Chapter Fourteen

"Where's Jungkook and Jimin?" Taehyung asks, lazily staring away from boots at his feet but rather at the three men before him. Jin, Yoongi, and Hoseok stand towering in dark clothing. Hoseok and Yoongi wear the darkest of shades, most always.

Meeting in front of the club with his jeans, dress shirt, and familiar black bomber. Taehyung stands hoping to see a train of his friends, not just half. Sighing, he puts the missing faces together. Jungkook and Jimin didn't come. To revamp the cherry-on-top, Yoongi says, "Jungkook? Jungkook was supposed to come?"

Jin nods, seeing the disappointment on Taehyung's face. "Yes. He was just about to, but decided on staying back with Jimin."

Taehyung asks, "Why didn't Jimin come?"

Jin senses the hesitancy, "I-I don't know." That leaves Taehyung to his thoughts, having Hoseok break it with a slow, "He seemed upset...trying to play it off as if he were sick. You got any idea what's going on?"

Taehyung doesn't respond. His phone out. Staring at a text he had sent earlier in the evening. A text to Jimin, "I got Pela coming tonight. Have yourself looking fresh!" Jimin texted back, "Thanks, I guess. Show her a good time." The last of it made sense now.

The muscles in his body tense. Taehyung moves into his contacts, finds yours he retrieved, and works to question whether you're coming. Before he can even type, a soft, "Hello," comes from behind him. Relieving his stress, Taehyung turns to find Pela and you present.

The music is loud and messy when you try to greet the boy who brought up the invitation. An invitation that was hesitated in accepting at first, only to be won over by his words. Taehyung had a charming way with his words. You noticed this about the stranger.

Jin and Hoseok's brows jump. They recognize you. Hoseok whisper-yells, "He invited her?" Jin starts to swear under his breath, panicking and looking over his shoulder to the entrance. Hoseok asks, "What? What?" Jin doesn't say what bothers him.

Meanwhile, Yoongi. He grins at the outfits of the two new faces, caring less towards the awe other's around him face.

Oblivious, he stares at the dark-skinned woman and the red dress she holds on her curves. She's beautiful, alluring, and sexy with just one sway of her hips when she walks. From the way Taehyung greets her, she's Pela.

Hoseok eyes her in a way, Yoongi notices.

Then he stares to you. The you others are shitting their pants for, eyes in astonishment. You wear orange, a pastel orange two-piece that many wouldn't dare try on. That on its own says a lot. Along with the sweet smile plastering alive by your tan painted lips.

Taehyung eyes you in a way, Yoongi notices.

"How do you happen to know such ravishing young ladies?" Yoongi coos out, smirking before shooting out his hand for you to shake. Taehyung's brows furrow as he looks away from the two and over to his friend. With no shame, the boy goes, "Why're you talking like that? You aren't from Jin's time."

Jin's worries fall from randomly being brought into a conversation. But now that he's in, he manages to stay by forcing a smile and saying, "Her birthday just recently passed." Your voice pipes awkward, "Not really, it's been two months." Jin nods, glaring over at Yoongi who puts the pieces together (about you being Oki's ex-girlfriend) and finishes, "Yeah, yeah. I'm so silly."

Pela's eyes narrow. She hasn't said a word the entire time, scoping each boy out. Then she faces the one she does know and asks, "Where's the corny one?" Taehyung asks, "What?" Pela says, "Your corny friend that can't tell morning from afternoons." She asks about Jimin and Taehyung licks his lips.

You notice the sudden tenseness that reaches the boy beside you. Glancing over, you break his fight to answer by saying, "He's probably just getting a head start on exams around the corner, I know I need to." Then you smile, perk up, and glance over at Taehyung who nods. He nods a little too fast and you've got your answer. Something is wrong.

But he's a stranger. Taehyung's a familiar stranger. You don't ask him anything, nor do you embarrassingly give advice...or try to feed him again. That was bad enough the first time...I babied him! Talk about making it obvious that I haven't dealt with a druggie before...not in that low of a state, that is.

"Let's not talk about all that tonight," Hoseok sighs, nudging his head over to the entrance where many youths already started to crowd. "Let's get inside and party!" He shouts this, muffling his lips with his hand.

