a/n: the finale :')

❧ Bikers & Beaches ❧

The sun had just risen, sunrise colors fading and leaving the dull blue of the sky in its wake. The waves were darker than the ones he'd surfed in the day before, but they looked calm and peaceful in the low tide.

As Taehyung crossed the wood planks to the other side of the main floor, towards the patio door, he watched his feet move without a shadow. Where light hardly came from a clear source and his shadow blurred away in the lack of direction.

It felt like he was floating for a moment. Like he wasn't actually standing on his own two feet. And he didn't get a grasp of touch until his hand was gripping the handle of the door and sliding it open.

The air hit him like a revelation rushing into his head. The smell of salty shores intensified with the lack of some barrier and Taehyung stood in the doorway for a moment as he saw the colors of sunrise begin to fade with the sun rising further past the horizon.

He closed the door behind him and trailed down the patio steps. The sand was cold when he stepped into it, waking him up more and somehow relaxing as he strolled towards the tide line. The coolness of the grains felt therapeutic, almost, with the rising heat of morning filling the air as he approached the shore.

Taehyung stopped short just a foot from the furthest reach of the waves and crouched down to be closer to the ground.

His arm reached forward, catching the very edges of the water and wetting his fingernails before the wave receded.

"Hi," he whispered, smiling at the ocean like a long lost friend that had been found. In fact, it was just that.

Taehyung waddled forward enough such that his toes hit the next wave and shivered at the cool temperature.

"It's just me today." He informed, like the ocean truly listened. Like he'd never had Jeongguk's ear to hear him out and only had the water to be an unresponsive companion. "Jeongguk's going to be busy working on his bike this morning and hyungs are sleeping in 'cause high tide's later."

He scooped up a handful of the salty ocean and let it slip through his fingers, droplets trickling down his hand and catching onto his bracelets.

"Can't believe I thought I'd never get to dip my toes in the sea again not too long ago."

Taehyung simply spoke his thoughts aloud as the sun, a deep orange, shone over the lip of the horizon and dragged up into the sky, shining light onto his skin.

"Even harder to believe I was willing to let all of this go." He added, voice quieter. "The water, surfing, just feeling the breeze and mist of a wave on my skin without falling into an endless pit inside my head."

Taehyung cocked his head. "I hated you at one point. And somehow it feels like that's exactly what had to happen."

"Not just because of finding Jeongguk through it all," he saw a shell in the shallow depth and picked it up before the next ride dragged it elsewhere. "But because it made me a lot stronger. Helped me find out things about myself that I didn't know before."

He chuckled softly and let the shell fall back in after admiring the purple color on the inside. "Had to learn what the beach meant to me besides surfing. Learned to fall in love with painting again when I painted the ocean... it all happened for a reason, didn't it?"

"After years of fun. Years of vacations and not a worry in sight. I thought this place was my second home my whole life, but now I feel even closer to it than ever before."

Taehyung's eyes shifted from the water before him to the entire shore in the backyard. He could see his younger self building a sand castle with Jimin, Hoseok creating a moat while Jin searched for shells and seaweed to decorate with. He saw his parents and his hyungs' parents lounging in chairs as the kids played in the water.

He saw the barbecues and bonfires, the late nights where he would climb down his parents balcony and head to the diner for a smoothie and a place by the shore.

Taehyung saw so many memories.

So much he had simply wanted back at the beginning of summer after missing out on a year of it.

Only for it to be ruined.

"I guess it just needed ruining." He shrugged, moving backwards so that he could sit in the dry sand and keep his feet in the reach of each approaching tide. "That's the thing about risks, isn't it?"

"You step out of your comfort zone and ruin what you thought was perfect for the possibility of something better."

He smiled and let his head fall, chin hitting his chest, nudging at the necklace looped around his neck. "Something better than perfection sounds like an oxymoron, but I learned that there really is something a million times better than perfect."

From wanted to be the perfect son who reigned success while simultaneously doing what he loved rather than what his parents wanted. Perfect like the pressure he put in his reach of dreams and how high of standards he held. Perfect like the romantic dreams he'd indulged for as long as he could remember.

All ruined.

Perfect ruined for the risk of getting something real out of life.

And Taehyung felt like he'd gotten exactly that.

He drew his knees closer to his chest and rested his head on them. Taehyung stared at the brightening sun for too long and blinked the dark spots away. He heard the constant, unchanging repetition of each rolling tide— the birds that flew somewhere over head accompanied the rustle of plants whenever a breeze swept by.

His head was so quiet.

And it made him feel so happy.

He wasn't swamped with emotions that plagued his connection to that beach or the people associated with it. He didn't have any imposing thoughts in his head but his brain registering every subtle cry of the shore around him.

Taehyung shook his head with a soft laugh.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you for drowning me." His voice fell. "More importantly, thank you for connecting to Jeongguk, too, so he was there that day to save me. For us to find each other."

Because Taehyung didn't know if he would have ever had that initial reason to look past the biker in Jeongguk had he never drowned and seen the tattoo.

