It was so easy to forget what was going on in the sanctuary that was Taehyung's arms.

Jungkook found it so easy to let the world shrink, all the fans and media slip away, feel as though nothing on the planet existed except for the two of them in each other's hold.

But that was temporary. Happiness meant nothing without knowing pain. There was always some bad in the good.

The bad was always overwhelming when new pictures surfaced. Fans were finding him in the background, or spreading lookalikes claiming they'd found him— people were obsessed; and it wasn't the good kind of attention whatsoever.

Jungkook had four different pictures that were accurate claims of him, never showing his face to the fullest, but it was devastating no matter what type of image it turned out to be.

He only went to private places.

As per Taehyung's request, until the craze died down, he stayed in secured buildings and away from Taehyung in public.

It hurt. A lot. A lot more than he thought it would.

The simplest things like his morning run, a trip to the store for groceries... he couldn't even make his trip to Andong for picking up print orders without security tagging along.

What hurt more was the timing of it.

Only a few days after Taehyung's return from France, Christmas was only a week and a half away, Taehyung's court trial was in five days, his friends were busy preparing for showcases and in their work, but this mess of his was unwillingly taking priority above all else in more places than just his mind.

He couldn't enjoy the decorations filling the streets, colorful lights and trees being assembled in the main plazas of Seoul. He'd seen them start being put up when Taehyung was away in Paris, but he'd missed his chance to go stroll around and see the final displays.

Nor could he really help Taehyung emotionally prepare for the trial when he was so on edge by the same man's name himself.

He simply felt distant from everything.

Jungkook was at Taehyung's apartment that day, switching between his and the model's for some variety. He was grateful for it, the transporting of his work to and fro not even bothersome when he was getting new scenery.

He was currently uploading a large file stored in his camera's SD card to the computer Taehyung had given him to use when he couldn't be at his monitors at the BigHit provided flat. His stomach was full from an assortment of leftovers he'd taken from the model's fridge for lunch. The sun was high in the midday sky.

Jungkook sunk back in the office chair of Taehyung's study, gazing past the computer screen at the bookshelf littered with stacks of old literature. The rich colors of the wood shelves were warming and homey.

It was then when his phone lit up with a notification and his attention diverted to it, the corner of his lips tugging upward.

—

v_95
hi koo what're you up to?

jjungkookie
uploading onto the computer

jjungkookie
you're on break??

v_95
yes sir

v_95
catch me up on your day

jjungkookie
you were here this morning tae

v_95
and what about after i left >:(

jjungkookie
is this how i sound when i ask about your day

v_95
i actually appreciate it thank you very much ;(

jjungkookie
mhm well i talked to joonie hyung first

jjungkookie
finally picked up his call

v_95
you were avoiding him??

v_95
why jungkook??

jjungkookie
i mean it wasn't just him

jjungkookie
kinda everyone back home

v_95
jungkook people back home aren't exposing anything right?? you must have friends and classmates who know you

jjungkookie
hardly anyone has pictures of me

jjungkookie
i always took them and jiminie and joonie hyung are the only ones with any so it's okay

v_95
okay, did you speak to anyone else?

jjungkookie
oh i talked to my parents after a while too

v_95
how did that go

v_95
im sure they were happy to hear from you

jjungkookie
a lot of worrying on their end

jjungkookie
but yeah they were relieved to some extent

v_95
how were you after talking to them🥺

v_95
you doing okay now?

jjungkookie
i'm okay tae don't worry :(

jjungkookie
i haven't heard from you, don't tell me this is your first break???

v_95
nah i had one but i just couldn't find my phone earlier sorry baby

jjungkookie
okay well i'm glad you found it

jjungkookie
also

jjungkookie
are there any updates

v_95
what kind of update koo?

jjungkookie
anything

v_95
they sealed the court room for a private trial

v_95
so no cameras or media can be present

v_95
just the officials, solicitor, bogum and i

jjungkookie
that's good

jjungkookie
does that worry you??

v_95
it needs to be this way, but it's nerve wracking thinking that it's just him and me again

v_95
last time it was the same way, just with hyungsik hyung there as a witness but bogum's plea bargain and name simmered a lot down

jjungkookie
there's solid evidence and it's his second round of crimes

jjungkookie
we both know the case is in your favor tae

v_95
thanks angel i do know and to be honest

v_95
i can't wait to just see him get taken away

v_95
i'm sorry there's nothing that can be done for what he started with you

jjungkookie
you've already apologized for no reason taetae :(

jjungkookie
as long as he's gone for what he did to you

v_95
he will be gone from both our lives

v_95
also no updates on your pictures which is good

jjungkookie
okay thank you

v_95
hey i was on my way to work today

v_95
and you know i was thinking...

jjungkookie
yeah?

v_95
i haven't put up a tree in ages because it's just a hassle to prepare and take down around this time of year but i know you love christmas

v_95
soooo i was thinking we can make some plans for the holidays and bake sugar cookies, put up a tree together at my place

v_95
throw another little friend holiday party??

v_95
we can get gifts for everyone and put it under the tree to open on christmas day like the little kids we are

v_95
watch those english hallmark movies and i can put a christmas music playlist on the house speakers

v_95
supposed to be cold enough for hot cocoa then too!! i promise i'll cheat and buy some whipped cream

v_95
what do you say??

v_95
koo?? you there??

v_95
angellll did your stuff finish uploading??

His photos were taking their sweet time to upload. Jungkook just couldn't see the screen through his blurry gaze, tears splattering onto the glass of his phone screen.

Taehyung remembered.

He'd only ever talked about his perfect Christmas once. Months ago when they'd first begun talking over texts. The model had asked him about his perfect holiday in a spew of throwing random questions back and forth.

He'd spilt how he wanted to decorate a tree and bake cookies with his partner, invite his friends over for movies and an evening of fun on Christmas Eve; wake up the next day after they'd all crashed together and open gifts he'd bought for all his friends.

Christmas was a holiday of giving and he loved it.

And Taehyung had remembered every detail.

It made him cry. It made him feel more than better since the crash he had after a morning of tapping into the chaos with his family in Busan.

Taehyung was making Seoul feel like home for him, both subconsciously and consciously, and Jungkook felt it slowly coming together.

He'd helped set a solid foundation for Taehyung to grow on and now the older was unrelentingly holding onto him as they kept moving towards their always.

All he could feel was how much his heart ached with the amount of love he held for the older.

And Taehyung just kept proving how much he loved him without saying the words.

jjungkookie
i would love that

jjungkookie
i would love all of that so much