tw: aquaphobia

❧ Trust Rebuilt ❧

"Jeongguk?" Jin raised a brow, leaning against the doorway. It'd been a couple hours since they'd left the diner, where Jeongguk had parted ways in the parking lot to drive off somewhere. "Taehyung's not home."

"Oh— he said he'd be home after I got back from my drive. I guess, I'll just..." Jeongguk grimaced as he backtracked away from the door and managed to take a step down before Jin called out to him.

"I didn't say you had to leave," the older chuckled, making Jeongguk spin on his heel with wide eyes. "It was just a heads up, but you can come in if you want."

The small passing of uncomfortableness on Jeongguk's feature caused a small reassuring smile to curve on Jin's lip. He didn't want to scare the guy. Not that Jeongguk got scared in the first place. Intimidated was probably the better word, Jin thought to himself. Especially as Taehyung's older brother and a great three years older than the biker.

The other side of his head said to consider Yoongi, which meant age made no difference to Jeongguk.

"Uh... sure. If that's okay." The younger stepped back up onto the porch and Jin moved out of the doorway to let him inside. "Thanks."

"No problem," the response came and Jin shut the door once both of them were within the home. "Taehyung and Jimin stepped out to get some groceries for me. Planning on doing a bonfire outside soon so there's some food prep for that."

"Ah. Hoseok's here?" Jeongguk noted the absence of the last surfer's headcount.

"I sure am." The third voice startled both of them and Jin rolled his eyes as Hoseok threw an arm over the eldest's shoulder. "Hey, Jeongguk."

"Hi." He mumbled. "You guys carry on if you were doing anything."

"I'm good," Jin shrugged. "I've got some time before I head back upstairs."

Hoseok rocked on his feet, cocking his head before nodding. "I wasn't doing much either. I've had my fair share of brainpower used up today."

The joke didn't fly over Jeongguk's nor Jin's heads and the eldest watched the sharp look between both of them shift.

"Can I— I need to ask something." Jeongguk held onto that tension.

Jin shared a look with Hoseok, then, though a few creases appeared along the dancer's forehead. "Go for it, Jeon."

"I saw," he took a deep breath and Jin leaned against the wall, taking in the reluctant tone of his voice. Jeongguk really had changed much more than he'd expected in the aftermath of everything. "I saw Yoongi follow you guys out. He didn't... do anything to you guys, right?"

Jin pursed his lips, hearing the small intake of air Hoseok sucked in before needing to look at his younger friend's face.

"Nah, he didn't do shit." Jin finally responded for the both of them, realizing he didn't actually know what had happened after he'd left Yoongi and Hoseok outside. Yoongi had come inside and he and Namjoon left not much later, Hoseok knocking into them in the entryway on his way in.

He'd only asked the dancer if he was okay and Hoseok shot him a thumbs up.

And now Jin was curious.

"All good here, too." Hoseok added when Jeongguk looked at him for an answer as well. He was quick to extend his reply, showing there was more to what he was saying. "I, uh— you wanna sit down? This would be better if we sat down."

Jin frowned as Jeongguk nodded in confusion and moved swiftly towards one of the sofas in the living room. He grabbed Hoseok's wrist before Hoseok could slip away, whispering softly. "Seok, what's going on?"

"You'll see, Hyung." Hoseok nudged him towards Jeongguk. "Sit with him. I'll be right back."

Jin fumbled out a small questioning remark, all in vain as Hoseok brushed past him and headed upstairs for a quick moment. He shook his head and buried his hands in his pocket, plopping down on the second couch so he could see Jeongguk face to face. "He'll be right back, I think?"

"Are you confused, too?" Jeongguk asked and Jin nodded. "He and Yoongi had been talking for a while, weren't they?"

"Don't worry about Hoseok. He can handle himself pretty well."

"I guess. I just don't know what to expect from Yoongi anymore."

Jin licked his lips with a small nod, unsure of what to say to that and evermore grateful when Hoseok came back to them with his hands hidden behind his back.

What was he hiding?

"Hey, Jeongguk, so Yoongi and I talked and somehow this happened, but..."

"But...?" Jeongguk inquired eagerly when Hoseok pursed his lips.

"I was told to give you this," the surfer stepped closer to Jeongguk and peeled his arms around his body, both Jin's and Jeongguk's faces reeling with shock seeing leather draped over Hoseok's arm. "Your jacket."

Jeongguk didn't reach for it, instead staring at the material, gaze hard and mouth ajar, so Hoseok cleared his throat in the awkward rejection.

"Yoongi asked. He said he knows it's not up to him to get back on speaking terms, but he was hoping you'd take it back."

"So, he gave it to you." Jin murmured.

"He... yeah, he did. He doesn't care— okay, well, he does care— what I mean is that he's not going to interfere with whatever you decide to do and instead just work on himself. If you take the jacket back. Well, it wasn't a contingency situation, he just wants it to be in your arms because... well, it's yours."

Jin would have chuckled at how nervous Hoseok sounded if he wouldn't have been the same way.

"What do you think?" Jeongguk finally asked instead, hands digging into the crevice between his thighs. "Should I take it back, Hoseok?"

The dancer paused for a moment, almost taken aback by that being the first verbal response from the guy. "Well, do you have another jacket?" Jeongguk opened his mouth and Hoseok was quick to cut him off. "That's yours and not a borrowed piece of clothing."

Jeongguk's mouth swiftly snapped shut. "Not really."

"Then, I think for the purposes of actually wearing something of your own, you should."

Liar. Jin thought immediately. Or at least half lying. Not entirely truthful. He knew when Hoseok was lying in that case, because he must have struck some opinionated conversation with Yoongi about it before accepting the request— opinions that weren't just the lack of his own wardrobe.

If Hoseok cared that much, Jeongguk would be packing a bag of his own clothes and then crashing at their place.

Jin watched his best friend carefully, hand stretched out to offer the jacket again and Jeongguk was clearly thinking hard. Debating and fighting as both sides of his thoughts, trying to figure things out for himself.

And even the ringed hand that slowly reached for the leather was shaking, a tremor that had Jin's gaze transfixed on it like it was the most crucial part to understanding Jeongguk.

And maybe it was. That part of him was terrified of asking for that part of his life back, but there was also the reaching hand that missed the touch of leather.

Jin felt that was the point at which Jeongguk had to separate his leather jacket from a persona of his. That both were not the same and he could get it back as a shield of confidence rather than danger.

