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The office smelled like expensive leather and something darker,power, maybe, or the kind of money that came with blood on its edges. Jungkook stood in the center of the room, his worn sneakers sinking into carpet so plush it probably cost more than his entire year's rent, and tried not to shake.
He was 26 years old, an orphan with nothing but debt collectors breathing down his neck and two friends who'd already given him everything they could spare. The hospital bills from his emergency appendectomy three months ago had buried him. The part-time jobs,convenience store clerk, delivery driver, occasional waiter,barely kept him fed, let alone afloat.
Which was how Jeon Jungkook, who'd never broken a law in his life, found himself in the office of Kim Taehyung.
"Sit."
The voice came from behind the massive mahogany desk, smooth and deep and absolutely commanding. Jungkook's body obeyed before his brain caught up, dropping into the chair across from the man who held his financial future in perfectly manicured hands.
Kim Taehyung was 32 years old and looked like sin wrapped in a three piece suit. Sharp jawline, dark eyes that seemed to see through every lie, lips that Jungkook had absolutely no business staring at.
His black hair was styled back from his face, revealing features so striking they belonged on magazine covers, not in the office of Seoul's most notorious loan shark.
"Jeon Jungkook," Taehyung said, flipping through a folder without looking up. "Twenty-six. Orphaned at fifteen. No family, no assets, no collateral." Those dark eyes finally lifted, pinning Jungkook in place. "And you want to borrow thirty million won from me."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes, sir." Jungkook's voice came out steadier than he felt. "I can pay you back. I just need time—"
"Everyone needs time." Taehyung leaned back in his chair, the picture of casual elegance. "Time is the one thing I don't give for free. You understand what happens to people who don't pay me back, Jungkook-ssi?"
The formal address somehow made it worse. More distant. More dangerous.
"I understand."
"Do you?" Taehyung's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "I don't think you do. You look like the kind of boy who still believes in happy endings. Who thinks the world is fundamentally good." He stood, moving around the desk with predatory grace. "Let me be clear. I am not good. I am not kind. And I do not forgive debts."
He stopped directly in front of Jungkook, close enough that Jungkook could smell his cologne,something expensive and woody that made his head spin.
"If you take this money," Taehyung continued, his voice dropping lower, "you belong to me until every won is repaid. With interest. Do you understand what that means?"
Jungkook should have been terrified. He was terrified. But he was also achingly, inappropriately aware of how beautiful Taehyung was up close. How his presence seemed to fill the entire room. How Jungkook's stupid, traitorous heart was beating faster for all the wrong reasons.
"I understand," he whispered.
Taehyung studied him for a long moment, something unreadable flickering across his face. Then he returned to his desk, pulling out a contract.
"Six months," he said. "Thirty million won, plus twenty percent interest. Miss a payment, and the interest doubles. Miss two, and we have a very different conversation." He slid the paper across the desk. "Sign."
Jungkook's hand trembled as he picked up the pen. This was a mistake. He knew it was a mistake. But what choice did he have? The hospital was threatening legal action. His landlord had already given him a final notice. He was drowning, and Taehyung was the only lifeline in sight, even if that lifeline had teeth.
He signed.
Taehyung took the contract, his fingers brushing Jungkook's for just a second. The touch sent electricity up Jungkook's arm.
"One more thing," Taehyung said, his voice taking on an edge that made Jungkook's stomach drop. "I've heard rumors about you, Jeon Jungkook. About your... preferences."
Oh god. Oh no.
"I don't care who you fuck," Taehyung continued, his tone absolutely frigid now. "But don't ever think that gives you some kind of leverage with me. Don't ever think you can use your pretty face or your—" he waved a dismissive hand, "—whatever you people do to get out of paying. I don't do business with broke faggots like you that way. Understood?"
The slur hit like a physical blow. Jungkook felt his face burn with shame and anger and something that hurt worse than both,disappointment. Because for one stupid second, he'd thought maybe......
It didn't matter what he'd thought.
"Understood," he said quietly.
"Good." Taehyung pressed a button on his desk. "Yoongi will give you the money. Get out."
Jungkook stood on shaking legs and walked to the door. He didn't look back, even though every cell in his body wanted to. Even though his heart was doing something complicated and painful in his chest.
Even though he was already half in love with the worst person he'd ever met.
"You did WHAT?"
Park Jimin's voice could probably shatter glass when he wanted it to. Right now, in the tiny apartment he shared with Jung Hoseok, it was definitely trying.
"I didn't have a choice," Jungkook said miserably, slumped on their threadbare couch. "It was this or lose everything."
"Kim Taehyung isn't a lender, Kook. He's a fucking loan shark. A criminal." Hoseok paced the small living room, running his hands through his hair. "Do you know what he does to people who can't pay?"
"I'll pay." Jungkook's voice was small. "I'll figure it out."
"With what money?" Jimin sat beside him, his anger melting into concern. "You're already working three jobs. You barely sleep. How are you going to—"
"I don't know!" The words burst out of Jungkook, sharp with desperation. "I don't know, okay? But what was I supposed to do? Let them sue me? End up homeless? I just... I needed help, and he was the only one who would—"
He broke off, pressing his palms against his eyes. He was not going to cry. He'd done enough of that already.
Jimin's arm came around his shoulders, pulling him close. "We'll figure it out," he said softly. "We always do. Right, Hobi?"
"Right," Hoseok agreed, though he still looked worried. "But Kook... be careful around him. Kim Taehyung is dangerous. And not just because of the money."
Jungkook thought about those dark eyes, that cold voice, the way his heart had stuttered despite everything.
"I know," he lied.
The next two months were hell.
Jungkook worked himself to exhaustion, picking up every extra shift he could find. He delivered food in the rain, stocked shelves until his back screamed, served coffee to rude customers with a smile plastered on his face. Every won went toward Taehyung's payment.
He saw Taehyung twice during that time,once when he made his first payment at the office (Taehyung had barely looked at him, just counted the money and dismissed him), and once by accident on the street.
That second time, Taehyung had been getting out of a sleek black car, surrounded by men in suits. He'd looked like something out of a movie,powerful, untouchable, devastating. Their eyes had met for just a second, and Jungkook had seen... nothing. No recognition. No acknowledgment.
Like Jungkook was invisible.
It shouldn't have hurt. It did anyway.
"You need to get over this crush," Jimin said one night, watching Jungkook stare at nothing. "He's a homophobic asshole who would probably spit on you if you told him how you felt."
"I know."
"He called you a slur, Kook."
"I know."
"So why do you look like a kicked puppy every time someone mentions his name?"
Jungkook didn't have an answer for that. Or maybe he did, and it was too pathetic to say out loud: because sometimes people fell for exactly the wrong person, and there was nothing you could do about it except hurt.
The accident happened on a random Wednesday.
Jungkook was walking home from his late shift at the convenience store, exhausted and thinking about nothing except his bed, when he heard the screech of tires. The crash was deafening,metal on metal, glass shattering, someone screaming.
He ran toward the sound without thinking.
The black car was wrapped around a light pole, its front end completely destroyed. Smoke poured from the hood. And slumped in the driver's seat, blood running down his face....
