A/N: I used to do weekly updates, can you believe it?! Neither 😅 

Last chapter guys ❤️

-

2 months later

Patches of green surround the grey stone and the sun reflects of the granite on the floor. Jungkook stares at his mother's gravestone and finds it to be rather beautiful. Not per say what it represents, but rather, he admires the white roses that surround it. Even the patches of green grass that sprout from its corners are rather pleasant to see. He runs his hand over the block and sighs, not so much in sadness, but rather nostalgia. He feels the wind against his face and exhales before placing his own flowers next to the stone.

"I'll see you next week, Mama," he smiles. "I love you."

Jungkook then slowly retreats from her grave and walks over to the distant figure who's clad in a black hoodie.

Taehyung barely acknowledges him as he steps next to him, his eyes looking a little dazed as he stares at the two gravestones below him. Jungkook crouches down and places a single white rose on each gravestone. Taehyung watches him in silence.

"I miss them." Taehyung whispers. The utter fragility of his voice makes Jungkook look up.

"What were they like?" Jungkook asks, a little hesitant, feeling like he's treading on thin ice.

Taehyung smiles although it looks rather sad. "Wonderful. Dad was the funny one who would mess around and make jokes and mum would pretend to be unamused as she hid her smile. We...we were always so happy, the four of us..." Taehyung trails off, looking down at the stone. His voice is barely above a whisper as he speaks. "But look where we are now." He mutters.

Jungkook watches as a million emotions run past Taehyungs eyes and a twin feeling of sadness and realisation strikes him. He feels sad seeing the hurt beneath his eyes and it's moments like this where he realises how wrong the world makes Taehyung's character out to be. 'A big shot CEO' 'A cold hearted man who only cares about money' 'The king of the business world' 'A ferocious lion". Taehyung isn't any of those things. Under grey clouds, stood over a gloomy gravestone, Taehyung is painting of loneliness. A black smear across a grey canvas. He doesn't stand out and he doesn't blend in. He simply just exists in isolation. A man that was forced to age too quickly and forced to carry a burden too heavy for his shoulders. 

Jungkook takes a small step forward and carefully wraps his hand around the older man. They share a moment of silence, listening to the thrum of their pulses and the soft puffs of breaths from their mouths. Jungkook doesn't have words to offer him, there's nothing he can say that can plaster the wounds of a grief struck heart. He simply holds him tighter, hoping the touch transcends the comfort he cannot give with words.

Taehyung burrows his head into his neck and sighs against the soft skin while gripping the boy tighter. Staring down at his parents tomb stones makes the harsh reality that he pushes to the back of his mind a little too real. Taehyung knows that the world is cruel. The universe is unforgiving and life...life itself is unfair.

Once you realise that loss is spelt with the same 'L' love is, the notion of loving becomes a mere aching idea. You realise that maybe it's not such a great thing. Maybe it's something to fear, to run away from, to hide and store away in the deepest burrows of one's heart.

Having lost all that he loved, Taehyung was young when he realised all this. He was young when love wasn't chocolates and roses but rather a bitter taste in the back of his throat. And so Taehyung never really understood why people were so quick to chase love, so reckless to open their hearts and harbour deep feelings. He just didn't get why they would search so hard for that hurt rapped in gold foil.

But somehow things feel different when Jungkook tilts his head up, doe eyes glimmering, big and kind, warm body pressed against his, comforting and present, tearing apart his own isolation with a gentle smile. Taehyung's heart is beating steady, lulled and calm. It feels nice, like a blanket of warmth to cover up the cold, the grief, the hurt. Love to blanket the loss. And in that moment, despite himself, Taehyung feels like he kind of gets it. All this nonsense about love. Maybe he kind of gets it.

~

It took a while, days of tip toeing around each other, of awkward glances and painful small talk before things became a little less tense in the office. It's not exactly how things were but it's something. 

Jungkook paces the office while nibbling on his lower lip. "You're nervous," Taehyung states in amusement.

Jungkook stops and stares at the older, his eyes wide. "I...I know. It's just... I don't want to mess...I...I don't understand why you trust me enough not to screw this up. The fate of this company lays in my hands and I..." He starts pacing again, this time with more vigour.

Taehyung slowly approaches the boy and stops him in his tracks. Jungkook barely acknowledges him as he brings his hand up to chew on his fingernails.

"Bun," he says while gripping his wrist, stopping the action. Jungkook looks up, a tiny frown on his face. Taehyung sighs and shakes his head. "C'mere," he says and leads the boy to a seat. He sits him down and crouches below him. Doe eyes stare down at him from where he's crouching and Taehyung can't help but smile a little.

"You might not see it..."he starts, placing a gentle hand on the boy's kneecap. "...But you are highly competent. Not only that, you're smart, quick thinking and..." he smiles, "an amazing problem solver." He gently grabs the boys hands and holds it in his. "Being in front of a crowd won't change that about you. You have to show those people what you're really worth. You will only fall victim if you feed into preying eyes. Understand?"

Jungkook nods, his hair falling into his eyes as he stares down at his lap. Taehyung reaches up and tilts his chin to face him once again. "You've got this, I believe in you. Tomorrow is your chance to get out there and reckon him with you true force."

Jungkook nods again while letting out a ragged exhale. "I've got this," he mumbles quietly. Taehyung smiles up at him fondly.

