Work Text:
If you had asked Jungkook what he would have found most difficult about returning to his idol life after the military, he probably would have said the uncertainty; or the worry about not being able to deliver as they used to; or suffering the fate that too many before them had met: losing their fans, their ARMY.
He certainly never would have said it was the possibility of sharing the stage with Taehyung again.
Thirty-six concerts into their comeback tour, the latter had shot to the top of the list.
After the military and the forced separation, it seemed like Jungkook never had enough of Taehyung, of being around him. His yearning for him had grown stronger. Jungkook had promised he would live his life fully, and he was. He also wanted to show it openly, but alas, some things were hard to change, especially over a period measured in months.
The thing is, Jungkook’s restraint was snapping fast.
Galvanised by Europe and the time spent there, he had gone so close to kissing Taehyung on stage in Paris that he had managed to hold back and reroute only at the last second, landing a too-quick brush of lips near Taehyung’s ear, flustering him to no end.
Taehyung had scolded him, of course, at least, as much as Taehyung would scold Jungkook. But how could anyone resist him? Didn't they have tens of thousands of ARMY at every concert losing their shit to confirm that?
Like right now.
The other members were riling up the crowd at that evening's concert, the second Los Angeles date. The screaming was deafening, and Jungkook could clearly see the faces of the people at the barricades, right in front of where he was crouching to take a sip of much-needed water before the next set of songs began.
He hadn’t chosen that particular bottle bin at random; he had seen where Taehyung had approached the edge of the stage.
There was a tension inside Jungkook today that showed no signs of subsiding. Usually, their interaction during “Run BTS”, those touches meant to look casual, was enough to take him all the way to “Mic Drop”, the moment when Jungkook was at his freest to openly show that he had "bagged" Taehyung, using the lyrics as a pretext.
Today, however, still having to go through "Not Today" felt unbearable.
Jungkook let go of the water bottle and rose to his feet in a fluid motion, his gaze darting quickly to check on the other members, while his body acted on its own, as always, automatically gravitating toward the magnet that was Kim Taehyung.
Taehyung was slowly turning around at that moment, his back to Jungkook, taking a few aimless steps while adjusting the red jacket on his shoulders.
Jungkook did not doubt that Taehyung had noticed him moving his way; after all the years they had spent together, they were too attuned to one another not to be constantly aware of where the other was. And the magnet worked both ways; so much so that while Taehyung’s gaze was lifted to the screens above them, his body had already turned all the way around to face Jungkook again.
Fuck, Jungkook thought, his gaze fixed on the beautiful man in front of him, his tongue pressing against the tender flesh inside his cheek while he prowled forward.
He would never cease to marvel at the fact that Taehyung was his.
Nor would he ever stop wanting to show him off to the whole world.
The lights dimmed and went off, and Taehyung stopped where he was, turning back toward the audience.
Jungkook did not stop, nor did he hesitate. He knew the timing inside out. They all did. And during the six seconds of darkness, pierced only by the stage screens announcing the next song and the intense white glow of a few older-model ARMY Bombs in the stands, Jungkook saw Taehyung lower his head and made a split-second decision. He let his jacket slide down his shoulders to gain more freedom of movement, and slowed his pace just enough to show how deliberate every gesture was.
Taehyung stubbornly kept his eyes on the ground, a sign he had already realised Jungkook was in one of his "brat" moments.
Not a chance, Jungkook thought. He wasn't going to let Taehyung avoid his gaze for long. It had been eight years since he’d told Taehyung, "Naman bwa, gwaenchana," and he meant it to this day.
So Jungkook approached Taehyung’s right shoulder, and he leaned forward with predatory grace just as the opening notes kicked off and the lights began their rhythmic pulsing, making the scene perfectly visible. He circled Taehyung’s front slowly, his head turned, his eyes – as always – seeking Taehyung the way a sunflower seeks the sun.
And it didn’t matter that Taehyung’s face was toward the stage; Jungkook wouldn’t have hesitated to crawl on his knees right in front of him just to force him to meet his gaze.
But it wasn't necessary because Taehyung's gaze, after all, was always on him in the end. And of course, Jungkook didn't miss the way Taehyung's beautiful, mismatched eyes widened in shock anyway, or the way his breathing hitched at the proximity.
And even though Taehyung straightened up enough to put the minimal distance between them, it didn't matter, because his large left hand had already moved up to cup the back of Jungkook’s head in a familiar grip. Taehyung’s mouth was curved into a smile bright enough to light up the stadium all on its own, while his long fingers slowly curled around the back of Jungkook’s neck. The look they exchanged for that brief but precious second conveyed everything words could not say.
You know, Jungkook’s gaze said, as the pressure on his neck nudged his head gently downward toward Taehyung’s shoulder without touching it.
I know, Taehyung’s eyes confirmed, a moment before shifting back to the audience, smile still in place, while he used his hold to guide Jungkook away, leading him to the end of his slow circuit.
Jungkook never took his eyes off him, relishing the sensation of Taehyung’s fingers dragging against the bare skin of his neck until the very last moment.
Taehyung couldn't see his smirk, but it didn't matter.
As Jungkook moved away as if nothing had happened, adjusting his jacket back onto his shoulders, he could feel Taehyung’s eyes on him, exactly as he wanted. He knew Taehyung wore an expression somewhere between amused and flustered, with an irrepressible smile and a pretty shy blush hidden by the blue hue of the stage lights.
It would be enough, Jungkook thought, while still staying close to vibe with the love of his life.
Another time, maybe, Taehyung wouldn't stop him anymore.
At another future concert, perhaps.
Or maybe during another one of those couple challenges.
Or in one of the videos Jungkook loved filming, or one of the photo dumps Taehyung adored sharing.
Why not?
Sooner or later.
Sooner or later.