Chapter Text
The soft rays of the morning sun peeked in through the window, bathing the room in a gentle glow. On the bed, the sleeping couple lay entwined, their naked bodies tangled beneath the fluffy white blanket that covered them. As the sun grew stronger, it made Jungkook’s eyes flutter awake, his sleep complete.
He woke up to his boyfriend nuzzled into his neck, with his hands possessively still around his tiny waist. A warm smile tugged at his lips as he looked at Taehyung peacefully sleeping beside him, looking ever so innocent, as if he hadn’t totally devoured Jungkook last night. A blush crept into his face at those thoughts, still able to feel that ghost of a stretch inside him.
Carefully pulling away from his boyfriend’s hold, Jungkook got out of the bed as he made his way to the bathroom to start his morning routine, enduring the limps in his walk. By the time he got to making breakfast, his body was back to normal, energized for the day. The only remnants of last night were the purple hickeys on his neck, nothing a touch of makeup couldn’t hide.
He hummed a popular tune while he flipped the pajeons on the pan, making sure to keep the spice mild as Taehyung can’t tolerate much of it. It was funny to him, how his boyfriend was a spicy man who couldn’t handle spice. The thought drew a soft giggle from him, and almost as if summoned, Taehyung appeared behind him, wrapping strong arms around his waist and placing his chin over his left shoulder. When Jungkook turned, he was met with eyes brimming with warmth and love, holding him in a gaze that felt like home.
They had felt like friendship and safety for five months before turning into his love-filled home. Now, nearly seven months into their relationship, they had just moved in together a few weeks ago. They found their rhythm with ease, as they always had. At least Jungkook knew he did. Still, he often found himself surprised at how effortlessly Taehyung could read him, catching things without the slightest hint. Perhaps it came with being a detective, he’d guess.
Both of them were detectives, partners in solving crime, it’s how they got to know and grew around each other as professionalism slipped into their personal lives, but they found their sweet balance with it.
“Good morning, baby.”
“Good morning my ass.” Jungkook kept the spatula on the kitchen counter before moving his hand up to flick his boyfriend’s forehead, a showcase of playful anger. “I could barely feel it when I woke up.”
“How is that my fault? I remember someone moaning in my ears to thrust faster–”
“Shut up!” He stuffed a fresh, hot bite of Pajeon into Taehyung’s mouth to stop him from speaking further, utterly enjoying it when he started to breathe in gasps before leaving Jungkook’s side and running to the basin to spit the hot piece out.
“You could’ve killed me!” Taehyung complained, his voice sharp but unserious. Soon, he started chasing his boyfriend all around the living room before finally catching him by the sofa, quickly wrapping his hands around his tiny waist to pick him and then gently throw him on it as he hovered above Jungkook. “Now you’ve nowhere to go, Detective Jeon.”
The younger giggled and pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips before replying, “There’s nowhere I’d rather go, Detective Kim.” His sweet words did their trick to melt Taehyung, bringing a bright smile to his face as they shared a soft kiss, their lips melting against each other’s like candle wax before the smell of something burning reached their noses.
“My Pajeon!!” Jungkook screamed as he pushed his boyfriend off him and immediately ran towards the kitchen, seeing that the cute little heart-shaped Pajeon he had made on the pan was now burnt black in colour from one side and freshly golden on the other side. Taehyung followed shortly, a nervous smile forming on his lips as he looked into his pissed boyfriend’s eyes, not at all intimidated by his angry pout. It was cute.
“I’m…sorry?”
“You better eat the burnt Pajeon now.”
Well, Jungkook wasn’t that cruel. After cooling down, he just made an extra Pajeon so both of them could have a good n’ heavy breakfast before starting their strenuous day. The work of a detective isn’t easy, especially when you’re posted at a precinct that isn’t corrupt, unlike the one Taehyung had worked at before transferring here, to Seoul. But that story was for later.
As they silently got ready for work, with Taehyung ironing his shirt while Jungkook dabbed the foundation brush at his neck to cover the hickeys, a comfortable rhythm settled between them. There was a warm smile on his face as Taehyung watched his boyfriend prep himself by the vanity mirror, the thought of marriage crossing his mind for a fleeting moment.
He could get used to this. For a lifetime.
He really could.
“Don’t you want everyone at the precinct to know that you’re mine?” The older teased as he walked towards Jungkook, hugging him from behind before sniffing his hair, recognizing the honey-vanilla scent of the shampoo they had bought together a few days ago from the nearby supermarket.
