WARNINGS: jk having an existential crisis, as usual, some drinking, some stuff happening with dubious consent (it's very much consensual tho, just not outright stated)

♡ ˎˊ˗ THE AFTERNOON SUN paints the Woljeongri sand in hues of pink and gold. Taehyung breathes in, hearing the waves lap against the shore in a smooth, steady rhythm. His eyes remain shut, neglecting the view of the emerald water for a moment, so he can feel the power of the sharp salt air in his lungs.

They finished filming this particular location yesterday already. Jeongguk woke him up before dawn, as promised, forced him out of bed and into the shower, before they snuck out to go watch the sunrise from this supposedly famous volcanic crater. It was a tiring hike, but Jeongguk ended up carrying Taehyung some of the way up, so he couldn't complain much. They stayed there for a bit over an hour, before Yoongi freaked out and called Jeongguk, since he couldn't reach Taehyung's phone. They met up with the others on Woljeongri beach, explored the street cafés and filmed a little more, before Jeongguk decided it would be good to get in the water.

Their swimming lessons admittedly messed with the schedule very little, since Jeongguk had apparently planned for them already. They managed to get to Jeongbang, which is this famous waterfall --- the only one in all of Asia to fall directly into the ocean, according to Yoongi.

Yesterday, Taehyung managed to figure out why Namjoon had been so concerned about the schedule to begin with: it's packed. Jeongguk is ambitious, always has been, but their plans for these few days here in Jeju involve multiple stops a day, with over an hour of travel between each one, and lots of small things he'd like to see, details, particularities about each stop, from the waterfall, to the Teddy Museum. Whenever someone questioned it, as they rushed back from Jeongbang to reach their next stop, Jeongguk insisted it would be fine, that they should trust him.

This afternoon, as soon as they reached the cottage, Jeongguk grabbed Taehyung's hand and they snuck off to Woljeongri again. They got about half an hour to themselves, just them, glistening water and white sand, before Namjoon, Jimin and Yoongi found them and the mood instantly shifted. Namjoon pulled Jeongguk aside, Jeongguk's eyes faltered, he shut down almost entirely, addressing only Jimin and no one else. Taehyung couldn't blame him: he didn't feel much better.

He and Jeongguk mostly kept the cameras off when they were alone. Their entire hike to and from Sunrise Peak yesterday, they took a few photos only and recorded a few minutes of the sunrise, before completely isolating themselves in each other's company. With the others, however, it wasn't that simple.

Taehyung had to glare at Yoongi for almost ten minutes to get him to tell Namjoon to lay off Jeongguk, so they could enjoy the beach at least a little bit more. Namjoon obeyed eventually and took out his phone, and Taehyung has felt a little more at ease since, because Jeongguk's now sitting in the sand next to his best friend, quiet.

Jimin has been a proper nuisance. That little dare from his fortune cookie has taken on a life of its own and there's been constant pestering about it.

"Ah, what a beautiful day..." He sighs. He's sitting down, sweatpants covered in sand. "Perfect for a romantic photo."

Shivering from the cold, Taehyung promptly ignores him, used to it already, but Jeongguk lifts his head off of Jimin's lap to shoot him a glare: Jeongguk has had to reject Jimin at least five times today.

"We hooked up! We can kiss once, right?" Jimin says. "C'mon, Jeonggukie, for the prophecy!"

"It's not a damn prophecy," Jeongguk snaps back at him, fond amusement tinting his tone nonetheless. "It's a piece of paper. I could have pulled that one."

"Well, exactly! And everyone here would kiss you if you asked. But since it's my fortune, no one will even kiss in front of me, let alone kiss me." Jimin huffs. "I fucking hate transphobes, man..."

Taehyung snorts, but ignores Jimin's every attempt to get his attention. "It's getting cold," he says, still without his fucking jacket. Turns out, in his rush to get rid of some of the colourful things in his bags while he packed, he accidentally took out his jacket and left it on the bed. Jeongguk dragged him into the water earlier, but his clothes still can't seem to fully dry. "We should probably head back."

Jeongguk pushes himself up to sit between Jimin and Taehyung, and Taehyung watches the way the salt water has curled his hair into chocolate ringlets that fall over his ears. There's a nasty sunburn on his nose and cheeks, but he's grinning still, completely oblivious to it. "You cold?"

"I said that ten seconds ago, darling." Taehyung chuckles. "Try to keep up, would you?"

Jeongguk rolls his eyes and flicks Taehyung's chin, before standing up to go call Namjoon and Yoongi. Taehyung stays, biting back a smile.

"He's been talking to Namjoonie hyung a lot, huh?"

Taehyung hums, eyebrows creasing. "I wasn't paying attention. Now that you've mentioned it, he does seem to be trying to be a little more patient with him." He blinks. "When did that even start?"

"Not sure," Jimin responds. "They were talking this morning when I woke up. And now... My guess is, he realised he's not perfect, either. Think I could make him kiss Namjoon hyung?" he asks abruptly and Taehyung sighs in exasperation. "Or maybe I could--- Oh, I'm a genius!" He scrambles to stand up, sending sand flying in Taehyung's direction, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut and turn away, covering his face. "Namjoonie hyung, my sun and my stars, can you kiss me?"

Taehyung stands up, dusts himself off and turns to watch them, spotting Jeongguk near Namjoon and Yoongi, who have been sitting under an umbrella these past few hours, hiding from the sun. Jeongguk seems to be engaged in a serious discussion with Namjoon, and Taehyung walks towards him a little too slowly, taking a moment to just watch him a little longer, his windswept hair, the way he stands tall and firm, a black tank top stained with dried salt and clinging to his body, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. His head is tilted to the side, brows furrowed, teeth playing with the silver of his piercing.

Taehyung still watches, even as he stops to stand right next to him, ignoring Jimin's fingers tapping Namjoon on the chest to interrupt their conversation, ignoring Yoongi's watchful eyes, and Jeongguk lifts an eyebrow at him, those fucking lips of his curving in amusement almost instantly, expression losing all its previous tension. Taehyung looks away, shaking his head to dismiss it, and feels a flicker of discomfort settle in his chest. Jeongguk only keeps grinning at him, the bastard.

He blames it on Jimin, these thoughts seeping into his brain like sand, thoughts he can't allow himself to have, not if he wants to enjoy the peace he and Jeongguk have finally achieved, the dynamic they've built for themselves.