He would like to think he would have, but somehow, he wouldn't change a thing that happened in case he didn't in some alternate timeline.

Taehyung closed his eyes and simply took it in for the last time that summer.

He felt the rising heat of the sun's touch on his skin and it warmed him all over, the come and go of each tide submerging his feet keeping him grounded from floating in his head. The sand was soft as his body sunk in it, grains like a steady stream of some fluffy cloud in the sky.

He took it all in.

The quietness of peace. Inner peace.

~•४•~

"So," Taehyung grinned as he slid into the booth across from the youngest biker. "I was thinking."

"Oh, no." Jeongguk raised his brow. "Now the world's gonna implode."

"Shut up," he scoffed, the sunken seat rising around his body as he nudged Jeongguk's leg under the table. Taehyung's gaze wandered for a moment, frowning. "Hey, where are Yoongi and Namjoon?"

"Nuh uh," hands raised to prop up the handsome face before him. Handsome and aggravating with the shit eating grin. "No getting sidetracked."

"Well, this is personal so I'd rather them not show up out of nowhere and ruin things." He whispered in response, leaning forward and purposefully sending his eyes down to Jeongguk's uneven lips. Jeongguk's smile faltered at his initiative, blinking in surprise.

"They're... uh, they'll be here in like fifteen minutes." Jeongguk shook his head, meeting his gaze sharply. "Do you want me to tell them to delay?"

Taehyung teasingly thought about it, humming softly before scrubbing his shoulders up and beaming. "Nope! That's is plenty of time. I'll be quick."

Jeongguk's shoulders visibly deflated and Taehyung almost laughed aloud. He was certainly laughing in his head. His hand reached for his back pocket, where the envelope was tucked into and leaned forward to tug it out.

"What is that?" Jeongguk asked before he even set it down on the table between them.

"Well, I was thinking," Taehyung explained. "You gave me a sweet gift to remember you when we go home. It was kinda short notice so I didn't exactly have time to plan anything as cool as yours—"

"—and I wasn't expecting anything in return."

"And I never said you were. I just wanted to do this. Not out of obligations."

"Okay. Good."

"Good," he chuckled, folding the corner of the envelope and then straightening it out again. "Open this when you miss me so much that it's unbearable."

"No clues?"

"I didn't get any!"

"You can see that there's something inside that bottle pendant, though!" Jeongguk rebutted. "Anything could be inside the envelope."

"Gguk," he rolled his eyes. "What's usually in an envelope?"

"Paper."

"Okay, so there's your clue, dumbass."

"You gifted me paper. That's so lame, Saltine."

"Would you trust me, dumbass?"

"Is it some special paper to use for school when classes start?" The biker retorted. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Ugh—" Taehyung reached over and whacked the younger's head. "You're so goddamn annoying. It's special and you'll know when you open it!"

Jeongguk paused, tongue scraping his inner cheek and Taehyung saw the gears turning. Then, Jeongguk's eyes widened and his voice dropped. "Did you paint me something?"

Taehyung's lips dipped down into a frown. "I didn't... sorry, I would have but I didn't have time to make anything cool like that—"

"Hey," a hand grazed his and the rest of Taehyung's words stumbled on his tongue. He smiled softly as Jeongguk's fingers brushed against his skin, drawing light circles like a tickle of a feather.

"Hi."

Jeongguk chuckled quietly and shook his head. "I trust you. And I appreciate this— whatever it is. Even if it's just paper for class notes."

"I promise it's not."

"Thank god," Jeongguk slumped in his seat and Taehyung laughed. "'Cause I was just saying that to make you feel better. Paper would suck."

"Wow." The older snorted and Jeongguk just beamed at him. Taehyung kept the eye contact for a long while, Jeongguk's gaze steady, but eyes narrowing as his thoughts shifted. Too bad Taehyung wasn't a mind reader. Seriously, he wished he knew what Jeongguk was thinking.

"Did you finish that repair?" He asked instead, remembering the younger's absence in the morning.

"Yeah," Jeongguk waved off. "It was just a gear chain issue."

He cocked his head, tracing a finger along the seam of the counter's edge. "Gear chain...? Like what you helped Yoongi with on his bike?"

"Huh? When?"

"When you told me how you guys met." Taehyung shrugged. "His gear chain was broken or something, too."

The puzzles expression on Jeongguk's face waned into surprise. "Oh, you're right. I didn't realize you'd remember something random like that."

The surfer leaned forward on the counter and scratched his chin, the tan skin smooth. "I think I remember every detail from that night. It was pretty important."

"And a lot to remember." Jeongguk licked his lips, brows furrowing. "You don't have to hurt your brain that much. I'll remind you if anything related comes up."

"Subconsciously, Gguk," he smiled. "And it doesn't hurt. I'm pretty glad I know about your life before I met you. Hey, question..."

"I might an answer."

"Has your mom been on you at all recently?"

Jeongguk's face fell, but he didn't avoid the question. He wasn't evasive and instead talked about it openly. "A couple times. Calls here and there. I, um— I actually had a civil conversation with her once."

