You had let Taehyung out of the sword.
A poor decision on your part, really.
He was such a brat, though! The entire time you and Seokjin had been walking and thebsoj of Aphrodite had been trying to talk to you, he kept distracting you with the flirtiest comments in all history, snipping at his hyung's sweetness to you and altogether being downright impossible.
At the moment, Seokjin had vanished into the large oak doors in front of you a while ago, into the lair of the beast (or, actually, the beauty, now that you thought about it), and you'd had quite enough with Taehyung's constant pleading in your mind to let him the hell out.
You shouldn't have given in. You shouldn't have, not when your lips still burned with memory of how you'd finally caved and kissed him, felt the forbidden sparks and sweetness of his skin under yours and how you, despite you telling yourself it had meant nothing, was just a way for you to make him stop talking, couldn't stop thinking about it.
Damn it, you couldn't stop thinking about him.
And he sure as hell wasn't making it any easier for you.
Taehyung in front of you dragged his tongue over his lips slowly, deliberately, locking dark, sharpened eyes with you and refused to let you free from his entrancing gaze.
Hell and back, he was going to be the death of you.
You had to admit, Kim Taehyung had undoubtedly all but mastered the art of bedroom eyes— the deep, darkly sultry gaze that gave you two options: either you were screwed or you were about to be screwed.
This was no exception.
The son of Ares didn't say anything as he tilted his head and quickly closed the distance between you two, chuckling lowly when he hooked his arms around you without warning and spun you around so your back was pulled flush into his chest. An involuntary squeak tore out of your throat when you felt Taehyung's long fingers drag across the curve of your waist teasingly, the feeling so sensual you almost dropped the bronze kopis loosely hanging from your hand, reminder of how you'd let Taehyung out of his prison— a mistake on your part, you were sure.
"Took you long enough," Taehyung dipped his head and let his breath fan over your collarbones, voice husky and low and a sultry purr that made you want to melt, "pretty one, subjecting me to unnecessary torture is not the nicest thing to do, you know?"
He knew what he was doing, abusing his deep-a*s voice like that. This annoying b*tch.
He was one of the most dramatic idiots you'd ever met in your life.
You rolled your eyes at the unnecessary theatrics Taehyung was pulling then and there. "You can't be serious. You were in the sword for ten minutes, dumba*s!"
The spell broke when Taehyung paused for a moment and then let out a laugh, darkly seductive mask falling as he went ahead with tightening his firm grip on you and turning his head to nuzzle his nose into your hair. "Even a second without you is enough to drive me mad, love," he drawled playfully, husky voice still making you involuntary shiver, and not because it was freezing in this damned building. No, Taehyung was providing you with more than enough heat.
His voice just drove you crazy, and now that he knew it, there was no way he wasn't doing this just to take advantage of it.
You shook your head in irritation even though your gut was twisting furiously at Taehyung's flirting. You knew he couldn't possibly actually mean what he said, but that didn't stop heat making the back of your neck prickle as a flush wound up through you.
"Shut up, Taehyung," you muttered. Ah, here you were continuing with your feeble attempts to push him away. Lord, you were pitiful— you couldn't even find the will in you to do it properly.
"Did I not ask you to call me Tae?" the son of Ares questioned playfully, still mumbling his words against your hair and occasionally dragging his lips down to ghost over the shell of your ear. You snorted; you honored his request sometimes, but right now hardly seemed a time to begin grilling you about it.
"Alright, then, Tae, let me go before Seokjin comes back and has a heart attack," you scolded lightly, straining against Taehyung's arms which somehow managed to tighten around you at the mention of Seokjin's name. The son of Aphrodite had disappeared into the wide oak doors in front of you a few minutes ago with clear instructions not to move and when you were called in, to be very careful around his mother and to, as he put it, 'keep your tongue in check because if there's one thing that ticks the goddess of love off, it's mouthy little warchildren, and you are definitely to be one of them'.
