D-4 (also known as Jaegukkie x Taehyungie xoxo 4eva day)
Taehyung knew Jaegguk would be excited, but not this excited. After a very quiet drive from their campsite back home, Jeongguk did not say anything, he looked exhausted and drained, at one point he looked like he was gonna shut his eyes and fall asleep immediately. Taehyung did not ask what happened, because Jeongguk was not in his usual cheerful mood, so Taehyung did not bother. Their morning had not been awkward, because Jeongguk was too sleepy to be awkward. His alarm woke them up at 8, and they dragged their tired bodies and a half-folded tent back to the car. If Jeongguk had been less sleepy, he probably would have blushed like a tomato and stare at Taehyung's lips for far too long, so, in some way, he was actually grateful he did not get much sleep last night due to overthinking.
When they arrived at the Jeon residence, they saw a tiny kid on the doorsteps, hugging himself in a thick winter coat, with Mrs Jeon's head poking out from the door. Jaegguk noticed his brother's car and immediately ran towards it, ignoring Mrs Jeon's words.
"Hyung! Hyung! Taetae hyung! Let's go play! Come on!" Before he knew it, Jaegguk was already pulling him out of the car, with a very annoyed Jeongguk trailing behind them.
"Jeon Jaegguk I swear to God I will fucking kill you if you broke the door handle." Jaegguk did not listen to him, skipping along Taehyung excitedly to the house, and urged the older boy to take a bath.
"Come on! Mom said we can leave immediately after your shower!" Jaegguk was jumping up and down, tugging Taehyung's sleeve persistently.
Mrs Jeon sighed deeply, "He woke up at six and started packing his bags, told him Taehyung-ah would not come back so early, but he insists to wait at the door." Mrs Jeon shakes her head and sighs, clearly frustrated with her son's behavior.
After a quick shower (Jaegguk was yelling outside the bathroom door, trying to make Taehyung shower faster), Taehyung was dragged out of the house without a chance to talk to Jeongguk. Jaegguk shoved a Thomas the Train backpack to him (it initially belonged to Jeongguk). They were wearing matching denim overalls because Jaegguk insisted that they should look like brothers, thus he took Jeongguk's matching overalls with Jaegguk and they looked like two minions. They boarded a bus and sat at the back, Taehyung has never seen Jaegguk so happy. His smile resembles his other brother's, minus the bunny teeth.
"What's got you so excited, Jae? Where are we going?"
Jaegguk grabbed his hand and fling it really hard. "You'll know soon! Sometimes I go there after school with my friends, hyung brought me there a year ago, but he's no fun to play with, he wins everything! I think you will enjoy it!"
Taehyung ruffled Jaegguk's hair. He has always wanted a younger brother. Jaegguk was cute and bright, sometimes clingy and so so so adorable. "That sounds super fun, Jae, thank you for planning this,"
Jaegguk beamed before pulling Taehyung into a tight hug. "Of course! I would do anything for Taetae hyungie! I broke my piggy bank and took out all my pocket money, I will treat you to ice cream and dessert!" Taehyung gasped loudly. He knew how much Jaegguk treasured his pocket money. He once saw Jeongguk bribing Jaegguk into doing his chores for two bucks. He also heard Jaegguk sneaking into Jeongguk's room one night, asking his hyung what he should buy for his crush for Valentines Day. It was super cute, Jeongguk mocking his little brother at first, but then Jaegguk whined a bit, and Jeongguk just patted the space next to him on his bed, and cuddled with Jaegguk, giving him actually useful advice. Taehyung remembers Jeongguk mentioning necklaces, flowers, and chocolates. Jaegguk had told his brother that he could not afford flowers, and he wasn't sure if he could buy chocolates that taste good with the money he saved up since he bought a new tennis racket last month. Taehyung almost cooed out loud at Jaegguk, because that little boy is just too adorable. Not that Taehyung was spying on the brothers, he was just going to get a late-night snack. After he got his snack, he slipped into Jaegguk's room and put in the few coins Mrs Jeon gave him into Jae's piggy bank.
Long story short, Jaegguk should be saving up for chocolates, it was the end of January, and Taehyung doubted that in two week's time Jaegguk could save up much. "No! You shouldn't spend it on me! Hyung will treat you! You should save them up for the chocolates!" Jaegguk was about to protest, only to stop mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open and he was blushing like a tomato. It's funny how the two brothers are so alike in so many ways. Jaegguk bit his lower lip, looking like a timid kitty cat.
"Did hyung tell you that? I told him not to tell anyone..." Jaegguk's eyes turned glassy, as he looked at his hands on his lap, refusing to meet Taehyung's gaze.
