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shina913 · 2 years

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Coquet, Part 8 | JJK

Coquet, Part 8

\ kō-ˈket Definition: noun. a man who indulges in flirtation.

✫✫✫Coquet Masterlist✫✫✫

Pairing: Escort!JJK x Fem-reader

Rating: M (🔞)

Genre: Fake-dating!AU; Strangers to lovers; fluff; angst; smut

Warnings: aftermath of medical emergency; fluffy/quiet moments; crack; infidelity; false accusations; emotional breakdown; physical altercation (without serious injury); lots of crying; cussing; vulnerable confessions and conversations; INSANE AMOUNT OF ANGST--like, seriously--buckle up!

Word count: 7.7K+ words

Summary: On your brother's wedding, you dread traveling to see your family–whom you have successfully avoided for over a year after moving across the country for work. In an effort to save face, you hire an escort to get them off your back and perhaps even make your ex–who happens to be the best man–a little jealous.

A/N: Thank you so much to my lovely betas: @internetjunkdrawer for tirelessly listening to me scream about this every day this week and helping me plan out one of the most intricate scenes I've ever had to write--I might post our diagram, if I feel like it 😂 and to @deepseavibez for the great suggestions on the flow and some of the dialogue and introspection--you've added more nuance to this chapter. I am forever grateful to both of you!!!

A/N2: I do not condone violence in any shape or form. And to reiterate--this is a work of fiction. If you're familiar with my work, I tend to get very dramatic so please keep in mind that this is all for the dramz!

A/N3: Did not expect the taglist to get this big so I'm going to have to do it piece-meal for this chapter and subsequent ones. Thank you all for reading and loving the story so far. As usual, please leave me a comment, ask, or reblog. I love reading and responding to your reactions!

“Do you want me to get you something from the vending machine?”

You looked up at Taehyung, after hearing the tail-end of his question. “Uh–just water, please?”

He nodded, walking down the hall to grab some refreshments for both of you.

You realized you’d been staring at the blank, white wall while you sat in the hallway, right outside your dad’s room. The nurses were limiting visitors after his minor procedure.

After commandeering one of the shuttles and driving it back to the hotel, Taehyung ran up to his room to pick up the spare keys to your dad’s red 1960 Jaguar Drophead. Clutching the keys in his hand felt bittersweet. He didn't expect to be driving this car so soon. Your dad told Taehyung that he and Jennie could ride off to the airport on the way to their honeymoon–a wedding surprise.

The wedding…

It was one of the first things your dad said when he came to. Taehyung quickly calmed him down and told him that his health was number one priority.

The doctor said that he suffered a ventricular tachycardia episode. The diagnosis sounded more serious than what it actually was, especially after they took him into a small room and put him under anesthesia. They inserted a catheter through one of his blood vessels and applied mild radiofrequency energy so that no further arrhythmias would occur. The doctor eased your worries and assured you that since your dad did not have any history of serious heart conditions, he would bounce back in a few days. He just needed to be kept overnight to make sure that he stays stable but that he’d be discharged tomorrow, just in time for the ceremony.

Taehyung returns, handing you a bottle of water.

You murmur your thanks as you take it from him, twisting the cap open to take a swig. As you chugged down the water, you realized that you hadn’t eaten or drank anything in the last…four hours, you thought, after checking the clock in the hallway.

“Dad’s funny, he’s so worried about the wedding,” he mutters vaguely, trying to break the silence.

“Yeah…dad’s priorities need a little work,” you say wryly.

Taehyung laughs softly, sinking into the seat next to you in silence, with his shoulders slumped. After a long beat, he swallowed hard. “Fuck. I’ve never been so scared in my life,” he confesses as he buries his face in his hand.

You put your hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it reassuringly. “I know. Me, too,” you whispered.

“Thank goodness Jungkook was there. What are the chances that you bring your doctor-boyfriend over to a family function and a medical emergency breaks out?”

You chuckle to yourself. Exactly. What were the chances?

//FLASHBACK

“Y-you’re…you’re…” You stuttered.

“Yes, I am.” Jungkook gave you a small smile, trying to keep his voice hushed.

“But…h-how? When?”

“Well…I just got my MD and started my residency–which was why I was running late the day I was supposed to meet you. I had just wrapped up a shift.”

“Holy shit–a-are you sure this isn’t a part of–”

He shook his head then reached into his back pocket. “No, no. This is most certainly not part of the package,” he chuckled nervously. “Here.” He presents you with his work badge…with his real name written on it.

“You had this on you this whole time?” You ask him incredulously.

He nodded. “Yeah. Like I said, I was coming from work…I just changed out of my scrubs and into my suit at the airport.”

Your heart was racing–it felt as if you were about to have some sort of coronary episode as well. He cupped your face–calming you down almost in an instant.

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way. But when you get back, I promise I’ll tell you everything, okay? Right now, I know you have to go to your dad. I’ll be back at the hotel waiting for you.”

You pressed your forehead to his. “Thank you,” you breathed out.

“You’re welcome. Are you going to be okay?” He asks softly.

You tilted your chin up to kiss him. “I will be,” you answered.

//END FLASHBACK

Your phone buzzed, reminding you of pending notifications that you have yet to look at. You pull your phone out and look at the screen–two missed calls: one from Cristina and the other from Jimin. You had several text messages from him and Mindi as well, checking in. There was another text–this one was from Jungkook.

[From Jungkook] (10:45PM): Was it a V-tach like I suspected? Did they do the radioablation on him?

You chuckled to yourself–still coming to grips with the fact that he is a doctor. You turned to Taehyung and excused yourself, stepping away to place a call.

Jungkook picks up on the second ring. “Hey.” His voice instantly calmed you.

“Hi.”

“How are things?”

“Fine, now. And you were right on the money on the diagnosis–they did do that, uhm…radio…” You had forgotten the term.

“Radioablation,” he says carefully.

“Yes, thank you,” you sighed softly. “They have to keep him overnight just to make sure that he heals nicely but–the doctors seem to think that they were able to fix the problem.”

