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Taehyung had a lot of memories from his childhood with his sister. It all must have started when he left the womb and she realized her mission on Earth was to make his life a living hell.
One specific memory often popped into his mind: he was eleven, and she, at thirteen, made a PowerPoint presentation with everyday examples and obvious statements about how she would always be better than him and their parents’ favorite child. It would have been silly, a normal childish taunt between siblings, if it weren’t so full of truth.
His entire life with Dani was a competition. Every single day since he was born, Taehyung was reminded how his sister was an example to be followed or surpassed. Dani started walking at one year old; Taehyung taking his first steps at one year and two months was already a defeat. Dani could write at six; Taehyung not being able to spell “dinosaur” at six and a half was another failure.
Dani was a great student, so Taehyung had to be one too. Do a thousand extracurricular activities, be liked by the teachers, win writing contests, charm their parents’ rich friends at the fancy club the family frequented, hang out with influential people, always smile, seem perfect and unattainable.
The siblings handled it effortlessly, but somehow everything coming from Dani was always better. If Taehyung won a math competition, it wasn’t that surprising because Dani had already done it. And if he didn’t win, he’d hear a very familiar line: your sister managed it, why can’t you?
Dani got first place in a major university for Law School. Taehyung also got first place in the entrance exam for an important university, but not for such a competitive program. He didn’t even want to be an architect, but it seemed like the least boring option in the ranking of professions that make money.
All that competitiveness happened behind the scenes, well hidden inside the house. Outside, they were the perfect siblings in the perfect family, even though nothing in their relationship involved affection. With less than three years of age difference, they grew up at war. From small things like putting each other’s belongings in the lit fireplace or handing over favorite shoes for the dog to destroy, to bigger things like pushing each other on the stairs and into the swimming pool.
As they got older, things became more sporadic, but bigger. They didn’t fight every day and even had some rare moments of kindness between each other, where things like offering to wash the other’s plate after dinner or sharing some candy happened, but they never missed a chance to stab each other in the back.
When they were in high school, Dani somehow found out that Taehyung had plagiarized an assignment for which he got top marks. Panicked at the idea of being exposed, he admitted it and begged his sister not to tell their parents. Of course she told them, serving the story during dinner like she was offering the best meal in the world.
And that’s why months later, when their parents were away for a weekend and Dani invited some people from school over for a party, Taehyung took lots of pictures of her and her friends smoking by the pool. He even printed the photos to give to their parents.
“It was awful, Mom, the whole place reeked of weed. I didn’t even get close but got high from how much they smoked. I swear” Taehyung said, pushing the drama, just like Dani had done during dinner.
She cried from sheer anger, and it was so satisfying for Taehyung, a thousand times better than seeing her childish rage when she found her Barbies with their hair cut short when they were kids.
He could play that game forever.
But there was payback that same week, when Dani simply decided to tell that Taehyung was gay. Out of nowhere, he didn’t even know she knew, although rumors about him and a classmate were really going around and were true, but he really didn’t expect that.
Dani shoved, pushed, threw Taehyung out of the closet.
Taehyung was going to deny everything, say it was a lie of hers out of anger over the photos, but his parents reacted in a very different way than he expected: they said they didn’t understand why Dani was trying to make a big deal out of the information, since Taehyung could like anyone he wanted.
The frustration on her face was delicious to see. So Taehyung said it was all true and cried his most forced tears, talking about how hurt he was to be treated that way by his own sister. Dani wanted a scene and she got one, plus a few more weeks of being grounded for acting so insensitively towards her brother.
But what Taehyung went through after that was almost a punishment too, if not worse, since his parents got super emotional about having a gay son and couldn’t talk about anything else; they almost put an LGBT flag in front of the house. Taehyung tried to think they wanted to show support, but he couldn’t help feeling like an exotic animal being exhibited at a zoo. Besides knowing his parents loved to stand out at any opportunity, of course they also tried to stand out as this beautiful, progressive family. A total hell. Dani was already off punishment and Taehyung still had to deal with their mom’s comments trying to be cool.
The siblings didn’t speak for almost six months. When she finished high school and there was a graduation party, Taehyung felt obliged to at least say congratulations. His sister hugged him in silence and, after holding onto him for a minute, said she loved him and didn’t want to be mad anymore.
“We’re siblings, we should be best friends, don’t you think?” she asked Taehyung.
In the emotion of the moment, he agreed, but deep down he knew a bond of complicity wasn’t something they would be capable of building. That certainty intensified over the years, because even though they never had a real fight again , besides the jabs that were a natural part of their coexistence, Taehyung and Dani were still very strange to each other.
Not that Taehyung hated her, it wasn’t that bad, he just thought life would have been much easier if they weren’t siblings. In an ideal world, they would never have even met.
When they found something new to fight over, five years had already passed. They no longer lived together in the family home where they grew up; Taehyung was in his second year of college and Dani was almost graduating from different universities in different cities.
They still saw each other more often than Taehyung would like, because unfortunately, they were the children of the same parents.
So, Dani had this new boyfriend. Taehyung had seen photos of him on his sister’s Instagram and was surprised, because she didn’t have great taste in men. Plus, her boyfriends were always boring lawyers, just like her. But this one, named Yoongi, was really handsome and a medical student. Taehyung’s parents were ecstatic, telling anyone who would listen about their lawyer daughter and doctor son-in-law, their chests puffed up with pride for having raised such good kids who would continue to be successful in their marriages too.
Taehyung always felt like laughing while listening, but he limited himself to smiling and agreeing, like he had done his whole life. He’d laugh a lot by himself at home when Dani broke up with this one, just another of the many boyfriends she’d had in recent years. He was sure his parents would also consider him just another one if he weren’t a med student.
The family finally met the famous Yoongi at lunch at the fancy club they frequented. He was not only more handsome in person but also not at all boring or arrogant like Taehyung was expecting. He listened more than he talked, actually, and didn’t seem very interested in bragging, even though Dani mentioned now and then the impressive articles Yoongi had already written and all his excellent grades.
“You study something so vital, your academic life must yield good stories”, Taehyung’s father said, and Yoongi just nodded with a smile. “Is there any moment you consider most memorable?”
Yoongi stopped moving his cutlery on his plate and seemed thoughtful before answering. Taehyung expected him to mention some student achievement, or about the first time he did a perfect suture, or anything that med school folks like to brag about. But no.
“The lunch after dissecting a corpse for the first time. It was strangely normal”, Yoongi said.
Taehyung let out a chuckle right away, because it was so unexpected and Yoongi said it so naturally, as if he really thought it was the greatest thing he’d done. Yoongi smiled back at him, but no one else at the table joined in the laughter. Dani forced a smile and tried to get her parents to change the subject, talking about Yoongi’s parents’ farm and what they produced there.
Yoongi seemed like a simple guy, very different from Dani and Taehyung himself. He said it was his first time having lunch at a club, he’d never watched a golf match, and he’d never left the country. Taehyung was trying to figure out what exactly his sister saw in him. Yoongi was handsome, smart, and seemed nice the whole time, but that didn’t seem enough for Dani’s demanding tastes. Maybe his farmer parents were one of those people who don’t care for luxury but have a lot of money saved up, or maybe Yoongi was just really good in bed. But on the other hand, what was he doing with Dani, who was unbearably annoying and didn’t have a single drop of humor? Taehyung was intrigued.
Positively intrigued about Yoongi. He was interesting.
When the waiter came to take the dessert order, Taehyung immediately asked for a chocolate milkshake with extra topping.
“Seriously?” Dani asked him when she heard. “Oh my god, your body will suffer with a sugar rush like that”.
Taehyung wanted to throw a plate at her head. Annoying. Not even with her boyfriend by her side could she stop being the most annoying person in the world.
“But if they serve milkshakes, I want one too”, Yoongi said and turned to the waiter. “Extra topping for me too”.
It was the first time Taehyung wanted to kiss Yoongi on the mouth.
“It’s the best in the world, seriously”, Taehyung said.
“We’ll see”, Yoongi replied and winked at him.
Yoongi turned his attention back to Dani and said something Taehyung didn’t hear, but it made her give a little smile. He felt a bit bothered realizing they looked good together, because after those few interactions, Taehyung thought Yoongi deserved to be with someone so much better.
Someone like him.
Taehyung had never wanted something that belonged to his sister as much as he wanted Yoongi.
