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“Alright you two, have a safe flight! Text me when you land, okay? And take lots of pictures! And don’t forget to wear sunscreen, and-”“Jin, we’re gonna miss the plane,” Jungkook breaks in, rolling his eyes.Jin quirks an eyebrow. “I got you here four hours early. If you miss that plane I will kill you.”Taehyung smiles from his spot in the backseat. He pushes open his door and sets his cane on the pavement before shifting his leg out carefully. “Thanks again for the ride, Jin.”“Of course. Tell your mom I said happy birthday. And please make sure Jungkook wears sunscreen.”“I will.”“Oh my god,” Jungkook complains, but still accepts the kiss on the cheek Jin leans over the console to give him.“Have the best time, baby. Relax, okay?”“I’ll make sure he does,” Taehyung promises.Jin drives off a few minutes later after Jungkook and Taehyung get their bags from the trunk. Jungkook lingers for a moment, watching the car’s taillights. Taehyung shoulders his backpack and nudges Jungkook’s arm.“He’s gonna be fine.”“What? Yeah, I know that. I know.” Jungkook tears his gaze away and forces a smile. “Ready?”Taehyung can understand his worrying. Jin’s been cancer-free for about three months now, but Jungkook’s stuck close by regardless. Even after he moved in with Taehyung at the start of the year, he was only a swing away from home. Now they’ll be much further than that, if only for a few days.“Ready.”Jungkook takes the suitcase they borrowed from Yoongi and Hobi and starts rolling it towards the entrance doors. Taehyung follows, a little stiff as he works the kinks out of his leg after sitting in the car. As usual, the cane generates some less than subtle stares. He just keeps his eyes on Jungkook, who comes to a halt once they’re inside. He looks so adorably confused.“So now we…uh…”“We have to check the suitcase first, and then we go through security. Let’s look for our airline desk to check in, I think it’s down that way.”Taehyung is the one to lead after that, taking charge to check their suitcase and get their boarding passes printed out. Then he directs Jungkook towards the security line, which is relatively uncrowded for once. Taehyung guesses that’s the benefit of taking a Wednesday morning flight. Jungkook continues to look slightly confused through the whole process, especially the part where they have to take off their shoes.“They think I’m gonna smuggle a bomb in my laces or something?”“Don’t say that,” Taehyung chides, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. Jungkook grins up at him from where he’s knelt on the floor, easing Taehyung’s sneaker off his bad foot before offering his hand as Taehyung puts weight on his bad leg to slip out of the other. It’s a typical thing for them, part of their private life that slots neatly into this public place. Taehyung thinks about how he would normally have to request a place to sit to do this, or just suffer through the pain and still hold up the line. Everything’s so much easier now, with Jungkook helping him.They both make it through the metal detector without issue and their backpacks pass through without issue. Jungkook helps Taehyung put on his shoes again, and Taehyung rolls his eyes when Jungkook purposely unties one of his own laces for Taehyung to deal with. Jungkook only winks and pulls both their bags off the conveyor.“Jungkook, I can carry my own backpack-”“Just for a little while, doc. I’ll give it back after we get some food.”Taehyung lets the matter drop; he’s been doing that more and more often, only because Jungkook’s proven he really will let Taehyung take his bag back later. “Anything you’re in the mood for?”“A burger, maybe? What are our options?”Taehyung links their hands together. “Let me show you.”
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Jungkook is a little overwhelmed.He’s never been on a plane before, so he’s never actually been in an airport before. It reminds him of Grand Central but fifty times bigger and seventy-five times more crowded. And probably like, eighty percent uglier. They’ve been walking around the terminal for the past twenty minutes looking for something to eat as an early lunch. Taehyung pulled him into a Hudson News so he could buy the newspaper. He does the crossword most days on his phone, something about it being good stimulation for his brain. Jungkook sometimes picks up a physical copy on his swing home in the mornings—Spider-Man usually gets free newspapers and hot coffee from the bodegas.Jungkook had debated on picking up the Bugle, but opted to read Autoparts magazine instead. He hasn’t looked at anything in the Bugle in months now, not since the story about Butcher’s death broke. Taehyung still reads it, mostly to keep tabs on what they’re saying about Spider-Man. Jungkook doesn’t mind. The further he gets away from his time at that place the easier it is to leave those bad memories behind.He's studying a very boring and confusing spread on catalytic converters when Taehyung calls for him. “Jungkook, look at this.” Jungkook slots the magazine back into the rack and walks over. Taehyung’s contemplating a spinning display of sunglasses. “You need a pair, right?”Jungkook shrugs. “My eyes will probably adjust.” The only sunglasses he really has at the moment are the tinted covers in his mask. And he can’t exactly wear that to the beach.“But you’d look cute in these.” Taehyung pulls a pair off the rack and clumsily pushes them onto Jungkook’s face with one hand.Jungkook peeks at himself in the tiny mirror. “Cute is not the word I’d use. Long-haul trucker, maybe.”“What? Let me see. Oh…yeah, okay, I see that.”“Ouch, doc.”Taehyung’s apology is a kiss on the check and a different pair of sunglasses. Jungkook looks at himself again. “Okay, much better.”“Much better,” Taehyung agrees. “Like James Bond.”“Objection for excessive flattery.”Taehyung kisses him on the lips this time. “Denied.”
