RUSE || Taekook

EIGHT || A5C4C2C3J5

Another nightmare.

Taehyung jolts awake and holds onto his pillow, his breath staggered and his heart pounding in his chest.

When did I even fall asleep?

He sits up and quickly scans the dark room, running to switch the light on. He exhales a sigh of relief when there is no sign of another presence in his bedroom.

It's a lavish room, luxurious, just as Taehyung likes it.

He walks over to the mahogany dressing table, his steps uncalculated and heavy. He studies his tired features, dragging one hand down his cheek as he groans, stretching his back. He treads back to the king-size bed and falls flat on his back into the soft mattress.

Flashes of what he saw during his dream flood his mind and Taehyung closes his eyes tight, his hands clasping the fabric of his trousers as he rubs his thighs to calm himself.

So many hands. All of them were grabbing him. He could recall being stuck on a high spot as a number of large, dirty hands attempted to drag his body down.

At least he didn't have a panic attack.

Taehyung shudders as he thinks back to the panic attack he had three days ago and had to deal with alone. As compensation for that, Jimin suggested killing a rapist.

Taehyung has to admit, killing a bad guy always makes him feel better.

Especially when the bad guy is a sexual offender.

It makes him feel like, somehow, he's wiping the world clean of vermin. For him, what's worse than losing your own life is losing your own will when you don't want to. And losing will, whether it be over mind or soul, or just your body, is what haunts him even to this day.

Taehyung uncurls himself and steps off the bed, slipping his furry slippers on and walking towards the bathroom to relieve himself.

--------

Taehyung straightens himself as he walks out the elevator. A few of his people notice his presence and bow their heads to him.

Taehyung responds with a nod and presses on his black suit, heading straight for his office.

He tried falling asleep again, but that didn't work. That's why he's down here.

Better to get shit done than waste time trying.

Taehyung steps on the stairs and smiles faintly at the little hints of blood still on the rails. How pretty. They look almost like a coffee spill on white paper.

Walking into his office, Taehyung closes the door and switches the lights on, sighing at all the technology and papers scattered across the average-sized room.

Taehyung switches on the TV and raises his eyebrows in surprise.

Jungkook is awake.

Taehyung cocks a brow at the younger.

What the hell is he doing?

Is he... wrestling his own pillow?

Taehyung blinks and stares, wide-eyed as Jungkook continuously beats up the pillow under him, without mercy. Taehyung turns up the volume and listens to Jungkook's grunts through the speaker.

Taehyung slowly makes his way behind his desk, keeping his eyes on Jungkook.

Is this some kind of new spy tactic?

Taehyung sits on his chair and switches his computer on, his wary expression replacing itself with an amused one as Jungkook falls off the bed.

Jungkook immediately stands up and looks around, sighing in exhaustion before looking up at the camera.