"No! Your hyung told me nothing! I just heard you guys talking about it when I was getting a snack, I'm sorry I eavesdropped, I didn't know you'd be upset if I knew, I'll forget it now! Poof!" Taehyung waved his hands in the air, "Wow! Jaeggukkie is getting me ice cream and dessert! I am so excited!" said Taehyung animatedly, with a few dramatic sighs and happy claps that he learned from watching television with Mrs Jeon.
A wide smile spread through Jaegguk's face, as he tickles Taehyung's tummy, "Hyungie! Just don't make fun of me, I don't mind you know." And at that moment, Taehyung knows that he is going to miss Jaegguk more than he thought.
♆
Jaegguk brought him to an arcade. Jeongguk had told him about arcades and how it was his favourite place to go with his hyungs, Taehyung was told that he won't like it there. The point was proven to be correct because it was super noisy and his ears were ringing. Jaegguk gave him his headphones and led him deep into the arcade. They first played air hockey, in which Jaegguk excelled at, and Taehyung lost terribly. But he had fun. So much fun.
Then they played the basketball machine: Jaegguk was not tall enough to play, so Taehyung helped him. Together they achieved a new high score, in which Jaegguk snapped a picture of it and sent it to his hyung, bragging that he was better than the older boy. They also bowled a bit and played the driving stimulation. Both of them did so badly: the balls went to the ditch, all the clubs were missed, their cars crashed into a tree, yet it still made them so happy as if they won the World Cup. Taehyung could imagine Jeongguk rolling his eyes seeing how badly both of them play.
They had ice cream afterwards, and they tasted each and every flavour before getting a cone, which would have been impossible because they would definitely have been kicked out, but luckily the cashier was a highschool girl who blushed every time Taehyung asked for a new flavour.
After their ice cream session, Jaegguk took them to a dog cafe. Taehyung was beyond thrilled to be there, surrounded by those adorable puppies. They were a weird combination, as most customers in the cafe were either couples or close friends, while Taehyung looked like a hipster who brought his younger brother to the cafe instead of the other way around. The owner seemed to have taken a liking towards the young boy, as she saved him the best seat in the cafe.
"I called last night to make a reservation here! I've been here a few times with hyung, it's always fun to see the puppies here. But now that we have Tannie, I guess we don't have to come here so often." Taehyung nodded along but he was actually daydreaming of coming here with Jeongguk instead. He saw the table of a couple near them, the boyfriend feeding the girl a spoonful of cake. He felt bad about it, but he couldn't help but wonder how it would feel if Jeongguk had been the one to take him here. He felt really bad because Jaegguk planned this for him, he put so much effort into it because he wants to spend time with Taehyung, yet all he could think about is his older brother.
"Taetae hyung? Are you okay? You look a bit pale, are you sick?" Jaegguk's words snapped Taehyung out of his daydream, as the young boy in front of him looked at him with those big sparkly eyes that resembled his older brother's.
"Y-yeah, just felt a bit hot in here. I'll go get a drink, do you want a cup of hot chocolate?" Taehyung's desperate attempt to change the topic made Jaegguk frown. But the younger either did not pick up on it or he chose not to comment on it, in which Taehyung was grateful for. Taehyung got a cup of hot chocolate for Jaegguk, and an iced one for himself.
"Wow, hyung, don't you get cold drinking iced drinks in winter?"
Taehyung smiled and answered, "I don't get cold easily, guess it's part of my genes. But we do not like the heat. I'm glad I came up here in Winter because if it was Summer, I might have to stay indoors at all times!"
"Oh... then I guess global warming is taking a toll on your people?" Taehyung was speechless for a moment, because he did not expect he would ever have this conversation with someone who is not Jeongguk.
"Um... yeah! Do they teach you this in school?" Jaegguk nodded quickly, "Hotter seawater means more algae, so there's more food for some animals, but the cycle is messed up, you know? Our bodies are not adapted to warmer waters, that's why a lot of the clans had to move to the deeper part of the ocean, because the surface just gets too hot, and also, the frequency of hunters and fisherman kinda forces us to move... oh my- I'm sorry Jae, I am rambling, this must be boring for you-"
"Hyung no!" Jaegguk put down his mug of chocolate, "This is really interesting! I always hear people talking about these, especially Seokjin hyung's father with my dad, or Namjoon hyung with my hyung, but they never include me in their conversations because I'm not a grown-up. But I've always wanted to follow in my hyung's footsteps! I've never told him before because I'm scared he would laugh at me, but after meeting you, I have made up my mind! I will study harder and try to get into SNU just like my hyung! Maybe I'll get an internship in Joon hyung's lab too!" The look of pure joy and excitement on Jaegguk's face warms Taehyung's heart.
