“Mmhhh”

“Ahhhm”

“Yessuh”

The walls were thin, too thin. Abigail lay in bed, frustrated by the loud noises coming from the next room. The sounds of moans and screams were hard to ignore. Each bang of the headboard against the wall made her wonder what on earth Jungkook and his guest were up to. It felt like the walls themselves were complaining about the noise, but the neighbor downstairs knocked against the ceiling, complaining.

This had been going on for hours. Hours! Whenever she thought they were finally done, it just continued minutes later. Jungkook and Taehyung had unexpectedly returned from their ill-fated road trip a week ago, which had left their caravan in shambles. Abigail had been staying with them for a week, and the situation had become a daily struggle.

Jungkook seemed to bring home a different woman every single day. Every. Single. Day. Did he ever get tired of it? Abigail couldn't help but wonder.

Meanwhile, Taehyung had taken up a night shift despite being on vacation. A colleague had fallen ill, and being the responsible soul he was, Taehyung had volunteered to cover the change. His schedule left Abigail mostly alone, as both Taehyung and Jungkook were often asleep during the day. It was no surprise that Abigail found herself feeling somewhat isolated amid their chaotic routine.

But she liked it that way. The involvement of others in her personal matters was the last thing she wanted. To her, they were nothing more than distractions, hindering her ability to focus. Abigail's thoughts became muddled whenever one of them, or heaven forbid, both, pranced around the apartment half-dressed.  Jungkook, in particular, seemed to enjoy leisurely walking around, clad in nothing but his Calvin Klein underwear.

She had found it challenging to look away from his impeccably sculpted physique. His rigid muscles seemed to ripple with each motion, showcasing the intricate inked artwork adorning his skin in a mesmerizing dance. Even the subtle way he idly played with his lip piercing using his tongue when boredom struck would captivate her attention. She hated it.

Enough, she had enough. Abigail sighed in annoyance as she banged her fist against the white wall, hoping he would finally stop. And to her surprise, it went silent. “Thank goodness.” She mumbled and lay down. As she closed her eyes, the banging against the wall began again. This time, it was more aggressive than it ever was. That's when she knew Jungkook wouldn't let her nor the woman beside or underneath him sleep and rest.

How could he even enjoy that when it was scorching hot? The nights didn't cool down, and the apartment's AC was still not functioning, making it feel like sitting in a sauna. Abigail stood up to grab a glass of water. Sleeping was not an option. “Oh god damn it, it's 5 am!” She sighed in annoyance and placed her cheek on the cold kitchen counter. “It's still dark, and I haven't slept for a second.” With eyes squeezed shut, she punched her fists against the counter.

Jungkook returned home at 1 a.m., and ever since his arrival, there had been a flurry of activity emanating from his room. Exhausted, Abigail closed her eyes and relished the coolness of the wooden kitchen counter. The tranquility of the night tempted her to drift off to sleep right then and there. Despite Jungkook's room being situated at the far end of the apartment, the muffled noises still managed to find their way into the kitchen.

The faint click of the lock didn't jolt her awake; she was too exhausted to stir. She could only surmise that it was Taehyung returning from his night shift. Abigail realized she knew little about his job, and truth be told, there had never been a convenient moment to inquire.

Footsteps reverberated in the room. She sensed his presence beside her, but her only desire was to drift into much-needed sleep. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Are you drunk?" His deep, rumbling voice sent a shiver down her spine, causing her hair to stand on end.

She tried to respond, "No," but her words came out as a feeble murmur. In her mind, she articulated clearly, but in reality, it sounded more like a whimper.

Taehyung shifted knowingly as the woman's moan resounded. A deep chuckle escaped his lips, so unnatural that it seemed almost otherworldly. "Alright, I think I understand why you're here now," he murmured before reaching for a glass of water. His desperate gulps seemed to echo through the dimly lit room, oddly soothing in their intensity. "Looks like this might be a long night."

Abigail stiffened at his words, meeting his gaze in the subdued light and noticing the weariness in his features. It was no wonder he looked so exhausted; Taehyung had been working tirelessly without a break. Despite this, she couldn't help but voice her frustrations. "It's been hours," she lamented, running her fingers through her braided hair in exasperation. "I can't rest with all that racket coming from his room—whatever he's up to in there. She's wailing like he's causing her harm, and the headboard keeps banging against the wall. I can't take it anymore. Every single night is the same!”

A faint grin appeared on the corner of his lips, which fueled her frustration. “Don't worry about the woman; it sounds like she's enjoying it.”

