❧ Onions and Peppers ❧

"You won't believe it!" Taehyung exclaimed when he pushed into the house. "Jeongguk got us in trouble and we were sprinting away from an angry store owner!"

"Thanks, Kim." The biker groaned, on his heels as they shut the front door behind them and slipped off their shoes. "It wasn't that bad! Just spray painting."

"Gave me a heart attack for a second." Hoseok responded as he rounded the corner. The dancer's brows raised taking in their state and leaned against the wall of the foyer. "...and you're both soaked. Got caught in the rain?"

"Oh my god, Hobi Hyung, I got Jeongguk to danf im wa waim—" A hand was pressed firmly against his mouth, muffling his words to gibberish and he whipped around to glare at Jeongguk behind him. "Insecure douchebag."

Jeongguk rolled his eyes as Hoseok laughed lightly. "You both should get changed into dry clothes."

"Wait! Wait!" Jimin came racing down the hall, Taehyung wincing at the overly enthusiastic expression on his face. "Hobi, why don't you get Jeongguk some dry clothes. I need to ask Tae something."

Ask him as in interrogate him. Taehyung internally threw a fit as he met his best friend's eyes, feeling entirely tortured by even the thought of it. "I'm cold too, actually, we both should get changed—"

"No need," Jin suddenly appeared and a strangled sound was ripping through his mouth as his older brother grinned. "You can spare a few minutes."

Fuck all of you, Taehyung glared the message into their skulls.

"Well—" Jeongguk scratched the back of his head. "Uh, Tae has been out in the cold for a while, too—"

"Let's go, Jeon!" Hoseok chirped, hand on his wet shoulder and leading him upstairs.

"Great." Taehyung mumbled under his breath. "Can I at least get a towel?"

He wanted to hit his head against the wall when his older brother revealed a towel from behind his back, prepared like Taehyung wasn't going to be leaving his sights anytime soon.

"I'm going to kill you guys." He huffed, snatching the cloth and wrapping himself until it dulled his shudders. "What do you want?"

"Oh, Taetae," Jimin giggled, side hugging him. "You've been gone all day with this guy and you came back all happy and screaming. Spill everything, you secretive shit."

Where was he even supposed to start with that conversation?

We kinda made things official last night during the bonfire after kissing and today was just a bunch of random things and I got to know Jeongguk more and we danced in the rain and he actually kissed my forehead and actually called me beautiful and I'm so down bad for this guy—

"Hello? Earth to Taehyung?" Jin waved his hand in his face.

"Shit, sorry." He brushed his dripping hair from his face and stood against the staircase railing. "We went swimming this morning. More like, he helped me get back to swimming. It went okay, but I struggled a bit. Then, we went downtown and got brunch and walked around. We found this graffiti art and Jeongguk was picking up a stray bottle and adding to it—"

"So that's what you meant." Jimin blurted out in the midst of his story time. "Loser."

"Hey! The store owner saw him and we had to jump a fence! It was pretty damn scary." He pouted and Jin patted his head pitifully, to which he swatted the older's hand away. "Then we just got an early dinner some time later, drove to the cliffside and hung out there. Watched the sunset... danced..." his cheeks burned as he glanced up at them. "Danced in the rain..."

Both their jaws hung so far low, they grazed the floor. Not really, but you get what he means.

"That Jeongguk?" Jin whisper yelled. "The same Jeongguk who— what the hell?"

"I'm going to get absolutely slaughtered by him if you even express any general knowledge of that fact!" Taehyung hissed, forcing their voices down. "Zip it, okay?"

Jimin was pretending to zip his mouth shut and throwing the 'key' over his shoulder in response, lips tugged into a wide smile as he slapped Jin's arm excitedly. "I can't believe you convinced Jeon Jeongguk to dance with you. In the rain. How is that even possible?"

"You win a bet, fair and square." Taehyung snorted, swallowing a moment later with a shyer expression. "And you make him your boyfriend."

"What did you guys even bet on— hold up." Jin's thoughts screeched to a halt. "The— what— boywhat? Huh?"

"I knew it!" Jimin screamed, Taehyung pressing his hands to his ears as the shrilly screech enveloped the house. "I fucking called it. Oh my god! Kim Taehyung, you're taken! When the hell—"

"Would you quit screaming?" Hoseok was skipping down the steps, face scrunched up in a wince. "You're going to give us all headaches."

"Where's Jeongguk?" Taehyung frowned at the absence of him.

"Changing." Hoseok nudged his toweled shoulder with a beaming smile. "Boyfriends, huh?"

"You heard?" He exclaimed horrifically. "Jimin, what the hell, man? Was the screaming necessary?"

"Uh, yes. Very much so."

Jin and Hoseok were laughing and the room lightened with both energy and his nerves relaxing. The spite in his expression was more pretended and Taehyung dodged their playful poking and prying.

"When did things get official?" Jin's arms were crossed over his chest, legs crossed over one another as he stood beside Jimin, the four of them all crowding the hallway. "Today?"

"Last night."

"You son of a bitch." Jimin gasped. "You hid this from us for a whole twenty four hours?"

"More like twenty!" Taehyung corrected, seeing the wall clock tick at some minute past eight.

"Same difference," Hoseok laughed, squeezing his shoulder. "How did things go down?"

"I really wish Jeongguk would show up right about now." The artist groaned. "So you all would shut up."

"I have been summoned?"

The youngest surfer perked up hearing the raspy quiet voice, whirling around on his heel to see Jeongguk standing behind him— a few feet higher from his place on the staircase.

"Dude, Tae really just summoned his man." Jimin was excitedly slapping Jin's arm again and the eldest was cursing at him for the painful attack.

"Hey," Taehyung pushed past Hoseok and met Jeongguk on the bottom step of the stairs. "All good?"

Jeongguk sent him a weird look. "Yeah? I was just changing, stupid. I'm great." His brow raised. "Are you? You're a little red."

"Nope. All good. Great. Just— just annoying shits being annoying shits." Taehyung rushed through and Jeongguk's eyes wandered to the other three surfers with a small smirk on his face.

Goddammit, Taehyung wanted the floor to open and swallow him whole.

"Okay, if you say so." He raised a hand and nodded to the others, as if he hadn't properly greeted them. "I guess this is my first time seeing you guys as his boyfriend, so... hello."

"Jeongguk!"

"What?" He blinked in confusion. "You didn't tell them? I thought that was why you were looking like a wholeass tomato—"

"Screw all of you, seriously." Taehyung pouted.

"So... you guys do know?" The biker asked the others.

"As of like... two minutes ago?" Hoseok answered. "But yeah. The youngster is cuffed. No more hearing his lonely cribbing— hallelujah."

"Wow, love you, too, Hobi." Taehyung shoved his side, all of them sputtering out small laughs. "Can I go change if this stupid interrogation is over? I'm freezing my balls off."

"Uh oh, can't let that happen." Jeongguk tugged his arm. "Go change, baby."

Taehyung tripped on a step as he head upstairs, heart jerking embarrassingly in his chest as the commotion burst aloud from his best friend and the rest of the party downstairs.

Changing was a long task. Very short with the actual clothes part and more staring in the mirror to collect himself.

Every time he stared into the reflective surface, his smile just grew wider, though. He muffled an otherwise loud squeal, jumping in the bathroom and spinning around in his first moment of alone time all day.

He'd dreamt of this for so long. After seeing real happy couples, watching countless romcoms... even going through college and seeing those dreams strengthen in the opposing hookup culture present in most crowd he met.

A knock sounded at the door and he nearly tripped again, grabbing the counter edge and then opening the door with one hand.

"You good, Saltine?"

"Great. Just... needed some me-time."

"Mind giving me some time, too?"

"You've gotten my time all day, you greedy brat." He huffed, stepped away from the bathroom countertop to hug the younger anyway. "Missed me that much in those ten minutes?"

"I'm kinda too antsy about this painting thing, actually."

"Oh, yeah." He mumbled. "That's a thing."

"Um... is that thing not happening?"

