The door opened and shut without much of a rattle. Clacks of footsteps proceeded down a narrow hall while Namjoon began to remove a navy blue jacket from his torso and toss it over the couch.

His keys slipped back into his pocket with a jingling sound and the man adjusted his tie, eyes skimming over the quiet apartment from corner to corner.

"Taehyung?" He called out, stepping over a spot on the floor where the glowing light from the window tinted the room orange. He turned towards the glass, watching the sun glide slowly down the horizon.

When there came no response, Namjoon concluded that no one was home; so he mindlessly rolled his sleeves up, began to ponder on trivial things like what kind of dinner he should start making. But before he could take his next step towards the kitchen, the front doorknob suddenly began to shift.

He looked over his shoulder, down the hall where the door swung open and Taehyung sauntered in, swiveled back and let the door shut behind him.

"Ah, welcome home, kid," Namjoon spoke up as the younger switched the hall light on and lowered his face mask below his chin. "Where were you?"

"Hey," Taehyung responded, voice rugged; his body lowering while he kicked off his shoes, "- hyung. No idea."

Namjoon rose a brow, watching as the younger copied his earlier actions of removing his jacket and tossing it over the couch. He sucked on his teeth.

"Yeah, right, just-..." he cleared his throat, gritting under his breath. "Yeah, just throw your shit right over mine, no big deal."

Taehyung cackled softly, approached the older in bouncy steps that progressed into hopping movements. Namjoon eyed him with an unbothered gaze as the younger playfully swung a fist at him. Namjoon stopped him with the palm of his hand.

"What are you doing?"

Taehyung huffed, rolled his head and straightened his shoulders. "Fighting you. C'mon. Swing at me."

Namjoon enclosed his hand over Taehyung's fist and seamlessly pulled him into a headlock, his bicep grasping over the younger's neck while his other hand reached to mess up Taehyung's already unkempt hair.

"Agh, what the fuck—," Taehyung grunted, grabbing hold of the strong arm underneath his chin and tugging on it. Namjoon let out a low chuckle and hauled Taehyung towards the couch, watched as the man landed in one swoop and immediately climbed over him. He straddled his hips and grabbed the male's face with one hand, squeezing on it to make his cheeks puff up.

"Aw... adorable," Namjoon grinned, leaning down towards his forehead, which Taehyung already knew meant he was going to be smothered with brotherly kisses; so he quickly retaliated by swinging his leg up, locking the man at his hip and flinging him next to him on the couch.

Namjoon landed with a grunt and fluttered his eyes open, only to see that Taehyung was now the one hovering over him. He gave a light slap at his neck, which Namjoon responded to by grabbing his wrist and forcibly pulling him down — a sequence of actions that proved to be a terrible idea once the two men's foreheads clashed and they both uttered a simultaneous, 'Ouch!!' before landing side by side onto the couch cushions.

There was a moment of silence in the atmosphere before the two burst out into loud laughter.

"W-What the fuck are we — are we doing?" Taehyung laughed loudly, hand flying to hold his forehead where the collision had taken place.

Namjoon bit his lip in an attempt to stop his chuckles. "No fucking idea, bro.." he grinned, "But damn, that really threw me back to when we used to play fight all the time. Ah ~ back then, you were just a tiny little shit picking fights with me constantly. The good ol' days."

"I won most times."

"If by that you mean you got your ass whooped, then yeah," Namjoon turned his head to look at the younger, who was grinning at the ceiling with a big red spot on his forehead. The man sat up, propped himself up on one elbow and lightly tapped Taehyung's boo-boo. "You alright?" he asked gently.

"Fuck off, this isn't shit," Taehyung laughed softly and smacked the other's hand away. "You trained me well, and... I'm not a kid anymore, you know."

"Doesn't mean I don't always worry about you."

Taehyung fell silent and turned to meet Namjoon's gaze, whose expression was surprisingly serious.

"I worry about you too, Mr. Gang Leader.." Taehyung's voice lowered. "Acre was on the move again, though I'm sure you've heard all about it already."

Namjoon nodded. "I have. But that's not my concern right now." He sat back against the couch top. "I asked you where you were and you said you don't know. When did you get to front again?"

