Jungkook stepped into the hallway, the soft click of Taehyung's penthouse door beginning to follow him like the end of a scene. He walked a few steps before the air in his lungs tightened with an ache he did not understand. Something inside him twisted, tugging hard, whispering that he was leaving too soon.
Taehyung had been different tonight. Softer. Warmer. Human in a way Jungkook had never seen. That stupid sweater. That messy hair. That quiet tone. That strange concern in his voice. And Jungkook, like an idiot, had walked away.
He paused. The elevator was only a few steps ahead. All he needed to do was walk toward it and go home like a normal person. Forget about all the strange feelings crawling under his skin. But his feet refused to listen. His pulse hammered loud, a steady rush that pushed him back toward the door.
If Taehyung wanted revenge for that old comment from earlier, this was the moment to walk inside and take whatever came. Jungkook knew that. Taehyung could be cruelly sharp when he wanted to. He could slice someone down with a sentence. He could make Jungkook regret every breath he took near him.
But right now, Jungkook did not care. He wanted more time. Even if it hurt. Even if it confused him further. Even if Taehyung looked at him with that unreadable gaze again.
So before the door could close fully, Jungkook turned around and reached for it. Taehyung's hand was on the other side, about to finish shutting it, when Jungkook gently pushed the door open again. Taehyung stopped mid motion, eyebrows faintly lifting in surprise.
"Did you forget something?" Taehyung asked.
His voice was low, soft enough to echo slightly in the quiet apartment.
Jungkook felt his pulse thump painfully at the sight of him. Taehyung had moved further inside, sweater slipping off his shoulder a bit more, hair still a mess, his breathing relaxed. He looked nothing like the terrifying CEO who ordered people around. He looked almost approachable. Almost dangerous in how approachable he was.
Jungkook swallowed. "I thought… maybe I should stay a bit."
Taehyung blinked slowly, clearly not expecting that. His gaze traveled from Jungkook's face to the hand still holding the door and then back up again.
"Stay?" Taehyung repeated, voice unreadable.
Jungkook nodded once, unsure of every word leaving his mouth. "Only if you want. You said I did good work today. And you did not seem too tired. I thought maybe you needed help with something."
Taehyung's jaw tightened slightly.
"You are offering to work more at this hour?" he asked. There was a hint of amusement in his tone now, soft but unmistakable.
Jungkook shook his head quickly. "No. I mean. I could help if you needed. But that is not… that is not what I meant."
Taehyung stepped closer, not threatening, not cold, simply observing him with those dark eyes that always seemed to look too deep.
"Then what did you mean, Jungkook?"
Jungkook's breath caught. There were too many answers he could not say.
That he wanted to understand him, to stay for no reason, to see more of this side of him and to know why Taehyung made him feel like this.
Instead, he forced out the safest lie he could manage. "I thought you looked… lonely."
Taehyung stilled. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes. Something silent, raw, and almost startled. He took another slow step closer until the distance between them tightened just enough to make Jungkook's heart leap into his throat.
"You think I looked lonely," Taehyung said softly.
Jungkook nodded, eyes fixed on the floor for a moment. "Yes."
Taehyung watched him for so long Jungkook began to regret opening his mouth at all. But then Taehyung spoke, voice low and strangely gentle.
"I do not invite people to my home unless I want them here."
Jungkook looked up, startled.
Taehyung continued, slower this time. "If I asked you to come, it was because I did not mind your presence."
Jungkook's chest tightened in a sudden, painful way.
"So if you want to stay a bit longer," Taehyung said, stepping aside, leaving the doorway open, "then stay."
Jungkook's breath shook. He stepped inside the penthouse again. The soft click of the door closing behind him felt different this time, final in a quiet, welcoming way. Jungkook turned around slightly, unsure what to do with his hands, unsure how to calm his heartbeat, unsure how to exist in the same space as this version of Taehyung.
Taehyung watched him for a moment, sweater slipping again as he lifted a hand to push his hair away.
"Relax," Taehyung said simply. "You look like you broke into my home instead of being invited."
Jungkook let out a small puff of embarrassed air. "Sorry."
Taehyung walked past him toward the living area and sank back onto the cushioned bench.
"You came back," Taehyung said without looking at him. "Why?"
Jungkook opened his mouth, but every real answer tangled into a knot inside his throat.
"I… did not want to leave yet," he said quietly.
Taehyung's lips curved, slow and soft. "I see."
It was a simple response. Barely anything. But Jungkook felt it everywhere.
He took a cautious step forward, then another, heart pounding as he walked back into the place he knew he should have left but had not been able to.
