bultaonene

[bultaonene]

tk american gods au

"Well well well, if it isn't my favorite god."

Jeongguk slams his glass on the counter at the words, so violently that he almost expects it to shatter. He really isn’t in the mood.

"You know why I'm here," he hisses through gritted teeth, words barely escaping his mouth. He rushed here as soon as he got the news, both to desperately try to drown his worries with alcohol and to see Yoongi.

"Do I?" Of course he does. Every living god, old or new, has heard of it. 

The Allfather has died. The king of the gods is no more.

And Yoongi has to know what happened.

"Do not play with me, Lògos."

He uses his old name, one of the many. Yoongi is far older than him, he has been the same for so long. Jeongguk is so young compared to him, a child. Even if his domain is just as old as Yoongi's. Even older.

"I want to know what happened. I want to know who did it. And you are going to tell me."

Yoongi laughs at that, low and deep as the sea, humorless. His hair is so fair it looks white and it only adds to his overall paleness. He looks like a ghost.

"I am an old god, Watatsumi. That doesn't mean I know everything."

He uses another name for Jeongguk too, but if the younger one did it to try and make him remember (who he is, who he should be), Yoongi does it to mock him. After all, it’s his name, yes, but it isn’t at the same time. Jeongguk is too young of a god to have heard that name on the prayers that have reached him.

Yoongi makes a gesture to the bartender, not speaking a single word.

(And oh, the irony of that.)

Jeongguk grips his own glass even more tightly and he can't contain his rage, which spills out of his mouth like water pouring from a pitcher.

"Don't bullshit me, you are-"

"I know who I am, child." He speaks with a booming voice and Jeongguk feels his power, his authority. Now more than ever, Yoongi is looking down on him. Jeongguk doesn't dare to speak and so the old god continues, reaching for the drink the waiter has just set on the counter.

He twirls the glass, watching the dark liquid swirling around. Whiskey, or maybe rhum. Jeongguk was never good with alcohol you have to taste – he's much better at downing it.

"I know who I am," he repeats, sounding sure but dejected. Like he knows but it doesn't count anymore, it doesn't matter. "But oaths and promises have no meaning now, humans only speak lies. I am nearly meaningless."

Yoongi looks at him, eyes burning but so terribly tired. He has always looked immortal, powerful, even ancient; but now, even with the face of a twenty-something years old as his eternal appearance, he looks old. Weary, worn out.

"Words are empty. Being their god has little meaning in this world, doesn't it?"

---

Yoongi didn't give him anything to work with, but he did give him a name.

"Kim Seokjin. Sounds like a human name."

It does, but Seokjin is another old god, just one closer to humans than most. He has been living on Earth for so long that he behaves like a mortal, even if his power is in no way so low.

"We all have plenty of names. He just has one that sounds different, don't underestimate him for this."

Namjoon is sitting in front of him, legs crossed and fingers drumming impatiently on the sofa’s armrest. Next to him Hoseok is sprawled on the couch, his feet tapping a rhythm on the floor that only he can hear.

"I need to question him. I will drag him here and beat the answers out of him, if I must."

Hoseok laughs and it sounds mocking. It’s always difficult to tell with him – he is genuine and honest, but he is above most and he knows it. "You? Against Seokjin? You wouldn't last a second."

"His domain is lust," declares Namjoon, as a way to complete Hoseok’s sentence. They are a strange pair, different but made from the same material. Namjoon is dressed in a smart suit, Hoseok in street clothes, and no one would be able to tell they are brothers, twins, two sides of the same coin.

Jeongguk feels the difference between him and them like it’s a bag of stones sitting on his shoulders. "A god of fertility? He might be ancient, but I have no reason to fear him."

Hoseok laughs again, feet playing a different beat now. Quicker, more frantic, and it’s almost creepy that he can be so still while his feet are dancing away. Next to him, Namjoon clicks his tongue and checks his watch, the fingers tapping on the armrest getting quicker. He scoffs and goes straight to the point.

"No, foolish boy. Lust isn't only restricted to the sexual sphere. Bloodlust. Wanderlust. Lust is craving, yearning – I said his domain is lust, but maybe you would understand better if I tell you that his domain is desire."

"You can't win against him, Epactaeus,” adds Hoseok and again, another name that Jeongguk has but that is not his. “If you wish for something, he will have power over you. If you yearn, you are doomed."

A clock strikes midnight somewhere near and both gods turn towards it with a snap of their bodies, like dogs that have sniffed out prey. But only for a moment. They turn to Jeongguk soon after.

Some people call them Fate, or Destiny. Some call them Death and Life. But everyone calls them Time. And they are both Time, both powerful and ancient, yet different.

Hoseok is the beat of a song, Namjoon is the click of a metronome. One is Chaos, the other is Order.

And Jeongguk hates asking for help, hates needing it, but he can’t do anything else.

"Then what do I do? I need him."

Namjoon does something with his mouth that almost looks like a smirk. "You are lucky. Seokjin may have power over all our weaknesses, but he has a weakness of his own."

"He has a brother,” continues Hoseok, always following his brother and always with him. “Powerful too, but less than him. Or in a different way, at least. Seokjin would do anything for him."

Namjoon and Hoseok tilt their heads then, at the same time, and it’s just as creepy as when the clock struck midnight. But it is to be expected – they are the same thing, after all. Just in different forms.

"You won't be able to face Kim Seokjin. But Kim Taehyung, him you may be able to tame."

---

Namjoon and Hoseok, like Yoongi, have given him only a name to work with. Kim Taehyung is even stranger than his brother – he seems to be everywhere, but no one knows anything about him. They say he's powerful and they say he's weak, his power flowing and ebbing like waves of the sea Jeongguk controls. 

He doesn't understand this desire the Kim brothers seem to share, this wish to be near the humans. They ruin so much, with their petty fights and unreasonable wants. The gods depend on them to exist but Jeongguk's domain is the sea and he can't help but hate them for what they are doing to it, to him.

He is Jeongguk, but he also has been and is Olokun, Tiamat, Morskoi and so many others. But he will never have a human name.

No one seems to know what this Taehyung is god of. Jeongguk thinks about it, trying to figure out how to corner him, how to find him. He is related to Seokjin, so maybe a god of love? Of pregnancy or motherhood? Taehyung is a male name but gender has always been a human thing. The gods don't care and they take female and male forms going from one to another, sometimes refusing to settle on either. 

But it feels wrong somehow. Seokjin's domain is so big. Thinking his brother is the god of love seems too restrictive, too obvious and irrational at the same time. So he doesn't know and he can't understand, and it makes his blood boil.

He spends weeks asking around, looking for him. He makes a show of it, leaving his name everywhere so that Kim Taehyung will know who is after him. It’s a risky move, but Jeongguk can feel how the world is shifting after the death of the Allfather. How humans are abandoning them, letting deities that have served them since the first human was born fade away to nothing. It was hard before the Allfather died, but now faith is crumbling like a poorly built sandcastle and the gods are sinking like ships with pierced keels.

The prayers of sailors and wives waiting at home, the wonder of children swimming for the first time – it all keeps him alive, saves him from the worst. But for how long? Years? A decade? A century?

And then what? Will he die as the Young God? Will he fade away inexperienced, killed by a war among gods desperate to stay alive? No. He won’t.

He needs Kim Seokjin. And to get him, he needs his brother. So he looks for him, searches in every nook and cranny, screams his name in a void and gets no answer. He doesn’t give up.

He doesn't find Kim Taehyung. In the end, Kim Taehyung finds him.

---

“I don’t want to say this is all very underwhelming, but it kinda is.”

Dressed in a suit, a toothpick between his teeth; Kim Taehyung doesn’t look like the person Jeongguk has been desperately searching for. As he said himself, Jeongguk too was expecting so much – a mystery, an enigma, a terrible foe.

Kim Taehyung feels dangerous, yes, but he came to him so bluntly, so simply, that Jeongguk feels unbalanced.

“I have been looking for you,” he says, tone harsh. Jeongguk has been begging smaller gods for a scrap of information on Kim Taehyung and in the end, this is how it is? He just needed to wait and he would appear in front of him, unarmed and cocky?

Fucking gods with human names. Always so messy and irritating.

“Oh believe me, I know.”

The arrogant tone is what makes Jeongguk snap. If he was a more mature god, maybe he would’ve noticed how innaturaly angry he is. How quick his annoyance rose, how the desire to fight has taken hold of him in a span of seconds. How suspiciously emotional it is, even for him.

Jeongguk is not a mature god, and so he grabs Kim Taehyung by the lapels of his jacket and slams him against the wall.

“Are you playing with me?” he growls, eyes storming like the sea he commands. “Because I am not. I need something from you and you will give it to me.”

The loss of the Allfather, his uncontrolled powers, the need to prove himself and his failings at that – it all rises like high tide inside of him, threatening to spill. He can barely see Kim Taehyung’s stupid face with fury and helplessness clouding his sight.

But then he does see his face for a second. The Kim brother before him is smirking like a madman, happy to see Jeongguk like this. The fucking toothpick is still in his mouth as Jeongguk slams him against the wall again, then releases him like he’s burning his skin.

“What the fuck have you done to me?” he asks, hackles rising. The fury recedes, goes back to normal levels instead of threatening to suffocate him and it’s like a veil comes off his eyes.

Kim Taehyung looks exactly how he did seconds ago, except he doesn’t. It is there now, the mystery and the enigma, and power sits on his skin like morning dew on the fresh grass. He fixes his jacket, crinkled by Jeongguk’s hands and there is something red smeared on his white shirt.

“I did nothing, little sea god,” he throws a smirk at Jeongguk, playful and sharp. “You just… indulged in your own repressed emotion. With a little help, maybe.”

"You are a god of violence." Jeongguk says it with absolute certainty. He doesn’t let rage and bloodlust take him, never. The sea can be storms and tsunamis but there is far more danger in still waters that you don’t know the depth of.

Taehyung makes a displeased sound, rolls the toothpick between his teeth. "Violence? That sounds so crass. No, my domain is simply what humans must do to survive: fight.”

He says it so easily, like it’s not atrocious when humans destroy each other, when they pollute the waters with dead bodies and blood. No, he says it like it’s glorious and fun, a huge smile on his face as he talks.

“You know, in the end we aren't so different, you and I. You are born from the sea and I am born from blood. Just two different kinds of liquids."

“We,” he spits out, disgusted by the comparison, “couldn’t be more different. How can you mingle with humans and encourage their death in the same breath?”

“Ah little dolphin, so young. So naive.”

Jeongguk clenches his fists at the patronizing tone, but doesn’t give in. It’s Taehyung’s game and he won’t fall for it twice.

The blood-stained god chuckles at him and his gaze is a weapon on its own, one Jeongguk isn’t sure how to defend himself from. He takes one step towards him then a second one, and Jeongguk can only watch, too tense to do otherwise.

“Humans need to thrive and to thrive, they need to prevail. And for some to prevail, others need to lose.”

He says it so matter-of-factly, so detached. Maybe the Kim brothers don’t live on Earth because they love humanity more. Maybe they just want to be close when humans crash and burn, when they’ll collapse like a dying star.

Jeongguk doesn’t care. Humans are a tool, one they all need, but he has more pressing matters.

“Fine, the humans must fight each other. But the gods are different, better. We must stop them, must stop the gods from-"

"Stop the gods from what?” interrupts the other and this time he is the one who’s angry, tone sharp. “The humans are forgetting us, Jeongguk. They don't pray and they don't believe. If we have to fight to survive, just like they do, then we will."

"We are not like them. We have the power-"

"We?” He laughs loudly and Jeongguk reddens in shame as he recognizes the irony, but he doesn’t say more. “Who's this 'we' you are talking about? You are a god of the sea, younger than most. And I have no interest in stopping what's coming next."

Taehyung stomps towards him with purpose now, a predator cornering his prey. His eyes are blazing with fire and he seems sharper now, as if someone shaped his features to be cutting and deathly.

He is in front of Jeongguk now, shoulders wide and mouth in a thin line. The toothpick is still there.

"You think you are endless just because you rule over the sea? Your domain is vast, but there's something that reaches much further than that."

His voice is deep and Jeongguk can almost feel it rumbling in his chest, his bones. Kim Taehyung carries himself like he’s a loaded gun, a keen-edged blade, and Jeongguk thinks that maybe he is, that with eyes like those he could be.

Taehyung speaks with his deep voice, looks at him with deep eyes, and Jeongguk feels like what men dying on the battlefield must feel.

"A dam can stop the sea. But nothing can stop war."

or: The king of all gods is dead. In an era where people do not believe in gods anymore, the deities are weak and almost disappearing. They have to fight among themselves and the ones to prevail will be the gods who stay. The others, forgotten. 

Gods change. At least, most gods do. So Jeongguk is the new version of the god of the sea, a young deity. And he has no intention to die so soon.

He needs to solve the mystery. Who killed the Allfather? Why? Why now? To solve the puzzle, he will need help. And that won't be simple, not at all.

The Kim brothers are a different kind of god. Every god is born from people, but they are born among them. They can't rise to the Dilmun, the land of the gods. They aren't involved with the Allfather's death, but it is very convenient for them.

Until something tries to kill them.

Whoever killed the Allfather doesn't want any of the old gods around, not even the rejected ones like Seokjin and Taehyung. Taehyung thrives on war. But maybe, he needs to wage war on the right people.

The second time he appears in front of Jeongguk, it ends with a pact between the two of them. Jeongguk, the young god with the legacy of thousands of other deities, will protect the Kim brothers and find a way to let them in the Dilmun. Taehyung, the old god robbed of his own birthright, will help Jeongguk find what he needs. The oath they take is unbreakable and ties them until their ends are met.

The god of the sea and the god of war will march together this once, even if it's only for a while.

They make an Oath. Despite what Yoongi told him last time, words do have power and words spoken by gods... the pact they make is unbreakable, infinite. They are linked now, entertwined. They have power one over the other.

And thank fuck they do. Taehyung is... reckless, to put it very mildly.

Sure, he is a god born by war and blood. But is it really necessary to try and resolve everything with violence?

They need a diversion. Taehyung proposes to spill blood. They need to get in someone's good graces. Taehyung looks out for enemies he can kill. They need information. Taehyung wants to capture someone and stab them until they speak.

Jeongguk has to spend so much time reining him in, it's starting to be ridiculous.

He believes in order and diplomacy and being sneaky. Taehyung believes in barging in and scaring people to death. Their Oath binds them, so they both spend much of their time "tugging" each other through the Oath.

(Which basically means that Jeongguk has to restrain Taehyung from murdering everyone while Taehyung sometimes enjoys egging Jeongguk on until he is the one unleashing chaos and Taehyung can watch him while sipping on a glass of wine.)