Taehyung slowly sat up and crossed his legs, hand reaching up to try and tame his disheveled locks. "I was back 2 days ago... was with Jeon Jeongguk. Then... yesterday morning's all I remember before I regained consciousness just an hour ago."

Namjoon merely hummed, watching the boy calmly before noting how Taehyung seemed to wince as he settled back against the couch with him.

So he decided to say something about it. "Why do you seem like you're in pain?"

Taehyung blinked back at him and shrugged a bit. "I dunno... It hurts here for some reason.. Maybe V got us into a fight." His hand hovered over the side of his torso area, front teeth digging to his bottom lip. Namjoon's gaze lowered to look at it, and he perked up attentively.

"Lift up your shirt," he says blankly. Taehyung narrowed his eyes at him and exhaled quietly, deciding to just do as the man told.

He grabbed hold of the black fabric and lifted the item of clothing up to reveal cling film wrapped over a patch of reddened skin, where the large area was tinted a jet ink black to display a prestigious tiger shape across the side of his upper body, across the rib cage area.

The two's eyes enlarged seemingly at the same time, a curt gasp leaving from Taehyung's lips.

"Oh..."

"Ah..."

They both blinked at the sight, then lifted their heads to look at each other. Namjoon was the first to speak up after a moment.

"So V went and... got you guys a tattoo!" he spoke in a forced bright tone, and Taehyung's face merely dropped, pulling his hand away to allow his shirt to cover the area. He dug his head into his hands and lowered himself, elbows propped over his lap.

"Fuck..." he whispered in a wavering voice. "Why the fuck did he do that...?"

Namjoon's face contorted empathetically. He landed a hand over the younger's back gently and began to give soothing rubs. "Hey, at least it-... looks cool, right?" When Taehyung gave him no reply, Namjoon then continued. "It's alright, Taehyungie... It's only a tattoo, I mean, it could be worse."

Taehyung rubbed at his eyelids and pushed his bangs to one side. "For fuck's sake... Now I really can't go into public baths and shit."

"You couldn't anyway, right? We all have that Bangtan tattoo."

"Sure, but this shit's harder to hide." He huffed out, lifted his head up and looked off to the side. Namjoon kept his eyes on him; his messy hair, strong prominent brows that were lowered in denial, lips almost pouting. He chuckled softly.

"You hungry?"

Taehyung gazed out the window for a few long, silent seconds. Then came his quiet reply. "Mhm."

"I'll make us something," he spoke up while rising from the couch and searching for his slippers. "Tiger shaped cookies sound good."

Taehyung's head snapped up to look at the man. "You actual little shit, holy fuck."

Namjoon merely stuck his tongue out and laughed loudly while scurrying away towards the kitchen before Taehyung could even think of swinging another punch at him.

The younger man cracked a small smile and looked back out the window. "Fucking weirdo..." he murmured, and sat there for a while before finally letting out an audible exhale and moved towards his bedroom.

He flicked the lights on, watched the dark room illuminate in a matter of seconds, and stepped inside to seat himself at his desk. Taehyung leaned to the side, pulled open a drawer and picked out a leather black notebook; placed it upon the table and flipped a few pages.

His eyes settled over a page he last remembered he'd written a few words in, only to find it was now filled with a couple paragraphs. He settled his eyes over the top letters;

' one of you worked on our english project with jeon jeongguk. he mentioned a story about hyacinths. please write it down here for me. thanks. '

- kth

Indeed, Taehyung remembered writing that. He skimmed over the many words that followed it below, a descriptive explanation on what Jeongguk had apparently told him, or rather them, about some mythology story. Below, the message ended as such;

' I believe that's all he said! hope it was helpful, taehyung. '

- v.

