A/N:
Please refer to previous story keys if forgotten to avoid confusion.
CW: drug and alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts, past trauma (physical, mental and emotional)
Word count: 8,128
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Taehyung sighed as he sat at the side opposite his father at the usual gigantic meeting table. He had been told to sit here and shadow their company's business meetings again. Something was up, his dad was ten times more insistent than he usually was. Why? Taehyung was desperate to guess.
It was never any good for him when his dad got pushy.
The only bright side was that he would be able to leave soon, hopefully. Only if his dad didn't drag him home for another "family dinner." He supposed that's what anyone could call it, he sat with his family; he had dinner, every Monday like clockwork. But it usually resulted in his dad not telling him how much of a mess up he was and adding awkward silence between complaints.
"Your father's watching you. You should at least act like you're paying attention, Mr. Kim." His father's secretary mumbled from beside him.
He couldn't quite remember his name, never caring enough to remember. Had it been Donovan? Or maybe Jonathan? "I'm well aware. But frankly, I really don't care."
It was the same as always anyways! What were the daily stocks, had investors pulled, and were there any new ones? In what area could their company improve efficiency to beat their competitors? It was the same, every single time.
He nearly sighed aloud with relief when the meeting was adjourned and everyone left to do whatever they had concluded from this meeting. What the ending decisions of the meeting had been? He had completely zoned out for that; all Taehyung could do was hope his father didn't ask later.
Usually, the boss left first, a sign of importance. A movement that said I've already wasted too much of my oh-so-important time here.' Naturally, Taehyung usually followed his father and did the same. But his dad stayed behind, so here he was too, anxiously sitting in the same spot as if he were restrained in his seat.
"Did you get a lot from the meeting?" His father asked
Shit.
"I got enough." Taehyung shrugged, bluffing a bit. "Is that really what you wanted to stay behind and talk about?"
His father grimaced, aware of the fact that he was still in a building, his building. This wasn't the place he could cause a scene. "We're having dinner tonight, you'll be there."
Taehyung stifled, "But it's not Monday."
His father waved his hand dismissively. "I don't care. If I call, you come. End of story."
His tone left nothing to object so Taehyung stood up, frustrated. "Is that all then?"
His father studied him, and even at a distance, Taehyung could see the disdain in his eyes as he looked over him. "Be there by seven. Absolutely no bullshit, or else."
As much as he hated to admit it, that last part was fair. Taehyung usually couldn't get through the dinners unless he was under the influence of some kind. His father and assistant stalked out of the meeting room and Taehyung had the sudden urge to scream and punch the table. But he didn't, he wasn't completely out of control after all. Nothing disgusted him more than the thought of someone seeing his mask off.
Taking a few deep breaths, he eventually left the room, going back to the apartment he shared with his friends. As much as he tried to not let his dad get to him, it seemed an impossible task. But some time and talking with his brothers would fix everything. It always did.
Pressing the button to open their apartment gate, Taehyung noticed all of their cars were in the driveways except for Namjoons. They had found their own fortress of solitude, the only place in the city where the seven of them could ignore the social burdens they all bared.
A luxury apartment complex that they'd all spent a good amount of money on to buy. It had two floors, eight bedrooms, and four and a half bathrooms with an amazing open floor space and a stunning view of the city at night. They had immediately put in an offer over the asking price in order to secure it.
"I'm back," Taehyung called out, slipping off his shoes and wandering to their living room, looking around, none of them were out. "Hello?" He called again, stepping into the older brother's hallway.
Yoongi slid out of the hallway, blinking slowly at Taehyung. "Ah, you're finally back."
"Yeah." Taehyung commented, "Is there anything to eat? I'm starved."
Yoongi shook his head, plopping on the couch. "I'm not sure, I just got back a few minutes before you did. I would ask Jin hyung, go and see if he's in his room."
It was solid advice, so he walked to the eldest brother's room. "Jin hyung?" He called, knocking on the door repeatedly.
He heard shuffling and seconds later a shirtless Jin appeared; his eyes puffy indicating he had been passed out. "Shit, I'm sorry," Taehyung said, "You should sleep some more." His eyes raked over the countless scratch marks all over his hyungs body. "Apparently you've had a crazy night."
Jin sent him a cocky smile. "She told me she wasn't a screamer, I took it as a challenge."
Taehyung chuckled a bit. "Alright, you should go back to sleep. I didn't know you were knocked out."
Jin sent him a questioning glance, "What did you want?"
Taehyung shrugged, "Nothing important." He lied. It was a bummer, Jin's home-cooked meals were really the only sense he had of it. Food at his parents' house was calculated and put together for a presentation. Some of the best chefs in the world and yet, his brother outdid them all.