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Jungkook’s tingle is so strong he has to grip onto the armrests to keep from reacting. Taehyung notices, of course, and rubs his arm. “You okay? There’s nothing to be scared of.”“Yeah, I know. I’m not scared, there’s just- uh-” Jungkook takes a slow breath. “There’s a lot going on.”He thought when they boarded the plane it would get easier, but in the cramped space it feels like his senses are that much more attuned to what’s happening. He can hear Taehyung breathing beside him. He can taste the burger he ate still on the roof of his mouth. It’s a morning flight, so people are chatty. Pressure mounts behind his nose and between his ears as they prepare for takeoff, the plane leaving the tarmac. He jumps when a child five rows ahead of them lets out a shriek.“What can I do?” Taehyung whispers. He’s seen it before obviously, and as someone who has head-splitting migraines every month or so he’s very understanding.“I’ll be fine, I just…I need…”“Here.” Taehyung rummages through the backpack at his feet before handing Jungkook the sunglasses they just bought. Jungkook slips them on as Taehyung takes out his headphones next. Jungkook breathes a little easier when Taehyung settles them over his ears. “Can you still hear me?”Jungkook nods.“Do you want some music?”Jungkook shakes his head. His ears are starting to pop as they get higher. Not perfect, but now things are much more manageable. He looks through his own backpack for the newspaper Taehyung bought and unfolds it for him. He links their arms together and then leans back in his seat with a sigh. Taehyung doesn’t attempt to talk to him again, just gets out a pen and starts demolishing the crossword. Jungkook closes his eyes for sixty seconds until he feels normal enough to open them again.He's met with fields of white, clouds rolling below while the sky shines a brilliant blue all around them. His breath catches in his throat at the sight of it, and then again as the clouds break and he sees the earth below. He finds himself pressing his face against the window to take in the tiny houses and roads. He grins at the aqua squares of pools and lush green rectangles of tennis courts. He’s had the privilege of seeing the world from up high, but never this high before. The strangeness of being in a plane doesn’t affect him much after that.He's too busy looking out the window.
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“Is it always like that?”Taehyung glances at Jungkook before looking down at his shoes again. The airport is crowded and the last thing he needs to do right before seeing his parents is trip. “Is what always like that?”“Flying!”“Uh…is flying like what?”“That- that cool.” Taehyung sneaks another look at Jungkook to see him beaming. He’d seen Jungkook staring out the window, but he thought that was so he could focus on regulating his senses. Taehyung had fallen asleep in the middle of doing his crossword and didn’t wake up until they were making their descent. He must’ve been doing that the whole time. “It was so fucking cool! All those little towns and stuff. And the way you could literally see the cloud banks forming and moving, it was just so- oh my god, it was so cool.”Taehyung grins at him so he won’t start crying. This is a Jungkook he only met recently, one that existed long before they knew one another and hadn’t come back until Jin was cancer-free. This is the kid that Jungkook used to be, the kid that Taehyung was too. Obsessed with discovery and filled with so much wonder at the world. “Wait until you fly through a thunderstorm.”“Oh, shit, I didn’t even think of that. We gotta do that—what’s the weather look like on Sunday night?”“We can check.”“We should. So where are your parents?”They’ve just stepped out into the muggy Florida heat, and Taehyung squints against the sun. “They should be around here somewhere…oh, I see them.”“Taehyung!” his mom calls, and walks over to them as fast as she can without breaking into a full run. Taehyung braces for impact, but his mom is gentle when she pulls him in for a hug. “I’m so happy you came.”“Of course, Mom. It’s your birthday.”“Hey, son.” Taehyung’s dad’s reached them now too, and takes his turn hugging Taehyung after his mom lets go. Taehyung’s dad ruffles his hair affectionately. “Flight okay?”“It was fine, yeah.”“Did they give you the extra legroom?” his mom asks.Taehyung hides a wince. He should’ve known she would bring that up. She’s told him more than once he should ask for a wheelchair and early boarding, but it’s really not something he wants to make a habit of if he doesn’t have to. “I didn’t ask.”“What? Why not?”“If he didn’t want to ask he didn’t have to, honey,” his dad says. “He made it here in one piece.”“Did you at least bring your heating pad?”Taehyung nods, cheeks faintly pink. Jungkook takes his hand and squeezes it. “Mr. and Mrs. Kim, thank you for having me.”Taehyung’s mom turns her worried eyes from him to look at Jungkook instead, expression softening as she seems to just now realize that he’s here. “Of course, Jungkook. You’re more than welcome any time.”“We’ve met before,” Taehyung’s dad says, reaching out to shake Jungkook’s hand and probably trying to crush it in his grip. Fortunately Jungkook has superhuman strength, so he doesn’t react. “But now that you’re Taehyung’s boyfriend I’ve got to do my duty as a father and put the screws to you at some point this weekend.”“Sir?”“About your intentions and all that.”“Dad.” Taehyung rolls his eyes. “Leave him alone.”“Kidding, kidding. Let’s get going, we’ve got the car parked in the garage.”Taehyung decides not to protest when Jungkook shoulders both their bags again. He’s sure if he tried to take his it’d start a stupid fight between his parents, and he’d prefer to keep those to a minimum this weekend. His dad grabs their suitcase and rolls it behind him while they walk to the parking garage. Taehyung can feel his mom’s eyes on him, taking in his appearance. She always does that after having not seen him for a few months. He knows all the things she’s calculating—if he’s lost weight, if he looks pale, if his limp seems worse, if he’s slept enough. It’s the nurse in her, he knows. The mom too, and he has to admit that sometimes it’s nice to visit with her and just let her take care of everything.