Midas Touch ➸ Taekook

- Twenty-sixth -

The reception was in full swing, the music blaring merrily in the air as the guests laughed, danced and enjoyed every moment. The dance floor was invaded, couples twirling around with laughter, leaving behind them the stress of the previous days. Namjoon and Jin, beaming, were also dancing, in perfect harmony, surrounded by their loved ones. Taehyung, standing back, observed all this with a discreet but sincere smile. He surprised himself by feeling relaxed, enveloped by the benevolent energy of the evening, a far cry from his usual reserve. He was even amused to see Kitty and Piotr dancing together, the young girl clinging to him a little more with each note of music.

Jungkook, whose gaze had not left the young man since the beginning of the evening, had no intention of leaving him in a corner. He approached him with a smile that made Taehyung's heart melt a little more. He didn't know if it was the wedding or the light party atmosphere, but he was feeling particularly vulnerable tonight. Especially vulnerable to Jungkook.

"Are you really going to spend the whole evening watching them, chéri?"

"What else do you want me to do, Cajun?"

A provocative smile formed on Jungkook's lips as he extended a gallant hand towards the young man.

"Dance. With me."

Taehyung hesitated for a moment, his gaze riveted on the hand that, a few hours earlier, had so intimately and sensually slid that garter up his thigh. However, Jungkook gave him no time to refuse. He gently grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor. Taehyung felt a warmth rise in his chest, a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He couldn't deny that dancing with Jungkook, feeling him so close to him, was awakening sensations he'd never dared allow himself.

The music changed to a slower, more sensual rhythm, which seemed to invite them to come closer. Taehyung hesitated, but Jungkook tightened his grip, wrapping his arm around his waist to pull him close. Surprised, Taehyung looked up at Jungkook, who was staring at him with an intense gaze that never wavered. He felt every movement, every note that pulsed between them like a hypnotic dance.

"You don't have to hold back," Jungkook whispered softly, so close that Taehyung could feel his breath. "With me, at least, I want you to be yourself. With all the dangers that implies."

Taehyung couldn't deny the effect these words had on him. Jungkook always found a way into his heart.

They let themselves be drawn into this dance, one against the other, their gazes never leaving each other. Their bodies moved to the same rhythm, pressed against each other, the closeness between them almost unbearable, so intoxicating was it. Taehyung could feel his body melting against the Cajun's powerful torso, and he could feel Jungkook's hands tightening their grip on his hips.

Jungkook, for his part, never took his eyes off Taehyung. He seemed to take a malicious pleasure in destabilising him, his hands becoming bolder, sliding along his hips with calculated delicacy, lighting sparks under his skin. Taehyung didn't know whether to run or give in, but he let himself go, almost in spite of himself, to this intoxicating sensation.

The music seemed to fade around them, the whole world reduced to this intimate bubble that enveloped them. For the first time, Taehyung felt vulnerable but safe, in his place, as if there was no other reality but this one. He even found himself wishing that the music would never stop, that they could stay like this, in this closeness that he knew was fragile and fleeting.

When the last note sounded, Jungkook tightened his embrace for a moment more, as if he wanted to prolong the moment. Their faces were only inches apart, their breaths mingling. Taehyung, his heart pounding, shyly looked away, but he knew there was nothing more he could do to erase what he was feeling.

Taehyung left the dance floor, pretending to go the toilets, escaping the warmth of Jungkook's gaze. His heart was still beating so fast that he wondered if he would ever be able to regain his composure in his presence. He walked along the empty corridors of the Institute, breathing deeply to calm the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling. He needed just a few minutes, away from the dance floor and the intensity of the moment he'd shared with Jungkook, to regain his composure.

But his respite was short-lived.

He had barely rounded a corner when a cloaked figure loomed up in front of him, emerging from the shadows like a predator. Caught off guard, Taehyung had no time to react. The stranger rushed towards him, quick and silent, and he felt a brutal pressure on his shoulder that pushed him back against the wall. Surprise gave way to panic as the man leaned towards him, a menacing gleam in his eyes.

"Make one sound and you'll regret it." he whispered in an icy voice, his breath brushing Taehyung's face.

The young man managed to break free and instinctively hit him. But the man avoided his blows one by one, as if anticipating his every move. It was disconcerting. He avoided him with such ease, as if he knew in advance what he was going to do. As if he knew him by heart. The stranger decided to retaliate, suddenly sending a violent kick into the teenager's stomach. Taehyung gasped for breath and was thrown a few metres away, crashing into a wall.

The man put his foot down with feline dexterity and approached him dangerously, with slow, confident steps.

"You're going to follow me, and you'd better obey me if you want to live," he whispered menacingly.

Taehyung's heart was beating wildly. He needed to think, to understand what this man wanted from him, but every second counted. However, panic was completely preventing him from reasoning.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the corridor, attracting their attention. A man appeared in the doorway and Taehyung felt the life returning to him. Jungkook. The Cajun's gaze fell first on the teenager, looking confused, before his eyes darkened as he caught sight of his assailant.

The masked man took a step back, but his gaze remained fixed on Taehyung, a warning glint in his eyes. Before Taehyung knew what was happening, Jungkook was already rushing towards them, his face clouded with cold anger. In a split second, he pounced on the attacker. The stranger barely had time to retaliate before he was already cornered. Jungkook hit him with controlled force, pushing him towards the nearest window. He hit him with such force that the man flew through the window, the broken glass spilling onto the floor with a shattering sound.

Taehyung froze, still in shock from the confrontation, as Jungkook approached him, his eyes dark with concern.

"Are you all right?" he breathed, his voice deep and vibrating with restrained tension.

Taehyung nodded, trying to catch his breath, but he couldn't calm down. He couldn't as long as this stranger might come back. So he got to his feet and, accompanied by Jungkook, approached the broken window. The two men expected to see him lying on the grass in the garden, or standing up, ready to fight again, but this was not the case.

The garden was empty, the grass untouched. The man had disappeared, leaving no trace behind him.