Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For the tail end of October, it was unseasonably warm in Seoul. The sun was at just the right angle for endless light to pour into the boardroom where a dozen people were seated around a large table in swivel chairs, all turned to face the projection screen filled with data.

On the left side closest to the floor-to-ceiling wall of windows, fourth chair from the front, Park Jimin set his heels onto the ground, toes pointed up, and wiggled his chair back and forth, chewing a piece of gum that was starting to harden. He stuck the gum between his teeth with his lips apart, and that was the moment when someone nudged the arm of his chair. Jimin tucked the gum back into his mouth and glared in his peripheral vision at Jung Hoseok, the digital marketing specialist for S9K, who was just as distracted in the meeting but also trying to play nice.

“…Chances of truly acquiring APEX seem probable to almost certain,” the man in a crisp suit up front was saying. He was the CEO, and Jimin couldn’t remember his name for all the money in the world. He supposed that as the company’s prized marketing research analyst, he should pay more mind to things like names, but he was tired, and S9K had been in talks for acquiring APEX since April. It was old news, but they all had to be in the meeting regardless. This could be it, after all.

“Well, we’ve certainly expanded to a building that can accommodate a second batch of employees,” Choi Sunghoon, S9K’s marketing director, said from the front, tapping a pen against his lips. “If we’ve truly worked out the logistics, then I would say that a merger is something we should begin to celebrate, not continually discuss.”

“I agree,” the CEO said, and Jimin let out a long sigh of relief. Yes, ending the biweekly merger discussion meetings on Friday afternoons would be ideal. He had work to do, more specifically an up-and-coming boutique real estate company called Scheme that he was trying to work with to help break the market. He and Hoseok were tag-teaming the social media aspect of it, and they were doing a beautiful job. Scheme was climbing the ranks thanks to SEO and a damn good website remodel, and that was all thanks to S9K, mostly Jimin. He had spent twelve-hour days working the system, starting with his SWOT analysis (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the company), and then determining if the digital marketing strategy they were using was S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based). It had not been, and Scheme had been a mess as a result. Not anymore. Jimin had spent hours analyzing the target audience and building a buyer persona, and now Scheme was ready to hand over as much money as needed to make sure Jimin was their guy, and that S9K was always on their side.

The meeting adjourned, and Hoseok was the first one out the glass door, throwing his head back with a sigh as he walked down the hallway back towards their offices. Hoseok shared an office space with three other digital marketing specialists. Jimin got his own corner office with a great view. Came with being sought after, he figured.

“This merger can’t happen fast enough,” he complained. “Seriously. Also, when are we going to talk about getting rid of that damn food truck that’s dragging us down?”
“I thought we ditched them,” Jimin said.

“We made them a great website. We revamped the look of their social media pages. We rebranded them. Do they want us to run the business now? I don’t have time for a side hustle,” Hoseok said, shaking his head as Jimin snickered.

“You sure? I feel like you could squeeze in selling fishcakes and tteokbokki on the side,” Jimin argued, and Hoseok side-eyed him before dipping back into his office to finish up the day, shouting something ridiculous in greeting to the remaining three workers, all first-year employees, nothing compared to Hoseok’s four years in the company.

“Jimin-ah! Make sure you drop the final results of that survey for Scheme on my desk. I need the hard copy,” Kang Seokwon, the marketing communications manager, requested as he breezed by, rolling up his sleeves.

“Yeah, of course! Do you want a foot massage with it, too?” Jimin called after him, and he heard Seokwon let out a bark of laughter before Jimin disappeared into his own office, rubbing his forehead tiredly. He collapsed into his leather swivel chair and stared at the two monitors and the small laptop on his desk, and then rolled his head over to his massive wall full of information, as well as the whiteboard where he threw last-minute ideas. He had the final results for the survey, but he wasn’t sure he felt like walking them down the hall to Seokwon’s office.

“Okay, listen.”

Hoseok burst into Jimin’s office no more than five minutes later as Jimin was reluctantly printing out the results of the survey for Seokwon. Jimin had a couch on the left side of his cushy office, and Hoseok collapsed onto it, right leg hanging off the edge, right arm slung over his forehead.

“Tell me again what’s wrong with a digital marketing specialist sharing an office with the marketing research analyst,” Hoseok complained, and then he tilted his head back and reached his right arm up, catching the stress ball that Jimin had thrown at him with a little noise beforehand. “It’s not like we’re different breeds of animals. We’re not rivaling K-pop idols. We can cohabitate.”

“Think the point is for you to mentor the little fledglings,” Jimin said. “You wanna run an errand for me?”

“Not on your fucking life. I never asked to be a mentor.” Hoseok answered both the statement and the question as Jimin snickered, pushing his chair over to the printer to grab the survey. He pushed back to his desk, stapled it together, and then kicked his feet up onto his desk, fanning himself unnecessarily with the papers.

“C’mon. Take this to Seokwon-ssi’s office for me,” Jimin coaxed. “He’ll be eternally grateful to you and he’ll have ammo to take me down at his discretion. It’s a win for both of you.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Hoseok said sarcastically, tossing the stress ball up to the ceiling with a flick of his wrist and catching it with a hollow thwack in his palm. He threw it again and added, “I think he has a crush on you.”

“I don’t think he swings that way,” Jimin said with a short laugh, dropping his feet onto the floor and shaking his mouse so his screensaver disappeared.

“You haven’t seen him at parties,” Hoseok said, and Jimin could hear the grin on his face. “He’s a filthy little shit. Tells you loud and proud that he fucks women, but he’s always got his ass in some other guy’s hands when the lights are off.”

“You’re such a poet,” Jimin teased, standing up. “Fine. I’ll take this to Seokwon-ssi myself. If he has a crush on me, I’m sure he’ll be happy to see me.”

“For the love of—give it to me.” Hoseok got off the couch and snatched the stapled packet out of Jimin’s hands. His bright eyes scanned it quickly, and then he looked up and grinned.

“Final survey, huh? This’ll score me some points.”

“Yeah, except he knows that I’m the one who did it,” Jimin sighed victoriously. Hoseok marched out of the office with his middle finger up to Jimin.

***

Jimin had expected that maybe he’d spend his weekend going to Cobra, the new club that just opened in Gangnam to rave reviews. Instead, he spent his Saturday on the phone at all hours with Kim Namjoon, one of his closest friends from university, helping him organize something of a guest list. Namjoon was getting “married” late next year, though it wouldn’t really be official on paper in South Korea. It was more the principle of the matter, and Namjoon was a man of formalities. He was also a man of incessant questions and reasoning, and Jimin listened patiently (while tugging at his hair) as Namjoon went through the whole story regarding why he couldn’t invite his maternal cousin if his fiancé’s aunt was invited.
He thought maybe he would get his Saturday night free to go out and enjoy a few drinks, but then the skies split open in a horrific thunderstorm with torrential rain that caused a power outage, so Jimin resorted to lying on his couch using his phone’s data to catch up on his favorite drama while eating ramyeon that he had just barely cooked using steaming hot sink water. He wasn’t thirty yet, so he could still get away with the excuse of being a single guy without power thanks to a storm. Instead, he just ate his cold noodles and wondered why he didn’t have anyone to cuddle him during the storm. His roommate used to. Not anymore.

The email came on Monday afternoon:

To our valued S9K employees:

We sincerely congratulate you all on your hard work over the years. You are valued and important to us. We ask that you please continue to grow our company and share our talents with the world.

S9K Corporate is pleased to announce our merge with APEX, a thriving and successful marketing company in Itaewon. APEX joins us with seven years of experience working with a diverse clientele in the greater Seoul area, and we are thrilled to have acquired such a promising company and its dedicated employees. We trust that all S9K employees will welcome APEX into our home with open arms.

We look forward to applauding the merger with a celebration gathering this Saturday. Please find attached a PDF flyer announcing the celebration, including the address and time of arrival. We invite you and strongly urge you to bring a companion to the celebration in order to both add to the merriment and to increase awareness of our merger. Dress is smart casual. Food and drink will be provided.

We look forward to seeing you and a plus-one this Saturday!

Regards…

Jimin read the final paragraph of the email at least seven times. He read the closing line an extra five times to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. He balked at the signatures. Was his company genuinely suggesting (though it didn’t seem like much of a suggestion to him) that they forgo showing up alone? Where the fuck was Jimin supposed to find a date for a merger celebration party by Saturday? Were these stuffy corporate men and women really just morons without an understanding of how relationships worked?

Jimin’s office door was open, so it only took about five minutes for an outburst of chatter to happen as people began to laugh and jokingly ask each other on dates before calling out the name of the person they’d be taking. There was a lot of laughter about how the first and only goal was to impress their dates with all that S9K does for the country, and how surely the goal was not to get laid, not at all. Jimin closed his email with a heavy feeling in his chest and shuffled out of his office, because it was lunchtime.

“Yah, Jimin-ssi!”

“What?” Jimin pivoted with his hands in his pockets and faced two second-year employees with one eyebrow raised. He couldn’t remember their names for the life of him, but they were on the bottom of the metaphorical pile, both still relatively fresh out of university since they hung their diplomas by their cubicles to show off to anyone who passed.

“Tell us about your date,” the taller one said, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall of one cubicle with a grin.

“I already called dibs on Jiyoung,” the shorter one said, like women were objects for him to claim. Tall Guy nudged Short Guy with a small laugh.

“He doesn’t date girls,” Tall Guy hissed as a reminder to Short Guy, and now both of them were grinning. Jimin knew for a fucking fact that Short Guy was bisexual (at parties and socials), but apparently it didn’t matter. Short Guy turned on Jimin.

“Yeah, good luck with that, Single and Lonely,” Short Guy teased, and then they both walked past Jimin, laughing and on their way to eat lunch. Jimin stood rooted to the spot as he took a deep breath, and then he pinched the bridge of his nose as he exhaled. He was used to it, the teasing and jeers. A lot of the guys at S9K were still turned off by any mention of boys liking boys, when in reality, most of them were closeted and Jimin knew it. He and Hoseok could practically smell it on some of them. They had what they called a gaypool, where they placed senseless bets on which employee would turn at the next social outing. Surely the merger celebration would be another time for the both of them to win.

Jimin ate his lunch in his office with his feet on his desk, sitting sideways as he stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows and watched the world go by beneath him. It couldn’t be that hard to find a date to a party. There were many times in the past where he’d had to find a date to a function, so why was this any different? He had plenty of friends. Did it matter if they weren’t single? They loved him enough to come to a party, didn’t they?

Around six o’clock, there was a shout that a few of the older employees were going out for drinks. Two, then three, then four different people stopped by to ask if Jimin was going, almost like they were making sure that he would. They tended to use him as their spark of energy at any social gathering, mostly because Jimin was a man of the people. He thrived in social environments where he felt wanted, as long as he was confident. On the fifth person, Jimin finally sighed that he would tag along.

He was surprised when he popped into Hoseok’s office and Hoseok wasn’t there, his desk all clean and ready for the next day of work. He fired off a quick text to let his friend know the bar that they were headed to, hoping that maybe he’d already gone ahead or that he was planning to be there after heading home or something. Then Jimin grabbed a taxi with Junseo and Beomseok, two marketing consultants that he liked well enough to drink with. He knew he’d have to take a taxi to work tomorrow by leaving his car in the employee parking garage, but he didn’t much care. If ever there was a time to have a few drinks, it was now.

JIMIN [06:49:12PM]
We’re going to 360 for drinks, are you coming?

JIMIN [07:25:39PM]
Never mind, I’ll beat your ass later. How dare you abandon me now HOW DARE

JIMIN [07:49:28PM]
Am I really just talking to myself, are we kidding

JIMIN [08:02:18PM]
You’re reading my texts and not replying, love that for us

JIMIN [08:03:20PM]
I’m texting your boyfriend and telling him to blue ball the shit out of you

JIMIN [08:04:02PM]
Have fun with that, let me know how your dick feels afterwards

JIMIN [08:05:44PM]
Hobi hyung ditched me after work, don’t let him fuck you next time he has the chance

Jimin was okay after four weak drinks, but then he had a fifth and tried to play darts with some of the guys. When he realized that he couldn’t quite focus on the bull’s-eye, he checked his watch. Just after nine o’clock. Fuck it all to hell. He had just spent two plus hours listening to a bunch of pricks from the office talk about the merger celebration and their dates (it turned sexual very quickly), pulling up news articles on Naver and laughing over the stock market change since the announcement. He needed out.

“You sure you’re leaving?” Beomseok asked, biting his tongue between his teeth and tossing another dart that missed the center of the board.

“Yeah, I’m fucked,” Jimin sighed. “Dead tired. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“You need a ride?” Junseo asked like he could provide one. Jimin snickered.

“I’m good, Junnie. See you tomorrow.”

Jimin pocketed his phone and made sure he had his keys, and then he ran his fingers through his black hair, letting it fall back into place as he pushed past a few people to exit the bar. It was starting to get crowded, so he was glad to gulp in the fresh October air. He marched right to the curb and peered right and left until he saw a taxi turn the corner and head his way.

The taxi slowed down at the sight of Jimin’s lifted hand, or perhaps because he had stepped into the street to grab the driver’s attention. Just as the crosswalk flooded with people, Jimin ran his fingers through his hair again and threw open the back passenger side door of the taxi.

“Hi, I’m going to—”

But he couldn’t even hear himself say his address, because another voice rattled off an address overtop of him. Jimin had had a few drinks, but not enough to lack appreciation for the fact that someone else had jumped into his cab.

“Do you mind? Apologies, I need to be quick. I’ll pay the entire fare. Yes, yes, I’m still here. Go on, sweetheart.” The man addressed Jimin first, and then he pulled the taxi door shut and settled in, pressing his phone back to his ear as the driver took off, blissfully unconcerned with the conflict between passengers. Jimin stared at the side profile of the man, but he didn’t get much—the man turned to look out the window for a moment, still talking.

“Yes, of course. I appreciated every moment of it,” the man said in a much different dialect than Jimin was used to hearing around Seoul. “I hope you did, too. Mm… I did, thank you. You really know how to spoil me.” It was a bit more aggressive, sounded like Busan satoori. Jimin’s jaw was still clenched in irritation at this stranger sharing his cab without asking first, but then the man hung up from his phone call and shifted in his seat to face Jimin.

“You’re in my taxi,” Jimin said, but then his next jab caught in his throat and died quickly. This man was, for lack of any more eloquent words in his vocabulary, the most beautiful man he had ever seen in his twenty-seven years of life. His black hair was in effortless waves and hanging in his eyes, though he made a casual attempt to move it with a long finger. His eyes were brown with a certain shine to them that Jimin couldn’t quite explain, but they were his most defining feature, full of stories. His jaw was chiseled, and his mouth was slightly open as he surveyed Jimin.

“Thanks for sharing it,” the man replied, the Busan dialect suddenly gone. “I assume you’re just headed home after a few drinks with some work friends. I won’t be in your cab for long.”

“How’d you—? It doesn’t matter,” Jimin interrupted himself, shaking his head and turning to stare at the passenger side headrest.

“Forgive me for noticing, but you seem irritated,” the man said. “And not just because a stranger stole your taxi cab.”

“Sorry, does this cab come with a free psychological evaluation?” Jimin asked curtly, clenching his jaw again as he looked to his left. The man’s eyes were sparkling with amusement as he smirked.

“You’re funny. I like you.” He extended a hand. “Jeon Jeongguk.”

“Yeah. Pleasure,” Jimin said shortly, and he considered not shaking Jeon Jeongguk’s hand, but he thought the better of it and reluctantly reached across himself. Jeongguk’s grip was firm, and his hand was so large that they swallowed Jimin’s hand whole. “Park Jimin. Not irritated, thank you. What’s with the nice suit?”

“Business,” Jeongguk replied vaguely, pulling at the opening of his jacket with one hand. It was, by far, the nicest and probably most expensive suit Jimin had seen on another man. “I see you’ve gone for a more corporate casual approach. You must be in marketing. You look like an S9K kind of guy.”

“How’d you—? I’m sorry, have I met you before?” Jimin asked, because that was the second time Jeongguk had correctly assumed something about him. “Are you getting this shit from someone else?”

“Lucky guesses,” Jeongguk replied calmly, though he looked rather smug at being correct. “You read like an open book.”

“And who are you? The CEO of a company?” Jimin asked childishly. Jeongguk’s lips twitched in another small smirk.

“Something like that,” he replied. “I’m the man in charge. S9K just bought out APEX. Big merger. Cause for celebration, I’d assume.”

“I see you can read.”

“I dabble in it,” Jeongguk answered smoothly, ignoring Jimin’s snarky responses to everything that came out of his mouth. “Could this perhaps be the reason you seem so irritated?”

“For the last goddamn time, I’m not irritated,” Jimin snapped, but his tone immediately betrayed his words, so he sighed. Jeongguk ran his right hand over his mouth contemplatively, thumb and pointer finger pinching his bottom lip together before he dropped the hand altogether, tongue pressing into one cheek for a moment.

“I have at least three more minutes left of my portion of the ride,” he noted. “And I’m a good listener. Could be therapeutic to vent to a stranger. It’s been known to relieve stress.”

Jimin hummed, and then he snorted as the taxi took a sharp right turn. “Yeah, okay. You find me a willing man in this city who would want to spend an evening at a merger celebration and I’ll pay for the goddamn fare myself.”

“Mm. No interested men at the workplace?” Jeongguk asked evenly. “No friends who could fill in for you?”

“Plenty of men at the workplace and plenty of friends,” Jimin retorted. “But none to… you know. I don’t need to be telling you this shit.”

“Oh, come on.” Jeongguk, who had been staring at the headrest of the driver’s seat while listening, finally rolled his head to the right slowly to look at Jimin. “A young man sitting in a taxi after a few drinks looking the way you do? You can’t find a date to a little party? I find that hard to believe. Perhaps you’re just not trying hard enough.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“On the contrary.” Jeongguk licks his bottom lip slowly, subconsciously. “When I said ‘looking the way do you,’ I was implying exactly the opposite of what you’re assuming. Oh, here’s my stop.”

Confused, Jimin watched as Jeongguk reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out an expensive wallet, and handed over 50,000 won, far more than was needed for the total fare, even for two people and two different drop-off locations.

“Bring him where he needs to go, and keep the change only if you’re quick,” Jeongguk instructed the driver, and then he leaned back, grabbed a bag Jimin hadn’t seen before, and threw open the taxi door. Before he got out, though, he reached into another pocket and pulled out a business card. Black, sleek, shiny, silver lettering, sharp and modern design. He held it between his pointer and middle fingers and extended it to Jimin. “Here’s my card. Call me when you need me. I’m sure you will.”

He slammed the door shut and jogged to the sidewalk behind the taxi. The driver pulled away before Jimin could even attempt to turn his head and see where this man was headed. The taxi flew around the corner, and his view of Jeon Jeongguk was no more. Bewildered and still slightly buzzed, Jimin looked down at the business card in his hand:

JEON JEONGGUK
PROFESSIONAL ESCORT SERVICES

Jimin stared and stared at the front of the card with rounded edges, and then he slowly flipped it over. It was white on the back with black lettering in Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, and English, but it all said the same thing: “A companion who cares,” followed by a phone number. No e-mail address. No physical address. Just a phone number.

An escort. He was dressed like a young rich CEO with a smug smile with a business card that probably cost more than the taxi fare, and he was a fucking escort. Jimin almost crushed the card in his hand, but he exhaled slowly as the taxi took the last turn towards his apartment building.

“That was fast. Thank you,” Jimin said politely, knowing that the fare was covered. He grabbed his bag, threw open the door, and slammed it shut. His feet barely hit the curb before the taxi was gone to hunt for the next customer, and Jimin slowly tilted his head to the sky and took another deep breath. He was doing a lot of that today, deep breathing. When he straightened his head, he glanced down again at the business card. Simple. Mysterious. Unexpected. A bit like the man who had made them.

“Fucking ridiculous,” Jimin muttered to himself, and then he shoved the card into his jacket pocket and fumbled for his key fob to get into the building. He rode the elevator to the top floor, where there were only a handful of apartments. Being a favorite at S9K at such a young age made him a relatively impressive twenty-seven-year-old with a penthouse apartment, if that was what he felt like calling it. It was only two bedrooms, but it had a magnificent view and a spacious kitchen. He and his best friend had shared the apartment until a few months ago—

“What the hell?” Jimin said with a laugh, peeking into what was supposed to be the spare bedroom. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms as the massive duvet rustled.

“…What time is it?” Kim Taehyung asked in a groggy voice, his ashy blonde hair sticking up in all directions, squinting as he rubbed his eyes.

“Almost ten o’clock,” Jimin replied as Taehyung flopped back onto the pillows. “Don’t you have somewhere else to live?”

“Still have a key.” Taehyung’s arm flew up in the air, and Jimin saw the key on a pink plastic spiral bracelet. “Is it really almost ten o’clock?”

“Yup.”

Taehyung shot upright again.

“Morning or night?” he demanded, because the curtains were closed and blocked out much of the light that normally came into the room.

“Morning,” Jimin lied, and Taehyung immediately rocketed out of bed and started to grab for clothes. The moment he did, Jimin burst out laughing and walked into the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. Taehyung stopped dead in his tracks with just his black jeans on, gripping the shirt he’d left on the floor.

“Are you fucking with me?” he asked tiredly.

“Hobi hyung didn’t show up for drinks after work,” Jimin said conversationally, so Taehyung immediately lunged and smacked Jimin on the side of the head before collapsing onto the bed again with a groan.

“Yeah, he was supposed to do something for his sister tonight,” Taehyung sighed. “I could kill you right now.”

“Was ten o’clock in the morning a bad thing?”

“I have a sunrise photoshoot tomorrow with product placement,” Taehyung replied. “And they’re paying me like a king.”

Taehyung had gone to a university for the arts, and he had graduated early and gone straight into professional photography. With Jimin’s help (for free, though Jimin never used it against him), Taehyung marketed himself so perfectly that he shot to near infamy in Seoul and all the surrounding cities within a matter of three months. He was even sought after in Japan and Thailand now. He was Jimin and Hoseok’s first guinea pig while they worked at S9K, and he was also their only free client to this day. For Jimin, it was because Taehyung was his best friend. For Hoseok, it was because he was whipped.

“So why are you sleeping here?” Jimin asked. Taehyung had moved out to live with Hoseok a few months ago after Hoseok had spent murderous weeks badgering Jimin at work over whether or not it was a good idea. He tended to be a nervous talker, so of course, he always had a pro and then seven or eight cons each morning when he came into the office. And Jimin, the very person who had set Hoseok up with his childhood best friend, had patiently (while inwardly screaming) listened to every what-if scenario. And then he had finally shouted at Hoseok that he was “in love, damn it, just fucking ask him to move in with you and leave me alone! Stop trying to pop the question like a marriage proposal!”
Hoseok had just asked Taehyung over text after that outburst.

“It was closer than our place,” Taehyung reasoned, and he wasn’t wrong depending on where he had been earlier. “I didn’t think I could make it. I was falling asleep behind the wheel.”

“Oh, you drove?”

“I was out in Gimpo for a shoot today. And don’t tell me that’s not a far drive. It is when you’re dead tired.”

“Wasn’t gonna say anything,” Jimin replied, holding his hands up innocently and then ruffling his soft black hair.

“You seem off.” Taehyung sat up again, ever observant. He and Jimin and been best friends since childhood, always attached at the hip. They had developed a gauge for each other’s emotional capacity years ago. “What’s wrong? Drinks didn’t go well? Did you have to punch someone?”

“No,” Jimin said with a short laugh, and then he hesitated for a moment. This was Taehyung, he didn’t need to withhold anything. “Some asshole stole my cab outside of the bar.”
“Ouch.”

“Well, he didn’t exactly steal. We got in at the same time, so we shared the cab. But I hailed it,” Jimin pointed out childishly, realizing how inwardly irritated he still was at Jeon Jeongguk. Perhaps it was because he couldn’t quite put his finger on the reason why Jeongguk was still consuming his thoughts even a half hour after their brief and probably one-time encounter.

“Was he annoying? Did he make you drive around Seoul for seven hours?” Taehyung asked, half-joking.

“No, he was just—I don’t know. Weird. He guessed all these things about me, and—it was just weird. You wanna game for a little, or are you going back to Hobi hyung?”

“I was gonna go back to hyung, but if you want me to stay and game for a little, I will,” Taehyung said, which was just his way of offering companionship. Jimin wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he tended to need more of it these days with a whole apartment to himself. He missed his best friend. Most outsiders would judge their friendship, but to the two of them, everything they did was normal. They used to sleep in the same bed and cuddle, shower together, walk around the apartment naked without asking permission first. Now Jimin had to hug a pillow, shower alone, and keep his dirty jokes to himself.

“I’m good. I’m sure he’ll want to see you,” Jimin said.

“Yeah, well, I’ve taken a good nap and a long shower, so I’m ready for action,” Taehyung said, and it was ambiguous, but Jimin groaned jokingly with a chuckle and opened up the fridge in search of water.

“Yeah?” Jimin cracked open the water bottle. “Opened yourself up nice for him?”

“Don’t be a creep. I talked to him earlier. You know he swears that the night of the merger party, he’ll bottom in celebration,” Taehyung said, and Jimin snorted with laughter. Jung Hoseok was anything but a bottom when it came to sex, so Jimin would believe it when he heard it.

“Yeah, you let me know how he takes it when you top. I’d like to hear about it. I need new ammunition to tease him at the office.”

“I’ll take notes afterwards,” Taehyung promised.

“Don’t think he’d like that.”

Chapter Text

Jimin was the glue that held the friendship circle together. He and Taehyung had been friends for decades. Jimin had met Kim Namjoon, local genius boy, at university in his first business course. Then Jimin had graduated and started working at S9K, where he’d met Hoseok. Hoseok had a friend from high school, smart kid in medical school named Kim Seokjin, and when Hoseok had thrown a house party for his birthday, Jimin had brought Taehyung with him and asked if he could invite Namjoon. He had then made the mistake (thought it was a cute mistake) of introducing Namjoon to Seokjin. Three and a half years later, they were engaged, and Hoseok had stopped fucking around a year and a half ago and had grown the balls to ask Taehyung on a date.

And then there was Jimin, still alone.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. He had dated a cute boy in high school, and then he had dived headfirst into a relationship with another guy two years older than him in university. That had lasted for a year, and then he had graduated and disappeared, leaving Jimin alone and heartbroken. So Jimin had spent his last two years of college sleeping around for fun, sticking his dick into any gorgeous guy who breathed or who could handle a one-night stand without clinging, deciding once and for all that he was most definitely more of a dominant top, not a bottom. Being hired at S9K had slowed him down a little, but he had still managed to maintain a steady sex life up until about a few months ago when Taehyung had moved out. For some reason, that had completely demotivated him to do much of anything.

But of course, being the glue meant that Jimin always sat at the point of every table whenever they shared a meal.

“Okay, but have you ever considered it?”

“It would be more of an aesthetic.”

“It would be a bitch to edit.”

“Why do you always go to the extreme?” Kim Namjoon sighed, rolling his head to look over at Kim Seokjin, who was already laughing. Taehyung rolled his eyes.

“Buy me a bunch of disposable cameras, hyung, and I’ll consider it. Maybe I’ll take some pictures of you after you finish your residency,” he offered.

“Do you get a cap and gown?” Hoseok asked casually.

“I get a surgical cap, you uneducated loser,” Seokjin joked, but then he frowned. “But it’ll ruin my hair and my handsome face in every photo.”

“Literally nothing could ruin this face,” Namjoon said with a sigh, as if he had placated Seokjin multiple times before. He reached over and squeezed Seokjin’s cheeks between one hand, and then he picked his fork back up and looked at Jimin. “Tell me again why we aren’t invited to this party?”

“It’s a merger party for the company,” Jimin emphasized, amused. “Do either of you work for S9K?”

“I could be the medic on hand,” Seokjin offered.

“I could sue people,” Namjoon added, and Jimin let out a laugh and shook his head as Namjoon pointed at Taehyung. “He gets to go.”

“Plus one,” Taehyung bragged, and he reached over and massaged Hoseok’s neck briefly. “Get yourself one of those.”

“You know what?” Jimin sat forward and leaned his elbows on the table. “That’d be great. One of you can be my date. The e-mail was—I mean, you should read it. They were pretty clear that being alone would not be in good taste. Guess they want attendance and attention, so let’s give it to them. One of you can come with me.”

Namjoon and Seokjin exchanged a silent, telepathic look.

“Nah,” Seokjin said.

“Pass,” Namjoon added, and Jimin sputtered.

“You just said you wanted to go!”

“That was a formality. We don’t need to go to a stuffy marketing party. Do you people know how to have fun? Doctors do. You should see us at parties,” Seokjin said with a grin, and then he pretended to scold himself. “‘Don’t consume too much alcohol! Don’t smoke anything at all! Eat well!’ We do the exact opposite, sometimes all at the same time.”

“You probably have a shift on Saturday night, anyways,” Namjoon reminded Seokjin. “And I’m saying no for my morals. And also to spare my poor fiancé.”

“Please, it’s not for his sake,” Jimin snapped. “It’s because you know he’ll badger you every five minutes for a play-by-play of what’s happening.”

“He makes a good point,” Seokjin said, tilting his drink towards Jimin before taking a sip. His friends were nothing if not perceptive, but Jimin slumped in his seat and spent the remainder of their Wednesday night dinner scowling, even when Taehyung abandoned Hoseok to cuddle him. Taehyung could always sense when Jimin just needed a hug or needed attention. Hoseok never minded, and Namjoon and Seokjin thought nothing of it when Taehyung held Jimin’s hand or played with his hair or kissed his face affectionately. Sometimes it just calmed Jimin down.

“C’mon.” Taehyung was still holding Jimin’s hand as Seokjin drove away with Namjoon in the passenger seat, both of them waving. “Don’t go into this mode.”

“What mode?” Jimin asked as Hoseok stood by, eyes trained on his phone. Taehyung turned and took both of Jimin’s hands, swinging them back and forth with a small smile.

“Your fifth wheel mode,” Taehyung said with absolutely no tact, only because he knew he could get away with it. “You know we all love you. I’m sure Namjoon hyung and Jin hyung would have loved to go with you to the party, but they’re right. It would be weird.”

