¤ The Promise
Tracy Chapman ↲

And say you'll hold
A place for me
In your heart

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

The following weeks were insane.

After receiving the news regarding Juyeon's transplant opportunity, Taehyung and the Jeon family sprung into action. There were tests, appointments, diet and lifestyle preparations, and consultations with a surgical transplant team at the hospital. And even though it was all exhausting, everyone was so excited and ready.

Jaewoo arrived home ahead of the surgery, using pretty much all of his saved vacation days so he could be with his family for a while. Taehyung got to know Jungkook's father a lot more over those days, quickly coming to respect him in a way he could never respect the man who gave him life. He had many long one-on-one talks with Jaewoo, talks about life and what it meant to be a good person. Those conversations always left him feeling reinvigorated, and while Taehyung didn't admit this out loud just yet, the older man had definitely become his role model.

Juyeon herself was experiencing many different emotions as they navigated the days before the surgery. Most of the time she felt optimistic, talking about all the things she couldn't wait to do again. Other times, however, she'd reveal her fears over the transplant. Above all else, she was worried her body would reject this kidney as well. When those concerns came up, everyone tried to reassure her to the best of their abilities.

But until that kidney was inside Juyeon, no one could say with exact certainty what the outcome would be.

Surprisingly - or not so surprisingly, depending on who in the Jeon family was asked - Jungkook was the most nervous out of them all. The younger tried not to discuss his concerns in front of Juyeon, but to Taehyung, he opened up more on his surgery-day fears. They were the same fears Jungkook had over Taehyung going under the knife; there were always risks associated with major surgeries like this.

Taehyung hated to see Jungkook worry. It was always difficult seeing someone you loved have anxiety over things outside of their control. So he vowed to do everything humanly possible to ease the younger's stress. He told funny stories, tried to give soothing massages, and even taught Jungkook how to draw. And, when they had small windows of alone time, they were even able to perform certain stress relieving oral activities. 

However much he tried to alleviate Jungkook's stress though, there was one thing Taehyung couldn't do. Taehyung couldn't be at Jungkook's side during Juyeon's surgery. And above all, that's the only place he wanted to be. But not everything could magically work out perfectly. If it did, Juyeon wouldn't be sick in the first place.

When they found out the date of the surgery, Taehyung told Jungkook that he had his final art presentation that day. He explained how it was with a series of his professors, where he'd introduce a collection he'd been preparing for weeks now. Jungkook was understandably disappointed, though he comforted Taehyung by acknowledging that these things happened sometimes.

That all just made Taehyung feel even more guilty.

But based on his schedule, Taehyung believed he should be with Jungkook by lunch time come the day of the surgery. It was all a little hard to plan out, but he was trying to work with the information he was given.

The weekend before Juyeon's surgery, Taehyung and Jungkook got together with all of their friends. It had been a while since they'd all been together and it was long overdue. Jin, Yoongi, and Hoseok had all heard about how Taehyung was cut off, so that wasn't exactly new news for them. Namjoon and Jimin were sympathetic when they found out, though quickly joined in on the celebrations once they learned the whole story.

Something new to all of them, however, was the news of Juyeon's chronic kidney disease. None of them ever knew she was sick and they were all shocked to learn about her illness. Jimin and Namjoon felt particularly guilty for not knowing; they'd always sensed something was up but never pushed the topic. Jungkook assured them that there was no way they could've known as it was something he never opened up about.

Nevertheless, everyone was relieved things were finally turning around for the better. And it truly seemed like it was.

And now, after weeks of preparation, it was the day before the surgery.

It was around eleven in the morning on a Thursday and Jungkook had just come to Taehyung's apartment. Using his very own key for the first time, he had purposely walked right into the apartment and collapsed onto the bed beside Taehyung. Namjoon, now knowing full well what was happening with Juyeon, allowed the younger to take an extra long lunch break to be with Taehyung.

Taehyung set down his sketchbook on the floor as Jungkook wiggled out of his safety vest.

"You were right," Jungkook voiced, settling back down and rolling into Taehyung's side, "I should've taken today off. I'm not concentrating like I need to be."

Taehyung turned to face him, hands going to hold the younger's in between them. "Call Joon. I'm sure he'd understand."

