priceless | tk ✓

-: 86 :-

It was so easy to forget what was going on in the sanctuary that was Taehyung's arms.

Jungkook found it so easy to let the world shrink, all the fans and media slip away, feel as though nothing on the planet existed except for the two of them in each other's hold.

But that was temporary. Happiness meant nothing without knowing pain. There was always some bad in the good.

The bad was always overwhelming when new pictures surfaced. Fans were finding him in the background, or spreading lookalikes claiming they'd found him— people were obsessed; and it wasn't the good kind of attention whatsoever.

Jungkook had four different pictures that were accurate claims of him, never showing his face to the fullest, but it was devastating no matter what type of image it turned out to be.

He only went to private places.

As per Taehyung's request, until the craze died down, he stayed in secured buildings and away from Taehyung in public.

It hurt. A lot. A lot more than he thought it would.

The simplest things like his morning run, a trip to the store for groceries... he couldn't even make his trip to Andong for picking up print orders without security tagging along.

What hurt more was the timing of it.

Only a few days after Taehyung's return from France, Christmas was only a week and a half away, Taehyung's court trial was in five days, his friends were busy preparing for showcases and in their work, but this mess of his was unwillingly taking priority above all else in more places than just his mind.

He couldn't enjoy the decorations filling the streets, colorful lights and trees being assembled in the main plazas of Seoul. He'd seen them start being put up when Taehyung was away in Paris, but he'd missed his chance to go stroll around and see the final displays.

Nor could he really help Taehyung emotionally prepare for the trial when he was so on edge by the same man's name himself.

He simply felt distant from everything.

Jungkook was at Taehyung's apartment that day, switching between his and the model's for some variety. He was grateful for it, the transporting of his work to and fro not even bothersome when he was getting new scenery.

He was currently uploading a large file stored in his camera's SD card to the computer Taehyung had given him to use when he couldn't be at his monitors at the BigHit provided flat. His stomach was full from an assortment of leftovers he'd taken from the model's fridge for lunch. The sun was high in the midday sky.

Jungkook sunk back in the office chair of Taehyung's study, gazing past the computer screen at the bookshelf littered with stacks of old literature. The rich colors of the wood shelves were warming and homey.

It was then when his phone lit up with a notification and his attention diverted to it, the corner of his lips tugging upward.

—

v_95
hi koo what're you up to?

jjungkookie
uploading onto the computer

jjungkookie
you're on break??

v_95
yes sir

v_95
catch me up on your day

jjungkookie
you were here this morning tae