“So, Jungkook, how do you like working for Taehyung? Is he a good boss?”Taehyung feels Jungkook’s hand tighten around his momentarily. “He was a great boss, yeah.”“He was?”“I, uh…”“Jungkook’s been taking some time off,” Taehyung interjects. “I told you, remember? With his uncle being sick.”“Oh, that’s right! Sorry, Jungkook, when you’re old like me things slip your mind. Your uncle, he’s doing better now?”“Much better, yeah. We all are.”Taehyung didn’t tell his parents about what happened. Everything that came out about Butcher was only really local news, so they didn’t hear anything about him being involved. Even when he had to give his police interview, Jimin took him to the station. It’s bittersweet, knowing he has a community to lean on without his parents. But he knows how happy they are here. And after everything they went through with his accident, he doesn’t ever want to take that away from them. Telling them about Butcher would just spark a discussion of them moving back, or him moving in with them, and then they’d be back to a very miserable square one. It was better to just keep them out of it.“Well, I’m glad to hear that.”“Cancer is very hard,” Taehyung’s mom says softly, and Taehyung’s heart skips at what she could say next. “Your uncle must feel lucky to have made a full recovery. Most of my patients who beat it had a totally new lease on life.”Jungkook nods. “Yeah.”Taehyung’s grip tightens now. He’s begging neither of his parents to make the connection he and Jungkook both have, that his mom’s implication of Jin almost dying throws into pretty sharp relief that Namjoon is dead. His eyes shift to Jungkook, who shares a tiny smile. He’s more than used to that pang of grief. Taehyung’s still not used to seeing it on him.Thankfully Namjoon isn’t brought up at all, though Taehyung doesn’t put it past his dad to make some accidentally tactless remark later this weekend. He loves his parents, but they can be unaware of other people’s feelings at times. He knows that from personal experience.Case in point, his parents get into an argument two minutes later, when Taehyung’s mom insists he ride in the front of the car to have more space for his leg. His dad replies with something to the effect of how they agreed not to baby him during this visit, and while they’re bickering Jungkook loads their bags in the trunk.“Where do you want to sit?” he asks, speaking softly to Taehyung while Taehyung tries to block out whatever his parents are saying.“The back is fine, if you don’t mind me spreading out.”Jungkook opens the door for him and holds his cane as he settles himself in the car. Then Jungkook slides in on the other side and gently lifts Taehyung’s bad leg to rest across his lap. Meanwhile, his parents are still arguing. They haven’t seemed to notice Taehyung isn’t standing there anymore.Jungkook glances at them out the window. “Should we just drive away?”“You don’t have a license,” Taehyung points out. He doesn’t either.“I think between the two of us we could figure it out.”“I steer, you work the pedals?”“Are you implying you’d sit on my lap?” Jungkook flashes a wicked grin. “Because I am very on board for that.”“Oh, god,” Taehyung groans. “You’re worse than Jimin.”“Ouch, doc. Always hitting me where it hurts.”Taehyung just intertwines their fingers and pulls their hands into his lap before leaning back in his seat. He slips his sunglasses on and lets them slide down the bridge of his nose to give Jungkook a look. Jungkook raises his eyebrows in response.“I’m really glad you’re here with me. Already you’re making this a hundred times easier.”Jungkook squeezes his hand. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
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Jungkook shudders as Taehyung’s cold hands smooth down his spine.“Stop squirming,” Taehyung murmurs in his ear, and now Jungkook’s shuddering for a whole different reason. “I have to rub this in.”“I’m pretty sure there’s something in my Spidey powers that protects me from UV rays.”“Maybe. But I’d rather not test that theory.”“You? Not test a theory?”“Not if it means you’ll get burnt and then spend the rest of the weekend whining like you did when you broke your foot.”“I don’t whine,” Jungkook answers indignantly. And he only whined about breaking his foot because he had to lay on the couch and not move for twenty-four hours while Taehyung did all the work to take care of him. He could’ve hopped around. Or walked on his hands. He turns around and gets a faceful of sunscreen. “Agh- Taehyung, stop-”“Hold still.”“Yes, Dr. Kim,” he mutters.“Haven’t heard that one in a while.”Jungkook shuts his mouth so Taehyung doesn’t squirt sunscreen into it. He swears his whole face must be bright white. When Taehyung lets go of him his nose is buzzing with the artificial coconut smell. “Am I done now?”“Such a baby.” Taehyung softens his words with a kiss. He tastes only a little bit like lemons and mostly like sunscreen, but Jungkook doesn’t mind.“Boys, I made you some- oh. Hi.”Taehyung doesn’t seem as alarmed as Jungkook, who wrenches himself back from Taehyung when Taehyung’s mom opens the screen door and steps out onto the front porch. Jungkook forces his heart to slow down; it hasn’t caught on yet that they aren’t sixteen and he doesn’t need to crawl out the window at the sound of Taehyung’s parents.“I made you some sandwiches to have on the beach. And some drinks—it’s hot out so make sure you’re staying hydrated.”“Thanks.” Taehyung gets to his feet from where he and Jungkook are sitting on the steps and limps over to his mom to take the cooler bag she’s holding out. Jungkook can read the worry in her eyes a mile away. Taehyung must too. “I’m fine, Mom.”“Are you sure you don’t want to bring your cane?”“I don’t think it’ll do much to help in the sand. I’ll have Jungkook with me. It’ll be fine.”“You’re sure-”“Mom, it’s fine. I’m okay.” Taehyung shoulders the cooler bag. “Thank you for the lunch.”Taehyung’s mom looks far from appeased but something in Taehyung’s face must make her bite her tongue. Jungkook is more than glad for it. Taehyung’s parents sniped at each other in the car the whole drive home, and only seemed to make peace with each other when Taehyung suggested they all go down to the beach for the afternoon.