Taehyung rubbed his temple and reached to pick up a pen, jotting down some words beside it in red ink;

' thanks :) also, please stop signing your name like that. it makes me think V wrote it. '

- kth

He stared down at the page for a moment before he felt his left hand snatch the pen from his right, seemingly against his will, and begin to scribble something beside what he'd just written;

' okay, i'll stop signing it like that. here's my new signature! '

- :)

Taehyung scoffed out and rolled his eyes before grabbing back the pen. "Sure thing," he spoke up to no one in particular. Himself, in fact. Then, he flipped to a new page and began to write again;

' hi V,

do you have a crush on jeon jeongguk?
ㅋㅋㅋ

i heard about what you've done to him and all. let's be nice to him. he sees the good in us, yeah?

also; let's not make severe changes to our body without discussion first. i thought we agreed to that. '

- kth

He bit his lip and read over his own note. Then he blinked once, and there was darkness. Twice, and he was conscious again. When he looked back down at the page there was a new note written on it;

' do you not like tigers, kim taehyung? '

- V

Taehyung inhaled sharply and murmured under his breath. "You really have to block me out even when you're leaving a note for one single second? Asshole." He furiously scribbled over the page;

' tigers are fine. tattoos, we gotta discuss. '

- kth

He slammed the pen down, looked up, and there was darkness again. A dizzy feeling came upon the little consciousness he felt, and when he blinked again, there was another note below what he'd written;

' fine, you handsome fuck. '

- V

Taehyung scoffed out a laugh and slowly closed the notebook, shoved it back into the drawer and leaned back against the chair. He thought for a second and then hurried to retrieve the notebook again, place it upon the desk and flip to a new page.

' hold on. what do the others think about jeongguk? '

- kth

The first message he watched himself write below his question was;

' i like ggukie! he's nice. '

- dot.

Then, there was;

' i wanna see him... can we see him soon? '

- :)

And eventually came;

' i like his voice. '

- x

Taehyung glanced over the words, some written messily and others neatly; and then closed the notebook again, returned it to its place and stood from his chair.

"Alright, then. Good to know."

※ ※

The smell of barbecue meat adorned the air and welcomed Taehyung as he stepped down the hall; towards the back area of Abyss, past a sign that read 'staff only.' He gave a light knock and pulled out an array of small keys, flicked through them until he shoved one into the knob and swung the door open.

He proceeded down the following hall, made a couple turns, and found himself in front of a door with a gold plate reading 'break room,' a door in which Bangtan captains held authority. He gave a rhythmic knock and seconds later the door unlatched for him.

"Shit, he's on time today," Yoongi spoke up from where he stood beside the couch, a wine glass upon his hand.

"A rare occurrence," Seokjin added in, to which Taehyung rolled his eyes and watched the older slip gloves on.

"You're really running a paternity test booth from your own karaoke business.." Taehyung dug a hand into his hair, flicking at the strands. "What a shady businessman you are."

Seokjin gave a shrug of his shoulders and signaled towards a chair besides a black table, where medical-looking supplies and vial packs rested beside plastic bags. "It's good to have connections, huh?" He kicked the chair back, "Now sit."

Taehyung mumbled something beneath his breath and seated himself at the wooden chair, then looked up as Seokjin placed his hand beneath his chin.

"Say 'ah'."

Taehyung opened his mouth and waited while the older inserted a cotton swap, poked around the inside of his mouth to gather his sample, then turned to store it in a confined case.

"Roll up your sleeves."

Taehyung turned to the side and did as he was told, gaze snapping over the door as a knock came upon it. Yoongi moved swiftly to open it, and in came a Bangtan soldier, who was quite well known amongst the gang members.

"Fucking hell, today's weather is freezing my balls off."

"Ah, Ranger, welcome," Seokjin called the man by his nickname and greeted him with a glance before wiping a spot on Taehyung's arm and aiming a needle at him. He injected it in one firm movement and watched the tube begin to collect his blood.

Taehyung chuckled, a twisted grin on his face as he watched the other male greet them with a bow and begin to remove his jacket. "You here to get tested for Misun's kid?"

Ranger wiped his nose and gave a nod, stepping in closer to grab a water bottle from the table. "Heard from the guard out front that I'm the fifth person to come in today," he cackled, and Taehyung's grin widened in amusement.

"Shit, we all really took our turns with her, huh..." He snickered as Seokjin popped out the needle carefully and began to clean up the equipment. "Passed her around to each other and spread her legs open like some gang whore."

The room fell silent. Seokjin turned to look at Yoongi, who was quick to return his gaze; and the older mouthed, 'V's co-fronting,' with his lips.

