❧ Perfectly Real ❧

Jeongguk killed the engine, motorcycle going eerily quiet as the midday sun basked on his body, overheating him after so long, but he could hardly think about it. He ripped off his helmet and shoved the stand down, sliding off the seat all in one swift motion.

"Hey, Jeongguk, you were going too fast on those turns—"

"Scold me later!" He cut Namjoon off, who was parking his bike alongside Yoongi. The salty breeze was the freshest air for his senses, clearing his head of all nervous anticipation as his bike crunched into a steady park, leaning trustingly onto the stand.

He was rushing for the diner steps when Yoongi shouted his name.

Jeongguk groaned and spun on his heel. "What now? Was I leaving skid marks everywhere—"

"Your helmet's still in your hand, dumbass." Yoongi jerked his chin towards his arms and Jeongguk looked down to see the helmet still, in fact, in his hand.

"Shit, thanks," he fumbled out, rushing back to his bike to bury it inside the seat compartment and glaring in his friends direction, doing little to diminish Namjoon and Yoongi's amused laughs. "Shut up."

"Don't trip on the way in!" Namjoon teased as he hurried for the diner entrance. Jeongguk took the time to flip the older off before shoving his way through the door and causing the bell to ring violently.

"Woah, no need to break our front door— Jeongguk? Well, hello to you...?"

Mark. Jeongguk waved and said hello. He scoured the diner. None of the surfers were around.

"Jeongguk!"

Mr.Tuan.

The smile on his face was immediate as the elder man stepped out of the kitchen and held out his open arms. Jeongguk hugged him with a laugh. "Hey, Mr.Tuan."

"Long time no see, son." The man patted his shoulder. Much too long. Almost a year. "Can I get you anything?"

He would have said yes. After a three hour drive and dumping all their belongings in the flat, Jeongguk was starving.

But he had one thing he had to do first.

"Actually, I was wondering if you knew where Tae—"

"They're just by the shore back here," Mr.Tuan pointed past the booming dining floor. The ocean was a vibrant blue on the clear day and the high tide must have been later in the day than usual, tides coming in big.

"I'll be back in a bit." Jeongguk nodded, the grin on his face unwavering.

"Go, get out of here," Mr.Tuan laughed, nudging him away and Jeongguk jolted towards the back patio doors. He slid past customers and apologized whenever he bumped into one. The porch had a scattered occupancy and Jeongguk didn't pay much attention as he just ran down the steps and jogged through the sand to reach the tide line.

He could see surfers. They were far out, though.

Jeongguk panted, trying to catch his breath as his head spun.

He hadn't seen Taehyung in six months. He was on edge. And too excited to think about anything else. After they'd spent their winter break together, their second semesters were filled with heavy work and escaping for some break became unthinkable.

Jeongguk cupped his hands around his mouth when he caught his breath enough to muster a shout and yelled Taehyung's name.

There was no way he was going to be heard over the waves. Not at their peak of high tide.

Jeongguk yelled again anyway, standing just at the tide line and getting his ankles wet. He waved his hands around above his head to try and create a signal.

"Taehyung!" He shouted after the four surfers surfaced from their most recent run. They were closer to the shore than before.

He saw one of them turn and shield his eyes, looking around at the shore with searching eyes.

And then the surfer was laying flat on his board and swimming back to shore, separating from his friends after catching his name.

Jeongguk let his arms fall to rake through his hair as he laughed, looking over his shoulder to see some eyes staring in his direction. Not that he cared. Oh, he definitely didn't care as Taehyung became more visible when he swam toward the shore, swept up in a rollercoaster of levels with each roll of a wave.

The surfer's clumpy hair was falling all in front of his hair, tan skin glowing in the sun as his deep green wetsuit hugged his body.

The familiar board was steady under him, ankle strap clearly attached at his foot.

Jeongguk waved again when Taehyung was just reaching shallow enough water to stand. Taehyung threw his head back with a laugh as he slipped off his board and pulled it the rest of the way. Stalking through the shoving force of nature proved difficult for Taehyung and Jeongguk squinted as the sun blinded him from seeing the older rip off his ankle strap and leave the board floating in the ankle deep water.

"Jeongguk!" Taehyung was yelling, surfboard forgotten for the dry land as he ran up the sand to meet the younger.

Taehyung stopped just arms reach away.

"Shit, I know I'm soaked, but can I hug—"

Jeongguk grabbed the wet arm of his suit and snagged him close, hugged him right against his own chest and not giving a damn about the water immediately soaking into his tee, dampening his skin and dripping all over him.

"God, I missed you," Jeongguk's hands were around his waist, Taehyung arching into the embrace as Jeongguk buried his face into Taehyung's shoulder. The drip of his wet hair caught into his and Jeongguk thrived in the refreshing cool slipping down his neck to counter the hot sun.

"Me, too, Gguk." Taehyung's arms were thrown around his neck, the collar of his leather jacket warm against Taehyung's cool arms. The surfer was turning his head to kiss his cheek before burying it back into Jeongguk's neck.

The embrace, after so many months, was the best feeling in the world. He didn't care if he absolutely wrecked his dry state to hug Taehyung, instead pulling him closer and letting the water to his fire drown him in the touch he'd missed so much.

Taehyung began to pull away, but Jeongguk latched hands onto the curve of his waist and kept them flush against one another. The surfer laughed and let him do as he pleased, staying there for a few extra moments as their feet swayed back and forth in the sand to balance the force of the hug.

Jeongguk moved one hand to cup Taehyung's face and pulled away to meet his eyes. "Hi, Saltine."

"Hello, Greased Lightning." Taehyung tilted his head with that beautiful, addicting boxy smile. "Fancy seeing you here. Didn't know bikers liked beaches."

"Not as much as they like their surfers." Jeongguk chuckled, brushing back the damp strands of Taehyung's hair and tugging him close with the hand still resting on the older's waist. "You look good."

"Yeah, because I changed so much from our video call three days ago."

"Hey, I meant the drenched part. It's a sexy look." Jeongguk squeezed his waist and Taehyung yelped, slapping his arm with a laugh.

"You're like halfway there because of me, too." Taehyung poked his nose, making it scrunch as that impossibly wide smile spread on the biker's face.

He swore he never smiled so brightly unless it was Taehyung.

"C'mere, handsome," Jeongguk's hand slid to the back of his neck and guided their lips together. It was short and sweet, Taehyung laughing against his mouth as their foreheads hit each other, sliding with the slick of sweat and seawater alike.

Taehyung pulled away and turned for his board, grabbing the floating board until Jeongguk took it from him and took the duty of digging it into the sand to rest.

"How was the drive?"

"Fucking long." Jeongguk groaned as he brushed the sand off his palms. The little menaces didn't budge as his skin was damp from handling the board. "And uneventful. Is Jin Hyung cool enough to build a teleportation machine?"

"He's studying law, not science." Taehyung snorted. "On the other hand, I'm glad it was uneventful. That's a good thing, stupid."

"Yeah, but I drove fast and it still took years to get here." Jeongguk huffed and leaned against the board, keeping it in place by wrapping an arm around the back. "Just wanted to see you."

"Well, you are now." Taehyung flicked his chin and the younger chuckled, taking his hand and interlacing the limbs. The fit of Taehyung's long, soft fingers in between his own more calloused one's felt so right.

"Hey, Kim."

Jeongguk and Taehyung looked in the direction of the diner to see the other two bikers show up at the scene.

"Took you two long enough." Jeongguk scoffed.

Yoongi raised a brow. "We were giving you two obnoxious lovebirds time to get sappy."

"Thank you, Yoongi Hyung," Taehyung said in an painfully sweet voice. "That was so nice of you!"

"Remind me never show either of you any kindness." Yoongi snipped.

"When did you ever?" Namjoon chuckled.

Yoongi, though, didn't respond or register the remark as his face suddenly slackened and Jeongguk blinked in confusion. "You good, Yoongi?"

Namjoon pointed behind them and Jeongguk looked over his shoulder. The other surfers were approaching in their drenched, wetsuit-ed glory. The youngest biker laughed as he understood Yoongi's reaction and let Taehyung drag him towards the surfers.

