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⊱ 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚 ⊰
𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢
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it was one of the first mornings in the past month that he was able to sleep in. this was one of the lucky free days before a show that he could actually go out and explore the city. taehyung was feeling too excited he was surprised that he actually stayed in bed this long when he had the whole day to himself.

california was a lot different from seoul, especially this time of year. taehyung kicked open his suitcase and started looking for something to wear today, something more fitting for this weather. it ended up being a pair of jean shorts that ended at mid-thigh, paired with a thin t-shirt that had a picture of the state of california on it. he looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, sliding on some sunglasses before leaving the hotel room.

at this point he already knew the room number, standing in front of it again the same as last night. except this time it was different, and all taehyung could think about was the way the ravenette kissed him. he froze, standing there with a hand raised ready to knock. all he really remembered was how the mans lips tasted and then how fast the rockstar left after they finished eating. it was too awkward and taehyung was not used to staying and hanging out after messing with someone, and he only kissed jungkook. there wasn't even anything more that followed that taehyung would normally want.

the door opened. taehyung had to remember if he knocked or not. which he didn't, and the surprise was clear on both boys faces.

"oh, hi." jungkook said. he was actually wearing something that wasn't for bed or for work, a pair of jean capris and a white shirt, timberlands on his feet.

taehyung laughed lightly and waved, "hi."

the corner of jungkooks lips tugged into a grin, watching the younger scratch the back of his neck and look around at any place other than the ravenette. "yeah so what's up?" taehyung tried, not sure how to explain why he was standing outside the mans door like a weirdo. jungkook just chuckled, amused by it all. "i was heading down to get some breakfast, wanna come?" he asked the boy.

"yeah let's go." taehyung smiled and stepped back so the older could walk out and shut the hotel door behind him. "i'm hoping they have those huge waffles." taehyung said as they headed to the elevator to go down to the first floor where breakfast was served between certain times.

the rockstars hopes were answered before they even turned the corner, the smell of maple syrup giving it away. taehyung went straight to the waffle irons and filled a small plastic cup with batter to pour in. he closed and turned it so the timer could start and he could grab other things in the meantime. this consisted of a yogurt and a small bowl of fruit. 

jungkook went to the coffee first, even making two cups but just for himself because he knew he'd need it. "what are you gonna eat?" taehyung asked, seeing how the older just sat with his two drinks and sipped one.

"i need to wait a little, i'm not hungry yet." jungkook said. he was never able to wake up right away and eat. the younger didn't seem to have that same issue, not with the way he came back with that huge waffle and poured syrup over the whole thing. he filled his mouth until his cheeks puffed and eyes closed to just enjoy all the flavors. the older male just chuckled, raising the paper cup to cover his smile and hide it by taking another sip.

"so," taehyung said between bites, pausing for a moment to swallow and actually take a breath. "i want to sight see, but namjoon said i cant go alone." he finished it there, looking across the table and hoping the male would catch on without him needing to fully ask.

jungkook just folded his hands and leaned his elbows on the table, a small grin on his face. "is that so?" he said.

"yes." the rockstar narrowed his eyes, but he couldn't be taken seriously with the syrup on his bottom lip. "that is so." he said, making the older just chuckle again. such a nice sound in the morning hours.

"you have, syrup." jungkook motioned to his own bottom lip.

taehyung didn't even move to wipe it off, he just smiled and leaned over the table some, puckering them with an obvious teasing tone, "you wanna get it for me." he spoke, not being able to keep a straight face or keep in those light giggles that escaped. jungkook could feel his cheeks blush, memories from last night erupting behind his eyes. he just grabbed a napkin and threw it at the rockstar. "clean yourself up, you child." he mumbled, pushing out his chair and saying something about getting more coffee despite his second cup still being full.

taehyung giggled some more, wiping his lips and finishing his waffle. he started on his yogurt while waiting for the other to come back, which he did with the added plus of some granola bars stuffed in his pockets and a couple juice boxes in his arms. "let's go." jungkook said, looking around and kicking the leg of the chair that taehyung was sitting on. "come on you're so slow."

the rockstars eyes widened a little, swallowing the yogurt and abandoning the cup. "i'll hurry if one of those is for me." taehyung said, pointing to one of the juice boxes.

"you can have two, let's go." jungkook jerked his head to the lobby doors, now leaving the younger to walk out. taehyung just quickly threw the yogurt cup away and jogged to catch up to the stylist, a trail of echoing footsteps and giggles. "give me." it was the first thing taehyung said once they were outside the hotel and on the sidewalk, the sun beating down on their faces and breeze blowing back bangs.

jungkook was already sticking a straw in one for himself, but he handed that one over to the younger instead. the boy thanked him, and jungkook just opened the straw to another. "so what's in santa clara that you want to do?" he asked the rockstar, seeing how he looked around while they walked.

"well," taehyung said, words a little odd due to chewing on the plastic straw, "santaclara.org says the top ten things to do include a historic cemetery and a computer history museum."

none of those inspired any enthusiasm from his companion walking beside him, only a bored glance and quiet sip of the juice in his hands. taehyung nodded and continued to scroll to find something before they ran out of sidewalk. "can we walk to the beach or is that too far?" jungkook asked. based on their surroundings it didn't look too close, not by the buildings and little shops and the traffic.

