Early update because happy six months to all my Orchids! This book really started that long ago, didn't it? Feels like years.
An anniversary gift to all of you!
Thank you so much for reading and turning the readership into such a lovely community. Most of my avid commenters got to know each other and make friends because of this book and it makes me so happy to see you all get along, enjoy the story and to give your input.
This has truly been a beautiful journey so far and I hope the next time I do this, it'll be marking our one year anniversary, the 21st of February 2023.
Till then, thank you.
And I purple you.
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The ache between in his shoulder blades becomes insufferable and Taehyung stretches, his nose burying itself in a familiar scent. Taehyung groans and stretches his arms, pressing his arms on the back of whoever he's cuddling now.
Wait... cuddling?
Taehyung shifts and moves back, trying to blink his eyes open.
The lights are switched off but just by inhaling the guy's scent again, he knows it's Jungkook.
Taehyung moans and buries his face back in the crook of Jungkook's neck, hugging him tighter, earning a slight groan from Jungkook before the younger shifts and places a hand under Taehyung's hoodie and ruffles his hair.
Taehyung smiles with his eyes closed while Jungkook massages his head and places kisses all over his forehead.
"Up already?" Jungkook asks.
Taehyung hums.
Is Jungkook not mad at him anymore?
Taehyung's heart swells and his hold on Jungkook strengthens. He buries his face deep in Jungkook's chest, overwhelmed with the feeling of Jungkook pampering him and taking care of him in the cool, air conditioned room atop his soft, warm bed. Even his clothes are soft and provide a cool comfort to his skin.
"Baby, it's late now," Jungkook says, gently massaging Taehyung's scalp. "We can play a few games but then you have to go, okay?"
Taehyung frowns and holds onto Jungkook tighter.
"Oh, you wanna sleep a bit more?"
Taehyung nods, "What time is it?"
Jungkook freezes.
Taehyung frowns again and tickles Jungkook's collar bone with his nose, his eyes now adjusting to the dark.
"Taehyung?" Jungkook asks, almost inaudibly.
Taehyung hums, placing a kiss on Jungkook's Adam's apple, tickling Jungkook's face with his fluffy hair.
"Oh, uh, right," Jungkook pulls his arms away from Taehyung. "We need to get ready."
"For what?" Taehyung mumbles against Jungkook's skin, tasting it as he does so.
"The meeting with J-hope," Jungkook shifts and tries to wiggle out of Taehyung's grasp, who just holds onto him tighter.
"That's tomorrow," Taehyung reminds him.
"It's in a few hours."
Taehyung frowns and raises his head to look at the wall clock on the wall behind it. It reads a quarter past eleven.
"It's tomorrow," Taehyung says again, voice heavy with sleep. "On the twenty-second. The twenty-first starts in forty-five minutes."
"Twenty-first ends in forty-five minutes."
"What?" Taehyung pulls his arms away from around Jungkook. "That can't be right. I went to sleep just some time ago."
Jungkook shuffles out of bed.
"Did I sleep for twenty-five hours again?"
"No."
"Then how is it the end of twenty-first?" Taehyung asks. "And I never confirmed a location to have the meeting on."
"You did."
Taehyung blinks, "When?"
"Today, in the afternoon."
Taehyung tries to recall but the last thing he remembers is falling asleep with Yoonjeong in his arms.
"Where's Yoonjeong?"
"With Jimin's mom," Jungkook answers, getting off the bed. "Hurry. We have to be there at four a.m."
Taehyung frowns, one leg off the bed. "This doesn't make any sense."
Taehyung hops off the bed and walks over to the light switch near the door, stepping on something on his way there. "Ah, dammit!"
A string of curses escapes his mouth and he picks up the plastic he stepped on. It feels like a little doll with arms and legs. "What the hell is this... a toy?"
Taehyung's hand reaches the switch and he's about to flip it when Jungkook grabs him by the waist and slams his back against the wall.
Taehyung lets out a little shriek but then relaxes when his body registers it's Jungkook.
The thing in his hand falls down in all the frenzy.
"Kookie, the hell?"
"I'm gonna kiss you," Jungkook says, his voice low.
Taehyung's breath escapes him at Jungkook's voice and he nods feverishly, humming so that Jungkook may know he's ready.
Jungkook smashes his lips against Taehyung's, who barely gets time to respond before Jungkook bites on his lower lip and pushes his tongue in.
