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American investors. His company had recently been invaded by American investors who wanted to see changes in the way employees interacted with each other. ‘Staff wellbeing’ was the phrase they used and it made him cringe. These investors were the reason Min Yoongi found himself driving towards his home city on a Friday night. He was heading to a weekend team building retreat somewhere in the outskirts of Daegu where he could now look forward to spending his one day off this week with his work colleagues. The whole idea sounded awful; he didn’t want to get to know his colleagues better. He just wanted to get the work done like they always had and this nonsense was taking away from valuable design time. The investors had no idea how far this weekend would put them behind in their work. Let alone how it might end up inconveniencing their customers. He’d been so annoyed that he’d refused to ride the train with the rest of the staff members. The bonding did not need to start on the train. He’d deliberately arranged to meet a client at the time the train was leaving and had - out of the sheer goodness of his heart - offered to drive the three hour trip alone to still make it there for Friday evening. At least he could get a few phone calls to clients in along the way and listen to some of the music his team was supposed to be designing album artwork for. He didn’t need to bond. He needed to finish his work and sleep.But he was far from sleeping because his sat nav was completely useless out on these back country roads and he had no idea where the retreat was. He’d left the main road 20 minutes ago as the very polite woman had suggested but soon after she’d proudly told him he’d reached his destination. As he looked around, all he could see was black. The street lights had stopped miles ago and the moon was clouded over tonight so it was impossible to make out much beyond the sides of the road. After another 20 minutes of probably driving in circles along the dirt tracks, Yoongi’s car made a worrying noise which he promptly ignored. When it made it again, however, he slowed to a stop to see if the noise carried on. A light was red on the dashboard so he turned the car off and dug about in the glove box to find the manual. After a few minutes of hopelessly searching the pages, he gave up and went to turn the car back on. Silence. 'Fuck.’He fished out his phone and his heart sank when he saw ‘2%’ showing on the notifications bar. He grappled frantically at the charging cord coming out of his phone only to trace it back to the other end and realise it wasn’t plugged into the car. 'Just great...’ After a few more choice words and a few punches of the steering wheel, the 31 year old decided to get out and stomp around the car because what else was he going to do. This whole trip had rubbed him up the wrong way and it hadn’t even truly started. The pointless team building, the lost work time, the lost sleep time, the fact that he was back in his hometown. It’s not that he didn’t like Daegu, it just reminded him of rose-coloured younger days and all those ridiculous dreams you have when you still have your whole life ahead of you. Now it was just embarrassing thinking back to his grand ideas of writing music and performing. Whenever he visited home, he dreaded seeing anyone he knew from school. They always asked the same thing about whether anything ever came of his rapping. Then they’d offer that same look of condescension and pity when he told them he worked for a small design company that created the artwork for music groups. Well at least he still got to do something vaguely musical anyway, they’d say. One former classmate even said that she was glad he’d got his head out of the clouds and found a good job because she never thought he’d make it anyway. She’d had the gall to say that you had to ‘have real talent’ to make it in the music business. It had taken every ounce of his being to politely excuse himself from the conversation and continue on with his shopping. He tried not to think about throttling her too much these days.After a very productive five minutes of pacing around the entire car, Yoongi decided to pop the bonnet and see if he could work out what the problem was. After a few minutes of simply looking, Yoongi admitted to himself that although he may be good with his hands, he knew nothing about cars. He then considered both his realistic options, neither of which were terribly appealing: abandon the car to look for another human being or sleep in the car until the morning and then abandon the car to look for another human being. Thank goodness it was well into spring and the weather was getting much warmer he thought. Just as he’d settled on the latter option, he heard a distant whistling gradually getting louder down the road. Yoongi could hear footsteps now and he called out, 'Ah, hello, is someone there?’The whistling went silent and Yoongi walked to the back of the car as he started to see a figure appear from the dark along the road. He couldn’t make out much more in this light other than the shape of a tall young man in denim overalls and a t-shirt. He continued walking casually towards Yoongi but didn’t appear to be slowing down. Yoongi started to panic thinking the one person he’d seen wasn’t going to actually stop and help. 'Ah, excuse me. I… uh, wonder if I could borrow your phone. My car has broken down.’The young man looked at Yoongi as he casually walked past him and towards the front of the car. 'Your car isn’t working.’'Ah...yes, that’s what I said...uh. So if I could borrow your phone? I would really appreciate it.’The young man walked to the open bonnet and reached in to start fiddling with parts humming to himself. Yoongi waited a bit and then asked hopefully, 'Can you fix cars?’After a few moments of no response, the young man said, 'Hmm, nope, don’t know a thing about them.’Exasperated, Yoongi replied, 'Then what are you... doing… ah, look, could I just borrow your phone please? I’ll ring a garage.’The young man smiled up at him and said, 'Sure.’Just as Yoongi let out a sigh of relief, the young man turned away from him and started walking off. 'Hey, what are you?!’ Yoongi raised his voice.The young man, who was already a fair piece down the road, turned back, 'I thought you wanted to use my phone?’'Ah, yes… I, please?’The young man turned around again and started to walk off, 'Ok, come on then.’This guy was making Yoongi crazy. He shouted for him to just wait a moment as Yoongi locked the car and put the bonnet back down. The footsteps stopped and Yoongi could swear he heard a giggle but he was too angry to give it a second thought. ----------------Kim Taehyung watched the older man run towards him in his flashy suit and tie. As he shuffled the last few steps to fall in beside Taehyung, he heard him let out a frustrated growl. Taehyung quickly covered his wide smile and cleared his throat. The man’s reactions were just too amusing to not tease him. From the second he’d come into view, the older man had captured Taehyung’s imagination. He looked down at the man’s dark hair falling into his eyes and slim features. As he was staring, a cloud shifted and the moonlight bathed the older man in a soft glow. Taehyung noticed his lips glistening and wondered what they’d taste like. His thoughts drifted further, until suddenly he noticed the man was staring back at him.Flustered, he decided to put the older man out of his misery and explain himself, 'My phone is at my house. I don’t have a mobile.’'Oh, right. Ok. Well, thank you.’They continued the rest of the short walk in silence with Taehyung lost in his own thoughts. He wasn’t quite sure yet how he was going to manage it, but he simply had to spend more time with him. Taehyung shouted that he was back as he walked up to his kitchen door. His mother was inside preparing something for tomorrow and his father was at the kitchen table smoking and reading a paper.'I found this man along the side of the road. His car was broken down. He’d like to use our phone.’Taehyung’s father politely introduced himself as did his mother and the older man reciprocated.'Min Yoongi, very pleased to meet you. I apologise for the intrusion.’'Not at all, please...’ Taehyung’s father gestured towards the phone on the wall. Taehyung watched Yoongi pick up the phone receiver and then, after a few seconds, put it back down.'Do you want the phone number for the garage?’ Taehyung asked.Yoongi’s helpless look as he nodded melted Taehyung’s heart. The man really was lost and out of his element. Taehyung flicked through the phone book briefly and read him the number of the local garage. As Yoongi dialled, Taehyung flopped into a soft chair in the adjoining room and watched him as he stretched the phone cord around the wall into the corridor for a small bit of privacy. After a minute, Yoongi reappeared from the corridor and hung up the phone. 'Ah, are there any other garages in the phone book? This one isn’t open again until the morning.’'There are only two in the area and neither will be open until tomorrow,’ Taehyung said plainly.Taehyung wasn’t certain whether Yoongi looked as if he wanted to strangle him or just collapse in exhaustion. It was all he could do to suppress a warm but mischievous laugh. ----------------With his lips pursed and his breath intake sharp Yoongi said, 'Well, you could have mentioned that a while ago.’The young man just shrugged and said, 'Yeah, it didn’t occur to me. Oops.’Yoongi sighed and slouched over. At first he ran his fingers through his hair but soon he’d grabbed fistfuls of it and was cradling his head in his hands. This guy was definitely making fun of him. Poor city slicker who thinks everything runs on a 24 hour schedule across the whole world. Well maybe he had become someone like that. Yoongi felt like an idiot and he just wanted to get back to his car and sleep.After a pitiful groan he regained his composure, 'Right, I’ll be going back to my car then. Thank you very much for… well, whatever this was.’Gesturing flippantly towards the young man, Yoongi turned back to his mother and father. 'I’m sorry again for the intrusion. I’ll be leaving now. Thank you for the use of your phone.’The young man’s parents nodded kindly and waved away his thanks. Yoongi started for the door when the young man piped up behind him, 'Are you just going to sit in your car till morning?’Yoongi embarrassed by this whole situation grudgingly replied, 'Well, I… yes… that’s my plan.’The young man’s mother looked at his father who nodded to her and she said, 'Please, if you’d like, why don’t you stay the night with us? Then we can ring the garage in the morning.’His father chimed in, 'Did you drive a long way? You must be tired and hungry.’Yoongi couldn’t believe he was actually amenable to their suggestions. The last thing he wanted to do was be indebted to these kind strangers - and their very odd son - but he was indeed exhausted and hungry and wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in his car until dawn only to wake up and have to find someone else’s phone to borrow. Yoongi started to protest but his stomach loudly contradicted him as a growl resounded across the kitchen.The young man’s father let out a huge belly laugh and said, 'I think that settles it. Please, sit down. We’ve got plenty left over from our dinner.’The young man said, 'I’ll tidy my room up. He can stay in there,’ as he disappeared into the corridor.And hour later, Yoongi was sat at the kitchen table with an almost finished beer in his hand and small, empty dishes scattered in front of him. The young man had returned a few minutes ago and was sprawled sideways in the same soft chair with his legs dangling over the side. He appeared to be ignoring Yoongi, but every now and then he was certain he caught the young man staring at him from across the room.Yoongi patted his belly and leaned back saying, 'That was delicious. Thank you. You really… this is just very kind of you.’The young man’s mother beamed, 'Oh, it’s nothing. Taehyung, have you cleaned up your room and put fresh sheets on the bed?’The young man lolled his head back and whined a bit like a teenager, 'Yeeees.’His mother went to shoo Taehyung out of the chair saying, 'Well, show him where he can have a shower then and get to sleep, it’s late.’Yoongi watched Taehyung hop up and make a beeline for him. Not wasting any time, the young man grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the chair and down the corridor. Pointing to a door on the right Taehyung said, 'That’s the bathroom and this is my room here.’As Taehyung opened the door, Yoongi was overwhelmed by colour. The walls were covered almost top to bottom in photos, paintings and what looked like handwritten poetry. There was a single bed in the corner, freshly made with shorts, a t-shirt and a fluffy bath towel folded neatly at the foot.'I’ve just realised I left my bag in the car,’ Yoongi said distractedly.'Ah, well, you can get it tomorrow. What’s the hurry? Just get some sleep.’The beer on an empty stomach had gone straight to his head and had made him rather more pliant. He nodded in agreement. Yoongi followed as the young man gathered up the clothes and towel and hurried him across the corridor to the bathroom. Yoongi couldn’t help noticing, now he could see the young man in better lighting, that he was devastatingly attractive. He thought to himself how much he would have liked to have met Taehyung under completely different circumstances, a nightclub in Seoul perhaps.Yoongi watched Taehyung turn the shower on for him and then close the bathroom door on his way out. Yoongi looked in the mirror at his rosy cheeks, flushed from the alcohol and started to get undressed. Soon he was in the shower and grumbling out loud to himself about making certain to wake up early in the morning, phone the garage and then go to wait in his car. He couldn’t impose on these people any longer. Just as he covered his head with shampoo, he heard the door to the bathroom open and someone come in. Quickly peering around the curtain with soap dripping down his face he said, 'Ah, excuse me, what?!’It was a small bathroom and Yoongi came face-to-face with Taehyung who had a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth and was wearing an innocent grin. Exasperated with the young man, Yoongi exclaimed, 'Could you maybe not wait five minutes to do that? I...won’t be long.’Taehyung stared directly at Yoongi and said something incomprehensible with his mouth full of toothpaste. 