#v network

It was all he could do when the air conditioning was busted. Everything was still and quiet, with not even a gentle breeze blowing through the open window to provide him with some relief. Sundown was supposed to bring cooler temperatures, but that did not seem to be the case tonight. It was every bit as sweltering now as it had been at high noon.

Taehyung huffed and flipped over onto his back, kicking his blanket onto the floor. He sprawled his limbs out, trying to distance them from each other as much as possible.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, he placed a hand on his naked stomach and sighed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t fall asleep. This heat was intolerable. Every time he managed to doze off, he awoke not long after with his mouth dry and his body covered in a layer of perspiration. The heat was all he could think about.

Absentmindedly, his hand trailed down his stomach and rested on his crotch. He gently stroked himself through the fabric of his boxers.

It’s too hot. Why do I still have these on?

He immediately discarded them onto the floor.

Better.

He lay back, tucking one arm behind his head as he continued touching himself, more out of habit than anything. Then the next thing he noticed, to his surprise, was that he was rock hard.

I already got this far, I might as well…

Taehyung slowly pumped his hand up and down his shaft, keeping a loose grip on himself, and lazily spreading precum along his length.

He was beginning to sweat even more, but it felt too good to stop.

He gently rolled his balls in his palm, and watched as his cock jumped in response. He could feel the tension building already, but he didn’t want to come so soon.

He took his hand off of himself, giving himself time to catch his breath. Now, his sheets were soaked with sweat and his hair clung to his slick forehead.

Taehyung glanced down at his crotch. He bit his lip as he saw his member twitching, yearning to be touched. He ran his thumb over the tip, playing with a bead of precum. He was leaking all over his stomach.

He distributed that precum from the tip of his cock to its base, but Taehyung felt it wasn’t enough. With a hand still wrapped around himself, he reached over to his nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube. Taehyung squeezed a bit onto his slit and used his fingers to coat his length in it. This was better. Now he could move his hand up and down with ease.

He could feel his body burning up from within as he stroked himself. Sweat continued to seep out of his pores, and soft, strangled gasps left his throat as he chased his high. The heat of his breath became indistinguishable from the hot air of the room. His once lazy pace now picked up as he was closer to coming.

At this moment, he wasn’t thinking about the fact that it was too hot. He wasn’t thinking about anyone or anything in particular as he approached his orgasm. He only thought about how amazing it felt and how his blood seemed to be burning through his veins.

Taehyung’s heart beat erratically as he came. His breathing hitched and he softly moaned as he shot his load all over himself.

He continued to stroke himself through his orgasm, and his whole body twitched as he became increasingly sensitive.

When every last bit of cum had been milked out of him, Taehyung set his cock back down on his stomach. He watched as it softened and flopped onto his thigh.

Jungkook’s father made sure he knew this well. He drilled this mindset into his son, so that when he passed, Jungkook could carry on the family business.

It'd been three months since Jungkook took over the company, enough time for him to get settled, but with the shift in power fresh enough that everything was still a little unstable.

This was the perfect time to attack.

Yoongi navigated his way across the ballroom toward the new CEO, with Taehyung following close behind. Both men were dressed in their nicest suits, which, considering the recent debt they had acquired, weren't all that nice. However, it wasn't about what you wore, but how you wore it, and they wore it so well.

The two men had a certain air about them that made everything they touched look expensive as hell. Was it their gaze? Lethal yet hypnotizing, seduction at its finest. Their hair? Expertly cut and suavely styled, without a single strand out of place. Their glowing skin? Clear, dewy, and radiant, resembling rich, golden honey. Or simply their attitude and they way they carried themselves? Fierce and dominant, like they would burn the place down if they didn't get what they wanted. Maybe it was a combination of all of these things.

"President Jeon." Yoongi greeted Jungkook with a bow at ninety degrees, and Taehyung did the same.

Jungkook was clad in a black silk blazer, decorated with a delicate white butterfly pattern. He set the champagne flute he had been holding on the table next to him. He looked the two men up and down with his piercing blue eyes, liking what he saw.

"May I help you?" He asked with a smirk, gaze lingering on Taehyung.

Yoongi nodded. "My name is Min Yoongi. My business partner, Kim Taehyung, and I would like to propose a deal. That's what this event is for, after all."

"Ah," was all Jungkook said in reply. He kept his eyes on Taehyung, whose lips curled up into a flirty smile at the attention.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to speak with you privately," Taehyung said in a low voice.

Jungkook was intrigued. Here was this handsome man and his even more handsome business partner asking to discuss a deal with him privately. Normally, he wouldn't agree, having just met them, but these two looked exceptionally delicious, and he was curious as to what they wanted from him. If the night turned out well, he was hoping to take at least one of them home with him tonight.

The CEO turned toward the group of men and women that accompanied him. "If you'll excuse me, please." He bowed to each of them. They all bowed in response and said their goodbyes.

Yoongi led them into an unoccupied conference room down the hall from the hotel's ballroom.

Jungkook sat down in one of the many chairs that surrounded a large wooden table. "So what are you proposing?" He leaned back and clasped his hands over his stomach.

Yoongi and Taehyung remained standing. "Taehyung, show him," Yoongi instructed.

The younger man manifested a bound report from the inside of his blazer and handed it to the CEO. Jungkook leaned forward and took it, touching his fingers to Taehyung's and leaving them there a little longer than necessary. Taehyung only smirked in response.

"We've developed this drug," Yoongi explained, "Bangtanus Sonyeondaris. It's a tissue regenerative that, when injected into the bloodstream, can heal any wounds in a matter of seconds, no matter how deep. We’re thinking of selling it to the American military, which is a multibillion dollar industry, to heal soldiers with bullet wounds so that they're back up and ready for combat with no time wasted. Soldiers no longer have to be carried to infirmaries or airlifted to hospitals. They can be treated right then and there on the battlefield."

Jungkook flipped through the pages of chemical formulas, calculations, and explanations, occasionally sneaking glances up at Taehyung as he read. Yoongi continued to explain the drug while Taehyung stood next to him silently, nodding along to everything he said.

When Yoongi finished his speech, Jungkook closed the report and set it down on the table. He then leaned back in the chair, placing both bands behind his head. In this position, Jungkook's shirt was stretched taut against his chest, revealing the toned muscles of his abdomen through the delicate white fabric.

Taehyung narrowed his eyes at the CEO, wondering if he was doing this on purpose.

"So what does this have to do with Jeonentech?" Jungkook asked. Yoongi opened his mouth to answer, but Jungkook stopped him. "No, I want to hear from him."

Taehyung shifted on his feet. "Well, sir," he began. "All this stuff here in our report is entirely theory. We have not actually tested any of this out because we don't have the equipment or the funding. That's why we need you."

"Ah, you need me,” Jungkook repeated. “And what do I, and all of Jeonentech, have to gain from this?"

"Once we have the drug developed, we will sell you the patent to it, for a nominal fee of course."

"And why would you do that, when you can continue to profit off of it instead?"

"We only need enough to help us live, sir. We don't need more."

Jungkook sat up straight. "Well, everything sounds good to me. If this is what you really want, then we have ourselves a deal."

"Great." Yoongi breathed out a sigh of relief. They were in, the hardest part was done. Now they just had to find his weaknesses, and figure out a way to exploit them.

It's not like Yoongi hadn't noticed Jungkook eyeing Taehyung the whole night, looking at him like he was a lion and Taehyung was some feeble gazelle. It was a mistake on Jungkook's part for being so obvious, because now they could use it toward their advantage.

"Taehyung is the main brain of the operation, I'm merely the spokesperson for the two of us," Yoongi told him. "Taehyung is the biochemist amongst the two of us."

"Huh?" Taehyung was confused but quickly caught on. "Oh, yes."

"He will be the one to oversee the lab work and drug testing."

"That's right," Taehyung confirmed.

"Ah, so I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other then." Jungkook smirked.

Taehyung returned the expression. "I guess so."

The CEO stood from his seat. "I'll have my lawyers get together with you to draw up a contract." He locked eyes with Taehyung and reached into his jacket, pulling out a small black card. "If anything comes up," he handed the card to him, "or if you merely want to talk, give me a call."

Taehyung simply took the card from Jungkook and nodded, seemingly entranced by the CEO's gaze.

"Will do," Yoongi answered for him, causing Jungkook to break eye contact and look at the man speaking.

Jungkook nodded. "Well, good night to the two of you. I hope you can sleep well now that you know your idea has just been greenlighted." All three men bowed to each other and Jungkook left the room, presumably to return to the party.

Taehyung stared at the card in his hand. Just minutes earlier, Jungkook's hand had brushed his while he took it. The warmth still lingered and he wondered what this feeling was.

Yoongi clapped a hand on his partner's shoulder. "We did it, Tae. We've breached the threshold. We're just barely under the skin of Jeon Jungkook and his company. Now we just have to worm our way into the gut and then the fun stuff happens."

"Mmm. Yeah..." Taehyung muttered, still in a daze.

"We should get home and plan our next move," Yoongi suggested.

Taehyung nodded and followed Yoongi out of the meeting room.

They got back to their shared apartment a little past midnight. It was an old, crusty place, with two tiny bedrooms, a living room, and a slightly moldy kitchen. It was all they could afford after what happened last year.

Taehyung sprawled himself onto the couch not long after he and Yoongi walked through the door. Yoongi noticed that he seemed to be out of the odd stupor that Jungkook had put him in.

He pushed Taehyung to sit up and then sat down next to him. "We have to think about what to do next."

Taehyung sighed and rested his elbows on his knees.

