A few hours prior to Audaire waking the members.
POV is third person.
"The producer sent over the final cut of 'Strange'," Yoongi announces. "I'm gonna show Namjoon-ah."
"No, Hyung. Don't leave," begs Jimin, caging Yoongi in with his legs. "I wanna cuddle a bit longer."
"Cuddle with Jin hyung."
"Will you?" Jimin asks Seokjin, jutting his bottom lip out.
"Yeah, sure," Seokjin replies. "The floor is starting to hurt my back anyway."
Yoongi manages to wiggle out of Jimin's clutches, and Seokjin takes his spot on the bed. Jimin immediately swings his leg over Seokjin, nuzzling close to the eldest member.
"Can't wait to hear the album," Taehyung smiles.
"Soon," he smiles in return before leaving the room, shutting the door on the way out.
With the warmth of Seokjin's body, it doesn't take long for Jimin's lids to grow heavy, shortly finding himself yawning uncontrollably. He isn't sure when (or if) Yoongi is coming back, so he allows himself to fall asleep with the memories of the past afternoon flashing in his mind. It had been a while since he's had that kind of fun. He just hopes that he washed out all of the chlorine so his bleach blonde hair doesn't turn green.
Seokjin decided that when Yoongi comes to bed, he's going to make him sleep on the floor. It's only fair, right? Move your feet, lose your seat. Or whatever that saying is. Although Yoongi might seek revenge while Seokjin is sleeping, it's a risk he's willing to take. He's tired of his joints popping every time he moves.
He passes out directly after Jimin, leaving Taehyung and Hoseok the only ones awake. The two assume by this point that Yoongi is staying with Namjoon and Jungkook on the futon. They aren't ready to go to bed yet, so as Hoseok mindlessly scrolls on TikTok, Taehyung watches his screen, his head resting on Hoseok's shoulder.
"Who do you think will fuck tonight?" Taehyung asks out of the blue.
Hoseok snorts. "I hope no one."
"What if Yoongi hyung and Namjoon hyung are? It really sounded like Yoongi hyung wanted to screw him last night."
"He was joking," Hoseok laughs. "Plus, Jungkook-ah is out there. They wouldn't mess around while he's in the same bed."
"I don't know. Yoongi hyung seems a little freaky."
He doesn't respond.
"Is he freaky?" Taehyung pries.
"Yah! Why're asking me?"
"Because you guys were literally in a relationship."
"We're in one now too."
"I meant a monogamous one, Hyung. All those years ago."
The corners of Hoseok's mouth turn up, reminiscing on his and Yoongi's time together back in the day. Him giving Yoongi private dance lessons, their after-practice ramen dates, their walks at the Han River every Sunday night, preparing for the grueling week ahead, and sly sex in weird-ass places because they shared a one-bedroom dorm with five other boys.
Hoseok occasionally longs for those days, but he probably wouldn't change the outcome if given the chance. His life wouldn't be the same without that painful breakup. He wouldn't be as strong as he is today, and he wouldn't cherish his lovers the same way either if it weren't for that. Their breakup taught him to treasure his time with the ones he admires because you never know when that time is up.
"He's your soulmate."
"Hm?" Hoseok hums, being brought back down to Earth.
"Yoongi hyung's your soulmate," Taehyung repeats.
"Like, how Jimin is yours?"
"Yeah, just in a different way. It's kinda hard to describe."
"I think I get what you mean," says Hoseok. "And you're right."
"Duh."
Hoseok jokingly pushes Taehyung's head off his shoulder. "Why do I even talk to you?"
Taehyung shrugs. "Probably because we live and work together."
"I need to get my own place."
He props his chin upon Hoseok's chest. "Nah, you'd miss us too much."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yep, because you loooovvveeee us."
"Do I?" he questions, the answer being obvious, but wanting to hear Taehyung say it.
"You do," Taehyung replies, elevating his head. He then lifts his hand to stroke Hoseok's cheek with the pad of his thumb. "In more ways than one."
Taehyung leans in, softly pecking the older member's lips before adding, "Show me all the ways you love me, Hyung."
Hoseok smiles, taking the initiative to collide their lips, the taste of strawberry wine still lingering from the few glasses Taehyung had prior to lying in bed. He hums in satisfaction, the sweetness of Taehyung's mouth so intoxicating. Hoseok didn't get drunk off the wine earlier, opting to only have a single glass; however, Taehyung's lips may be a different story.
"Hobi hyung," he utters against Hoseok's mouth.
Hoseok begins to pepper kisses along Taehyung's jaw, the latter releasing a shaky breath when Hoseok takes his earlobe between his teeth, gingerly grazing them over it. Hoseok's breath ghosts across his ear, raising goosebumps on Taehyung's skin as he remarks, "Yes?"
"Do you remember kissing me on Rookie King?"