"You're sure?" Jin asked. Taehyung could see the wary look in his eyes like he was trying to figure out what it was that he had originally wanted.
"Yeah. It's nothing. I'll let you go back to sleep now. Man fuck, those scratches look deep. Poor girl, I hope she made it out in one piece." Taehyung chuckled, walking away and only relaxing when he heard the door close. Jin had the most on his plate out of them all. He would be graduating with his master's degree this year. Their parents had been trying to pull them apart for years now, and with Jin graduating soon, it only amplified it.
"Is he here?" Yoongi asked, Taehyung had forgotten he was there.
"He's here. Too tired for me to ask him to make me something though. What are you craving for takeout? I'll put in the order." Taehyung offered, opening his most used food delivery app, scrolling aimlessly since none of it was what he was craving.
"<Yah>," Yoongi said, getting Taehyung's attention. "<Are you forgetting this hyung can cook too? You can't be eating takeout food all the time. I can't let you eat that all the time. Tell me now, what were you craving>?"
Taehyung shot him an appreciative smile, because no, of course, he hadn't overlooked his brother Yoongi who was just as doting as Jin. He just didn't want to bother him when he knew he stayed up most nights studying, determined to keep his parents off his back.
"I want black bean noodles," Taehyung said, shooting his friend a nice smile. "Please?"
"Sweet and sour pork too?" Yoongi huffed, grabbing ingredients out of their fridge.
"Please," Taehyung said, following his older brother to the kitchen. The least he could do was keep him company while Yoongi cooked for him. So, he sat there on his phone and listened to Yoongi complain, not saying much in return because he learned a long time ago, his brother just wanted someone to listen.
His mouth watered when he caught a glimpse of the food being nearly complete, Jimin must have caught a smell because he wandered up looking for food. "Smells good, why don't you make me food, Yoongi hyung?"
Yoongi groaned in fake annoyance, "Because you don't ask. But I knew you and Jungkook would eventually wander up here anyways, so I made a lot. Someone call Jungkook, he's barely eaten in days and I'm getting worried."
"I already tried, he said he'll come up in a bit." Jimin sighed, sliding into the chair next to Taehyung.
"He needs food," Yoongi complained.
That was just... Yoongi. He didn't openly whine or fuss at them like how Jin did, but he always just was there to... take care of them. Appreciation bloomed like a flower in Taehyung's chest, how could he be so upset with his family when he had his true ones right here? They were all he needed, were all he would ever need.
"Nice! I knew I smelled jjajangmyeon! Who ordered this?" Jin asked, mostly awake from his nap and pulling himself onto a stool, still a bit clumsy.
"Jin hyung, you should feed the kids. You're the oldest. You know Taehyung eats out all the time, he was hungry." Yoongi said, again, showing no real annoyance as he mixed his noodles around.
Jin choked on a piece of pork he had tossed into his mouth, "You're kidding me?! I literally asked Taehyung what he wanted but he told me it was nothing! Right, Taehyung? Right, I asked you!"
Stifling a laugh with Jimin, Taehyung nodded. "It's true hyung, he asked me. But he was obviously tired from his— exercises. I didn't feel like I could tell him!"
Jin yelled with his mouth open, obviously very fired up from their provocation. "I was basically challenged! Besides, I didn't know he was hungry and she's hot, you would've done the same. Oh, and I know you aren't talking, you have the stamina of a sloth."
Yoongi sent him a bored look, "I do what needs to be done and I'm very sure I leave them without any complaints. Call me a sloth all you want, but I'm anything if not thorough."
"Good job, you've gotten them to talk about their libidos." Jimin snorted, offering his last bit of noodles to Jungkook, who had quietly come up and was observing the entire thing with little interest. "There's more if you're still hungry," Jimin said softly, patting him on the back before going back to his room. "Thanks for the food, I'll be going back to nap though."
Taehyung took the time to observe Jungkook now that the youngest had finally left his room for the day. They'd already had this problem with him a couple of times before, and he had foolishly thought last time would be the last time with him. Jungkook had gotten reprimanded the next day and swore it really was the last time. Now the youngest was pouting from his own embarrassment supposedly, and they all were doing all they knew how to do. Treat him like their youngest brother again to bring his confidence back up.
To let him know he wasn't upset with him, Taehyung patted him on the back and hoped he'd get the message. They truly weren't mad, just worried for his safety. If this got out, Jungkook's parents would ship him off so fast, they'd never know where he was again. The second thought was far worse, that Jungkook would hurt himself, and his brother getting hooked and overdosing was not an option.
So, they all nurtured him a bit more, paid more attention, and most importantly, didn't leave him alone. It was the only way to soothe their own worries right now. "I'm not too hungry, so I'm gonna play some games in my room." Jungkook stretched, groaning as he claimed his body was sore. "Thank you for the food."
