Taehyung's POV
The café conversation was a turning point, a confession that had shattered the last of Taehyung's walls. That night, Jungkook took him back to his apartment. It wasn't about anything physical. It was about sanctuary. Taehyung spent the night on Jungkook's sofa, wrapped in a blanket that smelled faintly of him, feeling the steady presence of Jungkook moving quietly in the kitchen, making tea, simply being there. It was the first peaceful sleep he'd had in weeks.
The next morning, they were still raw, but a new, tender hope had settled between them. The conversation wasn't over; it was just beginning. They talked about the past, about the unsaid feelings, about the loneliness they both had carried. They talked about the future, about how they would navigate this new, terrifying reality. They decided to take it slow. To build their relationship on a foundation of honesty, one that they had paid a steep price for.
Their first official "date" was a simple one. They went to a quiet movie theater, sitting in the back row, their fingers lacing together in the darkness. It was a small, intimate act, but for Taehyung, it felt like a monumental step. Later, they walked through a park, hand-in-hand, their comfort with each other so natural, so effortless, it felt like they'd been doing it their whole lives.
But the real world intruded, of course. The whispers at work, the sideways glances from colleagues who knew about his messy breakup with Jennie. The calls and texts from mutual friends, concerned and confused. Taehyung kept it professional, polite, but firm. He wasn't going to lie anymore.
He found himself spending more and more time at Jungkook's apartment. It felt like a true sanctuary. It was messy, with scattered codebooks and half-finished projects, but it was real. It was filled with Jungkook's quiet focus, his soft smiles, his subtle gestures of affection—a hand on the small of Taehyung's back, a shared glance over a mug of tea, the comfortable silence of two people who understood each other on a soul-deep level.
One evening, they were sitting on the sofa, a comfortable silence stretching between them. Taehyung was scrolling through his phone when he paused, a sudden weight in his chest. He turned to Jungkook, his voice soft.
"I need to tell my parents," he said, his voice laced with a tremor of fear. He hadn't just broken up with a girlfriend; he had left her for a man. It was a new layer of truth that terrified him.
Jungkook looked at him, his gaze unwavering and reassuring. He reached for Taehyung's hand, lacing their fingers together, squeezing gently. "I'll be right here," he said, his voice a steady anchor in Taehyung's rising panic. "Every step of the way, hyung."
The simple, profound promise was a balm to Taehyung's soul. He knew this road wouldn't be easy. There would be judgment, confusion, and fear. But for the first time in his life, he wasn't walking it alone. He had Jungkook. And in his heart, that felt like a love story worth fighting for.
He took a deep breath, and with Jungkook's hand in his, he knew it was time to take their first real, open step into the light.