"I noticed Jungkook has a thing for you." Taehyung perked up at the suggestion. "I think we can use that to our advantage."

"Hyung, are we sure this is the right plan of action? Is this really going to solve anything?"

"It's because of him and his company that Yoona is dead."

Taehyung rubbed his hands against his face. "I know," he muttered. "But if we destroy the company, what happens to the cure? Isn't that gone with it? Isn't it better to have a cure than no cure?"

"At the price they're selling it, no one can afford it. And if no one's using it, it's like there's not really a cure at all."

Taehyung frowned. He wasn't convinced. They had talked about taking down Jeonentech for a while, but now that they were actually doing it, he had his qualms.

Yoongi saw the look on Taehyung's face. "We can make a cure, then," he said. "Make one that everyone can afford."

"How are we going to do that? I don't actually know chemistry or biology! That entire report was just bullshit! I dropped out of school to help with Yoona remember?"

Yoona was Yoongi's older sister. She pretty much raised Taehyung and Yoongi when Yoongi's parents died in a car accident and Taehyung's bailed on him. Yoona fed him, clothed him, and took care of him ever since he unofficially joined the Min family at the age of six. As he got older, he was ever so grateful that she took him in. He was always thinking about how he could repay her.

An opportunity came along when Taehyung had just started his third year of university. Yoongi had already graduated a couple of years before and was working in marketing. Taehyung wanted to be a biochemist, but had to drop out before he could take any upper division courses.

Yoona worked for a small entertainment company as a talent scout. She had mostly been working in Korea but got promoted at that time to work internationally as well. On her first trip, the company sent her to Thailand. This was when everything changed.

She didn't show symptoms at first. It wasn't until a week after she returned home that she developed an excruciating migraine. She tried to sleep it away, but it persisted. On the third day, Yoona still hadn't gotten out of bed, so Taehyung took the day off from school to drive her to the hospital.

At first, the doctors didn't say anything, mainly because they didn't know what was going on. Her brain had swelled to almost twice it's size. She was unresponsive but still breathing. After numerous tests, they were able to conclude that Yoona had contracted a rare brain infection caused by a virus found in warm, tropical areas. They told him that there was only one cure out there, and that cure belonged to Jeonentech.

The vaccine was called JEONIX, and required three doses for full recovery. Each dose costed more than what Yoongi made in a year. Luckily for them, once symptoms showed, the virus didn't move very fast, so Taehyung and Yoongi had time to scrape together enough money for the vaccines. Taehyung dropped out of school and worked numerous odd jobs for hours on end. Yoongi worked overtime and earned a promotion that brought them closer to their goal. By the end of the year, the two of them made enough money for all three doses. However, the end of the year was also when Jeonentech doubled the price of JEONIX. Now they could only afford two doses. The doctors told them that two doses could work, but three was a guarantee. They had no other option but to go with two and hope for the best.

Of course they tried saving up for the third dose, but that took time, and Yoona was getting worse. Taehyung and Yoongi knew that the longer they took to scrape together the funds, the more the price would rise. Before they could get enough money for the third dose, Yoona's brain was completely consumed by the virus. The first two doses slowed the spread, but they weren't enough to cure her.

Yoongi almost didn't go to the funeral. At that time he hadn't gotten out of bed since he got the call from the hospital. It wasn't until Taehyung dragged him out and forced him to put on a suit that he left the house for the first time in four days.

It was a closed casket funeral. Yoongi couldn’t bare to see his sister lying lifeless in a casket. It was bad enough when his parents passed, but losing Yoona as well was too much for him.

He didn't cry throughout the entire service. He didn't cry at all in the previous few days. He was numb. Taehyung wept silently by his side, but Yoongi didn't shed a single tear. He watched as they slowly lowered her into the ground, further cementing the fact that she was actually gone. What would happen now? What would he do without her? He didn't know. All he knew was that Jeonentech was the reason she was gone. And that they were going to pay.

Not long after the funeral, Yoongi came to his senses. He realized that he couldn't just lie in bed all day. He had to do something.

He and Taehyung sold the house they shared with Yoona to pay off their debts. They moved into a tiny apartment on the other side of town. Yoongi returned to work and in the meantime began scheming. He knew he wanted to take Jeonentech down, he just had to figure out how.

"Did you notice the way Jungkook was looking at you tonight?" Yoongi asked Taehyung.

"This is the second time you've brought it up. What about it?"

"I mean he looked at you like he wanted to devour you."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit, hyung?" But the truth is, Taehyung agreed. The way Jungkook looked at him seemed somewhat... predatory. And he was okay with it.

"No, and I think you should go along with it."

"What?" He didn't necessarily think it was a bad idea, but he was shocked that Yoongi suggested it. Jeon Jungkook seemed so sleazy, he didn't think Yoongi would want him to be involved with the CEO on a more personal level.

"Get close to him, find out his weaknesses... maybe steal some money along the way..."

"Hyung." Taehyung warned. "Don't you think what we're doing is enough?" Yoongi said that last part so nonchalantly. Although, of course, they were worming their way into one of the wealthiest pharmaceutical companies in the world, so why wouldn't they take advantage of it? Maybe they could finally move out of this crappy apartment. Maybe even each buy their own houses.

"Do you? Don't you want to get back all we lost in the last two years?"

Taehyung sighed. "I suppose you're right."

“I am right. And if we’re going to do that we need info. We need leverage.”

Taehyung nodded solemnly. "Let's do it."

When Yoongi returned home from work the next day, Taehyung was taking a nap on the couch. Taehyung awoke to a stack of large books being dropped on his thighs.

"Hey. What the fuck?" Taehyung sat up to face Yoongi, who stood before him with his arms crossed.

"I stopped by the library on my break. You said you don't actually know chemistry and biology? Well now you can learn some," Yoongi said sternly.

Taehyung groaned. "Do you really think I can learn graduate level chemistry through library textbooks?"

"I know you can. And you're going to have to in order to at least pretend you know what you're doing in that lab. Just leave all the heavy duty stuff to the actual scientists there."

Taehyung sighed and flopped back down on the couch. "Fuck. Fine."

"Also I called Jungkook earlier today. He wants to meet with you tomorrow."

Taehyung's eyes widened and shot toward Yoongi. "Tomorrow? You want me to learn all of this by tomorrow?!"

"No. This is just contractual stuff. I have work so I can't come, but I got a lawyer to be there with you."

Taehyung propped himself up on his arm. "A lawyer? How can we afford a lawyer?"

"Don't worry. He's a friend of a friend."

"Okay fine," Taehyung resigned.

Yoongi pushed Taehyung's legs to the side and sat down. "You know, it's not too late to back out."

"We have to do this for Yoona. And for everyone else that Jeonentech is fucking over."

Yoongi nodded and leaned back on the couch. He reached over, grabbing the remote and switching on the TV. Taehyung sat up and watched with him.

The next morning Yoongi walked into Taehyung's room with a suit he borrowed from one of his coworkers.

"Here, wear this today." He tossed the garment bag onto the foot of the bed.

"Thanks, hyung." Taehyung sat up in bed, yawning and using his hands to rub the sleep from his eyes.

Yoongi walked around to the side of the bed where Taehyung lay. "You ready? Nervous?"

"Uhh. No. And yes."

Yoongi smiled. "Don't be, it'll be fine. Also I told the lawyer the plan. The three of you are meeting in a cafe downtown at four. You'll get all the paperwork signed and filled out. Then the lawyer will leave, leaving you alone with Jungkook. I want you to flirt a little, and invite him out for dinner. If he says yes, take my credit card and bring him to that swanky new place on Third street. I know the owner and I told him I needed a favor. If he invites you back to his place, go with him. Gather any information you can about this man. Then report it back to me."

It was a lot of information for Taehyung to process, having just woken up. "Why am I the one doing this?"

"I already told you. I have to work today. And we already know Jungkook has the hots for you." Yoongi wiggled his eyebrow suggestively. "So naturally it'd be best for you to go and flirt with him a little."

"I don't know if I know how, hyung."

"Come on, haven't you flirted with girls before? This shouldn't be any different."

A blank expression came across Taehyung's face. "Uh. No, not really."

Yoongi's brows furrowed. "Hm... Just do what they do on TV then."

"I guess I'll try," Taehyung resigned.

"Good. I'll see you tonight. Or if things go well, in the morning."

Taehyung grimaced which caused Yoongi to chuckle as he left the room.

"Alright, Taehyung, just sign here, here, and here, and fill out this box," the lawyer instructed as the three men sat at the small table in a bougie cafe downtown.

Taehyung did as he was told and tried best to ignore the fact that Jungkook had been eye-fucking him ever since they sat down an hour ago. His bright blue orbs, where it seemed the stars were simultaneously created and destroyed in the most brilliant supernovae, felt like they bore holes into Taehyung's skin.

The first half hour was spent discussing the main points of the contract. Jeonentech would provide funding and labor, while Yoongi and Taehyung provided the theory and guidance. At the end, if or when the cure was complete, Jeonentech would provide the two men a sum of ten billion won each for the rights to the cure. Then, Jeonentech can do whatever it wants with it, whether it be shelving it for later use and development, or selling it as they see fit.

The second half hour was spent going through each and every page of the contract, making sure i's were dotted and t's were crossed, and no one accidentally misspelled their middle name.

The second full hour was when Taehyung got nervous. The lawyer was getting ready to leave, which meant soon he would be alone with Jungkook, something he wasn't sure he would want. Part of him was hoping that as soon as the lawyer left, Jungkook would provide him with an excuse as to why he had to leave as well. But Jungkook stayed, his coffee not even half finished.