"Okay." Jeongguk whispered, fingers hooking onto the collar and sliding the jacket out of Hoseok's hands and into his lap. A heavy breath left his lips, quivering almost as he stared down at it, expression mostly hidden behind his floppy hair. "Thanks— thank you for this."

"Yeah." Hoseok murmured. "Although, I'm not really the one to thank."

Jeongguk glanced up at him and then back down, hands tightening on the collar until his knuckles were painted white. "I just need to think through things. And I need some time to collect those thoughts."

"That's fine, Jeongguk. And a reasonable approach." Jin sided with him. "This seems like Yoongi's willing to do things on your terms, though."

"I wouldn't let him have it any other way." Hoseok crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't plan to." Jeongguk rolled his shoulder back, hands loosening on the leather and running over its outer layer with care. "But this was nice of him."

Jin could see the emotion more clearly then, that Jeongguk missing the leather overruled his reason to let it go. Maybe because it was something of his own in a new place, but more likely because it was a part of who he was.

Which meant, if his view on something changed, so could the meaning he put behind the leather.

And it seemed as though Jeongguk was doing just that as he slipped his arms back into the sleeves and let it take a place on his shoulders again, sinking into the feeling as he looked like the biker Jin knew him as for the last two summers.

The door was suddenly stuttering open as the two younger surfers came clambering into the house, a few bags of food in tow.

They didn't seem to recognize the tense state of the living room as they put the bags down on the kitchen island and laughed off something from their conversation before turning to all of them.

"Hey, we got everything you asked for! Oh, the teriyaki sauce brand was a different one than usual, Hyung. They didn't have the one you usually get—" Taehyung suddenly froze, Jimin startled by his sudden cut off and whirling around to see what the matter was. The older of the two gasped softly when he realized, too.

"Jeongguk," Taehyung breathed out, dropping the items in his hands onto the counter and hurrying around the couch. He was slowing in front of the biker, gesturing to the leather frantically. "You— where did you— your leather? Gguk, you're wearing it—"

Jin's lips curved upward as Taehyung threw his arms around Jeongguk, who mumbled something to him and hugged him back.

There was a startled laugh from his younger brother, who pulled away and brushed hands over Jeongguk's shoulders like he was dusting an antique.

"How did you even get this back? Did you go back to your place?" Taehyung asked in confusion.

"I gave it to him." Hoseok spoke up before Jeongguk could.

"You...?" Jimin cut in. "How did Seok Hyung get his hands on Jeongguk's jacket—"

"Yoongi." Realization dawned on Taehyung, who glanced almost worriedly at the biker before looking at Hoseok for confirmation. "He really gave it to you?"

"He asked me to pass it on to Jeongguk."

"A peace offering." Jin joked, though it very well might have been just that. Taehyung sent him a look of desperation and his brows raised before lowering in understanding. "Jimin, Hoseok, help me put the groceries away."

"Huh— oh, right," Jimin spun on his heel and began removing items from the bags. "Groceries."

"Seok, you, too."

"Coming, coming." The dancer side stepped around the artist and biker, avoiding eye contact and moving straight to Jin's side.

"Are you mad at him?" Taehyung asked after pulling Jeongguk down the hall for a bit more privacy.

"At who?"

"Yoongi."

"No." Jeongguk scratched his neck, the creases of the leather bunching around his collar. "Well, not more, if that's what you mean."

"Is it less after he got this to you?"

"Is this about fixing things with him?"

"Maybe." Taehyung replied, truthfully.

Jeongguk sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Tae, I already told you that it's something I'll think about. And I really need to think about what makes sense and what doesn't."

"You've taken my advice before," he frowned. "Why not now?"

"This is different."

"Is it really?" He reached forward and wrapped a hand around Jeongguk's bicep, smiling at the touch of leather. The hallway seemed to shrink to just the two of them, embracing that moment. "Damn, I almost forgot what that feels like."

A hum vibrated through the small gap of air between them. "I thought about it all the time."

"You've been doing a hell of a lot of thinking, haven't you?"

"Way too much. It's really draining, Taehyung." Jeongguk admitted. "Even if I need to, I wish I didn't have to for just a bit. The jacket thing is resolved, but there's still Yoongi and Namjoon, being here, you—"

"What about me?" If there was something he could help with, Taehyung wanted to try.

Jeongguk wondered what to say and Taehyung wondered whether he'd get the whole answer. "About your fear. It couldn't have gotten any better after what I said."

"You're worried about my fear? Jeongguk, that's not your worry. That's my problem." His face fell. "You shouldn't stress yourself out over that."

"You don't say it, Taehyung, but I can tell it's either the same or worse than before after what I said. No matter what I did to redeem myself."

"You can't blame yourself for how I'm doing on my fear, Gguk." Taehyung's brows creased in retaliation.

"Have you been in the water other than a couple nights ago?" Jeongguk was quick to ask.

"No."

"There's your answer, then," the younger brushed a hand over the arm Taehyung held onto him with. "I made you backtrack on that."

"It's not your fault, Jeongguk." He insisted.

"Then, who's is it?"

"No one's." The older answered in a heartbeat. He wouldn't let Jeongguk think that way in a million years. "Besides, there's no point looking at it like that."

"And we should look at your fear how...?"

"Well, the fact that my fear trainer is back in business and in need of distractions from his own head works out nice, doesn't it? If it's been a while since I've gone in there, now would be a good time to start again."

"So, you want to try getting back in the water."

He pushed himself to ignore the dwelling doubt of such an impulsive plan for the relief passing over Jeongguk's face. The relief that there was some way to fix the mistake Taehyung refused to let the biker believe was his.

"We get back in the water." Taehyung confirmed, voice softening. "Tonight, okay?"

Because Jeongguk needed it, too. A break from himself. And there'd been a lot of issues revolving around the biker for the past few days so Taehyung didn't blame him.

"As long as you think you'll be okay. Don't rush anything."

"Ha, ha." He rolled his eyes with a small chuckle. "Thanks, Greased Lightning, but I'm ready to get in there."

Jeongguk paused, gaze more serious. "And how far do you want to go? Should we just get to your neck like last time? Go there for tonight—"

"All the way. Head under." He gulped, inwardly scolding himself for being so ambitious as the knots grew stronger and more painful in his stomach. "I'm going to do it tonight."

The surprise on the younger's face was obvious even after he tried to not show it. "I— uh— is that a good idea? I don't know, Tae..."

