Yandere Taehyung - Blog Posts

Hello fellow panko shrimps! I have a new fanfiction cooking up in the drafts for ya and it's gonna be a good one!!!! Let's just say it involves Yandere Kim Taehyung, Murder, and Gucci. Tehehehehe

💛🦐

The Ivory Fang (Il/finale)

— pairing: mermaid taehyung x (f) reader — word count: 8.2k — warnings: (soft?) yandere — summary: You have run out of options when it comes to treating your mother's illness. When a mysterious man offers you a solution that might save her, you decide that nothing is too strange if it means it'll lead to a cure – not even finding and striking a deal with a mermaid.

Part 01 - 02

The bones above you rattle as you dare to step closer to the pool. Your body trembles under Taehyung's intent gaze, the sharp points of his fangs peeking out as he smirks. There's no doubt in your mind that he would be able to rip you to pieces in seconds with teeth like that, yet, you can't run away now. There is nowhere for you to go but forward and Taehyung has all of the answers you have so desperately been searching for.

"Your request?" Taehyung prompts. His fin flicks lazily up and down, keeping his shimmering tail floating just above the water.

"You know what it is," You find yourself growing angry amid of your fear, annoyed that you were sent on a wild goose chase so far away from your mother. "Why could you not grant my wish on land? Why drag me all the way here?"

Taehyung's icy eyes light up at your vexed tone, openly finding pleasure in your displeasure. He taps a finger against his cheek, dragging out the silence to seemingly shake you further before he says, "My magic is stronger at the island. Your.. situation, requires a great deal of it, so it must be done here."

"Magic abides by certain rules, an order, which must be kept if you want your wish to be successful. So I will ask you again, human, what is your request?"

A brief thought strikes you about faeries and their ability to twist your words into something foul as you look down at Taehyung's mischievous smile. There was a folktale your mother used to tell you when you were young, to teach you to always speak the truth. You followed your mother's will, scared by the implication that a creature could twist your words, until you realized that sometimes - lying was kinder than telling the truth. But perhaps there had been something valuable in her teachings nonetheless. Maybe a mermaid's magic, much like a faerie's, can twist your request into something terrible if you allow space for it.

You take a moment to formulate the request in your mind, making it as perfect and concise as possible without leaving any room for trickery. "I want you to cure my mother of the sickness that is eating away at her body and make her healthy again."

The mermaid tilts his head, exposing the gills along his neck as he considers it. "Very well. And what may you be willing to sacrifice for me to grant your request?"

The answer slips out just as easily as it did the first time Taehyung asked you.

"Anything."

"If it is something of equal value then..." Taehyung pushes himself back from the edge of the pool, the distance making it easier for him to once again scrutinize you from head to toe. You're not entirely sure what he's looking for or what he finds, but he seems to deem it acceptable. "Hmm, fine. I shall grant it."

The mermaid suddenly submerges himself underwater, swimming into the depths of the pool. You shudder as you look over the edge and realize you can only faintly see Taehyung's tail shimmering down below, the water far deeper than you were expecting. You hastily retreat as you notice Taehyung's form becoming more visible, the mermaid clearing the distance in only a few seconds as he breaches the surface. He has something clutched in his hand, something mushy and soft that strongly resembles algae. The only difference is that this seaweed is glowing, a faint light emitting from it as soon as it comes into contact with air.

Taehyung spares you no explanation as he swims over to the other side of the pool, to the same spot he was lounging before you revealed yourself. You watch in fascination as he finds a large shell, placing the algae into it before he starts mushing it up even further with what looks to be a white crystal. You wince as he tears a lock of hair from his head, uncaring, as he adds it to the mixture. There are a few more things added into it that you can't make out from where you're standing, and for your self-preservation, you think it best to stay where you are.

The mermaid eventually makes his way back to you, his concoction held safely above the water's surface. "Come closer, human, I need you for the final part of the potion."

You hesitate for only a split second, wary of closing the distance. But the guilt of knowing that you're only prolonging your mother's suffering finally pushes to you take a few more steps forward, falling to your knees at the edge of the pool.

"Very good," Taehyung purrs. "First, I need back what I gave you." The fang.

You had completely forgotten about it in the midst of everything else. You feel a jolt of panic as you rummage around the loose pockets of your trousers, not finding anything. Did you lose it in the sea? Patting yourself down, you let out a tiny sound of realization as you remember the hidden pocket in the back, the one your mother added for safekeeping coins.

"Here," You place the fang by the edge of the pool, watching as Taehyung picks it up with a carefulness you never would have associated with a creature like him.

You shrink back as he suddenly raises a webbed hand towards your face, your heart hammering in your chest as you get a good close-up of his awfully sharp claws. You squeeze your eyes shut as he makes a swiping motion, sure that those talons are going to cut your throat wide open. Instead, only feel a light tug at your hair, much like a knife cutting through it.

You open your eyes just in time to see Taehyung adding a few strands of your hair to his brew, grinding it down to nothing with his crystal. He whispers low under his breath as he stirs, speaking a tongue you have never heard before. You wonder if it's magic or if it's simply the language of mermaids. It feels old though, like perhaps it is older than time itself.

Taehyung places the shell in front of you as he finishes his incantation. "You must drink this and think of your intention – your request – as you do so."

The brew looks murky green and slimy, definitely not at all appealing. It makes your stomach turn to know that you'll be ingesting his hair, but if this is all you need to do, then that is a small price to pay for your mother's health. You grimace as you pick the shell up, balancing it carefully between your hands as you bring it up to your lips. The smell that hits your nose is repugnant and you have no doubt that it will taste even worse. You take a deep breath in through your mouth, using the moment to steel yourself and think of your mother before you tip the shell forward.

Nothing could have prepared you for the absolutely horrid taste that hits your tongue, some of the slimy potion pooling in your mouth despite your best attempts to quickly swallow it. As the final gulp passes down your throat and you heave for air, desperate for something to scrape the nasty residue off your tongue, you feel a heaviness settle around your wrists and ankles. The sensation weighs you down for a moment, tight around your limbs, before it disappears just as quickly as it arrived.

"What was that?" You croak, touching your unblemished wrist.

You freeze as a webbed hand suddenly covers yours, your breath catching in your throat at how wet and off his touch feels. The sharp points of Taehyung's claws are digging into your skin, just short of slicing into your arteries.

"It was your end of our deal. The only thing of equal value to saving a life is to take another. Killing you would be a pity, so chaining your life to mine seemed a better option."

You swallow thickly, unease spreading through your body like wildfire. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"Well, if I call, you come. If I ask you to do something, you do it."

"So, I'm your servant," You conclude. "That's... fine. I'll aid you whenever you find yourself in our town."

Taehyung is silent for a long moment before he lets out a small chuckle, one that sounds like he just watched a kitten trip over its own feet. "Oh guppy, I do not think you understand. You are chained to me and my magic that rests on this island. You cannot leave."

"No!" You whip your head up, flinching as you find Taehyung's face much too close to yours. "But– But my mother? How will I know if our deal has worked?"

The mermaid shrugs, indifferent to your distress.

"Trust, I suppose. Desperation. If you ever attempt to leave, the spell will break and your mother will revert back to her sick self again. It is up to you whether you are willing to chance it."

You think you should have seen this coming – how cruel a deal with a magical creature can be. If you stay here you can't confirm that Taehyung is holding up his end of the deal but you also cannot risk going back to check on the odd chance that it actually breaks the spell and dooms your mother. You have no choice but to trust him – to hope that the magic that binds you, also binds him.

Taehyung senses your quiet acceptance, his claws drifting from your wrist to your cheek. You don't fight it as he lifts your head, forcing you to meet his gaze. The mermaid seems to revel in your misery, his eyes gleaming with something hungry and dangerous as he stares you down. His claws draw blood as he slinks closer, the small pinpricks leaving streaks of red trickling down your face.

Taehyung's breath ghosts over your lips as he leers and says, "Now human, what should we do with you?"

Servant was perhaps too kind of a word.

The mermaid puts you to work right away, sending you out to different parts of the island to collect items he needs. He often leaves you with vague descriptions, forcing you to make the trek multiple times when the plant or leaves you have plucked aren't the ones he's looking for. He never allows you to rest or eat until your task for the day is done.

You hobble into the cave, winching with every step as your bloodied and bruised skin makes contact with the hard rock underneath. Taehyung sent you out to find a red fruit today, one that grows at the very top of a tree. You haven't done much climbing since you were a child and certainly never that high up, so each branch you picked to take you further was chosen with caution. Your feet were already scraped and bloodied by the time you had made it halfway up the trunk and the rest of your climb wasn't made easier by the sap-like texture dripping out of the bark, causing every step to feel like it might be your last.

Your legs are shaking with pain by the time you step into the cavern, the crudely woven basket on your back so heavy it threatens to drag you down with each step. Collapsing near the pool's edge, you heave it off your shoulders to give to Taehyung. The mermaid hasn't spared you a single glance since you appeared, his attention locked onto the new concoction he's working on. It isn't until you loudly clear your throat that Taehyung turns around, propelling himself to the other side of the pool in a few seconds with a few strong strokes of his tail.

He hums contently as he takes stock of all the fruit you gathered, rummaging around to make sure that they're all in good condition. Taehyung pierces into the flesh with his claws, red juice dripping down his hand as he holds up the fruit to closer inspect it. His cold gaze moves over to you once he deems it satisfactory.

"Did you eat one, human?"

"No," You shake your head. To say you hadn't been tempted would be a lie, but you were afraid of disobeying the mermaid's orders. What if it affected your agreement?

"Good."

Taehyung lifts the basket on top of his head, balancing it there as if it weighs nothing as he returns to the other side of the pool. You massage your sore calves, trying to ignore the hunger gnawing at your stomach. You're not sure how long the mermaid takes before he makes his way back to you - you suspect he always drags it out longer than necessary because he likes to see you squirm – but you feel ravenous by the time he places your dinner in front of you. Your food is always the same; fresh fish cut into thin slices along with blue, plump berries. While it never looks like much, it always fills you up until you think you might burst.

You try not to grimace as Taehyung's webbed hands wrap around your legs, dragging your feet down into the water of the pool. The first time it happened you had kicked the mermaid so hard it left him stunned. In retaliation for your fear, you weren't allowed to eat for two days.

You quickly learned your lesson that it was best to just let Taehyung do what he wants unless you were willing to face the consequences.

You focus on eating your berries as Taehyung drags his hands over the soles of your feet, the mermaid murmuring words you don't understand. You suppress your whimpers as the wounds on your feet begin to knit themselves back together, the skin scarring and smoothing over in just under a minute. You often find yourself wondering if this is Taehyung's strategy for an obedient servant; while he's the one who's breaking you down, he's also the only one who can patch you back up, ensuring that you always come running back.

Fear has kept you from talking much, worried that one wrong question might cause the mermaid to anger and sink his claws into you. But the past weeks on this island have left you feeling restless and starved for more than just food. At this point, you're simply desperate for some interaction. So, against your better judgement, you say, "How does that work?"

Taehyung pauses his movements, "How does what work, human?"

"The thing you're doing to my feet, the, uh, magic?"

"That is none of your concern," The gills on Taehyung's neck flutter as he huffs.

"Right," You murmur, not stupid enough to push when it's clear that he's unwilling to elaborate.

"Are you the only mermaid living on this island?"

You pull your feet out of the water the moment Taehyung is done healing them, scooting back just in case you have annoyed him with your questions. The mermaid regards you silently for a moment, his normally stoic expression wavering just so.

"I am. We are lonely creatures, much too possessive to be able to share the same home," Taehyung says. His nose wrinkles as he adds, "There are some.. exceptions, of course."

"Such as?" You wonder.

"Two of my brothers are a bit more attached than what is considered normal for us. I pity the creature they will choose as their mate."

Mate? It seems odd that such solitary creatures would have partners but maybe this is a good thing for you. If Taehyung starts looking for his mate, he likely won't have time to torment you and send you out on such pointless quests anymore.

"Do you see your brothers often?"

"No," Taehyung answers simply. "The moment we leave the pod, we are on our own. I only hear about my brothers through whispers of others, never directly from them. Such is the life at sea."

The mermaid quirks his lips, showing off the sharp points of his fangs as he notices the surprised look on your face. "You seem shocked that I am willingly giving out information, human."

"I–I suppose," You stammer, flabbergasted. Frankly, you didn't think you would ever get that much out of a simple question, that you would actually learn something about how mermaid society works.

Taehyung gently pushes himself away from the edge of the pool, floating on his back as he drifts closer to the middle of the water. The soft echo of his voice between the cave walls leaves your mind spinning as he confesses, "You are the first creature I have spoken to in years, guppy. Us monsters get lonesome too."

You stand with your hands on your hips just a little ways off the path your feet have forged, staring down the bush full of ripe, blue berries as you consider all of your options. You are well aware that you will get into trouble if you eat some, that you will be defying Taehyung's orders, but you are just so hungry.

It is only midday and you know that you have hours left to go until you have completed the task Taehyung has given you for the day. You need some fuel if you are going to be able to keep going until then. You're sick of feeling like your stomach is either trying to eat itself or almost bursting at the seams, sick of every little aspect of your life being controlled. You know that this is the sacrifice you have made to cure your mother – and it is worth it – but surely it can't hurt if you eat a few berries, just enough to quell the worst of your hunger?

Determined, you reach out to the bush and pluck a handful of plump, blue berries. Their hue is a little more purple than the ones Taehyung normally serves you but that likely just means that they're a little overripe, if anything. You pop them into your mouth, shrugging as the same, familiar mellow taste hits your tongue. You're tempted to grab a handful more to snack on but you decide you better not push your luck too much. First, you need to see if Taehyung notices the few you did eat.

You steady the basket on your back, beginning your trek back to the clearing a little way up the mountain. You've already been there once today but the overflowing basket you brought back apparently wasn't enough. No – the mermaid needed twice that.

You use the billowy sleeve of your dirtied blouse to wipe your face and neck as you near the base of the mountain, surprised by the amount of sweat that's pouring out of your skin. As you follow your own trail upwards, you find it hard to catch your breath despite your leisurely pace, the world slowly beginning to tilt on its axis the more you move forward.

The temperature on the island is mild today, certainly not hot enough to give you a heat stroke, but the symptoms seem to plague you all the same. You stumble to the ground as you reach a cluster of trees, seeking refuge in the shade they're offering. You leave your basket next to you, using the trunk of the tree for support as you try to catch your breath. Your mouth feels awfully numb, a bitter aftertaste blossoming on your tongue the more you try to swallow it away.

"Shit," You groan as your vision begins to blur. The moment you touch your face, you become aware of the weird itching that has begun spreading under your skin, like a thousand little pinpricks stabbing into it over and over. You frantically rub your face, closing your eyes as the movement makes your stomach turn dangerously.

"Sweetie–"

You lurch forward on your hands and knees as you hear your mother's voice calling out to you, the sound so close yet so far away at the same time. Your eyelids feel like swollen boulders as you force them open, your gaze unseeing as you attempt to make out the indistinct shapes of trees and bushes in the darkness.

That can't be right, wasn't the sun shining just before you closed your eyes?

You crawl forward, feeling along the ground as you attempt to make out what direction your mother's voice is coming from.

"Please help me–"

You veer a strong left, using a large rock for support to get up on your trembling, unsteady legs. You stumble forward into the night, swaying with each step as you hurry after your mother's shadow, her cries for help ringing in your ears. You never gain on her no matter how hard you push your body, no matter how loud you try to call out to her. There is hellfire raging inside of your body, making every step much harder than the last.

You slump over a fallen log for support, attempting to soothe the thunderous pounding in your chest before you continue to follow after your mother. The sound of snapping twigs catches your attention, your head turning in the direction it's coming from just in time to see something walk out of the trees. The creature walks unnaturally and jerky, its limbs twitching oddly with each step forward. The darkness shrouds everything but the creature's outline, how big and imposing it is as it hobbles forward, its claws glinting in the faint moonlight.

A demon.

You slide off the log, biting back a cry of terror as you begin to drag yourself in the opposite direction. Your legs are too weak to hold you up, your knees buckling whenever you attempt to put any weight on them. Sweat is streaming down your face as you dig your fingers into the earth, heaving yourself forward with all the energy you can muster. The sounds of the beast behind you grow louder and louder, and dread settles heavily in the pit of your stomach as you realize that you can't escape it. You flip yourself over with shaking arms, vision swimming as you stare up at the canopy of leaves above you. Tears flow down your cheeks as you remember your mother, still lost in these woods, soon to be alone with the same demon that's hunting you.

"Please," You whisper, tongue barely forming the words as you see the blurry figure of the beast above you.

You try to plead more, to ask for mercy as the demon's claws descend towards your face; but just as you open your mouth to do so, everything goes black.

There's a steady stream of grumbling close by as you regain consciousness. You can't pick out much over the sounds of rocks grinding together, but you do hear the words stupid and human repeated more than once. Your attempts to open your eyes are futile, a thick paste holding them closed. You begin to panic as you realize you can't even move your limbs to remove it, your fingers merely twitching by your side.

"Human, you are finally awake," The familiar sound of Taehyung's voice halts your racing heart and calms it from driving you into a frenzied panic.

A wooden bowl is pressed against your mouth, a cool liquid trickling down your throat as Taehyung carefully pulls on your chin to part your lips. The taste is awful, so bitter and rotten at the same time that you have half a mind to stop swallowing it and just let it flow down your chin to avoid drinking it.

"You have to drink it all," Taehyung says, as if reading your mind. "Unless you want to remain paralyzed from the toxins for the rest of your life, of course."

He makes a sound in the back of his throat, a gurgle that weirdly reminds you of a cat's purr, as he sees you consume every drop. He removes the bowl from your lips as it empties, but his cold finger remains on your chin, the tip of his claw tapping against your cheek. "There was a reason I told you not to eat anything I did not give you, human. Most of the plants here are poisonous in their pure form."

"You are lucky I found you when I did, your foolish hallucinations and running around exacerbated the effects. You would be dead if I had reached you a few breaths later."

Hallucinations?

You can't remember anything past eating the berries before your trek up the mountain. The little feeling you do have in your feet seems to prove Taehyung's statement true, though. They feel scratched up and achy, like you've been running on uneven ground for hours. The mermaid lets you stew in the realization that he saved your life as he moves around, all too aware that you can't respond with your swollen tongue.

You eventually drift off to sleep to the sounds of Taehyung grinding herbs together, the mermaid murmuring words of the old language as he works.

The next time you wake up, you can finally open your eyes. The thick paste that was keeping them shut is gone and as you take stock of the rest of your body, you notice that your hands and feet move according to your commands. Even your mouth feels back to normal, your tongue no longer heavy and thick behind your teeth.

You roll your head to the side, finding that Taehyung is still kneeling next to you, right where you surmised he was earlier. His icy, piercing gaze is still as unsettling as always, but it also feels oddly comforting as he looks you over from head to toe, making sure that you're alright.

"Can you move all of your limbs?" "Yes," You croak, wriggling your fingers and toes to confirm that you can.

"Do you still feel like the fires of hell are inside of you?" Taehyung asks as he places his hand on your bare stomach, your muscles jerking at the feel of the cool and slightly sticky texture of his skin against yours.

"No," You murmur, "It's all gone."

Even if you do not remember anything of your hallucinations, you do recall the awful burning sensation that was all under your skin, scorching your flesh from the inside as the poison ate away at you.

"Good," Taehyung removes his hand to push himself to his feet, his movements just as unnatural as that time in his shop.

Without the cloak covering him up you're able to see just why he moves the way he does – the bones in his legs are twisted, jutting out in odd directions. You wonder if it's because Taehyung is half fish, that perhaps his anatomy does not line up correctly whenever he uses magic to transform his tail into legs. You know better than to ask though, no good will come out of antagonizing Taehyung with silly questions when he just nursed you back to health.

It's odd to think about, but it is true. Despite making your life a living nightmare for the past month, he still saved your life. Whether it's out of the good of his heart (you doubt it) or him not wanting to find a new servant, you'd rather not know. You're not sure which truth would be worse.

"What was the paste for?" You ask instead. "To make sure you did not start bleeding out of your eyes," Taehyung replies simply.

"Oh," You gulp.

Eager to steer the conversation over to something else, to make you forget just how bad this whole situation could have turned out, you pivot to another question that has been lingering in the back of your mind.

"Why–" You clear your throat, "Why did you pick me? I can't be the only human desperate enough to seek you out for a deal?"

"You would be surprised, human. Not many of your species are as, hm, selfless, as you."

The mermaid picks up a bowl you hadn't noticed before, the contents sloshing around as he hobbles back to where you're lying. You advert your eyes to the sky as Taehyung moves closer, finding it difficult to watch his stilted movements without it triggering something primal in your head, something that just wants to flee from the unnatural sight before your eyes.

"Drink this."

You glance back at Taehyung as he presents you with the bowl, once again kneeling by your side. Your arms shake as you lift it to your mouth, your head as heavy as the mountain you're in the shade of as you strain to lift your neck. The taste is still as awful as the first time Taehyung made you drink it but you diligently swallow down every drop, confident that something in it must be aiding your recovery since you already feel so much better.

"I did not always have magic," Taehyung explains as he takes the empty bowl back. "I made a deal with a sea witch. I was too young to know what I was asking for, what the witch was asking of me in return, and yet I accepted it without question."

"Mermaids have long lifespans, we live for twice as many moons as you humans do. I did not think it would matter much if I lost a few turns of the seasons, but the witch wanted so much more than that. It feeds of my life force, my very essence. I am a child of the sea, made to swim and hunt in it for centuries, and yet it tells me that half of it is already gone - eaten by the witch in an attempt to prolong its own existence."

You recoil as Taehyung lets out a small hiss, revealing his fangs as he thinks back on his mistake. He gives you a sour look as he notices your poorly concealed fear, as if you should already be over that by now.

"D-did you try to break it?" You ask, voice trembling.

"Of course," The mermaid rolls his eyes. "I did not just ask, I begged–" He heaves a deep breath, gaze blazing with anger at what you can only assume is his indignance of having to sink so low, to subject himself to something he considers to be beneath a creature like him.

"It did not yield to my pleas. The witch told me that it was only a creature with a will of steel, a heart of gold, and a selfless mind that could break my deal – my curse. Another mermaid would never possess such qualities and neither would other sea creatures. It only left humans."

Taehyung's deep baritone voice seems to go even lower as he stares you down and says, "I have visited countless human settlements before yours, seeking a human that would fit the witch's description. Not a single human ever entered my shop before you."

You shudder as the mermaid uses his claw to push a lock of hair away from your face. "What does that mean? You tricked me?"

"Perhaps," Taehyung hums, grinning in a way that shows off all of the horrible teeth in his mouth. "Or perhaps we simply took use of each other. You need me to keep your mother healthy, as I need you to break my curse. Your determination to save your mother even when you were at death's door showed me that you are precisely what I have been looking for – that you are the creature that the witch spoke of."

Taehyung cradles your face in his cold palm, his eyes shining with a different hunger than before, "Well done. You have passed my test, guppy."

You swear under your breath as you dump your basket into the soft sand, the grains still warm between your toes from the setting sun. With all the berries and herbs you have been picking lately, you forgot just how heavy firewood could be. You grumble as you pull the crudely chopped branches out on the sand, stacking them until they form a small bonfire.

The fire catches easily this time, roaring to life with the help of some big half-dried leaves. You still remember your first night on the island vividly, just how cold and scared of the unknown you were as you curled up to sleep near the flames. It never crossed your mind that you would still be here, months later, sitting in the same place and repeating the same motions. Not even in your worst nightmare would you ever dream that this would have become your life – your new normal.

You pat your growling stomach, staring out at the quiet sea as you wait for your dinner to show up. The setting sun has barely moved in the sky before Taehyung breaches the surface, throwing two fat and heavy fish up on the shore. You ignore the grisly sight of their missing heads, the identical teeth marks along their necks making it quite clear who the culprit is. Using two sticks, you skewer the fish, leaving it to roast over the flames.

Taehyung has pulled himself up beside the fire by the time you're done preparing your food. You made the bonfire near the water on purpose, just close enough that the waves lap at your toes whenever the current grows stronger. The proximity lets Taehyung leave most of his heavy tail in the sea, the dancing flames reflecting off his white scales.

"Is this another one of your human inventions?" The mermaid shoots the roasting fish a weary look, his lip curling with distaste as he notices how the scales burn and blacken.

"I suppose so," You shrug, turning the branches so that the fish cooks evenly. "We have always relied on fire for food and warmth. Surely you must have seen humans use it before?"

"You seem to forget, guppy, that no human has ever approached me before you did. I did not waste my time watching them, not when one would eventually find its way to me."

Taehyung experimentally reaches out a claw towards the bonfire, holding it close until the very tip begins to glow red. You let out a strangled sound as a thin line of smoke begins to rise from his claw and grab his wrist to pull him back, away from the flames. Taehyung's finger sizzles as you shove it into the damp sand near his torso, your eyes wide as you look at him in disbelief.

"Are you trying to hurt yourself?!"

"Peculiar," Taehyung murmurs as he lifts his finger, staring at the burned spot at the edge of his otherwise pure, white claw. "I could not feel it."

"Oh by the deities," You groan. "Perhaps your claws are too thick to allow you to feel pain but you can still burn. Be watchful of the fire."

Taehyung's bright cold eyes snap to your face immediately, "Are you showing concern for me, human?"

"No," You hastily reply. You can see the flash of Taehyung's teeth out of the corner of your eye as he grins, clearly not believing you as you busy yourself with the fish.

