Jungkook looked around his room which was stripped bare.

Everything he owned was packed into boxes. He was planning to move out soon anyway since Jimin had moved in with Yoongi hyung full time. He was welcome to stay of course, and either of them were too sweet to say anything but Jungkook wanted to give them their space. Especially since the whole 'kiss' fiasco, he had decided it would be in everyone's best interest to simply keep his distance from Jimin. 

"You ready, bud?" Yoongi asked from the doorway.

"How can I ever be ready to not only leave you guys but to move in with him?" Jungkook asked back. "It feels surreal you know. I had looked and admired him from afar for so long and now, I am not only married to him but also moving in with him! What are the odds?"

Yoongi chuckled. "Give him hell for me, wont you?"

"Hyung...." Jungkook called softly making Yoongi look up at him. "I am scared."

"Why?"

Jungkook wasn't sure how to answer that. He just knew the fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him want to throw up.

He shook his head.

"You'll be fine, Jungkookie. Before the year is up, he'll fall in love with you, I just know it." Yoongi said with confidence, making Jungkook blush.

Yoongi wasn't really sure if someone like Tae was even capable of love but that wasn't important right now. All that mattered was what Jungkook thought. For as long as Yoongi had known the younger, he had only heard him speak of the gorgeous falcon he had fallen in love with when he was just fourteen, no one could hold a torch to the epitome of beauty that Taehyung was in Jungkook's eyes. Everything he had done since then, was to lead himself to meet Tae again. His dream had come true after years of waiting and pining and working his ass off. But the latest developments had left the younger shaken up and vulnerable. So if a little white lie would make his best friend smile, Yoongi wouldn't hesitate to speak it.

"Guys, the movers are here" Jimin called from the living room, drawing Yoongi out of his thoughts.

"If you need anything......." Yoongi started uncomfortably.

"You will be the first one I call, I promise." Jungkook answered.

Yoongi stepped closer and Jungkook threw himself on his hyung, hugging him tightly.

Yoongi patted his back "You'll be fine"

Jimin walked in and stood looking at the two with a fond smile on his face until they broke apart reluctantly.

"We will miss you around here, Jungkookie. You know you'll always have a place here with us, right?" Jimin asked.

Jungkook nodded and gave him a short awkward side-hug. It bothered Jimin but he didn't comment on it. It wasn't the younger's fault after all, Jimin had ruined things between them, even though he hadn't meant to.

"I'll miss you both." Jungkook said walking to the door  as the movers came in picking up the boxes and loading them into the van.

"We are coming with you, for now." Jimin said.

"What? Seriously?"

Yoongi nodded, picking up his car keys.

Jungkook felt relieved. He had been dreading going into the tiger's den all alone. Who knew what could be waiting for him? Tae had seemed furious about the judge's ruling a week ago. Though he did have the last week to come to terms with it, Jungkook wasn't sure he would be completely on board so soon.

Though a part of him had been completely ecstatic about living with Tae, for the most part he was scared. Afterall, the man had managed to break his heart with just one look.

They got into Yoongi's car and followed the mover's van to one of the most expensive parts of New York.

As they drove through the high rise buildings, Jungkoook could feel the anxiety building within himself.

In a half-assed attempt to hold on to some of his dignity, he had refused to sign the divorce papers, it was childish really, he was hurt and upset and he wanted to make Taehyung eat his words, but now he was sincerely doubting his impulsive decision.

Would it have been better if he had simply let Tae sever ties between them instead of holding on? But giving up on something he had been afraid to hope for even in his dreams, was next to impossible, in spite of the way Taehyung had treated him since.

He missed their carefree banter, the teasing, the light flirting. They had gotten into a comfortable happy near-friendship relationship. He had been happy with that, satisfied. He wouldn't lie, he wanted more, so much more, always, but he had accepted their dynamic. Tae was straight after all. He had resigned to being able to make him smile and occasionally blush. He hadn't expected more.

But all his good intentions had flown straight out the window when the elder had kissed him with a passion he had never experienced before. And when he had proceeded to consent to everything from there on, he had completely lost his mind.

Now he only wanted more. His mind and body refused to settle, refused to accept anything less than what it had received that night.

He usually kept his mind under tight control but the nights were the hardest. The darkness prompted his mind to conjure images of the handsome devil, his voice thick with passion as he screamed Jungkook's name over and over again. He was tired of waking up with a hard on every single morning, with no means of getting relief other than having cold showers until he shrivelled up.