“Is your name written on these hickeys? I don’t think so.” Jungkook replied, his voice laced with sass and sarcasm that brought a cute little sad pout tugging at his boyfriend’s lips. He kissed it away immediately. “You know how I am at work, I don’t like distractions.”
“Are you saying I am a distraction?” The sad pout came back, and Jungkook really wanted to kiss it into a smile, but the time that the clock on their bedroom wall showed wasn’t permitting. They were getting late for work.
“You are what you are.” The younger answered him with vague words before brushing Taehyung off his figure by attacking his nose with the foundation brush, which made his boyfriend a victim to violent sneezes.
Perhaps Jungkook made a teeny lil bit wrong decision by doing that, because by the time they had reached the precinct, Taehyung was still sneezing. Very violently. Everybody stuck to the other side of the elevator when both of them were in it, with the younger feeling bad for his boyfriend as he took out a napkin from his suitpant’s pocket and handed it to him.
It was okay if Jungkook’s personal napkin would be covered with Taehyung’s snot. He’s gotten quite used to all the bodily liquids of his boyfriend ever since they started dating.
Pushing away that thought with a blush on his face and a clearing sound from his throat, Jungkook intertwined their hands together when they reached their floor, where the detectives were stationed.
What surprised him was that both of them were immediately instructed to go to the captain’s cabin before they could step into their own, a rare occurrence. With Taehyung sneezing away into his boyfriend’s now snot-covered napkin, Jungkook guided both of them towards their captain, Kim Namjoon’s cabin.
“Good morni– Oh. Is he sick?” Namjoon asked the younger detective the moment he saw them enter his cabin, not at all expecting to see Taehyung sneezing. The weather outside was beautiful, maybe there were occasional gushes of wind, but other than that it was quite pleasant. So, his sneezing did not make sense to the captain.
“It’s a long story, Captain Kim. Let the man tell you himself when he stops sneezing,” Jungkook offered a professional smile to him before pulling out the chairs in front of the captain’s desk and helping Taehyung sit in one of them, who could only do as much as wave a shaky hello at Namjoon between his now softer sneezes. “He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Why did Lieutenant Chong tell us to meet you at once? Is there an emergency?”
“Oh, yeah. Well…sort of.” There was a hint of hesitation in the captain’s voice, which made the younger detective’s ears perk up with full attention. He always liked to work on urgent and priority cases. It gave him an adventurous thrill, the very reason for which he chose to become a detective.
“What is it that we need to look into, then?” He inquired, curiosity building in his veins, while Taehyung beside him kept trying his best to stop sneezing. What the fuck was in that damn foundation powder?
“Well, before I tell you who you will be looking into, I must address how important this case is. The investigation had started three years back at the Busan precinct, where Taehyung had briefly worked on it before having to transfer for certain reasons.” Namjoon’s words came like a shock to the older detective, his sneezes halting instantly, meeting the captain’s eyes with his wide ones. “Uh, yeah. Now you must be aware who I’m talking about, Detective Kim. As for you, Detective Jeon…”
His gaze shifted towards Jungkook, the slightest hint of empathy visible in his eyes. “This case was assigned to both of you because, unfortunately, the detectives at the Busan precinct had to abort it before they’d get into serious trouble. However, they wish for it to be continued and accomplished one day, as it could be a matter of potential national jeopardy now. Detective Kim, Detective Jeon…you are their last hope.”
Without another word, the captain passed the blue file in his hand to Jungkook, watching as the expression on his face turned from curious excitement to utter, raging horror. Taehyung scooted his chair closer to peek into it as well, the same expression dawning over his face as he saw his suspicions come true.
“I know it’s an emotionally fragile territory…but it needs to be done, Jungkook. Taehyung.” His eyes drifted between both detective partners, voice lowering as he pleaded, “I know you have quite the past with him, but now you must use it to save our future. Personal ties must be used for professional efficiency at times like this.”
Taehyung hummed quietly, not daring to look at his boyfriend. Not daring to look at Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook.
The well-doing twin of his dark, abandoned half — Jeon Jeongguk.
“Hyung…” His voice came out broken, breathy and betrayed. It was enough to make Taehyung face him, his heart cracking when he saw the mix of confusion and perturbation in Jungkook’s eyes. “How do you know…him?”
Taehyung had never told the younger.
He just couldn’t get himself to tell the man he fell in love with over the past year…how he’d almost fallen for the same face just months before that.
