¤ Shadow Wind
Dotan ↲

Lost in distance
Fighting this war
Your heart is a weapon
Catching the glow
The sirens keep calling out
Hunting around for stories

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Taehyung spent the next several days trying to piece together a plan - he was desperate to find a way to help the Jeon family in any way possible.

Following the news of Juyeon's illness, he learned more about her medical history from Jungkook. When she was first diagnosed, the doctors were hopeful that a modified and nutritious diet would help. However, after her symptoms worsened, the only options were dialysis or a transplant. The waiting list for transplants was long, so they started Juyeon on dialysis instead.

Her treatment was ongoing, and all the medical diagnoses, tests, and procedures began to add up. The family's insurance certainly helped, though it didn't cover everything completely. Multiple bills began to accumulate, which was on top of the family's other normal expenses.

Jungkook explained how much he hated seeing his family struggle, especially when he was contributing to the costs with his education. So, after his first year of college, he dropped his courses, moved home, and found a full-time job.

Taehyung was in awe of Jungkook's selflessness - where he came from, such an act was rare. But for Jungkook, whose family meant the world to him, he'd do anything. Even if it meant donating his kidney.

Taehyung learned that Juyeon had dialysis multiple days per week, sitting for hours on end to receive the treatment. Over time, however, the rambunctious, vivid little girl changed before her family's eyes. She had no energy and was sad all of the time. Dialysis was saving her life, but at the same time, it was sucking the life out of her.

The Jeon family couldn't stand seeing her like that, so they went back to considering a transplant. The doctors explained how a family member could potentially be a match, so Jungkook and his parents got tested. Both Jungkook and his mother were matches, however, Jiho had a preexisting condition that rendered her ineligible to donate.

So without any hesitation, Jungkook volunteered.

The surgery went well and both Jungkook and Juyeon recovered as expected. In the beginning months, it appeared that Juyeon was better than ever. The new kidney functioned properly and her energy came back tenfold. The entire Jeon family was overjoyed.

But, just a couple months ago, Juyeon's body showed signs of rejecting the transplant. Her system was refusing to accept the new kidney as her immune system recognized the organ as foreign tissue. Juyeon took medication to reduce her immune system's response, though it wasn't helping as anticipated.

The transplant was failing.

Jungkook explained that when he ran out of the art class all those weeks ago, Juyeon was admitted into the hospital with a severe infection. Luckily she pulled through, but the doctors explained that unless a higher dosage of medicine helped, they'd have to reconsider their options. But for now, the new dosage of medication was working. There were still risks, of course, but the doctors were pleased with Juyeon's progress.

Somehow they had gotten lucky.

But even though Juyeon's health was seemingly stable, the Jeon family still had other worries - paying down mountains of debt. With the amount of medical bills and late payments the family had, it would be years before they were in a more comfortable place. Taehyung offered to help in any way he could, though Jungkook didn't want to accept any more money from him. He wanted to do this on his own.

And Taehyung had an idea to help him do just that.

It was currently Friday night, and for the first time ever, he was voluntarily going to one of his parents' illustrious parties. As he got ready, he tried to steel up his nerves and work through every step of his plan.

Would it work? Who the hell knew. But he had to try for the Jeons' sake.

Taehyung had just finished getting ready - donning dark pants, a black top with a deep V, and a matching loose blazer - when Jungkook knocked at the door.

The younger didn't know about Taehyung's plan to go to his family's party. Not yet at least. He also didn't know he was coming with him. All Taehyung told Jungkook was to come dressed in fancy clothing.

Taehyung opened the door, his mouth instantly watering as he took in Jungkook. The boy was wearing a black turtleneck, fitted black slacks, and a sleek leather belt. He looked so elegant and the outfit somehow managed to highlight the swells of his covered muscles.

Jungkook walked in, pecking Taehyung's cheek. "You look sexy."

"Me? No . . . You look sexy. It's not fair, you know. How can you wear literally anything and look like that?"

"Would it make you feel better if I wore nothing at all?" The younger teased, brushing part of Taehyung's hair out of his face. "If that's the case, I'd be happy just staying in tonight."

Taehyung rested his hands on Jungkook's lean hips, loving how perfectly he fit into his hands. "Maybe tomorrow night."

"Oh, yeah?" Jungkook wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Is that the plan?"

"If you behave yourself tonight." He closed the space between them, giving the younger a languid and deep kiss. The real challenge would be if Taehyung could behave himself tonight. With Jungkook looking like this, it'd take a lot of restraint to keep his hands off of him.

"This turtleneck is a nice look on you," Taehyung continued, bringing one hand up to the neck of the clothing item. "It hides a lot of your skin though."

