The direct and indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle - you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?
━
The Art of War
Sun Tzu

≣

There were flowers everywhere.

Really, it seemed like every possible part of the bed and breakfast sported a floral arrangement of some kind. Orange roses stood tall in matching vases on the front desk, their color striking thanks to the early afternoon sun. The heads of peach and pink dahlias floated in shallow water bowls by a cozy seating nook, creating a serene and peaceful aura. And baskets upon baskets of vivid sunflowers occupied the area by the staircase, a scattering of fallen petals discarded over the wooden floor.

The display was truly stunning, painting the bed and breakfast's entrance in vibrant colors and filling the space with sweet-smelling aromas. And yet . . .

Jungkook had three separate sneezing attacks by the time he and Taehyung reached the front desk.

"Are you allergic to flowers?" Taehyung asked as he leaned over one of the arrangements, softly inhaling to take in the roses' fresh scent. A smile played at his lips and his eyes fluttered closed; he was clearly delighted by the rich and slightly fruity fragrance.

Judging by the incessant tickling in his nose and the sudden itchiness of his skin, Jungkook had a very strong feeling that he was allergic to flowers. At least in this insane quantity. But he remained quiet as he watched the scene unfold before him, as he took in his beautiful angel quite literally stopping to smell the roses.

If that wasn't symbolism at its finest, then Jungkook didn't know what the hell was.

Over the past few months - hell, over the past few years - neither Jungkook nor Taehyung had had the opportunity to appreciate the little things in life. They never had the freedom to pause, to reassess where they were and then decide who they wanted to be. All they had known for so long was lying low, hiding away from the world, and running when the threat of danger became too real. They had never possessed the time to stop and smell the roses.

Until now.

Now, they could finally slow down. Now, they could enjoy the present moment and relax. Now, they could savor the beauty around them without constantly looking over their shoulders.

And that was all because they were safe.

Because they were at peace.

Because they were home.

Fuck, that revelation nearly stole the air from Jungkook's lungs. After going years - four, five, or maybe six years - without a true home, he finally had one once more. And the reason for that? Jungkook found a person who laughed without restriction and cried without shame. He found someone who loved him unconditionally, who found beauty in his flaws and wounds and scars. He found a heart that voluntarily opened at the seams so it could merge as one with his own heart; he found a soul that loudly and unabashedly called out for his own soul.

Jungkook found an angel by the name of Kim Taehyung.

And that angel became the epitome of his warmth and his light, the place where Jungkook was both sheltered and liberated all at once. Taehyung became the place where Jungkook finally felt comfortable in his own skin, the place where he loved and was loved in return.

Taehyung became Jungkook's home.

That innate, subconscious part of Jungkook probably knew Taehyung was his home for several weeks now. Each time the two were together, a glowing, almost liquid sense of security flowed through Jungkook's veins until he was content and at ease. He felt whole in a way he had never before experienced; he felt complete. And that sort of awareness made everything that was once impossible seem perfectly possible, so long as he had his love by his side.

And while Jungkook's entire being had inherently understood what Taehyung had become to him, he hadn't been able to put a name to it until today . . . Until just twenty minutes ago.

When Taehyung had finally removed the blindfold from his eyes - allowing him to take in Hoseok's bed and breakfast - Jungkook had been speechless. For some reason, the possibility of returning here had never crossed his mind. He had assumed that Taehyung would want to start over in a completely new place, that he would want to avoid anywhere that might remind him of the past.

But as Jungkook had scanned over their surroundings, it all had made sense to him. This lodge was living and breathing - was alive - with the memories he and Taehyung once created here. And coming back . . . Fuck, it had felt like a tribute to their shared past, one that wasn't necessarily painless or easy but still remarkable nonetheless. It had felt like a reminder of what they had been through, a celebration for what they had endured, and a promise for all that was to come.

It had felt so right.

Jungkook had been ready to call this place his and Taehyung's new home.

But when he had met Taehyung's gaze in that garden, the revelation hit him full force. There had been this drumming in his chest and a tingling down his spine and this new fullness in his heart. And as he had studied his boyfriend's face and had touched his body as reverently as possible, he had known. He had realized - just by standing there in his angel's arms, where they were safe and void of fears - that he had been home all along.

Kim Taehyung . . . his angel, his love, his other half, and his fucking world . . . had so easily become Jungkook's home without even trying.

It had felt like a dream then, and it still felt like a dream now. But this was all real.

This was Jungkook's and Taehyung's new life.

This was their future.

This was their forever.

They had just stepped inside the bed and breakfast for the first time since they met, with Jungkook balancing both his and Taehyung's bags over his shoulders. Despite the elder's genuine attempts to carry his own share of the luggage, Jungkook had swatted his hands away. He had claimed that he didn't want Taehyung to push himself too soon, but they both knew that wasn't the real reason.

No . . . The real reason was because Jungkook absolutely loved the feeling of Taehyung's eyes on him when he did anything remotely involving his muscles.

But when they reached the front desk moments ago - waiting for Hoseok or Jimin or someone to give them their room key - he finally dropped their bags to the floor. He had this intense need to scratch every part of his skin and to wipe at his suddenly runny nose and to -

"I think your eyes are watering," Taehyung said gently, his mouth arranging into a concerned frown as he drew back from the flower vase.

Jungkook hadn't even noticed the moisture pricking at his irritated eyes yet, but sure enough, a couple of tears were gathering at his lash line. But he ignored his discomfort as he directed all of his attention on one of those impressive arrangements. He meticulously sifted through the delicate roses, his fingers sliding over their silky-smooth petals, to find one that was open and fully blooming.

Once he discovered an orange blossom that also had fiery red tips - and thankfully void of thorns - he plucked it from the vase and presented it to Taehyung. "For you. A rose for a rose."

The elder's eyebrows flicked upwards as he stepped closer to Jungkook, an elegant hand wrapping around his waist to bring their bodies flush against each other. "What's this? Has my brat turned into a Casanova?"

Jungkook snapped off part of the stem, making it short enough to tuck behind Taehyung's ear. After placing the discarded bit on the desk, he carefully nestled the flower into the elder's thick locks. "I am not a Casanova."

"Are you saying you're not romantic? Because the whole flower behind the ear move . . ." Taehyung rested the hands on the small of Jungkook's back, rubbing soft and soothing circles over his shirt. He looked up through his lashes, a slight smile tugging at his lips, as he said, "I don't know, seems rather romantic to me."

"You and I both know I can be romantic," Jungkook defended, lifting his hands to cup the elder's face. "But I'm no Casanova. I'm pretty sure that dude had multiple lovers and was the textbook definition of a player. As for me, though . . . I have everything I'll ever need right here, right in the palms of my hands."

"Right in the palms of your hands, huh?" Taehyung asked through an airy laugh, shifting his head to place a lingering kiss against Jungkook's skin. The gesture was tender and warm, though the smooth drag of his lips veered a little towards the suggestive side.

Jungkook's heartbeat kicked up a notch, his body so easily affected by the simplest of touches from his boyfriend. Seriously, he'd probably never get used to the feel of his angel beneath his fingertips. But - to be fair - he didn't want to get used to that feeling. He wanted each time he touched or was touched by Taehyung to feel new and uncharted and exciting.

Something told Jungkook it would always be that way.

With a gentle and almost entranced grip, he tilted Taehyung's face back towards his own. And, speaking with all of the love he possessed for this single man, he said in a solemn voice, "You're it for me, Tae. There will never be anyone else."

Taehyung's eyes shone brightly as he stepped even closer, close enough so their mouths were just millimeters apart. The remnants of his laughter quickly wore off, replaced by a more serious tone. "In all of my life, I never . . . I never believed I would have something like this. I never believed I'd find a love like this. But this is real. And you . . . You're the most important person to me. Now and always."

A hum rumbled deep in Jungkook's throat as he lifted his chin, the tiny movement all but eliminating that last bit of space between their mouths. Pressing his lips fully against his angel's, he whispered, "Always."

And then he stopped talking.

The world faded away until there was nothing but Jungkook and Taehyung; there was nothing but the delicate slide of lips over lips and the thunderous beating of heart against heart. And while neither attempted to deepen their kisses or tighten their hands on the other's body, there was an underlying assurance - an electric current, really - of more to come.

Soon. They just needed someone - anyone - to give them their room key.

After placing a series of light, lingering kisses against Jungkook's lower lip, Taehyung drew back with a satisfied sigh. "I love you and your mouth."

"I would demonstrate just how much my mouth loves you, but I think we'll need some privacy for that. Hoseok probably wouldn't appreciate it if I went down on you in the middle of his lobby."

Jungkook watched as Taehyung's eyes grew a shade darker at that declaration, almost fully dilating as he sucked in a sharp breath. The sound pulled Jungkook's gaze to the elder's lips, which were marginally spit-slicked and swollen from their kissing. Fuck, they were practically begging to be claimed again, to be bitten on and cherished and licked.

Just as Jungkook was about to act on that temptation, a new voice - Jimin's - broke the moment. "Hoseok is a bit preoccupied with the Chief at the moment, so I doubt he'd complain. But I would, so none of that out in the open, yeah? We're keeping you in the honeymoon suite for a reason."

Jungkook lowered his hands from Taehyung's face to his waist, turning towards their friend as he strode up to the front desk. Jimin rounded the ornate piece of furniture and immediately began shuffling through its contents. He appeared to be searching for a key.

Thank fuck.

And even though Jungkook's cheeks heated from being overheard, he pushed down his embarrassment. In all honesty, he wasn't remotely interested in public sex. And that wasn't because he was against exhibitionism or anything, no. It was because he was possessive. Only his eyes could see Taehyung in all his naked, magnificent glory. Only his ears could hear the erotic noises his angel was inclined to make. So unless he was a thousand percent positive that no one else was around, he would keep his lovemaking with Taehyung behind closed doors.

But before Jungkook could assure Jimin that there'd be no fucking in the lobby, another tickle started at the back of his nose. He preemptively stepped out from Taehyung's arms, turning away as he sneezed. And sneezed. And sneezed.

"What's with him?" Jimin asked Taehyung, still scouring through the desk's multiple drawers.

"He's allergic to the flowers," Taehyung replied, burrowing his face into the arrangement of roses and sniffing deeply.

Jungkook wiped at his itchy, watery eyes as he shot Jimin an accusatory glare. "This was all you, wasn't it?"

Jimin rolled his eyes as he dove into an explanation, describing how the garden's landscaping was a total mess when he and Hoseok returned from Seoul. It had taken days for him to revive most of the bushes and plants, but some - namely the flowers that were towards the end of their seasons - were past saving. The few rainstorms Busan had gotten weren't enough to combat the harsh August sun.

"And anyway," Jimin continued, grinning widely as he located the correct room key, "it's always been a dream of mine to fill the lobby with flowers like this. So when I had to cut back some of the blooms, I figured there was no time like the present to make that dream a reality. And I was even able to put fresh arrangements in most of the bedrooms!"

"Should Kookie and I expect flowers all over our bed, then?" Taehyung asked as his lips spread into a bright, blinding smile. He reached up to Jungkook's face, thumbing away the moisture under his eyes. "If so, I'm not sure if sweetheart could handle that."

"It's not called the honeymoon suite for nothing," Jimin said by way of confirmation, an amused gleam shining behind his eyes. "But don't worry, I only put rose petals in your room. Fits the vibe and they're virtually allergen-free."

The vibe. Oh, Jungkook knew exactly what vibe his friend was referencing. And as he pictured it all in his head - envisioning a naked Taehyung sprawled out on a bed of roses and imagining the luxurious glide of petals under their bare bodies - another wave of heat crashed through his veins. Damn, that was a vision he wanted to bring to life now.

But while his mind was busy thinking about one very specific sort of release, his body went ahead and acted on another.

To no one's surprise, he sneezed again.

With a wry look coloring his features, Taehyung hooked an arm around Jungkook's waist to pull him back into his personal bubble. Once they were hip to hip, he lowered his voice and said, "You know, scientific studies show that sneezing is often linked to arousal. So tell me, sweetheart. Are you really sneezing because of the flowers? Or is it because you're thinking about what we're going to do once I get you into bed?"

Had his thoughts been that obvious?

"It's definitely both," Jungkook admitted, an intoxicating swell of desire thickening his voice. He had the powerful urge to toss Taehyung over his shoulder and march upstairs, though knew that would be impulsive. Besides, he could wait five more minutes. He could practice self-restraint.

Right?

Thankfully, the answer to that rhetorical question wasn't necessary since Jimin handed over the key to Jungkook. "Alright, you two should be good to go. And you're welcome in advance, by the way. I did something real nice for you guys."

"Oh, god. Why does that sound dangerous?" Taehyung chuckled deeply as he slipped a hand into the back pocket of Jungkook's pants. "For all I know, we could be thanking you for putting something like ropes and handcuffs in our room."

A gasp pushed through Jungkook's lips as he considered that possibility. "Please tell me that's what you did, Jimin. You'd be the greatest friend ever."

"If anything, that would be more of a gift from Hoseok than me," Jimin tutted, sounding like they should have known better. "But no, I spoiled you guys by setting up your room with the full honeymoon treatment. Roses, candles, bubble baths, and our fluffiest bathrobes. So, like I said, you're welcome."

Jungkook twirled the key between his fingers, head cocking to the side as he thought back a couple of months. "We didn't get the honeymoon treatment the first time we stayed here."

Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.

Jimin's eyebrows nearly shot up into his hairline as he fixed Jungkook with an incredulous look. "Yeah, well, Hoseok and I weren't exactly expecting you to show up. If we had known you were fleeing attackers with your bodyguard, who wasn't really your bodyguard but an heir disguising as his own bodyguard and also pretending to be your boyfriend even though you were pretending to be him, we definitely would have given you the honeymoon treatment."

"Alright, alright. Point taken," Jungkook relented quickly, his lips twitching upward at that very accurate description of the stunt he and Taehyung had pulled. "Thank you for setting up our room, Jimin. And thank you for helping us with the key. We'll catch up with you later. Or tomorrow. Or at least by the end of the week. I have a feeling Taehyungie and I are going to be quite busy these next few days."