They watched him in silence as he left, it made Taehyung lose his appetite while Jin crunched away at the sweet and sour pork. "This time seems worse than the last, don't you think?" The oldest said once he finished chewing.
Yoongi nodded, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "It does. I have to be honest, I'm not sure if this will be the last. He's told us this before, what will happen if someone finds out? We can't watch him constantly."
Taehyung instantly thought of Lorelei, no one knew that she had seen the drugs on Jungkook and even put them back in his damn pocket! Whatever, he couldn't blame her for that. It was a high-pressure situation and it's not like she was the type to do something like that anyways. At least— he didn't think so.
While his hyungs were talking amongst themselves, Taehyung's fingers twitched. He was lying to them by not saying anything but— if they found out she knew, it would definitely be trouble for her. He knew his brothers would rather harass her into silence rather than talk it out civilly. After all, that was all they knew, all they'd been taught.
It was okay to play dirty, as long as you won.
"You okay, Taehyung?" Jin asked. Taehyung hadn't even realized they were done eating and putting up the remainder of the food.
"Just tired," Taehyung said. Liar, liar, LIAR. His mind chanted, taunting him. "I've been requested for a family dinner tonight." That was a half-truth, and that was better than an outright lie.
Yoongi snickered, "It's not Monday."
"I know, I'm not sure why either but I'm sure it'll be the usual. I'm a disappointment, I'm embarrassing our family name, threats to cut off my inheritance. The dramatics." Taehyung sighed, looking at the clock, he'd have to head out in an hour or so.
Thanking his hyungs one more time for the food, he loaded his empty bowl in the dishwasher and stalked off to his room. He was determined to relax for a little bit, even if he couldn't sleep, laying in his bed was enough. But his thoughts wandered back to Jungkook and he felt worried and anxious all over again.
He thought of Lorelei then too.
He hadn't spoken to her since the week before when she'd lost her temper with him and agreed to give him information on what her friend knew. She hadn't sent him a single text. A week was already more than generous for the situation he was trying to prevent and he felt frustrated that she was threatening it. His frustration growing, he texted her—
|Taehyung: It's been a week. Do you have something you'd like to tell me?
He'd be on the lookout for her reply. The only indication that she hadn't blocked him was that his message was delivered. That was at least good, it saved him the trouble of having to make good on his word and hunt her friend down.
Now her friend... that was another complicated situation entirely. He'd gone to the club the very next day, to find out who her family was. It wasn't good.
They were high profile, not his and his brothers' level of high profile, but just enough. If she chose to say anything, it wouldn't be something easy to sweep under the rug, that was a definite. All he wanted to do was fire the damn secretary, but then again— if his brothers found out, they'd want to know why.
Groaning, he threw his head back. He didn't want to, but his loyalty was to his brothers and his brothers only. If he asked for their word to keep her and her friend out of trouble, they'd give it in a heartbeat, and more importantly, they'd keep it.
He stalked back towards the living room, feeling uneasy when he saw Namjoon sitting at their kitchen island, sipping on a soda. "Ah, you're here, Taehyung?"
"Yup. I'll be leaving in a bit. Everyone still here?" He asked, wringing his hands in his slacks.
Namjoon raised an eyebrow. "As far as I know. Why, what's going on?"
Taehyung sent him a weak smile, "We need to have a family meeting. I have something to tell you all." He'd walked to their doors and called them all, Jungkook coming up last, looking between them all with worry. Jimin who rarely saw Taehyung stressed out, was the most alert, they were the closest after all.
"What's the matter, Taehyung?" Jimin asked, sitting down close.
Taehyung sighed. "I'd like to apologize. I've kept something from you all. Someone saw you, Jungkook. Someone saw the coke." A few of them collectively sighed but Taehyung didn't bother checking who. His gaze was locked on his younger friend whose face was a few shades paler than its usual color.
"Who?" Namjoon asked as he clicked his tongue in annoyance, switching out his soda for a bourbon. "Who is it? Why didn't you say anything until now? Why are you so stressed about this? Did they try to hold the information over you? Is this why you couldn't tell us?"
"No— It's that girl, isn't it? The one who found him and helped. The girl you're infatuated with.... that's why you hesitated to tell us. Well, am I wrong?" Jimin asked, clearly upset with him.
He could see the wheels turn in Namjoons' head before he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Ah, the one you insisted to send home? I remember her now."
"It is. I thought I'd handled it but— her friend knows too. " Taehyung confessed. Before any of them could say anything else he added, "I gave her my word I'd keep the friend out of this. Unfortunately— I acted too rashly."
Yoongi's gaze was set and hard before he asked, "So? Who's the friend?"
