*　BAD　BOY　.

"mm, i believe i came in here somewhere between the sixth and seventh beer," he said, a breathy chuckle following as he thought back to the emotional rollercoaster that had been earlier that morning. his fingers tightened around the covers, his knuckles turning white as he vaguely recalled arguing with one of the hotel maids minutes after the last live had ended. it hadn't exactly helped that she spoke neither english nor korean, but after a while he was fairly sure his frantic hand gestures had gotten the message across; the room wasn't to be touched until he left, and he'd happily pay for the extra night himself. his eyes drifted to a random spot on the lampshade, the memory drawing a cheeky smile from him before he looked back at the older. "before you judge me, you're no better." really? that was his defense? "it's not like you can sleep without me either." shut up, jungkook. as playful as the comment was, there was more truth to it than he'd ever admit out loud. jungkook was closing in on thirty, at least in korean age, and he still struggled to sleep without the older beside him. if he was being honest with himself, it was probably why he'd had such a hard time in the military, why he'd built up so many walls during those months without taehyung. keeping his eyes on the screen, he reached for the bottle of water he'd opened earlier, accidentally bumping his wrist against the phone and sending it sliding down the bedside table. "shit... hold up." he fumbled with the phone until he managed to prop it back against the bedside lamp before pushing himself up onto one elbow. unscrewing the cap, he took a long drink, smiling against the rim of the bottle. "kind of, yeah?" he answered matter of factly. "all of this usually happens when you're not around." he shrugged lightly. "adhd." it wasn't exactly a lie. the smirk he received didn't go unnoticed. jungkook had spent the better part of a decade memorizing every little expression taehyung made, and he could usually tell when his hyung was trying to hide the fact that he was flustered. "fuck me?" he repeated it slowly, leaning closer to the screen, then even closer, until the only thing visible was one large, curious eye. "repeat that.. but make it sound believable." what taehyung couldn't see was the warmth creeping into his own cheeks, spreading steadily across them. laughing softly, he leaned back again, letting himself fall onto the mattress with a muffled thump as he screwed the cap back onto the bottle. "fuck me... the nerve," he muttered to himself with a grin. despite never crossing that line between friendship and something more, it didn't stop his brain from reacting every now and then, his nervous system firing off signals he'd rather ignore. "you did? but couldn't you just put it in the fridge on the plane back?" he asked, genuinely touched that taehyung had thought of him. "you're being too cute, tete." he almost added i love you, the words already sitting on the tip of his tongue, but swallowed them instead, hugging the bottle loosely against his chest while his eyes followed the familiar routine of taehyung applying toner. he should probably do the same. the leftover makeup from the concert still clung to his face, leaving his skin feeling sticky, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "yeah?" a small smile tugged at his lips. "we could do that during butter next time.. if you're up for it."

his words made him smirk as he chewed at the inner corner of his lip, he wasn't exactly wrong and taehyung would have trouble denying it. he was used to having his arms around the younger while they slept, taehyung opting for a hotel pillow instead when they were apart. it obviously wasn't the same and his imagination could only work so many wonders. the older decided not to comment on it, his beaming smile and the way his eyes twinkled when he looked at jungkook validating the youngers words. he was visibly flustered now, the small amount of chest that was exposed from his pajama shirt painted with red flush, the shade matching his cheeks almost to an exact hue. with what he said next taehyung could feel his stomach drop suddenly, as if he was at the highest point of a rollercoaster before it's steep descent. taehyung cleared his throat, a laugh falling from his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. "it wouldn't be believable," he finally spoke up as he smirked mischievously at the screen. he waited for a few moments, his serum moisturizer cooling his flush skin as he continued to speak. "because you wouldn't be fucking me... i'd be fucking you." it was the way he spoke confidently, his eyes catching the youngers as each word trickled down his tongue, which was what made his spine chill. sure they had joked around about things before... but never like this. it was a difference, taehyung's blatant dominance coming to the forefront. "i know," he shrugged playfully, letting the serum sink in to his skin before moving on to the next step. "the nerve that i'm not there fucking you, right?" and he did it again -- his heart racing faster than it did before. he swallowed hard, trying to play it off as a joke as his loud laugh echoed against the bathroom tiles. "i'm being cute and you're being naughty... although gonna add cute into there as well. seems on brand for us." little did he know just how naughty taehyung could get himself. "yeah, i think that would be fun. we could do the mime thing where i'm pulling you closer with the invisible rope... you know what i'm talking about, right?" he finished off his skin care with some moisturizer of which he dabbed directly onto his skin. "i'm glad you're drinking water and taking care of yourself like i told you. you seem like you are feeling better. are you feeling better?" despite their obvious flirting and playful banter, taehyung needed to ask, it's why they were there in the first place. "wish i could jump into bed with you right now with my dubai chocolate croissant. you'd be eating that while we cuddled and watched anime. and knowing you, you'd get chocolate all over your face being silly and cute."

