Jungkook's pov
I'd never really given much thought into what kind of wedding I might one day have. I doubted I'd have chosen to pledge my vows in front of an ordained Elvis impersonator. These circumstances, however, were far from ordinary. The groom and groom were far from loved-up. And the setting of the ceremony therefore seemed far from important.
Standing before Elvis in the very pretty chapel, I wasn't nervous anymore. On the drive here, I'd felt on the verge of jumping out of my skin. But now that the ceremony was actually happening, I had the insane urge to laugh.
I mean, I was marrying my boss ... in front of Elvis ... who kept belching ... so Taehyung kept sighing ... and my nose was filled with the smell of onions because Elvis's loud burps reeked of them. Each belch echoed throughout the chapel. Sometimes he paused to mutter "excuse me" beneath his breath while other times he managed to talk through the burps and didn't miss a beat. It was all just surreal.
I was so glad that Taehyung had insisted on having the ceremony recorded, because this was too precious not to share.
I snuck a quick look at him. His jaw was hard as he stared at poor Elvis, evidently pissed. Taehyung wasn't the type to appreciate the funny side of such a situation, especially considering it was a wedding ceremony. This had to be the only time I'd ever witnessed him bite back his words. He was not a man who held his tongue, and he genuinely looked as if it pained him to do it.
I might not have felt so desperate to chortle if I wasn't aware that I absolutely could not laugh right now. The pressure of holding it in only made things worse, as did the way Taehyung kept giving me the stink eye, warning me not to dare crack up. I'd always had a nervous laugh; it had
gotten me into trouble in the classroom more times than I could count.
Elvis belched again.
Taehyung sighed again.
A snicker popped out of me before I could stop it. I quickly clamped my lips together. Taehyung shot me another cautioning look, and I almost choked on the laugh that was now stuck in my throat. I held it in, but my shoulders shook, and my body quaked.
Elvis didn't once acknowledge my struggle.
Feeling my eyes tear up, I slowly lifted my bouquet and hid behind the flowers. God, my stomach hurt, and it felt like my sides were splitting. The more I told myself it wasn't that funny, the harder I wanted to laugh. I practically wheezed out my vows. Tears were pooling in my eyes again when it came time for us to exchange rings.
I slid the masculine wedding band on his third finger, and he slid a more feminine version onto mine. It was beautiful and shiny and fit perfectly ... but it sadly did not help me pull myself together.
Finally, I sensed the ceremony coming to an end. I didn't think I'd ever felt so relieved about anything in a long, long time. "I now pronounce you Husband and Husband," said Elvis, gurgling the last word since it came out on yet another smelly belch ... to which Taehyung shot him a hard, pained look.
And that was it. I lost it. The laugh shook my shoulders as I bent over, my eyes tearing up again, and practically shoved my face in the bouquet.
Taehyung sighed. "Finished?"
Not even close. I was worried I might actually pee. But I forced myself to stand upright and knuckled away a fresh tear. "Sorry," I croaked.
He hauled me close and lowered his mouth to mine. I was entirely unprepared for the hum of electricity that swept over me, or for the soft growl that rattled his throat. His tongue sank inside and licked at mine, bold and demanding.
Amusement gave way to need-so much need. It was raw and carnal and took away my willpower. I clung to him, wanting more. A throat cleared, and we pulled back. So much for a chaste kiss. Well, if he'd been aiming to cut off my laugh he'd succeeded.
A little dazed, I blinked and forced my hands to release his shirt.
A woman appeared with a camera. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mr.--."
"Mrs.Kim" Taehyung interrupted.
"Oh, ok sir Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Kim."
Mrs. Kim. I'd be Kim Jungkook for twelve freaking months. God, it felt weird.
The photographer snapped a picture of us, and then that was it. We were done. Married.
Married.
Once we'd collected a few copies of the photo and the thumb drive on which the video of our ceremony had been downloaded, we headed outside.
"That was not how I envisioned the wedding would go," I said, trying to stifle a smile.