“To show up with a doctor or a lawyer?”

“To show up with an engaged man,” Taehyung said with a chuckle, wrapping his arms around Jimin’s neck like they were slow dancing. Then he nuzzled Jimin’s nose with his. “I love you. Please don’t lose sleep over this.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Jimin grumbled.

“Hyung!” Taehyung pulled away and grabbed for Hoseok. “Tell Jiminie that you love him.”

“What? Why?” Hoseok wrinkled his nose and lowered his phone, and Jimin finally laughed. Jung Hoseok didn’t say the words “I love you” out loud to anyone. He was sure that Hoseok reserved those words only for Taehyung in private when he was sure no one could hear him, probably when Taehyung was submitting (which Jimin knew he did well) to whatever sexual act he had in mind.

“Because he’s looking at me like we’re treating him like a charity case, and we’re not,” Taehyung emphasized, slipping his arm around Hoseok’s waist. “We’re looking out for him like best friends do. And cheering him on to find a date.”

“Oh. Well, yeah, of course. Hey, you can always ask Seokwon-ssi,” Hoseok teased.

“You have a good life up till now, hyung?” Jimin asked casually. “Because you won’t live to see morning.”

“I love a good death threat,” Taehyung said with a happy sigh. “Hey, drive safely. If I don’t see you this week, I’ll get to see you Saturday! And text me when you have a date!”

***

Jimin didn’t text Taehyung on Thursday. He didn’t text Taehyung on Friday, either. Instead, he sat at his desk on Friday afternoon, scrolling through his text messages. He had reached out to almost every guy he knew, trying to gauge if any of them were free on Saturday or interested in accompanying him to a party. None of them really were, though Jimin hadn’t formally asked in fear of being consistently rejected. He had poked around enough to realize that none of them were free in any sense of the word. He had also already made a massive mistake of bragging to the second-year pricks that he had a date, thank you very much, and that they needed to… well, he hadn’t said anything kind. But now he was scrambling.

“Are you sure?”

“Jiminie,” Namjoon sighed over the phone as Jimin watched the traffic fly by from his perch in his office. “C’mon. You can show up alone. Be the rebel.”

“Did you not read the email I forwarded you?”

“You threatened to sue me if I didn’t, so yeah, I read it,” Namjoon said dully.

“So you realize that it wasn’t a suggestion.”

“I mean, it could very well be a suggestion, but it—well, you know. It seemed like more of a strong preference,” Namjoon admitted. “It’s not legally binding, you know. There’s always a loophole. You do have a younger brother you could take.”

“Who lives in Japan now and doesn’t have time for me.”

“Right, forgot about that. Okay, fine. I concede. Just keep checking social media. Maybe an old university friend? If I have time, I’ll look into it tonight. No promises.”

Namjoon was a good friend and a man of his word. While Jimin was out at the bar that night with Hoseok, Junseo, Beomseok, and a bunch of other guys from the office, he got a text with a list of five potential guys from Namjoon. Unfortunately, none of them checked out positively, but Jimin sent Namjoon a text back saying he promised a lovely wedding present in return for such great service. Namjoon sent him a face-palming emoji back. So Jimin texted that he gave great blowjobs and could offer one as a gift instead, and to ask Taehyung if he wasn’t convinced (best friends and drunken university nights, and Taehyung was fucking beautiful naked). Then Namjoon sent back a flat-faced emoji and a waving hand emoji of dismissal.

Since Taehyung was in Incheon until midafternoon completing a photoshoot, Hoseok met Jimin for brunch on Saturday morning. Unlike the others, Hoseok had carefully avoided asking Jimin any questions that even vaguely referred to having a date for the merger celebration that night—until they both had food in front of them.

“So.” Hoseok poked his chopsticks at the sunny side up egg, and Jimin watched the yolk spill onto the rice, soaking in. “Party’s tonight. Do you, uh… I mean, did you find a date?”

Jimin took a bite of his food as a distraction and chewed for far longer than he should have, but Hoseok didn’t know that he was weighing his options. He could shake his head sadly and say no, but then Hoseok would go all awkward because he wasn’t really the best as being empathetic. He could say it was none of Hoseok’s business, but then Hoseok would get pushy and would absolutely threaten to text Taehyung for details. Feeling far too brave, Jimin took a big sip of his mimosa.

“Yeah, of course I did,” he boldly said, and Hoseok raised his eyebrows, food falling off his chopsticks as he hesitated.

“You did?” He took his bite while eying Jimin carefully.

“Yup,” Jimin said shortly. “Sure did.”

“Oh. Well, I mean, that’s great!” Hoseok said cheerfully. “That’s really good. Who is it?”

“You don’t know him,” Jimin said, but then he realized how suspicious such a cliché response sounded. “As in, you haven’t met him before. I—Like, I haven’t really… It’s complicated.”

“Complicated, huh?” Hoseok wiggled his eyebrows jokingly, and then he snorted into his food and gathered up more on his chopsticks. “Alright, lover boy. Guess I’ll believe it when I see it. Just make sure you text Tae, though. He’ll want to know. He’s been asking me about it all week.”

“He never quits, does he?”

So after brunch, Jimin fired off a text to Taehyung with shaking fingers saying that he had a date for the party. Taehyung’s response was an excited keyboard smash only seconds after Jimin texted. Nothing else. Just nonsense.

By the time Jimin got home from brunch and from a quick round of grocery shopping, he realized how fucking screwed he was. He could lie, say that his date was a loser and cancelled on him at the last minute. He could say that his date became violently ill after some bad pre-party shots at Jimin’s place. There were so many stories he could tell, but his friends weren’t idiots. They would have questions, and Jimin didn’t want to answer them.

“Shit, shit, shit,” he cursed as he paced his living room, messing with his hair and checking the clock every thirty seconds. Time was truly running out. It was close to dinnertime now. The party was all but here, and he was out of options—

Holy shit.

Jimin dove for his bedroom, threw open his closet, and yanked one of his jackets off the hanger so hard that the hanger fell to the floor. Then he shoved his hand into one of the pockets and let out a breathy laugh of triumph as he pulled out the black business card.

JEON JEONGGUK
PROFESSIONAL ESCORT SERVICES

“I’m a fucking idiot,” Jimin muttered to himself, instantly deflating when he read the front of the card, his victorious smile fading fast. Fuck, what was he thinking? Was he really so desperate that he was ready to stoop as low as to fucking hire someone to pretend to be his date? In all of his twenty-seven years of life, he couldn’t remember a time when he had felt so frantic and confused. This wasn’t like hiring a prostitute, was it? Shit, what was he even doing? He shook his head rapidly and rubbed his eyes.

“Okay, just… just call,” he whispered to himself. “Just call and see. It’s probably a load of shit.”

Jimin grabbed his phone and punched in the number on the card, realizing that his hands were shaking now. His thumb hovered over the green button as he collapsed onto the couch. If he pressed it, there was no turning back.

Fuck it.

The phone rang once. Twice. A third time—

“Jeon Jeongguk speaking.”

“Hello.” Jimin cleared his throat, closing his eyes as he sank further into the couch. “Uh… you gave me your card.”

“Hello, Park Jimin,” Jeongguk said immediately, his tone changing from formal and clipping to a bit more relaxed. “How can I be of service to you?”

“I don’t know. How can you?” Jimin asked, covering his eyes with one hand as he took a deep breath. “What are you, is the better question.”

“The uneducated would call me an escort,” Jeongguk replied without a hint of embarrassment. “But I’m not for the faint of heart or those short on cash. I provide outstanding and unparalleled companionship to interested parties, specifically tailored to your wants and needs. I’m paid by the hour. I can do one-off events or long-term agreements. If my client is satisfied with my services, we typically enjoy a long and rewarding relationship. So then, Park Jimin. Do you have any current wants or needs? Perhaps an upcoming merger celebration?”

“Don’t be an asshole,” Jimin snapped, embarrassed. “It’s—Yeah. It’s tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“At eight o’clock.”

“That’s in two hours.”

“I’m well aware,” Jimin said tersely. “Can you—Can you come or not?”

“I’ll have to hike my rates a bit for such a last minute request,” Jeongguk said smoothly. “But I do have a free block tonight from seven o’clock to one in the morning. I suppose I can make it. I’ll remind you again that I’m not cheap.”

“I get it.”

“I don’t think you do. 600,000 won per hour is often a deal breaker.”

“Fucking—Jesus Christ,” Jimin sighed, irritated the moment he heard the number. “Are you—? You know what? Fine. I can afford it. I don’t care at this point.”

“Great. Your address, please, and I’ll be there shortly with a contract.”

Jimin rattled off his address, and then hung up with shaking hands before Jeongguk could say another word to unnerve him. He let out an audible groan, banged his forehead once gently on the armrest of the couch, and then hoisted himself up to take a shower.

When he got out of the steaming shower (after leaning his head on the tiles for a good five minutes contemplating the mean of his life), he threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, because he still had to decide on an outfit for the party. And of course, that was the moment when he heard a loud triple knock on his door. Frazzled, Jimin lunged back and forth between his closet and his bedroom door, but then he let out another frustrated sigh and decided to answer the door, forgoing better clothing because as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t stand listening to persistent knocking on the door.

“…I hope I’m dressed appropriately.”

“You are,” Jimin said, embarrassed as he opened the door further, but he couldn’t stop staring. All preconceptions and misplaced anger aside, Jeon Jeongguk was a goddamn beautiful man. His black hair was still in effortless waves. His skin was glowing. When he casually cracked his knuckles, the veins in his hands were a sight to see. He was wearing all black—black pants, black silk button-up with a few buttons undone, black jacket, all hugging every inch of his perfectly proportionate body, tiny waist and all. He was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous—

“Are we taking care of things in the hallway?” Jeongguk asked when he realized that Jimin was frozen. Jimin cleared his throat and stepped aside, wordlessly letting Jeongguk into his apartment. Jeongguk’s dark doe eyes scanned the entire space first before he pivoted and clasped his hands together.

“Sorry,” Jimin apologized shortly, mostly about his lack of proper attire.

“I don’t have time for apologies,” Jeongguk said. “You called me at…” He checked his phone. “Quarter to six. Here I am at quarter to seven, ready to go. The party begins at eight o’clock. That gives me exactly forty-five minutes, maybe less.”

“For what?”

“To learn about my client,” Jeongguk said. “I typically ask my clients to complete a questionnaire and join me for a quick lunch or coffee break before I attend social gatherings or insert myself into their lives. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite given that opportunity, so I have to make do. First things first—I’ll need you to sign the contract.”

“You were serious?” Jimin asked, slightly taken aback. “You have an actual contract for this kind of thing?”

“I’m a professional,” Jeongguk said, reaching into his jacket pocket and removed a smaller envelope that contained papers. “My clients pay the kind of money they do for excellent and unmatched service. To do so, I require a signed contract. It’s quite simple. I don’t think you’ll find any problems.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Jimin grumbled, and he accepted the envelope and removed the contract. It was a few pages stapled together, front and back, and he began to skim over it. The first portions were simple—just Jimin agreeing to pay the given price, a few things about remaining in good health and giving notice for cancellations, an entire page about escort-client privilege and anonymity, and—

“I’m sorry, what the hell is this?” Jimin snapped. “You gave me a price of 600,000 won per hour. Why am I suddenly paying an extra 100,000?”

“I told you. You called me two or so hours before your actual event,” Jeongguk replied. “If you had been given the appropriate time to read through the contract, you would have seen that I charge a fee of 100,000 won to compensate if I’m asked for service less than four hours beforehand.”

“Fucking unbelievable,” Jimin spat out, shaking his head with a bitter laugh.

“Write your name on that little line if you agree to it,” Jeongguk said airily as he sat down on the barstool, leaning one elbow on the countertop with his pointer and middle finger pressed to his temple, thumb under his chin. Staring. Watching. Waiting for Jimin to just sign away his money. And Jimin was regrettably desperate, so he wrote his name on the line with a clenched jaw.

“…Seriously?” Jimin said flatly after he turned another page. “This is a joke.”

“Actually, that’s the most important part of the contract,” Jeongguk smoothly replied. “And I’ll need to sign your name very clearly to say that you understand.”

“A ‘no sexual encounters’ clause?” Jimin snorted. “That’s a necessary part of this?”

“You’d be surprised at how many amateurs contact me thinking that I’m hirable just for sex,” Jeongguk said, licking his lips with a small smirk. “It’s my number one rule. I provide companionship, nothing more. If a client suggests any type of sexual activity, I have the right to break the contract. However, if you are interested in sex, I do make a great wingman.”

“I’m good,” Jimin said with another little laugh. “Like anyone would pay this price just to have sex with you.”

“You underestimate me, hyung,” Jeongguk said in a lower voice, lifting his chin slightly as Jimin put the pen to paper again. Jimin’s hand nearly slipped before he properly wrote his name, mostly because Jeongguk’s voice sent an unexpected shiver down his spine. “And that’s my first question.”

“What?”

“I’ve gathered that you’re older than me.”

“Doubt it.” Jimin scrawled his name. “I’m twenty-seven.”

“Older than me,” Jeongguk declared, and Jimin turned his head slightly to hide his widened eyes. “Would you prefer I remain faithful to honorifics or would you like us to speak casually?”

“Friendly honorifics will do,” Jimin said curtly. “Here’s your contract.”

“Excellent.” Jeongguk took his pen back, clicked the top, and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket. “Now. I see that you still have to get ready, so my questions will have to be short.”

“What kinds of questions?”

“The getting-to-know-you type.”

“Okay, fine. Shoot.” Jimin sat down on the other barstool, exhausted already.

“When’s your birthday?”

“October thirteenth.”

“Do you have siblings?”

“I have a younger brother.”

“How many years have you been at your current job?”

“Three.”

“How do you take your coffee?”

“Black.”

“How do you take your alcohol?”

“By mouth.”

Jeongguk took a breath like he was about to ask another rapid-fire question, but then he let out a breathy laugh on the exhale, amused. Even Jimin, still displeased with the whole situation, felt his lips twitch in a hint of a smile.

“Right. And your friends’ names are?”

“Not important.”

“Wrong. They’re the most important thing about you,” Jeongguk replied. “How can I do my job if I don’t know anything about your friends? You have an extra toothbrush in your bathroom. You must have a best friend who stays here a lot.”

“At what point does this get creepy?” Jimin asked, but Jeongguk just smiled smugly. The bathroom door had been left ajar, but the very fact that he had seen the countertop just from walking into the apartment was admittedly impressive. “Yeah, okay, fine. Kim Taehyung. Same age as me. We’ve been best friends since we were five. He’s a professional photographer. He stays here less now that I got him a boyfriend. Not sure if I regret it or I think it’s cute.”

“And his boyfriend’s name is?”

“Jung Hoseok. Year and a half older than me. He’s a digital marketing specialist with my company,” Jimin sighed. “They’ve been together for a year and a half. I set them up.”

“Are you friends with Hoseok?”

“Yeah. We’re really close.”

“Okay. Other friends?”

“Kim Namjoon. We went to the same university and took a few business classes together. He’s a year older than me. Environmental lawyer. Smartest guy I know, besides his fiancé. Kim Seokjin. Also older than me. He’s almost done his residency at the hospital in the city. They’re already itching to hire him. So they’ll be the two richest assholes I know.”

“So you’ve surrounded yourself,” Jeongguk said ambiguously, and then he shrugs. “Okay. Good to know. Are there any topics that you would say are off-limits when speaking to random people at parties?”

“Uh, just the usual.”

“Which is?”

“My private life,” Jimin muttered, trying to breathe deeply so that his ears would stop burning. “I don’t need people asking personal questions.”

“Noted. And that’s the time,” Jeongguk said, looking at his Rolex. “We should go. I might suggest changing into something more party appropriate.”

Jimin rolled his eyes and marched into his bedroom, slamming the door shut childishly. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes until he saw stars, and then he sighed and threw open his closet. He picked a white button-up shirt and paired it with a grey suit and brown shoes, and then he quickly blow-dried his hair and brushed through it until it fell just the way he wanted it. He didn’t always see himself as attractive, but he did quite like his hair. Most of the dozens of guys he slept with in university liked it, too. Liked to play with it, pull on it, would whine if Jimin didn’t let them touch it.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Jimin stepped out of the bathroom, and Jeongguk glanced up from his phone, thumbs hovering over the screen. The way that he scanned Jimin from head to toe made Jimin’s ears burn, so he busied himself with searching for his wallet as Jeongguk stood up from the barstool.

“I drove here,” he said. “So I can drive to the party, if you’d like.”

“There’ll be alcohol there. Don’t think you’ll want to drive,” Jimin warned him, shoving his wallet into his right pocket.

“I don’t drink.”

“Come again?” Jimin raised his eyebrows, and Jeongguk chuckled, hands in his pockets as he shuffled closer to Jimin. Jesus, what was it about this asshole that made Jimin feel like he was burning from the inside out?

“When I’m working,” Jeongguk added. “I don’t drink more than maybe a glass of wine or a small glass of whiskey. Nothing that would compromise me.”

“Right. You’re working.” Jimin let out a flat, breathy laugh. “Let’s just go.”

It didn’t surprise Jimin in the least when Jeongguk unlocked his dark grey Mercedes E Class, which was valet parked right out front of Jimin’s building. His legs were longer, so he took one large step in front of Jimin and opened the passenger side door for him.

“Thank you,” Jimin murmured, realizing that perhaps he should be polite to the man he was fucking paying to be his date. When he sank into the seat and Jeongguk shut the door, he pressed his thumb into one eye and pointer finger into the other, trying to take a deep breath. He had done some stupid shit before, but this had to take the cake. He never should have opened his mouth at the office and bragged about having a plus one. Never. There were online horror stories about shit like this, about escorts ruining their client’s lives, about being ripped off or robbed, about being exploited.

“Do you need to see my license?” Jeongguk asked politely as he put his seatbelt on.

“What? No, I’m not your mother,” Jimin sighed, though he secretly appreciated the professionalism of it all in the midst of his fretting. Jeongguk was clearly well-practiced. Jimin had to wonder how many others had sat in the passenger seat before him. Surely dozens, if Jeongguk drove a Mercedes and dressed the way he did, and especially with the confidence that he exuded.

“I need to know the places that you frequent on a weekly basis.”

“I’m sorry?” Jimin said in a higher voice, and he glanced over at Jeongguk. Jeongguk’s right hand re-gripped the steering wheel, and something odd stirred inside the pit of Jimin’s stomach. Suddenly feeling hot, he cleared his throat. “My what?”

“Places that you frequent,” Jeongguk repeated, stopping at a red light. “A gym, a coffee shop, a grocery store. Where do you go on a scheduled basis? Anywhere?”

“Uh, I go running four mornings per week,” Jimin answered uncomfortably. “And I shop at the grocery store one block from my building. That’s it.”

“Mm. And what position would you like me to take in your life?”

“Position?”

“Am I a casual friend who just wanted to join the party? Am I a real date?” Jeongguk rattled off calmly. “Knowing where I stand will help me to ensure that you look your best.”

“I—I don’t really care,” Jimin stuttered, looking back out the window. “You can be whatever you want.”

“That’s a dangerous offer.”

“Yeah, well, this is a dangerous idea,” Jimin admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose in distress. “I don’t know the first thing about you.”

“So then you invent things. A key point of my profession is to not disclose any part of my personal life to the client,” Jeongguk replied like the expert he was. “My job is to provide you with companionship, whether in public or in private, and learn all about you. My life shouldn’t matter to clients. Don’t let it matter to you.”

“I won’t.”

Jimin took comfort in the fact that the venue for the merger celebration was only ten minutes from his apartment. Jeongguk pulled in behind other cars that were lined up on the cobblestone underneath the large awning, waiting patiently until a valet could assist them. Jeongguk handed over 20,000 won, a damn fortune for a simple valet park, and then he handed over his keys and beckoned to Jimin, offering an elbow. Jimin eyed it warily, but then he accepted it, taking Jeongguk’s arm at the bicep with one hand, feeling bizarre being so close to someone again with such nerves coursing through his veins. He could manhandle Taehyung with no inhibition, could touch all his friends without feeling the adrenaline rush. Now he was just touching Jeongguk’s arm and he felt heavy in the head.

“I did the bare minimum research on your company in the time that I had,” Jeongguk said as they walked together through the automatic glass doors, greeted by the chatter of people mingling in the lobby before joining the party in the ballroom.

“And?”

“Fortune 500 two years in a row. Rated top marketing company in the greater Seoul region, third in the country. And a nice little mention of a phenomenal new freshman class of employees from a few years ago,” Jeongguk said, and Jimin clenched his jaw. He had been recognized during the end of his first year at S9K for bringing in a huge amount of revenue and solidifying several long-term relationships with clients. He was a people person, something that didn’t always come easily to most men in business, and that was his selling point.

“What are you saying?” Jimin asked.

“I’m saying that you’re damn good at your job, and I’m impressed. Something to brag about to others, I suppose,” Jeongguk said with a small smile. “Would you like to get a drink first before we head into the party?”

“This will be the longest night of my life, so sure,” Jimin sighed.

“Don’t quit on me just yet, hyung,” Jeongguk said in an almost singsong voice, pivoting towards the bar as Jimin’s rebuttal died in his throat. He was too busy swaying slightly on the spot to hear what Jeongguk requested from the bartender, but moments later, after Jeongguk handed over a generous tip to the woman, he had a Manhattan in his hand that went down so smoothly he was almost tempted to chug it. Jeongguk had the same drink, though Jimin was sure that he would be nursing it and sipping it all night long if he was determined not to get even remotely tipsy. Jimin was the opposite. He was determined to get drunk to forget about the horrible decision he had made to bring a fucking escort to a public party.

“This way, hyung—the party,” Jeongguk insisted, his eyes sparkling as he gestured with his drink to the opened double doors of the ballroom. When he placed a hand on Jimin’s back gently to guide him, Jimin almost snapped at him, but then he remembered that to the outside world, Jeongguk was his date. He had to play it cool. But he also couldn’t help but realize that Jeongguk’s hand covered nearly the entirety of the small of his back, couldn’t help but realize how weak a simple touch made him. Could be blame it on the alcohol, or was it too soon for that? He was only a man, after all. A man with a beautiful date.

“JIMINIE!”

Jimin had barely stepped over the threshold of the ballroom before he heard Hoseok calling his name loudly over the casual music and excited chatter in the ballroom. The crystal chandeliers were sparkling, there were banners celebrating the joining of S9K and APEX, and waiters were walking around with trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Hoseok’s smile, however, was brighter than all of the chandeliers combined. He was hand-in-hand with Taehyung, and when the two of them saw Jeongguk with a hand on Jimin’s back, they stopped dead in their tracks for a split second and exchanged a look, so in sync (and in love) with one another that they reacted in the same way at the same time.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you had a date,” Taehyung immediately said, and Hoseok roughly nudged him with an elbow. Then he extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Hoseok said politely, and Jeongguk shook his hand with a smile. “Jung Hoseok.”

“Hi, I’m Jeongguk,” Jeongguk replied without using a last name. “Nice to meet you, too.” He glanced over at Taehyung. “Then you must be the famous Kim Taehyung. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh yeah?” Taehyung shook Jeongguk’s hand.

“Absolutely. Hyung’s best friend and soulmate, from what I’ve gathered,” Jeongguk said with a smile, glancing at Jimin with what looked like pride and affection.

“That’s me,” Taehyung said proudly, hooking elbows with Hoseok.

“You know, Jiminie’s never mentioned you before,” Hoseok said, cocking his head to the side. “Where did you meet?”

“I wouldn’t really say we met,” Jeongguk said with a small laughing, glancing fondly at Jimin before turning back to Hoseok. “I’d more say that he was minding his own business on his morning runs, and I happened to run the opposite direction on more than one morning.”

“Oh, this is cute,” Taehyung decided, grinning. “Go on.”

“I mean, it went on for months. It was embarrassing how much I liked him just from watching him run,” Jeongguk laughed, his hand on the small of Jimin’s back again. Hoseok and Taehyung both noticed and looked at Jimin with obnoxious grins, as if they were just collecting ammunition to fire at Jimin for teasing purposes. “So one day about, what? Was it a week ago?”

“Almost two weeks,” Jimin lied immediately, trying to catch on to Jeongguk’s story and play along.

“Right, nearly two weeks now. He stopped for a breather and I thought, ‘Okay, this is my chance.’ So I went up and offered some water. We got to talking. Exchanged numbers. And when he called me the other day to invite me to this, I couldn’t believe it,” Jeongguk said, sounding amazed. “Have you seen how beautiful this man is? Honestly. His laugh could cure a fatal disease.”

“You’re embarrassing me,” Jimin muttered, half-joking and half-honest. Damn it all, Jeongguk was good at this. No wonder he charged so much for his services. Hoseok and Taehyung were nearly melting, now clinging to each other because they couldn’t bear how cute Jeongguk’s story was, how much he was fawning over their sweet Jimin.

“I’m sorry, I’ll stop,” Jeongguk apologized sincerely, rubbing Jimin’s back with affection. “I’ve heard a lot about both of you. How’s the photography business?”

“Busy,” Taehyung sighed, though he looked impressed that Jimin had even mentioned him to Jeongguk. “What is it that you do for work?”

“I’m in the business side of customer service. It’s dull, really. I won’t bore you with details, but it pays the bills,” Jeongguk replied without skipping a beat, and then he added, “And it pays for date nights.”

“Necessary,” Hoseok agreed, and then he gripped Taehyung’s hand tighter. “We won’t keep you. Enjoy the party. It was very nice to meet you, Jeongguk.”

Jeongguk bowed politely to both Hoseok and Taehyung, and then he turned to go the other direction as Hoseok tried to steer Taehyung away. As he did, Taehyung looked over his shoulder at Jimin with wide eyes and mouthed, “You better fuck him.” Jimin glared at him and then hurried to Jeongguk’s side.

“Customer service?” he repeated disdainfully. Jeongguk turned back around, and suddenly, he had a fresh drink in his hand that he handed straight to Jimin. Scotch. A favorite of his.

“Both truthful and ambiguous,” Jeongguk replied. “And they seemed to like it.”

“So what are you, my fake boyfriend?”

“I’ll be whatever you want me to be,” Jeongguk said in a low voice, and Jimin almost choked on the first sip of his new drink. “Seems like there’s a lot to do here. Do you need to mingle with any of the employees from APEX?”

“Oh. Yeah, I might want to try that,” Jimin said. “Just… follow my lead.”

Jimin found a few of the higher-ups from S9K already deep in conversation with some of the higher-ups from APEX, but when Jimin approached, they all called his name at the same time and pulled him in, a few drinks deep and happy to see him even though sometimes they wanted to strangle one another. After at least a dozen claps on the back, Jimin reached his hand behind him, and Jeongguk took it and joined in as Jimin introduced him.

“Jimin-ah always pulls the good-looking ones,” Hwang Kiyoung said, shaking his head and tossing back the rest of his drink. He used to share an office with Jimin, so they were well-acquainted. “You in marketing, Jeongguk-ah? Come join us.”

“Customer service,” Jeongguk replied smoothly. “The way I hear it, S9K doesn’t need much help. Hyung’s got it all covered, right?”

“Hardly,” Jimin said as the group laughed appreciatively.

“We could always use another pretty face for our Instagram page,” Moon Sunmi said, laughing as she ran her fingers through her red hair. Trust the girl in charge of social media to try courting Jeongguk. “Jiminie’s face is all over the feed.”

“Like anyone minds,” Kiyoung said, earning another laugh. Then he started telling a joke in tandem with two other APEX employees, and Jimin stood by and listened politely, already thinking about his next drink. Jeongguk, however, laughed in all the right places and even beat one of the APEX guys to the punch line, causing all of them to burst into hysterics. When Kiyoung smacked Jeongguk on the shoulder, Jimin could see it—they were already warmed up to him. Jesus, he was good.

“Do you like mushrooms?”

“Huh?” They had just left the conversation, and Jimin was a bit dazed. “Yeah, I do. Oh.”

“Try this.” Jeongguk’s face was illuminated like an eager child as he held a small stuffed mushroom up towards Jimin’s mouth that he had somehow snagged. “I think it has cheese stuffed in it.”

The time for Jimin to be uncooperative was long gone. He obediently opened his mouth and let Jeongguk feed him, and as he closed his mouth and began to chew, Jeongguk popped his own mushroom into his mouth and chewed happily. As he sucked a bit of the filling off the side of his thumb, he stared at Jimin, and Jimin almost choked for the second time that night.

“It’s so good,” Jeongguk said. “What do you think?”

“Delicious,” Jimin admitted. “Actually, where’d the guy with the tray of them go?”

Jeongguk stifled a laugh, and then he rose up on his toes with his chin slightly lifted, looking around the room. He let out a breath of discovery, and then he grabbed Jimin’s hand tightly and began to pull him through the crowd. Jimin’s smaller hand nearly disappeared in Jeongguk’s, the grip tight, but he blindly followed, suddenly and abruptly okay with being led around by the hand. He couldn’t help but notice the way that people stared, both men and women, as Jeongguk parted the crowds with Jimin’s hand in his. Jimin smugly rolled his shoulders back when he saw the two asshole second-years who had tried to tease him about being alone, looking bored with their female dates.

“Found him,” Jeongguk said, and he tapped the waiter. He bowed politely and then asked for a few more of the mushrooms, this time taking them onto a small napkin that he held in one palm. Jimin was going to reach out for one, but then he caught Jeongguk’s eye.

“Can I feed you?” he asked Jimin nicely, almost shyly. Very unlike the businessman he was used to. Surely he was playing his part, acting for the world to see since he had convinced Hoseok and Taehyung that he was Jimin’s date. Jimin casted his eyes downward for a moment, catching his bottom lip between his teeth, and then he glanced back up and gave Jeongguk a very small shrug. Jeongguk took the first stuffed mushroom and held it up, and Jimin quietly accepted it. As he chewed, he watched Jeongguk pick one for himself, but he grabbed Jeongguk’s wrist.

“My turn,” he said, and he took the mushroom out from between Jeongguk’s pincher grasp. Without a hint of noncompliance, Jeongguk opened his mouth. Jimin guessed that was another part of his job—to do whatever his client asked him to do. Still, Jimin had already finished his second drink and was hunting for a third, and he was starting to feel significantly more comfortable with Jeongguk as his date. Flirty, even, which is the way he tended to be after a few drinks. He was a skinship person, always loved being close to people, even more so when he was under the influence of alcohol. He could feel the point coming where he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from reaching out and touching Jeongguk like he did with Taehyung. It would just happen. He knew it.