"Yeah, I like the vibe - ah."

Taehyung had pulled aside the turtleneck and latched his mouth on Jungkook's neck, sucking onto his now exposed skin. His lips and tongue cherished the area while his other hand cupped the younger's ass.

"Fuck," Jungkook whimperd, tilting his head further to the side. "You really wanna play like this right now, baby?"

"I do," Taehyung murmured against his skin, "but we have places to be, sadly."

He broke away, leaving Jungkook red faced and flustered. God, he loved seeing the boy like this, hot and bothered and longing for more. Knowing he was the sole cause of this made Taehyung's chest swell with pride.

"Where are we going?" The younger asked, righting his clothing back into place. "You said dress like we were going to a swanky art show, so is that what we're doing?"

Better to just rip the bandaid off. "We're going to my parents' house."

Jungkook whipped his head up at lightning speed. "Your parents' house? Tae, we shouldn't . . . You know what? Yeah. Let's go. I'd like to have a word with them."

"Kookie, I'm not bringing you to cause trouble. They're not worth your time and they certainly don't deserve your attention. I need to take care of some business, but the rest of the guys will be there. You can hang with them."

Jungkook blew air out through his lips, but ended up nodding in the end. "Do your parents know about me? About us?"

"I haven't spoken to them since before we started dating," Taehyung explained neutrally. "So they don't know. But I'm not trying to hide you, Kook. It's just that they've never cared about me, they've never been there for me. I don't tell them anything anymore."

And it was true. After they failed him all those years ago, Taehyung never let them into his life. They made it perfectly clear they didn't love him as their son. So he learned to not tell them anything, not to rely on them for the important stuff. Outside of money for schooling, his apartment, and basic amenities, he asked them for nothing. Once he graduated and secured an income of his own, he was done with them.

Taehyung was going to cut his parents out of his life and never look back.

Maybe this would've saddened him before, but now - after seeing such a loving family like the Jeons - he knew he didn't need their influence.

Outside of bragging to their friends, they made it clear they didn't need his, either.

Jungkook looped his arms around Taehyung's neck, pouting his lips comically. "I'm not worried about it, Tae. It's better if they don't know about me. That way no one sees it coming when I slash their car tires or something."

Taehyung settled his hands back on the boy's hips. "Alright my little criminal, there will be no slashing anyone's tires tonight. Just bank accounts."

"Huh?" Jungkook's eyebrows knitted together, though Taehyung didn't elaborate further.

"Grab my satchel for me, okay? It's in my art room," Taehyung instructed, squeezing his hips before letting go. "Then let's make our way over to the fiery pits of hell."

"Sounds riveting," the younger winked, heading down the hall and disappearing into the art room.

Taehyung grinned in anticipation, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for Jungkook's reaction. He was perfectly capable of getting his bag on his own, though he left a little surprise in there for the younger.

"Kim Taehyung!"

A giggle erupted out of his chest, which turned into a fit of laughter once Jungkook came marching back to him.

"Take those down!" Jungkook whined, eyes wide with shock. "What if someone sees those things hanging up?"

"Then they'll know who my muse is," Taehyung laughed again, thinking of all the nude drawings of the younger he framed and nailed to the wall. "I think it's a welcome change."

"You wouldn't think that if I hung up naked photos of you all over," Jungkook groaned and stalked to the door.

Taehyung joined him, hugging him from behind. "Is my Jungkookie mad?"

There was no response, so Taehyung whispered lowly into his ear. "I'll make it up to you later, baby boy."

"I think you're just asking to stay here tonight," Jungkook huffed, turning around in Taehyung's arms. "Do you want to put that whole spanking kink to the test?"

Taehyung laughed again. "Hey, I never said I had a spanking kink. I just thought it was hot when you smacked my ass. But . . ."

"But . . .?"

"Let's talk about it more. Let's have our talk tomorrow," he said before licking his bottom lip.

Jungkook honed in on his mouth. "Our talk?"

"You're impossible," Taehyung pecked his lips and stepped towards the door. "I'll let you mull over that one. But come on, let's go."

He pulled Jungkook with him, the younger mumbling our talk repeatedly. It only occurred to Jungkook once they were almost at Taehyung's parents' house that our talk meant their sex talk.

"Now that's all I'm going to be thinking about tonight," Jungkook groaned as he was led up to the front door.

Taehyung smiled, having done this on purpose. For one, he felt ready to start talking more about their intimacy. He'd been thinking it over the last several days and knew he was comfortable enough to at least openly talk about the subject.

