29 Chapter 28

"I want this one." A short finger pointed towards the fourth stencil and Jungkook smiled at his boyfriend's choice. It was a pretty big but simple drawing of Bunny's head, the colour of his eyes standing out beautifully and contrasting his dark fur.

When Jimin asked if he could make an appointment for a tattoo, the artist has been more than surprised but accepted right away, especially after hearing what he had in mind. He's drawn five versions of what was supposed to be the future tattoo because he wanted the outcome to be perfect. He wanted his Baby to be one hundred percent satisfied.

"How much time do we have?" Jungkook chuckled at the question and leaned to kiss pillowy lips.

"Don't worry about the time, kitten. I've made sure that you are the only client I have booked for this afternoon." He nuzzled a button nose with his own. "We can take as many breaks as you feel like." He didn't want the process to stress the younger boy or cause any type of anxiety so he was going to take his time and make sure he was comfortable. "Ready?"

Jimin nodded slowly, feeling butterflies inside his stomach. He has never thought of tattoos before meeting Jungkook but now he wanted one of his own – maybe not just one. He wanted to cover up his ugly past with his lover's exquisite drawings. He sat on the tall chair and watched as his boyfriend moved the scary machine close enough so he could use it.

"I need you to read and sign this." It was an assurance in the form of a paper sheet and cinnamon eyes moved over it before writing his name at the bottom and placing it beside him. He was excited so he smiled widely when bigger hands covered his and lips pressed against his forehead. "Good boy. Did you change your mind, sweets?"

"No." Jimin replied hurriedly, causing for a low chuckle to vibrate through the air. He was sure – he wanted to decorate his body prettily.

"Okay. Still on your thigh?" He nodded and felt his cheeks heating when he felt hands slowly unbuttoning his jeans. Yoongi and Namjoon were minding their own business, tattooing other people but he still felt weird, thinking about the possibility of one of them glancing at him while he was only in his underwear. He was sure they have seen a lot more intimate parts when it came to their clients but he wasn't comfortable with the idea. The piece of clothing fell around his ankles and Jungkook bent to kiss his upper thigh before pulling away.

"Do you kiss all your clients like that?"

"You know I don't." Jungkook shook his head. "Or maybe..." The tone was teasing and Jimin's pout earned a peck. "All my kisses belong to my baby boy, I promise." The next step has been placing the stencil so it would partly cover the scar the brown-haired boy hated the most and he was guided in front of a mirror so he could look at the result. It was obvious that Jungkook knew what he was doing because it was looking perfect, just as he imagined. "I'll put my gloves on and we can start."

Jimin's eyes widened at the motion of the black latex covering familiar hands and he tried to relax in his seat and not let himself be intimidating by the buzzing of the machine.

"It shouldn't hurt that badly but if you feel like you need to stop tell me, okay?"

"Okay." It was a bearable burn, nothing he couldn't handle and he lost himself into the image of his focused boyfriend. A little line was settled in between the tattoo artist's furrowed eyebrows and his lips were slightly pursed as he followed the bluish lines with the needle. The movements were hypnotising so he gasped only when the needle got closer to the scar. "Will it work?"

"I know it will, kitten." Jungkook smiled and looked up at him. "I can't believe I'm tattooing you."

"Tattoos are beautiful." It was an indirect confession so the elder grinned widely as he continued his works. "Yours are."

"Thank you, sweets." Jimin was a remarkable client. They managed to finish it in one go and bright browns were sparkling at the sight of the work of art, their owner ready to squeak because the enthusiasm he was feeling. It was like he completely erased that hurtful winter memory – now he was going to look at his thigh and forever remember Jungkook's gentle hands on his skin.

"It looks so good, Daddy!" The name flew past his lips without him realising and the man smiled widely and took of his gloves in order to wrap his arm around the small body and admire the tattoo himself. His payment was a long but chaste kiss (he couldn't even think of charging his boyfriend) that ended because the both of them were smiling and some ointment was placed over the wound before he carefully wrapped it in see-through foil.

They went grocery shopping before heading home and the first thing that Jimin did was to look for a pair of short pants that could allow his tattoo to be revealed.

"Oh my God." Jungkook muttered at one point, causing for the boy to widen his eyes.

"What happened?"

"My baby is so pretty." Jimin whined at the compliment but moved closer either way in order to hide his face in the softness of his boyfriend's shirt. He was feeling little for some reason so when the artist suggested they should colour, the younger couldn't have agreed faster.

Two hours later the bandage was taken off and the skin was carefully washed with lukewarm water and soap before more ointment covered the image.

"'m sleepy." The boy mumbled and was immediately engulfed in strong arms that carried him all the way to the couch that was already covered with soft blankets. Jimin preferred to nap in the living room because even if they were usually pressed against each other in their sleep, the sofa offered them even less space and that meant more closeness. He loved it when he couldn't tell where his body ended and where Jungkook's began.

Soft lips pressed against his and he curled against the touch as he closed his eyes, sighing softly when the mouth moved to his cheek.

