Tied Like Puppets [ TaeJinKook ]

Chapter 10

Jimin and Yoongi and Seokjin got home at around 11:00. After the serious conversation about Taehyung and Jungkook and Seokjin, Jimin and Yoongi and Seokjin had run around everywhere, buying pretty things at random and eating as much as they felt like they could. Seokjin was home with three bags on his arms, full of little things he didn't really need, but that was okay. He needed a night of being a little irresponsible anyway; it got his mind off of Taehyung and Jungkook-

Right up until he walked to his room. The door was shut, and Seokjin's arms were weighed down with bags. He lifted the arm with only one bag on it and knocked on the door, patiently waiting for Taehyung- or maybe Jungkook this time- to open up the door.

"Hyung," Taehyung said, and he threw himself into Seokjin's open, heavy arms. Seokjin's eyes widened, and he looked at Taehyung- confused. He glanced at Jungkook, who was sitting on the bed, holding tightly to Seokjin's favorite pillow.

"We thought you went and ran off into the cold like an idiot." Taehyung said, pulling away. He wasn't crying, as Seokjin had kind of assumed, but he did look extremely upset. "And then Yoongi and Jimin weren't home, and Namjoon and Hoseok didn't know where the three of you had gone, and we really thought you were sick again and Yoongi and Jimin were visiting you in the hospital."

"I'm-I'm sorry. I'm okay." Seokjin said. He looked down at the bags on his arm, an idea coming to mind. "Hey, do you guys want some knick-knacks? Jimin, Yoongi, and I went running around all over and I bought a bunch of useless stuff that we could decorate our room with, if you want. I have three bags so- you guys can each pick a bag. If you want."

Taehyung stared at Seokjin for a long time, then he slapped Seokjin's shoulder hard. Seokjin gasped, bringing his heavy arm up to cover his shoulder with his hand. "Ow- Taehyung! Why'd you do that?"

"We're worried and you're being so-" Taehyung looked upset, but he started laughing, head falling against his chest. Seokjin looked at Jungkook, maybe for answers, but Jungkook was just laughing, too, and Seokjin was so confused-

"Jungkook and I were talking about you." Taehyung said, looking back up. He had been laughing- Seokjin knew he'd been laughing, but there were tears on his cheeks, and Seokjin kind of wondered if he had been crying, too. "We were just talking about how stupid and how funny you could be before you came home- and how worried we were that we might actually lose you this time. We were so fucking close to losing you to the cold, and it was our faults- because you thought- you really thought we didn't love you. And we've been trying really hard to think of a way to make you believe that we actually do love you so you didn't go out and get yourself hurt again, but- really, you- really, we really thought we lost you this time, but you were just out buying knick-knacks with Yoongi-hyung and Jimin-hyung, and now you want to decorate the room with them-"

Taehyung broke out into laughter again, bringing his hands up to his face to wipe away the tears. Jungkook continued laughing in the background, a little quieter than Taehyung. "Oh, hyung, I love you so much."

The amount of times Taehyung had mentioned love had Seokjin pulling Taehyung in quick. Their lips smashed together hard, almost as hard as the bags smashed into Taehyung's front. Taehyung ignored the bags- maybe didn't even feel them, and pressed his palms to Seokjin's chest. Seokjin thought he might push away, but he didn't; he also didn't wrap his fingers up in Seokjin's shirt.

"I'm sorry." Seokjin said, pulling away. He let the bags fall off of his arms, set them on the ground gently so he didn't break the knick-knacks he'd spent way too much money on. "I'm so sorry-"

"You're sorry for what?" Taehyung whispered. He was blushing, and he had a smile playing at his lips.

"I'm-" Seokjin stopped, wondering if maybe saying he was sorry for kissing Taehyung would give Jungkook and Taehyung the wrong idea again- and he didn't want to go on a wild goose chase of feelings to try to get their heads back in the right place again.

"Hyung, you have to kiss me, too." Jungkook said. He dragged Seokjin's favorite pillow along with him as he crawled forward on the bed. He was sitting on the edge of it when he stopped, tapping on his lips. He had Seokjin's favorite pillow resting in his lap and an expectant look in his eyes.

"You- you want me to?" Seokjin asked. Jungkook rolled his eyes and stood up, grabbing Seokjin and pulling him in. Seokjin's favorite pillow was squished between their chests. All oxygen left Seokjin's lungs, and he grabbed onto Jungkook's sides, holding him as tight as his weak fingers would let him.

"We'll give you one more chance, hyung, if you want to join us this time." Jungkook said, smirking. "But only because we love you."

-

"And, for the record, we really did love you all long."