You can't pinpoint when the shift between you and Taehyung happened, exactly. Perhaps it was after he saved your life, or maybe it's simply a silent understanding that you both have something to lose if you don't cooperate. More likely though, you think it's just loneliness. The only creature you can talk to out here is Taehyung and the same goes for him. The days and nights get awfully long when you have nothing but your own voice to listen to.

Taehyung has seemingly realized that too, and in turn, he has grown... kinder. He still makes you gather things around the island every day and doesn't let you eat until your tasks are completed, but they have grown easier than before – and have become quicker to complete. There is still a bone-deep uneasiness that flares up whenever you're around him, a survival instinct that never dares to go dormant, but the visceral fear you used to feel as Taehyung showed his fangs or flexed his claws has dulled down enough to be manageable. At least, that's what you like to fool yourself into believing.

You move the now cooked fish away from the flames, giving it some time to cool down before you dig in. You rest your head on your knees, looking at how Taehyung's tail leisurely moves back and forth with the current. Glancing past it, you can't see anything but open water, Pearl Bay is too far away to be visible in the distance.

Hesitating, you trace out indistinct shapes in the sand as you carefully ask, "Do you think your magic would still work if you left the island and I followed you? Perhaps it's the proximity to you and not the island that counts? We could try–"

"No."

The silent anger in Taehyung's voice makes a chill rush down your spine. As you dare to turn your head to look at him, you find that his features are set in stone, hard, as he glowers at you.

"But–"

Your next words are replaced by a cry as Taehyung suddenly grabs your wrist and yanks you forward. You fall to your knees, your face oh so close to the mermaid's exposed fangs as he snarls, "You cannot leave this island. Ever. Do you understand?"

The fear racing through your body renders you speechless, your mind much too occupied by the flecks of dried blood on Taehyung's sharp teeth to formulate an answer.

"I said–" The claws around your wrist begin to hurt as they dig into your skin, drawing blood, as Taehyung leans in closer, "Do you understand, human?"

"Y-yes," You stammer, "I'm sorry, I understand."

"Very well," The mermaid releases you the moment you utter your compliance. He makes sure you watch as he lifts his hand to his mouth, licking your blood of his claws with a tongue that seems abnormally long. "Do not ask foolish questions again."

You can only nod in return, shocked by the display. His gaze flickers to the forgotten fish by the fire. "Eat your food."

You know a command when you hear one and you're not dumb enough to disobey Taehyung when he wants something. You fumble for the closest stick, heart pounding, as you grab one of the fish. You bring it to your mouth without much thought, biting into it before you can displease him further.

You yelp as the still fiery hot scales burn your lip, your eyes watering as you reach up to touch the wounded skin. You can tell it's going to blister and it's going to hurt for days, if not weeks, until it heals. Still, you chew and swallow the burning piece in your mouth, wincing as it moves down your throat.

Taehyung makes a clicking sound that resembles a tsk, turning your head back to face him once again. He stares at the burn on your lip, cocking his head as he assesses it.

"Be watchful of the fire," He echoes, half-mocking.

You hold your breath as he mirrors the same position as only moments before, his breaths almost mingling with yours. As Taehyung closes his eyes and whispers a few words of old under his breath, you're struck with a reminder of how handsome he is. You usually can't look past his fangs or piercing eyes, but like this, he simply looks like a beautiful, normal man. Someone you no doubt would have been drooling over if he had lived in your town.

Taehyung's cutting gaze demands your attention the moment he opens his eyes. You lose the ability to blink as you hold his gaze, heart stuttering with something other than fear as he says, "You are no use to me broken, guppy. I will continue to mend you and keep you whole. I can promise you that much."

You freeze up as Taehyung's cold lips press against yours, the kiss firm and unyielding as he pulls your bottom lip between his own. You make a noise in the back of your throat as Taehyung's tongue darts out to swipe across your burn, the sting instantly melting away. Before your body can make up its mind on whether it wants to push the mermaid away or pull him closer, Taehyung inches back, disconnecting his mouth from yours.

It takes you a moment too long to realize that Taehyung just used magic to heal your burn, the skin unblemished and smooth. You touch your lip, swallowing thickly as it tingles from Taehyung's kiss. You're not quite sure if the relief you feel is because your wound is gone or because you finally had the barest taste of intimacy after so long. You think it's for the best if you don't look too deep into yourself for that answer.

Taehyung seems pleased with himself as he watches your reaction. The mermaid's smirk spells trouble, the flames of the bonfire reflected in his eyes as he glances at your mouth.

"Interesting," He says, licking his lips, "Very peculiar, indeed."

You waddle out into the ocean, sinking slightly into the soft sand beneath with every step. As the water reaches your knees, you feel the weight of chains wrap around your wrists and ankles, slowing you down. The pressure around your limbs grows tighter the more you dare to move forward.

You stop when the water laps just below your belly button, glancing down at your wrists as if that would expose the invisible restraints that are hurting you. 137 steps. You have been pushing yourself one step forward every day, attempting to figure out just how far Taehyung's spell reaches, and you think you've finally found it.

The magic that is weighing you down is pulsating, squeezing and constricting your limbs in a way you know would bruise horribly if you could see them. It feels like a breaking point, like if you just push forward a little more, the distance will snap the chains right off. This must be the border you can't move past without risking breaking the spell and dooming your mother.

You retreat a few steps back, not willing to take any chances. The pressure from the chains lessens just a tad, as if urging you to go back to shore and rid yourself of the pain. You stay in place though, staring longingly at the faint, small outline of Pearl Bay shimmering in the distance. You've found that you can only see it on particularly nice days, when the sun is beating down and there's not a single cloud in the sky.

You have no idea how long it's been since you made your journey from Pearl Bay to here. The weather doesn't change much and the seasons certainly don't. Days bleed into nights and into days again, and you lost count many full moons ago of when you arrived at the island.

Sighing, you adjust the loose shirt hanging off your shoulders.

While you have never left the island since that day you stepped ashore, you know that Taehyung has. The moment the clothes on your back became too tattered, you found a rucksack filled with drenched clothing, all different styles and sizes. The mermaid never confessed to bringing them but you know there is no other explanation for how they just 'suddenly' turned up on the beach. It's all very strange. Taehyung has been meeting your every need lately, almost predicting them before they even arise. He has been acting a lot more than attentive than you're used to and that paired with his increased affection, you're not sure what to make of it.

As if your thoughts were a beacon, you hear a soft splash behind you. Strong arms wrap around your waist, pushing you further into the sand below as you bear the added weight of a mermaid hanging off your back.

"What are you doing, guppy?"

You shiver as Taehyung's cold cheek rests against your bare shoulder, water dripping steadily down your back from Taehyung's drenched hair.

"Not much," You say, turning your gaze to the spotless sky, "Just thinking." "Very well."

Considering how quickly Taehyung accepts your vague explanation, you can tell the mermaid has something else in mind – something he deems more important to do.

Barely a second passes before you feel the touch of his lips against your shoulder, your breath hitching as he leaves a trail of kisses up your throat. You lean your head to to side, allowing him easier access to your skin.

After that night Taehyung healed your burn, you don't think there has been a single day that has passed without the mermaid initiating some kind of physical intimacy with you.

The kiss seemed to awaken something in Taehyung; a feeling he only seems to crave more and more with each passing day.

To say that you mind it would be a lie.

Perhaps it's a sign that you're slowly losing your mind – but being held and kissed after so long feels nice. You know it's crazy to enjoy it with a creature like him, but what other option do you have? He's the only semi-human being around here and, well, his handsome face and toned muscles do make it quite enjoyable. There are still parts of you that find Taehyung's touch off, that makes alarm bells ring whenever you're held a little too tightly, but you've found that the more you ignore them, the less they bother you.

You let out a soft moan as one of Taehyung's longest fangs scrape across your skin, the sting immediately soothed by his tongue. He has taken it upon himself to experiment; to try out different methods in order to drag as many of those delicious sounds of you as possible.

You can feel your control slipping as one of his hands slips under your shirt, moving up, up, up.

Hastily grabbing it, you pause his movements just under the swell of your breasts. The intimacy is nice but you don't think you're ready for this yet. You're worried you might never want to leave if you let yourself sink that far into depravity.

"Taehyung," You murmur, catching the mermaid's attention. He nudges the back of your neck with his nose in response, breathing in the fresh scent of herbs and salt that always clings to your hair.

"What do I need to do to break your deal with the witch?"

Taehyung's grip tightens, the points of his claws digging into your skin possessively. "Why do you continue to ask me this, human? I have already told you that I do not know."

Because this is the only thing you know will distract him enough to forget about touching you more.

"Did the witch ever tell you when we would have to seek it out?"

There's a reluctant pause, a low series of perturbed clicks and grinding teeth before Taehyung tightly responds, "No. The sea will call for us when the time is right."

Your questions have their intended effect though, Taehyung's hands slipping away from your body as he detaches himself from your back. You hear him fumble with something behind your back, seemingly just as keen to distract you from your questions as you were to distract him from taking things further.

"I have something for you, guppy."

A string gets passed over your head, a necklace of sorts falling into place just below your collarbone. You pick up the heavy pendant attached to it, eyes widening as you recognize what it is - the ivory fang you had returned back to Taehyung. It glistens under the sunlight, its surface smooth and even.

"What is this?" You murmur as Taehyung peers over your shoulder, his chest flush to your back.

"It is mine," He reveals. "I lost it in my first battle. The shark had it coming for encroaching on my territory, but it did put up a decent fight, I shall give it that."

"That's, um– impressive?" You're not sure what the right thing to say is, you have never had to fight a shark before after all, but the mermaid seems pleased with it nonetheless, nuzzling his face against the crook of your neck.

"Why are you giving it to me, though? What... what does it mean?"

"It means that you are mine, my little guppy," Taehyung purrs. "I have decided to bestow you the honor of being my mate."

Mate? That can't be, that's.. that's not possible.

"Tae–"

The mermaid wraps you back up into his arms before you can protest, spinning you around so that you are face to face with the creature that has decided you are his to keep. His icy gaze is narrowed, his handsome features set with determination.

"Even if the sea witch lifts my curse, you will still be mine," Taehyung declares as he pulls you tight against his chest. "Your mother will perish if you leave me and so there is nothing back there for you now."

He leans down, his cold lips moving like gentle waves against your ear as he says, "You belong here, with me – forever."

a/n: i really hope you enjoyed the final chapter of TIF! it was nice to once again revisit the tcs-universe and it was fun to write a "softer" mermaid yandere story 🤧 i would love to hear what you think about the chapter – comments and reblogs make my day!! 🥺💖

if you enjoyed the story and would like to support me, you can do so here! 💖

Blood Bounty Masterlist

Summary: He’s taken everything from you, your blood, your memories, your life, and after months spent as Taehyung’s own personal feast, you eagerly take your chance to flee. Unfortunately your escape doesn’t go as well as you had hoped, as you are soon caught by another blood thirsty beast. The vampire Yoongi claims to know you, and that he wishes to return you home. But when you can only remember the pain caused by his kind, you find it difficult to trust him, since he too could just be another monster waiting to feed.

Part 1 

Part 2 

Part 3 (Finale) 

….

Additional Information on Vampire Hierarchy

…

All asks and other related posts can be found under the tag #bts blood bounty

These Things Take Time (Yandere! Supernatural! Taehyung x Reader)

Synopsis: There's something wrong with your boyfriend Taehyung. At least, you think it's him.

16.5k

Trigger warnings: yandere behavior, psychological gaslighting, violence, gore, some heavy making out, strong language, AFAB reader (she/her) I'm sure I'm missing some but you know me and what I write lol

Authors note: just a real quick thank you to @bigbuffjoonie and @mustardpop for having beta read and brainstormed with me literally a year ago about this fic that I never published until now.

-----

He passionately thrusted her against the wall, mouthing at her neck while muttering disgusting things that he was going to do to her.

It was foul…

It was taboo…

It was…..

Your fingers paused and hovered over the keyboard, the constant clicking of your writing coming to a sudden halt.

Your eyes scanned the last few lines, lips instinctively mouthing the words and checking the overall flow of the plot.

Your two main characters were about to fuck each other’s brains out after a long ‘will they or won’t they’ that spanned well over a dozen chapters.

There should be a feeling of torture, a feeling of relief, a feeling of frenzied lust that just couldn’t contain itself anymore and combusted within the contents of these pages.

That is what you desperately wanted your loyal readers to experience when they get to this scene.

Yet when reading the long-awaited buildup, you felt nothing.

You cared for every character you created like a mother does their child, them getting their happy endings was just as important to you as it was to them. So why did you feel so numb and dissociated from everything you’ve been typing the past hour?

You released a disillusioned sigh and leaned back into your chair. Your eyes stung from staring at a screen for so long and your limbs ached to be stretched with hours of immobility.

Writer’s block was a bitch.

Unlike other skills, writing was one of the few expertise that working harder at it won’t guarantee a better outcome. You could type away until your fingers were bruised and bloody, but it doesn’t mean anything you wrote would be worth shit. Writing was a talent and it came and went as it pleased. And right now it was gone.

Which left you very depressed and your editor very pissed.

You gave up the fight and reluctantly closed your laptop. Then stood to your full height, to give your back a much-needed stretch.

‘I tried today. And that’s okay. I’ll try again tomorrow.’ You thought to yourself, half heartedly taking your therapist’s advice to acknowledge your efforts and not just the outcomes.

When in a creative slump, it has been said that reading other works can be a source of inspiration. Can’t be a good writer yourself, then go out and read a good writer. With this thought in mind, you slowly exited your office and descended down the stairs.

Last week your mom sent you a book she recommended, and you’ve been so busy trying to finish your own novel that you just tossed it somewhere and haven’t touched or looked for it since. Though, you were almost certain you caught sight of it on the coffee table yesterday.

When you stepped into the living room, you spotted a familiar figure standing by the large bay window.

The sight tugged a small fond smile onto your face.

Taehyung was your boyfriend of six months.

He was strikingly attractive, tall, kind and clearly didn’t know his own worth because not only was he dating you, but he also agreed to move into this secluded farmhouse while you tried to finish your book. He assured that he could use this time and space to focus on his paintings as well, but you knew deep down he just didn’t want to leave you alone out in the middle of nowhere.

Right now only his profile was facing you, his alluring feline eyes staring at the raining scene outside, dark brows furrowed in heavy thought. He looked to be biting on his lower lip, a habit you’ve never seen before, but you supposed you two have only been dating for a few months so there was probably a whole world of little quirks you didn’t know of yet.

The scene was a bit intense, as you weren’t used to your usually cheerful boyfriend looking so ponderous. Yet you shrugged it off and just assumed he was most likely brainstorming his next painting. Taehyung was your first artist boyfriend and your friends did warn you that they could be a bit dramatic.

You quickly surveyed the room and indeed located the book on the coffee table. While reaching for it you called out, “Hey love?”

Taehyung snapped his neck at a speed too fast for your liking, instantly facing you with eyes wide and blown out in what you could only assume was shock.

You giggled, thinking he was too absorbed in his own world that he probably just now noticed your presence.

“I know I said I wanted pasta for dinner but how about we order some chinese instead?” You asked. Taehyung didn’t say anything, eyes still wide in unknown revelation, entirely unmoving. You continued, “This weather makes me not want to do anything, and I know you complain about the delivery time but we could just reheat the food if it gets here cold.”

It seemed like forever but Taehyung eventually nodded.

He then turned to face the window again.

You inwardly sighed and guessed he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of chinese. He always complained that you didn’t take care of yourself and how you needed home cooked meals rather than greasy takeout. But when creatively burnt out like this, you tended to just reach for the doordash because the act of cooking seemed entirely too much for you.

Hoping to butter him up, you tipped toed from behind and wrapped your arms around him. You nuzzled your face into his back and took a deep breath, enjoying the familiar scent of his outrageously expensive cologne. His body seemed to melt into your hold, tense posture suddenly limp and calm.

You reached up and pecked his cheek, grinning when you caught sight of his lips twitching upwards. Harmless manipulation complete, you trudged out the room with a lukewarm “Thanks honey!”

You skipped up the stairs and made a left into a hallway, quickly getting into the bedroom and preparing to plop into the heavenly crumpled mess of sheets and blankets, when an unexpected sound caused you to still.

The front door was opening.

Afraid of a possible home invasion, you rushed out to see what was happening.

The door was wide open and emerging into the home…was Taehyung.

His hair and jacket was drenched from the rain, four or so heaping grocery bags in his hold as he looked up the stairs at you with a tired smile.

“Hey baby, can you give me a hand with some of this? I got some sauce for the pasta and picked up some other stuff we were running low on.”

Time stood still.

Your jaw dropped in bewilderment.

Your mind struggling to process this odd collapse of reality.

The nearest grocery store was, at its quickest, still a twenty-minute drive into town.

There was just no way Taehyung was able to leave and get back in the same time it took for you to get up the stairs and into your room.

No one can be in two places at once.

What the fuck was going on?

You just saw him. You just talked to him. You just smelled him. You just touched him.

Taehyung’s gaze worriedly ran up and down your face, correctly detecting that something was dreadfully wrong. He kicked the door closed behind him and rather ungracefully dropped the bags, hastily stepping over some of the falling items to race up the steps and take you in his hold.

“Y/n? Baby what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost! Did something happen while I was gone?” He fretted.

“I-w-what-you-j-just-living room…” You stammered, not even being able to bring yourself to voice what was happening.

“What? What about the living room? You’re not making any sense.”

You gulped, looking up at him with fear. “T-Tae, I could’ve sworn I just saw you in the living room. I talked to you.”

Your boyfriend’s face dropped.

“Y/n, get in the bedroom and lock the door behind you.”

You irritably huffed while blinking away oncoming tears, realizing Taehyung didn’t quite understand what you were saying. “No! Not like an intruder! It was you.”

“I’m right here Y/n. I just got back from the market. I haven’t been home in the past hour. There’s no way you just saw me in this house.” He slowly explained, as if you were having some mental breakdown and needed to be talked off the ledge.

Your temper rose. “No shit Kim Taehyung! That’s why I’m scared! Do you have a twin brother or something? Or did you come into the living room before going back to the car to get the groceries?”

Taehyung backed away from you, clearly put off by your outburst. “No? First off, you know I’m an only child. Secondly, why would I come in and let you talk to me before going back out in the pouring rain, bring in groceries and then pretend I have no idea what you’re talking about when you said you saw me in the house just now?”

You glared up at him, now feeling foolish for even being scared in the first place of something that most definitely had a logical explanation.

Your boyfriend always had a more playful side than you and this was most likely the first trick he was trying to play in your very young relationship.

“I told you I don’t like pranks, Taehyung. You can pull them on your friends all you want but you promised to never pull one on me.”

He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “I’m not pranking you! It probably was an intruder who looked kinda like me and instead of letting me go and investigate, you're arguing with me?”

“It wasn’t an intruder! He didn’t take anything!”

Taehyung laughed incredulously, “Great, you're defending some robber over your own boyfriend now? I almost feel jealous.”

“There’s nothing to be jealous over because the guy was you!” You exploded.

“Which isn’t possible!”

“Go look then!” You relented.

Taehyung didn’t need to be told twice. He swiftly ran down the stairs and went through the entire house, searching for an unseen man who managed to trick his girlfriend into thinking he was him.

He found no such person.

It was only while you both wordlessly unpacked the groceries while licking the wounds of your little spat did Taehyung make a point that chilled you to the bone.

“Y/n, when you saw me…how did I look?”

You raised a brow at him. “I don’t know? You looked just fine.”

“Okay…and your working theory is I parked outside and came in, talked to you, then went back out, just to enter through the front again like nothing happened?”

You meekly shrugged, “Yeah I guess that would be a good trick.”

Your clever boyfriend pointed at the window, where it was still raining heavily. “I would've been soaked then, Y/n.”

That was the first incident.

— Dinner that night was a tense affair.

At least until Taehyung solemnly apologized for being so bad at hiding his true identity.

He then fessed up to being the Korean version of The Flash.

Against yourself, you bursted out laughing.

Maybe it was all the anxiety of the day that made you loopy, or your desperate need to just return to normal but you apologized for snapping and blamed your overactive writer's imagination for everything.

Taehyung said it was okay and that you actually looked hot when angry, you knew for a fact you didn’t but took the compliment nonetheless and suggested an early night in.

And just like that your first couple fight was over.

Yet that night when you were in the arms of your slumbering boyfriend, with his peaceful snores rumbling in your ear, all you could think about was the other Taehyung.

You regretfully lied to your boyfriend.

You knew for a fact that it wasn’t your imagination.

You were never the type of writer who got so immersed in your work that you began imagining things and confusing them for reality. If anything, you were too grounded in reality. In addition to this, you highly doubted that multiple weeks of writer’s block would even allow for such a vivid mirage to occur.

And the most damning evidence of all, if it was your imagination…why would your mind conjure up the exact replica of your boyfriend? The very man you live with and see everyday for hours on end? Wouldn’t it be a character from your book? Or at least someone you haven’t seen in a while?

It all didn’t make sense, but you didn’t have enough information to say what it was, you just knew what it wasn’t.

You rolled over and buried your face into Taehyung’s chest, practically praying for the mystery to soon be over and solve itself quickly.

It was most likely the overthinking and looming dark corners of the bedroom, but you began to feel like someone was watching you through the small gap in your ajar bedroom door.

– A few days passed and you have almost forgotten about the incident.

I mean, maybe not entirely but you were at least willing to chalk it up to a freak incident.

Scrolling through some discussion boards online showed that your story was actually pretty tame to what other unexplainable experiences some people have had. At least the other Taehyung didn’t try to scare or hurt you. It just seemed like he was doing his own thing really, like he was lost in his own world staring out that window. Thus you concluded that you weren’t in danger, and it therefore wasn’t worth freaking out about.

Mainly because your editor was on your ass and there was nothing productive about thinking of him when you were already so late on a deadline.

Naturally, you attempted to throw yourself into your writing, which was proving to be as fruitless as ever. Yet you knew giving your editor anything was better than nothing, leading you to sending half-assed drafts to him and enduring long calls about how your writing was okay, but not great.

You and Taehyung have been off too.

There was no more fighting or even words exchanged about the fiasco. However there still was an uneasiness between you two. You doubted that Taehyung believed your imagination excuse, but you also knew that he didn’t trust your original recollection of events either. Your boyfriend sort of walked on eggshells around you, almost as if you’d somehow think he was the imposter whenever he’d step into the room. You would be lying if you said you weren’t a little offended by it.

Luckily, Taehyung was currently immersed with his art, rarely leaving his little workspace. You wished you could say the same but you felt like you were simply writing in circles without actually getting anywhere. It was hard to not be jealous, but at least you were given some space away from him after a rather unresolved fight.

Meanwhile, you were planning to take a day or two off of writing, to just let your mind wander and relax so that maybe the next time you sat behind a laptop you could actually produce something worthwhile.

Of course it would just so happen that it would fall on the very day you get sick.

Waking up that morning you felt feverish and lightheaded, telling yourself that you could just use fifteen more minutes of sleep and you’d probably feel better.

You woke up five hours later; feeling even more feverish, lightheaded, and now nauseous.

You trudged downstairs to the kitchen and popped back some painkillers with a glass of water, already fantasizing about getting back into your warm and comfy bed once again.

Except what could make your bed even warmer and comfier? Taehyung.

Your boyfriend was always the more affectionate one between you two, you often practically had to push him away when you were trying to get work done. But now that you were willingly going to ask for his affection, there was no way he’d let you go uncuddled.

Any awkwardness in the relationship was long forgotten as you stomped towards his workspace, a demand to be held heavy on your tongue. You were too sick and exhausted to try to navigate relationship politics, but the whole point of a boyfriend was that he was supposed to provide attention on demand, right?

You reached his door and feebly knocked, trying to be polite to his artistic process and not just barge in.

You heard some shuffling on the other side and soon enough your boyfriend was in front of you. Taehyung hadn’t shaved his face in days, a faint goatee gracing his already intimidatingly handsome face. His black hair was messy and fluffy, a gold chain gracing his neck and drawing attention to his lack of shirt and gray sweatpants.

He grinned at you, “What’s up baby?”

You pouted up at him, momentarily not even ashamed to resort to such cheap tricks, “I feel sick and want to be cuddled back to sleep.”

“Aww poor thing.” He crooned while leaning against the doorframe. “Why don’t you head back up to bed and I’ll be up as soon as I can? I just finished a sketch and really need to focus on the next few steps before I can quit for the day.”

You huffed, kind of annoyed that he wouldn’t even take a break to hold you.

He rolled his eyes at your reaction, “Don’t look at me like that, honey. When the muse strikes, I gotta paint. Otherwise I don’t know when I’ll get the next chance for inspiration. You understand, right?”

“Yeah, I’m just really crabby and being held sounded really good.”

Taehyung chucked, muttering to himself a “cute” before leaning forward and pecking your lips. “I promise I’ll try to be quick. Go drink some water and wait for me. I’ll bring you some soup when I’m done.”

You just nodded and left him to his work. Instead of the bedroom, your feet somehow led you to the living room.

Maybe you should watch some tv while Taehyung worked? You already slept a lot today and if Taehyung was gonna be in bed with you later, perhaps it was a good idea to stay up for a little bit. Besides, you’ve been avoiding this part of the house ever since the incident and you needed to get comfortable in your own living room eventually.

Such a reminder of that rainy day caused you to cast a wary glance at the bay window, oddly feeling both relief and annoyance that nothing was there.

