Roses You Left For Me

18

The next time he shows up at the club, it's been almost two weeks since he last saw Taehyung. He neglects to bring another rose this time, too shy to see if the dancer will reject it. Jeongguk glances over at the bar, noticing that Hoseok is watching him, looking somewhat anxious yet welcoming.

But Jeongguk being Jeongguk, he's stubborn and childish, so he forcefully turns away, just to make a show of it all and sits himself down at one of the tables that remains empty with just a few used glasses to occupy the space. The waitress from before turns from the opposite table to retrieve the set of glass wear, smiling brightly at Jeongguk as she does so.

"Hey, kid," she greets. "You're becoming a regular, think I should know your name by now," she chuckles as she puts the glasses onto her tray, expertly holding it above her shoulder.

"Jeongguk," the boy supplies, feeling awkward to offer his hand, so he just smiles instead.

The waitress smiles again. "I'm Sung-mi. Nice to see you again, Jeongguk," she says. "I gotta get these back to the bar. Have fun tonight, yeah?" She says before she's sauntering away, tray in hand. Jeongguk falls silent, waiting for Taehyung to come up on stage. He feels awkward being alone, and he can feel Hoseok's eyes burning into him, but he pays it no mind as the voice over the loud speakers announces V.

Jeongguk immediately perks up as he stares up at the stage, watching how Taehyung enters from the curtains, this time his outfit is completely different. He's adorned in diamonds, tight black jeans that are ripped with fishnets poking through, bare feet and a deep blue silk blouse that hangs around his upper thighs. Around his waist is a thin, diamond belt that connects around his thighs, loose over his body. He wears a diamond choker that matches his harness and he holds a singular. Red. Rose.

The younger stares at it, a feeling that it may be the rose he had previously left for the dancer, but Taehyung offers no clues as he steps like he's on water, over to the bar that stands center stage, waiting for his performance to begin.

The dancer starts by leaning against the silver pole, his side profile to the crowd. With his head down, back against the pole, and his legs slightly extended forwards in a relaxed position, Taehyung begins to pull off singular petals as if re-enacting the "he loves me, he loves me not," scenario, but remains completely silent.

It's not long before the petals adorn the stage floor, and Taehyung is dropping the stem from between his fingers, swiftly turning to pull himself around the pole, slow music playing with a beat that kicks Jeongguk's ears in a slow pulse.

As much as the younger aches to watch Taehyung, to see if he'll even glance Jeongguk's way, he's distracted by a bulkier man sitting beside him, pushing a glass of something towards him.

"Here on your own, babe?" The man says, voice gruff. It sends shivers through Jeongguk, and not the good kind.

"I'm okay, thanks," Jeongguk says as he pushes the drink back, rather shyly.

"Tad rude, that," the man says. "A stranger offers you a drink and you just turn it away?"

"I'm actually with someone," Jeongguk lies, although his brain floats back to Taehyung that is just a little away from him, dancing on the stage.

"Yeah?" The man asks. "I don't see no one,"

Jeongguk swallows thickly as he tries to edge away, but the man is insistent on getting closer. Secretly, Jeongguk hopes that Taehyung will jump down from the stage and help him, but he doesn't. There's not really a scene just yet to raise suspicion, so no one is actually coming to his aid.

"Pretty little thing, ain't ya?" The man gruffly notes, his eyes hungrily swallowing him up. Jeongguk inwardly grimaces as he turns his head away, eyes meeting Hoseok's. The bartender looks back at him, expression worried, but Jeongguk would rather die first before he lets Hoseok of all people save him.

He's just that stubborn, I guess. "Wouldn't mind getting a piece of you," the man says as he licks his lips.

"I'm not interested," Jeongguk says sternly, although his 'big-man' demeanor is nothing but a shallow act.

The bulky man snorts in amusement, also not believing Jeongguk's lies. "Bet you'd love a bigger man to fuck you sore," he says. Jeongguk edges further away, but the man seems insistent on getting as close as he can. The younger feels a heavy hand on his thigh and tries to shake it off, but the man grips on, fingernails digging in. "Don't run from what you really want," he continues.

"I'm not interested, leave me alone," Jeongguk says, thankful that his voice doesn't waver.

The older man just snorts.

"He said he's not interested,"

The man suddenly turns to confront Taehyung. Everyone around the club is looking now, watching how Taehyung had abruptly ended his show to come to Jeongguk's aid.

"You're that pretty little thing from the stage," the man points out.

"Great observation. Now get out before I force you out,"

To this, the man laughs heartedly, throwing his head back. "Yeah? What you gonna do about it, short-stack?" He says as he stands to forcefully slap Taehyung, knocking him to the ground. He goes to kick him in the gut but is suddenly torn away by two bodyguards.

Jeongguk collapses beside Taehyung, fussing over if he's okay or not, but the dancer just scowls up at the man, wiping away drool and blood from his lips. The guards drag the man outside, kicking and screaming like an oversized toddler as Jeongguk helps Taehyung to his feet.

"Are you okay?!" The younger demands to know, going as far as to cup the dancer's face. Taehyung just shakes his hands away, nodding firmly.

"Fucking asshole," the elder spits, glaring in the direction that the older man was dragged to.

Hoseok remains at the bar, eyes wide but not daring to come over. It's like an unspoken rule between Taehyung and Hoseok because the look they share is anything but friendly. Taehyung forcefully grabs Jeongguk's wrist and pulls him through the door, dragging him through the long corridors and into Taehyung's designated room, stopping for a moment before deciding to pull Jeongguk into the bedroom, pushing him down on the bed.