Unlike the previous morning Taehyung wasn't woken up by his itching and aching shoulder, that horrible sensation that demanded attention, rather he was woken up by the sound of a door clicking shut. It was loud in the silence of the room, almost as loud as a gunshot and he opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. Like always he felt a momentary sense of disorientation seeing his reflection in the ceiling mirror hanging above him and so he just stared at it for a few seconds. The sight that the mirror revealed was him lying on his back, the white bed covers up to his waist and heavily wrinkled from use, his hair strewn messily across the pillow. Beside him, lying on his side in a rather tight ball was Jimin, who was also mostly hidden away under the covers. Taehyung turned his head to look at him for a second and then he turned to look the other way to see what was going on.

Jungkook had just entered the penthouse suite and he was standing beside the door. Across the wide layout of the suite Taehyung could see that he was in the act of removing his shoes, hunkered down so that he couldn't see his face. What time was it? Taehyung glanced back in Jimin's direction again to try and look out the wall of windows. He saw a faint orange light bleeding in and across the marble flooring, the sight of either a sunrise or a sunset; he was clueless trying to figure out which one that it was.

Jungkook headed straight up the stairs just as he struggled up into a sitting position. The younger man didn't look back down at him and rather just continued up to the top to disappear into the bedroom. Perhaps to use the bathroom and freshen up for the day. Taehyung wasn't able to call out to him before he disappeared out of sight, to do much more than open his mouth because it felt much too dry for that. After watching him stepping into the bedroom he looked at the dresser and he saw nothing there beyond an empty glass. When he checked the bottom of the bed he saw Wangbi lying along the wide stretch of mattress, deeply asleep and seemingly content lying on his feet again. There was no sight of the laptop anywhere. It took him a moment to remember that Jimin had put it back in his office earlier in the day...or was it yesterday now? Taehyung couldn't quite recall, he seemed to have lost a great deal of time over the last three or so days. But there was one thing that he remembered.

The hard drives.

Taehyung reached up with his good arm so that he could rub at his eyes. He found that his eyelids didn't feel heavy or tight, rather he felt rather well-rested. That was a blessing he supposed; better than waking up feeling like shit again. His shoulder was still aching however, particularly when he tried to roll it. Just attempting half a rotation had him wincing and pressing his lips together to stop a whine from escaping. Okay, so he wasn't feeling great but good was enough for now. All things taken into account he should have felt fucking fantastic yet his shoulder was putting a major damper on it all.

Taehyung knew for a fact that Jungkook kept detailed records on men in his possession stored on hard drives, all of them located somewhere in his office room. If he kept receipts of transactions and more then there was a very high chance that a lot of that material could be linked back to him. Material that had his name, his signature, his fucking details on...that was the kind of material that could result in charges. Charges could result in warrants and warrants meant armed raids. Just thinking about it was enough to make Taehyung shift on the bed, unable to fight the urge to fidget. When he moved his feet Wangbi lifted her head and gave him a rather irritated look before settling down again.

Taehyung had hit pay dirt and yet thinking about it was enough to make him feel almost...guilty.

From upstairs came the sound of the shower running, a sudden hard burst that signaled that Jungkook was getting cleaned up. Considering that he might have been working for two entire days now without much of a break it was no wonder that he had went straight to the shower. Taehyung glanced up at the balcony for a few seconds before dropping his eyes to study Wangbi. The cat was happily curled up again on the bed, stomach rising and falling as she breathed. A glance over at her owner showed Jimin was also still deeply asleep, chest rising and falling at a much slower rate than the cat.

Jimin had told him about the hard drives without the slightest hint of hesitation, clearly only thinking about the business aspect of it all. The only thing that had caused him to consider telling him had been the thought of Jungkook knowing that he had went into his office to collect the laptop. Would Jungkook go as far to check any possible CCTV feeds recorded in his absence and find this out? Or did he just keep the cameras in use for voyeurism and nothing more? It seemed unlikely that Jungkook could possibly have the free time to check CCTV in great detail but he did have men that could. But the fact that Jimin had been so willing to go in and take the laptop seemed to hint that there was little need to worry. Taehyung didn't know if that decision has been risky or not but he did know that Jimin had done it anyway. So what did that say about Jimin? Taehyung thought that it was very much a sign that he trusted him. He wouldn't have shared such information with him if he didn't. But that wasn't all. Jimin had also promised to not tell Jungkook about anything that they had spoken about yesterday.

Taehyung was almost certain that he had managed to wrap Jimin tightly around his little finger: as much a result of his praises and constant attention as the fact that he had also saved Jungkook's life.

This was a very interesting development.

It was several minutes later that Jungkook emerged from the bedroom again almost fully dressed. His damp hair was neatly in place like always and he was in the act of securing his shirt collar buttons as he went down the stairs. Taehyung saw that he had a jacket folded over one arm and then he noticed that the younger man was looking right at him.

"Guh...good morning, Jungkook," he managed to say in a rather croaky voice. He hoped that he didn't sound weak and useless but he knew that he did.

"Good morning to you too, Taehyung," Jungkook replied as he started getting his jacket on, slipping one arm in and shrugging it in place. "How is the shoulder right now?"

"Still hurts," Taehyung said as he tried to roll it again, "but I think it's getting better."

"Huh, Kookie?" Jimin asked groggily as he lifted his head off the pillow. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet but he was awake. Jungkook fixed his jacket as he stepped over to the bed, both arms through and pulling it in tight to button the middle. "What's guh...on?"

"Daddy wants to meet Taehyung today," Jungkook explained as he reached down to run a hand through Jimin's messy hair. "Go back to sleep, babe, you don't need to worry."

"Mmm...needs a shot," the other man replied, eyes still closed over and seemingly not wanting to open. "It's been...awhile."

"I can't dope him before the meeting, I need him to be alert," Jungkook stated as he brushed another slightly curled lock back with his fingers. He did so slowly, almost rubbing the silken bundle between his fingers as he did. "Daddy's first impression of Taehyung needs to be perfect, I can't have anything less."

Taehyung thought the fact that he had taken a fucking bullet in the shoulder saving his son's life should have been good enough for the man. Surely Jeon wouldn't judge him for being doped up on morphine to handle the pain of being shot? It seemed ridiculous to think otherwise and yet Jungkook seemed pretty adamant on the idea that he was not going to get a dose to numb him for a few hours. It wasn't like the drug knocked him out: so long as he was awake he was perfectly fine, just a little numb and warm. He wouldn't drool all over himself or fall asleep, he was certain of that.

"OK, let me chu...change his bandage, darling. He needs it changing." Jimin shifted to sit upright, hands going straight to his eyes so he could rub at them vigorously to force them open. "He can't go out without a fresh one, Tae keeps puh...picking at the stitches when he thinks I'm not looking."

"Sure thing, babe."

It took Jimin a moment to prepare himself, wandering around the suite in a rather sleepy state as he located what he needed: the box of supplies, the other clean and now fully dry bandage. Taehyung watched him do so, seated upright in bed with the mountain of pillows behind his back. Whilst the other man did this Jungkook collected clothes for him to wear for the day, the shirts and trousers long unpacked from his travel case and instead hanging on the screen across the suite. There wasn't a great deal of choice, really just black with more black, except Jungkook settled on choosing the pinstripe evening suit for him rather than a plain day suit.

He was clearly aiming to make an impression.

Taehyung couldn't even move his arm and yet Jungkook wanted him all dolled up like he was going to a gala of some kind. It would have been rather amusing, almost like a prom, but Taehyung was much too nervous to find it funny right now.

"Right, Tae, time to check on your stitches," Jimin remarked as he sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. The box went on the mattress, latches flipped up and opened fully to reveal the contents. Then the other man turned his attention to his shoulder, slipping the pin free and removing the bandages. Even when his eyes were still heavy from sleep and his hair was messy, Taehyung thought that Jimin looked rather perfect, completely unlike what he probably looked like. Jungkook wandered over to them, lowering himself down onto the edge of the bed beside him. "Ah...looks good to me," Jimin said as he finished peeling the dressing free.

"It's healing up well," Jungkook remarked as he looked at his shoulder and Taehyung had to agree. Despite the pain from moving and the constant itching the gunshot wound was starting to heal up. The surrounding area was still slightly inflamed but the pinkness was starting to fade and would likely be gone in a day or two. Taehyung could see that his skin had already started sealing up under the stitches, a sign that they could soon be removed. The skin would continue to reknit under the surface of course. "I wonder if Min has experience in removing stitches?"

"No, darling," Jimin replied as he moved the soiled dressing and bandage aside. "He doesn't actually have any medical experience, just some...past knowledge." Jungkook looked at for him for a moment, expression hard to read, before turning his attention back to his shoulder. "I'm sure you can call someone to do it instead, it's probably very easy." Jimin grabbed a cotton batten pad and once again proceeded to clean it like he had for the past two days for him. There was no sign of blood or discharge, he was just being thorough for the sake of it now.

"Having fun playing nurse?" Jungkook asked with a slight smirk, watching him wipe the pad over his skin.

"Not really," the other man replied as he leaned forward and pressed the fingers of his free hand down into his skin, checking around the stitches for any possible swelling. "It's not sexy like it is in pornography, Kookie. It's actually dirty and hard."

"So is the pornography," Jungkook retorted and Jimin rolled his eyes at the joke before turning to grab the freshly washed roll of bandage.

"Tae, I know that you're going to hate me but today is probably the best day to start cutting down on the morphine...yes?" Jimin said as he put the edge of the bandage roll against his shoulder and slowly started wrapping it around. Taehyung watched him wrap it around once and then shifted his gaze back up to look at his face. "I think you can do it, I think that you can go a whole day without it."

"I...I dunno, Jimin, it really hurts right now and-"

"Does it really hurt that bad, Tae?" Jimin asked as he continued wrapping the bandage around. Taehyung looked over at Jungkook to see that he was still and silent, apparently not remarking on the situation at all. "Does it hurt really bad, or is the pain not that strong and you just think it is?"

"When-when I move my arm it fucking hurts, Jimin. There's still a bullet wound under the stitches. You can't see it but it's there and yeah, it hurts bad," Taehyung explained rather brusquely. He didn't like hearing the tone of his voice when he spoke for it sounded a little defensive, a little needy. But he wasn't lying because it really did hurt and Taehyung also didn't like the look that Jimin was currently giving him; a look that seemed more cautious than sympathetic.

"Well, you can't have anything until you come back here anyway," Jimin argued, fingers deftly working at securing the bandage. "By the time you get back to the suite it might not hurt so bad." The other man looked up at him, offering him an encouraging smile as he did. Taehyung didn't feel in the slightest bit encouraged by it. He knew that his arm was aching already and the idea of doing much more than walking around the penthouse suite seemed rather impossible without a nice dosage of the drug. "Kookie will make sure you're alright, won't you, darling?"