"Hey, Jeongguk!" Jimin embraced him first, either not caring to ask about hugging him while he was soaking wet or just noticing he had hugged Taehyung and it didn't matter anymore. "It's good to see you guys."

"Can't say I agree." Yoongi was standing on the other side of him as Jimin pulled away and put his hands on his hips.

"Don't act so high and mighty." Hoseok finally cut in and the oldest biker's eyes were wandering. That much was obvious. Jeongguk wanted to put a hand on Yoongi's back and shove the two together.

The interaction didn't go much further than that as the surfers pitched their boards in the sand and greeted one another. It was short lived as the heat bat down and they were quickly looking to get into some shade.

Jeongguk trailed behind the lot with Taehyung, nudging his shoulder. "No problems surfing?"

"Nope," Taehyung smiled at him, rubbing his mouth when an abundant of saltwater dripped into the crevices. "I'm building up to tricks, though. Haven't done anything too crazy."

"Good," Jeongguk put an arm around his shoulder and tugged him close to his side. "I want to be there to see you do even cooler shit than Hobi."

"That's the goal." Taehyung chirped, laughing and putting an arm around his waist to avoid hitting each other in some awkward stance as they walked to the diner. "Do you have any goals this summer? Besides manhandling surfers?"

Jeongguk looked over at the surfer, who wasn't paying attention to him, but instead at the other five of their friends already seated around a table at the patio. Tuan must have reserved that for them after the previous customers had left.

"Besides manhandling surfers, huh? I don't know." He shrugged, grinning a little. "Destroy the secret banana milk stash. Throw some rocks at your balcony door, take my boyfriend on some motorcycle drives— maybe have sex with my boyfriend a few times."

Taehyung shoved him with a flustered expression. "What the hell! It was so solid until that."

"What? Are you saying you don't want to?"

"What I'm saying," Taehyung pointed an accusing finger. "Is that we are living with our friends all summer and I'll be damned if we even attempt that shit."

"They already know we're kissing." Jeongguk sighed, like they'd backtracked ten bases. "No need to play secrets with that fact anymore, Kim. Romeo and Juliet have come clean to their families."

"You're ruining Shakespeare for me."

"Oh, but you are modern day Shakespeare," Jeongguk sent him a sly expression. "And I absolutely love the idea of ruining him."

"I'm breaking up with you."

"Well, I guess ten months wasn't bad."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Okay, get me some duct tape, dickhead."

"Definitely not what I was hoping for. How am I supposed to eat and not starve?"

"Well," Taehyung pouted sarcastically. "That's not my problem until I'm an annoying little shit who doesn't shut up until his mouth's duct taped."

"But you are an annoying little shit."

"Yup, we're done. You and me, Jeon— it's over!" Taehyung pulled him up the steps and out him in one of the two empty chairs next to each other at their table.

"You two are breaking up?" Jimin snorted when they sat down. "Again?"

"Isn't that a red flag?" Namjoon chuckled. "Being on and off."

"Yes, Jeongguk is a walking red flag." Taehyung rolled his eyes, squeezing the younger's hand under the table.

"Well, you are red," Jeongguk huffed, stroking his thumb along his knuckles. "And I hate red."

They looked at each other and smiled, Taehyung leaning his head on Jeongguk's shoulder as the table's umbrella kept the sun from annihilating them and the table kept their twined hands hidden.

Not that they needed to hide it. But sometimes it was nice to have some things to themselves.

~•४•~

They all got together at the surfers' place that night to do a barbecue and bonfire. Taehyung's idea to kick off the summer.

"Okay, so," the youngest surfer had brought up at the diner during lunch. "Jin Hyung graduated college and made it into one of his top law schools— so I think he should treat all of us!"

And so Jin was treating them with an assortment of grilled foods and s'mores, bottles and cans of alcohol passed around for everyone. Of course, the eldest had help, but Jin was happy to cook. It was his hobby after all.

"Tae," Jimin leaned over in his folding chair to talk to him. "Kang really liked her commission piece. I got a message from her that she said to pass onto you."

"Oh, really? That's great news." Taehyung sipped at his beer. "Tell her I said—"

"— that you were happy to create a piece for her and to contact me with any other inquiries, yes. I am aware, Picasso." Jimin filled in his blanks and Taehyung pinched the skin of his forearm.

"Don't be a smartass." He chuckled. "Thank you, though, for helping me out with the commissions."

"Fate just knew it was going to work out perfectly when it pushed me towards business school." Jimin feigned dramatically, modest in his help and Taehyung laughed at the theatrics. "I'm glad your art's doing well, Tae."

"Me, too."

"Me, three!" Jeongguk was suddenly between their chairs, bent over at the hip with his arms on the chairs' spines. "Except that it takes up all his time. Time he could be spending talking to me."

"He already calls you the most." Jimin pushed Jeongguk's arm off his chair. "More than me— which is the most unfair part, to be honest."

"You two are not arguing over this," Taehyung cut in before either of them had a chance. "And Gguk, I do call you even when I'm working."

"Yeah, yeah. you're hot when you paint, so I guess there's that."

"Quit complaining like a baby." Jin was over with some skewers and Taehyung greedily reached for a stick of the stacked meat and vegetable. "Jeongguk, go get the s'mores stuff."

"What? Why me—?"

"Because I'm making your dinner and I can make you nothing—"

"Alright! I'm going, I'm going." Jeongguk pecked the skin below Taehyung's ear and left their sides, the three surfers laughing as he hurried in to get the tray from the kitchen.

Taehyung watched him go with the enamored daze in his eyes. Something about how well he listened and understood everyone, willing to be wrong or just accept change... it was so good to see. He focused on the shrinking silhouette of the biker until he was talked back to reality.

"—wish you weren't leaving in a few days, Hyung." Jimin leaned back in his seat to stare up at the older.

"I know," Jin passed the plate of skewers around to the bikers. "But we knew I could only stay for a week this summer."

"I'm glad you were able to come with for even a week," Taehyung smiled touching his older brother's arms as they rested on the back of his chair.

"Us Kims can never make it a normal summer, can we?" Jin joked, tapping his shoulder and Taehyung chuckled in agreement.

"Hey, a few days before we left for the beach, Hobi told me he wanted to get a ride from one of them on a motorcycle," Jimin's voice had dropped and his pointed gaze made both Kim brothers look over to see Namjoon and Hoseok talking, Yoongi listening intently but quiet.

"We gotta get Yoongi to take him." Taehyung whispered to his brother and friend.

"Agreed," Jin nodded, pursing his lips. "Bring it up and then Jimin and I can keep Namjoon occupied so he can't take Seok. Jeongguk won't for obvious reason, and bam, Yoongi and Hoseok go on a drive."

"Oh, I love playing Cupid!" Jimin clapped his hands excitedly. Taehyung rolled his eyes with a grin because Jimin had done just that for him, too.

He just wasn't sure if their plan would execute as flawlessly as the theoretical one. Besides, there was always the chance that putting them together, alone in a space, would be unimaginably bad and end up in injuries.

Well, maybe not anymore, but a year ago, yes.

Jeongguk came back with the tray of s'mores supplies and Taehyung was quickly grabbing his collar and pulling him close to let him in on the plan.

"How are we supposed to just casually bring up Hoseok Hyung wanting a ride on a motorcycle?" Jeongguk's brow was raised.

Taehyung shrugged. "Dunno, but we could just start talking about it and hope he pitches in?"

"You know I'm only taking you on drives, though, so if Yoongi hits us with a hard no then he's out of—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Let's just hope Yoongi caves."

"Unlikely," Jeongguk shook his head. Then he nodded. "Let's give it a try."

Hoseok was their s'mores making man again, the tray on his lap as everyone would hand him their roasted or burned marshmallow to combine into the dessert sandwich. Taehyung waited until the current conversation died down enough, Jeongguk sitting across the fire from him so that he had a reason to raise his question to the whole group, before asking.

"Hey, Gguk," he said, feeling the eyes on him. "Can we go on a drive tonight?"