Jimin waved them off with a groan, claiming he had no interest in hearing about Jungkook's and Taehyung's impending sexcapades. So the two youngest boys took that as their cue to head upstairs, thanking their friend one final time before racing up to the second floor.

And as they hurried along - or hurried as fast as Jungkook could manage with their luggage thrown over his shoulders - they laughed loudly and freely. Neither had offered up any jokes or funny dialogue, but they acted like smiling and giggling fools nonetheless. They were just so giddy with excitement, high on life, and overflowing with love.

This was their new normal.

As they reached a familiar-looking door at the end of the hallway, Jungkook's labored breathing began to slow as a sense of déjà vu overtook his system. It was like an out-of-body experience, a mystical pull towards the past. And all at once, several memories flooded his mind and transported him back to a very different time.

He heard the biting remarks he and Taehyung once threw at each other in this very lodge, those heated arguments fueled by a raging sexual tension and numerous hidden truths. He relived the absolute shock of learning who Taehyung really was and felt the blinding panic of that moment. He recalled the complete devastation of having to say goodbye to his beautiful angel, of having to indefinitely part without any guarantee of a reunion.

And then he remembered the tentative affection they showed each other, the hushed promises of devotion and support. He remembered his eagerness and longing to put Taehyung's needs above his own. He remembered that secret place in his heart beginning to call out angel, angel, angel.

Fuck, they had changed so much since they met each other. They had changed so much because of each other. And for that, Jungkook felt immensely grateful; he felt incredibly lucky for becoming the person he was today.

And maybe this - this happiness and joy and love - was written in the stars for him and Taehyung all along.

Maybe this was their destiny from the very beginning.

"Kook?"

The sound of Taehyung's voice pulled Jungkook back to the present moment, where he blinked rapidly to clear his eyes from his daze. He realized he was frozen in front of their door, bags still slung over his body and key gripped firmly in his hand.

"Hi," he said sheepishly, dropping their luggage to the floor and stretching out his muscles. He turned towards Taehyung and found a twinkle of mischief lighting up his gaze.

"Hi, yourself," the elder said, nudging his shoulder against Jungkook's. "You spaced out on me for a little there. Were you admiring the craftsmanship of the door? Or debating if you should break it down with your bare hands in a show of strength? Or maybe - hey!"

In an instant, Jungkook had slid an arm under the elder's knees and lifted him bridal style. He winked at his boyfriend and said, "Or maybe I was thinking of carrying you over the threshold like a true gentleman, then tossing you into bed and ravishing you."

Taehyung looped his arms around Jungkook's neck, his fingers immediately tangling with the hair at his nape. "Oh. Yes, please. I vote for that option."

"I do, too," Jungkook chuckled, readjusting his grip so the key didn't dig into Taehyung's legs. "And we can definitely carry out that plan, but it wasn't actually what I was thinking about."

"I figured," his boyfriend murmured, the raspy depth of his tone so effortlessly comforting. He didn't say anything additional, silently giving Jungkook the choice of either elaborating or moving on from the subject entirely.

Jungkook obviously chose the former. "It's just . . . surreal. The last time you and I were in this room, I thought I was losing you. I thought that was the end for us. So to be back . . . It's all so surreal."

"It's a lot to take in, huh?" Taehyung agreed, using a tender touch to card through the rest of Jungkook's hair.

"Yeah," Jungkook nodded, "but it's a good feeling. It's like we've beaten all odds. Like we've won. And I'm just so happy, Tae. I'm really fucking happy."

"I am, too, sweetheart. I am, too."

With that, Jungkook shimmied his hand up high enough for Taehyung to grab the key. The positioning was a bit awkward, though the elder managed to take hold of it after shifting around a bit. And then - with a dramatic wiggling of his eyebrows, no less - Taehyung unlocked then pushed open the door.

It was like stepping into a dream.

Jungkook gasped as he carried Taehyung inside, taking in a room that somehow felt both familiar and new. Everything was the same, from the balcony's grandiose double doors to the window's sheer curtains that failed to block out the brilliant sunlight. But there was something different. Something more. And it had nothing to do with the dozens of red rose petals scattered over the canopy bed.

It was the fact that this room - this bright and inviting room - now belonged to Jungkook and Taehyung. It was theirs. This was where they would do whatever they wanted without fearing repercussions; they would be who they were meant to be without fear of judgment. And this was where Jungkook could fall asleep beside Taehyung and not worry about the morning tearing them apart; this was where Jungkook would wake up each day knowing that he was wanted and loved.

As he gently lowered the elder to his feet, Jungkook also noted something that definitely wasn't here a couple of months back. His lips pursed together as he mumbled, "Is that my . . .?"

"Oh, yeah. There's one other thing I haven't told you yet," Taehyung said, tone filled with awe as he soaked in their room.

"Is this another surprise?" Jungkook asked, eyes glued to the picture hung up on the wall. It was one of his photographs from his old house in Busan, the one of the tree-lined lake.

"I had Jimin and Hoseok pack up your room a couple of days ago," Taehyung started, thumb jerking backward to point at a walk-in closet. "They took everything. Your cameras, boxing equipment, clothes . . . all of it. I just . . . I wanted you to have everything you'd need here without going back to that place."

"Tae," Jungkook breathed, his voice coming out much softer than intended. "You really did that for me?"

Taehyung's tongue darted out to swipe at his lips, leaving a shiny path behind as he shrugged his shoulders. "I know I probably should've asked you first. I doubt you would have brought everything with you but -"

"Angel. You are a literal angel, Kim Taehyung," Jungkook cut him off, swiftly falling back into his embrace. He burrowed his face into his boyfriend's neck, eyes drooping shut as he held on with all of his strength. "I don't care that you didn't ask. What you did . . . Fuck, I love you so much."

Quite frankly, Jungkook never thought he'd return to his old house. The prospect of seeing his father was unappealing, to put it nicely, and he would have given up all of his belongings if it meant never seeing that despicable man again. And yeah, sure, it would have sucked to let go some of his most prized possessions, but they didn't matter as much as they once did.

Jungkook was honest earlier when he said he had everything he needed right here with him.

"And I love you so much. God," Taehyung giggled against Jungkook's hair, one of his hands knotting in the now-longer strands, "who would've thought that two boys lying about their identities could fall in love and end up here? How did we get so lucky?"

"I have no clue," Jungkook laughed along with him, practically purring at the feel of Taehyung's nails dragging along his scalp. "But I'm not going to question it. For once, I'm okay with not knowing everything."

"Hm, is that so?" Taehyung replied, a teasing lilt lightening his tone.

"Yup."

"You no longer feel the need to know it all?"

Jungkook could barely concentrate - the elder's other hand started to trail down his back - but he still managed to hum out, "Nope."

"I see. So I guess that means you don't want to know what I'm going to do with you in that bed, huh?"

Jungkook's lips slid over Taehyung's skin as he inhaled sharply. "Hey, I said I was okay with not knowing everything. That means I still want to know some things, like how many more minutes it'll be until I can rip those clothes off of you, for example."

Taehyung's hand drifted lower, following the curve of Jungkook's spine until it rested just above his tailbone. "There will be no ripping of my clothing, thank you very much. We have all the time in the world now, remember? And since that's the case, you can undress me slowly. You can gradually press me deeper and deeper into the mattress. And then you can very thoroughly demonstrate just how much your mouth loves me."

While Jungkook's core tightened in anticipation - and his mind got carried away with imagining the scenario the elder described - a sense of contentment settled in his heart. Taehyung was right . . . They had all the time in the world right now. There was no more countdown to their separation, no unforeseen force trying to rip their world to shreds. They no longer had to be so vigilant; they could get lost in the other's body without worrying about a surprise attack.

The only thing they had to focus on was each other.

So Jungkook left a tiny peck at the base of his boyfriend's throat and corrected, "I'm going to show you how much I love you. And I'll show you using my mouth . . ."

He planted another kiss on top of Taehyung's Adam's apple.

". . . my hands . . ."

Jungkook slid his palms down Taehyung's sides.

" . . . my body . . ."

After setting his hands on the elder's hips, he pulled him closer so each and every part of them were aligned.

" . . . and by my words . . ."

Jungkook dragged his lips up and over Taehyung's jaw, not pausing until he hovered just a breath of space above his mouth.

". . . and through my actions."

He eliminated the distance between their mouths, kissing his boyfriend with the faintest of pressure. The gesture was both languid and gentle, with no underlying hint of urgency guiding his movements. There was no need to rush or hurry through the motions. This was meant to be enjoyed at a relaxed pace.

After a few more leisurely moments of appreciating the subtle brush of skin against skin, Jungkook leaned his forehead against Taehyung's. "I'm going to work hard so you never question how much I love you, Tae. Whether we're just talking or holding hands, or even fighting or making love . . . Each day of my life, I'm going to show you what you mean to me. I promise."

"And I promise to do the same, Kook," the elder whispered in return. "I will do anything and everything for you. For us."

"Just . . . Not anything, okay? No jumping in front of any more bullets for me."

Taehyung let out a startled laugh. "Are you expecting to get shot at anytime soon?"

"Come on, Taehyungie. It's us," Jungkook laughed along with him, drawing back so they were eye to eye. "We attract trouble like magnets."

"Well, I survived one bullet. I bet I could do it again," Taehyung responded, fixing an overconfident grin on his face.

"You're not Iron Man, angel. I don't think things work that way. So you need to swear -"

"I swear not to jump in front of any more bullets for you," the elder rushed to say, his smile somehow growing even wider. "In fact, I'll push you in front of me -"

"That's it. Into bed you go," Jungkook said as he started nudging his boyfriend towards their rose-covered mattress. "I think someone deserves to get spanked for that comment."

Taehyung gracefully dislodged himself from Jungkook's arms, more giggles pouring from his mouth as he headed to the balcony. "Oh, no. Spanking. The horror!"

"Kim Taehyung, get back here!"

Flinging open the doors to the balcony, Taehyung pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. "I'm going to call my dad and let him know we arrived without issue. Be a sweetheart and bring our bags in for me, yeah?"

Jungkook stood alone in the center of the room, mouth gaping and eyes nearly bulging. "But . . . but -"

"Go get the bags, Kookie. And get ready. Because once I come back inside . . ." The elder trailed off as he laughed under his breath. "Well, you'll see."

Jungkook didn't have to think twice to know what that meant.

So as soon as Taehyung shut the doors to the balcony behind him, Jungkook launched into action. He fetched the luggage from the hallway, making speedy work of bringing in their bags and setting them off to the side. They would have to unpack and reorganize their belongings - and sift through all of Jungkook's old possessions as well - though that would be a project for later. As for now, the most important task was just getting everything out of the way.

Once that was complete, Jungkook padded into the ensuite bathroom to get ready as Taehyung had suggested. He quickly shucked off his clothing and found a face cloth, lathering it up with soap to perform some necessary preparations. Even though he had taken a shower earlier in the morning - half for normal hygienic reasons, half for other reasons - he figured it didn't hurt to freshen up. He wanted each and every part of him to be prepared for what Taehyung had in store.

Whatever that might be.

After wiping down his skin and lathering his body with a vanilla-scented moisturizer, Jungkook finished up in the bathroom and returned to the main part of their room. He left his clothing behind, having zero motivation to wiggle back into his skinny jeans or don his slightly sweaty shirt. Plus, Taehyung might be more inclined to wrap up his call with Chinhwa if he saw what was waiting for him.

Of course, Jungkook didn't get that lucky. His boyfriend had his back to the bedroom, his elbows perched on the balcony as he looked into the gardens. And while he didn't talk loud enough for his words to be distinguishable, Taehyung tossed his head back every couple of moments and let out these beautiful, carefree laughs. He looked and sounded so incredibly happy.

Jungkook couldn't fight the smile tugging at his lips, so he stood there butt naked, grinning like an idiot. But that was okay. He wasn't self-conscious whatsoever, not about his level of nudity and most definitely not about his overwhelming happiness. He deserved all of this.

Both he and Taehyung did.

And Jungkook couldn't wait to dedicate the rest of his days to working hard for himself, for Taehyung, and for their relationship. He was going to do everything within his power to ensure they always felt this way, to build a life full of contentment, bliss, and love. And love. Fuck, Jungkook was going to shower his angel with an unending amount of love. Outside of constantly showing affection and being the best listener possible, he'd pick even the most allergy-inducing flowers for Taehyung and write him letters and -

Oh.

Right.

Jungkook practically ran over to his bag, suddenly conscious of his dwindling alone time and the crucial need to move quickly. He had to get this done before Taehyung came back inside; he had to hide Chinhwa's gift before Taehyung decided to snoop.

He needed to find a safe place to store the bundle of letters from Taehyung's mom.

Earlier in the day - when they were all back in Seoul - Jungkook hadn't had the chance to thoroughly investigate Chinhwa's mysterious offering. He had been too paranoid that Taehyung would pop up over his shoulder and immediately spoil the would-be surprise. So Jungkook had hastily shoved aside his belongings, creating a more discrete space to conceal the items.

During those efforts, however, he had realized that Chinhwa's gift was a stack of letters. Dozens and dozens of letters. Jungkook had seen a few dates on the yellowed paper - all had been written over three years ago - and they were all addressed to Taehyung. And, maybe most importantly, they all sported the same signature at the bottom.

They all linked back to Haneul.

Jungkook couldn't fathom why Chinhwa wanted to keep these from Taehyung for the time being, but there had to be some clue. So the next time he was alone, he would read through all of the letters in an attempt to better understand. He would figure out what exactly Chinhwa wanted to withhold from his son and would hopefully comprehend that cryptic message of waiting until both he and Taehyung were ready.

Because what if they were ready now? What if this entire matter was time-sensitive and Jungkook was already screwing it all up?

Well, Jungkook was fairly positive he wouldn't get answers to those questions today. There was little he could do when Taehyung was bound to come back inside at any moment. So, for now, the best option he had was to hide the letters and wait for a future opportunity to read them.

Determining the closet would have the most readily available hiding places, Jungkook stepped into a pair of basketball shorts and slipped a clean t-shirt over his head. Yeah, he figured those would come right off soon enough, but he'd feel a bit odd acting all elusive and stealthy while completely naked. So once he was appropriately dressed - and once he confirmed Taehyung was still distracted on the phone - he stuffed the letters under his shirt and hurried for the closet.