Jungkook took a sip from his mug. Taehyung looked down at his, empty and depleted of the latte that once filled it. He fiddled with the handle, wishing he still had some coffee left so he could use it to occupy his mouth.

"I can buy you another latte, if you want," Jungkook offered. His voice was soft and sweet, not at all like the cocky, arrogant tone he used at the party.

Taehyung smiled politely at him. "No, that's alright." He knew that if he had more caffeine, he would be way to anxious to carry through with Yoongi's orders.

"In that case, you can leave if you have somewhere you'd rather be."

"Oh, no. I can stay and keep you company until you finish."

The corner of Jungkook's mouth perked up as he brought his mug to his lips.

"Or, if you're not busy..." Taehyung began. He had rehearsed this all morning in his head, and yet now that the time has come, he was having the hardest time saying it.

Jungkook looked at him from behind the rim. "Yes?"

Taehyung set down his mug and fiddled with his hands in his lap. "Would you mind accompanying me to dinner?"

Suddenly that cocky, predatory look from the party returned. "I would love to," Jungkook replied.

Taehyung didn't really know Jungkook, so he had trouble finding things to talk about at dinner. He was so scared that Jungkook would ask him about his work, or anything science related for that matter. He still hadn't had the time to read through the textbooks Yoongi brought him. He should do it soon, though. Not only so he knows what the hell he's doing but also because an overdue fine from the library is the last thing he needs right now.

"So, how many labs have you worked in before this?" Jungkook asked as he cut a piece off of his steak. Now that he had Taehyung's full attention, he seemed to stop with the eye-fucking. The side of him that he showed now seemed a lot more normal. Maybe it was because he thought he already had Taehyung and didn't need to go out of his way to flirt with him anymore.

"I'm actually still in school," Taehyung lied. He was so nervous he felt his throat going dry and took a large chug of water from his glass.

"So is this like, an internship or something with Yoongi?"

Taehyung nervously pushed his food around his plate. "No. Yoongi works in marketing."

The CEO didn't seem satisfied with this answer. "Then how did the two of you meet?"

"We've known each other since we were kids and we've been living together for years."

"Ah." He took a sip of his wine and leaned back in his chair. A bit of his cockiness returned. "So are you two a couple?"

Taehyung nearly choked on his mashed potatoes. "No. Nothing like that. We're practically brothers."

Jungkook smirked. "Interesting."

Taehyung shifted in his seat. The way Jungkook said that one word sent a chill down his spine. The lust was plain in his eyes. He just knew what Jungkook was thinking. That Taehyung was available and his for the taking. And that scared the shit out of him.

He cleared his throat. Desperate to change the subject, he asked Jungkook, “So how’s running the company? Are you still adjusting to, you know, everything?”

“Uh, yeah. It’s been rough the last few months. I feel like a lot of people will just never get used to the fact that their boss is half their age in some cases.”

Taehyung nodded along as Jungkook continued talking about the company. He slowly began to lose his appetite the more Jungkook played up the achievements of Jeonentech, as if they didn’t achieve them by taking from others.

It was difficult to keep up his enthusiasm when all he wanted to do was get the fuck up and leave. Whenever he found himself thinking, hmm maybe Jungkook isn't so bad, Jungkook opens his mouth and says something that rubs him the wrong way. It wasn't entirely Jungkook's fault though, since it was his asshole father who raised him.

Once they finished their meals, Jungkook reluctantly let Taehyung – although it was really Yoongi and his connections – cover the bill. Jungkook offered to make it up to him by going back to his place for a drink. He unwillingly agreed, knowing that if he refused, Yoongi would berate him for passing up an opportunity to delve further into the life of Jeon Jungkook.

Taehyung followed Jungkook up the white marble steps to his mansion. Everything just screamed luxury. Taehyung assumed that Jungkook lived in one of those swanky penthouse apartments downtown with hot tub on the balcony and a bedroom that had a panoramic view of all of Seoul where he brought his “dates” for some late night fun. But apparently the Jeon family was a little more old fashioned.

Jungkook stood before a metal box in the wall next to the gilded glass double doors. A beam shot out of it and scanned his iris before unlocking the entrance with a click. The doors swung open silently and Taehyung was greeted with a grandiose portrait of Jungkook’s father. Before the painting was an altar where jasmine incense burned.

The doors swung closed behind him as he entered, and, although the entryway was likely larger than his entire apartment, Taehyung felt trapped.

Taehyung stood there, gazing at the portrait, which was quite unsettling. He felt as if Mr. Jeon knew exactly why Taehyung was there, and that he wasn’t happy about it. Jungkook stood next to him as he gawked.

“Do you miss him?” Taehyung asked.

“Honestly? No. He was a shitty father. Cared more about his company and his money than he ever cared about us.”

Taehyung hummed to indicate he was listening.

“Mom on the other hand, though. She was devastated. After the funeral she moved back to the countryside to be with her side of the family. Said she couldn’t bear to be in a place that constantly reminded her of him.”

“So she just left you all alone like that?”

Jungkook nodded. “She used to love me. So much. Enough for the both of them. She would tell me everyday before I went to bed, always made sure I knew it. I guess now I remind her too much of my father, so she had to leave.” He let out a reminiscent sigh. “I’m an adult now, though. I’m fully capable of taking care of myself, and this company.”

Taehyung turned toward Jungkook. “You’re barely an adult!” he objected. “You’re younger than me, and I barely feel like an adult.”

One of Jungkook’s eyebrows quirked up. “I’m younger than you?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why do you speak so formally to me?”

“I guess ‘cause you’re pretty much my boss right now.”

“Just your boss?” The corner of Jungkook’s mouth tugged up. “I was hoping after tonight we could be a little more than that.”

A lump formed in Taehyung’s throat and he swallowed it audibly. He shifted his gaze away from Jungkook back to the portrait.

“Did you like him?” Taehyung inquired. “What kind of man was he?”

His eyes remained on Taehyung. “When I was little I wanted to be just like him. But now that I’m actually in his position, I kind of feel like I would never be as great of a leader as he was. He may have been a shitty father, but he was a great businessman.”

Taehyung was quite struck by the CEO’s unexpected candor.

Taehyung looked at him. “Why are you being so honest with me.”

His lips curled. “I don’t know. You asked.” He narrowed his eyes, studying Taehyung. “And there’s just something about you. I feel like I can trust you.” A mistake.

“Not just because you want to get in my pants?”

Jungkook chuckled. “That too.” He clapped his hands together. “Enough of this. Let’s go inside.”

Taehyung nodded and followed Jungkook further into the house. Jungkook gave him a tour of the place, which took a while since his home was so damn large. Taehyung took mental notes of the layout of the mansion, locking every hallway, every room into his memory. Everything was either antique wood, white marble, shiny crystal, or opulent gold. Everything was so excessive, so extravagant, and Taehyung felt immensely out of place.

The tour ended in Jungkook’s study, which also featured a mini bar. Taehyung looked around the room. Book shelves made of rich, dark oak lined the walls, with a matching desk and bar. He didn’t see any cameras, to his relief. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t seen any cameras in any of the rooms in this house. A yet another big mistake on their part.

Jungkook poked around in one of the cabinets before saying that he was out of whiskey and telling Taehyung to “make yourself comfortable” while he went to the basement to grab another bottle from his stash.

Once he was gone, Taehyung tried to move as fast as he could, pulling books from shelves in hopes of finding something hidden in the pages, and rummaging through drawers searching for anything that could be of use for him.

To his advantage, none of the drawers were locked, which was dumb as shit considering what he found in one of them. His fingers wrapped around the rich brown leather of a bound notebook. He opened it to discover bank accounts, pin numbers, and passwords that Jungkook’s father – maybe even Jungkook – had written within it.

“Holy fuck,” he muttered to himself and whipped out his phone to snap pictures of each page. He quickly shoved the book back in the desk and shut the drawer.

Taehyung sat down in one of the chairs, and tried to look casual, like he did not just nearly tear apart this entire room.

He took another look around. Being surrounded by all this wealth, Taehyung suddenly remembered how the Jeon family acquired it, and what kind of people they were. They were spineless, heartless, preying off the sick and dying. They didn't care. As long as it kept the balance in their bank accounts, they would continue to do it.

Jungkook came back a few minutes later with a bottle of aged whiskey. Taehyung became filled with such anger, such loathing, such disdain toward the man standing in front of him right now. He struggled to keep his emotions from showing on his face.

"Would you like a drink?" Jungkook offered, bringing Taehyung out of his thoughts.

"Yes." A drink was just what he needed to calm him down.

Jungkook poured a glass of whiskey and Taehyung stood up to take it from him. When their hands touched, Taehyung tensed.

Taking notice, Jungkook stepped closer to him. "Do I make you nervous, Taehyung?" He raised an eyebrow.

Taehyung downed his drink and hissed through his teeth. "Not at all."

Jungkook stepped even closer, leaning into Taehyung. "Are you sure? You seem tense."

That's because the person I hate most in this world is standing right in front of me, Taehyung thought, but he said nothing. He just wanted to get this over with.

Jungkook reached his hand up, about to place it on Taehyung's chest, and tried to kiss him when Taehyung grabbed his wrist to stop him.

Jungkook's eyes widened at the sudden movement and tried to wriggle from his firm grasp. "What the fuck?"

Taehyung gripped him harder. "If we're going to do this, we're gonna do it on my terms."

Jungkook's expression changed into a sneer. He seemed to like this change in dynamic. He wasn’t used to being treated like this, and it excited him. "Very well. Shall we head to the bedroom?"