And secondly, Taehyung needed Jungkook somewhat distracted tonight. He knew the younger would never let him do what he was about to do otherwise.

"I'll take my satchel," he told Jungkook, slinging it over his shoulder. "And just remember, the only opinions that matter in there are ours and our friends'. Everyone else isn't worth it."

And with that, Taehyung pushed open the door.

Like usual, the house was decked out with twinkling lights, absurd floral arrangements, and a live band belting out jazzy tunes. Taehyung led the way through the madness, gripping Jungkook's hand tightly. Several people greeted him as they pushed against the crowd, and he offered sharp nods and forced smiles in return. Typically, he'd ignore them all, though he had to remember his main purpose in being here tonight.

"I see Joonie," Jungkook pointed out once they neared a back corner. "He's right by the bar."

"Great." Taehyung started carving their path that way until he was blocked by the very two people he did not want to see.

"Taehyung, great, you're here," his mother rushed out to say. "Have you seen Kim Seokjin's family? They were asking to hear about the latest exhibit you participated in."

Annoyance tightened his mouth, his lips pursing into a dissatisfied pout. "I'll find them later, but first -"

"If your mother asks you to do something, you'll do it, son," his father said. He reached out a hand and traced Taehyung's cheekbone with his fingertips. "Understood?"

Taehyung felt Jungkook tense next to him, though he pushed that aside for the moment. "Understood, sir. I'd just like to introduce you to someone."

His parents exchanged an inconvenienced look and Taehyung wondered if they'd even stay.

Surprisingly they did.

"This is Jeon Jungkook," Taehyung announced, bringing their linked hands into view. "He's my boyfriend."

Taehyung wasn't sure what their reaction would be. He knew they could potentially react like Hoseok's family, though the only difference was at least Hoseok's parents had some emotion linked to their son. Taehyung's parents didn't have that at all.

"You're dating a man?" His father asked, voice cold and eyes narrowed.

Taehyung raised his hand, kissing Jungkook's knuckles in the process just to send an even stronger message. "I'm in love with this man, yes. He is my everything. Enjoy your party."

And with that, he pulled Jungkook towards their group of friends, leaving his parents behind.

"You didn't want to wait for a reaction?" Jungkook asked in confusion. "What if they're mad?"

"Kook, I don't give two shits if they're mad. A few more months and I am done with them."

Jungkook stopped him, pulling on his wrist. "That's not what I meant, Tae. I get how you feel about them. And the only reason I don't flip out on them is for you. But I think you should be careful until you graduate. What if they pull your funding?"

Honestly, Taehyung hadn't thought about that and he was a little embarrassed. He had all this pent up emotion when it came to his parents that he often didn't think things through.

"Yeah, you're right. I just . . . I didn't want to stand there and hear them say anything bad about us," he said to the younger, holding both of his hands within his own. "I don't have the patience for any of their bullshit."

Jungkook squeezed his hands and gave him a small smile. "It's okay,  baby. I get why you feel that way. Just . . . Just be careful. You're almost there, okay?"

Taehyung couldn't explain how much he loved this man. To have someone consistently looking out for him was such a new experience and he still had trouble getting used to it.

"Let's put that all aside for now," the younger said before nodding his head to the side. "Our friends are waiting for us."

They headed over to their group of friends, trading hellos, handshakes, and even hugs when they got there. Hugging people other than Jungkook still didn't come too easily, though Taehyung was making an active effort. These boys meant so much to him and he wanted to convey that in any way possible.

"That looked fun," Jin smirked, nodding his head in Taehyung's parents' direction.

"Always is," Taehyung shook his head, scanning his eyes over the group.

There was Jin and Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi, and even Jimin was there. Hoseok was trying to convince Jimin to let him play matchmaker and set him up with someone. Jimin gently declined the offer, saying he didn't need a relationship at the moment. Yoongi was peppering Namjoon with questions about his line of work, trying to understand the mechanics of it all.

"Hey, Jin?" Taehyung called out after a few minutes. "Can you show Jungkook the balcony? It's a good photo spot."

"Ah, time for your elusive business?" Jungkook nudged his side, eyebrows rising high on his forehead. "You're not trying to prostitute me out, are you?"

"How'd you guess?" Taehyung waggled his own eyebrows up and down. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

He kissed Jungkook on the cheek before blending back into the crowd.

Taehyung eyed several potential targets, mind crafting elaborate stories for each one of them. Jin's mother valued exclusivity. The Jung family wanted things no one else had. And Yoongi's father was a collector of priceless pieces of artwork.

There was something in his satchel for each of them.

So he got to work.

