happen to be one of them."
To his surprise. Taehyung didn't back him up. "This is Europe, Jungkook. You kiss means you're together."
"Huh?"
"They do things a little-"
"-differently, yeah. I get it now." Jungkook ran a frustrated hand through his damp locks.
Taehyung took Carina's hands in his own and cleared his throat to regain a semblance of composure. "You deserve to be happy, bella, but not with me."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm with him now."
They all noticed how hard he was trying not to hurt her feelings, but that did not stop Carina from pushing her luck. "You just kissed him once. I can forgive you."
Taehyung bit his lips, taking a precautionary step back. "Actually, we did more than just kiss."
Any Italian girl would have snapped at the inappropriate disclosure and slapped the shameless cheater. But Carina wasn't just anyone. She took a deep breath before letting out a soft sob. "I always knew you were too good for me."
She eyed Jungkook up and down. "I can't compete with him," she added, admitting defeat. One look at the handsome stranger had made her realize this was a fight she couldn't win. She graciously agreed to a farewell hug and even managed to smile through quiet tears, as the two men waved her goodbye.
That night, she came to knock on Manuel's door.
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