"How bad could it be?"

Jeongguk whistled lowly. "I've heard that line in too many movies to be assured by your confidence, Kim."

~•४•~

The air whisked past him quick enough to make him shiver, step a couple inches closer to Jeongguk and cross his arms over his chest.

"You good?"

"Mhm." Taehyung smiled, that awful gut feeling gnawing at his insides. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a while, but he knew he couldn't avoid it forever. Not if he wanted to surf before going home. "How about you?"

"Ready to dunk you underwater." Jeongguk joked and Taehyung scoffed, slapping his arm and then letting his hand linger on the leather. "No warning at all."

"Real funny." He grumbled. "I'll literally cut off your dick if you try that."

"Ouch." The biker winced and Taehyung's sour mood shifted to a small grin. Jeongguk paused just before the tide line that burned the sand a darker shade of gray in the moonlight. Taehyung nearly jumped when the younger grasped his forearm and forced them to face each other. "Hey, I need you to answer this very seriously."

"Okay?"

"You're positive you want to do this?"

"Wow, you're letting me back out now. Things really have changed from day one of fear conquering with Biker Jeon."

"Tae, I literally said to answer it seriously."

"Gguk, I trust you. And... whether I like it or not, I need to do this. I've only got less than a week and I hate seeing that board unused, so just— just do your thing."

Jeongguk's head tilted, gaze scanning his figure and Taehyung stared on indifferently. "It's not my thing. You do most of the work."

"The whole calming tactic is yours."

"You still choose to listen."

"I don't remember you giving me much of choice, asshole." Taehyung feigned the anger, inhaling sharply when Jeongguk's hand left his arm to cup his jaw, leaning in close for a moment.

"Yes or no, Taehyung? You don't have to do this if you don't want to. I can't hear into what your body's telling you, so you need to be honest."

He listened that time, knowing that Jeongguk's emphasis on assuring his willingness to fully be submerged was partially out of guilt. Jeongguk knew his words had an impact. He knew that it had shaken Taehyung all the more.

"Let's do it." He promised. "Just stay with me."

"I'll be right there with you." Jeongguk nodded, shoulders shrugging as the warmth of his hand left Taehyung's neck and caught his slipping jacket. Taehyung watched as he folded it gently, carefully like the first time they did this, and set it down on the sand.

Jeongguk was kicking off his shoes before looking at him and Taehyung jumped, realizing he was just standing and watching without following.

Right. You don't just get to stare, idiot.

What Jeongguk was doing wasn't even special. Just taking his jacket off. Something so simple, but it made him feel happy. Easy and light. Settled in the moment.

"Okay," Jeongguk stood straight and chuckled at his strange expression. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." Taehyung shook his face clear, hurrying to take off his shoes. "Nothing. Let's go."

He didn't reach for the younger until the sand went from damp to a wave tickling his toes. Then, his hand was snapping out to grab Jeongguk's forearm. The biker paused at the sudden reaction and made them stop.

"Tae?"

"M'fine," he whispered, feet tingling with every wave that passed just over the top of it. "It's just been awhile."

"We'll go slow." Jeongguk changed his position, turning so he was in front of Taehyung instead of beside and the surfer let out a relieved breath to find Jeongguk's face in his frontal vision instead of the endless horizon. "I'm right here."

"I know." Taehyung's voice cracked as they waded into the water, steps slow but steady and he felt the tremble shake his legs when the limbs were eventually submerged. With water hitting his hips, Jeongguk moved his free hand there, like the warmth did something to fend off the cold ink engulfing him waist down. "G-Gguk—"

"Shh, look at me. Focus, Taehyung." The biker shook his head to the sudden fearful gaze set on the water at Taehyung's waist. The older wrenched his chin up and forced his eyes to find Jeongguk's just like he'd been told. "There you go."

"It's really— it's cold," Taehyung stammered out, breaths coming short and desperate despite his focus on Jeongguk and the biker was stepping closer in response.

"You should go deeper and your body will get used to it." Jeongguk reminded, like he'd been a friend of the ocean's for his entire life and not Taehyung. "A few more steps, Tae, come on."

He gulped, shoving his chin upward to avoid any splatter of a wave touching his face, even though they were calmer than usual. Jeongguk was pulling him further in, then, their movement resuming with slightly more resistance. Taehyung gasped out when the water steadily hit his neck, hands gripping onto Jeongguk's arms with such force that the biker tensed uncomfortably under his touch.

His pulse was thunderous in his ears, blood rushing as fear came crashing down and plagued the safety of reality. His skin felt icy, eyes closing as his chest ached with the pinch in his ribs, lungs squeezing on his heart.

Hands were on his sides, holding him upright and Taehyung didn't know if he would be standing without them. He'd probably drown without them. Just like every other time.

"Hey," Jeongguk's voice was much closer than before and Taehyung forced the sound of his heartbeat away to hear his voice louder. It helped him register Jeongguk's body warmth as more evident, too. "Look at me."

"I-I don't— Jeongguk, I—"

"I'm right here." He repeated and Taehyung cried out softly as his feet dug into the ocean floor, sand curling and waves moving over his feet like they were chaining him there. Like he wouldn't be able to move when the high tide came and buried him under the moon. "Taehyung."

The hands at his side shook him and he tore his lids open, hands sliding up from Jeongguk's arms to his shoulders, trying to find a place where the low tide's pull didn't feel as strong. "Okay, okay— eyes open— eyes are open."

"Good," Jeongguk's chin was dipping under with every wave, rolling in and out of sight and Taehyung wished his mind wouldn't play mind games on him in seeing the water rise on Jeongguk's face at an unreasonable rate. "What are you hearing?"

"H-Hear? I hear... your voice— loud and clear. I hear—" his breath hitched, lungs shuddering as he tried to take in air when they were at full capacity. "Water—! The ocean. I can hear the waves— and—"

"That's good, Tae." Jeongguk's hand rubbed along his hip, thumb's pressure grounding him a slight more than his derailing. "Feel?"

"Your hands. You're warm, Gguk— but the water's cold and dark— it's so dark and I won't be able to see— it'll all be black even when my eyes are open—"

"Taehyung," Jeongguk's lips brushed his cheek, voice controlled like everything Taehyung could ask for from his anchor. "I'll be right under with you. I'll hold onto you this time, okay?"

