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If you spot a gecko while you're walking down the street one day and you're curious enough, you might chase after it. And if you're lucky, you might catch it. And if you know anything about geckos, you might be tempted to cut its tail off. Because you, a gecko expert, know that a gecko's tail is able to regenerate itself.
But, if you have any humanity, you'll try to tell yourself that the gecko does not deserve to have its tail chopped off by a human like yourself. Does the simple fact of you possessing the knowledge and the brain capability of recognizing that the gecko will not die without its tail justify why you should? If you know a creature will feel pain in the moment, but it will survive and eventually regenerate stronger than ever before, does that make you inclined to hurting it in the first place?
The answer is no.
But if you are like Kim Taehyung, who has de-tailed geckos for most of his childhood, you will say yes.
The problem for people like Kim Taehyung, and really for any normal person, is that they never follow up on the gecko they maliciously dismembered. Granted, geckos are not very easy to differentiate, so it would be no surprise that when someone like Taehyung comes across the same gecko he attacked not long before with a brand new tail, who's to stop him from doing it again?
But what will happen the day he recognizes the creature he hurt and witnesses the transformation right before his eyes. And this time he doesn't get the opportunity to hurt it again.
"What are you doing after this?" You pin your hair back as Yoongi begins to pick up dirty cups from a nearby empty booth.
"Probably going to Jimin's place, he said Hoseok's over at Tae- erm Jungkook's house, so." He trails off, not failing to miss you grimace in disgust at the name that almost leaves his lips. "Why, did you wanna do anything?"
"Mm kinda, Uma's visiting her grandparents and I thought you and I could hang out like we used to," you half-smile as you punch an order into the POS system.
"You're free to hang out with me and Chim, Honey. You're always welcome," he nudges you.
"No, it's fine. I should really start going home after my shifts anyway."
"Yeah, Honey I'm all for sex positivity but you can't keep picking up any more crummy guys from this place and going home with them. The first couple of times I was all for it, but now I'm kinda getting worried-"
"I'm fine, Yoongi," you flash a smile that does not reach your eyes and he sighs.
"Fuck Taehyung, Honey. He's an insecure brat who didn't deserve even a second of your time." He smiles reassuringly before walking through the kitchen doors.
It has been a couple of weeks since you have talked to Taehyung, but you could never escape the thought of him. You heard him in the laugh of Yeonjun whenever he was over. You saw him in the stupid panda plush that inconveniently sat on your bed. And you never seemed to be able to evade the name whenever you talked to any of your friends. Truth is, you missed him.
To repudiate that, you had fallen into the habit of going home with the same couple of men almost every night to ungracefully fuck the sad out of you.
However you quickly realized that no amount of pleasure could fill the hole he had managed to slither into and burn in your heart. To say that it did not help that everyone around you was happy would sound selfish, but it was a reality. Uma and Hoseok are now speaking again, and Yoongi just told you that he's meeting Jimin's parents in a week or so. You've met Jungkook for coffee a few times at school, but he was always kind enough to refrain from mentioning his roommate to you, besides the phrase he always seems to think will make you call him first.
He misses you.
Tonight, you have stupidly taken the happy hour shift causing a bustling Bang's to buzz with customers, which is fine with you because anything to distract yourself is welcomed with open arms. It's no surprise when the booth Yoongi was just bussing is filled again, prompting you to attend to it.
"Hi guys, my name's Y/N and I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you started with any drinks?" You smile at the group. Scanning their faces, you're suddenly grateful you chose this shift as you're met with the faces of some of the most beautiful humans you've ever seen.
"Hm, what would you like Rika?" One of the men asks the woman beside him as he pushes his rounded glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"I don't know, you know I don't drink. Can I just have a Coke?" She asks, her voice so sweet you feel you are in a trance as you mindlessly scribble her drink.
"I'll have a beer," a deep voice you could drown in says from his corner of the booth as he smiles childishly at you. "Yugyeom will have one too," he points to the first man who first spoke and he nods.
"Lucas, shouldn't we order four more for the others?" The woman asks, her sweet eyes staring at the one with the cute smile.
"Oh yeah, four more please," he winks and you almost drop your pen.
