After crying himself to sleep, Jungkook wakes up in the middle of the night hearing an impatient knock on his apartment door. He looks at the wall clock. 3:30 am. Who would knock his door at this hour?
Cautiously, he steps out of his room and into his hallway. "Who is it?", he asks. No answer.
"I asked who is it?", Jungkook yells with the door still closed.
"It's me", says a man with deep but disturbed voice.
Jungkook's brain doesn't even gets a second to think it through when his hands opens the door wide open letting Taehyung in.
"I..I didn't think you would open the door after learning it's me", Taehyung says with a stutter.
Jungkook doesn't say anything. He has words sitting on his tongue waiting to let go but he won't.
His heart threatens to explode while his feet freeze at the spot. Taehyung is drunk and he is here at this hour.
"Hyun-"
"I SAW YOU WITH HER", Taehyung cuts him off pushing him and pinning him to the wall.
"Wha-", Jungkook tries to talk but his throat, with the rest of his body, has long betrayed him.
"I saw you touching her. I saw you letting her touch you.", the older pins him to the wall and hisses with what sounds like pain and anger, his eyes bloodshot.
"I saw you kissing her the way I used to kiss you", he continues, tears of anguish rolling down his face, breaking Jungkook's already broken heart.
"I saw you hold her. I saw you love her. YOU CANNOT LOVE HER!", the older yells at the top of his lungs sending shivers down the younger's body who stands clenched in his grip not even trying to move or talk or revolt.
"You understand baby?"he holds the younger's face in his palms, "YOU. CANNOT. LOVE. HER. OR. ANYONE!! NO ONE BUT ME!", he yells again pursing his lips to the younger's and kissing him like he has waited a lifetime to kiss him. He lets his hands move all over the younger's body and under his tshirt while the younger stands there in complete surrender. He doesn't revolt, he doesn't stop him, he doesn't even try.
"Tell me, you love her?", Taehyung hisses pulling away from the kiss, both gasping for air. "You love her?", he repeats himself and Jungkook nods in a yes.
"Then why don't you stop me?", he goes on to kiss and lick the younger's neck making him gasp, "All you have to do is say 'No' and I will stop", he whispers in his ear.
Jungkook doesn't say no or yes or anything. His brain shuts off and body surrenders. Before he knows it, he finds himself in his bed, naked, and pinned under Taehyung's body while he kisses every inch of the younger's bare chest with lips, and tongue and teeth leaving marks.
Jungkook grabs the older's shoulders not being able to handle the sensations his body was being subjected to but the older pins his wrists to the bed. "I still don't hear a 'no'. If you don't love me anymore, tell me to stop. If you love her, don't cheat on her", Taehyung whispers in the younger's left ear before planting a kiss on it making a loud moan escape the younger's mouth.
"Oh, I remember how sensitive you are around your ears", he comments, "are you really going to go all silent on me, babe? Not even a single coherent word since I came in", he asks the younger while catching his breath. Jungkook looks deep into the older's eyes and doesn't say a word.
Taehyung burries his face in the nook of the younger's neck filling his senses with his smell. He then adorns the side of his neck with his lips and licks making Jungkook lose last bit of his sanity as he throws his head back in pleasure. "Spread your legs for hyung?", Taehyung's voice calm and comforting. Jungkook obliges without a second's thought waiting for the older to take him.
On facing absolutely no resistance from Jungkook, Taehyung asks one last time, "Why won't you stop
me Koo?", he looks deep into the younger's eyes trying to read his mind.
"Because I don't want you to stop", comes a faint and timid whisper from the younger. This is all he had to say before Taehyung enters him in one thrust making him grab the sheets, throw his head back and scream in pain. A tear rolls down Jungkook's eye as he puts his arms around the older holding him closer to him.
Taehyung thrusts into him like he doesn't have the patience to be gentle anymore while Jungkook burries his face in the older's chest, digging his nails into his skin, trying to handle the pain, the pleasure, his emotions. He moans with every thrust and tears don't stop rolling down his face as the bed creaks under them. "Took you a little too long to realise who you belong to. Didn't it baby?", Taehyung hisses while his hand grabs the younger's hip, not stopping his pelvic torture to let the younger breath.
Jungkook tries to talk but can't. He gasps for air, his mind woozy with not being able to comprehend the pain from the pleasure. "Tell me, who do you belong to sweetheart?",he hisses again, his pelvis still mercilessly thrusting into the man his loves, "WHO DO YOU BELONG TO?",he yells in impatience.
"YOU!", Jungkook screams out loud before breaking down into tears, "It has always been you. I have always belonged to you", he stutters before pulling Taehyung into a warm kiss as soon as he does, he opens his eyes and finds himself breathless and his clothes drenched in sweat.