'Look, could you just please fuck off?’The young man smiled and shrugged; he spat out his toothpaste. Yoongi huffed and disappeared back around the curtain to rinse his hair out. When Taehyung had cleaned his toothbrush, he announced he was leaving and Yoongi heard the door click. He turned off the shower, grabbed the towel and locked the door. A few minutes later he was back in the young man’s bedroom towelling his hair dry. Standing there in the middle of the small room in the shorts and t-shirt, he took a moment to look at the art on the walls. There were watercolour paintings on loose parchment, very artistic photos, a few selfies - both with and without some of the animals around the farm - and a number of books on the shelves about art and photography. The young man was clearly a romantic. The colours he used were warm, soft and muted; his photography of empty streets and lonely landscapes was intensely melancholic. Yoongi wondered whether he had many friends as there was a distinct lack of pictures of anyone beyond himself and his family. Yoongi mused that creative souls were usually solitary individuals. One particular selfie caught his eye and he found himself staring at it for a few moments. The young man was stunning, there was no doubt about that. Yoongi couldn’t decide whether Taehyung knew how gorgeous he was or whether he really was as clueless as he came across. Hanging the towel over a chair, he turned around to get into bed. The thought of climbing into the young man’s bed, even with clean sheets, gave Yoongi a warm tingle in his stomach. He immediately chastised himself for thinking that way and got under the covers. The next thing Yoongi knew there was sunlight streaming in through the window and the cacophony of early morning farm noises was invading his sleep. Pulling the soft quilt over his head, he breathed in its fresh scent and tried to go back to sleep to no avail. Yoongi grudgingly crawled out of the bed and then yawned whilst stretching. When he went to put on his suit however, he noticed it was missing. Had he left it in the bathroom? No, he was certain he’d folded his jacket and trousers over the chair last night. He looked around the room but it was nowhere to be found. Just as he was gathering his courage to wander out of the bedroom in the shorts and t-shirt he heard a knock at the door. Taehyung barged in before Yoongi could open the door.'Morning!’ Taehyung said with a sparkling smile.Yoongi grumbled, 'Why knock if you’re just going to come in?’'Well, it is my room after all. Did you sleep well?’Yoongi remembered his manners and said sheepishly, 'Yes, uh… thank you. Sorry to have kicked you out of your own bed.’'Don’t worry about it. It will be a bit weird though, sleeping in it again knowing you’ve slept there too.’The young man winked and Yoongi felt himself flush bright red. Regaining his composure, Yoongi remembered his clothes were missing. Blustering his way to a new topic of conversation, Yoongi said, 'Listen here, where are my clothes?’'Not here.’'Yes, I can plainly see that. So where are they?’'My mother has them.’'Ok, any particular reason why?’'She wanted to clean and iron them, I think. Actually I lied, some of them are here,’ Taehyung said holding out Yoongi’s neatly folded underwear and socks from yesterday.Yoongi cringed at the thought of this young man’s mother having washed and dried his underwear. The embarrassment was almost more than he could bear.'Uh… thank you? You… you really really shouldn’t have.’'No problem.’Yoongi watched the young man open his closet and produce a pair of fresh sweatpants and t-shirt which he then threw on the bed. 'You can wear those until your suit and shirt are ready. Here, I forgot to give you this last night.’He handed Yoongi a phone charger and motioned to a plug socket in the wall. Then Taehyung told him to come out for breakfast when he was ready. Yoongi sighed, unable to cope with this whirlwind of a young man. He watched him leave the room and then stood, bewildered, holding his underwear and socks. Once out of the room, Taehyung’s mother greeted him with a warm good morning and directed him to a seat. As he sat down, he noticed two younger children staring intently at him from across the table. Taehyung bounced up to the table and ruffled the young girl’s hair before saying good morning. Then he swept the young boy up out of his seat and sat down in the same place with the boy on his lap. 'Are you going to help feed your brother today?’ he asked the young boy playfully.The boy giggled and said, 'No, you have to feed me!’'Oh I do do I?’ he threatened lifting an entire bowl of rice towards the child’s face.The boy shrieked and giggled as his brother made gobbling noises in his ear. Soon they were both told to settle down by their mother who shook her head warmly at their antics. The young man’s mother filled the table with bowls - a traditional Korean breakfast - and Yoongi reminisced about the last time he’d even had a proper breakfast. He realised it was probably the last time he was home which had been a long time. He tended to skip an early meal and just subsist on coffee and pastries or bread until lunch time these days. Not the most healthy of diets, but when you’re cooking for one it always seemed like such a hassle. The young man’s father soon joined the table still dressed in his work overalls. Yoongi could smell the scent of farmyard animals on him but it was wholesome and clean and not the least bit unpleasant. Everything was delicious and he was enjoying the breakfast talk of countryside news when reality came crashing back.'I’m sorry, but what time is it? I just remembered I have to ring the garage.’Taehyung’s father says, 'I had my son ring them already. They picked up the car and towed it back to the garage.’Taehyung reached in his pocket and produced a set of keys he threw at Yoongi across the table.'Yeah, sorry, borrowed your keys this morning. You looked so happy sleeping I thought I’d leave you.’ 