"Hey Jae! I remember your hyung once mentioned that there is a new book about mermaids. But I forgot the author's name, but I think Guk does not like him, can you get that book for me?"
"Oh! Hank! Yeah, hyung hates him because he bullied hyung back in university. I know what book that is, let's go to the bookstore!"
After they finished their drink, the two of them went to a nearby bookshop. It was not hard to find Hank's new publish because it was the best seller and was put right in the middle of the room. Taehyung purchased the book and read the first page. Mermaid Mysteries-- by world's leading marine biologist Hank Dickson. Taehyung knew what he had to do that night.
D-3
Taehyung went out with Mrs Jeon in the morning before Jae or Jeongguk woke up. Mrs Jeon first took Taehyung for a nice morning stroll in the park nearby, then took Taehyung to the shopping mall and told Taehyung to buy whatever he had his eyes on, as a gift or souvenir so he would remember his stay on land. Taehyung could not say no because Mrs Jeon was a very persistent and stubborn woman, and she can also be very persuasive.
They first entered the toy shop that Taehyung went to a few weeks ago, where he almost got punched by the scary cashier for not being able to afford the Iron Man figure. The toy shop was bigger than he remembers, there were different sections other than the figurine one. A small pink rabbit plushie caught Taehyung's eye, it was quite small, just a little bit bigger than his palm. It reminded Taehyung of Jeongguk.
"Mrs Jeon! Do you think Jeonggukkie would like this?" Mrs Jeon peaked over Taehyung's shoulder and saw the little rabbit. She knows Jeongguk hated being called a bunny. After he turned 12, he always smacked people if they told him he looked like a rabbit. Only Seokjin could get away with calling Jeongguk a bunny boy because he holds too much blackmail material of her son. But she also knows her son is whipped for Taehyung. "Honey, Jeongguk would like anything you get him, don't stress about that."
In the end, Taehyung got the small bunny plushie for Jeongguk, and a small dolphin plushie keyring for Jaegguk. They went to a vintage accessories store after that, where Taehyung was lost in all space and time because he had never seen such unique accessories in his life. The materials mer use are indeed far more precious and beautiful, but according to Mrs Jeon, humans have machines that can help them make intricate patterns that are impossible to make with a simple carving knife.
Taehyung has always been a big accessories fan, so he bought a few bracelets and earrings, some friendship bracelets for Jimin and Yoongi, suggested by Mrs Jeon. Taehyung saw an array of rings by the cashier counter. He asked Mrs Jeon if these have any significant meaning to them because they are quite expensive.
"Well, when humans get married, we wear a ring on our fourth finger. It symbolizes marriage." Mrs Jeon paused and subtly checked if Taehyung's expression had any change, "But, you can also buy rings for your friends. But for your reference, Jeongguk is not a big fan of rings, he likes earrings more. But if you decide to get him a ring, I'm sure he'd wear it every day."
"Oh, I see..." Taehyung's brain had yet to comprehend what Mrs Jeon just said, as he nodded along and picked a ring, "w-wait, what? I-I never said I was gonna- Mrs Jeon! No!" Taehyung immediately put the ring down and pulled Mrs Jeon out of the store. He was blushing extremely hard, he could feel his face and neck heat up. Mrs Jeon was laughing beside him, amused by Taehyung's reaction.
"Dear, it was just a wild guess, but I'm guessing I was right?" Mrs Jeon continued to tease him, and Taehyung really wanted to dig a hole and hide in there forever. "There's nothing wrong with that, dear, don't be embarrassed."
"Can we just go to another store and forget about this?" Taehyung whined, tugging Mrs Jeon's hand. She only laughed and led Taehyung to a restaurant where they got their lunch.
After lunch, they visited a few more shops. Mrs Jeon bought a few clothes for herself in a boutique, Taehyung bought a dream catcher for Hoseok and a pair of wine glasses for Namjoon and Seokjin. They were walking side by side when they saw a boy about his age holding his mother's hand. Taehyung saw a few school girls beside him snicker at the mother and son, and he found it really strange.
"Mrs Jeon, why are they laughing? What's funny about holding your mom's hand?"
"Ah, Taehyung-ah, as our kids grow up, a lot of them don't like showing affection in public anymore. Especially boys. Jeongguk would never let me hold his hand in public. He might throw an arm around my shoulder, but never hand in hand. Jaegguk does not like it if I kiss him goodbye when I drop him off at school. I guess they find it embarrassing. But I'm okay with it-"
"I don't think that's something to be embarrassed about," Taehyung held Mrs Jeon's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I'd gladly hold your hand, Mrs Jeon."