You plunked down onto the couch and wrapped a throw blanket around you, searching your usual streaming services for some comfort show to watch.

It was halfway through an episode of some show you’ve already watched countless times, when you heard footsteps approaching.

You looked up and saw your boyfriend, looking as cute and messy as before. Except now he held a sheepish smile on his face as he held up a steaming mug of something.

“What’s that?”

He took a seat next to you and gently handed the drink over. “Hot chocolate. I know protocol is tea whenever someone is sick, but I know how much you hate the taste.”

You fondly smiled and took the mug, flustered that he remembered such a minor detail about you. “Thank you love but you didn’t have to. You should be focusing on your work. Don’t let me distract you!”

Taehyung shook his head and threw an arm around you, holding you tight against him. He craned his neck and looked down to you, almost meeting you nose-to nose to connect his gaze with yours. Suddenly a serious expression replaced his formerly sheepish one.

“Actually, I wanted to talk.” He said, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I-I wanted to say sorry.”

“For what?”

He licked his lips, “I know we’ve been kinda out-of-sync ever since you said you saw someone and I didn’t believe you. But, it just didn’t make sense. Like, how is that possible? Whatever the case though, I shouldn’t have made you feel like you were going crazy or something.”

You raised an eyebrow, “So you believe me then?”

“Yes. I know you wouldn’t lie. I don’t know what happened but…I know you know what you saw.”

A warm feeling spread across your chest, temporarily putting your sickness on the back burner. In truth, you weren't sure if the situation even called for an apology but you felt so pampered that your boyfriend cared enough to. “I-I’m sorry too, Tae. I shouldn’t have assumed you were being mean and pranking me. Snapping at you wasn’t cool.”

Taehyung just shrugged. “Nah, I probably would’ve done the same thing.”

You secretly agreed that you were in the right but still, if he was being a big enough person to say sorry so should you. You turned your attention back to the drink in your hands, taking a sip.

You nearly moaned in pleasure when the flavor graced your taste buds.

“What did you put in this?”

“Oh just some cinnamon and-”

“Ginger.” You interrupted, knowing without a doubt that it was the other spice.

“Yup. Why? Is something wrong?” He asked, probably worried you didn’t like it.

“No! It’s perfect.” You said before gulping down more of the nostalgic hot chocolate. “When I was a kid, I had a babysitter who would make her hot chocolate with cinnamon and ginger. Mrs Fritz was her name, a really kind old lady from down the street. I was her favorite so she made hot chocolate for me all the time and watched me for free whenever my parents went out.”

Taehyung hummed, a small smile on his face as you fondly recalled one of the biggest figures of your childhood. “She must’ve had great taste.”

“Mrs. Fritz had impeccable taste.” You good-naturedly corrected with a giggle. “I miss her. When other kids wouldn’t play with me she would stay inside with me and color or read me these cool stories.”

“I would’ve played with you.” Taehyung grumbled, in all likelihood noting how you grimaced at the memory of not being all too popular as a kid.

“Haha, you definitely wouldn’t have! I was such a dork and actually hated playing outside. Kid me much rather be at home watching some old movies or something. Not to mention I was quite an ugly little girl.” You laughed.

Tae gasped dramatically, “That’s not true! You were adorable!”

“You saw like one picture of me at eight! And my mom did me all up for that picture! Trust me, I didn’t look that good at all.”

Taehyung looked like he wanted to argue further, but realizing you were right he just dropped it with an unconvincing, “Whatever you say.”

“But anyway babe, you really can go back to painting. I don’t want to keep you. If I had any inspiration right now, you wouldn’t be able to tear me away from my laptop.”

His arm tugged you even closer. “Nope, I’m alright where I’m at right now. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I left my sick girlfriend all alone?”

You blushed, logically aware that you could handle yourself but emotionally over the moon that this beautiful man didn’t want you to. Selfishly, you wanted to take advantage of his presence even if it came at the expense of his art progress. So you placed the mostly empty mug on the coffee table, fishing out your phone from your sweatpant pocket and setting it there too.

You then curled up into his side, suddenly feeling so drowsy.

Taehyung held you closer, even playing with your hair as you lost the battle with your increasingly heavy eyelids.

You felt him press his lips against your forehead in a drawn out peck, as his nose ticked the crown of your head. He inhaled deeply, his everlasting love for your shampoo revealing itself once more.

“You okay?” His baritone voice whispered.

“Yeah. I just took some medicine that’s probably making me all sleepy.” You mumbled back.

You didn’t hear anything else, just felt as he rested his head on top of yours, presumably also closing his eyes to rest.

Slowly but surely feeling the mechanisms of your brain shut down, the darkness steadily taking over as the sound of the tv became more and more distant.

A notification from your phone caused you to open a single eye, quickly scanning the screen on the coffee table.

Taebear: Hey almost done over here! Do you mind turning down the TV a bit tho? Kinda distracting :(

Before you can even gasp, the medicine-induced darkness consumed you completely, effectively and brutally knocking you out.

That was the second incident.

–

“So like I was saying, I dumped his ass because what the fuck do you mean you ‘don’t know what we are’? I met his damn parents, Y/n!”

The voice blarred over the phone speaker, as you hummed rather noncommittally. “What a jerk. You can do a whole lot better, Lisa.”

You were in the laundry room, slowly taking clothes out of the dryer and folding them as you spoke on the phone with one of your closest friends. About once a week you two would have a call and catch each other up with your lives. Although, Lisa led a much more interesting life than you and usually had a crazy story to share every week, while you just reacted to it. It was kinda like a one listener podcast, but you didn’t mind as you were always very entertained with her.

“Thank you! I don’t know where I keep finding these guys. You really got lucky with Taehyung, all the other men our age are such assholes.” She groaned.

You wanted to laugh, but at the mention of your boyfriend’s name you froze.

Not catching your silence, Lisa continued, “Anyway, how are you and Taehyung doing? What’s it like to live together only six months into a relationship?”

“Actually…we had our first fight.” You told her. “Maybe. I don’t know. It may not even be considered a fight so much as a disagreement but I’ve been feeling a little awkward.”

“Oooh, what happened?” She didn’t even try to mask her excitement.

“It…I…Something happened and he didnt…I don’t know, Lisa. I’m going to sound crazy but I feel like I’m experiencing a glitch in the matrix or some shit.”

She pushed, “Try me. Remember when I used to be a flat earther? I’ll believe anything.”

Lisa made a good point, she was always down for conspiracies and even proclaimed herself a supernatural expert. So you relented, “Okay. Look, I don’t want you to laugh at me or anything because I’m being completely honest. I’m telling you this because I desperately need theories.”

“I promise I’ll give you a theory! Just get to it!” She barked over the phone, anxiously awaiting your story.

“Um, so earlier this week I went downstairs and saw Taehyung. I talked to him about ordering out instead of cooking, hugged him then went up the stairs. Then not even a second later Taehyung came home with groceries, telling me he wasn’t in the house at all when I said I saw him.” You paused, waiting for her to interject.

“Huh…” She trailed off, stumped herself with what that could mean.

“And yesterday, I went to Tae’s workspace to try to cuddle but he said he needed a bit more time with his painting and then he’d meet me upstairs. I went to the couch to wait and he suddenly came in and apologized for not believing me earlier. We cuddled and talked then…I got a text from Taehyung asking me to turn the tv down because it was distracting him.”

You took a deep breath to calm your rising nerves, not liking how you were managing to scare yourself all over again. “Lisa, how was I in Taehyung's arms when Taehyung wasn’t even in the room with me?”

“How did this other Taehyung act? Was he any different than your actual boyfriend?”

“I mean, the first time he didn’t say a word and I left the room quickly. The second time he was so sweet and…I don’t know. Maybe even nicer than my actual boyfriend but not like suspiciously so.”

“And there’s no difference between him and Taehyung? Same height, voice, birthmarks, everything?”

“Yes.”

A brief silence as she no doubt was working with a theory. “And you’ve never had experiences like this before you moved into that farmhouse?”

“None.”

“Ah-ha! It’s probably a ghost then!” She assured triumphantly.

You, however, weren’t so sure she solved the case. “A ghost that looks exactly like my boyfriend?”

“Well, crazier things have happened. You know, scientists say that each person has around six doppelgangers out there somewhere. What if this ghost was your boyfriend's doppelganger?”

“Still, why would he act like he was my boyfriend? Like, this ghost must have a different name and background than my Taehyung so why does he go along with it whenever I call him Taehyung and treat him like a boyfriend?” You questioned.

“The afterlife can get pretty dull. The ghost is probably just bored and noticed that Taehyung looks alot like him, so he’s using that to his advantage to mess around.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.” You grumbled, pissed at the prospect of you being a little plaything to a bored spirit.

“I know babe but ghosts are mostly harmless. If it really starts to bother you, maybe get a medium to move him along or whatever.” Lisa advised.

“Yeah, maybe.” – Mom: Look what I found!

The text came with a video attached, and you clicked it without thinking much.

A chubby little girl of about three to five years of age was badly hiding in a school cubby. Her mini feet sticking out and wiggling as the rest of her body was covered by a hung up winter coat. The cameraman sighed dramatically from behind the scenes, asking loudly, “Oh where could Y/n possibly be?!”

The girl giggled and a new figure slowly snuck into frame, approaching the cubby with a large grin.

The preschool teacher suddenly reached into the cubby and snatched the girl up, holding her up in the air as if the toddler was a prize of some sort. “Gotcha!”

The mini version of you laughed in her hold, kicking the air in glee. “Miss Addison you found me! You’ll find me anywhere, right?”

The young teacher nodded as she placed you on your feet. “Of course! I have a really good Y/n sense! I’ll find you anywhere.”

“Even the moon?” Innocent you asked, most likely just having learned about the star.

“Yes, I’ll find you on the moon if I have to!” Miss Addison chuckled.

The video ended and you went to type your mom a half-hearted reply, mostly inquiring how she still even had that clip after all these years.

While doing so, you caught yourself wishing that you could show this to Taehyung and prove that you were indeed not the best company as a child, your teacher had to play hide-and-seek with you because no one else would.

Yet, it wasn’t Taehyung you had that particular conversation with. Rather other Taehyung.

Or as you and Lisa had nicknamed; ghost Taehyung.

You failed to tell your boyfriend about the second incident. He woke you up an hour or so later with his promised bowl of soup, softly scolding you for never turning down the tv.

Deep inside you were sure that he was already convinced you were crazy from the first time his replica showed up. You didn’t seek to push that theory even further. Mostly because you didn’t want him to admit you to a psych ward, but also because of another glaring reason. The first time you were sure that Taehyung himself was messing with you somehow, which prompted you to accuse him, but this time around you knew for a fact he was innocent.

Instinctively, you didn’t feel threatened by the doppelganger spirit. If anything you sorta wished he’d pop up again with a ginger-cinnamon hot chocolate. It was kinda weird that he was acting like your boyfriend when he wasn’t, but he didn’t try to be too intimate with you or anything. The lease on the farmhouse was only twelve months so you could put up with a friendly ghost for a while if need be.

The only creepy thing was that you weren’t sure how you were going to tell if you were talking to the real Taehyung or not. Thankfully, the sick day incident seemed to be the last one, the last few days being almost eerily mundane.

The door to your bedroom suddenly slammed open, revealing your beaming boyfriend.

He held up a champagne bottle with one hand and two glasses in the other. “Guess what just happened!”

You sat up in bed and placed your phone on the nightstand as he giddily approached you. “What? Are we celebrating something?”

“Only the Bauhaus Gallery agreeing to schedule a showing for my latest collection!”

You jumped up in surprise, instantly wrapping your arms around him and plastering his face with kisses. “Oh my god! Tae! That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you! When is it?!”

“Next Friday at eight.” He chuckled through your kisses, fully basking in your attention.

The Bauhaus gallery was an uppity German gallery in town that apparently served as a who's who in the world of painting. Personally, you didn’t get what the big deal was, but Taehyung made it one of his career goals to have a show there. He always said that his career would really take off if he could showcase his work at such a place.

You pulled back and began thinking out loud as Taehyung worked on the bottle, “Wow, okay! I need to get a dress. And we should invite some friends to support you. Oh! Namjoon and his wife would probably try to buy a painting so we should see if they’re free-”

Taehyung cut you off with the resounding pop of the bottle, “Yeah yeah, we can plan that all out later. Right now I just wanna celebrate with my pretty girlfriend please.”

You quieted down and held the glasses as he poured. He then placed the bottle aside, took a glass and held it up for you to clink. You did so while your boyfriend declared, “To my collection and girlfriend; both beautiful and priceless!”

“You better announce that again at the afterparty!” You laughed, covering your blush.

You both finished the drinks rather quickly, him with a refreshing “ahh” and you with a cringe. Champagne really was overrated in your opinion, having no idea why it was the token celebratory drink. The glasses were then shoved somewhere aside, courtesy of Tae.

You laid back down in the bed, Taehyung unhurriedly following suit and even climbing on top of you at a leisurely pace.

Taehyung’s face was now inches away from yours, his every breath tickling your skin. His previous mood of joy shifted into something more…sultry. Cat eyes darkened, fully taking you in with a steadily growing smirk. The artist licked this bottom lip in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speed, before quirking one brow up in faux inquiry. His voice was low and husky, purring into your ears, “You know, it’s been a while since we’ve fucked.”

You snorted, “Gee, that’s hard to believe when you put me in the mood like that.”

“You like a man who's upfront.” He shrugged, not wasting a second more as he leaned down to slowly melt his lips against yours.

The intimate sensation felt almost foreign, the last few days having only been filled with obligatory pecks due to you two being so caught up in your work. You almost forgot how talented he was at making you feel special.

You kissed back just as slowly, feeling the intensity of his lips and taking the time to reacquaint yourself with them. It was gentle, deep, and meaningful. He kissed you gingerly, carefully, but that’s not what you wanted. Not after all this time. Pent-up sexual frustration caused you to knot your fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against you.

Taehyung groaned softly, low in his throat while encircling you in his arms to gather you against him. You two rolled over in the bed, tangled in the sheets, still locked at the lips.

His tongue slips into your mouth, tender but demanding. You swirl your tongue against his, moaning into his mouth as his hands snuck up to twist in your hair and grip you impossibly closer. Taehyung’s slight stubble prickles you, but somehow the extra sensation just excites you even more. Your boyfriend's lips pull back and meet their ultimate home at your neck, him now mouthing fervently at the sensitive nerves there as you gasped for air.

As you felt hotter and hotter, Taehyung answered your unsaid prayer and positioned his thigh between your legs, obscenely brushing against the place you needed him most. Knowing you like the back of his hand, he purposefully tensed his thigh as you not-so-subtly grinded against it, all the while he sucked and nibbled at the spot just below your ear.

A tug at your clothes.

Softly biting your earlobe, he whispered, “Be a good girl for me and take this shit off.”

Just when you were about to oblige, an unexpected sound cut through all the haze and caused you both to freeze.

It sounded like a…bang?

From somewhere deep within the house.

It was so loud and shrill, it effortlessly echoed off the walls of your humble bedroom. If you had to describe it, it was as if someone had just thrown a bowling ball with all their might.

Undoubtedly snapping into protector mode, Taehyung immediately jumped off of you and reached under the bed to retrieve a metal baseball bat.

“Stay here.” He ordered, already marching out the door before you could even protest.

You fearfully obeyed, reaching for your phone in case 911 had to be called.

Your once warm and flushed body was now icy with panic. Sitting upright in the bed, you strained your ears for any idea of what was occurring downstairs.

But alas, the house remained freakily silent. Almost as if that brutal sound was in your head and nothing more.

This did nothing to help your anxiety, a cold sweat quickly forming.

Minutes passed, you waited with bated breath for something. Anything.

But nothing ever came.

Your worry grew tenfold.

The longer Taehyung was away, the more you felt weighed down with dread, heart nearly in your throat.

‘What was happening downstairs? Was Taehyung okay? Did he find something? If there was a struggle, surely you would’ve heard it by now, right?’

Then ultimately, as the seconds ticked on, ‘Was your boyfriend going to come back?’

At the ten-minute mark, you made your decision.

Now concerned for your boyfriend’s safety, you sprung out of bed and ran out of the room. Your body purposefully moving too fast for your mind to catch up and halt your movements in the name of self-preservation.

“Taehyung?!” You desperately called out as you practically plummeted down the stairs.

“In here!” A croaky voice answered, sounding like your boyfriend but oddly…defeated?

You correctly traced the voice to his workroom, stepping into the space and seeing a scene that swiftly broke your heart, effectively replacing all your fright with woe.

Taehyung was on his knees in front of an easel, head bowed down.

The easel held a half-done canvas.

It was a sketch of two people, a man and a woman that closely resembled you and Taehyung.

It was partly painted, the scene depicting a warm sunny day at the park that looked alot like where Taehyung had taken you for a picnic and officially asked you to be his girlfriend. You were in Taehyung’s arms, kissing his cheek as he smiled his signature box-smile. You could recall that precise moment easily, you had just said yes to being his and sheepishly pecked his cheek, embarrassed by the old man on the bench a few feet away that eyed you two like a hawk.

It was a wonderful piece of unfinished art, not only due to the sentimental value but also the artistry and time that clearly went into it.

If only there weren't angry red sloshes of paint that cut through it, ruining the picture and turning it into something that looked like a horrible bloody mess of goo and not the romantic day it was.

“I-I was going to gift this to you….on our seventh month.” Taehyung’s voice was watery.

You didn’t even know what to say.

All of his hard work and thought was simply…gone. Erased. Ruined.

It would’ve been the equivalent of someone breaking into your laptop and deleting your entire novel’s draft. What would you even do? If roles were reversed, would there even be a way for Taehyung to console you? To make matters worse, it was his gift of love to you. He didn’t make that painting for himself, a buyer, or a collection…he made it for you.

Your empathy made you almost cry for him, but you knew that would be the last thing he’d want to see right now. His guilt would only grow.

You walked further into the room and got on your knees beside him.

Wrapping your arms around him, you cradled his head in the nook between your head and shoulder while rocking the two of you. “Tae baby, I’m so sorry.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, although you felt wet teardrops on your skin.

“Who would do this? It doesn’t make sense why someone would break in, take nothing and just destroy my gift?”

You didn’t know either, but you wanted to make him feel better. “Listen, I think it was the perfect gift. It’s really the thought that counts and I’m just happy that you even thought to make me something like that. Especially in the middle of working on your own collection, it must’ve been hard.”

Taehyung pulled back, regarding you with a tearful but hopeful gaze. “Really?”

“Of course! I was literally going to just get you a watch or something. That gift kinda would have made me look bad.” You attempted to joke.

He shakily smiled, even chuckling a bit before pulling back entirely and standing to his full height. Tae then held a hand out for you, pulling you up as well.

Not wanting to be in the room anymore with that awful mess, you gradually pushed him towards the door, eventually up the stairs and into your bedroom.

You both sat on the bed, him with his head in his hands and you awkwardly suggesting yet another early night in.

But instead of agreeing and attempting to join you under the covers, Taehyung continued to sit almost painfully still at the edge of your bed.

Then, he spoke.

“Y/n, you were lying when you said that guy was probably just a figment of your imagination.”

It wasn’t a question.

He knew.

He believed you now.

–

It was now the official opinion of the house that a ghost was indeed roaming around somewhere.

You wanted to pat yourself on the back because truly, your taste in men was superior.

Taehyung wasn’t one of those horror movie boyfriends that was convinced every unexplainable occurrence must’ve had a logical explanation. It only took that one experience for the artist to admit that something weird was going on, and although he never saw the ghost himself, Taehyung believed you when you said it looked exactly like him.

You were happy that you two were on the same page…well, mostly.

Taehyung reasoned that the lookalike ghost must’ve been the one to ruin his painting.

You don’t know why, but somewhere deep within, that accusation just didn’t feel right. Without thinking much, you had told your boyfriend that destroying his gift didn’t seem like something ghost Tae would do.

Obviously Taehyung was bewildered at your sudden defense of the spirit’s character and demanded to know how you could be so sure that it wasn’t him.

Feeling that your hand was forced, you fessed up to the second incident in which you ran into the other Taehyung. You explained that he was sweet, brought you hot chocolate and even held you as you fell asleep. It was only after the real Taehyung texted you that you realized it wasn’t your boyfriend, but by then it was too late.

Your boyfriend was understandably furious.

For one, you never told him that you were cuddled and taken care of by another man, dead or otherwise. And secondly, this spirit seemed to be taking too much of a liking to you. The artist was a weird mixture of jealous and protective, following you around the house and barely leaving you alone in fear that his replica would show up and snatch you away.

You thought he was overreacting, but Taehyung's determination to get rid of the ghost only grew as the days passed.

One day you took a break from writing and went downstairs to refresh your coffee, when you paused at the sight of your boyfriend waving an odd burning stick around the living room in a fashion that somehow made sense to him.

“Sage cleanses the home of negative energy and basically tells unwanted spirits to fuck off.” He told you as if you were the idiot and not him- wildly thrashing his arm around in a puff of smoke and demanding that his evil ghost twin left the premises immediately.

You shrugged, “Just don’t set off the smoke detector, please.”

The next day, Taehyung informed you over dinner that he called a security camera company and had ordered a set to be installed in your home.

“Don’t you think that’s kinda a big fucking thing to not run by me?”

“I’m sorry baby, but I knew you wouldn’t have agreed.” He apologized without seeming even the tiniest bit apologetic.

“If you knew I wouldn’t have wanted it then why do it anyway?!”

“Because as the man of the house it’s my job to protect us and I would like to witness everything that’s going on. Next time he comes out and tries to touch you, I will be able to see it from my phone and confront him.” He then reached for his water and took a self righteous sip before muttering under his breath, “That is if the sage didn’t kick him out already.”

“Man of the house?!” You echoed incredulously. “You call twirling around with some burning twigs and yelling at a harmless ghost being the man of the house?”

“He’s not harmless! Why are you so convinced that it’s just a casper that we’re dealing with?!”

You opened your mouth to retort, but snapped it shut when you realized you didn’t really have any reason to believe he wasn’t dangerous. So you just focused on the main glaring issue, “Nevermind that. I just don’t like how you made a big decision without telling me. Are we not equal in this relationship? It wasn’t even worth consulting me about?”

Taehyung didn’t say anything.

It would seem that he understood your point, but was stubbornly holding onto his just a tad more.

Appetite ruined, you stormed away in a display of vexation.

Not wanting to go to sleep beside him either, you stayed all night in your office and tried to just focus on editing the latest version of your draft.

Somewhere along the way, you managed to fall asleep on the keyboard.

You blearily awoke hours later to the sound of the door firmly shutting.

Groggily you sat up and twisted to see if anyone else was in the room with you, all the while rubbing off the key imprints on your cheek and leftover drool.

No one was there.

When you turned your attention back to the desk, you softly gasped in surprise.

A plate of grilled cheese sat there, still hot.

Alongside it was a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

One sip and you instantly recognized the ginger-cinnamon.

It wasn’t your boyfriend who left this.

The sage didn’t work.

–

Ralph was a man of about fifty years of age.

Tall, lumbering, calloused and not necessarily easy on the eyes, he shifted awkwardly at the entrance of your delicate farmhouse as Taehyung listed off the places in the home that he’d like covered.

Ralph was to set up the cameras while you and your boyfriend went out for a quick errand.

The gallery showing was tomorrow, and so was the little afterparty that you had arranged to take place. You did so without really realizing all that you would need for hosting. The guest list was an intimate circle of seven, but given you and Taehyung were running out of groceries for even just the two of you, you figured a trip to the market was needed to properly prepare.

You rolled your eyes and waited for your boyfriend to finish his little pep talk, sighing in relief when Ralph was finally free to disappear into the living room with his bag of tools.

“Ready?” You asked Taehyung, not really waiting for an answer as you stomped past him and out the door.

He followed you wordlessly to the car.

The ride into town was stiff and awkward, neither one of you saying anything and music not even playing in the background as Taehyung drove.

You both were still angry at each other.

Well, more like you were angry at him and he was correctly trying to not poke the bear by instigating useless chatter.

The cameras were overkill in your opinion and a giant waste of money. You both were artists, which means a severe lack of steady income. You needed to be smart with what you threw cash at because no one knew if your next book or his next painting would even sell. Nothing was ever guaranteed.

You felt for him that his gift was wrecked, but you weren’t lying when you said that the thought was all that really mattered to you. You genuinely didn’t care either way, it would’ve been nice to have the painting, but it was just as nice to know that he was painting one for you.

If you were a betting woman, you would bet that this was more about Taehyung’s unfounded jealousy than anything else. Usually you would find harmless jealousy kind of attractive, but not when it went into installing cameras into your home at the “low” price of a couple hundred dollars.

You thought of this in a quiet rage as Taehyung pulled into the grocery store.

He parked, you both got out and walked inside before grabbing a cart.

“Let’s split up.” You said, your tone leaving no room for argument.

“Fine. What do you want me to get?”

“Get the drinks. They’re mainly your friends so you’d know what they’d like more than me. I’ll get some stuff for a charcuterie board.” You ordered, just wanting to get back home as soon as possible

He nodded and swiftly went over to the alcohol section as you made way into the food aisles.

You were looking at the different types of crackers and wondering what the fuck the difference was when a sudden call of your name took your attention.

“Y/n?”

The voice was light and airy, tone warm and nostalgic to the ears.

No way.

It can’t be…

You swirled around to face the owner, nearly choking on your spit when you realized your suspicions were correct.

Park Jimin was as gorgeous as ever. The cherub face was just as you recalled, somehow both ruggedly handsome and softly docile. His eyes crinkled behind a pearly smile, a small hand coming up to swiftly brush through his dyed blonde hair as he approached you.