"P-Please—" he nodded vigorously, arms slipping around his neck and pulling Jeongguk in a hug. The biker seemed to retract from the hug for a brief pass of time before giving into it as Taehyung clung to him like he was the lighthouse against a storm.

"Ready?" Jeongguk asked, voice louder like he was calling out an order.

Taehyung didn't respond as he buried his face in Jeongguk's neck and held onto his body with iron grips.

And then the biker's knees bent until they were drowning in the waves, water drenching Taehyung's floating hair as he scrambled to hang onto Jeongguk in every way. Bubbles spewed from the corners of his mouth in a silent cry, eyes pinched shut but tempted to look up and search for the moonlight veiled by the dark sea.

One hand was splayed on his back, hugging him incredibly close as Taehyung saw every image of his nightmares flash across the pitch black of his mind.

His head spun, chest collapsing in and squeezing every bit of calmness from his senses. He felt numb but oversensitive at the same time, everything tingling but the tugs of each tide clear and vicious.

His ears stung as the ocean drowned out the sound of anything else and he was suddenly kicking off the ground and up, forcing them out of the water with coughs and gasps sounding first upon breaking through the surface.

Jeongguk was gasping, too, pushing them back a few feet so Taehyung could stand with his chest exposed to the cool of night. The calloused hands were cupping his face, speaking slow while Jeongguk tried to catch his own breath in response to Taehyung's panic.

Thumbs brushed away the mix of his hot tears and the dripping cold of the sea, his chest heaving with painful gasps that made Taehyung's coughs burn and sputter out some salt water that had slipped in.

He couldn't let go of Jeongguk, shaking with terror at the forefront of his mind and Jeongguk was the only thing keeping him sane right there.

"Taehyung, slow your breathing. You gotta try." The words were ghostly, echoing around his skull as his eyes drooped. Every nerve in him felt strung tight, ready to snap and crumble into nothing. His mind was overwhelmed, unable to think about his pinched lungs very much— except for the way they hurt.

"Don't ignore me, Tae. I know you can hear me." Was Jeongguk trying to spite him? Taehyung shook his head like he expected to hear more and didn't want to lose it as his ears rang. Everything was muffled for too long, his vision splattered with black and tilting off the line of the horizon.

His lips were quivering, lips parting to say something, but then they were simply empty of all sound. Taehyung licked his lips, feeling the dryness consume his throat and turned his head down to cough again before looking back at the biker in an every daze.

He closed his eyes, pinching them shut before opening them, blinking until his ears began to clear and his eyes relaxed.

"W-What?" He finally managed, hands balling up any extra fabric in the tee Jeongguk wore. Jeongguk's brows were furrowed and Taehyung watched as they slowly relaxed, wishing he could do the same.

"Can you hear me?" Jeongguk asked quietly and Taehyung hummed for an answer. "Good. You did it, Tae."

"I... did it? That was terrible." He mumbled in defeat, falling forward to rest his forehead on Jeongguk's shoulder. "Maybe we shouldn't have gone— gone straight to that."

"I think it was great. You still managed a few seconds under."

"I'm going to need more than a few seconds, Jeongguk." His arms automatically wrapped around the younger's small waist, hands hanging limp around him, and Taehyung knew Jeongguk was doing most of the work.

A hand pushed back the drenched hair from his face, stroking the wet strands at the nape of his neck. "One more round of dunking?"

"What?" He didn't think he'd heard Jeongguk right.

"C'mon. We're going again."

Oh, he definitely heard him right.

His panic spiked all over again and Taehyung cried out a vicious cycle of no's while trying to hold onto Jeongguk as he forced them deeper. He plead for the younger to slow down, but water was already at his collarbones again and he felt like he had no choice but to throw himself onto Jeongguk and hold on so the biker didn't disappear from in front of him.

Taehyung's vision was blurred with the tears that time, wishing he had an ounce of the control that Jeongguk did, which he felt in the practiced breathing and limbs moving with intention, Jeongguk's legs kicking under him—

Wait. Why were Jeongguk's legs kicking? Taehyung horrifically looked behind them and found the shore much further than before, further than they'd ever gone.

"N-No! No, no, Jeongguk, where are you— what are you doing?" He scrambled out, voice choking up in a way that almost made his words incomprehensible. "Jeongguk!"

"Trust me." Is all the biker spewed out as his head dipped under with every kick and Taehyung was scared Jeongguk was hurting himself.

The thought was overwhelmed with a different one. Jeongguk was going to bring him out there and let him go and drown him and leave him. The entire summer gone to waste as he died at the hands of the man who saved him. Taehyung felt the pit of fear snap through his entire body and his dripping hair felt colder, more frozen like him, his heart felt like it froze and stopped, his mind seemed to dull over.

He wasn't sure if he was breathing, but then Jeongguk was treading in the water and they were hovering in a deeper part of the ocean, deep enough where Taehyung would have to turn upside down and swim a bit to try and touch the bottom. Deep enough where he'd be floating at the will of the ocean without a ground below him.

"Why— Why are you doing this to— to me?" He sobbed, tongue numb and voice soft.

"You trust me, don't you?"

He nodded, then shook his head as he spoke again, brain so muddled it terrified him. His feet were failing at the tread, resorting to a tiring desperate kick to help keep him afloat instead. "I-I don't want to die— Gguk, I don't want— want to die—"

"I won't let you die."

And if a more stern, serious sentence had been said that night, Taehyung didn't know of it. He wanted to believe he could do it, that Jeongguk was right there and that there wasn't any way for him to drown in this low tide and clear weather...

But he didn't get much of a chance to think as his body was disconnected from the biker's and Jeongguk stopped treading to sink under, a final intake of air the only sound that Taehyung heard over his wailing inner protests.

And then he mimicked Jeongguk and filled the pit of his stomach with air, shoving the fear into the back drawer, and then filled his lungs, feeling light and possibly doomed as he let his kicks slow until his head craned up towards the moon and his vision went blurred by the surface of the water submerging him again.

Without the touch of familiar arms, the darkness that consumed him was one that he'd spent the entire summer trying not to feel again. It was much worse than when he'd stood ankle deep that first time with Jeongguk, when he'd touched the ocean water for the first time since his accident.

This felt like the end. Like he had nowhere to go but down and down because his legs slowed and his chest was stagnant holding his breath in. His arms seemed to float with a mind of their own, like no thought he produced would move them to his will.

He felt a whoosh hit his stomach and fold him in half, causing his body to sink like he'd been knocked out, closed eyes cast up towards the surface.

