Chapter Text
“So let me get this straight: you’re resigning? You don’t want to work for Cypher Ent. anymore?”
Namjoon sounded bewildered at the other end of the phone. Taehyung let out a deep sigh.
“I’m only calling you as a formality since you’re Cypher Ent.’s CEO, but I already sent all the paperwork to Seokjin hyung. He’s your secretary, didn’t he tell you yet? It has been at least an hour since I sent those.”
“We — he was busy.”
Taehyung grimaced. “Alright, I don’t want any more details.”
Namjoon, as scary as he could be at work considering his position, was not above whining. “But why? You’re my best employee, dammit—”
Taehyung smirked. “I know. Be prepared to see some losses in your net profits for next month, I suppose.”
“But you’re not officially out as long as you still have our gear—”
“I have none of your weapons, guns or equipment left with me. One of your assistants came to pick-up everything a few hours ago.” Taehyung shook his head. “Honestly, hyung, are you really the CEO? It looks like you have no idea what’s going on half the time—”
“I said,” Namjoon grumbled, “I was busy.”
Taehyung rolled his eyes, although he couldn’t help but feel amused.
“Well,” Namjoon sighed dejectedly, “if you’re so intent on leaving us, I guess I have no right to hold you back. Do you have a back-up plan? You know we can help you with reinsertion if needed.”
Taehyung hummed. Since Cypher Ent. wasn’t exactly the most legal business out there, references were obviously hard to provide — genuine ones, at least. So instead, the company supported departing employees by helping them find a job that didn’t involve breaking the law or killing people.
“I’m fine, hyung. I’ve built a rather impressive fortune for myself in the past few years, you know?” He added bitterly, “although no one would probably believe that an omega did that.” He mused, “I think I’ll just stick to my career in the music industry.”
“Will you ever come back?”
Taehyung paused, thoughtful. “You know, hyung… Growing up as an omega, I was just so tired of depending on others to defend me. And rightfully so, because no one ever bothered anyway. And after I was broken into a fucking killing machine by that psychopath, I just figured I might as well put my skills to good use and take down a few corrupted, abusive asshole. Because that would help the less powerful, right?”
Namjoon sounded pained at the other end of the phone. “Taehyung…”
But the assassin was not finished.
“I used to not care, and it was fine. It felt like I was helping people in my own twisted way, and I was also getting revenge.” He took a shaky breath. “But yesterday, I was talking with someone and I realized that I don’t want revenge anymore. I thought killing those assholes would help make this earth a better place, and maybe it does, but it doesn’t take away the victims’ pain and memories. I want to help people heal. And maybe I’m weak for not knowing how, and not knowing what to do with my own damn life, but I want to figure it out.”
Namjoon was silent for a moment, before replying, voice gruff and all choked up. “Pride yourself in your weaknesses, Tae. Because it means that you care. It means that you’re alive, and that you’re trying.”
Taehyung smiled.
Yes, he was trying.
And for now, he decided, that was enough.
***
“They only have raisin bread left, baby. Should I buy that?”
Jungkook was currently out grocery shopping on his own for the both of them. Because Taehyung was still sore from his injuries and sleep-deprived from his nightmare, the idol had felt content enough to stay in the safety of his nest, surrounded by Jungkook’s scent.
Now, about the pet names.
It was kind of an unspoken agreement between the two. They hadn’t even had the opportunity to talk about it, because the pet names had already come out there before they had even realized it themselves, and it just felt right. Taehyung would preen and go as far as emitting a soft purr unknowingly. He could honestly pass as an overgrown cat. The omega would feel embarrassed if it wasn’t for the alpha’s matching behaviour.
Jungkook, on the other hand, had no grasp whatsoever on the concept of “subtlety.”
Taehyung would often catch the other staring at him for no reason, the softest smile painted on his face. Whenever he was within Jungkook’s reach, the alpha would gently grab his hand, his arm, or a piece of his hoodie — Jungkook’s hoodie, really — and if Taehyung didn’t back away — which he never did — then he would sometimes end up pulling the omega into a loose hug.
Taehyung was not used to being at the receiving end of such gentleness and genuine affection, but he was learning to love it.
“I like raisin bread. Why are people so adamant on hating that delicious thing,” Taehyung groaned dramatically, head half burrowed in one of his softest blankets.