"No, no, of course it's happening." Taehyung shuffled out of Jeongguk's hold. "Give me a second. This is a big reveal and it needs to be perfect."

Jeongguk chuckled at his words, nodding appreciatively and motioning him to go do whatever he needed.

"You need to close your eyes." Taehyung chewed his lip nervously as the biker raised a brow. "Please."

"Damn, okay." Jeongguk closed his eyes, grinning a second later. "Hey, you just said the word."

"Can you control your horny ass for like ten minutes?"

"Alright, alright." The low laugh filled the upstairs. "Anything for you."

He swore his stomach magically sprouted butterflies that made his insides goo and warm with things so nice. Taehyung opened his bedroom door and peaked inside, breath hitching when he saw the last canvas completed on the easel, and the others against the wall on the floor.

He pulled the door almost shut again and turned back around.

"Jeongguk." Taehyung warned when he caught the younger peeking rather cutely. The biker made a sound to convey his reaction to being caught and Taehyung was stepping close to him and raising a palm to shield his eyes. "Can't even listen to a simple instruction, can you?"

"I feel like I'm about to see the Queen's Royal Crown or something." Jeongguk whispered and Taehyung tased his side with his free hand. "Hey, no attacks when I'm blinded!"

"Shut up, then." He smiled to himself, nudging the door open with his hip and pulling the biker inside the bedroom. "Stand right here."

Jeongguk didn't have much of a choice as Taehyung left his side to rearrange the canvases in order of sequence. He glanced over his shoulder once to make sure Jeongguk had his eyes closed and quickly worked his way around the small studio space to place them along the floor— leaning up on the wall.

"Turn around." Taehyung wrung his hands nervously, all the sudden doubts and tingling ends of his nerves making him second guess what he was doing.

Jeongguk turned away from him and the paintings.

"Open your eyes."

He couldn't tell if Jeongguk actually followed through with the action from his angle, but he trusted the biker to be mindful of the process's every step. Crucial to Taehyung feeling satisfied by the presentation of his summer project.

Jeongguk was the first person he was formally showing it, too. The first person who hadn't seen it come to life in bits and pieces, patches of base layers and details alike.

The first raw impressions and— in his eyes— the most important.

"Eyes open." Jeongguk's head turned every so slightly like he was taking the bedroom in rather than the coming moment. "Nice room, Tae."

"Thanks."

His hands were shaking. He wondered if it transmitted into his voice because Jeongguk was wordlessly reaching a hand out behind his body, in Taehyung's direction and requesting for another set of fingers enclose around his.

He stepped up to Jeongguk's side and took it, fingers squeezing the younger's hand firmly.

"Don't be worried." The biker whispered, like any louder sound would shatter the balcony glass. "You really have nothing to worry about."

"I actually have a shit ton to worry about. What if you don't like it? And— and I used your tattoo— there's so many issues I jumped over with just that. And technical-wise, I could have missed something. The list goes on and on and—"

"You're cute when you ramble, Taehyung," Jeongguk tugged him closer with their clasped hands. "But shut up and trust your talent sometimes, okay? You literally have a full ride scholarship to an art program. That says a lot in itself."

Jeongguk's thumb ran over the ridges of his knuckles.

"Breathe, Tae."

And he took a deep breath before nodding and pulling Jeongguk around to face the paintings.

Silence was a scary thing. That was the most overwhelming thing Taehyung learned a minute into revealing his paintings.

Silence was downright terrifying. It wasn't a negative or positive reaction, but the entire lack of one, where Jeongguk's eyes were slowly maneuvering through the five canvases and the rest of his face remained stoic.

Silence was making his panic rise again and force him to grab the reigns of his sanity and control it.

He just prayed that Jeongguk's silence meant he was busy absorbing the artwork and it's deeper meanings, connecting to it as deeply as Taehyung did— maybe even more deeply.

Jeongguk suddenly moved and Taehyung's heart lurched in his throat.

Was he going to just trash one of the canvases? Maybe take his anger and hatred out on one of them physically. Taehyung highly doubted it, but everyone was full of surprises and he didn't know what Jeongguk was doing with the slow steps towards the aligned canvases.

The younger crouched before the canvases. His eyes bored into each other slowly, over each and every one of the five before doing it again.

Then, his hand was reaching out and hovering inches off the color-filled pages of white, tracing curves of the waves and the wings of the bird showcased in the main spotlight of the work.

And after he traced over the last one, his hand fell between his legs and he just stared again.

"Jeongguk?" He finally said, voice shaky because he felt like crying. He didn't know what to take of the reaction and it was incredibly nerve wracking.

Taehyung had taken plenty of criticism in his life— he was prepared for his parents' remarks— but he didn't think he could take it from Jeongguk for this specific project. Not this one. Not one he'd put so much of himself and the biker into.

Jeongguk stiffened at his voice, like the tone of it was unexpected and startling. The biker was standing and moving quicker than Taehyung could comprehend.

Jeongguk was so far, crouching in front of his art, one second, and then standing inches from him the next. The warmth washed over him like sun coming out from behind the shield of clouds, the hands cupping his face so steady and comforting.

"Hey, hey," Jeongguk attempted to settle his trembling. "I'm right here. You're okay, Tae."

"You're— you're not saying anything— nothing about the paintings— you hate it, don't you? You should tell me... please, just tell me if you do. I'll make changes, I can do that. I'll make it better so you like it because it's your tattoo and—"

Jeongguk whispered something and he missed it. But he went awfully quiet in the next moment.

When he blinked the pooling tears away, desperate to find any hint of emotion in Jeongguk's voice, he was left stunned by how much emotion was there.

The smile was small and so beautiful. The simplest, most gentle curvature to his lips that made him look so vulnerable. Jeongguk's eyes were so dark and warm, like some swirling mug of hot chocolate, or the burning patches of firewood leaving his skin hugged in considerable heat. Taehyung didn't realize they were welling with wetness until his lashes sparkled, the doe eyes affectionately drawing him in.

"Kim Taehyung, I can't say anything when you've literally left me speechless." Jeongguk murmured softly, the words like breaths on his cheek and he felt every tense muscle in his body ease. "The best kind of speechless."

And those words were enough for Taehyung to break and throw his arms around the younger, pushing him back with the force of his hug and holding him close to his chest for every possible moment of those few seconds.

"Thank goodness." He croaked, Jeongguk laughing and squeezing him in an even tighter, constricting hug that he wouldn't have traded for the world. "I-I thought— I didn't know if you'd like it, Jeongguk. I genuinely was so scared and—"

"None of that matters." The biker hummed, pulling away so they could look at one another. "Because I love it. I really do."

He gasped out some sound resembling a laugh and hugged Jeongguk again, slipping out of his arms to gesture to the project. "You understand it?"

"I think so." Jeongguk stood beside him as they looked over the canvases. "You should tell me about it anyway. I want to hear what you were thinking."

"Okay," he nodded slowly, mouth going boxy in his wide smile. "Okay, I can do that."

Jeongguk looked at him from the side, which he caught in his peripheral. "It's beautiful, Hyung. Seriously."

"Thank you." His words were a whisper as his eyes shifted from the artistic story to the real man beside him. "The bird... it's yours. I liked the whole feather-bird-gravity concept and used it here."

They took a seat on the edge of the bed, sinking into the mattress while looking at the like of sequential canvases.

"The first one— it's freedom. Free will and not having anything hold you back." Taehyung pointed to it, leaning into the hand around his backside that held him close. "The bird's flying free, the skies are clear and the ocean looks inviting."

"And then the storm comes in." Jeongguk continued.

"Yeah, the storm comes in," Taehyung's gaze shifted to the second one, where clouds devoured the sun, dark and eery as the water seemed dull of color and the prior vibrancy. "Gray waters and skies... the bird pulling back from a certain flight path. Hesitation and fear. Comes as quickly as the change of tides."

"And it escalates." The younger pointed to waters. "The waves look choppier in the second one."

"Yeah?" He nodded. "That's the point. Good job, Greased Lightning. A plus for observation."