An hour or so passed and Jungkook had seen the entirety of the Kim estate. It was luxurious, grand, and expensively decorated. It was also cold and impersonal, with no homey touches or family photos. Growing up in such a place might have seemed like a dream come true, though Jungkook knew better.

He knew how much Taehyung loathed this house.

Nonetheless, Jin was a great tour guide and shared some funny stories that he, Yoongi, Hoseok, and Taehyung had over the years. From getting locked in a wine cellar to rollerblading down the empty halls, the boys made the most out of their upbringings. Jin explained that all their families were extremely competitive of one another, trying to find new and different ways to prove their superiority. It was an exhausting environment to grow up in, however, the boys at least had their own little group to provide as an escape.

They returned to the main room of the house, a wild party still throbbing all around them. Jungkook instantly scanned the crowd for Taehyung, though with this many people, it was impossible to locate him. Curiosity over Taehyung's so-called business plagued him, though he knew he'd find out soon enough.

Jungkook just didn't know how soon.

After he secured himself a plate of food, he was wandering along the perimeter of the room when a hand gently took hold of his shoulder. Thinking it was Taehyung, he spun around and beamed, though he was quickly let down.

"Jeon Jungkook," an older woman purred, her voice velvety smooth. "How have I not had the honor of meeting you before?"

Jungkook stared at her in confusion. How did she know who he was? And why did she think they should've met before?

"I'm . . . sorry? Who are you?" He questioned, trying to ease the tight smile from his face.

"Darling, I'm one of your newest customers."

"I . . . I wasn't aware that I had any customers?" Jungkook asked, utterly lost over what was happening.

The woman grinned, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Ah, yes. Taehyung told me you've never sold any of your pieces directly to patrons before. All your photos are displayed in the finest of galleries around the world. But I understand you're selling out a limited collection now . . . Your work has always been such an inspiration to me."

Jungkook tried hard to keep his mouth from falling open. It was becoming painfully aware that Taehyung spun some sort of story to this woman, passing him off as some acclaimed photographer or another. But why?

"Now tell me," she continued, her eyes quickly flitting over the people nearest to them. She leaned in close. "How much would it take for me to purchase one of your photos? I quite liked the one of the beach, you know, that black and white one with the sailboat. It'd be positively charming in my sun room."

Jungkook knew exactly what image she was talking about - he'd taken the picture just before his and Juyeon's surgery. But that picture never left his computer. How did this woman see it?

"Ma'am, if I could ask . . . What other photos of mine have you seen?"

The woman detailed a few of his other photos, all images that were never shared with anyone outside of his family. But somehow Taehyung had gotten his hands on them . . . He was still so confused. 

"Taehyung made it perfectly clear how competitive your pieces are in terms of price. Though, and I don't say this to just anyone, I'd be willing to pay whatever amount you ask for."

She took out a business card and handed it his way. "When you're ready to talk price, call me. But make sure you come to me first. I heard the Min family was interested in this same photo and I'd be devastated to hear they beat me over something as silly as money. You and I will talk soon, darling."

And with that, the woman melted back into the crowd and left Jungkook alone. He looked down at the card and gasped at seeing the name.

"Dude, why was my mother talking to you?" Hoseok came up beside him, eyebrows knit together. "I wasn't aware you knew her."

"I don't," Jungkook said, shaking his head. "You haven't seen Tae around, have you?"

"Actually, yeah." Hoseok pointed to a hallway in the corner. "Just saw his father pull him off to the side."

Some weird form of apprehension twisted his stomach into knots. When he briefly met Taehyung's parents earlier, he caught how Taehyung's father touched his cheekbone. It wasn't endearing or done tenderly . . . It was a warning, traced right over where Taehyung once had that bruise.

Jungkook didn't want to assume the worst. But after everything he learned about Taehyung's parents over the last few weeks, it didn't sound like they were good people.

So as quickly as possible, Jungkook ran off in the same direction Hoseok pointed out. The massive crowd of people slowed his progress, pushing and pulling at him with each step. Once he broke out of the swarm, he descended down the hall in search of Taehyung.

It was weirdly quiet in this part of the house, open doors revealing empty rooms. He searched each space and called out Taehyung's name, but to no avail. He was preparing to turn back and wait it out when he rounded a corner and saw exactly who he was after.

But Taehyung wasn't alone.

"- do you think you're doing? Selling things to my friends at my party? Who the hell do you think you are?" Taehyung's father was growling at his son, hands clenched at his sides.

"I'm just talking business with them, sir. It came up naturally in our conversations," Taehyung intoned boredly and calmly, even though he was backed into a wall. "You should be happy your friends have such great taste."

