LOVE YOU TO DEATH | TAEKOOK

50. Love You to Death

France Dimanche: JJK and Kim Taehyung have been hopping from left bank to right in Paris for days, racking up points on the author's AmEx très rapidement, unloading at least a million euros on clothing, art, and jewelry. They've been spotted in every arrondissement frequented by the well-heeled and over-funded, though there was one neighborhood that was surprised to see them make a stop, along with a trainful of unsuspecting commuters.

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On their first full day in Paris, Jungkook had chartered a cruise down the Seine on a gigantic barge with way too many staff for just the two of them. He had settled on pretending like they were at a restaurant for lunch, sitting at the bar on the upper deck and ordering an array of fancy sandwiches.

"I truly didn't realize how much of a boat guy you were," Taehyung teased, shaking his head in disbelief, "I suppose I thought the yacht was just a one-off."

Jungkook spun around on his barstool, legs dangling as he considered whether or not he was truly a boat guy. Whatever that was.

"I'm not," he shrugged, finally deciding, "When I lived here, I used to get on these all the time. I'd sit by myself and just watch the city go by," he said, though it was begrudging.

Taehyung waited, watching the horizon and calmly breathing, trying to be still.

"It was kind of nice to pretend like everything was fine and that I wasn't slowly descending into madness or whatever they call it," Jungkook added, voice quiet. He was self-conscious saying all of this to the older, yet he felt compelled to.

He chatted amicably to himself while they waited for the food to come, the boat lazily drifting down the river, water glittering in the bright blue day.

"One of the things I appreciated in the beginning was how excited everyone seemed to just glide down this river and see the city. It always struck me as being so simple," he ventured, his voice melodious in the gentle breeze, filling the space between them.

Jungkook took a breath, glancing at Taehyung, who was still watching the city, eyes drifting to the riverbank.

"I started thinking about it as being a good test for how normal and kind of uncomplicated a person is," he explained, gesturing around them with both hands after putting down his sandwich, "If you get excited about the view and the whole boat thing, then you are normal, and if you don't, or if you can't get out of your own head, maybe you aren't so normal," he finished, looking down at his plate.

Taehyung dabbed at his face with a napkin, "Jungkookie," he exhaled, smiling through his teeth, "So complicated," he tried to laugh, though he happily shook his head instead.

Jungkook's shoulders vibrated with silent laughter, "I know. It's always something, right? I'm trying to own it," he cracked, face splitting into a smile.

They finished eating in relative silence, punctuated only by Jungkook pointing out places where he had either had a strange experience or liked to hang out, with Taehyung nodding and listening, trying to take it all in.

"Should we go downstairs? It's really sunny and I don't want you to get burnt," Jungkook offered, wanting the older to get into the shade after noticing how long they had been up there.

Taehyung nodded and followed, "Sure, my love," he agreed, trying to just go with the flow, still in awe and in shaky anticipation of what was going to come next.

"Not that you would even be able to get a sunburn, I guess. You're really tan," the younger added.

He led them inside to a row of antique wooden benches, reminiscent of what the barges might have been like in decades past, gesturing for Taehyung to sit. Jungkook then folded himself into the space next to the older, pulling one of Taehyung's arms around him like a seatbelt.