Chapter Thirty . . .|
-taehyung, i'm sensing some hostility.

     "Where's Hoseok?" Jimin asked when he ran into Jeongguk after talking to Taehyung, seeing the younger walking with his crutch under his arm. He gave him a good scan, clicking his tongue.

"He left. He came here to argue about Taehyung and that he gets to keep him but I told him to fuck off." Jeongguk shrugged, not looking at Jimin. "So, yeah, he just left. I had some men escort him."

"Oh, um, cool." Jimin nodded, walking alongside Jeongguk now. "Where are we going now, Jeon? To get Taehyung a proper bed to sleep on with some blankets and pillows?"

"He doesn't really deserve it, does he? I mean, I don't think so. Maybe that's just me." Jeongguk uttered, letting out a weak raspy chuckle from his throat, offering a shrug to follow. He still didn't bother to spare the elder a glance, keeping his eyes forward along with his stride.

"Um, okay . . . That's fine." Jimin said, not knowing what else he could say to his boss. "But still, Jeongguk, where are you going?" He asked again.

"I was going to head to my room and call it a night. Had a stressful day and I'm awfully tired. I would like to catch some Z's." Jeongguk said. He had other plans in mind but Jimin didn't need to know that much.

"Then I should be walking somewhere else, huh? Well, in that case, goodnight, Jeongguk." Jimin stopped in his tracks, allowing Jeongguk to keep limping away with his crutch. He watched the aforementioned throw his hand up as to signal a 'Yeah, you too'.

Jeongguk turned the corner, heading to his bedroom but there was a room right across from his that he wanted to visit before he took it upon himself to go to sleep.

When he arrived, he unlocked and placed his palm on the doorknob, twisting it open to reveal a grown adult who sat with his knees tuck to his chest.

"Princess, how are you doing? How are your bruises?" Jeongguk walked in the room, eyes watching Taehyung. He leaned his crutch against the wall by the door, not needing it.

The aforementioned shrugged. "What does it matter?" He retorted.

"I just want to know if you're okay." Jeongguk answered, feeling a smile creep on his face. He walked over — more like limped over, looking down at Taehyung who looked back at him.

"What do you want, Jeon?" Taehyung inquired, not feeling comfortable with Jeongguk towering over him like such.

"Have I ever told you how gorgeous I think you are?" He knelt down a bit to take Taehyung's hand, pulling him to his feet. "Seriously, you're honestly so beautiful and after everything, after getting you back into my life and after you took the time to save me, I just can't help but to admire everything about you."

"And to beat me, right?" Taehyung stood, taking a small step back to create some distance between the two of them. "Because anyone who is willing to realize their life was saved and whatnot, I just don't think they would go out their way to beat the person who saved them. Not to mention with a stupid crutch."

"Taehyung, I'm sensing some hostility." Jeongguk commented, moving his hands to cup Taehyung's cheeks in his hands. "Hoseok came back to get you but I told him no, I told him I didn't want to give you away."

"Really? Why not?"

"Because . . . Just because." Jeongguk nodded, eyes soft.

Taehyung's mind flickered to when he took a shower and what Jimin had told him.

"Please, let me finish." Jimin sighed. "But I truly believe you can change Jeongguk."

"This isn't going to be one of those sick love stories, yeah? Can't wait to tell my kids on how their father abused me, so romantic." Taehyung turned on the water after removing all of his clothes, hopping into the shower.

Jimin was a bit annoyed but he knew he shouldn't be, not at all. "I wasn't saying that. Jeongguk and I visited Seokjin. He was telling me on how he wasn't feeling okay and how he didn't want to breakdown or something like that. When we saw Seokjin hyung, he was pushing his limits and being really mean. When Seokjin had laid a hand on him, Jeongguk didn't fight back. He let your brother hit him and cause him pain, he let Seokjin hit me."

But Taehyung didn't want to believe he changed Jeongguk for anything, didn't want to make it some sick love story because he didn't love Jeongguk and never would love him.

Taehyung was logical.

But, that didn't mean Taehyung couldn't play around to make sure he didn't get hurt any further, use this to his advantage.

