❌❌❌In case you missed the tags -please note that this story has a truly devastating sad ending.❌❌❌

Year 2184

A sinful moan escaped her throat when her glossy and puffy pussy lips were parted by a thick, veiny shaft slowly sinking into the pink, wet hole. She leaned back, her luscious thighs spread wide open above the man. It was impossible to miss a single detail of her feminine anatomy for the bright lights were shining right at her tight orifice so pleasurably violated by the sizeable cock.

Her full breasts jiggled when she picked up the pace and rode the man with a single purpose.

His strong fingers dented her soft hips and the faster she rode, the louder the man panted and moaned, harmonising with her. Soon, slapping of their skins echoed around the hall over the silent audience.

Every move of the mating pair was magnified, many-fold, on the large screens behind them, allowing for a detailed inspection of the woman's intimate anatomy and behaviour.

She started vocalising louder with every thrust and suddenly, she screamed, her internal muscles clamping down so hard she pushed the man's pink cock out of her hole with the force of her orgasm. Clear liquid pulsed out of her in time with the spasms, the spray diminishing rapidly until she collapsed on top of him.

A reserved applause not worthy of the performance erupted in the faceless crowd.

A monotonous voice announced: "This was Exhibit 203B. Heterosexual with basic level of sexual training but extra fluid emission skills. You can leave your first-round bids on your way out. Next is Exhibit NH75x, a male-to-male specimen."

A muscular, dark-skinned man walked out from behind the screens with his large, erect penis oiled and nodding in front of him with every step. He turned the man still on the stage onto all fours and prepared to mount him by adjusting his large member over his hole. He shoved in all the way in one swift push. Not even the people sitting in the front row could see the tiny twitches on the man's face when he tried to contain the agony of being penetrated in such a way without preparation.

"... and the bids for this specimen start at..."

*

By 2049, all sexually transmitted diseases were eradicated.

Universally safe, mandatory and government regulated contraception became compulsory in 2053 to control the population growth that was rapidly spiralling out of control.

As a result of these two events, societal structure and cultural attitudes to sex evolved in various and unexpected ways over a relatively short period of time.

In the past, diligence, honesty and intelligence were some of the many characteristics considered desirable in people and generally speaking, the most prevalent aims in life revolved around education, successful employment and marriage. Good jobs and good families used to be solid benchmarks of success.

Surprisingly soon after the changes, aims in life dwindled into shorter term goals usually focusing round sexual gratification while at the same time characteristics, other than those based on sexual attractiveness, became obsolete in defining a person's value or aptitude: a big cock was much more likely to get you ahead in life than an IQ of 147.

The societal changes started with small positive effects like legalisation of sex trade, providing safer working environments, rights and equal pay for sex workers.

Then openly available and advertised sex clubs, strip clubs and brothels became common -to the point that they seemed to be found at every street corner.

However, in no time at all, it went way beyond that.

Adult-only areas of the city where anyone could do whatever they wanted to -so long as everyone was of legal age and consenting- became more common. There one could walk around naked if they so wished or have sex with random strangers on the streets. No one would bat an eyelid.

Flesh was easily available, commonplace.

Sex was in your face.

It was precisely because sex was so blaringly obvious and incessantly in everyone's face that it became ordinary, it became boring, it became undesirable. The irony.

People were all fucked out, numbed out by too much sex that was just too much of the same.

This was why something novel, something completely unique and exceptional was conceived and was to be sold only to the richest, the most privileged of people:

"The Skinless"

The term was a somewhat of a gruesome misnomer because the Skinless did in fact have skin, it's just that no one had ever seen it. Ever.

The Skinless were genetically engineered "perfect" humans who spent their entire lives hidden in dedicated facilities where almost complete isolation from the outside world was possible. There they remained until the age of 18, after which they were brought out for sale in auctions for extortionate sums of money.

The duality of the Skinless combined the two things most appealing to the sex gluttons who were willing to pay outrageous amounts of money for the benefit of owning one: they were the epitome of the innocent virgin and the experienced hand. Perhaps the biggest attraction, however, was the fact that the Skinless were trained to submit to whatever the client asked them to do, without question.

There were people -few and far in between- who recognised the cruelty in the very existence of the Skinless. They acknowledged the complete denial of even their most basic of human rights: freedom.

Medical science had advanced to a level where genetic modification and engineering of humans had become legal and commonplace. Despite the fact that human rights held more power around the world than they ever had in the past, the producers of genetically modified and engineered humans managed to find a loophole in the legislation which meant that the Skinless did not fall under it.

Although legally this meant that all they had to provide the Skinless with was minimum requirements of animal welfare, they actually grew up in relative luxury to ensure their absolute health and fitness. The prostitution, or trafficking, fell under "breeding" of animals and wasn't considered illegal despite the fact that it was against the human rights of the Skinless -if only one considered them humans in the court of law.

Not that the Skinless themselves would consider it a violation of their rights; they had been brainwashed since birth to think that being a Skinless was the greatest privilege ever to be bestowed upon a human being. They were told it so many times they believed it, ardently.

By the time reality hit them at the consummation of the business deal, it was too late. The only option was to acquiesce or die -once a Skinless left the Company, there was no going back.

Needless to say, death rate among the Skinless was high -although it hadn't been fully established whether this was by their owners' hands or their own. Once money had exchanged hands, no one really cared about what happened to the Skinless.

*

Taehyung and JungKook were two of the unfortunate Skinless.

They had both just turned 18 and had just finished their training and were about to graduate to officially become one of the Skinless. This meant that very shortly they would be sold to the highest bidder and would leave the facility for the real world to meet their respective new owners.

For maximum marketability, the Skinless came in various combinations of attributes and skill level to cover a range of cost brackets. The more complex the training, the more varied the attributes, the higher was the cost.

Only the most beautiful of all of the trainees, like Taehyung and JungKook, were chosen for the honour of becoming the elite Flower Skinless. They were the Skinless that fetched the highest prices because of their staggering beauty but also because of their most impressive skillset.

Not only were they trained most thoroughly in all aspects of sex and seduction but they were also available for all genders, sexual orientations and preferences. This was why they were sometimes referred to, slightly derogatorily, as the "Free Pass Skinless" because they came with an "anything goes" training skillset.

Perhaps because of this, they were also the most unfortunate of all the Skinless for they frequently ended up with highly deprived individuals interested only in things outside of the norms of even the most outrageous of current sex practices in the modern, sexually developed society.

To avoid the trainees being touched by other humans but still gain an impressive level of training, artificial humans and sex machines were used to thoroughly educate the trainees.

Artificial Humans in the late 2100s were almost indistinguishable by eye from real humans.

However, even though they sometimes possessed superior cognitive and behavioural skills, they remained substandard in the most crucial of aspects for the sex trade: they remained artificial, clinical and cold, void from emotional depth and therefore lacked in ways to respond to sexual stimuli in as varied ways as humans could.

How could feelings be programmed if they were not even understood?

But this also meant that despite having the absolute ability to feel and react with feeling, the Skinless had only ever had sex without feelings and without genuine human affection. They might know how to make someone orgasm a hundred different ways but they didn't know how to make love, nor how it would feel to be touched with love.

