im sooo glad you guys are liking this book already!

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Jungkook, while seating on the dingy beige couch, kept his eyes locked at Taehyung; who was washing the dishes. Taehyung saw him looking and then grunted, sleeves rolled up till his elbows, hands full of soap. "Don't keep staring, Jungkook. It's creepy." Taehyung stated.

Jungkook blinked. "Okay," Jungkook said, and then closed his eyes. Taehyung saw the boy and snickered. Jungkook opened his eyes and saw Taehyung looking, and then closed his eyes again.

"I don't mean it like that. You can still have your eyes open. Say, why don't you tell me more about yourself?" Taehyung asked, picking one of the wet dishes and drying it with a washcloth.

Jungkook looked away from him, towards a wall. "I am Jungkook."

"That's been established. I kind of named you." Taehyung said, and Jungkook nodded.

"Yes. There is nothing else about Jungkook." Jungkook said, and Taehyung rose his eyebrow, keeping the dishes to the side, stacking them on the kitchen island.

"You're an android, huh? That's pretty cool. You're not like robots, are you?" Taehyung asked, and Jungkook looked at him and looked confused. "You do have emotions. You get confused and scared, for one."

Jungkook played with his fingers. "What all do you know? You can speak well. Well enough, at least. You seem to know the basics, but don't know what specific things are calling..." Taehyung trailed, analyzing the boy. He dried his hands and then walked up to Jungkook.

"Do you know all the numbers?" Taehyung asked. Jungkook nodded eagerly. "Y-yes. 1, 6, 43, 18, 2-"

"You don't have to list all the numbers," Taehyung said, cutting him off. Jungkook closed his mouth. "You know shapes, right? You called pancakes round-"

"R-round rounds!" Jungkook squeaked, eyes going wide. Taehyung tsked, shaking his head.

"No, that's for dinner," Taehyung said, and Jungkook looked down, pouting just a little. Enough to make Taehyung's stomach take turns. "Hey, um- let's go to the grocery store. I need to pick some things up."

"What is grocery store?" Jungkook asked. "It's a place where you- um- get stuff. For cooking and other shit like that." Taehyung explained. Jungkook looked confused but nodded nonetheless.

Taehyung took out his wallet, opened it, and then sucked in a sharp breath when he saw it empty. "Wow. Fuck. Okay." Taehyung mumbled to himself, and then closed it. "Jungkook, do you need to use the washroom at all?" Taehyung asked, putting his wallet back in his jeans.

"No," Jungkook mumbled. Taehyung laughed. "Do you even have anything down there? Or is it just robot parts? Like a Barbie doll,"

"J-Jungkook's doesn't know," Jungkook said, looking freaked out. Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Chill, I'm just asking. Come on, get up. We're going out again. It might be dusty, though. So- um- watch out for that, I guess." Taehyung mumbled.

Taehyung watched as Jungkook got up from the couch and padded across the dirty tiles, heading for the door. While he did so, Taehyung swiftly grabbed the blue gemstone from the kitchen counter and put it in his pocket.

They walked out of the house, and Jungkook instantly grabbed Taehyung's hand. Taehyung shrugged it off. "Let me lock the door-" Taehyung grumbled, closing the door tightly and locking it. The moment he got his fingers off the door, Jungkook tried grabbing for his hand again.

"God damnnit- wait." Taehyung snapped, and the android blinked his big eyes and nodded hurriedly, seeing Taehyung put the keys back in his pocket. Once he was done, Jungkook looked at him with panic.

"C-can Ju-Jungkook hold h-hand?" Jungkook squeaked hurriedly. Taehyung looked at him, and then frowned for a second, but then put his hand out. Jungkook grabbed it quickly and walked close behind him as Taehyung walked towards the market again.

"Jungkook will take more blue."

"No, you won't. Stealing isn't okay." Taehyung said sternly. Jungkook nodded. Taehyung walked into the shady market place and then sighed when he saw some of the buyers he usually sees. They're rude and treat the people trying to sell stuff like shit. Taehyung has a hard time with them, seeing as they only treat you nicely if you're an alien, or have good equipment.

Taehyung walked down the sand pathway and reached in front of a stall. Taehyung patted Jungkook's shoulder. "Hey look there, it's a spaceship," Taehyung said, and Jungkook turned around, looking at the spaceship passing overhead.