“I thought that was you.” He chuckled. “How have you been? It’s been so long.”

You managed a wry smile.

Jimin was once your college boyfriend of one year, five months, and eight days.

But hey, who was counting?

“I’m doing okay.” You choked out, not liking how he quickly frowned at your strained tone. If there was one man you could never lie to, it was Jimin. “How about yourself? Did you open up that studio you always wanted?”

The truth was you knew he did. Before meeting and dating Taehyung, you were guilty of occasionally checking his social media. It simply couldn’t be helped. Jimin was the longest relationship you ever had. The first man you ever really loved. And your first ever heartbreak.

“Um, yeah I did! I heard you published your first book last year. I bought a few copies myself…” he trailed off sheepishly, suddenly avoiding eye contact. “It uh, was really well written. Are you um, working on anything now?”

You bit your lip, not sure how you felt about the man you were once wildly in love with reading your novel after years of not talking. Much less buying more than one copy to support you. “Y-Yes I’m writing my second book.”

He nodded, a proud expression on his face as he pursed his lips in thought.

“I’m sorry this is…weird.” He finally huffed. “I really didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

You sighed with some relief, thankful he felt the same way. “Same. After you said you wanted to date other people I really didn’t expect to say another word to you like, ever.”

Jimin laughed, “Haha, what? Your memory continues to suck, Y/n. If anything it was you who ghosted-”

“Y/n.”

A much deeper voice cut through the air, bringing all the attention to a new figure descending upon the scene.

Taehyung strode up from behind you, placing an arm around you and regarding the other man with a brooding look of regard.

“Whose this?” Your boyfriend asked, purposefully deepening his already deep voice.

You inwardly rolled your eyes, noting how the artist was practically puffing his chest and glowering at the much shorter man.

“Taehyung, this is my old friend Jimin. Jimin, this is my boyfriend Taehyung.”

The two stiffly nodded at each other, you dodging the questioning look Jimin secretly shot at you for being described as ‘an old friend’.

A pregnant pause hung in the air.

“So…how long have you two been together?”

Before either you or your boyfriend could answer, a pretty lady suddenly skipped into the aisle and grasped onto Jimin’s arm.

“Babe, I can’t find the oat milk! I thought you said- Oh hello!” She just now noticed you and Taehyung, smiling politely and not-so-subtly nudging at Jimin to introduce her.

“Oh, um, this is Molly.”

“His girlfriend! And you two are?”

“I’m Y/n and this is my boyfriend Taehyung.” You introduced. “Jimin and I went to school together.”

“Really? I never get to meet any of Jimin’s old friends! We should have a double date or something!” Molly was an over the top girl, your ears almost ringing at the volume she exuded. But she seemed nice, so you smiled warmly at her and vaguely agreed.

Another brief, awkward and only slightly painful silence.

“Actually…” You trailed off in thought, an idea forming in your head but you didn’t know if it was a good one. Yet it was too late. Before you could even backtrack, all three sets of eyes were on you, eagerly waiting for you to finish the thought. “…what are you two doing tomorrow night?”

“Was just gonna drag Jiminnie to see this new movie! We can totally blow it off though!”

“Well, my boyfriend is a really talented artist and he has a showing tomorrow night. We’d love it if you two could make it.”

You felt Taehyung stiffen beside you, but you paid it no mind.

From what you understood about showings the more people, the more eyes, the better. It was harmless, wasn’t it? Jimin bought multiple copies of your book, and you’d invite him to a gallery showing to please his over hyper girlfriend.

Even, right?

Molly beamed, asking for your number to exchange the details.

You did so, pretending not to notice how both Jimin and Taehyung bore their stares into you.

When finished, you waved goodbye to the couple as they made their way to the dairy section. You and Taehyung then continued your own shopping in a rushed manner- your boyfriend grumbling about having to get back in time for the cameras.

The ride home was a bit more talkative, with Taehyung asking how you knew of Jimin and what made you two friends. You answered the questions rather honestly, just leaving out the parts about how your friendship blossomed into something more.

You weren’t exactly trying to be deceitful. It was just that he was under a lot of stress and paranoia the last few days, you didn’t want to push his poor nerves any further. If he was willing to set up a bunch of cameras to keep some ghost away from you, you didn’t want to push your luck by mentioning that Jimin was your ex boyfriend and longest relationship.

Besides, it wasn’t like Jimin was any kind of threat. You would never entertain the idea of going back to the guy who dumped you. He also now had Molly, so clearly you both moved on.

Taehyung pulled the car into the driveway, asking if you could handle the few bags as he went in to talk to Ralph and sort out the last few steps of installation. You agreed, watching him jog into the home as you gathered all the groceries and took your time to get inside.

You beelined straight to the kitchen with the newly bought food, raising your brows when you saw Taehyung staring at something intently on the counter.

“What is it?”

Taehyung didn’t answer.

You walked up behind him and stood on your tippy toes to spot over his shoulder what he was looking at.

It was a note, in messy and hurried handwriting.

“Sorry but the cameras could not have been installed. It won’t work here. -Ralph.”

–

If there was any man on top of the world tonight- his name was Kim Taehyung.

The Bauhaus gallery was swarmed with countless people, all clamoring to gaze upon the latest Kim collection and ponder the intricate meanings behind each piece. They wore luxury clothes and drank fancy wine that you couldn’t even pronounce, their tax bracket clearly a couple pegs above yours. There was of course some idle chatter, almost every corner of the building being filled with some pretentious snob rambling about the brush strokes, artistic style and commentary your boyfriend was allegedly trying to make with his art.

Such a crowd was not something you were accustomed to.

Thus you clung to Lisa, both idly sipping at wine and watching your boyfriend from afar as he charmingly answered questions.

“You know, he’s going to make thousands of dollars tonight.” Lisa thought out loud. “These rich types will outbid each other like crazy.”

You shrugged nonchalantly. You were happy for him, and knew he deserved it but you would be lying if you said he wasn’t in the doghouse.

“Still mad huh?” Lisa correctly assumed, reading your expression. “What happened after the camera dude disappeared?”

“Taehyung was really upset and called the company to demand his money back. They refunded him entirely, apologized and even sent someone to get the company van. I guess the Ralph dude was an alcoholic and everyone just kinda accepts that he skipped town.” You explained. “I tried to calm him down but he sorta snapped at me about how I never even wanted the cameras so I was probably just loving it all.”

Lisa lowly whistled, “Damn. Well, he probably snapped about the cameras but I promise you it wasn’t just about that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You invited your ex to his showing.” Lisa lectured, as if you were a child who didn’t even understand what you did wrong.

You stuttered, “B-But he doesn’t know Jimin is an ex! I told him he was just an old friend.”

She rolled her eyes, “Y/n of course he would see right through that. There's always going to be chemistry between Jimin and you, he probably picked up on it and is aware you’re not telling the complete truth about what you two were.”

“He’s just overly jealous. He wants to fight our ghost too. At this point, every man is a threat to him.”

At the mention of your ghost, Lisa’s eyes practically sparkled. “Oh I can’t wait to go back to your place! I want to feel the haunted energy for myself.”

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes, “It’s just like any other home, Lisa.”

“That’s because you don’t have a psychic sense to save your life, Y/n.”

You didn’t know whether or not to be offended by that, so you decided to distract yourself by scanning the room for your boyfriend’s invited friends.

Kim Namjoon was an old boss of Taehyung that remained good friends with the artist even after he dumped his job to take up painting full time. Currently, he and his wife Jennifer were talking rather seriously to a thin-lipped curator, most likely about purchasing one of the artworks displayed.

Right across from where you and Lisa stood, Taehyung was conversing with his former coworkers; Jin and Hoseok. They appeared to be laughing about something, their lightheartedness standing out in the overly serious room of people.

If you craned your neck a little to the left, you could spot Yoongi and Jungkook hiding in a corner away from everyone else, almost perfectly mimicking you and your close friend. They both nursed their drinks quietly, occasionally sharing words but mainly just waiting out this event.

You always kind of thought that Lisa and Jungkook would make a good pairing if properly introduced and pushed. So you turned to your friend and was just about to suggest you guys walk over, when she made a face at something behind you.

“Uh oh, here comes the ex.” She mumbled.

You turned around to indeed see Jimin and Molly approaching.

Jimin wore a suit, dress shirt unbuttoned at the top to reveal some of his sun kissed chest. His blonde hair was properly done this time, brushed to the side and back to fully expose his forehead. He raised a hand and waved, rings catching the light and nearly blinding you in the process.

Beside him, Molly looked as pretty as ever in a blue sweetheart dress that complimented her figure. Yet, she looked rather irritated. She attempted to give you a smile in greeting, but it looked more like a grimace.

Jimin spoke first, “Hey, I’m so sorry we’re late. I’m hoping we didn’t miss too much?”

You wanted to be annoyed but without meaning to, a giggle escaped you.

“Things really don’t change.” You told Jimin, a knowing look simmering in your eyes. While dating, you guys were often the couple that showed up late to any event. Most people assumed that it was your doing because you were the girl, when in all actuality it was Jimin.

Jimin shamelessly grinned, “I’ve gotten better, I swear.”

You didn’t believe it for a second and he knew it.

You both shared a laugh, staring at each other fondly like old friends reliving the old times.

It was hard to believe that you were joking with the man you once thought you’d never get over or forgive. Countless nights were spent eating your feelings, hysterically crying and obsessing over all the videos or pictures you couldn’t bring yourself to delete.

But there are some people in life that as soon as they come back, it’s like they never left.

And it was almost as if Jimin never left.

You two continued to gaze into each other, lost in your own comfortable bubble when a sudden throat clearing broke the haze.

“Um, actually the showing is almost over.” Lisa informed, her and Molly visibly looking left out of the nostalgia.

Your ex had the decency to look guilty. “Oh no! I’m so sorry! Maybe we can all just get drinks? There’s a nice bar two blocks down. I can buy a round for everyone?”

“That’s sweet but we have a little after party planned back at my place. I live kind of out of town though, so it’s okay if you can’t make it.”

“No! We can make it! What's the address?” Jimin seemed eager.

You told him, him pulling out his phone to save it into his gps system.

Molly was silent all this time, which was kind of worrying as your first meeting with her led you to believe she was the bubbly type. Now that you mentioned it, it looked like she was avoiding looking at either you or her boyfriend, focusing on a spot on the wall somewhere behind you.

You opened your mouth to maybe ask if she was alright, but quickly shut it when you realized that could be overstepping some boundary.

Fortunately, Lisa seemed to have enough of this entire interaction and grabbed your arm while saying, “Me and Y/n were just going to go to the restroom! Please take a good look around and enjoy her boyfriend’s work! See you guys at the after party!”

Your friend then swiftly dragged you away, barely leaving you enough time to smile apologetically at the couple.

When you both entered the restroom, Lisa simply marched up to the sink and began fixing invisible smudges in her makeup as you shifted awkwardly beside her.

“So…” She started, looking you up and down in the mirror. “Please tell me you know Jimin is still in love with you.”

“W-What?! No way!” You spluttered.

“Y/n it’s so obvious. I actually felt bad for his girlfriend. He couldn’t take his eyes off you.” She rolled her eyes, almost disappointed in your lack of awareness.

“It’s just been forever. It’s hard to not hyperfocus on eachother, we’ve both changed so much. Also, why would the guy who dumped me out of nowhere still be in love with me?”

She released a deep sigh, “He knows he made the shittiest mistake of his life and is now regretting it when seeing you and your talented boyfriend doing so well.”

You chuckled at the thought of someone looking at your relationship and being jealous.

“Listen, just remember tonight is Taehyung’s night and fighting or not, he’s still a wonderful boyfriend overall. And Jimin is your ex who broke your heart. Inviting him to your place after this might’ve been too much. I suggest you keep your distance.”

“Lisa, thanks for the advice but I honestly was just being friendly. He seemed sorry that he missed most of the showing. Besides, I’m going to be too busy hosting to have a deep heart to heart with him or anything.” You explained, a little offended that she thought you were going to play part in some dramatic reconciliation.

A sudden announcement echoed outside the restroom doors, your ears straining to hear a gallery worker asking everyone to gather on the main floor for the artist’s speech and thus the final part of the night.

Saying nothing more, Lisa and you made your exit to join the audience.

– The clock was nearing midnight.

Your usually quiet farmhouse of a home was not at all quiet.

Your boyfriend's friends were merrily talking and drinking, once in a while their masculine laughs would sync up and reverberate through the halls. They all conversed and lounged in the living room, the largest part of the house that could fit all of them comfortably. Yet, you and Lisa stayed in the kitchen, making the drinks and finger foods, as you indulged in harmless girl talk.

“The one with tattoos is so hot, Y/n. Please tell me he’s single!”

“Jungkook? I’m pretty sure he is. Taehyung told me that Namjoon is the only other one in the friend group that’s in a relationship.”

“Okay, so far so good.” She paused to pop a stuffed mushroom in her mouth, humming in thought. “What’s his type though? Like, would I have to make the first move? Does he like a straightforward girl? Because he hasn’t so much as looked at me tonight.”

“I’ve only met Taehyung’s friends once before so I don’t know their types or anything. I do think Jungkook looks a lot manlier than he actually is. He’s very kind but shy so you’ll have to talk to him first.” You explained while opening another bottle of wine for the two of you.

Lisa frowned at the thought, not used to being the one that had to chase.

You poured two glasses, handing her one with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I can introduce you two. It’s kind of a good thing he’s avoiding you like the plague, Tae once said he only acts like that with pretty girls.”

Your friend lit up like the fourth of july.

“Hey babe!” A familiar deep voice called out.

You looked around to see your boyfriend stepping into the kitchen, a buzzed smile on his face and a slightly glazed film over his eyes.

Moments like these made you realize how much of a lightweight your boyfriend was. It only took one or two drinks for him to get tipsy. But it was still his night and he was already home amongst loved ones, so all you could do is smile endearingly at his slightly intoxicated self.

“Yes, handsome?”

His boxy grin grew, “The boys want more beer.”

“Already?! I put out a twelve pack! People need to be able to drive home, ya know!”

He laughed, “Baby, my friends can drink a gallon each and still be able to drive home with their eyes closed if need be.”

“Well I don’t have any more beer up here. Just wine. There might be some more in the basement, though.”

He nodded in thanks, turning his back to presumably go to the basement and retrieve the drinks.

Lisa waited for him to get fully out of earshot before leaning over and dramatically whispering, “How is Jimin and that Molly girl doing?”

You shrugged, “Last time I was in there, Hoseok was making conversation with Jimin and Molly was all over Yoongi.”

“Damn, trouble in paradise?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t seem too bothered and she seemed a little drunk. She might just get overly friendly when she drinks.”

“And you’re still convinced that he’s over you?”

You rolled your eyes but ultimately stayed silent, aware that the couple was acting sorta strange but also not so sure that you were the cause. You took your wine in one hand and a plate of appetizers in the other, motioning for Lisa to grab the rest and follow you.

When you both entered the living room, you were thrilled to spot Jungkook sitting alone on one of the loveseats. You quickly set the food down and pulled Lisa along with you, approaching him with a friendly smile meant to put him at ease. Considering the way his eyes widened at the sight of your friend, you didn’t know how successful you were.

“Hey Jungkook, it’s been a while!” You greeted.

“Y-Yeah it has been. How’s your erm, book going?”

“It’s doing okay, thanks for asking. Have you met my friend, Lisa?”

He briefly scanned your friend, nervously gulping before saying quietly, “…No I haven't.”

“Oh well, Lisa was just saying how much she liked your tattoos.” You nudged her, prompting her to say something.

She just nodded in agreement, suddenly meek.

He blushed, “Thank you.”

“Actually, Lisa, weren't you saying that you were thinking of getting a tattoo?” You pretended to think out loud, as if you weren’t outright playing them. You didn’t wait for her to answer the rhetorical question, “Jungkook, don’t you do tattoos now?”

Now on a topic of interest he was for sure confident in, Jungkook practically jumped in his seat, “Yeah! I do! I’ve only tatted myself and some friends but I hope to work on more people.”

You watched with a smirk as Lisa moved to sit next to Jungkook, her now explaining what she’d like done and Jungkook asking questions about placement, size and color.

You felt sure enough in them to leave them alone, now inhabiting your little corner as you finished your wine while taking in the scene.

Yoongi and Molly stood by the window, and were obviously the most inebriated. He was the type to ramble pointlessly when tipsy, and she giggled at every little thing he said, playfully shoving his shoulder once in a while. You knew for a fact that Yoongi was too deep in his own self-epiphanes to notice her bad flirting, either that or he was just trying to talk to anyone who was willing to listen.

Namjoon and Jennifer were sitting on the couch and talking to Jin, laughing at whatever odd impression he was attempting. Beside them on the loveseat, Hoseok was politely nodding along to small talk from Jimin. Being one of the friendliest and most calming of the group, it made sense that Hoseok was the one trying to make your ex boyfriend feel included.

Content to just watch your guests for a while, you stood by your lonesome and slowly sipped at the remnants of your wine.

Playing host wasn’t exactly your forte, so you were enjoying the little lull while it lasted. Unlike your boyfriend, your social battery tended to max out at the two-hour mark when in group settings.

And as much as you loved the people in your home (with maybe the exception of your ex and his girlfriend), you couldn’t wait for them to get out so you could take a long, hot shower and head to bed.

The stress of the last few days was really tiring you, and you just knew that as soon as the excitement of the showing and sold paintings wore off, Taehyung was going to continue his spat with you about the cameras.

When you and Jimin dated, you two were always on the same page. Fights very rarely happened. And Jimin was such a people pleaser that if literally anything slightly upset you, he would practically fall over himself to make you smile again.

Taehyung was the first boyfriend to genuinely pick a fight with you, being more stubborn than you about matters you didn’t necessarily want to back down from either. Your relationship conflict resolution skills were being tested, and you just didn’t have the patience or experience to keep fighting much longer. You would call a truce or some type of compromise, if it weren’t for the fact that there was no way to really keep both of you happy.

A few minutes passed as you pondered this to yourself.

Seemingly materializing out of nowhere, a mysterious arm wrapped around your waist.

The suddenness of it all caused you to jump and release a very unflattering squeak.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

A deep chuckle rumbled beside you, Taehyung smirking lazily before diving face first into your neck and nuzzling it in some sort of drunken stupor.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” You groaned, trying to forcefully shove his face away from you. “Where’s the beer you went to fetch?”

Your boyfriend expertly dodged your shove and dove back into your neck, mumbling against the skin something about not being able to find more drinks.

The vibration of his lips on such a sensitive spot made you want to squirm, but his halfhearted mumbles took your attention a bit more.

“No beer? I could’ve sworn-”

“Hey Y/n!” Someone interrupted with a call across the room. You looked up to see Lisa trudging over with a determined look on her face and a fogged up look in her eyes, perhaps a bit more tipsy than you remember leaving her. “Aren’t you going to show me where exactly you saw the ghost?”

Your dear friend most likely thought she was being discreet and having a normal conversation at a perfectly appropriate tone. But no, she was actually speaking way above a conversational volume, causing everyone else in the room to halt their conversations and turn to look at you.

“Ghost?” Jin laughed.

“You saw something in this room?” Hoseok inquired with a trembling voice, most likely regretting having come over. Beside him, Jimin quietly shook his head to himself.

“No way, Y/n doesn’t believe in stuff like that.” Your ex confidently informed the group.

At the sound of your past lover’s voice, you felt Taehyung stiffen beside you. The artist untangled himself from you, standing to his full height and facing the guest with an unknown expression.

“We had a little bit of a ghost problem, but it’s taken care of now.” He paused, and you could nearly hear his smirk when he went on to declare, “I got rid of it.”

Yoongi laughed boisterously, having to hold himself up with the wall to prevent falling over. “I’m sorry, but the image of little Tae boxing a little sheet with two holes for eyes is really sending me.”

Half your guests laughed at the thought. The other more believing half still stared at you inquisitively.

An awkward silence.

“Ghosts are real.” Jennifer started, effortlessly drawing all eyes to her. “I used to live in a haunted house when I was a kid.”

She put her drink down and folded her hands across her lap, suddenly immersed in thought and careful about what she was about to share.

“In my childhood home, there was a garden in the backyard. Almost everyday, at sunset, I’d look out the window and see this lady circling the flowers and humming to herself. After ten minutes or so, she would disappear into thin air. I told my parents but they never believed me.”

She paused, either for dramatic effect or to recollect.

“Until one day, my mom saw her too. And when she went out to confront what she thought was an intruder, the lady disappeared before her eyes. My mom then did some digging about the history of the house and it turns out, the previous owner was outside gardening when she had a heart attack and died.”

A pregnant pause hung in the air as everyone silently digested the anecdote.

“That’s fucking terrifying, please tell me your parents moved houses after that.” Hoseok broke the silence first, pleading with watery eyes.

Namjoon’s wife laughed, reaching for her drink once more. “How is it scary? The lady was just checking on her garden in the afterlife. However, I then grew up really interested in supernatural stuff.” She turned to you. “There’s some tell-tale signs that a home has a spirit attached to it. Cold spots, shadow figures, whispers, scary dreams and the biggest of all: always feeling like you're being watched, even if there’s no one else in the room.”

You quietly thought to yourself. Were there any cold spots in the home? No. Any shadow figures? Nope. Whispers and nightmares? Nada.

But…the last one, being watched when no one is there.

If you really focused on your intuition, you faintly felt that even now amongst all these people, you were being watched by something unknown.

Goosebumps raised on the surface of your arms.

Chills ran down your spine and you shivered, the reaction causing Taehyung to grasp you tighter against him in what was supposed to be comfort.

You felt even more cold.

“We haven’t had any of that. Really guys, it’s taken care of.” Your boyfriend told the room, effectively shutting down the paranormal subject.

You assumed Taehyung felt a bit defensive of his ghost expelling skills, either that or he genuinely wanted another topic of discussion.

You then felt a little bad, it was still his night after all and here you were unintentionally ruining it with your little ghost stories. The focus of the room should be on him and his achievements, not everyone's supernatural beliefs and stories.

“Taehyung is right, it’s all resolved. But I’d like to ask all of you to fill up your glasses one last time, and raise them with me, ” While they did that you quickly scanned the room, “Um, except maybe you, Yoongi. Feel free to sit this one out, bud.” You laughed as the drunk man just grumbled at you, defiantly snatching another beer and holding it high while swaying on his feet.

Hopefully he wasn’t the one driving home.

You cleared your throat, “I'd like to propose a toast to our own Taehyung. Everyone in this room knows it was only a matter of time before your artistic genius was recognized by the world, but that doesn’t make us any less proud than we are of you tonight. To the first of many showings! To Taehyung!”

“To Taehyung!” the room loudly parroted back, everyone thrusting their drinks of choice in the air before knocking them back.

The artist beside you laughed and shook his head, “Really, guys it’s no big deal. Just a few paintings that I’m lucky even got sold. But thanks so much for making it. Most of you-” he snapped a side eye where Jimin sat, “have supported me so much, I’m just happy to have such a great group of friends.”

Said friends all smiled and nodded, although a few caught on to Taehyung’s subliminal dig and warily looked over at your ex.

Jimin pursed a tight smile, clearly trying to be nice and not make it obvious that he was the outsider at the party. You caught his eye and shot him a sorry look, but he shook his head in what was clearly meant to say “don’t worry about it.”

Your boyfriend continued, “However! ‘Friends’ don’t really beat ‘love of my life’. So without getting into all the lewd details of how I plan to spend my night celebrating, I’m going to need you all to start clearing out,” Taehyung smirked. “Y/n is a screamer.”

“Ew!” Lisa shouted, beside her Jungkook was suddenly unable to make eye contact with you.

The older men in the room just cackled. You slapped the artist's chest while trying to hide your blood red face.

Taehyung ducked and mouthed at your ear to whisper, “Sorry baby, but you know it’s true. And don’t act like you don’t want them out sooner rather than later.”

You wanted to be mad, but understood he was tipsy and riding on the high of his showing. So instead you played along and harshly whispered to him, “I doubt you can make me scream tonight. It’s not right to be misleading to your friends.”

He tiled your head to make you face him.

Taehyungs’ left brow twitched in vexation, his lips pulling back in a little growl. He looked around to make sure the guests were distracted with finishing their drinks or saying their goodbyes to each other. When he confirmed no eyes were on you two, he secretly placed his hand at the back of your head, running his long fingers through your hair and stopping right at the ends, to quickly form a fist and pull.

It was just one short tug, but the power of it made you gasp.

You would be lying if you said it didn’t make you a little wet too.

You had no idea where this came from. He never pulled your hair. Your boyfriend wasn’t rough and was one of those really progressive artists types that viewed any kind of manhandling in the bedroom as sort of sexist. But when you peered up at him, with the doe eyes he said he loved so much, and saw the clouded nature of his gaze, you just knew that inebriated Tae was very different from sober Tae.

Black and white, really.

‘I’m in for quite the night’ you thought to yourself while biting your lip, inwardly smug at how Taehyung transparently honed in on the action.

“Um, hey I think I’ll take my leave first.” You looked up to see Jimin awkwardly shifting in front of you two, a blacked out Molly in his hold.

“Oh god! Is she okay?” You exclaimed, noting the poor girl looked dead.

The dancer chuckled, “Yeah, she just gets really hyper when she's drunk then passes out after a bit. Ironically, sleep is all she needs I guess since she always wakes up good as new. No hangover.”