"I know. I really should. But we're already down one person today and if I don't go back, we can't finish what needs to get done." Jungkook tightly smiled, his mind clearly somewhere else. He gnawed at his lip so fervently that the skin was turning red and raw.

"Alright," Taehyung said, softly pressing a kiss to his forehead to distract him. "Just try to relax a bit before you have to go back. Want me to make you some lunch?"

A tiny nod was his answer, though when he went to get up, Jungkook took hold of his wrist.

"In a little. Can we just cuddle for a while?" The younger asked with a cute pout, lips innocently pushed together.

Taehyung leaned in and placed a quick peck against his mouth. "Whatever you want, love."

A content sigh sounded from Jungkook before he wrapped an arm around Taehyung, pulling him closer to his body. They rested their foreheads against each other's, taking comfort in the way their breaths mingled and fanned across the other's face. It was little moments like this that Taehyung particularly appreciated the tender and sweet signs of their mutual love.

"I know something's on your mind. Want to share?" Taehyung asked quietly, pulling back a fraction to study the younger. There were little lines between his eyebrows, the telltale signs of stress and worry. His lips were flattened out, pressed into a thin line.

"Just thinking about tomorrow," the younger explained, meeting his gaze with clear apprehension in his eyes. "I still can't believe you have your presentation tomorrow morning. I don't know what I'm going to do without you by my side."

"I know," Taehyung sighed in agreement, thinking about what the next day would entail. "But as soon as everything's over, I'll find my way to you. You'll barely notice I'm gone."

"I notice every single time you're gone, Tae," the younger said with a small smile, tucking Taehyung's hair behind his ear. "But I understand. All that stands between you and graduation is this one last presentation. It's a big deal."

Tomorrow was a big deal. It was a moment Taehyung thought about endlessly over the past few weeks. When he wasn't with Jungkook and the Jeons, he was busy preparing and finalizing his game plan. The results of tomorrow would have a great impact on the rest of his life.

It was a little daunting to think about.

Jungkook, who seemed to notice the clenching of his jaw, pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "You're going to do amazing. I've seen your drawings . . . Your professors will be impressed. Everything will work out just fine."

Taehyung knew he was right. Everything would work out fine for him and for Juyeon as well. But even still, it was a bit overwhelming to focus on at the moment. 

But for now, he pushed his own thoughts aside and smiled at Jungkook, knowing his boyfriend needed some extra reassurance, too. "You're right. We'll all be good."

"Exactly," the younger grinned in return, hand coming up to cup Taehyung's cheek. "Just remind me . . . What time should I expect you tomorrow? I want to make sure I'm on the lookout for you."

He leaned into Jungkook's touch, the feel of the younger's fingers comforting on his skin. There were a lot of moving pieces for everyone tomorrow, so much so that things were almost difficult to keep track of.

"I'll probably get to you sometime between twelve thirty and one in the afternoon, I think? Definitely not before then, but that's probably a good window. I'm told these things are always up in the air."

"Okay," Jungkook nodded, eyes glued to Taehyung as he traced over his face.

Seeing his boyfriend like this - open and vulnerable - made Taehyung want to comfort him in any way possible. He wanted to make sure Jungkook truly believed everything was going to be alright. And maybe his words couldn't accurately express all those things he wanted to say, but he knew what would.

"There are so many things I want to tell you, but I don't want to overwhelm you right now," Taehyung murmured, his hand tracing up and down the younger's arm. "So instead . . . Let me show you how much I love you."

Taehyung brought his hand up to Jungkook's neck, right over the rapid beating of his pulse. He slowly leaned closer, giving the younger every opportunity to move away if he wasn't in the mood.

But Jungkook didn't move away - he met Taehyung in the middle.

Their mouths joined in a faint caress, lips barely brushing over each other's as Taehyung closed his eyes. His hand shifted to the back of Jungkook's neck, holding him in place as their slow and exploratory kiss continued. They were kissing to give and receive comfort, to communicate boundless love and adoration. And while they shared similar kisses to this over the last couple weeks, this one was different.

Both boys knew things would not end so quickly.

Jungkook took hold of Taehyung's chin, deepening their kiss by applying more pressure with his mouth. His lips pushed and pulled against Taehyung's, sucking and nibbling sensually. It was evident that he, too, was taking his time to appreciate every part of Taehyung's mouth.

