Taehyung woke up, naked and with an uneasy feeling swirling in his stomach.
As usual, he found himself alone in the bedroom with no trace of the elder but it somehow felt lonelier that day.
The type of lonely that makes one scared.
The blue haired knew it had something to do with the way Jungkook had behaved the previous night. His words and actions had clearly conveyed a coveted sense of distress hidden behind a sheen of mockery and anger.
Something which, he learnt over the few weeks, was one of Jungkook's own coping mechanisms.
Taehyung's head buzzed from front to back almost as if he was experiencing a hangover, but only worse. He had no idea why his hormones were buzzing with something vague-- a long forgotten dread that had once captured his heart when he was little.
The boy threw the covers and stepped out into the cold, shivering for more reasons than one. His eyes habitually began wandering for his glasses before recalling not having to use them since he got himself those contacts for the celebration party.
He flinched when a heard a knock at the door, eyes quickly darting to the wall clock above the bed. For a second he freaked out, thinking it was Seokjin coming up to scold him for skipping breakfast again but then recalled that the elder was gone too.
Taehyung sighed sadly, blinking away a few tears that had already managed to surface at the thought of his dearest hyung. Oh how he regretted not coming out to help his hyung, even though he knew there wasn't much he could do about it.
The knock resounded again, harder enough for the boy to snap out of his thoughts and collect his clothes, before slipping them on and answering the door.
"Yoongi hyung?" He was surprised to see the silver head at his door for the first time, wearing his usual blank look.
Taehyung didn't share a very strong bond with Yoongi like the others, owing to the fact that the older was a very private person, but the boy still looked up to him for standing up for him at times and that little gummy smile he threw his way when Taehyung did things right.
So he greeted the other with a warm boxy smile that the older returned with a small tight lipped one before looking away.
"We're moving out of L.A." the pale skinned man said,"The other's have already left, and you are to come with me."
"Where's Jungkook? Has he left already?" Taehyung questioned, feeling the vague emotion return out of nowhere.
"No, but he will... In a while. He's just finishing up with some stuff," Yoongi replied obscurely, pushing his hands into his pockets.
"Oh-- um can i speak to him once? Before we leave? I have to tell him something." The blue haired boy proposed hopefully. He knew he should've spoken to Jungkook about the mysterious dissappearance of his phone a few days back and then the phone call from Seonchang last night itself but he was too busy reveling in his presence to care about anything else.
Stupid Taehyung.
"Uh- im afraid you can't, Tae." Yoongi shook his head, making the boy pout in response," he's quite busy with the--with managing the fake media coverage over the attacks."
"Oh okay then," Taehyung nodded, voice small," maybe I'll tell him when we get there. Wait, where are we going this time?"
Yoongi didn't answer his question, simply raised his wrist to check the time which was half past eleven, then ordered the boy to get ready in ten minutes before sauntering off.
Taehyung slowly closed the door, pout still present on his swollen bitten lips. He made his way to his little cupboard of belongings and began shoving them into the small cute bag Seokjin bought for him in Chicago.
Within ten minutes he was standing by the door of the hall waiting for Yoongi as instructed. His nerves had only seemed to multiply with still no determined source, making him tap his foot restlessly on the ground. His eyes often anxiously wandered to Jungkook's office, which stood quiet and closed.
Taehyung looked down at his pink sneakers and then up again, spotting Hosoek and a few men from their gang walk by the office, talking amongst themselves.
"Hobi hyung!" He let out, grabbing their attention and making the older pause abruptly with his foot in the air.
"T-taehyung?" Hoseok said, as the younger ran upto him with a small smile on his face.
"Good morning hyung," the boy bowed respectfully out of habit," Yoongi hyung said we're moving again. I asked but he doesn't tell me where we're headed. C-can you?"
Hoseok gulped and shook his head, looking everywhere but at Taehyung and his natural pout," Not until we get there, Tae. You know the rules."
"Ah okay. But can't you come with us too? I mean you know how Yoongi hyung doesn't speak much and i, on the other hand can't stop talking at all--" Taehyung paused when he realised he was blabbering, more so to calm himself down but then he realized it wasn't the correct time nor place," im sorry hyung."
Hoseok only smiled, but for some reason it was unlike all the other times he did so-- that meant sans the bright sunny glow and god made chin dimples popping out when he really meant it.
This one looked pretty somber, almost pitiful.