Yoongi nodded and mouthed back, 'I know.'

"Sir... careful with your words," Ranger stared back at him with a deadpanned expression, tone respectful yet oddly forbidding. When Taehyung lifted his eyes up at him he looked away just as quickly, seemingly embarrassed all of a sudden.

"My bad.." his voice lowered. "I'm not sure why I said that."

Seokjin finished up and took off his gloves, reached for a new pair and signaled for Ranger to take a seat. "You're all good to go, Tae. I'll notify everyone of their results by the end of the week."

Taehyung gave a curt nod and rose from the chair, pushed his sleeves back in place. And as he headed towards the doorway he stole a glance at Ranger, who was staring him down while stepping past him.

"Great. Thanks."

※ ※

Jeongguk tapped the back of his pen over his notebook rhythmically, his gaze wavering from the professor, down to his notes, out the window, and finally toward the broad back sitting a couple seats in front of him; the man that radiated a strong dominant aura everywhere he went.

His English partner, Kim Taehyung.

Jeongguk would like to say he'd been paying attention to his professor's very detailed and thought out presentation, but unfortunately the man who wasn't even facing him, who sat at his usual spot beside Yoongi, who he could tell had the same blank stare as always even when he couldn't see it, was distracting him from focusing.

See, Taehyung was all he could think about — all that ever circulated his head.

Since that night at the man's apartment where they shared themselves to each other, both physically and mentally; Jeongguk couldn't think of him without his heart flaring, his cheeks heating up, his palms sweating. The grasp Taehyung had over him was always at a dangerous level, but now he's afraid it had only reached unthinkable heights.

"And don't forget, everyone. Your next exam is in 3 days!" The professor spoke up as students began to rise from their chairs and collect their things simultaneously. Jeongguk turned to watch Jimin punch at Hoseok's arm playfully and say something cheeky, but his attention was redirected when he then noticed Taehyung standing from his seat, too.

"See you guys later," Jeongguk said hurriedly to his two friends, grabbed his bag and rushed toward Taehyung's desk. Immediately upon his presence, he felt his entire body tremble in anticipation. As always, he was excited to see the man. "H-Hi, hyung."

Taehyung's head turned, lips curling to a smile as his eyes settled over Jeongguk. "Ah, hey pretty boy."

Jeongguk inhaled quietly, doe eyes starry at the sound of the man's voice calling him pretty.

"Do you want to, um... eat lunch together? I prepared a bento box so... s-so we could share, if you'd like?"

Wow real smooth, he internally scolded himself. How could he stutter so badly in under three sentences? But thankfully the older didn't seem to pay mind to it one bit.

"Lunch with you? Hm, suddenly I'm free," he chuckled, reached a hand up and flicked his thumb over the tip of Jeongguk's nose. The boy giggled timidly at the gesture, then watched as Taehyung turned to Yoongi. "Catch you later, yeah?"

Yoongi blinked a few times, tore his gaze from the back of the classroom where Hoseok and Jimin were now bickering over some show they must've watched together, and he nodded quietly at the younger.

Taehyung pulled his bag over his shoulder. "Alright, Jeon. Let's go."

The two had decided on having lunch at the school's rooftop, a location Taehyung had claimed to have a nice view, and was a frequent visitor whenever he needed time to himself during the day.

And as they made their way over towards the arts department building, Jeongguk heard Taehyung grumble something beside him, so he directed his attention toward him only to see him grasping a box of cigarettes firmly in his hand.

The boy gave a soft laugh. "Still can't find your lighter?"

Taehyung bit his lip and gave an annoyed nod, one that Jeongguk had only found to be quite endearing. The older then looked around at the passing students strolling to and from varying departments.

"Sorry, Jeon. One sec, okay?"

Jeongguk blinked twice and gave a confused nod of his head before watching Taehyung suddenly jog up toward a passing woman carrying art supplies. A gorgeous one at that, her long hair a classy shade of vibrant red, her make up stunningly done, a bold eyeliner adorning her big eyes, complimenting her small face.

The boy's lips pressed together as he watched Taehyung pull out a cigarette from the box and show it up at her.