"I'll be right out with your order," you smile and walk off, your heart doing somersaults.
Lucas rakes a hand through his brown fringe as he watches your figure sway away. He kisses his teeth before smiling back at his friends, "nice place."
"Yeah, looks popular," Rika scans the crowded area and line at the front of the entrance. "When's everyone else coming?"
"Kai texted that he would be here soon," Yugyeom glances at his phone, "they just had to pick up Taehyung."
"He hasn't shown up to the building in 3 weeks, good luck with that," Lucas scoffs.
"Here they are."
The three direct their attention toward the four men emerging from the crowd. Taehyung stumbles a bit but Samuel and Jungkook drape his arms around their shoulders enough for the three to make it to the table in one piece.
"Sorry we're late," Lucas stands so Kai can scoot into the booth, "found this guy drunk as a skunk in his room."
Taehyung settles into the soft cushion of the booth and feels his eyelids grow heavy.
"Aye!" Samuel shouts, snapping his fingers in front of Taehyung's limp face. "Wake up!"
"Aish, Kook thought he could use a night out and his uni friends aren't available so I thought he could join us for our end of the week drink." Everyone blinks their eyes in surprise at Kai. "What? I can be a nice guy."
Jungkook knew exactly why he called Kai. In fact he was the one who suggested Bang's to them in the first place. Plus he loved their buffalo wings.
You return with a tray of drinks, slightly excited at the prospect of talking to more beautiful people until your eyes land on Jungkook. Placing the beers and Coke down in front of everyone, you apprehensively scan the table. You spot a head of jet black hair face down on the table and you feel your heart twist, knowing exactly who it is.
"Y/N! What a coincidence!" Jungkook grins as the rest of the table exchange confused looks. Jungkook looks back at Kai, his head motioning towards you and you watch Kai's mouth form an O as he nudges the sleepy Taehyung beside him.
"Hey, nice to see you. Are you guys ready or do you need a couple minutes?" You frantically say, your gaze never leaving Taehyung.
"Um actually-" someone starts but you don't allow them to finish as you see Taehyung lift his head and his gorgeous eyes flutter open.
"Couple minutes? Okay!" You quickly walk back to the kitchen before Taehyung can even register who you are or where he is.
"What was that about?" Yugyeom asks, eyeing Jungkook who watches you walk away.
"Baby Kim's ex-girlfriend," Kai slaps the man's back.
The three simultaneously choke on their drinks, their eyes as wide as saucers as they direct their attention to an oblivious Taehyung. Rika slightly blows her bangs out of her face before breaking the silence. "So, it's true?"
"What?" Taehyung hiccups.
Rika lunges across the table and grabs him by the collar of his shirt. "YOU HAD A GIRLFRIEND?"
"Aish, this is why she doesn't need a drink. She's already crazy enough as it is," Kai shakes his head, watching the ordeal casually.
"Nooo," Taehyung giggles, reaching out for Riko's short bob that is still bouncing from the speed of her previous movement. "I can't have a girlfriend, Daddy will be maddddd. But but that's why I wanted one. It's funny when Daddy's mad."
Everyone groans and Rika pushes him back, making him collide with the back of the booth with a thud. Yugyeom pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Well, at least she's now his ex girlfriend."
"Damn it, Taehyung. You're lucky it didn't last long or all of our jobs would be on the line." Lucas sighs in relief.
"Lucky?" Jungkook scoffs, appalled at the lack of empathy from his best friend's coworkers. "Look at him," he points at Taehyung now staring up at the spinning ceiling fan in awe. "I can't remember a time in the last three weeks he was sober. He's miserable and all of you have your heads so far up Mr. Kim's ass that you don't even care, just like he doesn't."
Kai tsk's, "Kook. You don't understand. Mr. Kim says the future of the entire company is reliant on that marriage-"
"Then one of you marry her if you care so fucking much about the company!" Jungkook storms off, believing that if he listens to another word Taehyung's father's minions have to say he'll hurt one.
Taehyung watches his best friend storm out and pouts. "Why you guys make Kookie mad? Don't make Kookie mad," he proceeds to crawl under the table to escape the booth and trail after him. "Kookie needs to have a good time!"
