Chains of Command// TK// ONGOING

Faltering Lines

The storm had passed by morning, leaving behind streets glossed in silver and a sky still heavy with clouds. But inside Jeon Enterprises, the storm hadn't gone anywhere.

Taehyung walked through the glass doors with a calm mask in place, though his heart was still echoing last night's words. "Don't leave like last time... You're making me feel again." His steps faltered as he remembered Jungkook's eyes, the way they burned in the half-dark of the office.

He shook his head quickly. He couldn't afford to linger on it. Not here. Not when dozens of eyes watched his every move.

Yet as the elevator doors slid open, he felt that familiar pull—the awareness that Jungkook was somewhere above, waiting like a storm cloud.

By mid-morning, Taehyung had buried himself in reports, speaking only when necessary. The usual whispers of gossip floated around him, some too obvious to ignore.

"Did you see him leave with the CEO yesterday?" Seohyun whispered harshly near the copy machine, her eyes flicking toward him. "No wonder he gets away with everything."

Taehyung clenched his jaw and focused harder on the spreadsheet. He told himself it didn't matter. That the sting in his chest wasn't worth reacting to.

But when the door to the CEO's office opened, and Jungkook stepped out—dark suit perfectly pressed, expression unreadable—the room fell into silence. Employees straightened, bowed politely, and avoided eye contact. Everyone except Taehyung, who kept his gaze firmly on the papers in front of him.

"Kim Taehyung," Jungkook's voice cut through the stillness.

Every head turned.

"Yes, sir?"

"My office. Now."

The stares followed him as he stood. Some curious, some sharp with envy. He didn't let it slow him down.

Once inside, the door clicked shut. Jungkook leaned against his desk, arms crossed, studying him with an intensity that made Taehyung's skin prickle.

"You're ignoring me."

Taehyung blinked. "I'm working."

"That's not what I mean." Jungkook's tone was lower now, dangerous in its honesty. "After last night..."

Taehyung stiffened. "We didn't do anything."

"No," Jungkook agreed, pushing off the desk to close the distance between them. "But we almost did."

The words cracked something open. Taehyung's breath hitched, his back pressing instinctively against the edge of the table as Jungkook moved closer.

"Why are you running from it?" Jungkook asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I don't know what it is," Taehyung said, his frustration spilling through. "Because this—" He gestured between them, the air thick with heat. "—is dangerous. For both of us."

Jungkook's hand braced against the table beside him, caging him in. "Everything about you feels dangerous. And yet..." His gaze flicked to Taehyung's lips. "I can't stay away."

The silence between them throbbed.

Taehyung forced himself to look up, their eyes locking, fire clashing with fire. "You're my boss," he whispered harshly. "People already think—"

"I don't care what they think."

"But I do!"

The words rang louder than intended. Jungkook stilled, staring at him. Taehyung's chest rose and fell quickly, his heart pounding so hard it hurt.

For the first time, Jungkook's expression cracked. Not anger. Not dominance. Something rawer. A flicker of pain.

"I don't know how to stop," Jungkook admitted, almost to himself. "You make me reckless."

Taehyung's lips parted, but no reply came. His throat was tight, his mind in chaos.

Then, before either of them could move, the office door opened without a knock.

Jimin.

He froze in the doorway, eyes darting between his brother and Taehyung—so close, too close. His usual playful smile faltered, replaced by something unreadable.

"I—uh—" Jimin held up a folder awkwardly. "Meeting notes."

Jungkook straightened immediately, mask sliding back on, but it was too late. The air had already betrayed them.

Jimin stepped forward slowly, placing the file on the desk, though his gaze lingered on Taehyung for a second longer than necessary. There was no judgment in it—only quiet understanding. And maybe, a warning.

"Don't be late," Jimin said softly, before exiting again.

The door closed. Silence returned.

But this silence wasn't the same as before. It was heavier. Faltering. Full of everything left unsaid.

Taehyung took a shaky step back, putting space between them. His voice was quiet, breaking at the edges. "This has to stop."

Jungkook's jaw tightened. "Tell me how."

Taehyung didn't answer. Because he didn't know.

He walked out of the office without looking back, but his chest burned with the weight of Jungkook's gaze following him—an invisible tether pulling tighter, even as he tried to sever it.

"Some truths don't break with words. They break in silence—in the distance we try, and fail, to keep."