Taehyung hadn’t wanted to. And once he had escaped from that suffocating feeling, from that suffocating place, seeing the same face again at the precinct he had newly transferred to came as an absolute shock to him. What were the chances? It was such a bizarre coincidence.
But by time, Jungkook’s soft, caring nature and well-kept morals had completely erased the dangerous, depraved high that Jeongguk had once lured him with.
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.
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It had all started two years ago, on a peaceful afternoon in Busan.
Although it was a small space, the canteen of the Busan precinct served as a resting haven for the detectives, who were ever grateful of it being built on their floor. It was especially a very important hour of the day, an hour of good rest and good food for Detective Park Jimin and Detective Lee Jieun, who had made friends with the newly transferred Detective Kim Taehyung and had hence decided to give him his first treat in this very canteen.
“Oh god…I feel so full.” Jimin managed to speak before his words dissolved into a yawn, eliciting a chuckle from the other two detectives at the table.
“We were supposed to give a treat to Taehyung-ah, but you ate most of the food. How rude!” Jieun elbowed him playfully, to which their youngest let out a hearty laugh. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I anyways enjoy the company more than the food.” Taehyung said, the bright smile on his face never leaving.
“See? Now that is best friend material. Jieun noona, I’m replacing you with Taehyung as my best friend now. We went strong for four years.” He joked, pulling out a dramatic gasp from Detective Lee as she lightly punched him in the stomach. Their playful banter entertained Taehyung to the fullest, he already loved being here.
He had no idea why his friends back at the administration agency, during their training period, had once told him about the Busan Precinct being the ‘Devil’s Den’. It had been a week since Taehyung had been working here, well yes he hadn’t been assigned a proper, interesting case yet — just a missing piece of jewellery belonging to a politician’s wife and another case of a missing cat whose owner was a minister’s daughter, nothing else. Nothing important. Nothing exciting.
The precinct had an insipid aura too. It was as if everyone worked by the clock like a robot, so lost in the monotony of their job and life that it broke Taehyung’s heart to see them like this. But this was the reality. He knew what and what not to expect. So, he had made peace with the fact that his work might occasionally or maybe never bring him an interesting case. But that didn’t mean he had lost hope.
“You seem like a lively person. I hope you fit well here, Taehyung-ah.” He broke out of his thoughts to hear Jimin saying those words to him, coincidentally in tune with what he was thinking at the moment. He really hoped so, too. But what he hoped, no, wished more for was to not become a lifeless working robot like the others at the precinct.
He hadn’t known that his wish would come true very soon, perhaps manifesting in the most wicked way possible.
As they say: Be careful what you wish for.
“Hey, you three! Come to the office right now, boss is coming.” One of the detectives called out to the trio as he came running to them, seeming out of breath. The word ‘Boss’ ran a visible chill down Jimin and Jieun’s spine, while Taehyung wondered who this boss was. He had already met the captain, Kah Hanna, a no-nonsense professional woman who had made it her mission to give her subordinates as mind-numbingly boring cases as possible. Favouritism ran in her and in every superior at the precinct’s veins.
But no one held higher authority than the person they referred to as ‘Boss’. When Taehyung was being briefed on his first day, nothing like this was mentioned to him. He was getting to know about the identity of such an individual for the first time today.
But as Detective Park and Detective Lee led him back to the office, made him stand in a line with the other newbies while Captain Kah warned them with an iron-clad voice to stay quiet and speak only when spoken to, Taehyung realised the gravity of the situation he was in.
This was no joke. Whoever this boss is, he’s powerful. He hopes it’s a captain or a commissioner from other precincts, probably the famous Seoul precinct. Please don’t be a corrupt minister or worse, a mafia boss.
But that possibility seemed dim when a young man, probably in his late twenties, dressed in a lustrous black satin suit strode into the detectives’ office. His walk was more suited for a runway than a precinct, appearance more of a model’s than a supposed boss.
His dark purple hair caught the weak glow of the overhanging tubelight, spilling in natural curls over his nape. Piercings glinted at his lips, another flashing by his right eyebrow. Fingers adorned with diamonds and heavy metal rings.
Polished leather shoes. A gold chain. Every detail deliberate, every inch dripping with wealth. A charming presence, magnetic and rich — which made him all the more intimidating.
But Taehyung found him more beautiful than intimidating.
And that was his first mistake.
“Newbies. This is Boss Jeongguk, the soul of our precinct. Without him, we all would be jobless and eat shit instead of the canteen’s delicious food, so I expect you all to treat him with utmost respect.” Captain Kah was quite direct in her speech, which elicited a smirk from Jeongguk. A chuckle left his mouth, voice rich and smooth. “Captain Kah, you flatter me too much.”