Instead of answering, he twisted Jungkook's arm behind his back and pushed him down the hall. Jungkook bit his lip at the force and complied with a smug grin.

Jungkook lay on his back, still coming down from his high. “Shit,” he panted.

Taehyung just lay there, staring at the ceiling. He had to admit that was one of the best orgasms he'd had in his life, but he wouldn't let Jungkook have the satisfaction of knowing that. Per Yoongi's instructions, he was supposed to stay the night if Jungkook offered, but he wanted more than anything to just get up and leave.

Taehyung sat up and reached for his shirt, but Jungkook placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "You don't have to leave, you know," Jungkook told him. "Come on. Stay."

Taehyung looked over at him. The look on Jungkook's face told him he would definitely be up for round two. Taehyung groaned inwardly and flopped back down onto the cushy down feather pillow.

Taehyung walked through his front door the next morning dead tired and with an ache in his neck. He was right, a couple hours later, Jungkook wanted to go again, and he had no choice but to agree. He hardly got any sleep that night, because Jungkook had been extremely clingy in his sleep. He felt like he was asleep for about an hour before Jungkook woke him up saying that he needed to go to work. So, Taehyung just picked up his clothes and went home.

He groaned as he took off his jacket and collapsed on the musty couch. He had work that day, but decided to call in sick in order to mentally recover. He would have to quit soon anyway so he could work at Jeonentech.

He slept through the entire day, and didn't wake up until Yoongi walked through the door and threw his keys down on the coffee table with a loud jingle.

"So, how'd it go?" He pushed Taehyung's legs aside and sat down next to him. "Did you get any useful information?"

Taehyung reached over to grab his phone from his jacket pocket and threw it in Yoongi's lap. "The dumbass writes down all his passwords and shit in a fucking notebook. I took pictures."

Yoongi patted Taehyung on the leg. "Good job, Tae."

"Thanks." He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"You really that tired?"

Taehyung nodded.

Yoongi chuckled. "What'd he do to you?"

He groaned.

"Did you sleep with him?"

Taehyung didn't answer.

"What am I saying? Of course you did! You spent the night at his place. Was he a selfish asshole in bed too?"

"Hyung, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Alright, alright. I understand. The most important thing is that you got some info. And also got laid." He raised his eyebrows.

"Ugggggghhhhh," Taehyung grumbled.

Over that weekend, Taehyung spent the entire time holed up in the apartment, studying the textbooks Yoongi got him. It had been so long since he's been out of school, but soon all the things he had learned about deoxyribose, polysaccharides, and myofibril came back to him. Over those two days, with little to no sleep, he was able to revise the thesis for Bangtanus Sonyeondaris to be more convincing.

The more he looked at it, the more it made sense.

Taehyung sat on the couch, going over the report as Yoongi prepared dinner in the kitchen. "Hyung," he called out to him. "I think this could actually work."

Yoongi stopped chopping his onions. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he skimmed over the formulas once again, "that with the right resources, Bangtanus Sonyeondaris could be a real thing."

Yoongi set down his knife and leaned against the counter. "Wait, are you saying you just actually developed a drug that could regenerate human flesh in mere seconds?"

"With my undergraduate understanding of it, yes."

"Shit, man." He pursed his lips.

"I know,” Taehyung sighed.

Yoongi scoffed in disbelief. "Did you seriously just bullshit so hard you actually made it work?"

"Yeah I can't believe it either. But all the numbers and formulas check out, I think."

Yoongi walked around the counter and into the living room where Taehyung sat. He clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You little genius! I’m so proud of you, man.”

Taehyung shied away at Yoongi’s praise, a blush creeping into his cheeks. “Thanks, hyung.”

“Great! Now we can celebrate! I picked up some wine earlier and I’m making your favorite.”

Taehyung smiled. “Great.”

Monday morning, Taehyung put on a fresh pressed dress shirt and stood in front of the mirror. It was his first day at Jeonentech and he would be meeting with the team of biologists and chemists who would help him develop his cure, all while Jungkook watched him with a close eye.

He looked himself over, making sure he seemed responsible and professional. His clothes were clean and crisp, and his hair was brushed neat, but he noticed the dark circles that formed under his eyes from the lack of sleep he had been getting lately. He tried rubbing at them with his fingers, hoping it would help, but they remained on his face, just as prominent as before.

A second later, Taehyung heard a knock on his door. “Come in,” he said.

“Hey, Tae,” Yoongi greeted him. He leaned against the doorway and watched Taehyung. “If you’re ready I can give you a ride.”

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Taehyung gave himself one last look in the mirror.

“Nervous again?”

“Of course. I feel like I don’t know shit.”

Yoongi gave Taehyung a pat on the back. “Don’t be. You’ll be fine,” he reassured. “All you have to do is act and look like you know what you’re doing, and people will believe you do.”

Taehyung stuck his hands in his pants pockets and glanced at his shoes. They could probably use a shine. “I don’t know, hyung. These people actually finished school.”

“And I bet you’re smarter than all of them combined.” Yoongi smiled, which Taehyung returned.

“I doubt that, but thanks for the pep talk.”

“Not a problem. It’s the least I can do since you’re pretty much carrying this all yourself.”

Taehyung frowned at the reminder that he was alone in most of this.

The week went by a lot faster and a lot easier than Taehyung had anticipated. All he had to do was tell the scientists, “Maybe this will work,” and they did all the rest for him. He didn’t have to touch a single petri dish or prep a single micropipette. He just walked around the lab and watched them work.

He avoided Jungkook during lunch and breaks, mostly because he had no idea what to talk about with him, and wanted to avoid any awkwardness or disdain that may result from conversation. They came from completely different backgrounds and were raised on completely different sets of ethics. They had nothing in common, besides losing their family members. But Jungkook didn’t know about that.

Taehyung, however, found that there was no escaping the CEO. He was the CEO after all, and Taehyung had to obey when Jungkook’s assistant told him that Jungkook wanted to see him in his office. Their meetings were brief, mostly just Jungkook asking if any progress was being made, and also a little bit of eye-fucking.

Taehyung had trained himself not to squirm under Jungkook’s scrutiny, and even managed to return his predatory gaze in some cases to keep up appearances.

On Friday afternoon, Jungkook was being especially flirty, and asked Taehyung to join him for drinks after work. Taehyung agreed, making sure to text Yoongi to let him know he wouldn’t be coming home that night. Yoongi replied with a thumbs up emoji and something along the lines of a “Go get ‘em, tiger,” to which Taehyung grimaced.

The last time Taehyung went out with Jungkook, he also drank. But that was only one drink and it was back at his place. Now they were at an expensive bar downtown in a private booth in the back, and this time he had more than one drink. Taehyung was usually good at handling his alcohol. Even after shots upon shots at parties he attended while still in college, he never did anything stupid. He wasn’t a talkative drunk, and he didn’t say shit he wasn’t supposed to, so he wasn’t worried about spilling his and Yoongi’s plan when he decided to let loose and down a few drinks.

However, with each shot he took, and each glass of whiskey, he noticed himself becoming more and more attracted to Jungkook. Maybe it was because he could actually forget about Jungkook’s terrible moral code when he was under the influence of enough alcohol.

It wasn’t like Jungkook wasn’t handsome – he definitely was. Probably the second most handsome guy he's ever seen. And maybe a little too handsome for some people. But for drunk Taehyung, he was absolutely gorgeous.

Taehyung didn’t pay attention at all to what Jungkook was saying, only staring at his lips as they moved with every word he spoke. Occasionally Jungkook would run his tongue across them after he took a sip of his drink. Taehyung found himself thinking about kissing him – which he still hadn’t done yet. So far, it was only sex. They never did anything that affectionate. But all that Taehyung’s muddled brain could think about at that moment was how his lips would feel on Jungkook’s.

“Are you okay?” The CEO asked, breaking Taehyung from his thoughts.

“Hm? Yeah. I think I’ve just had a bit too much to drink,” Taehyung admitted.

“Then do you want to go home? Or we can go back to my place? Or yours?”

“Yours sounds great,” Taehyung answered with feigned shyness, still staring at Jungkook’s lips.

Jungkook stood up and threw on his jacket. “Great, I’ll call us a cab.”

Taehyung lay with his arm around Jungkook’s shoulder, and Jungkook rested his head on Taehyung’s chest. They had just gotten back into bed after cleaning all the cum off their bodies, and Jungkook decided he wanted to be extra clingy that night.

Taehyung still hadn’t kissed him.

At least not on the lips. The two of them had kissed just about everywhere else.

Taehyung’s brain was still a little bit fuzzy. He must have drank more than he thought, if he was still buzzed after the orgasm he just had. He contemplated that this time may have topped the last. Maybe the alcohol had something to do with it.

Along with clingy, Jungkook also felt chatty.

“Hey, Tae. Can I call you Tae?”

Taehyung cringed at the nickname that was usually reserved only for close friends and family, aka Yoongi and Yoona. “Yeah sure.”

“Can I ask you something?” Jungkook’s voice was small and soft. Taehyung thought he even heard a hint of nervousness in it.

“Go for it.”

“I don’t know what we have right now, but I really need you to not tell anyone about it.” Jungkook used his finger to trace swirly patterns on Taehyung’s stomach, which he hated to admit felt nice. “It’s just that, no one knows I’m gay and I would like to keep it that way. You may think that I’m the boss who’s in charge of everything, but there are a lot of people who have power over the company who also happen to be very old, very conservative men. If this got out, it could really hurt the company.”