***
Taehyung followed Yoongi on Instagram and Yoongi followed him back. No big deal, they were family for all intents and purposes.
They started interacting in an innocent way too. Taehyung posted stories every day, Yoongi always liked or reacted to them. Yoongi didn’t post much, but Taehyung also interacted with him when he did.
Yoongi posted a cup of coffee, Taehyung wished him good morning and Yoongi wished him back. Taehyung posted a college project, Yoongi replied that it looked really hard and Taehyung said he was used to it.
Yoongi: and do you like studying that?
Taehyung: “like” is a strong word, but it could be worse
Yoongi: what do you mean? Elaborate
That’s how everything started turning into conversation. If one of them posted tagging a restaurant they were at, the other would reply recommending one they thought was better. If one was watching a movie, the other had a similar one to suggest. And just like that, they were talking every day. Taehyung even memorized the times when Yoongi had free time to reply.
Maybe Yoongi was just doing his part as the cool brother-in-law, but Taehyung had no familial intentions. What he thought about Yoongi was very much not familial. The more Taehyung got to know Yoongi, the more he wanted that relationship to be over.
Taehyung just didn’t know when he’d see him again. His mom mentioned in a random conversation that Yoongi was always busy, but that Dani was trying to arrange something with them where her boyfriend could be present too.
Things between Taehyung and Yoongi took a different turn when Taehyung decided to risk a compliment. Yoongi never posted pictures of himself, but he posted a selfie wearing a lab coat and Taehyung couldn’t contain himself. He really thought it was time to drop something like that, since he was very interested but didn’t even know if there was a possibility of Yoongi looking at him in the same way. He shouldn’t, Yoongi had a girlfriend, but Taehyung’s curiosity was about whether Yoongi liked men too.
If he did, the relationship was a detail. And details can be handled.
Taehyung: you chose the right profession for sure, you look good in white
Yoongi saw it right away, but didn’t reply. Taehyung thought he’d gotten busy right after, but when two days passed and nothing, he started to think he might have gone too far and Yoongi had gotten annoyed.
He got a very unexpected reply on the third day.
Yoongi: coming from the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen in my life, it’s tough to have an answer, just saying thanks seems like too little
Taehyung imagined Yoongi would just say thanks, and his ego skyrocketed reading that. If he were straight – even better, if he weren’t interested – he wouldn’t respond to a flirt with more flirting. He decided to try more.
Taehyung: lol, no need to thank me but I think it’s about time we saw each other again, right?
Maybe he was imagining things, but if Yoongi agreed to go out with just him, the battle was won. There wasn’t enough dignity in the world to stop Taehyung from sticking his tongue in Yoongi’s mouth the first chance he got.
His plans and expectations were destroyed in a few minutes.
Yoongi: Dani said she’s arranging something with your parents, not sure if it’s at the club or something like that but try to go too
The mention of Dani was like a bucket of cold water, killing the excitement of the compliment. Taehyung locked his phone screen, a bit irritated at having to deal with his sister’s existence. He replied with “I’ll let you know” to disguise a very clear “no”. It was no use for him to see Yoongi if Dani would be there, like some unwanted freebie.
But then Yoongi was unexpected in his reply once again.
Yoongi: I’ll really like seeing you again
And Taehyung really thought there was no way Yoongi was not flirting with him.
***
It ended up being just another Sunday lunch, but at Taehyung’s parents’ house because the day was way too hot for golf at the club, and an afternoon by the pool seemed much more fitting. Lunch was boring as hell, and he regretted ditching a day of doing nothing at home to have to sit there listening to his sister and dad talk about lawsuits. His mom was there too, who always pretended to be interested in what he had to say, but buttering up Yoongi seemed way more important to her that day.
Which was kinda funny, because Yoongi didn’t really seem all that eager to act like a big deal. He’d smile and say thanks when he got a compliment, but most of his answers were just “yes” or “no”. He didn’t elaborate much, as if nothing Dani was saying about him was worth turning into a conversation.
“The article he published won an award”, Dani told them, and Yoongi replied that he didn’t even write anything that good.
“Your parents must be so proud”, their mom praised. Yoongi just said it was the least he could do.
If it were Dani receiving that kind of praise, she’d never stop talking about herself. Taehyung just found it weirder that this guy was actually dating his sister. He was almost feeling sorry for Yoongi, wasting his precious free time dealing with all that nonsense. And he was also way, way more attracted than he’d been the first time he saw him.
Yoongi was so handsome, and the way he spoke was just so hot. Even when it was just the basics, he seemed to know his stuff, the words coming out confidently from his lips. Taehyung spent the whole meal alternating between staring at his hands as he handled the cutlery and his lips when he talked.
His mind was flooded with thoughts about what Yoongi could do with those hands, with that pretty mouth. He wanted so badly to find out, and he couldn’t help but remember the DMs, which filled him with this hope that it was actually possible. “The most handsome guy I’ve ever seen”. Seriously. Taehyung needed to get something, anything, close to that in person, looking Yoongi in the face, to be sure he wasn’t just being polite.
But he couldn’t do anything during lunch, with the whole family around. And the fact that Yoongi hadn’t even looked at him during the meal didn’t help either, he didn’t seem the same person who said he’d like to see him again. Maybe he was having second thoughts about being that nice to his girlfriend’s brother. Taehyung hoped not, because he certainly wasn’t having any.
***
The housekeeper didn’t work on weekends, so Taehyung and Dani were responsible for doing the lunch dishes on Saturdays and Sundays when they lived with their parents. That day was no different, Dani would wash and Taehyung would dry (even though he’d always wished it was the other way around and she never agreed), but Yoongi offered to do the drying instead. Taehyung thought it was sweet of him, but he wasn’t thrilled because it meant more time for the perfect couple to be perfect together. He left the kitchen, rolling his eyes.
He went up to his old room to change for the pool. He took off his shirt and swapped his pants for shorts. His phone buzzed and he sat on the bed to read the messages, getting distracted talking to Jimin and Jungkook in their group chat about Jungkook’s hot cousin and Taehyung’s high chances of hooking up with him.
He snapped back to reality when someone knocked on the door. It opened a crack and Yoongi peeked inside.
“Sorry, I was looking for the bathroom”, he explained, raising one hand to show he was holding a piece of clothing, all crumpled in his fist.
“It’s the door right across from this one”, Taehyung said.
“Thanks”, Yoongi replied. He smiled and closed the door again.
Taehyung forgot about the conversation with his friends, kicking himself for not paying more attention to what Yoongi was holding. He wished he’d noticed if it was shorts and a shirt, or just shorts. By the size of the bundle, it looked like both, but maybe he was just taking his shirt off to swim. He was curious, so damn curious. He wanted to see, he wanted to see Yoongi without a shirt more than he wanted to kiss Jungkook’s hot cousin.
He realized this was the perfect moment to get the alone time with Yoongi he needed. Taehyung didn’t know what he’d say to him, but he rushed to his own bedroom door and opened it, staring at the dark wood of the closed bathroom door in front of him. He leaned against the doorframe and waited for Yoongi to come out, trying to come up with a topic of conversation while he had the chance.
When the bathroom door opened, Taehyung still hadn’t come up with a single thing.
“Everything okay?” Yoongi asked.
“Yeah, yeah, all good”.
Taehyung immediately regretted being there, looking like a total dork definitely wouldn’t make Yoongi realize he was dating the wrong sibling.
“You heading to the pool too?” Yoongi asked.
Pool. Heat. Sun. Duh.
“Yeah, actually, when you knocked I was just about to look for some sunscreen. Then I saw you and remembered to ask if you guys brought any, ‘cause no one ever remembers sunscreen. Dani always forgets, for one”.
“I honestly don’t know if she did”, Yoongi replied and looked down, checking out his own body. “But I’m gonna keep my shirt on, so I guess it’s not that necessary”.
It was a bummer to hear Yoongi say he’d keep his shirt on.
“How can a healthcare pro be the champion of bad examples”, Taehyung said. Yoongi laughed.
“You got some to lend me, then? If it helps my rep a bit, I can put it on the parts that are exposed”.
And Taehyung had to accept that he definitely wasn’t taking his shirt off.
“Sure”.
“Then you can use it and bring it to me to the pool later. You should put on a lot, since you’re pretty…” Yoongi said, looking Taehyung up and down so slowly he almost felt shy. “Exposed. To the sun and all that”.
There it was. The confirmation Taehyung needed that Yoongi noticed him that way. He grinned before answering.