*

JungKook was by nature a quiet person. He liked to watch people, not interact with them.

Perhaps this was why he was so aware of what was going on around him. He was able to take a step back and look at things as if from a point of view of an outsider.

Where he was observant, all the others seemed blind.

No one else seemed to think that there was anything wrong with what was happening.

Did the others not realise what was going to happen as soon as they were sold?

JungKook was under no illusions. He understood how fucked up the whole situation was.

The more he thought about it -and he had thought about it a lot- the more determined he became. He wasn't going to go down quietly, when the time came, he was going to run the first chance he'd get and never look back.

Despite their bodies being completely covered and their faces hidden under the dark helmets, JungKook could easily identify Taehyung from the other side of the room purely by the way his hips jutted out when he was talking to someone and the angle of his neck when he was walking. He also effortlessly recognised him by the way his long, slender, glove-covered fingers moved when he was touching things.

He could identify many of the other trainees too but the others didn't really matter. His eyes never searched for the shapes of others -he only had eyes for Taehyung.

JungKook's interest in Taehyung had started in one of the socialising events arranged for the Skinless to help them navigate various social situations they were likely to come across in the real world.

He had identified Taehyung's colour-coded ID number as one belonging to a soon-to-be Flower Skinless, same as himself, and since they were so rare, it had piqued his interest enough to seek out his company.

As soon as he heard Taehyung's silky, resonant, rich voice, he felt goosebumps travel up and down his back. He couldn't quite reconcile the voice with his physical presence, which seemed somewhat more delicate than the deep sounds coming from his mouth would imply.

Even though he was more or less the same height as JungKook, with wide shoulders, the rest of him seemed more pliable and fluid-like where JungKook was strong and lithe. He moved elegantly as if always only moments away from bursting into graceful dance.

Even though the rule about being seen was absolute, a small concession was made during meal times when revealing the mouth was permitted to facilitate eating.

The second JungKook had seen the only part he could ever see of Taehyung, as soon as he had seen his mouth, he was irrevocably hooked.

For once he was grateful for the inconvenience of the dark helmet because he could not stop himself staring at the lush, pink cushions that seemed so soft and supple, moving so enticingly against each other. He couldn't think of anything else except how it would feel to kiss him, to touch him.

JungKook wondered how beautiful the rest of him must be if just his mouth was this perfect.

Even though he knew that he would never have the chance to see his beautiful eyes -he knew they had to be beautiful- or taste those lush lips, he couldn't stop the want, no matter how much he tried.

The need to have him was so deep that it kept him awake at night.

During the rare occasions JungKook had been able to talk to Taehyung, he had been deeply touched by the almost child-like innocence, joy and curiosity the young man possessed. It was almost as if he were the polar opposite of JungKook: loud, vivacious, prone to smiling and laughter.

It didn't matter to JungKook that he hadn't seen Taehyung's face because he felt his person and he felt attached to it in the most inexplicable of ways.

Taehyung ignited his deep need to fulfil this gaping emptiness he felt somewhere around his heart and he knew that the missing piece was shaped exactly in Taehyung's form. Taehyung was the piece that would make him whole.

Yet he could never have him.

"Hey. D'you mind if I sit down?" JungKook asked, feeling way too much inside while facing Taehyung.

"Of course not, I'd love that -welcome to my humble abode." He smiled, it was so bright, his mouth so beautiful and lush, JungKook felt it somewhere in his gut. Momentarily, he was unable to breathe.

JungKook placed his tray on the long table and sat down. He wouldn't be able to eat any of his food for the knot in his stomach, but that was ok, at least he would be able to speak to Taehyung.

"I hear we are going to get shipped out tomorrow." JungKook said, quietly, not at all excited by the prospect. He felt a deep sense of desperation over the thought of never seeing Taehyung again.

"I know!! I'm so excited! I can't wait to leave!" Taehyung half bounced on his seat and clapped his gloved hands together in tiny.

"You're excited?" To say JungKook was surprised was putting it mildly.

"Yes! Can you imagine all the wonderful things we'll get to see when we are finally out there in the world! Never have to wear this stupid uniform again! Can you imagine what the sun is going to feel like on your skin!?" He stretched his hands to his side, lifting his face up, soaking up the invisible sun.

His voice sounded so dreamy that JungKook hadn't the heart to mention the other things that would happen when he'd be "out there". Surely he had to know? All the training was pretty obvious, what did he think it was all for?

"How do you feel about finding out where you'll be going?" JungKook purposefully avoided terms like "new owner" and "who paid for your services" and "what is expected of you" because he couldn't dim the light that was so brightly radiating from him. He could just imagine the sparkle in his eyes when he spoke like that -with so much life.

Somehow that light reminded him of the darkest dark and he couldn't stop his mind wandering back to the time a few months ago when they had found out, first-hand, what being Skinless could be like, if you were most unfortunate.

JungKook had been with Taehyung, walking toward their latest "socialising event" when an unusual noise caught their attention.

Dreadful, soul chilling screaming echoed around the corridor when a graduated Flower Skinless was dragged by the guards toward the shuttle bay. It was impossible to ignore what the man was saying because he was shouting it from the top of his lungs, so loud it echoed down the long corridor:

"Please don't take me there! Please, not Xeno -anywhere but there! I don't want to die!!!" He wailed when they dragged him to the shuttle while tears were flowing down his horrified face.

"What do you think that was all about?" Taehyung said, his being uncharacteristically still.

"Not sure." JungKook said, trying to avoid getting into it. "Let's try not to think about it."

He knew from rumours that Xeno Black was known for going through Skinless like pairs of shoes. Blindingly rich, he was nasty and treated his possessions accordingly by keeping them permanently chained up in his dungeons, away from the world, just for him and all of his business partners to use at their leisure. He was one of the worst. The worst.

He also knew that the last Skinless had hung himself on his chains.

"Who's Xeno?" Taehyung asked, curious.

"He's someone who has a pretty bad reputation, he goes through Skinless like shoes. Awful man really. One of the worst." JungKook said quietly, already regretting having said it, worried he'd upset Taehyung.

"How awful. They really ought to consider where they send us with a bit more care..." he said calmly and walked off. JungKook was grateful that the conversation had ended before any more was said and without Taehyung getting upset about it. Perhaps Taehyung wasn't quite as delicate as JungKook had thought.

He found comfort in that.

*

It was nearly time to depart so JungKook checked the contents of his starter pack for the last time before heading for the transport.

Each Flower Skinless went to their new owners equipped with the basic set of sex paraphernalia, including lube and various toys, cuffs and other basic bondage gear. This was so that the new owners could test their merchandise immediately upon arrival in whichever way took their fancy.

JungKook couldn't care less about the things in the bag, he wasn't worried either way but the thought of Taehyung together with any of these items with any of the nameless clients out there enraged him to distraction.

Taehyung shouldn't be here, he should be somewhere out there being happy... not doing this. Anything but this. JungKook's stomach twisted with something akin to desperation -and it wasn't even over his own fate.

JungKook wasn't worried about himself.

