"Was that necessary Taehyung?" Namjoon released the breathe he was holding as the duo exited the mansion towards the older's silver Benz.

"It worked." A sly smirk came as the evidence of his thinking as Namjoon gasped further with the brown head's joy.

"What? I am pointing out the danger we could be under and you're contented with the outcome? Tae, we don't even know if it's a success."

"We walked out alive."

"You're nuts." Namjoon rolled his eyes as he unlocks his car for them to get the hell out of the mansion's driveway. "Are you going to tell Maya about this?"

Taehyung nodded. He finds no reason to hide the truth from Maya as this discussion mainly involves her as the main character. "Let's go to the bakery, we will find her there."

Joon obliged as he drove silently to the bakery while Taehyung continues to stir his mind in multiple directions on what is to come next. The patissier knows that there is no way Lucas will keep his hands off the issue now that Taehyung started to show his claws as well.

The car ride lasted for a while before the older could pull in front of the sideway parking leading the pavement to V's Bakery. As close as Joon is with Tae, the older doesn't often visit the bakery with his overwhelming duty as one of the young directors of VANTE. Today was an exception as Namjoon took a day off, cherishing the life he lost enslaved to the corporate life.

"Come on in. We won't have much crowd at this hour. It's a good time to speak." Taehyung closed the passenger door as he looked over the car at the older one who stood by the driver's side. Namjoon nodded and braced himself to face whatever or whoever inside the bakery as he is not the best person when it comes to socialising.

Like an obedient follower, Namjoon sticks to the younger's side as the duo made their way into the cosy bakery.

"Taehyung I fucking swear what did you just do-...hey." Jin's high pitched outburst turned to an optimal ideal self when his eyes land on the figure stuck behind Taehyung, standing a good head taller than his boss.

Taehyung turned confused when he was bombarded by the erupting Jin who turned into a soft kitten just the very next second.

"Hey?" The brown head questionably returned his friend's greeting.

"I did not say hye to your little ass. I said hey to that fine specimen behind you." Jin winked at the oblivious-looking Joon who almost choked with his saliva as a disturbing cough risen in his throat.

"H-hey."

"Oh come on Joonie, don't pretend like we don't know each other well. Come here." Jin did a little run as he throws himself at the man before him, burying his face in the comfort nook of Namjoon's neck.

"Hey baby." Joon's face lit with his dimpled smile as he engulfed the broad-shouldered man with a sweet greeting.

"Hey sexy. I didn't know you were with Tae."

"Yea, about that..."

"Hello? Excuse me? Mind explaining?" Taehyung was disturbed by this unknown fact as he crossed his arms, raising the corner of his brow in question. It sure fascinated him how these two manage to link up and by the look of it, possibly dating one another.

"You don't need to be nosy." Jin pointed his tongue out and dragged Namjoon with him as the duo walked past Taehyung who was offended in many ways.

"I will get into that after I speak with Maya." The brown head bumped his shoulder with Jin as he speed-walked to the other side of the bakery where Maya was sitting on the table with a certain someone he was not expecting to see at the bakery.

"Hoseok?"

"Hey Taehyung." The copper head greeted cheerfully, just the usual sunshine he is as Maya turned to face Tae with a smile hugging the corners of her lips. It's almost like she is mirroring the ethereal man in front of her, blinding Taehyung in his vision.

"Maya, can I have a word?" Taehyung said after nodding his head at Hobi acknowledging his greeting.

"Yea sure, if everything alright?"

"I spoke to your dad and I think you need to know about it."

Just the thought about her father scared Maya. She loves and obeys her dad to the best she can, but somehow, the girl feels that she has no say in what she wants in the future shaping her life to nothing but the wish according to her parents. Often, Maya does feel like a puppet restricted by her actions and words.

Gathering the rest of the boys together, Taehyung ran his train of words explaining the happening at Lim's mansion with a little help from Namjoon to add on the dramatic effect.

"For a second, I thought my head was on the chopping block." The young director sighed causing Jin to panic.

