Chapter Text
The gold calligraphy stood out against the dark blue background - elegant in its details, perfect with the margining. The card was thick, each event having its own special card, colour coded to the theme that was written in cursive at the very bottom, just an inch away from the borders.
Every card read the same thing: Kim Taehyung and Park Jimin cordially invite you to their wedding festivities.
And right next to the cards was a thicker brown envelope titled - Dissolution of marriage between Kim Seokjin and Jeon Jungkook.
Jungkook sat on the couch, bags packed in his room, looking around at a place that he once called home that was nothing more than a place to rest his eyes and cook a meal or two. He could hear Jin shuffling around the other room, probably packing his bags as well. There were boxes laying all over the apartment divided into three categories: Jin’s stuff, Jungkook’s stuff, Things to fight for during mediation.
Jungkook stared at the ceiling wondering when it was that a love that ran so deep could somehow run out so quickly. When did falling in love come with a fine print that there was a possibility of falling out of love? Was this the reason that fairytales never show what happens after the prince gets his princess?
There was so much faith put in the ellipses that came after ‘and they lived happily ever after.’
Too much faith put after it that Jungkook never thought about what ever happened next.
…so much so that his happily ever after ran out all too soon, and he began to wonder if he would ever get to feel it again.
“The car will be here in 10 minutes.” Jin said, the only words spoken to Jungkook for the first time that morning.
But he shouldn’t be surprised. It’s been like this for a while. What used to be two stars orbiting each other in a galaxy turned to them drifting apart with an endless vacuum in between them. They used to be able to spend time alone in a room together in a silence so comfortable that it often put them to sleep. But now, they couldn’t even be in a space together for more than 3 minutes without tension and negativity filling the room.
Jungkook’s backpack felt heavier on his shoulders, the weight of a dissolving marriage neatly compacted in a brown envelope, the burden of this secret weighing him down.
“Hyung.” He whispered into the room, a lump growing in his throat, staring at the lint on the floor beside the leg of the coffee table.
Jin didn’t even bother to acknowledge him, cold, face impassive as he scrolled through his phone.
“Hyung?” Jungkook tried again.
Jin looked up this time. Jungkook wanted to believe that his poker face was that good, but he knew better. Of course he knew better. Standing in front of him was what once the love of his life - he had memorised everything about Jin, from the way he spoke softly into the night sky, whispering compliments and promises about how he would love Jungkook till he breathed his last breath. He knew Jin when he was angry but trying to hide it - eyebrows lightly furrowed, eyes narrowed, ears red as he pursed his mouth while trying to calm himself down. He knew him when he was sad, a plastic smile on his face pretending like everything is normal when really he was breaking inside.
The secret to Kim Seokjin’s expressions have always been in his eyes. - those pools of hazel that glimmered in the sunlight and Jeon Jungkook was all too eager to drown in them.
Jungkook would like to believe that Jin had his poker face on, but he knew better. He knew that Jin was trying to hide the hurt that came with being with him. He knew that the elephant in the room was stifling. He knew that the second that they stepped back into this house that once used to be a home, that there would be no more them.
But then again, was there even a them to salvage? They were Romans living in the rubble of the ruins of an empire that was their relationship.
“Hyung, they don’t know about us.” Jungkook reminded him.
“I know.”
“They don’t know about the divorce.” Jungkook said.
Jin sighed, “I already told you that I know.”
“Hyung we have to at least pretend that we’re happy there,” Jungkook said, “I don’t want Jimin hyungs and Taehyung hyung’s wedding to be tainted with our drama.”
Jin put his phone away, sighing as he did, “What do you want me to do, Jungkook? Pretend like we’re in this perfect, happy marriage?”
“It’s just for a few days,” Jungkook tried to reason with him, “We don’t even have to do much. Maybe a smile here and there, hold hands a couple of times, and sleep in the same room. The only thing we can’t do is fight. This whole trip is meant for us to celebrate love, not ruin it. When we come back, we’ll sign the papers and then you won't have to see me ever again.”
Jin’s face dropped with the last sentence but he quickly composed himself.
“You just have to pretend that you still love me, hyung, that’s it.” Jungkook told him in a soft voice, one that barely carried with the wind. If the house wasn’t so quiet, and wasn't filled with a tense silence that wasn’t so stifling, maybe Jin wouldn’t have heard it.