"Sure," the biker shrugged. "We can go out in a bit."

"Tae, you're so lucky you get a motorcycle chauffeur at your beck and call." Jimin played in, tone of voice envious. "None of us get to just get impromptu motorcycle rides."

"Did you guys want to go on a drive, too?" Namjoon was asking and Taehyung cursed internally.

No, not you, Namjoon.

"Would you really take us?" Hoseok asked the pink haired biker and Taehyung looked over at Jin hurriedly. "I've been wanting to ask for months."

"Why didn't you, Sunshine?"

Taehyung's frantic look at Jin blanked hearing Yoongi deep voice say the words just loud enough for them to hear.

Yoongi... asked that. Yoongi asked that?

Taehyung blinked in surprise and his chest relaxed. Maybe it wouldn't be so difficult to get the two of them out on the road.

"Well, you didn't seem exactly friendly enough to even consider it," Hoseok scoffed, tipping his head back to gulp down a few sips of his drink. "Not sure if I'd even wanna go with you, Min. You'd probably try to get me killed."

"I wasn't offering in the first place." The Min haired man spit back.

Taehyung sunk in his seat as Jeongguk turned to his friend. "Yoongi Hyung, come on, you can take him on a drive. It's fun, honestly. It's nice having a second person."

"You're just saying that 'cause it's your boyfriend, Jeon."

Jeongguk slumped in defeat and Taehyung smiled for a second. Yoongi wasn't wrong.

Namjoon was frowning. "I can take you on a drive, Hoseok—"

"No!" Jimin suddenly intervened and Taehyung almost slammed a hand against his forehead. "Uh— I mean—"

"I actually wanted to hear about your court case, Namjoon. The allegations and how things unfolded," Jin said effortlessly. "You know, it's cool to get an idea of the real deal and how you criminals escape the law."

Namjoon rolled his eyes at the playful last words, smiling nonetheless. "Right now? Can't it wait?"

"I leave soon," Jin shrugged. "Wanna hear it before I go poof."

"Ah, okay. I don't mind." Namjoon turned to Hoseok. "Sorry, Hoseok, you'll have to go with Yoongi."

"Great." The dancer was shooting a look at the eldest surfer— who didn't pay an ounce of attention towards Hoseok.

"I said I wasn't taking him." Yoongi repeated and Taehyung rubbed his forehead with a wince.

"Yoongi Hyung, come on. Just one drive," he asked the biker. "Hobi's been wanting to get a ride on one for months now, so please?"

"Was that really supposed to convince me?" The biker grumbled. "Besides, he's a car guy. He must have some friend who drives a motorcycle back home."

"Nope! Just you three." Jimin exclaimed.

Neither Hoseok or Yoongi said anything for a while as the crackling of the fire and crashing of the waves struck the silent air with some sound. Taehyung looked through the gaps of the flames at Jeongguk, who'd head was turned to flick a gaze between the two— hopeful.

The warmth of the fire stung and hugged Taehyung at the same time as he stared at Jeongguk's slumped figure, lounging in the seat and he just smiled as his mind wandered.

It didn't feel like he'd been too separated from the younger emotionally— one of his biggest fears. They had a great and healthy routine going after having to spend six months apart in one stretch; a routine that allowed them to leave small texts about random things in their days, talk about those things deeper over calls.

It was nice seeing Jeongguk face to face and not through a screen, but Taehyung was even happier about how they'd managed. How much effort Jeongguk out into it— probably more than him because he knew Jeongguk was more affected by the lack of close proximity.

His head turned and their eyes met. Jeongguk's brow raised upon catching Taehyung's staring, a smile mirroring onto the younger's face.

Jeongguk waved a hand to call him over to the other side of the fire and Taehyung shook his head. He wanted to admire the younger like this for a little longer.

Besides, they had an entire summer together.

And hopefully a more normal summer than they had last time.

"Guys, don't force him," Hoseok spoke up when he caught Jimin and Jin whispering to one another. Everyone's attention diverted to the surfer. "Namjoon could drive me around another time—"

"Let's go." Yoongi cut in, standing from his seat with a huff while setting his half drunken can in the cup holder of the chair.

"What?" Hoseok stared up, wide eyed at the eldest biker.

"What?" Taehyung repeated. The rest of them looked equally surprised.

"He's gonna give me an earful for it if I don't get this over with." Yoongi muttered, like it explained his sudden agreement towards the whole thing.

"You serious?" Hoseok slowly stood, seeming a little stunned by how Yoongi had caved.

The biker sent him a look that had Hoseok nodding with a small smile.

"Here," Namjoon was digging his keys out of his pocket. "Use my helmet, Hoseok."

"Thanks." The surfer caught the motorcycle key when it was thrown into the air and followed behind Yoongi— who was already walking back towards the house.

Once they were out of earshot, Taehyung was cheering and slapping Jimin's arm. "We did it!"

"You did... it?" Namjoon frowned and Jeongguk laughed at the confusion.

"Joon Hyung," the biker started. "This was a plan to get those two alone."

"A plan? You guys couldn't have told me this before?" The biker grumbled, more upset he'd embarrassed himself not being let in. "So you don't want to hear about the court case."

"No, I do," Jin chuckled, also standing from his chair. "Let's go in and talk about it."

"Oh, can I come?" Jimin jumped up.

"Yeah, sure," Namjoon nodded. "Why not?"

The three of them headed inside to talk for a while and Taehyung didn't even realize he and Jeongguk were alone for a minute or two intro the silence.

He didn't realize until Jeongguk was standing from his chair and circling around the bonfire to get to him.

"Since you didn't want to come to me," Jeongguk crouched in front of his chair and Taehyung leaned forward, arms braced on his knees, with a light laugh. "Playing hard to get, are you?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course," Taehyung nodded sarcastically. "You're never going to get me, Jeon."

"Yeah, I'll keep dreaming about it," Jeongguk tipped his head forward and caught Taehyung's lips with his own. The surfer smiled against his mouth and hummed softly when their heads tilted to deepen the kiss.

"You dream about me, baby?" Taehyung asked, words hardly above a whisper as they broke apart for just a moment.

Jeongguk was kneeling on the ground, shifting up to pull Taehyung closer and kiss him more. "I don't just dream, Saltine. M'always thinking about you."

"How sweet." His playful tone didn't match the warmth pooling around his heart, flooding his chest. Taehyung grabbed the leather collar on the biker's neck and hoisted him up, causing Jeongguk to curse, but move pliantly with him.

"Easy there, tiger." Jeongguk chuckled as he hovered over Taehyung. The surfer glanced at one stretch of his leather arm on the arm rest of the chair, while the other was next to his head on the spine. He could feel Jeongguk's knee brush his thigh from where it had braced itself on the seat of the chair. "You okay?"

"I'm fucking great." Taehyung's hand was shifting up from the collar and into the biker's thick hair to tug his head down and meet his mouth. They kissed slow and in such a way that all of Taehyung's nerves sparked, lighting fire's across his body— stronger than that of the flame just near.

Jeongguk's tongue ran along his bottom lip like he could taste the beer lingering on it. Taehyung groaned a little, the hand in Jeongguk's hair tugging the strands, as their tongues brushed, teeth nipping at his lips and his senses drowning in Jeongguk's touch.

He pulled away when he couldn't breathe, air staggering out and into his mouth as a shiver shot down his spine. He pressed his head against the chair when Jeongguk kissed down his neck, stained the dip of it with his mouth, nipping at a spot that made him shudder. Then, he kissed up to his jaw and back to his mouth for a quick end, ending only so he could look at Taehyung.

"So pretty," Jeongguk murmured, hand leaving the arm of Taehyung's chair to trace around the supple lips rushed red from use, different eyes hooded in a daze.

Taehyung smiled softly when his nose grazed Jeongguk's, their faces ever so close. "You're very pretty, too, Greased Lightning."

"I don't think pretty—"

"Yes, pretty is the right word." Taehyung shook his head with a laugh. "Don't show off that stupid manliness."

"Alright, boss, whatever you say." He couldn't help but pay more attention to the way the words brushed against his cheek, Jeongguk's warmth equally radiating onto his whole body.