"Go to sleep, angel. Daddy's going to be here when you wake up." It was not a lie because more than an hour later the boy woke up because of the sound of rain hitting the windows. His socked feet stretched and he immediately moved closer to Jungkook, not wanting to get out of the ball of warmth wrapped around them.

A kiss was pressed on top of his head and he sighed, sneaking one of his legs in between the other's. The tattoo artist took it as a clue there was need for more than just innocent kisses so he cupped a chin in order to tilt a puffy face back and allow mouths to crush into a languid and hot kiss, tongues exploring everything they could reach. His hand slipped down a supple body and stopped on top of a bulge, thinking of light touches that could start something.

Jimin gasped, barely awake and pulled away so suddenly that he almost fell of the bed, his eyes finally widening in surprise.

"No, Daddy." He mumbled and tensed when a hand rested on the small of his back. "Little." Thankfully, Jungkook knew exactly what that meant but he couldn't grasp what made him jump like that, especially because he thought they were past that kind of fear. It must have been the drowsiness.

"Daddy won't touch you without permission, sweet boy." He whispered and run his fingers through soft strands of brown hair. "You know that, right?"

Jimin nodded after exhaling deeply and moved closer to the touch, his heart managing to calm down inside his chest. He was aware that Jungkook would have never put him through things he didn't want, no matter how insignificant that thing would be, but he couldn't help the way his brain would react to touches in certain moments. He felt frustration beginning to build inside of him – he didn't want his partner to doubt his trust and tried to ignore the tears gathering under his eyelids. He hoped they wouldn't spill but they silently did and the tattoo artist brought his fingers to catch a few, his eyebrows already meeting because of a frown.

"Kitten." Jungkook whispered and cupped both of his cheeks. "I didn't mean to scare you." Jimin immediately shook his head and pulled away, wanting to get a grip.

"You didn't and I'm sorry."

"What are you apologising for?"

"I wish I'd stop making mistakes." The man's heart broke – his baby thought reacting like that was a mistake. There were so many things Daeshim fucked up for them, he sometimes felt like screaming.

"Being scarred by weeks of abuse is not a mistake, Min. None of this is your fault."

"But you wouldn't hurt me." Jimin continued, his eyes following fingers that grabbed his.

"I wouldn't and I know you have faith in me, you just need time for your wounds to heal and that is alright." He was going to be there every little step of the way and he wasn't going to allow anyone to trouble the process, not even the boy himself. "I'm so proud of you." Jimin smiled weakly.

"You always say that."

"I say it because I mean it." Jungkook kissed the tip of his nose. "You've learned how to be honest and how to be kind to yourself." Nothing could have made him happier. Of course there were hard times, especially regarding the self harm – it was hard to erase a habit that was years old but he believed the younger was afraid of the possibility that they might break up in case of slipping. It was better for him to believe that was a possibility even if it was far from the truth. Even if he would have wanted to, the tattoo artist was sure that he couldn't simply break up with his boyfriend.

"I think it's because I feel very vulnerable when I'm in headspace. That's why I can't –" – have sex sometimes.

"There doesn't have to be a reason for you to say no." Jimin smile became wider and he moved so his lips could press against soft ones gently, almost innocently. He felt hands wrapping around his lower back and he melted against the strong chest of his lover, wondering if they could stay like that for a few more minutes. "I love you."

"I love you more."

"I can't believe we're doing this!" Hoseok sounded more than excited and Jimin wondered if his face didn't hurt from so much smiling. They were inside a very fancy flower shop, looking for the perfect type that would decorate the small wedding the newly-engaged men decided to put together in a couple of months.

Yoongi was not fond of crowds so they decided to invite a small number of people; they were almost 40 only because Hoseok's family wanted to be present but that was the perfect excuse for the dancer to take the planning of the event seriously. He demanded for Jimin and Seokjin to advise him on every step and that was exactly why the younger was by his side, his knowledge of flowers being quite limited.

"I was thinking about white and purple." The redhead mused and called for the woman who seemed to take care of the shop. Hobi was a generally happy person but ever since the proposal he started glowing and he was a delight to watch. The younger wondered if he would ever have the chance to marry his other half but the idea sounded impossibly far away from what he was currently experiencing. The happiness that was taking over his life was enough, he didn't necessarily need rings and vows.

They spent a few hours inside the shop, until he had to leave for his shift at the coffee shop but right before they parted, Hoseok gave him the answer he's been looking all week for.

"Yoongi said a break would do Jungkook good." A little wink followed the affirmation and Jimin jumped into his friend's arms, thanking him.

He's been meaning to plan a trip for the longest time and a little birdie has told him that his boyfriend has always wanted to visit Osaka. He had some money saved up so he was sure he could afford everything so he took his time to confirm the hotel room he has booked during his bus ride towards work. He hoped Jungkook would agree to being "kidnapped" for a weekend because he could think about a lot of things he wanted to see while getting away from the busy life of Seoul.

He has been in the greatest mood so he made sure to smile at every client as he was handing them their coffee, grinning whenever someone would compliment his pastel sweater. The tattoo artist was already home, making sure they would have a copious dinner so he smiled widely when the boy entered the kitchen, turning around to welcome him in his arms.