“Dad and I will come in a bit with the umbrella; Jungkook, are you sure you can carry all those chairs?”“Yes, Mrs. Kim,” he promises. “I can do it no problem.” He wonders if he should act like carrying four beach chairs in one hand is more of a struggle than it feels.Taehyung smirks at him after his mom goes back inside. “You are such a kiss-ass.”“Oh, yeah, like you don’t suck up to Jin every second of the day.”“I don’t!”Jungkook offers his free arm for Taehyung to hold onto as they make their way down the porch steps. “You so do. I think you like him more than me at this point.”Taehyung just shakes his head with a grin and turns his focus to walking. Jungkook doesn’t say anything when he lets go of his arm after they leave the driveway. He trusts his Spidey sense to take over if anything happens, and once they get to the beach he’s so mesmerized by roar of the ocean and the smell of salt water that everything else fades for a second.He hasn’t been to the beach in years, and right now all he wants to do is charge headfirst into the tide.Taehyung is unsteady in the sand, suddenly grasping Jungkook’s arm again when he wobbles from a misstep. Jungkook gives him a quick glance, but Taehyung is staring determinedly ahead. A clear sign he wants to keep doing it himself. By the time they find an empty spot on the beach, he’s breathing hard, but overall he doesn’t seem to be in too much pain. He does decide to drop into the chair Jungkook deliberately sets up though, and is content to watch Jungkook put up the umbrella and lay out towels.“It’s beautiful out here,” Jungkook comments as he plops into a chair beside Taehyung. “I can see why your parents like it.”“You think Jin would like to live somewhere like this?”Jungkook shrugs. “I’d love for him to. But knowing him he’d get bored. Not enough crises to solve.”“Yeah…”Taehyung reaches over to take Jungkook’s hand and hold it in his lap. They sit in peaceful silence for a few minutes. It’s crowded and loud with all the other beachgoers, but Jungkook is able to keep his senses attuned on just a few things. The sound of the water, the feel of the sand between his toes, and the sun beating down on his skin. He can’t remember the last time he actually felt relaxed. It was his idea to come with Taehyung to Florida, more for Taehyung’s sake than his own. He got enough of a taste of Taehyung’s parents when they visited to know this weekend would be hard for Taehyung. With everything he’s been through in the past couple months Jungkook wants him to feel better. Safe. So he offered to come.It’s only right now that he’s understanding he wants this for himself too. He knows he has responsibilities. He needs to be the man Jin and Namjoon raised him to be. He has to use his powers for good. But right now, it’s nice to not be Spider-Man. Or at least know he can take a little break, and it’ll be okay. Jin is cancer-free. Taehyung’s safe. Butcher is dead. Hoseok and Yoongi think he’s a good boyfriend to Taehyung. Jimin actually kind of likes him now. He doesn’t have to be Spider-Man all the time now. So he’s been trying to remember how to just be Jungkook again.His eyes flutter open when Taehyung’s hand slips from his. Taehyung stands up from his chair and without so much as a glance or a deep breath, starts walking towards the water.Jungkook blinks in confusion for almost twenty seconds before scrambling after him.Taehyung makes it all the way to the surf before Jungkook catches up. His tingle prickles at the back of his neck and he arrives just in time to catch Taehyung’s elbow when his bad foot sinks too deeply into the wet sand.“Oh, fuck,” Taehyung laughs, half-toppling into his arms. “This is a lot harder than I thought.”“What’s the plan here, doc?” Jungkook fights down the brief panic he just felt. Taehyung’s fine.Taehyung inches another step forward, the surf now rushing up over their ankles. “I’m going in.”Privately, Jungkook doesn’t think that’s the best idea. Taehyung’s already put a lot of stress on his leg, and even though there aren’t really any waves all the way down here in Florida, it’s still going to be wet and slippery.Even more privately, it’s a thought Taehyung’s mom would have, and Jungkook would rather light himself on fire than admitting he agrees with Taehyung’s mom.(Most privately, Jungkook is so stupidly in love with this man he already knows he’ll let Taehyung do whatever the hell he wants.)The water is pleasantly warm and nothing like what Jungkook remembers as a kid in the city. He tries to remember the last time he even saw the ocean, but he can’t. So he takes it in now, wading in with Taehyung until it reaches their chests. He keeps his hand on Taehyung’s arm, not willing to take any chances. He lets his body relax, buoyed by the gentle push and pull of the tide.Taehyung raises an eyebrow at him. “That’s it?”“What? What do you me-”Jungkook’s next words are cut off in a splutter when Taehyung drops like a stone, dragging them both underwater. Jungkook surfaces again with a gasp and a profound stinging from all the saltwater that went up his nose and into his eyes. He coughs and shoves back the hair plastered over his forehead to glare at his boyfriend.Taehyung flips onto his back and paddles a few yards away, grinning like a madman.“You’re evil,” Jungkook calls as he swims after him.Taehyung’s grin morphs into half-terrified laughter when he realizes Jungkook is chasing him. “No, no- I’m sorry, it was just funny- ah- Jungkook- don’t-”Jungkook catches up and grabs Taehyung’s good ankle, dragging him through the water until their chests bump together. Taehyung can’t stop laughing. Jungkook’s plans of getting him back evaporate when he sees happy Taehyung looks. When they kiss he gets mostly teeth, and then he’s smiling too.“I love you.” It’s not new, at this point, but he still feels a little thrill when he says it.Taehyung draws his arms around Jungkook’s shoulders and leans in to kiss him properly. “I love you too.”Then he dunks Jungkook underwater again.