“Here let me show you out. I can help put her in the car.” You offered, already detangling yourself from Taehyung. He made a small sound of protest and made move to hold you tighter.

You placed a hand on his shoulder and consoled him with a smile, “You wanted people to leave, so we should help everyone get home safe. Can you check on Yoongi and maybe see if Namjoon and Jennifer can take him home?”

He looked conflicted, carefully sizing Jimin up through his peripheral. You wanted to roll your eyes. Although tipsy Taehyung was apparently a sexy beast, he was also an immature toddler who needed to be tricked.

You got on your tippy toes to whisper in his ear, “The quicker we get people out, the quicker you get me all to yourself.”

That seemed to convince him as he reluctantly stomped away in the direction of the couple, shooting one more guarded look at the dancer.

With that you led Jimin to the front door, even helping him put Molly’s heels back on before stepping out into the driveway and walking him to his car.

Silently, he opened the car and laid her in the backseat, tucking her in with his jacket. Then he shut the door, but instead of walking around to the driver spot, he turned to you and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“So….”

“Look, I’m sorry about Taehyung. I didn’t even tell him you were an ex but he’s just been really possessive and weird lately. It’s not just you.” You informed him, hoping to make him feel better.

Jimin just waved it off with a chuckle, “No, I get it. You’re really gorgeous, kind and talented. I also struggled with jealousy when we were together. Can’t really blame him.”

You hoped your blush wasn’t too prominent as you said, “Yeah, but you were always nice to people regardless of feeling possessive. He was just rude. Again, I’m sorry.”

“Well, you can’t really date someone breathtaking if you’re going to be an insecure prick about it.”

You gaped like a fish at the implication you were still breathtaking in Jimin’s eyes. Words were suddenly hard to come by.

It was silent for a moment, the tension between you two as thick as it can possibly get for two past lovers.

“Y/n…why didn’t you tell him we dated?”

“L-Like I said, he’s already been acting jealous and I didn’t want him to focus on that when it was his night. Besides, It’s not like-”

“I broke up with Molly.”

“…What?”

“It happened on the way to your after party, she was upset that I still held a candle for you. And yeah, I couldn’t drag her along when I never felt half of what I felt for you, for her. I just said it without thinking, terrible timing of course. But that’s pretty on brand for me, I suppose.” He attempted a joke.

You smiled politely, although you had no idea how you should feel.

He continued, “I just thought I should say sorry because the reason she was such a drunk and sloppy mess in your home was because I carelessly dumped her on the way there.”

“It’s um, okay Jimin. She wasn’t the only drunken mess tonight. I hope you two manage to stay friends.” You said, then after a beat added, “And that you find what you’re looking for.”

“Listen, I know you're with Taehyung and happy but, I think there was some kind of misunderstanding about our breakup. I’m not trying to be a homewrecker or anything, but can we get a coffee sometime and just…talk?”

You smiled, finding no harm in the offer. “Sure-”

“No.”

You gasped and whipped around to see Taehyung standing behind you, arms crossed and hell in his eyes as he glowered down at Jimin.

How did he get there without being spotted or heard?

It's like he fabricated out of nowhere.

“I suggest you get in your car, leave and never speak to her again.”

Your ex held his hands up in surrender, “Look man, I wasn’t trying anything-”

“What kind of guy goes to their ex when she’s clearly in a happy and healthy relationship, and tries to drudge up the past in the name of closure? Fuck your closure. You lost her, and now I have her. And trust me, she has better things to do than getting coffee with the guy who broke her heart.”

“Please, Taehyung-”

You were cut off.

His voice was the lowest you’ve ever heard it, eyes pitch black and face blank as he calmly finished, “It’s pathetic. You’re pathetic. And if I see you again I’m going to break your kneecaps and skin you alive, you little spineless boy. Run along now. While you still can.”

The threats were so visceral and promising, coupled with a man who looked downright murderous yet somehow calm. As if he had done it before and doing it again would be more so an inconvenience than a whole life-ending ordeal.

In this moment, you didn’t know your own boyfriend and you were terrified with this new persona.

No one moved or spoke, in fear one step or word would make Taehyung good on his promise.

You and Jimin were paralyzed, like two helpless deer in the presence of a blood thirsty wolf, the only hope was to stay still and go unnoticed. You met your ex’s eyes and while he did look afraid, he was focused only on you and your proximity to Taehyung.

Jimin was fearful. Not for himself, but for you.

And while you wanted your ex to run away, you were also scared to be left alone with someone so different from your usual Taehyung.

How could a few drinks and some jealousy cause such a behavior?

“Hey what’s going on here?”

Namjoon and Jennifer were babysitting a toddling Yoongi, the couple was also making way to their vehicle when they spotted the scene. The so-called ‘leader’ of the gang was quick to pick up on Taehyung’s aggressive stance, probably prompting him to get involved.

You felt your body lighten in relief.

Namjoon was always good at calming people down and taking control of situations.

Like a switch was turned on, your boyfriend grinned at the oncomers and nodded over at the dancer. Seemingly happy as a clam he chirped, “Nothing, hyung! Jimin here was just leaving. His poor girlfriend had too much, I think.”

Namjoon didn’t quite believe that, you and Jimin still looked rigid with alarm after all. Nonetheless, he played along for everyone’s sake. “Really? Maybe you should leave now then Jimin, get her in bed as soon as possible. It was nice meeting you.”

Jimin took the hint with grace and wordlessly ducked into his car, not acknowledging anyone else as he mouthed to you “call me”.

He started up the car, then slowly backed out of the driveway, and eventually down the road.

“Dude, are you sure you’re okay? It looked like you wanted to kill him.” Namjoon asked the artist.

Before hearing whatever bullshit was going to spew out of his mouth next, you promptly whipped around and stormed back into the house, making sure to purposefully shoulder-check your boyfriend as hard as you could in the process.

What the fuck was wrong with the bastard?!

Talking as though he was some offender or even a murder, just because your ex wanted to catch up?

You were so dreadfully embarrassed! Jimin must’ve thought you lost your mind after him and went off to date some real weirdos.

If you weren’t already on a lease with the man, this probably would’ve been the part where you blocked him and made it your personal mission to never see him again.

Instead, you busied yourself in the kitchen and washed most of the dirty dishes your guests left behind. You hoped Taehyung was wise enough to leave you alone, if the jerk knew what was good for him.

About 15 minutes had passed, and the kitchen was nearly as spotless as it was before the party had started, thanks to your furious cleaning and scrubbing. The house was now silent, and you were just debating putting all your spices in alphabetical order when you heard a shuffle behind you.

You snapped around and instantly scoffed at the sight.

Taehyung was leaning against the doorframe, hands in his pockets and fixing a sheepish look at you.

“So…that got a little out of hand.”

You barked a disbelieving laugh. “More like you got out of hand, Taehyung. Threatening people like you’re some felon! Wouldn't be a surprise if there’s a rumor spreading about me dating a serial killer now."

“Y/n, I’m sorry. But please let me make it up to you.”

“Make it up to me? Your actions cannot be undone Taehyung! I cooked and cleaned after your friends and tried to make this night special for you. I just wanted you to have a nice night and be nice, and you flip out over a platonic coffee date? Who do you think I am? A slut who will open her legs to any ex who talks to me?!”

“W-what? No- Of course not! Please don’t think-”

“What the hell am I supposed to think, asshole?! Even if Jimin still had feelings for me, it would take me reciprocating them for anything to happen! You clearly don’t trust me, and if that’s the case, then what are we doing here? Should we just become roommates or something?”

A painful struck his face, watery eyes met yours when he choked out, “Do you even hear yourself? Why would I try to fight your ex if I truly didn’t love you? You’re mine, and I love you so much it’s just…I can act a little crazy sometimes.”

You sighed, turning your back on him to lean on the sink in exhaustion.

“I thought you were different from other guys, Tae. That caveman shit is extremely degrading to not only you, but especially me.”

“I’m sorry…it’s just a primal part of me that I can’t turn off. Give me a chance to make it up to you.”

You shot a look over your shoulder at him, still pissed.

He shot his hands up in the air, as if in defense. “You can still be mad at me all you want.”

“You’re sleeping on the couch for a week.”

“Done.”

“And….And you’re forgetting all about those stupid cameras.”

He quirked a grin, unknown mirth dancing in his eyes. “Sure.”

“At the end of the week, you will personally apologize to Jimin via a phone call or letter.”

His smile dropped, your glare sharpened, “Umm..fine okay. It won’t be sincere though.”

You rolled your eyes, “Doesn’t have to be, it’s the right thing to do so you’ll do it.”

“…anything else?”

“Not for now. I’m going to bed soon so if there’s anything you need from the room, get it now.”

He wordlessly turned around, and you then faintly heard him going up the stairs.

Biting your lip in deep thought, you proceed to wipe off the last of the counters.

Could you forgive him? When he was willing to do all that to appease you?

If you were being honest with yourself, you could feel the irritation already start to melt away a bit. You hadn’t expected such a 180 in his stance, he went from threatening Jimin with murder to begrudgingly agreeing to apologize within only a matter of half an hour or so. You thought you would have to at least give him the silent treatment for a bit before you could even bargain a “sorry” for your ex. Taehyung was usually much more stubborn…

Nonetheless though, you were still upset and embarrassed about the scene.

You hated when men got violent around you, it made you feel so unsafe and small. You thought Taehyung was different, him even poking fun at the meatheads who would pull stuff like that at the local bars you would frequent while dating. So what changed?

Footsteps slowly descended back down the stairs, telling you that Taehyung had returned from your bedroom and it was safe to go up.

You left the kitchen, turned off the lights and passed through the hallway. Briefly you stopped, just short of the stairs, to see your boyfriend grumbling to himself while arranging some blankets on the couch.

A sudden and chilling thought ripped from your lips before you could even quietly ponder it.

“Taehyung…how did you know Jimin was my ex?”

He stopped in his tracks, slowly turning to face you with a blank look.

“Uh, Lisa might have slipped up and told me.”

You relaxed, unknowingly releasing a breath you had been holding. “Hmm, okay. We’ll talk tomorrow then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight baby.”

“Oh! Let me get some water first, can you check that the doors were locked?” You asked while skipping back towards the kitchen. You hated waking up with a dry mouth and always kept a glass of water on your nightstand, restless bathroom trips be damned.

You didn’t hear any response to your request, but you paid it no mind, assuming Tae probably already double, if not triple, checked the locks being the worrywart that he was.

Right next to the kitchen entrance was the basement door, and it was shut.

Yet, something stopped you in your tracks.

The light under the basement door…it was on?

“Well I don’t have any more beer up here. Just wine. There might be some more in the basement, though.”

It couldn’t be….could it?

Your intuition was hollering at you from within.

A force greater than you pulled you to the door handle.

Against yourself, you opened the door to the basement…

And choked back a horrified scream.

At the bottom of the stairs lay Taehyung.

Unconscious, pale and bleeding horrifically from some head wound that was forming an inky pool under his crumpled form.

It wasn’t your Taehyung that returned upstairs.

So...this has been sitting in my drafts for over a year lol. I do have a dramatic ending in mind and some final scenes but yea, I don't think I could finish this unless people actually wanted it so let me know if this is a plot you kinda liked? I never tried flat-out supernatural horror like this. Anyway, happy October guys! Love you all. Luna :)

The Taste of Deceit(Maknae Line Part One)

Request

Yandere Masterlist

Warnings: Violence, Dark Characters with Darker Intentions. And the plot would only get darker from here. Disturbing imagery, allusions, blood.

Word Count- 15k+

(GIF credits to the owner. I do not own them)

Kindly excuse the typos and errors

*****

Inspiration - 'Art Deco' by Lana Del Ray: The Great Gatsby Edit

The place was…she had no words to describe the beauty and grandeur of the place. Nothing seemed enough. And under the gigantic chandeliers, high ceilings and shimmery walls dwarfed everyone in the great hall. dwarfs with fancy attires and even fancier masks covering half of their faces.

(Y/N)’s eyes searched for her friend– he had abandoned her after bringing her to his boss’ party as his plus one.

“Once I get my hands on this punk, I swear!” she muttered to herself before picking out one of the many delicacies presented in the venue for the guests.

She did not care about the side-eyes she received from the mingling dolled-up women standing by the long table. At least that was what she liked to think. They were like bees to flowers– hovering, searching, but hardly touching anything. 

Her eyes caught the sight of the relatively isolated balcony- relying more on moonlight than blinding chandeliers.

Picking up her filled plate, she made her way towards the balcony. At the peak of summer, the air was understandably still. The warmth hit her instantly as soon as she was out of the airconditioner bubble. But she did not mind.

The moon, some scattered patches of cloud on the otherwise clean indigo sky and people below passing by, coming and going like fancied miniatures. Each of their movements seemed calculated and self-conscious. No wonder she stuck out like a sore thumb, more interested in the food than dancing with masked strangers. 

Apparently, no one was allowed to take off their masks publicly at the party. So she put up with her shimmering mask, covering half of her face delicately. At least the mask was of commendable quality.

It was peaceful for a while before a sudden commotion shook it off. She watched as security, people with cameras and even guests followed a car that entered the place, fashionably slowly, before halting just below the balcony she stood on. Every car stopped at the exact same spot, but none of the vehicles were thronged by people like that. Soon, the balcony was no longer her private space. People filled in, around her, eager to catch a glimpse of the Porsche. Or maybe the person inside. 

“Oh, he’s going to step out, click a picture, click a picture!” one of the women squealed to her friend.

“(Y/N), where were you?” her friend suddenly appeared beside her, catching her attention instantly.

“Where were you? I was left all alone there Hyuk, why did you even leave me alone? You know I don’t know anyone here.”

“I’m so sorry, it was my manager, he wanted me to meet his mentor, and I did not want you to be bored out of your mind.”

“Hyuk at least—”

“Ohmygod, ohmygod, he is out of the car!” 

The woman standing beside her cried out loud. (Y/N) held back a grimace at the obnoxiously loud voice as her eyes flickered below once more. 

There, stood a man in all black, an ebony mask covering half of his face. She could not see the details of the mask, but the shape was slightly different, and shades of silver gleamed occasionally as his face moved. The design around his eyes was more defined. His hair was parted from the side and combed back to perfection. His shoes shone under the flashing cameras and artificial lights surrounding him.

“Who is he Hyuk?” (Y/N) did not take her eyes off the man as she leaned closer to her friend.

“The big boss, the owner of the company I work in and many other such companies, and the host of this of party– Park Jimin,” he explained.

At that moment, the man’s face lifted, and the lower half of his face exposed his beauty. The mask made it almost impossible to decipher the shape of his eyes, but the way they glided over the place as his plump lips curled into a smirk had her gaze stuck on him. 

And then, his eyes stopped on her, standing right above him,or maybe it was someone behind her, beside her, but she could see the deep, dark eyes and the gleaming silver lines of the mask around them. 

The eyes…

She could not explain what it was, but they reminded her of deep, dark, forbidden forests, drowned ships laying on the ocean beds, and gigantic, maze-like caves yet to be explored.

Even with the flashing cameras, his eyes never blinked as they held her gaze. 

It was only for a long moment, but it felt like an era before she managed to look away, looking at Hyuk instead.

“Shall we go inside?” She asked, and he nodded.

And without turning her gaze back to his still figure, she pushed through the crowd and made a beeline towards the hall.

—----

Even after she was inside the hall again, those eyes stayed with her, nothing else but the eyes—the deep, dark eyes that spoke in silence. She had felt the shivers when his eyes held her gaze. And she was not familiar with such… bizarre emotions.

“Hyuk, Hyuk, let’s go home.”

“(Y/N), I must meet Mr. Park first. Are you feeling unwell?”

She gulped and shook her head. She was not feeling unwell at all, but she did not like how those eyes stayed with her so stubbornly. There was something magical and magnetic about them.

“We will only greet him, and then we can go home; how about that? Oh look, he’s here.”

It was not difficult to notice that people moved to greet him and then moved aside to make way for him. 

“Oh, he’s headed this way. Do I look like a smart employee?” 

Hyuk was thrilled to have the opportunity to improve his career prospects, and that was the only reason she did not walk away from Park Jimin’s approaching figure. She could not do that to her friend. 

“You look good Hyuk.” she patted his back in reassurance, offering him a small smile.

“Hope my employees are enjoying the party?” His voice was sweet honey with an edge of milk and cinnamon.

“Of course Mr Park, in fact, I am honoured to have been invited to your party.” Mr Park’s eyes stayed on her for a good moment before flickering to Hyuk

“Efficiency and hard work, Hyuk, are always rewarded in my business.” He patted her friend's shoulder with a smile that could only be described as angelic,

“I assume she is your plus one here?” He asked 

“Yes Sir, I came with my friend.”

“Hello there, I hope you are enjoying the party?”

“Certainly, Mr Park, it is a party like no other.”

Mr park only chuckled “It’s a business party, wait until you experience the parties at my residence.”

Turning to Hyuk, he smiled at him.

“Mr Won, we need employees like you, why don’t you attend the party I have at my residence? You will have the opportunity to meet many important figures there, I assure you that it would be my responsibility to create acquaintances.”

“I…that would truly be an honour, Sir.”

“Why don’t you bring your friend as well, I am sure you would enjoy the more…casual setting.”

Before she could come up with an excuse, Hyuk spoke out on behalf of her,

“Of course, I am sure she would not mind. We will be there.”

Mr Park’s lips curved into a slow smile.

“Sure, enjoy the party.”

And with that, he was gone, swept away with the crowd of people around him.

“Oh, my God! (Y/N), did you hear that? He knows me, he likes my work (Y/N). I would finally get a promotion, won’t I?

“You work so hard Hyuk, either way, you would have been rewarded with a promotion.”

“No, (Y/N), Mr Park knows me– the Park Jimin, you are a journalist, you must know his name.”

“I am an investigative journalist. I deal with crime, criminals and every other twisted thing a human mind could come up with, Hyuk, not the pale, rose gold business world.”

“But, he is the owner of the Park Enterprise.” Hyuk leaned into her ear and whispered “And he is only thirty-two.”

But (Y/N) could not care less. A bit surprised, of course, but that was it. Park Jimin, as much of him she could see of him, looked like the epitome of youthful charisma. There was an aura of authority, a sense of command, yes, but he looked anything but a man in his thirties. She was certain that he was only a couple of years older than her, twenty-eight at best!

—------

That night, as (Y/N) lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom, she could not help but have all her thoughts occupied–no–engulfed by him– the mysterious yet charismatic Park Jimin. The way he walked, the way he spoke, like every move was a graceful dance for him. It was hypnotic, but also held an edge of danger. 

Even though it had only been only months since her joining as an investigative journalist for a publication house that printed and published news, magazines and booklets, she had begun to rely more on her gut instincts– they helped.

And her gut told her that no matter how alluring Park Jimin was, with his electric gaze and swan-like movements, she needed to keep her distance. After all, everything enticing had a sinister face. That was the rule of nature. At least whatever she knew of nature and the world.

—-----

“This is the last time I am getting along with your bullshit!” (Y/N) huffed, unceremoniously bunching up the gown she wore as she made jumped out of the taxi.

“And that is the fourth time you are telling this to me. (Y/N), I couldn’t say no to him, okay? He’s my boss.” Hyunk followed close behind as they made their way towards the gates of Mr Park’s penthouse. 

“Are we at the right place Hyuk?” the penthouse should have been booming with music, or at least chitter-chatter.

But the place seemed eerily quiet and the minted windows did not help much. 

“Uh, excuse me, is this Mr Park’s residence? We have been invited to the party here? I have the invitation.” Hyuk opened his phone and showed it to the two towering men guarding the main entrance.

“Yes, the party is inside. Please show me your ID and write down your details here.” one of them spoke out without a single twitch on his chiselled face.

No, it had to be Mr Park’s penthouse. Who else would have this level of security?

After they were done with the procedures, they were given masks again. They were somewhat similar to the ones worn at the formal party, these had an edge of funk in them. They glimmered under the light and had soft feathers attached to the top and reminded her of their presence every now and then as the softness caressed her temple

“Please do not unmask yourself publicly, at least not Mr Park allows it.”

The man surely had a thing for masks. She concluded as she nodded and made her way towards the seemingly quiet penthouse with Hyuk.

“Why’s so quiet here?”

“Why Hyuk, thought mr Park’s favourite employee would know?”

Hyuk rolled his eyes as they reached the front door of the penthouse. There, two more guards greeted them before opening the door, only to startle them with the boom of the party rushing out.

“It's soundproof!” Hyuk had to raise his voice in order to be heard as the music overshadowed every other sound in the place.

“I can see that Hyuk. Where’s the host though?”

Masked figures surrounded them, dancing, drinking, eating–the typical party-goers. The lights were slightly dimmed on one section with streaks of neon and flashes illuminating the figures dancing in the area, on the opposite side were plates and trays filled with beverages and bites that could well be consumed as dinner. The bar had a bartender making drinks with a spectacle– doing the expert tricks she had only seen in the viral videos. 

This party stunk of ‘How Rich People Party’. Mr Park brought a nightclub home.

Hyuk was already walking towards the table, eyes set on his favourites. At least someone was enjoying the party. Had it not been for Hyuk, she would have not even bothered.

Her eyes took in the place, the penthouse was huge, especially the ground floor, and the party seemed to be limited to there itself. Her eyes flickered to the first floor. There were people standing there too, but they seemed detached from the party, busy speaking with themselves and—

Her eyes caught a figure on the first floor, overlooking the party, the familiar lithe frame and ebony hair stood out, even in the dark. But what made him stand out the most was the mask he wore, it stood out, with the most ethereal, angelic white and swirls and twines of silver around the eyes.

The eyes…They were stilled on her already, as if they had been watching, waiting.

“Is that Mr Park?” she nudged Hyuk subtly. 

Of course, it was him, she remembered his magnetic stare. She simply needed to keep herself grounded.

“Holy shit. It is, did he see me gobbling up the sweets?” Hyuk immediately waved at him. 

“What else are parties for?”

Mr Park waved aback after a moment of calculated delay before gesturing them to join him upstairs.

“I’m not going there.”

“What but—but Mr Park called us.”

“He called you Hyuk, he had invited you mainly. Its about you. I have no interest in your dull business talks.” 

“Are you sure? What if I mess up, he’s a big name.”

“You will be fine, meanwhile, I can get some drinks. Just go, don’t make him wait, he’s the boss.” She patted him with assurance and watershed as he hurried up the stairs with a smile.

Her eyes flickered up once more, but Mr Park was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe…Maybe his eyes had been on Hyuk all the while.

Hyuk had not returned even after an hour and (Y/N) had found company in the tipsy-worthy cocktails and delectable bites. She knew that his career meant the world to him, but she was left in a room filled with masked strangers and she did not—

“You didn't come upstairs.” she felt the breath before she heard him speak, making her jump with a gasp as she turned around, only to face the mask that stood out.

“Mr Park! Sorry, I did not see you there.”

“Didn’t invite you to get bored,you know.”

“Oh no, I was waiting for Hyuk.”

His lips tilted ever so slightly, the smile was barely visible but it managed to be soft

“Hyuk is busy speaking with my friends. They’re impressed by him.”

“He works really hard. This was his dream career,” she added with a smile.

“Oh, I am an investigative journalist for (XXX) Papers. Not from the Paparazzi, if you’re worried.”

“Oh no, I don’t fear the media, don’t worry. If anything the journalists should fear me.” His lips tilted more, causing an unpleasant tingle to run down her stomach

“What?”

“I am terrible with interviews, I stray away from the topic so badly and I suck at using new and high technology.” He chuckled, finally showing off the mesmerising smile that made her gulp yet sigh in relief.

“Oh, right, that’s okay, I don’t like conducting interviews, so…”

Park Jimin was a charmer, she could not tell if he were a social butterfly or not, he did not leave her side even for once, and with each minute she spent with him– laughing, talking, just enjoying– her guards began to turn wax against fire.

Or was the alcohol in her system?

At that moment, she did not care.

He was like lightning in the night sky, stunning, entrancing but also intimidating. He reminded one to be careful but also could make thoughts cease simultaneously. It was almost...Sublime.

But she did not have much thought regarding that, she did not have the chance to dwell, not when their lips fit in oh-so-smooth with the ease of two puzzles fitting just right.

She did not even remember what thing led to what and how they found each other in the darkest little corner, tucked away from the party. One minute they were speaking, the next, they were flirting playfully and the next, his lips had brushed so delicately with hers, she melted into his arms.

It felt absurd how they still wore their masks, their accessory rubbed against each other as their lips clashed once more, it was teeth and tongue this time. She felt him opening a door that led to an isolated staircase, narrower but there were no prying eyes and it led straight to his bedroom.

She was not drunk, but she was tipsy and so so charmed by those eyes of his. And finally, when he undid the ribbon behind her head and let her mask fall off, she never felt more exposed, more vulnerable before.

“What have you done to me?” Jimin's voice had a desperate edge as his eager fingers.

She did not reply, shouldn’t she be asking him the question? But she was too curious, too eager to argue. She simply undid the strings of his mask, only the reveal the allure hiding behind. Park Jimin was the definition of beauty, crafted to perfection– but in flesh and bones.

His lips came crashing on hers, the sheets, like their bodies, like mating swans and snakes, like the rain touching the soil, absorbing and soaking into each others’ essence, fusing into one.

How would she ever forget those hypnotizing eyes now? That perfect face, that electric touch?

But she knew that she must leave soon.

As it was expected of her.

—------

“Where were you last night? I searched for you and called you so many times! You left the party without telling me?” (Y/N) could visualise her best friend fuming through the phone

“Yes, I left early. I was drunk a bit and wasn’t feeling great.”