"Of course," Jungkook replied with a curt nod. "Taehyung will be perfectly safe in my hands."

"Right, let's secure this with a pin and..." Jimin turned slightly to grab the open safety pin off the bed, "then you can get ready to go, Tae." Jungkook reached inside the box and grabbed the small black case that the syringe and morphine were stored in, moving quickly and silently. Had Taehyung blinked then he might just have missed him. He watched Jungkook slip it inside his jacket pocket whilst Jimin was distracted securing the bandage in place and when he lifted his gaze to look at his face the younger man didn't even blink. Jimin collected the soiled pads and bandage and got to his feet to once again cross the suite to get to the kitchen area. He disposed of the pads down the compact chute and then hunkered down to place the bandage in the washing machine, disappearing from sight for a moment. Jungkook closed the medical box over and then placed it on the dresser before Jimin could notice that the morphine case had been removed.

Taehyung wanted to ask him why he had done that but he couldn't. Jungkook had just sneaked the case out for him and that meant something to him. It meant that as soon as business was seen to the younger man would shoot him up with morphine. Even when Jimin had been advised by Yoongi to not do so in case he got addicted to it. Shit, just thinking about the possibilities of getting some was enough to make him wet his lips and Taehyung swallowed hard.

"Taehyung, let's get you dressed," Jungkook said casually as he also got off the bed. "We can't keep daddy waiting."

"Jungkook, why does your daddy want to see me today?" Taehyung asked as he watched him crossing the suite to collect the clothing from the screen.

"He simply told me that he wishes to see you today," the younger man explained as he carried the clothing over to the bed. "There's much business that must be discussed."

Getting dressed proved rather difficult in regards to his shirt and jacket. Taehyung had to slip his injured arm into the black shirt first, pulling it up and trying to not shrug too much as he did. Luckily for him Jungkook actually helped; buttoning it up quickly and leaving the top two undone, helping him secure his trouser zipper and buttons. As soon as the jacket was in place he sighed heavily in relief, hating how the simple act of getting dressed was so hard for him. He felt like a real baby now. As soon as he had slipped into his shoes he was being guided out of the penthouse, Jungkook's hand around his right wrist tightly. A quick look over his shoulder before the door closed showed Jimin already curled up in bed again with Wangbi almost hugged against his chest.

Sitting in the backseat of the Mitsubishi Taehyung had to seize hold of his trousers because his fingers were shaking so bad. His shoulder was itching and he couldn't give in to the temptation to scratch at it even through the bandages. It was healing well, better than he had hoped for, and that meant leaving it alone even when it was difficult to do so. The last thing that he needed was to give in to temptation and end up pulling the stitches out, or risk getting an infection from his picking and scratching fingers.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Jungkook asked him in a rather unconcerned tone. Taehyung dragged his eyes away from the window to look over at him and he saw the younger man was staring at his hands. He was creasing the trousers in his near death grip and so he let go and curled his fingers up into fists instead. "I imagine that it hurts a lot."

"Yeah, yeah, Jungkook, it hurts a lot."

"I'm sorry that I can't give you anything to numb the pain just yet," Jungkook said as he reached over to place his hand on his now free thigh. The weight and warmth of his palm felt both comforting and familiar.

"I'll be fine," Taehyung replied, almost through his clenched teeth. "I don't need that junk, just like Jimin said."

"Later..." Jungkook said as his fingers started lightly stroking his thigh. "I can give you some later, baby, think of it as a reward."

A glance around the front seats at the dashboard showed the time to be 5:30am. Taehyung wasn't at all surprised by this fact and he wondered why they were leaving the apartment block so early. Did the Jeon family live far from Gangnam-gu? Logic said that it would make sense that the family were spread out across the capital, possibly far from most of the gang and related activities to avoid potential danger. Taehyung assumed that Jeon would want to see him in an office of some kind, a building that he specially used for business in a corporate setting and nothing more but he could be wrong. So he asked Jungkook if that was the case, wanting to sound rather casual about it rather than nervous.

"No, you're meeting my parents, Taehyung," Jungkook replied in a rather unfazed tone. As if this was completely normal and wasn't the most terrifying thing that Taehyung had ever heard come out of his lips. Meet his parents? Meet both Jeon and his wife today, whilst he was a shaking and sweating mess? It was enough to make him sink back into the seat because his entire body seemed to sag from the weight of the knowledge.

"Wuh-why'd your parents wanna meet me, Jungkook?"

"Because of the incident in Singapore," he replied as his fingers carried on stroking his thigh. "Because you saved my life and there's important business matters to discuss. That warrants their attention, therefore they want to meet you."

With that the car fell silent and Taehyung didn't even try to break it. He just looked back out of the window and watched the lazy early morning views that it offered. Nothing was even remotely interesting and a part of him wanted to close his eyes and nap but he couldn't do that. His aching shoulder and unsettled stomach wouldn't let him sleep now. Not when he knew what he was up against and he had to prepare himself. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to an hour and before he knew it Taehyung was more than certain that they were leaving Seoul. It was hard keeping track of it all but he knew that they had passed through several districts alone and they were still going. The direction they seemed to be heading in was a massive freeway visible on the horizon and so he shifted in his seat to get a better view.

A sign on the freeway said that they were entering Incheon. Taehyung had never been to Incheon properly before, only to board planes and nothing more. Yet Yang kept driving without stop through the new region. He could only watch everything fly past and try and time their journey whilst keeping an eye out for more signs. He didn't really know where they were, just that they were heading right in the direction of the coast because he could smell brine coming in through the slight gap in the window. A glance at the dashboard clock told him that it was 9am by the time they were drawing close to what seemed to be their destination, judging by the sight of tall security gates. It seemed that the Jeon family home was situated on a private acre not too far from the coast, completely set away from the hub of the district and very peaceful.

Taehyung had had all of that time to mentally prepare himself and yet nothing could have prepared him for the complete mental block that the sight of the building produced. Any thoughts on what to say, how to speak, how to fucking walk in their presence suddenly escaped his brain and he could do nothing more than simply breathe.

Their car was allowed through the wrought iron gates and Yang drove it down a perfectly manicured long drive before finally parking. The drive was perfectly paved and the grass on either side was clipped ruler straight and a lush green in colour. Taehyung stared at the building out of the window dumbly, mouth hanging open. Christ, the house looked like a fucking hotel and he still wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't. The entire ground-floor was glass, the upper floors a creamy sandstone with a stretch of balcony running along most of the storey. He counted three in total including the ground-floor. There was a sloping roof on top on which he could see various solar panels and when he turned his head to look out Jungkook's window there was a massive open garage in which several vintage cars were parked. The main and most important car of course was Jeon's Ssangyong, which was currently parked just a few feet away from them. The entire house was surrounded by greenery, tall trees and lush grass so that the scent of it mixed with the brine from the nearby coast and created a wonderful scent.

"This is a...a beautiful house," Taehyung said to break the silence of the car. Yang climbed out of the front and moved to open the door for them and so he struggled forward and managed to climb out. Doing so made him work his shoulder too much and he reached up to grab hold of it with his other hand, trying to hold it in place to minimise the pain. Jungkook climbed out after him, fixing his jacket as he did.

"You should see the other houses," he remarked before reaching over to gently take hold of his wrist and guide him presumably towards the entrance of the house. There was a massive arch built in front of it and when Taehyung followed Jungkook through it and up a set of small steps he saw a patio area with deck chairs set out neatly and attractively. There was a dog lying on one such chair, a Dobermann with a sleek black and brown coat and sharp pointed ears. The dog was rather big, maybe just a little bigger than Wangbi and it lifted its head to look at them both.

"Jeonsa~" Jungkook reached down to stroke the dog's head with a wide grin. "Did you miss me?" Taehyung watched the dog's tongue loll out and an almost matching grin appear. He couldn't help but stare at the collar around his thin neck, the thick red leather and glinting tag. "I missed you, you old bruiser."

"Is that your daddy's dog?"

"No," Jungkook replied as pulled his hand away, "he's mommy's dog."

Stepping into the house Taehyung tried to not stare. It was rude to do so and yet incredibly difficult. As he stopped to awkwardly get out of his shoes and into a pair of house slippers he felt his eyes roaming along it all. The flooring looked very similar to that of the penthouse suite, the marble that could have been the exact same for all he knew. The entire ground-floor was a sweeping open-plan design and he could see wall dividers placed here and there for effect to create individual areas. His eyes weren't drawn to the entertainment area with the 50" flat screen to his right, nor the restaurant-sized kitchen to the left but rather across the floor to a woman seated at a counter. She had long black hair currently pulled up taut in a bun and was wearing a loose white summer dress. The woman was glancing over a newspaper and upon them stepping inside the building she turned on the stool to look at them.

"Ah, Jungkookie~" she almost sang as she placed the newspaper down on the counter and got off the stool, arms already held open in front of her. "Here's my angel."

"No no," Jungkook disagreed as he quickly crossed the grand floor to get to her. "We both know who the real angel is." When he drew close she enveloped him in a hug and Jungkook's hands moved to her waist. Then he was lifting her up with very little effort to spin her around, the skirt of her dress swishing from the movement. His mother let out a laugh that was bubbly and sweet, head falling back as she did.

Taehyung watched them both, frozen in place just a few feet away. The sight of Jungkook lifting his mother into the air, her delighted laughter, had caused a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. Something...uncomfortable, something that he couldn't quite figure out. He didn't like it though, it made him feel almost something close to anxiousness. Jungkook completed perhaps three spins before setting his mother down and she released him from a hug only to grab hold of his face instead, palms against his cheeks.

"It's been too long, angel." Her voice was slightly husky but pleasing to listen to. A sexy voice rather than a sweet one. "Your father has told me that you've been so busy. You've been taking care of yourself, yes?"

"Of course, mommy," Jungkook said as he pulled her hands off his cheeks and planted a soft kiss on the backs of her fingers. Mommy? Oh this was the 'daddy' situation all over again and that sense of discomfort was still lingering in the pit of his stomach as Taehyung watched them both. "I have someone to keep an eye on me."

"Mmm," she purred, the sound so eerie to that which Jungkook made. "That young man from the funeral? The pretty one?" She sniffed and pulled one hand free to reach up and fix a stray lock of his hair. "You know that your father doesn't approve of such a man honestly, angel, you should set your standards a little higher. Like that Yoo boy. You know the one, son of the director, aspiring actor looking to make a debutante-"

"Jimin is an actor, mommy."

"Yes, but not the kind I'm talking about," she said as she dropped her hand to his shoulder, wiping away any slight hints of lint. "He's not as pretty but he's very infatuated with you."

"Aren't they all?" Jungkook asked in a wry tone and his mother laughed heartily. "But let's not talk about Jimin, mommy, I brought someone for you to meet. Taehyung, this is my mother: Jangmi."