"Oh god," Jungkook breathed.
Taehyung.
His body moved on instinct. He yanked open the door, barely registering the way the metal groaned. Taehyung was unconscious, his head lolled to the side, and there was so much blood....
"Someone call an ambulance!" Jungkook shouted to the gathering crowd. His hands shook as he checked for a pulse. There,faint but steady. "Stay with me," he whispered, even though Taehyung couldn't hear him. "Please stay with me."
The ambulance arrived in minutes that felt like hours. Jungkook rode with them, holding Taehyung's hand because no one should be alone like this, even someone who'd called him a slur and looked through him like he was nothing.
Especially someone Jungkook was stupid enough to love.
The hospital was chaos.
Doctors rushed Taehyung into emergency surgery. Jungkook sat in the waiting room, still covered in blood that wasn't his, and tried to process what had happened. He should call someone. Taehyung must have family, friends, employees....
"Are you with Kim Taehyung?"
Jungkook looked up to find a doctor standing over him,tall,handsome, probably in his mid thirties, with kind eyes behind wire rimmed glasses.
"I—yes. I mean, I was there when he crashed. I came with the ambulance."
"I'm Dr. Kim Seokjin. I'll be overseeing his care." Seokjin sat down beside him. "He's stable, but he hit his head pretty hard. We won't know the full extent of the damage until he wakes up."
"Will he wake up?"
"We believe so. But..." Seokjin hesitated. "There may be complications. Memory loss, confusion. It's too early to tell."
Memory loss. The words echoed in Jungkook's head.
"Does he have family we should contact?" Seokjin asked gently.
"I don't know. I'm not...I need time....."
Seokjin studied him for a moment, taking in the blood on his clothes, the way Jungkook's hands were still shaking. "But you rode with him. You're still here."
"Someone should be," Jungkook said quietly.
He stayed through the night. Nurses came and went. Other people arrived,two men in expensive suits who Jungkook vaguely recognized from that day on the street. They looked at him with suspicion but didn't ask him to leave.
Dawn was breaking when Seokjin found him again.
"He's awake," the doctor said. "But there's something you should know. He's... confused. Disoriented. He doesn't seem to remember the accident, and possibly not much before it either."
Jungkook's heart clenched. "How much?"
"We're still assessing. But it's significant." Seokjin paused. "He's been asking for his family. Do you know how to contact them?"
"No, I—" Jungkook stopped. Because suddenly, an absolutely insane idea was forming in his head. Terrible. Unethical. Completely desperate.
If Taehyung didn't remember...
If he didn't remember the debt, or the cruel words, or anything...
"Actually," Jungkook heard himself say, "I might be able to help with that."
Taehyung looked smaller in the hospital bed, which should have been impossible. He was still beautiful,bruised and bandaged, but beautiful and when Jungkook walked into the room, those dark eyes fixed on him with something that made his breath catch.
Confusion. Vulnerability. Hope.
"Do I know you?" Taehyung's voice was rough, uncertain in a way Jungkook had never heard before.
This was it. The moment. Jungkook could tell the truth, could explain that they barely knew each other, that Taehyung had loaned him money and hated everything Jungkook was.
Or he could lie.
"Yes," Jungkook said, moving closer to the bed. His heart was pounding so hard he could barely hear himself think. "You know me."
"Who am I to you?"
The question hung in the air between them. Jungkook thought about debt and desperation. About the way Taehyung had looked at him like he was nothing. About how this was probably the worst idea he'd ever had.
He thought about six months of impossible payments and a lifetime of loneliness.
And then he said the words that would change everything:
"You're my husband."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Taehyung stared at him, those dark eyes wide with shock. "Your... husband?"
"Yes." Jungkook forced himself to move closer, to take Taehyung's hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. His palm was warm, his fingers long and elegant even with the IV taped to the back of his hand. "We got married six months ago. In the backyard of your penthouse.It was small, just us and a few friends. You said you didn't want anything big."
"I don't remember." Taehyung's voice cracked. "I don't remember you. I don't remember getting married. I don't remember anything."
The panic in his voice was real, and Jungkook felt guilt twist in his stomach. But he'd already started this lie. There was no going back now.
"It's okay," he said softly, squeezing Taehyung's hand. "The doctor said you might have memory loss. It's temporary. You'll remember eventually."
"But what if I don't?" Taehyung looked at him with such raw fear that Jungkook's heart ached. "What if I never remember you? Never remember us?"
"Then I'll tell you everything," Jungkook promised, and at least that part wasn't entirely a lie. "I'll tell you how we met, how you proposed, what our life is like. I'll help you remember."
Taehyung's grip on his hand tightened. "Tell me now. Please. Tell me about us."
Oh god. Jungkook hadn't thought this far ahead. He scrambled for details, pulling from every romance novel he'd ever read, every drama he'd watched.
"We met at a coffee shop," he said. "You came in every morning for an Americano, and I was working there. You always left huge tips, and one day you asked for my number."
"I did?"
"You did. You said—" Jungkook's voice softened, because this part, at least, was what he wished had happened, "—you said I had the most beautiful smile you'd ever seen, and you'd regret it forever if you didn't at least try."
Taehyung's expression shifted into something wondering. "That sounds... romantic."
"You are romantic," Jungkook said, warming to the story now. "You pretend you're not, but you leave me notes in the morning before you go to work. You buy me flowers for no reason. You—" he swallowed hard, ".....you make me feel like I'm the most important person in the world."
It was everything Jungkook had ever wanted. Everything he'd never have with the real Taehyung.
"I want to remember," Taehyung whispered. "I want to remember loving you."
The words hit Jungkook like a physical blow. Because Taehyung was looking at him like he was precious, like he mattered, and it was all based on a lie.
"You will," Jungkook said, even though he knew it was the cruelest promise he could make. "I'll make sure you do."
Dr. Kim Seokjin pulled Jungkook aside an hour later, his expression serious.
"I need to ask you some questions about Taehyung's medical history," he said. "As his spouse, you'd be his primary emergency contact."
Spouse. The word made Jungkook's stomach flip.
"Of course," he said, trying to sound confident.
"Does he have any allergies? Any chronic conditions I should know about?"
Jungkook had absolutely no idea. "No allergies that I know of. He's always been healthy."
Seokjin made a note. "And his family? Should we contact them about the accident?"
"He's not close with his family," Jungkook said quickly. "It's mostly just us."
That, at least, might be true. Taehyung had never mentioned family in their brief interactions.
"I see." Seokjin studied him for a long moment. "Jungkook-ssi, I have to say... Taehyung's associates seem surprised to hear about you. They claim they've never seen you before."
Jungkook's heart stopped. "His associates?"
"Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon. They're in the waiting room. They say they're his business partners."
Shit. Shit shit shit.
"We kept our relationship private," Jungkook said, thinking fast. "Taehyung's work is... complicated. He didn't want people knowing about his personal life. About us."
It wasn't entirely implausible. Taehyung was a criminal, after all. Maybe he would keep a relationship secret.
Seokjin didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded. "I'll need to see your marriage certificate for the records."
