Archive of Our Own

Work Text

"I wish I'd have never even met you," Jeongguk spat, hand pumping just a bit faster, his tongue moving swiftly towards the other male's tip."Be quiet and swallow my fucking children, you slut."※After a devastating breakup, the son of a cop finds himself involved in illegal activity through the meeting of a charming yet psychotic, local gangster.

|| W A R N I N G: ||

This book is intended only for mature audiences, and may contain the following;

• offensive profanity, explicit sexual content
• gun violence, physical violence, gang violence, death
• masochism & sadism, daddy kink
• physical and mental abuse, mental illness
• noncon and/or mentions of rape
• substance abuse, mentions of self harm & suicide
• intense childhood trauma, manipulation, homophobia

I would like to clarify Taehyung as a character in this story does indeed suffer from a mental illness. This is not intended to make light of or romanticize any means of mental illness and suffering whatsoever, but rather I wanted explore writing a character like this in depth.

If you do not find this content suitable, please do not proceed. This story explores difficult themes that are in no way okay in a real life setting. Please put your health above everything.

— You have been warned. —

With that being said, everything in this book is a work of fiction.

© DIOVANTE
Enjoy :)

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"You're such a fucking piece of shit!" The words left the young boy in a devastated, choked out cry.It was September. The glimmering lights of Seoul bathed the city in a gentle cold glow. As winter readied to settle in, the wind had gotten more and more chilly while it swept furiously over tree leaves, and the paling complexion of passing crowds, and the tall concrete buildings adorning the serene streets. It was a particularly gloomy night for Jeon Jeongguk, his solid steps almost echoing against the cold gray pavement as he seemingly stomped his way down the street.On his right hand he clutched his cellphone, the device firmly pressed against his ear, brows raised and furrowed tightly in distress, his bottom lip reddened from the many times his teeth had dug mercilessly into them.
"Baby, please... You have to let me explain-" The all too familiar voice rushed out through the phone speakers, a bit frantic. Jeongguk found the statement quite hilarious, and so he laughed out sarcastically."Baby? Oh no, Seojun. I'm not your baby anymore." The tears finally sprung up on the boy's eyes, his lip quivering. It had been almost five years. Five long years he had dedicated to his high school sweetheart. Jeongguk had fantasies of marrying him one day. Having kids, buying a house. The usual childish dreams one would have in times so wonderfully young and innocent. He had believed in these dreams through and through.Of course, until tonight.Jeongguk hurried down the isolated sidewalk, taking turns that lead him through places of the area he hadn't even seen before. All to ensure that his rotten (now ex) boyfriend wouldn't dare rush over and find him. Not that he was too worried, though. He knew it wouldn't take Seojun too long to finish inside that woman whose name Jeongguk didn't know, face he didn't recognize; but surely it would take him a while to get dressed if he even bothered to run after him."Jeongguk—""Don't you dare say my name with that filthy mouth of yours, asshole. Hope you and your tiny dick have fun with that poor little woman."With that, the boy had hung up and lifted an arm over his face to wipe the gush of tears now cascading down his cheeks and to the sleeve of his denim jacket. He tried hard to choke back his sobs as memories of the day he and Seojun met manifested in his head. Those damn memories. If only he knew it'd end this way, Jeongguk had rather wished they'd remained friends back then.He bent his knees, squatting down as he wailed loudly into his hands, body trembling from the painful memories he cursed for deciding to resurface now, the poor boy remaining in that position for a few minutes. Minutes that felt like long, excruciating hours. But when he somewhat came to his senses he looked up with a blurry vision, a tear or two slipping down as he blinked repeatedly.He had found himself in the middle of a small park area, vacant of people as it was now quite late into the night. There was a sudden small ruffling noise, and with a sniffle Jeongguk redirected his attention from the street lamp in front of him and towards a shadowed figure standing a few feet away.There, stood a tall young man; with dark attentive eyes that were planted directly at Jeongguk, nicely shaped lips slightly parted in intrigue, and strong prominent brows. He had pitch black hair that nearly blended into the gloomy night sky, his long bangs draping over his intense gaze in slight curls. Jeongguk let out a quiet, high pitched breath.He was alarmingly handsome."Oh.." he whimpered out, cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the state he was in beside the total stranger—who had to be just about the most attractive guy he's ever laid eyes on. "S-Sorry.." He cleared his throat, getting back up and standing straight, the back of his hand wiping at the remaining tears staining his feverish cheeks.Jeongguk looked back to the stranger's piercing gaze, eyes that held a captivating aura to them. It gave him chills, a glimmer of nervousness igniting in the depths of his stomach as the man stared him down without saying a word. He could feel himself trembling from the anticipation, yet at the same time he was strangely enamoured with the man's presence.It was then that Jeongguk had taken a better look at him. How he wore a long leather jacket, a white t-shirt underneath tucked into black ripped jeans. In his hands he held a black DSLR camera lowered against his stomach, the straps secured firmly over his neck. Even from the distance, Jeongguk could see that a few of his nails, but not all, were painted black on both hands.The stranger was also barefoot, his toes naked against the grass area he stood in, his shoes scattered somewhere beside him, blades of scraped grass sticking to the tips of his pants. Now that it was dead silent Jeongguk noticed faint music playing, probably from the stranger's phone in his pocket.
"Nothing's gonna hurt you, baby ♪

As long as you're with me, you'll be just fine...♪ "

Jeongguk's lips parted, their gazes locked vigorously on each other. The wind made a few tree leaves rustle, and the boy watched as strands of the stranger's perfectly wavy hair lifted into the air.
"Nothing's gonna hurt you, baby ♪

Nothing's gonna take you from my side...♪ "

Jeongguk's hands tightened to fists, heart beat blaring inside his chest. The stranger's stare felt so cold, yet curious, and utterly intimidating. Made him feel weak in his knees, like he was losing a battle he didn't remember entering.But before the boy could blink again, the stranger had strode forward, moving from the grassy surface and onto the cold, concrete pavement Jeongguk stood in. The boy felt himself freeze in place, watching as the man released his hold on his camera, letting it hang from the strap, his bare feet padding through pebbles until he stood just inches away from him.The stranger then lifted his large veiny hands, and Jeongguk could feel knots in his stomach, but before he knew it there was a warmth at his left cheek, the man's thumb brushing gently over a lingering tear on Jeongguk's cheek."Hey now.." the man's deep and incredibly husky voice bellowed against the air between them, causing Jeongguk's heart to clench in surprise. "What is a pretty boy like you doing out here so late into the night, hm?" His dark gaze melted into the other male. "Why are you crying?"Jeongguk's eyes were big, throat run dry. He was not expecting those words, let alone with a voice quite like that. He didn't think this man could get any more attractive, yet somehow there he was trembling over a complete stranger's raw masculine demeanor.Thus was the night he met him. Kim Taehyung—the man who would obtrude into his world forcefully, and ruthlessly flip it upside down entirely.✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"And we laugh into the microphone and sing, ♪
With our sunglasses on, to our favorite songs...♪ "

"I-I, uhm..." The words left Jeongguk in pathetic stutters as he struggled to form a single sentence in front of the painfully oh-so good looking man, who kept his large hand delicately against his cheek. Up close he was even more handsome, more intimidating, more alluring. He smelled of cigarettes and fresh grass, the scent somehow enticing the boy's nostrils. He thought he'd very much enjoy this smell as a cologne, so he could wear it always, immerse in all its glory.

Jeongguk felt himself blushing, and he didn't know why. He wasn't used to anyone else touching him like this gently. Anyone that wasn't—
A rugged laugh pierced its way into the air, and Jeongguk looked up with widened eyes at the sound. There was a wild smirk on the stranger's face, and Jeongguk wasn't sure how to calm the butterflies violently swarming his insides. Wasn't sure why his body was so responsive towards him. This stranger before him; an unknown entity he felt oddly drawn towards.

"Well, no.." The man's tone was stagnant, the look in his eyes obscured of unfeigned emotion despite the somewhat amused grin. "You don't have to tell me." The minute his hand lowered from Jeongguk's face, the boy felt he could finally breathe properly. He watched as the man's head tilted to the side in intrigue, and there was a moment of more prolonged silent staring before the stranger was digging into his pocket and pulling his phone out. Then, with a tap of his finger the music seeping through the speakers like sweet honey had come to a halt.

"I'm Kim Taehyung," he spoke without looking to his phone, not daring to cease peering to the boy in front of him, "And you... don't seem to be having a lovely night today, pretty boy." He took two steps backwards and quirked a brow up, his gaze strongly asserting his dominance, and the other male felt utterly shy under such inspecting eyes. "What's your name?"
Jeongguk swallowed. He was quite the naive and innocent boy, but even he knew the basics of staying safe alone at night—not to give anyone his real name or any personal info about him. But there was something in the man's eyes that rendered logical thinking practically useless in that head of his. Because before he knew it, he was spouting his full name loud and clear.
"J-Jeon Jeongguk.."
There was a click of tongue against teeth. "Jeon Jeongguk..." The man's grin was back on his chiseled lips. "I know just what you need."

※ ※

"Where, uhm... Where are we going?" Jeongguk let out in a small voice, following after the stranger with the beautiful name and equally beautiful face—Kim Taehyung, who pretended not to have heard the boy's question.

He wasn't sure why he was suddenly hanging around a man he'd met only minutes ago, at nearly midnight, on the very night before his first day of the new college semester. Oh right—he'd be starting classes again in just a few hours; how odd of him to forget.

Jeongguk was born and raised in Busan, lived a peaceful and humble life with many friends and whom he thought to be a kind and loyal boyfriend. His father was an easy-going policeman while his gentle mother owned a bakery, one in which as a child he'd always speak of taking over such meek lifestyle, though he currently studied business in college. Needless to say the boy had been sheltered and spoiled, and although Seoul was full of life and opportunity, he didn't think he'd be able to survive it if his best friend Park Jimin and (now ex) lover Lee Seojun didn't study hard to get into the same college as him. It was almost the perfect life.

Almost.

"How, uhm... How long until we get there?" he squeaked out his next question after not receiving answers, and nearly bumped into Taehyung when the man stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Well do you always pry and nag this often with such meaningless questions, Jeon?" Taehyung huffed out, turning to face Jeongguk who seemed flustered as he gazed down to the ground. "Ruins the surprise if I just tell ya, don't you think?"

He then raised his head to see the man wasn't continuing to move, but rather stood there with his arms crossed. "Sorry... I'll be quiet from now on. You can, um.. lead the way," Jeongguk spoke out softly and watched as Taehyung's amused smirk reappeared on his face.

"We're already here." The boy turned his head to look down an alleyway, a buzzed sign with bright blue neon letters reading Abyss Karaoke ignited the murky path, the light bleeding beside an underground staircase that led towards the basement area of the building.

"Ka...raoke? Oh, I'm.. not much of a singer.." Jeongguk mumbled, thumb flicking over his fingers. Taehyung's facial expression didn't change, and he turned towards the staircase swiftly, knowing the boy would follow. It was an isolated alley, on a more secluded side of the street. Anyone with a brain would find the area shady and unsafe, and to be honest Jeongguk began to think he was most likely being led to his inevitable murder.

But instead the door swung open, and an inviting aroma washed through the air, Jeongguk perking up as he followed close behind the taller man. Right upon entrance, there was a bar with all sorts of fancy looking alcohol on display behind a man over the counter, the floorboards wooden and polished so well Jeongguk could almost see his reflection against the gloss. There were colorful posters on the big wall to their left, of different artists and albums, the printed posters hung on a clean navy blue wall paint. But it seemed the place was somewhat of a restaurant as well, since an undeniable smell of frying meat oozed behind the turquoise noren tapestry just to the right of the bartender-looking guy. Jeongguk stared in awe to the long narrow hallway that led to different private karaoke rooms. There were booms of music vibrating through the thick walls from the various rooms, as people who were inside blasted all kinds of tracks.

"A room for two," he heard Taehyung's deep manly voice call out to the man behind the counter, and it was then that Jeongguk had noticed how attractive the guy was as well. A different kind of attractive from Taehyung, but attractive nonetheless. His hair was shorter, lips more plump, shoulders wide. Jeongguk's eyes ogled the bartender, unable to believe how many handsome men he kept encountering tonight.

"Why on earth are you here, Tae?" The man almost groaned, "You should be getting sleep right now."

"Mm yeah? So early in the night?" Taehyung's smirk widened, "I don't think so, hyung. Oh—and throw in two beers, one for my friend here."

The bartender's gaze met Jeongguk's, and he smiled politely towards him. "Ah, hi there. Taehyung's friend, huh? I'm Kim Seokjin."

Jeongguk was so busy staring he had almost forgotten to bow. "Y-Yes, nice to meet you, uhm... I'm Jeon Jeongguk."

Seokjin nodded before inputing something in the machine screen in front of him and waving a hand towards the right. "Room 7. I'll bring you your drinks shortly. Anything to eat?"

Jeongguk soon found himself following the stranger's lead again, and usually he would stare at the back view of his head and those luscious curly locks, but this time Jeongguk was too busy glancing at the many doors they passed through the slim hallway, posters adorning each entrance as well. The boy's ears were being struck left to right with all kinds of music pounding from each room like a discotech, the mixing sounds babbling together until they rendered them indistinguishable from each other.

"Ladies first." He heard that deep sultry voice speak, and Jeongguk looked up to see Taehyung grinning at him while holding the door to Room 7 open. Jeongguk rubbed at the back of his hands, cheeks flushing a light burgundy.
"You're silly.." he muttered quietly, though the stranger seemed to hear him just fine.
"I am only joking, Jeon, my apologies. It is but a mere jest," he rolled on a fancy voice and let the door shut behind them, allowing the noisiness outside to die down within their secluded room. "Unless I'm missing something here." He plopped down on the cushioned seating and grabbed the karaoke's input tablet, eyes still settled firmly on Jeongguk. "To which I must say... You have quite the feminine looking face," he hummed. After a short pause, "It's pretty."
Jeongguk looked away and took a seat a safe distance from the stranger. Pretty. It hadn't been the first time the man had referred to him utilizing that word, yet Jeongguk still hasn't gotten accustomed to it being directed towards him. He bit down on his lip, the silence settling between the two boys. But soon came Taehyung's husky voice yet again.
"What's wrong? You're quiet."
The boy shook his head. "I've just, well... I've never really been called pretty before today..."

Taehyung rested his arm at the seat's cushioned shoulder, body facing Jeongguk while he rose his brow. "No?" he let out, the tone in his voice expressing somewhat of veritable disbelief. Jeongguk could feel the man's eyes on him but was too shy to look at him, yet the silence that followed again made him lift his head in curiosity.
Taehyung was staring directly into his eyes.

Being under such intense observation made Jeongguk's stomach churn again. He couldn't quite tell why. There was something about this man's gaze that held him hostage in his eyes, and Jeongguk felt as though he couldn't look away even if it got too much.

"Pretty," the man repeated, pronouncing the word clearly, letting it roll out his tongue with his alluring voice that dripped down like molasses and nested softly into Jeongguk's ear. He could feel his stomach heat up, as well as his cheeks; and it was at that moment that the young boy had a sudden realization. One much too obvious, so painfully evident. The two males were seated on the soft cushions, facing each other, breaths subconsciously syncing together as though they were always meant to unite.
How Taehyung could control his nerves with the sound of his voice, set his skin ablaze with one look was beyond him; and Jeongguk's realization rang loudly in his head, the unshakable thought that, this man was dangerous.

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was an hour later. The man at the counter, Seokjin, had knocked on their room and dropped off a couple beers, as well as lamb skewers and sushi Taehyung had bought them.
"O-Oh, uh—I don't drink.." Jeongguk had said in a small voice as Taehyung poured the alcoholic beverage into a glass for him.
"Mm?" he hummed, and his glance towards the boy made him want to clarify further.

"Well, I... I mean, I've never really had alcohol before, I..." he fiddled with his thumbs. "I tasted it once, when I turned 18. But that was only because my mom told me I should know how it tastes before I go off to college."

Taehyung looked somewhat amused. "And how old are you now?"

"Nineteen..."

The man placed the bottle of beer down on the coffee table in front of them while belting out a laugh. "That's the perfect age to drink like there's no tomorrow, Jeon," he slid the glass towards Jeongguk. "If you want to, that is." Jeongguk stared at the honey colored drink, then back at Taehyung. "Go on," he signaled towards the table with a tilt of his head. "Try it."

"Well, it—it wasn't all that good, from what I remember," Jeongguk's lips pursed in a pout while he dug his hands on his lap between his knees. He wasn't used to this. Sure, he had friends who drank alcohol and smoked among other things. But Jeongguk had been a well behaved, innocent boy his entire life. Rather than chugging a cup of beer down, a glass of banana milk sounded moreso right up his alley.

"Mm yeah? Why don't you try it?" Taehyung repeated, and Jeongguk could see how he stared at him with evident mirth. He wasn't sure if he was testing him, but for some reason Jeongguk felt as though not doing what the man wanted would make him lose his interest in him. He didn't want to frustrate anyone, or ruin Taehyung's fun. So after another pause of hesitation, Jeongguk reached forward and grabbed the glass of beer.

Taehyung watched him with his eagle eyes, knees apart in a manspreading position on the cushioned blue seating. It wasn't long before Jeongguk closed his eyes and began to chug down the beverage a bit too quickly, and the man's lips curled to a grin.

"You don't have to drink it like that, you know," he chuckled heftily, grabbing Jeongguk's wrist and pulling it towards him. He tilted the bottle and poured more beer into the other's half empty glass. "Try again. Slower. Slow down."

Jeongguk coughed twice to clear his throat and wiped his lips, a swift exhale leaving him while he noticed his cup was full once again. When he looked at Taehyung the man had his eyes fixated on him, or maybe his lips. Jeongguk couldn't tell. "O-Okay.." he complied, lifting the glass towards his mouth. Taehyung leaned back and whistled, not stopping the boy this time while he downed the whole drink.

"Good?" he grinned.

Jeongguk burped out a shy laugh. "Mm.. M'still tastes weird.."

※ ※

The two boys took turns singing karaoke songs. While Taehyung shouted out lyrics to his selected tracks, Jeongguk ate, and vice versa. They've had a couple drinks by now, enough so that they laughed together, teased each other on the other's music tastes, although Jeongguk would admit Taehyung was a man full of surprises. If he wasn't putting old American 80's music, he was choosing Japanese rock, or Korean trot songs.
It was clear the two were fooling around when it came to actual singing, but even so Taehyung had complimented the boy's voice.

"Pretty," he said, before claiming Jeongguk had lied to him about not being much of a singer.

Taehyung had a pretty voice too, Jeongguk thought. It was deep, mesmerizing, and so so unique. Like venturing into a realm unknown, unlike anything one's ever seen or heard before. Perhaps like the bottomless ocean—full of mystery, deep, yet boisterous with life. He wanted to dive in, swim in its waters, get washed away by its vigorous waves. Frankly he felt he could listen to it all night.

Yet there reached a point where the two guys fell exhausted against the couch seating, their meal mostly eaten and a couple more beers remaining on the many refills Taehyung had asked for.
Jeongguk stretched his arms out tiredly and landed one hand down on the cushion. At least, that's what he thought until he realized his hand was on Taehyung's thigh. His eyes opened widely and he moved to retreat the hand quickly before Taehyung grabbed his wrist, keeping it there.

"Jeon Jeongguk.." he said out slowly, and Jeongguk could hear loud pounding in his own chest. Taehyung's voice was somehow raspier, despite the surprising gentle tone he had called his name out in. And good god, was it a luxury to hear his own name being spoken out so precisely by a man like that. "Why were you crying back there...? Alone, in the middle of the street, hm?"
Jeongguk gulped, feeling Taehyung's warm grip on him. If his cheeks weren't already flushed from the alcohol he was sure they resembled a fiery tomato by now. But this time, he couldn't bring himself not to answer the man who had led him here. Bought him food, drinks, a fun time. Made him forget all about Seojun.

"That's.." he sighed out softly and turned to look at Taehyung, who was now sitting much closer to him. "I just.. broke up with my boyfriend of over four years." Taehyung stared in silence, allowing him to continue. "I just went to his apartment earlier tonight and... I walked in on him fucking some girl. I'm very impulsive with my emotions sometimes, so I... I didn't really think on it. I just ran out and broke up with him when he called me."

Taehyung blinked, his hold on Jeongguk loosening until he let go of him. The boy shyly retreated his hand to his own lap and waited for the man to say something, anything. But Taehyung quietly finished his beer, looking to the tv screen on the wall displaying an ad for Abyss Karaoke.

"Some people are... hard to let go of, Jeon." The man suddenly said, Jeongguk's gaze down at the carpeted flooring. "Even though they don't deserve you wasting your heart on them." Jeongguk remained quiet, his head just a bit dizzy from drinking too much. "Hey, you know what helps though?" Taehyung sat up and made a sudden jolt forward to grab the mic beside him. "Writing a message to someone—with your voice." He stood up with a stumble, a grin showing on his lips. "Then you yell it out with all your might, yeah? Really get your feelings across. If you don't put your all into it, the person won't receive your letter. So you have to really make sure they hear you, you know?"

The man cleared his throat and raised the mic to his lips. "Hyung!!" he shouted out, the mic picking up his voice and amplifying it times ten, an echo resonating his words through the boom speakers. Jeongguk flinched in surprise, startled at the sudden brashness. "I let you borrow my fucking jacket!!! You never returned it, damn it!!!"

Jeongguk burst out into giggles, watching the veins in Taehyung's neck emerge as he continued to yell. "Even tore a hole through it!! You fucking asshole, that shit was expensive!!!" He let out a couple deep breaths and exhaled slowly, then opened his eyes, turning to blink innocently down at the seated male. "M'see? Like that," he returned to his more quiet, raspy deep voice. "Now you try it."

The boy quieted his laughs and furiously shook his head, brows knitting together while his lips began to pout as he spoke. "Are you crazy? That's-... embarrassing. What if someone hears?" Jeongguk waved him off with pink cheeks.

"No one's going to hear, they're busy whining out lyrics to their shitty taste in music," he scoffed, leaning over to grab Jeongguk's arm and pull him up to his feet. "C'mon." He handed him his mic and crossed his arms expectantly. "Try it."

Jeongguk shifted his weight to one foot. "Okay, u-uhm.." He clutched the microphone tightly to his fist and took a deep breath. "Ahem.." the word echoed through the speakers in static waves. "S-Seojun!" he squeaked out, and Taehyung let out a tsk in disapproval.

"Not like that, bun." He patted Jeongguk's chest with force. "Use your core. Yell it loud. I want to feel my ear drums shatter. Make him really hear your words so he can't ignore them."

Jeongguk nodded hesitantly and closed his eyes, brows tightening in concentration. He thought about what he would say—the kinds of things he'd put down on a letter to his ex boyfriend. He pictured him above that random woman on his couch, the way he had walked in on them just hours ago. How he wore that same pleasured expression he always showed Jeongguk.

The anger began to boil. There was a fire suddenly igniting inside of him. He was betrayed tonight. The love he held taken advantage of; and before he knew it the words were leaving Jeongguk seamlessly, booming into the mic and out the confined room.
"You said you loved me!! You said you saw me in your future!!! Lying piece of shit—I hope you never achieve your dreams, never achieve happiness. Hope someone saws your dick off in your sleep, you disloyal backstabbing assface!!! Traitor!! Liar!! Good for nothing excuse of a man!!!"
Taehyung's eyes grew with amusement, a restrained chuckle leaving his lips while he watched the boy slowly flutter his eyes open, face red from all the yelling, his chest heaving in rugged breaths. He raised his hands up and clapped vigorously in front of him. "Ha! Good one, good job, Jeon!" The man continued to clap, and Jeongguk's lips widened to a grin.
"That felt... really really good," he laughed gently, lowering the microphone as he admired the look on Taehyung's face.
"Bet it did. You're a natural, darling," the male smirked wildly, and Jeongguk saw the intensity in his eyes as they gazed at each other, the boy suddenly falling silent.
It was then that Jeongguk had once again taken note of how excruciatingly handsome Taehyung was. Everything about him. His face, his hair, the way he stood, spoke, smiled. His very spirit. Jeongguk's senses were heightened somehow. Maybe it was all the beer he'd swallowed, but he felt entirely captive to the other man's presence.
He wanted to learn more about him—what he liked, what he didn't. What made him feel good.