"How could I forget? I thought Yoongi hyung was gonna snap our necks from how hard he was pushing us together."
Taehyung giggles. "He was way too into it."
"You know, I was so mad at him after the shoot. It had only been a few months since the breakup, and he was acting like that. Like he didn't care that I was kissing someone else and he, in fact, wanted me to kiss someone else."
"I felt really guilty after the shoot," Taehyung reveals. "There was so much tension in the air with you two. I thought it was my fault."
Hoseok strokes Taehyung's arm. "No, not at all. He and I had a lot of issues we hadn't worked out by then. I'm sorry you got stuck in the middle of that, and I'm sorry you felt as though it was your fault. It never was, Tae."
"Actually, the thing I felt more than guilt was embarrassment. I can't believe my first kiss was recorded for so many to see," he laughs.
"Right?" Hoseok laughs too. "God, that was messed up."
"But," says Taehyung, "I couldn't stop thinking about it. About you."
He lifts an eyebrow. "Yeah? Tell me."
"When you were in the shower that night, all I wanted was to join you," he divulges in a low voice. "I wanted to touch you, to kiss you more...to get on my knees and pleasure you the entire night."
"You should've. I wouldn't have had to jerk off alone in there to the thought of you. Could've had the real thing instead."
"Too bad Jungkook-ah refused to shower until everyone was asleep back then. If he wasn't awake, we could have spent hours in there making each other feel good."
"Well, he's not here to stop us now," he imparts before he kisses down to Taehyung's neck, and then down his bare chest and stomach, stopping only when he reaches the waistband of his underwear. Hoseok can see that the fabric is starting to tent, and he smirks to himself.
Taehyung threads his fingers through Hoseok's hair. "Hyung."
Hoseok presses a kiss to Taehyung's hipbone. "Mhm?"
He stifles a whimper. "Please."
"Go on. Tell me what you want."
"Don't play that game. You know exactly what I want."
He pecks Taehyung's other hipbone, teasing the younger member. "Oh, yeah?"
Taehyung nods.
"Say it anyway."
"Make me feel good," he breathes. "Do the things to me that you couldn't do that night."
Hoseok licks Taehyung's cock through his briefs, his hips bucking up into Hoseok's tongue. "That means we need to get in the shower."
He gets off the bed, reaching his hand out for Taehyung to hold. Hoseok intertwines their fingers to lead Taehyung up the stairs and into the bathroom. He turns on the water to let it heat up. While waiting for it to get hot, Hoseok shoves Taehyung against the wall, kissing him deeply, allowing his tongue to meet Taehyung's. He moans into Hoseok's mouth when his semi-hard cock grinds upon his own.
Taehyung bites Hoseok's bottom lip, slowly tugging at it before freeing it. He then removes Hoseok's shirt for him, commenting, "The mirror is foggy. I think it's warm enough."
"Impatient, are we?"
"Very," he discloses truthfully.
"So desperate for my cock," Hoseok smirks. "Cute."
Taehyung grabs Hoseok's erection through his pants. "I'm not the only desperate one here. Nice try though."
"Ah, I see," he chuckles, pushing Taehyung's hand away. "You wanna pretend to be all big and dom tonight, is that it?"
"Don't need to pretend when I already am," Taehyung replies, his tone dripping with confidence.
He takes off his pants, both men now only left in their underwear. "Two tops don't make a bottom. You know that, yeah? We're gonna have to compromise."
"Okay, fine," he agrees, moving away from the wall and walking until he has backed Hoseok into the opposite one. "You bottom."
"That's not a compromise," says Hoseok. "Plus, I know how much you like your fingers inside of you. You just won't admit it. Ain't that right, baby?"
Silence.
"Wouldn't you prefer mine? I can get so much deeper than you ever could," Hoseok continues, rubbing his thumb over Taehyung's lip before shoving it into his mouth. Taehyung immediately begins sucking on it. "There you go. Good boy."
He releases Hoseok's thumb with a pop. "You're lucky I'm feeling gracious tonight."
"Oh, is that what is it? Not that you're aching to be fucked?"
Taehyung rolls his eyes. "Just shut up and get in the shower."
"Gladly."
The two men remove their last piece of clothing and hop in, the water being the perfect temperature. Taehyung exhales once the stream hits his skin, every fiber in his body automatically relaxing. He almost forgot Hoseok was there until he starts to massage his shoulders, placing a kiss behind Taehyung's ear. The latter melts into the older one's touch, leaning back till he's flush with Hoseok's chest. Hoseok traces his fingers along Taehyung's stomach, feeling the muscles contract beneath him. He then runs them down to Taehyung's cock, his breath hitching in his throat when Hoseok takes hold of it.
"Hyung," he husks, putting his hand over Hoseok's. "Don't tease me. I hate it."