Taehyung gave me the side-eye. "You mean the fact that you laughed almost all the way through it?"
"Come on, you have to admit it was funny. Wait, I forgot, you don't have a sense of humor." I paused. "So, what now?"
"Well, we can either go back to our hotel suite or hit a few casinos?"
I pursed my lips. "Casinos? I'm game. But we should probably call my family first."
"We might as well do it here in front of the chapel. They'll feel better that you called them straight away with the news."
I called my father first, surprised at how well he took it. He congratulated us, and I could sense he wholeheartedly meant it. I heard a note of disappointment in his voice that told me he was sad to have not been present, but he didn't come out and say it. Appa, on the other hand, had no problem voicing his disappointment when I called him and eomma. She wasn't so annoyed. In fact, she claimed that both she and Jin hyung had suspected Taehyung and I would marry while in Vegas. Appa, slightly appeased on hearing that we had a recording of the ceremony, eventually joined eomma in passing on his congratulations.
Taehyung and I then had a group call with Jin hyung and Jimin, who proclaimed their delight, but I detected in his voice that Jin hyung seemed a little uneasy-probably at how fast things were moving.
Ending the call, I asked Taehyung, "Are you going to call your family?"
"No," he replied. "But I'll send my brothers a picture of us standing here outside the chapel. Make sure your rings are visible." He snapped a picture of us and then sent it to them. Kwan called him immediately and seemed genuinely pleased for us. Daehyun sent Taehyung a congratulatory text that was no doubt fake as hell.
Taehyung splayed a hand on my back. "Now that that's out of the way, let's go amuse ourselves."
-
-
We were back in Seoul by 2 p.m. the next day. Sam and Taehyung dropped me off at my complex. As I wheeled my suitcase toward my apartment, I cricked my neck. Reaching my front door, I fished my keys out of my pocket of my bag and went to insert my key in the lock. It was only then I noticed it had been busted.
My heart slammed in my chest. I pushed at the door without thinking, and it slowly swung open. I caught a glimpse of an unholy mess, and my pulse went crazy.
Backing away, I fumbled in my bag, pulled out my phone, and quickly called the police. "1-1-2, what's your emergency?" a female voice answered.
I licked my lips, feeling my breathing speed up. "I just came home and ... I think someone broke into my apartment. I don't know if they're still in there."
Oh, shit, what if they hadn't left yet? What if they were armed?
"Sir?" a voice said. "Sir?"
I snapped back to attention, realizing I hadn't absorbed a single word she'd said. I rattled off my address. "Tell whoever you send that I'll be in my neighbor's apartment. 5D."
After she assured me an officer would be with me shortly, I hung up and knocked on Jin and Joon hyung's door.
Jin hyung answered, a dishtowel slung over his shoulder. He grinned. "Well, hey Mr. Kim ..." His face fell. "What is it, Kookie?"
"Someone broke into my apartment."
He grabbed my arm and drew me inside, closing his front door behind us. "Did you call the police?"
I nodded. "They're sending someone."
"Good." He led me to his sofa. "Sit down here, Joonie. Nam-joon!" he shouted at the direction of the bedroom before sitting beside me. "Everything's going to be fine," he soothed, rubbing my arm.
Hyung came striding into the room, his hair wet. "What are you yelling for, Jin?"
"Someone broke into Kookie's apartment," he replied.
"What? Have you called the police?"
"Yes, he has; someone's on their way." Jin hyungie turned back to me.
"Did you call Taehyung?"
I blinked. "No."
"You need to, Jungkook. Do it now," he urged.
Still in a bit of a daze, I brought up his number and tapped "Call."
He answered after only a few rings. "Yes?"
I swallowed around a dry throat. "Taehyung." That was all that came out.
"What's wrong?" he asked, a sharp edge to his voice.
"I think someone burgled my apartment." It all felt a little surreal.
He cursed under his breath. "Do not go in there." He ordered Sam to turn the car around.
"I'm okay, I'm with Jin and Joon hyung."
