The Missing Piece

Chapter 17

Taehyung trailed his bodyguard as they pushed their way through the throng lining the halls to the various dressing rooms. He nodded here and there and said hello to other passing performers, some who he knew and some who's reputation preceded them. Little bows from left and right in deference. He barely noticed anymore. Everyone knew him.

He was amused to see, as they weaved through the many other idols, that more and more of his peers were wearing the soul suits he and his mates had had to don for necessity, but which the world thought they were wearing as a precaution. Following the rumours which HYBE had helped to generate, that soulmates were becoming a problem for idols, more of the agencies had mandated that their talent wear the suits. Sometimes it made Taehyung feel bad that his circumstances could be stopping people from finding their mates, but he thought, we have bigger problems of our own.

The MMA's were off to their usual chaotic start and with just six hours to go, the building was starting to team with activity as the artists poured in. BTS were holed up in a large green room closest to the stage, a privilege afforded by their dominating reputation, and Taehyung was making his way there now, having taken a quick trip to the physio for his ankle.

Finally, back in their sanctuary, Taehyung's eyes found Hoseok's and then Yoongi's before anyone else's and he nodded, silently confirming that he was fine. They nodded back. Good, that was good.

It was a little early for hair and makeup, they'd still need to eat first, but some of the Cordi team were already buzzing around the costume rack, checking and re-checking the pieces were all present and correct.

Namjoon and Jungkook were sat on the same sofa, but not touching, both intent on their phones. Taehyung wondered if they were perhaps talking to each other through them. Taehyung was tired and he'd have liked to go and snuggle up to Jungkook, like they might have done in the old days, but that wasn't possible now. It had been nearly two months since Narae had turned twenty-one and changed their lives forever. Nearly two months since he'd touched some of his best friends. Taehyung sighed.

At least now Narae could be here with them. Obviously not 'needed' yet, she'd been kept back at the hotel with the rest of the support staff. She'd most likely join them after dinner. For now, Seokjin and Jimin were dozing close to each other in a couple of plastic chairs, tired from the soundcheck. Again, Taehyung felt a pang of jealousy that Seokjin was able to fall asleep so close to Jimin; Taehyung's long-time sleeping companion. He wouldn't mind, but neither Hoseok not Yoongi were cuddly sleepers. Even if they would make an exception for Taehyung, it would still look strange to the staff if he wrapped himself around either of them while they were napping. In a previous life Suga would have bitten his head off for thinking about it.

Out of everyone, he thought, Seokjin and Jimin always seemed the most content to be together all of the time. Over the last two months, the group of fragmented soulmates had realised some things. Their love for their bonded soulmates was limitless, but their capacity to spend time together was not. Yoongi and Jungkook, for example, still needed as much alone time for personal reflection as they had ever done before. Hoseok and Taehyung still needed other people for their energy, but they could exhaust each other pretty quickly. Of all of them, Narae seemed the most eager for the company, not just of her bonded soulmates, but also for the others, but Taehyung couldn't say if that was because she was usually like that or if her bonds still needed some work.

If Taehyung were in Narae's position, he'd feel like that too, he thought. Narae had practically had to cut herself off from previous friends and family, not in a sinister way, but simply to avoid lying to them about where she was spending all of her time these days. The seven guys had become the majority of her social circle, although now she had qualified and been hired onto the styling team, she had a couple of work friends she could chat to – although never tell the truth. And Seokjin and Jimin always seemed so close, Taehyung often wondered where there was room for Narae to fit in.