"Whatever I say?" Taehyung looked up at him and Jeongguk chuckled with a nod. "Let's go on that drive."

"I like that idea." Jeongguk pulled away from the chair and hoisted him up. "You're a great boss, Kim."

"I've been the boss for a minute."

"Well, a minute in and you're not failing, so you're doing great." Jeongguk was shrugging off his jacket as they walked around the side of the house. "Here."

"What? You need the second layer, Gguk, you're sitting in front of me— I can run upstairs and grab a sweater."

"Put it on, Taehyung." Jeongguk held out the jacket, their feet stalling on the side path to the driveway.

"I thought I was the boss. Why are you giving me orders?"

"Title revoked." Jeongguk took matters into his own hands and Taehyung shoved at his arms unsuccessfully as that leather jacket was hitting his back and his arms were slipping into the sleeves. Taehyung glared at the biker as the coat was zipped up to his mid chest and the hands on him burned his skin.

"Jeongguk."

"There you go," the biker met his eyes with warmth in them. "I missed seeing you in it."

"Just say that next time, then," Taehyung scoffed as they continued towards his motorcycle. "You're such an idiot."

"Insult me more on the way, Saltine." Jeongguk hurried ahead to get their helmets.

"You and your degrading kink."

"Are we having the kinks conversation now?"

"Shut up."

"Mhm, you love bossing me around."

"Where are we going? Just on a drive?" He asked instead, taking the second helmet that Jeongguk had deemed as Taehyung's, and his only.

Jeongguk shoved his helmet on and swung a leg over the seat, ignition roaring the engine to life.

The biker was grinning behind his helmet, Taehyung could tell.

"To our favorite place in this entire escape."

"Did you drink a lot?" Hoseok quickly asked when he and Yoongi were headed to the driveway to get on that fateful motorcycle ride.

For the surfer, it was easy to forget that it was Yoongi in the rising excitement to get on one of their bikes, but the same excitement clearly didn't bubble on the everlasting grudge overtaking Yoongi's expression.

"No, I hardly drank half my can." Yoongi muttered. "I knew I'd have to drive back tonight and being drunk with a motorcycle is just asking for something traumatic to happen."

"Ah. That's good."

"Did you drink a lot?" Yoongi asked as they passed by the wash of the patio's lights. "You're pretty red in the face."

"Hey, I didn't finish my entire bottle, either," Hoseok defended. He was tipsy at most. Nothing that would throw him off the motorcycle in drunk mistakes.

"Lightweight." Yoongi put together. "Pathetic."

"Don't call me that, Min."

"Oh, I though the good guys liked being humbled," the biker shot him a grin and Hoseok glared back.

Their feet hit the driveway and Hoseok followed Yoongi's pointed finger directing him to Namjoon's bike.

"So what else can you not do, Sunshine?" The biker asked, the click of a seat lock undoing as Hoseok opened Namjoon's bike and grabbed the helmet. "Other than not being able to hold your liquor."

"M'not the best liar." He said into the dark sky, head wrenched up to stare at the bright stars as he shut the seat and locked it. "Which is why you should know I really mean it when I say I hate you."

"I didn't doubt it." Yoongi had kicked up his bike stand and sat atop of the motorcycle, vehicle swaying under him, when Hoseok turned around. "You know any rules to being the passenger?"

"Anything that's common sense, yeah."

"Damn, I was hoping you'd fall off and hurt yourself." Yoongi's eyes gazed up Hoseok's figure through the clear visor, watching the surfer put the helmet on over his head. "Feet on those pegs and nowhere else— unless you want third degree burns... but be my guest, I won't stop you, Jung."

"Not planning on destroying my legs, thanks." Hoseok threw his hands up exasperatedly, stepping back a little when Yoongi turned the key in the ignition and brought the engine to life. "Shit, what engine is this? A three cylinder?"

"Yup," Yoongi looked at him, bored. "Scared?"

"Hell, no, that's sick." Hoseok grinned behind the helmet, looking at the engine configuration before nodding. "You must have worked your ass off to afford it."

"Working in a garage has its perks." Yoongi sighed. "Get on or I'm leaving."

"Where are we even going?" The surfer asked as he found one foot peg and hoisted himself over the motorcycle seat to find the other one so his legs were secure. He gripped the side bars, unsure of where to put his hands.

"I'm going to our place to call it a night. You can walk back."

"Son of a bi—"

Yoongi stepped down on the lever after turning the left handle back, rotating the right one and jerking them forward. Hoseok's words caught in his throat as the initial pierce of fear subsided as quickly as it came.

He heard Yoongi snicker over the engine and reached his hands forward in response, knowing two could play at that game.

His hands looped around the biker's waist, feeling the board of Yoongi's back stiffen. The older's shoulder jerked back to shove him off, but Hoseok held onto him tightly, unrelenting and leaving the message there.

"Get going, Min!" He yelled to be heard and Yoongi was flipping him off before putting his feet up and turning the handles back again, circling around the driveway and speeding them off onto the main road.

It was easier in practice to forget that Yoongi was driving him at first. The anticipation and feeling that engulfed him with the speed and rush of the motorcycle was overwhelming. Overwhelming in the sense that he hardly remembered his arms around the biker, keeping him steady on the motorcycle and ensuring his safety as Yoongi knew that Hoseok flying off would injure the biker, too.

As they sped around a bend, bike tilting as it curved the corner, Hoseok felt the back against his chest relax, settling into the maneuver. That's when he remembered his tether was indeed human. If Min Yoongi could be called a human.

Hoseok held him a bit tighter, subconsciously, when they straightened out after the bend, the swaying rollercoaster sensation making his gut rise into his throat for a moment.

But Yoongi was leaning into him, relaxing more with each passing second and he tried to match that, forcing himself to calm down and enjoy the rush. Which he thoroughly did.

They reached the bikers' apartment complex all too soon, Hoseok not realizing how close they actually were living to the surfers until then.

He felt incredibly breathless as the bike slowed and Yoongi's feet came down the catch the motorcycle, his breaths too similar to gasps as the adrenaline in him fell in the aftermath of the drive. Hoseok slumped a little, helmeted head falling onto the shoulder in front of him as the engine cut out, air stilling as his ears ring in the eeriness of a quiet night.

"You gonna get off on your own or am I pushing you off my motorcycle?"

Hoseok groaned at the unwavering, shitty attitude of the biker's, hands shifting to the side bars as he leaned on his left leg and stumbled off the bike. His legs wobbled underneath him and Hoseok was bracing a hand on some nearby car's hood to steady himself.

Yoongi kicked the stand down and got off the motorcycle, looking at Hoseok and suddenly cursing. "Goddammit, we have to go back. You have Joon's helmet."

"No shit," Hoseok huffed as he found enough stability in the ground to reach his hands up and wrench the helmet off his head. Yoongi stored both helmets in the seat of his bike. "You're thick in the head, Yoongi."

"We're making a pit stop upstairs before heading back." Yoongi ignored him, already turning for the stair well just feet away.

"I can wait here!" Hoseok called after him.

The biker looked over at him. "Get your ass moving— like hell I'm leaving you alone with my bike."

"Motherfucker," Hoseok muttered under his breath before following behind the older. They carried themselves up a few flights of stairs and the surfer honestly lost count by the time Yoongi stopped at a landing and turned towards one of the doors.

"Don't touch anything, don't sit anywhere. Don't let your salty sand infested self fuck up my flat, got it?"

"Just open the goddamn door, Yoongi."

Yoongi unlocked and shoved the door open, closing the slab on Hoseok's face and making the surfer jump out of his skin. Hoseok turned the unlocked knob and let himself inside, cursing out the biker and taking his shoes off.

"Cozy." He said out loud when he looked around the small, run down apartment. It wasn't as messy or torn apart as he would have expected. He'd seen Yoongi's place in the biker's home town, too. Spent the night there. He knew Yoongi could keep his space clean and usually did.