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Taehyung doesn’t remember his dream, but it’s enough to force his eyes open and his breath to catch in his chest. He’s warm, the arm Jungkook has thrown over his waist like a furnace and his fingers burning like fire with the soft pressure they exert on Taehyung’s hipbone. Taehyung sinks into his boyfriend’s heat for a few minutes before he understands he won’t be sleeping anymore tonight. The blinking clock on the nightstand tells him its practically morning anyway. The sun will be up soon.He eases out from under Jungkook’s arm and drags himself slowly upright. His back twinges in protest and his knee clicks painfully when he sets his foot on the floor. He allows himself another few minutes to adjust. He breathes through the throbbing in his calf and thigh muscles, angry at him for a long day on the beach without his cane. He knew this was coming, but swimming in the ocean for the first time since his parents moved down here was worth it.He and Jungkook stayed in the water for over an hour, and by the time they walked back up to their chairs his parents had joined them. They tried to act casual, but Taehyung could see his mom had been crying. He wanted to cry too—for the first time in years, things felt like they had before his accident. And pretty much all of that is due to Jungkook.Taehyung keeps his head down and muffles a whimper at a particularly sharp stab. It’ll pass soon enough like it always does. Though he can’t help but worry that maybe one day it won’t. The older he gets the less likely he’ll be able to bounce back, the less likely his body will give him a reprieve. It’s a thought he often has in the mornings. Especially when the pain is like this. The scientist in him catalogs every instance, tries to gauge it against the same pain he felt weeks before. Is it worse now? Maybe what scares him most is how gradual it feels. The mobility he had at twenty is not the mobility he has at twenty-seven. He’s scared of waking up at forty-seven and realizing he’s hardly mobile at all.Jungkook stirs awake behind him, Spider senses probably pricked by Taehyung’s distress.“Taehyung?” His voice is scratchy and thick, his movements clumsy as he reaches across the bed. “S’wrong?”“Nothing.” Taehyung rubs Jungkook’s side. “Nothing, just go back to sleep.”Jungkook sits up. His hair is sticking in nearly every direction, and his eyes are still mostly swollen shut with sleep. He reaches for Taehyung again, this time getting his arms around Taehyung’s waist. Taehyung lets himself be pulled into Jungkook’s chest, biting his tongue against the pain, and Jungkook’s head lays heavy on his shoulder a second later.“Did you have a nightmare?”Taehyung shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”“What is it?”“Just…restless. Really, go back to sleep. This is like the one time you get to sleep in.”“Mmm. You sleep too.”“I don’t think I can. I’m gonna go sit out on the porch for a bit.”“I’ll come.”Taehyung thinks about protesting, but in all honesty he’d like Jungkook to sit with him. So instead he just squeezes Jungkook’s arm. “Carry me?”Jungkook leaves a sloppy kiss on his neck. “You don’t even have to ask.” Taehyung tamps down the urge to laugh as Jungkook’s lips tickle across his skin. Jungkook releases him and slides out of bed. He yawns widely, nose scrunching. Taehyung slips onto his back and he yawns again before he shakes his head from side to side, like he’s trying to keep himself awake.They creep past his parents’ room and down the stairs, and Taehyung pushes away the memory he always associates with stairs and the middle of the night. Jungkook’s hands on his thighs help distract him.The sky is just barely starting to lighten when they make it out to the porch. Taehyung balances on his good leg when he gets off Jungkook’s back and carefully lowers himself into one of the wicker chairs. Jungkook settles into the one beside him and yawns again, his whole face scrunching. Taehyung bites back a grin at how cute it is.Jungkook rubs at his eyes before he looks at Taehyung. “You- hey.”“Hey?”“You okay?”“Fine.”Jungkook’s hand cups the back of his neck, fingers threaded lightly in his hair. He frowns. “You’re sweating.”“Muscle cramp.” It’s easier to be honest. It’s better for him too. Jungkook doesn’t waste another second before drawing Taehyung’s foot into his lap. Taehyung grips the arms of his chair when Jungkook digs into the meat of his calf, tension building into acute pressure that finally dissipates a moment later. He lets his head fall against the back of the chair, something between a moan and a sigh pulled from his throat when Jungkook massages away a knot near the back of his knee.He waits for some kind of reprimand, something like ‘you should’ve asked for the extra legroom’ or ‘you should’ve used your wheelchair,’ but none comes. Of course it doesn’t. Being around his parents has thrown into even sharper relief the easy way Jungkook cares for him. Pushing only as far as Taehyung will let him, overstepping only when he absolutely needs to.Taehyung really does moan when Jungkook gets to his hamstring, and he hears the smirk in Jungkook’s voice when he speaks. “At your parents’ house? They’ll be scandalized.”“They can think whatever they want,” Taehyung pants. “Just keep doing that. Please.”“Is this what woke you up?”“Mmm.”Jungkook doesn’t reply, but Taehyung can imagine the wheels in his head turning. By the time Jungkook finishes, Taehyung’s leg still hurts and he’s covered in sweat, but moving it is much easier. Jungkook scratches his nails lightly over Taehyung’s calf, and Taehyung fights down a shiver.“Do you want some water?”“I’m okay.”“Okay. I- woah…”Taehyung follows Jungkook’s eyes to the edge of the porch, where the sun has just started to peak over the horizon. He glances back at Jungkook and pokes him in the stomach with his foot. Jungkook looks over at him. “What?”