And fuck, it was an absolute warzone there. Bags of clothes, boxes of camera equipment, and crates upon crates of random objects littered the confined space. There was barely any room to walk, let alone find anything Jungkook would potentially need. But for now, the cluttered mess suited his purposes perfectly.

After rummaging through a small collection of Bluetooth speakers and an assortment of art supplies, Jungkook found a couple of hefty shoe boxes. Two pairs of shiny black combat boots, unworn and pristine, sat in their original packaging with the protective wrapping still in place. Namjoon had gotten him both pairs, though Jungkook had never had the chance to wear them.

Maybe he would finally have that opportunity now.

Removing one pair of boots from its box and setting it to the side, he went to withdraw the letters from their hiding place under his shirt. Of course, that endeavor went to shit, and he ended up dropping nearly half of the stack on the floor. He rushed to tidy up the bundle and move them to their new home - being extra careful not to crinkle the papers any more than he just did - when something caught his eye.

There was one sealed envelope in the mix, both with today's date and Jungkook's name written on the front.

Jungkook's heart thumped in his chest as he picked it up from the floor, his mind racing with ideas and speculations and questions. This had to be from Chinhwa. This had to be the clue he was searching for, the instructions for when he was supposed to give these letters to Taehyung. With trembling hands, he tightened his grip on the thick envelope and felt something small and circular and solid -

The doors to the balcony opened with a soft click before closing with an unmistakable bang.

Taehyung was back inside.

Jungkook scrambled to get the envelope and the rest of Haneul's letters into the box, the prospect of getting caught urging him to move, move, move. He somehow managed to tuck everything away within seconds, shoving the box underneath a winter jacket before crawling out of the space. And to Jungkook's eternal gratitude, the door to the bathroom was closed; he wouldn't have to make up a silly lie about what he was doing in the closet.

With his heart still thrashing against his ribcage, Jungkook collapsed onto the bed and let out a long stream of air from his mouth. He obviously had had more nerve-wracking experiences in the past, but even still, a decent amount of adrenaline flowed through his system. So he quietly stared up at the beam-lined ceiling, waiting to catch his breath and waiting for Taehyung to return to him. And, as expected, visions of his angel immediately filled his mind.

Taehyung coming out of the bathroom and joining him in bed . . .

The room filling with the sounds of their unrestrained pleasure . . .

The sheets wrinkling and the rose petals sticking to their skin and the heat thickening the air . . .

Fuck, those thoughts did little to soothe Jungkook's erratic breathing. If anything, he started to pant more heavily than before. But he couldn't quite blame himself. It had been so long since he and Taehyung had all of this undisturbed time together, since they fully engaged in physical intimacy. The two or three instances where they had quickly gotten each other off during these last few weeks were nice - hell, they were more than nice - but it wasn't what Jungkook craved.

Jungkook craved Taehyung in the most vulnerable, raw, and primal of ways. He longed for union and connection; he yearned to join their minds, hearts, bodies, and souls through an act deeply rooted in their love. And he wanted to create a moment that was just him and his angel, that was just Jungkook and Taehyung feeling each other in a way no one else besides them would ever feel.

Though as much as he burned for that physical intimacy, he couldn't deny that he and Taehyung had been intimate these last several weeks. They had just leveraged different forms of intimacy, forms that many people didn't immediately consider.

By sharing their thoughts, revealing their feelings, and offering unconditional support, they were emotionally intimate. They opened up about their still-healing wounds and exposed their lingering pain. They worked to understand the other; they trusted each other. And in Jungkook's opinion, that solidified their relationship in ways sleeping together never could.

And there were other new intimacies as well. There was intellectual intimacy, which they practiced while having back-and-forth discussions on current world events. There was creative intimacy, something they discovered while singing karaoke together. And there was even spiritual intimacy, an intimacy they explored while disclosing their overarching values and beliefs.

So while they hadn't made love since that last night in the bunker, Jungkook and Taehyung were more intimate than ever. They proved that their relationship was more than just sex, that their physicality was an aspect of their bond but not the driving force. And although Jungkook never doubted whether their partnership could sustain in this new, danger-free world, it was reassuring to know that they loved each other for more than just their bodies.

Fuck. How did Jungkook manage to get so philosophical while literally imagining Taehyung's bare skin pressed against his own?

With a small laugh to bring himself back to the present moment, he rolled onto his side and reached for the nightstand. As he had hoped, the top drawer was fully stocked with everything he and Taehyung might need for their imminent coupling.

"Thank you, Hoseok," Jungkook sing-songed through a smile, withdrawing a bottle of lube and tossing it onto one of the pillows. Before he could scavenge through the other drawers to see if there were any additional surprises, a deep and tender voice pierced the air.

"Sweetheart."

Jungkook whipped his head towards the bathroom, his eyes immediately meeting Taehyung's. His breath caught in his throat as he scanned over his boyfriend's body, finding him in one of those fluffy bathrobes Jimin had promised. And even though he was covered from his shoulders all the way down to his calves, he was absolutely stunning. Perfect. Adorable and sexy and beautiful.

But Taehyung's allure had nothing to do with his physical appearance, with his flawlessly crafted and ethereal features. No . . . It had everything to do with the expression on his face, an expression created for and directed at Jungkook.

It was a look of desire.

A look of fire.

A look of love.

Jungkook allowed himself to further fall under the elder's spell, to lose every conscious thought in his mind as he blossomed and bloomed under that singular look. He barely noticed the tips of Taehyung's hair curling from the weight of water, almost like he had carelessly washed his face without pushing back the long strands. He nearly missed the dewy sheen of lotion on every visible part of his skin, making him appear glowy and radiant. And he only just observed the rosy tint to Taehyung's lips, like he had recently applied a cherry-flavored chapstick.

"Angel." With the sudden heaviness to his tongue, Jungkook wasn't sure if he actually said that aloud or not.

Taehyung's lips spread into a small smile as he advanced towards the bed, his gaze retaining its intensity. "It's so soft."

Jungkook blinked, his mind too distracted by everything Taehyung to process what that meant. "What?"

"The robe," Taehyung clarified, running a hand over one of his sleeves with an appreciative touch. He came up to the edge of the bed, closer than before but still out of reach. "I can understand why Jimin thought of this as a gift. I'd wear this for the rest of my life if it were socially acceptable."

Jungkook couldn't stand the distance - not now - so he wasted no time in scrambling to the end of the mattress. He rose on his knees, finding himself eye to eye with his boyfriend. "Let me feel."

The elder didn't move. "What's that, sweetheart? What do you want to feel?"

"You," Jungkook answered without thinking, not even realizing what he said until he heard Taehyung's resulting chuckle. A faint wash of warmth flooded his cheeks as he corrected, "I meant your robe."

"Right. Go ahead."

Jungkook didn't wait for any further confirmation. He brought his hands to Taehyung's chest, flattening his palms over the velvety material of the robe. And yeah, okay, the bathrobe was soft and fluffy and probably felt like heaven to wear. Though both boys knew Jungkook didn't really care about the texture of the plush fabric. No, he would much rather see the robe on the floor than on Taehyung's lithe body.

But for now, Jungkook preoccupied himself with running his hands all over Taehyung's upper half. He luxuriated in the firmness of the elder's chest beneath his palms, reveled in the broadness of his shoulders, and appreciated the gentle swell of his biceps. And when his fingertips grazed the belt keeping the robe closed, Jungkook flicked his eyes back up to Taehyung's face.

"Feels nice," he murmured, his voice coming out low and a bit rough around the edges. He dipped his fingers under the robe's belt, not enough to dislodge it but just enough to hold on with a sure grip.

Taehyung's own voice had taken on a husky quality as he said, "I bet it would feel even better against your bare skin."

At this point, Jungkook had absolutely zero clue if they were still talking about the bathrobe or not. He didn't think they were, though the lustful fog clouding his mind could be altering his sense of perception. So he just nodded like the lovestruck fool he was, unable to snap out of his daze.

"Do you want to feel it against your bare skin, sweetheart?" Taehyung breathed, lifting his hands to brush along Jungkook's forearms. "Is that what you want?"

If Taehyung meant he was about to drop his robe and climb on top of him - naked, of course - then hell yeah, that was what Jungkook wanted. So he whispered, "Please."

"Alright." The elder dipped his chin, though the dark and intense glimmer in his eyes slowly gave way to amusement. "There's a second robe for you in the bathroom. I'll go get it now!"

Jungkook snapped out of his trance in an instant, springing forward before the elder could even retreat one step. He secured his grip on the robe's belt, fingers sinking into the fabric and pulling hard. The momentum caused him to fall onto the bed, where he landed flat on his back with his limbs splayed. Taehyung, however, didn't make it quite as far. No, his feet were still planted on the ground while his torso was draped over Jungkook's shins.

"You were supposed to fall on top of me," Jungkook pouted, tugging at the elder's shoulders so he would crawl up and settle between his spread legs. "That's what happens in the movies, at least."

Taehyung clambered up the bed, planting his hands on either side of Jungkook's head and hovering over his body. Thanks to all of the activity, his robe slipped open under his collarbones and parted by his knees, revealing the honey-colored skin beneath. "My sweetheart is a little impatient, huh?"

"I'm not impatient. You're just a tease," Jungkook defended as he took hold of the elder's hips, squeezing him through the material of the robe.

"Maybe," Taehyung agreed with a giggle, his hair flopping into his eyes as he looked down at Jungkook. "But it's so much fun to rile you up. I like pushing you until you can't take it anymore, until you snap."

Those words released a kaleidoscope of butterflies deep in Jungkook's stomach. He instinctively knew there was a second meaning. "Oh?"

Taehyung's tongue poked out of his mouth, sweeping over his lips and leaving behind a glossy sheen. "Do you remember what we talked about the last time we made love? What we said we would try next time?"

Jungkook's mouth went dry, the butterflies turning into a liquid desire as he recalled that brief discussion. Of course, he didn't forget. Fuck, how could he?

"Yes," he let out. "I remember."

"Tell me."

Jungkook didn't feel an ounce of embarrassment as he said, "We said we'd try orgasm control."

Taehyung hummed in acknowledgment, slowly lowering onto his elbows and tangling his legs with Jungkook's. Each movement he made was impossibly controlled and deliberate, clearly illustrating that he was in no rush at all. "Is that something that still interests you? Be honest."

"Tae . . . Hold on. Lie down with me," Jungkook lightly suggested, trying to roll them both onto their sides. "I can't think clearly when you're on top of me like this."

The elder eased off of Jungkook, propping up on his elbow with barely a lick of space between their bodies. And - never one to go too long without contact - he immediately set his hand on the curve of Jungkook's waist. "Better?"

"Much," Jungkook smiled, planting a kiss against his boyfriend's forehead before drawing back a bit. "Now, to answer your question, yes. I . . . I won't lie. I've fantasized about you edging me a lot. We kind of did that the first time you were inside of me and . . . Fuck. There was something really, really hot about asking for your permission to come and hearing you say no."

"I liked denying you then," Taehyung admitted, his fingers tracing over the slight flare of Jungkook's hips to graze along the swell of his ass. "I liked knowing that you relied on me to make you feel good, that you trusted me to take care of you that way. It really turned me on."

"Those are the same reasons why I loved tying you up. It was because of the mental and emotional aspects," Jungkook said, gasping when a finger started to dip below his tailbone. "And having you deny and edge me obviously play into everything, but it's also more. It's . . . It's like a war between my body and mind, if that makes sense."

The elder's fingertips casually ran between Jungkook's ass, pressing down on one very specific area before continuing with their exploration. "I think I get it, but I still want you to explain. I like hearing you talk about this stuff."

Jungkook bit down on his lip, resisting the urge to moan out and grind his hips into the touch. "And I like talking about it with you, even if you make it difficult to focus."

"Sorry."

"No, you're not," Jungkook replied, sighing with relief when his boyfriend's hand stilled on the back of his thigh. "But anyway, the reason why I'm so drawn to edging . . . Technically, I could come if I wanted. My body would be ready. All I would have to do is let go."

"But you wouldn't," Taehyung guessed correctly.

"I wouldn't. Just as you would deny me, I would deny myself. And when you'd stop me from coming, I'd stop myself from coming, too. Yeah, part of it is because I trust you to make me feel good. But the other part is because of that struggle to . . . to remain good for you and to listen to you . . . Fuck, Tae. That's the part that drives me absolutely wild."

A deep, predatory groan rumbled in Taehyung's throat at that admission. "You want to be a good boy for me."

And without hesitation, Jungkook said, "Yes."

"Fuck, you're perfect." The elder slid his hand under the hem of Jungkook's shorts, massaging his bare thigh with an expert technique. It wasn't entirely evident whether that gesture was meant to be arousing or comforting. "I had a feeling, you know. I had a feeling that you would want us to try this. But I didn't just want to jump into it without talking first. I needed to make sure we were on the same page, to come up with a safe word or something."

"One, talking about all of this with you is really fucking sexy," Jungkook revealed, eyes threatening to flutter shut when Taehyung's hand slid even higher. "And two, we can use Jungkook's dick is massive for our safe word and -"

Taehyung lunged forward, swallowing the rest of his words with a demanding kiss. His lips were unrelenting as they slotted with Jungkook's, pushing and pulling with a hungry desperation that hinted at how worked up their conversation had made him. And his hand . . . Fuck, Taehyung's hot and insistent hand kept gliding up Jungkook's thigh, purposely moving higher and higher.

But right before the elder could come in contact with Jungkook's uncovered length, Jungkook clamped a hand around his wrist. He shifted his mouth so he could suck in some much-needed air and said, "Angel, wait. There's one last thing I want to ask you."

Taehyung's nails scratched at the sensitive flesh of Jungkook's inner thigh, the touch more ticklish than painful. "If it's about our actual safe word, let's use the color system, okay? Green for good, yellow for slow down, red for stop."

"Not as good as my suggestion, but that works," Jungkook huffed as he squeezed his boyfriend's wrist. "And I was going to ask you something else, actually."

"Your suggestion was a mouthful," the elder argued before saying, "But go ahead. I'm listening."

