Once Again

78

Jin turned off the stove and began plating the food. He then took the dishes over to the dining table, and arranged them in the centre until he was satisfied with the presentation. He always took time to present his meals in the most appealing fashion because he believed that one always ate with the eyes and nose first before taking that initial mouthful.

Jin had woken up from his nap about two hours ago. He had been disoriented and wondered what had woken him up. But then his phone had chirped on the table beside his bed, and he realised that the noise must have roused him.

He had picked up his phone, and when he saw Taehyung's name on the screen, his heart had leapt and his smile had lit his face with joy. He hadn't noticed until now just how much he pined for his husband.

Taehyung had kept his promise to give him peace in Seoul, and had never once called him. Instead he had limited his interactions to short text messages letting him know how their son was doing, and how the Jung cousins were running his little ramen shop into the ground with their cheeky antics.

Hearing the part about his employees had amused Jin greatly because it meant that the cousins were finally warming up to his husband. It had always troubled Jin that they weren't as welcoming to Taehyung as they were when they first met Jungkook. He knew it had upset Taehyung as well though he never revealed his sadness.

The call from his husband had raised Jin's spirit. Hearing his husband's deep voice had settled Jin and helped push away the turmoil he had experienced on the bridge. And when Taehyung suggested that it was time for him to come home, he was only too eager to agree.

Jin missed Taehyung. He missed his husband's touch, the way he would kiss him gently one minute and devour him passionately the next, almost like he wanted to climb into his skin.

He missed their love-making because Taehyung knew all of his good spots and some of his secret erogenous regions. His husband may not know all of the places that turned Jin on the way Jungkook did, but Jin didn't mind. The way he saw it, he and Taehyung had the rest of their lives to discover the delights of each other's bodies.

So he had told his husband that he wanted to come home as soon as possible, that he didn't want to spend one more day in Seoul. He yearned for his husband and his son. And he also longed to see the Jung Cooks though he would never admit it even if he was tortured. Furthermore, he had achieved what he came here for. He had also reconnected with Ahjumma and met with his former colleagues. There was nothing for him in Seoul anymore. There was no reason to stay.

He and Taehyung had agreed that Jin will take the first flight out to Narita tomorrow morning. It was time to pick up where they left off and get on with their lives.

Jin looked up as Jungkook walked into the dining room. His ex-boyfriend was beaming at the delicious spread that Jin had prepared. It reminded Jin of old times. Jungkook had always loved whatever Jin cooked.

Seeing the joy on the other's face gave Jin pause but he shook his head to throw off the doubt. He was confident that nothing Jungkook could say would change his mind. Besides, his ex-boyfriend survived without him all these years so there was no reason for him not to do it again. Even so, Jin waited until they were halfway through the meal before he brought up his leaving.

"Jungkook..."

"Kookie. Remember?"

Jin noticed the boyish smile on the other's face. He realised that Jungkook had been doing it a lot lately — turning on the charm. The sight made him sad because Jungkook's smile always made him melt. But Jin strengthened his resolve. He wasn't going to fall for it anymore. The difference between his memories with Jungkook and his memories with Taehyung reminded him of who cared for him more.

"I'm leaving, Jungkook. I'm going home."

"What?"

The shock was audible in Jungkook's voice, coupled with a sharp clang as his spoon fell from his hand, and his eyes opened wide.

"I'm going back to Tokyo. The reason for my coming here is complete. I've found what I was looking for."

"No, Jin, you can't. You don't mean that," Jungkook was aghast.

"I'm sorry, Jungkook, but I do. I miss my family. I love them, and I want to go back to them."

"No! You love me, Jinnie! You've always loved me!"

"You are right, Jungkook. I do love you," Jin agreed. "But these past two weeks have made me realise something."

"What's that?"

"I love Taehyung. And every day that I am away from him is painful. For him, and for me."

"No! You're lying! You don't mean that!" Jungkook bellowed. "It's me that you love! It's me that you love more!"

"No, Jungkook. Not anymore. It's Taehyung that I love more. He's my husband. We have a child together, and another on the way. We are a family, and we are happy."

"No! I won't listen to your lies!" Jungkook roared as he swept his hand across the table, sending dishes crashing to shatter on the floor.

Jin stared in shock as Jungkook's chest heaved in anger. In all the years that they had been together, Jungkook had never done something quite like this. It made Jin worry that he might have hurt him badly with his declaration of love for another man. He slowly got to his feet to approach Jungkook cautiously.

"Jungkook..."

"FUCK YOU!"

And Jin watched in disbelief as Jungkook stormed out of the apartment. After several minutes of stunned silence, he began to clear away the broken crockery, and cleaned the dining area and kitchen. Satisfied that he had tidied up everything, he went to his room to begin packing his things. He had an early morning flight to catch, and he didn't want to miss it.

The next day, it was almost 10:00 AM when Jungkook let himself into the apartment. He had spent the night at the home he used to share with Jimin. His staff had been happy to see him, although Butler Kim had been quite concerned by his bloodied hand. Jungkook had cut himself when he lost his temper with Jin.

The apartment was silent but it did not bother Jungkook because he figured that Jin was in his room. He noticed that Jin had cleaned the mess that he'd made in the dining area, and it made him feel tremendous guilt. He owed an apology to his beloved.

As Jungkook passed the kitchen, the lack of covered dishes on the breakfast counter struck him as odd because no matter how angry or upset Jin got, he always made breakfast for Jungkook. Perturbed by this change in routine, Jungkook hurried towards Jin's bedroom to check on him.

He was reaching for the knob on Jin's closed door when his phone rang. With a huff of impatience, he pulled it out of his pocket to view the caller ID. It was Taehyung.

Jungkook bit back the curse on his lips, and swiped to answer the call.

"What?!"

"Where is my husband, Jungkook?" Taehyung asked without preamble. "His flight touched down an hour and a half ago. All of the passengers have deplaned and left the airport but Jin hasn't come out yet."

Jungkook's eyes widened. Jin left? His love had actually left him?

"They reviewed the manifest, and he checked in at Incheon," Taehyung continued. "But they don't have a record of his boarding pass at the gate. What did you do, Jungkook? Where is my husband?!"