"Why are you on that website, hyung?" Jungkook walked up behind Taehyung, who was browsing the Internet, seated on the couch in the living room.
"Oh, it's for Jenna's Christmas present." He frowned at the screen.
"Oh wow. Why so many?" Jungkook flopped down next to his friend and leaned over his shoulder to see better.
"Oh, well, that's how it has to be. Three."
"Will they be here on time?"
"Should arrive on Christmas Eve. It's cutting it close, but it's as soon as possible."
"You think she'll like this?"
"Jungkook-ah, seriously, she will love it." Taehyung rolled his eyes and grinned. He had a plan up his sleeve, and it was already being put in motion. He wanted to give Jenna something extraordinary this year. He had earned enough to make this work, and he couldn't wait to see her face.
He knew her quite well. He knew how terrible she was at buying presents for any occasion, and Christmas was no exception.
"Yah, Kookie, I bet she's staring at her screen right now, trying to figure out something to get me this year." The two men laughed.
"Yeah, I bet she is, hyung. Any hints you want me to drop for her?" Jungkook had a sparkle in his eye that betrayed the mischievousness in his heart. He was still a kid at heart, and times like this just brought it out more.
"No. I like to see what Jenna comes up with." Taehyung clicked a few more things on the computer and pulled out his credit card, entering the info into the appropriate boxes. Then he made a note in his phone's calendar and set everything aside.
"Okay, all done. It's set. I have some messages to send, so I'll get to it. See ya, Kookie." He smacked Jungkook's thigh lightly a few times before standing and walking to his room
Jungkook watched his friend walk away and pulled out his phone.
To: Pretty Noona
"I know what hyung is getting you for Christmas."
He was giddy with excitement because he was going to mess with Jenna's head till Christmas. This was going to be so much fun.
* * *
Jenna opened her message from Kookie and read it. Her fingers froze over the keyboard as she thought of how to reply. Jungkook loved playing pranks and teasing people. This could just be him playing a joke on her, or he could really know. Maybe if she knew what it was, she could get something similar to its level. She always felt like Taehyung outdid her when it came to gifts.
Then again, what if she was disappointed with it and then had to fake surprise and love for whatever he gave her? Her face frowned as she began typing.
Jenna: Just so you know, I changed your name on my phone back to EMJJK. You're positively evil, Jungkook. Whatever it is, don't tell me. I don't want to know. o(｀ω')o
EMJKK: Ooooh back to evil maknae, eh? I love it. No hints? Sure about that?
Jenna: Yes, Kookie.
EMJJK: Yes, you want hints? Great! Well, for starters, you're going to love it.
Jenna: Jeon Jungkook!! No, I do not want any hints! Don't dare tell me anything else, or I will give all of Trouble your phone number! They've been begging for it.
EMJJK: You wouldn't dare...
Jungkook froze in fear. He had guarded his phone number like the government guards its secrets. He didn't want those pesky kids having his number because they would never leave him alone. Maybe they would sell it to someone. He didn't know. He just always assumed the worst. But, no, this definitely could not happen.
Jungkook: Okay, I surrender. No more hints. But don't you dare give my number to those punks! If you do, I'll have to take drastic measures!
Pretty Noona: I see we have an understanding then. (¬_¬)
Jungkook: Agreed. Truce.
Jungkook giggled. He loved the back and forth teasing relationship he and Jenna had. She felt like an older sister to him more and more every day, and he was just fine with that.
* * *
Jenna laid her phone down on the desk and leaned back in her chair. She spun around in circles, thinking. Keep it simple. Keep it simple. She thought of an idea and went on the hunt for the head photographer.
* * *
It was Christmas Eve, and Jenna was downright depressed. She had tried to line up a photographer to do some professional pictures of her and Taehyung but hadn't been able to find anyone due to either busy schedules or incredibly high prices. She resorted to a scarf and a promise to do better next year.
She sighed as she put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. She and Taehyung were to go out this afternoon and spend the rest of the day together. He had a schedule tomorrow, but today he was free.
She heard the doorbell ring and the key code being entered. He was here. She reluctantly grabbed the small box his gift was in and headed out towards the entryway hallway. He greeted her at the door with a huge smile and some sort of cloth in his hand.
"Hey, babe," she said, a questioning glance thrown to the cloth in his hand.
"Hey, beautiful," he said in a low voice. "I'm here to take you to your Christmas present, so if you would kindly let me blindfold you, we can get going."
