Author's Note: Things may seem rushed but I did it to move the story forward. I also didn't mention this on the previous chapter but the name of the village that BTS live in is call Akiyona. All right, back to the story.
_____________________________________________

After returning from their fun date outside the village, Taehyung and Seokjin planned another time to go there. The village that had caught their attention was the village of Bahsena, which was almost the size of Akiyona.

Seokjin wanted to stay longer but they had to return the horse. Since they spent almost the whole day going to several tourist attractions, they arrived back home at night.

Taehyung left to return the horse while Seokjin decides where to place the new things he bought. He hasn't had this much fun since.....he couldn't remember when he's had this much fun.

He finished organizing his room and went out to the porch to wait for Taehyung. It was quiet as he waits. Only the small sounds of animals in the woods can be heard in the distance.

Seokjin gets a little excited when he sees someone walking towards the house. Because it was dark out and the moon wasn't bright enough, he couldn't see who the person was.

He waves, thinking that it could be Taehyung returning. He's about the same height and his frame is similar to Taehyung's. But after a few seconds, Seokjin steps back to the door, preparing to run inside and lock the door if he has to.

Something tells him that this man isn't Taehyung. If anyone's wondering why Seokjin isn't in the house now, it's because he wants to be sure. What if it really is Taehyung? He doesn't want to shut the door in his boyfriend's face.

The unknown man stops in his tracks and his face still could not be seen. Seokjin has his hand on the doorknob behind him, ready to turn it.

"Hyung?"

Seokjin gets confused when the man spoke then starts leaping up the stairs onto the porch. This startles him because he's still confused and didn't catch a glimpse of the man's face yet.

The man has his arms spread out like he is going to catch Seokjin, causing him to turn the doorknob and opening the door.

Where is Taehyung?

The man stumbles and crashes onto Seokjin, the both of them tumbling down on the ground. Seokjin winced with pain from hitting his head on the floor and his breath got cut off for a second when the man fell on top of him, face buried into his chest. The weight started to make it difficult for Seokjin to breathe so he starts hitting the male on top of him.

When is Taehyung going to come?

"Ow! Hyung, it's me!"

The young man restrains his arms and lifts his face from Seokjin's chest, looking straight at him.

Jungkook's hair was disheveled from Seokjin hitting him. He had only came to check if Taehyung was still with Seokjin and didn't mean to hurt the latter.

He hears Seokjin gasping for air then realized that he's putting too much weight on him. Before he even moved a muscle, someone shoves him off of Seokjin.

He fell off to the side with a groan and when he looked up to see who would push him like that, he went silent. A lump grew in his throat and he didn't know what he did wrong.

Taehyung had pulled Seokjin up to stand by him, securing him with both of his arms to protect him. The menacing look he gave to Jungkook, who was still on the ground, was something he never wants to see again.

"What the hell were you doing to Seokjin?" he growls. Seokjin shakes his head, trying to tell him that Jungkook didn't do anything but it couldn't be seen. Taehyung's furious with what he had seen:

After returning the horse back to where he got it, he jogged back to Seokjin's house. It took him a while but when he saw that the door was wide open, he ran fast to see if everything was alright.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Jungkook on top of Seokjin, pinning his arms down. With the position that they were in, plus Seokjin's gasping, it looked like they were doing something.

That drove Taehyung mad and he then shoved Jungkook off. Since Jungkook is a very close friend of his, he stopped himself from beating him and holds Seokjin instead.

"Nothing! I didn't hurt him..." Jungkook trails off when he sees that Seokjin had hurt his head a bit, "Okay, I didn't mean to hurt him."

Taehyung was going to lunge forward but Seokjin wouldn't let him. With his eyes, he pleads for Taehyung to calm down, keeping his fixed look on him.

When Taehyung saw Seokjin's eyes, soft and light brown, he couldn't help but fall for those orbs again, sighing as he finally listens to him. He let Seokjin his hair to assure him that nothing happened between Jungkook and him.

Turning back to his friend, he pulls away from Seokjin for a brief moment. He helps Jungkook get back on his feet before apologizing for overthinking. Jungkook accepted the apology straight away but something else was on his mind.

Why does it seem like the two of them are so close? He understood that Taehyung and Seokjin are friends again but they looked closer than that. After seeing how angry and protective Taehyung was towards Seokjin, Jungkook felt like there's a stronger bond between them than friendship.