Tae sacrificed his pride when he asked gguk's help and gguk will NEVER let him forget that, the annoying little shit

So of course working together and being near each other all the time isn't bad at all 👀👀 gguk won't admit that he's attracted to Tae tho and he blames seokjin sksksjskskss

Tae: r u done undressing me with your eyes? ;)))

Gguk: what?? Me??? How- what??? how dare u. I Would Never. It's your brother's influence!!!!

Jin: you two are DISGUSTING just make out and stop blaming me

But as they get to know each other better they also get to know their similarities – Gguk is afraid to never live up to his legacy, Tae knows that no matter what he'll always be considered a "lesser god". They are dismissed by other gods in a similar way and so they start to defend each other bc they know what is like when no one stands up for you :')))

At some point they get close to discovering what happened to the Allfather but they are attacked. Gguk leaves unscathed, bc his status as a major god makes him immune to certain weapons, but Tae is hurt very badly :((( cue gguk showing everyone exactly how violent can the sea be >:)) he wrecks and destroys everyone involved in the attack and he starts to be feared by ppl who dismissed him so easily >:))) when Tae wakes up he is so pissed lmao he can't believe he missed gguk wrecking havoc ALL ON HIS OWN his baby is grown :''))

Gguk: Tae... I did something wrong... I obliterated everyone in an extremely violent matter

Tae: and you DIDN'T INVITE ME???? BITCH!!! 

ok not to be NSFW but... Since they are gods and they live through prayers they both have a major praise kink 👀 the first time they Do The Deed™, Tae spends HOURS just worshiping gguk's body and just TELLING him what he wants to do with him and gguk is so riled up 🤤🤤

(NSFW) gguk literally comes as soon as Tae touches him that time and Tae brags about it for the rest of their lives lmao

(NSFW)

Gguk: and this is why I'm not listening to your advice.

Tae: remember when I made you cum just by talking to you??? My words were important back then 😪😪 you used to listen to me 😪😪

Gguk: can u stOP!!! IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS!!!! AND IT ISNT RELEVANT RIGHT NOW!!!! 

btw since they are immortal they flirt for like 149 years and everyone around them is Tired™ but they are still like "he isn't my boyfriend!!! I don't like him at all!!!!" and the other r just like

[viking of disapproval meme]

WAIT INTERMISSION this meme is Taehyung in one image, just imagine gguk trying to have a normal conversation with someone for info and Tae is sitting next to him like this

[violence works for her meme]

ok I don't have anything else to add stan immortal dumbasses taekook who take like 3839 to """officially""" get together

[bultaonene]

tk fanfic writer gguk

"Prince Taehyung held her tenderly, tucking a golden lock behind her ear. Jieun gasped and the prince got closer, lips just a millimeter away and so soft looking..."

Jeongguk writes down the last words with a lovesick sigh, his handwriting round and curly. According to the gossip he has heard, it's one of the reasons why most people think the author of "The Rose and the Thorn" is a woman. That, plus a commonly rigid mindset and the fact that Jeongguk never showed his face, and signed his works with an anonymous "J.J."

Not that Jeongguk wrote every book by hand, of course. At first he did, the only ones privy to his guilty pleasure the people near him. A group of five, maybe six people at max, and only to them he passed the ink stained pages as he wrote them.

He had always dreamed about becoming a writer but he had no illusions about becoming famous with... these. Imagined stories with the royal heir as the protagonist - tales of star-crossed lovers and intrigues at the palace. He took the name of a female noble he found pretty enough and made her the co-star, furiously hoping that if he wrote "she" instead of "he", people wouldn't be able to tell that he wrote himself into his own work, that he is the starry eyed romantic interest that the fictional version of Prince Taehyung falls in love with.

Jeongguk has always dreamed of becoming a writer, sure, but he kinda doesn't want the fameto be born from absurd fantasies about the soon-to-be king.

It isn't like he would become famous with that. Yeah, "The Rose and the Thorn" (a title he choose randomly at the beginning and now regards with a grimace) is getting popular among his peers, but Jeongguk lives in a tiny village in the mountains. No one outside of it will ever read it - surely no one from the capital.

He doesn't think it will be too popular there, anyway. He doesn't know a lot about politics and what it's happening in the palace, but apparently a lot of nobles are pushing for the second prince, Taehyung's brother, to take the throne. Prince Taehyung has all kind of malicious rumors around himself - with his penetrating gaze, cold attitude and relentless drive against the ones who stand in his path, it's no wonder that many think of him as cruel. It isn't true (Jeongguk knows that) but it's easy to trick the common folk and the lesser nobles as well. It's just a matter of weaving the right tale.

The capital doesn't like its future king. Jeongguk would be worried for the prince, for his safety, if it wasn't for the fact that Prince Taehyung has the military on his side and the law. No one will ever dare to touch him.

Oh, Jeongguk wishes he could touch him. See him from up close. He still remembers when he was little and lost in the forest, and the prince saved him so chivalrously. Maybe it's wrong to idolize someone so deeply after something so small, but can you blame him? He was only 7 years old at the time, the prince barely 9, and yet Prince Taehyung came to his rescue, so gallant and noble! With eyes sparkling like jewels, and he did not smile but his hand felt so warm and-

Jeongguk is interrupted in his musing by a knock at the door.

A frantic and powerful one, followed by many others until he worries that the door will cave under the onslaught. His parents have no reason to be this brutish and so Jeongguk swallows as he rises, sudden unease taking his heart hostage. He opens the door with trembling hands and he manages to see two guards standing there, decked in full armor and with swords hanging on their belts, before they shove something in his face and then, Jeongguk is asleep.

---

He wakes with a gasp and knows immediately that he isn't in his home. The ceiling is too high, the couch is lying on too lavish. Everything is decorated with gold and marble and the kind of materials Jeongguk writes about in his novel.

Not his village for sure.

"I'm very sorry for our rude manners."

Jeongguk turns to the side. There's another couch in front of him and two people sit. Not the ones who knocked him out, though.

One of them, the one who spoke, is a man. A stunning one, his hair silver and the color weaved in his garments too. His clothes are luxurious and regal looking, but they are a very clearly a uniform of some kind. A fancy one, but a uniform nonetheless.

"Allow me to introduce myself: I am Count Park Jimin, royal advisor. I work for the crown, and for the Kim family."

Holy fuck. Royal Advisor. Jeongguk doesn't really know Park Jimin, but he knows about Count Park. Prince Taehyung's most trusted confidante.

(He may have wrote about him - about them - once or twice. In... scandalous settings. The kind of writings that must NEVER see the light of day, something even worse than "The Rose and the Thorn". He feels his face go aflame, but he doesn't dare utter anything.)

"It may be difficult to believe me, but we mean no harm."

At the mention of "we", Jeongguk looks at the other figure sitting there. They look male too, with long legs and a lean build. Imposing and threatening even when sitting down, despite the lack of armor or weapons. Their clothing is all dark as night, less flashy than the count's, and a dark cloak covers most of their figure. They don't look as important as the count, but they emanate an aura of power that it's impossible to ignore.

A guard? Another noble? He is left wondering. Jeongguk doesn't trust his voice, so he simply nods and hope the count will explain what is happening.

"Are you familiar with this?"

Count Park gives him a book and Jeongguk first instinct is to say no, because the cover isn't familiar. Until he reads the title. 'The Rose and the Thorn' is written in elegant cursive on the cover, the letters golden and fancy-looking. Jeongguk feels himself pale.

"This- I'm- how do you-"

"It's a very popular novel in the capital," replies Count Park, a pleasant smile on his face. Jeongguk wonders if it's fake or genuine, and he hopes it's the latter.

"I've read it," he continues, as Jeongguk flushes crimson, "and I love it! Very well written, full of passion. Inaccurate but it's fiction, isn't it?"

"Yes!" interjects Jeongguk, eager to defend himself. "I'm very sorry it reached the capital- I had no intentions- I didn't- I wasn't the one who published it. I just, hmm, just wanted to... write."

It's a pathetic excuse and he hangs his head in shame. Count Park has read it. On a different occasion, Jeongguk would be overjoyed to know such a distinguished man has read his work. But if he's here, brought before him with a kidnapping, the royal palace clearly isn't happy with the novel.

Will he be imprisoned? Hanged? For defamation, or a worse offence?

"You just wanted to write," drawls the count and it sounds predatory, "but you did much more. Tell me, is this how you see Prince Taehyung? Noble and kind? Even... sweet?"

The figure in dark kicks the count's leg with a hiss, but Jeongguk is distracted and doesn't notice. "Oh, he is like that!! I know for sure! He is my prince and I have the utmost respect for him- he shines so brightly, he is so determined and fair and-"

"I'm glad to hear that Jeongguk," interrupts the count, sounding like he's barely repressing a laugh, "and I'm very glad that's how you decided to represent him in your book. Even when we know Prince Taehyung is a cruel man."

Jeongguk is impulsive. He's driven by his heart and his passion, and he never backed down when it mattered. He can't help it. So when he hears the count speaking like that, he steadies his voice and glares at him. "With all due respect, I know that Prince Taehyung is fair and just. Just because some petty noble put those rumors around doesn't mean that they are true. And excuse my audacity, but shouldn't a royal advisor know this?"

His hands are trembling but Jeongguk doesn't avert his gaze. Park Jimin's eyes are sharp and icy, wearing him down to the bone, making him shiver.

Until they aren't. Jeongguk doesn't back down and Count Park relaxes, his frown turning into a smile. He leans back on the couch and chuckles. "You hear, Tae? You got a fan."

The figure in black doesn't answer for a while. Jeongguk can tell they are looking at him, but he doesn't understand why.

And then, they speak. "Jeon Jeongguk," they says, the voice is low and deep. The kind of voice that Jeongguk loves, that he craves. It reminds him of-

The man pulls off the hood in a quick motion and Jeongguk stops breathing. Black hair, sharp eyes. A face he dreamed about for so long. Prince Taehyung looks even colder from up close. He looks stern and intense, even scary.

He looks at Jeongguk, piercing and deep. Like he does in his novel.

"We need your help. And it should be easy: I just need you to write more."

or: After some rumors start painting the future king as a cruel monster, life gets more difficult for Taehyung. Nobles want his brother to rise to the throne and he knows exactly why - he's younger, naive, and easily controlled. He won't let them do that.

But his reputation is shit and he can't do anything about it. Public opinion can be fixed with a forced hand. Until a book catches his attention.

He doesn't know where does 'the Rose and the Thorn' come from, but Jimin brings it to him and explains why it matters. And Taehyung notices - the next time he parades around the city, there's less hatred and more longing gazes. The nobles painted him as a monster. And the book painted him as a kind, romantic hero.

The people don't like the nobles that much. But the book?

Oh, they like it a lot. So he "invites" (kidnaps) the author to his court with a proposition. More books, more stories to mend his reputation. All to be done in secret of course.

Jeongguk doesn't have an hard time accepting. And if maybe he hangs around the prince more than he should, well! A writer needs inspiration. And Jeongguk writes love stories. Prince Taehyung doesn't need to know that Jeongguk imagines himself as the heroine.

Jeongguk lives out his deepest, sappiest dreams and writes them in his books. A book that Taehyung reads, so he's quick to realize that wait, didn't this exact scenario happen just a few weeks ago?

"Of course I have to romanticize even where there's no romance! Like between the two of us! It's a writer's duty to dream up things!"

The problem is, Taehyung is a little shit. Once he catches on, he starts doing things on purpose just to read Jeongguk's point of view a week or month later, when the new chapter inevitably comes out. It's like being directly in Jeongguk's mind and knowing firsthand what makes him weak in the knees, what causes his heart to beat the fastest.

And Taehyung has always been a quick study. Jeongguk's writing becomes a manual he studies diligently, becoming a master in it just as he did with politics and history. Jeongguk dedicates an entire chapter about the time he tripped and Taehyung caught him at the last second, putting much emphasis on his "deep black eyes, gazing straight into her (his) soul" and "his dark hair framing his perfect face" and "his arms, strong around her (his) waist" and... well, actually, another 50 or so mentions of his arms.

Alright. Taehyung gets it. The cute author likes to be wrapped in his arms. Noted.

As a prince, Taehyung is implacable. As a person he's even worse, and so he does his best to reenact that kind of scenario, over and over again.

Every time, Jeongguk is a flustered mess. Every time he writes it into the book because it's exceptional material, okay? He's trying to do his job. It isn't like the prince is doing it on purpose or anything.

"Hey Jeongguk," Yoongi, his editor, tells him one day, "the heroine tripped six times in this chapter so... maybe you can tone it down a little-"

"She's CLUMSY, OKAY????? She TRIPS!!!! not my fAuLt!!!! it just HAPPENS. for NO REASON at ALL, okay?????"

Seokjin doesn't comment on his outburst. He simply straightens his mouth in a thin line and averts his eyes as if saying "yeah, sure" which is infinitely worse.

But Jeongguk cannot be blind to the evidence forever. After a while, he figures out that the more he writes about a trope, the more the prince does it. Or so it seems.

Testing his theory is easy. Before coming to the palace he only had his imagination and daydreaming to go on, after all, so writing 60 pages about a forehead kiss (something that definitely didn't happen, or he would've combusted on the spot) is not really a struggle.

After the chapter comes out, the prince is... fidgety. Blushing every time their eyes meet. Very uncharacteristic of the usually cocky man.

A week later, Jeongguk gets his forehead kiss. The excuse for it is frankly stupid and they both malfunction so badly that it's painful to see but... yeah. It happens.

(And it happens because Taehyung has spent a week building up courage and excuses for himself like "oh wow he really must like forehead kisses a lot I should. yeah. I should give him one for. Realism. yeah.")

Yoongi, the royal librarian, is basically Jeongguk's editor and beta reader which means... he has to read over 70+ pages of flirting and sexual tension and then SEE IT with his OWN EYES. He wants to set the manuscript on fire. He wants to set the two idiots on fire. He's so done with this.

As the novel goes on, Taehyung's character becomes less "trope-ish prince sweeping the princess off her feet" and more like... himself. He's kind and sweet, sure, but he's playful too and blunt, and sometimes he doesn't express himself well and comes out as harsh and cold. It gets more accurate and Jeongguk writes everything - not everything about the prince (he leaves out the bad moments and his weaknesses because he's writing fluff, not angst and the people don't need to know. They don't need to know everything) but everything about how he feels with him. His emotions are so painfully clear on paper that when he writes the heroine saying "I love you", he chokes and crosses it out because it never happened and it'll never happen either.

Describing the heroine gets harder. He stops mentioning her long hair, her dresses and, as the novel's Taehyung gets more accurate, the heroine becomes nebulous. No detail is offered about her, her emotions and feelings are the only thing clear on the paper, stark black against white. The rest is up to the readers' imagination, because... because it hurts too much. It hurts writing "she" and "her", it hurts writing Tae looking at someone else with a soft gaze, even if it's a someone Jeongguk invented. Yes, Jieun is fictional, but she still has more chances than him to marry the prince.

