....

"Kim Taehyung" Jungkook said as he walked closer to the older male, "What brings you here?"

He approached Taehyung with an amused smile that was lifting up one corner of his mouth a little more than the other, eyebrows raised and his eyes scanning the male in front of him as if judging him by his appearance. Taehyung had eyes locked with Jungkook's, none of them letting the staring contest end.

Jungkook noticed a subtle frown that had formed in the older one's face when he saw him here and  smirked,

"Ah Taehyung-ssi, don't tell me you didn't know Zia lives with me."

Taehyung's eyes darkened at that while Jungkook nonchalantly kept his hand in his pockets, enjoying the flux in the man's expression.

"Anyway now you know." Jungkook continued, "Come have a seat."

"Can I see Zia?" Taehyung said immediately, not wanting to have a conversation with the man who lives with the girl he's in love with.

"Of course" the younger exclaimed, "But I'm pretty sure she'll take some time. Y'know, getting ready and all. Even though I told her she looks beautiful in whatever she wears." He said with a smirk.

Jungkook saw Taehyung clenching his fist. That's not how he had wished his visit to be, he had thought Zia was living alone, or if not alone with her parents or something. But here, seems a different story.

"Why do you live together?" Taehyung blurted out.

Jungkook shifted his gaze from forward to Taehyung.

"Let's just say she's very special to me." Jungkook answered, making Taehyung's blood boil which he swore he was enjoying. "We've known each other for a long time now."

Something inside Taehyung made him avert his gaze from Jungkook. He exhaled deeply while looking at the tiled floor.

"She never told me anything." He whispered unconsciously.

"Why would you even expect her to tell you about her personal life, when you're definitely a stranger to her." Jungkook said, having a strong gaze on Taehyung, more like he was glaring at him. "Just a client, a member of Crimson, Isn't it?"

His words felt like arrows to Taehyung's heart. Was he really just a client for her? All those meetings, talks, laughs meant nothing to her? Was she this frank and open with all the other clients and members? Wasn't he special to her? She never felt anything different with him?

But one thing how does Jungkook know? He gave him a suspicious look.

"Oh c'mon don't forget I'm the CEO of Crimson. There's nothing hidden from me." Jungkook said as if he was able to read Taehyung, "and oh did you tell Zia about your VIP membership? She wouldn't be that happy to hear it right?" He smirked.

Just when Taehyung was about to speak Jungkook interrupted him, again.

"Oh Zia, you're here love." He said and stood up, making his way towards the girl and hug her. Taehyung snapped out of his trans by his voice. No, by the nickname he heard. Love.

"Jeon, don't make me curse." She whispered annoyed by the sudden fluctuations in Jungkook's behavior.

He wrapped her arm around her waist and head leaning down awfully close to her lips. Just when Zia thought she would push him away Jungkook grabbed her hand, interwining their fingers together, he moved his head a little to the side. Zia felt his soft lips landing near her jawline as he kissed her softly.

Zia frowned at Jungkook's behavior. What was he trying to do? Just in a matter of seconds, Jungkook pulled away and smiled at her as he mouthed 'good job', earning a sharp glare from the girl.

He took her hand and brought her to the front. His eyes fixed at Zia. Again, something different that he saw, she was beautiful in every way to him.

"There's someone here to meet you, love." Jungkook said. His eyes held a different meaning and look in them which made Zia a little confused. It wasn't the Jungkook from the day the fake pictures were circulated, nor was it the arrogant Jeon she knew. It was something different that Zia couldn't understand.

A smile appeared on her lips the very moment she saw Taehyung standing there.

"Oh Taehyung!" She chirped happily.

Taehyung smiled at her, quickly covering the angry look he had worn a few moments ago when he saw Jungkook's 'little act'.

"I told you I'd come on my own. You didn't need to come here." She said.

The day before yesterday, when they last met, Taehyung had suggested going out and enjoying a day without work. Not to openly mention his tactics of trying to arrange circumstances for a possible future date with her, by getting to know her and becoming close to her- like start off as a friend yeah?

"And I told you I'd pick you up." He said smiling at her.

Zia just shook her head letting a smooth chuckle slip out of her lips, "Okay Let's go now."

"Zia, remember we have a dinner together, don't be late." Jungkook voiced. His words were directed to Zia but his eyes were fixed on Taehyung. "I'll be waiting." He finished with a smirk on his face.

"Uh can I talk to you for a minute?" Zia gritted out on Jungkook's excessively strange behaviour, although she made it not so obvious for Taehyung.

"Sure, baby" Jungkook looked at her, knowing exactly where this is going.

Zia gave a Taehyung an apologetic smile to make him wait, he smiled back mouthing an 'its okay'.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Zia asked glaring at Jungkook.

He just scoffed, "Nothing. I'm just looking out for you."

"No need. You-"

"Zia," Jungkook interrupted her using his stern, cold tone. Her eyes held confusion a tiny bit irritation in them. His sudden changes in behaviour were close convincing Zia that Jeon Jungkook had some kind of personality disorder. Why else would anyone keeping switching from being sweet to protective and possessive to being mean withing seconds? He definitely has a problem.

"We don't just trust people like that. Not everyone is good-"

"Oh really? Yeah right! Not everyone is good. Like you are Jeon, right?" She said sarcastically.

Jungkook's jaw ticked at her words. He was just trying to protect from anything bad from that man. After what happened a few days ago, it was genuine for him to be protective of her. Jungkook wasn't going to let his guards down by being any soft with Zia right now. The only solution was to get her to listen to him and obey him by any means. Which means by Any means.

His doe eyes stared intantly at the girl, however being cautious not to hurt her, physically or mentally. He stepped forward, erasing the space that was between their bodies.

"Jeon step back."

"Look at me." He said in a deep, raspy tone.

"I said ste-"

Jungkook used his hand to lift her head, and make her look at him.

"Don't make me repeat." He said and continued,

"Everyone is not how they seem to appear. There's a whole backstory to dig in. We have to be cautious."

Zia's jaw clenched as she spoke through gritted teeth, "So now you're trying to make him look like the bad person huh?"

Jungkook closed his eyes, exhaling sharply. Zia never cared if her words annoyed him or hurted him.

"He wasn't the one who forced me to be here. He wasn't the one who faked with two personalities. He held my hand when you, Jeon Jungkook were too busy fixing Crimson. He doesn't look at me with the lust and hunger that I've always got. Fuck he isn't the one to come close and get away whenever he wanted! It was you.... Always, you Jeon.. and still you're acting like you care?"

Her words hit him like arrows. Was he so bad? Did she hate him that much?

Jungkook took a step back, though his eyes not leaving Zia's. His expression was something beyond words could explain. No sorrow. No guilt. Just anger and hatred. Or maybe beyond that too..

The heart that was known for not existing in his body, was somehow present. And it did weird kind of flips inside him. He wasn't familiar with this feeling. Fuck he wasn't familiar with feelings at all! By the time that damn beating organ calmed down, Zia had already left.

Yes, he has a heart. Jeon Jungkook has a heart. Everyone has a heart. And its work, like in any other body, is to beat and pump the blood to rest of the organs. Simple. He never understood how people talked about their hearts being crushed or the heart knows the way and other shit like that. Is that even possible?

Practically, if you a 'crush' someone's heart. They won't survive.
And about heart knowing the way, well that's the work of your brain to think and know the way.
People are stupid. A heart just pumps blood. That's it. All the thinking stuff is Brain's department.

He ran his fingers through his hair and walked out. They left.

-------

I hope y'all are doing good. Stay safe, stay healthy ❤️