Honestly, you'd been lowkey terrified to meet Aphrodite (partly because you were pretty sure she'd see right through you and your damn denial regarding Taehyung), and Seokjin really hadn't been making it any better.
You knew he'd been teasing, handsome face scrunched with mirth when you swatted him playfully, but evidently something had ticked Taehyung off about it, because the minute he left, the son of Ares had demanded you let him out and had not given your poor brain a break until you finally just snapped the chain around your neck along with your patience and let him out before the vibrating and increasing weight of the thing around your neck have you scoliosis or some sh*t.
Taehyung was an incredibly persistent motherf*cker, you had to admit, but at least his presence was fun and bright and distracting from the real problem at hand— again, you had to admit that the time you spent with him was never totally awful.
No, screw that. You loved spending time with him; you couldn't quite place how or why, but you knew from the way you always seemed to unconsciously smile whenever he was around.
It didn't take a genius to know your plans to stay away from him were going to crash and burn.
But still, despite you being somewhat addicted to his presence, he was a persistent motherf*cker, and at the moment, said persistent motherf*cker with his arms still wrapped around you just let out something an awful like an annoyed growl and snorted. "Like I care. He could see me f*cking you to Olympus and back and I wouldn't stop for that. Let him see that you're mine."
An awfully strangled noise ripped its way out of your throat, and you almost dropped Taehyung's precious (and yet admittedly beautiful) sword with a clang.
F*cking hell, does this man have no filter???
You flushed at Taehyung's blunt words, heating up at an alarming rate as you instinctively jerked aware from him drove your elbow into his gut. "Ouch!" he whined, grip on you loosening enough to let you go, "great Olympus, woman, there was no need—"
"Oh, to hell with 'no need'!" you spluttered, suddenly feeling a rush of insolence and irritation at the way Taehyung was so effectively playing with your heartstrings and suddenly jabbing Taehyung harshly in the chest, finger prodding at the firm, rippling muscles, "I can't with you anymore, I literally— you need to stop, sir."
You need to stop making me feel things I'm not supposed to feel.
Uh, and that includes the overwhelming desire to let you screw my brains out, by the way.
There was a moment of silence as Taehyung regarded you before he barked out a challenging laugh. "Why?" he purred, taking a step forward.
Your words died in your throat as Taehyung smirked and drew closer to you, a small laugh bubbling from his chest when he gently pulled your forward, his other hand coming to wrap around your waist and pulling you close, every ridge and plane molding with yours— there was suddenly no space, no air to even breathe because Taehyung's musk and spice and autumn breeze was overwhelming your senses, sending a rush of dizziness ricocheting through you.
"Why should I stop?" he looked down at your shorter form with hooded, dark eyes, a lazy grin winding over his face. "I think I've made it painfully clear of what I want to do with you, baby."
HE certainly hadn't forgotten about how you'd kissed him either, it appeared. He drew a single finger back to caress at the place you'd brushed your lips, tilting his head in amusement when you burned red at the reminder.
A lesser mortal would have died then and there, hesitations snapping and instantly dragging this infuriatingly addictive man down for an impatient, hungry, fleeting kiss (you weren't going to lie; the thought HAD crossed your mind more than once today).
Thankfully, you had a little more restraint and willpower than a lesser mortal.
A little.
"Tae..." you warned, but there was no substance behind your words, nothing that really prompted him to let go, just as what as happened that morning. Damn you and your weak will, damn Taehyung's dark, syrup-brown eyes that glinted with bonze and gold and pure, soft promise. "Kim Taehyung, what are you doing?"
The chuckle Taehyung emitted then rumbled through you as if it was your own, low and yet gentle. "I don't know," he arched an eyebrow, playfully winking at you before leaning in closer, close enough you could feel his warm, sweet breath batting at your nose and lips, "what does it look like I'm doing, love?"
"Being an idiot?" you offered, nervously pushing against Taehyung's chest as if that could release the tension crackling in the air between you two. Taehyung shook his head, scarlet strands flying, and laughed again, the sound making something deep inside you melt at the candidness of it all.
