Baskin Robbins came to his neighborhood like a boon. And so did Mr. Creepy.

Before you say "says the creep", its a term of endearment, alright? Or it just stuck because Jimin wouldn't stop calling him that.

"Thank you, have a nice day" The male gave Taehyung's ice cream bucket a curious eye before taking the seat right before him.

Mr. Creepy is also a guy like him, but has a prettier smile, might be older, and comes to Baskin Robbins to eat mississippi mud and eye fuck Taehyung. He remembers the first time he saw the other male, dripping wet in his suit and shivering as he gobbled his first round of mississippi mud. Taehyung scoffed, what a poor choice.

The second day, he left college early, saw Mr. Creepy in the shop and thought 'what a coincidence, right?' Nah. The same happened all week, and each once, Mr. Creepy forgot his umbrella. He wondered if that was intentional but the shopkeeper raced him to it, "Sir, it's been raining cats and dogs all week, why don't you just carry an umbrella with you?"

He laughed, the kind Taehyung does when he submits a mediocre essay and gets a mediocre grade. "I keep forgetting it at my office and," he looked at the rain outside the window, fondly offended, "and it never rains when I'm leaving my office"

"so he goes to office," Jimin sucked on his straw, "taehyungie likes 'em older, huh~" Taehyung smacked his forearm, "keep it quiet" They were in a cafe, not the parlor because Taehyung didn't know what Jimin is capable of if he sees Mr. Creepy in flesh.

Three weeks into the rhythm of watching Mr. creepy scribble words into piles of paper, Taehyung began drawing him. He was supposed to finish his assignment. And before you are like "oh two birds in one stone" No. The assignment was for a landscape of a scenery, not for Taehyung to draw random men who crush on him.

He swears it just started with an innocent eye at the back of his anatomy sketchpad, but it somehow grew, page after page until Taehyung got all his moles burned in his brain he started seeing them in his dreams. NOT the dirty ones! Everybody knows how a body looks, it is NOT weird to see one in your dreams when you have to LOOK at one everyday. FOR ANATOMY CLASS! GEEZ.

And soon it stopped raining, right around when Mr. creepy grew a habit of bringing his umbrella. The shopkeeper had a good laugh scooping his third refill for the evening. Meanwhile, Mr. Creepy's papers grew in pile. He'd walk in every evening, never as punctual as Taehyung though, keep his belongings on the same table right before him and order his mud.

He'd then have a little chat with the shopkeeper everyday, mostly about the printing press he works at; the shopkeeper asks him tips about how to get a job there or if he ever should. Mostly Mr. Creepy says no, "work never gets easy there, especially with the daily gazettes" If it isn't raining, he scribbles words on papers, looking crazed filling one after the other before Taehyung gets to his nose on his sketchpad. He'd then read through them once, ordering a refill as he does, then grumble to himself throwing all that he wrote to the bin, frowning until the lines are imprinted between his brows. The third refill follows at this point somedays, when he does go for the third cup, and the process repeats till 10pm by when Taehyung is done lying to himself he'll finish the rest of the assignment at home.

"You know you sound more like the creep here, right?" Jimin bit the end of the pencil he borrowed, narrowing his eyes in and out of his sketchpad and the tree they chose to model for them.

Taehyung erased his bark for the third time, turned to Jimin, offended, "its not like that! I have SEEN," he made a sign of pointing at his own eyes, "him looking at me"

"You sure its not him making sure if someone on the seat before him is checking him out?"

"He could've sat facing the world the first time itself then," Taehyung reasoned, erasing his bark the fifth time around. "But no he chose to sit facing me" He examined the damage five rounds of friction had done on the poor sheet of paper, groaning when it felt especially thin at one particular spot.

"Sure," Jimin piped. Taehyung peeked into the elder's sketchpad, he was already halfway done! "This is no fair!" He whined, Jimin laughed, "yeah, no fair, you were busy detailing up your lover boy for almost an hour and why should I wait 'til you were done creeping"

"shut up"

Mr. Creepy walked up to him the next week, "ⓡ̶̜͐ⓐ̶̼̅ ̴̰̐เ̷̮̈́т̸̰̎ⓐ̶͕̈́几̷͈̈∂̴̤̈́ ̷̗͛т̷̭͝𝐄̸͓́𝓛̷͓͠𝓛̵̜̉ ̵̨͑𝐌̶̹͋𝐄̴̵̡͍̾̎เ̴̣̈́𝕗̶̦͌ ̴̰̐เ̷̮̈́т̸̰̎ ̶͓̽𝐌̸̰̇ⓐ̶̤̍𝓀̵̦͠𝐄̵̣͋ѕ̶̜̔ ̵͇̈́ѕ̴͍̀𝐄̶̧͂几̶͕̏ѕ̷̘̉𝐄̵̮͘" Taehyung isn't sorry for how distracted he was by his mole when he spoke. It moved with his lips, like an animated choco chip. And that is why when he heard nothing comprehensible but saw the elder's mouth move, he did the universal deaf boy thing, "huh?"

