YOUMIN

"I want to drink."

"...what?"

"Can I?"

"Youmin, what are you talking about? Have you gone mad?" He says, voice sharp. "You know what it'll do. You've seen it before."

We were back at the base. Namjoon had been really happy with how successful the mission had turned out yesterday, and had given us a day to ourselves.

We were just here, because we didn't have anything to do.

"But it's our day off."

"And you're telling me you want to drink?"

I nod. "Mhm."

"Why?"

"Because..." My voice trails away at his stare. I'd known that this would be hard. We had a bad history with alcohol— ever since that day I'd nearly gotten poisoned by it from some other UDT soldiers.

Crossing my fingers behind my back, I shuffle over to my bag set in the corner and carefully shift through the wraps.

Then I slowly line out three pretty bottles. One is a rose-colored champagne— another one a crystal wine, and the last bottle full of golden alcohol.

"Wait, stop." I say, a blush slowly climbing my neck at his gaze. "Let me explain."

"So you know how we saved the life of the Councillor last night?" I quickly say, before he can interrupt even a little bit. "He was really thankful later, and turns out he really enjoys drinking."

"He gave these to me as thank-you gifts, for me and you. And they look really pretty and all, so I was wondering..."

I glance up. At least his expression's softened a bit from the why-in-the-hell-do-you-have-those look that he was giving me earlier.

"Youmin."

He crouches down to meet my eyes.

"But you know drinking's prohibited inside the base."

I lick my lips.

"I...about that," I laugh awkwardly. "I got permission from Namjoon. He said it was okay, just this one time."

He laughs in disbelief. "You got permission?"

I nod.

He sits across from me. Then he picks up one of the bottles between his fingertips, his dark eye scanning the label. I wait in anticipation as he places the bottle back down on the ground.

He can't hide the amused look on his face. "Why did you want to drink this with me?"

"Because it's our gift. And I trust you."

"You trust me?" He echoes. "You shouldn't."

I flush even deeper at the slightly playful tone of his voice. "Taehyung, come on."

"Alright, fine." He consents, and I look back up with a smile. "We'll start with the champagne."

"I got glasses, too."

His eye widens slightly when I present two wine glasses, pushing them between us.

"You really came prepared, didn't you?"

I just laugh.

There was a reason I wanted him to drink with me so badly. Last night I'd seen the people at that party— and nearly all of them had been drunk.

They'd been laughing, enjoying themselves the way they would never be able to had they been sober. And I'd been curious since then, to see Taehyung drunk.

I wanted to see what how a drunk Tae would act like.

And of course, my plan was to stay perfectly sober.

"Cheers!" I say cheerfully as I clink glasses with his, emptying the champagne down my throat. It's a pleasant and bubbly, and I look back at him.

He tastes his lips.

"That's not bad."

"Yeah, not too bad." I parrot, holding up the wine next. "What about this one? Can you try it first?"

He gives me a look. "I thought you were the one who wanted to get drunk."

"I do. But I just want to see your reaction."

Taehyung raises a brow as I uncap the wine and pour a hefty dose into his glass. I can tell he's trying to figure out what I'm up to.

But I just smile innocently. "Go ahead."

He watches me as he tips the glass down his lips.

"This...isn't too strong either. I don't think there's much difference from the champagne."

I blink.

What?

No way. This smelled much stronger from the rose-colored drink.

"Really? Let me try." I say, genuinely curious as I pour myself a glass. And I nearly spit it all out, when I drink the whole thing in one go.

It burns a path of fire down my throat.

"Youmin?"

His eyes widen when I burst into a flurry of coughs.

"Are you okay? Maybe we should stop."

"I'm fine." I say, feeling a little lightheaded now as I give him an easy smile. "I just drank that way too fast. Tastes really good. Like— like, um, grapes or something."

"Yes." He reads the label of the bottle. "It says white wine."

How in the world is he not batting an eye?

"Next one." I say, shifting to the deep, golden bottle. "What do you think this is?"

"That's heavy alcohol." He murmurs. "I'm not sure if you should be drinking that."

I smile, a little tipsy.

"Tae, I'm fine. I promise.

I open the cap. Then I pour some into his glass and mine, making sure to put twice as more into his.

I give him a dazzling smile. "Cheers!"

His gaze lingers on me for a moment longer before he places the glass to his lips again. And I watch through my glass, seeing him slowly empty the golden liquid from the cup.

I barely sip at mine.

It's strong. It makes me dizzy for a second, and I'd barely taken a small sip. So I look up at Taehyung, fully expecting that to be his last straw.

He looks back at me with a small, scrunched expression.

"That is a little too powerful."

There's a light dust of red over his pale cheeks.

He's starting to get drunk.

"More?" I ask sweetly, and he nods as if he almost can't stop himself. I fill the entire glass this time, before going back to daintily sipping from my own.

I blink a little dazedly. "See? It's good to relax once in a while."

"I think you may be right." He whispers back. "I haven't had alcohol in such a long time."

