⫣27⫦ Paint-War

"Lian! Where the hell are you? Do you know how late it is? No project takes that long!"

My father's voice booms out of the speaker so loud, I actually have to hold it away from my ear.

I look up at the boys. They pretend to be busy, but I can tell they are listening.

I put the phone back to my ear.

"I'm sorry dad, I should have called. But a friend from school needed my help. She is really upset and I offered to take her home. We kind of forgot the time."

I hear heavy breathing from the other end of the line.

"That is no excuse, young lady. You will come home right now!"

His voice is trembling with rage, but I just keep looking at BTS. We went to the beach again and for the last four hours, my world consisted of nothing but laughter drinking and the refreshing feeling of the cold lake water while joking with the boys. It feels natural to be among them. Like I belong.It was paradise...

Until my phone rang.

They still don't look at me, and it's all the strength I need for my next word. Just one. One I almost never use with my parents."No." I reply to my father and as expected, their heads snap around in surprise.

I'm seriously getting addicted to seeing it. I love that I have the power to make these bad boy's eyes widen and mouths drop open. I can't help but smile, even as my father barley seems to hold it together.

"No? Lian! You will come home right now or this will have serious consequences."

I let the words echo in my mind and then sigh sadly.

"I know dad. But I can't leave my friend hanging. She is having a really hard time and I promised to stay with her. Please don't make me break my promise."

"You shouldn't have made such a promise at all, not without consulting us first!"

I stand, the words making me feel sick. I clench my teeth together, aware of the seven pair of eyes on me.

"I'm seventeen dad! I've never slept at a friends house unless you or mom were the once to suggest it. I have never disappointed you, bring home good grades, never miss curfew unless you allow me and never argue with you. Can't you let me do this one thing?"

He is silent for a moment, and I think he might actually consider it. But his answer is cold, void of all sympathy.

"You are arguing right now, Lian! And I want you to come home right now. If your friend doesn't understand the importance of listening to you parent's, than she is not a good influence for you."

My hand locks around the phone so tight, I hear my knuckles crack.

Enough is enough.

My voice is just as cold as his when I answer. I have never used it before.I am indeed my father's daughter.

"I always admired and looked up to you, dad. But what you just said to me makes me wonder if you deserve that."

I hear the sharp intake of breath, both from the boys and my dad.

I lower my head, knowing my words hurt him. I still loved him. I sigh, deep and heavy.

"I'm sorry, dad. But I have to do this. I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that I hang up and when I turn, my eyes lock with the others.

I know they can see the guilt in my eyes, and they look away quickly. For some reason, I feel a flash of pain at that. I would have rather they look at me understandingly. But I shake myself and try to forget about the meeting with my parents tomorrow. It would be catastrophic.

But for now, I just want to live and enjoy the time I got.

"Boys?" I tell them and they finally manage to look back at me, still with some traces of an emotion I can't identify but also curious.

I shoot them a wicked smile and put my hands on my hip.

"Let's do something really bad tonight."

****

There is paint all over my school uniform.

I guess this is what I get for laughing at RM's painting, but I hadn't been able to help myself.

It was supposed to be some kind of tiger he had explained, but I took one look at it and burst out laughing. It looked like a disfigured cat with three eyes and two triangle on top.

He turned with a pouty face, like he was a fourth grader and I just insulted his first ever drawing. Then he spray paint all over me and smiled satisfied. I let out a shriek and did the same to him.

I guess that's how we ended up in the paint war.

I managed to got a few good hits on J-Hope and Jin while they were too distracted to defend themselves against the maknae line.These guys are no joke and take wining seriously, especially Jungkook.

The three of them seem to appear out of nowhere and are gone before you can even inspect the damage they made.

I am hiding behind one of the long freight trains now and hold my breath, trying to listen to footsteps close by.

It's already so dark, you can't really see far. It must be past ten- officially breaking my curfew without permission for the first time. It almost makes me laugh out loud, but I clap a hand in front of my mouth.

I already look like I've fallen into a mixer- no need to make it worse.

I look at the bottle of spray pain in my hand and grin mischievously, not able to wait until I find my next victim.

