ᴄʀᴜᴛᴄʜᴇs || ᴊ.ᴊᴋ + ᴋ.ᴛʜ ✔️

twenty-one: the color purple

To learn that Jungkook had returned to school the day after winter break ended.

Taehyung wanted to see him.

Although, he didn't disturb the usual pace, he didn't rush to Jungkook's classroom in the morning, or even go to sit with him and Jimin at lunch—rather, he gave the boy his space and waited till the time when he normally met with him.

All the while Tae wondered how Jungkook was doing. He hoped he'd see a change, but told himself that if nothing were different, it was okay.

He knew from the start that this would take patience. Right now his patience was being tested. He could feel it, and so desperately wanted to prove himself to Jungkook, he remained rooted in that mindset of his.

Jungkook came to practice. Not the first, but the practice the boys held after school hours.

How relieving it was to see him sitting there again in those bleachers. With his crutches lying beside him on the bench.

Practice ended. Cleanup was over. Taehyung's teammates were all gradually starting to leave, bidding farewells to one another before starting on their way home. Hoseok was about to leave, too, but walked up to Tae first.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Taetae." Smiling, he patted the boy's shoulder. "You're staying behind, aren't you?"

Taehyung was staring at Jungkook whose eyes were aimed towards the ground. "Yeah," he answered softly. "I am."

"Take care. It's cold."

"I know, I will."

"Bye, Taetae."

"Bye, Hobi-ssi."

Hoseok formed his lips into a dissatisfied triangle. Upon noticing his friend had not yet left, Tae turned to him, then made a quiet noise of realization.

"Ah, sorry. Bye, Hobi."

The redhead smiled wider. He gave Tae a quick hug, waved, then went on his way.

It was just him now.

Just Taehyung on the field. He took a deep breath, soon to begin taking gradual steps towards the bleachers.

Towards Jungkook, who he hoped was still here because he was waiting for him.

When he reached the bleachers Taehyung sat down beside the boy. But he didn't say anything. Not for a while. The two simply sat in silence beside each other as the cold air nipped at their ears and noses. It wasn't awful, though, as they certainly had seen much worse January days. And besides, there was something peaceful about this type of atmosphere.

And being with Jungkook. Even though right now, it still hurt a little. It was the kind of pain that was worth it.

Because Tae loved him.

As he sunk deep into his thoughts, at some point, a soft laugh escaped Taehyung's lips, causing Jungkook to look over at him, tentatively, curiously.

"...I don't know how you do it. Every time you're gone, you make me worry until I see you again. It's really bad, Jungkook. You're so mean."

Jungkook returned his gaze to the ground.

"...this thing is uncomfortable, don't ya think?" Tae patted the metal bench. "How 'bout we lay on the field? The grass is softer."

He was glad when Jungkook started to reach for his crutches. Tae watched carefully, ready to stretch out his arms should Jungkook show signs of unsteadiness. By this point, though, the boy was used to getting up and down the bleachers and had no visible issue with making his way to the field. Still, Taehyung watched.

Soon the two were lying with their backs flat against the grass, eyes staring up at the dim sky above them. Dim, that is, save the scattering of stars that Tae loved oh so much.

This moment, he didn't even mind Jungkook's silence. But at the same time he didn't complain when the boy opened his mouth on his own.

"Jimin and I used to do this when we were kids. And we'd...talk about our dreams. Jimin's were silly at the time. I've always had the same dream, though. It's never changed. But now, it's been shattered."

Tae could hear the pain in Jungkook's monotonous words. But, he thought to himself, the fact that Jungkook was willingly admitting this on his own was good.

So he would do the same.

"I've got one, too."

"A dream?"

"Yeah. A shattered one. I've always wanted my mother to see me accept my diploma."

Just like that, the silence returned. But it wasn't awkward, or uncomfortable. This was nothing less than bonding over empathy. Having lost something irreplaceable. 

"I didn't do well in school when I was younger," Tae continued in a tender voice. "I struggled with studying. Mom helped me as much as she could. And I promised her I wouldn't let it be for nothing. And I'm close to fulfilling that promise. We're graduating next year..." He smiled widely, sighing in contentment at the thought. "It's okay. Even though my dream can't be fulfilled, I can still...fulfill my promise to her..."

It would have been enough to make anyone cry.

And in his heart, without even knowing it, Jungkook was crying. He remembered the day he first found out about Taehyung's mother. Those cruel words he spoke to the boy. The sight of Tae crying, the stories he told of the woman he missed more than anything and the tears he shed for her.

And the feeling of embracing Tae. He remembered it so vividly.

As did Tae. Even now, he thought of it. And how much that moment meant to him, that gesture that might have seemed so simple to others. It had meant everything.

Jungkook meant everything.

But Taehyung couldn't be direct about it. Not yet. So he thought of the next best alternative.

"I...purple you."

"...you what?"

"I purple you, Jungkook."

"...yeah, saying it a second time didn't make it any clearer."

Tae chuckled in amusement at the blatant sass in the boy's tone. "You don't know what it means?"

"Obviously," Jungkook said, rolling his eyes.

"It means...that I'll trust you...and be by your side for a very long time."

There was a long pause.

"...you made that up, didn't you?"

Taehyung, quite pleased rather than offended by the assumption, happily confirmed. "Yeah, I made it up," he said. "With my mother in mind, actually. Ya know, she told me once that purple was the color of royalty, but that royalty doesn't always have to do with money or status or anything like that. It's like a feeling, too, you know? And she told me that if I ever want to feel like a prince, to simply find myself in the company of good friends. That's the highest form of royalty a person could ever hope to have."

It stuck to him. Spoken so innocently, sweetly, and most of all in complete and utter honesty, those words touched Jungkook's heart even though he thought he had been doing well in locking it up.

Just...Taehyung. Why did he have to be so good at lock-picking?

A tear spilled over Jungkook's eyelid. Since Taehyung wasn't looking at him at the moment, he tried to hide it. And he thought he succeeded. But then he felt a soft hand caress his cheek, a thumb wiping away that tear.

A kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sure Jimin made you feel like a prince, didn't he? Well, I hope some day I'll be able to do the same for you."

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a/n:
ahahaha :,D