Eighteen Days Ago

Taehyung was called to Jin Mo’s office early in the afternoon, as he didn’t have a mission that day. Once he was granted access, he bowed his head as a greeting and perched on the couch. 

“Tae. I have a new mission for you,” Jin Mo said as he seated himself across from him with a binder in his hand. 

“Okay.”

“It’s... a little different from the other ones.”

Taehyung frowned at his words as he considered the indecipherable look on his face. “What’s wrong with you? You never gave me a prologue before. You just assigned me the mission.”

“I know you won’t like it, and I’m trying to ease you into it.”

A sigh pushed out of Taehyung’s mouth as he tilted his head to the side, his gaze hardening. “It has to do with the police, huh?”

“Yes. They have too much intel on me. And now they have your blood sample and intel on Jay. Although he’s dead now, we have to erase every trace of you and Jay.”

Taehyung contemplated his words, still frowning. “And how will I do that?”

Jin Mo extended his arm, passing the binder to him. “You have to get close to Jeon Jungkook. He’s the team leader of the violent crimes unit one.”

Taehyung opened the binder and flicked through the pack of papers, his brows raising into two high bows of light surprise. “That’s a lot of information. You usually give me like two pages.”

“It contains information about the cases he’s in charge of, his family, his team, his daily schedule, and pretty much everything about his life. He’s a difficult man to approach, so you need a lot of intel on him. It also has a detailed plan of how you’ll meet him.”

Taehyung skimmed over the information about his family, which included his hyung’s death and his parents’ occupations, and located the said plan. The more he examined it, the more his face darkened with worry and discontent. 

“You want me to be mistakenly accused of prostitution so they take me to the station he’s working at? Are you serious now? What if they don’t believe me and lock me up?”

Jin Mo released a tsk sound, his eyes rolling high in frustration. “You think I’ll let that happen? If you continue reading, you’ll see there’s no way that will happen.”

He read further and indeed saw that if they didn’t believe him, they would bring the guy who offered him money for sex and verify Taehyung’s story that way. “It won’t be easy to gain his trust enough to let me into the station.”

“I know. But don’t think that far. First, read his information thoroughly and memorize as much as you can. You have the first meeting with Sieun tomorrow, so focus on that for now. You have to leave a good impression on that bastard or else he won’t want to see you again.”

“I got it, don’t worry. Just so you know, I don’t want to take this mission, but I’m sure you won’t let me do that since it’s related to me.”

Jin Mo broke into a smirk. “You’re right. If the incident with Jong Hoon didn’t happen, you wouldn’t have to do this. But since you do, it’s a good chance to erase their intel on me too.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung sighed, clearly displeased with the situation.

“Also, remember. Don’t make him fall for you. If he gets obsessed with you, it won’t be easy to just kill a detective. It’ll create a mess, and I want to focus on my business. Okay?”

“Yeah, I know. Killing cops isn’t your thing except if it’s necessary. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

 
His meeting with Sieun the next day went exceptionally well; they chatted, flirted mostly while drinking a variety of drinks that Sieun bought for them, and he seemed thrilled about meeting Taehyung again. 

It took longer than he thought since Sieun didn’t want to let him leave, but Taehyung managed to slither out of the bar when Sieun seemed too drunk to even comprehend what was happening. He informed his security guard that he had to leave and asked him to tell Sieun that he would love to see him again, then he was on his way to his motorcycle. 

Of course, he wouldn’t be able to drive after all the drinks he had, and he planned to wait until the light dizziness would abate enough so he could drive to his house that was only ten minutes away. 

The icy breeze helped a notch in clearing his mind as he sauntered further down the street. His attention was drawn to a group of people who passed by him and cackled loud enough to annoy him, and by the time he positioned his gaze forward again, he collided with someone. 

“Is everyone fucking blind today? Watch where the hell you’re going.”

Shock was injected into his eyes at once upon realizing who that person was, turning them into two stupefied, big circles, and he could only stare, mute and frozen throughout. Jeon Jungkook. What the fuck? 