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Mmhm, baby... Just like that.." Taehyung grunted out a moan, hands gripping to Jeongguk's hair with force. The boy was currently on his knees, between the man's thighs, his cock down his throat; saliva scurried down the side of Jeongguk's chin, and he could feel his throat throbbing. Shaky whimpers left him every so often, the vibrations sending the other male into a frenzied state of pleasure.Just like that, the confined little karaoke room they had walked into feeling as though complete strangers to each other, had become heated with Taehyung's grunts, sounds of slurping, Jeongguk's quiet mewling. The boy wasn't quite sure how they'd ended up like this—how exactly they had gone from an innocent point A, such as sharing tastes in music; to a dangerous point B like this in a matter of only minutes. All he knew was his head was dizzy and Taehyung looked so appetizing. So fine, so manly. He wanted a taste of him, and to his luck the man was skilled at granting him wishes.Though admittedly he wasn't expecting Taehyung to be quite this massive down between his legs. He thought he'd been hallucinating upon first seeing it, his brain frantically beginning to calculate if such a thing could even fit in his mouth.He felt steamed, the man's occasional moans launching shivers throughout his bones, causing the hairs on his skin to rise. He looked up to make eye contact, maybe try and seduce him into his own captivating gaze, but the boy's heart rate quickly sped up once he saw Taehyung's gaze had already been deadset on his, with lips parted, eyes a bit hooded. Jeongguk moved to grab the base of his cock, but before he could reach it Taehyung was pulling out, letting the tip of his shaft linger on Jeongguk's bottom lip."Lick," he commanded, loosening his hold on the other's hair. Jeongguk coughed out and inhaled sharply, elated at the chance to regain oxygen; and then his tongue darted out, flicking over the slit of the man's dick once. He watched as Taehyung's gaze persisted, seemingly unaffected by the action. "Again." Jeongguk repeated the action, and Taehyung still seemed unsatisfied."Not like that," he gutted out, and stuck his tongue out. Jeongguk blinked and, somehow understanding what he was insinuating, obediently copied the action. The man then grabbed the base of his dick, moving to rest the tip against Jeongguk's tongue and began to grind against it. His head fell to the side a little, a soft yet inherently shaky breath escaping him. Jeongguk watched silently and slowly moved to wrap his lips over the male's shaft, letting his tongue swirl over the end. He rested his hand over Taehyung's, gently removing it from the base to replace it with his own; then started pumping the area of his dick his mouth couldn't reach.His reward was a contently rugged moan from Taehyung, to which Jeongguk couldn't help but moan back in response."Oh yeah, you're good at this, aren't you?" the male groaned, gripping to the boy's hair once more. "What a good boy. Mmn.. awh, you look so pretty with a mouth full of daddy's cock, hm?" With that, Taehyung shoved his dick in forcefully, all the way in, hitting the back of Jeongguk's throat mercilessly where he began to fuck in intricate thrusts."M-Mmn..!" Jeongguk let out a muffled whimper, tears pooling at his eyes while they rolled back, his gaze settling to the ceiling. Taehyung stood to get better control of his thrusts, his large hand placed firmly to the back of Jeongguk's head to keep him in place while he took no hesitation in using the boy's mouth for his own desires, every inch of his body craving that sweet release.Jeongguk saw his vision blur out at the corners of his eyes, a wet substance pooling at his eyelids. The tears flooded down his puffy cheeks, lungs struggling to catch air while Taehyung's cock made him lose all sense of sanity. But it wasn't much longer until he could feel a warm liquid trickling down his throat, the taste bitter once he'd gotten a sample of it. He was quite distracted by the feeling that he almost missed the way Taehyung moaned in shaky grunts, pulling himself slowly from the boy's mouth.The two looked at each other. Their gazes were weary, puffs of breaths filled the small room. Taehyung gave off a grin that made Jeongguk want to stuff his dick back into his mouth, but instead he smiled back timidly."You look amazing from this angle, bun.." The words made Jeongguk's body twitch. And what a sight he was. Hair disheveled from the man's strong grabs and pulls, his cheeks red, lips swollen, eyes teary. He looked completely and utterly submissive; made Taehyung's orgasm linger for longer than normal. There was a hefty hum, and Taehyung placed the head of his cock just below the boy's nose, semen seeping from the tip still. Jeongguk swallowed ruggedly and closed his eyes, a soft whine leaving his lips.Taehyung stared with dark eyes, almost as if he were trying to control himself from ruining the boy beneath him entirely. But after a long pause the man slipped his boxers back up and zipped his pants."It was nice meeting you, Jeon Jeongguk."※ ※When Jeongguk woke up the next morning he thought he was on the verge of death. His head pounded, vision was blurry, throat was sore. He looked pale in the mirror, bags under his eyes, hair sticking out at all angles. He couldn't stop sniffling, and thought maybe he'd caught a cold when—
"I know just what you need."

He recalled a powerful, masculine voice from last night. And then he slowly began to remember. Seojun, having sex with a girl; and Jeongguk, fleeing from the shock. The argument over the phone, how he'd stopped at a park. Met a handsome stranger. How the man took him to an underground karaoke bar and restaurant establishment. How they sung, ate, drank, laughed.That's right, Jeongguk wasn't dying. He was just hung over. It was his first time experiencing such a thing, as he'd never consumed so much alcohol all at once like that in his life. It was a frenzied state, a buzzing in his head; he could even hear his own rambunctious heartbeat in his chest.And then it rang upon him. That wasn't the only thing he'd done.Jeongguk blushed in embarrassment, furiously splashing his face with cold water. He currently stood in front of his bathroom mirror at his small but decently nice apartment that was an easy commute to his college campus. As much as it was odd of him to do such things with someone he'd just met, Jeongguk regretted not asking to keep in contact with the handsome man in his drunken state.He remembered Taehyung escorting him back out to the street, holding him tightly against his shoulder so he wouldn't tumble over. The way the familiar smell of cigarettes and grass radiated off him, appealing to Jeongguk's senses. Somehow the muskiness was ever so attractive to him. And he also remembered the man had called him a cab and waved him off.Jeongguk missed him. And he thought himself strange for feeling this way.But the idea of never seeing him again was a bit disappointing. Maybe he had gotten attached to the kindness he was shown. Taehyung clearly knew what it was upsetting him that night, and was nice enough to help him forget. To help him have fun for a night.
Riiiiiiiing!

Jeongguk jumped slightly, startled at the sudden sound of the doorbell going off. He caught his breath and slowly strode towards the doorway, and when he swung the door open he saw his bright faced best friend on the other side."Jeon Jeongguk!" the boy, Park Jimin, gasped out, brows rising in a mix of shock and frustration. "My dude, why the fuck aren't you ready?!""Ah.. Jimin, uhm..." the other male began, but was curtly interrupted."Class is starting in an hour! And- and Hoseok-hyungie's taking us out to lunch right after. God, you- you can't be serious right now!""Jimin, I'm-" Jeongguk sighed, landing a hand to his frantic friend's shoulder. "I'll get ready in a few minutes. But more importantly—you would not believe the night I had..."
※ ※The first class wasn't all that important, truth be told. At least not to Jeongguk. 'Painting for Serenity', it was called. Since it was an elective, Jeongguk chose to take it to have a chill class with his best friend. For Jimin it made more sense, as he was majoring in the arts. Though they made it in time, which was good because Jeongguk wouldn't have to hear his blond friend blame him for making him late to his most anticipated course, and make the new professor hate him. But Jeongguk was just happy to be with his friend still, even after all these years. They both also shared English class together in the evening, to which they'll attend after lunch, but that was the extent to which their academic schedules aligned."Fucking hell..." Jimin muttered, slapping paint onto a blank canvas. The class was currently sat in rows, an easel in front of each student as they engaged in their first painting session. There was chatter amongst the class, some people getting to know new faces while others reunited with friends in the new semester. Jeongguk and Jimin sat in the back row, sharing a paint bucket as well as a tray of color swatches."I can't believe Seojun did that shit to you..." the blond continued, a look of genuine frustration in his face. "I had no idea, believe me. I would've ratted him out to you the second I suspected something. He must've hid that bitch well from us.""I don't even know if they knew each other.." Jeongguk slumped in his stool. "Or for how long. Or anything, really. I can't even stand the thought of ever facing him again.""Then don't," Jimin huffed. "If he approaches you just ignore him. Don't answer his messages or calls—block him. He doesn't deserve the attention."Jeongguk stuck out his bottom lip, looking to the blond with big eyes. "I'm so glad you're on my side, Jiminie...""Why the fuck wouldn't I be?" Jimin rolled his eyes. "Seojun's my friend too and all, but I've known you much longer. Besides, that doesn't even matter. You know I'll always have your back."Jeongguk whimpered dramatically and flung his arms around the other boy's shoulders, engulfing him in a hug. "Jimin-ah~""Quit it, you asshole, you're getting paint on me," he rolled his eyes and sighed out, "This is a new shirt, too.."Jeongguk sniffled and sat back in his chair. "S-Sorry.""Yeah, yeah. Now tell me more about this Taehyung sexy stranger guy."Lunch time rolled around quickly. Jeongguk had lots of time to catch Jimin up on his life since the last time they've seen each other, and currently they sat at an outdoor table while they ate lunch with Jung Hoseok, a hyung they'd met in their freshman year. Despite only knowing him for a year, the three had become rather close to him. He had given the Busan boys a tour of Seoul and of their college campus, treated them to dinner often, and helped them out with various things.And now, as Jeongguk sat sullenly eating a sandwich, Jimin boisterously gave Hoseok the run down on what had happened."That's why you and I need to- need to call up this motherfucker and jump him. Make sure he never toys with our Jeonggukie's heart ever again!" Jimin slammed a fist down passionately against the table, bits of chewed food flying from his mouth. Hoseok rubbed at his temples, heaving out a long breath."What a piece of shit that man is.." he uttered, his eyes lifting to look at Jeongguk. "Is that what you'd like, Ggukie? Should I gather a few guys up and teach that jerk a lesson?"Jeongguk whined out and slowly shook his head sideways. "Not right now, I don't even... want to draw attention to it or even think about him."Hoseok's face contorted in sympathetic sadness, reaching a hand to hold onto Jeongguk's. "Just let me know whenever. Whatever you need us to do to make you feel better, we'll do it."The younger looked at Hoseok, watching the comforting smile on his face. Jeongguk nodded silently, somewhat of a smile returning to his face at the sight.Soon their evening class rolled around, and it seemed as though Hoseok shared the English lesson with the two boys. They made their way together towards the designated classroom through long, narrow yet pleasantly polished halls, and eventually took their seat by the windows. Jeongguk found he was unable to sit still, tapping his fingers against the desk as the professor stepped in and began to introduce himself."Park Jimin.""Here!"Then just like that, attendance began; the classroom filled up one by one while people came and settled in during roll call, and Jeongguk stared blankly out the window, disheartened sighs leaving him every so often."Kim Taehyung.""Here."Jeongguk's eyes broadened, head lifting impulsively. He whipped his head to the side, eyes searching the room towards the direction in which that ever so familiar, deep rugged voice had come from.And there, a few rows ahead, sat an unforgettable view of dark wavy hair cascading near broad shoulders. A manly, chiseled back evident through the black leather jacket. Jeongguk could feel himself forgetting how to breathe.
It was him.

The man from last night, sitting there in his English class, at his college campus, just a few feet away from him.

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Here."
Jeongguk was flabbergasted. It wasn't completely out of the ordinary for the man from last night to attend the very school he did, but there was no way the boy was expecting such a sweet coincidence. He wanted to talk to him, as soon as possible. His stomach felt that familiar butterfly-swarming rush as he looked with scorching concentration to the back of Taehyung's head. Wishing, praying he'd turn around and look at him.

"That's—... Hey, that's him!" Jeongguk whisper-yelled towards Jimin, smacking at his arm to catch his attention. "Taehyung, the man from last night!"
Jimin's eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets. "What?!" he whisper-yelled back, "By Taehyung you meant Kim Taehyung? From our school?!"
Jeongguk blinked back. "You know him?"
"Bitch, everyone knows him," he frowned in disbelief. "Do you live under a rock? He's got quite a reputation in the school."
"He- does..? I-... Is it a bad reputation?"
"Well no, not really," Jimin leaned back in his chair, looking towards the ceiling in thought. "It's a bit mixed. He knows just about everyone and is quite charming so people usually like him. But he's... I don't know, in some shady shit sometimes. There are people who really hate his guts."
Jeongguk let out a low breath, processing everything his friend was telling him. He turned to look at the backside of Taehyung again, remembering the very view last night from when he'd followed him towards that karaoke place. How he looked so incredibly dazzling even when facing away from him. His assertive body language oozed dominance with every profound step he took.

He didn't care what others thought of him, really. Jeongguk knew the kind of person he was already. And sure, there were intimidating aspects of him, but overall Jeongguk was mesmerized by him. There was no way he could forget him so easily. Evidently Jeongguk couldn't deny that he'd had fun with Taehyung last night; more than he ever had with anyone in a while. And it turned out that, having the man occupy his mind this invasively left little room for him to think about his traitor ex boyfriend.

He made up his mind. To talk to him again, ask for his number, even. If Taehyung knew everyone, Jeongguk wanted to be part of that 'everyone'.

Naturally it was a bit difficult to focus throughout the entire class time. The professor was going over some syllabus related things, and Jeongguk couldn't care less. So much that his eyes remained fixated on the man a couple seats away from him. He wore the same leather jacket as last night, his hair as dark and lucious as Jeongguk remembered it, and he seemed to be chatting occasionally to the two people sitting beside him. Jeongguk wondered if they were his close friends, or just part of the 'everyone' crowd that got to speak to him so knowingly.

Before he knew it the class was dismissed, and people were quick to pack up their things and begin to scatter out of the room. Jeongguk rose to his feet abruptly, scurrying to gather his books rather frantically before saying a hurried goodbye towards a bewildered Jimin and Hoseok.
Then the boy ran out and made hurried steps down the hall where Taehyung had sauntered off to. He caught up to him in a matter of only seconds, and with a breathless voice he gathered his breath and called out to him.
"Taehyung!"

The man stopped, and so did the guy beside him. He was much shorter than Taehyung, but had an equally piercing gaze. Jeongguk gasped out as he inhaled air, regaining his composure.
"Hey.." he cracked a bashful smile, "I'm- uh, Jeongguk. From last night, I... wanted to thank you for... well, for last night." He stumbled over his words, not sure if he was even making sense under the gaze of the two observing men.
He then watched as Taehyung narrowed his eyes at him, a satirical grin forming on his face while his head tilted steadily to the side.
"Ehm.. Sorry. Who?" His deep voice spoke in response, and Jeongguk felt his heart pummel down to his stomach.
"Jeongguk. J-Jeon Jeongguk.." he stammered, clutching the books in his hands tightly. "Do you not remember me? Or- Or last night? You were drunk so that's understandable, but.."

Taehyung looked at his friend next to him, the shorter man gazing back at him briefly. Then they were both staring to Jeongguk again, and the younger saw how the man beside Taehyung had a complicated expression on his face.

"Jeon Jeongguk?" Taehyung's brow rose, the man's gaze much darker than he'd remembered; it gave Jeongguk cold feet just looking at it. "Sorry, I don't remember meeting anyone with that name."
Jeongguk's mouth gaped open, staring widely at the man before him. He was beginning to feel a bit flustered, maybe even crazy. As though last night was only a figment of his imagination, non existent to reality. That he was making accusations, making it seem as though they'd gotten close over just one night the man couldn't even seem to confirm had happened. But the void, slightly confused expression on Taehyung's face made him believe him. He really didn't know who he was. Did Jeongguk get the wrong person?

He blinked.

No, of course not. The man standing right in front of him is the same man as last night. Same name, too. He really only seemed tipsy yesterday, especially compared to Jeongguk. So how could he forget him?
"O-Oh.." Jeongguk's face turned red as he gazed to the ground. "Okay then, I'm... I'm sorry, my mistake."

Taehyung nodded curtly and turned, he and his friend resuming their walk down the hall. "Who was that?" He heard Taehyung's friend ask him.

"No idea, bro. Now let's go eat. I'm starving."

※ ※

jimin
— he didn't recognize you?

jeongguk
— no...
— not even a little 😔delivered ⤸

jimin
— I told you he's crazy. 🙄 just stay away from him
Jeongguk let out a long sigh and lowered his phone, looking up towards the darkening grey sky. It was clear it would rain any second now, but the boy had too much on his plate; thus the last thing on his mind had been remembering to check the weather in case he needed an umbrella. He stood under the storefront of a small cafe near campus, one he'd visit often during midterms and finals when he needed to focus. But today in particular he was craving the delicious taste of hot latte with sprinkles of cinnamon he'd missed so much. It'd ease his stress for projects and essays, but this time his stresses were now rising from other matters.

With a quiet plop, Jeongguk rested his bag beside him while seating himself at the back table, fingering the mug's handle in front of him.

"You're a natural, darling."

Taehyung's voice from last night ricocheted in his ear. The man had been so kind to him, was ever so alluring. Did last night really not happen? Did Jeongguk dream it all? That was merely impossible.
Maybe Taehyung had pretended not to know him. That was the conclusion Jeongguk had come to, that made more sense. Maybe he had his fun with him last night and was ready to move on to someone else. The man seemed to have a complicated reputation, from what Jimin had told him. But it was clear he had a bad boy aura to him, and perhaps often switched partners. Never sticking to one.

That's right. He was just Taehyung's fling for the night. Maybe he was kind so that Jeongguk would warm up to him more. He seemed experienced in such things. And after not being in a relationship for the first time in years Jeongguk was finally learning of the outside world, it seemed.

The young boy gulped down the hot beverage, feeling it burn in his throat. It wasn't all so bad. He was able to forget Seojun in a night where he'd otherwise be miserable. Taehyung was his fling, too. He'd only gotten carried away with the thought of getting close to him. Was captivated too much, to the point he may have become clingy to the idea of being around him.

Yes, this was for the best.

Even so his body felt heavy, disheartened. When he looked to the window beside him he could see rain already pouring over the city, doing a pitiful job at washing away his sorrows. In a matter of minutes Jeongguk finished up his coffee, and dragged his feet outside. He stood below the cafe awning, letting it shelter him from the rain while he watched people overlap each other at the sidewalks. The sound of the downpour was loud in his ears, and he grew goosebumps at the chilly breeze that swept over him every now and then.
Out of sheer emotion, tears began to cloud his eyes. He was overcome by a sense of loss. Seojun, whom he'd known for years; and Taehyung, whom he'd known for mere hours. Still both of them had betrayed him somehow, they had gained that in common, and Jeongguk couldn't help feeling weak-hearted.

"Damn it.." he sniffled, wiping at his eyes, drops of rain landing onto his cheeks where the wind had pushed it. "Damn it... Damn it!" He quietly sobbed, continuously rubbing off the tears that cascaded down his face. He wasn't used to this pain in his heart. The way it swelled, consumed his consciousness until it was the only thing he could think of. But the sound of a flap—an umbrella closing beside him, caused him to succumb to only whimpers while he steadily raised his head.

"You're crying again," a voice suddenly spoke, and Jeongguk got a whiff of a musky, grass smell. And in front of him stood Kim Taehyung. His eyes pierced down at him, hair a fluffly mess, the familiar leather jacket sliding down his shoulder. Jeongguk let out a confused noise, brows rising as he looked up at the man.

"I'm sorry," Taehyung continued, shaking off the closed umbrella, droplets sprinkling down to the ground. "I didn't mean to forget you, bun."

Jeongguk looked at him in bewilderment, not quite knowing what to say amongst his internal confusion. "W-What?"

"I do remember you, Jeon Jeongguk," he raised a hand and dug it to the younger's hair, ruffling it fondly. "I said I was sorry. Do you not forgive me?"

The boy blinked incredulously, wiping the back of his hand over the remaining tears on his face. He then tugged down the hem of his hoodie and cleared his throat, a timid flush on his face. "Why.. Why did you lie then? Am I... embarrassing?"

Taehyung tilted his head to the side, his long bangs falling to the side as he did so. He looked attentively to the boy who held his head down, a curious gaze in his eyes. "Embarrassing?"
"Y-Your friend... Were you ashamed to talk to me because he was right there?"

The man gave a smirk and turned to lean against the storefront wall. "Ah, you mean Yoongi-hyung? Hm... Nah, I couldn't care less what he thinks. He knows me better than I know myself anyway."

Jeongguk watched while Taehyung pulled a box of cigarette from his pockets, followed by a lighter. He then looked away to the drenched streets once again, frowning. "What are you even doing here? Stalking me?"

"Now don't be so self indulged, Jeon. I'm only taking shelter from the rain, of course," Taehyung breathed out a puff of smoke, the lit cigarette already by his lips. "I just happened to run into you crying again. Bad habit of mine, really. That's my bad."

The younger snorted out a laugh, and Taehyung looked at him with a small smile.

Then, with a clear of his throat. "Well who's making you cry again? That Seojun guy?"

Jeongguk bit his lip, holding his hands together over his waist. "You..." he mumbled softly, then widened his eyes as his sudden confession registered in his head.

"Me?" Taehyung laughed loudly, turning to face the boy in sheer amusement, that familiarly wicked smirk on his face. "I hurt your feelings that badly, hm?"

"No.." Jeongguk quickly responded, not daring to look in his eyes.

"No?"

"Nope."

"Mm."

Jeongguk glanced at the man for a brief second, seeing the way he stared up at the gloomy sky, one foot propped against the brick wall behind him. There was a silence that was filled by the vibrant sound of rain falling to concrete, and after a while Taehyung took two steps forward, dropped the cigarette down to the floor and stepped on it.

"I guess I owe you then, no?" He turned to the younger and held out his umbrella towards him. Jeongguk took it without thinking, figuring maybe he needed him to hold it for something. But the man turned around rather quickly.

"See you in class, Jeon Jeongguk." He waved, lifting his leather jacket over his head and dashing suddenly out into the rain. Jeongguk let out a curt gasp, stepping forward to watch as the man sprinted down the street, quickly getting soaked. Then he looked to the umbrella in his hands and blinked in realization.

"I-... You- You didn't have to-..." he called out before sighing out a breath, mumbling to himself. "How did he even know I didn't have an umbrella..."

But despite the frustration of having stolen the man's umbrella indirectly, Jeongguk couldn't help the boyish smile on his face.

He does remember me...

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Taehyung slammed the door to his apartment, slipped his drenched shoes from his feet and kicked it against the wall. The living room was eerily dark, but down the hall there was light seeping from his bedroom. He huffed out a low groan, hanging his jacket onto a coat rack and letting the water droplets slip seamlessly to the floor.

He began undressing himself from the soaked garments as he padded down the hall, eventually reaching his room; and was unsurprised to see the familiar woman that was lounging on his bed. She was naked, her long straight hair falling over the comforter that covered her pale snow skin up until just below her collarbones, and she sat scrolling on her phone seemingly unamused. That is, until she turned her head to look up at Taehyung, an immediate smile curling on her lips.

"Welcome home. You're late," she lowered the device and sat up, not bothering to bring the blanket up with her, and so naturally her breasts were exposed.

"Yeah," Taehyung nodded almost dismissively while he slipped his shirt off, throwing the wet clothing over a chair. "Uh, how'd you get in here?"

