i. partner in crime | vkook

45. stars

the beach was beautiful and shimmery and sparkly, exactly how it should be.

faint freckles adorned taehyung's sun-kissed skin, accompanied with his ashy brown hair and soft bangs that fell over his forehead perfectly.

jungkook finally thought he looked like himself again. the same boy he met at the bed n breakfast, not preoccupied by stress and trauma. that care-free dramatic attitude he was accompanied with. the natural beauty he possessed was kind of unreal. even on the worst of days, he looked angelic.

taehyung thought jungkook looked exactly like the day day when he met him; in his beat-up tennis shoes and that ugly navy windbreaker.

taehyung giggled and blabbed as jungkook walked beside him, loosely lacing his hands through his as the moon lit the sand up like a thousand little stars.

jungkook's sporadic date idea had worked.

taehyung had showered, brushed his hair, and and spilled the contents of jungkook's backpack to reveal (surprise) even more black t shirts and jeans. he didn't really like any of jungkook's clothes for himself, so he snooped through the wardrobe in the bedroom and found himself a grey sweater and black shorts.

"i'm feeling so good tonight!!!" taehyung beamed as his bare feet sunk into the sand and he held onto jungkook.

jungkook stayed oddly quiet, burning up with thoughts.

when taehyung took notice of this, worry filled his feelings.

"hey," taehyung tilted his head, his chocolate bangs falling to one side, making him look like a confused puppy. "what's wrong?"

jungkook couldn't not say it anymore.

it was practically all he could think for the past couple of days. fuck it. weeks.

"i'm in love with you."

"oh???" taehyung laughed as he placed his dainty hand across jungkook's forehead, as if to check for a fever.

"no," jungkook continued, batting his hand away. "i'm in love with you. and i want to be with you forever. "

taehyung's cheeks flushed the tiniest bit as he crossed his arms. "what do you expect me to say to that."

"no," jungkook tried to reel in his words as he felt them backfiring. "don't do this. you let me say 'i love you' but won't let me admit i'm deeply in love with you?"

"jungkook," taehyung stated, placing his hands against jungkook's chest, almost pitifully.  "i can't reply."

jungkook grabbed the smaller boy's wrists. "no, you can."

"i can't," taehyung muttered, sad eyes looking down at their intertwined hands.

"taehyung, stop. you're making me feel like you're fading away from me. i don't want to lose you. you're the only thing that's been a constant in my life. you're the only person who's loved me through everything, even if i'm such a terrible dick.

i know this can't be forever, and we're so fucking star crossed and messed up, but i love you."

taehyung wanted to disappear in that moment.

jungkook had never had to beg for anything, but he couldn't stop himself.

"please, taehyung. if you can't love me later, love me now."

-

powerful waves crashed against the shore as cool night air nipped at their what bare skin they had revealed, taehyung stood quietly in jungkook's arms, not wanting to say anything.

jungkook didn't want to think why taehyung had shut him down so quickly. he didn't want space for error, but somehow there was.

"you know how you once told me you had to shut your emotions off because of your life?"

jungkook made a small 'mhm' into taehyung's neck.

taehyung hesitated as he ran his fingertips across jungkook's arms. "i feel like i have to do that, too. that's why i said what i said."

jungkook thought his heart ached when taehyung admitted that. "i'm sorry."

"don't be," taehyung softly emitted as he cleaned closer into jungkook's torso.

he could stand there forever, in his arms, watching oceans and skyscrapers, if only the world wasn't working against them.