“You got it”.
He would have gone back into his room and actually put the sunscreen on. But Yoongi didn’t move, so Taehyung waited to see if he’d say anything else.
And he did.
“Or do you need help?” Yoongi asked. There was a little smirk on his face that Taehyung didn’t quite get. “With the sunscreen. On your back, where your arms can’t reach”.
And oh my god. Oh my god. That, Taehyung did not expect in a million years.
“Ah, yeah. I definitely need help with that”, Taehyung said.
Yoongi walked into the room with him, the door was left slightly ajar. Taehyung found a half-used bottle of sunscreen lost in a drawer and handed it to Yoongi, buzzing with the anticipation of feeling those hands on his skin. He felt a little silly realizing he was expecting so much from something so ordinary and meaningless.
Except, even if Taehyung wanted to think there was no intention behind it, there was no way. Yoongi wasn’t just spreading the sunscreen, it was almost like a massage. His fingers pressed into the skin of his back with the slowest pace in the world, like he was in no hurry to stop touching him.
His hands moved lower, and Taehyung was putting all his focus on Yoongi’s movements, even forgetting to breathe. He snapped back to it when he had to take a deep breath, noticing Yoongi’s hands on his waist, one on each side, holding on tighter than necessary and making little circles in the middle of his back where his thumbs could reach.
The fingers Taehyung had admired during lunch, the ones that made him fantasize, were now holding his waist. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder at Yoongi behind him, he seemed super focused on what he was doing, almost oblivious to the time passing.
Taehyung didn’t want him to stop, but he couldn’t forget that Yoongi was there for someone else. And even though he really wanted Yoongi to forget Dani even existed, he knew it wasn’t the right time.
“I think I can reach from here, though”, he said quietly. Yoongi pulled his hands away immediately and looked at him very seriously, as if trying to figure out if he’d gone too far.
Taehyung smiled. “Thanks. Let me know if I can return the favor”.
Yoongi smiled back at him and shook his head. He wiped his hands on the shorts he was wearing and left the room.
Taehyung tried not to convince himself that he was winning whatever game this was, thinking it would only be a sure thing once he actually kissed Yoongi. He went to the pool but didn’t get in the water, playing clueless while lying on a lounge chair wearing sunglasses and earbuds. He pretended not to see, and tried not to get annoyed by, the affection between Yoongi, who was sitting on the edge with his feet in the water, and Dani, who was in the pool. He pretended he didn’t see when she rested her head on his thigh and the way he ran his fingers through her wet hair.
That same hand that had been holding his waist... Taehyung could still feel the heat of Yoongi’s fingers on his skin.
And now they were on her.
But it was still hard not to feel victorious, because while pretending not to look, Taehyung also noticed that every time Dani dove under, Yoongi’s eyes would find him.
For the first time, Taehyung was glad his sister was good at something. She was an excellent swimmer and loved to show off, so she did a lot of diving that afternoon.
Lucky him, really, because Taehyung totally loved the silent attention from Yoongi. Nothing was able to ruin the amazing feeling and the certainty that this was just the beginning.
***
On Tuesday, when they started texting again, neither of them mentioned what had happened on Sunday. The conversations flowed naturally, just like they used to.
Yoongi was always busy, for real, but it never took him more than a few hours to reply to Taehyung’s messages. When he thought it would take longer, he’d give a heads-up that he’d be unavailable. The weeks went by and they didn’t see each other again, hell, Taehyung didn’t even see his sister that often, but as they exchanged texts and even some voice messages, he realized there was something more between them than just the sexual tension and his desire to one-up Dani.
It was comfortable talking to Yoongi; he was thoughtful and funny, and always seemed to know what to say. Which just made Taehyung more and more bothered by the fact that he was still dating Dani. She wasn’t the worst, Taehyung could recognize some good qualities in his sister, but she was nowhere near having anything in common with Yoongi.
In over twenty years of living together, Taehyung couldn’t remember a single time when Dani didn’t think the world revolved around her. Maybe it was the upbringing, which applied to him too, since they were both raised to act like the world owed them something. But Taehyung liked to think he had a better grip on reality than Dani. That he was at least a little kinder and didn’t just try to act like a good person when someone was watching.
Maybe the desire to screw his sister’s boyfriend, and the fact that he didn’t feel the least bit guilty about it, took away some of his credibility, but Taehyung felt it was a matter of deservingness, and Dani didn’t deserve Yoongi in any universe.
Taehyung also thought the affection he was developing for Yoongi was mutual. He could sense it in their conversations, but it became clear he was taking up a more important space when, one day, while having lunch with his mom and Dani, he found out that, apparently, Yoongi gave him priority in his messages.
“You could have invited Yoongi to lunch with us”, his mom said.
“He’s super busy”, Dani replied. “We haven’t even talked today. I sent him a message earlier and he hasn’t been able to reply yet. He’s always running around with something”.
Taehyung tried really hard to hold back a smile, because Yoongi had already sent him at least twenty messages that morning.
At that same lunch, Dani asked him what he thought of Yoongi from the few times they’d met. Taehyung thought it was better to act like he hadn’t formed an opinion yet.
“I thought he was cool, but I haven’t really gotten to know him well yet, so I don’t have much to say”, he said.
“He said he found you really nice. I’m glad you two get along”, Dani told him, and Taehyung forced a smile for her.
He wondered if she’d still be happy if she knew just how well they were getting along.
***
It was over a month after the afternoon by the pool when Taehyung got to see Yoongi again, at Dani’s birthday party.
Dani loved birthdays, and so did Taehyung, but neither of them was ever happy at the other’s party. Celebrating an existence you weren’t that fond of didn’t seem exciting to either of them, but they were siblings, and showing up for birthdays was what the standard rules of coexistence for perfect families demanded.
Taehyung and Yoongi exchanged exactly two messages that day.
Taehyung: See you later, then?
Yoongi: Yep
Yoongi also posted a Happy Birthday story for Dani, saying how important she was to him and all the best, blah blah blah, which put Taehyung in a pretty sour mood for the rest of the day.
Like every other year, the party was at their parents’ mansion. Taehyung didn’t go early; he didn’t want to risk being asked to help with anything. Most of the guests had already arrived when he got there. Taehyung knew all of Dani’s friends because they’d always gone to the same rich-kid schools with the same rich kids who grew up to be rich adults, just like the two of them. Not that he liked everyone, but he could chat with a few tolerable people for the rest of the night.
Yoongi was already there when Taehyung arrived, wearing a fucking white shirt that made him look so damn hot. Taehyung liked to think it was on purpose because of his compliment the other time. It took a while for them to greet each other because Yoongi was glued to Dani’s side the whole time, and Taehyung wanted to postpone the moment he had to be around both of them together.
He couldn’t avoid it for long, though. Dani made a point of going over to him. They hugged like the loving siblings they totally were while Taehyung wished her a happy birthday, and Yoongi just watched. It could have ended there, but Dani had a big mouth and loved to dig her own grave.
“Which retirement home did you steal that shirt from?” she asked, with the sassiest look on her face.
Taehyung wished he had some critique about her appearance, but he didn’t. Calling Dani ugly would be like calling himself ugly, because they looked way too much alike. So he went for her clothes too, targeting the short, red satin dress that clung to her body with thin shoulder straps. It was actually really nice, but he couldn’t just let her comment slide.
“Which hooker did you steal that dress from?” Taehyung said.
Yoongi’s eyes went wide. Dani started laughing.
“I like this dress, so I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that”, she said.
“But I like your shirt, Yoongi. You look good in white”, Taehyung said.
Yoongi smiled, looking a bit awkward.
“Thanks”, he said.
Just thanks. No “coming from the most handsome guy I’ve ever seen”. And of course Taehyung didn’t expect something like that, but knowing he’d gotten a better response for the same thing before made the situation kinda funny. Taehyung smiled back at Yoongi with his best sassy face, just like his sister’s.
Dani didn’t say anything else before leaving, pulling Yoongi by the hand, and Taehyung went to find himself a drink.
During the happy birthday song, he was forced to watch the two of them kiss, and he rolled his eyes so hard he almost thought they’d get stuck. Pathetic, for real. He wanted to “accidentally” spill a drink on one of them and end the whole thing, but he held back because then he’d be the ridiculous one. He spent most of the night talking to his tolerable acquaintances and avoiding looking at Yoongi, which was really difficult because Yoongi was always looking at him.