"I'm sorry, I can see you're busy," he pointed at Taehyung's assignment that he had kept opened to look busy but never worked on and had instead digressed to scribbling one of the elder's eye in. He snapped the book close. "But can you just read this for me once and tell me if it makes sense?"

He grabbed the paper. For how cryptic it looked from afar, Mr. Creepy had a pretty handwriting that was quite comprehensible up close. "Sorry for the mess, do you want me to read it for you?"

Taehyung's throat clogged up, he shook his head and avoided the male's eye. Mr. Creepy looked people in the eye when he spoke, he did it with the shopkeeper, now with him and it IS as intense as Taehyung imagined. It puts you in a spot, and it definitely put Taehyung six feet underneath.

The words blurred in and out of his vision. "Is it that hard to read?" He heard his heart pulse at the back of his head. "n-NO-o!" And it came out pitched, cracking halfway at the "o".

Taehyung cleared his throat, tears collected at his eyelids, just the way to go Taehyung Kim. "I-just, um- yeah" He put a finger underneath each word to make his vision focus and finally one letter after the other came into light.

He sang, and the birds held their breath. GOD HE WRITES WELL TOO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TAHEYUNG! When he finished, she giggled until she couldn't be more radiant. If April cannot last forever and neither the tangerines, at least the kiss she left burning on his cheek should.

Taehyung looked up at the elder against himself, he had a soft tinge of pink snaking up his nape. Taehyung caught a sliver of a tattoo there and shifted his eyes to the elder's face. NOT NOW, KIM. Despite having a chronic condition of never meeting anyone (except Jimin's) eye when he spoke, Taehyung couldn't help but trace his vision back to the elder's googly black orbs.

Before you judge, yes, that's the best adjective he could come up with as an artist. Mr. Creepy's eyes moved over and over across the words on the paper in his hand, Taehyung could almost see the familiar disappointment crawl back in there. He held the paper tighter, and mentally prayed his voice to not crack this time around, "you write really well, sir"

Mr. Creepy slapped a palm to his nape, "thanks," a pause, a car honked right outside the parlor, "and you draw well, I can see it from there sometimes"

All across his 19 years of wasting oxygen here on earth, Taehyung has only painted blushes. Now Mr. Creepy stands before him looking pretty proud about having complimented him and his ice cream melts right at this moment as we speak and all that Taehyung can think about is, Mrs. Anderson from 'foundations of oil painting' was wrong, blushes aren't fucking pink or rosé, they are burning red, and Taehyung can't feel anything beneath his eyes anymore.

He laughed, it came out cracked. TWICE IN LIKE 2 MINUTES, KIM??? "You ok? Your throat sounds sore"

"haha," Taehyung hoped what left his mouth was what he stringed together in his head. He literally cannot feel a thing beneath his eyes, and even those two useless globes seem to be watery at the ends. "Ice creams, yeah?"

Mr. Creepy didn't find that funny. Instead, he gave it second before extending his hand. "I'm Jeon Jungkook, thought you should know since you and I seem to be here at this hour everyday" And he smiled. GOD, HE SMILED. "Also please call me Jungkook, I'm not old enough to be called sir yet"

Taehyung cleared his throat, just in case, and wiped his hand on his jeans before reaching for the elder's. "Taehyung Kim, you can call me whatever you want" He registered what left his mouth after the sounds of it reached his brain, an awkwardly delayed second later. Mr. Cree-Jungkook tilted his head, smile awkwardly hanging off his lips. "Oh- sorry, I mean, you can call me Kim, or Tae, or Taehyung or-"

The bell dinged at the parlor door, Taehyung let Jungkook's hand go. The moment he did, Jungkook started speaking in fluent Korean to the guy who entered the parlor. Taehyung caught a few phrases here and there, it seemed to have been a planned meet up.