Having taken Taehyung by surprise, Jungkook uses the moment to the best of his advantage, pulling and pushing his tongue in and out of Taehyung's mouth, biting on the elder's lower lip and snaking an arm around his waist.
At first, Taehyung enjoys surrendering to Jungkook, letting him do whatever he wants. But Jungkook doesn't pull away, not even to breathe as he allows himself to catch little gasps of air between the kiss.
Taehyung's lungs scream out, trying to access the air but Jungkook won't leave his mouth alone.
Jungkook bites and it hurts.
Taehyung winces in pain but Jungkook pays no mind, grabbing Taehyung by his ass and lifting him up into the air, still kissing him.
Taehyung pulls away and gasps for air as Jungkook carries him to the closet, stepping on something on the way. Jungkook winces and jumps, locking his lips with Taehyung again, who holds Jungkook by the face and kisses back, aiming to have some control.
Jungkook opens the closet door and once again, slams Taehyung's back into the wall.
The pain shoots through Taehyung's entire body and he groans, Jungkook sliding his tongue back into Taehyung's mouth.
Jungkook unzips Taehyung's shirt or whatever the hell he's wearing and pulls it off of his shoulders, sliding it off his legs too.
Was that a onesie? Where the hell did he—
Jungkook bites down on Taehyung's lower lip harder than before and throws the clothes away, body slamming Taehyung into the wall again.
Taehyung screams a little and Jungkook does it again.
"No, stop!" Taehyung manages to yell out, the ache in his back growing as he's sure Jungkook left a bruise.
Jungkook lets go of Taehyung's legs and Taehyung's eyes widen. He tries to hold onto Jungkook but falls to the floor, hard on his butt.
Taehyung groans and rolls over, naked save for his boxers and rubs at his back and ass.
Jungkook shuffles around with some of the clothes in the dark.
"What the hell?" Taehyung yells out, irritation clear in his voice. "You said kiss, not eat my lip and deform it! And why were you slamming me so much, huh? I didn't give you permission to do that! It hurts!"
Jungkook walks out of the closet and slams the door shut behind him, the lights outside switching on in a matter of seconds.
Taehyung huffs and carefully lies on his back, panting out.
How could Jungkook do that to him?
Was he that mad?
But then why were they cuddling?
And how is the twenty-first about to end?
Why doesn't he remember an entire day?
A screech outside, as if someone dragged something across the floor, catches Taehyung's attention. His head jerks up and he stares at the slit under the door in confusion as the noise suddenly stops.
Taehyung raises a brow and stands. "Ow, dammit!" Taehyung rubs his back and bends over in pain. "Goddammit Jungkook! I hope you trip and fall in front of J-hope and then he can go and tell all his August buddies how clumsy Vante's latest guy is and then they all take turns re-enacting your fall and mocking you!"
Taehyung switches the light on and tches at the blood on his finger, from his lip, "On the other hand, I hope you accidentally shoot a rock while aiming at his head and then him and Suga drink about it later and the name Jungkook becomes the biggest joke in all of August. So big that Yoongi comes back from the dead just to laugh at you!"
Taehyung goes through all the suits in his closet and tries to decide on what to wear.
Whatever he chooses to wear now will go for both the meetings scheduled for today.
Taehyung places his hands on his waist and inhales deeply, puffing out his chest.
Today, which stands tall above Taehyung, beckoning at him, intimidating him.
A meeting with two of his biggest enemies in the same day?
Yeah, that shit sounds scary.
Hopefully, Vante isn't in a sour mood today.
Golden.
Taehyung blinks at the golden suit hanging on one side of the cupboard, a suit saved for highly formal occasions. A suit he hasn't gotten the chance to show off yet.
Golden Hair.
Taehyung touches his hair subconsciously and smiles as the image of him in a golden suit with hair to go with it flashes in front of his eyes.
Green lenses.
Even better.
Another screech from something being dragged against the floor and Taehyung frowns, "The hell are you doing out there?"
He grabs the suit and opens the door, frowning at Jungkook. Jungkook stands in front of the cupboard, opening it and staring at the clothes inside.
"What are you doing screeching around like a fucking baby dragon?"
"You have a—" Jungkook shakes his head and stands straight. "A cupboard and a closet?"
"Closet is for formal clothes, clothes I need to protect," Taehyung walks out, closing the closet door behind him. "The cupboard is for casual wear."
Jungkook nods.
