(this chapter is *edited* woowww yay me!)

♥║ twenty-nine ║♥

If Jungkook were to dream about what a perfect date would feel like, it would most definitely be a vision of the one he's on now. Any expectations he's had, Taehyung has met. Little things, like pulling out his chair for him, making conversation easy and seemingly neverending, and he even holds Jungkook's hand across the table despite them being in public.

Taehyung is sticking to his word—he really is proving to Jungkook that he wants this.

As of now, while waiting for their food, Taehyung is holding Jungkook's hand palm up, acting like he knows what he's talking about. "See this line here?" he asks, tracing the mark in Jungkook's palm with his fingertip, sending chills down Jungkook's spine. "This is your head line. It means you're smart and brilliant. This one next to it, the life line, it means you're resilient to diseases."

Jungkook rolls his eyes.

Taehyung acts offended. "I mean it, Kookie. I studied Google a full thirty minutes to learn palm reading."

Jungkook shakes his head. "Well, 'resilient to diseases' is a lie," he mutters. He hadn't really meant to say it aloud.

Before Taehyung has time to pity him, the waitress comes with their food. Taehyung sits back in his seat to make room for the plates, but his eyes stay on Jungkook, an odd gleam in them. Jungkook keeps his own gaze averted, focusing on the food being placed in front of him.

Of course he would ruin a perfect date by saying something negative.

The two eat in relative silence, the calm piano music of the restaurant playing overhead. Jungkook takes the time to look around at the rest of the place, couples mostly occupying the space. Girl and boy couples, specifically. The only table that consists of exclusively males is a table with four chairs, all of them in business suits with fancy suitcases.

It's safe to say Jungkook and Taehyung are the only gay "couple" on the premises.

However, Jungkook isn't as bothered by that as he may have been a few months ago. No one in the restaurant seems to care, so why should he? He's on a date with a man equivalent to that of an angel; he's got nothing to be ashamed of.

They split the bill, much to Taehyung's annoyance, but Jungkook let him buy his ticket earlier that day for roller skating. And this place is expensive. He can't expect Taehyung, a boy in high school without a job, to pay for the full thing. Even though Taehyung had one-hundred percent prepared to do so, getting extra money from his dad.

"The date feels disingenuous now," Taehyung mumbles, frowning as the two exit.

"Don't be dramatic," Jungkook laughs. "We're a progressive society, right?"

"You wounded my ego," Taehyung argues. "I was dedicated to paying."

Jungkook lightly slaps his shoulder. "Your ego could use some wounding."

Taehyung grabs Jungkook's hand, threading their fingers together. It still makes Jungkook blush. "You want to, I don't know, go for a walk?"

Jungkook raises his eyebrows. "A walk?"

"Yeah." Taehyung shrugs. "I just... I don't want tonight to end yet."

Pursing his lips, Jungkook hesitates before saying. "You don't want to go home yet, right?"

"That's true, but I honestly don't want to leave you yet, either. We haven't been able to spend time together like I want us to."

Jungkook smiles. "So... where do you want to go?"

"Let's drive to the park. Then we can be really cliche and stargaze."

Chuckling, the younger rolls his eyes but doesn't reject the idea as he climbs into the passenger seat of Taehyung's car. Well, his dad's car. It's still more than what Jungkook has, though. Jungkook still doesn't have his license.

There's a pond at the park, a sidewalk around the width of it that they decide to walk. And they walk holding hands. Laced fingers and all. Jungkook's dreams are finally becoming a reality, and all it took was a single date for Taehyung to act without fears of his brother catching them. They walk and talk about nothing in particular, just random facts about themselves and Taehyung finds stuff specifically to make Jungkook laugh.

Jungkook is too confused with this, though. "So, wait. You have a Christmas wrapping paper fetish?"

Taehyung holds up his free hand. "Now, now, it's not a fetish. I just really love how pretty wrapping paper is and I really love wasting money on it."

"Do you even wrap presents?"

"No, but I have a beautiful collection to choose from if I ever decide to learn."

"I guess I can't judge," Jungkook murmurs. "I sort of have an obsession with fuzzy blankets."

"You're a man of comfort, and I'm a man of visuals."

"You worded that very carefully, didn't you?"

Taehyung smirks. "It definitely wasn't to boost my ego."

"Again, it doesn't need any help."

After walking the full circle, Taehyung spots the swings and gets excited, jogging over to them, thus dragging Jungkook along. The last time the two sat on the swings, the conversation got really deep, really fast. As much as Jungkook loves to hear how complex Taehyung's brain is, he hopes it stays light hearted tonight. He really needs this carefreeness right now.