Jungkook flattened his palm over the back of Taehyung's hand, guiding them lower down his leg. It wasn't that he didn't want that particular touch - fuck, he did - but he still wanted to retain his clarity for a couple of moments longer. "I know the whole edging thing is going to require a lot of our energy and focus. And by the sound of it, it'll be something we both enjoy. But was there anything else you wanted to try? If there is, I want you to tell me. I want to know."

Taehyung hummed in consideration, tilting his head deeper into the pillows and exposing his tan, unmarked neck. Well, unmarked for now. "Honestly? Edging you has been a fantasy of mine for a while. And I'm really going to enjoy that. Maybe too much."

"Oh, yeah?" Jungkook chuckled, snuggling closer so he could press his lips to the elder's jaw. He gently nipped at the freshly-shaven skin before soothing over the area with his tongue.

"Yeah. But . . ."

"But . . .?"

Taehyung angled his head so Jungkook had more room to work with. "I was going to edge you until you couldn't take it any longer. But maybe . . . Maybe I'll edge you until I can't take it any longer."

Oh, fuck. "Are you saying you're going to edge me for six hours?"

Taehyung let out one of his stunning, easy-going laughs that Jungkook loved so much. With a blinding smile lighting up his face, he said, "I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but I don't literally have a six-hour stamina. I think my dick would fall off if I tried to last for that long."

"Good," Jungkook laughed with him, half in amusement and half in relief. Without a doubt - no question about it - he would cry like an absolute baby if he couldn't come for six fucking hours. "So if you weren't thinking of fucking me for hours on end, what did you have in mind? Does it have something to do with edging yourself, too?"

"I actually had a different kind of torture in mind. I . . . I've always wondered if I could come more than once."

Jungkook met Taehyung's eyes, finding an insatiable need darkening his already smoldering gaze. "You want to do the reverse of edging. You want me to overstimulate you."

"Yeah."

"Holy fuck," Jungkook let out, every muscle in his body clenching. "When did we get this kinky?"

"I think we always had it in us," Taehyung said, tongue lazily sweeping over his lips like he was imagining everything in his head. "But before, we never had the time, safety, or the privacy to explore this side of our sex life. Though now . . . Now we do. And plus, we know each other even better than we did six weeks ago. We're more comfortable being open about this stuff."

"We are, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Taehyung nodded, adjusting his hand so his and Jungkook's fingers intertwined. "I trust you, Kook. I feel safe with you. And above all else, I love you. I love you so, so much."

Jungkook brought their joined hands to his mouth, placing tender kisses on each one of the elder's fingers. He took his time running his lips over the smooth skin, utterly amazed that this beautiful man - this kind, generous, and selfless person - was his. Taehyung was his entire future. His heart and his joy and his saving grace.

Taehyung was his angel.

His forever bodyguard.

His other half.

"I love you more than you even know, Kim Taehyung. More than anything, more than I can even begin to say. So let me show you. Let me show you now."

Jungkook rolled on top of Taehyung in one fluid motion, straddling the elder's hips and planting his hands on either side of his head. He drew out his descent, keeping his eyes locked on those pink and inviting lips that were waiting to be claimed. And when he was just a few centimeters away from kissing the love of his life, when Taehyung's arms wrapped around his neck and began to pull him down, a very random thought - no, an otherworldly awareness - crossed his mind.

The object in that envelope . . .

Jungkook knew what it was.

That realization pulled a strangled cry from his throat, but the sound was drowned out by Taehyung's appreciative groan when their mouths finally came together again. In an instant, everything was hot and wet, and there was this burning behind his eyes, and -

"Sweetheart, are you crying?"

Sure enough, Jungkook's cheeks were damp with tears. But he was happy, so spectacularly and wonderfully and inconceivably happy. So he reconnected his mouth to Taehyung's, kissing him once, twice, three times. And when he pulled back for a moment, when he took in the elder's slightly curious expression, he let more tears fall.

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, angel. And one day, when . . . when we're both ready . . ."

Taehyung inhaled deeply, his own eyes beginning to water. But he ignored his own tears as he cupped Jungkook's wet cheeks, thumbing away the moisture with the most reverent of touches. And when that task was complete, he barely spoke above a whisper as he said, "Yes. When we're both ready, yes."

Jungkook choked on something that was a cross between a whimper and a laugh, though he was too busy sliding his lips over Taehyung's to think about it further. All that mattered was the taste of Taehyung, the feel of Taehyung, Taehyung, Taehyung, Taehyung.

With a renewed energy, Jungkook sucked the elder's full lower lip into his mouth and plunged his fingers into his hair. He didn't tug on those silky strands right away, though; no, he would build up to that. It had been a while, after all. But he did drag his nails all over his scalp, delighting in the muted gasps that endeavor earned him.

Because fuck. Those faint and breathy noises unleashed a raging fire in Jungkook's veins, a flurry of flames that licked at each nerve ending. And as he continued to drink in those sounds, continued to get drunk off of all things Taehyung, his entire body flooded with warmth. He was glowing, radiating, burning.

He was burning even though they barely started yet.

To distract himself from the boiling of his blood - and from the way it all seemed to be heading for his dick - Jungkook sunk his teeth into Taehyung's lip. As expected, his angel whined at the small hurt, opening his mouth wide enough for the tip of Jungkook's tongue to slip inside. But rather than immediately caress every crevice of his mouth, Jungkook slowed down considerably.

He began by running his tongue under the elder's teeth, humming as the sharp edges scraped his sensitive flesh. When Taehyung parted his lips even more, fully welcoming the intrusion, Jungkook flicked the roof of his mouth with a teasing lick. And then, when Taehyung curled his own tongue in the hopes of stroking Jungkook's, Jungkook withdrew completely.

He hovered just out of reach, playing the part of Taehyung's beloved brat.

"I think you're the tease now," the elder said, gliding his elegant hands down Jungkook's neck and over his shoulders to settle on his lower back. He toyed with the hem of his shirt, fingertips ghosting over Jungkook's exposed skin with tantalizing sweeps.

Jungkook lowered most of his weight onto his boyfriend's body, letting his growing arousal press into Taehyung's thigh. "I'm not a tease."

"No? Then prove it."

"I -"

Taehyung didn't give him the chance to argue. He thrust his tongue deep into Jungkook's mouth, skillfully breaking them both apart with every wet lick and satiny slide. Everything was too hot, too slippery, too addicting. Jungkook wasn't sure how he was still breathing, let alone moving his mouth, coiling his tongue, kissing back. He didn't know how he remained whole, how his body hadn't melted or combusted or floated up among the clouds.

He needed more. He needed more, more, more.

And Taehyung, like the angel he was, gave him more.

The elder pushed his hands under Jungkook's shirt, smoothing up the naked skin of his back and tracing over the ridges of his spine. He clawed at his shoulder blades, undoubtedly leaving long, angry scratches while continuously plunging his tongue in and out of Jungkook's mouth. But that sharp bite of pain, the lingering burn . . .

Jungkook welcomed it wholeheartedly.

In between those deep, desperate kisses and stinging scrapes of nails against flesh, Taehyung prattled into Jungkook's mouth, "You're so good. You feel so good. Want you, Kook."

Everything was slick and messy as Jungkook broke away, a string of saliva lingering between their puffy lips. "You can have me. Any way you want."

"Let's start with shirtless."

Licking at his wet and swollen lips, Jungkook repositioned himself so he was upright on his knees. His shirt was off a moment later, tossed somewhere on the floor behind him. Goosebumps pebbled his skin in an instant, his nipples tightening into taut buds.

Taehyung ran a thumb over one of those sensitive peaks, humming to himself when it hardened even more. "Pretty."

Jungkook nearly keened at the light touch, arching ever so slightly to achieve more pressure. He couldn't deny how deliciously intoxicating it was to be handled this way, to be tenderly treasured and delicately adored. Especially as the elder flattened his hands over Jungkook's pecs - thumbs still circling and flicking his nipples - he found himself thinking he wouldn't mind this going on forever.

But then he caught a glimpse of Taehyung's collarbones - gorgeous, alluring, flawless - and decided cherishing his angel was far more important than being cherished himself.

🔥
(Putting this super early because I don't even know where it belongs)

Jungkook wedged a knee between Taehyung's legs, smiling when the bathrobe opened to reveal more of his slender thighs. As he leaned back down, his mouth watering at the sight of the flushed skin before him, he mused, "You're like a present, you know. A present waiting to be unwrapped."

Taehyung reached for his robe's belt, but he wasn't fast enough. As soon as he started working on the knot, his hands were swatted away. "Kook."

"My present," Jungkook chided with a cocky smirk, taking hold of the elder's wrists and pressing them into the pillows. "Only I get to unwrap you."

"Then unwrap me."

Fuck, that's precisely what Jungkook longed to do. He wanted to peel back the robe; he wanted it off. He yearned to expose the creamy, smooth skin underneath and decorate every centimeter with his mouth, his hands, his marks. He desperately needed to burn the image of a naked Taehyung into his brain, to forever remember the sight of his angel ready and waiting on a bed of red rose petals.

But they hadn't had the chance to go this slowly in a while . . . maybe ever. So Jungkook nosed at Taehyung's neck instead, forcing him to tilt back and expose that tanned column. "Don't you worry, angel. I'll open you up very, very soon."

"Yeah?" Taehyung sighed when the spot below his ear received a faint kiss. "And how are you going to open me up, sweetheart?"

"I'll start with my fingers," Jungkook said, pausing as he sucked harshly onto the elder's neck. "Then I'll use my tongue. And if you're good, I'll split you open on my cock."

"Yes," Taehyung moaned, his eyes falling shut as Jungkook continued leaving hickeys all over his neck. "Fuck, please. I want that."

Jungkook licked over the boy's Adam's apple, flattening his tongue before carefully nipping at the skin. "I'm going to give you everything you want, Tae. I'm going to make you feel so fucking good, so good you come again and again and again."

When a series of red, angry splotches had been successfully sucked into Taehyung's neck, Jungkook wiggled backward to get started on his collarbones. He let go of the elder's wrists and tugged at the top of his robe, exhaling through his mouth when he took in his broad shoulders and dusky nipples. Taehyung looked beautifully disheveled, so high strung, with his dark eyes, parted lips, and heaving chest.

And only Jungkook would ever get to see him this way. Only Jungkook would get the privilege of making his angel unravel at the seams.

Taehyung was stunningly pliant as Jungkook kissed along his collarbones, doing nothing more than arching against his mouth and murmuring soft praises. And even though he was hard beneath that robe - his cock pressed firmly into Jungkook's stomach - he didn't try to roll his hips or grind upwards. No . . . he seemed perfectly content taking what he was given for now.

And while that sort of compliance was something that made Jungkook's brain short circuit, he wasn't as patient as his boyfriend. Fuck, when it came down to it, he really wasn't patient at all.

It was probably a good thing that his job was to overstimulate Taehyung and not attempt to edge him.

As Jungkook latched onto one of Taehyung's nipples - lazily lapping at the bud with his tongue - he wedged a hand between their bodies and got to work on the knotted belt. It wasn't tied too tightly at all, so he was able to undo the material in a few tweaks of his fingers. And with that knot out of the way . . .

Jungkook was going to bring his angel to his first of several climaxes.

He pulled back a fraction and sat on his heels, his heart nearly thumping out of his chest. Even though he had the honor of seeing a nude Taehyung on a daily basis - they often showered together and recently started sleeping dressed in nothing but the warmth from the other's body - he still licked his lips in anticipation.

Taehyung set his hands on Jungkook's thighs, kneading into the muscle there with firm strokes. His gaze dipped south, locking in on the obvious tent in Jungkook's shorts. "Take those off, sweetheart. I want to see you."

While the thought of freeing his aching arousal from the confines of his clothing was tempting, Jungkook shook his head. "In a minute. I've been waiting to do this since you first came out of the bathroom."

So with that, Jungkook finally parted the elder's robe.

Underneath the fluffy white material was Taehyung's golden, lean, and completely naked body. His stomach was smooth and supple, unblemished save for the scar from the bullet. His hips were slim yet shapely, begging to be held onto by Jungkook's hands. And his thighs - now fully revealed - showed off toned muscle as they fell further open, daring Jungkook to observe what lay in between.

And because Jungkook was only human, he shifted his eyes up to blatantly stare at Taehyung's magnificent, straining, and fully hardened cock.

His own dick throbbed in response.

"Fuck, angel," he said, unable to look away from that impressive length. He didn't dare try to conceal his intense longing, his primitive need to have that engorged flesh inside of him in any way possible.

"Your turn," the elder said, shimmying free of the robe and pushing it off of the bed. "Come on, Kook."

But Jungkook didn't make any moves to roll off his basketball shorts. He was too entranced by his boyfriend, too preoccupied deciding if he should first use his hands or mouth to get Taehyung off. Really, there were several combinations of what he could do and -

"Tae!"

Somehow Jungkook ended on his back, head pressed into the plush pillows and skin sliding against the silky rose petals. He looked up at Taehyung, who hovered over him with a dark and ravenous gaze, and swallowed the excess saliva in his throat.

"You were taking too long, don't you think?" Taehyung asked, fingers dipping below the waistband of Jungkook's shorts and skimming over his skin. He hooked his thumbs under the material, incrementally sliding it over his hips but not yet low enough to free his length.

"But I was going to give you your first of, like, five orgasms."

Despite Taehyung looking like he wanted to bury between Jungkook's legs and lose himself completely, he laughed. "Kookie . . . Five?"

Jungkook's lips pushed together in an exaggerated pout. "Yeah. Five. What's wrong with that?"

"I mean, nothing is wrong with five. Five sounds . . . Fuck, five is a lot, Kook. Shouldn't we start with two or something and see how that goes?"

Alright, Jungkook could admit that five orgasms would be exhausting. He'd probably pass out or volunteer to cut off his dick. So, with an overly dramatic sigh, he said, "Fine. Four."

"Two."

"Three."

"Are we really bartering over how many times you're going to make me come?" Taehyung licked his lips as he purposely tugged on Jungkook's shorts, finally drawing the fabric over his cock and rolling it down his legs.

Jungkook murmured his satisfaction, thrilled to be naked at long last. Heat radiated off of his bare cock, though the slightly cooler air from the room soothed his exposed skin. "Hey, we agreed on overstimulating you. Coming twice . . . I bet you can do that with no problem. So, how about we aim for three? And if it becomes too much, we can stop."