The woman laughed in amusement. "I asked Yoongi to lend me his keys. Wanted to surprise you. I even left you some food on the kitchen table. Leftovers from earlier today."

"Right," Taehyung said blankly, his wet bangs drooping over his eyes. "So then, why exactly are you naked?"

"Figured maybe you'd have a long day, y'know? I see you even got caught in the storm." She pulled the blankets to one side to reveal her full nude body underneath, her ivory complexion flushed from the warmth of the comforters; straight raven hair cascading down her body in great length. Taehyung flung his head to the side and rubbed the side of his neck. He now stood in merely boxers, his tan well-toned chest on display making the woman bite down on her lip.

A low chuckle left him, and Taehyung stepped closer towards the bed. "Misun-ah.."

"Mm. Yes, Taehyung."

"Doll.." he continued, settling on the bed on his knees. "Spread for me, baby."

The woman, Misun, moved her legs apart, showing herself fully towards the man, and she looked at him with a dazed demeanor in her eyes. Taehyung placed both hands beside her head and hovered his body over hers, then leaned down so his clothed crotch rubbed against her bare one. Their faces now centimeters apart, Misun weakly met the man's ever so piercing gaze.

And with a thunderous ragged voice, Taehyung spoke lowly. "Don't be such a whore."

Her cheeks quickly flushed in embarrassment, and maybe even arousal, and watched as Taehyung curtly stood from the mattress and trailed his way towards the bathroom. She trembled slightly at the sudden coldness in the room and heard the door shut in the distance, followed by the sound of the shower being switched on.

Misun then slowly slipped from the bed and began to dress herself, quietly grabbed her things, and exited the dusky apartment.

※ ※

"That'll be ₩15,000 please," the woman behind the counter gave a friendly smile, and Jeongguk rummaged frantically through his bag.

"You dumbass.." Jimin uttered behind him, standing with his arms crossed while he watched a line slowly begin to form after them. "Hurry up!"

"I'm trying!" the younger whined, "I only, uh... I only have ten thousand..."

Jimin pinched his nose and let out an annoyed sigh before he dug into his bag and effortlessly pulled five thousand Korean won from his wallet. "Here, I'll spot you. Now you owe me, bitch face."

"My angel, my life savior, my—!"

"Move it, assholes, we got somewhere to be!" An elderly voice called from the back of the line, and Jeongguk scurried to pay the cashier.

"Good god.." Jimin let out a long breath as they departed from the bookstore rather hastily. "All of this for a nerdy ass book. Why can't you spend your money on my alcohol funds or something.."

"Shut it, Jimin," Jeongguk groaned, "I'm running low on cash. I should maybe start looking for a job soon. Classes just begun, so since the workload ain't too bad right now I'm sure I can handle it."

"Oh, what's wrong? Mommy and daddy didn't send this month's allowance~?"

He whacked the blond's arm. "I'm trying to be independent. I can't keep relying on them for everything—they've got their own lives."

Jimin seemed oddly sentimental. "Awh~... Little Jeonggukie's becoming a man... A job of his own, having his first hangover... What's next? You gonna start having sex for once?"

The younger blushed furiously. "Hey!" he scolded, shoving Jimin to the other side of the street. "I'm not a virgin, you know.."

"You might as well be. The rare moments you'd actually let Seojun fuck you were awkward and lasted two minutes tops. 'Least that's what you told me."

Jeongguk stared ahead, suddenly falling silent. Jimin glanced over at him as he reached his side again. "Sorry.." the blond added, "I didn't mean to bring him up."

The boy shook his head and smiled weakly. "It's okay. Now go, head to your class. I'll be reading at the library until lunch time."

Jimin nodded, a supportive smile on his face while he patted the boy's shoulder and turned the corner. Jeongguk then decided he'd use this moment alone to look up at the sky and admire the nice sunny day. It was quite bright out, contrary to yesterday's downpour; as if it never even happened in the first place. Nature sure was funny like that. His eyes then settled across the street, and coincidentally met the gaze of a man who stood by the traffic light on the other side, looking directly at him.

He held his breath. The man looked awfully familiar.

And then he remembered.

It was the guy who was standing beside Taehyung in the school hall when he'd approached them after their English class. If he remembered correctly, Taehyung had later referred to him as 'Yoongi-hyung'.

The man's lips parted, eyes intently on him strangely as though he wanted to tell him something. Jeongguk didn't know if he should walk away or wait for him to cross the street, but his feet were frozen to the ground. The pedestrian light switched to green, and before Yoongi could take a step in his direction there was a yell from down the street; some guy, perhaps a friend, waved hello to him.

Jeongguk watched as Yoongi looked towards the guy, then back to Jeongguk, and eventually strolled over to meet up with his supposed friend who was headed the opposite direction.

With a confused bite of his lip, Jeongguk turned around and began his walk towards the school library.

※ ※

jimin
— hey beautiful 🥴— head on to the meeting without me, hoseok got tickets to tonight's game and asked me to go with him!!

jeongguk
— what... why didn't he ask me :(delivered ⤸

jimin
— stfu you don't even like baseball

jeongguk
— ...true— so you're gonna miss art club's first meeting?delivered ⤸

jimin
— who tf cares everyone there knows me anyway. I'll text the club leader and tell her I can't make it— it's not every day jung hoseok invites you to a game!!!

jeongguk
— yeah uh huh..— well have fun then. I'll fill you in on any details you might missdelivered ⤸

jimin
— thank u, love u, gotta go! 🏃💨

Jeongguk rolled his eyes and closed the book perched on his lap, then looked up to scout his surroundings. The library was emptier now than when he had first stepped in. Currently he sat on the carpeted flooring, back against the wall in the corner beside the desk areas. He slowly rose to his feet and grabbed his bag, figuring he wasn't hungry enough for lunch just yet, so he decided on heading straight to the arts department for the first club meeting.

When he stepped out of the library building he was greeted by the shining sun once again, a scatter of clouds crowding the air while Jeongguk took his time on his walk, wanting to enjoy the beautiful day out. This area of the school campus had tons of greenery, plots of grass adorning the spots over the fence, with tall trees that were beginning to yellow in time for the fall season.

Jeongguk began humming a light tune, and closed his eyes briefly before he heard a sudden small mewl. He turned to look over the grass area, spotting a cat leaning down and eating a piece of bread. Beside him was someone crouched over and gently patting its head, a fluff of dark hair resembling the cat's own black fur. Jeongguk felt he could recognize those locks from a mile away.

"Mm? Good? Awh, poor baby.." Taehyung cooed at the animal, running his fingers calmly over the cat's shiny coat. "This your first meal in days, hm?"

Jeongguk smiled, watching fondly as the man continued to pet and converse with the kitten. He took a moment to eye his attire, noting how his usual leather jacket wasn't on him today; instead it was a simple white hoodie. Once again Taehyung seemed to be bare footed against the grass, his sneakers scattered somewhere near his backpack.

The boy slowly began to approach him, stepping over the small fencing between grass and concrete, and the cat suddenly perked its head, attentive to the new presence in his proximity."Is he a stray?" Jeongguk spoke up, voice a bit small. Taehyung turned to look at him, eyes narrowed due to the sun in his face.

"Ah," he piped up, standing back up straight. "Pretty boy. We meet again."

Jeongguk bowed his head shyly and looked over at him, noticing how the man's eyes seemed less intense today, somehow. Or maybe it was just his imagination, from the brightness of the sun. "Hey.."

Taehyung glanced towards the kitten. "He's a stray, yes. I met him freshman year, he comes to campus often to ask the students for food. He's kind of a celebrity around here. Am a bit offended you don't know him."

Jeongguk chuckled. "Well, what's.. Um, what's his name?"

"Hm... Mickey. Or Noir. Or Batman," he grinned. "Depends who you ask. Everyone's got different nicknames for him."

"And... what do you call him?"

"I call him Junior." He pulled off a piece of bread from his sandwich and dropped it for the cat. "As in like.. Taehyung Jr."

"You named him after yourself? Narcissist," Jeongguk snickered.

Taehyung scrunched his nose and grinned widely. "Fuck off. He just reminds me of myself sometimes."

"How so?"

Taehyung stayed quiet, looking down as Junior ate eagerly in front of them. Then Jeongguk watched him crouch down again and begin to pet him.

"It's good, right buddy?" he mumbled, "Eat up. I'll have more food for you tomorrow, yeah? Just find me. Mhm, that's right.. just look for me. I'll feed you well."

Jeongguk shifted his body weight towards one foot, watching the two in silence. After a long pause he carefully crouched beside Taehyung and reached out to pet Junior gently. The kitten continued to eat blissfully.

"I think he likes me.." he smiled tenderly, and looked up when he felt Taehyung's gaze on him.

"Jeon," his raspy voice called. "Do you have siblings?"

Jeongguk blinked at him before shaking his head, a bit thrown off at the sudden question. "No, uh.. Why do you ask?"

"M'just asking. You seem very catered to."

Jeongguk pouted his bottom lip out, unsure on what exactly the man had meant by that. "Well, I'm... I really am just an only child. You?"

"I have a little brother," Taehyung said with an innocent smile, and Jeongguk slowly smiled back, not quite used to seeing the man so bright. His brother must be important to him, he figured. Somehow the thought was cute. "Yoongi-hyung takes care of him. Helps me out a lot. He's got way more free time than I do, so he takes him to and from school."

Jeongguk rose a brow. Yoongi takes care of Taehyung's little brother? They must be super close, then. Something inside him wanted to ask him where his parents were, but since Taehyung's brother wasn't in their care he figured the topic of family couldn't be too pleasant. "Really? How old is he?" he asked instead, a cheery tone in his voice.

"He's ten. Going to be way more handsome than me when he grows up," the man gave off a crooked smile and stood up once again, so Jeongguk did too. He watched as Taehyung walked back towards his bag and picked up his DSLR camera, fitting the strap over his head so the device hung down his chest. The younger chuckled to himself. He looked almost like the night they'd met. "So Jeon. Where are you heading off to?"

"Oh, uh... The art club meeting."

He rose his brow. "You're joining the art club?"

"Well yeah, um... My friend is, so I wanted to as well."

"Mm." Taehyung grabbed his backpack, "Can I join?"

A pause. "You... wanna join, too?"

The older laughed loudly. "No, not the art club, Jeon. I'll join you for the meeting, but my heart belongs to the Photography club."

"Oh." Jeongguk glanced at the fancy camera strapped from around his neck. "Right. Well, of- of course you can tag along. I wouldn't like going alone.."

"Sweet. Let's go, yeah?"

Jeongguk smiled and nodded cutely. "Yeah. Let's go."

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"The uhm... The umbrella you lent me.." Jeongguk brought up shyly. "I can return it to you tomorrow in English class, if you want?" The two boys walked down the polished hall of the arts department building in leisure steps, the spacious corridor nearly empty due to the timing; people whose schedule fell around class time during this hour. Jeongguk was currently hyper aware of the man beside him. Despite the amiable conversation they've had thanks to Junior, the black kitten, Taehyung seemed much quieter now. The reserved, blank look on his face was how the boy always remembered him, contrary to the friendly smile he'd given him just minutes ago. Jeongguk began to wonder if maybe he'd said something wrong somewhere along the way.

"Keep it," Taehyung hummed, an unlit cigarette placed at his lips while his focus seemed to be directed heavily on his phone. Jeongguk glanced at him and scratched behind his ear.

"No, it's-... I'd rather return it. I already have one of my own at home, and so..." the boy trailed off, unsure if Taehyung was even listening to him. The remainder of the walk towards the meeting room was silent, and Jeongguk began to hum the tune of a song, the one he'd sung prior to their encounter, a bounce in his step while they walked. Taehyung's eyes glanced to his right, watching the younger in newfound amusement.

"Coldplay," he commented in response, eyes then redirecting back to his phone. Jungkook's brows rose as he turned to look at the man again, his cheeks flushing a cute pink.

"Y-Yeah," the younger cracked a smile, pausing his hums. "Song name?"

"Hymn for the Weekend," Taehyung replied, rubbing the side of his neck. "A classic."

He looked at Jeongguk, who stared back. The glow in his eyes with that darn pretty smile on his face. The man found him cute. Adorable, even. Taehyung smirked back, his dark eyes locked on the boy as he responded.

"Yeah. Classic."

When they reached the art studio where the club meeting was supposedly taking place, Jeongguk looked around the large classroom and saw the canvas easels stacked on the side, an island table near the back covered in old paint marks, and a collection of stools gathered in a circle, some occupied by those who've arrived earlier than them. The classroom was naturally well lit, thanks to the blazing sunlight having seemingly no trouble seeping through the massive glass window in front of them. Upon walking in, a woman's voice greeted them without even looking up from the stack of papers she was flipping through, and Jeongguk noticed all eyes settle on him. Well, on him and Taehyung, in particular. And they kept staring, murmurs coming left and right even as they strolled over to take their seats on two empty stools at the back.

"Pass this down," the woman who greeted them said, slipping two pieces of paper to be handed over towards the two boys. Jeongguk figured she was the leader of the art club, and took a good look at her. She had long, straight shiny black hair that fell down just below her waist, along with cute blunt bangs that curtained her round face perfectly. She was undeniably beautiful, that much was obvious. And although Jeongguk didn't take any particular interest in women, even he could tell this girl was probably desired by many guys.

"Hey—just one," Taehyung spoke up, "I'm not here to join."

The woman looked up as she retrieved one of the sheets of paper, then her eyes widened upon spotting Taehyung. "Oh, now what do we have here? Kim Taehyung, what brings you here to my club meeting?"

Jeongguk blinked. Did they know each other? He shouldn't really be surprised if that were the case. It seemed Taehyung knew everyone, and everyone knew of him. It had only been Jeongguk himself who had fallen ignorant to his existence altogether, until the night they had met by mere chance. Besides, why wouldn't this gorgeous girl be acquaintances with someone like Taehyung? In terms of the looks department the two went well together, complimented each other's features. Maybe they even had some sort of partnership Jeongguk had also failed to recognize.

"Just dropping by, Misun. You're not stealing me from photography club just yet," Taehyung smirked, tapping the camera that hung from the strap over his shoulder.

The girl returned a grin and handed some sheet to be passed towards Jeongguk, whose gaze took turns looking between Misun and Taehyung. Before he knew it there was a small pout on his lips, one he wasn't even aware had appeared on himself. That exchange of knowing smiles... it was now so painfully clear how well the two knew each other, and the younger boy wasn't very fond of that thought for some reason. Not one bit.

Click!

Jeongguk looked up, brows furrowing as he turned towards the source of the curt sound beside him. Right in front of him was a camera in his face, large veiny fingers hoisting it up at eye level. When the device lowered the boy saw Taehyung smirking behind it.

"Did... you just take a picture of me...?" he stammered out, a bit confused as he watched the man nod shamelessly.

"You had a cute little pout on your face," Taehyung snickered, raising a hand and wiping his thumb over the younger's lips. "It was pretty." Jeongguk's eyes were wide, and he could feel the tips of his ears heating up. Good god... Taehyung looked so damn fine up close. He couldn't help but stare, particularly at his lips, that seemed ever so inviting when the man coated it in his saliva with that alluring tongue of his. There was no doubt this man knew exactly what he was doing. Was aware of the effect he had on people. There was no way he was heedless to such things. Jeongguk could feel himself slowly losing his sanity, and he was slipping away into those perilous thoughts of his until he heard sudden applause, and realized that Misun had started the club meeting.

"Welcome everyone, thank you for making it to the art club's first meeting of the new semester!"

Taehyung's hand returned to his lap, which made Jeongguk slump a little in his seat. Was it odd of him to miss his touch already? Surely he was losing his mind. With a soft sigh and a slight shake of his head Jeongguk then joined everyone else in giving Misun a round of applause, though admittedly his attention was very much directed towards a certain man beside him, rather than the commencement of the actual meeting.

※ ※

"Delete it?"

"No."

"Delete it."

"Nah."

"Delete it!"

Taehyung turned to face Jeongguk, face void of any emotion while he poked the boy's cheek. "Forget it, bun. I'm not deleting my finest work."

Jeongguk's eyes narrowed. "How is a picture of me with terrible posture your 'finest work'?"

"It's the pout." The man added his thumb to squeeze at Jeongguk's cheek, and by the grin that began to form on his face the younger knew he had lost this battle.

"Right, well, you-... You win for now, but.." he stopped, internally cussing at the way he'd stutter over his words in front of this man. Jeongguk still wasn't sure what it was about Taehyung that made him feel small, but this strangely peculiar feeling in his chest was one he found himself clinging onto somehow. "I'm... I'm going home," the boy said after a long pause, gripping tightly to his bag strap and striding forward with his eyes glued towards the floor. Taehyung was quick to follow behind him.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Jeon?"

Jeongguk didn't have to look at him to know the older was thoroughly amused by his behavior, and for that he didn't utter a word in response. He knew if he did, he'd only embarrass himself with more pathetic stammering.

"Mmh, the silence treatment, hm?" Taehyung's deep voice boomed behind him, not failing to make the boy feel weak in the knees. "Sexy."

And just then Jeongguk felt his arm being grabbed onto tightly, causing him to come to an abrupt stop, the momentum bouncing him back against Taehyung's chest. He looked up with alerted eyes, seeing how he had been one step dangerously close to bumping into a person that had suddenly emerged from the building beside them.

"Ah, s-sorry—," he uttered, grateful that Taehyung had prevented a collision by grabbing onto him; but when the guy he'd almost bumped heads with looked up at him, Jeongguk could feel his heartbeat begin to accelerate, feet frozen into place, his lips parting while he blinked at the man in front of him.

The guy stared back at him with an equally surprised look on his face, and Taehyung's tight squeeze on his arm brought Jeongguk back to reality.

"Jeongguk..." the man spoke out in a soft voice, shock evident in his expression. "You're-" A pause. "I mean... I've been trying to reach you. We need to talk..."

There was silence in the air, the bright sun and clear weather contrasting the dull grey storm raging inside Jeongguk's heart. He only realized just then how forcefully he had been squeezing his fists when his nails dug so deep into his palm that it stung him. He took a moment to look at Lee Seojun, the man in front of him. And the man who used to be his.

He looked as he always did. Jeans and a hoodie, his brunette hair pushed back in a slick style. The only difference was that he now wore a rather hesitant expression on his face, and not his usual loving eyes nor the goofy smile Jeongguk always saw on him. It was suffocating. The boy could no longer bare to stand so close to him.

So without another word uttered, Jeongguk tapped Taehyung's hand and the man let go of him slowly. With his feet skidding loudly across the pavement, Jeongguk turned and dashed off as far as his feet could take him. He wasn't quite sure where he was heading, or what to do anymore. He just wanted to stop his thoughts; to erase the face of that man imprinted in his heart.

"Jeongguk!"

Seojun called out and spun to run after the boy before he felt a strong clutch on his upper arm, the grip digging into his skin so harshly that he let out a small yelp. When he turned he was met with the most dreary, dark gaze he had ever seen on a man, a murderous intent evident in his stare. Seojun had recognized him immediately. This man was the school's infamous Kim Taehyung.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Taehyung's voice was laced with venom, a powerful sound that could make anyone shit themselves in its exposure. Seojun froze, his eyes enlarged as he blinked back at the fierce man holding him in his merciless grasp.

"I-I just... Listen, he's-"

"Don't go after him."

Seojun's mouth parted, expression contorting in that of confusion and slight desperation. Because, yes, he'd been fretting over when he'd have the chance to speak to Jeongguk again, let alone even meet with him. His days hadn't been the same, his guilt devouring him in a deep anguish he wasn't sure how to recover from. Jeongguk had been his home for years now. The familiarity he felt whenever he thought of him was both warm and cold.

But the last thing Seojun had wanted, was to hurt the boy.

Explain. He wanted to explain himself. He knew there was a possibility his ex lover would not take any interest in the things he had to say, but even so Seojun felt he had to say them. The only problem was, how was he going to get the boy to listen?

And why was Kim Taehyung preventing him from doing so?

"What...?" his brow perked up while he struggled to hold his ground against the rather intense stare down that Taehyung had engaged him in.

He wasn't going to lie, he wanted to get the hell out of there. The things he knew of Kim Taehyung were merely that in which he'd gotten from the rumors of him. But that was all he needed to feel his knees tremble in that moment, the man's strong grip on him sending him into a gradual panic.

He didn't want to fight him. He didn't want to involve himself with him. All he wanted was for the male to let him go, so he could run after Jeongguk.

"Do I have to fucking repeat myself?" Taehyung spat, the tone of his voice making Seojun's insides churn in fright. If there was a voice out there that could murder a person in cold blood, Seojun was convinced he had just heard it. "Don't fuck with me, you piece of shit. Are you deaf? I said don't go after him."

With that Taehyung shoved the other male forward, causing him to stumble down and fall to the ground in one brutal motion; the momentum skid his body against the sharp pavement and drew blood from the skin on his arm.

"Fuck.." Seojun hissed, propping himself to his elbows and pulling his arm towards him. The sharp pavement had torn through his shirt sleeve and cut a thin, vertical wound across his skin. Though the injury itself might've not been anything too bad, the stings of pain shooting up his arm made him grumble with discomfort. He raised his head, ready to yell at the man for overdoing it, but when their eyes met again Taehyung's body towered over his, torso leaning close enough so that their faces were centimeters apart.

"Just like that. Good boy. Sit." Taehyung's voice boomed into the other man's ear, the hairs on his arms rising. "Don't move."

And in that moment Seojun thought, Who the fuck was this guy?

He seemed like anything but good news.

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jeongguk had gotten carried away.
He thought that trying to forget Lee Seojun and pretending he never even existed would solve all his problems somehow. But the reality was that Seojun did, very much, still exist. And he still went to the same college as him. Even had the same lecture as him once a week. He had been foolish to think he'd never have to see his face again. In fact, not seeing him would prove to be more difficult than he had expected. There was no easy way out.
The blazing sun bathed him in its warmth, but Jeongguk felt it was smothering him. He was restless, out of breath, unsure of where he had ended up after all that running. He didn't even have a plan on where to go, and mindlessly roamed the streets in a desperate attempt to forget the encounter he'd had just minutes ago.
But when he looked up Jeongguk had taken note of how his surroundings were a bit more secluded. He was stood beside a utility pole, an alleyway of garbage bags to his left, a long narrow road to his right. In the distance he could see a row of small, grubby apartment buildings and the area seemed eerily quiet.
He squatted down and lifted his head, eyes settling wearily up at the blue sky.

"Will we always be together?"

"I wouldn't ever leave you, Gguk."

"...You promise?"

They had been so young then. So pristine. Unknowing. About love, about the world; everything. But even then, Jeongguk believed him. Believed they'd always have each other. Love each other.
Now? He wasn't sure what love was.
"You're not crying this time."
Jeongguk's eyes flickered over to see Taehyung, who stood a few feet away from him, dark eyes blatantly staring at him, lips pressed into a firm line. Jeongguk found he couldn't ever tell what this man was thinking, yet he always managed to appear before him.
"How... do you always find me?" he let out in a shaky voice, not bothering to hide his emotions anymore.
Taehyung slipped a hand into his pocket casually, stepping closer towards the boy before he sat on the pavement beside him.
"Instinct, I presume." He clicked his tongue, "I have a good sense of awareness."
Jeongguk blinked back at the man and turned to look at the sky again. There was a silence that overtook the air around them, once again in the isolated street that seemed a bit too quiet, and Jeongguk could hear the sound of distant honking and ambulance truck alarms. Sounds of the city. Truthfully, it was a stunning day out. The kind of day you'd go on a picnic with friends on, or enjoy a day at the amusement park with family. A day to bask in the joys of being alive. But Jeongguk didn't feel joy in any of those things right then. He was the kind of person who would rather be alone when he was upset, yet for some reason he didn't mind Kim Taehyung's company. A man he barely even knew, whose existence he'd been ignorant of until just days ago.
"What are you thinking about?" Taehyung's husky voice. Jeongguk looked to the floor, unable to answer him. "That son of a bitch?"
Still no answer.
Taehyung let out a hefty grunt as he then stood to his feet, hands digging to his pockets coolly while he began walking forwards. When a good enough distance grew between them the man stopped and looked at Jeongguk.
"You can sit there and mope around like some lovesick pup, or..." he spoke, his looming eyes making the younger's heart race all of a sudden. There was intensity in his voice, prompting whoever heard it to take his words seriously. Taehyung seemed to have that effect on people, and Jeongguk found he envied that about him.
"Or, you can follow me now. And I'll show you a world without that heart ache of yours, Jeon."