Taehyung, while Jungkook was looking away, took out the blue jewel and placed it on the table. "Pure sapphire." Taehyung said. The buyer hummed.

"350 units." The buyer said. Taehyung's eyes widened. "W-wait, really? Holy fuck. Yeah. Fuck- take it." Taehyung said, and the buyer grabbed the gemstone, and then began taking out the money.

Jungkook turned around. "Jungkook go in spaceship?" Jungkook asked, bubbly, squeezing Taehyung's hand tightly.

"As if. The big companies are raising the prices on spaceships and fuel nowadays. Apparently high migration is becoming quite the issue in nearby planets or what not." The buyer grumbled.

"I'll get out of here somehow." Taehyung said. The buyer snickered at the boy, and then gave him the money.

"Keep being delusional, kid." The buyer said, and Taehyung picked the money up, holding it tightly. Taehyung walked with Jungkook out of the market place and towards the nearest cheap grocery store.

"Jungkook, give me my hand for a sec," Taehyung said once they reached the outside of the dingy, barely functioning grocery mart. Jungkook let his hand go with hesitation.

Taehyung took his wallet out and put the money in there, grinning when seeing it full of the tattered bills. Taehyung closed the wallet and put it back in his pocket. He looked up and noticed Jungkook looking scared, eyes wide and fingers nervously picking on each other.

Taehyung rolled his eyes and put his hand out- and Jungkook grabbed it instantly with both of his hands. He relaxed a bit after doing so, closing his eyes.

"Jungkook." Taehyung said. Jungkook looked at him. "C-can Taehyung hold J-Jungkook hand please." Jungkook squeaked, voice cracking.

"Okay, okay. Relax." Taehyung said softly, and Jungkook gulped, eyes growing big. "W-what if Jungkook is not- not holding hand and- and Taehyung goes away?" Jungkook asked, voice higher than usual. Clearly scared.

"No, he won't. Taehyung's here." Taehyung whispered, and then glowered at his own words. "Why the fuck am I speaking in third person-? Um- anyways, here-" Taehyung put his hand out.

"O-okay," Jungkook said, and Taehyung gave him a smile. Jungkook looked at him, his face small and round and cute.

"Now let's go inside," Taehyung said, and took Jungkook inside the grocery store.

It was hard to hold Jungkook in one hand and push a trolley in another. He felt like a mom holding a baby on her hi[ and pushing a tram, but instead, it was an oversized baby and a bumpy cart.

Taehyung took some (cheap) things like salt, sugar, milk, oil. He took a few cans of beer. He even picked up some chocolate. When they reached the aisle with the easy cook meals- Taehyung grabbed a lot. He didn't have time to cook actual food. Microwave spaghetti was like gourmet at this point.

Taehyung took some of that, took some microwave burritos and ramen noodles. He took two packs of pancake mix and saw Jungkook nod appreciatively at that. That's when Taehyung realised, standing in the middle of the aisle while holding Jungkook's hand.

"You don't smile, do you?" Taehyung asked.

"J-Jungkook doesn't know," Jungkook said, lips in a thin line. Taehyung hummed. Oh well, that made sense. He probably didn't feel an overbearing sense of emotion. Fear was quite prominent, which was... odd.

Taehyung reached the cashier and took Jungkook's hand away. Jungkook hesitated and put his hands on the back of Taehyung's shirt. The cashier checked everything out, and was actually surprised when Taehyung paid without groaning.

"You hold one," Taehyung said, handing a cloth bag to Jungkook. Ever since the world started DYING, plastic wasn't used much anymore. The government banned it heavily. Whatever 'government' was left over, anyway. Aliens didn't give two shits about plastic.

Taehyung held another cloth bag full of things and walked out, holding Jungkook's hand. They reached home quite quickly, no conversation being made except for the occasional inquisitive Jungkook asking Taehyung what something was, and Taehyung responding with a dry answer.

Taehyung pushed the door open and Jungkook rushed inside, dropping the bag on the floor. "Put it on the kitchen counter." Taehyung instructed, and Jungkook nodded, picking up the bag and trotting over to the counter. When he put it down, the boy gasped.

"B-blue is gone!" Jungkook said, voice loud.

Taehyung hummed, placing the other cloth bag on the table. He began taking some of the things out to stack in the barely functioning fridge. "Yeah. I sort of had to sell it. Sorry."

