Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down | TK

07 | Starry night

"I didn't expect to see you awake." His groggy voice snapped Taehyung out of his reverie, effectively making the faintest pink blush adore his chubby cheeks. Though he couldn't quite see it, the alpha swore something spiced up in Taehyung's scent.

The omega swallowed thickly the lump lodged in his throat, skidding his eyes away as he tried not to glance in the direction of the alpha.

"I couldn't sleep." He murmured quietly, slowly lowering his body to sit down on the porch.

"Did I wake you up?" Jungkook asked, a small hint of debt-ridden concern lacing his tone. He leaned with his back against the railing, eyeing the omega. The pale moon lit up the starry night sky as a gentle, chilling breeze brushed by, causing his dark bangs to fall in front of his eyes. He was wearing only a pair of beige trousers rolled up to his calves.

Taehyung gave him a timid shake of his head, feeling a searing flush creep from his cheekbones to the tips of his ears, but his spine tingled at the smooth timbre of the alpha's hoarse voice.

"I woke up on my own, don't worry." He tried to assure him. Even if he wasn't lying, the slightest hint of nervousness could be sensed in his melodious voice. Taehyung might be everything but a liar. He could spill accusations and be as bold as a brass, but when it came to hiding something or lying, he became tongue-tied.

Jungkook quirked an unconvinced eyebrow but nonetheless nodded his head and dropped off the topic.

With a soft sigh leaving his lips, Taehyung wrapped his white robe a little tighter around himself and very slowly lifted his head up to face the alpha.

"Why are you up? Isn't it too late for training?" his question was followed by a chuckle from Jungkook's side. The sound of it was disgustingly sweet and Taehyung hated himself for liking it so much.

"I couldn't sleep." He answered, running his calloused fingers through the jet-black hair, removing the raven locks from his face. A sweaty forehead and a pair of thick eyebrows were put on display, making him look ten times sexier than he already was. "And tossing around in bed wasn't an option."

The corners of Taehyung's lips curled up in a smile. He took his time to part his eyes from the godly sight and instead roam forward into the forest. The illumination from the starts that twinkled above them made everything so unreal that if there was a shooting star above them, they'd only wish for the time to stop.

"We are both fucked up, huh?" The omega asked, a stealthy playful tingie lingered in his tone, causing both of them to burst in a fit of laughter.

"Yeah, you could say that." Jungkook agreed with a hum and gingerly sat down on the porch next to Taehyung.

For a second no one dared to speak up, bird song blended with the babbling laughter of a nearby stream, creating the living melody unique only to the woods.

With the corners of his eyelids, Taehyung sneaked a peek of the alpha that sat besides him, finding the sight of his abdominal muscles for very distracting. He decided to blame his inner wolf for that, the long absence of another alpha had made him desperate. Sometimes his omega side could choose not to be a bitch.

"Can I ask you a question?" Jungkook's voice suddenly rang in his ears, startling him.

"You already did it." Taehyung said with a soft chuckle slipping from his lips. "But sure, go ahead."

The alpha bit the inside of his cheek, tugging the meat between his teeth. His mouth opened and closed in wordless argument with himself. His mind grappled in the midst of turmoil. One side, is curiosity-killed-the-cat side, telling him to speak up – and the other saying no, stupid, he'll probably get mad at you.