"Are you two....together?" he asks, surprising Taehyung.

"No," Taehyung denies flatly. He wasn't flustered or mad; it was a simple answer.

"You know I don't like him like that."

Jungkook, feeling like he's not allowed to say anything else, decided to leave it be. Despite being a tad annoyed and not believing the answer entirely, he doesn't say anything else. He wants to know more but knew that he'll get nothing.

"Okay..." his voice tells the two that he's suspicious about them, "Well, I only came to check if you were alright. From the looks of it, you seem fine, so I'll go now."

Jungkook throws a worried glance towards Seokjin before stepping out the door. Taehyung followed him out while Seokjin shakes his head and went to bed.

"Jungkook," Taehyung calls him when he's at the bottom of the porch stairs. Jungkook turns his head back, the moon casting a shadow on one side of his face, defining his face features.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to get upset," the younger man mumbles, tucking his hand in his pocket before walking back home alone. Since Taehyung has been staying with Seokjin a lot lately, Jungkook basically has the whole house to himself.

When Jungkook couldn't be seen anymore, Taehyung went back inside, shutting and locking the door behind him. Knowing that Seokjin is probably in bed already, Taehyung shuffles to the bedroom.

The door creaks open as Taehyung enters. The lamp is still on, showing Seokjin laying on the bed. He was faced away and Taehyung knows that he's pretending to be asleep.

Without saying anything, he takes off his shirt, leaving him shirtless as the cool air hits his skin. After tossing the shirt in the direction of the closet, Taehyung walks over to turn the lamp off, hearing a click as the room went pitch black.

As his eyes adjusts to the darkness, he slips into the bed, snuggling close to Seokjin. Enjoying the body heat he received, Taehyung sighs from the coziness.

Even though it seemed peaceful, he knew what Seokjin was thinking about.

"I'm sorry about what I said to Jungkook," Taehyung whispered against the back of Seokjin's neck. Earlier, saying that he doesn't like Seokjin romantically had made his heart sink a bit, even though he knew that Taehyung was only lying about it to Jungkook.

"Seokjin, I know you're not asleep," he felt the man behind him nudge him, "Can you face me please?"

The sad voice made Seokjin obey it, turning until he's facing Taehyung. Even in the dark, he could still make out Taehyung's face. The soft breaths can be felt, giving away where his mouth and nose is.

"We can tell our friends that we're a couple if you want," Taehyung suggests. At first, he's against the idea that they should tell people about their relationship but after realizing how angry he got when he saw Seokjin with another man, he's starting to think about it. I guess you can say that a part of him wants everyone to know that Seokjin is his and he's Seokjin's.

"I've been thinking and maybe it could work out well if we give it a try. I don't really care what others will say about us anymore. They don't know that I've found the most beautiful gift anyone could have," he brushes Seokjin's hair.

The man sighs as Taehyung's fingers continue to comb through his hair. How would their friends react? He felt like Jungkook probably got a hint from minutes ago but would he be okay with the relationship?

"I'm sure they'll understand. We trust and wish the best for each other," Taehyung assures him with a smile.

At last, Seokjin nods, agreeing with his lover.

Yes, they'll understand...

~~

"Glad to hear the news," Namjoon smiles. Everyone was at his and Yoongi's place. 

As expected, most of the friends were fine with Taehyung and Seokjin's relationship. Not all of them. As Jimin teases Taehyung about how he went from disliking Seokjin to loving him, no one noticed the quiet maknae leaving.

It wasn't until Hoseok attempted to reenact a kiss scene with Yoongi that someone realized the disappearance of Jungkook. Seokjin didn't hear him laughing or talking at all, so when he looked around, that's when he guessed that the youngest boy had gone somewhere else.

He left the room to search for Jungkook. As he checked the kitchen, he found the man outside through the window. Wondering what could be bothering him, Seokjin went out the back door.

Jungkook leans on a tree, breaking twigs into smaller pieces and tossing them behind him. Since the grass was soft, he couldn't hear anyone approaching him.

He continued to toss the twigs, lost in thought until the bits of sticks were thrown back at him, startling him. Turning to see who it was, Jungkook saw a hand behind the tree that he was leaning on.

Walking around it, he finally saw Seokjin behind with a sheepish smile. Jungkook didn't smile and went back to the other side of the tree. The rough bark grazed his back but he paid no attention to it.

