Forced Ties Chapter 4

Taehyung paces back and fourth in his office, trying to recall last night. All he remembers is going out with the office, drinking, then next thing he knows he’s in bed jerking himself off. He groans and pulls at his hair. “I didn’t, mess anything up, did I?” He asks himself. 

“Taehyung!” Jungkook bursts through the door and walks around the corner. “How’ve you been lately?” Taehyung looks at his odd friend.

“What’s this about?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s ‘cause your husband randomly disappeared for a few nights.”

“How, do you know?” Taehyung trails off. Jungkook rolls his eyes. 

“I don’t know. Maybe next time lock the door, or of course you can just go home to your loving husband, waiting for you at home. I know you were never into guys, but bringing a girl into the office, at work? C’mon now Tae, you should know better than that.” Jungkook blurts. He walks towards Taehyung then whispers, “You’re not slick.” 

Taehyung’s eyes widened. “Jungkook!” He shouts, to his friend already out the door. “!” 

Jimin was at his work office, currently working with two other people to finish the design for a subscription box when the phone rang. “Mr. Park, someone is here to see you,” one of the reception says. 

“Hmm, have them wait.”

“He says he’s your husband, and that this is urgent sir.”

“Taehyung?” 

Jimin excused his friends, and was actually surprised to see Taehyung in such a hurry. “What?” Taehyung didn’t answer, just panted and locked the doors. He slowly walks towards Jimin, until he hit the front of his desk, then places both hands besides Jimin. “Look, I’m sorry if you’re embarrassed about last night, but I didn’t-“

“When?” Taehyung cuts in. 

“Sorry?”

“When did you find out?” 

“What are you talking about?” Jimin asks. Taehyung takes a deep breath and brings his face closer to Jimin’s. 

“Me, and the girl.” 

Jimin freezes, unable to answer. “When!” Taehyung shouts and pounds the desk, causing Jimin to flinch. He pushes the angry man away and stands up straighter. 

“It was accidental. I don’t want to interfere with your life, I don’t care if you continue to see her,” Jimin says and heads for the door. 

“Then why didn’t you come home those nights?” Jimin pauses, trying to make up an excuse. 

“I wanted to give you and your lady some space.”  With that being said, Jimin left the room, leaving a confused Taehyung behind.

That night, Jimin didn’t return home again. Taehyung paced the floor anxiously, waiting for his husband to walk through the door. After hours of waiting up, he had fallen asleep on the couch. 

“Thank you Jungkook,” Jimin says, accepting the hot cup of tea. 

“Feel free to come over whenever Taehyung is troubling you,” Jungkook offers and sits next to his friend. Jimin nods, taking a sip before resting his head on Jungkook’s shoulder. The guy hugs his friend and his head, doing his best to comfort his friend. Jimin would’ve gone over to Jin, simply because he’s easier to talk to, but he has been bothering him for a couple of days now. He didn’t know how, but Jungkook called Jimin right after Taehyung showed up at his workplace. Either way, Jimin really thanked him for it, because he wasn’t in the mood to face Taehyung at home. 

>>>

It’s been about a week now, Jimin still hasn’t gone home yet. He had completely forgotten about Taehyung and only focused on the next monthly subscription box releasing soon. 

Ring ring

“Hello?” 

“Is this Park Jimin?” An unfamiliar voice spoke. 

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“Taehyung’s your husband, correct?”

“Well-“

“He hasn’t been showing up to work the past few days, and didn’t even call in. I’m concerned, because we have an important project due this Friday.”

“Sorry, who’s speaking?”

“Hoseok, you may remember me from the night of our party.”

“Oh, well, I haven’t seen Taehyung either. I’ll check in on him and let you know.”

“Thank you so much,” and with that, the call ended. 

“He hasn’t been showing up to work?” Jimin asks himself in confusion. “I should go check-“ he pauses midway, something else on his mind. “He’s just probably with his girlfriend.” Not thinking much of it, Jimin returns to editing. 

On the way to Jungkook’s, Jimin just kept thinking about the call he received earlier. He pulls up Jungkook’s driveway, sat for a couple of second, then drives away. 

Jimin hurriedly unlocks the door and rushes inside to find a sleepy Taehyung, half awake on the couch, and curled up in blankets. He looked up, hearing Jimin, and smiles. “You’re home.”

“Of course I am, I live here,” Jimin replies ruthlessly. He throws his keys on the table and heads towards the kitchen. “Did you eat yet? I can make something good.”

“Hmm, come here,” Taehyung whines, reaching his hands out again. Jimin closes the fridge and walks over to the man child.  It looked like he’s been hanging out on the couch the whole time. Taehyung groans, “I’m hungry, I want steak and pasta.” Jimin sighs, hands on his hips.

