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No Words - Interlude V-

Pairing: TaeKook x OC

Type: Interlude [Flashback Finale]

Genre: Idol! Poly!, Interracial, Tall Female, Smut, Angst, Fluff [if you squint]

Warning: Smut. Pining. A smidge of a Threesome [MMF]. More Pining? Angst. 

A/N - The final Interlude V - see what  I did there? Ha. Ok. This is longer, but I hope you can see the connections. We’ll be back to present drama after this. Thank you again for following this hot mess. Maybe there’s some poetic waxing? AND OMGG YA’LL THANKS TO ADMIN E FOR THE PRETTY COVER. WEEEE.

Words:  5.6K [thicc with it. so sorry]

—

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there’s any reaction? Both are changed. -Carl Jung

——————————————————————————

The saying goes that ‘sex changes everything.’ It is a constant nagging in the recesses of your mind. That once you drop your pants? It’s game over. Finito! Done-zo! It’s like you’re a banana, and you just exposed the ripe fruit of your soul. That’s mostly what letting someone into your body is like, after all. All that hubbub and bullshit about being a temple? Well, it’s no lie. We are all emotional receptacles, mismatched puzzle pieces waiting to find someone to fill us or complete a picture.

Who really thinks about these things, though?

When you’re entangled in limbs and lips chasing an electric high that robs your reason? Do you think about the person completing a part of your picture? Or the whole fucking thing? She remembered her mother always saying that love is ready when it’s ready - not when you’re ready for it.

And if you’re not ready when it is? Then what?

Taehyung was sound asleep. Winter began to rage outside, part of the reason why they had time off. Luckily, everybody in the dorm was thoroughly plastered with no plans to rise early for the day. His fingers flexed into emptiness, causing him to wake with a start. A pout formed on his face as he wiped his eyes, reaching for his cellphone, he was surprised it was only an hour after - “Oh, shit.”  

…An hour after he pressed her body into the mattress. He looked around, realizing he wasn’t in his room. He heard the rush of a shower. The sound of her moaning his name rushed back on replay in his brain. Tae gathered up his clothes and hers, settling them neatly on a chair. He saw a few calls and texts from Jeongguk, but he knew the maknae would be fast asleep by now.

The scent of lust still clung to him as he padded out of the room, following the shower sound down the hall. He cracked open the door, peeking inside, to billowing steam and humidity. He moved inside, shutting the door with a gentle click. She hadn’t noticed his presence - but he tilted his head, getting a good look at her now.

Granted, she was almost as tall as he was in her shoes. Without? She was still the tallest female on staff. She was deliciously proportioned. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth as he let his gaze lift from her feet upward. He saw bruises in purple blossom over the generous amount of ass. She was definitely thicker than most of the girls around them. But, he’s seen her carrying heavy equipment with the staff. There was a hidden musculature there if she flexed adequately.

She was just so fucking soft. He enjoyed the way his hands seemed to melt into her as he held her down. Her hips were full, there was a bit of softness around her stomach, and her breasts were more than a handful.

“Fuck.” A hissed whispered as he swallowed thickly. She was standing under the hot spray of water, wringing out her hair. He was hard all over again as he saw the welts in her shoulders. She spun with her eyes closed to further rinse her hair. He saw the love marks dotting the area below her collar bone.

She turned to put her hands on the wall, still unaware of his presence. His arms slid around her waist as he dared to let his hands settle into the wet nakedness of her body.

It was better than the first time. Nothing was holding them back. She didn’t try to stop as his tongue pressed against her shoulder. The scrape of his nails against the curve of her ass as he pulled her closer. She was so soft, responsive, as he pushed his hips into her.

Perfect.

Everything about her, to him, was perfect. He loved the way her skin felt beneath his teeth. The length of him pushed between her legs. He shuddered at the clench of her thighs around him. His fingers dug into her skin as tongue and teeth nibbled, licked, and marked her. The heat didn’t bother him at all.

