Why was it that Jeong Gyu had to be wherever there was trouble in his life? Jungkook thought.

He was practically trying to kick the glass door in so Jungkook opened it and stepped outside.

It was clear that Jeong Gyu was inebriated and possibly on drugs considering his face was still looking white and clammy, his eyes glassy. Not only that but he didn't even seem in full possession of all of his faculties.

"You OK, Jeong Gyu? You don't look too good. Can I help you with something?" Jungkook started, wanting to convey calm to Jeong Gyu who seemed rather distressed.

Jeong Gyu looked furious and pointed an angry finger at Jungkook:

"Hear you're fucking my brother." He spat.

"Who I fuck is none of your concern, Jeong Gyu. If that's all you have to say then you had better leave. Should I call a taxi for you?" He spoke, entirely unaffected by the drunkard shouting at him.

"Oh don't worry about me, I've got a ride already." The wink he threw Jungkook was disgustingly dirty, clearly meant to convey only one thing.

"Well, good for you, I'll leave you to it then. Please stop kicking the door or you will have to pay for the damages."

"Yeah, whatever. So how's that bit of ass working out for you!!? Bet he's not half as good as I was... although I bet he's a little slut for you." He sneered and as much as Jungkook tried, he couldn't help but to take the bait. Mentioning Taehyung, who Jungkook knew was nothing but a caring brother to Jeong Gyu, boiled his blood in a millisecond.

"Don't talk about your brother like that!" He boomed, uncaring of the quiet streets and the possibility of someone being disturbed by his outburst.

As soon as Jeong Gyu saw he'd struck a nerve, he had to push some more.

"I bet he takes cock like a whore. Calls himself a man, pathetic! Honestly." He stumbled a little, struggling to stay upright.

Trying to breathe through his nose, reminding himself that Jeong Gyu was Taehyung's brother and that if he hurt him, he'd hurt Taehyung. That was probably the only thing that saved Jeong Gyu's life because the rage inside Jungkook was black like death.

"He's twice the man you'll ever be! You are nothing compared to him! Scum!" The second the harsh words left Jungkook's mouth he regretted them. Despite his anger, he tried desperately to take them back because he hadn't really meant them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I was angry. Please go home and sober up. Get your act together, Jeong Gyu, before you do something stupid." Jungkook voice softened a little, in a reluctant apology.

Going by the look on Jeong Gyu's face, it was too late to apologise. It was as if the impact of Jungkook's harsh words was playing ping pong in Jeong Gyu's eyes, the words swirling in his mind over and over, clearly escalating until he was getting more upset by the second.

"Hey, Jeong Gyu. Let me call you a taxi. Maybe you should go to the hospital, you really don't look too good? I'll get Taehyung, hang on." He said, looking back inside, considering if it was best to ask Jeong Gyu in or ask him to wait outside.

"Here's HERE? WITH YOU?! I should have fucking known! He doesn't give a shit about me!" and he ran off.

"What the f... Hey, wait!!" Jungkook called after him.

Jeong Gyu ran around the corner like a mad man at a speed which should be possible for someone who was clearly off his head on god knows what. Jungkook ran not far behind him but struggling to catch up in his sandals. All Jungkook saw was Jeong Gyu climb into a van where a familiar tattooed arm came out to close the door. Kwang-Joon.

That was it. He couldn't go after Jeong Gyu even if he wanted to. Kwang-Joon had too much power and too much protection. Jungkook's hands were tied.

Jungkook had a terrible feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

Despite not wanting to ruin the evening, not wanting to lose the soft, happy Taehyung to the stress and angst over his brother, this was the last time Jungkook was going to hide anything. The lies had gone on long enough.

Jungkook ran upstairs and found Taehyung wrapped up in a bath towel sitting in front of the fire all relaxed and glowing.

Jungkook burst into the room with such a speed that even though Taehyung was all the way to the other end of the space, he jumped, holding his heart.

"Taehyung! I'm sorry. We need to talk."

Straightaway at the words, he could see the beautiful soft eyes widen and panic, long fingers wrapping the bathrobe tighter around his slim frame.

"No. No. Not like that. God. I just need to tell you something."

Jungkook flicked his sandals off and climbed onto the couch and automatically, Taehyung moved into his space, into his embrace.

"I love you." He said and immediately Taehyung's eyes softened.

"Yeah, I know silly, you just told me, have you already forgotten?" Soft blush rose on his cheeks already pink from the bath.

Jungkook weaved their fingers together and hoped that Taehyung would never stop looking at him with those soft eyes so full of love.

He had to tell him.

"I- I know your brother." Taehyung's face went suddenly very neutral, his spine a little stiff.

"I don't know how to say this...so I'm just going to say it. He used to be my sub."