For a couple of seconds there, Jungkook wasn't sure if the elder would agree or not. Though truthfully, he really didn't care either way. The only thing that mattered to him was making Taehyung feel good, joining their bodies together as one, and both of them achieving that euphoric bliss at least once.

But then Taehyung flattened himself on top of Jungkook's body, aligning their pelvises so they were pressed together intimately. He groaned in pleasure as he circled and swayed his hips, the friction making him shudder. And as he continued moving, he panted, "That means you can't come at all until I come three times. Do you really want to torture yourself that much?"

With the sudden attention to his neglected cock, Jungkook had trouble stringing coherent words together, let alone understand how long he'd have to wait for his own release. So he simply nodded and said, "Kind of."

"Alright, then, sweetheart. Let's try for three."

Before Jungkook could even celebrate that compromise, his angel thrust against him in sharp, unforgiving strokes. The slide of skin against skin - of hot length against length - pulled a high-pitched whine from Jungkook's throat, which only got louder when Taehyung suctioned onto his neck. There was an onslaught of moving lips, a licking tongue, and biting teeth.

Jungkook barely had a moment to catch his breath.

To ground himself, Jungkook plunged his fingers into Taehyung's unruly hair, pulling hard to earn a litany of deep, carnal moans. Those sounds ignited a new frenzy within him, and suddenly he was bucking and rolling against his angel, desperate to satisfy each of his hypersensitive nerve endings. And when fresh, stinging marks were lovingly added to the base of his throat, Jungkook arched up into the touch and let his own moans harmonize with Taehyung's.

"You sound beautiful, sweetheart," Taehyung rasped out, smoothing a hand down Jungkook's chest to trace over each swell of his abdominal muscles. "Are those noises just for me?"

Jungkook couldn't form the correct syllables on his tongue; he was too distracted by Taehyung's long, gorgeous fingers dragging lower . . . lower . . . then finally brushing along his cock from base to tip.

Taehyung did nothing but caress him softly, lips kissing up Jungkook's neck and ghosting over his mouth. "What's that, Kook? I'm not sure I heard an answer."

"Fuck, yes. Yes. Just for you, only you," Jungkook spluttered, his teeth sinking into his lower lip when hot fingers wrapped around his cock. He bucked upward, needing any sort of friction he could get.

"I love touching you this way," the elder murmured against his mouth, digging his thumb into Jungkook's slit to gather the moisture there. "Love feeling you leak all over my fingers. Love feeling you get even harder in my hand."

And, as if Jungkook's body wanted to prove a point, a bead of pre-cum trickled out of his tip and onto Taehyung's waiting fingers. "Tae."

Taehyung used the sticky moisture to hold Jungkook in a tight fist, stroking quickly now that the slide was easier. "Tell me how you feel, Kookie."

If the blood in Jungkook's body hadn't abandoned his brain in favor of fattening up his cock, he probably could've written epics or composed symphonies to describe what he felt. But that wasn't the case, so he settled on, "Good. So, so good."

"You want more?"

"Please."

A tiny voice in Jungkook's head told him he needed to slow down, he needed to cool off, but he ignored it. All he could focus on was the teasing drag of the elder's lips against his own, the pounding of his pulse in his neck, and the mind-numbing pleasure concentrated on his cock.

Taehyung licked into Jungkook's mouth once more before drawing back, eyes scanning the rose-covered bed. He hummed in surprise when he spotted the lube Jungkook took out earlier - like it was exactly what he was searching for - and reached over to grab the bottle.

"Give me your hand," he said, flicking the cap open and looking expectantly at Jungkook.

Jungkook obeyed without question, flattening out his palm and presenting it to his boyfriend. A stream of the thick, sticky fluid collected on his hand, a bit cool but not completely jarring.

After flinging the bottle onto the pillows, Taehyung settled back down. But rather than laying on top of Jungkook once more, he rolled onto his side. "Alright. Go ahead."

"What? I thought -"

"Touch yourself. I want to watch."

Jungkook's lips popped open as he realized it wouldn't be his angel's hand touching him any longer. "Can't you do it?"

"Of course, I can," the elder smiled. "And I will. But again, I want to watch."

When Taehyung's eyes pointedly focused on his cock, Jungkook brought his hand to his hot flesh. He sighed as he smoothed his palm over himself, spreading the lube to prevent chafing.

And as he languidly began to stroke himself - squeezing at his base before digging a nail into his tip - he realized there was something utterly erotic about doing this in front of Taehyung. It was almost more intimate, in a sense, than simply touching or being touched. It was an honest display of how he achieved his own pleasure, of what made him feel the best.

And to have Taehyung studiously watching his every move . . .

It was fucking sexy.

His pace steadily increased after a minute or so, with little moans and the slick slide of his hand punctuating the air. And sure, the feel of his fingers wrapped around his length was enough to get him off, but simply looking at Taehyung was going to push him over the edge.

Because god, Taehyung was perfect. He was a masterpiece created specifically for Jungkook to worship, a stunning man with swollen lips, flushed skin, and a hard, waiting cock that was smearing pre-cum all over his tanned stomach.

"Eyes up here," Taehyung gently chided, hooking an index finger under Jungkook's chin and lifting.

"I want to touch you," Jungkook breathed. "I want, I need, to make you feel good."

"Trust me, sweetheart. You don't know how good I feel just by watching you. Fuck, I'm thinking of how hot you must feel in your hand. How wet you're getting yourself, how you must be pulsing and throbbing. And I'm thinking about how much I want to touch you again."

Those words caused a whimper to push through Jungkook's lips and made his stomach clench in anticipation. Shit, every part of him felt like a live wire . . . One more spark and he might explode. So, fighting every conscious will of his body, he reduced the pressure on his cock and steadied his erratic pace.

"Did I tell you to slow down?"

"I can't go any faster, Tae. I'm getting too close."

"That's the point." Taehyung wrapped his hand around Jungkook's, effectively controlling their speed. He immediately quickened their movements as he said, "I'm going to bring you to the edge each time, Kook. I'm going to get you so fucking close, then watch you intentionally deny yourself relief. I'm going to let you prove to me that you're a good boy."

Jungkook's head fell back against the pillows, his body humming with that budding electricity he experienced moments before. He moaned as Taehyung took advantage of this positioning, latching onto one of his peaked nipples and sucking hard. And all the while, Taehyung sped up the pace of their joint hands, unconcerned that Jungkook was thrusting wildly and chasing after his release.

"Tae, Tae, angel, fuck," Jungkook cried out, sweat gathering at his hairline. "I need to stop. I need to come. Please, please, please."

"Is your color still green?"

Jungkook jerkily nodded his head, belatedly realizing stop could be interpreted in a variety of ways. He didn't mean stop altogether, though. Just stop or else he was going to come all over Taehyung's hand. "Yes. Yes, it's green."

"Then, please what?" Taehyung asked in mock consideration, stretching over Jungkook's body to give his other nipple the same treatment. He anchored the bud between his teeth and pulled. "Please stop touching you, or please let you come?"

Jungkook didn't know the answer to that question. His body wanted to come, fuck, it needed to come. His cock hurt so badly, leaking profusely onto his fingers and making an obscene mess. But his mind . . . His mind told him no. His mind told him to be good, to wait, to hold back. The only way he could get the relief he sought was by making Taehyung feel good.

But Taehyung couldn't read his mind. The elder kept kissing over his nipples and moving their fists in sure strokes. He acted like this was just a standard handjob, like he was actually trying to bring Jungkook to an orgasm.

"Tae . . . Tae, I'm going to come," Jungkook warned, hips bucking and thumb swiping over his tip. "I'm about to -"

Taehyung released his grip in an instant, allowing Jungkook to immediately do the same. His cock throbbed in painful bursts as it hit his stomach, the head of it red and pulsating. And each part of Jungkook, each sweaty and flushed part, shivered from his denied release.

"You're good, sweetheart. You're doing so, so good."

Jungkook wasn't too sure about that, but he was willing to take his boyfriend's praise. It was the only thing keeping him from exploding; he wanted to make Taehyung proud. He let those words repeat in his head as he calmed down, doing his best to ignore his aching length.

If this was how he felt now, when Taehyung hadn't even come once . . .

Fucking hell.

To distract himself from his discomfort, he reached out and took hold of Taehyung's own leaking cock. It was hot and sticky as Jungkook dragged his fingers along the length, nearly burning under his touch. He kept his movements slow and predictable, taking the time to savor the satiny feel and familiar weight.

"Kook," Taehyung said in a contented murmur, his forehead falling forward onto Jungkook's chest. "Yes, just like that."

Jungkook drew out his strokes and delivered practiced flicks of his wrist, working at a much slower rate than the elder. Yes, he understood his goal was to make his boyfriend come. But, unlike Jungkook, Taehyung would actually get to let go and lose control; there would be no dancing around his climax. So that meant Jungkook was allowed to casually rile up Taehyung, to play his body like an instrument until he was ready to fall apart at the seams.

"You're so beautiful, angel," he said as he squeezed the elder's cock, obsessed with the way a drop of pre-cum dribbled onto his fingers. "You're gonna fuck my mouth in a minute, yeah? And once you come, you're gonna grind your ass against my face so I can work you open with my tongue."

"Oh, fuck."

Jungkook chuckled as he carded his free hand through Taehyung's hair, brushing back the strands that stuck to his forehead. "Straddle my face, Tae. Come down my throat."

"God, I'm never going to get over that mouth of yours, am I?" Taehyung said as he thrusted once, twice, three times into Jungkook's enclosed fist. "You always know what to say to drive me insane."

Reluctantly letting go of his boyfriend's cock - well, not that reluctantly since he remembered that impressive length was about to slide between his lips - Jungkook rolled onto his back. He fluffed up the pillow behind his head and got comfortable. "I drive you insane in the best ways possible, though, right?"

"Right," Taehyung affirmed, lifting onto his knees and swinging a leg over Jungkook's body. He scooted up until his dripping tip brushed against Jungkook's cheek, smearing pre-cum in a shiny path over his skin. "Beautiful."

"Hands on the headboard," Jungkook instructed, smoothing his hands up his boyfriend's golden thighs before moving them to grip his plump ass. He guided the elder forward with a gentle push, opening his mouth expectantly when he was properly aligned.

It had been days too long since he last tasted Taehyung's cock. Days. How terrible.

"Tell me if I'm too rough," was the last thing Taehyung said before easing his hips forward, his cock breaching past Jungkook's lips and sliding onto his tongue.

Fuck, Jungkook didn't quite understand how he felt so amazing with Taehyung's heavy heat in his mouth. He moaned as the thick girth of that hardness forced his lips open, making his jaw relax and accept whatever was given to him. Seriously, his body temperature began to rise even higher than before as he took thrust after shallow thrust, his stomach clenching when the head of his boyfriend's cock hit the back of his throat.

And while he received no direct stimulation himself, Jungkook was close to teetering on the edge again.

He let Taehyung control the movements, let him set his own pace, as he kneaded that perfect ass with greedy hands. He wasn't doing much besides sheathing his teeth and relaxing his throat, and he focused on breathing heavily through his nose. Without a doubt, spit was trickling down his chin and tears were gathering at his lash line, but Jungkook wasn't uncomfortable or gagging in the least. He loved - fucking savored - this feeling.

This whole act - everything they had done so far - was so wholly sexy and provocative.

And the most erotic part of it all? It wasn't the endless soundtrack of Taehyung grunting and pushing into Jungkook's wet mouth. It wasn't the taste of pre-cum that was a constant flavor on Jungkook's tongue. And it wasn't even the subtle flexing of Taehyung's ass, tightening and releasing with each thrust forward and backward.

No . . . The most erotic part was how Taehyung and Jungkook stared into each other's eyes the entire time. Even with Jungkook drooling and Taehyung nearly lost to his pleasure, they never looked away from the other's face.

"I'm gonna come if you keep looking at me like that," Taehyung forewarned as he withdrew from Jungkook's mouth. "Fuck, sweetheart, I'm so close."

Jungkook didn't bother answering - hell, he didn't even bother wiping at his spit-slicked mouth - as he took the elder's cock back into his hand. He stroked the length of it as he guided the tip to his lips, sticking out his tongue and swirling around that swollen head. And when he dug into the slit, lapping at the liquid there, he flicked his eyebrows up in a challenging gesture.

He kept his strokes soft and his licks kittenish as he continued, the actions of his hand and mouth comparably tame to what they were doing moments before. So Jungkook lifted his other hand to his boyfriend's lips, prodding two fingers against that pink, puffy flesh.

Taehyung immediately got the message, sucking them into his silken mouth and giving a stunning oral performance with his tongue. He hummed around the digits without remorse, licking and nibbling and swallowing and sucking. It was like he inherently knew he had to get them as wet as possible to help with what was to come.

When Jungkook deemed his fingers slick enough, he pulled out and rested his hand on the elder's ass. And, speaking against the head of his cock, he said, "Don't stop until you come."

He didn't allow any time for questions; Jungkook took Taehyung back between his lips, plunging forward so his nose met that groomed patch of hair at the base of his cock. And - because he knew how much it drove his boyfriend wild - he swallowed around that thick length.

"Jungkook," Taehyung moaned, bracing himself against the headboard as he thrusted with more force.

Jungkook swallowed again - throat burning, eyes watering - as he traced his wet fingertips between Taehyung's ass. He easily found that puckered entrance, which he skimmed over with the most gentle of caresses. It wasn't his goal to penetrate just yet; no, right now, he would only massage that delicate area.

The touch seemed to bring his angel closer to his climax, his movements becoming less and less coordinated. His head lolled to the side, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and a stream of moans poured from his lips. And when Jungkook sucked at a faster rate, when he rubbed over his rim with more pressure, and when he moaned around that glorious cock to provide heavenly vibrations, Taehyung fell apart.

"Kook."

Warm liquid shot into the back of Jungkook's throat, though he refrained from swallowing just yet. He kept his eyes open and locked on Taehyung, allowing his angel to release all he could onto his waiting tongue.

Taehyung weakly thrusted a couple more times, body convulsing as he fought to remain upright. When those tremors passed, he withdrew from Jungkook's mouth and fixed a content - if not tired-looking - smile on his face. "Kookie."