"I think you need to go to bed." Said Taehyung, pushing Jeongguk's hands off of his face. "Please leave."

The mafia leader took a step back, dropping his hands to his side and tilting his head ever so slightly to the side as his mind went to work.

"You can sleep in my room with me." Jeongguk spoke, eyes watching Taehyung's every move, a soft look coating his face as he brought the idea to light.

Taehyung cocked a brow, confusion taking over him. "What? You aren't afraid I just might kill you in your sleep? Suffocate you with a pillow or something?" He inquired. "Might take my hands and wrap them around your throat so you can't breathe and hold them there until you die under me?"

Jeongguk snickered, walking back over and taking Taehyung's hands. "Look at your hands, Princess. Do they look like they could kill? I think not." He looked back up at the somewhat shorter adult, eyes taking in his every feature. Jeongguk scored big when he got Taehyung. "I mean, you could've let me died but you're too pure; too kind to let that fall under your name. So, if I handed you a gun right now and told you to shoot me, you wouldn't. You're not capable of shooting anyone, not even if I were worse." The mafia leader added, letting go of one of Taehyung's hands, leading him to his room.

"You don't know that." Taehyung answered back after a pause, ripping his hand away from Jeongguk's. "What makes you so sure trauma won't convince me otherwise?" His brows were pinched, lips down turned into an angered frown.

Jeongguk turned back and looked at Taehyung, standing straight. "You think so?" He asked, hands clasped behind his back, his vision looking between Taehyung's eyes to see if he could spot an emotion. He studiously let his eyes wander, puckering his lips in thought before his brought his mind to a conclusion.

The elder whipped out his handgun, shaking it carefully to show it off. He handed it over, shrugging his shoulders lamely. "We can see how convincing your trauma is, Mr. Kim, let's start with taking the gun from me. We'll take baby steps."

Taehyung dubiously took the gun, holding the handle in his palm and placing his finger on the trigger but cautious to not apply any pressure.

"Good boy," Jeongguk nodded, his tone daunting. "Raise the gun to right here." He took his index finger and pointed out a clean spot on his forehead. "If you shoot right here, it will go right through my head and kill me instantly."

"What if I want you to die a slow death?" Taehyung asked pretentiously, keeping his confident overcast. "Why make this quick and easy when we can have fun?"

"Geez, you're right. How silly of me, Princess." Jeongguk chuckled breathy, nodding. "Well, in that case," he added and moved his pointer finger to his abdomen. "Here. It won't kill me immediately but it would make everything super painful. You can also shoot my thigh. If no one helps me, I'll just die in my own blood . . . Alone. Unless, of course, you decide to stay and watch me." His voice was nothing but just above a whisper.

"What do you prefer? I said we can have fun, I'm sure you have a preferred spot, yeah?" The former CEO quipped.

Jeongguk smiled. "How kind," he replied and looked down at himself. "I think I wouldn't mind it right here." He patted down on his right thigh, feeling around the muscle. "I mean, if I somehow survive it and get it taken cared of, I'll have an ugly scar and the tissue would be damaged but, oh well, right? Also, maybe you can stay and comfort me." Jeongguk looked back up at Taehyung, seeing the fear in his eyes beyond his dominant mask. "But, if you can't shoot me, that's fine too. Someone will eventually."

". . ." Taehyung didn't have a smart remark to come back with, his lungs were taking in burly amounts of air, feeling uneasy and feeble suddenly. He gave a hesitant nod, taking a step back and bringing the gun so it was aimed at Jeongguk's thigh.

"Want me to turn around or can you be a big boy and look me in the eyes as you pull that trigger? Can you look at me knowing that after you do that, my life is in your hands on whether I die or not?" Jeongguk asked assertively. "You can be my demise, Taehyung." He sounded so breathless, head tilted, hands back to where they were before he began to point out places, and his body still.

The aforementioned sucked in a deep breath, arms stretched out and eyes locked with Jeongguk's. "Trust me, Jeongguk, I'm a man. You'll be nothing missed."