♠︎ eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

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♠︎ JUNGKOOK

"It was weird, hyung," Jungkook relayed to Yoongi the next morning. "It was like they had some weird secret they were keeping from me."

It was barely ten in the morning, but the stifling heat had woken them both, and they'd migrated out to the shaded terrace for coffee. Jungkook hadn't bothered to dress - he was way too warm even just in his swim shorts - and even Yoongi had shucked his hoodie, clearly too hot for it today. Together, they relaxed in lounge chairs at the table under the fronded palm trees as the espressos were brought to them, rich in flavour and just what they needed to shake the tiredness from their bones.

Yoongi simply sipped at his coffee as he considered Jungkook's words. "I'm sure you're just overthinking it, Jungkook-ah. Her and Taehyung know each other from back in Daegu, that's all. They're pretty good friends."

Jungkook didn't reply to this. He was sure Yoongi was right, but something had felt off yesterday, when Taehyung had arrived at the resort. He'd been overjoyed to see his hyung - he hadn't known Taehyung was coming for certain - but you, on the other hand, had seemed less than excited at his arrival. For the rest of the evening, the pair of you had been fine - but you had barely interacted with Taehyung at all.

And Taehyung's expression as he saw you... Jungkook had known his hyung for long enough.

He knew he was hiding something.

Jungkook remembered, suddenly, the phone call you'd had before you got here. What you'd said about the other guys. Hobi and Jin have girlfriends, and Tae's not into that stuff...

How had you known that?

But he didn't press it, for now. Instead, he had more important things to talk to Yoongi about.

"We talked about it yesterday," he said now, slightly uncomfortable. "About... you know, the arrangement."

Yoongi smirked. "Oh? You're going through with it?"

Jungkook nodded resolutely. If there was one thing he'd decided on yesterday, it was that he was going to take you down a few notches.

You were far too cocky for your own good.

What surprised him was that he liked that.

Normally, Jungkook did not get on well with self-assured people. People who were good at something, and knew it. Who revelled in their own confidence. He found these people to be far too overwhelming, and superficial.

But you...

You, he was drawn to, like a moth to flame. There was something about that smart mouth of yours that made Jungkook need to stop it.

Preferably with his own mouth. Or his dick. He wasn't choosy.

"Well," Yoongi interrupted what was becoming a very delicious line of daydreaming. "Just remember what I said before. Try not to lose your cool. If you show her what gets you riled up, she'll exploit that. All the damn time."

Jungkook eyed his hyung. "The way you talk about her, it's as if you've fucked her yourself."

Yoongi quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Jungkookie, I'm gay, you dumb fuck," he quipped, as if it were no big deal. "I've just fucked my fair share of brats before."

Jungkook's jaw dropped at this revelation.

Yoongi was gay?!

How had he not known this before? Was there some clue he had missed? And why was he only telling him now? Besides, hadn't he himself said he'd take a shot at Yoora if he'd know she was a freak?

But before any of these questions could be answered, Namjoon was stepping out onto the terrace, interrupting their conversation.

"Damn, it's hot as the devil's butthole today," Namjoon grinned at them, his hair still mussed from sleep as he stretched his bare arms out over his head. "All good?"

Jungkook could only nod mutely. He honestly had no idea what to say - he wanted to know more, but he didn't know if Namjoon was aware of what he'd just discovered. Most likely he was. Namjoon's brain was far bigger than his, and he was closer to Yoongi. He'd probably know.

But again, Jungkook had barely opened his mouth to be able to establish this, when another figure was stepping out onto the terrace, and he shut up completely.

"Morning Yoongles," came your tinkling voice as you rounded the corner. Yoongi grunted in response, but didn't complain about the nickname, clearly used to this treatment from his oldest friend as you ruffled his hair a little.

Your eyes swivelled expertly over Jungkook, onto Namjoon, who was now reclining in a lounge chair. "Morning Joon."

Namjoon grinned in amusement, seeming to guess the game you were playing. "Morning, gorgeous."

Jungkook gritted his teeth. Just like yesterday you were just in your swimwear, and you were already irritating him. Not that you were underdressed - he wasn't some chauvinistic asshole - it was that you paraded out here all smiles and laughs and just ignored him like that.

"What, I don't deserve a greeting?" he asked, and though his voice was steady, there was a tinge of fire in it. Yoongi eyed him sideways, and Jungkook knew what he was trying to communicate.

Don't lose your cool.