The amounts of self-composure used to push down his startle were excessive, but he at least succeeded in plastering a supercilious facade on his face and regaining his confidence. 

He wanted to vanish from there as soon as possible, though Jungkook seemed to have different plans. It wasn’t supposed to be this way; Jin Mo had given him a well-calculated plan about how they were supposed to meet, and this unexpected encounter ruined it all. 

Why did Jungkook have to be so gorgeous? So built and hot? So good at flirting? It was a combination Taehyung couldn’t resist, although he endeavored to do so. He wasn’t even allowed to seduce him. 

But he lost that battle. He lost every battle with his rationality and self-restraint and surrendered to his blazing desires and him, Jeon Jungkook, heart and soul. 

And that was how Taehyung had the best one-night stand of his life and completely screwed up his mission before it even started. 

Present Day

An insufferable oppression encircled Jungkook after the incident with Han Moon two days ago, converting his usual rage into unwanted gloom that weighed down upon his chest.

That oppression also obstructed him from going to that bar Merlina after the text he received. They were more than capable of killing whoever he questioned about Kim Taehyung, and how could he risk that? He didn’t want more killings to happen because of him. 

He should have been more careful. He should have requested for protection sooner so they could have gotten there sooner. Han Moon’s death was his fault because of his carelessness, and it affected him more than he could ever imagine. 

So he resulted in what always soothed him the most; alcohol and sex. Having a one-night stand after so long eased that oppression a bit. It was... good. Yeah, he could say it was good, and he finally proved to himself that his one-night stand with Taehyung was nothing different. Just that. A one-night stand like the other ones. 

 
Staring at a report on the screen without paying attention to what was written, Jungkook puffed a quiet, frustrated noise at his thoughts that, for some damn reason, wandered towards Taehyung yet again. Why am I even thinking about him?

His squad interchanged a round of confused looks at his strange behavior, but they were unable to question him as their attention darted towards Seokjin, who scuttled into the room while whisper-yelling Jungkook’s name. 

“Yah.” Seokjin repeatedly nudged his shoulder as Jungkook seemed too deep in his thoughts. 

“Hm? What?” The younger jerked his head to the side, facing one eager set of eyes peering at him. 

“I found out what that symbol is. Well, my buddy did, but same thing.”

A spasm of surprise passed Jungkook’s face as his eyes grew bigger in anticipation. “What is it?”

“It’s the symbol of a gang. Specifically, of the Odum gang. They’re not active now, though. Their boss died nineteen years ago, and no one heard that name again, so they must have disbanded or changed the name.”

Jungkook analyzed the new information in silence as creases of puzzlement decorated his forehead. “Why did Taehyung have this then? Is he in a gang? Even if he is, it doesn’t explain why he had that cube. Nineteen years ago, he was only eight years old,” he reflected in a murmur. 

“I don’t know,” Seokjin said with a sigh. “My buddy couldn’t find the name of the boss or anyone else’s name. There’s no more information about that gang.”

A sigh sounded from Jungkook as his features tightened with determination. “I have to talk to him.” 

“Yah,” Namjoon spat out as he cast him a disapproving glance. “You won’t have any contact with him before another deal with Sieun happens.”

“What does this have to do with the gang? I just want answers!”

“I don’t trust your temper. What if you fly into a rage and confront him about his lies? He’ll know Mi Jun spilled everything then.”

Jungkook’s gaze descended in defeat and clouded over because he didn’t trust his temper either. “Fine. But the next time I see him, I’m so gonna throw him in jail.”

Namjoon chuckled as he patted his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. You do that.”

“Yah, guys,” Hoseok let out as he lifted his now bulging eyes from his phone. “Sang... Sang Mi Jun just texted me a location.”

“What?” Jungkook exploded out of his seat and snatched the phone out of his hold. “It says they’ll leave in twenty minutes. We have to move now!” 

“Wait, how far is it?” Namjoon asked as he scurried towards Seokjin, who was already typing the address to his computer. 

“It’s fifty-five minutes away.”

