author's note:

WHOA, GUYS! 10K READS? *pops a champagne bottle and pours everyone a glass* THANK YOU SO MUCH! *tears up*

Double update today as a celebration! Enjoy!

***

Adjusting the strap of my little black dress nervously, I couldn't help but admire the spacious 360 rooftop restaurant Taehyung had brought me to. He had offered me little to no information as to where he was taking me, but I was thankful that I had chosen my most elegant cocktail dress. The last thing I wanted was to feel out of place during our date.

"Over here," Taehyung said in a hushed tone, resting his hand on the small of my back gently as he ushered me to walk with him to a more hidden, private area. The place was absolutely gorgeous with an enormous terrace with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a spectacular panoramic view of the whole city. Its romantic ambiance was alluring and the striking night sky you could see from up there took my breath away.

However, that view wasn't even half as good as the way Taehyung looked tonight. Sporting a Rolex on his right hand, he was dressed in an elegant black coat with a classic snow-white shirt underneath, the first three buttons left undone to uncover the caramel skin of his chest. The black jeans he was wearing fit him quite tightly, enhancing how tall he looked. His soft blond locks cascaded over his chiseled face and the way his intoxicating fragrance infiltrated my nostrils sent my mind into a frenzy.

I couldn't wait to take these clothes off of him.

"Oh, thank you," I nearly snorted in the form of a laugh as the waiter adjusted the chair for me so that I could sit. I wasn't used to such gestures. Truthfully, I hadn't even been to a place like this.

"Usually you have to book two months in advance to get a table here, but the owner's a friend of mine so I got us in," Taehyung grinned, peering at me over the menu, the candle placed on the table illuminating his deep coffee brown orbs.

"You really shouldn't have gone through that trouble because of me," I gasped, feeling really awkward all of a sudden and shifting in my seat uncomfortably. "I didn't go out with you because I expected you to bring me to fancy places. McDonalds' would have been fine," I offered him a warm smile. I didn't want him to think I was by any means materialistic and that he had to go to extreme lengths to keep me happy.

"My girl deserves only the best," his deep, velvety voice washed over me as he leaned over the table, his fingers brushing against the back of my hand, drawing small circles on it. The sensation had been so soft, so imperceptible, but it instantly sent shivers down my spine.

My breath hitched in my throat. My girl? Was Taehyung claiming me as his girl?

Ha, take that, Jimin.

My whole face hardened. Why was that man even popping up in my head at a time like that? I knew the reason. I was still kind of mad at him for trying to manipulate me and make me second-guess my feelings for Taehyung by asking what exactly our relationship was. I wanted to laugh at his face and tell him that yes, Taehyung really was serious about me.

Shaking my head, I tried to chase these stupid thoughts away. I wanted to focus on Taehyung, on our night together. I was determined to make this the perfect night, and it seemed like he was too.

After a couple of minutes of small talk, the waiter had come and had taken our order. Apparently, Taehyung had instructed him beforehand to prepare for us the most expensive bottle of wine they had, because the second time he came around he was carrying the gold liquid with himself.

"Seems like you're really trying hard here," I teased, sipping on the wine, its rich taste filling my mouth.

"I told you I was going to give you the best date in your life," he said softly, gazing into my eyes. "And there's more where that came from."

"What do you mean?" I raised a brow.

"I mean that I have every intention to leave you incapable of walking by the end of the night," he replied nonchalantly and I had to press my thighs against each other to numb down the ball of warmness that started to form between my legs.

"Be careful, don't make any promises you may not keep," I gave a daring smile in an attempt to sound confident but truth be told, I was just one inch away from melting into a puddle on the floor under Taehyung's arresting gaze.

"You and I both know I'm definitely going to keep that one," a sly smirk painted over his seductive lips. I let all of my frustration with him slowly dissipate as I was overcome by this rush of heat circulating through my body. The way he made me feel was exhilarating, and yet it was mildly alarming how significant the effect he seemed to have on me was.

"So, is this where you usually bring the girls you take out?" I tried to sound as casual as possible, looking away and letting my eyes roam the luxurious restaurant. The second the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. I wasn't being subtle at all. I had to get a hold of myself, my curiosity was obviously getting the better of me.

Ever since Taehyung had told me about his ex, I couldn't stop thinking about her. What was she like? Where was she now? Did they still keep in touch? So many questions and no answers. I knew I didn't have any claim on him or his past, but suddenly the thought of him taking me to places he'd been with other women pierced painfully through my heart.

