Chapter Text
“HYUNG! Wait up”
Jungkook didn’t even turn around. He just hiked his backpack higher on his shoulders & kept walking down the pavement. Behind him the frantic 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱-𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱-𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱 of small sneakers grew louder until a small, sticky hand yanked on the hem of his shirt.
"What now, Taehyung-ah?" Jungkook groaned, finally turning around facing six-year old taehyung, who was a mess. His hair was sticking up in every direction, his cheeks were flushed a dusty pink, and he was huffing like he’d just run a marathon.
He planted his tiny hands on his hips, trying to look intimidating despite being shorter.
"You didn’t wait," Taehyung accused, his lower lip wobbling.
"I waited for ten minutes, Tae," Jungkook argued, rolling his eyes. "I have homework. I’m busy."
"That’s not enough!" Taehyung jabbed a finger toward Jungkook’s chest, his eyes wide with a sudden, fierce determination. "I’m gonna maffy you."
Jungkook blinked, a short, disbelieving laugh escaping him. "You’re... you're gonna what?"
"Maffy you" Taehyung repeated proudly, like it was the most obvious solution in the world "When I grow up So you have to stay with me"
Jungkook snorted,shaking his head. "Never!! Why would I ever marry you? You’re a brat, you’re messy, and you cry when you lose at tag so No way."
Taehyung puffed up his cheeks, frowning so hard it looked like his face might actually crumple. But he still waddled closer, grabbing the loose button on his shirt. “I won’t be messy when I grow up!” he huffed. “I’ll share my chocolates. And my toys. Even the good ones!”
Then he pointed dramatically at Jungkook.
“So maffy me, hyungie! I will maffy you, just wait and see!”
He nodded to himself after that, clearly convinced he’d just made the best deal in history.
"Still a no," Jungkook teased, reaching out to ruffle Taehyung’s bird-nest hair until it was even worse. "Dream on, kid."
Taehyung didn't look discouraged. He just grinned, his boxy smile wide and triumphant. "I already decided, Hyung. You’ll see."
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After ten years,
Taehyung is now sixteen and jungkook is twenty.
“JUNGKOOK HYUNG!” Taehyung whined, trailing behind him.
Jungkook was busy packing his suitcase because he was heading to Australia today to pursue his master's degree. Refusing to let go, Taehyung clung to his shirt.
“Taehyung, leave my shirt. I need to pack, I’m already late,” Jungkook sighed, trying to pry him off but Taehyung's eyes were glossy, he pouted more. At last, Jungkook stopped and let out a deep breath while carefully removing Taehyung's hands from his shirt. He led the younger one to sit on the bed's edge and knelt so their eyes could meet. Knowing how naive and emotional Taehyung became whenever it was about him, he softened his voice.
“Listen, tae,” Jungkook whispered, “listen. It’s important for me to study. And for Adults to live fully. Education is necessary, you know that, don’t you?”
Taehyung sniffled, then nodded reluctantly. “Okay… you can leave to study. But hyung, remember my promise? I will marry you. So don’t make anyone your girlfriend or boyfriend. Bogum said you’ll meet pretty people in college and forget Taetae. It won’t happen right, hyungie?”
Jungkook froze, startled but not surprised Bogum always put ideas in Taehyung’s head. He sighed. Jungkook never liked Bogum much; he worried Bogum might change Taehyung or make him think things that were not so innocent for his age. But Taehyung never listened, because Bogum was his very first school friend, and Taehyung could never bring himself to break that friendship.
“Taehyung,” Jungkook muttered, “I told you already. I won’t marry you. Perhaps I’ll find a pretty girlfriend who knows how to ride a bike without falling… unlike someone.”
There was a brief moment of silence in the living room before Taehyung lost it. His face twisted as if he had just received the worst news of his life, and he gave Jungkook this dramatic, hude side-eye.
"You cannot marry someone because you are mine, Hyung!" Taehyung screamed at the top of his lungs. He didn't even wait for an answer. "You won't be able to leave me for anything once we get married!"
Taehyung was running out the door before Jungkook could even open his mouth to say anything. After a brief moment of standing there and processing what just happened, Jungkook ran after him.
Outside, it was a total mess. Taehyung was trying to make a grand escape on his bike, but he was failing miserably. Being Taehyung, he was hopping around, had trouble getting his leg over the seat, and couldn't even put on his helmet correctly. The bike tires were buried deep in the jungkook's garden's thick, sticky grass, which made matters worse and messy.
Huffing a little,Jungkook caught up, he didn't say anything at first, just grabbed the helmet and put it on Taehyung’s head, clicking the strap firmly under his chin. He then helped push the bike out of the mud.
"Taehyung," Jungkook said, shaking his head. "You cannot even wear a helmet properly. What will happen if I’m not there, huh?"
Taehyung didn't seem sad at all. He smiled at Jungkook as if he had already won.
"Why would I think about that?" Taehyung said, his voice all sweet now. "You will always be there, right Hyung?"
Jungkook let out a loud snort, half-annoyed and half-fond. He looked at Taehyung’s silly, confident face and realized he didn't really have an argument for that.
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It has been two years now. Taehyung was now eighteen, and Jungkook was twenty-two.
Jungkook was sitting in his university class, focused on his notes. It was a quiet, bright day until his phone beeped. He ignored it at first, thinking it was just a random notification, but it beeped again. He frowned when he saw Bogum’s name on the screen. Though he didn't like Bogum at all, the message he read shook him to his core.
Bogum: Jungkook hyung, sorry for disturbing you and I know you hate me, but you really need to talk to Taehyung. Some seniors pushed him hard and spoiled his project. They warned him not to submit it because a senior's girlfriend is in our class and she’s worried Taehyung’s project will top hers. He’s crying and left for his house—he’s not even talking to me.