"Jimin and I were in her grade. She's a Richardson." Taehyung said, "Went to the same school we did, goes to the same country club. It's Andrea. Her dad is currently trying to hook her up with Marsh so I don't think she has the time to worry about us but well..."
Jin's nose crinkled. "Poor girl. He can't satisfy her."
Hoseok who had also stayed alarmingly quiet finally spoke, "Okay so, if you thought you've handled this, what is this about? Did you just need to get it off your chest? I'm not angry with you, although I don't understand your logic either. But, what is this?"
Taehyung flinched, "There's more. Her friend knows but not through the girl who helped Jungkook —"
Jimin narrowed his eyes, "Who else? That other girl that was there that night? The one I ditched to take Jungkook home?"
He shook his head, looking straight toward Jungkook. "You need to clean house, Jungkook. Andrea had said she'd heard it from one of your dad's secretaries. It's so close to being passed around the club."
At that, Namjoon planted his drink on the table so firmly, Taehyung wondered how it didn't break. "That is— definitely trouble." He said finally. "But we have our work cut out for us at least."
"You did good by telling us, Taehyung. It was a bit late but you said something and that's what matters." Jin said, clasping his hand on his shoulder. "You trust this girl?"
There it was. What Taehyung knew would happen, the not-so-subtle question that would either mean Lorelei could exit all of this peacefully or if his brothers made her life a living hell. "I do for now. Only because she doesn't want her friend involved with us. It'll make her cooperative and that gives us leverage at the very least."
Hoseok clapped his hands together. "Perfect. I'll work on talking to some of my company's lawyers and see just how cleanly we can let them go. I'm sure with how private Jungkook's parents are, this might even be a breach of contract."
"I can get you a copy, they did sign some sort of contract when they got hired. All employees do— " Jungkook finally spoke, his voice sounding weak, "I'm sorry, this is all my—"
"You don't have to apologize," Jimin said, rubbing the youngest's neck. "This is no different than when we go overboard at a club and have to do press control the next day, yeah? Let's just tackle those rumors first."
It's a bit different and they aren't rumors, Taehyung thought to himself. For one, if any of them had an edge to take off, they usually just drank and smoked some weed. Jungkook was facing a big issue and they were all too scared to talk about it. He also noted that for the first time, he actually had the displeasure of having to involve someone he didn't want to be involved with in this way. He'd practically given his word, he'd look like a liar now. But he was used to that.
Everyone had skulked off, claiming they had some things to do before they looked into it and Taehyung noted Jungkook was the only one still there. "I'm sorry, all I do is cause trouble." He said, his voice sounding dangerously close to breaking. "Why can't I just be good? Why do I keep doing this to you guys?!"
Sitting down beside him, Taehyung pat his back hoping to provide any small amount of comfort he could. "No, you don't. Also, I'm not sure you remember but when Jin hyung was your age, he was pretty crazy too. This is nothing we haven't taken care of before." He understood those deep thoughts, he often thought the same about himself. "You're our family and regardless of any mistakes you may have made, we will always be here for you."
"I don't want them to find out." Jungkook all but whispered out. "What if they know and they're just waiting for a major fuck up and then I'm just sent off and never see any of you again?"
"Hey, don't think about that because we won't ever let that happen. You have to know that, Jungkook. We got this, you'll be fine, okay? We won't let anything happen to you." Taehyung said, bringing his younger brother in for a hug. "It'll be fine. Just take care of yourself from now on, okay? Please. I—we care about your health more than anything else in this situation."
"Go get some rest, Jungkook. No offense, you look like shit." Taehyung said, pulling Jungkook up and nudging him to his room. "I'll see you when I come back, yeah? We can play some games. Call it a premonition, but I have a feeling I'll need to unwind when I get back."
He had no time left now, but he had needed to say something. And now he had to face his parents and deal with— well, whatever they wanted to discuss. The last thing he wanted to do was go over and face them while dealing with something so important.
"I'll be back." He called to no one in particular as he lazily slid on a pair of shoes and took off. At least this would be distracting, he had something to focus on instead of his dad. Maybe— maybe he'd be able to talk to his mom, but then again... she didn't really care for him either.
Pulling into the gated community, it was hard to believe he had ever lived here, let alone grown up there. It made him feel lonely all over again, this had never been his home and would likely never be in the future. However, he felt about that, he wasn't entirely sure.
But walking up the pathway to the front door, the click of his shoes against the marble slabs on the ground had made him tick anxiously. It would be quick, he'd make sure it was quick. There was a zero percent chance that he'd be staying here any longer than physically necessary.
"Mister Taehyung! It's always so nice to see you." Their long-time maid exclaimed as she opened the door. Perhaps the closest thing Taehyung had to an actual motherly relationship was her. (Excluding his older brothers of course.)
"Hi," he replied, slipping in to offer her a hug. "How are you?"