“And you?” Jin said finally.
“What about me?”
“Would you be pretending too?”
Jungkook smiled ever so slightly, eyes flitting down to Jin’s hand where the phone was ringing, the gold band catching the light, glinting off it so brightly that Jungkook almost believed that they were still that couple that were madly in love, “I’ve been pretending like I’ve been happy for a while, hyung. This is second nature for me.”
Jungkook got off the couch, hoisting his bag further up his shoulder, the brown envelope suddenly weighing more than it did a few minutes ago.
“Come on,” Jungkook said, walking past Jin to the luggage bags, “The driver is here.”
Jin looked out the window of the plane, stretching his legs out in business class, with a glass of red wine in his hand. He couldn’t help but think how the Jin of the past would be so disappointed in present him right now. What would that Jin do? How could he possibly tell him about the breakdown of the one relationship that he held so close to his chest, protecting it from the world, shielding it from rain and only ever showing it sunshine so that he could nurture it and watch it grow.
He could faintly see Jungkook’s reflection from the window of the plane. The clouds glossed over it every so often, yet, Jin didn’t look away at all. There was a faint smile that grew on Jungkook’s face as he brought a forkful of food to his lips while watching a show on the television provided. Jin couldn’t help but smile along, remembering all the times that he was the reason for Jungkook’s joy.
Now, he couldn’t even remember the last time that Jungkook smiled around him.
Things really have gone down south and the worst part was that neither of them knew when they started on the spiral - one small argument turned to a fight that lasted days, turned to neither of them wanting to talk about it so they swept it under the rug, until they got into the next fight and the next, and the next. Before they knew it, the only dust left was the remainder of their relationship.
Jin leaned his head back into the soft pillow, shutting his eyes, thinking back to the first time that he met Jungkook - wide eyed, toothy grin and an over enthusiastic, “Hi! I’m Jungkook! Namjoonie hyungie has told me so much about you! Nyoomnie hyung too!” Jin was so enamoured by the stars in Jungkook’s eyes ready to form constellations that he barely even registered Yoongi’s playful scolding from the back, “It’s Yoongi! Not Nyoomnie.”
College was a simpler time for them. In college they didn’t have to worry about the future. They didn’t have to worry about any of the adult stuff. They were there for one thing and one thing only and that was to get a degree in their hand. Finding love was a bonus, one that both Jin and Jungkook could agree to.
They didn’t think about any future that didn’t involve the other. They would sit underneath the stars every night and build a house together, room by room, putting love and warmth into it to kindle a fire and calling that a home.
“We could get a dog, hyung,” Jungkook said one day, curling up closer to Jin underneath the blanket, head on his chest as he built upon a dream, “A big one! One that’s like an overgrown puppy!”
“But I have you, baby, why would I need another overgrown puppy?” Jin teased.
Who knew that the same people whose love kindled a fire was the reason that the house burnt to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.
From where he was sitting, he could see Jungkook immersed in the inflight movie, eyes wide, spoon clutched so tightly in his hand as he finished the last of the cheesecake in his bowl. He gasped and jumped ever so slightly in response to the movie. He looked down at his bowl when the spoon scraped nothing and frowned.
Jin flagged down the cabin crew as she was passing by and gave his uneaten bowl of cheesecake to her.
“Can you give this to the man over there? Don’t tell him it’s from me.” Jin said, “Just say that you had extra lying around.”
She looked at him quizzically but nodded anyway.
Jin went back to pretending like he was looking out the window when he was really staring at Jungkook’s reflection.
He watched when the cabin crew lightly tapped him on the shoulder and bent down to whisper something to him. Jungkook nodded excitedly and thanked her multiple times, eyes sparkling like the first day that he met him. Jin couldn’t help the smile that stretched over his face.
He leaned back in his seat and sighed, Had things been different, he could have given the cheesecake to Jungkook who would have been seated right next to him. He could have been on the receiving end of his smile; maybe he would even have gotten a kiss on the cheek as Jungkook leaned on his arm and continued watching his movie.
For now, he would have to watch as Jungkook received happiness from people who weren’t him all while he lived in regret, falling down an abyss, getting cut from the rubble of a destroyed relationship and fragments of hearts that could never be put back together.
Bags were collected from overhead bins and sunglasses were put on as they exited the aircraft. Jin bent down to ‘tie his shoelaces’ when in reality he was waiting for Jungkook to emerge from the aeroplane.
