Archive of Our Own

Taehyung likes to think that he's living some kind of fairy tale because, for all intents and purposes, he is. His life has become a dream come true right before his very eyes. 

He works his dream job as an art curator, makes a dream salary, while also being able to comfortably dabble in his hobby of photography. He lives in a beautiful apartment, his parents are still alive and healthy, and his friends are kind and supportive. All of this, along with having the most amazing boyfriend ever, convinces him that maybe calling his life a fairy tale isn't so far off after all. 

And truly, Taehyung isn’t one to brag. Nor is he one to have his head so far in the clouds that he’s oblivious and naive. He has tried, on many occasions, to reason with himself and be realistic but his life is going so perfectly that it’s hard not to see it as a something from make believe. 

Especially when his boyfriend of five years is Min Yoongi, music mogul extraordinaire who owns and is the head of one of South Korea's most lucrative and successful music labels to date.

(Taehyung may not be one to brag about many things but any he loves to mention that Yoongi also topped the list of Seoul’s Most Eligible Bachelors...before the two of them had gone public about their relationship, of course. So that is a nice plus.) 

Said boyfriend had just sent a bouquet of roses to his office yesterday, making some of his coworkers ooh and ahh while others had seethed. As a reward, Taehyung put on the red lace set Yoongi liked and popped open a bottle of merlot.

Life is good. 

Taehyung certainly won't lie. 

But, Taehyung figures, if his life truly is a fairy tale then coming to the point in the story where everything comes crumbling down shouldn't be as surprising as it is. 

He can't help it though. He'd been living so comfortably in his bubble that he hadn't noticed anything was amiss. He may have missed the warning signs but Taehyung is nowhere near naive.

Taehyung knows the saying.

One phone is normal. Two means he's cheating. 

But...what does it say about three phones? Does it say anything about three phones? Taehyung can't recall. 

He hadn't even meant to find the other phones and, to be honest, if Taehyung could rewind time he wouldn't have allowed himself to find them if he could help it. It was a complete and total accident. He had just...he had been looking on Yoongi’s side of the bed for the nail clippers. 

Yoongi always swipes the nail clippers from Taehyung's bedside table and ends up losing them which is why Taehyung keeps them in his own bedside table. But he couldn't find them and decided to thoroughly look this time because he swore that if Yoongi lost their nail clippers again there would be hell to pay. 

So his intentions had been entirely pure when he opened Yoongi's bedside table. 

He hadn't found them. 

Not at first. 

Thankfully (or...perhaps not) Yoongi had been smart enough to hide the other cellular devices from plain sight. It made it a bit more reassuring that he hadn’t grown so confident that Taehyung wouldn’t find them that he would keep them so out in the open.

After moving aside Yoongi's usual phone and shifting aside all of Yoongi's knick knacks, Taehyung had initially thought that his search had been fruitless. The nail clippers were gone. Again.  

If it hadn't been for Yoongi's usual phone blinking with a notification then Taehyung wouldn't have noticed anything. But it did blink and Taehyung's eyes traveled to the phone. 

Although instead of his eyes finding the phone, Taehyung noticed something unusual. He noticed that the bottom of the drawer seemed to be raised. He had originally thought the drawer to be broken but upon further inspection he realized the drawer had a false bottom. 

So, following the natural flow of things, Taehyung lifted the false bottom. 

He lifted it and found a safe underneath with two extra phones on top of the safe. He picked up the phones and laid all beside each other. All three phones side by side. All the phones were the same model except one was in red, another in silver, and the last in black. 

Taehyung hadn't even dared to touch the safe. He was upset, surprised, but not stupid. Not only was he fully aware that there was a huge possibility that he wouldn’t be able to open it, he also didn’t want to. He didn’t want to see what was inside. 

He just stared at the phones for what felt like ages before putting everything back to normal and running out of the room. 

Yoongi was in the shower, having just gotten up to start his day after spending quite a bit of time in his at home office. Taehyung knew he would be confused to find him gone but in that moment he didn't care. He needed to get out. 