She smiled, taking the coat off his shoulders. "Just great, I still get treated really well here."
"That's good, I'm glad. Formal dining room I'm assuming?" Taehyung muttered, walking towards it before he could hear her answer. The dinners always happened there, he hadn't really needed to ask. It didn't help that he heard his mom's laughter from the other room. It was her hosting laugh and it then dawned on Taehyung that it wouldn't just be the three of them this time. He walked in cautiously, his parents never had anyone over unless they were hosting a party.
"Ah, you're here. Good." His father said, giving him a tense smile that set Taehyung on edge. "You remember the Lees'?"
No, no he hadn't. But he plastered on a fake smile and shook the man and woman's hand anyways. "Of course," He smoothly lied. "I hope you've both been doing well. Mrs. Lee, you still look as beautiful as ever. "
"We have. We're glad to hear from your father that you're doing well, good at your academics, and staying out of trouble—"
"Don't forget he's quite the charmer and handsome too." His wife interrupted as she giggled something else to Taehyungs' mom that he couldn't hear.
"You have a great head on your shoulders. Yes, your future looks quite bright indeed." He finished, shooting Taheyung a friendly smile.
"Thank you, sir. However, you're giving me far too much credit." He caught his father shooting him a look from the corner of his eye. Damn, he sure had a lot to remember. Essentially, he just had to not let it slip that he was good in academics because he paid people to take notes for him and that he bribed his way into keeping his name clean, that wasn't too bad.
He observed their interactions, his mother immediately putting her socialite skills to work. The men talking business and politics, and then there was Taehyung who was just incredibly bored. He had to force himself to eat his dinner as he was still full from the noodles Yoongi had made earlier.
By the third course, Taehyung felt like he was going to puke. Both from him being overly full and from seeing his father schmoozing. The other shoe had to drop soon, this dinner was too good to be true to his standards, even with his parents' special personalities they only wore around their friends. It was all seriously creeping him out.
He'd barely touched dessert and stiffened a little when he caught his dad side-eyeing him. Luckily, they were at the part where everyone had gotten up from their seats, the men were shaking hands and the women were hugging. Finally, the end was in sight!
"It was good seeing you, son." The Lee guy had said and Taehyung just send him a fake smile. That was a weird nickname, but whatever, as long as he kept up his perfect personality. The wife squeezed his shoulder and then they left, he finally felt like he could breathe after almost two hours. "I look forward to the next time we'll see each other."
"Me too, please get home safely." He said, bowing his head as his mind ran a million miles a minute at that man's words. What had that meant?
"Was that it?" Taehyung asked as both the Lees' and most staff cleared out of the room. "Can I leave now?"
His mother shot him a look that someone resembled concern, but she was always acting so he'd grown to resent the faces she made. "Taehyung, don't you even want to talk to your mother anymore?"
Taehyung didn't say anything to that.
"Your mother is talking to you, boy." His father bellowed out.
" You're right, I apologize. But I have classes tomorrow, so if you'll excuse me —"
"Speaking of your classes—" His father cut him off. "Why am I just now aware that you're taking an art class? Art? Did you really think you could hide it from me?"
Well fuck. Taehyung thought to himself, there was no lying to get out of this now. "Who told you?" He asked calmly.
"Who told me? Who told me?! I'm your father, if I want to know where the tuition and donation money, I paid for is going, I have every right to." His dad's face was turning redder and redder by the second. Naturally, his mother had just stared at him, she never took his side. "You'll drop that class now."
"I won't," Taehyung said. "I can't. If I stop a class now that I'm close to the middle of the course. I'd fall way too behind for whichever class I transferred to. Which in turn will just fuck up my GPA and we all know we can't have that now, can we?"
His father scoffed. "You've always been like that, never listening to your father. Never trusting me to not do what's best for your future. Well, it stops now. You're going to grow up and start bearing the responsibility of our family name and you'll do it now."
Taehyung internally flinched, what the fuck had he been doing this whole time? It would be insanely harder to live the life he did now with his dad fighting tooth and nail to control him. In times like this, he learned it was best to say something, unfortunately, his dad wasn't dropping it this time.
"Nothing to say now?" His father scoffed. "I'm not surprised, you've always been all talk. Just reckless actions and temper tantrums that a child would pull— Well, it doesn't matter. The Lees' were our guests today and I'm glad you at least chose to remain quiet at the very least. You were a good prospect in the end."
Taehyung looked at his father, not understanding where this was heading— "A prospect?"
The chillingly sinister smile his father sent his way caused Taehyung to get goosebumps, he could feel them forming underneath the sleeves of his shirt. "You're a prospective fiancé for their daughter, of course."
"You can't, I won't." Taehyung snarled, raising his voice.