"Tae?" He said after a while, making the other boy hum.
" Take care of yourself."
Taehyung tilted his head in confusion, opening his mouth to ask what that was meant for but the sound of footsteps made them both look to the side, to find Yoongi walking upto them.
"Let's go," The oldest said, signalling at Taehyung before glancing over at Hoseok who was frozen in his place.
The two elders locked their gaze for a few seconds before looking away, throwing their heads in opposite directions.
Taehyung followed the silver head to his car and buckled himself beside the driver, who began to drive immediately. The boy looked behind him at six other seats that sat empty and wondered why no one joined them for such a long ride. He meant he assumed it was long like the last time when they travelled from Chicago to Los Angeles.
But then he forced himself to stop over thinking and turn back to face the front, a sigh leaving his lips as he fiddled with his fingers.
"Taehyung." The said boy looked over at his only companion, eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes hyung?"
"Can you-- uh explain what happened when you went to get jin hyung that day of the attack?" Yoongi asked, peering over at the boy for a moment.
"T-the day of the attack? I--uh-" Taehyung paused to collect his memories before continuing on with a nod,"Jimin hyung asked me to get to Seokjin hyung and h-hide until the attack was over and i did that. Then uh- we were hiding in the closet when i asked for his phone to call Jungkook for help-- but then suddenly the police barged in. I d-didn't expect Seokjin hyung to g-give himself in for my sake but he did and i-- didn't know what to do--"
Taehyung stopped again, the same regret filling him for not doing anything to save the man who had saved him.
Yoongi simply hummed looking deep in thought as his hands rounded on the wheel.
"Hyung?" The blue haired began again,voice smaller.
The older looked over at Taehyung, silently urging him to continue. Taehyung sighed softly.
"If-if you ever meet Jin hyung in-in the prison, can you tell him I'm... sorry?"
The atmosphere in the car engulfed with silence, both boys not knowing how to break it until Yoongi did with another one of his low hums.
"I'll tell him," he said shortly after, taking a quick turn around a familiar route that had Taehyung looking up.
The blue haired boy brought his hands against the window, peering out at the familiar fields of white poppy that whizzed past the tinted glass. It clearly didn't look like the interstate expressway route they were supposed to take.
"Jungkook asked me to take you here." Yoongi said, sensing the boy's confusion.
The car began to slow down before it swerved a little and came to complete stop by the side of the empty road lined by nothing but blooming grasslands.
Taehyung glanced over to find Yoongi unbuckling his seat belt and climbing out of the car. The silver head rounded the car and reached his side before unlocking the door.
"Hyung?" The blue haired let out, looking up to find the older staring down at him with a wistful look in his eyes.
"Come out of the car Taehyung."
Taehyung flinched at the unusual raspiness of his voice, blinking a few times cluelessly.
"H-here? But--"
"For God's sake don't make this more difficult for me and do as i say. Climb. Out. Of. The. Fucking. Car." Yoongi groaned, loosing his cool for some reason.
Taehyung widened his eyes in fear, suddenly too conscious of their lonely surroundings. He looked around the stark deserted roadway and gulped before stepping out, clutching his bag close to his chest.
He took a few steps forward onto the tarred road and heard the door click shut behind, his nerves pounding in his head.
It wasn't long until he felt a hand on his shoulder, pushing him to walk further away from the road and into the rows of sun wilting poppy plants swaying gently in the afternoon air.
Taehyung kept walking one step ahead the other, the dried grass crunching under his shoes as he looked around the familiar place with a sense of nostalgia and dread.
This was the place he'd lost his virginity to Jungkook. Not the exact same spot but similar, with a soft smell of opium wafting in the air. He recalled the eventful night and how he'd expressed his desire to do it in a flower field.
He recalled what Jungkook had told him about this place- that it was owned by one of the most dangerous drug mafia who could kill and bury them three feet under the very ground and no one would ever know.
Taehyung stopped walking.
Only then he realized the footsteps that were following him had stopped long time back. With his heart racing in his chest and mind on the verge of losing its sanity Taehyung slowly turned on his feet, heart sinking when his eyes fell on the nozzle of the gun aimed at him.
Both males just stood there looking at each other with blank expressions, one pointing a gun at the other.
"Wh-"
"Don't ask stupid questions," the older barked, shutting the boy up instantly. Yoongi sucked in a deep breath before exhaling, trying to maintain his composure," i dont have a choice. None of us do!"