"You never told me." Taehyung blinked. He wasn't hurt that Jeongguk didn't tell him, rather worried about what had went down when Jeongguk was always sensitive with the issue.

"Yeah, sorry," the biker shook his head. "It was a conversation I needed to have with her and the timing with our situation wasn't exactly the best... it's okay, though. I think it went fine."

"I get that," he nodded, pursing his lips. "So, you talked to her? Like actually had a conversation?"

"Mhm." A hand was thrown into the air. "Isn't that crazy?"

"What did you talk to her about, Gguk?" He asked softly, seeing the stressful creases dig into Jeongguk's forehead. "Or, even better, why?"

"Just figured I'd be seeing her again once I go home and... I dunno, I just thought it would be nice to not just yell at each other and hang up angrily for once."

"And?"

"And it worked. Kinda. She's still a pissy bitch, but I think I'm hating her less."

"What do you mean?"

"I just don't care, Tae." Jeongguk's lip quirked for a quick, faint hint of a smile. "It's exhausting hating someone for so long. I don't want to associate with her and feeding into her attention makes it worse."

"Damn, when did you get so wise?"

"Fuck off," the younger rolled his eyes, chuckling breathlessly and Taehyung's nose scrunched at the lighthearted approach. "I had some modern Shakespeare influence me with his wise knowledge."

Taehyung shoved Jeongguk's shoulder. "I don't deserve that credit. I'm just happy you aren't in a shitty mood because of a phone call with her."

"Now, it just feels like she's some woman I knew." Jeongguk's head tilted, eyes wandering over Taehyung again. Again. Some thought stirring behind that expression that he couldn't put words to. "I have more important things to worry about than her and if she realizes I don't care, she'll start to feel the exhaustion, too. Hopefully cut it out and make a life for herself."

"And you don't want to be a part of that life."

"She had too many chances and she fucked them all up." His head shook and Taehyung sent him an understanding look. "It's not like you with your parents, Tae. I don't want to convince her to change. I'm capable of letting good people in and I should be able to take bad ones out—"

"This is nothing like the situation with my parents, Jeongguk," Taehyung reached for his arm and his fingers kissed the skin. "You need to do what feels right. Your hearts in the right place more often than you realize so trust yourself."

"You think so?" Jeongguk asked, genuinely.

"You listened to your gut and cooled her down during the call instead of firing her up more," He nodded, smiling inside when he realized that was what he had done for Jeongguk himself. Jeongguk had taken more from him than the surfer had realized, too. "And you seem a lot less pent up than the usual reaction to her calls. You seem more relaxed."

"Not wrong." A thankful smile filled the younger's face before Jeongguk turned the conversation around. "What's the game plan with your parents? Plan on just showcasing it like you did for me?"

"Hell, no." Taehyung grimaced, exhaling deeply. "They'd hardly glance over it. I don't plan on getting any reaction out of them until I submit it and get some input on exhibition opportunities."

"They won't even look at it?"

"They won't care to search for the meaning, Gguk."

"Fucking lame," Jeongguk puffed his cheeks out and Taehyung bit back a smile. "What do you expect to get with the submission?"

"I'm not expecting anything." Taehyung raised his brows as Jeongguk focused on his words. It was so clear how he listened to each word with clear intention and empathy. God, it was so endearing. "Just like you said— I painted it for me— for us— not for outsiders."

"Screw what I said," Jeongguk frowned stubbornly. "You're getting a perfect grade for that, aren't you?"

"No such thing." Taehyung teased and Jeongguk stared exasperatedly. "But it's definitely one of my best works. The professor I interned for last summer really likes my style and he might find something memorable in it."

"He's stupid if he doesn't—"

"Jeongguk," Taehyung laughed. "We've talked about this. You're biased."

"And what about it? I'm great at appreciating things worthy of it."

"Oh, so I'm not worthy of appreciation?" He mocked the words, yelling when a hand reached out to flick him. "You don't appreciate me whatsoever!"

"Right," Jeongguk grunted. "Because taking you on bike rides, to my favorite spot on the beach, and dealing with your annoying loud mouth means nothing."

"Nope. Means absolutely nothing. You're just a little shit who embarrasses me in front of Tuan— no! Don't do— Jeongguk!" Taehyung shoved at the body that had switched sides of the booth to side into him and wrestle him around with a tight hold of a hug. He shrieked as Jeongguk laughed, trying to jab his way out of the grasp and falling into a blabber of curses when the arms around him relaxed after one too many seconds.

Jeongguk dug his chin into Taehyung's shoulder, breath whiffing along his cheek and the older rolled his eyes when he saw the innocent look in his peripheral.

"Take it back." Jeongguk squeezed his side.

He gasped for a breath. "Take what back, asshat number two."

"That it means nothing." The lips were close to brushing his jaw. He thought they did with the warmth of his words hitting his skin so close. Taehyung hadn't lost all sense of shame, thankful for the empty diner before their friends showed up.