"jungkook i know where we're going." taehyung stopped walking abruptly and grabbed the mans arm, making him almost stumble back and drop his juice. "where?"

"this way." taehyung was staring at his phone screen, pointing right and tugging the man with his as they crossed the street and headed to wherever the rockstar decided.

he should have known where they'd end up, out of all the places in the state and this country, jungkook shouldn't have been surprised where they stood.

they stood in the korean silicon valley, one looking around with big eyes and a big smile while the other just blinked with such a blank look. jungkook was the bored looking one. "we came all the way from seoul just to come here." he looked at taehyung. the boy just smiled some more and nodded.

"you don't want to see our fellow korean community on foreign land?" taehyung said, "plus we can ask someone for advice on where to go next after a good lunch."

"we just ate breakfast." jungkook pointed out, but he still followed behind the rockstar. he also realized that this was probably the most obvious place for the male to get recognized, and they had no car or easy way out if people started approaching them. taehyung seemed to think this too, because he stuck a hat on his head from his bag that bumped against his thigh with each step. the hat and sunglasses would hopefully hide his appearance for now.

taehyung shrugged, "i get hungry easily." no one would be able to tell, not with his slender figure and apparent metabolism. jungkook just groaned and followed along, letting himself be dragged from store to store, occasionally trying on an odd hat for himself that taehyung said he needed to get.

somehow the boy was convincing, because jungkook was walking down the street with a floppy hat shielding his face from the sun and a granola bar in hand. taehyung walked beside him with a proud smile. "it looks good kook." he said, nudging the male with his elbow.

"i like it more since you paid." jungkook was strange like that, somehow being super blunt but also never saying anything. taehyung wanted to describe him as straightforward and open, but he really didn't know the man at all. he wasn't going to worry about that now, not when they were enjoying themselves. he just smiled, and complimented the ravenette a few more times until he was trying to use the hat to hide his blush.

they didn't seem to watch the time, not as they goofed off in the streets of korea town and kept buying snacks at vendors on the sidewalk and trying on new pairs of sunglasses in different shapes and colors. taehyung tried on a pair that had lenses shaped like pink martini glasses, and then giggles exploded — it was jungkook, he was the one giggling hysterically. if anyone knew the man, they would know that jungkook doesn't giggle. especially hysterically. but it had taehyung smiling wide and paying for the glasses in a heartbeat.

they seemed to lose themselves in the freedom of today, neither thinking of reality and all the responsibilities it held. taehyung didn't feel like he was on tour, for once he felt like a normal boy just going out with a person he was really starting to like spending time with — and jungkook was happy. he didn't feel like the man stuck in a hole of self pity and hatred for too many things.

at some point they actually realized their feet were starting to hurt, and they walked too long to even know where they were. the only telling tales of time was the colors changing in the sky and less prominent heat on their faces from the sun rays.

"bro my legs are gonna fall off." taehyung just finished his slushee, knowing very well his dietician would be lecturing him, but the blue on his tongue tasted too good. the lack of a sweet treat had drawn the attention to the soreness in his feet from walking all day. jungkook wasn't even paying attention to him, his own red slushee almost done as well, but his attention was now on the big sign and boardwalk a few yards ahead of them.

"tae, we made it." he said, picking up his pace and not seeing the way taehyung pouted and missed his chance to sit on the ground.

the sun was setting, the sky getting darker and people leaving the public eye as they retreated to homes for family dinners or early bedtimes. jungkook only had eyes for the sand and water ahead of them. they had made it to the beach. "can we sit for a second?" taehyung asked, he really wanted to stop, but he did his best to catch up to the stylist.

the older male didn't seem to hear him, or he did and chose to keep walking. jungkook just needed to get on the beach. taehyung just kept quiet and followed, wishing he still had more of his slushee left.

their shoes were weird to walk in over the sand, getting in their socks and making the younger want to complain some more. he knew he would have complained more though if he chose to walk around all day in some sandals instead of the sneakers.

"why did you want to go to the beach so bad?" taehyung stopped now, just standing and watching the ravenette stop a few feet from the water. he crouched, fingers brushing through the sand until he picked something up. "i promised." he said it so quietly that taehyung almost didn't hear it.

"what?" he still asked, walking closer and deciding to crouch beside him. jungkook didn't move, or hide away as he turned the small shell around in his fingers. "i promised to find one." he repeated.

jungkook didn't say anything for a moment. he just stared down at the shell and how the water lapped so close to the tips of their shoes. he didn't see the way taehyung looked at him, how he studied the mans features and gauged how far he could push with the questions. "who did you promise?" taehyung asked in a whisper.

jungkook never answered him, but he never pushed him away either. taehyung seemed to be content with that. he was also content with sitting on the beach after the sun set, just watching the water and knowing jungkook was beside him. her look over occasionally, seeing the way the man held onto that seashell. jungkook even silently handed over his slushee. he knew taehyung wanted more.

the younger just smiled small and whispered a quiet thank you, taking the sweet treat and continuing to steal glances over to the handsome man. the moon seemed to light the contours of his face. his eyes were the same color as the sky — just as deep, just as dark. jungkooks face was so secretive and strong. like the most interesting riddle taehyung would ever find, and he was glad he did.

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