It didn’t take long for Taehyung to get bored. With the conversations, the people, the music. Even with Yoongi looking at him, because just looking wasn’t doing a damn thing. He was at his parents’ house and was planning to sleep over anyway, he could just go inside and up to his room. He thought about messaging Jungkook and Jimin, maybe they were planning something. It was Friday night, they could go somewhere more interesting, maybe Jungkook’s hot cousin would tag along and Taehyung could finally stop thinking about guys who were already taken.
He went to his room and sent a few messages to his friends. He decided to go to the bathroom while waiting for replies and left his phone on the bed. He wasn’t in there for long, but he was caught by surprise when he opened the door and looked into the hallway.
He came face to face with Yoongi, leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom door.
“You know there are other bathrooms, right? You didn’t have to wait for this one to be free”, Taehyung said, standing in the open doorway.
“I was actually waiting for you”, Yoongi said.
“Why?”
Yoongi looked both ways down the hallway and moved really close to Taehyung before answering.
“Because I think we need to talk”.
Taehyung smiled. He thought it would take longer for them to get to this point and that he’d be the one having to corner Yoongi, so he was super satisfied that it was the other way around.
Super satisfied to realize they were playing the same game.
“Is that why you were staring at me all night?”
“Maybe”.
“Where’s that annoying girlfriend of yours?”
Then Yoongi smiled too. They were definitely playing the same game, on the same level.
“The one who also happens to be your sister?”
“That’s the one, thanks for reminding me. So, how much time do we have to talk?
Yoongi turned his face away again, looking toward the stairs. Taehyung grabbed his chin and pulled his face back, making him look again.
“A few minutes”, Yoongi replied, taking a step forward and making Taehyung step back into the bathroom again.
“Good”, Taehyung said.
Yoongi was still smiling as he locked the door. He was still smiling when he turned back to face Taehyung and repeated:
“Good”.
So they were all over each other. Hands gripping wherever they could reach and mouths locked in an urgent kiss. Yoongi used his teeth to part Taehyung’s lips and slid his tongue inside, and Taehyung met him right there. Taehyung held onto the back of Yoongi’s neck with both hands, like he was ready to stop him from even thinking about pulling away. Yoongi seemed dead set on not wasting any time, ‘cause his hands went straight to Taehyung’s ass, squeezing hard.
It was intense and insane, a loud, messy kiss full of grunts and heavy breathing and the wet sound of their lips moving together. Yoongi carefully pushed Taehyung back until his shoulders hit the wall, Yoongi’s warm body pressed right up against him, and Taehyung just wanted his clothes off.
When Taehyung moved his hands to grip Yoongi’s shoulders, their lips finally broke apart. Yoongi ducked his head down to Taehyung’s neck and started kissing there. It felt so good, Taehyung was all sensitive and completely wrecked by Yoongi’s touch. Maybe it was all the built-up wanting, or the adrenaline rush from sneaking around in a bathroom kissing his sister’s boyfriend, Taehyung wasn’t totally sure, but it felt fucking amazing, and he could practically feel all the blood in his body rushing south.
They only had a few minutes, but Taehyung wanted more. One of his hands slid up the back of Yoongi’s neck and into his hair, pulling him back up so they could crash their mouths together again, desperate to feel Yoongi’s tongue tangling with his. They only stopped when they literally had to catch their breath.
“Holy shit”, Taehyung mumbled.
Yoongi nodded, pulling back from him, and Taehyung felt a pang of disappointment, thinking that that was it. He’d gotten just a tiny taste of what Yoongi’s mouth and hands, the ones he’d been fantasizing about since they met, were capable of. They’d just kissed, and Taehyung was already dying, turned on beyond belief. He needed more.
And it was pretty obvious he wasn’t the only one worked up from just that.
“I can’t go back out there like this”, Yoongi said, looking down at his own hard-on straining against his pants.
Taehyung let out a breathy little laugh.
“And what are you gonna do about that?”
“Me?” Yoongi smiled at him. “I’m not gonna do anything. You are. Get on your knees”.
The order caught Taehyung off guard, he hadn’t thought Yoongi was the bossy type. But looking closer and putting things together, giving orders actually fit him. The way he spoke, like he had everything under control no matter the situation, was one of the things that made him so attractive.
“Or maybe I got it wrong and that’s not what you were waiting for?” Yoongi asked, one eyebrow raised as he watched Taehyung standing frozen in front of him.
Not exactly, but Taehyung was expecting more, and this was a start either way. He knelt down, and Yoongi quickly pulled his face forward, pressing it against his groin. Holding onto Yoongi’s thighs, Taehyung opened his mouth and wrapped his lips around the bulge, feeling the fabric of his pants against his tongue. He looked up at Yoongi’s face and dragged his lips downward, leaving a wet trail, and felt wanted when he noticed the way Yoongi was watching him. Slowly, he dragged his lips back up again.
“Fuck, I don’t have time for teasing”, Yoongi said.
Taehyung barely had time to pull back before Yoongi yanked his pants and underwear down in one move, his cock almost hitting Taehyung in the face as it came free. Taehyung wished he had time to tease with his hand and tongue, but he didn’t, so he just did what he had to do: sucked.
He held the base and took as much as he could into his mouth until he gagged. Then he started moving his head back and forth, drooling as much as possible until his throat began to burn from Yoongi’s cock hitting deep. They kept eye contact the whole time. Taehyung’s eyes were watery, but he didn’t look away, Yoongi stared right back at him, one hand on his cheek, thumb wiping away the occasional tear that slipped out. Taehyung didn’t want to break that eye contact because it felt like the best part. Yoongi was looking at him, really seeing him, fully aware that it was Taehyung with his cock in his mouth, no one else.
Still, it didn’t last long once Yoongi decided to take control. The hand on Taehyung’s cheek slid to the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair. He pulled Taehyung back and then shoved him forward hard, Taehyung only didn’t choke because his throat was already relaxed. He closed his eyes and let Yoongi fuck his mouth, feeling Yoongi’s hips move while the hand at the back of his head kept him locked in place.
He tried to peek at Yoongi and saw that he was still watching. With his eyes closed again and his mouth wide open, Taehyung let himself be used, focusing on breathing through his nose and on the low, restrained sounds Yoongi was making, sounds that were way too good. He imagined what it would be like to actually fuck him, their faces close, Yoongi moaning right next to his ear. One of his hands, still resting on Yoongi’s thighs, slid almost automatically inside his own pants. Taehyung was hard too, and he wanted to come.
He squeezed himself hard, thumb rubbing over the leaking head. He moaned as he jerked himself off with Yoongi’s cock still in his mouth. He could’ve come like that although it seemed that it wasn’t enough, but the whole situation was too wrong and too hot for him to care about coming in his own hand, on the bathroom floor. But then Yoongi stopped moving.
“Take your hand out of there”, he ordered. Taehyung froze instantly and looked up at his face again. “I will take care of that later. Take your hand out”.
Taehyung obeyed, and Yoongi started moving again, faster this time, and Taehyung was nothing but a mess of saliva when Yoongi came in his mouth.
“You are…” Yoongi started as Taehyung stood up, but he couldn’t finish. He took a deep breath and smiled.
“I am?” Taehyung pressed, his voice rough from the other use of his throat.
“Unbelievable. Like, the fact that you even exist”.
Taehyung smiled back and watched as Yoongi pulled his pants up and fixed his shirt, waiting for the promised solution, but all Yoongi did was step in front of the mirror to check his hair. When he seemed satisfied, he walked back over to Taehyung and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
“I’ll see you later”, Yoongi said, already reaching for the door handle.
“What do you mean, later?” Taehyung asked, a little too loudly, this time glancing down at the bulge in his own pants. “What about me?”
Yoongi let go of the handle for a second, the arm that had been stretched out sliding to Taehyung’s waist while his other hand grabbed Taehyung’s cock over his clothes.
“With you, I want more time”, he said. “You’re staying over, right?”
“I am”.
“Good. Then don’t lock the door”.
Just when Taehyung thought that night couldn’t surprise him any more. The next few hours were definitely going to be fun, if Yoongi actually showed up in his bedroom, something Taehyung would only believe once it was really happening.
“But what if I wasn’t staying?” Taehyung asked. That’s what he’d been considering before the two of them disappeared into the bathroom.
“Well, then we’d need a few more good minutes outside the party, talking right here, risking getting caught, drama, all that stuff. Good thing we don’t have to”, Yoongi said with a smile. “And that you’re going to wait”.
