taesmassiveass

[taesmassiveass]

A Turquoise Blue Ring || tk

(drabble)

The day had surprisingly been good, Taehyung wondered as he strolled along the dusty street.

It hadn't poured too often this monsoon, the land looked as dry as on a normal day in the summer months. Despite the temperature having cooled down sufficiently, it was hard for labourers to get by during the windy afternoons when the soil laden air kept getting into everyone's eyes.

Taehyung shrugged and re-adjusted the straps of his luggage over his shoulders. His forearm tingled from the action, confused, he unfold it in his sight.

An almost vertical gash, albeit not too deep, ran across the span of the underside of his forarm, dried blood clots clinging onto the wound.

Nothing too bad, Taehyung sighed. Atleast it wasn't as bad as him having dislocated his shoulder joint two months ago. It had been much hassle for his co-workers to carry him to the nursing room, where he was treated after an hour of writhing in torturous pain.

Taehyung worked as a part of the palace building army, somehow following in the footsteps of his father who was a court architect. Unfortunately, or fortunately for him, Taehyung did not share the same skills and passion as his father.

The old man did love his son a lot, but his keen interest in the field of music always had him worrying for his future. Musicians and dancers were not accepted as a part of the higher society class, to which his entire lineage belonged.

But Taehyung payed little mind to societal norms and settings. The hierarchy didn't make sense to him, what didn't make sense to him he never followed through with.

He did settle for joining the army as his father insisted, and think of it as his karma for the partial disobedience, he was grouped in the labour sect of soldiers, that were responsible for overseeing and helping with the palace extension construction temporarily.

A pebble found it's way under Taehyung's worn out footwear, making him scrunch his nose in discomfort.

"What now."

He lifted his feet and peered at the ground underneath.

Wrong. It wasn't a pebble. It definitely looked a piece of jewellery.

He bent down to examine it closely, picking it up from the dust, blowing over it and rubbing it over the cloth of his hanbok.

Yes, indeed. It was a ring. A beautiful turquoise ring, glowing even in the minimal evening light.

Just then, he caught on the sound of footsteps behind him, hurrying in his direction. He stood up and turned around, the ring within the grip of his fist.

A figure clad in dark blue hanbok rushed towards him, on having getting a closer look, he realised it was this boy from the royal family he knew.

"Ahjussi! Please wait!"

Ahjussi??! The audacity of this kid-

"Did you happen to find a-" the boy broke into a fit of coughing.

Taehyung stood there watching as he struggled to catch his breath.

"a ring, a ring with a blue stone. It was the colour of a clear summer sky. Have you seen it?"

"What's your name, anyway?"

"Huh?" The boy looked confused at his answer, or rather question.

"We see each other often at the palace but I can't quite remember who you are. Are you the son of the royal cook? Or the king's concubine?"

The boy's eyes widen in disbelief, his face slowly starting to grow red from anger and embarrassment.

"WHO DID YOU DARE CALL THE SON OF THE ROYAL COOK? DO I LOOK LIKE A SERVANT TO YOU??"

"Do I look like an ahjussi to you??"

Taehyung pat himself on the back, not caring one bit about the consequences if the kid does indeed happen to belong from the royal family.

The boy in blue hanbok takes a deep breath, and offers him a slow nod.

"I don't really have time for this, have you seen a ring around or not?"

"I did happen to see one, but why should I give you that information for free? It's clearly precious to you," Taehyung stated, tone cheeky. He had no plans to let the offender get by easily.

The kid took another deep breath in, clearly trying to keep his rage within.

"Alright, what do you need from me? What can I offer as trade? Name it, you shall have it."

"Hmm, let's see."

He pretended to think, but Taehyung knew very well what he wanted from the kid.

"Let me know your name."

The boy's eyes widen again, but with surprise this time.

"That's it? You're a strange person. I'm Jeon Jungkook, cousin of the 2nd prince. No, my mother was married to His Majesty's younger sibling, I'm not the son of a concubine."

So he indeed was from the royal branch. If Taehyung had any modesty left in him, he decided it would be the right time to put it to use.