※ ※

The boy's footsteps felt heavy against the concrete pavement, the sunlight gradually warming up the evening sky. It was clear that it would soon set, wash the city in its orange glow and disappear into the horizon until it left nothing but darkness across the city of Seoul.
Jeongguk often wished he could disappear as such. Come back in the morning, maybe when he'd feel better. But this time he wasn't sure if he could ever feel the same, or like himself. Though when he thought about it, he wasn't quite sure who he even was. All his life he had followed directions, been obedient, kind towards others. He was blessed with good friends, great parents, a humble lifestyle. He never had to starve, or worry about financial matters.
He had a good life.
But he couldn't understand it. Would he rather live in comfort and not know himself nor have purpose, or would he rather experience hardships and really know himself for who he was?
Currently Jeongguk followed behind Taehyung, the streets around them quiet, their footsteps loud. Much like the night they had met, Jeongguk didn't know where the man was taking him, and he knew maybe he shouldn't trust so willingly. But he couldn't help that. With the discouragement in his heart right now, he wasn't even sure he'd mind if Taehyung lead him into danger. Maybe anything was better than sulking on the floor of the dirty streets, reminiscing over days and memories he'd never gain back again in his life.
Ever since he'd met Taehyung, there were things he didn't understand. Things he hadn't had exposure to. Unanswered thoughts in his head. The man drew him in like ions—he was the positive charge, Taehyung was the negative. In a magnetic field, these forces would attract each other; and wise people would constantly preach that opposites attract. Something within the very concept of being indifferent towards each other made two forces gravitate together. Jeongguk never really understood that. Until now, in that precise moment his eyes settled at Taehyung's back.
It seemed the more time he spent with this man, the more he felt things he hadn't even known were possible. It was a new world to him; one that was terrifying, yet thrilling. Like the climax of those suspense movies Jimin always loved. Taehyung kept him hooked with every passing moment.
"Here we are," Taehyung's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and Jeongguk looked up to see a parking lot establishment looming over them. "Let's head to the fourth floor."
Jeongguk's brow rose, watching as Taehyung continued towards the parkade structure. "You... own a car?"
He heard the man snicker softly as he scurried to catch up to him, this time settling his walking speed beside him. They passed a booth where Jeongguk swore was usually occupied with some guard to check a vehicle in, but this one had been empty. He figured maybe it was the staff's break time, since Taehyung wouldn't be walking in here had they been closed for the day.
But he followed without asking questions, all the way to the elevator and up to the fourth floor where Taehyung casually strolled towards an isolated vehicle parked at the far right. Jeongguk's large eyes widened in awe. It was a stylish looking Hyundai model, the exterior a slick navy blue with tinted windows.
"Holy cow!" Jeongguk whistled, dashing towards the car to get a good look at it up close. "This is a sweet ride, hyung! How on earth did you afford this?"
Taehyung smirked at the boy's excitement and dropped his backpack to the floor, leaned down and unzipped it. "Stop yapping and c'mere," he chuckled, digging into his bag to pull out two cans. Jeongguk slowly stepped closer towards him and tilted his head as he realized that the cans were spray paint.
"Are you-?"
"Well you're gonna help me paint it, right?" Taehyung looked up at him with amusement on his lips, and the younger stared back in shock.
"You're gonna paint over this expensive car?" he blinked. "Why do you-... Why even entrust me to do anything to it?"
Taehyung tossed the red paint can towards the boy and Jeongguk flinched before catching it. "You're in the art club now, no? Who else would I trust for it? Besides, painting is good for letting out frustrations, y'know. I'm just trying to help you." He stood back up and began to shake the can with the purple cap on it. "Now c'mon. Draw a skull or some hardcore shit. It'll make it look cool, don't you think?"
Jeongguk continued his surprised stare, watching as Taehyung pressed down on the nub and metallic purple paint began to scatter on the car door. A small smile tugged at the side of his lips.
It looked like fun, and Taehyung trusted him. So why not? The man was good at helping him forget. He had met him at the right time, it seemed. Maybe it had been yet another one of his life blessings.
"I'll draw some badass bunny so you'll remember me every time you go on a drive," Jeongguk laughed softly, making his way to the other side of the vehicle to paint over the opposite door.
"Mmm... give him cool fangs." He heard Taehyung hum across from him. "And an eyepatch. Ah, and a cigarette."
"Careful, I'm a great artist. With all those requests you may have to commission me for my job," Jeongguk teased, giving the red can a shake before squatting down to start his artwork on the bottom side of the car door.
"How much d'you charge an hour?"
"Hm," Jeongguk hummed, hopping to the left. "A large bowl of ramen per hour?"
There was a brief pause of silence, the only noise Jeongguk could hear were the pshhh! sprays coming from both their cans.
"Jeon Jeongguk, are you asking me out for dinner?"
His heart fluttered when he heard Taehyung's deep hearty laugh, and a blush was quick to tint Jeongguk's pale cheeks. He gnawed at his bottom lip, flustered at the older's sly comment.
"Well, just-... I thought maybe, uhm... Maybe we could spend more time together..." he kept his eyes on his work, reaching up to spray on the bunny's long ears. He then heard some more spraying noises in response, and just as he stood to try and look at Taehyung across the car windows, there was a small ding in the distance.
Jeongguk turned his head, watching as a man in a suit stepped out of the elevator he and Taehyung had also walked out from. The guy strode forward while staring at his phone and then looked up at the two boys with their spray paints, pausing all of a sudden.
"Hey!" the business man shouted, his voice echoing across the large parking lot level. "You fucking assholes kids, that's a new car!"
Jeongguk froze, his grip on the paint can tightening before he felt a tug behind him, where Taehyung had suddenly appeared.
"I said move it," Taehyung whisper-yelled. "Run. Now."
The older's hand enveloped Jeongguk's wrist, grasping it firmly while he dashed to the side. Jeongguk followed him hurriedly, trying to keep up with his pace while they made a run for it, the businessman behind them tailing after the two.
"I thought—... Hey, I thought that was y-your... your car?!" Jeongguk called out breathlessly while Taehyung led him towards the emergency staircase.
"I never said it was mine," Taehyung huffed out, "Now be quiet. He's still after us."
A long exhale left Jeongguk's lungs incredulously, sweat forming at his temple while they bolted down the flights of stairs hastily. He could hear faint steps above them, indicating that the guy was still chasing them. Then they reached the main level, and Jeongguk looked to Taehyung in bewilderment.
"W-What do we do, we're-... He's right behind us!" he whispered in a panic. Taehyung was quick to pull him behind a pillar just beside the staircase exit, then walked the narrow path behind a row of vehicles that remained parked in the dark corner.
"Quiet." Taehyung held the younger's waist, shifting to squeeze both their bodies into a compact concrete alcove, hoping it would hide them from the guy's vision. Jeongguk sucked in his breath and squirmed at the tight space between them, their chests pressing against each other inevitably. He could hear Taehyung's soft breathing; wondered if the male could also feel his rapid heartbeat.
He was so, so close. So damn close. Jeongguk's nose was a mere three centimeters from Taehyung's chin, his warm body heat exuding into Jeongguk's skin. And good god, did he look even better up close. He even had this serious, alerted look on his face, head pivoted to the side in aware for the guy's footsteps. Jeongguk thought it was fucking hot. He felt strangely safe as long as Taehyung was around. Like no matter what situation was presented to him, he'd be alright. The man seemed dependable like that.
Jeongguk was so immersed in Taehyung's scent now, his breaths, his sexy furrowed brows, that he had totally missed how the businessman's footsteps came closer and then subsided, leaving to search for the two boys outside the parking garage, perhaps.
"That was so fucking close..." Taehyung's deep voice vibrated over the younger's entire body, and Jeongguk shivered a little in response, a low whine leaving his lips. And when he looked up he saw Taehyung staring directly at him with dark eyes.
Jeongguk stared back, a bit alarmed at the look on his face. "W-What...?"
He felt Taehyung's large hands release his hips, and that's when Jeongguk had taken notice of it. The reason Taehyung was looking at him like that. And, holy shit, he wanted to cry out in embarrassment.
Because right there, in their tight squeeze, their waists pressed firmly against each other's, bodies rubbing with every movement, was Jeongguk's erection digging into Taehyung's crotch.

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"O-Oh... Uhm.. I'm-.. Oh god.." Jeongguk stammered, convinced perhaps his face was on fire from how hot he felt, blazing in horror at the way his body had taken a physical reaction to his dangerous thoughts of the man pressed before him.

They had done nothing but touch bodies and yet, he had gotten hard, his cock rubbing right against Taehyung's.

This was the worst timing ever. He wanted to vanish from existence right then and there. Begged all kinds of gods to save him. How could his body betray him like this? It was humiliating.

"I'm so s-sorry, hyung, I—"

He was interrupted by a sudden snort, and saw Taehyung struggling to hold in his laughter in front of him. He felt hot under his gaze, and the laugh wasn't exactly helping, so Jeongguk quickly closed his eyes in embarrassment.

"Shit, baby... I turn you on that badly, mm? That it?" He heard Taehyung's voice overlay his dark vision, and once again there was that familiar shivering of his body. Like sparks of electricity trickling down his skin. Just from the mere sound of this man's voice. He bit his lip harder, hoping the pain would numb his humiliation. "Answer me."

Jeongguk then slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his fingers mindlessly against the concrete wall behind him. The air around them was still. There was no point in concealing his thoughts now. He had made himself all too obvious, and was quite literally cornered. He couldn't lie to the man.

"Y-... Yes..."

"Mm."

He inhaled sharply as sudden friction rubbed against his crotch, igniting his erection even further. With widened eyes Jeongguk watched Taehyung's blank face, void of expression, while he grinded their crotches together gently. When Jeongguk mewled out a rather submissive whine, the older was quick to reach up and cover his mouth.

"Be quiet."

Jeongguk blinked back at him with his big eyes and nodded slowly, brows furrowing in ecstasy when Taehyung then continued his motions. He quietly hummed a noise that came out muffled against Taehyung's palm, and the older responded by applying even more force. This then proceeded for a few more seconds until Jeongguk gasped out, feeling a bulge press back against his crotch.

He... Did he just make Taehyung hard?

Somehow he felt as though he'd just achieved something big. Of course, it wasn't like he had forgotten that night when he had gotten a taste of him. Sucked him off at the karaoke booth. The flavor was something sweeter than any candy, more pungent than any lime. It was something Jeongguk preferred not to think about right now, lest he risked popping a bigger erection recalling Taehyung's moans in that moment. But already he was so undeniably hard. What would be the harm in letting those alluring thoughts linger in his head just a little bit?

"Fucking hell..." Taehyung grunted, his powerful gaze burning into Jeongguk. "I want to fuck you so bad, Jeon."

Jeongguk could feel his heart springing, threatening to burst through his chest. It was a feeling he wasn't used to, something fluttery and bubbly yet retained a thunderous pressure inside of him. It might prove to be dangerous, letting out a gurgling force like such. Seojun had never even spoken to him like that. So firm, dominant, with such raspiness scratching at the throat. It was thrilling. Jeongguk loved it. He paused for a moment, processing the older boy's words. He wanted to fuck him. Kim Taehyung wanted to fuck him. The idea of it itself felt sinful to even think about. But why was it so enticing?

"N-Now...?" he managed the question out, large eyes meeting the man's gaze.

"Right now."

The younger swallowed his saliva. He was unable to free himself from Taehyung's dominant gaze, and could just feel his desire seeping from the air around them. The lust that was evident in his eyes. Such a look on him was... captivating, as usual. "Here...?"

"Right here."

His eyes wavered for a second. Jeongguk turned his head to look at the wall beside them. The sky in the distance was beginning to stain orange, and the dim lighting inside the rather abandoned parkade gave him an odd sense of seclusion. He clenched his fists and began to shift in place to prepare to exit the alcove, check if they were in the clear or not. But before he could do so, Taehyung held him in place by the waist again, one hand lifting to cup the side of his face in an oddly tender approach.

"Let me fuck you, bun, hm?" he whispered, head tilted moderately to one side, his long bangs casting a gentle shadow down his handsome face. Jeongguk could feel his heart combusting, a twitch in his pants. How in the world could anyone deny a man like Kim Taehyung? He'd love to know if that were even possible. If the man had even received such rejections.

But as he thought about it logically, it was unlike him to do something so explicit in such public territory. He preferred these moments in the comfort and privacy of a bedroom, maybe a few lit candles, the right atmosphere. He was a bit of a romantic like that, wasn't used to hook-ups or one night stands. But he wasn't thinking logically. Not with the man in front of him looking like he did, with that profound voice of his, their tight erections rubbing together so deliciously.

So Jeongguk's response was almost automatic.

"...O-Okay," he squeaked. He wasn't even sure if he had processed it enough to give a reply, but it seemed Taehyung must've enchanted him somehow because in that moment Jeongguk couldn't care less. His head was full of only Taehyung, Taehyung, and Taehyung.

And so he waited for said man to take the lead, and luckily it wasn't long before he did. Taehyung slowly stepped out from the alcove, checked the area around them, then guided Jeongguk two steps forward. "Hold here.." He grabbed the younger's hands and placed them against the concrete wall, then towered behind him, bulge pressed against his ass. Jeongguk inhaled sharply with anticipation.

Lord, what were they doing? Really, what the hell did he just agree to? The parking lot seemed quite secluded, situated away from the world somehow despite their encounter with that one guy who Jeongguk could only pray had left. He felt crazy. This wasn't something he'd normally do. These thoughts were all too familiar to him; the same from that night at the karaoke booth. Jeongguk didn't have much experience getting intimate, really. But god, did Taehyung drive him crazy. Still, he would usually never agree to this. Ever. It wasn't in him—this was far too risky. Too public. Embarrassing.

But it was also thrilling. New. They were doing something they weren't supposed to, and that's what kept Jeongguk's heart racing. The fear of getting caught, fear of being seen... that feeling rushed in his veins and, oh god, was he so turned on.

The older's hands found their place around Jeongguk's waist, fingers working on unzipping his pants and seamlessly pulling them down along with his underwear. The way he had done these movements with such ease made the boy wonder just how much experience the male had with these things. Jeongguk felt a slight chilly breeze on his bare groin, and then heard Taehyung unbuckling behind him.

He bit his lip tightly.

He wanted him so bad.

He'd been lucky enough to get a taste of him just days ago, but to finally feel him inside of him? Become one with him? Just thinking about it made his erection spring up even higher.

"Suck."

Jeongguk hadn't noticed his eyes were closed until he heard Taehyung's voice, and the man's finger beside his mouth came into vision. He leaned forward, wrapped his lips over the male's finger and let his tongue laminate it in his saliva. He bopped his head as Taehyung prodded a second finger in, and he was so sure the man was jerking himself off behind him. He wanted to turn around, sink to his knees and swallow his dick whole, but right then Jeongguk was feeling particularly submissive. Taehyung had been very commanding thus far, and the younger wanted to wait and be told what to do.

Seconds later, Taehyung removed his fingers and pressed down on Jeongguk's shoulders, making the boy bend his knees a little. Without a warning Jeongguk felt the tip of his finger against his entrance before Taehyung swiftly pushed in, slid his long index inside and prompted a small whine out from the younger boy.

"Hmm, shit... You're tighter than I expected," Taehyung commented quietly, the low voice sounding sultry in Jeongguk's ears. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. The tone of the man's voice was ever so teasing, so alluring, a forbidden fruit deep in a pristine garden. It corrupted him, called his name. Taehyung was the epitome of temptation itself, and Jeongguk didn't have it in him to resist.

So instead he gave in to his desires. Followed along the man's will. His words were absolute, his touches merciful. Safe. Jeongguk was safe here in his arms.

"Quiet," Taehyung hushed him, and only then did Jeongguk realized he was wailing repeatedly, exasperated breaths leaving him as the male's second finger filled him up. "Does it hurt that much?"

"N-No.." Jeongguk puffed out. "Feels... mm, feels g-good.." He pinned his forearms against the wall, feeling himself being stretched from inside. The consistent prodding of Taehyung's fingers felt foreign to him, but the more they kept going the more Jeongguk wished he'd go faster. The two digits that seemed to fill him up before were suddenly not enough.

"You stopped your groaning," Taehyung commented, his voice loud against his ear. "Did you get used to it, hm?"

The younger gave out a hum in response, his focus still on Taehyung's movements until they stopped altogether in an instant. Jeongguk whined quietly, then felt a slap on his ass cheek and whined again, louder this time.

"Are you ready?"

"M-M'ready..."

"You want this, baby?"

"I-I want... it."

"How badly do you want it?"

"Badly..."

Taehyung slapped the boy's ass once more. "How badly?"

Jeongguk squirmed a little, sticking his ass out towards the male and pressing it against his waist. His entrance was now touching the tip of Taehyung's dick. His breath was caught in his throat. He was getting desperate, wanted to feel all of Taehyung sooner rather than later.

"So b-bad.." he moaned. "Please, I-... I want you so b-bad, hyung.."

Had Jeongguk been facing Taehyung in that moment, he would've seen the way a brazen smirk would form on his lips, the look on his face while he gripped to the younger's waist and looked at his plump ass as though it were a well-cooked meal after weeks of starvation. He would've seen how eager he was while he entered him slowly, watching his large cock disappear inside Jeongguk's hole. How he'd thrown his head back at the feeling, eyes settling to the stone ceiling above them.

"O-Oh m-my—..." Jeongguk puffed out hastened breaths, fingers skidding against the concrete while he moved his ass backwards, helping the man's cock inside. "You're too-... It's too big, it's-.."

Taehyung snapped his hips forward and slammed the rest of his erection inside, gripped harshly to the younger's pelvis. At the rough action, Jeongguk screeched out a cry and immediately bit down his lip to keep from making any additional loud noises. He could feel Taehyung withdrawing and thrusting back in, the feeling burning loudly in his consciousness, and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, fists clenched.

"H-Hurts.." he panted. "Hurts.. Hhgh, it hurts.."

Taehyung grunted, pushed all the way in and hugged the boy to his chest. He let him take a moment to absorb the sensation, felt the way the boy's body trembled against him. He reached a hand over to seize his erection, flicked a thumb over the girth, a satisfied breath leaving him as he heard the younger moan in response.

"Are you a virgin, Jeongguk?"

There was a pause, Jeongguk's shaky breaths escaping him involuntarily. He quietly shook his head and rested it back against Taehyung's shoulder. "No.."

The older continued jerking him off, cock buried deep inside him, supporting his weight as the boy released hold of the wall in front of him. He heard small moans, felt how hard he was in his grip. And after a moment of calming him down he guided Jeongguk back up, leaned him against the concrete wall again. But of course, he couldn't help himself as he slapped the boy's ass one more time, earning those erotic shaky whimpers from him.

"Wait a bit longer. It'll feel good."

His thrusts resumed, and so did Jeongguk's mewling. The boy sounded so docile, heavenly, so chaste. The high pitch of his voice was so, so cute. It made Taehyung want to slam into him even harder. It drove him nuts, the way Jeongguk's walls clenched around his veiny cock, embracing it in ecstasy the more he thrusted.

A husky grunt emitted from Taehyung's lips. A sound that made Jeongguk's toes twirl. If he held his breath he could hear more of the man's quiet groans. He wondered if he felt that good to him. Made him feel that blast of electricity Jeongguk constantly felt in the older's presence.

"Mm, does... D-Does that feel g-good, hyung..?" the boy gasped out, brows rising in slight discomfort. He'd found out first hand just how big Taehyung was back at Abyss Karaoke, but having him ram into him like this was an entirely different experience. If it wasn't for the older's constant support hoisting his body upwards, Jeongguk's legs would've long given up on him.

"You..." the man's hand gripped strongly to Jeongguk's thighs, "feel so fucking good, darling." His words were followed by a husky moan, and the sound emitted trickles of pleasure at every sensation on the boy's skin. Before he knew it Jeongguk was cumming from Taehyung's grunts alone, head hazy with hardly much of anything else. His cum spurt over the ashy concrete in front of him, thighs trembling with ecstasy. He wasn't aware of how loud the moans that left him were, but luckily Taehyung's palm was back over his mouth, hushing him from exuding too much noise. His body jolted forward as Taehyung continued to fuck into him, the man's orgasm hitting him soon after Jeongguk's walls gripped over his cock in consecutive motions, and he thought for a few seconds he was seeing stars.

His hips snapped against Jeongguk's ass, head falling over the younger's back as he exhaled profusely. Jeongguk could feel the man's semen filling him, something that made him hum out short moans. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, and even after a few seconds it seemed the man wasn't even done. He remembered back at the karaoke booth, how much Taehyung came into his mouth. Like a never ending stream of flavors just for him. He'd never seen Seojun cum this much, and somehow the contrast only made Taehyung even hotter in his eyes.

"Ohh man.." he heard the older grunt beside his ear, causing Jeongguk to shiver slightly. What he would give to see the look on his face right now. Taehyung probably looked so sexy with lust in his eyes, a satisfied look on his face after fucking him so vigorously. "Took me in so well, hm? You're such a good baby boy."

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The breeze was cold, peaceful. The chirping sounds that would echo throughout the city during daytime were now lacking. It seemed as though the birds had gone to sleep, and so did Jeongguk's unnerving thoughts.

He sat on the park bench, sky carbon colored, though he found there was something beautiful in its darkness. Because if he squinted hard enough he'd see the gentle glowing of distant stars. He wondered, within those unreachable stars, if there lived some sort of other world. A life similar to his. He wondered if the night there was serene. It all prompted calmness in him, urging his stresses away.

"Here." Jeongguk lifted his chin, gaze settling on his tiny best friend who held a cup out towards him.

"Thanks.." he hummed, grabbing the drink from Jimin's hand—tea he had requested from the cafe across the street, and reveled in the warmth the cup provided his palms. The boy took a seat beside him, legs stretching out across the pavement.

There was a pleasant silence between them. The numbness in Jeongguk's hands due to the wind was slowly dissipating, all thanks to the warm tea in his hands. He held the cup tightly, raised it to his lips for a sip, then leaned back against the sturdy park bench to enjoy the night beside the blond boy.

"I can't believe you..." Jimin spoke up after a moment of the two quietly enjoying their mellow drinks. "I leave you alone for a mere few hours and you're out here committing crimes."

Jeongguk snorted out a low whine, a cute frown tightening on his face. "Crimes? Now that's a bit extreme, isn't it?" He had debated for a while after parting ways with Taehyung if he should tell his best friend all about the day he'd had. But ultimately the boy knew he couldn't keep anything from Jimin. He was his rock; offered advice whenever he needed it, and was always there if he needed to vent or cry. He valued the blond male's thoughts on everything, even consulted him often before making any online purchases decisions, because he was curious as to whether or not his friend would agree with his tastes in clothing or home items.

"Trespassing a parking lot, vandalizing a poor businessman's vehicle by means of painting over it, and public sex..." Jimin whistled. "That's crime on crime on crime, my dude. You've been wilding out lately."

Jeongguk's face burned a crimson hue, hand jolting to strike at the other's shoulder with great strength. "Shh! That's- That's not what happened at all!"