Taehyung watched him come closer, serene and unreadable, but something in his eyes warmed at Jungkook's return.
Something that made Jungkook certain of one thing: He had just stepped into something he was not ready for. And he still could not make himself walk away.
Taehyung glanced at Jungkook again, still seated stiffly at the edge of the living room as if he might run if Taehyung breathed too loudly. Revenge still simmered somewhere low in Taehyung's chest, a quiet memory of Jungkook calling him old, but it softened when he remembered something else. The cafeteria meal Jungkook had refused to buy. The way Hannah had carried food to him earlier because he had not eaten a single thing all day. The way Jungkook's stomach had almost growled in the middle of their conversation.
The boy was always trying to look responsible, but Taehyung had seen enough to fill in the details he never said out loud.
Taehyung pushed the thought away before it made him feel anything he was not ready to name.
"You should eat dinner before you leave," Taehyung said suddenly.
Jungkook blinked. "What? No, I am fine. I am not hungry."
Taehyung stared at him with a look that made the lie embarrassingly transparent. "Jungkook, the last time you ate was yesterday."
Jungkook's ears turned red. "I had snacks."
Taehyung stood up, ending the conversation. "Come to the dining room."
Jungkook hesitated, awkward but obedient, following behind like a confused puppy. The warm lights over the dining table reflected off polished wood and clean plates already arranged neatly. Taehyung walked toward the large covered dishes near the counter and lifted the lids, releasing a gentle spread of heat and scent.
His cook had made too much again. Too many dishes for one man to finish, no matter how wealthy he was. Taehyung hated wasting food, always had, so he usually saved everything for later.
But tonight he did not want leftovers. Tonight he wanted to give. He did not say why. Taehyung picked up a bowl and began scooping rice onto it. Jungkook stepped forward automatically, trying to take the spoon from him.
"Let me serve myself. I can do it."
Taehyung moved the spoon out of reach without even looking at him. "Sit."
Jungkook frowned. "I am not a child."
"That is why I said sit," Taehyung replied calmly.
Jungkook did not know how to argue with that, so he sat down with a quiet huff, arms crossed over his chest. Taehyung hid a small smile as he continued serving. Rice, grilled meat, sautéed vegetables, soup, even an extra serving of kimchi. It was too much for one person, but perfect for someone who had not eaten all day. Taehyung placed the food in front of Jungkook and added a spoon and chopsticks.
Jungkook stared at the food, throat tightening slightly. "Sir, this is too much."
"No," Taehyung said simply. "It is right."
"But you already ate."
Taehyung gave him a cool, dismissive glance. "I did not ask if you wanted to share. I asked you to eat."
Jungkook almost dropped his chopsticks from the blunt tone. It was not rude, but it left no space for refusal. He took a small bite just to avoid embarrassment, but the moment the food hit his tongue, he felt his stomach clench desperately. He had been hungrier than he realized.
Taehyung watched him through lowered lashes, pretending to check his phone while keeping Jungkook in his peripheral vision. The boy ate quietly, movements shy at first, then faster once he stopped pretending he was not starving. Taehyung felt something warm curl in his chest. He ignored it.
"Was the food fine?" he asked lightly.
Jungkook nodded, swallowing. "Yes. It is really good."
Taehyung exhaled softly, pleased. For a moment they sat in comfortable silence, Jungkook eating as if someone had finally lifted a weight off his shoulders, and Taehyung watching him with a quiet expression he would never admit to.
It would have been easy to mention the cafeteria. Easy to mention how Taehyung had noticed Jungkook skipping meals. Easy to lecture him about taking care of himself.
But Taehyung kept those thoughts locked inside. Instead, he walked toward the fridge, opened it, and placed the remaining dishes inside carefully so none of it went to waste.
"You made a lot," Jungkook muttered between bites.
"My cook does," Taehyung corrected. "He still thinks I can eat as much as I used to when I was younger."
Jungkook looked up, cheeks puffed from food. "So you were a big eater?"
Taehyung glanced at him with a subtle smirk. "I had my moments."
Jungkook looked away quickly, pretending to drink his soup so Taehyung would not see the way his face warmed for no reason. Everything tonight was confusing. Too gentle. Too close. Too dangerous.
When he finished the plate, he placed his chopsticks down carefully. "Thank you. Really."
Taehyung leaned against the counter, arms crossed, sweater sleeves falling past his wrists again. "You are welcome."
He did not add that Jungkook needed it, that he always noticed. He sure did not add that offering him dinner felt strangely satisfying. Because after all, Jungkook was still a kid. And Taehyung took care of kids. In his own complicated, quiet way.