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wwh_youknow new friends and old friends made this birthday perfect🥳🥳🥳 #29
@jjungkookie the genius behind my gift you're back at the top of my best people list— i love all my friends so much😭😭

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sunshinehobi✔️ HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY IM SO GLAD YOU LOVED THE PARTY
   wwh_youknow✔️ @sunshinehobi you were such a good liar IM PROUD OF YOU😌😌

agust_dboy✔️ HAPPY BIRTHDAY HYUNG
   wwh_youknow✔️ @agust_dboy yoongi screaming in texts— my birthday does amazing things WOWOWOWOW

v_95✔️ THE BESTEST FRIENDS HBD JINNIE HYUNGG🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
wwh_youknow✔️ @v_95 MY PARTNER IN CRIME

parkthatjiminshi @sunshinehobi look at us GLOWING. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIN HYUNG
sunshinehobi✔️ @parkthatjiminshi 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
   wwh_youknow✔️ @parkthatjiminshi dancer duo taking ovERRRRR💛💛💛 thank you jimin!!

bookmonnie HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!🥳🥳🥳 glad i got to wish you on the video call
wwh_youknow✔️ @bookmonnie can't wait till I can meet in person someday!! thank you namjoon😭😭

jjungkookie✔️ im SO SO SO happy you loved the phone case 🥺🥺🥺 HAPPY BIRTHDAY HYUNG
   wwh_youknow✔️ @jjungkookie you're AMAZING jk 😍😍😍 these losers would've been clueless without you
   agust_dboy✔️ @wwh_youknkw not wrong💀
   sunshinehobi✔️ @wwh_youknow we would have been SCREWED😩😩😩
v_95✔️ @wwh_youknow jk is the absolute best
   parkthatjiminshi @wwh_youknow that's my genius best friend GO BEST FRIEND

bh_babies JIN DAY JIN DAY JIN DAY coolest group of friends ever.

jinNie_92 WHEN HE DOESNT AGE A DAY. KING SHIT.

kimsUckjin JIN DAYYY happy birthday to our king ❤️❤️❤️🥳🥳🥳🥳

2seokie_ CRYING. THESE PEOPLE ARE SO WJCICUSNDK HAPPY JIN DAY

—

Waking up with a brain-splitting headache was the worst start to his Sunday morning. Jungkook rolled over on the bed and buried his face into the pillow, gripping his skull tightly. The pulsing throb hammering against the shell of his head just made him want to bang it against a wall.

That's what he got for drinking last night.

He couldn't remember much. Only the parts before the alcohol hit, but the party had gone exceptionally well.

Jin's laugh of shock when he walked through the front food and saw his home lovingly decorated, the wonderful food catered to the eldest's favorite tastes. The music had been coursing through their ears, boundless joy more intoxicating than the drinks they hit later on in the night.

Obviously there was cake, Jimin and Hoseok enthusiastically lighting it in hiding and bringing it out to the living room, chanting the song. Then, Jin opened the gift they'd put their love into.

He switched his cases almost immediately, throwing arms around all of them in an appreciative gesture, learning all about how the phone case had landed in his hands.

"You're so smart, Jungkook," Jin had hugged him gratefully. "You're all traveling with me everywhere now."

Collectively an amazing night to celebrate the aging of their eldest hyung.

After the gift opening, the night got hazy in his memory, head aching as he blocked out the morning sunlight with the duvet, groaning again.

He could recall both Yoongi giggling here and there with pink dusted cheeks, Hoseok splaying out on the floor with a complete drain of energy. Jimin had been throwing himself onto the couch with endless laugh, the eldest model dancing ridiculously— surely outdoing his BH4 performance.

Jungkook, himself, had been a clingy mess, holding onto Taehyung or anyone in arms reach, climbing into his boyfriend's lap and just embracing him. Feeling hands run along his arm or through his hair.

He must have said some ridiculously cheesy things in the midst of his utterly drunk state, too. Probably made Taehyung smile all night. 

The door clicked open and Jungkook hurriedly rubbed his eyes under the covers.

"Hey, angel, you up?"

Okay, maybe his Sunday morning wasn't starting off so terrible.

He winced as ringed fingers pulled back the sheets, the bed dipping on his side as Taehyung took a seat on the edge by him.

"Sit up, I got you food and painkillers." The elder set the glass of water and pills on the dresser, reaching around him to help him up. Jungkook curled up against him, clinging onto the model for desperate comfort even in a sobered state. "Koo, come on, eat this and then take the medicine. You'll feel better."

