chapter 4

The suite was quiet after the storm of the night before, their bodies still carrying the echoes of passion. Taehyung stirred first, his lashes fluttering against his flushed cheeks, his voice hoarse when he whispered, “Aegi…”

Jeongguk was already awake, propped on one elbow, simply watching him breathe. His chest tightened at the sight—how small Taehyung looked now, curled into the sheets, skin littered with the marks he’d left. Marks that were proof of belonging, yes, but also reminders of how rough he had been.

He leaned down, brushing his lips against Taehyung’s temple. “Morning, baby.”

Taehyung hummed, trying to burrow deeper into the warmth, but Jeongguk only chuckled, slipping an arm under him. “Bath?”

The word was gentle, coaxing. Taehyung only nodded, too sore to argue.

Jeongguk carried him easily, like he weighed nothing, into the vast marble bathroom. The tub filled quickly, steaming water swirling with lavender foam. Jeongguk lowered him in carefully, guiding him until he was seated against the smooth edge, sighing at the heat.

Climbing in after him, Jeongguk pulled Taehyung against his chest, his hands instinctively smoothing over his arms. They sat in silence for a while, the sound of water lapping around them like a lullaby.

Then Jeongguk reached for the shampoo, squirting some into his palm before lathering it into Taehyung’s damp hair. His fingers massaged his scalp, slow and thorough, while Taehyung let out a breathy moan.

“Feels good?” Jeongguk asked, his lips quirking.

“Mhm. You should open a salon, gukk,” Taehyung teased softly, eyes closing again.

Jeongguk rinsed his hair, leaning forward to press a kiss to his shoulder. “I will take Only your appointments then."

He continued, washing Taehyung with patience, as if every stroke of the sponge was an apology. Every careful touch said the words he couldn’t always voice: I love you. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I’ll take care of you.

When he was done, Jeongguk turned him in his arms so they were face to face. Taehyung’s damp lashes framed those deep eyes, and his lips parted in silent question. Jeongguk kissed him then, soft and slow, nothing like the fire of last night.

“You’re beautiful hyungie” Jeongguk whispered against his mouth. “ so beautiful , I have no words to describe”

Taehyung smiled, leaning his forehead against Jeongguk’s. “I am handsome aegi-ya . I am grown man not fragile girl "

"Ahh hyungie potato -patato same.. okay you are handsome man but you are fragile...and you can't deny that...." gukk said.

And in that steaming bath, with lavender curling in the air, Jeongguk held him like he was the most fragile treasure in the world.

---

Later that day, the company’s demand came like a nudge neither of them could refuse: Go live. Fans miss you.

So Jeongguk found himself sitting beside Jimin on a plush sofa, a phone propped up in front of them. The red “LIVE” symbol blinked in the corner as thousands of comments began to flood the screen.

“ARMY!” Jimin waved brightly, his eyes disappearing into crescents. “Guess who’s here?”

Jeongguk gave a little salute, grinning. “Hi~ it’s Jeongguk. I’m with Jiminie hyung.”

The chat exploded instantly: OMG Jikook!! / They’re back!! / We missed this duo!!

Jimin leaned into him, resting his chin on Jeongguk’s shoulder. “He looks so healthy, right? Look at these muscles.” He squeezed Jeongguk’s bicep, making the younger blush.

“Hyung…” Jeongguk muttered, laughing nervously.

But Jimin wasn’t done. His grin turned mischievous as he said, loud enough for the mic to pick up: “So, Kookie… is your thing fine now? Is it alive?”

Jeongguk choked, his ears turning crimson as the comments went absolutely feral. WHAT DID HE SAY?!! / JIMIN OMG / JEON LOOKS SO EMBARRASSED

“Hyung!” Jeongguk groaned, covering his face with his hands. “get lost —”

Jimin cackled, clutching his stomach. “I was just asking! Everyone knows military life is hard. Gotta check on the important parts!”

“Stop it,” Jeongguk whined, though the corners of his lips twitched helplessly.

What the viewers didn’t know was that Taehyung was watching secretly from the bedroom, phone in hand. He nearly dropped it at Jimin’s outrageous question, biting his lip to stifle his laughter. He could imagine exactly how flustered Jeongguk looked.

The live continued with Jimin dragging Jeongguk into silly games, showing filters, answering fans’ questions. Every so often, Jimin would sneak in a comment just to make him squirm, while Jeongguk swore revenge under his breath.

By the end, the comments were a flood of hearts and laughter emojis. Jimin waved again. “Okay, ARMY, we’re ending now. Take care!”

The screen blinked off. Jeongguk immediately threw a cushion at Jimin. “Hyung, seriously!”

Jimin only laughed harder, pulling him into a headlock. “Come on, admit it. That was fun.”

Jeongguk sighed, smiling despite himself. Yeah. It was.

---

The afternoon sun was high over Los Angeles, casting everything in that golden glow that made even the hotel balcony feel like a movie set. Jeongguk had changed into a sleeveless tank top, tattoos catching the light, a baseball cap tugged low to hide his face. But he wasn’t hiding from the world right now—he was waiting.

Jimin arrived not long after, breezing into the suite with sunglasses perched on his head, carrying two iced Americanos like some kind of savior. “Delivery service, for free,” he announced, handing one over.

“Thanks, hyung,” Jeongguk said, settling onto the couch. He took a long sip, the cold drink shocking him awake. Jimin sat opposite him, legs crossed, studying him with a mischievous glint.

“You know,” Jimin began, “you survived the military, survived Weverse Live with me embarrassing you, and still—” He reached out, flicking Jeongguk’s cap. “—you look calmer than I’ve ever seen you.”

