Valentine's Day was coming and love was in the air. And so were weddings. Chris and Simon, the couple Taehyung used to live with, decided to tie the knot and become official. They were to wed the day before Valentine's Day. The couple wanted to spend the lovers' holiday in the Maldives, their honeymoon destination.
Taehyung hadn't seen them in a couple of weeks when they called him with the news. They asked him if he could come and be one of the 20 people invited. He was allowed a plus-1. This was going to be a small wedding.
Taehyung had still been seeing Jennie and he asked her to accompany him and she agreed. He was pretty sure she only wanted to go to get pictures together to post on her Instagram account. Everywhere they went, she wanted a picture in order to post.
They had been out a few times and most of the time she was on her phone. Dating her seemed to be like a whole job in itself. He went from being a paid escort to a friend with benefits. And now he was a piece of man meat for Jennie's social media accounts.
He thought that dating Jennie would help him forget about the god that had just dumped him weeks before. But it didn't work. He stayed away from Jungkook, but his mind was always on him.
After the meeting in his dad's office, he decided he shouldn't participate in helping to catch the stalkers. He was trying to let him go, emotionally. Having no contact with him should've helped. But so far, it hadn't.
Sometimes, he missed him so much that he'd read old text messages they sent each other. One in particular thread, he read over and over. It made him feel giddy inside.
Taehyung
I can't wait to see you
tomorrow. I'm gonna
dick you down- 🌚
Jungkook
I low-key can't
wait either. I love
being dicked down
by you. 🍆👅
Taehyung
😋We've been texting
each other for an
hour now and it's
midnight. We both
have work tomorrow.
Jungkook
Ok. Goodnight.
Taehyung
Don't let the bed bugs
bite.
Jungkook
Ok. Stop texting me
Taehyung
You stop texting me
Jungkook
No, you stop.😡
Taehyung
You.
Jungkook
I just silenced you.
Taehyung
No, you didn't
Jungkook
No, I didn't 😘
It was moments like this that made Tae miss him the most. His heart could not be more broken than it already was. It was in pieces. But if he had to choose to have never met him versus the pain, knowing him, he'd rather take the pain. The start of the relationship was toxic but at least he got a chance to spend time with him. Did this type of thinking originate from lust or love?
Taehyung believed that it was love. It hurt so bad because it was indeed love, but love unrequited. At first, he thought that maybe Jungkook reciprocated his feelings but was so closed off, he either didn't know it or didn't want to acknowledge it.
He never thought the relationship was one-sided. They both adored each other's company. Jungkook had changed because of his relationship with him. His walls were coming down. He started to trust him. He thought they were doing fine, until that night, of course.
Kook had gone and gotten a new personal, Reed. Tae hated the guy already. He seemed a little introverted and Taehyung knew that Jungkook was going to hate that. He laughed at the idea of him treating Reed like he did Eunwoo. Taehyung wanted him to be happy. But, it was going to be hard to see him being happy with someone else.
Maybe Yoongi was right in the beginning. He had warned Taehyung about being in limerence. Had he grown to be obsessed with Jungkook out of infatuation? Maybe so. But he welcomed the crazies when it came to him. Kook was like a drug that he had to quit cold turkey. He could see himself at a public meeting saying "Hi. I'm Taehyung and I am a Jungkook addict." If there was a place he could go to get help for this infatuation, he would. Or would he?
He missed him horribly. He wondered if Jungkook missed him at all.
The truth was, he actually did. Jungkook was in misery trying hard not to think about Tae, daydream about him, or see him in his dreams while he slept. He thought he would've forgotten him by now, having packed him in his 'fuck-off suitcase' and thrown the suitcase over an emotional cliff. That's what he always did with unwanted feelings, memories, incidents, and relationships.
Jungkook seemed to keep unpacking the mental suitcase he had Taehyung and all his shit in. He constantly saw him in everything. When he ordered food, he remembered seeing him for the first time as he was a door dasher before becoming his personal. When he went home, he would reminisce about all the sex they had in all of the rooms. At work, he rehearsed all the conversations they had as they frequently had lunch together. Even his favorite bar, VERS, was tainted with the memory of Kim fucking Taehyung.
This open baggage left him distraught. Especially, coupled with the fact that Taehyung was now openly dating Jennie. And that little girl loved to post on her socials every single little thing they did together. Like, they are the first motherfuckers on earth who took a walk or ate a sandwich in Central Park? Big whoop. He knew Jennie's type and knew that she was just trying to lock Taehyung down. But, why would Jungkook care?
