"I refuse"

The words still echoed through Taehyung's mind. The words that had thrown his carefully calculated, meticulously planned life, into utter chaos.

They had come back to New York almost a month ago. He had spent the whole month running from pillar to post. An entire month, of relentlessly trying to free himself of the biggest drunken mistake of his life.

Marrying Jeon Jungkook.

The man seemed to have ascended from his own personal hell, to torment him.

Taunting him, pushing all the wrong buttons and driving him insane at every chance he got and looking shockingly, disturbingly, irresistibly hot while doing it too.

That's what fucked with his mind more than anything else.

He just couldn't ignore his presence.

To top it all off, the demon was starring in his dreams every single night.

Taehyung dreamed of their night together, remembering the feeling of being full and having his mind blown in the best way possible until he woke up, sweaty and messed up, with his name on his lips and a hard on that wouldn't go down until he dunked himself in ice cold water, entirely.

Kate had shown up the very night he had arrived back in NewYork. He had made out with her but it felt wrong and he couldn't even get it up. He had freaked out internally, blaming it on exhaustion and the long flight as he convinced her to leave. Then out of curiosity he had starting looking at jocks at Uni, but none of them held his interest. He admired their looks and their bodies but it was all neutral, he felt absolutely nothing. Then to test it out again, he had braved gay porn, ended up puking his dinner out. But at least it had put his mind to rest.

He wasn't gay.

But girls couldn't hold his attention either.

What did that make him then?

He couldn't get it up for his girlfriend, he couldn't get it up for other girls, he didn't find any guys interesting enough to get it up, Yet, every morning, he woke up with his cock throbbing in his boxers.

He had tried to jerk off, forcing himself to think of Kate, watching porn, even random girls he'd been with over the years, but the moment he closed his eyes he found himself staring into the depths of dark bambi eyes while his hands stroked down his sculpted body.

The only way forward from there, was either reliving their wedding night in his mind or dunking himself in a ice cold bath.

Jungkook had surely done a number on him.

And as if that wasn't enough, he had lawyered up immediately after reaching New York, refusing any and all attempts at settlement or divorce. His lawyer had threatened to sue Taehyung for defamation and mental harassment for accusing Jungkook of sexual assault.

He was ashamed of the way he had handled the situation. He had never meant to accuse Jungkook of rape or assault but he'd freaked out and hadn't known what else to do.

And now he was obviously looking for vengeance.

The worst part about all of this, was the rift it had caused between Jimin and Yoongi. They weren't talking and Jimin wasn't handling it very well.

In fact, Jimin wasn't handling it at all.

He was angry all the time, snarling and snapping at everyone that dared to cross his path. The friendly angel of Columbia had turned into a scary little harpy that everyone had started avoiding at all times.

He had even heard Jimin crying in the locker room a couple of times. He hated it, it hurt his heart to see Jimin hurting, but there was nothing he could do or say about it. Not that Jimin was in the mood of listening to him anyway.

He hoped they would find a way to work it out between them.

The door opened, breaking through his train of thought and in walked the bane of his existence, followed by a elegant woman.

Taehyung had been sitting in his lawyer's office waiting for Jungkook to show up, to try and negotiate with him again.

Jungkook walked towards the large table where Tae was seated. He looked very professional in his simple grey suit. His dark hair styled, perfectly pulled back and away from his face which was impassive. He sat opposite Tae and stared at him with his piercing gaze.

Tae's lawyer, Rafe, was sitting next to him and cleared his throat before starting the meeting.

"Mr. Jeon" he acknowledged nodding his head towards Jungkook who gave a curt nod back but didn't say anything. He looked down at his hands in his lap and let his lawyer do the talking.

"Ms. Beckett, my client has generously agreed to increase his offer for settlement. Would your client like to reconsider?" Rafe asked politely.

"As you are aware, my client has refused any and all settlement offers. He is not interested in Mr. Kim's money." Beckett countered.

"Then what the fuck is your client interested in? Revenge? Torture? Harassment? What exactly does he want?" Taehyung thundered, staring at Jungkook.

Jungkook looked up to meet his eyes.

"I don't want anything, Kim." He answered quietly. He really didn't want anything, but he was tired of Taehyung's high and mighty attitude and wanted to take him down a notch. Also, being accused of forcing him had bruised his heart. So yeah, he was probably being petty but he wasn't going to back down.

