"Here, have some more beef stew", Hoseok chanted, placing a huge bowl of Jungkook´s favorite dish infront of him.

Jungkook sighed. He appreciated being pampered by his hyung, but... this was getting ridiculous. Since he was out of hospital and back home he had gotten beef stew to eat. At breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every ing time. This was the third day and he couldn´t even stand the smell any longer, let alone the meal itself. However, he wouldn´t complain about Hoseok doing his chores too and tidying up his room. With those things, he was more than cool. He almost felt like some kind of lord. Because being pampered is something else than receiving help. Right?

But as the red-head put one more spoon of food in his bowl he decided enough is enough. 

"Hyung, it´s okay, I really can´t eat more of that", the youngest whined.

Getting a judging look. "Are you sure? You love this dish though. Omygosh, are you feeling alright? Is everything okay? You aren´t just playing to feel better, are you? Here, have some more."

Jungkook groaned. His message was to hundred percent not coming through. "No, I mean I don´t want to eat beef stew anymore, hyung! It´s enough."

Hoseok gasped. "Oh no, is it your Blessing? Do you feel feverish? How many fingers am I holding up? Oh god, what am I supposed to doooo~"

The younger hurried to get up and away from his distressed hyung. "I, uh... I need to be somewhere or something. Matters to do, I suppose... bye!" And he rushed out of the kitchen.

Or something  turned out to be a talk with his second in command. With quick steady steps Jungkook approached Yoongi´s bureau - just to find it empty. Confused, because how are the odds the elder went out, he texted him.

To: Mr. Swaeg-hair

Subject: work, urgent

 

Message:

Hyung, where are you? We need to talk.

JK

Jungkook rushed through all rooms, searching Yoongi and waiting for a reply. It didn´t take long until his phone buzzed.

From: Mr. Swaeg-hair

Subject: ...

 

Message:

In my room

The young Blessed furrowed his eyebrows. He just had looked there. Had his second for some odd reason managed to sneak in behind him? He went back to the other´s room and checked it. It seemed exactly the same as twenty seconds ago.

To: Mr. Swaeg-hair

Subject: R U trying to be funny

 

Message:

Huh? No you are not?!?

There was some rustling and groaning. Confused, Jungkook looked around in the dark room.

From: Mr. Swaeg-hair

Subject: What´s wrong with you

 

Message:

Yes I am

Brat.

And really, a pale hand now stuck out of the small blanket and pillow mountain, frozen in a wave towards Jungkook. Oh. Slowly, a head poked out of the blanket mountain which turned out to be Yoongi all along. He didn´t seem amused at all.

The younger cursed under his breath. , did he just wake up the Min Yoongi? This was very very bad. "I, errm, I didn´t know, I... uhm, sorry, I´ll just like, go, maybe, just, just go on sleeping, hyung, I, well, yeah, bye I guess, sorry", he stuttered while retreating.

"How could you not see me, this is the most likely place for me to be anyways."

"Well, you are so small I mistook you for more blanket", Jungkook retorted cheekily. The stutter was gone, this was just such an inviting possibility he had to tease.

Yoongi narrowed his eyes and sent him a cold stare. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Uh, actually...." the younger gulped. "No. Sorry, hyung..."

But to his surprise, the older didn´t get angry. He barely rubbed his eyes, squinted a bit and yawned. 

"It´s okay, don´t piss yourself, c´mere", Yoongi mumbled still half-asleep and patted at the space on his matress next to him. 

Watching him warily, Jungkook sat down.

"So, urgent, huh? What is it?"

Jungkook gnawed on his finger nails, avoiding eye contact. "I... I just came to the conclusion I kind of don´t want to kill Jimin-hyung."

"Kind of don´t want to", the other repeated with monotonous voice. 

The raven-head nodded solemny.

"...So you... want to lead on the client? Fake his death maybe?"

Jungkook shook his head with much force. "No no no, I already thought about that. He  would need to know everything and work with us together, aware of e-ve-ry-thing going on. I can´t risk that. He barely trusts me, this would be too much. Jimin-hyung might very well go straight to the police and sing. No, that´s not an option."

Yoongi gave it some deep thought before he answered. "Honestly, for some reason I don´t think he would. I mean, if he knows you are a murderer and wanted you dead or imprisoned then you would be since long. I understand your hesitations well, but my gut feeling tells me we can trust him. You shouldn´t completely abandon the idea of him cooperating with us for his own good yet."

