Chapter 38: 37.Tiana

It the very next day, precisely The next morning, Taehyung found himself caught in a loop of nervous thoughts.

How was he going to face Jungkook after last night? He went casual with his routines.

The memory of their kiss lingered like a phantom, making his steps slow and hesitant as he approached the Jeon mansion.

He paused at the door, taking a deep breath before pressing the bell. Whatever happened, he told himself, he needed to stay composed.

But the sight that greeted him as the door opened shattered his resolve.

Jungkook was lying slightly slumped on the couch, his face twisted in discomfort. A white bandage wrapped around one of his hands, blood faintly seeping through it. His free hand cradled the injured one, and Jaybum sat beside him, his tiny face scrunched in worry.

As soon as Jaybum saw Taehyung, he darted toward him, clutching his arm.

"TaeTae! Look! Dadda hurt his hand again! He's so clumsy!" Jaybum pouted, his voice heavy with concern.

Taehyung’s earlier worries melted away in an instant, replaced by panic. He rushed to Jungkook’s side, bending down to check him.

"Jungkook! What happened? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Jungkook frowned as if in pain, letting out a small groan.

"Yeah… ugh… it’s just a little pain. I’m fine," he said, though his words sounded strained.

"You don’t look fine," Taehyung countered, already reaching for his phone. "I’m calling the doctor."

"No!" Jungkook protested, shaking his head weakly. "You don’t have to. I can manage."

Taehyung’s lips pressed into a thin line, clearly not convinced. "Jungkook, I don’t think—"

Before he could finish, Jaybum’s voice cut through the tension.

"TaeTae! Doctors can’t fix Dadda! But you can!" the little boy exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as if he had the perfect solution.

"Me?" Taehyung asked, puzzled.

"Yes, TaeTae! Remember last time when Dadda got hurt? You kissed him, and his pain went away! Do it again! He’ll feel better in seconds!" Jaybum said, his excitement bubbling over.

Taehyung’s face turned red at the suggestion, while Jungkook groaned under his breath, muttering, "Bum, that’s not how it works…"

Jaybum ignored him. "No, Dadda! Don’t underestimate TaeTae’s magic!" he insisted, clasping his hands together like he was summoning divine intervention. "TaeTae, kiss him like you kiss me when I get hurt!"

Taehyung was caught between worry and sheer embarrassment. He looked at Jungkook, whose half-lidded eyes and pale face only made him more worried.

Reluctantly, he leaned in, planning to plant a quick kiss on Jungkook’s cheek, if only to appease Jaybum.

But just as Taehyung’s lips were about to land, Jungkook turned his head—accidentally or not—and their lips collided.

Taehyung froze, his eyes widening in shock. He tried to pull back, but Jungkook’s good hand suddenly moved up to the back of his neck, pulling him closer for few seconds.

Jaybum, completely oblivious, continued praying with his hands clasped and his eyes shut tight, muttering,

"Please make Dadda better!"

Jungkook deepened the kiss slightly, his grip firm, as if to make the moment last longer than it should. Taehyung’s heart raced, his mind blank except for the feel of Jungkook’s lips.

When Jungkook finally let him go, Taehyung scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding.

His mind raced, replaying what had just happened .

Jaybum opened his eyes and grinned. “Dadda, do you feel better now?”

Jungkook cleared his throat, his voice unsteady still much weak as he replied, “I’m… better, Bun.”

Taehyung stared at the bandage on Jungkook’s hand, his earlier concern returning. “Jungkook, I....i.. really think you should rest—”

“I’ll be fine,” Jungkook cut him off, standing up from the couch. “I have an important meeting today. Taehyung, can you feed Jaybum for me?”

Without waiting for a response, Jungkook headed upstairs, leaving Taehyung standing there, torn between confusion, frustration, and something else he couldn’t quite name.

Sighing deeply Taehyung went to the kitchen , supposedly feeding Jaybum as per his duty.

Taehyung sighed deeply as he was almost finished feeding Jaybum. The little one was contentedly watching cartoons, his tiny feet kicking the edge of the sofa in rhythm with the cheerful music on the screen.

Suddenly a buzzing of someone's phone was heard.

Taehyung glanced around and spotted Jungkook’s phone on the couch, buzzing faintly with an incoming call. Without much thought, he picked it up.

“He must have forgotten it,” Taehyung murmured,“Bum, stay here for a bit. I’ll be right back, okay?” Taehyung said softly, wiping his hands.

Jaybum nodded, too absorbed in his show to respond properly.

Turning towards the stairs. He climbed them steadily, his heart feeling oddly heavy.

The events of earlier still lingered in his mind—the sight of Jungkook in pain, Jaybum’s innocent request, and the moment they accidentally kissed.

When he reached Jungkook’s room, the door was slightly ajar. Forgetting to knock he stepped in

“Jungkook, you left your phone downstairs. Someone’s call—”

Taehyung stopped mid-sentence, his words caught in his throat.

There Jungkook stood, in front of his full-length mirror, casually adjusting his tie. His expression was calm, his movements fluid—completely unhindered.

Taehyung’s eyes darted to Jungkook’s hands. They were perfectly fine. No bandages. No blood. No signs of injury at all.

His stomach twisted.

“You… you’re not hurt?” Taehyung asked, his voice laced with confusion and disbelief.

Jungkook froze for a moment, then turned slightly, his eyes locking with Taehyung’s. His usually confident gaze flickered with something else..

“I…” Jungkook started, but the words seemed to stick in his throat. He quickly closed the gap between them, taking the phone from Taehyung’s hand.