"What the hell? Did anything violent happened at the mansion?" Jin was ready to fight anyone who threatens the safety and sanity of his friends.

"Nothing happened babe, we are fine. Taehyung did a good job in ensuring we sent the message across without losing our heads."

"Babe?" Hoseok raised his brows and at the same time, Maya's eyes widened twice in size.

"Ya about that, we will get into that later." Taehyung switched their focuses back to discuss the next course of action. "Maya, I need you to go back home now and talk to your father. I can guarantee you he will be a little pissed or demanding or both, but just listen to him out and then say what you wish to say."

Maya gulped at this. "Do you think he will listen to me Tae?"

"I believe he will Maya. I don't know your father in person very well but I know he was once one of the closest friends to my late dad. With that I know he is a man of his sentiments and I used a tiny bit of it on him. I think you will know what to do next." Taehyung patted the girl's head as Maya nodded like an excited little kid in a candy store.

"Thanks, Tae, I owe you big time if I can get rid of Lucas." Maya lunged forward, just enough time for Taehyung to catch her in his arms.

"You will Maya, don't worry."

Maya nodded as she released herself from the stronger male's arms, in tears with the freedom she is about to have after speaking to her father. "Did you manage to sort things out with Lucas as well?"

"I have not and he is not making things easy for me nor Jungkook." Taehyung sighed as he explained the recent happening in which Lucas played dirty to manipulate the match.

"It's this weekend?" Hoseok gasped. He knows that Jungkook is grinding so hard at the training and the gym, working his way to be the champion. Of coz, the initial hustling was done to ensure he wins the cash for Taehyung. Now with the young patissier solving the issues in hand, this match will mean that Jungkook can fulfil his dream and live independently from his oblivion family too.

"Jungkook is not telling me but I know he is stressed out." Taehyung sighed as he recalled the tension on Jungkook's face this morning.

"He wants to win this match Tae. Initially, he wanted to help you out but then when you managed to solve your financial hurdle, Jungkook was determined to still keep his head in the game as he wanted to be financially stable as well."

"Is this about him living alone and not with his parents?"

Hoseok nodded at Taehyung as the sunshine was unable to reveal anything else private in regards to Jungkook's family. Both Jimin and Hoseok are close with Jungkook, they don't know the entire story of the younger's family but they know enough to empathise with the younger and the history of his broken family.

"I think you should speak with him Tae. If he wants to share, he will. He loves you now, I think you mean a lot to him." Hoseok said with a satisfying feeling inside his chest. Somehow, our sunshine knows that there can never be someone out there who can love Taehyung like Jungkook and vice versa.

"I love him a lot too Hoseok. And my family? Is Jungkook too."

Taehyung said with a soft smile on his lips with his feet growing tense to run its way to his boyfriend, no matter wherever he is at that moment. Taehyung knows he can't do anything to stop the competition or affect the changes, hence the only thing he can make sure is Jungkook survives to win the competition.

"I will need to speak with Jungkook." The brown head said as he requested for Jin to operate the bakery for the day. With that, he was out again, calling for his boyfriend to find the boy heading home to his studio apartment after a quick workout at the gym.

.

"Tae?" Jungkook came out of his bedroom at the same time Taehyung came in with a bundle of flowers in its usual brown paper.

"For you Bambi."

"Thanks." Jungkook grabbed hold of the flower bundle and leaned forward to peck Taehyung's lips.

"Is that all I get?" Taehyung was quick to snatch his boyfriend's petite waist as both the males stumble towards a nearby wall with Taehyung caging the younger between his arms.

"Yes, and that's all you will get until I am done with the competition this weekend Tae. I can't afford to slack, I need to be fully on my feet and fit if I want to win the match Taehyungie." Jungkook was playing with the collar of Tae's shirt, painfully grazing his thumb across the older's sharp jawline.

The older growled in frustration with the innocent bleeding down Jungkook's face and the fact that the raven head is teasing him on purpose. "Fine."