“Yeah. It didn’t seem like your dad had any other serious health issues in the past so that sounds about right,” he says. After a beat of silence, he switches tact. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m–” you cleared your throat, “I’ll be okay,” you say slowly. “It got a little scary back there but it’s good to know he’s going to be fine.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Jungkook, you’ve done plenty already. Thank you, again. I…I don’t know how I could ever–” your voice started to crack at the thought of losing your dad. Even though the doctor had already assured you that he was safe, you still couldn’t shake the feeling.

“Hey–it was a no-brainer for me. Someone’s in trouble, I can’t just watch and let it happen.”

A warmth bloomed within you. Whether he was obligated to do it or he did it out of pure concern and care for your family, it was still incredibly noble of him.

“YN?”

You looked back to see Taehyung calling you over to your dad’s room.

“Listen, I have to go,” you say apologetically over the phone.

“It’s fine. Just text me if you need anything, okay?”

“Thank you, I will. Uhm…bye,” you signed off before following right behind Taehyung as he walked through the door.

Your dad was lucid but looked exhausted from the ordeal. He was conversational but the nurse insisted that he get some sleep to aid in his recovery.

“Why don’t you both go back to the hotel and get some rest? There’s not much we can do for your dad at this point. He just needs to sleep and wait ‘til the morning,” your mom says, sounding resigned.

“We can go back and grab some things for you. Anything in particular?” Taehyung asked.

“A change of clothes, maybe? Or his other medications?” You suggested.

Your mom nodded absently. “Yeah…yes. Clothes…that-that sounds good.” She sounded disconnected from the situation. She was still reeling from this evening’s events. You grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“He’s out of the woods now,” you say softly. “The doctor says he’ll be okay–he can go off and do normal stuff after this.“

She looked at you, tears pooling in her eyes, and nodded. You engulf her in a tight embrace and she lets out a sob. “Darling, I was so scared. So, so scared.”

“I know, mom. We were, too.” Despite her flaws and your tricky relationship, you still loved her. But marrying your stepdad was one of the best decisions that she had made. And you knew that he was one of the best things that happened to her.

As she pulled away, you wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Please tell Jungkook how grateful I am for him being there.”

You nodded. Taehyung gives her a hug as well before letting her know that you would both drive back, pick up some personal items for them and return as soon as you could.

******

After getting off the phone with YN, Jungkook runs into Jimin and gives him a quick update on her dad’s condition.

He breathes a sigh of relief. “Damn. That was pretty insane what you did back there, though.”

Jungkook chuckled. “It was nothing. I just did what I had to do.”

Jimin pats him on the back as a sign of his gratitude. “Either way, thanks, doc!” He says with a grin before walking off to find his mom.

Jungkook let out a puff of air. There wasn’t much for him to do. Everyone else was just waiting for word from YN or Taehyung on their dad’s condition.

He took a stroll down towards the lobby, thinking he’d lie down back in the room and wait for YN’s call. When he crosses the walkway to the courtyard, he overhears harsh whispers.

“I don’t understand why you are bringing this up again. Now? Of all days?” The female voice hissed.

“I’ve been trying to talk to you all week and you’ve been avoiding me–”

“God! Will you ever stop? I don’t know what you want from me! I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again–it meant nothing!”

“Stop saying that it didn’t mean anything!” The male voice said.

It wasn’t like Jungkook to eavesdrop on a private and seemingly personal conversation. He decides to walk away but he hears something else that compelled him to stay.

“It was a mistake! You knew that I’ve been in love with Tae this whole time. Whatever happened was–regretful, to say the least. I was vulnerable and we shouldn’t have been drinking.”

The male let out a frustrated groan.

Jungkook carefully rounded the corner of one of the hedges that led to the courtyard to find Haru clutching Jennie’s hands.

“Please…I just…I need to know. I need to know for sure–”

“Haru, I love him! I am marrying him! I don’t know how else I can make that clear to–”

Jennie gasps and her eyes widen at the sight of Jungkook while Haru whips his head around curious to find out what she was reacting to. She withdraws her hands from him abruptly–as if they hadn’t already been caught in a compromising position.

Haru flexes his jaw and excuses himself, sidestepping Jungkook as he heads back indoors.

Jennie and Jungkook stare at each other. Her eyes start to water as she tries to figure out how to talk her way out of this situation.

“H-how much did you hear?” She asks when Haru was out of earshot. It was a stupid question but it was the first thing that she thought of. She wraps her hands around herself, suddenly feeling small.

“Enough,” he answers. “I’m guessing that she has no idea?”

She shook her head adamantly. And judging by that reaction, Taehyung was in the dark as well.

“Does anybody else know?”

“No,” she answers immediately. “I…honestly had chosen to forget about it,” she says quietly. “I told him to do the same. He’s just being an idiot. It was a mistake a-and…”

“And yet he still went ahead and broke his engagement…for you?” Jungkook directs the question at her.

Jennie’s eyes shoot up at him. Her expression turned hard. “He was being delusional!” She dropped her hands to her side and walked a few steps to the other side of the courtyard.

She took a deep breath while staring off at the distance. “We all grew up together…I’ve loved Taehyung since…forever! When he finally told me that he felt the same, I never wanted to let him go. I waited so long for him to realize it and say it. I wasn’t about to let Haru ruin that.”

“So instead you decided to break his sister’s heart.” He didn’t mean to sound accusatory but it just came out like that. He was feeling incredibly protective of YN.

“I did not decide anything,” she said slowly. “Haru and YN were engaged...I was going through some things. He was just trying to be a good friend when I needed him…we got drunk and a little carried away. It happened once and it didn’t mean anything!”

“It sounded like it meant something to him, though,” Jungkook deadpanned.

“Well, he’s wrong! I never wanted to break them up. I even tried convincing him to get back together with her but…he–he just would not listen! It was one time. One time!”

Jungkook pursed his lips and nodded.

She then closed in on him, a worried look on her face. “Y-you wouldn’t tell, would you?” She asks meekly.

His eyebrows lifted. He stared at her quietly for a few seconds.