"Was that sarcastic?"

"No." He laughed, resting his head on the younger's shoulder and glancing at Jeongguk reaching for his hands to play with the bracelet on Taehyung's wrist. "I'm serious. The choppier waters lead into canvas three. The waves grow and reach around the bird like chains, dragging it down under. The sun's gone and the skies are dark. Feathers stripped away from the bird's wings— making it harder and harder to fly free."

"Trapped." Jeongguk mumbled.

"With no where to go but down." He breathed.

"The fourth one... the bird's drowning?"

"Drowning in a sea of darkness. Feathers floating about like a taunting sign of its love for flight stripped away." Taehyung nodded along with his thoughts. "The fourth one is the lowest point, where nothing seems right and it seems like everything is pitted against you feeling free again. But then there's the sun."

"The sun rays— Tae, they look like hands." Jeongguk's eyes narrowed in his discovery. "They're reaching into the water?"

"Mhm." He chewed his lip, looking at his biker in the memories that swarmed his head.

Those hands that pulled him out of the water the very first time, the hands that saved him every time after that. Turning them when they tripped over on the cliffside so Jeongguk took the fall, saving him the second time when he'd forced himself past his breaking point in the water... just keeping him warm and safe with no sign of an end.

"The sun's reaching for the bird, there for it when nothing else can find it so deep under." Taehyung continued. "And the last one."

"The last one is amazing." Jeongguk repeated, voice airy in awe.

"I only finished it yesterday. After you held my hand two nights ago. After I knew, Jeongguk, that neither one of us was going to get swallowed forever by our fears."

The sun rays pulled the bird out of the otherwise endless sea of nothingness, the light in the dark, but also the warmth in the cold. The sun that the bird had taken for granted and saved it when the bird least expected.

The bird was pulled from the waters, new feathers growing, a tinge of gold lining the new wings like it was kissed by the sun itself.

New wings, new freedom, and it looked stronger and more beautiful in the end.

"We're each other's sun." Taehyung said softly, chest warming with the head resting atop of his. "When we were drowning birds, with nowhere to go but down, we saved each other."

He lifted his head, forcing Jeongguk's away to look at the inky wing peeking out of the fresh shirt the younger was clad in. He smiled at it, like he owed everything to that tattoo, and maybe he did. Because if he'd never seen that tattoo when Jeongguk had gotten him to the biker doorstep, maybe he wouldn't have ever found Jeongguk. No matter how many clues the younger hinted with, he would have never believed it had it not been for the ink engrained in his mind.

Jeongguk was staring at him, eyes drooped and that sweet smile gracing his lips. "I'd like to think my wings are more golden now. Better than before because of you."

"They are. They honestly always were if anyone bothered to look closer." He shrugged lamely, Jeongguk chuckling with a shake of his head. "Any constructive criticism?"

"No. This is so good as it is." The younger was quick to say and his heart clenched in his chest. "It's so real, Tae. It's so... us."

"You know," his knowing laugh was quiet and so gentle. "I thought of a name for it some time ago."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You gave it to me." Taehyung paused. "Well, technically I said it, but you gave it more meaning— ugh, you get what I mean."

"Loser," Jeongguk chuckled, bumping their shoulders together. "What is it?"

"Perfectly real." Taehyung announced and he saw the weight lift off Jeongguk's shoulders. "It may not make sense to anyone but us, but I don't care. It's the only name that fits in my head. What do you think?"

"I don't think there's anything better than that." The younger blinked harshly, and Taehyung could see the remnant of a tear held back in his eyes. "And it does make sense with the painting. If someone looks hard enough."

That seemed to be the theme of the night. Looking hard enough, caring to look deeper than the surface to find something so wonderful and inspiring inside.

To connect to something— someone— you'd never dreamed of ever meeting in your life.

Sure, Taehyung was a hopeless romantic, but that didn't mean he couldn't make the most of every passing moment and person his life put in front of him.

"How so?"

"No flight's ever guaranteed to go well," he pointed to the first canvas. "There's always a risk every time you leave your stable ground."

"And taking that risk anyway...?"

"Failing is real. Taking the risk and failing is real, but so is something pulling you up from rock bottom. And if there's one thing I've learned this summer, it's that being real is the most perfect way of living there is."

"The best way of living." He echoed.

"For me," Jeongguk took his hand. "For Hwan, and for us."

Taehyung rasped out a happy sound, strangled in the lingering seize of all air in his lungs. "Oh, Jeongguk..."

"C'mere," The hands were around him, pulling him close and Taehyung buried his head into the crook of Jeongguk's neck. His favorite feeling in the world may have been how good it felt to be wrapped up in those strong arms, sometimes leather, but always Jeongguk.

"Your parents are going to love it." Jeongguk was saying in his ear, making a sliver of tension arise to the surface again.

"You underestimate how brutal they can be." Taehyung attempted to joke, holding Jeongguk close when the biker tried to pull away and look at him. He wasn't ready to leave the hug. He wasn't ready to let those arms slacken. "They don't care for the painting unless it results in something promising."

"This is promising."

"Jeongguk..." he bit back a smile. "I know you think that and I'm grateful, but they don't think like your smartass."

"So, they're just stupid."

"No," he chuckled, shaking his head into Jeongguk's neck and muffling his voice. "Maybe. I don't know. We just don't see eye to eye."

"I'll make them, Saltine. They can talk to me." Jeongguk squeezed another laugh out of him. "I'll show them how cool you are."

"Mhm, and what're you going to do? Rev your motorcycle in front of them?"

"It's a possibility." Jeongguk sniffed, using more force to tug back and look at Taehyung. They were both smiling. "I'm serious. If there's any art of yours that'll show them how talented you are, it's this."

"I think you're a bit biased."

"And you're being annoyingly pessimistic." Jeongguk scoffed.

"Hey, does this mean you don't think art is dumb?"

"I don't think your art is dumb."

"Okay, now that's really biased, Gguk."

"Of course I'm biased towards you." Jeongguk grinned. "Besides, with or without bias, I'm impressed... and thankful."

"Thankful?"

"You gave my tattoo a new meaning. It's always been so filled with some hard memories to think about, but now I can think about an amazing piece of art that came out of it, too."

"I'm glad." Taehyung felt his cheeks warm, the praise getting to his chest and causing everything to malfunction. "Honestly, I would have probably scrapped it if you didn't like it."

"What? No, I wouldn't let you."

Taehyung laughed, squishing Jeongguk's cheeks and laughing harder when the protesting grunt sounded in response. "Can't believe I left you speechless, Ggukie. I guess I'm starting a line, too."

"Did you—? Damn, Tae, really using my own words against me."

"You remember that?"

"Of course I remember when you forced yourself to thank me that night. It was fucking hilarious."

"Asshole."

"I know." Jeongguk pursed his lips, clearly holding back a grin. "But can you blame me? You made it so funny without even trying!"

He flipped the younger off and turned away, acting like an angered child throwing a tantrum with his arms over his chest. "I'm not talking to you."

"C'mon, Saltine," Jeongguk teased, hands reaching for him, but he shrugged all the touches away with a smile on his hidden face. "Don't be annoying. I'm just playing."

"And I'm fine without your playing." He huffed, chest puffing out and dipping back in with the big breath.

Fingers dug into his waist and Taehyung shrieked when he was lifted up in the air and went flying backwards for a second before colliding with Jeongguk's chest as they flopped back onto the bed. They burst out startled laughs as Taehyung rolled off of him and laid sideways on the bed next to Jeongguk.

"The hell was that?!" He punched Jeongguk's shoulder, hardly able to see with the wide smile making his eyes narrow and vision blur. "I thought I was going to get body slammed!"

"I should have done that," Jeongguk snickered, bracing his head up with his hand as they faced one another in the sideways positions.

"I would have given you the silent treatment," Taehyung smiled, letting his free hand reach out a foot to brush against the metal of Jeongguk's earrings.

"Hello, Kim Taehyung."

"Gross." He cringed.

