Midas Touch ➸ Taekook

- Forty-first -

Silence reigned in the living room after the revelation. Bella, still standing, had crossed her arms. Her clenched jaw and cold gaze showed a mixture of anger and pride. None of the X-Men had seen this coming, but Taehyung couldn't hold back the cynical sneer he'd learned to master so well.

"A thief and a killer, eh?" he quipped, running a hand over his face. "If that's not the perfect couple."

Jungkook's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and anger. He was being seen by Taehyung as something he wasn't. And above all, this situation was making a mockery of his feelings for him. He hated it. Yet he knew he shouldn't give in. Because Taehyung's anger was even more legitimate than his own.

"Taehyung..." he breathed, exhaustion in his voice.

Taehyung raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Oh, excuse me," he retorted, his voice still mockingly sweet, trying to hide the pain caused by the tall blonde's presence. "Perhaps I'm wrong about the situation?"

Jungkook looked away, feeling his heart clench as the boy's words rang horribly true. Bella, for her part, who hadn't moved, watched the scene unfolding before her with delight, a smile on her face.

"Interesting," she murmured. "So, is he what's been making you so pathetic lately? I really don't see what's so special about him..."

Bella's deliberately provocative tone made Taehyung's blood boil, but he decided not to react. He didn't have to. He'd prove her right if he did as she wanted. So he breathed in deeply, trying to calm his racing heart. He managed to remain unperturbed, merely shrugging his shoulders.

"Anyway," resumed Taehyung after a few seconds, his seriousness returning. "This little dysfunctional family reunion is touching, but let's concentrate. This link with the Assassins' Guild could be useful to us."

Bella frowned, still wary.

"We?" she repeated tartly. "I don't see what this has to do with you and your little gang."

Taehyung ignored her almost completely, turning to Jungkook.

"You know as well as I do that without that potion, she has no chance of surviving. The X-Men have no interest in this potion continuing to roam the wild. By teaming up, we kill two birds with one stone."

For once, everyone seemed to agree, even Bella. At the same time, she wasn't going to say no to more people coming to her aid. She clearly didn't have that luxury.

"Well, if everyone agrees, we'll be in touch." Taehyung concluded, turning round and ready to leave.

However, Jungkook was clearly not of the same opinion. The boy was there, after a year's absence, and he certainly wasn't going to let him get away that easily. So he pounced on him, grabbing him as calmly as possible by the arm. Taehyung gasped at this gesture, still wary of any physical contact, and looked up at him questioningly.

"What? What do you want?"

"I think we need to talk."

"Certainly not-"

"Come on."

Without asking for his consent, he led him towards his room and hurriedly closed the door behind them. He hoped the others would all have the decency not to eavesdrop, but he knew that if Bella tried anything (because it was always her), Logan would probably stop her.

Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest, looking visibly annoyed at Jungkook's puppy-dog stare.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

Taehyung stared at Jungkook, his arms crossed, his posture clearly defensive. Silence stretched out between them, tense, full of unspoken words and repressed emotions. Jungkook, his gaze lost, couldn't find the words. He just stared at him, as if trying to engrave every feature of his face in his memory, afraid he would he disappear again.