Jungkook chuckled. “Well I don’t mind it either. Do—”
The alpha was interrupted by a small yelp coming from Taehyung.
Jungkook’s worried voice came instantly. “Baby? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just bit my tongue — talking about raisin bread made me hungry,” Taehyung grumbled, embarrassed. “Please don’t tell me you got worried over the tiniest of my yelps.”
The alpha chuckled, “Well I can’t exactly see for myself whether you’re okay, pup. Give me a hint next time you go crazy over raisin bread.”
Taehyung rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips nonetheless. “Fine, I’ll let out a whistle so you know I’m actually fine. Happy?”
“Very. Now, do you want anything else?”
“Well if you can buy some banana milk as well—” Taehyung was cut mid-sentence by the sound of the doorbell. “Hold on, someone’s at the door. I’ll talk to you later?”
“Alright, pup. I should be back home in fifteen minutes.”
“Hm, see you later, hyung.”
After hanging up, Taehyung halfheartedly went out of his nest to reach the door.
A friendly-looking man was standing in front of him.
“Hello, can I help you?”
The man exclaimed, smiling wide, “Hi! I hope I am not bothering you. I’m Joongi, my wife and I just started a new business in this neighborhood, we sell handmade crafts. Here’s a teddy bear we made! It’s just a gift to celebrate our opening — and hopefully lure you into visiting our shop,” the man giggled while handing him the softest plush toy Taehyung had ever held.
“You seem very talented, the bear is really soft. Thank you,” Taehyung smiled, endeared.
Joongi giggled some more. “We only use high quality materials so that must be why. I still have to distribute a few more bears around here so I need to go, but I’m sure we’ll see each other around!”
Without leaving Taehyung the time to answer, Joongi turned around and quickly disappeared out of sight.
Odd.
Taehyung carefully closed the door after staring at the corner of the street where he had last seen the man, his brain screaming at himself that something was not right but not quite able to figure out what .
Shrugging, he placed the bear down on the sofa, not comfortable with it enough to bring it to his nest, before returning to his safe place.
***
Jungkook was excited to cook all the most delicious meals he could ever think of for his omega.
Well, not exactly his, but the only omega his heart would ever recognize as his anyway.
The alpha was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the four strangers stealthily creeping up on him, hidden in his own shadows.
It was only when the figures lunged to grab him soundlessly that Jungkook reacted.
His instincts that were honed through years of training allowed him to fly out a few punches blindlessly, some of which hit home.
But there was only so much he could do against the handkerchief which smelled like chloroform that was promptly pressed against his face, preventing him from breathing anything other than the toxic chemical.
He held his breath while desperately trying to break free from his attackers, but he was outnumbered.
His last thought went to Taehyung, who was likely waiting for his return, before his body betrayed his agonizing heart and gave out.
***
Taehyung woke up feeling disoriented.
Had he fallen asleep? Why wasn’t Jungkook home?
After quickly checking the time, he noticed that Jungkook should have been back an hour ago.
Maybe he ran into traffic. Maybe he had some urgent call from work — he’s a full-time bodyguard after all. Maybe he was helping an elderly person and carrying their groceries — he was that generous. Maybe—
His spiraling thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the strident sound of a continuous beep.
The sound came from the teddy bear.
He walked towards it in quick strides. hands shaking in anxiety, fearing that Jungkook had been somehow attacked because of him.
After inspecting the soft toy, it didn’t take him long to discover the origin of the ominous ringing.
The toy was bugged.
Someone had been listening to him.
Next to the small mic was a note, crumpled into a tiny ball.
“He’s alive—for now. But he won’t be if you ever see him again. Just focus on going back on stage.”
He blinked.
What kind of delusional sasaeng—
Taehyung ground his teeth together, fists shaking but now from unrestrained wrath.
No one threatened Taehyung.
But now that the only person Taehyung had ever cared for was involved?
Someone was going to pay.
And Taehyung would make it hurt .
***
“You resigned. You don’t have access to Cypher Ent.’s weapons anymore, Taehyung.”
Taehyung looked calm and collected on the outside, but he was internally seething with rage.
“Hyung. This is important. Jungkook was kidnapped .”