"Don't try and be nice." Yoongi grumbled, throwing his keys onto the table and going to the kitchen. Hoseok leaned his hip against the wall as the biker grabbed a glass from the cabinet and began to fill it with water. "What are you looking at, Sunshine?"

"Care to get me a glass, too?"

"Care to do it yourself, big boy?"

"You're a useless piece of shit, Yoongi, you know that?" Hoseok brushed past him and opened the same cabinet, pulling out of one of the few glasses inside and mimicking the older's steps. They stared at each other, more like glared, as they drank in silence, drowning out the reasonable amount of alcohol they'd drank with the liquid.

Yoongi put his glass on the counter when he was done, breaking the eye contact to leave the kitchen, but Hoseok watched as the biker shrugged off his jacket and hung it over the back of a dining table chair.

His eyes fell on the arm exposed by Yoongi's short sleeves.

"Woah." He couldn't help but whisper as he took in the sleeve of tattoos trailing down the pale arm. It was beautiful, he thought, seeing the butterflies in all stages of flight curling up and around Yoongi's arm in organized chaos.

"The fuck are you looking at?" Yoongi had crossed his arms over his chest and Hoseok frowned.

It occurred to him that he'd never see the tattoo before. Somehow, he'd never seen Yoongi without his jacket on except when he and Taehyung had visited his hometown.

The biker had been wearing coveralls and a long sleeved shirt that day. Probably because of the fall weather. And weather was probably why he'd been wearing long sleeved shirts that night when they'd slept in the same studio.

No, he had seen it before. When Yoongi had given him Jeongguk's jacket. He'd noticed the butterfly wing that reached the biker's shoulder.

He just hadn't thought anything of it.

"Hello? Would you quit staring like there's a dead body in front of you or something?" Yoongi looked confused and bothered by his expression.

"Your tattoo," Hoseok mumbled, still registering the sight as Yoongi stared down at his arm and rolled his eyes. "It's my first time seeing it."

"And that's a big deal, why?"

"I just... wasn't expecting it," he said, regaining a bit of his common sense and shaking his head clear. "It's not like it's in a hidden spot, but I've never seen the whole thing."

"What, you thought Jeongguk was the only one with tattoos?"

"I just didn't really think twice about it." Hoseok shrugged. "Didn't really think even once."

"Okay, so stop gawking now that you have."

"Can I...?"

Yoongi stared incredulously at him. Then, he held out his arm like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Hoseok stepped closer. His glass of water was forgotten on the counter and he could feel Yoongi's eyes watching his face as he nimbly held the biker's arm and turned it about.

Butterflies were scattered all about his limb, wings flapping or spread, angles varying, but all the individual ones so pretty. Even together, they looked beautiful.

"Taehyung would love this." He thought aloud. "Probably make his artistic connections right away."

Yoongi was at arms length, and they'd been plenty closer before (chests touching and hands on each other close), but the air wasn't raging with spite. Hoseok was just interested and awed by the art spread across Yoongi's arm and the biker was staring at Hoseok.

"Do you like butterflies—"

"I hate them." Yoongi cut him off, hand falling slack against his side when Hoseok let go.

"What? Then, why'd you get them tattooed on your arm?" His confusion spiraled as he met Yoongi's eyes, the older watching him with something unidentifiable in his gaze.

"Because I can." Yoongi muttered. "You ready to go back? You're being annoying."

"And you're lying."

"The fuck?"

"You're lying," Hoseok repeated, stepped close to the biker. He had a couple inches on the older, Yoongi standing his ground as the surfer got close. "Either you don't hate them, or you didn't get them permanently inked on your skin just 'cause you can."

"Why not?"

"I'm not stupid, Min. What does it mean?"

"Why the hell are you being nosy?"

"Because I'm curious?" Hoseok sighed. "Whatever. If it's personal, then yeah don't tell me. Clearly we don't trust each other—"

"Sorry to break it to you," Yoongi didn't sound apologetic at all. "But you trust me, Sunshine."

"No, I don't."

"You don't get on the back of someone's motorcycle if you don't trust them." Yoongi rolled his eyes and Hoseok pursed his lips. "That's just how it is."

"And what about you, huh? You trust me, too."

"Who says?"

"You letting me stay over at your place. You giving Jeongguk's jacket to me last summer— god, you're so fucking infuriating. You think I'd trust someone who doesn't trust me?"

Yoongi didn't respond right away, he leaned back against the kitchen counter and stared at the ground, gears crunching in his head.

"Why do you trust me, Hoseok?"

"Because our friends are dating and you're not as bad as you try to be." He said bluntly. It was deeper than that, but he wasn't sure if dragging Yoongi's past was necessary.

"You know," the biker mumbled. "I never trusted anyone besides Jeongguk and Namjoon because no one else could relate to me like they did."

"I know you kept your circle close, Yoongi."

"Right, I told you about not even having a circle of close people my entire childhood, didn't I?" Yoongi seemed spiteful to the thought. "Shouldn't have told you shit."

Hoseok stilled for a moment. "If you don't want me to know, I can pretend not to. Seriously. If you told me on accident, that's okay, Yoongi—"

"Stop being nice to me." The biker interrupted.

"What?"

"You hate me, Hoseok. You've made that clear. I hate you, too. Let's not try and be friends when we clearly can't get through a single conversation without wanting to strangle one another."

Hoseok stepped closer to Yoongi. One more step and he'd be able to reach his hands out to cage the older in. "Let's not put words in my fucking mouth either."

"But you said you suck at lying—"

"We just say those things to say them, Yoongi," Hoseok took that last step and let his arms come up to brace against the counter. Yoongi glanced down at his arms on either side of the biker. "We trust each other and that says a lot more than some stupid line I say to keep arguing with you."

"I don't trust you, Hoseok," Yoongi repeated, but his head was tipping back to maintain eye contact as Hoseok leaned in more. "I'm not friends with you and I never will be."

"You can trust someone without liking them, you know." Hoseok compromised. "How does that sound?"

"Fine," Yoongi caved quicker than Hoseok thought he would, "we can stick with that."

"Are you going to talk to me then?" He pushed the older. "Are you going to let me know about the sides of you that make you a lot more human and not the monster you pretend to be?"

"I don't care if you know about that shit." Yoongi muttered. Hoseok felt the hand press against his chest— Yoongi's ringer, pretty hand. It was pushing him back and he reeled away an inch or two.

"Then, tell me about your tattoo."

"You..." Yoongi's brow raised and Hoseok nodded. "Why?"

"It has to do with your past, doesn't it?"

And after a long while of him staring into the narrowed eyes, widening as he understood Hoseok's question, eyes that Hoseok thought were actually shaped really nice and suited Yoongi—

"Yeah, it does." Yoongi's voice was quiet, rough and considerate of his own boundaries and who he was talking to. "I actually do hate butterflies, but not in the way you think."

"Explain it to me." Hoseok insisted. If Yoongi felt uncomfortable with it, he knew the biker would tell him straightforwardly. He wasn't worried about that.

"Would you— would you stop standing so close—"

Hoseok let himself be nudged away and leaned against the opposite wall, which happened to be the fridge. The cool exterior of its white plaster like ridges hit his back and brought him to reality.

"I hate butterflies because people like them." Yoongi's voice was hardly above that one would use in a library. Hoseok was glad the apartment was silent at that hour so he could hear clearly. "It's... it's all I ever wanted throughout my childhood— to be liked and sought after the way butterflies are."

"So, you're envious of butterflies."

"My shitty foster family had this butterfly garden in their backyard. It attracted everyone over to see those pretty wings fluttering about." Yoongi laughed bitterly, sound sour in Hoseok's ears. "Isn't that lame? I hated butterflies because they got so much love."

Hoseok felt his heart clench painfully in his chest. He could see the guy when he was younger, sitting by the window and watching the other kids enjoy their time in the garden. Watched them while he sat in lonely misery.

"If it helps," the younger smiled, empathy in his words. "I'm not a fan of butterflies."

"What?" Yoongi's gaze shot up from the floor. Met his in a flurry of bewilderment.

"Insects and bugs... aren't really my thing."