"We're never inviting those two again," Lucas snorts as he takes a sip of his beer.
"Taehyung fixated on a girl for three weeks and drinking himself half to death?" Yugyeom ponders, observing the two best friends walk to the bathroom .
"Maybe Jungkook's right. The marriage thing is a little fucked up and maybe he does really like her-" Rika starts.
"Fuck that. The kid's got mommy and daddy issues. What he needs is a therapist, not some girl. The least he can do is marry the girl his dad wants him to." Kai finishes his drink and motions to Yoongi for a second to which he nods.
"Some people actually benefit from the company of people, Kai," Rika seethes.
"The weak," Kai winks and she brings her fist up ready to throw a punch but Yugyeom catches her elbow.
"What's so special about her that she's got him so sprung?" Lucas ogles your ass in the distance bending to pick up a receipt. "You think he'd mind if I-"
"Yes." Yugyeom deadpans.
The pair return and once again Taehyung crawls under the table to return to his spot in the middle of the booth. "I want mozzarella sticks!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. In a minute. Taehyung, why do you like this girl so much?" Lucas inquires, his eyes still glued on you.
"Girl?" He scrunches his nose, smiling when the hazy image of you pops into his mind. "I don't like a girl, I like a womannnn," he howls.
Rika giggles as Yugyeom, Jungkook, and Samuel smile fondly at the man displaying his affection.
"She she she," he hiccups, "she has a pretty smile. Pretty waitress. She doesn't like when I call her that, though. I think she likes Y/N better. But she also goes by Honey. She tastes like Honey too. Oh!" He presses a finger to his lips to shush himself, stifling his giggles.
Lucas' ears perk up at the last sentence and he smirks. "You slept with her?"
"Only once," he presses his index finger against Lucas' face and he slaps it away. "I never thought someone could look so pretty during sex."
Yoongi strolls back to the booth with Kai's second beer, handing it to him before taking out his notepad and pen. "Have you all decided what to order?"
"Where's the other waitress?" Lucas impatiently asks, his head trying to swivel around Yoongi in an attempt to catch a glimpse of you.
"Busy," he monotonously answers, recounting the memory of you running into the kitchen and begging for him to take the table a few minutes prior.
"YOU'RE HER FRIEND," Taehyung shouts then proceeds to slap the backs of anyone around him, "this is her friend. I know you! How are you? How is she?"
"I'm sure if you really cared about how Honey is, you'd call her to apologize, asswipe."
Taehyung narrows his eyes, not in annoyance but more as if he is pondering the idea. Then, in the blink of an eye, he slithers out of the booth once again and darts for the front door.
"Taehyung!" Jungkook yells.
"Don't worry, Kookie. I'll be right back. Order my mozzarella sticks!"
And then he's gone.
Totally not influenced by the fact that Taehyung is in the main dining area of the restaurant, you decide your services are better suited in the back where all the pool tables are located serving drinks. Did it mean a drastic decrease in tips? Yes. But did it mean evading the sight of the man whom you miss. Yes, and that was enough reason to keep you there.
You glimpse at the table every once in a while from behind the corner of a wall, always thankful to never meet Taehyung's eyes.
"Who are you hiding from?"
A deep voice rings behind you, making you jump and him laugh. Putting on your fake customer service smile, you prepare yourself to meet the face of a sleazy old man an inch away from groping you. Yet to your surprise, you are instead met with one of the gorgeous men from Yoongi's table.
"No one," you politely smile, "just checking if they need my help out there."
"Mmm," he nods, pretending to believe you. "Well I'm sure your beautiful face would brighten the place up a bit."
"Thank you..."
"Lucas," he finishes holding his hand out for yours. Hesitantly, you place it in his and he slowly raises it to plant a chaste kiss on the back, locking eyes with you.
"Well, Lucas, by the looks of it it doesn't seem like you need another drink, so if you'd excuse me." You shuffle back towards the bar, heartbeat quickening and your stomach sinking. It's as if a pang of guilt has completely hit you at just the thought of flirting with someone while Taehyung is just a few feet away.
Damn your guilt complex.