"Of course. I'll bring it tomorrow." Jungkook had no idea how he was going to forge a marriage certificate, but that was a problem for future him.
"Good. In the meantime, Taehyung should be able to go home in a few days. He'll need someone to monitor him, help him adjust. As his husband, I assume you'll be taking on that responsibility?"
"Yes," Jungkook said, even though he had no idea where "home" even was for Taehyung. "Absolutely."
Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon were waiting for him when he left Seokjin's office.
They were both intimidating in different ways,Yoongi with his sharp eyes and cat like grace, Namjoon with his height and intellectual intensity. They looked at Jungkook like he was a puzzle they were trying to solve.
"So," Yoongi said, his voice deceptively casual. "You're the husband."
"Yes."
"Funny. Taehyung never mentioned being married."
"We kept it private."
"How private?" Namjoon asked. "Because we work with him every day, and we've never heard your name."
Jungkook forced himself to meet their eyes. "Look, I know this seems suspicious. But Taehyung wanted to keep his personal life separate from his work. He said it was safer that way. For both of us."
That, at least, made sense for someone in Taehyung's line of work.
Yoongi and Namjoon exchanged a look.
"If you're lying," Yoongi said quietly, "if you're trying to take advantage of him while he's vulnerable—"
"I'm not." Jungkook's voice came out stronger than he felt. "I love him. I just want to take care of him."
Another long silence. Then Namjoon sighed.
"Fine. But we'll be watching. And if anything seems off, if you do anything to hurt him—"
"You'll kill me. I get it." Jungkook was too tired to be scared anymore. "Can I go back to my husband now?"
Yoongi's lips twitched, almost like he wanted to smile. "Go."
Jungkook spent the next three days practically living at the hospital.
He sat with Taehyung for hours, making up stories about their fake life together. He described a penthouse apartment he'd never seen, vacations they'd never taken, quiet mornings and passionate nights that existed only in his imagination.
And Taehyung listened to every word like it was gospel.
"Tell me about our first kiss," he said one afternoon, his head resting against the pillow, eyes fixed on Jungkook's face.
Jungkook's cheeks heated. "It was after our third date. You walked me home, and we stood outside my door for like ten minutes, both too nervous to make the first move."
"I was nervous?"
"Terrified. You kept fidgeting with your watch." Jungkook smiled at the image. "Finally, I just grabbed your tie and pulled you down."
"You kissed me first?"
"Someone had to." Jungkook's voice softened. "You tasted like the wine we'd had at dinner. And you made this sound, like you'd been waiting forever for it."
"I probably had been," Taehyung murmured. "If you kiss like I imagine you do."
The air between them suddenly felt charged. Dangerous.
"Taehyung—"
"Can I kiss you now?" Taehyung asked. "I know I don't remember, but I want to. I want to know what it feels like."
Jungkook's heart was racing. This was wrong. Taehyung didn't really want to kiss him,he wanted to kiss the person he thought Jungkook was. The husband who didn't exist.
But god, Jungkook wanted it too. Had wanted it since the first moment he'd seen Taehyung in that office.
"Okay," he whispered.
Taehyung leaned forward slowly, giving Jungkook every chance to pull away. When their lips finally met, it was soft and tentative and absolutely perfect.
Jungkook's eyes fluttered closed. Taehyung's mouth was warm, his lips slightly chapped from the hospital air. The kiss was gentle, almost questioning, and Jungkook found himself leaning into it, his hand coming up to cup Taehyung's jaw.
When they pulled apart, Taehyung was smiling.
"I don't remember our first kiss," he said softly. "But I think I'll remember this one forever."
Jungkook's heart cracked a little more.
Taehyung was discharged on a Saturday morning.
Jungkook had spent the previous day in a panic, trying to figure out where they were supposed to go. He couldn't take Taehyung to his own tiny apartment,that would immediately blow his cover. But he had no idea where Taehyung lived.
Yoongi solved the problem.
"I'll drive you both to the penthouse," he said, appearing at the hospital with a black car that probably cost more than Jungkook would make in his lifetime. "Unless you've forgotten where you live too?"
"I just thought Taehyung might be more comfortable if you drove," Jungkook said smoothly. "He trusts you."
Yoongi's expression was unreadable. "Right."
The penthouse was in Gangnam, because of course it was. The building was all glass and steel, with a doorman who nodded respectfully as they entered. The elevator required a key card to access the top floor.
Jungkook's hands were sweating. He was carrying the small suitcase from his studio apartment.
The doors opened directly into the apartment, and Jungkook's breath caught. Floor to ceiling windows overlooked the city. The furniture was modern and expensive, all clean lines and neutral colors. Art that was probably worth millions hung on the walls.
This was Taehyung's home. And now, apparently, it was Jungkook's too.
"Does it look familiar?" Jungkook asked softly, watching Taehyung's face.
"No." Taehyung moved through the space like a ghost, touching things carefully. "Should it?"
"Give it time."
Yoongi cleared his throat. "I'll leave you two alone. But Taehyung,if you need anything, call me. Anytime."
"Thank you, Yoongi Hyung."
The honorific surprised Jungkook. It suggested a closeness he hadn't expected.
After Yoongi left, the silence felt enormous.
"So," Taehyung said, turning to face Jungkook. "This is our home."
"Yes."
"Where do we sleep?"
Oh god. Jungkook hadn't thought about sleeping arrangements. "I'll show you."
He explored until he found the master bedroom,a huge space dominated by a king sized bed with black silk sheets. Very Taehyung, from what little Jungkook knew of him.
"We share this room?" Taehyung asked.
"Yes." Jungkook's voice came out strangled.
"Good." Taehyung sat on the edge of the bed, looking suddenly exhausted. "I don't want to be alone. Everything feels so strange, and you're the only thing that feels... right."
Jungkook's guilt was a living thing, eating him from the inside. "You should rest. It's been a long day."
"Will you stay with me?"
"Of course."
They lay down together on top of the covers, still fully dressed. Taehyung reached for Jungkook's hand, lacing their fingers together.
"Thank you," he murmured, already half-asleep. "For being patient with me. For not giving up on us."
Jungkook stared at the ceiling, feeling Taehyung's warmth beside him, and wondered what the hell he'd gotten himself into.
Living with Taehyung was nothing like Jungkook had imagined.
The first morning, he woke up to find Taehyung already awake, watching him with an expression so soft it made Jungkook's chest ache.
"Good morning," Taehyung said quietly.
"Morning." Jungkook's voice was rough with sleep. "How long have you been awake?"
"A while. I was trying to remember." Taehyung's hand came up to trace Jungkook's cheekbone, the touch feather Light. "I thought maybe if I looked at you long enough, something would click."
"Did it?"
"No. But I don't mind looking at you anyway."
Jungkook's face heated. This version of Taehyung,soft and openly affectionate,was so different from the cold, cruel man who'd been the threat to many broke men like him. It was like living with a completely different person.
"I should make breakfast," Jungkook said, needing to escape before he did something stupid like confess everything.
The kitchen was a chef's dream, all marble countertops and high end appliances. Jungkook had no idea how to use half of them, but he managed to find eggs and rice and make something edible.
