"why is dokyeom actually kind of cute?"

taehyung sat in bed, coating his toenails with clear nail polish. jimin was focused on facetime as they casually gossiped about jungkook and others.

"he's not jungkook level cute, but he's pretty cute," taehyung added.

jimin brought his hand out to silence taehyung. "wait, there are different types of cute. i need an example."

"hm...he was like, skinny, tall drug addict, type of cute."

"oh yeah, that's cute."

"but he seems hella creepy. whenever we make eye contact, it's like he's staring into my soul."

"probably because his dick is big," jimin assumed.

"what—"

the sudden creaking noise of taehyung's door opening caught his attention.

it was jungkook's little brother, channie. he timidly approached taehyung and wrapped his arms around his waist. the young boy's embrace was warm and welcoming.

"hey, channie. how are you?"

"good!" channie waved at a smiling jimin on the call. "dokyeom and jungkook made lunch. i was wondering if you wanted to come downstairs and eat with us."

"of course, honey. just go downstairs, i'll be there in a bit."

channie nodded, skipping out the bedroom in a heartbeat.

taehyung lazily rose up from his bed. he neatly arranged his bedsheet and pillows, along with gazing in the mirror and fluffing his hair.

he quietly sighed. "i have to go, jimin. make sure to call me tonight or i'll rip your legs off while you're sleeping."

"wait, but did i hear that dokyeom made lunch?" jimin seductively licked his lips. "so he's a chef too?! oh my god, save some of him for me!"

taehyung let out a loud giggle. "goodbye, jimin." he ended the call before placing his macbook back in its drawer.

as he walked down the stairs, he was captured by the aroma of steak and shrimp. it smelt delicious, but he was used to being greeted by these scents.

after spending weeks at jungkook's house, taehyung had concluded that the ravenette was a skilled chef. it was surprising to know a basketball player had such expertise in cooking.

"you look good," jungkook spoke up. he eyed taehyung walking down the steps.

"thanks, i guess."

taehyung grabbed his paper plate, blushing at the view of jungkook shirtless. the man roamed around the house without a shirt on a daily basis, yet somehow taehyung never managed to get used to it.

"good afternoon, dokyeom." taehyung smiled at the taller male.

"hey, little one. grab something to eat."

dokyeom's hand unexpectedly appeared on taehyung's back. he soothingly stroked it with a smirk on his face. tingles shot up taehyung's spine.

this action caught taehyung so off-guard, he let out a high squeak.

dokyeom chuckled at taehyung's reaction. "you liked that, huh?

"oh, um—"

jungkook watched with a locked jaw from effort to stay silent.

his hand then tightened on dokyeom's wrist, white knuckled and strong.

dokyeom attempted to resist it but lost his balance as a result. his strength was no match to jungkook. "l-let go."

taehyung witnessed the white in jungkook's eyes turned to a pure black. his gaze seemed lethal and piercing.

"jungkook, it's fine," taehyung whispered. he didn't want to risk channie catching onto what was happening. "please."

the kitchen fell silent with the exception of channie watching a blaring show on his tablet. nobody knew how to react.

"know your fucking limits." jungkook released his grip on dokyeom. "that's it."

taehyung scoffed. the fact that all the unsettled tension rooted from dokyeom caressing his back made him uncomfortable. he needed a break from the household as soon as possible.

jungkook rolled his eyes as he caught sight of taehyung leaving the kitchen. "where could you possibly be going?"

"i'll be back later."

taehyung grabbed his phone and wallet. he texted seokjin to meet him at the nearest park.

"please don't fight while i'm gone."

he stepped out the house in an instant. the wind came in heavy gusts causing taehyung to rock back on his feet. the day was not the most ideal time to be out, but he just needed a break from all the commotion.

within minutes, he had arrived at the park. seokjin was seated on the chipped bench, eating a pint of ice cream as a tense, tall muscular man stood beside him.

"hey, jin," taehyung greeted.

"hey, sweetie! meet my bodyguard, gunther."

taehyung awkwardly waved at the bodyguard. gunther gave him a precious smile in response.

seokjin offered taehyung the rest of his ice cream, but he politely declined. he was not in the mood for any varieties of dessert.

"what's going on?" seokjin questioned.

taehyung sat next to the other. "so, it's a lot to process. basically dokyeom started touching me, and jungkook didn't like it."

"uh huh."

"then he grabbed dokyeom's wrist hard, like leave a red mark hard, and had us both scared as fuck. i've never seen him that angry." taehyung uneasily rubbed his own thigh. "it was all just so crazy."

seokjin tilted his head back and dissolved into a puddle of laughter. "are you kidding me? that's what happened?"

taehyung looked at him with no emotion. no part of his story was intended to be funny.

"i thought jungkook fucking got stabbed or some shit like that." seokjin calmed himself down from laughing so hard. "okay, but there's nothing wrong with that. he was just being overprotective."

"but like, why over me? i can obviously defend myself."

"no tae, it's not just that, but he feels a sense of possession over you. take that as a good sign," seokjin informed.

taehyung's throat tightened right before he spoke. "w-why is he being like this?"

taehyung continued, "i want to give him a chance so bad. so bad, seokjin. i'm just scared. no matter how hard he tries, i think he's trying to use me for sex just like every other guy i've spoken to."

seokjin shook his head, jamming his finger towards taehyung's heart. "no. listen to this instead of your brain. i can tell jungkook really likes you and i've known him for years."

he mindlessly passed gunther his empty ice cream container. "don't take this for granted. you're different to him."

"yeah, but i've been nothing but an asshole to him. how could i make it up to him?"

seokjin's face glowed with a grin. he brought his lips to taehyung's ear, whispering an idea that would help taehyung.

the other gasped at seokjin. "i-i couldn't do that. what if he doesn't like it?"

"trust me, he will."

taehyung didn't know how to react to the idea, but he was grateful nonetheless.

shortly after, the two sat back and watched the sun fall behind the horizon, painting the sky a shade of pomegranate pink.

taehyung then realized that it would be dark soon, so needed to return home so jungkook wouldn't be concerned.

he said his goodbyes to seokjin and gunther, although the moment was quickly ruined by seokjin giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

at times, taehyung seriously just wished seokjin was normal.

he trudged along the pavement at a sedate pace. his mind was glued on what seokjin suggested. it was shocking to know that was all it took to make it up to jungkook.

by the time he arrived back to jungkook's house, the sky had fell dark. stars shone as sugar split over black marble.

taehyung swiftly unlocked the door and entered the house. "why do they keep leaving this damn kitchen light on?" he groaned.

he then caught a surprise on the kitchen counter. his eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise.

a heart-shaped box of chocolates and bouquet of white lilies laid on the counter. taehyung's face became dusted pink.

he grabbed ahold of the short note next to the flowers.

"sorry 4 earlier.
i know we aren't dating,
but i can't help how
protective i get at times.
i hope this makes up for it."

taehyung's giggle softened the atmosphere. god, jungkook was so cute.

after coming home to this, he knew he had no other choice but to go through with seokjin's plan.

he grabbed the items gifted to him and flipped off the kitchen's light switch. taehyung was so thankful his day ended off on a good note.

meanwhile, dokyeom sat in the pitch dark living room, smiling ear to ear.

he felt satisfied knowing taehyung was fond of the flowers and candy he bought for him.