"But it's my favorite thing to do," he admits, beginning to leisurely jack off Taehyung. "You're just so easy."
Taehyung pushes his hips back, grinding his ass on Hoseok's dick. A breathy moan escapes his lips; music to Taehyung's ears. "You don't seem too hard to get either."
"Touché," he laughs airily. "Now, why don't you get on your knees for me, hm? As you mentioned earlier."
He lets go of Taehyung's cock, and Taehyung turns around to face Hoseok. He combines their lips only for a mere second before licking Hoseok's nipple, long and slow with a flat tongue. Taehyung then kisses down his body, pecking his hipbone just as Hoseok had done to him. He leaves open-mouthed kisses on his thighs, never giving any attention to his cock, and Hoseok rests his hand on Taehyung's head.
"Stop that."
Taehyung plays dumb. "Stop what?"
"Is this payback for teasing you or something?"
He shrugs, and Hoseok grabs Taehyung by the chin, forcing him to look Hoseok in the eyes. "I don't like when boys get bratty with me. You need to be good. Understand?"
"I do," he says with a half-smile. "However, I don't like being told what to do. Understand?"
Hoseok squats to his level. "You think it's so funny to mock me."
His half-smile becomes a full one. "Correct. You figured it out. Such a smart boy."
He sighs. "Although you're getting on my last nerve, I'll go easy on you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I could fuck you raw for your disrespectful attitude, but instead I'll be nice and use lube."
"Aw, how thoughtful of you, Hyung."
As Hoseok goes to respond, a realization hits him. "Shit, the lube is in our bedroom."
"Great," huffs Taehyung. "Should we just fuck in there? So we don't have to come upstairs again?"
He shakes his head. "No, I don't want Jin hyung to kill us. We'll make a quick trip to our room, grab the lube out of my bag, and come back. Okay?"
Taehyung nods and he shuts off the water while Hoseok gets them towels. They wrap them around their waists and head for the basement. As Hoseok is digging through his things for the bottle, he hears the door creak open. Taehyung freezes as Hoseok slowly turns to face whoever it is.
"Y-Yoongi hyung, hi. What's up?"
Playing it cool doesn't work in Hoseok's favor. The discomfiture in his voice is apparent.
"Why're you two naked?" asks Yoongi.
"Oh, you know, just saving water," he chuckles awkwardly.
"Riiigghhttt. Anyway, I need the lube. Where is it?"
"Why do you need it?"
"Why are you in my business?"
Hoseok puts his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright. Damn."
He returns to searching for the bottle, locating it soon after.
"Uh, Hobi hyung?" Taehyung pipes up. "We kinda need it too."
Yoongi raises a questionable brow. "You're fucking in the shower?"
"You're fucking on the futon?" Hoseok offers in retaliation.
Taehyung rolls his eyes. "Can you guys knock it off?" He grabs the lube out of Hoseok's hand, giving it to Yoongi who happens to have a very noticeable erection. "Just take it and go."
"Thanks."
Yoongi leaves the room, and Taehyung gets a shirt out of his suitcase, pulling it over his head.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Hoseok wonders.
"Getting dressed."
"But why? Don't you wanna go back upstairs?"
"I'm not in the mood anymore."
"You're not? How come?"
"Your little exchange with Yoongi hyung ruined it. You two sounded jealous."
Hoseok cups Taehyung's face. "I'm sorry, baby. There's no jealousy. I promise."
His eyes appear glassy like he's on the verge of tears. Hoseok presses a kiss to his forehead, repeating, "I'm really sorry."
Taehyung nuzzles against Hoseok's touch. "It's okay."
"No, it's not. You were my main priority tonight and I didn't tend to you and your needs properly."
"You should've just fucked me raw, huh?" he giggles.
"Maybe," Hoseok chortles. He then kisses Taehyung sweetly, vowing, "I'll make it up to you, baby."
"I know you will," he smiles. "I love you, Hyung."
He kisses Taehyung again, this time with more passion. "I love you too, Tae-yah. Let's lie down for bed, yeah?"
Taehyung nods, removing his towel to finish changing, his erection prominent.
"You're still hard," Hoseok points out. "You said you weren't in the mood."
"Emotionally, I'm not in the mood. Physically is another story."
"Do you want me to help you out?"
"No, it's fine. It'll go down soon."
"Okay," he acknowledges, slipping on his underwear. "I'm gonna get our stuff from the bathroom."
Hoseok exits the room and Taehyung pulls the covers back on the bed to snuggle in, but first, he tucks his cock in the waistband of his pants so that Hoseok will think he's no longer horny.
However, that's a bald-faced lie. He's painfully hard from Hoseok's touching and teasing despite getting upset with him and Yoongi
He gets into bed, closing his eyes and resisting the aching urge to jerk off.