“Thanks for bringing this,” he said, his tone hurried and low. Without giving Taehyung a chance to respond, he brushed past him, heading for the door.

“Jungkook,” Taehyung called out, louder this time, his tone firmer.

Jungkook didn’t stop. He muttered something under his breath and disappeared into the hallway, his steps quick and uneven.

Taehyung stood frozen, his mind reeling. His gaze fell to the empty spot where Jungkook had been moments ago, then back to the mirror.

The realization hit him like a tidal wave. “He… faked it...just for a kiss?”

Taehyung’s face burned with embarrassment.

His hand unconsciously brushed against his lips, remembering the intensity of that moment. He shook his head furiously.

Meanwhile, Jungkook clenched his jaw, a small, sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

Sure, his plan had been a little… desperate. But as the memory of their kiss replayed in his mind, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

Once Jungkook was gone,

Taehyung sighed as he sat back down beside Jaybum, still trying to process everything that had happened. Jaybum, however, seemed unfazed, his big curious eyes now fixed on Taehyung.

“TaeTae!” Jaybum piped up enthusiastically, tugging at his sleeve.

“Let’s continue our house-house game! Dadda left me in the middle!”

“House-house?” Taehyung asked, tilting his head in confusion. “What’s that, bun?”

“You don’t know house-house?” Jaybum gasped dramatically as though Taehyung had said something outrageous. “It’s when you make things up and act like it’s real!”

“Oh, I see,” Taehyung said with a small chuckle, still a little confused.

“Silly TaeTae!” Jaybum exclaimed, shaking his head with exaggerated disbelief. “We were just playing a little while ago! Remember? You were just like Princess Tiana, and Dadda was the injured frog. You kissed him, and he got all better!”

Taehyung froze, his eyes widening slightly as he processed Jaybum’s words. “What? Who taught you that?”

“Of course, Dadda, silly,” Jaybum said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Dadda planned the whole thing! He told me he was going to be the frog and get ‘hurt,’ and when you came to fix him, I had to close my eyes and pray really hard so it’d work!”

Taehyung blinked at the little boy, stunned.

The pieces started falling into place—the “injury,” the overly dramatic groans, the insistence on a kiss to make things better. Jungkook had orchestrated everything.

Jaybum continued, oblivious to Taehyung’s realization. “I did such a good job, didn’t I, TaeTae? My prayers worked so fast!”

Taehyung let out a soft laugh despite himself, shaking his head. “You did an amazing job, bun. The best prayers ever.”

Jaybum beamed proudly and went back to playing with his toys, but Taehyung sat there, his mind spinning.

He could feel the heat creeping up his neck as he thought about Jungkook’s ridiculous plan—and how it had worked.

“Unbelievable,” Taehyung muttered under his breath, but he couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips.

Jungkook’s antics were silly, sure. But they were endearing, too.

The day unfolded smoothly for both Taehyung and Jungkook, yet neither could shake the lingering warmth from their earlier interactions.

Jungkook breezed through his tasks at work, his usual stoic demeanor replaced by an uncharacteristic lightness. Every now and then, he caught himself smiling for no apparent reason, earning curious glances from those around him.

“Did Jungkook just…smile?” Namjoon whispered, leaning toward Hoseok as they watched their alpha from a distance.

“Twice in the past ten minutes,” Hoseok confirmed with a grin.

Namjoon nearly stumbled back in shock. “What happened? Did we enter an alternate universe?”

Hoseok chuckled knowingly. “Nope. It’s just *Taehyung’s effect*.”

Namjoon raised a brow but nodded thoughtfully. “Makes sense. He’s the only one who could pull that off.”

Though they went about their days as usual, both Taehyung and Jungkook carried an unspoken joy, their thoughts inexplicably drawn back to each other. Neither was quite ready to face what it meant, but the effect was undeniable.

That evening, the Jeon mansion was quieter than usual.

Jungkook used his spare keys to step inside, the faint scent of lavender with a mix of strawberry—a signature of Taehyung’s presence—lingering in the air. His footsteps echoed softly, and soon, his eyes fell on Taehyung near the doorway, wearing his coat and seemingly preparing to leave after his babysitting shift.

Taehyung froze for a moment when he spotted Jungkook, his cheeks betraying him with a faint blush that he tried to suppress. Jungkook, on the other hand, avoided his gaze, the morning’s “silly incident” playing on a loop in his mind.

The silence between them felt heavy, and Taehyung, after a brief hesitation, finally spoke.

“I... I’ve put Jaybum to sleep, and I... umm... served your dinner on the kitchen counter,” he said, his voice quiet and uncertain as he fidgeted with his fingers.

Jungkook nodded curtly, his throat feeling oddly tight. He wanted to say something—anything—but the words wouldn’t come.

Taking his cue, Taehyung turned toward the door, his steps deliberate but slow, as if waiting for Jungkook to call him back. When nothing came, he paused just shy of the exit.

He took a deep breath, clenched his fists as if to steel his nerves, and turned around.

“Jungkook?” Taehyung’s voice was soft yet resolute.

Jungkook, who had been standing with his back to him, turned around, raising an eyebrow in silent question.

Before he could react, Taehyung closed the distance between them with quick steps. He reached up and pressed a gentle kiss to Jungkook’s cheek.

The action was brief, but it felt as if time slowed for both of them. Taehyung pulled back just enough to whisper, his voice barely above a murmur, “next time ask for it instead of pulling out some act .”

And before Jungkook could process what had just happened, Taehyung spun on his heel and dashed out of the mansion, his face a deep shade of red.