i know, and i was kind of second guessing myself about it. i just didn't want things to be left on that weird note. you're welcome and thank you. it's still strange to think it's the first time i've done one in so many years. that's good! things are great and intense! i know those clips have been all over tiktok. i am just happy the audience likes it! what's the ariana grande level? your shows have their own magic!

it makes sense, but i'm glad that you didn't. it is nice to hear from you again... despite everything. i can't help but feel a little awkward, i'm not gonna lie, but at least we are on the same page with that. i know, us too, especially since it's our first tour since the military. the last time we toured was like in 2022. how could they not? well, you know, you're ariana grande. glinda the good witch. you are pretty iconic.

pulling the covers further up, he used the corner as a pillow, nuzzling into the fabric as he watched the screen intently, waiting for an answer, hoping the older wouldn't be too tired. jungkook, on the other hand, could already feel his body melting into the mattress, warmth spreading through him as if he'd been working nonstop for twenty-four hours straight and was only now finally able to relax. he hummed happily the moment he heard his hyung dismiss the idea of being tired, a smile making its way back onto his features. "i didn't, but now i do," he admitted, running a hand through his hair, trying to tame the strands that, despite the hair product, still found their way back in front of his eyes. there was something strangely intimate about watching taehyung get ready for bed, or at the very least stick to his routine. jungkook knew every step by heart, having seen, and joined, it on countless occasions whenever they happened to be in the same place. honestly, one of the reasons he loved touring so much was getting to stay in such close proximity to his favorite person. despite his hyung only glancing back at him through the screen every now and then, it was still enough. comforting. soothing. the moment their eyes met, his smile only grew, his nose scrunching up until his eyes turned into thin crescents. "here for me?" he teased. "you make it sound like i needed an emotional assistant." the smile never left his face. deep down, he knew exactly what taehyung meant, especially after their conversation earlier. the older had been genuinely worried about him, and more than anything, jungkook wanted to put that worry to rest. "i promise i'm fine, hyung." he'd meant to leave it at that, but taehyung cut him off, and almost immediately a crimson blush spread across his cheeks, impossible to hide against his pale skin. he wasn't wrong, though. that was the whole point of the facetime. to see him. to hear him. to feel a little closer. he pulled the covers higher, hiding the smile that refused to disappear. "i wouldn't have minded that, but i understand, hyung." his eyes drifted toward the toiletry bag, mentally listing the products taehyung was about to use in the exact order he'd always used them. he nodded, absentmindedly maneuvering the covers between his legs with his feet. "i am, but i think that's because it's your room," he admitted before shaking his head. "i haven't been able to sleep since you left, so really.." he shrugged, the teasing smile still hidden behind the fabric. "..this is all your fault."