~

"You sure you don't want a ride home?" Taehyung asks from his desk.

Jungkook shakes his head. "No that's okay. I'm actually going to meet up with someone right now."

Taehyung quirks his brow in curiosity but doesn't ask any further questions. "Okay, Bun. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Jungkook nods, "Good night, sir." 

He slowly closes the office door and heads out. A breeze greets him as he leaves the towering building and he can't help but sigh in contentment. Spring is slowly approaching its end, leaving behind fresh new life that will soon face summer's wrath but right now, the weather seems to be at a perfect equilibrium. The wind is still nice and chilly yet the atmosphere is warmer than usual, it's that balance of warmth and coolness that Jungkook finds gratifying.

 He casually strolls down the side walk, letting his conscious submerge into the idle chatter of the crowds around him, he gets lost in it and finds peace in the noisy silence. The ever present crowds have always been a reason he's liked New York. In an odd way, he finds solace being surrounded by concrete and pattering feet. He supposes it's the feeling of being grounded, the lack of isolation at least in a physical sense. 

He enters the restaurant and pulls his phone out while the door bell chimes behind him.

>I'm here. 

He stares down at the chat, watching three dots appear in the corner of the screen.

>I'm in the corner booth. 

Jungkook looks up and spots a tuft of blond hair, sitting in a small booth in the corner. He shuffles over to the booth and then stops in front of the blond. 

"Hi..." He says, awkwardly shuffling his weight from one foot to another.

"Hi," the other responds. 

They're both silent for a moment before Jimin sighs and gestures for him to sit down. Jungkook carefully slides into his seat and tilts his head down to stare at his hands on the table. 

Jimin seems to contemplate what he wants to say for a moment before he finally lets out a sigh. "Jungkook..." he starts, looking conflicted. "I'm... I'm sorry."

Jungkook darts his head up, his eyes widened. "Hyung...why...why are you sorry?"

Jimin's the one that is now looking down at his fingers."Because... I shouldn't have just left like that."

Jungkook furrows his brows. "After all that had happened between us, you had all the right to leave. You were hurt... I... I hurt you."

Jimin shakes his head. "I was hurt. But I also knew you were having a hard time as well. I should have been there to support you but I..." he looks away, his eyes now glassy with unshed tears. 

Jungkook frowns and reaches his hand out to rest on top of the other's. "You have always been there for me, you were always my shoulder to cry on, hyung. You also deserve a break, y'know."

Jimin shakes his head, "I know but you didn't deserve to put up with that alone- you- you." Jimin tilts his head down, a tear slipping past his eyes and sliding down his face. "I left you all alone, Kook."

Jungkook bites down on his lower lip. "I wasn't alone, Chim. I had my brother and Brianna and...and even Taehyung," he says the last name a little quietly, finding a small blush emerging onto his features as he speaks. 

Jimin notices this and his face lights up, a small smiling appearing on it. "You're blushing."

Jungkook shakes his head and looks away. "N-No, s'just cold." He rubs his arms along his sleeve to emphasise the fact. 

"It's nearly summer." Jimin teases, expression turning cheeky. 

Jungkook continues to ignore it until Jimin laughs. The younger looks back up to catch the older's cheery expression and finds himself giggling along. Jimin's laughter eventually dwindles down into a soft smile and he stares at the younger carefully. 

"I hope you're happy with him," Jimin says, sounding genuine. "I know I should have said this the first time when I found out about you two, but I wasn't in the right state of mind at the time."

Jungkook fiddles with his fingers. "W...we are not together, Hyung. We just..." he pauses, not too sure what label his relationship with Taehyung classifies under. 

Jimin frowns a little, noticing the conflicted expression on Jungkook's face. "It might not be my place to ask this but...do wanna talk about it?"

Jungkook nibbles on his lip for a bit before slowly nodding. "Yeah. Well..." and then before Jungkook can stop, he finds himself finally letting out his pent up thoughts from the past few months to his best friend. He talks about confusion, fear, feelings and loss. About betrayal, hurt and grief. He talks about the most minimalistic things and delves into topics sheltered deep in his heart. 

And Jimin, with tears in his eyes, just listens. He listens and doesn't interrupt, he lets his friend talk and vent and grieve and when tears well up in Jungkook's eyes, he reaches over and wipes them away. 

"Jungkook..." he finally says when the younger finishes. His lower lip is trembling and he shakes his head. "I..."

"I know," Jungkook smiles a little while sniffling. "It's been a pretty crazy few months."

Jimin lets out a small sob. "I...I just... I feel so bad, Kook. I should have been there for you."

Jungkook shakes his head. "You didn't know all this was happening, hyung."

Jimin sighs and they both are silent for a moment, staring down at their empty cups of coffee. "I wanted to talk to you earlier, I...I was going to talk to you at the funeral but...but I...felt it wasn't the right time."

Jungkook nods. "It's okay. Everything was happening too fast these past few months. Honestly, I don't think I was stable enough to hold any sort of conversation." Jungkook says with a small chuckle. 

Jimin's eyes crinkle with worry and he sighs. "How...how are you coping now?"

"Better." Jungkook breathes out. "A lot better. I...um...I started therapy a month ago and it really helped me grasp the situation. I still can't really sleep at night but...but I've been feeling better."