So he did. 

Taehyung ran. 

He ran all the way to his best friend's house.  

Which is where he is now. Where the true story begins because as Taehyung retells Jimin of the morning's events the shorter male grows redder and redder.  

“Didn't I tell him that if he made you cry, that I'd kill him?”Jimin seethes.  

Taehyung blinks owlishly at his friend, “But I'm not crying.”  

“That's not just it though.”Jimin replies through gritted teeth, “I told him to not hurt you either.” 

“I’m not hurt,”Taehyung tells him though even he doesn’t believe his own words, “I’m just surprised. That’s all.” 

Jimin shakes his head and pulls Taehyung closer, hugging him tighter. “You’ll be fine. I’ll go chop his dick off and then you can move in and we can forget all about that cheating bastard.” 

The problem is, Taehyung doesn’t even really know if Yoongi is cheating. He could just be jumping to conclusions. Sure, all three phones were top of the line, top market devices but he tries to reason with himself that maybe the other two phones were duds. They don’t work. When that doesn't work he tries to reason with himself that maybe, just maybe, they’re gifts and Yoongi is keeping them out of sight from someone.  

But then again...what about that safe? What could be in the safe?  

Because it’s certainly not like Yoongi needs to lock away his passport or anything. They have their own safe, one they share that hides away all their most precious belongings. So...so whatever is in that safe must be something that Yoongi doesn’t want Taehyung to see.  

Even still...if Yoongi is cheating… 

Even if he were cheating Taehyung wouldn’t want to break up with him. The idea of separating from Yoongi has Taehyung’s stomach churning and his chest hurting. 

So no, he’s not going anywhere whether or not Yoongi is cheating. It only takes him a few short seconds to come to this conclusion, his stomach settling down from its churnig and the pain in his chest subsiding. His body settles down in relief once he comes to this conclusion.

He’s just not sure that he’s willing to tell Jimin just yet though.

A buzzing from Taehyung’s pocket draws him from his thoughts and leaves his best friend scowling. Jimin shakes his head, urging him not to answer the phone but Taehyung is nothing if not a fool in love.  

So he answers the phone.  

“Tae?”Yoongi asks on the other ended. Strangely enough he sounds winded, like he just came from a run and not a shower like Taehyung knows he has.  

“Yes hyung?”Is Taehyung’s response.  

Yoongi sighs deeply, “Where’d you go baby? I stepped out of my shower and you were gone. I was worried.”  

Taehyung bites his lip, looking from the ceiling to the floor and then finally to Jimin, “I’m at Jiminie’s.” 

“And why would you be there baby doll?” 

“He said it was an emergency but he was just having a bad hair day...You know how Jiminie is.”  

Jimin elbows Taehyung in the side for that, scowling at him but Taehyung merely bites back the grunt of pain. He shoots his friend an apologetic look and tries to telepathically message that he’s sorry.  

“Tae Baby,”Yoongi says and he’s using that tone. The one that has Taehyung’s knees shaking, “You made Daddy all worried and for what? For nothing. Yet you disappeared without a word. Leaving me all alone and worried. Daddy expects you home in five minutes.”  

Taehyung chokes, “But Daddy, it takes at least ten minutes to get from here to there.” 

“I don’t think I stuttered baby doll.”Is Yoongi’s reply, “And you better be a lot less defiant when you get here.” 

And then he’s hanging up.  

“Kim Taehyung. You better not go. Not only did you subject me to that conversation but he’s cheating on you!” 

Taehyung is already by the door, shoving his feet into his shoes and twisting open the door.  

“Tae, seriously.”Jimin says.  

Taehyung looks to his best friend then the door. “ ‘M sorry Jiminie. I love him. We don’t know that he’s really cheating and besides, I have four minutes now.”  

Jimin is about to say something else but before he can Taehyung is out the door, sprinting down the hall and down all four flights of stairs before taking off down the street. 