He had already decided that once he would get to his destination, he would escape at the earliest opportunity -he hadn't been able to find a way to escape from the shuttle but he was certain he could find a way out at the other end.

Since that unfortunate event with the screaming Skinless a few months prior, a new protocol had been put in place to minimise the information leakage back to the trainees.

This meant that the Skinless were not told of their destinations or the identities of their new owners until after their departure from the facility. After all, it served the company's best interests to have the Skinless blissfully unaware of their impending fates that were usually way more gruesome and unpleasant than they had been given reason to believe.

The Skinless then had the duration of their journey to familiarise themselves with the identities and requirements of their new owners so that they were ready to serve them directly upon arrival.

Taehyung walked in front and even with the thicker travel gloves on, JungKook could see his hand was shaking when he reached for the small computer tablet that held the rest of his life contained within it.

"Here." The guard shoved the bit of metal into JungKook's expectant hand without finesse.

"Get in." He shoved JungKook on the back as if herding cows for slaughter. How apt, JungKook thought, that's exactly what we are: fresh meat for consumption and nothing less. He was surprised at the detachment with which he was able to look at the situation, as if it weren't him that all this was happening to.

"Place your bags under the seats and strap yourselves in. Now." The guard barked, pointing at the seats before he turned on his heels and left without another word.

Silently, both Taehyung and JungKook removed their long coats for the journey and slotted their starter packs in the purpose-built, exactly matching spaces under the seats.

It was highly unusual that there were only two Skinless on one transport shuttle.

It was equally unusual for them to be using an automated ground shuttle to transport such precious cargo. The standard procedure was to use an air shuttle to reduce risk of attempted hijacks and move a dozen or so Skinless at the same time.

The currently raging electrical storms had made commerce difficult so sales had been relatively quiet but, more importantly, all but top priority deliveries were suspended until the storms would pass.

The company was not worried over the slower sales since Taehyung and JungKook alone had fetched more money than ten or even twenty of lesser level Skinless would, which was also why their delivery was hastened despite the poor weather conditions. One never kept a good customer waiting.

The small hover shuttle was all metallic inside and it reminded JungKook of a prison transport shuttle. We are those too, prisoners, he thought when they strapped into their seats in silence. The air tasted solemn.

The compartment was quite small and Taehyung and JungKook sat facing eat other, their reflections moving in each other's glossy helmets.

JungKook could see Taehyung twisting the small tablet in his slender fingers and he could feel the worry and hesitation emanating from him. He hadn't said a word since they had arrived to get on the transport which for him, was highly unusual and for JungKook, highly worrying.

The strong wind whistled loudly over the metal roof of the shuttle while they waited for departure.

There was something eery about the way the wind seemed to hug the hunk of metal as if caressing it with its cold fingers. Sand, sticks and other debris tap-danced against the windows in the rhythm of the gusts. Even the metal hummed gently to it.

JungKook thought the stormy weather was most apt for their final journey. At least it reflected the inner turmoil they were both feeling.

This was it, there was no going back.

The only light in the darkness that JungKook could see was the fact that it was just the two of them. He was glad he was here with Taehyung and that there was no one else to share on his last moments with him. At least there was that.

"How are you doing, Taehyung?" JungKook asked quietly.

All Taehyung did was shake his head repeatedly with such desperation that JungKook felt a strange lump in his throat.

"Talk to me. I'm here." His quiet voice was almost drowned out by the doors locking with a loud clank and a hiss as the shuttle was getting ready to set off. They felt the pull of the movement and they were on their way.

"M-m-m I'm so nervous, I can't feel my fingers." Taehyung laughed a little but there was no joy in it.

"Why don't we have a look at the details, just to do something, huh?" JungKook tried to calm him, it was obvious Taehyung wasn't far off cracking.

JungKook waited for Taehyung to get ready.

"Let's do it at the same time." He tried to inject some warmth into the words but really, there was nothing warm or happy in what they were about to do.

The very second after the bright green letters from their respective tablets flickered into the air in front of their faces, all the lights and monitors on the shuttle walls flickered off and immediately following there was a loud crash and bang and the whole shuttle bounced, twisted, turned and rolled, Taehyung and JungKook like ragdolls strapped to the shuddering walls.

When all the violent movement stopped, the shuttle bizarrely landing the right way up again, all JungKook could hear was his own heartbeat loud in his ears and his breath shaking. He opened his eyes, blinking, not even realising he had shut them, and immediately scanned for Taehyung while feeling for his own limbs.

"Taehyung? Taehyung. Hey! Are you alright?!" he called, coughing from the dust that had appeared out of nowhere.

When there was no reply, JungKook wiped his helmet to clear away the dust and realised the reason why he couldn't see properly was due to the fact that the outside surface of his helmet was badly damaged. It was difficult to see the full extent of the damage in the relative dimness. Some light filtered in from the small windows at the top of the walls but all electrical lights were bust.

Without hesitation, JungKook pulled the helmet off.

"Tae!?"

JungKook could see Taehyung slumped, still strapped into his seat.

Panicking, he undid his own seatbelt with some difficulty and rushed across the short distance between them.

Kneeling on the floor in front of Taehyung, JungKook wiped the dust off his helmet and tried to see his face, heaven knows why, considering he knew perfectly well that you couldn't see through the one-way mirrored surface. He leaned his forehead against it as if the physical contact would somehow magically reveal to him what was happening on the inside of the helmet.

Resisting the desperate urge to touch his body, he spoke right next to the darkly clad shape.

"Taehyung, please talk to me, Tae! Are you OK?"

JungKook was too worried over Taehyung's wellbeing, he wasn't going to tiptoe around this, they could shoot him if they needed to -but he had to know that Taehyung was ok. It's fine since there's clothes in between, right? JungKook thought and grabbed Taehyung's shoulders.

He felt so much more fragile than he had ever imagined, but he shook him firmly, nonetheless.

"Taehyung, answer me!"

There was a sniffle and Taehyung shook his head without saying anything.

A trail of black appeared on his front and for a moment JungKook couldn't make out what it was.

When he heard a plop and saw a tear fall down from the small gap in the helmet at Taehyung's chin, he realised the black was his tears washing the dust off his shiny, dark uniform.

The sniffles continued and a good measure of shaking shoulders added to it.

This was getting ridiculous. There was something wrong and JungKook needed to know what it was.

He pulled Taehyung's helmet off without asking for his permission, figuring he could just join the queue to kill him later.

JungKook wasn't prepared. He couldn't have known. Or imagined.

Taehyung's face made his stomach flip, his heart race, his breath stall... hell, he was practically in an all-out combustion mode because no way, not even in his wildest dreams, would he have been able to imagine that Taehyung would look like this.

So... perfect.

The wavy, silvery blonde hair framed his face beautifully, cascading down, caressing his eyebrows. Large, wet, pale blue eyes stared at JungKook in dismay and the smooth, perfect skin over the gentle curve of his cheek was covered in tears. The lush mouth looked even more delectable when attached to a whole that entirely complimented it, even enhanced it. How could someone look so beautiful when they were crying?