"I would put it a different way," he leaned closer, palm ghosting the prospect of cupping your cheek, drawing his lips a little too close to the skin there. "Think of it as... returning a favor."
You knew what was coming, with Taehyung's eyes filled with softness that completely contradicted his nonchalant words and a healthy dose of want, with his nose locked beside yours and his lips graced with the most hopeful little smile you'd seen. You knew it was a terrible idea.
You also knew you wouldn't have the strength to stop it; your mouth opened, and the words bubbled on your tongue: we can't do this, this isn't right, Taehyung I'm sorry but I'm f*cking terrified— but you knew it was at least a 50/50 chance of you having enough strength and willpower to say it or not.
So thank goodness for the loud "A H E M" that echoed in the hallway and instantly prompted you to yelp and shove Taehyung back into the wall with surprising force, making him groan loudly.
You didn't know whether to thank Seokjin for standing there with his arms crossed and eyebrows arched for interrupting you or to smack him into next week for the smirk that was beginning to tug at his lips as his irritated façade began to falter. The door behind him was half-open, his foot holding it and allowing a crack of light to peek through, and his eyes held a mixture of exasperation and an irritating sort of smugness.
"Oh my god, get a room!" he spluttered, screwing his eyes shut dramatically and turning away with such extravagant flair you had half a mind to throw your shoe at him.
A fleeting glance at Taehyung almost made you laugh, though, no matter how awkward you felt, because the connection between you two was no simmering with both irritation and amusement and the face Taehyung made in response was pleasantly ridiculous.
This is why you were falling hard.
"I KNEW this would happen," Seokjin continued to grouse, annoyance flickering once more over his stunningly handsome features before he finally broke out into an unrestrainable, teasing smirk, eyes fixing themselves on Taehyung, "at least you listen to me sometimes, Tae."
"Not a word, hyung," the son of Ares hissed as he peeled himself from the wall, wincing, and you felt a momentary stab of regret for shoving him that hard before curiosity overwhelmed it. Why exactly was Taehyung embarrassed here? You didn't think the shameless idiot had it in him, and yet the dusky pink flush that curled over his honeyed skin was suddenly becoming visible.
You wanted to tease him about it, but you highly doubted you looked much better.
Like, HIGHLY.
But before you could stammer out anything to defend yourself, another voice entered the conversation.
"Seokjin, what is WRONG with you?" an unfamiliar voice suddenly hit your ears, and both you and Taehyung straightened despite your flustered appearances. The words were scolding, vaguely annoyed, and yet that voice... it almost affected you as much as Taehyung's did.
It certainly wasn't as deep as his, that was for sure— no, this voice belonged to a woman, silky and dripping sweetness and crystallized sugar, somehow sharp and enticing at the same time. This was a voice as sweet and trapping as honey, smooth and effortlessly persuasive.
You thought that if this person asked you to jump from the nearest cliff, you'd be doing just that.
Which is why your train of thought was slowed, but only for a fraction of a second. The face that materialized from behind the door made your mind go blank, yes, but then it allowed the inner workings to wind and work even faster.
The woman in front of you was a sort of otherworldly beautiful that made your head spin. Her eyes were a deep shade of onyx, tipped up slightly and double-lidded, contrasting prettily with the silky golden cream of her skin. Her hair shone jet-black behind her, the strands long and silky and straight with hot pink highlights racing through them, making you feel like your own locks were windswept beyond compare, falling to her waist and contrasting with the simple teal of her tight, buttoned blouse and the similar black of her fitted dress pants and heeled ankle boots. And with those heels (which you could never even dream of wearing, by the way), she was within a centimeter of the height of Seokjin beside her.
You weren't in a habit of letting people make you feel small, but it was near impossible to keep your proud composure when faced with this woman of such timeless beauty.
Honestly, you couldn't say you particularly liked the way Taehyung was staring at her, eyes wide and head tilted and faint curiosity dragging through the recognition, but you really didn't think your gawking was any better.