But Jimin has this way of dragging everyone and everything into his orbit, of turning anything into something larger than life, usually in a good way --- his energy keeps the atmosphere from growing too heavy, eases the tension between the two people closest to him. Taehyung can see why Jeongguk was drawn to him in the first place: if Jeongguk's the sun to everyone who knows him, Jimin's the sun to Jeongguk. Jeongguk holds onto him, spins around him, a safe constant.

Jimin can be a bit much, sometimes, but so can Jeongguk. And with the pull Taehyung feels towards Jeongguk, he can't help but gravitate towards Jimin, as well, although the two relationships differ in many ways: what Taehyung feels for Jimin is something almost brotherly, while his attraction to Jeongguk is... well, everything but.

There's also the fact that Jimin sort of bridges the gap between Jeongguk and the rest of the world (also known as mere mortals), and if Taehyung can't reach Jeongguk, he knows he needs to go through Jimin. The opposite applies, as well, strangely --- more often than not, Jimin's been reaching out to Taehyung whenever he and Jeongguk have an issue and Jeongguk won't talk to him.

So the fact that Jimin has brought up kissing literally everyone in their crew, as well as some of them kissing one another, it makes Taehyung feel slightly uneasy. Just slightly.

He's the type of person to ignore something until it's mentioned. The second it's mentioned, he can't get it out of his head. For example, how many times today Jimin brings up how good of a kisser Jeongguk is, not that Taehyung doesn't remember feeling that smile against his lips, feeling his shuddering breath and his, You're so pretty. Just an example. A random, purely unrelated example. No reason to think about it whatsoever. None at all.

"Namjoonie hyung wants to kiss me," Jimin announces calmly, "but I think he's too afraid of a scandal."

Taehyung hums playfully, avoiding Namjoon's eyes to show he's not joking with him, but about him. "That is a valid reason."

As they leave the beach, Jimin makes sure to go badger some of the staff. Even Yoongi falls victim to it, but refuses flatly, and Jimin doesn't bother him again.

"Do you think those guys will say yes if I ask to take a pic of them?" he asks Taehyung at one point, nudging him to take a look at a lesbian couple in the distance, making out by the water.

Taehyung frowns. "I'm not entirely sure you won't get punched."

Jimin lets out another heavy sigh and throws an arm over Taehyung's shoulders. "You're right. People these days don't appreciate photography anymore."

"Exactly," Taehyung plays along, oddly grateful he can experience this: Jimin being relaxed, silly, not having to spend every second at work thinking of Jeongguk's safety. It's nice to see him with these same people, on duty, but softer. It feels like the real him. "Now, tell me about the Bijarim forest. Isn't it a little late? What will we be doing tomorrow, can't we just go in the morning?"

"Oh, I think it has to be today." He shakes his head, lowering his voice. "I mean, since tomorrow will be pretty crazy, too. Manjanggul, and then... He should have moved the bonsai garden situation for the day after tomorrow, but he wants to see those damn stuffed toys before we leave--- Tae, don't tell him I said that."

"I won't," Taehyung promises, watching the outline of Jeongguk's shoulders as he walks ahead of them all, clearly determined they get to the forest on time. Namjoon's walking beside him, to everyone's surprise. They seem to be talking. "Why is it so important to him, anyway? The museum."

Jimin shrugs. "No fucking idea, but if I had only a few years of peace in my life, I'd wanna go back to something that represented them, too."

Taehyung can't exactly find the words to respond with, so he remains quiet.

A reminder. Of a childhood cut short, of a possibility of a life without all this pressure, all these expectations. Jeongguk visited Jeju with his mum when he was little. Not with Jeon Jaehwan, but with the woman who gave her all to raise him, did everything she could, before she was inevitably pushed away by the circumstances surrounding her family. Jeongguk wants to honour it all here, somehow.

The sun has almost set and Bijarim is a quiet, peaceful trip, after an entire day of activities. It's nice to unwind without having to worry about the content they're making. They're being filmed, certainly, but everyone seems to understand the atmosphere and they don't disrupt it.

Bijarim is almost a world of its own. Taehyung admires the towering, ancient trees stretching endlessly into the bruising sky. The forest has this stillness to it, a silence that allows them all to simply exist there, where their very footsteps on the soft earth feel muffled. Not even Jimin dares to disturb it.

The cold air smells clean, rich with the scent of damp wood, and the place feels timeless. Taehyung sits down beneath a tree to rest and can't help but wonder about their surroundings, despite the cold seeping into his fucking soul at this point.

"What's up?" Jeongguk calls out, plopping down next to him. "You look like you're thinking pretty hard."

"It must be your first time witnessing it," Taehyung says.

"Sure, I don't look in the mirror too often."

"I sincerely doubt that's true." Taehyung chuckles, shaking his head. "I'm just wondering what they've all witnessed," he says. "All these centuries, so many stories, so many lives... It feels surreal."

He looks up and above them, to admire the stretching branches of the tree, the rich green and golden of the leaves. There's a click of a camera and he turns back to Jeongguk, who's looking at him. "Sorry. You just... looked pretty, I had to."

"Of course you choose to watch me instead of listening to what I tell you," he sputters, face hot.

"You're telling me these trees have probably seen some crazy shit here," Jeongguk says, shrugging. He falls silent, frowns down at the ground, and Taehyung glances at him to see him almost zoned out. Before he can ask about it, Jeongguk licks his lips and speaks up. "Namjoon hyung came up to me earlier. Caught me kinda off guard."

Taehyung frowns. "Did he give you a hard time?"

"Believe it or not, no." Jeongguk shrugs, looking down at the camera in his hand. "Asked me if I wanted us to tone it down with the filming. If it was too much."

"Oh." Taehyung blinks in surprise. "That's... certainly not what I expected to hear."

"I get why. No clue what's gotten into him." He falls silent again. A gust of wind forces a shaky wince out of Taehyung's mouth and the topic changes. "You're still cold?"

"No," Taehyung lies, looking away to try and hide his flushed face. He makes a show of looking over at each individual staff member, to see what they're all up to and find something to comment on and avoid the subject. He fails. "It's embarrassing."

"You can tell me stuff, you know that."

"But it's really embarrassing. Mortifying, if I may say---"

"You forgot your stuff?" Jeongguk laughs and Taehyung glares at him.

"A jacket," he corrects. "And it's not a problem, honestly, because I can just--- oh." Jeongguk slips his jacket off and throws it over Taehyung's shoulders. It smells like him. His fingers brush Taehyung's arm. "Thank you."

"Of course."