"From what you've told me, that's exactly what happened, Ggukie," Jimin rolled his eyes, unaffected by the slap to his side. He was already quite used to the younger boy resorting to a little violence whenever he was embarrassed. "I told you... Kim Taehyung is bad news. You should've just stayed away from him. He'll only bring you trouble, and you-... Well your cop father won't be too happy to know you're involved with someone like that."

The younger boy relaxed his shoulders as he whined out a huffed breath, silently sipping at his drink while he listened to the other speak. He squirmed a bit at the hard seating the bench offered him, which wasn't helping the pain shooting up his ass every time he moved. Taehyung had fucked him good just hours ago, after all. He wasn't used to anything near his size, and his poor hole was still recovering.

"Whatever. How was the game with Hoseok?" He lowered his drink, quickly changed the subject by redirecting the topic of conversation towards Jimin instead. But when he turned to look at his friend, he noted immediately how the boy looked down, face turning blank. There was a lull in the wind, and by the complicated expression that had formed on Jimin's precious face, Jeongguk had already understood.

"Well... He told me that she's coming back to Korea next week," Jimin mumbled, nails digging to the cup in his hands. "You know... he only took me to the game because she couldn't make it."

Jeongguk's lips shifted to the side, humming in response. He took another sip of his drink and cleared his throat. "Yeah. Yerin-noona's business trip overseas ended up taking longer than she thought, right?"

Jimin nodded, sulking in defeat. "Well it would be nice to have her back and all, but..."

"Yeah.." Jeongguk responded, knowing what his friend had meant in that moment. They had known each other for too long now, sometimes it was as though they could communicate with only small movements and limited speech.

The rustle of leaves falling from the trees surrounding them filled the silence that soon followed. The two boys were deep in thought about different things, though they remained in tune to each other's feelings. Their hearts both ached with inexplicable pulses, but they didn't feel too afraid.

After all if there was one thing they knew for sure, it was that they would always have each other.

※ ※

Jeongguk's mouth lifted into a yawn, finger rubbing at his sleepy eyelids. His focus seemed to be nonexistent today, seeing as his brain had retained practically zero knowledge from the class he had just finished. Either way he was just glad it was over, because now it was time for a meal with his two lunch buddies.

Jimin had messaged him the location of a new cafe spot near their school, that Hoseok apparently wanted to check out, and Jeongguk himself was excited for it, but even so he couldn't help wanting to linger inside school campus a bit longer.

Just a bit more, until maybe he'd bump into Taehyung simply by chance. That's how he'd seen the man so often the past few days—coincidental encounters.

But this time there'd been none of that so far, and Jeongguk found he was starting to miss him. It was stupid of him not to ask for his number when he had the chance. That it had completely slipped his mind was incredulous to him. For him to have sex with someone he barely knew, someone whose name wasn't even in his contacts list. Maybe Jimin was right, maybe he'd been 'wilding out' too much.

But he wasn't paying it too much attention. If he did nothing then he'd be right back to his invasive thoughts of Seojun and his betrayal. He didn't want that, and so for now he'd escape his reality with Taehyung instead.

Next time, he thought. Next time he'd ask for his number.

"You're late," Jimin huffed out, a scowl on his face as Jeongguk took a seat in front of him. The cafe was rather spacious, so it took him a second to find where it was that the blond boy was seated.

"Yeah, sorry," Jeongguk smiled sheepishly, "My class ran a little late. Where's hyungie?"

"Hoseok's running late too, it seems," Jimin crossed his arms and leaned against the table. "Super unprofessional of you two, if you ask me. You can't keep a lady waiting for long."

"Good thing you're not a lady, then," Jeongguk snickered, earning a glare from his best friend.

"Aw buddy... How's your ass?" the boy retaliated, and it was Jeongguk's turn to grimace. He answered him with an annoyed grunt, and seconds later Jimin stood from his seat after a number was called. "Ooh that's us. I ordered us food in advance."

The younger waved him off and reached into his backpack to pull out some notes he could review in the meantime. As he flipped through the notebook, he soon heard steady footsteps approaching him. He looked up, saw Hoseok sauntering towards him, and a gentle smile spread on his lips.

"Sure took your sweet time, huh?" he teased while the older plopped onto the empty seat beside him. And that's when Jeongguk had gotten a closer look at him. How his face looked bruised, deep scarlet coloring splashed all across his face and parts of his exposed skin. There was a bandage beside his jawline, and the left side of his cheek was swollen.

Jeongguk gasped loudly. "Wh- Hyung! What on earth happened to you?!"

Hoseok settled his bag down beside him and sighed softly, unable to meet the concerned gaze of the boy in front of him. He felt ashamed, showing his beaten face in front of his underclassmen. Felt as though he wasn't setting a good example for them. But as he was dreading the moment he'd show up with such a ragged appearance, he had already prepared himself for the two males to have this kind of reaction. Hoseok rested his hands against the table and clenched them, hesitating for a few long seconds.

Then he finally looked up. "I, uh... I got into a fight." His answer was simple, that much he knew. It didn't answer the questions Jeongguk was probably yearning to know, for his sake, but Hoseok couldn't find it in him to tell him.

"Hyung..." Jeongguk let out in a quiet voice, his brows raised in worry. Hoseok hated that he'd made the boy make such a face.

"Okay, our order's here!" Jimin's cheery voice suddenly appeared beside them while he placed down an array of donuts, sandwiches, and coffee. "Time to eat up, boys. I can't go on much longer without— holy shit, Hoseok, what the fuck happened?!"

As expected, the blond boy stopped everything and seated himself beside Hoseok, his expression contorting into one similar to Jeongguk's. The older let out a ragged breath.

There was sudden silence between the three. Sounds of clacking between utensils and plates against surfaces, the buzzing of espresso machines and distinct conversations happening around the spacious cafe, and two anxious boys eyeing their reluctant friend.

"He... got into a fight," Jeongguk broke the silence, bit down on his lip, and fiddled his thumbs together. "Hyung, I... I know this is hard on you and all but... Well Jimin and I, we're your friends. We may be younger and smaller but... We want to help you.."

"That's right," Jimin jumped in, taking immediate notice of how uncomfortable Hoseok sat. He seemed to want to say something, but couldn't bring himself to explain. "We're not here to judge you. And if you don't tell us what's going on we can't help you."

"You guys..." the older let out weakly. "This isn't something you can help me with."

Jimin leaned back to get a full look at the man, his sassy side springing forth at the other's words. "You're damn right we can't, with that attitude," he puffed out. "But if you vent to us—share your concerns with us, we can help ease your worries, even if just a little. That's the perks of friendship, y'know!"

Hoseok fell silent again. He knew deep down that the small boy was right. But still, it was hard for him. He'd wanted to tell his friends about this problem he'd been carrying with him for so long now, but it was easier said than done when he'd never opened up about anything like this before. He'd been delaying it this for a long, long time. But he knew Jimin and Jeongguk well, knew they'd always be by his side through anything, the way he had done for them. And quite frankly, he couldn't do this alone anymore.

"I..." he muttered, voice low, shoulders slumped, gaze set down on that chocolate donut he'd much rather be enjoying right now. Another gentle sigh left him before he met Jimin's eyes, glanced at Jeongguk, then leaned back on his chair. "Well like I said I... got into a fight, and... Well, it was just some conflict with a few delinquents."

Jimin raised a brow. "Conflict?"

Hoseok nodded, teeth grinding as the words he'd stalled from saying now left his lips. "Yeah, I'm... I'm in a gang."

Jeongguk and Jimin both froze, eyes noticeably widening at the confession their friend had just made. Their brains were having a slow time processing the words because, Hoseok... in a gang? It wasn't something they could easily imagine. They'd seen news of recent spikes in crime rates throughout Seoul, establishments where delinquents would gather, criminal offenses these youthful adults would commit and somehow get away with. Jeongguk in particular, recalled how his father had wanted him to stay in Busan where he could keep an eye on him. But Jeongguk was too excited to start an independent college lifestyle with his best friend and boyfriend (at the time). Every young person's dream, it seemed.

"A... a gang...?" Jimin hummed out, his brows remained lifted in shock. He wasn't sure what to expect his friend to vent to him when he had asked, but it sure wasn't that. "Okay. Uh, is-... So who do you have conflict with?"

"A group of assholes who call themselves the Acre gang. They're getting a little ballsy with their course of actions lately."

Jimin nodded curtly to assure the man he understood, then leaned his forearm against the table's cold surface. "Okay. So- Well, so why did you join a gang, I mean... I'm just trying to understand."

The older male reached to scratch at his scalp, shifting nervously in his seat. "It's... my mother. She, um, she fell ill one day. About three years ago. Her hospital bills are... well, they're not cheap. You know how it is. And so I... came across some guys. A good friend of mine makes money with these guys in a gang together, so he... took me under his wing, taught me things, and I joined to make some profit with them. They're good people, Jimin. Not like some other psychos out there trying to land themselves in jail."

Jeongguk, who sat across from them, listened to them quietly. He didn't know what to say, unsure of how to comfort his hyung who always had his back. He hated that about himself, wished he could be someone dependable enough to help out his friends. But Jeongguk knew he didn't have much mental strength. Still, he navigated through his head in search of reassuring words he could offer the man. But luckily Jimin beat him to it.

"I understand, Hoseok. You've only ever done what you thought you had to do, right?" The boy offered a gentle smile, landing a hand over the older's tensed shoulders, muscles that had relaxed gradually at his touch. "Don't be ashamed to talk about these things. It's your life, what you're going through, and we want to be let in on the burdens you have."

"Thank you..." he uttered out with a hoarse voice, the heaviness in his chest finally beginning to lift. As he had predicted, he really could count on these two, it seemed. With a clear of his throat he exhaled profusely and continued his explanation. "The guys who jumped me are... trying to pick a fight with our gang, I'm sure. It was unfortunate that I got caught in the middle of it, but if there's one thing I'm sure of is that our gang members aren't going to idle around and let them get away with this shit."

Jeongguk gulped, engaged in Hoseok's words, large eyes attentive to everything he was saying."I'm sure there'll be some kind of collision between those Acre guys, and the gang I'm in: the Bangtan boys."

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was absurd. Everything Hoseok had explained to them was beyond Jeongguk's limited comprehension. Of course, he wanted to be there for him, wanted to help his friend out in anyway that he feasibly could, but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to do such a thing within the circumstances Hoseok had presented to him. He was terrible at emotional support, and knew nothing of gangs. Just trying to brainstorm the methods in which he could be useful made his head hurt.

A long sigh left the boy's lips as he strolled slowly down the streets of Seoul. After their lunch at the cafe, Jimin and Hoseok had left to a class they both shared; and as for Jeongguk, he killed some time at his favorite bookstore where he'd been engrossed in his thoughts the whole time with everything his hyung had told him. Now, as he returned towards the school campus to meet up with them again, he felt defeated. In the end he couldn't think of a single way to help. Not with the fight, not with Hoseok's sick mother, not with anything.

How useless.

Upon reaching one of the many campus entrances, Jeongguk looked up to see that the outside benches, as well as the general area, were practically vacant of any students. The sun was nearly done staggering down the horizon, and it seemed most students were either confined in their classes still or already scattering their way back home. As the sky began to dim, Jeongguk spotted two guys waving each other goodbye in front of a school building. He paused for a moment, watching as the two then parted ways, and bit his lip after recognizing the familiar man now striding down the concrete pavement alone. Jeongguk took in a deep breath and built up some courage before finally calling out to him.

He'd been dying to see him, after all.

"Hyung!" Jeongguk hurried closer towards the man, Kim Taehyung, who looked up at him with a squint of his eyes. "Hey! Uh.. Did- Did you just finish a class?"

Taehyung stood still, brow raised attentively. "Ah, Jeon. Hello," he soon responded, and it was then that Jeongguk noticed the cigarette placed at his lips, the male reaching to remove it momentarily. "That's correct. I just finished my nap time."

Jeongguk cracked a small smile before quickly faking a stern expression. "Classes aren't meant for you to doze off in, you know."

"They're not?" the man joked, and there was a brief pause before the two chuckled softly, their breaths emitting through the cold air in frozen puffs.

"Well I'm glad I ran into you, I..." Jeongguk looked away shyly, "... I wanted to thank you for yesterday." His eyes enlarged and he lowered his head while he felt his cheeks heat up. It seemed this man's strong presence still made him nervous. "N-not for the, uh... You know. But- but for helping me avoid Seojun and all, um..."

Taehyung looked at him, and Jeongguk found that as always he had a hard time reading his expression.

"Oh?" the older hummed, lifted the cigarette back to his lips to take a drag, stalling the moment they were in. Eventually came a response. "Right, well it's no problem, really."

Jeongguk smiled with flushed cheeks, and Taehyung watched as the boy then reached to pull out his phone. "Do you, um... Is it okay if I asked you for your number? You know, just for... in case of anything?"

Taehyung's brow rose, and Jeongguk thought he'd seen a flash of confusion in his eyes. He breathed in the still air, held out the device for the man to take while trying to stabilize his shaky hands. As the older reached to take the boy's phone into his grip, an awkward smile formed at the corner of his lips. "Sure thing, Jeon." Jeongguk watched him input numbers onto his phone and hand the device back to him. "There you go."

"T-Thanks," he spoke up, taking the phone into his hands and typing in the contact name as 'kim taehyung'.

Taehyung stared.

"Jeon," he called out after a few seconds, and the younger could feel himself shivering at the way that deep voice of his uttered his name so melodically.

"Yes..?"

"Where did you go," he turned slightly, looking off into the distance across the city lights reaching far past campus. "Yesterday? After we parted ways."

"Oh," Jeongguk lowered his phone. "Right after the parking lot? Um, I went home to eat, and... then met up with a friend at the park." When Taehyung remained silent, the younger had a sudden urge to tease him a bit, although he wasn't sure where the sudden confidence came from. Perhaps he was just excited he'd finally obtained the man's number. "Why? Are you wondering if I'm still sore?" His tone had seeped out as innocently playful.

Taehyung turned to look at him at once, pupils dilated. He steadily removed the cigarette from his lips. "Sore?"

"Mhm. I'm sure you hear this all the time but you're quite big," he said the words with reddened cheeks, no longer able to meet the man's gaze. How embarrassing. He wasn't even supposed to be the one affected by these words, dammit. But he'd always wanted to say these kinds of things to him, wanted the man to feel flattered because of him.

Taehyung held his breath for a moment, gently closed his eyes. At the silence Jeongguk forced himself to look at him and he watched the gradual smirk that appeared on his face. "I see.." Taehyung spoke up, amusement evident in his voice. "How sexy. But I'll admit I do feel bad if I hurt you, bun."

Bun. Jeongguk still wasn't used to the small pet name. He thought it was adorable. "No, no, I... I'm doing great," he stuttered out, turning swiftly in a terrible attempt to hide his bashful emotions.

But he couldn't see how behind him, Taehyung's smile had faded.

"Were you going on your way back home just now?" Jeongguk then spoke up to make light conversation, his gaze fixated on a small pebble beside his foot. He felt the chilly breeze caress his skin before Taehyung responded curtly.

"Yes." He drew out a breath, a puff of smoke spewing from his lips.

"Oh. Well, I was just waiting for—"

An abrupt voice interrupted him.

"Jeongguk!"

The two boys turned and Jeongguk saw Jimin and Hoseok jogging up to him, the small blond boy waving his hands cutely in the air while the red haired followed closely behind.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," his friend gushed in rugged breaths, bending a little to catch some air.

"No, you guys are actually quite early," Jeongguk assured him, then turned towards Taehyung to introduce the two boys but before he could begin Hoseok had spoken up next.

"That's good then," the man said with a smile and looked at Taehyung to give him a knowing nod. "Hey."

"Hey," Taehyung responded, a calmness in his voice. Jeongguk's brows furrowed in bewilderment, and his eyes met with Jimin's, whose face seemed to match his in level of surprise.

"Uh... you two know each other?" Jimin spoke the words Jeongguk had wanted to ask, and in that moment the blond got to experience first hand what it was like to have Kim Taehyung's piercing dark eyes stare holes into his. Good god, his friend wasn't lying when he told him this guy was intimidating.

"Of course we do," Taehyung answered nonchalantly, raising his cigarette back up to continue smoking; and in that moment Jeongguk thought maybe Taehyung really did know everyone. At least that's how things appeared to be.

"I didn't know you two were close," Hoseok added, grinning between Taehyung and Jeongguk.

"We're not that close," Taehyung said, and the boys halted when rowdy chatter was suddenly audible from a distance. They looked behind them and saw a group of about eight guys talking loudly and approaching their general direction. One of them yelled something out and they all stopped, the two groups of guys finding themselves staring at each other.

Jimin blinked. "Who are those guys? I've never seen them around before."

Jeongguk hummed in agreement and glanced over at both Hoseok and Taehyung, who wore a complicated expression on their faces.

"Hoseok," Taehyung's deep, commanding voice punctured the cold wind.

"Yeah."

"Take these two home."

The red haired's brows furrowed. "Tae. I should help you with this, those guys are strong." Hoseok tried, wanting to change the man's mind. "It... It only took two of them to beat me down."

Jeongguk's lips parted, appalled at the words, his head snapping swiftly towards the direction of the group of boys having a scattered conversation while eyeing them in the distance. There was tension in the air, and he felt the temperature drop as Hoseok revealed who it was they were standing beside.

Guys from the Acre gang.

"How... on earth did they get here?" Jimin whisper-yelled, and Jeongguk could only blink fearfully in response.

"Take these guys home," Taehyung repeated. "Somewhere safe. Don't make me say it again." He looked the man with cherry-colored locks directly in the eyes, a silence falling between them as they communicated with strong gazes and empty expressions, and all the two younger boys could do beside them was watch in anticipation.

"Alright.." Hoseok eventually sighed, now seeming as though he understood something. Something Taehyung must've told him with his gaze. Jeongguk gulped in awe. "Let's go, guys. Hurry."

"But—"

"Now, Jeongguk."

The doe eyed boy was frozen in place, head turning to look at Taehyung who was now returning eye contact. There was a strong sense of resolve in his dark eyes, stern lips that could break out into yelling out commands any second now. It was painfully obvious no one was going to change his mind.

Soon Jeongguk felt a small hand grab tightly to his wrist, and Jimin dragged him alongside he and Hoseok as they fled with hurried steps.

"One—One against eight men isnt't fair, though!" Jeongguk called to his red haired hyung, and Hoseok swiftly led them behind the library building, a good distance away from where Taehyung remained.

"I know, Gguk. But this is a battle Taehyung has to fight alone.." Hoseok explained through hefty breaths. The three boys peeked from behind the wall, spotting Taehyung in the same location they had left him in, his calm composure persisting while he continued to smoke.

"How do you even know Kim Taehyung like that?" Jimin piped up from behind them in a hushed voice, though they were now safely away from the others, eyes sparked with curiosity.

Hoseok paused, teeth digging to his bottom lip as he squinted to try and get a better view of what was going on in the distance.

"He's..." his hands clenched into fists. "Well, because he's part of the Bangtan boys, too."

Jeongguk's jaw dropped, eyes wide, his grip on the sturdy wall loosening. "W-What...?" the two younger boys uttered simultaneously.

Taehyung... was in a gang as well? The same as Hoseok's...? Jeongguk could hardly believe it. Although truthfully, it would explain all of the odd rumors about him, ones Jeongguk refused to entertain without getting to know the man directly firsthand.

Over at the distance the eight men from Acre began to approach Taehyung in leisure steps, cackling and chatting with one another while Taehyung simply turned to face them without daring to break eye contact for a single second. Jeongguk held his breath as he watched the Acre gang guys form a semi circle around him.

"Kim Taehyung," the one in the middle spoke, taking three steps forward before breaking out into abrupt laughter. "What a fucking pleasure! I finally get to meet you. How exciting!"

Taehyung drew the cigarette from his lips and stuffed a hand into his pocket. "Would you like an autograph or some shit?"

The eight guys exploded into more mocking laughter, clutching at their sides so hard Taehyung almost ridiculed their hyena behavior. But he didn't have the energy in him to do so, instead watching the fools with his gloomed eyes.

"Man... You really are the charming guy everyone makes you out to be, huh?" The guy in the middle smirked, and moved to close the distance between them even further. "Your dick must be just soo big, mh?"

"Actually, yes," Taehyung shamelessly spoke up. "Unironically. It's quite big."

The raven haired guy quirked a brow and ignored his comment, instead breathing his next words in a low voice. "What an... honor to be the one to disfigure that annoying pretty-boy face of yours, Kim." Taehyung's eye twitched. "Unless... you'd be so kind as to bring me your leader, hm?"

"No."

The guy narrowed his eyes, irked by the curt response.

Taehyung continued, "And I'll never even dream of doing that. So if you're going to beat me down, you might as well get it over with." He leaned to the side and removed his jacket, tossing it down to the grass behind the concrete they stood on.

The raven haired looked quite pissed off, but didn't waste any time in cracking his knuckles and raising a hand, signaling the other men to come closer.

"Wouldn't be much of a 'first meeting' if we didn't exchange names, so," the guy grunted, rolling his arm back. "I'm Oh Chulsoo. Looking forward to bashing your skull in."

Taehyung grinned, scoffing out a short chuckle. "No need for introductions on my end. You know who I am."

And with that the raven haired man, Chulsoo, flung his fist at Taehyung, bashing him right across the face. His head snapped to the side at the impact, a sting of pain lingering on his right cheek as he recollected himself and met Chulsoo's eyes again. There was a gurgling sound, and Taehyung spit a glob of blood from his mouth.

"Is that all you got..?" he asked in a throaty voice, a small smirk at the tip of his lips. Chulsoo stared with a face that was hard to read, and only seconds later he threw his fist again, this time punching harder. Taehyung stumbled harshly down the rugged pavement, and felt a collision at the side of his stomach, only to realize the men surrounding him had joined in kicking mercilessly at him.

"Taehyung!" Jeongguk shrieked, shifting to dash out to him, but Hoseok quickly held him back.

"Idiot! Don't make any noise!" Hoseok scolded, sending him behind Jimin in case he tried anything at the spur of the moment again. "Taehyung asked me to take you guys away and here we are watching. What do you think'll happen if they notice us?!"

"But hyung! Taehyung's in trouble!" the youngest wailed out, tears rising at his eyes.
"I know, Jeongguk.." Hoseok's voice softened. "But this is something he decided. I know him, he's not gonna fight back right now."

"Why?" Jeongguk heard Jimin ask from beside him. "Isn't he strong? Even if there's eight guys to take on, couldn't he handle a few?"

Hoseok nodded. "He could. But... he won't lay a finger on them. Our leader—the leader of Bangtan, picked a fight with the leader of Acre over some disagreement they had. That's why those guys are chasing him down, even though none of them really know where he is, so they've resorted to beating up Bangtan members in hopes we'd rat him out."

"Rat him out..." Jeongguk hiccuped, trying to distract himself from looking at the fight by engaging in what Hoseok was saying.

"Yeah... But the thing is only Taehyung and one other Bangtan member are the sole two who know where our leader, RM, has disappeared off to," the red haired continued. "No one knows what that Bangtan member looks like, which only leaves Taehyung as Acre's last chance at finding RM. And Taehyung would never sell out our leader like that."

Jimin reached to grab Jeongguk's hand, hoping it would calm the distressed boy, who seemed to be having a hard time processing all this.

"RM, or rather, Kim Namjoon... Taehyung always says he owes that man his life," Hoseok added, and Jeongguk swallowed his nearly dry saliva.

Someone Taehyung owes his life to... He's that important to him. This Namjoon guy must be someone amazing, and somehow just knowing that made Jeongguk feel relieved. Yoongi, and now Namjoon. It seemed Taehyung, too, had people he could depend on for anything. People he cared about so much he'd rather get beaten than to let anyone near them.

Taehyung, himself, was someone amazing.