One time Yoongi gives him back his draft, edited and corrected. He offers no comments, but Jeongguk sees a "his raven hair" crossed out, corrected with "her blonde hair". He's so ashamed that the next chapter takes twice as lomg.

The readers want more. They want intimate scenes, they want details, and Jeongguk can't give them anymore. He tries writing a scene only to end up throwing everything away - Taehyung and Jieun aren't the same height, Jieun has small hands, it's "skirt" not "breeches" and she doesn't stain her clothes with ink, doesn't have it under her nails and on her face when she falls asleep on her manuscript. No, Jieun is a noble and she's perfect for the future king. Just like Jeongguk wrote her to be.

In the end, it's Jimin that comes to help. "You know," he says, gaze gentle but with the hint of a smirk, "when I first read the novel I couldn't stop laughing at Tae."

"Because I wrote that he said things like 'preposterous' on a daily basis?"

Jimin laughs. "That too. But it's more about... his tastes in the novel."

Jeongguk looks at him with a frown. Jimin sighs. Two dumb idiots.

"He has always told me he would never marry. Never. At first I didn't understand - he has to, for an heir."

Jeongguk feels a pang. Yeah, he knows.

"I told him it was inevitable, but he is a stubborn mule. And I figured it out a bit later. It's not about wedding or having a family - he likes the idea of those. But not the kind of marriage I kept proposing him."

He doesn't understand. He doesn't get what Jimin is trying to tell him. Jimin sighs. "The reason why I laughed at your novel is that it's very accurate, except for one thing. The heroine."

"My heroine is perfect," scoffs Gguk, because it's true. He crafted her to be. "Tell me Jimin, what does my heroine lacks?"

Jimin looks at him with an annoyed frown and tired with beating around the bush, he blurts out: "Your heroine lacks a dick, Jeongguk."

Jeongguk chokes on his tea, almost inhales it and feels it in his nostrils. He coughs for a few minutes, gasping and his mind working frenziedly but somehow coming up blank.

"You- I'm- but, no! He- he isn't-"

"The only reason he isn't proposing right now," interrupts Jimin, deadpan, "is that he's somewhat convinced you are the one who doesn't like men."

"Me???" he screeches in answer because Jeongguk likes men, yes, definitely. He wrote like 5 books about a very specific man he likes a lot.

"Yeah, I know. It's so obvious it's painful, you probably write odes about his cock."

Jeongguk splutters, but doesn't deny. He isn't good at lying so he better keep his mouth shut.

"But since you always wrote about a man with a woman, he got into his thick skull that that's the only option you contemplate. So. Stop moping and go s-"

Jeongguk flees before he can hear Jimin say more. And then he finds the prince and they talk and yes, Taehyung likes men and Jeongguk likes men and women but he has eyes for one man only so that isn't really a problem. And it's a kind of relationship that isn't unheard of, they wouldn't be the first in the whole realm or anything like that, but it's still strange for most people and Jeongguk is scared.

They worked so hard to make Taehyung's reputation better, what if this makes it plummet again? But the prince's response to this is "fuck what the people think" and that he isn't afraid to say what he wants, what he is.

Jeongguk takes a while to be comfortable with it, not to feel ashamed, but it helps that in the castle you either love Taehyung for who he is or you hate him for what he represents, and since Jeongguk doesn't have any reason to mingle with people who don't love their king, he only hears praises and reassurances.

Taehyung never believed in dynasty anyway, so when they ask where's his heir he says he has no intention of dying any soon, so they better fuck off and leave him alone.

They eventually get married and adopt a lot of children, and Taehyung nominates an offcial heir only when he's old, his hands withered. Jeongguk is beside him, his eyesight so ruined by age that he struggles to read but it doesn't matter, because he doesn't need to write stories anymore. He has lived his best one yet and he already knows it's the final chapters now.

It feels wrong to say they are going towards their happy ending - in most stories (in 'the Rose and the Thorn' too), the ending happens when the characters are young and happy, when they think "this is it, this is happiness". And if that's how it is, then Jeongguk knows that he has already got many, many happy endings.

This is almost like a brand new story.

[bultaonene]

tk arranged marriage au

The party is loud, but it is no surprise. The king of the neighboring country is with them tonight and the royal family has thrown a feast, especially with the war finally coming to an end. Many soldiers are coming home tonight. It should be celebrated.

Prince Taehyung has never liked alcohol, but his parents have worked hard for this banquet so he keeps up a pleasant face and sips on his wine.

"My Prince, so glad to see you well."

King Jeon is a wise man. Age has made him weaker, but he still rules his kingdom with kindness. Taehyung bows his head – he hasn't seen King Jeon since he was a baby, but he has come to know one of his sons very well. Especially lately.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I can say the same for you."

The king scoffs with a smile on his face. "I look old and tired, because I am. No need for flattery."

"Why not? Flattery is like a good wine – taste better with age."

King Jeon laughs and Taehyung considers it a small victory. They both know what they will discuss as soon as they are over with pleasantries. "You have a sharp wit, Prince Taehyung. It'll help you when you'll be king."

King. Taehyung will be crowned soon and he wonders if King Jeon will finally touch on the topic that it’s simmering below the surface of their seemingly mindless conversation.

"A great king. That will have a great partner to side with them, I hope."

Their kingdoms are neighbors and have been allied for the whole duration of the terrible war against the South. It's only natural to unite them in a more traditional fashion.

Jeon Sungwoo is the eldest son and a gentleman. Taehyung likes him. He has got to know him better lately, through letters and purposeful tea parties, and doesn't mind the idea of getting married to him. At this point it is only natural.

The king looks at him in the eyes. Despite being his son, Sungwoo doesn't have his piercing gaze. "I hope you don't mind the deal I'm gonna offer you," he says and he makes it sound like Taehyung has no idea of his plans.

"Your son is a fine prince. I'm sure Sungwoo will fit the role extremely well-"

"I'm not talking about Sungwoo."

Taehyung stops. His glass is frozen in midair and his eyes are wide open. He probably looks dumb right now, but he can't quite understand.

"Sungwoo is my heir," continues King Jeon, studying Taehyung's reaction with a keen eye. "He's going to be the king of our own kingdom. I have another son"

Of course he does. Everyone knows about the hero of the war, the slaughterer of the battlefield. The Black Knight.

Jeon Jeongguk. He is the one who won the war. A soldier more than a prince, a terrifying myth more than a real person. Dark, from his hair to his attire to his eyes, piercing and deep.

Or so people tell. Because Prince Jeongguk hasn't been home in years, sent to war when he was a teenager. Taehyung always found his fate cruel, but as tales of the Black Knight reached him, he ended up thinking that Jeongguk might be crueler. Merciless, ruthless. Exactly what they needed to win the war.

"My son has won the war. He deserves to be king too, even if away from home."

He doesn't understand if King Jeon is cruel too, or if he's trying to be considerate. Sending your son to another kingdom after he fought for 4 years to come home doesn't feel considerate at all.

"Maybe we should discuss it with your sons. Both of them." Taehyung tries for diplomacy, the only weapon he knows how to wield, but the sudden change of plans has thrown him off. The wine sloshes loudly in the glass that he keeps in his trembling hand.

King Jeon is a kind ruler, but he's also one who has waged wars and won them. "I've already told Jeongguk what is expected of him. I hope our deal stands."

Taehyung opens his mouth to reply, to point out that their unspoken agreement had different terms, but he's stopped by the sound of the doors opening. A few soldiers stroll inside the ballroom and he recognizes their uniforms. The Jeon's military.

As if summoned by their talk, Jeon Jeongguk walks into the room. His presence shushes everyone present, until the musicians are the only ones still producing any kind of sound.

The Black Knight is their savior, the one who brought peace. The truth is that no one wants to see from up close the sword that bought them victory by offering the earth so much blood.

The prince comes up to his father and bows. He has a light armor on and his sword on his side. Taehyung wonders if he has ever taken them off in the years he spent at war.

Prince Jeongguk turns to him then, a move he didn't expect. He bows to him too and Taehyung finds out that the rumors are true. His eyes are dark and deep and sharper than the weapon he wields in the battlefield.

"Prince Taehyung," he says and his voice is deep but melodious, more fit to sing ballads about epic battles than to live through them.

Taehyung can't gape at him, that would be rude. So he bows his head too, whispers a "Prince Jeongguk" that's feebler than it should be.

Jeongguk keeps looking at him. The intensity of his focus is almost frightening, but Taehyung doesn't look away. Maybe it's a trick of the light, or Taehyung's tired eyes. But he swears the Black Knight smiles then, fleeting but sweet like a sunny day during the rain season.

In an unexpected turn of events, the prince sticks to Taehyung the whole evening, silent but heavy in his presence. Taehyung lets him. 

After all, they are going to get married sooner or later. It's better if they start getting used to being close. 

or: war has made Prince Jeongguk a hard man with a hard gaze. He is respected and feared, even if he's the younger Jeon. When you're fighting for your life, age doesn't matter.

The war ends. They won. Jeongguk just wants to finally get to live his life. He doesn't care for a throne, for power. He just wants peace. He goes home and his father tells him he's gonna get married.

Someone else would've fought him. But Jeongguk is tired of fighting and to be honest, he has always been a romantic. Marriage sounds so sweet. 

He waits for the moment he'll see his beloved. He has heard of Prince Taehyung – kind, fair, stunning and bright. A dream. Jeongguk tears petals off daisy flowers and wonders if he'll love him, if he'll love him not. If anyone can love someone who knows war better than he knows family.

Jeongguk steps into the party with his heart beating a hundred times a minute. And then he sees him.

He doesn't know if Taehyung will ever love him, but Jeongguk's already half way there after a single gaze.

ok but. imagine gguk being known around for being this dark, evil soldier on the battlefield but there he is, just so happy to be married bc he always dreamed of that 🥺 and he pretty much falls in love with tae at first gaze and he's like "that's my husband? oh" 🥺 like i'm crying so much at the thought of gguk being the softest husband ever and he's so in love with his prince already and he knows that arranged marriages doesn't have real love most of the times but 🥺🥺 he's so excited for the wedding 😭😭 and even if the wedding is already planned he has the firm conviction that he has to woo his future husband so he sends him flowers he picks personally and brings him food with a blush on his face and he's just so shy bc he's unused to this 🥺🥺

Meanwhile Tae turns into a puddle of goo at every gesture and he keeps every cute card and presses the flowers between his books 🥺🥺 and he gets so giddy at everything gguk does he's basically skipping around the palace with this lovesick gaze 🥺🥺 like imagine Tae finding some flowers with a sweet note and he just giggles and kisses the note ;_; and gguk was hiding nearby to see his reaction and he just blushes so much and has to sit down with his face in his hands bc he hasn't had his first kiss yet 😭😭 omg omg their first kiss 🥺🥺 like it's a super innocent peck bc the baby is shy 🥺🥺 but he quietly ask for more and Tae is completely gone and then they get to more intimate kisses and gguk never gets tired of kissing Tae 🥺🥺

[bultaonene]

tk "pretend to be my date"

"Just pretend to be my date."

The hot guy with the baseball cap freezes, one hand poised to grab a banana milk off the shelf. He’s exactly Taehyung’s type - tall, fit body, sweet face (or at least it looks so, half-obscured by his cap).

He kind of regrets this being their first interaction, but he needs help and he needs it now.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Listen, I know this sounds like a bad fanfiction cliche but. Uhm.”

“Fanfiction cliche? What-” Taehyung doesn’t let him speak, knowing he has to explain himself quickly.

“So my cheating shit of an ex-boyfriend is trying to get back with me and invited me to a coffee date and I bet he would’ve made me pay by the way, like what kind of- not important, but I’m DUMB so I told him I was out with my boyfriend and now he’s here-”

“Taehyung!”

Fuck. He found him too soon - he was going to bribe the stranger with food or coffee or whatever, to prove he wasn’t a total creep. Well. It’s a make or break situation, he guesses.

Before Siwon can reach them, he grabs the stranger’s arm and snuggles up to it, faking an affectionate move to whisper a “please, just go along with it”.

“I knew it was you! I was around here by chance, I didn’t expect to meet you.”

By chance his ass. Siwon knows Taehyung - the mall is close to his apartment so he goes there for shopping, doing grocery and indulging in overpriced Starbucks drinks. At any given moment Taehyung is either at university, at home or at the mall. He’s predictable.

Too predictable, since it leads to his ex being able to pinpoint his exact location from a simple "I'm having coffee".

“What a surprise!��� he says, faking every bit of cheer in his voice. He gets closer to his 'boyfriend', cringing at the pda he’s forcing on him but hoping it’s enough to make Siwon uncomfortable.

It doesn’t work, of course. Taehyung doesn’t have one ounce of luck in him today.

“So this is the boyfriend,” replies Siwon, putting his hands in his pockets. He does that stance that Taehyung knows well - straight back, chest puffed out, face tilted a bit backwards.

It’s the typical ‘I am better than you’ pose and he already knows that his ex is going to say something extremely condescending. “Didn’t you like your guys a bit taller? Seems like you settled for this one.”

Taehyung gapes at Siwon’s rudeness, speechless. Fuck, how did he date this dumbass for 7 months? Sure, Siwon is taller both than him and the stranger (who has a few inches on Taehyung thanks to some outrageous sneakers) and he had liked it, being the smaller one for once.

But holy fuck, right now his height is literally the only good thing Siwon has on his side. Taehyung struggles to remember what he liked about him.

Seeing Siwon so pompous makes him cringe. His embarrassment for dragging a stranger into this colors his face a deep red and god, he wishes he had enough backbone to tell his ex to fuck off without lying about having a boyfriend. He doesn’t dare to look at the stranger, too ashamed to face his judgment.

He opens his mouth to say something - he doesn’t know what, but anything to make Siwon go away and possibly leave him alone forever. He doesn’t have the chance to say anything, though. The stranger speaks before Taehyung can.

“From what he told me and what I see, he was settling when he was dating you.”

If Taehyung was an outside spectator, he would be cheering for the stranger and clapping his hands at the well placed burn.

Siwon didn’t expect the biting back and it shows in the way he gets purple in the face, humiliation clear from his narrowed eyes. “That’s- it isn’t true!” Siwon splutters the words in a pathetic attempt at saving his face, but to be honest he just makes it worse.

God, Taehyung was really blinded by love. It's true that Siwon was the perfect boyfriend in the beginning - sweet, thoughtful, showering him with gifts. But as time passed, he started to ask more. He was in his space constantly, taking him away from his friends and getting angry if he didn’t reply to his texts right away.

That's when Taehyung started to feel suffocated, trapped. He put his foot down then, winning back his personal space by being frank with Siwon. It seemed like it worked - Siwon gave him the cold shoulder for a while, but eventually calmed down.

