His Darkest Desire ||Taekook||

chapter thirteen

3 months later

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Taehyung stood in the quiet of his dressing room, staring blankly at his reflection in the tall, gilded mirror. The suit he had put on an hour ago clung a little too tightly to his frame, the heat of the fabric making his skin itch slightly. But he had grown used to discomfort.

What he hadn't grown used to—what he still couldn't wrap his head around—was the fact that *today* was his wedding day.

His wedding.

To Hoseok.

He had always heard people speak about their wedding day with stars in their eyes—how special and emotional it was meant to be. But standing here, dressed in custom-tailored perfection, Taehyung could only look at his own reflection with hollow eyes.

He loved Hoseok—but not the way a groom should love their partner. Hoseok was his best friend. His safe place. And maybe that was why all of this felt so *wrong.*

Behind him, the door creaked open softly. Mina stepped in, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She stood behind him and rested her chin gently on his shoulder, the two of them looking at his reflection side by side.

She didn't speak at first. Just stared. And sighed.

There were things left unsaid between them—guilt, concern, unspoken apologies—but she knew it wasn't her place to unravel it all now. Not when he already looked like he was seconds away from disappearing into himself.

"I still can't believe you're doing this," she murmured finally. "Are you sure, Tae? Because from the way you're looking in that mirror... it's like your soul's somewhere else."

He blinked slowly, as if coming back to the present, and turned to face her. His makeup had been applied with delicate precision, softening his features just slightly. His dark hair was parted neatly in the center, every strand in place—a look so carefully constructed that he didn't dare touch it.

"I'm okay," he replied, voice low and steady. "Honestly... if I hadn't agreed, they would've found another way to trap me. At least this way, I get to choose the cage."

She frowned, her throat tightening. "Tae..."

"Don't feel bad," he said gently, as if reading her mind. "I know you're blaming yourself. But it's not your fault. I wanted to protect you too. That hasn't changed."

Mina looked at him, eyes glossy, lips pressed into a tight line. She wanted to believe him. She *almost* did. But nothing about this moment felt right. Not the suit. Not the silence. Not even the way the light caught in Taehyung's eyes—eyes that looked more lost than ever.

And still, in the back of his mind, something tugged. A weight he couldn't shake. A name he couldn't let go of.

*Jungkook.*

Three months. That's how long it had been since he had seen or heard anything about him. It should have been enough time to forget, to move on. But it wasn't.

The silence between them hadn't brought peace. Only more questions. More ache.

And as the distant sound of wedding bells echoed faintly through the halls, Taehyung stood still—suffocating in a moment that was supposed to be his new beginning, but instead felt like a quiet, beautiful ending.

The memories were a tangled web, each thread leading back to the same painful truth. Yes, Jungkook had tried to kill Taehyung, but something—some flicker of humanity—had stopped him. Yet despite their shared history, Jungkook had moved on, forgotten about the boy he'd once considered a threat. Now, he was getting married to Hoseok, a fresh start after years of turmoil. But even as he prepared for the future, his conscience gnawed at him, reminding him of the sins of his past.