He’s not intentionally trying to make his best friend upset, but Taehyung couldn’t stay even if he wanted to. When Yoongi uses that voice it’s game over. 

It takes Taehyung fifteen minutes to get back to his apartment due to slow signals and even slower pedestrians. The door has been left unlocked which he is thankful for but he doesn’t have much energy to cheer because he’s late and he knows it. 

To his surprise, Yoongi greets him with a cup of ice cold water and a smile. He doesn’t say anything though, merely stands there and smiles while he waits for Taehyung to finish his water and regain his breath.

It’s only as Taehyung finishes the water that the smile on Yoongi’s face disappears and his eyes get that look. The one that has Taehyung impossibly weak and submissive.

“You’re late.”  

Taehyung doesn’t argue with this statement. He knows he’s late and besides, he had been told to leave the defiant attitude at the door so he had done exactly that.  

“I’m sorry Daddy. I was too slow.” 

Yoongi shakes his head, circling around Taehyung before grabbing him by the hair and bringing his back flush up against Yoongi’s front. Taehyung can feel the traces of his boyfriend’s lips as they hover over his neck. 

Taehyung gulps but says and does nothing, waiting for Yoongi’s instructions. 

“Spankings.”Yoongi finally decides, “One for each minute you were late and if I hear a peep out of you then I’ll start all over and add on another.” 

He then guides the two of them into their bedroom where he makes himself comfortable on the edge of their bed. 

Taehyung stands right in front of him, not moving a muscle until Yoongi says so. 

“Take off your sweats.” 

Despite his hands trembling, Taehyung follows orders, dropping his sweats to the floor before laying himself down across Yoongi’s lap. It’s not just his hands that tremble now, but his whole body as he awaits Yoongi’s touch. 

And it’s rough, Yoongi’s touch. 

It’s rough yet purposeful. 

He yanks down the red lace thong Taehyung has on, the one he’d worn last night and had put back on in a rush to leave, and grabs a fistful of his shirt. 

“I don't want to hear a peep out of you unless I'm asking you a question. Then I expect an answer, okay baby doll?” 

Taehyung nods his head, though he is quick to correct this mistake by letting out a small yet firm, “Yes Daddy.” immediately afterward. 

The hand that had been holding his thong is now gone and Taehyung’s body tingles with anticipation. He has no idea when Yoongi will begin and that both frightens and excites him. 

Smack. 

Taehyung’s whole body jerks but he is quick to bite down on the groan that had been trying to escape. 

Yoongi rubs at the tender, warm skin. He soothes it with his cold hand, giving the skin time to cool and while Taehyung certainly appreciates the care, it only drags out his punishment. With all this rubbing and care Taehyung can feel his muscles relaxing which only makes the next spank hurt even more. 

And it does. It hurts so good. 

Smack.  

Taehyung bites his lip harder, willing himself to be quiet but it hurts so bad.  

Smack. 

There’s little care between the second and third hit which Taehyung had hoped would make it hurt less. His hopes were shot down quickly and without any hesitation. In response to the pain Taehyung’s legs shot backward, accidentally knocking into Yoongi’s arm.  

“Stay still baby, you’re doing so well for Daddy.”  

Taehyung keens at the compliment but flinches when Yoongi hits him again. The smack resonates throughout Taehyung’s lower extremities and he can’t help it when the tears start to flood into his eyes.  

He forces down his cries but allows the tears to flow as they please. Yoongi quickly deals out the next couple of smacks in a quick succession. He doesn't stop to soothe Taehyung's reddening skin nor does his hits lessen in strength but they do become less fierce. 

“One more baby,”Yoongi tells him and his voice is much softer than it had been before. 

Taehyung is partially thankful that Yoongi had switched cheeks each time throughout the process as he’s not sure he could take the spanking otherwise, but his boyfriend’s hands are big and rough regardless. It still hurts.  

Smack.  

The moment Yoongi’s hand leaves Taehyung’s ass he allows himself to cry. He allows the sobs to come out as his cheeks sting from abuse.  