“I could get myself off as soon as you leave”, Taehyung said, though it wasn’t something he was seriously considering.
“But you don’t want to”, Yoongi replied.
“Keep that shirt on”, Taehyung asked.
He wanted Yoongi in that shirt, he looked so hot in it. So hot in white. Yoongi smiled but didn’t answer. He gave Taehyung another quick kiss and finally let him go, then left.
Taehyung locked the bathroom door again and leaned back against the sink counter. It was so unreal that he started laughing, holy shit. He had kissed Yoongi. Better than that, he’d sucked him off. He still had the taste of Yoongi’s cum in his mouth.
He turned to face the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked wrecked. Messy hair, red, swollen lips, and saliva drying on his chin. He wet his hands and rubbed his face, trying to calm all that arousal down. They were only seeing each other later, so Taehyung figured he should at least try to chill until the moment actually came.
It almost felt stupid how worked up he was about the idea of having sex. It was just sex, but the circumstances were the problem. The circumstances being that he wanted to fuck Yoongi way too much, that Yoongi was interesting and gorgeous and hot and completely addictive. The circumstances being that Yoongi had a girlfriend. That the girlfriend was in the same house as them.
And that the girlfriend was his sister.
His sister. Not a friend, not an acquaintance, not some random girl. His fucking sister, and that meant nothing to Taehyung. He’d feel guilty if he were screwing over a close friend, but this was Dani, and all he felt was satisfaction knowing he was getting one over on her. After years of losing to her at everything, Taehyung was finally winning.
Better yet, he was winning the man of his dreams. He was doing the universe a favor, because he was still convinced Dani didn’t deserve Yoongi in any version of reality.
He left the bathroom and kept the door open, planning to come back for a shower in a few minutes. He went to the bedroom to grab a towel and something to wear and noticed his phone on the bed. Jimin and Jungkook had sent a bunch of messages he hadn’t read, but he told the group chat that he’d changed his mind about going out and that he’d explain why as soon as he could.
He took his time in the shower, really opening himself up, no rush at all. He didn’t know Yoongi’s preferences, but he definitely knew his own, and god, Taehyung wanted to get fucked by him so bad. He wanted to feel Yoongi inside him every time he sat down the next day. With three fingers deep inside himself, all Taehyung could think about was how good Yoongi would fuck him.
But he didn’t come. He was excited to wait for what had been promised.
It was past one in the morning when Taehyung got out of the shower. He peeked out the window and saw that most of the party guests were still there, chatting loudly around the pool full of floating balloons. He figured Yoongi would show up after the party, once Dani was asleep, and realized that meant an eternity of waiting. Not wanting to wait until morning, he grabbed his phone again and sat on the bed to text Yoongi.
Taehyung: come already, fake being sick and go lie down
Yoongi: on my way
It didn’t take even ten minutes for Yoongi to open the door, which, like he’d asked, Taehyung hadn’t locked. Yoongi did, though.
“I thought you weren’t coming”, Taehyung said as he watched Yoongi walk over to the bed.
“Why?” Yoongi asked, stopping beside him, standing tall while Taehyung sat on the mattress, looking up at him.
“Because it’s wrong for you to be here”, Taehyung replied with a mocking smile.
Yoongi let out an incredulous laugh.
“Yeah, because everything up to now was totally fine, right? Flirting with me, sucking my dick in the bathroom, all well within acceptable limits”.
Taehyung knelt on the bed, almost at Yoongi’s height, and crawled closer. He didn’t answer or look at his face as he unbuttoned the damn white shirt, one button at a time. When he finished, he opened it but didn’t take it off, he wanted Yoongi in that shirt a little longer.
He froze when he noticed, even in the dim yellow light from the bedside lamp, a purple mark on Yoongi’s chest.
A hickey. No doubt about it. Apparently, Dani knew how to have fun too, and the fact that it was with Yoongi pissed Taehyung off. He forced a laugh and finally answered.
“You’re the one who should know what’s right. You’re the one with a girlfriend, remember?”
“Does it bother you?” Yoongi asked.
“No”, Taehyung lied. “The one who should be bothered is you, knowing you didn’t get the better sibling”.
“Something about you kneeling for me tells a very different story about whether I got you or not”, Yoongi said. “But fine, let’s reassess, just so you’re sure”.
In one quick move, Yoongi was pulling Taehyung’s shirt over his head. After stripping him the rest of the way, he put one knee on the mattress, hovering over him and pushing him back until he was flat on his back. Yoongi leaned down on his elbows, his entire body pressing Taehyung into the bed.
They kissed again, with the same desperate hunger as in the bathroom. Taehyung shoved his hands under Yoongi’s open shirt, gripping his waist, then dragging his nails down his back, sliding lower to grab his ass over the jeans he was still wearing. When his hands moved to the front, Yoongi shifted his hips to let Taehyung undo the button and zipper, then stood up to strip out of his clothes fast.
Yoongi didn’t come back onto the bed. He knelt on the floor and didn’t say a word as he grabbed Taehyung’s thighs and spread his legs. Taehyung let him. He watched in silence as Yoongi kissed the inside of one thigh and dragged his open palm up the other. He closed his eyes when Yoongi’s hand wrapped around his cock and started stroking, making him fully hard.
Then Yoongi’s lips were moving up his thigh too, his tongue on his balls, then at the base of his cock, sliding up until he was licking the tip, teasing the slit and taking more and more into his mouth. Taehyung grabbed Yoongi’s head with both hands, wanting to shove him down, fuck his throat the way Yoongi had fucked his earlier, but Yoongi didn’t let him. He took Taehyung down his throat a few times, but mostly focused on using his tongue, which felt just as insanely good and made Taehyung bite his lip to keep from moaning too soon.
Yoongi pulled back and slid two fingers into his mouth, and Taehyung knew exactly what was coming next. Yoongi was careful at first, pushing in the tip of one finger, but when he felt how easily it went in, he pushed both slick fingers in at once. Taehyung heard him chuckle softly and felt the fingers pull out. Then Yoongi was back on the bed, hovering over him again, on his knees and leaning on one arm. When his hand returned to Taehyung’s ass, three fingers pushed in all at once.
“Waiting for me all ready like this?” Yoongi asked, fingers moving in and out. “What’s with the desperation?”
Taehyung didn’t answer. He pulled Yoongi down into another kiss. Being naked with him, feeling his skin against his, was just as good as he’d imagined. He felt Yoongi’s hard cock against his thigh and wanted, needed, to get fucked already. He wrapped a leg around Yoongi’s waist, opening himself up completely so Yoongi could just slide in.
“You’re…”
“Yes”, Taehyung said before he could finish.
He was clean. And if Yoongi was asking, it meant he was too, and wanted it like this, nothing between them.
“Me too”, Yoongi said. “Can I?”
“I’m just waiting”.
Yoongi slid his hand down the leg wrapped around his waist, fingers digging hard into Taehyung’s ass.
“Turn over”, Yoongi ordered.
Taehyung did. He grabbed a pillow and placed it under his chest, arching his back and sticking his ass up toward Yoongi. Yoongi squeezed him again, then slapped him hard enough to make Taehyung let out a small yelp.
“You need to stay quiet”, Yoongi said. “My god, you’re so fucking hot”.
One hand at the base of Taehyung’s spine and the other spreading him open, Yoongi pressed forward and started to push in, slow and steady. Taehyung gripped the pillow tight, feeling his body clench around Yoongi, biting his lip again when he felt him fully inside.
He started slow, but it didn’t take long before Yoongi was thrusting faster, like he was losing control, and dragging Taehyung with him, making him moan louder and louder as the pace picked up.
Taehyung knew he was being loud and couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when Yoongi was going so deep, hitting the right spot every single time. The music downstairs was loud, he seriously doubted anyone would hear anything. Still, it was thrilling knowing no one could know this was happening, that there was always the risk of being caught. Like doing something so wrong made it even hotter.
He was completely gone, lost in the pleasure, when Yoongi grabbed his hair hard, pulling him up until his back was pressed against Yoongi’s chest. The angle was perfect, the pressure just right, and Taehyung lost the last bit of control he had, moaning even louder, which made Yoongi shove three fingers into his open mouth.
“I told you to stay quiet”, Yoongi said near his ear.