“I don't worry about her.” She immediately shot back. “I need my sleep. Why the hell is his room right next to mine? Please swap your rooms. I want you as my room neighbor. You're not noisy at all, and you don't… “ Abigail stopped mid-sentence, searching for the right word but didn't want to sound vulgar.

His brows rose in surprise, disappearing beneath his tousled dark hair. "I don't understand?" Taehyung murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. She noticed a subtle shift in the hue of his eyes; were they darkening? He repeated his question, "I don't, what, Galileo?" Abigail was momentarily startled when he fixed her with his gaze. The intensity of his look alone was enough to make her heart race uncontrollably, but then he moved closer, mere inches from her face. She could feel his warm, minty breath tickling her lips.

Taehyung held her gaze unwaveringly, and she found herself drawn to him like a moth to a flame. In his presence, she struggled to form coherent thoughts, let alone speak. Though their bodies were not touching, it felt as if his hands were tracing invisible paths along her neck and down her spine, igniting sensations in places she had never allowed anyone to touch willingly. Abigail swallowed hard, and her throat suddenly dried as she noticed a glass of water on the counter, still in Taehyung's grasp.

Of course, he noticed her shift and followed her attention. He pushed the glass with his middle and index fingers as it glided over the wooden counter beside her resting hand. Without hesitation, she gulped the water down as if she hadn't had a drink for days. Her brain was messing with her. The lack of sleep didn't help; it made it worse.

Abigail didn't notice that the noises had stopped. The apartment was silent despite her heartbeat echoing in her ears. She even felt it in her throat and almost jumped out of her when she saw a shadow approaching them. Her eyes widened at the sight before her as Jungkook stood close enough. Myopic or short-sighted, that's what Abigail was; everything close to her, she was able to see without her glasses.

His body was moisturized with sweat, she guessed. And, as always, he was wearing nothing but his damn tight Calvin Klein underwear. She really tried not to look too closely at a specific part, but it was hard not to notice that Jungkook was indeed big …oh god, no wonder the women were screaming as if they were in pain. His lips were swollen and red, highlighting his shiny piercing. A mischievous smirk played on the edge of his mouth as he casually took the nearly empty glass from her hand and downed its contents.

“Why you're still up, pumpkin?” Jungkook asked, yet the answer was already written all over his face. And he seemed so proud of himself.

Abigail's scoff was sharp as she attempted to storm out of the room, but Taehyung swiftly intercepted her, grabbing hold of her shirt and halting her in her tracks. Whirling around, she shot him a glare filled with irritation, a deep frown etched on her face. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" she hissed, trying in vain to pull her shirt down to cover her thighs as Taehyung's grip tightened. "Let me go."

"You still haven't answered my question," he said calmly, his expression unreadable.

“What is wrong with you?” Abigail pushed his clothed chest, trying to get away, but Taehyung wouldn't let her go. His chest felt so hard under her palms, and his shirt was drenched and stuck to his skin. So many questions swirled in her mind, but she was too tired to think straight. “What question?”

She inhaled sharply when Taehyung stepped closer. His hand was still gripping the hem of her shirt, and she could feel his knuckles push against her thigh. Taehyung had covered them with her shirt, yet it felt as if he was touching her skin raw. The thought of his skin on hers sent shivers throughout her body. It made her nauseous. She couldn't stand it, and she had no doubt he would hate the feeling of her skin as well. Everyone did.

He blinked slowly as if he sensed her distress and said calmly. “Forget it, I don't need an answer. “ Taehyung dropped his hand and freed her. It was never easy to read him, as if there was ever a time she could read Taehyung's mind, but just now, he looked—empty. Just when he turned his back to her, she was the one this time, who stopped him by grabbing his shirt. Their eyes meet immediately.

“What was your question, again?” She whispered. Surprised by herself, Abigail couldn't believe what she was doing, but something inside her broke when she saw his empty stare. She had worn that stare as a kid when she had enough of asking the same questions a dozen times but never got an answer. “I'm too tired to focus, so I must've overheard your question.”

Taehyung pulled away so easily and stepped farther away from her. “Go to sleep then.” He said lowly, though she heard a hint of annoyance. But before she could open her mouth, a woman appeared behind the walls. She wore nothing but a thong. Her large breasts were on full display, and it took Abigail's breath away at how confident the blond haired woman presented herself.

“Kook, where are you?” She hummed in her half-sleep state as she hugged Jungkook from the side. He pressed her naked body tightly to his and slapped her ass a few times. “I was waiting.”

