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Taehyung watches as a rather big wave crashes over the shore, the stormy blue of the sea washing into white foam and covering the brown of the sand. It ebbs away and a moment later, as if stumbling home, another wave — smaller, gentler — kisses the shore. It's the beginning of September and despite the awful heat in Seoul, Busan and its ocean breeze bring ease and comfort to Taehyung’s heated mind. Dawn is about to break over the horizon, the last of the stars winking down at him as if aware of how he spent his night.
Taehyung thinks about how many love stories the stars have witnessed and wonders if his will be a favourite of theirs. As silly as it sounds, he hopes so. It feels like that’s where he and Jimin belong, among the stars, bathing in moonlight.
He leans against the wooden fence surrounding the big terrace provided with the honeymoon suite of their hotel and takes a sip of his peach juice. Not far from where he’s standing, a couple of empty bottles of champagne are laying on the ground, having rolled away from their feverish hands hours ago. The half full flutes are back inside, on the bedside table, where Jimin put them before pushing Taehyung down on the bed and climbing over him. On top of the bannister, right by his elbow, there’s a small, mostly empty, plate with strawberry stems and half eaten pieces of chocolate. Taehyung can still taste the sweetness of the fruit exploding against the fuzziness of the drink, he can still feel the dizziness of discovering the same taste on Jimin’s lips.
Against his own lips, the ghosts of Jimin’s smiling kisses taunt him. It’s been a few minutes since their last one and yet, Taehyung feels like a lifetime has gone by. Oh, he’s fully aware he’s being dramatic but he figures, under the circumstances, he’s allowed to be. They’re not officially on their honeymoon yet; stuck in this in between where the festivities have passed but the celebration isn’t really over yet. They decided to wait and travel to Switzerland during winter because Jimin loves the snow and Taehyung loves the idea of Jimin in the snow. From there, they’ll go to Paris for a couple days and then Rome before coming back home to Seoul where the rest of their lives await.
It feels a bit surreal, somewhat dream-like to be here. Finally . After years of living with this truth inside his heart, Taehyung has physical proof of it. He looks down at the ring Jimin slipped on his finger yesterday and feels a frisson travel through him. He belongs.
It’s not anything new. In fact, a certain mundanity has settled over them for a while now. Nothing to fret or worry over; Taehyung loves the idea of being Jimin’s routine; just like the waves love crashing over the shore, Taehyung has always craved coming home to his boyfriend and simply existing with him. While they’ve always found ways to keep their relationship fresh and exciting, there’s only so much they could do to fight… Well, in their case, certainty. There’s always been a level of inevitability to them.
In fact, the day he met Jimin, he was with jungkook. A new restaurant had opened not far from their campus and they’d been dying to try it out. Jungkook took one look at the waiter who was approaching their table to greet them and immediately turned to Taehyung and whispered, “you’re doomed”. Taehyung did have a type and Jimin seemed to check every box; from his confident strut, to his round cheeks. JUngkook turned out to be absolutely right, of course, Taehyung hasn’t looked at anyone else since his eyes met dark brown eyes and sweet rose mouth. Jimin’s crisp white shirt looked like it was just freshly pressed, not one crease on it. It hugged his frame so perfectly, the rolled up sleeve and open collar as enticing as the glimpses of tattoos Taehyung noticed under his silver bracelets. He smiled at them politely, his eyes lingering on Taehyung a tad too long and asked for their order.
Taehyung couldn’t remember how to use his mouth.
“We’re going to need a moment,” Jungkook said, apology written on his face but a barely contained laugh dancing on his lips. JImin nodded and bowed before moving to the next table. They watched him walk away and when Jungkook finally cackled, Jimin tilted his face to cut them a look, an obviously satisfied smile on his lips. Taehyung smiles now thinking about that day and how his hungry eyes followed Jimin over the restaurant as he worked. When he came back to take their order, he stumbled through his order, his mouth dry while Jimin smirked down at him. It didn’t escape either of their notice that the waiter stopped by their table several times, offering more side dishes and chattering away about everything and nothing. Every smile he bestowed on Taehyung felt like a promise.
It was love at first sight and even though they were only twenty-one back then, they somehow beat all the odds.
There was never any real doubt in his mind that today would come. He didn’t know exactly when, obviously, and there have been some hurdles along the way. It wasn’t always easy but Taehyung reckons it’s not love that makes relationships easy, it’s friendship and respect. Love can be so volatile, so tumultuous, so unpredictable; there’s never any guarantee when it comes to it. When he was younger, he used to devour any romantic media he could put his hands on and while he thoroughly enjoyed them and declared himself to be a Romantic at the ripe age of ten, the idea of actually being at someone’s mercy used to terrify him.