“Alright, wait here then.”

Jimin was surprised at Taehyung’s behavior. They ate dinner in silence, and after that he left Jimin alone in the kitchen. Had it return to how it once was?

He quickly cleaned up the dishes and headed upstairs, finding Taehyung fast asleep in his bed already. His bed, cuddling Jimin’s pillows. He let out a loud sigh as he sits at the edge, staring at Taehyung. “I don’t understand you,” he whispers. “You’re quite enigmatic Taehyung.”

When Jimin woke up, he definitely thought everything had return to the beginning. Taehyung was out of bed, briefcase gone. “At least he went to work,” Jimin smiles to himself. 

Taehyung rushes through the doors of his company. “Tae, you’re finally here!” Hoseok quietly screams upon seeing his boss. He rushes over with paper, ready to tell his friend what he’s missed the past week. “Are you okay?”

“Why?” Taehyung asks in a breathy voice.

“You’re really red dude,” Hoseok says and walks away, now deciding to catch him up later. Taehyung touches his cheeks, and they were burning. He bites his lips and runs into his office, sitting down on the couch all curled up. Taehyung felt, odd when he woke up next to Jimin. A weird feeling rose inside of him, but even he himself couldn’t interpret what it was. It felt like he was suppose to do something, so he thought maybe it was to return to work. Taehyung was most definitely wrong, because the feeling did not disappear. He groaned out in frustration, “What is wrong with me?”

>>>

“Jungkook?”

“Where were you?” The guy sort of shouts. Jimin balances the folders in his arms, pressing his phone between his shoulder and face. 

“I went back home, don’t worry about it Jungkook,” he says and hung up, dropping a few things. He screams internally, brushing his hair back. This morning when he was about to grab his bag he left in the living room, it wasn’t there. All of his things were placed nicely on the couch, but the bag was missing. He felt pretty strongly that Taehyung did this to get back at him. 

Later that day, Jimin heads over to Jin’s restaurant again to rant. “Honestly though, he is a grown man! Yet he’s still so childish!” 

“Maybe because he feels like you don’t love him enough,” Jin replies simply, setting down two bowls of ramen. Jimin rolls his eyes before slurping up his fresh noodles. He was about to open his mouth and continue blabbering, but chokes the moment he sees Taehyung walking in. Jin turns around and sees a tall man dressed nicely in a suit, holding the hand of a skinny . “How dare he!” Jin gasps extra dramatically. Jimin grabs his bowl and rushes to the booth behind him, facing the back of his head to the couple. Jin moves over to Jimin’s previous seat, keeping an eye on the couple. “He pulled out a chair for her!” He whispers to his friend. “They’re laughing at something- he brushed her hair behind her ear!” 

“Jin, eat naturally, if they see you, they’d think you’re crazy,” Jimin mumbles, sipping on his cold ramen broth. At the exact moment that Jimin realized this, time moved faster than he did. 

“Seokjin!” He hears Taehyung’s voice, and his footsteps. Jimin clutches his seat, slumping down, praying Taehyung wouldn’t notice him. 

“Oh- oh Taehyung! Hey!” Jin replies loudly. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I run this place.” Even though he couldn’t see him, Jimin already knew Jin was smiling cheekily. He continues to converse with the devil for another minute or so. As much as Jimin wanted to leave, Taehyung would see him for sure. That was until Jin walks over and tosses him the restaurant uniform. 

Coming out of the bathroom, Jimin did his best to causally, quickly walk through the front doors. His feet were moving as fast as they could, yet he felt like he was stuck in a slow motion scene, forced to watch what lies besides him. Taehyung fed Sora a piece of chicken, wiping the corner of her lips, giggling for no reason. Jimin takes a deep breath and ran out of the restaurant. 

“Jimin?”

He looks up and finds Jungkook, just coming out of his car. 

“Hey, why are you wearing the uniform here,” he asks as he walks over. 

“Taehyung’s inside with Sora, and I had to get out,” Jimin sobs, choking on tears. He hated how he’d cry at the most random, non important things. Immediately Jungkook hugs him, and pulls Jimin close.

>>> 

“I’ll be right back,” Taehyung said and left the table. He heads into the men’s restroom to wash his hands, but something in the corner grabs his attention. Lying on the ground, were Jimin’s clothes. Hurriedly, he runs out and looks around.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Sora asks. Taehyung couldn’t believe what he saw. Jimin was nowhere to be seen!

“What the-“ He quietly curses to himself. The restaurant isn’t even that big, so if Jimin’s clothes are in the bathroom, where is he?

