¤ Seven
Sleeping at Last ↲

I feel hope
Deep in my bones
Tomorrow will be beautiful
And I'm ready
God I'm ready, oh I'm ready
Restless and hungry, but I'm ready
For whatever comes next

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"This is boring," Juyeon huffed, wiggling in Jungkook's arms as he fought to keep her still. "Can't we do something else?"

"I thought you loved when I drew you," Taehyung countered, eyes flitting between the canvas on his lap and Juyeon. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his long hair falling into his eyes.

Jungkook laughed, nestling his head against his sister's. "She likes when you draw just her. But sharing the spotlight with me . . . Forget about it."

A sharp jab hit Jungkook right in the ribs and Juyeon turned to glare at him. "That was for talking about me like I'm not here."

"Alright, alright," Taehyung interjected swiftly. "There will be no sibling violence on my watch. Just give me ten more minutes and I'll be done."

An inconvenienced sigh left Juyeon's mouth, though she didn't push the issue any further. When it came to Taehyung, Jungkook's sister would follow almost anything the elder said. Even when it came to doing things she absolutely did not want to do - like following her special diet or exercising outside - if Taehyung asked her to do it, she typically would.

Jungkook called it modern day witchcraft and wizardry. Taehyung attributed it to his charm.

"Just be glad Tae's drawing our portraits, kiddo. He could be teaching us how to knit," Jungkook smirked, trying to taunt a response out of his boyfriend.

Taehyung turned his gaze on Jungkook, eyes filled with amusement. "You'd be so lucky to learn how to knit from me. Just think of all the fun things you could make."

"Less talking, more drawing," Juyeon ordered, shooting a glare at Taehyung before turning to Jungkook. "And you . . . Stop distracting Tae."

"No can do there. I always distract him. Right, baby?" He winked at Taehyung, thinking back to the early days when they started working together. The elder admitted he'd never been attracted to anyone before, yet Jungkook's body made him feel all sorts of things.

And now, here they were.

Taehyung rolled his eyes before returning his focus to the canvas. "I'm so distracted I might just forget to draw eyebrows on you."

Jungkook waggled his eyebrows up and down, trying to arch one but ultimately failing. "I'd still look good without eyebrows. There's no look I can't pull off."

They all continued their light banter as Taehyung finished up the portrait of the Jeon siblings. Jiho was currently out shopping for groceries, leaving both Jungkook and Taehyung in charge of entertaining Juyeon. Even though she was old enough to not need a babysitter, everyone was in agreement that she should be watched closely these first few weeks of dialysis.

And so far, the first week and a half hadn't been the easiest.

Juyeon still didn't quite accept the fact that she was on dialysis. Her daily routine drastically changed and she had a difficult time adjusting to her new life. While receiving treatment, she was hooked up to a machine for hours on end as it cleansed her blood of excess water and toxins. The usual energetic and rambunctious little girl was required to remain still during these times and couldn't participate in her usual active lifestyle. And even after her treatments concluded, she didn't have any energy to do the things she loved. Quite a few post-dialysis symptoms presented themselves, including nausea, headaches, and a general feeling of being "washed out," so she often needed to rest after treatment.

Everyone tried their best to help Juyeon acclimate, spending as much time with her as possible to get her mind off her current condition. Each day presented its unique challenges, and more often than not, the entire family was exhausted when it came time for bed. But this wasn't a life they'd escape anytime soon. For the time being, this was the new normal.

The doctors explained how it could take months - if not a year, even - for Juyeon to fully adjust to her treatments and to finally start feeling better. That timeline was daunting and it often weighed on Juyeon's spirits, though everyone pitched in to keep her positive and engaged.

It wasn't easy for anyone, though no one ever complained. Complaining and dwelling on matters that couldn't be changed wouldn't get them anywhere.

While Taehyung continued to work, Jungkook contentedly watched his boyfriend's every move. The elder's beauty was particularly evident when he was drawing; dark eyes narrowed in concentration, tongue wetting his lower lip every so often, and stunning hands deftly maneuvering his pencil. It made Jungkook think of other things entirely.

Dark eyes tracing over the contours of Jungkook's body, tongue licking up the column of his neck, stunning hands deftly maneuvering over his muscles . . . And other parts.

Taehyung looked up at him then, their gazes meeting in silent understanding. Judging by the way the elder smirked, the corner of his mouth lifting just so, he knew exactly what Jungkook was thinking. And to solidify that, he purposely bit down on his lower lip.