There was a brief pause before he spoke as we waited for the waiter to place the plates on the table.

"I've never brought any girl here before," Taehyung said finally, furrowing his eyebrows. His words made my heart pick up its pace and hammer against my chest violently. "Y/N, if I have to be completely honest with you, I've never had a serious relationship before," the way his cheeks slightly flushed, tainted by a light pink hue, tugged at my heart strings.

"Really?" my eyebrows shooting sky high, I couldn't conceal my disbelief. I immediately straightened up my face, I didn't want my reaction offending him somehow.

"Yes," he mumbled in a quiet voice, offering me a faint nod. "Just casual ones, but never ones that got me to fall in love," he made a small pause before continuing. "Things never got that serious."

"I have to say, I'm surprised," I said, my eyes growing wider than ever as I struggled to wrap my mind around this revelation.

"But why?" Taehyung sounded abashed as he put down his utensils. "Did you think I was some kind of a player?" he didn't look mad, just kind of disheartened that I could think that of him. Before I could reply, he resumed. "I've never been that kind of person. Y/N, I haven't even been with that many women before you," he confessed, his gaze falling down to his plate before glancing back at me. His eyes glistening with sincerity and his cheeks reddened again, making my heart drop.

"I've never thought that way of you, Taehyung," I muttered softly, my hand darting to rest on top of his and he grabbed it, interlocking our fingers. His eyelashes fluttered as he peered at me, his free hand straddling my face gently. I let myself relish in his touch, moving my face against his soft palm.

"I've never done this before, so please be patient with me," he whispered, his face inches away from mine. "I want to make this right," he uttered, his eyes glimmering like candles in the night and I suddenly felt lost in those deep brown orbs.

It stole my breath, the way he was capable of touching me just the right way, as a ball of warmness started forming in my chest. I couldn't yet identify what the feeling was but it overwhelmed me, tearing me apart and making me feel whole at the same time. Taehyung leaned closer and landed a small feather kiss on my cheek, causing my breathing to become ragged and uneven.

"Can you excuse me for a moment?" I grumbled, suddenly feeling the need to go to the ladies' room and freshen up and most importantly, shake off the intense emotions Taehyung was making me feel. He smiled and nodded, I could feel his gaze lingering on me as I walked away.

My heart skipped several beats as I scurried to the ladies' room. So deep in thought, I was late to hear the distant voices coming from around the corner, one of them sounding awfully familiar and making my body abruptly come to a halt.

"What the fuck are you doing? Who told you to come here?" the male voice echoed through my head as I unwittingly held my breath, straining my ears as much as I could to hear more. I had never heard Jimin sound so infuriated, his usually sweet and playful voice now laced with menace. I pressed my back to the wall, leaning over just a little bit more to hear better.

"I- I was just-," another voice, a lot quieter and frail, came from the spot they were apparently standing in. A female voice. The couple of shaky breaths that followed those words gave away how upset she probably was, seemingly on the verge of tears.

"I don't want to hear it," Jimin nearly snarled and I shuddered at the animalistic tinge coloring his voice. "You need to leave now, I don't want to see you ever again."

"I'm sor-," the female voice was choking on her words, the small yelps that erupted from her mouth prevented her from talking normally.

"I don't give a fuck how sorry you are, you disgust me," Jimin let out a low growl. "Get the hell out of here and take your pile of crap with you, or else you'll make me do some very un-gentleman-ly shit," his voice was low and threatening and my hand shot up to cover my mouth as I couldn't contain my shock.

Who was he talking to in such an awful way?

"I wanted to see-," the girl whined pleadingly and the next second a muffled squeal cracked the air as something falling on the floor with a loud thud made me leave my spot instinctively, giving away my presence.

My eyes rounded as the sight of Jimin holding roughly Tiffany by the upper-arm came into view, making my blood start to boil almost instantly. Her face was curled into a painful grimace, her complexion gray and gaunt as if she was sick. Her usually lustrous crow black locks were now just sticking in every direction possible, mimicking a rat nest. It was the most pitiful state I had ever seen her in, her clothes wrinkled and stained and her backpack laying in her feet, probably having been the cause of the thud I had heard.

"Get the hell away from her!" I thundered, hastening up to them and yanking Jimin's arm from Tiffany's. I felt as though my heart was going to explode with fury, seeing how despite me catching him harassing Tiffany, he still had the guts to look startled.

"Y/N-" he started.

"What do you even think you're doing?" I hissed, turning around to glance at Tiffany and see if she was alright. She looked completely stupefied, unfiltered horror plastered over her pale face.