Taehyung appeared as he was plating the food, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt that should have been illegal. His hair was messy from sleep, and he looked younger like this. Less intimidating.
"You cooked," he said, sounding pleased.
"I always cook breakfast. You said it's your favorite meal." Jungkook was getting better at the lying. It was terrifying how easy it was becoming.
They ate in comfortable silence, and Jungkook tried not to think about how domestic this was. How much he wanted it to be real.
"Jungkook," Taehyung said suddenly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Why aren't there any pictures of us?"
Jungkook's fork froze halfway to his mouth. "What?"
"Pictures. I've been looking around the apartment, and there are no photos. No wedding pictures, no couple shots, nothing." Taehyung's eyes were sharp despite his confusion. "Why is that?"
Shit. Jungkook scrambled for an explanation. "You don't like having your picture taken. You said it was a security thing, because of your work."
"What exactly is my work?"
Double shit. "You're a... businessman. You handle investments and loans."
"That's vague."
"You're vague about it." Jungkook forced a smile. "You always said the less I knew, the safer I'd be."
Taehyung frowned, but he seemed to accept it. "I don't like that. I don't like keeping secrets from you."
"It's okay. I understand."
But Taehyung was still watching him with that too Sharp gaze, and Jungkook had the uncomfortable feeling that his lies were starting to show cracks.
Yoongi and Namjoon came by that afternoon.
Jungkook had been dreading this. He'd managed to avoid them at the hospital, but now they were in the penthouse, looking around like they were cataloging evidence.
"We need to discuss business," Yoongi said to Taehyung. "Unless you're not up for it?"
"I'm fine. But I don't remember anything about the business." Taehyung looked frustrated. "You'll have to catch me up."
"Maybe we should do this in private," Namjoon suggested, glancing at Jungkook.
"No." Taehyung reached for Jungkook's hand. "He's my husband. He stays."
Yoongi and Namjoon exchanged another one of those looks.
"Fine," Yoongi said. "But first, we need to talk about the marriage."
Jungkook's heart stopped.
"What about it?" Taehyung asked.
"We need to see the marriage certificate," Namjoon said. "For legal purposes. To make sure all your assets are properly—"
"I'll get it," Jungkook interrupted, standing up. "I have it in my things. Give me a minute."
He practically ran to the bedroom, his mind racing. He needed a marriage certificate. A fake one. And he needed it now.
His phone was in his pocket. He pulled it up, fingers shaking as he texted Jimin: EMERGENCY. Need fake marriage certificate. NOW.
The response came seconds later: ARE YOU INSANE???
YES. PLEASE. I'LL EXPLAIN LATER.
There was a long pause. Then: Give me 2 hours. You owe me your life.
Jungkook went back to the living room, forcing his expression into something calm. "Actually, I think I left it at Jimin's place. I was staying with him before the wedding, and I must have forgotten to bring it over. I'll get it tomorrow."
Yoongi's eyes narrowed. "You don't have your own marriage certificate?"
"I have a copy. The original is in a safety deposit box." The lies were coming faster now, more desperate. "Taehyung insisted on keeping important documents secure."
"That does sound like him," Namjoon admitted.
Crisis averted. For now.
They spent the next hour discussing business that Jungkook barely understoot,something about territories and payments and people who owed money. It was clear that Taehyung ran a criminal empire, and Yoongi and Namjoon were his enforcers.
It was also clear that they still didn't trust Jungkook.
"One more thing," Yoongi said as they were leaving. He pulled Jungkook aside, his voice low. "I don't know what your game is, but if you hurt him—"
"I won't," Jungkook said firmly. "I know you don't believe me, but I care about him. I'm not going to hurt him."
"You better not." Yoongi's expression softened slightly. "He's different since the accident. Softer. I've never seen him like this."
"Like what?"
"Happy," Yoongi said simply. "So whatever you're doing, keep doing it. But if I find out you're lying to him..." He didn't finish the threat. He didn't need to.
That night, Jungkook lay awake long after Taehyung had fallen asleep.
They were sharing the bed now, because Taehyung had looked so lost when Jungkook suggested sleeping separately. "We're married," he'd said, confused. "Why wouldn't we sleep together?"
So now Jungkook was acutely aware of every breath Taehyung took, every small movement. Taehyung slept on his side, one arm thrown over Jungkook's waist, his face peaceful in the dim light from the window.
He looked nothing like the man who'd sneered at Jungkook in that office. Nothing like the loan shark who'd called him a slur.
This Taehyung was gentle. Kind. Affectionate in ways that made Jungkook's heart hurt.
And it was all based on a lie.
Jungkook's phone buzzed. A text from Jimin: Certificate done. You're officially married to a crime lord. Congrats. Also, we need to talk about your life choices.
Tomorrow, Jungkook would have to present that fake certificate and hope no one looked too closely. Tomorrow, he'd have to keep spinning this web of lies.
But tonight, he let himself pretend. Just for a moment. That this was real. That Taehyung really was his husband. That they really had fallen in love over coffee and shy smiles.
That Jungkook wasn't the worst person in the world for wanting this so badly.
The next few weeks fell into a strange routine.
Jungkook would wake up in Taehyung's arms. They'd have breakfast together in the kitchen.Taehyung would try to work, getting frustrated when he couldn't remember details of his business. Jungkook would make up more stories about their relationship, each lie digging him deeper.
And slowly, terrifyingly, they started to feel like a real couple.
Taehyung was tactile in ways Jungkook hadn't expected. He'd reach for Jungkook's hand while they watched TV. Pull him close on the couch. Press kisses to his temple for no reason at all.
"Is this okay?" he asked once, after pulling Jungkook into his lap. "I feel like I should know if you like this, but I don't remember."
"It's okay," Jungkook whispered, even though his heart was racing. "I like it."
"Good." Taehyung's arms tightened around him. "Because I like holding you. It feels right."
The guilt was eating Jungkook alive, but he couldn't stop. Couldn't give this up. Not when Taehyung looked at him like he hung the moon. Not when every touch felt like coming home.
The first real crisis came three weeks in.
Jungkook was in the kitchen when he heard Taehyung shout from the office. He ran, finding Taehyung standing in front of his desk, holding a folder with shaking hands.
"What is it?" Jungkook asked.
"Debt records." Taehyung's voice was strange. "From my business. There are so many people who owe me money, and the things I did to collect—" He looked up, his face pale. "Jungkook, am I a bad person?"
Oh god. This was the moment Jungkook had been dreading.
"No," he said firmly, moving closer. "You're not bad."
"These records say otherwise. I threatened people. Hurt them. There's a note here about breaking someone's fingers because they were late on a payment." Taehyung's hands were shaking. "How could you love someone who does these things?"
Jungkook took the folder gently, setting it aside. Then he took Taehyung's face in his hands, forcing him to meet his eyes.
"Listen to me," he said. "I don't know who you were before the accident. But I know who you are now. And that person is kind and gentle and trying so hard to be good. That's the person I—" he swallowed hard, "—that's the person I love."
It was the first time he'd said it out loud. The first time he'd admitted, even in this fake context, what he felt.