Considering it's getting late out, there aren't any children in the park, but there's still a fair amount of people. A boy is sleeping in the grass, his arm draped over his face; three girls are walking around the pond in an intense gossip session; a couple is sitting on a bench, speaking softly to each other.

Then there's Jungkook, watching Taehyung swing with the joy of a five year old, betting Jungkook on how high he can go.

"Just don't fall, okay?" Jungkook says, noting cautiously how Taehyung gets higher with each kick of his legs.

Taehyung laughs. "What if I do fall? Do you have a first aid kit handy?"

"Nope. And I don't have a license so I can't drive you to the ER. And I'm broke so I can't call you an ambulance."

"Damn. You'll just have to leave me to die from a possible knee scrape, then."

Jungkook leans against the pole of the swing, staying just out of the swing's path. "You could hurt yourself worse than that."

"How old are you again, Jungkookie? You're starting to sound like my grandma. Come on, loser, swing with me."

Jungkook sighs, walking to the free swing next to him. He doesn't really care for swinging, if he's honest. He's also not as youthful as Taehyung, it'd seem. He sits on the swing, slowly swaying back and forth.

Taehyung plants his heels in the dirt, stopping himself instantly. He looks over at Jungkook with a pout. "You're boring, aren't you?"

"Sorry, I'm not six anymore," Jungkook teases.

"You don't have to be a kid to enjoy a playground, you uncultured swine." Taehyung goes behind Jungkook, pushing him gently. "I will not rest until you've opened up, sir."

Jungkook stops the swing, twisting around in it to face Taehyung. "It's enjoyable enough to watch you be crazy, though."

Taehyung takes a step closer, looking down at Jungkook. "Yeah, but it's not fun to be crazy by myself. You're competitive, aren't you? Do I need to challenge you to who can go across the monkey bars fastest?"

Jungkook grins. "Not much of a challenge when we're tall enough to walk."

Taehyung cups Jungkook's cheeks, squishing them so his lips push together like a fish's. "Come on, Kookie, you've gotta be more creative than that."

Jungkook wiggles his lips in reply, unable to speak properly.

Taehyung laughs, his smile so bright that Jungkook's heart skips a beat. "You look really cute right now. We're just going to stay like this the rest of the night, okay?"

"I can't breathe right," Jungkook manages to get out, though his words were hardly enunciated correctly.

Taehyung leans his face down, still chuckling. "Now you look like the kid you should be acting like."

Jungkook furrows his eyebrows, but can't do much else.

"You look even more kissable," Taehyung muses, his hands loosening on Jungkook's face. He rests his palms on Jungkook's skin loosely instead, his face angling downwards to meet the younger's.

Taehyung's lips are as soft as Jungkook remembers them. His heart is pounding so hard, he hears it in his ears. He sits up straighter to fully lock the kiss, still trying his hardest to not screw it up. He realizes he's gripping the chains of the swing too tightly when his palms begin to ache, so he hesitates only a moment before sliding his arms around Taehyung's waist instead, naturally tugging the elder closer.

Right when the kiss is about to deepen, Taehyung pulls away.

Or rather, he's snatched away.

Jungkook's breath gets stuck in his throat, his blood freezing when he sees Bogum, disgusted and livid.

"What the fuck?" Bogum spits, his expression torn between being pissed and being disturbed.

There's two people behind Bogum, a boy and girl, looking confused and awkward. They must be friends of his.

Bogum shoves Taehyung roughly, causing the younger brother to fall to his butt on the ground. "Are you fucking serious, Taehyung? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Taehyung can't bring his eyes up to Bogum, already struggling to hold back his tears. Jungkook can see how much fear Taehyung truly has of his older brother, his hands shaking, his bottom lip trembling. He truly cannot dare to meet Bogum's gaze.

"So this is the reason you can't marry Aecha? For a fucking dude? I can't believe I covered for your ass."

Jungkook wants so badly to stand up for Taehyung, but he's just as terrified. Confrontation is literally Jungkook's enemy. He already feels a panic attack rising, his stomach in knots.

Taehyung squeezes his eyes shut, like if he pretends Bogum isn't there, he'll disappear.

Not quite.

Bogum yanks Taehyung up by his collar, making the younger choke before adjusting to the grip. "Tell me this is a joke," Bogum says, practically pleads. "Tell me that kid pressured you into it."

Jungkook almost wants Taehyung to agree to it, just so Bogum won't hurt him.

Albeit Taehyung is afraid, he isn't submissive.