Jimin looks a little relieved at that. "That's good to hear."

 Jungkook fiddles with his fingers for a moment before letting out a sigh. " You know, I wanted to talk to you too, hyung. To reach out and just talk about...everything." He looks at Jimin, looking a little hesitant. "And I never got to really say it but..." he nibbles on his lower lip before blurting out. "...I'm sorry." A short pause. "For what happened between us. It was never my intention to hurt you." And Jimin knows, with the way there's that glimmer in his eye as he says it, that he means it.

Jimin smiles at the younger, eyes so pleasantly warm that it lifts a foreign weight from his shoulders. "I know, Kook. These past few months I've been thinking and I realised that what happened between us was really not in our hands. We were young. I didn't love myself so how could I have handled someone else's love?" He chuckles. "We were young, dumb and stupid...especially you," he adds cheekily. 

Jungkook huffs out in fake offence while biting back a smile. The older laughs and shakes his head, endeared by the younger antics. "What I'm saying, Kook, is that...I really should have been more understanding about what happened. You were probably as confused as I was and that's okay."

Jungkook nods. "I really was confused. I...I still am. I feel like there's never a logical answer to how I feel."

Jimin smiles. "And there never will be. The heart doesn't do logic. The heart does love, warmth, passion and hurt. The heart doesn't think, it just... feels. So stop looking for an answer to how you feel." He smiles, "you'll never find one."

Jungkook nods and let's out a sigh, feeling another weight lift from his shoulders. "Thank you, hyung," he says while looking up. For everything. "For understanding."

Jimin leans over and ruffles his hair, a toothy grin spreading across his face. "Always, Kook."

~

Something about the monochrome sky in the midst of a summer day is fitting. At least to Jungkook. The weather is rather reflective of his mood. Weary, a little dreadful. Rain clouds filter the sky, casting ghastly shadows across the city and Jungkook watches them silently from the large building. 

"I'm nervous."

It's funny how it's not Jungkook that voices this thought, despite it being a perfect descriptor of how he feels. He turns around to see Taehyung, his hair slightly falling in front of his eyes as he gnaws on his lips. 

"Me too," Jungkook mutters, offering no real comfort other than the mere sense of understanding. 

Taehyung sighs and looks out the glass, past Jungkook. "But I believe in you, Bun. I know that you can do this." 

Jungkook swallows the lump forming in his throat and looks away. His voice is small, a bare whisper as he asks, "What if I mess up?"

Taehyung smiles, just slightly. "Well then you and I can start a new business together; Begging for money on the streets." 

Jungkook's eyes widen. Taehyung notices his panicked expression and shakes his head. "Don't worry, Kook. If you mess up, that's that. We can work things out from there. There is no end to an endless street, just some bumps along the way."

Jungkook nods, taking in his words. "I know, it's just... screwing this up would be a lot harder." 

"I know, but just know that it's still going to be okay," Taehyung says as he smiles reassuringly.

 Jungkook nods hesitantly before looking down at his watch. His eyes widen and his breath slightly hitches when he sees the time. "It's 2:30." 

Taehyung's resolve flickers and a nervous frown slowly settles on his face. "Yeah...um... good luck. I believe in you. Yeah, good luck."

They both stare at each other for a moment before sighing and walking towards the conference room. 

~

They say family is supposed to feel like home yet all Jungkook feels when he is with his father is suffocated by the heavy air of hostility that he exudes. He should be used to the sharp eyes and crooked smirks that hold nothing but malice yet he can't help the feeling of trepidation crawling through his skin when he sees the man. 

"Son," the words are far from fatherly, there's a cunning note to his tone. Grey is leaning back on his chair, looking rather comfortable despite the tense environment. "Fancy seeing you here."

Jungkook doesn't respond to the man's small talk. He clenches his fist as he walks over and takes his seat. Grey stares at him from the other side of the room and suddenly Jungkook feels a lot smaller than he is, the room growing bigger and his father's eyes growing sharper. He exhales a ragged breath, his fists shaking. 

I...I can do this. 

"Are we just going to sit here staring at each other for the whole day?" Grey remarks sarcastically. 

Jungkook sits upright and clears his throat. "Urr...before we start, we need you to sign this. It's in regards to confidentiality and a few other things. Please read through it."

Grey grabs the paper from across the table and barely gives it a glance. He snorts, "what is it, Kim? You scared I'm going to run away with all your information?"

Taehyung doesn't respond, instead opting to glare at the man. Grey sighs and signs the paper before shaking his head. "You two are no fun at all."

"We're not here for fun." Jungkook states firmly. 

"Oh of course not. You know I was wondering what it was that you wanted from me. I heard you were pretty desperate to get in contact with me. I apologise for how long this took, after all, I am a busy man," he smirks. There's something sinister about his words, a sick innuendo. 

Jungkook pokes the inside of his cheek with his tongue before sighing. "We...came here to make a proposition."

Grey quirks an eyebrow at that, seemingly interested. "A proposition?"

Jungkook nods and then quickly glances at Taehyunng. Their eyes meet and Taehyung silently speaks through his eyes. Jungkook turns back to the man, his gaze hard. "We want you to give us back the ownership of our car and publicly apologise for stealing our design."