He went back to working on his assignment, or at least tried to until every word in Korean felt like his own name. Taehyung hasn't cursed his parents for moving to Amsterdam before he learnt how to speak his mother tongue anymore than he did today. And mind you, he has been bullied.

The guy, whom he eventually guessed could be one among Jungkook's crush, ex or friend kept throwing him looks and he kept smiling back like his mom never taught him not to smile back at smiling strangers. CUT HIM SOME SLACK, HE JUST GOT TO KNOW MR. CREEPY'S NAME AND HELD HIS HAND.

Taehyung left the parlor shortly after the guy and Jungkook did under one umbrella, almost as if the former had summoned the rain knowing the latter wouldn't have one on him. And Jungkook, like the goldfish he is, didn't. Quite honestly, Taehyung doesn't know why the guy himself did because it has been a week since the last rains and literally NO ONE carries an umbrella anymore.

OK maybe only not Taehyung, AND he fell sick that night. Fortunately he was able to save his art supplies and sketchpad with a cover for his bag the shopkeeper ever so kindly offered before driving him out the shop. But Taehyung falling under the weather meant he fever dreamt Jungkook taking his temperature by placing their foreheads together so many times, when Jimin came home he was a hot mess. A wild imagination is only good until you can keep it PG-13.

"Tae, what happened- your mom telepho- YOU GUYS KISSEDDD??"

"WHAT? NO?"

"YES, YOU DID!"

"NO I DIDN'T, WAIT WHAT-"

"boys," his mother knocked, "keep it down"

Jimin jogged over to him, "you can't be such a such a tomato without at least lips brushing"

Taehyung hid himself under three layers of blanket and immediately regretted it from the lack of oxygen. "noooooo~"

Jimin tried poking his side but only got through probably two layers of duvet, "YOU WENT STRAIGHT TO THE S WORD!?"

Taehyung threw all three layers of blankets open, and sat up, "WHAAAT? NO!"

"booyyss~" his mother yelled from distance.

Jimin's frame deflated, "then all of that is just the fever?" he pointed at his face. Taehyung turned to the mirror and both shocked and grossed himself out from how red he looked. "yeah, that-that is all from the fever"

"sure," Jimin crossed his legs, "so what happened, you guys exchanged landlines? Is he gay too? Did he catch you creep drawing him? Wait- no, IS HE MARRIED?"

"how are you so off the mark?"

"IF ITS NONE OF THAT WHAT THE FUCK GOT YOU THIS RED AND UNDER 3 LAYERS OF BLANKET!?"

"boys, please," his mom begged from right outside the door. Good for him, his mom ran a gay bar but if word got out in the neighborhood- "sorry, mom!" Jimin yelled back. They were supposed to be brothers from different mothers, but probably since the day Taehyung waltzed into the household with the brunette, he is the unofficial second son/ twin his mom suspects she lost shortly after birth. Or its just a thing they created to piss him off.

"the rain" he lowered his voice further, Jimin leaned in, "his name's Jungkook. Jeon. Jeon Jungkook"

"and?"

"we shook hands. He has cold callous hands, do you think its cuz he works at the press? I couldn't ask him that- a guy waltzed in right then, spoke in korean and left with him under a SINGLE umbrella! Its been a week since the rains stopped, who even carries an umbrella, its like the guy wanted the rains to come cuz he knew Jungkook won't have an umbrella on him! And why would he keep smiling at me? Cree-" he looked up at Jimin, the elder had a smile hanging off his lips, "man, you're down bad"

"AND HE WRITES WELL TOO, JIMIN!" he dragged both his palms down his face, "what am I supposed to do?"

"oh no" Jimin leaned back on his arms, "anyway, who's this guy you burning up over?"

"hey, it's the rain! I had to stand at the bus stop for ten straight minutes looking like a wet pregnant cat cuz I had my bag underneath my hood"

"Yeah yeah, what about the guy who summoned the rains?"