"It's such a pleasure to meet you," she said as she stopped fiddling with his jacket and hair and instead turned her full attention to him.

Taehyung could only stare at the woman in pure blank wonder. This was her, finally right in front of him: Jeon's wife. Jungkook's mother. He was looking upon her with his own two eyes and for a moment he couldn't really process this fact. No one on the team had ever managed to see her, to capture a photograph of her. She was almost a ghost and yet Taehyung was standing just a few feet away and he had just discovered that she wasn't at all a ghost: she was flesh and blood. Once upon a time he had made a joke to Namjoon about her being a looker and he had been very much correct.

Jangmi was a rather tall woman, just short of Jungkook's height even when her feet were bare. Her skin was paler than Jungkook's (though that could have been a result of her makeup) and as a result her black hair and red lips stood out in stark contrast. There was a willowy sensation coming from her, from her thin frame to her long legs and arms, the kind of sensation that made Taehyung more than certain that she had been a model when she had been younger. Perhaps not but he doubted that she hadn't done some modelling at least. Just like Jungkook her eyes were large and rounded, but she had a softer nose. When her lips lifted in a welcoming smile Taehyung was temporarily struck by how much her smile looked like Jungkook's. It was almost eerie looking at the woman and he wished that the rest of the team could see her with their own two eyes too.

"The pleasure's all mine," Taehyung managed to reply back after his momentary dumb silence. This made her smile widen and then she was stepping forward to get closer to him, arms lifted up in front of her. Her fingers brushed against his elbows and that was when he figured out what she was doing.

When her lips brushed against his cheek Taehyung took an unintentional sharp intake of breath, unable to help himself. He could smell not only her perfume, a floral scent that greatly reminded him of Jimin, but also the powdery scent of her makeup. Jangmi had just kissed him on the cheek. The warmth and softness of her lips lingered for a second before she moved her head away and studied his face. Taehyung found that he had to look over at Jungkook to avoid her gaze. What he saw was that still present and happy smile on his face, the one that made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Kim Taehyung, yes?"

"Uh yes, ma'am," he replied, forcing himself to sound as formal as possible. It just felt horribly forced to him, like he was playing pretend. Technically he had been doing that from the very start but at least that act felt strangely natural in a rather unexplainable way, not at all like this current one. His earlier thought about this being like a prom came back to him and he was startled by the fact that he was actually trying to impress the woman purely with his appearance and words. Jangmi wasn't Jeon and yet that need to impress her was present regardless.

"There are no words to describe my gratitude," Jangmi said in a quiet voice, eyes still on his face. "That a man such as yourself would risk his own life to keep my son safe. Taehyung - if I may call you that - you are a hero."

A hero? Taehyung had dismembered men to entertain her son, had murdered them too. He had done so many acts of violence and cruelty and yet in this woman's eyes he was a hero. There was something so strange and almost unsettling about this. Would his team think he was a hero? When - and if - they saw him again, would they think him brave and heroic? Or would they be unable to look him in the eyes and be filled with disgust behind their fake smiles, wiping their palms clean after they had shaken hands with him?

A hero...a hero didn't do bad shit. It didn't matter what Namjoon told him; heroes were pure, were virtuous and good. There wasn't a single trace of those values currently left in him that he could find. Maybe, buried under all of the bad shit, there was something. But was that something redeemable after everything that he had done, had been through? Taehyung didn't really know anymore.

"I, uh, I'm no hero ma'am," he said as he shifted awkwardly. "I swore to protect Jungkook with my life, I was just doing my job."

"I think that you went above and beyond your job," Jangmi replied. "You're a very handsome young man, Taehyung; how old are you?"

"Twenty."

"Ah, handsome and youthful-looking still, I thought you were my angel's age," Jangmi said with a soft smile. "Yes, I can see why you like him so much..." Taehyung looked over at Jungkook at this, trying to mentally ascertain if she had any clue about the extent of that liking. Did she think Jungkook was enamoured with him because of business, or did she know that they were both very much more acquainted than that? More acquainted as in broadcasting their sexual activities all over Jungkook's now terminated pornography website. "Has your father met him yet?" she asked as she glanced back over her shoulder at her son.

"No yet, he requested I bring him here," Jungkook explained, leaning against the counter as he did.

"Then I shouldn't keep you waiting," she replied as she turned around and went back over to the counter. "He's on the course, has been for nearly an hour now. You should be able to get him to stop playing." Jangmi planted a quick kiss on his cheek and then sat down on the stool. "Get your shoes, don't track dirt everywhere with your slippers. Xue-Fang just finished cleaning, she's much too busy in the library to redo the flooring." Jungkook went back over to the entrance door, bending down to retrieve their shoes and carrying them with his fingers hooked in the back.

"Come, Taehyung," he gestured at him to follow after him and so Taehyung hastily crossed the ground-floor to get to a set of slide-glass doors. After changing out of the slippers again they were both stepping out of the house.

"Does your mother work for Haedogje Pa?"

"No, mommy doesn't work for us well...not exactly in the strict meaning of the word," Jungkook explained as they exited the back door of the house and he slid the glass back over. "Her mother is a politician and her father works in broadcasting, she's a media mogul."

"She...she is?" Taehyung asked as he scanned the view in front of them. He saw a sweeping garden that went far down on a slope of hills, fringed by a lush copse of trees just like the entrance area. The house practically had a forest on its land and he wouldn't at all be surprised if he found out that there were animals living on the property. "Does she control the press?"

"Yes," Jungkook said with a very proud smile on his lips. "Why do you think you never read about Haedogje Pa's activities when there's always a female idol with a botched nose job or a male actor cheating on his faithful, pregnant Christian wife with five women? That's because mommy knows exactly how to bury the worst kind of shit."

"She's...wow, Jungkook, she's an amazing woman."

"The best," Jungkook agreed, that proud smile still present on his face. It was then that it hit Taehyung what the discomfort he had been feeling for several minutes was. It was rather startlingly obvious and yet he had only just figured it out looking at that rather bubbly smile of his.

Taehyung was looking at Jungkook just like he would another human being. He was no longer 'The Boy': heir to the largest criminal empire in Seoul, in the entire country. He was no longer a borderline psychotic young man, a ruthless businessman. Taehyung was looking at Jeon Jungkook: beloved son, an angel to his mother, a young man that kissed her on the fucking cheek and span her around like the woman was a princess. An eighteen year old in an adult world and yet barely able to call himself an adult. Jungkook was a human , not a moving target, not a chess piece on a board, and he really didn't know how to feel about that. It was so much more easier looking at him and not seeing a human side but now that he had been exposed to it...Taehyung didn't like it one bit.

Taking down a chess piece was simple, was emotionless and nothing more than a game. But taking down a human? Suddenly it didn't feel like a game any more. The guiltiness, the discomfort, these were all feelings that Taehyung was going to have to get under control before they took over and ate away at his mind. He knew exactly why he was starting to feel those emotions and he was trying very hard to ignore that knowledge.

Taehyung was trying very hard to ignore the fact that he was going to have to betray Jungkook but his emotions didn't seem to want him to. They wanted to remind him constantly that he was doing something wrong, something bad, even when he knew that he was doing good, was doing right to the world.

It was hard winning an argument with himself but it seemed very easy to lose.

"So...what does she control, huh?" Taehyung asked as they started walking across the vast garden. "Give me her credentials, I wanna know about how amazing she is. I thought she was a supermodel."

"Mmm, mommy did win Miss Korea back when she nineteen," Jungkook explained. "It was how daddy first met her actually, she did some modelling but didn't really care for it. Being beautiful isn't something that she really wanted to advertise, anyone can see she's the most beautiful woman in the country from first glance. Mommy wanted to do something more, use her fantastic skills rather than stay stuck behind a camera all day. I learnt everything I needed to know about control from her."

Taehyung studied the back of his head and he wondered what else the younger man had been taught by her. Had he given too much credit to Jeon for all of Jungkook's habits? After all, the man must have been absent for most of his life. But the idea of a woman as pleasant-looking as Jangmi being a cold-blooded sociopath...it just didn't seem to fit.

"Mommy has shares in and influence over KBS, SBS, MBC, not EBS but that's just educative shit. As for publications, The Chosun Ilbo and The Korean Herald; that's the most important of course because it's English language print. We can't have international attention drawn to us." Jungkook guided him along a path that led across the garden, smooth tan flagstones cutting through the grass. "Through my grandmother there's also the added bonus of political influence, just to cement it all."

"I've always wondered about your mother 'cos I've never heard you mention her before," Taehyung said as they started down a soft hill. At the very bottom he could see what looked like a golf green; sections of sand and flags placed here and there across the field, even a small lake area on which he could see a small gathering of birds that might have been loons judging from their black and grey plumage. "Does Jimin know her?"

"He's met her once, by accident," Jungkook said in a quiet voice. "She's more accepting than daddy of course but still..."

"Jungkook, does it bother you how everyone sees Jimin?" Taehyung asked. "They see him as a porn star or a prostitute, they always mention his status and shit like that rather than talk about him like he's a human. Doesn't that bother you?"

"History is full of lowly-ranked concubines becoming queens, Taehyung," Jungkook replied with a soft shrug. "Right now Jimin might mean nothing to most but when I take my position what man would dare question his status?"

"Can that really change his status, Jungkook? Can that really change how the rest of Haedogje Pa see him?"

But Jungkook didn't respond to these questions because he had sighted someone down on the green, or to be more precise two men. Taehyung knew that his father was one of them and he squinted just in time to see him taking a shot. The golf ball took to the air so fast that he could barely track it. The younger man picked up his pace and so he also had to do so, quick-walking behind him even when the movement jostled his aching shoulder.

"Are you trying to show off?!" Jungkook called, lifting both hands up to cup around his mouth. At his voice Jeon lowered the iron and turned to look back at them and Taehyung had to drop his gaze to the path even from their distance.

"I'm enjoying a wholesome recreational activity," Jeon called back. "You should really try it, son."

"I have many recreational activities," Jungkook retorted with a smirk, "but they're far from wholesome."

"That's the problem," his father muttered as they finally drew closer to him. Taehyung could see his shadow stretching across the clipped grass. "You really must find something more..." Jeon didn't finish this train of thought and instead seemed to fall into silent contemplation. When he risked a quick look up at the older man Taehyung saw that he was staring at him. That was mildly terrifying. He looked up at the other man situated across the field, clearly a caddie of some kind, maybe a manservant. "Do you play golf, Kim?"

"I uh...I can't really play golf right now, Sir," Taehyung replied with an attempt at a smile. He hoped that he didn't come across as sarcastic or disrespectful, but judging from Jeon's hearty chuckle he was safe. The man shifted to place his putter back into the caddie bag, gesturing at his man to sort it all out for him. Then he turned to face them both, pulling off one of his white leather gloves as he did.