"I fucking hate hangovers." The younger grumbled before taking the banana from Taehyung's hand. He ate it as quickly as he could without choking, gulping down the medicine and falling back into Taehyung's arms within the next couple minutes. The elder set the half drunken glass on the side table and rubbed a hand up and down his back, the soothing hand making his headache dull ever so slightly.

"You drank a lot." Taehyung chuckled. "Had to drag you in here last night when you passed out."

"That is so embarrassing." He buried himself further into the hold, stirring more and more into reality upon noticing that Taehyung was fully dressed and ready to head out. "You have to go?"

The model frowned at his pouty tone, the dejection making him want to drop every responsibility to ever exist and just hug Jungkook forever. "Mhm, got a fitting. Everyone's still crashed here so you'll have company. We're the early risers."

"I have to deal with everyone being hungover?" Jungkook complained, making Taehyung laugh. The younger pulled away and reached for Taehyung's face, smoothing his thumb over the soft lips. "Did you not drink at all?"

"Not much, I knew I had to head out early." The elder nudged Jungkook off to lay him down again. "Sleep it off until the painkillers kick in, okay? You can call me if you need anything. I'll pick up."

"You're being fitted." Jungkook pointedly yawned and held onto the model's hand, playing with the rings as Taehyung leaned over and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Your limbs are going to be a bit occupied."

"My manager will keep track of any calls. I'll let him know one from you is an emergency."

The photographer smiled painfully as the headache numbed his senses' clarity. Taehyung pulled the covers up to his chin and ran a hooked finger over his jaw, the warmth making him lean into the touch. Jungkook's skin flushed at the attention, absolutely thriving in the adoration.

"Need anything else before I head out?"

"One thing," he pleaded softly, Taehyung leaned down with an amused smile as a smaller hand found his neck and pulled him down to meet his lips.

That helped his aching head. The rush of heat filling his chest, as Taehyung whispered a gentle 'you look pretty even when you're out of it,' distracted him from the pain. The kiss was assuring like the hand on his cheek, like the covers engulfing him, just like the morning wash of light bleeding into Taehyung's bedroom.

"Okay?" The model asked once more, sitting back up and standing from the bed— never letting his hand go with the movement.

"Have a good day." Jungkook whispered, eyes fluttering shut with exhaustion. "Love you."

"Take care of yourself and the others for me." Taehyung kissed his forehead, like it would heal his searing headache of a consequence for inhaling alcohol. And, like a miracle, he drifted back to sleep that much quicker with the warm touch lingering and making his pain fade into nothing.

The elder's hand slipped away, Jungkook bringing his palm to his chest like the metal decorating Taehyung's hand was still being toyed with between his fingers.

Yeah, his Sunday morning actually started off pretty good.

—

"I wish I had Taehyung's self control, fuck." Hoseok rubbed the side of his head and leaned it against the back of the dining table chair. "Not sure if that was the smartest thing we've done."

"We got drunk for one night," Jin shrugged, rubbing the dancer's shoulder. "I think that's pretty controlled."

"Agreed." Yoongi was gulping down ice cold water in hopes of waking up. "I could go for some coffee, this water isn't doing enough."

"Another trip to the coffee shop?" Jungkook offered. "I can go again."

"You went yesterday," Yoongi waved him off. "You're not running small errands like that for us."

"Don't worry, Yoongi Hyung. I just want to make sure you guys are all doing okay." The photographer looked at Jin, who seemed to be doing well. "Jin Hyung, are you feeling good enough to come with?"

"Coffee run?" The model stood and ruffled Hoseok's hair. "Sure, Kook."

"Jimin's still knocked out," Hoseok pointed to the couch where the younger dancer had dumped himself. "But make sure to get him something. I know he likes it."

"He does." Jungkook smiled, appreciating that all his hyungs took care of him and Jimin as they tried to do for him. It was never perfectly smooth adjusting to new friends and environment, but it was easier of a road to travel on with the connection between the seven.

"Let's go. You two," Jin caught Yoongi's and Hoseok's attention. "Take a shower and clean up a bit."

"See 'ya." Yoongi mumbled locking the door after the youngest and eldest geared up for the cold and left the flat.

Jungkook felt comforted by the second person with him, even if it may attract some attention. The good thing was that they were in Gangnam and in an area of the district where many celebrities lived. Not many would bat an eye to seeing another famous face.

"How did you sleep?" Jin yawned, fixing his shifting mask as they stood idle in the elevator.

"Slept like a rock, but my head exploded when I woke up." Jungkook smiled behind his own mask. "Taehyung helped me in the morning."

"Sure you didn't dream that?" The model laughed, making Jungkook grin wider. "Kidding, he's very attentive like that. Will make sure his closest people are cared for before he heads out to do his own work."