He corrected his posture, putting his feet together and his hands on his either sides. Then he bowed his head.

"Greetings, young prince."

The prince chuckled, making Taehyung peek up from his lowered position.

"You are indeed so strange. One moment, you had all the courage in the world to tease me, but look at you now!"

Taehyung took an instant liking to his laughter. It reminded him of the feeling walking through clouds on his uphill trips.

He straightened back up and smiled sheepishly. The weight in his hands suddenly made him realise him that he was in possession of the ring the prince was so desperately looking for.

He thought maybe this one risk was probably the biggest and last risk he would take in his life.

"Well, I happen to have the ring you are looking for, Your Highness. But there's something else I'm willing to trade it for."

The prince burst out in another fit of laughter. "Now that's unfair! Although I am going to grant it either way, so mention it."

Taehyung grinned slyly, his hand moving on it's own accord sneakily and taking the prince's hand in a gentle hold, catching him off guard.

"What-"

Yes, he could probably get severaly punished for touching a prince without his permission, but Taehyung had little space in his head for after thoughts.

He brought his hand up in the space between them, the young prince allowing him to lead, albeit a little reluctant at first.

Taehyung uncurled the fist of his other hand, revealing the ring resting right in the middle of his palm.

The prince gasped. "You had it with you!"

Taehyung noded, and then proceeded to slip on the ring over the middle finger of the prince's hand. It fit him perfectly, in royalty and in appearance.

The prince let out another gasp.

"What I ask in return for finding this for you is your friendship. Will Your Highness honour this royal soldier by being his companion?"

The prince was bewildered through and through, but he let out another fit of giggles.

"You are so beyond me, I have never met someone like you before. Of course, have it your way. You have my permission to come meet me at the palace, although I wonder if you even care about permissions at all."

Taehyung bit his lip at those words, letting Jungkook's hand go and allowing himself to feel a bit embarrassed.

"Would you look at that! Seems like a nasty wound. How did you get it?"

The prince pointed at his forearm, making Taehyung grant it some attention again.

"Oh, it's nothing for a courageous soldier as me, say, would you like to visit my place and have some tea before you go?"

The prince, still eyeing the cut on his skin, shook his head.

"I hate to decline your offer, my friend-"

"Taehyung-"

"Taehyung. I have already delayed my trip back home a lot, mother will not go easy on me for it" he chuckled. "Although I would love to visit some other day. Thank you for your invitation though, I'm very pleased."

They smiled at each other, Taehyung knew it then that him and the young prince would become really great friends. He couldn't feel happier about it, he was so excited to watch it unfold.

From the next day onwards, Taehyung started to have a better time at the day labour. He would help around as much as he could, excusing himself in between to go meet with Jungkook, who would be waiting for him in the royal garden.

Sometimes, the prince would have his personal maidservant serve them some of the delicacies he would save from the royal breakfast.

As Taehyung munched on it, he would recite to Jungkook about his life outside the palace, and the prince would listen attentively, eyes big and curious. What Jungkook found the most interesting were his philosophical thoughts on life itself, it was refreshing to hear from someone who did not read off the books or share the same stereotypical thought process as the elders.

As they continued to spend more time together, roaming among the garden bushes or walking along the streets on way to taehyung's home in the evening, they began to find their solace in each other.

For Taehyung, the prince was like nature, a pretty view and a fulfilling company to bask in the presence of. As time passed by, and as the turquoise on Jungkook's ring started to lose it's lusture, Taehyung was back to training as a soldier in the backyard of the palace, the prince having more freedom and opportunity to indulge him in his daily life. Their friendship continued to bloom, and perhaps, the coming spring would bless them with more. But Taehyung and Jungkook wouldn't miss a day of their lives, or of the sweetness they shared; in the desserts the young prince would grab from royal kitchen, and in their laughters together.

"Taehyung, do you want to get promoted as the army general?" the prince asked one evening, as they lay on the soft meadowy earth of the garden. The violet sky kept turning a shade darker with evey passing hour, but Taehyung had informed his family of his overnight stay at the palace that day, hence not having to worry about heading home early.