Taehyung's eyes were wet. "You really love me? Even knowing what I've done?"
"Yes." And that, at least, was true.
Taehyung kissed him then, desperate and seeking, and Jungkook kissed back with everything he had. It was different from their first kiss,deeper, more urgent. Taehyung's hands fisted in Jungkook's shirt, pulling him closer, and Jungkook went willingly.
When they broke apart, both breathing hard, Taehyung rested his forehead against Jungkook's.
"I don't want to be that person anymore," he whispered. "The one in those files. I want to be better. For you."
"You already are," Jungkook said, and meant it.
That night, Taehyung tried to take things further.
They were in bed, kissing lazily, when Taehyung's hand slipped under Jungkook's shirt. His touch was warm, his fingers tracing patterns on Jungkook's skin.
"Is this okay?" he murmured against Jungkook's lips.
Jungkook's body was screaming yes, but his mind was screaming no. This was wrong. Taehyung didn't really want him,He wanted the husband he thought Jungkook was.
"Wait," Jungkook said, catching Taehyung's wrist. "We should stop."
Taehyung pulled back immediately, concern flooding his face. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, it's just—" Jungkook scrambled for an excuse. "You're still recovering. We shouldn't rush things."
"We're married," Taehyung said, confused. "Surely we've done this before?"
"Of course we have. But you don't remember, and I don't want you to feel pressured."
"I don't feel pressured. I want you." Taehyung's voice dropped lower. "I want to know what it's like to make love to my husband."
The words sent heat straight through Jungkook, but he forced himself to shake his head. "Not yet. Please. Let's just... take it slow."
Taehyung looked disappointed but nodded. "Okay. Whatever you're comfortable with."
He pulled Jungkook close, just holding him, and Jungkook felt like the worst person alive.
Because he wanted it too. Wanted Taehyung with an intensity that scared him. But he couldn't take advantage like that. Couldn't let Taehyung give himself to someone who was lying about everything.
Even if it killed him to say no.
The pattern repeated over the next few weeks.
Taehyung would initiate intimacy,a heated kiss, a wandering hand, a whispered suggestion and Jungkook would find a reason to stop. He was tired. They should wait. He had a headache.
The excuses were getting thinner, and Taehyung was getting more confused.
"Do you not want me?" he asked one night, his voice small. "Is it because I can't remember? Because I'm not the person you married?"
"No!" Jungkook said desperately. "God, no. I want you so much it hurts. I just—" He couldn't explain without revealing everything. "I just want it to be right."
"It would be right," Taehyung said. "You're my husband. How could it not be right?"
Jungkook had no answer for that.
Jimin and Hoseok came to visit one afternoon while Taehyung was out with Yoongi.
"You look like shit," Jimin said bluntly, studying Jungkook's face.
"Thanks."
"He means you look stressed," Hoseok clarified. "How's the whole fake marriage thing going?"
"It's..." Jungkook slumped on the couch. "It's getting complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"He wants to have sex."
Jimin's eyes went wide. "And you said no? To Kim Taehyung? The man you've been pining over for months?"
"I can't take advantage of him like that! He doesn't really want me,he wants the person he thinks I am."
"Kook," Hoseok said gently, "you know this can't last forever, right? Eventually, he's going to remember. Or someone's going to figure out you're lying. What's your endgame here?"
Jungkook didn't have an answer. He'd been so focused on surviving day to day that he hadn't thought about the future.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I just... I can't give this up yet. I know it's selfish, but I can't."
"It's not selfish to want to be loved," Jimin said softly. "But Kook, this isn't real love. It's based on a lie."
"I know." Jungkook's voice cracked. "I know, okay? But it's the closest I'm ever going to get."
His friends exchanged worried looks but didn't push further.
The breaking point came on a Friday night.
Taehyung had been meeting with potential business partners,legitimate ones, he'd insisted, because he was trying to move away from the loan sharking. He came home frustrated and exhausted, and Jungkook suggested they order in and watch a movie.
Somehow, they ended up drinking. A lot. More than he could tolerate.
Jungkook wasn't much of a drinker, and the expensive whiskey Taehyung poured went straight to his head. Everything felt warm and fuzzy, and Taehyung looked so beautiful in the dim light, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, his hair messy from running his hands through it.
"You're staring," Taehyung said, amused.
"You're Soooooo pretty," Jungkook said honestly. The alcohol had destroyed his filter.
"Pretty?" Taehyung laughed. "I don't think anyone's ever called me pretty before."
"Then they're idiots." Jungkook reached out, tracing Taehyung's jawline. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."
Taehyung caught his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm. "Jungkook..."
"I love you," Jungkook said, the words spilling out. "I love you so much, and I know I shouldn't, and I know this is all wrong, but I can't help it."
"Why shouldn't you love me? I'm your husband."
Right. Husband. Jungkook had almost forgotten his own lie.
"Kiss me," he said instead of answering.
Taehyung did.
It was different this time,desperate and hungry, fueled by alcohol and weeks of tension. Taehyung's hands were everywhere, and Jungkook didn't stop him. Couldn't stop him. Didn't want to stop him.
"Bedroom," Taehyung growled against his mouth.
They barely made it. Taehyung pressed Jungkook against the wall in the hallway, kissing him like he was drowning and Jungkook was air. His hands worked at Jungkook's shirt, pulling it over his head, and then his mouth was on Jungkook's neck, his collarbone, his chest.
"God, you're perfect," Taehyung murmured. "How did I get so lucky?"
Jungkook's response was lost in a moan as Taehyung's teeth grazed his nipple. His hands fisted in Taehyung's hair, holding him close, and he'd never felt anything like this. Never been touched like he was precious.
They made it to the bed eventually. Taehyung stripped them both with efficient movements, and then they were skin to skin, and Jungkook thought he might die from how good it felt.
"Are you sure?" Taehyung asked, even now checking for consent. "We can stop if—"
"Don't stop," Jungkook begged. "Please don't stop."
Taehyung's eyes darkened. "Tell me what you want."
"You. I want you. Inside me. Please."
Taehyung groaned, his hips rolling against Jungkook's. "You're going to kill me."
He took his time preparing Jungkook, his fingers gentle and thorough, and Jungkook was a writhing mess by the time Taehyung finally pushed inside.
The stretch burned in the best way. Jungkook gasped, his nails digging into Taehyung's shoulders, and Taehyung stilled immediately.
"Okay?" he asked, his voice strained.
"More than okay. Move. Please move."
Taehyung did, setting a slow, deep rhythm that had Jungkook seeing stars. He was everywhere,inside Jungkook, around him, consuming him completely. His mouth found Jungkook's again, swallowing his moans, and Jungkook had never felt so connected to another person.
"I love you," Taehyung whispered against his lips. "I don't remember falling in love with you, but I know I did. I must have. Because this feels like coming home."
Jungkook's eyes burned with tears. "I love you too."
It was the truth and a lie all at once.
When they came,Taehyung first, then Jungkook with Taehyung's hand wrapped around him,it felt like something fundamental had shifted. Like they'd crossed a line they could never uncross.
