Taehyung was here, his hands in his pockets, and that dark wonderful enchanting aura that shrouded him with this sense of authority and power. His hair was slicked with gel showing his forehead which I didn't even think could be one of his best assets. Tan skin that glowed and worked well with his beige cashmere sweater and woolly wide pants.
He looked completely different than the two times I've seen him. The diversity in his closet is insane. He comes off as a bookkeeper in France but his face should be adored from the billboards there.
"I'm sorry I'm late." He said before looking over the group of us for an empty seat.
"You could sit right here!" Sky prompted looking over at me with low eyes and pinkish cheeks. Clearly, she wasn't in her right mind and it would be dead wrong of me to smack her right now.
Taehyung looked over at me for confirmation but I looked away shyly. I can't stand to look him in those velvet eyes much longer than two seconds. He came over pulling out the chair and sat next to me and I could feel his gaze lingering on my skin.
"Hi, kitty." He smiled and those puppy eyes sparkled. I'm starting to hate Sky right now.
"Hi, Taehyung."
"Are you well?"
"What type of question is that?" I queried with my brows knitted.
"It's because the last time we saw each other you left abruptly and I thought you weren't feeling well." Taehyung studied me with a level gaze and my eyes grew wide from recognition of what he was referring to. Then he grabbed unused chopsticks from off the table and went searching around the grill grabbing the few pieces of meat. He ate with a pout.
I nervously chuckle rubbing the hairs that stood on the back of my neck as I tried to think myself out of this situation. I looked around the table but everyone else was into their conversation leaving me to deal with the huge elephant in the room for me.
"Thought I might give you some alone time to talk with your girlfriend," I admitted and watched his expression carefully. "It seemed like you had other plans after me."
His forehead plucked and his jaw twitched. It seemed like he couldn't make sense of what I was saying. And I knew that this man was here for ruin my life. Beautifully or destructively is up to him.
"I don't have a girlfriend kitty." He replied using that damn nickname on me again.
"Stop calling me that. I have a name Tae so use it." I poked out my lips as my final statement.
Peals of laughter burst from deep within him and my body felt lighter somehow. I took the time to see how his face looked while being under the merriment. His eyes crinkled and his smile was wide and boxy. His laugh was deep and husky filling the corners of the room with its sound.
"You're so cute when you're angry kitty." He finally found his composure and glanced at me before placing a hand over my cheek and rubbing his thumb under my chin. "So cute..."
My mind and body were at war with each other as I tried to fight the urge to connect our lips right there. I'm not drunk but boy do I feel intoxicated right now. His scent is intoxicating. This is all happening wayyy to fast. Taehyung looked over my face before setting his eyes on my lips, almost like he was missing them.
"We shouldn't be doing this." I cleared my throat and pulled away from his hand but I so badly wanted to stay.
I saw him frown, "I'm serious Noelle. I don't have a girlfriend, what you heard was me talking to a friend."
"Oh, so you tell most of your friends you like seeing them wear certain things?" I accused but caught myself after I asked the question. I mean, what the hell am I doing? I'm arguing with him like I just caught him cheating on me. I just met him, I need to calm down.
I glanced over at him and could see him trying to search for the right words to say. It felt so wrong to be right sometimes. I couldn't blame him you know? If I was as good-looking as Taehyung I probably would have girls lined up trying to get a chance with me. But I won't be one of those girls. I can't put myself through that hurt again.
"Forget I said anything Tae. You don't owe me an explanation." I waved off the question with a hand and just focused on the second round of meat that was being placed in front of us by the waiter.
Looking over to my left I could feel eyes on me and saw Jungkook studying me. Even with my eyes directly trained on his, his never wavered, he only stared harder it felt like. I tried giving him a courtesy smile but Jungkook's dark eyes radiated a fierce, uncompromising intelligence. I looked down and saw the bottle of soju by his side like it was attached to him and put two and two together.
He was obviously drunk.
"Kookie if you keep staring your eyes might get stuck." Jimin voiced waving his hand in front of the statue of a man which seemed to do the trick. While I don't mind the flattery, I did grow uncomfortable. It was like he was trying to stare past my skin, down to my soul, and everywhere else. I've never seen him like this before, not even in his white girl wasted moments.
"It wasn't like he was staring at anything good." Jin flipped his hair which made me roll my eyes at his ego.
"I was." He confessed sliding his twinkling gaze over to mines and I blushed then sank into my seat. I couldn't see all that was happening on the other side of the table but I did know that there were stares and it was coming from the man that sat next to me.