A long silence hung between them. It was long enough for Jungkook to run through every single possible scenario in his mind and panic when none of them seemed to end up even remotely happily. The only scenario he hadn't considered was:

"I know." Taehyung answered his voice low and quiet, his eyes downcast.

Jungkook lifted his chin with a million questions in his eyes.

"You knew?!" Jungkook asked, in dismay. Taehyung nodded, silent.

"Well, is that OK? I thought you'd be pissed off at me for corrupting your brother or something?" Relief was washing through Jungkook.

Taehyung smiled, wistful. "No, I'm not upset with you, at all... after all, it takes two to tango... Jeong Gyu is an adult and I can't imagine you went to chase him, somehow?" Taehyung smiled a little, now understanding a little more.

Jungkook just shook his head and smiled into Taehyung's hair, whispering:

"I love you. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I was worried you'd be upset with me..."

Taehyung snuggled his reply into Jungkook's chest, still utterly unable to come clean about why he was here, why he had come here -even though revenge hadn't been Taehyung's reason for a long time now.

He realised it probably wasn't even that big a deal but because he had waited this long, the secret had grown inside him into colossal proportions, into an issue of major importance that was going to ruin them if he said anything.

Breathing in Jungkook's familiar scent deeply, Taehyung was wondering if Jungkook would forgive him as easily.

"Lie down with me." Was all he said, the need to feel Jungkook against him loud like a siren inside him.

They lay down on the couch and Taehyung cocooned himself under Jungkook's arm and leg, squished between the high back of the couch behind him and Jungkook's broad frame in front of him. As of now, this was his new favourite place.

There they lay for a moment that felt like eternity, neither feeling the need to move nor say anything.

The flames were still high after Jungkook had added some more wood into the fire. In the warmth and cosy sounds of it and in the all-encompassing embrace around him, Taehyung felt he'd never been happier than he was in this very moment. He could feel himself drifting off to sleep, still clinging onto the front of Jungkook's shirt.

The phone rang.

It was 4am.

Being torn from such deep sleep, there was a moment when Taehyung couldn't understand what was going on. He was wrapped in a heavy blanket that wouldn't move. He struggled to get up to answer the phone and it wasn't until his blanket groaned that Taehyung realised it was Jungkook.

The fire had died down, now there were only hints of orange and pink in the warm glow.

Taehyung tried to remember where he had left his clothes, in the end having to go by sound.

The shrilly noise was so loud in the silence, it hurt Taehyung's ears. The timing of the call had his heart already beating a million miles an hour, full of worry for the only person the call could be about.

Seeing the caller ID confirmed Taehyung's worst fears: Jimin. This was serious.

Holding on to the tears that were already threatening, Taehyung cleared the sleep out of his throat and answered.

"What's wrong, Jimin?"

At first Taehyung couldn't make out anything but noise, but it was loud enough and desperate enough for the tears to escape.

"Jimin!! Are you there? What's wrong??" He shouted. "Jimin!"

"Taehyung!" Finally a voice echoed through the noise. It was so distorted by upset that Taehyung could hardly recognise it as Jimin. "It's Jeong Gyu! We're... we're.. re." He was hiccupping from the obvious tears and Taehyung fell onto the ground, only to be caught by strong arms supporting him.

"WHAT IS IT?" The shrill voice that Taehyung heard was his own.

"nnttt-the ambulance. Seoul University..." A loud radio crackle on the background shouted. Arrival in 2min, code blue.

Even Taehyung had seen enough medical dramas to know that code blue was bad. Very bad.

The phone fell on the floor when Taehyung lost himself for a moment, all of his insides sinking into themselves, engulfed by darkness so black he couldn't breathe.

"Taehyung. Taehyung. Breathe." He felt firm hands on his shoulder. "Breathe."

Nothing was moving, no air nor sound, because the whole world was stuck in Taehyung's throat.

Gentle hands cupped his cheeks.

"Taehyung, Angel. Look at me." The Voice snuck through the chaos and found Taehyung, reminding him to breathe, to wake up, to act, to move -it levelled him like nothing else could have.

Jungkook could see the pain in Taehyung's eyes, he could put two and two together. "Tell me what needs to happen and I'll make it so." He whispered.

"J-Jeong Gyu... h-h-hospital."

"Which one?" Jungkook said, already finding Taehyung's clothes and passing them onto him.

"I only heard Seoul and university."

"He must have meant the Seoul National University Hospital. I know where it is, I'll drive you."

Taehyung didn't remember the journey there, he didn't recall if Jungkook had said anything. All he remembered was a comforting hand on his thigh, a familiar scent of Jungkook surrounding him like a hug.

The hospital was a strange complex of buildings.