"Which apartment?"
"5D. It's next to mine."
"Stay with them, I'll be right there." He rang off.
I looked at hyungs. "He's on his way. Did you hear any noises coming from my apartment today or last night?"
"I didn't hear anything at all today," he replied. "We were at my sister Jisoo's house last night. She threw a party and offered for us to use the spare bedroom. Joonie, stay with Koo while I make us all a drink."
The gentle giant sat at my side, asking me questions about my trip and the wedding-trying to keep me distracted, I knew. And I appreciated the effort, but it didn't work well. It didn't exactly slip a person's mind that they'd had a break-in.
A break-in.
Jin hyung set hot drinks on the coffee table. "I'm surprised you didn't go home with your new husband."
"I need to start packing my stuff. He wants me to move in this weekend." I rubbed at my temple. "I'll need to call our landlord. He's on vacation right now in-" I cut off as the intercom buzzed.
"That'll probably be Taehyung," said Namjoon hyung, who then strode to the panel on the wall. "I doubt the police got here this fast."
It turned out hyung was right.
Soon enough, Taehyung was prowling into the apartment, looking as dark and dominant and dangerous as always. Crouching in front of me, he settled one hand on my thigh and curved the other around my nape. "You okay, baby boy?"
I nodded numbly.
"What happened?" he asked, massaging the back of my neck.
I took a shaky breath. "I went to unlock the door and realized the lock was busted. I pushed the door open, saw the mess inside, and backed away."
A muscle in Taehyung's cheek flexed. "Where the fuck are the police?"
"On their way," I replied.
"Takeout food usually gets here quicker than the police do," muttered Joon hyung. "I'd say the intruder's long gone. These walls are thin, but we didn't hear anyone moving around in there today. The burglary probably happened last night while we were at Jin's sister's place."
"You should talk to the neighbor on your other side," Taehyung advised me.
"She's a little old lady whose hearing went to shit years ago," I informed him. "But we can still ask if she heard or saw anything."
"The police will do that." Jin hyung puffed out a breath. "Thank God you weren't home last night, Kookie. I know you're probably feeling angry and sick to your stomach, but whatever they took can be replaced. You can't be."
As she left to make Taehyung coffee, he settled on the sofa beside me and slid his arm around my shoulders. He didn't say anything to comfort me. Didn't need to. I felt better just having him, all solid and strong and steady, right there with me. Which was dangerous. Worrying. Annoying.
Soon, Jin hyung returned and went into a full-blown rant about how many "thieving little bastards" roamed the streets these days. It was during that that the police finally arrived. The officer who took my statement was sharp, respectful, and thorough. He also seemed a little intimidated by Taehyung, who stayed beside me while I was questioned, watching the officer with that unblinking stare.
"What happens now?" asked Taehyung.
Officer Du-gi straightened in his seat. "We'll look for fingerprints and footprints, conduct some door to door enquiries, and check the footage from the building's security cameras. If we're lucky, we might be able to ID the culprit. But I can't say I'm hopeful. We've had a string of burglaries in the area recently-the thieves have been careful not to leave evidence of themselves behind." He looked at me. "I'd like it if you could walk through your apartment with me and tell me what you think is missing."
"I'm coming with him," Taehyung declared.
There wasn't a lot of damage, mostly just pure chaos. But the things littering the floor were my things. They might simply be books, cosmetics, clothes, and cushions, but they had value to me.
"Looks like they were going to take the TV but then struggled to carry it," mused Officer Gi.
I had to agree. The widescreen TV had been taken off the wall but then dumped a few feet away with wires still attached to it. It was possible that it had been accidentally dropped, because there was a long crack running through the screen.
"Do you have any other electronics that might have been taken?" Gi asked me.
"I had my laptop, tablet, and phone with me during my trip," I replied.
With Taehyung close behind me, I continued walking through my apartment, checking every room, almost choking on anger. "All the obvious places that someone might hide money have been searched," said Taehyung.