She clung to him as he pushed between the squeeze of her thighs. He was going insane with want. His hands slid over her ass, and he pulled her against him. The squelching noises as he slipped between the folds of her sex. All he had to do was angle himself, just a little.

Taehyung didn’t care, not one bit. He spun her into the corner pinning her hips. She bit her lip as their eyes locked. He tilted his hips down, just so, causing the throbbing head of his cock to slip between those folds. Finally. Finally.

His tongue swept his lips as he held her firm. His whole body trembled with the effort to maintain control as he slipped upward.

…and inward.

She bit into his collarbone, and he knew there’d be a mark. She dug half-moon indentations into his flesh as he filled her again. Pressing her into the corner, her back making suction sounds as she connects to the marble tiling. He pulled her leg up as he drove into her. But it was slower, so fucking sweetly, and so devastating in the way he took his time.

At first, he rotated his hips as their mouths parted on heavy breaths. Their eyes lust blown and locked together in the eternal battle. The velvety slide of cock inside the tremor filled cavern of her body was something that she would hate to admit she needed. Their bodies couldn’t be any closer. He took long, languid strokes before he couldn’t resist the plush of her mouth. He leaned in, letting his lips ghost over hers.

A particularly deep thrust had her breath hitching, and he leaned in to steal it. They kissed until their tongues were slick and slippery. They kissed until the pressure was enough to bruise lips. He kissed until every breath of air she took ended inside of him. He could feel the hard prickle of her nipples against his skin. He groaned; she whimpered. He growled; she surrendered. He dropped to his knees with his fingers clutching her thighs as he buried his face into the swollen lips of her sex. He pulled a leg over his shoulder as he pushed his tongue inside of her. She wanted to curl in on herself, he reached a long arm up as her eyes rolled back. His fingers pinched, tugged, and turned a nipple as she shuddered. The slurp and suck noises were too much, the orgasm was vicious and swift. He drank her down, making sure to hold her aloft as her knees failed her. He smirked as she growled, tugging him up by the crown of his head. They kissed again as she registered the remnants of her on his lips. She spun him into the corner as she dropped to a crouch.

A few pumps had him looking to devour her again. She was eye line with that throbbing erection. Oh, he was big. She licked her lips as a plan of attack formed. Taehyung captured the moment for the spank bank later. He didn’t know if he should be scared - because she looked ready to feast in a fashion that wouldn’t be conducive to his health. His hands curled against his hip as he felt the tentative brush of her tongue. Her eyes lifted to his as she let her lips coast of the pulsating head. Then further, further, and further down.

He didn’t move a muscle, didn’t realize he was holding his breath. Until she swallowed him down - that…was a first. He wasn’t sure how he felt. She pulled back, and he coasted right down into her throat. There was a hoarse cry drowned out by the beat of the shower.

Oh, that was him? That was him. Yeah, the sloppy sound of her sucking him down like a summer popsicle was too much for him to handle. He finally took a breath as he let those long fingers sink into her scalp. He fucked into her mouth, a moist suction sound echoing as she breathed easily between thrusts. He growled as he kept a furious pace.

“No.” He tugged her upward, pushing her back into the corner. He pushed back inside of her. It was easy to tell the difference between the shower fall and that thick slick accumulating between her legs. He hefted her up, driving inside of her as he bit into the top of her breast.

She knocked her head against the shower wall as he took a nipple in his mouth. She clenched, and he panted into her skin. He rotated the angle and smacked right into her g-spot, causing her to clamp down and hold him. Her fingers dug into the nape of his neck.

The sounds, the sensations, the intensity of this fuck threatened to crack the wall. He was there, and he pushed her over the edge, time, and time again. He dragged every vibration out of her until his nails seemed to pierce her skin. Taehyung released the nipple pulling her mouth to his. The hoarse cry, the roar, the growl, and the whimper died on her tongue as he finally exploded.

He leaned into the wall, fearing the ineptitude of his own legs. They were littered with pink and purple blossomed evidence that they had crossed the line. He let her down after their hearts stopped knocking against each other.