Taehyung nodded fast, agreeing around the fingers in his mouth. Yoongi knelt behind him and pulled Taehyung back so he was sitting on his thighs, legs spread wide. Wrapping an arm around his waist, Yoongi started thrusting again, hard and fast. Taehyung felt Yoongi’s lips near his ear again.
“But you’d like it if someone heard us and opened the door, wouldn’t you?” Yoongi whispered. “If someone caught us like this. Saw me fucking you like this”.
Taehyung moaned in response, dizzy from the nonstop thrusts and from how Yoongi somehow got hotter every time he opened his mouth. He was right, of course he was. And Taehyung loved that Yoongi saw it, that desire. If Yoongi knew, they were the same. And if they were the same, neither of them was worth anything.
When Yoongi pulled his hand from Taehyung’s mouth, it went to his neck, squeezing slowly, cutting off part of his breathing. Taehyung thought he might pass out and die right there.
“Answer me”, Yoongi insisted. Taehyung nodded, unable to speak, unable to think, just shaking his head in agreement.
Yes, he’d love to be caught. Yes, he was loving this. Yes, he wanted Yoongi to fuck him like this for the rest of his life. Yes, yes, yes.
The hand on his neck moved to his cock, Yoongi’s fist pumping fast, squeezing almost to the point of pain. Taehyung let his head fall back onto Yoongi’s shoulder as his entire body tightened and burned until he came into Yoongi’s hand.
He barely had time to come down from the orgasm before Yoongi pushed him back onto the mattress and kept fucking him, gripping his hips harder than necessary, because Taehyung couldn’t have moved even if he wanted to. Then Yoongi stopped, pulled out, and Taehyung collapsed onto the bed. He heard Yoongi pant and groan, and then warm cum splattered across his back.
Yoongi soon lay down beside him, on his back, one arm covering his eyes, chest rising and falling fast. Taehyung closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing and shake the feeling that his soul had left his body. Yoongi had fucked him so well Taehyung could almost say he loved him right then.
When he opened his eyes, Yoongi was looking at him. They smiled at each other at the same time. Yoongi rolled closer and kissed him again, slow and gentle, completely different from everything before.
“I made a mess”, Yoongi said. “You got tissues or something, or do I need to grab some from the bathroom?”
“Probably in one of those drawers”, Taehyung said, pointing to the nightstand.
Yoongi found a box and carefully cleaned Taehyung’s back. He kissed one shoulder, then the other, then the back of his neck, making Taehyung squirm and laugh softly.
“I need to go”, Yoongi whispered.
“I think you do”.
“Is it bad that I don’t want to?”
“I really wish you’d stay”, Taehyung whispered back. “Try to come back later”.
“That’d be pushing my luck way too far”.
Taehyung didn’t answer. He wanted Yoongi to come back, but he knew it was too risky. He watched him get dressed, sitting on the bed so he wouldn’t fall asleep, he still wanted another shower before going to sleep. Once dressed, Yoongi leaned in for another kiss.
They pulled apart and kissed again at least three more times before he finally left.
Alone in the room, smelling like sweat and cum, his ass sore, Taehyung smiled.
Game won.
***
The satisfaction completely died when he walked into the kitchen the next morning to get coffee and found Yoongi there with Dani. She was sitting sideways on one of his legs, holding a mug, talking and smiling while Yoongi traced invisible patterns with his fingers on the skin of one of her thighs, exposed by the pajama shorts she was wearing. Taehyung wanted to scream with anger.
But he didn’t. He pretended he hadn’t seen anything, walked right past them, and went to the cabinet to grab a mug.
“Good morning!” Dani said. Taehyung took a deep breath.
He didn’t know how it was possible for her to seem even more irritating, how his annoyance with her kept getting worse. He put the mug and an espresso capsule into the coffee machine and turned it on before answering.
“Morning”.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
“Uh-huh”.
Taehyung took his coffee and went to sit outside, staring at the party balloons still floating in the pool. He was pissed, but it wasn’t like Yoongi had promised him anything. It could’ve been a one-time thing, maybe Yoongi always did that and Dani was being cheated on all the time. Still, it annoyed Taehyung how perfect they looked together, how good they seemed as a couple.
Dani came outside too and sat down in a chair next to him. It felt deliberate, like she knew he wanted to be alone and felt obligated to end his peace. As always.
“So, what did you think of the party?” she asked.
“You did a good job with the decorations”, Taehyung replied. Dani liked compliments, so maybe if he gave her that validation, she’d be satisfied and leave him alone sooner.
“I did. And with the drinks too, apparently”. Taehyung looked at her, confused. “Yoongi disappeared for a few minutes last night. He said he was putting you to bed because you’d gone a little too far”.
Taehyung took a sip of his coffee so he wouldn’t start laughing. What a ridiculous excuse.
“I didn’t drink that much, but Yoongi was really nice”.
“He was, but like… out of everyone here, you had to get his attention?”
At least Taehyung could never call his sister stupid. Even with the wrong information, she was sharp enough to notice that his interest existed.
“He helped me because he wanted to. I already told you, I wasn’t that drunk”.
“Yoongi isn’t gay”.
The response came automatically. It was like Dani had that line rehearsed, ready to throw it in his face at the right moment.
“And the B in LGBT is just decoration?” Taehyung shot back. Dani huffed.
“Okay, but right now he’s dating me”.
“So?” Taehyung asked. “Do you want congratulations for that?”
“No. I want you to finally learn to stay away from what’s mine. That seems hard for you, considering you’ve never managed to get anything in your life that didn’t pass through me first”.
Taehyung laughed in her face. He had to seriously hold himself back from yelling that her boyfriend was anything but hers and from describing exactly how enthusiastically that very-much-her boyfriend had fucked him just a few hours earlier.
“Are you sure he’s really that yours?”
The question clearly caught Dani off guard, but she forced herself to keep her composure.
“I trust Yoongi”.
“Then I don’t know why we’re having this conversation”.
“Because I don’t trust you”.
“That’s actually very smart of you”.
Dani stood up and looked down at Taehyung. He stared back until it got uncomfortable, and even when he finally looked down at the mug in his hands, he could still feel her eyes on him.
“You’re my brother”.
Taehyung forced himself to look at her face again before answering.
“And when has that ever mattered to you?”
She didn’t answer. She just looked at him for a few more seconds before turning around and going back inside. Taehyung knew there was nothing she could say. The fact that they were siblings had only ever mattered when it benefited one of them or justified some piece of bullshit between the two. Forgive the mess, your sister loves you. As if coming out of the same person meant guaranteed love and trust forever.
Dani used the sibling argument like it had ever meant anything, like it was supposed to make Taehyung feel bad for even thinking about betraying her that way.
It didn’t.
If anything, it made Taehyung angrier. Angry at her assumption that he only wanted what already belonged to someone else. Yoongi didn’t belong to her at all, and as Taehyung finished his now lukewarm coffee, he decided he’d enjoy throwing that truth right in his sister’s face.
***
It wasn’t a one-time thing.
They kept hooking up whenever they had the chance: at Taehyung’s apartment. In Yoongi’s bedroom at the house he shared with two friends. In the car, in the parking lot of the medical school building at the university where Yoongi studied. In the bathroom of a very sketchy bar.
Sometimes they only saw each other for less than an hour, just to fuck, since Yoongi stayed insanely busy. Other times, they managed to watch movies together, order food, or just take a nap. Taehyung didn’t like Yoongi just for the sex, and it was way too easy for him to blur the lines and start thinking they were actually together, especially when they always seemed so comfortable with each other.
When he noticed how much he liked listening to Yoongi talk about literally anything. When they fell asleep holding hands. When they showered together and Yoongi washed his hair. When Yoongi kissed his whole face and told him he was beautiful. When Yoongi held him after sex like he was the most important person in the world.
When what they had was so good it became hard to remember it was just an affair.
In the three months since it started, Dani hadn’t been mentioned between them even once, like she didn’t exist. Taehyung hadn’t spoken to her since that morning at their parents’ house, when he’d been furious and determined to make her swallow everything she’d said. He knew Yoongi hadn’t broken up with her and, even without understanding why, he didn’t want to ask. Talking felt like it would complicate things. Maybe he was scared of what he’d hear if he made Yoongi choose between one of them.
It felt strange that Yoongi never brought it up, never tried to understand how Taehyung could do what he was doing to his own sister, but honestly, it was better that he didn’t ask. Taehyung didn’t see a good reason to rush that conversation. In the end, he had what he wanted: finally screwing his sister over at least once in his life, plus Yoongi’s attention. And he truly believed he had more of Yoongi’s attention than she did, even as the official girlfriend.
