The Cupid Complex

56. The Stand In

'This is absolutely ridiculous..." muttered Jungkook under his breath.

Ever since he started remembering everything that had happened, he knew that he needed to be careful for fear that his father would find out. However, Taehyung was being paranoid to the extreme. Taehyung was continually coaching him on how to be stealthy about meeting Ame without alerting his father.

"I'll think of something eventually," said Taehyung, "But until then, we need to tread carefully."

"You act like my father will strike us dead," said Jungkook.

Taehyung shot Jungkook a look as he zipped the black coat up with finality, almost zipping up the end of Jungkook's chin.

"Welcome back Mister I-Don't-Walk-On-Eggshells-I-Tread-Them-Underfoot," mumbled Taehyung. "We need to be careful with not only our actions, but also what we say. We have to keep a low profile like we would as a member of BTS."

"As a member? We are a member. We have lived in two different..."

Taehyung's hand moved up to close over Jungkook's mouth to silence him. Jungkook narrowed his eyes in an irritated fashion at Taehyung.

"You haven't changed," he said, "Nor have you learned apparently. You ought to trust me at this point. We've known each other for so long and have been through everything together. I've got this handled, but you need to listen to me in the meantime. Understood?"

Jungkook nodded his head as Taehyung reluctantly removed his hand from about his mouth. Taehyung was worried. He knew that it would only be a matter of time until Cupid put everything together. They would have to stall for time before he tried to do something worse than what he had done in the past. First the curse of being a mortal. Then Charming the bunny turned human. Taehyung wouldn't be surprised if what happened next was something more deadly and dark.

He left Jungkook's bedroom after making sure the other was covered completely. As he entered the living room portion of their apartment, he saw that Jimin was sitting on the futon casting Taehyung a weird look. Taehyung could tell that Jimin had a lot of questions for the both of them, but he would answer all questions later. He had to help Jungkook get over to Ame first next door. Digging out his cell phone, he texted Ruby.

Taehyung
Are they ready?

- - -

Ready was a bit of an understatement. She had just gotten Charming and Ame situated in the darkness of Ame's bedroom before Taehyung texted. After realizing last night that the plan they had concocted had worked, they knew they would have to be working overtime now to keep it hidden from Cupid. There was already a big 'if' to that equation though. What if Cupid had already found out?

Ruby
They are ready whenever you are.

Charming sat on the bedroom floor next to the bunny cage; an arm draped about Ame's shoulders. He was happy - in a sense - that Ame hadn't let him go, but it was bittersweet to him that he had to be the stand in for Jungkook until they figured things out. He kept his arm about her as he heard people entering the apartment, watching as the light under the door went out shortly after the guests entered. Charming heard footsteps on their way to the bedroom door before it opened. The footsteps made their way across the room before stopping. Jungkook - with the aide of night vision glasses used the night before - moved to sit down on the other side of Ame, holding her hand tightly.

"This sucks that I can't see you," said Ame without saying his name.

Her own sense of awareness had come to her a little at a time overnight; more memories flooding her brain when she went to sleep. She couldn't imagine what Jungkook was going through. The son of Cupid. That revelation had definitely been a new one to her though. After their passionate kiss in the park last night that had flooded her mind with the memories of the night they met, Jungkook had told her who he was and why he had to disappear. It made sense and didn't make sense at the same time. She couldn't help but also wonder why someone who was in charge of love was so controlling and cold about it. Didn't Cupid believe that true love existed? Must love only exist if formed by him?

Ame felt Jungkook's fingers lace through hers as he held her hand tightly in the dark. He didn't say a word. He couldn't. Charming had to be the voice piece.

"You'll get to see me again in a bit," said Charming, trying to think of the right words to say. "For now, lets just enjoy being together...yeah?"

- - -

"I need some Tylenol," said Taehyung as he sat at the lit kitchen table with Ruby.

Jimin opted to stay at the apartment, saying he needed a break from the crazy train. On the table in front of Taehyung laid the notebook he'd been writing his reappearing memories in the night before. Now it was almost full. It made his head hurt.

Ruby got up from the table and went to grab a bottle from above the stove, coming back over with it and a glass of water. He put the pill in his mouth before chasing it down with the water. Ruby was still having a hard time letting this new reality sink in, even more so when she thought back on the cafe. Taehyung had called her his girlfriend. She moved to stand behind the back of his chair, gently running her fingers through his hair. Taehyung's tensed shoulders seemed to relax then as she did that.

"I just...we need to find a solution. This grace period won't last for long."

"I know," said Ruby.

Her eyes looked down at the open page of notes on the table. None of it made sense to her, but she also didn't study it for long. Those were his memories, and she had no business intruding on them unless he felt like sharing them.

"Everybody has a weakness though," continued Ruby. "Right?"

"Technically, yes," said Taehyung as he began to leaf through his notebook. He had written everything down in such a mad fever after they got back to the apartment last night that he couldn't even remember some of it. As he let his eyes wander through the pages, he paused when he came across a name.

"That's it!"

The sudden exclamation from Taehyung jumped Ruby to the point that her fingers flew free from his hair and she stepped back from him. Taehyung jumped out of his chair, wrapping his arms about Ruby as he spun her about the room.

"You're a genius, Ruby! He does have a weakness!"

She couldn't help but to giggle as she was twirled about the kitchen before Taehyung set her gently back down on her feet. His face was free of stress now as he looked at her. He looked relieved.

"So what do we have to do?" she asked.

"I'll tell you, but first I have to do this."

Without another word, Taehyung cupped Ruby's face in his hands and kissed her lovingly for a minute before pulling back. He grabbed the notebook off the table and pointed at a name he had written there.

"It's time that the Dream Team went on a road trip. I think I know exactly how we can stop Cupid before he strikes again."