Grey stares at Jungkook for a moment before his lips quirk up in amusement. "Oh? Is that so? And why exactly should I do that?"

Jungkook doesn't wait to entertain the man. "Because if you choose to refuse our proposition, we'll take you to court."

Grey seems even more amused at that. He tilts his head mockingly, his voice condescending as he speaks. "Oh, is that so? And how exactly do you expect that to work? Y'know, with no evidence?" 

Jungkook grabs out the blueprint and places it on the table. "Who said we didn't have evidence?"

Grey quirks his brow. "A blueprint?"

Jungkook nods, "The original blueprint of the car."

The man stares at the boy in silence, his eyes zoning in on the younger's. Jungkook hates his gaze. It feels suffocating. He hates how distant yet familiar that gaze is. 

"You're a worthless brat, you know?" Grey shoves Jungkook's small body against the wall. "Can't do anything right, not a single damn thing." He slams his body back against the wall and the boy cries out at the sheer force that rattles his spine, hot white pain slapping across his muscles.

"P-Please," Jungkook pleads, tugging at the man's hold on his neck. "Please."

Grey stares at him and Jungkook feels his breath hitch. It is terrifying how calm his eyes are. Black orbs filled with apathy, lined with hostility.  These are the eyes of a so-called fatherly figure, yet nothing about him is fatherly. He is a figure though, a figure of violence and rage. Of Jungkook's nightmares, of his self-hatred and self-doubt. 

Grey breaks off his eye contact and looks down at the ground. Jungkook holds his breath while he watches the man, weary of his next move. Jungkook frowns when he notices his shoulders shaking and for a moment it almost looks like he's crying. That is, until he lifts his head, and it's clear to Jungkook that the man is laughing. He's laughing. Jungkook bites his lip, taken aback by his amusement. 

Grey shakes his head, trying to compose himself. "Oh, e-excuse me. I truly didn't expect to be this entertained at a meeting." 

The boy frowns and stares at the man cautiously. Grey looks up while wiping the corner of his eyes."You weren't always the brightest, boy. I should not have expected much when I walked in the room."

Jungkook bites his inner cheek, his clenched fists tightening. "What do you mean?"

Grey sighs. "A blueprint, seriously? You really think that you can prove anything with that?"

Jungkook grimaces at the man's condescending tone and nods his head weakly. Grey chuckles again, this time rather mockingly. "Still so pathetic, truly." He mutters. 

"You're pathetic! A worthless f*g."  Jungkook grunts as the man kicks his stomach. "Can you do anything right? Huh, tell me. Can you do anything RIGHT?"

"P-Please. I'm sorry." Jungkook curls into himself as he mutter out apologies. Apologising for something he doesn't quite understand. Just apologising in hopes of stopping the pain. 

Grey looks down at his cowered figure and scoffs. "Pathetic."

Jungkook shakes his head. "This...this is viable evidence in court." 

"Is it now?" Grey says as he comes around the desk towards Jungkook. "A piece of paper."

"It's..." Jungkook hesitates, faltering at the man's gaze. He ducks his head down. "It's dated. It can prove that we had the idea for the car before you."

Grey stops in front of the boy and sighs. "I almost feel sorry for you, Jungkook." He says, reaching out towards the boy. 

Jungkook flinches as the man's hand comes to rest on his tie. Grey tightens the knot and pats it, an action that would look almost fatherly to anyone observing. Except it's not. It's patronising, it's taunting. A threat. 

"Sure, you have a blueprint to prove you also were planning on releasing a car, but what else? How are you going to prove that this is not merely by coincidence, that I didn't just happen to come out with a similar car before you?" 

Jungkook stares down at his hand, staring at the redness of his clenched fists. He refuses to meet the older man's eyes. "It...it's still viable. We...I..."

Grey chuckles. "Well then why don't you take me to court, hm? Let's see what the judge has to say."

Jungkook gulps, looking up. "We...we will win this case."

Grey scoffs. "Yet you can't say that with a straight face?" He walks closer towards the boy. Jungkook stumbles back. "You can't say that without stuttering like a little bitch?" he snarks while jabbing a finger into his chest. 

Jungkook steps back further and feels the solid wall behind him. He cowers when Grey steps closer and stands over him. It's all too familiar. It would always play out like this; Grey towering over his cornered figure, staring down at him in disgust. Suddenly he feels so much smaller, so much weaker. He stares up at Grey and feels that same rush of fear, the same dread that would run through his blood when the man would tower over him with his raised fists.

"You think you can win the case but you're cowering under me?" He snarls. "You've haven't changed one bit. Still as weak and pathetic as you were. This is what I meant back then, boy. You're nothing without me." He chuckles. "It doesn't matter who you work for or who you think you are, you'll never be better than me. Look how simple it was to fool you all, to snatch away that so-called revolutionary car of yours and to make it mine. It was so easy, because of you. You brought that f*g disease to the company, seduced that man, and made it so simple for me to take everything I needed. You were so busy being a little sissy that you didn't even notice me stealing your biggest project from right under your nose." Grey turns away from the boy and faces Taehyung. Taehyung's eyes are darker, burning with rage. "You were silly enough to hire him, Kim. Think of this boy right here," he points to Jungkook, a smirk shadowing over his features. "As the downfall of King's corp." 