>>>

Jimin returned to his workplace, and finished up some last minute papers before heading home. He had almost forgotten about Taehyung, but recalled when he finds his car in the driveway. 

“Did you have fun?” Taehyung questioned when Jimin entered. He sat on couch, eyes forward. 

“What are you talking about?” Jimin asks, a bit frightened. Taehyung scoffed and stood up. 

“What you think I don’t know you’re ing my friend behind my back?” 

Jimin was still confused. “Why are you accusing me like that!” 

“I saw you two okay!” Taehyung shouts in Jimin’s face. Seeing the look on Jimin’s face just answered his question. 

After Taehyung had come out of the restroom, he saw Jimin and Jungkook outside the restaurant. At first he didn’t believe it, simply because Jungkook was his friend, and will never do something like this. But when he took a closer look, it really was Jimin that Jungkook was hugging. The couple were so close to each other, as if they were already married. Taehyung was burning with rage, just when he thought Jimin really could care less, he sees this. It makes perfect sense why, because then he could be with Jungkook! 

“Taehyung, whatever you saw, there was nothing going on,” Jimin tries to calm the guy down. 

“Nothing going on!” Taehyung just shouts again. “Sure, sure, then what’s this?” He pulls out his phone and shows Jimin his collection of photos from the restaurant. From the amount of pictures he had captured just from that little moment, Taehyung was really angry at Jimin. 

“He was just offering me a hug!” Jimin clerks up, pushing Taehyung away from him. Taehyung walks to the corner and pulls out Jimin’s clothes, the ones he wore this morning. 

“Yea, sure. Somehow your clothes ended up on the bathroom floor at the restaurant. Jungkook was probably feeling you up pretty nicely then-“

“No! Jesus Taehyung! You’re not his only friend, I’m his friend too! Even before I met you!” Jimin cries, turning away. Taehyung chuckles, and throws his phone on the couch. 

“Right, right.”

“Do you not believe me?” Jimin asks after hearing Taehyung’s tone. 

“Sure, but I know you were ing him. That’s why you didn’t care about me being with Sora at all, huh?” Taehyung sneers. 

“No, I really don’t care, because you were already seeing her before we got married,” Jimin retorts, crossing his arms.

“Y- yea I was, indeed,” Taehyung stutters, standing up straight. Jimin just scoffs at the ridiculous guy and walks away. “Hey, you! I’m not done here!” 

“Well I am,” Jimin boldly says as he continues to walk. He felt a strong yank on his arm, Taehyung threw him onto the couch, hovering above him. 

“I just want to know, how long have you been seeing Jungkook,” he asks, surprisingly a bit calmer now. 

“I told you, we’re just friends,” Jimin states again. Taehyung tightens his grip on Jimin’s wrists, and pushes him further into the couch. 

“Lies.”

“What do you want me to say! I tell you the truth, but you don’t even believe me!”

“Give me a number.”

“Zero!” 

“Liar! Your boyfriend came to see me after you told him I was seeing Sora, he threatened me, so don’t bother lying again!” Jimin froze, trying to process what he had just heard. Jungkook, went to see Taehyung about Sora? “What? Cat got your tongue?” Taehyung was starting to lose interest after Jimin refuses to answer him a second time. He smirked, then pushes Jimin further down again, closing the gap between their bodies. “Finally got caught didn’t you? Jungkook’s never been a very good liar anyways, I knew he liked you since the wedding. Just the way he was looking at you proves everything. If he wants you, all he has to do is ask. You’re nothing to me anyways, we could file for a divorce. After that, I can be with whoever I want, and you’ll be happy with Jungkook. Maybe you’ll even invite me to your baby shower-“

“He was only protecting me!” Jimin yells in Taehyung’s face. That’s when Taehyung realized Jimin’s tears, then what he was blurting out nonstop. “I saw you with Sora in the restaurant, and Jungkook was only cheering me up because of you! He’s always been there for me, and ever since that day, I don’t even know how I can keep going on!” Taehyung’s the one who’s now shocked, and his muscles loosened up. Taking advantage of the situation, Jimin pushes the guy away, and slaps him. Taehyung was speechless, not strong enough to look at his husband’s face. “I don’t care about you Kim Taehyung, but do not accuse Jungkook of doing such things, he’s your best friend! Or shall I say only friend!” Feeling like he’s slapped Taehyung hard enough with some senses, Jimin rushes out of the house. Taehyung was still in the same spot, when he hears Jimin drive away. 

“Jungkook, you son of a ,” Taehyung murmurs angrily. His phone lit up, Sora’s name and picture appearing on the screen. He snatches the vibrating phone off the couch, “What?”