He smiled, head turning away, and swatted at Jeongguk's head. "Shut up."

"Take it back, Saltine." Jeongguk hummed, inching closer. Taehyung felt nails graze his collarbones as a finger hooked onto the chain of his necklace. He glanced down at it because he knew Jeongguk was pointing it out. Pointing out Jeongguk's gift around his neck.

The bike rides, taking him to the cliffside, fear training— the necklace... Taehyung was only playing around. It all meant everything to him. It meant everything that he meant so much to Jeongguk and that the biker appreciated him so much.

Taehyung reached a hand up between the bridge Jeongguk's hand created, breaking it and forcing the younger's hand away so that it didn't strain the chain of the necklace. His hand was holding the underside of Jeongguk's jaw, long fingers encasing the curve of his neck and he didn't give Jeongguk much of a chance to react as his lips were on the biker's.

Hard and deep and sudden. Just how Jeongguk surprised him and it worked as he felt the sharp intake of air from Jeongguk's mouth and a bob of the younger's throat as Jeongguk swallowed against his hand.

"Hyung—"

"I said to shut up, Jeon," Taehyung tilted Jeongguk's head with the hand on neck, ringed fingers grasping his wrist as the kiss's force held and the cool of leather hitting his hand made Taehyung's skin tingle.

He swear he heard Jeongguk make a small sound, something that made his heart swell with pride. Just like how he felt Jeongguk's other hand gripping the edge of the table. Frozen in stun, but returning whatever Taehyung pressed against him.

A small object hit his head and Taehyung snapped away— not out of pain, but shock when he saw the wound up ball of plastic rolling to a stop on the counter after bouncing off his head.

His hand on Jeongguk's neck lingered, eyes darting up from the plastic ball to the two bikers standing near the edge of the table.

"No need to turn Tuan's diner into some porn set," Yoongi scowled, picking up the plastic ball and throwing it again. At Jeongguk's head that time— which made the youngest tense and pull Taehyung's hand away from his skin.

Taehyung hadn't realized Jeongguk was slightly dazed until Yoongi knocked him out of it and he sent Jeongguk a questioning look— Jeongguk was simply flipping Yoongi off.

"There was no one here before you shitheads showed up." Jeongguk threw back as Yoongi and Namjoon sat across from them, like a switch had been flipped and he was clicking back into his normal attitude.

"Yeah, and now I've been scarred twice by walking in on you two fucking around." The mint hated man grumbled, slouching with a ruined mood. "Did you not hear the bells when we walked in?"

Taehyung hadn't. He glanced at Jeongguk and saw the younger's ears a deep, flustered red. Jeongguk's hand was absentmindedly dusting over the skin of his neck where Taehyung's hand had been, holding him in place and likely more firm than a simple touch.

"Quite the show, though," Namjoon barked out a laugh and Taehyung groaned as Jeongguk and Yoongi both glared at him— for very different reasons.

"You having the worst timing ever is not our fault." Taehyung sniffed, grabbing the wound up plastic and tossing it in Yoongi's direction. The biker just caught it with an unimpressed gaze and dropped it on the table out of his reach.

"What's this?" Namjoon grabbed the envelope from the table and Taehyung's heart lurched into his throat. "Your guys' porn script?"

"Give that to me." Jeongguk snatched it out of his hands and shoved it into his jacket pocket. Taehyung hid his smile behind a hand, heart settling back into the cage of his chest.

"Tell me I didn't just hear you not deny that." Disgust was practically written across Yoongi's face.

"It's not a porn script." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "There? Satisfied, Grumpy the dwarf?"

"Satisfied? Clearly you're not when this dumb fuck can't rail the desperation out of you, Kim."

"Did you just diss my fucking skills?" Jeongguk snipped and Yoongi clearly didn't seem to care. "Min, I'm going to put fucking Nair in your shampoo or some shit. See who you can bag being bald—"

"Hello to my favorite person in the world and the minty Neapolitan losers!" Jimin's voice came light and loud in the diner as the front door swung open and three more people filled the diner's floor. Taehyung waved him down eagerly, Hoseok and Jin talking on their way in.

"You took the whole car ride over to think of that minty Neapolitan joke, didn't you." Taehyung snorted as Jimin jumped into the booth behind their and stuck his head between the youngest couple's.

"Yeah, yeah technicalities." Jimin brushed off. "What's going on with this party?"

"Porn, Kim and Jeon being deaf, and Nair."

"The fuck," Hoseok responded to Namjoon's quick recall of the last couple minutes. "How did you guys go from porn to hair removal shit?"

"Don't ask." Jeongguk ran a hand down his face as Jin and Hoseok grabbed a couple chairs to sit at the end of the table. "These assholes don't know how to mind their own business."

"This is a public diner, Jeon," Yoongi said with irritation. "Didn't know we were supposed to fucking knock."

"Where's Mr.Tuan?" Jin cut in. "Kitchen?"

"Yup." Taehyung nodded. "Everything's packed?"