"Excuse me, darling," he heard him say, "Would you happen to have a lighter I can borrow for just two seconds, hm? Really sorry about this."

The flame haired girl came to a stop and seemed to stare at Taehyung in awe at first, as though it were her first time seeing a man so terrifyingly handsome. She slipped her bag of supplies to one shoulder and began to dig into her jacket pocket.

"Yes, of course," she replied, her voice a bit more charismatic than Jeongguk would've thought. She pulled out a lighter and waited for Taehyung to place the cigarette to his lips.

His lips, where both hers and Jeongguk's stares lingered, perhaps for a while longer than they should have, both intrigued by the man's alluring features.

And once said man set the cigarette in place and leaned forward, the woman raised the lighter, flicked the fire on, then stopped just before it could reach the tip of Taehyung's blunt.

"Now, I must warn you... I don't hand out just any old favor for free..." she said with a subtly flirtatious tone, one Jeongguk would've been mad at if only it weren't so damn smooth.

A sly smirk began to spread over Taehyung's lips. "I'm good at returning favors," was his response, and Jeongguk felt an odd jolt in his stomach.

Satisfied with his suggestive reply, the red haired gave a composed giggle and reached the lighter up further as the man was quite tall, ignited Taehyung's cigarette and enclosed the lighter shut. She then opened her mouth to say something but the man beat her to it.

"Thanks a bunch, reddie," Taehyung spoke with his thick voice, pulled the cigarette from his lips and moaned out as smoke emitted past his throat and into the air. His veiny neck outstretched while he flung his head back in a grunt, carbon particles pushed past his nostrils. "Shit..." he slowly closed his eyes, lowered his voice. "Now this baby hits just right. Fuck..." His lashes lifted, and Taehyung observed the sky above him in a half lidded gaze for a moment, bangs pushed back, the taste of nicotine at his tongue. And with a slow blink the man lowered his head back down to meet the girl, whose cheeks were as red as her hair. "Right, well. See you around."

With that Taehyung gave a curt bow of his head and cooly walked off, returned back toward Jeongguk, and they resumed their pathing towards the arts building, a calm expression over Taehyung's face now that he'd finally gotten to smoke.

Jeongguk chewed at his bottom lip, unsure why the interaction between Taehyung and some stranger bothered him so much. How flawlessly the older had approached that red haired girl. How they seemed to hit it off well, perhaps under other circumstances they may have even become close. Close enough to maybe—

"Are you sure you don't mind me eating from your food?"

That deep voice Jeongguk knew all too well by now had interrupted his spiraling thoughts. He blinked twice and slowly looked around, only to realize they had made it to the rooftop already. Taehyung walked forward and came to a halt near the fencing at the edge. He propped his arm over the rail and removed the cigarette from his lips, it being propped between two fingers; and he looked out over the ledge to watch how the students who walked back and forth below them appeared so much smaller at this height.

Jeongguk quietly cleared his throat. "Of course it's okay..." he spoke up. "I made enough for you." He joined the older at his side to watch the view from where they stood, and slowly came to realize how what he'd said could sound. A flustered blush appeared on his cheek. "Just, out of habit, you know? Enough for two people, y-yeah. Jimin likes to steal my food a lot."

Taehyung's focus was on the sight below him, but he chuckled at Jeongguk's words and rested his cigarette back between his lips. There was a pause of silence between the two, a chill breeze that Jeongguk was glad hadn't been too strong. He shyly glanced over at their proximity, Taehyung's elbow mere centimeters from his own over the steel bar. The boy then opened his mouth to say something before Taehyung suddenly perked up, a bounce in his step as he leaned over a bit.

"Hey, it's Junior!" he said cheerily, reaching to point down at a tree near the campus entrance. Jeongguk followed his finger and let his gaze land on a black cat scurrying behind the large tree.

A smile curled upon Jeongguk's lips. "Ah, little Junior, yes. I haven't seen him in a while," the boy giggled. "Have you been taking care of him?"

Taehyung slowly lowered himself properly back on the ground and leaned over the rail again in slumped shoulders, his fluffy locks bouncing as he shook his head. "Haven't seen him in a while either. I guess he's getting shy on me."