In a smooth movement, Taehyung rolled on top of the younger, legs tangling and chests pressed together. And this time, when their lips met again, everything was more demanding. There was the brutal plunge of Taehyung's tongue in between Jungkook's lips, the wetness and heat of the younger's mouth warming him from the inside out. He teasingly ran his tongue alongside the back of Jungkook's teeth, the gesture both hungry and erotic.

With a faint whimper, Jungkook found the edge of Taehyung's shirt, pushing up and under so his hands smoothed up and down his back. The cluster of calluses on the younger's palms felt rough against Taehyung's skin, though he loved the abrasive feel. It reminded him of how rugged and raw Jungkook was.

When Taehyung's tongue stroked Jungkook's fully, a fire ignited within his blood. Suddenly close wasn't close enough and he was putting his full weight on the younger, trying to blur the lines of where his body ended and where Jungkook's began.

He couldn't breathe by the end of their mind-numbing kiss, so he broke away and kissed along Jungkook's throat. He licked right over his Adam's apple, a strangled moan sounding from the younger as a result. When Taehyung reached the base of his throat, he shifted over to where Jungkook's neck met his shoulder and began sucking, wanting to create a small mark.

"If you weren't going to be with your family all weekend, I'd mark up your entire neck," Taehyung panted, lips still moving over the younger's skin. "So I guess I'll have to leave marks in a place they can't see."

At that, he pushed up and back, gripping the hem of Jungkook's shirt and helping the boy remove it. Once that was out of the way, Taehyung went down to Jungkook's pec, planting soft kisses over the muscular area. His lips brushed the soft skin repeatedly before opening up and sucking hard. Jungkook groaned, the sound encouraging Taehyung to leave more.

So he did.

He traveled down the younger's chest, kissing and leaving an occasional love bite. Extra time was also spent at Jungkook's nipples, where Taehyung alternated between using his mouth and hands. While he worked his tongue over one taut bud, lapping and flicking, his hand gently tweaked and pulled the other. Jungkook was moaning progressively more now, beautiful noises that Taehyung needed to hear more of.

With deft fingers, he unbuttoned Jungkook's jeans and lowered the fly, trying to maneuver the stiff material down his sculpted legs. But the task wasn't proving to be too easy.

"Don't get me wrong," Taehyung huffed, sliding his hands underneath the jeans for leverage, "I love when you wear tight pants. But they're a bit of a slowdown if you ask me."

Jungkook laughed, lifting his hips and helping remove the jeans. "Or maybe someone's just not patient enough."

Finally, the pants gave way and were pulled off the younger's legs. The sight of his muscles made Taehyung's stomach clench in desire and he yearned to appreciate this area as well. A little harshly, he pried open Jungkook's legs and lowered himself in between. But before he connected his mouth to Jungkook's inner thighs, he paused, looking up at his boyfriend.

Jungkook was watching him closely, eyes dark and focused on every little move he made. The younger leaned up slightly, trying to get the best view possible.

"Put another pillow behind your head," Taehyung ordered, waiting until Jungkook did just that. "Perfect. Now you have a front row seat to the show."

He didn't wait for a response as he kissed up his thighs, tongue tracing over the sensitive skin. Soft gasps left Jungkook's mouth as Taehyung took the time to taste and cherish the area. And when he pulled back to study his handiwork, he found a path of reddening spots adorning the younger's thighs.

"Yours," Jungkook breathed, watching as Taehyung gently traced the outline of one of the marks. "I'm yours."

Taehyung met his gaze, lips pulling up into a confident grin. "Mine."

Moving with purpose and intent, Taehyung kissed a path upwards until he met Jungkook's covered length. He mouthed at it, relishing in how hard the younger was already.

"Tae . . ." Jungkook murmured, bucking his hips upwards gently, asking for more.

🔥

Taehyung pulled at the band of Jungkook's briefs, lowering them until he had the boy naked. He hummed in appreciation, delighting in his swollen cock. Licking his lips, Taehyung wrapped his fingers around the base, slowly tugging as he descended down.

He licked a long path from mid shaft to the tip, flattening his tongue as he tasted Jungkook. Once at the top, he swirled his tongue in endless circles, maintaining eye contact with his whimpering boyfriend. Pleasuring him like this, making him feel good, was enough to make Taehyung feel good. He really didn't need anything more.