"Yup," Hoseok stretched in his chair, legs splayed out and body sprawled over the seat. "Suitcases are just collecting dust by the front door. How about you guys?"

"Ready, too." Namjoon nodded.

Yoongi pointed a finger at Jeongguk. "Actually, his obnoxious ass hasn't packed yet because he's been spending all his time with Mr.Van Gogh."

"No complaints there." Taehyung laughed, leaning into Jeongguk as a hand rested just above his knee, thumb stroking the material of his pants and spreading warmth through every part of him. "Jeongguk's packing just involves shoving everything into a backpack, anyway."

"Why did I expect the guy to actually fold his clothes." Jimin rolled his eyes and Jeongguk raised a brow over his shoulder at the shortest surfer like he was offended by the words.

Mr.Tuan came out from the kitchen doors with a loaded black tray balanced on one hand and his shoulder. Jin and Hoseok, who had the easiest way of getting up, were on their feet to help him as baskets and plates of foods were placed all around the table.

Taehyung clapped his hands excitedly as Jeongguk grabbed the mango smoothie off the tray before anyone else could and placed it in front of him.

"Thank you, Ggukie." Taehyung said in a cheesy tone, pinching the younger's cheek, and Jeongguk shoved his hand away with a small smile. "You want any?"

"Don't mind if I do." The younger grabbed the glass around Taehyung's own hand and lifted it to his mouth, lips attaching to one end of the straw and Taehyung's smile widened when Jeongguk's eyes lit up with the drink hitting his tongue. "Oh, that's so good!"

"We can share." Taehyung hummed, taking it to drink some himself and he felt a second head approach the other side of his face.

"You guys are so fucking gross, it's adorable." Jimin snickered, patting his shoulders as he glanced around the table to see everyone fairly unbothered by it.

"Thanks?" Taehyung shook his head at the half compliment and perched his chin on a hand, content filling him as they shared food and words in Tuan's diner one last time that summer.

The hand on his leg drummed fingers on his knee.

"Hm?" He looked over at Jeongguk.

"When do you think Hoseok and Yoongi are going to deal with that obvious tension?" The words in his ear made Taehyung blink his attention over at the mentioned two who were arguing over something irrelevant unsurprisingly, eyes narrowed and palpable energy fired between them.

"I'm more curious about what's going to cause the breaking point." He whispered back. "Because they're never going to deal with it by choice."

Jeongguk chuckled with a slight hum of agreement. "More stubborn than we are."

"Yeah, how do the two scariest ones from both sides seem somewhat compatible?" He mumbled, Jeongguk responding with something along the lines of 'staring at one another like they want to rip each other's heads off sure is compatible, yup.'

"Are we talking about Sunshine and Mint Chip?" Jimin put his hands atop both their heads and whispered a tad too loud compared to a reasonable volume for secrecy.

Taehyung rolled his head over to cause the hand on his hair to slip away. "Minie, cut it out."

"What?" His best friend pouted dramatically, batting his lashes like he was convincing his parents of something. "You guys are gossiping and I want in."

"No," Taehyung scoffed at him. "You want to willingly third wheel and annoy us."

"Okay that, too." Jimin laughed. "You know me so well!"

"I would hope so," Jeongguk snorted. "Even I know more than I want to know about you."

"Rude." The eldest nudged Jeongguk and the biker scrunched his shoulders up before releasing them back down dramatically. "And here I was on your side being a good best friend and stopping this nerd from being single forever."

"I would not have been single forever!" Taehyung defended, crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't get all the credit for that."

"Like hell I don't." Jimin rolled his eyes and elbowed his arm. "I'm going to give a killer best man's speech at the wedding."

"Okay, you're done." Taehyung reached over the back of the booth to push Jimin closer to where Jin was eating, forcing them into a conversation despite the flitter of laughter coming from the shorter surfer.

"Was he even going to be your best man?" Jeongguk asked knowingly while smiling at Taehyung, loud enough for Jimin to hear. "I would've thought your brother gets that."

"Oh, I'm giving the embarrassing brother speech regardless," Jin spoke over Jimin's pained gasp of betrayal. "Jimin can have the best man title all he wants."

"Why is this even a conversation?" Taehyung wordlessly pleaded for the topic to fall through and be left in the dust of some new racing thought.

"What? You don't want to get married, my hopeless romantic?" Jeongguk grinned at him and Taehyung glared at him.

"You know what I mean, Jeon."

"I'm a little confused. I figured you'd be the type to want to seal things lawfully—"

"Shut up. Right now." Taehyung's cheeks were tinted with color and he pointed an accusing finger as Jeongguk laughed and squeezed his knee.

"You're adorable when you get all flustered." Jeongguk hummed quietly, like the words were a secret just for him to hear.

"You just like embarrassing me."

"Eh, not wrong, but..."

Taehyung shouldered him as they both sputtered out laughs and relaxed next to each other, sides pressed together as they joined the conversation of their friends'.