Think of something gross, he tells himself.
Yet instead of boner-killing thoughts, all that runs through his mind is Hoseok; Hoseok's fingers tracing the inside of his thigh, him gently pinching his sensitive nipples, Hoseok spanking him for mouthing off. He imagines the smirk on his face as he takes hold of Taehyung's cock, watching his expression twist with pleasure and neediness.
Your imagination is a magical entity. It's powerful enough to make one believe something is occurring when it's not.
That is exactly what's happening here.
It's not Hoseok who is stroking Taehyung's shaft. It's Taehyung himself.
He got lost in his mind and began to masturbate to the thought of the older member. He was so turned on previously that the heat pulls in his belly rapidly. Taehyung takes his bottom lip between his teeth, suppressing a moan as he continues to fuck his own hand.
Because he is so out of it, he doesn't notice Hoseok standing just feet away, watching him jack off.
"Does that feel good?" Hoseok inquires, walking towards Taehyung.
"Y-Yes, Hyung," he pants, still ultimately thinking that this is in his head.
"I guess you really didn't need help after all."
"Huh?"
Taehyung then peels one eye open, seeing the actual Jung Hoseok standing over him. Startled, he removes his hand from his cock.
"Why'd you stop?"
"Oh, I-I-" Taehyung stammers.
Hoseok sits on the bed. "You didn't have to stop. I liked watching you." He caresses Taehyung's knee. "I just wish you would've waited for me to start."
"I'm sorry, Hobi hyung. I didn't mean to touch myself. I was gonna go to sleep and ignore it."
He rubs Taehyung's dick through his shorts, causing the latter to inhale a sharp breath. "Don't apologize, baby. You were so needy that you couldn't control yourself. I get it."
Taehyung nods, unable to form words at the moment.
"Keep going," Hoseok orders. "Let me watch you come."
"You want me to jerk off...in front of you?"
"Yes," he replies, situating himself adjacent to Taehyung. "Go ahead. Take your cock out and touch yourself."
Nervously, he shimmies out of his shorts and briefs, leaving only a t-shirt on his body. His dick lays heavy on his stomach, leaking precum from the tip. He wraps his hand around his shaft, and in a slow manner, pumps his palm up and down. His lids flutter shut once again as a satisfied sigh escapes him.
Hoseok pulls his cock out of the slit of his underwear, stroking it at a similar pace to Taehyung.
"Tae-yah, please look at me," he instructs.
He opens his eyes at Hoseok's request, seeing the elder member with his dick in hand. He whines high in his throat at the sight.
"Shhh," he hushes Taehyung. "Don't wake Jin hyung or Jiminie."
"H-Hobi hyung," he whimpers, strongly holding eye contact. "I can't..."
"Can't what, baby?"
"Stay quiet. Too difficult."
A solution comes to his mind within seconds. It's something that he's done countless times with previous partners. He reaches for Taehyung's briefs that were thrown to the edge of the bed.
"Open," he demands, referring to his mouth. Taehyung complies, parting his lips wide. Hoseok then shoves Taehyung's own underwear into his mouth. "That'll help you stay quiet."
He coughs a bit and mumbles something unintelligible but doesn't remove the garment from his mouth.
"Good boy," Hoseok praises Taehyung. "Keep it there. Just like that."
He taps Taehyung's wrist, signaling to move his hand away. He does, and Hoseok spits in his palm, applying his saliva to Taehyung's length. The younger one mewls around the briefs, the sound produced muffled by the clothing.
With his cock now coated in spit, he begins to pump his shaft again, rolling his hips at a languid pace. His breathing is deep through his nose, eventually becoming more staggered as he grows frantic.
Hoseok simply observes his bandmate while lazily pleasuring himself. Undeniably, it feels fucking amazing to jerk off; it feels good to jerk off at any time. However, he's not chasing his own orgasm right now. His sole focus is to ensure Taehyung comes. Getting to masturbate in the meantime is merely a bonus.
Taehyung's back arches and his head drives firmly into the pillow behind him. He begins to lose his composure, his eyes squinting as he bites into the makeshift underwear gag.
He releases, hips stuttering and cum painting his t-shirt as deadened moans escape him. Taehyung's body falls limp once he's empty, and Hoseok takes the briefs out. Content, he exhales a sigh. He then smacks his lips a few times, his mouth dry from the cotton fabric.
"Can you hand me my water?" asks Taehyung, pointing to the bottle that fell onto the floor.
Hoseok tucks his cock back into his boxers before getting out of the bed and picking it up. He passes it to Taehyung. "I'm going to get you a wet washcloth, okay?"
He sips the water. "You're gonna go jerk off in the bathroom, aren't you?"
Hoseok laughs. "No, dummy. I'm really getting you a towel. You're a mess."