“Look, they have pool tables,” Jeongguk noticed, pointing to a side room off the front end of the ballroom as they walked towards the bar. There were rooms for photographs and lounging as well, but the billiards room was bustling, teeming with eager businessmen ready to show off to their dates. “Do you play?”

“I’ve had enough experience in bars,” Jimin replied, glancing over as Jeongguk leaned an elbow on the bar. “Speaking of which—oh. Thank you.”

He had another drink in his hand because Jeongguk had virtually read his mind. He had long since ditched his first and only drink, but he was keeping a wary and watchful eye on Jimin.
“Don’t get too drunk,” he said in a teasing tone.

“Why, do you want to take advantage of me?” Jimin asked, and the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. But Jeongguk didn’t react, didn’t even flinch. The corners of his mouth just twitched in a small smile, and he slipped his hand into Jimin’s free hand.

“I’d never,” he whispered in Jimin’s ear, and then he raised his voice to normal volume as a shiver ran down Jimin’s spine. “Come on, let’s go play.”

To Jimin’s delight, Beomseok and Junseo were at a pool table, happily playing a casual round with a few guys from APEX, drinks resting on the plastic wooden edges of the table, pool balls scattered as Junseo grabbed for some chalk. Beomseok spotted Jimin first.

“Hey! Come play!” he called out, beckoning. Then he scooted around the pool table to make room as Jimin leaned across and exchanged some handshakes with the unfamiliar APEX guys, introducing himself and letting Jeongguk do his own introductions. The guys knew Jimin, but they seemed eerily enamored by Jeongguk’s very presence, especially when Jeongguk made a show of try to choose a cue stick.

“Baby, which one looks good for us?” he said, turning to look over his shoulder at Jimin. Jimin saw Junseo freeze with his drink halfway to his mouth, eyes widening, as Jeongguk bit one corner of his bottom lip and looked at Jimin expectantly. The game had completely halted. No one was even resetting the balls for the first break. Jimin had never scrambled over to help someone pick a cue stick so fast, his heart throbbing (not that that was the only thing throbbing now).

“This one,” Jimin said, and then he realized he was being watched. Haughty but utterly terrified, he slipped his left arm around Jeongguk’s waist to point with his right hand. Jeongguk hummed happily and picked the cue stick Jimin had suggested, and then he pivoted and ran the fingers of his left hand through Jimin’s hair before returning to the table.

“Well, you should break, then,” Beomseok offered, looking a bit confused at the sudden show of affection. He and Junseo were so used to messing around with Jimin and being wingmen to find Jimin a hot guy to fuck for the night that Jimin knew they were bewildered by Jeongguk’s very existence.

“Perfect.” Jeongguk removed the billiard rack and positioning himself in the right place. “We’ll take stripes.”

Jimin took a step to the side and watched as Jeongguk slowly bent at waist and set up his cue stick on the cue ball, sliding it back and forth between his fingers as he cocked his head to the side in concentration. Then he snapped the cue stick forward and broke, the balls scattered across the table. Jimin watched in amazement as two, three, and then four striped balls sank into the pockets.

“For fuck’s sake, are you a professional?” one of the APEX guys complained as everyone laughed in appreciation. Jeongguk straightened up with a small smirk.

“I’ve been known to enjoy a game of billiards. Or maybe I'm just good at handling balls,” he casually replied, and then he caught Jimin’s eye. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Jeongguk snickered and leaned in. “I was going to wink at you, but honestly, you wouldn’t want to see that.”

The play continued with back-and-forth banter, mostly about how Jeongguk was an unfair advantage and how dare Jimin bring him along for a game? Jimin wasn’t an amateur himself. He sank a few of the balls and received immediate praise from his date, praise that made his fingers tingle and his toe curl in his shoes. His response to Jeongguk’s approval was brand new and terrifying. Jimin was not one to enjoy praise. Typically, he liked to give out praise to submissive men during sex, but he never really liked receiving it. Jeongguk was different, though. The way that the compliments came out of his mouth were wicked in the most dizzying way to Jimin. It made his mouth dry, made his ankles wobble, made him grip the cue stick harder and wish it were something else.

“Jeonggukie,” Jimin said, almost whining at the start of the second game. Jeongguk immediately straightened up and glanced at Jimin, eyes swimming with concern. Jimin pouted and held up his empty glass, tipping it to show his date that there was nothing left. Jeongguk took the glass right away, and then he put two fingers underneath Jimin’s chin and tilted his head up just slightly.

“I’ll get you another.” His thumb tapped a spot right underneath Jimin’s bottom lip, and then he set his cue stick aside and pivoted to head out to the bar. Satisfied, Jimin turned back to the pool table, the skin of his face burning slightly from the touch, and saw the other guys staring. Smug, he grabbed the cue stick Jeongguk had left behind, as well as the chalk.

“What?” he innocently said, twisting chalk onto the tip of the cue stick. “Something wrong?”

“Where the hell did you find him?” Junseo asked. “There’s no way he’s human.”

“I mean, I’d make an exception for him,” Beomseok said unashamedly, and then he bent to take his turn, concentrating. “Man looks like walking sex. I’m intimidated. Ooh, shit. Missed it.”

“Everything okay?” Jeongguk reappeared and placed his hand on the small of Jimin’s back, handing over a drink with the other. Jimin snaked his arm around Jeongguk’s waist as he took a sip, acutely aware of how slim Jeongguk was, and how solid. He took a large gulp than intended at the realization.

“Mm.” Jimin licked his lips and glanced up at Jeongguk. When Jeongguk glanced down at him, Jimin’s breath quietly hitched. The look in his eyes was truly enough to end wars. Deep down, Jimin knew that the starry-eyed gaze was practiced and had been used on countless victims before him, but damn it all to hell, it didn’t make him feel any less important or wanted. Jimin suddenly understood why Jeongguk’s prices were so high, why people paid for him the way that they did when they weren’t even getting sex. This type of stare, this type of attention was something so rare to find in a genuine relationship. Why was it so easy for a paid one?

“You sure?” Jeongguk asked, fingertips gripping Jimin’s hip.

“Yeah.” Jimin took another sip. “The boys were just talking about how they’d go gay for you. Thought it was cute.”

There were a bunch of exclamations from the other guys across the pool table, but Jeongguk didn’t flinch and quite frankly, he hardly reacted at all. He just looked at them with a small smile, like he knew that one of his talents was turning men on and making them question their sexuality. It was sinful, the way that he licked his lips and then pulled his bottom lip in by his teeth for a moment before accepting his cue stick from Jimin.

After the third game of pool, the mood in the ballroom changed, because it was close to eleven o’clock now. The party ended at midnight, so the music had changed completely. It had a driving beat and it had been cranked up to a higher volume, enticing nearly everyone to hit the dance floor to end the night.

“Guess we should find our dates,” Beomseok laughed. “They weren’t interested in playing, said they were going to go gossip with the other girls.”

“Sounds boring,” Jimin replied, leaning into Jeongguk. “We wouldn’t know anything about that.”

The guys grumbled and nudged Jimin good-naturedly as they passed, telling Jeongguk it was nice to meet him, exchanging handshakes as they dispersed. Jimin immediately put the glass to his lips and tossed back the remainder of his drink, now feeling floaty and far happier than he had been upon arrival. This was easy, right? This shit was so easy.

“Wanna dance with me?” Jeongguk asked, tugging at Jimin’s arm hopefully. And that left Jimin with an opening as to how he could respond. The money he was paying Jeongguk had, so far, been very worth it. In fact, Jimin almost wanted to add a tip because he was so impressed with how simple Jeongguk had made things, how fast time had flown, how distracted he had been up to this point, how he hadn’t felt any kind of loneliness or anger at those paired off without a date. Plus, Jimin loved to dance. Had he not gone into marketing, he probably would have explored dance as a profession. Jeongguk had hope in his big brown innocent eyes, but his jawline and the veins in his hands betrayed him. And Jimin was drunk. Not sloppy drunk, but drunk enough to appreciate the very idea of having Jeongguk’s hands on him, even if there was a stupid “no sex” clause that he had signed.

“Sure,” he agreed, so Jeongguk took his hand and led him straight out into the mass of people, dragging him to a point right in the center of the ballroom floor, sandwiched between dozens of people. Jimin thought that maybe they would just face each other and do a little side-stepping to the beat of the song, but then he let out a laugh. Remembered what kind of persona he was putting on.

“Hold me,” he demanded to Jeongguk. “You’re my date, right? Come here. Dance with me like a real man.”

Jeongguk eyed him up and down in a way that made his heart gurgle in his throat, despite his misplaced drunken confidence. It was as if he was mentally reading through his own contract, trying to decide if touching Jimin, dancing closely with Jimin, being with Jimin meant that he as breaking his own rules. He must not have been able to come up with a reason. Instead, he grabbed the waiter by the shoulder who was pushing through the dancing throngs of people with flutes of champagne, grabbed one for Jimin, handed it over, and then took control.

“Shit,” Jimin cursed, lucky that Jeongguk didn’t hear him over the music. Jeongguk had taken his free hand, and then he had pulled Jimin into him by the waist, their bodies pressed together, one of his feet in between Jimin’s feet.

“You said like a real man,” Jeongguk teased. “Now dance.”

The song changed to something with a heavier bass, and Jimin drank half the flute of champagne in one go. Then he positioned himself and started to move his body, closing his eyes to feel the music. Jeongguk wasn’t like the handsy men that he met in clubs and bars. He kept his hands right where Jimin could feel them, never dipping dangerously low or anywhere suggestive, but somehow, it only made Jimin want more. He suddenly craved Jeongguk’s hands, wanted them to touch everywhere on his body, wanted Jeongguk to run his hands all over his arms and waist. Wanted to feel Jeongguk’s chest against his back, wanted to hear Jeongguk breathing in his ear, wanted to feel something. But instead, he got nothing. He danced and turned in circles and somehow kept his wits about him to avoid turning the dancing into something sexual. It was truthfully the first time he had accomplished such a feat. He was so accustomed to pressing up against unfamiliar men, grinding slowly on them, rolling his hips until they understood what he wanted, demanding hands on his body. But Jeongguk didn’t ask for any of that. Didn’t allow it, either.

“You’re a good dancer.”

“Mm?”

“I said…” Jeongguk slowly turned Jimin around by the shoulders, and Jimin grabbed Jeongguk’s elbows, tilting his head slightly upward to look at the younger. Fuck, he was so beautiful. “That you’re a good dancer.”

“Thank you,” Jimin said, accepting the compliment. “I’m glad you like it. That’s not even a fraction of what I can do to a man on the dance floor. Shame you’re missing out. Should’ve ripped up the damn contract. I—I need another drink.” Now he was rambling in a drunken panic.

“Party’s almost over,” Jeongguk reminded him. “Last call was a minute ago. Better hurry, handsome.”

Jimin stumbled away and only groaned when he was out of earshot of Jeongguk, heat immediately pooling in his stomach the second he heard the term of endearment. Jesus, he was too drunk for this. Too drunk to think about what it meant to be sexually attracted to the man he had hired as an escort who refused intimacy. Instead, he managed to get one of the last drinks as the bartenders began to close up shop, just a simple vodka soda, and then he turned to get back to the dance floor. He didn’t make it there—Hoseok and Taehyung pounced.

“We saw you with him,” Taehyung said, giggling with a little too much alcohol in his system too. “Dancing with him? Holy shit, he’s so hot. You think he’s into threesomes?”

“Excuse me?”

“Foursomes,” Taehyung corrected himself when Hoseok spoke up. “Foursomes are a thing, right? Or does it then turn into an orgy? I don’t even care. You think he gives good blowjobs? Why am I asking you? Jimin, does he give good blowjobs?”

“Why don’t you just ask Hobi hyung for one?” Jimin said, though his words were a little slurred. “And keep your eyes off my—my, uh… my Jeongguk. My—what is he? It doesn’t matter. Hands off. Eyes off.”

“Eyes off what?”

“Jeongguk!” Taehyung exclaimed excitedly, and he abandoned his own boyfriend to throw his arms around Jeongguk’s waist. “Beautiful Jeongguk, you better be good to our Jiminie. Be good to him. He’s a good boy. I love him.”

“I know you do.” Jeongguk didn’t flinch or retaliate at all. He just accepted Taehyung’s hug with a small smile. “I think you should just ask him if I’ve been good to him.”

“Yeah? Okay.” Taehyung squared up to Jimin, already taller. Kim Taehyung was an authoritative and rather protective drunk, always playing the role of inebriated high school guidance counselor when he a few drinks in him. “Jiminie. Is this man being good to you? Please say yes.”

“Don’t influence his answer,” Hoseok said, clearly not as drunk.

“I’m not!”

“You just—never mind.” Hoseok glanced at Jimin, looking for a response.

“Yeah.” Jimin took another sip of his drink. “He’s behaved himself.”

“Excellent, good, good, good,” Taehyung said, and then he whirled and pointed at Jeongguk. “Don’t let him drive home. Are you drunk? Are you a calm drunk? Don’t let Jiminie drive home.”

“As long as you don’t drive home either,” Jeongguk teased.

“Hobi hyung’s taking me home,” Taehyung said firmly, and then he grinned. “And we’re switching roles tonight.”

“Remember to take notes,” Jimin said with an equal grin, and Hoseok rolled his eyes, though he looked embarrassed.

“I haven’t topped in fucking ages, you just wait,” Taehyung said, and then he grabbed Hoseok’s hand. “Bye! And hey, both of you better be safe! USE PROTECTION! Ow, okay, I’m coming…”

“Hyung.”

“Hmm.” Jimin swayed a bit when he turned to Jeongguk.

“Think the party’s over. Let me take you home.”

“You know, when men say that to me, it usually means something different,” Jimin said, because his humility filter was gone. Now he was just angry. Angry that Jeongguk was so good to him. Angry that Jeongguk was faking it, all the affection and polite date shit. Angry that he himself had agreed to signing that contract and going through this. Conflicted, so angry, and very drunk.

“Ah, but you signed a contract,” Jeongguk reminded Jimin with a small smile, and then he slipped his arm around Jimin’s waist. “Come on.”

They were stopped on their way out by dozens of people, including the director of S9K and the CEO himself. Jimin felt like the handshakes and the ninety-degree bows were going to give him motion sickness by the time the made it to the door. Jeongguk handed over his valet ticket, and the car was in front of them less than two minutes later. Jeongguk held open the door for Jimin and minded his head with a hand as Jimin fell ungracefully into the passenger seat.

“I guess I’ve learned that marketing people know how to party,” Jeongguk said as he pulled away from the venue. Jimin leaned his head against the cool glass of the window.

“Yeah, we’re not half fucking bad,” he mumbled. There was a short silence as the radio played low in the background, and Jimin closed his eyes, suddenly feeling oddly uncomfortable in comparison to how he had felt less than thirty minutes ago.

“Guk.”

“Yeah.”

Jimin peeled his head off the window, feeling the brick wall against his face that he was hitting.

“You said…” He swallowed slowly. “You said that you had a free block from seven to one.”

“Yup.”

“What happens after one o’clock?”

“I have another client.”

“…Oh.” Jimin slowly put his head back onto the window. “What’s she’s like?”

“He.” Jeongguk took a left at the traffic light. “He likes someone to tuck him into bed. Help him fall asleep at night. Take care of him until he does.”

“At one in the morning?”

“One-thirty. He’s very specific.” Jeongguk paused, and then he let out a breathy laugh. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, anyways.”

They pulled up to Jimin’s building, and Jeongguk took the first available visitor space he could find. Then he hopped out of the driver’s seat and jogged around to hold the door open for Jimin. Jimin climbed out of the car slowly, realizing that he could probably just wave and walk off, pay Jeongguk through wire transfer or something and never see him again.

“Can you come up?” That was what came out of his mouth instead. “Can you—it’s only—it’s not one o’clock yet.”

“You’re right.” Jeongguk checked his Rolex again. “Thirty more minutes. You still want me to be with you?”

Jimin gave him a noncommittal shrug, even though he desperately wanted to just throw himself onto Jeongguk and plead for him to say yes to staying. Jeongguk didn’t even put up a fight. He was being paid by the hour, after all. So he shut the passenger side door, offered Jimin his elbow, and headed straight to the elevator. They rode in silence to Jimin’s floor, and then Jeongguk took the keys and helped unlock the front door.

“I always say that I’ll never drink again after nights like this,” Jimin said, and then he let out a bitter laugh as he kicked his shoes off messily. “Fucking stupid.” The jacket was on the barstool now. “This isn’t how my nights of drinking usually end up.”

“How do they usually end up?”

“Not alone,” Jimin snapped, but then he sighed, and rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m just—I’m really drunk. I’m not—I’m sorry. Just tell me how to pay you and you can go.”

“It’s okay.” Jeongguk shrugged out of his jacket. “What do you need?”

“What?”

“What do you need, hyung?” Jeongguk asked gently, and he leaned his back on the kitchen countertop. “That’s what I’m here for, after all. Just tell me what you need.”

No one had ever really asked Jimin what he needed. People usually asked him what he wanted. Wanting and needing were two very different concepts. Wants were fleeting. Needs were far deeper. Jimin’s head was swimming, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted another drink or if he wanted a shower. Want, there was that word. No, what did he need?

“I… I don’t know.”

“That’s okay. Do you want me to ask questions so that you can think about what you might need?” Jeongguk offered. Jimin just stared at him, vision blurred, so Jeongguk pushed on. “Do you need to wind down? Do you need to wash up? Do you need to sleep?”

“…Yes.”

“Yes to what?”

“All of them,” Jimin mumbled, feeling shame creeping up from his stomach. But Jeongguk didn’t acknowledge any of it. He just pushed his back off the countertop and extended a hand to Jimin. Jimin wordlessly took it, and Jeongguk guided him towards the bathroom. He was glad he remembered to tidy up after himself before leaving for the party.

“What do you normally do to wash up?” Jeongguk asked. His voice was much softer, kinder, and affectionate than it had been most of the night. He truly knew how to switch modes when the time called for it.

“I… You know. Cleanse. Tone. Moisturize. The usual,” Jimin murmured.

“Let me help you.”

Jimin wanted to say that he could do it by himself, but Jeongguk was just standing there rolling up his sleeves, watching Jimin with soft eyes, willing and able to assist. It was his job. It’s what Jimin was paying him to do. The problem was that no one, not even Taehyung, had ever offered such help. Jimin was usually the one who took care of his friends. He liked to help people, liked to nurture them and love them and do anything he could to make them feel better. He prided himself on understanding what was wrong immediately, no matter the person, and being able to just be present, conversation or not, to help them feel better. But now Jeongguk was standing before him, playing his role, turning the tables, offering the helper some help. And Jimin usually refused it, being cared for too much or being helped. But why not? Fuck it.

“Okay.”

So Jeongguk stood by and rubbed Jimin’s back soothingly while Jimin splashed cold water onto his face and gently cleansed, trying not to let the room spin. Once he turned the faucet off, Jeongguk had the hand towel. He stood Jimin upright and pressed the towel to his face, patting gently.

“Up.”

Jimin watched Jeongguk motion, and then he realized that he was supposed to sit on the countertop. He obeyed and hopped up, legs dangling, as Jeongguk grabbed the toner and moisturizer. He uncapped the toner and pressed a cotton swab to it, tilting the bottle a few times, and then he situated himself between Jimin’s legs and began to gently swipe the toner onto his face.

“Your friends are sweet,” Jeongguk said conversationally as he used a careful finger to move Jimin’s hair out of the way. “They seem like a good couple.”

“Taehyungie and Hoseok hyung? Yeah. They’re great together,” Jimin murmured, his eyes fluttering closed. The toner was cool on his skin and the way that Jeongguk was doing it was so relaxing. Why hadn’t he thought of having someone else do this before?

“Your other friends from the office seem nice as well.” Jeongguk reached for the moisturizer, quickly read the back of the bottle, and then put a little bit onto his fingertips. Then he started to massage it into Jimin’s skin, pressing his thumbs gently into Jimin’s cheeks and massaging his temples, then his jaw until he unclenched it. Jimin was melting on the spot, lips parted slightly, dazed and drifting, goosebumps rising on his skin from how good it felt, especially when one of Jeongguk’s hands slipped to his neck to gently massage.

“Jeongguk,” he breathed.

“Yeah?”

“N-Nothing. Feels good,” Jimin mumbled not sure how he was able to speak. Jeongguk quickly washed his hands, dried them, and then came back to stand between Jimin’s legs. Jimin’s eyes were closed, but when Jeongguk’s hands started to gently scratch his scalp, he let out a little whimper of pure bliss.

“C’mon. I’ll do that in the bedroom.”

For the first time, Jimin didn’t think of it as being sexual. He opened his eyes, squinting in the bright light, and hopped off the countertop, following Jeongguk like a lost puppy right to his bed. Jeongguk pointed to the drawers, which Jimin took as his cue to find something to wear to bed. When he decided on his usually black pajama pants and grey t-shirt that he’d worn so much over the years that it fell off one shoulder, he turned his back to Jeongguk and removed his dress shirt to swap it out for the t-shirt. He glanced over his shoulder, and Jeongguk appropriately turned away so Jimin could change his pants. Once he was comfortable, he padded back over to the bed.

“What do you need?” Jeongguk asked again.

“Need… more,” Jimin muttered ambiguously. “More touching.”

“Okay. Do you want to lie on your stomach or on your back?”

“On… on my back,” Jimin decided. He settled into his pillow, but the moment Jeongguk sat down beside him, he pursed his lips and covered his face. It felt like the overhead lights were for interrogation purposes. He could feel himself shrinking. “Never mind. I—You know what? I’m still kind of drunk. You should just go.”

Now the true sense of shame was setting in, festering deep in his bones and seeping into the rest of his body, telling his muscles to contract, telling his brain to deny. Jimin tried to roll over onto his side, but a gentle hand touched his right shoulder and rolled him onto his back fully.

“You don’t have to feel ashamed about it,” Jeongguk said, guessing immediately what was going on. “No one else is here. I work in complete confidentiality. And you deserve to be taken care of, hyung. So let me.”

Jimin blinked two times slowly, taking in all of Jeongguk’s features. He had the sharp and defined jawline of an experienced man, but sometimes when the light hit his face a certain way, he didn’t look so intimidating. Sometimes, he looked like the young boy that Jimin liked to imagine he still was on the inside. Here, in the dull lighting of Jimin’s bedroom, he looked… kind. Sweet. Gentle. Soft. Approachable. His eyes were starry with a glint of pride in them normally, but now that he was looking down at Jimin, it was different. Doe eyes, round and innocent, curious. Jimin had had a lot of men in his bed over the years, but never like this. It was typically a cut-to-the-chase kind of thing. Came in drunk on alcohol and the prospect of sex, fucked fast, and then Jimin would send the guy away. Men never sat on the edge of his bed to help him fall asleep. Taehyung usually just crawled in and cuddled (leeched).

“…Okay,” Jimin whispered, surrendering. Jeongguk was right—no witnesses. Nobody around to see how weak Jimin was for this man already, even though he had signed a contract just to spend time with him. Jeongguk reached forward and began to trace lines and patterns on Jimin’s face with his fingers, and Jimin’s eyes fluttered closed at the pleasant sensation, his head lolling slightly to the side as he turned instinctively into Jeongguk’s hand. Jeongguk’s fingers ran through Jimin’s hair several times, scratching his scalp on their way through. Finally, when his fingers trailed down Jimin’s right cheek, Jimin reached up and placed his right hand on the top of Jeongguk’s hand, making him pause.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, lips barely moving. “Thank you for tonight. For everything. For… For…”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Jeongguk quietly said, and Jimin, sleepy, turned his cheek further into Jeongguk’s hand.

“I… I wasn’t alone.”

“No. You weren’t.”

Jimin’s eyes were still closed, and somewhere in the back of his head, he realized that he would probably regret everything he was saying sooner or later. He wasn’t the type to make himself emotionally vulnerable to many, because he was more accustomed to taking on other people’s emotional shortcomings or issues. The fear of exposing himself always kept his verbal confessions at bay. It wasn’t as if he had been raised to bottle up his emotions. His father was very open about his feelings. His mother always encouraged conversation. Jimin always supposed it was his little brother receiving a fair bit of attention that had caused him to clam up as a teenager, but he wasn’t much into psychological self-evaluation. Now, though, he had alcohol in his system and a beautiful man who had treated him like a king sitting on his bed. Now he was evaluating himself fully. And he wanted to talk.

“I don’t always like being alone,” Jimin murmured. “I… I like having someone.”

“I understand.” Jeongguk’s fingers kneaded into the tops of Jimin’s shoulders momentarily.

“But I’m tired of them making fun of me.”

“Who?”

“Office,” Jimin mumbled. He was so tired now that he could barely move his mouth as Jeongguk’s fingers ran through his hair like they had been doing this touching thing for years. His entire body was covered in pleasant goosebumps.

“The guys at the office? They tease you? For what?”

“Not… mm… not dating,” Jimin murmured, head tipping slightly to one side into his pillow.

“Fuck ’em. Those aren’t friends. Real friends wouldn’t make fun of you for that.”

“You’re smart,” Jimin muttered, and Jeongguk chuckled. Jimin was going to add another snarky comment, but then he felt Jeongguk’s thumb brush over his bottom lip gently, feather touch, and he sank deeper into his pillow, feeling a pleasant tingling on his skin wherever Jeongguk’s fingers touched him.

“Will… Will you stay?”

“…Hyung, I don’t—”

“No. I know,” Jimin interrupted, barely cracking his eyes open and seeing Jeongguk in a blur. “I know. Just… c-can you stay until I fall asleep? I… It won’t be long. I don’t… I don’t want to fall asleep alone.”

“Of course. I planned to stay anyways,” Jeongguk said, sounding mildly relieved that Jimin wasn’t actually asking for a sleepover, just his promised companionship. Jimin felt like he was becoming one with the pillow the more that Jeongguk touched him. His deft hands moved down to massage Jimin’s arms one by one, then his hands. He rolled Jimin’s wrists gently, pressed thumbs into his palms, pulled gently on each of his fingers one by one.

Jimin drifted off with Jeongguk’s fingers ghosting across his skin, finally sleeping with the comfort of not being alone.

Chapter Text

Jimin woke up on Sunday morning (afternoon?) to the sound of his phone vibrating wildly on his bedside table. He stirred, body a bit achy, head a bit fuzzy, but then he rolled to his side and propped himself up on one elbow, rubbing his eyes as he adjusted to his surroundings.

The curtains to his windows were drawn, and he hadn’t done that himself last night. His coat was hanging on the back of the door, another thing he certainly had not done after coming home drunk. His phone was plugged in and charging, a third thing not his doing. There was a full glass of water on the bedside table with three painkiller pills for his hangover, and there was an envelope with his name on it in a tidy scrawl.

“What…?” He reached for the painkillers first and tossed them back with water, downing the whole glass immediately when he realized his throat was a bit scratchy. With careful fingers, he lifted the flap of the envelope and pulled out the handwritten note, leaving the other folded sheet of paper inside:

Hyung,
Here is the invoice from last night. You have your own account on my website now. Your username is parkjimin and your password is 131095. You can pay through the portal.
Thank you for inviting me along to your event. I had a wonderful time. I hope to see you again soon.
Also, you look cute when you sleep.
-Jeongguk

The letter had seemed so cold and formal until the last line. Jimin ignored the first two little paragraphs and stared only at the last line. Only the last seven words. That bastard had watched him sleep and had dared to write a note about it. Jimin almost crumpled it in his hands, but then his heart unexpectedly softened. He looked up and realized that his room had been organized and was rather immaculate. He hadn’t had to search for something to dull the hangover. And when he looked at the invoice, he saw that when he decided to put through his credit card details, the charge would be from JEON PROFESSIONAL, LLC. Nothing suspicious, nothing that would raise eyebrows.

“JIMINIE-E-E-E-E.”

Jimin nearly fell out of his bed when his front door opened, ricocheting off the wall coupled with the loud shout. He shoved the envelope underneath his pillow with haste, and only five seconds later, Taehyung burst into the room.

“Do you have any idea how many texts and calls are on your phone from me? I thought maybe you’d gotten lost inside Jeongguk,” Taehyung teased, and Jimin moaned, flopping back onto his pillow, the envelope burning underneath his head. Taehyung took a hop and leapt onto the bed, grabbing the other pillow. He situated it between his legs and then cuddled up to Jimin, head on his friend’s chest. “I was willing to fish you out, though. That’s what friends are for. Bad hangover?”

“Fucking awful.”

“I brought egg toast sandwiches from that vendor down the street.”

“Bless you.”

“And some oi naengguk.”

“I could kiss you.”

“And some galbi and some rice.”

“I’ll bend you over this bed and fuck you until you cry.”

“You flatter me,” Taehyung said dramatically, and then he nuzzled into Jimin’s neck. “Kind of surprised Jeongguk’s not here.”

“He left last night.”

“You better have fucked him.”

“Tae.”

“I love Hobi hyung. I do. I would marry him tomorrow,’” Taehyung said, and Jimin snorted with laughter at his prefacing.

“But?”

“But Jesus fucking shit, babe. That man did things to me. To me. You know how hard it is for me to get riled up. But I swear to you, I was ready to get down on my knees for him and beg. Ask for the threesome of my dreams.”

“You’re vile.”

“Is he at least good in bed?”

“Do you ever quit?”

“Okay, all sex aside, he’s gorgeous. He’s polite. He was interested in Hobi hyung and me. And don’t even get me started on you.”

“What about me? Okay, get off, I’m starving and hungover, no clinging.”

Taehyung obeyed and rolled off the bed on the opposite side of Jimin, and then the two of them padded into the kitchen, Jimin ruffling his hair tiredly. He saw the bags of food sitting on the kitchen countertop, so he promptly pivoted, grabbed Taehyung’s head with both hands, and kissed his forehead.

“I fucking love you.”

“Yeah, not like Jeongguk does,” Taehyung teased, ripping open the first bag as he sat his courageous ass on the countertop, knowing Jimin had a pet peeve for it but not caring at the moment. “Should’ve seen the way he was looking at you all night.”