There was a very old-fashioned, red brick building, a building that looked like any other square, white hospital with rows and rows of small windows, and a recently constructed new wing which looked shiny and futuristic, the almost mirrored, flat surface of all glass running up the height and length of the building, curving outwards in the middle.

The contrasting wall below was a bizarrely coloured terracotta wave that had the hospital name emblazoned onto it in large roman letters. Orange streetlights that seemed way too bright for this time in the morning lit the ground around the multi-lane one way system running along the front of the hospital, yellow ones brightened the entrance, making it look almost like a happy, welcoming place.

The glass wall was rather beautiful when the colours of the sunrise reflected off it, Taehyung thought, his mind fracturing, unable to process his reasons for being here.

As soon as they entered, the distraught figure of Jimin flung itself at Taehyung, clinging on for dear life. His pretty face was ugly when he cried, his pink hair was a mess of candyfloss. Together, Taehyung and Jungkook took Jimin's pathetic figure to the seating area which was an empty sea of orange seats. Taehyung focused on Jimin in order to ignore the incessant screaming and panic billowing inside himself.

"Jimin, what happened?" Taehyung said, his voice oddly calm.

Out of nowhere, Jungkook appeared with a bottle of water, Jimin thanked him after eyeballing him for a moment when he realised who he was.

Before answering, Jimin asked Taehyung a million questions with his eyes, flicking between Jungkook and Taehyung, confused as to why Jungkook was here.

"Jungkook. This is Jimin, Jeong Gyu's good friend. Jimin, as you know, this is Jungkook. He gave me a lift here." Taehyung didn't miss him taking in the dishevelled and sleepy look of Taehyung with his bedhair and making obviously stunned conclusions based on it.

"Now can you please tell me what is going on. Your call really worried me. Is Jeong Gyu OK?" His up-to-this-point confident voice wavered and Jungkook reached across to squeeze his thigh in support -a move which wasn't missed by Jimin.

"H-he called me. He was an absolute mess, I couldn't even figure out what he was saying, it was so obvious he needed help." Taehyung was already upset, not least because Jeong Gyu hadn't called him but Jimin instead -who wasn't even family.

"He sounded totally deranged, talking in gibberish... Someone else picked up the phone and told me where they were." He gulped, eyes glazing over when he stared into the distance, clearly remembering what had happened, everything still so fresh in his mind.

"By the time I got there -he was at Kwang-Joon's- he was unconscious. Boiling hot, like he was being steamed from the inside. I called the ambulance straightaway but when it... when it... on the way here, he, he stopped breathing." He cried inconsolably but Taehyung was white as sheet, quiet as a ghost. The latter concerned Jungkook much more than the former because at least crying was a natural reaction to someone close to you being at the edge of death.

"I called you the first chance I got... they kept resuscitating him the whole way to the hospital. I still have no idea what's going on...." He kept wiping his tears and his nose into his sleeve, looking really rather pathetic.

Taehyung didn't know how he was still functioning.

Just when Jimin had finished speaking, a person came through the double doors, looking into their direction.

"Who is Kim Jeong Gyu's guardian?" The voice was professional and quiet, reserved enough to make Taehyung worry.

"I am." His voice was barely a whisper.

"We have managed to get his heart going and he's breathing on his own, which is a relief... but... there are possible complications. I would like to discuss this with you in the office, if you please?"

The panic on Taehyung's eyes was enough to mobilise Jungkook, even without Taehyung asking him to go with him.

He grabbed the shaking hand and squeezed it with reassurance.

"Jimin, please wait here, I'll come and talk to you straight away after, OK?" He nodded with his thick lip wobbling, promising more tears.

The room was suffocating in its smallness and lack of windows, there was only a small white desk with two chairs crammed in front of it, one behind.

The doctor whose name Taehyung did not know sat down, gesturing they do the same.

He placed the file in front of him on the table and already everything about him, his stance, his hands, his eyes, the way he swallowed before he spoke, told Taehyung that this was going to be bad. He didn't want to hear it. He just wanted to cover his ears and shout la-la-laaa loudly like a child. Instead, he sat down quietly and nodded his silent attention.

"We have run the blood tests and there are some things I need to discuss with you, Mr Kim. These are rather... private... matters, are you comfortable with speaking about them with your... friend... present?" It was clear from his tone that he was trying to pussyfoot around saying "boyfriend".

"I'm happy." It was so bizarre to say those words when not a thing inside Taehyung was currently happy.

"We have discovered considerable amounts of 3,4-Methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine or MDMA, commonly known as E or Ecstasy in Jeong Gyu's blood."

When Taehyung nodded without surprise, his lips thin and eyes downcast, the doctor carried on after lifting an eyebrow infinitesimally.