Yoongi rubs them gently, muttering praises at Taehyung’s obedience while he soothes the skin that is surely bright red at this point.  

“Good boy,”Yoongi tells him as he helps him sit up, “You were so good for me. So very good. The best in fact. Always the best.” He then pecks Taehyung’s face, leaving kisses all over his face until Taehyung’s cries are turning into small giggles.  

“I'm really sorry Daddy. Really. I won't ever do that again.”Taehyung promises, looking at Yoongi through wet eyelashes.  

Yoongi kisses his lips finally. Wiping away the tears and smiling a big smile at him. “You were so good for me. Thank you so much Tae.”  

Taehyung squirms in his seat. He loves being praised, lives for it in fact.  

“I'll go get you some more water and some treats, how about that?”Yoongi suggests, his smile wide and his tone soft.  

Taehyung is about to agree but catches himself, “Don't you have to go work right now?”  

“Work can wait,”Yoongi says with an eye roll and a smile, “You're more important right now.” 

And then he's getting up and leaving the room, telling Taehyung that he'll go and retrieve the items anyway. Taehyung watches him go, embarrassed by just how in love he is. Min Yoongi is truly so sweet, so kind. He gives Taehyung all the love and praise he could need. All the support he could ever want. It's refreshing and so very lovely. 

So maybe he's cheating. Maybe he isn't. Taehyung doesn't mind because as long as Yoongi keeps loving him like he does he doesn't mind living in his fairy tale delusion. 

“So you're staying…” 

Taehyung looks at Jimin, confused as fuck because what does he mean? Of course he's staying, he would never skip out on a bill.  

Taehyung says as such and gets a kick to the shin in response.  

“Not that ya idiot. I mean staying with Yoongi despite him cheating.”  

Taehyung shifts, wincing from his now throbbing leg. It's been two weeks since the three phones incident and Taehyung had all but forgotten about it.  

All but forgotten about it because his ass had been sore for days to follow the original incident from not only the spanking but the rough, yet loving, rounds of sex. The original meaning behind it all had been forgotten, until this point, because Taehyung had been so caught up in Yoongi's love and attention that he had let it all slip from his mind. 

“Oh... that .”Taehyung mumbles. He then looks back towards the door to where Yoongi and his friend are smoking outside. He then turns back to Jimin and sighs, “You're worrying for nothing. He's not cheating.” 

“Taehyung. You're the one that assumed he was cheating first. And besides, the safe. The three phones. That's suspicious.  

Taehyung shakes his head, “But is it?” 

“Kim Taehyung. I don't need to tell you that's it's suspicious. You already know that it is. I get that you're in love but at least confront him. Talk to him. You can't just ignore it though. It's not healthy.” 

Jimin is right.  

Absolutely.  

But Taehyung doesn't want to confront anything.  

Nothing has changed between him and Yoongi so why would he need to?  

He's absolutely in denial. There's no argument about that. But why fix something that isn't broken? His relationship with Yoongi is going just fine. It's amazing in fact.  

Before Jimin can say anything else though, Yoongi and his friend are coming back.  

Yoongi wraps an arm around Taehyung, his expensive watch glinting in the light yet it is no match for his smile which is so very bright.  

Taehyung smiles at him, leaning over to kiss him only to move back. He can't help but giggle. “You guys weren't smoking cigarettes....” 

Namjoon, Yoongi's best friend, offers a cheeky smile. “When do we ever?”  

Taehyung doesn't mind Yoongi's hobby. He's even indulged in it with him from time to time. He can't help but laugh at them now though, especially because the smell is so loud. So offending. It's entirely too obvious that Taehyung wonders how no one else has complained.  

Jimin is staring Taehyung down but he refuses to look at him. He's not going to argue with Jimin about this.  

Ignorance is bliss. 

Truly. 

The safe. The phones. 

All of them are truly forgotten.  

Out of sight, out of mind. Isn’t that the saying? 