“You should get your camera.”Jungkook immediately turns shy, like Taehyung knew he would. “I don’t know, doc-”“I want a picture of this,” he insists. “Take it for me, at least.”That, thankfully, is enough for Jungkook to stand up and go back into the house. Taehyung settles further back into his chair and shivers again, the sweat on his skin growing cool. It’ll get warmer once the sun fully rises, but right now he still feels the slightest chill in the damp morning air.Jungkook emerges from the house a minute later. He plants himself beside Taehyung’s chair, and Taehyung hears the shutter click a few times.“Let me see?” He leans forward to look as Jungkook angles the camera his way. “That’s beautiful. You have such a good eye.”“I don’t know about that. I just- point it at stuff.”“Yeah, but you know the right things to point at. And how to point at them.” Taehyung traces his fingertip over the screen, calling attention to how Jungkook framed the sunrise perfectly between two of the support beams on the porch. “You’re talented, Jungkook. Accept it.”“Ah, it’s not so hard. You can do it too, here.”Taehyung settles for rolling his eyes when Jungkook places the camera in his lap. Getting Jungkook to stop hating himself was a huge undertaking, one he and Jin joined forces on more than once. Getting Jungkook to love himself is the next step, but it’s taking a little more time. He lifts the camera and looks through the viewfinder for a moment. He snaps a photo, but it comes out blurry.“Oh- hang on, the focus might be off.”Taehyung lets Jungkook play with a few buttons. “I don’t think it’s the camera.” He flexes his fingers gingerly, curling them into his palms one by one. He’s not having an episode, but even at rest his hands always seem to have the slightest tremor. The lab is really the only place he feels his hands are totally stable.“Try again?”Taehyung does. He’s looking through the viewfinder again when he feels Jungkook’s hands wrap around his own, holding him steady. He fights down another shiver, one that has nothing to do with the cold this time.“Line it up…” Jungkook’s voice is soft in his ear. “Yeah, perfect. Now click it.” The picture comes out perfect. “See? Easy.”Taehyung just shrugs with a grin. “Sure.”He’s happy that Jungkook picks up his camera though to take a few more shots. Taehyung draws his good leg up to his chest and rests his cheek on his knee, watching Jungkook. His hair’s grown out a little, and he’s got a healthy glow to his skin he didn’t a few months ago. As much as Taehyung was sad about Jungkook’s decision to take a hiatus from work, it’s been good for him. Good for all of them.“I was talking with Yoongi the other day,” he starts, careful to keep any excitement out of his voice, “and he said they were looking for someone to take photos for a gala they’re having next month.”It doesn’t work. Jungkook just shakes his head from behind the camera. “I’m sure they’re looking for a professional, Taehyung.”“You are a professional.” Even if he doesn’t work for the Bugle now, he built up a significant portfolio while he was there.“I didn’t take the kind of pictures Yoongi’s gonna want.”“How do you know that? We can ask him when we get back-”“Doc.” Jungkook loops his camera strap around his neck and lets it hang loose as he sits beside Taehyung again. “I…appreciate the nudge.”“But?”“But…” Jungkook rubs over his mouth, like he’s trying to pull out the right words. “I don’t think I want to take photos for a living again. It’s- I do like it. I’m passionate about it, I guess. But I don’t want it to be my job.”“What? Why not?”Jungkook settles back in his chair. He starts fiddling with the knobs on his camera. “We can’t all be like you.”Taehyung blinks. “Like me?” He’s spectacularly lacking in any creative gifts, so he’s not sure what Jungkook means.“You, like, breathe science. It’s your entire life—even when you’re not at work you’re thinking about it. And when you are at work, even when it’s really hard or you’re hitting a wall, you still love what you do And I love that about you, so much. But for me…” He sighs. “I loved taking pictures, you know? I don’t think I remembered how much I did until recently. At the Bugle, the stuff I had to do, it all just- it made me start to hate it. Working there ruined that for me, and so many other parts of my life. I only just started getting that back, and I don’t…I don’t want to put that at risk again. Even if it’s just a job for Yoongi’s gala.”“I get it.” Taehyung can’t fully understand it, because to Jungkook’s point, his work is so much of his life. But he can try to, for Jungkook’s sake. “I won’t mention it again.”“I do appreciate it. You’re good for me; you make me do things I…let go of, before. Like vacation.”“Vacation is pretty nice,” Taehyung muses. “Maybe we should take it more often.”“Yeah. It was wild, being in the ocean. Last night when we were falling asleep I could still feel the waves.”“Mmm. Do you want to go back in today?”“If you’re up for it.”Taehyung wants to say yes. But, like Jungkook, he’s learning through this relationship to be easier on himself. “I’ll come down and watch.”Jungkook raises his eyebrows with a smirk. “Yeah, I bet you’ll watch.” He flexes an arm. “Don’t think I didn’t see you checking me out yesterday, Kim.”“I sure hope so,” Taehyung answers, not missing a beat. “I’ve only been trying to make a pass at you since you started working for me.”“If I remember correctly, I was the one who put the moves on you.”“Only after I asked you to!”“Okay, well- in my defense I was dying!” Jungkook’s eyes are sparkling as he smiles. “It’s nice getting to kiss you without having to almost get killed first.”“It’s nice getting to kiss you without having to save your life first.”“It’s nice getting to kiss you at all, doc.”Taehyung’s laugh turns into more of a shriek when Jungkook attacks him with his lips, kissing all over his face and neck and down his shoulder. He manages to push Jungkook off of him to kiss him properly, and when they pull away Jungkook’s smile is so bright it eclipses the sunrise.Taehyung picks up Jungkook’s camera and takes a picture.