"You're awfully quiet Tae." Hobi brought up grabbing everyone's focus on him. He was rather quiet since I shut down the conversation. I was starting to feel a bit bad, maybe I came off as rude and unapproachable. I didn't want to be seen that way.
"There's not much to say, you all seem like a close family."
"That's because we've known each other since high school," Jin said with a wave of his finger.
"Yeah but since we're in the same department and class we might as well get to know each other," Namjoon added, shrugging a shoulder and looked around the table. Everyone nodded in agreement and I silently did the same.
Taehyung smiled brightly like he was just invited to sit at the cool kids' table but for me, it felt the opposite. I felt like I was the lucky one sitting next to such a man. "I'm fine with that."
"How about we play a game?" Mina beamed as her head shot up from laying on Jimin's shoulder and her hand was raised to bring attention to her. "We could play that game we always use to do as kids."
"If you're talking about that drinking game forget it," I responded. "The last time that happen I ended up in a pool with no clothes on." Taehyung's eyes were glued to me and I could see from my peripheral that he was smirking. That little bastard.
"That, I would love to have seen." He whispered gently in my ear and I almost spit my drink out my nose. I squirmed in my seat and he brushed a hand on my thigh stopping my movements. Lord, strick me down, please. I don't even know this man.
"Well first of all that was because we were drinking whatever Namjoon's dad had in his secret stash. Who knew it was Absinthe." She shrugged like it was something that could be pushed under the rug. If I remembered anything that day it would be how fucked up, and I mean fucked up everyone was. I couldn't even go to school for three days straight because the hangover was a killer.
And Mina wants to sit there with that dainty expression on her face like she wasn't the one we had to stop from trying to jump off a balcony multiple times. All because of that damn question and answer game. "If we do actually play this game we're gonna need someone whos a referee, someone that could stay at least tipsy while everybody else plays."
"I'll do it." Sky volunteered.
"Okay well, it's settled then. Everyone fill your glass up to the tip-top and prepare for the questions." Mina looked over us all with this sinister grin and I could imagine the things she was just dying to have an excuse in asking. I looked over at Taehyung to see him complying with her request and using the last drop of soju to fill up the remainder of his glass.
I did the same only doubling mines with what was already left in my glass. As everyone did as they were told, I thought about what secrets could be used against me in this game. I have no real secrets since I'm completely transparent with these guys but what could they have held over my head for years just waiting for the right moment to expose? I couldn't even think of anything to ask because when I think about it, there's not much we don't tell each other.
"So..who wants to start us off?" Mina smiled looking over our group.
Jimin raised his hand before placing it back on the counter. He looked us over with his bright eyes narrowed as he tried his best to think over what he wanted to ask. I could see the group get quiet with anticipation. Even Taehyung leaned forward with a sense of curiousness.
"Hoseok-hyung."
Hobi glanced up with chopsticks sticking out his mouth and puckered lips. He was distracted by the meat that smelled savory on the grill. His sleek veiny hand pulled the metal sticks from his mouth as he slowly chewed with a funny look on his face.
"Are you gay?" Jimin placed his elbows on the counter with his head resting in them. My movements paused and I could see Hobi choke harshly from the food getting lodged in his throat. Namjoon, who sat beside him, came over and pat his back hard enough for him to regain his breathing as he swallowed the last bit of continents.
"Jimin what the hell type of question is that?" I asked getting defensive. It was the first question of the game and he wants to pull some shit like that out of his ass. Hobi looked around the group frantically observing our faces while he took in the question.
"What?" Jimin shrugged, trying his best to play his mochi card. "He doesn't have to answer the question, he could just drink."
"Yeah but what if he doesn't want to be outed, dude. You should at least respect the fact that he isn't out the closet yet." Taehyung jumped into my defense and for once I'm lucky to be seated next to him.
"I appreciate you guys standing up for me but it's not like there was a closet for me to even be in," Hobi interjecting making me look over at him confused. "I wasn't ever in the closet with my sexuality it's just that I don't really have a preference to who I date. But I'm not gay, I just don't have a title." He paused and looked over at Jimin. "And I would appreciate it limpdick if you don't go spreading little rumors about me being gay."
"You know I love you hyung." Jimin tried his best buttering up to Hobi with a cute facade of cute faces and noises. I knew it was his way of apologizing without actually saying the words and it was hard to stay mad at him anyway so it wasn't a surprise to me when Hobi instantly forgave him.
"I'll go next." Jin volunteered. "Namjoon."