The room falls into a tense silence, something so heavy and unbearable lingering in the air. Grey waits for either of the men to say something but neither open their mouths. The man smiles in satisfaction, feeling thrilled by their timidness. He opens his mouth, ready to mock them, to brag, to tear them down further, but then a small sound interrupts the silence. 

Click. 

Grey turns around with furrowed brow's but freezes when his eyes meet Jungkook's. The boy is staring at him with a small smile and an audio recorder in his hand. 

"W...Where did you get that from?" Grey asks while eyeing the device. 

"Oh this? I must have had it in my pocket this whole time. I didn't even notice." The corner of his lips twitch as he speaks. 

Grey's face scrunches with fury as a blaring red shade washes over his skin. "You recorded me." 

Jungkook looks at the device and fiddles with it for a moment before pressing a button in the corner. 

Look how simple it was to fool you all, to snatch away that so-called revolutionary car of yours  and to make it mine. It was so easy, because of you. You brought that f*g disease to the company, seduced that man, and made it so simple for me to take everything I needed. You  were so busy being a little sissy that you didn't even notice me stealing your biggest project from right under your nose.

Jungkook watches with amusement as the man's features change from rage to panic. Grey shuffles around for a moment before staring back at Jungkook. "Well that doesn't matter. Audio evidence isn't very reliable in court. For all they know, I could have been forced to say all this."

"Indeed." Taehyung's the one to speak from behind him. He walks past grey to the projector. He plugs a small USB into the monitor and the projector lights up with a video. 

Grey's eyes widen. "You...you filmed me too?" He stares at the screen in bewilderment before shaking his head. He stops for a moments before a small smile spreads across his face, seemingly realising something. "But I think you're forgetting something. You can't use either of these in court without my consent." He smirks. "Nice try though, Kim."

Jungkook sighs and pulls out the contract the man had signed earlier. "Article 53 in the contract terms and conditions. The participant authorises any video or audio footage from the meeting to be presented to the judicial system." Jungkook smiles at him. "Too bad you're not very fond of reading." 

Grey stares at the younger for a moment while breathing heavily before he explodes. "You fucking bitch," he screams as he lunges at Jungkook. The younger jumps back and before Grey gets his hands on him, a pair of large tanned hands wrap around the older's collar, pushing him back into the desk. 

Grey grunts as his back hits the desk. "Get off me!"

Taehyung eases his hands off the man and steps back, his face calm but his eyes fiery. "We're leaving, Grey. It was nice doing business with you."

The man splutters. "N-No, you can't. You- DELETE THAT VIDEO! DELETE EVERYTHING!"

Both Jungkook and Taehyung ignore the man as they begin to pack their things to leave. 

"Jungkook," Grey starts, voice trembling. Jungkook turns around to the man holding his sleeve. "Are you really going to do this? To your own father? I raised you. Y-You can't do this to me."

Jungkook stares at him. 

"N-No, I-I will never kiss another boy. I-I'm sorry. P-Please."  Jungkook pleads, his body trembling as tears run past the throbbing red bruises on his face. 

Grey tightens his hold on the boy and sneers. "Can't even speak without stuttering." A harsh slap is placed across Jungkook's cheek. 

Jungkook, so small, so young and lost and unsure about the world, unsure about love and if love can come in the form of his father's brutal slaps, just continues to plead, continues to cry. "P-Please."

"Stop stuttering." Another slap. 

Jungkook wails as his lip splits open from the impact. His body feels exhausted. "Sor-ry."

"Stop stuttering you bitch," another slap. The man smirks, "huh, are you going to keep stuttering like a little bitch?" He grips his jaw tightly. "Learn to speak like a real man, not like some fucking f*g." He digs his nails into the boy's tender cheeks. 

"H-Hurts, p-please please!" Jungkook begs. He begs. He's begging. Why is no one listening? 

Grey throws the boy back and scoffs while staring at his trembling figure. "Learn to speak like a man, Jeon. Cause a real man doesn't stutter."

Grey tightens his grip on his sleeve while staring at the younger with his piercing eyes. Jungkook looks down at the hold and stares at it for a while. "Father? " He scoffs, turning his head back up to stare at him. "You, Grey, were nothing of the sort," his lip curls down as he speaks, bitterness sounding heavy in his tone. Grey clenches his jaw. 

"I raised yo-"

 Jungkook chuckles humourlessly. "Raised me? You think YOU raised me?" 

"I gave you a house to live under, I taught you how to be a man. I-"

"You gave me a house, not a home. You stripped away any form of happiness I had so I could become your so-called idealistic version of a man. I remember the stings from your slaps and the aches from your punches and have never felt the warmth of your embrace. You didn't only deprive me of love, you made me terrified of it. You gave me every single fucking reason to hate myself. And you still have the nerve to stand here and call yourself my father?" 

Grey scoffs. "That's how a real father should be. I was helping you."

Jungkook stares at him blankly before shaking his head. "If that's what defines a real father..." he smiles bitterly "... then I'm glad you were never mine."

Jungkook doesn't wait any longer and turns to leave, pulling his arm away from the man's grip. 

Grey yells behind him. "Jungkook! How dare you. You- You wretched whore. I-I'll kill you. D-Don't you dare leave with that thing. You ungrateful BITCH. You're-you're just going to leave like that?" He continues to scream, his eyes looking crazed. 