“Jungkook–y-you wouldn’t…please?” she begged. “You guys are together now and…and Taehyung and I are getting married,” she laughed nervously. “The past doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Look, Jennie…it’s not my place.”

Her face visibly relaxes for a bit but her relief doesn’t last long.

“I know that in this situation, I’m not obligated to be truthful to you. But I feel like you need to be honest with yourself and, in turn, be honest with the man you’re going to marry. And…in the process, make amends with people you’ve hurt.” It clawed at him that one of YN’s oldest friends would betray her like this. But he decided it would be best that the truth come from her and not him.

“Jungkook…I just…I can’t right now. With Taehyung’s dad and everything else going on–I have to find the right time.”

Jungkook hummed. “Mm, you’re right. You really should time these things. So that when Taehyung hears that you screwed his best friend and that you played a part in his sister’s heartbreak, he won’t feel like the world is collapsing around him and there’s no escape…because, hey, you’re already his wife.”

She let out a shaky breath. “Jungkook–”

“Don’t worry, Jennie. Like I said, it’s not my place since I’m not involved in this situation. But as somebody who says they’re YN’s friend? I think you owe it to her. And Tae–” He thinks back to hours ago during the cocktail reception. The way he talked about Jennie and how he practically worshiped the ground that she walked on. “You can’t start your marriage off with a lie.”

Jennie’s lips narrowed into a thin line as she considered it.

******

When you and Taehyung arrived back at the hotel, you went straight to the front desk to ask for a copy of your parents’ room key to retrieve some of their personal things. Taehyung explained the situation and the staff were incredibly understanding and sent their warm wishes for your dad’s recovery.

After they hand the key card, Taehyung shoots straight for the elevators with you following right behind but he stops you.

“Hey, uh–maybe we should split up. I can go up and grab their things but–would you mind doing me a huge favor?”

“Of course,” you replied.

“Could you find Jennie for me and tell her that I’ll be down in a few? Last time she called me, she said she was somewhere out back with her family. Or…I don’t know,” He scratched his head. “Maybe she’s in the bridal suite–I don’t even remember what room–”

“Tae–say no more. I’ll look around for her.”

He gives you a small nod of gratitude before he steps into the elevator. You walk off, making your way to the courtyard when you see Jungkook sitting in one corner of the lobby.

He sees you out of the corner of his eye and immediately rises to move towards you.

Upon seeing him, you felt…lighter. You walked, no–practically broke into a sprint as he came to meet you halfway, immediately wrapping you in his arms.

“Hey,” he says as he nuzzled into your hair.

“Hey, doc,” you chuckled softly into his chest. You felt his laugh rumble within him, tickling your ear. You pulled away, regarding him intently for a bit.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

You smiled. “No,” you say lightly. “I just–” you chuckled again. “This is so crazy,” you whispered to him.

He nodded. “I know. I’ve never had to use my actual job as a cover story.”

“W-we could have gone with my original idea? That you’d be a shrink?”

He snorted. “I thought I’d try a different strategy for this booking. Although…I never thought I’d actually have to practice medicine.”

“Well–that was…incredibly lucky,” you said, referring to your dad’s emergency.

His face turns serious. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

You nodded earnestly, tilting your chin up to press your lips to his. “I’m good now,” you smiled at him. His expression softens and he smiles back.

“The doctor who treated dad sounded reassuring before Tae and I left.” Suddenly, you remember what you were supposed to do, before getting distracted, per usual, by Jungkook. “Actually, we were just stopping by to grab a few things for my parents then we have to head back again. Have you seen Jennie, by the way? Tae asked me to look for her.”

Jungkook’s eyebrows quirk at the sound of her name. He shifted uncomfortably–although you didn’t think much of it. “I, uh–thought I saw her walk off with her mom somewhere. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll call Mindi to find out–but first–I think I need to pee,” you grimaced. “All of this tension is shrinking my bladder. I’ll be right back.” You hear him chuckle softly as you pull away from him, walking towards the lobby restrooms, to the left of the elevators.

******

When you walk out the door and back down the hallway, you are startled when Haru blocks your path. “Holy shit, Haru! What the—“

“Can we talk? Please?”

You hesitate. “Uh…do we have to?“ You say tensely. You were stressed enough and didn’t know how much time you had left to find Jennie before Taehyung made his way back down to the lobby.

“Look, I saw you and Jungkook talking and you looked really upset,” he started quickly. It baffled the hell out of you but you were more surprised to learn that your little moment with Jungkook was not-so-private after all. Your heart started pounding, thinking that the jig was up.

“A-and I know what you’re thinking right now but I need you to listen to my side of the story,” Haru continued.

Your eyebrows knit further in confusion. Before you could open your mouth to argue, Haru pressed on. “I want you to know that I didn’t do it to hurt you…b-but after what happened, I just felt incredibly confused.”

He was confused? What about you?

“H-Haru, I’m…not following,” you utter slowly.

Ignoring your last remark, he continued his word vomit. “I started feeling all of these things and…I just couldn’t shake them. I tried, believe me, I tried really hard to fight it. And it wasn’t like I didn’t already know how Taehyungie felt about her—“

Her.

Your mouth went dry. It was as if the wind had been knocked out of you.

“...Then I thought about us and…I realized that…I didn’t want to be unfair to you. I couldn’t.”

The room felt unsteady all of a sudden. Or maybe those were your legs–legs that you weren’t even sure belonged to you right this second.

“YN? I’m so sorry. I’ve been wanting to tell you–”

“No.” Your voice sounded unfamiliar to you. “No,” you repeated the word forcefully, as if not comprehending fast enough. “I…I can’t…I can’t deal with this…” Your chest felt tight and you were absolutely sick to your stomach.

You started to walk off. Ears ringing as if a bomb had gone off. You were unsure which direction you were going–but you wanted to move somewhere safe. You wanted to go and find Jungkook…your safe place.

Feeling unsteady on your feet, you stumbled but you felt Jungkook swoop you up in his arms right away.

“What happened? Did he do anything to you?” He asked as he glared at Haru, who stayed rooted to the spot.