“Shit, it’s far,” Jungkook muttered, unsure about what to do. “Let’s leave now. If they’re already there, we’ll raid the place. If they’re not, we’ll ambush them. Let’s go.”

Both teams and a few extra officers geared up as fast as possible and scrambled outside, splitting into two sprinter vans. 

  
They turned the sirens off once they entered a secluded road that would lead them to the wanted location, and when they were close enough, they found four cars already parked outside of the abandoned building. 

“Let’s leave the cars here in the forest,” Jungkook instructed. “I’m sure they’ll have someone on guard outside.”

After leaving the cars, they passed through the forest to get closer to the building without being seen, and as Jungkook had said, there was a guy sitting in one of the cars. 

“Ahn Jeong, Eo Byeok, you got this?” Jungkook asked in a whisper, and the two nodded at once. “When you get behind the car, I’ll throw a rock to lure him out. Ahn Jeong, you handcuff him, and Eo Byeok, you keep him quiet. I don’t care how.”

The two set off, walking in a crouched position quickly but carefully so they wouldn’t make any sound until they hid behind the car. Ahn Jeong motioned to his team that they were ready, and Jungkook flung a small rock at the car, hitting it at the first try. 

As they had hoped, the guy stepped out of the car a few seconds later and trod around it slowly while scanning the place. The two crept behind him until they reached the front of the car and Eo Byeok lunged at him, ringing his neck with a robust arm and jamming a kerchief into his mouth. 

The guy groaned on repeat and strained against his grasp, pulling on the arm around his neck, but Ahn Jeong yanked his one hand and locked the handcuff before repeating the actions with his other hand. “Keep quiet or you die.”

Of course, they wouldn’t kill him, though the threat seemed to tame the guy since he fell silent and ceased flailing. “Move,” Eo Byeok commanded as he pushed him forward. 

“Go,” Jungkook said, and they all charged forward. “Take his phone, weapons, everything, and handcuff him to the car, then come back. Baek Jun and Hee Cheol stay here in case someone tries to leave. Ma Hoon and Yeong Chil go to the back. If you find any kind of exit, stay there. The rest come with me.”

The guy released muffled screams of something incoherent once he realized the police were about to raid the place, and Jungkook kicked him in the shin, altering his shrieks into a choked groan. “Shut up. Take him now.”

Everyone followed his instructions as Jungkook approached the rusty sliding door. He reached out to open it as he looked at his team and gave them a faint nod. When he saw everyone poise their guns, he wrenched it to the side and burst into the building. 

“Police! Freeze!” Namjoon yelled upon spotting at least fifteen people a bit further away from the entrance. 

“Aish,” Sieun sighed as he turned to his men. “Don’t just stand there. Shoot them.”

Jungkook noticed that they all reached for their guns. “Take cover!”

The first round of shots echoed through the large, empty building just seconds after Jungkook’s remark, but thankfully, all of his men managed to dodge behind the columns.

Jungkook’s team opened fire as well; they alternated between shooting and hiding and took out four guys in under twenty seconds. 

Jungkook caught with the corner of his eye someone urging Sieun to leave and jerked forward, but a gunshot was fired his way. He was able to dodge it just in time since he saw the shooter, and he threw a quick glance at his team to make sure everyone was okay until now. 

When he swiveled his head to the side again, he espied a guy sneaking out from behind the column a few meters away with his gun already aimed at him. Before Jungkook could even level his gun, the guy was shot in the leg and keeled over, losing his hold on his weapon by the excruciating pain. 

Jungkook’s face warped in sheer confusion as he snapped his head to his right, where the bullet had to have come from, and he caught a glimpse of a black-dressed figure slithering through a door. 

Forcing his mind to return to Sieun, he eyed his team, searching for Namjoon. “Namjoon, cover me. I have to get Sieun!”

“I got you!” he replied as he finished reloading his gun. 

Jungkook popped out from his hiding spot and blasted away, hitting two more guys, then he sprinted towards the direction Sieun disappeared to. He kicked a door open and inspected the place, taking note of another door on the other side of the building and the identical stairways on both sides that led to the same place; the second floor. He leaped at the chance to reload his gun before he fixed it in front of him and padded upstairs at a creep.