Namjoon shrugged, leaning back in his chair, disinterested. “Yeah, I got that the first time you told me. But unless I’m mistaken, you’re not a Cypher assassin anymore. You’re a normal civilian. Normal civilians go to the fucking police .”
Taehyung stalked toward the CEO’s desk, slamming his hands down on it in his fury. “I never thought you could be so heartless for a man claiming to have good intentions.” His voice was cold, emotionless, and very much close to snapping.
Seokjin tried to de-escalate the tension, voice firm yet gentle. “Look Taehyung. We understand your position and your distress,” Taehyung bristled at that, “but please understand our position as well. All of our weapons have Cypher’s logo. We could get in very deep trouble if they are discovered in the hands of someone who is not one of our licensed agents.”
Taehyung closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, before speaking in a quiet, lethal voice. “Do you want me to beg? Is that what it is? Do you get off on having dominance over powerless people?” He let out a dark, humorless chuckle, before fixating his gaze on Namjoon intently. “Fine. Please. Please help me. He’s the first person who ever got me, who made me feel safe and free and alive— ”
A choked sob escaped him.
Seokjin quietly gasped, clearly not used to seeing the omega showing any emotion other than aloofness and occasional anger when on a mission.
Namjoon was staring right back, gaze unwavering. The determination and desperation shining in Taehyung’s eyes must have touched some part of the CEO’s soul, for he reluctantly made a compromise. He reached for one of the drawers under his desk and pulled out a gun with ammunition, along with a dagger.
“These are unbranded. Don’t lose them. You can take one of the white bulletproof vests — obviously wear black clothing on top, but the white ones don’t have Cypher’s logo. Take your old ear-piece — it’s in the usual equipment room — but only Jimin can assist you.” Namjoon then added, voice quieter, “and for the love of god, don’t die. I don’t need additional paperwork”
Muttering a quick thank you, Taehyung collected everything he needed and promptly exited the office without a goodbye, not wanting to lose any time.
Once the omega was far enough from hearing range, Seokjin whispered, “... that was your personal gun. The expensive, limited edition one.”
Namjoon merely hummed in confirmation.
On the other hand, Seokjin was very much panicking. “Anyone in the business who finds it will know it’s yours. That’s even worse than giving one of our guns, what the fuck Namjoon?”
“It’s the best gun we have in this building. He’ll need it.” Namjoon smiled. “I guess I have a soft spot for him after all.”
After a few heartbeats spent in silence, Seokjin scoffed in disbelief, rolling his eyes.
“I don’t know how people are even remotely afraid of you.”
***
“Chim? Do you copy?”
Taehyung had been trying to reach Jimin for the past ten minutes while driving to the location where Jungkook was likely held.
Although Jimin was the best hacker among the both of them, Taehyung still had some rather decent computing knowledge. It had taken him a mere five minutes of going through various CCTV footage of cameras placed near the supermarket Jungkook had been to before finding the four assholes, taking Jungkook by surprise like the cowards they were.
“Chim?”
Jimin’s lack of response was unusual to say the least. It was currently during his working hours, and Jimin was always active during his working hours.
Fuck it, he’s going on his own. There’s no time. He’ll just have to be extra careful.
He parked his car near what seemed like an abandoned warehouse.
The atmosphere was eerily quiet. There was no sound of screams or torture. Somehow, that didn’t make Taehyung feel any better.
Warehouses were possibly one of the places Taehyung hated the most when conducting a mission. It was basically one big, open hall, with hardly nowhere to seek cover. The only way to attempt a surprise offence would be by entering through a window on the roof, but he was way too under-equipped for that.
Well, no use in being discreet now that everyone had probably heard his car .
As soon as he entered, he was faced with at least a dozen puzzled heads turned towards him.
Unsurprisingly, he was woefully outnumbered.
The assassin launched himself into action.
He gave no warning before turning into a whirlwind of strength and stealth.
If his pure strength didn’t match that of his alpha and beta opponents, Taehyung was remarkably more flexible and had quicker reflexes. He dodged most punches before landing his own, not caring who exactly was on the receiving end of his fury.
When he started to get overwhelmed, he pulled out his dagger. Crimson quickly started to color the dirty floor, splatters of blood now tainting his pale face. The soreness from his recent injuries increased into a dull throbbing. He gritted his teeth.
