Late at night, Jungkook was winding down in his room, replaying the day's events in his mind. Eunwoo's question kept echoing in his head, and worse, Taehyung's unexpected reaction. He sighed, rolling onto his side, trying to shake off the unease. Just as he was about to drift into sleep, a gentle knock echoed against his door.
He froze.
Another knock followed, steady... familiar.
Slowly, Jungkook pushed himself up and crossed the room. When he opened the door, Taehyung stood there, the hallway light casting a soft glow around him. There was something rare in his eyes tonight—a softness that made Jungkook's heart skip.
"Did I wake you?" Taehyung asked, his voice low.
Jungkook shook his head quickly, surprised he couldn't find his voice immediately. It wasn't like Taehyung to come to him at this hour.
"No... I was just... thinking," Jungkook finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Taehyung gave a small nod. "May I come in?"
Wordlessly, Jungkook stepped aside, giving him space. Taehyung entered slowly, his gaze sweeping across the neat room before landing back on Jungkook. The air between them grew heavier, thick with unspoken words.
They sat down, facing each other, a cautious distance apart. Jungkook fidgeted slightly under Taehyung's steady gaze.
"I wanted to talk about today," Taehyung began after a moment, his tone quiet. "I saw you with Eunwoo... It looked like something private."
Jungkook stiffened, glancing away for a moment before meeting Taehyung's eyes again. "Eunwoo... he saw us the other night. Outside the café. After the project meeting."
Taehyung's brow lifted slightly, waiting.
"He asked me if... if there's something between us," Jungkook said, voice dropping lower. "He thinks it's more than just... professor and student."
Taehyung's face remained calm, almost too calm, but Jungkook caught the way his jaw tensed ever so slightly.
"And what did you tell him?" Taehyung asked, his voice softer now, almost cautious.
Jungkook swallowed, his fingers curling slightly into the fabric of his pants. "I told him... we're just professor and student. That there's nothing more."
A long silence stretched between them. Taehyung's lips pressed into a thin line before he slowly stood up. Jungkook's eyes followed him, his heart racing as Taehyung closed the distance between them with slow, deliberate steps.
Taehyung stopped in front of him, gazing down intently.
"Is that really all we are, Jungkook?" he asked quietly.
Jungkook's breath caught. His chest tightened painfully, overwhelmed by the weight of Taehyung's question. He tried to speak, but the words tangled in his throat.
"I... I don't know," Jungkook whispered finally. "We're married, but... you're my professor. And at college, everything feels... complicated. I didn't know what else to say."
His voice broke slightly at the end, and he hated how vulnerable he sounded. But Taehyung didn't mock him or turn away. Instead, he reached out gently, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Jungkook's ear. His fingers lingered for a second longer, brushing Jungkook's cheek.
"Here," Taehyung murmured, "it's just us. No college. No rules. Just us."
Jungkook's chest tightened painfully at the sincerity in Taehyung's eyes. His heart hammered against his ribs, the sound loud in the silence between them.
"Taehyung..." he breathed out.
Taehyung cupped his cheek gently, his thumb stroking across Jungkook's skin in a slow, almost reverent motion.
"I know I've kept my distance," Taehyung whispered. "I thought it was the right thing to do. But... I realize now that I don't want to anymore. I can't."
Jungkook's eyes burned. He didn't dare move, afraid the moment would shatter if he even breathed too hard.
"What are you saying?" he whispered shakily.
Taehyung leaned in slowly, resting his forehead against Jungkook's. They closed their eyes, breathing in the closeness, the unsaid emotions wrapped around them.
"I'm saying..." Taehyung murmured, "that this marriage, however it started... it's not just an arrangement to me anymore. You're not just a student to me anymore."
Jungkook's eyes opened, wide and vulnerable, meeting Taehyung's gaze up close. The sincerity there shattered whatever defenses he had left.
"Taehyung... I..." Jungkook tried to speak, but emotion clogged his throat.
Before he could finish, Taehyung closed the final distance, brushing his lips softly against Jungkook's. It was a tentative kiss, gentle and almost hesitant, like a question. Jungkook froze for a second before instinctively leaning into it, his hands finding their way to Taehyung's chest, feeling his heart beating wildly beneath his palm.
Their kiss deepened slowly, a tender exploration, filled with everything they hadn't dared to say aloud. When they finally broke apart, they stayed close, breathing each other in.
"You've changed me, Jungkook," Taehyung whispered against his lips, his voice raw.
Jungkook smiled, a small, trembling smile that he couldn't suppress even if he wanted to. His hand came up, resting against Taehyung's cheek, grounding himself in the warmth he found there.
"I'm glad you came to my door tonight," Jungkook said, his voice just as soft.
Taehyung leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering closed for a moment.
"I don't want this to be just a marriage on paper anymore," Taehyung murmured. "I want it to be real."
Jungkook's heart soared and ached at the same time, overwhelmed by the gravity of the moment.
"Me too," he whispered back.
Taehyung pulled him into his arms, holding him close, pressing a lingering kiss to Jungkook's hair. They stayed like that, wrapped in each other, finding a new kind of peace neither had realized they were longing for.
And for the first time since their marriage began, it didn't feel like they were standing on opposite sides of a line.
It felt like they were finally finding their way to each other.