Waking up in his bed rather than on the couch was certainly an odd thing to Taehyung, and for a moment he had to seriously think about why he might have ended up here. He didn't sleep walk. He knew that much.

His sleepy, half-lidded eyes scanned the room lazily. Within seconds they fell on a suitcase that wasn't his.

Then he remembered.

It hung on his chest like a weighty anvil, but somehow Taehyung found the strength to push it aside and get to his feet. If he didn't dwell on it, it didn't happen. Simple.

Scratching his stomach as he opened the door, Taehyung stepped out of his room, and immediately afterwards hunger struck him and urged his feet to head towards the fridge.

It was still early. He figured Jungkook was asleep - rather, hoped Jungkook was asleep, and that, perhaps, if Lady Luck smiled upon him, the other boy would forget about what happened. Then again Tae was aware just how bad luck he had when it came to pretty everything, so it was unlikely.

"If you're going to make breakfast now, I can help."

The unannounced voice was enough to make Tae nearly jump out of his skin. The fact that it had come from no more than three feet behind him didn't help, either.

"Jungkook, what on earth is wrong with you??" Taehyung hissed, frowning intensely at the boy who appeared innocently puzzled by the other's reaction. "Don't sneak up on me like that, honestly..."

"Uh...sorry..."

"Yeah, you should be. It's too early to be giving me heart attacks. Not that there's ever a time for that."

"...right."

Taehyung was able to brush it off after but a moment and return to his task of getting together the few things he needed for breakfast. Jungkook, on the other hand, couldn't brush aside his thoughts - rather, his questions. Questions as to why Taehyung seemed normal now, not having brought up a certain happening that took place less than twelve hours ago.

Maybe he would soon. That in mind, Jungkook volunteered to make pancakes as Taehyung pulled some fruit out of the fridge.

Throughout the process, though be it a somewhat short one, few words were spoken as the two went about preparing their morning meal. Again, Taehyung seemed normal. Jungkook glanced at him frequently, waiting for the moment the boy would bring up the subject he, himself, couldn't bear to ignore.

Surely he couldn't have forgotten.

Before long the few preparations were done, and Taehyung and Jungkook both took their seats at the small kitchen table and began to eat.

Jungkook considered perhaps now the other would speak.

But five, ten minutes slipped by without a word. So Jungkook took the initiative.

"Are we going to talk?"

"Hm?" Taehyung didn't bother to lift his gaze from his food. "Doesn't matter to me, I'm used to eating in silence-"

"About last night, Tae."

The sobriety of that tone. As if demanding attention. Taehyung couldn't have ignored it if he wanted to and soon felt his cheeks rising in warmth as the memory replayed itself in his mind. The sheer level of embarrassment he experienced in that moment, recalling it vividly. In a panic, the boy blurted out a response.

"No."

"No?"

He could feel his heart hammering wildly against his chest. Internally, he begged for Jungkook to drop the subject but it appeared his silent plea wasn't heard.

"Tae, what do you mean 'no'?? You weren't just-..." A sigh of frustration passed through Jungkook's lips. "You weren't just going to pretend it didn't happen, were you?"

"Don't know," Taehyung muttered. He lowered his face in an attempt to hide the blush he could feel staining his complexion. "Maybe."

"Look, it's one thing if you want to ignore it entirely but you weren't the only one involved."

Like a nail pricking his skin. Taehyung was almost scared to look at Jungkook at this point, overwhelmed not only by the boy's sharp tone of voice, but by the words themselves. Again, they demanded attention, refused to let this conversation end sooner than the speaker wanted them to.

"You didn't push me away."

"I didn't-" Tae's voice got caught in his throat. "I didn't know what was going on."

"But you kissed me back."

It was hard enough suppressing the memory without Jungkook bringing this up, but now he really had no choice. As if it had happened mere moments ago Tae swore he could feel the boy on his lips. Once, once more, and a third time, the tender atmosphere suspended above them, the soft, oddly sweet taste of Jungkook's lips against his own.

He lost feeling in his face. Covering it with his hands, Taehyung groaned, exasperated with himself and his own state of hopelessness. If Jungkook weren't here at the time, maybe he could have found a way to deal with it more calmly, without being in such a fluster. But this boy across the table from him now wouldn't stop his intent staring.