After, they lay tangled together, sweaty and satisfied. Taehyung pressed lazy kisses to Jungkook's shoulder, his hand tracing patterns on Jungkook's stomach.
"That was..." Taehyung trailed off.
"Yeah," Jungkook agreed.
"I wish I could remember our first time. But I think I'll remember this one forever."
Jungkook's heart clenched. Because Taehyung would remember. Eventually. And when he did, he'd realize that this,their first time,was based on a lie.
But for now, in this moment, Jungkook let himself pretend it was real.
Jungkook woke up with a pounding headache and a warm body pressed against his back.
For a moment, he didn't remember. Then it all came rushing back—the drinking, the kissing, the sex. Oh god, the sex.
He'd slept with Taehyung.
He'd promised himself he wouldn't, had held out for weeks, and then he'd gotten drunk and thrown all his principles out the window.
Taehyung stirred behind him, his arm tightening around Jungkook's waist. "Morning," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
"Morning."
"How are you feeling?"
Guilty. Terrified. Like the worst person alive.
"A little hungover," Jungkook said instead.
Taehyung pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "Last night was incredible."
"Yeah."
"Hey." Taehyung gently turned Jungkook to face him. "Are you okay? You seem... off."
"I'm fine. Just tired."
But Taehyung was studying him with those too-sharp eyes, and Jungkook had the uncomfortable feeling that he could see right through the lie.
"If I did something wrong—" Taehyung started.
"You didn't. I promise. Last night was..." Jungkook forced a smile. "It was perfect."
That, at least, was true.
The next few weeks were a strange mix of bliss and anxiety.
Taehyung was more affectionate than ever, constantly touching Jungkook, stealing kisses, pulling him close. They had sex again,sober this time and it was just as intense, just as overwhelming.
Jungkook was drowning in it. In Taehyung's attention, his affection, the way he looked at Jungkook like he was the center of his universe.
But the guilt never went away.
And then, one morning, Jungkook woke up and immediately ran to the bathroom to throw up.
He blamed it on something he ate. Then it happened again the next day. And the day after that.
"You should see a doctor," Taehyung said, worried. "This isn't normal."
"It's probably just a stomach bug."
But deep down, Jungkook knew. Even before he took the test. Even before he saw the two pink lines.
He was pregnant.
Jungkook stared at the positive pregnancy test for a solid ten minutes, his mind completely blank.
This wasn't possible. Except it was, because he was a carrier,Something he'd discovered at eighteen and never really thought about since. The chances of getting pregnant were low, but not zero.
And apparently, he and Taehyung had beaten the odds.
He was carrying Taehyung's baby.
The realization hit him like a truck. He was pregnant with the child of a man who didn't really know him. Who thought they were married. Who would remember the truth eventually and hate him for this.
Jungkook sank to the bathroom floor, the test clutched in his shaking hands, and tried not to panic.
He didn't tell Taehyung right away.
He needed time to process, to figure out what this meant. The pregnancy was still early,maybe six weeks, based on when they'd first slept together. He had time.
But keeping the secret was harder than he'd expected.
The morning sickness got worse. He was exhausted all the time. His emotions were all over the place, and he found himself crying at random things,a commercial, a sad song, the way Taehyung smiled at him over breakfast.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Taehyung asked one evening, finding Jungkook crying in the kitchen for no apparent reason.
"I'm fine," Jungkook sniffled. "Just emotional."
"About what?"
"Everything. Nothing. I don't know." He wiped his eyes. "Sorry. I'm being ridiculous."
"You're not ridiculous." Taehyung pulled him close, and Jungkook buried his face in his chest. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out together. Okay?"
Jungkook nodded, even though he knew that was a lie. When Taehyung remembered, there would be no "together." There would only be Jungkook, alone and pregnant, running for his life.
He made it a month before he decided to tell Taehyung.
He couldn't keep hiding it. The pregnancy was progressing, and soon it would be obvious. Taehyung deserved to know, even if everything else was a lie.
Jungkook planned it carefully. He'd make Taehyung's favorite dinner, sit him down, and explain. They'd figure it out together.
But the universe had other plans.
He was in the kitchen, preparing ingredients, when he heard voices from the living room. Taehyung was talking to someone,Dr. Kim Seokjin, Jungkook realized with a jolt.
He shouldn't eavesdrop. He knew he shouldn't.
He did anyway.
"—scans look good," Seokjin was saying. "Your brain is healing faster than expected. I'd say within a few weeks, maybe a month, your memories should start returning."
Jungkook's blood turned to ice.
"Really?" Taehyung sounded excited. "That's great news!"
"It is. Though I should warn you,when the memories come back, it might be overwhelming. You'll essentially be integrating two versions of yourself. The person you were before, and the person you've become since the accident."
"I understand. Thank you, hyung."
Jungkook stood frozen in the kitchen, the knife in his hand forgotten.
Taehyung's memories were coming back.
The ruthless, homophobic loan shark who'd called him a slur and looked at him with disgust,that person was coming back.
And when he did, he'd remember everything. The debt. The lies. The fake marriage.
He'd remember that Jungkook had deceived him, had taken advantage of his vulnerability, had gotten pregnant with his child under false pretenses.
He'd beat the shit out of him by his goons.He'd kill him. Or worse.
Jungkook's hand went to his stomach, still flat but carrying a life that was half his, half Taehyung's.
He had to leave. Now. Before Taehyung's memories returned. Before the real Taehyung came back and destroyed everything.
He waited until Taehyung was asleep.
It was past midnight, and Taehyung was sprawled across the bed, one arm reaching for where Jungkook should have been. He looked peaceful. Beautiful. Nothing like the monster Jungkook knew he'd become.
Jungkook moved silently through the apartment, packing only essentials. Clothes. His phone. The small amount of money he'd managed to save.
He left behind everything Taehyung had given him. The expensive clothes, the jewelry, the credit cards. He wouldn't take anything that wasn't his.
Except for one thing.
The ring on his finger,the one Taehyung had given him a few weeks ago, claiming he'd noticed Jungkook's "wedding ring" was missing and wanted to replace it. It was beautiful, probably worth a fortune.
Jungkook slipped it off, staring at the gold band. Then he pocketed it. He'd need money to survive, and this was the only thing of value he had.
He'd sell it. Use the money to pay off his debt to Taehyung completely. That way, when Taehyung remembered, there'd be no reason to come after him. The debt would be settled. They'd be even.
Except for the baby. But Taehyung didn't know about the baby, and Jungkook would make sure he never found out.
He took one last look at the penthouse,at the happy life he'd built on lies, at the happiness he'd stolen.
Then he left.
Jimin and Hoseok's apartment was dark when Jungkook arrived at 2 AM, but they let him in without question.
"What happened?" Jimin asked, taking in Jungkook's tear stained face and the bag slung over his shoulder.
"His memories are coming back." Jungkook's voice was hollow. "The doctor said a few weeks, maybe a month. I had to leave."
"Oh, Kook." Hoseok pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"There's more." Jungkook pulled back, his hand going to his stomach. "I'm pregnant."
The silence was deafening.