"But, I can still do this." Jungkook wrapped his arms around the brown head and pulled him in for a long and passionate kiss. The shortness of their breaths did not bother either one of the males as both Tae and Kook yearned for more.

"Now, if you want to stand straight, perhaps this is where we stop Bambi." Taehyung said after forcing himself to detach their swollen lips from binding further.

"Yea..." Jungkook sulked but he knows that he shouldn't provoke his boyfriend. "What is it you want to talk to me about?" The younger was playing with the end of Taehyung's brown hair mullet.

"I wanted to about you about my meeting with Mr Lim this morning."

Jungkook's eyes widened and he quickly placed the flowers aside and dragged Taehyung to the living room. He waited patiently for the older to explain his story all over again without interrupting.

"I know I can't stop Lucas like I did to stop the marriage. I need you to be safe Bambi." Taehyung cupped the younger's cheeks in the palm of his hands as he slowly pressed a kiss on the ravenette's forehead.

"I know this competition is important for you Kooks, but safety and your wellbeing surpasses it all for me."

Jungkook nodded. He knows that Taehyung wouldn't understand how important for him to be financially stable. The older had no clue the kind of hardship Jungkook had to go through despite being the only child to his parents.

"When I was young, I was never provided sufficiently."

Taehyung adjusted their seating. He has now leaned back on the couch, taking Jungkook's head to his chest while the younger leaned on his boyfriend for support as they both lay down. The older continued to run his fingers through Jungkook's raven locks, encouraging the younger to speak without fear.

"Mom was working, dad was working. Somehow, we didn't have enough to support the three of us. It was during my middle school when I found out my dad was abusing alcohol as well as having a mistress where most of his earnings and my mom went to waste."

The brown head stiffened with each words leaving the younger's mouth. Could it be the reason why Jungkook became so broken and quiet resulting in his extreme introvert self due to the suppression he was brought up with?

The younger went ahead to explain how he would come home to a quiet home with not many interactions and a mom who doesn't have the energy to continue living. At one point in her life, Jungkook's mom attempted suicide for she couldn't bear to live with a husband who doesn't honour his words or commitment.

If only Jungkook was not home early that day from his school, he probably would have been left with his ignorant father.

Across the years, the only remedy Jungkook could afford to keep his mind sane was sports and academic. After the failed attempt to end her life, Jungkook's mom moved closer to her own family, leaving Jungkook with his father to only visit when there is a need.

Jungkook was 16 when this came to an end road and the raven head decided to try for scholarships at a reputable college as a saving grace from the hell hole he was in. At the age of 17, he made a breakthrough by being the youngest scholar to receive the Keller's advance scholarship for their business school and here we are, having a first-class graduate who is paving his way into the country's largest corporation as their reputable intern in less than a few weeks.

"I didn't want to neglect them Tae. I loved them. I know they are not the typical parents I wish to have but I thought I could have my chances with them."

Jungkook decided when he received his scholarship that he will work toward his independence. He knows he can't be depending on his father who got lucky and was promoted to a higher position with his then company.

With more income and higher post, his father only turned out to be a bigger loser.

"Is that why you took up boxing matches to be able to afford?"

Jungkook nodded at the older's question as he curled deeper into Taehyung's embrace, finding the comfort he missed.

"You're such a strong person Jungkook. So pure and so hardworking. I can't say I lived the same fate as you but we are here together now and that's what matters to me the most." Taehyung leaned down to kiss the top of the raven head.

"I am so proud of you and whatever happens in the match, I am here to support you. You're my family now Kook, you will always be."

"You are mine as well Tae." Jungkook looked up to get himself a glimpse of his love.

"I love you Bambi, you are safe in my arms."

"I know. And I love you too."

.
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🌻
So my Namjin heart eventually decided to bring them together in this story too.
As for Taekook, my heart was dancing with joy. I'm glad I didn't create any angst between them for I had enough in Saudade. :)

Moving forward, it's the match!
Do you think JK will win or lose?