Taehyung simply watched him, eyes downcast but finally glazing over with a sheen of realization. All of it made sense to him now. Jungkook's behavior from last night, his own intuitive guts wrenching in the morning, everything.
So this was what his mind was warning him about?
The blue haired boy slowly dropped his bag, raising his arms in surrender before shaking his head from side to side.
"I-it wasn't me."
Yoongi took a step forward, face hardening but his hands still shook.
"It doesn't work like that Tae." Yoongi whispered and Taehyung caught the embedded sorrow swimming in his beautiful brown eyes.
The boy nodded in understanding, holding back his tears. Ofcourse he had been framed. Ofcourse he was being suspected for making some stupid decisions. Ofcourse he was too late.
Again.
Taehyung took a sharp breath and prepared himself. This was it. This was how he was going to die. Being suspected of treachery against the one man he'd given his heart to.
Taehyung didn't even blame Jungkook for doing this to him. He'd probably do the same if he were in his place. But Taehyung still couldn't help but feel sad that Jungkook didn't even give him a chance to explain himself.
Taehyung probably would've, but only because he loved Jungkook like that.
And did Jungkook love him?
He would be kidding himself if he said yes.
Taehyung had always known he meant nothing to him. Nothing but a stupid plaything he probably got bored of. Then he was just another name in the list of prime suspects that needed to be removed.
He should've seen this coming. He really should've, instead of being blinded by emotions that were never going to be reciprocated in the first place.
Maybe i really deserve to die.
"Let's get this over with." He heard the older say.
Taehyung heard the gun cock and closed his eyes, steadying himself to take the impact for when the bullet would pierce through his heart. But he didn't think it would hurt more than it was hurting already because still, even at the brink of death, all he could think about was Jungkook.
Jungkook. Jungkook. Jungkook.
Please bury me back at home.
A loud shot rang in a distance, echoing through the fields like huge submarine signals rippling under water. The birds flew away in fright, cawing and squawking like terrified reporters to the crime they were about to witness.
Taehyung felt his blood chill, heart stopping in its cage for a painful second before it regained its thudding, only duller and weaker this time. But it was there.
He slowly opened his eyes to find Yoongi with his gun lowered and back faced towards him, as he stood looking ahead in the opposite direction in what seemed like shock.
"Drop the gun." A familiar icy voice rang through the field same as the bullet earlier, but only sharper.
"Jimin." Yoongi suspired," Jimin what the fuck--"
"Stop. I don't want to hear anything else." The said boy panted, pointing his own gun which had been the source of the previous shot, strongly at the older boy. He quickly shifted his gaze to a dazed and equally shocked Taehyung and then back at Yoongi. "You let him go."
"But--" Yoongi took a step forward, his eyes lingering over the bandaged wound on his left arm but froze when Jimin reloaded his pistol.
"I said stop! Stop or I'll not hesitate to shoot you too." Jimin yelled, meaning to convey his intentions loud and clear. He then looked over at Taehyung again, who still stood frozen to his feet, steady tears now running down his cheeks.
"Taehyung pick your bag and get in the car." The shorter ravenette ordered, keeping his gun and eyes aimed at the silver haired bodyguard.
Jimin groaned when the said boy didn't respond immediately.
"Taehyung fucking listen to me and get in the car will you?" That had the boy moving, quickly bending down to grab his bag before passing Yoongi and running upto Jimin, who shoved him towards his own car that he used to get there.
"You'll regret this. You have no idea what he's done." Yoongi finally spoke, sounding somewhere between disappointed and angered.
"Not sure if i will but you surely would if you went through with your dumb idea. No wonder you work for Jungkook, fucking idiots both of you." Jimin hissed, before opening the car door and filing in with a weeping Taehyung," And hyung? If you ever loved me, you will not follow us or try to track him down. Taehyung's dead for the world just as you people wanted. Now please leave him be."
Saying that Jimin slammed his door shut and sped away into the distance, with Yoongi's sad eyes following the car until it disappeared.
"Jimin... what have you done?!"
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A/n: 10+ chapters to go before 'Fast Draw' meets its end. How do you like the twist? ;)
Though this story began at a humorous note, it was always supposed to be a serious one. I hope i didn't fail you guys :((
If you've come this far into the story, i love you for keeping up with me.
Borahae 💜 Stream butter 🧈