A necessary white lie

“Oh…I shouldn’t have left you alone for so long, I’m so sorry.”

“That's completely alright, I understand, did you manage to make new connections?”

“Yeah, kind of, can’t say much. Where are you right now?”

“In an amusement park.”

“What?”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes at the response “Of course I’m at work. I don’t have Saturdays off. It's a half-day.” (Y/N) sighed “I have a lot pending, bye.”

“Wait I—”

Cutting the call, she dropped her phone back in her pocket and licked her lips. Even they seemed to remember the foreign warmth.

No, no (Y/N) he doesn’t even remember your face perhaps. Stop thinking about him!

 Looking around her office, scattered with closed and opened files, folders, papers and pens rolled out from a dropped penholder, she really wished she was home. But she was desperate for a good distraction. And what could be a better distraction than work?

Besides, she had taken up a murder mystery. And while the police had closed the case, her boss thought that maybe with further investigations, they could stir up a good storm.

After all, that was all this business was about.

“Agnes West, an English Teacher- engaged to Cha Kyunwo.” she read out aloud, eyes skimming through the information to find something—

There it was.

Homicide.

“Police suspected it was a case of homicide. But there was no evidence? This case is interesting.” She sat up straighter as she began to read into the details.

“Police concluded it as an accidental explosion caused by a leak in the gas pipeline--oh, that's brutal. Bodies unrecognisable, more than ninety per cent burnt but DNA matched with their daughter who was not home during the accident.” 

She skimmed through for more information, but there was no evidence found or submitted officially. At the end of the file, there were two pictures attached. The gruesome details were now in front of her. It was truly a brutal accident and if it were a murder…The killer must have hated them.

She was well into researching the case. Not much was put up to her surprise. But the real surprise came when one of her colleagues knocked on her cabin door.

“Yes, come in.”

“Hi.” her colleague peeped in “There’s someone who wants to meet you.”

“Meet me?” (Y/N) frowned. 

Hyuk had an emergency, her parents lived miles away and her other friends were not the kind to just drop by randomly. They had their lives with their partners, while she…she had her life with her office.

“Okay, I will be there.”

Her colleague gave her a tight smile before nodding and shutting the door on her way out.

Walking out of her office, she was greeted by a towering and wide man beside a shorter man with the lithe frame now etched on her brain. She would recognise it anywhere, even when his back was turned towards her. The taller man, supposedly his bodyguard whispered something in his ear before the man turned around.

Park Jimin wore his mask like he wore the grace of a swan. But Park Jimin without the mask, bare to the eyes and eyes on her, looked like a fallen angel.

For a moment, it was all stillness and silence, only the click of his shoes reached her ears as he approached her– movements slow but smooth. Perhaps he really was a swan-incarnate after all.

“You left this morning, I thought you’d stay.”

Wait. What?

“I…I had…work and I thought–well I was sure that—you were expecting me to stay?” 

She mentally hissed at herself for bumbling like a schoolgirl with a crush but what had ever changed by crying over spilt milk?

There was the same ghost of a smile she had seen the night before.

“Why think that? Of course, you would stay. Don’t leave like that again. Hmm?”

Again?

“What do you mean? You’re playing with me?”

This had to be some sick joke. Didn’t he see how she looked at him, how her mind lost to her heart every time he was in front of her? Or was it daily bread for him? Charm and then walk away?

Defying all her expectations, Jimin frowned with looming in her eyes, but still slower than the desire she had seen igniting in those hypnotic eyes last night.

“That night when I first saw you at the party, wearing that translucent mask, in the flood of prying, smitten eyes, I could see only your eyes…Do you know why?”

She had no answer to his question, he seemed to notice that too. 

Leaning closer, he continued-

“Because your eyes were the only ones that looked at me with such a sweet, innocent curiosity. I instantly knew you did not belong there. I was not even supposed to look up, I could hear their annoying screams. But something told me that I must. And I found you, and I knew I could never go back. I am still stuck in that magical moment (L/N)(Y/N).”

She saw his eyes zooming in before she felt his lips touch hers once more, this time in a chaste kiss, but enough to flutter her heart open and her eyes close.

“I will be waiting for you in the cafe across the road.”

With that, he walked away. 

“Was that the Park Jimin I just saw?”

(Y/N) jumped at her boss’s voice creeping behind her. She was a woman in her late thirties, spoke business but never forgot humour. (Y/N), on the other hand, was not in the mood for humour and her boss’ prying.

“Miss Yoon, if you want to know about him I must make it clear I barely know him myself.” She turned around, facing her editor.

“Oh, but he seemed to be interested to know you? I knew it was perfect for you It's God-sent, I tell you!” Miss Yoon’s words made no sense to her. Her boss seemed extraordinarily delighted to have discovered her acquaintance with Park Jimin.

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand?”

“Oh my…Don’t tell me that you do not know much about him.”

“I’m afraid that’s the case.”

Her boss only smiled cryptically and nodded  “I think you ought to know more, girl.”

—------

The cafe was a quaint little place, usually bustling after office hours with people rushing to grab some bites and even dinner for home. But as she approached it, she realised how empty it was– all lit up, all staff members working but there was no sign of the rush hour she would witness every day she would witness after work. Especially on Weekends.

She had never paid attention to how the door would creak when opened, it was usually hustling in there. But now, the creak was louder than her footsteps.

Odd

(Y/N) frowned before her eyes caught the corner seat of the cafe– perfect for two, isolated yet closer to the counter and set just by the right window– the one which would offer ample view of the busy street. Yet it was not the seat that was in her sight, it was the man sitting there.

Park Jimin’s eyes were already on her. He had been watching her from the movement she had stepped inside the cafe. 

“Hope you like the place,”  he spoke up as soon as she was near enough.

“No place could have been better. It's even quiet here today.”

“Yes, I had booked it all for the evening. In case you were uncomfortable,” He stated nonchalantly as she took a seat in front of him.

“Oh, that was unnecessary…”

Jimin scoffed with a smile as he poured her coffee kept on the table. His eye, previously on her cup flicked up to match her gaze with a heat that made her gulp.

 “Only the best for my lady.” He pushed the filled cup towards her as his plump lips curved upwards “I have realised that my approach last night and that evening might have made the wrong impression…I do not do casual nights (Y/N). If I lead you to my bedroom, I mean to lead you into my life as well.”

She stilled. She felt her heartbeat turning louder at his words. A lump formed in her throat and her stomach flipped. 

“Do you want to be in my life?”

His question jolted her. But the sparks were mild. She blinked but managed to nod “I would give it a try.”

Park Jimin’s smile widened– evidently pleased. He offered her his palm. As soon as her hand was in his grip, he reached for his pocket and fished out a delicate platinum bracelet and wrapped it around her wrist.

“Welcome to my world Sweetness.” His eyes fixed on her with a burning gaze as his lips fell on her wrist in a hot kiss.

++---++

“Have you gone through the case file I have given you?”

“Yes– it was suspected to be a murder by the police.”

Miss Yoon shook her head “Just one officer. He was new in the post and had a clean record according to my sources. In fact, he was at the top of his academy. Had solved a few cases before that were somewhat complex. But this case was different.”

“What do you mean?” she was intrigued.

“This officer was sure that it was a murder– a cleverly-planned, cold murder. He had begun to gather pieces of evidence, point out and interrogate suspects. There were many leads but after six months there was something worth making the news.”

“What?”

“The case was suddenly declared closed after being concluded to be an unfortunate accident and the officer was transferred to some remote village.”

“This sounds fishy?”

“Oh, I see you are learning. Yes. My sources have found some confidential pieces of information. Before this abrupt closure of the case, the officer had managed to lay his hand on a solid lead, and that led him to chalk Park Jimin as a suspect.”

(Y/N) stilled.

++---++

****

Inspiration- "M." by Anil Emre Daldal

The road was isolated, nothing could be seen beyond the thick December fog and the piles of snow separating the road from the woods on either side.  While tiny snowflakes floated in the air, the blizzard was still hours away, as per the weather reports.

Taehyung’s eyes flickered on the reflection of her sleeping form on the backseat– tucked away with blankets and pillows. His eyes fixed back on the road ahead.

Just a few more hours and we will be fine.

He promised as pushed on the accelerator.

They won’t find us, they can’t.

He was confident, but he never allowed to get that to his head. He used to be four steps ahead of them, now that they knew his game plan and he had the love of his life to take care of, he had to think ten steps ahead.

He glanced back, turning his head completely to check on her, the car was tearing through the frosty air but he slowed down, just in case.

Turning to the road again, Taehyung sped up. The sun was already setting down.

+---+

The restaurant offered him the perfect amount of privacy and smooth services, extras included since he was one of the wealthiest patrons there– a regular, paying hefty tips.

But tonight was different. Tonight he was less worried about some prying eyes, some authority informant and more focused on striking a deal with one of his rivals and potential ally. 

The waiter returned with another glass of old whisky. But Taehyung did not bother to look up.

“How’s the weather boy? Sunny or gloomy?” It was a code language for inquiry if anything suspicious was going on outside or in the restaurant.

“Uh… it's nighttime, Sir.”

It was a woman’s voice. Just not the type he was used to hearing. It was gentle…without anything to hide– plain, soft and gentle and clueless. And that made him look up from his drink.

Yes, he could see it in her eyes. Clueless, plain– the kind of simplicity he was not used to but he could see that she was anything but one-dimensional. Taehyung simply smiled, eyes fixed on her as they began to take in the little details. She clearly did not belong there.

“Oh, of course. Pleasant evening,” He said, letting his smile stretch as he watched her place the drink in front of him and give him a bow. “Please send Jun in; I’m not used to sudden changes,” He asserted as soon as she turned around to leave. 

“Sure, Sir.” Nothing was different in her eyes or smile.

As if it did not bother her. But somehow, it did bother him. But he was too proud too distracted to acknowledge that.

“Have I seen you before?” He threw the question, it was like a litmus test, one wrong twitch and he would catch it if something was off.

“Oh no, Sir, I joined yesterday. I’m not permanent yet,” She replied with that gentle voice of hers that just…hit him somewhere.

“What’s your name?”

This time, her eyes held surprise, and it felt like a victory to him, to affect her like that, and bring out something beyond a professional mask. Something that made her seem more exposed and gave him the upper hand.

“Alice.” it was the name on the nameplate given to her. And none of the names were real.

“Your real name, Alice.” She blinked at this question.

“Eui, Sir.” Taehyung nodded, testing the name on his tongue

“Eui, you are in the wrong place.”

+---+

The constant ringing of his phone made him hiss. But he could not pick that up, he needed to reach the mansion first. His eyes kept flickering between the road and the backseat. His eyes matched the cold outside the spending vehicle, yet there was a fire lit inside him. 

But it was nothing compared to the first time his lips met hers.

+----+

He knew that Jun was a sleazy man, but that he was a fucking bastard surprised Taehyung. Slightly. Taehyung had ignored his dirty eyes on the girl; he had pretended not to hear that man slap her rear and grab it painfully enough to elicit a gasp and whimper from her.

But when Eui entered the room the third time and Jun pulled her on his lap, the girl was screaming and terrified, with tears streaming down her face. 

Taehyung finally looked at him.

“I'm a regular here, Jun. I don’t want to leave a bad impression, the place is my favourite.” He warned calmly, sitting still as a stone, eyes fixed on the struggling woman in that man’s grip.

Taehyung was good at ignoring such things; they did not bother him much. He was not new to the underworld. But the sight in front of him made something in him flutter. It was tiny, but there was something akin to a spark.

“Since when did you begin to care, boy? You know what? I think she would do better in the hotel I have at—”

“Let go of her.” 

Jun froze, the mirth leaving his face. But it was just for a moment. He scoffed, pushing her away and standing up.

“You know my reach, boy, you better shut that tone of yours or we can call this stupid deal off. Your men will be left with nothing, I see them in our area, and I slaughter them. Are you listening to me? I will fucking kill them, you need this deal more than anyone else!”

While Jun fumed, his voice and ballooned ego stretched and poked, Taehyung continued to eat, only having his eyes flicker up once as Eui scurried away. Most of the time, his eyes remained on his plate. It looked a bit bland, though, he noted, before finally looking up.

Taking a toothpick, he began to clean his teeth with leisure, firing up the old nuisance's rage. He grabbed Taehyung by his collar and pulled him up.

“You know what I can do to you? And that little empire of yours?” He barked.

Taehyung shrugged, still cleaning his teeth. But this time he smirked,

 “You are so full of yourself, aren’t you, Jun? Guess what you can do to me and my empire.”  

With a flick of an eyelid, the toothpick was already buried in Jun’s left eye.

 He screamed in agony as Taehyung’s face turned besprinkled with blood. “Nothing Jun. You can do nothing.” 

Taehyung finished by slamming his head straight on the heavy table. The food, the wood, the chair, everything was now marred with his blood.

Now the plates looked interesting.

But he was not done. Far from it. It was not a flutter anymore. It was something more. Taking out his gun, he shot both of his palms before burying a skewer into Jun’s throat until there were no screams but gurgling and struggles.

He pulled his dying rival closer with a smile that could make children shake hands with him. Innocent, nice, and soft. But his eyes gave way to his blackened soul 

“I am Kim Taehyung, Jun. And I am here to rule. You don’t get to fuck with the lion in a jungle.”

 He smiled with his lips still marred with blood while Jun turned into remnants of flesh, bones, and blood. Even Taehyung’s shirt had blood on it, but it was jet black.

Snatching the overpriced handkerchief from Jun’s pocket, he wiped his hands and face before his eyes found hers. She stood in the corner, frozen, petrified. He knew he was evil enough to feed off others’ fear but for the first time, the fear in someone’s eyes made his heart skip a beat.

“I thought you scurried away.” 

He sauntered towards her, smirking at the sight of her trying to become one with the wall.

“I told you you are at the wrong place, Flower. How did you appear in this wasteland?” 

He whispered when he reached her, invading her space as if he owned her. He did not mind the idea of that, though.

“You should have run away at the first chance you got, far away.”

Was it the strange numbness that he felt after every kill, or the fact that he was coming down from the high of adrenaline? He had no clue. But something in him told him to kiss her, he must kiss her. And so he did.

Only to feel a flame like no other arise from his chest and spread into his blood like a disease. If it were the most lethal of diseases, he would die a content man. For he found the lips that could kiss his soul.

+---+

“Just a few more miles, Darling.”

Taehyung whispered to her sleeping form in the backseat. She looked so serene, even when the situation was anything but.

Even after three years, Taehyung remembered every detail of the night. The night he met her for the first time and touched the gates to heaven. Taehyung always thought that indifference and lust were all that was left for him to feel in moments like that.

But the moment he had kissed her, it jolted him awake, a part of him that even he did not know was asleep– in a deep, long slumber all his life as if waiting for that one moment. 

His phone came to life once more as the screen showed a random number. This time, he picked up the phone, keeping his eyes on the rearview mirror.

“Sir, where are you?”

It was his assistant.

“We need to go underground for a few months, prepare yourselves. I have made all the arrangements already and am heading somewhere safe. You know where to go and guide the rest of the team. Don't try to contact me on this phone. I will contact you.”

"But Sir---"

With that, Taehyung hung up, pressing on the accelerator, he took out his gun from the dashboard. His suspicion was right there was a black sedan closing the distance with his car. He purposely slowed down a bit, letting the chasing car close the distance. The tinted windows like his vehicle only made him click his gun into readiness. 

When the car was running parallel to his, the window slid down, revealing one of the many he detested with passion. 

“Long time no see, Officer!” He yelled out, lowering the window as well.

The man in uniform did not reply, only swerved his car, hitting Taehyung’s vehicle to the point of taking a 180-degree turn with violent jerks.

+---+

Right after the moment he kissed her, Eui pushed him off and ran away. Something she should have done way sooner. But it was too late now, so miserably late. Kim Taehyung had his eyes set on her, and the rest vanished.

It was so easy to find her and even easier to predict her patterns– simple, straight and plain. She was like every other people passing by. She was an average citizen, an average girl by every book.

Then why?

Why was he pulled towards her? Like a man hypnotised, as if she were the siren, and he, the willing victim. 

His eyes would be on her, like every nocturnal creature watching its prey from the darkest corner, enveloped by the shadows of the night, where the moon could not reach and the birds never sang.

Kim Taehyung was surrounded by magnetic women– women of beauty and power. But none of them could ignite the flame Eui did. Jang Eui. A young woman with no family, barely any friends and a college degree that would not yield much. Sad.

But she had him.

He was everywhere she frequented. While initially, he did not let his presence be known, preferring to just watch her instead, after two months of thorns hugging his yearning, he let her know. 

She ordered something in the cafe? It was paid for already.

She looked at a T-shirt for too long, it was delivered to her the next day. Getting off from work late at night, four people were tailing behind by a fair distance.

She feared him, he made her uncomfortable. Did it bother him? Yes, but he was a creature of habit. He could be a gentleman as long as he had things his way. Otherwise, he was a sinister deception.

She was working at a bookstore and when the night got a bit lonelier, he found it the perfect opportunity to saunter in. Her eyes gave away her fear, and with each step closer, she drew back until there was nowhere to go, just bookshelves closing them in. It was a cramped place, to his delight. 

“I have not told anyone about that night, please leave me alone!”

“Oh? Why don’t you try now and see, Flower?”

 He smiled, amused as he stepped close enough to flutter her hair with his breath. She looked a bit pale and tired.

“You will not overwork yourself anymore. I can’t have that.”

“Why do you care?” It was not a question out of spite but plain confusion.

His fingers found her cheeks but he flinched, only urging them to be firmer. But he retracted them soon after. He leaned closer, close enough to smell her, close enough to be able to see the minute details, the slightly roughened skin, the bumps and sweat, the chapped lips, the fine lines forming on her forehead though she was too young for that.

“I care for everything that belongs to me,  Flower.”

+---+

“Where is she?” Officer Jeong was cold and calm

“I don’t know who you are talking about, Officer?” Taehyung grinned

Officer Jeong pointed his gun towards him “You know very well who am I talking about.”

Taehyung smiled– slow and sinuous “She is the love of my life Officer, and I don’t like it when someone even looks at something that’s mine.”

Officer Jeong smiled back– frosty and sharp “You have this bad habit of stealing, Kim.” He clicked his gun.

+----+

It was not the last time he visited the place or found his way to be close to her. And with each passing day, she turned less tense. It was a progress Taehyung would pat himself for and when he caught her faint smile looking at the wildflowers he had laboured for, Taehyung understood what true happiness meant, what it meant to feel content.

When they went on their first date, at the same restaurant he had gone to when he earned his first bulk, Taehyung felt flutters across his heart. 

And when he slept soundly like a baby in her arms, Taehyung discovered that he had been chasing all the wrong luxuries before.

“You don’t sleep well, do you?” she asked

“It's just like that with me, barely get to sleep at night, even if I tried…I just can’t.”

“Sleep here.”

“I can’t Jagi, if I stay the night in your apartment I might alert the snakes. I am a bad man, and I have rivals worse than me.”

“I think they are already suspicious. You visit here too often Taehyung.”

“Then come with me.”

“What?” Eui blinked in confusion.

“Come home with me. Move in with me?” Taehyung offered hopefully

Eui only smiled “I will think about it, okay? For now, here, lay your head on my lap.”

And when he did.

He had something to look up to, someone to come back home to, someone to live for, someone to imagine his life’s twilight with, a reason to not be so reckless. After a long time, he felt the fear he never knew he craved– the fear of Eui’s safety.

It was the kind of happiness he was foreign to. Something he could not have even imagined. Like a wild, starving beat being petted and fed for the first time.

But his relationship with happiness was strange. Happiness was like watching fireworks for Taehyung. It immersed him, mesmerised him, and made him forget his woes.

But it never lasted for long.

+---+

“Surrender now Taehyung, and you will live.”

“Now you know my name?” Taehyung smirked

“We know your hideout, we know your overseas bank accounts, we know your business, we know it all Taehyung. The rest of my team is under their way Taehyung, we know where you are headed to. There is no escaping from us. Not anymore Taehyung.”

Taehyung’s jaws clenched. No matter what he did, how much he tried, he knew that he could not turn reality.

“I like the confidence, despite with nothing but failures on record.” Taehyung poked.

“No matter how far or how fast we run, Kim. Our deeds catch up with us. No matter the form– police, rival, accidents, fate? We never escape consequences.”

+----+

Within a month into the relationship, Eui moved into his mansion. He liked to call her the Lady of the mansion, just as she was the lady in his heart– the only woman he could think of, liked to look at and wanted to kiss and have himself buried in.

She was the reason he looked forward to returning to his mansion– he called it home now. But his business did matter. Running an illegal buisness and keeping a disguise was stressful and risky, to say the least. Add a long wait to the list and one would have a pissed-off Kim Taehyung. Only the big names in the underworld knew his real name. The rest of the world knew him by one menacing name– V. 

And they also knew not to get on V’s bad side.

It was a rainy afternoon, one could confuse the afternoon sky with that of dusk. The rain made it even more difficult to see through. But there was a certain shade that might just catch one’s eyes. He saw it from the corner of his eyes and then turned. It was pouring out and Taehyung had to squint and clear up the fog on his window to get a better look. And he kept looking after that– still as a tiger on alert.

It was Eui, his Eui in a police vehicle with an officer.

Taehyung’s gaze never left them, not even for a moment. But he knew the longer he stayed, the riskier things would get for him. His face was stoic and a blank canvas all the while.

“Drive away.” He commanded the man driving, no essence left in his voice.

There were no questions asked. The man drove away, and all the while, Taehyung’s eyes remained on her.

+---+

“I’m asking you again, Taehyung. Where is she?” Officer Jeong demanded.

“I should have killed you that day.”

+----+

“Taehyung? Are you home?” 

Her voice was melodious as ever. But this time, it did not soothe him. It burnt him. As if his skin was falling off. But he stood motionless in silence. Watching her from the dark corner of their room as she entered it.

“Tae?”

Taehyung felt an unpleasant shiver run down his spine. The tone, the voice. Filled with so much love turned his eyes glassy.

Lies.

Lies

Lieslieslieslies.

That was all he could hear in his head, that was all he could think of. Life could never be fair to him, could it? He was perhaps a cursed soul. A wretched on earth.

He saw as she tripped over the dead body on the floor, screaming out as soon as she realised that blood coated her hands and clothes.

“How many more?” He finally spoke up, walking into the little light that partially illuminated the room.

When she looked up, there was fear in her eyes, but it was not the only emotion swirling in those oceanic eyes. For the first time, her eyes spoke the truth. She let them. He realised that– they spoke because she let them.

“Your partner in crime.” He whispered out with a cold smirk but his eyes began to well up. “I’m–I’m one fucking…” he shook, stopping himself right before his voice could crack and give away his heartbreak and vulnerability. 

Instead, he fished out a lighter from his pocket and a pack of cigarettes. Taking in a shaky breath, he tried to keep his shivering hands steady as he lit the cigarette. All the while looking at the nightstand where the engagement ring sat. It was going to be his sweet surprise to her. He could look at anyone and anything but her. He could not even look at her, he could not risk meeting her eyes and exposing himself. He was a shell of a man before and now, a broken man.

“What is your real name?” He finally looked at her, being able to get a hold of himself finally.

“Tae I—” She shut up with the click of the gun he pointed at her.

“What is your name?” He gritted out.

“Eui, I am Eui you—”

“Your. Real.Name.” His voice was low but left no room for any more lies or questions

The silence that reigned after was thick and dangerous.

“(Y/N). My name is (Y/N).” she finally whispered, looking into his eyes without an ounce of fear. 

Taehyung nodded. A lone tear finally managed to escape his eye, though his face remained unreadable

“(Y/N)...” The name felt foreign yet oddly satisfying on his tongue “I really want to kill you right now.” 

His voice shook and so did his hands. But he did not care anymore.

+----+

“ You are going to be arrested either way Taehyung, so you better let (Y/N) go. She is our responsibility.” 

“She is mine!” Taehyung growled, but his words dragged into a warning tone. 

“She works for us, and I am not leaving without her. Now, where the hell is (Y/N)?”

“Hye! Hye?” 

Both Jeong Hye and Taehyung turned towards (Y/N) who managed to open the car door with effort.

“(Y/N)!” Pushing Taehyung out of the way, he rushed towards her.

While Taehyung watched, glaring at Officer Jeong’s back before he fired his gun.

****

Inspiration- 'Gender' by Really Slow Motion

Jeon Jungkook was the kind of boy one’s parents would invite for dinner. The model student, polite, lovable, funny, good in sports, good at everything. Not the valedictorian but fairing well enough to aim for the top universities. 

No wonder (Y/N)’s parents were happy with their son’s choice of friend circle– well, maybe not the circle as a whole, but if Jeon Jungkook and Kang Dayhun were friends, they were all too happy to have his influence on their son. Like every parent, they wanted the best for their children, after all.

Being the eldest child came with a hell of pressure and responsibilities. Like most parents, her parents wanted their eldest child to fare better than them in his life– the expectations, the standards– it was all in the skies and to (Y/N), it was clear that the pressure was crushing him.

She often wondered, why could their parents not see, he was doing his best?

Things were much different for her. She was the youngest in the family after all. She was saved from the overwhelming pressure and scrutiny.

“Is the table ready (Y/N)? And don’t you dare pick up the fries, they’re for Jungkook!” 

Their mother could not be more obvious in showing her anticipation and excitement for hosting the Golden Boy of the town. She ran around, fussing over every detail, even the most irrelevant ones.