Carefully, so as to not freak him out, JungKook swept a few stray strands of hair from his face and the feather of a touch was enough to shake him out of whatever trance he had been in.

Only just realising that he was no longer wearing his helmet and that his face was showing and that there was another face right in front of him, Taehyung gulped and blinked slowly, in disbelief.

The eyes that stared at Taehyung were as dark as his eyes were light.

The almost black, glassy but intense eyes looked at Taehyung from under the black hair with worry whirling in them. The dizziness Taehyung felt from almost falling into the dark pools made him look away only for his gaze to fall on the pink, shiny lips slightly parted right in front of him.

The accident had to be the reason why he was having so much difficulty with breathing, right? Taehyung thought, feeling heat on his cheeks.

But the inner turmoil wasn't quite enough for Taehyung to forget why he was here... or where he was going...

"JungKook?" his melodic voice cracked and a few more tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes. "Is it really you?" His hopeful, teary smile would have been enough to make JungKook crumble into tiny pieces if he weren't so utterly concerned over Taehyung's wellbeing.

JungKook tried a small smile.

"Yes. Taehyung, are you hurt?"

He leaned his face on JungKook's gloved hand still by his face, his eyes fluttering shut momentarily.

"Only my heart hurts." With that, his face twisted and the sobs raked his body again.

JungKook wanted nothing more than to hold him tight until the tears subsided but years of training told him not to and it felt impossible to go against the rules even though he disagreed with them vehemently. There was an invisible barrier between them.

"What is it?" JungKook was getting impatient and couldn't figure out why it was so damn difficult to communicate with this ephemeral being until he saw a gloved finger point at the green letters still flickering on the floor in the corner of the shuttle.

It was Taehyung's tablet.

Delivery 11am on 23/08/2184. Registered New Owner: Xeno Black.

JungKook could feel all the blood drain from his face.

A million thoughts raced through his mind when he tried to figure out how to erase the fact that Taehyung was already owned by the most notorious Skinless abuser around.

The sick feeling in his stomach only worsened when he thought that this disgusting piece of shit would get his filthy fucking hands on Taehyung. Jungkook couldn't even begin to think about the horrors the previous Skinless had had to endure to take his own life and the thought of Taehyung being the next innocent to be debauched by the scum made him die inside.

Suddenly, in manic movements, JungKook ran around the shuttle, yanking all the doors and windows, desperately trying to find a way out. Banging, kicking the doors. He searched under the seats, throwing their bags around, trying to find anything that might be hard enough or sharp enough to get them out of the shuttle while Taehyung sat, staring into space.

"We have to get you out of here, Taehyung, c'mon, help me!" he shouted in desperation, shaking Taehyung's shoulders.

JungKook fought against the shuttle until his knuckles were bleeding until he fell on his knees on the floor, facing away from Taehyung, head hanging, and let his tears fall.

"This is not fair. It wasn't fair before, but this is even less fair... fuck!" he ran his fingers through his messy hair, fisting it tightly as if it would magically make him figure a way out of this impossible situation they found themselves in.

"It's ok JungKookie, you'll be ok, don't worry." Taehyung said in his scarily calm, post-cry haze. "Don't cry."

"I'm not worried about ME, Taehyung!" He shouted at the wall loud enough for the noise to echo around in circles inside the small hard space. "We have to get you out of here, you can't go to that fucking bastard, you can't! I won't let you..." His voice cracked and he leaned his face into his hands.

"Anyone but him... anyone..." he whispered like a mantra that would make it happen if he just... said it enough times... if he just wanted it hard enough...

JungKook heard movement and suddenly felt Taehyung right behind him.

Slender arms wrapped around JungKook's slumping form in a gentle hug and the soft puffs of breath on his cheek were accompanied by an eerily detached voice.

"These shuttles are indestructible and won't open without assistance from the outside, especially without power. We won't get out of this tin can until they come and get us. You know this JungKook... There is no point in trying to escape... and even if you did, where would you go...?" His fingers combed the back of JungKook's hair gently.

"I don't care. I only care about you not going to that excuse of a man..." there was hardly anything but desperation left in JungKook's voice.

Taehyung hung his head, resigned.

"It's who we are, it's who we're meant to be. It would be foolish to think we were meant for anything more. We're not meant for love, JungKook, no one wants to love us." He spoke wistfully and letting go, he stood up.

Abruptly, JungKook turned and wrapped his gloved fingers around Taehyung's wrist, tugging tightly, staring into his eyes with such fierceness, Taehyung felt it squeeze his heart.

"I want to love you, Taehyung." He swallowed with difficulty but carried on: "I...I love you."

Seeing the desperate, eager gaze in JungKook's eyes, Taehyung could almost believe it. He could almost believe the fact that despite never having even see his face before, JungKook might just love him.

But he chose not to. It was too late.

"You don't love me JungKook. How could you love me? You've never even seen me until this very moment!" Taehyung thought what he said sounded almost believable despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to feel love he was never going to feel for the rest of his miserable life. But he didn't think his poor heart could take it.

Surely it was just easier not to ever feel anything at all than to feel something beautiful never to have it again?

JungKook pulled Taehyung down onto his knees in front of him.

Their eyes were only inches away, faces so close Taehyung could feel JungKook's breath on his lips.

"Please let me kiss you." JungKook said as if pleading for his life.

Taehyung's curious eyes dropped down to JungKook's mouth without permission.

Looking at them, Taehyung realised that he had never really appreciated JungKook's lips before even when he had the chance.

Now, suddenly, the features of the lips seemed magnified, so detailed, so close.

Slightly pouty, pink, textured. Most definitely kissable.

Too tempted, Taehyung removed a glove and without giving himself a chance to change his mind, he placed his fingers gently on JungKook's lips.

Their gasps were so simultaneous they were one.

Not daring to move his fingers after he made contact, Taehyung lifted his wide eyes to JungKook's and was reassured by the identical shock and depth of awe he could see in his dark eyes.

They both came to the instantaneous conclusion that no matter how much they had always been told that there was no noticeable difference between human touch and artificial human touch, the actual difference was like night and day.

Even with just a few fingertips and a half a mouth they were both able to tell, without even moving, how much more warmth there was in touching for real.

The hot breath steaming over Taehyung's fingers was like a glow that spread from his fingertips all the way around his body tightening everything. The urge to do more rose up his spine and whispered into his ear...

When Taehyung moved his fingers ever so slightly and caressed JungKook's lower lip slowly back and forth, he could feel tears stinging in his eyes again, but this time they weren't from upset.

The utter significance of this moment was not lost on him.

This was the first time in his whole life that he had ever touched anyone.

Suddenly he realised that it wasn't possible to be more grateful than he was for the fact that the person here with him was JungKook and not some lowlife. Not Xeno.

So, he gazed at JungKook, trying to imprint every tiny little detail of his face into his memory. He wanted to remember every single second of this forever.

Suddenly, Taehyung felt a gentle brush of a warm, smooth thumb on his lower lip.

"I've wanted to touch your mouth since the very first time I ever saw you, Taehyung." JungKook's voice was low and gravelly, his eyes shiny.