Well, in any case, Taehyung doesn’t see them again and, as a result, forgets about their existence.  

That is, of course, until the red phone makes an appearance one afternoon.  

Yoongi had rushed home from work, in a big hurry to get somewhere and had practically thrown off his suit on his way to the shower.  

Taehyung found it amusing and had mumbled about how clumsy yet adorable his boyfriend was as he collected his things from the floor. Of the things he collected, the red phone was one.  

It must have fallen from Yoongi’s suit jacket pocket, Taehyung guesses.  

He plans to play innocent. To ignore the device that sits heavy in his hand but then it vibrates. It vibrates . Meaning that it’s on at the very least. And when Taehyung turns it over in hand he realizes that Yoongi has received a text. 

RM 

Hurry up. I need you 

Taehyung stares down at the message.  

A myriad of questions fly through his head as he puts the phone back in the inner suit jacket pocket and sets the suit on the bed.  

He does not dwell on any of these questions though. Actually, Taehyung can barely think right now. Not because he can’t he just doesn’t want to. He refuses to. Jimin might just be right and Taehyung really doesn’t want him to be. Not at all.  

So he doesn’t think about anything.  

Instead he lays on his side of the bed and begins scrolling through Twitter.  

Life is easier when Taehyung actively ignores all of his worries.  

So he does. 

It's just...the prospect of Yoongi cheating on him is becoming real. Very real and for a second, Taehyung is frightened. Frightened at the prospect of the love of his life seeking pleasure in someone else's arms.  

But then the fright is replaced by calm.  

Yoongi still fucks him like he loves him. Still holds him and kisses him like he means it. Still shares his experiences and hidden expressions like he always has.  

So Taehyung decides, right then and there, that Yoongi can have as many side hoes as he wants to. As long as he remains loving and caring and remains emotionally taken by Taehyung only then he's fine.  

He decides that he can handle a few side whores as long as Yoongi stays emotionally monogamous. 

Not even two days later the black phone pops up.

Well, tha's not an accurate statement to make. To say the phone "pops up" is to say that Taehyung happens upon it by accident. This time it isn't an accident.  

Yoongi is gone this time. Completely. Not just in the shower.  

He’s at work...or wherever he disappears off to.  

Taehyung shakes his head.  

He doesn’t want to think like that...but he just can’t help it. He can’t help but to assume the worst now. That message from “RM” has made Taehyung paranoid despite his best efforts to remain oblivious to everything.  

But the black phone… 

It sits in the false bottom of the drawer on Yoongi’s side of the bed and Taehyung tells himself to leave it alone. To not touch it. To ignore it.  

But something is bothering him.  

If two phones means that he’s cheating, what do three phones mean?  

Taehyung can’t recall and as he reaches inside he begins to grow even more worried. Maybe Yoongi is cheating on him with two people and just has two separate phones so that he can stay organized.  

The idea hurts but Taehyung tries to cast it aside.  

The phone stings his hand and Taehyung is so close to turning it on, so close to snooping through it. But then he’s hearing the front door open and he’s scrambling to put everything back into place before Yoongi enters in and catches him with one of his secret phones.  

Taehyung listens out for Yoongi’s feet as he places everything back carefully, his heart beating out of his chest as he hears his footsteps come closer and closer.  

Thankfully though, Taehyung manages to throw himself onto their bed and appear to be on his phone just as Yoongi is reaching the door.  

“Baby?”Yoongi calls out, “You awake?”  

Taehyung turns over and smiles at his boyfriend who stands in their bedroom doorway. “Yeah. I was just waiting for you so I was on my phone.”  

Yoongi nods his head and smiles as he eyes Taehyung up and down. “You haven’t changed…”

“What?”  

“Tae,”Yoongi says with a fond smile on his face, “Did you forget about our dinner tonight?”  

Yes. Yes he had.  

“Oh shit.”Taehyung says as he launches himself off of their bed and scrambles toward their shared closet, “Why didn’t you remind me?”  