You point adorable towards the line, "Should we go wai—"

Taehyung smiles, shakes his head and ushers for you to follow. The security allows them to enter, smiling and greeting the new faces. When seeing the shock on both women, Taehyung genuinely chuckles, letting the music swarm his ears, he says, "Yeah, they know us around here!"

"I noticed!" Pela shouts back, eyeing all the darkness of crowds dancing and drinking. It was a small place, packed but large enough for definite fun. She perks up, grinning and clapping her hands.

"You must come here a lot for them to know you!" You say.

"Huh?!"

"I said, you must come here a lot then!"

You roll to your toes, lean close to his ear. He smells of mint, sweet cologne, and cold air from outside. Flushing when his face turns with a smile, Taehyung's nose strikes dangerously close to yours. Roll back on heels. The boy doesn't notice the heat formulating at your cheeks. He says, "Yeah! We come here quite often!"

Finding yourself to stare at how his lips look, your eyes widen for yourself and how inappropriate your act strikes. Glancing away and easing a step to the side, you say, "Really looking to have some fun tonight! Was skeptical at first but I'm glad I said yes to you!"

"What did you say? I caught about half of that!" Taehyung laughs.

"I'm glad you asked me to come!"

"In that outfit, I'm glad I asked you to come as well!"

You flush when hearing that. And trust, you hear it clear from the way he shouts it close to your ear. If knowing any better, minds would be tricked to think Taehyung's lips got a little too close. But that must only be paranoia, no?

Smiling kind, you move another step to the side, but nothing fits right. Instead, Taehyung's hand moves to the small of your back as he helps guide you from bodies that dance, and over to the bar. During the midst of it, your hand that once Pela held is loosened when she's dragged with giggles to the dance floor. You don't see the man. He moves to fast. All you see is the dark clothes.

It's been a few minutes. To the mind that struggles within you, it feels dreadfully long. Arching up and constantly checking to see if Pela is in sight and okay, a chuckle breaks your wariness when Taehyung snaps his fingers by the side of your cheek. Immediately staring over, he smirks and waves over a bartender.

He asks for his drink. You notice how it isn't vodka.

"And for the lady?"

Taehyung glances over at you, seeing as you're creepily staring at the side of his face. Saying nothing. With a brow cocked, he looks over and asks himself, "Would you like something to drink?" Your cheeks heat again. Shaking your head, you say, "No thank you." The bartender leaves with a nod.

"You seem jumpy, are you okay?" He asks slow. It helps that the bar is quieter than the dance floor.

"Yes," You breathe, staring at him and the fact that none of his friends are around. Just the two of you. "I'm just a little confused, that's all," you say honest. Taehyung's sparks intrigue in that. Before he can ask what, the bartender is back with a glass that isn't vodka.

"There's nothing to be confused about!" Jin yells over the music, dancing with Yoongi who doesn't know how to move his hands.

"You're saying he's here? You can't be serious!" Yoongi does a shoulder shimmy. It looks tragic, but Jin doesn't judge. He mimics.

"Yes! I swear I saw him when I was standing around waiting for you all to show!" Jin yells.

"Taehyung doesn't know Oki might be here?"

"If he did, I doubt he'd be alone with Oki's ex-girl at the bar!"

Both look over. Taehyung sips his drink a little too close to you he towers over.

"Shit."

"He can't be interested. Taehyung would never. He's just being overly sweet," Yoongi tries, pointing at the way the boy stands at the bar, "Look. He hasn't even touched her! That's classic when he gets comfortabl—" The man stops when catching Taehyung hesitantly reach his hand out.

Jin and Yoongi stop breathing for a moment.

Taehyung smiles when you notice his hand up off his glass's side. His mouth moves as he completes his touch, shy and hesitant his fingers are. The boy shifts a strand of hair behind your ear. You grow flustered.

"Fuck," Jin says. Looking elsewhere.

Yoongi nods, "Yeah, fuck." He's still staring at Taehyung.

