She Doesn't Like Flowers

Taehyung Can't Handle Feelings

When Y/N woke up the next morning her whole body was sore and she felt like crap. She had one blissful moment where she tried to remember where she was and why she was...and then her memories came flooding back and she buried herself under the blankets.

She could feel him. Everywhere. All over her. His hands. The only place she didn't feel Byung-ho was her lips, which were raw from the scrubbing she'd given them yesterday. She could clearly remember Taehyung tracing his fingers over them, erasing every memory of Byung-ho from them.

She hated to admit it but she was scared. Never had someone so meticulously planned out something like that. One on one? She'd have won. Against two guys, taken by surprise? Well, she'd been at his mercy. It'd been thought through well.

If Taehyung hadn't come...

She shuddered. Then shook herself. It sucked. But she was here now and no one would take care of her but herself. She had to find a way to deal with it, distract herself, and not let it shock her into staying still. Or running into the arms of another person.

Because in a moment of weakness, Taehyung's arms had felt really good. And he'd felt safe. If she'd been given the option to stay in them forever, right then, she would've taken it. Weakness. She refused to let any man cow her.

When she opened her bedroom door there was a new pile of clothes and some undergarments with a note.

"Jimin and I went to work. No one can get in. If you don't feel safe feel free to stay. I hope you feel as okay as you can." Did she feel safe out there? No. Be a big girl. It didn't matter. She determinedly picked up the clothes and walked to the bathroom.

-

Namjoon and Jin had taken Byung-ho and unceremoniously dumped him in the lobby of his father's company. Was his father mad at an attempted rape? No. But he was mad at how humiliated he was in the face of many of his friends. Taehyung and his friends made sure the word got out, branding Byung-ho as a troublemaker and causing his father to lose face.  After all, many of these men had daughters.  Daughters they wanted to marry off to continue to make their companies successful.  Was it good to have an attempted rapist around them, to "defile" them?  Byung-ho would not be a problem for Y/N again. The message was clear, touch her again and you go against us. All of us. You didn't want that kind of trouble.

Besides a thank you text, they didn't hear from Y/N. It was like she'd disappeared. And Taehyung hated how much he missed her.

The more he reflected on it, he didn't want to admit it, but Jimin was right. And he hated it. Because he couldn't have her. He liked her for many things, a real development for him. And he realized this was why his one-night stands didn't feel fulfilling anymore. They were empty. Yes, he loved sex. But being friends with Y/N had spoiled him. Because he wanted to wake up and have a real conversation with the woman he'd fucked the night before. Because he wanted a partner who was his equal.

But that couldn't be with her. Because their entire friendship was reliant on him not taking that next step. It was why they'd gotten so close. He would destroy that if he pushed. And...if he really did love her...knowing what he did...then he wouldn't push.

So he tried to focus on maybe finding someone else. And let her go. Let that wish go. It was hard.

-

"She's here!" Taehyung wondered why Jimin sounded so delighted at first, looking up and around. His face fell slightly. Y/N. He shot a look at Jimin.

"I don't want to hear it." Jimin kept trying to bring up his feelings and he was tired of it. Every time he thought he'd wrestled them down they came back again. He took a gulp of whiskey before turning around as she approached. She had a slight smile on her face and looked a lot better, but he could tell. Behind her eyes, the wariness he usually saw had gotten worse.

"Y/N, nice to see you again." Jimin's smile elicited one from her.

"Hi, Jimin. What have you guys been up to?" She said, leaning against the bar beside Taehyung. She was comfortable. He loved it. He hated it.

"Work. Work. Work." Taehyung took another gulp of whiskey. He was avoiding her eyes. He knew it was kind of childish of him but he hadn't expected to see her here and now...

Damn, why was this so hard?

"How are you feeling?" Jimin asked carefully. She shrugged.

"I think as good as can be expected."

"Didn't think we'd be seeing you at these things for awhile." She shrugged again.

"If I don't come, I let him win." Taehyung heard the flash of resilience in her voice. "But...thank you. To you both. To all of you. I didn't get a chance to thank you guys in person. Especially you, Taehyung." He nodded.

"It was the right thing to do." He said neutrally, still not looking at her. He could see Jimin cocking an eyebrow at his strange behavior out of the corner of his eye. He didn't have to look at her to know his behavior was hurtful. But he didn't know what to do. He wished Jimin had never said anything to encourage him to look at his feelings like this.

"Do you feel like dancing?" Taehyung froze, the glass halfway up to his lips again. "I know you normally dance with Taehyung but I guess he's a little...preoccupied." Taehyung didn't miss the note of chastisement and disapproval in Jimin's voice.

"Um...sure." His fingers tightened around the glass. She trusted Jimin too. He wasn't special anymore.

"Well then come, m'lady." Jimin held his hand out. In his other hand, as they walked to the floor, he pulled out his phone.

Taehyung's phone dinged a moment later and he glanced at it.

You are so immature.

Across the dance floor Jin caught Jimin's eye and wiggled his eyebrows as Jimin gently nodded towards Taehyung. Their dongsaeng needed to either decide to let go or pursue. They weren't going to let him just sit and mope.