cute

• forty-two •

"Baby?"

There was a hum in response from the couch, Jungkook not really switching his attention to look at the man who had called him. His eyes remained focused on the phone in his hand and his position on the couch remained still. Taehyung walked out of the kitchen with a soft sigh, carrying a bowl of strawberries with him.

"Jungkook," Taehyung picked the boys feet up, sat himself down on the couch and then placed them back down across his lap. He held out the bowl, letting Jungkook take a couple of strawberries to snack on after he finally turned off his phone.

"Yes?" Jungkook asked, pushing himself to sit up a little more.

"Has something . . . happened recently?" Tae hesitantly questioned, eyes drifting down to the bowl on his lap.

A lump formed in Jungkook's throat as he swallowed some strawberry, "uh, no? Why do you ask?"

Tae put his hands down on Jungkook's legs as though to provide comfort, "don't take this the wrong way but . . . I've noticed that you've just been a little more . . . sensitive lately."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two for a moment before Jungkook finally broke it with, "well, I don't know how I don't take offence to that, but please elaborate anyway."

"In the past month or so you've seemed to be getting upset a lot easier. Like that time at Hobi's house and when I went away for work a while ago. I'm just worried something might have happened to make you . . ."

"Depressed?" Jungkook finished for him. He pushed himself up into a straight sitting position, leaning forward to take another strawberry while Tae weakly nodded his head. He didn't like saying such things about (and especially not to) Jungkook but he knew that in order to express his concern he had to honest. He understood that it could be nothing and Jungkook was simply getting upset because of certain situations but . . . that just wasn't his boy. Sure, Jungkook had cried on an occasion or two but for the majority of the time, he was either a teasing, misbehaving, cutie pie. These sad moments were becoming more reoccurring and it wasn't the norm.

"I wouldn't say I'm depressed," Jungkook shimmed himself closer to Tae, the backs of his thighs now pressing against the sides of Tae's own thighs, "I don't know, it just feels like things have been getting to me a lot easier lately."

A frown fell upon the older boys' lips, "is there any specific reason?"

Jungkook's pause did nothing to ease Tae's worry.

"Babe?" Tae softly called out, his voice sounding almost pained with his amount of concern.

Jungkook turned his gaze away from the man and instead to nothing particular across the room, "I guess . . . I'm still recovering from that time you went away and I had that like, breakdown," Jungkook humourlessly laughed, "sorry, that's so dramatic to say."

"It's not dramatic," Tae reassured, hands reaching out to cup Jungkook's cheeks and turn the boys gaze towards him. That was when he took notice of Jungkook's now glossy eyes.

"Ever since then, it's like I've been so much more aware of," he choked a little on his own words, "more aware of my, my crippling fear that you're going to leave me."

A thick, rather depressing silence fell between the two before Jungkook broke it.

"And I guess that's just been affecting me a lot lately," the boy lamely shrugged, "which is also why I've been better behaved. I didn't . . . I didn't want you to get annoyed and – and leave."

A tear ran down the boy's cheek. A single tear that absolutely broke Taehyung's heart. He knew of Jungkook's deep-rooted problems, they'd had this type of talk a few times in the past before. Jungkook had been left alone for so long, with no one but his two closest friends to help him feel better – but that plan relied on those other two being happy, which majority of the time, they were not. Jin, Jimin and Jungkook's younger years were nothing ideal and they'd like to think they were free from all of it, but truthfully, all those ugly feelings had just kept following them as they grew up.

It hurt Taehyung in a way he'd never get familiar with, to know that the love of his life was going through all this emotional, internal conflict. But nonetheless, he was forever going to do his best to help Jungkook and to bring back that bright smile of his.

Tae took the bowl out of his lap, placed it on the table in front of them and made himself comfortable in Jungkook's lap. He rested his head against the man's chest, arms wrapping around his small waist.

"What are you doing?"

"I want you to cuddle me," Taehyung simply replied, wrapping himself tighter around Jungkook.

"Why?" The boy asked as he wrapped his arms around Taehyung, drawing his legs up a little to press the man closer against his body.

"Babe, I was just thinking a few seconds ago and I have come to the realisation that I could never leave you because I need you, you make me a very happy boy and I just think you're too damn adorable."

Jungkook simply wiped at his eyes before resting his head atop Tae's, a content sigh coming from his lips. His heart warmed at his boyfriends' words, that much needed reassurance comforting him. While it wouldn't resolve long-lasting problems, it was still nice to know that even just now, Taehyung wanted to stay.

"I love you," Taehyung practically sung as he sat up to face Jungkook.

"I love you too," Jungkook moved forward, pressing their lips together in a quick peck.

"No, say it back."

The younger drew his brows together in confusion, "what?"

"If I say I love you, and you say it back, then you're meant to say 'Tae loves me'," Taehyung stated in a matter-of-factly tone, pushing up an imaginary pair of glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Jungkook laughed and shook his head at the man, "you're making this way too complicated."

Taehyung sighed and fell back against the boy, "fine, you can say 'Kim Taehyung, my sexy daddy, loves me and only me, forever' instead."

Jungkook picked up a pillow and hit the boy as a response instead.