Jungkook stops at the doorway and turns around, a small smile on his face. 

"Grey?"

The man breathes heavily as he watches the boy approach him. Jungkook comes closer and stops in front of him again. He reaches up and carefully adjusts the man's collar while staring at him. "You should stop stuttering like that," he whispers. He pats his shirt and looks up into those dark haunting eyes while he smiles warmly. "It makes you look less of a man."

Grey stares at him in shock as he finally turns and leaves. The younger can't help but smile a little as he walks away, feeling this elevating sense of relief. The feeling that a burden has been lifted from his shoulders. He feels content. The chains of his past are slowly dissolving from his hands and he can finally feel that sobering sense of liberty.

~

"You did well," comes the soft lilt of Taehyung's voice as they enter the elevator. Jungkook simply stares up at him like he's in a daze. "I remember the first day you came into my office. Quite the nervous wreck, weren't you?" he chuckles, eyes softened with nostalgia. "Look at you now. Speaking against the man you once feared the most." He sighs. "You did well, bun," he repeats, eyes staring down fondly at the younger.

Jungkook's heart is beating out of his chest, a range of emotions filling his chest. He doesn't really know what to say so he nods. 

"I'm so proud of you," Taehyung continues, looking at him warmly. 

Jungkook nods, not knowing why his eyes are glazing up with tears. He's happy. He's happy. He's...happy. He's not used to that.

"You did it." Taehyung smiles. Jungkook feels dizzy. His head spins and he feels jittery. Taehyung continues to praise him, smiling widely. Jungkook stares at him, barely listening to the words he says. He feels in awe as he observes his features, taking in his everything. His evenly tanned skin, his baritone voice, his dark sparkling eyes, his gentle smile, his soft pink lips that feel so warm when they kiss, that are so tender and plush and... 

Taehyung's eyes widen when the younger leans up closer towards him. "Bun?"

Jungkook blinks, feeling hypnotised by his dark eyes. "Thank you," he mutters, ever so quietly. 

"For what?" Taehyung breathes out, feeling a shiver run down his spine at their proximity.

"For believing in me." Jungkook lets his lips gently peck Taehyung's for just a moment. He pulls back a second later and blinks up at him.

Taehyung stares at him for a moment before wordlessly pulling him back in.  A rush of warmth engulfs Taehyung's body as he wraps his arms around his waist to pull him closer. His lips feel so familiar, the kiss so nostalgic, his breath, his skin, the little hums from the back of his throat, they all feel so familiar despite how long it's been. 

"I missed you," Taehyung exhales as he gently backs the younger into the metal frame. 

Jungkook hums, sending steady vibrations past his lips. "Me too."

Taehyung tilts his jaw and carefully presses another kisses onto his bottom lip. His kisses range from light touches to firm presses. His hands grip onto his waist, holding tightly. Jungkook whimpers ever so quietly when the older gives him a firm kiss that steals his breath away. Taehyung smiles against his lips. 

"I missed you," Taehyung repeats while pressing Jungkook closer to him. He moves from his lips to kiss his cheeks, then his jaw and then tilts his head down to pepper small kisses onto his neck.

Jungkook tightens his grip on his shoulders. "T-Taehyung."

Taehyung pauses his actions and looks up at the younger, eyes wide. "You..."

Jungkook furrows his brows. "Hm?"

"You called me Taehyung," he whispers. 

Jungkook continues to look a little confused, still in his daze before he quickly snaps out of it. 

Gasping, he covers his mouth with his hands. "Oh... I-I'm so sorry. I meant sir- I didn't- I..." he stops his rambling when he notices Taehyung's fond smile. 

The older leans in and kisses the younger square on the lip. "Out of everything that comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours," he says, his lips still brushing against his. "I think my name is my favourite."

"Oh," Jungkook mutters, suddenly feeling shy. He looks down at his hands and avoids eye contact.

"Say it again," Taehyung insists, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Jungkook shakes his head. "No."

Taehyung laughs, "awe, why not?"

Jungkook turns away, trying to hide the furious red that's infiltrating his cheeks. 

"No reason," he mumbles quietly. 

Taehyung, all too amused, pulls the younger closer to wrap his arms around him. "Hm? Is that so. But I really want to hear..." before Taehyung can finish, the elevator doors open and Jungkook quickly pulls away from his embrace to rush out.

Taehyung watches in amusement as the younger scurries away, mumbling quiet curses to himself. He can't help the smile the stretches across his lips. He lets it sit there for a while as he listens to the gentle thrum of his heart. Thud. Thud. Thud.

~

"Jungkook, good news," Taehyung says, looking up with a wide smile. 

Jungkook peeks up from behind the folder that he's been burying his nose into for the past hour. "What?" he asks, curiosity making his brows perk up. 

Taehyung holds up a file.

"Is that..." Jungkook asks, eyes wide. 

Taehyung nods. "The legal files. All complete. The court date is next week."

 "That's ... that's amazing!"

"I know." Taehyung smiles as he places the file back on the desk. "We should celebrate!"

Jungkook frowns. "But...but the case just started. We shouldn't celebrate too early."

"You're right, but we've also been cooped up in this office for weeks on end dealing with all this so I think we need to get some fresh air, don't you think?"

