RUSE || Taekook

SIXTEEN || J4C4F1J4J5A5A5F4

"I want you to stop this."

Taehyung pauses his actions and locks eyes with Yoongi in the mirror, "What?"

Yoongi sighs and inhales, his chest rising and falling under Taehyung's arms. "This whole gang thing, I want you to—"

"Mafia," Taehyung frowns. "We're not a gang."

Yoongi closes his eyes and sighs, "Right. I want you to leave this mafia business behind. Start a new life somewhere."

Taehyung's frown deepens, his hold on Yoongi loosening as he pulls his arm back,"Why?"

"Because it's too fucking dangerous, Tae!" Yoongi turns and slightly raises his voice, enough to get his point across but not scare Taehyung.

"I'm fine!" Taehyung tries to keep his voice on level with Yoongi's. He's tired of having this same conversation with Yoongi over and over again.  "You don't need to worry about me."

"Well, I do, okay?" Yoongi's brows rise in worry."It's been months, I've looked through every database. Jungkook was taken prisoner by August years ago! He's probably dead by now!"

Taehyung's frown eases, "Hey, look, it's okay. Suga can't get to me like he got to Jungkook. We'll try and work a way to get Jungkook out. Negotiations with Buraq are underway, we'll get easy access into August through Nepal, it's okay."

"I can't risk losing you too."

"You won't."

"No, Taehyung, just leave this bullshit behind and let's go away."

"This isn't bullshit! And where are they gonna go if their leader abandons them?"

"Jimin can take care of it!"

"Jimin can't lead an entire mafia alone!"

"Taehyung, stop insisting and listen to me!"

"I can't leave!"

Taehyung's voice keeps getting higher and Yoongi keeps his stern yet low, not wanting to hurt Taehyung with his tone of voice.

"Taehyung, listen to me—"

"If you're so worried about Suga taking me like he took Jungkook, you should know that the safest place for me is right here!"

"That's not true!"

"Yeah, do you have a plan?"

"I do!"

Taehyung raises his brows and steps back, "Okay, enlighten me."

Yoongi inhales and takes a defensive step backwards, eyeing Taehyung's calm demeanor carefully, "We can strike a deal with August."

Taehyung stays still but then his frown starts to reform as confusion fills his insides before rage takes the stage.

"No, listen, hear me out first," Yoongi keeps backstepping, knowing full well he upset Taehyung. "I think we should ask for Jungkook in turn—"

Taehyung steps forwards quickly and pins Yoongi to the wall, choking the elder with his arm, his face heating up and his teeth gritting, "In turn for what? Jewels? My men? My family? My loyalty? In turn for what, huh?"

Yoongi wheezes under him and tries to push him away, not using a single fighting technique he spent the last four months learning, "It's for Jungkook, we have to—"

"I will not give up thousands of men to a stranger for the chance that Jungkook is alive!"

"Tae—" Yoongi croaks out, tapping Taehyung's forearm.