"The driver should be outside with a placard with our names on it,” Jungkook said as he read off the phone, “Courtesy of Jiminie hyung and Taehyungie hyung.”
Jin nodded.
“Did you manage to catch some sleep?” Jungkook asked as he pushed the sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Just a little,” Jin answered.
Jungkook stopped walking.
“What’s wrong?” Jin asked.
“Hyung, we can’t -” Jungkook started to say but cut himself off halfway through. He took a deep breath and tried to frame his sentence differently, “If we keep acting like this, it’s going to be obvious to everyone and anyone who even comes into our general vicinity that somethings wrong.”
Jin pinched the bridge of his nose, “What do you want me to do, Jungkook?! I didn’t even say anything!”
“And that’s the problem!” Jungkook shouted, only to catch himself. He shook his head, “Just…”
“What? Just what?” Jin snapped.
“Pretend like you can stand me for a few days, hyung. That’s all I ask,” Jungkook begged, “I don’t want the other hyungs to remember this wedding as the one where Jin and Jungkook fought constantly. I just…I want them to think love can last, at least that’s what I thought at our wedding.”
“Jungkook….” Jin sighed.
“I’ll go get our bags.” Jungkook mumbled as he hiked his bag up his shoulders, walking away from Jin.
“Welcome! Welcome!” Jimin greeted enthusiastically, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair, champagne flute half empty with Taehyung by his side as he greeted both Jin and Jungkook as soon as they got out of the car.
Before they could even say a word, their luggage was taken from their hands and replaced with a glass of champagne.
“Are we the first to arrive?” Jungkook asked, blinking as he took in the scenery around him.
The mansion was huge, spanning what Jungkook was sure was acres of land, all rented for the week especially for the wedding festivities. There were signboards posted near the stone staircase, vines wrapped around it, leading to perfectly trimmed hedges that spanned the pathway. From where Jungkook was standing, he could see people ambling along the path, some even on the field, and others drinking out of teacups near the patio.
This mansion was a world of its own.
“You’re actually one of the last,” Taehyung said, arm around Jimin’s waist, sipping on orange juice instead of champagne.
“Well, one of the last of the important people,” Jimin amended, “There are others coming tonight and tomorrow, but we don’t really care about them.”
“And who are the important people exactly?” Jin asked.
“You see those three idiot hyungs coming down the staircase by the pool?” Jimin giggled as he pointed with his glass, gesturing behind Jin and Jungkook.
Jungkook gasped, eyes widening in excitement, “There’s a pool?!”
“And a jacuzzi!” Taehyung matched his excitement.
“Look who finally decided to grace us with their presence.” Yoongi teased.
“It’s the OG married couple!” Hoseok yelled with a huge grin, hugging Jin and Jungkook in greeting.
Jungkook tried not to wince at the comment, reminding himself that to his friends, he was still one half of a perfect marriage. He needed to remind himself that for the next however many days that he was going to be here, he was going to play his part of being the ideal husband; one that could actually keep a marriage.
This was a whole world by itself, and in this world, Jungkook was still a happy man. He was still a man in love. He was the other half to Kim Seokjin….
In this world, Jungkook could pretend that the love of his life loved him back.
“Are you nervous at all?” Jin asked Taehyung and Jimin, taking a sip of champagne.
Taehyung shook his head, “I’m not.”
“If anything, I’ll just pretend like we’re you and Jungkook when we get married. That way-” Jimin started to say but was cut off by Jungkook.
The words tumbled out of his mouth before he even realised he said it:
“Don’t.”
Silence weighed down on the 7 of them. They turned to look at Jungkook, who barely registered the comment until he felt the stares of his friends and soon to be ex husband boring down on his skin.
“I-I-” Jungkook stammered out, throat closing up when he realised what he had done, “I just mean that trying to emulate someone else takes away from the authenticity and the uniqueness that is your relationship. Why would you want to be us, hyungs? You’re perfect on your own.”
The awkwardness dissipated just as quickly as it came. Jin glared at him for a second longer but put his mask back on, squeezing the hand that was on Jungkook’s waist. Jungkook tried to hide behind the alcohol, sipping on it as he looked anywhere else that wasn’t at his friends.
“Who knew our little Jungkookie who used to cry when got teased could be so wise, hmm?” Hoseok teased.
