hold my hand, darling. i'll guide the way

a dilemma

A horn sounded. Jungkook's father had arrived.

Jungkook stood up and took one last glance at the bee on the flower. He didn't want to leave Taehyung.

"I have to go, that's my dad," he pointed to the rusty van that had pulled into the parking lot. It was grey and his father leaned out the window impatiently, gesturing for him to hurry up. He had a shift at the bar in an hour.

Taehyung stood up and wrapped him in a loose hug that made Jungkook's cheeks warm up. "Let's meet up at the park at noon, ok?"

"Ok," Jungkook said, his face glowing a red hue that matched Taehyung's hair. "Bye." He disentangled himself from the hug and tripped down the stairs, moving his cane in jerky motions in his haste to get away from the boy who made his heart beat ten times faster.

He heard a low chuckle from behind him, and as he opened the car door and clambered inside, he wished he could record that laugh and replay it forever.

<<<<<

"So who was that kid?"

It was 9 at night, dinnertime, and Jungkook and his father were eating takeout in the living room. His father had just returned home from work, shirt still tucked in, shoes laced tight. There was a tight expression on his face that told Jungkook his father was stressed.

It must have been a bad day at work.

"Just a friend," Jungkook answered. The word friend felt weird in his mouth. Taehyung was more than that. He was an angel.

"Oh?" His father turned from the blaring TV to look at him. "I'm glad you're making new friends. What's his name?"

"Taehyung."

His father nodded, and Jungkook gathered up the courage to ask a question that made his palms feel sweaty and his knees weak. "Can I... can I hang out with him? Tomorrow?"

His father didn't like when he hung out with friends. In fact, the only reason he had ever been allowed to hang out with Yugyeom was because he had been a family friend that his father had trusted.

His father inhaled sharply and lifted up the remote to turn off the TV. "Jungkook, you know I don't like when you hang out with people I don't know."

"But Taehyung is my friend. He goes to the same school that I do."

"Yes, but I don't know him," his father snapped, curling his fingers tight around the remote.

"Well... maybe you could come with me just to meet him for a few minutes?" It wasn't the most convenient of circumstances, but for some reason, Jungkook was feeling desperate. He longed to see Taehyung's boxy smile and if that meant that his father had to accompany him to the park for a few minutes just to talk to Taehyung, then so be it. No matter how embarrassing it would be.

"I work all day tomorrow," his father reminded him.

Jungkook withheld a groan of frustration. "Well, what if-"

"Jungkook, no," his father interrupted. "This isn't going to work out. I won't let you hang out with someone I don't know, so go ahead and tell Taehyung that you're just going to have to hang out some other time."

I can't, Jungkook thought. They hadn't exchanged numbers. He had no way of telling Taehyung that he wouldn't be able to make it to the park tomorrow.

With a huff, Jungkook stood up and threw his tray in the trash can. He stormed down the hall and slammed his door loudly.

If he didn't show up, Taehyung would think he had stood him up.