Chapter 6

Tied Like Puppets

"Something's going on." Yoongi said three weeks after the night Seokjin slept in the living room without a blanket. (He nearly froze to death, he swore, but someone had gone and gotten him a very heavy blanket and a warm, fluffy pillow to tuck him into, so he was alright.) Yoongi didn't look too happy. "What the is going on with you and Taehyung and Jungkook again? Huh? It's not even this time. Everything's just ing awkward and I want to know what you did."

"I just-" Seokjin glanced out into the living room where Taehyung and Jungkook were sitting. They were cuddled up together, appearing as they had weeks ago, but neither of them looked very happy. Seokjin, granted, did not know what they were watching- if it was a sad or boring movie- but he still felt guilty, because they looked so upset, and Seokjin thought it might be his fault.

"I didn't do anything. I think they're just... angry with me." Seokjin said. He really didn't feel like explaining their sort-of love triangle. It was so simple in that every in the triangle loved each other, but complicated because someone in the triangle was going to eventually leave and then nothing would be the same again. It would all be depressing and nothing would feel okay and Seokjin wasn't ready for that kind of depression between him and his youngest dongsaengs.

"Fix it. I'm sick of you guys ing around like this. It's retarded." Yoongi said. He picked up his coffee and walked out of the room. Seokjin realized, as he was leaving, that Yoongi had put three sugars and four creams into his coffee. Yoongi didn't make his coffee like that.


It had been two months since that night, and Seokjin hadn't said a word to either Taehyung or Jungkook. But now- now- he was standing in front of the door to his own room. He'd missed it there, sleeping across from Taehyung (and sometimes Jungkook) every night. He could watch them through the dark, watch them interact, watch them fall asleep slowly. They were so beautiful like that.

"Taehyung? Jungkook?" Seokjin whispered, knocking as soft as he could. There was no reason to be so quiet, as it was just falling dark and no one was asleep yet. But Seokjin was kind of hoping that they wouldn't hear him, and he could make himself an excuse- convince himself that they were sleeping and he could put it off until tomorrow or the next day or the next day or the next-

But, no. Taehyung opened the door, with Jungkook just a step behind him. The room was so silent- no music, no background television, no water running, almost as if Jungkook and Taehyung had been waiting for him, waiting for the familiar knock on the door. Seokjin noticed, from the corner of his eye, that his bed wasn't made and his favorite pillow was gone.

"Hyung." Taehyung spoke first. Seokjin didn't know what to say. His mouth had gone so dry that he didn't think he could say anything, so he just smiled instead. Taehyung smiled back, just a soft little smile with his lips still pressed together. Jungkook didn't smile at all, but his eyes softened, became a little less dull than they had been the past months.

"I'm, uh... I'm sorry." Seokjin said. He brought his hand up to scratch the back of his neck. Taehyung's hand came up, too, but he dropped it a second later, let it fall back to the doorknob. Seokjin wondered what he'd been planning to do. "I know it's kind of late for apologies, but, uh, better late than never, huh? So... yeah, I'm sorry for..." avoiding your for four months, Seokjin's mind finished.

"Hyung..." Jungkook said. Seokjin could see his eyes flicker with something, something, and Seokjin wished he were better at reading people's expressions, because he was dying, dying to know what Jungkook was feeling so he could fix it somehow, with words or a hug or a favor or something, just something. "Hyung, will you come back? W-We miss having you... you're so distant."

"Of course. This is, uh, my room, after all." Seokjin laughed awkwardly. Taehyung dropped his arm, and Seokjin stepped into the room. He could feel both Jungkook's and Taehyung's eyes on his back as he walked towards his bed. He started to straighten out the sheets just to get himself busy with something. There was no way he could sleep, not this early, and especially not with Jungkook and Taehyung watching him.

"Hyung." Jungkook said quietly. Seokjin didn't answer, thought he might have been talking to Taehyung, but then Taehyung was calling his attention with a much louder "Hyung," and Seokjin turned around. Jungkook was closer than he'd been expecting. "You still love us, right? I mean... as dongsaengs. You still love us as dongsaengs, right?"

More than that, Seokjin wished he could say, but he turned around and said "Of course" instead.

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CoolJirl
#1
Chapter 11: Ahhh. I almost forgot about homework oh god. This fic istg. Thank you authornim. The story was great, the dose of angst was perfect i swear. My love for taejinkook is kindled.
masaharu
#2
Chapter 11: oh my god, okay, i have so many things to say about this fic no matter how much time has passed and honestly sjdjfldl i actually don't know how to word them at all because WOW????

this fic is,,,,, everything i ever wanted in a fic i'm so serious just, it's so real. every moment of this was so believable and amazing and the emotions were rAW and everything the characters said, all the ways they reacted and the subtle things in between events and just ? i don't know what i was expecting but you don't know how honestly surprised i was that jin walked away initially and - how. happy that made me because it maDE SO MUCH SENSE like obvs you walk in on two friends and they're both beautiful wow awkward, and all the times he walked away afterward even when they were straight up inviting him like honestly it's so realistic and the tension is through the roof and the very first time yoongi commented on the tension i choked at the same time jin did just. the decisions jin made gave him so much depth like, his hesitation and his confusion and guilt even? sjdkl and the emotions of the other two were so clear and poignant and TAEJINKOOK I REALLY CAN'T. the domestic yoonmin kills me, all the conversations in this kills me i love them all so much. and also this fic, and you for writing this?? :")

pictured above: an actual essay i'm,, so sorry. thank you so much for writing this. bless you <3 <3 <3
lucinda818
#3
Chapter 11: *start singing love is not over* This fanfic is really cute!!!!!!!!!<3♥♥♥
chuppoppo #4
Chapter 11: i LOVE the part where they're making coffe. LOVE IT.
of course along with your magnificient story, yeah. *throws confetti*
faithful-lie
#5
Chapter 11: Oh man, I read this entire thing in one sitting and now it's 1am O_O

This was so cute and angsty and so good and I needed this! I'm sad it ended, but thank you for writing something so good and so bittersweet and seemingly heartfelt.
tsubakitheshawol
#6
Chapter 11: Damn this is sooo cute
SungrinBF
#7
Chapter 11: Oh my gosh i love this and i stayed up late for this <3 thanks for making this ot3 story :3
MikeyHeartsWG
#8
Chapter 11: OMG me and taehyun like the same type of coffee~~~~ adorable ending!!!! <3
bl5908 #9
Chapter 11: This story seriously made my day :) It's so hard to find good ot3 stories, but this one was so well written. Thank you for writing this!