Somewhere to my left I hear a loud scream, followed by villainous laughter and then heavy footsteps like someone is chasing someone.

The first is Suga by the sound of the scream, and the other, no doubt Jungkook. I grin like a fool and take a sneak peak from behind the wagon.

Suga disabled the security system of the old train station but then smirked and said he wouldn't take responsible for any security guards, because he couldn't hack those.

We all laughed and sneaked in anyway, but not before RM handed me a black mask.

When I asked what for, he only shrugged his shoulders and said: in case we need to run.

I only see another train in front of me and nothing else and decide to just go for it. With a racing heart I jump from my hiding place and sprint to the other end. I throw myself against the wall of the wagon and calm my breathing so I can hear where the others are hiding.

"Got you!" a voice suddenly rips through the night and I turn around, spray paint bottle ready to defend me. But there is nothing- not a single person around me.

"Up here." the voice says and I look up just in time to see Taehyung jump from one of the trains and land right next to me.

Before I can do anything, he reliefs me of the bottles and has me pinned to the wall, both hands on top of my head.

I try my best to twist out of it, but can't. He looks down at me with an evil smirk.

"You still haven't been punished," he whispers dangerously and I turn molten at the growl in his voice. Looking up, those damn eyes of his seem to be staring right into my soul again.

"For breaking into your home?" I ask, my voice showing a trace of a tremor I can't hide- not when he's this close.

His chest is but a whisper away from mine, and the proximity is intoxicating, like he's teasing me by keeping just out of reach and being well aware of it. He shakes his head at my answer.

"For that too, yes. But you pushed me earlier."

He sounds curious, angling his head to the side, studying my face as if he can find all the answers there. His eyes stay on my lips just a little too long.

"I was angry," I breath out, my skin tingling with the need to have him closer. But his expression is no longer joking and teasing.

He looks confused- and maybe a little hesitant.The sudden change of attitude has my breathing turn very, very shallow.

"I thought you might want some time- after the party. After you saw-"

He breaks off, averting his gaze downwards, like he can't get the words out.

I am too stunned to immediately reply.

"You were scared of me. I didn't mean for you to see. I just wanted to give you some time to forget that happened. I didn't know you would get over it that quickly."

My mouth drops open and I gape at him.

"You think I was scared of you?", I ask incredulously and his head shoots back up.

"Well, why else would you have acted like that? You... you flinched away from me."

I look at him for another moment, and then break out into a loud, unstoppable laugh.

Oh, this is just great! Hilarious even.

"What?" Taehyung demands, his demeanour serious.

It only makes him sexier, especially with the choker.

I ring with myself for a few moments. I've been nothing but honest with them, and I want to keep it that way- but this is too much. For me and him. Too much and too soon.

So instead I lean my head forward a little bit and smirk.

"I'm not telling you," I tease and his eyes light up with that spark again.

I've missed this. I want this: to never see that potent sadness in his eyes ever again.

"I can be very convincing."

My body shudders at the low spoken words and the various images suddenly popping into my head. I feel like standing on the edge of a black, endless lake, fully knowing that I will drown if I go in. And I jumped anyway, with a big, fat smile on my face.

"Then convince me," I whisper back, holding his heated gaze.

I watch in amazement what my words do to him.

His breathing quickens and the hands holding my writs on top of my head tighten, almost to a painful level. His lips part, and his eyes skip down to my mouth. His expression turns a bit pained, like he's trying to resist- but failed.Like I am some sweet candy placed directly before him.

I can't help the smug smile, and it seems to break all his willpower.

"Fuck it," he lets out between his teeth and closes the space between us.

But instead of kissing me on the lips, he pressed his entire, strong and hard body against mine and lowers his head to my neck.

I gasp in surprise as I feel the first touch of his tongue and his teeth on the sensible skin, sending hot flickers of pleasure through my body. I turn molten at that first touch, then flare up, bright and uncontrollable. I let out a small moan when he bites me, his teeth clamping around my skin while his tongue licks out at the same time. I never knew pleasure and pain could mingle and create a feeling like this. Like standing too close to the sun. He chuckles against my skin, making my hairs rise.

"You enjoy this way too much. This is an interrogation."