Jungkook nods slowly then turns to point outside. "Now?"

Taehyung looks at the midnight sky and nods affirmatively, "now."

"But I don't think there's anything open at this time."

"The only thing that needs to be open are our minds, Bun." Taehyung chuckles at Jungkook's unappreciative nose scrunch. 

~

"God, the weather is miserable. Who's bloody idea was it to come out this late," Taehyung huffs as he parks the car in the empty lot. 

Jungkook giggles. "What happened to keeping our minds open?"

"Yeah, fuck that. My balls are about to fall off from how cold it is. In the middle of summer too, Christ."

Jungkook shakes his head in amusement. "Well we're at the seaside. It's bound to be cold regardless."

"Maybe we should've gone to that ramen store instead," he grumbles, while pulling out a blanket from the backseat. 

Jungkook tilts his head while pointing a questioning finger at the thick wooly cloth. 

Taehyung shrugs sheepishly. "I take naps in my car sometimes." 

Jungkook smiles but can't help but feel a little saddened by the statement. He follows Taehyung out of the car and watches him as he climbs up onto the roof of the car. 

"You coming?" Taehyung asks, trying to be heard over the whistles from the wind. 

Jungkook stares at the car roof a little hesitantly. "What if it breaks?"

Taehyung shrugs, "I've always wanted a convertible."

At this, Jungkook shakes his head and laughs. He hesitates for a moment longer before carefully hoisting himself onto the roof next to Taehyung. 

"There he is," Taehyung says, smiling at the younger. 

Jungkook scoots closer to the older and Taehyung wraps the thick blanket around the two of them. It's not enough to fight the raw chill of the sea-breeze but with their shared body heat, it's sufficient. 

They stare out into the ocean for a while, observing the waves that battle the wind. The waves put up a violent fight before begrudgingly accepting defeat and crashing onto the concrete like sands. 

The sea's angry tonight.  Quite vicious. The water isn't silky and inviting, it's enraged and hostile; Alive and breathing only to wreak havoc on the shore. The sea cries, mourning the warmth of the daylight, the comfort of the sun, crying for the absence of the moon. It harbours the tragedies of loss in its ghastly waters and drowns in its own salty tears. Tonight, perhaps every night, the sea is miserable. 

Taehyung still smiles at the sight of the sea. Its grief isn't off putting, rather, it serves as an equilibrium between the grief within his heart. Taehyung stares at the water and pictures his younger self playing among the shores. He can see himself giggling, being chased by his brother, being scolded by his mother for not putting on sunscreen, being laughed at by his father for being scared of the little crabs that peeked up from under the sand. The memories are warm like the sun but the onslaught of grief and loss that follows each tingling memory leaves him void. Like the raging sea in the absence of the moon.  

Jungkook sighs at the silence, feeling it's heavy weight settle on his shoulder. He opts to speak, to break the silence. 

"Do you ever just want to give it all up, to live a normal life and leave behind all...all this," he lifts his heads up to point at nothing in particular but Taehyung seems to understand what it means. 

"I think...I think a part of me has already given up. I work out of mere convenience, there's nothing else that I thrive to do." Taehyung blankly stares out into the distance. 

Jungkook feels his heart hurt at the words. "Do you not have any dreams, any aspirations?"

Taehyung's quiet for a while, letting the howls of the wind speak over his silence. "I thought I did. I thought that keeping up King's Corp was my dream. To preserve my father's hard work and to carry on his legacy. I thought that was my dream."

Jungkook brings his knees up to his chest and leans his head down on them. He turns his head to stare at the side of the older's face. The streetlight lightens his features and Jungkook can tell from the look in his eyes that his mind is far away. "But it's not?"

Taehyung shakes his head and sighs. "It's not. It took me years to realise that working there was only a way of coping. I was just clinging onto the remnants of my father that was left. I thought it would do me some good, I thought...I thought it will help me come to terms with my loss." He shakes his head and clings tighter onto the blanket. "It didn't. Turns out, all I did was try to fit my feet into a dead mans shoe." He chuckles sadly. "I think I lost myself in the process."

Taehyung's stares at the sand and he sees Namjoon, 11 years old, mischievously throwing sand at him. He sees himself, screaming with laughter and childish fear as he runs from the playful attacks. He smiles. "I lost myself and everyone else."

Jungkook picks at a loose thread on the blanket, pondering. "That's not true..." he whispers, ever so quietly. 

Taehyung looks over at him.

Jungkook looks up at him, staring into those dark eyes. "You have me," he mutters, the sound almost inaudible against the noise of the wind. 

Taehyung studies his eyes. Round, large, innocent, curious and somewhere deep within there's hurt. So much hurt. Taehyung sighs sadly and gently brings his hand up to place on the younger's face.  "And what if I lose you too?" he hesitates. "What if I lose you again?"

Jungkook bites his lip. "You won't-"

"You don't know that." Taehyung shakes his head. "This world is nothing but unpredictable. How am I to know I won't lose you again?"

Jungkook looks down. "You won't... you won't know. Despite how horrible it is, loss is a part of life. It's a given."

Taehyung pulls away and shakes his head. "It's a part I hate. I'm sick of it. I'd rather burn alive than feel that numbness. The emptiness that only grows with every person I lose. It makes me so angry, Kook. I want to scream and rip it apart but it doesn't even exist. I don't know what I'm angry at. I don't know what to direct these emotions towards. " Taehyung stops himself, holding back the cry that's lodged into his throat. 