"You...regret it, don't you-?"

"Jungkook, I can't-" The question triggered Taehyung to put his hands down and finally make eye contact, though in his flustered state he couldn't get the rest of his words out - rather, that he hadn't known what exactly he was going to say when he opened his mouth to begin with. "I can't think about this right now, okay?? I'm—I don't know, alright, I've got too many things going on right now, I just...I don't-..."

"Well, I don't regret it."

The boy's voice softened suddenly. Taehyung found Jungkook looking down at his plate of food, picking at it, uninterested.

"You can decide what you think of it, but it won't change my opinion," he said quietly. "I liked it. It was really nice. Really...nice."

The direct sincerity. The drifting gaze, the tint of color in the boy's face, none of it helped to calm Taehyung's troubled, beating heart. He couldn't handle this sort of atmosphere rationally.

"You're...so blunt," he said to Jungkook, hesitant to risk looking at him again but he did so anyway. And it was so odd to him. How serious, yet how gentle Jungkook's face appeared to be at the same time.

"I could be even more blunt, if you want."

"What?"

"No," he forced a laugh at Taehyung's confusion. "You probably wouldn't like that...forget I said anything. Maybe another time."

A tight-lipped smile. Jungkook returned his attention to his breakfast, soon to resume eating, but at a much slower pace than normal.

"...you ever kiss anyone before?"

"Jungkook, that's—"

Witnessing the abrupt change in Taehyung's expression, the resurfacing blush triggered by that little question alone, drew a genuine laugh from Jungkook who had fooled the other into thinking he had dropped the subject. Even though he doubted he would receive a legitimate answer, he predicted Tae would grow shy and the boy couldn't resist a chance to see that again.

"What, have you?"

"I don't have to answer you."

"I never have. You were my first."

"Cut it out, you're doing this on purpose now."

"Maybe I am. So have you?"

Battling the urge to snap at him again, Taehyung resorted to taking out his phone to distract himself. Maybe that would shut Jungkook up. Hopefully.

To his pleasant surprise, Yoongi had texted him within the time Taehyung had spent preparing breakfast. He opened the messages.

Yoongles💕
tiger i have some news

Yoongles💕
super good news so text me as soon as you can

Taeger💛
i'm here, what is it?

Yoongles💕
oh good that was pretty fast

Yoongles💕
ok so i'll just get right to the point

Yoongles💕
i've got a vacation, like an acutal one

Yoongles💕
i can afford to visit you finally

Taeger💛
no you're messing with me

Taeger💛
how soon???

Yoongles💕
tomorrow, so if you've got a schedule clear it

Yoongles💕
well i mean i know you've got college and work but you don't have classes every day and i have time to spare sooooo yeah :)

Yoongles💕
if you'd let me crash at your apartment then i'd love to stay with you for a while, tae

Taeger💛
but yoongi if you have all this vacation time wouldn't you want to go on an actual vacation???

Yoongles💕
umm excuse me tiger my time my choice

Yoongles💕
it's not a vacation if i don't get to see you at least once and besides, i want to actually spend time with you in person, i'm tired of texting

Yoongles💕
not to sound cheesy but i've missed you so much tiger

Taeger💛
yoongi stop i might actually cry i'm so happy

Taeger💛
i'd love for you to stay with me on your vacation. i mean my apartment isn't anything special but still

Yoongles💕
cmon tae you know i wouldn't care about the apartment as long as you've got popcorn and a tv we can make fun of terrible movies together and my vacation would be made

Yoongles💕
so yeah

Yoongles💕
tomorrow, better be ready for me buddy ol' pal

Taeger💛
i'll be thinking about it all day :)

By the time he finished texting Yoongi, Taehyung had stretched across his face the widest, toothiest grin, not restrained in even the slightest form of the definition. He had no reason to restrain it. Wouldn't have been able to, anyway, due to how genuinely ecstatic he felt all of a sudden. And naturally this abrupt shift in his mood didn't go unnoticed by the other boy in the room.

"What's...got you so giddy?" Jungkook asked, unable to mask his curiosity. "Win the lottery or something?"

