Hustlers || Taekook

Chapter 28

Jungkook was quieter than usual. He watched Taehyung closely, carefully as always, but the light within his eyes was pinned elsewhere in thought. Taehyung wondered what Jungkook was thinking. Maybe his preoccupation was why he was gentle today. He'd pressed Taehyung down on the bed rather than throwing him, kissing his skin rather than biting, caressing his hips rather than bruising endless existing bruises.

Usually Taehyung would fist his hands into the sheets to keep himself from touching, breaking the skin of his palms with blunt nails and staining the sheets with drops of colour. But tonight he couldn't. Explosive gunshots echoed throughout his mind, and he just couldn't stop seeing a horrifying, downright nauseating image of Jungkook staggering back from the impact of a bullet and slowly crumpling to the ground in his mind.

Taehyung wrapped his arms around Jungkook's back and dug his fingers into the anchoring, firm muscle for support, a gesture far more forward than he'd dared to allow himself in all too long. Jungkook almost flinched at the sudden movement and stiffened in surprise, eyes snapping back to fully focus on the present with a bright gleam of something unreadable. Taehyung didn't say anything, not dropping his hands away even when Jungkook bore his intent, sharp stare through his skull, just ever so slightly breathing a note of warning. Taehyung didn't want to piss him off, but the only thing keeping him from shivering and shaking from the lingering aftershocks of sick, desperate fear and dread was the feel of Jungkook's skin beneath his fingertips, wonderfully warm to reassure him of the fact that he was right here.

Jungkook stared at him, beautiful eyes flashing with both questioning and a split second sliver of understanding, and he slipped out of his brief trance-like pause, pushing his fingers deeper into Taehyung's body. Taehyung let his head drop back against the sheets, lips parting in the tiniest gasp as Jungkook's hand tightened against the back of his thigh, pushing his leg back a little more. Taehyung welcomed the added burn with a soft sigh, the ever constant intoxicating bliss of Jungkook's touch sweeping through his body, settling between every crease and crevice and robbing him of strength. Taehyung felt soft lips brushing over his bared neck, and he felt a quiet whine build in his throat as he arched up ever so slightly, as much as he dared to move, chasing after the soft, teasing pressure.

"Were you scared?" Jungkook suddenly spoke against his skin, voice low and serious. Taehyung's eyes fluttered open with a little difficulty as Jungkook pressed another finger against the edge of his rim.

"I... Of what?" Taehyung murmured, but of course he knew what Jungkook meant. Jungkook lifted his head and gazed down at him calmly, contemplatively.

"Scared that I might've died." Jungkook replied all too bluntly and Taehyung flinched. The sick feeling coiling in his stomach strengthened its grip as the moment when Jungkook's voice cut off as gunshots fired replayed in his memory once more, and Jimin's distant shout for Jungkook to move split the air along with the concerto of gunshots. Taehyung shook his head violently to try and rid himself of the memory, and Jungkook must've seen the fear flash across his expression, as he leant down and kissed his forehead briefly. Taehyung's eyes slid closed despite Jungkook lifting his head away in the same second, and he felt his lips tremble as he wrapped his arms just a little tighter, pulling Jungkook's warm body down and holding him close, possessive as he was terrified.

"Yes. I was so, so scared." Taehyung whispered, voice catching on a dry sob he couldn't quite push down. Jungkook paused for a second, as if he was hesitating, before he leant down and kissed him slow. Taehyung opened his mouth with a sigh, letting the familiar taste of Jungkook's tongue sliding over his own chase away the remnants of fear and blur the memories to give way for the present.

"But," Jungkook murmured against Taehyung's lips and pushed a third finger inside Taehyung's entrance without any warning. Taehyung gasped into Jungkook's mouth at the sudden stretch, jerking a little as irresistible heat snaked up his spine. "But why? We're mobsters. I could potentially get shot every night. Why were you specifically scared tonight?"