Taehyung hears Yoongi chuckle behind him, “I didn’t think I needed to. You seemed so excited about it yesterday.”  

And he was, not that Taehyung thinks about it. The dinner was all he could talk about the previous day, but the image of the black phone sitting in the false bottom haunts Taehyung as he tries to manage a smile in front of his boyfriend. Part of him wants to scream but the other part, the stronger part, keeps him from doing so. Taehyung loves Yoongi with his whole being. The last thing he would want to do is ruin their pleasant lives by bringing up what he knows. 

So he doesn't. Instead he gets ready for their evening and wills himself to at least go back to the earlier stages of this whole debacle. He can't completely go back to how things were but he wishes that he could at least go back to when it was much easier to ignore it all. 

The couple wind up late for their fancy dinner with some of Yoongi’s friends and business partners. Taehyung is wildly embarrassed by his forgetfulness but Yoongi assures him that it’s fine that they’re late.  

“It’s better to be fashionably late than dreadfully early.”Yoongi assures him. 

Taehyung smiles at him, thankful that he’s so sweet and understanding about it despite knowing deep down that the excuse he made was a lie.  

“So the love birds finally arrive!”Teases Hoseok, one of Yoongi’s friends. He’s a rapper and dancer on Yoongi’s label and has known Yoongi for years now.  

Taehyung smiles and waves, “Sorry for our late arrival.”  

Hoseok laughs and his smile shines through the ambiently lit room, “Don’t mind us. We all knew you’d be late anyway. Probably had to drag our Yoongi hyung out of bed or something.”  

Yoongi gracefully takes the blame for their tardiness, playfully scowling at Hoseok and reminding him to not get too familiar seeing as he is still his hyung.  

Jungkook, another artist on Yoongi’s label (and Hoseok’s fuck buddy), smiles shyly at Taehyung and bows to Yoongi. He’s a delightful young guy who is impossibly timid. Taehyung can’t help but feel the need to protect him and completely ignores the teasing he receives as he reaches over to Jungkook and wipes some crumbs from his face.  

Namjoon is also in attendance, sitting on the other of Hoseok, and laughing at the way Jungkook reddens. He coos immediately afterward though, also finding Jungkook’s shyness absolutely adorable.  

Seokjin sits between Yoongi and Namjoon. He is a beautiful man who constantly laments the way his face has gone to waste as, instead of becoming an actor or model like he should have, he works as Yoongi’s business partner and, mostly, his right hand man.  

All the usual suspects are in attendance and Taehyung finds himself happily swept away into their usual chaos, his mind taken off of the three phones Yoongi seems to have in his possession.  

“So what are we ordering?”Hoseok asks as he peruses the menu.  

Jungkook leans over, his head on Hoseok’s shoulder as they look together. It’s a sweet scene but Taehyung can’t help but feel a little sad for the kid. Jung Hoseok is many things, but Taehyung isn’t quite sure “the boyfriend type” is one of those.  

Seokjin snorts, “Well I‘m having the filleted sea bass and the roasted duck.”

“Is he hungry, or just greedy? The world may never know.”Namjoon jokes only to get elbowed y Seokjin.  

Laughter surrounds the table and Tehyung can’t help but feel so full already. Being surrounded by so much happiness fills him in a way that he knows food never could. The happy energy is cut with a knife of tension when all of a sudden Hoseok is pulling out a black phone that is absolutely identical to the one that is in Yoongi’s drawer.  

The smile is immediately wiped off of his face and the others seem to notice immediately. The air around them becomes stiff and Taehyung wants to ask why. Why it is that everyone seems tense now.  

Sure Hoseok is certainly a moodmaker but it seems more than some kind of sympathy.  

An elbow to the side from Namjoon has Hoseok looking up, first toward Yoongi then toward Taehyung. His expression is less grave, a small smile masking the intense feelings from before. 