From the way Jungkook was acting, Seokjin stopped playing around and decided to be more serious. So he cautiously moved in front of him.

He places his hand on Jungkook's strong arm with concern. The soft touch spoke to Jungkook and he removes Seokjin's hand. 

"I'm fine. It's you that I'm worried about," he crosses his arms. With his brows furrowed, it made him look older. He doesn't look like an upbeat teenager that he was at times, now looking like he could be the same age as Seokjin himself.

"And Taehyung," he added , "Are you sure you'll be okay with this?"

Seokjin nods slowly, not understanding why Jungkook would question him this. Of course he's okay with being Taehyung's boyfriend. What's wrong with that?

"What if something bad happens to you guys?"

The question made Seokjin frown and he digs out his notepad and pencil. Scribbling words, he sighs. The note reads:

'Nothing bad will happen.'

"You can't be sure about that," Jungkook groans.

Seokjin gave him a dejected face. He wanted to be happy. With that, Jungkook rubbed his temple.

"Sorry. Like I said, I'm just worried about you and Taehyung," Jungkook covers his eyes with his hand.

The crinkle of the notepad had Jungkook opening his eyes again to read Seokjin's note:

'You don't need to worry. I will be safe. Taehyung will also be safe because I love him and will protect him until the end.'

The note made Jungkook feel better but the concern didn't vanish into thin air. Of course he'll be worried, especially with the way Seokjin has been neglected by many people.

The notepad slips out of Seokjin's hand. He and Jungkook reached down to pick it up at the same time.

That resulted in their hands touching and bumping their heads. Jungkook and Seokjin giggled at the collision, not paying attention to how close they are to each other. Their hands are seen together from fooling around. Seokjin's other hand brushes Jungkook's face like he's a small child, a little brother to him.

"What is this?"

Jungkook and Seokjin turn to see Yoongi standing by, along with Taehyung, quietly watching them. They wondered when he had got there.

Like last time, Taehyung separated them. He kept Seokjin close with his hand locked with his. He kept calm in case it was an accident again.

But seeing Jungkook and Seokjin so close to each other with Seokjin even brushing his hand against his best friend's face made him think otherwise.

"What were you guys doing?" Taehyung asked lowly, not moving a muscle. Even Yoongi couldn't do anything, only walking closer to make sure nothing happens.

"Nothing. We were just talking," Jungkook said after he made eye contact with Seokjin. Taehyung immediately moved in front of Seokjin completely, covering him.

"You sure?" he asks, still keeping a low tone. Jungkook nodded with an eye roll. It's odd seeing his friend be so protective. Taehyung narrowed his eyes, deciding if he should believe him or not.

Then, the notepad on the ground caught his attention. Switching his view from Jungkook to the notepad, Taehyung picks up the notepad. He reads what was written down.

Jungkook wasn't afraid but was glad when he saw how Taehyung's expression stopped being blank. Admiration bloomed on his face as Seokjin's words touched him. He drops the notepad again before turning to his boyfriend.

"We'll talk once we get back to your house," he tells him before turning to Jungkook again, "I guess I misunderstood again. Seokjin's right. There's no need to worry about us. Thanks, anyway."

Taehyung leads Seokjin away, nodding to Yoongi to tell him they're leaving. Jungkook watched as Seokjin was taken away before bending down to tear the paper off of the notepad. He reads it once more:

'Taehyung will also be safe because I love him and will protect him until the end.'

Jungkook smiled. Wondering why Jungkook was smiling, Yoongi swipes the paper out of his hands to read it.

"Aww, isn't that adorable," he chuckles before handing it back to Jungkook, "I wonder what they're going to do when they get home."

Jungkook started to think too, "Yeah, I wonder..."

~~

From behind, Taehyung plants soft kisses along Seokjin's bare shoulder. Seokjin still felt a bit shy with Taehyung's bare chest pressed against his unclothed back. Well, they were both fully undressed.

The curtains were drawn but some light still broke in, beaming onto the floor where removed clothes lay. Besides that, the room was dim.

Pillows and blankets of Seokjin's once neat bed were scattered slightly. A small pillow falls off from the movements on the bed.

"Do I really deserve to have you?" Taehyung whispered as he places Seokjin flat on the bed, making sure that he's comfortable. It's going to be the first for them and knowing how nervous Seokjin is, he wants him to be able to relax.

