Monsters Within Us || Taekook AU

셋

He was told to reflect on their relationship - on any odd behavior, any problems he hadn't previously been aware of, any arguments. It was offered to him as kind advice, like it would do any good, like it wouldn't raise more questions than answers.

Maybe packing up and leaving just like that makes him look bad. Maybe it'll seem like he ran away. Maybe what he's doing right now falls under suspicious behavior, something that justifies the accusing undertone of his friends' texts. He's got more than enough money and influence to hire a good private detective and conduct his own investigation, but it doesn't sit right with him to have a stranger pry into their private lives. He'd rather do this himself.

And honestly he doesn't care all that much about what others might think. All he cares about is his boyfriend. If he really wanted to leave him then Jungkook would've known about it for sure. Whenever Tae leaves he yells at him first, he tells him a piece of his mind and then he slams the door in his face. He doesn't sneak off quietly into the night. Most importantly he never leaves without coming back to him with hugs and kisses and apologies. Jeon knows something is wrong.

Right now Taehyung is just somewhere else, temporarily - not because he wanted it but because he had no choice for some reason. He's lost, and something that's been lost can be found again.

Jungkook puts his phone face down on the table and rips the sandwich bag open. He's going to need fuel and a good night's rest for whatever lies up ahead.

**

It's early when he checks out. There's no one in the lobby, no staff moving around, not even any shoes lined up. Jungkook shrugs off the feeling of unease and reminds himself that it doesn't matter. He'll be out the door in a few minutes and the place has no ties to him at all. This was just a pit stop for him like it probably also was for Tae.

Before he leaves he finds the photo of Taehyung and the deer and shows it to the innkeeper.

"Do you know if this guy was here recently?"

The innkeeper hesitates, eyes darting from Jeon to the photo and then back to Jeon. He looks him over for a second and shrugs, vaguely replying that it 'depends'.

It doesn't take long for Jungkook to catch on. With a sigh he opens his wallet and slides an amount of cash across the desk to jog his memory, enough to double the original price of his room. The innkeeper raises his eyebrows, quickly pockets the money, and confirms that someone fitting that description did in fact stay there, just two nights ago.

"Did he say where he was headed?"

"Well..." Once again the man glances at Jungkook's knee-jerk wallet. "That also depends..."

There's a moment of pressing anticipation, of impatient greed, and something snaps in the air around them, a brief spark of hot anger. Jungkook reaches out, grabs a fistful of the innkeeper's shirt, and yanks him closer, pulling so forcefully the desk rattles. He can afford to buy the entire place on the spot if he wanted to but he's not fucking stupid, nor is he a pushover.

"What was that?" he asks evenly. "I didn't hear you."

"I -" The innkeeper stammers, fear rising in his wide eyes. "He - he didn't say, specifically."

"You sure?"

"Well, I - I just - I asked him about his plans, to be polite, and he mentioned something about catching a, um - a bus! A northbound bus!" The poor man flails a little, his face red. "But that's it! Please, that's all I know -"

"Don't ever push your luck like that again," Jungkook mutters under his breath before letting go of him.

The innkeeper straightens the front of his shirt with trembling hands, a layer of sweat covering his flushed forehead. "Listen - I don't want to be involved in anything shady," he begins nervously and shifts in his spot, making sure to step out of Jungkook 's reach. "So if - if you're planning to do something to him then... please don't drag this place into it."

"Do something to him?" Jeon repeats with a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, if you're out to get him then we don't want to be associated with it."

"I... I'm not a hitman, if that's what you think," he replies slowly and tilts his head in confusion. "Why...? Did he say anything to you?"

"No..." The innkeeper takes another step back, shifty-eyed. "He just said not to tell if anyone happened to ask for him, that's all."

This gives Jungkook pause. Does he really come off as some sort of dangerous pursuer? He tries to recall if he ever said or did anything wrong, if he ever made a mistake so big it made Taehyung want to run away from him, but his experience of their relationship of four years has always been a happy one. None of this makes any sense, unless of course he's been living a lie all this time.

He stares down at his phone. The photo of Tae smiles back at him, a snapshot from what now seems like an entirely different lifetime. Did he really head out searching for a stranger?

"Maybe he was in a hurry," he murmurs.

Without another word he grabs his bag and leaves, not wanting to stay a second longer.