'Oh, no… it’s fine. Um… but my bag was still in the… ah… nevermind… thank you. I… oh, I’ll just check my phone now. I really should tell my colleagues where I am.’Taehyung sprang up from the table swinging the little boy in the air from under his arms. 'I’ll grab it,’ he offered as he set the boy down on the ground.Then both the children squealed and started to run off but they didn’t make it far before their mother insisted they bring their empty plates to the sink to be washed. Dutifully, both collected the dishes and brought them to the sink. They disappeared just as quickly, laughing and shouting as they ran outside into the yard. Taehyung returned with Yoongi’s phone and handed it to him. As soon as the loading screen had vanished, the phone started loudly registering a number of messages and missed calls. Yoongi politely excused himself to return one of the calls. On return, he realised he never actually explained himself last night.'Sorry, I never said what I was even doing here last night did I?’Yoongi explained he’d been on the way to the retreat when his car broke down. When he finished, the young man’s father laughed.'Well, that place is only a mile or so down the road. You could have walked there last night!’ he said clearly amused.Yoongi gave Taehyung a look of death.The young man threw his hands up and laughed, 'Hey, you never told me where you were going. You just said you wanted to use my phone.’Replaying their first moments together in his head he realised he hadn’t actually said he was going to the retreat. What an idiot he was, Yoongi thought.'Ah, well… yes. I suppose I didn’t.’Turning to the young man’s father, Yoongi apologised profusely for having imposed on them, now, it appeared, without due cause. Turning to Taehyung’s mother he said, 'If I could please have my clothes as soon as they are ready, I will get out of your way as soon as possible.’'Oh, I ironed those hours ago, I’ll go get them,’ she replied as she hurried off into another room off the kitchen.When he looked over, Taehyung just shrugged again innocently and smiled. The young man then offered to show him the way to the retreat and his father asked to have Yoongi’s phone number so he could ring him when the garage got in contact. Yoongi was already overwhelmed by how indebted he felt to the young man’s family but his father simply brushed this off saying he was happy to help a fellow man from Daegu. Yoongi returned to Taehyung’s room, changed into his freshly pressed suit and then followed the young man out the door and down the road. After a short walk in silence, Taehyung pointed to an unmarked drive on their right and said, '’Follow this up the hill to the retreat. It’s not far.’'Thank you,’ Yoongi said curtly and carried on down the road without looking back. Once at the retreat, he was swept up into the team building activities. Yoongi tried his best, he really did but when they decided to do this impossibly annoying activity where everyone had to link hands in a random order and then untangle themselves into a circle without letting go, well he’d had enough. He endured approximately five minutes of climbing over and under people’s arms and being squished between two of his co-workers before he pressured one of them to cheat and let go of his hand momentarily. When one of the activity coordinators noticed, however, the whole activity was stopped and he was gently upbraided for not getting into the spirit of the team building activity. Some of his colleagues quietly shook their heads at him for trying to cheat and lunch was called early to give everyone a chance to think about their commitment to being a better team. Yoongi decided to forego eating and left the retreat in a huff to go for a walk and calm down.----------------Taehyung was lounging under an apple tree when he saw Min Yoongi storming down the hillside through the orchard. Since he’d been planning to wander up around lunch time and invite him for a picnic, Taehyung was more than pleased to see the older man heading towards him. Taehyung called out, 'Hey there, where you off to?’He noticed the hesitation in Yoongi’s body language, but eventually the man turned towards Taehyung and wandered over.'I’m… going for a walk. What are you doing out here?’'You looked pretty pissed off coming down that hill. Anything happen?’ Taehyung said holding out an apple for Yoongi.'Ah...’ Yoongi sighed as he accepted the apple and flopped down onto the blanket Taehyung had spread out underneath the tree.Taehyung watched Yoongi take an enormous bite of the apple which left juice dribbling down his chin. Wiping it away with the back of his hand, Yoongi started to complain about the company activities. Taehyung listened to the man while he quietly spread out items from the picnic basket he had next to him. Yoongi was so absorbed in his complaints that he didn’t even seem to wonder why Taehyung happened to be sat under an apple tree alone with a picnic for two. Taehyung handed Yoongi a small box with rice balls and rolled omelette and he started eating it without question. Finally, after a good quarter of an hour of unabridged complaining, Yoongi finally stopped for some supportive feedback. 'Don’t you think?’ the man asked expectantly.'I… I’m sure you find it uncomfortable. But I don’t think it sounds that bad. Can’t you just put up with it for one weekend?’'But don't you see this is only the beginning. I can see it getting much worse. I should just quit before they institute mandatory morning hugs.’Taehyung giggled at his sour old man act, 'I mean, if I worked at your place, I wouldn’t complain about a morning hug from you.’Yoongi looked slightly taken aback by this and replied, 'Yeah, well. I guess I just talk big. I’d probably never quit anyway.’'What would you do? If you quit, I mean.’He watched the older man struggle to come up with a response. Taehyung waited quietly for a good minute of silence while Yoongi opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, ready to start a sentence and then changing his mind at the last second.'I… I don’t know. To be honest, that’s how I ended up in this job in the first place. I just, couldn’t think of anything else to do and took the first offer that came along. I should have... well, shit I really sound like an old man saying this, but make sure you pursue your dreams, you know?’Taehyung wondered what dreams Yoongi felt he’d let go. He took the lunchbox out of Yoongi’s hands and pulled him onto his feet. 'Come on,’ he said with a wide smile.Taehyung dragged the older man by the hand down the hill towards a small creek running across the field. Kicking off his shoes and pulling off his socks, he motioned for Yoongi to do the same. He rolled up his trouser legs and waded into the water. The older man only withstood a few moments of cajoling before he relented and was soon stood next to Taehyung in the stream.'It’s freezing! How can you stand this?’ Yoongi exclaimed stamping his feet back and forth as his skin turned red with the cold.'Ah, toughen up city boy!’ Taehyung taunted and then splashed water in Yoongi’s direction.'Hey, this is an expensive suit you know!’ Yoongi shouted, only half serious.Taehyung mocked Yoongi by squawking and flapping his elbows like a chicken.'Right, that’s just it...’ Yoongi threatened as he advanced towards Taehyung with determination.They exchanged attacks until Taehyung managed a particularly well targeted splash that soaked Yoongi’s face. The older tried to reciprocate with equal ferocity but lost his footing and ended up sat in the stream. Taehyung tried his best to hold in his laughter as Yoongi scrambled to stand up. Taehyung helped the distraught Yoongi to the bank inbetween fits of giggles.Taehyung managed to say, 'Take your trousers off.’'What? No. Not happening.’'Come on. No one is around. Besides, you’ll only get cold with them on.’Taehyung flashed his most charming smile as the older man shivered slightly in the breeze. Looking around as if someone else might be watching, he cautiously took off his trousers and let Taehyung wring them out gently and drape them over a bush. Taehyung ran back up the hill to get the blanket thanking his lucky stars the older man had fallen over. With the blanket in hand, he relocated them near the bank and entreated Yoongi to lie down. Once settled in the warm sun, it didn’t take long for the older man to curl up onto his side and nod off.
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Yoongi hadn’t realised he’d fallen asleep until he woke to the feeling of someone brushing his hair away from his eyes. He looked up at the young man leaning on his elbow alongside him.'What… are you doing?’ Yoongi asked cautiously.The young man flashed a cheesy grin and said, 'Just... admiring the view.’Yoongi’s stomach lurched with fear, anticipation, excitement, maybe even lust? He could swear the younger man had been flirting with him earlier under the tree. Could he really be interpreting this correctly?Yoongi threw caution to the wind and asked, 'And... do you like what you see?’The younger man smiled and said straightforwardly, 'Yes.’'Yes…?’ Yoongi asked, needling for reassurance.'Yes, as in since I saw you yesterday I’ve been doing everything in my power to keep you around for a bit longer, yes. Yes, yes. Absolutely yes,’ Taehyung laughed tenderly.Yoongi smiled as he recalled all the times the younger man had behaved in the most obtuse and obstructive ways since he’d met him. 'Yes,’ Yoongi whispered as he reached a tentative hand up to trace Taehyung’s jawline with his finger.Yoongi watched the young man lick his lips ever so slightly as Taehyung moved towards him. Parting his mouth, Yoongi felt warm breath on his own lips as the young man kissed him softly. He pulled back for a moment to reflect on what had just happened. He had to look in Taehyung’s eyes and be certain before he surrendered himself to these feelings. This wasn’t a quick meet in a filthy nightclub in Seoul, or at least it didn’t feel like that. Did Yoongi dare to hope this was something different? He felt a heady rush of adrenaline as Taehyung pushed him onto his back and kissed him again. This kiss was deeper, more passionate, but still slow and controlled. Yoongi relaxed into the younger man’s embrace and let himself feel taken care of. Taehyung occasionally broke away to kiss his nose, his cheeks, his forehead. He luxuriated in the younger man’s touch as he ran his fingers through Yoongi’s hair, down his neck and around his waist. 'You’re very handsome, you know that?’ Taehyung murmured as he nibbled at Yoongi’s neck.Yoongi covered his face with one hand in embarrassment, 'Stop...’'Stop what?’ Taehyung teased licking at Yoongi’s ear lobe.Yoongi let out a tiny moan and squirmed under Taehyung’s hands. 'Stop this?’ the young man asked as he kissed Yoongi’s bottom lip.'Or this?’ he suggested as he ran his hand down Yoongi’s waist to cup his ass.'You know what I mean,’ Yoongi whined.'Stop saying you’re handsome? Now why would I do that?’'It’s embarrassing.’Taehyung took Yoongi’s jaw in his hand and said, 'But it’s true. I thought about you all night. You tormented me in my dreams.’Yoongi wanted to believe this young man. He wanted, for once, to just relax and exist. He wanted to be pampered and lazy and feel nothing but Taehyung’s lips, hear nothing but his voice. Looking into those enormous brown eyes, Yoongi gave up control and let himself be taken over. They kissed and hugged for what felt like hours, but the sun was still high in the sky when Yoongi finally admitted to himself that he needed to get back to the retreat.Lying with his head on Taehyung’s chest, Yoongi said, 'I want to stay like this forever… but… I really should be…’Taehyung was absentmindedly stroking up and down Yoongi’s arm when he said, 'I have a confession to make.’Yoongi propped himself up on his elbow and glared at the young man.'It’s entirely possible that your overnight bag is in my bedroom.’'And why on Earth would it be in there?’ Yoongi said confused.'Well, I got it out this morning as the garage were towing your car away and... I was going to give it to you I swear but… well then I thought it might give me an excuse to come see you later today.’Yoongi smiled at Taehyung’s ridiculous tactics and kissed his chest.'You’re such a child,’ Yoongi laughed.Taehyung promised Yoongi he would bring the bag up later that evening. Yoongi stood up and put his still slightly damp trousers back on. They kissed one last time and Yoongi, not wanting their parting to be drawn out, hurried back to the retreat. The rest of his afternoon was much the same as the beginning. The team were still a little frosty with him but Yoongi managed to grin and bear it for the final few activities. They were almost finished with the last group activity when Yoongi’s phone rang. The unknown number turned out to be Taehyung’s father who offered to give Yoongi a lift to the garage as his car was ready. Yoongi graciously accepted the kind offer and excused himself. In the car, Taehyung’s father was keen to ask about Yoongi’s family. Were they all still in Daegu? Didn’t he miss living here? What was Seoul like? Yoongi wondered where all this was leading to when Taehyung’s father admitted that he’d always wondered whether he should push Taehyung to go to Seoul to pursue his dreams in art and photography. 'He always seems so content here. He never complains about the farm work even though I can tell the boy doesn't have a passion for it. I’ve asked him before but he just says he’s happy.’Yoongi was pretty certain he had no business weighing in on this conversation having known the young man for less than 24 hours.'I just want my children to be happy. I don’t want him to regret staying on the farm with us.’Yoongi remembered when he was even younger than Taehyung all he wanted to do was get out of Daegu as quickly as possible. He’d had big city dreams of making music and producing and his parents knew there was no way they could convince him to stay. Yoongi looked at Taehyung’s father and envied his dedication to his son’s happiness. Yoongi was lost in his thoughts when they pulled up to the garage. As Yoongi got out of the car, Taehyung's father asked, 'Would you like to join us again for dinner?’'Ah, I...’ Yoongi hesitated.'I’ll admit, it was nice to have the company and my son seemed to like you.’Yoongi choked and tried to cover it with a fake cough. 'Yes… ah, I’d be happy to eat with you again. Thank you very much.’Taehyung’s father looked satisfied and said he’d send Taehyung up to fetch Yoongi for dinner. Yoongi waved goodbye as the man drove off.----------------The retreat itself comprised a central building with a bar, restaurant and conference rooms as well as a number of self-contained cabins for the guests dotted around the grounds. Taehyung walked into the reception area carrying Yoongi’s belongings at 5 pm. He asked after Yoongi’s room and the staff kindly offered to show him the way but he declined. After a short stroll through manicured lawns, he reached the cabin and knocked, waiting patiently. When the door opened, Taehyung saw a wet-haired Yoongi stood in a terry cloth white robe. He raised an eyebrow and bit his lower lip at the amount of Yoongi’s chest and legs which were on show. Blushing slightly, the older man closed the robe tighter as he reached out to take the bag. Yoongi turned back into the room leaving the door open. Taehyung took this as an invitation and he shut and locked the door behind him. Taehyung watched Yoongi set the bag down on a chair and stand quietly facing the bed. Not wanting to miss his chance, Taehyung stepped up behind Yoongi and wrapped his arms around the older man’s waist.'Dinner isn’t until 6:30,’ Taehyung said as he bent down to nuzzle in Yoongi’s neck. The older man laughed but reached his hand over his shoulder to touch Taehyung’s face. Taking the opportunity to move things more quickly, Taehyung reached down and untied the robe letting it fall open. While gently kissing Yoongi’s neck, Taehyung ran his hands over the man’s stomach and small waist. He heard Yoongi moan approvingly and so continued. Moving his fingers upwards, Taehyung teased Yoongi’s nipples as he switched to kissing and sucking at the other side of his neck. Clearly eager for more, the older man turned, draping his arms around Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung took Yoongi’s face in his hands and kissed him, softly at first, their tongues meeting and disappearing again. Taehyung felt a swell of desire rising through his core and then he remembered what he’d forgotten. Just as Yoongi started to gasp for air, Taehyung slowed things down and pulled away.'Lie down on the bed,’ he instructed abruptly.Yoongi, slightly perplexed, did as he was told while Taehyung vanished into the bathroom. What an idiot he was! How could he not have come prepared. Frantically searching for something he could use for lube, he knocked over all the complimentary bottles of shampoo and shower gel before finding some moisturising body lotion that would just have to do. When he returned, the older man was lay back propped up on his elbows with a questioning look on his face. 'Is anything broken in there?’ Yoongi laughed.Taehyung blushed, slightly embarrassed, 'Ah, no. But I’m afraid we’re going to have to use this seeing as I didn’t really come prepared.’Yoongi put his hand out as Taehyung returned to the bed and gestured for the bottle.'What does it smell like?’'Does it matter?’ Taehyung exclaimed.Taehyung watched the older man unscrew the bottle top and sniff the contents. 'Hmm… smells nice. Here,’ he handed the bottle back to Taehyung.Laughing, he took the bottle and sniffed it himself. He thought it did smell nice but it wasn’t the most pressing thing on his mind at this moment in time. Trying to recover the atmosphere, Taehyung slowly shed his clothes and crawled over Yoongi. As he was kissing his way up a thigh, he noticed Yoongi was still very much in the mood. Taehyung kissed all around Yoongi’s stomach and hips, tormenting him by just barely avoiding touching his cock.Yoongi wriggled adorably under Taehyung’s touch and his breath hitched loudly as Taehyung wrapped his mouth around the tip of the man’s cock. Taehyung suddenly heard muffled cries and looked up to see Yoongi biting down hard on the sleeve of the robe. Sucking droplets of pre-cum off the tip, Taehyung licked his lips and said, 'But I want to hear you...’Yoongi whimpered and removed the cloth from his mouth. Taehyung returned his attentions to pleasuring Yoongi. Alternating between working him with his hand and his mouth, Yoongi’s cries became so loud that Taehyung wondered if the other cabins could actually hear him. Finishing him off with his hand, Yoongi shuddered and sprayed across his stomach and chest. Looking spent, Yoongi was left panting on the bed, his chest heaving and glistening with sweat and cum. 'Beautiful...’ Taehyung whispered to himself.'What about you?’ Yoongi’s voice cracking slightly.Taehyung crawled up to kiss Yoongi’s nose and said, 'Cross your legs for me.’Taehyung cast about for the body lotion bottle that was rolling around on the bed. Once found, he poured the white cream down his length and let some dribble onto Yoongi’s upper thighs and groin. Taehyung straddled Yoongi’s legs and pressed his cock down in between those slick thighs. He could feel the older man’s muscles trembling slightly as he tried to hold his legs together tighter and tighter. Yoongi helpfully held himself out of Taehyung’s way as Taehyung fucked down hard with a steady rhythm. He devoured Yoongi’s wet mouth and groaned into it as the rush of sensation came close to peaking. 'I… I’m...’ Taehyung struggled to express himself in the fog of orgasm.Just as the wave of heat hit him, Taehyung pulled out from between Yoongi’s thighs and without needing to be asked, the older man worked him through to the end with his hand. Taehyung looked down to see Yoongi’s chest covered in both of them and he grunted taking Yoongi’s delicious tongue into his mouth once more.Yoongi was the first to break the silence with a giggle, 'That lotion smells really nice you know.’Taehyung gave out a frustrated growl, 'I’ll definitely come prepared next time.’Yoongi complained jokingly about needing to get back in the shower now but Taehyung was happy to join him. Clean and casually dressed, the pair wandered slowly down the road towards Taehyung’s house. ----------------The dinner was delicious and Yoongi was aware that he was already slightly tipsy. When he learned that Yoongi could play baduk, however, the young man’s father eagerly brought out the soju and settled in for a good time. Yoongi hadn’t played in years but the alcohol and the food and the company had him