"You're what?" Jimin's voice was faint.
"Pregnant. About two months. It's Taehyung's."
"Does he know?"
"No. And he can't know. Ever." Jungkook's voice was fierce. "When he gets his memories back, he'll be the same person who called me a slur. Who hates people like me. If he finds out about the baby—"
"He'll hurt you," Hoseok finished quietly.
"Or worse. He'll hurt the baby." Jungkook's eyes filled with tears. "I know what kind of man he is, I can't let that happen. I have to disappear."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know. Somewhere he can't find me." Jungkook pulled out the ring. "I'm going to sell this, pay off the debt. Then there's no reason for him to look for me."
"Kook, that's not going to work," Jimin said gently. "When he remembers, he's going to realize you lied about everything. He's going to want answers."
"Then I'll be long gone by the time he starts looking."
His friends exchanged worried glances but didn't argue further.
Jungkook sold the ring the next day.
It was worth more than he'd expected, enough to pay off his entire debt to Taehyung with money left over. He went to Taehyung's office, where Yoongi was handling business in Taehyung's absence.
"I need to make a payment," Jungkook said.
Yoongi looked up, surprised. "Jungkook? What are you doing here? Does Taehyung know—"
"I'm paying off my debt. All of it." He slid the money across the desk. "Count it. It's everything I owe, plus interest."
Yoongi stared at the money, then at Jungkook. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. I just want to settle my accounts."
"This doesn't make sense. You're married to him. Why would you—" Yoongi's eyes narrowed. "Unless you're not really married."
Jungkook said nothing.
"Oh my god." Yoongi stood up. "You lied. About everything. The marriage, the relationship....It was all fake."
"It doesn't matter now. The debt is paid. We're even. Tell Taehyung—" Jungkook's voice cracked. "Tell him I'm sorry."
He left before Yoongi could respond.
The next few weeks were a blur.
Jungkook moved from place to place, staying with Jimin and Hoseok when he could, crashing in cheap motels when he couldn't. He picked up odd jobs,cash only, nothing that could be traced.
The pregnancy progressed. His stomach started to show, just a small bump that he hid under baggy clothes. The morning sickness faded, replaced by exhaustion and strange cravings.
He thought about Taehyung constantly. Wondered if his memories had returned yet. Wondered if he was angry, if he was looking for Jungkook, if he even cared.
Probably not. The real Taehyung wouldn't care about the fake husband who'd deceived him. He'd just be glad to be rid of him.
The thought hurt more than it should.
By his ninth month, Jungkook was desperate.
He'd burned through most of his money. His body was exhausted from the pregnancy and the constant moving. He needed stability, needed a job, needed something.
He found work at a small restaurant in a neighborhood far from Gangnam. The owner didn't ask questions, just put him to work cleaning tables and washing dishes. The pay was terrible, but it was something.
Jungkook worked despite his swollen ankles and aching back. Despite the way his stomach made it hard to move. Despite the fear that any day now, he'd go into labor and have nowhere to go.
He was cleaning tables one evening, moving slowly because everything hurt, when he felt eyes on him.
He looked up.
And his world stopped.
Taehyung stood in the doorway of the restaurant, looking like he'd walked through hell to get there. His clothes were rumpled, his hair messy, his eyes wild.
And he was staring at Jungkook like he'd seen a ghost.
"Jungkook," he breathed.
Jungkook's first instinct was to run. But his body was too slow, too heavy with pregnancy. He backed up instead, his hand going protectively to his stomach.
"Please,Stay away from me," he said, his voice shaking.
Taehyung's eyes dropped to Jungkook's stomach. To the obvious swell of pregnancy that no amount of baggy clothes could hide anymore.
His face went white.
"You're pregnant," he said, his voice barely audible.
"It's none of your business."
"None of my—" Taehyung looked like he'd been slapped. "Jungkook, is that my baby?"
Jungkook said nothing, which was answer enough.
"Oh my god." Taehyung moved forward, and Jungkook flinched back. Taehyung stopped immediately, his hands raised. "I'm not going to hurt you. Please. I just want to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about. I paid all of my debt. We're even now. Just leave me and my child alone."
"Leave you alone? Jungkook, you're nine months pregnant with my own child, working in a lousy restaurant, cleaning tables and you look like you're about to collapse at any moment.I'm definitely not leaving you alone."
"You don't get a say in this!" Jungkook's voice rose, drawing attention from the other customers. "You don't get to come here and act like you care. I know what you are. I know what you think of people like me. So just go back to your life and forget I ever existed in your life."
"I can't do that.I won't"
"Why not? You did before. You looked at me like I was nothing. You called me—" Jungkook's voice broke. "You made it very clear what you thought of me."
Taehyung's expression crumpled. "I know. God, I know. And I'm so sorry. But Jungkook, I'm not that person anymore."
"Yes, you are. You got your memories back, didn't you? You remember everything. You remember who you really are."
"I do remember," Taehyung said quietly. "I remember being cruel and cold and hateful. I remember the things I said to you, the way I treated you. And I hate myself for it." He took a careful step closer. "But I also remember the last few months. I remember falling in love with you. I remember how you made me want to be better. And that person,the one who loved you,he's still here. He's more real than the person I was before."
Jungkook shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "You don't love me. You loved a lie. A fake husband who doesn't exist."
"You're wrong." Taehyung's voice was fierce now. "Yes, you lied about the marriage. Yes, you took advantage of my amnesia. But everything else,the way you took care of me, the way you made me laugh, the way you looked at me like I was worth something,that was real. I know it was."
"How can you know that?"
"Because I know you, Jungkook. I've spent the last two months searching for you. I've talked to Jimin and Hoseok. I've pieced together your life, your struggles, everything you've been through. And I understand why you lied. I understand why you ran." Taehyung's eyes were wet. "But I need you to understand something too. I'm not the man who hurt you. Not anymore. That person died in the accident. And the person who came back,he loves you. Completely. Desperately. Real marriage or not."
Jungkook wanted to believe him. God, he wanted to believe him so badly.
"I'm scared," he whispered.
"I know. But you don't have to be scared anymore. Let me take care of you. Let me be there for you and our baby. Please."
"What if you change your mind? What if you wake up one day and remember how much you hated me?"
"That's never going to happen." Taehyung closed the distance between them, his hands coming up to cup Jungkook's face. "I could never hate you. Not when you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Even though I lied?"
"Even though you lied. Even though you ran. Even though you're carrying my baby and didn't tell me." Taehyung's thumb brushed away Jungkook's tears. "I love you. The real you. Not the fake husband, but Jeon Jungkook.
The man who's too kind for his own good. Who works himself to exhaustion to pay his debts. Who loves so fiercely he was willing to lie to protect himself." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Let me love you back. Please."
Jungkook broke.
He collapsed into Taehyung's arms, sobbing, and Taehyung held him like he was precious. Like he was everything.
"I'm sorry," Jungkook gasped. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lied. I shouldn't have run. I just....I was so scared—"
"Shh. It's okay. I've got you. I've got you both." Taehyung's hand moved to Jungkook's stomach, resting there gently. "We're going to be okay. All three of us."