Their affair felt so much like a real relationship that Taehyung even knew the friends Yoongi lived with, and they knew what was going on. Hoseok and Namjoon were nice enough, though Namjoon made him feel judged and Hoseok seriously lacked a filter sometimes.
Like one Sunday night, when they were in the living room and Taehyung walked over to steal a slice of pizza from the coffee table. That wouldn’t have been a problem if not for the way Hoseok decided to start a conversation.
“So, how’s your poor sister doing?” Hoseok asked. It was so spontaneous Taehyung burst out laughing immediately.
“Don’t talk about her like that”, Yoongi said, dead serious.
“Alright then. How’s the adultery victim?”
Yoongi looked visibly uncomfortable, and Taehyung stopped laughing.
“Okay, that’s enough”, Yoongi said.
Hoseok shrugged and walked off with his slice of pizza.
“It’s not like he’s wrong”, Taehyung said once they were alone.
“No, but he doesn’t have to put it like that. I already feel shitty enough”.
“Then why do you keep doing it?” Taehyung asked, annoyed by Yoongi’s hypocrisy. If he really felt that bad, he wouldn’t keep insisting on the mistake. “Do you even have a plan? Like, marry her and sneak me along on the honeymoon?”
Taehyung thought he could avoid the topic, even though he hated knowing Yoongi was still dating her, but talking like there was guilt involved triggered an anger he couldn’t control. Yoongi sighed and dropped the slice of pizza back into the box.
“That was a low blow”, he said. “And no, that’s definitely not my plan”.
“But you do have one?”
“Breaking up. Which I should’ve done as soon as this started. I kept dragging things out because, honestly, I didn’t want to trade something safe for something uncertain. Then Dani started getting stressed with her new job, which you know is really important”. Taehyung didn’t know. His mom had tried to explain it once, but he hadn’t paid attention. “And I didn’t want to pile more stuff onto her. Breakups always suck, right? I kept waiting for things to calm down, and in the end… it’s been a while. I’ve been feeling awful about it. Like, I didn’t want to be an asshole and somehow ended up being an even bigger one”.
Didn’t want to put more on her plate. Work stress and getting cheated on already seemed like plenty.
“What made you like her?” Taehyung asked. He’d always wanted to know, and it felt like the right moment. “You two don’t really make sense to me”.
“Dani is really smart and grounded. That matters in a person. And I think she likes me for who I am, you know? That matters too”.
Taehyung held himself back from rolling his eyes. Since they never talked about Dani, he’d never gone into detail about how his sister had made his life hell from the start. Yoongi thinking she wasn’t that bad just proved he had no idea who he was dealing with.
“I don’t know if she likes you for who you are or for who you’re going to be. Dani loves status, and you’re going to be a doctor. What’s more rich family fantasy than a lawyer and a doctor? Being realistic, you two definitely wouldn’t be together if you’d stayed on your parents’ farm, weeding the fields”.
Yoongi looked thoughtful for a second, then laughed softly.
“Okay, fair point. But what about you?”
“What about me?”
“Would you date me if I worked on a farm?”
This time it was Taehyung who had to think.
“Probably not. I hate farms. The countryside. Rural stuff. God, no. But I don’t care about degrees or how much money you make. It’s not like I worry about not having money, I know I won’t lack it, so that’s not something I look for in a relationship”.
“How generous of you to give poor people a chance”, Yoongi teased, and Taehyung laughed.
“It’s been almost two weeks since I last saw Dani, but we’re having dinner this weekend. I’m ending things”.
“And are you going to tell her?”
“What? About us? Of course not”, Yoongi said, like telling was more absurd than cheating. “Unless you want me to?”
Taehyung wanted Dani to know, but not like that. He didn’t want a conversation, didn’t want to sit there apologizing and explaining that he’d been fucking her boyfriend. That would sound like guilt, and he didn’t feel any. What Taehyung really wanted was to make her repeat, with that same attitude she’d had before, that whole speech about how her boyfriend was hers.
Telling her wasn’t enough. Words weren’t enough for how badly Taehyung wanted to see Dani get wrecked.
“No”, Taehyung said. “I don’t”.
“Good. I think it’s better this way. But since we’re on the topic, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you”, Yoongi said. Taehyung nodded, waiting. “You don’t feel bad about what’s happening between us? You know, she’s your sister”.
Taehyung knew it would be weird to admit he felt absolutely nothing, so he softened the truth.
“We were never close, you know? We weren’t affectionate siblings or anything. It’s not like I ever loved having her as my sister”.
“I don’t know if anyone’s told you this, but it shows. She doesn’t talk about you much either”.
“Yeah”, Taehyung agreed. “And honestly, I like you more than I’m capable of feeling guilty about what we have”.
He really liked Yoongi. He had from the beginning, and it felt inevitable that he’d only fall harder the more time they spent together. It wasn’t just about hurting his sister anymore, Taehyung knew he’d genuinely fallen in love.
“I feel the same”, Yoongi said. “You have no idea how much I wish I’d met you earlier”.
“But we’re here now”, Taehyung said, smiling as he slid closer on the couch and settled into Yoongi’s lap. “I’m here. And you’re mine”.
Yoongi smiled back and kissed him before answering.
“I am”.
***
Taehyung: I’ve been thinking a lot about our last conversation and I don’t like how things ended
maybe you could come over? so we can talk properly
it’s really shitty to be mad over something dumb
Yoongi was going to break up with Dani, and Taehyung felt accomplished, but he couldn’t shake the thought that just breaking up felt like too little. For Yoongi, it was enough. For Taehyung, it wasn’t, because he carried a lifetime of built-up resentment. From being forcibly outed to being told he’d never achieved anything, none of it was forgivable to him. And nothing he’d ever done or said back to her compared to the damage he could cause with Yoongi in his hands.
Just a breakup felt like too little. And showing up months later dating his sister’s ex didn’t feel like enough either, it would be more like recycling what she’d thrown away. Dani would never admit Yoongi had dumped her. No, she needed to know that she was the one being discarded.
So if Yoongi was going to end things on Saturday, Taehyung had less than a week to do something, something that would probably end the relationship sooner, but that wasn’t really the point.
Taehyung only had classes at night, and Yoongi spent his entire days at university, but they usually met after classes or for a few hours between shifts. For the three weeks before that, Yoongi had Thursday afternoons free and went to Taehyung’s apartment to stay with him until his night class. From what Taehyung understood, it would stay like that until the end of the semester.
With that in mind, Taehyung asked Dani to talk.
Dani: I don’t think it was something dumb
Taehyung: then I want to apologize :(
Dani: glad to see you growing up. when?
Taehyung took a deep breath before replying so he wouldn’t tell Dani to go fuck herself, telling himself it was for a good reason and that afterward he’d never have to deal with his sister’s superior attitude again.
Taehyung: thursday afternoon we could grab coffee and talk
does that work? idk if you have work stuff
or Yoongi
idk
Dani: no
Yoongi has classes all day on Thursdays this semester
I get off work at four, it’s like ten minutes from there to your place
I’ll go straight there
Her certainty about what Yoongi was doing on Thursdays made Taehyung laugh for real. He replied that he’d be waiting and even added a heart emoji at the end of the message.
When Thursday came, he also remembered to text her saying the doorbell was broken, but that he’d leave the door unlocked and she could just come in.
Taehyung knew he might be ruining everything with Yoongi, but convinced himself there was nothing that could go wrong, and it wasn’t like Yoongi wasn’t going to break up with Dani anyway. He’d say he forgot, got confused, woke up thinking it was Wednesday instead of Thursday, the day they met every week. He’d say Dani showed up earlier than planned, that he had no idea there was even a chance of that happening.
There was no way it could go wrong because there was no one who could contradict him. Taehyung knew Dani well enough to know how she dealt with frustration and was sure Yoongi would be cut out of her life without a word. With luck, Taehyung would be cut out too, and that would be a bonus if they never had to speak again.
There would be no dialogue or explanations. It would happen, and that would be it. Taehyung knew Dani would never want to see Yoongi again, let alone explain anything to him.
When Yoongi arrived early in the afternoon with lunch for both of them, Taehyung acted like nothing was wrong.