feeling very much at home. He occasionally noticed Taehyung staring at him from the adjoining room where he was playing with his little brother and sister. A flush of warmth would run up his neck, but he hoped his cheeks were already rosy from the soju. Yoongi finally excused himself from a fourth game having already lost two of the three so far. Taehyung’s father grudgingly accepted this after Taehyung’s mother shooed the inebriated man away to bed. Taehyung then announced he would walk Yoongi back to the retreat. Yoongi nodded obediently when she told them not to be out too late - the instructions surely meant more for Taehyung than himself. They took their time walking back in the cool night air. As they walked, their shoulders brushed up against one another occasionally and their hands would meet. The young man would take the opportunity to entangle their fingers and lock into a hold briefly before letting go again. Yoongi could feel himself starting to sober up and his heart began to beat faster with every touch. Suddenly an oppressive melancholy came over him and his stomach clenched. His mind was reeling, thinking about the future, about tomorrow, about all this ending. A glutton for punishment, he couldn’t help himself and began a conversation he knew would only end painfully.'Sooo… Bit of a clichéd question, but what are your plans for the future?’Taehyung looked off into the distance, 'Ah… well that’s...’'It’s just, I saw all the paintings in your room, all the photos. You’re clearly talented. Have you thought about studying art? Or working in some sort of design role?’ Yoongi probed.'I suppose I’ve never properly considered it. I’ve always enjoyed painting and photography, but I’ve also felt that my family need me here on the farm. It never occurred to me to become anything else.’'Hmm...’ Yoongi nodded.'I will admit, lately things have felt… different. I’m not sure I belong here anymore. Maybe I’m just frightened of committing myself to this life for good. I was always comfortable knowing that it was my choice to stay here. But the older I get, I feel like at some point, it won’t be my choice anymore. I won’t have a choice. I’ll be stuck here. Maybe I’d be happy with that. I don’t know.’'What about getting your national service out of the way sooner rather than later? Use it as a chance to get away from home, clear your head. Then think about what you want to do when you come back? You could look for design work in Seoul. I’d be happy to recommend...’ Yoongi’s voice trailed off.The young man nodded pensively but kept quiet.Yoongi fumbled for his words, 'I’m sorry, this is… this is none of my business. I just...’Taehyung turned to Yoongi and smiled broadly, 'I’ll think about it, I promise.’Taehyung wrapped his arm around Yoongi’s shoulders as they walked on. Pressing a gentle kiss to his head, Yoongi heard the young man whisper ‘thank you’.'Anyway, what about you? Are you happy with your work?’ Taehyung asked changing the focus to Yoongi.'Yah… well, I like the actual work. I like helping my team to create an image for the client that expresses their music well. But...’Yoongi kicked a stone on the ground as the young man waited patiently for him to continue.'Well, I just… I have a lot of regrets about not pursuing my own dreams from when I was younger. I wanted to work in music. You know, writing, producing. But things happen, you get older. There are bills to pay and everyone just expects you to settle down, get a good job and… I gave up trying and just settled.’Yoongi realised they’d slowed to a stop while he’d been talking. For a moment, he turned and looked up into Taehyung’s eyes. He felt as if the young man could see right into him, see all his sadness and regret laid bare. The intensity was too much and he broke eye contact as he started walking again.'Why am I even telling you this? I hardly know you…’ Yoongi said embarrassed by his own honesty.'But don’t you think it’s strange how it also feels like we’ve known each other for years?’ Taehyung said earnestly.Yoongi nodded quietly in agreement and continued.'I just, I thought working in this type of design would be something close enough to music to keep me happy, you know? But sometimes I meet with a particularly talented young artist and I see them young and full of passion, living their dream. And here I am, this bitter 31 year old full of regrets about not seizing the day a decade ago.’Taehyung snorted a laugh, 'Alright grandpa, 31 really isn’t that old you know.’'Shut up, yes it is,’ Yoongi laughed himself as he playfully hit Taehyung in the arm.'I see what you’re saying, and who knows, maybe it is too late and you’re stuck in this job. But the way I see it, you spend your day helping other people chase their dreams. And I think that’s just as important, don’t you?’Yoongi’s feet stopped. Taehyung eventually came to a halt a few paces in front of him and turned back. He stared silently at the breathtaking young man casting a shadow in the moonlight. Yoongi hadn’t even known he needed this. He wasn’t aware he was slowly breaking apart under the weight of his own regrets. A million ‘what ifs’ ran through his head from what if his car hadn’t broken down to what if he hadn’t had the courage to say something back on the river bank.'What if...’ Yoongi said distractedly.Taehyung waited a moment and replied softly, 'What if what?’'What if… what if you’re right?’ Yoongi said and smiled, closing his eyes with relief. Approaching footsteps crunched along the dirt track. He felt the young man’s hands cup his face. Yoongi opened his eyes for a moment to see Taehyung leaning in to kiss his lips before he closed them again. The kiss was soft and warm and very slow. The young man broke away and then leaned in for one last peck before he took Yoongi’s hand in his and coaxed him into walking again. ----------------By the time they reached Yoongi’s cabin, Taehyung had let go of his hand and was following close behind. Turning around and looking down, Yoongi asked shyly, 'Do you… do you want to come in?’Taehyung couldn’t help teasing the man and comically raised his hand to his chin and said, 'Hmmm…’ as if he had to think about it.Then Taehyung noticed Yoongi’s hand shaking slightly as he held onto the room key.He reached out to cover the older man’s hand with his own and apologised, 'I’m sorry. Yes, I want to come in.’'No, I’m sorry I… I’m so nervous I just...’Taehyung took the key out of Yoongi’s hand and opened the door himself so they could talk inside. He guided the older man in and closed the door behind them. After kicking off their shoes, Taehyung took Yoongi’s hand again and gently pulled him towards the bed. He sat down on the side, spread his knees and ushered Yoongi in between them to hug his waist. He could feel the man still shaking.'Are you sure you want this?’ Taehyung asked sincerely.'I mean, considering what we’ve already been up to today, it’s a bit late to ask...’ he joked.Taehyung raised an eyebrow at Yoongi to kindly convey his disapproval of the flippant reply. 'Sorry, yes. Yes, I do, I’m just… This is all so overwhelming, you know? You, this… It’s been a while ok, a long long while and I’m… just go slowly.’ Taehyung nodded tenderly as he pulled Yoongi down to his lips. He took his time undressing the man stood in front of him, touching and kissing every inch of his skin. Yoongi’s sensitivity to touch was intoxicating, his responses sent ripples of pleasure through Taehyung’s body. Yoongi started to fiddle with the buttons on Taehyung’s shirt so he stopped to pull it over his head and in one coordinated move threw it across the room. Once Yoongi was fully naked, Taehyung pulled the older man into his lap and continued spreading soft, wet kisses along his collarbone. After a while, Taehyung noticed Yoongi starting to whimper. His cock looked so hard, leaking and straining; it must have been almost painful for Yoongi. Taehyung turned the man towards the bed to lay him down on his back. He stood back to remove the rest of his own clothes and admire the sight before him. Taehyung had come prepared this time and retrieved a condom and two small packets of lube from his trouser pocket. He crawled along Yoongi’s right side and kissed his chest while lifting his left knee up. Taehyung open one of the lube packets and spread a generous amount over his fingers and over Yoongi’s hole.He nuzzled into Yoongi’s neck and whispered, 'You’re so beautiful,’ as he pushed his middle finger in slowly.Taehyung marvelled at the sensual creature beneath him and said, 'Tell me what you want.’Yoongi’s breath hitched and he moaned loudly as Taehyung found his prostate. He continued to lavish the man with kisses and praise until he felt him loosen enough to add a second finger.'Should I continue?’ Taehyung asked in a deep voice that made Yoongi visibly shiver.Yoongi bit his lip and nodded feverishly. Taehyung smiled and added a second and soon a third finger to make certain his partner was ready. Pulling out momentarily to put on the condom, Taehyung noticed Yoongi’s white knuckles as he held onto fistfuls of bedsheets. Moving to hover over the older man, Taehyung nudged him to wrap his arms and legs tightly around Taehyung’s back as he pressed his cock to Yoongi’s entrance. Yoongi looked on the verge of tears as Taehyung slowly pushed past the initial tightness to bury his length inside him. A tear rolled down Yoongi’s cheek and Taehyung tasted salt as he kissed it.'Should I stop?’ Taehyung asked concerned.'No no, it’s not pain, I’m just...I’m so scared about...’Taehyung kissed more tears on both his cheeks and tried to soothe Yoongi with soft words. 'Don’t think about anything but right now, ok? You, me, in this room.’Taehyung knew he had to focus Yoongi’s attention and so kissed his mouth ferociously. Not giving him time to breathe, he started to move inside him faster and faster. Yoongi cried out when Taehyung slammed into him brutally. Trying to match their release, Taehyung took Yoongi’s red, swollen cock in his hand and pumped it rapidly. Taehyung felt the man dig his nails into his back as the sensation built to a climax. Still thrusting hard, he felt Yoongi tighten around him as he peaked. Following soon after, Taehyung rode his release to the end and collapsed at Yoongi’s side. After their breathing returned to normal, Taehyung stood up to find a wet cloth and get rid of the condom. Yoongi looked exhausted and was almost asleep when Taehyung wiped his chest clean and covered him with the blankets. He then climbed in behind the older man and they curled into a ball together to sleep. ----------------Yoongi woke to the sound of birds chirping and his phone alarm buzzing. Memories of the night flooded his senses. As he rolled over on his back, he noticed he was alone in the bed. Yoongi attended breakfast and finished up the last two morning sessions with his team before everyone said their goodbyes. A hired van came to pick up the other team members to take them to the train station while Yoongi packed his things and steeled himself for the long drive home. Maybe it was avoidable, but the only route he knew to the main road was past Taehyung’s house. As he approached their farm, Yoongi started to slow down. Clutching at straws, he wondered if he should stop by to say thank you again for the meal. Ultimately, he knew he was just making excuses to see Taehyung. Yoongi was about to speed up again when he saw the young man tending to some goats in a pen back from the road. Taehyung walked up to the car in his overalls and muddy work boots and leaned on the wooden fence which stood between the farm and the road.Taehyung said casually, 'Are you on your way back now?’His mind was screaming at him to turn off the engine, get out of the car, take Taehyung in his arms and never leave. Tell him you don’t want to go. At least tell him you’re going to miss him terribly and that you don’t know how you’ll get through tomorrow, or the next day, and the next. Instead, Yoongi nodded and said, 'Thank you, and your family, for everything.’Taehyung smiled and nodded in return. If he couldn’t stay, the least they could do would be to keep in touch. Yoongi opened his mouth to ask how he could contact him but the words didn’t come. As Yoongi turned his eyes to the road, resigned that this was finally the end, Taehyung spoke.'You have our home number in your phone, from when my father rang you. Just ring that if you want to let me know you got home safe.’Yoongi smiled and turned to drive off. He denied himself the pleasure - the pain - of looking back in the rear view mirror for one last image of Taehyung. Instead he put his arm out the window and waved, not certain whether the young man saw the gesture or not.As he joined the main road, he could feel his heart harden against the emotions threatening to overtake him. It was a long drive back to Seoul and Yoongi soon got absorbed in thinking about tomorrow’s work, the projects he had to complete, the meetings he’d have to attend. By the time he arrived home he’d nearly forgotten about the weekend. Unpacking his overnight bag, he found a small piece of heavy parchment stuffed into a side pocket. It was a simple watercolour, the image of two individuals splashing water at each other in a stream. There was a handwritten caption at the bottom in beautiful sweeping strokes of dark black ink which read, 'Remember when you forgot everything else.’ Yoongi brushed his fingers over the writing. Keeping the art work in one hand, he picked up his phone with the other and dialled the number listed as unknown from Saturday afternoon. The phone rang, rang and rang again. Yoongi began to worry he’d chosen the wrong number when he heard the receiver click on the other end.A young man’s voice said, 'Hello?’ and Yoongi smiled.