"There was also a significant amount of venlafaxine which is a commonly prescribed antidepressant used to treat depression, anxiety and panic attacks."

When surprised registered on Taehyung's face, the doctor asked:

"You weren't aware of Jeong Gyu's antidepressant use?"

"I had no idea. But why..?"

"Can you tell me about his behaviour in the recent months? Has been behaving in a way that's unusual for him?"

Taehyung thought back 12 months and realised there wasn't much that wasn't unusual.

"Well... for quite some months now, he's been very withdrawn. He stopped working, stopped seeing friends... he didn't really go out, didn't really look after himself very well..."

Taehyung felt ashamed, as if just realising how serious all that had been, how he should have taken it more seriously, he felt like all this was somehow his fault, that he hadn't tried hard enough to fix it. The momentarily forgotten panic was back full force, strangling him.

"Well that sounds pretty norm...." The doctor said, assuming Taehyung had finished speaking, but he carried on, unfazed:

"...until recently, when he just suddenly changed, overnight."

The doctor leaned over, curious.

"Changed?"

"Yes, it was like a light had been switched on. Suddenly he was back to normal and doing stuff and getting all exited -he even started some building works for the house and seeing friends, looking to date again.... he started going out a lot, having fun, you know -being his usual self, even more, actually. Like a... powered-up version of himself. More intense. It was a bit weird, come to think of it." Taehyung added, as an afterthought, as if still tasting the words and their potential meaning.

Taehyung snuck a peek toward Jungkook and found him looking directly at him with a quiet, somehow comforting look that made Taehyung realise that Jungkook would not have known about Jeong Gyu being such a mess, this would be news to him. Taehyung managed a little smile and squeeze of hand before he directed his attention back to the doctor who seemed to be mulling things over.

"That's interesting. This might be a bit more complicated than I had realised..."

Taehyung and Jungkook glanced at each other.

"The amount of MDMA in your brother's blood far exceeds the amount that would be there from occasional, single use. Is it possible that he may have been using for a longer time or... might have taken a lot in one go on purpose?"

When the meaning of the question became clear to Taehyung, he felt all the blood drain from his face and both of the other men in the room suddenly moved as if to catch him because it looked like he was about faint.

He lifted his shaking hand as if to say he was OK -well as OK as one can be when a doctor asks you if you thought your brother was capable of attempting suicide.

Almost apologetically, the doctor hurried to say:

"MDMA is known to increase mood significantly, it can also induce feelings of sexual euphoria so it's not unheard of for people with depression to attempt to self-medicate using it. However, the other possible, negative, side effects of the drug include changes in perception, paranoia, anxiety.... and psychosis...

...considering the fact that your brother was already on anti-depressants complicates matters because there is a known interaction with the two types of drugs....

... ecstasy -even on its own- has been known to cause a condition called acute serotonin toxicity or serotonin syndrome in some people. It is possible to have this even after a single dose and it doesn't even require large amounts of it -which makes using MDMA very dangerous, contrary to popular belief, but the condition is most likely to occur in people who are also using anti-depressants.

...your brother's physical symptoms certainly fit the criteria. I cannot over-emphasise how lucky you were to have your brother brought to us when you did -at these levels, serotonin toxicity is lethal if left untreated."

Taehyung concentrated on trying to breathe. To feel the air going in and out of his lungs, how it filled his chest and then emptied it. Focusing on that for a moment was the only thing that kept him from collapsing. The gentle touch at his thigh and the reassuring weight on his hand was what centred him. Taehyung didn't know how he would have survived had Jungkook not been here. He hoped that his gratitude showed in his eyes.

"There is, however, the problem of your brother's mental health."

At that, both Taehyung and Jungkook flicked their eyes back to the doctor.

"We won't know for sure without talking to Jeong Gyu and doing proper interviews with you and Jeong Gyu's friend but going by what I have heard up to now, I think Jeong Gyu has suffered not only an overdose of MDMA and the serotonin toxicity following that but I think he has actually had a psychotic episode stemming from the drug use but also -I have a reason to believe- because he's bipolar."

"I'm sorry doctor, I have no idea what any of that means." Taehyung said in a small voice, trying his best to understand with a brain that was completely overwhelmed with anxiety and upset.

"Bipolar disorder. It's a mood disorder, often presents as episodes of low mood -depression- and episodes of high mood -mania- and as it is a condition affected by serotonin and dopamine, which are both altered by both MDMA and anti-depressants.

It's not surprising your brother has ended up here because he wouldn't have known that the very things he was using to try and treat himself could have such a negative combined effect on him."

Taehyung gulped, swallowed and swallowed, unable to speak but wanting to ask a question.

Jungkook helped him.

"How do you know he's bipolar?"

