Chains of Command// TK// ONGOING

Edges of Restraint

Morning – Jeon Enterprises

The office buzzed with its usual rhythm—phones ringing, keyboards clacking, whispers rising and fading like waves. But for Taehyung, every sound felt amplified. Every tick of the clock pressed against his nerves.

He adjusted his tie in the bathroom mirror before stepping into the hallway. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, not from lack of sleep but from restless, twisted thoughts that refused to leave him alone. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Jungkook's breath ghosting over his lips.

Taehyung swallowed hard, forcing himself to walk with steady steps. He's just your boss. Keep it professional. Nothing more.

But when he pushed open Jungkook's office door and saw him—leaning back in his chair, black shirt unbuttoned just enough to tease at the scar below his collar—his resolve crumbled like ash.

"Good morning, CEO Jeon," Taehyung greeted, voice even.

Jungkook's eyes flicked up. Dark. Burning. A storm held back by sheer willpower.

"You're late."

Taehyung froze. He checked his watch. "It's... 9:00 a.m. exactly."

Jungkook's lips twitched. "Exactly is late."

Taehyung inhaled sharply, choosing not to argue. He set the reports on the desk. "Here are today's schedules. The board wants—"

"Sit."

The command was soft, but it brooked no refusal.

Taehyung lowered himself into the chair opposite Jungkook, back straight, fingers tightening around the file in his lap.

Jungkook leaned forward, forearms on the desk, gaze piercing. "Why didn't you sleep last night?"

Taehyung's breath caught. "What makes you think—"

"Your eyes." Jungkook tilted his head, studying him like prey caught in his snare. "You've been restless. Distracted. That doesn't suit you."

Taehyung bristled. "With all due respect, sir, my private life isn't—"

"Your private life became mine," Jungkook cut in, voice low, "the moment you let me touch you."

The words hit Taehyung like a strike. His pulse jumped violently.

"I didn't—" he began, but the lie tasted bitter.

Jungkook smirked, reading him too easily. He stood, walked around the desk, and leaned against the edge just in front of Taehyung. Their knees nearly brushed.

"You think ignoring it will make it vanish?" Jungkook asked, voice softer now, almost dangerous in its gentleness. "It won't. I see it in the way you look away from me. The way you flinch when I get too close. You're not indifferent, Taehyung. You're scared."

Taehyung's throat tightened. He looked up, meeting those ink-dark eyes. "And what if I am?"

Jungkook leaned down slightly, shadows framing his sharp features. "Then it means you feel it too."

The silence stretched, thick and unbearable. Taehyung's hand twitched at his side, wanting to push Jungkook away—or pull him closer. He couldn't tell which.

A knock shattered the tension.

Both men froze.

"Hyung?" Jimin's voice chirped from the other side of the door. "Lunch? Yoongi-hyung says if you don't eat, he'll fire the cook again."

Jungkook exhaled sharply, straightening. "Come back later," he called.

A pause. Then Jimin's muffled laugh. "You're impossible. Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."

His footsteps retreated.

The office was silent again, except for the thundering of Taehyung's heart.

Jungkook turned back to him, eyes softer now. "Do you know what happens when you keep running from something inevitable?"

Taehyung swallowed. "...What?"

"It hunts you down," Jungkook whispered.

Taehyung's breath stuttered. "And what if I don't want to be caught?"

Jungkook's lips curved faintly. "Then you shouldn't have stepped into my world."

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. The air between them pulsed, alive, dangerous.

Finally, Jungkook stepped back, collecting himself with practiced precision. "We have a board meeting in twenty minutes. Fix your tie. And next time—don't come in with eyes that tell me you dreamed of me all night."

Heat shot through Taehyung's face. He stood abruptly, clutching the file. "You're imagining things."

Jungkook smirked. "Am I?"

Taehyung left quickly, shutting the door behind him.

But as he walked down the hall, his hands trembled. Not from fear. Not entirely.

From the truth he couldn't deny.

That no matter how hard he fought, Jungkook was right.

He was already caught.

The game is unraveling. Jungkook is no longer hiding his hunger. Taehyung is no longer denying his fear—or the draw that keeps pulling him back. And with Jimin catching shadows of their moments, how long before others see too?