"I'm sorry?" His father chuckled, mocking him. "Did I miss the part where I gave you a choice in the matter?"
"It's not all bad, Taehyung. Try to think of this positively." His mother chirped from his father's side. "You may be young but you already don't need to worry about your future. You have the inheritance, our family company, and now you have a prospective wife. She's very kind! I've seen her talk at the country club and she just gets along with everyone! One time I saw her—"
"I don't care about any of that!" Taehyung snapped. How could they do this to him?! Marriage was something he never wanted! He would really lose all of his freedom now. "I don't know her! What makes you think I'd agree to marry her? Spend the rest of my life with a complete stranger, really?!"
"You don't have a choice," His father snarled. "I control your inheritance and unless you want it all gone in the blink of an eye, you'll do as I say. All I ask is that you uphold the family name and don't embarrass us and this is too much for you?"
It was mocking him, his father's tone was belittling him in the worst way. "I won't just sit by and let you do this, " Taehyung swore, leaving his parents' house immediately. He couldn't get out of there fast enough, they found new ways to get lower and lower on the morality scale.
Never did he ever want a marriage, let alone a loveless one at that. That commitment was lifelong and more than half the time Taehyung thought deep down if he suddenly stopped breathing and his life ceased to exist— he wouldn't be horribly upset by it as he drifted into the nothing that was the afterlife. Maybe even sometimes he thought it could be a relief, but then he imagined his brothers as his pallbearers and he shut his thoughts down and usually felt guilty afterwards.
"I hate my family, I hate my life too." He admitted in the safe privacy of his car, feeling the comforting feeling of loneliness, it was what he was used to.
He was aware he was driving like a madman on his way back to the apartment. He was dumbfounded, he was angry, and right now he wanted to test just how fast he could go in between red lights, the streets were mostly empty anyways. Taehyung nearly missed her too, Lorelei was walking alongside the road. Maybe he could turn the night's events into something fun.
"Lorelei," He practically purred as he slowed down his car beside the sidewalk. "Get in, I've had a hell of an afternoon and I believe we have unfinished business." It sent him a devilish amount of enjoyment when she tossed him a glare and kept walking.
But after what happened earlier, he wasn't going to give up tonight, she wasn't owed anything but yet— maybe he could stop it before things got mega out of control. He was enjoying the thought of their cat-and-mouse game until he noticed a man watch her as she walked by and pull himself up sloppily, taking sluggish and staggering steps after her.
Without a second thought, he pulled the car around the block corner and rushed back to her. "Get in, there's a drunk man following you," He demanded. The very small thread that had his temper in check snapped when she sneered and pushed past him.
"Yeah, okay. That's not funny, Taehyung." She scoffed, intent on ignoring him until the end.
Not caring if she yelled out her shock and anger, he grabbed her arm and surged her forward, opening his car door and throwing her in. "Taehyung, what the fuck?! You can't just do that to people— "
"Would you shut up for one second and just wait?!" He snapped back. "Look out your window, he should be coming up in a few seconds."
His outburst startled her enough for her to shrink in his seat and comply. That tugged a foreign feeling out of him but he'd address that later, it was the adrenaline and nothing more. Sure enough, the drunk man staggered past his car, murmuring nonsense about the pretty girl who led him on by walking past him. "See?" He scoffed.
She shot him a wary look, sighing before saying "Sorry, I just don't trust you. But thank you, I have pepper spray though. You didn't have to go through all this trouble, I would've taken care of myself if anything escalated."
"And if he knocked the pepper spray out of your hands? Don't be an idiot and just tell me where I'm gonna drop you off." He sighed, starting his car and locking the doors to prove his point. "I can't just let you walk to wherever you were going now, just hurry up." He demanded, opening his GPS. "Think what you want about my brothers and me, think we're pigs, whores, have no respect for women, whatever— but we never do anything without a women's consent, and even then, we check that very thoroughly. We aren't monsters and I wouldn't have been able to drive and let who knows what happen to you."
After she stared out his window for a few seconds, she sighed, putting in the address. Taehyung figured out quickly was her apartment complex. "Thank you. I'll give you gas money for this." Lorelei said quietly.
"Do I look like I need money?" He asked with a snort as he started the car towards its destination."
"Is that what you're used to? People not offering you things because you have money? Even the mega-rich like yourself can appreciate kind gestures. Unless it's like I said and you're not used to those."
"Don't try to micro-analyze me, not tonight." He said after a while, waiting until they stopped at a red light so he could look at her when he said it. It bothered him how aware he was of the difference in his driving. The need to recklessly speed was now nowhere to be found.
"I'm not doing that—" She tried.
"You are and it won't work. Not with me." He admitted. "Because whatever it is you're trying to find, you won't, it's not there. It'll just be ugly and I'm not so sure I'm ready for you to look at me the way I know you will. I don't want to enter that stage of our time together just yet."