"The behaviour you have described with Jeong Gyu's withdrawal from the world is classic for someone suffering with severe depression. Symptoms such as rapidly increased mood, activity levels, irritability, significantly increased sexual activity, increased risk taking, racing thoughts, anxiety, feelings of invincibility, even grandiose self-esteem in turn are usual for people in the middle of a manic episode... Do any of those sound familiar?"

A manic, joyless cackle out of Taehyung made the room echo with the sad noise.

"He sounds like the poster boy for bipolar disorder. You have just described the last few weeks of our lives... although...is it possible that this would have gone on for a while?" Taehyung asked, already recounting Jeong Gyu's past behaviour, analysing it with 20:20 hindsight.

"Yes, most certainly. Symptoms can start as early as adolescence and sadly, it can take as long as ten years to get diagnosed, on average, because it is so difficult to diagnose reliably so people often get misdiagnosed or simply fall through the net.

Some people have cyclical symptoms, some have randomly occurring episodes of mania followed by depressive episodes. There are even cases where the mood changes with seasons. Some people have periods of euthymia in between... erm periods of mood that can be described as normal in between the episodes. It really is as varied as the people who suffer with it...but often the longer the condition remains untreated, the more significant do the mood abnormalities become."

At that Taehyung finally cracked and started crying. He could have helped him all along, he could have done something about it and he didn't. This was all his fault, Taehyung thought.

Recognising Taehyung's feelings of guilt -something the doctor was clearly very used to- he said to reassure him:

"If you had taken him to the doctor, without evidence of manic episodes, they wouldn't have done anything differently, the standard prescription would have been antidepressants for depression. Unfortunately, there is a significant risk of mania when antidepressants are prescribed to bipolar patients. Although it's rare, this can -even without the addition of other drugs- lead to a psychotic episode."

Taehyung was exhausted, mentally and physically. It all seemed too much to take on.

"So what now?" Taehyung asked.

"For the next 48hrs, once he is stable enough, I'm going to transfer him under the care of Dr Ahn Yong-Min who is our neuropsychiatrist who specialises in Bipolar Disorder. Currently Jeong Gyu is in extensive care and heavily sedated and he will remain there for at least 24 hours, more likely 48hrs. Unfortunately, this means you won't be able to see him until after that. I recommend you go home.

As for after that. We will start him with mood stabilising medication immediately, most probably lithium and he will need to be hospitalised for at least 4-6 weeks, depending on how well he gets on with the treatment and if he shows enough improvement..." he hesitated.

"What is it?" Taehyung asked, his stomach falling again. Surely it couldn't be any worse than it already was?

"Unfortunately, there is no cure for bipolar disorder -like with so many other mental illnesses, it's about management of symptoms, not curing the illness. This is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life." He nodded with genuine sympathy, clearly accustomed to delivering bad news to families.

Taehyung couldn't help but to ask one more question, the one that mattered most to him.

"He'll be alright though, yes?" A ridiculous question in the face of everything that the doctor had said but Taehyung just needed to know he's brother wasn't going to die and he'd deal with the rest later.

"We will try our very best, Mr Kim. I will go and see to him now."

Jimin stood up as soon as they returned to the waiting area.

"He'll be ok, Jimin. Well, relatively speaking..."

It was good enough for Jimin who slumped back down into his seat with relief, whispering: "Thank goodness for that." The reaction was strong enough to make Taehyung wonder in the back of his mind if there was something other than friendship going on between Jeong Gyu and Jimin.

"But we can't see him for at least 24-48hrs so we need to go home, we can't stay here." Taehyung reached a hand out to Jimin.

"I'll take you both home." Jungkook said, wrapping his arm around Taehyung's shoulders. Then he added, just for Taehyung's ears: "But unfortunately, I'll have to go back, the club's closed today and tonight because we are having an audit so I need to be there. I wish I could be with you." He squeezed Taehyung's hand apologetically.

During the drive through the quiet streets tinted a beautiful peach by the rising sun, Taehyung had time to think.

They all sat in silence, bruised by the events of the evening, numb after the rollercoaster of emotions.

They dropped Jimin off first and Taehyung embraced him warmly after he got out of the car.

Tears in his eyes he said quietly:

"Thank you Jimin, so much. You saved my brother's life, I'll never forget that, ever." He choked.

"I'll see you soon, let me know when I can come and see Jeong Gyu." He smiled.

Taehyung smiled in return and nodded.

They drove off in silence, Taehyung just looking forward to collapsing in his own bed.

"Taehyung. I have to tell you something." Jungkook spoke finally, after hours of almost complete silence.

"I.. I'm sorry. I think all this shit is my fault." Jungkook's voice wavered a little.

The surprise was strong enough to be like shock on Taehyung's face. "What?"