I wonder how I even have the capability to hear him while I feel every single vibration of his body against mine, driving me absolutely crazy. But I want him to look at me like before again: like I'm making him crazy too. Like I make him loose all control.

"Do your worst," I rasp out and he looks up from my neck, shooting me a playful smirk.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?"

I smirk back, leaning forward until our lips are but a breath away and he freezes for a moment- like he didn't expect me to be this bold.

Then I look deep into his eyes- this boy who makes me feel reckless and boundless and utterly empowered, even as he still holds my hands trapped.Who came into my life and showed me how beautiful life can be. How hot it can burn when all I had done was flicker lowly in the dark.

"Are you?"

A triumphant thrill runs trough me when I see his mouth drop open in surprise. And then I swallow hard when it changes into something else. Something so primal, it reminds me of a predator who locked onto his prey and is about to devour it whole.

A tickling sensation runs all the way to the place between my legs, causing them to press against one another to relieve some of the tension with little success. Need fills me and I want him more than anything. Nothing can stop me.

I want Taehyung and I am sick of not taking what I want. So I simply lean my head to the side and raise my eyebrows in a way that screams: "Well? Are you just going to stand there?"A dark growl is all the warning I get before Taehyung presses forward, stepping into the space that has separated us and slams his lips on mine. I forget it all. All but the taste of him- smoke and danger and spicy- wholly forbidden and addictive.

I open up for him as his tongue sweeps in and takes all that I am. I give it willingly. I want him to take all that I am.

His lips are soft and yet demanding, the heat of his tongue exploring mine like a fiery explosion that has my heart racing and my insides tingling. A moan slips out, the sound revealing how much I want him- need him, followed by a rough groan from Taehyung, conveying the same meaning. I need more, need him closer, so I arch my back, pressing my chest into his hard one, revelling at the feeling of the coiled hardness against my breast. One of the hands holding my wrist on top of my hand drops, Taehyung easily able to capture my wrists with only one while the other hand lowers to my back, into the curve of my spine, helping me press harder against him. And then- the breath gets knocked out of me when Taehyung moves fast and unrelenting, stepping forward to knock me back against the wall, stepping in between my legs while his hand drops to my thigh, grabs it and lifts it to come around his hips. My thoughts empty out then- when I feel the demanding pressure against my inner thigh and my own wetness against my panties. Too much and yet not enough. I don't want him to stop- nothing could make me want to stop...

"Run!" A voice pierces through the air. I ignore it. Nothing matters but feeling more of Taehyung- that hot mouth devouring me, his heat burning me up and the tightness in me lessened by his pushes against me.

I feel wild, unbound, reckless and free all at once. But the shout comes again, this time followed by the shrill sound of a whistle rippling though the night.

Our heads snap to the left to see flash lights lighten up the night and a boy heading towards us at full speed. There is a wide, wild grin on Jimin's face as he draws closer, the brightness of the flash lights illuminating his features.

There is some male shouting, demanding us to freeze and stay were we are and another whistling fills the air.

I count two beams.

No doubts the security guards Suga mentioned. And they are gaining on us.

Taehyung, who is still holding my thigh trapped against his waist, sighs and steps away, letting go of me, before grabbing my hands, the hunger not entirely gone from his face.

"You said you wanted to do something bad tonight?"

Adrenaline curses through me and I nod. I might have rather done another kind of bad with him right now, but this will do too.

"Then put on your mask and lets hope those long runs you take every day pay off."

And with that he pulls me after him, just as Jimin reaches us and we run like the devil himself is chasing us.

I fumble with my mask, but manage to finally put it on in full speed.

We take turns, running through the maze of the trains and wagons and with every turn, I begin to realize something. We're not heading for the car.

And this isn't exactly a chase- more a game of hide and seek. Every time the sounds of the whistle and the shouting grows father away, we slow down and let them think they are about to catch up with us, only for us to take off again- just barely out of their reach.

Jungkook appears out of nowhere, and the three of them laugh, banging on some wagons and jumping up and down while mocking those guards chasing us.

My heart is beating fast and my breath is coming out in wild puffs but I start laughing too. This is what I'm born to do. This was what makes me feel alive. Wrong or right doesn't matter. This is who I am.