"Your name's not gross."

"The way you just said it is, Jeon Jeongguk."

"Ew."

"Exactly." He almost giggled, feeling lightheaded as his fingers slowed and traced the shell of Jeongguk's ear, slipping to his jawline and then up to his hair. "Thank you for liking it, Jeongguk. Seriously. It means a lot to hear the praise from you."

"Anytime. Make paintings everyday and I'll tell you how cool they are all the time." Jeongguk's hand had slipped to the curve of his waist, drawing circles along the exposed skin above his waistband from where his shirt had ridden up ever so slightly. Taehyung flushed some rosy color at the feeling of Jeongguk's hand on him, his own finger curling a strand of hair around itself.

"Sounds like a plan." He whispered. "I'll send you pictures everyday."

"Send me pictures..." Jeongguk frowned. "I guess that's how it'll have to be, huh. I forgot this isn't our normal lives."

"Now, wouldn't that be amazing?" Taehyung chuckled sadly. "We leave in a few days."

"Us, too." Jeongguk nodded. "Didn't even think about long distance after being so close all summer."

"Is it too fast?" He dared to ask the question. Because he and Jeongguk were inexperienced in relationships and they'd only just gotten together... that was the risk.

Jeongguk knew that, too.

"You trust me, don't you?" Jeongguk asked.

He nodded and smiled. "We can make this work. I know you trust me, too."

"Why's that?" Jeongguk's finger flicked away a strand of hair that fell in front of his eye. "How come you know for sure?"

Taehyung rolled his eyes, pointing towards the painting. "Because you let me do that."

"Hm?" The younger sounded distracted as he glanced over at the artwork for a second. Distracted or not, he admired the paintings for that entire second.

"Jimin told me something the other day," Taehyung mumbled. "The amount of trust you have in me to let me use your tattoo— something so special to you— as the focus of my paintings. You let me paint your story, Jeongguk. That takes a lot of trust."

"It's your story as much as mine." Jeongguk's gaze wandered around his face and Taehyung tapped his neck.

"Are you even paying attention?"

"Of course, I am."

"Really? You sure?" He raised a brow at the younger.

Jeongguk chuckled lowly and hummed, leaning forward to cup his face with a hand and sneaking in a quick kiss on his lips. "You're just so pretty, my lame talented Saltine."

"Cheesy motherfucker."

"I'm soaking in all the visuals before I won't be able to drive ten minutes to see it."

"Right," Taehyung gnawed at his lip, leaning forward himself to kiss Jeongguk's cheek. "You do that."

"Yay," Jeongguk suddenly let his body roll into Taehyung's, burrowing into the surfer's side and Taehyung was stunned for a moment when the biker's head tucked itself away in his chest.

"Jeongguk—?"

"Don't move. This is nice."

He bit his cheek to withhold the curve of his lips as he kissed the top of Jeongguk's head and hugged him close. The younger never even conveyed when he wanted to be held. Never asked or made it obvious. Taehyung was glad he took initiative to do it when he wanted.

He was gladly leaving his arms open for whenever Jeongguk wanted to be in them.

"We should get to your place soon." He murmured after a few minutes. "You want me to meet Yoongi and Namjoon, right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go, Ggukie." Taehyung nudged him, laughing when Jeongguk groaned and resisted the separating process. "We gotta escape my hyungs on the way out, too."

"Yeah, yeah." Jeongguk waved off, brushing his hair back with his fingers as he stood from the bed.

"You dummy," Taehyung grabbed his arm upon noticing the glum expression on his face. He pulled Jeongguk close, one hand curling around his neck in a simultaneous pull of his lips onto his.

A low sound rolled out of Jeongguk's throat, a ringed hand gripping the hem of Taehyung's shirt's bottom lining. Taehyung pressed his lips harder for a second or two before pulling away entirely, Jeongguk breathing heavily as his eyes took a moment to peel open.

"What was that for?" The younger asked, voice airy with stun.

"Just felt like it." Taehyung shrugged, grinning with a bounce in his step as he headed for the door.

Jeongguk was glancing at the paintings, taking them in once more before following the surfer out of the house and to his motorcycle.

~•४•~

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Taehyung swallowed a lump in his throat as he paced the empty space in front of the bikers' apartment. He laughed nervously. "Maybe we should give it time. Let everyone hang out before we do the honors of an individual chat—"

Jeongguk sent him a look and Taehyung stopped pacing.

"—okay, yeah, nevermind. This is cool, too. I'm ready to get charred to the ground by Yoongi's laser eyes— maybe Namjoon will save me— do they even know I'm coming?"

"You overthink things way too much, you know that, Kim?" Jeongguk shook his head, finally slotting the key into the lock and shoving the door open. "Huh."

The lights were switched off.

"They aren't home?" His panicked state died in seconds, relief making his shoulders sink and a joyous sigh sound. "Life loves me. I love life. I get to put this off a little longer—"

"Would you get inside?" Jeongguk rolled his eyes from the doorway, reaching out for his arm and Taehyung giggled giddily as he was tugged into the home. "They must've just stepped out for a drive. They'll be back soon."

"Shit."

"You're so lame, Taehyung, I swear to god."

"Well, you decided to date me, so quit complaining." He huffed, nudging the door closed as Jeongguk flicked the lights on. "You're pretty lame yourself, you know. Just all talk."

"You think I'm all talk?"

Taehyung snorted, "You couldn't even kiss me first."

"It's called self control, Saltine." Jeongguk raised a brow at him. "Clearly you lack in that category when you slammed our lips together."

He felt his cheeks burn, muttered a curse on the guy under his breath while simultaneously taking in the humble abode. "Nice place."

"It's no surfer beach house," Jeongguk hummed, taking off his jacket and hanging it off the back of a small dining table chair near a small living room and otherwise manageable kitchen. "But it's good for the three of us."

"I like it." Taehyung smiled, chin jerking to the kitchen that looked incredibly untouched. "Does that stove ever get used?"

"Yoongi cooks occasionally. Nothing big." The younger scratched his head while turning the kitchen light on. "Namjoon would burn the place down if he tried. Water?"

"Sure," Taehyung leaned against the center island. "And you? Is Biker Jeon a chef?"

"I'd rather eat than cook, baby." Jeongguk glanced over his shoulder with a grin and Taehyung cringed at his stupid joke. The cabinet was pulled open as the biker grabbed a couple glasses, filling them up and sliding one over to him. "It's comfortable. And close to the shore— which is all I cared about."

Taehyung gulped his water and smacked his lips. "Hm, makes sense. You got neighbors?"

"Maybe. Dunno, to be honest." Jeongguk shrugged, leaning back against the counter next to him and Taehyung bent down to rest his elbows on the surface. "Never met 'em."

"How friendly and welcoming." Taehyung teased. "They don't make you a welcome cake when you move in for the summer?"

Jeongguk scoffed and the surfer laughed, muffling the sound with a hand over his mouth as they fell into a quiet pocket of the moment.

Taehyung looked over at Jeongguk to say something, realizing he'd forgotten when there was a lack of words on his tongue. He opted to watch how Jeongguk stared down at his glass, swirling the water in circles and creating a funnel.

"You good, Gguk?"

Jeongguk's hand stilled, eyes shifting to him, the line of his lips curving on instinct. "Yeah, I'm good. Why do you ask?"

"You're thinking silently." Taehyung's brows furrowed as he stood straight and let his right hip hit the counter when he turned to face the biker. "You're usually pretty loud when you think."

"Yeah, I know," Jeongguk sighed, putting his glass on the counter and resting a hand on the base of his neck, warm spreading across Taehyung's collarbones. "It's kinda hard to believe."

"What? That you haven't met your neighbors?"

The younger stared pointedly at him and Taehyung flicked a finger under his chin playfully. "No, not the stupid neighbors. I don't give a shit about them."

"You should, Jeon. Maybe you'll get a welcome back cake next summer then."