"I thought—" Yoongi was frowning and Hoseok didn't think he'd seen such a gentle frown before. "I thought everyone loved butterflies."

"Definitely not everyone," he hummed. "Butterflies are kinda scary."

"Scary?" The biker was clearly surprised he'd gone that far. "You're not scared of me, but you're scared of butterflies?"

Hoseok grimaced, frustrated by the memory. "I saw this preserved case of them once and was kinda scarred for life. Besides, some of the wing designs are creepy as hell."

Even though he said that, Hoseok thought Yoongi's inked arm was beautiful.

"Uh, okay? Not what the rest of the same population thinks, but whatever floats your doomed boat, Sunshine."

"Do you think they're pretty?" The surfer asked instead and Yoongi cocked his head.

"Yeah."

Hoseok nodded and pushed off the fridge to step closer to Yoongi again. He reached for the older's arm and let his gaze wander about it. "Why did you get the tattoo then? As a reminder of what you wish you were?"

"That's a bit fucked up." Yoongi glared and everything seemed to circle around again.

"That's the only reason I can think of." Hoseok shot back, letting go of his arm.

"I got it after I met Jeongguk and Namjoon." The biker looked offended. "After I found my people, I knew that I wasn't hated by everyone. They were the only ones who didn't see me as a monster."

"Well, you're not a fucking butterfly, that's for sure."

"Are you trying to piss me off, Jung?"

"Maybe."

"Fuck off," the biker grit out, eyeing Hoseok who was standing just a foot away. "You and your little surfer posse came and almost screwed up my whole life. If you don't care, then stop pretending—"

"You're the one who pushed this 'bad guy' agenda in the first place, Yoongi," Hoseok was ticked off. "When are you going to get it through your head that you've just been adding fuel to the fire?"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe it was all I knew after so many years?" The biker's voice rose. "You might've had a perfect little friend group who grew up together and got to go to do bigger things in life— that's not who I am or what I got from life, Hoseok, so I tried to do whatever I could to at least feel alive."

"Do you still take your anger out in punches?"

"What?" The hissed response returned and Hoseok pressed Yoongi against the counter in a split second, face far too close to the biker's.

"Do you still fuel your anger out by beating people up, Yoongi? Because that's a choice and that's a choice that's never helping your case if you want to be appreciated like a stupid butterfly—"

"I haven't." Yoongi was throwing daggers into Hoseok's eyes with his deadly stare. He could feel Yoongi's breath on his chin. Hoseok's hands were on Yoongi's sides, pressing him against the counter. "I haven't since I found out about what it did to Jeongguk, so if you would just stop trying to be this annoying piece of shit constantly bothering me and simmering me down to hear my secrets just to rile me up again—"

Yoongi's vocal chords were cut away, words falling short in his mouth as Hoseok asked a question.

"Do you wish you were more like those fluttering menaces?"

Hoseok met Yoongi's eyes. That was closer than they'd ever been. He could feel the biker's warm breath on his face. Yoongi's nose was just a hair from touching his.

Maybe they had been that close when they'd argued before. When they'd gotten closer and close to get their point dug into the other further and further until it was engrained in each other's brain like poison and all they could think about was the other person.

"No." Yoongi replied.

That's not what he'd been saying the whole time. Hoseok knew that. He knew that and he he asked before he thought— "why?"

Why didn't Yoongi want to be like butterflies? It was the practical thing considering more people liked the insect rather than disliked. Hoseok was part of that minority, but it didn't matter— it didn't and—

"Because you would hate me a lot more if I was."

And then he felt a hand bunch up the neckline of his shirt and pull him past the lingering space between them, lips hard and bruising against each other. Hoseok felt everything in him short circuit as his hands on Yoongi's side gripped more firmly. Yoongi was groaning into his mouth and Hoseok was chasing after the sound because it opened up a flood gate.

Months and months of all that wound up, miserable tension that he'd chosen to pin as hatred was still the desire to pinch at each other, get under the other's skin— ultimately get on one another like they were.

Yoongi pulled him closer, hand on his neckline meeting his other hand in Hoseok's hair and forcing their mouths against each other in a painful manner. He tilted his head and parried Yoongi's force, biting back and licking into his mouth like he wasn't letting the older get his way.

His chest was burning from not breathing, stinging and making his throat ache for a breath. Hoseok slipped his mouth away and ducked his head to let himself subtly catch his breath while trailing about the skin of Yoongi's neck.

The biker's head fell back, giving him all the more room and Hoseok cursed against his collarbones when the nails dug into his shoulders.

"Yoongi," his voice rasped, chest heaving and he could fee Yoongi's chest expanding rapidly against his despite the relaxed words.

"What?" The biker grunted when Hoseok kissed up to his ear and sucked at the skin just behind it. "Stop fucking teasing me."

"You're the one who started this." The surfer mouthed at his jaw, skin red under his touch. Hoseok eventually gave into Yoongi's silent complaining, noticing how the biker's hands gripped the edge of the counter, and kissed him full on the mouth again. "God, Min, you're so soft—"

"Shut the fuck up," the biker hissed in between kisses. "You're talking too much."

Hoseok pressed into Yoongi harder, their hips meeting and chests flush against one another. His hands on Yoongi's waist went down to the back of his thighs and the biker was inhaling sharply when Hoseok pulled him up and onto the counter.

"What are— fuck— what're you doing?" Yoongi was dragging him close anyway, legs spread to let Hoseok step between them.

Hoseok pulled away just enough so that his lips were a hair from touching Yoongi's. He grinned, pulling away more when Yoongi leaned forward to close that gap.

"If I'd known you were so eager," he teased the older.

"I'm not eager, Sunshine. You're the one who just lifted me onto the counter."

"Just wanted to show you what it's like to be taller than me, shortass." Hoseok's hands gripped the back of Yoongi's knees and tugged him close to the edge of the counter. The biker cursed and shoved him harshly as their chests met again, Hoseok grabbing his wrist. "Don't hit me."

"Then, stop ruining the fucking mood."

Hoseok's grip slackened and he pulled Yoongi in one last time, dragging out each second and drawing out the smallest sound of pleading from the biker's chest. He could feel Yoongi stiffen when the sound drifted to their ears, like it'd been unintentional and a mistake all the same.

Hoseok dragged his mouth away from Yoongi's, the biker's face plastered with hues and his head turning to the side at lightning speed.

He grabbed the older's chin and directed his face back to look him in the eye.

"Did you whimper for me, Min Yoongi?"

"Mood ruined," Yoongi muttered, eyes darting down his face. "And I will kill you."

"Oh, that sound was you."

"Jung Hoseok, I swear you're asking for a death wish."

"Mhm," he grinned, pressing his lips to the underside of Yoongi's jaw and feeling the older's body sink against his. "When was the last time you kissed someone, Min?"

"Last week, Jung."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. A lot better of a kisser than you, Sunshine." Yoongi mocked. "Pulled me in and put you to shame."

"Ah, but you kissed me this time." Yoongi was shoving him backwards with more force and it gave him enough room to get down from the counter, muttering hateful words under his breath. "Hey, Min?"

"We're leaving. I'm going to drop you off at your stupid palace and come back so I can sleep in peace without you and your pretty for nothing face all up in my business—"

"Yoongi," Hoseok grabbed his inked arm and spun him back, pulling the biker close with a hand around his waist. "Listen to me."

"Get your fucking hands off of me."

"Hey," Hoseok pulled him closer and a strangled, pissed sound left Yoongi's lips. "You're right. Don't be a butterfly or change at all. I hate you enough already."

Yoongi's expression softened and he was forcing himself out of Hoseok's arms, making sure his back was to the younger so the small smile on his lips was far from noticeable while grabbing his jacket and keys.

"Are you coming or not, Sunshine?"

Hoseok let out a small knowing laugh and stayed close on Yoongi's heels as they left the apartment.

~•४•~

"Oh, it's as perfect as ever," Taehyung gasped when he got off the motorcycle and ripped the helmet off his head. "Not a thing has changed."

"That's what's nice about secret places," Jeongguk took his helmet and hooked it onto a handle. "How was the drive?"