Sometimes you learn so much about a person by spending time with them. Sometimes you learn by talking to them. And intimacy is the most profound conversation that you can have with someone. It tore barriers, exposed raw truths, and new realities.

New truth: There is something.

They washed each other in heavy silence. He relished in the softness of her skin, learning the spots that caused her to moan or sigh. She enjoyed the broadness of his frame, the tender places that caused his cock to jump.

They left the shower with towels draped around them. They sat on opposite sides of the bed, the silence thick.

“Taehyung…” She broke the silence first.

“…I know, Noona. I-I know.” He swallowed thickly as the fringe of his hair hid his gaze. He got dressed, grabbed his phone, and prepared to leave her room. He balled his fists turned around, long legs placed him in front of her again. He tilted her face kissing her again. Agonizingly slow, so fucking passionate, so much like I really might fucking love you.

She clawed into her bed to keep from pulling him down again. When she didn’t? He broke the kiss and left, even faster this time. The door to her apartment closed, and she ran her fingers across her lips. She turned to grab a pillow, bury her face inside of it, and ignore the ache in her chest.

————————————————————————————

Taehyung was quiet as he walked back toward their side of the complex.

Not before he bumped into… “Tasha?”

She let her fingers comb through those micro plaits on her head. “Uh, g-good morning, V.” He could see hickeys lining her shoulder. She pulled her shirt up and quickly gave a polite bow, before heading back to the other side of the building.

He furrowed his brow as he kept walking but turned back, making sure she was gone.

“Good Morning, Taehyung-ah.” The Visual froze as he turned to see Namjoon leaning in the doorway.

Oh. Taehyung gave the nod to the leader. “Good morning, Namjoon-hyung.” He suddenly found himself tugging on the neck of his shirt. Namjoon’s arms were crossed as he smirked.

“It was a good morning for both of us, wasn’t it?” Taehyung tilted his head at the very obvious hickey on the Leader’s collarbone.

“I suppose it was, hyung.” They shared a knowing look before Namjoon backed inside his space with a wave.

Taehyung hurried back to his place, he stepped inside to see Jeongguk fast asleep on the couch. Video game controller on the floor, and various snack containers all over the place.

“Tsk, this kid.” He muttered as he found a blanket and pillow to tuck the maknae in. Fuck, cleaning could wait. He padded back toward the bedroom and fell into the bed. He watched the snowfall thick and slow outside.

He closed his eyes and let his brain roll memory like a reel as his body fell into an exhausted sleep. Taehyung’s lips curled into the faintest of smiles as he pulled a pillow against his chest. He could still feel her.

—————————————————————————————————–

You can’t force chemistry to exist where it doesn’t - in the same way, you can’t deny when it does. - Unknown.

——————————————————————————————————

1 week later - 4 days before Christmas.

They were done with award shows until the end of the month. They wanted to spend Christmas with their families. Some of the students had already returned to the states. A few of them hanging back to help out and finish up, opting to take New Years in the states instead.

Aside from her father, and a younger brother with a family of his own? She was in no rush to go back home. Funny enough? Tasha didn’t seem too eager to return home either. She figured something was up when Tasha kept mum about her previous night’s activities. They were both sporting some deep suction marks.

She was never more thankful for Tasha’s makeup expertise than now. Luckily, the splotches were faded. They were doing a pre-Christmas party before everyone took a few days to themselves. The party was at the giant common space inside the building.

She finally put two and two together as she noted Namjoon and Tasha stealing secret glances. She couldn’t help the lazy smile from splitting her face watching them. Watching them. Watching everyone. Trying to watch everything except Taehyung blatantly trying to access the directory to her soul from across the room.

She hadn’t returned any of his text messages. She sure as hell made sure to not be left alone with him. She definitely made sure to stay busy as fuck. Because that just couldn’t happen again. The heaviness that weighed on her for breaking protocol was too much to bear.

No, that was a lie, wasn’t it?