The scenery became brighter the higher he went by glaring beams of sunlight that filtered through the multiple windows. The fusillade of bullets carried on in the adjacent room, barring him from detecting any sounds as he stepped on the last stair. 

One quick, probing glance told him that the room was empty, and he proceeded at a crawling pace, preparing himself to check the rest of the place behind the wall to his left, which obstructed his view. 

Just then, his gun was slammed out of his grip by a ferocious kick, sending it flying towards the right. His body viciously slanted as a startled, gruff noise spewed from his lungs, and by the time he jerked up, the barrel of a gun a breath away from him glaciated his muscles and got him stuck in his spot.

A pernicious, husky laugh oozed out of the man holding the gun and carried far in odious ripples. Jungkook recognized him as Sieun, but his notice traveled behind him where a black-dressed man was standing with his back turned to them. 

“I’m the one holding the gun, but why are you looking at my man, detective Jeon Jungkook?” Sieun erupted into another cackle, throughout amused by the situation.

But Jungkook’s eyes remained zoned in on that figure, hoping — praying — it wasn't who he thought it was because fuck... It was another thing to know he had been lied to and another one to actually see it, to experience it at first hand. That man kicked his gun out of his hold, that man helped Sieun trap him, and that man... 

That man was none other than Taehyung. 

“Tsk, tsk, look at you, not paying attention to me when I’m about to blow your brains out.”

“Sieun-ssi.”

The familiar fluid, deep voice tumbled into Jungkook’s ears and clawed at his chest in a bruising grasp.

Taehyung cleared the nervousness from his throat with a cough and laid a hand on his shoulder. “We should go. The police can come here at any moment.”

“Oh, we can’t leave now. Not before I kill this fucker. He causes too much trouble for so many friends of mine. I’ll do them a favor if I kill him, and they’ll return it so generously.”

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret, Sieun,” Jungkook said, an undaunted little smile curling the corner of his lips. “If you kill me, you’ll die too.”

Sieun cocked a scornful brow. “Challenging me only makes me want to kill you more.”

Taehyung looped an arm around his elbow and latched onto his side. “Killing a cop isn’t an easy thing to get away with. Are you sure you want to risk it, Sieun-ssi?”

“Hmm, you’re right, baby,” Sieun breathed out as he thought about it. “How about you do it, then?” 

Taehyung’s body stiffened at the unforeseen suggestion, and he blinked twice as the smile on his lips quivered in unease. “Well, I have to get something in return, don’t you think?” He forced his voice to come out smooth and kittenish, something that was easier to do after years of experience. 

A smirk broke onto Sieun’s face as he groped his ass. “You’ll get what you asked for if you do this for me. I’ll put you in my firearms business.” 

“Really?” Taehyung’s pitch increased in feigned excitement.

“Anything for you, pretty. You just have to kill him.”

“Okay.” Taehyung extended his hand to get hold of the gun, and Sieun retreated, giving him space. His smile died out of his countenance the moment he locked eyes with Jungkook, his brows pulling together in a harsh frown. His eyes seesawed between his face and the gun, followed by a barely perceivable nudge of the weapon towards him. 

Jungkook’s eyes enlarged for a split second in understanding. He was asking him to take the gun from his hands. He wanted to help him. 

“Come on, pretty—” 

Sieun piped down at once as Jungkook snatched the gun from Taehyung’s hold and hooked an arm around his neck, wrenching him against his body and aiming the gun at his head. 

“Sieun-ssi!” Taehyung cried in pretended shock as he struggled against Jungkook’s grip.

“Shit, let my man go, Jeon. Don’t take such an angel away from me.” He scanned the floor in search of Jungkook’s gun, but it was too far to even try to get it. 

“Don’t even think about it,” Jungkook warned as he began backing away with Taehyung. Leaving then meant he could lose the boss he so much craved to capture, but staying would get an innocent man’s life — Taehyung’s life — in danger. And protecting the lives of people was always a priority for him. 