"I missed those drives." Taehyung laughed grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the clearing. Jeongguk fought his pull and the surfer frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Wait one sec'," Jeongguk was opening the seat compartment and grabbing a blanket. The same one he had the first time they visited the cliff. "I figured we'd be coming here sometime soon so I just threw it in."

"What a romantic guy." Taehyung took the blanket in one hand and Jeongguk's in the other. He was still wearing the younger's leather jacket, warm and cozy in the material that felt like Jeongguk's own touch on his skin. "Are you not cold?"

"Nope. Kinda nice feeling the breeze, honestly." Jeongguk hummed, swinging his arm back and forth as they approached the grassiest part of the clearing, far enough from the edge to risk anything. "You got here a few days ago, right?"

"Mhm, we've been here for three days." Taehyung smiled looking over to his right to see that stretch of the beach and all the houses, the strip mall and the diner kiss either end of the shore. "You know, it was weird sitting at the shore by myself at night. I'd gotten so used to you being there, too."

"Yeah, I can't imagine what I did for hours out there by myself anymore." Jeongguk chuckled and Taehyung understood that. After speaking their issues out loud for so many night, getting into the water in phases and simply bonding, he couldn't picture the night shore without the biker.

Taehyung unfolded the blanket and laid it out, kneeling to flatten it out before he and Jeongguk sat atop of it.

"You sounded happy for Jin today." Jeongguk brought up, recalling Taehyung's announcing of Jin's treat in light of the eldest's graduation. "You were crying on the phone a week ago after his ceremony."

"I've never been without him, Gguk." Taehyung shook his head. "He's moving out to go to law school hours away and I'm a little scared to be without him."

"Why?"

Taehyung looked at him. "You know why."

"Yeah, I know," Jeongguk sighed. "Hoseok and Jimin aren't going to be far, though. You can still see them whenever you want."

"Are we still talking about the same thing?" He teased.

"Maybe not," Jeongguk admitted, causing them both to laugh. "You've done long distance with me, though, Tae. You'll be fine with Jin. You guys are good at communicating."

"That's true." He nudged the younger. "Look at you being all wise."

"Funny." The biker shook his head with a smile. "Can I be honest?"

"Have you not been?"

"Shut up, Tae," the surfer grinned but told him to continue. "As much as a I hated myself the day after bringing you here for the first time, I'll never regret it."

Taehyung was glad to hear that. He knew that the younger had been tense to the matter before they'd cleared things up, and it was nice to hear he had a solid opinion after a long time to think it over.

"You took a risk that night and it paid off." He said and Jeongguk leaned his head onto the surfer's shoulder. Taehyung reached a hand up to stroke his hair when the weight was added. "Wanna know why I'll never forget that night?"

"Because you got to ride a motorcycle for the first time?"

"Well, that," he chuckled, staring out at the clear sky scattered with stars and the bluish black of night. "And I saw you smile so, so wide and bright. Like all the chains on your heart had disappeared and you let yourself breathe for once."

"You know who did that?" Jeongguk leaned into his hand, appreciating the caring touch. "You did. Made me feel like myself after I thought I lost it all."

"There's just something about this cliff..." Taehyung dusted off a couple blades of grass on their blanket. "Makes everyone feel so much better and makes us feel more us. You always look so real up here, Gguk, maybe it's being closer to the moon or just that afterglow of driving up here— you're the most you I've seen when we're here."

"Cheesier than cheddar." Jeongguk turned his head to look at him and Taehyung snorted. The biker hugged him from the side and kissed his shoulder. "I'm glad you haven't changed one bit, you dork."

"Stop talking like we haven't spoken in months." Taehyung laughed. "I called you yesterday."

"Only to see if I had packed up my stuff!"

"Still called you."

"Whatever, Kim."

"Don't get all grumpy, Jeon." He pinched the younger's arm. "We should sleep up here."

"Oh, hell no. My back's going to feel broken in the morning."

"Please?"

Jeongguk pulled away from him to lay down on the blanket, hands rising to create a pillow behind his head. "How about you sleep like the sleepyhead you are and I just stand guard from any cliff monsters. Hm? How does that sound?"

"Shut up. I mentioned possible dangers one time!" Taehyung groaned and laid down besides the younger. "I wanna punch you."

"Who's doing to drive you home if you're injured?"

"I have three of my friends, two of yours, and an old man who loves me very much on speed dial, so sorry if I'm not very concerned about leaving you here to rot."

"You'd lose your very amazing, perfect boyfriend— I would be concerned if I were you."

"Yeah, what else would you do if you were me, hm?"

"That's a weird question," Jeongguk laughed, hands slipping away from behind his head to rest on his stomach. "I guess I'd just tap into all that talent and see what it's like to be artistic."

"That's fair, I'd drive the motorcycle everywhere." Taehyung shifted closer to the younger and felt his warmth drift off like the cloth of the blanket protecting him from the cool ground. "I'd also go through your phone and see how many people you probably used to sext."

"Ew, Tae— I deleted all that ages ago, what the hell. Blocked the majority of my contacts, too." Jeongguk grimaced. "Who do you think I am?"

"I was kidding, Gguk." Taehyung's brow raised, turning onto his side to peer over at Jeongguk. "Though, I didn't know you removed all the contacts. Did you have that many?"

"Let's not talk about this. That was me a year ago." Jeongguk groaned, covering his eyes. "I'm a loyal changed man now."

"Honestly impressive," Taehyung teased, yelping when the younger smacked him. "Give me your phone."

"Tae, I'm serious, okay," Jeongguk rolled his eyes, as he fished out the device. "Look all you want—"

"That's not what I want it for, dumbass." He got the unlocked phone and went to settings, quickly finding the wallpaper settings and changing it with a new photo. He took the photo then and there— a selfie of the two of them laying next to each other. Jeongguk was laughing in the photo, more surprised when he realized what Taehyung was doing. "I've been wanting to change your background since you brought it up a few months ago."

"Glad you knocked that off your bucket list." The biker was staring at the screen, a faint smile on his lips, and Taehyung threw an arm over his chest to hug him. He laid his head down on Jeongguk's shoulder and the biker was immediately setting his phone down to pull Taehyung closer.

"You're cold, Gguk." Taehyung's tone of voice was worried and the younger was running his hand up and down Taehyung's back.

"You tired?"

"Long day." Taehyung explained. Jeongguk nodded in agreement. He'd had a long day driving to the beach, too. The drive was manageable, but it was still exhausting regardless. "C'mere, you stubborn idiot."

Taehyung was pulling him closer, hands rubbing back and forth along his bare arms and Jeongguk stared down at the determined eyes of the older's as the constant rubbing would hopefully make his arms less cool to the touch.

He felt warm eventually, too, but Jeongguk didn't admit that. He thought it was warmer when he was just hugging Taehyung close.

The older wouldn't quit fussing about him, though.

"Tae," He pulled Taehyung off in order to have him lay flat again. "I'm okay, don't worry."

"Are you less cold?"

"Yes," he rolled his eyes playfully. "Thank you, my wonderful Saltine."

"Good." Taehyung sighed, propping one knee up and swaying it back and forth. "You're welcome, you dumb shit."

"Wow, really feeling the love," Jeongguk got an idea and grinned, Taehyung eyeing his change in expression worriedly.

"I don't like that look," the older thought aloud, eyes widening as the biker shifted to hover over him. "What the hell are you thinking, Jeon—"

"One thing I didn't get the chance to do last time we were here."

"What are you— shit, no! No, no, fuck, Jeongguk!" Taehyung shrieked as Jeongguk pinned him down with one leg and let his fingers twiddle across all the sensitive spots around his waist and neck, tickling him without an end in sight.

The older felt his stomach ache, chest burning from not being able to breathe as laughs were pulled out of him with those fingers tickling his skin. Jeongguk was grinning, laughing evilly as Taehyung halfheartedly pleaded for him to cut it out, cut off by a breathless laugh half the time.

"Stop— I can't— Jeongguk, I hate you! I— fuck—" Taehyung gasped for air, words dying when the younger stopped tickling him. He was gasping for air, groaning as his stomach ached in soreness, smile a curse on his mouth as he opened his eyes.