Taehyung yawned, then turned over to look at Jungkook. The prince looked pretty as always, the evening light falling on his fair cheeks like a rose blush, the stars reflecting in his eyes like glistening gems.

"I don't know, I happen to do well in the training and my father might be too proudy about it, but my heart does not feel content."

Jungkook smiled, a soft, radiant smile. His hand stretched across the space between them, his palm open. He placed it over Taehyung's chest, where his heart beat picked up a little.

"What does soldier Kim Taehyung's heart really want?" he spoke in a low voice, eyes staring into his soul.

Taehyung gulped. This was a feeling he had never felt before, although unsettling, he found an odd bliss in it.

His own hand crept over Jungkook's, settling atop of it.

"Can you sing for me?"

Jungkook chuckled. "I can never get used to your unexpected answers, can I? Yes, I can sing for you. I don't know many songs, but this one that mother used to sing me to sleep..."

He shut his eyes close, Taehyung followed the suit.

Soon, a melodious humming filled the silence around them.

Taehyung smiled in satisfaction. He had had a feeling the prince would sing beautifully.

His honey voice and breathy tone occupied his all his senses to the brim, bereft him of all other thoughts and sensations.

You, my darling, are the beauty of the blue moon, a rare sight, healing for sore eyes~

Taehyung observed the voice near him slowly, then he felt the weight of body above his. He felt gentle fingertips tracing his cheekbones.

Taehyung fell in love with music when he was a teenager, attnending the autumn festival where a local choir and a troop of dancers entertained the crowd.

Under the startlit sky, the shadows of the trees, drowning in the melody of an angelic voice, he found himself falling in love again.

His eyes opened slowly, eyelashes fluttering as he locked gazes with the prince.

His sight traced the contours of his face, each harmonius feature. And when those lips stopped moving, he raised himself a little on his arms, and pressed his own against them.

'This is what my heart wants. This is all my heart ever wanted.'

A hand adorned with the turquoise blue ring glinting in the starlight, came up to hold his face, the coolness of the metal against his warm skin making Taehyung smile.

When did he ever care about the norms, anyway?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The end.

[taesmassiveass]

Sirens in my head || tk

(this is just a drabble)

the heavily pouring rain left little hope for the young man to leave for his humble abode on foot. and of course, he wouldn't, couldn't and shouldn't ever have thoughts of staying any longer at his office cabin.

a thin film of gently running water covered the streets as the rain continued to fall. the man watched the scene before him, with despair clearly showing in his eyes. he sighed, and stepped back, shielding himself from the water droplets with the shop's protruding roof above his head.

the phone kept in the breast pocket of his crisp white button down vibrated, followed by a loud ringtone of a trendy kpop beat. typical. he pulled it out and swiped his thumb across the call icon, face set to display the slight annoyance he felt.

"hello?"

"Jeon Jungkook, where are you right now?"

the man holding the phone stood still, regretting not having checked the contact name.

"Evening boss-nim, I'm a few strides away from the office-"

"where exactly?"

oh how Jungkook hated his demanding attitude.

"The dairy shop right beside-"

"have you booked a ride back home yet?"

Jungkook was very much tempted to hang up, but he withheld his intrusive self. Of course his boss is mocking his not-so-rich financial status again.

"not yet, but I am planning to."

"no need for it, stay where you are. I'll be there in a few."

"but boss?? that's not-"

beep beep. the call was hung up before he could complete what he had to say.

Jungkook was perplexed. weren't his working hours over? was there something else the boss needed him for? if that might be the case, he was going to hate his boss evenmore.

workforce exploitation. that's what it was.

Jungkook sighed again, abandoning his train of thoughts and vacantly staring at the wet streets. the lilac evening sky and the streetlights reflected prettily on it's surface.

the ten minutes of silence after the call was interrupted by the whirring tyres of a black SUV, as it rounded around the shop and stood in the space infront of it.

infront of a passively standing Jungkook, who did not even register it's arrival.

one of the doors slided open, and out stepped a tall, lean man, slightly broad shoulders set in an authoritative stance, dressed in a formal but fashionable sense. definitely very rich.

he stepped onto the gravel, his heeled boots from Celine creating small splashes as he strode towards the man standing underneath the shade of the dairy shop, carrying an umbrella with a purple floral print above his head.

it was then that the young man, too, looked up at him.

into the eyes of his boss.