He rolled the full lip down a little, revealing the shiny flesh on the inside and a small groan left his lips.

They were utterly alone, more so than they had ever been in their whole lives because not even an all-seeing camera was on them due to the power outage.

The storm had given them this moment and embraced them in it... yet they hesitated.

The significant fear that was preventing them from acting stemmed from years of threats over the cost of breaking the rules. Once seen, once found touching or being touched, a Skinless would be disposed of instantly because they would no longer be fit for purpose. It was all or nothing. Live or die.

For a moment that stretched to eternity and back they both stared at each other's faces, eyes dipping down to lips and back up again, waiting for something, anything.

Finally, it was Taehyung who snapped and yanked JungKook hard against his lips. Instantly their mouths opened and the second their tongues danced like they had always known each other, both moaned deeply into the kiss. With wild movements, their tongues slid against each other so closely, so deeply, their lips sucking lips.

It was almost too much to withstand, the touching, the tastes, the smells... the wetness, the heat, the movement.

Their mutual tears salted the kiss, their breaths hot on their damp cheeks.

"Up, up, up!" Taehyung commanded in a sudden rush, barely letting go of JungKook's mouth, already trying to pull his own clothes off while getting up.

He managed to pull the top half of his body suit down and he let it hang off his waist while his desperate fingers fought into JungKook's clothes.

Taehyung shoved JungKook against the wall and tripping over their bags, he ended up slamming their bodies together, almost winding JungKook with the force of his weight.

He devoured JungKook's mouth like a starving man, hips pressing against hips. Stopping for a breath, he hissed through his teeth while his fingers traced again the swollen lips in front of him.

Surely the pure and innocent Taehyung shouldn't be able to make such a filthy face.

JungKook's cock twitched and instantly hardened in his suit when he saw Taehyung's hooded, sex-filled eyes and lush, bruised mouth. Taehyung licked his lips rudely before he carried on devouring his willing victim.

"Oh Shit, Taehyung...!" JungKook's head hit the wall behind him when a hot mouth moved down to eat his neck in wet, eager tongued kisses while Taehyung's hands pulled down the top half of JungKook's bodysuit, revealing his torso.

"Oh wow, you are so beautiful, JungKook... I want to eat you, all of you... until there's nothing left." Taehyung's voice was needy and deep while he licked his way further down, subconsciously avoiding leaving marks.

Slender hands caressed over the expanse of JungKook's chest, agile fingers dancing over the already tight, small, pink nipples. When Taehyung's mouth sank on the little pink button, JungKook snapped.

"Fuck, Tae!!" He yanked Taehyung up by his hair before slamming him against the cold, metallic wall, making him squeal when his naked back touched the surface.

JungKook held Taehyung down firmly with a grip on his throat and another on his wrist against the wall above him while staring deeply into his eyes.

Intense heat coiled in the pit of his stomach just from having control over Taehyung's slender form like this.

He knew all there was to know about domination and submission but he had never been taught the feeling that went with such a dominating action, the power that came with it. The more he did it, the more he felt it, the more he felt it, the more he wanted it.

Fed up with all the staring and waiting, Taehyung tried to lick at JungKook's mouth, his long tongue curving in the air between them. He whined when he couldn't reach.

It was JungKook's turn to tease.

"Taehyung. Fuck! I'm really struggling here. I want to go slow and taste all of you and give you the attention you deserve but what I really want to do right now is shove my cock deep in your ass and fuck you till you scream. Could call it the first round? Like a warm-up?"

He grazed his bottom lip, eagerly waiting for Taehyung's reaction. The corners of his eyes wrinkled when he smiled at Taehyung's fervent nodding.

"Please. I need you. Undress me."

JungKook couldn't help but to chuckle at the order as Taehyung had said it like a queen to a servant and then reinforced the image created by stretching his arms wide in stern expectation.

Obediently, JungKook bent down to undo the big boots and couldn't help but to slide his fingers affectionately over the slender feet that emerged from their confinement. Even his feet were beautiful.

While yanking the tight body suit down Taehyung's lush thighs, he tried not to get distracted by the raging -and impressive- hard cock swinging in his face. Congratulating himself on finishing without disruption, he stood up and admired the beauty of a fully naked Taehyung.

He was about to reach for a kiss when, suddenly, Taehyung dropped down to his knees in all his naked glory with his thick cock nodding in front of him, pulling down the suit with him then busying his fingers with the big boots.

He pulled the boots and the suit off but wasn't as strong-willed as JungKook and got distracted by the notable, hard member in his face.

Without any warning, he sunk his mouth all the way on JungKook's cock until he went so far down his throat that his nose touched skin. JungKook choked on his own saliva and slammed his hands on the wall to support himself while Taehyung took his current position very seriously. He sucked so passionately, bobbing up and down JungKook's cock with such determination that JungKook felt the energy drain out of his shaking legs, certain that Taehyung was the one physically sucking it out of him.

"Taehyung... please..."

Releasing JungKook's cock with a loud plop, he reached for one of the starter packs and dug out a bottle of lube. He stood up and shoved it at JungKook's chest.

He leaned against the wall, gracefully bending over, and offered his ass to JungKook with an expectant -and desperate- look on his face.

"Hurry... I'm ready."

That was all that Taehyung was able to say, his body practically shaking with need. He was so overwhelmed with all the new sensations, feelings, closeness and touch that he was fast heading for a nuclear meltdown.

JungKook made a dissatisfied whine. "But I wanted to get you ready..." He pouted.

"You can get me ready for Round 2..." Taehyung winked and bit his lip, urging JungKook with his hands.

"Hmmm...." JungKook hummed, only agreeing because he was feeling it just as badly as he was.

In the half-light, the glowing, smooth skin called for him and with trembling fingers he caressed down from the shoulder, over the pointy blades and down the groove of Taehyung's back.

"Ohh..." Taehyung moaned, arching further. "It feels so different... so beautiful..."

JungKook knew what Taehyung was talking about if the feel of his skin was anything to go by... Real humans really were so wholly different from the artificial kind.

"You're so beautiful Taehyung.... So soft and warm and smooth. I bet you even taste beautiful..." He whispered, bending down to place a kiss on one of the dents at the small of Taehyung's back and humming in appreciation.

He licked down the small bumps of the spine until he reached the small indentation at the top of his buttocks. When he dipped his long tongue into the beginning of the groove, Taehyung moaned and it was a deep, deep rumble.

"Ohgod JungKookie... please..." He pleaded, his delicate fingers tapping the metal wall under them impatiently.

JungKook grabbed the bouncy flesh, pushing the lush lobes together, pulling them apart, jiggling them, all the while slowly licking, teasing down the crack with small licks but not really where Taehyung actually wanted him to lick.

"Fuck!!" Taehyung's hips were rolling, his back arching further underneath JungKook.

"Pleaaaaseeeeee...." Taehyung moaned, desperately pushing his ass into JungKook's face.

Understanding the urgency and giving into it, he pulled the cheeks apart and finally shoved his long, strong tongue deep in Taehyung's tight, little hole.

"Argh!!" Taehyung screamed, slamming a hand against the wall, collapsing onto his elbows.