"He knows Jungkook well," he pulled his blankets closer to his neck, "Should be a friend or his crush! You should've seen him laugh non stop, like bells chiming at the church-"

"You hate the sound of that-" Jimin deadpanned, "you once said it gave pre-apocalyptic vibes"

"no, yeah," Taehyung gave it a moment, "I meant the bell at your house, the kind that sort of grabs your attention and keeps you glued to it"

"And yet I have never heard you describe my house bell like any of the words you just used"

"Yeah cuz, that's a bell, Jimin," he paused, remembered how Jungkook sounded, head tipped back against the chair, like a hundred- no fifty- no twenty five of Jimin's house bells but even better than that. He would've said a good singer bird's name if he knew one, but the better way to put it, that would still be least adequate to describe how many tingles grew up his toes hearing the elder laugh would be, "but his laugh sounds like a song, I could've recorded him and heard him all day on my grammy here," he pointed at his gramophone, "like he could literally, AND I MEAN IT, replace Paul Cosby or Presley for the day, this week or a whole year! AND I THINK I'M CRAZY I WON'T MIND ONLY LISTENING TO HIM LAUGH FOR A WHOLE YE-"

"Taehyung," His mother poked her head in, "I will get all the tea later but KEEP. IT. DOWN. We have guests"

Jimin blinked at him, he pulled a hand out of the heap of blankets he was wrapped in and waved it before the elder, "Jiminie~"

"Taehyung," he held the palm Taehyung waved before him, "dude. You're like- are you high?"

"in love" Taehyung grew warm in his cheek for the 16th time today.

"ew," Jimin dropped his hand instantly, drawing away from his bedding like it had the plague.

The cold had him tied to his bed only until an hour after Jimin left, the next morning he annoyed Mrs. Anderson with his discovery, and she gave the universal teacher's replacement for 'I don't know': "It's subjective"

Taehyung had picked his best outfit, but noticed his hair had turned untamable by the evening when he entered the parlor. Jungkook waved at him, "join me after you order!" Taehyung ordered himself black current because he wanted reassurance that somethings in his life can still be as electric as Jungkook with his sleeves rolled up.

"You didn't drop by yesterday, long day at work?"

"Work? I study at the Arts School here" he smiled, held his breath so that he won't stutter. The trick seemed to work, thank you, Jimin. "I actually fell under the weather yesterday" he slapped a palm to neck the moment he felt the heat crawling up there, vivid pictures of the fever dream rolling by like a motion picture film behind Jungkook on the seat before him.

"Don't tell me you didn't have an umbrella on you as well?"

"I usually do," he smiled, "I don't have an office to leave it at, just didn't get one with me yesterday"

"Oh," Jungkook nursed a palm to his nape, "you heard me that day?"

Taehyung considered 'I'm always hearing you' for a reply, but his brain played him an audio of how that would sound and he instantly switched to, "Didn't mean to, you just looked at the rain that day like it's your lover you had a quarrel with but cannot not give into. It's kind of hard to miss that"

Jungkook blinked at him. Taehyung hated how his brain selected what it chose to mentally play in his head before spewing out loud. Everything Taehyung thinks of should be run through a filter for a reason. "Sorry, I know that must've sounded-"

" Can I use that?"

"huh?" YOU HEARD HIM! WHY DID YOU DO THE UNIVERSAL DEAF BOY THING?

"Oh- sorry, its just whatever you just said- Can I use it in my book?"

"Oh-" Taehyung really didn't know which part of his face, neck or cheek he should hide before all of it turns red. "um- sure"

"Taehyung-ssi?" He noticed the half melted black current on the table between them. How long has it been there?

"hmm?" he took a bite of it, not as electric as Jungkook's bare wrists he can eye across the table. Taehyung kept his eyes away from the elder's sleeve the best he could.

"do you like ice cream a lot?"

"yes!" finally something he can coherently reply to. "I love them!"

Jungkook chuckled, took a bite from his mud, and Taehyung didn't know why he expected something else to follow that. They munched on their ice creams and Taehyung thanked all gods, including the hot Greek ones, that Jungkook wasn't an ice cream chewer. He instead just slowly, and only moved his lips, until it melted on his tongue. It is actually very unsafe to say Taehyung wasn't very focused on how he chewed the ice cream alone.

"Is that a birthmark?" Taehyung regretted everything that left his mouth this evening but nothing more than this one.

"Oh this?" Jungkook caressed the mole underneath his lips, Taehyung hated how jealous he was for not being Jungkook to be able to touch Jungkook. "yes, why?"