Jeongguk let out another quiet laugh while Taehyung pulled the cigarette from his lips and stared at it for a long moment.

Eventually, he gave a quiet breath."Not this lung-killing shit again.." The older murmured under his breath before swiftly tossing the blunt to the floor, foot then stomping down to crush on it. Jeongguk raised his brow, mouth parting in shock.

"What—Why did you-... Y-You're done smoking already?" he asked, flabbergasted at the man's actions. The man who had craved a smoke so badly that he'd even asked a stranger to light it for him, yet the poor cigarette was only discarded in a manner of minutes.

"Mhm," was Taehyung's nonchalant reply, head turning to meet Jeongguk's gaze, and the younger took quick notice of how the man's eyes seemed brighter than he was used to seeing them. Granted, there were times Jeongguk remembered thinking such things, so he couldn't help but notice it now; the way Taehyung's pupils seemed larger, a somewhat eager demeanor to him that contrasted his usual calmness.

Before Jeongguk could think on what to say, Taehyung was already reaching towards him, his thumb coming to press gently against his bottom lip. Jeongguk held his breath, heart tightened. The man's finger rubbed over the brim of his mouth in careful flicks, his intense gaze fixated on the boy's lips.

Then, Taehyung pulled his hand away. "Sorry about that," he gave a small grin, "You had something on your face."

Jeongguk blinked, large doe eyes looking up at him. "O-Oh..." he could feel his skin become hot. "T-Thanks."

Taehyung nodded and tilted his head to the side, his staring remained directly on the boy and nothing else. "Actually.." he said after a while, "Mm'no, that's not quite true.."

Jeongguk gave a confused hum.

The older looked to the side briefly, then met Jeongguk's gaze again, hand coming upon the boy's chin. "You didn't have anything on your lips," he admitted with a quieter voice, a single step toward Jeongguk bringing them closer. He lowered his head to close in their distance. "I just wanted to touch them."

Jeongguk gulped. The man was dangerously close, now. That handsome face, that rumbling voice, those void and complicated eyes.

Kim Taehyung was an enigma that no one could figure out. Those were Jeongguk's initial thoughts on him. He was full of contradictions. Despite how charming he was, he was equally just as eerie. Despite how cruel he seemed to get, he was strangely kind at times. One day he'd be rough in the bedroom and the next he'd be whispering sweet little nothings against Jeongguk's ear while caressing his skin.

Some days Jeongguk felt like he was his, and other days he was dropped right back down to a harsh reality.

But there was something the boy came to realize two days ago, back in Taehyung's apartment where they shared things about themselves to each other while exchanging kisses and touches and moans. A conclusion that Jeongguk was wavering over, because if it were true he was scared of what the future would hold for him.

So, yes, he was hesitant. Thought it over and over. Considered and reconsidered, until he reached denial.

But right then, on that rooftop, with the sun casting down over them, the shadows upon Taehyung's face revealing his true nature, as well as Jeongguk's raw emotions; he came to realize the undeniable truth.

"I really hoped I would see you again soon.." Taehyung spoke up, the depth of his voice making the boy's knees grow weak. Jeongguk exhaled softly, leaning into the older's warm hand over his cheek. "Thanks for inviting me out here for lunch."

Jeongguk could only gaze back at the male in silence, his heart in cardiac arrest, body submitting entirely to the man. And when Taehyung's free hand came to grasp at his other cheek, Jeongguk was pulled against the older's lips, captured by his nurturing kiss.

The boy gasped quietly, his fingers sliding over Taehyung's waist where he held him there in a strong grip, not wanting to let go of the feeling pulsing in his chest. He felt light, as though he were floating on air, propped upon a cloud roaming the vast sky. He'd travel the world with Kim Taehyung, snugged into his lips, carried on by his sweet embrace.

Everything became clear to him suddenly, all at once. So excruciatingly obvious that he almost felt queasy wondering how he hadn't come to realize it before.

In this man's hold, where he felt he now belonged, he reached up to kiss him harder, hands coming to tug at Taehyung's hair with all the passion rushing his veins because, of course, it was true.

That he had utterly, entirely, helplessly fallen in love with Kim Taehyung.

✱