Jeongguk's close, is the thing. He's next to Taehyung, right next to him, and with how he's just helped Taehyung into a jacket, his arm is still behind Taehyung, probably propping him up, tattooed fingers adorned in silver, lost in the soft grass.

And with how close he is, his mouth is right there. Taehyung watches it wrap around his vowels smoothly as he speaks, feels the warm, sweet puff of air against his cheek.

Jeongguk's been close before. Hell, that's all he's been, really. He had his mouth around Taehyung last night. Taehyung fucked him in the shower, just this morning. It's just what it's like. It's normal.

Yet, Taehyung still feels a warm sort of sensation swirling in his chest. He searches for the hook, feels it around his spine, not really tugging in any direction, just scraping against the bone, a reminder of its existence.

"Alcohol," Taehyung blurts out, leaning back to create more space between them. It's no use, the other fucking tree is right there. "I think I'd like to get drunk tonight."

"I can arrange that," Jeongguk murmurs, and fuck him and that low voice. It's soft, like he's addressing something precious. Like he's saying something private. Intimate. "Whatever you want."

He means it, is the issue here. He always has: if he wants to please Taehyung, he'll go out of his way to do so. From their conversation on the rooftop, the way he answered all Taehyung's questions, even if he didn't want to, the way he keeps doing whatever he can, the second Taehyung asks.

He's become painfully gentle and Taehyung enjoys it more often than not, but it's not something he appreciates now, not when they're returning to the cottage and Jimin's words bounce around in his head, all but forcing him to think back to their kiss, that first night in Tokyo.

They never kissed again, after that. There have been moments where, as they chased release, wrapped up in the heat of undeniable pleasure, they shared one breath, foreheads touching and noses touching and lips just a gasp away, but nothing else. No rules have been broken, not since that first time when Taehyung broke them himself.

And now, as they're sitting outside by the fire, their first activity on this so-called camping trip to resemble actual camping, Jeongguk's still awfully close. They're all drinking, all of them except for Yoongi, who sits on the stone wall quietly, sipping his coffee in peace. Even Namjoon caves in eventually, after Jimin begs him, and accepts a can of beer, then another one.

Jeongguk's a couple of beers in, as well, while Taehyung, not a fan of the taste, sticks to peach flavoured soju. Jeongguk got him three bottles earlier, when they swung by a store on the way back. It was ambitious of him, since Taehyung will most likely barely empty his first one. Jeongguk makes a show of swirling the bottle and slapping the bottom of it with his palm, before he twists it to get it open and splashes a little soju down Taehyung's front. Taehyung may try and have another, just to see that again.

Jimin's probably the worst of them all. He's switching between beer and soju, stealing sips from Taehyung's bottle, and he's smoking something Taehyung's pretty certain isn't a regular cigarette, if the scent and the wrinkled paper isn't deceiving him. Jimin gives Jeongguk a few drags, and Jeongguk offers it to Taehyung, who watches the journey of the blunt from Jeongguk's mouth to his, accepting for that reason only.

It's mesmerising to watch. The curve of his lips as he smiles, the movement of his fingers against the strings of his guitar, the intensity in his eyes as they meet Taehyung's.

He's so fucking close. He's close and his jacket is wrapped around Taehyung's shoulders, smelling of sweet vanilla and everything else that Taehyung's simply addicted to, at this point. Jeongguk's lips are dry from all the salt, and Taehyung wants to lick them.

And then, Jeongguk starts singing SpongeBob's campfire song and Taehyung can't help but burst into laughter.

"That was evil," he murmurs, leaning into him so no one else hears. "I know it was intentional. I simply know."

"No clue what you're talking about, Mr Squarepants." Jeongguk's looking at his mouth, too, eyes slightly hooded. Taehyung wonders if he's imagining it.

"God, Taehyung, you look beautiful," Jimin mutters eventually, interrupting their staring contest. "Look at him, like a fucking model. The side profile, is that even legal, huh? I could literally kiss you. Can I?"

Taehyung laughs, maybe a little too loudly, and covers his mouth to hide it, shaking his head. Jeongguk clears his throat and reaches out to place his hand on Taehyung's thigh, which results in Taehyung burying his face in the fabric of Jeongguk's sleeve as he giggles. "Jiminie hyung, he's wasted. Let it go."

His hand remains on Taehyung's thigh for the rest of the night. Out of empathy, Taehyung supposes. To let him know he doesn't have to kiss Jimin if he doesn't want to.

Taehyung ends up getting to know the rest of the crew a little better. Namjoon's errand boy --- assistant, according to him --- is a shy little thing by the name of Yang Jeongin, if Taehyung remembers correctly. He loosens up over a few drinks, talking leisurely, while still remaining respectful, and Taehyung decides he likes him. At one point, Jeongguk whispers to him that Jeongin used to mess around with Hwang Hyunjin --- it's a small world.

It turns out that Sunwoo is from Jipyeong, as well, and he's a hardworking young man, whose boyfriend is currently over in Canada and who would absolutely love to model for Taehyung: he already has experience and he's a huge fan. The stylist Hoseok sent is a quiet blonde with big eyes and a nose piercing. Her name's Yunjin and she's an Aries. That's all he learns.

Sunwoo introduces him to Yeji, and she's a talkative one, although incredibly polite and sweet, as well as Ryujin, who's Yeji's polar opposite, but has this charming aura, despite her silence and the tiniest hint of attitude she displays whenever she does speak. Ryujin's arm rests on Yeji's waist for quite some time and, although they don't seem to know what's going on, Taehyung gives them until the morning to find out. He doesn't say it out loud, of course, but he'll be a little more attentive in the future, just to make sure.

(He later finds out that Yeji's family name is, in fact, Hwang. She's Hwang Hyunjin's sister and Eunchae's cousin. It's a really, really small world and Hwang Hyunjin is everywhere.)

"I really like your scent," Taehyung mumbles against Jeongguk's ear at one point, his second bottle half empty (yes, Jeongguk did the trick again). Jeongguk's hair smells great, too, as if it weren't enough already. "You smell lovely."

"Oh," Jeongguk laughs. His face is flushed from the alcohol. It's a beautiful flush. A beautiful face. "You, uh... You, too."

"I mean it, I don't know what it is, but m'going to figure it out."

"You don't have to," Jeongguk says, face close to Taehyung's so they can hear each other over the music. "I can give it to you, my perfume, I have loads of bottles just lying around."