He didn't see anything but the darkness under the water's surface, plaguing his mind with the image that he was too deep under to see anymore. Too deep to get out.

Something grazed his cheek, fingers he realized, when the entirety of five and their palm rested on his face.

You can do this. You can do this...

It rung like a chant in his head, consuming him with the willpower to embrace everything and find the control instead of wishing for it.

And then he realized it was all in his head.

When he looked up at the surface again, there was moonlight breaking through the surface, lighting a few feet under the water and leaving beautiful rays of light to simmer into the darkness below.

The hand on his face extended to a familiar face, a hint of concern hidden behind a coat of relief.

Taehyung felt the suspension, the bounce of every wave rolling and his feets' occasional kick to keep him at the same depth.

He really hadn't sunk that far. The surface was only more than a reach away and Jeongguk was in front of him, face faintly visible in the bending moonlight; the light rolled over and bent under like it was traveling over hilly lands of water.

Taehyung felt his fingers wiggle back to life, joints unfreeze and reconnect to his nerves so he could move them how he wished. His legs were already in motion but he could swivel his body around in a spin.

He could hear himself hum if he tried, he could hear the echoes of the ocean saying hello to him in his head, his hand wading through the water like it had found the calm after the storm, and not just before.

Jeongguk wasted some of his air on a small laugh, lips clamping shut a moment later as his face veiled in a sheet of bubbles that cleared soon after.

The surfer managed a smile through the bits of shock that was left behind in the recession of his pain. He tested his body's mobility, swaying and turning and Jeongguk seemed to copy his every move.

They circled around one another, the biker's featured shadowed but sparkling in the moonlight that swayed with them.

Taehyung pretended to dive, blowing out his nose to keep it from coming in, curving over the younger's head and ending up behind him. The water shoving his hair away from his face, rushing past his skin and filling in ever space in his flowing shirt as it floated with a mind of its own.

It felt incredible.

His eyes found the younger's back, gaze lingering for a few seconds as Jeongguk slowly turned to meet him. Jeongguk's shirt was afloat like his, exposing the bottom half of his tattoo, the feather and bottommost bird, ink and forever.

Taehyung felt the tension tighten within his throat, telling him his time was up, but he reached for Jeongguk before he kicked up, hugging the younger, a hand grazing over the exposed skin on his back. Over the ink that had started it all.

Jeongguk held him with just as much care and they kicked out of the water, gasping breathlessly when they hit the surface a second time.

They kept their bodies afloat with a steady tread, excitement bubbling through them both in the sudden aftermath of success. Taehyung choked out a startled laugh, Jeongguk's nose scrunching as a small sound of joy left his mouth, too.

"You did it, Tae." Jeongguk's forehead found a place to rest against his own. "You did it."

"Thank you." He responded, hands out stretched to keep them in one place. His nose grazed the younger's, not a touch of doubt hitting him. "Thank you, Jeongguk."

Jeongguk helped him swim back to the shore, though Taehyung's strength to move was hardly depleted like that of his mental strength. When his feet could touch the ocean floor's sand the exhaustion hit him twice as hard, wanting to sit down in the calming water and feel the tides hit his chest in a welcomed hug after ages.

His ears began to ring as the water didn't feel so cold against his skin, didn't run a shiver down his spine, but reminded him of dark eyes and warm hands. The feeling of suspension and moonlight washed over him instead of the one of sinking forever until he blacked out.

The tears welled in his eyes, making the scene of Jeongguk noticing him fall behind and turning blur altogether.

Wet hands soothed over his dripping arms, rolling over the drenched fabric hanging off his shoulders and back down his arms again.

But the tears slipped from his eyes, body turning to gaze back at the ocean that he'd felt good within just moments ago. A feeling he'd yearned for all summer and one he'd finally got.

Taehyung felt Jeongguk's presence pull away enough where he got to be alone with his waves. Where his tears of joy hung for dear life on the point of his nose before falling into the salty waters as he bent down to dip his fingers in the tide reaching his knees.

"Hi," he whispered. Whispered to the old friend he had lost and finally gotten back. His heart burned as a sob left his throat and he drew his hand back up, watching the water drip through the gaps of his fingers unlike the sand he'd used to mimic the action of for so long.

His shoulders jumped with every cry that left his lips, more quiet than not as he turned and fell into Jeongguk's open arms.

He didn't know how to thank the biker enough, but he figured Jeongguk understood anyway.

"Happy tears, right?" Jeongguk asked after a few moments.

He fumbled out a chuckle as he pulled away from the shoulder his head was buried in to look at the younger. Hands were brushing hair out of his face, swiping the tears stinging his cheeks to no avail, as water dripped from his hairline and circled his face.

"The happiest." Taehyung answered and Jeongguk smiled. The smile that was so overwhelming that Taehyung jumped forward to hug him again or he thought he'd keep crying forever.

He buried a muffled thank you into the younger's neck, finding it easy to forget how soaked everything was and how cold it was going to get because inside... inside he was so warm and so happy.

~•४•~

They were sitting on the porch steps, dry clothes and fresh minds on them. Taehyung wanted to wash his face and get in new clothes, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep that night out of excitement and overwhelm combined, before they continued on with their time.

So, he and Jeongguk cleaned up and found themselves on the back porch, watching the night shore's slow waves trickle up the sand and back, an endless approach that would get closer to them when the high tide laid a red carpet for the coming sunrise.

Taehyung hugged Jeongguk's arm, the younger's hand hooking under his thigh while Taehyung's head found rest on a leather shoulder.

The quiet was welcomed and neither felt antsy in the moment, just needing the other's presence to give them satisfaction and peace. But Jeongguk hummed softly, an answer to something in his thoughts, and Taehyung looked at him with a raised brow.

"What?" Jeongguk frowned.

"What're you thinking?" He asked with a small smile, turning his eyes back to the horizon. "I wanna know."

"I'm thinking about how well you did."

"Really?"

"No." Jeongguk rolled his eyes.

"Dickhead." Taehyung huffed. "I think I did great."

"I know you think that." The response made him look over again, brows raised and waiting for some explanation. "The way you look out at the water is different now. Before it was... longing. And now, it's like you're content."

He bit back a smile and stomped on the flip of his stomach, shaking his head at how Jeongguk's observance never changed. "Shut up."

"You asked."

"I didn't actually."

"You asked with your eyes." Jeongguk scoffed, squeezing his leg in warning as his eyes scanned over every part of the backyard except Taehyung himself.