"I saw Jeong Gyu last night, while you were in the bath. He was downstairs kicking the door in, he was drunk." Jungkook's voice was tight, his fingers gripping the wheel.

Taehyung tensed. "Why didn't you tell me?" Upset was crawling under Taehyung's skin that was already raw from all the upset of the night.

Jungkook hung his head a little, eyes still focused on the road, stiffness evident in this shoulders.

"I said... I said something nasty to him and I think he took it really badly. He ran off."

"Why didn't you say anything!?!?" Taehyung squealed. "We could have avoided all this!?"

This time, Jungkook didn't like the wide eyes staring at him because they were filled with accusation.

"I never expected something like this to happen...I didn't tell you because there was nothing you could have done, you would have only gotten upset and had tried to do something stupid. He went with Kwang-Joon."

Taehyung just about managed to keep a lid on it. "Who is Kwang-Joon? And why do you say his name like that?"

"He's a lowlife, a criminal, with a gang, I think Jeong Gyu was subbing for him."

"What does that have got to do with anything. Could have just called the police!"

"He wasn't held against his will, plus the police won't touch him -I've tried many times in the past..."

Jungkook twisted his hands on the wheel, trying to find the words to fix this.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep it from you, but when I saw you so relaxed and happy, like you'd just forgotten all the shit that had been plaguing you, I just couldn't bring myself to tell you when you couldn't have done anything about it anyway."

He sighed, deeply, tired to the bone.

Taehyung was quiet, just running through everything in his muddled mind, what had happened in the last few weeks, even before Taehyung knew anything about Jungkook. The more he thought about it the less his anger became because he realised that a temporary blip like a few words between two people would not throw someone to the verge of a suicide if there weren't other things going on. It really didn't matter.

Despite his thoughts, Taehyung pouted, arms still crossed over his chest.

Jungkook detected a slight change in Taehyung, almost like a relaxation and he was grateful for it because he couldn't stand Taehyung being upset with him. It was the worst feeling in the world.

He wanted to bring Taehyung back around to him so he flicked his fingers under his chin and teased.

"You're so cute when you're upset." Taehyung nearly bit his fingers off.

"STOP trying to distract me when I'm trying to be upset with you!!" despite actually being rather upset with Jungkook, he was too weak and couldn't control his lip which quivered, threatening with a smile. He couldn't be upset with Jungkook because he was weak for him.

"Ah, so you're only trying to be upset, but not actually upset?" Jungkook wriggled a finger behind his arm before he realised that perhaps that wasn't very sensible when there was a chance of a car crash when Taehyung would react to the tickle.

"Argh! You just wait when this car stops.... Your ass is mine!" Taehyung growled. Jungkook chuckled as if to say, yeah right.

They weren't far off from Taehyung's house and he still hadn't said what he had been meaning to say since the beginning even when he knew this was going to be his best chance to come clean.

"Actually, I have a confession to make too. And I should have done it a long time ago... I can't exactly be upset with you for keeping something from me when I've done the same except from the very day I first met you." Taehyung played with his fingers on his lap, avoiding looking at Jungkook.

In the quiet humming of the car, being hugged gently by the seat, feeling the warm presence of Jungkook, it finally felt possible to speak of what had been left unsaid until now.

"I... I came to avenge Jeong Gyu. When I came to you. I wanted to hurt you." His voice was so small Jungkook leaned over a little to hear him better.

"Hurt me? Why?"

"Because I thought you'd hurt him, because you made him... like that. He said it was you." Now that Taehyung said it out loud it sounded positively ridiculous, what exactly had he thought to achieve by his little "plan"?

"You thought I hurt him." Jungkook eyes flicked off the road to look at the skyline to the side of him, away from Taehyung. There was a tightness in his jaw that Taehyung didn't like the look of.

The silence after Taehyung's words felt different.

"Let's get one thing straight, Taehyung." That tone was no longer gentle. "I don't hurt people -unless they ask me to." His nostrils flared.

Suddenly the car stopped and Taehyung realised he was home.

"Get out." The two words were actually the harshest words Jungkook had ever spoken to him.

"But I don't.... now I..." Taehyung stuttered, not understanding how this had all gone so wrong so suddenly.

"Get. Out." How could Taehyung not listen to The Voice especially when it was practically shouting at him.

Feeling the tears already gather inside him, threatening to burst, Taehyung reached for the handle as if in a dream. He wondered if this was going to be the last time he ever saw Jungkook, after everything, was this it?

He hugged himself with suddenly cold fingers that weren't able to warm the cold inside him and turned to Jungkook, not ashamed of the billionth swarm of tears in the last 24hrs.

Jungkook couldn't believe he was going to leave this broken, pathetic thing that had just nearly lost everything and needed him more than anything, standing there on the sidewalk and drive away.