"Oh," Taehyung says, although he isn't sure this is what he had in mind. He doesn't want to smell like Jeongguk by owning the same scent. He much prefers the scent he feels when he kisses Jeongguk's skin. It's there, on his wrists, on his neck, on his temples. It's not only perfume. There's that shower gel and shampoo combination that Jeongguk shares whenever they shower together, it's his laundry detergent, his deodorant, his fucking hairspray. And without all that, it's what Jeongguk smells like, in general. Just the smell of his skin. Taehyung wishes he could bottle it. Now, that would be a nice thing to have. But it's also a weird thing to say, isn't it? So he settles on mumbling, "Thank you."

Jeongguk grins at him --- oh, that stupid fucking mouth --- and nods, looking away. Taehyung watches, completely oblivious to the fact that this is around where it all goes wrong.

He takes the first sip out of his third bottle --- he opened his last bottle himself, with Jeongguk's help --- and he occasionally fills Jeongguk's glass, too, to empty the bottle quicker. The more he has in it, the more he'll drink. He's not entirely sure how he's still conscious, since he's usually knocked out after this much alcohol, especially since he doesn't fucking eat enough to balance it all out, but Jeongguk and Jimin have been stealing shots from him all night, so he hasn't exactly had even two full bottles. Also, he's drinking water and laughing all night and, okay, maybe he is a little all over the place. Not unconscious, necessarily, but not exactly functioning the way he's supposed to.

Jeongguk's there, though. Yoongi, Jimin --- hell, even Kim Namjoon. He trusts them, some of them more than the others, but it's enough for him to let go around them and to allow himself to just exist, especially because he just feels so warm and nice. He wants to go to sleep soon. He probably should, but everyone's still outside, singing, laughing, telling jokes, and he wants to be a part of it a little longer. Another mistake.

Jimin suggests they play truth or dare and they're almost dumb enough to accept, before Yoongi intervenes from the wall he's been sitting on all night, glasses low on his nose, "You guys know he'll make you kiss each other, right?"

"Fuck you," Jimin calls out to him. Yoongi only lifts an eyebrow. "You can kiss me, then! Come on, you refused once. I'm giving you another chance."

He already has his camera ready, but Yoongi simply tsks and shakes his head, burying his face back in his files. Taehyung vaguely wonders what he's working on, but decides not to, because it makes his head hurt.

"Jimin, stop," Namjoon says calmly. He's curled up beneath a blanket, beer in hand, slightly tipsy. Tipsy enough not to give Jeongguk a hard time and to let him be. Taehyung thinks that he should carry a beer around at all times, it might be good for everyone around him: Jeongguk's a little happier tonight, eyes a little softer, going on and on about the museum they're visiting, lips curved into a carefree smile that Taehyung wants to feel against his own. Kind of.

The thing is, Jeongguk sort of forgets to be cross with Namjoon when they're like this. He watches him with warmth in his eyes, the kind of warmth Taehyung's never seen before, but he's almost certain it was there, once upon a time, when Namjoon was everything Jeongguk wanted to be, before whatever happened between them drove them so far apart.

Their silent conversations continue, but there are no sharp glares or shaking heads. Jeongguk can't stop smiling at Namjoon as Namjoon talks. At one point, Namjoon cracks a joke and Jeongguk literally laughs so hard he almost topples over Namjoon. Namjoon's just as startled as everyone else, he's grinning, but still holding onto him carefully, as if he'll break any second. Taehyung's glad, but there's a part of him wondering how long that'll take.

He watches Namjoon, watches that flicker of something on his face that comes in between those soft moments where he's looking at Jeongguk and seeing the boy he once knew. Taehyung isn't sure what it is, but it adds to the unsettling feeling in his chest.

"Why should I?" Jimin scoffs. "I'm not even doing anything---"

"You're ruining the fun," Namjoon says simply, sipping on his beer. "People are uncomfortable."

"I'm not ruining anything!" Jimin whines, causing a few giggles here and there. From Taehyung, mostly. "You guys wouldn't be uncomfortable if someone just kissed already."

Another round of giggles, but this time, it comes from Yeji and Ryujin. Ryujin's sitting down with Yeji in between her legs, resting back against her chest. Ryujin has her hands in Yeji's hair, but they're both too drunk to care about the fact that they're around their superiors, and they're both entirely clueless.

"You two!" Jimin calls out, pointing at them. "You like each other, I know you do. I have a radar for these things--- God, is there one straight person here?" No one responds. "Right, up you go. You wanna kiss each other, anyway. C'mon."

Taehyung shifts in his seat, all the fun aspects of the situation suddenly lost on him entirely. He glances back at Jeongguk, who's looking at the girls with concern.

Yeji freezes in Ryujin's arms, before sitting up slowly to make some distance between them, face flushed. She looks embarrassed. Hurt flashes across Ryujin's face, so clear in the way her eyes widen, and Taehyung thinks back to the boy on Kim Jongin's arm, to Jongin's face when he told Taehyung he couldn't be with him, to the fucked up way their society has taught them all to be so, so scared to be who they are.

"Hyung," Jeongguk calls out softly, drawing Jimin's attention. "Don't."

"What?" He pauses, glances back at them. There's not a bad bone in this man's body, but he can be so fucking oblivious sometimes, it's insane. "They won't help me either, huh?" Yeji moves over to sit next to Jeongin, who's chewing on his lip anxiously, visibly shaken by the way she wraps her arms around herself, glaring down at the ground. Jimin, meanwhile, continues, "I thought they liked each other."

Jeongguk shakes his head. "Hyung, you can't just look at two people and assume---"

This seems to draw Jimin's attention. He bursts into loud, bubbly laughter, so suddenly that he literally falls out of his chair, and Taehyung almost smiles again, but then Jimin continues and nothing's funny anymore. "You two are literally a thing, you can't tell me that! You don't wanna help me out and that's why I gotta go around bothering everyone else."

Those who hear Jimin's words fall silent at that. You two are a thing. Fuck. Fuck, fuck---

Oh, but it's true, isn't it? They could have just accepted it, got it over with, to save everyone the trouble. Now, everyone's wasted, everyone's suddenly on edge, and they might have just ruined an opportunity for two people to figure out their feelings for each other by calling them out.

Maybe it's the alcohol, maybe it's the feeling of Jeongguk's hand still on his thigh, his warm body pressed against Taehyung's, maybe it's the bitter feeling of watching someone else's happiness being sacrificed for the sake of saving himself from feeling things, but Taehyung can break a rule once. He can, if it means taking some heat off of a pair of young women who deserve a chance to figure things out on their own.

