PRIDE (A Taekook Fanfiction)

NUMBER BOY.

"Tell me you love me
But you only see the numbers high
Who I am is never what you want, yeah"

NUMBER BOY by Holland

"I guess this is where we all part ways," Jimin spoke, dragging his words out, which I knew was because he didn't want to leave Yoongi's side.

"Yeah, it's late and the festival finished hours ago," I responded.

"This was fun!" Taehyung admitted, eyes drifting around until they landed on mine. "Shall you want to meet up some more, here's my number." He handed me the card with a wink.

"Who is Miss Tiger Lily?"

Yoongi giggled, shoulders shaking during the action.

Taehyung seemed unbothered. "Miss Tiger Lily is my drag persona."

I tried to hide the fact that knowing Tae did drag made me excited and nervous. He was so comfortable in his skin, in his sexuality. And God, was he so attractive.

"Ooh, Jungkookie, we should go to one of their drag shows!" Jimin squealed, squeezing my arm out of excitement.

I nodded. "Sounds fun," I smiled as I met eyes with Taehyung.

Yoongi cleared his throat. "We should really get going. Hoseok gets off work soon."

"H-H-Hoseok?" Jimin questioned, immediately following it with a cough in an attempt to cover his voice cracking.

Yoongi nodded. "Yeah, uh," he scratched at his nap. "Hoseok is my boyfriend."

Taehyung mouthed the word "awkward" to me, making me giggle.

"Oh," Jimin replied. "That's nice!" His eyes met mine, obviously searching for an escape. "Jungkook, we should head out. We have work in the morning."

"Right," I confirmed. "Nice meeting you both," I looked at our new companions, bowing slightly at the waist before we finally parted ways.

As Jimin and I started to pull away in our Uber, I heard him sigh loudly. "Why are the best guys always taken?"

•••••

With a towel wrapped tightly around my waist, I stepped into my bedroom and to where my phone laid on the nightstand, connected to the charger.

It had died early on in the parade due to me having taken so many photos, but also due to my phone being from the Stone Age.

My eyes grew wide as I saw six missed calls from my father, causing me to sit on the edge of my bed and immediately call him back.

"Jungkook! Where the hell have you been?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I've been out with Jimin, my phone died."

My father sighed loudly. "Out where exactly?"

"Just... out doing things. Hanging out." My eyebrows furrowed.

"That's not what I saw on television." His words were like a dagger to the heart, my breath hitching in my throat.

"W-What do you mean?"

"That- that-" My father inhaled a breath sharply. "That rainbow, gay, festival full of sin was on my television, and I saw you clearly in the middle of that crowd."

I could feel my throat closing up. "H-How do you know for sure it was me, father? It could've been someone who looks like me."

A scoff. "Those damned tattoos you got gave it away, son."

I looked down at my right arm, seeing the sleeve of tattoos littering my skin. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to prevent the oncoming anxiety attack.

"Father, I-"

"Hush."

I followed his one-word command, my lips pressing together firmly.

"Leviticus 20:13 says, 'If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.' I sure hope I don't need to demonstrate to you again what some of the punishments in Hell are, Jungkook?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "N-No, Sir."

"That's what I thought." My father cleared his throat. "Now, why don't you spend time trying to meet your future wife instead of... engaging in other activities, hmm?"

He hung up, leaving me to stare at the same spot on my wall for an unknown amount of time. Seconds, minutes, maybe even over an hour, passed before I inhaled a sharp breath.

My hand grasped my wallet from the nightstand, pulling out the crisp business card, handed just to me.

With a numb heart, and an empty mind, my fingers flicked the paper into the trash can before I finished getting ready for bed.