after taking a few moments to register his words, his slim digits had stopped moving, his gaze moving towards his phone. taehyung didn't necessarily notice at first, they had similar rooms after all, but now the small details had really started to stand out. "you're in my room?" a slight quirk in his brow led to playful curiosity as he wanted to push more for details. "so, you're in my bed then? did you even let the maids re-make it or did you just hop right in?" the thought had brought an obvious flush to his skin, his cheeks growing hot as they pressed up into a smile. it was normal in a sense. after all, they had cuddled almost every night, but the fact that jungkook had wanted to be in his bed after he was long gone spoke volumes. the same scent of the younger before him, he had grown accustomed and addicted too, had rubbed off on jungkook in a similar fashion. "so, you're blaming this all on me then?" his lips twisted into a playful smirk as his attention then shifted back to his toiletry bag of which he took out a few items. taehyung had wanted to retain some sort of normalcy, despite the way his body had screamed on the inside at the information the younger had shared with him. "fuck you." his playful smirk never left his features as he reached for his cotton rounds and toner. in reality, it was playful teasing, although in taehyung's mind it had meant other things. he was a very sexual being, the word 'fuck' making his eyes wide with thoughts that were meant for the gutter. taehyung wished he had felt bad for it, thinking about jungkook in that way, but after all how could he not? he was his best friend, bold, attractive... and now he found out he was laying in his bed? it did weird things to his brain, and most obviously, his body as he felt his nipples stiffen against his tank top. "i told pinky pie about this dubai chocolate croissant i had and i was thinking of bringing one back for you, but i don't know how well it would hold up after travel." nonetheless, he was going to do it anyway, he knew how much the younger had loved sweets, but he figured a change in topic was needed. especially with how his body was reacting to the stimulus of the golden maknae. "and i saw this mime on the street... his makeup was a little scary, but you would've gotten a kick out of him." taehyung applied the toner pad directly to his face making sure not to miss any surface area. "think you, me and jin hyung would've started pretending to be mimes on stage after we saw that."

i meant to reach out to you sooner, to say good luck with the tour and everything. i wasn't honestly sure if you wanted to hear from me, but i do hope that everything is going good? my tour has been amazing, even if it's so very small compared to yours! @tcehyngs

i'll be honest, i wasn't really expecting you to reach out to me... especially when we left things the way we did. but, thank you for doing so... and good luck on your tour as well. yeah, everything is great over here. how about you? i saw your supernatural performance all over tiktok and the end effect is really cool. kind of jealous we aren't doing anything like that, but we also aren't on ariana grande level.

jungkook hadn't been able to stay still for the past several hours, doing nothing but tossing and turning in bed. the worst part, though, was that he'd been without his phone the entire time, too lazy to get up and look for it. if he remembered correctly, it had been thrown, dropped, misplaced and at one point even used as a bottle opener. honestly, it could've been anywhere in the room. he knew he'd brought it into taehyung's old room. he was almost certain he'd continued the weverse live in here before everything became a blur. groaning into the pillow, the sound muffled by the soft fabric, he started counting down from five, hoping it'd be enough motivation to finally get out of bed and go searching for the missing device. five.. four.. three... instead of standing up, he rolled onto the other side of the bed and slowly slid off the edge, landing on the wooden floor with a quiet thud. sitting there with his back against the mattress, he let out a small huff. well.. that didn't exactly help. a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth anyway as his eyes lazily scanned the room, checking every surface he could see. nothing. letting his head fall back against the bed, he closed his eyes and exhaled, the faint scent of alcohol still lingering in the room. then he heard it. a vibration. his eyes flew open. "tae!" he scrambled to his feet so quickly he nearly tripped over himself, following the sound across the room until he stopped in front of a chair buried beneath the pile of clothes he'd tossed there the night before. raising a brow, he began pulling garments off one by one. shirt. hoodie. jeans. "...ah." there it was. his phone. and sure enough, taehyung was calling. grabbing it without another thought, he hurried back to the bed, practically throwing himself beneath the covers that still carried the faintest trace of the older's scent before accepting the call. he propped the phone against the bedside lamp and immediately beamed. "taehyungie!" his smile softened almost instantly. "i missed you..." his eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the screen. "are you getting ready for bed? are you tired?" the excitement that had been bubbling inside him faded just as quickly as it had come, replaced by a familiar pang of guilt. "..if you're tired," he said quietly, rubbing at the back of his neck, "we can wait until tomorrow."