Then he met Jimin; sweet, dedicated, goofy, sexy, lovely, endearing, frustrating, annoying, loving, beloved Jimin and being at his mercy became Taehyung’s entire personality. At least for a little while. They eventually settled down into their relationship and into themselves enough to relax. It wasn’t so much about finding the one who would fit him and protect him but rather finding the person who would open up the world for him, make it touchable, make him want to not only explore it but also himself.
Jimin offered him the universe on a silver platter with a promise to hold his hand when it made him stumble. It might seem like the simplest of promises but it changed Taehyung’s life. It allowed him to grow into a version of himself that wouldn’t be afraid to jump into the unknown. He thinks it’s the best gift Jimin has ever given him.
Another wave crashes over the shore, the chaos of their meeting echoing over the beach and Taehyung looks down at his ring finger again. The simple but elegant band feels heavy; like the realest sensation he’s ever felt. Out of all the jumps they took together, this one seems like the least surprising of all and yet, Taehyung can’t quite wrap his head around it. He’s married. He is someone’s husband… He’s Jimin’s husband. He married Jimin just like his younger self had silently promised him.
Maybe it feels surreal because the wedding itself seemed to have happened in another universe, another time. The reception and party are a blur of laughter, tears and gleeful shouts. They danced until their feet hurt, they drank until their tummies rebelled and they kissed until someone (Seokjin) threw water at them. Taehyung can still see his parents over the crowd, their proud, loving gaze on them. Having caught the moment, the slight tremor of Taehyung’s hand, Jimin pulled him closer, a hand secure at his nape. Taehyung’s hands still shake with the happiness of it all. He can still feel his face hurt from smiling too hard as he watched Jimin’s parents and his younger brother wrap their arms around his husband and danced around the dance floor before Jimin grabbed his hand and pulled him into it as well.
It wasn’t perfect but perhaps that’s what made it more memorable and wonderful. Despite the small mishaps and the way his head ached by the time they reached their hotel suite, all he could feel was utter bliss. Jimin pushed him against the door and kissed him like it was the first time, like he’d been dreaming of Taehyung’s lips all his life, like he’d just been granted the only thing he’s ever wished for.
“Taehyung-ah”, he whispered, soft and sweet.
“Hm?” Taehyung hummed as he brushed a kiss over his chin, up his jaw and temple.
“We made it,” he said, his tone grave and awed all at once.
Taehyung splayed his hands over the expanse of his back and pulled him closer. “As we were meant to.”
“Like a wave crashes over the shore,” Jimin smiled and pulled him down for another kiss. Taehyung melted into the kiss and the whole world disappeared.
They spent the whole night just like that, smiling into each other's mouths as they reinvented love over and over again. Taehyung’s body thrums with joy and hums with fatigue and yet neither of them could bring themselves to go to sleep.
“I don’t want this day to ever end,” Jimin whispered right against Taehyung’s nape, his arms and legs wrapped around him.
Taehyung didn’t know what to reply so he simply brought Jimin’s hands to his lips and kissed the softest part of his palm. Now, he stands outside as Jimin showers and wonders if there will ever be another day like that one. It’s already yesterday. It’s already the past, they’re married. It happened, the biggest milestone of their life⸺ of their relationship, is behind them.
Taehyung watches the waves as the sun climbs up the sky and wonders how they feel about meeting every day. Do they ever grow tired? Does it ever get weary? Do they ever mourn the days past or the days where they don’t meet?
Behind him, the balcony door is pulled open and Jimin appears with a towel firmly wrapped around his waist and a smile that puts the sun to shame.
“There you are,” he says as he steps closer and stands just a few feet away. He’s smiling so hard that long dimples carve the side of his lips. His pink cheeks look like peachy dawn skies. Taehyung is enchanted.
He arches an eyebrow when Jimin doesn’t come closer. They’ve known each other for six years and from the moment Taehyung consented to being touched, Jimin has never kept his hands too far away. Some days, it feels like they belong to him as much as they do Jimin.
“You’re not getting shy on me now, are you?” It would be kind of silly, especially after the night they’ve just shared.
Jimin shakes his head and yet he swallows rather noticeably. “You’re my husband.”
Taehyung checks his watch, it’s 6:05 in the morning. “For the past fifteen hours, yes.”