Taehyung makes sure Jimin's looking at him, before he turns to Jeongguk fully to grab his face with both hands. He doesn't process much of anything, just Jeongguk's eyes on his, the startled rise of his eyebrows, and then, the feeling of Jeongguk's lips against his own.

There's a gasp, then a few more, and a flash of a disposable camera.

It's a quick press of his mouth, and Jeongguk freezes. He doesn't pull away, though, just stays there, fingers brushing against Taehyung's wrists.

Taehyung pulls back, lets out a breath, but Jeongguk's watching him with wide, confused eyes and everything goes quiet. The weight of it settles in his chest, twisting and turning and oh, he's not sure what the hook is doing, but he doesn't like it.

He can't look at Jeongguk, not again, not when his lips are buzzing, when he's certain Jeongguk's still looking at him. He looks around instead and Jimin seems pleased, while the younger staff members all have their mouths hanging open in surprise, all except for Ryujin who, it appears, isn't actually all that clueless. Namjoon is watching him, expression unreadable, and Yoongi stands up.

"See, this is why I stay sober for shit like this," he says, dusting himself off. His voice is even, he's completely calm as he walks over to them, a small pile of papers in his hands. Taehyung wonders if he's been preparing them all night, waiting for this moment. "Someone's gotta deal with all their NDAs now."

His eyes land on Taehyung for a second, and he looks amused. Taehyung feels sick.

"I, uh..." Taehyung stands up. Jeongguk twists around, looks up at him, but Taehyung looks ahead, down at the flickering flames. "I should--- yes, good night."

"Good night, Tae! You're my hero!" Jimin calls out after him, but Taehyung doesn't respond.

He rushes into the cottage, slams the door behind himself and stumbles straight towards the bathroom.

The cool water does nothing to calm him, not even as he splashes his face and neck with trembling hands. The twisting feeling won't stop, not until he takes deep breaths, and recognises the familiar sensation: he has about two seconds to kneel above the toilet, before he throws up a disgusting mixture of alcohol, water and coffee.

He's faintly aware of the door being pushed open, of Jeongguk's fingers pushing his hair back and out of his face, his hand on Taehyung's back. He's saying something, but Taehyung's ears are ringing. His nose and the back of his throat burn from the acidic taste.

He falls back against the cold tiles and tries to just breathe, but the memory of Jeongguk's lips on his doesn't go away. There's still that feeling of them lingering on his lips, contrasting the horrible taste in his mouth. He stands up despite Jeongguk's confused look, and scrambles for his toothbrush.

He can see him in the mirror as he brushes his teeth. He doesn't look directly at Jeongguk, can't afford to, but he sees his deep frown and crossed arms and it's enough to make the feeling resurface.

The toothpaste tastes fucking horrible after everything, but he takes the mouthwash right after. It burns his gums a little, but he appreciates it. It's sobering, just a bit.

"Tae, you have to look at me," Jeongguk calls out when Taehyung puts everything back in the cabinet and washes his face and hands once more.

"I don't think so," Taehyung responds.

He turns to leave, but Jeongguk steps in front of him, hands reaching out, but not touching him yet. At least one of them knows consent. "Please, just--- Tae, listen to me."

Fuck, why does he keep calling him that? Tae. Softly, gently, like he means something. In situations like these, he almost prefers Kim, that edge to it that Jeongguk could add to make Taehyung feel all sorts of nasty emotions. That's what he deserves right now. Not Taehyung, not Tae, especially not---

"Sweetheart---"

"What is there to say?" Taehyung asks, just for the sake of interrupting him. He can't listen to it. "I let him humiliate those girls and I tried to do something about it, but I just embarrassed both of us. I didn't ask you." There's a lump in his throat. His voice drops to a whisper. "I didn't--- I should have asked you."

"You should have," Jeongguk agrees. "But you're drunk. It was nothing crazy, we just---"

"That's no excuse!" He doesn't get it, does he? Not only did Taehyung fucking kiss him in front of everyone, without asking, without a warning, but he also broke a stupid, fictional rule that no one in their right mind would even have. "You were drunk at Rêveuse. You cornered me and I was scared, but you didn't do anything! You didn't--- I was--- Goodness, I'm so sorry."

He buries his face in his hands, but there's that familiar touch again, Jeongguk's hands on his wrists, tugging them down. Taehyung looks at him, truly, and Jeongguk's eyes are still gentle. Like this is all a little different to him. Like there's something in the room Taehyung fails to see.

"Listen to me," Jeongguk repeats, still not releasing Taehyung, but holding onto him in a way that's nothing if not comforting. He bends down a little, tilts his head up so he can meet Taehyung's eyes. Taehyung doesn't deserve it. "It's okay."

Taehyung shakes his head. "No, it isn't. I--- I kissed you, Jeongguk, and you---"

"I didn't mind."

Taehyung blinks up at him. Jeongguk's close again, and there's something like a smile, curving his lips, even though Taehyung just gawks. "You didn't?"

"I didn't." Jeongguk chuckles and shrugs, like it's the simplest thing in the universe. "You have a rule. I don't. I respect it, though. Just 'cause I don't kiss you doesn't mean I don't want to."

The hook is there, very much present, and it's tugging so hard it almost actually physically hurts. Taehyung can almost feel the warning scrape of it against his ribcage, the way it tugs him. He doesn't know which way it wants him to go, not this time.

It makes sense, that's the worst part. Taehyung was so overwhelmed by his own rules, his own feelings regarding them, that he'd forgotten a very important factor. Jeongguk had no problem kissing him that day in Tokyo. He only accepted not to when Taehyung told him.

Somewhere along the way, it had entirely slipped Taehyung's mind that Jeongguk wanted to kiss him. Jeongguk's attracted to him and it's mutual, that part makes perfect sense, and yet... Jeongguk wants to kiss him. He's wanted it all along, but he's respectful enough not to let himself do something Taehyung doesn't want.

And yet, Taehyung's a little shit who gets drunk and kisses people without any warning, even those who respect his boundaries.

"It's still not right," he says, shaking his head again. He runs a hand through his hair, pushes it back and takes a step back from Jeongguk, whose tense jaw works as he thinks. "It's not, it's really not, I---"

"Tae---"

"No, I should have asked and---"

Jeongguk lets out a groan of exhaustion, weak and hoarse, before he surges forward, trapping Taehyung against the sink, and kisses him.