“He looked at me like nothing,” Jimin muttered, pulling out the sandwich, ripping open the foil, and sinking his teeth into it, relishing in the brown sugar as he sank into the barstool with a happy sigh. Taehyung leaned down, hands in one bag, and stole a bite right off Jimin’s sandwich without asking first, earning him a look. He chewed in pout with a proud little grin on his face, swinging his feet.

“Okay, well, you’ve always been a little oblivious,” Taehyung justified after swallowing the bite. “It was a fifty-fifty kind of thing. Fifty percent admiration and adoration, fifty percent fucking you with his eyes.”

“Not true,” Jimin said, avoiding eye contact. Also, you look cute when you sleep. He couldn’t get it out of his head. Couldn’t stop hearing those seven words in Jeongguk’s voice. Couldn’t stop reminding himself that Jeon Jeongguk was a damn professional escort and would never fuck anyone with his eyes.

“Very true. Hobi and I were kind of—I mean, not suspicious, but kind of worried. So we kept an eye on you two for a good part of the night,” Taehyung shamelessly admitted. “I swear to you, every time you weren’t looking, he was mentally undressing you. Like, he seized every opportunity he got.”

“Do you get off on making this shit up? Feed me.”

“I’m not making it up, you brat.” Taehyung offered a bite of meat with some fluffy white rice, and Jimin accepted it with another content sigh.

“Needs seaweed,” he mumbled with a mouthful of food, and then he shuffled over to the cabinet to pull out some seaweed sheets. The next bite he took was full of rice and meat with a seaweed sheet shoved into his mouth all at once, and he slumped against the countertop happily.

“So then when’s your next date?” Taehyung asked, breaking out his own egg toast sandwich.

“There isn’t one.”

“Sounds fake, but okay,” Taehyung said like a walking meme, and Jimin shot him a look. “I’m just saying that you look good together and he obviously likes you. Why not give him a chance?”

“I don’t need to.”

“Please don’t let this be because of Minkyu.”

“It’s not,” Jimin snapped a little too harshly, and Taehyung noticed. Lee Minkyu, the first man to ever stomp all over Jimin’s heart back in university. Two years older than Jimin, mature and doting, gave Jimin the world. What had started out as just great sex had turned into something serious, where Jimin had gone out of his way to vacation with Minkyu and had even considered getting a shared puppy. An entire year of bliss, and then he graduated and disappeared with no explanation, leaving Jimin heartbroken and confused. Jimin had fretted and cried for months only to find out through a friend that Minkyu had been set up with a beautiful and successful woman and was going to marry her, much to his parents’ delight. Minkyu, a gay man who cried during sex because of how well Jimin fucked him, marrying a woman. To say that Jimin’s view of dating and relationships was tainted would be an understatement. Perhaps hiring escorts was the only way to do it now. Casual sex and fake relationships. Not like the sex was happening.

“You’re sure.” It came out more as a statement.

“I’m sure,” Jimin confirmed. “Heard his wife is knocked up now.” He had seen it on social media through his casual snooping. “Can’t believe he managed to get hard enough to fuck her until she was pregnant. Either that or she’s cheating because she knows he’s painfully gay.”

“Ouch,” Taehyung said with a short laugh, and then he grabbed his phone. “I’m calling hyung. We can binge watch all the Avengers movies from start to finish.”

“Four whole movies on a Sunday. You spoil me.”

“I’ll even pay for dinner. And by me, I mean Hobi hyung.”

Hoseok showed up only thirty minutes later, complaining that he had been waiting by his phone for the invite and that he couldn’t believe his food was cold as he reached into the bags. Jimin had wondered why there was so much food in the first place. Hoseok ate some of the soup first as he badgered Jimin with questions about Jeongguk, where Jimin had to make up some of the answers because he didn’t know. Then again, Jeongguk had said that the client could imagine the details of his personal life. It wasn’t as if Jimin would ever see him again.

“He just seems really nice,” Hoseok said. They were sprawled on the couch as Avengers: Age of Ultron played. Jimin blinked, watching the scene where Ultron began to override Jarvis, and then he sighed. Hoseok was in the middle of the couch, and he had Taehyung lying on his left thigh and Jimin lying on his right thigh. He was playing with both of their hair, eternally the big brother.

“He is,” Jimin muttered.

“So why are you saying there won’t be a second date? You said last night went well.”

“It just—I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like it’ll work out,” Jimin argued.

“Won’t work out? A beautiful man with good manners, a nice car, and eyes only for you? Jesus, that sounds like shit,” Hoseok sighed. “Thank fuck you got out of that one before it got serious. Goddamn.”

“Hyung.”

“Look, I’m sorry,” Hoseok said with a chuckle as all hell broke loose on the screen and Thor’s hammer flew across the room, and Taehyung let out a little breath of excitement even though this was surely the seventh or eighth time he had seen the movie. “He just seems like… I don’t know. He seems good for you. I just can’t believe you waited until the last minute to ask him. You could’ve avoided all that complaining and bullshit if you had just asked him first.”

“Yeah, well, I’m an idiot,” Jimin said just to get Hoseok off his back. “Now can you focus?”

“I’ve seen this a million times.”

“Focus, hyung.”

***

On Monday morning, the last thing that Jimin expected was to receive a shit ton of attention from the guys about the party. The moment the elevator doors opened and he began to walk down the hallways, though, they pounced.

“Jiminie!” Kiyoung rushed up. “Brother, how was Saturday night? I mean, after the party,” he added with a grin, walking beside Jimin.

“Just fine, thanks, hyung,” Jimin said with a sigh. Kiyoung was one of the only other openly gay men at S9K and was only out because he had shared an office with Jimin, and Jimin had inspired him to be his true self. Cheesy but true, and Jimin tended to take care of Kiyoung because of it, even though Kiyoung was a year older than him.

“No, don’t ‘just fine’ me,” Kiyoung hissed. “That was the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life. Is he human? Does he date multiple men at once? Can I have his number if that’s the case?”

“Hyung,” Jimin said in exasperation, pausing outside his office door.

“I’m serious, though,” Kiyoung said. “Jeongguk, that was his name, right? If all the men that you date look like him, then we need to hang out more.”

It wasn’t just Kiyoung. Beomseok and Junseo had an awful lot to say about Jeongguk, and not all of it was office appropriate. Sunmi even stopped by to grab a few pictures of Jimin at his desk for the Instagram page and asked questions about Jeongguk as she did. It seemed there was nowhere Jimin could go to escape hearing the name “Jeongguk,” like the man had left an impression on just about everyone at the office. But as the day wore on, it stopped irritating Jimin so much. As he munched on a four o’clock snack, he suddenly realized that everyone who had asked about Jeongguk had made some kind of comment about how Jeongguk had spoken so highly of Jimin when Jimin wasn’t listening, how he looked at Jimin with such affection, how they wish they had a date so loyal and charming.

But Jimin never pulled out that business card. The entire month of November, he avoided it carefully, letting it sit in his kitchen drawer collecting dust because he wanted nothing to do with it. Instead, he continued to go out for drinks with the guys after work, continued to let Hoseok invade his office space, continued to allow Taehyung to use him as a photography muse when both of them were bored. Even Namjoon and Seokjin stopped asking about Jeongguk at their weekly dinners because Jimin kept insisting that there was nothing to talk about.

“I’m gonna wipe the floor with you.”

“Sorry, what?” Jimin pushed his chair back and to the side as Hoseok bounced into his office, grinning ear-to-ear. Surely he was happy because they had just jointly managed to secure top SEO for Prose & Cons, a copywriting company over in Busan, right?

“In go-karting. I mean, laser tag too, but mostly in go-karting. I don’t let Tae drag me into playing hours of Mario Kart for nothing. I’ve been training for this shit my whole life,” Hoseok bragged, and Jimin quirked one eyebrow at him. Hoseok rolled his eyes and plopped onto the couch. “Check your email, fool. The announcement just went out.”

Jimin first checked the date—the sixth of December. Shit, December. That meant there was a company holiday party coming up, the holiday party that Jimin had loved the past few years because he had brought Taehyung along. S9K always announced their holiday party a week before it happened. He opened up his email like he was expecting an explosion, but he blew out stale breath and stared blankly at the subject: S9K’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY! FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER! There was an attached PDF flyer with snow and boughs of holly and go-karts, as well as laser beams that surely supported Hoseok’s rambling.

“I texted Tae,” Hoseok said. “He keyboard smashed about seven times. I’m in love with a child, I swear to you.” But the goofy smile on his face told Jimin that he didn’t mind Taehyung’s excited keyboard smashes, probably cherished them.

“The last time we went laser tagging, Seokjin hyung whooped all of our asses,” Jimin reminded Hoseok.

“That’s because he has the steady hands and the precise aim of a surgeon,” Hoseok complained. “But this is a company party, which means no Seokjin hyung.”

“Mm.”

“You bringing anyone?” Hoseok asked, but all Jimin heard was “Jeongguk, Jeongguk, Jeongguk.” The name was written all over Hoseok’s face. It was practically dripping from his lips.

“I hate this time of year,” Jimin sighed. “Too many parties that ask for plus-ones. It’s stupid.”

“So invite Seokjin hyung,” Hoseok teased.

“No, it’s fine.” Jimin tried to swallow his pride, but it got stuck in his throat. “It’s fine, I’ll—whatever. I’ll find someone.”

Hoseok didn’t press the issue any further. He didn’t bring up the name that Jimin had tried to bury, didn’t mention it at all, didn’t make an indication that he was thinking of Jeongguk. He didn’t have to. Jimin knew.

And that was exactly why he found himself opened up the kitchen drawer on Sunday evening.

“Just do it,” he whispered to himself. He had already made his credit card payment from the merger party. He was debt-free from that night, and Jeongguk had only emailed a standard “thank you, I hope you’re well” in return for the payment. Was he truly dumb enough to arrange a second escort?

“Jeon Jeongguk speaking.”

He was.

“You don’t have my number saved in your phone? I’m hurt.” Jimin plopped down onto the couch, picking at a loose thread in an attempt to quell his racing heart. He needed to demonstrate more confidence this time around, show Jeongguk that he was calling without fear.

“I assumed you were a one-off client,” Jeongguk smoothly replied. “Forgive me. Hello, Jimin hyung. Haven’t heard from you in a month. How are you?”

“I’m okay.”

“No more teasing at the office, right? Otherwise, I’ll need to come down to S9K and have a word with those petty men myself,” Jeongguk said with a mischievous yet authoritative tone that made Jimin shiver further into the couch. When he realized that he had closed his eyes, he leapt up and cleared his throat.

“No, they’re silent,” Jimin replied. “I guess you did your job well.”

“Are you calling just to praise me? I’m flattered, truly, but I don’t have much of a praise kink,” Jeongguk teased. Jimin pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment and tilted his head up to the ceiling, trying to find a god to ask why this was happening to him. He pressed the phone back and took a deep breath.

“Bet you do and you’re just not letting on,” Jimin fired back as he stood up and began to pace. “Anyways, I wanted to ask if you were free this coming Friday.”

“Hmm… This Friday?”

“Yeah. My office is having their annual holiday party. Most people bring someone. Thought maybe you’d want to go,” Jimin said, like he was the one offering a good time. He tried not to think about the fact that he was going to be paying handsomely for Jeongguk’s company, tried to think instead that he was treating himself with his holiday bonus. Could he use a human as a gift? Jesus, this was so fucked up.

“Are you asking me on a date?” Jeongguk teased again, but when he heard the huff Jimin let out, he quickly added, “Alright, okay. Let me look. Friday…” A tongue click. A sigh. “Ah. I have two clients booked Friday. One for drinks after work and another for some one-on-one personal time. Really sorry.”

“Cancel the personal time.”

Jeongguk tutted at him, and Jimin could hear the smile on his face. “I can’t cancel paying clients, Park Jimin. That’s not how a business works.”

“Cancel the client and I’ll pay whatever he’s paying.”

There was a momentary silence on the other end of the line as Jimin sucked in a breath, realizing what he had just said. How desperate he probably sounded. Was he actually bargaining for Jeon Jeongguk, professional escort? Without feeling shame? He needed to sort out his priorities.

“He’s a regular client, love. Can’t do that,” Jeongguk replied, and Jimin braced a hand on the countertop. Just hearing Jeongguk’s musical voice call him a pet name was too much. He was too good at his job. It was like he knew all of little things that turned Jimin on in the public eye—taller men. Pet names. Playful banter with a sexual undertone. Touching to show possession. If only he knew the things that turned Jimin on behind closed doors.

“You absolutely can. You ever faked being sick before? It’s not that difficult,” Jimin swore.

“You’re a bad influence on me, Park Jimin,” Jeongguk said. Jesus, he loved when Jeongguk said his full name without even bothering with the honorifics. It sounded so good coming from his mouth. “One session and you’re already trying to talk me out of business?”

“You don’t think my holiday party would be more fun than personal time?” Jimin asked in a slightly singsong voice. “I thought your job was to learn about your clients, Jeongguk. You clearly don’t know me that well.”

“You didn’t really give me a lot of time to do that,” Jeongguk argued, sounding defensive despite the even tone of his voice. Understanding his clients was, after all, the selling point of his business, the very appeal of hiring him. Jimin had robbed him of the opportunity unknowingly, but now he could hear in Jeongguk’s voice that it bothered the younger, that it went beyond his unflappable demeanor.

“Fine. Then let’s try this the correct way.” Jimin cleared his throat. “Hello, is this Jeon Jeongguk, professional escort? A companion who cares?”

“Jesus Christ,” he heard Jeongguk murmur before, “Yes, it is. Can I help you?”

“Yes, please. My name is Park Jimin, and I’m looking for someone to come with me to a holiday party this Friday. I was hoping that perhaps you could join me. Now, tell me—before we agree to any services, do you think that we should meet up to make sure we’re a good match? Perhaps I should fill out some kind of questionnaire?”

“You’re a piece of work.”

“Cancel your personal time appointment.”

“I barely have time to breathe this week as is.”

“Cancel your personal time appointment.”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk emphasized with a short laugh, and Jimin grinned. He was going to crack Jeongguk if it killed him. He listened to the younger make a few breathy noises over the phone, muttering to himself.

“Cancel your personal time appointment.”

“Say it one more time and I’ll drive over to your apartment just to cancel you as a human being,” Jeongguk said.

“I’m a patient man. I can wait.”

“Unbelievable. When is this party, again?”

“Starts at seven o’clock, goes until we get too tired or too drunk to carry on.”

“…Fine. Okay,” Jeongguk finally agreed, and Jimin collapsed back onto the couch, still grinning. “Okay, you win. I have a free block on Wednesday from one o’clock to two-thirty. I expect you to meet me at the address I text you for lunch so you can fill out my questionnaire.”

“That’s during work hours.”

“Sorry, did you say the party was Friday? I don’t know if I can make it now.”

“Alright, asshole, I’ll be there,” Jimin said, hearing Jeongguk chuckle. “Fine. I’ll just take a longer lunchbreak.”

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Jeongguk said, amused. “See you Wednesday.”

***

Jimin wasn’t ready to admit that he was looking forward to Wednesday. He was also not ready to admit that he had dressed a bit nicer for work that day in anticipation of the lunch date. Was it a date? No, it was just a meeting. A business meeting. At least, that was the excuse that Jimin used when he let his supervisor know that he was taking a longer lunch. “Business,” he had said, and his supervisor had believed him one hundred percent, encouraging him to chase up any and all potential clients. That was, after all, what Jimin did best.
Jeongguk had texted the address for a little café called Pom-Pom about ten minutes from Jimin’s office. Not wanting to seem eager, Jimin made sure to show up five minutes late. When he arrived, Pom-Pom was bustling with the rush of lunch patrons, at least a dozen people standing by waiting for tables.

“Excuse me!”

Jimin turned and faced the hostess, who smiled at him.

“Are you Park Jimin?” She bowed slightly.

“Yes, that’s me,” Jimin said, returning the small bow, confused.

“Mr. Jeon is waiting for you at the back table,” she said politely, and then she grinned. “He told me to look for a very handsome man who would walk in alone, and who would frown at being called handsome.”

Jimin immediately wiped the frown off his face as he cleared his throat, mildly annoyed.

“Thank you,” he said, and then he followed her guiding hand and began to make his way towards the back table. “Mr. Jeon,” he grumbled with a humorless, low laugh, shaking his head. “The balls this man has.”

But he stopped complaining when he got to the back table, and Jeongguk stood up politely to greet him. Jimin had opted today for burgundy slacks that he knew made his ass and thighs look good, a white button-up with the sleeves rolled a few times, and a brown belt with matching shoes. Jeongguk had outdone him. He was wearing navy blue slacks with a matching jacket, a white V-neck t-shirt, and a brown belt that cinched his waist and made Jimin forget how to breathe for a moment. He snapped out of it when Jeongguk checked his Rolex.

“You’re late.”

“Work,” Jimin replied airily.

“Mm. I’m traveling to Japan with a nervous flyer at four-thirty, so let’s take care of business,” Jeongguk said casually, and Jimin hesitated before shaking his outstretched hand and sitting in the chair across the table. Did this man seriously get on planes just to hold someone’s hand and quell their fear of flying for a few hours? Unheard of.

Jeongguk had left the chair up against the wall open for Jimin, which seemed odd, but Jimin appreciated it. He could see the whole restaurant from his seated position, and with Jeongguk’s back to all the chaos, it somehow made Jimin feel… safe? Was that it? He couldn’t tell.

“I ordered lunch for us. I hope you don’t mind,” Jeongguk said, using two fingers to push a glass of calamansi iced tea towards him. Jimin accepted it and shrugged, trying to figure out how Jeongguk could guess his order. He had never even been to Pom-Pom, but if the hostess was calling him “Mr. Jeon,” then surely Jeongguk frequented the place.

“I would say that this is a getting-to-know-you session, but I think we’ve passed that,” Jeongguk added, and then he reached into his (expensive Chanel) bag and pulled out a stapled packet of paper. “So I figured that it would probably suit you best to just fill out the questionnaire to the best of your ability. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Jimin agreed. “As long as you’ll still be there on Friday.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Jeongguk said, but Jimin looked up to see if he was being sincere or sarcastic. Poker faced. He couldn’t tell. So he watched as Jeongguk slid the packet across the table, along with a nice fountain pen, and then he picked up his drink and took a small sip, watching Jimin over the rim of the glass expectantly with his doe eyes. Jimin’s eyes flicked down to the pen, and then he picked it up like it weighed ten thousand pounds and dragged the questionnaire towards him.

“Oh. Okay,” he said, feeling mildly relieved when he answered the first page of questions—name. Age. Birthdate. Zodiac sign. Family. Current job. Brief summary of work history. Brief summary of education history. Nothing too invasive, just the typical questions that Jimin normally found on job applications. Then he flipped the page.

Provide the names, ages, and brief descriptions of three (3) of your closest friends.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Do you enjoy “good morning” and “goodnight” text messages or phone calls?

When was the last time you felt truly embarrassed?

Describe the last time that you paid for a personal service in which the service was for the purpose of self-care.

Jimin stared, and then he looked up at Jeongguk with his eyebrows raised. Jeongguk just used his chopsticks to grab a piece of cabbage kimchi that had been brought to the table, playing innocent as he munched on it. Jimin narrowed his eyes, but then he answered the questions honestly. He described Taehyung, Hoseok, Namjoon, and Seokjin (one extra couldn’t hurt, right?). He emphasized that he was a night owl. He explained that he only enjoyed good morning and goodnight texts if they were meaningful. He felt his ears burn when he described the last time he felt truly embarrassed as being when those two younger morons had made fun of him for being single and alone. He wrote a few details about the couples’ massage he and Taehyung had gotten for Jimin’s birthday earlier in October. Then he flipped the page.

Do you have any social preferences (kinks) of which you would like me to be aware?

“Social kinks? Is that even a thing?” Jimin asked, glancing up at Jeongguk. Jeongguk took another sip of his drink as the waitress returned and set down plates of spicy cold noodles, bite-sized pieces of roast duck, marinated salty raw shrimp, pickled radish wraps, ssam sauce, and perilla leaves. It was a damn feast, and Jimin couldn’t even concentrate on it.

“Think of it as kinks without sex,” Jeongguk replied without even blinking. “Some people enjoy constant praise. Some people enjoy being touched and petted. Some people enjoy being ignored and want to beg for attention until I give it to them. Some people prefer certain accents. It’s a question full of wonderful answers.”

“I’m not answering this,” Jimin stubbornly said.

“I would like you to,” Jeongguk replied calmly, as if he had years of experience dealing with stubborn clients. Jimin wouldn’t bet any money on it, because he would probably lose.

“It’s completely invasive. Leaves me totally vulnerable and exposed,” Jimin argued. “Especially if I don’t know a damn thing about you.”

“The very heart of my service is for my client to be showered with attention from start to finish,” Jeongguk pointed out. “And to think of me as just a trigger for such a thing. Now please, if you would, just write something down. Believe me when I say that I’ve seen it all, and sex isn’t even involved.”

Jimin hesitated, pen hovering over the paper as Jeongguk put a bunch of spicy chive salad onto a perilla leaf with a hunk of duck, a single shrimp, and a few chili peppers, eyes flicking around the café like he wasn’t in the midst of asking Jimin to bare his soul. He could already feel shame, guilt, and embarrassment leaking from the tip of the pen, and he hadn’t even made a single stroke. Jeongguk noticed.

“It’s not to embarrass you, hyung,” he promised in a low and soothing voice that oddly had an instant calming effect on Jimin. “It’s just so that I know how to make you happy.”

So Jimin started writing as Jeongguk shoved the entire perilla leaf full of food into his mouth like a well-practiced patron. His ears and face burned as he wrote, but he created a list without any numbering, bullet points, or commas. Just what he liked—Pet names. Touch me so everyone knows I’m yours. Cuddling. Sexual banter (not the weird kind that would initiate sex, though). Letting me spend money on you. Then he slid the questionnaire towards Jeongguk, even though it wasn’t complete.

“There. That’s what I like. Shame it doesn’t include sex, or the list would be a lot longer,” Jimin said, fighting the discomfort as Jeongguk’s eyes quickly scanned what was written down. Jimin reached out his chopsticks to grab some noodles with shaking hands.

“You wish,” Jeongguk said slyly. “This is my favorite.”

“What?”

“Sexual banter, but—” He read directly from the paper with purpose—“‘Not the weird kind that would initiate sex, though.’ So you want to get all hot and bothered without sex.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jimin mumbled, ears burning again.

“I like that.” Jeongguk sounded intrigued. “A bit of a close call when it comes to my profession, but if it’s not taken too far, I think it could prove to be fun.”

“So could a lot of other things if you weren’t such a controlling asshole.”

“You saying you want to fuck me?” Jeongguk asked innocently, and Jimin choked on his noodles.

“No,” he said, still coughing. “Jesus, can you read?”

“Name’s Jeongguk, actually. I’m only following your requests,” Jeongguk replied, and he chuckled as Jimin groaned. “Oh, we’re going to have so much fun with this. So tell me, darling—what kind of money are you spending on me besides my current rate? Explain.”

“Just—I don’t know,” Jimin said, one leg twitching at the sound of the pet name. Jeongguk was an impossibly fast learner. “I’m not a sugar daddy or anything. I just like getting people gifts. Buying people things. Taking care of people. So if—like, if there’s something that you want, just… tell me.”

“Kind of makes this seem like a long-term arrangement,” Jeongguk said, leaning back in his chair. “I have a pretty full schedule. Would be kind of hard to fit in another long-term client.”

“I didn’t list teasing and withholding on there,” Jimin said. “I’m paying you, aren’t I? So shouldn’t you be complying?”

“Don’t go all dom on me, babe. Do you want another iced tea?” Jeongguk asked, switching from sultry to casual in mere seconds. Jimin had practically spit out most of his own drink, or choked on the rest of it, so he just nodded, resting his elbows on the table and putting his face in his hands. He thought that Jeongguk was gone, but then he felt a gentle hand massage the back of his neck. Without even bothering to be discreet about it, Jimin just let out a stressed groan, dropping his arms onto the table and burying his head in them. The hand kept massaging.

“You’re doing well,” Jeongguk said quietly. “Most men try to flip tables or rip up the papers before apologizing and agreeing to comply. I’m genuinely pleased that you just wrote something down.”

“I don’t have a praise kink, either,” Jimin mumbled. He heard Jeongguk snort with laughter, and then the hand disappeared. Jimin immediately started shoveling food into his mouth, feeling nervous and bothered and aroused and confused all at the same time. It wasn’t even two o’clock yet and he was already falling apart.

Jeongguk returned with two full glasses of iced tea, and then he sat quietly as Jimin filled in the rest of the questionnaire, answering questions that were far less invasive and a bit… softer? Where do you like to be massaged? and things like that. The two of them ate as well, arguing over the good pieces of duck and fighting over who got the last shrimp and the fact that Jeongguk had stolen all of the cucumber from the plate of noodles for his own selfish purposes.

“Ah, that’s the time,” Jeongguk sighed. “Have to catch my flight. This was nice, though. Thanks for filling out the questionnaire. I have no doubt that we’ll work well together.”
“Friday at seven. I’ll text you the address to the place,” Jimin reminded him as Jeongguk drained the last of his drink and rose to his feet, the food nearly gone now. Jeongguk grabbed his bag, ruffled his hair, and did a quick onceover of his client.

“Shouldn’t I stop by your place first so we can go together?” he suggested.

“Oh. Right. Sorry. Then—I mean, you have my address,” Jimin muttered, also rising to his feet. Jeongguk fished around in his wallet, and then he dropped far too much money onto the table to cover the bill, probably a generous tip for the service and the food. Jimin immediately grabbed the money off the table and pressed it into Jeongguk’s chest.

“Ah, right.” Jeongguk’s eyes sparkled as he accepted his money back. “You’ll get the bill, then?”

“It’s fine. Just go,” Jimin said, embarrassed as he threw his credit card down onto the table and leaned against the chair to wait so he could pay. Jeongguk leaned in, grabbed Jimin’s wrist, and kissed his cheek in what should have felt to Jimin like a platonic way.

“Thanks, doll. See you on Friday,” he said happily, and then he disappeared into the crowds of people as Jimin collapsed into his seat, resting his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.

“I’m so fucked, I’m so fucked—”

“Sir?”

“Oh. Yeah, I’m paying,” Jimin said, handing off his card to the waiter. He probably looked like a tormented collage of misery, but he was experiencing too many conflicting feelings to move a muscle. He hated Jeongguk for making him answer questions about social kinks. Hated that he was following Jimin’s directions and desires so well already. Hated that the kiss on the cheek had made him weak in the knees.

But goddamn, he loved all of it.

***

J.J. [6:35:29PM]
Hey, love. I’m headed out to yours now. See you soon.

JIMIN [6:36:03PM]
Thought you were busy flying planes for fun

J.J. [6:36:54PM]
Yikes, it’s freezing in here. You’ll warm up to me soon ;)

JIMIN [6:37:37PM]
You’re an asshole. Hurry up.

Jimin couldn’t quite pinpoint why he felt so irritated. Perhaps it was because Hoseok had found out that Jeongguk was coming to the party and had subsequently told a very overexcited Taehyung. Perhaps it was because he had just spent an hour trying to decide what to wear for a man he was hiring to be his date. Whatever the reason, Jimin threw his phone onto the bed and stared at himself in the mirror. Casual, he reminded himself again. Just keep it casual. So he had settled on black skinny jeans with a few rips in them and a dark grey pullover sweatshirt that was faded blue from the elbows down. He then remembered that Jeongguk was on his way, so he hastily began to shove all the rejected clothes that had piled up onto his bed back into their drawers or into his closet, cursing himself for being so frantic. It wasn’t even a real date. It was bullshit—

“Shit,” he cursed when he heard a knock on the door. Who the hell was letting Jeongguk into the building? Normally people had to buzz in. Taehyung had a key fob, but he was the only one besides Jimin. Someone was just casually letting Jeongguk in, probably because he was cute.

“There’s a buzz-in system, you know.”

“Hello to you, too,” Jeongguk said with a small little smile, hands in his pockets. He was wearing dark skinny jeans and a long-sleeved blue shirt that fell off his shoulders if he shifted a certain way, exposing his collarbone. He had a black mask pulled down to his chin, and his hair was tousled messily, like he hadn’t even looked in a mirror before getting in the car. Very much unlike the formal looks Jimin had previously seen. He looked almost like he was twenty-five. And fuck, so good-looking.

“How are you getting up here?”

“Nice people who enter the building and I just follow in after,” Jeongguk replied with a shrug. “No point in waiting when they’re so willing to hold the door. May I come in?”

“Aren’t we leaving?”

“You want to be there on time?”

“…Right.” Jimin opened the door further and let Jeongguk in, trying not to check him out when he walked past because Jesus Christ, he looked good. Blue was a great color on him, and the way that the shirt hung off his shoulders…

“How good are you at laser tag?”

“Me? Not bad,” Jimin said, shuffling towards the couch as Jeongguk sat down in what was usually Taehyung’s favorite spot.

“I’m asking because I need a steadfast partner who’s going to have my six at all times,” Jeongguk said seriously. Jimin sat down and stared at him, waiting for him to crack, but he didn’t. So Jimin burst out laughing and collapsed into the couch, falling towards Jeongguk subconsciously.

“Yeah, I’ll have your six, Captain,” he joked, still leaning sideways as he looked up at Jeongguk. Okay, maybe he couldn’t be irritated. “Anything else you need?”

“If you’re an untalented loser, I’m going to need you to not go into that laser tag room,” Jeongguk replied, but this time, Jimin could see the sparkle in his eyes. “If you don’t barrel roll and dive to avoid a hit, we can’t have this arrangement. I’m sorry.”

“Serious business. Okay. I’ll keep you very safe, sir,” Jimin said politely with a small bow, and Jeongguk finally cracked a smile. “Hey, do you want a drink?”

“Water please, thank you.”

“Water please, thank you,” Jimin imitated in a high-pitched voice, and he got up before Jeongguk could hit him with a throw pillow. He filled a glass with water, and then he grabbed a beer for himself and plopped back onto the couch.