“I-I…” you stuttered, trying to get over the shock.

“I can’t believe you told her!”

You were jolted by a shrill voice coming from the right side of the elevators. You pulled away from Jungkook to lay your eyes at her. But when you turned to look–you were confused as to whom she directed her ire at.

Was she looking at you?

You traced her line of sight and were shocked to find that she was glaring at Jungkook. You looked again to make sure that you weren’t hallucinating.

You tore your eyes away from Jennie a second time and looked back at the man in front of you. “You…you knew?”

Jungkook’s eyes widen and blink furiously “H-hold on–”

“You knew?” You repeated, wrenching yourself away from him.

“It's not what you think…” he started to take steps towards you but you held your hand up to stop him.

“You knew and you didn’t tell me?!” You say more aggressively at him this time. When he didn’t respond, you turned your attention to Jennie. “Does Taehyung know?” You yelled, looking back at Haru, who had stepped in closer.

Jennie gasps at the sight of him and stands frozen, realizing Jungkook wasn’t the one who revealed her secret— it was Haru.

“Does Taehyung know what?”

None of you heard the elevator ding. Everyone’s heads whip around to find Taehyung stepping into the lobby, carrying a small duffel bag with him.

“What? What is it that I know? Or don’t know?” He asks curiously while looking around at everyone.

You were visibly shaking from anger, jaw clenched, fists balled up. You wanted to scream out their indiscretion right then but somehow, you couldn’t make words come out of your mouth.

“YN?” His face scrunched up in confusion upon seeing the distressed look on your face. “Will somebody tell me what the fuck is going on? Jagiya? Haru?”

Jungkook swallowed the lump in his throat—wondering how much longer he could stay out of this.

But everyone seems to have forgotten how to speak. Taehyung asks again, sounding more irritated this time. “Guys, seriously–if nobody tells me–”

“I slept with Jennie,” Haru blurts out.

Tears start streaming from Jennie’s eyes.

Taehyung let out a humorless chuckle and turned to his friend. “What?”

“Jennie and I…we had sex,” Haru said again–as if the point hadn’t gotten across yet.

There were only seconds of silence in between those moments but it felt like eons.

Taehyung turned to Jennie who was struggling to contain her sobs. “I-it was right before we got together. I-it didn’t mean anything,” she whimpered.

His neck whipped sideways at his friend, silently asking for an explanation.

“I’m in love with her, man. I…I love her–”

Jennie interjected immediately. “But I love you, jagi–it’s always been you!”

Taehyung glances at you. Tears stung your eyes but not from hurt…it was from rage. But you saw the pain etched all over your brother’s face. It was a look you’d rarely seen during your childhood. Then, his lip suddenly curled into a sneer before he lunged at Haru, ramming into him and taking him down.

It all happened so quickly.

The two men hit the marble floor with a thud. Someone yelled. There was a distant sound of screaming. You stood there, frozen and silent, emotions twisting within you.

Taehyung pinned Haru by the throat and pummeled his jaw with a series of blows. Haru grunted with each brutal impact and struggled to break free.

Some bodies zoomed past you, coming from different directions as they attempted to break up the melee.

Mindi and Jimin round the corner after hearing the commotion.

You couldn’t stand being in the presence of other people right this second. You needed to walk away…needed to leave this situation before you exploded. Your feet started moving on their own–finding yourself walking towards the courtyard and out to the beach.

Jungkook tries to pull Taehyung off a bloodied Haru when Jimin jumps in, trying to hold his friend back as well. He gives Jimin a look and he nods, telling him that he’s got this so he could go after you.

“Tae, stop–you’re getting married tomorrow!” Jimin says through gritted teeth after finally managing to pull Taehyung far enough from Haru.

Taehyung quits struggling at the sound of Jimin’s reminder. Breathing raggedly, he shrugs off Jimin’s hold and gives Haru and Jennie a look–both pained and contemptuous. “The hell I am,” he growled. “Wedding’s off,” he declared.

As he takes a couple of steps away, Jennie tries to stop him, begging him to let her explain things. “Jagi, please,” she sobbed.

“No, don’t,” he shook his head, eyes squeezed shut. “I can’t even look at you right now,” he seethed.

Her shoulders sag. Mindi approaches quietly and pulls Jennie into her arms, where she breaks down watching Taehyung storm off.

Jimin eyes Haru with contempt. After he is helped up by two other groomsmen, he utters, “Clean yourself up and get your ass out of here if you know what’s good for you.”

******

“Wait up!” Jungkook calls out to you.

“Leave me alone!” You trudge through sand, thinking how comical you must look. But you didn’t give a shit at this point. You were incredibly angry. Angry at Haru. Angry at yourself. Angry at…everything!

“YN, wait!”

“I can’t believe I trusted you,” you say indignantly.

“Will you stop running away for one second?” He catches up to you in a few strides.

You stopped abruptly to turn and face him. You aggressively swipe at the tears dripping down your cheeks.

“How could you not have told me?” You seethed.

He scoffed. Opening his mouth preparing to say something but shutting it just as quickly. He looked like he was at a loss for words. “What did you expect me to say? I–”

“You should have told me,” you cut him off. “Instead, you let me make a fool out of myself. You lied. But hey, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised because that’s what you do. That’s what your whole business is built on…that’s who you are. A liar!”

He tossed his head back and let out a bitter chuckle. “Oh? So we’re back to judging me again, are we? That’s rich,” he says icily. “You’re pointing the finger at me? The man whom you hired to pretend to be your boyfriend?”

The reality check was a punch in the gut…as if you hadn’t gotten enough of those tonight. What’s another one?

You square your shoulders and tilted your chin up, acknowledging his argument. “Okay, you’re right. I did that. I was so desperate to make everyone believe that I was okay…that I was happy…that I decided to pay $8,000 for a lie.” You swallowed hard. “But at the end of the day, the only one who ended up falling for it was me,” you spit out angrily.

You hated saying it out loud because it made you acknowledge how delusional you might have become.