He really should have stopped their relationship at the first huge red flag. Because as Taehyung discovered later on, Siwon had simply found someone else to vent his frustration with.

“Don’t worry Siwon, he’s joking,” he reassures, unwilling to make a scene. That said, he can’t help but smirk at his ex, making his words sound just a bit sarcastic so that maybe he'll wonder if he’s really joking or not. Oh sweet, sweet revenge. “He’s just jealous, right baby?”

The stranger tugs his arm free from his hold and Taehyung immediately thinks "oh fuck, I went too far". To his surprise, his “boyfriend” is just adjusting the arm so it’s wound around Taehyung’s waist and he can tug him closer to him.

“Of course I am,” he murmurs, just loud enough for Siwon to hear, “your Ggukkie wants to be the only best boyfriend of your life.”

It’s just acting, he knows, but fuck if it doesn’t make his heart melt. To make it even worse, “Ggukkie” squeezes his waist playfully and kisses him on the temple. Or he tries to - his cap gets in the way and they both giggle like actual lovesick boyfriends when it bumps Taehyung’s head.

Taehyung is probably red as a tomato right now, face and ears flushed from the sweet act. It’s playful, light - with Siwon every hug always led to making out, it was never just to cuddle. It always felt like it had an ulterior motive. It's been a long time since he indulged in something so sweet.

Talking about Siwon, he isn’t looking too happy right now. He probably expected Taehyung to be still crying over him, eager to get back together. Taehyung was sad about the breakup, cried a day or two, but Siwon was a jerkass. He didn’t deserve many tears.

“You really got over me quickly, by the way. One month and you already have a substitute.”

Oh, he didn't. Taehyung scoffs in outrage. He’s over Siwon, he doesn't care anymore, but the words sting anyway. Especially since the reason why they are over is his infidelity.

He knows Siwon is in the wrong, 100%. And yet, sometimes a tiny part of him thinks about a thing Siwon told him to explain himself. ‘You didn’t want me anymore,’ he had told him, looking offended when he had no right to be, ‘so I went and found someone who did’.

To some extent... it was true. Taehyung had gotten cold with Siwon in an attempt to distance himself from those always wandering hands, those incessant kisses. He didn’t want a breakup at the time but he did wish for a pause, and Siwon had probably felt that.

But that doesn’t matter. Siwon could’ve talked with him, told him what he was feeling. In fact Taehyung did just that, even if it was difficult for him, even if what he feared (Siwon getting angry with him over it) it’s exactly what happened.

So no, Siwon has no right to tell him anything like that. The fucking audacity he has in saying that to Taehyung riles him up and, before he knows, he’s spitting words at him at a volume a bit too loud for the public space they are in.

“How dare you! You cheated on me for who knows how long, I have every right to-”

“What about the ‘I need to form a connection first’ bullshit?” Siwon interrupts and now he looks angry, as if he just realized that if he can’t get Taehyung back then he better humiliate him. “I bet you said that just to be a tease. God, I can’t believe I wasted 7 months on you.”

“So it was always about that." Taehyung feels tears burning his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall. He and Siwon never went all the way because Tae never felt like he could trust him. Because when they were just kissing and he was tired, when he said things like "can we just cuddle?" Siwon always asked for more.

More kisses, more wandering hands, and Taehyung never let him do anything to him he didn't want, but he always felt Siwon's frustration in their snail-like pace when it was about intimacy.

Sex has always been a strange topic to Taehyung and he had to be sure that if he said "stop", then they would stop. But they made out and Taehyung said "stop" and Siwon said "no, a bit more" and that made Taehyung wary, unwilling to give himself in that way.

He wanted to try. He really wanted to give his best. It's just that not everyone thinks sex is the end goal, the pinnacle to reach, and Taehyung has always struggled with those kind of expectations.

After their breakup, some of his friends had insinuated that Siwon had wanted something specific while dating him, something he didn't get in the end. Taehyung never listened to them, refusing to believe that Siwon had been with him 7 months only for that.

Turns out that his friends were right. The weight of their 'I told you so' is a crushing stone on his chest.

"Maybe it wouldn't have been about that if you hadn't been such a prude," spits out Siwon and Taehyung feels so small, so ashamed. "Dude, if you don't want to be a monk you better leave him now."

Siwon is talking to "Ggukkie" and Taehyung had almost forgot about his impromptu boyfriend. His arm is a reassuring weight around his waist, but he feels sick at the idea of a stranger knowing such an intimate detail about him.

He knows that he did what felt right to him and that's the important thing, but he also knows that other people won't see it like that. They'll think he's frigid and cold and-

"You're such a piece of shit. 'Dude'."

Taehyung didn't even realize he had lowered his head, but he feels a crick in his neck as he snaps it to the side. Ggukkie is glaring at Siwon, his jaw clenched and a snarl on his face. He looks pissed off and he tugs Taehyung closer, making him burrow into his side. It feels so nice, protective, even more when he keeps speaking to Siwon with gritted teeth. "If Tae wants to wait 7 years for us to be intimate, so be it. He's more than worth the wait. God, he should've dumped your stupid ass much sooner."

Siwon splutters, then he flushes red. He's opening and closing his mouth without saying one single word and Taehyung has to cover his own mouth with a hand to hide the giggles caused by the sight. It's silent for a while - Siwon is still at loss for words and Taehyung is too busy holding in his laugh to say anything.

The only sound is the background music offered by the store, a radio set on some channel that's blasting the latest hits. After a while, Siwon seems to regain the ability to speak, even if his face is getting redder by the second. "Listen, I don't know who you think you are-"

"Babe, listen! It's my song!"

Taehyung is so distracted by the full smile on Ggukkie's face and by his arm tugging him closer that he doesn't immediately realize what he's saying and he only nods dumbly.

Siwon, funnily enough, is quicker to react. "You think I'm dumb? As if I'll believe you're some hotshot singer."

Ggukkie hums, not really paying attention to him. He's scanning the magazines in the rack near them, fingers playing piano in the air and it’s then that Taehyung notices his hand is tattooed, some letters on his knuckles that doesn't seem to form a specific word.

“Here's the article, love. It’s so sweet that you want to buy the issue just because I’m in it.” He hands Taehyung a magazine and holy shit. It’s the Time. it’s open on an article titled “The ‘Outrageous Idol’ who shook South Korea” and holy. Shit.

There are photos, together with the name ‘Jeon Jeongguk’ in big black letters, and Taehyung looks at the young man printed on the glossy page. He’s sitting in a chair, legs spread and covered in deliciously tight slacks. Taehyung drools a bit at the clear muscles bulging under the suit, but then his gaze settles on the hand of the man in the photo. He still doesn’t get what the letters stand for, but now they look familiar. Holy shit.

“Do you like the title? I think it makes me sound badass,” says Jeon Jeongguk and now Taehyung kinda trembles a bit under his gaze because yeah, he didn’t expect to find a billionaire who’s on the cover of the Time to be in a cheap supermarket he visits frequently.

Jeongguk takes the magazine from his hands just to turn the page and mutter a “there!” under his breath. He holds the open magazine with his tattooed hand and lifts it so it’s just beside his face. “This enough proof to prove I’m a ‘hotshot singer’?”

The photo he points to is a close up of his gorgeous face and Siwon can’t deny the evidence, not unless he wants to look like an idiot. He already kinda does.

Thoroughly defeated, he doesn’t even try to defend himself or apologize. In a show of utmost cowardice, he stutters some half words and then he flees. Literally. He takes some steps back and runs away, leaving Taehyung to blink at his retreat.

“Man. What an asshole.”

Oh, right. He has to deal with “Ggukkie” now. He turns towards the idol, an apology ready on his tongue, but he’s distracted by the proximity of their faces. Jeongguk is looking at him with a playful smirk on his cover-magazine-worthy face and Taehyung feels his heart miss a beat.

“Did I play along well?” he asks and Taehyung flushes crimson, feeling so stupid for bringing someone like him in his petty arguments with his ex. Still, the idol is smiling so brightly that he can’t help but chuckle and play shyly with his own earring, cheeks tinted pink.

“You were absolutely fantastic. You could be an actor,” he fires back cheekily, trying to cover up his embarrassment with a joke. Jeongguk laughs at that and his teeth are a bit too big, his cheeks squeeze his eyes so they are completely closed and fuck, Taehyung is fucked.

Jeongguk still has one hand on his waist and instead of removing it, he uses it to move Taehyung along. “Have anything to do today?” he inquires and Taehyung melts at the way his thumb is stroking the dip of his waist, just above where his belt is.

He feigns mulling it over, stroking his chin for dramatic purposes. “Well, ‘humiliating my ex’ has been checked off my list, so I would say I’m free now.”

The idol giggles under his breath, covering his mouth with the tattooed hand. Fuck, he has tattoos. He is so hot, this should be illegal.

“Then what about taking a coffee together?"

Or: Jeongguk, a kpop sensation, has come out as gay in a country that is still very conservative about sexuality. He gets both support and haters, and he expected that.

What he didn’t expect was for people to accuse him of “doing it just for clout” just bc he doesn’t actually have a boyfriend. He won’t let those comments get under his skin, he knows it isn’t true.

Still, if he’s actually interested in someone his agency says it’s okay to get in a relationship. And lets be honest, he doesn’t mind the idea of getting a boyfriend.

Luckily for him, Kim Taehyung has recently gotten himself single.

[bultaonene]

tk ring fighting au

CLANG! CLANG!

Jeongguk looks up at the top of the dome, the sound jarring. He can see the audience looking down at him – bored nobles that seek violence as enjoyment. They crawl over the dome like insects, roaring and hitting the metal cage with their canes.

It works like this, the Dome. The nobles, money overflowing from their pockets, pay to see a fight, to see blood. And the poor folk enters as contestants, risking their lives for a chance to win the prize and join the wealthy aristocrats. People say the prize is true, that a mountain of gold and a title awaits the winner, the one that will slay the Beast.

Jeongguk has never seen anyone coming out of the Dome alive.

And yet he's here, sword already bloody after fighting other contestants. His name is shouted by the ringmaster and then echoed by the audience, the bars of the Dome rattling and drowning him in noise.

But then, the crowd quietens. Jeongguk looks around and he sees someone else in the cage with him. They look much bigger than Jeongguk. The newcomer is partially hidden by the shadows and he can only see their silhouette, taller than him and wider.

He isn't worried. He already fought other contestants, even if it was before officially reaching the Dome. Violence is an exercice he has plenty of practice in.

The figure approaches and Jeongguk is surprised to see the other is actually similar in size to him. He's a young man, much like himself, tall and lean. His broad shoulders are weighted down by a strange coat made of pure black feathers and that’s the reason why he looks so much bigger. More threatening.

Jeongguk twirls the weapon in his hand. From the outside there is no information about what happens in the Dome, how it really works. It's all a mystery and so he's careful.

“Are you here for the Beast?” 

The man's voice is deep, but not hostile. Jeongguk doesn't let his guard down.

“We are all here for the Beast.”

The man chuckles, hiding his mouth with a feathered arm. "Ah, isn't it true? The prize is tempting."

No one knows anything about the Dome, but not knowing the truth never stopped gossip. Jeongguk has heard stories and myths, all claiming to be true but none denying to be false.

He heard stories about some contestants that don’t die but can’t escape the cage either. Trapped inside until they decide to face the Beast again and then they either die or win.

The man is strange. His coat, his movements – he can't be a newcomer to the game like Jeongguk. He moves too confidently in the Dome, as if he's used to it. He doesn't look like someone who ever loses but the Dome is full of enigmas, full of the unexpected.

"Do you think you can win, that you can triumph? Against the Beast?"

The Beast is the biggest enigma of them all. Some say it's a dragon. Some say it's a lion. Some say it's a chimera, a snake, a ghoul, a rotten deity. The Beast is every myth that was ever narrated and it's none of them at the same time.

If Jeongguk wants to kill it, he has to get more information about it. He doesn't know what game the man is playing, but he will play with him. Let him talk, let him reveal a secret or two.

"Who are you?" he asks. They are circling each other, walking around the cage but never getting closer. The man doesn't answer at first, just stares. His feathered coat looks like a shadow following him closely, almost as if it has a mind of its own.

"I'm Taehyung," he replies, but does not reveal anything more. He guesses he's gauging him out just as Jeongguk is doing to him. Whether he's a contestant or an outsider, he is facing him to fight.

Jeongguk also heard stories about nobles asking to join the fight, too blinded by bloodlust to realize the risk. That image fits Taehyung better. A cocky noble, with clothes too refined and a stance too arrogant to be afraid of death.

"Won't you offer your name? I offered you mine."

"I'm Jeongguk."

Taehyung hums at that. They are still walking, careful to keep their focus on one another. He can hear some of the audience getting impatient. They want the fight, they want the blood.

Taehyung doesn't speak again, so Jeongguk does. "You haven't answered me. Who are you?"

He doesn't get an answer. The deep gaze stays on him and he starts to feel unnerved. He feels like he has been thrown at the feet of a hungry lion, ready to feast on him. "But I did answer. I am Taehyung."

There is something wrong. The audience is getting impatient, but it's still too silent. They don't shout their names, no, they wait. Eager for what to come but willing to stay still, because they know they are getting a show. Jeongguk swallows. His palms are getting sweaty.

"Are you a contestant?"

Taehyung laughs at that but like before, his feather covered sleeve comes up to muffle the sound. His eyes are crinkled in genuine amusement.

“A contestant? Oh no, Jeongguk.”

Taehyung smiles, closed-lipped and enigmatic, and Jeongguk doesn’t quite understand why it feels so unsettling.

Then his smile widens and this time he doesn't hide it. It becomes a grin that shows his teeth and his canines are long and sharp, just as his eyes are. There are many stories about the Beast, all different. But they all have one feature in common.

The Beast has razor-sharp teeth to tear the flesh off its enemies. Long, sharp canines. And dangerous eyes. Taehyung looks at him and his coat puffs and moves and oh, that’s not a coat, that’s something completely different.

Taehyung is something completely different. He is still smiling when he utters the next words.

“I’m not a contestant. Not at all.” 

or: once there was a winged god that descended on earth. He had a son with a human and the baby was half a deity, half a monster. He is raised secluded, then he's captured and put in a cage. Forced to battle.

But he's the son of a god. And gods always loved blood sacrifices. Taehyung never knew glory, but he becomes the King of the Dome. He becomes the Beast.

Jeongguk is looking for glory and doesn't mind spilling blood, just like him.

Maybe he can keep him as his own pet. Just for a while. After all, even beasts get lonely.

[bultaonene]

tk corset prompt

“Taehyung. Come here.”

Taehyung tightens his hold on the towels he’s carrying. Not too much, of course - he doesn’t want to ruin Master Jeon’s bath towels.

“I was told to bring these to the laundry room, Master Jeon.”

