The How's of us

CHAPTER 39: OPEN UP

Tae had kept his promise. He had been visiting every day just to spend time with Jimin. He, however, kept clear boundaries that he was sticking around as a friend who cared for them. Jimin had started leaving the house frequently now without his boyfriends being stressed out.

Tae and Jungkook, on the other hand, had not been making progress since they had been too occupied with taking care of Jimin. Today, Kook was determined to sneak in some alone time with Tae. He had convinced Bora to sleep at the mansion, knowing Tae couldn't say no to her. After Tae left and he made sure that Bora and Jimin were tacked in, he got into his car and drove off to Tae's house.

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Tae was busy watching the business news when his door bell rang. He wondered who was at the door at this time. On checking his ring camera, he spotted his ex-husband standing there holding a bouquet of flowers and what looked like a black box. Did he sneak out to come visit him? He unlocked the door leaning on the pane.

"What are we, high school kids?" He asked. Jungkook couldn't help the bunny smile that spread on his face. "If that is what it takes to have some alone time with my husband, then yes." Jungkook replied. "Ex husband, Jungkook. Come in." Tae said as he went inside, leaving the door open.

"Well, technically, we aren't divorced yet." Jungkook tried as he handed the flowers to Tae and the black box, which he could now see contained macaroons. "Because you won't sign the divorce papers Jeon. Despite being the one to initiate the proceedings the first time." Tae retorted. "I won't sign them. Not in this lifetime or the next, so you can keep your divorce papers." Jungkook scowled, sitting down and snatching the remote from Tae to change the channel.

"Isn't this my house?" Tae asked baffled by Kook's behaviour. "We are husbands. What is yours is mine!" Kook complained. Tae found himself chuckling. This had been Kook's favourite line when they were married. He used that line  when stealing his clothes or claiming art that Tae was going to sell, but HE wanted to keep.

Kook watched him laugh and couldn't help but think how much he had missed that boxy smile and cute laugh. He had taken that away from Tae, but he was determined to bring it back. "Tae, now that Jiminie is feeling better, can I take you out on a date this Saturday?" He asked. Tae seemed to realize the question, and his laugh and smile were soon gone. He kept quiet wondering why they were doing this again. Why were they still acting like they were happily married when they hadn't been together for years?

"It's okay if you are not ready yet, Tae. I understand, okay?" Jungkook explained as he placed a hand on Tae's knee. Tae looked at that hand and then at Jungkook. He had missed his Kookie. He took a deep breath before asking what had been bothering him all along. "How was it, these years we had been apart?" He had been itching to know. Did Jungkook miss him? Was he happy or even happier without him? How had life been for Jungkook.

Jungkook wasn't expecting that question. At first, all he did was stare at Tae. Then he realized that if he wanted Tae bad enough, he should be honest. "I guess I struggled the most the first year. We were always in and out of court for divorce and while I always tried to appear confident and unfazed, I woke up each of those days hoping that when I see you, you would tell me that it was all a joke. But then you moved, and I didn't even know where you had gone, and that just threw me into overdrive. I drank almost every day and was borderline becoming an alcoholic. It wasn't until we found Jimin unconscious in the bathtub, and I got to know his story that I snapped out of it. What I had been doing coupled up with you leaving had sent him back into depression and so I decided to tough it out for him."

Jungkook paused and looked at Tae. He hesitantly reached out and took Tae's hand, who didn't show any resistance. "I was more or less putting up an act of moving on Tae. I forbade them from talking about you or even sharing any news they heard about you. I wasn't any better, you know? I had sent someone to look into where you had gone. What you were doing and if you were fine. Two years later, they informed me that you had a kid, and that just made me more mad, I guess. That was our dream together, yet I couldn't run to you because of my ego. I'm really sorry, Tae."

Tae didn't know what he had expected when he asked that question, but it certainly wasn't this. It wasn't watching Jungkook cry as he explained his life the past years. "You know what the worst part is? I made up all this imaginary work so that I could come to the USA several times just to get a glimpse of you. Not even once did I get the courage to approach you. I visited all your exhibitions, you know? I even bought a painting, but... I have never really unwrapped it."

The two kept looking at each other as if to memorise each other. In a way, they hadn't expected to find each other again, yet here they were. "With time, I understood why you left. But I guess I knew the pain wasn't ever going to go away. Until I saw you that day at the mall. At the moment, that has to be the best day of my life. Seeing you again. So many ideas ran into my mind on how to get you back, baby, but now I realise that it's not just about getting you back. I just want to have you around. In whatever capacity you accord me, Tae."

The two husbands got lost into each others gaze. They didn't know who moved first. All they could remember was the feel of their lips connecting after what felt like an eternity. The feeling of home.

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Bye💜