“Sorry Taehyungie,”Hoseok says as he looks to the phone again before casting his eyes back to Taehyung, “We’ve got to cut this dinner short. Someone in IT seems to have been goofing off and ruined the company’s database. Gotta go and make sure all of our albums aren’t erased…”

Taehyung understands. Really. He does.  

He’s just upset because they haven’t even ordered, too busy laughing and cracking jokes to look at the menu long enough to give the waitress a concise order every time she’d come around. Well..for all of them except Seokjin. 

“Even you?”Taehyung asks as he looks to his boyfriend who is standing up to leave with the rest of them.  

Yoongi nods his head. “Yeah. Sorry Tae. I gotta go fire the idiot that fucked everything up.”  

Again. Taehyung understands.  

So as they all mumble their goodbyes and leave he tells himself to not be disappointed. His cab takes him, not to his apartment, but to Jimin’s. Today has just been a little too much for Taehyung and as much as he doesn’t want to give his best friend more ammunition, he needs someone to talk to about this. 

The ride to Jimin’s gives Taehyung far too much time to think so to distract himself he hums along to the music on the radio.  

Anticipation gnaws at Taehyung’s skin as he rides the elevator up to Jimin’s apartment and he nearly breaks the door down with his knocking.  

“What the fuck Taehyung?”Jimin asks as he answers his door, “I was taking a shit when you pounded on my door.”  

“I looked at both phones.” 

Jimin stops.  

“What?”  

Taehyung invites himself in, toeing off his shoes before padding over to Jimin’s couch and taking a seat. “A couple of days ago I was picking up Yoongi’s suit and I found one of the phones. A red one. It buzzed in my hand with a notification from someone named RM that was telling Yoongi to hurry because they needed him. And then today I almost went snooping through the other phone, the black one, when Yoongi interrupted by coming home.” 

Jimin sits in silence, staring at Taehyung in surprise.  

“I...Tae I told you to confront him. Not snoop.” 

“Isn’t that the same thing though?” 

Jimin rolls his eyes, “No Tae, it’s not. If he isn’t cheating then you’ve just potentially invaded his privacy.” 

“If ?”Taehyung asks incredulously, “So now we’re speaking in hypotheticals?” 

Jimin scowls, “I’m just saying. Besides, you’re the one that has been trying to convince me that he isn’t cheating. Now I’m convinced.”  

Taehyung scoffs at that. He has been friends with Park Jimin for over eleven years. The guy isn’t easily convinced and he certainly doesn’t just back down from something. There’s no way that he’d ever give up so easily.  

“Jiminie what the hell has gotten into you?”  

Jimin shrugs, “I’m just trying to be realistic here. Maybe...maybe you were right. Maybe it’s better to ignore it all.” 

Taehyung tries to take Jimin’s advice but now he can’t.  

He’d been doing so well at ignoring it all and now he just simply can’t. 

Was it really a coincidence that Hoseok has an identical phone?  

Is Yoongi really cheating?  

Who is RM?  

Why does Yoongi have his own private safe?  

Part of Taehyung regrets finding that false bottom. Part of him regrets being so fought up over a stupid pair of nail clippers. If he hadn’t been than he could still be oblivious. Could still be happy.  

But he can’t just turn a blind eye. Not anymore. 

Yoongi lays beside him, cuddling with him as the two of them watch a movie. 

It’s common for them to do so during the middle of the week but Yoongi has been so busy lately so they haven’t been able to. So, really, tonight’s movie night should feel so welcomed. But it doesn’t. In fact, Taehyung feels uncomfortable in Yoongi’s arms.  

There’s a vibration that comes from Yoongi’s pocket that has Taehyung stilling beside him.  

Yoongi pulls his phone out though, his regular silver phone, and clicks on the text notification. It’s a message from Hoseok, merely a meme picture in response to something Yoongi must’ve said.  

Taehyung calms down.  

But then there’s another vibration. 

Yoongi’s phone is in his hands. It’s right there, so Taehyung knows that it can’t be that phone and Taehyung’s phone is sitting on the coffee table. 

It’s one of the other phones. 