The chocolate eyes he so loved were red, brimming and overflowing with tears -it was surprising he had any left- and the plea in them ripped Jungkook's soul out of his chest.

But his anger was intense, he rarely flared into the emotion but when he did, it was all-consuming and unmanageable, he wasn't safe to be around.

Yet, he couldn't leave without leaving some hope for Taehyung who looked like he was about crumble under the weight of everything.

Opening the car window, he said:

"I... I just need a bit of time. Give me time, Taehyung." And he drove off.

It was somehow appropriate that Taehyung's house looked exactly like he felt: gutted and shattered to pieces. His life, everything that ever meant anything to him was missing and he didn't know if he'd ever get any of it back.

If Jeong Gyu survived the overdose and if he were able to manage his condition to live his life normally -Taehyung still didn't know if he'd ever forgive him and accept him as his brother again.

Taehyung had actually thought that Jungkook would take it much better than he had. He had thought that what they had and how much it meant would be much more than a pesky lie told a while back which clearly now meant absolutely nothing.

Alas, it was not to be.

Not able to deal with a single thing more, Taehyung walked into his room and collapsed onto his bed, clothes and all and immediately disappeared into the land of sweet oblivion.

When he woke up, the sun was high in the sky.

Sleep is a wonderful thing. It helps us grow, rejuvenate, organise our memories, process information, helps us learn -but for Taehyung it gave the best thing of all: clarity.

A few hours' sleep was enough for Taehyung to wake up being able to focus on things that were not only relevant but positive. His fatalistic attitude was long gone and his usual can-do attitude was back.

Taehyung was going to tackle this shit head on.

He dug out the brooms and dustpans and even popped a wide headband on to keep his curls away from his eyes. He drew the line at the cute gloves though and just worked without any, wearing the biggest boots he could find.

After a few hours, he had cleared most of the crud out of the house and most of the crud out of his head, washing the dust off in a long bath...

He knew what to do.

Taehyung had a plan.

He knew he had time since he couldn't go and see Jeong Gyu for a day or two and since he had played everything through in his mind over and over and over, he knew where they were at with Jungkook.

Taehyung had no doubts about Jungkook's love, nor his own. He knew they were solid as anything and that this was just a hiccup -a mood that passes through you.

He wanted -more than anything- to show Jungkook that his love for him was strong and that it would not easily waver, that Taehyung was his in a way that he had never been anyone else's.

In order for the plan to work, Taehyung would need a little help from the inside. He figured that it wouldn't be a problem getting into the club since he'd gotten in once before and now, most of the staff actually knew him.

Taehyung grabbed his things and headed for the club right when the sun was about to set.

Taehyung was let in and keeping a low profile, he snuck downstairs into the dungeon. He decided the last room along the corridor was the best bet for what he was about to do. It felt a little spooky in the dim lighting with all the bondage frames covered with white sheets.

Not letting himself dwell on it, he grabbed a bunch of charged-up candles out of his bag and switching them on one by one, he placed them around room in between the ghostly figures, centred around the large black, velvet cushion he had placed on the floor.

He walked back to the doorway to check the view upon entry and once he was happy with it, he carried on with the final part of his plan.

He undressed completely, his heart beating out of his chest with excitement and with terror over something possibly going wrong. He didn't let the possibility of rejection even enter his mind. The slogan what's the worst that can happen played in Taehyung's mind but it didn't really comfort him.

This time, the rope he had chosen was black. He felt it went better with the mood and with what he was about to do. He still remembered the simple moves required to tie the half corset so before he prepared the rest of the things, he completed the tie, making it nice and firm across his waist.

It felt good, like a supporting, familiar hug of a close friend.

Once he was ready, he stuffed all of his clothes into the bag and pulled out a large dark box. Nervous, he traced his hands over the corners of it, refusing to deliberate over whether this was the right thing to do or not.

Although Taehyung was nervous, he was fairly certain Jungkook would react positively.

With this in mind, he kneeled on the cushion, sitting back on his heels facing away from the entry and texted Jungkook, holding the dark box on his lap.

The text Jungkook received bewildered him more than any other message Taehyung had ever sent him.

Come down to the dungeon, we need to talk.

Talk about what? And why in the dungeon?

Too curious to resist, Jungkook left the office, locking in and took the two flights of stairs to descend into the darkness that was the dungeon.

It wasn't fully dark, however. A dim light glowed from the last room in the row of cells and Jungkook approached it slowly, cautiously, not knowing what to expect.

His heart was beating loudly in his ears, and he felt goosebumps run up and down his limbs.

There was nothing in the world that could have prepared him for the sight awaiting him.