The assassin’s steps were calculated yet gracious as though he was dancing. His assailants fell left and right, some suffering from cuts caused by the lethal blade, others gasping for breath after a particularly harsh blow to the stomach.
Taehyung wasn’t invincible, though. With nowhere to retreat and no time to hesitate, all he could do was to block as many punches as he could whilst trying to protect his weak points, more or less covering his neck and wrists where he had his most sensitive scent glands.
After several minutes of merciless battle which felt like hours, Taehyung was starting to get worn down. Panting and slightly limping, he managed to run his dagger through the last man standing between him and Jungkook.
Jungkook .
From what the assassin could see from afar, the alpha was tied up to a chair in the farthest corner of the warehouse. He seemed unmoving, head hanging low. His face was bruised in different shades of purple, trails of blood running down his arms and leading to an entire pool at his feet.
“Hyung,” Taehyung gasped quietly, stumbling on his feet, trying to reach the other as fast as he could but unable to run anymore. “No, please,” he pleaded.
He was ten steps away from Jungkook when the omega heard a faint whistle.
A memory flashed in his mind.
“Fine, I’ll let out a whistle so you know I’m actually fine. Happy?”
“Very.”
A broken sob escaped his heaving chest.
He was going to be okay. They were getting out of here alive.
He was five steps away from finally reaching Jungkook when the warehouse’s door opened wide unexpectedly.
Jimin could have warned him of any unwanted newcomers , the assassin thought bitterly.
A light giggle echoed in the warehouse, contrasting starkly with the deafening silence. “Oh, hi Taehyung oppa! Didn’t expect to see you here.”
A small beta female, dressed in black combat gear and flanked by two bodyguards, was standing before him, arms crossed and grinning mischievously.
“Jennifer?”
Taehyung was confused. He had met the fellow idol a few times at random events, and although he had guessed she wasn’t as innocent as she seemed to be, he would have never pictured her as the kind to walk so casually in puddles of blood, bodies littered around her, as though it was the most normal thing to do in the world.
“I’m so happy to see you again Taehyung oppa, I missed you so much!” she exclaimed, hands joined together in her glee, before her expression darkened at lightning speed. “But you didn’t listen to me. You’re here.” She abruptly turned her gaze to glare at Jungkook’s unmoving form. “So he must die.”
Taehyung was frozen on his spot, not trusting his injured body enough to try a move.
“So what, you hate me so you decide to kill my bodyguard?”
Jennifer gasped. “Hate you? I would never . I love you, oppa. I always have. But this bodyguard has been getting too close to you . This is why I am doing all of this. I would do anything for you,” she cooed, looking utterly infatuated with the omega. “Well then, let’s get this over with.” She then coldly ordered her own bodyguards, pointing to Taehyung, “Hold him. Carefully .”
Before Taehyung could protest, two betas brutally pinned him to the ground. With little to no strength length left, he was forced to comply.
It was only when Jennifer started moving forward towards him, deeper in the warehouse, that Taehyung noticed the presence of a third bodyguard, hidden in Jennifer’s shadows.
Jimin?
Although they had been partners for years, they had never met, as per Cypher Ent.’s rules. But for safety reasons, he had been given a picture in order to be able to identify Jimin if need be in case of emergency.
This was definitely Jimin. And this was very much a case of emergency.
But Jimin, standing there passively, didn’t seem to be on his side.
Still rendered powerless by the two betas holding him down, there was nothing Taehyung could do other than roar his betrayal at his former partner.
“How dare you be on that sociopath’s side. I thought we were partners— ”
“Business is business, Tae,” Jimin replied curtly, voice aloof, not even bothering to glance down at the struggling figure. His jaw was clenched, gaze pinned on a distant point straight ahead.
Oblivious to Taehyung’s rage and the tension simmering from Jimin, Jennifer cheerily hopped towards where Jungkook was being held. When Taehyung caught a glance of the gleaming dagger that had appeared in one of her hands, he panicked.
“Stop. No, stop, don’t—”
Jennifer was already focused on her new source of entertainment.
With a manic grin, she plunged the blade in the alpha’s torso.
Blood came out from Jungkook’s mouth. His breathing became ragged and inconsistent, but he didn’t scream, as though he was holding back from expressing his pain. Still, Taehyung could very clearly see that he was close to passing out.
