jungkook had failed to mention anything about his car besides the brand.

he didn't mention the heated leather seats that felt more like plush recliners, didn't mention the fact the radio had capabilities beyond this world, didn't mention the fact it could parallel park itself- it all felt too luxurious for tae.

the only car he had driven in the last five years was older than dirt, shook whenever he accelerated, and had a missing mirror on the passenger side.

he almost felt guilty sitting in something so posh.

"you have to breath into this so it knows your sober otherwise it won't start..." jungkook stared at the screen on his phone, completely ignoring tae who could only gawk at the contraption in the middle that he was expected to put his mouth on.

"don't you put your... mouth on this though?" tae crinkled his nose- he hated sharing things with friends much less strangers.

"and?" jungkook was disinterested in tae's contempt, "oh, you're disgusted by me?" the boy twisted his head sideways, a single brow raised in curiosity as he studied the words that tae was trying to say, "is it because i've kissed boys? you don't want to catch something?"

clearly he had heard a lot of homophobic backlash to believe that was the reason behind why tae wouldn't want to swap saliva with a stranger, "that's not it at all!" the older promised, his desire to prove it attempting to overcome the germaphobe within him.

"here..." jungkook dug around in the center console, a plastic mouth piece appearing which he quickly replaced, "all brand new, none of my spit has ever touched it, okay?"

"thank you..." tae felt his cheeks tint red at the gesture. he wanted to defend himself further, to tell jungkook it was nothing personal but, the timing felt off. like jungkook was already a thousand steps ahead with his assumptions.

"here's the address." the younger plucked it into the navigation system, "should take you straight there!"

that seemed like a cue that jungkook didn't want to talk. he didn't want to direct traffic. he just wanted to sit alone in his thoughts and wallow.

tae obliged, following the prompts from the gps. the address seemed like it was leading to a house in a nice neighborhood. it was on the outskirts a ways, a decent distance but an easy drive.

tae's suspicion was justified further as he pulled through the gates of a community lined with tall yet thin homes, modern architecture, and lavish gardens surrounding.

it was beautiful, incredible, and yet in the passenger seat sat a man filled with tension. his face contorted in anguish, he barely blinked as they pulled up to what tae could only assume was jungkook's (previous) home.

"she's here..." he muttered under his breath, fists clenched as tae tried to find words to say.

"what is- what are," he had nothing, the circumstance far past his realm of expertise.

"wait here, i'll be back shortly!" it wasn't meant to sound so rude and demanding but it did, enough to make tae recoil into the seat as he stared anywhere but at the sight in front of him-

because before jungkook had even made it to the door, a petite woman was in the driveway, clad in pajamas and a half open robe yet she still looked beautiful. and young.

her face had a youthful glow, eyes narrowed in annoyance at the presence of the man in front of her. tae tried to avoid eavesdropping, really he did, but they were loud and the walls of the car were thin.

"what are you doing here? are you out of your fucking mind?" the woman screamed, pacing barefoot as she continuously stared behind her.

"i just want to see jiwoo- it's not a huge request." jungkook was annoyed, attempting to maintain his cool in front of the face he had come to loathe, the same one he used to pepper kisses over, the same one he had wiped tears from on his wedding day. he continued with his argument, hoping he sounded more convincing than he thought, "nowhere in our agreement did it say that i don't get to see my daughter!"

"are you kidding? you couldn't even drive here yourself because you're not even sober right now, are you?" the sharp finger of his ex-wife jabbed into his chest harshly, "clean yourself up, pull yourself together. then you can see her!"

"that isn't the agreement and you know it!" he couldn't hold it, his voice rising in anger, "she wants to see me. i know she does!"

"you're embarrassing yourself, okay?" condescension dripped with each word, the judgement on her pursed lips; it was evident she had lost all respect for the man she had once called hers, "if you knew anything about her, you'd know how much she needs a structure and a routine and you showing up drunk and at random- that's neither!"

tears of frustration filled jungkook's waterline, his hand balled to a fist as he eyed up a spot in the garage door which he had previously punched through. he felt the urge to do it again, to punch down the whole house if he could have just a single hug from his daughter.

"just for a few minutes!" his bottom lip quivered, "jennie, please!"

she shook her head sadly, her own story written in smudged ink as the lines of what was and what is bled together, "jungkook, not like this. she doesn't deserve this!"

the boy in front of her collapsed into a heap; he was begging, to weak to stand against her, he could only plead, "doesn't she miss me? doesn't she want to see me?" his shoulders shook, a tattered leaf in a storm. jungkook was busted.

"of course she misses you! you're her dad. but she doesn't need you around if you're drunk or like this. she needs you to step up!" jennie's words had dropped to a whisper, a sob caught in her own throat as she recalled having to explain to jiwoo where daddy had been.

as if on cue her little voice echoed across the pavement, bare feet getting dirtier by the second, "daddy!"

"woo, baby!" jungkook was quick to pounce from his spot, his arms wrapping her up in the tightest embrace as he placed gentle pecks across her forehead and cheek.

she erupted in a fit of giggles, tickled by the peach fuzz that had grown above her dad's upper lip, "come home?" at barely two she didn't speak much, enough although most was incoherent.

"no baby, daddy can't come home right now." jungkook tried his best to hide his own tears, not wanting his daughter to feel the second hand sadness, "but soon, okay?"

jennie tugged the toddler from him, cradling a confused jiwoo against her shoulder, "you need to leave." her words were stern, a threat. she'd have to talk with whatever housekeeper let the girl out of their sight and caused this moment of pure heartbreak, "please just fucking leave!"

"mama, bad word..." jiwoo's hand tugged at the loose strands of hair falling from her mother's ponytail.

"daddy has to leave now woo, but i'll see you soon, okay baby? really, really soon?" everyone knew it was an empty promise.

her tiny hand reached for him but she was tugged away before they could connect. it seemed to hurt all parties, each figure in the driveway a sobbing mess over the scene that unfolded.

jungkook crawled back into the passenger seat of the car, wiping at his eyes in embarrassment but it didn't help. the sobs were still wracking his body, uncontrollable as he tried to steady his breathing even a little bit. he had been so desperate to see her, not acknowledging that it hurt worse that way.

"are you okay?" tae's voice was quiet but the car was quieter. a pin could drop and they'd hear it next door.

jungkook could only shake his head, attempting to sniffle out a sentence of some sort, "i- i'm sorry y- you-,"

tae cut him off with a hug.

at first it felt awkward, as most new moments of intimacy tended too but it quickly fell into something far warmer. jungkook's head on his shoulder, the tears on his chest- it hurt to see anyone in such pain when you were as empathetic as taehyung.

"you know what i always do when i'm sad?" the older wasn't sure it was appropriate to bring up but, took the lack of response as a gesture for him to go ahead, "i always go get frozen yogurt."

jungkook seemed to halt his sobs at that, a child-like expression on his features, "can we go?"

"of course!" tae smiled weakly, intertwining his hand with the younger as he used the other to drive, "you're going to have to plug the address into your fancy car though!"

jungkook gripped the boy's hand tighter. he hasn't realized how desperate he had been for human touch and something about tae just felt so... different.

he was like a warm summer breeze during golden hour, warm soup in the rain, a good read before bed. he was comfortable and familiar and cozy.

he was everything a person should be.