Yoongi doesn’t move and Taehyung has to applaud him. He has an amazing poker face and if Taehyung didn’t know any better he wouldn’t suspect a thing. But he does know better.  

So he decides to poke the sleeping bear.  

“You’re phone is vibrating babe,”Taehyung tells him, “Answer it.”  

Yoongi barely moves, “My phone is fine. Don’t worry.”  

But it’s not because the other phone continues to vibrate. 

“Babe, just answer it. It’s disrupting the movie.”Taehyung says as he pretends to pay more attention to the screen than Yoongi.  

Out of the corner of his eye he sees the way Yoongi stares at him, gauging his expression.  

“Nah…”Yoongi mumbles, “It’s fine.” 

But the vibrating keeps going. It’s incessant and Taehyung is growing bored of this game rather quickly.  

“Answer your bitch on your secret phone Yoongi.”Taehyung bites out, dropping the ruse completely.  

Yoongi stares at him with wide eyes, “My what ?” 

“Look.”Taehyung says as he turns to stare at Yoongi, the movie on the screen long since forgotten. “I know about the secret false bottom of your drawer and thaat hidden safe. I know about the two secret phones too. I don’t give a shit about you cheating on me, just confirm my suspicions and tell me how many whores I have to compete with for your attention.”  

When Taehyung had imagined this moment he never saw himself becoming angry. He imagined himself desperate, pleading but not angry. He’s annoyed though. Yoongi is treating him like he’s an idiot and he certainly isn’t one. And truly, he's not upset at the prospect of Yoongi cheating anymore. He's come to terms with it. He just sincerely wants to know how many people he as to compete with.

That's all, truly. But he's upset because, at this point Taehyung, can deal with side pieces. What he can't deal with is Yoongi continuing to treat him like he's naive and a child.    

Yoongi continues to stare though, the surprise evident in his expression. He doesn’t say anything either which further infuriates Taehyung.  

“Well ?”He asks.  

Yoongi frowns, “I’m not cheating on you Taehyung. I love you...how could you even think that?’  

“Oh I don’t know,”Taehyung replies as he rolls his eyes, “You have two secret phones and a secret safe.”  

Silence again.

Yoongi looks uncertain, worried even and despite being annoyed Taehyung still has enough heart to wonder if maybe now hadn’t been the best time to confront Yoongi about his apparent secret life.  

But also, if not now then when?

“Kim Taehyung,”Yoongi says as he looks Taehyung in the eyes, “I’m not cheating on you. I promise. You’re the only one I love and I would never do that to you.” 

Taehyung frowns at that. Yoongi seems so genuine. So honest, but then what? What are those phones for?  

“I am― fuck . I never thought I’d have to say this.”Yoongi groans, biting into his bottom lip as his brows furrow.  

Taehyung wants to comfort his boyfriend but refrains from doing so. Maybe he isn’t cheating but he certainly has some secrets to spill and Taehyung won’t allow himself to let Yoongi get away without confessing tonight. 

“The red phone is for my most trusted members only. Only those that are absolutely important and those who are leaders of their own squads have a red phone and the number to my own red phone. The black one is for contacts and for a few other underlings. Informants mostly, but that phone is used to contact me when an issue arises that needs my attention. My other phone, my silver one, is my civilian phone. My normal phone.”  

Taehyung’s own brows furrow. “Yoongi, what? What do you mean? Are you some kind of spy for the government?”  

Yoongi shakes his head, “Just the opposite in fact.” 

And then he’s laughing―chuckling actually, but Taehyung finds that this chuckle doesn’t have the same cheer that it usually holds. This one seems colder, sadder. Taehyung even notes a few tones of fear mixed into it.  

“Babe, what’s going on?”  

Yoongi’s chuckle stops immediately, almost like it never started. His face is void of emotion for the most part but Taehyung can see lingering hints of fear in Yoongi’s eyes. 

“Taehyung, my love, I’m the leader of one of South Korea’s biggest organized crime syndicates.”