Strawberries & Dreams | Taekook |

Chapter Ten 🔥

After Taehyung returned back home on New Year's Day, Jungkook started to commute between Seoul and Daegu on weekends. He had asked his manager to schedule his work during the work week while keeping Saturday and Sunday free. He was running up travel kilometres on the KTX train but it was worth it. Usually he boarded the last bullet train on Friday nights, slept on the train for the one and a half hours the train took between Seoul and Daegu and then took a taxi to Tae's home. But after three weeks, Tae had started to leave his car, a small battered van like they were commonplace all around rural Asia, in the parking lot of the station on Friday evenings, then Tae would cycle back home on his old bicycle.

This week was no exception. After stumbling half-asleep off the train, barely dodging some fans who had recognized him, Jungkook was relieved when he saw Tae's car. Fumbling for the spare key Tae had given him, he opened the car. He smiled tiredly when he saw the small post-it note with a big heart and words 'glove department' written on it taped to the steering wheel. He opened the glove compartment and found a coffee drink there, with another post-it. A little boost so you can drive home safely, it said and Jungkook smiled. He liked how that sounded. Home.

He had been so occupied he had not seen the fans he had managed to dodge earlier, recording him from a little distance the whole time.

~-*-~

The yard was dark except for a little light that cast a golden, welcoming glow on the door. Jungkook yawned and killed the engine. He was relieved to be back. The past week had been gruelling as the band was in full preparation mode for their upcoming muster in Japan in late February and he was not supposed to take a two day rest now. But he had asked management for this arrangement. In the last years he had never asked for any special treatment but this was important. Taehyung was important to him.
Soon Tae would join him in Seoul for his own preparation as it had been agreed he would join them as a guest artist for the new songs and that one particular duet. Jungkook was looking forward to this, not only because Tae was his boyfriend but because he could share the one thing he had never thought he could share with his lover, that of performing before ARMY, together.

After he had taken a quick shower, he walked into his and Tae's room. Soon after Kim Young-Sik's death, they had turned the guest room into their main bedroom, with a bigger bed and a bigger wardrobe. Leaving Tae's old bedroom and Young-Sik's unoccupied for the moment. Eventually they wanted to create a small studio for him and Tae but that was still in the pipeline for later that year.

The young singer padded softly into the bedroom and when he slipped into the bed, Tae turned on his side, making room for him. Hugging him from behind, the younger man nuzzled his nose in Tae's neck and Tae scooted back closer into the embrace.

"Welcome home," he said drowsily, his voice rough and even deeper with sleep. Jungkook smiled, kissing the neck of his loved one.

"It's good to be home," Jungkook answered and closed his eyes, falling asleep immediately.

~-*-~

The next morning was bright and sunny when Jungkook woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. He stretched on the bed then opened his eyes to see Tae coming into the bedroom with two mugs in hand. He was wearing a dress shirt underneath a rose, mauve and green coloured loose-fitting sweater and black wool trousers. He looked very sophisticated and put together, more like a university professor than a strawberry farmer.

"Good morning." He greeted Jungkook and handed him the coffee. Sitting up against the head board, Jungkook blew on the coffee before taking a sip.

"Morning," he said and lightly caressed Tae's thigh.

Taking that as an invitation to sit beside him on the bed, Taehyung sat down and smiled.

"How long have you been awake already?" Jungkook asked.