"Oh so good, sogoodsogood.... Ohhh...." And he rolled his hips and fucked back against JungKook's face, whispering incoherently.

Stopping briefly while still kneading a buttock, JungKook asked...

"How many times can you come?" his voice was breathless, almost desperate.

"As many times as you like or not at all... are you not the same?" Taehyung asked, surprised.

"Good... just checking." There was a hint of wickedness in that smile.

Immediately, he pushed two fingers into Taehyung's ass and started fucking him with them while his tongue licked around the hole and the fingers.

"Then I need you to come for me, precious." He spoke, his hot breath falling over Taehyung's full cheeks while he spoke.

Just hearing that made Taehyung whimper and squirm.

"Ohh......" He started touching himself, sliding over his chest, rubbing on a nipple... but when his hand slid down toward his cock, JungKook stopped him.

"Nope. Just from my fingers, baby."

Heat rose from Taehyung's neck to his face and the tips of his ears. What was this? Why was he feeling so incredibly turned on and so... desperate to please JungKook?

Of course they had been trained in all types of sex and Taehyung wasn't naïve, he knew what domination was... it's just that... none of the training made him feel like this... so... hot. The artificial humans didn't speak in that tone. They didn't ask him to come just from his fingers baby.

Suddenly Taehyung had real trouble breathing when his body just decided to fully submit and offer itself to JungKook by doing everything in its power to be as open and as... available... as possible.

And suddenly, despite him having been trained to withstand indefinitely and not orgasm until commanded, Taehyung felt the orgasm build.

"Oh god, JungKook, it's coming... I'm gonna come..." he panted. "I can't stop it..."

To add fuel to the flame, JungKook pushed in an extra finger, pushing all the way in, spreading Taehyung's hole deliciously.

"Come on then baby, come on my fingers."

And there it was. Taehyung snapped with a loud moan and his come flew out of him at such a speed, it sprayed onto the wall and the floor in front of him.

He could feel gentle, wet kisses on his ass cheeks when JungKook pulled his fingers out of his fluttering hole.

"Well done, baby." His hands were gentle when they slid up and down his legs and over his cheeks.

"I don't know if I can walk, my legs are shaking." Taehyung said with equal amount of surprise and confusion in his voice.

JungKook couldn't stop the proud smile spreading on his face. He did this.

"C'mon, come sit down."

Gently, JungKook pulled Taehyung's arm. He could walk just fine, even if the steps felt a bit rubbery.

While Taehyung sat down, JungKook grabbed their coats and spread them on the floor to make a dust-free area. Then he came back and kneeled in front of Taehyung.

"Are you ok?" he smiled.

"Yeah." Taehyung said, feeling suddenly a bit shy. He had felt completely out of control just then and it wasn't a feeling he was accustomed to. "I want to make you feel as good as you've made me feel but I really want your cock in me. Would that be ok?" he asked, smiling shyly.

"Would that be OK!? Would that be OK!?? Have you gone insane? Don't think there would be anything more OK on this planet than you on my cock!" he stroked Taehyung's knees and thighs dreamily.

"I just want to eat you whole, seriously. You are so delicious. I'll do anything you want, just say it and it's yours. Anything." He said, ardent. He had never meant anything more in his life.

Taehyung leaned over, cupping JungKook's face between his long fingers. He brought JungKook close and without a word, placed a gentle kiss on his mouth, then on his eyes, then on his cheeks.

"Thank you."

As soon as JungKook saw the tears stirring in Taehyung's eyes again, he sat back on his heels and pulled Taehyung down sideways into his embrace. He fitted into JungKook's arms so easily it was as if he had been made for it. His body seemed to just mould against him.

Automatically, JungKook wrapped an arm around the soft waist to support him, the other sneaking onto Taehyung's throat to gently pull him closer. As if it had always been there, Taehyung's face nuzzled into the crook of JungKook's neck and he breathed in the soft scent of him, concentrating hard on storing it, so that he could come back to it and remember it.

He couldn't help it, just thinking that reminded him of everything and instantly the tears flowed.

Silently, JungKook stroked Taehyung's cheek, wiping the stream of tears.

"Stay with me Taehyung. For a moment longer. At least we can have this..."

Without even bothering to dry his tears and with burning desperation, Taehyung kissed the heartbeat he could feel under the soft skin of JungKook's throat.

Quickly, the kisses deepened from mere pecks to wet kisses and licks and his fingers climbed to JungKook's hair when he twisted to kiss him fully on the mouth.

With urgency, Taehyung turned away and slid in between JungKook's spread knees and leaned his elbows in the seat in front of them. Without words, he just wriggled his ass at JungKook and instantly felt fingers at his hips -fingers that fitted so perfectly around his curves, that they alone made Taehyung's body flutter with excitement.

JungKook reached for the lube and took his time applying it and admiring the view until the desperate, soft little whimpers from Taehyung became too much to withstand.

Rather than come up to take Taehyung from behind on his knees, JungKook pulled him down onto his cock while staying sitting down on his heels.

The view was unspeakably magnificent.

When he saw Taehyung's perfect, lush ass cheeks spread by his thick rod and it pushing into his tight hole, he swore he could have orgasmed just from that alone.

"Ohmygod, ohmygod, how can it feel this good!?" Taehyung exclaimed in utter disbelief, panting loudly.

It's not like he hadn't had things up his ass before, obviously, being comprehensively trained in the arts of love he was rather familiar with various things in his ass. But nothing compared to JungKook's cock, nothing.

Because it was full of life -it twitched, it pulsed, it was hot and velvety...

Taehyung's eyes rolled to the back of his head when he panted and moaned and he had hardly even moved yet. When he sat down and took JungKook's cock all the way, the angle in which he had lowered himself down made it go soooo deep that even without moving, it gave Taehyung incredible amounts of pleasure. So he enjoyed it for a brief moment.

"You OK?" JungKook stroked down the sides, over the curve of Taehyung's ribcage and down over the curve of his hips.

"Hmmm....mmmm it feels so good, just wanted to enjoy it for a little while. You stretch me so good..." he hummed.

JungKook reached for Taehyung's shoulders and pulled down firmly while at the same time he pushed up with his hips despite already being up to the hilt.

Taehyung whined "Yesyesyesyesyesyes.... So deep... god." When JungKook sunk as deep as he could possibly go, Taehyung was sure his stomach bulged with the size of his cock.

Taehyung started moving.

Taehyung held on to the seat in front of him and in long strokes, he lifted up and slammed back down while rolling his hips at the end of the slide, taking JungKook's cock with such eagerness. His whines surged at every rise and sharp fall, with his silvery bangs bouncing in front of his eyes.

It was JungKook's turn to roll his eyes and moan and before he even noticed, his hips were rising to meet Taehyung's until obscene squelching noises filled the space quickly to be drowned out only by the sounds of their rhythmic moaning.

"C'mon, I want to see you." JungKook whispered with a rough voice and urged Taehyung to move.

Their make-shift bed made of coats waited for them and eagerly, Taehyung lay down on his back, embracing JungKook between his soft thighs close to the chest.