Fuck, he was about ready to jump Taehyung.

Several times over the last few days, Jungkook suggested that they go back to the elder's place for some much needed alone time. They even arranged a couple so-called date nights, but Jiho always ended up needing their help. And although they had every right to be upset, they never were. Both agreed that family came first and they knew they'd get their time together.

Eventually.

Before Jungkook had the opportunity to envision all the ways he'd like to be with his boyfriend, Taehyung set his pencil down with a proud smile. Flipping over the canvas, he presented the portrait to Jungkook and Juyeon.

As usual, it was a visual masterpiece.

Jungkook and Juyeon were holding each other, heads tucked together and big grins on their faces. Taehyung's artistry was evident in the way he captured their emotions, almost making the drawing feel like a photograph. It was one of those portraits families would pay a lot of money for.

"We weren't smiling when you drew us," Juyeon noted, tilting her head to the side as she studied the drawing. 

"Nope," Taehyung agreed with a smile of his own. "But I can envision both of your smiles so easily in my head. So I decided to draw you guys with them."

Juyeon scrambled out of Jungkook's arms, standing with her hands on her hips. "Then why did you need us to sit here for an hour if you could draw us from memory?"

Taehyung chuckled, leaning back on his elbows and looking at her innocently. "Because you two are just so pretty?"

She rolled her eyes and prepared to make a retort, but was interrupted as Jiho popped up in the doorway.

"Hey, kids. What's going on in here?"

Frustration forgotten, Juyeon took hold of the drawing and presented it to their mother. "Look what Tae drew of us! It's a gift for you."

Jiho looked fondly at the portrait of her children, her mouth pulling into a warm smile as she appraised the drawing. "Tae . . . This is stunning. Thank you so much for this. But we'll need one with you in it, too. I want all my kids together."

Taehyung beamed at her, looking so genuinely happy to receive her praise and acceptance. That was something Jungkook noticed a lot recently; the elder absolutely glowed whenever Jiho showed him some extra love and attention. In her, Taehyung found the mother he always wanted and needed.

They all caught up for a few minutes until Jiho announced she was going for a walk. With some gentle persuading and encouragement from Taehyung, Juyeon agreed to join. She said she could probably only manage for twenty or so minutes, as her body was still run down from her morning treatment. But everyone explained to her that twenty minutes was more than enough. It was progress from the fifteen minutes she did a couple of days ago.

The two Jeon women left soon after that, leaving Taehyung and Jungkook behind. They remained sitting on the floor, a palpable tension growing in the room as they studied each other.

"This is the first time we've been alone in weeks," Jungkook commented, eyes trailing all over the elder's face. "I almost don't know what to do."

Taehyung stood up quickly, closing and then locking Jungkook's door. "Well, fuck. I do."

Then suddenly Jungkook was being pulled up and into Taehyung's arms, his mouth fiercely claimed by insistent lips. They kissed frantically as the elder led them to Jungkook's bed, stumbling over their feet in their hurry. Taehyung pushed him down none too gently, climbing on top of him and rejoining their mouths.

It wasn't like they didn't kiss over the last couple of weeks - they did. But those kisses were always born out of tender care and comfort. Chaste pecks when they woke up, languid kisses when they had a stolen moment or two. But this . . . This was born out of something else entirely.

Lust and pent up desire.

Jungkook wrapped his arms around Taehyung's neck, pulling the elder as close as possible. Their lips slid against each other's hotly, tongues pushing through the confines of their mouths to tangle in the middle. There was no room for air as they fought to consume each other, sharp gasps and heavy pants disturbing the silence of the room. Jungkook was so dizzy and out of breath, but he'd soon rather suffocate than remove his mouth from Taehyung's.

But the elder didn't seem to get the memo and trailed his lips over to Jungkook's neck. Kisses were left all over his skin before Taehyung started sucking just below his ear. A throaty moan escaped from Jungkook and his hands wound into Taehyung's hair. Fuck, how he missed this.

"I don't care what's going on," Jungkook breathed, tilting his head back as Taehyung left marks along his skin, "we're making time for us. This time together is important, too."

A chuckle vibrated against his neck, with Taehyung pulling back to look down at him with dark eyes. "We don't have a lot of time right now."

"Then we better make the most of it."

He began clawing at the hem of Taehyung's shirt, pushing it up and pulling it over the elder's head. His hands instantly ran up the expanse of his bare chest, marveling at the smoothness of his skin.