He can’t see him with the door left only slightly ajar, but he’s sure tat the master of the house is pushing his tongue against his cheek, just like he always does when people don’t immediately bend to his wishes.

“And I just told you to come here. I think one of those orders is clearly more important, don’t you think?”

Master Jeon says so and then clicks his tongue, obviously tickled off. Taehyung takes some satisfaction in hearing his annoyance so clearly in his tongue.

Unfortunately, that’s the only satisfaction he can get. He wishes he could walk away and ignore him, but he likes his head too much to risk parting with it just to disobey a bratty noble.

He pushes the door and enters, the hinges creaking ominously. The Jeon Manor is an old building, lavish and gloomy, impeccable and seemingly falling to pieces at once. Old nobility, the Jeons. Old and rotten and, in the case of the younger one, atrociously spoiled.

Jeon Jeongguk is facing a window, his figure too dark to distinguish his outline well. Not only because of the light – the noble loves to dress in clothes as inky as his hair, as dark as his eyes.

“Give me a hand, won’t you?”

His voice is honey sweet and melodious, the tone deceptively gentle. As if he’s truly asking for a favor and not issuing an order.

He moves from the window towards his wardrobe, trailing his finger on the wall like he’s tracing a line on it, like he’s scraping away the dark wood to reveal the decaying foundations of the Jeon Manor.

He never looks at Taehyung. No, he’s too good for that, too above him. He only gives him his shoulders, broad and strong, clad in a fabric too precious for Taehyung to even look at it.

It’s when he looks at his outfit that he understands what the noble is asking help with. His clothing is simple - expensive slacks, even more expensive top. But wound around his waist there’s a leather corset that gives him that final touch, makes him look just that tad more unreacheable and lavish.

The leather corset is half open, ribbons cascading from his back like a black waterfall. Taehyung hitches to touch them, to feel their silkyness under his fingertips.

He swallows down when Master Jeon grips the bed’s footboard, bending down marginally. It’s just a bit, but it’s enough to make the line of his shoulders look stronger, the width of his waist smaller. As if by simply leaning forward he put things into another perspective, one that makes Taehyung’s head spin.

“I can call someone else to help, I don’t know-”

“I didn’t ask for someone else, Taehyung” he says and the way he pronounces his name, the way he drags the 'hyung' like he can’t bear his tongue to get separated from the syllable. It makes Taehyung feel hot and cold at the same time. “I asked you to help me. It shouldn’t be so difficult.”

“Of course, Master Jeon.” He replies and bows his head, because that’s what people like Taehyung do. That’s what he has to do.

The steps he takes to get closer to the noble sound too loud, like a march he didn’t ask to be a part of. And the closer he gets the more he’s mesmerized by the details - Jeon’s hand flexing and gripping the board tighter, the ribbons swaying with every movement he makes.

Taehyung knows how to tie a corset. He helped his sister do it when she got married, because that was the only occasion they felt fancy enough to get her one. They’ve barely have seen a corset in their lifetimes, much less wore it, but Taehyung asked the maids and the ladies-in-waiting and so when it was time he tied it perfectly, helped his sister slip a white gown over it and kissed her on the forehead before sending her off.

He knows what to do without having to be told anything, so he brushes his trembling hands towards the ribbons at the top. He’s afraid to touch, to somehow ruin the expensive garment, but Jeon is waiting and no one makes a Jeon wait. He slips his fingers through the ribbons and starts tugging, so gently at first that the corset doesn’t tighten one bit.

“Tighter, Taehyung.” His voice is a bored drawl and Taehyung feels his eyebrow tick, letting his hands be a bit more firm. He tugs on the ribbons more forcefully, but he’s still careful.

“Has washing my laundry made your hands numb? Come on, Taehyung. Be a bit useful.”

Taehyung has to stop for one second before resuming and he thinks he hears an amused huff. Everything in Jeongguk’s pose looks mocking, even if Taehyung can only see his shoulders, his nape.

Satisfied with the ribbons at the top of the corset, he starts tightening the one from the bottom. He has to tighten those before he can pull at the two loops in the middle part, at the ribbons by his waist. Those will be the ones to make the corset stay put, to make it hug Jeon’s waist like a lover would.

Taehyung pulls the ribbon, looks at his hands grabbing the corset. For a second he lets his mind wander, wonders how his hands would look if they were doing the opposite. If instead of closing the corset they were opening it, would they look different? More frantic, less mindful?

But they would still look so big, wouldn’t they? Taehyung has big hands. Wide palms, long fingers. He can easily wrap them around Jeon’s waist, circle it fully. And his hands against the black leather look amazing, delightful.

He bets Jeongguk thinks the same, if the shiver that runs through him is anything to go by.

“Tighter. Taehyung, for fuck’s sake. It would’ve been quicker if I did it alone.”

His voice sounds heavenly but the words are grating, making him grind his teeth together. He yanks some of the ribbons, eager to give him a taste of what tighter means, but if he wanted a negative response he is to be dissapointed.

Taehyung pulls on the ribbons roughly and Jeongguk hums, low and pleased. His body shifts towards Taehyung and the footboard creaks from the forceful grip Jeongguk has on it.

He turns his head slightly, just enough for their eyes to meet. The harsh tugging was meant to put him in place but there is no regret in his gaze and he surely doesn’t look reprimanded. If anything, he looks eager.

He doesn’t say anything, just exhales and turns his head back towards his bed again. And so Taehyung resumes, cursing every ribbon and every eyelet and trying to make his hands work faster.

“Maybe another century or two and I’ll be ready, hm? You just have to pull tighter, it isn’t difficult isn’t it-”

He doesn’t manage to finish the sentence because Taehyung feels his patience leave him and he finally obeys him. He pulls, yanks the ribbons by the middle so the corset fits snugly and tight. But he isn’t satisfied, no, not now. He wants it tighter?

He’ll have it tighter.

Taehyung wraps all the ribbons around one hand and uses the other to push Jeon forward, making his body hit the footboard. He places one hand on the damn corset, on that fuckin tiny waist, and with the other he pulls, yanks the ribbons until the corset is too tight, the ribbons taut from the strain.

“Is this better, Master Jeon?” he asks, hisses the words right by his ear. He keeps pulling and pulling until it feels like the ribbons will rip, until the corset will crush Jeon’s ribs.

“Is it tight enough?”

Jeongguk is struggling against his hold, hands flailing and losing their hold on the footboard. His breathing is quicker, frantic, and Taehyung cracks a smile, feels victory pour over him like blessed rain.

It doesn’t last long. Because Jeongguk is struggling, yes, but his ears are red and when he turns his eyes are burning and his lips are smiling.

“Not quite enough,” he says, gasping a bit more when Taehyung pulls on the ribbons even more. But the motion doesn’t seem to deter him. On the contrary, he whispers a ‘yes’ that is a breath more than a word and he looks at Taehyung, grin getting wider.

Taehyung wonders then who’s really holding the strings - him, with ribbons wound around his fingers, or Jeongguk, with Taehyung wound around his little finger. Taehyung gulps, Jeongguk grins, and he thinks he has his answer.

“I think you can give me more, Taehyung. Don’t you think so?”

or: Taehyung likes the elegant uniform he has as a butler in the Jeon Manor. But he doesn't like the Jeons - hates them, actually. Snotty nobles born with a silver spoon in their mouths, that's what they are.

Unfortunately, he isn't the only one who appreciates that uniform on him. The younger of the Jeons has taken an interest in him, lured in both by his beautiful face and his behavior, just shy of disrespectful. He knew that refusing to lick the Jeons' shoes like a good pet would've brought him trouble, but he didn't think it would be like this.

No, he definitely didn't expect to have Jeon Jeongguk trailing after him, to ask for him constantly and then treat him as his personal slave. He never wanted to catch the eye of a man like him, but it is too late now. Jeongguk has noticed him. Jeongguk wants him.

And what Master Jeon wants, Master Jeon gets.

[bultaonene]

tk captain tae x cabin boy gguk

The ship rocks to the side violently, the storm bringing water even below deck. People are screaming orders and yelling in fear, but everything is muted compared to the sound of the water.

The ship bends to the side again and Jeongguk can't cling to the ropes fast enough.

He falls on the ground, shoulder painfully colliding with the floor. Water soaks his clothes and panic fills his mind, the storm is too much too strong too-

"Jeongguk!"

Hoseok kneels near him. Or better he falls to his knees, the ship still moving harshly with every wave. Jeongguk groans but clings to his friend. Hoseok is a cabin boy just like him, stolen from his own ship and forced to work. That, or sleep with the fishes.

"Gguk," he yells, frantic. His eyes are wide and his lip trembling. "The captain- he- he's fallen overboard."

Jeongguk freezes. He feels icy, but it has nothing to do with the rain pelting on him, soaking his clothes.

"Overboard?" he asks it with a whisper, so low he's afraid Hoseok won't hear him.

But he does. He does and he nods. "Fallen among the waves, the sea swallowed him right away. The ship has no captain now."

No captain. No one to sail, to steer the ship. The captain was a wrecked man, one Jeongguk had no love for, but he knew how to sail. Not well enough, since he wasn't able to avoid the storm, but he was the only one who could get them out of it.

And now he's lost among the waves, body devoured by the hungry salty water.

Hoseok and Jeongguk look at each other, hearts in their throats and eyes teary. "No one to steer the ship. No one that knows how to sail," says Hoseok, repeating the thought stuck in their mind. "No one who knows how to escape the storm."

They are dead, aren't they? Kidnapped, enslaved, and now destined to die at sea, to drown and-

"I know how to sail."

It's one of the people in the cells that speaks. Their chains rattle when they move, clinking against the bars when the prisoner clings to them.

Smudged kohl around his eyes, hair grown long with captivity. The fingers that wound around the bars are adorned with rings, jewels that have been stolen, conquered. The tattoo of a tree on his side on his neck is beautiful (as he is) but it is deadly for what it represents, what it symbolizes.

The Black Willow is the most feared ship on the seven seas. And its captain is the king of pirates, fear incarnated.

Kim Taehyung is a synonym of death. And now he's looking at Jeongguk through the bars, a smirk on the face that is immovable even with the waves trying to knock the ship over.

"I know how to steer this ship," he says, voice deep and raspy. An earring glints when he tilts his head. "And I definitely know how to escape the storm."

He does, Jeongguk is sure. Kim Taehyung is ruthless and reckless, famous for slipping through the navy's fingers with a ship too fast for them and maneuvers too crazy for anyone sane. When another pirate ship captured him, no one could believe it.

But the sea is on Kim's side, thrashing violently because her favorite child is held prisoner, and so he smirks, grins while the ship rocks and moans under the vicious waves. "Come on, cabin boy," he yells, he must when a thunder threatens to cover his voice. "You know what you have to do, don't you?"

The pirate lifts his bound wrists, shakes his hands in a childish motion. His smile is vicious and startling genuine at once. 

Jeongguk thinks. He looks at Hobi, wide-eyed and shaking. He looks at the water rising at their feet. He looks at the smile on the pirate's face, at the way he offers his wrists.

The keys of the cells make too much noise when Jeongguk grabs them from the wall, but it doesn't matter. The storm covers the sound of Jeongguk's crime.

"Good choice, cabin boy," says Kim Taehyung while Jeongguk opens his cell, unlocks his shackles. The pirate rubs his wrist, his feet incredibly steady on the moving ship. He walks toward the wall calmly and takes the belt hung there, wears it and checks the sword and the gun on it. His eyes are twinkling with some kind of deranged madness, because no one should be this happy in the middle of a storm. But Kim Taehyung looks at Jeongguk and smiles, predatory and excited.

"Let's give this lady someone that knows how to take care of her."

 

or: Jeongguk was a sailor and then he was a cabin boy. And now that he has freed Kim Taehyung he can be nothing but a pirate himself, because many people want Captain Kim dead and, somehow, Captain Kim wants to keep him alive. The pirate keeps telling him it's as a thank you for saving his life, but Jeongguk doesn't believe him. It was Taehyung that saved them all by steering the ship to safety, laughing like a madman the whole time.

So Kim is crazy. But Jeongguk doesn't have much of a choice and so he joins his crew, steps on the Black Willow when the ship finds his captain again.

"Just until the next port," says Jeongguk every time and every time Taehyung nods, hides his smile. 

The next port comes. And the one after that and then another one, Jeongguk with an excuse ready every time he boards the ship instead of staying on land. "Until next port?" asks Taehyung, eyes crinkled with a smile.

"Yeah," answers Jeongguk, and a lie has never tasted so sweet. The sun is starting to set, sky blazing red and tasting of freedom.

"Just until next port."

ok but. pirate taehyung that values freedom over anything so he adopts lost or enslaved people like they are puppies and they are madly loyal to him and that's why he's so fucking scary. like he's also a madman and absolutely NUTS when he sails but the scariest thing about him is that everyone on his crew would die for him no question asked, so when he dives into danger they follow him and they fight for him, oh boy if they fight

so he sees gguk and he wants to give him freedom, and he is so quickly enamored with his sweet personality and even sweeter smiles.

and he spoils him. so. fuckin. much. like gguk was never really rich and tae likes pretty things and he showers gguk with gifts, giving out stupid excuses like "ooops oh no this ring doesn't fit me oh no!! it's too pretty to waste it!!! hey gguk completely unrelated but. isn't your rings size PERFECT for this" and gguk likes it?? like he could never indulge himself and tae does give him perfect excuses to accepts his gifts so... it won't hurt, right? and so suddenly gguk has silk shirts and rings and earrings and a big hat with a feather on it that he LOVES and a lot of things

[bultaonene]

tk governor gguk x 'servant' tae

"Anything to report?"

"Nothing major. Just a public punishment, but it was a little thing. Some strikes on his hands and the misbehaver was let go."

Jeongguk hums, never stopping his writing while Hoseok recounts the events of the day.

He is used to keeping his mind in two places at the same time and he became a master at multitasking, since the day never seems long enough for all his duties. Yet when Hoseok's words fully hit him, he stops. His quill stains the end of the word he's writing, but he's quick enough to move it away before he ruins the paper.

"If it was nothing important, then why did you feel the need to inform me?"

Now that his attention is focused on his attendant, he can see that Hoseok is fidgeting, playing with his sleeves nervously. His eyes dart to the side, an unusual sight on the usually collected and cheerful man. As governor of a respectably vast territory, Jeongguk can't possibly be in charge and know of every little thing that happens. He has his trusted advisors and his attendant for that, not to mention the multitude of people working under him and tasked with dealing with everything he has no time to do. There is no reason for Hoseok to mention such a little detail - yet here he is, reporting the accident and fidgeting anxiously while doing so.

"Sir, the misbehaver– he's that servant. The one you, uhm, took an interest in."

The quill almost breaks under the pressure of Jeongguk's grip. His features turn tense and he now understands why his attendant was nervous and hesitant to speak.