Jeongguk licked his lips through that addicting smile. "Hard to believe you're here. That... you're mine? I mean, I know I'm shit at relationships and I have a lot to learn, but I'm really willing to learn to be a good guy to you— someone who's loyal and takes things more seriously— someone who doesn't waste his life."

Taehyung blinked with a tinge of surprise. He hadn't expected things to take a serious turn so quickly.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised that I want to be better— fuck, I know it's what I want for myself and not just for you. It's just hard to believe that..."

"That?"

"The only person to never hurt me in any way before you was Hwan, Taehyung. And he's gone. So, I didn't think I'd ever find someone so— so you who'd... stay."

"Jeongguk," Taehyung reached for him, but the biker was holding him in place.

"Let me finish," Jeongguk mumbled. "Please."

"Okay," he nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay. Finish."

"I know I already ran my mouth and really screwed things up," He saw Jeongguk gulp. "I seem to do that a lot, so that's one of the first things I'm going to fix."

"I'm sensing a but." Taehyung grazed the hand on his collarbones.

"But if I ever say something that hurts you, you tell me, Taehyung. No matter what." Jeongguk finally said and Taehyung felt a part of his heart crack as the younger's voice broke. "I got so blinded by my own emotions that I didn't consider his and then I lost him. I really don't want to lose you, too, so promise me you'll tell me if I say or do something you don't like— don't pretend you're okay when you're not—"

"Oh god, Jeongguk," Taehyung was grabbing him hastily and pulling him completely flush against him. His heart was pounding so hard he couldn't even find Jeongguk's pulse as the younger had a small tremble coursing through his body. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Ever since last night." The words came out bitten, forced out of his chest. "I hate that I'm asking you to promise me something because I really don't deserve anything from you— I'm getting to be your boyfriend, but I really really don't want to lose you, Tae."

He debated what to do. Taehyung knew Jeongguk well enough that arguing with him about the words themselves may make things worse. Getting Jeongguk to ease off and see it for himself was likely better.

"A whole load of bullshit," he ran his hand up and down Jeongguk's back. "I'd rather be talking to Yoongi and Namjoon if I knew you were going to say this kinda bullshit."

"Are you—" Jeongguk choked out, shocked by his words. "You're really joking right now?"

"What?" Taehyung grinned into his neck. "I'm using your joke-in-an-emotional-situation tactic."

"Unbelievable." The younger grunted, though a bit of calm had noticeably settled into his body as Taehyung pulled away enough to press their foreheads together.

"You need to stop beating yourself up, Jeongguk." Taehyung turned more serious. "I wouldn't even be standing here if it weren't for you. 'Actions speak louder than words' means a lot when it comes to you, and I think that's a-okay. We're both older and different than Hwan and the person you were a year and a half ago so it's hard to compare us to that. Besides, I'm not worried about being honest with you." He poked the younger's cheek. "In case you haven't noticed, Greased Lightning."

"Trust me, I've noticed," Jeongguk snorted before leaned in to graze the tips of their noses against one another's. "Can you promise me anyway?"

"To be honest?"

"To put me in my place. To get me off my high horse and sit down. To talk and not run away from my problems. So, I can listen to your problems, too." His eyes fell to Jeongguk's lips as they curved upward. "I know it's a lot to ask for, but I have a feeling you like hating on me."

"Oh, I love it." Taehyung shook his head, arms wrapping around the younger's waist. "Okay, I promise. But you do the same for me, too. I can be judgmental and a bit pushy for things to go how I imagine them in my head... so... yeah. I'm learning to go with the flow, too."

"Okay, I'll make sure to add some spontaneity to your life." Jeongguk let their foreheads pull away so just their noses kissed. "Adrenaline rushes." He nudged back in so his lips grazed Taehyung's. "Plant thoughts in your head." Another kiss that lingered longer. "Make you choke on popcorn." Jeongguk chuckled into his mouth with a kiss that parted his mouth and took his breath. "Interrupt your movie dates with random chicks."

"Hey," Taehyung interrupted, voice dying as the lips found his again and his spoken words were muted. "We were just being friendly, you shitheadngh—"

Jeongguk's fingers hooked the neckline of his shirt and yanked him closer, making Taehyung stumble slightly. "Too friendly."

"We weren't—" he let one hand wander up to card through Jeongguk's hair, stopping at the nape of his neck to tug the younger's head away enough to speak. "She was literally there with the girl she liked."

"Technically," Jeongguk grunted and pushed his hand away. "I was there with the guy I liked, too. But you didn't see me talking to random people."

"That's 'cause you suck at being friendly." Taehyung's hand fell to his chest, hovering over the supposed location of Jeongguk's heart. "Could you not sleep last night because of excitement or because of worrying?"

"Both." Jeongguk sighed, leaning into his hand. "More excitement. I really enjoyed today, too, so that helped. Seeing your paintings just got me thinking again."

"Okay." The surfer smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "I really like you, too, Jeongguk. And just so you know, you're not the one at fault. I know you think that sometimes, but don't be so hard on yourself. Some things aren't anybody's fault, just their problem to deal with."

"Modern Shakespeare is making an appearance again." Jeongguk chuckled when Taehyung glared at him. "I got it, I got it, Tae. Lighten up on myself."

"Be kind to yourself." Taehyung's head tilted thoughtfully. "Let yourself make mistakes and learn from them, okay?"

"I said I got it." A hand swept his hip and Taehyung laughed. "Treating me like I'm a four year old."

"What four year olds are ever taking advice like that?" Taehyung huffed. "I think you'd definitely traumatize little kids."

"I don't doubt that." Jeongguk grinned and Taehyung felt relieved by the genuine smile on the biker's face, making his skin glow with the typical hint of confidence.

Taehyung took his hand and pulled him away from the island. "Come on, show me the rest of the place."

"There's not that much to show, Tae." Jeongguk raised a brow, stalking behind the older's leading hand anyway. "I think you're leading the tour anyway."

"Where do you sleep? You can't just not have a bedroom."

"Why? Are you tired?"

"Spending the day with you is quite exhausting if you haven't realized already."

"Damn. So mean."

"You love it." Taehyung laughed as Jeongguk switched on lights as they entered new spaces. "Two bedrooms?"

They stopped at the end of the small hall, directly ahead a bathroom that he noticed earlier with the door partly ajar. The walls to the left and right of him were scored with doors, both shut.

"Mhm, I usually sleep in there—" Jeongguk pointed to the door on the right. "Namjoon takes whichever I don't and Yoongi crashes with either one of us."

"Why? Yoongi seems like the type to get first choice."

"In case you haven't noticed, Namjoon and I are the biggest. Namjoon even more than me, so Yoongi would usually crash with me."

"Really living on the edge."

"The edge of the bed, that's for sure." The younger joked. "I sleep on the couch sometimes. When I think he needs space."

"Oh," Taehyung nodded. "So our couch wasn't too bad to deal with?"

"Nah. It sucked."

"Shut up."

Jeongguk chuckled and leaned against the wall. "Kidding, Saltine. Still grateful for that."

"Don't be." He waved off. "Can we go in?"

"Into my room?"

"Uh... duh." Taehyung raised his brows when Jeongguk sent him a questioning look. "You saw my room!"

"Well, I don't have a huge art project in mine to show you," Jeongguk cocked his head. "It's literally nothing interesting, but sure, if you want. Go for it."

"Cool." Taehyung pushed open the door, letting himself inside and glancing around.

It really wasn't interesting. A double bed pushed into one corner, a dresser against the other wall. A window with blinds bunched up at the top. Some clothes on the floor. It looked normal. Taehyung wasn't really sure what he'd expected, but it was definitely more normal than he though.

"I told you." Jeongguk rolled his eyes upon reading his expression. "I don't know what you were expecting to see in here."

"I was just curious, stupid." He nudged Jeongguk as he stood in the middle of the room, gazing around. "It's nice."

"Are you really assessing my room?"

"Clothes on the floor makes it a tad messy."

"Bitch." Jeongguk scoffed. "Leave my habits alone."

Taehyung tutted, shrieking and jumping back when Jeongguk reached out a hand to slap his side. "Hands off!"