"Seokjin, tell me, am I enough for you?" he nuzzled into the other's slender neck. He felt Seokjin feeling up his back and looks up to see Seokjin mouth the words, 'More than enough.'

"You're really going to love and protect me until the very end?" he refers to the note Seokjin wrote earlier. Again, he nods.

"I love you. I love you," Taehyung whispers over and over against Seokjin, tickling his skin.

Seokjin feels Taehyung move between his legs and he tenses up slightly. The room had started to become hot and stuffy.

"Do you still want me to continue?" Taehyung asks one last time. Being this close, he could hear Seokjin's heart pounding with nervousness and excitement. But wanting to brush it off, Seokjin tugs him closer.

"Woah," Taehyung exhales briefly, "I guess I got my answer then." He bites his lip, counting the eyelashes of the angel below him.

Every single part of Seokjin is significant to him and he doesn't want to lose any of it: Seokjin's love, care, heart, and body. 

Finally, they were ready, embraced in each other's affection as the unforgettable moment begins with another kiss.

~~

(A couple days later)

"Did you hear?"
"Is that what happened?"
"It's still being looked into."

As Namjoon was picking up music sheets he had dropped, he happened to overhear other villagers talking. Apparently, someone had gone missing...

"Oh! Look at the time! I'm going to be late!" he gave no second thought and rushes off after gathering all of the papers.

As he dashed, Hoseok caught sight of him, "Good morning, Namjoon!!" He waved with a bright smile. Namjoon didn't slow down.

"Goodmorning.Can't talk right now," he sputters as he passes his friend.

Watching the busy man run into the distance, almost tripping over himself and other people multiple times, Hoseok shrugs; it was normal.

"Hoseok! Want to buy me some breakfast?" Jungkook slings one arm over his shoulder.

"Sure! I'm going to meet up with Jimin and Yoongi for food so you can come with me," Hoseok chirps.

Chatting their way to find something delicious, Jungkook tells Hoseok what he heard along the way here.

"A young man has been missing you know?" he plucks a leaf off of a tree they were passing under, "I heard that the chief and his men knows more but they're not saying anything. At least not yet."

Hoseok shrugs, "Well, I hope they find him. Hope his family is doing well."

Slurping on some Doenjang soup not too far away, Yoongi and Jimin were having their breakfast.

"Why is everybody talking about this dead guy?" Yoongi complains after hearing another conversation from other people. It's all he had been hearing all morning.

"Yoongi! He's not dead! Only missing," Jimin corrected, "and he's related to the chief of Akiyona too so it's pretty important."

Yoongi hummed, not that interested.

"Yoongi! Jimin!" Hoseok calls out to them with Jungkook right behind him, waving.

Jimin and Yoongi welcomed them, making more space for them to sit and eat with them. The four had fun joking around while devouring their food.

"Hey, Taehyung!" Jimin shouts when he spots the said man not too far away. He sees his friends and walked towards them.

"Hi, Taehyung. Want to eat with us?" Yoongi invites. The small table was already crowded but they could probably be able to squeeze one more person in.

"That's okay. Seokjin already made me breakfast," Taehyung said, patting his full belly.

"I see," Yoongi went back to eating; he has a long day ahead of him.

Jungkook perks up, "Where's Seokjin? Is he not with you?"

Taehyung shook his head, "No. I'm just here to pick up a few things for him." He showed them the basket Seokjin always uses to carry food.

"I better get going. See you guys soon," he said before departing. The others said their goodbyes but Hoseok was unsurprisingly the loudest.

"BYE TAEHYUNG!!!"

~~

Seokjin finishes watering the flowers by the side of his house, putting the watering can away. He looks at the colorful plants; flowers were something his mother loved. Ah, what is he thinking?

He turns his attention to something else. Walking to the pond, he crouched, watching the little creatures underwater as they swim about.

"I'm back~"

He looks up to see Taehyung back. With no time wasted, he jumped up immediately to hug him, glad that he's back.

"I miss you too. Sorry I took a little longer. But I got the things you wanted me to buy," Taehyung hands him the filled basket. Taking it, Seokjin heads inside to put the products away. Taehyung reached into his pocket.

"Wait. I got you something else," he said, hiding his hand behind his back. Seokjin tilts his head, eyeing Taehyung's arm.