He moved toward her, and before she could adequately protest, he began tying the material around her head. She could smell his scent on it and assumed it was something personal of his. He then knelt and slipped her shoes onto her feet. Then, standing back up, he saw the small box in her hand.
"I can't see a thing, Tae!" She stuck her arms out instinctively, and he took hold of them gently, pulling her close to his side.
"Is this for me?" he said excitedly, taking the small box from her.
"Yeah, but can you not open it till I can see you open it?"
She spoke in a small voice, and Taehyung smiled. He knew she always had the worst time picking gifts, and he had no expectations from her as far as gifts went. So he grinned silently and wrapped her arm through his bent one.
"Let's go," he said, gently pulling her out the door, down the hall, and to the elevator.
When they reached the van, Taehyung opened the door, and a hand reached out to take hers, helping her up the steps.
"Uh...who is this?" she questioned as she felt an unfamiliar hand holding her own.
"Just me, Jenna," Namjoon answered her, helping her to a seat.
"Oh! Namjoon! Wait, why are you here?" Now she was confused.
"Tae asked for help, so help is what I am today." She heard a smile in his voice, and so she smiled back.
"Ah, I see. Okay, so what now?" She felt someone pull her seat belt across her body and click it into the buckle. Then a tiny kiss was planted on her nose, and she knew immediately who it was. Her face blushed.
"Babe, Namjoon is here," she muttered, highly embarrassed.
"Me too!" A voice from the front hit her ears.
"Jin?!"
"Yes! I'm the driver today!" He giggled, and Jenna began to question just who else was in this vehicle.
"Tae, who else is here?" she whispered.
"Uh...no one. Just us three." He clicked his seatbelt into place, and the vehicle took off.
"Where are we going?" She was getting tired of this thing around her eyes, hating not being able to see.
"It's a surprise, but I promise you'll like it." Taehyung smiled confidently to himself, and he and Namjoon bumped fists. They were proud of their accomplishment and looking forward to Jenna's surprise.
The van drove around for a little bit, and then Jin motioned to Taehyung that they were almost to their destination.
"Okay, babe, here. Please put these in." He laid a pair of earbuds in her lap and then plugged them into his phone.
She felt him lay something in her lap and fumbled with her hands, finding earbuds. "Tae, why do I need these?"
"Just put them in," he said a bit impatiently.
"Okay, okay, got it." She shoved them deep into her ears, and then she heard music playing rather loudly in her ears.
"Tae," she shouted, "I can't hear anything but this music!" She was yelling because she couldn't hear herself, making all three guys laugh.
Taehyung pulled one of the earbuds out of her ear. "We're here, so just keep them in a little longer, okay? Play along with me!" He giggled and unbuckled her seatbelt. Jin had pulled up to the door and stopped to let Taehyung and Jenna out.
"I'll park somewhere nearby; just text when you need me up front, okay?" Taehyung gave Jin the thumbs-up signal and then helped Jenna step down out of the van.
Jenna couldn't hear much but muffled sounds of people talking. She couldn't tell if she was in a restaurant or a bus station.
Taehyung led her to a seat and sat her down.
The couple sat quietly for about twenty minutes before Taehyung saw his gift appear. He pulled Jenna up to stand, and she questioned him loudly about why she was now standing up and when she could take these things off. He laughed and then felt embarrassed as people began to stare. It was a good thing he wore a hoodie, hat, face mask, and simple jeans. He was trying to avoid detection by any fans, and so far, it had worked, but it wouldn't if Jenna didn't stop talking too loudly.
He let go of her arm, and Jenna felt immediately alone. "Tae, why did you let me go? Where am I? Tae! Where did you go?"
Suddenly, Jenna felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and she was so startled she froze for a moment. Then, someone pulled the earbuds out of her ears, and she finally heard dozens of people around her, announcements over the intercoms, and luggage rolling around. As soon as someone pulled the blindfold off, she saw the face of her father smiling down into her own.
"Daddy??"
"Hey, baby girl," her father said softly.
"DADDY!!!!" Jenna flung her arms around his neck and squeezed. Behind him she saw her mother and then behind her she saw her best friend, Sara.
"Mom?! Sara?! What are you all doing here?!" Jenna ran to each of them, pulling them into a tight hug. Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she realized who had brought them here and who was probably the one behind the whole thing. She turned around, scanning the people around her, looking for that person.
"Daddy, did you see Tae?" She kept scanning the crowds of people, and finally, a man in a gray hoodie, black mask, and ball cap tapped her shoulder. She hadn't even recognized him.