"Jungkook, let's get you home. it's raining pretty heavily."

Jungkook cleared his throat and stood straighter, politely bowing to his boss. his skin tingled when a hand gently grabbed his shoulders.

"I appreciate the thought a lot, boss-nim, but I really was just about to leave on my own. I can-"

"I know you can." the deep voice spoke, his tone soft but firm. "but I insist. I have a visit to make to a person living nearby too, so I can drop you and drive ahead."

if jungkook felt skeptical, he decided to keep it to himself for the sake of saving both their precious time.

and who was he to deny a free ride home in an expensive car?

the boss smiled as he received a nod of agreement, gesturing with his hand for them to proceed towards the car.

as they walked under the same umbrella, Jungkook may have felt the slight bump of a shoulder and some side glances thrown his way. he kept his head down, even as he mounted the vehicle and sat on the opposite row of seats.

he wondered how much more pity his boss had left in him.

__________________________________________

Droplets of rain settled over the glass windows as the car drove against the wind and rain. Jungkook stared at the blurred city lights as they passed by, his mind hazy with thoughts and the proximity which he shared with his boss. He sighed softly, feeling awkward more than ever.

Should he make conversation?

He cleared his throat. "H-have you had lunch, Boss-"

"Taehyung."

"Huh?"

Jungkook turned his head slightly at the unexpected answer and it's slightly annoyed tone.

"We're off working hours, I would appreciate it if you could just call me by my name."

call me by my name.

Jungkook swore he could bleakly hear the sirens going off in his head.

"Oh, well, please excuse me Sir as I understand it we aren't very close-"

"Then let's make this a start! Let's get to know each other well!" His boss- Taehyung- smiled at him. So soft, so polite.

Polite? Jungkook liked, no, appreciated politeness. He was aware he himself didn't possess a lot of that attribute, but he didn't have the heart to refuse a kind request.

The sirens in his head continued to buzz, but he sat upright and turned a little more to face Taehyung.

He was indeed one gorgeous man, almost too much. It bothered Jungkook for no legal reason.

"A-alright, umm, Taehyung. Have you had lunch? If you would like to stop by at mine-"

"Thank you for asking Jungkook, you are so kind. Yes I would love to stop by. I did miss lunch so it's a pleasant surprise to me that you asked." His smile widened in a manner that was...adorable? And his eyes turned into crescents.

Why did Jungkook not like him? As it was, he was very gentlemanly indeed.

Oh and did he say yes to stopping by his place?

The alarms in the back of Jungkook's mind, and perhaps his heart too, got louder by a pitch.

"Yeah. Sure."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Right here, that's the gate to my apartment."

Jungkook pointed ahead, his doe eyes slightly wide. He turned to look at his boss, who noded.

The driver swerved the car around an alley with enough space to park. As the ignition was turned off, Jungkook gulped.

Was he stupid to ask his boss to visit his place? He was pretty sure the hygiene and food and space at his apartment would not be problem, Jungkook himself was very particular about those stuff.

Although, he wasn't sure why his boss so readily agreed either.

"Shall we get out now, Jungkook-ssi? I will hold the umbrella for you."

Saying that, Taehyung pulled the door handle and pushed it open. It was still pouring outside and the damp, petrichor laden air rushed into the car.

Jungkook took a small breath in an attempt to relax his anxious heart.

While Taehyung got out of the car and was setting the umbrella up, he shifted over to the doorway and peeped out.

A hand immediately came up to him, palm open.

Without much thought, he grabbed it and step down from the car, not very gracefully as he splashed some water over his own feet. He heard Taehyung let out a breathy giggle, so he looked up.

"I'm sorry, it was just...cute."

Jungkook could feel his face warming up.

"Shall we go now, Jungkook?"