The next movements happened so fast that Jungkook could barely process what had happened. Taehyung's father went to bring his hand up, but somehow Taehyung had blocked the movement.

But now it was confirmed. Jungkook knew exactly how Taehyung had once gotten that bruise.

And he was absolutely fucking livid.

But he didn't know what to do. If he interrupted this scene, would that cause trouble for Taehyung down the road? If he remained silent, would more harm come to Taehyung tonight?

"Don't worry, father. You won't have to put up with me for much longer." Taehyung marched off down the hall, right in Jungkook's direction. The elder's eyes widened as he saw Jungkook.

"You get back here you fucking disrespectful -"

But Taehyung's father's words were fading as Taehyung grabbed Jungkook and pulled him along. They were going at a fast pace, practically running, until Taehyung led him outside into a vacant garden.

It was quiet as Taehyung sat down on a bench, burying his head in his hands. Jungkook instantly joined him, running a hand up and down his spine.

"Tae . . .," He started, but didn't know what to say. Anger was coursing through his body and all he wanted to do was go in there and find Taehyung's shitty excuse for a father.

"It's okay, Kook. I'm okay," Taehyung mumbled into his hands. "I . . . I just didn't want you to know."

"Because you knew I'd beat the living shit out of him?" Jungkook offered, trying not to visualize doing just that right now.

"Yeah," Taehyung said, dropping his hands and looking up at Jungkook. "And I didn't want to give you another reason to pity me. I never wanted you to see me like this."

"Kim Taehyung, I love you. I am here to make sure you are happy and healthy and safe. I don't pity you for this . . . But fuck, I hate your family so much. I want to take you out of this world and bring you fully into mine."

Taehyung threw his arms around him, resting his cheek against Jungkook's. "Kook, you and your family have given me more love than I ever got from my parents. You are my family. And it's just a few more months and I will never look back. I promise."

They remained in each other's arms for a while, taking in much needed comfort. Jungkook ran a hand through Taehyung's hair, while the elder was massaging his neck. And while it was just the two of them, Jungkook figured he could ask what the hell Taehyung had been up to all night.

"Tae? Why does Hoseok's mother think that I'm some world renowned photographer?"

Taehyung chuckled into his neck. "Please don't be mad at me. But I may have shown some people your photos tonight . . . And I may have said your collections are so rare that only the most influential people are granted copies. I was using their own greed and vanity against them so they'd offer to pay a shit ton for your photos. And they did, Kookie."

"But . . . I don't get why you'd do this," Jungkook leaned back, searching Taehyung's face for clues. "Lying to all those people could get you in a lot of trouble, Tae."

"The people I spoke to aren't good people, Kook. Hoseok's family kicked him out after everything with Yoongi. Cut him off. And Jin's and Yoongi's families aren't much better. So I might have said a couple white lies about your profession, but they believed them because of how amazing your photography is. And I know how you feel about me giving you money . . . So think of it this way. Your own talent and skills got you this money. You earned this money. I was just your marketer."

Jungkook's heart swelled in his chest. He didn't exactly agree with Taehyung lying about his background in order to get him these prospects, but he knew the elder was doing this out of love for him and his family.

"And," Taehyung continued, "I didn't even give them a price range. I said you'd have to decide how much you were willing to sell your pieces for. Outside of Hoseok's mother, I have at least six other people who are interested in buying some of your photos. But that's up to you. I didn't want to make the final decision for you."

"How are you this amazing?" Jungkook asked, overjoyed about what this meant for his family. "How did I get this lucky to find you?"

Taehyung kissed his cheek, smiling at him widely. "So you're not mad?"

Jungkook shook his head. "No. Not when you helped my family this much. Tae . . . Thank you."

"I love you and will always have your back," the elder said, hands finding Jungkook's. "And after everything you've done for me, this is the least I can do."

Pure happiness washed over Jungkook and he couldn't help but laugh. He pulled Taehyung into his arms again and pressed kisses all over his head.

"You're not paying me for modeling anymore," he announced after a few moments. "But you can draw me naked whenever you want."

"Deal," Taehyung laughed, "that'll give me more sketches to hang up around the art room."

"Tae."

"Oh, hush. I know you're flattered. But let's forget that for now. I want to celebrate with our friends tonight," the elder pulled him up, leading him out of the garden. "And then tomorrow . . ."

Jungkook gasped in excitement. Somehow he'd forgotten about the talk they were going to have tomorrow.

"I've never been more ready, baby."

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》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

Gosh, I love these characters!

Somehow this chapter ended up sooooo long haha, but it needed a lot of details. My mind is absolute mush now though.

Who's excited for the next chapter and Taekook's little talk? I know I am 😂