"Oppa!" Realizing it was her lover, she fell into his arms.
"Thank you," she whispered in a teary voice next to his ear. "Thank you so very, very much."
"Merry Christmas, babe." Taehyung smiled widely behind his mask, squeezing her in return. Then, he let go, and her parents immediately wrapped her in hugs.
Soon, the happy little group moved to retrieve their luggage as Taehyung texted Jin, asking him to pull the van around.
No one talked much, not wanting to draw attention to Taehyung, and when they finally got into the van, the talking didn't stop.
"I have so many questions," Jenna exclaimed. "How did you do this? When did you plan this? Is this why you're here, Namjoon? Sara, I can't believe you're here! I've missed you so much!"
She looked back in the back seat as Namjoon and Sara were seated next to each other, looking as nervous as cats, but she saw love written all over their faces. They had kept in contact all this time, and according to Taehyung, Namjoon had finally settled his whole "future military separation anxiety" problem.
"Taehyung was a real sweetheart. He called us a few weeks ago and said he would like to fly us over to Korea to surprise you for Christmas. He said since our last trip here was clouded with so many sad things, he felt like he should make it up to you." Jenna's mom smiled and reached up to the front seat to pat a blushing Taehyung on the shoulder.
"You did that?"
Taehyung just smiled in response. He had wanted to do something big for Jenna. All he could think about was how their near scandal overshadowed her last visit with her parents. He tried to make it up to her and them, and this was the only way he could think of to do it.
"How long will you all be staying?" Jenna watched as each person looked directly at Taehyung.
He turned his head and cleared his throat, feeling all eyes on him. "Oh, well, till after New Year's."
"New Year's? So like a week or two? That's awesome!" Jenna was feeling like a giddy little school girl. She had missed her parents so much and Sara too. But she felt maybe Sara wasn't just here for her. Jenna smiled at her best friend and turned back around to give the two love birds a little privacy. Suddenly, she remembered her upcoming visit to Taehyung's parents.
"Tae, what about our trip to your parents for the New Year's holiday?"
"Oh, sweetie, we're coming with you!" Jenna's mother was so excited she answered before Taehyung could open his mouth.
"Really? Really, Tae?" Jenna was about to explode. This was just too much excitement for one day.
"Yeah. My parents are excited to meet all of you. It worked out perfectly." He smiled, proud of himself for the umpteenth time today.
"I can't believe this. This is too much for my heart right now!" Jenna squeezed her mom into a side hug, grinning from ear to ear.
Jin started mocking Jae's old "heartu" video from long ago.
"Hyung, that joke is so old," Namjoon grumbled from the backseat.
"Ayyyyeee, Hoseok imitations never go out of style, Namjoonie." Jin giggled and drove them all back to Jenna's apartment.
Taehyung turned around in his seat as they pulled up in front of the building. "Mr. Shepherd, I'm sorry, but can you help the ladies with their luggage? The fans know this is Jenna's apartment building, and if we're seen, it could get complicated quickly."
Mr. Shepherd saw how embarrassed the young man was to ask the older man to do this, but he immediately understood. Patting Taehyung's shoulder, he responded kindly. "Taehyung, I'm not too old yet to pack my own luggage. So don't worry a bit about it."
"Aren't you guys going to come up?" Jenna looked at Taehyung, hoping he would say yes, but she was disappointed.
"No, I'm afraid we can't. We have a schedule tomorrow that includes a couple of songs and dances. We have to practice tonight. But I will come as soon as we're done tomorrow? I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be tonight." Taehyung was not happy about the arrangement, but that was how the life of an idol was. Busy, complicated, and unpredictable.
Jenna was also disappointed. Her mother linked her arm with Jenna's and smiled at Taehyung. "Sweetie, it's okay. We all know you have to work. Your job isn't a normal one. And life is made up of compromises anyway, right Jenna? We'll see you tomorrow, Taehyung. Thanks again for this." She leaned up and kissed Taehyung on the cheek, patting his head.
His eyes widened in surprise.
"Mom! No kissing my boyfriend," Jenna giggled. Her mom was one of the most loving people she had ever met, and Jenna knew she already considered Taehyung to be like one of her children. "Sorry, babe," she apologized to Taehyung. He blushed and then smiled.
"Message me later, okay?" Jenna smiled, resisting the urge to kiss his face. Fans might be watching, and she always had to be cautious.
The family left the van with Sara in tow. Jenna gave a small discreet wave, and they soon disappeared into the building.
The van was quiet once again. Namjoon crawled up to sit behind his friends. Jin smiled over to Taehyung.
