Ties of Fate

Conversation

After the business party, Jungkook and Taehyung returned to their mansion, the exterior bathed in moonlight. The air was cooler now, the quiet night in opposite to the lively event they had just left. As the front door clicked shut behind them, the weight of the evening’s social demands seemed to lift off their shoulders.

Taehyung exhaled slowly, feeling the tension from the night begin to melt away. He slipped off his shoes and loosened his tie, glancing at Jungkook, who was still standing by the door, undoing the top button of his shirt with a languid, relaxed ease.

"You survived," Jungkook teased, his voice soft but playful as he shrugged off his suit jacket.

Taehyung rolled his eyes, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "Barely. You didn’t make it easy with all that teasing."

Jungkook smirked and stepped closer, his eyes dancing with amusement. "You love it, admit it."

Taehyung huffed, but before he could respond, Jungkook’s hand found his waist, pulling him closer. There was a comfortable familiarity in the way their bodies fit together, as if they were drawn by some invisible magnet that neither could resist.

“Okay, maybe I don’t mind it as much as I pretend to,” Taehyung admitted quietly, his blush faintly returning.

Jungkook grinned, clearly satisfied with that small victory. “Knew it.”

They made their way to the living room, where the dim lighting and the crackling fireplace provided a calming atmosphere. Jungkook stretched out on the large couch, looking at Taehyung expectantly until Taehyung sighed and joined him, sinking into the soft cushions.

It was quiet now, the only sound coming from the distant ticking of a clock and the occasional pop from the fire. Taehyung settled comfortably beside Jungkook, his head resting against Jungkook’s shoulder. They often found themselves like this, especially on nights after business events, unwinding in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence.

“Did you enjoy the party?” Jungkook asked after a few moments of silence, his voice low and soothing.

Taehyung hesitated, thinking back to the whirlwind of conversations, the pressure to network, and, of course, Jungkook’s relentless teasing. “It was... fine,” he finally said. “You made it fun, at least.”

Jungkook chuckled. “I’m glad I could help keep you entertained.”

A comfortable silence settled over them again, but Taehyung could feel something hanging in the air, an unspoken question or thought lingering between them. Jungkook’s hand absentmindedly ran through Taehyung’s hair, a soothing gesture that made Taehyung’s eyelids feel heavier.

Eventually, Taehyung spoke up, his voice quiet but curious. “Do you ever get tired of all the parties? The business talk?”

Jungkook paused, his hand stilling in Taehyung’s hair for a moment before he continued the gentle motions. “Sometimes,” he admitted. “But it’s part of the life we’ve chosen, isn’t it? We both knew what we were getting into.”

Taehyung nodded slightly. “Yeah, I guess. It just feels... exhausting sometimes.”

Jungkook hummed in agreement. “It can be. But it helps having you there with me.”

Taehyung smiled softly at that, his heart warming at the thought. Even if the events themselves were tiring, it was true—being with Jungkook made it more bearable. More than bearable, even enjoyable at times. Despite the teasing, despite the nerves, there was something undeniably reassuring about having Jungkook by his side.

Jungkook’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “What about you? Do you get tired of it?”

Taehyung thought for a moment, then nodded. “Sometimes, yeah. But like you said, it’s the life we’ve chosen. I just... I’m glad we’re in it together.”

Jungkook smiled, his eyes softening as he looked down at Taehyung. “Me too.”

There was something intimate about these late-night conversations, the way they could be so honest and open with each other. In the quiet of their mansion, away from the prying eyes of the world, they could let their guards down completely. It was in these moments that Taehyung felt closest to Jungkook, when the walls they both built around themselves for business and public appearances came down, leaving only the two of them.

“You know,” Jungkook began, his voice slightly more playful now, “I think I’ll make it my mission to make you blush at every event we go to.”

Taehyung groaned, burying his face against Jungkook’s shoulder in mock frustration. “Please don’t.”

Jungkook laughed, the sound light and carefree. “You know I will.”

Taehyung sighed but couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto his face. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love it,” Jungkook replied easily, pressing a kiss to the top of Taehyung’s head.

They sat like that for a while longer, wrapped in the warmth of each other’s company. The exhaustion from the night began to catch up with them, and soon enough, Taehyung’s eyelids grew too heavy to keep open.

As he drifted off to sleep, nestled comfortably against Jungkook, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of contentment. Despite everything—the business, the teasing, the parties—this was what mattered most. The quiet moments, the shared smiles, the warmth of Jungkook’s hand in his.

This was home.