"Where? Where the fuck is he? Tell me!" Chulsoo yelled frantically, stomping his foot over Taehyung's abdomen. The dark haired man rolled over, grunting at every kick, punch, slap. Taehyung's gaze landed on the dying cigarette tossed beside him, watching the dim light go out, its smoke rising into the air.

Then he took note of how much the sky had darkened since he'd stepped outside, the faint shine of constellations dotting the heavens above him. Taehyung cracked a small smile, his facial muscles sore, unending pain rushing every sensation of his body, yet even so his adrenaline was pumping.

Hyung, he thought. It's my turn to protect you.

✱ ✱ ✱

PART 1: METAMORPHOSIS— END —

✱ ✱ ✱

The first part to this book was all basically the prologue! The real story really kicks in during PART 2: OF LOVE & WAR.

To celebrate you, the reader, completing this long prologue, I'll leave the meaning of PART 1's name in the first BOOK NOTES.

Check it out if you want :]

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

✧ BOOK NOTES ; 01 ✧

just an extra little chapter for me to share info about the story with you guys, for all the plot nerds out there :]

hope you enjoy ~

✱ ✱ ✱

N O T E ０１;
WHY METAMORPHOSIS ?

✱ ✱ ✱

Metamorphosis (noun)
meta·mor·pho·sis | \ ˌme-tə-ˈmȯr-fə-səs \

1 . a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.

2 . a complete change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation by magic or witchcraft.

3 . any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.

4 . a form resulting from any such change.

PART 1's named after the change in Jeongguk as a character that I envisioned for him. In the definition of 'Metamorphosis', the word implies a drastic internal change.

When you meet him as the reader he's an innocent and humble boy who had a good upbringing. He never did anything 'bad' or involved himself with shady people. As he's around Taehyung, you can slowly see himself starting to break away from that pure and untainted lifestyle, and it's through moments with Taehyung that he allows himself to take actions he wouldn't otherwise take, because he wouldn't think to do immoral things on his own. Throughout all this he feels like he's finally experiencing life, and now finds the world thrilling and unpredictable, in contrast to his previous dull every day life of being a good kid.

Taehyung is the trigger for the 'metamorphosis' he goes through. You could say before they met Jeongguk was a caterpillar, and by the end of PART 1 he's grown into the butterfly he needs to be to take on PART 2's events. Although he's new to this world, his previous uncorrupted life is one he can't go back to. He has to learn to live as a butterfly now, and remaining in the pristine caterpillar mindset will no longer help him survive.

I also like that in definition 2 of 'metamorphosis' it's described as a transformation by magic or witchcraft. And as you all know Jeongguk had been bewitched by Taehyung, completely falling ((book name drop alert)) under his spell.

So now that you know all that, I can't wait until you all reach the end of PART 2 so I can tell the meaning of that name as well :]

✱ ✱ ✱N O T E ０２;
KIM NAMJOON ??✱ ✱ ✱

I purposely saved Namjoonie's appearance for PART 2 :] hehYou'll meet him veryy soon.

✱ ✱ ✱

N O T E ０３;
BOOK LENGTH

✱ ✱ ✱

The book will have 3 parts;

PART 1: METAMORPHOSISPART 2: OF LOVE & WARPART 3: EXODUS

PART 3 will most likely be about ten chapters, just like PART 1, as I consider them the expanded prologue and epilogue to the story. PART 2 is therefore considered the main story. I'm predicting about twenty chapters for it, but that could always change.

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Yoongi."

"Yes?"

A silence, followed by the blunt plop of an ice cube plunging down a glass of whiskey.

"He had sex with him."

"Oh."

"In a parking lot."

"Oh?" The small man hid his surprise behind the glass of alcohol.

"And the other one... He also talked to him."

"About?"

"Hyukjae."

"Oh..."

"Yeah."

"Fuck."

"Yeah."

※ ※ ※

All he could see was nothing. Then nothing vanished into something. Something like shadows, or light, or a mix of both. Or neither. Light through shadows, maybe. The light rubbed at his eyelids in a blurry bokeh-esque vision, faint shades of circles and squares and triangles blending together to try and make sense of its surroundings. To make coherent shapes, perhaps. Anything that made sense.

Senses. It was all coming back to him, little by little.

Taehyung let out a stifled grumble, body weighing down on him, though the air around him felt warm. He blinked once. Twice. Then repeatedly, his vision gradually coming into some form of clarity. What he noticed next was the pounding in his head, the strings of pain coming in waves at different intervals, different parts of his skin. There was a distant taste of blood on his tongue, and his lips felt dry.

Eventually he was able to identify his own location. He was currently laying at the comfort of his mattress in his own bedroom, and somehow seeing the familiar grey and diagonally striped pattern on the comforter made him relax just a bit. He struggled to sit up, head falling over to his right where he then spotted a person sitting on a chair just beside the bed frame. Their upper body laid atop the mattress space at a couple centimeters distance, arms sprawled to cushion their head, strands of raven hair peeking out from the sheets.

Taehyung licked his chapped lips, cleared his throat and closed his eyes briefly. Although his head hurt like crazy, he remembered vividly what had happed before he blacked out in that fight.

Oh Chulsoo. That was the name of the Acre gang member who had boldly made an attempt to get info out of him. He knew he couldn't be brash and act out just yet, especially at the state he was currently in, but he certainly couldn't wait to return the favor to that asshole. And that was, of course, the favor of crushing his skull into pieces. But that would be a thought he'd revel oh-so leisurely in a little later, because for now his head was pulsing much too loudly.

Taehyung's eyes snapped back open when he felt the mattress lifting, and his eyes settled to the person beside him who he assumed had probably fallen asleep waiting for him to wake.

"Yoongi..?" he managed the name out, unsure of anyone else who could have possibly taken him back home under such a scenario, and stay by his side for so long. But the boy didn't seem to hear his small mumble, and was much too distracted by the sight of him finally conscious.

"Taehyung! You're awake! Geez, I was so goddamn worried!"

The man blinked repeatedly and tried to focus on who it was speaking to him, his pupils dilating when he finally realized who it was, the familiar voice registering much faster than the innocent-looking face. He inhaled sharply, then let his breath ease out of him gently, a whisk of confusion stirring within him.

"Jeon..." he uttered in his raspy voice, his throat barely getting the word out, and a cough instinctively left him abruptly. He had no idea how the boy was here, how he knew where he lived, or why he even bothered looking after him. But truthfully he was just glad he wasn't alone right then. "How... did you get here? Where's hyung?" He made another attempt at sitting up, but instead grunted out in pain and fell back against the pillow behind him.

"Hey now, don't move. You'll hurt yourself, dummy," Jeongguk scolded almost motherly-like, and was quick to stand up and lean in closer. With a hefty pull, he guided Taehyung's upper body upwards and tossed a few more pillows against the headboard for him to lean on. "I'm assuming you mean Yoongi, he's... Well he said he had some things to take care of and left. I've been here looking after you right after begging to be let in. That fight, Taehyung... It was scary."

The man clenched his fingers into fists and sighed out. "You should've left with Hoseok like I told you guys to.."

"I know," Jeongguk bit his lip as he slowly sat back down on the chair beside the nightstand. "I'm sorry, I just... I was worried about you." Silence filled the bedroom, and Jeongguk watched Taehyung's blank face as he stared off into the distance. "Uh, I heard a few things... by the way," he added, shifting in his seat. "He told me about-... about Bangtan and... and the Acre gang. Just.. a little."

More silence, but this time the younger could see fire in the man's eyes.

"Why are you involving yourself with us?" he finally spoke, tone stern. "He told you then, did he not? We're a gang. We do some crazy shit sometimes. Aren't you scared?"

Jeongguk's brow rose while he anxiously scratched the side of his head. "It's a little scary, yeah... But only because you got hurt. And so did Hoseok, and... I don't want you guys to keep getting hurt."

The boy looked up when he heard a sudden loud laugh, meeting Taehyung's gaze who looked at him with a wild grin.

"That's so cute of you, Jeon," the man smirked, seemingly trying his best to stifle yet another dry laugh. "Very cute. But it's none of your business, and that's not how this shit works."

Jeongguk gulped. "I know."

"Do you, now?"

"Yeah. I think." Another pause. "But if... if you guys have to deal with these things, then I... want to help somehow. I-I mean I don't really know how, but... Even if it's little support, then I..."

"You...?"

"I..." Jeongguk found he couldn't quite finish his sentence. Or rather, didn't know how to, in a way that Taehyung could coherently understand. Hell, he, himself couldn't understand it well. All he knew was he wanted to help. It was rather childish of him, he knew that much.

Taehyung sighed. "Jeongguk-"

"Kim Namjoon..." the boy interrupted, eyes fixated on his palms. "Hoseok said you owe him your life."

Taehyung slowly closed his mouth, lips pressing into a thin line. "I do. I owe him a lot."

"If he's that amazing of a person... I want to support you while you make it up to him."

"Jeongguk," Taehyung's gaze was as void as ever, it made the younger boy feel as though he couldn't look away. "You should not involve yourself in it."

"I want to."

"Do not involve yourself."

"But hyung—"

"Jeon Jeongguk."

The two males stared at each other; a pout plastered on one's face, a stern glare on the other's. It was then that Taehyung noticed the sound of rather violent clacking against the glass windows that were concealed by his gray curtains. Must be raining, he thought. Which then brought on a question he'd been meaning to ask for a while now.

"How long was I asleep?" he spoke, eyes narrowing at the younger who had gotten up to sit upon the mattress instead.

"Yoongi showed after the fight..." Jeongguk began, reaching to rest the back of his hand over Taehyung's forehead. He felt a little warm, he thought, but not too bad. "He and Hoseok carried you home, and I followed. The guy from the karaoke place—Kim Seokjin? He then came to treat your wounds. You were really out of it, so it makes sense you don't remember. I didn't know that the Seokjin guy has a nursing degree, but he said you had a concussion. Anyway I helped feed you after that, Seokjin talked to you for a while, and then you knocked out for like 14 hours."

Taehyung stared at him, focused on the words he was saying, then gave a short nod. "Oh.."

Jeongguk slid his thumb over the soft sheets, tracing mindless shapes across the material. "You don't have to worry..." his voice came out a whisper. "Like I said... Hoseok told me everything. I begged him to." Taehyung blinked, and the younger continued. "So I do understand that... only you guys in the Bangtan gang know your leader, RM's real name and what he looks like. And... now that I know his name I swear I'll keep it to myself. Because like I said, I... I just want to help."

"Jeon."

"No, hold on," Jeongguk urged, taking a second to swallow his saliva. "It's not just you... Hoseok's a part of Bangtan, too. And I've barely done anything to support him, so..."

Taehyung let out a long exhale and reached to pinch the tip of his nose. The younger could almost hear his frustration in each breath he took. After a moment of contemplation, Jeongguk then shifted, moving to straddle Taehyung's waist on the bed, almost demanding his attention. He needed him to know he was serious about this. That he wouldn't back down now.

"I won't ask too much. I don't even need to know anything about this Namjoon guy. I just know he's important to you, and that's all I need."

The boy then waited. Sat patiently until the older decided to give a response. During that time he had taken notice yet again of Taehyung's stunning features. His prominent brows that gave him a calm and manly demeanor, his sculpted nose with the cute little mole on the tip, those long lashes that made Jeongguk feel butterflies in his stomach. And his lips. God, his full red lips. Most of the time they were pressed firmly together in grace, but occasionally he'd get to see a grin, which made the poor boy feel weak in the knees. He was so so handsome. Sculpted by every single god of beauty out there, that much Jeongguk was already convinced of. It must've taken restless nights and endless days for the heavens to craft up a man like him.

Really, Taehyung was appetizing in all senses of that word. And it had dawned on Jeongguk in that very moment that he had never gotten to taste those sweet-looking lips of his. The thought alone seemed like a crime because, holy shit, he was dying to taste him. He knew well what Taehyung's cock tasted like—both in his mouth and buried deep inside him. But what Jeongguk anticipated most was those damn enticing lips. Taehyung seemed like a good kisser, that's for sure. The act of looking at him alone was like a full course meal, which only left him wondering what that meal could taste like.

Jeongguk could've sat there and watched him forever, really, but when Taehyung looked up and their gazes met in that moment, he felt particularly strange. He should've been used to the sight of Taehyung's cold stare by now, but just as one's body would react to a frozen breeze, the young boy would shiver under Taehyung's gaze without fail every single time. Yet now, he was close enough to see more, could experience just how profound that bottomless void in the man's eyes extended down to.

There was so much going on in Taehyung's eyes. So many emotions, conceptualization and occurrences to be depicted. One couldn't simply interpret them all. Jeongguk saw fire, and stars, and violent waves in his eyes. Saw strength, and fear, and sorrow. Like constant flashing beams it blinded him. So much of these sensations blended together and left the younger unable to process the odd feeling growing inside of him.

No wonder, he thought, it was hard to read Taehyung at any given time. His eyes held so much, and all the noise would weave into nothing, and everything. All at the same time. As though two thousand people were talking to him all at once—he couldn't possibly process it all in one second.

"Hm? Why are you crying?" That booming, husky voice that pierced the silent air broke Jeongguk from his thoughts, and the man's words confused him until he felt something wet glide down his own cheek.

"Wh-... Um, I..." he cleared his throat consciously, surprised at himself. He hadn't even been aware that tears had gathered at his eyes. He couldn't explain it, but Taehyung's strong gaze told him something; tried to communicate by some means. Something he couldn't quite understand in words, but the feeling was somehow transcribed in his body. Truly, it was unexplainable even to himself. And yet it felt as though he somehow understood something he didn't before. "Sorry..." he uttered out after having gathered himself for a moment. "I just.. I know what I have to do now..."

Taehyung's left brow rose, unsure of what the boy above him was talking about. "What do you have to do?" he asked, tone more as a statement rather than a question.

"Hyung..." He wiped away his tears and looked at the man with a determined look on his face, a serious shift in his expression while he landed his hands on both of Taehyung's shoulders. "I'll be the one... to protect you."

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Rain tapping against the windows, a gentle light casting down the bedroom walls. A cute boy straddled upon his lap. The words have been said.

"I'll be the one to protect you."

Taehyung hadn't been aware that he needed protection. And most certainly not from the most innocent, baby-faced guy he'd ever laid eyes on. But perhaps it was his tone of voice, or the way he looked at him with those dazzling eyes. Those eyes he swore held worlds in them. Or how adorable the boy looked saying such words with such a serious face. Either way, in that moment, Taehyung believed him. That maybe he was safe after all. As long as Jeongguk was beside him, danger couldn't ever dare reach him.

Yet, things got even better when Taehyung watched the younger boy's face flush a profound crimson color, teeth digging to his lip as he was seemingly embarrassed at what he had just promised, the strong grip of his hands on Taehyung's shoulders slowly faltering. It took everything in him not to coo softly at the boy, as one would watching a tiny baby who had fallen attempting their first steps.

"Fuck..." his raspy voice uttered, "You're adorable, bun." Taehyung lifted a hand and placed it gently at Jeongguk's right cheek, the younger gasping at the warmth his large palm provided him. With every light rub of his thumb on his skin, the young boy could feel his heartbeat accelerating. "You don't need to protect me, Jeon."

The man's gaze was surprisingly soft, and Jeongguk's lips parted. He felt out of breath; as though he'd just run a marathon he didn't remember enrolling in. Taehyung's lenient features made him want to combust right then and there. If he felt hot with bashfulness before, he didn't dare imagine how red he must've looked now.

"Yes, I-I do..." the younger's voice came quietly, big eyes looking back at the man in front of him. "Because if... If I don't, then who will?"

Taehyung opened his mouth to speak, but the other boy's words had rendered him speechless.

"Look who's here looking after you right now, Taehyung..." Jeongguk continued, a tender smile curving at his lips. "I'm sure you-... You've been trying to protect people for so long. But, who's gonna protect the one protecting everyone all the time? See, now?" His smile widened. "That's where I come in." He reached to place his hand over Taehyung's on his cheek. "I'll protect you. I promise."

Tap, tap, tap. The sound of rain against the bedroom windows persisted in consistent drops.

Badum, badum, badum. Taehyung's heart was convulsing violently.

It was the most strange feeling he'd had in a long time. Suddenly the boy's eyes held so much promise, Taehyung couldn't help but give in to him. Maybe it was possible, maybe such a thing existed. Rather than pushing away, it might prove healthy to pull someone in. Maybe Jeongguk could be someone.

Someone else he could put his trust in.

His cheeks felt warm, but by the determined look still on the boy's face, Taehyung figured he wasn't quite blushing. Because, him? Blushing? What a sight that would be. Kim Taehyung doesn't do such a thing.

"You're unbelievable..." the words left him in a mumble while he lowered his hand from Jeongguk, who was slowly returning to somewhat of a normal complexion. Taehyung reached over to his nightstand, took hold of a pack of cigarettes and a lighter beside his ash tray. He placed the slim tube between his lips and ignited it with ease, letting a batch of smoke emit into the bedroom air.

"Am I?" the boy cracked a grin and, with a relaxed expression on his face leaned forward slowly, inching closer towards the older, the smell of tobacco hitting his nostrils. Their lips reached a tight proximity, and Jeongguk could feel the light breath Taehyung had let out, as well as remnants of smoke in his exhale.

"You are."

Their foreheads pressed, Jeongguk sank to the man's lap a little, hands back on his shoulders. They had set up the moment. But when Jeongguk closed in on him, Taehyung held him back and shifted on the mattress, cigarette propped on his right hand.

Jeongguk blinked. "Are you alright?"

Taehyung was quiet, leaned against the pillow and sighed out gently. Then their eyes met again, and Jeongguk found himself being absorbed in his trance. Then he watched while Taehyung settled the cigarette down over the ashtray.

"Come here." Although quiet, his deep voice seemed to ricochet off the walls, and Jeongguk didn't keep the man waiting. Instead he quickly leaned down until he felt firm hands on his nape, pulling him until his lips met a soft substance.

Until his lips met Taehyung's, that is. And in his fantasy Taehyung's lips would feel as airy as clouds, yet profound like the far-reaching skies beyond them. Sweet like candy, soft like that favorite plushie of his to cuddle as a kid. He'd imagined they'd be warm like his mother's homemade cookies, gentle like his father's embrace, that adoring feeling of being taken care of. A feeling that he'd imagined would give him shivers and goosebumps all at once.

And it did. Taehyung's lips took care of him, nuzzled him in safety, shielded him from rain. Reality felt even better than anything he could possibly muster up in his head with measly daydreams. The taste of his lips made him see bursts of color even inside darkness because, yes, his eyes remained closed so he could focus on every tingle in his body. Like fireworks they burst one by one with every color in the rainbow spectrum, and every pop of color sent loud sensations over his skin and into his bloodstream. And of course, there was the topping of a faint taste of tobacco, which the boy evidently didn't mind one bit.

After a moment Jungkook could feel the man's tongue brush gently against him, prompting those miniature butterflies inside his stomach, his cheek feeling hot from Taehyung's touch, noting the gentle caresses of his thumb over his face. Jeongguk emitted a small moan, which Taehyung was quick to turn into an opportunity, his tongue inserting itself into Jeongguk's mouth with intentions to conquer it. And the younger let him take control, for all he wanted was to be explored. He felt fingers rush into his hair, tossing his hair strands from one side to the other. Taehyung was good at this. Good at making him feel his.

"H-Hyung..." the boy uttered against his mouth, fingers reaching to grasp at his shirt.

"Mm?"

Jeongguk pulled back, panted in soft breaths, let the air rush into his lungs for much needed relief. But the older male wasn't done with him. Not even close. His lips attached swiftly to Jeongguk's neck where he began to pepper him with kisses. He could feel Taehyung's mouth press against his skin in dotted patterns, lowering just above his collarbone. Then, strong hands were at his waist and Jeongguk instinctively rolled his hips over Taehyung's thigh, letting the friction rub against his crotch.

"Hyung..." he repeated, but this time Taehyung knew precisely what he wanted.

He slipped a hand under Jeongguk's shirt to feel up his abdomen, every curve and crease, and before the boy could blink he had slipped his shirt over his head. Taehyung's eyes lingered on the other's naked torso, the lustful glint in his eye making Jeongguk shiver. He felt frozen under the man's strong surveillance, and the glimpse of cold air surely wasn't helping his flushed skin tone.

"Mhm... pretty.." Taehyung husked, and the boy nearly whimpered at the sound. But he was quick to regain his composure upon watching the man's hands begin to fumble with the zipper on his pants.

"W-Wait.." Jeongguk placed his hands over Taehyung's. "I... I'll do it. You just-... You lay there. I'll take it from here. Okay?"

Taehyung looked into his eyes, a curious gaze in his own as he gave a short nod. "Okay, bun. Go ahead."

Jeongguk reached to his own pants, unzipping it slowly while maintaining eye contact, watching the way Taehyung's teeth dug at his bottom lip. He lifted himself from the older's lap, slipped his trousers off, and began to pull down Taehyung's sweatpants next. The two males looked at each other in silence while Jeongguk continued to undress them, an unspoken desire rising in the atmosphere. When the younger pulled down Taehyung's boxers, took that massive cock into his hand, he felt those familiar brawny hands dig over his hips securely once again.

He tugged once, sliding his palm over Taehyung's veiny cock, let his thumb flick over the tip quickly. He watched the man's expression stay the same, so he flicked at the girth a few more times repeatedly. Still nothing. Jeongguk pushed his tongue to the inside of his mouth and leaned down, spit into his hand, and rubbed the saliva over the man's cock as lubrication. Then, just as he began to pump him at a consistent pace, he felt a hand trail into the back of his underwear, sliding over his ass.

"Ah—!" he squealed abruptly, body jolting upwards as he felt a finger slip inside him without any warning. "T-Tae!"

"Mmm...?" the man smirked, and Jeongguk could feel Taehyung's cock twitch in his palm. "Now that's sexy, baby... Make more of those sounds for me, hm?"

He felt the finger push further in and Jeongguk squirmed a bit, his jerking motions on Taehyung slowing down. The moan he exhaled was higher in pitch, and once again he could feel the older's cock become harder.

"Hyung.."

"Mm?"

"Fuck me.. Please."

He heard a deep chuckle slip from Taehyung's mouth. "What happened to 'I'll take it from here'?"

Jeongguk frowned, pushing himself down to let Taehyung's finger reach all the way inside him. He then lifted himself and repeated the motion, a frustrated groan leaving him. Taehyung was right—he should follow through on his words, and since one finger in him certainly wasn't enough, he knew exactly what he had to do.

With another hefty grunt Jeongguk hoisted himself upwards and reached backwards, fingers wrapping securely around Taehyung's erection. He then curved his ass out and positioned his entrance over the man's tip, then looked at Taehyung with a needy glint in his eyes. The older male held his breath and dug his thumbs into Jeongguk's hips, hissing quietly in pleasure while Jeongguk gently planted himself down over his cock.

He threw his head back against the pillows, right hand squeezing over the younger's ass cheek. Jeongguk watched in awe as Taehyung closed his eyes, mouth parting open. He looked incredible. The boy couldn't wait to see his face properly now while he pleasured him because, well, all he could see from that time at the parking lot was the concrete wall.

Now, though, his view was so much better.

"F-Feels good?" Jeongguk whimpered while he lifted himself again only to sink back down on Taehyung's cock. The man smirked in response, his grip around Jeongguk's hips tightening.

"You're tight," Taehyung commented softly; his eyes fluttered open and he reached to grab Jeongguk's hands, placed them over his bare chest which the boy was grateful for, as it gave him some leverage to support his weight. He could now lean forward with more ease thanks to Taehyung's strong grip on his wrists, and Jeongguk was quick to start bouncing himself, his walls rubbing feverishly against the man's hard erection.

