My ship is sailing!
If you haven't seen Taekook in Taiwan
I highly suggest it:):)
Now onto the next chapter - in the words of Jungkook..
"Taekook, Bangtan, Let's get it!"
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"Ah Tae-it vibrates too much...how do you make it...stop?"
"Silly, you have to get used to it. After that, it feels really good."
Drawing out the really, Taehyung peered over at the onyx haired man lazily sprawled out on the black armchair in the center of the room. There was an orange clutched in his right hand.
In the other, there was a whirring tattoo gun, attempting to run out of the older man's hand. Taehyung offered a wistful smile, before making his way over to Jungkook's position, stopping to stand where his head lay, his black hair falling gracefully over his eyes.
Taehyung had the sudden urge to move it out of his way.
Redirecting his hands from where they had previously been inching, Taehyung gingerly laid his own, smaller hand, over the vibrating gun still wrapped in Jungkook's fist, his knuckles white from forcibly gripping the needle.
The overhead light having been long turned off in the small back room, the only source of visibility was a table-side lamp, Taehyung used when he worked on his sketches deep into the night. Said lamp, illuminated Taehyung's face in a serene glow as Jungkook gazed up at Taehyung hovering over him, the scowl his features had once held melting off his face as he bore into the chocolate brown eyes of the blonde. The angles of his face were shadowed by the dim light and his cheek bones appeared brighter than the rest of his face, the light receding from there, dulling as it curved around his cheeks and down the bend of his neck, giving Taehyung an angular yet soft appearance.
"Loosen your grip some." Taehyung's voice was patient, soft, as he edged his fingers under Jungkook's, loosening his grasp on the machine, and adjusting them to curl loosely around the base of the gun. He returned his hand to its previous position afterward, satisfied that Jungkook's finger felt to be placed correctly. Taehyung nudged Jungkook over on the armchair. He sat up immediately, eyes still following the blonde's every movement, captivated. Taehyung took a tentative seat next to him, scooting closer for better access.
Hip to hip the two sat as Taehyung reached over to pluck the discarded orange from the side table and placing it back in Jungkook's lone, open palm. He poised Jungkook's needle laden hand over the fruit, tightening his own grip on Jungkook's fingers.
"Now. Draw." Taehyung whispered silverly, his breath fanning across Jungkook's ear sending a single shiver down his spine.
Fluidly, Jungkook, with Taehyung's guidance, drew a simple design onto the fruit, the orange surface being instantly tinted with black, as the ink dripped from the gun and engraved itself into the fragile peel. Taehyung loosened his hand, giving Jungkook a reassuring smile before slipping it off the gun entirely, leaving Jungkook on his own.
Just like learning to ride a bike-let go of the seat and let them go on their own.
Jungkook's hand trembled slightly under his concentration and Taehyung slid closer, pressing himself into Jungkook's side, their hips clashing and knees touching. A comforting presence for both. When Jungkook's lines became shaky Taehyung whispered again, so as not to break Jungkook's focus.
"You're tense. You can't be tense, the lines won't come out clean. Relax. Let your instincts take over and guide you."
Jungkook released a breath and let his tense shoulders fall in the slightest, soothed by Taehyung's warmth and confident words. He focused harder, his head hunching to bend over the petite fruit, breaking only a moment to blow the fringe cascading down his forehead out of his eyes. Taehyung watched over him, smiling warmly, as his heart swelled observing Jungkook taking so quickly to the trade.
He was a quick learner.
The hum of the tattoo gun was the only sound resonating around the room, bouncing off the walls and surrounding the two men who were both lost to their own thoughts and concentrations. After a time, Jungkook lifted his head from its bent position, rolling his shoulders back, and sighing in content when they popped releasing more tension. Taehyung, who had stayed rooted in place during the entire process peered around Jungkook to get a look at what he had drawn.
A star and a moon.
Not unlike his own, but there was enough separating them so that they weren't identical. Puzzled, Taehyung bunched his eyebrows together, turning to face Jungkook, who was already studying him, trying to gauge his reaction.
"You drew a star and a moon?"
"Yes." There was a hint of mischief playing in his voice, one that Taehyung might have noticed had he not been so intent on Jungkook's reasoning for the (almost)duplicate tattoo.
"Why?"
"Couldn't get you out of my head." A playful wink and Taehyung tinted pink, turning his attention away from the chuckling raven head to study the design more closely.
He had to admit, it was amazing, especially for Jungkook's first time with a tattoo. There were no flowers on the inside of the star, like Taehyung's, instead there were simpler swirls and zigs and zags, that blended together to create a contrast to Taehyung's own star and moon yet they matched all the same. They were complete opposites, but they looked well together when Taehyung placed his forearm next to the design to compare.
