UNWANTED BUTTERFLIES | VKOOK

15

Chapter 15: The Ice Castle

(Also, for those of you who are only here for the smut, fluff and stuff, this may seem kinda boring but it was necessary for the plot so yeah u.u)

"This is a good idea, right?" Taehyung asks as he scans his reflection in the mirror. He is fixing his tie for the twelfth time in the last five minutes, but he can't quite help himself. He sees Jungkook send him a reassuring smile as he types something on his phone, his demeanor calm.

"He's not going to be there, he's out of town. Mom wouldn't lie about that. She leaves whenever he's in the house," he shrugs, putting his phone away and moving towards Tae to help him with the tie.

"Why not just move then?" he asks with a frown as his boyfriend's fingers move with ease on his collar. He can smell a new cologne in him and he loves it. It's different, a bit more aggressive but lighter at the same time, it's just as intoxicating as the one he would steal from him, though.

"One of the many unanswered questions of my family," he sighs as he finishes fixing Taehyung's tie. He doesn't move away though, and Taehyung is about to kiss him when he adds, "Oh, don't ask them."

He snorts.

"Wasn't planning to...at least Namjoon will be there, right?"

"Yeah, he will," he replies, looking down. "Mom doesn't treat him that well, though. That's why I told him not to go but he insisted. Said family should be together or some shit. My mom isn't a bad woman but well...she makes mistakes. Hating Namjoon because it reminds her of dad cheating on her is one of them," he finishes. Regardless of the words leaving his lips easily because he trusts Taehyung, he still has a hard time putting his thoughts out and exposing part of his privacy to anyone else. He's never done this, but he knows he wants to do everything with Taehyung, show him everything he has.

"Although very common."

"I guess."

"And yet Namjoon says she's family?" he questions with a slight frown of confusion. It doesn't seem fair to him to allow Jungkook's mother to treat him badly while he treats her like a mom or...well, at least part of the family.

Jungkook gives him a sad smile. "He's just doing it for me."

Taehyung's heart warms up. Despite Jungkook's awful parents he's lucky to have Namjoon there to protect and love him as he deserves. He's grateful he's there, grateful his friend Jin found him, too. And so he says, "He's a great brother."

"He is. I give him a hard time..." Jungkook replies, voice low though he's so close to him that he hears him clearly.

"Hey, don't say that." Taehyung holds his chin back up to meet his eyes. He sees guilt and pain in his boyfriend's gaze and it hurts him . Jungkook shakes his head, holding the hand that was touching his chin to intertwine their fingers and smile.

"It's true. But it's okay, I'll make up for it. I will," he nods, voice determined. Taehyung nods back at him. He's sure he will, even if he doesn't need to.

The older leans his forehead against his, not wishing to bring the subject up now that they're about to leave but unable to do anything but. The thoughts have been running through his mind for too long now. Jungkook is quiet as their hands hang between their bodies, and so Taehyung takes the chance to open his mouth. "Have you been thinking about what I told you? What we talked about?"

He hears Jungkook's intake of breath, sees him close his eyes or maybe they were already closed, he isn't sure. He sounds exhausted as he says, "Tae, you know I can't do that. I can't give everything up for a pipe dream."