Rain || Taekook

Chapter Seventeen

Jungkook had never known how embarrassing doing laundry could be. It was just laundry, right? Yet, it seemed that every person in the whole damn dorm had picked that instant to roam the halls, or to do some laundry of their own. Jungkook carried a cheap plastic hamper in his arms, and he trailed a few steps behind a still-sweaty Taehyung, who carried an identical basket. It seemed that two loads of laundry were in order.

Jungkook grew more and more red as he continued on behind Tae; the gazes of all the guys in the dorm burning into his forehead. It was like they all knew. They saw right through Jungkook's flimsy defense. Jungkook sped up, leaving Taehyung scrambling to catch up.

Once in the thankfully empty laundry room, Jungkook sighed and his tense shoulders relaxed. Taehyung looked over at him, concerned. "What happened, babe?"
"I- they were staring- uh..." Jungkook trailed off. Taehyung smiled wordlessly and opened a washing machine. He dumped in the duvet that he'd been carrying while Jungkook put the sheets in the next machine. "Babe, you got the quarters?" Taehyung inquired. Jungkook searched his pockets to no avail. He grinned sheepishly. Taehyung wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, and pressed his lips to the top of Jungkook's forehead. "I'll be right back, dear. I love you so much,"
"I love you too," Jungkook replied quietly. Taehyung left the room, and Jungkook couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He had never been happier.

"Hey, you're Taehyung's boyfriend, right?"
It took Jungkook a second to recognize the speaker. He did, after all, look far different from the way he looked in high school. His naturally dark hair was now a garish shade of bubblegum pink, and it looked really good on him. His eyes sparkled in a way that they hadn't in a long time, not since the group fell apart. He stood confidently, and a quiet, solid man stood behind him.

Seokjin huffed. "I asked you a question, Jungkook." Jungkook inhaled sharply.
"Yeah, I'm dating Taehyung, so what?" The words were strong, but Jungkook's voice wavered. He tucked his hands into the sleeves of his sweater, and his shoulders hunched slightly inwards. He stared at the floor. Seokjin snapped his fingers in Jungkook's face. "Hey, are you listening?"
"Y- yeah," Jungkook stuttered.
"I said, you better take care of that boy. He's fragile, and even though he seems more comfortable with his sexuality these days, a heartbreak would destroy any chance of him ever being happy."
"You- you aren't angry at me?"
A confused look came across Jin's face. "Why would I be angry?"
Jungkook flushed. "Uh, well,"
"You mean because he abandoned me and left me to the wolves? No, I'm not angry that he's found love again. I know he never stopped loving me. I know he still worries about me. I will never fully forgive him, but that is no reason for you or anyone else to hate him. At first, I thought he was the same as he'd always been, but I think you've changed him."
"Ch-changed him?"
Jin smiled softly. "For the better."
With that, he left. Namjoon followed. Not a second later, Taehyung returned with a roll of quarters in his hand. He looked shaken. "Was that Seokjin and Namjoon I just saw, or am I crazy?"
"No, it was them, you're not crazy."
"Why were they here? Did they harass you? Do I need to make sure they stay away? Are you okay? Was-"
Jungkook cut him off. "Taehyungie, don't worry. He came here to- he told me not to mess things up with you. He said he couldn't forgive you, but somehow he still wants the best for you, and all I can think is that I don't know how, but we made the best friends we possibly could in high school."
Taehyung grinned, and moved to start the laundry. "Why don't we go out to celebrate?"
"You're okay?"
"I am if you are."

Half an hour later, Taehyung and Jungkook walked down the street with linked arms. It was chilly, after all, so they had to hold onto each other to keep warm. The ground was damp, but the miserable drizzle had halted for the time being. The two boys looked at each other, smiling brightly. Their noses were inches apart, and they continued to blindly meander down the street while staring into each other's eyes. Taehyung felt warm on the inside like he never had before meeting Jungkook. Suddenly, Jungkook tightened his grip on Taehyung's arm and dashed down the sidewalk.
"Kookie, where the hell are we going?" Taehyung exclaimed. Jungkook's eyes had lit up, and his mad dash down the slippery sidewalk was far from safe. Taehyung found himself in the doorway of Urban Outfitters.
Jungkook was almost bouncing with excitement. "Let's go shopping!"
"Uh, babe, this place is a bit above my pay grade... you know my parents cut me off as soon as I came out."
Jungkook's smile wavered, but not for long. He whipped out his credit card and handed it to Taehyung.
"I still get an allowance; it's an advantage of being this adorable."
"Damn right, you are." Taehyung looked at the credit card in awe.
"You can pretend to be my sugar daddy, just for today," Jungkook said with an uncharacteristic giggle. "Unless you want me to be the sugar daddy."
Taehyung chuckled. "Please, baby boy, don't kid yourself. You could never top."
Jungkook giggled again. "How do you know?"
"Baby, you're giggling uncontrollably and dragging me into clothing stores. You're not a top."
"Fair enough,"
Defeated, Jungkook turned his attention to the clothes. He skipped in the direction of the flannels. "God, I'm so lucky to have him," Taehyung whispered. The clerk must have heard, because she looked at Taehyung and smiled, breaking out in bubbly laughter. Taehyung looked at her, and couldn't help but laugh right back.
Twenty minutes later, Jungkook had a whole new wardrobe that Taehyung pretended to pay for. If Taehyung was being completely honest with himself, being Jungkook's sugar daddy felt great, even if it was fake. He wrapped his arm around Jungkook's delicate shoulders and kissed the boy's soft hair. Both men carried some bags, but they still remained entangled with each other while they wandered down the brightening street.