"You think it was long enough?" Jimin asks, barley out of breath- like he could be doing this the whole night.

"It's been enough since about five minutes ago," Jungkook replies and the both of them smile at each other broadly which I can only make out by their glittering eyes. Something I've missed all day. But I haven't mentioned it, sensing that neither of them wanted to talk about the awkwardness between them. Or what happened. So I backed off... for now.

"Long enough for what?" I ask and am surprised to find that I don't feel like stopping. This is too much of a rush and my body is nowhere near exhaustion. Taehyung turns and jogs backwards and even though the mask obscures his face, I can tell he too, is grinning.

"For the others to get to the car and get ready to drive of course. We told you, we are the doers."

He turns back around as the guards draw closer again and we speed up in return. We continue our game for another two minutes or so, before we finally head to the parking lot.

The car comes into view, the motor already running. Jin's head is sticking out of the window waving at us with a grin, like he's just picking us up from school.The others are in the back, the double door wide open, and they're cheering us on, hooting and shouting.

We jump over the fence easily and immediately take off running again.

"Stop right there," we hear the shout of one of the guards, just as we jump into the back of the van.

I turn in time to see one land on the pavement of the parking lot too.

But he will never be fast enough as Jin already lets the wheels squeak. I shout them a goodbye and wave like they are old friends and we would soon meet each other again, then close the door.

We sit there, laughing and joking about what their faces must look like: all red and snotty and angry at letting us slip through their fingers.

J-Hope copies that exact expression, making me almost choke on my laughter.

"So, what's next?" I ask after we finally managed to stop giggling and laughing, having caught our breath again.

Taehyung chuckles behind me.

As soon as we took our seats, he had pulled me into his lap again, and I nestle against him happily.I see no reason to deny that he has become my favourite seat.

"So impatient," he chides me with a smile.

Suga looks up at me with a lopsided grin, saying:

"You're in luck. There's a house party at Heechul's tonight. He's loaded too. Not as much as J-Hope, but his mansion is no joke. And since his parent's are currently on holiday in Hawaii, he decided to throw a little rave."

"But," I hear RM say next to me and turn around, seeing him rub his neck a little hesitantly.

"Heechul is quite popular amongst a lot of young people, so we can't promise he hasn't invited anyone from your school that may know you."

I remain silent for a moment as I think about who might be there. There are only a few people I can think of popular enough to be invited. My expression darkens.

"Oh, you mean like Lisa?"

They visibly tense.

"You know Lisa?" Jimin asks to my left.

"If you mean I almost ripped her head off today in school, then yes- I guess I know her."

Taehyung starts laughing quietly behind me.

"I would have liked to see that. Was she a bitch to you?"

I shake my head.

"Oh, no, no. She was a darling. She actually offered me to sit with her and the cool kids," I make sure my voice is dripping with sarcasm.

J-Hope angles his head in question.

"Then why did you want to rip her head off?"

I can't help it. I look at Jungkook. He hasn't spoken since I mentioned Lisa and sits quietly, with his head lowered and his hands tightly knotted in front of him.

"Because she hurt someone I care about and I'm not going to forgive that."

His head shoots up and his eyes rest wide on me and in that look, I see the young JK who only wanted to be love by someone.

I give him a warm, sweet smile and after a moment, he smiles back too. Like he's thankful and feels honoured at the same time.

"So, what's it gonna be, Lian?" Jin asks from the drivers seat, looking at me through the rear mirror.

I grow a bit more serious again. If there really are people there who know me and see me with BTS, there will be all hell breaking loose at school tomorrow. And then my parents will most likely get wind of it too and I'm already in a shit loads of trouble with them as it is...

I lean into Taehyung a bit more, needing his warmth to make me forget all of that.

Because tonight isn't about anyone but me. Tonight, I will not think about sweet, little Lian who always nods and does as she's told. Tonight, I do what I want to do- and right now, I want to go partying, drink until my head spins, dance until my feet hurt, sing along loudly until I no longer have a voice- no matter who sees.

"Fuck the consequences. After all, what fun would it be without a little bit of risk involved. And if Lisa really is there," I say and grin darkly. "She is going to find out just who she is dealing with."