Jin slaps Yoongi's chest causing the man to jump, guiding his expression towards the pointing Jin partakes in. Gawking over and knowing exactly what he'll find, Yoongi finally sees the suspicion both him and Jin have been speaking about. Oki. He's here. He's laughing and with his friends at a private booth across the dancefloor, by the second mini bar.

"Fuck," Yoongi mimics Jin now.

They stare for too long. Frozen in the middle of the dance floor. Oki scans the crowd, lazily drinking his drink. His eyes pass right by them and they act like scared prey thinking not to move for lives to be saved.

It doesn't work. Oki double-glances, squints his eyes, and suddenly brightens up as if he's known them all his life. He's tipsy, screaming names while rushing over for a greeting.

"Ah! It's Moonji and Jin. My friends!" he says, engulfing Yoongi's shoulder with a hug. The man tenses under the touch, whispering to Jin, "Get this man off me. Get this ma—" "Jin!" Oki throws himself towards Jin with a chuckle. The oldest pats Oki's back awkward and pulls away fast.

"How are you?" Jin doesn't really care for an answer to his question.

Oki answers, "Been pretty shit. Missing the ex, you know what I mean!" He smirks before pointing over to his friends in the booth, "But my buddies got my back. They forced me out for some fun! YEAH!" Jin flinches from the sudden loudness that comes from the boy.

"That's great!"

"So great!" Yoongi glares at Jin, not even bothering in faking a smile.

"Yo yo yo yo yo—" Oki hits Yoongi's chest and the boy holds back a whine. "If you two out here that must mean my boy Taehyung out too? I haven't seen him since last night! W-Wait, is Namjoon here too if Moonji is here?"

"Yoongi!" Again, the man isn't smiling.

"No, Namjoon isn't here...and Taehyung isn't either! Isn't that right Moonji?" Yoongi glares at Jin.

"He still stressin' over his assignments?"

"Yup!"

"He deserves to be out more and have some fun for himself! When's the last time he's been with a girl? A decent chick out here? He's always setting us up but never hooking up himself!" Oki drinks from his glass, "I gotta bring him out here one day and help him out. He'll work his magic on a hot ass piece, I tell ya. I can see it now!"

Jin's forced smile starts to waver.

Yoongi smirks. "A girl like your ex you mean?"

The amusement falls when Jin slaps his chest. It's been three times now and Yoongi doesn't care that Jin's older, he hits back.

"What you say?" Oki asks, nose crinkling and unable to hear from the song change.

"Sounds like a plan!" Yoongi throws a thumbs-up.

There's mumbling from the man that neither catch. Yoongi goes, "What?!" Jin goes, "What was that?!" Now they're the ones that can't hear. Eyes wide and bodies being pasted through like mice within crowded walls, Jin and Yoongi find themselves being swarmed by Oki's friends he calls over.

"N-No, we really shou—" Yoongi's cut off by Jin who curtly nods. Sighing, this party night strains to instantly be a bummer, having him miss Namjoon. Nodding back, Yoongi understands why Jin agrees to be swept away into an unfamiliar crowd.

They glance towards Taehyung.
The boy with his best friend's ex-girl, still.

"Oh, come on, answer me!" Taehyung chuckles, on his second drink.

"It's embarrassing and sad and I don't want to think about any of that anymore." You sigh and steal his drink from fingers, squinting your eyes and tasting how disgusting bourbon latches to one's throat. Taehyung's smile falls a little when seeing you finish his entire drink. Softly, he asks, "Was it with Oki?"

"Yes," you say light, "I had my first kiss with Oki."

Taehyung nods, blinking. "In a way, I know your hurt," he shrugs and breathes, "I've only known of one girl...in such ways..."

"Sexual ways?"

Taehyung nods, stern and eyes starting to chill.

You notice and smile, lightening the mood before both of you started to cry. "How has a professional wingman like yourself only been with one girl?"

The coldness in Taehyung's eyes fall a little. He tries not to smile when he pipes, "What can I say? I'm a loyal dude." You stare a little too long at him after he says this, smile of yours falling when admiring.

He breaks in, causing you to blink. "Was that another question off your list or are we not playing no more?"

Your smile is back. "How many was I in for?"