leaning over the sink he smiled as he met the younger's gaze, a blush painting his cheeks a hue of red. despite how exhausted he was from the hot paris sun and the hustle and bustle of paris fashion week, jungkook was always able to provide him the energy he lacked. his energy was magnetic, hypnotizing even, and taehyung had fell under his spell every single time. he didn't have to do much but smile or even look at him, the heaviness of his eyes subsiding with a single blink. "i missed you too, i hope you know that." he wiped at the excess toothpaste around his lips with the sleeve of his pajama shirt as he finished up at the sink. he wasn't the neatest, he was a man after all. chaos had ran through his bloodstream, perhaps that was why he had got on so well with jungkook. "no, no... i'm not tired. i promise. i'm here for you, so stop with that shit." taehyung couldn't help but grin as he looked back down at the screen, their eyes catching once more. "i haven't even showed yet and i know you'd get upset because you couldn't see me through the hot steam, so i can't exactly take you in there with me." it was obvious he was teasing him, a smirk tugging at the inner corners of his lips. they had seen each other naked before, even showered together living in the idol dorms when they were younger, but this time? the teasing was backed by some subtle flirtation on taehyung's part. "so, i couldn't exactly get into bed and sleep even if i wanted too, jungkookie." his gaze then focused on his skincare bag which his fingers started to fumble through. "you look comfy though and you can't sleep?"

but i already told you there's no need to worry about me. i was just having a bit of fun, i felt a little lonely, and army usually knows how to keep me entertained. i'm your stitch? so now you're comparing me to a tiny alien who destroys everything?..sounds about right. i know, right? i was thinking we could name him pinkie pie, just because he's basically her. and what do you mean when you say "extreme"? you left.. and then i didn't hear from you for several hours afterwards, so yeah... i wanted to quiet that worry for a little while. i don't think there's anything wrong with that. plus, i have millions of witnesses who saw i was just having fun and blocking everything else out. but i didn't want to play league or watch anime. i just wanted to talk to you. no, it's okay. you don't have to apologize for doing your job and something you enjoy. last night, the heat and adrenaline from the concert just got to me, i guess. eh, i ordered a burger and a salad, though i should probably see if i can order something now unless the kitchen's closed. pretty sure it is.. why did you reach out to jiminssi?? i'm okay, hyung. wait, let me just go get it.

his day was long and tiring, but that didn't stop him from setting his phone up against the bathroom mirror. it's easy to select jungkook's contact and press the facetime button, seeing as he was the one whom he had spoken to the most. taehyung was in the middle of brushing his teeth, still not fully showered from the day, but he thought the mundane tasks of brushing his teeth and doing his skincare routine would help ease kook's mind. he noticed it always had, he noticed the younger's boba eyes following his every move with amazement and it made him blush every time. although, this time it wasn't as intimate. it was through a screen, which taehyung had never really cared for when it came to jungkook and his constant need for touch, but it had to do for now. hearing the call connect, he looked into the camera with a smile, the bristles of his toothbrush still scrubbing against his teeth. "jungkookie." he laughed as he spoke through the mumbles of his toothbrush, leaning slightly off camera to spit the excess toothpaste in the sink.