So he retreated, keeping the gun attached to his head and acting as though he would shoot Taehyung if Sieun made any movement. He couldn’t leave his gun behind under any circumstances, so he walked backwards until he reached it. “Move and I’ll really fucking kill you,” he whispered in Taehyung’s ear, and he released him for a couple of seconds to take the gun. 

He holstered it at light speed and wrapped his arm around Taehyung’s neck again. He spotted Sieun running towards the stairs and pressed the button on his earpiece. “Sieun is coming down. Do not lose him!”

“Yah, let me fucking go now,” Taehyung growled, now truly straining against his grip to free himself. 

Jungkook shoved the gun into the side of his head rougher. “Do you feel that? It’s a gun against your fucking head, so how about you stay still, huh?” 

“So you can arrest me? Fuck no, I didn’t save your life for this!” 

“And I just lost the boss to save your ass!”

Taehyung groaned, fury blazing inside him and making his blood boil. He waited patiently as Jungkook continued dragging him towards the stairs, and he whipped his head to the side and downwards, slinking out of his grasp when it loosened by their uncoordinated steps. 

And he ran for his dear life. Literally. 

“Yah!” Jungkook exclaimed, pouncing right behind him. He saw Taehyung fling a door open and dashed through it before it could close. “Stop! Don’t make this harder. Don’t make me use the fucking gun on you.” Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t at the speed they were running, so he stuffed it into his waistband instead. 

“I saved your life, you asshole!” Taehyung panted out as he resumed running on the broad balcony and swerved at the next right corner. He had studied the building beforehand with Jimin’s help, and he knew about the external stairway at the other side of the building that would lead him to freedom. “You’ll really shoot me? Huh?”

Jungkook didn’t know where he found the additional speed and strength, but his sprint boosted so much he managed to reach Taehyung’s jacket with his hand. And he yanked. Hard. His excessive speed combined with the force caused him to trip, and he fastened his other arm around Taehyung’s stomach, twirling once and crushing down.

They rolled wildly over the ground thrice before the force lessened, and they slammed to a stop with Jungkook’s hands protectively caging the man’s head as his own banged against the ground. 

Both grunted between their pants, their adrenaline so high it made them dizzy. “Fuck, I told you not to make this harder,” Jungkook rasped out. 

Taehyung felt a shooting pain in his knee once the consuming adrenaline scaled down a fraction and his vision blurred with hot tears, though he refused to let them leak out. “Shit!” he choked out as he slid off him and grappled to a sitting position. He wiped the moisture from his eyes with a harsh hand and examined his right leg, finding his pants ripped around his knee, which was covered in blood. 

He sank his teeth into his lower lip to muffle his whimpers as he attempted to stand up, truly wishing he had a way to magic away from there, and he rose to his feet, putting the slightest of weight on his right one. 

“Just come with me. You can’t run away now, anyway,” Jungkook murmured as he pushed himself off the ground, mind still reeling from the bang. He passed a hand through the abused spot on the back of his head and expelled a sigh of relief as he saw no blood on his fingers. He approached the limping man and grabbed his hand to place it over his shoulders to help him, but Taehyung whisked it away, stumbling by the force he used. 

“Don’t touch me. It’s your fault I’m in this situation right now.” 

“No, it’s your fault because you have business with a fucking criminal. What are you doing here with him, huh? What bullshit will you say this time?” 

“You know what, I should have killed you when I had the chance,” he spat out and hastened his gait, confining the tears threatening to fall from his eyes from the pain. 

“And I should have put you in jail when I had the chance.” Jungkook gripped his hand and pounded the handcuffs down his wrist before he could even react. He grasped his other squirming hand and repeated the action, dismissing his cries of protest. 

“Fuck you, Jungkook, really, fuck you, fuck you!” 

“Curse at me all you want. But you’re coming with me.”

───⭒───༺🌑༻───⭒───

I love taekook bickering so much😌

Please please please, don't forget to let me know if you spot any mistakes while reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter💜