"Let's go inside, shall we?"

Jeon escorted them both back into the house and rather than take them to an office like he had expected they were taken over to the grand kitchen table instead. It was strange, sitting in the house like a guest when he was apparently here for business. He and Jungkook were sitting on the side and Jeon decided to sit of the adjacent end to them. Taehyung could see another woman in the kitchen with them, a middle-aged woman dressed all in black that was in the midst of preparing a pot of tea. When it was done she lifted the tray it was on and turned in their direction.

"Thank you, Xue-Fang," Jeon said as the maid placed the serving tray down on the table. She gave them a deep bow and then turned on her heel to cross the floor. Taehyung decided to get to his feet and pour the tea out because that was the respectful thing to do. He didn't count on his hand shaking so much when he tipped the pot however, for the liquid splashed rather loudly and messily so that a few drops landed on the tray. "Are you nervous, Kim?"

Taehyung looked up sharply at his voice, having the smarts to tip the pot back up as he did to avoid spilling even more tea all over the table. Unlike Jangmi he had seen a great many photographs of Jeon over his time working for the department but seeing the man this close up certainly wasn't the same as looking at photographs. Jeon had a long face that matched his features rather well. His eyes were neither thin nor big but rather somewhere in between, severe double eyelids noticeable. Because his hair was kept at a neat short length he could see his eyebrows and they were strong, just like Jungkook's, and like his son the man also had a prominent nose. The bridge was long and poker straight, set above a rather pouted mouth that was unmistakably another feature that Jungkook had inherited. He had no doubts that he hadn't inherited his smile however, if the man even smiled. It was rather strange seeing Jeon sitting in something close to casual clothing rather than a perfectly tailored suit, and only after several seconds of staring did Taehyung manage to give him a reply.

"Uh, my arm it's-"

"Yes, I have been told. Son." At his words Jungkook got to his feet and moved to take the pot out of his hand gently. "How has the recovery process been so far?"

"I'm recovering," Taehyung said as he sat down again, legs now doing that horrible shaking too. Shit, he really was nervous. "It's OK, Sir, please don't worry about me."

"He's a hero with a battle wound," Jangmi called from her position at the counter, still searching through a stack of newspapers. "Yet he tells you to not worry, dear."

"Hmm, it's rather amusing," Jeon said and his lips lifted at the corners slightly. Only slightly, but seemingly as close to a smile as he was going to get. "I've had men take punches and break a rib or two complaining more, and you took a bullet, Kim. You're a very strong man."

Taehyung watched Jungkook pouring the tea out rather than look at the other man, finding the sight of the lychee tea much more fascinating than holding his gaze.

"Who's man are you again, Kim?"

"Lim," he replied quickly, watching the orange liquid splashing against the porcelain sides of the cup.

"Lim, Lim as in Lim Dongwoo, of Mapo-gu. Yes?" Taehyung agreed and he spared a quick glance up to see that Jeon was staring at him with a hard to read expression. Did Jeon know Lim by any chance? The fact that he knew his district said something but he could have easily checked before his arrival.

"He works in property and various assets," Jungkook explained. "A good man for getting bribes around but not much more than that." His father made a noise in agreement at this and didn't look away from him and Taehyung tried to not stare back at him lest he appear rude.

"I must offer my most sincere gratitude for you protecting Jungkook," Jeon remarked, changing the subject completely whilst Jungkook filled up the last cup. "The incident at The Gold Monkey was unforeseeable, unbelievable and quite frankly, a gigantic clusterfuck." His son made a noise in agreement as he placed a cup and saucer down in front of him. "Had I even the slightest idea that the business transaction was in danger of being attacked then I would have terminated it without a hint of hesitation."

"Sadly we're not blessed with hindsight," Jungkook agreed as he placed the other two saucers down and sat down in his seat.

"Has Kim been addressed on the matters that Bae raised?"

"No, I thought that this would be the main focus of this meeting," his son replied as he folded both hands down neatly on the table. "Therefore I thought that it would be best you inform him, daddy."

"Kim, it appears that your initial hunch was correct," Jeon said as he turned to him. "We have...substantial information connecting the casino attack to Kim Jintae, which then in turn connects back to Master Kim."

"Wuh...was it the guns, Sir?" Taehyung could feel his skin starting to break out into a cold sweat and he reached up to touch his brow. He felt clammy skin against his fingertips and he tried his hardest to wipe any possible beads of sweat free so that Jeon wouldn't notice. He didn't want the man to think that he was reasonably uncomfortable in his presence. First it had been his shaking hands and now this. He looked like a nervous wreck and that was most certainly going to look bad for Jungkook. He had to get himself under control fast.

"Yes it was, the guns were supplied from Taiwan. Jintae lives in Keelung and from, what my men have been able to ascertain, the assassins that were supposed to kill Jungkook were hired in Singapore and supplied with weapons for the job."

"I thought that was what happened," Taehyung replied as a sudden shiver traveled down his spine. On the seat beside him Jungkook seemed oblivious, much too preoccupied sipping at his tea. "The uh, the casino is so strongly tuh-tied up to Kim Jinwoo that I couldn't see it being anyone else. What happens now you know it wuh-was Kim?" He heard the slight stuttering in his voice as he spoke and tried to not wince every time that he did.

What the fuck was happening to him right now?

"I'm having Jintae murdered," Jungkook said in a surprisingly enthusiastic voice. "I'm sending out a very strong message to Jinwoo: if you want to kill me, try harder." This made both of his parents laugh at the remark and Taehyung wished that he could but that seemed too hard. Oh god, now his leg was starting to twitch. He dropped his hand under the table and placed it on his knee, forcing it to stay still even when it very much wanted to kick out. "They may have been partners, once upon a time, but even partners can't escape punishment."

"D'you think that...that will draw Jinwoo out?" Taehyung asked as he continued holding his jerking leg still. "Won't that risk him striking back?"

"If it's anything like his first strike," Jungkook's lips lifted at the corners, "I welcome the challenge."

"I think the main focus now should be on retrieving Lee Yoochun," Jeon said as he also folded his hands on the table: both of them sitting almost identically. "The Kim issue can be resolved but Lee remains able to incite trouble and supply monetary funding, money that I am more than certain is not his to be circulating. I want you to fix the problem."

Taehyung didn't know who this was aimed at; him or Jungkook. Perhaps both of them. It was incredibly hard to concentrate on what was happening around him considering what was happening to him. Taehyung dropped his head for a moment to close his eyes, feeling the room spinning as he did. Something at the back of his mind told him that he was currently going through the first stage of withdrawal symptoms but that was...was ridiculous. He wasn't addicted to the morphine, he had only been taking it for a few days. Yet the fact he had broken out into a rapid cold sweat and his heart was almost hiccuping in his chest seemed to argue otherwise. The thought scared him but there was nothing that he could do right now except take deep breaths and try and calm himself down.

"Of course we will, daddy, Lee will regret turning his back on our family. After everything you've done for this empire, all of the men you have helped amass fortunes...all of them are backstabbing cunts."

"Angel," Jangmi intoned from across the floor. "What have I told you about using that vulgar word?"

Taehyung was certain that one of three things were going to happen to him. He was going to vomit all over the gorgeous oaken table and ruin the moment; he was going to faint because he was having an attack of some sort and he couldn't seem to breathe; or he was going to die. All three could happen consecutively he supposed. It was just too much for him and he was certain that he was breathing much too heavily, audibly so. He stuck his tongue to wet his lips and tasted sweat, metallic and salty. Taehyung once again started wiping at his face and he was now certain that there were eyes on him as he did. So much for trying to be discreet and not draw too much attention to himself.

"Sir? Why have we buh-been unable to already sort the issue with Lee Yoochun out?" Taehyung managed to ask, eyes still closed. "I can't find anything substantial on him it's like he-"

"Disappeared, that's because he did," Jeon explained. "On the night of the shootout at The Gold Monkey Lee went off-radar and I'm currently in the act of pinpointing his location. Any doubts about him being innocent have certainly been nullified at this point, innocent men don't run away."

"Japan?" Jungkook suggested. "Lee has a mistress in Japan, he would have somewhere to lay low...if I hadn't already had a man of mine hack into his phone and find out some wonderful information."

"Sapporo?" Jeon asked and Taehyung finally lifted his head and opened his eyes to look at the man. "I have been present for a transaction in Sapporo with him perhaps...four years ago."

"Yes, I think Lee could have went to Sapporo."

"Then I'll have men in Japan before the early afternoon and hopefully I will have Lee in my hands by then."

"I can have a no-fly order issued for him," Jangmi suggested from the counter. "Should Lee try and board another plane he will be detained and held by security." She looked over at them, waiting for approval.

"I think that would be a very smart idea, sweetheart," Jeon said with a curt nod. Taehyung found the affection rather strange coming from his lips and he once again had to press down on his leg to keep it still. "I will have Lee handed over to you, son, as soon as my men have him."

"What do you want me to do with him, daddy?"

"Get information and then dispose of him." Jungkook almost beamed at him. "But for now I think that you should head back to Seoul. Stay alert but await information on Lee. Don't act upon anything without informing me first, and if Bae has any more information..."

"You will know the second I do."

"Good," Jeon collected his cup of tea and took a sip. "And son?"

"Yes, daddy?" Jungkook asked, already on his feet.

"Kim is officially a Haedogje Pa man, he needs the mark of the clan."

Crossing the ground-floor to get to the door proved rather hard for him because Taehyung's legs refused to work properly. His knees seemed too loose, shaking with every step as he followed after Jungkook. Bending forward slightly to get into his shoes caused such a severe sense of vertigo that he almost toppled over but luckily the younger man grabbed at him to stop this from happening. It was on the driveway that he finally collapsed, legs giving in and luckily not spilling him onto his bad shoulder. It still hurt like a bitch when his head bounced off the hard flagstones with a rather sickeningly loud thump . Taehyung barely even felt the impact in his current state.

"Yang, get the door," Jungkook called out as he hunkered down to grab hold of him. Taehyung felt his hands going around his ribs first, then under his armpits as he was roughly dragged back to his feet. Jungkook was a lot stronger than he had expected for he didn't even struggle as he practically dragged him along the last few feet of the drive to the vehicle. Taehyung's head lolled back and he heard the door popping open as he stared up at the now rather bright blue sky.

"Is Master Kim requiring any urgent care, Master Jeon?" Yang asked with something close to concern in his voice.

"Nothing I can't handle," Jungkook grunted and Taehyung felt the heels of his shoes scraping along the flagstones.

Oh god, he hoped that Jeon couldn't see this right now.

"Shit I- uh, sorry it's-" Taehyung bit down on his tongue to stop himself from blabbering as Jungkook ducked and climbed into the back of the car. "I feel weird, something's wrong I dunno."