As the car pulled up at the curb of an impressive apartment complex, he saw Namjoon and Hobi waiting on the sidewalk. Namjoon smiled widely at him while Hobi hugged Jimin.

"Jin hyung is on his way." Hobi announced just as another car pulled up.

Jin stepped out of the car and jogged towards them. He shook hands with Namjoon, patted Yoongi on the back and ruffled Jungkook's hair.

"You ready dongseang?" He asked Jungkook.

Jungkook shook his head his eyes wide. No he wasn't.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore." He backed away from them, moving towards the car.

Jin and Namjoon caught him. "Too late to back out now!"

"No! Stop, please! I don't want to do this. It's stupid! He hates me." Jungkook pleaded, trying to get his hyungs to release him.

"He only says he hates you." Jimin said, tongue in cheek.

"What do you mean?" Jungkook asked and they all turned to stare at Jimin.

"I mean that he was staring at you like you were something delicious and he was a man starved. The Taehyung I know, gets stared at, he doesn't do the staring, ever!" Jimin giggled. "There's something brewing underneath the cocky exterior, Kookie. Just be a little patient with him, he's completely out of his depth here."

"I don't know..." Jungkook hesitated but had his breath knocked out of him the very next second as Namjoon and Jin hoisted him up on their shoulders. He gripped Joon's hair and under Jin's chin, for dear life. The rest of the boys cheered and carried him over to the lobby of the building.

The movers had already started carrying the boxes to the service elevator. After the formalities with the building doorman (Fuck! He had never been in a building that had a doorman before) they headed into the elevator. He was still sitting on their shoulders.

"Hyung I'm heavy." He protested.

"Yeah you are!" Jin agreed. "But we are not letting you run away. We are going to carry you over the threshold of your husband's house." Jin sniggered and the rest joined into the laughter.