"SEOKJIN," the woman narrowed her eyes at the demigod beside her, who instantly shrunk away from her irate, black gaze and winced, "you couldn't have let them have their moment? Even I could sense it from in there, you fool!"
She whacked Seokjin upside the head, and you bit down hard on your lip to stifle a snicker at the pink-haired demigod's whine. "OUCH— okay, I'm sorry, Ma!"
After she was seemingly satisfied with Seokjin's apology, the woman turned to you with a faintly exasperated expression, even though you were pretty sure the annoyance wasn't directed at you. Her black eyes glittered with a playful sort of shine, one that made you feel sort of at ease, but there was something deeper hidden beneath them. Past the smile on her perfect, doll-like lips, and past the way her eyes crinkled up with smile lines, there was something harder, something more dangerous, something sharper.
It took an overthinking mind to see it. But you knew that you'd been right in being at least a little afraid.
But still, when she spoke again, the warmth and cheerfulness in her tone was enough to throw you off.
"Well, I certainly know these two— thank Olympus all seven of them aren't here to make a perfect mess of everything again," the woman tilted her head and shot another look at Seokjin, who rubbed the back of his neck, and dragged her gaze across, lingering for a moment too long for your comfort on Taehyung, who met it with a stubborn tip of his chin and a confident look, before finally fixing her dark irises on you, trailing down to the sword still clenched in your hand. "But I don't believe I've had the pleasure."
Yeah, well, there was no doubt at this point: you knew who this was, and damn, you had no idea how Taehyung had managed to bang her.
Needless to say, you were impressed.
You steeled yourself, masking everything rioting inside of you with a small, confident smile, posture relaxed and eyes lazy. "No, I don't think we've met either."
But with my experience with love... I don't think I ever would have wanted to.
You bit back your words when the woman's smile grew wider, as if she was amused by your cool reaction. "Yes, I'm sure I would remembered you if we had. You seem like a interesting one."
"I'm Y/N," you said calmly, trying not to read too far into this woman's tone and find the tiny stabbings of condescension. With a quick look at Seokjin, who offered a faint nod, you continued, "descendant of Athena."
As if humoring you, the woman in front of you nodded and mirrored your unbothered stance, extending a hand out for you to shake and quirking her lips in amusement when you hesitated for a moment too long. You knew Taehyung could feel the unease slithering through you when you locked eyes with this woman, but you were too invested in hiding your outside appearance to care about hiding anything from him right then.
The way he slid a little closer to you was enough, though.
Firmly grasping the hand in front of you and feeling an awful lot like you were selling your soul to the devil, you managed a smile, bolstered by Taehyung's supporting presence.
"Interesting," the woman mused, fixing you with a lazy smile, "well, I suppose you ought to know by now, but I'll spell it out for you just to be sure."
With a flourish (and a facepalm from Seokjin in the background, but you weren't going to expose him like that— oh wait) the otherworldly woman in front of you beamed and shot you a wink.
"Congratulations. You've finally met Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love. And from the way you're looking at me, I'll have to assume that you are only here of your own will because you, darling warchild, need my help."
Taehyung was going insane.
It was official.
Carefully, Taehyung watched you from the corner of his eye as him and Seokjin flanked you two while standing in front of Aphrodite's desk, made of shimmery, curved glass and backed by wide floor-to-cieling windows behind her and filling the entire, minimal room with cheery sunlight. Your eyes glinted in the sunbeams, the elegant column of your throat highlighted by a slicing ray of light that also illuminated the highlights of your face and made your already bright expression seem all the brighter.
Gods of Olympus, you were driving him mad.
That one night at Kai's birthday party had completely changed everything, and Taehyung knew it. The feeling of you in his arms, the rush he got when he made you laugh, the way he felt wholly invincible when you smiled at him like he was the only one in the room, the way he'd had to force all his thoughts of taking you then and there down because you were so damn beautiful in the dress Taehyung had picked out for you on that first day he'd been with you— it was intoxicating. You were intoxicating.