Mrs Jeon's face was masked with shock at first, but then it quickly morphed into a grateful smile. "Taehyung-ah, you truly are a lovely young man. Your parents raised you well, you are the perfect son." Her words ring like a warning sign in Taehyung's head. He thinks back to his talk with Jeongguk last night under the starlight, how he must put his country and his people's safety before his heart's desire. How Jeongguk asked him to be selfish for once, how his heart begged him to follow his direction.
"I'm really not... I- I am not a good son either," what kind of perfect son would he be if he thought about abandoning everything and living ashore? "I am just a spoiled brat, Jeongguk is a way better son than I ever will be." But Taehyung did not come out here today for a pity party, so he faked a smile and changed the topic, "um... I was actually wondering if you could take me to a jewellery shop? I want to check out some designs."
There was no way Mrs Jeon did not catch Taehyung's mood change, but she chose to play along. " Are you going to buy one for Jeongguk?" She asked cheekily, playfully nudging Taehyung's ribs.
"N-no! It'd be weird to spend your money buying a gift for him, I'm just going to check out the designs, and teach the designers when I go back." Taehyung shrugged nonchalantly, hoping his act will convince Mrs Jeon that he was totally not trying to memorize the pattern and try to make one for her son.
D-2
If Taehyung was being honest, he was a bit nervous about spending a whole day with Mr Jeon alone. He knows Mr Jeon has been nothing but super kind to him, but there's a part of him that fears the whole thing would be awkward. Jeongguk's father is not a man of many words. He's kind and loving, but he doesn't talk much. Taehyung thinks Jeongguk got this trait from his father. In some ways the father and son are really similar: they are a bit reserved and quiet, but can also be loud and open if you get along well. Mr Jeon always gives him a polite nod when they see each other in the house, he would say good morning and good night to Taehyung every night, he would ask how his sons day were, but he never asked Taehyung. Usually, Mrs Jeon is the one who asks if Taehyung had fun that day, or what did he try, if anything grabbed his attention etc. Mr Jeon always listens tentatively, giving Taehyung some life hacks here or there. Taehyung does not recall engaging in a conversation with Mr Jeon for more than five minutes, and even if he did, it would be about the weather, or the food he had, all sorts of trivial things.
It was no surprise that Mr Jeon did not wake him up eight in the morning or sat in front of his door waiting for him (unlike Mrs Jeon and Jeon Jaegguk), he was less enthusiastic, and he told Taehyung their plan for the day after Jaegguk had left for school and Jeongguk was finally awake.
They were sitting around the table, sleepily munching cornflakes, when Mr Jeon suddenly asked, "Taehyung-ah, would you like to go fishing with me today?"
Jeongguk spluttered out the milk in his mouth, and he looked hilarious. "Dad?! Isn't that a bit rude? You're fishing his friends!"
Mr Jeon looked genuinely surprised, "Well, he eats fish as well, does that mean he is eating his friends?"
"No-"
"Um. Guys, I'm actually cool with it. It's part of the natural food chain, I won't intervene." Jeongguk looked sceptical, but he nodded at last. Mr Jeon and Taehyung left soon afterwards, just a nice short drive to one of the piers near their house. The weather was pretty good, a bit chilly in the morning but nothing Taehyung couldn't handle.
They settled down pretty quick, Taehyung promising that he won't tell the fish to swim away in case one bites the bait. They made small talks when they were preparing the fishing rod, about the weather, the sea, even the stray dog near them. It was not as awkward as Taehyung imagined it would be, because when they settled down and started swinging the fishing rods to the sea, Mr Jeon asked him about his family. Taehyung told him things that Jaegguk and Jeongguk already know, like his best friend, his grandparents, his parents, his fish friends under the sea etc. Then Mr Jeon asked his opinion on their family. Taehyung was delighted to talk about them because the Jeons truly are a delight to stay with, all of them so welcoming and nice, it made Taehyung feel at home. Mr Jeon asked if Taehyung found Jaegguk to be a little bit too much sometimes, but Taehyung just shook his head.
"Jaegguk is a ray of sunshine, he is so bright and smart, I love hanging out with him," he began talking about their adventures on the Jaegukkie x Taehyungie xoxo 4eva day, and Mr Jeon was smiling like a proud parent. "That sounds like a typical Jaegguk." He also shared some embarrassing stories about Jaegguk, which made Taehyung laugh so hard he lost his grip on the fishing rod and it slipped into the sea. Taehyung was scared shitless, he glanced around to check if there was anyone around, luckily only him and Mr Jeon was there, so he used his powers to retreive the rod from the water.