She leaned back into her seat, not questioning him any further and he was glad. Damn, he had been way too vulnerable with her just now. Struggling to feel like he could regain any sort of control, he said "I have to be honest with you about something."
She leaned forward, obviously back to being interested in whatever he had to say. "If it's about Jungkook, I—yes, it's my fault, I hadn't said anything to you. I really was planning to after my shift though."
He shot her a look out of his peripheral, "It's about that, yes. I told my brothers... I'm aware that I promised I wouldn't, but some circumstances arose and —"
"You lied to me," She cut him off. "You told me you wouldn't. I bet you never planned to keep it just between us and just wanted to play mind games and give me some twisted sort of false hope."
"I didn't lie, and I did intend to at first, which is exactly why I'm telling you now, alright? I had fully intended to keep this between the two of us but it would get too messy as it gets dealt with." He answered bluntly. "No drama is going to come to your friend if that's what you're worried about."
"I find that hard to believe. It seems like the lot of you are exactly that." She huffed out, letting out a humorless scoff.
"Easy," He murmured, "I don't care what you think of me but my brothers are blameless in all of this, and yes, that includes Jungkook too."
"Also hard to believe," She snorted, turning away from him.
"I'm aware," He sighed while he glanced at his GPS, he'd be at their destination in just five minutes. It'd be too little of a time window for him to explain the situation properly as best he could. They say the remainder of their drive in silence until he pulled into the familiar building's parking lot.
"I don't have a choice but to listen to whatever you say, right? Especially now that they all know." Lorelei asked as she gathered her bag from beside her shoes and looked at him accusingly.
"Yes," He admitted. "It's like I said, we just want to know who the secretary is to get everything moving. No one has any reason to talk to you outside of that."
"Yeah, whatever. Thanks for the ride. Here." She pushed a twenty dollar bill into Taehyung's hand and he shook his hand.
"No, I told you I don't want your money." He refused, trying to hand it back.
"You didn't say that, you said you didn't need my money. Tough shit, this isn't the first time I slipped you cash for gas money anyways." She shrugged, stepping out of the car and turning around to close the door, leaving him stunned and speechless. When she caught a glimpse of his face, she snorted, "Figure it out since you're so smart. We don't have a lot of interactions for you to be this confused." She taunted him as she closed his door and walked away without a second look.
"Not the first time? When the fuck had she done that?" He asked himself as he watched her enter the safety of her building before driving off. He hadn't even realized she didn't live as far from his place as he thought she initially had, a fact he'd throw in her face to annoy her the next time he saw her.
His mood perked up again at the thought of it, he just needed to be home soon. His delayed anxiety began to tear his chest up, he could feel an uncomfortable pressure form in his chest and stomach. God, how could he continue anything if his parents made him settle down? And just like that, the speeding was back.
His steps were heavy as he exited the garage and walked his way over to their apartment's elevator. Control him... as if they could do that. He'd learned through the years to evade their antics and he'd continue to do so. They were the last people on the planet who deserved Taehyung's cooperation.
"Taehyung? What's the matter with you?" Hoseok asked frantically as he apparently had slammed the door with way too much force, but he wasn't aware of his strength. It was like he was watching himself from outside his body.
"They've gone too far, they've gone too far this time!" Taehyung repeated as he paced around their kitchen island, taking swigs of the liquor bottle that had been sitting there.
"You, wait here," Hoseok commanded as he left Taehyung to his own destructive tendencies. He hadn't even realized his friend was gathering them all until Jimin walked up to him and gripped his shoulder tight.
"What the hell is going on? What did they do to you this time?" Jimin all but practically snarled out, every word harsh like he had to force himself to speak every word without yelling them out.
"They're ruining my life, they're marrying me to a stranger," Taehyung croaked, taking another long swig out of the emptying bottle. That was bad, he'd have to get another soon if he wanted to make it through the night still sane.
Jin sighed from his seat, his parents had tried to do the same thing to him only just a couple of years ago in an attempt to get him to leave them. "You're to be married? They work fast. I apologize Taehyung, I bet it was my parent's idea."
He shook his head, Taehyung wouldn't have his older friend blaming himself that way. Yes, their parents talked, that was bound to happen with them all sharing the same culture as well as the same social statuses and wealth. "You know it isn't your fault." He said as calmly as possible, gripping the bottle so hard that Taehyung wondered if he could make it shatter. "They want to control me, to separate us from one another."
Namjoon nodded, "They do, they don't know about the bar either. But no matter what, the seven of us will always be together as we've always been. They forget we helped each other while they abandoned us."
"They don't even care enough to see it that way." Yoongi sighed, throwing his head back. "That's it, everyone get ready, we're going out tonight."
