Beneath Your Mask

part twenty: shattered masks

THE PAST

- almost 7 years ago

"I love you."

The words came out easily, rolling off his tongue without resistance or doubt, and much to Taehyung's amusement, Jungkook raised his head with a startled kind of speed and stared at him with his, round wide eyes.

"Yeah," Taehyung continued, smiling softly. "Yeah, I love you a lot."

He watched as Jungkook swallowed, his throat bobbing up and down with the motion, his eyes stayed wide and staring as a red flush slowly crept up his skin from his neck to his ears and across his cheeks.

"I - I love you, too."

Taehyung beamed at him with his wide and happy smile, and Jungkook smiled back, all teeth and scrunched up nose. They didn't move from their respective places; Jungkook on one side of the couch with his legs crossed and a sketch book across his knees, and Taehyung from his position on the floor beside the coffee table, his own sketch book on the table in front of him.

Their smiles turned into shy chuckles and blushes and Jungkook ducked his head, going back to drawing while Taehyung watched him with a fond smile. He'd long ago discarded his pencil, bored with attempting to draw when he wasn't that inspired, and had been watching the unaware Jungkook while he was focused. Now, however, Jungkook was aware of his gaze and every few seconds looked up at Taehyung.

"You're distracting," he pouted.

Taehyung grinned cheekily. "My love is distracting? How cruel."

Jungkook rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the shy and happy smile.

"I can't believe you said you love me for the first time and didn't even kiss me afterwards," he mumbled, glancing at Taehyung, shy but bold at the same time in the way that only he could be.

Taehyung scrambled up to his feet and Jungkook barely had the time to put his sketchbook to the side before Taehyung had jumped on him, attacking his face with kisses and a giant hug, while Jungkook pretended to complain about him being heavy and annoying but was smiling too much for it to be close to true.

They ended up laying beside one another, face to face with Jungkook's arm wrapped around Taehyung's waist to stop him from falling off the couch, their legs intwined.

"I'm so happy, Jungkook. You make me so happy," Taehyung breathed.

Jungkook pressed a kiss to Taehyung's nose.

"Me too, Tae. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. "Better than becoming a trainee and debuting? Better than meeting the Hyungs?"

Jungkook smiled. "Yeah," he sighed. "Better than all that."

Taehyung smiled back. "But if you didn't become a trainee, we never would've met."

Jungkook snorted softly. "Maybe, but I think we would have found a way, don't you?"

His eyes were wide and vulnerable, hopeful, a little anxious for Taehyung's response. Taehyung pressed a kiss, soft and reassuring and gentle, to Jungkook's lips.

"Yeah. We would've found each other," he whispered. "We'll always find each other. Promise?"

"Promise."

***

THE PRESENT

While Taehyung filmed the video for Jimin and Jungkook.2 hours ago