“I understand,” Taehyung replied. He gently rubbed Jungkook’s shoulder to reassure him. “I don’t think I would want all the attention that comes along with being your… whatever we are, anyway.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Jungkook nuzzled his nose into the crook of Taehyung’s neck, ghosting his lips along his collarbone. He pulled back and looked at Taehyung. “Did you always want to be a biochemist?”

Taehyung thought about it. “I think so, for as long as I can remember.”

Jungkook sighed and laced his fingers with the hand that Taehyung had placed on his shoulder. “It must be nice, being able to choose.”

“Did you want to own the company one day? Not this soon, but someday?”

“I don’t know. I never really considered anything else, because I guess I never really had a choice.” Jungkook rested his head on Taehyung’s bicep and stared at the ceiling. “My entire life was just my father training me to be ready for right now. This was all I ever knew.”

“Do you even like the company?”

“I mean, it supports my current lifestyle, so I can’t really complain.” Jungkook chuckled lightly, letting it die out in his throat, and leaving a heavy atmosphere in the room.

“Are there any things that you would want to change?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” Taehyung mused. “I’ve heard that a lot of the vaccines aren’t very accessible to the people who need it because of the high prices Jeonentech has set.” His heart began to race as he awaited Jungkook’s answer.

“The high prices are how we make our money. Which we need to do considering some of it has been going missing from our accounts lately.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It might just be a fuck up on the accountants’ behalf, though. So I’ll wait a bit and see if it fixes itself.”

“How much is missing?”

“About a billion won.”

Taehyung’s head snapped forward in surprise. “A bil–?! How could a billion missing won be a mistake?!”

“I don’t know. I may have to fire one of the accountants.”

Taehyung placed his head back down on the pillow and took a deep breath. “Don’t you think you would make even more money if you made the cures more affordable, since more people would be able to pay for them?”

“What I’ve found, is that if people are desperate enough, they’ll be willing to pay anything. And everyone gets there eventually.”

Unbelievable. Was he for real right now? Taehyung couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How could someone so… So beautiful on the outside be so ugly and horrible on the inside?

Taehyung didn’t say anything in response. He just stared at Jungkook’s face, soft and smooth in the dim light of the lamp on the night stand. He tightened his grip on Jungkook’s hand. He didn’t know how to react right now. He hated to admit that he was disappointed in Jungkook’s answer. He had hoped that maybe there was a little hair of humanity in him that would maybe make him want to change his ways, but there was none.

He was feeling so many things right now as he studied Jungkook’s visage. His eyes were so icy, yet so warm. And his pillow-soft, pink lips that Taehyung had once known only as a smirk were now slack in an unreadable expression. Taehyung was so full of anger and sadness and disappointment, paired with the tiniest bit of lust, he wanted to scream. Of course he couldn’t let Jungkook know that, at least not about the anger, sadness, and disappointment, because that would ruin the whole thing. Taehyung couldn’t break character now. He and Yoongi still had so much they needed to do, and breaking his ties with Jungkook would ruin everything.

He hated how this was all on him.

Jungkook opened his mouth to speak again, but Taehyung didn’t think he could bear to listen to another word he had to say.

Taehyung leaned over and kissed him just to shut him up.

The next day, Yoongi came home to Taehyung asleep on the couch again.

“Did you sleep all day?” he asked, sitting down next to his legs.

Taehyung groaned. “Yeah."

“Tae,” Yoongi chastised.

“Well Jungkook kept me up all night again! I'm fucking tired man.”

A little taken aback by his tone, Yoongi apologized. “Alright, sorry.”

Taehyung suddenly felt guilty for snapping. “No, I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”

Yoongi nodded curtly.

Taehyung closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to help relieve the tension from the migraine that had developed after last night. “Hey, did you actually siphon a billion won from one of Jeonentech’s accounts?”

Yoongi laughed. “That bastard actually noticed?”

Taehyung put his arm over his eyes, trying to block out the light. “Yeah. He told me about it last night.”

“Hm. Interesting. What else did he tell you?”

“Some other stuff that we can use to our advantage, but I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Why later?”

Taehyung peeked at Yoongi from under his arm. “Because right now I want to tell you to be more careful. If you’re going to take his money, at least do it slowly so he won’t notice.”

“I guess you’re right.” Yoongi patted him on the knee.

“Where are you putting this money anyway?”

“I got an untraceable offshore account in the Caymans.” Yoongi said it so bluntly, like he just went to Korea National and opened up a checking account or something.

“Shit really? That sounds like serious business. Are you sure it's safe?”

“Yup. I know a guy who's done it before."

"Well, if you know what you're doing, I support you, hyung. Take all that's asshole's money."

"Speaking of assholes, how is Jungkook's?"

"Shut the fuck up." Taehyung covered his eyes again signaling the end to their conversation. As good as the sex with Jungkook was, he didn't want to talk about it.

"Alright, that's fine," Yoongi resigned. He then got up and let Taehyung nap in peace.

About a week later, Jungkook invited Taehyung to his office again.

“I want you to accompany me to the charity gala this weekend,” Jungkook said to him.

Ha! Charity! Since when did Jeonentech care about that?

“I thought you said we couldn’t be open about our relationship,” Taehyung pointed out.

“We can’t, but I would still like you to be there.” Jungkook fingered Taehyung’s tie. “Just no PDA and stuff. I’ll introduce you as one of Jeonentech’s new developers. I’m sure everyone will be impressed since you’re so young and handsome.” He smiled flirtatiously.

Taehyung placed his hands on Jungkook’s hips and pulled him closer. “In that case, I would love to go with you.” The corners of his lips curled up.

Jungkook gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Great. I’ll have your suit delivered to your apartment by Friday. The gala is Saturday night. I’ll pick you up at your apartment and afterward we can go back to my place for some fun.” He winked.

“Alright. I can’t wait.” Taehyung let go of the CEO. “I have to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.”

Jungkook stepped forward to kiss him again, but Taehyung slid from his side and walked out the door before Jungkook got the chance.

“So Jungkook invited me to this gala on Saturday night,” Taehyung told Yoongi. The two of them were sitting on the couch, eating their chinese takeout while the TV played before them.

“So you’re going to be gone all night again?” Yoongi almost sounded like he was opposed to it. Which was odd because just less than a week ago, when Taehyung told him he was spending the night at Jungkook’s, Yoongi had told him to “go get ‘em, tiger.”

“Is that a problem?”

Yoongi set down his paper plate, barely having touched his food. “No, not at all. You’re just keeping up with appearances.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“It’s just that you’ve been gone every night this week, and it’s really quiet with both you and Yoona gone…”

It’s true. After that weekend, Jungkook had been inviting Taehyung over every night. And honestly, Taehyung didn’t know why he agreed each time. He hadn't gotten any new information the last few days. Just some really good sex. And maybe kissing wasn't so bad. Maybe all the physical aspects weren't so bad as long as Jungkook kept his mouth shut. He started to feel okay with spending all this time with him.

But he also felt guilty about it.

Guilty because at this point it was a little more than just going along with the plan. And guilty because he knew how Yoongi felt.

“I’m sorry, hyung. I can cancel if you want me to.”

“No. Don’t. This is an important opportunity and you need to go.”

Taehyung sat, thinking. “If you’re feeling bored without me, I’ve got a plan for you.”

“Oh? What plan?”

Taehyung set down his plate and turned toward Yoongi. “Remember how I said last Saturday that I got some information on Jungkook that we could use later?”

“Vaguely, yes.”

“Well, he told me that he doesn’t want to go public with our relationship and that he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s gay. He said something about how like the investors were old conservative men and if they find out, it could be bad for Jeonentech.”

Yoongi’s brows furrowed. “Okay… What does this have to do with me?”

“Jungkook said we’re going to be going to his place after the gala.”

“Mhm.”

“You kept Yoona’s camera, right? The good one that can zoom really far?”

“Yeah,” Yoongi replied, still confused, but getting a vague sense of where this was going.

“There’s a window in Jungkook’s room that faces the street. You can park and hide across the street and wait for us to get back. I kiss him or something in front of the window and you can snap pictures of us. Then we can block my face out and sell it to the newspapers, tabloids, whatever. I’m sure that will help us reach our goal a little faster.”

“Taehyung, you’re a genius.” Yoongi stood up and stretched out his arms. “Come on, give me a hug.”

Taehyung stood and did so, wrapping his arms tightly around Yoongi. Even though he was sleeping with Jungkook quite regularly, this tiny gesture felt ten thousand times more intimate than all of those encounters combined. It was a feeling that Taehyung desperately craved.

When Yoongi pulled back, he said, "That bastard's going down."

Since Taehyung would be spending all evening with Jungkook on Saturday, they both agreed to go to their own respective homes Friday night. Taehyung was glad he could finally be in his own room that night, something that seldom happened as of late.

He got home to find Yoongi already in the kitchen, microwaving some leftovers.

"Oh hey," Yoongi greeted him. "You're home tonight."

Taehyung took off his jacket and threw it on the couch, along with himself immediately after. “Yeah, since I’m spending the night with Jungkook tomorrow, we decided to spend tonight alone.”

“Ah, okay. A package came for you.” Yoongi pointed to the garment bag that hung on the coat rack which Taehyung forgot even existed.

“Oh yeah, Jungkook said he would send me a suit for the gala.” He stood up and walked over the the coat rack, plucking the package off one of its branches. He unzipped the package and inspected it. “Holy hell,” he muttered.

“What?” Yoongi had taken his food out of the microwave and was now walking over to where Taehyung stood.

“It’s fucking Gucci. The man got me a Gucci suit.” Taehyung held it up for Yoongi to see.