Jungkook blinked his big eyes in confusion, and his hands coiled up to fists, looking at Taehyung. He opened his mouth, thinking of things to say, but nothing came out. Taehyung gave him an off-handed look. "You alright?"

Jungkook looked desperate to let words out, looking around. He looked overwhelmed with himself. "Was- w-was gift not g-good?"

"No, it was good. But it's wrong to steal something. So I gave it back, okay?" Taehyung said. Jungkook shook his head.

"B-but Blue was Taehyung's-" Jungkook stammered, and then rushed over to him. Jungkook looked at Taehyung's hair. "H-hair- Blue-" Jungkook squeaked nervously.

"I know, Jungkook. It's not a big deal." Taehyung promised, and Jungkook shook his head. "No! Taehyung's h-hair is blue!!" Jungkook cried, as if reminding him.

"It's not going away, sheesh! Stop freaking out over everything." Taehyung snapped in annoyance. Jungkook looked on the verge of crying. Taehyung was sure the android couldn't actually cry. It was incapable of such emotion.

"Okay, fuck. I didn't think you'd get this upset." Taehyung mumbled, and Jungkook sat down on the floor. Taehyung gulped and then took out something from the shopping bag and sat down on the floor with him. Taehyung's eyes softened when he saw the boy biting on his hand, sitting on the floor, eyes big and nervous.

"Don't bite." Taehyung said softly. Jungkook took his hand out of his mouth, looking at Taehyung, a string of saliva attached to his lips and his hand. "Here, look. I got you a gift, too."

"J-Jungkook doesn't want." Jungkook mumbled.

"Hey, come on- I didn't steal it. I bought this. For you." Taehyung said softly, holding out a chocolate bar wrapped in blue paper.

Jungkook sniffled. "W-what is?" Jungkook asked. Taehyung scooted closer to him, shoulders touching. Taehyung unwrapped the foil, and then gave it to Jungkook- who took the blue paper and then put his fingers on it.

"Blue." Jungkook said, and Taehyung hummed. The boy relaxed upon having the flimsy material in his hold, and then saw the brown chocolate bar in Taehyung's hands.

"This is chocolate." Taehyung whispered. "Wanna give it a little bite?" Taehyung asked softly. Taehyung didn't know why- but he felt the need to be gentle with the boy, a little softer, maybe a little kinder.

"J-Jungkook can bite?" Jungkook asked. Taehyung nodded with a small smile. Jungkook reached forward and put his mouth on the corner of the chocolate bar. Jungkook bit onto it and then chewed it in his mouth slowly.

Jungkook swallowed it, and then Taehyung saw as his face stayed blank and motionless for a few seconds. Taehyung wondered for a moment if, perhaps, he disliked it. But before he could ask, Jungkook moved forward and pushed himself onto Taehyung's lap.

"Oh-" Taehyung let out, seeing Jungkook crawl onto his legs, straddling him, and then biting onto the chocolate bar in his hand aggressively, taking a mouthful and chewing the contents, melting them in his mouth.

"You like it?" Taehyung asked, and Jungkook nodded hurriedly, taking a bigger bite. Taehyung chuckled, letting Jungkook grab the bar. Jungkook began nibbling on it, and Taehyung put his hands on Jungkook's sides.

The chocolate was melting onto Jungkook's hands while Jungkook eagerly ate the bar up until he finished all of it and then began licking his palms. Taehyung couldn't help but let out a suppressed smile.

"Like a bunny," Taehyung murmured, and Jungkook looked at Taehyung, chocolate all over his lips and some on the tip of his nose. Jungkook sat down on Taehyung's lap properly, licking his fingers.

Taehyung suddenly realised how... weird this was, and pushed Jungkook off him lightly. Jungkook didn't mind, just lay down on his tummy and tried to lick the chocolate off his nose, scrunching his nose and sticking his tongue up.

"Hey, no lying on the floor," Taehyung said, and Jungkook looked up at him and rolled on his back, confused. "Up. Get up." Taehyung urged, and Jungkook put his sticky hands onto the dirty floor and got up on his feet.

"Go clean up." Taehyung instructed.

"J-Jungkook doesn't know clean up." Jungkook said, puzzled. Taehyung put his hand on the small of Jungkook's back and led him into his bedroom. They walked inside, and Jungkook stopped midway.

