2 years later…
  
  
 
"Welcome." The host, Yoo Jae Suk, welcomed the audience, warmly accepting their cheers and clapping. "Today… Well, today must be the most important day in our show. In today's episode of 'My Fated Lover' we have not only one celebrity, but two celebrities. That's right guys, for the first time ever, this celebrity couple is making their joint talk show debut. Please welcome, Nation's power couple, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook!!!"

The cheers and screams of the crowd was ear splitting, as Taehyung and Jungkook walked through the entrance of the set. They sat on the two seater sofa, surprisingly with adequate space, because they are usually called a 'no-space couple', with how attached to the hips they are at public appearances.

After publicly declaring their long standing relationship, the star couple had been inseparable. They also had been a beacon of hope for others, who had been too scared to come out due to negative public reactions. Of course, the hate thrown at them still continued to some extent but the majority of the public absolutely adored them. Especially when they witnessed, for the first time, just how protective Taehyung is about his fiance. A whisper of negativity towards Jungkook, and Taehyung is all ready to slap those people with lawsuits. He had hired a team of best lawyers and bodyguards in Seoul, just to keep Jungkook out of harm's way. 

They have made many public appearances together in the past two or so years, but this is the first time they are actually participating in a talk show together.

"Welcome!" The host shook both Jungkook's and Taehyung's hands, before letting them sit back on the sofa. "Woah! I still can't believe you guys are here. I must have done a great deal of good in my previous life, to have this kind of fortune."

"Please.." Taehyung said as he chuckled, "You're being ridiculous, hyung. We both love this show. It's our pleasure to be here."

"The pleasure is all mine, Taehyung. But first of all, Jungkook, let me congratulate you on winning 3 Daesangs this year. The first ever solo artist to win three awards in a single year. Congratulations."

"Thank you, hyung. Yes, it was.. unbelievable. I truly owe it to my fans, they worked so hard. I would be nothing without them. I hope I can continue to be an artist they love."

"Of course your fans love you. In fact, they are crazy about you."

"Yeah, they are the best. I love my fans."

"But.." Jae Suk's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Not as much as you love Taehyung right?"

Both Jungkook and Taehyung chuckled, knowing very well that Jae Suk was playfully trying to push them into a corner to get a love declaration.

"Oh hyung, you know it's a different kind of love." Taehyung was the one who answered. "It's not fair to hold competitions between different categories, don't you think?"

"Ever the smooth talker." Jae Suk was nodding his head appreciatively, while the audience roared with laughter. "You're absolutely right, Taehyung."

"When it comes to matters of the heart, I usually am." Taehyung said with wiggling his eyebrows, making Jungkook softly smack him on the arm.

"And you two are nominated for best actor and best new coming actor in The Baeksang Arts Awards this year. How do you feel about that?"

"Well, we are honored, there's no other words to say. Jungkook of course is an excellent actor. In fact, I don't think there's anything he can't do. He has so much potential, I'm very proud of him."

"Tae.." Jungkook shook his head with a soft smile. "Don't mind him, hyung. As you can clearly see, he's very biased."

"I'm not." Taehyung replied immediately. "You're golden, love. And pretty soon, you'll be bagging all the drama and movie awards too."

"Stop it!"

"Ohhh.. that's an interesting thought." Jae Suk hummed. "Say if both of you get nominated for the best actor award. Would there be a competition? Hard feelings?"

"Of course not." Taehyung answered with a laugh. "If he wins, I'll be the happiest."

"And besides, the trophy is gonna be at the same place."

Jae Suk looked a little confused at that. "Same place? What do you mean, Jungkook?"

"Well, our home in Gangnam has a separate room for all the trophies and awards we both have. We call it the trophy room. So if either of us won that award, it's gonna be up there."

"Wow! Guess it's a win for the team after all."

"Exactly!"

"So tell us about your life? What's happening? What's new? We wanna know everything."

Both Taehyung and Jungkook took turns to talk about their current work schedules, what they finished recently and future plans. The conversation was going smoothly, Taehyung and Jungkook talking with the ease of two people who had been together for a long time. The usual signs such as finishing each other's sentences, subtle glances and depth of knowledge about each other managed to completely awa the audience.

Upon the host's prompting, they talked about their relationship, how it started, how it progressed, fun and meaningful moments in their lives. The talk show usually focuses on the celebrity and how their life in the limelight affects the normalcy required by their non-celebrity partner. But with Jungkook and Taehyung, both were in the limelight, and both craved their love to be away from that.

"What you need to understand is that the relationship came first. Fame came later. When Jungkook and I started dating, you know that initial bit where you want to see the other all the time, want their company and assurance, neither one of us was famous. I stood outside Jungkook's auditions, with his favorite banana milkshake. He was there for me to practice the lines for my auditions. We were there for each other through the initial rough patch every artist goes through."

"It made our bond solidify. So when the fame and all other complications that came with it hit us like a storm, we were strong enough to withstand it. We made adjustments to our schedules, made every second spent together count, every stolen moment was even more precious. And little by little, we made it to this place in our lives where things were stable despite any challenge."

"But there must have been moments of doubt, or insecurities, right? How did you two manage those?" Jae Suk asked in a curious voice. "I mean, I know you two are like star crossed lovers but it couldn't have been all sunshine and rainbows all the time?"

Taehyung and Jungkook shared a look between them. Yes, there was a time where they faltered too. A time where they let the insecurities almost win, and ruin the best thing that had happened to them. A time where they almost lost everything. Taehyung reached and gently held Jungkook's hand, intertwining their fingers and softly brushing his thumb over Jungkook's knuckles.