When he'd finally admitted to himself that this wasn't lust he felt for you anymore, hadn't been for a while, he hadn't realized how deep his emotions for you went.
It was oddly exhilarating, oddly new, having his eyes and heart set on a woman like you, chasing you for the prospect of a future where only he could have you. He'd been terrified of it for so long, but it didn't feel like something he should be terrified of.
It felt... good.
You know what had felt even better, though?. When despite everything. Despite the way you fought him, despite the way you snapped at him when he got too close, despite the way you had appeared to despise him... you'd said that you did feel something for him. And you'd been about to, this close to, kiss him, and then he'd been in for the shock of his life when one of his best friends had kicked down the door and started trying to go all Hercules on his a*s.
Oddly, not even that could have dampened his joy.
But he noticed, then, how a sudden change in attitude had come over you. How you, with quiet words and also not-so-quiet words exchanged between you and Namjoon, you'd been trying to keep some distance.
He wasn't stupid. He knew why you were suddenly so uncomfortable around him. He knew why, after you'd f*cking kissed him on the cheek and drove him up the gods-damned wall in trying not to snap and f*ck that teasing out of you, you still were trying to push him away. But really, he couldn't bring himself to blame you. He couldn't even bring himself to blame Namjoon for being the cockblock of the century.
He knew he was a bad idea, but he was willing to turn good for you.
Yes, he was losing his mind over you, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
Gods damn it all.
It was hard to tell what you were thinking as you stood motionless, waiting for Aphrodite to turn around from her dramatic posture as she looked out the window, hands clasped behind her back. Taehyung had to admit, you were incredibly proficient at keeping tabs on your emotions— even though the link you two had, he found it hard to read you sometimes. And on the outside, your cool and indifferent demeanor gave no clue to the inner tumult Taehyung was beginning to sense stabbing out from you.
It was hard to tell what you were thinking, but Taehyung could feel something spiking from you.
And that was fear.
Concern flooded him, hot and sharp, because whatever was happening within you right now, it couldn't have been too different from the panic attack you'd had at the club the other night, and that thought alone made him want to wrap you in his arms again and stay there until you kicked him away and protested you were fine.
Taehyung inched a little closer to you. I'm here, he wanted to whisper in your ear while kissing your cold threads of fear away and replacing it with the flames that had started to lick at the inside of his chest, the sparks that begun to sing through his blood, just remember that I'm here for you.
But of course, if he did that right now, he'd 1) get sucked into his sword, and 2) you'd literally give him hell later and maybe wouldn't talk to him for gods know how long. Soobin had warned him that he needed to take it slow, and if that's what it took, he refused to let it go.
"Taehyung," Seokjin's exasperated voice rung in his ear, soft and quiet enough that it was barely even audible in the quiet room, "stop staring, you idiot, you're so obvious it hurts."
Well of course he was being obvious, how was he supposed to tear his eyes from you when his cheek still burned from your soft lips pressed to it? How was he supposed to do anything that would alleviate his attention from you at all?
"Hyung, I'm trying to make it obvious," Taehyung sighed unthinkingly, closing his eyes for a moment in defeat until her realized what he'd said. The older demigod arched a brow at the seemingly whipped boy in front of him before he quickly corrected himself. "Um, I mean, I'm trying to make it obvious that I really want to bend her over right now and—"
Hades, I'm so dumb.
"Tae, if you finish that sentence, I will throw you out this window and then call up Joon to deal with your a*s," Seokjin warned, whisper harsh and annoyed and face both skeptical and the tiniest bit amused.
Taehyung blanched and snapped his mouth shut. Seokjin had already seemed to have caught on, it seemed. Everyone else, he could fool by just making it clear that he was just messing around. That was his plan, anyway. He didn't think he could live with the mortification if any of them found out the infamous womanizer who had literally banged half the female population in the time he'd been roaming the Earth had been the first one of honestly and truly want someone as more than just a quick f*ck— and that being a daughter of Athena, his father's mortal enemy, no less.
But you couldn't keep secrets like that from a son of Aphrodite.