“ Dayhun, son, are you sure these are his favourite flowers?”

“You never even bothered to bring Dad his favourites?” (Y/N) hid no malice behind her words, so her mother’s glare had the fourteen-year-old clueless.

“He’s coming here with his parents, (Y/N). You know how influential the Jeons are?”

“I know they’re famous here? Have the picture-perfect family and lots of money.” (Y/N) replied innocently.

Her mother neared her “Yes, child, yes. But if we manage to get in their good graces, we can have a brilliant future ahead. Don’t you want that?”

“But wasn’t this about Dayhun and Jungkook?” She was confused now.

Her mother smiled “Of course it is. Jungkook is our priority. But it is always better to have good connections around.”

—----

Even when in high school, Jeon Jungkook stood out. He was tall, and lean but had a stature that visibly showed his capabilities. Despite some of his sharp features, he did sport two round doe eyes that reminded her of rabbits. No wonder her classmates were going crazy for him.

Jungkook was of her brother’s age, seventeen. While she was fourteen. Most people might assume that Jungkook was immediately her school crush. No, he wasn’t, she had seen him a handful of times before he was invited with his family for dinner, but all she knew was her brother’s friend.

Jungkook was high on manners– no wonder her parents loved him. His smile was bright and contagious and his humour had won over the dinner table. Needless to say, he was the star of the evening. As always. But the thing was, him being the star would not bother anyone. He was an angel! Her parents loved him, her brother loved him, she did not hate him– what else would one want? It was the best impression any high schooler had put on her parents.

Maybe her mother’s words made sense? To the fourteen-year-old (Y/N) ‘connections’ meant making good, amiable friends, and the Jeons were just that.

+---+

“By the time my brother and Jungkook graduated from high school, Dad was already the branch manager in the company he had given so many years to. My brother stayed back but Jungkook was sent abroad, to learn the ins and outs of the business world.” 

(Y/N) explained to George, her boyfriend since college, as she rushed around– packing things up for the long holiday she had planned with her family.

She had stayed in the foreign land even after her graduation. While the job she was offered was the prime reason, it was also George.

“But why are you telling me about Jeon Jungkook?” George’s asked.

It was supposed to be the holiday when George would finally be introduced to her family. Why would her brother’s best friend matter?

“Because George, my parents adore him, he’s their ‘ideal son and ideal man’ model.” She rolled her eyes with her fingers in the air.

“You are not a fan of him, are you?”

(Y/N) sighed “It’s just that…I don’t care. I just don’t like it that someone outside our family would have an influence on them,, especially to the extent that I have to tell my boyfriend all about him so that he could be in that guy’s good books.”

“Saadd~” George sang out with mockery.

“Sad indeed.” She couldn’t help but nod.

—-------

“Okay, I have told them that I am bringing my friend with me.”

“What? You didn’t tell them that I’m your boyfriend?”

“Don’t worry, they will understand. For now, just focus on your first impression. Be free, don’t crack your terrible jokes just smile, okay?”

 (Y/N) explained to him as she drove into her house’s driveway, a bring smile making its way as soon as she was inside the gates 

“Just smile as I am smiling.” She spoke through her grin.

“Aye, Sir!” George gave a salute before the car came to a halt and they stepped out.

“(Y/N), you made it!” Her mother was visibly glowing. (Y/N) observed as her smile stretched.

She was excited too– beaming with happiness. It had been almost two years since she had seen her family physically– video calls and pictures stood in no comparison to the feeling of home and warmth.

Her job was demanding and her brother worked under the Jeons now. So, while he did live with his parents, he was constantly travelling with and without his friend and boss– Jeon Jungkook.

The man was supposed to visit their home with his parents for dinner. The (L/N) residence was different– not the mediocre house she remembered from her childhood memories. It was now a house with life-sized glass walls, five bedrooms, two servants, one cook and one gardener who gave a weekly visit to tend to the beautifully kept garden at the back of the house and the lawn on the front. It was a lovely villa that showed off their elevated status clear and loud. It had kept memories as well– after all, it was purchased when she was still in college. But maybe, she liked the old house and the old neighbour better.

But she could tell how happy her parents and brother were about the house– it symbolised Dahyun and her father’s economic ascension. And most importantly, the place was closer to her family’s favourites in the town– the Jeons, who, with their expanding and promising business, resided in a sprawling mansion. She was not sure about Jeon Jungkook’s whereabouts though.

Much to (Y/N)’s surprise, her family’s reception of George had been…smooth, no questions asked, not a speck of suspicion in their eyes. None of them even bothered to ask about a foreign man’s closeness with their daughter– their only daughter. They were amiable to him, warm with their reception and mingled with him as if they had known him for years.

But their response to George only fuelled her confidence regarding the revelation of her relationship with him. 

Maybe she was thinking too much? Her family would have no problem sending their daughter away to a foreign land as a permanent resident there. They would not object to her marrying a foreign man after all.

The conclusion blessed her with a sense of relief as she tried to decide the right time for the disclosure.

—------

The night lit up with laughter and chit-chat. Jeon Jungkook was running late due to something work-related, Mr Jeon had explained to (Y/N). Jungkook’s parents were warm to her, as always. But this time, they seemed to have missed her, for they had brought her a pendent set of sapphire and diamond. 

Two earrings and the delicate but custom-made intricate designed pendant with the blue and white winking stones were surely eye-catching. But it was the single-string bracelet that came with it was the set that made her accept the expensive gift– the most expensive gift she had received from the Jeons yet.

“Oh, don’t you worry child, you deserve it, we have missed you so dearly.” Jungkook’s mother had scoffed away her refusals. 

(Y/N) did not want to seem rude and ungrateful, so she accepted the gift that she knew cost a fortune, but it was probably minimal for the Jeons. Something that Mr Jeon would frequently gift his wife.

There was no doubt that the set was stunning, something one would imagine wearing on the most special days, and on her mother’s insistence, she wore the bracelet for the rest of the dinner.

It was about an hour later and five calls from his father– two of which were never picked up– that Jeon Jungkook rang the bell. His entrance was no dramatic feet or anything, but maybe his transformation was, to some extent.

(Y/N) remembered him as slightly shorter,  of the lithe frame and short hair, a highschooler with doe-eyes(he still had them, gladly), clear skin, except for the occasional pimples and acnes that came with teenage years and pretended to cause havoc.

But this Jungkook was not the boy she remembered him as– he was a man, surely– something not only his towering and perfectly proportioned frame showed, but also his aura. His face was now pristine,honey-shaded porcelain and doll-like lips now sported a piercing, like one of his eyebrows, she had noticed the two dots later.

As soon as his eyes found hers, she found herself containing the urge to gulp as she subconsciously leaned towards George who stood by her.

“(Y/N)! It has been so long huh? I almost did not recognise you.” His smile remained the same, reminding her of a bunny.

“Yes, it has been a while.”

“Six years.” He added as he stood in front of her, towering.

“Six years?” 

No wonder so much changed about him. Jungkook nodded with a smile before his eyes shifted to George.

“Oh, he’s my friend. He joined me here for the holidays.”

George greeted Jungkook with enthusiasm and in return was greeted with warmth. It was barely a problem to teach him about her culture. He knew the culture and language– his mother was Korean and his father was American. He was, evidently, the best of both worlds. It was, after all, the one trait that caught her attention.

The evening rolled on with laughter and a generally light environment until it was time for dessert.

(Y/N) watched as her father rose from his cushioned seat and rang the delicate spoon against the ceramic to gain everyone’s attention, he had it in seconds.

“Since we have all gathered here– I mean each and every one of us–It has been long since we have had such occasions, all the children and the parents–anyway, I’m steering away from the topic– yes, so, we are all here, enjoying dinner and each other’s company after a long time…”

Turning to (Y/N), he offered a smile before continuing–

“You know, I remember both of these just running around the old house, chasing each other, chasing butterflies, cycling– the general stuff. We used to think we had that we had a long way ahead, bringing up the children. And maybe it is true– that’s a long journey…But it certainly did not feel long. All of a sudden, Dayhun was going to a university and (Y/N) was leaving for college– flying to a completely foreign land and we felt jobless.”

The room burst into chuckles. 

“But we were wrong. We were not jobless. Parenthood is a lifetime process. And so is friendship. The Jeons have shown their trust in us by giving Dahyun a chance into a responsible and accessible post as the Operational Manager of the company…”

“And he has not disappointed, no one could have done this job better than Dahyun, the man has worked at the ground level to know the ins and outs.” Mr Jeon commented, smiling at Dahyun

“I agree, I have no idea what I would have done without Dahyun” Jungkook chimed in, patting her brother on the back. He was evidently happy with her brother’s work.

“Yes, so, it would only make sense if we showed our trust in the Jeons too. And when Daejung came to me with a proposal, we immediately recognised it as a sign– a sign to show our trust in the Jeons…By giving our daughter’s hand in marriage to their only son– and a son to us as well– Jungkook.”

The laughter and clapping in the room was muffled in (Y/N)’s ears, all she could hear was her clear, loud and rapid heartbeat– it was like she were in a dream, everything was too slow, too unreal and full of surprises.

Looking around, she caught Jungkook’s eyes, he smiled at her, his gaze set on her– as if reading, calculating.

“Of course, of course if (Y/N) has no problem to the union?” Her father added moments later.

She looked around the expectant gazes set on her frozen form. Jungkook’s expression remained unreadable. 

Shaking off the shock, she prepared herself to tell them the truth– she was in love with George– George Winston.

“Actually I—”

“What a pleasant surprise (Y/N)? Isn’t that great?”

 She was left speechless at George’s interruption, his hand on her shoulder prevented her from rising.

“What are you saying?” She hissed

“Just play along.” He spoke through the grin.

“(Y/N)? Everyone is waiting, child.” It was her mother who spoke out.

Looking at the Jeons, she understood the meaning behind the expensive gift she received. Sapphire was Jungkook’s birthstone and the diamond signified eternal love and beauty.

—-----

“What the fuck were you thinking!” 

“Shh, calm down, your family will hear you.” George tried to pacify pacing (Y/N)

“Let them! I’m not—” she lowered her voice into a whisper “I’m not marrying Jeon Jungkook, I have hardly known him. This is atrocious! How could they do this to me?”

To say that she was upset, would be an understatement. She was on the verge of tears. 

“Why did you do this George? Why? What are you afraid of?”

“Because (Y/N), it's clear who holds the reign here. I did not want to shock and offend everyone like that–rejecting the proposal and then revealing our relationship. A lot depends on the Jeons, you cannot afford to offend them in any way.” 

“Now you are talking like my mother.”

“And she is right (Y/N). We will reveal our relationship, you will not get married to Jungkook, you have my word. (Y/N) I love you! How did you even think that I would let you be married to some other man here?”

“But now what? I said yes, I had to!”

“We will find some other way. The engagement date has not been fixed yet, we have time. We will find a nicer, gentler way– something that would not go against your family’s future (Y/N). Okay?”

She knew that he was right. The Jeons were powerful people, her brother’s career depended on them. She could not counter that. She had to find another way.

—------

There could be no better way than to talk it out to Jeon Jungkook, (Y/N) had figured out. While she knew she should have shared her thoughts with George, she feared he would not see this as she did.

She might not have been very close to Jungkook, but she knew him, he was a well-mannered, mind-tempered boy, given that was the version six years ago, and that she had only met him two days ago…

The realisation made her halt.

The Jungkook she knew was just a high schooler. The man who joined her family for dinner. And he looked different, to put it lightly.

But it was too late, she was already facing the receptionist in the gigantic Jeon Headquarters.

“Welcome Ma’am, I have already informed Mr Jeon of your arrival, he will be here shortly.”

“Eh, is there an appointment under my name?”

The receptionist seemed confused but smiled anyway “Why would you need an appointment, you are our boss’ fiancee.”

“Oh, you know that already?” 

“Ma’am everyone in the office knows who you are, Mr Jeon has—-”

“I’m here, Ara, thank you for informing me and keeping her company.”

Jungkook walked up to both of them with a ghost of a smile etched on his pierced lips. The tiny ring shone, along the theo dots on his eyebrow under the sunlight filtering in through the glass walls.

She expected him to question her, but there were no questions asked, he simply guided her towards the elevator.

“What a pleasant surprise, but since you are here, and I have no tight schedule, why not show you around?” he offered once the elevator doors closed.

“There is no need of that Jungkook—”

“Yes, yes, you already work in the corporate world, an office tour is probably the last thing on your mind, are you hungry? We can go for some brunch.” He continued as they walked inside his office.

His attitude surprised her. Did he not have a lover, an affair? Anything at all? He seemed all too happy to entertain her. Did he have no objection to this marriage at all? He knew her just as much as she did, they never really had any deep conversation.

But now that she came to think about it, he did not show much of a reaction to the wedding announcement.

“Jungkook, I have something important to tell you.” Her words made his steps halt. 

“And I’m all ears.” He hummed before shutting the door for privacy and gesturing for her to take a seat on the leather couch in his office.

Gingerly, she joined him there.

“Jungkook-shi…”

“Jungkook is fine (Y/N), you make me seem like a stranger.” He scoffed playfully.

“Yes, Jungkook…Are you– I mean are you okay with this marriage?”

His smile faltered at that. Though his smile still remained, he frowned

“Why would I have an objection? I always knew that we are going to tie the knot someday."

“What?” She was officially growing resentful of surprises.

Jungkook’s smile returned to its full force, it seemed the same but felt different. His smile did not change much, but it did not reach his eyes either.

“Was it not obvious enough?”

“But I never wanted to marry you.”

The words slipped out before she had the time to sugarcoat them.

She had expected the smile to fall from his face, and it did. But it peeked out in a slow, sinuous manner– she was looking at a completely different man.

But it was too late anyway, she had to take the chance.

“I am...I’m in love with someone else Jungkook.”

There, she had said it out loud and clear. The silence shared between them was nothing if not vaporized tension– it had begun to turn eerie when Jungkook moved– tilting his head as his eyebrow-piercing gleamed ominously.

She cleared her throat but failed to clear the tension. But finally, Jungkook spoke up.

“We were supposed to select the rings today–tch-completely slipped my mind.” He scoffed and the smile returned to his face. “Come on, we need to get there soon, after that, we can have a lavish dinner–what do you think?”

(Y/N) blinked. Did he not hear her?

“Jungkook, I cannot marry you.”

She asserted, looking up at the man who now stood, looming over her like a threat to the future she had pictured with George.

“Of course, you can, Jagi. Now, shall we go?” His palm was large. She observed when he offered it to her graciously.

“Didn’t–did you not hear me?”

Jungkook licked his lips and let the smile fall. He bent on his knee, lowering for her. Up close, she realised that he looked like a completely different man. She could see and feel how well-built he was. The type that would evoke both fear and admiration.

“You are one naive creature…Look around you (Y/N). Everything you see, everything you touch, belongs to the Jeons. Including you and your family.” He spoke as if he was dealing with his daily business- money-matters.

When she refused to move, he sighed and rose up, now looking down at her with pursed lips, as if she were a petulant child. If anything. He was the one with stubbornness, showing his influence in place of stomping his foot.

“Here is how things are going to happen, Honey. You will come with me, choose the rings, we will have lunch, get to the boutique your mother has chosen and choose your wedding gown dress and give them measurements and ideas about your dress, we get dinner, reach your home, eat with your family and I leave after that. Everything would remain normal and I would consider that this conversation never happened. So…”

He offered his palm again.

But this time, a defiant glare replaced the confusion in her eyes.

“And what if I don’t?”

The question hung in the air for a couple of tense moments, before he scoffed, looking away and shaking his head before he bent down smoothly, surprising her into a vulnerable position. She had been surprised by Jungkook, she had been flattered by his exceptional kindness towards her before, but she had never feared him, until now. Up close, with his dark orbs set on her, he was, for the first time, intimidating to her. Her throat dried up as she pressed herself to the leather of the couch.

“If you don’t, I will have your brother removed from every privileged position and favours I have so generously bestowed upon him and make sure your family ends up on the streets. I will make sure your so-called loverboy is removed from every record available– authorities cannot search for a man who does not exist. And you would still be married to me.”

(Y/N) could not decipher what she felt– it was an awful amalgamation of fear, distress, anger, resentment, shock and many more she could not pinpoint. But his words and the promise he held in his sharp gaze left her breathless.

“So,” he moved away, giving her the space to breathe “It is up to you. I know you are not a fool. So, choose wisely– either way, you are going to end up on the wedding altar. I like your family (Y/N), do not make me do things I might regret later, hmm?”

She flinched when the back of his hand touched her cheek, running over her skin delicately as if she was made of glass.

“You know…” She gulped, trying to steady herself and arrange her words right. “You know that you can have anyone you want.”

He nodded with a smug smile tugging his lips “I know, Jagi. And that’s why you are here– the girl I have always wanted. Now, let’s get going, we do not have all day.”

This time, he did not wait for her, he simply, grasped her hand and dragged her along.

—-----

He drove her to an exclusive store that had on display what she had only seen celebrities showing off. The Jeons were not limited to just the town, she had realised during the dinner itself. They had their reach to the capital and beyond.

She remained mostly quiet during her time in the expansive store, and to her pleasure, it evidently irked Jungkook. But she knew that she could not keep this game for long. Such passive actions would only irk him, nothing more. He would still be able to do what he pleased, however, he pleased.

“As amusing and adorable as I find this attitude of yours, I have had a long day and it is getting on me, (Y/N).” He whispered from behind as he locked her gaze through the mirror, the pendant he had chosen for her hung around her neck. 

“Good.” She shot back, glaring at him through the mirror. 

But he only smiled a cold, cryptic smile that made her stomach flip.

“Trust me, Jagi, you would not like to upset me.”

A couple of hours with him and she already felt trapped. There was no question regarding her refusal of this marriage. She did not like Jeon Jungkook, not even one bit. But it was not about just the disdain– it was the fact that she feared him too. She had never found him intimidating before, but the way his large, tattooed hand sat on her shoulder imposingly, she knew that she had to warn George.

—------

“Where were you?” 

Worry would be an understatement to what (Y/N) had been feeling ever since she arrived home and found that George had gone to explore the town all by himself. And he was not answering her calls. She had only managed to call him twice.

Jungkook had filled through each of his words, they had lunch together before he took her to his friend’s boutique where her measurements were taken and designs for the wedding dress had been chosen. After that, they packed an elaborate dinner to share with her family before finally returning home. But of course, Jungkook had to share the dining table with her parents tonight and openly show how delighted he was by the arrangement

“(Y/N), please calm down, I went to—”

“Yeah, Mom told me, you went to explore the town, but why the hell did your phone just kept ringing?”

“I had kept it on silent accidentally (Y/N), I’m sorry okay?” He snapped, his waning patience now visible.

“George, I was worried here! Don’t show me that attitude.”

“Keep your voice down (Y/N), your family will hear you!” He hissed.

“Then let them! It is the only option left now anyway!” She ran her fingers through her hair.

“What do you mean?”

She choose a short pause, feeling drained and helpless like never before. She was not only worried about the marriage now but also about keeping George safe.

“What is it?” Now he sounded concerned, and it made the tears surface.

“George, we need to leave, we all need to leave as soon as possible it is not as simple anymore, I don’t know what my and his family had made a deal about but this marriage cannot be stopped.”

“What are you talking about (Y/N)?”

“George you need to leave, he–he threatened me.” She lowered her voice but the tension remained thick in the air.

“Hey, hey, hey. Calm down, calm down okay? Here, sit.” He gently led her to the bed, making sure she sat comfortably there “I will bring you some water.”

“No I don’t want water George, I want a ticket back. For now, you must leave, so I can deal with everything once you are safe George. You need to leave before he finds out.”

George paused, his eyes narrowing, “What do you mean? Did you…?”  He left the question incomplete, but he needed no more confirmation than her nodding. 

“I had to do something?” She was spelt out hopelessly.

George ran his hand through his dark brown hair, frustration and fear evident in his eyes.

“George we can—”

“Why the hell did you have to go to him when I told you not to? Are you fucking stupid? What the fuck is wrong with you? Fuck!”

He walked away with his hands on his waist before he began pacing in the room.

“George?” She tested the waters.

With a long sigh, that followed a longer pause, he finally looked at her again.

“I didn’t want to do this but…” He shut his eyes tightly, hesitant to continue before letting out another laboured sigh.

“I am not going anywhere (Y/N). I can’t.”

—----

“It's weird Jungkook took you for the wedding dress measurements first, this boy.” 

Aunt Eunhae shook her head as she went through the arrays of silks, satin, cotton and muslin, a woman followed behind her and (Y/N), ready to assist.

Her to-be mother-in-law took it upon herself to pick out the engagement dress. Even if the Jeons preferred to keep a low profile, some guests could not be left out. 

“How about this, child?” She picked out a pale lavender gown that moved with fluidity and appeared just as delicate as it felt comfortable on touch. “I would hate to see my daughter-in-law uncomfortable. I thought we could skip those overly fancy and choose something breathable.”

“Yes, I would like something breathable too. It's so soft.” At least there was something to help her out in the engagement lest she fell into a breathless fit in despair

“Muslin Madames, made with Indian cotton, designed in Milan and the embroidery is hand stitched.”

“You like it? Give it a try.” Aunt Eunhae insisted.

“Okay.” (Y/N) managed a faint smile with a nod.

It turned out that  Aunt Eunhae had an incredible knowledge of textiles as she had exquisite taste. The chiffon outer layer gave the gown all the ramp-up it needed while it was shimmery on the outside, the soft muslin was soothing on her skin. If there was anything she was looking forward to about the engagement, it was wearing this gown.

“You have been so quiet, are you okay?”

Aunt Eunhae’s words made her look up from the menu, not that she was paying attention to that either– she kept floating in and out of her daydreams and thoughts.

“Yes, I am fine, Aunty, don’t worry.”

“Call me Mother now, I have always adored you so much, child.” She waved her hand lightly, (Y/N) smiled but Eunhae’s eyes remained on her “I know that the marriage proposal came abruptly. But I want you to know that I had never seen you as an outsider, child. I adore you, you should know that by now.”

There was no lie to that. Aunt Eunhae always wanted a second child, a daughter, specifically, but due to some complications, they could not have another offspring– Jungkook was their only child. When the (L/N)s came into the picture, (Y/N) filled out the place for a daughter.

“I know, Mother.”

“And so, you should know that my affection for you would not change even if you call off the engagement.”

“Mother?”

She shook her head “I am a middle-aged woman (Y/N), and I can sense cover-ups from miles away. You are not ready for the engagement.

“Was.” (Y/N) corrected.

“Huh?”

“I was not ready, to be honest. But after spending some time with Jungkook… I realised that—” she gulped “That I could give this a chance.”

“Really?” Eunhae’s tone reflected her relief.

“Yes, really.”

—----

The engagement date was fixed just as swiftly as the marriage proposal was presented on her return. Now she doubted whether she would even be returning to America or not.

“You look exquisite, my darling child.” Her mother gushed as she fixed the strands of (Y/N)’s hair– framing her face delicately.

She wore a necklace of freshwater pearls, the subtle lavender lustre went perfectly well with the gown. The set contained a pair of tear-drop earrings, and a single strand of the necklace with an amethyst in the centre, sitting perfectly in the middle.

The engagement was to take place at Jeon Mansion– or so she thought.

It was the Jeons' permanent home but not the mansion she remembered from her early days was no more there. She had only been there a handful of times, and they were renovating and expanding but she had never thought of it growing into an estate- Servant Quarters littered near the main building, crafted gardens, a man-made pond hosting varieties of koi fish, a number of dogs, a ground for golf, and the rest was yet to be discovered. 

The Jeons were royals.

“You are going to live here, you see? Jungkook is their only child (Y/N), you will be the queen of this estate!”

“I know, Mom, and that makes you very happy.”

(Y/N) did not bother to hide her spite as she sat stiffly in the car her mother drove. Her brother and father were already in the mansion.

The said mansion was perfectly suited for the expansive estate– it was an imposing building with elements of modern and traditional architecture fused to stun.

“Did you and Jungkook have a disagreement? Do not worry about that child. Once you are married, your husbands are bound to listen. Eunhae adores you, mr Jeon loves you too and Jungkook, have you seen his eyes whenever he looks at you?”

“Yes, Mom, I now see how he looks at me.” She replied flatly, her mind going back to a week ago.

+----+

“I’m not going anywhere (Y/N), I can’t.” 

“What?” (Y/N)’s voice refused to rise above a whisper “What do you mean George?”

George did not reply– only ran his fingers through his hair and looked away.

“George, I’m asking  you something, George!”

“I didn’t want to do this! I did not want to risk so many lives…”

“George, what are you saying? I don’t understand…”

George looked at her with eyes she felt foreign to. Without another word, he picked up his travel bag, opened it and from somewhere deep within, fished out a card.

An Identity Card.

Police.

+----+

The mansion was twinkling with all the lighting arrangements, simply as per Aunt Eunhae’s taste- simple, delicate but unique. The said woman was waiting by the entrance with her husband and the rest of their families. 

(Y/N) smiled at her brother and father approaching 

“For once, you do not look like an ape.” There he was, her most beloved brother.

“At least come up with a better insult, I have been hearing the same since I was six.”

“Because that was when I found out that I have an ape for a sister.”

“Okay now, Dahyun, let your sister be for once, it's her engagement today.” Their mother chided him.

Dahyun only shrugged “Save your tears for the wedding Mom.”

“I am not in tears honey, but look at that nervous smile you have.”