Jimin stood and watched.
“You absolute bastard— ”
Jennifer continued her ministrations, looking positively delighted at the sight of the gore she was creating. Taehyung didn’t once stop thrashing wildly in rage and anguish, although his screams were received on death ears.
Jimin didn’t even bat an eyelash.
Too much blood, Jungkook was losing too much blood, his body would go into shock, and then—
Taehyung assumed that Jungkook passed out at some point, based on his lack of responsiveness.
He has to do something he has to save him he—
The sound of a door slamming open resonated, a deep voice overpowering Taehyung’s yells.
“Jennifer. Explain yourself.”
The beta woman yelped in surprise, spinning to look at the newcomer. “Father?”
A middle-aged alpha was standing stoically, dressed in combat attire that matched his daughter’s. Even without any bodyguard watching his back, he exuded a threatening aura, dark gaze reflecting a promise of endless suffering.
“I lent you some of my men for what you assured me to be an important, profitable mission. And here you are playing house.” The alpha’s voice was quiet and emotionless, yet smooth like velvet and lethal. “You’ve always been such a disappointment.”
The beginning of a whine resounded from Jennifer’s throat, who skipped to stand next to Taehyung’s form lying on the ground. “But look, father, I succeeded! I kidnapped the bad guy who was stealing my omega. This is proof that I am capable and worthy,” she exclaimed, outraged and confused.
The stranger didn’t bother to listen any more of his daughter's mindless ramblings. “You only succeeded in wasting my time and my men.”
Without so much as blinking, he aimed his gun at Taehyung.
He fired.
Now, Taehyung was aware he was wearing a bulletproof vest. He knew what kind of impact he could expect.
What he did not expect however, was the lack of pain, a short gasp and a loud thud not far from where he was being held on the ground.
Silence. Then the man’s deep voice whispered, “Jennifer?”
Opening his eyes, Taehyung watched in shock as the beta who was standing in front of him — shielding him — let herself collapse to the ground, clutching her stomach. Her dagger had escaped from her clutch, and was now lying in the puddle of blood that was forming at her feet concerningly fast.
Jennifer had taken a bullet for him.
Her father stood, in shock, hand overtaken by a slight tremor. He rushed to crouch next to Jennifer. “No. No no no—”
In his disbelief, the man let his gun fall within Taehyung’s reach, too preoccupied by his dying daughter.
In an ultimate attempt to gather his remaining strength, the assassin managed to overthrow the two betas who had been holding him down, hastily shooting a bullet in both of their torsos.
Taehyung frantically started crawling his way to where Jungkook was still bleeding out, not caring if he was getting himself soaked in his assailant’s blood still splayed on the ground in the process.
Jimin didn’t stop him, but surely didn’t do anything to help him, ever the good little soldier.
When he finally reached the alpha, Taehyung lifted his hand shakily to Jungkook’s face, leaving a trail of bloody fingerprints. “Hey, hyung… Don’t you die on me, please… I’ll get us out of here,” Taehyung mumbled, hoping that his voice and touch would keep the alpha grounded in consciousness through the pain.
“Not so fast, you little bitch.”
Everything went rather fast.
Taehyung swiftly turned on his feet, only to find Jennifer’s father bristling with rage and grief, a new gun now pointed towards him, visibly aiming for his head.
Before Taehyung could even point his own gun back, he heard the sound of a gunshot going off.
The bullet found its target.
In Jimin’s torso.
Without thinking twice, Taehyung pulled on the trigger, successfully lodging his own bullet in the man’s head. He collided with the ground, his body falling limp next to his daughter’s lifeless form.
Taehyung then stalked towards Jimin, with much hesitation and apprehension. “... Chim?”
Jimin remained unmoving. Taehyung couldn’t help himself but panic—until a pained groan reached his ears.
“How do you make not one but two people take a bullet to save your ass in less than thirty minutes, god dammit,” Jimin grunted while rolling himself over. His shirt now had a hole which revealed a bulletproof vest and a burnt area where the bullet had met the sturdy fabric.
Nothing in this situation was supposed to be funny, but Taehyung felt relieved and light-headed. A choked out giggle bubbled out of his throat.