"Taehyung?"

"I believe that's his name, yes, that might be right," Hoseok lies smoothly. He perfectly knows that Taehyung is his name and he recognised it as soon as it reached his ears. It's a peculiar name and with the governor's interest in him, it won't escape his memory any time soon. Jeongguk looks just like Hoseok expected him to – barely suppressing his anger, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," he starts, knowing that he rarely is, "but I remember explicitly saying not to touch that man, under any circumstance."

"Of course, Governor Jeon." After years of working together, the title feels stiff on Hoseok's tongue, but better play it safe and display the biggest amount of respect in every word. "Unfortunately, he was caught by a guard trying to sneak inside a secluded area. For that kind of misdemeanour, the punishment was exceptionally light."

This doesn't seem to appease Jeongguk in the slightest. He stands up to his seat, scattering papers around him with the sudden motion.

"Give me the name of the guard that gave out the punishment. And bring Taehyung to me."

---

After properly warning the guard, Jeongguk marches back to his quarters. Hoseok knows him well enough to guess where he wanted to see Taehyung and he is satisfied to see him in his office, looking around warily.

He is dressed in ratty, cheap clothes that look worn out and dirty. Jeongguk notices with a twitch of his eyebrow that he wears none of the expensive silks he sent him last time.

"Governor."

Taehyung bows deeply while calling his title. His shoulders tremble a little, either for the cold or the fear. Jeongguk motions him to stand upright and so he does, shoulders curved and quivering hands.

When Taehyung brings his hands near his chest, his sleeves ride up and expose angry red lines on his skin, some of them nearly bleeding. Jeongguk clicks his tongue and wishes he did more than simply warn the guard.

He steps closer to the servant and takes one of his wrists, turning his arm to see if at least the inner part of it is unblemished. There are only two slashes there - not pleasing, but Jeongguk is at least glad to see the tan skin not as pained.

"Governor."

Taehyung's voice is deep and rumbling, soothing. But the word is laced with an undertone of something – impatience, sharpness. When Jeongguk lifts his eyes though, Taehyung's expression is hesitating and scared. Maybe he just imagined it.

"Have you taken care of your injuries?"

The servant lowers his gaze shyly and shakes his head.

"Do not worry, please. It is a minor thing."

"It isn't," he replies and he has to restrain himself from kissing his wounds like a lovesick fool. Not that he's afraid to look the part – he already does when he gives Taehyung presents he never unwraps, let alone wears.

If he could he would kiss Taehyung, he thinks. Lean forward and capture those chapped lips with his own, breathe and suck on them until they become as soft as they deserve to be.

He hasn't sent him any beauty products yet. Maybe he should try.

"Governor," repeats the servant again, like it's the only word he knows, "I'm very grateful for your attention, but I do not deserve it."

Attention. Not care, which is what Jeongguk is truly offering. No, attention, because it's the thing that makes Taehyung rejected him, over and over again. Maybe because when a powerful person wants you, you get targeted.

But maybe (and this is where Jeongguk falls in the trap, this is what makes the cat curious, will make the cat satisfied), maybe there's something else. Because Taehyung isn't fixed and permanent, isn't consistent. He let's something escape sometimes, something that makes Jeongguk think that Taehyung may be lying to him, may be lying to the whole city.

Taehyung is hiding something, has always been from the moment Jeongguk first saw him. And Jeongguk is the cat, curious and reckless, knowing that the danger will be worth the satisfaction.

So Jeongguk ignores Taehyung's words and marches towards his own desk, when Hoseok has already prepared a healing salve and bandages. He knew the governor wouldn't let anyone else touch the servant he's so entranced with, and so he prepared accordingly.

Jeongguk turns his back to the desk, leaning back on it. He motions for Taehyung to come closer then, a simple crook of his fingers that allows no denial. The servant obeys, gingerly and unsure. There's a wrinkle on his forehead and a tick of his jaw that betray something, and Jeongguk is dying to know. He scoops some salve with his fingers and starts spreading it across the angry lashes, his anger rising with every whimper that escapes Taehyung's lips. He wants to go back to that guard, to look at that fucker in the eyes while he inflicts him the same pain but doubled, tripled. Because Jeongguk ordered not to touch Taehyung, ever, and his orders are absolute.

But he can't even if he wants (oh how he wants it) because the guard did nothing wrong. Taehyung was in a place he shouldn't even be able to approach, even less enter. Jeongguk can't punish a man that did his job. Even if he wants to.

"Why did you disobey the rules? You went against the guards, and so against me," he asks while he starts to wrap the gauze around his arm. He looks at the bone of his wrist, at the tan skin that gets covered with bandages. Titillating and wonderful, like every facet and side of Taehyung. He doesn't fit the life of a servant.

Taehyung keeps quiet for a while and Jeongguk lets him. He can be patient, if he wants, wait for him.

"I did not know, Governor. I just wanted to see someone."

Jeongguk narrows his eyes at that. He talked with the guard, knows what happened. No one dares lie to him, so he knows that what the guard told him must be the truth. "But you knew when the guard told you," he counteracts placidly but firmly, "and you still tried to get inside."

"Isn't it natural for a friend to help another friend?" he asks in reply, flippant and confident like he rarely shows himself. This is so much more natural than his meek appearance. "And isn't it natural for a son to want news of his poor mother?"

"So it wasn't for yourself."

"It was," he says, and Jeongguk detects no lie in it. He lowers his tone, as if he regrets his burst of confidence. "I did because I am unhappy to see my friend miserable. He didn't want me to do this."

Jeongguk doesn't know if this is true. He doesn't know this part of Taehyung, if he's selfish or selfless. And he can't trust his words because even if Jeongguk does not think it's a lie, it doesn't mean it isn't.

Rarely is someone better at Jeongguk in something. But he reckons that Taehyung might be, at least in this. Still, he knows nothing, not yet. So he takes his words as true and works from there, thinking how can he forbid more wounds to mar his perfect skin.

"Maybe I can help. I know the master of that house."

Taehyung's eyes get wide and he starts shaking his head immediately, biting his lip in frustration.

"Oh no Governor, please. I already am too much of a bother to you."

"You aren't, Taehyung," he says, speaks his name just to taste it on his tongue. Jeongguk ties the bandages on his arm but doesn't let go of it, enamored with the elegant bones of his hand.

Taehyung is never a bother to Jeongguk. He's the best part of his day, getting him unreasonably excited. Or well, not unreasonably. There's something in him that begs for his attention, a shadow of something Jeongguk can't quite catch.

And he sees it now, when Taehyung looks at him with eyes too wide, too teary. Everything, from the set of his eyebrows to the curve of his shoulders looks perfectly innocent and sad, every detail undeniably pitiful. It's the pinnacle of misery, of unhappy despondency.

And, Jeongguk is sure about this, it's all masterfully staged.

Taehyung is lying. This naive, wide-eyed crybaby is a facade, a role he adopts. Because no matter how good Taehyung is at this game, Jeongguk is too. And so he sees the cracks, discovers the weak points.

He wants to know more. Wants to make him trip, expose himself. And so, he asks. "Why do you behave like this?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I know you aren't this bumbling idiot you want me to believe. I know your fear towards me is exaggerated. So why?"

Silence befalls them. Jeongguk doesn't let go of Taehyung's arm – if the choice was his, he never would.

"What are you implying, governor?"

This. This is how the real Taehyung must sound like. Cunning, voice low and tinted with a hint of danger, his eyes glittering with something he can't name.

He's so beautiful that Jeongguk barely remembers to breathe.

"I don't know. What am I implying? Why are you lying?"

Taehyung gasps at his words, but this time it isn't one of his wet, shaky sounds. This one is theatrical, this one is sarcastic and caustic. "Lying to you, governor? I would never dare."

But he would. He dares, he tricks and deceives him with so little effort that Jeongguk can't help but be amazed. Taehyung is lying to him, he dares to. He's the only person that does.

And Jeongguk can do nothing but be hopelessly entranced.

Or: before becoming a lowly servant, Taehyung was an exceptional actor. Not many know this since he used to act with a mask, but the information reaches a bratty noble that promises Taehyung he will help him get his job back if he works as a spy, listening to conversations he shouldn't be privy to and using his charm to trick and deceive anyone.

Unhappy with his current situation and not too squeamish about morals, Taehyung accepts. No one pays attention to him now, not when he feigns teary eyes and the stuttered speech of a naive, foolish servant boy.

If only the stupid governor would fall for his innocent act and leave him alone.

(basically: Gguk knows that Tae is hiding something and he's enraptured by how different he seems to be in certain moments and while Tae acts like he's scared of him Gguk knows he isn't in the slightest and he kinda gets heart eyes about that bc ppl rarely remember he is really young and alone and all the authorities and duties weights on him immensely. Everyone is scared of him or envious, but Tae? No, Tae is just fuckin irritated and he LOVES that)

Taehyung after he accepts the deal from the noble: ok, step 1 - Do Not Get Noticed

Jeongguk, literally the most influential and powerful person in the area Tae lives in: hello 😍😍

Taehyung: oh for FUCKS SAKE

and gguk gifts him absolutely crazy stuff, like a golden seal that marks him as a person favored by the governor and can keep him safe and everyone would love to received that, it's like the biggest honor ever but Tae is like "ooh wow...thanks...this doesn't attract ANY attention AT ALL ahaha...yeah yk what? I'm gonna give it back to you yeeeeah I'm not worthy or whatever thanks tho :)" 

gguk totally has a "ignore me and I'll fall in love more" type of thing going so after Tae drops his persona and he's more blunt poor jeon gets wrecked on that front

Taehyung: fuck off you're a pest

Gguk: omg daddy 😍😍 say it again 🤤💕😍

Gguk: did you get the silks i sent you? 🥰🥰

Taehyung: i sold them.

Guk: it's okay i sent more 🥰😘💞

Gguk: I hope you liked the love letters I sent ❤

Tae, Wide-eyed and Innocent™: oh I thought you got the wrong address so I sent them back to the post office :)

Gguk: WOOF 😍 BARK 😍 I'm writing other 349 of them don't worry 😘

Tae, doing his snooping around: as long as no one notices me I've got this >:)

Gguk with a marching band, a giant banner saying 'for my beautiful Taehyung', 15 dancers with a planned choreography, 2 tigers and 20 circus performers: are y'all ready? let's go!!!!! :DD

[bultaonene]

tk isekai in a game

The moment Taehyung wakes up, he knows something isn't right.

First of all, Seoul sky isn't this blue. And the air isn't this clean. Also, the people speak Korean, not... whatever language they are speaking now. Even weirder, Taehyung can understand them.

Second of all. Taehyung is pretty sure he died before waking up. A stupid death really - slipping and falling down the stair after coming back home from grocery shopping. Pathetic.

So, something happened. And Taehyung has watched enough anime to get /what/ happened. He has been transported into another world.

A shiny, bright, magical place where he will begin a new life, where he can finally be the best-

A huge commotion scares him out of his reverie. Someone is powerwalking towards him and- wait. Is that Chungha? "White Queen's Sword" Chungha? Best girl Chungha?

Best protagonist of his favorite action rpg Chungha?

It seems like she is. Her cat eyes, blonde hair and white outfit is unmistakable and Taehyung feels his hands clammy, like he's going to meet his favorite celebrity.

This is so exciting!!

"You! Golden Boy's minion! I'm here to defeat you!"

Alright, slightly less exciting. Whose who? She's here to what?

"Your evil ways have brought me here today. Your boss is the one I seek, but you're a menace and I shall vanquish you."

Ah, her pompous dialogue. Not one of her best feature as it was heavily criticized by the players, but Taehyung likes it anyway. It's part of her charm. In fact, he's a bit weak for it and he can't help but gaze at her with heart eyes.

Chungha points her foil to the side, the tip starting to get brighter and brighter. It's only because Taehyung knows what she's preparing for that he manages to evade her attack, ducking fast enough and letting the magical slash only graze the tip of his black cape.

Wait. Black cape?

It's then that her words fully register in his mind. He doesn't have time to dwell on them though, because a shadow covers him and Chungha glares at the sky. Or better, glares at someone in the sky.

Golden Boy is the videogame's main villain, with big black wings and red eyes and kind of fucking hot.

He lands right behind Taehyung, not sparing him a glance.

"If it isn't the high and mighty hero," he drawls, voice raspy but melodic all the same.

The hero and the villain snarls at each other, drawing their weapons. Taehyung gulps. This is not how he wanted his "shiny, bright, magical" new life to go like.

or: Taehyung wakes up in his favorite videogame... Only that he’s an insignificant character. He’s a servant of the main villain, Golden Boy. He’s a miniboss, one that’s quickly taken care of by the main heroine - he doesn’t even have a name, just a letter: V. He’s pretty much screwed, until he remembers an alternative ending: since it’s a game where the heroine can romance a handful of characters during her journey, if she accumulates enough persuasive points and if she makes the right decisions she can romance the villain and bring him back to the right path. If that happens, his minions aren’t forced to fight against the heroine and some of them are spared.

He never tried this ending - Chungha belongs with her fellow warrior Sunmi and Tae never separates his otp. But he has to try.

The fact is, the heroine doesn’t seem interested in saving the villain this time around, just like he never was interested in his romantic route. It’s up to V-Taehyung to mollify his “boss” then, bring him back to the light so that they are all spared. And maybe during the journey Taehyung finds that Golden Boy - that Jeongguk is just lonely and misunderstood, and that maybe he just needs somebody on his side.

[bultaonene]

tk violinist tae x raven gguk

Violinist taehyung practices everyday in an old, now abandoned music room. He plays and he plays and he plays for hours, because he wants to be first violin and soon there will be auditions.

So he goes there everyday and plays, far from anyone that could point out his mistakes and bring him down.

Until one day the old, creaking floor collapses right under his feet.

It is sudden, with no apparent reason. It collapses and Taehyung falls with it, holding his violin tight because it matters more than his own spine, his own life. Miraculously, he survives. One of his legs makes his eyes tear up with pain and he's covered in dust, but he's alive.

For now, at least.

Because he has no idea how it's possible, but there's a cave under the music room. A giant cave half filled with water, gloomy and dark. The cave itself isn't what worries him the most, though. Far more relevant than where he is, it's what is in the cave with him.

At first he thinks it's a bird, huge and black and terrifying. But the wings open and there is a man inside- no. Not simply inside the wings. He is the one with the wings. Taehyung half screams when the man jumps from his perch and glides towards him like an eagle pointing its prey. He crouches right above the violinist, tilting his head like a bird may do.

His face is a mask, no emotion displayed. He doesn't look like a monster, his face pale and perfect. But it feels like he's one nevertheless.

The winged man stares from above, eyes hungry. And Taehyung can't move, can't escape - he can only close his eyes and clutch his violin, the strings whining feebly while he moves.