"Bed time?" Jungkook asked. Taehyung tsked, pushing him along to the washroom. They entered the washroom, and Jungkook looked around at the tiny cramped space, with the sink, the toilet, and the shower.

Taehyung stood him in front of the sink. He turned the water on and grabbed Jungkook's wrists, pushing his hands underneath the stream of water. Jungkook let out a squeak when feeling the cold water on his hands. Taehyung washed his hands up and then took some in his own palm and washed Jungkook's face.

"God, you're like a child," Taehyung muttered, and Jungkook closed his eyes, looking discomforted with water on his face. Taehyung closed the tap and grabbed a towel, wiping Jungkook's face and hands quickly.

"Now wait outside. Don't touch anything. I'm going to take a shower." Taehyung said, and Jungkook blinked. "Wait... do you have to take showers?"

"Jungkook take shower how?" Jungkook asked. How the fuck was he going to teach him how to shower?? Taehyung groaned, covering his face with his hands. Jungkook's eyes widened at this action and then ran out of the washroom. Taehyung rolled his eyes and closed the washroom door.

Taehyung took minutes taking a shower, wondering if he made the right decision by not selling the android off. He felt anxious because this could've been a bad decision, something he might regret later. What's he going to do with this android anyway? It's literally like having a child, but the child is 5'10 and could possibly kill him if it tried.

Point is : Taehyung doesn't have the financial aid to help himself, how the hell is he going to help someone else? The boy clearly isn't going to suit well outside- he can't even be alone without freaking out. What the fuck is Taehyung thinking?

He has to try and sell him again. He just has to. And he has to succeed with it. As cruel as the thought is, it's a machine in the end of the day. A thing, not a human. Taehyung is human. He needs to put his own self first.

Taehyung finished taking a quick shower and wrapped a towel around himself. He walked out of the shower and saw Jungkook in his bedroom, sitting on his bed. Taehyung didn't acknowledge him, just walked to the closet to take clothes out. He took out a tattered black shirt, sweatpants, and boxers. Taehyung turned around to look at Jungkook.

"Get out." Taehyung said. Jungkook looked up at Taehyung from where he was sitting on the bed.

"Bu-but Jungkook is-"

"Get out, Android." Taehyung said, sharper this time. The android nodded and got up, walking out of the room. Taehyung closed the door behind him and thought to himself. He can't let ethics get in the way of his own survival.

Taehyung changed and then walked out of the bedroom. He saw Jungkook standing in front of the brown table on the side of the living room. Taehyung walked up to him. It wasn't right to hide his thoughts. If he was going to be sold, he might as well know it.

"Jungkook-" Taehyung began, but Jungkook turned around, and Taehyung paused when he saw him holding a picture.

"Who- who is?" Jungkook asked, tilting his head a little, eyes big in innocent wonder. Taehyung looked at the polaroid picture in his hands, and grabbed it from Jungkook, feeling his throat go dry.

"Where did you find this?" Taehyung whispered, voice faint. Jungkook blinked. "J-Jungkook found it in- i-in the room with bed."

Taehyung looked at the picture for a few seconds. The picture was of a boy with black hair. In the picture he was sitting on Taehyung's couch all bunched up with a mug in his hands, lips slightly pouty, probably annoyed that Taehyung was taking a picture of him. Taehyung remembers the day like it was yesterday, even though it was a year ago.

"I told you not to go through my stuff." Taehyung said lowly, and Jungkook played with his fingers. Jungkook nodded.

"J-Jungkook got con-confused. Because the p-picture was-"

"Doesn't matter- just don't touch my fucking things. And don't ever bring this picture out again, got it?" Taehyung snapped, raising his voice, eyes darkened.

Jungkook got startled, and he looked at Taehyung with his big vacuous eyes. Jungkook took a step away from him and nodded, gripping his hands into fists tightly. Taehyung didn't take another look at the picture and just opened the drawer of the table, putting the picture inside and shutting it.

Taehyung turned around and sat down on the sofa, hands wringing with each other in a pensive manner. Taehyung looked at Jungkook. Jungkook stood beside the table, looking at the wall blankly. Taehyung grunted.

"You can't stay here, Jungkook." Taehyung said, and Jungkook looked at Taehyung, and then nodded.