Jimin threw a worried glance at the assassin before promptly reaching for his phone in his back pocket, looking through his contacts before pressing the call button.
The first ring didn’t even finish resounding when the call was picked up. “Yoongi?” He rolled his eyes. “Yes I called first, I owe you a date, whatever. Just come to the location I’m sending you since you like playing hero.”
Taehyung, feeling all the energy induced by the adrenaline finally leaving his body, let himself lose consciousness.
***
For the second time in less than a week, the assassin woke up to the sound of his steady heartbeat. Alive, once again.
He blinked his eyes open groggily to find Jimin staring at him, sitting on a chair next to his hospital bed.
“Oh. You’re up.”
His partner — former partner? — seemed nervous to say the least.
“Where is Jungkook? Is he okay?”
Jimin snorted. “Of course. I betrayed your trust, then took a bullet for you before you passed out, and the first thing you ask is about your bodyguard.” He snickered, “I knew he was your type.”
Taehyung stared pointedly at him, to which Jimin sighed, shaking his head.
“He’s fine. He just had a few stitches but he didn’t have any major injuries — the psychotic bitch somehow missed all his organs — so he recovered quite quickly. You, on the other hand, have been out for at least two days. Because you already had previous injuries that weren’t fully healed, your body really took a toll because of all the intense fighting.”
The idol smirked. “Were you worried about me, Chim?”
Jimin looked away, grumbling under his breath, “Well, obviously, you dumb dumb. Why would I be watching your every breath otherwise?” After a pause, he dared to meet Taehyung’s eyes again. “I’m sorry.”
Taehyung’s smirk turned into a soft, bittersweet smile. “It’s fine, you know. I get the “business is business” thing. I’ve been there. And, well, you did take a bullet for me, so thank you.”
Something the idol said caught Jimin’s attention. “You’ve “been there”? As in you’re not a hired assassin anymore?”
Taehyung raised his eyebrows. “Namjoon hyung didn’t tell you? Damn, Cypher Ent. really does need a new CEO. Or maybe a new secretary that wouldn’t distract the CEO so much,” he humored, thinking about all the times Namjoon and Seokjin had been busy coincidentally at the same time. “I resigned.”
The hacker looked confused. “What are you going to do now, then? Don’t you feel… lost?”
The idol mused, “Maybe. But feeling lost is a feeling and not a permanent state. Just like time, it is a fickle thing, and sometimes you don’t fully realize when and how this feeling creeps in and out of you.” He smiled, now thinking about meeting Jungkook, “but like most things, whether good or bad, it never lasts forever.”
Jimin looked thoughtful, and Taehyung could almost hear his friend’s thoughts, because he really had been there.
There was a time when feeling lost made him think that his life had been put on pause. Looking back, he now realized that feeling lost had actually been the beginning of yet another journey.
To add some imagery and hopefully get his point across to Jimin, the idol added, “Look at it this way: if you’re solely focusing on the target, chances are you won’t succeed to shoot at its centre, because you’re not focusing on your technique when shooting the arrow.”
Jimin nodded understandingly.
“So I believe that it is not the outcome, but rather the mistakes you make, the people you meet, the lessons you learn, the memories you create, and the journey you live that really matter in the end,” Taehyung concluded, heart unfamiliarly warm.
A comfortable silence enveloped the room, both reflecting.
The peacefulness was interrupted by a faint chime coming from Jimin’s phone on the bedside table. Taehyung didn’t mean to look at the message but his gaze was automatically attracted to the lit up screen. It had a pretty drawing as background.
“Nice phone background. Did you find that on the darknet?” Taehyung joked, referring to the hacker’s favorite hobby — lurking on the darknet at random times of the day, as one does.
“You won’t find this on the darknet, I’m afraid. It’s a digital drawing I made a few days ago when I was bored after work,” he shrugged.
Taehyung’s eyebrows shot high towards his hairline. “I didn’t know you drew? It’s really impressive, though, I love your style. You could probably make a career out of this, actually.”
“Funny you say that,” Jimin’s face finally broke into a small grin, “because I’m considering doing a degree in Digital Design and Animation. Just food for thought at this point. For when I’ll be ready to choose for myself based on what I like, and not simply because I am guaranteed a stable job and income.”