"Oh, really, now?" Taehyung continued anyway. "What else do my eyes say?"

Jeongguk met his gaze again. Stared for awhile and Taehyung felt his momentary teasing fade away, lips parting to make way for a small breath as he drowned in the sparkling galaxy within Jeongguk's eyes.

The small scar just below his eye, on the apple of his cheek. The brush of hair swooping around the frame of his face, brushing his brows that led to half lidded eyes.

He wouldn't mind getting lost in there forever. He remembered when he'd said drowning in them felt nice and that point still stood. Taehyung felt as though it was the only place he'd ever drown in again and that in itself was a gas leak of joy that made him smile all over again.

"Your eyes..." Jeongguk cocked his head, blinking quickly like he'd been distracted and Taehyung almost laughed because he knew the feeling. He knew it all too well. "They say that you're stupid and that I'm a genius."

"Nice save." He shook his head, chuckling as Jeongguk missed his words. "Why's that?"

"My tactic is perfect." The biker said victoriously. "It worked wonders on you."

"Mhm, it sure did, Greased Lightning. Where did you learn it from?"

"What? Am I not capable of coming up with it?"

"No, you're too stupid for that." Taehyung grinned again at his deadpan expression. "Tell me, I'm curious."

Jeongguk fell quiet for a few seconds, face stoic and then relaxing back to nonchalance all in the blink of an eye. "I saw someone use it for themself. He'd use it to calm himself down whenever he had a panic attack."

"Ah, so you stole it. So much for Jeon's fear training." Taehyung hoped his purposeful evasiveness of Jeongguk's switch in mood relieved the younger. He knew Jeongguk didn't want to think about himself for some more time, which he tried to respect.

"I was damn good at it, don't lie."

"Yeah, if threatening to throw me in the water and dragging me out against my will is good."

Jeongguk pinched him and Taehyung yelped, slapping his arm and glaring at the annoying snicker that left the younger's lips.

"Don't pinch me."

"Don't test me." Jeongguk shot back.

"Whatever." He grumbled, hugging the leather arm against him again and snuggling into Jeongguk's side. The biker muttered a curse under his breath but danced his fingers back and forth on Taehyung's pants, just above his knee, and left the skin tingling.

"I have a question."

"Okay, don't ask it."

"Hey, it's a normal question!" Taehyung scowled.

"Your normal questions make my brain hurt."

"I was just going to ask how long you've had this jacket for, damn."

"Oh," Jeongguk shrugged, "A long time. Not too long after I met Yoongi and Namjoon. Why?"

"It's nice and worn in. It doesn't look very stiff like brand new ones."

"Because it's not brand new." The biker raised a brow. "You expected a jacket I wore every day to look brand new?"

"Well, no," Taehyung found a metal snap on the shoulder of Jeongguk's jacket, reaching his hand up to undo it and then pinch the two pieces back together. "I was just curious."

"Anything else you're curious about?" Jeongguk's voice dropped.

"How does it feel to wear it again?" He mumbled softly, liking how Jeongguk's breath hit the hand playing with the metal snap, air soft like the heat of a bonfire from a reasonable distance. "Did you miss it?"

"I guess." The raspy voice took its sweet time to answer. "And I guess no matter what happens, it's mine and it has gotten me through a lot... so yeah, I missed it."

"I think you're more comfortable in it." Taehyung agreed. "And it's makes you look cool."

"I look great without it, too." Jeongguk argued.

"I never said you didn't."

The younger grunted. "It's a comfortable jacket." His displeasure softened and Taehyung felt him slump in guilt, shoulder dropping, and with it, his head. "I just threw it on the ground. I let so many hands touch it. Hands I don't necessarily trust."

Taehyung was about to move away at his sudden words, but Jeongguk was quick to tighten the grip on his leg and keep him there.

"Not you, Taehyung. I trust you."

They looked at each other again and Taehyung saw some thought etch it's way across Jeongguk's mind in the form of forehead creases and a small intake of air.

"I trust you." Jeongguk repeated, more to himself and a look of want overcame him. Taehyung frowned as Jeongguk slipped his arms out of the sleeves and removed the jacket, actions everything slow but cautious. There was no hesitation but instead relief— like Jeongguk was finally comfortable doing something. "Taehyung, I..."

"Hey, you look just as good without as you do with— you don't have to... prove... what the hell are you doing?"

Taehyung gaped as Jeongguk's arms swerved around over his head and the inner lining of the jacket hit the surfer's back. He flinched when the material grazed the back of his neck, a sensation he had yet to experience and it sent a spear of ice down his spine.

"Jeongguk?" He asked with wide eyes, glancing at his shoulder that were covered by leather when Jeongguk fixed the jacket over his arms.

"Arms in the sleeves," he directed and Taehyung hesitantly listened, watching the younger's eyes unintentionally avoid his as they scanned over his chest and how his arms filled the hollow sleeves of leather. Jeongguk let out a small breath, happy sounding as it hung slightly loose on Taehyung's leaner figure, but hugged him close as he sat rather rigid, worried for ruining the appeal of the whole thing.

Though, frightened was the first thought that came to mind if he were to be honest with himself.

He frowned. "Jeongguk, I don't..."

"I just want to see you in my jacket."

He thought his heart stopped for a moment when the biker said those words. Jeongguk finally rose his gaze up, meeting his wide eyes with narrowed ones of his own. The smile on his lips was ever growing and Taehyung felt every bit of air be stripped from his chest, lungs deflated as quickly as they had expanded.

And the jacket? The inner lining on his skin felt warm and so much like Jeongguk himself. It brought goosebumps to the tops of his arms and he slowly relaxed, running his fingers over the opposite sleeve, leather cool under the tips of them.

But beyond the physical jacket, was the way Jeongguk stared at him in it. For Jeongguk to want the jacket on another set of shoulders that weren't his own was something Taehyung knew he shouldn't take lightly.

Jeongguk could be crawling back into the leather sleeves after tearing them off like they burned him, but he'd always been protective over the jacket.

It was gotten him through a lot and now it was on Taehyung.

"Are you cold?" He stupidly asked because Taehyung didn't even know what else to say.

Jeongguk chuckled, a hint of awe sparkling in the deepness of his eyes. "No, I'm great."

The ringed hand was sweeping over his wrist, up the forearm of leather up to Taehyung's elbow and then to his shoulder, clasping the metal snap Taehyung hadn't closed properly, before he tugged the zipper lining of the jacket closer together so Taehyung's exposed collarbones disappeared behind the collar.