He leaves, grabbing a washcloth from the nearest restroom, and running it under warm water. As he's ringing out the excess, his still-pronounced erection presses against the counter by accident. Air is sucked sharply through his teeth.
He grasps his throbbing length, thinking that maybe he should rub one out quickly. Hoseok shakes his head, deciding to ignore it the best he can. His dick just needs a couple of minutes to go soft. He'll be fine in a bit.
Upon returning to the basement, his attention is directed towards the main area of the downstairs. The sound of skin slapping echoes through the room, and being the curious cat he is, Hoseok follows the noise.
An immediate regret.
He spots Jungkook getting fucked by Namjoon with Yoongi's length in his mouth. Hoseok was right about Yoongi fucking on the futon. But during his and Taehyung's escapade, he completely forgot he had said that. Only seeing it now brought the memory back.
"Nasty," he comments silently.
Although he says he's disgusted, his subconscious obviously isn't because his cock twitches in his underwear. He internally grumbles at his body's betrayal. So much for his boner going down.
Hoseok turns on his heel, heading for the bedroom with the washcloth in hand. Taehyung lies in the same position as when he left. Hoseok removes Taehyung's dirty top before cleaning him off with the warm towel. He then gets a fresh shirt and a pair of briefs out of his suitcase for him.
"I was gonna wear that home," Taehyung pouts.
"It has cum on it," he chuckles.
"I know, but now I have more laundry to do."
"I'll wash your clothes for you. How does that sound?"
"What if you mix up our stuff?"
"Tae-yah, we have two completely different styles."
He shrugs. "It can still happen."
Hoseok jokingly rolls his eyes. "Shut up and get dressed."
Taehyung obliges, settling into bed again once he's finished. Hoseok joins him, cuddling up to Taehyung from behind.
Following a few hushed moments, Taehyung mentions, "You know, I think I may be a switch after all."
Hoseok's laughter vibrates his back. "Oh, yeah? Does this mean you'll call me daddy next time?"
He laughs too. "Keep dreamin', Hyung."
***
The sound of giggling awakens Jimin. Through blurry vision, he can make out the silhouette of Audaire. He sits up, hearing his girlfriend holler, "Come on!"
"Where're we going?" questions Jimin, rubbing his eyes.
"Somewhere only we know."
"That's not ominous at all," Seokjin comments sardonically.
Audaire tugs at his arm. "Oh, just get up."
"Jin hyung, why are you on the floor again?" Jimin wonders.
"Because you had me on the edge of the bed nearly the entire night. I almost fell off," he responds.
"That's why Jimin-ah should be the one sleeping in the outside spot," Taehyung chimes in. "He's a bed hog."
"So are you," Jimin retaliates.
"And that's why we're a match made in heaven."
Audaire laughs at the exchange, stepping over Seokjin. "Is Yoongi with Namjoon and Jungkook?"
"Yeah, he is," Hoseok answers, finally awake.
"That's odd," she remarks. "He's not a fan of bed-sharing and that futon is probably a tight squeeze with the three of them."
"Oh, it was a tight squeeze for sure. And I'm not talkin' about the bed," he chuckles to himself.
Seokjin raises a brow. "Pardon?"
He waves him off. "It's nothing."
"On that note, I'm gonna get the others," she announces.
Once Audaire is gone, Seokjin guesses, "They were screwing, weren't they?"
Hoseok nods.
"That's why Yoongi hyung took the lube from us? They were having a threesome?" Taehyung entreats.
The eldest's eyes widen. "Us?"
"Yeah, we were gonna fuck in the shower, but things didn't go to plan."
"What'd you end up doing then?" pries Jimin.
"Hyung watched me jack off."
"Ew," Seokjin grimaces. "Please tell me it wasn't in here."
Hoseok flashes a cheeky smile.
"Ew!"
Jimin can't contain his laughter, practically rolling off the bed in the midst of it. "I didn't even hear you guys messing around."
"Me neither. You were really quiet."
"That's because I shoved his underwear in his mouth," Hoseok reveals.
"You freaky son-of-a-bitch," he deadpans. "I thought we agreed to not have sex in the same room unless everybody consented?"
"Audaire should've made us sign a contract."
"Yeah, probably," Jimin concurs.
"Speaking of Audaire," Hoseok begins, "any idea where she might be taking us?"
"Not a clue," Taehyung shrugs. "How's your dick though?"
"What do you mean 'how's my dick'?"
"Hyung, your hard-on was touching my ass for so long. It was distracting."
Hoseok thought Taehyung had fallen asleep, but subsequent to his belief, he was awake for the entirety of his arousal. "Well, I told you I wasn't gonna jerk off in the bathroom."
Seokjin groans. "You guys are icky."
"Icky?"
"Oh, god. I've been spending way too much time with Emersyn."