“My head’s been kind of off, I didn’t even realize it’s already Thursday”, he said. “Dani’s coming over today too”.
“Really?” Yoongi asked, but he didn’t seem worried. “Then I probably shouldn’t stay long”.
“No, no”, Taehyung said, shaking his head. “She’s only coming later, to pick up some stuff mom left with me”.
“You sure?” Yoongi smiled, amused. “I don’t want to end up hiding in a closet or something if she shows up”.
Taehyung laughed and told him to stop being ridiculous. They ate together and then went to the bedroom. Yoongi fell asleep holding Taehyung, but Taehyung didn’t sleep. He watched the minutes pass, waiting until the clock on the nightstand read 3:40, what he hoped would be enough time. Dani would leave work at four and still take a few minutes to arrive.
Carefully slipping out of Yoongi’s arms, Taehyung watched him shift in his sleep, still unconscious, shirtless like always. So beautiful. Taehyung liked him so much. He was genuinely tender as he started kissing Yoongi’s face, then his neck, and since there wasn’t much time, he didn’t wait for him to wake up before running his hand over Yoongi’s cock through his clothes. The touch woke Yoongi, who smiled sleepily with his eyes still closed.
“Come here”, Yoongi whispered.
Taehyung leaned in, understanding what he wanted. They always kissed with so much intensity, and Taehyung hoped they’d keep kissing like that, as if the world were ending, for the rest of their lives. They would. He was sure of it. Yoongi was his.
No words were needed. Yoongi always knew what to do, and did it perfectly. He undressed Taehyung and slid in lubed fingers slowly, preparing him with the care he always had. Then he lay on top of him, and unlike the preparation, there was no patience, he pushed all the way in at once, exactly how Taehyung liked it.
After that, Taehyung made him sit on the bed with his back to the door and climbed into his lap. He wanted to be loud, and it wasn’t like he had to fake anything. The hardest part was keeping his eyes on the half-open door, waiting to be caught at any moment. He really wanted to come, but he wanted even more to see his plan work with his own eyes.
It worked. He saw it, the exact moment his sister’s face appeared in the doorway, completely blank. Taehyung didn’t know what he’d expected, but he wasn’t surprised when she simply left without saying a word. Making a scene wasn’t really her style. He didn’t know what would come next, but there was nothing he could do now, so he let himself close his eyes and finish.
The apartment fell silent as they cleaned themselves with tissues. Yoongi pulled on just his pants and went to the bathroom while Taehyung got dressed too.
Then Taehyung heard it. He heard Yoongi say “Dani”, and right after that, the sound of a slap echoed through the living room. He ran out of the bedroom, still shirtless, and arrived just in time to see Yoongi holding his face, fingers pressed where he’d been hit.
Then Dani looked at Taehyung.
“I waited for the little show to end just to say that more than disgust, I feel sorry for you, Taehyung”, she said. “I could waste my time telling him how rotten you are, but honestly, you two deserve each other”.
“Dani, I’m sorry things have…” Yoongi tried, but she cut him off.
“Oh, shut up. Spare me. Seriously”.
“Yoongi, go home. I think this is between me and…” Taehyung started, but she interrupted him too.
“No. This is completely between you two. Looks like it always has been”, Dani said, grabbing her bag from the couch. “Once again, you deserve each other. Goodbye”.
Taehyung could see how hard she was trying to keep herself together, and that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to fight. He wanted to scream at her. He wanted to finally justify cutting that bond. So, when Dani left the apartment, he followed. Yoongi tried to go after them, but Taehyung stopped him.
“This isn’t about you right now”, he said.
Outside, Dani was still waiting for the elevator. She pressed the button again, like it would make it come faster, when she saw Taehyung in the hallway.
“So, your plan was to surprise me? Failed. Like always. You must be used to it by now”, she said, not looking at him. “Honestly, I’m surprised it took you this long to sleep with one of my boyfriends. Now you can go back to bed with him”.
Taehyung didn’t reply. He just stared at her, trying to understand how he could feel nothing but the same familiar contempt, and the same familiar rage, built from a lifetime of being told he failed. Those same words, in that same voice.
Failed. Couldn’t do it. Not better than me.
The elevator arrived. Taehyung waited for her to step in before entering too. He expected a slap at any second, like the one Yoongi got, but she still seemed to be holding herself back.
“I think the one who failed this time was you”, Taehyung said as the doors closed. No risk of Yoongi hearing. “I have so much to tell you”.
“And what do you think you’ll gain from that? I know you did it on purpose. I just don’t know what you think you’ll get out of it besides proving you’ve always been jealous of me”.
Taehyung laughed. Genuinely laughed.
“Jealous of you? If you only knew… God. When you opened your mouth to say I was messing with what was yours. Yours. I wanted to say it that day and couldn’t, but I can tell you now, he didn’t feel very yours when he was fucking me on your birthday. He fucked me with so much hunger, honestly, the only thing I felt…”
“Shut up!” Dani screamed. “You motherfucker, shut the fuck up!”
“I felt sorry for you!” Taehyung screamed back. “Sorry for you! Pathetic, losing to me after a lifetime of swearing you were better than me at everything, treating me like I was beneath you, like I was trash…”
“Because you are! I’ve hated you since day one. Since you came home crying all the time, and then grew up and became more and more of a parasite in my life”.
The elevator stopped. They stepped out, the argument spilling into the building lobby, Taehyung shirtless, Dani screaming, not caring who might see.
“And I tried, you know?” Dani continued. “I tried to like you, to be nice like siblings are supposed to be. But there wasn’t a single day I looked at you without wishing you’d never existed”.
“Nice to me? When? In what world were you ever nice to me? Or are you so stupid and self-centered you actually think you did something good for me all these years?”
“And even so, I’m still better than you. Because how fucking spineless do you have to be to sleep with your own sister’s boyfriend behind her back and still think you did something impressive? You’re disgusting, Taehyung. You should be ashamed”.
“Yeah, maybe I am. And I don’t regret it. I’d do it a thousand times over and be happy to screw you over every single time”, Taehyung said. “But do you realize you made me do this? Maybe if you hadn’t been such a massive bitch all these years, I would’ve let you keep him”.
“Fuck Yoongi, and fuck you!” Dani shouted. “Fuck you both! I’d rather pretend you died. Better yet, that you were never even born. I never want to see your face again”.
“And I’ll thank you for that for the rest of my life”.
Maybe she had more to say, but Taehyung didn’t wait. He turned around and climbed the stairs back up, seven floors to think about what had happened. He felt relieved, having said everything he’d wanted to say, and once again, guilt wasn’t among his feelings. Just relief and satisfaction, especially after hearing his sister admit the hatred was mutual.
He knew it was sad for siblings to hate each other, at least compared to other families he knew. But his experience was different. He’d never loved Dani, and Dani had never loved him. There was nothing to mourn if the bond had never been good. No way to miss affection he’d never known.
Maybe if things had been different, Taehyung wouldn’t have gone after Yoongi even if he’d found him interesting. If things were different, he would’ve wanted Dani to be happy.
But they weren’t. So what mattered was that Yoongi was his.
When he got back to the apartment, Yoongi was still there, sitting on the couch, biting his thumbnail and bouncing his foot, pure anxiety. Taehyung sat beside him.
“That was the most intense thing that’s ever happened to me”, Yoongi said. “What did she say to you? She wasn’t supposed to find out like that, you said she was coming later. Fuck, I feel awful”.
“She said she never wants to see me again”.
Yoongi looked genuinely worried, tense, and Taehyung wanted to kiss him and say everything was more than fine, but he couldn’t make it obvious that everything had gone exactly as planned.
“Do you think she meant it, or was it just anger talking? I’m really sorry, Taehyung. I know I fucked up, but I never meant to affect your relationship like this”.
Taehyung felt guilty for the first time since meeting Yoongi, not because of Dani, but because Yoongi mattered to him. So he was honest about his family, about never loving his sister. He explained their rivalry, how she’d always been cruel about everything involving him, including his sexuality. He was honest when he said he’d never planned to get involved with his sister’s boyfriend.
But he lied when he said everything that happened that afternoon was just a coincidence. Fate’s irony.
A lie Yoongi accepted without questioning.
A lie Taehyung never regretted.
And almost ten years later, with a thick gold wedding band on his finger, still named in his parents’ will — even after the family turned into hell — and no contact with his sister, Taehyung still knew he’d done the right thing.
And that he would do it a thousand times more if he had to.