"It's not the best I've ever done, but I think it turned out pretty well. Thanks to your guidance, of course." A lopsided grin and Taehyung smiled sheepishly.
"I'm impressed, Yoongi-hyung needed training for a solid month before Namjoon let him anywhere near customers, but I'd say you're about ready to graduate. You just need to take the final exam." Taehyung spoke, matching Jungkook's playful tone from earlier, feeling the comfortable atmosphere settle over them like a cascading sheet of snow.
"And what might that be?"
"Mmm, well maybe a couple more oranges wouldn't hurt. Practice 5 more times before we get to that?"
"I would, but there's only 3 oranges left. We could use those melons over there." Jungkook pointed a long slender finger to the small mini fridge in the far corner, where two, Honey-dew Melons rested on top. Taehyung smacked his hand.
"Then I guess you're practicing 3 more times. Don't you dare touch my melons."
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"Damn you, Jungkook." Yoongi grumbled to himself as he crumpled the hand-written note, tossing it into the floor in a huff of exasperation.
Counter duty. Great.
Not to get him wrong, Yoongi had no problem with working the counter. He had a problem with the timid customers who hovered outside the shop, wondering if they were making a mistake getting a tattoo, then gaping and staring at Yoongi like a deer caught in headlights when they caught him watching from the inside. He was not cut out for that, his hard-shell didn't crack easily and he offered kindness leniently. Civility for the customers, but not necessarily kindness.
He milled about the front for about an hour, cursing Jungkook each time he yawned and couldn't retreat to his room and nap. It was during a lull in customers, when Yoongi was cradling his head in his palm, thinking about dozing off in the down flow, when he caught the flash of brightly died hair outside the window. Gazing up uninterestedly, his eyes found that of a small boy, pacing on the side walk, stopping occasionally to shoot a glance inside the shop. Yoongi rolled his eyes; it was one of those customers. He followed the boy's movements willing him to look up, his signature bored expression gracing his features, waiting, knowing this one would most likely scamper off like the majority of the other deers to join his pack. Minutes paced and the boy still hadn't ceased his antics. Growing more bored with the whole occurrence, Yoongi returned his gaze to the smooth glass screen of his phone idly scrolling through his feed and keeping an eye on the pacing boy, silently intrigued.
The boy stopped not a moment longer, placing a timid hand on the door handle of the shop, and taking a deep breath. Yoongi raised an eyebrow. He was braver than the others. The door above the shop rang as the boy pushed it open with a light shove. Tensing the minute his foot crossed the threshold, the boy inclined his head sideways
Locking eyes with Yoongi.
Yoongi smirked, eyeing the small boy up and down.
Short, shorter than Yoongi. Skinnier too, but he had full, muscular legs, that were outlined perfectly in the black leather pants he adorned. He'd paired the pants with a black and white striped collared shirt and black bomber jacket that fit his form nicely, highlighting his collarbones, making them more visible. He wore it confidently. His jawline was sharp, much like the rest of his features, and he had a petite nose, tinted pink from the nip of outside air. On top of his head lay a mass of cotton pink fluff, styled and swooped, all melding together to create a radiance of beauty and innocence. A deer, no doubt.
But a cute deer.
The boy blinked, registering the presence of Yoongi and his trailing eye giving him a once over as well. Old yellow teeshirt, that was too loose for him now, a leather jacket pinned with different lapels, cuffed jeans, and a mop of mint green hair that shone brightly against the pale hue of his skin.
Yoongi cleared his throat.
"Hey cotton ball-are you going to keep standing there with your mouth open or come in?" Maybe a tad harsh for a customer, but Yoongi found his tongue in a jumble in the male's accompaniment. Harsh was the only thing he could manage. The boy blushed at the nickname but took small steps towards the counter, glancing at the artwork littering the walls. He drew his eyes over Yoongi's tattoos as well.
"I'm looking for Jeon Jungkook." The boy mused, not at all deterred by Yoongi's tone. His voice was high pitched but quite soothing, it had a soft undertone that played well in Yoongi's ears.
Ignoring the boy, Yoongi took another once over.
"Say, what's a little cotton head like you doing in a place like this?"
"Isn't it obvious. This is a tattoo parlor, isn't it. And you didn't answer my question from earlier."
He was a feisty, cute deer.
"Jungkook's busy, sorry, you'll have to collect your boyfriend at another time. And tattoo, really? You sure you can handle that, cotton ball?"
The pink-haired man puffed out his cheeks in annoyance, rolling his eyes for good measure.