Taehyung observed him silently. He held a heavy presence in his stance, one hand in the suitpant’s pocket while the other stayed still along his slim waist. Never speaking more than a sentence at once, chuckling ever so lightly at Captain Kah’s quips. A composed figure in absolute control of himself.
“This is Detective Choi Song-min, new in the force. And this is Detective Kim Taehyung, newly transferred from the Daegu precinct.” The captain introduced every newbie to Jeongguk one by one, glaring at each to make them reach out to shake his hand and give him a polite smile like a good puppet.
But when Taehyung’s turn came, he stood there like a statue, just observing. Upon a closer view, he spotted a faint scar on Jeongguk’s left cheek, near his eye. His eyes zeroed out on that scar.
“Detective Kim!” Kah yelled at him, bringing the man back to reality from his trance. He immediately reached out to shake Jeongguk’s hand, giving him a professional, polite smile as they were told to. But his actions seemed too forced and untimely; Jeongguk caught onto that. It intrigued him.
Taehyung’s second mistake.
“Newly transferred, huh?” He said, his lips curling into a smirk slowly. His eyes roamed over Taehyung, taking in the broad shoulders beneath the dark blue suit, and the way his posture carried discipline but also the slightest hint of weariness. The detective was handsome — sharp facial features, tall frame — and what struck Jeongguk most was that he didn’t resemble the fresh-faced rookie recruits he was accustomed to. His dark auburn hair, styled neatly yet with a natural softness, added to the maturity that set him apart.
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing with amusement. “Aren’t you a little old?”
Taehyung’s jaw tightened, the way he said it seemed like an insult. Twenty-eight wasn’t an ‘old’ age. Nevertheless, his voice came out steady and professional. “I was a police officer before.”
Captain Kah’s glare was immediate, a silent command meant to shut him up. But Jeongguk dismissed her with a wave of his hand, whilst his gaze never left Taehyung’s.
“I like that.” He spoke, eyes gleaming with an unreadable emotion. “Direct and bold, hmm.” Jeongguk continued as he leaned in closer, lips tugging into a grin that was equal parts charm and threat, just a few inches away from the detective’s. He bit his lip when he saw Taehyung’s throat bob with a silent gulp. “I like my men a little bit older, anyways.”
The words hung heavy in the air, charged with something even the detective in him couldn’t name — perhaps a bit of challenge, part flirtation and a promise of danger.
Jeongguk noticed the faint blush on Taehyung’s cheek, his widening eyes and the way his lips almost twitched into a smile. That shouldn’t have happened.
Taehyung’s third mistake.
His focus lingered too heavily on Jeongguk, blind to the two men standing just a few steps behind him. Their eyes swept over the line of new recruits before settling on Detective Park, who was positioned firmly at Captain Kah’s side. Their gazes softened, struggling to suppress the smile tugging at their lips in response to the secretive wink Jimin passed to them.
The two were Jeongguk’s right-hand men, his most deadly weapons: Min Yoongi, the ice‑cold advisor & strategist, and Jung Hoseok, the one who did the dirty work. Both of them were loyal to Jeongguk to a fault — unwavering, unquestioning and utterly dangerous in their devotion.
But they had weak points too, and Detective Park Jimin knew exactly how to press at them. He and Detective Lee had been embedded in an undercover operation for a year now, determined to free the Busan precinct from Jeongguk’s parasitic hold. It was a difficult mission, but a necessary one. The precinct had already been corrupted, its superiors seduced by the comfort of luxury, trading away the toil of justice for indulgence. They were no longer guardians of the law, but just a set of pawns in Jeongguk’s game plan.
The meeting had come to an end thirty minutes later. Jimin and Jieun wasted no time as they dragged Taehyung into their cabin the moment Captain Kah left with their boss trailing close behind her. But before stepping out of the detectives’ office, he had passed a sly wink to Detective Kim.
That was…strange.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Detective Lee whispered to her partner, her voice loud enough for Taehyung to hear as well. He just took a seat on the beige sofa in the cabin, a bit confused by what they were talking about.
“Oh god yes, I am. Detective Kim is our opening!” Jimin’s voice cut in, a twisted form of excitement and certainty coursing through his veins. By opening, he meant that they could get closer to Jeongguk by having Taehyung indulge him with whatever he wanted — just as Detective Park had been doing with the boss’s right-hand men, honey trapping them for insider information.