“Room temperature?” Jeongguk asked, sounding not annoyed but intrigued.

“Cold water is bad for your stomach,” Jimin explained. “Room temperature water helps with digestion and makes your body feel better.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Jeongguk sipped his water. “You have a nice apartment. Perks of the job?”

“Didn’t start out here,” Jimin said. “Started out in a shitty studio apartment with an open shower in the bathroom that soaked the entire room. You know the kind. Taehyungie and I shared a bed. We could barely pay the rent straight out of university. Then I started working twelve-hour days and weekends for any client that breathed my way, and he hit it big with his photography. We moved here a year later.”

“A man who didn’t have anything handed to him. Not bad,” Jeongguk complimented with a small smile. “Hope you’re not still working twelve-hour days.”

“No, no. Not anymore. I’ve gotten myself to a good place. Don’t have to prove myself by working overtime anymore,” Jimin said, feeling mildly proud as he explained himself to Jeongguk. “It’s nice when you don’t have to kill yourself to make a bit of money.”

“I know the feeling. Ready to go?”

Jeongguk left it at that, ambiguous at best, and he rose to his feet, glass of water finished. Jimin took the empty glass and drained the last of his beer, and then he quickly brushed his teeth before he led the way out of the apartment, locking up behind them. Jeongguk pulled out his keys as they took the elevator.

“Is this a thing? You driving me everywhere? I have a car, you know,” Jimin argued childishly as the doors opened to the lobby.

“You did say there would be alcohol involved in this party,” Jeongguk reminded him. “My top priority is client safety and comfort, so.”

“You sound like an airline.”

“And you’re flying first class, darling. After you.” Jeongguk opened the passenger door of his car and beckoned with the other hand. Jimin just narrowed his eyes, annoyed at how smooth Jeongguk’s comebacks were.

“Music preference?” Jeongguk asked as they pulled away, the navigation system leading the way. Jimin glanced at the buttons, thinking maybe he could pick the station, but then he just shrugged and decided to fuck around.

“I’m a big fan of Twice, but if you don’t have their music, then Mamamoo will do,” he said casually. Jeongguk was quiet for a moment, but then he pressed a few buttons on the touchscreen, and Twice began to play. Jimin snorted with laughter and glanced at Jeongguk.

“Whether you were serious or not, Your Majesty, I have what you requested,” Jeongguk said without a hint of embarrassment. “And if you don’t at least know small portions of the dance for ‘Fancy,’ I’ll rip up the contract.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable,” Jimin said with a breathy laugh, but Jeongguk didn’t change the song, so Jimin sat and tapped his toe quietly to “Feel Special.” Jeongguk even played along and did the small rap portion at the bridge, and Jimin couldn’t fight the grin on his face. Once the song was over, Jeongguk changed to something nonsensical and lowered the volume.

“Have the others at the office really been nice to you since the party?” he asked with what sounded like genuine concern. Jimin shrugged, still looking out the window as they took a right turn onto a busy street.

“They haven’t given me any shit about my love life, if that’s what you’re asking,” he replied. “But you really fucked me over.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because for a solid two weeks after the party, all they talked about was ‘Jeongguk this’ and ‘Jeongguk that’ and ‘where’s Jeongguk?’ Annoying little fuck,” Jimin added under his breath, and Jeongguk chuckled, getting into a turn lane that looked a little busier than normal—Ready, Aim, Fire!, the gaming and racing arena, which was massive and had a neon green sign that no one could miss.

“I apologize for doing my job well,” Jeongguk said, sounding proud of himself. “I take that as a sign that maybe they’ll be pleased to see me again? Hope so.”

“Why, you need friends?” Jimin teased.

“Never said that,” Jeongguk replied. “Just want to make sure that I’m a positive part of your life, even if it’s only for a few events or dates.”

Jimin had a witty response, but it died in his throat the more he processed Jeongguk’s words. He swallowed heavily as they pulled into the arena parking lot and were directed to the lower parking lot where S9K’s holiday party was taking place.

“Last year, we had an ugly sweater contest,” Jimin said conversationally as they stepped out of the car. “This guy named Kiyoung—wait, you remember Kiyoung, right? Anyways, he wore a blue onesie that had rainbows and Santa riding unicorns on it. He won by a comfortable mile—what are you doing?”

“Sorry. I can let go,” Jeongguk offered, slowing down as Jimin looked down to their now entwined hands. Jeongguk had done it so naturally without even asking first, but Jimin could see why—they were close to the automatic front doors. Shit, that was right. Jeongguk wasn’t just a casual friend in the eyes of everyone at S9K. He was Jimin’s… what was he? He was something.

“No, it’s fine,” Jimin said hesitantly, and Jeongguk came to a complete stop and turned slightly to look at Jimin.

“Good. I wasn’t going to let go, anyways. You’re mine all night long,” he said quietly. Then he began to lead the way inside as Jimin’s knees knocked together and his head spun in a dizzying circle. Shit, shit, shit, he thought frantically. This was a bad idea. He’s too good. He studies. He—this is bad.

It wasn’t bad, though, when Jimin heard Jeongguk’s name at least a dozen times when they walked into the bustling lobby. It was dark with blue lighting, and he could hear pinball machines and virtual reality games blasting. Off to the left, he watched as two teenage boys navigated the ropes course far overhead, and then a massive group of university kids entered the laser tag arena off to the left.

“Hey, get your wristbands! Hi Jeonggukie!”

“Hey, hyung,” Jeongguk said happily, accepting Taehyung’s hug as Hoseok grabbed Jimin with raised eyebrows and led him towards the table with S9K wristbands that gave them free access to a round of go-karting and a game of laser tag, and also free reign of the other games in the arena all night long. Hoseok grabbed one and took Jimin’s wrist.

“I thought things weren’t working out,” he said quietly, teasingly as he pulled off the little strip of paper to reveal the adhesive. Jimin pursed his lips and glanced over his shoulder, walking Jeongguk chat lightly with Kiyoung and Junseo as Taehyung linked elbows with him, like he was a proud best friend showing off his prized possession.

“It’s… complicated,” Jimin finally said, dropping his wrist.

“That’s what you said last time,” Hoseok pointed out. “I don’t know, Jiminie. He seems like one of the good ones.”

“Yeah. Maybe. Or maybe you should grab your boyfriend before he leaves you for my date,” Jimin lightly replied. Hoseok rolled his eyes, and then he approached Taehyung and called out to the other guys, motioning for them to follow back to the dining area where they would be served a buffet and open bar.

Jimin sat at a table of eight with Jeongguk on his right, along with Hoseok, Taehyung, Beomseok and his date Yuri, Junseo and his date Taeyeon, Kiyoung, and Sunmi (she was Kiyoung’s “date”). The first five minutes, all he did was worry that they would ask Jeongguk questions that he couldn’t answer, ask for stories about Jimin, poke and pry. But no one did. Instead, they resorted to re-living office horror stories that had all of them rolling, especially since Jeongguk, Yuri, and Taeyeon were new to the group. It made the story of Jimin and Hoseok ganging up on Kiyoung until he finally photocopied his ass as a rite of passage that much funnier. And then Jimin admitted that he had wallpapered the rookie’s cubicles with the copies.

“Didn’t know you were so scandalous, babe,” Jeongguk laughed, and then he shifted his chair, crossed his legs, and rested one hand on the nape of Jimin’s neck, massaging with his fingers. Jimin reached for his drink, noticing that the entire table was watching Jeongguk touch him. It sent a delightful shiver down his spine. You’re mine all night long, he had said. Fuck, he was really paying attention to the questionnaire.

“I like my fair share of fun,” Jimin replied, and then he reached and put his left hand on Jeongguk’s knee, squeezing once.

“If you’d rather have my ass wallpapered on your office, just say the word,” Jeongguk said, and the other six burst out laughing as Hoseok immediately offered up the S9K copy machine, letting Taehyung nuzzle and kiss his neck.

“I already have the photos, hot ass,” Jimin fired back, and Junseo nearly fell out of his chair. They had all eaten too much good food and had already taken advantage of the open bar, so they were pleasantly buzzed and were laughing twice as hard at everything—everyone except Jeongguk, of course, who was sipping on Coke that he lied and said had whiskey in it.
Once the plates were cleared, there was an all-call for everyone to check their wristbands to see what time they were to head to the go-karting track. Jimin, Jeongguk, Hoseok, and Taehyung all had 20:45 stamped on their wristbands, and it was already forty past eight.

“Is this the only place we can get away with drunk driving?” Taehyung asked, and Beomseok snorted with laughter.

“Tell me he doesn’t have a real license,” Taeyeon said, glancing at Hoseok with playful hope. Hoseok cringed dramatically.

“Unfortunately, he does,” he sighed, and then he downed the rest of his drink like a shot. “To the racetrack!”

Jimin had barely pushed his chair in when Jeongguk was all over him, arms around his waist from behind in a makeshift hug. Jimin nearly jumped out of his skin, but Jeongguk didn’t linger long. He switched until just his left arm was around Jimin’s waist, and then they began to walk. Jimin’s throat was already dry, and he could feel the heat rising from his stomach into the rest of his body.

“Think they know you’re mine yet?” Jeongguk whispered in Jimin’s ear, and then he bit his tongue between his teeth in a grin before he let out a laugh, pulling away. He took Jimin’s left hand, and then he twirled Jimin under his arm once before pulling him back in.

“Yeah, well, you’re putting on a good show,” Jimin said with a short laugh, though he realized he sounded bitter. All he could see every time he closed his eyes was his signature on that goddamn contract. It was like an itch he couldn’t scratch, a nightmare that never diminished in the back of his mind. Every time that he had a laugh with Jeongguk, every time they exchanged a smile, he had to pull himself out of the black hole, the endless void trying to trick him into thinking that what they had was anything but business.

“Hey.” Jeongguk paused just short of the racetrack. “Don’t say that. If I was being a fake asshole, you’d know it. I’m a good actor when it counts, but I promise you, I’m genuinely having a good time. I like you and I like your friends. Just relax.”

“LET’S GO, LOSERS.”

“See, he’s got the right idea,” Jeongguk said with a smile as Hoseok rushed past with Taehyung, hand-in-hand. Jimin took a deep breath.

“Yeah, okay. I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry, let’s go,” Jimin agreed, re-gripping Jeongguk’s hand as they walked into the racetrack together. I like you and I like your friends. I like you and I like your friends. The words echoed mercilessly in Jimin’s brain as they entered the massive racetrack room.

“HURRY UP!” Taehyung called out. Jimin and Jeongguk joined the group, and they stood by and listened as the employee gave them the safety briefing and explained how to wear the helmets, how to fasten the kart seatbelts, the road rules, how many laps they would get to take. The entire time the employee spoke, Jeongguk stood behind Jimin and massaged his shoulders. He had Jimin sighing in bliss because his body was always stiff and in need of a massage, and Jeongguk’s hands were magic.

Jimin grabbed his black and neon green helmet with a short bow to the young employee, and then he went down the ramp into the racetrack, listening to the house music that was echoing throughout the room. Another employee led him to lane one, kart two, and Jeongguk took kart four right behind him.

“HELMETS ON!” the employee called out as the traffic light illuminated, showing red. Jimin rested one foot onto the edge of the kart and situated his helmet in a good position. Then he glanced to his right.

“Do you like my ass?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Jeongguk asked, helmet halfway to his head as he raised his eyebrows. Jimin shoved his helmet on and flipped the visor up so Jeongguk could see his eyes.
“I asked you if you liked my ass. Thought it was nice. Liked looking at it.”

“I mean—” Jeongguk lowered the helmet a bit. “It’s one of the better asses I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

“Good.” Jimin set one foot on the edge of the go-kart, gripping the headrest with one hand. “Because that’s all you’ll be seeing for the duration of this race. Soak in the view, pretty boy.” Then he hopped into the seat with a sigh. He hadn’t been expecting any kind of reaction, but then he heard Jeongguk burst out laughing, so he whipped his head over to look, startled. Jeongguk was still leaning against the rail, but he had thrown his head back to laugh, and Jimin had never heard it before. It created goosebumps on his skin in an instant. For such a confident, strong, beautiful man, Jeon Jeongguk had the dorkiest laugh Jimin had ever heard, a laugh that made him immediately happy, brought an instant grin to his face.

“So if I’m not eating your dust—” Jeongguk came up to the side of Jimin’s go-kart and crouched down, and then he shoved his helmet on and flipped up his visor, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Does that mean I’m eating your ass?”

“You little shit—”

“Good luck!” Jeongguk sang out, hopping up and getting into the go-kart behind Jimin at the employee’s request as Jimin groaned and threw his head back.

When the light changed to yellow, Jimin gripped the wheel with two hands, foot hovering over the pedal. Then the light turned green. All eight go-karts peeled away from the starting line, and Jimin immediately overtook Hoseok in the first turn, laughing because Hoseok was the world’s safest driver and probably couldn’t even let loose in a go-kart. He easily took the lead, but then he heard a shout as they took the straightaway, and he let out a bark of laughing when Taehyung drove by with his middle finger up high, taking the next turn practically on two wheels with one hand. Jimin bumped into him as they straightened up, and Taehyung had to slow down and readjust, giving Jimin the lead again. But it didn’t last long.

“ASSHOLE!” Jimin shouted, even though the go-karts were loud and the music was drowning out his voice, which was almost muffled by the helmet. So Jeongguk overtook Jimin and didn’t hear Jimin’s name-calling as they passed the finish line for the first lap, headed into the second of five total laps. Jimin had to slam on the brakes when Hoseok came out of nowhere and tried to pass on the inside, and Hoseok overcorrected and bumped into the wall. He laughed so loudly that Jimin could hear it. Then Jimin took the second turn, hot on Jeongguk’s heels.

“The hell?” he laughed on the straightaway, watching as Jeongguk continually turned over his shoulder with one arm up. It looked like he was throwing something, but he had nothing in his hands. He was taking turns with one hand on the wheel, leaning back casually in his seat as he did, and Jimin couldn’t help but admire, even if it was only for a moment.
At the end of the fifth lap, Jimin still couldn’t catch up. He had bumped Jeongguk several times, had nearly been spun out courtesy of Taehyung, and had barely managed to avoid two other drivers as he lapped them. But Jeongguk held the strong lead and crossed the finish line victoriously.

“WINNER. WINNER. KART FOUR. WINNER. WINNER. KART FOUR,” the automated voice blared overhead.

“ALRIGHT, JEONGGUKIE!” Taehyung cheered when they all filed into place and hopped out of their karts. Then he looked at the scoreboard. “Shit on a stick, I absolutely sucked. Fourth place? Embarrassing.”

“At least you weren’t me,” Hoseok groaned, pulling his helmet off and looking at his kart number, happily sitting in sixth place. “I swear I made it a point to hit every fucking wall.”

The two of them disappeared into the prep room to hand in their helmets, and Jimin hopped out of his kart, pulling off his helmet.

“What the hell were you doing?” Jimin asked breathlessly as Jeongguk removed his helmet. He immediately tilted his head back and shook it so that his hair would loosen from its confined state, and Jimin sucked in a breath, every motorcycle-slash-street racing-slash-sport fantasy tumbling into his brain. Jeongguk used his long fingers to ruffle his hair as Jimin stared, and then the younger grinned.

“What do you mean?”

“You kept—” Jimin threw up one hand like he was tossing something. “The entire race! What were you doing?”

“I was throwing banana peels, what the hell else would that be?” Jeongguk asked like it was obvious, repeating the throwing motion as Jimin’s mouth fell open slightly. “That last one was a red shell, but my aim was shit, and I missed. Still beat you, though. My poor second place baby.”

“Throwing… banana…” Jimin said slowly, and then he couldn’t help it. He snorted with laughter, dropping his head as his shoulders shook, and Jeongguk grinned proudly and set his helmet back on the shelf to be cleaned. He snatched Jimin’s helmet to set it on an empty shelf spot, and then he glided forward and took Jimin’s hand, lacing their fingers together as he leaned in.

“Just so you know, I’d also whoop your ass in Mario Kart, too,” he whispered in Jimin’s ear.

“That’s—not—on the list—you asshole—” Jimin shouted in fragments as Jeongguk burst out into that beautiful laughter again, dodging Jimin’s incoming smacks as he scooted and ducked away, jumping around Hoseok and Taehyung towards the exit. Jimin caught up, took a running start, and leapt right onto Jeongguk’s back. Jeongguk didn’t even fight it. He just wrapped his arms immediately around Jimin’s legs to hold him piggyback, and Jimin slipped his arms around Jeongguk’s neck.

“Can I make amends to the questionnaire?” he said quietly in Jeongguk’s ear. “I’d like to add ‘being carried in public’ to my list.”

“You’re light as a feather. I’ll carry you anytime,” Jeongguk casually said.

“Good. But call me second place baby again and I’ll choke you,” Jimin threatened playfully.

“I said you were my poor second place baby,” Jeongguk clarified. “Doesn’t being mine count for anything? Okay, clearly it doesn’t,” he added when Jimin tightened his grip a bit, but he didn’t tell Jimin to stop. They exited the go-karting prep room, and Jimin decided to press his luck. He hugged his arms in more, now holding his own elbows, and pressed more into Jeongguk’s neck and throat, squeezing lightly.

“Second place,” Jeongguk whispered, voice slightly strangled. Jimin’s heart punched wildly against his ribcage, so violently that he was afraid that Jeongguk would feel it on his back. He loosened his grip as Jeongguk released him back to the floor.

“Sorry, do you have a choking kink I wasn’t aware of?” Jimin teased, trying to stay casual as they made a beeline for the bar.

“Now why in the world would I start sharing my kinks with you? No sex involved, love. Drink before laser tag?” Jeongguk replied smoothly, and then he leaned his elbows on the bar. Jimin had never seen a female bartender respond so quickly to an approaching customer. She nearly fell over herself trying to get to Jeongguk to serve him, but Jimin couldn’t blame her. He was bracing himself on the bar, knees slightly weak, head heavy, feeling hot suddenly as he closed his eyes. All he could see behind his eyelids was Jeon Jeongguk completely naked, wrists tied to the headboard on a bed, glistening with sweat, fully hard and moaning, begging to be choked. And Jimin straddling him, hand on his throat, watching the man beneath him gasp for air, leaking onto his abdomen, pleading for—

“Hyung.”

“What?” Jimin gasped, nearly falling to the side when he heard Jeongguk’s voice. “What, what is it?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jimin breathed, suddenly acutely aware of how hard he had gotten just from a few seconds of fantasizing about the man offering him a drink. “I’m—I’ll be right back. Bathroom.”

He grabbed the drink, chugged a third of it without asking what it was, slammed the glass onto the bar top, and staggered off. He could barely walk, a bead of sweat forming at the base of his neck, absolutely aching. He barely made it to the bathroom before he collapsed into a stall, slammed it shut, locked it, and rested his head on the door.

“Shit,” he whispered to himself. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Jeongguk’s first and only rule was no sex. Absolutely none. No intimacy or affection that suggested sexual activity. Just companionship, maybe mild flirting. And here Jimin was in the bathroom, touching himself with a quiet whimper, desperately thinking about how good Jeongguk’s sarcastic mouth would feel wrapped around him, about how he would yank on Jeongguk’s hair until he had the younger in tears. He worked his hand around himself as he imagined what it would be like to have Jeongguk on his knees for him. People flitted in and out of the bathroom, but none of them heard Jimin’s heavy breathing, and he had to bite his arm when he came fast and hard into his hand, making a mess. Fucking hell, he had finished embarrassingly fast. Only a few minutes. What was wrong with him?

“You sure you’re okay?”

Jimin approached the bar and grabbed his drink from where he had left it, Jeongguk immediately voicing concern again.

“Yeah. I’m good.” Jimin took a sip. “Think the go-karting kind of got to me. Didn’t vomit or anything. Just felt sick. Sorry about that.”

“Thank goodness.” Jeongguk leaned in a bit closer. “I was worried my laser tag partner ditched me.“

“I’d never,” Jimin said, grabbing his drink and letting the condensation soak his fingers as he stared back at Jeongguk. Jeongguk glanced over Jimin’s shoulder, and then they locked eyes again.

“They’re already lining up for laser tag,” he said. “Hoseokie hyung and Taehyungie hyung. Should we go?”

“Yeah. Gonna win that, too?”

“If it makes you happy, I’ll win,” Jeongguk said with a sparkle in his eyes, and then they headed off to the laser tag arena.

Jimin had said right before the game began that it would make him unspeakably happy for their team to win, especially because Hoseok and Taehyung were also on their team. Jeongguk made Jimin swear to stick close so they could have each other’s backs, and Jeongguk didn’t disappoint. He had Jimin in tears from laughing so hard, mostly because he was acting like he was in Call of Duty or some other ridiculous video game. He kept calling out the dumbest shit in English like he was an automated voice (“Capture the objective!” and “Stay focused, stay alive!” and “We’ve taken the lead!”). He had Taehyung tripping into walls from laughing, and he kept grabbing Hoseok as a human shield and saying that his sacrifice was for the good of the team. But all throughout the game, he kept grabbing Jimin’s arm and pointing out easy targets that Jimin’s unpracticed eyes missed. As a result, Jimin racked up a high count of hits, much to his delight.

“GAME. OVER. RED TEAM WINS,” the booming voice said overhead.

“WOO!” Taehyung called out, throwing his arms up in the air triumphantly.

“Why the hell are you celebrating?” Hoseok laughed, nudging his boyfriend in the head. “Like you did any of the work! Get on your knees and thank Jeongguk.”

“Oh, babe, I’ll get on my knees, but not to thank him,” Taehyung joked, and the two of them giggled as they pulled their vests off, exiting into the prep room. Jimin was breathless as he pulled off his vest, checking the screen for the statistics. For the Red Team, he was second overall in hits. For the entire game, he was also second overall. And sitting pretty in first place for both the team and the game was one Jeon Jeongguk, though he had entered his name into the system as KOOKIE and had put in Jimin’s as MINNIE.

That was the entirety of the night from that point forward. Jeongguk led Jimin through the dizzying maze of virtual reality games and classic game machines. They both put on virtual reality helmets had to shoot at opponents. Jeongguk let Jimin win that one in a blatantly obvious fashion. Then they moved into a virtual reality game where they had to collect pizza from a construction site at the top of a skyscraper, and Jeongguk purposely shoved Jimin so that Jimin yelped and stumbled, and then he was falling in virtual reality from an eighty-story building, and the real Jimin fell to the ground and curled up in a fetal position.

“I will kill you!” Jimin exclaimed once they had taken the helmets off, and he chased Jeongguk all the way to the ropes course. Then he conceded, and the two climbed the ropes course together, Jimin laughing because he was still tipsy and could barely keep his balance. Jeongguk finished well before him, but then he leaned forward and extended a hand. Jimin grabbed his arm by the elbow, and Jeongguk hoisted him onto the final platform, hugging him close with one arm.

“Not bad for an amateur,” he teased. Jimin almost fell several meters down to the floor.

By the time S9K was wrapping up for the night, Jimin was exhausted but oddly sated. Unexpectedly satisfied. And clingy, clingy to a point where he couldn’t detach himself from Jeongguk. He wasn’t sure what kind of witchcraft Jeongguk had performed, but it worked. Jimin walked out of Ready, Aim, Fire! with Jeongguk wrapped around him like a couture jacket, hugging him from behind as they took steps in unison.

“I’d ask if you were interested in another drink, but I can clearly see that you’re not,” Taehyung said with a grin, tilting his head to give Hoseok more access to his neck with no shame. Hoseok was also hugging him from behind, lips latched on with no regard for the public eye.

“And you are?” Jimin fired back. Jeongguk shifted so that his elbows were resting on Jimin’s shoulders casually, his hands on top of Jimin’s head. Jimin swatted him away, hearing the younger snicker. “Love you, Tae. Don’t let him fuck you too soft.”

“Hey, I—oh, wait. You said too soft, didn’t you? Oka-a-a-a-ay, you got me there,” Taehyung joked, wiggling finger guns at his best friend. “You know I like it rough, what a guy. Soulmate culture, you get me.”

“Bet he has a praise kink,” Jeongguk said to Jimin loud enough for Taehyung and Hoseok both to hear. Jimin let out a bark of laughter and covered his face in embarrassment, but he was the only one. Hoseok snorted in amusement and Taehyung slid up to Jeongguk.

“You don’t know the half of it, baby,” he said teasingly, and then he leapt back over to Hoseok. “C’mon, love. Let’s go home. Hey, Jeonggukie! Good to see you again!”

“Yeah, good to see you too, hyung.”

Hoseok and Taehyung finished their goodbyes and disappeared, and Jeongguk slowly turned to Jimin.

“I’ll take you home, hyung.”

“Do you have your one-thirty appointment?” Jimin asked wryly as they began to walk.

“Not tonight, no. But don’t push your limits,” Jeongguk reminded him, and Jimin sucked his lower lip in between his teeth. Right. Another nice and sobering reminder that Jeongguk was a hired date. Jesus, he couldn’t escape the constant rehashing.

The drive home was oddly silent, save for the music playing softly in the background. Jeongguk tapped along on the steering wheel, and Jimin figured that maybe he was the only one who found it awkward. They made a left turn, and Jimin’s eye caught a billboard advertising New Year’s Eve deals at a nightclub.

New Year’s Eve.

“Jeonggukie.”

“Yeah, darling?”

“Um.” Jimin cleared his throat for a distraction. If he thought he would ever get used to hearing the pet names, he was going to be waiting for a long time. “What are you doing for New Year’s Eve? My friends and I have gone to VEX for the past two years, and I think we’re going again. It’s one of those penthouse nightclubs that—like, you can see the whole city. You’ve probably been there before. But, um, it’s really nice, and—”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk interrupted. Jimin clamped his mouth shut, the rest of the words dying in his throat. “I… hyung, I’m sorry, but I can’t. Holidays are always big for me, business-wise. I was booked for New Year’s Eve back in July. I’m sorry.”

“Right. Okay.” Jimin sniffed. “Well, you know. If… I mean, if they cancel, the offer’s there.”

“Thank you.” Jeongguk’s voice was a bit softer, full of sincerity. “I appreciate it.” He paused, and it turned into a two-minute silence. And then— “Hyung?”

“Yeah?” Jimin asked, but then he noticed that they were turning the opposite direction of his apartment. “Wait, where are we going?”

“I thought maybe we could stop at my place,” Jeongguk said, sounding far less authoritative than usual. “Have one more drink before I take you home. You put in six hours for your desired time in the portal. It’s only five after midnight. Still gives us almost an hour.”

“You have a place?” Jimin joked right away. “You mean you don’t live in an underground hole or a nightclub bathroom?”

“I’ll turn this car around.”

Jimin shut his mouth straight away.

Chapter Text

Jimin was not the least bit surprised when Jeongguk pulled up to one of the nicest apartment complexes in Seoul, even a set up from Jimin’s own place. It was nearby the Seoul Forest Park and close to the Bundang Line, as if Jeongguk would ever take public transportation. Surely this was over ten million won per month. Then again, Jimin had just paid at least a fifth of his rent tonight, so it wasn’t as if Jeongguk couldn’t afford something like this.

“It’s two bedrooms,” Jeongguk explained as he parked in the security-tight garage in his designated parking spot right by the elevator. “Not much, but it’s home. A nice step up from where I lived during my university years. Anyways, come on up.”

Jimin froze, halfway out the car. University years. So Jeongguk had actually been a living, breathing young adult. He had a past. He hadn’t just walked onto the Earth as a twenty-five-year-old escort. A slip like that made Jimin think that maybe Jeongguk didn’t always want people to make up the details of his life for their own benefit. The very fact that he was inviting Jimin into his apartment was suspicious to Jimin. Did he normally invite his other clients to his place as midnight for nothing but a drink? How many clients did he actually have, for that matter? Wasn’t this a little too personal?

They rode the elevator and soared up to the fifteenth and top floor, Jeongguk using a keycard from his wallet specifically to access his own apartment. He opened the door and held it for Jimin, toeing off his shoes. Jimin did the same, and then Jeongguk flicked the lights on.

“Oh, wow,” Jimin couldn’t help but say. The floors were pristine white, looked like marble. The kitchen was modern with white cabinets and marble grey countertops, all the appliances stainless steel. It was a massively open floor plan with floor-to-ceiling windows. A large black throw rug covered a majority of the surface nearby the leather L-shaped couches. The massive flat-screen television occupied most of the wall. What caught Jimin’s attention most was the artwork that decorated the walls. Colorful, peculiar, no piece like the one beside it. There was also a game console near the TV, proving that Jeongguk was, once again, human. But what caught Jimin’s eye first was a leather-bound black diary sitting on the side table. The silver plate on the front said CLIENT SCHEDULE.

“Seems a little old-fashioned,” Jimin teased, pointing to the book. Jeongguk dropped his keys in a little bowl near the kitchen and crossed his arms, a small smirk on his face.

“I like writing things. Seems more personal. Not that I mind a computer, but getting to actually pencil in appointments and client information makes me feel better.”

“Yeah? You write all your gossip in there, too?”

“Yes, all of your dirty little secrets and kinks are in there for the whole world to see,” Jeongguk said sarcastically, and then he shuffled over to a small table where he had large vials of what looked like scotch and whiskey, maybe a few other alcohols, waiting to be consumed. He held up a small crystal glass to Jimin with his eyebrows raised. Jimin shrugged and nodded, so Jeongguk poured two glasses a third of the way full. Jimin accepted and took one sip.

“Goddamn,” he said, impressed. “How long did this age?”

“Long enough,” Jeongguk said ambiguously, also taking a sip of the scotch. It was the first time Jimin had ever seen the man consume a drop of alcohol, but he figured it was because Jeongguk was in the safety of his own home and would be consuming at such a slow rate that there was zero chance of becoming inebriated. Mid-sip, he crooked a hand to Jimin and walked over towards the big windows.

“Good view? Oh, holy shit,” Jimin breathed.

“Han River,” Jeongguk said as if it wasn’t obvious. “Beautiful at night. During the day, too. Just beautiful all the time.”

“So you really do have it all, then,” Jimin commented, staring out the window. “The good views, the good alcohol, the money, the traveling, the relationships.”