Their eyes locked and there were so many unsaid words in them that JungKook couldn't take it so he kissed Taehyung instead, his tongue thrusting into Taehyung's mouth while his cock thrust back into the heated nest of Taehyung's tight ass, all in a fevered attempt to forget everything else but this.

Momentarily everything else did fade away. In this moment, only Taehyung and JungKook existed.

Only their pulsing, breathing, wanting bodies and nothing else. The desperate lovers that they were, they sank into their sweet oblivion, hoping never to emerge again.

JungKook pushed Taehyung's arms loosely above his head while weaving his fingers into the silver hair from underneath so he could better devour the long, slender throat under him.

No matter how deep in JungKook was, it was never deep enough.

With a burning need, he grabbed a thigh behind a knee and pushed it even further down, open wider, to lift the ass off the floor a little more. Then, using every single muscle in his body, he slammed into Taehyung so hard that they both cried in ecstasy. Had he not been so ruthlessly gripping Taehyung's hair to keep him in place, he would have been jolting along the floor at every shove.

"Oh FUCK! That's it! That's it! Shit.. don't stop! Ngh... ohh..." Taehyung screamed.

That was it, JungKook rammed his rock-hard cock into Taehyung only a handful more times until he felt himself falter, his cock twitch and then his mind went white for a moment while he shot his load deep into Taehyung's ass.

It wasn't until afterwards that he saw the puddle of come on Taehyung's stomach.

JungKook didn't care about getting smeared with come, he lowered himself to a languid kiss, to fully immerse himself in their post-orgasmic haze. Slender arms crawled around his neck to hold him close while their damp, swollen lips nestled into each other.

Taehyung wished they could stay here forever. This moment here was perfect.

"I'm sorry, I must be heavy." JungKook said but Taehyung wouldn't let him move, he just hung on tightly with his arms and even brought his legs up around JungKook's hips.

"No." Taehyung pouted for a moment before his lips morphed into a beam of brightness, his eyes turning into crescents.

With a warm smile playing on his lips, JungKook grabbed a hold of Taehyung's waist and rolled over so that he was on the bottom, Taehyung sprawling on top of him.

"That's better."

Taehyung pecked JungKook's lips and shuffled further down until his face was on the beating heart under him. Automatically, JungKook's hand cupped the back of the head on his chest, gently playing with the curls while he felt slender fingers curl up his bicep, squishing it gently.

They lay there in silence because there was no need to say anything, their bodies had already spoken and any further words would only take away from the perfection of it all. It was comforting just to lie down and breathe each other in with every breath.

"What do you like doing?" Taehyung asked out of nowhere, not just to make conversation but because he actually wanted to know.

"Read. Watch people."

"Which people?" Taehyung was curious.

"Mainly you." JungKook smiled, why hide it?

Unexpectedly, Taehyung blushed a little and went all coy.

"What's this?" JungKook slid his finger over the pink on Taehyung's cheek, gently teasing.

"You watch me? Why? And since when?" Taehyung rested his chin on his hand flat over the heartbeat and gazed at JungKook adoringly. He felt the beat against his palm flutter a little and smiled.

"For a long, long time Taehyung. Years. I always worried you'd find out about my stalking... and that I'd get in trouble..." The smile he was trying to repress twisted JungKook's lips.

"You're lying! Why would you watch me!?" Taehyung squealed happily, eyes shining at the thought of being cared for.

"I thought you were beautiful. I wanted to know you." JungKook said quietly.

"Whaddaya mean beautiful? You hadn't even seen me!?" he squealed, his cheeks pink.

JungKook's hand slid down the back of Taehyung's hair and neck, down his back and up again. "There's more than one way to be beautiful Taehyung... although I'm pretty sure you are beautiful in every possible way..." JungKook said it in all seriousness because he meant it..

Taehyung crawled up and said: "You're so soppy." Not a hint of teasing or sarcasm in his words, just warmth and sadness in his eyes. He kissed JungKook tenderly while he felt strong arms tighten around his waist.

They spoke for hours, just lying down, completely oblivious to the discomfort of the hard floor. They bodies lay, curled and layered in various shapes, anything was good as long as every inch possible of one was touching the other.

It didn't seem possible for two people who hardly knew each other and who had grown up in such a bizarre, tightly controlled environment to have so much to talk about but aside from comfortable silences or long, gentle, slow kisses, they talked continuously for what felt like the longest time.

When the wind gradually slowed down, it became obvious that this gift of stolen time that they had been given was going to end soon and that reality would come crashing down and with no power over it whatsoever, their lives would become separate as if they had never even met.

JungKook wasn't sure who started it or how it started, but one moment they were just lying down on their sides spooning, talking quietly and the next he found himself licking Taehyung's spine from high up on his back all the way up to the hairline and he purred in response, his ass rolling against his hardening cock.

Everything was damp and slippery from all the sex and lube and come was covering half of their bodies. Neither had seemed bothered and now, if anything, JungKook found it quite a turn-on. To be so filthy.

He slid his swollen cock in the groove of Taehyung's ass and immediately, he rubbed back, sliding his ass up and down the shaft, so keen. They both moaned.

Without saying anything, Taehyung reached back and aligned the hard rod right on his wet hole and pushed back, opening himself up slowly.

"Ohh my...." He moaned, his head flicking back at the first stretch. "Yesssss...."

"Tae.... Shit... so tight..." JungKook groaned while he pushed in slowly, enjoying every tiny bit of stretch and push in until Taehyung enveloped him entirely, like a tight, warm blanket.

"You feel so amazing, Taehyung, so hot and tight and wet... I just want to fuck you so bad... I just want to ruin you..." The words dripped out of JungKook unfiltered and in time with his deep, slow thrusts all the way in, all the way out and back again, over and over and over.

"Hold me." Taehyung demanded.

JungKook wrapped an arm around his waist. "Tighter." He insisted. "and around my neck."

Awkwardly, Jungkook held Taehyung around the neck down to the chest with one arm and around the waist with the other, squeezing tightly while he moved inside him in slow, long pushes. Taehyung arched his back deeply, moaning.

"It's not enough. I need more." He whined.

"Hold on." JungKook whispered into Taehyung's ear, always eager to please.

Holding tightly, JungKook rolled onto his back while pulling Taehyung up with him, is cock still deeply lodged inside. He let Taehyung's slender frame unfold on top of him, facing up, defenceless.

Taehyung wanted to be held tightly, so tightly he wanted to be consumed by the hold. JungKook recognised the burn because he also felt desperation with his whole being.

He wanted to be so deep in Taehyung that he almost wished they could merge into one just so that he could feel at peace from the ruthless, endless yearning he felt for this being so close against him.

He did all he could do.

Laying almost cheek-to-cheek with Taehyung on top, JungKook wrapped himself completely around him: one arm around the throat, the other around the waist over both arms, legs over legs and tightly tethered by the cock in his ass.

He pulled Taehyung against his body so tightly and held him until there was nothing that he could do except take whatever JungKook would give him.

As soon as Taehyung was fully secured, a distinct calm came over him and suddenly, JungKook could feel tears roll down between their cheeks.