Taehyung replied with his own relieved, and incredibly proud smile.
“Well. Don’t forget me when you become famous, Chim.”
***
After Jimin went out — because someone had been insistently calling him for half an hour straight, Taehyung was left on his own for a good hour. He was about to fall back asleep when the door to his private hospital room quietly opened.
“Jungkook,” Taehyung gasped, immediately jolting awake. “Are you okay? Why are you in a wheelchair ? Jimin said you were fine, Jimin said—”
“Hey, hey. I’m okay, precious, breathe.” Jungkook wheeled himself into the room, towards an omega who was growing more and more panicked by the second. “I can actually walk just fine, but the nurse threatened to make it hurt next time he would change my bandages if I didn’t spend most of this week in a wheelchair.”
Taehyung sighed, eyes closing in relief.
He felt fingers gently intertwining with his own on his lap. “You came for me.”
Taehyung opened his eyes, finding Jungkook gazing at him, looking… Endeared?
He huffed, muttering under his breath, “Well, yeah, obviously. You were kidnapped because of me, after all.”
Jungkook squeezed his hand. “Now, now. Let’s not blame anyone here, and especially not you, pup. Am I not your bodyguard, after all? If anything, I’m the upset one, seeing how injured you are.”
The omega forced a tight grin on his face, trying to forget how he and Jungkook almost died. “At least I looked quite badass, right?”
Jungkook chuckled, rubbing slow circles on Taehyung backhand with his thumb. “Definitely. My strong, badass, precious treasure.”
Before he could try to contain himself, Taehyung let out a low whine.
Jungkook frowned, head snapping up to look at the idol’s face. “What’s wrong Taehyung? Are you in pain? Should I call the nurse?”
Taehyung shook his head, gritting his teeth.
“Talk to me, pup. I just want to help you feel better,” pleaded the alpha, eyes scanning the omega’s figure in deep concern, trying to figure out what was wrong.
Taehyung sighed frustratedly. “I just… This is going to sound dumb and annoying and needy, but I just really want to hold you right now,” he mumbled quickly under his breath.
After a short silence, the alpha smiled. “Scoot over, gem.”
With very careful movements so as to not jostle the injured omega, Jungkook slid under the covers and squeezed himself close to Taehyung. He brought his hands around the shaking frame.
Taehyung gladly buried his head in the alpha’s chest, finally sighing in blissful contentment at the closeness, his distress soothed away by the other’s pheromones.
“There’s nothing wrong with needing a hug, precious. I have been resisting my urge to hug you ever since I entered this room, if that makes you feel any better,” Jungkook murmured in Taehyung’s ear.
They stayed like this for a while, in silence, both basking in each other’s scent, and reassuring themselves that the other was safe. Suddenly, Taehyung exclaimed with a gasp, startling Jungkook in the process.
“My gun. My dagger.” He whined unabashedly. “Namjoon hyung is going to kill me.”
Jungkook laughed. “Don’t worry, Jimin took care of everything.” He brought his forehead down to meet Taehyung’s. “He told me you resigned from Cypher Ent.”
“Yeah. I said to Namjoon hyung earlier that I don’t want revenge anymore — I want to help people heal.” Taehyung backed away to meet the alpha’s eyes excitedly. “And I think I’ve figured out how I want to help people. I want to do this through music.”
Jungkook merely waited, a proud smile on his face.
“Because when I think about it, even when I didn’t care about anything or anyone, not even myself, music was the one thing that was able to reach my soul. If even one person finds comfort in my music, then I will feel a thousand times better than if I was just killing people.”
“You have such a precious soul,” Jungkook murmured, pressing a light kiss on the omega’s forehead.
That sweet, innocent gesture, as new and unfamiliar as it felt, left Taehyung craving for more.
“I really want to kiss you right now,” he blurted out without letting himself overthink it.
Jungkook grinned.
“It would be my pleasure.”
When their lips finally collided together, Taehyung felt like a tree.
A tall, sturdy, healthy tree.
If growing his roots had felt like an unending journey spent in loneliness among the darkness, he now knew that he would go through it all over again, even if he had the choice—
For it had allowed him to grow into a beautiful tree, soaring so high as to reach the heavens above.
A tree, standing tall and proud.
Absolutely unapologetic for the person he had become today.