***
"Okay, you four follow me," instructs Audaire through the rolled-down window. "Got it?"
"Got it, boss," says Yoongi before Seokjin, Jimin, and Jungkook pile into the rental car. The remaining members are in Audaire's personal car, putting their faith in her driving abilities.
She exits the driveway, leading the others to their destination. Less than fifteen minutes of traveling later, Audaire makes a left turn into a secluded, wooded area with a single-lane road. She flicks on her brights as it's pitch black where they are. A tad further down the road, she pulls over and parks. Yoongi stops the car directly behind her.
Audaire gets out of her car, but the seven men are reluctant, remaining seated.
"Let's go," she calls, grabbing a big blanket out of the trunk. "Don't be chickens!"
Yoongi and Seokjin glance at each other prior to opening their doors. The rest of them finally come out too.
"Audaire, honey, where are we?" asks a concerned Namjoon.
"My secret spot."
"If a killer jumps out of these woods, I'm running and leaving you all," Jungkook declares. "Every man for himself."
"I doubt a murderer is hiding here."
"Wow, that's so reassuring," Seokjin carps.
"Come on, scaredy-cats."
She clicks the lock button on her key fob and starts heading for a small path in the woods. The others huddle close behind her, fearful of what lies ahead while Audaire treads on with assertiveness.
They walk about the length of a football field before finding sand in their slides. Jimin tries to shake it out of his shoe but trips over a stick because he wasn't paying attention. Taehyung helps him to his feet and they continue.
A further one hundred feet and they hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Then, at long last, the lake comes into view, the water being illuminated by the full moon shining above.
"Tada," Audaire smiles. "What do you think?"
Jimin grins. "It's so pretty."
"Was it worth the terror?"
"Definitely."
"So this is a place only we know of?" asks Namjoon.
"Kinda," she replies, spreading the blanket on the sand. "There's a bigger beachy area about two miles down that people frequent. Nobody hangs out here. They all go to that one."
"They're missing out."
"They really are," she agrees. "Now, who wants to go skinny dipping?"
"Me!" Hoseok shouts, reaching for the hem of his shirt.
Seokjin puts his hand on his shoulder. "Whoa, slow your roll there, tiger." He then looks at Audaire. "Are you being serious? I can't tell."
"Of course, I am."
"Well, alrighty. Carry on, Hoseok-ah."
With a smirk, he rips his top off, throwing it down on the blanket. "Let's go, guys. Strip."
Shrugging, Jungkook unbuttons his pants. Taehyung and Jimin join him, tossing their garments on the blanket too.
"Get naked, Joon hyung. Or do you not have the balls to do it?" the maknae taunts.
"You of all people should know that I do," Namjoon simpers.
"Prove it."
"Fine," he states. Namjoon removes every piece of clothing, becoming the only person to be entirely bare. "Happy?"
"Very."
"Aren't you gonna pick on Yoongi hyung now?"
"Thanks for reminding me." Jungkook lifts an eyebrow at the second oldest. "What're you waiting for?"
"I'm waiting for Jin hyung."
"Why me?" he questions. "Just take off your clothes."
"No, we're in this together."
Ignoring him, Seokjin wonders, "Is it even safe? The water?"
"Pretty much," Audaire responds. "Gotta watch out for Nessie though."
"Who?"
"The Lochness Monster. She lives in the lake."
"Cool!" beams Taehyung.
"Uh, no, not cool!" he exclaims. "Fuck that. I'm not getting eaten."
Sensing his genuine worry, Audaire holds out her hand to him. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes, but I-"
"Then you know I won't let anything bad happen to you." She wiggles her fingers. "Have some faith."
He exhales a cleansing breath before he eventually takes her hand in his. "Okay. I believe you."
"Good," she smiles sweetly.
"Wooo! Let's see that ass, Hyung!" Jungkook bellows.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm gettin' the cheeks out," Seokjin imparts. "But if a fish swims up my dick, I'm suing."
"Bluegill can't fit in your urethra," Namjoon informs him. "Nor can you sue a fish...At least I don't think you can."
"I'd find a way."
"Fair enough."
"Alright, now turn around."
"Hyung, we've seen you naked dozens of times," Jimin discloses.
Seokjin's ears flush crimson. "This is different though."
The members sigh but oblige.
He points to Audaire. "You too."
She playfully rolls her eyes and mimics the others. They discern the sound of his belt jingling and more or less than a minute later, he reports that he's done.
"Permission to turn back around?" asks Yoongi.
"Permission granted."
The seven lovers face Seokjin again and he covers his lower region with his crumpled clothes.
"I don't get why you're so shy," says Jungkook. "You have one of the biggest shlongs I've ever seen. Next to Namjoon hyung's, that is."
"Thanks for the confidence boost," Namjoon smiles smugly. "But yeah, you're hung."