"You started it with the over examination!"

"I was just making observations!"

"Rude ones, Saltine!"

"Since when do you care?"

"Since now."

"What wonderful timing." Taehyung mocked and backed away to sit on the bed. He sighed at the look Jeongguk gave him. "I'm not sleepy. I just wanna hang out, Gguk."

"M'kay, Hyung." Jeongguk pitched his voice high like he'd never hit puberty and Taehyung pinched his arm when the younger sat beside him on the edge of his bed. "Guess were just gonna sit on beds all evening. We don't have pretty paintings to look at this time, though."

"You're so annoying."

"Oh man, I had no idea."

Taehyung muttered under his breath and stared up at the ceiling, leaning back on his palms and feeling his body dip with the action. His eyes closed with his neck strained up and Taehyung get his breath hitch when he saw the flash of a familiar tattoo across the black of his mind.

It made him think of a million things in response.

He peaked open one eye and side eyed the younger. "You really think art is still dumb?"

"Not yours."

"But generally?"

"Maybe." Jeongguk stretched his legs out, the spread of his widening to accommodate a comfortable stance, and it pressed their thighs against each other. Neither one moved and Taehyung let out a small breath with the skip of his heartbeat.

"Are you just saying that because you don't like being wrong?" Taehyung whispered.

"Maybe."

"Gotcha." He grinned, humming softly and letting his head dip up in down in a knowing nod. "Hey, Gguk?"

"That's me, baby."

"When did you get the tattoo?"

"Around five months after that day." Jeongguk shook his head. "It cost a lot, but it was something I needed after everything. To physically see that I was carrying someone else along with me everyday."

"Did it hurt?"

"Uh... yeah. It's big and took a long time." The biker shrugged. "Has a lot of details. It wasn't terrible because I have a high pain tolerance, but yeah."

"Was it scary?"

"Why are you asking these questions...?" Jeongguk turned on the bed to face him, one knee curling in to support his shifted position. "And no, it wasn't scary."

"I'm just curious," Taehyung mumbled. "Having a needle stab ink into you seems scary."

"It was worth it." the younger said instead. "Made something beautiful, didn't it?"

"That's true. I was just thinking what it would be like to— ugh, never mind. I'd chicken out anyway."

"No, no, tell me."

"It's okay. It's nothing, seriously."

"Taehyung."

"I'm good, I promise! It was an impulsive thought that you put in my head!"

"I—"

"I was just curious about your tattoo like always. That kind of handiwork on skin is cool when I struggle to do it on a canvas—"

"Tae, do you want a tattoo?"

Taehyung squeaked and ducked his chin. "I— no— well, I didn't say that— okay, maybe I was just curious about it. Maybe one day? Or maybe never—? I don't know, Gguk—"

"Hey," Jeongguk was chuckling and putting a hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with wanting one. It can be stupid, too, but knowing you, you'd probably go the meaningful route one. I can go with you sometime if you want to get one. Hold your hand like a little kid."

"Little kids can't get tattoos." Taehyung sniffed.

"Cute." the biker squeezed his arm. "You gotta be pretty certain about it, though, if you do. Seeing as it is permanent. Getting them removed is a process."

"Yeah, definitely not anytime now." Taehyung breathed out, shaking his head. "And nothing as big as yours."

"Small tats are pretty." Jeongguk was reaching for his hand, finger tracing the bone of his forearm and then down to his knuckles. "On your arm. Or you could get one on your finger. You'd see it when you're painting, then."

"Then, I'd have to really love it." The surfer laughed nervously, enclosing his hand around Jeongguk's. He couldn't help but think that some small, pretty line art would look nice on his long fingers, right next to Jeongguk's fingers when they held hands.

"It's a thought for later. That's something you can do anytime."

"Yeah." Taehyung nodded in agreement. "I'll think about it hard."

"Sounds good." Jeongguk raised and dropped their intertwined fists on his knee repeatedly. "I knew the tattoo questions sounded odd. Especially when you asked about the needles and pain."

"I mean, I was genuinely curious about yours."

"That's fair." He shrugged. "Do you see it and think it looks painful?"

"I see it and still find myself amazed." Taehyung pursed his lips. "I actually haven't seen it in a while..."

"Hm? Really?"

"Yeah, not fully and clearly since you changed your shirt that day you competed against Hobi Hyung." He let go of Jeongguk's hand and turned to face him on the bed as well. "Do you think I can see it again?"

"Like now?" He shrugged in response and Jeongguk's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "Oh, yeah, I'm happy to show you. You should have asked earlier."

"Wait, really?"

"What do you mean, really?" Jeongguk flicked his side teasingly as he stood up from the bed. "Why would asking to see it be bad?"

"I don't know," Taehyung was suddenly hiding his face in his hands and groaning. "It's so awkward. Like— Jeongguk, please take off your shirt so I can stare at your back? That's so— ugh."

"Well," Jeongguk swept his hair back. "I wouldn't mind doing that either. You know, for your respectful ogling."

"I do not ogle!"

Jeongguk snorted and rocked on his heels. "Sure, Saltine."

"Whatever." Taehyung stared at the ground with furrowed brows and a frown. "Forget it. Let's just do something else—"

"Hey." Jeongguk crouched to his height, the neckline of his shirt swooping down and Taehyung could see his chest disappearing into the shadows within it. "Look at me."

He did.

"I'm just teasing. I know the tattoo means a lot to you, Taehyung." Jeongguk tucked a strand of hair behind Taehyung's ear. "Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks." The surfer smiled as Jeongguk stepped away. He held his breath as Jeongguk turned so his back was towards him and his fingers reached for the back of his neckline, tugging it upwards.

Taehyung slowly stood, steps heavy and heartbeat louder in his ears as he moved towards Jeongguk, who pulled the shirt fully over his head and balled it up in his fists.

His breath staggered seeing the design so dark on the plane of his back, standing out like diamonds in a heap of dirt. Jeongguk glanced at him over his shoulder, noticing Taehyung's close proximity, only a foot away from his backside. Taehyung hadn't really realized that he'd walked up so close to Jeongguk.

Taehyung let his hand dip down, the tips of his fingers ghosting over the bristles of the feather engrained on Jeongguk's back. Goosebumps rose under his hovering touch, a touch that strengthened as the biker leaned back slightly so his finger met the warm skin.

Muscles tensed as the surfer traced a gentle line along the shape of the frail feather, as though he was nervous to snap it in half just by a mere graze.

His hand traveled upwards to the first bird forming from the frayed edges of the feather. He traced every line there, too, completely awed and absorbed by the delicate work.

A hot, heavy breath left Jeongguk's mouth, his shoulder blades shifting as Taehyung reached his mid back.

Every tail end, every wing, every beak so beautifully drawn was met by Taehyung's hand— as though the artist was painting it himself.

Jeongguk shifted back an inch again, his finger pressing into the muscle with the move.

Taehyung didn't think he was breathing either.

He felt it. The heaviness of the message. He felt it deep in his chest. Hwan's burdened soul finally flying up to heaven when he couldn't stay on Earth. Jeongguk's guilt weighing him down, locking his true self away, only to be freed again by surfboards and a fear for the ocean.

And he felt other things with Jeongguk's reaction.

"Tae—" the biker's voice was airy, muscles protruding as he remained tense under Taehyung's touch. "Please."

The surfer paused as his finger met the last bird, whose wing stretched from the muscle of his shoulder up to his neck, dark and so prominent against the pale skin while simultaneously disappeared under Jeongguk's dark hair.

He stepped close to Jeongguk. Left just an inch in between their bodies and bowed his head.

Jeongguk's head fell forward, jaw slackening as Taehyung let his lips touch the last bird's wings. The younger's skin was hot and smooth under his sparkling lips. The change only heightening the effect of his prior, ghostly touch.

He sighed in appreciation, entirely breathless himself by just admiring the handiwork on his boyfriend's back.

A shudder ran through Jeongguk, tripping his senses as he let out a small hum. Taehyung had begun to press small kisses along the bird's wing, trailing slow and up the crevice of his neck.