Just as he was about to take Jungkook's cock fully into his mouth, the younger pulled on his hair, signaling him to stop.

"Wait," he said, voice lower than usual.

"Do you not want my mouth?" Taehyung asked, slightly confused as he sat back.

"No, I do," the younger quickly clarified, getting onto his knees when Taehyung got off of him. "But I want you in mine, too."

Understanding instantly washed over him so Taehyung wasted no time in peeling off his shirt. While he worked on the rest of his clothes, he watched as Jungkook slowly pumped his length, thumb digging into his slit. If Taehyung didn't have the urgent need to touch the younger himself, he'd be content with watching Jungkook get himself off.

He rolled onto his back, waiting for Jungkook to climb on top of him. And fuck, even though they'd done a lot of things together, this felt even more intimate in a way.

Jungkook positioned himself over Taehyung, straddling his head while facing away from him. The younger didn't hesitate as he bent down, taking Taehyung's cock in between his lips. He bobbed up and down, a feeling of utter bliss consuming Taehyung's body.

"Fuck. So good, baby boy," he moaned out, lining up the younger's cock to his mouth and opening wide. His arms hooked around Jungkook's thighs, holding him in place as he hallowed his cheeks and took more of his length. It was a bit of a challenge to take all of him in at this angle, so he focused most of his efforts on the leaking tip.

As they continued pleasuring each other, moans vibrating around the other's cock, Taehyung knew he couldn't sustain for long. He wanted to delay the inevitable for as long as possible; he wanted to touch and please Jungkook in every physical way.

He let the younger's cock fall from his mouth and gently hit the boy on the thigh. "On your back."

Jungkook quickly pulled off of him, settling into his new position as Taehyung retrieved lube from the nightstand. He admired the sight of his boyfriend, messed up hair and blown out eyes, stretched out on the bed, ready for whatever Taehyung wanted to do with him.

Taehyung nestled into his side, a lubed up finger slipping in between Jungkook's legs. "I'm gonna make you feel so good, baby boy. Gonna touch you in only the way I can, right?"

Jungkook nodded, whimpering slightly as Taehyung pushed a finger into his entrance. The younger's walls gripped him tightly, hot and silky as they rubbed up against his finger. Once he was in all the way, he remained still so Jungkook's body could adjust. In the meantime, Taehyung gently kissed the younger's lips, moving languidly despite his urgent need to sheath himself inside of Jungkook.

But this wasn't about him right now. This was about Jungkook.

With a curl of his finger, Taehyung caressed Jungkook in the most intimate of ways, helping him to relax and prepare for what was to come. He brushed against the younger's prostate repeatedly, earning moan after moan from him. When he slipped two fingers inside, Jungkook began bucking his hips in response.

"You're so perfect," Taehyung hummed against Jungkook's mouth, lips sliding messily as the younger continued to move underneath him. "So perfect just for me."

"Fuck, baby," Jungkook gritted out, his tattooed fingers wrapping around his engorged length as he started stroking himself.

Taehyung saw what he was doing and tsked, pulling his fingers out of Jungkook's hole. He took hold of the younger's wrist, lightly pulling him off his length. "Hands above your head. I'll take care of you, okay?"

Jungkook pouted, his lips pursing together in a rather adorable manner, but nevertheless obeyed. He extended his arms overhead, gripping the headboard behind him.

Taehyung kissed his forehead, smiling at him sweetly. "Good job, baby boy."

He squirted more lube onto his fingers before thrusting three into Jungkook. He slowly pumped in and out, twisting and curling every so often to stimulate his prostate. With heavy eyes, Taehyung watched as Jungkook spread his legs further, hips swiveling for added stimulation. And as Taehyung continued to piston his fingers, tears leaked out from Jungkook's eyes.

Taehyung leaned closer to kiss them all away, mouth gentle despite the sinful movements of his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Want you now," Jungkook responded, words hoarse and stringing together. "Please."

Taehyung spread his fingers as wide as possible, making sure the younger was stretched enough. "You feel ready?"

"Tae, I swear to God I'll climb on top of you unless you get inside me now."

The thought of Jungkook riding him made Taehyung's toes curl. Fuck, he wanted that.