"O-Oh.. Oh.. Ohh.." Jeongguk's mewled out, letting the friction rush pulses of ecstasy throughout every inch of his being. Taehyung filled him up to the brim, barely gave him any room to breathe. It was intoxicating. He felt as though he were a comet ablaze, bursting through space leaving meteorite residue in the entirety of its path.

"Baby.." He heard Taehyung's husky grunt.

But he could barely form words over his own inevitable moaning.

"Mm.. A-Ah..."

"Bun.."

"M-Mm... Mmn, mhm..?"

"You alright?"

"Y-Yes.."

"It feels good, yeah?"

"Y-Yeah.."

"How good?"

"So-... So good, hyung."

"Mm. Good boy.."

Taehyung's manly hands were back over the younger's slim waist, helping the boy bounce up and down faster, creating sinful sounds of skin slapping over skin. Sounds that got louder the more they continued. And the more Jeongguk did his high pitched whimpers, the more Taehyung felt the need to pound into him just to hear him scream. The man could even feel himself already leaking a bit inside him, the pleasure reaching even the tips of his toes.

"Faster," Taehyung hummed, landing a harsh slap against the boy's ass, and basking in the sound Jeongguk had made in response. He had sped up his bouncing motions, but only for a mere moment before Jeongguk was throwing his head back and circling his hips over Taehyung's. The older looked at him in a haze, slowly licking his lips while he let himself take in that glorious sight, of Jeongguk appearing like an artwork; like a gem unveiled in all its glory.

And then Jeongguk slowed down, moved his hands behind him on the mattress to help thrust his hips. Taehyung knew immediately that he was getting tired, was beginning to get lost in the profound pleasure that distracted him from sustaining his movements. Taehyung knew he'd have to take over sooner rather than later. And so he lifted his hips up, slammed further inside the boy, and earned a yelp from him; then with a swift motion he managed to scoop the boy's wrists along while flipping him over to the side. He landed Jeongguk down on the mattress below him, pinning him down with one hand and supporting himself up with the other.

Jeongguk looked up at him with large eyes, a sense of reality slowly trickling back to him. "Hyung.. You shouldn't be moving too much.."

Taehyung shook his head, leaned down and placed a peck on the younger's lips. "I slept for an eternity, so I think I'll be alright." He smooched him again, "I'm well rested..." and again, "I've got a pretty boy under me... I'll manage just fine."

The smile that formed on Jeongguk's lips was a rather boyish one. He couldn't help the pounding feeling in his heart, as though he were some sort of squealing teenager that had just been noticed by their crush. In a way, it all felt bizarre. Taehyung seemed different now than when they'd had sex back at the parking lot. Sure, it was certainly much more intimate at the comfort of his bedroom. But Taehyung himself was... a bit more gentle. Touched him a little more carefully.

It was just that much more... intimate.

Taehyung's eyes were gleaming, dots of light dancing in his pupils, contrary to the looming obscurity Jeongguk was used to. It made him feel a tightness in his stomach, one he was certain were being squeezed together the more Taehyung continued to move inside him.

"H-Hgh—ah..." Jeongguk let out a throaty moan, spreading his legs open more to welcome the older closer. Taehyung's long bangs fell over his face, shielding him from clear view, but even so Jengguk could see the way his lips would move. It proved to him how good he was making him feel. And shit, did Taehyung feel good. He was trying hard to hold in his grunts, but a few would escape him every now and then the longer he thrusted his hips forward. Although his movements weren't as sudden nor harsh as before, Jeongguk preferred this pace, could feel his hole being filled entirely in more excruciating detail. Inevitably his walls would clench firmly around Taehyung's cock, and Jeongguk would get to hear that long husky groan above him.

He looked up at the man and watched him bite his lip. It was so alluring. At the mere sight Jeongguk reached for his own rock hard erection and began to stroke himself, gaze then settling to a dark patch over Taehyung's skin. He blinked a couple times, a quiet whiny sound emitting from his throat subconsciously, and then he realized what it was he was looking at. A tattoo. Taehyung had a tattoo at the left side of his torso; Korean characters written vertically down his skin, reading: Bangtan Sonyeondan. Almost like a stamp on his body, verifying his affiliation to the Bangtan gang, it seemed.

Jeongguk gasped out suddenly as the man gave a vigorous thrust, sank himself down and attached his lips to Jeongguk's neck. "Taehyung.." he whispered, locking his legs over said man's hips. He could feel that sinful tongue sliding over his skin, teeth digging into him with ease. It all felt so transcendental. Taehyung's cock was puncturing inside him, roughly but gently; loud but soft. It was hard to process it all.

"You're doing so well, baby.." He heard in his ear at one point, and the growl to Taehyung's tone made the younger let loose at once. He could feel his own cum landing on parts of his stomach, yet was oblivious to how loud he'd gotten. How he'd moaned Taehyung's name repeatedly, clenched his hands onto the man's biceps, curled his toes over his back. When he next opened his eyes, his vision was blurry with tears, bangs pasted to his forehead with sweat, every inch of his body on fire with the lingering orgasm that had hit him harder than he'd ever felt in his entire life.

"A-Ah fuck... fuck, f-fuck, fuuck..." he panted helplessly, then felt Taehyung's forehead press against his own. The moment they looked into each other's eyes, night saw day, evil saw good, despair saw hope.

Their lips attached; light met dark, wind met fire. Love met war.

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A week had flown by.

The days seemed to be moving quicker than Jeongguk was used to; days of bringing Kim Taehyung food or cooking him meals, and nights he'd spend moaning out his name, clawing his nails into the man's large silky back. They've surely gotten much closer, had shared more intimate moments unlike anything Jeongguk had ever felt before. Truthfully speaking, he wasn't very experienced in the sex department seeing as he and Seojun hadn't made love quite like this. And yet, he couldn't say those moments with Taehyung were love. Surely, it was much too early for that. They were not lovers, but rather friends who sought out intimacy in each other. And these were moments that would end with the two regaining their breaths over Taehyung's mattress, patiently waiting for a return in energy that would end in either Jeongguk saying a sweet goodbye or a round two of the males becoming one.

Taehyung's body seemed to recover quickly. Jeongguk had learned that about him. During his days with him he'd also learned that Taehyung was a big eater, and that his morning voice alone was enough to make him hard. So deep, so sultry. Jeongguk would tremble every single time, without fail.

Yet, as soon as Taehyung had recuperated his strength he'd insisted on looking after himself again. The last time Jeongguk had seen him, they had promised to meet in English class, as usual. The boy had been excited to finally see him in class and sit behind him again, so much that he woke up an hour earlier just to pick out a nice outfit and take his time getting ready. Because he knew, when Taehyung walked into that classroom after being gone for so long, everyone would welcome him back like the beloved school heartthrob he was. And Jeongguk just had to be ready for the moment Taehyung would look him directly in his eyes and greet him sweetly, (he liked to think he wouldn't kiss him in front of everyone, as the two weren't quite a couple) earning the attention of others.

Well, he'd rather not catch the attention of any of his classmates, really. But he figured it'd be inevitable hanging around a man like Kim Taehyung.

Though one could imagine his surprise when he walked into the classroom that day and Taehyung had been absent. Again. Jeongguk texted him something short and sweet, a simple 'are you alright?' that had never received a response. He had visited his apartment, stood right outside his door and had patiently rung the bell a total of five times at precisely one-minute intervals before finally giving up and calling it a day.

That was six days ago. Six days of not hearing from Kim Taehyung, after all those days they'd spent growing closer together. Felt each other's skin, tasted their tongues. Jeongguk had thought they had developed something... special. Intimate. And now? Nothing from him.

"Gguk?" A voice tore right through his inner thoughts. The boy lifted his head from the textbook he'd been paying no genuine attention to, coming to realize his surroundings once again. He was sat at the school's outside tables, a latte with melting ice cubes to his right and his two closest friends sitting across from him. "Question number four, you idiot! What'd you get?" Jimin's infamous pout was evident on his face, narrowed brows of frustration as well as perked eyes fixated on him.

"Ah.." Jeongguk whispered and flipped the page of his book before he looked towards Hoseok. There was a short pause before he cleared his throat and spoke up shyly. "Hyung..?"

Hoseok tore his gaze from his notebook curiously. "Hm?"

"T-... Um. T-Taehyung..." he bit his lip, "Have you heard from him recently?"

"Kim Taehyung? No, I... don't see him too often, usually, despite everything. I thought you saw him a couple times while he was recovering."

"Uhh... Yo, can I just get the answer to question number four or what?" Jimin cut in with grinded teeth.

But Jeongguk was unfazed. "Yeah, but um... I haven't really heard from him in like a week now. He's not at home and... he doesn't return any of my messages."

"Hm..." Hoseok scratched the side of his head. "That's odd. But he is well known for disappearing for no good reason at random times, so I've heard."

"You don't think he's in trouble?"

"I doubt it, Ggukie. You shouldn't worry too much."

"Guys," Jimin interrupted again. "Question. Four."

"I see... T-Thanks, hyung."

"No prob, kiddo," Hoseok flashed his very contagious grin, and Jeongguk couldn't help but return a small smile. "Now I gotta go. Someone's gotta pick up Yerin from the airport later tonight and we all know who that job is for. Her return's been delayed long enough anyway—it's about time I finally see her."

"Yerin, she's... coming back today?" Jeongguk's eyes widened as Hoseok began to pack up his books.

"You know it! I'll make sure you guys get a chance to greet her later on when she's well rested. See you both later!" The red haired lifted his bag to his shoulder and swiftly sauntered off towards the distance, leaving Jeongguk to turn and look at this very ticked off friend.

"Oh yeah, just- just ignore Jimin because he practically doesn't even exist at all!" the blond shouted, slamming his pencil down to the table.

"Jimin, I'm sorr—"

"No, shut up! I bet if Yerin was here she'd get the fucking answer to question four from you assholes, or- or better yet she'd just figure it all out by herself because she's just so perfect and is coming back from her trip overseas from America with her perfect fluent English, right into her perfect boyfriend's arms. What's next? You finally realize that she's so much better than me and become her best friend instead, huh?! Is that what you'd do?"

Jeongguk blinked repeatedly, lips parting in surprise as he was caught off guard by the blond's behavior. He then let out a small breath and stood from his seat just to shift over and plop himself down beside Jimin.

"What are you saying, Jiminie...?" he spoke gently, landing a hand over the blond's shoulder. "Of course she can't replace you. No one can replace you... You're my best friend." His fingers rubbed slowly, massaging the smaller boy. "I'm sorry. I was so caught up in wanting to see Taehyung that I've totally forgotten how you must be feeling now that Yerin would be back here in Korea," Jeongguk pulled him into a hug. "It's alright... You'll be alright, I promise."

Jimin moved to return the hug, burying his face into his friend's shoulder, a quiet sniffle leaving him. "N-No, I won't. I can't even tell him how... how I feel.."

Jeongguk hushed him, rubbing the smaller boy's back soothingly as he let Jimin let out all those feelings he usually stored deep inside his heart. It was upsetting— a rare sight seeing him this way, but Jeongguk knew there was nothing more he could do than to listen to him and console him the way the blond was always doing for him.

It seemed Jimin, too, had been going through the complications that came with loving someone. Even before Jeongguk had gotten to experience that for himself.

※ ※

Jeongguk woke up with a yawn, his fingers digging into the sheets beside him, a faint ray of sunlight resting against his pale cheek. He stretched his limbs out over the mattress, gaze lifting to look up at the ceiling.

It was now early morning on a weekend. He'd be lying to himself if he thought he'd get out of bed and have a productive start to his day, prepping a well thought out breakfast and getting started on those projects that had been patiently waiting for him with their approaching deadlines. But as expected, his brain wouldn't be able to focus on any of those things one bit. Not when Kim Taehyung had been the only thing in his head.

He found that his body soon began to move on its own without much second thought, going through the actions of his usual morning routine only to dress himself in appropriate clothing for the fall season, and emerge from his home out into the chilly streets of Seoul.

His feet were leading him down familiar paths, habitual turns, daily sights and sidewalks. Although it felt as though he weren't really thinking about his pathing, as though he were mindlessly roaming the city, deep down inside Jeongguk knew that his active conscious knew exactly where he was going.

And it all lead to him finding himself back in front of Taehyung's apartment complex, stepping into the elevator and making his way nervously down the familiar hall. Last time he'd been here he'd been ringing the doorbell for someone who wasn't home for days now. But he just couldn't help coming back, because, why on earth would Taehyung disappear on him like that? He couldn't bare the thought of turning a blind eye to it like everyone else seemed to be doing. Yet, upon reaching the doorstep and reaching to press his finger over the bell, Jeongguk noticed that the door shifted a bit from the wind.

Until he realized it was open. The door was open. Granted, only slightly. But open nonetheless. Was Taehyung back? Why didn't he shut the door?

With light taps of his knuckles of the surface, he knocked gently and invited himself in before moving quietly to shut the door behind him. "Taehyung..?" he whispered, hoping he wouldn't startle the man had he run into him in his own apartment without direct permission. He made careful steps down the hall, the sunlight seeping through the glass windows illuminating his sight clearly. First he checked the living room, then the kitchen. Both of which were empty. And from there he began his journey towards Taehyung's room.

As he proceeded closer, he began to hear soft breathing, starting and ending in curt gasps. There was a jolt in Jeongguk's stomach. He sure hoped the man was okay.

"Taehyung?" he spoke again, this time a bit louder, and he reached to push the bedroom door open, his gaze fixating on a sight that he wasn't sure how he could have possibly prepared himself to lay eyes upon.

Jeongguk's jaw nearly dropped. There, in the middle of the bedroom, was Taehyung sat upon the mattress over the edge, his thighs apart and feet on the rug, fully naked. On top of him, on his lap, sat a woman with short pale pink hair, also naked, arms draped over Taehyung's neck for support while she bounced herself against the man's erection, soft sensual breaths leaving them both occasionally.

Jeongguk couldn't quite see Taehyung clearly as the woman's body had blocked him from his view, but at one point Taehyung's head fell to the side while he grunted out a moan. And in that moment, their eyes met.

Jeongguk looked at him; watched how the strong arms that had towered over him before were now gripping the small hips of a random woman—a stranger. In that second Jeongguk thought Taehyung would look surprised to see him there, maybe even get angry or ask how he'd gotten inside the apartment. But instead, with their eyes maintaining firm contact, a devilish smirk spread upon Taehyung's lips over the woman's shoulder, almost as a greeting.

"Jeon," the man spoke with his profound voice that never failed to make Jeongguk's legs tremble. At the sound of his voice, the woman slowed down on top of him and turned her head to look at Jeongguk, who stood at the doorway to the bedroom, frozen. Taehyung let out a somewhat irritated noise and thrusted upwards, causing her to gasp shakily. "Keep going," he commanded, and the pink haired woman was quick to resume her bouncing movements.

"I-I'm.." Jeongguk gulped after a moment, figuring he'd take the time now to explain himself. "I'm sorry... The door was open and I wanted to check in on you, and..."

"Shh," Taehyung interrupted, a hand sliding over the woman's ass cheek. Jeongguk quickly looked down to the floor, an embarrassed blush surfacing on his face. "Come here."

The younger's eyes widened as he reached to fumble his thumbs together. Was he... not interrupting something? Clearly, Taehyung had been hooking up with others. That was only a given, considering his reputation at the school and everything Jeongguk had heard about him. He'd be an idiot if he thought he was the only one getting intimate with the handsome man.

A few seconds passed, and Jeongguk found himself silently moving across the floor towards the two as he heard irregular pants or quiet moans from the pink haired woman, which had only made his cheeks turn redder. He then stood beside Taehyung, who watched him with eagle eyes, a stare that made Jeongguk want to melt from existence.

"Get on your knees," he said rather nonchalantly, and Jeongguk looked back at him with his dilated pupils.

"W-Wha—"

"Now, Jeon. I won't tell you again."

The boy bit his lip and sunk down slowly until his knees hit the rug below him. Taehyung's eyes had that darkness in them again—that empty void that he just couldn't decipher. It made shivers run down his spine, made him more attentive and obedient towards the man. It was a wonder how Taehyung even held that much power over him.

"That's enough." He heard Taehyung whisper towards the woman, then watched as the pink haired lifted herself from Taehyung's erection and plopped herself down on the mattress. And just like that Taehyung's piercing gaze was back on Jeongguk while he reached out to grab his chin, coaxing him closer until the tip of his cock pressed firmly against the boy's bottom lip. Jeongguk gasped out a gentle breath, which the man was quick to take action to by shoving his length inside his mouth.

"Mmph!" Jeongguk gagged for a second, big eyes looking up at Taehyung who was staring down at him with dazed eyes. It seemed he was close, because the minute his cock reached the back of Jeongguk's throat, the boy could taste Taehyung's load being dumped into him, the familiar salty taste filling him all at once. He heard the man exhale a low grunt, his head snapping back briefly before Taehyung eventually removed his dick from his mouth, leaving Jeongguk to cough slightly and wipe the tears at the corner of his eyes.

"Good boy," Taehyung husked and leaned forward to wipe residues of his cum beside Jeongguk's lips. And Jeongguk didn't know what had gotten into him, but... In that moment he realized just how hard he was from the action alone.

It wasn't long until Taehyung stood and grabbed his boxers from the floor, slipping them on and lifting one hand to rub at the side of his neck. His gaze went from the pink haired woman and back towards Jeongguk, and after a brief pause he signaled towards the bed. "Sit down."

And Jeongguk did. He didn't quite know what exactly it was he was feeling. It was as though he were on edge, and yet, oddly submissive towards the man. Yet, the minute he plopped himself onto the bed he felt a hand press against his bulge, and Jeongguk looked up to see the pink haired woman eyeing his crotch with her lip between her teeth. He flinched, instinctively moving away, and the woman lifted her hand in slight confusion.

Jeongguk looked at Taehyung, whose eyes were narrowed at him.

"What's wrong? Let her touch you." His deep voice boomed across the bedroom, and Jeongguk could only fear what would happen if he didn't obey.

Except, he had no interest in women. The last and only time he'd ever seen a girl naked was back when he was eleven years old, at a school camping trip. One of the girls had gotten into the men's bathroom, confusing it for the women's, and walked into the wrong bathhouse where Jeongguk had been in, staring back at her with wide eyes. In that young age, Jeongguk was quick to understand that he had zero interest in girls. And that he'll never gain any.

Yet there he was, letting a woman pull down his underwear and hold his half-hard erection in her hands.

He looked at Taehyung again, who watched them fiercely with no intent of backing down. Jeongguk gulped, raking his eyes towards the naked woman beside him who rubbed her hand up and down his dick. He let himself stare at her breasts, then looked further down and back upwards. But as he'd thought, his body wasn't getting excited at all. In fact, he was sure that if they kept this up any longer his dick would only go soft again.

And so naturally his gaze was back on Taehyung; letting it linger at the man's bulged biceps, his irresistibly tan abdomen, the way his long and fluffy dark hair fell over his sharp eyes. Even just standing there, he looked so damn fine.

Jeongguk moaned. Images of a sweaty Taehyung hovering over him were clear in his head. How he'd moan so deep in his ear, making the hairs on his arms rise. How Taehyung's large cock would brazenly slam over his prostate in a dominant manner, the bites he'd leave over Jeongguk's pale shoulder.

He moaned louder now, eyes closed as he could almost feel Taehyung's manly hands rub over him, remembering how hot they were over his skin. It seemed that by his reaction, the woman gained more confidence and began to stroke him faster, perhaps wanting him to cum now. And that was when Jeongguk's eyes shot back open at the sudden sound of Taehyung's abrupt voice.

"Stop," he said firmly, walking towards the two and gently pushing the pink haired woman back against the mattress. Jeongguk looked between them with his confused doe eyes, watching how the woman spread her thighs apart. "You're going to fuck her."

Jeongguk felt himself freeze, the words having drained all color from his face. What did he say...? Taehyung wanted him to do what?

He was quick to speak up, the words leaving him in pathetic stutters. "B-But I'm- I'm not—"

Straight. I'm not straight, is what he wanted to say. But he couldn't get the sentence out. In fact, he was sure Taehyung (or anyone, for that matter) could easily tell that a guy like him was so obviously gay. Interested in men. But the fear of disappointing him was still stored somewhere in that back of his head, which made the boy fall silent. Silence that seemed to aggravate the older.

"Fuck her, Jeon. You're a man, aren't you? For fucks' sake," he grunted, grabbing at his wrist and lifting the boy up. "Go on."

Jeongguk quivered out a small noise as he was placed right in front of the woman, who seemed to be waiting patiently for him, clearly turned on by all of this. He could feel his hands shaking, heart beating loudly in his chest, his palms becoming sweaty.

There was no way he could do this.

He'd never had sex with a girl. Never even dominated a man in the bedroom. In fact, his only experiences with sex were indeed those sad excuses for 'intimacy' with his ex. So this... Surely, this was impossible.

"I-I can't.." he whispered in one choked out breath.

"Speak louder. I can't hear a goddamn thing from you."

"I-... can't do it," he repeated in a louder voice this time, and Jeongguk suddenly felt himself being shoved back, his feet skidding over the floor. He watched as Taehyung mumbled incoherent words of frustration while slipping his boxers down again, his hand moving to pump his own length while he settled himself between the pink haired.

"Then take a good look, Jeon. Because I'm about to teach you how to be a real man."

✱

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

No.

"N-No please.." Jeongguk secured his pants over his waist, eyes widened as Taehyung moved towards the naked girl on his bed. He felt himself shake with dread, shutting his eyes tightly from the scene about to unfold in front of him.

A real man...? What did that even mean?

Jeongguk had no interest in, nor ever had the intentions of, having sex with a woman. Did that subtract from his masculinity? Well, he didn't quite know.

It wasn't like he was entirely ignorant to the real world. He knew from a young age that he wasn't like most boys his age. He understood that liking boys, other boys, boys like him, wasn't considered normal in the society he resided in. He knew from the way his parents used to tease him on the topic of girls and bringing them home. Knew from the way his stomach would churn when he pictured the look on his parent's faces when he told them he actually liked guys. Fortunately for him, Jeongguk was blessed with lovely parents. He'd brought Seojun home for dinner one night, and they immediately knew. Knew that he wasn't just a friend.

And Jeongguk's parents still loved their son, despite the fact that he'd never date girls.

So Jeongguk never thought much of it. Didn't fully realize his own privilege. Didn't know that other parents weren't always so understanding and couldn't always love their children so unconditionally. Still, he'd understood that he'd been fortunate.

Now, standing there on Taehyung's cold marble floor, a nauseous feeling at the pit of his stomach threatening to implode, Jeongguk was brought back down to reality. Because, even back in high school, it felt so normal to hold hands with Seojun in the halls or hug during a walk down the park. He never felt those eyes on them, the eyes of a judging society. He hadn't felt the need to hide because of who he was, because it was irrelevant to do so.

Reality had harsh ways of seeping back into his subconsciousness. Taehyung's eyes were dark, void, empty. Like he often remembered it. Throughout the days they'd been apart, Jeongguk had been clinging onto the rare moments the older would look at him with a glimmering gaze. Eyes that held calmness in its waves, serenity within its chaos. Jeongguk had gotten carried away in thinking he had tamed the enigma that was Kim Taehyung.

But that seemed to be far from the truth.

"N-No..." he repeated, voice falling to a whisper as he choked on his own ragged breathing. He didn't want this. Didn't want to watch whatever it was Taehyung had wanted to show him. But he couldn't look away, stood in horror and fear of his own predictions of what the man would do next. His heart was throbbing, bleeding, wailing with every pound.

"Taehyung.." the pink haired woman suddenly spoke in a sharp airy breath, her hands settling on the man's bare chest and sliding to grip his shoulders to detain him. "Hold on."

Taehyung lifted a brow and gritted at his teeth while he watched the girl push her thighs back together and sit up. "What are you doing?"

"That's what I'd like to ask you, oppa," she replied with a firm voice, her eyes unwavering even against Taehyung's intimidating black holes. "This was a misunderstanding. I thought you invited him here but clearly you didn't, so... just let the boy leave."