Lucas sees the tension in your body as you walk away. The same question boggles his mind. How could you and Taehyung have ever been together?
He trails after you. "Are you doing anything after tonight, Y/N?"
"How do you know my name?" You ask accusingly. He points at your name tag and you groan. "S-sorry I'm a little on edge tonight."
"Is it because of Taehyung?" His plants himself on a stool in front of the bar, amused by the way you struggle with opening a few bottles.
"That's personal." You say, your patient wearing thin as you uncap the last bottle with a clank.
"So it is," he follows you to the customers gathered around a pool table as you hand them their drinks.
"No offense, Lucas. But why do you care?"
"Because it's interesting. Not to toot my own horn but you're the first woman who's ever turned me down so quickly and it's because you're in love with Taehyung." You abruptly stop, feeling his chest colliding slightly with your back pushing you forward. You steady yourself before whirling around, staring directly up at his round eyes, momentarily getting distracted by how chiseled his jawline is and how alluring he looks with his hair slicked back.
"I don't know who you think you are," you harshly press a finger to his chest enveloped in a white dress shirt, "but you don't know a single thing about me. And I'm not going to stand here and let you act like you do by claiming that I'm in love with Taehyung and that's the only possible reason why someone would turn down your cheesy advances."
He simply smirks at your overreaction. You scoff and make your way back to the bar for another round of bottles.
"Then prove it."
"Prove what? I don't need to prove shit to you!" You start towards him, completely over his antics as you raise your hand but he catches your wrists with just one of his, pinning them behind you. They are now trapped between your body and the wall behind you as he continues to press his body onto yours.
He leans in to you, "kiss me."
It's then that you notice his putrid breath and dilated pupils. "You're drunk, you need to leave," you struggle to wriggle out of his grip, the smell of alcohol poisoning your nostrils.
The bar is inconveniently located in the back of the game area and most patrons are either playing or focusing their attention on the large T.V.s. Even though the man is borderline harassing you, the last thing you want is to create a scene to disturb any of them.
"Just a little kiss and I'll leave you alone." You feel his free hand ghost over your waist as he settles into the crook of your neck. His lips graze your sensitive skin and you exhale shakily. The bathrooms were just a few feet away, if only a customer would turn to use it then you could signal for help. His hand trails to under your thigh and he grips it, smirking against your skin at the feeling. You exhale again, in fear, and he loosens his hold a bit. "I knew you liked me, I could see it in your eyes the second you served us."
What an insecure man, you think to yourself. Maybe him mistaking your reactions to his touch is precisely what will free you from him.
You exhale again, a little louder this time. Just as you expect, his hand trails to the curve of your ass and he abandons his grip on your wrists entirely.
In one motion you push his chest back, causing him to stumble against the opposite wall.
"Bitch," he spits. He starts towards you again and in an instinctive but not so helpful move you squeeze your eyes shut, merely holding your hands out in front of you in defense. Everything is pitch black, and the only sound you hear is your heart thumping what seems like a million beats a minute. A night you assumed would be like every other will now end in you being hit by a man you just met and you're too paralyzed by fear to even try to protect yourself. Your feet feel like they're superglued to the floor as you anticipate the painful collision of his palm against your face or even worse.
Does it usually take this long to get hit?
Your eyes hesitantly flutter open, meeting a huffing Taehyung standing over Lucas who's face now resembles that of a bruised peach. Namjoon and Jin rush over to the scene, as well as the security guard Teo. Jin grabs your shoulders and pulls you in for a hug, "Honey, are you okay?"
You watch Namjoon help Lucas up as Teo drags Taehyung away. Lucas winces before scowling at Taehyung who merely narrows his eyes at the man.
"My woman," you hear him mumble to him before Teo hauls him to the exit.
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This chapter was actually so fun to write and I really wanted to keep going but I'm already at 3400 words and I thought that was too much 😔🤚🏽
Also disclaimer I love Lucas and he is so sexc and if he did this to me in real life I would not complain 👁➖👁 but for the sake of the story had to make him a lil sleazy
Like this is illegal
Also my baby Yugyeom
Delicious
Also Rika doesn't exist but this is how I imagine her
that's all hehehe