"Okay," he groaned, carefully withdrawing his fingers and rolling onto his back. "Ride me."

Jungkook remained laying down for a moment, seemingly processing those words as he looked over at Taehyung. "Yeah?"

"Come on, baby boy. Wanna see you bouncing up and down on me."

Jungkook let out a small groan of his own and quickly found the bottle of lube. He straddled Taehyung's waist, squeezing the clear gel into his hands and rubbing them together. Then, with a firm touch, he started lubing up Taehyung's bare cock.

"Can't wait to feel you inside of me," Jungkook murmured, applying an ample amount of lube to him. "To really feel you."

Taehyung moaned at the thought, his blood boiling in anticipation. "Just . . . Just take your time. Don't hurt yourself."

Jungkook lifted onto his knees, reaching behind himself to align Taehyung's cock to his entrance. Taehyung felt his tip brush up against him and nearly closed his eyes at how good it felt. But he fought the urge - he needed to witness this extraordinary event.

Very slowly, Jungkook began to sink down onto Taehyung, gasping out above him. He placed his hands on Taehyung's chest for support and used his thighs to lower himself down even further.

And this time, when Taehyung felt his cock gripped by a luscious heat that stole his breath away, no thoughts or memories of the past filled his head. All he knew in this moment was Jungkook. He smoothed his hands up and over the younger's thighs, trying to comfort the boy as he adjusted. After a minute or two, Jungkook was sitting on him fully, head thrown back and lips parted.

And seeing him like this . . . filled completely with his cock and muscles flexing with each small movement . . . Taehyung couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

"You feel so good, baby," Jungkook stuttered out, nails digging into his chest slightly. "How . . . How are you doing?"

"Perfect," Taehyung responded, hands moving to hold the younger's hips. "I'm with you."

And with that confirmation, Jungkook started to move. He rocked his hips forward and back, his walls clenching Taehyung with every push and pull. As he settled into a grinding motion, moans pouring out of his mouth, Taehyung bent his legs to force himself deeper into the younger.

Jungkook leaned down on top of him, fingers gripping his hair as he continued moving up and down. His breath came out in labored pants by Taehyung's ear, slightly tickling his skin.

"Love how you feel inside of me, Tae," the younger said, biting the fleshy part of Taehyung's ear. "You're so hot and hard and . . . ah, fuck."

Taehyung had spanked Jungkook hard, hands kneading his muscular ass. His own hips began to thrust upwards, finding a rhythm that worked for both of them.

"You were saying?" He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the younger's sweaty neck.

As soon as Jungkook was about to speak again, Taehyung rammed his cock into him harder and deeper, eliciting a high pitched moan from the younger.

Jungkook sat back up, bouncing at a faster pace as sobs fell from his mouth. His thighs were gripping Taehyung's waist tightly, his quads tensed and beautifully defined. To have someone this muscular - chiseled like a Greek god - riding him and crying his name . . .

Fuck, Taehyung was almost delirious.

He dragged his hands up Jungkook's body, one settling back on the younger's hip and the other trailing up his chest. His fingers splayed over his heart and he made eye contact with the younger.

"This is my home. I'll always be with you right here. Wherever you go, know that you have a piece of me in your heart."

Jungkook's eyes watered more at those words, his movements slightly slowing down. Taehyung took over most of the thrusting, hitting the younger's prostate dead on. He continued moving his hand up, up Jungkook's chest and over his throat, to finally trace over his parted lips.

"Tae, fuck. Just like that, Tae," Jungkook breathed, shifting his mouth to take Taehyung's fingers inside. He sucked on them as his hands went to Taehyung's nipples, pinching and pulling vigorously.

Taehyung could tell Jungkook was getting tired from moving himself up and down on him - his legs were shaking with strain against his sides. So tenderly he removed his fingers from his mouth and took hold of his thighs, stilling his motions.

"Let me take care of you now, love. Let me do all the work."

Jungkook raised himself up and off Taehyung's cock, allowing Taehyung to flip their positions. He reached up to pull him down, hands possessively clawing at his shoulders.

Taehyung lowered his chest to Jungkook's, one hand realigning his cock to the younger's hole. He pushed in smoothly, the fit easier now that Jungkook was so stretched. But instead of continuing his sharp thrusts from before, he slowed everything down as he made deep and drawn out strokes. With his body completely flat on top of his boyfriend, he buried his head into his neck and intertwined their hands.

