Fake || a kth and jjk ff

|| twenty-three ||

When they got back into the car, Taehyung told Jungkook that he'd changed his mind. He wanted to get a phone after all.

Jungkook told himself it didn't mean anything, but somehow, he sensed it did.

Nevertheless, Tae's earlier distance was gone. Jungkook stopped at a phone store next to the shopping mall and stayed with Taehyung while he picked out his replacement. The elder touched him nonstop—either holding Jungkook's hand or putting an arm around him. And the younger teased Tae about how he'd told Jungkook earlier in the morning that he was going to be the attentive boyfriend the younger would either love or hate.

"And which is it so far?" Taehyung asked with a genuine boxy grin.

Jungkook lifted his eyebrows playfully. "I'll let you know later, but I have no complaints so far."

The elder snaked an arm around Jungkook's back and pulled the younger close, searching his eyes.

"You two are so cute," the sales girl gushed. "It's so wonderful to see couples in love."

Jungkook expected Taehyung to pull away or protest, but he only pulled him closer and placed a sweet kiss on his forehead.

In love? It was too soon to make that kind of pronouncement, yet there was no denying that Jungkook was heading there fast. What if they didn't go past tonight? How would he live with that? But something told the younger that focusing on the future would be a mistake if it meant missing out on the present.

They left the store, and Jungkook drove Tae to a crummy little strip mall, refusing to tell him where they were headed until he parked. "Don't let the exterior fool you," the younger said, pointing at the sign. Faded cartoon characters adorned the sign. A man on a horse carrying an Italian flag was next to a man with a huge mustache tossing a huge pizza pie. A third man was about to slurp up a big forkful of spaghetti. "Three Amici has the best Italian food I've ever eaten."

"You don't have to sell me on it. We're already here. And I'm starving, so let's go get a table."

Fifteen minutes later, their orders were in, and they had fallen back into their lightheartedness from earlier when Jungkook's phone rang. "It's probably my mother making sure I haven't run off again," he said, faking a cringe. But when he saw the name on the screen, his smile fell. Why was Taehyeon calling him again?

"Is it your mother?"

Jungkook silenced the ringer and stuffed it back into his pocket. "It doesn't matter. You were telling me a story about your brother scratching your name in the side of your mother's car with a key when you were kids."

Taehyung studied the younger for a moment, and Jungkook wondered if the elder suspected something, but Tae resumed his story.

They had finished their lunch, and they were sharing fried ice cream when Taehyung pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. He set his spoon on the table. "It's Jin. I better take it."

"Sure. Of course," Jungkook said, but he wasn't prepared for Tae to leave the table and go outside.

Why couldn't the elder talk to his brother in front of him? But before Jungkook could think it through, his own phone rang again. He pulled it out, planning to take advantage of Taehyung being outside so he could tell Taehyeon to take a flying leap. But it wasn't him at all; it was Namjoon.

Jungkook answered, his tone sweeter than usual, "Hello, Namjoon-hyung."

"Please tell me you've changed your mind."

"About what?"

"The rehearsal dinner." Jungkook could tell Namjoon was trying to be civil.

"I suggested pasta, but my mother insists on chicken, and you know Knickers, so no changing my mind about that."