"Are you OK, precious?" JungKook asked gently, not moving.

"Please don't stop... don't ever stop..." Taehyung said, despite realising the absurdity of the words. He was so needy the rolling of his hips did not stop for one second.

"Please. Please move." Taehyung whined, squirming in JungKook's motionless hold.

In order to touch the very deepest part of Taehyung, JungKook tightened his arm around the throat, pulling up and held down the arms at the waist while pulling down with his legs, all of it stretching Taehyung's helpless form... and then he rolled his hips, slowly, and pushed in as deep as he could.

"FUCK!" Taehyung shouted, it was so good. JungKook was so deep inside him, he felt his eyes water. Taehyung could bless the stars for the oblivion this tiny movement gave him.

"Tight enough?" JungKook whispered, hotly, into Taehyung's ear.

"Tigh-TER! Fuck me!" Taehyung squirmed on top of JungKook.

"Somehow I don't think you are in the position to be giving me orders, precious."

Slowly, in small circles, JungKook rolled his hips, his cock squelching inside Taehyung's tight little hole.

Ah, there it was again, that tone. Immediately everything tightened inside Taehyung.

"Please?" he begged.

"OK, since you asked so nicely, baby." JungKook moved to get up and helped Taehyung to get on all fours.

He reached for the lube and squeezed some on Taehyung and on his cock, until everything was too shiny and too moist.

With gentle and loving fingers, he stroked all the way along Taehyung's spine from the very top to the very bottom and admired the perfect, soft curve of Taehyung's derriere. Unable to resist, he kneaded it, patted it and placed soft kisses on both cheeks.

"You are so beautiful, Taehyung."

To shut away those dark voices reminding him of the truth, he pulled on the lush hips in front of him and watched closely how his shiny, veiny cock stretched the hole before disappearing all the way into it.

The desperation felt in their final moments of love morphed into ferocity of primal need and their bodies took over like the animals that they were, losing all consciousness other than the feelings in their bodies.

They fucked hard. Hell, they fucked like an animals until the blinding light of oblivion called for them again.

The dazzling intensity of their mutual orgasm blessed in their shared love rounded into a soft and tender glow.

JungKook sat back on the floor, cross-legged, and silently, Taehyung moved to climb into the warm and strong embrace, wrapping his legs and arms around JungKook.

For a long moment, they just sat, staring at each other, touching each other as much as possible. Entirely embraced and intertwined, their hearts were beating against one another, the breaths dancing on each other's lips.

Taehyung cupped JungKook's face again and placed the softest kiss on his lips. It was impossible not to think about the fact that this moment would never repeat. Very soon, they would never see each other again.

This would be the only time Taehyung would ever be happy and he knew it, despite trying his very best to pretend that it wasn't true.

So he charged himself up. He charged himself up with love, touches, kisses, caresses, sweet words and promises of love.

He took them all and he locked them away for safekeeping so that when things would get too bad to bear, he would have something else to think about, to remember, to know that there were good things that happened to him, even if they were so long ago that he didn't even remember when.

He could still think about it, imagine it, dream it.

Their love would forever live in his skin and nothing would ever take that away from him. At least he had known love and that's more than most people in his position could ever say.

So while he kissed and hugged and made love, he took it all and stored it while slowly getting ready to neatly package his heart away for permanent storage. If he could survive without it, he would just rip it out and throw it away because after today, he would no longer need it.

JungKook pulled him as close as humanly possible, hugging him so tight he could hardly breathe, and spoke over Taehyung's shoulder in a quiet voice.

"I'm going to escape and I'm going to come for you, Taehyung. You hear me?"

Silence.

"Escaping from the shuttle is impossible so I'll have to wait until I get to my destination, but as soon as I get there, I'll be able to find a way out. Now that I know where you're going, I can come and get you, OK?" he slid his arms up and down Taehyung's sides, trying to comfort him.

Taehyung shook his head in a slow, sad movement.

"No, it's too dangerous, please don't do anything stupid. I'll die if I find out something bad has happened to you..." his arms tightened around JungKook, his face nuzzled into his neck.

"Listen. Please. I can't live with knowing where you're going. I promise you, with my life, that I will come and get you so you just need to hang on for a little while, OK?" JungKook didn't even try to hide the desperation in his voice.

He looked up, forcing Taehyung's eyes to his. He could see Taehyung didn't really believe him so he kissed him, filling the kiss with all his love and promises, all his hope and dreams.

"I love you. I can't live without you. I will find you, and that's a promise."

It could no longer be avoided.

They tidied up every possible trace of their love in the small space and cleaned themselves up. JungKook hid all the used wipes from the packs in the inside pockets of his long coat and said to Taehyung:

"You take the pack with the full lube, my new owner won't be as discerning as yours so I'll be able to get away with it. Just make sure you'll use the dust as your excuse to have a wash as soon as you get there, OK?" He tried to focus on the practicalities to stop himself falling apart completely.

After JungKook had cleaned everything, packed away their bags and dressed himself, slowly and with tears in his eyes, he helped Taehyung get dressed.

Inch by inch, before Taehyung's beautiful skin disappeared under the suit, JungKook placed trails of tender kisses on it, sealing them onto the skin with the cool fabric. By the time he had pulled the zip all the way up and he was looking into Taehyung's eyes, he could hardly see them for all the tears clouding his vision.

He could hear clonking outside the shuttle so placing a final tender kiss on Taehyung's quivering lips, he said it again.

"I promise I'll come for you. Wait for me." His voice cracked and he closed is eyes so he didn't have to see Taehyung disappear under the helmet before putting his own one on.

In heavy, sombre silence, they sat down on their seats in the half-darkness and waited for their fates to unfold.

Finally the door opened and a guard came through.

"Can't get the power on yet." He mumbled and dug out his scanner.

After checking their ID numbers with it, he told Taehyung to grab his bag and come out.

"You. Strap back in while you wait." He barked at JungKook.

Taehyung was silent but right at the precipice of stepping off the shuttle, he stalled.

When the sunlight hit his darkly clad shape, shining off his helmet, JungKook was reminded of how Taehyung was looking forward to feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin. Desperately he tried not to think about how the dungeon he was going to end up in had no warmth, nor sun.

Taehyung didn't turn back but for a small moment, JungKook could see a slight hovering hesitation and he knew everything that Taehyung wanted to say right in that moment -because they had already said it all.

Wordlessly, JungKook renewed his promise.

Then he was gone.

While JungKook waited, the lights flickered on as if all the love they had shared had never even existed in this harsh place.

Mentally preparing, JungKook gripped his bag.

Suddenly the door started closing with a hiss, right when JungKook could hear the men talking outside.

"Why you not getting the other one out?" The driver asked, annoyed.

"Well his bloody helmet's broken."

"So what?"

"Well I can see half of his damned face, that's what!" the guard grumbled, annoyed at the extra work this meant for him.

In the time it took for everything to sink in, JungKook didn't have time to consider the dreams that he had unknowingly allowed himself to make in the last 12 hours nor the ardent, unwavering promises he had made, nor what the consequences of not keeping those promises would be.

"Change of plan. This one's going back for disposal."