"Y/N, it's not what you-," Jimin's voice was definitely calmer now, but it still didn't snap me out of the whirlwind of pure rage I was starting to spiral into. Suddenly Tiffany grabbed her backpack and dashed away quicker than I had ever seen her move, rushing through the restaurant doors.

I hesitated about going after her, but Jimin grabbed me by the wrist, jerking it and pulling me backward. A new wave of exasperation washed over me as my gaze cast over his arrogant face.

My mind was fogged by my impending anger, even so, it dawned on me. Suddenly it all made sense. Jimin's notorious reputation of a womanizer. Tiffany hurting over a guy who had led her on. Her getting jittery every time she was at work because he was there too. The text messages I saw her type frantically and the way Jimin's phone couldn't stop chiming.

The realization struck me harder than a bolt of lightning.

"I cannot believe you," my eyes grew wider with shock as I choked on the words.

"Y/N, let me explain," Jimin sounded almost like he was begging.

"Who do you think you are?" I cut him off. "Look what you've done to the poor girl. Look what you've made her become with your silly little games!" my voice boomed louder and louder, but I didn't care. I could hardly contain my outrage.

"Oh my God, this is so not what you think it is," Jimin rolled his eyes as if he was highly annoyed with me.

"Actually, I'm certain it's exactly what I think it is. You've driven Tiffany mad with your expert manipulations. Did you see the way she looked at you? She probably came here trying to beg you for your love, but she had no idea that you were an insensitive pig that only uses women for his own personal pleasure!"

"Stop this, you're being ridiculous. If you just shut up and listen-"

"I feel so stupid for even considering the idea of you being a decent human being," the words were breathy as they left my mouth, I balled my hands into fists inadvertently. This seemed to hit him harder than I thought it would, because suddenly his whole face turned red, his jaw clenched and his left eye twitched. I had never seen him so angry.

"Damn it, Y/N!" Jimin slammed his hand against the wall next to me, making me freeze and stare at him in shock. "What do I have to do to make you see who I really am? After everything I've done for you, you still can't look at me without disgust and judgment in your eyes and I'm fucking done with it," he let out an exasperated sigh, running his fingers through his hair and huffing like an angry bull. "I'm so sick of you treating me like a monster, like I'm some kind of emotionless scum. I have feelings too, have you ever really considered that?" he said breathlessly, his brown eyes glistening with a glossy layer as his chest heaved up and down, mimicking his frustration.

I was completely stupefied. We both panted uncontrollably, staring each other down.

"Which is why you don't deserve to know the truth," Jimin whispered all of a sudden.

"Truth?" I scowled. "Jimin, what truth?"

"What is happening here?" Taehyung rounded the corner, his forehead creased in a pronounced frown which only grew deeper after he laid his eyes on Jimin.

"Nothing," I hurried to reply, predicting the storm that would ensue if Taehyung had heard any part of the conversation I had with Jimin.

His dark eyes darted to Jimin. "Are you following us now?" he questioned with a face of utter nonchalance but I knew better than to trust this mask. He was just as furious, he just didn't let it show.

"As if," Jimin scoffed haughtily. "I'm here with someone. Is that so weird?" His words caused an odd twinge to pierce through my heart but I gathered all my strength to numb it down and ignore it. "Why do you even care? Go and enjoy your little date," he said bitterly, darkness casting over his face.

"Come on, Y/N," Taehyung almost growled in a commanding, authoritative voice as he put his arm around my waist, giving off a superior leer. "We're leaving."

I nodded slowly, following him as he took me by the hand and started walking away. Stealing one last glance at Jimin's face, I noticed his slightly dipped eyebrows, a silent plea in his eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to decipher what he was trying to say to me. I shook my head, turning around to walk after Taehyung.

However, the urge to glance over my shoulder one last time was unbearable and as I surrendered to it and let my gaze cast over Jimin, my heart sank. To my surprise, he didn't seem to look sad, nor angry.

He just looked lost.

author's note:

whoa, way to ruin a good date, Jimin. such a party pooper smh

Will Taehyung be able to save the date night after all? Guess you guys will just have to proceed to the next chapter and see for yourselves --->

Since there's a double update today, the question about what we should do next will be in the next chapter, guys. Enjoy reading!

On another note, I hope you all are keeping up with 'Hard'. As most of you probably know this is the collaborative story I've teamed up with the amazing sarcastrophist to write at our joint account kinkynoonas. There's supposed to be a really juicy (*eyebrow wiggle*) update coming up xoxo