Jungkook groaned, this was going to be a very long day.

~~~~~~~~~~

Taehyung sat at his desk and read through a few of his emails. He had three papers due this week that would need a lot of research and he hadn't even started working on them yet.

The buzz on the intercom sounded through his living room, he sighed as he got up from his desk reluctantly. It was probably Jungkook. He was due to arrive today.

He answered the intercom. "Yes?"

"Sir, Mr. Jeon is here with the movers, I'm letting them up like you asked."

"Okay." Tae replied turning it off.

Time to face the music. He had the spare room cleaned and set up for him yesterday, not like he had a choice anymore. He had raged and screamed at his lawyers, had another difficult conversation with his grandmother and had finally resigned to have him stay here. This whole farce of a wedding was getting out of control.

Surprisingly his grandmother had been calm enough to let him vent and complain about how things were out of his hands. She hadn't been keeping well lately and had asked him to come to Korea for a while. Taehyung had explained that he had a court mandated counselling session twice a month but had promised to try.

Before he could think of anything else, the main door swung open and a loud and chaotic party of six stumbled in, falling on top of each other and laughing maniacally. Jin and Namjoon stood up and carried Jungkook inside on their shoulders. Jimin acted like he was playing some kind of an imaginary musical instrument in between fits of laughter. Hobi seemed to be a security guard, he was pretending to touch his ear piece and mimicking a hand gun with his fingers. Yoongi walked behind them all in stony silence.

Tae was surprised to see them all enjoying themselves like this. This was not a celebration, his life had already gone to shit and this was irritating him even more.

"Sorry, I just let everyone in. I hope you don't mind, I thought the doorman would have buzzed you." Jimin explained after he noticed the annoyed look on Taehyung's face.

"He did." Tae replied. The man hadn't informed him that there were others accompanying Mr. Jeon.

"Er... Guys could you put me down now?" Jungkook asked quietly.

"Taehyung-ah! Catch your bride!" Jin announced, suddenly throwing Jungkook off his shoulders and pushing him straight into Taehyung's arms.

Tae's hands came up instinctively to support the big bunny as he stumbled awkwardly into him. Jungkook looked into his eyes and they were both transported back to the moment their gazes had held on to each other's in the honeymoon suite. Staring at each other, unblinking and unwavering like the slightest flutter of their lashes would make the other disappear.

The rest of them hooted and catcalled until Tae cleared his throat and lightly pushed Jungkook away, looking at his feet, his cheeks suspiciously red.

Taehyung was annoyed with himself. He didn't want anything to do with the boy. He needed to nip this in the bud, make it clear to him that he wanted nothing more than to get through whatever was mandated by the court and absolutely nothing more. Not even friendship, he couldn't risk it anymore.

He looked at Jungkook looking around the place with a frown.

"Uhm... let me show you to your room." Taehyung said awkwardly scratching the back of his neck as he walked towards the west side of the apartment.

Jungkook looked around. It was like a fucking museum. There were several delicate artefacts strategically placed around on gleaming surfaces, the vases were filled with exotic flowers making the place smell like the most exquisite meadow, the walls were decorated with ornately framed paintings that were no doubt extremely expensive, the couches were plush white and the carpets screamed European.

He felt intimidated. He had never even seen a place like this before let alone lived in one. He was afraid to even move, what if he knocked something over with his clumsiness? It would probably be worth more than his parent's entire house.

He gulped and carefully followed behind Taehyung. Tae opened a door and let Jungkook step inside first.

The room was huge, with large french windows on one side with a little settee complete with throw pillows and blankets. The walls were mostly bare except for two small paintings. A large antique wooden desk was placed in the far corner of the room. The bed was large enough to fit at least three people comfortably.

"That's the bathroom." Tae pointed at one of the closed doors and then pointed at the other "Closet."

Jungkook nodded. He would explore later, it was all too much to take in at once. He stood looking out the window, the view was breathtaking, to say the least, he couldn't believe Tae actually had an apartment which overlooked Central Park. He honestly thought that only happened in movies.

Taehyung watched the boy stand huddled near the window. He looked withdrawn, like he had shrunk in within himself, his mouth turned down at the corners. He had looked happy enough when he had stumbled in with their friends, giggling madly with that pretty twinkle in his eye. But now there wasn't even a ghost of that happy bunny in the boy standing there looking out the window with wide eyes.

Tae knew how his apartment felt. Sterile, impersonal and cold. There was no warmth here, no feeling of belonging, no love to speak of. These walls had never experienced any of it. Which was why he spent most of his time at Jimin's dorm room, only coming home to sleep. He had visited Jimin at his new home with Yoongi when Jungkook had been at practice. It was a wonderfully cozy place, it was a home made into such by the people who lived there, unlike his empty apartment. But now that Jungkook was here, he would have to put up with it.

Taehyung was used to having it this way by now, set in his ways. It helped him keep his mind clutter free too so he didn't bother redecorating in any way. It still looked like the way it did when his designer had finished with it. He had come to prefer it like that, clean and quiet.

Taehyung took one last look at the other and decided to leave him to it.

When Jungkook turned around he saw Taehyung's retreating back as he walked out to the living room. All his insecurities were back, he never should have gone through with this. He had made a huge mistake and would now pay the price. Taehyung and him weren't even in the same league. He should've given up on him when he had the chance. He was going to end up embarrassing himself, he just knew it.

The chaos outside pulled him out of his thoughts. He went back out to the living room to see the boxes piled up to one side of the living room looking like an eyesore in the otherwise pristine apartment.

"Let's go set your space up, Kookie." Jin said as he picked up a box and carried it to the room he had just exited. The others quickly followed suit, picking up more boxes and carrying them inside.

Taehyung stared at the number of boxes in front of him, there were a few very large ones and some were still being carried in by the movers. The boy had so much stuff.

He was going to litter it all over the place he just knew it! Taehyung thought angrily as he walked to his own room.

"I have papers due." He announced and shut the door firmly behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: And so it begins...
Yeeep!! Who's excited?

Don't forget to vote ⭐️

Yeah, so I'm still alive 🙈 I went on a bit of a hiatus coz I was stuck and in a more Yoonmin headspace.

Btw.. did you guys see Taehyung's latest pictures from the military.. Our boy has bulked up!!

Can't wait to have them all back soon.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!
Borahae 💜

Disclaimers:

Names of teams / mascots / universities/ schools / education institutions have been used only to make the story more authentic. There is no malicious intent behind the usage of the name, neither do my books depict or reflect anything that is even remotely real about these institutions except their names. I hold all educational institutions and providers in the highest regard. Hence no offence or malice is intended.

Any and all characters in this book are fictional, any resemblance to anyone dead or alive is purely coincidental.

Pictures/Audio/Video/Song/Lyrics Credit goes to the original source/artist/owner.

No malice or offence is intended to any race, religion or sexual orientation.

I donot promote shipping of any members in real life.

🔞 This book is meant for mature audiences only 🔞

BTS and its members belong to themselves and Bighit/Hybe. They do not belong to me. Their names and characteristics are used only for entertainment purposes.

Kim Mingyu of Seventeen doesn't belong to me either.