Taehyung grins. "I honestly can't even remember the last question I asked you. So, counting to 20 isn't my best grant."

"'20 questions' is a childish game in most ways," then you squint, "...can't count? You already drunk wingman?"

"Stop calling me that."

You laugh. "I can't help it, the culture behind it fascinates me."

Taehyung rolls his eyes. "It's just a person that helps other people get with other people. What's so fascinating about that?"

"How you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Become a wingman?"

"Flirting, Miss. Orange-peel. Simple acts of flirtation and interest."

You sigh. "Then I wouldn't be great at it..."

"You don't flirt?" Taehyung's shoulder leans into the counter. No longer towering, his body gravitates closer and closer as time passes.

"Not that I 'don't', it's just I can't. I'm sure I'm horrid at it."

There's a lop-sided grin attached to his face. "Don't be ridiculous, a girl lookin' like you doesn't need any lines to flirt. Just showing up can get any man on their knees."

Your eyes soften, your heart shakes a tad. When the heat attacks your ears and you don't know how to comment back, Taehyung grins large, cocks his brow and you match his smile. "You dog! You actually got me there!" you say, laughing when he shrugs and cockily becomes a humblebrag.

"I mean, it took me a while to be confident about it, but I mean. I guess I have become a master."

"How confident are you in your mastery?" You smile large, enjoying his company when he rolls his shoulder in preparation for an exaggerated fight.

"Try me," Taehyung says. "Okay," you say.

His eyes squint. Yours narrow. "Have you only been a wingman for men?"

He shakes his head 'no' and your cheeks hurt from smiling.

"Really?" you question.

"Yes."

"What's the difference between men and women? Being a wingman for them, that is..."

"Why?" Taehyung's torso practically grazes your naked arm now. "You interested in hiring me as your wingman?"

You ask, "You charge?"

He rolls his tongue to point his inner cheek, "In ways outside of money...you interested?" You blush immediately. His gaze up and down your body doesn't help.

When he holds a smile, looks away, and steps slightly back, you tell yourself he isn't serious. He's joking around. He's doing what he did earlier. That's it, that's it. The confusion you feel constantly tonight creeps stronger than earlier, but you bury it.

You find strength from the warmth you feel and ask, "I'm not paying you in any means."

Taehyung nods, chuckling. "But to answer your question, when helping straight men with straight women, it's harder than the reverse. Men tend to latch on to any women rather than women doing the same to any man. It's interesting to see, actually."

"And with Jungkook? Have you ever been his wingman?"

"I tried once. It didn't work."

"How come?" You laugh, seeing as he's trying not to.

"The boys Jungkook was interested would see straight through my bullshit every time," he shrugs, "I guess it's just a different game play...Jungkook has certain taste."

"He tends to be smart about who he dates."

"Well that's Jungkook for you," Taehyung sighs, smile falling slow, "Getting smarter and smarter as the days go by."

The tenseness you noticed from the mention of Jimin earlier returns. You bite back your tongue. You want to ask, you want him to confide in you. But not here. Not by the bar.

"Teach me something," you blurt.

His eyes flinch to yours. "What?"

"Teach me how to get a man."

Taehyung snorts. You nudge his shoulder. "I'm serious," you say, eyes scolding playful, "Take me seriously."

"You seriously telling me you're that bad at flirting?"

"Yes. I only got Oki because he was just as bad then." Now he's probably got the hang of it, considering all the women he cheated on me with.

"What would you say are your strengths?"

"Strengths in what? School and life? Ooh, ambitious goals huh?" You make a mockery out of this. Taehyung doesn't complain, amused.

"Strengths when it comes to luring men in."

"Luring men? What way of putting it!" Your face moves in fake shock.

Taehyung laughs again. He's been laughing a lot tonight.

"I'm serious, what are your strengths?"

Your smile falls. "I don't know, am I supposed to know that?"

"As a starter, yeah."

You nibble over your bottom lip. "I don't know."

"Would acting it jog up memory?"

"How do you mean?" you ask slow. Your heart racing.

"Use me."

"Use you?"

"Flirt with me," Taehyung says with a smirk, "Show me what you got."