Linked.

19

Seeing Jung-Kook again for the first time in 5 years was one of the hardest things for Tae-Hyung after his fathers death 2 years ago.

Tae-Hyung had returned back to Seoul only to see Jimin, praying that he wouldn't cross paths with Jung-Kook. Obviously it didn't turn out as he expected hence Jung-Kook being no more than 10 feet away from him.

He went to that beach that day because he missed it. He had heard that Jeongukk moved places after a stalker issue so he thought it'd be safe to return for a little while.

But now they're here. A few feet away from one another. Staring at each other in shock.

"Kim Tae-Hyung?" Jung-Kook mumbled to himself not believing his eyes. The maknae walked slowly over to the elder, afraid he'd walk away.

Tae-Hyung was scared to move, afraid it'd be a nightmare.

"Jeon Jung-Kook?" Tae-Hyung mumbled to himself as he watched the younger walk closer and closer. At some point they were 5 feet apart. Not believing their eyes. "W-what are you doing here?" Tae-Hyung stammered.

"It's our anniversary. Would've been 6 years today." Jung-Kook answered calm but not collected. Staring deeply into Tae-Hyungs eyes, scared that if he blinked to hard or to fast Tae-Hyung would be gone.

"You remembered?" Tae-Hyung asked. Almost smiling.

"Never forgot. After all these years we're still linked." Jeongukk says a line from his famous card he had wrote to Tae-Hyung years back, early into their relationship.

Tae-Hyung instantly remembered. The day he met Jeongukk for the second time in his kitchen floor bleeding out of one arm. Tae donated blood to keep Jeongukk alive. That day they got linked. Tae-Hyung instantly knew that the hospital wouldn't be the last time he'd see Jung-Kook.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you back then" Tae-Hyung says the words he's been wanting to say for the longest. "Everyday I've been beating myself up for it."

Tae-Hyung still remembers that day. The day he found out Jeongukk had been telling the truth the whole time and Dae-Hyun was the liar. Dae-Hyun had paid someone off to drug Jung-Kook and sleep with him. It was far to late to apologize to jeongukk. At the time, Tae-Hyung had thought that Jung-Kook had moved on.

"No it's f-." Jeongukk said, being cut off.

"No it's not fine." Tae-Hyung knew this boy like the back of his hand, no matter how long had passed he knew that "fine" never meant "fine".

"I should've believed you and instead I-I went to Dae-Hyun. Gosh what the fuck is wrong with me!" Tae-Hyung yells at himself.

"Why'd you never tell me about your job offer? You know when we were together" jeongukk asked the question that crossed his mind after years.

"How did you-."

"Jimin. He told me" Jeongukk finished his sentence.

Tae-Hyung cleared his throat and swallowed the lump he had stuck in it ever since he and jeongukk met eyes. "Because I knew that if I told you, you would've told me to take the job and not worry about you and that's the last thing I wanted. I wanted to stay with you"

"Yeah?" Jeongukk asks.

"Yeah" Tae-Hyung nods.

"How are you and Dae-Hyun?" Jung-Kook wanted to hear that they had broken up, for good.

"Can we talk? Somewhere private?" Tae-Hyung doesn't seem to break the eye contact they've been holding for all this time, he missed jeongukks glare.

"Of course. Come I have reservations" Jeongukk walks towards his car. Tae-Hyung got in, no questions asked. He missed jeongukk , no matter what if was.

Jung-Kook had driven Tae-Hyung to the restaurant that they had went to together on the second day they met.

"You remembered this too?" Tae-Hyung smiled as he looked out the car window, recognizing the restaurant.

"Of course. I book this restaurant every June 10th of the year hoping you show up." Jung-Kook parked in front of the restaurant. He got out of the car and immediately Jogged to go open Tae-hyungs door.

"Thank you" Tae-Hyung gave jeongukk a ear to ear smile, the smile Jung-Kook missed.

They walked in. Jeongukk giving the manager a "what's up" nod as he walks in. He opens a chair for Tae-Hyung, right across the table infront of his.

"Thank you but you don't have to" Tae-Hyung says while Jung-Kook pulls open his chair for him.

"Yea you're right I don't. But I want to.".

Tae-Hyung sits, feeling like his hearts about to beat out of his chest. Jeongukk sits in his own seat. Suddenly Tae-Hyung remembered how amazingly beautiful Jung-Kook is.

A waiter walked up to them with a note pad asking if they were ready to order drinks. As jeongukk ordered his own drink, Tae-Hyung took the chance to admire every bit of jeongukk. From head to chest, hence the reason that he couldn't see the rest.

"And you sir?" Tae-Hyung couldn't get his eyes off of Jeongukk. "Sir?" He was so focused on JK that he didn't notice the waiter in front of him asking to take his order.

"Tae-Hyung" Jung-Kook tries to grab Tae's attention, though he won't have to try hard for it since he already has it.

"Y-yes?" Tae-Hyung answers. Jeongukk clears his throat as he tilts his head to the waiter that Tae had just started to recognize. "O-oh. I'll have a lemonade please"

The waiter nods then walks away to get their drinks. "So are you going to answer my question?" Jung-Kook asks, Tae's eyes now on everything else but jeongukk, trying not to make it obvious that he was staring.

"Pardon?"

"How are you and Dae-Hyun?" Jung-Kook clears his throat. Tae-Hyung had officially hated that name.

"We broke up. After I found out what he did to you I just couldn't even be in the same room as him. Also he treated me terribly." Tae-Hyung answered taking a sip of the cup of water next to his empty plate that had been waiting for him before they got there. "I'm sorry, so sorry. That I believed him over you even though you're the one I love"

"You mean loved?" Jung-Kook almost chokes on his spit as he listen to Tae-Hyung speak in present tense.

"M-mhm. Loved."

"I forgave you long ago even if you don't know it."

There was afterwards dreaded silence, they both didn't know what to say. Until Jung-Kook gave up.

"Fuck this. Tae-Hyung-." Before Jung-Kook could finish the waiter had interrupted.

"Here are your drinks. Cold beer for the black headed boy and lemonade for the blonde boy." After years, their hair colors hadn't changed. Jung-kooks hairs still long and black and Tae-Hyung hairs short and blonde. Hair holds memories after all.