Jimin tapped Jeongguk's shoulder to hand him part of the burger sitting in front of Namjoon. Taehyung stepped into Yoongi's words, adding his own response to help the biker for once and annihilate Jin in the bickering. Hoseok and Namjoon were talking about something he couldn't entirely hear.

After some time, Taehyung noticed Mr.Tuan standing behind the drinks counter, wiping down some dishes and smiling over at them— deep in his thoughts.

The elder found him staring and they eyes met not too long later. Mr.Tuan simply nodded at him appreciatively and Taehyung smiled gratefully.

After all, Tuan's diner was their common denominator and it wasn't difficult to bond over those fries.

~•४•~

"Wow," Yoongi scoffed, watching Jin put the last canvas in the trunk of the car, after a struggle of figuring out how to handle them. "Must be so tiring being talented."

"Wow," Hoseok retorted. "Must be so tiring being a dick all the time. 'Would explain why you're always exhausted."

"Jung Hoseok-"

"Fuck off." He snapped at him, both of them staring each other down as Taehyung rolled his eyes at their expected bickering.

"How are these not going to get ruined?" Jeongguk asked, worriedly, pointing at the canvases protectively stored away in the car, and Taehyung chuckled at his concern for the artwork.

"I think you like my paintings more than me."

"Well, duh, Saltine, but that doesn't answer my question."

"I wrapped them fine! I just made this cardboard tent covering kinda thing so it still lets the paint dry." Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "I didn't plan on painting the canvas edges here because they're just gonna be black, so there's nothing to worry about."

"You're sure?"

"One hundred and ten percent, Greased Lightning." He laughed and Jeongguk slapped his arm. "I'll send you pictures of them in one piece once I get home, m'kay?"

"Great. Good. Sounds like a plan."

The sun was beginning to set and they all needed to head out soon so they weren't driving too late into nighttime. The bikers had driven over to their beach house for the final goodbyes, all of them crowding around on the driveway in that moment.

"Hey," Taehyung reached for Jeongguk's hand and jerked his chin in the direction of the ocean. "One more walk by the water?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Jeongguk squeezed his hand, tugging him towards the side path to the backside of the house.

Jimin stepped in front of them with arms open wide. "Nuh uh, we gotta go and you two aren't sneaking off to make out one last time."

"We weren't planning to do that!" Taehyung huffed.

"I mean, it's not a bad idea." Jeongguk chuckled causing him to shoot the younger a pointed look.

"Not helping."

Jeongguk turned to Jimin. "We were just going to the shore for a bit."

"Come on," Hoseok joined in. "You guys are gonna take ten years!"

"This is so unfair," Taehyung let go of Jeongguk's hand to throw both of his up into the air. "I'm going to talk to him for the last time in months."

"No, you're not." Yoongi shook his head. "You losers have phones for a reason. Let's go, I'm hungry."

"As if you didn't eat a whole buffet at Tuan's for lunch." Hoseok scoffed and Yoongi stared at him deadpan. "I guess you guys do have a longer drive ahead of you."

"Three hours on the road," Namjoon tutted, Jeongguk groaning in wordless complaints. "We should really head out."

"Five minutes?" Taehyung pleaded. He just wanted some time alone with Jeongguk after being around everyone all day.

"Okay, you children," Jin rolled his eyes, causing Yoongi to curse and turn away in defeat. "Run along and don't take too long."

"Gross," Jeongguk grimaced, taking Taehyung's hand anyway and pulling him away from their friends. They were laughing as the driveway fell out of their direct line of sight and Taehyung tripped over his feet one too many times with Jeongguk's pulling.

They eventually hit the sand, taking their shoes off and slowing their pace to not fall first into the grainy ground.

Jeongguk was walking a few steps ahead of him and Taehyung was quickly pulling out his phone at the opportunity with such a perfect backdrop before them.

He clicked a few pictures, head dropping to inspect the images of Jeongguk's silhouette with the vibrantly painted sky behind him. The lighting left most of the biker's figure unrecognizable, but Taehyung knew he could make him out right away.

"We've got ten minutes. Max." Taehyung jogged up to the biker, who was standing at the tide line by the time he pocketed his phone— one foot on the dry land and one foot on the soaked sand.

"Giving me the last scraps of your time, I swear." Jeongguk chuckled as he approached. Taehyung stood beside the younger, staring out at the horizon where the sun set in awe.

The colors were ever blazing that evening, hues reflecting in the clouds and leaving a memorable landscape of stark orange and deep pinks.

The ocean looked like crystals, too, with the shimmering easy waters of low tide and warm colors splattered about the waves.

"Isn't it pretty?" Jeongguk asked softly, voice just audible to him. He was sure the sound didn't even touch the waves.

Taehyung wrapped his arms around Jeongguk's waist from behind and tucked his chin on the younger's shoulder, kissing the glowing cheek near his lips. "The prettiest, Gguk."

Jeongguk turned in his arms and grabbed his hands, pulling them away from his midsection and holding the wrists instead. "All good?"

"All good. You?"