He was ready to curse at the younger a million times and shove him off the cliffside, but didn't.

Because Jeongguk was laughing. He was smiling. Like all that time ago— last summer when they'd come to the cliff for the first time. Jeongguk's scrunched nose and wrinkled eyes, bunny like teeth on display as that heartfelt sound went through Taehyung's ear and straight to his chest.

His chest started to burn for another reason. His stomach didn't ache, instead the butterflies shot around his gut, lurching up into his throat.

The sight of Jeongguk's beaming smile, brighter than the moon itself, as the stars filled the rest of his vision. It was everything he could ask for.

His hand reached up to graze Jeongguk's cheek, as if he weren't real, flinching a little when it met that soft skin of Jeongguk's face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jeongguk scoffed, remnants of his laughter crumbled down into chuckles, small sounds of amusement.

The biker took his hand away from his face and looked at it. Then, his eyes widened and he was narrowing in on the side of Taehyung's pinky.

"Holy shit," Jeongguk breathed out. "When did you get this?"

"I was wondering when you'd notice." Taehyung smiled, letting his hand get manipulated for Jeongguk to take in the small bird inked on the side of his hand, just under his pinky. "Got it a few months ago, but I hid it from you."

"You're shitting me right now." The disbelief was clear. "This is one of those fake rub off one's— there's no way—"

The younger was rubbing at his skin forcefully and Taehyung giggled a little, giddiness striking him. "It's real, Gguk. Permanently there."

"What the fuck."

"Do you like it?"

"Do I like it? Tae, I don't think you understand how much this means—" Jeongguk was at a loss of words for a moment and he paused to regain his train of thought. Taehyung felt the heat creep into his face as the biker pressed his lips to the small tattoo, skin burning under his mouth. "It's beautiful."

Any insult or curse to bestow upon the younger evaporated in his thoughts. Taehyung couldn't think of a single phrase that would suffice to how he felt in that moment. Well, except one.

Taehyung cupped Jeongguk's face with more certainty and smiled.

Jeongguk frowned. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head, leaning up to press his forehead against the younger's. "Nothing. I just love you a lot."

He heard Jeongguk's breath hitch, lids blinking over his eyes like he'd been spoken to in a foreign language. "What— what did you say?"

"Hm?" His relaxed smile was so sure of everything and Jeongguk looked quite the opposite in the moment. "I love everything about you and what you do for me and people you care about. You've got such a big heart, Jeongguk."

"No— not— you..." Jeongguk's breaths came shallow. "Fuck, Tae. I don't think anyone has ever told me that before."

"What?" It was his turn to be a little confused, Jeongguk helping him sit upright. "But... not even your dad?"

"He wasn't the type to verbally express things like that," Jeongguk's shock slowly faded, a more flustered expression taking place. "Can... can you say it again?"

Taehyung's eyes softened, and he cupped Jeongguk's face in his hands again. The younger's fingers wrapped around his wrists, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. "I love you, Jeongguk. And you should know your dad does, too. Namjoon and Yoongi also do even if they'll never say it."

"Thank you," Jeongguk's eyes were suddenly closing, his breaths staggering, and Taehyung pulled him into a hug.

They were words Jeongguk never knew he'd wanted to hear.

Maybe as a kid, Jeongguk would wonder why his parents didn't say it to him. If his mother did— why didn't it sound genuine like the parents of his school friends? And Taehyung could see why Jeongguk's dad wasn't the type.

Yoongi and Namjoon were clearly not the type to outwardly say the three words either.

Not everyone expressed it the same way, but Taehyung thought everyone deserved to hear it from at least one person in their life.

He didn't mind being that one person in Jeongguk's life. He didn't mind it at all. He would happily do it in fact.

Jeongguk was trembling, maybe a lighter form of it, in his arms, Taehyung kissing his hair and keeping him close. Taehyung was so glad he thought twice about Jeongguk. Glad he'd been pushed to give the younger a second chance and put his problems aside to put Jeongguk first.

Jeongguk pulled away, hand rising towards his collarbones and Taehyung blinked in surprise when fingers grazed the necklace around his neck.

"Did you ever open this?"

"I... didn't actually." Taehyung said truthfully.

Jeongguk looked a little defeated. "Why?"

"I didn't think I needed to," The surfer shook his head with a smile. "I never felt that far away from you. You never let me feel like I was alone, Jeongguk."

Jeongguk nodded, smile flickered to the surface at his words and disappearing again. A nervous trance consumed him. "Would you open it now if I asked? I want you to know what's inside."

Taehyung inhaled sharply at the request.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to. Part of knowing that there was some secret sign of Jeongguk's appreciation for him against his chest at all times was calming. Like it was always there and it didn't matter what was inside.

But, once Jeongguk said the words, he wanted to know, too. Taehyung's letters had been opened. This was one last secret between them that Taehyung also wanted to open up.

So, he nodded slowly and reached up to unclasp the chain. Jeongguk caught it before it had the chance of falling, putting it in Taehyung's hand and motioning for him to continue.

The surfer timidly wiggled the cap of the bottle off and it popped off anticlimactically. Taehyung held his breath as he turned the bottle upside down into his opposite palm and felt sand and a paper slip out.

Jeongguk didn't say a word. He probably wanted Taehyung's raw reaction.

The sand would been some reminder of the beach, of where they met and started.

He attempted to get whatever of the small grain that he could back into the small bottle. Jeongguk took it from it and let him handle the paper.

Taehyung hesitated to open it, licking his dry lips as his chest was already aching knowing that this was Jeongguk's gift to him. He'd seen this necklace and thought of him.

The paper opened up to be a small picture.

And on the back, a smaller message.

thank you for saving me, too.

Taehyung felt his eyes water, stunned to see the words and the picture of his beloved biker put together. He could make all the deeper analysis he wanted to, but it wouldn't change the immediate impact of gratitude that came with that handwritten penmanship of Jeongguk's words.

"Jeongguk," he whispered, gaze shifting up to look at the younger. Taehyung pulled Jeongguk close in a heartbeat, holding back the tears as he buried his face into that warm shoulder, arms around his leather clad body in half a second.

"You really did save me, Hyung." Jeongguk shook his head, lips moving against his ear to say the words. "And I'll always be thankful for it."

Taehyung couldn't find the words. He felt Jeongguk grab his hand and stroke the skin where the bird was tattooed, like it was engrained in his brain just as Jeongguk's tattoo was in Taehyung's head.

They laid down after a bit, under the stars, with the ocean crashing consistently on the rocks below. Taehyung could hear the rustle of the trees in each passing breeze, it was so quiet.

He could feel the pendant that was back around his neck press into Jeongguk's chest as he rested his head on the younger's shoulder. A heartbeat was against his palm, his hand flat against Jeongguk's chest and his body rising and falling with every breath the biker took.

The moonlight washed Jeongguk's face pale when he looked up at him, and the smile grew on his face when Jeongguk caught his staring and kissed his forehead.

In the open, while he was still awake.

Jeongguk took Taehyung's hand that was on his chest and raised it to his lips, kissing the bird there and keeping their fingers laced together on his heart. Taehyung lifted his head return a kiss on that bird's wing just below Jeongguk's ear.

And the world stilled, time froze; everything just stopped for a moment.

A moment that Taehyung wouldn't forget in a million years as his eyes closed and he felt safe as always in those familiar arms.

"I keep you safe, sleepyhead," Jeongguk whispered into the night. "Love you, too, Kim Taehyung."

But he heard it that time. Loud and clear and he made sure Jeongguk knew he'd heard with the tight squeeze of a hug he answered with.

There were no more secrets.

Just them and the beach. And a lot of love for each other. Stars above and moon lowering into the horizon— Taehyung knew what they were together.

Perfectly real under the moonlight.

❧ ❧ ❧

a little bit in shock right now :')))

i guess this is the last of the new stuff for b&b as the next chap is jk povs from different main story scenes SO IM. VERY. SAD.

finished this book exactly
three years from its start ♡

✵ NEETO ✵