Jungkook still was not convinced.

"Okay, how´s this", his second ruffled his hair. "I think about possibilities to save him. You stay open to the thought of him cooperating in full knowledge of what´s going on. And in the meanwhile you do everything to get closer to him. Sounds good?"

Hesitantly, the younger gave his approval. He was rewarded with a rare gummy smile. And this even though his hyung just woke up... how strange indeed.

"Just so you know... I don´t hold it against you. That you don´t want to kill him, I mean. In fact, I am rather proud of you taking this step out."

Slightly blushing at the words, Jungkook cocked his head in confusion. "Out of what?"

"You know..." Yoongi made an undefined  random arm movement. "Black. And stuff."

"...I see... I guess." What?!

From: Tae <3

Subject: let´s meet plz

 

Message:

I am so sorry I don´t even know what happened but I am so glad you finally are better please meet me under the bridge again at 5pm you can´t refuse I have a present pleaaaaaase come I miss you and what is even going on don´t not come see you later never do this again to me I almost died twice at least please be hungry come if not also come in every case I want to hug you I´m on my way and you better are too 

sparkling tiger

"O...kay? I guess I need to go out then...?"

So Jungkook grabbed a jacket and his bagpack and hurried to meet Tae under the bridge again. Concern bubbled in his stomach at the messy text message he had gotten. Dear lord or whoever, please let it be alright...

They laid under the bridge close to each other, a cool breeze brushing over them and lazily munched cheesecake. Tae had brought a new cake both as apology (for he didn´t really know what) and as replacement. As Jungkook had almost died, he hadn´t really had the possibility to enjoy his present, not even a single piece. The cake had been forgotten, abandoned and become inedible. So the brunet had provided a new one. And now they both laid between wild flowers and grass under the bridge, daylight slowly fading and their bodies so close they almost touched - but not quite. 

Jungkook felt like the air in the space between them - between their legs, their arms, hips, chests - was tingling, electricity dancing between them, trying to connect and push them away from each other at the same time. It was nerve-wrecking. This closeness was setting him off, the dark power beneath his skin purring. He didn´t dare to make a move and overcome the distance. His twitching hands grabbed another piece of cake. 

"So", Tae began with raised voice to drown out the rushing river. "How is it going with project Jikook? It´s still rolling, right? Or did I miss something?" He sounded clipped, strained. As if the words leaving his mouth were bile. But maybe Jungkook just imagined the last part. Maybe it was only wishful thinking. Surely.

The younger didn´t answer first, the dough on his tongue turning into sand. Why do I need to have this conversation now? Or ever?

"Pretty well, I guess?" he eventually replied. "I mean, it seems hyung doesn´t hate me anymore. I even dare say he slowly starts to like me. And that´s a big progress. It´s more than I could hope for after the previous weeks... I am so glad how things are turning out. And maybe, just maybe there is a chance he will really really like me somewhen. Maybe not everything is lost and Jimin-hyung will love me back someday in a distant future..." Jungkook didn´t turn his head towards the brunet. Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, every cell of his body screamed. He shut them down. This was business. He had to be the fool in love. The icy metal of shackles on his wrists biting his skin was almost visible. Jungkook hated this - all of it. Lie, lie, lie! Filthy liar!

Taehyung didn´t say anything. Every sentence the handsome man with black hair next to him added felt like a slap in his face. He tried to lock eyes with the younger, silently praying it wasn´t the truth. But Kookie didn´t look in his direction at all. So he had to guess, had to believe him. For some odd reason there was a painful tug in his chest.

Does it hurt because I have ill thoughts about my best friend? I shouldn´t hope for him not to love and receive the love of his life.

This is wrong. I´m sorry, Jiminie-hyung. I didn´t mean it like that. I only wish you the best, really. We are soulmates, I´d never want anything else for you but to find happiness.

But why does it still hurt? And does Kookie like the cake? Is he really feeling alright? What was even going on back then? Please don´t tell me he is in reality allergic against cheesecake or something. Wait, no, that´s ridiculous.