"You used to?"

"This is my second time, Youmin. I don't have a lot of experience."

I blink heavily again. Was I getting drunk, too? I could definitely tell that Taehyung was, a faint blush on his cheeks and his voice more relaxed than usual.

Then he suddenly shakes his head.

"Youmin, we need to stop."

"...what? Why?"

He reaches over to touch my face. "You're too red. Too much isn't good— it's pointless. It's better to stop here."

His face is close.

I giggle.

"You smell like alcohol."

"It's coming from you, Youmin."

"Nope." I reply, smiling. Then I fall back silent, and go back to staring at his face. My eyes roam for a while, before settling on his lips.

His lips are tinted. They look really sweet.

I hear him laugh, but barely hear it.

"Bad girl. Where are you looking?"

I push the bottles away to the side. Then I edge closer, my eyes still fixed on his mouth. I don't know what I'm doing, but all I know at that moment is that I want to kiss him.

I want to kiss him so badly.

Taehyung breathes.

"Don't just stare."

"Do it."

So I do. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. He tastes as sweet as he'd looked, like that champagne we'd drunk earlier.

I make a noise.

He's so perfect.

He lifts me up from the floor, hands wrapped around my thighs. I feel my back sink into something soft, and realize he'd brought me to his bed. Our lips are still connected in a heated kiss.

The warmth flames through my body.

I pull him even closer. Now I realize I'm way past drunk as I slip my hand under his shirt, feeling all the toned muscles underneath. He's shifted down to kiss my throat, his hands wrapped around my waist.

It's a blur of pleasure and heat.

That's all I can remember, the next day I wake.

_______________________________

Uh...

Shit.

Taehyung's arms are tight around my shoulders. I can feel his chest rise and fall with sleep— being pressed so close to him. His skin is warm against mine.

His shirt is off.

Mine...

I quickly look down at myself. And I breathe when I find my shirt still on. The last thing I remembered from last night—

Was absolutely nothing.

...what?

Then I feel him stir.

"Tae." I whisper, my voice lost and confused. I had no memory of getting into bed with him like this. And my confusion just grows when I see deep, dark marks on his throat, in such contrast with his light tone of his skin.

He replies back with a soft, drowsy hm.

"What did we do last night?"

The sleepiness instantly dissipates from his face.

"You don't remember?"

I shake my head, arms still wrapped around his waist. Taehyung looks at me for a long, quiet second, before falling into a deep sigh.

"Remind me to never let you drink again."

"We drank?"

Wait— I remember that. Flickers of memory cuts through the blurriness of last night, and I remember trying to get him drunk. I remember drinking myself, and failing horribly at staying sober.

I blink. "And then we did something?"

"You tried to take your shirt off, after you took off mine." He says, making me freeze. "I think I stopped you."

"I...what?"

A blur of heat. Pleasure.

Oh, gosh.

"Don't be embarrassed." He says when I bury my face in my hands. A small smile quirks his lips.

"You kiss very well, Youmin."

"Stop it." I groan, wanting to disappear in a hole and die with my own embarrassment. I can't believe what he's saying right now.

Had I really tried to undress him? Seriously?

He gives me a slanted, amused look before pressing a swift kiss to my lips. Then he shifts out of the bed, and I can't help but let my eyes roam over his broad, muscled back for a brief second.

I quickly avert my gaze, right after. A hot blush replaces the embarrassment.

Gosh. Enough of that.

But I find myself watching him again as he pulls a loose shirt over his torso, sweeping back his hair with one hand. I curl myself tighter in his bed, still stealing peeks at him.

He smiles brilliantly as he comes back over. Then he sits on the edge of the bed, a rare, mischievous look on his face.

"Come on now."

I swallow. "Come on now what?"

He adjusts the neckline of his shirt. "Let's go run."

My mouth drops open.

"Tae!"

"...what?" He replies innocently, and a hundred curses run through my mind when I realize he's serious.

I bury myself back underneath the blankets.

"My head hurts. Hangover."

"You're fine, baby."

"H-Hm?" I stutter without even thinking it, looking up at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean? I think I really do have a hangover."

What did he just call me?

"Just two miles, then."

"Taehyung...one mile."

"...fine."

"Half mile—I changed my mind. Please?"

A devilish smirk lifts his lips.

"Get yourself out of bed before I change my mind, Youmin." He says, cupping my jaw before pulling away again. "I can easily make it three."

"Come."

I groan softly, before dragging myself out of the blankets. The floor is cold against my bare, warmed feet, and I glare up at him.

Why does he have to be so annoying sometimes?

He returns my stare, before lifting his lips in a faint smile.

I really don't want to admit it, but his smile just melts all my annoyance away. I instantly cover my mouth, trying to hide the uncontrollable smile forming on my lips.

He laughs.

Then he shifts my hand away, and I quirk the corners of my lips downward.

"What."

"Nothing." He says. His fingertips glide over my cheeks, and I don't see his hidden smile.

"You just look so beautiful when you're mad."