"So beautiful," he murmured, hands continuing their movements as he looked up into Taehyung's eyes. "You're so beautiful."

"Well, look who's talking," Taehyung responded, helping Jungkook remove his own shirt. "You'll always distract me, baby boy."

Jungkook pulled Taehyung back down, kissing him again with renewed passion. He unabashedly started rubbing his arousal against the elder, not one bit embarrassed of how hard he already was. Taehyung rolled his own hips in return, breathing heavily into Jungkook's mouth as deep moans poured from between his lips.

"Pants. Off." Jungkook managed to get out, hands moving down to Taehyung's waistband and attempting to push them down. He was very much committed to doing everything they could in their small window of alone time.

Breaking away, Taehyung quickly rolled off Jungkook's pants and boxers before taking care of his own. All of his movements were uncoordinated and urgent, and he quickly nestled himself back between Jungkook's legs. Their lengths pressed together as Taehyung lowered onto his chest, a hand trailing over his side.

His fingers slowly started to descend downward as he rocked his hips against Jungkook. "Ten minutes left. I want to -"

A loud ringing broke their bubble - Taehyung's phone. Jungkook found it and looked at the caller ID, huffing once he saw the name. "Yoongi."

"Ignore it," the elder ordered, hand wedging between their bodies to take hold of both their arousals in his grip. He started stroking them together, those beautiful fingers working their lengths swiftly.

Jungkook bucked his hips at the same time, head thrown back as he was touched for the first time in a while. His muscles were already beginning to clench and he knew he wouldn't last long.

"Want to be inside of you again," Jungkook moaned out, back arching when the elder's fingers concentrated on their tips. "Want you to be inside of me."

"I know. I want that, too," Taehyung agreed, looking stunning as he hovered above Jungkook. His hair fell in front of his eyes, obscuring his sultry gaze.

Jungkook quickly pushed aside the thick strands, weaving his fingers in his hair and pulling him back to his mouth. He kissed Taehyung like his life depended on it, sweat tickling his skin as he continued to thrust against the elder.

He was close to erupting, so close to falling apart at the seams and disintegrating. And judging by Taehyung's moans, he was, too.

"Close, Tae," he murmured against the elder's mouth, voice tight with tension.

Taehyung quickly broke away, spitting into his palm before wrapping his hand solely around Jungkook. He pumped him even faster than before, his strong grip squeezing tightly until Jungkook came with a high cry, arching his back off of the bed and legs shaking in pleasure.

"So beautiful," the elder whispered, hand still moving to coax Jungkook through his release. "Love watching you come undone."

After coming down from his high, Jungkook let his arms hang limply at his sides. His heart was still racing, sweat still glistening on his skin. But he was so content.

Taehyung gently let go of him, his hand returning to his own arousal. It was erotic to watch him stroke himself this way, with the remnants of Jungkook's release acting as a lubricant. Soon enough, the elder found his own climax, moaning out as he spilled onto Jungkook's stomach. It was hot and wet and sticky, but Jungkook didn't care. He pulled Taehyung back on top of him, relishing in the elder's comforting weight and bare skin pressed against his own.

Taehyung tucked his head in the crook of his neck, planting soft kisses to Jungkook's skin. "Next time, we're going slow. I'm going to touch each and every single part of your body. I'm going to take such good care of you, baby boy."

Jungkook hummed in relaxation, his hands stroking up and down the elder's back. "Next time sounds great already."

They allowed themselves two minutes of cuddling before Taehyung started cleaning them up with tissues. He made quick work of his task, dressing Jungkook then pulling on his own clothes. They no sooner finished, laying back down together and snuggling close, when they heard the front door slam closed.

"Just in the nick of time," Jungkook chuckled, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. "If this has taught me anything, it's that we can work fast."

Taehyung half-heartedly hit his chest, a smile pulling at his lips. "Don't put ideas in my head."

By some lucky twist of fate, neither Juyeon or Jiho came to check up on them. For once, the closed door seemed to be a clear enough message and both Jeon girls respected that. It was a rare gift that Taehyung and Jungkook appreciated tenfold.

The peaceful quiet that had wrapped around them was soon disturbed, however, when the shrill ringing of a phone began.

"I'm going to kill Yoongi," Taehyung muttered, searching the bed for his phone. "I just want to cuddle with my boyfriend in peace. Is that too much to ask?"

Jungkook chuckled, especially as he determined that the ringing was coming from his own phone. "Put down the candlestick Colonel Mustard, it's not Yoongi. It's my phone."

