Chapter Eighty-eight "Phoenix in His Arms"

 

 Homecoming

The night had long settled, and the clock ticked past 8 PM, but Taehyung still refused to let go of Jungkook. He had held him tightly for hours, afraid that the moment he loosened his grip, Jungkook would vanish once again.

Jungkook had talked endlessly, his voice soft and soothing as he recounted his experiences overseas, but eventually, his exhaustion took over. Now, he lay curled up against Taehyung’s chest, his steady breathing the only thing keeping Taehyung grounded.

Taehyung hadn’t blinked once, fearing that if he did, this would all turn out to be another cruel dream. His arms tightened slightly around Jungkook’s sleeping form, his warmth reminding him that this was real—Jungkook was finally home.

A sharp ringing disrupted the peaceful silence, causing Taehyung to flinch. With one arm still holding Jungkook close, he grabbed his phone from the table and answered.

“Taehyung-ah,” his mother’s voice came through, gentle yet firm. “Come home. It’s been three days since you last stepped foot here.”

Taehyung sighed, his eyes flickering down to Jungkook’s peaceful face. He knew he couldn’t keep Jungkook in the university forever. They needed to go home.

“Okay,” he said simply, then hung up before she could say anything more.

Just as he was about to move, a soft groan left Jungkook’s lips, followed by the unmistakable sound of his stomach growling. Slowly, Jungkook opened his eyes, blinking blearily up at Taehyung before pouting.

“Hyungie… I’m hungry,” he murmured sleepily.

Taehyung’s heart clenched at the adorable sight, and without a word, he scooped Jungkook up into his arms effortlessly. Jungkook giggled, but he didn’t protest, simply nuzzling against Taehyung’s shoulder as he carried him out of the office and towards his car.

After buckling Jungkook securely into the passenger seat, Taehyung started the car and began driving towards the mansion. The soft hum of the engine and the warmth of the ride lulled Jungkook back to sleep before they even reached halfway. Taehyung glanced at him every now and then, his heart swelling at the sight of Jungkook resting so peacefully.

When they arrived at the mansion, Taehyung didn’t have the heart to wake Jungkook. Instead, he gently lifted him once again and carried him inside. The moment they stepped through the doors, the maids, who had been cleaning nearby, gasped in surprise.

“Master Taehyung is back!” one whispered.

“And he’s carrying Jungkook-nim!” another added excitedly.

Without wasting a second, they hurried off to inform the Kim couple.

Mr. and Mrs. Kim were in their room when the knock came. A maid quickly entered, bowing deeply before speaking. “Master and Madam, Young Master Taehyung has returned… with Jungkook-nim.”

Mrs. Kim gasped, standing up instantly. “Jungkook is back?”

The maid nodded with a bright smile. “Yes, ma’am. He was asleep in Master Taehyung’s arms.”

Hearing that, Mrs. Kim’s expression softened, and she turned to her husband. “Let’s not disturb them tonight. Let him rest.”

Mr. Kim agreed with a nod. “Tell the staff to send their food to Taehyung’s room and ensure no one disturbs them.”

Meanwhile, Taehyung carefully entered his room, still carrying Jungkook. He walked straight to the bed and gently placed him down, tucking him under the covers before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

When he came back, he noticed a tray of food had been placed on the table. The aroma filled the room, reminding him that Jungkook was starving earlier. He sighed and walked over to the bed, kneeling beside it before softly shaking Jungkook awake.

“Kookie… wake up. Food’s here.”

Jungkook grumbled, stretching his arms out before rubbing his eyes. He yawned, then blinked up at Taehyung, a lazy smile forming on his lips. “Food?”

Taehyung chuckled and nodded. “Come on, freshen up first.”

Jungkook obediently got up and disappeared into the bathroom. When he returned, he looked more awake, his hair damp from the water. He plopped down at the table, eagerly digging into the meal as he continued to talk about his experiences abroad.

“And then, there was this one time James and I had a cooking competition—”

The moment the name ‘James’ left his lips, Taehyung’s eyes twitched.

Jungkook, completely unaware, continued talking animatedly while stuffing food into his mouth. “He was so confident, but guess what? I totally beat him! After that, he was all sulky, but then we—”

Taehyung’s patience was hanging by a thread.

Who the hell was this James?

Taehyung could perfectly imagine some unknown guy smiling at Jungkook, maybe even flirting with him. His possessiveness burned, his grip on the fork tightening. He couldn’t lose Jungkook to anyone—never to someone named James.

Jungkook, still happily eating, had no idea that Taehyung was battling a storm of jealousy beside him. But sooner or later… he was going to find out.

 

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