Kookie, I want to take photos of and with you again. And go out eating with you. And being around you in general. We will meet up after the wrkrshop is over now still, won´t we? Please. Aish, what am I thinking? Hyung, I´m sorry, I really am. I swear I would never take your happiness away from you. God sue me if I ever hurt you. So why am I still...?

Taehyung didn´t care he was staring at Kookie. The younger did the same to him often enough. His features were barely recognizable in the dim light. Shadows from the bridge covered his face. He felt so near but so far away at the same time. Taehyung gulped. It felt so strange. Don´t make it weird between him and you. Just don´t. Don´t risk your precious friendship for... whatever is going on here.

The brunet closed his eyes and took silent, deep breaths. As he opened his eyes again, they immediately shifted back to the younger, as if it was the most natural thing, their sole purpose to rest on Kookie, take in every detail and movement. As if he had to look there.

What are you doing to me?

Kookie went on to ramble about how happy he was things between him and Jiminie-hyung were finally working out. Taehyung remained silent. He didn´t like project Jikook anymore.

But what could he do? It was for his best friend afterall. What could he possibly do?

Without his doing, one of his hands moved and pulled on Kookie´s ear. He liked pulling his ears. No reason. The younger´s head snapped around, his doe eyes wide as finally their gazes met.

Don´t make it weird. Taehyung grinned sheepishly and tugged on the other's ear once more.

Jungkook froze on the spot as he felt those magnificient slender fingers tugging on his earlobe. What he had been about to say, he´d forgotten. The words died on his tongue and his mind went quiet.

He probalby would never get used to the small surprise attacks of the older. Each time their bodies touched - which was way too often for being good for Jungkook´s heart - or Tae bumped their heads together, each time he pulled on Jungkook´s ears, played with his hair, hugged him or just gave him that one intense look... each single time it did things to Jungkook he couldn´t explain.

Got him goosebumps, made his body tingle, brought hot blood to his face and to other regions. Sometimes everything at once. It was the sweetest torture, as the brunet was incredibly touchy.

This time, the ear pulling seemed to affect the younger´s mind rather badly. There was not a single thought left anymore, it was all black and empty. So it was defenitely not his fault he did something bold and stupid now. No, Jungkook couldn´t be to blame as he didn´t brush off and ignore Tae´s action. Instead, he leaned closer to the amazing singer, his upper body moving forward inch by inch and slowly Tae´s grin disappeared, turning into something else.

Then Jungkook´s lips were at the brunet´s ear, ghosting over its shell and engulfing the pierced lobe. He slightly tugged with his teeth, making Tae´s breath hitch. Smirking, Jungkook nibbled at the earlobe, his tongue tracing the studs´ shapes. As he a stripe up the shell and Tae gasped at it, he knew he´d found himself a new favorite sound. The younger heavily breathed in the brunet´s ear. He could feel the slight tremble shaking Tae. It was heaven on earth. Then he settled for a sweet peck on its rim and finally retreated, but only a bit.

Tae seemed to come to his senses at first. With puplis wide blown and red face he weakly grabbed the younger´s head and tried to push it away. However, Jungkook wouldn´t have it. He just tilted his head and placed a tender kiss on Tae´s palm too.

That was the moment his mind sprung into action again. With wide eyes he stumbled backwards and blurted out the first nonsense he could come up with. Which was: "This was just some revenge for your constant ear pulling!"

Now they both sat there with mouths agape. And almost at the same moment burst out into laughter. Tae, because he thought the explanation was hilarious and righteous. Jungkook, because Tae was laughing and he loved the sound.

After a while they´ve calmed down from both the tension and the laughter. Clutching their sides, they were only weakly grinning now. A cool breeze moved the wildflowers and Tae moved with them until his forehead touched Jungkook´s.

"I am just glad you are feeling better. You gave me quite a shock back then." 

As their heads were still resting at each other Jungkook couldn´t see the genuine and fond smile of the brunet very well. But he could hear it. Together with a hint of fear, despair and incredible pain. He didn´t further think about it. Instead, the raven-head thanked the heaven for not blacking out because of the head bump aswell. He couldn´t even imagine what could have happened.

Eventually, it became late and they had to go back home again. As they parted ways, Jungkook didn´t know whether the ear incident had been the best or worst thing he had ever done. Maybe both? He felt he didn´t know anything at all these days. And least did he know Tae had left with mixed feelings too. Everything was just strange.