"oh no," he felt that burning red return to his cheeks, slowly benumbing everything beneath his eyes. "just asking. Artist tendencies"

"Right, speaking of which I'm very jealous of artists, especially good ones like you who can bring things to life" Taehyung is scared his heart might jump out of his sleeve and take a stroll in the mouth saying such things. "You guys can animate just anything, you know?" He is scared, as Jungkook digs holes as big as his eyes into him, it won't just be his heart. "I hate that I'm only mediocre at painting. Nothing comes out looking the way I want it to" HE PAINTS AS WELL!??? WHAT ALL CAN THIS MAN DO!?

"You paint?"

"I write mostly," Jungkook's eyes left Taehyung's to dig into his ice cream cup, and the younger exhaled a shaky breath out, "but I paint sometimes as well, though I won't say I'm as good at any of that like most people I know"

"I don't know anyone else who writes and my reading is restricted to my textbooks," It took every ounce of blood in Taehyung's body to make eye contact and keep it as he said, "but if I had to name a good writer, I won't hesitate before taking yours, hyung"

"hyung?"

"Isn't that what men call older men in Korea or did my mom deceive me?"

Jungkook laughed, Taehyung takes back his Jimin's house bell metaphor. Jungkook's laugh fits his gramophone as a record better. He would call it happiness. His grandchildren will know how much grandpa loved his husband. Taehyung can almost picture old Jimin in a wheelchair telling this story while Taehyung listens to Jungkook's laughter on the gramophone in a nearby room. He can see Jungkook carry him a hot bowl of porridge and shake his head hearing his own laughter on the device. And Taehyung at 60, still the charmer, flirt with-

"hey," Jungkook blinked before him, "you just seemed a little dazed there...anyway, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh"

"oh sorry, its the-the brain freeze," he pointed at his empty ice cream cup for emphasis. "no worries, my mom has deceived me with worser things like movie endings. She knows I hate tragedy and changes the plot, so I would watch it and end up crying. My mom likes doing such things that tick me off but only in the way rain does you"

"You seem to like that bit a little too much"

"Yeah, I mean anybody would get hooked if they see someone looking at the rain like that"

"Are you hooked?"

Taehyung averted his eyes, "Ice creams melt quite fast, don't you think?" Nothing beneath his eyes felt like it had flesh, blood or bones in it.

The next day Jungkook had his pile of papers with him and suggested they can work together if he liked. Taehyung didn't fortunately say he would be fine even if they lived together, so he considers that a plus. But what is a minus, despite or on top of Taehyung fucking up subtraction all across middle school, is that he is VERY distracted.

Jungkook dresses like how he would like his professors to dress up if they were Jungkook. He wondered how he would sound if he asked the elder to roll down his sleeves since it wasn't just Taehyung who was distracted (the shopkeeper, a few customers, and if that guy who summoned the rain was here, him too), but decided against it. Jimin was pretty proud of him when he informed him this piece of information.

"Hyung"

It has been three weeks since they 'worked together', which mostly involved Jungkook actually doing something productive and Taehyung checking him out in the name of 'I just need a real person to get the proportions right, can I use your face?'

Taehyung looked up from his sketchbook. He hadn't expected Jungkook to already be looking at him and sputtered, spiraling into a coughing fit. The elder ran to the shopkeeper, urgently demanded a bottle of water, opened the cap at one go and handed it to him, patting his head as he swallowed the liquid. Taehyung went red head to toe, "you okay? You're red all over"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he avoided Jungkook's eyes, "happens to me sometimes"

"Oh," Jungkook returned to his seat, Taehyung tried his best to pretend he cannot see the elder's unconvinced concern. "Yeah, you were asking me something, right?"

Taehyung blinked, then remembered, "how long have you been working at the press?"

Jungkook paused, tilted his head. If he had taken even a moment longer, Taehyung would've leaned in but he didn't, "about two years now, why?"

"oh, just felt like asking," he paused, neither returned to their respective 'work'. "Is that how you know the person from that day?"

Perks of growing closer to Jungkook included knowing that the elder always had an answer for Taehyung. "Oh Namjoon hyung? He is a friend of mine from the book reading club I started going to last month, we hit it off pretty fast" Taehyung hated how wide Jungkook smiled as he spoke, even though he looked damn pretty he could kiss him right there. "Why are you asking that now? Have you grown tired of me as your model already?"