"Yoongi-yah, please undress so they stop talking about my dick," Seokjin begs.
Without a single complaint, he strips, casting his outfit down on the blanket with everyone else's. "Shall we?"
The half-clothed maknae line (plus Hoseok) flings their underwear off while Audaire removes her top and shorts, wearing nothing beyond that.
"Pick your jaws off the floor," she laughs at the googly-eyed men.
"What?" scoffs Hoseok. "I wasn't staring."
"You may wanna wipe that drool," Jimin teases, rubbing his thumb on the corner of Hoseok's mouth.
He nudges him away. "Yeah, whatever."
Jungkook slaps Taehyung's chest with the back of his hand. "Race you to the water!"
Taehyung doesn't even process his words before Jungkook runs off, sprinting towards the lake.
"You little bastard!" he yells, chasing after him.
"This must be our cue to get in," Jimin chortles.
Taehyung, by this time, has tackled Jungkook when the others reach the edge of the water. However, his attempt to drown the youngest is futile; Jungkook is simply too strong. He flips them around and puts Taehyung in a top shoulder lock.
"Release me, Jungkook-ah!" he clamors.
"Never!"
Yoongi decides to intervene, trudging over to Jungkook to give him a titty twister.
"Ah!" Jungkook screams.
Audaire places her hands on her hips. "Didn't I tell you no more nipple pinching?"
"He sure liked having them pinched earlier," he chuckles.
"Hyung, be quiet!" Jungkook demands, tightening his clutch on Taehyung.
"Liked having them licked. Liked when my teeth grazed them..."
"Please, Hyung. No more," Taehyung implores. "I can feel him getting an erection and I already dealt with Hoseok hyung's hard-on before we came here."
"You liar, I do not have a boner."
"Oh, yeah? Then prove it."
"This is just a ploy so that I'll let you go."
"Dammit," he murmurs.
The remaining lovers enter the lake, slightly surprised at the warmth of the water; they expected it to be freezing considering the sun went down ages ago. Yet, the temperature is perfect.
"Yoongi hyung," Hoseok starts once he's submerged his lower half, "swim with me to the buoys."
"You wanna go all the way out there?"
He nods.
"Hey, Audaire? How deep is it over by the buoys?" Yoongi inquires.
"Only like six feet. Not deep at all," she answers.
With that information, Yoongi agrees to swim to the white and orange markers. Since it's a relatively short swim, they reach their target swiftly.
"Can I ask why you wanted me to come over here?"
"I have to talk to you about what happened tonight."
Yoongi's brows knit together. "You fucking Tae? Look, I don't need the details."
"It's not about that, Hyung. It's about us upsetting him."
"We upset him? How?"
"The way we spoke to each other. He said we sounded jealous."
"We were just playing around. It was all jokes," Yoongi asserts. "Why would either of us be jealous?"
Hoseok shrugs one shoulder. "I don't know. Our history, maybe?"
"That was almost ten years ago. We've both moved on from then, right? So, there shouldn't be jealousy surrounding it."
"Hyung, jealousy can continue to exist all these years later. Even if you're not consciously aware of its presence," he relays. "And we've both moved on from it? You wanna explain what happened in Los Angeles then?"
"A mistake," he snaps. "That's what."
Hoseok is visibly wounded by Yoongi's tone. He detects the sting and softens his voice, adding, "I'm sorry, Hoseok-ah. I shouldn't have kissed you that night. It was a poor lapse in judgment."
"Are you being serious? You can't tell me that you regret it. When our song came on, the look in your eyes was not the look of someone who was about to make a mistake. And for the record, if it wasn't for that 'mistake', we couldn't care for one another like we do now." He runs his fingers through his hair, using the water to slick it back. "If you truly believe that night was a poor lapse in judgment, why do you still kiss me? Why do we still have sex? Why do we still discuss our future together? Getting married? Having children?"
Yoongi stays silent.
"You love me, Hyung. I don't care if you deny it or not. You do. And you love me the same now as you did ten years ago. We never moved on from our relationship and you know that. The pain just lessened as we aged," the younger man proceeds. "I don't think you sincerely believe that our night in LA was a mistake. I-I'm sorry, Yoongi hyung, but it doesn't make sense. You need to stop lying to me and more importantly, you need to stop lying to yourself." He takes a few deep breaths to get his emotions in check, trying to avoid a dam of tears breaking. "I ask you in earnest to apologize to Tae. We hurt him and we must fix it."
"Yeah," he concedes with a heavy sigh. "I'll talk to him."
"Okay."
Yoongi gives a single nod and swims back to the group, leaving Hoseok alone with his thoughts and overwhelming feelings. He allows some tears to roll down his cheek for relief. He's not sure why, but he's exhausted all of the sudden. All he wishes for is going home and lying in bed with Audaire while she plays with his hair until he falls asleep. Unfortunately, that isn't an option at this moment. He must return to the others before they begin to question why he's by the buoys in solitude.