Jieun was the strategist behind their investigation, carefully crafting the plan and connecting the clues, while Jimin handled the field work. Together, they had been laying the groundwork for months. Now, with Taehyung unintentionally catching Jeongguk’s eyes, the operation might’ve just found its most substantial leverage yet.
But only if Detective Kim was willing to play along.
“Taehyung-ah, hear us out.” Jimin addressed him, his voice softer than usual, almost pleading. He leaned forward, urgency flickering in both his and Jieun’s eyes. “We had read your profile. You have amazing potential, more than you realise. If you join us, if you help us…we can finally break Jeongguk’s hold on this precinct.”
Detective Lee nodded firmly, her tone steadier but not less insistent. “We’ve been waiting for an opening like this. You’re not just some detective, Taehyung. You’re the piece we’ve been missing.”
Taehyung pressed his back against the beige sofa, their heavy words sinking in slowly. For the first time in a long while, he felt a spark of excitement. The thrill of a big case, the kind of mission where his contribution would truly matter. Ever since he had passed the test and training to become a detective from a former police officer, he’d been starving to be a part of a high-scale, dangerous operation like this.
His lips curved into a faint smile as he met their expectant gazes. “I’m in.” He answered simply. But Taehyung really didn’t know what he was saying yes to. Yes to being their leverage. Yes to indulging Jeongguk’s whims. Yes to stepping into a game that could ruin his life.
And that was Taehyung’s fourth mistake, the biggest of them all.
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[ Two years later, present time ]
Taehyung’s heart had stilled for a moment, his burning gaze stuck on the very familiar picture in the case file that was clutched in Jungkook’s hands.
When he finally gathered the courage to meet his eyes, he saw everything in them he was afraid of. Misunderstandings, broken trust, a shattered heart, and worst of all...disbelief. The realization that Taehyung had been hiding something so important from him left Jungkook bewildered, struggling to reconcile the truth of his boyfriend.
But the younger was equally at fault. Whenever he spoke about his family, he always kept Jeongguk’s name buried, as if he was a secret he despised. A name he had compelled himself to lock away deep inside for the peace of his mind.
And now that it was out, settling on the tongues of everyone present in the room — although none of the three had said it aloud yet, the deeply disturbing feeling that name brought to them was undeniable. It hung in the air like a shadow, pressing down on their chests, each one reminded of what Jeongguk’s existence meant to them.
For Kim Namjoon, it was just another high‑priority case. He understood it meant more to the detective partners sitting in front of him, but he believed that leveraging personal ties in an investigation often led to stronger outcomes. Yet, this case was different. It wasn’t only about the personal or professional stakes; it carried the disastrous truth that if the balance tipped even slightly, it could ruin the lives of everyone involved.
For Kim Taehyung, it meant returning to the past he had tried so hard to leave behind. As time passed, running the undercover operation had stopped being just a matter of work. It had created a strange, symbiotic attachment between Jeongguk and Taehyung — something neither of them had ever expected. The mafia boss was all for it…hell, he was in love. But Taehyung found himself staring at the blurred line between luxury and justice, his principles the only anchor that had kept him from being seduced by it. Getting back on the case meant confronting that line again, and he didn’t know whether he had the strength to endure it all once more.
For Jeon Jungkook, reopening that chapter meant tearing apart the fragile peace he had built for himself. He had spent more than a good half of his life rejecting and resenting his immoral twin brother, just like the rest of the Jeon Family; pushing Jeongguk out of conversations, out of memory and out of the narrative of his own life. He was the embodiment of everything Jungkook wanted to keep his life free of: corruption, chaos and the suffocating weight of family ties twisted by crime.
The potential risk of losing the calm he had fought for, the chance that all the love & quiet he had carved out of his life would be swallowed by the storm his twin brother always brought with him, Jeon Jungkook couldn’t have that. Not at all.
And that was what had urged him to open his mouth, his voice firm and dangerously low, “No. Sorry, Captain, but we won’t be taking this case.” Jungkook said, rising from his chair at once. His eyes flicked to his boyfriend for a fleeting moment, holding a distrusting and hurtful gaze before he turned away.
He walked out in angry strides, shutting the cabin door so loudly that the two men inside flinched. Taehyung knew he was fucked up. Namjoon felt increasingly pitiful for him.