Jungkook wraps his arms around him and pulls him closer, letting the older rest his head in the crevice of his neck. "I hate it..." Taehyung whispers. Jungkook strokes his hair carefully. 

"I do too," Jungkook mutters quietly. 

"I'm just scared," Taehyung says. "Everytime I'm with you I feel so happy but there's that constant nagging voice in the back of my mind asking me what I'll do when I lose you too? And I honestly don't know the answer. What would I do?"

Jungkook sighs. "You'll find yourself," he says against his hair. 

Taehyung frowns. "What do you mean?"

"We always lose the things we love. We lose the people we love. I lost my mother and father just like you. And after each loss, we'll grieve, we'll break, we'll mourn and we'll hurt so bad that it feels impossible to breathe. But then, after time passes, and after the grief becomes just a dull ache in your heart, you can pick up the pieces of you that broke along the way and make a new version of yourself. A better version."

"I don't want change. I like this version of me. This version with you by my side."

Jungkook smiles. "No one wants change but sometimes..." he looks out into the harsh waters and watches the waves repeatedly crashing into the sand, a repetition, a miserable cycle. "...sometimes we need it. To break the cycles in life that we get caught up in."

"But breaking those cycles bring so much pain," Taehyung whispers. 

Jungkook stares at his hands, seeing lines of wear and tear that mask his youth. "I guess it's that pain that makes us human."

And despite how quiet his words are and how delicate his voice is, they capture the essence of what it means to be human.  

The world is seemingly full of lions and rabbits. The powerful and powerless. The rich the poor. A society of binaries that balance the wicked scale of life. However, this polarity only serves as a superficial mask, a measly trickery, a desperate attempt to cover the sad reality of humanity. Because stripping away social classes, money and power only leaves a naked vulnerable human being who's trying to navigate through a foreign planet, competing for food, for shelter, for love.  At the core of every human is a heart that pumps blood, a heart that loves, hates, breaks, aches and a heart that eventually stops. Humans are the only creatures that have a heart which serves multiple functions. And so maybe it is true. Maybe the world is full of lions and rabbits. 

But in this world it isn't the rabbits that are the weakest. It's us humans. 

Taehyung smiles and gently places Jungkook's hand on top of his. He stares at the boy, awed by his beauty, struck by his grace. Doe eyes stare back at him, full of pain, vulnerability and love. He wonders what his own eyes look like to the other. Maybe they look lifeless? Or maybe they're full of love. And staring at the boy, under the stars in the moonless sky, he wants to tell him. I love you. 

But he doesn't. Because he's still too scared, still caught up in his past, still cautious of the future. But at least he knows how he feels now. At least he understands himself. It's not perfect but that's okay. Because all those little flaws, those fears, those insecurities...that's what makes him human. 

"Bun," he says, his voice almost silenced by the wind. 

Jungkook nods, letting Taehyung ponder over his thoughts before speaking. 

"You mean the moon to me."

Jungkook tilts his head, a little confused, yet his lips still curve into a small smile. "Isn't the saying, 'you mean the world to me'?"

Taehyung doesn't explain further. He turns to face the water and stares at the crashing waves. Jungkook listens to the sea breeze, howling in the sky, a lost melody. The night is too cold but their hands joint together are warm enough. The sea looks like it's mourning but so are they. The stars are dim but they're still shining their best light.  

The world means nothing to me without my moon. 

{ T H E ❦ E N D }

A/N: Well um idek. I don't even know if this chapter makes sense because of how longgggggg it took to update. Tbh i basically finished this chapter at the start of the year but I realllyyy struggled to write the "perfect ending" and that led me to rewrite the chapter multiple times and then eventually I just gave up. Every time i tried to write, I felt so lost and disconnected from the story.  I chose to end it like this without resolving all the problems because I think that adds a bit more depth and reality to the ending. It's not a super happy ending but it's not exactly sad either, and I think that makes the most sense for Taehyung's and Jungkook's relationship. And yes, this is the finale chapter. There isn't going to be an epilogue because even finishing this chapter was beyond difficult (writing wise), so writing another chapter isn't the smartest idea. 

I actually really struggled with this book and lost so much motivation because I was going through different stages in my life while writing. I thought of officially un-publishing it MULTIPLE times but I also put so much effort into it that I couldn't get myself to do that. I know this chapter is horrendously late, and honestly it's so bad I'm not even gonna lie, but if you still read it, I just want to thank you. I appreciate you all so much. 

Thank you for reading King's Corp my loves, I hope you enjoyed the longgggggggg (in real time as well) journey. 

This is a bit of dialogue from a scene that was meant to be in this chapter but never made the cut. I thought it was kinda cute so I still wanted to share. 

"What would you do if a huge shark came and ate me right now."

Jungkook lifts his lips into a cheeky smile. "I'd be thankful it ate you and not me."

Taehyung scoffs in mock offence. "Real romantic you are there, bun." He breaks out into a smile.

Jungkook giggles and splashes some water around. "What would you do if a huge wave came and engulfed me?"

"I'd ride my huge shark and come find you," Taehyung says, turning his nose up and looking awfully prideful.