He no longer cared about the notes for class, or even about the lecture. When Jungkook stood up, he did so suddenly and abruptly enough that his chair made a loud screeching sound. When his professor asked him, "Mr. Jeon, is everything alright?" Jungkook didn't even hear him and ran out of the room.
While on his way to the hostel to grab his belongings, he was lost in thought. He booked the next flight to Seoul via his cell phone. He threw some of his essentials into a bag, got into a taxi, and rushed to the airport while texting Taehyung: "Tae, call me whenever you see this.” He cursed under his breath when he saw that Taehyung had not read that message either, which is weird because Taehyung would respond within seconds with something flirty or funny, but the lack of any response from him made Jungkook's stomach turn.
Taehyung was at home, sobbing hysterically. He missed Jungkook so much, whispering to himself, "If Jungkook hyung was here, no one could hurt me." He eventually cried himself to sleep, exhausted from the stress.
The next morning, Taehyung went to college feeling nervous . He took a different route to his class to avoid the seniors, but a hand suddenly yanked his shoulder, spinning him around. He was face-to-face with his bully, Seunwoo. Taehyung shivered and tried to pull away, but Seunwoo’s friends blocked his path.
"Quit it, Taehyung," Seunwoo laughed before continuing. "I don't want to see your face or that project anymore. Get out of the competition, or else—"
Suddenly, a large, tattooed hand gripped Seunwoo’s wrist and yanked it off Taehyung’s shoulder. Taehyung braced himself for a fight, but when he opened his eyes, his heart stopped. Jungkook was standing right there.
"Jungkook hyung? You—"
Before he could finish, Jungkook punched Seunwoo hard, sending him stumbling into the grass. Seunwoo groaned, clutching his bloody mouth.
"What did you just say to him?" Jungkook growled, "How dare you lay a hand on him. Look at me—I don’t care who you think you are or what your problem is. If I ever catch you near Taehyung again, I’m not going to be this nice. You’re going to apologize to him right now, and then you’re going to get the hell out of here."
Seunwoo looked at Jungkook’s tattoos and gulped, realizing he had messed with the wrong person. "I—I'm sorry,Taehyung," he stammered out, looking at Taehyung for a second before turning and running off with his friends.
Taehyung stood there for a second, then he jumped into Jungkook’s arms. He hugged him as hard as he could.
Jungkook let out a shaky breath. He tightened his arms around Taehyung, feeling so relieved that he could finally touch him and protect him. The panic and anger he felt all day finally went away now that Taehyung was in his arms. He felt like he could breathe again just by holding him.
“I’m here, baby. Don’t cry,” Jungkook whispered. He cupped Taehyung’s face gently, as if he were something fragile, his eyes roaming over Taehyung’s features in search of any scratches. And spoke gently “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Taehyung just kept crying, touching Jungkook’s face to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Jungkook hyung, I missed you so much," he sobbed. He let out a tiny laugh. "See, I told them my husband would beat them up, but they didn’t believe me."
Jungkook’s ears turned bright pink and his eyes went wide. "Taehyung—"
But Taehyung didn't let him finish. He pecked Jungkook’s cheek and squeezed him in a tight hug, finally feeling like he could breathe again.
"Tae... Taehyung-ah," Jungkook stuttered, his voice cracking slightly. "Did you really tell them I was your... your husband?"
Taehyung pulled back finally, his nose red and eyes puffy. "Yes. I told Seunwoo that if he touched my project again, my husband would beat them up, but they didn’t believe me, Hyung! He laughed at your Taehyungie! Can you believe his audacity? And look!” He gestured wildly at the spot where Seunwoo had scrambled away. "I was right! You’re very scary, Hyung. It was very attractive. Scary for the world, but a lovesick puppy for me, hehe!"
Jungkook let out a choked sound, half-laughing and half-gasping in surprise. He tried to look serious, but the way his nose crinkled gave him away. "Pup— Puppy?" Jungkook's face flushed as he stammered. "Tae, I’m covered in tattoos and I just took down a guy twice your size. I am not a puppy!" He huffed, trying to act tough.
Taehyung simply hummed, patting Jungkook’s chest gently. "A very big, scary-looking puppy, my puppy" he teased with a big smile playing on his lips. "But you still flew ten hours just because I cried on the phone. That is definitely puppy-behavior, Hyungie."
After Taehyung called him a puppy, Jungkook realized there was no point in arguing. He could fight off a bully, but he could never win an argument against Taehyung’s boxy smile.
He reached out and grabbed Taehyung’s hand, lacing their fingers together so tightly that Taehyung couldn't pull away. "Fine. If I'm a puppy, then you’re the one who has to feed me," Jungkook muttered. "I'm starving, and I haven't had a real meal since I left Sydney."
Taehyung’s eyes lit up instantly. He swung their joined hands back and forth as they walked toward the campus gate. "Does that mean my husband is taking me on a date? A real one? Not just you watching me eat snacks while you study?"
"You wish," Jungkook snorted, trying to keep his voice unshakeable.
"Oh, Hyung!" Taehyung teased, stepping in front of him to block his path. "You didn’t correct me when I called you my husband. Does that mean you’re finally accepting my proposal?"
Leaning in, Taehyung gave Jungkook his most adorable puppy eyes. Knowing how much control those eyes had over him, Jungkook quickly averted his gaze. He quickly changed the topic to something else, his voice sounded a bit hurried. Taehyung just laughed and kept walking, not noticing that Jungkook’s heart was beating so fast it felt like a drum.
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Visuals
🍓 Kim Taehyung 🍓
brat ~ messy ~ taehyungie ~ crazyy for his jungkook hyungie!
🍓 Jeon Jungkook 🍓
whipped ~ protective ~ jungkook hyung ( taehyung's)