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Jungkook feels like he’s in heaven.He must be, lying here on a beautiful sandy beach with his head in Dr. Taehyung Kim’s lap, the remnants of a sunset picnic beside them on the blanket. He rests a hand on his stomach and breathes out a contented sigh. It’s not often he feels completely full outside of his own home—Jin is uncannily good at knowing if he’s still hungry—but he underestimated Taehyung’s dad’s talent with the grill.One of Taehyung’s hands covers his. “Dinner was good?”“Dinner was perfect. This is perfect. You’re perfect. This is the best day of my life.”“We should take a picture for Jin.”“Kiss-ass.” Jungkook rubs his thumb across Taehyung’s hand. “You’ll have to take it. I’m not moving an inch for at least the next half hour.”Taehyung holds up his phone and Jungkook sticks out his tongue. Jin’s probably going to just crop him out of it anyway, if that means keeping Taehyung in frame. He already did that with a photo they took at Christmas, and Jungkook’s never going to let him live it down.It’s nice that his uncle and his boyfriend get along so well. It’s nice how easily Taehyung fits into his life, like he was meant to be there all along. He was, really. And with Taehyung filling his space, it’s easier to stop thinking about the space Namjoon left behind.Jungkook finds himself thinking about Namjoon a lot these days, especially after he quit Ditko. Jin is supportive of whatever path he chooses, but it still is daunting, trying to decide the course of the rest of his life. Outside of Spider-Man, of course. Maybe he’s thinking about Namjoon so much because it feels like for the first time since Namjoon died, he’s started to think about an ‘after.’After Namjoon. After Jin, even. After Spider-Man, because Spider-Man can’t last forever. Not if he wants to live.And for the first time in a long time, he does.His reason for living has launched into an explanation of why barnacles are actually fascinating and not boring like Jimin says, and Jungkook reflects once again how lucky he is, to have Taehyung back in his life. Being Jungkook, discovering just who that is…it’s so much easier, with Taehyung to help guide him.Taehyung looks so good right now Jungkook wants to take a bite of him. He’s practically glowing from his time in the sun. He spends so much time cooped up in the lab; the fresh air has been good for him. The salty air’s done something to his hair, making curl in a way Jungkook’s never seen before but desperately loves.Taehyung trails off in the middle of a thought. “And I…what?”“What?” Jungkook asks.“You’re staring at me.”“That a crime?”“It is if you’re not listening to a word I’ve said.”“What? I’m listening, doc, I promise. Barnacles as the janitors of the ecosystem and all that.”“Okay, that’s completely simplifying my point, but-”“It’s just- your hair. It’s distracting me.”“My hair?” Taehyung reaches up to push some of it back from his forehead. “What’s wrong with it?”“Not a thing,” Jungkook assures him. “It’s so…curly. Frizzy, kinda.”“What?”“I love it.”Taehyung threads his fingers through it, like he’s feeling for something. “Huh.”“I really love it.”“It’s probably a mixture of the humidity and the salt water; when hair cuticles get dry any kind of outside moisture will make them-”“Doc.”“What?”“You know I usually love it when you talk science to me…”“But?”“But…” Jungkook snakes his hand up Taehyung’s chest and curls in around the back of his neck before pulling him gently downwards. “Sometimes I really wish you’d just shut up and kiss me.”“Rude,” Taehyung mutters, with a huff. “This is actually a really interesting-”Jungkook silences him when their lips meet. He pretends to be annoyed, but with another kiss, Jungkook is forgiven.
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Taehyung yawns between his parents, the movie they’re watching not doing enough to catch his interest.“Tired?” his mom asks, but he shakes his head. He is, but he wants to spend a little more time with his parents. It’s rare to have them so relaxed.He rests his head on his mom’s shoulder while his legs are supported over his dad’s on the coffee table. It feels good to have them close to him like this. It reminds him of when he was a kid. Before the accident.“You can go to bed if you want,” his dad says. “Your boyfriend’s already knocked out.”Taehyung’s about to reply, but his words are replaced with a grin when Jungkook gives a well-timed snore from the opposite couch. He passed out about three minutes after the opening credits.“I think he might bring the house down on us.” His dad nudges his arm. “How do you sleep at night?”“I’m sure Taehyung manages to sleep the same way I do,” his mom breaks in, with a teasing smile. “Considering you snore just as loud.”“What? I’ve never snored in my life.”“You have snored every night we’ve been married.”“That’s ridiculous! Taehyung, tell your mom I don’t snore.”Taehyung’s cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling. “You do snore, Dad.”“Unbelievable.”“Not as bad as Jungkook though,” Taehyung amends. “He’s on another level.” Another chainsaw-revving snore from Jungkook, proving his point.“I think he should see a doctor…” his mom muses. “There’s probably something going on with his septum.”Taehyung, who knows Jungkook’s broken his nose at least twenty-five times, is inclined to agree.“Well, snoring aside,” his dad says, “he’s a very nice young man. Mom and I think he’s great. You picked a good one.”“Mmm.” Taehyung hums at the pleasant tingling in his scalp as his mom cards through his hair. “That’s what Jimin said.”His mom sounds suspiciously choked up when she speaks next. “We’re happy for you, honey. So happy.”“Even if it means you won’t sleep another peaceful night for the rest of your life.”
The rest of my life…
“I think I can live with that.”