"Well." Taehyung looked up and gave a soft smile to Jae Suk. "We are human too. Yes, there were a few times where things got.. rough for a little while. I like to think it made us stronger, although I wish nothing more than to go back in time and stop it from happening altogether."

Jungkook's sigh was quiet enough to not get picked up by the microphone, and his voice was steady when he spoke. "Not gonna lie, one of those was a shit storm. But the important thing is that we survived it. And we were still together. Thinking back of that time made me really confident, because if that didn't break us, nothing ever will."

"One thing we learned through that is to communicate. Let the other person know whatever it is that we feel. Good, bad, sad, frustrated.. Whatever the emotion, we will tell each other."

"Baby, don't forget horny." Taehyung's attempt to lighten up the mood was successful. Entire studio erupted in laughter while Jungkook chastised the other with a red face.

"What?" Taehyung feigned innocence, while his eyes danced with mischief. "We always communicate that one."

"Okay, okay." Jae Suk raised his hands in a surrendering manner, his eyes tearing up due to laughter. "Let's keep this kid-friendly. I don't want the show to get canceled right after airing my best episode."

"Don't worry, hyung." Jungkook assured him with a smile. "He will behave."

"Thank you, Jungkook. You're the expert in handling him." Jae Suk winked mischievously. "So.. you guys have been engaged for a few years now. How about the future plans on that front?"

Taehyung looked expectantly at Jungkook and the latter gave a small nod, asking him to answer that.

"Well, as you know, marriage is not possible for us in Korea. We could go abroad and get married but we fail to see the point in it. We are Koreans, what purpose would a mere paper serve, if it's not accepted in front of our countryman? And besides, marriage is just a formality. What matters is the promise you make. It should be valid for eternity."

Taehyung lifted Jungkook's hand and showed the ring to the host. "With this ring in his hand, he knows that I'm his and he is mine for this life. That's what matters."

When the audience started to clap, Jungkook felt his heart be filled with pride. He knew Taehyung's love for him was one of a kind, and now the whole world gets to know that too.

"Has your families been supportive of you two? There was a rumor sometime back that you cut off all connections with your parents, because your father didn't agree with your choice of partner."

"Hmmm.. my father doesn't agree with many things, hyung. And I can't change him, nor do I want to change him. We have enough family and friends to support us. Besides, Jungkook is my family."
      
   
   
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When Jungkook got out of the car, the flashes almost blinded him. Only the years and years of experience in the spotlight made him be able to keep the smile intact on his face. But, almost immediately, his vision was obstructed by a smiling face.

"You okay there, baby?"

The voice was barely above a whisper, but since it was spoken directly into Jungkook's ear, he was able to hear it.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Okay, let's go then."

When Jungkook softly held the hand extended toward him, the cameras started to go off in a newly found intensity. Red carpet photos were the same. Taehyung and Jungkook seem to be getting the loudest cheer ever, even though the place was filled with A-list stars.

When Jungkook won the best new actor award, Taehyung quickly pulled him into a kiss. He kept it innocent, as he knew the cameras related to the two big screens would be on them.

Jungkook was stuttering throughout the thank you speech. He thanked his dad, his fans, and everyone else that supported his work. He thanked the director for guiding him to be a better actor. He thanked Min Yoongi too, for taking a chance on him and introducing him to the world of silver screen. And Taehyung, he thanked him for loving him and believing in him.

When Jungkook came down from the stage, Taehyung was ready to welcome him with open arms. They hugged for a few seconds, Taehyung having one of his hands over Jungkook's back and the other over his nape. He could feel Jungkook shaking, but wasn't sure whether it's due to nervousness or excitement.

"Breathe." Taehyung whispered, and could feel Jungkook taking a few unsteady breaths. "You did good. I'm so proud of you."

Jungkook pulled out from the hug, with a soft smile on his face. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

"Of course, baby."

One of the last awards for the event was the best actor, for which Taehyung had been nominated too. He played the character of a mafia boss in the drama and his excellent acting skills had been the talk of the year. Many critics had praised Taehyung, and Jungkook had not really stopped calling him 'mafia daddy' yet. But the competition that year was really tough, with all the actors nominated having roles that were amazing, and it could be anyone's game.

When the winner was announced, Jungkook let out a sigh in relief, before twisting in his chair sideways and hugging Taehyung. "Congratulations, love."

"Thank you, Kookie." Taehyung placed a soft kiss on Jungkook's head, and got up from his chair. The staff and cast of his drama, who were sitting next to him, took turns to offer their congratulations, before letting him go up to the stage to accept his award.

"Hello." Taehyung bowed before speaking into the microphone. "Uhh.. I don't know what to say. Thank you, Director Kang, for offering me this role. My fiance absolutely loved seeing me as a mafia boss."

Taehyung watched as the audience laughed at that joke. He took a few seconds pause, before carrying on with his acceptance speech, remembering and thanking various people who helped him.

"Finally, I wanna thank my fiance. Jungkook, meeting you on that rooftop was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Thank you for being my support, my strength and my happiness throughout these years, love. You played the biggest part in all my successes, and all that I've achieved. Thank you for being my family, Jungkook. I love you."

When Taehyung came down from the stage, Jungkook was there to welcome him with open arms, just as Taehyung had been for Jungkook. Their lives may be under constant spotlight, filled with sparkle and glamor… but when the light dims and glamor dulled down, when after a long day of work as celebrities… They come home to each other.

They will always come home to each other..