“You passed out, honey.” Jungkook answered and chuckled  when her hand glided down his six-pack to his—oh god, have mercy. Abigail averted her eyes immediately and landed on Taehyung, who was watching this friend with darkened eyes. “We're not alone.” Jungkook informed the woman. She then looked at Taehyung and grinned sensually. The woman's fingers caressed along the hem of his v-neck shirt, down to his chest, and rested just about the knob of his beige trousers.

Before she could go farther, Abigail cleared her throat and asked again. “Tae, what was your question?” All pairs of eyes landed on her, including the woman's.

“Oh, cute, is that your little sister?” The blond woman blurted out in laughter as she pinched Abigail's braids. “So sweet little braids. I wore them last when I was five.” Abigail had big waves mixed with wild locks. If she wouldn't braid them to sleep, they'd tangle into one big knot. A horrifying situation for every girl with locks, especially untangling them, was time-consuming and would damage the hair.

Taehyung grabbed the woman's wrist and pushed her against Jungkook. “Don't touch her!” He growled through his teeth. He seemed angry. “Get her outta here.”

Jungkook blinked in surprise and sighed deeply. "So that means you don't wanna join us?”

Join them? Abigail was puzzled at Jungkook's question but shook her head to eliminate the imagination. Taehyung noticed her reaction and  let out a snort. “No, I won't.” A yawn escaped Abigail. She was truly on the verge of losing consciousness when she felt a light tug on her shirt. Through squeezed eyes, she saw Taehyung pulling her into her room. The feeling of the cold mattress under her made her pass out in seconds, yet a mumbled sentence escaped her mouth. “Tae, your question.”

•♡•

Abigail's mumbling thoughts made Taehyung shake his head in disbelief. “Is that important right now?” He whispered to himself as he covered her body with a thin blanket. A red strand of her locks stuck between her plump lips, and he was enticed to tuck them behind her ears. He held himself back, knowing too well she didn't like skin-on-skin or any physical contact. “You're so annoying.” He whispered again, with a smile on his face.

“Is she asleep?” Jungkook stood by the door, leaning with folded arms against the frame. Taehyung nodded at him solely, took a last glance at Abigail, and left the room.

"You have to be more sensitive about this stuff.” He announced as he strode to his room.

Jungkook followed him close, asking. “What stuff?"

“Bringing women here!” Taehyung snapped back while turning around to look at his friend. Jungkook was more than a friend; he was his foster brother.

“Why?” Jungkook's confusion was written all over his face. “It was never an issue.”

“Was, JK, was!” He commented and stepped closer to his brother as he placed his hands on his shoulders. “But now we have Abigail living with us—Jimin’s sister.”

“I don't see the problem in that.”

“JK, she's not experienced in anything close to what we do. We enjoy things she doesn't, and we have to find a compromise if we want to live together. As long as she's with us we have to be careful what we do and believe me, fucking someone's brain, every night, won't help to balance our lives. She didn't sleep for days because you were too obvious–”

“You know I love it when they're loud!” Jungkook interrupted Taehyung in the middle of his sentence. His brows creased dramatically just to annoy the older one even more. “It brings the beast out of me.”

Taehyung chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. “Yeah, Yeah, I know, but you have to tame the beast for the time being. At least, as long as Abigail is with us or until we find a place for her.”

“Does that mean no sex for me?” Jungkook pouted, imitating a little child.

Taehyung pinched his cheek with his fingers, “you know how to get sex if you use your brain, but this apartment is taboo. I don't care where you do it, if it's in your tattoo studio or at the woman's place—I don't care. Be creative and you'll find a place to release your needs.” He stripped off his clothes and lay on his bed, ready to doze off. Taehyung was very tired from the shift tonight. He had too many emergencies to deal with but thankfully they all went well.

“And what about your needs?” Jungkook teased in a whispery annoying voice. “She's still in my room—if you want to go for a last ride-”

“Not interested!” Taehyung shut his brother off very quickly. “I am going to take a short break. The praxis will take a lot of my energy and I still need to write my thesis. I have an announcement to make, maybe we should call Jimin tomorrow so we could discuss this together.” He closed his eyes but still felt Jungkook pacing around his room. This guy was annoying him sometimes.

“What announcement?” The younger one asked excitedly, but Taehyung was already snoring. “Oh come on, Tae, you can't just end it here. How am I supposed to sleep now? Can I, at least, go for a last round?”

“No fucking!” Jungkook was startled at Taehyung's sudden answer and was about to close the door behind him when the older one added, "Jungkook, I'm serious; please make sure she feels comfortable.”

•••

[I'm back]