Matter of fact, Taehyung realized with a creeping sense of dread, you most certainly couldn't keep secrets like that from Aphrodite herself.
And as if the thought at summoned her, at that moment, the Greek goddess of love turned around excruciatingly slowly and smiled right at Taehyung, sending a chill down his spine.
"Well," she tilted her head and casually leaned forward, sitting down on the luxurious spin chair behind her desk made of glass and metal. "This is an interesting predicament. It is not often you see two warchildren so... closely acquainted."
Seokjin choked back a snicker as Taehyung did a smirk.
The way she said those two words made you grimace slightly, and Taehyung fought the urge to pull you into his chest and laugh at your flushed expression. Gods, you were adorable.
You shot a look at Taehyung, clearly sensing his amusement, but he just smirked back at you.
Aphrodite watched the exchange with a faint grin, pressing her lips together and leaning back. "I trust there must be some sort of convoluted story behind this, because I can already tell this one is very wary of me," with a small flourish, the goddess flicked a finger lightly in your direction, making you stiffen slightly, and then she tipped her head to the side to let her obsidian gaze linger on Taehyung, "and yet, despite everything, I cannot wholly tell how exactly she feels about you."
Taehyung fought to keep his face steady when you bristled. Really, if anyone knew you were complicated and constantly at war with yourself regarding emotions, it was him; he could feel every single one of them. He knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes all too high yet— sure, you did say that you didn't hate him, you did say that you couldn't tell him you felt nothing for him, you technically were about to let him kiss you... but those weren't really answers, were they?
With a quick, sneaking glance at you, Taehyung watched as you shifted uncomfortably on your feet, eyes zeroing in on Aphrodite carefully, with sharp analysis blazing behind those irises. Taehyung had no idea how you didn't even know how obvious it was when you were thinking hard— your eyebrows would furrow, you'd bite down hard on your lip, your eyes would turn hard and flinty and emotionless, all too observing and logical.
It was that logic that was stopping you from trying things with Taehyung.
Okay, look. No matter how reckless and playful Taehyung was, if there was one thing he most certainly was NOT, it was an idiot. Your entire plan, from the start, had been to keep your distance from him and try and get him out of your life as soon as possible. Taehyung, frankly, hadn't even cared, just teasing you and flirting with you for the violent reaction it seemed to spring. It had been all in good fun until he, like an idiot, had let himself fall.
There was nothing Taheyung could have done to stop it— it was like you were made perfectly for him.
But you... you had more will. You had fear inside of you, you had the strongest desire to refute any and all feelings that you could possibly had because you had been hurt, time and time again, and Taehyung wasn't exactly someone who you trusted wouldn't put you through that again. You thought with your head, and not your heart— one of the key differences Taehyung had managed to discover between you two.
He didn't blame you.
But that didn't mean the ache would subside.
"Alright, listen," you narrowed your eyes, your voice sharp and tugging Taehyung out of his thoughts, "I'll admit, I don't know what to expect from you. But you were right about one thing— we need your help. If you aren't willing to give it, then we'll leave."
Seokjin coughed. "What she means is—"
"Oh, hush, Seokjin, won't you? I'm not going to hurt the girl for getting straight to the point and not wasting my time," Aphrodite admonished lightly. Seokjin paused for a moment before snorting.
"Yes, blame me for trying to avoid any more cabbage incidents, Ma!" the older demigod muttered, and Taehyung winced as a flash of memory hit him. Yeah, that... hadn't been fun. Cursed to be a head of romaine in the ground really was one of the memories of the gods he'd rather forget.
Along with his father cursing him to a thousand-year damnation, but you, know, occupational hazard.
Aphrodite rolled her eyes, even that simple motion elegant and delicate. "Your friends brought that on themselves, Seokjin. They were being quite... unruly."
"Ma, you cursed them to turn into lettuce,"
Taehyung noticed your eyebrows raising and you caught his eye, mouthing 'lettuce?'. Dramatically, he shuddered and closed his eyes, earning a pressed-lip smile and shaking shoulders that made it clear you were trying to hold in your laughter.