That's just it. He shouldn't. But he was irritated by the two models being together. Jungkook was acting like a petulant toddler who didn't like to share his toys. It was as if Taehyung was his personal boy toy first. But, then he discarded the toy to get out to find something else to play with. But when Jungkook saw someone else playing with Taehyung, he saw just how shiny the original toy was and now wished he could still play with it. Jungkook didn't like that Jennie was enjoying the guy that he could never admit he had feelings for.
Taehyung had moved on and so would he. They were over.
Chris and Simon's wedding day arrived. It was held in the evening at a fancy rooftop. The colors for the wedding were white, silver, and black. But guests were asked to wear black. The whole theme of an evening wedding with everyone in black was lost on Taehyung. The grooms explained that they were to wear white in order to demonstrate how the two found love in darkness and now they were each other's light. Jennie thought it was brilliant.
Taehyung wore a black suit with a black button-down and a scarf. Jennie wore a black dress. Everyone thought they looked stunning together. She had someone take a picture of them and she posted it on her Instagram. The caption read "Celebrating love." She neglected to add that it was the love of the two people who got married, insinuating that she and Taehyung were sharing their mutual love. Or, this was how Jimin took it.
Once Jimin saw the post, he freaked out. He knew they were dating. But, how is it that they were looking like a real couple now and celebrating love and whatnot? He called his boss.
"Ok, it's time to collect your man from this model chick," Jimin blurted out into the phone.
"Let me guess. She's posted their date for the night?" Jungkook asked.
"Yes, she did. And now his arm is wrapped around her waist and she's made some reference like his friends are now her friends and they are celebrating love. And this is neither here nor there, but I don't know who's styling him right now. Whoever they are, is simply doing the Lord's work. 'Cause, he looks good."
"Yeah, my heart needed to hear all of this, Jimin."
"Not trying to hurt you. You need to get out of bed and call or text him and summon him back into your arms. You know that's all you have to do and he will come running. Valentine's Day is tomorrow. So yeah bitch, it's cuffing season. Get your man back."
"Do you want me to get him back so you could have more chances to ogle him in person instead of stalking him on social media?" Jungkook snickered.
"Yes. This is exactly what this is about. I deserve nice things." He giggled.
"You know what? Fuck him. Fuck Valentine's Day. I'm going to get out of bed and hit the club. I'm just gonna have a good time and do me."
"Well, this sounds like a disaster but I'll come with. Send me the deets." He hung up.
The friend group ended up hanging out at Paradise Club in Times Square. Normally, they would've needed a reservation for a booth but Jungkook knew someone that got them in on short notice.
He had started drinking while getting ready and on his car ride to the club. He was working on a buzz. Being inebriated was a part of his plan to help him forget about the fact that Taehyung took Jennie to a wedding.
The club was alive as usual. When he wasn't drinking, he was dancing with Hyunjin or Hoseok. He was having a great time, but the alcohol didn't make him forget about him. It made him want to be with him again. His plan had backfired.
They partied hard and all decided to go home. He started crying as he was being driven home along with his detail officer. He was crying because all he could see is Taehyung with Jennie at the wedding. They looked good together. It made his heart almost explode from his chest in pain. Taehyung had said not to rush into any relationships, but here he was dating a whole new person. The woman he, himself, pushed him towards. He sniffled and decided he wanted to go smooth off on his ass. Fuck pride and shit. Jungkook decided to go to his apartment.
He made it with the help of his detail. It hadn't donned on him that he could've called him. What if Tae wasn't home? What if he was with her?
But he knocked on the door and rang the bell anyway. He was slightly drunk and stumbling at the door but was trying to look sober. He looked into the bell box on the side of the door as if it were a mirror and fixed his hair. He took out a mint from his jacket pocket and ate it. Finally, Tae came to the door. He had been asleep.
"Jungkook? What are you doing here and out so late?" He asked.
"I came to talk to you," he said trying to stand straight.
"You're drunk."
"No."
"That wasn't a question. Come in," he said as he grabbed a chair for his detail to sit in outside the door. They never wanted to come in. They said it was unprofessional.
"Jungkook, what are you doing out this late?"
"Because fuck you and fuck Valentine's Day."
"Wow, what has the holiday ever done to you?" Tae asked, hoping to get some truth from him. Drunken minds always spoke about what was really bothering them.