"His work balance is getting better." Jungkook hummed, Jin nodding in agreement. They hit the ground floor and stepped out into the main lobby. The sunlight made them both wince in pain, but they managed it as the cold helped soothe the burn overtaking their heads. "He's so dedicated to his work— wouldn't even get drunk with us because it was at the front of his mind."

Jin didn't respond and the photographer frowned.

"Jin Hyung? Did I say something?"

"Is that what he told you?" The model glanced over, hands deep in his coat pockets and Jungkook's feet stalled on the sidewalk at the disappointed tone. Jin turned with his halted walk, prepared for the questions.

"What do you mean?"

"Jungkook, Taehyung hasn't gotten drunk in three years." Jin's brows furrowed, the only sign of distress noticeable with his concealed expression. "Regardless of who he's with, even if he trusts them with his life, he doesn't let himself make any mistakes that happened that day."

The younger's lungs constricted. His eyes snapped wide as the realization hit him more painfully than the sun on his sobering state.

He knew how careful Taehyung was with his life. Because the chances available after a second were near nonexistent.

But because he knew how careful Taehyung was, he felt terrible there was something even he couldn't help fix.

Jungkook hoped his undeterred love that morning was enough to make the model feel like he wasn't missing out. That he wasn't being strange for not drinking with them. That they all understood.

He hadn't even considered how much Taehyung must've disliked alcohol intake for himself, only indulging when the formalities required such.

"He used to enjoy it when we were much younger. Made him calmer in a crazy world." Jin shot his gaze up at the morning sky. "Bogum took that from him, too."

"But if he trusts people with his life, shouldn't he be able to let go?"

Perhaps it wasn't the conversation to be having on the Gangnam sidewalk on route to a coffee shop, so Jin took his arm and pulled him along. They could converse more discreetly blending in with passing pedestrians.

"He trusts us, Jungkook." Jin huffed, mumbling something inaudible with the muffle of his mask. "He doesn't trust himself."

"What? He didn't do anything wrong that day, though. Bogum took advantage of him!" He exclaimed in a hushed manner.

"We all have doubts." The elder's shoulders drooped. "For Taehyung, one of the biggest ones was what actually happened that day."

"There were witnesses, Hyung. Nothing Bogum said about consent was even possible."

"Jungkook," Jin shook his head, sighing shakily. "When we love someone, we want to trust that their flaws are just beautiful imperfections. Bogum's mistakes were not beautiful, and Taehyung doesn't love him anymore, but it's not easy to forget the good in the bad."

"The bad destroyed the good. Absolutely trashed it. Scarred him." It was unfathomable to the younger that such a doubt was even possible. "Taehyung can't truly believe that there was a chance he mistook it all at that charity event."

"That's not something for you to decide." The model squeezed his arm. "We all know Bogum's not a good man. But sometimes we try to justify mistakes when we wish things didn't end the way they did."

"Taehyung always tells me he's okay with what happened because it made him who he is today, brought me to him. That means he acknowledges the violation."

"And he also thought the past was in the past, but then the gala happened. There's a lot you can trust about someone, but their doubts don't come to light often; and if they do, it's usually the opposite way we ask for."

"Jin Hyung, I don't think—"

"Honesty with yourself is the hardest thing, Jungkook. The good truths and bad ones, equally so. Maybe that's what's holding him back. Because he feels that slight remorse for possible destroying a life that didn't deserve it."

"Bogum fucking deserves every repercussion he receives."

"I'm not arguing with you, Jungkook." The elder said calmly, noting his heated tone. "I'm just telling you to be honest with yourself, too."

"Honest with myself? We're talking about Taehyung."

"Taehyung's a part of you, too." Jin let his arm go as they neared the coffee shop, the mode pushing the door open. "You need to be honest with yourself that there's some things that will never heal within him. That doubts will always lurk."

Even though welding a heart would leave it much stronger and provide permanent healing— that crease remained. A sign of how it was once broken and would never be seamless again.

But being honest with yourself meant trusting that the weld would be enough and you'd be okay with something unlike the original.

Like the Japanese art of Kintsugi— where broken pottery could be pieced back together with gold filling the cracks.

You always have the cracks, but making sure the doubts didn't overpower the beauty of the good, the beauty of that gold filling, was the key to living at peace with the past.

—

first of all:
i can't tell if the point
i wanted to convey at the end
is even understandable from
a reader's pov— so if it's not
I APOLOGIZE :')

second of all:

PRICELESS hit 50K

what.
i'm— HUH???

so so grateful
for the love on a book
i love to write💙💙
THANK YOU SO MUCH