i haven't checked anywhere except the nightstand and under my pillow. wae? you don't have to call either of them and bother them on their day off. and if i wanted jiminssi to come in and sing "sunshine, lollipops and rainbows," i'd just watch my little pony.. he's a little too spirited for me at the moment. but i don't understand why you're so worried about me when i'm just doing what i always do whenever you're not around. you should've seen me in the military. i am okay, though, hyung. i just needed to blow off some steam after the concert and you know i don't usually go to bed before 5 a.m. damn straight i did. that closet was designed for a kookie monster. though, what do you mean by that? pinky promise. but what else am i supposed to do in this room all by myself? i'm so fucking bored out of my mind and i want to do something other than go to the gym. and i've eaten. i had something this morning and i've also been drinking a lot of water, in case you were about to ask me that. ..please don't worry so much about me. i'm okay, just a little... my mind was doing that thing, you know... and please don't reach out to the other hyungs. i don't want them worrying about me too. you think? you know that's a lie.

i'm not bothering them. i know they worry just as much as i do about you, and it doesn't matter if it's a day off or not. we all knew what we signed up for and we are family, no one gets left behind. you are like our stitch. he does look and act like a my little pony, doesn't he? should we call him that from now on? i don't feel like you do things to the extreme like you did last night and i don't think i've ever seen you drink this much... so it concerns me. i wish i didn't have these brand obligations, you know i would've stayed by your side the whole time. you could always put on some anime or play league until you fall asleep... or you know, call me. i should've known to call you, guess i was just so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the show. i'm sorry, kookie. you have? what did you have? actual food or snacks? i know and i wish i was there to help you through it. sorry, but i already reached out to mochi and you know he's reached out to everyone else by now. no. it's not a lie. probably looks good up against your toned chest and tattoos. better than it'd look on me. you find your phone yet? wanna call you.

..but that would require me knowing where my phone is. i should get suga hyung to call me. i'm pretty sure i put it on vibrate.. wait, it might just be in the bathroom. i'll go check in a second since i'm not physically able to get out of bed. you know me so well. what tipped you off, though? was it the fact that i went into your closet? hm, i'm glad you're having fun, even if it's without me and the rest of the guys. are they treating you okay? are you eating healthy? no, no. i promise i stopped drinking about an hour ago, which means i've actually been drinking for twenty-two hours straight. but in my defense, it's so boring here without you. and that sounds good but when are you back at your hotel room? thirty minutes? twenty? an hour? you're welcome and no, i'm wearing it.

you still haven't found it since last night? i know you tossed it, but thought for sure it'd be laying on the floor. did you check under the bed? maybe you kicked it by accident when you got up. you're not physically able to get out of bed? that's it. i'm calling suga hyung to come and give you some water and medicine... or maybe even jiminssi. he hasn't checked on you yet? gonna scold him in a minute. you make me really worry about you, you know that? i know you can't help it, but i haven't been thinking about anything else but you and if you were doing okay. you looked so silly in the closet... but, at the same time, you fit perfectly. is that where you found my necklace? don't worry about me. i'm fine, but worried about you. an hour ago?! are you serious? don't pick up another bottle again, okay? you promise me? pinky promise or it isn't real. you haven't eaten anything, have you? gonna get one of them to bring you some food as well. it was going to be a couple hours, but i'm cutting everything short. worried about you and need to see your face again... so ask suga hyung or jiminssi to help you find your phone. you're wearing it? oh... i mean, i bet you look better in it anyway.

when are you coming back again? and are you enjoying yourself? how am i doing? glad you asked.. fucking suffering. i haven't slept, i'm semi hungover, and for some reason i went live for four hours. the good news is.. actually, i don't know what the good news is. oh yeah. i found a necklace you forgot. ( @tcehyngs )

i'll be back in a few days. i thought i told you to put the date i'd be back in your notes on your phone? i'll text you the date again so you can set a reminder in your phone. don't want you feeling anxious again like you were last night. i'm having a good time, but you know i'd have a better time with you and everyone else. semi hungover? what does that mean? are you still drinking? fuck. tell you what... i'm getting back to my hotel room in a few hours, we will facetime. you're going to lay down and close your eyes while we're still on the phone... i'll sing to you or something... or you can just hear me exist... i know you like that. anything to ease those thoughts. i'll stay on until you wake back up again. thanks. can you put it with yours and i'll get it when i come back?