[ it's literally been a month since i last updated ahdisow , i'm so sorry it's been exam weeks but now it's holidays so hopefully i get a bit more regular! as an apology this chapter is pretty long, around 2400.  ]

[ chapter 36 ]
property

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

THE week was not one of the best ones in kim taehyung's life. he'd promptly ignored the slur of concerned texts from his best friend that had bombarded his device the next morning after the official announcement of jeongguk's and jiyeon's wedding. deciding that last night's news shouldn't put a damper across his mood, he'd donned on his favourite pair of jeans to work the next day in hopes of brightening his artificial grin.

pity that the very same elastic, half-price fabric ended up being the pissing dump for a cocker spaniel that blatantly refused to be pricked with a needle. so there went his jeans.

still smiling, taehyung had only laughed with the canine's owner when his colleagues had told the story and promised to never wear something valuable to the practice again despite his lengthy experience.

he'd gone home the next day after long hours of coaxing clawed kittens and running after indignant birds who refused to be trimmed, eager for a cheese sandwich to find out that he'd run out of bread. the smile at his lips seemed almost concerning now, eyes twitching and lips turned in some deformed quirk as he'd laughed forcefully and slammed the fridge door close, tucking his tall frame back in the car and out into a local supermarket.

the store had run out of bread.

he'd have to wait until tomorrow morning for the next stock.

no, kim taehyung was having a dreadful week. all he wished for was to slip into a hot, scented bath, a glass of red wine propped between his fingers. oh God, how he wished to forget. even if for be for a night, swarmed in plastic pink and muddled truths.

his heels ached, fingers taught with the burn of nylon. and his heart lay crumpled in the midst of it all, pitted scars slathered with fatigue and stress to blind their skin with carefully dappled concealer.

lips bitten at the thought, taehyung sighs, dumping his keys up on the coffee table. in just two hours, he would be expected to be dressed, feet perched on jimin's doorstep along with five other pairs.

he wasn't so keen to divulge in a certain someone's presence but there was no denying the almost childish need for companionship and pitying ears for his sour week. so despite the morbid cloud that would surely limp across his shoulders that night, taehyung bids his barking canine goodbye, joggers heavy against the concrete of his streets.

oh how he wished, he was home.

─── ·𖥸· ───

"taehyung!" jimin's smiling teeth greet him from the doorstep, "i was just gonna call you."

"oh." he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck, "is everyone here already?"

"yeah. is everything okay though? with the jiyeon saga and all? you weren't replying to my texts-"

forcing a grin to his lips, taehyung shakes his head and makes his way into the living room where seokjin's obnoxious laughter bellows from, "of course, why wouldn't i be?"

he can almost see his best friend's disapproving frown behind him as he picks up his space subtly, turning the round into the living room where any questions lay stiff midst the laughter. despite his victory of swiftly avoiding any further prodding into the topic, he catches jimin's stern look as he mouths "we'll talk about this later."

"taehyungie!" hoseok exclaims as he sinks into the spot beside him on the couch, clapping his back, "you look horrible!"

from his peripheral vision, he spots jeongguk sitting on a single sofa nearby, the younger's eyes watching him carefully. the mere sight of the man has his heart pounding in his ears, palms slathered in a thin sheen of sweat as he strains a smile again and laughs along.

"ahh, it's been a really busy week at the practice." he whines, slumping his body across hoseok's as he pouts, "and the jeans you got me for my birthday got ruined."

"aw." hoseok coos, leaning forward to pinch his cheeks briefly before slipping tender fingers behind him to press comfortingly at the base of his neck, "i'll buy you another pair on the weekend, cheer up bub."

grinning, he leans forward to sling a grateful arm across the elder's shoulders, "thanks hobi."

what taehyung fails to notice is the tick of jeongguk's jaw across the room, ivory veins prominent against the bent grip of his fingers upon the handle of the chair, eyes stony.

"joonie baby," seokjin calls, interrupting the murmurs in the room, "can you get the movie running while i bring out the food?"

nodding, namjoon rises to his feet, his boyfriend throwing a grateful smile his way before waving another victim from the couch.

"hoseok, come help me."

leaving no room for any rebukes, he turns on his heel and slips back into the kitchen, in his wake a reluctant hoseok who pries himself from the couch, fingers apologetically ruffling taehyung's hair as he stands.