Taehyung took Jungkook to the hospital that night.
The doctors confirmed what Jungkook already knew,he was in the early stages of labor. It would be soon, maybe within the next day or two.
"I'm not leaving," Taehyung said when the nurse suggested he go home and rest. "I've missed enough already."
So he stayed, holding Jungkook's hand through the contractions, whispering encouragement, being everything Jungkook had never let himself hope for.
"Tell me the truth," Taehyung said during a quiet moment. "About us. About how this really started."
So Jungkook did.
He told him about the debt, about that first meeting in the office. About the cruel words and the way Jungkook had fallen in love anyway, against all logic and reason.
He told him about the accident, about the split second decision to lie in the hospital to desperately get out of the debt and living the life he dreamt with Taehyung. About the fake marriage and the made up stories and the constant fear of being discovered.
He told him about the pregnancy, about the terror when he'd learned Taehyung's memories were returning. About running because he'd truly believed the old Taehyung would hurt him.
Taehyung listened to all of it without interrupting. When Jungkook finished, his eyes were wet.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I was that person. I'm sorry I made you feel like you had to lie to survive."
"You're not that person anymore."
"No. But I was. And I have to live with that." Taehyung squeezed his hand. "But I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I promise."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to. Jungkook, I want everything with you. The real relationship, not the fake one. I want to date you properly, court you, marry you for real if you'll have me. I want to raise our baby together. I want—" his voice cracked, "—I want to be worthy of you."
"You already are," Jungkook said softly.
Their daughter was born at dawn.
She was tiny and perfect, with Taehyung's dark hair and Jungkook's nose. She screamed her arrival into the world, and both her fathers cried.
"She's beautiful," Taehyung whispered, holding her for the first time. "She's perfect."
"Just like her dad," Jungkook said, watching them with a full heart.
"Which one?" Taehyung asked with a small smile.
"Both."
They named her Taeyeon, something that resembles Taehyung's own name, a symbol of their strange, complicated, beautiful beginning.
Taehyung moved them into a new apartment,not the penthouse, which held too many memories of lies, but a new place that was theirs. He officially left the loan sharking business, using his money to start legitimate investments instead.
"I want to be someone she can be proud of," he explained. "Someone you can be proud of."
"I'm already proud of you," Jungkook said.
They started dating properly. Real dates, not fake memories. Coffee shops and movies and long walks with Taeyeon in a stroller. Getting to know each other without the weight of lies between them.
It was better than anything Jungkook had imagined.
Six months later, Taehyung proposed.
It was nothing fancyJust the two of them in their apartment, Taeyeon asleep in her crib, the city lights twinkling outside the window.
"I know we were 'married' before," Taehyung said, getting down on one knee. "But that wasn't real. This is real. You're real. What I feel for you is real. So Jeon Jungkook—will you marry me? For real this time?"
Jungkook was crying before Taehyung even finished. "Yes. Yes, of course yes."
The ring Taehyung slipped on his finger was different from the one Jungkook had sold,simpler, but infinitely more meaningful.
"I love you," Taehyung said, pulling him close. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Jungkook whispered. "I always have."
They got married for real,in a small ceremony with just their closest friends.
Jimin and Hoseok stood as Jungkook's best men, both crying openly. Yoongi and Namjoon stood with Taehyung, looking pleased despite their initial suspicions. Dr. Kim Seokjin officiated, because of course he did.
And Taeyeon, six months old and perfect, was the flower girl,or would have been if she could walk. Instead, Jungkook carried her down the aisle, and she gurgled happily at all the attention.
When Taehyung and Jungkook exchanged vows,real ones this time, written from the heart,There wasn't a dry eye in the room.
"I promise to love you," Taehyung said, his voice steady despite the tears on his cheeks. "Not the person I thought you were, but the person you are. I promise to be worthy of the second chance you gave me. I promise to be the man you made me want to be."
"I promise to trust you," Jungkook said. "To believe in us. To never run again, no matter how scared I get. I promise to love you—not despite our complicated beginning, but because of it. Because it brought us here."
They kissed as husbands,real husbands this time and their friends cheered.
Later, at the reception, Jimin pulled Jungkook aside.
"I can't believe this actually worked out," he said, shaking his head. "You lied your way into a marriage, got pregnant, ran away, and somehow still got your happy ending. It's insane."
"I know," Jungkook said, watching Taehyung dance with Taeyeon across the room. "I don't deserve it."
"Maybe not. But you have it anyway." Jimin smiled. "I'm happy for you, Kook. Really."
"Thank you. For everything. I couldn't have survived without you and Hobi."
"That's what friends are for."
That night, in their hotel room, Taehyung made love to Jungkook slowly and thoroughly.
It was different from their first time,no alcohol, no desperation, no lies. Just the two of them, finally honest, finally real.
"I love you," Taehyung murmured against Jungkook's skin. "My husband. My real husband."
"I love you too," Jungkook gasped, his hands fisting in the sheets. "So much."
After, they lay tangled together, Taehyung's hand resting on Jungkook's hip.
"Do you ever regret it?" Taehyung asked quietly. "The lie? Everything that happened?"
Jungkook thought about it. About the fear and the guilt and the months of running. About the pain and the uncertainty.
"No," he said finally. "Because it brought me here. To you. To us. To Taeyeon. And I wouldn't trade that for anything."
"Even though I was terrible to you at first?"
"Even though. Because you're not that person anymore. And I get to love the person you became."
Taehyung pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to his temple. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret choosing me."
"You already do," Jungkook said softly. "Every single day."
Five years later, they had another baby,a boy they named Jungyun.
Taeyeon was a proud big sister, constantly trying to help with her baby brother. She had Taehyung's intensity and Jungkook's kindness, and she was absolutely fearless.
"She's going to be trouble when she's older," Taehyung said one evening, watching her try to teach Taejoon to walk even though he was only six months old.
"She gets that from you," Jungkook said, amused.
"Probably." Taehyung pulled Jungkook into his lap, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Are you happy?"
"Deliriously."
"Good. Because I plan to keep you this happy for the next fifty years at least."
"Only fifty?"
"Fine. Forever. I plan to keep you happy forever."
Jungkook turned in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Forever sounds perfect."
Sometimes, late at night when the kids were asleep, Jungkook would think about how it all started.
About the desperate lie in a hospital room. About the fake marriage that became real. About the man he'd loved from the beginning, even when that love seemed impossible.
He'd think about the old Taehyung,cruel and cold and the new Taehyung,kind and loving. And he'd realize they were both real, both part of the man he'd married.
The difference was that now, Taehyung chose every day to be the better version of himself. For Jungkook. For their children. For the family they'd built from lies and love and second chances.
"What are you thinking about?" Taehyung would ask, finding him lost in thought.
"Us," Jungkook would say. "How we got here."
"Regrets?"
"Never."
And it was true. Because sometimes the best love stories started with lies. Sometimes the worst people became the best partners. Sometimes you had to lose everything to find what you were really looking for.
Sometimes, against all odds, love won.
And for Jungkook and Taehyung, it had won spectacularly.
THE END 🌷