Oh he has no idea what Taehyung is drawing right now. "Of course not! I just asked cuz you guys seemed pretty close"

"Yeah, he reads the kind of books that I do and he is a damn good writer," Jungkook's eyes grew animated upon the mention of his writing, "He is my role model of sorts when it comes to writing, I wish I can show you one of his smaller pieces he gave me to proofread but I don't carry it with me anymore since the pages are thin"

"Oh"

"Yeah, if you think I write well, he is like," He made a sign in the air, "waaaay beyond"

"You seem to like him-his writing a lot"

"Anyone would fall in love," Jungkook carried a dreamy look, "he is someone I admire a lot"

"JIMINNNNNNN," Taehyung whined, his mom chewed on her fifth popcorn that she said she won't share with either of them, "HE ALREADY LIKES SOMEONE'

"yeah, that's what I told you, remember? You are the creep?"

He turned to his mom, she shrugged, "fair"

"YOU GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO CONSOLE ME ON LOSING MY FIRST LOVE," he pulled his blankets closer and turned to face the wall.

Jimin cleared his throat, "okay let's start with how he looked?"

Taehyung remembers the night like a fairy tale, prince charming walking in with dimples and sweeping the ravenette off his feet before he could react. "he had dimples"

"WHAT THE HELL, TAEHYUNG, AND YOU THOUGHT YOU CAN EVEN STAND A CHANCE?"

Taehyung threw his pillow over, "WHAT!?"

His mother popped another popcorn in her mouth before she spoke, half swallowing whatever it was, "hesh righth, eu donth fighth a man with dhimples"

"Whyy?"

"Because he has dimples, Taehyung, fucking angel's creations!" Jimin moved his hands around frantically trying to explain. "Now that we have the most crucial information what else about him was hot?"

"He is tall"

"TAEHYUNG WHAT WERE YOU EVEN TRYING FOR, DUDE!?"

"MY CHANCE!" Taehyung hid his face behind his knees.

"okay, and?"

"And he wears glasses"

"oh my poor taehyungie," he pat his hair, his mother joined. He didn't have it in him to check if it was the popcorn hand or the one that held the box. "dimples and glasses, you should've told me before, I wouldn't have let this go this far"

"MOoommm~"

"He's right, Taehyungie," she kept aside her popcorn, took his palm, "I know I raised my son pretty and charming, but things like dimples are genetic lottery baby, Jimin is right, it's still not too late"

"YOU ALL ARE BEING MEAN!"

"Taehyung-ssi," Taehyung looked up from his third cup of ice cream, "is there something bothering you?"

He blinked, was he that obvious? "no, why?"

"you have been out of it the whole time, and,"" he looked at his ice cream, "that's already the third cup, you don't usually have more than one or two. I'm the crazy one between us," he smiled, sheepishly, "downing 3 or 4 a day"

Taehyung smiled against himself. Not too late, my foot. It is very much late and Taehyung's heart has gone beyond skipping a beat to giving him mild attacks every time Jungkook calls him by his name. "its nothing really, just university being a bitch"

Jungkook laughed, "Yeah I'm glad I escaped that hell hole," he then paused for a minute making both of them tilt their heads, "only to fall into this one" he pointed at his work clothes, slightly stained with ink at places.

"You didn't pursue studies after high school?"

"Didn't feel the need to, besides, the sooner I started earning the better it was for me to leave home and pursue my real dream of becoming a writer"

"but isn't it hard?" he can see the elder's eye bags dragging him down even now. They get worse on days of public riot and war rumors, sometime back Jungkook waved it off, 'you don't get the money without some pain' "working full time and writing? You don't look like you get much rest either, why not get some help from your parents?"

"They don't like what I do," he looked away, voice growing softer as did his eyes sadder, "I don't really blame them either, they wanted to see me get a degree and a decent job somewhere in the government. Every parent would want that"

"No, not every parent," He wanted Jungkook to know that's not the universal truth even if Taehyung was the sole exception, "parents are supposed to let their kids dream and become whatever the hell they want, my mom raised me telling that. Even if I were to fail arts pretty bad, which I promised her I won't," he smiled, Jungkook looked at him like he has never seen Taehyung before, "she is my mom, she is supposed to tell me to keep dreaming, that I am her son and even if I am the last artist anyone wants to see, she'll continue to believe in me and my art"

"Taehyung," this is the first time Jungkook has addressed him informally, Taehyung felt his toes tingle. "that's not the only thing they don't accept about me"

Taehyung didn't hesitate. "yes, even if that's not the only thing, they are supposed to accept you. They're your parents, hyung"

Jungkook didn't look up from his ice cream, Taehyung didn't look at his. When they finally met eyes, Jungkook's were wet at the ends and he had his hand wrapped around his bag. "See you tomorrow, taehyung" The door rattled and chimed thrice instead of once with the force and the shopkeeper turned to him, "you guys fought?"