Jungkook opened his mouth wider, proudly displaying the pool of cum on his tongue before swallowing. He licked his lips for emphasis then said, "Turn around."

"I just need a few seconds, Kookie," Taehyung murmured, his tone light and airy.

"That wasn't a suggestion."

Taehyung's cock, which had slowly started to soften, twitched at that. "No?"

"No," Jungkook confirmed as he blew a stream of air over the elder's red, swollen tip. It twitched again. "What's your color, angel?"

There was no hesitation. "Green."

"Good. Now turn around."

Taehyung hastily reversed his positioning, readjusting himself so his ass was right in front of Jungkook's face. Jungkook practically purred in appreciation as he patted around the pillows, fingers searching for the bottle of lube.

"Spread yourself for me, Tae," Jungkook said as he found what he was looking for. A groan rumbled in his throat when his boyfriend complied with his request, taking hold of his ass and pulling it apart to reveal his entrance. "Look at you, so fucking pretty. Fuck, I love that I'm the only one who's ever tasted you this way."

At that, Taehyung looked over his shoulder and down at Jungkook. His eyebrows were scrunched together as he asked, "Has anyone ever eaten you out?"

"Never."

The corners of the elder's lips tugged upwards while his eyebrows smoothed out. "Good. After you fuck me, you can sit on my face."

A buzzing thrill went through Jungkook's body as he pressed down on Taehyung's lower back, forcing him to lower and brace himself on his hands. He had always wondered what it would feel like to have the elder's mouth on him there, and now he couldn't stop imagining it. He was still consumed with the visual of Taehyung's tongue on his ass as he voiced, "Is that how you want to come next, angel? By me fucking you?"

"Yes."

"And how do you want to come for the third time, hm?" Jungkook figured he knew the answer, though his desire-fueled mind demanded to hear that answer out loud.

Taehyung dropped onto his elbows and placed a lingering kiss on each of Jungkook's inner thighs. "With my cock in your ass, naturally."

"Naturally."

Jungkook let his legs fall further apart as he splayed his hands over the elder's round ass, amazed at how perfect those sensuous curves filled his palms. Thanks to this angle and positioning, he had an impeccable view of everything - tanned skin, shapely thighs, pink hole. He still couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to be here with Taehyung, to love him and adore him and cherish him for the rest of their days.

So to show that unwavering appreciation, he planted a gentle kiss right over his boyfriend's entrance, smiling when it fluttered beneath his lips.

A drawn-out moan rang out above him, with Taehyung pushing back in a not-so-subtle show of encouragement. "More. Please."

And because Jungkook could never truly say no to his angel, he leaned back in almost embarrassingly quickly. He flattened his tongue and dragged it up, down, left, and right, committed to giving Taehyung the best pleasure possible. And god, he couldn't help but think about how hot this all was. He couldn't imagine anything else he'd rather do than worship Taehyung this way, than let him use his mouth however he wanted.

As he exerted a bit more pressure to push past that taut ring of muscle and flick inside, he slid one of his hands back to Taehyung's cock. He loosely fisted the soft flesh, providing just enough friction to make the elder call out.

"Kook," Taehyung spluttered, wrapping one of his own hands around Jungkook's painfully hard length. He licked along the prominent vein and said, "I'm . . . oh . . . really fucking sensitive."

Jungkook was sensitive in an entirely different sort of way. He was so worked up, every small touch nearly making his skin crackle with energy. Though he realized he wasn't threatening to burst into a million pieces at the moment; no, the break in contact had helped manage his delirious arousal. And although he was still rock solid and leaking, he figured he could maintain his composure in this state for a while.

A surge of confidence rushed through his system. Yes, he would be fine for a bit longer.

Though that confidence immediately deflated as Taehyung took the tip of Jungkook's cock between his full lips, lapping at the underside with his tongue. Shit, this pleasure was immensely more satisfying than the toe-curling pleasure he received from the earlier handjob. It was soft and wet, a temptation that urged Jungkook to thrust into the elder's throat. But he tried to remain still; he tried to deny himself that all-consuming stimulation as well as prevent his boyfriend from choking around his length.

To avoid snapping his hips too roughly, Jungkook focused on wiggling his tongue deeper into Taehyung, caressing those velvety inner walls with broad swirls and quick flicks. His hand on Taehyung's cock moved faster as well, not deterred by the constant hisses and breathy moans that vibrated against his own skin.

After a few minutes of that - when the elder had started to harden in his hand once more - he drew back and snapped open the bottle of lube. He squirted the sticky substance directly over his boyfriend's opening before applying a generous amount to his fingers.

"I'm gonna work you open now, okay, angel?" He asked, abandoning the lube as he pushed a finger inside of Taehyung. The heat and tightness were overwhelming, so stunningly breathtaking, and he couldn't wait to feel those same sensations around his more intimate flesh.

Even if he wouldn't be allowed to lose himself within them.

He kept up the motions of both hands for a couple of minutes, letting Taehyung adjust and get used to the slight intrusion. His movements were unhurried and controlled, brushing against all of the best places possible.

When the elder began to rock back with more force, when he moaned and pleaded for more, Jungkook slowly added a second finger. He was careful as he scissored those slick digits, intentional as he relentlessly rubbed on Taehyung's most sensitive spot. And when he eventually added a third finger, briefly pausing so Taehyung could relax around the stretch, he was purposeful as he pumped in and out of his boyfriend's body.

And through all of that, sweat trickled down Jungkook's forehead and blood pounded in his ears. The effort of controlling his impending release was too great - too strenuous - and he feared he was on the losing side of this particular battle. And as his heartbeat kicked harder in his chest, as a fog made his head all floaty, he knew he was so, so, so close to erupting.

"Tae."

Taehyung pulled up and off of Jungkook's cock, planting small kisses against that leaking head. "I'm so tempted to have you come in my mouth right now. You have no idea, Kook. I want to taste you so badly."

"Fuck, Tae. You can't say that to me." Not if Jungkook was going to hold on; not if he was supposed to ignore the way his dick throbbed in the elder's hands.

"You don't want to come yet?"

It was a test. That question was a test, and Jungkook knew it. And no matter his answer, no matter what he said, he knew he'd inevitably fail. But he shook his head with a whimper, refocusing his efforts on the fingers sliding in and out of Taehyung.

"No," he gritted out. "No, I don't want to come yet."

Taehyung clenched around Jungkook's fingers, moaning and chuckling at the same time. "Such a good boy."

"For you."

Taehyung didn't say anything else as he took Jungkook's cock back between his lips, bobbing his head with a renewed fervor. Fuck, the way he worked his tongue, used his hands, and groaned around Jungkook like he was the juiciest popsicle he ever had . . . He was practicing every single technique he knew would make Jungkook come.

The elder wasn't holding back. He wasn't going easy on Jungkook at all.

Taehyung worked his mouth in a clear, unabashed effort to bring Jungkook to his climax.

And Jungkook's mind was screaming no, no, no, hold on, hold on, hold on. But his dick was chanting yes, yes, yes, come, come, come. It was that war he craved, that struggle he voluntarily signed up for without pause. It was that chance to deny himself now with the promise of feeling absolutely euphoric later.

But first, he had to make it to later.

"Tae, lift off. I'm about to come, fuck. Tae. Angel."

For a panic-driven moment, Jungkook thought it was too late. His back arched off of the bed, his length pushed further into the elder's mouth, and a strangled moan ripped out from his throat. But the second his body leaped over the edge - rejoicing as it prepared to explode - he was yanked back towards safety. Taehyung squeezed the base of his dick with an unforgivable grip, popping his mouth off of Jungkook's cock and effectively stifling his orgasm.

And Jungkook felt like he could cry.

"Sweetheart," Taehyung murmured, cautiously pulling off of Jungkook's fingers and out of his hold. He turned around and was back on top of him in an instant, lips kissing his forehead, nose, cheeks, and then mouth.

"Angel," Jungkook choked out, pursing his lips to receive more kisses. They were the only thing keeping his vibrating and trembling body in one piece.

"Beautiful sweetheart, my beautiful boy," the elder praised against Jungkook's mouth, leaving sweet and lingering kisses that filled Jungkook with a new sort of warmth. "Such a good boy for me. You're doing so well, Kook. And I want you inside of me now, okay? I want you to fuck me, make me come again. Can you do that for me?"

Jungkook brought his hands to Taehyung's ass, his fingertips flitting over that puffy and fluttering rim. Yeah, he wanted to nestle his cock inside of that hot hole, wanted to slam against Taehyung's prostate until his angel screamed out and came all over himself.

So he nodded as he dipped a finger back into Taehyung, pulling himself back together. "How do you want me?"

"I want to keep kissing you. And I need to keep you in check," the elder said, wiggling against the intimate touch and somewhat grinding into Jungkook's stomach. "So, maybe we can be vanilla and start with missionary?"

"Nothing that we're doing can be classified as vanilla, Tae," Jungkook said as his boyfriend rolled off of him and onto his back. He scanned the bed for the lube, though realized it was already in Taehyung's hands.

Taehyung squeezed a generous amount onto his palm then beckoned Jungkook to settle between his legs. "True, but you know what I meant. Missionary is tame compared to all of your Kama Sutra positions."

"Missionary is a position in the Kama Sutra." Crawling over Taehyung's body, Jungkook lowered onto his elbows but kept his hips raised. A shaky exhale pushed through his lips when his heavy cock was gripped by the elder, who lathered the entire length of it with lube. "It's an underrated position, too. Fuck, looking into each other's eyes . . . kissing . . . being close . . . I think that's sexier than trying something crazy like the milk and water embrace."

Taehyung just stared at him for a moment - blinking - before a gorgeous laugh rumbled in his chest. "The milk and water what?"

Jungkook laughed with him, taking the bottle from his hands and putting extra on his fingers. He applied it to the elder's rim to ensure as painless of a stretch as possible. "We'll try it some other day, I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Lucky for us, we have all the time in the world. Right, angel?"

"Exactly."

And even though they were in the middle of making love - and in the middle of testing Jungkook's sanity, of course - Jungkook looked towards the future. He saw him and Taehyung graduating from college, saw them exploring the world, saw them settling down. He imagined getting down on his knee, imagined how he'd ask his angel to marry him, imagined walking down an aisle to meet Taehyung at an altar. And then he heard their endless days of laughter. He heard their constant promises of forever.

He heard them whispering I love you each morning when they woke up and every night before they fell asleep.

Taehyung cupped Jungkook's face in his hands, and almost like he read his mind, murmured, "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, angel. Always."

And then, for the first time in over six weeks, Jungkook pushed inside the tight heat of his beautiful Taehyung.

Fuck, it felt like the very first time all over again. And not just the way the elder's body gripped onto his own, squeezing him like it never wanted to let go. No, it was the feeling Jungkook got in his head, his chest, his heart. It was the connection, the unity, and the love.

He breathed deeply through his nose, letting Taehyung stretch around his girth as their lips met in a passionate kiss. He was almost afraid to move, almost terrified that the simple drag of flesh against flesh would have him releasing inside of his angel.

But he had no choice, not really. Not as Taehyung said into his mouth, "Keep going, Kook. I want all of you. Need to feel you filling me up."

So Jungkook nudged forward until his hips pressed against Taehyung's cushiony ass, his cock fully sheathed and his vision filled with stars from the pleasure. Fuck, it was so much. It was everything.

Taehyung was everything.

Jungkook dropped to his elbows and slid his tongue between the elder's lips, kissing him slowly and deeply. Everything from their chests down was pressed together or connected in some way, with their fingers wildly tangling in each other's hair. And as they started to roll their hips in small circles - as Jungkook tugged on Taehyung's thick strands until he was crying into his mouth - Jungkook let himself get lost to those overpowering feelings and sensations.

And fuck.

He got lost.

Jungkook pulled out of his angel just to plunge right back in, focused on delivering long, deep, full strokes that would make them both go crazy. And as they got into a good rhythm, as they met each other thrust after thrust after thrust, Jungkook adjusted his angle to ensure he was rubbing against Taehyung's prostate. Fuck, he more than rubbed it against the elder's most sensitive spot . . . He slammed into it.

Every.

Single.

Time.

And Taehyung arched beneath him, pulling at Jungkook's hair before clawing all over his shoulders. His nails threatened to break skin - promised to leave long scratches and red crescent moons - but Jungkook didn't care. He couldn't care. Not with his brain going numb from the pleasure around his cock. Not with his pitchy moans and Taehyung's deep sighs pouring into his ears.

He was lost. He was lost, lost, lost to the intense feeling of him and Taehyung moving together as one.

When Jungkook needed more air than the air he stole from the elder's mouth, he burrowed his face into Taehyung's neck and squeezed his eyes shut. His body was vibrating again, lit with a fire that burned every part of his sweat-slicked skin. He needed that ever-unattainable climax. He needed permission to let go.

So with his hips working deeper, still angled to hit Taehyung just right, he dared to say, "Tae. Can I come? Please? I need to come so badly."

Taehyung wrapped his legs around Jungkook's waist, grinding his own cock up against his stomach. "You can't, sweetheart. Not yet. Not this time."

A heartbroken cry was Jungkook's response to that.

"You've been doing so good for me, haven't you?" Taehyung murmured, rocking his hips up at a wicked rate. His smooth thighs squeezed around Jungkook's stomach, drawing their bodies even tighter together. "Go on. Tell me how good you've been, Kook."

Fuck, Jungkook really didn't possess the eloquence to talk right now. Every bit of his concentration centered around pummeling into Taehyung and making him feel as incredible as humanly possible, all while trying to stave off his own impending orgasm. But he knew he had to answer; his angel clenching around his cock in a tight grip told him as much.

So he dropped his head to bite at the elder's shoulder and mumbled, "I've been good. I've been a good boy for you."

Taehyung tightened even more, drawing a long moan from both of their mouths. "Such a good boy. Kept that cock of yours hard for me, hm? Kept it hard so you could fuck me and make me come."

"Tae, please. Can I -?"

"No."

Jungkook whimpered as he continued thrusting, continued biting, continued praying to anything and everything out there for some self-restraint. His stomach was in fucking knots and possessed the increasing urge to unravel, to burst, to explode.

Fuck, he wanted to come. He wanted to come. He wanted to come.