"Then why the fuck won't you sign the damn papers, Jeon?" Tae asked angrily. He was fucking tired of these games. It wasn't funny anymore. He needed to deal with this quietly and quickly.

"Because I don't want a divorce." Jungkook said simply.

Taehyung saw red. "Why the fuck not?" Tae asked, while Rafe tried to calm him down.

Jungkook shrugged and Taehyung felt deranged. He stood up and banged his palm hard on the table.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?" Tae screamed.

"Mr. Kim, please sit down. You are trying to intimidate my client." Beckett said sternly.

He looked at Jungkook who looked back at him innocently.

"Me? Intimidate him? Him? Jeon Jungkook?" Taehyung laughed maniacally.

This had to be the joke of the century. Jeon Jungkook couldn't be intimidated by anyone. Least of all, him.

"Mr. Kim" Rafe warned. "Please, just sit down."

Tae hung his head, chin to his chest, his palms flat on the table, taking small breaths through his mouth to calm himself.

He was losing it again.

Five minutes in his presence and Tae was a hair's breadth away from going completely crazy.

What was it about him that affected him so? What the hell kinda spell had Jungkook put him under?

He couldn't think straight around him. Everything was in the extremes. He was either extremely angry or extremely frustrated or extremely horny. There was no middle ground anywhere.

Right now, he needed to take control of the situation. He needed that divorce.

"Just please, Jeon. Tell me what you want." Taehyung huffed as he sat back down in his chair.

Jungkook leaned back into his chair staring at Taehyung with a soft smirk on his face, he finally had him where he wanted him.

"I just don't want to be divorced." Jungkook shrugged. "I'm only twenty one."

Taehyung's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "Fuck!" He swore. He hadn't known Jungkook was that much younger than them all.

"Yeah we did that already, remember?" Jungkook winked.

"I fucking hate you." Taehyung spat.

"Do you?" Jungkook asked nonchalantly as he tilted his head to one side to look at Tae.

"Yes!"

"Why are you still wearing the ring then?" Jungkook asked staring him down.

Taehyung looked down at his hand. Sure enough, there it was, right where it shouldn't be, the evidence of his tie to the man who was single handedly ruining his life. He just hadn't gotten around to taking it off. With so much going on, he hadn't even noticed he was still wearing it.

He ripped it off his finger and flicked it towards Jungkook. It rolled off the table and fell to the floor. He barely glimpsed the annoyed glint in Jungkook's eyes and the jaw that clenched for a nano second before his face was wiped clean of all emotion.

"An oversight." Taehyung spit. "Easily remedied."

Jungkook felt the rage licking at his temples, struggling to get out.

"It means nothing. As far as I know, we are still married and you throwing that ring off means absolutely nothing." Jungkook grit out through clenched teeth as he rotated the ring on his own finger under the table. He hadn't taken his off either. But it was intentional on his part, unlike Taehyung. To him, it was proof that everything had actually happened, that he hadn't dreamt it.

It may be a nuisance to Tae, but to Jungkook, it was a link to the boy in him who had fallen for the man sitting in front of him. A single metallic circle that bound him to the love of his life. He didn't want to give it up, not without a fight.

But he'd be damned if he let the big headed douche know it.

The love was buried deep within him for now, Tae's words and actions were only provoking his anger.

Tae stared at him hard. There had to be a reason for Jungkook to refuse the settlement.

The lady lay a soft hand on Jungkook's trying to keep him calm. Jungkook looked at her and gave her a small smile. That, pierced through Taehyung like a sharp blade, confusing him and causing him to lose the last grip on his sanity.

He let out his breath slowly through his clenched teeth.

It shouldn't matter.

But it did.

His lawyer broke the icy silence.

"We were informed that Mr. Jeon is entitled to shares of your company." Beckett spoke.

There it was.

Taehyung laughed. The loud husky sound echoed through the chamber. "Is that it? My Company?"

Jungkook looked at him confused.

"Is that what you want? More shares?" Taehyung asked. "Sorry to disappoint you but I can't give you any, even if I want to."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jungkook asked, his eyes fierce. He wanted nothing to do with his company or its shares. He had asked Ms. Beckett to simply enquire about the details and then go on to explain his wish to relinquish all rights on them. He didn't want anything from Tae.