Pulling his arm out, he reveals two cuff bracelets. Seokjin marvels at the accessories. Taehyung hands him one.

"I had both of them engraved," he shows Seokjin his bracelet. Each one has their names craved in.

"I'll have the one with your name and you'll have the one with my name," he smiles, hoping Seokjin likes the gift.

Putting the bracelet on, Seokjin examines it glinting in the sun. His mouth broke into a grin and he had Taehyung put on his.

Raising their arms up, they had their wrists side by side, loving the matching cuff bracelets.

It was a wonderful gift.

~~

(One week later)

Hoseok pants, running in and out of people's way. He bumped into people more than once but he didn't have the time to apologize. Not now.

Dirt trailed after him as he speeds down a path with less people. He needs to hurry! He has to warn them!

Everyone's talking about it. Everyone believed it. But not Hoseok and his friends. It has to be a lie! He couldn't believe that so many people in Akiyona would believe such thing. To point fingers so quickly.

It's too late at night and he doesn't think Taehyung or Seokjin knows. He has to tell them!

Gasping, he forces his legs to run faster. His eyes are dry from the wind but he doesn't care. He's exhausted but can't stop. Not to mention the chills ran up and down his spine.

His friends are depending on him. While they're going to attempt to talk to the chief, he's going to help Taehyung and Seokjin before things get bad.

The house surrounded by trees came into view and Hoseok sighed in relief (tried to since breathing was already difficult). He doesn't see the chief's men, not yet, so he probably still had some time.

Leaping up the stairs, he fell onto the porch, right in front of the door. He pounded on the door, his fist hard and white.

Seokjin opens the door and gasps when he saw Hoseok out of breath on the porch. He helps Hoseok sit up and Taehyung joins them when he saw him too.

"Lleeev....gwooo...hrrrrrrrr," Hoseok croaked. Taehyung left and quickly returned with a cup of water.

After drinking the cool liquid in one gulp, he coughs violently, choking. A few minutes ticked by until Hoseok manages to speak again.

With teary eyes, red and wide, he cries, "Leave! Go! Hurry!"

Seokjin and Taehyung looked at each other, trying to interpret his words.

"Haven't you heard?!" he grabs Taehyung by the collar, "The chief's missing nephew has been found murdered!"

"That's it? That's horrible but it doesn't mean you have to come running here burning your lungs to tell us," Taehyung says a bit too calmly for the situation.

"No! No! NO!" Hoseok takes Seokjin's arm, "Seokjin, you have to leave! Now! They're saying that YOU are the murderer!"

Seokjin froze and the cup he's holding slips out of his hands, rolling off the porch and into the bushes. Taehyung grabs Hoseok, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!!"

"Everyone's blaming Seokjin. I don't know the details but you have to hurry! The chief's men are on their way!" Hoseok yells. Taehyung takes Seokjin inside while Hoseok tries to recover.

"Seokjin, take what you need. Don't take too many things. It could slow us down," Taehyung commands, packing his stuff.

Hoseok stumbles into the house, "No packing! Just go!"

Taehyung curses, and he grabs Seokjin by the wrist without even looking at him. As they stepped out of the house, torches could be seen coming closer, faster and faster. The chief's men were approaching the house.

"Hoseok! Go through the woods! They don't know that you're here. If they catch us, you'll be able to come back with help. Seokjin and I will go the other direction. Get Namjoon! He'll know what to do!" Taehyung orders.

Hoseok didn't want to leave his friends but his obeyed, running back through the trees even though his body still ached but he won't be seen.

"Seokjin, come with me-"

Taehyung froze when he saw Seokjin's face. Oh, how can he be so careless?! Seokjin trembled with fear and even in the dark night, Taehyung could see how pale he was. 

He pulls Seokjin to his chest, calmly telling him, "It's okay. I won't leave you. I'm here so don't be afraid, okay?"

His words seemed to calm Seokjin down a bit but he was still scared. Taehyung looked back and seeing how close the chief's men were getting, he turned back to Seokjin and pressed a kiss on his lips.

"We'll be safe if we leave now. Ready?" he asked in a whisper, hands holding both sides of Seokjin's face.

"There they are!"

Seokjin nods frantically, shutting his eyes shut.

Taehyung holds his hand tightly and they ran past the pond. They ran into the other side of the woods with fire chasing after them...