P l e a s e . . . [ Taekook - Self-Harm AU ] ⚠️

[ Chapter 10: Father ]

Jungkook kept his head down as he walked. Earbuds were pressed into his ears, playing loud music right into his ears. He didn't pay much attention to his surroundings, besides the road. He planned to get a gift for Taehyung since it was almost his birthday. He didn't have too much money left in his pocket, but he wanted to try to find at least something rather than nothing for him. Jungkook shivered at the cold air continously nipping and clawing at his skin. But he kept going. He was almost at the store, anyways.

Once Jungkook was there, he sighed at the warmth of the room. It was a small store, but he figured he would be able to find something there. Maybe a necklace, bracelet... Something. He searched around, mostly finding just food and small racks of clothing. Soon, he found a spot where jewelry hung from.  

Jungkook carefully examined them, trying to find the perfect thing to get Taehyung. He knew he liked his jewelry, especially rings. He looked at each of the rings, observing all of their details. He found one in a pretty purple, velvet box, which held a purple gem in the center of it. He smiled softly and checked the price. He had just enough for it.

Jungkook walked over to the cashier, not bothering to notice who it actually was. He put the box on the table and pulled out his money, setting that down too.

"Giving this to a special someone, huh?" A rough, raspy voice was heard from the cashier, a chuckle leaving his mouth after. His voice sounded familiar... Jungkook looked up to see who it was. It... looker exactly like his father. But his father didn't seem to recognize him. Jungkook nodded a little, taking the box once it was handed back to him.

"Hope she likes it, buddy. Be careful who you choose." His father informed, watching Jungkook nod and thank him. Jungkook began to leave, but stopped at the door once he was called out to. He looked back, raising an eyebrow. "You... You look familiar..."

"It's... probably nothing." Jungkook shrugged.

"Wait... J... Jung... Jungkook..?" His father blinked. Jungkook flashed a sad, weak smile before leaving the store. He walked quickly, hoping his dad wouldn't try to go after him. He didn't, thankfully. Jungkook let out a sigh of relief, stuffing the ring box into his pocket. He made his way back to Taehyung's house, where he was greeted by Taehyung's mother.

"Welcome back, sweetheart! Did you get what you wanted for Taehyung?" She flashed a sweet smile at Jungkook, then turned to pay attention to the food she was cooking.

"Thanks, mom... I did." Jungkook smiled back at her. Although it was Taehyung's mom instead of his own, he still called her mom. Mostly just because he considered her as his mom, but... he definitely knew she treated him like a son of her own, so he called her that.

"What did you get him? Don't worry, I won't tell him." she laughed. Jungkook made his way over to her, pulling out the box from his pocket and opening it to reveal the pretty purple ring he bought for Taehyung.

"Ohh~ He'll definitely like that. We all know that he likes his jewelry. His favorite color is purple too." Taehyung's mother said, then rose an eyebrow at Jungkook teasingly. "You don't plan to propose to him, do ya?"

"I- N-No, no-" Jungkook's cheeks immediately flushed a deep red color and he shook his head. "Th-This was the only thing good I could f-find..." Then, he heard a burst of laughter coming from her.

"I'm just messing with you, bub~" She giggled, shaking her head. "I... honestly wouldn't mind if you proposed to him. In the future, at least. Not now, you both are way too young for that.."

Jungkook blinked, obviously dumbfounded by what she was saying. "...What?"

"Don't think I don't know how you feel about Taehyung. I'm fully aware of what's between you two." She murmured, stirring around the pot of noodles cooking just to make sure they were flimsy enough to turn the heat of the stove down a bit, just so the boiling water didn't overflow. "And... Honestly, I know Taehyung likes you too. He's talked to me about you so much, even before you started staying here."

"...He does..?" Jungkook asked, biting his bottom lip almost nervously.

"Certainly. One day, I decided to ask if he loved you like that... Obviously, he denied it at first out of fear that I didn't support that kind of thing. But... I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told him. Love is love, and it's not something you can really control, no matter what. If you like girls, then you like girls. If you like men, then you like men. I don't care who you love as long as they're a good person. Don't let anybody try to change who you are, because they can't. You know yourself better than anyone else. Only you can change who you are, sometimes with the support of others. But even then, those people can't force you to change. They're only there to support it. Personally, you don't need to change anything about yourself. You're a good kid, and I know that you would treat Taehyung with love, care, and support." Taehyung's mother said, occasionally glancing over at Jungkook. "That's why I'm not like other parents who try to make loving someone seen as such a bad thing. There are some things you can fix about your child, but there are some things you can't. Preferences is one of them. You can't change a certain color they like. You can't change how they like to hold their pencils. And you certainly can't change their feelings. You can change how they act, look, and how they treat other people."

"...I'm glad you think the same way. You're a good mother." Jungkook mumbled, staring down at the ring box in his hands. "That's why I call you mom... You're here for me when I need you. You treat me like a son of your own and never hesitated on letting me stay with you."

"I try. I'd rather be there for someone than to not be there at all. As soon as Taehyung explained what happened to you, I was more than willing to let you come stay with us." She paused for a few moments, straining the noodles before putting them in with the meat and vegetables. "Taehyung's father never liked how I thought. Or that Taehyung was gay. We... got into an argument, and I told him to leave and never come back. He was never a very likable man... but I stayed with him until I kicked him out. He wasn't willing to accept the fact Taehyung was gay and move on. I'm very protective of my children when it comes to stuff like that..."

"I can tell."

"Off topic, but do you mind getting the teriyaki sauce from the cabinet over there? I forgot to get it." She asked, pointing to the right cabinet.

"Not at all." Jungkook shoved the ring box back in his pocket and went over to the cabinet, which was full of sauce and seasoning. He searched for the teriyaki bottle, eventually finding it near the back and bringing it over to Taehyung's mother.

"Thanks, hon." She said, opening it and pouring some into the food. "Anyways... Don't wait too long to tell Taehyung how you feel. It's better to get him sooner than later. Never know if someone else will scoop him up in their arms. How about you tell him when you give that to him?"

"O-Okay... I will... What should I say when I decide to tell him..?" Jungkook asked, playing with the hems of his sleeves.

"It's best to just... be as honest as you can. You don't have to think of a whole script to say. Go with your heart." She mixes the sauce into the food, pouring a little bit more into it because there wasn't enough to her liking.

"...Thanks, mom. I mean it." Jungkook whispered, slightly smiling at her.

"You're welcome, honey. I'm always here if you need anything." She mumbled back. "I swear to you, if anything happens to me... It was Beomseok."

Chapter 10 End...