“Some would hear that and say that I have nothing at all,” Jeongguk mused philosophically. Jimin raised an eyebrow, and Jeongguk in turn raised his glass. “That’s the alcohol talking. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”

Jeongguk set his glass down and walked down an unlit hallway until he found the bathroom. Jimin leaned backwards just a little with pursed lips and raised eyebrows, waiting for him to disappear, for the door to close. The moment it did, he pounced.

“New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Eve,” he muttered to himself, immediately snatching up the client book and flipping to find the 31st of December. Jesus Christ, every page for December was nearly full. There were names scrawled everywhere with times attached at all hours of the day. Jimin paused when he got to today’s date:

7:00pm-1:00am. Holiday party. Casual dress. PARK JIMIN (HIGH).

Jimin understood everything up until what was written in parentheses. His eyes flicked to a few other names, but in parentheses, he saw (MOD) and (LOW). There was absolutely no telling what those three words meant. Did “high” mean that Jimin was high maintenance? The very idea stung him, but Jeongguk never treated him like he was. Jimin had barely filled out the questionnaire, after all, so was he truly high maintenance?

Focus.

He flipped rapidly to the 31st of December, whipping his head back to the bathroom. The door was still closed. Frantic, he found the date, and then stared like his eyes were cameras, taking mental snapshots of the name: KIM YUGYEOM. A name wasn’t too much to go on. But “Yugyeom” wasn’t exactly the most common name in Seoul, so he at least had a chance. Plus, (MOD) was next to Yugyeom’s name, and even though Jimin didn’t know what any of it meant, he felt a weird sense of pride. Like he was in competition with the Yugyeom and that being (HIGH) meant that he was better somehow. Kim Yugyeom. Kim Yuygeom.

The toilet flushed. The sink began to run. Jimin flinched and nearly threw the book up to the ceiling in fright. He carefully closed it up and angled it just right, making it look like it had never been opened or touched. Then he took a massive and dramatic step back towards the window, his hands trembling as he took another sip of scotch.

“Is the view really that good?”

“I’ve seen better,” Jimin lied, glancing over his shoulder. Jeongguk ruffled his hair, suddenly looking a little shy. Very unlike him, and Jimin’s grip on his glass tightened significantly as he heart tripped over its own feet clumsily. He took another sip as he mentally scolded himself. This man was an escort. A fucking expensive and high-end twenty-five-year-old escort with aged scotch and a penthouse apartment over the Han River. He was anything but interested in going beyond what he had, surely. Jimin wasn’t dumb. Jeongguk would never mess up his brilliant business just to take it to the next level with someone like Jimin.

“Want a tour?” Jeongguk offered. Jimin shrugged, but then he realized how uninterested such a gesture looked.

“Yeah, I’d love one,” he replied instead. Jeongguk’s shoulders dropped considerably, and he snatched up his abandoned scotch and tilted his head toward the hallway.

“I’d show you the kitchen and living room, but—I mean, welcome,” Jeongguk said lamely with a little laugh, waving one arm around the area in which they were already standing. Jimin cracked a small smile, and then he followed Jeongguk down the hallway. “Um, this is the spare bedroom.”

“It’s nice,” Jimin agreed once Jeongguk flicked the lights on. It looked professionally done, all the interior decorating. The walls were cream, the floors were dark wood, the area rug was massive, and the king-sized bed had an expensive quilt with several mismatched throw pillows. It had all the bells and whistles, but it looked almost untouched. Jimin wanted to ask how often Jeongguk had visitors, but he could tell by the cleanliness of the room that it probably wasn’t very often. Now he was curious.

“Uh, this is my room. Sorry I didn’t clean up much.” Jeongguk pushed open the door, but he very clearly stood in the doorway. Jimin took that as an immediate sign that he was not supposed to walk into the room and explore, touch things, mess anything up. Instead, he politely stood in the doorway and looked around. Jeongguk’s room was the exact opposite of the guest room. It was lived in to the maximum. The massive bed had a white down comforter that looked soft even from a distance. There were white and grey throw pillows all over the bed, some on the floor like he had hastily tried to make some sense out of the room. The curtains were gauzy and drawn closed, the wooden floors were nearly covered by the soft cream and patterned rug, and the bedside tables were made from mismatched shades of wood. They reminded Jimin of tree trunks. Even the dressers were wooden, as if a lumberjack had just had a bit extra and had offered it to Jeon Jeongguk.

“Is that a pet bed?” Jimin asked, motioning to a small grey pet bed in the corner of the room that had caught his eye.

“My friend has a cat,” Jeongguk said vaguely. “I’ll show you the bathroom.”

That was the end of that conversation. Friend? Jeongguk had friends? Jimin almost slapped a palm to his forehead at how dumb he sounded in his head. Of course Jeongguk had friends. Didn’t he? He had to. He was a normal guy, save for his profession. Surely he had friends like Jimin did.

“Holy shit. This is a collection,” Jimin breathed when he walked into the massive bathroom. There was a Jacuzzi style tub, an open shower with a rainfall showerhead, a private area for the toilet, and two sinks with clean mirrors. What caught Jimin’s attention was the massive wooden box on the marble countertops that was flipped open. It was full of what had to be a hundred plus essential oils—lavender, lemon, peppermint, sweet orange, spearmint, the works. Some were obscure ones Jimin had never heard of before. They were all arranged in perfect slots in perfect rows in color order according to the stickers on the tops of the caps.

“Yeah. I, uh… I got into essential oils, like, two years ago,” Jeongguk said, leaning against the doorframe and rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not much of a medicine guy. I’m more into the holistic healing approach. Kind of lame to some people, I guess.”

“Mm.” Jimin turned and leaned his hips against the countertop. Then he cocked his head to the side with a small smile that felt sad when it happened. “This sounds like an awful lot of personal information you’re handing out to me.”

“You’re right.” Jeongguk flipped the lights off, throwing them into darkness. “Forgive me. I’ll stop.”

“No, it’s okay,” Jimin hurriedly said as Jeongguk walked back towards the living room. He followed with haste. “It’s fine, I don’t care.”

“I do.” Jeongguk’s tone was clipped, and Jimin almost groaned out loud. Shit, he shouldn’t have said that. He could’ve gotten Jeongguk to open up and spill some personal information.

“You can tell me anything,” Jimin swore. Jeongguk turned to the side, giving his left shoulder to Jimin as he tossed back the rest of his scotch.

“Yeah. I’ve come to that conclusion myself, thanks.”

It should’ve sounded like an insult, but to Jimin, all it sounded like was that Jeongguk regretted getting to a point where he felt comfortable enough to share something personal about himself with Jimin. Because now Jimin knew several things—Jeongguk had gone to university at some point. He gamed when he wanted to. He had a friend with a cat. He liked essential oils. He preferred holistic healing. That was a lot for a man with a contract that specifically stated he never shared personal information and expected his clients to make up key points about his life.

“You ever have anyone come visit?” Jimin asked, trying to keep it casual. Jeongguk set down his empty glass, and then he sat on the armrest of his couch.

“Is there anything you need from me, hyung?” he inquired in response. It wasn’t a dismissive comment. He was turning the attention back to Jimin, like he felt guilty for even thinking about or talking about himself for more than five seconds. Like he felt guilty for not doing his job, for sharing his life.

“Yeah.” Jimin finished his own scotch, set the glass down, and then walked right up to Jeongguk until they were toe-to-toe. He boldly used his fingertips to tap the outside of Jeongguk’s left knee, and Jeongguk subconsciously, wordlessly parted his legs. Jimin wedged himself right in between Jeongguk’s legs and then nonchalantly draped his arms around Jeongguk’s neck, keeping a clear distance.

“This is too far,” Jeongguk quietly warned him.

“Stop me at any time,” Jimin replied, daring Jeongguk to make him stand down. Jeongguk pursed his lips and stared, his eyes hardening, but then his mouth relaxed, and he just brought his arms up to cross them. There was the line in the sand. The difference was that he wasn’t pushing Jimin away or telling him hands off. And that, fuck, that excited Jimin. It excited him a lot more than it should have. The things that normally excited Jimin were raunchier, involved more touching and more sex. But pushing his limits with Jeongguk was fucking thrilling. It made his entire body internally shiver in excitement, a rush of blood coursing through his veins. From this, just from standing close. It was absurd.

“You asked me if I needed anything,” Jimin said in a low voice.

“Within reason,” Jeongguk warned again.

“I need you to tell me something about your life.”

“Read the contract.”

“Fuck the contract.”

“Read the contract, hyung, ” Jeongguk said with a little more force.

“Please.”

“No.”

“Then let me do something for you.”

“No. You’re the one paying for service.”

“Thanks for the reminder, asshole. Let me do something for you,” Jimin said with emphasis, feeling frustrated. “I get that you have your stupid fucking contract and your stupid fucking limits. Congratulations. Please let me do something for you. I like giving. You should know that about me.”

“I thought giving meant gifts.”

“Yes.” Jimin tentatively began to press his fingers into Jeongguk’s neck and shoulders, testing the waters. “But that doesn’t always mean money. Let me give you a massage.”

“No, hyung.”

“Jeongguk.” Jimin gripped the base of Jeongguk’s neck with both hands. “Please. I’m telling you that this is what I need. I need to do something for you. Please let me. Please let me without you going all guilt mode. You’re caring for me and serving me as your client by letting me do this for you.”

Jeongguk said not a word. He just stared up at Jimin with his jaw clenched. Jimin pushed his luck again. He started to press his fingers into the smooth skin at the back of Jeongguk’s neck, and as he did, he looked right down into Jeongguk’s eyes. The two of them just stared, daring the other to look away, resolved to fighting without words. But then Jimin used his entire right hand to squeeze Jeongguk’s neck in a massaging fashion, and Jeongguk lost. His eyes fluttered closed as his lips parted just slightly, and Jimin felt the moment when he gave in to the touch.

“Stay there,” Jimin whispered, and then he reluctantly moved to the couch so that he was behind Jeongguk. He wanted nothing more than to see the younger’s face, because by God, he was so beautiful. It hurt Jimin to look at him sometimes, mostly because of the aching want but the inability to have. Instead, he kneeled on the couch and got to work, massaging Jeongguk’s neck and shoulders like it was his job. Jeongguk tried to stay still and remain quiet, but then Jimin would dig into a particularly sensitive spot, and Jeongguk would let out the little breath he’d been holding in a blissful sigh. Encouraged, Jimin gently splayed his left hand on Jeongguk’s chest and used his right hand to massage, tilting Jeongguk’s head forward, left, right, whatever direction he needed. And he didn’t stop until he saw Jeongguk’s shoulder visibly relax. Even then, he just gently prodded with his fingertips.

“You’re breaking my rules,” Jeongguk mumbled.

“You’re letting me,” Jimin whispered back.

“I could break the contract for this.”

“Will you?” Jimin’s hands paused. He kept his left hand resting on Jeongguk’s shoulder, but then he brought his right hand up and carded it through Jeongguk’s hair from front to back just once, watching it all fall back into place.

“That feels so good,” Jeongguk muttered, just barely audible as his entire body collapsed in response. Jimin immediately did it again, feeling Jeongguk sink back further and further until his back was against Jimin’s chest, and Jimin’s left elbow was resting on Jeongguk’s left shoulder, his left hand comfortable on Jeongguk’s chest. It was then that a little chime went off from a clock near the kitchen, signaling that it was one in the morning. Jimin’s time was up.

“You really should amend your contract,” Jimin whispered in his ear. “Sometimes people doing things for you isn’t so bad.” Then he dropped his head until his lips were pressed to the crown of Jeongguk’s head. He didn’t actually kiss him. Just pressed his lips there and took a deep breath to steady his world. Shit, what was he doing? What the hell was he doing? Alarmed, he pulled away and hopped off the couch, and Jeongguk had to collect himself and open his eyes, startled.

“It’s one o’clock. I need to go,” Jimin said stiffly, checking his pockets to make sure he had his wallet and keys.

“Right. Let me drive you home,” Jeongguk offered immediately, rising shakily to his feet. He looked dazed and relatively confused at what was happening. Jimin just held up a hand, stopping Jeongguk dead in his tracks.

“I can get an Uber. Goodnight, Jeongguk. Thank you for coming with me tonight.”

“Hyung…”

But Jimin was out the door before he could hear another word that would hurt him.

***

Jimin hadn’t memorized the name Kim Yugyeom for nothing.

It was fucking evil, what he was about to do, and he knew it. As he sat in his office that Monday, the last week of work before holiday break, he pressed his fingertips together and bridged his hands, pointer fingers pressed to his lips, elbows on the desk. There was a certain point where he knew that if he crossed the line, there was no going back. If he did this, if he really did this, then that was it. Then he was admitting to himself that Jeon Jeongguk wasn’t just an escort.

“Okay, no,” he whispered to himself, and then he shoved his chair back and grabbed his stress ball so he could pace his office. He was in a lull of the day where he didn’t quite have any work to do, since he had figuratively thrown all balls into the courts of his clients. He was waiting for responses, for information, for emails, and that was dangerous. Now he was contemplating the unthinkable.

Just opening up that CLIENT SCHEDULE book had been stupid. Now Jimin had information that he could do evil things with, and it was fucking with his head.

“You’re gonna put a track in the carpet.”

Hoseok threw open the glass door and walked right into Jimin’s office, bypassing his pacing friend and flopping onto the couch. On his next lap, Jimin tossed Hoseok the stress ball, and Hoseok caught it.

“How’s lover boy?” Hoseok asked, as if Jimin needed to hear it right now.

“He’s fine.”

“Ouch. Sounds cold. Things not going well? They seemed great on Friday,” Hoseok pointed out.

“They were. They are. It’s fine,” Jimin hastily said.

“So then what’s the issue?”

“Nothing.”

“Sheesh,” Hoseok said with a chuckle. “Touchy, touchy. Okay, I’ll risk it—is this because you actually like him?”

“You wanna fucking bend over so I can shove that stress ball right up—”

“Aw, I love our talks!” Hoseok said loudly to drown out Jimin’s threat. He sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, tossing the ball back and forth between his hands lightly. “Listen, I’m only saying. I know you’ve been more into the whole casual dating thing, but Jeongguk seems like… you know. He doesn’t seem like a casual dating kind of guy. I mean, maybe he is, but not for you. Tell me if I’m wrong, but the whole time you were with him on Friday, you were happy. Like, actually happy.”

“Are you empathizing?” Jimin asked, shocked.

“I’m observing,” Hoseok corrected him, rolling his eyes. “I don’t empathize. That’s Tae’s job. I’m only saying that you looked like you were happy with him. I haven’t seen you like that before. I’ve seen you after a good fuck and I’ve seen you after a bad one. I never saw you with your ex, so I wouldn’t really know about that. But Jeongguk seems like a good guy. So I’m asking if that’s why you’re pacing like a fucking fiend.”

“It’s not—that’s not even it,” Jimin snapped, running his fingers through his hair. “Yes, he’s a good guy. Yes, I like him enough. Yes, I was happy on Friday. That’s all fine. I’m just—it doesn’t matter. I could do something really fucking stupid right now and get my way in the end, or I could let it go and let shit just happen. So you tell me what to do.”

“Uh, you haven’t really given me much to go on.”

“Do I take the risk in hopes of a high reward, or do I back off and accept my fate?”

“I mean, obviously take the risk,” Hoseok said with a chuckle. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, but risks with high rewards are always fun.”

“You’re a bad influence.”

“Or an adrenaline junkie,” Hoseok said, pointing to Jimin with the stress ball. “Also, can you send me the weekly data you got for Prose & Cons? If Jiyong asks me one more fucking question, I swear, I’ll take the stress ball and—”

“Is Jiyong one of the first-year assholes who says he’s not gay?”

“But likes your ass?”

“The one who—what?”

“I mean, he’s been vocal about how you have a nice ass,” Hoseok said with a grin, leaning back into the couch casually while holding out his arms. “And then he follows up with dumbass comments about anal sex, so I just remind him that you’re a dominant top, and he forgets all his comebacks.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable.”

“Jiyong is one of the losers who likes to make fun of me for my sexuality,” Jimin said, collapsing into his desk chair and twirling twice. “Don’t give him a damn thing.”

“Honestly, I should put my next paycheck into our gaypool for him,” Hoseok mused. “He’s the next to crack. Isn’t it always the assholes who have too much to say about it?” He stood up and hung off the doorframe of Jimin’s office with another grin. “This kind of conversation is what you miss by having your own office. Send me the data so I don’t off myself before Thursday.”

“What’s Thursday?”

“Uh.”

“Right, right. Anniversary. Congratulations and all that shit,” Jimin sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Leave me alone so I can destroy my life, please.”

“Take that risk, Jiminie Cricket,” Hoseok sang out. “Don’t lie in a fetal position of regret.”

“Get out,” Jimin groaned, and Hoseok left with a laugh. Jimin slouched all the way down in his leather swivel chair, both hands covering his face. There were too many emotions battling inside of him right now. Resentment was the first, because Hoseok and Taehyung were celebrating their two-year anniversary on Thursday. Two years of official being together, surely on the track to getting themselves fake married like Namjoon and Seokjin. They were too perfect together not to. Bitterness was the next, because how dare Jiyong (guess the short guy had a name, not like it mattered) talk about Jimin’s ass when Jimin wasn’t around to defend it? Not like he needed to. Jimin knew he was naturally gifted in that department.
But the last emotion he felt was dangerous, because it was adrenaline, just like Hoseok had mentioned. The thrill of doing something that was morally questionable but would surely earn Jimin exactly what he wanted. The problem was that by doing it, he was confessing.

Fuck it.

Jimin kicked up his feet onto his desk and pulled out his phone, and then he immediately searched for Kim Yugyeom on social media sites, his heart pounding. The plan wasn’t all that complicated, but it was risky. Jimin couldn’t remember a time in his life when he had gone to such lengths to score a date. He hadn’t even gone to such lengths to score a good fuck from a hot guy in a bar. It ate him alive that he felt like Jeongguk was worth it, like his company was worth it. Jimin was emptying his bank account for this beautiful, sarcastic, childish but simultaneously mature, so goddamn perfect asshole. This was dumb. This was dumb, dumb. But Jimin wanted it. Hoseok and Taehyung would be at VEX together. Seokjin and Namjoon were the ones who had booked it. While booking it way back in January, Seokjin had even booked for six, accounting for a date that Jimin may nor may not have. And Jimin wanted it to be Jeongguk.

“Are you him?” Jimin whispered to his phone, staring at Kim Yugyeom’s Instagram page. He looked young, maybe Jimin’s age, and he was—shit, he was kind of cute. But if he was cute and young, then why did he need a high-end escort like Jeongguk? Jimin laughed bitterly under his breath, realizing he could ask himself the same goddamn thing.

“Fuck,” Jimin whispered, because he only had to scroll for half a second. On the third line of Yugyeom’s Instagram, he had a photo where he was posing with Jeongguk. The average person would never know it was Jeongguk because he was wearing a bucket hat and a mask, but Jimin would know Jeongguk anywhere at this point because he was in too deep. They were riding bikes. Yugyeom was taking the selfie. Jeongguk was standing with his feet on the ground, straddling the bicycle for photo purposes, holding up a single peace sign. Jeongguk wasn’t tagged, which meant maybe he didn’t have social media. The caption of the photo: Sunday bike rides xx.

Two kisses. Fuck this guy.

Jimin dropped his phone and set his elbows onto his desk again, grabbing at his hair with both hands. He was such a fucking hypocrite. Right? He was. He was about to inject himself right into the middle of this Yugyeom kid’s life, knowing full well that Jeongguk might care about him, and do something terrible. Miserable, he used one pointer finger to scroll, but the more he did, the angrier he became. Every third of fourth photo included Jeongguk, like they were dating. But this kid’s name was explicitly in Jeongguk’s book of clients, which meant he had signed the same contract Jimin had signed.

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Jimin muttered under his breath. New Year’s Eve, last year. One photo. Yugyeom and Jeongguk with their backs to the camera on a balcony, watching the fireworks together. This asshole had had Jeongguk last New Year’s Eve, too, and he wanted him again? Now he was just being selfish, and Jimin was about to take full advantage. Now he didn’t care that he was being a hypocrite and messing with Jeongguk’s contract. Now he wanted Yugyeom to be a good boy and share.

Jimin’s Instagram account was public but it was ambiguous. His username made no mention of his family name. Most of the photos he posted (sporadically, maybe one per month if he felt like it) included Taehyung or Namjoon, sometimes Hoseok and Seokjin. He liked to brag about Taehyung a lot because Taehyung had over one million followers. Jimin had wanted to hesitate before, but now he was fueled by anger. He practically punched the message into the keyboard.

PJ_MIN
Hi :) This will seem random, and I apologize, but it looks as though you know Jeon Jeongguk. I promise I am not contacting you for any negative reasons. It is quite important, actually, that we talk.

To Jimin’s immense surprise, all he had time to do was send Hoseok the stupid data for Prose & Cons. His phone lit up just as he clicked “SEND,” indicating that he had a new message. He picked up his phone with a stuttered breath.

KIM_YUGYEOM97
Hi. I do know Jeongguk. May I ask why you’re asking me?

PJ_MIN
I was hoping we could meet in person to talk. It’s a personal family matter. Are you available?

KIM_YUGYEOM97
I guess I could meet. Maybe tomorrow? Is Jeongguk OK?

PJ_MIN
He is OK. I will explain when we meet, I promise.

Feeling particularly wicked, Jimin provided the name of a coffee shop nearby his work, asking Yugyeom to meet him at half past nine tomorrow if possible. Yugyeom agreed.
He had no idea what he was agreeing to. Jimin was in rare form. He couldn’t remember a time when he had felt this unnecessarily devious, and this… possessive. It wasn’t that Jeongguk belonged to him at all. It wasn’t that he had dozens of other clients that filled his diary. Jimin didn’t even care about them. Jeongguk could fly on planes with them and get ice-cream with them or do whatever he wanted. Provide companionship. Fine. Fine. But what was he doing for himself? That was what made Jimin’s blood boil. It was the fact that he had sunk so deeply into a simple massage that had made Jimin realize that Jeongguk probably did very little to care for himself, that he probably never sought out anyone to care for him. Jimin wanted that. He wanted to take care of Jeongguk. Two fucking dates and he could already feel it.

Yugyeom had no idea what he was agreeing to. No idea.

***

Jimin was a decent liar. He didn’t like to lie often because he didn’t like the guilt, but when it was necessary, he did it. The one person to whom he could never lie was Taehyung, because Taehyung was an empath who read body language like it was his job. The only thing he could do to Taehyung was not say anything and avoid the subject, which was why he was getting away with “dating” Jeongguk. Jimin was honestly surprised he had gotten away with it this long, but maybe Taehyung was under Hoseok’s influence.

He was about to lie his face off to Yugyeom. All to get Jeongguk for New Year’s Eve. He had to be an idiot. Truly.

“Hi, are you Yugyeom?”

“Oh. Hi. Yes.” Yugyeom stood up and bowed shortly when Jimin approached, dressed for work, looking every inch the professional. “Are you…?”

“From Instagram, yes. Hi. I’m Minyku,” Jimin introduced himself. Yugyeom wordlessly motioned to the empty chair and the takeaway cup on the table. Jimin nodded in thanks and sat down. Then he took a sip. Fuck, it was sweet. He took his coffee black, damn it. Jeongguk would’ve known.

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t understand what you wanted to meet for,” Yugyeom said, fidgeting a bit. The 97 in his username made Jimin think he was the same age as Jeongguk, already a strike against Jimin. He wasn’t ugly either. He was quite cute, and were he not the enemy, Jimin may have even tried flirting a little.

“It’s complicated. Thank you for the coffee, by the way,” Jimin said with a forced smile. Yugyeom’s shoulders relaxed a bit upon hearing the compliment, so Jimin plowed forward. “I want to start by saying that I understand how you know Jeongguk, and that the way you know him has no impact on this conversation.”

“Oh.” Yugyeom gripped his coffee cup tightly, his ears turning red. Jimin almost felt bad.

“It’s fine, I promise,” Jimin said with fake sincerity in his voice. “Jeongguk is family. I know he doesn’t speak about himself or his family or much of anyone when he’s with clients, so I know this is probably a little weird.”

“It’s… yeah,” Yugyeom lamely agreed, still avoiding eye contact. That was when Jimin made up his mind. The best route to go was flattery. He was already going to hell for doing this anyways, so he needed to do it the right way. He had to do as much as he could to make sure that the guilt of it didn’t eat him alive.

“Jeongguk is fine. He’s doing well, actually. But we’re currently dealing with some family things,” Jimin sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “It’s not something I can explain to you. I wish I could, but it’s quite personal. And Jeongguk, you know, he… well, he’s really dedicated to his work. He doesn’t talk to the rest of the family about it, but we talk about it together.”

“That’s probably nice for him,” Yugyeom quietly said.

“I’d like to think so,” Jimin agreed. “But because he’s so dedicated to his work and his clients, he has trouble pulling away from it, even when it’s necessary. He would be mortified to know that I’m speaking with you now, since you’re one of his best clients.”

“Yeah? Best?” Yugyeom said with hope in his voice. Shit. If Jimin thought he was in too deep with Jeongguk, it was nothing compared to this kid. Jimin was stupid when it came to Jeongguk, but poor Yugyeom had been at it for what seemed like over a year. Probably hopelessly in love with Jeongguk, from the looks of it.

“Yeah, of course. How do you think I know about you?” Jimin said kindly. “He doesn’t speak about his clients for privacy reasons, but he speaks about you. He enjoys spending time with you.”

“That’s… That’s really nice to hear,” Yugyeom said with a small smile. “He’s really nice to me. I’m not good with—you know. Dating, or—or meeting people. I just don’t want to go through all the fuss. It’s so much work. He’s made it a lot easier.”

“Mm, he’s great at it,” Jimin agreed with another forced smile. Yugyeom was spending time and money on Jeongguk for an illusion that surely wouldn’t last. Now it kind of hurt Jimin to think about it. At the very least, Jimin understood that Jeongguk was an escort and that there was truly nothing personal about anything he did with and for his clients. It was all about the client, and the contract was explicit. Jimin was bold enough to find the loopholes and say “fuck the contract.” Yugyeom clearly wasn’t.

“So what’s… can I ask what’s going on?”

“Yes, of course. I managed to pry out of him that he has plans with you for New Year’s Eve,” Jimin said, trying his bet to sound reluctant about bringing it up. “But we—our family, myself—we were hoping that Jeongguk would come and spend some time with us to take care of some things. My grandmother loves New Year’s Eve. New beginning and all that, y’know? So I’m trying to talk him into it, but he’s… you know. Not really listening.”

“Oh.” Yugyeom fiddled with his cup. “Is it bad? What’s going on in the family?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s bad,” Jimin said, shrugging. “It’s not like we’re in a family feud. No one’s dying—well, grandmother isn’t at her best, but that doesn’t matter right now. We just need him to be with us for once. He works nonstop.”

“He does. He’s always busy,” Yugyeom sighed.

“I know that Jeongguk won’t postpone or cancel any of his schedules. He would never. He cares for his clients too much and doesn’t want to disappoint or hurt them. So I’m taking a risk by asking you this,” Jimin said, rubbing his forehead.

“You want me to cancel.”

“I know it’s a big thing to ask,” Jimin admitted. “But if you’d be willing, I would be really grateful. It would just get him to spend a little time with family. We miss him a lot. And I know he’d be willing to make it up to you another time.”

“I… It’s New Year’s Eve,” Yugyeom sighed, sounding hesitant. He looked around, and then he leaned his elbows onto the round table. “Are you his cousin?”

“Yeah.”

“And you said I’m one of his best clients, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Between you and me…” Yugyeom leaned in further. “I’m trying to go further with him.”

“Oh?” Jimin leaned in, pretending to be intrigued even though his insides were boiling. Jesus, he thought Yugyeom was introverted and shy. This was new.

“Yeah. I’ve been seeing him for over a year now,” Yugyeom said in a hushed voice. “And I don’t know the first thing about him because that’s one of his rules, right? He doesn’t share anything personal. I don’t know where he lives. I don’t know what he likes to drink. I don’t know if he went to school or not. I don’t even know if he has other friends. But I was hoping to use New Year’s Eve as… well, kind of as a kickoff to my plan.”

“What was your plan?”

Jimin didn’t even recognize his own voice when he said those four words. Jimin had been inside Jeongguk’s apartment. He knew Jeongguk drank scotch. He knew Jeongguk went to university. He knew Jeongguk had a friend with a cat, a close enough friend that he felt he needed a pet bed in his room. He knew all of that, and Yugyeom didn’t. Yugyeom had been a client for over a year, and Jimin knew more than he did. It made Jimin’s face warm, made his fingers tingle. Holy shit. What did that even mean?

“My plan was to use New Year’s Eve as a way to propose breaking our contract,” Yugyeom explained. “Work towards maybe… a real relationship. I—I like him a lot. More than a lot. And I want to push him to break that stupid contract and take me on a real date.”

“You could always use White Day,” Jimin offered, his insides shaking now.

“That would mean waiting until March,” Yugyeom pointed out. “I don’t want to wait that long.”

Shit, now he was starting to put his foot down. Jimin couldn’t let that happen.

“Look, I completely understand. I know my cousin. I know how great he is with his clients. I can imagine that you’ve formed a great relationship with him,” he tried to say formally, nodding at his own words. “But I was really hoping you would understand that this is a family matter, and Jeongguk is family. We need him there. It’s only one holiday. I know he’ll make it up to you. Please, Yugyeom. If I have to beg, I will.”

“I mean, you don’t need to beg,” Yugyeom said with a deep exhale. He frowned. “If you went out of your way to find me and tell me all this, then obviously it’s important. I just… I mean, it sucks. I already paid the money and everything.”

“I’m sure he’ll refund you,” Jimin said gently, his heart wrestling to break free from his ribcage. Holy shit. It was working. It was actually working.

“I don’t like this,” Yugyeom admitted. “I don’t like that I have to cancel on him.”

“I don’t either,” Jimin admitted. “Because he’ll be confused.” Time to cover his tracks. Jimin steamrolled forward with his plan. “I don’t want him to know that I meddled, Yugyeom. That part is really important. I don’t want him to know that I spoke with you. I need you to promise me that you won’t bring it up.”