The heaviness of that connection scared her shitless. That was too much to bear. The inkling of want blossoming in her gut was too much to bear. They all exchanged gifts, drank sikhye, and way too much egg nog. Like, drank too much that the karaoke was way too funny. Like, drank too much that people didn’t care who got kissed under the mistletoe.

She moved into the kitchen to busy herself with something other than inebriated antics. She moved into a walkway and felt large hands around her waist. She looked over her shoulder as those hands belong to none other than, “Gguk-ah? You gave me a fright.” Enough to sober her up a hair more. But the maknae was obviously three shades to the wind.

“N-noona, I caught you.” He smirked that fraction down at her. Her brow arched as she pondered, but he pointed upward. “Is there a game to see if everybody can get a mistletoe kiss?”

She chuckled. But, she didn’t register that wide-eyed look for anything but alcohol. “Alright, Gguk-ah, you got me. I have to pay up, right?” She turned to press a kiss on his cheek. Her eyes went wide when he framed her face and kissed her. Tongue tasting like soju and dark liquor-filled eggnog. She pulled away when he moaned, licking her lips out of reflex.

It wasn’t just the moan, it was the rigid press of dick straining his jeans. A hip thrust into her abdomen that made her clench.

And as if that didn’t just beat all?

She felt a familiar heat lance her skin - turning to see Taehyung staring dark daggers at them both. She didn’t see Jeongguk smirking as Taehyung approached. That magnetizing connection between the two was sweltering; she swallowed the lump in her throat. Even as Tae turned his body toward her. “Oh look, Noona. Mistletoe.” Her eyes were wide as Taehyung kissed her.

Kissed her in a way that she felt the fire in her face. She almost; almost wanted to sink into him. Until she realized that Jeongguk had that hungry look to his face as he watched them. Oh no, ma’am!

They were going to turn into some threeway Christmas feast if she wasn’t careful. Her teeth sank into Tae’s lip until it bled. Her eyes narrowed as she brushed past them into the kitchen space. He hissed as he rubbed his finger against his mouth, his tongue followed. Jeongguk and Taehyung let their gazes travel up toward the mistletoe as they watched her; Jeongguk leaned forward, taking a swipe at Tae’s bloody lip with his tongue.

Oh god. Her hand reached to fist at the fabric of her sweater. She turned on her heel and swiftly left the kitchen. Those two sets of eyes watched, the sensation sudden familiar as she popped back into the common room. “Ah! Finally!” Jimin came over to you with open arms. He kissed both her cheeks and wrapped her in a warm hug. “I’ve done it! I’ve kissed everyone under the mistletoe! I want my prize!” She laughed as he threw his hands in the air. She moved farther away from the kitchen, trying to forget. Trying to quiet the sudden hunger that nothing to do with food.

“She does taste good.” Jeongguk hopped on the kitchen counter with a smirk. Taehyung still stared at the space where she had lingered. Dark eyes turned to the maknae as he moved toward him.

“Better than you can imagine.” His voice was a low rumble that made the younger shudder involuntarily. “I don’t think I want to share, Gguk-ah.”

“Come on, hyung. What’s a little sharing between friends?” The maknae tilted his head as his tongue poked an outline into his cheek. Jeongguk’s jealousy was legendary.

So was Taehyung’s.

“She’s different, Jeongguk.”

“I know, Taehyung.”

The deep magnetizing draw between the two seemed to spark the air. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Tae stood between Jeongguk’s legs. The younger smirked as the chestnut fall of hair partially obscured his eyes.

“What’s yours is mine. What mine is mine.” The Maknae repeated words uttered long ago. The echo of teeth crunching was broken as Hobi stumbled into the kitchen.

“Hey! Hey! Y-you guys wait until the party is over for all that, yeah?” He waved a hand at them with a snort. “Now move your butt, Gguk-ah the punch bowl is empty!” Jeongguk smirked at Tae before hopping down.

