Riomaggiore's summer night life had nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to Rome's, or even Milan's. The vitality flowing through its streets at dusk was proportional to the day's sluggishness which turned every single errand into a nuisance. As soon as aperitivo hour hit, people would somehow miraculously resuscitate from their afternoon slumber, and head for their favourite bistro in order to drink a toast to the good life consisting mostly of close friends, awesome food and tasty wine.
With Jungkook's hand tightly secured in his own, Taehyung navigated Riomaggiore's streets with ease, eager to introduce him to one of the best tables in town. Francesca's.
The welcome he received was as warm (and busty) as ever, and Jungkook nearly intervened, fearing for Taehyung's safety in the arms of the overly emotional woman who had tears in her eyes as she asked, "is this him?"
"Him who?" Taehyung managed to utter while catching his breath.
"Him, the cure," she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Without waiting for a confirmation, she turned to Jungkook and pinched his cheek affectionately. "You tend to his broken heart, and I will tend to your empty stomachs!"
She seated them in a quiet corner, and lit up the candle sitting on their table, making it quite evident she wanted them to enjoy the most romantic dinner possible. Taehyung didn't even bother with the menu. "The Chef's special, whatever it is!" he ordered, sending a wink Jungkook's way.
"You're a regular?"
"Francesca took me in when I first crash-landed here. She's like a mother to me, I guess. Though I'm not quite certain all mothers overfeed their kids and hug them to death."
"I wouldn't know."
The quiet reminder of their common childhood experience plunged Taehyung into recollection mode. Jungkook gently grabbed his hand, rubbing softly over the tight knuckles. "Tae bear, are you with me?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Tae listen, I want you to know something."
Taehyung's heartbeat stilled for a second as he took notice of the solemnity of the statement. "Yes, love?"
Sensing Taehyung's unease, Jungkook turned explicit. "It's about Jimin. He shouldn't have talked to you that way. It was rude and uncalled-for."
Taehyung beamed, relief washing over his now relaxed features. Evidently, Jungkook couldn't help himself from being concerned with his wellness, be it physical or emotional. "Don't worry about it. My feelings weren't hurt or anything," he said, comfortingly.
"Either way, I'll get this sorted out. Trust me! It's probably just a misunderstanding, and I'll get to the bottom of this. I promise." Jungkook seemed determined to drop everything for the sake of Taehyung's honour and it was positively endearing.
"You worry too much, love! Nothing will happen to me purely and simply because I didn't steal anything. Apart from some stuff a few months back but I returned it all. I swear!"
Jungkook raised a brow at the other's assertion. "About that, last time I checked, my heart was still in your possession."
The smile on Taehyung's face grew wider. Two could play that game. "Well, to be fair, I'm almost positive you gave it to me freely. And even if you now wished to have it back, I'm afraid the return policy expired a while ago."
The bruschettas arrived before Jungkook was able to respond and as their waiter poured the wine, he realized how little he minded Taehyung having the last word.
What he did mind, however, was the thin veil of concern that had clouded Taehyung's gaze which would linger on nothing in particular, as if lost in thought. He tried to enjoy his dish — delicious, no doubt — but kept catching sight of the other's vexation. "Something troubling you?" he finally enquired, deciding both of them were too distracted to give the food the attention it deserved.
Taehyung took a short breath. Of course, nothing could get past Jungkook. "You noticed, huh."
"You know I do. Which leads me to conclude you must have been waiting for me to ask."
There was nothing but fondness in Taehyung's eyes as he moved to grab the other's hand and lift it to his lips. "We're a good match, you and I."
"Mmm," is all Jungkook could reply, enthralled by his lover's generosity when it came to displays of affection, whether public or private.
"Jimin said something earlier, and I'm going to need your help to make sense of it," Taehyung continued.
"What did he say?"
"He mentioned clearing my name and I can't for the life of me figure out what he meant by that."
Jungkook could not refrain from smiling because that, he could definitely fix. "I should have brought you up to date with all that's been going on in London since you disappeared, but you kinda kept me busy these past few hours," he admitted, blushing a little.
Taehyung placed another soft kiss on his knuckles before fondling his fingers. "I'm all ears now," he kindly pressed.
"Well, the Thames Herald offered Jimin a promotion provided he wrote an article revealing Lupin's identity. And he simply refused. Which ultimately led to him losing his job."
Taehyung's gentle strokes stopped. "I don't understand..."
"I asked him about it and all he said was that it hadn't sat well with him, the idea that in order to get promoted, he'd have to smear the man I was so desperately in love with."
"That's very noble of him. Few would have turned down such an offer."
"I think he values our friendship. It would have been hard for me to forgive him, had he dragged your name through the mud."
There it was again, that sense of duty to protect and care for Jungkook always seem to be exhibiting around Taehyung. "You know, it's not really a smear if the facts are indisputable."
Jungkook leaned back in his chair and, eyeing the bottle of wine sitting on the edge of the table, figured now would be a good time to get a little drunk. "Sure," he muttered after emptying his glass, "but it would have made what I'm about to do a lot more complicated."
"And what it is you're about to do, love?"
"Just wait and see."
The alcohol was surely taking its sweet time hitting Jungkook's senses, which were still quite sharp. He wasn't really aiming for tipsiness, but rather looking forward to that proverbial bravura only found in a state of inebriation.
In the meantime, he kept talking. "So after TH let him go — which was terribly unfair on their part because Jimin is a very skilled reporter after all — he decided to try freelancing."
"Is that why he's in Vienna at the moment?"
Jungkook chuckled. "Precisely. He's writing about Namjoon's book tour and guess who he's selling his articles to? The Thames Herald!"
"He must charge them a pretty penny if he's to cover the costs of his travel expenses."
"Oh no. They're downright scrooges! His earnings barely account for the price of meals!"
Taehyung wasn't particularly worried about Jimin's precarious financial situation, but he was a little intrigued. "How can he afford to travel then?"
"Do you remember that Order of merit I received? It came with an envelope."
"I see." That would explain why Jungkook had not been concerned about the bill for his lavish suite.
"I gave some of that money to Jimin. It felt right, you know, seeing as he was looking out for you. For us."
"I get now why he sounded so aggravated," Taehyung laughed softly before focusing on his date once more. "You're a good man, Jungkook."
"And you're a good man, Taehyung." As the words left his lips, a certain euphoria — which he first attributed to the wine, but it could also very well have been Taehyung's compliment (Jungkook loved those) — took hold of his wits. It was now or never.
Before his mind could process what his body was doing — of its own accord it would seem — Jungkook went down on bended knee and held up a small velvet box. "You were right earlier. I gave you my heart and have yet to regret this decision. I know you'll keep it safe, and care for it and treasure it just like I treasure your love which you never fail to shower me with whenever we're together. Life has kept us apart way too long, and I don't want to spend any more time away from you than I have to."
Jungkook wasn't sure how he had managed to improvise this speech, or if it was his brain quoting some favourite romance novel of his, but the emotions visible in Taehyung's sparkling eyes were enough to convince him it didn't really matter. Opening the box, he revealed a simple white-gold band which caught the light of the nearby candle, reflecting shine all around, suddenly demanding every guests' attention.
"Taehyung, will you have me as your husband, bodyguard, private eye? Anything you want me to be, really. Except for cook. I don't think I can be your-"
Taehyung was on his knees already and wasted no time kissing Jungkook quiet. "Leave the cooking to me. Just be my husband. And I'll be yours."
Cheers erupted everywhere as they kissed again with fervour. Shortly after, Jungkook helped Taehyung put his ring on, and Francesca realized one apron wouldn't suffice to soak up all the tears drizzling down her beaming face.
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