"Jungkook will go to bedroom." Jungkook said, and began to walk away. Taehyung sighed, getting more irked by this boy's innocent, oblivious nature.

"Jungkook, I'm going to be real fucking honest with you, alright?" Taehyung said, and Jungkook stopped in his steps, turning around to look at Taehyung. "You're an android."

Jungkook blinked at Taehyung. "You're not human. You're not like me. You don't understand shit like sadness and love, and you'll never understand anything about life or living in general. You're a machine. That's all you are." Taehyung said.

Jungkook stayed silent. "So you just- you can't expect me to be able to help you, alright? You're an android. You have special needs, you-"

"J-Jungkook is-" Jungkook began, and Taehyung looked at him. Jungkook looked confused, overwhelmed. "Jungkook i-is different?"

Taehyung paused. He frowned, standing up from the couch. "Well, yeah. You're an android. You do know that, right?"

Jungkook looked confused. "Y-you are android." Jungkook repeated, trying. Taehyung shook his head, now getting more worried. Did Jungkook not realize he wasn't human?

"No, no, Jungkook- I'm a human. I'm not made of machine parts like you are," Taehyung said, and Jungkook looked at him. "I'm a living being. You're not. You don't even breathe."

"T-Taehyung is living bean?" Jungkook asked, voice faint. Taehyung ignored that mistake in his words, and just nodded. Jungkook nodded with him. "J-Jungkook is a-also living bean."

"No." Taehyung said and then took a deep breath. "Jungkook you're not real."

"Tae-Taehyung is not real a-also?" Jungkook squeaked, eyes big.

"Stop asking me so many questions!" Taehyung snapped. "Can you try and understand me? I'm a human, I was born naturally, I have a functioning mind and a soul, Jungkook. You don't have a normal functioning brain, you don't have a heart, you don't have a conscious. You don't have thoughts."

"J-Jungkook does." Jungkook said firmly. "Jungkook t-thinks of blue. And round. And T-Taehyung."

Taehyung's shoulders dropped for a second. Jungkook sniffled, eyes big. "Jungkook thinks o-of bed and- and holding hand." Jungkook said, and then looked at Taehyung, scared. "J-Jungkook thinks like Taehyung."

Taehyung cursed to himself, seeing how the boy looked like a kicked puppy, somehow making himself look small and delicate, despite his stature. His eyes so big, cheeks pink. Taehyung felt that guilt riling inside of him. Perhaps, somewhere, somewhere deep on the inside, Jungkook was a little bit human too.

"You're killing me here," Taehyung let out, closing his eyes. He can't keep Jungkook here forever. Sometime, in the future, he'll sell him off. But that time wasn't now.

Taehyung knew, in his mind, that he'd already sown the seed of guilt in the pit of his stomach. Soon it'd cultivate into a guilt so strong that nothing could kill it. He knew selling him now was better than later.

But Taehyung had always been good at pushing his problems aside and pretending they never existed.

"Taehyung is- is angry at Jungkook?" Jungkook asked, and Taehyung sighed, patting Jungkook's shoulder.

"No. I'm not. You need to stop speaking in third person, by the way." Taehyung said, walking past him and into the kitchen. Jungkook rushed up excitedly and sat down on the bar stool.

Taehyung leaned against the counter, facing Jungkook. "I'll tell you about pronouns. So, a pronoun is a word that can function as a noun phrase used by itself, and that refers either to the people around you. For example, instead of Jungkook, you can say me or I. Or, pronouns can be used to refer to someone or something mentioned elsewhere. Instead of Taehyung, you can say he or you. Got it?"

Jungkook blinked. He grabbed a wooden spoon from near Taehyung and then put his mouth over the spoon. "Jungkook want Rounf for dinner!" Jungkook said around the spoon.

Taehyung hung his head low, letting out a chuckle. "Damn, that went right over your head." Taehyung muttered. He looked up and took the spoon out of Jungkook's mouth, hitting his head with it. "No biting."

"J-Jungkook want!" Jungkook said, grabbing for the spoon. Taehyung suddenly saw some sand collection on Jungkook's collarbone from the way he stretched out, and hummed.

"How about a shower first?" Taehyung asked, and Jungkook brought his hand back, and then tilted his head in confusion.

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perhaps my best jungkook yet