Except maybe Tae himself.

"So much for not being interested in my money. It always just fucking comes down to it anyway, doesn't it?" Taehyung chuckled as he shook his head in disgust.

Jungkook stared at him incredulously. He opened his mouth but Taehyung interrupted him by slamming his palm against the table again.

"You know what? I'm done with this shit." Tae looked at Rafe. "File for divorce without his consent. I'll see him in court."

"Mr. Kim...." Rafe interrupted.

"I'm done here." Taehyung said getting up and leaving through the glass doors.

Rafe followed him and then pulled him into another glass cabin.

"Taehyung, think about this." Rafe insisted.

Taehyung raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't know what else to do, Rafe."

"We could try negotiating again but you need to keep your cool Tae. You exploding at every sentence is not helping." Rafe explained.

"I know" Tae sighed. "He just rubs me up the wrong way, man. It's fucking annoying."

"I will go back and try to diffuse the situation. You take a few minutes in here alone, I'll send some coffee in for you. Come back once you have calmed down a bit." Rafe tried.

"No. As much as I know him, he won't budge." Tae spoke sadly. "Go ahead and file for divorce."

"On what grounds, Tae?"

"Irreconcilable differences?" Tae asked sheepishly.

"In one month? Without even living together? I don't know." Rafe mused. "If we go through the Company we might be able to get Judge Henley to comply."

"No. Not through the Company. It goes through my personal account only. Please." Taehyung insisted.

"They were right about those shares though." Rafe reminded.

"I know" Tae moaned. "I need to make a call. Mind if I hang out here for a while?"

"Not at all. Just let me know before you leave." Rafe said heading out.

"Let them know my decision." Tae threw over his shoulder as he scrolled through his phone for the number he was looking for, dialling when he found it.

"I think they've already left. I'll send a notice later. In case you change your mind, call me. I will file for a divorce the day after tomorrow." Rafe informed him and closed the door.

Taehyung had dreaded making this call for weeks now. Hoping Jungkook would agree to mutually resolve this issue. But the asshole had thrown everything back in his face. That had left Tae no other option than to make the extremely awkward and terrifying call to his grandmother.

"Yeoboseyo?" A elderly voice answered causing Taehyung to breakout in cold sweat.

"Halmeoni, it's me, Taehyungie."

~~~~~~~~~

Jungkook stared down at the rings in his palm and his eyes prickled. He had finally convinced himself to take off his own too.

He swallowed.

Taehyung's face and the way he had casually thrown the ring at him, kept repeating on a loop in his mind.

He had watched and rewatched their wedding video a million times. Every time he heard their vows, a heaviness settled over him. He couldn't convince himself that they hadn't meant every word they had spoken at the altar. He had promised Tae, that he would stand beside him and Tae had promised to stay with him, in return.

It was real.

Nothing could convince him otherwise.

He had felt it. Every word, every feeling, every touch, every look, every breath, it had all been real.

His heart twinged painfully as he remembered.

How could Taehyung look at him with so much tenderness? How could he say I do with such conviction? How could he vow to protect his heart? How could he kiss him until his knees gave out? How could he do all of it and claim not to love him?

Did it really mean nothing to him? Did he go around saying and doing things that meant nothing to him?

He didn't think so. It had to have had meant something to him for him to speak with such certainty. His words hadn't been just something he had thrown casually, they were thoughtful and deep.

They were spoken from the heart. Anybody could see that.

Then why?

Why was Tae now butchering his heart with every look, every word? The very first vow he had made was to guard Jungkook's heart and his feelings with his life.

Had those words been empty? Meaningless?

He probably should just let him go.

But he couldn't. He couldn't give up on the last chance fate had bestowed upon him. No matter how much it hurt right now, it could get better. So much better.

He always knew he was a masochist. And when it came to Taehyung, he felt like he could swim through an ocean of pain, if it meant that he could reach the shore of his arms in the end.

He sighed.

Masochist.

Nothing new there.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Author note:

I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter.
I'm dealing with a lot of mess in my personal life currently and I'm unable to dedicate enough time to work on what I love the most.

Writing *pout*

Stick with me.

Don't forget to vote!!

See you in the next chapter.