Jeongguk chuckled softly. “That’s because you only see me around chaos, hyung.”

Jimin tilted his head, curiosity sharpening. “So what’s the secret? Why do you look like you’re carrying something… but instead of it being heavy, it’s keeping you steady?”

The younger man hesitated. His thumb traced the condensation on his iced coffee cup, heart thudding a little faster. This wasn’t something he had said out loud yet. Not to anyone. But if there was anyone he could trust, it was Jimin—the hyung who had seen him cry, stumble, grow, break, and rebuild.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk said finally, voice low. “I’m going to propose to Taehyung.”

The words hung in the air like a spark. Jimin blinked, once, twice, before his whole face split into the widest grin. “What?” His voice jumped an octave. “You’re serious?”

Jeongguk nodded, biting his lip. “I’ve been thinking about it… for a long time. Through the military, through those nights when all we had were calls and grainy video screens. Every time I closed my eyes, he was there. And when we finally saw each other again…” He exhaled, the memory of Taehyung’s touch still fresh. “I just knew. I don’t want to waste another day. I want him with me. Always. As Jeon Taehyung.."

Jimin set his coffee aside, leaning forward, his eyes softer now. “You sound… grown, Jungkookie. I mean, you’ve always loved him, that much was obvious to anyone who looked. But this—” he gestured at Jeongguk’s steady expression. “This is different. This is you choosing your forever.”

Jeongguk’s throat tightened, but he nodded. “He’s my love. No one else gets him. No one else gets… me.”

For once, Jimin didn’t tease. He just reached over, squeezing Jeongguk’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you. And I’m so happy for you both.”

A silence settled, warm and brotherly. They sipped their coffees, watching the LA skyline glitter. Then Jimin smirked again, unable to resist. “So… do you have a ring? Or are you planning to draw one of your tattoos around his finger until you buy one?”

Jeongguk groaned, covering his face. “Hyung…”

“I’m just saying!” Jimin laughed. “Knowing you, it’ll either be the most dramatic proposal ever, or you’ll just blurt it out in the middle of grocery shopping.”

“Maybe both,” Jeongguk muttered, but his smile betrayed him.

Jimin leaned back, stretching. “ARMY’s gonna lose their minds when they find out. But you know what? Screw them. You deserve this. He deserves this.”

Jeongguk nodded firmly. “We’ve already survived the worst. This is our reward.”

For a moment, Jimin just watched him—the boy who had once been a shy maknae, now sitting here as a man ready to claim the love of his life. His chest swelled with pride, not jealousy, not sadness. Just joy.

“Then promise me one thing,” Jimin said quietly.

“What?”

“Let me help. When the time comes. I want to see the look on Taehyung’s face when he realizes how loved he is.”

Jeongguk’s eyes softened, a small smile curving his lips. “Deal.”

The sun dipped lower, painting the sky orange. Two brothers sat side by side, laughter bubbling between them again—but beneath it all, a quiet certainty lingered. The future wasn’t just approaching. It was waiting, ready to be claimed.

---

The evening should have been peaceful. Taehyung was curled up on the bed, scrolling idly on his phone while Jeongguk cleaned up their coffee cups. But the quiet was shattered when Taehyung’s brows furrowed, his thumb pausing mid-scroll.

“What is it, hyungie?” Jeongguk asked, immediately alert.

Taehyung hesitated, then turned the screen toward him. Twitter feeds and Instagram reels flashed—fan edits, fancams, threads. Some were sweet, but others… his chest ached reading them.

“Jikook are so perfect together, look how they shine without Tae.”

“Taehyung is always third-wheeling them.”

“No one wants him there, he ruins the vibe.”

One reel replayed clips from the live, cutting Jeongguk’s laughs with Jimin into a montage, overlaying it with captions like ‘the real ship.’ At the end, a photo of Taehyung smiling was slapped on with the words: always the extra.

Taehyung’s throat burned. He set the phone down quickly, but not before Jeongguk had seen enough.

“hyungie,” Jeongguk said softly, sitting beside him. “Don’t look at that.”

“I know,” Taehyung whispered. His fingers twisted the sheets. “I know it’s stupid. But it… it hurts, aegi. Like no matter what I do, I’ll always just be… background.”

The words made something in Jeongguk snap. He took Taehyung’s face in both hands, forcing his eyes up. His voice was fierce, steady. “Listen to me. You are not background. You are not extra. You’re my whole damn picture. The frame, the canvas, the colors—everything.”

Taehyung blinked, his lips trembling. “But—”

“No buts.” Jeongguk pressed his forehead against his. “Jimin and I are close, sure. But what I feel for you? No one else even comes near it. Do you hear me? No one.”

The sincerity in his tone broke something loose in Taehyung’s chest. His vision blurred, tears threatening to spill.

“I hate that people can’t see it,” he admitted, voice cracking. “I hate that they make me feel… less.”

Jeongguk kissed him then, slow but searing. “Then let me remind you every day. Until you never doubt again.”

Taehyung clutched his shirt, holding on like Jeongguk was his anchor. And in truth, he was.

Outside, the noise of the world buzzed on—fans loving, fans hating, endless chatter that neither of them could control. But here, in this quiet room, there was only the steady beat of Jeongguk’s heart against Taehyung’s cheek.

“Forever,” Jeongguk whispered again, pulling him into his arms.

“Forever,” Taehyung echoed, softer, but sure.

They turned off the phone, left the noise outside, and climbed back into bed. And as Jeongguk’s arms wrapped tight around him, Taehyung finally let the tension melt. Because no matter what the world said, here in this space, he was not third-wheeling anyone. He was the center of someone’s universe.

I changed babba to baby, someone said it doesn't go with flow.. tell me if it's okay??

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