Taehyung ignored his Clue based joke, merely rolling his eyes before leaning against the headboard. "Ignore it."

"I don't know the number," he responded honestly. "I feel like I should pick it up."

"Usually not knowing the number is the perfect excuse for not picking it up."

That was in fact true, however, something in his gut was telling him to answer. So he did. "Hello?"

"Hi, I'm calling for Jeon Jungkook," a male voice said from the other line. "I'm a member of the city's photography society."

"The photography society?" He repeated, eyebrows furrowing together. He couldn't place why they'd be calling him.

But Taehyung's eyes lit up in understanding and he leaned closer to Jungkook, trying to hear the conversation.

"Yes," the man continued. "Professor Lee submitted a collection of your photos for our annual collegiate competition. Does this sound familiar?"

Right. In the midst of everything happening with Juyeon, he completely forgot about the photography competition. Taking those pictures of Taehyung seemed like months and months ago, a separate world than the one they knew now.

"Yes, sir," Jungkook replied finally, his hand suddenly feeling clammy as he gripped his phone tighter. "I remember."

"Good. Now, to begin, I must say we were highly impressed -"

Just then, Taehyung's phone started ringing again, the noise distracting Jungkook from what the society member was saying. Taehyung mumbled a low apology, grabbing his phone and taking it with him into the hallway.

"Sorry about that," Jungkook said to the man once his bedroom door closed. He could hear the soft murmurs of Taehyung on the other side growing fainter as the elder continued down the hall. "You were saying?"

The man cleared his throat. "I'll keep it short and sweet. We loved your photos, Jungkook. The story you told through your subject was tangible; one could really feel the emotions you captured. Your collection would fit in right along with the other winning students' work. The only piece of information we need to confirm is your current enrollment at the university."

Ah, shit. Jungkook's heart swelled then dropped within the span of five seconds. He could lie, he could say that he was still a student. Though that didn't sit right with him. That wasn't something his conscience would allow him to do.

"I used to be a student," Jungkook murmured, disappointment rising up inside of him. "I only attended my freshman year until I had to drop out for personal reasons. I . . . I'm sorry for wasting your time. I shouldn't have submitted my photos in the first place."

There was a pause on the other side of the line, a couple of moments that seemed to drag and stretch on. And then the man spoke again. "I see. Well, I appreciate your honesty. But because of this fact, we cannot select you as one of our five winners."

Jungkook nodded his head even though the man couldn't see. He understood the situation; it wouldn't be fair for him to win when he wasn't a student. Yet that didn't mean he wasn't dejected. He just wished he could catch a break on something one of these days.

"But," the society member continued, "like I said, we loved your photos. And because of that, we'd like to invite you to our emerging photographers exhibit. It's a closed event for key players in the industry, including professionals, collectors, and gallerists. There will be just a handful of other photographers showing their work, so it's a great opportunity to be highlighted."

Shock caused Jungkook's jaw to drop as those words sunk in. Wait . . . Was this really happening? Was he actually getting a shot to present his work to the world?

"Hello? Jungkook?"

"Hi, sorry!" He exclaimed, energy coursing through his body. "Are you serious?"

The man laughed, a warm chuckle that caused Jungkook to laugh in return. "Yes, we're very much serious. We have your email on file, so we'll send out more information regarding the event shortly. It'll be in a couple of months and you can show up to ten images total. We'd definitely want to show your five portraits, but the other five photos are up to you."

Jungkook thanked the man again and again, feeling so happy and proud of himself. He never imagined this happening to him, never thought he had the skills necessary.

All he wanted to do was celebrate with his family and Taehyung.

Shortly after Jungkook hung up, Taehyung came back into the room with a small smile on his face. He appeared at ease and content, while Jungkook himself was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement.

But he reined his enthusiasm in for a moment. "What did Yoongi want? Checking in on you again?"

"You know the drill," Taehyung said with a shake of his head before plopping back down on the bed. "So what was your call about?"

"I didn't win the photography contest," he replied, trying to keep his voice neutral. "They liked my stuff but because I wasn't a student, they couldn't choose me."

The elder clasped his hand, squeezing it tightly in reassurance. "I'm so sorry, Kook. But there will be other contests, too. Don't give up just because this one didn't work out."

"You're so supportive," Jungkook giggled, squeezing back even harder. "I hope you'll be this supportive when I show my work at the emerging photographers exhibit next month."