“I’ll get it, Hobi-hyung, sorry about that.” He pulled the pitcher out of the fridge, following the excited dance captain back into the common room.

Tae’s fist balled against the countertop. They had all had their dalliances. They were adults, after all,  and it just took a lot of coordination and planning for getting out. Everybody had the one person they gravitated to in the group, though they were all family. Tour time got long and lonely, they played safe and carefully.

But in the end, they always had each other. And now? This woman waltzes into their existence. He admires her strength, her resolve - and the fact that she was stunning was just a plus. What was he doing? She was right; they had gone too far.

The rules of etiquette clearly broken - and the pangs of jealousy stirring his empty gut told him something different. His eyes closed as he rolled his neck on his shoulders. The irritation contorting his face as the picture of Jeongguk kissing her flickered in his gaze.

Give me what is mine, he told her. Never had he ever. Did he even want to…

So why was this different? Why was she different. He had all the time in the world to find out. He took a deep, cleansing breath and rejoined the party. Suga and Jimin were smothering each other in drunken kisses while everyone laughed.

Tasha and Namjoon were inebriated enough to lean and cling to each other. A few hours later, as people reached their limit, they stumbled full of laughter out of the standard room. Jin, Hobi, and a few other TDs laughed themselves out of the room. A mention of a sports game still happening.

Jimin, Suga, and a few PDs said the same and made their way out.

“Tasha, would you…care to listen to that demo I told you about?” Namjoon’s voice tickled Tasha’s ear and caused the desire to pool in her panties.

“A-ah, s-sure, Namjoon-ah. I’d love to.” The way their fingers interlaced and they ate each other with their gazes caused a pang of jealousy to rise in Tae. Tasha and Namjoon disappeared as the stragglers organized the debris. She helped to try to keep herself busy before a hand snaked around her waist. “Jeongguk..” There was a warning in her tone because she recognized the hold.

“Noona.” No, don’t say it like that. Not when that other hand snaked up the back of her neck. Not when Taehyung tugged her head back, not when he’s already fired up.

“You should leave that for now.” That deep vibrating bass had beads of sweat dotting her forehead. Jeongguk got his hands around her waist, sliding down over the curve of her ass. He pulled her hips against his as Tae tugged her head toward. “Did you really think you could ignore me?” He tilted his head at her as she felt the maknae breath a hot alcoholic breath against the exposed column of her neck.

“That you could ignore this?” The pull? The intensity? The forbidden nature of it all? Oh, she had tried.

Her lashes lowered, Jeongguk dragged his tongue along the skin exposed by Taehyung. The blue of her eyes deepened as they boxed her in between their bodies.

She moaned as Taehyung’s mouth crashed upon hers, Jeongguk sliding up, fighting for his share.

Man, this is so far out of the fucking line. She moved back as the men deepened their kiss and their hold on her.

She could have sworn she’s read stories with plotlines like these. But it wasn’t for her. She didn’t fit the profile for this kind of scenario. Her eyes narrowed as her hands slid up the nape of both their necks. Their fingers dug into her flesh as she pushed them in to deepen their kiss.

And then?

She tugged.

….hard.

Causing both men to bump teeth, retract, moan, and stare at her. There was something serpentine, sly about the look on her face. She tugged them both down that fraction to her level. “You like to play games, right? Fine. Let’s play.”

They practically carried her to her apartment. She backed inside, her sweater discarded as they kicked the door shut behind them. Tae made sure to engage all the locks. Her heart raced as she thumbed the button of her pants, stepping out of her shoes. They were like two predators closing in on their prey.

Lust-blown pupils, buttons flew, shirts were discarded. She licked the sheen of sweat above her lip as they all made it to her bedroom. She was down to her panties, the back of her legs meeting the mattress.

Taehyung and Jeongguk stood side by side - and by the gods, if this was the last thing she was to see before she died? She’d be okay with it. They both were out of their pants and boxers faster than she could turn her head.

Angry erections fueled by lust, jealousy, and alcohol. She leaned up on her elbows. Might as well break all the rules, right?