Like a punch in the guts, the sight of naked Taehyung, bar a rope corset, sitting on the floor, his gorgeous ass so round and luscious, his neck so slender and submissive -all of it winded Jungkook so badly that he wasn't sure if he was ever going to breathe again.

Having to clear his throat, he whispered: "Taehyung?" He couldn't believe that Taehyung was really here.

Taehyung turned his head slightly to indicate he had heard him and flicked it enough to tell Jungkook that he wanted Jungkook in front of him.

On the verge of a heart attack, Jungkook walked slowly around Taehyung to stand in front of him.

Looking down at Taehyung, he looked so beautiful, sitting his knees together daintily, his neck bent, face lowered, the most submissive Jungkook had ever seen him. He had to see his face because those eyes would tell him what was going on.

He slid a gentle finger under Taehyung's chin and tugged lightly to get him to look up.

FUCK!

That was all that Jungkook could think when he was suddenly reminded of how beautiful Taehyung was -it's not like he'd forgotten, he was just blinded by it every time he saw him. This couldn't be real.

Unable to even utter a word, Jungkook stayed silent, only asking questions with his eyes.

When Taehyung spoke, his deep voice resonated beautifully in the hard space lit up with a gentle glow.

"I'm sorry, Jungkook. Truly. I know that you'd never hurt anyone. It's one of the things I love most about you. I also want you to know that there is nothing that will ever get in the way of my love for you."

His nervous fingers fiddled with the box on his knees.

Jungkook lifted his eyebrows in question and the eyes below them were warm and loving. When a gentle wisp of a smile finally played on Jungkook's lips, Taehyung knew that this was the right call.

"I- I..." He swallowed and gazed into Jungkook eyes with all his love when he said:

"I'm yours, if you'll have me."

He opened the box and offered it to Jungkook like a gift to the gods, averting his eyes, scared that he'd see something he didn't want to see.

Jungkook gasped at the contents.

"Taehyung... shit." His fingers ran through his hair before he grabbed the box and fell on the floor on his knees in front of Taehyung.

"D-do you know what this means, Taehyung?" his voice was soft, his eyes damp.

"Yes. I want it."

In a daze, Jungkook pulled out the simple, wide, black leather collar out of the box and attached it around Taehyung's neck with shaking fingers.

"I love you, Taehyung, so much. I feel so privileged to be your chosen person, but you're already mine in a way you will never be anyone else's, you don't need to do this just to prove it."

"I know. But I want to." Taehyung whispered when Jungkook tugged at the collar gently to bring them together into a kiss that contained everything.

"Let's go upstairs." He whispered against Taehyung's lips.

In a sudden dramatic move, Jungkook yanked off one of the white sheets off the nearest frame and wrapped it around Taehyung's naked form. Without a word, he lifted him onto his arms and carried him toward the lift, Taehyung's arms automatically wrapping around his neck.

"Wouldn't it be more impressive if you took the stairs?" Taehyung teased.

"Listen. If you want me to be any good for...well, anything, we'd better take the lift." Jungkook grinned, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

While they were waiting for the lift, Taehyung blurted out while tapping a long finger against the leather:

"You realise this is just for the Play Room right? Don't want you to start bossing me around outside it." He pouted a little, his strong eyebrows furrowing.

Jungkook laughed heartily, shaking his head, absolutely enamoured with the figure in his arms when they stepped into the lift.

"What!?" Taehyung asked, pouting some more, unimpressed at being thus laughed at.

"It's just... I love you. I really do. I don't think you realise how much...." His smile was obvious in his tone when he carried on:

"...You don't know, do you..." He chuckled in loving disbelief at Taehyung's ability to constantly surprise him, to keep him on his toes.

"... a collar is something that's gifted by the Dom to the sub when they've earned it. It's not something that a sub gives to the Dom -but hey, I'm all for reformed relationships, as long as you know who wears the pants in the Play Room, I'm cool." He smirked, kissing Taehyung's temple, admiring the red decorating the soft cheeks.

Taehyung planted a wet kiss on Jungkook's cheek right when the lift doors opened.

For some reason, Taehyung had wild butterflies fluttering in his tummy.

When they arrived at the Play Room door, Jungkook put Taehyung down while he fiddled with the keypad. Taehyung rearranged his delightfully chic white sheet outfit and gathered it in his hands like a gown so he wouldn't trip over the excessive amount of fabric around his bare feet.

At the beep of the door, Taehyung went to enter the Play Room, only to find that the door was still closed.

Instead, the door opposite the Play Room was open and Jungkook was waiting on the inside of his apartment, his hand stretched out to show the way.

The implications of this development were so significant that Taehyung was momentarily rendered speechless, probably for the first time in his life. But rather than voice his surprise- he simply said:

"Well, I'm already dressed like a bride, you might as well carry me across the threshold!"

So he did.

The End.