"Even better," Tae blurted as his eyes widened fully, "Yoongi's coming to visit, my best friend, I feel like I haven't seen him in forever, oh my gosh, this is-"

He stopped himself mid-sentence, as if another thought had interrupted the first and urged him to get on his feet. Jungkook just stared.

"He's coming tomorrow, what am I doing?? I should do something for him. Bake! I could bake something, he's got a sweet tooth, I'll bake something for him."

It came as such a powerful shock to Jungkook, this level of excitement, this energy he had never seen before in Taehyung, not anywhere close, and above all that smile. That full, brilliant, and heartfelt smile brought about by the genuine joy that Tae had to let out in one way or another.

All because of someone who wasn't even in the room, a person who had done nothing more than send a few text messages, and voilà, the typically anxious, low-energy, paranoid boy had never looked more happy to be alive.

Jungkook wasn't really sure how to feel about that.

"I wish I were more like him," Tae continued to gush, "he's got cookbooks jammed in his head, hardly even needs a recipe for reference, but I really don't wanna screw this up." He tore out his phone and started furiously scrolling through recipes on the internet. "Cookies, cakes, pies, I don't know which I should do, maybe all of them?? We'll probably eat till our stomachs hate us but that's the best part. Jungkook, do you wanna help?"

Taken aback by the mentioning of his name, the boy in question raised his head, brow furrowed as he gazed at Taehyung. "What?"

"You don't have to," the other said. A mixing bowl appeared to have materialized in his hand. "Just asking. You could help me bake. I'll let you have some of whatever I end up making if you do. But it's up to you, I'm gonna make it either way."

Hesitance. His stomach felt a little off. "Uhm, yeah, sure." Just smile. "I'll help. Could be fun."

"Yeah? Okay, great! Maybe I could get more done this way. Here."

Before Jungkook knew it Taehyung had speed-walked his way over to him. He held up his phone to show the boy two side-by side pictures.

"Left or right. Which looks better? Yoongi loves strawberry things which they've both got but I can't decide between them. If I have time, maybe both, but still, pick one."

"Uhm...the...left one, I guess."

"Left it is. C'mon, let's get cracking."

It left him cruelly disheartened, but Jungkook strove to hide his feelings and enjoy the time with Taehyung regardless. And he did, he adored the boy's smiles and random giggling that, most of the time, came without a warning or even a reason, at least not one that Jungkook could gather. It tickled his heart in both good ways and bad. But perhaps more bad than good right now.

"Ginger, vanilla extract, I know I have vanilla extract, I should have ginger...? Can't say that with confidence. Hey, Kook, could you check in that cabinet right next to you? It might be in there."

Jungkook did as he was asked. "...no, I don't see any."

"What? Really? There's vanilla extract in there, right?"

"No. Don't see that, either. Maybe another cabinet."

"Try the one next to it."

"...not here, either."

"Oh, great." Taehyung released a deep sigh, shaking his head as his eyes traveled to the door. "I'll get both at the store, then. Better yet, maybe I could ask Jimin. I wouldn't normally ask favors but going to the store for vanilla extract and ginger seems like a waste when you've got neighbors. C'mon, Kook."

"I-I'm going, too?"

"Yeah, why not?" Taehyung shrugged, pressing his lips together in a thin line. "It's a group effort. Let's go."

Jungkook didn't have it in himself to turn Tae down - not that he wanted to, rather that the boy's change in behavior was something he needed more time adjusting to.

With an encouraging tug on his arm, Jungkook soon found himself following Taehyung out of the apartment and directly over to the one adjacent on the left. Mile-wide smile still on his face, Tae knocked on the door to Jimin's apartment and waited patiently.

"Let's hope he's home," he said to Jungkook. "If not, I guess we can just make a quick trip to the store. It's not far from here. Just figured we could save some time."

To Taehyung's great relief, within seconds the door was opened to him by the familiar, blond-haired neighbor of his who greeted him with a cheerful, but somewhat puzzled smile.

"Well, this is unexpected." Jimin chuckled, glancing at the two boys as he tilted his head in question. "Came to say hi? Not complaining but it's not like you, Tae."

"Well, special occasion," Taehyung grinned. "My friend's coming to visit so I wanted to bake some things for him, but, go figure, I didn't check to see if I had everything I needed before starting to make it. So I just wanted to ask if you had vanilla extract and ginger? If not, it's not a problem."