"Welcome home, kitten." Their lips met briefly before Jimin pulled apart in order to look for clues about the dish the other was preparing. His stomach started grumbling so Jungkook chuckled at the embarrassed expression his boyfriend put on display. "We can eat in twenty minutes."

He had a shower and changed into pjs before coming back to a nicely decorated table. It wasn't rare for them to do something like that but it was still a pleasant surprise so the younger kissed soft lips again before taking his seat and waiting for his food.

"You're so thoughtful."

"We even have some dough." Jungkook winked.

"Chocolate chip cookies?"

"Definitely chocolate chip cookies." The little things made Jimin happy so even if his tummy was completely filled he decided to go along with the plan and prepare the desert, giggling from time to time because of the elder's silliness. The artist was obviously not in the mood to wash the dishes so they ended up dancing randomly to some foreign songs, the make out session they initiated afterwards being the reason why half of the cookies were burnt. They were a mess but they wouldn't have changed a thing.

"I think the wedding will be beautiful." The brown-haired boy stated and took a bite of the sweet thing occupying his hand. "Hobi-hyung can't wait for it."

"Yoongi is the same." Jungkook chuckled and leaned so he could lick one of Jimin's chocolate coated fingers. "He's asking random stuff out of the blue."

"About that..."

The dominant didn't like when plush lips were tormented by teeth so he made sure for the lower one to escape, curious about what his baby had to say.

"I've kind of organised a trip to Osaka for the upcoming weekend." The man looked funny, his eyes ready to pop out of their sockets, his mouth opened in disbelief. The younger gave him the time to process, even if the anxiety was twisting and turning his stomach. "If you want to go."

"Of course I want to, baby." Jungkook whispered. "But I have to talk to –"

"I've done that already."

The more details they discussed, more excited the tattoo artist got so they spend quite some time having tea and going over the details, daydreaming about the things they could do in Osaka. Jungkook wanted to use his brand new camera to immortalise every second, he wanted to take the most beautiful shots of his boyfriend.

They packed light (the packing started on Wednesday even if they were going to take their flight Friday morning) and Milo didn't miss from one of the backpacks, along with the comfiest clothes they both managed to find inside their closets. The end of the week came impossibly slow but once they found themselves inside the airplane their insides began quivering with excitement. Jimin slept for the most of the couple of hours they spent in the air and Jungkook didn't hesitate to take many pictures of him before waking him with soft kisses as soon as the pilot announced that they were getting ready to land.

Thankfully, the weather was amazing and pink was painting the streets of Osaka, the colour matching Jimin's hoodie. They decided to check in at the hotel and then to go around wandering, starting with the first point on their list: O'hatsu Tenjin. The boy wanted to spend the day enjoying the cherry blossoms but they later decided to go to the famous Osaka aquarium that was meant to bring back some great memories – their first official date took place in an aquarium.

O'hatsu Tenjin caused for cinnamon eyes to glisten as they looked at the stone statues of the two people sitting next to each other. The shrine was 1300 years old and the legend said that O'hatsu was a sex worker who committed suicide along with Tokubei, her lover, so they could meet and live together in paradise. It was a sad but beautiful story and as soon as Jimin realised how many couples were joining them, praying for a long-lasting relationship, he squeezed the hand he was holding on. He hoped everyone would meet someone who would treat them as good as Jungkook treated him.

A soft kiss was pressed against his hair and he smiled at his boyfriend, glad that no questions were asked.

"Do you think they met afterwards?" It was obvious he was referring to the old couple so the tattoo artist smiled at the innocence of his questions before pecking his lips lovingly.

"I'm sure they did. Some souls can't bear to be apart."

The boy wondered if theirs were the same. He hoped so. He allowed his pinkie finger to lock around Jungkook's and closed his eyes for a few seconds in order to send his prayer to the gods. Even if they were not going to love each other until the end of this life, he wished for their souls to tangle again and again until the very end of time.

"Let's go, baby." His lips curled upwards at the sound of the warm voice, knowing lunch was going to follow. He was absolutely famished but he was excited about the aquarium the most so he wasn't picky when choosing a place to eat, allowing his boyfriend to guide him towards the nearest restaurant.

They were completely relaxed and the atmosphere was nice, even if their schedule was filled by the places they wanted to see in the little time they were going to spend in the foreign country. The aquarium didn't disappoint and Jimin needed to try his best not to press his nose against every little tank, fascinated by the little beings swimming inside of them.

He was especially fond of jellyfish so he asked Jungkook to take a few pictures of them in front of them, hoping he would find one nice enough to post it on social media. He was becoming more confident in their relationship and he wanted to flaunt the happiness they shared.

"I want to see the sharks nex –" The younger stopped in tracks. He thought he's heard his boyfriend's name being called but realised it was very improbable for that to happen so he opened his mouth again only to be interrupted.

"Sir?"

He hoped it was his imagination but by the tattoo artist's surprised expression he was not dreaming so he tried to calm down his hurried heart as he turned around and watched a silhouette approaching them.