Jungkook was so out of it, so preoccupied with the insane surges of pleasure wracking his system that he didn't initially hear the snap of a bottle opening. But he did hear the squeeze of it - that easily distinguishable squelch - and lifted his head.

"Want more lube?" He slowed the movements of his hips, focusing on where their bodies were intimately joined. It seemed wet and slick enough to him, but fuck, he would never say no to more lube. He loved the slide of it, the absolute mess.

"It's not for me," Taehyung said, spreading the clear substance over the index and middle fingers of one of his hands. "It's for you."

"Oh, fuck."

"I'm gonna fuck you with my fingers while you fuck me." Taehyung dropped the bottle, moving his lube-free hand to grip into and pull aside one of Jungkook's ass cheeks. His touch was firm, demanding, hot.

But he didn't bring his fingers to Jungkook's entrance.

"Tae?"

"Gonna have to beg for my fingers if you want them."

Jungkook's hips stuttered forward and holy fucking shit, those words alone almost triggered his climax. He slowed down a considerable amount, driving deep and sure to glide against the elder's prostate.

And he wasn't one bit embarrassed or ashamed as he pleaded, "Fuck me with your fingers, Tae. Please. I want them inside of me. I need something inside of me, please."

"You need something inside of you, Kookie?" Taehyung smiled softly, finally dragging a lubed-up finger over Jungkook's rim. He circled it with a practiced touch, waiting for the muscle to relax against the sensation.

Jungkook fought to keep his eyes open as a sharp gasp left his mouth. "Yeah . . . Need something inside. Your fingers. Your cock. Just . . . you."

There was a bit of pressure as Taehyung incrementally pushed his first finger into Jungkook's body. The angle they were in didn't allow for full penetration, though that digit's presence was definitely felt and known.

"You can have anything you want, sweetheart," the elder whispered, his breath fanning over Jungkook's lips. "But you have to make me come again first. Can you do that for me, Kook?"

"I can. I will."

"That's my good boy."

So Jungkook resumed his sharp movements, directing all of his power into that sensitive spot that could push Taehyung over the edge. And this time, he was more deliberate. This time, his aim was more precise. This time, he wasn't losing his focus until he had the elder coming around him.

And that effort was paying off tenfold.

A constant stream of moans, whimpers, and grunts fell from Taehyung's mouth as his body locked around Jungkook's. He murmured breathy ohs, practically screamed encouraging yeahs, and cried out compelling - but entirely unintelligible - streams of words that included Kookie and sweetheart and fuck.

And somewhere in the middle of all that - somewhere in the middle of Jungkook gritting his teeth and moving with an almost inhuman determination - Taehyung slipped a second finger inside of Jungkook. But that's all he did. Slipped it in alongside the first. He didn't move or rub or do anything that would give Jungkook additional pleasure.

Jungkook didn't know whether to be relieved or frustrated.

Thankfully, however, he didn't have time to think about that further. He noticed that the veins in Taehyung's neck were prominent and throbbing, his head tilted back in absolute ecstasy. He was close. He was so fucking close to coming again.

So Jungkook wedged a hand between their bodies - a challenging endeavor considering how tight their chests and hips were fused together - and took hold of his boyfriend's cock. He stroked as quickly as possible, lacking coordination and finesse but doing whatever he could to push the elder over the edge.

"Come on, Tae," Jungkook said, leaning down to suck at his neck. "Please. Please, I need you to come for me."

If Jungkook thought it was difficult to hold himself back before . . . Fuck, that was nothing compared to how he had to hold himself back now. Taehyung came into Jungkook's hand, coating his fingers with his release and clenching down hard around his cock. And oh . . . Taehyung clenched so fucking hard that Jungkook let out a loud, painful groan as he denied himself, as he kept on moving but somehow - miraculously - did not come.

And there was no stop in contact or diminishing of pressure to aid with his self-control. There was no hand wrapping around the base of his dick to cut off his orgasm in its tracks. There was no order or command from Taehyung telling him not to come. Really, there was nothing preventing Jungkook from letting go.

So this denial . . . This refusal of his needs . . . This torture . . .

It was all Jungkook.

Right now, Jungkook was the only thing holding himself back.

"Tae," he cried, shouted, whispered. He didn't know. He couldn't tell. All he knew was the sticky slide of his hand, the heat around his length, and the ravenous fire burning every single nerve ending in his body.

"Kookie, Kookie, Kookie," Taehyung chanted as the roll of his hips began to slow. His chest was heaving against Jungkook's as he tried to catch his breath, his mouth open to help suck in more air.

"Angel. Angel, I . . . Please? Tae, please. Tell me I can come."

"Almost. Soon," the elder mumbled, inhaling deeply through his nose. He appeared so content, so thoroughly satisfied, with his blown-out eyes and flushed cheeks. He was beautiful, stunning as always. And he looked so wholly happy.

If Jungkook wasn't drowning under the weight of his desperation, he could have spent hours reverently tracing every single one of his angel's features.

But he was so fucking desperate right now. "Please tell me you don't want more than three orgasms."

A faint chuckle rumbled in Taehyung's throat. "Fuck, no. I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to make it to three."

"We can -"

"No."

Jungkook rested his forehead back onto his boyfriend's shoulder, doing what he could to ignore the fingers in his ass and the wet, hot tightness around his dick. But as Taehyung started to wiggle beneath him, he knew he was fighting just one more losing battle.

"Tae, for the love of all that is holy -"

"Roll us onto our sides," Taehyung said, pushing up with his hips again. "I don't have a lot of leverage here."

Jungkook fell back onto his elbow, settling onto his side so he and Taehyung were still face to face. He kept his hand wrapped firmly around Taehyung's spent cock, slowly - so incredibly slowly - dragging his fist up and down, using his release to help with the slide. That was the only way to speed up whatever refractory period his boyfriend had; he had to keep moving or else he might not get to come for a while longer.

Taehyung hissed through his teeth, though didn't make any moves to stop him. No, he allowed Jungkook to stroke his oversensitive cock as he finally - fucking finally - began to slide his fingers in and out of Jungkook's hole.

"How are you doing, Kook? Is this all still okay?" Taehyung asked, a mixture of concern and arousal lacing his tone.

"It's . . ." Shit, Jungkook didn't know how to sum up his experience right this second. He could barely think in logical sentences, let alone speak them aloud. "It's really intense."

"Just say the word, and we can stop," was the elder's quick reply, no hint of disappointment or judgment behind those words. He was earnest, sincere.

Jungkook tightened both his hand and his ass around Taehyung, a short but blinding rush of panic coursing through his veins. "No, no, no. My color is green. It's still green, Tae. I don't want to stop, I -"

"Stop was the wrong word. What I meant was that we don't have to keep drawing this out. If it's too much, you can come."

As tempting - as wonderfully and beautifully tempting - as that offer was, Jungkook shook his head. He relaxed every muscle in his body, slowly moving and letting himself enjoy the warm washes of pleasure. "No, I want to keep going. I'm okay. I trust you."

The corners of Taehyung's lips lifted into a pleased smile, and he leaned in to place a gentle kiss against Jungkook's mouth. At the same time, he splayed the two fingers inside of Jungkook as wide as possible, helping to stretch him out. "Yeah? You trust me? What do you trust me to do right now?"

"To make me feel good. To take care of me."

The elder's smile grew softer, his eyes taking on a warm and tender gaze. "You did such a good job taking care of me. You know that, right?"

"Oh, yeah?" Jungkook simultaneously rubbed his thumb over Taehyung's slit as he shifted his length - which was still hard and leaking and buried deep inside of his angel - so it brushed against his prostate.

"Not that way," Taehyung groaned, pressing his fingers into Jungkook's prostate and relentlessly rubbing it as a form of retaliation. "I was referring to these past couple of months - ever since we met, really - when I was healing. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. You took care of me the entire time."

"That's because I love you, Tae. I'll always care for you."

Always. Jungkook knew what that always meant; he knew how long it signified.

Forever.

"And I love you, Kook," Taehyung said softly but not without meaning, skimming his free hand over the bed until he found the lube. He flicked open the lid, squeezing the clear substance over the place where his fingers disappeared into Jungkook's body. When that task was complete, he slid a third finger inside. "God, how do we always get so deep when we're fucking?"

"It's because -"

"It's because we're not fucking, we're making love, I know."

"Well, yeah. But that's not what I was going to say," Jungkook replied, rocking his hips forward and back to receive more stimulation. He wasn't as worked up as a couple of minutes ago, so he felt safe enjoying these sensations without fearing the complete loss of control. "I was going to say it's because I'm deep inside of you, angel. Really brings out our depth."

"Oh, my god. I shouldn't have asked."

Jungkook's shoulders shook as he laughed at Taehyung's expression, which was a cross between bliss and mock-annoyance. He lifted his hand to lick off the remnants of the elder's release, spit in his palm, and then began pumping Taehyung at a pace he knew couldn't be comfortable after two climaxes. But Jungkook was greedy . . . He needed to come.

He needed to fucking come and he needed to get Taehyung hard for that to happen.

So Jungkook continued the slick motion of his hand as he said, "We get deep because we're at our most vulnerable when we're making love, Tae. It's just you and me. Nothing else matters besides us. And when we're together like this, when we're connected in a way only we know, we feel so much more. We become so much more."

Taehyung's eyes took on a misty quality, his full lips slightly quivering, as he whispered, "Home."

"Home," Jungkook echoed, craning his neck so he could claim his boyfriend's mouth in a molten kiss. And as he tangled his lips with the elder's, as he continued pleasuring and being pleasured in return, a couple of tears escaped the confines of his own eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

They were tears of gratitude.

Tears of love and adoration.

Tears of sexual frustration and suppressed need.

Fuck, Taehyung was trying to shred that tiny thread of restraint that Jungkook clung to with all his strength. He was determined to get Jungkook to snap, to push him way past his limits. How did Jungkook know this? Because Taehyung was now stroking his prostate without remorse, clenching his ass around Jungkook's throbbing cock, and licking suggestively into his mouth.

Yet again, Jungkook had to scream no, no, no in his mind.

But all hope was not lost.

As he continued to work his hand over the elder's length, he felt the telltale signs of a budding arousal. Slowly . . . so, so slowly . . . Taehyung was beginning to get hard again.

Jungkook wanted to comment on it; he wanted to say this was proof that Taehyung had an impressively strong stamina. He wanted to praise his boyfriend for his perseverance and for the control over his body. And he wanted to joke that the only reason Taehyung could get it up over and over and over again was because he was so crazily attracted to and aroused by Jungkook.

But a part of him was absolutely terrified that Taehyung would take all of that as a challenge and insist they keep going until he could no longer get hard.

So, yeah. That would be a challenge for a different day.

As Taehyung continued to push himself into Jungkook's fist - his hisses replaced by deep moans - he said, "Kookie, sit on my face."

Fuck, Jungkook almost forgot about that. It seemed like forever ago when they first started, when the elder promised to eat him out after achieving his second orgasm. And while he still wanted that now, it was yet another test to challenge his restraint. It was yet another opportunity to torture himself.

But even so, he found himself saying, "Okay. Okay, yeah."

"I want those fucking sexy thighs around my neck," Taehyung drawled, pulling his fingers out at an unbearably sluggish rate. Once Jungkook was left clenching around nothing, the elder delivered a loud smack to his ass to get him moving. "Come on. Wanna taste you, sweetheart."

Jungkook looked down between their bodies to where they were intimately joined. And he watched himself withdraw from his boyfriend's tight heat, heard himself moan as a result of the devastating friction and the intoxicating drag. Oh, he had to harshly bite on his lip to avoid entirely losing his mind.

When their bodies were no longer connected, Taehyung scrambled up to the pillows - his glorious ass on full display - and settled on his back. He impatiently tapped his chest and said, "I'm getting hard just from imagining the feel of you around my tongue."

If it were possible, Jungkook probably would've gotten harder as well. But he was past the point of reaching full hardness. He was an aching, engorged, scorching, massive mess.

Cutting off his dick actually sounded like a lovely option right now.

"It's going to be so easy licking into you, won't it?" Taehyung asked rather innocently, his tone gentle and kind. "You're already so stretched from my fingers that my tongue won't feel like anything at all."

"Holy fuck, angel," Jungkook let out, muscles shaking as he swung a leg over the elder's body. He faced away from him, keeping upright on his knees.

"Come on, Kook. Sit."

"You're . . . You have to guide me, Tae. I can barely move right now."

Taehyung tugged on Jungkook's hips, forcing him to draw closer to his mouth. Once he was satisfied with their positioning, he hooked his arms around Jungkook's thighs and began pulling him down. "Sit."

Jungkook carefully lowered his weight onto his heels, his movements deliberate so he could adjust as needed. And when he was almost on his boyfriend's face, Taehyung yanked him down onto his waiting tongue.

"Oh."

A fucked-out moan was Taehyung's response as he circled Jungkook's rim, his tongue working in teasing strokes before plunging inside. And once he was inside . . . He made it his personal mission to taste everything he could possibly taste.

"Tae, Tae, fuck, Tae. Feels . . . oh, god. It feels so . . ." Jungkook didn't even know how it felt. Taboo, hot, dirty, good.

He gently rocked back against that stiff tongue, bending over to take hold of Taehyung's cock again. And thankfully - thankfully - that impressive length was almost fully hard, almost ready to experience its third and final climax.

As he continued to experience this dizzying new pleasure, Jungkook laid down on the elder's stomach so he could lazily mouth at him as well. He lacked most of his earlier gusto and energy, though he still suctioned his lips and worked his tongue to make his boyfriend moan out under him. And yeah, while he felt like he might start crying at any second, all he could focus on was how good he felt, how his body buzzed and burned and shook.

He didn't know how long they kept at it. A minute? Two? More? But when he determined that Taehyung was ready - or as ready as he could be with his over-sensitive, red, swollen flesh - Jungkook quickly rose to his knees and scrambled for the lube one last time.

One last fucking time.

With the lube in his hands, he turned around and hovered over Taehyung. He applied a generous amount of that slippery substance to his boyfriend's length, then smeared whatever was left on his fingertips to his entrance. And then he added even more.

"You're gonna ride me, okay?" Taehyung gritted out, propping another pillow beneath his head. "You're gonna make me feel so good, sweetheart. Make us feel so good. And you're gonna make us come, right?"