The biker's head lolled to the side, giving Taehyung more access to bury his head into his neck and continue the whispers against the black ink imbedded into his burning skin.

Beautiful. He would say, kisses sealing the promise into each bend and vein his mouth passed over.

Taehyung fully pressed himself up against the biker's back, reaching his arms around the small waist bare under his palms. He let his fingers smooth over toned muscles, wrapping around Jeongguk's midsection.

A shaky sigh fell from the younger's pretty lips, his hands reaching to grip onto the surfer's, and Taehyung let his lips linger on the very edge of the bird's wing, just an inch under his ear.

"Fuck." The word fumbled from Jeongguk's mouth, fingers digging into Taehyung's forearms burning his bare chest. His head fell back and landed on the surfer's shoulder, making the older jump slightly as the body melted in his hold.

He could meet those doe eyes in that position. Eyes that remained half lidded and dazed, mind wandering elsewhere with Taehyung's lips against his neck.

"Who..." Jeongguk breathed and Taehyung pulled away to watch his sharp gaze. "Who the hell let you be such a tease?"

Taehyung's ears burned, hands almost slipping from Jeongguk's waist in embarrassment. They were held in place, telling him not the let go.

"I wasn't teasing." He mumbled, the heat brewing redness in his cheeks. "Just thought it was pretty, I swear."

Jeongguk let out a small chuckle, the sound deep in his throat, rough and sparking small butterflies alive in Taehyung's stomach. The biker turned his head into his neck, back still pressed against the surfer's chest and Taehyung stifled a small gasp, freezing as the breath hit his skin.

"You kiss everything you think is pretty? Hmm?" The biker's warm words tickled his ear as he spoke, Taehyung's blush trickling all across his neck, too.

"Well," he managed. "I kiss you, don't I?"

"Do you now?" The biker's smile curved against his skin. He felt the soft murmurs vibrate there, resonating inside him and he knew Jeongguk was teasing him.

Teasing Jeongguk hadn't even been his intention before, but he certainly wasn't complaining. Definitely not complaining when Jeongguk was frying the braincells he needed to physically complain.

"Of course, I do." He stifled out a small laugh, promptly choked away as a small nip tugged at his earlobe. "Did you just forget about earlier?"

"Maybe I did." Jeongguk toyed. Taehyung really had just been greeting the ink that had connected him to the younger. He didn't expect any of this and it made his whole chest clench, warmth pooling in his stomach. "Care to remind me?"

Taehyung stilled, staring at the curtained window straight ahead. He flattened his palms, hearing the small inhale as he felt up the firm chest.

What. Are. You. Doing?

"Taehyung." Jeongguk's low voice was right in his ear.

He stepped away from the biker, making that cunning smile fall. He kept a foot between them, face unreadable, and Jeongguk spun on his heel with rising confusion, Taehyung's gaze trained on his face.

Don't even think about it.

"Tae? Are you—"

"Shut up." His arms reached up and wrapped around Jeongguk's neck, snapping him back up against him as their lips crashed together. The surfer groaned with the feverish feeling overtaking him, intoxicating and sending all his sense out the concealed window of the younger's room.

Jeongguk held no objections, hands immediately gripping his waist and pressing them closer.

The younger's thumbs hooked into his pants' belt loops, finger slipping under the plain t-shirt loose on his skin.

Taehyung's desperately dug his hands into the dark strands at his fingertips, tugging on it and provoking some form of a hiss and moan combined. One hand slipped down to the biker's neck, trailing that ink he had memorized in his head, tracing the bird by heart.

He tried moving closer. There wasn't even space to get rid of, but still he melted into one with Jeongguk. A hand crawled up his chest and found the base of his neck, holding him steady.

Jeongguk tipped Taehyung's head and deepened the kiss, teeth clipping his full lips and making him wince softly.

His lips were numb from Jeongguk's mouth, tongue slipping in and making the pool at the bottom of his gut tingle. Then, the entire touch began to slip away to his jaw.

He was trembling for air, taking in whatever he could so he didn't have to leave Jeongguk's lips for too long.

It was driving him insane.

How the burn in his chest, being breathless with a dangerously fast heart, felt so good after weeks of fearing such a state. How it was fire consuming him rather than the bitter cold of water.

He pressed Jeongguk's head into his neck as the younger found his sweet spot, teeth biting and tongue hot against it. Taehyung's head was pushed over for more and he let his eyes flutter shut as everything thickened.

Drowning. Drowning in Jeongguk. Drowning in heat. Not cold waters. Just Jeongguk's breathtaking, searing touch.

Hands roamed the muscles of the biker's exposed back, harsh touches making the younger breathe raggedly on the column of his throat.

"J-Jeon— oh my god." He grabbed Jeongguk's neck and pulled his face up to be leveled with him.

He looked so fucking good.

Taehyung mouth parted as he acknowledged the dark gaze deepened with want, dark hair all messy by his hands, the swollen lips wet and glistening from his own mouth, skin flushed and hot, and oh, so pretty just surfacing back into reality.

"What the hell just happened?" His voice was so raspy and warm, tingling Taehyung's skin.

"I don't know." He gulped the dryness of his throat, his chest grazing Jeongguk's with every large heave of air. "I don't know, Gguk."

The younger's nose pressed into the sharp bone of his jawline, lips pecking the spot. And when his gaze lifted, Taehyung saw the emotion of his eyes, the want behind them, hadn't dimmed.

"Goddammit, Tae, let me kiss you again. Please." Jeongguk stared at him, searching for his answer. Gauging. Playing the right cards.

Taehyung wanted to scream at him and say he didn't have to do that, to just do whatever the hell he wanted.

He'd made Jeongguk go so soft; he usually adored it, glad it crushed his snarky biker attitude, but in that moment, he hated it. He wanted hands on him, wanted that burn that felt so good to just consume him.

"Okay." He whispered, eyes falling with his ribs aching in caging the murderous pounding of his heart in. "Kiss me again, Ggukie."

Jeongguk's fingers ran over small bruises already beginning to color on his neck. Taehyung smartly pressed his lips together as his stomach flipped around, nerves singeing. "Are you sure?"

"I trust you. And you know I'll be honest." Taehyung's eyes expectantly shut after saying those words, waiting, gripping the bare arms of the younger's holding him.

He missed the small smile on Jeongguk's lips before those lips stole his entire sanity again.

Jeongguk gently guided him backwards, lips never leaving his as hands helped catch him as the back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress. Taehyung let his body fall down so he was sitting, gasping as Jeongguk pushed forward to have him sink down into into the messy sheets.

"Jeongguk—"

"I got you," Jeongguk was helping him shift upward to lay more comfortably, hands on his hips adjusting the placement so that Taehyung's head could dig into the pillows. "Okay?"

"Mm," Taehyung pulled him close again and Jeongguk's lips were wandering. On his mouth, his neck, dipping past the collar of his shirt to find his sharp collarbones.

"Fuck, Taehyung." The younger was sighing against his skin, hands slipping under his shirt and Taehyung shivered with the fingers touching hotter skin, making them feel icy and slightly overwhelming in the directed movement.

He reached for Jeongguk's shoulders to situate his rather useless hands. "Little cold."

"Okay." Jeongguk tugged his shirt down, hands roaming over his clothed chest instead as the biker's lips kissed the bruises along his tan neck. Taehyung's arms held him close, running fingers through the dark hair as he pressed his head back into the soft pillows.

Taehyung just closed his eyes, letting it consume him in a storm of his favorite leather. His throat ran dry, gasps deeper as everything slowed for a moment.

"Gguk," Taehyung sighed out in the sluggish touches, riling him up differently than before. "Ggukie, kiss me."

So, they kissed. The surfer would never get sick of those wet lips all over his, drawing out every sound of good from his vocal chords.

Jeongguk pulled away to breathe, trembling for air and they stared at one another in a decline of adrenaline as some senses returned to the two.