"You did well, Tae." Jin patted Taehyung on the back.
"Thanks for flying Sara in, Namjoon-hyung," said Taehyung gratefully. Two tickets were expensive enough. Three would have just been too much. He may be a K-Pop superstar, but his pay grade didn't reflect his superstar status yet. So when he had mentioned his idea to Namjoon, of course, the older member had jumped at the chance. Taehyung had, as the old proverb says, "killed two birds with one stone."
"Hey, it's no problem. I'm sure I want to see Sara more than Jenna does anyway." He giggled and settled back against the seat.
"I wish we didn't have practice tonight, but oh well. We'll see them tomorrow." Taehyung leaned his head back and sighed, watching the scenery fly by, wishing he was with his lover right now.
* * *
Jenna, her parents, and Sara had ordered pizza for dinner and sat around her small table laughing, yawning, and simply just enjoying being in each other's company after so long.
Jenna's parents went to bed, unable to stave off the exhaustion till it was bedtime. This left the two girls to finally have time to catch up and gossip about their pop star boyfriends.
They shared the double bed in Jenna's room, lying next to each other, giggling and sharing secrets, like two teenagers.
"Sara, you have no idea how much I've missed you. Making friends here has been slow. And really, no one can replace you." Jenna smiled fondly at her best friend.
"I've missed you also."
"I bet you've missed Namjoon more," Jenna teased.
"Haha! Yeah, I guess. We really do click. I think he's fantastic. And those dimples...wow..." Sara sighed dramatically, ending in a giggle.
"Yeah, all the guys look up to him. He's a good leader. And I think he would be a good boyfriend. Just don't let him take care of anything you do not want breaking," Jenna laughed and began relaying some stories to Sara.
They laughed and talked till late into the night. Finally, Jenna fell asleep, not even realizing Taehyung had never texted her.
* * *
"Did her parents and friend make it in safely?" Jungkook said, breathing heavy and collapsing into the floor next to Taehyung.
Dance practice was going long tonight for the group. They were doing some of their older dances, and several members were having trouble remembering some of the steps.
Taehyung chugged back a bottle of water before answering Jungkook. "Yes, she was surprised. She cried a little." He grinned and winked at Jungkook.
"Oh, good job, hyung, good job. You made Jenna cry." Jungkook shook his head and clicked his tongue in disappointment. Then he giggled, letting it be known he was just teasing.
"You aren't going there after we're finished here, are you?" Jungkook rubbed and massaged his sore calf muscles.
"No, I told them I would see them after our show tomorrow. Oh, I almost forgot I was supposed to text Jenna." He pulled out his phone and saw the time, his eyes getting wider, and he gasped in surprise.
"It's too late," he said with disappointment in his voice. "I can't believe I forgot. Hopefully, she won't be upset with me."
Jungkook smiled warmly at his friend. "It's Jenna. She won't be upset. We've already established the fact she won't ever leave you."
"Okay, let's go again," said the dance teacher. "Let's move on to the new song." So, the music started again as the boys found their marks and poured their hearts into the dance, while Taehyung just wished he could be anywhere else right now but here.
* * *
Taehyung got ready for bed. He had to be up in about four hours. He looked at his phone through gritty eyes. Then yawning, he opened his message app and quickly typed out a message to Jenna.
"Hey, babe. I hope you're sleeping right now. I'll be sleeping soon. I wish you were here with me. I love you so much. I hope you're enjoying your surprise. I'll call you when I'm finished tomorrow and tell you what is going on. Okay? Wait for me! I feel like you owe me a few kisses, so be ready to pay up next time you see me! |(￣3￣)|"
He looked over to see the small box she had given him today that he had forgotten to open. He wearily struggled to sit up in the bed. The box lay in his hands, and he took the top off. It was a beautiful navy scarf with two yellow lines across one end. It was simple yet fashionable. He wrapped it around his neck, reveling in its softness. He snapped a selfie and sent it to Jenna's phone.
"I can't believe you got me this scarf! It's totally awesome! So soft! It's one of the few things I'll let get this close to my skin! Besides you, of course. You have priority over this scarf. (^_−)−☆ Love you!!!!! Xoxoxoxo"
He giggled at his off-color joke and laid down in bed, snuggling the scarf closer to his neck. He felt he had the best girlfriend in the world and giggled at the thought of her laboring over whether to get him this scarf or something else. Then, drifting off to sleep, thoughts of a sweet, little, curly-headed young woman filled his head.