A choked little sound escapes Taehyung's throat, and he curls into him and kisses back without a second thought. It's not a simple press of lips, nothing like what Taehyung did earlier. It's fast and it's bruising, like they're running out of time. The slide of Jeongguk's mouth against his has him gasping into the kiss, reaching up to fist Jeongguk's collar, to get him closer, aware of the heady rush in his veins. If only he could breathe Jeongguk in, the taste of his breath, the warmth of his mouth, get as much out of him as he can, because this is his chance to have it, to have something he's never allowed himself. He's been starving his entire life.

Jeongguk pulls away, breathless, and Taehyung leans in again, chasing his mouth. It's in vain: Jeongguk turns his head to the side quickly, Taehyung's lips landing on his cheek. Taehyung breathes in the scent of his skin, sighs against him. He squeezes his eyes shut so hard his head hurts, weakening his hold on Jeongguk's shirt in defeat. Jeongguk's hand is low on his waist, fingers running in smooth, gentle circles, almost comforting, almost apologetic.

"There," Jeongguk murmurs. "We're even now, okay?"

Taehyung pulls back to look at him, and God, he shouldn't have. His lips are wet and bruised red, cheeks flushed, hair messy. His collar's all wrinkled from Taehyung's grip, the fabric damp from Taehyung's freshly washed hands. His eyes are big and dark, clearer than ever.

"Come to bed?" he offers, completely innocent, before squeezing Taehyung's hip and turning on his heel to leave the bathroom. Taehyung's knees may as well be giving out.

Jeongguk's asleep already when Taehyung finally reaches the bed. He's curled up on Taehyung's side, face buried in Taehyung's pillow. Taehyung undresses and carefully lies down next to him, keeping his distance.

♡ ˎˊ˗ DISTANCE. IT'S NOT the right word for what's happening between them. Oddly enough, it's the last word one would use.

Jeongguk's been absolutely normal about everything, the entire day. They start their morning out by having breakfast outside, with everyone. Jeongguk makes it, trusting Taehyung and Namjoon with preparing salad. They don't talk much as they work, simply trying not to shed blood, both painfully clumsy --- Taehyung's nimble with a needle, but a knife's a whole different story; Namjoon isn't particularly nimble with anything, really.

(Taehyung even eats a bit. He watches Yoongi, takes almost just as much of everything as he does, a tad less, to be sure. He has a few bites and spends the rest of his meal sipping lukewarm camomile tea --- Jimin's personal hangover cure. Jeongguk eats, as well, but he's the only one talking throughout the entire meal, explaining how fun the Manjanggul Cave will be, how they should wake up early tomorrow to go to the museum. "Namjoonie hyung, you called them, right? When does it open?" he asks and Namjoon takes his time to chew and swallow the piece of lettuce already in his mouth and says he isn't sure, but it can't be later than nine in the morning.)

They take a trip to see Manjanggul, enjoying the cool, damp air and the stillness of the ancient lava walls. The natural quiet of the cave offers them all an unspoken break from everything and, although the atmosphere is so eerie Taehyung clings to Jeongguk almost the entire time, they still get to marvel at all the unique rock formations and take loads of pictures. Namjoon and Jimin trail far enough behind them not to be in the frame, alongside the rest of the crew, arguing over whether something is a stalagmite or a stalactite, while Yoongi remains outside, not fond of spaces like this one.

Later, they all return to the property, where Jeongguk and Jimin set up a net and make everyone play volleyball. Taehyung joins in occasionally, but he gets tired easily, so he spends most of the time watching from the swings, trying to figure out what's changed.

Jeongguk's peaceful today. That's all he can figure out. The kisses (yes, plural) don't seem to bother him whatsoever. Taehyung thinks he's forgotten, but then he accidentally scores Jeongguk's team a win and Jeongguk lifts him off the ground to spin him, kissing his hair, and Taehyung's pretty sure he remembers everything.

The interactions between him and Namjoon seem oddly civil, with Jeongguk seeking Namjoon out occasionally, with Namjoon reluctantly joining every activity and wearing that fond smile with something dark on the edges.

Overall, it's again one of those moments of Jeongguk's bliss that Taehyung can't help but doubt. He doesn't mean to, but he constantly wonders what will happen to ruin it.

He's sitting in one of the swings, looking at his phone (he's turned it on to make sure Seokjin hasn't called frantically the way he always does when Taehyung's phone is off; he hasn't, but Taehyung's father certainly has, quite a few times), when Yeji passes by, carrying some equipment to the car. Ryujin follows her the way she has been all day, but Yeji ignores her. He sees Jimin watching them, sees the frown dragging down his features, and later tells him it wasn't his fault.

"It was, I was such a dick," Jimin argues as they wash the dishes. "Fuck, I don't know why I said all that."

When he asks Jeongguk about it, he says he saw Ryujin crying this morning, which literally never happens, apparently, but says he isn't sure what they can do to help, if anything.

"Namjoon hyung says I should try and talk to them," he mumbles as he packs a backpack for their trip to see that bonsai garden Jimin was going on and on about yesterday. "Says they might be scared to make a move."

Taehyung's not entirely sure what that has to do with Jeongguk in particular, other than the fact that he's another queer person they know, way more experienced and infinitely more comfortable in his own skin, so any form of comfort coming from him in this situation could help a lot, but Taehyung focuses on something else. "He told you something and you didn't immediately tell him to mind his own business? That's certainly a new development."

Jeongguk chuckles. "Not really, to be honest, I just..." He sighs. "I'm allowed to talk to someone I've known my whole life. Shit, he raised me, you know?"

"I can imagine."

He turns to face Taehyung and groans. "Don't look at me like that. You know he's been there for me all along. In his own way, but still." Well, it certainly didn't seem like that yesterday, or the day before. Or any day, if Taehyung's being honest. Whatever affection Namjoon feels towards Jeongguk, he seems unable to display it properly. "He's not the best, but he's family. I can't keep holding grudges like a kid."

Forgiving so easily is just as childish, in Taehyung's opinion, but he keeps quiet. He doesn't know what exactly happened between them in the first place, doesn't know what pushed Namjoon to talk to Jeongguk. He can't judge. He can only observe and hope it doesn't blow up in all of their faces, so he doesn't say anything else, but neither does Jeongguk, not at all.

The Spirited Garden is their last stop of the day and is probably the most beautiful place Taehyung's ever seen.

There's just sometimes about the quiet expanse of whimsical twisting trees, centuries old, dotting the landscape in all sorts of interesting shapes. Taehyung finds himself walking behind Jeongguk, eyes taking in his peaceful surroundings, forgetting to record anything or take any photographs.