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Jungkook crawls through the window just as Taehyung’s stirring awake. The sun is still about an hour away from rising, but Taehyung’s been restless the past few nights. Jungkook pulls up his mask as he sits in the windowsill to start peeling out of his suit. It’s cold and wet from the recent snow they had over the weekend, and his fingers are stiff from the frigid weather. Taehyung sits up and gives Jungkook a bleary stare.“Are you hurt?”“Just a scratch.”He’s been stabbed in the thigh, but it’s too early in the morning to give Taehyung a heart attack.Taehyung slips out from under the covers and limps towards him, shivering even from where he’s bundled up in thick flannel pajamas and a sweatshirt. Jungkook’s pleased to see he hasn’t removed the second pair of socks Jungkook slid on his feet after he fell asleep last night.“This is a little more than a scratch, Jeon.” Taehyung yawns into his hand. “Step into my office.”Jungkook fully strips and follows after him with a grin to the bathroom. He sits down on the chair Taehyung now keeps in the shower and waits patiently for Taehyung to get the first aid kit from under the sink. Out in the open his stab wound looks worse than he originally thought, but he knows its nothing his doctor can’t fix for him.“Your hands feeling okay?” he asks, when Taehyung comes back with his needle and thread.“For now.” He works in silence for a minute, and Jungkook stares up at the ceiling to distract himself from the piercing burn of the needle. “Missed you last night.”“I missed you too. I’m gonna stay in tonight.”“Yeah? Are you sure?”“Mhmm. They’re calling for more snow. And I might- ah-” Jungkook hisses at the sudden spike of pain in his thigh. “Might need to rest this for a night.”“Sorry,” Taehyung murmurs. “It’s deep there.”“Will I be okay, doc?”“I think you’ll survive, yeah.”Jungkook absently twists a lock of Taehyung’s hair around his finger. “I think I want to go back to school.”Taehyung, to his credit, only stops for a moment. “Like grad school?”“Yeah. Maybe go for my doctorate, like you did. But in something with chemistry, obviously.” He gives Taehyung’s hair a light tug after he doesn’t respond. “Thoughts?”“…PhDs are a lot of work. Not that- not that I don’t think you can do it. Just- it’s a lot to take on.”“I know. I don’t think I’d be able to do it all in the time you did. But I’m okay with it being a long-term thing. And possibly taking a break if I need to. And maybe I’ll get through one semester and realize I hate the whole idea, but…I don’t know. I feel like I fucked up college and- there’s so much I can still learn. Not just about chemistry but, about myself, I guess. Does that make any sense?”“Yeah, to me.”Jungkook bites his bottom lip. “You wanted me to come back to work with you.”“I-” Taehyung finishes the last stitch on his thigh and then sits back, eyes level with Jungkook’s knees. “Well, a part of me was hoping you would. But if this is what you want, then of course I support you. And I’m happy you’re choosing something for yourself. I think it’ll be good for you.”“I think so too.”“What did Jin say about it?”“How did you know I already told him?”“Because you tell him everything?”“I don’t tell him everything. But- whatever- he said pretty much what you said.” He rolls his eyes. “And then he asked me if I wanted him to take me shopping for school supplies.”“That’s not a bad idea,” Taehyung answers, defensive of Jin as always. “He was being thoughtful.”“Taehyung, you are such a kiss-ass. He’s not even here right now.”“Well, I should hope not.” Taehyung works his way to standing, using Jungkook’s good thigh as leverage. “Not with what I’m planning to do to you.” He leans in close to leave a tantalizing kiss on the edge of Jungkook’s mouth. “I’m putting you on immediate bedrest, Spidey. Doctor’s orders.”Jungkook sprints for the bedroom so fast he rips his stitches.
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“You’re gonna be late for your first day!” Taehyung calls.Jungkook comes crashing out of their room a second later, still hopping into one of his sneakers and his backpack hanging wide open off his shoulder. All of the school supplies Jin bought him are threatening to spill out, so Taehyung zips it shut when Jungkook skids to a stop beside him at the front door.Taehyung hands him a breakfast sandwich wrapped in tinfoil. “Yoongi just dropped this off; he and Hobi say good luck.”“That’s nice of them.” Jungkook unwraps it and eats half of it in one bite. Taehyung takes the opportunity to fix the crooked part in his hair. “I’m nervous,” he admits, around another bite.“You’re gonna do great,” Taehyung promises. “You’ve already had so much experience—you were an assistant to one of the greatest scientists of our generation.”“Oh, was I? And this great scientist is the same guy that can’t tie his own tie on every morning?” Jungkook flicks the end of Taehyung’s tie he has looped around his neck.Taehyung smirks. “Well, if you don’t want to then I’ll just-”“No! No, come on, doc.” Jungkook stuffs the last bit of sandwich in his mouth and shoves the tinfoil in his jacket pocket. “Wa’ ki’ing,” he adds, mouth full.Taehyung just leans back against the doorframe and watches his boyfriend tie his tie for him. Jungkook pulls it tight, fingers brushing over his throat, and then Taehyung surges forward to kiss him. He’s always just so kissable in the mornings, but especially this morning.Whatever nerves Jungkook have seem to disappear the longer they kiss, with Jungkook’s hands wrapping around Taehyung’s waist to hold him closer. By the time they pull apart it’s been another five minutes, and Jungkook really will be late.Taehyung waits to voice a nervous thought of his own until they’re in the elevator.“Promise me you won’t fall in love with one of your professors. Or your classmates. Or anyone at school, really.”Jungkook eyes him strangely. “I…wasn’t planning on it.”“It’s just- you know. The last job you started, you fell in love with your boss.”“I seem to recall that had some extenuating circumstances.”“Oh, yeah? Which were?”Jungkook reaches out to take Taehyung’s hand in his. They fit so perfectly together. Like they had always meant to be. “I was already in love with him. And I’m still in love with him. And I will be.” Jungkook squeezes his hand. “For the rest of my life.”
The rest of my life…
Taehyung can live with that.