I could hear the 'oh god' under Namjoon's breath which made me giggle. "Yes?"
"Are you a rapper?"
Namjoon sighed loudly before grabbing his glass and downing his drink in three seconds. We all booed at his antics of trying to avoid the question.
"Oh, c'mon Joon when are you gonna tell us this gig you got. It's obvious you're in the music industry."
"No, what's obvious is that you guys can't wait for a surprise. Jesus if I knew this was how you all will act I would've waited." He retorted.
"I would tell you guys if I get $50 each from all of you." Sky chimed in with a wide grin on her face and Namjoon glared at her.
"I'll do it for 100 if it meant we finally get the truth out of him." Jin brought out his wallet pulling out a crisp $100 bill and handed it over to money-hungry Sky.
"Sky, so help me God if you say a word you'll regret it," Namjoon warned with his muscles in his jaw twitching. I looked in front of me at Jin with the same widened but intrigued expression on my face. Now I really wanted to know what this secret was.
"Oooh, I love to see my baby mad." She cupped his chin cooing at him with a grin. Obviously, it didn't take the blind to see what she was doing. And it was gonna take a wheelchair to get her to her classes tomorrow.
"Fine," She raised her hands up in surrender. "I won't say anything, but I can't promise it won't slip out one of these days."
"If it does you won't have a tongue."
"Then how will I be able to do the things you like." Sky dared to smirk brazenly which in return made Namjoon look away and his dimples poke craters into his cheeks from him blushing. The group all groaned in annoyance at the couple and their innuendo language. I could see Sky enjoying the response and Namjoon appeared to have gotten shorter as he sank into his seat.
"Can we please get back to the game?" Jungkook said with his tone raised in annoyance. He covered his ears like he was still a child which made me giggle.
I saw Tae smile and laugh covering his growing smile with his knuckles and it felt good to see him having fun. Even if I'm mostly embarrassed by half the things my friends do or say.
"Sky and Namjoon have been dating since freshmen year of college. I know they're total opposites but once you get to know them, you'll see how well they work together." I whispered over to him since I felt like giving the whole idea of me being nice a try.
He turns to me with a smile, "I can see that. We would work together swell don't you agree darling?"
I could feel myself heating up and I looked at him without any words to say. How can he make everything seem so intense? Taehyung's eyes were steady on mines as I watched the curves of his mouth upturn into a smirk.
"Oh, I don't think so." I joked. I have to make the mood lighter than it was now. The atmosphere around us was heavy, dripping with the attractiveness that need to be toned down. And the only thing I could think of was a joke, even if it wasn't funny.
"Oh but kitty you'll be missing out on so much fun." Tae insisted with his eyes becoming expectant of a good answer. Of me saying yes. "I know you haven't had fun in a while."
I turned to him with a grin and an arched brow. I almost laughed at his accusation of me not having fun. If being at bars until all types of hours in the morning with him drinking doesn't describe fun then I haven't a clue what is.
"What makes you think I haven't had any fun?" Crossing my arms, I leaned in with an expectation of a good answer. But I wasn't given one, instead, Tae smiled deeply at me and moved a piece of hair from out my face. He bit his lip in contention before drawing his pink tongue over it. I couldn't help but stare at that erotic thing in my face moistening those plump slim lips of his.
"Do you really wanna know, Noelle?" The way my name rolled off his tongue made me want to record it so I can hear it on replay nonstop. Now he was the one with a grin and an arched brow. I could feel the butterflies dancing a storm in my stomach.
"Hey! Noelle, can you get so more soju please!" Jungkook yelled over the table like I was miles away from him. Apparently, while me and Taehyung were talking the rest finished playing the game. I looked around the table to see heads bobbing and eyes fighting to stay open. I didn't even think we were talking for that long, only about five minutes. So how the hell did I miss out on the party?
"Kookie shut up!" Jimin slammed his hand down on the table, startling some of the patrons. "We could hear you dumbass, you're drunk not deaf."
"I know that fuckface." Jungkook retorted with his eyes all low and his cheeks so pink and plump. "But Noelle and Tae over there were too busy whispering to even know what was going on."
"Fine, you two," I pulled my chair away from the table and stood up. "Don't have a damn cow, I'll get you some."
Since the Korean BBQ restaurant was really designed to be like the ones in Korea it was kinda like help yourself in a sense. So we all have been getting our drinks from the back that will be added to our bill. I walked but more like stumbled a bit to the freezer and opened the door to feel the crisp coldness slap my skin.