A crooked smile tugged at the edge of Taehyung's lips before he scoffed out a laugh in mocking amusement. "Let him leave? I don't think so. Now lay back down, slut." The man pushed her back against the mattress and gripped onto her legs, earning a yelp from the pink haired who then pushed Taehyung away with her foot.

"Jeon!" she called, and Jeongguk looked at her with fearful eyes. "That was your name, right? Just go on and leave, okay? Call Taehyung back later, if you needed to speak with him."

"But what about you—"

"Please?" She gave him a pleading look, and Jeongguk gulped before nodding faintly. He tugged down his own shirt and was quick to slip away from the bedroom, heart loud inside his chest, the walk down the hall longer than he'd remembered it. There were tears he didn't know were flooding his eyes, ones he swiftly wiped away as he mindlessly hastened his feet outside the apartment complex. The more he flicked tears away the more new ones resurfaced, and he couldn't bring himself to pay attention to his surroundings enough to know if he was headed the right way home or not.

Then, all of a sudden, he heard a loud horn like the ones from those giant moving trucks.

His foot was already halfway in the air towards the crossroad, stomach rising to his lungs in shock while he looked up at the incoming vehicle. Until there was a strong grip on his wrist, pulling him abruptly with monstrous strength, and Jeongguk found himself colliding with a cushioned chest from the impact.

"I-... I-I'm so sorry, I'm—!" he stuttered out, the intense fear in his chest slowly being washed out when he turned to see the large truck now rushing down the street safely.

"Jesus... Be careful, little one." A slightly hoarse voice responded, and Jeongguk turned back to the man who'd saved him from near death. He was tall. Really tall. With firm shoulders and bulky biceps.

"I'm sorry.." he repeated, pulling back sheepishly as he bowed at a 90-degree angle both to express his gratitude and to hide his flushed face. "And... t-thank you so much, mister."

"It's alright. You're safe now," the man assured, and Jeongguk straightened up only to see a deep dimple adorning the stranger's facial features, emphasizing his handsomeness, his cool shade silver hair slicked back to give him somewhat of a sophisticated look. Jeongguk smiled shyly and gave a small nod.

"Right.. Thanks again, um.."

"Joon," the stranger spoke up. "People call me Joon."

"Joon-ssi." Jeongguk gave another quick bow. "Thank you. Here's, um.. Here's some money for coffee or something. I-I mean that's not worth my life or anything b-but... just so you have a nice-... a nice treat, you know?"

"That's alright, I.. don't need anything," Joon quickly shook his head, "Just be careful from now on, alright?" Jeongguk nodded again and watched the man flash him another friendly smile, then Joon lowered his head slightly to dismiss himself. He watched the older male stroll down the same street Jeongguk himself had come from, the same direction that led towards Taehyung's apartment.

But of course, surely, he figured that was only a coincidence and he was just imagining things.

※ ※

Joon stood in front of the apartment door and reached into his bag to pull out his Kakao friends' Ryan limited edition plush keychain. When he did, an array of keys and library card tags dangled out beside the small bear plushie.

He flicked through the keys and grabbed hold of one of them, slipped it into the keyhole, turned it, then stepped inside and closed the door shut behind him. A weary sigh left his lips while he slipped his shoes off and stepped inside the apartment, finding it a bit too quiet for his own tastes. Joon settled his bag down onto the couch and made a swift turn towards the hall before he heard firm footsteps, and a pink haired woman emerged into the room, looking back at him with a startled breath.

"Excuse me.." she mumbled, "I was just taking my leave."

Joon nodded in silence, rising a brow in confusion until seconds later Taehyung appeared in sweatpants and a lack of a shirt.

"Holy shit..." he breathed out slowly. "If it isn't Kim Namjoon... Fuck, you missed the party, my man. You could have joined us."

Namjoon narrowed his eyes at him, quick to understand the situation he'd come home to. He turned to the woman and gave her a polite smile. "Can I offer you some water before you go?"

"No, thank you," she bowed. "Have a good day."

With that, the woman strode towards the door, slipped it open and was gone. Once the door shut, the two men were left alone to look at each other in silence.

"You didn't tell me you'd be back." Taehyung was the first to speak.

"I did," he whistled, then stood to walk towards the kitchen cabinet.

"Fucking liar."

"Shit. You're the one who doesn't check his phone," Namjoon calmly grabbed a glass cup, placing it down to the counter. He continued to whistle, a higher pitch now, his body moving towards the fridge to grab a gallon of the first drink he saw, which happened to be lemonade.

"Can you stop making noise for one second?" Taehyung huffed out in a very evidently irritated voice, and Namjoon turned to look at him with innocent eyes, putting down the gallon of lemonade. There was a pause, then the older man smiled gently at him.

"And can I speak to my Taehyungie now?" he said. "Like, for real this time?"

Namjoon stood patiently, watching as Taehyung's muscles slowly relaxed as the seconds passed, eyes blinking a few times in repeated long intervals. The man's dark eyes gradually softened and after a while there was a quiet sigh before Taehyung sauntered towards him. Namjoon's smile widened and he lifted his arms out, inviting the other into a hug, which Taehyung quickly responded by clinging onto him.

"I'm back now, okay..?" Namjoon whispered, squeezing the male tightly in his arms only to hear a small chuckle from the younger, followed by a sniffle.

"Welcome back, hyung..."

※ ※

"Who was that pink haired beauty, hm?" Namjoon asked through a mouthful of fried rice. The two men had ordered food and a couple beers, then sat down to watch some show while they caught each other up on lost time apart.

"Ah.." Taehyung hissed out after chugging half a bottle of alcohol. "Just.. Just a hookup."

"So you mean I almost walked in on you balls deep inside her?"

Taehyung scowled at him before grabbing his chopsticks. "No. We were done for a while. We almost had a second round, though."

"Good thing I came home then, huh?" The older chuckled and Taehyung looked away, eating in silence. His gaze flickered towards his phone, which was now beside him charging, a certain boy on his mind.

But no, he shouldn't.

"Yeah. Anyway, let's talk about something more interesting. You. When did your plane land?"

Namjoon sat back against the couch and rubbed his belly. "Hm.. Yesterday. Hoseok picked us up and dropped me off. Then he and Yerin went home."

"Oh. Yerin's back, too?"

"Yep. She's back, too."

"I see," Taehyung grabbed shrimp and moved it to his plate. "Cool... Very cool."

Namjoon eyed him, then cleared his throat. "Oh hey, guess what? I saved someone's life today."

Taehyung rolled his eyes and stifled a laugh. "Shut the fuck up, you did not."

"It's true!" Namjoon chuckled, shifting forward to prove that he was, indeed, serious. "The poor guy almost ran into a truck."

"Shit. Wish that were me."

Namjoon stared.

"I'm kidding."

"Oh.." The older visibly relaxed and pushed out a short laugh. "Dumbass. Don't joke about those things."

"Sorry. Now pass me another beer."

"Was that another joke?"

"No, idiot."

"Ouch.. Well sure thing, kiddo. Another beer coming right up!"

※ ※

"You were late today," Jimin mumbled, placing a box that was half his size down onto the floor.

Jeongguk looked up as he placed the paintbrush in his grip to a gray tray that was stained pale yellow at some parts from splattered paint. "Ah, yeah... Um, I'm sorry about that."

"What were you even doing?" the blond questioned, gaze now towards the window.

The two boys were currently in a half empty apartment covered in boxes and bubble wrap over furniture. More specifically, Hoseok and his girlfriend Yerin's new apartment. The couple had apparently found a place to finally move in together, until Yerin took her trip overseas and the move was delayed. Surely Hoseok wasted no time in getting settled into the new place as soon as his sweetheart had returned.

And Jimin wasn't exactly ecstatic about it all.

He wanted to be happy for them, he really did. But he couldn't help the piercing feeling of pin needles stabbing his heart; and if it couldn't get any worse, Hoseok had asked the two boys to help out with the move, which they both couldn't say no to considering the older was their dear friend.

Currently Jeongguk was in charge of painting the living room wall a pastel lemon color, and Jimin was in charge of sulking over his current situation.

"I... I was looking for Taehyung again," the younger sighed, unable to meet his friend's eyes.

"And did you find him?"

Jeongguk's lip quivered, hesitating for a moment. "No," he lied, then returned to his work.

"Hey, good work bud!" Hoseok's voice erupted from the hall, and the two younger males turned to see the cherry haired walking in with a big shiny smile on his face. Jimin's lips curled into a small grin at the mere sight. "The wall's looking amazing. I really owe you for this, Gguk."

"It's alright , hyung," Jeongguk laughed softly. "I've owed you plenty of times from before so, think of this as me repaying you."

"Well~ when you're all done there's a pack of soju in the fridge. Yerin won't be back for another hour since she's picking up that painting she wanted to hang up on the wall. You two can stay as long as you want." Hoseok placed his hands to his hips. "I'll start putting out some snacks for us. Jimin, could you help me out?"

The blond looked to the red haired man with big eyes and nodded, slowly walking up and following him towards the kitchen.

The two guys were quiet for a while, Hoseok pulled bowls to pour chips over and Jimin worked on prepping the popcorn bags to be microwaved. "Thanks again for helping out on such short notice," Hoseok spoke up, eyes fond while he poured salted potato chips into one bowl.

Jimin's face flushed, his hands trembling shyly before he swallowed his saliva and forced out a light chuckle. "Stop, it's no big deal. Moving in with Yerin-noona is... a pretty large step in the relationship. Of course we'd help you guys out." He fumbled with the excess plastic and faced away from the other male to plop the popcorn bag into the microwave, gritting his teeth for a brief moment. "You guys are practically married."

Hoseok chuckled at that, but said no further remark. Jimin silently thanked him for that.

"Well, things wouldn't be going so smoothly if it wasn't for you guys," the red haired male then continued, and Jimin turned to look at him. "If it wasn't for... you."

The blond's heart jumped, and in came the butterflies, flooding the lining of his stomach thoroughly, not daring to miss a single spot.

"You're a great person, always listening to my problems and offering ways to solve them or deal with them. Really, truly, you're an amazing friend, Jimin."

Jimin smiled weakly, head dropping to look at his hands on the counter. "Yeah..." he let out softly, his fingers gathering to his palms to form fists. "Friend."

✱ ✱ ✱

{ A / N }

hi lovely readers :]

just want to remind you all to refer to the DISCLAIMER chapter for any warnings on content within the book. I won't be putting trigger warnings anywhere else, so again, if anything causes discomfort I'd rather you prioritize your own health.

last chapter was supposed to be uncomfortable (it was, even for me to write at some points, oop..) but that was the goal of that chapter, after all, those feelings of discomfort is necessary for the impact of the overall story.

anyways I like reminding people because I've seen that there are readers who just skip or ignore chapters like DISCLAIMER which authors would put in all caps or bold letters at the very beginning to prevent triggers. then they end up blaming authors for any difficult topics they may write about, even though they did warn you.

but for those of you who know themselves enough to proceed, please do continue to support the book. I really appreciate every read, vote and comment 💜 thank you so much!

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"You're back," Yoongi commented, a nonchalant tone to his voice as he lifted his head. His eyes fixated on Taehyung, who moved to take a seat next to him at the cafeteria table. It was early in the day, much too early for Taehyung to be awake, but he knew his hyung's schedule by now. Min Yoongi in particular was up by the break of dawn and liked how quiet the school was when there were barely any students around. Naturally, he knew this was the easiest way to find the older boy.

"Yeah.." Taehyung responded quietly, plopping his bag down beside him. "Mornin'."

"Morning."

"Have you seen Jeongguk around lately?" He fiddled his fingers together while peering forward, arms against the table.

"Jeon Jeongguk...?" The older paused. "No. Why?"

"He might be mad at me."

An eyebrow raise. "What did you do?"

Taehyung didn't answer.

"Well, you were gone for like... a week, no?"

Taehyung grunted under his breath and threw himself back against the chair, deciding maybe he wouldn't update the male on what had happened just yet. "Yeah.. I know. I want to apologize somehow."

"Hm."

Fortunately for Taehyung, he took a look at the schedule that had remained long forgotten inside his bag only to see that English was his next class. A class he shared with Jeon Jeongguk. Perfect.

"But maybe you should... not bother that boy anymore," Yoongi added, his attention now on an open notebook in front of him. Taehyung narrowed his eyes at him, head tilting.

"What?" he hummed, unsure why his friend would say such a thing. "Why?"

Yoongi remained quiet, and Taehyung waited patiently until the older boy looked up at him. "He's just a sophomore. Seems really innocent and all.. I just don't think we should involve him in our shit."

"You mean the gang."

"Among other things, yes."

Taehyung forced out a laugh. "Other things?"

Yoongi reached to bite into the sandwich that rested on a small plate beside his equally miniature hands. Then he looked at the younger, a brazen expression on his face. "You know what I mean."

Taehyung leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling, teeth grinding against his bottom lip before he gave the other male curt nods. "Yeah. I do."

※ ※

Jeongguk was exhausted. Thanks to all the hard work and heavy lifting he'd done the previous day to help Hoseok and Yerin move into their new place, he had no trouble sleeping the minute his body hit the comforting cushion of his welcoming mattress. But even so, when he woke the next day his muscles felt sore and he was unusually low on energy.

He'd been trying his best to avoid thinking of what had gone down in Taehyung's apartment because, every time he did, he'd feel inexplicable anxiousness. He wasn't sure how he would act if he had to see the man again, and surely with them sharing a class together it wasn't as though he could completely stop their encounters.

Nevertheless, Jeongguk made it to class and kept to himself, making sure he was around Jimin and Hoseok at all times. Before, the trio used to sit in order of who got there first, which made it impossible to guess who would end up sitting in the middle. But lately Jeongguk had been making sure to arrive a little earlier, while Jimin would get there later. That way Jeongguk could always sit right in the middle, keeping his other two friends apart. Jimin had made it clear to him the day before that, now more than ever, did he lack the energy to sit beside Hoseok for so long pretending he wasn't heartbroken about Yerin's return.

Still, Jeongguk knew that Jimin was good at acting as though he were fine with the couple. His blond friend seemed a bit more devastated over the presence Hoseok's girlfriend than usual, and that was one more thing Jeongguk felt he had to be cautious of.

The clock hit half past noon. The professor was quick to dismiss the class that had gone on by in the blink of an eye despite the constant worries lingering inside Jeongguk's head. He hadn't taken notice of how Taehyung stood from his seat quickly, feet striding towards the back of the classroom toward his direction.

"Jeongguk." He spoke up, then felt the eyes of said boy, along with a few other peering eyes look over at him. "Can I... talk to you for a second?"

The boy froze. He surely wasn't expecting the man to approach him and boldly start up a conversation. But the churning in his stomach, the light layer of sweat that began to form on his skin, how breathless he had gotten. The man was alluring, as always. Voice deep and charming, as always.

But he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to him. He didn't quite feel ready.

"Oh. I, uhm-"

Before he could continue his sentence the professor spoke up suddenly behind both boys.

"Kim Taehyung? A word please."

Taehyung exhaled quietly and turned to look at the professor, gaze flickering between him and Jeongguk until he stepped towards their English teacher.

"You've been absent for a while. There's a lot to catch up on.." The professor began to talk as he dug into his drawer for a pile of paper containing all sorts of assignments Taehyung had presumably missed.

So luckily for Jeongguk, he was able to leave the two males alone and quickly slip out of the classroom to join back up with Jimin who was halfway down the hall.

"You're done talking already?" The smaller boy's brow rose, and Jeongguk gulped.

"Yep. Um... Let's go get lunch, okay?"

"Ah... Mhm, sure."

Jeongguk thought he'd be safe for now, having lunch with Jimin and distracting himself from everything. After all, it wasn't often that he'd run into Taehyung and, when he did, he used to think of it as a happy coincidence. But now he figured if he doesn't long to see Taehyung then he won't show up everywhere he went. At least that's what he thought, because right after he and Jimin parted ways for their separate classes after their meal together, there he was. Kim Taehyung. Standing in front of him once again.

"Hey." That deep voice penetrated far into Jeongguk's bloodstream, made his lip quiver, feet frozen into place. "Listen, do you got a moment?"

Jeongguk's hands gripped the thick book in his hands firmly, eyes wavering to glance at anything around him he could use as an excuse to be somewhere else. Anywhere but here, really.

"U-Uhm... Sorry, I-... I'm late to class," was the excuse he had settled on, and he speedily made his way past the older and into the school building behind them. Taehyung's mouth opened to call out after the boy until he saw that the other was now promptly out of sight, leaving him standing there sighing softly.

But that wasn't the end of it.

The next day, with two coffees in hand, Taehyung waited outside the school cafeteria for the younger boy.

"Jeongguk! I got us some coffee. Can we sit down and talk for a sec?"

"Sorry.. I'm late for a meeting with my professor.."

And the day after that, Jeongguk opened up his locker designated for art projects and found a box of chocolate with a note wrapped over it. He detached the small paper which read;

I really need to talk to you. Can we meet at the library today at 5?

— k.t.h

Jeongguk had scrunched his nose, left the box there, ignored the note and never showed up.

One could say he was dealing with his nerves. His stomach felt tight ever since that day he found Taehyung and that pink haired woman at the apartment. And as much as he'd also tried for the past few weeks to forget Seojun—his ex, the relationship that defined his youth, at times his brain would take him right back to that moment when he came home to his ex lover making love to someone that wasn't him.

It kept him up at night. Robbed him of a healthy sleep cycle and inner peace.

And now it was currently Friday morning. Jeongguk had been lucky to get even three hours of sleep last night, so he carried down the familiar path leading him to school campus. Occasional yawns would leave him, and as the cool breeze brushed against his skin he began to wish he would've brought a muffler with him. Just as the thought passed his head, came and went in one steady swoop, a soft fabric fell over his shoulders abruptly.

Jeongguk stopped, hand moving to touch the emerald green material before turning his head to see none other than Kim Taehyung staring back at him.

"You've been avoiding me.." The man said observantly, and Jeongguk inhaled a sharp breath before moving to get the scarf off of him. Taehyung was quick to stop him, flicking his wrist away and pulling the fabric securely around the younger's neck. "Keep it on. It's freezing."

"It's not that cold," Jeongguk puffed, then turned slightly away from the other male. There was a pause of silence, and Taehyung's head tilted to the side to try and peek a better look at the expression on Jeongguk's face.

"Hey," he spoke softly, eyes wide and attentive on the younger boy. "Look, I just... wanted to apologize for the other day." Taehyung's foot skid over the concrete pavement, pushing a few pebbles with the tip of his shoes. "I know I made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry."

Jeongguk grazed his teeth down his bottom lip, eyes fixated on anything that wasn't the male in front of him. But he couldn't bring himself to speak out a response.

Taehyung fixed his posture and gently slipped his frigid hands into his warmer pockets. "I'm sorry.." he repeated. "Really sorry."

Jeongguk's brows furrowed, lips puffing to a natural pout as he remained silent.

"Sorry," Taehyung finished, then reached to scratch the back of his head as he tapped his foot over the tousled pebble awkwardly. Only after a few more seconds had passed was when he then realized that Jeongguk wasn't going to give him the reply he'd been waiting for. So Taehyung bowed his head slightly to dismiss himself and quietly turned to enter the school building first. Jeongguk watched him leave, feeling oddly frail.

He let out a condensed sigh, then moved to unwrap the scarf from his neck and stuff it into his bag. With one step forward, he proceeded inside the building until a familiar voice suddenly called out his name.

"Morning, Jeongguk!" Long strands of dark, straight hair came into Jeongguk's vision, and when he looked up he saw Misun jogging up to him. "It's cold today, huh?"

The boy nodded, giving her a weak smile. "Yeah. Good morning, Misun-ssi. I heard today's art club meeting was cancelled."

"Ah, right..." The girl gave a curt laugh. "I'm going home for the weekend for my sister's birthday, so..."

"Oh, cool. That's really nice." Jeongguk walked beside her as they traveled up the small stairs to the front door. He could feel her eyes on him for a moment, before Misun spoke up again.

"So... I saw you talking with Kim Taehyung," she said in a low voice. Jeongguk's grip tightened. "Are you two close?"

"Not really," he replied with a forced chuckle, followed by a shrug. Truthfully though, it's not like he was lying. Rather, he was just realizing the fact that no, they weren't close at all. "We just share a class together, that's all."

"Hm. That's good, then," Misun nodded to herself as they walked down the halls. "I wanted to tell you, um... You should really stay away from him. He's nothing but bad news..."

Jeongguk held his breath and looked over at her. "Bad news?"

"Yeah. I don't want to see you getting hurt... Besides, I'm sure you've already heard the countless rumors about him and, frankly, none of them are good, honey.." Misun stopped beside a classroom doorway and placed her hand on Jeongguk's shoulder. "Just don't get involved with him and you'll be fine... Trust me. A guy like you should be focusing on grades and parties. Y'know... the usual college experiences."

He looked her in the eyes and saw only genuineness and concern laced into her alerted pupils before Misun blinked and smiled gently at him.

"Well, see you next week."

With that, the girl disappeared into her classroom and Jeongguk continued towards his, chest feeling heavier now. Misun's advice to him sounded much like Jimin's, when he'd first learned of the kinds of things people would say about Taehyung.

Then there was his own inner impulses. The ones that hated conforming to the norm. Because, why should he have stayed away from someone only because everyone said he should? At that point, he hadn't even known Taehyung personally. Arguably, he still didn't really know him. He wanted to judge Taehyung on his own standards, at his own pace, with his own terms. Was he done with it all? Done getting to know him?

Had he given up?

There was something about the man that pierced people's hearts, that much he was sure of. Taehyung had scavenged his soul in a positive light before, but after what happened at his apartment Jeongguk was having trouble speaking in his presence.

Another sigh trickled from his mouth, and Jeongguk entered the familiar classroom mindlessly, avoiding the gaze of Taehyung and his friend Yoongi who always sat beside him. Jeongguk then seated himself beside Hoseok, who was immersed in some video he was watching, and soon after Jimin had arrived to take the seat to his right.

"Alright, students. Today is the day we start our first group project of the semester. So naturally, I will be assigning duos to start off with, and we can build up from there." The professor began the class, projecting his voice across the entire room.

"D-Duos?" Jimin's ears perked up, looking to Jeongguk with wide eyes, almost as though to beg him to partner up with him. Of course, Jeongguk understood his panic. Surely, being paired with Hoseok after Yerin and him have moved in together couldn't be an appealing situation for the blond boy. That would likely mean days of upon days of third wheeling.

"But I see a lot of you are already familiar with each other, and so... I've made it a task of mine to assign unique pairs that could benefit from getting to work together," the professor continued, "I will also reveal the topic of each group's project one by one."

Jeongguk bit his lip, eyeing his two friends beside him. Unique pairs... meant that neither of them would end up working together, it seemed. Somehow that only made him more nervous.Thus, the professor called out names, followed by a theme or topic that pairs would have to incorporate into their presentations. The general reactions from those who were called were curious confusion, as the pairs that were assigned didn't know each other quite well.

"Park Jimin and Min Yoongi." The professor called after a while. "Your theme will be Affiliation and Differences. Decide on what route you'd like to take and report back to me with a more specific topic."

Jeongguk looked at the desks ahead where Taehyung was seated beside Yoongi, the man already turning to make eye contact with Jimin.

"Well.." Jimin whispered, "At least it's not—"

"Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jeongguk," the professor continued his repeated announcement. "Your theme is Symbolism. Decide how you want to approach this and report back with a more specific topic."

Jeongguk could feel his heart plunge down to his stomach and bounce right back up, nearly jolting out from his throat. Taehyung's eyes were now firmly fixated on him, deep pupils piercing into him, and the boy could barely remember how to breathe.

Shit. This couldn't be happening.

✱