Was it bad how much satisfaction Taehyung got from that?
"Well, in my opinion, they were much better off as lettuce," the goddess of love muttered, rolling her eyes almost childishly at Seokjin, "and in any case, it doesn't matter since they didn't stay that way, now did they?"
"Four times," Seokjin gritted out, closing his eyes in exasperation, "you turned them into lettuce all four times."
"Actually, I turned them into roses once, just for variation," Aphrodite sing-songed, and Seokjin looked like he really wanted to throw himself out of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that paneled the wide wall behind the playful-eyed goddess.
"Uh, ANYWAY," you hurriedly burst in before Seokjin could go back to arguing with his mother, "Aphrodite. We're really sorry for bothering you, but the reason we're here is because we kind of have a problem."
There was a pause as Aphrodite turned her attention from her son and focused on you once more. "Well, I gathered that," she hummed, raking her gaze over Taehyung for a moment, then at the sword still dangling from your fingers, "I'm glad you've finally found your way out, Taehyung. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
The smirk that flickered over Aphrodite's face made you shift in unease.
Tipping his chin up, Taehyung nodded. "It has," he affirmed, voice dry, "frankly, I am glad to be out as well. That place was torture without company... but my father and Athena designed it that way, didn't they?"
Yes, it was torture. But with you, it was so much better.
Aphrodite looked faintly entertained by Taehyung's sharp tone. "And yet the curse hasn't left the thing, has it? You're still bound. It appears that Y/N here is as well. And it seems that all of you would like to know why, because that know-it-all warchild downstairs is currently loosing his mind in worry and you two do not want to be stuck with each other for the rest of millennia, is that it?"
At the silence that followed, Aphrodite laughed in satisfaction.
Well. That was odd, but not unexpected. Gods tended to know many things— funny how the goddess of love was flaunting it, though. So she knew why Taehyung and you had come to her.
"Well then. I trust the two of you are on the same page? You both want to get far away from each other?"
That was not what Taehyung wanted at all. That was not what was going to happen.
But the way you glanced at him and then your expression turned guarded...
Taehyung didn't know if it was because that WAS what you wanted or if it was because that's what you thought Taehyung was going to do.
You were once again watching Aphrodite carefully, jaw tensed as you met her black, amused eyes with shielded ones of your own, as if trying to figure out what she knew of you from the sheer power of your will. Aphrodite's words has struck some sort of chord in you, and both of you knew it. Taehyung felt yet another flicker of fear spark through you, and this time, he couldn't help himself. He knew what you were afraid Aphrodite knew.
Well, not exactly, but he had an idea.
Like he said before— he was wild, but he wasn't stupid.
You shied away from any male's touch. You had panic attacks at the smallest things that may spark a memory. Namjoon had been so protective over you it was almost concerning.
You refused to let Taehyung all the way in.
Without caring about the two curious sets of eyes watching, Taehyung made his way over to you and casually slung his arm around your shoulders, tugging you into him and hoping that it would give you comfort, give you relief. Give you strength. Taehyung knew the feeling of trying to freeze everything inside of you off from Aphrodite— before he'd met you, he'd despised what she could do to him, what chaos she could build inside his head.
Too late for those fears now. Far too late.
But if he could help you fight it, fight it like you fought everything else, that was all he needed.
"Taehyung, what are you—" you sighed in familiar exasperation and nervously glanced at a now-grinning Aphrodite and a facepalming Seokjin when Taehyung just shot you a cocky grin and let his head rest on top of yours.
"Aphrodite, goddess of love," Taehyung loudly declared, even though his eyes fixated on you and your both shocked and annoyed expression, "we've not come here to be asked needless questions that would hinder success. Instead, we have come for a favor and offer one in return. We've come to ask aid in freeing ourselves from a curse. The future is uncertain, but as long as we are able to finally rid ourselves of it, we will do what you ask."
