ʟᴜᴘɪɴ│ᴛᴋ [complete]

.42. ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴇ ᴅʀᴏᴘs

Riomaggiore's summer night life had nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to Rome's, or even Milan's. The vitality flowing through its streets at dusk was proportional to the day's sluggishness which turned every single errand into a nuisance. As soon as aperitivo hour hit, people would somehow miraculously resuscitate from their afternoon slumber, and head for their favourite bistro in order to drink a toast to the good life consisting mostly of close friends, awesome food and tasty wine.

With Jungkook's hand tightly secured in his own, Taehyung navigated Riomaggiore's streets with ease, eager to introduce him to one of the best tables in town. Francesca's.

The welcome he received was as warm (and busty) as ever, and Jungkook nearly intervened, fearing for Taehyung's safety in the arms of the overly emotional woman who had tears in her eyes as she asked, "is this him?"

"Him who?" Taehyung managed to utter while catching his breath.

"Him, the cure," she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Without waiting for a confirmation, she turned to Jungkook and pinched his cheek affectionately. "You tend to his broken heart, and I will tend to your empty stomachs!"

She seated them in a quiet corner, and lit up the candle sitting on their table, making it quite evident she wanted them to enjoy the most romantic dinner possible. Taehyung didn't even bother with the menu. "The Chef's special, whatever it is!" he ordered, sending a wink Jungkook's way.

"You're a regular?"

"Francesca took me in when I first crash-landed here. She's like a mother to me, I guess. Though I'm not quite certain all mothers overfeed their kids and hug them to death."

"I wouldn't know."

The quiet reminder of their common childhood experience plunged Taehyung into recollection mode. Jungkook gently grabbed his hand, rubbing softly over the tight knuckles. "Tae bear, are you with me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Tae listen, I want you to know something."

Taehyung's heartbeat stilled for a second as he took notice of the solemnity of the statement. "Yes, love?"

Sensing Taehyung's unease, Jungkook turned explicit. "It's about Jimin. He shouldn't have talked to you that way. It was rude and uncalled-for."

Taehyung beamed, relief washing over his now relaxed features. Evidently, Jungkook couldn't help himself from being concerned with his wellness, be it physical or emotional. "Don't worry about it. My feelings weren't hurt or anything," he said, comfortingly.

"Either way, I'll get this sorted out. Trust me! It's probably just a misunderstanding, and I'll get to the bottom of this. I promise." Jungkook seemed determined to drop everything for the sake of Taehyung's honour and it was positively endearing.

"You worry too much, love! Nothing will happen to me purely and simply because I didn't steal anything. Apart from some stuff a few months back but I returned it all. I swear!"

Jungkook raised a brow at the other's assertion. "About that, last time I checked, my heart was still in your possession."

The smile on Taehyung's face grew wider. Two could play that game. "Well, to be fair, I'm almost positive you gave it to me freely. And even if you now wished to have it back, I'm afraid the return policy expired a while ago."

The bruschettas arrived before Jungkook was able to respond and as their waiter poured the wine, he realized how little he minded Taehyung having the last word.