His expression turned solemn. “You know, I figured you were running out of steam on this jilted-fiance story and you needed some fuel to ruin your next relationship. So go ahead! Hate me.” He stretched his arms out on either side and shrugged. “Consider it part of the package.”

You looked away from him. Regretting the last two days…the last few hours. He made you feel safe, showed you that he cared. He shared things about himself. And for a minute, you let yourself believe it…that you had fallen for the real thing–and not the fantasy.

“I won’t be needing any more of your services,” you mustered.

He nodded, feeling resigned. “Gotcha. I’ll get my things and be out of your hair tonight.” Turning on his heel, he takes one last look at you before leaving.

You watched his figure grow smaller as he moved further away from you. This was what you had feared the most: leaning in far too close and falling hard–with nobody to catch you.

Your legs give out, sinking onto the sandy surface. You bury your head in your hands and mentally kick yourself for thinking that you could find happiness again.

******

Jungkook nearly takes the door off its hinges when he enters the room. He was on a mission–stuff everything in his suitcase, as quickly as he can, and get the fuck out of here.

He marches into the bathroom, grabs all of his toiletries, and tosses them haphazardly into his luggage. He pulls his phone charger off the outlet. He yanks the garment bags out of the closet, setting them on the bed, then does one final sweep of the bedroom and bathroom to make sure that he’s collected all of his belongings.

Next, he pulls up the return flight information on his phone and calls customer service. Unfortunately, the airline was no longer taking red-eye reservations since it was nearing midnight so he booked the first available flight leaving in the morning instead. The associate proceeded to tell him about extra fees which he agreed to quickly.

He resolves to stay at a different hotel, thinking it was pointless to be on standby at the airport.

After he books it online, he goes to pick up his carry-on bag. He tosses his charger and other knick-knacks in it. Before he zips it up, he sees a white envelope. The one that YN handed to him on their first night.

He takes it out and walks over by the night stand to grab a pen. He sighed before scribbling something on it. Afterwards, he tosses it on the mattress. He picked up his backpack, swung the garment bags over his shoulder and dragged his suitcase, quietly walking out the door.

To his relief, the lobby was clear. He had ordered a rideshare and planned on waiting for it by the hotel’s driveway.

Only a minute into waiting, he hears someone call his name.

“You’re leaving?” Taehyung asks.

Surprised to see him there, he had to think of something quickly. He had hoped to make a quiet, uneventful getaway.

“Uh–I got a call from the hospital. My boss recalled me. They need me for an emergency back home.” He felt terrible about lying to Taehyung. He thought that maybe he had had enough falsehoods for the night. As much as it pained him to do it, he still thought about protecting YN and their cover story.

“Oh. What about YN?”

“I…we talked about it...you know, before–” Jungkook trailed off, not wanting to bring up the incident that just occurred. “I told her that I’d call her as soon as I take care of things,” he said with a small smile.

“Do you need a ride somewhere?” Taehyung looked as if he was on autopilot. Jungkook catches a glimpse of his bruised knuckles from the fight earlier.

Jungkook hesitated. “I was going to take a rideshare to a hotel near the airport.”

Taehyung’s expression was deadpan. “Tell me where it’s at and I’ll drive you.”

“A-are you sure? W-what about–”

“Listen–you’re leaving and I don’t really want to be here right now. It’s a win-win for both of us. What do you say?”

******

The ride to Jungkook’s hotel was quiet. Taehyung kept his eyes straight on the road.

When they pull up to the parking lot, he shuts the engine off.

“Thanks for the ride,” Jungkook utters.

“Don’t mention it,” Taehyung replied.

Jungkook peers at Taehyung, whose elbow rested on the car door while his other hand loosely held onto the steering wheel.

“I uhm–hope you had a nice trip out here?” He says dryly.

Jungkook sighed. “Yeah. It was great. Thanks, Tae,” he says, feeling sheepish all of a sudden. He paused for a beat. “I’m…I’m really sorry about…Jennie.”

Taehyung is silent for a minute. Jungkook regrets the comment but before he takes it back, Taehyung spoke. “I think I wouldn’t have been as angry if it were someone else.” He pursed his lips, trying to stop himself from verbalizing it, as if it would make it less real.

“Not Haru.” Taehyung continued as his eyes flicked downward, falling silent for another minute or so while he flexed his bruised hand. “I feel like shit, Jungkook. I–I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I can’t believe I…” he swallowed hard. “Fuck, I can’t believe I let YN–”

“You can’t blame yourself for that, Tae. YN decided that she valued your relationship more and didn’t want to put you in a tough spot.” He tries to say consolingly.

“You know, I’ve had Jennie up on a pedestal since–” he stopped short after realizing something. “...Since I put her there,” he trailed off quietly. Jennie, the girl next door. The good girl, always in the honor roll…always the sweetheart. She’d never hurt a fly.

“You couldn’t have known, Taehyung. She had no clue either.”

“But that’s what sucks, doesn’t it? I feel so fucking guilty. I felt bad enough that my sister chose to leave…she gave me an out. Now, I feel like the biggest schmuck,” he says regretfully. “And…I feel awful that I had a hand in hurting her, too,” he says quietly.

“Don’t beat yourself up for this. She dealt with the situation the way she thought was best.”

Taehyung leaned back against the headrest, sighing heavily. Jungkook couldn’t imagine going through all of these emotions in a single night. The first few days of his residency had been rough. Unlike his clients, he found it incredibly difficult not to get attached to a patient. It was a strange feeling for him at first. With clients, he learned to care enough about them to a certain degree–to make them feel comfortable. But when that job was done, he went home and simply disconnected. As a doctor, the connection was much harder to shake off with a patient.

Taehyung was not his patient–but in the few days that he had gotten to know him, it wasn’t difficult to feel empathy towards him…and practically the rest of YN's family.

“I still love her,” Taehyung whispers. He chuckled wryly at his admission. “And I’m supposed to be angry because she hurt me…and she hurt my sister. Loving her even after all that–I feel like that's so wrong in so many ways.”

“You can feel both.” Jungkook said quietly while staring at nothing in particular. “It’s amazing how someone can break your heart and you can still love them with all the little pieces.”