"Come on, get in the car," Jungkook dragged him inside with a hard tug and Yang slammed the door shut behind him. "What do you mean 'weird', Taehyung?"

"Everything huh-hurts I dunno, I feel like I'm guh-gonna puke and-" Taehyung was wracked by another hard shiver as the young man helped him get onto the seat, "and I can't stop suh-shaking."

"Should I escort you back to the apartment, Master Jeon?" Yang asked as he pulled the driver-seat door shut and started the engine.

"No, take us to Choi's parlour in Seodaemun-gu," Jungkook explained as he slowly helped him shrug his suit jacket off. "You don't need to worry, Yang, I can handle this."

"I'm sorry, Jungkook, I fuh-fucked up," Taehyung groaned as he folded the jacket up and placed it on the end of the seat. "I totally fucked up and-"

"You didn't fuck up."

"I tuh-tried to ignore it but I cuh...it's too much." Jungkook undone the shirt cuff and proceeded to hastily roll the sleeve up past his elbow. When that was done he reached inside his own jacket to slip the case free. "I duh...don't deserve this for fucking up."

"You do deserve this, Taehyung," Jungkook said as he opened the case up. "Oh, baby, you really deserve it." Taehyung could feel the most pressing urge to moan and he had to pull his lower lip in to stop himself because he didn't want the younger man to hear the sound. It was pathetic, he was so fucking pathetic. "You saw how much daddy liked you, right? He liked you so much, Taehyung."

"He did, duh-daddy did," Taehyung replied like a parrot as he watched him pulling the syringe free and reached inside to collect a fresh and clean needle head. Jungkook had just got it inside the syringe when he felt the most pressing urge to blurt something out. "Maybe you shouldn't-" he almost bit down on his tongue, "shouldn't dope me, Jungkook, I mean-"

"Taehyung, I think we both know you need a hit right now."

"I know, I know but Jimin-" Taehyung squeezed his teeth together and reached up with his good arm to try and smother his mouth. It didn't work, he had to blurt this out. "Jimin's scared I'm gonna get adduh-dicted, Jungkook, like a fucking junkie."

"Taehyung, it's been only four days since you were shot, your body is still hurting and recovering," Jungkook explained. "This will keep the pain away for...six or so hours. Then you can think about saying no, when you're back at the penthouse and you can slip a Valium or two to stave the pain off."

Taehyung wanted to tell him that a Valium or two weren't going to stave any-fucking-thing off but such levels of speech seemed beyond his current skills. All he could do was make nonsense noises through his tightly pressed together lips and try and stop his leg from kicking and jittering so much. Fuck, why was his shoulder hurting so much right now? It was hurting more than it had when Kang had pulled the fucking bullet out and Taehyung couldn't stand it. Was this what Namjoon had had to go through too? Had he went through this sheer hell getting addicted to heroin undercover or was this nothing to do with the morphine? Was this really just his shoulder actually hurting because he had been fucking shot four days ago?

"Yes?" Jungkook raised his eyebrows at him questioningly, the empty and prepared syringe currently in his hand. Taehyung wriggled on the seat and let his breath out in a whine that sounded like an approval. Jungkook pulled the vial free of the case, removing the protective cap to reveal the foil covering. Then he was piercing it with the needle and pulling the clear liquid up into the syringe, the line slowly increasing.

"Uh-a little more," Taehyung blurted out. "Shit, Jungkook, it doesn't last long enough, it's too weak. Just give me a little more, yeah? Just a little, Min must've lowered the dosage from what-what Kang recommended."

Except Yoongi had done no such thing and they both knew it.

Jungkook pulled back on the pusher again, allowing another couple of millimetres to fill up the syringe, edging the 25ml line up to 30ml. It was just a little more but even that was enough for him. The younger man turned his attention to his arm, grabbing hold of his forearm tight to hold it still. There was still a slight mark on his elbow from where Jimin had injected him at some point, just a tiny pinprick that would have faded within a few more hours. Jungkook aligned the needle with it and slipped it in, that same familiar burning sting causing Taehyung to almost tremble in anticipation. Then he brought his thumb down on the pusher and injected him.

"Oh-" Taehyung watched it drop all the way down and hit the bottom of the syringe until there was nothing left and then he closed his eyes and waited for that wonderful heat to flood his body. It took a minute to really kick in and when it did he let his breath out in a deep moan of pleasure. Jungkook lowered his head and he planted a kiss on the crease of his elbow, right on the spot that the needle had pricked. The slight hint of blood had beaded there came free on his lips as he moved away again.

"Better, baby?" Jungkook asked as the tip of his tongue darted out to lick the blood free.

"So much better," Taehyung sighed as he slumped back against the seat. The leather creaked from his movement, shirt rubbing against it. Jungkook put the syringe down and reached over to fix his sleeve for him, unrolling it and then buttoning the cuffs up for him. "Fuck, Jungkook..."

Taehyung stayed slumped in place for a minute, head against the window so that the cold glass chilled his baking skin. His eyes fluttered, unable to figure out whether to stay open or closed. Beside him on the backseat he heard Jungkook putting the equipment back into the case.

"What did he mean about...about the clan thing?" Taehyung asked as he finally opened his eyes fully and stared at the back of Yang's flat cap.

"Daddy wants you to get the Haedogje Pa tattoo now," Jungkook explained as he tossed the snapped off needle out of the crack in the window. "So, whilst you're nice and numb you're going to get one."

The building in particular that their vehicle pulled up at didn't really look like a tattoo parlour to Taehyung's eyes. He had never been to a parlour that did anything more than piercings for most tattoo parlours were unlicensed and technically illegal. The building looked like most others, a whitewashed brick exterior with a stretch of window along most of it. The door to the side of the window was black, glossy paint that had not a single crack or chip in the surface. There were no signs to advertise it for what it was: no hanging flags or signs on the sides of the building, no painted characters on the glass. Anyone passing was probably unaware of the fact that it was such a parlour because there was nothing at all to show that it was.

Taehyung shifted to grab the door handle, shoving it open so that he could climb out of the vehicle. A glance at the window showed that the glass was frosted, thick enough to block out most of the interior from sight.

"This' the place?" Taehyung asked, moving aside to clear the doorway. Unlike earlier his legs were steady and strong, not shaking and threatening to spill him to the pavement. The morphine shot was still lingering rather wonderfully even after the car ride but he knew that it would be gone again in a couple of hours.

"Official Haedogje Pa parlour," Jungkook again as he climbed out beside him and slammed the door shut. His suit jacket was folded over his elbow because Taehyung had yet to put it back on. "Yang, go fill up the tank this will take some time." Yang said something in reply but Taehyung didn't hear what because the glass muffled it. Then the Mitsubishi was pulling away back into the road to drive down the street, leaving them standing on the curb.

"Can only Haedogje Pa men get tattoos done here?"

"You can get more tattoos done here, Taehyung," Jungkook replied as he walked across the sidewalk. "Tattoos, piercings, branding, scarring; whatever you require they can provide the service." Branding...scarring, he was referring to pimps of course. Taehyung briefly wondered if the workers inside did such things or whether they just supplied the tools, let the men themselves leave their mark on their poor slaves. Probably the latter, they probably got a fucking kick out of it. "Don't worry, no branding for you today, Taehyung."

"Well, all I need for that is to give you a cigarette, right?"

"Mmm," Jungkook gave him a wide smirk as he pushed the door open. "That is true."

The entrance area looked like a waiting area to him, filled with benches with leather seating and plastic chairs, both black and chrome. The flooring was linoleum and the walls were a deep red covered with framed prints. A close inspection of one such print showed that there were designs on them, all kinds from calligraphy to animals, to geometric things that looked strangely ritualistic. Taehyung scanned the area to see a few men inside, all in cheap suits and lounged around smoking. When he glanced back in front of him he saw the younger man stepping over to a counter.

"Hide, just the man that I was hoping to see," Jungkook announced. "I was thinking of none other than you for this job."

"Ah, boss," Hide replied as he dropped his head almost shyly. "It's been a long time since you came here."

Hide was a rather chubby young man with a shaved head and light stubble. Taehyung knew from his name that he was Japanese but his Korean was undetectable of accent, showing that he had likely spent his whole life in the country. He had an eyebrow piercing and most of his ears were filled with metal rings and plastic plugs, and from under the ends of his tee Taehyung could see what looked to be two tattoo sleeves. Most of the ink on his upper arms looked tribalistic, great thick black lines with sharp ends that entwined. His lower arms had characters in both Hangul and what looked like Hiragana to Taehyung's eyes, and there was a demon on the left, one with a snarling red face and protruding red horns and a golden koi fish around the inner elbow of his right.

"It's a special occasion," Jungkook replied before cocking his head in his direction. "I have an important man in need of the clan tattoo and I know you're the best here. Are you available right now, Hide? How much would free you up if you're not?"

"Of course I can do it and you know you get the service for free, boss," Hide disagreed with a head shake as he ducked under the counter. "Gotta say I was hoping you would bring that pretty boy with you, I still think that his body was made to be inked up."

"Sadly Jimin must remain free of any potential flaws," Jungkook said as they followed the man through and into the backroom. Taehyung could smell sweat, tobacco and oiled leather clinging to the air. "I might consider allowing him one at some point but it would have to be discreet, easily covered up."

"That's a shame, boss," Hide said as he led them down a thin hallway. There were several doors on either wall and though most were open and unused Taehyung glanced inside one to see a man getting work done on a back tattoo. From a closed door came soft whimpering sounds, presumably female. Hearing it made him feel uncomfortable, especially when the whimpers turned into loud sobs and then a loud shriek of pain.

Taehyung followed them both into a small room, seeing a black recliner chair set to one side and a metal wheeled table beside it. There was a stretch of counter on the other side, on which various boxes were kept that likely contained tools. Jungkook more or less pushed him in the direction of the chair and so Taehyung went over to it and sat down. He had done not much more than brush his ass against the leather when the younger man started pulling at his shirt buttons.

"The usual, boss?" Hide asked as he opened one of the boxes and started rifling around. Jungkook made a noise in agreement as he pulled down on the shoulders of his shirt to get him out of it. "Just give me a few minutes to prepare the transfer and ink and we're all set to go."

"The usual?" Taehyung raised an eyebrow at him. "That's the lotus, right?"

"Yes," Jungkook said as he reached over to undo the safety pin. "The very same one, maybe I'll try covering it up next time?" He started unravelling the bandage that was wrapped around his chest quickly, coiling it around his hand tightly as he did. Hide watched him as he slipped a pair of latex gloves on, tools pulled free and ready to be prepared.

"There, on his breast," Jungkook said as he reached over and stroked his chest with his free hand. Just above the nipple and not too far from the stitches. Taehyung tracked his fingers intently, silent and still.

"Right by the stitches?" the other man asked curiously.