He sits ups and holds his head in his hand in utter shock. It cannot be a dream. It felt too real to be a dream. He looks around his room. His clothes still on, no Taehyung around. He runs out of the room and into the hallway and sees the main door still locked from inside. There is no way Taehyung would have known about Lisa, he thinks. There is no way he saw a dream like this. There is no way it felt so real even in a dream. There is no way this could be happening to him. There is no way he let Taehyung touch him again even in a dream. There is no way he told him that he belonged to him. Jungkook drops on the hallway couch and holds his head in his hands, sobbing. "I don't belong to you. This isn't real. I will never belong to you", he whispers to himself or Taehyung. He cannot tell.
.....
Jimin wakes up in the morning listening to his phone ring.
"Mr. Park. Did you get something from Yoongi?", asks Hoseok.
"I did", Jimin tells him, "I think I have something that we can use to get him out".
"What is that?"
"I am going to see Taehyung for now. Meet me in the afternoon. I will tell you what I know but for this to work, I will need your stubborn cousin to cooperate"
"Stubborn is his middle name", Hoseok chuckles,"but I will talk to him and make sure he doesn't mess any of this up".
.....
Taehyung walks towards the elevator of the 21st floor amidst the hudsle and bussle of the IT department. He tries to not look around a lot whenever he is there and this elevator sucks the life out of him. Too many memories. He remembers when he made out with Jungkook in the elevator. There was no lust involved, just raw and pure emotion. Which emotion, he doesn't remember but he remembers his heart being heavy when his hands roamed all over the younger's body. Maybe, a part of him knew that this isn't forever. That all of this could vanish any second. The fear of losing something you fiercely love, that was the heaviness he remembers.
The chain of memories suddenly breaks as his eyes pause on a familiar face. He could have sworn he doesn't know this girl but yet she looks familiar. It takes him a couple of seconds to recognise that face. Last evening. Jungkook's building. 13th floor. His girlfriend. Heart break. Pain.
He remembers heart break when he looks at her.
"You!", he stops in his way looking at Lisa chirp away with a female colleague. Lisa turns around to look at him as her face loses all color. Why is the CEO calling her? He didn't even know she existed.
"M..me?", she points at herself looking at him.
"Yes, you", his face straight, "come here".
Lisa rushes to him, "Yes sir?"
"You work here?", he asks. Jimin, who was walking by spots Taehyung and joins him to see what's going on. Lisa smiles and bows to the both of them.
"Yes sir, I work here", she responds, her eyes stuck on the floor.
"Since how long?", Taehyung continues.
"Three years sir"
Jimin recognises her in a second. The girl he saw jungkook making out with in the club. As he looks at Lisa, he remembers jealousy. He remembers a man giving up on someone who'd die for him just to be with this girl and he remembers how he himself can never have that. Why is Taehyung noticing a 'nobody' in his company all of a sudden, he thinks. Unless he found out about Jungkook and her.
"Three years and we never noticed you. You must be a mediocre employee", Jimin casually comments. The bitterness in his voice clearly audible to Taehyung who understands that Jimin knows something that he doesn't.
Lisa's eyes are glued to the floor while her heart beats fast. What did she do? She must have messed something up for these two to not just notice her but to talk to her like this, she thinks. "I try to work hard sir and I have never had anyone complain about me", she politely responds as beads of sweat cover her forehead. Is she going to get fired?
"What is your name?", Taehyung asks, his voice as calm and indifferent as always.
"Lisa. Lisa Manoban"
"Nobody doubts your hardwork here, Lisa", Taehyung smiles, "I just saw a new face and was curious. That's all".
Jimin shoots his eyes at Taehyung, confused. He thought this Lisa woman was in trouble.
Lisa looks up at Taehyung for the first time and notices a reassuring smile on his face. "I thought I made a mistake", she admits.
Taehyung smiles again, "No you didn't. Go back to work!"
Lisa leaves the duo alone and gets back to work while Jimin looks at Taehyung, confused.
"What?", Taehyung asks.
"I know you know"
"I know what?"
"About Jungkook and this girl or you wouldn't have wasted 5 minutes of your life on her", Jimin taunts.
"Yes, I know but I didn't know that you knew too", he stares at his friend.
Jimin sighs, "I saw them making out in a club. Didn't tell you because you were already dealing with a lot, sorry".
"I see". Taehyung walks over to the elevator with Jimin walking right beside him.
"You just let her go?", Jimin asks.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Why wouldn't you?!",Jimin yells in frustation.
"His girlfriend works for you. Didn't it hurt you to see her here?"
"How does it matter?"
"I thought you were going to fire her. The Taehyung I know would have".
Taehyung enters the elevator with Jimin and the door shuts leaving the two of them alone.
Taehyung takes a deep breath. Jimin could see the moisture in his eyes as he says with a voice ever so calm,"Hurting someone he cares about..", he bats his eyes repeatedly trying to keep the moisture in,"...I will never do that to him". He looks at his friend with sad smile on his face.
"Tae.."
Elevator door opens on the top floor and Taehyung walks towards his office followed by Jimin. "The Taehyung I know never accepts defeat", they enter Taehyung's office, "he fights for what's his. He never gives up on something he wants", Jimin almost yells in frustation, unable to watch his friend in pain.