He waits for his demise, for the moment he gets teared apart by the creature above him. Nothing happens.

When he opens his eyes, the creature is watching the violin with a curious gaze.

"Your music box," he says. His voice is raspy, like he hasn't used it in centuries, but melodic.

"You are the one who does the music."

Taehyung gulps, hands trembling. The curious glint in the monster's eyes and his stilted words make him look childish, naive. But his open wings are still terrifying.

"Play the music box."

"It's a violin," snaps Taehyung, slightly irritated. He's lucky his 'music box' is still in one piece and he feels like blaming the creature for his fall, even if it's the floor that gave up on him.

"Violin," repeats the winged man. He plays with his fingers, wings fluffing up and moving up and down. Taehyung belatedly realise he's excited. "I like the violin. Love it. Pretty. Play the violin, Man from Above."

Taehyung stares at the smile on the creature. It's warm and genuine, tinged with childish innocence.

And so, Taehyung plays for him.

Or: raven Jeongguk only goes Above for food. It's understandable; his diet requires fresh meat.

He doesn't mind from which source.

He's lonely, but no one wants to talk with him. He tried once or twice, but the humans always scream when they see him. It makes him sad and angry. (And when he's sad and angry he gets hungrier too and, well. The humans don't scream for long after that)

But he has one friend. Not really a friend but they always come and make pretty sounds. It makes him warm and happy. He never saw his friend but they are really good. Until one day the ceiling breaks and something white crashes down on his home.

It's his friend!! And he has a music box!!!

He says it's a "vi-oh-leen". Jeongguk likes the viohleen. It's pretty and makes pretty sounds.

And his friend is pretty too. And kind. And when he shows his teeth jeongguk feels warm and all light and his feather go "vrr!" and stand up all happy.

But his friend is hurt. He cries when jeongguk touches his leg and he feels so bad, all gloomy and sad and his wings go all wobbly and low.

"No tears" he says, determined. He will care for his friend. He'll keep him safe.

Yes, jeongguk is a good boy. He can do that.

Bonus: tae teaches him about things and guk is all starry eyed and "you are so smart!!! good boy!!!" 🥺 and once tae tells him about shooting star ("you know, when the shiny things in the sky fall down") and guk is like "like you!!!" and tae is all blushing and shy and

"No guk ofc not" and guk "but you were all white and bright and you fell down!!" 🥺🥺🥺 just gukkie discovering new things 🥺🥺

[bultaonene]

tk Tartarus au

Where Jeongguk lives, there's a place. In that place, there's a room. In that room, there's a hole.

They call it the Chasm.

(⚠️ tw: thoughts of suicide)

No one knows where it came from. Some tell that it has always been there, the city built upon it. Some tell it was created by the gods to throw away things that no one wants, that no one needs.

Jeongguk doesn't believe in gods. But he believes in humans wanting to get rid of uncomfortable secrets, of terrible sins. He believes in the unspeakable extremes humans can go to hide what they hate.

They let the black abyss swallow whatever they deem unworthy. Jeongguk thinks he fits nicely into that category.

No one has approached the Chasm and made it out alive, or so it is told. If someone did, they are keeping their mouth sealed shut.

If the rumor is true, good. Exactly what Jeongguk wants. 

When he finds the room the air is heavy, his fight or flight instinct kicking in even with no visible danger around. He keeps going, reaching the point where the floor collapses.

Every shred of survival instinct he possesses is telling him to get away. He doesn't. When he reaches the edge of the Chasm, he doesn't look down. He sits instead, tilting his head back and inhaling deeply.

This is it. This is the moment to let go.

He expects a series of things when he looks down. A wall of pure black, a sense of vertigo. Maybe a monster waiting for him, maybe nothing at all.

What he doesn't expect is a youthful face looking up at him.

"Hello?"

-----

People have called him a handful of names. Angel, demon. Monster. Titan. Phanes and Hyperion, when people still gave him names and not epithets. Some called him a god.

If he was a god, Taehyung thinks, maybe he wouldn't be trapped here.

It has been a long, long time. The darkness keeps him weak, eats at him slowly. After all, he is no mortal.

Still, his power isn't that great. Even laughable, for some standards. He didn't want the war, but couldn't stop it when it happened. For his peaceful views, one side called him traitor. The other spared him from eternal suffering, but still punished him.

Alive but weak. Trapped. Alone.

Until someone looks down into the abyss and doesn't run away when he sees him. There is silence for a moment, and then Taehyung tries.

"Hello?"

The young boy looking down at him gapes. But he doesn't run.

Where Jeongguk lives, there's a place. In that place, there's a room. In that room, there's a hole.

They call it the Chasm. But a long time ago, they called it a different name. They called it Tartarus.

Jeongguk doesn't believe in gods. Maybe he should.

Or: humans have never been that smart, but building an entire city over the entrance of the dungeons for those punished by the gods has to take the cake. Feeling its powerful, evil energy, they don't go near it. It doesn't stop them from living right above it. Jeongguk doesn't have anything to live for, so he goes there to die. He doesn't expect to find someone gazing at him from the depths.

The situation is so weird that he starts talking to the boy at the bottom of the Chasm. He talks and talks, and when it gets dark he goes home. When he goes back the day after, it isn't to try to end it all again.

Their bond is strange, but somehow it works. Both burdened by their own torments, they are starving for compassion and empathy. They found it in each other. Jeongguk has always felt useless, with no aim or goal, no passion.

Now he has to find a way to pull out Taehyung from a magical, bottomless dungeon.

He never liked easy things. Go big or go home, he guesses. Or in this case, go down the rabbit hole.

[bultaonene]

tk hitmen au

"That was supposed to be my target."

"Was it?"

The hitman twirls the toothpick in his mouth with his teeth, looking smug and satisfied. His shirt is dirty with blood, his tie half undone.

Messy, always messy.

It irks Jeongguk. Killing should be something clean, tidy. People like them don't have the luxury of being so careless; they are professionals, self-declared executioners.

But Kim doesn't seem to get it.

⚠️ tw: violence and blood (not graphic, but still)

He's bold and loud, noticeable. He doesn't dwell in the shadows, he thrives in the spotlight. And yet, he never gets caught.

Like fans not recognizing their idols when they are walking down the streets, everyone seems to collectively forget about Kim Taehyung as soon as he's out of sight and when he pops out again, no one recognizes him.

Jeongguk grits his teeth and narrows his eyes, glaring at him. "She was mine to kill, and you knew that."

It happens often. As top-notch hitmen with the same target, they always clash and fight for who comes on top. Opposite mentalities, opposite methods, same goals.

Jeongguk murders with relentless precision, surgical accuracy. He gets the job done as soon as he can, doesn't waste any time because it's useless.

Kim plays with him victims like a cat playing with his food, devours them and gets lost in the act as if he's an artist. Like he's Pollock, dripping blood on his canvas to create shapes only he can see.

"Yours? Then please tell me, who paid you?"

The answer? No one. Because yes, Jeongguk is precise and professional but this? This was personal. And Kim - fuck him if he knows how - knew that. So Jeongguk doesn't answer, refuses to as he grinds his teeth together to try and keep his calm. He came here with a urge to kill and hurt, and that hasn't gone away, a restless itch crawling under his skin. Kim is right there, smirking. Ripe to kill.

The other hitman ignores his murderous gaze and walks towards the exit, the door right behind Jeongguk. Kim is right in front of him, the blood on his shirt still wet.

"This savage need to kill doesn't suit you, Jeon. Go back to your controlled, prickly attitude and leave the bloodlust to me."

He says this with an air of superiority, like he always does. Yet if Jeongguk wasn't so drunk on his own rage, he would have noticed a hint of worry, the tiniest bit of care.

Or maybe not. Jeongguk has always been blind to these kind of things.

Kim leaves and the air feels different, heavier. In the room in front of Jeongguk, concealed by a simple door, there's a corpse of someone he wanted dead for a long time.

He considers going inside, gloating over the spilled ruby on the floor. Kim has probably left a mess. He doesn't. He was never one for sentimentalism. Kim's words ring in his head, a cacophonous string of truths he doesn't want to admit. He wasn't professional. He got emotional. Weak.

He leaves, taking off his gloves and making a quick phone call. If he calls someone to clean up the mess, it's just because he hates to leave things unkempt and sloppy. It has nothing to do with gratitude or sentiment.

If he thinks it hard enough, it doesn't feel like a lie.

[bultaonene]

tk angels and demons at war au

'Don't shoot the messenger' the saying goes. But when you're at war, no rules stay standing except for you must win.

"A fast bastard," mutters someone near him, watching their arrows miss the demon with black wings. The creature swerves left and right, a skillful flyer.

Hoseok doesn't move and doesn't speak. The archer barely breathes, because the slightest movement could mess up the perfect shot.

He draws the bow's string back effortly despite the sheer size of the weapon, almost as tall as him. The demon messenger has to be shot down before they can carry the information on the angels' troops. When Hoseok shoots, the arrow travels gracefully through the air.

The demon falters and then plummets down like a young Icarus, the holy arrow almost completely taking away one of their wings.

Hoseok has never missed a target. The result is almost boring in its predictability.

"Jeon."

The voice of his commander draws Jeongguk's attention. Namjoon is watching the demon drop towards the forest with a severe expression.

"Follow them. Make sure they won't crawl back to their base."

Jeongguk nods and bows. He's one of the quickest among them and one of the best. Without a single word added, he turns and flies towards the fallen soldier, his own wings tucked close to his body to gain more speed.

It takes him a while to find them. The territory is unfamiliar and full of good places to hide. But he only needs to follow the broken branches, the smell of burnt feathers and blood.

He finds them in a clearing, propped up on a tree. They are panting in agony, one wing a mangled mess. They will be easy to kill.

It's a man. Blonde hair, black wings. But Jeongguk already knows. He knew the moment he saw the wings, pitch black and huge. This is merely a confirmation of a suspicion he knew would turn out to be true.

"Taehyung," he says, voice dull and flat. He doesn't say anything else.

When they were little, Taehyung liked flying. He has always liked flying and he has always hated hurting other people. It feels fitting that he's an herald, not a warrior. Not like Jeongguk.

"Ggukkie. Came to say goodbye?"

His voice is a rasp, deeper than he remembers and turned rough with his injuries, but it's undeniably him. The nickname sounds familiar, like an album filled with photos of their childhood.

Jeongguk stays silent. He approaches him with the caution of a hunter, even if his prey is already down. He steps on dark feathers scattered around like cherry blossom's petals. He draws his sword with a gesture that's mechanical, ingrained in him and as familiar as breathing.

Taehyung hasn't changed much, even after all these years. Or rather, he has changed a lot. He's a man now, with broad shoulders and long legs. His wings are bigger, sturdier.

But his wide eyes, his easy grin. The way he tilts his head when he's holding back tears. Those are the same.

"Not even a last word to your childhood friend?"

The effort of talking is clearly taking a toll of him, if his breathing his anything to go by. Jeongguk wishes he stopped. It will be easier to end it all in silence.

He lifts his sword, holds it above his head. A clean slash. Powerful and quick, so that the demon won't suffer. End this, Jeongguk. Do your damn job.

Taehyung looks up at him. His eyes are glazed by tears but he isn't crying - merely watching him, as if he doesn't want to stop drinking him in until he can.

You're a warrior, Jeongguk. He is the enemy. It's a simple equation to solve. His life mean giving an advantage to the enemy, his death means a step towards their victory. He has a duty. He has to. He must.

But he can't.

With a frustrated scream, he throws the sword away. Far both from him and Taehyung and it clangs when it hits a tree. It's a holy weapon. Jeongguk should have more regards for it.

He's also panting now, chest going up and down quickly. He hears a chuckle and when he looks back, he sees Taehyung with tear stricken cheeks but a smile on his mouth.

"You're still the same, Ggukkie. Always the same."

or: Jeongguk and Taehyung were born before the war, when demons and angels lived in peace. Neighbors and close friends, they spent their childhoods together, laughing in sunny meadows and stargazing when the night came.

Then a king is killed and war begins. They get separated and as young adults, they are forced to join their respective armies, fighting for a war they don't believe in.

When they meet again maybe it's fate, maybe it's bad luck. But when they decide not to kill each other... that's all them.

[bultaonene]

tk vikings au

The carriage moves slowly, oscillating slightly as if unbalanced. It comes to a stop among the mud, a safe distance from everyone.

But calling it a carriage isn't right. It's more of a cage on wheels, thick bars of metal trapping whatever lies inside.

Whoever lies inside.

When the first one of the people inside is brought out of the moving cell, people start their whispers.

"It's the leader of the pagans."

The pagans. Brutal people from a stranger land, coming to them with boats shaped like monsters. Raiding villages left and right, leaving ruins in their wake. They are ruthless. They know no mercy.

But their most terrible sin seems to be that they don't believe in God. They think multiple gods deserve their praises, their prayers.

Seems like a minor thing to be worrying about, but Prince Jeongguk doesn't dare to speak his opinion aloud. The last thing he wants is to be accused of blasphemy like them.

When the whispers around him quietens he gulps, unable to stop the fear taking him.

The leader of the pagans steps down from the cage, the chains at his wrists and feet clanging like swords meeting in the battlefield.

There was no fight this time. The pagans surrendered easily, captured with no spilt blood, and it makes Jeongguk stand with shoulders tense, with feet planted on the ground like he’s the statue of a saint. He’s even more on edge, more worried. 

Their obedience isn't normal. It sounds too much like a trap.

And yet the pagan leader and his people are quiet, not as wild as he expected. He already knew about women being among their warriors, but he's surprised to see children chained with them as well.

Young warriors? But no, they don't carry weapons nor bloodlust in their eyes.

The group comes closer. They all stand tall, taller than average. He can easily guess why the whispers aren't only out of fear, why some voices sound more eager than scared.

When the pagans are close enough, the guards flanking them part to let the leader step in front of the king.

Jeongguk can't help but be startled. Even now, dirty, bloody and worn out by his imprisonment, the pagan leader is a sight to see. Not so much for his symmetrical face and his surprisingly soft features, but more for the way he seems to dominate the room simply by standing in it.

The sensation doesn’t leave Jeongguk even when the leader is asked to kneel and he goes willingly, knees hitting the mud. Even like this he doesn't lose an ounce of his powerful presence, doesn't look like he's submitting. Almost like he never had to kneel before anyone, so he doesn't quite know how to do it right. 

The leader of the pagans looks towards the king at first, eyes like deep lakes, but then his gaze wanders as if he’s bored. Disappointed. And he finds Jeongguk among the crowd.

Their eyes lock while someone announces with great fanfare who exactly kneels before their king.

Kim Taehyung, his name. Victory and blood, his legacy. 

Or: once there was a farmer with dreams of seeing more, of knowing the world. So he starts a journey towards countries that aren't on any of their maps.