"be right back." he promises, the younger nodding despite the pout strung at his lips.

"bring me some doritos?" taehyung shouts hopefully as his friend turns the bend of the dividing wall between the kitchen and the living room, hoseok halting to salute him approvingly before marching off.

snorting at the man's behaviour, he settles back into the couch, eyes swivelling to survey the room. almost at once he's meet with jeongguk's daring ones, the man's eyebrows raised as if stamping him with a crime he was yet to prosecuted with.

what? taehyung mouths, bristling at the heavy gaze settled across his shoulders as he narrows his eyes.

before the ceo is given a chance to shoot his own reply, there's a loud thump, their air-conversation torn at the hems as their attention swivels to the lanky man sprawled beneath their feet.

"oof," namjoon groans, fingers thumbing at the crown of his forehead as he rises unsteadily to his feet, "i'm good, i think?"

yoongi sighs and presses his forefinger almost agonisingly as he shakes his head and leans down to pull the tall man to his feet.

"please be careful," jimin berates behind, fingers tucked beneath his elbows to hold him upright, "if not for yourself then your boyfriend's precious mario figurines."

smiling sheepishly, namjoon nods, handing the silver-haired man the dvd before settling down on a nearby couch, rubbing at his kneecap.

"we should really get some carpet down, that's the third time i fell this week on the exact spot and it hurts like a bitch."

at this yoongi snickers, unfazed by the glare namjoon throws him soon after.

"budge up," jimin prods as he feeds the cd into the dvd player, moving to fling his boyfriend's feet off the couch where he settles in between his legs.

a plate of orange chips and crisp brownies waltz into the room, jin's broad smile bobbing behind them as he places them precariously on the coffee table and hastily reminding his boyfriend to not stretch his long legs too far.

"what did you choose baby?" jin coos, extending an arm across his seat to which namjoon timidly presses himself into.

"us."

besides him, jeongguk grins, leaning forward to high-five a drowsy yoongi who offers a mildly interested smirk as he slings an arm around his reluctant partner.

"no," hoseok disagrees, heart-shaped lips thinned, "we are not watching that."

"why not." taehyung whines, tugging loosely at the redhead's sleeve, "i'll protect you, you big-baby."

"it's not him who needs protection." namjoon scoffs bitterly. "it us at the crack of dawn when he starts screaming his ass off."

jin rolls his eyes, raising a hand to silence the disgruntled grumbles between the group as he sighs, "let's just do a team vote, hands up if you vote yes and hands on your knees if it's a no."

the no's are greatly outnumbered as a sulking hoseok and pouting jimin sink into the couch, begrudgingly admitting defeat as the movie begins.

"hey jeongguk, could you maybe move onto the couch with those two so joonie and i can have the love seat? the floor's kinda uncomfortable." jin interrupts, a smirk bitten beneath his apologetic smile.

"oh yeah, 'course."

rising to his feet hastily as the couple thanks him and settles into the love seat, jeongguk finds himself stiffly waiting as taehyung tucks his legs into his chest timidly as he presses against hoseok - who's oh so conveniently grinning smugly at the duo from the end of the couch - to make room for the additional person.

"oh and hoseok?" he calls again - earning a distasteful glare from yoongi - , "if it's a bit tight you can always drag the beanbag in from the other room."

"ah i'm fine, thanks tho-" he smiles, before he catches the eldest's pointed glare, shaking his head hastily and jumping to his feet, "oh...oh! never mind, i can't feel my arm because of this fatass. the beanbag's in your room right?"

jin merely nods, teeth latched across his lips to restrain his laughter, he watches as taehyung's eyes bulge from their sockets - despite the offended scowl at his lips - as jeongguk shuffles even closer in relief, a veiny hand darting forward to wrench the blanket across his own feet.

"hey!"

the raven-haired male shrugs, tugging another handful of thick cotton his way much to the elder's distaste, offering nothing but a brief, "its cold."

taehyung scoffs, long fingers darting forward to rip the throw over back, "that's doesn't give you the right to steal all of it. i had it first."

"your maturity never fails to blow me away, silver."

maybe it is the nickname or the proximity of their legs, his own toes mere inches away from the younger's thighs, but taehyung's heart soars in his chest, cheeks flushing rose to the very tips of his ears.

