Body And Soul

23. Busted

Taehyung woke the next morning to the door downstairs opening. It was a normal sound that he was used to waking up to; always in the habit of getting up a minute or two before Jimin and Hobi showed up at his bedroom door to drag him out of bed. As Taehyung rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he remembered again his new reality and immediately swung himself out of bed. He padded over to the guest bedroom doorway in his bare feet, hearing Jimin and Hobi chatting downstairs. Taehyung quickly tip-toed out of the room he was in to make his way towards the landing. Once there, he leaned his back against the wall before peeking around the corner so he could look down from the landing to see the two of them idling in the front doorway in the middle of some sort of heated argument. At a glance, Taehyung saw that Hobi had his hand on Jimin's wrist. He was probably giving Jimin a lecture to not repeat the other day. Taehyung took advantage of their momentary distraction from the stairwell to steal across the landing to his bedroom where he figured Jungkook was fast asleep.

Opening the door, he saw that his bed was made and was completely untouched. He knew without stepping in the room where Jungkook probably was. As Taehyung left his bedroom, he heard the front door close. He cursed inwardly as he moved to peek down from the landing again to see that they both were in the middle of a heated debate still, but they were making their way towards the stairwell at the same time. Taehyung decided to chance running. Jimin stopped mid-sentence as he looked up, having seen someone race across the upstairs landing out of the corner of his eye.

"Did you see that?" Jimin asked Hobi. "I think Taehyung is already on the defensive today."

"I told you you were too rough the other day. Hopefully his day away from you yesterday helped him to get back in the right headspace."

"I said I was sorry," said Jimin. "Geezum. How many more times are you gonna bring up that incident? I don't handle stress well. You know I've never handled it well. It doesn't help that his parents are coming to town in a few days because they think the label - and us indirectly - are not doing what is right by their son and his namesake."

Jimin moved up the stairs with Hobi following after him. Taehyung had managed to make it back down the hall to the other guest room. When he creaked open the partially closed door, he saw Jungkook sleeping on the floor, leaning up against the bed where Laylin was still asleep; the two of them holding hands.

"What are you doing here?"

Taehyung heard the question Jimin asked him, reacting to it by reaching out and shutting the door. Taehyung stood in front of the guest bedroom door; one hand behind him and on the doorknob as he forced a quick smile onto his face.

"I stayed the night with Taehyung," he said.

"I see...so where is he?" asked Jimin; his face still looking puzzled as Hobi stood behind him.

"He's getting ready."

"You're acting weird," said Jimin. "Why are you standing in front of the door?"

Taehyung shrugged his shoulders as Jimin crossed his arms.

"He's in there, isn't he? Please move out of the way."

"I appreciate the 'please' this time, but I'm going to have to politely decline."

"Please."

"Again, no."

- - -

Jungkook stirred in his spot on the floor once he heard the bedroom door shut. He opened his eyes, wincing a bit at the uncomfortable position he had fallen to sleep in. He noticed though that he was still holding Laylin's hand. He smiled softly, looking over at her as she slept soundly. Jungkook watched her peacefully sleeping for a moment before reaching out his free hand to shut off the playlist and mood light. As he did, he could hear muted voices in the hallway.