"He didn't," Taehyung says, a determination now in his eyes as he stares back at his brother. "I kissed him. Twice now. Because I love him—"

There it was.

The first punch thrown.

A sob wrenches out of Jungkook, his eyes burning from the sight.

"You disgusting fuck," Bogum grumbles, curling his lips in distaste and shame.

"You..." Taehyung struggles for his breath. "You can beat me. Disown me. Even kill me. But it won't change me."

As if Bogum is willing to bet Taehyung on that, he punches him again, this time splitting the skin right under Taehyung's eye. With the third punch, there's blood spewing out of Taehyung's mouth with the force of the hit.

"S-stop," Jungkook croaks, unable to take it. He grabs Bogum's shoulder, the desperation to save Taehyung greater than his anxiety of being hit. "Stop it!"

Bogum pushes Jungkook with one hand, tossing Taehyung aside with the other. Taehyung instantly collapses, hunching over to spit out more blood. Bogum closes in on Jungkook, who's now backed up against the pole of the swingset. The older male grips a fistful of Jungkook's shirt, his eyes enraged.

"You're a sick piece of fucking shit," Bogum snarls at him. "Just like that pathetic whore on the ground."

He looks like he's about to hit Jungkook, too, but then one of his friend's, the girl, hesitantly calls, "B-Bogum, come on. J-just leave them alone now, okay?"

The other boy gets courage from this. "Yeah, man. You made your point. They aren't worth it."

Bogum grinds his teeth together so hard, Jungkook can hear it. He lets go of Jungkook's shirt, but slams the kid into the pole again before he turns away. He spits in front of Taehyung as he's walking off. "I don't ever want to see your fucking face again."

Taehyung is still hunched over, using his elbows to keep him upright, blood still dripping from his bottom lip.

Jungkook's head is killing him from smacking into the pole, but that's the least of his worries. The second Bogum and his friends leave, Jungkook rushes to Taehyung's side, tears running down his cheeks.

"I-I'm so sorry," Jungkook stammers between breaths, crying harder when he gets a look at the damage Bogum really did. He keeps repeating the same three words, unable to produce any other sentences.

"Jungkook, hey, calm down." Taehyung sits up with a grunt, pinching his eyes shut in pain. However, there's no menace in his gaze when he looks at Jungkook again, no blame or accusation. Instead, Taehyung swipes away his tears. "It's not your fault, okay?"

Jungkook doesn't believe that. Not for a second.

He shouldn't have pressured Taehyung into spending more time with him.

He should've understood the severity of the situation.

He shouldn't have been so selfish.

"Do you think..." Taehyung groans, holding onto his side. Bogum must've kicked him when he shoved Jungkook away. "Do you think your mom would pick us up?"

Jungkook is already grabbing his phone, dialing her number.

Taehyung coughs, leaning over to spit blood.

Jungkook can't stand it.

"Hi, honey! How's your—"

"M-Mom, I n-need you to come g-get us," Jungkook stumbles, trying to catch his breath, but his panic attack has worn in now from seeing how hurt Taehyung is.

"Jungkook? Are you crying? Where are you? What happened?"

Taehyung rubs Jungkook's back. "Breathe, Jungkook. Relax."

"T-the park," he manages, trying to calm himself down. "P-please hurry."

"I'm out the door now. Stay right where you are."

Jungkook sets his phone on the ground, clutching his chest with his hand as he hangs his head, remembering all the breathing exercises his therapist taught him. He tries to follow them, but his breathing is so erratic and he's crying so hard that it's impossible.

"Jungkook," Taehyung says, scooting closer so he can tuck Jungkook under his arm. "Calm down, baby. Breathe. Listen to me, all right? In and out."

Jungkook closes his eyes, focusing on Taehyung's warmth, on his breathing. He tries to match it, holding his breath for two seconds, then letting it out. For four seconds, then out. For six seconds, then out. Each time gets a little easier. His tears slow down.

Taehyung takes both of Jungkook's hands into his own, holding them tightly to stop them from shaking. "There you go," he whispers, running his thumbs along Jungkook's knuckles. "Everything is fine."

Everything's not fine, though.

Everything is far from being fine.

Luckily, with how close Jungkook's house is, there are headlights pulling up in the next few minutes. His mom is out of the car so quickly, she forgets to close the car door, or she just doesn't care to. She finds Jungkook curled into Taehyung's side, Taehyung with blood staining the corner of his mouth and trailing from his nose.

"Oh my God," she breathes, crouching in front of them. "What happened?"

Taehyung gives her a bitter smile, his teeth stained red. "My brother happened."