The exhaustion almost seems to leave his body, cured by the rustle of leaves and the soft trickle of water from a nearby stream.

Jeongguk seems the most immersed in observing those big towers, made out of volcanic stone, the same stone that forms their cottage and the walls around it, as well as a big artificial pond --- he sits down in the grass, simply looking down into the water, big eyes fixated on the colourful fish. Namjoon and Jimin are having a quiet discussion in the distance, but Jeongguk's turned his back on them, fingers twitching.

Taehyung watches the stone walls, the moss growing there in patches, soft green against small bursts of colour that are flowers growing everywhere around the stone path. The atmosphere is charged with something he doesn't like. He isn't sure what it is, not yet.

He walks over to Jeongguk, crouches down next to him. "You're being awfully quiet, darling."

Jeongguk blinks up at him, then shrugs. "Just tired."

"We could have some coffee. They have a beautiful café here, I'm fairly certain Yoongi hyung is already there."

"Oh." Jeongguk sighs and nods. "Coffee. Yes, please."

The rest of the day passes just like that. Silence or brief conversations, as if Jeongguk's mood sucks all the energy out of any room he walks into. This morning, he was cheerful, bright, but now he's just... here, quiet, sitting. He doesn't joke, doesn't laugh. When Namjoon --- honestly, Taehyung's not even surprised anymore, he's just taking it all in stride --- asks if he's okay, Jeongguk just gives him one long, soft look and nods.

He takes Taehyung out to the beach, afterwards. It's just the two of them, as per his request.

"Namjoon let us go alone," Taehyung points out carefully, watching the line of his back as he lies in the sand, stomach down.

"Yeah."

"Whatever you're going through right now, does it have something to do with him?"

The answer is obvious, but Taehyung still just wants to hear it, to see what Jeongguk looks like as he says it. "I'm just... thinking about stuff." He pauses, face buried in the crook of his elbow, skin smelling of vanilla and sunscreen. "He's not that bad, that's what I realised. I can just... overreact sometimes."

Taehyung wonders if he knows an overreaction can go in both directions.

They eat dinner and go to sleep earlier than usual. Taehyung's already in bed, cameras off, when Jeongguk returns from the shower, skin glistening, body firm. When Jeongguk lies down, too, and Taehyung reaches for him, Jeongguk squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. "Actually, can you just... hold me?"

Taehyung nods quietly and opens his arms, letting Jeongguk slot against him like that's where he's meant to be, crying quietly against his bare skin. Face and fingers buried in Jeongguk's hair, Taehyung falls asleep when he hears his breathing slow down.

♡ ˎˊ˗ JEONGGUK'S BACK TO normal in the morning. Taehyung isn't sure what's considered normal anymore, if he's being completely honest, but he wakes up to Jeongguk's hands on his thighs and Jeongguk's lips on the side of his neck, soft, warm breath hitting his skin in quiet giggles, and decides this is as normal as it can get.

Taehyung isn't in the mood for breakfast, so he ends up carrying around a cup of very strong coffee --- courtesy of Ryujin --- while the others eat together, the overall atmosphere cheerful and bright.

"I can't wait," Jeongguk says to him at some point, eyes bright. "I waited so long to see the museum, you have no idea. Saved it for the last day, I wanted it to be special." He twists his head to look over at Namjoon who's having a conversation with Yoongi and Ryujin. "Hyung, when should we be there?"

"We can just get some stuff and leave whenever you want, JK," Namjoon responds, voice thick with sleep. "We're coming back to pack later, anyway, the ferry's at two. No need to sit here for too long."

Jeongguk's anxiety from last evening is nowhere to be found. It's as if he's no longer the same man who spent hours completely quiet and lost in thought, who climbed into bed last night and cried in Taehyung's arms. He's bright and almost vibrating with energy, showing Taehyung photos of the most popular teddies from the museum, still talking even as they enter the car.

Jimin drives, with Namjoon in the passenger seat. Yoongi, Jeongguk and Taehyung are in the back, where Jeongguk's, once again, immersed in trying to explain what they'll be doing first, while Yoongi looks longingly out the window, like he'd rather be anywhere but here.

"We can start with the exhibition hall, they probably have some limited edition bears right now," Jeongguk says, already fifteen minutes into describing everything. Taehyung meets Namjoon's eyes in the mirror and finds a blank, distant stare. "There's a gift shop, too, and this whole thing where you can make your own bear, that's so cool! We can film some of that, too, it's gonna be fun."

Taehyung tries his best to match his enthusiasm, knowing how much it all means to Jeongguk, but also aware of this weird pressure in the air that makes the car feel like it's about to burst. He smiles and asks Jeongguk questions about it, because he finds that listening to him go on and on about random things is oddly comforting, but in the back of his mind, there's that thought that something is going terribly wrong. He can't help it.

He hates it when he's right. He really does, especially in situations like these, when Jeongguk hops out of the car as soon as they park, the engine still very much working, the crew not even unloading all their equipment yet, and drags Taehyung by the hand, only to pause right in front of the front gate of the museum garden.

It's not what Taehyung expected the museum to look like. It's a much smaller building, all glass and stone. There are no cars aside from theirs parked anywhere nearby, and it's awfully quiet. The front gate sports a clear sign: CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS.

Taehyung's heart sinks to his feet as Jeongguk's fingers twitch in his hold. He turns to look at him immediately, noticing his eyes dim. He blinks, once, twice, and a puff of air escapes his lips, a little weak, as if punched out of him. "Oh."

"Darling," Taehyung starts out slowly.

He looks back at Jimin and Namjoon, who have followed them to the door, and Namjoon's expression is something he hasn't seen before. He's looking at Jeongguk, almost holding his breath. Jimin isn't doing much better, so Taehyung looks at Yoongi, who shakes his head.

Taehyung feels a jab of anger, something sitting there ever since that first day, when he listened to Yoongi and fucked up without meaning to, so he looks back at Jeongguk, who's still staring at the door, and squeezes his hand. "Darling, it's okay. We still have time. We can do something else."

That is, apparently, not a good thing to say to someone who's waited for years to come see this one particular thing.

Jeongguk doesn't respond. Taehyung shoots Jimin another alarmed glare, but Jimin's quiet, like the rest of the crew, watching, eyebrows furrowed, so Taehyung continues.

"We can--- we can go back to Woljeongri, like yesterday."

