Take on Me

22

¤ Bottled Up Tight
Luke Sital-Singh ↲

I feel a fire,
I see a flame, set me alight,
Bring me desire, bottled up tight.
Like caging the ocean
Dousing the sun, download the sky
Bring me emotion, bottled up tight.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Jungkook woke up a little earlier than normal, eyes scanning over his dimly lit room. There was a weight pressing down on him - literally - and that's when he remembered he wasn't alone.

Taehyung's head was on his chest, with an arm and leg draped over his body. He was breathing deeply, little puffs of air escaping through parted lips. There was a sense of calmness surrounding him while he slept, a peace Jungkook wished could settle around the boy forever. He hoped he could help give that to Taehyung; he felt he had a duty to do that now.

Because Taehyung was his and he was Taehyung's.

It was true they never explicitly used the words boyfriends or official or exclusive. But based on everything that Taehyung told him last night, he knew they were all of those things. He didn't need the label to give him that sense of security. Having Taehyung in his arms, pressed up to his body - trusting Jungkook to hold him - spoke volumes enough.

Jungkook would forever remember the moment Taehyung - his brave, strong Taehyung - let him touch his chest. That had always been one of the no-go areas; even if Jungkook didn't directly touch him there - if their chests pressed together while hugging or kissing - Taehyung always jolted. Jungkook took care to follow Taehyung's lead, never initiating contact there unless the elder decided it was okay.

And last night, Taehyung put Jungkook's hands on him.

He could still feel the beating of the elder's heart against his palms, thumping and thundering. He could clearly remember Taehyung saying that he trusted Jungkook to do this. Never before had he felt so honored and humbled to do something as simple as put his hands on another.

This beautiful, miraculous, and courageous person was now his.

Trying not to wake the sleeping boy, Jungkook ran his fingers through the long hair falling over Taehyung's forehead. He let his fingertips brush across his eyebrows, behind his ears, back over his cheekbones, and around his lips.

"That feels nice," a deep, groggy voice broke the quietness of the room. "Keep doing that."

Jungkook smiled down at Taehyung, who still had his eyes closed despite being awake. "Whatever Mr. Demanding wants, Mr. Demanding gets."

Taehyung weakly whacked the younger's chest, nuzzling deeper into his body. "We need to get you a new nickname for me."

A chuckle escaped Jungkook's mouth as he continued to caress Taehyung's face and hair. "I already got one, baby."

Taehyung finally opened his eyes and propped his elbows up on his chest. "I'm older than you. I should be calling you baby."

"Yeah, but I called you baby first. Remember?"

Judging by the reddening of Taehyung's cheeks, he remembered exactly when Jungkook first called him that. Right in the midst of their intimate car experience.

"Well, then," Taehyung murmured, inching up the younger's body until their faces were inches apart. "You got me there."

Suddenly Jungkook's vision was consumed by Taehyung as the elder leaned closer and closer to his mouth. But instead of kissing him like he expected, Taehyung remained frozen, just centimeters above Jungkook's lips.