"Ready to go home." The younger sighed and squeezed his hands. "Well, kinda."

"You're gonna do great." Taehyung's head tilted as he stared at the wash of golden sun across Jeongguk's face, grinning. "Starting college like a big boy."

Jeongguk let go of his hands and moved to stand next to him again, shoulders brushing. Leather against his arm. He heard the tone of Jeongguk's voice shift entirely to something more emotional.

"You wanna know something?"

Taehyung frowned. "Of course."

"I never wanted to go to college. Actually never planned on it because I saw how Yoongi was fine without it."

"Why did you?" Taehyung asked, inching closer so their sleeves were touching, too. He could feel the roughness of the leather against his sweater. The graze of his hand against Jeongguk's skin.

"Hwan wanted to go to college. Wanted me to go, too." Jeongguk had a small smile tugging on his lips as his gaze fell to the sand their feet sunk into. Taehyung held back his sympathetic expression and just felt Jeongguk's presence beside him. "I don't ever regret it."

"He would be really proud of you, Jeongguk." He eventually filled the silence. "And grateful that a day hasn't gone by where you didn't think of him."

"Not one day, Tae."

"Which is amazing," he lips turned downward again. "As long as you don't blame yourself."

"I... I don't, actually." Jeongguk suddenly looked up at him and Taehyung blinked at the sudden shift in attention. He hadn't known Jeongguk's opinion on the matter had changed. "You know, after I told you and after I had such a long time to think about it, I keep telling myself that I got something great after all the pain."

Taehyung felt his chest clench, throat scratchy as the emotions rose within him. His meek voice hardly managed a "what's that?"

"I stopped blaming myself— I stopped feeling so terrible about it all because..." Jeongguk looked down at their hands just as they intertwined, fingers crossing into the dips of the others, locking together. "I was able to save someone else thanks to Hwan. I was able to save you."

"Jeongguk," Taehyung's voice cracked, words whispered in the midst of a cry creeping into his senses.

And he swore if he looked past his own blurring vision, there were tears in Jeongguk's eyes, too.

"I told myself it was going to be okay. That it was okay because maybe I couldn't save Hwan, but I was able to save you. Tae, you needed saving and possibly wouldn't be standing here if he hadn't lead me to you."

Jeongguk cast his gaze upwards and that's when he knew there were most certainly tears in Jeongguk's eyes, those dark, endless irises unfocused and glimmering like the ocean as they stared up at the darkening sky.

"I can't see saving you as something bad," the younger choked out a small laugh and Taehyung drew their hands up to hug the limbs to his chest. "Not when you— not when you're one of the best things to happen to me, Taehyung."

"Y-You're saying the sweetest shit again." Taehyung fumbled out, laughing with Jeongguk in some crying manner as arms pulled him close and he buried himself into his leather wall. His leather arms. His leather warmth. "One of the best things to happen to me, too."

He felt a tear drop on his shoulder.

"Are you crying, Gguk?"

"No, of course not." Jeongguk was muttering, though a smile was pressed against his hair.

"Emotions are fun."

"Emotions are a pain in my ass." The rasp of his voice echoed in his head and Taehyung hugged Jeongguk closer. "Good luck with your paintings, okay? Tell me how it goes."

"You'll be the first person I tell." Taehyung said reactively, hardly even thinking but he didn't doubt a word he said. "Just don't tell my hyungs."

"Oh, I'm definitely bragging about my place in your priorities."

"Shut up, you loser," Taehyung chuckled, wiping his face and then reaching up to wipe Jeongguk's skin, smooth and soft wet under his fingertips. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jeongguk nodded, turning his head to kiss his palm. "Thank you. I needed to tell you that."

"I needed to hear it." Taehyung patted his cheek before letting his hand fall entirely. "You better drive safe."

"Make sure Jin drives properly, too." Jeongguk reached into his pocket and pulled out Taehyung's gift of an envelope. "I want you to tell me what's in here."

"Why?" He countered. "That ruins the surprise."

"Well, I don't want to ruin it today by ripping it open out of curiosity. You don't need to tell me the content, but at least something more than paper."

Taehyung groaned and leaned his head back to find the sky in his direct line of vision. "When I journal, I write letters. To the people that my emotions are directed towards in that moment."

"Um... these letters are for me?"

"Well, I don't write them thinking you'll ever see them." He grimaced as Jeongguk's smile widened. "Sorry if it's brutal. I didn't proofread much—"

"No, it's perfect. I wanted honest and now I'll get it. All the things you don't like are in here," Jeongguk's hand found his bicep and it squeezed the muscle. "So, I know what to do even more."

"I knew this was a mistake." Taehyung laughed out, Jeongguk shooting him a quick grin while pocketing the envelope. "You can just read it and relive the summer through me, Jeongguk. Whenever you absolutely need to."

"Which'll be the moment I get home."

"Oh, you can hold out for longer than that, Greased Lightning."

"Not so sure about that, Saltine."

"That nickname really is growing on me." Taehyung raised his arms enough to hold onto the bottom hemming of the leather jacket, wrists grazing Jeongguk's hips.