Taehyung lifted his head to peer up at him in curiosity. Jungkook pursed his lips, quietly thinking about the last few days. He reminded himself that he had originally accepted the booking as a change of pace since he was getting tired of running on the old hamster wheel–and his friend convinced him to do so–for his sanity. It turned out that this trip had surprised him in more ways than one.

YN had surpassed all of his expectations, gaining access to all of his self-imposed “perimeters.” She had only managed to do that because he willingly gave her access. He opened himself up and practically let her walk through.

Jungkook puffed out his cheeks and released a breath. Then the next few words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them. “The hardest thing is loving someone and having the courage to let them love you back.”

He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying any more. He was feeling vulnerable, too. But for now, he would have to set those thoughts aside. Between the both of them, only one would talk about how heartbroken they were tonight.

Jungkook shook his head gently. “Well, if you know her shit, and she knows yours–and at the end of the day, you’d still rather give up than try…nothing’s ever going to be worth it,” he looks at Taehyung pointedly.

Taehyung lets his words sink in and they fall silent once more.

“Thanks for listening.” Taehyung mumbled.

His response came instantaneously. “Anytime.”

“I didn’t mean to hold you up. I, uh–have to go back to the hospital anyway.”

“I don’t mind at all. If anything, I feel bad delaying you,” Jungkook utters before stepping out of the car and retrieving his things from the backseat. “Thanks again for the ride, Tae.” He said it as earnestly as he could–thinking this could be the last time he’d ever see him.

“You’re welcome. And I hope your emergency gets resolved soon. I’m sure YN can’t wait until you’re back together. She’ll need you.”

Jungkook forced a smile. “Yeah. I hope so.” He made it sound like he was responding to the part about the ‘emergency’ when in fact he was actually referring to the last part of Taehyung’s statement.

“Anyway–drive safely. I hope,” He paused for a beat, “I hope that everything works out,” he sighed, thinking that it was the wrong thing to say in this situation but he was sincere about it and wanted to let Taehyung know that he meant it.

Taehyung gave an ambiguous head bob, keeping his expression blank before turning the engine back on and reversing out of the spot.

Jungkook gave him a quick wave and watched the taillights fade into the night.

******

After you calmed down, you wandered back towards the hotel. Taehyung sent a quick text apologizing for taking off and that he went on to return to the hospital to bring your parents’ things after dropping Jungkook off at another hotel.

Selfishly, you wondered whether Jungkook had decided to let the cat out of the bag. Taehyung didn’t seem to hint at knowing anything about it and it wasn’t really the right time to ask him about it. You would just deal with it later.

As you close in at the hotel entrance, you see Haru stepping out to load his things into a cab. He catches you from his peripheral and slows down. You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for whatever he might do next.

You stood there in silence while his cab idled. He had a cut on his eyebrow that matched the one on his swollen lip–which was only dwarfed by the bruise on his cheek. Your brother certainly did a number on him. He tilted his head slightly, a completely dejected look on his face and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

You nodded curtly, acknowledging the apology but not necessarily accepting it. He nods in return before he dips into the back seat and rides off.

*******

You get off the elevator and walk quietly down the hallway, feeling some odd sense of relief that you were not going to run into Jungkook. You freeze on the spot when you see Jennie sitting on the floor by your room. She hugged her legs to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. God knows how long she’d been waiting there.

You broke into a cold sweat and were tempted to run back to the elevator. But something propelled you to continue walking towards her. You decided within yourself that you were done running. You swallowed hard and tried to calm yourself.

Hearing footsteps, she lifts her head to find you advancing towards her. She stands quickly, trying to compose herself.

So many thoughts ran through your head as you stared her down. You were very tempted to slap her. You clenched your fist but quickly relaxed it–trying to avoid doing something you might regret.

“I…I was hoping we could talk,” Jennie says shakily.

You stared at her blankly while she wrung her hands. “Well? Talk.” You deadpanned. Truthfully, you were interested to hear what she had to say. After she repeatedly shut you down during her bachelorette party after you drunkenly rambled on about Haru.

She inhaled sharply. “I’m–really, really sorry…about everything. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

“Well, that would have been really shitty of you if you wanted any of this to happen.” You were eerily calm. “When?”

“YN–”

“When?” You asked again.

“It was…sometime in March. A couple months before Tae and I got together. I…I was just so in love with him and I didn’t know how to tell him. I only called Haru because I needed his help.”

Even though she didn’t tell you the exact date, you had a feeling of when this night in question occurred. You and Haru had a stupid argument about the wedding registry and he stormed off. Thinking back, you remembered that you had been fighting a lot in the weeks leading up to your breakup.

“We met up for drinks, a-and—“

You didn’t need the rest of the details. “Did Mindi know?”

She shook her head adamantly. “No, I never told anybody.”

You and Haru made up when he got home the next morning and you thought everything was going to be fine but it was short-lived. Less than a couple weeks later, he dropped the bomb on you and ended things. Mindi and Jennie were your first calls.

“You saw me hurting, you saw me questioning myself after it happened. I had replayed almost every scenario–analyzed it to no end, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. And after all this time, you knew.” Your eyes stung with tears.

“I know that there’s no excuse for what I did. I instantly regretted it. I told Haru that after he came to me with this ridiculous confession after Taehyung and I had gotten together. I told him that ending your engagement was a big mistake. I tried very hard to convince him to fix things with you.”

And you both know how her efforts turned out.

Before going on this trip, you dreaded seeing Haru the most. You were afraid that he would stir up feelings in you that you thought had already faded with time. The last few days made you realize that you didn’t love him anymore. But there was one feeling that lingered–it was failure.

For a year, you thought that you were the problem. He left you, so you got it in your head that you caused the relationship’s failure.

But it wasn’t your fault. And after thinking on it more tonight, it wasn’t Haru’s fault either. Tonight’s revelations shed some light on many truths. Even some that you didn’t expect.

“I’m…so, so sorry. For everything,” she sniffled.

“Taehyung should be back soon,” you say calmly and unceremoniously.