Taehyung stands in silence facing the window looking at the skyscrapers. He takes a deep breath trying to hold it in but there is only so much strength a man can muster before he breaks.
"That's the point Jimin. He isn't something. He is someone. Someone with a heart and a soul. Someone who has the right to choose who he wants to love", he sniffles, trying hard to stay strong and not break down again.
Jimin rushes to his friend and holds him by the shoulders.
"We cannot force someone to love us, Jimin", Taehyung mumbles, his voice feeble, tears flowing freely. He realises he doesn't need to pretend to be strong in front of his friend.
"Tae..", Jimin's heart cannot witness his brother in pain and his eyes let go as well. He holds his friend close to his heart and let's him cry on his shoulder. "You are right. I never lose", Taehyung pulls away from the hug and faces Jimin, "but there is no winning for me here", he admits as tears flow, flow, flow down his face. "I had long lost this fight the second I fell in love with him".
Feeling numb listening to what Taehyung said, Jimin just stands there in awe of his friend.
"When did you learn to love like that?", he smiles through his own tears holding Taehyung's face in his hands, "That kid better be happy with that girl, I swear to God or I am going to beat the shit out of him", he almost yells making Tarhyung laugh out loud, "oh he is double your size Jimin!"
Watching Taehyung laugh is a relief to Jimin but he cannot stop thinking about what he just said. Taehyung knows how to win any fight by hook or by crook. He would have gotten Jungkook back if he wanted to and he could have tormented Lisa even without firing her. Something has changed inside him. He is hurt but he is calm. The anger has been replaced by compassion. Greed has been replaced by sacrifice. The bitterness has been replaced by love. He is in pain but he is kind. Jimin realises Jungkook has been changing his friend slowly but surely and he had no idea. He realises this Taehyung isn't the same man he has known for years. He is different. He is better. He is a new man. Jimin smiles knowing that Jungkook might not be a part of Taehyung's life anymore but he will always be a part of Taehyung. He is pulled out of his thoughts when his phone rings. It's Hoseok.
"Yes, I will see you in two hours", he tells Hoseok.
"Drinks tonight?", Jimin smiles at his friend.
"Sure. Just don't ditch me or I will have you killed", Taehyung deadpans making Jimin chuckle again.
.....
"You're late", Hoseok smiles at Jimin, "I have been waiting for 20 minutes". "I am sorry Mr. Jung. I was with Taehyung and then I had to visit my office for something. This is a nice place by the way", Jimin turns around to look at the restaurant ambience.
"I think we should lose the formality Jimin. Call me Hoseok", he smiles.
"But you are older", Jimin chuckles.
"Then call me Hyung"
"Okay. Hoseok hyung", he cannot help but smile at the older's warm gesture. Hoseok has his way to make everyone around him feel special. One cannot stay around him and not smile.
"You look like you had a busy day. All good?", the older asks.
"Yes, I was with Taehyung. He isn't doing well. Life has been tough for him", he sighs.
"Hmm. Then you should stay with him and not here"
"This is also important hyung. We need to get him out"
Hoseok watches Jimin closely for a moment, "You love him?".
"Who? Taehyung?", Jimin bursts into a roaring laughter, "Eww!".
"You know I am talking about Yoongi hyung", the older smiles as the smile on Jimin's face vanishes.
"I care about him", he answers.
"You risk your everything to protect everyone you care about? You must be a saint", Hoseok chuckles.
"Let me tell you something Jimin", he continues, "If there's anyone in this world who needs love, it's Min Yoongi. He has had everything in his life; money, luxury, power but he never had love. I would love if there was someone who can give him the love that he has always deserved".
Jimin silently listens, not sure what this is all about.
"Having said all of this, I would still advice you to not be that person. Don't fall for him and if you already have, mind your heart", Hoseok continues, his sunshine smile nowhere to be seen, "Since he has never received love, he does not know how to accept it. He ends up hurting anyone who has ever tried to love him. He just does not know how to love someone back."
"I don't understand..what are you-", Jimin tries to comprehend what the older just said.
"I know you are a good man and I can see you are in love with him", Hoseok smiles, "I am grateful for what you are doing for him but once he is a free man, do yourself a favor and try to find yourself someone who can actually love you back because Yoongi hyung isn't that man".
Jimin sits in silence. He doesn't try to defend himself. Hoseok was right in everything he said. He has been in love with Yoongi for a long time now even though he was too scared to admit it even to himself. He also knows that Yoongi might never love him back. He smiles.
"You are smiling?"
"A friend taught me today that love is not about taking. It's about giving", Jimin smiles thinking about Taehyung.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that what I feel about Yoongi hyung is none of his business and what he feels about me is none of mine. I don't have to be with him to be able to love him. Sometimes, love doesn't bring people together but it changes them inside and out like it did to my friend. It made him a new man".
Hoseok sits there in awe of Jimin. He sighs, "Then let's hope that your love can do the same for Yoongi hyung".
To be continued...