They find a land, rich and prosper, and they do what they are used to: kill and raid. Stopping them seems impossible, so their victims offer a deal: a land to live in, but no more killing. The man who started the journey accepts. Goes home with a promise in his hand.

Kim Taehyung is his son, coming to reclaim what's rightfully his. But in the land they won, promises don't seem to be as strong as what he's used to.

[bultaonene]

tk Iliad au

As the strongest warrior, Jeongguk has the right to the biggest prizes, the best spoils of war. Gems and gold, the best riches the fallen city has to offer.

Turns out their most precious treasure isn't one made of gold. The un god's High Priest is Jeongguk's prize.

Jeongguk joined the war because Namjoon asked him to, not because he wanted to. But he doesn't mind the riches and the glory; humans are creature of greed, after all.

When Ilio falls under their attack, the city is ransacked. To follows the rules set by honor, Jeongguk - their champion, their winner - must be given the most precious trophy, the most beautiful of them all. Not doing so would mean angering the gods that have protected their favorite warrior, that have guided his longsword and blessed him with victory.

Ilio isn't famous only for its gold. Rather, the name of the city is spoken with reverence because it houses the biggest temple for the sun god, Elios, and it's blessed with his grace. Even its name is said to be an homage to their divine protector.

Even then, when the leaders of the war present Jeongguk his share of spoil, he doesn't expect for a person to sit among the treasures.

"The sun god's High Priest," someone murmurs in his ear and it's impossible not to notice the curious gaze, the reverent whispers. The priest is covered with a veil, a golden crown on his head. His clothes are weaved with gold, his hands decorated with multiple rings.

He looks perfectly at ease among the glittering gems and shiny pearls.

Someone approaches him and tries to grab his veil to uncover him, but the High Priest holds up a hand and the person stops before he can even graze the cloth.

He might be part of the losing side of the war but he's still a link to the gods. No one will underestimate him. The simple gesture was enough to stop a warrior twice his size, his hand thin but commanding, the order clear.

The priest grabs his veil then, holds the red cloth in his hand and starts to pull, uncovering his face. The veil comes off slowly, as if unwilling to part from its owner. As if it would prefer to keep him hidden some more.

And Jeongguk understands. He understands the need to shield the High Priest's face and he understands the crown upon his head, gold and shaped like sunrays, like a halo.

He wonders if maybe his fellow soldiers got it wrong. If they accidentally stole the sun god himself, took him away from his own temple and offered him to Jeongguk like a mere mortal.

Foolish, incautious people. How daring, how reckless.

But then the warrior watches him more closely and sees a slight tremble of his hand. A quiver to his closed lips, a glint of fear in his eye. A god fears nothing. A human that looks like a god hides his fear behind a impassible exterior.

But the High Priest has nothing to fear either. They declared him Jeongguk's, property of the strongest warrior.

Jeongguk kneels before him, taking the trembling hand in his own. He doesn't tear his gaze away when he kisses the back of his hand, then the bone of his wrist.

The High Priest is his to protect now. Nothing will touch him as long as Jeongguk still breathes.

[bultaonene]

tk violinist tae x prince gguk

"Have you seen the new musician?"

Jeongguk hasn't. His mother, the queen, is an admirer of the arts, so it isn't surprising for artists of every kind to reside in the palace for a few months or more.

The new violinist has been the talk of the palace.

From the rumors he's incredibly talented, his music so stunning that people are moved to tears. Jeongguk has heard his fair share of extraordinary musicians, so he's a bit skeptic. Nevertheless, he's curious.

"Does he really deserve all the praise?" he asks, not to be mean. He's simply wondering if people aren't exaggerating just because - from what he heard, of course - the musician is young and charming, flashing smiles to everyone in the palace. He seems to be a bit of a wild card, treating servants and nobles with the same amount of respect. Jeongguk admires him for this, don't get him wrong. But it's easy to get praised if everyone loves you.

"I've heard that your mother asked for an encore every single time he played before her. And you know the Queen isn't that easy to please."

Jimin is right. The queen gives an opportunity to everyone and she's fair, but she's also strict and demanding. Her admiration and respect aren't easily bought.

Jeongguk doesn't think about the violinist for a while after that, swarmed in his studies. Namjoon is a strict teacher, sometimes a bit too nagging for the young prince's taste. Jeongguk isn't that enthusiastic about learning every article of their country's legal code and his tutor doesn't appreciate his attempts at escaping every time he deems the subject too stuffy.

It's during one of these escapades that Jeongguk sees him.

It's autumn. Trees are getting stripped of their leaves and the palace's garden is tinted in yellow, oranges and brown. He hears shrill, excited screams in the distance and it's what prompts him to get closer, curious about the ruckus in the usually tranquil garden.

There's a man, his back turned to Jeongguk. Even if the slope of his shoulders the only feature he can observe, Jeongguk is sure this must be the infamous violinist. Before him stands the cause of the noise: 3 little girls and one boy are excitedly jumping up and down, yelling "Please! Please!" and giggling. The violinist relents to their pleas, it seems. With a flourish, he puts his instrument on his shoulders and rolls back his shoulders, the children getting quiet in hushed awe.

Jeongguk doesn't get all the excitement. He loves music, but when he was younger he found violin pieces long and boring. He doesn't think like this anymore of course, but he doesn't know why kids would be excited over dramatic, sorrowful music. Even the happiest pieces aren't that exciting, usually.

He understands as soon as the musician starts playing.

It isn't the kind of music you hear in the palace. It's street music, lively and happy, fast and bright. He heard that the violinist was a noble himself, educated by the best maestros in the country, but those have to be rumors. This doesn't feel like something you learn in stuffy classrooms.

The music is thrilling, enchanting. Before he can stop himself, Jeongguk is approaching the group with a smile.

The children are screeching in joy, jumping and dancing to the music. They aren't alone: the musician himself is moving, turning and stomping his foot with the beat. The music never falters. Jeongguk keeps a bit of distance not to disturb the scene, but he can't help bouncing with the beat. He almost joins the kids to dance with them.

After a crescendo, the violinist dramatically ends the song. The kids start clapping furiously, too young to know the word "encore" but wishing for more all the same. And Jeongguk wants the same - he's clapping so fast his palms are starting to hurt when one of the girls notices him.

"Taetae, look! He liked it too!"

'Taetae' turns towards him and it's then, under yellowing leaves and among screaming kids, that Jeongguk feels like he found what music looks like. It looks like Kim Taehyung.

---

They start meeting in the garden whenever they are free, Jeongguk asking Taehyung millions of questions and getting asked even more in return. They spend their time discovering each other, first with words and gazes, then with soft touches. Taehyung feels like a winter morning, when you're warm and cozy and you can act like a child, burrowing under soft covers and enjoying just existing in the warmth of your bed.

And to Taehyung, Jeongguk feels like summer - scorching and intense, with the wind blowing your hair and the smell of fresh cut grass, with the taste of the sun on your tongue.

Taehyung creates a piece for Jeongguk, a sweet melody that sounds like a promise. He plays it often at the prince's request and every time they fall in love a bit more, eyes sparkling. They spend so much time together that if you were to search for one you could ask about the other, glued to the hip and orbiting each others like planets.

But not everyone is happy about them. Rumors about the violinist seducing the gullible, naive prince for his gold start spreading like wildfire. They ignore them for as long as they can, but it gets harder to do the more time passes. They are young, inexperienced, and people hold that against them. "You don't know what true love is like," they tell them. "How can you be so sure if you know nothing about the world?" they ask.

The fact is, they aren't wrong.

"I want to travel. Learn more about music."

It hurts. Jeongguk feels like his heart is being torn apart and Taehyung is crying, too. They are too attached to one another, too focused on each other to pay attention to anything else. Taehyung needs to reach and grasp whatever is outside the castle's grounds, and Jeongguk has to do the same. They both refuse to be trapped forever in the palace, but when they are both there the suffocating walls feel like heaven, each other's presence enough to be happy inside a golden cage. They want to learn more. And so they do.

Taehyung leaves at the beginning of spring. He leaves behind a music box with their melody trapped inside. Jeongguk treasures it like it's his own crown.

The prince leaves after another month. He learns more than he did in the last 19 years of his life and he accepts that one day, he'll be king. He grows and matures and when he comes back home, he stands taller, more confident. His people welcome him home.

Jeongguk is glad to be back. But this isn't quite home anymore. There's something missing and he knows exactly what it is. Artists of every kind keeping going in and out the palace, but no violin enchants him the same way.

He wasn't sure at the time, young and easily influenced, but he's certain now. He loves Taehyung. He always has. Autumn comes again and the palace garden is tinted in warm tones once again, and Jeongguk feels like ages have passed.

There is a chapel built inside the palace's grounds. Jeongguk isn't religious but Taehyung loved to just sit and bask in the silence, watch the windows and doors decorated with stained glass. Liked to play with the sunrays that got dyed when passing through the glass.

It's silent, so when music starts to play outside, he immediately hears it. He turns towards the door, his heart in his throat, his eyes wide. Filled with hope. The person is barely a silhouette, unrecognizable when hidden behind stained glass. He can see them moving their arms, holding a violin and producing a melody that he knows. He has been listening to it for a year.

Jeongguk runs. When he opens the door, Taehyung is smiling.

[bultaonene]

tk dream eater au

You always dream. Even if you don't remember it when you're awake.

Taehyung hasn't remembered any of his dreams in months. Every time he wakes, they slip from his grasp like sand falling through his fingers. He can remember them the second after he wakes, but after that single instant he forgets, only remembering the general feeling of it, just the impression they left.

It's strange. He wakes with his heart beating fast, like he does after a nightmare, but he doesn't feel scared. Quite the opposite, he feels safe. Comforted.

Every night Taehyung dreams and he doesn't remember. If he did, then he wouldn't be so surprised that he finds the boy always sitting in the back of his class faintly familiar.

He's a feeble presence. Quiet, always dressed in muted colors. If Taehyung ever spared a glance towards him, he probably wouldn't remember ever seeing his face clearly, a fringe of black hair covering his eyes in the few times he doesn't use the hood of his sweatshirt as a shield.

If he is unnoticed, Jeongguk is happier. It's easier living like this when you're a baku, a dream-eating demon.

He tells himself so but then, things change.

The first time he eats Taehyung's dream is an accident - he's too hungry and the boy has fallen asleep in class. He has never felt so sated. Nightmares taste good, but good dreams taste delicious and the dream Taehyung has in class is blissfully happy.

It's the first time of many.

He eats everything, voracious and always asking for more. He lives the dreams with Taehyung before eating them. At first because it's easier to wait for them to end right inside them, to feel when they are ripe and good for taking. Then because they are endearing, whimsical. Taehyung dreams of talking flowers and becoming a star, of running barefoot across the galaxy and painting the sky at sunset.

And Jeongguk is hungry (always, always hungry) so he eats the bittersweet bad dreams too. If Taehyung's good dreams are always out of this world, his bad dreams are alarmingly realistic.

Friends growing distant. Having a panic attack right before an exam. Teachers telling him that he won't amount to anything if he doesn't stop daydreaming and start focusing. The only time his nightmare isn't something deeply rooted in his daily life, it's even worse. In the dream, Taehyung witness a murder and goes to the police, scared out of his mind but trusting. But when he gets there he finds the killer is a policeman and he's the one accused of murder. A he sleeps, Taehyung runs. He runs and asks for anyone to help, but no one believes him. Friendly faces turning dubious and then sour. The real killer chasing him and Taehyung running, just a few steps ahead, knowing that if he slows down he'll die. He just wants to warn others - he knows the killer won't stop after him. But he's alone. Terribly alone, no one believing him, no one helping him when he cries for help.

It's a sensation so terrible that Jeongguk starts feeling suffocated inside the dream. Claustrophobic. It's just to make it sweeter, he tells himself. Just to make it better.

In the landscape of Taehyung's terrible nightmare, he takes Taehyung's hand. He runs with him, telling him he believes him, that he knows the one running after him is the murder, that he's not fleeing from the police because he's a criminal. Taehyung wakes up and he doesn't remember. He feels protected. Safe.

After that, Jeongguk starts interacting with the boy, at least when he's sleeping. Taehyung is eager to share his best dreams with him, easily accepting him as a companion even if he never quite remembers him. Together, they discover new worlds. Ride comets. Tumble in gardens with purple grass and flowers that lights up when they touch them. Jeongguk, used to live a lonely life, starts to wonder how would it be if he didn't eat every one of Taehyung's dreams. Would he recognise him after a while? Would he stare at the boy with the black hoodie sitting at the back of the class even more after seeing his face in a dream?

Jeongguk wonders. Dreams are his life source and he has to keep himself well fed - he can't risk going truly hungry. A hungry Baku doesn't eat only the dreams you have when the nights come. They'll eat anything - dreams for the future, hopes and wishes, until you're just an empty shell.

He tries to eat another's person dream. It tastes bland, unsatisfying. He's left hungry and after he has to slip into Taehyung's subconscious, eat his colorful dream. Without realising he got addicted, hooked.

He doesn't know what to do. But he wants Taehyung to remember him, even if just for a fragment of second, even if just for the moment when he wakes up and blinks his eyes sleepily. So one night, he enters Taehyung's dream and doesn't eat it. The following night, he does the same. And again, and again.

He gets thinner, weaker. When he eats from someone else it's barely enough to keep him functioning. He's hungry for Taehyung's imagination. But he keeps starving himself because he desperately, hopelessly wants Taehyung to remember. Wants to inhabit his mind even when he's awake.

It's greedy and selfish, especially when he doesn't even eat Taehyung's nightmares anymore because he was there, he helped and Taehyung has to remember his kindness at some point. He wants to be more than a mere dream.

He has never starved himself so badly. He gets to the point where he can barely stand and knows that if he continues like this he'll become a monster, eating indiscriminately to sate his hunger.

And yet, he can't stop. Taehyung will forget again. Jeongguk will remain alone, unwanted. The boy in the back of the class that no one remembers.

With his current condition, it isn't a surprise when he bumps into someone. "'m sorry," he drawls, mind hazy. He feels like collapsing.

"Are you okay? You don't look well, do you- wait. Gukkie?"

Jeongguk snaps his head up so fast that he gets dizzy with it. It's Taehyung. Dazzling, shiny Taehyung, calling his name with a smile. "I knew I wasn't crazy," he whispers, in awe. "I knew you had to be real."

That night, Jeongguk eats Taehyung's dream. It's sweet, tastes like cotton candy, and he feels full for the first time in a month.

Taehyung wakes up and he doesn't remember his dream. It doesn't matter. When he opens his eyes, Jeongguk is in front of him, already smiling.

"Good morning Tae. Slept well?"

"Yeah" he answers basking in the warmth. Yes, he slept well. He smiles until his eyes close with the force of his grin.

"I think I had a very good dream."