“Yeah, I think I’m the last person he’ll want to see.” She wiped her tears. Her eyes are swollen and bloodshot from all of tonight’s events.

“You still love him, right?” Despite everything, you had no doubt about how Jennie felt about your brother.

She nodded wordlessly.

You’ve watched them love each other from a distance for years. When they finally got together, it made you yearn for something even half as good as what they shared.

She kept this from him because she had a sinking feeling that what they had wouldn’t be able to weather the truth.

“Lies erode trust, Jennie. By nature, we count on people who tell the truth. Honesty…brings us joy and builds stronger connections.” You saw that quote somewhere–not remembering who said it but it seemed appropriate for the situation.

Whatever you had with Haru was long gone. All those years of friendship that eventually turned to love—ruined, beyond repair. Ultimately, things weren’t meant to be with him.

As much as it pained you to say it, you still thought that what Taehyung and Jennie had was real—even after finding out her indiscretion towards you.

A year ago, you would have been spiteful. Wanting to hurt Haru as much as he hurt you. And what good would that have done? Even now, as your body calms down from the shock of it all, you feel oddly at peace.

“You should still try talking to him. He’s feeling raw, I’m sure but…if you love him, you have to try.”

You stared at her quietly as she cried softly.

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “And…thank you…for giving me that closure that I needed,” you finished.

She opened her mouth tentatively, looking like she was deciding whether she should say anything else or not. She swallowed hard. “D-does this mean that…you forgive me?” She whispered.

You softened your face. “Right now? No,” you say simply.

Her expression is pained and quite frankly, you didn’t want to twist that blade any further.

“But I won’t stay angry. That said, I think,” you paused, “…that should be enough for both of us to move on from this. I can’t tell you how things will turn out tomorrow but tonight, I can’t pretend that everything is okay.”

She nodded in acceptance. Before you tap your keycard to the door, she stops you to tell you one last thing.

“For what it’s worth—Jungkook had nothing to do with this. He overheard me and Haru arguing. He tried convincing me to come out with it.”

You sucked in a sharp breath, steeling yourself.

“I-I know I fucked up before but—I hope…I hope that I can at least salvage this relationship for you. He didn’t do anything wrong,” she says quietly before walking away.

With that, you open the door to your room and shut it behind you.

You took a few steps in and scanned the place. It was a sizable junior suite…but the last few days, it felt much smaller than that. More intimate.

You reached the closet to find one side of it empty. You looked around some more, as if taking stock of what was missing.

Nothing of yours. Just his.

You sat on the bed, feeling numb. You pushed him away…and he left, just as you wanted him to.

At least that’s what you kept telling yourself.

With a deep sigh, you flopped onto the mattress, with your hands above your head. As your back lands on it, your hand hits something else with a weird ‘thwack.’

You blindly feel around for the item. Once you grasped it, you held it up to your line of sight.

The words written on it made you sit up once more.

It’s all there. Trust me.

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spicycreativity · 3 years

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Soft-Shoe Shuffle - Ch 10

Chapter: 10/12 Additional Notes: See Ch 1 for more information. Read on AO3 under "WizardGlick." Any formatting/italics errors are holdovers from AO3 that I was too lazy to fix. Chapter Content Warnings: N/A; ask to tag Excerpt: "I'm the scary one," Remus muttered in Janus' ear. "Not you. So don't ever scare me like that again, okay?" Janus considered the humor-to-consequences ratio of falling limp in Remus' arms and decided it wouldn't be worth it. "I won't."

If it all falls down, falls down, falls down

I can warm a crowd, I can make them shout

I can juggle verbs, adverbs, and nouns

I can make them dance 'til they all fall down

Janus woke up exhausted, which really wasn't fair considering the amount that he'd been sleeping lately.

Someone was stroking his hair, which was nice. Probably Remus. Remus wouldn't care that Janus' hair was stiff with dried sweat and that he hadn't brushed his teeth in who even knew how many days.

He shifted and nuzzled Remus' thigh.

Realization dawned slowly. Remus' nails were longer than this, Remus didn't smell like this, Remus had never sat still like this.

Janus couldn't even bring himself to be embarrassed at the mix-up. He was too tired and sore to really care who was petting his hair like this.

Except that it was probably Patton.

Subconsciously, Janus pulled the teddy bear closer to his chest. It had to be subconscious, because he would never cuddle a stuffed toy on purpose.

Janus opened his eyes.

Patton withdrew his hand like he'd been burned. "I'm sorry," he said, cheeks coloring. "Did I wake you up?"

Janus shook his head. His skin still tingled where Patton had touched him and he wanted it back so badly , but he didn't know how to ask.

"Remus made me promise I'd go get him next time you woke up. Well. Logan made me promise. Remus threatened me. Anyway!" Patton was already halfway to the door.

He was gone before Janus found his voice. "Don't go," Janus whispered to the air.

A moment later, Remus came barreling in with Logan in hot pursuit. Then came Virgil, then Patton again, and finally Roman.

Logan lunged forward to try to catch the back of Remus' shirt, but he was just a split second too late. Janus braced for impact, but Remus only fell on his knees by the bedside and pulled Janus into a tight hug.

"Awww," Patton cooed from the doorway.

"I'm the scary one," Remus muttered in Janus' ear. "Not you. So don't ever scare me like that again, okay?"

Janus considered the humor-to-consequences ratio of falling limp in Remus' arms and decided it wouldn't be worth it. "I won't."

Remus pulled back and made a lewd hand gesture. "Scout's honor?"

Janus manipulated Remus' fingers into the correct position and held his own hand up as well. "Scout's honor."

Remus nodded in apparent satisfaction, so Janus grabbed his shoulder and used it to haul himself upright. Virgil and Patton fidgeted by his desk while Roman leaned against the doorway and Logan hovered behind Remus.

"Well," Janus said, trying to sound better than he felt. "As you can see, I've died. Virgil will handle my estate, so please direct your concerns to him."

"Like I want all your pretentious steampunk crap," Virgil mumbled, looking around at the leather and brass and hardwood.