“Umm…cookies?” The captain fetched a pink‑coloured Tupperware box from the computer desk adjacent to him. He offered a warm smile, trying to cheer up the detective, who was massaging his forehead in an effort to ease the stress and spark his problem‑solving skills. “Your Jin hyung made them,” he added with a chuckle. “He practically threatened me to share them with you and Jungkook.”
A momentary smile appeared on Taehyung’s face as he looked at the captain and took the box from him, opening it to see his favourite chocolate cookies in there, fresh and still warm. Kim Seokjin, Namjoon’s husband, surely loved to spoil everyone here on the floor with his scrumptious bakings.
“Say thank you to him on behalf of us, hyung. I’ll take some for Jungkookie too.” He expressed his gratitude and then handed the box back to Namjoon after grabbing a few cookies from it, wrapping them in a tissue he pulled out from the tissue box on the office desk in front of him. “I’ll head out now. Don’t worry about…the case. We’ll take it, I know it’s important. I’ll convince Jungkook.”
“Thank you, Taehyung. Really.” The captain’s eyes glinted with a mixture of guilt and gratitude, feeling the weight of what he had asked. He knew he had burdened the couple with a heavy case. Heavy not because it was a large operation, but because it would press down on their hearts — forcing them to reopen scars they had fought to keep closed all these years.
As Taehyung exited the captain’s office, he let out a long sigh before slipping into his cabin to see if his boyfriend was there. He wasn’t. His hold around the cookies tightened, careful not to crush them, as he made his way towards the water cooler area in a deserted corner of the floor. He knew Jungkook always went there to clear his mind when in doubt or stress. It was a weird spot, he agrees, but if it helps then it helps.
And there he was. Jungkook stood by the water cooler, shoulders tensed, his hands braced against the edge of the counter as if it was the only thing holding him together. The faint hum of the machine filled the silence between them, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the storm swirling in his eyes when he finally turned to look at Taehyung.
The older froze for a heartbeat, clutching the cookies tighter in his hand before stepping forward to close as much safe distance as he could between them without irking his boyfriend. “Baby…” he said softly, the lone word carrying both apology and longing.
Jungkook’s gaze shifted to the tissue-wrapped cookies in Taehyung’s hand, then back to his face. Distrust still lingered in his stare, but beneath it was pure hurt; raw and unshielded.
“Jin hyung, umm, sent these for us. They’re chocolate cookies, our favourite.” He gulped down all the hesitation in his throat before forcing himself to close the remaining distance between them, his voice soft and wavering. But his eyes held steady, searching for any sign that Jungkook might let him in again and give him a chance to explain.
The younger didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. His words came out low and controlled, but every syllable cut through Taehyung’s heart like shards of glass. “Why don’t you go give it to your favourite Jeon twin?” he murmured, bitterness and jealousy etched in his tone. “I don’t wanna be someone’s…sloppy seconds.”
Taehyung felt the pang instantly — a sharp, twisting guilt that lodged itself deep in his chest. His grip on the cookies weakened, hands dropping still by his sides. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, his soul hurt to think what all must be going on in his boyfriend’s mind to utter such harsh and untrusting words to him.
“Baby, what are you saying?” His voice was gentle but carried an ache, one that Jungkook refused to acknowledge. The younger turned his face away, unwilling to meet Taehyung’s eyes. But it was all futile when the man cornered him, pinning him lightly against the wall and forcing him to look into those loving yet pained hazel orbs of his own.
“You are my present. My first priority. My only choice.” His voice was steady, each word dripping with love and sincerity. “I love you and only you, Jungkookie. Not because you look like him, but because you’re you– so kind, loving, caring and pure‑hearted. Please try to understand me, baby.”
Jungkook’s chest rose and fell unevenly, his lips pressed into a thin line as if holding back another sharp, hurtful retort. But when he finally lifted his gaze and met his boyfriend’s, so full of love, longing and trust only for him, something inside the younger’s heart faltered.
The jealousy still burned, eating him alive, but beneath it was a fragile yearning that desperately wished to believe Taehyung. His expression softened by just a fraction, the tension in his shoulders easing as he searched the older’s face for any trace of deception. None.
“Do you…really mean that?” He whispered, his words trembling with doubt yet laced with a fragile hope. Taehyung pressed a tender kiss to his forehead before answering softly, “You know I do, baby. I mean every word I say to you– unless I’m joking. Which I’m not! Not now, not about this.”