He watched them all disperse quickly, eager to aid Taehyung in whatever destructive way possible. Jin came back first, throwing his arm around him and muttering encouraging sentiments. He remembered the day Jin came in, eyes bloodshot and slurring. The picture was as clear as day that something major had happened and it needed to be solved as soon as possible. Jin had just turned twenty-three and his parents came at him hard in order to try to force him into settling down.
However, Jin being his rebellious self, threatened to leave and never return regardless of what he had to lose. The difference was, he was their only son. Taehyung didn't have that luxury, he would easily be replaced by his younger brother who was away at boarding school. They had sent his brother away the first chance they got, too afraid Taehyung would rub off on him, who knows how he turned out? They threatened to disrupt his brother's life every time he had tried to contact him.
The ugly part was that deep down, Taehyung really envied Jin for that. Say what you would about their parents, but Jin's ' parents gave in, halting all plans immediately. The sinking feeling that his father wouldn't even so much as bat an eye if Taehyung had ever tried to make that threat made his stomach lurch. His own mother only treated him like an accessory to her perfect life. In name only, Taehyung was a tool she used to boast about to her fellow socialite girlfriends. What she bragged about? He didn't care to know in detail.
He was book smart, but she'd of course never add that his dad instructed Taehyung's private instructor to smack his hands with a hard stick until they'd bled in order to get him to memorize the material given to him.
He also went to the best schools, another feat thanks to his parent's name and rising legacy. A topic his dad in particular never let him forget when he'd smack and hit him whenever Taehyung embarrassed him. Of course, that part was never said either.
He was handsome. Taehyung figured that, which was why they were never allowed to leave scars.
Still, a part of him really enjoyed knowing his name still held some merit with negative rumors just to spite them. Hell, ninety percent of them weren't even rumors but the truth. Of course, that didn't stop his parents from doing their best to bury every truthful thing ever said in an attempt to save face. Even though he knew those things, what he wanted more than anything was for it all to end. He could never forgive them, he knew that, and yet— yet, he wished he'd have a normal life. What was it like to have parents that actually treated you as a kid they loved and not a fool for their future success?
"Hey, you okay, Tae?" Jimin asked him, rubbing his hair in an affectionate letting way none of them hated.
"Yeah, I'm just ready to fuck it all up tonight," Taehyung answered, not feeling like he wanted to say his complete truth. If he knew Jimin at all, he knew his best friend was feeling guilty too. This wasn't his fault and it never would be.
Jimin's parents themselves were similar to Taehyung's. But instead of physical "lessons", they more went down to the pure mental fortress that was Jimin's mind, determined to break him into submission. But he was way more resilient than they'd thought and now resorted to stalking his every move.
Thus, being heavy donators and all, along with Taehyung's parents, were always at the campus for one excuse or another. Always busy, always making sure they needed to talk to whoever was necessary to get the information they needed as well as uphold their own reputation. It was only a bonus to them that they got to spy on the other six of them as well and report it back to their families.
"I don't want to fucking get married. Not now, not ever. I'd rather die than end up like them." Taehyung confessed, knowing the closest person to him would get what he was saying completely. Like Taehyung, Jimin also felt the same way about marriage.
You won't, we'll never let that happen to you." Jimin declared, sounding determined. It was a stark contrast to the words he'd said to Jungkook not even four hours ago. It was like a twisted foreshadowing and Taehyung had eaten his own words making such a promise like that to Jungkook.
"Private driver is here." Yoongi announced, "Hoseok called his and Jimin, yours will be at the club by the time we're ready to leave the club tonight. Absolutely no driving."
That made Taehyung wince internally, Yoongi would absolutely freak out if he knew how he was driving earlier. "Thank you, everyone. Are we all ready?"
"Beyond ready."
He turned to look at the rest of his friends stepping out one by one, Namjoon in particular had a devilish gleam in his eyes. "Let's go then."
Yoongi smirked, throwing open their door, "Tonight we show them, no one is in control of Bangtan but us. They aren't now and never will be."
Jungkook let out a small grunt of agreement and Taehyung wondered if he was resonating extra hard with that statement as well. "And if they try?"
Jimin smirked, "Then we burn it all to the fucking ground."
"Bangtan forever!" Namjoon yelled out.
"Bangtan forever!" The seven of them said in unison as they clambered into the different vehicles.
Tonight would be the night Taehyung made sure his parents knew they would never control him. He'd make sure of it. And if he couldn't? Well, he had six other brothers that were more than ready to unleash their own fury on his behalf.
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A/N: 11/14/22
On days like today, where things are a bit harder than the others and I hate myself a little more than I usually do— I find comfort in being able to let out my feelings through writing.
To whoever is reading this, I hope you enjoy it.