He nodded, starting to walk a step ahead of his boss.

Embarrassing, how embarrassing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The doors of the elevator opened on the third floor. Jungkook stepped out first, Taehyung followed him closely.

The corridors were spacious and clean, there were artificial potted plots here and there along the corners. It looked like an upper class apartment, although not exactly luxurious.

Jungkook walked up to the fourth door.

"Here. This is my flat" he declared, without turning to look at his boss. His hands shook a little as he struggled to punch in the code.

"It looks nice and decent. I'm curious about your interior design though, seeing as you work in the architecture sect."

Of course. Of course he is mocking his 'lesser rich' economic status again.

Jungkook bit his tongue and nodded a curt nod in response. Why did he think his boss would like being anywhere that's not chandelier ceilings and shining smooth glassy tiles and-

"Is something wrong? With the door?"

A hand came to rest over his shoulders, a hot gush of breath fanning over the back of his neck that effectively shut the voices in his mind up.

"No it's, sorry, I was just, umm, thinking." He mumbled to himself more, finally entering the code right and inserting the key after an affirmative beep from his door lock.

As the key turned in the notch, his heart skipped a beat.

Okay....here he is, inviting the boss he doesn't like all too much over at his place.

He strode in at a slow pace, much to cover up for his stuttering confidence. Taehyung stepped in behind him, Jungkook watched him elegantly untie his shoes and set them over the shoe rack. He then stood up to reach for the door knob and pushed it shut.

When he turned around, his eyes met Jungkook's. Taehyung smiled.

Jungkook could sense he was nervous too. He would dare say it was adorable again if he himself wasn't slightly shaking.

"Um, don't bother for too much, I will happily have whatever is available."

"It's no bother, please take a seat."

Jungkook gestured towards his sofa, Taehyung followed gratefuly and sat himself down.

If he was less nervous, he would appreciate the way his boss's legs beautifully folded on over the other. How perfectly business class mannered.

"Would you like some water?" He asked, eyes still outlining the presence on the couch.

If Taehyung noticed, he only raised a subtle smirk. "Yeah sure, thank you!"

"And that's how Seungmin found himself behind the bars. Honestly, the day his wife divorced him I was entirely convinced he was a troublesome man."

Taehyung nodded his head agreeing.

"I didn't think the architecture department would have so much tea to give."

Jungkook giggled. "We just happen to look nerdy, wait till you hear from the other employees. They are even more invested in what goes around than me."

The boss let out a soft laugh. It reminded Jungkook of church bells.

How did they get here again?

Well, long story short, Taehyung was indeed a charming conversationalist. As Jungkook started to get busy in the kitchen, his humble self scurried over to help with whatever he could.

"How's work though? Is everything alright in the sect?" Taehyung asked him.

More like opened the dam to an endless ranting from an employee that had a tons of complaints and gossips bottled up inside.

Taehyung listened to him attentively, nodding here and there and adding some of his own remarks, which much to Jungkook's pleasure, were an ally to his own thoughts.

As the ramen simmered in the soup with the vegetables, Jungkook basked in the silent joy of having someone to talk to and laugh with after a long, long time.

"I have a confession to make." feeling a little confident for some reason, Jungkook blurted out.

What he didn't see coming was his boss freezing up in his seat, eyes widening like a deer in headlight.

"W-what is it about? Should I be worried?"

Even so, his hands moved meticulously as he wiped his mouth with his handkerchief. Jungkook caught himself tracing the outline of his lips for no reason.

The hell is wrong with him? He shook his head, as a response to the question and to come to senses.

"No no! It's just me I promise! I-well" he gulped.

Taehyung gulped too. A soft sigh escaped his lips. "Is this what I'm thinking it is about?"

"No- Wait! What do you mean?"

Jungkook wasn't sure where this conversation was leading to. To be honest, he was a bit scared.

"Taehyung-"

"Please, let me address it first? I have waited for this opportunity for...quite sometime now. I had never thought that I would have a chance but, if this is what I'm thinking it is, please allow me to say it first."