"How does it feel?" Jeongguk asked after a few moments, as if Taehyung had absorbed the moment in— which he had, in fact, not.

Taehyung fumbled out a nervous laugh. "Honestly? I'm terrified out of my mind."

"Don't be," the biker raised a brow and his hands pressed down Taehyung's chest before stopping still on the older's knee. "You make it look better than it ever did on me."

"Is that some pick up line? Because I find that really fucking hard to believe." He flushed regardless.

"Consider it a deserved gift for succeeding fear training." Jeongguk teased, toying with the fluster clear in Taehyung's red and puffed out cheeks. The younger's voice quieted like Taehyung's heart dropping into his stomach as Jeongguk pushed into his space and their noses were just centimeters away from tickling against one another.

"Thank you." He whispered before the younger could speak.

"No," Jeongguk shook his head. "Thank you. For being someone I can trust this much. For forgiving me and caring."

The fire to his water. Taehyung was there to cool his flames. But maybe Taehyung was there to sprinkle droplets of water across Jeongguk's fire to make him spark and flare with greater passion. Passion towards what? Perhaps the passion towards letting himself be real. Be a realer version of himself and the guy he'd forgotten he was.

What did I do to deserve such trust? Taehyung thought.

"You brought out the side of me even I didn't know was stuck inside." Jeongguk answered, making him stifle a gasp in realization that he'd said the words aloud.

"Shit," he whispered, though it wasn't the actual words that were embarrassing, but the idea of spilling his thoughts out of his mouth without realizing. "Do I do that often?"

"Do what?"

"Say something I meant to just think?"

"You didn't mean to ask that?" Jeongguk seemed dumbfounded (and slightly entertained by the concern, but mostly confused). "Oh."

"No, no! I mean... that answer is really good. Like it makes me happier than you realize," Taehyung immediately corrected. "I just worry for what else I could have said."

"Oh." A smile teased the biker's lips and Taehyung groaned as the man's amused expression took full control over the confusion. "Why's that, Kim?"

"Shut up."

"No, no, I wanna hear this."

"Well, that's unfortunate because you're not going to."

"Come on," Jeongguk poked his side, dragging out his words with playful pressure. "Lay it on me."

"I'm good." He scoffed. "I'll steal this jacket if you keep pestering me. It's a great jacket, you know. I'd love to take it off your hands."

Jeongguk faltered with those words, face blanking as his lids blinked a couple times. Taehyung grinned, knowing he had won. Well, he thought he had.

"Do you really want it?"

His smile fell. "Huh?"

"I mean, if you like wearing it that much...I guess," he took a deep breath and Taehyung's eyes enlarged to spheres, disbelieving of what Jeongguk was implying. "I guess you could— you can hold onto it—

"Jeongguk," Taehyung exclaimed, grabbing a hold of his wrist. "I'm joking! You thought I seriously— no way in hell am I taking your jacket."

He was silent for a moment, taking in Taehyung's blurt of a reaction.

"That was a shitty joke." Jeongguk muttered eventually, scratching his head with his free hand and Taehyung thought the motion made him look rather cute.

"You were actually just going to give it to me?"

"You wanted it."

"Jeongguk..." Taehyung whispered, heart stampeding in his rib cage, swelling at the implications of what he was saying. "You never just give people what they want."

"I never said I knew why." He defended.

Taehyung bit back the screaming smile threatening to creep onto his face. He looked down at the leather jacket on him, wondering if the force with which his heart was beating was visible through the plane of his chest. He sure hoped not.

"I love it, but I'm not keeping it, Gguk."

"Why not?"

"What's got you so insistent?" Taehyung laughed, letting go of the younger's wrist to bury his hands in his own lap, gripping the wooden ledge of the patio step. "And don't say you don't know why, liar."

"Just making sure you don't have any regrets with that choice, Saltine." Jeongguk rolled his eyes and the surfer chuckled softly as he peeled the jacket off. "Done already?"

"It's not like I can't take it to wear again sometimes, right?" Taehyung wondered and Jeongguk shrugged in agreement. He handed the leather back to Jeongguk, who was swift in throwing it over his shoulder and slipping back into it like it was made to fit him. "Definitely looks better on you, Gguk."

"Sure."

"It didn't even fit me right."

"And it does with me?"

"Well, yeah," Taehyung said incredulously, gesturing to the sleeves tight around his muscles, collar grazing the edge of his hair. "It fits you perfectly. It's yours, after all."

"Mhm." Jeongguk sighed. "I should tell you something."

"What?"

"You do that speaking your thoughts aloud thing a lot."

"What?!" Taehyung nearly shrieked, a horrific expression overcoming his features. There was no way. He would rather drown in the ocean than for that to be true because Taehyung thought a lot, and some were very stupid thoughts, so it was not settling to hear that—

Jeongguk burst out laughing, pointing at his face and shaking his head. "I'm kidding! That's the first time it's happened."

"You— Jeon Jeongguk, I'm going to strangle you!" Taehyung shoved him, cursing under his breath as he glared at the biker. "Don't do that!"

"Not my fault you wouldn't tell me these secret thoughts of yours."

It is actually your fault, idiot.

Because how was he supposed to even convey that he thought about the younger's smile, his hugs and the way his arms surrounded Taehyung. Jeongguk's lips on his, the feel of his hair under his fingertips...

How was he supposed to convey that when he hadn't even thought through the impulsive things in his head?

"They have nothing to do with you." He jerked his chin away, glowering at the sand at the door of the patio steps instead.

"Fine, whatever. I'll drop it. Don't be a crusty, grumpy Saltine." Jeongguk swayed to bump their shoulders together and Taehyung begrudgingly scooted on the wood paneling, putting a foot of space between them. A huge amount honestly, considering their sides had been a hair from touching and they fed off each other's warmth just a second ago.

"Oh, don't do that, Tae." Taehyung yelped as Jeongguk's hands found a grip on his hips, using his strength to pull the surfer back to his side.

"Hey!" He jerked out of Jeongguk's hold and leaned forward to rest his hands on his thighs, chin perched up by his palm. "Leave me alone."

"No can do. Sorry, baby."

"Don't call me that."

"Why're you being so difficult?" Taehyung heard the touch of a laugh in Jeongguk's voice, partly relieved the younger wasn't taking him all too seriously. "You're acting like the first time we met."