"s-so does your stupidity." he retorts, hastily turning his nose back to the screen before him, skin glowing.

he hears jeongguk laugh beside him, the sound sending pleasant tickles across his spine, resting lovingly across his shoulders as he bites back a smile.

it's a few minutes into the movie, a smiling family of four tucked into the back of their vehicle hobbling towards their holiday home, when taehyung notices the awful lack of cloth across his jean-cladded legs. and the growing cold that battered across his slim frame.

that little bastard-

whipping his head in jeongguk's direction, his lips curl back into a daring sneer, fingers latching across the hem of the blanket as he thrusts it to his chest. if only the man hadn't spotted the elder's actions before he'd executed it, his own palms tight around the handful of cotton.

"let go." taehyung snaps steely, insistently tugging his way to no avail.

"why should i?"

huffing, he attempts to deliver a final harsh pull - with no result but taehyung wouldn't ever admit to that - , "because i'm freezing, you selfish coconut!"

jeongguk blinks before a cool smirk curls across his lips, eyes glinting mischievously, "oh, you should've said so."

"huh?!"

before he's given a chance to duel out a distasteful rebuke at the younger's lack of coherence, strong hands wind across his elbows, slipping across his hips as he's swiftly tugged towards the ceo, a startled yelp circling at his gaping lips. back flush against the man's chest, their legs intertwined across the length of the couch, taehyung squirms between the other's legs, his eyes bulging and skin scorching.

"what the heck?!" taehyung yelps indignantly, writhing in the other's firm hold at his hips, "let me go!"

he can see the teasing smirk at jeongguk's lips behind him as the man laughs softly, breath fanning across the shell of his ear, leaning forward to nuzzle his chin against the crook of the elder's neck.

taehyung's terribly aware of the smug looks his friends send him from their respective places, their eyes not-so-discreetly flickering their way every so often.

"you said you were cold." he murmurs, taehyung's breath catching in his throat as the younger's chest rumbles behind him, "you're not anymore, no?"

he wishes he could reply, a snappy rebuke that would light the amused glint in the younger's eyes whenever they would pick a fight. but he can't. not with the pressing heat at his legs as jeongguk's fingers loosen across his hips, slipping across the sides of his thighs, rubbing his jeans softly.

taehyung's sure he looked like a glowing emergency light in the darkened room.

"cat got your tongue silver?" jeongguk hums, thumbs kneading ovals at his skin, "i've never seen you this quiet...not even when you were moaning mess."

cheeks alight like the earthy embers of coal, he snarls, squirming even further in hopes of unlatching the steel grip at his waist where freedom awaits. his actions are immediately halted, the younger's palms only tightening until the skin at his hips ached and taehyung's sure of their azure residue.

"if i were you," he growls lowly, pressing harshly down at the elder's skin to lock him in place, "i would stop moving."

taehyung bites at his lips, hips terribly sore by now but his pride kept him from pointing it out as he hisses, "well your lucky i'm not. now unhand me before i scream bloody murder."

the ceo merely laughs at the threat, running the bridge of his nose across the curve of taehyung's neck as he smirks.

"why should i? you're mine, i can do whatever i want with you."

if it was any other time, maybe taehyung would've been aroused. there was no hiding his infatuation with possession or degradation but his words do not strike the usual tingle of seduction as they would usually do, his mind cluttered with the television's smiling reporter and images of a beautiful, long-legged woman with lips sculpted of roses.

"fuck you." he curses, a surge of strength pulsing at his veins as he digs his nails into the younger's palms, the man yelping as he frees him from his hold, "i'm not your fucking property mr.jeon. go flirt with your fucking fiancé for all i care."

and with that, he's springing out of the couch, vision blurry and chest tight, jeongguk's fingers imprinted against his hips.

~

[a/n]

i just noticed that i keep switching jin's name to seokjin and back. you know what i mean so bare with me. and yes, side note 'us' is one of the best horror movies in history.

but to a much more serious topic, can we talk about wattpad's new update? my opinion? two words; hate it. the offline library is driving me insane. it's just another way to rope people into going premium. i mean yeah i get it you have to make money but seriously, making us use our data vs paying for premium? the whole point i use wattpad is for the offline library. it's so disappointing to see this once-amazing app just ruin themselves as they try and get more money. and besides a good portion of the users are teenagers who don't have the money to be paying for premium. it's just ridiculous, i'm honestly so disappointed with this app and what it's come to.

on a happier note, chicken noodle soup anybody? 🍗 🍜