"Yes, I want it there below the eventual scar," Jungkook explained. "The tattoo and the bullet wound scar both revealed at the same time: it would look perfect."

"Yeah, boss, it sure would scare the shit outta anyone that pisses him off," Hide agreed with a vigorous nod. There was a series of clicking sounds as he started popping things free from the tattoo gun, slipping in ink containers.

"Also, for the petals add red to the tips, bleed the colour out," Jungkook said as he sat back in the other chair. "Taehyung looks good with red on his skin."

"Sure thing, boss."

Taehyung had never witnessed someone getting a tattoo before. This was both his first time witnessing such a thing and also his very first tattoo. He would have liked both things to have happened separately, and perhaps the second option to have never happened ever but it was a bit too late for that. It took Hide several minutes to get prepared, from creating the transfer to getting the gun and his skin prepared. When he was ready he applied a layer of balm onto his skin pressed the thin sheet of transfer paper down so that when he peeled it away the ink stayed stuck to his skin.

"First time?" Hide asked him with a grin. Taehyung managed to nod at him. "Well...this will hurt a little." When the machine kicked to life with a series of loud vibrating buzzes Taehyung slid his eyes over to look at Jungkook instead. The younger man just held his gaze unblinkingly, settled back in the other chair with one ankle resting on his opposite knee in a sign of pure comfort.

Perhaps it was the effects of the morphine but Taehyung didn't feel pain as bad as he had been expecting when the needle touched his skin. It was uncomfortable yes, a rather irritating sensation that reminded him of what his stitches felt like when they itched. A sensation he thought could be described as skin-crawling in nature. Hide had to take breaks throughout the process, switching needle heads and ink in the machine so that he could etch the most finest details into his flesh. Even when he took a break Taehyung could still feel that tingling on his skin where the needle had touched, almost something close to a prickling sensation. He didn't want to look at the work-in-progress so he instead forced himself to stare up at the ceiling instead, one hand gripping onto the armrest tight as the minutes started to get longer and longer whilst he counted in his head.

Hide was clearly the best man in the parlour, seen as Jungkook had requested his service. Taehyung wasn't scared of him fucking up, of having a hideous marking etched into his flesh. What he found rather scary was the fact that he was getting a piece of art tattooed on his skin. A beautiful piece of art in fact, but still something that made him Haedogje Pa. Removing his shirt now, he would reveal that blooming lotus flower along with his bullet wound scar, for he was completely certain that it would scar. Hell, the tattoo was starting to feel more and more like a scar the longer that he stayed in the chair.

"All done," Hide announced as the sound of the gun stopped suddenly, plunging the room into silence. For a moment Taehyung stayed in place, staring up at the ceiling, and then he shifted his gaze to look at the wall clock. He had been in the chair for close to an hour. Then he slowly lifted his head and studied the tattoo.

The lotus was right there on his breast, set above his left nipple so that when he pulled down on the open collar of his shirt it would be perfectly visible to all. The petals were startlingly white against his currently pink skin but when that faded it would look right on him. Almost perfect, perhaps. The red-tinged tips stood out in sharp contrast to the slight hint of leaves under the petals. The tattoo looked exactly the same as the one in the cleft of Jungkook's lower back save for the red.

Taehyung was looking at the clan mark of the Jeon family, of Haedogje Pa, tattooed right onto his flesh.

"That...that wasn't so bad," he said after a moment of study. He shifted his gaze from the tattoo to look at Jungkook and offered him a slight smile. "That was nothing next to that fucking bullet."

"Is that all, boss?" the artist asked as he grabbed a wad of tissues.

"Hide, prepare it with black ink and a thin head. Taehyung, I want you to get another tattoo, a small one," Jungkook said as he watched Hide wiping any excess ink off his skin. "This one shows that you belong to Haedogje Pa, to my father, but I want you to get another. Taehyung, I want everyone to know that you belong to me. You're my baby."

"...Of course, Jungkook, I'm yours," Taehyung agreed as he looked over at him. The way that Jungkook's lips lifted at the corners made that same strange feeling course through him; the one from earlier. That same strange flutter that made him feel like grimacing.

"It's a very special tattoo," Jungkook remarked as he moved to sit down on the stool. "Only you will have it." Across the room Hide was preparing the tattoo gun for him, hastily changing the ink cartridges and needle head like requested. "But, you know what makes it even more special?"

"What?"

"...I'm going to give you it."

Taehyung was more than certain that Jungkook had no experience in tattooing before, yet he held the gun in his hand with something very close to confidence that seemed to say otherwise. The younger man grabbed hold of his wrist and pinned it down to the armrest and so Taehyung gripped hold of the leather to keep his fingers perfectly still. It couldn't hurt more than the chest tattoo had and most of that had been numbed from the morphine anyway. So Jungkook shifted to get in the perfect position and then he lowered the gun down onto his first finger. Hide was much too busy clearing away most of the tools he had used to pay much attention to the process.

"I engraved Jimin's collar tags," Jungkook explained slowly, hand moving as he started going over the transfer he had applied to each of his first knuckles of his right hand. "I like leaving my mark on thing...it's proof of ownership."

Taehyung thought it sounded like a child writing their name on something in bold black marker pen.

"I'm leaving my mark on you too," Jungkook glanced up at him quickly before moving onto his second finger, a smile ever present on his lips.

This tattoo was much quicker than the lotus one, barely lasted longer than a several minutes. When Jungkook was finished he placed the machine down on the table and grinned at him widely. Right there on his knuckles, spelled out so that every man that ever looked at his hand; that ever got punched in the mouth by him would see it. B. A. B. Y: Baby, he belonged to Jungkook now. It was inked on his very flesh, more permanent than a business contract, than a collar around his neck. The letters were bold, took up most of his first knuckle so that they couldn't be missed, and his thumb was currently free from one. Taehyung thought that a bullet would look perfect there, just to complete it, but he didn't mention this for he didn't want him to carry on tattooing.

"There," Jungkook said as he grabbed the tissue that Hide had used earlier. "Now you're not just daddy's, you're mine too."

"You should get one," Taehyung remarked as the younger man wiped at his tender skin. "A tattoo to let the world know that you're mine."

"Am I?" Jungkook asked as his eyes slid up to look at his face. Contrary to his question and tone his expression looked rather playful, teasing almost. "Am I yours, Taehyung?" Taehyung shifted to sit upright in the seat, moving so that he could lean over close.

"Of course you are," he whispered down his ear, breath warm, "slut."

Jungkook turned his head to look at him, nose brushing against his because they were so close. There was something in his eyes that Taehyung was certain he had never seen before, something that seemed to make them look almost...alive. Not cold and dead, the glassy stare of an unstable young man. No, Jungkook's eyes had something close to a glint in them and was that soft colour on his cheeks actually because he was blushing?

"Say that again, baby," Jungkook said in the softest whisper.

"I said, I want everyone to know that you belong to me." Taehyung turned his head slightly so that his lips ghosted across his when he spoke. "'Cos you're mine, you're my slut."

Jungkook's body almost trembled at his words, an excited little shiver that traveled up his body to his lips. They quivered against his and Taehyung felt and heard the coquettish moan that escaped.

"Daddy wouldn't like it..." Jungkook said in a husky whisper. "It would look unprofessional."

"You have the clan tattoo for him, why not have this one for me?" Taehyung suggested, shifting his gaze over to look at the tattoo gun before looking back at him. "We'll look like real partners then...right?"

As with earlier Hide prepared the machine, doing so without a single word but rather just following orders. Taehyung had to get to out of the recliner chair and sit on the stool instead, switching places with Jungkook. The younger man settled into the chair and his expression showed something that looked like a mixture of nervous anticipation and maybe excitement. When Taehyung had finished transferring the small letters onto his left hand he accepted the gun from Hide and turned it on. It felt strange in his hand and he briefly worried if he would fuck it before recalling that it was just four small letters and that seemed rather hard to do so.

"You should tattoo Jimin too," Taehyung remarked as he pinned his wrist against the armrest. "We could both do it, tattoo 'Doll' right onto his knuckles like this."

"Mmm," Jungkook made a soft noise under his breath. "Tattoos aren't good for my films but I'm currently offline and I don't know when I'll be able to continue. I suppose that it could be covered up, with makeup, should I manage to set another website up."

"We all belong to each other, yeah?" Taehyung asked as he followed the intricate curve of the 'S' slowly to not fuck it up. "It could be covered up and it would look good . Better than a collar, right? Stronger ownership."

"...Hide, do you have a kit that I could borrow?" Jungkook asked, eyes not leaving his hand once as he completed the first letter and moved onto the rather simple 'L'.

"Boss, I've got a kit that you can keep if you want one? Want me to set up the machine for you to take with you?"

"Yes," Jungkook said with a soft nod and Taehyung heard the sound of the other man leaving the room to go into another section of the building just as he reached the bottom of the second letter. "Does your shoulder still hurt?"

"Uh...only a little," Taehyung replied without looking up. "Give it an hour and it will probably be fucking agony again."

"When we get back to the penthouse," Jungkook explained, fingers tightening on the armrest ever so slightly. "I'll get Jimin to give you another hit, hmm, and then..."

Taehyung looked up at him, gun hovering above his third knuckle. Jungkook was looking down at him, the corners of his lips turned up and a rather sharp glint in his eyes.

"Let's put the tattoos to good use, really establish the ownership."

Taehyung had to carry the black box into the apartment and into the elevator, carrying it as if it was something of great importance rather than just containing tattoo equipment. For some reason it felt like it was actually important, almost something akin to The Holy Grail. Underneath his shirt his tattoo was starting to itch rather annoyingly under the thin layer of cling film Hide had wrapped over it, and Taehyung knew that soon enough so would his shoulder. It was only a matter of time for the morphine was starting to wear off again. He had been enjoying the rather blissful numbness but he would once again be back to discomfort and nausea, to shaking and jerking.

It slipped his mind, right there and then as the carriage started ascending, that neither of them had asked Jimin if he wanted a tattoo. Then again, he hadn't really been given a choice either. But still, Jimin had been given no choice and he was the person that had recommended it to Jungkook. Would he say no to the suggestion? Would Jimin really want to say no; and if he did, what then? Would Jungkook just simply leave it, would he try and persuade him? Or was it possible that Taehyung might just need to help restrain him enough to tie him to a chair just so Jimin would have no choice? He thought that it was highly likely that Jungkook would try and persuade him to change his mind rather than resort to physical tactics, or at least he was hoping. Though such acts were perfectly normal for Jungkook, Taehyung thought that he would never willingly threat Jimin.

Strangle him to death maybe, but not threaten him.

Taehyung felt his fingers twitching slightly and so he looked down to look at his hand. It was strange looking at his fingers and seeing the black letters on his knuckles, knowing that they would be there an hour from now, would be there when he woke up tomorrow. Tattoos might not be permanent but for the foreseeable future his was. It was even more strange looking at the tattoo and finding that he rather liked it. Not like the lotus one, that was...different. But 'baby' was good, he did like that one.