"I was very friendly the first time we met. You were an ass." He reminded.

"Oh, no, I'm talking about before that. With the attempt to destroy my jacket."

"That? You were literally being a prick first."

"There was no need to damage something so priceless." Jeongguk huffed and Taehyung reached a hand up to push Jeongguk's face away, hearing and feeling him hiss at the hand latching onto his face. "And speaking of you being friendly, it really was hard not to find it funny."

"Fuck off. You made thanking you so goddamn difficult, and for what?"

"Well, I didn't want you thinking I was easy."

"You were after me all summer. I think you are easy, Jeon." Taehyung snickered. "Saved a surfer's life and everything."

"Oh, you're going there are you now." Jeongguk muttered bitterly, like the remnants of salt water were plaguing his tongue. "You literally kissed me first. A biker. What happened to Mr.Hopeless Romantic?"

"You took me to a cliffside and tickled me!"

"You're painting some story about my tattoo!"

"You let me fall asleep in your arms."

"You let me make out with you."

"You just let me wear your jacket." And Taehyung added for good measure: "Shut up about the kissing, by the way."

"Well, you shut up about the cliffside."

"We should go there again." Taehyung sighed dramatically. "You know, when you're not dying of hypothermia."

"I was not dying." Jeongguk's stubbornness was something else. Both of theirs was, Taehyung figured.

"Right." Taehyung waved off his comment. "I'm tired."

"Sleepy?" The question bounced off immediately, like Jeongguk knew exactly what Taehyung was going to say.

"Nah, just mentally." He murmured, slumping again and rolling out his neck. "Move your arm."

Jeongguk grumbled something under his breath as he moved his arm out of the way to make room for Taehyung burrowing into his side again. He leaned his head onto the younger's shoulder and hugged himself, not expecting Jeongguk's arm to take a hold of his waist from behind when it did.

"Happy?" The biker asked, pretending to be annoyed.

"Super." Taehyung sniffed, sarcastic.

"Me, too." Jeongguk muttered like it was a curse.

He cracked a discreet smile, happier that Jeongguk couldn't see it from where his face was tucked out of the biker's eyesight. Jeongguk's other hand was resting on his thigh and Taehyung looked past his own legs to pick it apart with his attention.

The couple rings wrapping around the base of his fingers glistened, like the earrings Taehyung had noticed on Jeongguk's ears plenty times before, were carved with curves and ridges in the metal for the design.

His hand took a path of its own as it reached over and brushed a small rake of a touch along Jeongguk's wrist, just over a vein that was visible past the cuff of his jacket. Jeongguk's fingers twitched, curling in on themselves as Taehyung's touch dance down the back of his hand and rolling back and forth over the hill of one ring.

He heard the younger's breath hasten, the arm wrapped around his back tense as the opposite hand gripped the side of his shirt. Taehyung kept his whisper of a touch ever so slow and controlled, nothing more than that of a ghost's finger running by.

"Taehyung." Jeongguk's voice came out slightly strangled, and he looked at the questioning expression on the man's face with a question of his own.

"Your hands are softer than I imagined." He said, bizarrely differing to what he had in mind.

The only feel of Jeongguk's hand in his that he could reminisce was one he'd forced out of his mind because it hadn't been a touch Jeongguk had appreciated. He hardly remembered what it felt like, too, when the younger had ripped his hand away less than a second later.

"You've imagined what my hand feels like?" Jeongguk's gaze narrowed, more baffled that Taehyung could possibly care about such a matter.

"That just sounds weird." He frowned, to which Jeongguk huffed out a smile. "But... I've— well, yeah. I mean, I'm not going to do anything you don't want to, but I've always liked holding people's hands. Especially people I'm close to. Like Jimin's and Jin Hyung's and Hobi's. It's just... nice. So, maybe I think about it sometimes and I'm sorry, I don't want you to feel bad because I totally understand and—"

"Hey," Jeongguk laughed softly, pulling on his waist so they bunched together closer. "Don't apologize. You like holding hands and that's perfectly fine."

"Did you ever hold hands before... before what happened?"

"You see, those are the questions that make my brain hurt." Jeongguk's joking words definitely didn't speak the volume of endearing that his expression did, one Taehyung had leaned away to look upon. "I don't think I really did. Maybe my dad's when I was a little kid. My mom was hardly ever happy with me, holding hands was out of the question."

"Ah." He internally winced, not really understanding something so normal for him being detrimental to Jeongguk's stable ground. Something normal to him being something sparse in Jeongguk's past.

But the younger seemed to realize that, too, when he said. "You really don't understand, Taehyung. Why I don't hold hands, I mean."

"I know." He grimaced, worried he'd offended the biker for a second.

Fingers lifted his chin and he was nudged back to meeting Jeongguk's eyes. "But... but that doesn't mean I don't want you to."

"What?" His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "What are you saying?"

"I want you to understand." Jeongguk added, hand dropping away. "Maybe I can get over my fear, too. Now that you mention it, I can't help but wonder what your hand feels like in mine, Taehyung. If it's possible to not hate the feeling."

"Jeongguk, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to—"

"That night you said I should try and you were right. I should try and you're the only one I could ever try telling it to." Jeongguk's voice cracked and a rush of clarity made Taehyung recoil an inch in shock.

His confusion screeched to the halt as if the meaning of Jeongguk's words had walked right in front of his speeding thoughts. Oh my god, okay, that—

"I'm here to listen, I promise," Taehyung said quickly, almost worried that they'd lose this moment of willpower in Jeongguk to let the most locked part of himself out to another soul. "Are you sure?"

"If it's not you, I don't know who else I would ever tell, Tae."

His heart was soaring out of his chest. That was the only way to describe how he felt.

"Then, tell me." He assured.

"Okay." The final whisper sounded.

The final whisper before Taehyung was granted the final piece to Jeongguk. His greatest nightmare that kept him up at night, the pain hurting him inside out, the story behind his tattoo....

The realest part of him, locked away, that Taehyung was the key to.

❧ ❧ ❧

so many people were waiting for tae to wear the jacket :') (myself included)

next chap is jk's backstory and thank you to rereaders for not spoiling anything so far!!<3

i planned out the rest of b&b but knowing me that plan might get thrown out the window LOL
will keep you updated on how much i stick to it

i have been utilizing my free time well on this book hehe i'm so excited to not take a whole month on updates again ♡

✵ NEETO ✵