“Yeah, I get it. I understand why,” Yugyeom said, and Jimin almost laughed, because he sure as fuck didn’t understand it himself. It was a bullshit story, and the fact that Yugyeom wasn’t seeing right through it was shocking. “He’s a workaholic. I know that. And he always makes extra on holidays, so it’ll be a loss for him.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to make it up to him,” Jimin said, leaning forward with a small smile. “You are one of his best clients, after all. It’s not about the money. He cares.”

“I know. Okay.” Yugyeom ran one hand down his face. “So then what do I say? That I just need to cancel?”

“Yes. Tell him that something personal came up, and that you have to cancel for New Year’s Eve. He doesn’t have social media, so he won’t go spying on you if you make other plans. So don’t feel guilty about that. Just let him know that you have to cancel.”

“Right. Yeah, okay.” Yugyeom looked troubled at first, but then he looked committed, squaring his shoulders. “Okay. I’ll cancel, tell him to take care of his family.”

“No,” Jimin said hastily. “Don’t do that. If you mention anything about dealing with family issues, he’ll know straight away that it was me. Don’t mention me, don’t mention family troubles at all. I just want him to have an opening on that day so that I can swoop in and bring him to our family. That’s all.”

“Oh. That makes sense. Okay. Shit. This is really a test, isn’t it?” Yugyeom said with a little laugh, running his fingers through his hair. “First test of the relationship that I want. Guess if he asks to reschedule something, I’ll know, right?”

“I’ll encourage him to reschedule,” Jimin lied. “I need to plan this right away, so let him know as soon as you can. And please, Yugyeom, don’t hesitate to tell me if you need anything between now and New Year’s Eve. I’m sorry I have to do this to you.”

“I mean, it’s family. That comes first,” Yugyeom said with another shrug. “Nothing much I can do. I guess you’re thinking of his feelings first, and his business. So that’s good. Nice that he has a cousin like you.”

“Thank you.” Jimin bowed his head a little. “I need to get back to work. But thank you for meeting me, and for agreeing to cancel. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll call him after you leave. Just tell him to make it up to me,” Yugyeom muttered, waving his hand. Jimin nodded, digging into his pocket for his wallet. He then put down enough won to cover the cost of the coffees, even though Yugyeom had purchased them.

“For the coffee and for the trouble I’ve caused. Thank you, Yugyeom.”

“Nice to meet you, Minyku-ssi.”

“Likewise!” Jimin called over his shoulder, because he was ready to bolt. He had been expecting a longer conversation, a fight, more convincing, more stress. Yugyeom had rolled over too easily. It had to be a trick. But the moment that Jimin left the coffee shop, he let out a laugh and collapsed onto a bench right down the street. His entire body melted into it as he slouched and looked straight up at the sky, shivering slightly in the cold. Holy shit, he had actually done it.

It took Jimin fifteen minutes to find his land legs again, because he was crashing from an adrenaline high. He took some meditative deep breaths while sitting on the bench, and then he braced his hands on his knees and rose to his feet. His knees knocked together, but he managed to take the first few tentative steps back towards S9K.

The moment he walked into the office, the fear dissipated. The adrenaline crash was a thing of the past. Now Jimin just felt like he was floating. So the fuck what if Jeongguk didn’t even want to make New Year’s Eve plans with him despite having a cancellation? Jimin had successfully foiled Yugyeom’s plans, and even though it was a horrible thing for him to do, it felt strangely nice. He was going straight to hell for it, of course, but it still felt like a victory, especially after learning that Yugyeom was trying to push Jeongguk into a relationship. Jimin wasn’t gunning for a relationship like Yugyeom was seeking. He wasn’t sure what he was gunning for, but he had stopped Yugyeom from even taking aim. That part felt good.

It was inspiring.

Jimin was feeling far too bold. The moment he walked into the privacy of his own office, he found his text message conversation with Jeongguk.

JIMIN [10:49:31AM]
Have lunch with me today.

The reply was immediate.

J.J. [10:50:07AM]
Are you bossing me around?

JIMIN [10:50:44]
Depends, do you like it?

J.J. [10:51:23AM]
Wouldn’t you like to know ;)

Jimin was going to die young. Jeongguk was going to be the death of him, he just knew it.

JIMIN [10:52:37AM]
Have lunch with me today. 1pm. I’ll send you an address.

J.J. [10:53:02AM]
And if I have other plans or other clients?

JIMIN [10:53:50AM]
I’ll be at the café regardless. Come if you want to.

J.J. [10:54:19AM]
I like this side of you ;)

***

The café Jimin chose was one that he frequented a lot during his workweek when he wanted to take an off-site lunch break. He knew he was pushing it because he’d already taken a coffee break to meet with Yugyeom, but being one of the most prized employees of the company had its perks. Jimin got his work done and always promised to keep his phone on his person in case he was needed when he was out of the office. He never gave the higher-ups a reason to doubt him, so he had been given a mile whereas others had only an inch.

It was a risk to order enough food for two people, but Jimin knew he could cover easily by telling the server that he just wanted leftovers. He just got a large spicy dumpling hot pot with kimchi dumplings and meat dumplings, as well as some enoki mushrooms and knife-cut noodles, as well as some green onion. Then he got a side of radish kimchi and called it a day, because he was starving. The server brought him some hibiscus iced tea, and the first sip was so refreshing that Jimin almost slumped onto the table.

It was ten minutes after one o’clock when the food arrived to the table. Jimin wanted to feel guilt or shame for sitting alone, especially because eating out alone wasn’t really a thing in Korean culture. He was sure people were staring, but he had taken the risk. He knew that the risk meant possibly no reward. He picked up his chopsticks with resolve and stirred the hot pot carefully.

“I always like showing up to a hot meal.”

Jimin didn’t stop stirring even as Jeongguk’s voice filled his ears. A warm hand fell on his neck briefly, and then Jeongguk dropped into the chair across from Jimin. That was when Jimin stopped stirring, because he felt like he was short-circuiting. Jeongguk was wearing black pants that hugged every inch of his body, paired with a black button-up shirt that had white vine designs on it. He shrugged out of his black long coat and draped it on the back of the chair, and then he immediately unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up twice, the veins in his arms moving with the motion. His cheeks were slightly pink from the cold, his hair a bit windblown and falling into one eye. As he finished rolled up one sleeve, he shifted his eyes up to look at Jimin.

“I planned to eat all of this myself, actually,” Jimin said, even though he could barely breathe from how beautiful Jeongguk looked. It was fucking effortless for him, wasn’t it? Looking good all the time.

“Impress a guy,” Jeongguk offered, leaning back in his chair with a smirk and beckoning with one hand to the hotpot.

“I invited you to lunch, asshole. Start eating,” Jimin replied, and Jeongguk snickered, leaning forward.

“It’s nice to see you too, hyung,” he teased, grabbing his chopsticks and taking a piece of kimchi first. He held it up towards his mouth and locked his gaze on Jimin’s. “How have you been?”

“In the two days since I last saw you? Not bad.”

“Anything interesting happen over the weekend?”

“Prevented famine and flood, cured a fatal disease, triggered world peace. Vacuumed my carpet,” Jimin rattled off casually, and Jeongguk snorted with laughter.

“Sounds boring.”

“Honestly, I could barely keep my eyes open,” Jimin sighed, shaking his head. He plucked out a kimchi dumpling and held it up. “Try this.”

“Are you feeding me?”

“Eat it or I’ll shove it somewhere else,” Jimin offered, fluttering his eyelashes with a smile. Jeongguk took his piece of kimchi and draped it right overtop the dumpling, ignoring the look he got from Jimin. Then he motioned to his mouth with his empty chopsticks, the grin on his face enough to make Jimin want to slap him and kiss him at the same time. He leaned in so that Jeongguk could eat the large bite of food.

“Mm,” he hummed as he chewed, looking rather pleased with himself.

“I come here a lot,” Jimin admitted, grabbing another dumpling. “Best food on the block.”

“It’s not half bad,” Jeongguk agreed, dipping his chopsticks in and deftly twirling some noodles around the tips. “I got an interesting phone call this morning.”

“I’m sure all of your phone calls are interesting,” Jimin said, but his heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach. There were two ways this could go. Either Jeongguk knew Jimin had meddled and was about to rip him apart because Yugyeom was a traitor, or he was oblivious and Yugyeom had done his goddamn job.

“Mm, but this one was particularly interesting,” Jeongguk said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I have a regular client.”

“Mhm.”

“Been seeing him for over a year. He books things months in advance. It’s always been a little odd, but I don’t mind. Good money,” Jeongguk explained, and the giddiness Jimin felt was unexplainable. To conceal it, he just nodded, fixated on the noodles he was trying to capture between his chopsticks. “He was my client for New Year’s Eve.”

“Was?”

“Was. He called this morning to cancel. Personal reasons,” Jeongguk said.

“Oh. That’s a big blow.”

“Is it?”

“Money-wise, I mean,” Jimin said, keeping his voice even. The more he sympathized with the situation, the less suspicious he looked. “I’m sure you charge more for holidays. A cancellation is probably a bit of a financial blow.”

“It could be. I was a little disappointed at first. He’s a good client, very reliable. But then I remembered that you offered to employ my services for New Year’s Eve, too,” Jeongguk reminded him, sounding rather smug as he grabbed for more kimchi. Was it smugness, or was it pride? Both were… well, both were acceptable. Jimin couldn’t blame him.

“I did, but you were booked,” Jimin said, stirring the pot again.

“And now I’m not.”

“Are you asking me to invite you to VEX for New Year’s Eve?” Jimin asked, trying not to let his voice crack in excitement. He clicked his tongue. “I don’t know, Jeongguk. It’s only three weeks away. I don’t know if they can squeeze you into our reservation now.”

“You’re lying.”

“Yeah, I’m lying,” Jimin sighed right away, and Jeongguk let out a breathy laugh. “My friend reserved six spots for five of us. Left a spot open for me to bring a date. Guess that means I should invite you now that you’re free. If you want to, of course. Never said you have to.”

“I’d like to,” Jeongguk said with an air of professionalism, though he responded so quickly that he almost interrupted Jimin. “If the offer is still good.”

“Well, you’re annoying and expensive, but I guess I can bring you along,” Jimin said.

“I’ll make it worth the cost,” Jeongguk said in a low voice that sent a shiver down Jimin’s spine. “Don’t I always?”

“You don’t disappoint,” Jimin told him, and Jeongguk sat up straighter, looking proud. No praise kink my ass, Jimin thought. Jeongguk clearly enjoyed being told he was doing a good job. Jimin wasn’t blind. “Plus, it would be the polite thing to do, since I bought you lunch.”

“And then you bought me,” Jeongguk joked with a sparkle in his eyes. “I love a high roller. You’re such a turn-on, babe. Buy me more stuff.”

“I’ll buy your silence,” Jimin fired back, but he was smiling. It wasn’t until he was physically with Jeongguk that he realized how much he missed the banter when he was alone. He could joke around with his friends, but there was something different about the back-and-forth with Jeongguk, something fun. Something new.

“I’ll set it up in the portal for you,” Jeongguk said casually. “If we have a deal.”

“Yeah, sure. We have a deal. That is, if you answer my question.”

“Of course.”

“I don’t know. This isn’t a question you’re going to like.”

“Try me.”

“Have you brought other clients to your apartment before?”

Jeongguk stopped twirling noodles around his chopsticks and stared straight at Jimin, straight into his soul. Jimin had at least prefaced the question to soften the blow. He had to know. Hearing Yugyeom, a long-term client, admit that he didn’t know a goddamn thing about Jeon Jeongguk had triggered something in Jimin’s head. Now he had to know.

“You ask shitty questions,” Jeongguk said, recovering from the initial shock. “Invasive questions. Questions you shouldn’t be asking me as a client.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Then why do you ask them?”

“Because the worst I’ll get is no answer. Might as well try,” Jimin reasoned.

“No.”

“No, I shouldn’t try?”

Jeongguk didn’t say another word. He just lifted the massive bite of noodles to his mouth, made eye contact with Jimin, and shoved the entire bite into his mouth, slurping the noodles in loudly. Jimin stifled a laugh, but then he put the puzzle pieces together. Jeongguk had answered his question. Holy shit, he had answered the question. No. No, he had never brought other clients up to his apartment before. Holy shit.

“You’ll set this up in the portal, then?” Jimin asked, trying to make it as casual as possible. He was on information overload today, and he was not equipped for such a blow on a Monday. It was too much at once.

“Set what up? Lunch?”

“Well, yes. I’m a client. I asked you to lunch. You’re spending time with me,” Jimin pointed out.

“Oh. Right.” Jeongguk wiped his mouth again. “Yeah. I’ll set it up.”

“And you’ll come with me for New Year’s Eve.”

“Yes.”

“And clients don’t normally go to your apartment.”

“You wanna say that again?”

“I’m probably good,” Jimin decided, taking the last dumpling and holding it up to Jeongguk. Jeongguk shook his head and held up a hand, so Jimin ate it. Then he saw Jeongguk check his watch. “If you have to go, it’s fine. I wasn’t even expecting you to show up. Figured you’d have a schedule.”

“Mm.” Jeongguk set down his napkin and leaned his elbows on the table. “I’m starting to believe that I can always make time for you, Park Jimin. Thank you for lunch, love. I’ll see you soon.”

Jeongguk shrugged into his coat, grabbed a final cube of radish to munch on, set his hand on Jimin’s shoulder briefly, and then vanished. Just like that.

When he was gone, Jimin threw his arms up victoriously before collapsing onto the table while laughing.

Chapter Text

He wasn’t laughing on Tuesday when he rolled out of bed or his morning run. Jimin’s entire body ached with the memories of yesterday, mostly because he had thrashed around in bed all night, desperate for someone to cuddle, throwing pillows out of his way, unable to sleep because all he could see was Jeongguk’s face. All he could hear was Yugyeom’s disappointed voice agreeing to cancel. Jimin dragged himself out of bed, dressing in running gear, laced up his sneakers, and texted Taehyung his route—an old habit from when they lived together that had never died, mostly for accountability purposes. He waited until he saw that Taehyung had read it (he always did within a minute or so), and then he took off for his early morning five-kilometer run.

Wednesday was more of the same. He barely made it through his morning run. Every time his phone went off, he nearly jumped out of his skin, thinking it was Yugyeom coming after him on Instagram or Jeongguk texting that he knew what had happened. On Thursday, Jimin’s alarm went off, but he’d been expecting it. The sun wasn’t up yet, per usual, but Jimin once again hadn’t slept a wink. He had tossed and turned, drifting in and out of sleep, his brain happily replaying every living second of the conversation he’d had with Yugyeom like he had every night. The look on Jeongguk’s face when he had agreed to New Year’s Eve. The guilt, the all-consuming guilt. Jimin had tried meditating, had tried music, had tried ASMR videos, had tried getting up for a glass of water. Not had stopped his brain from reminding him what he had done. He had assumed that he was the smart one, that what he had done had been a stroke of brilliance. He had been so fucking wrong. It had been reckless, and now he was paying the price. Yugyeom hadn’t even ratted him out, and that was what made it worse—the kid had just gone along with it, leaving Jimin with the full bill of guilt.

“You look sad, baby. What’s wrong?”

“Just take your photos, Tae,” Jimin groaned. It was Friday night after work, and Taehyung had requested a new round of photos with Jimin as his model, photos on a rooftop he had found last weekend that he swore was perfect for a photoshoot background. Now he was using Jimin as his model, his favorite model. Jimin was wearing black leather pants and a thick, oversized cream knitted sweater that gave him sweater paws. Taehyung had tousled his black hair for a messier look and had added a little bit of make-up for fun. Jimin wasn’t opposed to make-up. He actually quite liked the way he looked all made up. Back in the summer, Taehyung had taken a series of photos with Jimin in a series of dresses and high-heeled boots, and the photos had gotten millions of likes on Instagram, had almost gone viral. Jimin never cared what Taehyung wanted when it came to fashion or photo shoots. But now he wasn’t in the mood.

“I mean, I’m not opposed to a sad look. This is experimental. But I can feel it radiating off you,” Taehyung said as he fiddled with his camera and then held it up to his eye. “Chin up, sweetheart.”

Jimin lifted his chin just a little, and Taehyung snapped two photos. But then his eyes flicked away from the camera as he glanced out onto the night sky, and Taehyung stopped, lower the camera and letting it hang around his neck. He pulled his black-framed glasses down from the top of his head back to cover his eyes, and then he put his hands on his hips, ruffling his blonde hair.

“Did something happen? Do you need to talk?”

“I can’t really talk about it,” Jimin admitted, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, fiddling with the hems of the sleeves of the sweater.

“No? Can’t talk about it with me? The true love of your life, your heart and soul, your biggest fan?” Taehyung asked, sounding amused rather than hurt.

“It’s not really something I can explain to you. Or to anyone. It’s your boyfriend’s fault,” Jimin finally said with a weak smile.

“Listen to my voice so you can hear how surprised I am,” Taehyung said flatly, and Jimin’s smile tugged harder at the corners of his lips. “What’d he do?”

“He didn’t do anything. He wasn’t wrong. I didn’t give him context, and then I asked if I should take a risk or accept my fate. I took the risk like he said. It paid off, but now I feel fucking horrible about it,” Jimin ambiguously explained.

“So I guess you can’t tell me what the risk was for,” Taehyung said, sounding disappointed.

“No. It… It had to do with Jeongguk,” Jimin confessed quietly. That was enough for Taehyung to walk up and crouch down before him. “And I think I really fucked up. It felt good at first, what I did, but now… now it’s been a day and all I feel is guilt. I don’t know what to do.”

“Can you fix it?” Taehyung rested his hands on Jimin’s knees and blinked up at him. Jimin stopped gazing mindlessly and looked down at Taehyung, and his heart clenched. His beautiful best friend, full of empathy and love, asking if he could fix the horrible thing that he did to Jeongguk. Jimin was too emotionally vulnerable after a week of feeling like shit. He leaned down and kissed Taehyung’s forehead firmly.

“Fixing it would mean telling him the truth,” Jimin whispered. “About what I did.”

“Would you lose him if you did? If you told him the truth?”

“You don’t even know what I did, Tae.”

“I don’t need to,” Taehyung replied. “I mean, I’m dying to know, but it doesn’t really matter if you don’t want to tell me. If you fixed it by telling him the truth, would you lose him?”

“Probably,” Jimin whispered.

“Look.” Taehyung sat beside Jimin on the rooftop ledge, his camera resting in his lap. Then he took one of Jimin’s hand and sandwiched it between his own large hands. “We’ve known each other for two decades. I’ve been through all your shit. You’ve been through mine. I was there when Minkyu turned on you. You were there for me when Bogum turned out to be a liar and a cheater. You found Hobi hyung for me, introduced me to someone who loves every part of me, flaws and all, even when I didn’t believe it. And now I’m telling you that Jeongguk is your person. You don’t see the way he looks at you, Jiminie. Whatever you did, you need to fix it, even if it means you might lose him. Sometimes that’s how life is, but you can’t live with guilt like this. You have to fix it. Tell him what you have to tell him.”

“He won’t be hurt until I tell him, though. He has no idea. He’s oblivious to it. That’s the worst part. I’ll be the one who fucks it all up.”

“Then be mature enough to own it.”

“Why are you so smart?” Jimin whined under his breath, resting his head on Taehyung’s shoulder. Taehyung planted a kiss on the crown of his head.

“Will you tell him?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will. When I find the courage.”

“You better find it fast.”

“I will, I promise,” Jimin whispered. “I don’t want to.”

“Yeah, there are a lot of things I don’t want to do, too,” Taehyung sighed. “But what I do want to do is get a few more photos. You up for it?”

“Anything for you.”

Taehyung hummed happily and jumped up, releasing Jimin’s hand and positioning himself.

“Okay, lie down on the ledge. One leg hanging onto the ground. Arm behind your head. Look at me. Just don’t fall, I don’t have life insurance for you.”

***

Jimin got home that night and ordered delivery straight to his doorstep, because he was about to start Hotel Del Luna from the beginning to numb his pain and train wreck of emotions. He couldn’t remember the last time he had ever felt so heavy, so he figured that IU could help him relieve some of the stress. He had promised Taehyung that he would talk to Jeongguk, but it was the weekend. Surely Jeongguk was completely consumed with clients, especially so close to the holidays. It was holiday break, after all, which meant that now Jimin could suffer without having work as a distraction!

Jimin actually whined out loud and sank into the couch.

Maybe he should consider getting a dog. It was becoming painful clear that he was meant to be alone, after all, and that he was very good at wallowing in it and playing victim. A dog would cuddle him all the time and wouldn’t be complicated, like men who stole taxi cabs and turned out to be high-end escorts with an expensive price tag.

Jimin got through four episodes before he decided that he was too tired to start a fifth. He crawled into bed after washing his face thoroughly and putting on some plaid pajama bottoms and a stretched out grey t-shirt that fell off his shoulders if he shifted the wrong way. Then he turned off his light and flopped onto his back in his king bed, staring at the ceiling.

He wasn’t going to sleep. Not like this.

He tried to squeeze his eyes shut, but the minutes ticked away, and he wasn’t comfortable. He got up and did a few push-ups, then took a lap around his kitchen. He used the bathroom. He hung up his coat. Then he got back into bed.

Not tired.

Infuriated, Jimin finally grabbed his phone off the charger and unlocked it, and then he found the text message conversation he had been avoiding.

If he texted Jeongguk, that was it. There was no turning back. He would have to admit to what he did. But he couldn’t live with it anymore, so his fingers trembled as he typed out the text and sent it:

JIMIN [03:14:28AM]
I did something horrible. I need to talk to you. Please come over.

J.J. [03:15:09AM]
I’m on my way.

Jimin nearly threw his phone at the wall when he saw the response. The immediate response, God damn it. It was quarter past three in the morning and Jeongguk hadn’t even hesitated to text him back. Maybe he was awake, not that it would surprise Jimin. But the fact that he hadn’t even questioned a single part of Jimin’s text, had just agreed to come over, was what made Jimin’s eyes burn. There was no way for this to end well. Absolutely no way. It would end with Jeongguk storming out of Jimin’s apartment and swearing to cease all contact. That was the only way, wasn’t it?

So Jimin prepared himself. He crawled out of bed, didn’t even bother to change out of his pajamas or do something to his face. He hadn’t slept well in days, so why try to hide it? Jeongguk would see right through him regardless. It didn’t matter.

Jimin had to buzz Jeongguk in this time because it was so early in the morning. Jeongguk didn’t say anything to announce himself, just pressed the button for Jimin’s apartment. Jimin returned the courtesy by not saying a word, just accepting and unlocking the main doors for Jeongguk. Then he paced with a broken heart until he heard a knock on the door.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?” Jeongguk asked the moment he saw Jimin, all formalities forgotten. “What is it? What’d you do?”

Jimin stared, deflating. Jeongguk’s bare face was flooded with concern. His hair was tousled like he had been lying in bed. He was wearing black track pants and a grey pullover sweatshirt that was ten sizes too big for him, almost to his knees, his hands not visible because of the length of the sleeves. No jacket at all. It was like he hadn’t even thought twice about running out of his apartment to come see Jimin, and that made what Jimin had to say hurt even more.

“Something awful,” Jimin whispered. “And I need to tell you.” He stepped aside and let Jeongguk in, locking the door behind them. Jeongguk stood by, not sure what to do, so Jimin took the lead and sat down in a kitchen chair with a sigh so heavy he feared the chair would break under the weight. Jeongguk tentatively sat down in the chair across from him.

“What happened?” Jeongguk pressed. Jimin finally found the courage to look up at him. Big mistake. Jeongguk’s eyes were shining, glossed over with emotion already. It was like he could feel what Jimin was keeping secret. The look in his eyes told Jimin that he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, that he was expecting to be disappointed. Like it had happened to him before and he was bracing himself for impact.

“I… Jeongguk, I did something I shouldn’t have,” Jimin whispered. “Something terrible. Something out of… out of jealousy. And I did it without even—without even thinking.”

“Tell me.” Jeongguk’s voice was dangerously quiet. “Tell me what you did.”

So Jimin did. He took a deep breath and launched right into the story, avoiding any form of eye contact out of shame as he told Jeongguk what he had done. He explained that he had looked into the client book. How he’d found Yugyeom’s name. How he’d looked him up on social media, gotten in contact, made up a lie. How they had met in person, how Jimin had convinced him that it was a family matter and that Jeongguk needed to be free on New Year’s Eve. He didn’t leave a single detail out, even when the words coming out of his mouth hurt, even when he could feel Jeongguk tensing up the more that he spoke. But Jeongguk just let him. He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t stop him. He let Jimin call himself a moron, let him use words like “selfish” and “jealous” and “stupid” and “liar.” Didn’t make a single sound until Jimin stopped talking.

“…Right. Okay. So let’s just—let’s put that all into a nice little nutshell, shall we?” Jeongguk offered kindly. That was when Jimin looked up, and he flinched. Jeongguk’s eyes were blazing with a kind of anger Jimin had never seen before, betraying his gentle voice. Jimin rubbed his mouth with his fingers, closing his eyes and nodding with a head tilt.

“I let you into my apartment. And the second I had my back turned, you breached my client privacy privilege and my privacy. You met one of my clients and blatantly lied to him. You talked him into cancelling. All so you could have me to yourself on New Year’s Eve.”

“Yeah, thank you for the recap,” Jimin said miserably. “I already told you I’m a fucking moron. Just end the fucking contract and go. Put me out of my misery. I’ve felt guilty about this shit for the entire week. I’d prefer if you just cut ties and left me alone.”

“That’s no way to deal with your shit, and you’re not just a fucking moron.”

“Right, exactly. I’m a liar. Thank you. I’ll get the door for you, then,” Jimin snapped, shoving back his chair to get up. Jeongguk immediately got out of his seat, grabbed Jimin by the shoulders, and shoved him right back into the chair with force. Jimin gulped and winced at the same time.

‘No. You’re going to sit the fuck down and listen to me,” Jeongguk snapped back, and then he grabbed his chair and pulled it closer to Jimin. He put it right in front of Jimin’s face so that their knees were touching, and in that moment, Jimin finally realized that he was scared. Now he felt threatened. Now Jeongguk was terrifying. “What you did was wrong. It was fucking wrong, and the worst part about it is that you didn’t break the contract. It was wrong and sneaky.”

“I—Wait, what? None of that broke the contract? How the fuck—?”

“Clearly I need to make some revisions,” Jeongguk interrupted coolly, leaning his elbows onto his knees. “Because I don’t have anything in there about clients mingling .”

“I—I wasn’t trying to be sneaky,” Jimin whispered ashamedly. “That wasn’t… fuck.”

“Yeah, ‘fuck’ is right. You absolute fucking asshole,” Jeongguk said through gritted teeth. “What the hell gave you the right to do any of that? How could you do that to me?”

“Jeongguk…”

“I trusted you.”

Whatever was left of Jimin’s black heart shattered. He bowed his head and rested his face in his hands, not wanting to see Jeongguk’s face, especially with the way his voice sounded. Strangled. Hurt. Betrayed. It was all too awful, and it was because of Jimin. Jimin had made him feel this way.

“I trusted you, hyung.” He didn’t sound mad anymore. His voice cracked on the last word, and Jimin’s eyes burned again. “I—I let you into my home. I shared things about myself when I didn’t have to. I don’t trust my clients. I don’t tell them anything. B-But I trusted you. I trusted you a lot. And you… you took advantage of it.”

“I swear I didn’t—” Jimin’s voice caught in his throat and died as he choked back the dry sob that was lodged in his throat. He still couldn’t look at Jeongguk. “I didn’t mean… I was…”

“You don’t have an excuse.”

“No. None.”

“I expect all of my clients to respect what’s in the contract. That’s why I have it,” Jeongguk said with cool professionalism, though he still sounded emotional. Jimin didn’t want to see it. “But beyond that… beyond that, I just—I wanted mutual trust. Between you and me. I don’t fucking care that you met Yugyeom. I don’t care that you told him stories. I don’t even care that he cancelled. I care that—I care that you’re the one who set it all up. And for what?”

“I told you,” Jimin whispered. He finally lifted his head, knowing that his eyes were teary, but it was nothing compared to when he looked up at Jeongguk. Jeongguk was still sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, but he was looking up at Jimin unblinkingly. His eyes were bloodshot with signs of tears. His jaw was clenched in an attempt to control his emotions. And his hands were clasped together like he was trying not to reach out and strangle Jimin. It was too much.

“Tell me again.”

“I… I was jealous,” Jimin whispered, closing his eyes for a moment. Admitting it out loud again under emotional duress wasn’t just difficult. It felt like downright torture. “And—And I was lonely. I spent last New Year’s Eve by myself, watching my friends be together. And the one before that, and the one before that. I—I just wanted someone to be with me. And when you said you couldn’t because of another client, I—I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You had no right.”

“I know that.”

“Fuck, Jimin, I trusted you,” Jeongguk cursed angrily, dropping all honorifics as he shoved his chair back and started to pace Jimin’s kitchen, fingers laced at the crown of his head. Jimin blinked and felt a tear slip down his cheek, which he quickly wiped away.

“I know. I—it’s fine. I’ll cancel your reservation. I’ll balance my account in the portal, and then… then you can just go. I’ll agree to end the contract. I won’t make a fuss about it.”

Jeongguk paced in silence as Jimin’s offer hung in the air like a thundercloud. He paced and paced, and Jimin didn’t stop him, even though it was creeping up on four in the morning now.

“I trusted you.”

“You keep saying that,” Jimin softly said as Jeongguk stopped right in front of his chair, staring down at him. So Jimin gingerly stood up, not wanting to feel so small. “You keep saying it like I don’t know.”

“Then maybe you don’t,” Jeongguk whispered. “Maybe you don’t get it. You don’t get why I keep saying it.”

“Tell me, then.”

“I trust one person.” Jeongguk paused and let it sink in. “One. Not my parents. Not my brother. Not my other clients. Only one person. And then I decided to trust you.”

“And I fucked it up,” Jimin whispered, his body aching.

“Yeah. And now I feel like a fool for it,” Jeongguk said, shaking his head just slightly as he held Jimin’s gaze. “But maybe I’m dumber than I look.”

“I…What?” Jimin’s brow furrowed.

“I should be mad at you. You fucking deserve it. You deserve anger and rage. I should be furious with you. Should break your contract. Should do all of it just to watch you crash and burn.”