Yoongi looked it over. “Nice, man. It looks nice.”

Taehyung put the suit up to his body to gauge the size. “I’m going to try it on to make sure it fits.”

“Alright, dude.”

Thus Taehyung retreated into his room for the night and Yoongi ate dinner alone.

Taehyung put on his suit and ran his fingers through his hair. It wasn’t looking how he wanted it to, but it would have to do.

The door to his room was open so Yoongi knocked on the doorframe and leaned against it.

“You look good, Tae.” Yoongi was still wearing his pajamas and his hair was slightly messy. This disheveled look made him seem so much younger. It reminded Taehyung just how young Yoongi was – barely even two years older than him – and how his circumstances had forced him to grow up faster than he should have. Even though that had everything to do with the car accident and nothing to do with Jeonentech, Taehyung couldn’t help but blame the company, blame them for taking away everything Yoongi had left after he had lost almost everything.

“Thanks, hyung.” Taehyung fidgeted with his bowtie.

Yoongi stepped closer to him. “Here let me do it.” He undid the bowtie and then tied it again.

Taehyung was suddenly aware of how close Yoongi was. He smelled different, Taehyung thought. He couldn’t tell if it was because Yoongi got a new cologne, or if they had just been apart for so long lately that Taehyung forgot what he smelled like. Regardless, he still found the scent comforting, nostalgic in a way that just felt like home. When Yoongi finished tying the bowtie, he stepped back, and Taehyung found himself not wanting him to.

“There we go,” Yoongi said endearingly and Taehyung nodded. Taehyung’s eyes followed him as he retreated a couple steps back to take in his full form. “Perfect as ever, Tae.” Yoongi smiled. “Are you familiar with the plan?”

Taehyung nodded. “Yup. I go to the thing with Jungkook, then I text you when I’m leaving. We go back to his place, where you’ll be parked out front. We’ll stand in front of the window, you’ll take pictures, and then we expose him.”

A mischievous smile spread across Yoongi’s face. “Yes exactly.”

At that moment, Taehyung got a text from Jungkook saying he was downstairs. “He’s here.”

“Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Taehyung smiled at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“And I’ll see you later.”

Taehyung patted Yoongi on the back and walked out to meet Jungkook in the parking lot.

“You nervous?” Jungkook asked Taehyung as they sat in the back seat of the limo.

Taehyung stared down at his hand which was laced with Jungkook’s. “A little. I just don’t wanna fuck up and accidentally do something that would jeopardize this.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Just don’t try to kiss me or hold my hand or anything and we’ll be fine.”

“Okay, got it.”

The limo pulled up at the venue, and Jungkook removed his hand from Taehyung’s.

“Ready?” Jungkook asked him.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He gave the CEO a nervous smile.

A few seconds later the driver opened the door and out stepped Jungkook followed by Taehyung. Of course, he expected everyone to be staring at Jungkook, since he was the host of this gala, however Taehyung wasn’t expecting everyone to be looking at him as well. But, he arrived with the CEO, so naturally people were curious as to who he was.

Taehyung tried to ignore them, like he did when he was with Yoongi the first time they met Jungkook. But Taehyung was never as confident as Yoongi, who carried himself easily through a crowd with utmost poise. Taehyung tried his best not to trip or hyperventilate as he heard the whispers amongst strangers inquiring of his identity and commenting on how handsome he was. As much as he hated the CEO, he wanted to hold his hand for comfort and a sense of familiarity, but unfortunately he couldn’t do that.

Once they entered the ballroom, Jungkook and Taehyung were escorted to their table. Joining them were various wealthy philanthropists and friends of the Jeon family. They all offered their condolences to Jungkook, which he accepted with graceful bows. Taehyung just sat there next to him, greeting or nodding whenever Jungkook introduced him or spoke about him.

A couple of times, the other guests asked what kind of work he was doing at Jeonentech. Yoongi was the one who did all the talking when it came to their little project, so Taehyung fumbled over his words when he answered saying that he wasn’t allowed to speak of it outside of the company, which he did mostly so he wouldn’t have to talk about it. Jungkook could tell that Taehyung was nervous and placed a hand on his thigh beneath the table to help calm him down.

But that just made things worse.

Because now Taehyung was hyperaware of both Jungkook’s touch and the eyes of all the guests at the table on him. He had a couple of glasses of champagne and a glass of wine, but they weren’t helping, and he couldn’t drink more because the other guests would definitely notice how much he was drinking. At one point, he got so anxious that he had to get up from the table and hide in the restroom to collect himself.

Jungkook came in as Taehyung was leaning against one of the sinks, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

“You okay, Tae?” Jungkook asked, sounding as concerned as Jeon Jungkook could possibly sound.

“Yeah,” Taehyung replied. His heart was still racing and he could barely breathe. “I’m just not used to all this attention. It’s usually Yoongi doing all the talking, not me.” Also my knowledge of biochemistry is not nearly as extensive as it needs to be and I don’t want to say something stupid. But Taehyung didn’t say that outloud.

Jungkook stepped closer and placed his hand on the small of Taehyung back, making eye contact with him through his reflection. “It’s fine. You have nothing to be nervous about. I’m right here next to you.” Jungkook gave him a reassuring smile.

Taehyung forced a smile in return. “Part of the reason I wanted to become a biochemist was so I could just stay in a lab all day and not have to talk to all these people. But I guess, no matter what kind of career you choose, you’ll always be forced to do some sort of networking.”

“Humans are social creatures, so there’s no escaping it. You just gotta pretend that the people you’re talking to don’t care nearly as much as you’re worried they do, because they probably don’t. So go ahead and bullshit everything, make shit up if you don’t know it. They probably won’t remember this conversation by the time they get home tonight.”

Taehyung breathed out a sigh. “I guess you’re right.”

Jungkook pried one of Taehyung’s hands off the edge of the sink and gave it a squeeze. “Now let’s get back out there, shall we? I think they’re about to serve dessert.”

Taehyung stood and straightened himself up. “Okay.” He smiled at the CEO.

Jungkook gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go.”

Unfortunately their little time in the bathroom didn’t really help. Taehyung was still nervous as hell, but he tried better to hide it so Jungkook wouldn’t worry too much. However, his hands still sweat and he found himself needing to wipe them on his pants every few minutes to get rid of the moisture.

The evening went by agonizingly slow since Jungkook, being the host, had to make his way to every table and greet his guests, ensuring they were enjoying themselves and having a good time. While he did that, Taehyung just sat awkwardly in his seat and hoped the other people at his table wouldn’t talk to him. To his relief, they left him alone.

A couple of hours later, at almost midnight, Jungkook finished his rounds. He stepped up on the stage to thank everyone for coming and donating, and announced that he was leaving. Taehyung couldn’t wait to get out of there. However the night wasn’t over yet. He still had the stakeout with Yoongi, but he wasn’t worried about that. Yoongi had everything under control. All Taehyung had to do was set it up. He texted Yoongi to tell him they were leaving, and Yoongi replied with a thumbs up and a camera emoji.

On the limo ride back to Jungkook’s place, Jungkook kept trying to tease Taehyung, running his fingers up and down his thigh, placing soft kisses along his neck and jaw, but Taehyung squirmed away each time, pretending to be shy. Really, he didn’t want Jungkook to be too aroused by the time they got back to his place and immediately head straight for the bed once they arrived. He needed to get Jungkook in front of that window.

When the limo pulled up in front of the Jeon residence, Taehyung saw Yoongi’s car parked across the street. Conveniently, it was too dark out to see through the windows, so Yoongi remained obscured. However, Taehyung also hoped it wasn’t too dark that they couldn’t get a decent photo.

When he and Jungkook got into the house, Jungkook wanted more than anything to tackled Taehyung and cover him with kisses, but something about Taehyung’s body language suggested he shouldn’t, so he kept to himself.

When they got upstairs to Jungkook’s room, Taehyung walked over to the window and stared out of it. He still saw Yoongi’s car across the street, and, it was dark, but he also saw vague movement in the front seat of the vehicle, letting Taehyung know that Yoongi was there. Jungkook came to stand next to him.

“Isn’t the moon beautiful tonight?” Taehyung mused.

Jungkook looked out the window. It was slightly foggy at this hour, and the thin sliver of the crescent moon was barely visible through the gloom.

Jungkook turned toward him and asked, “Taehyung is something wrong?”

“Hm?” Taehyung turned to face him as well. “Why would something be wrong?”

“I don’t know. It’s just that you tried to push me away in the car and we’ve been home for like five minutes and you still haven’t made any move to touch me.”

Taehyung stepped closer and placed a kiss on Jungkook’s lips.

Snap. Snap. The shutter of Yoongi’s camera went off, and in the dead silence of the night, it sounded so loud that he worried Jungkook might be able to hear it.

“There’s nothing wrong,” Taehyung whispered. He then placed a kiss on his cheek, jaw, and neck. “How’s this?”

“Better,” Jungkook breathed. His eyelids fluttered shut as he already was getting lost in the pleasure.

Taehyung took off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing Jungkook’s neck after undoing each button.

Snap. Snap. Yoongi thought Taehyung was a genius, kissing Jungkook’s neck, which allowed him to capture photos of the two of them with Taehyung’s face remaining hidden.

Jungkook moaned and began to take off his clothes as well. Soon they were both shirtless, still standing in front of the window, one of them unaware that someone was watching.

Snap… Snap.

Jungkook couldn’t help himself any longer and lunged forward, crashing his mouth with Taehyung’s and wrapping his arms around the back of his neck. Taehyung grabbed onto Jungkook’s naked waist and pulled him closer, feeling the hard muscle of Jungkook’s abs pressed against his less toned stomach.