"That was a close one. I will never let go of that again. I think my heart jumped out of my chest!" Mr Jeon laughed at Taehyung like nothing happened, as their topic moved on to Mrs Jeon. Mr Jeon told Taehyung their love story, and Taehyung envied them so much. Apparently, Mrs Jeon was the one who made the move, and Mr Jeon was the shyer one. The resemblance between Jeongguk and his father was just uncanny, they even share the same catchphrases and expressions. Mr Jeon talked about how Mrs Jeon almost lost her mind when Jeongguk tried to dig a well in their backyard when he was seven, and how Jeongguk made his mom a big ass carnation for Mother's Day only to have her using it to sweep the floor two days later. They continued sharing stories even when they were munching on their homemade sandwich lunch.
"What about Jeongguk then? What do you think of him?"
Taehyung could not say he did not see this coming. But what was he supposed to tell his father? That he is in love with his son? That he wants his blessing? "Um... Jeongguk is a brilliant young man. He is hard-working and diligent, I think he excels in every field. He has been very nice and kind to me ever since I arrived. I can never thank him enough."
He waited for a response, but none came. Mr Jeon was staring at the sea, eyes unblinking. After an agonizingly long minute, he finally opened his mouth.
"You know, Jeongguk never told us he was gay." Taehyung almost dropped his sandwich. He felt goosebumps all over his arms and it was as if the air temperature dropped to a negative. He can't say he was ready for the storm that was coming, and he cannot read Mr Jeon's passive expression. "But I've always assumed he was. I mean, he does not really show interest in girls. I'm sure you know that a homosexual relationship is not widely accepted in humans, someone might have told you that already." Taehyung gulped, 1) he didn't know Jeongguk was gay, he never told him; 2) was Mr Jeon about to throw him to the sea? He sounded pissed.
"If I'm being completely honest, I would love to see Jeongguk have his own kids one day. I would love to be a grandfather." Mr Jeon's voice was calm and collected, but Taehyung could still feel his heartbeat getting faster and faster, and the world around him seems to be spinning. He was almost hyperventilating when Mr Jeon continued his speech.
"But I don't mind if he or she is adopted. They would still be my grandchildren. My son can love whoever he wants, and as his father, I will learn to love his other half as well. I just want him to be happy. Guk has a sensitive soul, and he loves with his whole heart." Mr Jeon was looking at Taehyung with a gentle gaze, as he cupped Taehyung's hand with his. Taehyung could feel his callous hand over his, warm and tender. "Please love him, Taehyung-ah."
Taehyung could feel a lump in his throat, his emotions threatening to spill out, "No- we-"
"Son, I know young love when I see one. I don't know what stage you and Jeongguk are in right now, if you guys are scared of the opposition from me and my wife, then you can rest assured it will never happen. I- Guk has never brought anyone home. I know your case is a bit special," Mr Jeon chuckled lightly, " but I guess it still counts because I can see how infatuated he is with you. I know you're a prince, Taehyung-ah, and there is probably a line of royal suitors waiting for you. But to me and Sooyoung, Jeongguk-ah is our prince. I guess I'm just asking you to not break his heart. I hope that's not too much to ask for."
Taehyung could no longer hold back his tears, as pearls started streaming down his cheeks, Mr Jeon put his fishing rod down and pulled Taehyung in a warm hug. Taehyung cried out all the tears of frustration and heartache he had over the past month, over the unrequited love, over the fact that he and Jeongguk could never be together, over the possibility that Jeongguk is not interested in him. Then and there, Taehyung laid out all his worries, and Mr Jeon listened through each and every one of them, patting his back or ruffling his hair as support. Though talking cannot change a thing, Taehyung was glad he had Mr Jeon's support and words of wisdom. He told Mr Jeon the stuff he told Jeongguk when they went stargazing a few days ago, he told him about his crush with Jeongguk, he didn't even understand why he felt the need to tell his crush's father, but he did. They had a nice bonding moment by the sea, one that Taehyung never expected, but actually needed.
Mr Jeon drove them home in the late afternoon after Taehyung collected himself and stopped crying. Jeongguk was not home yet from his gym session. Taehyung opened his bedroom door, glanced at it one last time. Tonight would be the last night he sleeps here. He unpacked the bags from yesterday's shopping spree with Mrs Jeon, and started sorting out all the gifts for everyone. He picked up a notebook and started writing.
Dear Jeonggukkie♡♡♡,
By the time you're reading this, I will be gone.