"You should get ready too," Taehyung walks up to him. He smiles softly at Jungkook biting his lip as he stares at the clothes in front of him. "Shower together?"
Jungkook looks at Taehyung's body and keeps staring, his expression unreadable.
Taehyung shrinks a little as he tries to decipher Jungkook's thoughts while the younger burns holes into Taehyung's numerous scars.
Taehyung chuckles sheepishly, "Not all of them are because of that, you know."
Jungkook raises a brow, eyes still piercing a long cut under Taehyung's chest.
"Yeah, some of them are from training and getting my ass-kicked in physical combat," Taehyung hugs the suit closer to himself.
Jungkook touches the scar on Taehyung's abdomen, tracing along its length gently, the soft touch of his fingers sending Taehyung's heart into a beating mess. Taehyung swallows and looks away.
"This one?" Jungkook asks.
"That uh..." Taehyung inhales, his eyes stinging. "That's from there."
Jungkook's face goes red and he huffs out a breath. "They're all dead?"
"Most of them."
Jungkook's eyes shoot up to stare into Taehyung's and the elder shrinks even more, "Some uh... some went under the radar."
"And no one looked?" Jungkook's voice deepens and becomes louder, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
"Kook, we didn't have the time," Taehyung takes a step back, unwanted images flashing in his mind. "There was Taylor's husband and Suga and way too many problems."
⚠WARNING: EMOTIONALLY DISTURBING CONTENT AHEAD; MENTION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT⚠
Jungkook breathes in deeply and moves away, heading towards the dresser.
Taehyung's hold around the suit tightens, his breath shortening as he hears the sound of a baby crying, a small child in his arms as it begs for food.
Taehyung blinks and tries to get the image of the baby out of his mind. A small boy, wrapped in his dead mother's rags as Taehyung tries desperately to nurse him, going so far as bargaining with his masters, exchanging his body for a few diapers and a bottle of baby food.
It's dark all around and the girls and boys around Taehyung keep cussing at him for not being able to hush the baby.
How can he? He doesn't even know why the kid is crying.
Is it the dark, the stench of rotten food, body fluids and shit? Is it Taehyung's scrawny figure poking at the boy's sensitive skin or is it his screaming stomach and diaper rash? Is it the girl crying a few feet away from Taehyung, because she was just impregnated by a man who bought her for sexual pleasure?
Is it because he desires for his dead mother, whose scent is still loaded onto her rags?
Maybe it's because the boy lays in his father's arms, feels his despair as he goes from master to master, begging for a bottle of formula every time his son cries.
Taehyung hopes it's just the dark.
"Shh, baby, I'm here, daddy's here," Taehyung coos but the child cares not, flailing his weak arms around helplessly.
Taehyung had given his bed over to a little girl so he was left with just the cold floor to hold him.
"Yoonie, baby, it's okay," Taehyung touches foreheads with the baby, his own tears streaming down his face. "Two days without food won't kill you."
The baby cries louder.
"Ching Chong, shut him up!" an elderly slave screeches from halfway across the room.
"I'm sorry!" Taehyung rocks the baby faster, unable to ask for help because of his weak English. "I don't know! I'm sorry!"
"Well, figure it out fast then," another guy says casually.
Taehyung rocks the baby continuously, crying along with him, "Yoonkookie, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry. Daddy can't do anything for you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Taehyung's vision blurs and he assumes it's because of the tears.
His breath gets clogged in his throat and his head hurts. His arms tire and the ache in his legs is worse than it has ever been before.
Never has he so desperately begged to be raped and humiliated in his life.
Just as his vision starts to fade out completely, a sweet female voice speaks to him, "It's alright. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe."
Taehyung can't see her anywhere but he knows her voice. He's heard it before.
"Just rest," the woman says in a voice so calm, Taehyung imagines himself floating in a lake.
His vision goes black.
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A/N:
Thoughts...?
This chapter was really hard to write... not as in difficult but really emotionally taxing.. I swear only a few chapters have made me feel that way but this one brought a whole new feeling to the emotion. Tae's son 🤧
Yk, I outlined the book... ik... again. And now it's going to be 120 chapters long before two more books 😭😭😭
I mean, I'm excited but I feel like y'all are gonna get exhausted 🤧
I hope not!
The only reason I continue to write this is to see you engaging with my world!
And I uploaded another book... it's my original short horror stories so if you're interested, just go ahead and check that!
I purple you! 💜💜💜