They didn’t remember who made the first move. It just happened - fast. Lips, tongues, moans, and groans. Something was happening that neither of them anticipated.

“F-fuck! Fuck, I’m fucking…” Jeongguk lurched as if he’d been punched. His teeth buried in her shoulder.

“…gonna, a-ah! Ah, fuck can’t hold it. Can’t..” Taehyung pulled her head down, whimpering into her mouth.

White noise.

She didn’t hear a thing as her body tensed, hard. They all took a shuddering breath in unison. The boys felt their hearts stop as their hips bucked once, twice …

“Come for me.” She moaned.

She felt nails prick her skin as she felt their bodies tremble, shake, and explode. They pushed as far inside of her as they could go and dragged her right along that orgasmic current.

Tangled limbs in her bed again. Snow falling heavy and thick outside her window. Substantial and thick like the scent in the room. Heavy like the arms draped across her hip. Thick like the thigh tucked against her backside.

Tangled like her fucking feelings.

Tangled like his fucking feelings.

She felt good against him, fit so perfectly against him. His fingers pulled her upper half into his reach. His lips ghosting the shell of her ear. “I want you all to myself.”

——————————————————————————————–

“Sex is an emotion in motion.” ― Mae West

——————————————————————————————

Christmas Day.

   V: Merry Christmas, Noona.

   PDNoona: Merry Christmas, V.

   V: Really?

   Ggukie: Oh, are you mad hyung?

   PDNoona: Shut it, squirt. Enjoy your family time.

They prepared for the end of the year show. One big final push with all the stress, work, and secrecy for the next comeback. All the hardship and turmoil that had increased with the revelation of inter staff relations. Namjoon kept his head up even after Tasha left. They noticed her waiting for a van one morning, red puffy eyes as she stepped inside.

Namjoon was on his phone most of the time, so it didn’t seem suspicious when he kept checking it.

It was almost New Years before he heard anything back from her. You could tell it was her, by the way, his mood had lightened.

But Tae, on the other hand?

Tae couldn’t help the bitter swell inside of him. Because she left on Christmas Day. She responded to their text messages while sitting in Incheon Airport. Her own eyes were red and puffy. She felt like she was running away, she felt like a coward. She knew that if they were found out, the consequences could be grave.

Not only that? Their work visas were up - and they needed to return home to reapply for a new visa. That and they needed to prepare presentations about their work.

She came to do a job - to get experience. She got all that.

And maybe she might have fallen in love in the process. She was sure that this would be something that would help her grow. She learned things about herself that she couldn’t have in the states.

“I’m sorry.” She stared at her phone before turning it off.

She never turned that phone back on.

There’s nothing like meeting the right person at the wrong time.

———————————————————————————–

Happy New Year! 6 months later. Chicago, Il.

“Ok, everybody remembers what you’re supposed to do?” The Head PD looked at the gathered staff. “It’s cold. Make sure to keep warmers. Pay attention to your monitors, keep your walkies close.”

The new group of students was wide-eyed and excited. “Alright, this is the HQ. This is where everything happens, pay attention.”

She felt a tap on her shoulder as the count down started in her ear. “You got this?”

She nodded. “Oh yeah, like riding a bike.”

She had finished her coursework in time to jump in on the production staff request. She’d be at the board with no interaction with the boys. It had been almost 7 months since she left to come back home. She knew Tasha was lovesick for Namjoon. Their popularity had exploded, and she knew it would be impossible.

Tasha was out there, though, among the Army - front and center with a headset.

“We’re at zero, chase pattern is go.”

The Rap line came out for Tear. Each member clinging to an area of the stage. Hobi moved to the front, spitting his bars right to the camera. The crowd went wild as the Rap line ad-libbed with him.

Namjoon saw Tasha.

Tasha saw Namjoon.

The stage went dark as the boys retreated for a costume change.

Namjoon had a stern set to his face, his finger toying with his bottom lip.