Gone was all composure and elegance that his boss always had. His hands shook as he reached for the glass of water. After taking a sip, and setting the glass down, he looked up.

Jungkook could swear his breathing had halted. Why did he have no clue of what was going on? Had he pulled some trigger that was best left be? Oh he was about to lose his shit.

"S-sure? Go on as you please."

He then did something he definitely didn't think through enough. His boss's hand felt colder under his as he covered it with his own.

Taehyung's face kept getting redder by the second, the embarrassment was beginning to transmit to Jungkook too. He was not sure why.

"Okay, um, Jungkook-ssi, sorry, Jungkook. I-" He lowered his head. "I was hoping you would, I know this is super absurd, but I was hoping you would-" his hand under Jungkook's emerged to instead gently hold it by the fingers "like to go on a d-date with me? I AM AWARE this is so strange coming from your work colleague, a boss at that, but, if that's what you were thinking about too...I'm sorry I couldn't stop myself..."

His eyes locked with Jungkook's wide wide open ones.

"I never ever imagined that you would have something to c-confess too? This gives me so much joy, good lord! I have adored you since the moment you first stepped into my office, I can't explain I just...that's-that's partly why I wanted to drop you off today, I was hoping we could get to talk? I used to believe you found me annoying for some reason..."

His eyelashes cast shadows over his cheeks as he looked down, his lips quivering slightly. The gentle hold he had on Jungkook's hand turned firmer.

"But now that I think about it, maybe I was wrong, maybe I do have a chance? I would be so honoured if-"

The boss pushed his chair back suddenly, standing up and walking around to reach Jungkook's side. His knees struck the floor, making the dumb founded man gasp for a change.

"if you, perfect and gorgeous, Jeon Jungkook, would go out on a date with me."

As the silence settled after the question, all Jungkook could hear were the sirens in his head, loud and clear.

It had to be the craziest twist to an evening Jungkook had ever lived.

Kim Taehyung, the boss he seemingly despised, not only grew on him but, but ended up asking him out? If you would tell intern Jungkook of three years ago that he would be the crush of this insanely beautiful man, he would smack you on the head and tell you to mind your business.

Right, because, because maybe Jungkook had taken a liking to his boss, when he first stepped into his office too. The pretty, long fingers that reached out to hand him his employee ID, the warmth in the smile offered. But it annoyed Jungkook because Taehyung, his boss came from a world of luxuries and classic beauties. What would he ever see in him, a middle class young adult struggling to avail a livelihood.

Maybe Jungkook despised his boss because he forced himself to find faults in everything he did. That would keep him anchored to the shore.

Had it, though?

Jungkook wasn't clueless, but he would gladly delude himself into believing just that if it meant for him to not desire something and someone he had no chance at having.

Now, those walls came crashing down. Maybe the fissures in them had always existed, even though Jungkook desperately tried to cover up with whatever dirt he could find.

His head was spinning, his jaw aching from his mouth being hung open for so long.

Should he...should he let himself be honest for once? There was no harm in trying, was there?

It was Taehyung, the man in question. Beautiful Taehyung that had a kind heart, a charming but genuine smile that had Jungkook's heart skipping a beat everytime.

The sirens in his head continued to blare, louder and louder, and louder....until they started to sound melodic.

Until his heart began to sway to that melody.

While the confession Jungkook was going to make would have been about anything but this, maybe this twist to his story was an intervention of fate, instead of being just silly misunderstanding.

He licked his lips, grounding himself. Taehyung's grip on his hands had gotten tighter but not by any means, hurtful.

Jungkook's free hand moved on it's own accord, his fingers curling under Taehyung's chin and lifting his face up gently.

He looked into his hopeful eyes, and saw nothing but genuineness. Just as he had expected. Just as he had hoped.

"Kim Taehyung," his thumb gently caressed the soft skin of his cheek, the warmth in the touch reminding him that all of it was indeed, very much real. "I would love to go out on a date with you. Thank you for asking me out first, I wouldn't ever have been brave enough."

And the blinding smile that spread over his boss's face was so worth the honesty. So so worth it.

__________________________________________

The End.