But it was much easier said than done when you were standing in front of him, half-naked and resplendent in sunlight, wearing a huge shit-eating grin.

"Sorry, Kookie," you said nonchalantly, collapsing into a chair opposite him. "Didn't see you there."

His jaw clenched at the obvious lie, but this time he held back from responding. Instead, he simply glared at you, but you gazed right back, seeming entirely pleased with yourself for having wound him up so early in the morning.

Yoongi sighed heavily.

"Right, well, that's way more eye-fucking than I ordered for breakfast, so I'm out," he declared, as he stood from his chair. "Namjoon-ah, let's go swim."

Namjoon only chuckled knowingly, as he followed his hyung off the terrace and around to the outdoor pool.

And then there were two.

"Did you sleep well, Kookie?" you asked now that you were alone, twisting a lock of hair between your fingers as you kept your beguiling gaze on his. You leaned forward, and in a more conspiratorial tone, added - "Did you dream of me?"

Jungkook couldn't help the annoyed eyebrow that raised of its own volition. "Oh, now you wanna talk?"

"Y'know, it's funny," you murmured as if you hadn't heard him, reaching for a bottle you had carried out with you, which turned out to be sunscreen. "I definitely dreamed of you."

You held the bottle out to him before he could respond, grinning.

"I can't reach my back," you stated, the side of your mouth pulling upwards. "Be a good bunny, hm?"

Jungkook was already far too worked up to even consider rubbing lotion into your skin. Let alone the thought of what it would feel like between his fingers, caressing the slippery softness of your back, the image of it alone enough to make his dick twitch in his shorts.

No, he absolutely could not risk getting hard for you at ten in the fucking morning. You calling him bunny just gave him the reason he needed to refuse.

"Ask nicely," he said, in a voice as low and calm as he could make it, knowing that you wouldn't.

And you didn't. You simply held the bottle in your outstretched hand towards him.

It was a challenge. A gauntlet you were throwing down.

Jungkook gazed at you, refusing to take the bottle from your hand. He was so wound up now that he absolutely refused to give in. After a long moment, you realised that he wasn't going to crack, and your hand dropped ever so slightly.

For a split second, Jungkook thought he saw your gaze falter. Had he finally gotten one over on you? But you recovered yourself quickly, sitting back in your chair and regarding him with sharp, glinting eyes.

"Joon?" you called out sweetly, though your eyes never left Jungkook. "Will you be an angel and do my back for me?"

Namjoon chuckled from the pool. "Get over here," he called back.

You smiled at Jungkook serenely as you stood, the glint still burning steadily in your dark eyes.

"Never mind, bunny boy," you said, completely blasé. "Got a better offer. Maybe next time, hm? If you can handle it, that is."

And with that, you were gone, though Jungkook knew you were swaying your hips deliberately as you moved towards Namjoon.

Jungkook didn't know what to do with himself, as he watched Namjoon take on the task that should have been his. Didn't know where to look, when his hyung covered his fingers in sunscreen, and then your back in wide circular movements. Had to fight the urge to cover his ears at your small gasp of pleasure when the cold cream met your warm skin, followed by Namjoon's easy-going laugh. Had to block out the knowledge that you and Namjoon had done this before, had fucked before, because hadn't Yoongi said so on that phone call?

And somehow, that made every part of this whole display so much more infuriating. That Namjoon had fucked you first. It was this information that made him the most irate, that made him want to go over there and drag you inside and bend you over until-

Stop it, he warned himself, trying to calm himself a little as his heart pounded against his ribcage. This is not keeping your cool!

Is this what Yoongi had meant, about not giving away what got him riled up? Because if so, Jungkook was going to need to work on his reactions whenever you were within even a foot of Namjoon. If you caught on to how irrationally angry it made him, you'd probably strip down and straddle Namjoon right there in front of him just to get a reaction.

And Jungkook.... definitely hadn't progressed to thinking about how fucking hot you would look from below while you rode him.

Yoora, Yoora, remember this is for Yoora, a voice reminded him in the back of his mind, the image of her pretty smile and dark sheet of ebony hair returning. But it was difficult to make out clearly, drowned out by the buzzing in his veins and the blood pounding in his ears, the pure irritation and desire mixing inside him to form a lethal concoction.

Yoora wasn't here right now. She was back in Seoul, and in six weeks' time, he'd have gained enough confidence to show her he was the right man for her. But for now, he had to forget her.

Because this, right here, was a different game altogether.

And Jungkook needed all of his concentration, if he had even a chance of winning.

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