"It caused you and Jennie to do this." He showed him the Instagram photo from the wedding.
He was jealous.
"What about that picture?"
"I hate it."
"Why do you hate it?" He asked while feeling happy that he was jealous.
Silence.
"Hey, let me get you something to soak up that alcohol alright."
And just as Tae turned toward the kitchen, Jungkook fell over the back side of his couch and flipped onto the floor.
"Fuck, Jungkook. You are so drunk, baby," he said as he helped him get up and sit on the couch.
"I'm not drunk. I'm just really sleepy. Can I just take a nap here and go home in a couple of hours?" Kook stretched out on the couch.
"You don't have to go home. You can sleep here," he said walking toward the kitchen again to get coffee to sober him up.
What the fuck was he doing? Letting him spend the night?
After a short while, he helped him get out of his party clothes and into one of his clean t-shirts he wore along with his underwear. He tried his best to not stare at him, but it was difficult.
He put him in his bed and covered him up. He got in on the other side.
They were facing each other in bed and Taehyung was staring into his eyes and running his hand through his hair, gingerly. Removing it from his face.
"Are you sleeping with her?" Jungkook asked. "With Jennie?"
"No. It's too early on."
"Do you want to sleep with her? I mean 'cause Jimin said she had girl titties, a vagina, and a no-apple neck."
Taehyung chuckled. He thought Jungkook trying to make sense of his words while buzzed was cute.
"I'd rather sleep with you. But you know I can't."
"Yeah, you and your conservative relationship rules." Jungkook smiled.
"Yeah and the fact you broke up with me," he added while exhaling a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"But I'm sure it's mostly because of your stupid monogamy rule. No one in New York lives like that except for you."
"It would make a great title to a documentary: 'Me and My Monogamy.'" Taehyung chortled.
Taehyung continued, "Why did you get so drunk, Jungkook?" He was still running his fingers through his hair. For some reason, he loved these intimate times when he got to play with his hair and stare into his beautiful eyes.
"Hmm? Why did I get drunk? Well, my stalkers are still out there and it's added stress to my life. Then on top of that, I lost my personal."
Tae's heart melted.
"You're well protected. The stalker will get caught, eventually. And as far as losing your personal, you didn't lose him. You sent him away," he responded while using his thumb to rub his bottom lip. He craved the taste of his lips desperately.
Taehyung swallowed hard.
"I did send you away. But, I thought it was for the best. I figured that Jennie could probably give you what you desire in a real relationship. She doesn't seem like she's fucked up like me." His voice cracked a little bit.
"Well, when you were with me, you were changing your fucked up ways." Tae smiled.
"Yeah, I was." He seemed to be in deep thought. "How will I find another personal to replace you? You're like -irreplaceable. No wait, you're non-replaceable. Fuck, what word am I trying to say?"
Taehyung's heart ached even more, hearing him say 'another personal.' And also now Beyoncé's song "Irreplaceable" was now in his head.
"You must not know bout me.
You must not know bout me.
I can have another you in a minute. Matter fact, he'll be here in a minute, baby."
The lyrics in his brain made his heart not only ache but crack a little.
After they visited his family for New Year's, Taehyung had started to hope that they would spend the rest of their lives together. But somewhere deep down, he low-key knew there was a chance Jungkook would get rid of him. He felt replaceable at the mo. He was dispensable.
"Do you have to find another personal right away, baby? You can't give yourself some time? Time to be alone and heal before jumping into another situationship?" He asked, basically begging.
Did you give yourself time before dating Kim Jennie?
Jungkook wanted to come back and throw Jennie in his face again, but he decided not to. Maybe he was sobering up some more.
"You're still calling me baby?"
"I'm sorry, just a habit." Tae smiled.
"I was told that the reason some men call their partners baby is because they don't want to get their multiple girlfriends' or boyfriends' names mixed up by calling out the wrong name. It's like having three dogs and calling them all 'puppy' instead of giving them their own unique names."
"You're not a dog. And that doesn't sound like me, does it?"
"I don't know."
"Jungkook you're breaking my heart. You do know me." Well, he didn't know everything. But one day he would tell him.
He was still enjoying getting to touch him. He kept running his fingers through his hair and caressing his cheek.
Fuck, he missed him.
"Yeah, you're right. I do know you. That's why I think I'll never find anyone like you."
"I agree. But, why look for a copy, when you could have the real deal?"
Next | A New Friendship