Surprisingly, Jimin’s eyes well up. Jimin is generally the crier of the two but somehow, he’s yet to shed a tear, while Taehyung could barely make it through his vows without sobbing. “You’re my husband,” he repeats as if he’s just realised it. As if they’re the first people to ever wear the title. “I never thought I’d have a husband.”
There’s a lump in Taehyung’s throat now. “Happy with your choice?”
Jimin’s expression shifts from emotional to surprised to annoyed in the blink of an eye. “Yes,” he scowls.
Taehyung puts his hands up, easily surrendering. “Just making sure,” he assures.
“It’s not the husband of it all, although it is completely surreal that I’m married at all ⸺,”
“⸺ you are very marriageable,” Taehyung cuts in just to see Jimin flush which he does. Taehyung loves predictability.
“Shut up. It’s the you of it all that makes this so incredibly unbelievable,” he says. “What if I touch you and you disappear like a mirage? What if I’m suddenly twenty-one again, back in that restaurant, meeting the cutest boy I’ve ever seen? What if this was all just a very elaborate daydream? What if none of it happened and I’m alone again? How will I carry on without you?” HIs voice shakes and it can barely be heard over the sounds of the ocean but Taehyung understands him perfectly well.
“Oh,” he breathes. His heart is hammering away inside his chest and he thinks he’s just fallen in love with his husband. Again. “Well, there’s this,” he says, smiling as he holds up his hand and showing off his wedding band. “And there’s also this,” he adds, pointing to the small moon tattooed on his wrist that represents Jimin and that complements the star tattooed on the side of his hand. “And here, you can even feel it,” he says and presses his ringed hand against Jimin’s flushed cheek. “Do you feel the cold of the band and the warmth of my palm?” Jimin nods. “And when I do this,” Taehyung continues, tilting his face up and giving him a deep kiss, “can you taste the peaches from my lips?”
“I do,” Jimin replies, eyes still closed and eyelashes fluttering. Taehyung deposits a tender kiss between his furrowed brows and they smooth out. “You really are my husband.”
“I really am,” Taehyung chuckles, bringing him closer and wrapping his arms around him. He traces the bumps of his spine, tracing the tattoos there. Jimin shivers and holds him closer. “You’ll never be alone, again, beloved. No matter what happens, I’ll always find your hand, even in the dark.”
His husband presses their cheeks together and whispers, “I’m really happy I took that stupid student job at that stupid restaurant..”
Taehyung chuckles. “Me too.”
Jimin pulls back enough to look at Taehyung’s face. “You looked so deep in thought right then, I almost didn’t want to disturb you.”
“There will never be a moment in my life that won’t be uplifted by your presence,” Taehyung coos.
“Stop being so smooth, you already got me to sign a civil contract that binds me to you,” Jimin scolds.
“For life,” Taehyung grins, making Jimin shake his head fondly. “I mean it, though,” Taehyung counters.
“That’s even worse,” Jimin chuckles. “What were you thinking about?”
“About the stars, the ocean, the sun and the repetition of it all,” he replies.
“What about it?”
Taehyung shrugs. “I just wondered if they ever grow tired of each other even if they can’t help but meet over and over again.”
“Huh,” Jimin frowns. “And what did you conclude?”
“I wasn’t entirely sure but then you walked out and you smiled at me like you do every single morning and I fell in love with you, like I do every single morning and I realised that there’s beauty and comfort and meaning in repetition.”
Jimin stares at him, eyes filling with a thousand emotions as he watches Taehyung say those words. His mouth falls open and Taehyung can’t help but kiss the divide.
“Like waves coming home to the shore,” he continues. “I was a bit sad that our wedding day was over. It went by so fast, I barely had time to register and catalogue every moment. It’s done, we’re married and we’ll never get that day back.”
“Yeah,” Jimin nods. “It is kind of sad.”
Taehyung hums in agreement, cupping his hips and pulling him closer. “But this, right now, is the first day of the rest of our lives. We’ll have so many days to fill with just us, just our love. I think that’s just as exciting as sliding that ring on your finger was.”
Jimin kisses him. “God,” he hisses when he pulls back. “It’s like you want me to ask you to marry me again.”
Taehyung laughs. “Nah, we can’t afford another wedding,” he smiles and Jimin laughs. “I just want you to welcome me home like the shore welcomes the waves every day. Even when they’re angry and loud and messy and too big. Even when they retract into themselves. Even when the sun hides and the stars are too few.”
Jimin pulls him into a kiss so sweet that it fills Taehyung’s belly. “I promise,” he whispers when he pulls back.
“Every day?” Taehyung asks.
“And always,” Jimin nods.
*
the end