Jimin finally clears his throat. "Yeah, Jeonggukie, it's---"

"No," Jeongguk says quietly and turns on his heel, letting go of Taehyung. "We're going back to camp."

"We can find something else, you don't have to let this ruin your day," Jimin calls out as Jeongguk pushes past him, but Jeongguk twists around.

"I said, we're going back to camp." Still restrained, still quiet, but there's that familiar heat creeping into his voice, that anger Taehyung remembers from so long ago. His hands are trembling as he stuffs them into his pockets and turns to leave, again.

"Jeongguk," Namjoon calls out firmly. Jeongguk stops in his tracks. "It's just one place."

"One place," Jeongguk repeats, walking up to him. He's almost as tall as his manager, but he looks smaller still, somehow. "The only place I wanted to see today. The place you were supposed to book! What happened?"

"I didn't think it would make a difference," Namjoon mutters. "They're always open in September, I didn't expect---"

"Oh, you didn't expect it? You didn't even bother to check if it was open!" He sounds close to tears already, but he makes a point of jabbing a finger into Namjoon's chest, then again, shoving him back a step. "I trusted you to handle this one small thing and you--- you didn't even---"

"Listen," Namjoon calls out, grabbing him carefully by the shoulders, "You're having an episode, okay? What's the point of those teddies, anyway? You're a fucking adult, just---"

"Oh, fuck you!" Jeongguk pushes him off. "I have every right do be pissed you can't do your fucking job! And it's none of your business why I wanna go where I wanna go, it's your job to get me there! Why did my dad hire you in the first place? Just to keep an eye on me? You're not good at anything else, you---"

Jimin comes up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Jeonggukie---"

"And you!" Jeongguk twists around, towering over Jimin. His face is a storm, jaw tight and brows low, and his eyes... God, his eyes. "You're letting him get away with it every time. He blames me for all of it, but he's just as much of a fucking amateur as he was fifteen years ago!"

"Jeongguk," Taehyung doesn't realise he's made a sound until Jeongguk's eyes fixate on him and something in his chest squeezes so tight he's unable to breathe. He'll never forget those eyes. They're big and clear, but they look at him as if they see him more closely than any pair of eyes ever will. That warmth in them is gone altogether, replaced by this piercing feeling of dread. Panic. Fury. It's overwhelming, the sheer panic in them, like an animal being hunted. Wide, wild, bright with the red-hot heat of his anger. These aren't the same eyes Taehyung looked into this morning, as he kissed Jeongguk's skin and held him close. Jeongguk doesn't look like himself. "You're just fine, Jeongguk. Whatever is happening, we---"

"No," he responds, shaking his head. He's gasping, like no amount of air is enough, hands clutching at his stomach, at his chest, tugging at his hair. He squeezes his eyes shut, sheltering Taehyung from that terrifying dark gaze. "No, I'm done with this. I'm done with him. When we get to Seoul, he's fired. I don't fucking care."

He glares at Namjoon, and Taehyung follows to see an expression of genuine regret on Namjoon's face. It's so out of character that it's almost impossible to believe, but it's there. His eyes are soft, head lowering in shame.

"I really didn't mean for this to happen," he says. "I didn't think I needed to call in advance, they---"

"Of course you didn't," Jeongguk says, laughing. He's laughing now, and the sound is sharp and cold. Taehyung can't stand it. His eyes are empty. "You never fucking do."

Before anyone can say anything else to him, he turns away and storms off, heading towards the car. No one bats an eye as he unlocks it with the keys he's probably grabbed off of Namjoon at one point, starts the engine and drives away.

Silence sits heavy on their shoulders and Taehyung watches Namjoon as he stands still, eyes fixated on the ground, before he walks away, too, without a word. Jimin looks close to tears, but he doesn't move, doesn't do anything to follow Jeongguk or Namjoon, just sits down on the porch and buries his face in his hands. The rest of the crew all remain quiet, exchanging worried glances.

Taehyung wishes he could call Seokjin. He'd know what to do. He can't just sit here and do nothing, can't just wait and see if Jeongguk calls, if he tells them where he's gone to, if he returns.

He looks at Yoongi helplessly, but Yoongi has his arms crossed over his chest, quiet as always, observing. Taehyung sighs.

He can't get that look out of his head. Those eyes, going from gentle to fierce, and then to just... nothing. A terrifying nothingness in their depths, as if all the emotion spilled out of them already and they have nothing left to give.

Without a word, he clears his throat and follows Namjoon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
quick question: do you guys want me to start putting warnings on every chapter? just like a heads-up for those who wanna know what happens, if there's mentions of a sensitive topic or anything like that?

alright this is probably the trickiest chapter of this book so far. the fucking mood swings it's gone through, alongside me and jk both lmao. it was tiring and draining and it's gone through multiple different versions because i've been feeling all sorts of things

it was also SO difficult to write because there's a lot happening and each part felt like it deserved its own chapter ngl. this is the best i could do, hope it works!?!?

my poor baby tae seeing kisses as peak intimacy and being so confused and flustered that jk actually WANTS that, like babe. everyone wants to kiss you. but no, all jokes aside, a kiss for tae means so much more. he doesn't understand people see it as an ordinary thing. jk wanting to kiss him means a lot more to him than it would to someone else and jk respects that, my darling <3

also i feel like i should point out tae could NOT survive three bottles of soju lol, not with how little he eats!! jimin and jk have been stealing his soju the whole night so that's the only reason he managed to get through all that haha

the kiss!!!! tae is GOING through it lol. he did what he thought was best and felt bad immediately afterwards lmao mood.. but then omg jk didn't mind it??? jk kissed him back??? payback my ass you just wanted another kiss jk you're not fooling anyone

this is a jimin fanpage so if anyone has a problem w our little angel getting drunk and causing drama, you'll have to go through me! was it okay? no. did he mean to make people uncomfortable? fuck no.

jungkook and namjoon!! we're getting more backstory pretty soon, so keep that in mind. what we have so far is confusing as hell, so let me clear it up: jk and nj sorta made up in this chapter, jk felt bad that he'd been pissed at nj for so long, realised nj wants what's best for him, felt comfortable enough to be himself around him, felt bad again, and then BAM namjoon didn't do something he promised he would do, all jk's anger returned and yea. wonderful.

tae being unable to recognise jk in his anger and jk looking away, not wanting tae to see him like that, protecting him from it <//3

the first out of the many stressful chapters to come! hope you'll enjoy these nonetheless. thank you so much and take care<33