Aphrodite raised an eyebrow at the old, traditional proclamation Taehyung had rooted out, and you snorted lighting, a small scoff tearing from your throat before Taehyung quickly bent his head down and whispered something in your ear.
"Together, Y/N."
You stilled in your attempts to shove Taehyung's arm off you, color flickering over your cheeks when Taehyung pulled back with a satisfied grin. Your eyes fell to the floor, softening slightly, and your stiff posture seemed to melt.
"Oh god, I hate you, you flirt," you muttered under your breath, but Taehyung caught the smile that ghosted over your lips when you tried to push him away. Keyword: tried.
"I told you two to GET A ROOM—" Seokjin huffed under his breath, but this mother shushed him.
Carefully, Taehyung met her inky eyes and startled at the small flash of an odd sort of fondness when she watched you discreetly jab Taehyung in the side and hiss, "dude, we're in front of a goddess right now, let GO of me—", to which he just tried not to laugh. Your spark was back.
"Do you accept, lady Aphrodite?" Taehyung tilted his head and smiled that lazy, charming box-shaped smile he knew was enough to bring anyone to their knees.
The goddess of love paused for a moment, as if truly considering. Taehyung hadn't exactly been sure how favors from the gods were asked in this day and age, but it seemed to have done the trick; Aphrodite appeared to be weighing the options in her mind as the gods had always done when faced with this particular challenge.
But also... it seemed like she knew what Taehyung had done. She knew why Taehyung had instantly jumped to subtly defend you. She knew, and if Taehyung wasn't mistaken, that usually prompted her into helping.
When within the people involved, there was a fool who was so head over heels he was beyond saving.
Finally, the beautiful goddess sighed.
"It appears you've made your point, son of Ares," with a faint grin, she dragged her eyes over you and then back to Taehyung once more. "Very well, no more needless questions. I will help you, if only because the reason your curse has gone on for so long is a most annoying prospect that I would actually rather you get rid of."
You tilted your head and blinked, clearly not having expected the goddess to give in so easily. Seokjin also looked faintly surprised. "What do you mean?" you prodded, eyebrows furrowed.
"Think of it this way, you two oddly adorable warchildren," Aphrodite playfully flicked a long finger in your direction, and Taehyung beamed while you went red with embarrassment, "usually, in the sorts of favors Taehyung here was asking for, I help you with information and you do some sort of quest for me. But in this case... really, getting rid of the two brutes who are strengthening the curse on your sword would be enough for me. Their presence in this city is frankly, incredibly annoying."
Taehyung wasn't as quick-minded as you, because if he was, he would have instantly known who Aphrodite was speaking of.
Unfortunately, he wasn't.
"Ma? Who— well, we knew there were forces working on his sword, but who—" Seokjin began, but Aphrodite's silky, dulcet tones cut him off.
"Boys, you really can't be that dense, can you?" she cocked a brow at him and sighed, leaning back in her chair as she flicked a finger, making you squeak in surprise when the sword in your hands was tugged to her in one smooth motion. She ran her long fingers over the blade of Taehyung's precious kopis (you were the only one who he trusted with it at this point) and wrinkled her nose.
"Son of Ares, do you really not recognize the energy of your own brothers?"
A/N: AHAHA NERVOUS LAUGHTER DON'T KILL ME I SWEAR I'M SORRY.
So... I know I've been MIA for a little too long... two weeks is wayyyyy too long for this and I swear I'm really really really sorry but seriously, stuff has been going on at home and there's so much schoolwork and I've just been stressed as hell. My mind is all over the place and even though I've been trying, I swear to god I have 15 drafts of this one chapter because I just couldn't get it right. I don't even feel like this chapter was that great either. But I owe you guys something, at least. I miss you guys loads, and I'm really sorry again. My mental health, at the moment, hasn't been that great, but I swear I'll try to pay more attention to this story!
Please forgive me, guys! I'm not dead!
And, um, tell me what you thought of this chapter! I kind of need the feedback rn haha. I love you guys, and stay safe.