"Jungkook and I are roommates, asshat. I've been wanting a tattoo for a while and he recommended I stop here. Although, I'm not sure the customer service is up to par." The phrase, meant to be a jab, but Yoongi found it more amusing than anything.
"Meh. Not my typical station. I get paid to give tattoos, not undulated kindness, kid." A bored tone took over now as the other males cheeks burned in agitation. Yoongi decided he liked it.
"Park Jimin. And I'm not a kid, I'm 21."
"Min Yoongi. Really, 21? I would have guessed more around 16, but maybe its that hair color of yours." Yoongi chuckled as Jimin's cheeks burned an even darker shade of red. The color looked excellent on the petite boy, but Yoongi would never tell him that.
"Whatever. Can I get a tattoo or not?"
"Well, I guess that depends."
"On what?" Jimin was skeptical, Yoongi could feel it dripping off each word. He stepped around the counter, pulling himself up straighter to appear taller next to the pink haired man.
"Everyone else is busy, cotton ball-" His face was right by his ear now, a silent challenge hanging in the air. Take a step back, you know you want to. I intimidate you. Jimin held his ground defiantly.
"-Can you handle getting a tattoo done by an asshat like me?"
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"Taehyung?"
"Hmm?"
The two had long finished Jungkook's training for the day, falling aimlessly sleepy in the dim room, coming to the agreement that they could work on tattooing on a person tomorrow. Now, they were sprawled across the room, one on the arm chair, and the other on the tiny loveseat couch against the wall by the door, both staring to the ceiling enjoying the comfortable silence until Jungkook's gentle voice broke it.
"How come you slept in the parlor last night? Why not sleep in your own home?"
Any comfort Taehyung had felt scampered out the door faster than he could take a sharp intake of breathe, the air stilling around him, as he flicked his gaze to Jungkook's figure, stretched out and elongated on the armchair, one arm behind his head, cushioning it while the other played with a rip in the seam of the chair.
Dark eyes met light brown ones as Jungkook too directed his attention to Taehyung at his lack of response. Through the darkened light, Jungkook tried to make out what Taehyung was thinking through those eyes of his. Discomfort was the most prominent, followed by nervousness, and lastly, a hint of fear? Had he seen right? It was an innocent question, one made out of curiosity, with no intent to draw the warmth out of the room as it had. Taehyung sat up pulling his knees to his chest in the process picking at a loose thread, adverting his gaze shamefully. Jungkook, thinking that he had touched on too sensitive of a topic, opened his mouth to tell Taehyung to forget it and that it wasn't important when his soft, quiet voice rang out in the darkness.
"I feel more at home here. More at peace." He answered simply, still not meeting Jungkook's eyes. It wasn't the full reason, that much was obvious, but choosing that it was for the best, Jungkook left the newly generated question hanging, instead choosing to ignore it.
Why does home not feel like home?
That's what he wanted to ask, desperate to peel back any layer Taehyung was hiding behind, but that would have to wait. Wait until a point Jungkook held the blonde's trust. A point he was determined to get to.
Instead he asked-
"How many tattoos do you have?"
The comfortable atmosphere returned as quickly as it left as a smile grew on Taehyung's face, any lingering fear or anxiety being diminished by his passion and love for art.
"Eight. It's not a lot, but I've very meticulous about which ones I give. The collection grows every day." Although Taehyung's voice was pre-dominantly happy chirp to it there was also a somber undertone to it, which only proved to expand Jungkook's growing archive of questions he wished he could ask the blonde.
"How many do you have?" He questioned.
"Too many to count." Jungkook replied lightly.
"Tell about them. Tell me about the great Jeon Jungkook."
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Yoonmin has made their entrance and Taekook is chugging right along:)
I really liked this chapter, especially the banter between Yoongi and Jimin, which was actually not where I originally planned to go with this but I like it sooo...
I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been studying for exams and my whole class is on edge and stressed and its all kinda bubbling over, you know? Thank you for 4.5k, we're moving right along and the support I've received on this book already is incredible - I love you all so much!!!
Please remember to take care of yourselves in this time. I know I am not the only one with exams right now or the only one stressing so lets all take a deep breath, gather our thoughts, and relax. There isn't anything you can't do in this world wether you or anybody else thinks different, you can do it, and I believe that you will. You are strong, beautiful, brave, and independent and you have the power to accomplish anything you set your mind to! Fighting!
The adoration in Jk's eyes makes my heart skip beats and uwus to be burst everywhere
Alright, so I came across this picture, basically lost my mind, and than burst some more uwus -ahhhhhhhh
________________________________________________________________________________Next chapter will be out soon!
I purple you!
-Megan<3