“It’s the marriage, Hoba," Namjoon said.
When Jungkook looked up, he saw Yoongi raise an eyebrow at him, studying his every expression as if he knew something that no one else did. But Jungkook simply smiled, a fake one, plastic one that he hoped would throw Yoongi off the scent.
“Come, let me show you guys to your room. You must tired from the long journey,” Taehyung said.
“See you guys later!” Hoseok waved.
“What the fuck was that?!” Jin yelled as soon as the door closed behind him.
Jungkook sat on the bed with his hands in his lap, wringing his fingers together as he stared down at the carpet.
“It just slipped out,” Jungkook mumbled, “I didn’t mean for it to-”
“You can’t lecture me about keeping it together and pretending like we’re this big happy family and then go around and do shit like that, Jungkook!”
“I know, hyung.” Jungkook muttered. He sniffled ever so slightly and said a small, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Jin finally looked at him, small, curled up within himself as he sat on the edge of the bed, guilt wrecking him, fiddling with his fingers so he wouldn’t break down. All he wanted to do was sit next to him and take him in his arms the way he used to be able to.
But he didn’t have the right to anymore.
“I’m going for a shower.” Jin said, bristling past him to the bathroom.
Jungkook took a deep breath to collect himself. He stood up and walked out of the room, not knowing where he was going but wanting some fresh air anyway. He shot smiles at everyone he saw, small ones that he hoped would pass off as someone who was excited about their friends wedding.
He kept walking, following the path, turning right at junctions, trying to find the one closest to the smell of comfort that he was looking for.
“Drink, sir?” A waiter asked him, carrying a tray full of champagne flutes, juices and whiskey.
“He’ll take champagne, and I’ll have a whiskey.” Came a voice behind him, grabbing two glasses.
“Yoongi hyung?”
“Come on,” Yoongi said, walking in front of Jungkook, leading him to a quiet spot that overlooked the garden. There were fields of flowers of different species, none of which Jungkook knew, but he knew sights - and this was a beautiful one.
The breeze was chilly, enough to have Jungkook leaning into Yoongi’s warmth as he sipped on his champagne. He tucked his hair behind his ear and leaned against the brick pillar of the mansion, sighing ever so slightly.
“How have you been?” Yoongi asked, “Last I heard, you were in the middle of opening your gallery.”
"I took a couple of months off,” Jungkook admitted, “I’m back at it now, but it’s going to be a while before I do any shows.”
“Why? You were so excited to do your first art show. What happened?” Yoongi said more than he asked, fingers holding the top of the crystal glass, ice clinking against the edge of the crystal, condensation dripping onto the brick surface rather than on Yoongi’s jeans.
Jungkook stared off into the garden, eyes fixated on a white flower that had lost one of its petals, swaying in the wind. He wondered if the flower had given up completely, letting the wind drag it to its whimsy, nothing but a rag doll for the wind to use as and when it decided that it was bored.
“Life got in the way, hyung,” Was all Jungkook said.
“Jungkook-ah.” Yoongi said, setting his half empty glass down onto the bricks of the balcony wall, wiping his hand on his jeans as he commanded attention from Jungkook.
The younger boy hummed, turning ever so slightly to face Yoongi.
“I’m only going to ask you this once, and I’ll take whatever answer you give me as the truth,” Yoongi said.
“Don’t, hyung. You know I can’t lie to you.” Jungkook whispered, bordering on a plea.
Yoongi didn’t listen.
“Jungkook, are you and Jin hyung okay?” Yoongi asked.
Jungkook looked back at the garden, trying to find the flower that he had come to take comfort in only to have lost it in the sea of other flowers.
“Jungkook?” Yoongi asked again.
He took a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face as he turned back to look at Yoongi, knowing that he had a ruse to keep up; knowing that if he were to tell Yoongi the truth, he wouldn’t be able to keep up the married act for long. Jungkook had already ruined one marriage, and he’d be damned if he ruined another.
With the utmost conviction, diving into the character that was the Jungkook of this world, he said, “We’re fine, hyung. We’re just tired from the journey, that’s all.”
He turned back to the garden, taking a long gulp of his champagne, ignoring Yoongi’s hard stare from the side, as he spotted the flower from before. Jungkook watched as another petal broke off from the white flower, being swept up in the breeze that brushed through the garden, and he watched as it floated away, away, away, further and further from the flower.