Taehyung had just looked over at Jungkook when the carriage doors opened up so he let the younger man step out into the slight hallway to open the suite door. The view inside was not at all unexpected. Jimin was lying on the bed on his stomach, a bottle of champagne on the floor beside the bed and a glass currently in hand. On the bed by his elbow was an open prescription bottle, lying on its side so that a few of the pills had spilled free onto the sheets. Presumably Valium, and judging from the other man's serene expression a couple of them had been downed already.

"Mmm," Jimin purred as he lowered the flute. "Look who's finally home Wangbi, it's daddy." The cat was halfway across the suite and didn't at all seem to care. "Busy day?"

"Very busy," Jungkook replied as he removed his jacket and placed it down on the kitchen counter. Then he started rolling his sleeves up to his elbows as he crossed the suite to get to the bed. He sat down on the edge of the mattress and reached over to pick up the pill bottle. "How many of these have you downed, hmm?"

"Three," Jimin said as he moved his tongue around his mouth, which seemed to be dry. "I think."

"No more Valium tonight," Jungkook grabbed the cap bottle off the sheets and proceeded to screw it on. "Any more and you will be out cold." Judging from the look on Jimin's face, Taehyung thought that that was exactly what he had been hoping for. "Taehyung, bring over the box and let's do this." Jimin asked him what he meant by this, eyes still rather dreamy. "We're going to give you a tattoo, babe."

"A...a tattoo?" Jimin asked as he eyed the black box in his hand. "Darling, you said that I can't get a tattoo."

"I changed my mind," Jungkook retorted as Taehyung placed the case down on the mattress. "Only a small one, it can be covered up." Jimin eyed the box and then lifted his gaze to look right at him. Taehyung held his eyes and tried to figure out what he was thinking but it was hard. Between Jimin's rather drug-addled blown pupils and his lack of concentration because of his aching shoulder he really couldn't tell. "Both I and Taehyung have one, show him."

"Ba...by," Jimin read from his knuckles, brow furrowing slightly before he slid his eyes over to look at Jungkook's hand on the mattress beside him. "Slut..." For a moment he didn't say a thing, lying still on the bed and just looking between their hands in turn. Then he lifted his champagne flute and took a sip of it. "What am I?"

"Doll," Jungkook remarked as he reached up and place his hand in his hair, patting his head slowly.

"Are you drunk, darling?" Jimin asked with a sudden laugh, lips turned up enough at the corners to look genuine to most. Taehyung thought that it looked rather uncertain however, scared maybe.

"No, I'm just feeling...fucking fantastic," Jungkook declared before laughing, that same laugh that made his nose scrunch up rather childishly. "I feel fucking fantastic, babe."

"Why?" Jimin asked as he slowly sat upright, knocking his hand free and shifting to get comfortable. Taehyung heard the soft sound of the smooth skin of his thighs rubbing together. "Why do you feel so fantastic, darling?"

"Everything is just working out so perfectly," Jungkook replied with that wide grin as Taehyung opened the black box up for him. "Kim Jintae should be dead within the next two days for trying to murder me, thanks to Bae. Lee Yoochun will be trapped in our net soon enough and that rat will squeal when we get him." Jimin watched Jungkook collecting the tattoo gun and placing it down on the mattress beside the Valium bottle. "And finally, the answer to all of my wishes will come true. Kim Jinwoo will be a dead man."

"...You're going to murder both of the Kims?" Jimin asked in a soft voice, almost a whisper. Jungkook nodded vigorously with a grin. Taehyung retrieved the transfer paper from the box and he waited to see if the other man would refuse, would tell him that he didn't want the tattoo. But Jimin just shifted to place his hand on his knee instead. So he prepared his fingers for Jungkook, carefully applying each strip of paper as straight as he could to peel away and leave the design trapped to the balm. "Darling, don't you think that's...reckless."

"Mmm," Jungkook watched the preparation process. "Jinwoo was reckless too but there's a difference: I'm not going to fail. I'm going to kill them so I don't need to worry about being reckless."

"Daddy approved?" Jimin asked as he lifted the champagne flute again. When Jungkook confirmed this to be the case he almost knocked back the remains and swallowed rather hard. "What do you think, Tae? Do you think it's reckless?"

"Uh..." Taehyung looked up from his hand for a moment, fingers pressing down the first 'L' into his skin. "I think that it risks pissing him off, yeah. But it could draw him out too, make him easier to eliminate." Jimin wet his lips before putting the glass down on the mattress. "But I think that," he peeled the transfer away and prepared the last one, "any fucker that wants Jungkook dead will be scared into submission if he takes down fucking Kim Jintae."

Jimin made a soft noise at this, expression rather dour as he reached up with his free hand to play with his bathrobe. Taehyung peeled the final transfer away and then Jungkook was reaching over to grab his wrist and forcefully place it on his own knee.

"What'd you do today, huh?" Taehyung asked out of the blue as Jungkook started the tattoo gun up, the vibrating buzz very loud and echoing off the walls. At his question Jimin turned his head to look at him, expression momentarily confused. "Y'know, whilst we were doing business what'd you do?"

"Took drugs and slept the entire morning," Jimin replied in a rather flat tone. Jungkook didn't even blink at this but Taehyung had to drop his gaze from his face. So much for an attempt at a conversation. "Tae, are you feeling alright? Is your shoulder hurting still?"

"Yeah, and my tattoos," he replied as he watched Jungkook following the curve of the 'D' on his finger. The other man had done nothing more than squint slightly at the pain. "I, uh, I've been waiting all day for a shot." Jimin made a sympathetic noise at him and then told him to go get the kit that Yoongi had brought to the suite. The kit that the morphine wasn't even in.

So Taehyung got to his feet and wandered across the suite, making sure that Jimin wasn't watching as he quickly slipped the case out of Jungkook's jacket and hunkered down to grab the medical box off a low shelf. He popped it open to slip the case inside and then closed it again, carrying it across the suite. When he sat back down on the bed Jungkook had finished the 'O' and so he held the machine out to him. Taehyung put the box in down to accept it and proceeded to hold Jimin's hand down on his knee.

"Does it hurt?" he asked as he eyed the two completed black letters, hovering the gun over his ring finger.

"No, I've had much worst," Jimin said with a soft head shake. "It doesn't hurt, Tae, don't worry." Taehyung lowered the gun and started one the first 'L', only having to tattoo the four simple lines. Whilst he did so Jungkook opened the medical box and started preparing a syringe of morphine for him. Luckily for Jimin he managed to not start shaking at the thought and fuck up his tattoo. When he was done he turned the machine off and dropped it back in the box without a care. "You said tattoos , where's the other one, Tae?"

"Take it off, Taehyung, show him," Jungkook instructed.

Taehyung reached up to start unbuttoning at his shirt with his good arm, struggling until Jimin reached over to help him. A moment later he was shrugging it free and he saw how Jimin's eyes latched onto the tattoo. His eyes widened slightly as he stared at it, clearly surprised. Taehyung started removing the cling film to free his skin, tossing it aside without a care. After a minute Jimin seemed to come back to reality. Now his skin was finally free to breathe, no longer hidden under layers that made it itch.

"He belongs to Haedogje Pa now," Jungkook said as he started filling up the syringe. "Daddy likes him a lot."

Jimin didn't speak but rather just studied his chest silently, the tattoo and the puckered stitches on his shoulder. Taehyung didn't really know why he was staring but he thought it might just be from a mixture of surprise and maybe...maybe something like pity. He didn't really know why but that was the sensation that seemed to come from him. Taehyung had been involved in gang activity for roughly three months now and yet he would have a permanent scar on his skin (and more on his mind), and he was all marked up against his own wishes. A tag on his skin that was kind of like a brand he supposed, a mark of ownership. Like a fucking sex slave. When Taehyung looked down at Jimin's hand he saw the exact same thing, the black letters on his tanned skin. It was enough to make him feel rather sick but there was nothing he could do about it now.

Hadn't he found the idea of tattooing him rather exciting in the first place? 'Doll' right there on his knuckles, as if it wasn't so very fucking obvious that he was one. Wasn't that technically what they both were?

Fun little toys.

"You're finally officially mine, Taehyung," Jungkook declared as he flicked the syringe and then shifted on the bed to get closer to him. Taehyung held his arm out so that he could grab hold, closing his eyes and waiting for the sting.

Fucking marked property.

When the drug flooded his system Taehyung found that he didn't at all care about tattoos or ownership. He just wanted to be washed away by those warm waves of pleasure and so he threw his head back with a deep sigh. He heard the two other men shifting: putting all of the equipment away. He stayed in place for a moment, feeling the annoying itching all over his skin fading away and leaving him numb and warm, and when he dropped his head and looked back at the bed he saw Jimin on his knees in the act of unknotting his bathrobe. Taehyung watched him for a moment before turning his head to look across the suite. The youngest man was in the act of swallowing most of a glass of champagne and he must have seen something on his face for he let out a laugh.

"What, baby?"

"...Nothing," Taehyung replied with a soft head shake. He had had something in his mind, a thought of some kind, but it had just floated away; clearly not important. "I'm just glad that...that your daddy likes me and doesn't want me dead for killing his men."

"You killed traitors, not his men."

"Now I'm officially Haedogje Pa..."

"Tonight is almost like your initiation," Jungkook said, mostly empty champagne glass in hand that he swirled around. "A night of celebration, you should get a special reward."

"Lie back, baby," Jimin almost purred at him as the bathrobe slipped down off his shoulders to fall into a puddle on the sheets. "Let us take care of you."

Taehyung didn't really know how he ended up on his back, the two other man removing his clothing for him so that he didn't have to, he just did. At least there was no fumbling as he tried to do so with his injured arm. Whilst he stared up at the ceiling Jimin also helped Jungkook undress, teasingly pulling at his shirt as he kissed him and giggling against his lips when the other man's fingers roamed down his back and down to his hips. The shirt landed on the floor with a rustling sound and then Jimin's fingers were tugging hard on his belt so that he could open it and help him out of his trousers.

"How are we going to care for Baby?" Jungkook asked as they both climbed onto the bottom of the bed, on their knees beside his thighs. "So many choices..."

"Hmm," Jimin shifted on the bed slightly, eyes running down his body before settling on his still hardening erection. "I've got a great idea. Slut?"

When he said this Jungkook seemed to seize up for a moment, a slight moment of confusion or maybe dislike surging through him. But then he relaxed again and turned his head to look at Jimin. Judging from his expression he had actually rather enjoyed hearing him say that. Maybe it had actually been a shudder instead?