"I might not be by your side tomorrow, but I'll be with you. I'm always with you, love. You know that right?" Taehyung breathed, rolling his hips to brush up against Jungkook in all the right places.

"I know, Tae," Jungkook mumbled against his neck, legs wrapping around Taehyung's ass. "I'm always with you, too."

"You're in my heart, always," Taehyung agreed, pulling back to kook in the younger's eyes. "Tomorrow, even when we're apart, I'll know I'm not alone."

He bent down to kiss Jungkook passionately, pouring all of his love into the gesture. He needed the younger to feel how loved he was, that no matter what happened, Taehyung's love would always be a constant.

"Promise me. Promise you'll always love me," he said against Jungkook's mouth. "Promise me that we're forever."

Jungkook let go of his hands so he could cup Taehyung's cheeks, the touch gentle and completely soothing. "I promise, Tae. I love you. You are my everything. We are forever."

Taehyung whimpered at those soft words, reconnecting their mouths and moving down to stroke Jungkook's cock. But the younger swatted his hand away.

"No. I want to come like this. Even if it takes longer . . . I just want you," he explained, hands settling on Taehyung's back.

Taehyung nodded, though he severely doubted his ability to last much longer. But he respected Jungkook's wishes and didn't touch him with his hand. He increased the pace of his thrusts slightly, making sure to brush up against the right spot each time. And he let soft praises of the younger fill the space between them, murmuring on and on about how beautiful he was, how much he was loved.

Once Jungkook's fingers started to grip his skin more unforgivingly, a never-ending series of moans leaving his mouth, Taehyung hammered into him faster and faster. Sweat was rolling down his forehead and chest but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting Jungkook to his high.

And then he was there. The younger cried out his name, nails digging into Taehyung's skin harshly, as he released onto his stomach in ropes of white. He clenched tighter around Taehyung's cock, squeezing him so hard that Taehyung's eyes nearly rolled back in his head.

And even though he was tempted to ram into Jungkook harder in order to find his own release, he thrusted slowly to prolong the younger's orgasm.

"Tae . . . You don't have to wait, baby," Jungkook whispered, reading his mind. "Come on. Come inside of me."

"Are . . . Are you sure?" He asked, wanting the confirmation even though they'd gotten tested for this exact purpose.

"Yeah, baby. I want you to fill me up. I'm yours, remember?"

Those words caused Taehyung's last ounce of restraint to dissipate. He rested his weight on his elbows and thrusted a few more times, allowing himself to revel in the heat and tightness of his boyfriend. And then he felt his balls tighten, and in an instant, he was releasing into Jungkook. He buried his head into the younger's shoulder, moaning out as his body convulsed repeatedly.

🔥

Jungkook murmured soothing words into his ear, stroking his hair back and kissing the side of his head. And as Taehyung bore all his weight on top of him, still connected so intimately, the younger wrapped his arms around his waist.

"I love you so much, Jeon Jungkook," Taehyung said, his voice heavy with satisfaction and content. "You make me want to be the best person possible. I promise to always give you all I have. I will do everything I can to make you happy."

"You already achieved all those things, Tae," Jungkook assured him, fingers rubbing over his skin. "I am so fucking happy all the time because of you."

Taehyung pulled up slightly, needing to study his face intently. Even though he'd already memorized all of Jungkook's features, he still always felt like there was something new to learn.

"I'm happy, too. And after tomorrow . . . when all of this is behind us . . . we're going to have a beautiful future together. I know it."

Jungkook's eyes were gazing at him with all the love in the world. "This sounds like a marriage proposal. Are you proposing? With your dick still in me, too?"

Taehyung chuckled, placing a small kiss on his nose. God, the idea of marrying Jungkook . . . He didn't need to think twice. He knew that's what he wanted. And the more he thought of calling Jungkook his husband, the sooner he wanted to make the boy his fiancé.

It wasn't something he planned on asking so soon. He knew neither of them were prepared or at the point in their lives to even get married. But since Taehyung met Jungkook, he knew there was no one else for him. When he envisioned his future, the only person he saw at his side was Jungkook.