Jungkook’s lips parted, the tension in his jaw easing as he leaned into his boyfriend’s touch. The warmth of the forehead kiss lingered along with the softening silence between them, and against his will, a small giggle left his mouth at the slip of Taehyung’s words.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough — a tiny crack in the wall he had built around his heart. His eyes lost their sharpness and softened with the slightest bit of trust again as he looked up at Taehyung, the jealousy still there but dulled by the sincerity of his boyfriend he could no longer ignore.
“You’re stupid.” Jungkook muttered, a cute angwy pout tugging at his lips. And for the first time since their falling out had begun, the air between them felt just a little bit lighter.
“Stupidly in love with you, yes.” Taehyung replied without missing a beat, his hazel eyes gleaming with warmth as he pecked his boyfriend’s pouty lips, seeing the corners of his mouth twitching as if fighting a smile. The heaviness in Jungkook’s chest eased away bit by bit, replaced by the grounding comfort of the knowledge that Taehyung’s love was endlessly his, only his.
A sudden throat-clearing broke their little bubble, coming from behind Taehyung. Both of them froze.
Lieutenant Chong stood there, arms crossed, eyebrows raised in mild confusion at the sight of the two detectives being intimate by the water coolers. The awkwardness hit instantly.
Both of them pulled apart from each other like teenagers caught sneaking around, dusting off the non-existent lint on their coats and avoiding eye contact as if nothing had happened. Then, without exchanging a word, they walked away from there, the tissue-wrapped cookies still clutched in Taehyung’s hand as they headed straight towards their cabin.
The silence between them carried a mix of embarrassment and unspoken understanding, a reminder that their love, though real as it had always been, had to coexist with the weight of their duty. But it was their chosen decision, Taehyung and Jungkook had knowingly set themselves up for this. There was no bailing out now, and with the longing kiss they shared the moment both of them stepped into their cabin, that was perfectly understood too.
“Let’s have these cookies.” The older said as he gently pulled his boyfriend towards the sofa, making him sit down beside him. Carefully unwrapping the tissue around the cookies, he picked one up and held it to Jungkook’s lips. “A cookie for my Jungkookie!”
The younger rolled his eyes at the wordplay, but he leaned forward anyway, taking a bite. Crumbs settled on his lips, and Taehyung laughed softly at the adorable sight before brushing them away with his thumb. It elicited a giggle from Jungkook as well, the sound light and comforting, breaking through the heaviness that had weighed them down ever since they’d stepped foot into the captain’s office.
They shared another cookie, teasing each other over who got the bigger piece, until only one was left. Then Taehyung stood, grabbed a tissue from the box on their office desk, wiped the crumbs from his fingers and tossed the used tissue in the dustbin. Stepping closer to Jungkook, he ruffled his hair affectionately before saying, “Finish the rest, baby. I’ll go grab the case files from Namjoon hyung, okay?”
The words made Jungkook tense up instantly. His smile faded and his shoulders stiffened, but he said nothing. The silence hung heavy between them, and Taehyung took it as reluctant agreement. With a quiet sigh, he slipped out of the cabin and walked towards the captain’s office to collect the files.
When he was back, he saw that the younger detective had moved from his place on the sofa to their office desk, sitting in the chair across Taehyung’s. Perhaps trying to maintain professionalism at their workplace. With a shrug of his shoulders, he moved over to their desk and arranged all the case files & clues to aid him as he’d explain the operation’s accomplishments and goals to Jungkook, who listened to him silently and never once interrupted him during his entire explanation.
The case was now a matter of potential national jeopardy because the detectives who had been following it before having to abort the operation altogether, Detective Park and Detective Lee, had received intel of Jeongguk possibly selling ammunitions to the sleeping cells of international enemy territories, who were spread within the whole of South Korea.
After Taehyung requested a transfer and quit working on the operation, it suffered a setback almost to its initial stage. Jimin and Jieun had lost all contact with Jeongguk’s organization, and the man himself never visited the Busan precinct ever again. It put them and the precinct in a lot of trouble, but somehow they pulled through. Unfortunately, they had to abandon the investigation for their own good, before their superiors discovered it and blamed the downfall on them, perhaps even framing them for corruption. It was all sick and twisted.
Now, the fate of the case and of the country was in Taehyung and Jungkook’s hands, a maddening burden neither of them could pull away from. Sure, they would be having a good amount of people helping them with it, but all Taehyung could think was who would save them from Jeongguk’s wrath? And all Jungkook could think was what if his own twin tried to take his boyfriend away from him?
“Did you ever have sex with Jeongguk?” Was the first question the younger asked him, which brought a shocked expression to Taehyung’s face. He cleared his throat nervously before answering with a simple, “No.”