Taehyung stared at him blankly. "Wait. What?"

"They couldn't choose me for the students' contest, but . . . They loved my collection! They want to highlight me at an even bigger event!"

"Kook!" Taehyung tackled him, pressing kisses all over his face. "That's incredible! You're incredible. And of course I'll be there to support you, love. Kook . . . I'm so proud of you."

They giggled and laughed for a while, causing so much noise Juyeon finally started knocking at their door. The two boys excitedly told her and Jiho the news, with everyone jumping and hugging one another. It was the little piece of happiness they needed right now.

Taehyung was extra affectionate with him, constantly giving hugs and kisses and praises. It made Jungkook realize the value of having a partner who celebrated your successes as if they were their own. It made everything all the more special.

A little while later, they were all sitting down to dinner when the Jeon house phone rang. Jiho quickly got up, answering it warmly.

"We've gotten more phone calls today than we have in weeks," Jungkook joked to Taehyung, nudging him playfully.

The elder grinned at him, hand going under the table to squeeze Jungkook's knee. "It's been a good day, hasn't it?"

Jungkook kissed him softly in response, ignoring the gagging noises coming from his sister. It was a good day indeed.

Jiho's voice broke them out of their kiss, a tint of shock coloring her tone. "Are you sure? Are you absolutely positive?"

Jungkook turned to face her, trying to find any clues as to who she was speaking with. For a moment, he feared there was some bad news about his father, so he leaned forward to listen closer.

"We can come by first thing Monday morning," Jiho continued, a hand hovering over her mouth. "Yes, great. We'll see you then. Thank you."

She hung up the phone and nearly collapsed into her seat, hand still in front of her mouth. Her wide eyes gave nothing else away, not as she slowly looked between each one of them at the table.

"Mom, you're freaking me out," Juyeon commented, arms crossing over her chest. "What's going on?"

"Is Dad okay?" Jungkook added, feeling Taehyung's grip tighten on his knee.

Jiho nodded her head, finally letting her hand drop to reveal a huge smile. "Juyeon . . . By some miracle . . . They found a donor. You're getting a new kidney."

Jungkook stopped breathing. His body forgot how to function as he took in the news, eyes bulging and lips parting open.

"Really? Did . . . How?" Juyeon stuttered out, speechless for once in her life.

Jiho was shaking her head as she got up out of her chair, pulling Juyeon into her arms. "They found a match. And yes, really! We're going to the doctor first thing Monday to start the process!"

Jungkook turned to Taehyung, needing the reassurance that this was actually happening. The elder was beaming at him, nodding his head in confirmation.

Yes, this was real. Somehow . . . Somehow today had been their lucky day.

"Oh my god," he breathed, unable to believe this. "Juyeon! You're getting a kidney!"

They all crowded around the girl, hugging her and praising her and jumping with excitement. After they calmed themselves marginally, they called Jaewoo to deliver the news. He broke down in tears, vowing to find a way to come home soon.

For once, things were finally falling into place.

Later that night, Jungkook held Taehyung in his arms, both too excited to sleep. He was just so damn happy about how everything turned out. And, maybe selfishly, he was ecstatic that Taehyung didn't have to be the one going through the surgery. Now the elder could be by their side through the entire process.

Jungkook admitted all these things to his boyfriend, fingers carding through his hair. "I know you wanted to do it, Tae, but you don't know how relieved I am that it's not you. I wouldn't have been able to manage the two of you being in surgery at the same time."

Taehyung looked up at him, eyes searching his face. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed to find it as he smiled widely at Jungkook. "I know, Kook. It all worked out exactly how it was supposed to."

And it really did. Everything was unfolding beautifully.

And whatever came their way now, Jungkook was ready.

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》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

I swear these characters write themselves sometimes . . . That quick lil' hand job was not initially planned 🤣 And I knooow I didn't put the 🔥, but I didn't think it was descriptive enough for that.

Some good things are finally happening . . . What are our thoughts?!

For these next 4 chapters, I will most likely be updating every other day. These were the ones I thought about since the beginning and I want to make them everything they deserve to be and more. I'll keep my bio update time up to date, so check in there if you're unsure of when the next chapter is coming out.

And last but not least, thank you all for being on this beautiful journey with me! This story quickly became so important to me - I love all my stories and characters, but I'd be lying if I didn't say this one was my favorite. Personally, I've seen a lot of growth in my writing and story development over all my stories. And everything has culminated in this one! So thanks for witnessing this along with me!