As he's making the journey back, he sees Yoongi pull the now-freed Taehyung aside, more than likely to apologize.
Namjoon bumps his shoulder. "You okay, Hobi?"
He feigns a smile. "Mhm. I'm fine."
"Boyfriend troubles?" he jests lightly.
Hoseok glances around to ensure no one is listening to their conversation. They're not, as they are too busy watching Seokjin and Jungkook have a splash fight; the eldest has become the maknae's new prey since Taehyung went with Yoongi.
"I guess you could say that," Hoseok finally replies.
"What's going on?"
"It's just...h-he's being untruthful, and he needs to quit doing that."
"Have you considered he's doing it to protect himself?"
"Protect him from what?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Yes," Namjoon admits. "He's probably afraid of having his heart broken, so he'll say anything to avoid it."
"If he's so afraid, then why is he dating seven fucking people?"
"For the reason that if one hurts him, he has six others to mend the broken pieces."
"Fuck, Namjoon-ah," he curses. "I feel like I don't understand anything."
"You're the person he loves most in this world. We're all aware of that. But perhaps recently, that reality only sunk in for him. So, he's closing himself off, opting for a cold demeanor. He may believe that if he's honest, he'll get hurt again. And if he does get hurt again, the pain will be a thousand times stronger if it's you who wounds him."
Another tear rolls down. "T-Then why, right now, am I the one bleeding?"
"Because he has a shield."
"Is his defense being an asshole?" he snorts humorlessly.
"I'd call it his ability to detach, but okay, we can use that word too," Namjoon acknowledges. "He's putting on a show, Hobi. Yet, on the inside, I know he's having a moral battle."
"Do I talk to him more?" Hoseok wonders. "Or do I let it go? Let him go?"
"Put the ball in his court. Allow him to come to you when he's ready and willing."
"But what if that's never?"
"It won't be. He'll come around."
Hoseok nods, a small sense of alleviation washing over him like the waves of the lake. "Thank you for lending an ear."
"Always."
"Yah!" Seokjin shouts. "If you two are done over there, I could use some help getting this punk!"
"Ha! Good luck with that!" Jungkook yells. "You can't beat me for I am untouchable!"
"Come on," Namjoon grins. "Let's have some fun."
***
"Hey, thanks for rescuing me!" says Taehyung. "Jungkook can be such a little demon."
Yoongi flashes a small smile. "No problem."
"Are we swimming out to the buoys too?"
He looks over to the markers to see if Hoseok is still there. Yoongi then spots him coming up on Namjoon's side. All clear. "Uh, yeah. Sure. We can do that."
"Wanna race? I'll be fair, unlike Jungkookie."
"Alright," he agrees.
Taehyung stands beside Yoongi with roughly a foot distance between them. "Okay. Ready, set...go!"
The younger member takes off for the buoys, swimming as fast and hard as he can. Yoongi's pace is unhurried, letting Taehyung win the competition. By the time Yoongi reaches the buoys, Taehyung is trying to catch his breath.
"Oh, god. Why did I think that would be a good idea?" he huffs.
Yoongi chuckles. "Who knows with you?"
Taehyung laughs too before asking, "What did you wanna speak to me about?"
"It's regarding what happened earlier," he reveals. "I want to apologize for barging in like that and just being a dick in general. I should not have acted that way and I'm sorry I did, Tae."
"I forgive you, Hyung," he absolves. "Is the reason you and Hoseokie hyung swam out here was to fix your problems with each other? I shouldn't meddle, I know, but..." His voice trails off, unsure what to say next.
Yoongi bites his bottom lip. "Um, n-no. We were just chatting." He picks at the skin around his thumb under the water. "There're no issues with us. We're okay."
Taehyung grabs Yoongi's wrist, pulling it above the surface. "I know you're lying to me because your cuticle is on the verge of bleeding. You only pick this bad when something stressful is on your mind."
"We're okay," he reiterates.
"Alright, fine, Yoongi hyung. Keep telling yourself that. But be warned. This will come back to bite you in the ass someday."
[AN] Okay, okay. I feel like I say this all the time now, but I really didn't intend for the chapter to go in this direction. I had planned to wrap up their Ohio trip in this part; however, the chapter practically wrote itself and this felt like a good place to stop. If I went any further, the part would get waaaayyyy too long. I hope y'all aren't minding the many Ohio chapters. I'm just having so much fun writing the characters in this sort of dynamic.
Also, how'd you feel about third person only view in this part? I wanted to try something a bit different and mainly focus on the members.
Did you guys enjoy the VHope scene? The ship was requested quite a while ago and I'm happy to have finally done it! I hope the person who requested it is still reading and liked it!