Dirty Charades (TAEKOOK) COMPLETE {18+} TopKook

Chapter 4

He climbs into the dry bath and as soon as the spray of the shower covers him, full and warm, his thoughts are drowned by the comforting, warm hum. Only the thought of running out of whatever hot water they have left, keeps his shower short.

Afterwards, he chooses a thick, fluffy, white dressing gown that reaches half way down his thighs rather than bothering with a towel. It wraps around him like a comforting cloud, a soft armour he can hide in.

While he adjusts the belt, it slips out of his hands and it falls on the floor almost entirely in darkness. He moves the candle and sees the belt over the small drain in the middle of the tiled floor. But when he leans to pick it up, something shiny catches his eye in the darkness, between the even rows of white plastic covering the drain hole.

A mere glint for your average person is more than enough for Taehyung – who is by no means a stranger to the threat of espionage – to investigate further. He kneels on the floor and fiddles with the plastic griddle until it gives in and lifts... revealing a tiny spy camera.

In an instant, it feels like his insides fall into darkness when everything clicks into place and he realises the ramifications of this find: it's obvious that this is a trap and Jungkook is the metaphorical honey in it.

He yanks the camera out and smashes it into smithereens on the floor under a towel, without a sound. He wraps the pieces into a bit of tissue and flushes it all down the toilet. Then, he replaces the grid and picks up his belt.

Unfortunately for him, given their circumstances, there is no alternative – he has to go back out there and pretend that nothing has changed when everything has.

He tightens the belt around his waist – much tighter than necessary – just to remind himself that the gown is not coming off, at least not in the company of his ski instructor, no matter what happens. The risk is too high.

Taehyung gives himself one final, hard glance, disappointed to be brought back to harsh reality – yet again. He should have known it was just a daydream, that it was all too good to be true. He made his choice long time ago and now he pays the price, this is his life now... he has to live in it.

This is the closest he has ever come to really slipping, perhaps he really needed the wakeup call. No one is worth ruining everything he has worked so hard for, for years. No one. Not even the most beautiful ballet dancer he has ever seen.

"You brought this on yourself, Taehyung," he whispers. The eyes in the mirror reflect the pain when he stands and stares, head held high.

If the bathroom was fitted with one, there are bound to be cameras elsewhere, he figures. Thinking back, he recounts every single thing that has happened since they got back to the hut, assessing if any of it could somehow be twisted into breaking the rules. Lucky for him, he can't think of a single thing that would be even remotely close, so for now it seems, he's in the clear.

The thought of his boring, clinical life flashes in Taehyung's mind. Something very close to sadness fills his whole being when he realises that these few hours he has spent with Jungkook have been the first time he has not felt lonely in years.

"You deserve better than this," he whispers. "Maybe one of these days someone worthy will come and you will risk everything on a gamble... but not today!"

The voice behind the door startles him.

"Taehyung, you alright?" Jungkook knocks on the door, softly.