Taehyung smiled, "no, he's just tired" which wasn't essentially a lie, people who keep justifying their lies do wear out fast. Like his mom, when she tried convincing him what dad meant two years ago when he cursed mom to have a gay son and left. Like Jimin, who lies to himself everyday his father will come around about taking arts when what he really wants to hear is 'you can be whatever you want' And now, Jungkook.

Taehyung left the parlor shortly after, something about the place kept reminding him of Jungkook's eyes watering at the edges. The next day, Jungkook didn't come to the parlor as expected. He didn't do the day after that either, but Taehyung convinced himself that it was a sunday so he didn't stay as well. Mom called him to give her a hand at the bar and Jimin said he would tag along.

"oh taehyungie, you finally decided to give up on him, didn't you?"

"no, actually the opposite," he kicked a stone across the street, "I wanna keep him safe in a treasure chest away from the whole damn world and protect him like his own personal dragon"

"Tae," Jimin dragged his name, the way his mom does when he acts stubborn. "I told you, it isn't easy for people like us out there and most of them already have someone for themselves"

"I don't care," he pushed his palms into his pockets, "Jimin," he turned to the elder, Jimin looked terrified of him, "I want to make him happy. I want to keep him happy for all of his life"

"What is with suddenly wanting him to be happy?" The walk from their common meet up which is 3 blocks away from the baskin robbins parlor and his mom's bar isn't usually this long, or Taehyung is thinking too much. Maybe, Jimin is right.

But this is his first love, he doesn't want to go down without not telling Jungkook how he feels. Now that they have laid all their cards down, all the risky ones, Taehyung wants Jungkook to know just how much love he can shower the elder with, only if he'd let him.

"I don't know, Jimin-ah," he kept his eyes to the road, something in him was so scared to meet the elder's eye and see pity there. "I just wanna tell him that he is so easy to fall for, that I did- just like that," he finally grew the balls to look at Jimin and although he couldn't put a name on it, it was far from pity. "I don't want to leave loose ends in my first love story, Jimin, I wanna hear it from him that I don't stand a chance and I will give up, I swear"

"Then I trust you, honey bear," he drew him in by his shoulder, pinched his cheek, "you know I'm so fucking proud of you, right?"

"Yes, ah- fuck that hurts-"

"Taehyung?"

Taehyung has never turned his head so fast, and thinks he might've snapped his neck and is currently seeing Jungkook in heaven. The elder was decked in a full black outfit, sleeves rolled to his elbow (goddamit, he just swore to give up!) and if Taehyung can just take one respectful peek inside the 3 open buttons, the male was ripped AND tattoed. Like if they were together, Taehyung would've made the elder wear a bra or button up to his neck.

"Jungkook-ah..."Namjoon ran out of the bar he recognized as his mother's, belatedly. Jimin's hold around him loosened and fell to his side. Taehyung looked between Jungkook and dimples. The latter still had it in him to smile and extend a hand, "Hello, I'm Namjoon, there doesn't go by a day I don't hear about you from Jungkook. Taehyung Kim, right?" which in other words meant, he talks to Jungkook everyday which Taehyung hasn't for the past couple days.

Taehyung looked at Jungkook the whole time he shook the elder's hand. He isn't dumb to not put two and two together. They just walked out of a gay bar, color coding their outfits and looking so easy and domestic together.

Taehyung didn't wait for Jungkook to speak, he turned to Jimin against the physical need to hold Jungkook by his sexy collar, "jimin, please tell mom, I can't help her out tonight" He knew the elder wouldn't have missed the shake of his voice or the tear that fell before he could blink it back. But mom wouldn't have called unless she needed a hand, and Taehyung can wait an hour or two before he runs to Jimin for heartbreak cuddles.

Jimin's slight nod wasn't a cue to run but Taehyung ran. He doesn't remember why, or from whom. But he ran until he was just two blocks away from home, the key dangled off his pocket from the workout. "Tae-" he froze. Taehyung hadn't expected the elder to follow, not this far. But he let the tears fall for a minute longer before he turned because he knew what Jungkook was about to say and didn't want to look anymore childish than he already does when he faces him.