“Did you two ever kiss?”
Taehyung’s throat went dry at that question, sweat collecting on his forehead. “...Yes.”
“Did you ever let him touch your dick?”
“H-Huh?”
He was truly bewildered by all the odd questions Jungkook kept asking him. They weren’t case-related at all, but Taehyung understood why he’d ask them. He thought it was cute and even a bit hot that his boyfriend was jealous, though it did scare him a little too.
“We umm..well, he…y-yeah.” His answer came in stutters, a hint of blushing creeping into his cheeks that Jungkook utterly hated when he noticed it. Taehyung didn’t blush at any heated memory of him and Jeongguk, but rather at how personal the question was. But his boyfriend didn’t know that, of course he’d assume the worst.
“Are we going to see him today?” Jungkook asked, his voice razor‑sharp. Busan was only a four‑hour drive from Seoul, and they could get there even faster by train. Taehyung had thought they should meet up with Detective Park and Detective Lee first, to gather intel that might not have been included in the case files because it was too sensitive. That alone would be enough for the day. They could stay overnight at a hotel in Busan and then try to meet Jeongguk the next day. Taehyung knew that the moment he stepped into Busan, eyes would be watching. He would know.
And Jungkook knew it too. Even though he hadn’t kept in touch with his twin brother, he just knew Jeongguk had been up to no good. When they were assigned the case today, Jungkook wasn’t surprised to learn that his brother was a criminal — an ammunitions dealer, a mafia boss.
He always chased for attention, power and success. All in the wrong directions. Pathetic, Jungkook thought, his blood boiling every time their childhood memories surfaced in his mind.
Always a fucking competition.
“Maybe tomorrow.” Taehyung’s soft voice brought him back to the present. Jungkook let out a strict hum at that, meeting him with a cold stare. “Will we be staying in Busan tonight, then?”
“Yeah.”
“We can stay in my parents’ bungalow,” He suggested, catching Taehyung off guard. He hadn't thought of that possibility. “They’re not at home, by the way. They’re touring in America, so we’d be by ourselves.”
“Oh, okay. Sounds good.” He replied meekly, to which his boyfriend responded with a short nod. A sort of tensed silence grew between them, as Jungkook’s piercing gaze didn’t falter for a moment, while Taehyung suddenly found himself without a single ounce of courage to meet his eyes.
He visibly flinched when he heard the younger get up from his chair and walk around the desk to stand in front of him, hooking a finger under his chin to make Taehyung face him. “We should go and pack then.” Jungkook said in an eerie whisper, closing the gap between their bodies as he climbed onto the chair and straddled his boyfriend’s lap.
Taehyung’s breath hitched at the sudden closeness, his hand instinctively gripping Jungkook’s waist for balance. “But before that…” The hot voice rang in his ears, making the hair at the older’s nape stand. Before he could even process it or respond, Jungkook leaned down and kissed him on the neck, then began sucking at the same spots, leaving fresh red hickeys everywhere. Taehyung gasped at the possessive touch, his body tensing as it became increasingly difficult to suppress his moans each time the younger bit him, harder with every bite, leaving behind marks that made his skin bloom with a dark purple hue.
Jungkook’s lips trailed over the hickeys he created, thoroughly satisfied. His jealousy had successfully spilled into possessiveness, and now, when they’d enter Busan, those very marks on his boyfriend would tell Jeongguk and his men exactly who Taehyung belonged to.
He knew the hickeys didn’t have his name written on them, but he would be sticking to Taehyung’s side the whole time, making sure the message will pass on clearly, without a doubt.
“Now,” his voice was no longer a whisper as he pulled away from his boyfriend’s neck. It was loud and confident. “Let’s go pack.”
Taehyung gave a small, obedient nod at that, his voice caught somewhere in his throat. Jungkook laced their fingers together and led him out of the cabin as they walked up to the elevator in silence, the busy hum of the precinct at the noon hour fading into background.
While they stood in the elevator, waiting for it to reach the ground floor, the younger’s grip tightened as his eyes locked onto his boyfriend. “Dare you use my makeup to cover it up.” he said, words sharp and commanding.
Taehyung let out a weak sound of acknowledgement, his head lowering in quiet submission. He didn’t argue, didn’t even try.
Deep inside, well not that very deep as the faint smile on his face was proof enough — he liked this possessive behavior of Jungkook. It even turned him on a little bit.
And most importantly, it made him feel safe.
But the thing was, Jeongguk never played safe.