"I don't hide clumps of cash in my apartment."
Gi settled his hands on his belt. "What about credit cards? Your passport? Any other forms of ID?"
"I took my passport, driver's license, and credit cards with me to Vegas." I yanked open my closet door, and my heart sank. "Looks like whoever broke in thought they could sell my clothes." Bundles of it were missing, Several pairs of my shoes were gone, along with some bags.
I took my keys from my bag, pushed aside my nightstand, and bent down to the plug socket there.
"What are you doing?" asked Taehyung.
I didn't answer. I inserted a key into the top right earth hole of the socket and twisted it sharply. There was a brief snick, and then I pulled open the white cover, which was actually a door to a hidden safe.
"Clever," said Gi.
"My foster father bought it for me online and installed it." I carefully checked the contents. "Everything's in there, including my real jewelry and spare set of car keys."
A look in the bathroom cabinet confirmed that all the prescription drugs had been stolen. It was lucky that I'd taken my migraine medication with me on my trip. I didn't have migraines often, but when I did ... well, they were horrible.
Finally done searching the apartment, I rubbed at my arms. "So what now?" I asked Gi.
"As I told your husband, we'll search for evidence and make some enquiries. You'll be kept updated. My contact details are on here."
I took the small card he held out. "Thank you."
As soon as officer left, Taehyung stepped into my personal space. "You're coming home with
me." He raised his hand when I went to speak. "Don't argue. Don't offer to stay anywhere else. Just grab the suitcase that you took with you on our trip -then you'll have some of your things with you. If I were you, I'd bring the contents of your safe as well."
I thought about protesting, but if I stayed with anyone else, they'd faff over me all night long, which would drive me insane. Taehyung was not one to faff. Plus, people would wonder why I'd want to stay with anyone other than my husband.
I sighed and said, "All right."
He nodded, satisfied. "You can ride with me and come back for your car tomorrow. Right now, you're too angry and distracted to drive without zoning out. Tell me I'm wrong."
I couldn't, so I didn't argue.
A short while later, we were driving en route to his house. I kept my eyelids shut, hoping it would hold back the angry tears that stung my eyes.
"You didn't hear before now that there was a surge of burglaries in your neighborhood?" asked Taehyung, his voice low but vibrating with agitation.
"No." I looked at him. "Even if I had heard about them, I wouldn't have been better prepared for the break-in. You never think it'll be your home they target. Fucking assholes."
"Maybe this will be the one time that said assholes left evidence behind."
"Maybe." But I wasn't counting on it.
"Don't forget to call your insurance company to tell them about the break-in. You should also call your father and your foster parents; tell them what happened and let them know you're all right."
"I will. Soon."
We spent the rest of the journey in silence. When the car slowed as we approached a gated, tree-lined property, I strained to see past the trees but failed. "I take it we're here."
"We're here." Taehyung tapped the screen of his cell a few times, and then the electronic gates opened. Sam drove forward. I felt my mouth drop open as I got my first look at Taehyung's home. It wasn't a house. It was a grand, stately residence that looked more like a hotel.
Holy shit.
It was a concealed slice of paradise.
As Sam drove up the long, circular driveway, I admired the lavish landscape with its pruned trees, flower garden, and manicured hedges. A man-made lake sat in front of the mansion near the courtyard. Yeah, it had a freaking courtyard. With a fountain.
Sam pulled up at the end of the driveway and then grabbed the suitcases from the trunk while I was busy gawking at the house. He said a quick goodbye to us and then left.
Carrying both my small suitcase and his own, Taehyung headed for the door.
Stepping into the large, bright white foyer with its winding staircase and chandelier, I let out a
low whistle. "Wow."
Noticing an electronic pad on the wall, I realized there was some kind of built-in automation system that controlled the temperature, lighting, and alarm system among other things. Fancy.
"Come on," he said. "I'll give you a tour."
-
-
To be continued.....
They had finally move-in...
So how was it...do tell in comnts(◍•ᴗ•◍)❤