"I'm a genius," Jeongguk chuckled. "Greased Lightning is so basic."

"It's also genius, thank you very much."

"Keep dreaming. Hey, were you taking a picture earlier?" Jeongguk's hooked finger ran along the bone of his jaw, tapping the underside of his chin sweetly.

Taehyung jumped in remembrance and reached one hand into his pocket for his phone. He pulled the photo up and Jeongguk watched as he did so, following the phone when Taehyung held it up for him to see.

"Wow," The younger mumbled, taking the phone in his hand and staring at it more closely. "I would say you managed to get my good side, but all my sides are good, so..."

"Self conceited ass," Taehyung rolled his eyes with an impossibly wide smile as Jeongguk stepped closer to him. "What're you doing?"

"One sec'," Jeongguk was doing something with the picture, tapping at the screen and Taehyung watched the tongue poke out behind the wall of Jeongguk's cheek. He enjoyed watching the concentrated expression on the biker's face; he would have watched it for a lot longer, too, given the chance.

But Jeongguk was holding the phone out to him with a satisfied look on his face that made him curious.

"What did you...?"

Taehyung inhaled sharply as he turned his phone on and saw the image filling his phone's background. He let out a surprised laugh as Jeongguk waited for his expression and looked at the younger before staring back down again.

"Jeongguk," he said, incredibly excited to have seen Jeongguk make the image his wallpaper in person. "This is so cute."

"Your two favorite things in the world." Jeongguk smiled, nose scrunching and hair flopping in front of his eyes.

"My two favorite things in the world." Taehyung mirrored his elation and pocketed the phone, heart hammering in his chest while aching equally so.

He glanced over at the beach home, where a couple silhouettes were visible past the side of the house and on the driveway, but Taehyung knew they shouldn't stay out much longer.

"I think time is up."

His hands gripped the leather jacket they clung onto again. Something about the material was so comforting to him after all those weeks, the coolness of it as the texture countered the smoothness of his skin. The dark color that reflected clips of gray with moonlight and something more colorful in other times of day.

The person it belonged to and all the good and bad behind it. The realness of that leather jacket helped and hindered Jeongguk until it became something lovable in the end.

Taehyung didn't want to forget what it felt like. What such a distinct material— not just leather, but Jeongguk's leather— felt like.

Jeongguk's hands were running all over, too. His shoulders and arms, cupping his face and then sliding down his arms again to dance a touch along his hands.

"You'll always be one of my best risks, Jeongguk."

Jeongguk kissed his forehead once, then his lips, and finally his cheek as he burrowed in for a tight hug. Taehyung pressed his face into Jeongguk's neck and breathed in that greasy mix of smoke and salt, burning fuel and crashing waves.

Jeongguk kissed the skin just below his ear, the younger's hair tickling his skin and Taehyung never wanted to leave that spot.

"See you soon, beautiful."

Taehyung nodded and embraced every second in those arms all over again. Every time he was in them, it felt safer. As if the last time couldn't compare even when every time felt perfect.

The cooling sand pooling around his ankles as the passing wave grazed his skin, making a chill run up his spine like a smoothie after being in the heat all day.

Refreshing and good.

Taehyung opened his eyes over Jeongguk's shoulders, capturing the last few moments of the lowering sun and dulling colors as those arms kept him at bay— physically and emotionally.

His head was fuzzy as the memory made its home in his mind, engraving itself into the etches of his brain like they could never be rid of. Unlike his fear; the fear that had torn him apart and also given him more in return.

Things did happen for a reason, Taehyung thought to himself, as he glanced down at the leather arms pressing him closer than ever to Jeongguk's beating heart.

Arms that always kept him safe. Arms belonging to the Jeongguk who saved him like the arms of light for the painted gold-winged bird.

The Jeongguk who always protected him. The Jeongguk who knew what he needed when even Taehyung didn't know himself. The Jeongguk who made him feel warm in the bitter cold trap of fear. The fire to his water.

He looked back at the water and smiled.

It was funny how life worked.

A place he'd always seen as an escape instead held the realest parts of him alive. It was a part of his real life just as much as it was filled with memories too good to be true.

And the person he'd seen as some stereotypical figure, cloaked in an unbreakable facade thanks to a rivalry, proved to be the realest person he'd ever met. Jeongguk: a person that made him feel more like himself and changed how he saw life.

Two things that helped him live rather than dream. Two things so perfectly real.

His two favorite things in the world.

His biker and his beach.

❧ ❧ ❧
...and he finally got his picturesque sunset kiss </3

posting this on tae's bday and now i am freaking SAD.
but, epilogues and bonus coming soon hehe :')

pls drop any last scenes you'd want to see from jk's pov and i will do my best to include some!!

thank you for absolutely everything you've given this book and me and DON'T LEAVE JUST YET!! ♡

✵ NEETO ✵

p.s. i'll do proper end notes with personal connections, rewrite thoughts, and artwork in a separate chap ;)