Dahyun only rolled his eyes before leading (Y/N) inside the mansion. The celebration hall was not let stuffed with people, but there were close friends and family members around. And they all were so warm and welcoming, it made her wonder what wrong might at occurred during Jeon Jungkook’s birth. 

He was such an entitled—

As if her thoughts summoned the devil, he appeared, seemingly out of thin air, with a smile that made him look just as much of an ideal as he looked gorgeous– she had to admit that the man could turn head wherever he went. 

She noticed that he chose to match the colours– a white shirt, pale lavender blazer and trousers along with his hair brushed back and tied into a bun. He was a sight to behold, but his eyes could make the devil proud.

“You look ravishing, Jagi.”

His compliment brought ‘awws’ giggles and whistles from the people around, but she could only manage a smile. That was all she could come up with at the moment. Her eyes flickered, and she spotted George in the corner with ease.

Gulping down a scowl, she looked away. She had been too ignorant, too naive, that was why she was where she was.

“Smile, Love,” Jungkook whispered to her as he led her towards the couch reserved for them.“Look around you, the people love you because you are going to be a part of the family. Is it so bad to become my wife? Be the mistress of the household? Have everything on your fingertips?”

Yes!

Yes, it is.

She remained quiet, sitting beside him like a lifeless doll.

“Answer me (Y/N)...”

I NEVER WANTED THIS!

She wanted to scream it out, it was a cliff on one end and a well on the other, nowhere to go. Betrayal on one side and an unwanted union on the other.

Jungkook did not poke further, only sighed softly and held her closer. She was thankful for the little kindness. 

Her eyes found George again, he stood at the corner, with her brother, both of them enjoying the delicacies and drinks being served.

+----+

“What…what is this George?”

It was like her mind had numbed down suddenly, frozen, unable to function, unable to read the letters properly. But she knew, deep inside her mind she knew what it was leading to.

“That is not my real name. I can’t tell you my real name yet.”

She remained quiet, still processing. But he continued.

“We have been tracking Jeon Jungkook for a while now. He is not the businessman he shows himself to be. He is involved in the illegal drug buisness and weapons supplies. His father started it, but it was only the headache of this government. But by the time Jeon Jungkook took over, the business has expanded its reach, it is an international matter. We have been keeping an eye on him for the last seven years– as he was the only known heir to his father’s throne. The Jeons dominated the underbelly of this nation, and they have no intention to stop. We were growing desperate. Jeon Junhae was a far-sighted, clever man, he covered his steps well, cooked the black into white and kept the price. Jeon Jungkook is four steps ahead of his father. We needed a weak string.” 

He paused and eyed her still form, before looking away to continue.

“And then, one of our informants here was able to gain access to his room. We did not find anything substantial business-wise but we found a photo album. It was you. Each and every picture was yours, and there were also some sketches of you. The earliest of them was when you were fourteen or fifteen maybe. We found our way into the wolf’s lair.”

This time, she stumbled back, almost tripping before ‘George’ caught her, worry flashed in his eyes along with sympathy, but there was not a trace of regret. Gently, he helped her sit on the bed.

“I was assigned this…Project.” He eyed her warily as he confessed.

Project…

The time they shared, their relationship, their moments, their nights, their days, their love…Everything was reduced to ashes... No, a ‘Project’

How many people had made her a pawn in their games?

“Please tell me it’s all a li-lie, please George, I will be reduced to nothing…Do you even hear yourself? We have three whole years George! Please…”

She reached her hand to hold his, and even with her tightening grasp and begging, his fingers remained loose and still as if he were an unfeeling puppet

“George…” She sobbed out, her emotions running everywhere as her thoughts. 

This could not be possibly true? 

Why must fate be so cruel to her? Why must she suffer for others’ greed?

+----+

“Today, we gather here to witness the testament of Mr Jeon and Mr (L/N)’s friendship as we attend the engagement of two lovely souls, the apple of the eyes of their respective families– Jeon Jungkook, my best friend and boss, and my beloved little sister, my baby, (L/N) (Y/N).”

At Dahyun’s words, the room erupted in smiles and clappings. Happiness and flamboyance echoed through the walls of the Jeon Estate as Jungkook slipped the engagement ring over her finger– the sapphire fit perfectly. But she felt a snake wounding around her finger, trying to crush her will.

But she smiled through it all. She had to.

+---+

“You drag me into the games of yours, you use me and yet have the audacity to ask this?” Anger was a far cry from what she felt. Even she could not pinpoint the exact emotion.

“Your brother and father are close to Jeon Junhae and his son– our main target– Jeon Jungkook. If you do not help me, help us, they are going to be treated criminally by the law too. Their involvement is too deep for the government to give them a clean chit (Y/N). One way or the other, we will expose Jeon Jungkook and his father, your family is going to be wrapped in the dirt, even if they might be innocent.”

“They are. Innocent.” She glared at the man in front of her. It was like a  stranger had slipped under George’s skin.

‘George’ nodded grimly “I can believe you. But the court runs on evidence, (Y/N), and their close associating with the Jeons would only act against them.”

(Y/N)’s shoulder sagged at his words. Her mind ran miles but found no respite.

“I know that you love your family (Y/N), you would do anything for them. This is the easiest way to save them. Work with us to bring Jeon Jungkook down and we will make sure that your family is saved.”

“You just told me that they are dangerous people…” She whispered.

“We assure you that you will have people watching over you in the mansion, your safety is our responsibility. If you choose to help us. You are the most efficient way to reach Jungkook and expose him. He is in love with you, to put it lightly.”

“When…When this is over, my family will be safe?”

“You have my word.”

She narrowed her eyes at the response.

“You lied to me before, I have no reason to believe in your ‘word’.”

The man nodded

“I understand your lack of trust. But I want you to know that I do not mean any harm to you or your family. I did betray you, but only because I am devoted to my uniform and the duties that come with it. You know that too (Y/N). I know you would never want to be trapped with a man like Jungkook. I offer you and your family a new life once this is over. But you will have to help us (Y/N), get to us all the crucial information we will need.”

She simply sat there, still and numb.

She could not even bring herself to look at the man in front of her anymore. 

“I will leave you alone for now. Get some rest.”

With that, ‘George’ began to walk out of the room.

“George.”

 When she finally gathered the courage to look up, his back was already turned to her. He stilled but did not turn around. But she could not care about that anymore. She could not afford to– even if it tore her apart.

“Can I ask for another favour?” 

There was no response but an empty silence. 

“When all this is over…Please do not show your face to me ever again.”

He said nothing, only walked away in silence, leaving her all alone in the quiet night.

+----+

The ring twinkled under the light. It was lovely to look at, and it felt even more unreal with Jungkook holding her hand so delicately. When it was her turn to put a ring on his finger, she felt cold. When she was a moment late, Jungkook’s hand wrapped around hers before he gave it a gentle squeeze, and she was not sure if it was a gesture of reassurance or a threat.

But she managed to gear up a faint smile anyway and slid the ring on his finger before he rose his hand to proudly display it, evoking cheers, hooting, lighter and claps.

“Congratulations on your engagement kids!”

Who was holding the mic? Oh, it was Jeon Junhae, his father.

Confetti flew around with balloons being tossed in the air as Jungkook pulled her close to him.

Camera flashes flooded out, the champagne bottles popped open, and people rushed in the greet Jungkook and her, to have a better look at her. And she braced for it all.

The word was cheering, but she wore a smile to hide her tears.

****

So here it is, finally. Incredibly late but done at last. At this rate, I think before I complete my second request, I would be greeting everyone with a happy new year.

Please let me know what you think of this as a reader, constructive criticism is always welcome.

Now I can begin working on the final part of hyungline and hopefully, it would not take an eternity.

Innocent

✂ Pairing: Yandere! Mafia! Kim Taehyung x Female! Reader

✂ Word Count: 1,6k+

✂ Warnings: Murder, implied violence, kidnapping, blood

[Edited]

Do not re-upload my writing to another website or use it without my permission. Please reblog so other people can see my stories!

Keep reading

Instinct | Taehyung x Reader

Pairing: Hybrid Taehyung x Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: 18+, Yandere, Obsession, Stalking (in the animal sense lol) Fear, Blood, Murder, Kind of Cannibalism? Hunting Animals and Humans, Depictions of Dead Bodies, Non-consensual touching, Human Experimentation, Depictions of Gore, Break In, Attempted Murder, Light Spice at End, Insinuated Dub-Con, Taehyung is kind of a switch tbh

Preview: He was huddled in the middle of the road, his arms wrapped around himself as he remained crouched on the wet pavement. But you knew he was looking at you. His golden eyes were glowing back at you, like a predator glaring at you from the depths of the jungle. There was something inside you that knew that he was dangerous, an echo of intuition from thousands of years before you. But you were a modern human, you were good at ignoring your instincts. 

A/N: I wrote this in two days due to your guys' interest in the prompt. I chose Tae instead of Jimin, he only has two fics on my blog! Anyways it’s two in the morning and I’m really tired, this is really short compared to the majority of my works but I hope you still enjoy it. ILY and I can’t wait to see you in my inbox and the comments ~ good night my loves 💜

“I’m sorry,” He whispers, the words cracked and broken. 

“No, you’re not.” You sighed.  

He always did this. He always turned on the tears every time you called him out on his bullshit and you had a terrible habit of falling for it every time. He cried, he apologized, but in a few days he was back on his usual shit. 

“But I am, I really am!” He insisted, tears pooling in pretty brown eyes. 

“Really? I don’t think he sees it that way,” You said with a jerk of your head in the direction of the limp body splayed on the ground. “In fact, I really doubt he sees much anymore.”

“But he-“

“No!” You yelled, spurring a flinch from him, “You always have some excuse but not this time! I am tired of spending my evenings scrubbing blood out of the grout!” 

He could only pout in response because there was no way of getting around it, you were right. It was unfair that you always had to be the one to clean up his messes. But he just couldn’t help himself, he was a killer by design. Not nature, design. 

You let out another laborious, tired sigh. It seemed that was all you did these days, ever since you had found Taehyung. 

You had almost hit him with your car. It was late at night, a new moon to be exact, the darkness thick and just barely penetrable by your headlights. He had come out of nowhere, his lithe body trapped between two beams of light before you swerved out of the way just missing him by mere inches. 

You could remember the feeling of your tight grasp on the leather of the steering wheel, the way your throat constricted and how your chest rapidly rose and fell, and the sound of catchy pop music that was so ill fitting and off putting for such a dramatic turn of events. It was ingrained in your memory, a turning point in your life that you would never forget. 

He was huddled in the middle of the road, his arms wrapped around himself as he remained crouched on the wet pavement. But you knew he was looking at you. His golden eyes were glowing back at you, like a predator glaring at you from the depths of the jungle. There was something inside you that knew that he was dangerous, an echo of intuition from thousands of years before you. But you were a modern human, you were good at ignoring your instincts. 

As you approached him you noticed several things about him. The dirt and blood that stained his honey skin, his taunt, tense, strong muscles, and of course the ears protruding from his thick, dark curls, and the tail that swung in agitation from his tailbone. 

Taehyung was, quite literally, one of a kind. 

An embryo spliced with the DNA of an apex predator, something that had never existed before him, a hybrid. 

He had hissed at you, stopping you four feet away from his crumpled form. His teeth glinted in the light, a set of fangs protruding from the top row of his teeth with a smaller matching set on the bottom. That noise had every nerve in your body tingling in fright, yet still you persisted. 

You made yourself smaller, lowering yourself to the ground so that you were lower than he was with your arms at your sides, every vulnerable point of your body open and exposed to him. 

You remembered the feeling of his nose nudging at your pulse point, the warmth of his breath ghosting over your neck, the rumble of a growl deep in his chest before it faded to a gentle chuff as he nuzzled his face against the column of your throat.  There were serrated teeth hidden behind beautiful full lips, one little bite would sever a major artery and blood would arch through the dark sky. 

Taehyung was a dangerous brand of beautiful. 

You often liked to joke to yourself that you were a lonely woman who took in a stray cat. It was easier to use humor to veil the harsh reality of what you had actually brought into your home. 

Taehyung quickly became attached to you, it was almost like he had imprinted on you. It was the only way that you could explain his sudden and intense adoration towards you especially when you remembered the way he looked at you when he first saw you. It was like he was hungry. 

That hunger was ever present in his eyes, buried beneath the loving gaze it's embers still burned. The fiery gold cooled to a deep brown, his eyes wide in wonderment as he watched you. 

You hissed in pain when he dug his fingers into your arms as you tried to help lower him into the tub. A hiss died in his throat as he slowly sunk into the warm water, a gentle purr took its place. 

“There you go,” You hummed as you helped him wash, the tub water steadily growing murky as you scrubbed the grime and blood from his skin. 

The noise he made as you washed his hair, massaging his scalp and the base of his ears, was heavenly. A beautiful baritone groan that melted into a purr. After all, panthers were still cats. 

When you pulled the drain plug and went to grab a towel, he spoke to you for the first time. 

His hold on your arm tightened, his soft eyes turned primal once more. “Don’t leave.” 

His voice was deep and raspy. It sounded like he hadn’t spoken in a long time, it sounded animalistic. It suited him well. 

Over time you learned Taehyung never wanted to be alone. He clung to you at all times no matter what you were doing and despite your protests he followed you to bed every night. He would wrap you up tightly in his embrace sealing you into his prison-like grasp with a leg draped over your hip. His adoration was constricting. 

“It was cold,” He finally explained to you, “They kept me in a room all by myself. It was all metal and concrete, they fed me with long silver tongs. I was always alone, the only touch I knew, hurt.” 

You held him tighter that night, your heart ached for your panther. All he wanted was for someone to love him, he was just as human as anyone else. 

“Please don’t hurt me.” He whispered, nudging the back of your head with his nose and breathing in your scent as his pretty fingers smoothed over your ribs in a slow, circular pattern. 

In reality, it wasn’t you that would end up hurting anyone. 

You had noticed something was wrong when he lost his appetite. He would stare down at his plate with a bored and confused look in his eyes, poking at whatever he was supposed to be eating with a lack of interest. 

“Please, Tae,” You would beg, using the soft and soothing voice you knew he responded well to, “Just a few bites for me? You don’t want to hurt my feelings, do you?” 

He would acquise with those big adoring eyes before taking small and faux enthusiastic bites. But it was clear he wasn’t enjoying it and you had an idea as to why that was. But it was easier for your own sanity if you ignored the glaring problem. 

It became unignorable the night a man broke into your house. 

Taehyung had heard it first, the shattering of glass and the metal squeak of door hinges. He had crept out of bed and stalked into the hallway, clinging to the shadows as he watched the man attempt to sneak further into your home. He was trespassing into his territory and that was a dire mistake. 

You were awoken by the screaming. You jolted upright and were greeted by your pitch black bedroom. The screams persisted, deep, panicked, blood curdling screams followed by a wet gurgle and then an ever scarier silence. 

That feeling was there again, that intuition that was buried inside of you that was begging you to lock and barricade the door and not go investigating the source of those screams. But Taehyung was missing and you were scared without him. 

The hallway was dark, but a single beam of moonlight shone through the broken window of the front door and illuminated the carnage in front of you. 

Taehyung was bent over the body of a man. His tail was slowly skirting over the floor in delight as he ripped a chunk of flesh from the man’s shoulder and tilted his head back. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, the blood on his face gleaming in the moonlight. 

You could see the man on the floor now, his throat had been ripped open and blood was steadily pooling around him. His eyes were vacant, his jaw was slack. He was dead. Taehyung had killed him. 

Taehyung was eating him. 

There had always been a part of you that had considered this to be a possibility. It explained why Taehyung was in the state he was in the night that you had found him. It explained how he had escaped that facility and why he wasn’t hungry for days after. He had killed and consumed his handlers. 

Despite the panther ears and tail, you often forgot that Taehyung wasn’t entirely human. He was so sweet with you, so clingy and adorable. But he was still an apex predator. He didn’t want to be fed with tongs or served cooked meals. He needed to hunt, it was ingrained in his DNA. 

You watched in fascinated horror as his teeth and textured tongue expertly removed flesh from bone. He was finally eating. 

You took a step back only to trip over a bag that had belonged to the intruder. Out of it spilled horrifyingly familiar items. Duct tape, zip ties, knives. It was a kill kit. Your breathing stuttered and your heart dropped. There was not a doubt in your mind as to what that man had planned to do, and Taehyung had stopped him. He protected you. 

His golden eyes were looking at you now, their narrowed predatory gaze relaxing, and his soft round eyes returned. He rose up from his animalistic crouch with a fluidity no normal man could possess and slowly approached you. 

You closed your eyes as he neared you, your body on fire from genuine fear. It was a toxic blend, the love and the fear that you felt for him. You flinched when his large hand cupped your face and held your breath when you felt his lips softly drag over your cheek leaving a streak of warm blood in their wake. 

“I’m sorry,” He mumbled, a stray tear escaping his eye and rolling down your cheek, “I’m so hungry.” 

When you opened your eyes you were met with quite a sight. Taehyung had always been beautiful, the most beautiful man that you had ever seen. But the way he looked now made you realize how sick you were. How could you think he looked beautiful with those full lips stained red and the glaze of a shed tear streaked down the curve of his face. 

Taehyung never asked to be made, and now he had to suffer the consequences of his creation. 

“It’s okay baby,” You cooed, your thumb brushing a bead of blood from his lower lip that he chased with his tongue, swiping it off of the tip of your finger. “Finish your meal.” 

~~~~~~~

There was a shift that night. 

The relationship between the two of you was changing. You could see it in the way he watched you. It was a different kind of hunger, one for a companionship he had never been able to have. 

And his regular appetite was changing too. 

You tried taking him to the forest, letting him hunt small and big game. And it worked, but the human side of him would often combat the animal side. He craved the complexity of hunting humans. He craved satiating his wrath against humans, the very beings that had created him.

Animals worked in the short term, but it was never long before another man ended up dead in your yard or in this case, on the kitchen floor. 

“You said it was okay if it was bad people!” Taehyung tried, his ears pressing down flat against his skull as his tail twitched behind him.

“Yes, bad people Tae! Intruders, rapists, murderers, not delivery guys!” 

“He entered my territory-“

“This is my house, Tae! My house! Don’t start with the territory shit again.”

“I can’t help it, you know that! You don’t feel what I feel, it’s instinctual, I need to do this!”

You gripped your hair tightly in distress before leaning against the counter and dropping your head into your hands. 

“People are going to start noticing, Tae. You can’t keep doing this. If it’s not the police then it’s going to be the people that made you and they’ll take you away from me, is that what you want?”

“No!” He yelled, grabbing you by your shoulders and spinning you around to face him. “I want to stay with you, please don’t let them take me away!” 

You softened as he began to cry again, his tears wearing away at you like they always did even though you were very aware of the fact that you couldn’t keep letting him do this. You cupped his cheek and lightly wiped his tears away as he bumped the side of his face against your hand before laying a bloody kiss to your palm. 

You couldn’t think rationally when he treated you like this. Your head was also hazy with desire when he did this. It was completely and utterly unfair. 

“Come on, I’ll put you to bed.” You hummed before taking his hand and guiding him to your shared room. 

It was even harder to think clearly when he looked so adorable, wide eyed and curled up beneath your blankets. That was why you needed the distance. You needed to think about what more you could do, you couldn’t keep letting him kill innocent guys whose worst crime was getting a little handsy, like the delivery guy. You knew what it was, you knew what desire looked like in someone’s eyes. Taehyung was wiping out any man he saw as competition. He had said it himself, it was instinctual.  

Your heart ached when his eyes filled with confusion and it tore in half when despair overtook him as you shut and locked the door, trapping him on the other side. You could hear him scramble across the floor and you watched as the door knob jiggled. 

“Please open the door!” He called through the wood, “Why are you doing this, please let me out!”

“Just calm down Taehyung, go to sleep, I'll be right back.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you, please open the door, I’ll be good I promise! I won’t hurt you!” 

“I just need some space, just lay down, I’ll be back.” You said firmly despite how horrible you felt for confining him to your room. 

“No, no, no, no! Don’t leave me, please! I’ll be good!” He continued to yell and continued to break your heart. 

You couldn’t bear to listen to his anguished, panicked cries especially with the knowledge that you were the cause of them. 

You could still hear his yelling and banging on the door as you dragged the body out of the kitchen, a long and laborious effort that left a large streak of blood behind you. This wasn’t the first time that you had to do this but usually you had Taehyung to take care of all the heavy lifting while you took care of the cleanup. It was a morbid, macabre chore, but one you had come accustomed to frighteningly quick.

In your backyard, there were several piles of dirt. Some had been freshly turned over while others had sat undisturbed for some time. Above each pile sat a freshly planted rose bush. There had been a time where your backyard was barren and neglected. Ever since Taehyung had entered your life, you had done quite a bit of gardening…against your will. 

You huffed in exhaustion as you patted the soil smooth with your shovel. You would need to pick up another rose bush tomorrow. 

You had figured this would be the best way to deal with the problem, and it helped Taehyung in some odd, primal way. Sometimes he would sit outside with a satisfied look on his face like he was proud of what he had done. You knew it was because it felt that he had eliminated another threat or competitor. It meant that he had you all to himself again. 

Fear and love are a volatile blend. Could you look past your fear because you loved him? Or did you love him because you were afraid? Afraid of what would happen if you didn’t shower him with affection and attention. Would he turn on you too?

The sound of a loud crack frightened you causing you to drop the shovel. It clattered to the ground and rolled over in the grass, suddenly becoming far more interesting than it had been moments ago. 

You glanced back up at the house and watched, frozen in shock, as the door was thrown open and slammed up against the siding of the house. Taehyung stood on the back steps, his hands bloody from clawing at and breaking through your bedroom door. His chest was heaving from exertion and anxiety and for the first time in a long while, he scared you. His gaze narrowed in on you, those panther eyes glowing with hunger and desire once they found you. 

With blood and dirt caked beneath your nails you were reminded of the kill he made not all that long ago. The fear you felt was all too real. And, on instinct, you turned and you ran. 

You really should have known better. He was an apex predator, he was built for the chase and for the hunt. You had watched the way he enjoyed tracking and stalking his prey before going in for the kill. But in reality, everything you had done up until this point had not made sense. You should have kept driving that night, you shouldn’t have brought him home, you certainly shouldn’t have let him sleep in your bed, and you definitely should have ran the first time he had killed and consumed another human being. 

Running was instinct, it was the only thing that you did that made sense. 

But you couldn’t make it far. You were exhausted from dragging and burying that body, you were running on empty with a dash of adrenaline. And Taehyung, he was stronger than you, faster than you, and could even see in the dark. It was embarrassing that you had even attempted to escape him. 

His strides were completely silent, you had realized he was closing in on you too late and within seconds his arms were wrapped around your chest and dragging you down into the grass. 

It had happened so quickly that you didn’t register it, you laid on your back, frozen in the grass as you processed what happened. And once you looked up and caught sight of his canines you began to writhe beneath him, managing to turn over and scramble a foot away before he grabbed you by your hips and dragged you back beneath him. He caged you in between his arms and pressed his body weight against you until you collapsed chest first into the ground. 

“Taehyung, wait!” You cried as you felt him shove his face in the juncture between your neck and shoulder. 

You closed your eyes then, waiting for him to make the fatal bite that you had seen him deliver time and time again. But there was nothing. You jerked with a surprised cry as you felt his tongue glide over your pulse point in slow languid laps. 

“Tae, what are you-“ He cut you off with a menacing growl, one that told you you were not going to dissuade him from doing what he felt needed to be done. 

An involuntary gasp parted your lips as you felt his hips grind down against you, his hands sliding up towards your wrists and holding them in an iron grip as his slow licks transitioned into hot, wet, open mouthed kisses along the side of your neck. He was making sure he marked up every inch of skin that was exposed to him. 

“I can’t help it,” He whined, his voice breathy and deep as he ground himself against you even harder than before, spurring a soft cry from you. “I need you.” 

You supposed this was the better alternative to him killing you. But still, it didn’t feel quite right.

“I can’t.” You groaned. 

A menacing snarl echoed beside your ear and in one quick movement he flipped you over onto your back and pulled your legs tightly over his hips. His hold was so strong he wasn’t giving you an inch to move unless it was against him and in the way that he desired. 

And in a moment of pure need he firmly gripped your jaw and pressed his lips against yours in a searing kiss. Everything about him was primal, even the way that he kissed. It wasn’t particularly skilled, it was definitely his first, but it didn’t lack passion or desire. He wouldn’t even let you breathe, your lungs burning and singing in desperation for air as he moaned into your mouth while desperately rutting against you. 

“Don’t leave me,” He moaned in between desperate, relentless kisses. 

‘Tae-,” You tried again only for your words to be smothered once more. 

“No, I won’t let you leave me.” 

BILLY — Kim Taehyung Masterlist

synopsis: News of a Sadistic Serial Killer nicknamed “Jigsaw” is spreading around town like wildfire… the nickname stemming from the puzzle piece he cuts from every victim’s body. No one knows who he’ll trap next but in a town full of delinquents and criminals, it could never be you. Right?

pairing: taehyung x f!reader

genre: angst, fluff, horror (idek at this point)

warnings: yandere themes, stalking, manipulation, mentions of abuse, self harm, suicidal ideation, murder, gore, manipulation etc

Hiding behind a mask was something you were accustomed to. Your friend group and family were clueless to the torment you endured from simply existing. You were confident your masking had convinced the world you were happy with yourself. Unbeknown to you, one other person saw straight through your façade.

You wanted to end your life.

He needed you to cherish your life.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

*more parts coming soon*