“Hyung?” Tae’s deep voice disturbed him from his thoughts. He was moments away from his solo performance.

“I saw her, Tae.” Namjoon put his hands on his hips.

Taehyung furrowed his brow, “Who did you see?”

“I saw Tasha Taehyung-ah. She’s on staff.” Namjoon glanced at Tae with a brow ticked upward.

It took a moment between their heavy eye contact to register what he meant. Taehyung’s eyes widened as he looked around them. Namjoon turned him back to face him.

“Subtle, Tae. You know there are cameras everywhere.” Namjoon moved down that created passageway. Tae stepped on the platform, trying to calm his thundering heart.

If Tasha was here - then maybe?

———————————————————————————————–

All of the best love stories have one thing in common; you have to go against the odds to get there - Unknown

———————————————————————————————-

2 hours later.

“I’m exhausted.” She groaned. “Tash?”

Tasha was glued to her phone. “I’m going to see him.” She looked firm in her resolve. She could only offer her friend a smile.

“Go get him.” Tasha wrapped her up in a hug before grabbing her things.

She was almost out the door when she turned. “Stop fighting it, girl.” Tasha sighed softly.

“What are you talking about?

“You know what I’m talking about. Stop ignoring him. I saw how he looked at you for two whole years, girl. Love just happens. Stop before you regret it.” Tasha frowned, and she left.

She stood watching the empty doorway shaking her head. It won’t matter, she was sure of it. She kept lying to herself about it. The head PD came knocking on the door.

“You did well today.” He offered a short bow, she responded in kind. “I’d like you to come up and talk to the new kids. Maybe help with the new recruits? Most of your class were already assigned to other production companies.”

“Yeah, of course!” She extended her hand, excited to pass the baton. He took her hand, clasped it firmly. “It’s good to have you back on the team.” He turned and left her to finish up.

Back on the team?

She traveled the understage passageways - she knew them well this time around. She came up to the wings and stopped when a shadow blocked her.

“Hello, Noona.” Taehyung’s eyes glittered eerily in those green contacts.

There it was. That heavy electric pulsation flaring to life all over again. She kept her tone professional, neutral. “Hello, V. You did well out there today.” She smiled and moved to walk by him.

He stepped in front of her. “You never texted me back.” There was a smidge of hurt in his tone. She swallowed thickly, tilting her head. “V, listen..”

“That’s not my name.”

“Taehyung, look. We’re not…I’m not…We can’t, ok?” She fought for words, and there was no lie that she could spit that would make sense. “We just can’t.”

“I thought you were braver than this.” A muscle ticked in his jaw.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you. This is for the best.” She didn’t dare look into his eyes.

“What about what I think?” He grits his teeth. “…what I feel?”

“I’m here to learn and make sure these new students reap the benefits of working with you all. That’s it.” She was almost convincing herself. Tae gave her an incredulous look. “That’s it. That’s all. So do me a favor, and please don’t charm the new kids, yea?” She managed to tease as that bravado fell over her.

He grabbed her wrist as she walked off. His breathing heavy and erratic, “This isn’t over. I’m not done with you yet. I told you..” He yanked her closer their actions obscured by the thick curtains.

“I want you all to myself.” The sound of his voice still caused her to shiver. The sound of footsteps approaching had him releasing her quickly. He stepped back into the shadows allowing her to immediately join the group from stage right.

BTS appeared from stage left.

Namjoon gave an impassioned speech about the importance of music - and their message. Jeongguk recognized her, and he smirked as he watched her with the new recruits. Taehyung kept a pleasantly neutral face as they prepared to take their picture.

And the professor announced the new recruits for round two of the program. While congratulating those from the first round, who were now going to work with BigHit for the next global tour.

Welcome to the team. She suddenly remembered the Head PD coming to find her. She thought it was strange! A dream come true - the opportunity.

The nightmare unfolding as she and Taehyung locked eyes.

It’s funny; You try to hide your feelings…

…but your eyes speak volumes.

The signs of a Lowcountry autumn.