Oh, fuck. Oh, god. That's all Jungkook had to do. That's all he had to fucking do. He just had to ride Taehyung and make them both come. He only had to hold on long enough for his angel to reach that final release, and then . . . Then Jungkook could let go and finally come.

Jungkook wanted to cry all over again.

"Fuck me, sweetheart. You want to come? Fuck me."

"Okay, yes," Jungkook said a bit too eagerly, steadying both of his hands on the elder's shoulders. "Can you . . .?"

Taehyung inherently understood what he was asking - thank god - so he took hold of his cock and guided it between Jungkook's cheeks. The wet, hot tip of it slowly dragged along Jungkook's skin, searching for his opening and finding it a moment later. And when it caught on his rim, when it marginally pushed inside, Jungkook exhaled through his mouth and started to sink down.

"Angel," Jungkook cried out as he tried to relax around the thick intrusion, fighting his natural urge to clench and tighten. He paused when the head of the elder's cock was securely nestled inside of his body, waiting for the stretch to become more comfortable.

"Fuck, Kook," Taehyung said through a moan, bringing his hands to Jungkook's hips. His thumbs kneaded into his skin in a soothing and encouraging gesture.

Jungkook tentatively slid down more and more, biting into his lip and tossing back his head. He loved how his body had to open around Taehyung's cock, loved how that imposing length filled him up so perfectly. There was a stinging pain to it, sure, but that was a part of the thrill. And besides, he knew that this brief prick of discomfort would soon transform into blinding pleasure.

When he was fully seated on his boyfriend's lap, Jungkook wiggled his hips to get used to the fullness. "Tae. Angel."

"I know, Kook. I'm here, I'm right here." Taehyung's voice was tight with tension and restraint, like he was holding back considerably.

"You feel so good inside of me. You're so big."

"It's massive, right?" Taehyung chuckled, careful to keep his hips still even though he was twitching inside of Jungkook.

"Hey, my cock has exclusive rights to that word. Your cock can get its own word."

"Alright, then. What are your suggestions?"

"Huge?" Jungkook offered, smoothing his hands over the elder's shoulders as he experimentally rolled his hips. There was still a bit of discomfort, though it wasn't unmanageable. "Or maybe enormous? Or maybe . . . Oh! Mammoth."

Despite the way his cock was buried inside Jungkook's ass, Taehyung giggled in such a sweet and pure manner. "Mammoth . . . Well, I think that mammoth is bigger than massive, so that's fitting for you and me -"

Jungkook cut off the rest of his words with his mouth, kissing Taehyung hard and fast as he began rocking back and forth. The friction alone was enough to make him delirious, to make his insides melt and his mind turn into mush, but the fullness - that stretch of his body with every push and pull - destroyed him. He couldn't stop whining as Taehyung plunged his tongue between his lips, couldn't stop whimpering as he pounded deeper into Jungkook's ass.

And as they fell into a natural rhythm - a dance of lifting and sinking, bucking and grinding - Taehyung let go of whatever restraint he still possessed. He snapped his hips in sharp and unforgiving thrusts, slamming against the spot that made Jungkook feel euphoric, insane, beautiful. And when their kissing became less of kissing and more of grunting into the other's mouth, Taehyung slid his lips to Jungkook's neck and started sucking.

"You're so good, sweetheart," the elder said after adding a new mark to the collection on Jungkook's skin. "Fuck, I love you so much."

"I love you. Angel." A high-pitched keen ripped out of Jungkook's throat as the elder hit his prostate dead on. "Tae . . . Oh, fuck. Please. Make me come, let me come."

Taehyung pressed a hand against Jungkook's back, forcing him down onto his chest. Their bodies fused more so than before, causing Jungkook's cock to slide against his stomach with every movement. And when he protectively encircled his arms around his waist, he said, "So close, Kookie. We're almost there. You're almost there."

Jungkook wanted to retort that he already was there - he just needed permission - but he kept those words to himself. He burrowed his face into the elder's neck instead, nearly crying but doing his best to grind down as best he possibly could. His legs were so tired, shaking and weak from the effort of repeatedly lifting himself, but he didn't stop moving. He was a man on a mission. He was determined to see this through.

And even though his mind was obliterated, foggy with a combination of love and want and need, his body knew what to do. It moved on its own accord, twisting and rolling to make his insides burn with pleasure.

And Taehyung.

Fuck, feeling Taehyung beneath him - his heart thumping against Jungkook's, his hands clawing all over this back, his cock pistoning faster and faster - was giving Jungkook even more pleasure. Knowing that he was making his angel feel this good, knowing he endured this torture for both of their sakes . . .

It was a lot to take in.

But it made him feel good, feel proud, feel even fucking closer to exploding.

One of Taehyung's hands carded through his hair, gently knotting before pulling back. Jungkook allowed himself to be maneuvered back to Taehyung's mouth, parting his lips without prompt and curling his tongue. Their kissing didn't last too long, however, not this time.

Taehyung snuck a hand between their bodies, loosely gripping onto Jungkook's leaking cock. "Kook . . . Shit, Kook. I'm not . . . I can't . . ."

"Are you close?" Jungkook asked, pleaded, begged.

"Yes. God, yes. I need . . . I need you to come, sweetheart."

Jungkook nearly spluttered, both from those words and from the new attention his cock was getting. "But I thought -"

"You can come. You can come, Kook," Taehyung chanted as his hand tightened and his hips moved faster. "Please, sweetheart. I give you permission. I need you to come."

And with that approval, that allowance Jungkook lusted after for so long now, Jungkook let out a shameless moan as he kissed Taehyung again. And this time, when he felt the elder's cock slam into his prostate and when that hot fist gripped him just right, Jungkook let go.

And it hit him all at once.

An overpowering - a shattering, crushing, breathtaking - surge of light and heat washed over Jungkook's body, blurring his vision and causing his mouth to open in a silent scream. He didn't know who he was, where he was, or what he was. All he knew was that all-consuming pleasure, that beautiful relief of no longer having to hold himself back.

And as his cock spurted over Taehyung's hand and stomach - over his own stomach, too - he somehow possessed enough brainpower to realize Taehyung was coming as well. He could tell by the way the elder was crying against Jungkook's lips, reciting his name like a prayer. He could tell by how his hips slammed up, up, up, making those final, desperate thrusts into his ass. And he could tell by the way Taehyung was spilling inside of him, releasing all he had left to give until his pushes and pulls had no resistance at all.

🔥

They held onto each other tightly, shaking and panting and moaning, their mouths beginning to move in languid kisses as their hips gradually slowed from their wild bucking. And even when they came down from their highs - some semblance of sanity returning to them both - they didn't move from each other's embrace.

No . . . Taehyung kept stroking Jungkook's back in gentle caresses, the touch soothing against Jungkook's sweaty skin. And Jungkook carded through Taehyung's hair, brushing the damp strands from that stunning face of his. And they both kept moving their lips as their breathing returned to a more normal rate, doing nothing more than savoring the delicate, warm sensations.

At some point, after they rested their foreheads together and let their eyes fall shut, Taehyung murmured, "Sweetheart, my beautiful boy. Are you okay?"

Jungkook attempted to nod, though he wasn't sure his head and neck made the right movements. "Mhm."

"Can you give me words?"

"Mhm."

Taehyung brought his fingers beneath Jungkook's chin, slowly and carefully lifting so they could look into each other's eyes. "There you are."

God, Jungkook thought Taehyung looked stunning like this. Flushed cheeks, swollen lips, dark eyes that were brimming with love. And this . . . This version of the elder - this disheveled and raw and sensitive part of him - was only for Jungkook to see.

"Tae," he whispered. "Angel."

"You did amazing, Kookie," his boyfriend responded as he cupped Jungkook's cheeks, thumbs tracing over his cheekbones.

Jungkook sighed and relaxed into the touch, ignoring how his thighs were cramping from straddling Taehyung for so long. "Wanted to be good for you."

"Oh, sweetheart. You were so, so good," Taehyung assured him, voice soft like he knew Jungkook was still recovering from the whole ordeal. "You made me feel . . . Fuck, you made me feel so incredible, Kook. You made me come three times."

"Would you want to do it again?" Jungkook asked, referencing the overstimulation and multiple orgasms.

"Yeah. Definitely." The elder's hands trailed down his cheeks and neck, soothed along the sides of his stomach, then settled on his hips once more. "What about you? Was it too much?"

"It was . . . It was a lot, Tae. It was really hard, and at some points, I almost went out of my mind. But . . ."

"You enjoyed it."

Jungkook smiled wide as he said, "I fucking loved it."

Taehyung's lips spread into that brilliant smile of his, that smile Jungkook adored more than anything. And as he shifted his weight - inadvertently moving his softening cock inside of Jungkook, causing them both to gasp - he breathed out a soft, "Thank you."

"For the toe-curling, spine-tingling orgasms?"

"For trusting me. For trusting us," the elder explained. "It means a lot to me that we can explore these things together . . . that we feel safe enough within each other. And it means even more that we can laugh while doing it all."

Jungkook rose on shaky legs - Taehyung immediately gripping into his hips to steady him - as he pulled off of his boyfriend's length. He felt sticky and sweaty and utterly spent, but he wasn't complaining. He loved it. "You know what they say . . . If you trust a man to take a bullet for you, you can trust that man to completely destroy you in the bedroom."

"No one says that."

"Well, I say that," Jungkook chuckled, still hovering over the elder. "But seriously, Tae. You are my best friend and my angel and my other half. I know that whatever we're doing - whether we're here, in our own world, or out there in the real world - we're always going to trust and love each other. I'm always going to feel safe with you."

Jungkook sealed that declaration with a soft kiss, doing nothing more than sliding his lips in faint, tender sweeps over Taehyung's. And wow, while the sex was out-of-this-world amazing, this - the quiet moments, the gentle embraces, the pillow talk - was somehow even better.

After one, two, three, four more kisses, Taehyung pulled back and nodded towards the bathroom. "We never did get to use that tub. How about a bubble bath?"

The two lazily made their way out of bed and to the bathroom, moving slow due to their sore and weak muscles. They found an impressive collection of bath salts, questionably-shaped bath bombs, and bubbling soaps in a basket by the tub, and they spent a solid two minutes debating which one to use. Finally, thanks to Jungkook's exaggerated pouting, they decided to combine a lavender bubble bath with bath beads that had soothing aromatherapy oils.

Five minutes later, after the water got hot and started filling up the large tub, Jungkook found himself leaning against Taehyung's chest as his body was gently washed. A few stray rose petals floated in the water - apparently, they each had a couple tangled into their hair - but it added to the ambiance. And even though Jungkook felt like he could fall asleep at any second, he kept his eyes open and focused on the relaxing feeling of a warm washcloth sweeping over his skin.

As his upper chest was thoroughly washed and pampered, Jungkook tilted his head back onto the elder's shoulder. "Angel?"

"Sweetheart?"

"I love you."

"I love you," Taehyung murmured back, running the cloth over Jungkook's abdomen. "I love everything about you."

"Oh, yeah?" Jungkook smiled lazily, studying his boyfriend intently. "What do you love most?"

Taehyung pretended to consider, humming loudly and scrunching his eyebrows together. "Probably the mole under your lips."

Sucking his bottom lip into his mouth, Jungkook tilted his chin up to give his boyfriend a better view. "This mole?"

"That's the one. That's what I love most about you. Obviously."

Even though Jungkook knew they were joking around, he splashed water back at Taehyung. "Nice to know you only love me for my physical qualities, Taehyungie."

Taehyung abandoned the washcloth, cupping his palm with water and letting it trickle over Jungkook's face. "I could just stare at that freckle all day, thinking about how I want to kiss it. Oh, and when I said my eyes were always on you? I meant that my eyes were always on your mole."

"And they say romance is dead." Jungkook rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips.

"Hey, Kookie?"

"Tae?"

"I could never choose what I love most about you, you know," Taehyung said as he ran his fingers through Jungkook's dripping hair. "Everything I love . . . It all comes together and makes you, you. Like your drive, your humor, and your passion. How you let me ramble even when I'm not making any sense. How you offer advice but respect my opinion if it differs from yours. And how you never fail to remind me that I am loved and desired by you, that I'm important to you. And there's more, there's so much more, too. And I'll spend the rest of my life telling you, I promise."

"You want to make me cry again, don't you?" Jungkook's heart was threatening to burst out of his chest, and he was confident that Taehyung could feel it through his back.

"I want to make you happy, Kook. That's all I want to do."

"You've already succeeded in doing that," Jungkook whispered, reaching his hand behind Taehyung's neck to pull him down close. "I am so, so happy."

Their heads pressed together - Taehyung's cheek against Jungkook's ear - as they listened to the sounds of each other's breathing, as the water continued filling the tub and creating a mountain of bubbles. And they found solace in this peaceful moment; they were comforted by their shared warmth, contentment, and love.

And this . . .

This . . .

This was exactly where Jungkook was meant to be. This was what fate had in store for him all along. This was his destiny.

Taehyung.

And when the water neared the top of the tub, when Jungkook turned it off and settled back into Taehyung's arms, he realized something he had probably inherently known for a few months now. And as it hit him, as it settled into his bones, he looked at his angel - the person who saved his soul - and smiled.

"The day I met you . . . That was the day my life truly began."

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

Holy . . . 23,000 words . . . MY BRAIN. AH. But now you can all see why this was so long - had to give our boys a final steamy scene to remember. What did you think?!

I don't say this to myself too often, but I am really, really proud of this chapter. And no, not just for the steamy bits haha. I don't know how to explain it . . . By taking my time, not setting an impossible deadline, and just living/writing in the moment . . . This felt like the old me again. And as I was reading through this crazy long chapter, I fell in love with this plot, the characters, and writing in general again. So maybe no more det update schedule. I feel - and I hope you do, too - that the wait was worth it.

The end of this chapter means there is only one final chapter before the epilogue. I'm having a hard time believing we've reached the end of this story, a story that has changed me for the better. I learned so many things through writing No Going Back, and while it wasn't always an easy ride, I made it to the other side. And I have all of you to thank for your endless love and support - it will always mean more than I can ever begin to explain. Borahae always!