This was when Yoongi decided he’d seen enough. He put his camera away, started his car, and drove home.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized: Just something about seeing Taehyung with Jungkook didn’t sit well with Yoongi. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since that night. He saw the way that Taehyung held Jungkook as he kissed him. And it wasn’t just a kiss. Not a soft peck or just lips grazing lips. It was much deeper than that and full of lust and tongue. It never occurred to him that maybe he was jealous. Instead of confronting his feelings, he somewhat shut himself off from Taehyung.

"Hyung, what's the matter?" Taehyung asked as he stirred his pot of soup on the stove. He and Yoongi hadn't spoken much in the last few days, which was odd because he had been spending his nights at home after the gala, but he had his suspicions as to why.

The two of them were making dinner, which was usually a time spent telling each other about their days and the like. But for the last couple of days, Yoongi had been relatively silent.

"Hmm? Nothing,” Yoongi fibbed. “Why would anything be the matter?"

Taehyung shrugged. "I don't know. You just haven't been speaking to me much lately."

"Everything's fine," Yoongi grumbled, pretending to be way too absorbed in cutting his carrots.

Taehyung didn't believe him. After a brief silence he said, "You don't like me spending so much time with Jungkook, do you?"

"I never said that."

"No, but I can tell that's what you're thinking."

Yoongi only grunted in response.

Taehyung turned off the stove and stepped closer to his hyung, until their chests were almost touching. He stared down into Yoongi's eyes. "You know this isn't real right. He's attractive, but only on the surface. He means nothing to me."

"Why would I care if you liked him or not?" Yoongi's voice trembled as he spoke. “I mean, besides the fact that he killed my sister.”

Taehyung closed the gap between the two of them and touched his nose to Yoongi's. "I think it’s more than that. And I can tell you do," he breathed.

Yoongi opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"I've known you for years, hyung. You don't think I know you? I know you better than I know myself at this point. I know me being with Jungkook bothers you. And I know why." Taehyung reached his hands out and grabbed Yoongi by the waist. "I was waiting for you to fess up yourself. Were you ever going to tell me?"

Yoongi didn't say anything, merely stared at Taehyung's lips. He was too hypnotized by Taehyung's deep, sultry voice and the fact that there was absolutely no space separating them. He could feel himself getting harder the longer Taehyung dragged this on. From the way Taehyung pressed himself into Yoongi, he could feel Taehyung’s erection growing as well.

"Are you going to say something, hyung?" Taehyung pressed against him harder.

"I–I–" Yoongi stammered.

Taehyung smiled at how flustered he was. Without another word he leaned in and pressed his lips against Yoongi's.

Yoongi's breath hitched at the contact.

Yoongi tasted sweet like the smooth honey that matched his skin. Taehyung was quite the opposite, slightly bitter but in a pleasant way, like rich, black coffee.

Yoongi breathed him in. He hadn't realized his feelings for Taehyung until he saw him with Jungkook. But apparently Taehyung had known for a while.

Taehyung pushed Yoongi against the counter.

Yoongi gasped. “Are you this rough with Jungkook.”

Taehyung’s lips were right on the edge of Yoongi’s nearly touching when he whispered, “Worse.”

“Fuck,” Yoongi breathed.

Taehyung kissed him hard. Teeth clashing, tongues meeting, and lips stinging. Yoongi moaned as Taehyung’s hands made their way beneath his shirt, gripping hard at his waist. He then roughly pulled Yoongi toward his room and shut the door.

After Taehyung and Yoongi sold the pictures a couple of weeks later, they were all over the tabloids and newspapers everywhere. Jeonentech’s stock value plummeted dramatically, as many shareholders decided to no longer support the company run by a young man whose lifestyle contradicted with their values. As if Jeonentech’s beliefs didn’t already do so.

Taehyung stayed with him during this time. He hardly ever went home anymore. Sometimes they didn’t even have sex. Taehyung just stayed with him to let Jungkook believe he was on his side.

Even though he lost a lot of his fortune, Jungkook still decided to shower Taehyung with extravagant gifts as a thank you for staying with him in this difficult time. He received countless designer items, his favorite of which were Gucci.

Despite all the gifts and pampering from Jungkook, Taehyung missed Yoongi. He missed his voice, his touch, his taste. Things that he actually loved, not just tolerated for the sake of his own personal gain. When he kissed Jungkook, he just pretended it was Yoongi. Whatever he did with Jungkook, he just pretended it was Yoongi.

Even after countless nights together, he never did get used to sleeping next to Jungkook, and would lie awake for hours at night, only to be incredibly exhausted the next day. The day that he finally went home was no different.

He got home from work at around 5pm and immediately showered and tucked himself in bed, falling asleep almost instantly, being in the comfort of his own bed again.

Later that night, Taehyung awoke to feeling someone shaking his shoulder. He was so exhausted that he had no idea who he even was, let alone the time.

"Hey, Tae. Wake up."

Taehyung forced one eye open, utterly annoyed about being woken up at this hour. This was the first night Taehyung spent in his own bed in a while, and he was hoping he'd be able to catch up on some much needed sleep.

"What is it?" He grumbled. "You know, I love you and all but the building better be fucking on fire for you to be waking me up at this ungodly hour."

"Taehyung, it's 9pm. I just got home from work, and you’ve been gone a while." He tugged at the blankets the covered Taehyung. "Come on, I have something to show you."

Taehyung begrudgingly got out of bed, his feet dragging off the side of the mattress as he flung himself into an upright position. His eyes were still barely open and he had a serious case of bedhead.

"Close your eyes," Yoongi instructed.

"Hyung, I still can't open them,” he replied groggily, rubbing at one of them with the palm of his hand.

Yoongi found this display so cute he couldn't help but giggle. He forced Taehyung out of bed and cupped his hands over Taehyung's eyes for a little extra insurance, leading him out of the apartment.

"You know, this is kind of kinky," Taehyung joked.

"Shut up. You talk a lot of shit when you're sleep deprived, you know that?"

Once down at the parking garage, Yoongi removed his hands from Taehyung's face. "Okay, now you can open your eyes," he told him.

Taehyung lifted his eyelids to find himself staring at a brand new car. His eyebrows flew up as he spun around toward Yoongi. "Hyung! Are you serious?"

Yoongi couldn't help but smile at Taehyung's reaction. "Yup! It's all yours."

Taehyung stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Yoongi. "Oh, my god! Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Really, you should be thanking Jungkook. I used the money we stole from him."

"And now, when I pull up to his place in my new car, he'll have no idea that he was the one who paid for it." Taehyung was now wide awake and couldn't stop smiling. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Yoongi replied. “Does this top the all the Gucci?”

He nodded. “Definitely.” Taehyung leaned in and kissed him, and Yoongi opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Their arms and hands snaked their way around each other's bodies and held on tight.

After a while, Yoongi broke the kiss to ask, "Should we go to my room or yours?"

Taehyung smirked and looked toward his new vehicle. "How about the back seat?"

"I like the way you think," Yoongi replied and then pressed the button on the key to unlock the door.

A couple of months later, Jeonentech was able to acquire some new investors, replacing those stuffy old conservative men and putting the company back on track. The Bangtanus Sonyeondaris was almost finished. The lab just needed to run some additional tests and fill out the accompanying paperwork for its approval.

Around this time was also the 30th anniversary of Jeonentech, and Jungkook was planning on holding a sizeable party in the lobby to celebrate. Of course, he invited Taehyung, and now that his secret was out, they could be more open about their relationship.

Taehyung was on the couch eating breakfast one morning when Yoongi strode out of his room with his laptop in hand. "Hey, so for that thing this weekend, I got a buddy of mine to hack into Jeonentech's security server, so now we have access to all the security cameras,” he said, totally and completely nonchalant as usual. He sat down and showed Taehyung the laptop which displayed multiple windows, each playing a live feed of a security camera in the Jeonentech building.

"What the fuck?” Taehyung exclaimed, mouth full of cereal. “Why do you have so many friends in so many places that I've never even met let alone heard of before."

"My work place has some... questionable employees. Let's just leave it at that,” Yoongi answered, brushing off Taehyung’s question.

"Okay whatever."

"So anyway, I think that would really help us."

"Mhm,” Taehyung mumbled after shoving another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"Are we really doing it? Is this party really going to be it?" Yoongi was beginning to get excited. Everything they had been working for for the last few months, everything he had been planning ever since Yoona passed, was finally coming to fruition.

Taehyung swallowed. "I don't know, hyung. Bangtanus Sonyeondaris will be finished a couple days before, so the timing works out perfectly, but you're the mastermind of all of this, I'm just your pawn."

"Come on, Tae. Give yourself some credit. You're much more than that."

Taehyung pursed his lips.

"I think this is it," Yoongi declared. "You ready to say goodbye to that bastard once and for all?"

Taehyung nodded. “I think so.”

“Great! Let’s go over the plan.”

Even though they could now afford new ones with all of Jungkook’s money, Taehyung and Yoongi decided to wear the same suits they wore when they first met the CEO. Yoongi said something about coming full circle.

“You ready?” Yoongi asked.

Taehyung nodded, fixing his hair in the mirror.

Yoongi pulled out a gun from his backpack and checked to make sure it was loaded.

Taehyung’s eyes widened. “Where the fuck did you get a gun?”

“That’s not important,” Yoongi dismissed. “But this is what I’m going to use.”

“Have you ever even fired a gun before?”

“Yeah, I’ve been practicing.”