I could see my breath as I leaned in to grab one of the many flavors they had to offer before I felt this heat warm its way onto my skin. In no way was this my own body heat. I could feel this immense heat like no other and I turned to look behind my shoulder and saw Taehyung with low dark eyes.
"W-What are you doing?" I turned fully to face him and now realizing with his aura and height I was so small under him. Like a bunny trapped underneath a tiger's claw. I tried taking a step back into the freezer to get a better distance but he remained close to me. The only thing separating us was the bottle of soju that was wrapped tightly in my hands.
"What's stopping you?" His voice somehow got deeper, darker even. To match with his aura. Those beige clothes weren't helping with his true aesthetic. It was like Taehyung was trying to hide in sheep's clothing.
"Huh?" I stammered.
He stepped closer and his breath blew into my face, stinging from the coldness. My heartbeat grew in size as his hands slithered around my waist. I looked down and saw just how close we really were.
"What's stopping you from kissing me, Noelle?" He asked like it was of such importance. "What's stopping you from letting go and letting it happen?"
A flush crept onto my skin and I tried over and over again to say words but I couldn't speak. I was literally frozen. Suddenly I heard a deep groan linger in the back of his throat like he was tired of being patient.
"Tae-"
"I know what's not stopping me kitty." He paused. "I know what I want." I felt the skin of another's connect to my lips and part its way into my mouth. My mind went completely blank and that fear that slowly settled at the bottom of my stomach evaporated into thin air. So this is what bliss feels like?
I kissed him back wrapping my arm around his neck and feeling my body press into his chest, molding us to become one. His mouth was so minty that it became a drug, unlike anything I've ever taken. Taehyung's hands had minds of their own, feeling every inch of my body and grabbing on my figure like it just wanted to rip my skin apart to be inside of me.
A moan escaped my lips once I felt his teeth sink into my flesh and separate my lips from each other, taking the bottom half with him. I grew the confidence to search his body and feel against the thick sweater he wore. The small delicate abs that laid against my fingertips made me damp in places I shouldn't mention. But I wanted more. I was becoming so greedy and wanted more.
My hands slipped past his chest and down to the buckles of his pants playing with them. I heard the sexiest groan known to man escape his lips. I know he wants this just as much as I do, but why is he pulling away? Why do I feel the connection that we once shared, severed? My eyes fluttered open to meet his sparkling back at me.
I could see the heavy lust, the desire, the want in them. I wanted him just as bad right now.
"I mean shit Noelle did you get lost-" I looked past Taehyung to see Jin staring back with wide eyes. Shit, we must've taken too long with the drinks and now everybody will know. Gosh, do I hate how things are turning out tonight.
I could see Jin cast a skeptical eye at the both of us and I could only imagine what we must look like to him. I'm now starting to feel the cold icy drinks lay bare on my back. I didn't realize how deep I was in the freezer or the fact that the soju in my hand was now as warm as Taheyung's skin.
"Jin it's not what it looks-"
"Save it." He held his hand up which shut me up completely. Jin walked over to us and reached behind me to grab a colder soju and turned on his heel to walk away.
I watch him until he turned the corner and my mind spun with a thousand things that could be possibly happening when I get back to the group. The eyes, gosh the looks I might receive from everybody. I just kissed Taehyung and it's not even his first fucking day. The school is gonna have a field day with that rumor.
"Noelle relax." I bet Taehyung could see the tenseness in my shoulders and expression as he tried to calm me now by grabbing at my sides. But just still even being here just made my skin crawl. What the fuck am I doing?
I removed myself away from him and glared at him. He frowned looking at me like he couldn't make out what was happening.
"Tae we can't do this," I told him for the fifth time tonight but he shook his head like an impatient toddler who's doesn't like to be told no.
"And why is that?" He crossed his arms expecting me to give him a response. But I just couldn't give him one. What more can a woman say than she's afraid of love? Or more rather she doesn't believe in it, she just believes there are people made for you and people that aren't? That if you meet the person right for you, hurray, but if you don't, you snooze you lose. I've worked so hard to get stable, mentally and I can't be in another predicament again.
"If you can't give me a straight answer Noelle then I'm going to keep pursuing you," Taehyung said with such seriousness I was waiting for the laugh after for a quiet second but when I got none my face contorted.
"But why do you want me? I'm someone you just literally met a few hours ago, I'm no one special."
I could see how his eyes relaxed and they became almost soft looking to the touch. He reaches for my hands and smoothes his thumbs over the back of them before saying, "Your...interesting."
This is very fast pace lol. But don't worry, I feel like it's gonna be a long book. :)