Sure, maybe they were too young. Sure, maybe this was too soon.

But Taehyung never felt more sure about anything in his life.

"I know I don't have anything to offer you," he murmured, fingers playing in Jungkook's hair. "I'll be homeless in a month and don't have any job prospects lined up. I'm going to be broke, too. But I'll love you. I'll be your home and your shelter. Wherever you go, I'll follow."

Jungkook's eyes widened as he took in those words. "This is sounding more and more like a proposal."

"Would you say yes?" Taehyung teased, rubbing his nose against the younger's. "I mean, you don't have to answer that. This is all pretty sudden, honestly. But if you did say yes, we wouldn't have to get married right away. We could stay engaged for years . . . I just know I don't want anyone else and -"

"Yes."

Taehyung swore he stopped breathing. "Really? You'd say yes?"

Jungkook smiled brightly and nodded his head. "Yes. Now ask me."

"Now? Even though I'm still inside -"

"Tae."

Taehyung laughed, feeling so light and warm and utterly ecstatic. "Jeon Jungkook, marry me."

Jungkook was laughing now, too, thumbs tracing over his cheekbones. "Okay . . . Now that Mr. Demanding has ordered me to marry him, how about Taehyung asks me nicely?"

A giddy giggle escaped Taehyung's mouth and he was smiling, smiling so big he wondered if his mouth would tear open. "Kookie . . . Will you marry me?"

A huge grin broke out over Jungkook's face and tears were trickling down his cheeks. But he didn't wipe them away. "Yes. But on one condition."

"Anything."

"You take my family name. Whenever we get married . . . even if it's years down the road . . . you become Jeon Taehyung."

Jeon Taehyung. Jeon Taehyung. To take the name of the only family he ever really knew . . . "Yes. Fuck, of course, yes."

"So we're engaged? You're my fiancé?" Jungkook sniffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Taehyung knew how he felt. He was feeling the same exact way. "We're engaged. I . . . I don't have a ring to give you or anything."

"I don't need a ring, Tae. All I need is you."

"Well, good, because that's all you're going to get for a while at least," Taehyung chuckled, kissing him swiftly before pulling back again. "Whenever we tell people though, we're not saying we got engaged while you were cockwarming me."

Jungkook kissed him back before peppering more kisses all over his face. "Fair enough."

They slowly made their way to the shower after that, washing each other's hair and bodies with Taehyung's signature soap. And the entire time, the two boys were giggling and hugging and kissing and overall just being happy in love.

Before the younger headed back to work, Taehyung made him lunch and packed extra snacks as well. He didn't have anything himself, saying he was too excited to eat.

And he really was.

As Jungkook laced his boots up at the front door, safety vest on and all, he smiled up at Taehyung. "Is my fiancé sleeping over tonight?"

Taehyung bent down so he was on the same eye level as Jungkook. "I want to, Kook. I want to cuddle with you so badly and just hold each other before tomorrow. But I think Juyeon needs you more tonight. I think she needs her big brother."

Jungkook bit his lip but nodded. "You're right. Ah, fuck. I know you're right. But Tae . . . You know you're her big brother, too, right? She really thinks of you that way. And one day it'll be official."

They stood and hugged each other tightly, both reluctant to let go.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Jungkook breathed against his skin, hands running up and down his back.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Taehyung confirmed, giving him one last kiss for now. "I'll call you guys later tonight, too. I love you."

"I love you."

Taehyung smiled as he watched him go, his heart more full than it had ever been. He was engaged. Jungkook and him were engaged.

It might have happened a bit unconventionally, though to Taehyung, it was perfect. Never before had he considered getting married. But now . . . some day in the future . . . He was. He was going to marry Jungkook.

He closed the door, both excited and nervous for tomorrow. It was a day he'd been counting down to for weeks now, for many reasons. And now it was here.

With a nod to himself, he set out to begin all of his final preparations.

He was ready.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

Omg you guys!! When I say these two write themselves . . . I really mean it!

I LOVED reading everyone's theories over Juyeon's transplant during the last chapter. I'm not confirming or denying anything yet though, haha. But I must say, I'm so impressed by our fandom's creativity!

Hope this chapter was worth a little extra wait! I'm going to try and write the entire next chapter today, but as always, check my bio a bit later to see my updated date/time. Love you guys!