"Baby deserves something special, yes?" Jimin leaned over to press his lips against his ear. "Suck him off." Oh, there was that shudder again, that almost tremble that ran down his body. From his angle, head propped on the stack of pillows, Taehyung saw him starting to get aroused, his own cock twitching with a soft twitch. He noted that neither of them had asked him what he wanted, but then again most of the time they didn't. Taehyung let them do all of the decision making, he just enjoyed participating regardless. Plus, he was a little too doped up to really give a fuck. Jungkook could give him a blowjob, could climb onto his lap and ride him like one of Jimin's old pornographic videos, or he could roll him over and fuck him. He just really didn't care at this point.

"...I've never done that before," Jungkook replied after a moment of thought. "I don't count that day at the strip club as a real blowjob, more just a sloppy kiss."

"We can do it together, I'll teach you," Jimin said with his mouth still pressed against his ear. One hand went up to his hair, moving to the very back so that he could lightly push down on his neck. "Baby's got to take it easy right now, do all of the hard work for him."

Taehyung didn't expect Jungkook to allow the other man to treat him in such a fashion, an almost dominating fashion with his words and actions, yet he didn't resist and let him actually push his head down so that he had to shift position, getting onto his knees and one elbow. Jungkook took hold of his cock, wrapping his fingers around his base tight so that he could see the tattoo in starting clarity: S.L.U.T. The sight of it was somewhat amusing but mostly rather enticing, erotic even. The younger man looked at him for a moment, thumb pressing down on his underside as he did. Then he lowered his head to press a kiss against the head of his cock.

Jimin shifted to start planting open mouthed kisses on his lower stomach whilst Jungkook experimented, going between kittenish licks to taking his head between his lips for a few seconds. Almost as if he was too cautious to actually take him in his mouth fully.

"You look pretty, Slut," Taehyung said, breath hitching slightly as Jimin nipped at his hip hard and then sucked his lips around the bite. Jungkook had just taken him in his mouth again and at his words his lips shifted, going up into a smile that caused his head to slip to the side of his mouth and poke at his inner cheek. The sight of him smiling like that was enough to make Taehyung reach down and snag hold of his hair, forcing him down his length by several inches. Jungkook's hand tightened around his base, twisting slightly in a way that caused a wonderful throb to spike up into the pit of his stomach. "You look prettier now."

Jimin lifted his head slightly to look over at him, mouth still trailing along his stomach to his navel. The sight of Jungkook rapidly pulling his head back made him laugh softly, warm breath against his skin. Yet the initial encouragement seemed to make him more confident for Jungkook opened his mouth wider and tried going down on him without a hand pushing down on his head. Taehyung rolled his head back against the pillow with a soft moan as he felt the younger man's mouth on him. Jungkook's mouth was hot and wet, his tongue trembling along his underside as he took a couple of inches in. He stayed at that depth, lightly bobbing his head but going no deeper. Sometimes his teeth grazed against him and the sensation was strangely pleasant.

"Good, you're taking his cock so good , Slut," Jimin praised as he also reached over and pushed down on Jungkook's head and made him swallow more of his length. Taehyung felt him gagging around him, eyes squeezing shut the fingers of his free hand snagging hold of the sheets before he moved them along to sink his fingers into his outer thigh. "But you need to learn to share."

Jungkook pulled back just in time for a slight leakage of precum to slip free from the corner of his mouth and dribble down his chin. Jimin darted forward, tongue out to lick his cum free and then he was kissing his head too. Taehyung could barely believe it and he watched the two of them struggling to share his cock, tongues brushing together.

"You should...should kiss," he joked. Jimin moaned breathlessly against his length, tongue lapping out along his underside to touch Jungkook's lips and then the pair of them actually tried to kiss each other. Taehyung sucked his lower lip in to bite down on it, watching the pair of them kissing each other around his cock; nothing more than lips brushing together or tongues curling and licking.

"Fuh...fuck, I've got a better idea," Taehyung managed to stutter out. "A sluttier idea."

"Sluttier?" Jungkook asked, lips against his head smeared with spit and cum. His voice caused vibrations to run down his length to his base, little pleasurable tremors. "Aren't we slutty enough for you right now, Baby?"

"I've got a better idea, one I know you'll like," Taehyung countered. The younger man looked up at him with curious and wide eyes whilst Jimin continued planting kissing along his length. "You'll get to be filled up completely, me and Doll can fill you right up."

The dawning realisation on Jungkook's face was an absolute treasure to watch.

Taehyung shifted on the mattress to get up onto his knees, moving to allow Jungkook to lie down instead. He instinctively opened his thighs wide for him, hips lifted off the bed to present himself almost eagerly. Jimin got off the bed to collect the bottle of lube, showing slight confusion at this change of events. Taehyung applied a liberal amount and then moved his middle and forefinger down to his entrance before slipping them inside. As his fingers sank down deep Jungkook made a soft and breathy sound.

"Move over, by the pillows," Taehyung explained as he carried on opening him up with his fingers, loosening him with every curl and thump of his knuckles against him. "Slut's gonna show you that you don't need to teach him."

"Really?" Jimin asked, scooting along the bed on his knees. Jungkook eyed his erection with a great interest. "I can't wait for him to show me." Taehyung lined himself up with his entrance and slipped his fingers free so that he could sink into him instead. He had to lift Jungkook's legs up, hands under his knees to keep him in the perfect position.

Jungkook had to prop his weight up onto his elbows to be able to take Jimin into his mouth, head twisted on an angle. Taehyung felt his thighs clenching and he saw his stomach muscles doing so too. Jimin had to move his hips for him slowly rather than let him bob back and forth on his cock, fingers tightly knotted in his hair, because Jungkook couldn't move much in his current position.

Taehyung recalled his joke that night in the other bedroom, about Jimin joining in and gagging him with his cock. The fact it had now become reality was enough to almost make him laugh but he managed to stop himself.

Between the slapping sound of his hips thumping against Jungkook's upper thighs and the sloppy sucking of his mouth as Jimin rocked against him, hand firm on the back of his head, Taehyung could barely make out the noises that Jungkook was making. It was hard to make much noise around the other man's cock but every time he picked up his pace he heard him grunting at the back of his throat; felt his thighs clenching under his fingers. When Taehyung slowed down and rolled his hips deep and slow Jungkook almost whined, breath escaping his nose in little huffs.

"Oh, Slut," Jimin almost cooed at him. "You luh...learnt so well from my videos." Jungkook's eyelids fluttered at this and he made a groaning sound. "You would look so good in fuh-front of a camera too." Taehyung picked up his pace so that he could thrust harder and the noises that Jungkook made around Jimin's cock had him gasping in surprise. This might have been the first time that Jimin had experienced such a thing, seen as he was the one usually giving blowjobs. Taehyung wasn't at all surprised to see that his hips starting finding a better rhythm, rocking almost like a wave against Jungkook's head. "Wouldn't he, Baby?"

"Such a...good little slut," Taehyung agreed, the praise making Jungkook whimper again.

Jungkook had finally gotten what he had been craving, that total lack of power and utter vulnerability. He was submissive in all ways and yet there was a sense coming off him that he was actually dominant in some way. It was as if the knowledge that he was giving all of the pleasure spurred him on and made him more enthusiastic. Why, he was giving so good that Taehyung decided that he deserved a reward too and he let go of his thigh with one hand to start jerking him off.

Jungkook actually released Jimin for a moment, a series of keening moans escaping before the other man snagged hold of his hair tighter and forced his head forward again. Because he needed to prop himself up on his elbows Jungkook couldn't touch himself, but was entirely reliant on Taehyung to give it to him.

"If you suck Doll off good, Slut, I'll give it to you," Taehyung promised, shifting his grip up to his head to massage it with his thumb. He could feel Jungkook trembling against him, thighs locking against his waist. "Show him how much he taught you, huh?"

Jungkook gave a damn good attempt at giving a blowjob as good as Jimin, which Taehyung supposed deserved a reward for the effort. He actually managed to balance his weight on one elbow do that he could take him in hand and massage his base whilst Jimin controlled his head, sucking and moaning around his cock so that Jimin would feel delightful little vibrations to shoot right up into the pit of his stomach. So Taehyung thought that he had earned a rather teasing handjob, slow and dragged out just to stop him from getting too excited.

Jimin pulled out of his mouth just in time, wrapping his hand around himself and pumping hard several times. He still had his other hand snagged in Jungkook's hair and when he ejaculated with a soft moan he did so all over his face. Taehyung watched, almost mesmerised, as his cum splashed down onto Jungkook's mouth and cheeks. A few flecks of it managed to land elsewhere, across the bridge of his nose and even on his eyelashes. The sight of Jungkook squeezing his eyes shut in surprise was enough to cause a deep throb in the pit of Taehyung's stomach.

Jungkook looked like a slut and he was absolutely beautiful.

Taehyung forced him into another position, grabbing hold of his thighs and moving them, lowering them down and spreading them wide open, allowing him to shift forward into a better position. Jungkook's knees were pressed against his chest, locked in place by his forearms. The angle had the younger man grabbing hold of the pillow with one hand to sink his fingers into it and reaching down with the other to seize hold of his own cock.

"Ah, ah, oh ." Every noise out of Jungkook's lips was breathless, strangled little cries of pleasure. "Fuck, Baby, yuh-you-" Taehyung lowered his head, straining as far as he could so that he could lick at his mouth, at his cheeks and clean away Jimin's cum. Jungkook darted his own tongue out, brushing it against his desperately. "You're so fuh-fucking good."

Taehyung could feel his shoulder starting to protest from all of the movement and so he didn't tease the other man. He just found the perfect angle and pounded his hips down against him, feeling Jungkook bucking underneath him. The mattress was creaking loudly from the force but he barely heard it under the noises coming out of Jungkook's mouth. The younger man was jerking himself off as hard and fast as he could, and Jimin managed to reach over and place his hand over his. A throbbing heat was starting to spread upwards and it was almost as warm and pleasurable as the morphine and Taehyung felt himself peaking.

"Fuh-fuck, I'm cuming, I'm-" Taehyung snapped his hips forward against him and he had just felt that rush flooding his system when Jungkook cried out underneath him, entire body quivering as he chased after his orgasm. He stayed inside of him whilst he rode out his climax and then pulled out and shifted to collapse on the bed beside him. Taehyung closed his eyes and took several quick breaths, heart racing in his chest and the vestiges of his pleasure still throbbing in the pit of his stomach.

"Jimin, Tuh...Taehyung," Jungkook said in an uneven and breathless voice. Taehyung opened his eyes again to stare at the ceiling mirror before slowly turning his head to look over at the two other men. Jungkook was lying on his back just like him, chest rising and falling rapidly and skin coated in sweat and semen. Jimin was still on his knees beside him, looking down at him curiously. After a few more quick breaths his lips lifted up at the corners in the most ecstatic smile.

"What, Juh...Jungkook?" Taehyung managed to ask, his own voice breathless and weak.

"I...I love you."