"I think I absolutely love kissing you." Jeongguk laughed, propped up on his elbows that caged Taehyung's head to get a good look at him. "You're so fucking beautiful. That romantic enough for you, Lover Boy?"

"Fuck off." He muttered, reaching a hand up to hold Jeongguk's structured jaw, the smile tugging at his lips a second later. His legs were bent on either side of Jeongguk's hips, knees grazing the younger's thighs as everything was so close and so warm and so nice.

He huffed, fingers playing with the silver earring dangling midair because of Jeongguk's raised position.

"Hey," The younger leaned into his touch, kissing his palm. "Are you okay?"

"Stop asking me that." Taehyung frowned. "I'll tell you if I'm not."

"I'm just making sure, Hyung."

"Don't." His hand on Jeongguk's jaw tightened ever so slightly, firm and a solid grasp that Jeongguk clearly didn't dislike. "You don't need to worry about everything you do. I promise I'll tell you if I don't like it."

"So far?"

Taehyung pulled his head down with the hold on his jaw and promptly kissed him, hard and with an impulsive intention like earlier when they'd left the surfer's place. "I really like kissing you, too."

"Thank god." Jeongguk breathed, kissing him on his own and their touches picked up again. The younger's lips were under his ear and Taehyung could peek over his shoulder, staring down his bare back at the tattoo tainting his skin with swirls and lines of black.

Taehyung shifted under him, uncomfortable for a second, and Jeongguk was responding to it by moving his hands to the back of his thighs and helping them roll over so Jeongguk was slipping off of him and Taehyung's legs were pulled over his hips.

Jeongguk relaxed into the bed and Taehyung took a moment to take him in. The bare skin under his palms and flushed face inches from his. He felt his legs press into Jeongguk's sides, upper bodies all brushing, if not flush against each other.

The younger was collecting himself, lips parted as Taehyung brushed a finger over them and then up across his lashes, the lids slowly opening to meet his gaze. He smiled when Jeongguk's eyes opened.

"How are you, Jeongguk?"

"I feel like I'm on Cloud Nine." He mumbled and Taehyung brushed some hair away from his forehead where clamminess had begun to look in the rush of adrenaline and energy. "Making out has never felt this good."

"Really?" Taehyung wondered what would happen if he did what Jeongguk had done to him, taking a hold on the situation and leaning his head down to kiss along Jeongguk's jaw. "How come?"

"It feels different. So much better. Like the normal feeling but on crack." Jeongguk's hand reached up to grip his shirt when Taehyung had trailed down his neck and wandered about the smooth skin. "I think it's you."

"I think it's the addition of me being your boyfriend, Jeon."

"Cheesy romantic." Jeongguk's head tipped back when Taehyung kissed hard on a particular spot at the junction of his neck and collarbone. "Ah— Tae—"

"That feels good?" He murmured, glancing up to see Jeongguk lick his lips and stare up at the ceiling.

"So good," the younger's hand was against the small of his back, pressing their hips against one another and Taehyung tensed at the feeling, faltering against Jeongguk's neck and moving his head back up to kiss him on the lips. "I'm so lucky."

"I think that was my line." Taehyung gasped into Jeongguk's mouth when ringed hands were grabbing his thigh and hitching his leg up, fingers digging into the fabric of his pants before going up and over the swell of his ass, dusting over it and holding him steady at the waist.

He fell into Jeongguk a bit with the touch, their foreheads hitting harder than what was likable and both of them hissed at the thud of pain that came with it.

"Ow." Jeongguk was squeezing his eyes shut, Taehyung wincing as the pain took a few seconds to dull into a numbed state.

"That could leave a bruise." Taehyung groaned.

"Plenty others to start a collection with." The younger joked, grinning up at him with slow recollection. Taehyung flushed and glanced at Jeongguk's own neck, lower down the column of skin, where he'd managed to mess up the biker's lack of bruises, too.

He started laughing, Jeongguk joining in for a few seconds as it wore the adrenaline off. It helped slow it down— it being Taehyung's racing heart rate and rushing of blood. His thoughts slowed enough to actually me comprehendible by his conscious. Jeongguk was catching his breath too when the laughter, too, wore away. 

A hand reached between them to budge back on his chest and Taehyung got the message, falling to the side and turning face him— still practically half on the younger as he looped an arm around Jeongguk and could feel his breath on the biker's skin.

"I think that's a lot for now, yeah?" Jeongguk confirmed softly, voice very much gravelly and low in the aftermath of such use. "Take it slow and steady."

"Yeah," he pressed his face into Jeongguk's hair. "That was a lot."

"Tae," Jeongguk hummed, voice so throaty it sent his heart in a million directions. "One more kiss wouldn't be too much to ask for, would it?"

He scanned his eyes around Jeongguk's face. So unchanging yet different all the same. So much had changed while it remained the same Jeongguk he'd always known. None of that made sense, but Taehyung was so in deep for the guy.

"Not at all." And he was the one pulling Jeongguk in.

Minutes later they were tangled up under the sheets, ready to crash after a long day of event after events, emotional situations after physical situations after emotional situations.

"I really hope you know there's no non-obvious way to cover up your neck in the summer time." Jeongguk teased, thumb running up and down his arm and it left a trail of fire in its wake. "And I don't have any makeup."

"You're lucky you're as cute as you are, asshat."

"Yeah?" Jeongguk smiled, his other arm under Taehyung's head and curled around the back to play with the surfer's hair. "Not sure cute fits our activities of the past... well, while."

Taehyung's tilted his head and met such endless eyes. Ones that had lead him on to believe, from the start, that there was something more than a leather jacket.

"What's up with that look?" Jeongguk asked.

"What look?"

"Like I'm the best thing in the world."

"Self-conceited asshole."

"Wow, haven't heard that one in a while." The younger chuckled. "What's up?"

"How do you feel now about the whole worrying thing?"

"A lot better, actually." Jeongguk nodded, Taehyung humming when the fingers playing with his hair brushed the strands back with more intent. "I don't like doubting something so everything you've been saying has helped."

"Good." Taehyung strained forward to kiss his cheek, noticing the droop in Jeongguk's lids. "You look tired."

"Yeah, we should get some rest." Jeongguk rubbed his eyes with the hand wrapped around Taehyung's head, pulling the surfer closer into him. "You should just sleep here."

"What about talking to Namjoon and Yoongi?"

"Sleep here and you can talk to them tomorrow morning."

"You sure that's okay?"

"Of course it is."

"Where's Yoongi going to sleep?"

"He can figure it out." Jeongguk chuckled. "Are you okay sleeping here?"

"I mean... as long as you're right there," he blew a puff of air into Jeongguk's face and the younger recoiled with a curse. "Then, yeah."

"Great," the biker reached over for the light switch near the bedpost. He was sounding groggier and less conscious by the second.

The room delved into darkness and Taehyung tugged Jeongguk closer.

"Wake me up if you need anything." Jeongguk whispered and Taehyung felt the tension release from the arms around him in less than a minute as Jeongguk fell fast asleep. The man's even, steady breaths were brushes of warmth across his cheek, the fingers in his hair stilling while the arm belting his waist became dead weight.

Taehyung took in every bit of emotion he felt and let it go, sighing and snuggling into the younger's body as his pulse relaxed and everything felt better than okay.

And it was only after Jeongguk fell asleep, moments before Taehyung did, that the surfer realized.

Jeongguk never slept well, always up with his thoughts out by the shore or tossing and turning through the night.

But Jeongguk had fallen asleep first, so comfortably and easy, like he had the peace of the world at his fingertips.

❧ ❧ ❧

did the chapter title make sense ;)
pls entertain my shitty humor LMFAOOO

also FUNNY STORY:
so original readers know the tattoo scene (kinda) stayed the same and while I was rewriting it to my current writing style, I realized that it's basically tris and four in that divergent scene AHAHAHAHAHHA FML THIS IS SO TRAGIC.

planning on including a rough sketch of jk's tattoo and taehyung's painting (very rough lol) in the end notes!!

✵ NEETO ✵