Taehyung stepped closer to Yoongi and put his hands on his waist. “Okay, that’s really hot.”

Yoongi snickered and put the gun back in his backpack. “Hey, Tae?”

“Yeah.”

“When all of this is said and done, what do you think about us moving to Daegu together? Have a nice little quiet life in the countryside, enjoying our newly acquired wealth?”

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” Taehyung leaned in a kissed Yoongi, but had to break it when he heard his phone chime. “Jungkook is here,” he said. “I gotta go, but I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later.” He smiled at Taehyung.

After one last quick kiss, Taehyung was out the door.

When Taehyung and Jungkook arrived at the party, all eyes were on them. Not just because Jungkook was the CEO, but because this was their first public outing together as a “couple.”

It had been about an hour of Jungkook and Taehyung greeting guests and drinking champagne when Taehyung excused himself to use the restroom. Having worked here for nearly a year, Taehyung had the entire floor plan memorized, so it didn’t take him long to navigate from the main event space of the building to the back door where deliveries were usually made. He unlocked the door with the passcode he got from Yoongi’s hacker friend, and let Yoongi into the building. They greeted each other with a nod, but didn’t say anything in case someone heard them. Taehyung led him down the hall to the elevators. Yoongi got in and pressed the button for the 22nd floor. The doors of the elevator closed and Taehyung returned to the party while Yoongi set everything up upstairs.

“Hey, what took you so long?” Jungkook asked when Taehyung returned.

“The line was too long at this restroom so I went to the one upstairs.”

Jungkook nodded and put his arm around Taehyung’s waist. “Taehyung, this is Mr. Kim.” Jungkook gestured to the man standing in front of him. “He’s known as one of the most handsome CEOs in all of Seoul, second to only me.” Jungkook let out a chuckle.

“I can’t argue with that,” Mr. Kim jested. “Jungkook is very handsome.”

Taehyung bowed at the guest. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Kim. What is it that you do?”

The laughter died in his throat and his face suddenly grew serious. “Now that’s a secret I can’t share with you.”

Taehyung gulped, startled by the sudden change in disposition.

But as quickly as the laughter left, it returned, and Mr. Kim burst out in a raucous guffaw. “I’m kidding. My family owns a strawberry company, and I just happened to be in charge. Oh, God. You should have seen the look on your face. You looked so scared!” He and Jungkook continued laughing while Taehyung just stood there, not sure what to do with himself.

In the midst of their banter, the light’s shut off, replaced by an eerie red glow that encompassed every corner of the room.

“What’s going on?” Mr. Kim asked.

“I don’t know.” Jungkook looked around. “Maybe a power outage.”

Jungkook removed his arm from Taehyung’s waist and was about to leave to ask what was going on when the lights came back on.

Along with the lights came a strange, electronic voice, the same kind that resulted from using a voice changer. This voice fed through every speaker in the building so that everyone could hear. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please.” All the guests looked around and at each other, trying to determine the source of the voice. Some of them seemed panicked, grabbing onto the people around them for comfort. “Don’t be alarmed,” the voice – Yoongi – continued. “If you all cooperate, you will all make it out of here alive. I am only here for one person: Jeon Jungkook.” Jungkook whipped around at the sound of his name, as if he thought he would find the person speaking in this very room. “Everyone leave the building except for Jeon Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook stays or everyone will die."

Chaos erupted. Nearly five hundred people were running around screaming, trying to find the exits. Taehyung and Jungkook just stood there amidst the forming stampede.

Jungkook grabbed a hold of Taehyung’s hand, cradling it in both of his. “Taehyung, go.”

“What? I can’t leave you!”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. Just go. Be safe. Save yourself.”

Taehyung nodded solemnly. Jungkook stepped forward and gave him one last lingering kiss on the lips. Jungkook let go of his hand.

Taehyung turned around and left as Jungkook said, “I love you,” which Taehyung pretended not to hear.

Instead of leaving the building, Taehyung went to the elevator and pressed the button to the 22nd floor. Jungkook stood in the event space and watched as everyone disappeared out the exits.

Once everyone was gone, the distorted voice returned. "Jeon Jungkook, please go to the North Conference room on the 22nd floor."

Jungkook did as he was told. He arrived in the conference room only to find it white and empty, stripped of all it's furniture and office supplies, with only a sole chair remaining in the back.

"Have a seat Jungkook,” the voice commanded. “Make yourself comfortable. And don't even try to leave. Jumping out the window would guarantee death and all the exits to the building have been secured. There's no way out, Jungkook.”

"Why are you doing this?" Jungkook screamed into the emptiness of the room.

"Thanks to you," the voice said, "we've lost someone very important to us, and we want you to pay for it."

It was weird, because in this moment, he didn’t think about his company, or about his mother. All he thought about was Taehyung and how he didn’t want to lose what they had together. "Just name your price. I'll give you as much money as you want. Please. Just let me live." Let me see Taehyung again.

"Oh, but if you look closely, Jungkook, you'll notice that we already have all your money. All you bank accounts are empty, Jungkook. Your money belongs to us now."

"Please! I'll do anything!" Tears started forming in the corners of his eyes and his throat was getting sore from all the screaming.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that."

"Who are you?!"

In the room across the hall, Yoongi looked over at Taehyung, who nodded in response. The two of them walked into the conference room and faced Jungkook.

"Min Yoongi? And T–Taehyung?" His voice was suddenly softer and smaller. He was no longer angry, but rather felt immensely betrayed.

"Good evening, Jungkook," Yoongi greeted. "It's nice to see you again."

"Tae, how could you?" Seeing the man he loved in front of him like this felt like someone was twisting a knife in his chest.

Taehyung remained silent, afraid his words would betray him. He'd wanted this man dead for more than a year but he also had grown somewhat attached to him. He knew that killing Jungkook would be for the better, but he wouldn't be able to do it without some apprehension.

"Tae! Answer me!"

"Don't fucking call me Tae,” he spat. “You don't deserve to call me Tae. Not after what your company did to my family."

“What? What are you talking about?”

Taehyung explained what happened to Yoona.

“But that wasn’t me! That was my father!”

“I asked you if you wanted to change things. I asked you if you wanted to help people, but no, you cared more about the money than anything. You sick bastard.”

“What was I supposed to say?! That was when we first met. I didn’t care about anyone but myself. But you’ve changed me.”

Taehyung scoffed. “Fuck you. That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“You have to believe me!” Those tears that Jungkook tried so desperately to contain started pouring down his cheeks. “I love you, Taehyung. Please don’t do this!”

“Yeah, well I don’t love you. It’s too late to beg.”

“What’s going to happen when I’m gone? All those cures that Jeonentech holds, they’ll be gone with me.”

“We can make our own cures. Ones that people can actually afford. And if anyone asks? I’m just carrying out Jeon Jungkook’s legacy.”

“Please! I’ll change the prices! Anything! Just please don’t kill me!” He looked toward Yoongi for help. “Please, Yoongi.”

Yoongi pulled the gun from his pocket. “I’m sorry Jungkook, but we have to do this.”

Sobs wracked his body as he sat there with the weapon pointed to his head.

“Do you have anything else to say, Jungkook?” Yoongi cocked the gun. “Any last words?”

Jungkook took a deep breath and looked Taehyung in the eyes. Tears blurred his vision and he tried his hardest to get one last, clear look at the love of his life.

“I’m sorry.”

Taehyung just stared at him, his face devoid of emotion. He shouldn’t have cared, and he told himself he didn’t. He just wanted all of this to end so he could stop being so confused about everything.

Yoongi pressed the gun to Jungkook’s sweating forehead. “Goodbye, Jeon Jungkook.”

Taehyung looked away as Yoongi pulled the trigger.

When Taehyung opened his eyes, Jungkook was slumped back in the chair, blood dripping out the back of his head and onto the floor. A considerable amount was also splattered on the wall behind him.

All he could do was stare at the gory site. The man he hated most in the world was dead. He should have felt relieved, but in actuality, he still didn’t know what he felt. He felt disappointed that he couldn’t change him, he felt sad that a man filled with so much potential was ruined by such an ugly upbringing, but he also felt happy, because now he could be with Yoongi and only Yoongi.

“Let’s get out of here,” Yoongi said, grabbing Taehyung by the hand.

“What about the body?” Taehyung still couldn’t take his eyes off of Jungkook’s lifeless form.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered,” Yoongi reassured him.

Taehyung and Yoongi escaped out the back door, where no one would see them. They got into Yoongi’s car and took a moment to process all that just happened.

“You okay?” Yoongi asked, rubbing Taehyung’s hand with his thumb.

“I think so.” Taehyung stared blankly at their overlapping hands.

“It’ll all be okay.”

Taehyung tore his gaze from his hand to look Yoongi in the eyes. He furrowed his brows together and nodded. He then leaned over and kissed Yoongi on the lips. It was quick, but felt every bit as intense as their deepest kisses.

“There’s still something I have to do,” Yoongi croaked as he pulled back. “Ca–can you hand me my laptop?”

Taehyung reached into Yoongi’s backpack which sat between his legs and pulled out the device. Yoongi opened it and begin clicking and typing quickly.

“I’m going to erase all the security tapes,” Yoongi said, and Taehyung nodded. “Oh, and Taehyung.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t be alarmed.”

Taehyung lifted an eyebrow, unsure what Yoongi meant by that. Don’t be alarmed by what?

A second later, when Yoongi pressed down on the spacebar with his finger, Taehyung got his answer. A loud explosion rang out as Yoongi detonated the explosives that were attached to the bottom of Jungkook’s chair.

“Holy fuck!” He recoiled at the noise.