"It's art deco," Janus and Logan said at the same time, albeit with very different intonation.

Janus squinted at Logan, who seemed to take this as his cue to speak. "You need to eat something."

"Like a dick!" Remus crowed.

Janus sighed, expecting an uproar, but nothing more dramatic than general collective eye-rolling and awkward throat-clearing occurred in response.

Logan carried on, "Something light like chicken broth or dry toast." He cocked an eyebrow, indicating that this was a question.

"Goodness, however shall I choose," Janus said, trying and failing to keep the venom out of his voice. He did better on stage than he did under a microscope, yet here everyone was, studying him. It was all he could do not to squirm.

Patton's voice echoed in his ears suddenly:

He never asks for anything, he just talks around it until you figure it out on your own.

"Could you…" Janus balled both hands into fists. "I want…" He squeezed his eyes shut and expelled a breath through his nose."I just love that you're all in here staring at me. It's not awkward at all. " He fixed his gaze on the ceiling, only just managing to hold back a frustrated curse. Another failure. Another reason for the others to go back to hating him.

"Oh, gosh!" Patton said, but he didn't sound hurt or angry. "We're sorry; it's probably overwhelming to have us all in here at once, huh?"

Janus nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The feeling had grown uncomfortably familiar as of late.

"We'll let Logan look you over," Patton said. He shuffled out of the room after Roman, waving for Virgil to follow him.

Remus winked and wiggled his tongue at Janus. "Have fun playing doctor." He bounded out and shut the door behind him.

"So," Janus said, fidgeting with one of the teddy bear's ears. "He and Roman can stand to be in the same room as each other now?"

"It helps that they were both quite worried about you," Logan said. A pause. "As was I." He preoccupied himself clearing off a space on Janus' nightstand, willing a plate of dry toast into existence, then methodically taking the cap off a bottle of Gatorade and inserting a white bendy straw.

"Plastic straws are killing the sea turtles, you know," Janus said.

Logan looked at him, puzzled. "Rest assured, this one will not and indeed, cannot find its way into the water supply." A moment later he said, "Oh. You were making a joke."

"It's polite to laugh."

"Please excuse my rudeness, then."

Janus smiled. "I think Remus likes you," he said to cut the tension.

Logan tilted his head at the nightstand. "Why?"

Janus took the hint and began pulling the crust off a piece of toast. "I just have a feeling."

"Hm." Logan thinned his lips, but did not press the issue.

"Logan?"

"Yes?"

"What happened? When I was…"

"Incapacitated?"

"Sure."

Logan pushed up his glasses. "You were in a state of delirium for approximately five days. What is the last thing you remember?"

"Clearly? I had a conversation with Patton about… certain choices I had made in regards to Roman." Logan raised an eyebrow but did not interrupt. "It gets hazy after that. You and Patton were in my room, I think. And… I'm not totally sure this happened, but I seem to recall trying to apologize to Roman."

Logan nodded. "You did. Then you fainted in his room, and the ensuing chaos actually led to the temporary resolution of several interpersonal conflicts we had been experiencing."

"Just according to plan," Janus said, steepling his fingers. Logan didn't laugh. "Another joke."

"Please eat your toast."

"Alright, alright." Janus finished picking the crust off one slice and took a hesitant bite.

"Good." Logan nodded in approval. "To further answer your question, Remus has enacted a truce with Patton, Roman, and Virgil. Which essentially means that he agreed to 'tone down' his more distracting behaviors and the others would refrain from, ah…" Logan checked his note cards. "'Getting their strawberry-flavored edible panties in a twist'."

Janus nearly choked on his toast and made a hasty grab for the Gatorade. "How sweet."

"Yes, the sugar content of Blue Cherry Gatorade is regrettably rather high-- Oh. Yes, I suppose it was rather nice of everyone. Virgil also ceased his self-isolation for the sake of seeing you and talked a little about his feelings, as did Roman."

"Hmph." Janus shoved the rest of the toast in his mouth so he wouldn't have to talk. It had been his goal to fix everything, but not quite like this. Not at all like this, actually. He had become another piece on the chessboard, and not even a powerful piece like the queen. No, he was more like a bishop, moving laterally to move forward. And now he had no idea how to get what he wanted.

"Interestingly," Logan said. "I believe it was your involuntary display of vulnerability that led the others to treat each other more gently.

"I get it, I'm the hero," Janus said sourly. Hooray, he'd solved Patton's problems by running around like an idiot. How impressive.

"I was… I was trying to make you feel better."

Janus smiled despite himself. "Thank you. Really."

"Something is bothering you," Logan said. "I can't tell what it is. I had thought you might feel embarrassed, but you are handling matters very calmly, despite the fact that you have a tendency to raise your voice and lash out when agitated or threatened. This leads me to believe you are experiencing a different negative emotion, but I cannot identify what it is or why." Logan paused and cleared his throat, his eyes downcast. "This bothers me because you are my friend."

"I couldn't possibly be tired," Janus snapped, realizing a split second later he'd inadvertently proven Logan's point. "Oh."

Janus sighed and flicked over his metaphorical king, albeit in his own way. "I'm not thinking about all the ways a relationship with Patton could go horribly wrong."

"But you have a relationship with Patton--" Logan's eyes widened. "I see. Are you concerned that your feelings are unrequited?"

"Well, that and the opposite."

"I don't follow."

"Virgil told me that if I break Patton's heart, he'll break me . Literally."

"You're afraid of Virgil ?"

Janus ran his fingers over his temple and took in a breath while he waited for Logan to put the pieces together.

"You're afraid you'll hurt Patton."

"I'm not exactly known for my communication skills."

"Have you tried speaking sincerely instead of hiding your intentions with sarcasm?"

"No , the thought has never crossed my mind."

Logan smiled. "It was a joke."

Janus didn't hiss at him.

Logan continued, "I do think you should try to be honest with Patton."

"Easier said than done."

"But it can be done."

"I'll...think about it." Janus waved a hand to dismiss the topic.

#spicywrites #spicywrites soft-shoe shuffle #song featured: if it all falls down - jimmy buffett

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