Mix and Match ~ TK

68

It was nearly nighttime when the bitc— investigator finally left. Taehyung had to feign nausea for her to finally let him go. He did actually feel like vomiting his stomach out but the feeling had subdued once the woman left.
That fact that she wasn't even a werewolf but knew everything about their specie made him feel uneasy, judged. He felt like a freaking experiment under her ice cold eyes.
The memory only made him shudder.

"How are you feeling?"

"Peachy."

Namjoon closed the door behind him and further approached his brother. He sat on one edge of the mattress and did a quick look over the younger's state. He was healing so slowly which only worried the leader.

"I've had my share of inspection today, I don't need more."

Namjoon coughed and looked away quickly.

"Sorry, Taehyungie. I tried to prevent them from-"

"It's alright, hyung. It's not your fault. I passed out on a bad timing. I know how much you try to avoid the Councils prying eyes." He affirmed, "all we can do is show them how boring and uneventful Lupus is and they'll leave us the fuck alone."

"Language." Namjoon half-heartedly scolded.

"I'm twenty-one."

"And I'm Head Alpha so shut your mouth."

Taehyung clamped his mouth shut and Namjoon snorted. He had to admit, he loved the occasional bantering with his little sibling.

"Wish you were this complying most of the time." Taehyung winked at him and then winced as he tried to sit up straighter but failed immediately.

"Taehyung, tell me what happened to you. I hate seeing you like this and not be able to help."

Taehyung wanted to roll his eyes, tell his brother that he was a fool for thinking that and that without him Taehyung, and the rest of the Lupus would already be dead or rogues.
Instead, he felt the odd need to explain.

"I remember."

Namjoon, not expecting the younger to say anything, didn't catch the meaning of the two words at first.

"W-what? How is that possible?"

Taehyung shrugged, not knowing much himself. He couldn't exactly say getting his memories back was worth the pain. He not only experienced atroce agony leading him to nearly die but he also lost his mate in the process. And the flashbacks were terrible.
The few years before the attack were joyful but short-lived. The aftermath of the war was disastrous. Death, blood, torture. The loss and the grief.

Taehyung remembers it all. In a stupidly accurate way.
His dead parents, siblings and him.
Goddess, he almost wished to have never recovered those memories because they fucking hurt. Both literally and figuratively.
He had spend the whole time unconscious living and reliving them without rest. And Taehyung finally understood why it happened now. Why his memory unlocked at that specific moment and not prior or afterward.
It was all because of his wolf. His alpha and its mate.
Taehyung shook his head furiously. He didn't want to think about it for the time being. He focused back on his brother that had a hunted look in his eyes.

"You remember.. them?"

"Everything."

Namjoon took his brothers bony matte hands in his and brought them to his heart.

"I can't believe it. After more than ten years.."

"Life's funny like that."

"How are you feeling about it? Please don't say "peachy" I know you never feel that way."

"I don't know, hyung." He closed his eyes for a moment, stilling the images flowing uncontrollably through his head. "They're not entirely bad. But some of them are. I had nightmares about them before. It just hits different knowing entirely what went on."

Namjoon nodded, eyes moist. He remembers it all too well and he knows the extent of the damage.

"I miss him. A lot." Taehyung admitted after a while, thinking about the bubbly, doe-eyed, brown mess of hair wolf that he recalls now in crystal clear accuracy. Remembering him and the events that surrounded his disappearance were both a blessing and a curse for the alpha. The scar hadn't healed and probably wouldn't, and getting his memory back only worsened it.

"I'm sure he misses you just as much, Taehyungie."

-

Jimin didn't leave until Lucas came back, hesitantly walking in on their hug and apologizing before Jimin motioned him over.
Now Jimin was sitting in one of the pool chairs, watching Hoseok's body disappear under the clear water while stroking Yoongi's white hair absently. They were in the pack's covered swimming pool and Jimin was racking his mind trying to assess Jungkook's words and Taehyung's current condition. He was left dumbfounded.
Jimin's love for Taehyung was only rivaled by his new-found love for the ravenette. And his words stung.
Jungkook obviously wanted relief. He wanted out of this situation.
He changed packs, left everyone behind in the sake of fleeing his mating situation but now things were kind of worse.
Jimin kept replying their words, trying to find a way to make things work but nothing happened to be worth it anymore. Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook were falsely assigned mates. That was it.
How could two extremely different, completely opposite down to the bone persons be destined for each other? If this mating doesn't end in bloodshed already, it would be the freaking miracle.

"I want to see him."

"I don't think it's a good idea, Yoonie." Jimin sighed after a moment. Yoongi will stress out at his brother's current state and even though he knows it to be natural, Jimin doesn't want his mate to blame his best friend for it all. It wasn't fair. He was sure it wasn't entirely Taehyung's fault. It couldn't be, could it?

"Maybe tonight?" Hoseok suggested after getting out from the water, hair darkened by the wetness and lean body glistening in the artificial light. Boy was Jung Hoseok a sight to see right now. "Lost your tongues?"

Jimin and Yoongi both blinked, closing their slightly opened mouths while the alpha snickered.

"Good idea." Jimin cleared his throat and looked down to see Hoseok leaning over the laying body of Yoongi to peck his lips gently, only to be kissed himself by the redhead a few seconds later.

"Alright, I think I would like to dive into the water at last."

Hobi offered him the brightest heart shaped smile and took his hand to help Yoongi up on his feet. The latter did so with a groan and a pop.

"You grandpa! Can't even move without help anymore." Jimin joked and Yoongi threw him a deathly glare. With a yelp, Jimin found himself in the older's arms and they were dangerously approaching the edge of the pool.

"No! Put me down! Hobi!"

"I'll show you what a grandpa can do." The white haired snickered darkly. Out of the three, he probably had the weirdest/ most endearing relationship with the blonde; the pair would tire each other with petty comebacks and countless jokes, but cared deeply about one another.

"Sugar, he's gonna hunt your ass after this." Hobi warned, smiling warmly at the couple. He always found their little shenanigans adorable and would admit that they entertained the hell out of him in just the short period they spent together. It's like Jimin was the missing piece to their puzzle, he just fit right in.

"Don't act like that's not exactly what I want, Hobi." He looked down and winked at the menacing looking puppy before plunging them both into the slightly cold water with a loud splash and a strangled scream. Hoseok joined them right away.

-