"Vanilla extract and ginger, huh?" For a moment, Jimin looked back into his apartment, humming in thought. "I should. Let me just check."

"Thanks, Jimin, I really appreciate it."

"Hm? Oh, no problem at all." He chuckled again, waving his hand dismissively at the comment.

A mere second that hand was raised. Maybe two at most. But it was enough for Taehyung to see it.

Hanging loosely from Jimin's wrist.

A silver charm bracelet.

"It might take a moment, none of my cabinets are very organized, but I'm sure I have-"

"Could I see your wrist, Jimin?"

The exuberance in Taehyung's outward demeanor vanished in an instant as though it had never been there in the first place. A mere passing illusion. It caught Jimin off guard, evidently, as did the question.

He wasn't subtle in hiding his arm behind his back. "My...my wrist? It's nothing, Tae, I-"

Even if he considered it could have been a misunderstanding, a coincidence, there was no second-guessing the anxiety that arose in the blond's voice. Without a warning Taehyung extended his hand and seized Jimin's right arm, yanking it upward to reveal the same bracelet he recognized from his meeting with Blue.

"It is the same."

He threw the arm down again.

"It is the same bracelet, you bastard."

Jungkook didn't understand. Helpless and confused, he stood back, alarmed beyond belief at what was happening, at what could possibly have occurred just now to trigger this clear-cut mountain of rage in Taehyung. That, as well as the other boy in the picture, pale as a ghost and floundering with his words as if desperately struggling to explain himself but failing to the utmost degree.

"T...Tae, please, just let me-"

"No, don't you dare say another word," Taehyung spat, his words acrid and biting, hurting their receiving ears as much as they hurt Tae to speak. "I don't want to hear anything from you. You don't deserve to explain yourself, Jimin, I don't—"

The emotions overwhelmed him. His thoughts jumbled themselves and stuck into both his brain and his heart like puncturing needles, agonizing to leave in, agonizing to take out.

"All this time, right here. All this time, and you were living right next to me??" His piecing gaze dug into Jimin's guilty eyes. "And you knew it, too. You knew I was here, I'm sure you knew about my blood before everyone at my college did, didn't you? Didn't you, Blue?? Huh??"

"Taehyung, I'm sorry, I-"

"You think I want your apologies?! How many times have you lied to me now, huh?? How many??"

Trembling eyes sparred with approaching tears in the blond. They were losing.

"I don't even want to ask how you knew about Yoongi."

That hateful, betrayed voice.

"However you knew about him," Taehyung began, his voice bleeding with intimidation, a verbal warning that couldn't be ignored. "However you know, listen here, Jimin, nothing had better happen to him. Nothing. Or I swear to you, I'll make you regret it."

With that final piece of stern admonition, Taehyung turned furiously from the doorway and stormed back to his own apartment, Jungkook following in a hurried, but still terribly confused manner. Once back inside, he closed the door behind him and turned to Taehyung. He wanted to ask. So badly, he wanted to know what had caused that stirring of emotions, that anger.

Taehyung rubbed his eyes, he groaned, kicked the couch which he stood beside before falling onto it. It wasn't long before Jungkook realized the boy was crying.

"It's not fair..." He held his hands over his eyes. "Why do these things always happen to me? Why am I such an idiot for trusting people, I should know better, I should know better than to have trusted him, the day I met with him and he wouldn't show his face, I didn't recognize his voice when he spoke 'cus he only whispered, but either way, I should have known better."

He rolled to his side, breathing out unsteadily as he continued to rub his eyes. The tears stopped flowing but they were still there.

"I should have known better." He sat up against the couch, sniffling. Then, he laughed in spite of himself. "There's nothing important you're hiding from me, too, is there, Kook?"

He made accidental eye contact. Jungkook looked away immediately, his heart plummeting.

"Of course there is. Of course you are."

"Are you going to kick me out?"

"No, Jungkook," Taehyung snapped, "no, I don't care, I really don't, because what's the point? What's the point??"

Silenced by his own lack of an excuse. Jungkook stood still for a moment, staring at the floor.

"I'll go to the store for the ingredients," he said after a while. "I'm sorry."

"Fine. Go. Take your time."

*
*
*

end of chapter seventeen.