"tae-hyung-!"

Maybe Taehyung won't go back to that parlor again, then time will play its part like all movie stars (he can't name right now) say. Or maybe Taehyung might have to desert ice creams altogether but he will still be fine. "Taehyung- please!" Right now it fucking hurts and he has to hold his chest to breathe, but soon, probably weeks or months after Jungkook is done saying what he will now, Taehyung will be okay. It is just first rejection, not the end of the world.

"it wasn't what you- Namjoon hyung isn't what YOU THINK- think he is!"

Yes, Taehyung is already aware- wait "WHAT!?"

"I like you, too," he smiled, soft at the edges and pink everywhere.

"I never said it"

"You didn't need to, " Jungkook smiled, walking closer, sweat dripping down his three buttons open that Taehyung still can't ignore even under poor street lighting and the kind of conversation they're having. "And Namjoon hyung isn't - he is already taken, we came here to celebrate his birthday, his partner isn't in town"

"You are not playin-"

"Taehyung," Jungkook was suddenly only an arm's length away and Taehyung can't breathe for different reasons than before. "I have never been looked at like I should be protected and kept safe in a treasure chest away from the whole damn world and someone will," he drew a hand to his cheek, everywhere the elder touched felt like fireworks underneath his skin. "guard me like he is my personal dragon. If I don't fall for that, I don't know what the hell I'm doing straight"

"Nothing you're doing right now is straight"

Jungkook chuckled, Taehyung's tear trails felt suddenly stupid. "yeah, I really can't think straight" The elder looked at his lips, Taehyung held his breath so that he won't stutter, (thanks again jimin) "then don't, kiss me" But before Jungkook replied he dragged the elder down by his collar, smashing their lips like he had pictured day in and out. And somehow the elder was a better kisser than he was in his dreams. He knew exactly to where to hold, when to give in, when to demand and most importantly, when to use teeth.

Just the perfect amount of everything and he could feel his skin burn. When they parted, Jungkook's lips were pinker than usual, a little swollen and hid more than normal part of his mole. He rubbed the mark, feeling how soft the elder's lips are in the process. "holy fuck"

"I take that as a yes"

"Fuck yes!" He couldn't resist anymore and kissed him again. Jungkook laughed into the kiss, half muffled, but so fucking sexy. He buttoned the elder's shirt as he kissed, Jungkook laughed again. He moved the shirt just enough to give the elder's nape a soft bite. One that he made sure won't leave a mark, "so?"

"So," Jungkook held his hands, "wanna have ice cream together?"

"Hell yes!"

"Do you always swear a lot?"

"Nope, I learnt it from uni," he tightened his hold around the elder's hand. "The only real life skill I did" Callous and cold. It felt the same. Jungkook laughed and it sounded like he could hear it on his gramophone but would rather settle to hear it in person everyday. Everything and yet nothing felt the same. Jungkook ordered his mud, he did black current. Nothing felt more electric than the elder playing footsie underneath the table with him.

Everything and yet nothing felt the same. Jimin screamed across five streets, his mom shed a tear and a left a pack of condoms with a sticky note, "be safe when you have fun, baby". Jungkook and Jimin became buddies, but the former took his side when mom and Jimin teamed up to bully him.

Baskin Robbins closed shortly after they got together, Jungkook got to know from the shopkeeper, apparently they didn't sell well.

"It's sad right?" Jungkook looked at him, hands in pocket, white shirt ink stained everywhere but his chest. Taehyung smiled, "not really, I already have my black current with me"

Jungkook turned pink, "you're really bad at flirting"

"And you're really bad at lying"

Taehyung thinks, maybe Baskin Robbins didn't come as a boon to his neighbourhood, rather only came for bringing one to him.

"Jungkook?"

"hmm?"

"I love you"

"I love you more"

"you don't know"

"I do~"

"no, you don't"

"yes, I do"

"no, you don-"

Jimin walked past them, bag of chips on hand, "CAN Y'ALL LIKE SHUT UP? I CAN HEAR YOU FROM 3 STREETS ACROSS!"

***

A/n: i am sooooo sorry guysss.. before i processed anything my assignments piled up, then exams followed, and i went into a manhwa reading spiral to cope, quitting writing altogether and by the time i recovered from all this i had to temporarily shift for my internship.

with so much going on i honestly burnt myself out and this is a product me and my sister/co-author's fried brains, so please forgive any mistakes TT