Jimin sucked in a breath, trying to figure out if he was dizzy because of Jeongguk’s words or because he was so exhausted. When Jeongguk took one step closer to him, he realized it was the former. It was the words, the words said so carefully with such emotion behind them. Something so unlike the Jeon Jeongguk he had come to know.

“But I can’t,” Jeongguk whispered. “And I hate myself for it. So I’m going to leave.”

“Okay.”

“And you’re not going to cancel anything,” Jeongguk added softly. “Because I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. I just need some time, and I can’t—I can’t think straight when you’re in front of me. I shouldn’t have emotions like this when it comes to a client. It compromises me. So I need you to leave me alone.”

“I will,” Jimin agreed miserably. “Of course I will.”

“I won’t tell Yugyeom,” Jeongguk said, and Jimin’s heart cartwheeled. What? “About any of this. I don’t want to deal with the shitstorm. He’s a good client. Very clingy, kind of pushy. But he pays well, and he’s good. So I’m not going to explain your fuck-up.”

“You should.”

“I won’t,” Jeongguk said tersely, so Jimin shut his mouth. “I don’t need my business taking a hit like that. But I’m leaving now.”

“Right.”

“I still don’t know about New Year’s Eve.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know if I’ll show up.”

“That’s fair.”

“I don’t know if I can forgive you, hyung.”

“That’s also fair.”

Jeongguk took two steps backwards, shaking his head a few times. He took a deep breath, drew himself up to full height. And then he turned on his heels, marched to the door, unlocked it, and left.

Jimin collapsed into the chair and cried until the sun threatened to come up.

***

Jimin logged into the portal on Saturday morning with puffy eyes and a headache from crying himself to sleep. Lying on his side, he clicked on MY EVENTS. His history included the merger celebration party (SETTLED) and the holiday party (SETTLED). There was no event set up for the lunch date they had on Monday. Jimin blinked, expecting it to change when he refreshed the page, but there was still nothing there. The only event upcoming was New Year’s Eve (PENDING). Jeongguk hadn’t deleted it yet. But that was the thing about his little private portal. Jeongguk could see the times and dates that Jimin logged in. Likewise, Jimin could see when Jeongguk logged in. And Jeongguk’s last login had been at five o’clock in the morning. That meant that he was well aware that he hadn’t put in the lunch date, and that he hadn’t touched New Year’s Eve. Knowing that only made Jimin angrier, sadder. He logged out and made no plans to log back in.

Jimin spent the first two days of his holiday break sleeping at Namjoon and Seokjin’s apartment. They had one of those corner apartments with a ton of windows, and everything in it was warm, especially the colors. The décor was reminiscent of nature, full of organic material and wood and vegan fabrics and handmade bedframes. Namjoon had spent almost two years collecting and decorating their place while Seokjin just sat back and let him.

“It’s not really my taste,” Seokjin would say with a shrug whenever Jimin asked, but then he would smile fondly in whatever direction Namjoon was. “But I love the hell out of him. Doesn’t really matter what our home looks like, as long as he’s here.”

“Gag,” Jimin would respond.

But now he was sitting on the couch with a cup of loose-leaf tea, curled up in the corner as Seokjin bustled around in the kitchen and Namjoon sat at the kitchen table on his laptop, working from home. Every few minutes, Seokjin would lean over with a spoon or a pair of chopsticks, and Namjoon would open his mouth without looking away from his screen to taste test. His hums in positive and negative tones would send Seokjin right back to the cabinets for a different spice. There was music playing in the background, probably just a Spotify account on shuffle, but the entire scene was so… domestic. Jimin always forgot how well Seokjin and Namjoon got along, relationship aside. They were natural together. It was so easy. It didn’t matter that Seokjin had two back-to-back twelve-hour shifts at the hospital coming up. They were just so… peaceful.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You have ten minutes,” Seokjin said with a small smile, taking the tea towel off his shoulder and collapsing beside Jimin on the couch. “Then I have to check on the food again.”

“How’d you know?” Jimin asked quietly. “About Namjoon.”

“Are you asking how I knew I loved him? That’s the lamest question you’ve ever asked me,” Seokjin commented, amused. “You’ve never asked me stuff like that. Why now?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Why? You in love with Jeongguk?”

“No,” Jimin said firmly, his heart clenching at the sound of the name. Namjoon and Seokjin didn’t know about the fallout. Jimin hadn’t told anyone. He had only texted Taehyung to say it was done, and that Jeongguk wasn’t speaking to him. Taehyung had responded with a flurry of hearts, upset that he was home in Daegu and not there for his best friend.

“Right. I wouldn’t really say that there was one particularly thing that happened that made me say, ‘oh, right, I love him.’ It was just kind of a series of things. A natural chain of events. We had a lot in common. We communicated well, made each other laugh, understood each other’s jokes. It just felt easy. The relationship didn’t feel like work. And then I asked him to help me in the kitchen one day and he tried to stick a knife in the toaster to get a piece of bread out. That’s when I knew.”

“So he almost killed himself and that’s how you knew?” Jimin asked. Seokjin snorted with laughter and then glanced up at Namjoon fondly. It was the most sickening but beautiful little glance Jimin had ever seen.

“Yeah. That’s how I knew. Speaking of almost killing ourselves, are you still coming to VEX with us on New Year’s Eve? I don’t have to be at the hospital that day or the day after, God bless. Means I have to work Christmas Day, but it’s whatever. You still going?”

“Yeah, of course,” Jimin said quietly. “Wouldn’t miss another New Year with you guys.”

“You bringing Jeongguk?”

“Maybe,” Jimin said with his eyes closed, trying not to flinch. “Maybe, he—uh, he might be busy. He doesn’t know yet.”

Jimin didn’t even know. Jeongguk didn’t contact him at all. Didn’t log in to the portal, either, because Jimin checked. The entire drive to Busan for Christmas Day with his parents, all he could think about was how foolish, how stupid he would look rolling up to VEX by himself with his four friends, all coupled off, walking into Seoul’s biggest gay nightclub for the party of a lifetime all alone.

“I’M IN CRISIS.”

“Aren’t you always?” Hoseok asked tiredly. He was sitting on Jimin’s couch with a drink in his hand, legs cross at the knee, watching his boyfriend literally throw clothes out of Jimin’s bedroom into the living room because he couldn’t decide what to wear. Namjoon, the neat freak he was, kept picking them up and carrying them back into Jimin’s room, scolding Taehyung for his mess.

“What you had on was fine, you idiot,” Jimin sighed.

“JUST GO NAKED,” Hoseok called from the living room.

“YOU’D LIKE THAT, WOULDN’T YOU?” Taehyung yelled back from inside the closet.

“GET OUT OF THE CLOSET.”

“I ALREADY AM,” Taehyung hollered, still in the closet ripping through Jimin’s clothes as Jimin dropped to the floor in a fit of giggles. He’d already had three drinks, so he wasn’t feeling as downtrodden as he should have. Softening his voice, Taehyung bent down and nuzzled his nose against Jimin’s affectionately, and then he straightened up and checked what he had on in the full-length mirror.

“It’s missing something,” he complained, pouting. He was already in skintight red jeans and a billowing white top that was too large on him, paired with heeled Christian Louboutin boots like the expensive fucker he was. He had done his own make-up and he had rings on almost every finger, but he was still frowning.

“Try this.” Jimin reached up, grabbed a black and white patterned scarf, and then he carefully tied it around Taehyung’s neck. The moment Taehyung saw himself in the mirror, he perked up.

“It’s perfect,” he breathed. “HYUNG! CRISIS AVERTED!”

“Oh, good, I was so worried,” Hoseok said as Taehyung walked into the living room to present himself to his boyfriend. Hoseok was a fashion god outside of work and typically never gave a fuck about what anyone thought about his outfits. Taehyung, however, always wanted an opinion.

“Jimin looks like sex on legs,” Taehyung said, sitting in Hoseok’s lap and situating himself carefully.

“Doesn’t he usually?”

“JIMINIE! COME HERE!”

“I’m trying to clean up your mess,” Jimin said, leaning against his doorframe. He was wearing form-fitting black leather pants, a shimmering white tank top, and a dark blue crushed velvet jacket. He had paired it all with a black velvet choker, sweeping his hair off his face casually like he typically did. He had even let Taehyung attack him with a little bit of make-up, so now he had a smoky eye to match.

“Right. So since there will be plenty of eligible bachelors there tonight, we’ll make sure someone goes home with you,” Hoseok declared, grinning devilishly. He didn’t know the half of it, but he knew that Jeongguk wasn’t a guarantee. Jimin figured that Taehyung had given him a quiet warning.

“Just get me drunk,” Jimin requested.

“Hey, it’s almost ten o’clock, let’s go!” Seokjin said, clapping his hands. “C’mon, we registered early enough to get VIP entry. Get off the couch!”

The streets were insanely crowded even though VEX was only ten minutes from Jimin’s apartment. It took them thirty minutes in total to get there in an Uber, but Jimin was too excited to mind a little extra traffic. The line was wrapped around the building to take the elevator up to the top floor for VEX, and Jimin glanced up. The rooftop balcony was already busy, with flashing lights and music pounding even from a distance. He couldn’t wait any longer. He was the first one out of the car, pulling Taehyung straight to the VIP line.

“Kim Seokjin, party of—well, there are five of us. Maybe a sixth,” Seokjin said happily, and Jimin gripped Taehyung’s hand a bit harder. The bouncer checked off five of their names and gave them their neon green wristbands, and then he moved the crushed velvet rope and let them into the elevator before the other guests.

“I’m gonna throw up, I’m so excited,” Taehyung said, bouncing on his toes.

“Yah, you threw up last year all over my shoes,” Seokjin reminded him with a good-natured nudge.

“That was the seventh tequila shot,” Namjoon reminded his boyfriend. “It almost made me throw up. Poor Tae.”

“No poor Tae , let’s get this shit started, vomiting or not!” Taehyung demanded, wiggling around in the crowded elevator. The elevator pinged, and the doors slid open.

The club was dark with lights flashing in blinding blues and whites. The dance floor was already packed. Couches and tables had already been reserved, but there was one couch near the bar that was empty—theirs. Taehyung shoved through the crowds, waving flirtatiously at all of the hungry men who eye-fucked him as he strolled through, to a point where Hoseok had to physically stop him halfway and kiss him fiercely just to remind everyone that Taehyung was taken. Seokjin and Namjoon just slipped through with their hands intertwined, and Jimin brought up the rear, running one hand through his hair and letting it fall back into place. He tried to ignore the stares he was getting for being alone, knowing full well that he would probably have men buying drinks for him all night long if he played it right. Maybe that’s what he needed. He needed to ring in a New Year with men fighting over him. Sounded interesting enough to keep him occupied.

Once Namjoon confirmed with another bouncer that the couch was theirs, they all collapsed onto it, and a girl cut through to bring them a tray of shots to take in greeting. The five boys each grabbed one, toasted, and tossed back the first shot of many for the night.

“LET’S DANCE!” Hoseok declared, always the first one interested in hitting the dance floor. Jimin usually agreed with him, but he was feeling oddly shy about it despite the liquid courage he had been pouring down his throat for well over an hour. Taehyung leapt to his feet, grabbed Jimin’s hand, and yanked him up.

“Come dance with us,” he insisted. Hoseok should have minded, but he was used to it. Instead, he just nodded fervently, knowing how much Jimin enjoyed letting go to a good beat in a crowded club. It was cathartic for him. So Jimin resolutely nodded and joined his two friends on the dance floor.

It started with Jimin sandwiched right in between the two of them. They had done it enough times that they were relatively shameless about how they moved and how they looked in a club. Typically, Jimin had Hoseok’s thigh in between his legs and Taehyung behind him with a grip on his waist, mostly because Hoseok joked that dancing from behind was too intimate for his liking, and he thought Jimin was hot, but “not like that.” Jimin always joked back that he could grind up on Hoseok’s leg, and sometimes he did when he got too lost in the beat of the music.

Four songs in, Hoseok shouted that he wanted to get drinks for them. He disappeared into the crowds towards the bar, and Taehyung grabbed Jimin and spun him around by the waist. With matching grins, the two of them danced so close to one another that they were chest-to-chest, hands all over, making sure anyone who saw knew that they were basically the same soul in two separate bodies. The song changed. Taehyung licked his lips and lifted his head just a little.

“You know what?” he said loudly over the music to Jimin with a grin. “I think you need a new dance partner!”

“What?” Jimin asked, confused. “I’m doing just fine with you!”

“Try again!” Taehyung suddenly took two steps back and removed his hands from Jimin’s body, making him feel momentarily cold. But then a hand grabbed his waist and gently spun him around, and Jimin stop breathing for a moment.

“…Hi,” he breathed, even though the music drowned out his voice. But surely Jeongguk could read lips, because he was staring right at Jimin’s. His eyes flicked up and met Jimin’s, and suddenly, Jimin felt like he was gasping for air. It was suffocating, having Jeongguk so close looking like that. Wearing those sinfully tight black pants that hugged every curve of his body and a blue silk button-down shirt with a few buttons undone, so simple but so… Jimin lost all his words. Jeongguk’s black hair was falling into one eye, his skin was glowing on its own without help from the nightclub lights, and he was too close, close enough that Jimin could pick out his definitive scent, like lemongrass mixed with something sweeter. Too beautiful and too close.

“My name was still on the VIP list,” Jeongguk said in Jimin’s ear, leaning in to talk. “I was afraid you would’ve taken it off.”

“You said not to,” Jimin replied in a daze. “Y-You said you didn’t know what you wanted to do.”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Yes.”

“So dance with me.”

It seemed like there was no time for a conversation about forgiveness, or time for a conversation about all that Jimin had done wrong, about how he didn’t deserve Jeongguk’s company, about broken trust. Instead, Jeongguk drew Jimin in closer, their hips bumping together, and began to dance with him. It was so different from when they had danced together at the merger celebration party. This was a nightclub, where the lights were off and no one could see what they were doing, where the rules hardly applied. The scariest, though most thrilling, part was that Jeongguk had all the control, had the upper hand, because Jimin was at his mercy. Jimin had been in the wrong, and from the way Jeongguk was dancing with him with very little regard to his own rules, Jimin knew that this was payback for finding loopholes in the contract.

“You look so good. But you already knew that, I’m sure,” Jeongguk whispered in his ear, though loud enough over the music that it made Jimin shiver. “I’m adding more rules to your contract.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Jimin breathed, and then he snaked his hands around Jeongguk’s neck and leaned back a little. Jeongguk’s hands splayed across his lower back to push him closer.

“Like no nightclubs. They’re dangerous for me,” Jeongguk said. “And no dressing like this. I know you said ‘touch me so everyone knows I’m yours,’ but this is bullshit. I can’t do my job properly.”

“Why not?” Jimin could hardly keep his eyes open now as Jeongguk pressed their foreheads together, licking his lips.

“It’s too overwhelming. Too compromising. Come with me. I’m getting you a drink.”

When he pulled away suddenly, Jimin staggered and had to catch himself before he fell to the floor. Then he realized that Jeongguk was holding out a hand to him. He lunged and grabbed it tightly, savoring the way that Jeongguk immediately shifted to lace their fingers together. It made his entire body buzz in excitement, but it all disappeared when they got to the bar, and Jeongguk dropped his hand. So painfully short-lived.

“JEONGGUKIE!”

“Hey, Tae,” Jeongguk said with a laugh, accepting Taehyung’s flying hug. Hoseok took his elbows off the bar with a shit-eating grin like he understood what was going on, and then he sipped his drink that he had clearly had for a solid ten minutes.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Taehyung sighed happily. “Jiminie’s glad too, right?”

“Yeah.” Jimin looked away from the bar and locked eyes with Jeongguk. “I am.”

“What d’you want?” Hoseok asked, nudging Jeongguk.

“I’ve got it,” Jimin interrupted, seeing Jeongguk stiffen up just slightly because he didn’t want to explain why he wasn’t going to be drinking. “You two go dance, or go back to the couches. I’m good.”

“Yeah, we know you are,” Taehyung teased, winking and then grabbing Hoseok’s hand to drag him away. Once they were out of earshot, Jimin felt an arm slip around his waist and hold firm.

“Thank you.”

“Thought you were ordering me a drink,” Jimin said, trying to even out his voice to not give away that he was trembling on the inside. Jeongguk’s lips twitched in a small smile, and then he ordered Jimin a drink as Jimin tried to take a few deep breaths to steady himself. Okay, this was really happening. Jeongguk was here, was with him on New Year’s Eve like he had wanted. He had fucked up so badly, but here Jeongguk was, willingly giving him a second chance like he deserved it. If Jeongguk was feeling overwhelmed, it was nothing in comparison to how Jimin was feeling. Hearing that voice coming from Jeongguk, that low voice filled with lust and a touch of anger, had not just sent shivers down his spine. It had flooded his entire body with arousal, and now he was trying to control it. I can’t do my job properly, he had said, as if Jimin just existing was a danger to his career. Like he hadn’t shown up to VEX knowing the risks. The very thought of Jeongguk wrestling with whether or not to attend and then deciding to turn up was electrifying.

“You haven’t met my other two friends,” Jimin said.

“Seokjin-ssi and Namjoon-ssi?” Jeongguk recalled at the drop of a hat, now sipping on what Jimin assumed was just water with a lime wedged on the rim of the glass to make it look like alcohol.

“So formal,” Jimin teased. “Yes. Come meet them.”

Jimin stepped away from the bar with his drink and offered a hand, not expecting Jeongguk to take it because he was really fucking pushing his luck. But Jeongguk took his hand without a word, and Jimin led the way to their couch, his heart pounding.

“HEY! Is this Jeongguk?” Seokjin exclaimed, jumping to his feet and jostling Namjoon. They had been casually making out on the couch, clearly enjoying themselves, but Seokjin had seen Jimin in his peripheral vision.

“The brilliant almost-doctor,” Jeongguk said with a grin, bowing his head slightly and extending a hand. “Nice to meet you, Seokjin-ssi.”

“Hyung,” Seokjin corrected him happily, shaking his hand.

“And the environmental lawyer hugging every tree in Korea,” Jeongguk teased in Namjoon’s direction. Seokjin snorted with laughter, but Jeongguk bowed just the same and offered his hand to Namjoon. They shook, and then Jeongguk sat down on the couch. Jimin moved to sit beside him, but Jeongguk pulled him and made sure that Jimin sat on his right thigh. Jesus Christ, he was being bold. If Jimin thought that he had been pushing Jeongguk’s boundaries before, it was nothing compared to Jeongguk pushing his own boundaries.

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Namjoon said, and Jimin’s heart leapt into his throat in fear. “Jimin said you’re pretty funny.”

“Only on weekends,” Jeongguk said with deadpan delivery.

“It’s Tuesday.”

“Shame,” Jeongguk sighed, and Namjoon chuckled.

“What is it that you do for work?” he asked. “Jimin never told us.”

“Customer service,” Jeongguk said with the same vagueness, shrugging. “Not anything interesting enough to talk about. It pays the bills. So what is it exactly that an environmental lawyer does?”

Namjoon immediately gave his elevator speech about what his job entailed, looking surprised when Jeongguk engaged at a much higher level than the average idiot. Even Seokjin seemed impressed with the discourse. Jimin, however, couldn’t pay attention to any of it. He was on the verge of drunk, and Jeongguk’s fingers had slipped underneath the back hem of his jacket and his shirt, and he was tracing the skin just above the waistband of Jimin’s pants. His fingertips on Jimin’s skin made Jimin’s entire body burn from the inside out. It was the most possessive thing he had ever done, and so fucking against his rules it was laughable. His domineering nature had to be because of what Jimin had done, like Jeongguk was trying to show who was in charge. It was exhilarating, and with the addition of alcohol, Jimin was a goner.

“Excuse me. I need some air,” Jimin gasped when Jeongguk’s fingertips snaked around to his hipbone. He launched himself off Jeongguk’s lap and shoved through the crowds until he found the double doors out to the balcony. He faintly heard Seokjin hollering out that it was close to midnight and he needed to come back, but he couldn’t breathe.

“Shit,” he exhaled the moment he took a gulp of the cold air. Being higher up meant wind, but Jimin was too overheated and bothered to mind. The party was still happening, but there were less people on the balcony because of the cold. The music permeated through the speakers, couples danced with one another, and heavily clothed bartenders took care of patrons. Jimin went straight to the railing off to the left towards the center of Seoul and stared out, gripping tightly.

“You alright, love?”

Jimin shuddered, but then he let out the breath he’d been holding when Jeongguk’s hands fell on his waist from behind.

“Don’t,” Jimin whispered. “We haven’t talked about anything yet. You can’t break all your rules just because you’re angry.”

“I already had two different sessions with him,” Jeongguk muttered, and Jimin’s heart lurched. “With Yugyeom. Upon his request. I brought up your lie about visiting family. He seems to think my cousin is lovely and has my best interests at heart. Asshole.”

“Mm,” Jimin hummed, his eyes fluttering closed when Jeongguk’s grip tightened.

“If you ever invade my privacy like that again, we’ll have a very different conversation,” he said in Jimin’s ear. “I don’t give myself up to anyone, especially my clients. But you weaseled your way in too easily. I won’t be that careless again.”

“This seems pretty careless,” Jimin whispered.

“Put it this way. If I ever get that careless again, you’ll know,” Jeongguk said without much clarity. “I should know better, but I forgive you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re a good client,” Jeongguk said, drawing a very clear line in the sand. “And I like you.”

“I don’t deserve it, you know. Your forgiveness.”

“Don’t say that. You deserve a lot of things. Another drink is one of them.” Jeongguk took Jimin’s empty glass from his hand and disappeared, and when Jimin turned back around with his back to the balcony railing, Jeongguk was handing him a new drink.

“ONE MINUTE!” someone called out excitedly.

“You wanted me here on New Year’s Eve,” Jeongguk said with a small smile, the anger in his eyes gone like magic. “For what, exactly?”

“I told you.” Jimin sipped the drink. “I’m tired of being alone. I’m tired of being the fifth wheel. Not like this is going anywhere, hiring you to spend time with me. But it’s better than nothing.”

“You say that like my services aren’t worth it,” Jeongguk teased.

“Pretty sure you have a no sex rule in that contract of yours,” Jimin teased back, cross his ankles as he leaned back a little further. “There’s a lot of fine print that I didn’t read, but sitting in your lap, huh?”

“Don’t get cocky,” Jeongguk said, his eyes sparkling. Then he tilted his head upward beyond Jimin. “Fireworks will go off soon.”

Jimin slowly turned around and rested his elbows on the balcony, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over him as he listened to everyone on the balcony counting backwards from twenty. Last year, he had been wedged right between Namjoon and Taehyung, and at midnight, Taehyung had nearly shoved his tongue down Hoseok’s throat before attaching himself to Jimin and kissing him happily. He had been Jimin’s New Year’s Eve kiss on and off for well over a decade, neither one of them ever really concerned with what their significant others thought. But now Taehyung was nowhere to be found. Somehow, though, it didn’t bother Jimin like he thought it would.

“TEN! NINE! EIGHT!”

Had anyone asked Jimin a few months ago, he would have said that his year was uneventful and prosperous at the same time.

“SEVEN! SIX!”

One chance encounter in a stupid taxi had led him to this. One business card, one nervous phone call, and now he was here.

“FIVE! FOUR!”

Jimin didn’t really hear the last three numbers of the countdown. A strong hand grabbed his wrist and spun him around. Jeongguk slipped his arm around Jimin’s waist, set his other hand on the railing of the balcony, and kissed him. Perfect, warm, gentle. Jimin could hear the cheers for the new year, could hear the fireworks starting, but all he could focus on was the absence of Jeongguk’s lips, so sudden and abrupt. Just as quick as the kiss had come, it was gone.

“Really should start charging extra for a New Year’s kiss,” Jeongguk mused, leaning against the balcony railing. Jimin turned and pressed his chest to the railing, gripping with both hands, trying not to sway as he stared down into the city. His lips were still buzzing, still tasted like cherry from whatever Jeongguk had been drinking, or maybe it was his Chapstick. Jimin couldn’t remember.

“That’s only a once-a-year opportunity for an upcharge,” Jimin said dazedly. “Doesn’t seem worth it, in my opinion.”

“Yeah?” Jeongguk turned his head to glance at Jimin. “Are you saying that kiss wasn’t worth it?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Was it good?”

Jimin paused, because it sounded an awful lot like Jeongguk was searching for some type of validation hidden behind a mask of arrogance.

“Wasn’t bad,” Jimin replied. You idiot. It was what you’ve been thinking about for fucking months, and it wasn’t enough. Ask for more. You need more. You want more. But he couldn’t ask for anything else. Jeongguk had already excessively pushed the limits of his own contract by kissing Jimin on the lips. That was a massive risk, but he had initiated it.

“Yeah, whatever you say. Let’s go find the others,” Jeongguk insisted.

The rest of the night flew by in a blur of alcohol and dancing. Jimin got his exercise in from laughing so hard for the better part of the night, mostly because Jeongguk found out that Hoseok liked to dance and challenge him to several dance battles. They damn near cleared the entire floor with their antics, and Namjoon had to excuse himself because he was crying laughing. The part that had Jimin rolling was that Jeongguk didn’t have a drop of alcohol in his system, which meant that he was an absolute nutcase without any kind of influence.

“Can we fit six people in an Uber?” Taehyung slurred as they left VEX, clinging to Seokjin of all people because Hoseok and Namjoon were having a loud argument about water pollution that was entirely unnecessary for nearly four in the morning.

“No need. I drove,” Jeongguk said calmly.

“You fucking drove here?” Taehyung asked, laughing. “You really are insane. Jiminie, are you going home with Jeonggukie?”

“Uh—”

“I’ll bring him home,” Jeongguk interrupted. “You guys get home. I’ll see you soon.”

“Oka-a-a-ay, BE SAFE!” Taehyung sang out, waving theatrically and winking several times at Jimin as Seokjin dragged him off to wait for an Uber in the madness.

Jeongguk opened the door for Jimin, and he fell into the passenger seat, the entire world spinning. Jeongguk got into the driver’s seat and pulled away from VEX quickly, bypassing all of the traffic and peeling down a back road.

“You sure we don’t have to talk more?” Jimin asked, rolling his head to look at Jeongguk. “I feel like we do. You forgave me too easily. I’m suspicious.”

“You’re suspicious, huh? Alright, Detective Park,” Jeongguk joked. “What do I gain by holding a grudge? Does being pissed at you really serve me? It only creates misery. Not worth it.”

“I literally took advantage of you trusting me.”

“You did. But it’s not like I set clear boundaries.”

“Uh, you have a contract.”

“Right. Those are my boundaries as an employer. I never set clear boundaries for myself as a human being when it came to you,” Jeongguk explained. “You saw enough of my client book, I assume.”

“Enough.”

“I prioritize my clients. I have so many nowadays that I have to sort them accordingly. Politicians and K-pop idols alike have hired me, and then I’ve been hired by people like Yugyeom. Like you. I have hundreds of clients, some one-off, some regular. And they each get a priority.”

“High.”

“Mm.” Jeongguk took a smooth right turn. “High, moderate, and low. I prioritize accordingly so that I know how much energy and effort to put into a session.”

“Why am I high priority?” Jimin asked, his heart in his throat now.

“If you don’t know why you’re high priority, you’re not paying much attention,” Jeongguk responded. “We’re here.”

He parked the car, hopped out, and opened the door for Jimin. They took the elevator up to Jimin’s floor in silence, and then Jimin unlocked his door. He paused with the door halfway open.

“I’d ask if you wanted to come in, but…”

“Rules are rules,” Jeongguk said quietly. “And we’re already over your designated time. Goodnight, hyung. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Thanks for even showing up,” Jimin said with a small chuckle, shrugging. Jeongguk shifted his footing, lingering for far too long, but then he just nodded and disappeared down the hallway and back into the elevator.

Jimin stumbled into his apartment, and that’s when his phone buzzed. Still dizzy, he read the text carefully:

TAETAE [04:06:28AM]
Literally sending you positive fucking energy rn

TAETAE [04:07:02AM]
bc the sexual tension between you two is LOUD

TAETAE [04:07:57AM]
Also please send me compliments bc I’m drunk texting without grammatical errors

TAETAE [04:08:15AM]
LOOK AT ME GO I’M ON A ROLL

TAETAE [04:08:44AM]
Anyways please fuck him or I’ll do it for you, love you bye

Jimin only relieved the sexual tension by wrapping a hand around himself and moaning Jeongguk’s name into his pillow, in the bed alone for another night.

Chapter Text

“Please explain to me why I’m the one you’re asking to do this.”

“Because you’re a natural with potential clients who are still shopping around. They always come straight to us after they meet you,” Seokwon reasoned, and Jimin snorted, crossing his arms and kicking back in his desk chair.

“This isn’t even a good one,” Jimin complained. “They’re pitching face masks. Do you know what the market looks like for face masks right now? Over-fucking-saturated.”

“He’s the son of a very prominent CEO,” Seokwon said with emphasis. “I’m not going to give you anything beyond that, because I don’t want to see your face if I explain it. He’s got the money and he’s got the motivation, and if he goes to Seoul Public instead of us, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I’m starting to get the feeling that I’m doing this anyway and that you’re just asking me as a formality, “Jimin said, twirling a pen deftly between his fingers. “Bet Sunghoon-ssi put you up to this.”

“Of course he did. Dinner is set up for seven o’clock at Thai-phoon. That’s tonight, Park. Please be on your best behavior,” Seokwon said wearily.

“Is that a ‘please don’t drink alcohol’ or a ‘please don’t say you’re gay,’ or should I just curb the sarcasm?” Jimin asked, knowing that he could easily get under Seokwon’s skin. Seokwon narrowed his eyes, and Jimin snorted with laughter. “Yeah, yeah, okay. One glass of wine, neutral sexuality, no wisecracks. Get him to come to S9K. You fucking owe me.”

“Yeah, seems to be happening a lot these days,” Seokwon complained, and then he patted his hand on the doorframe a few times before disappearing.

Jimin immediately texted Hoseok, and Hoseok came and sat on the couch to listen to Jimin complain, and then they made their guesses at who the potential client could be. The conversation took a quick turn when they started reminiscing about Taehyung’s birthday, which had been the day before New Year’s Eve, and the obscene amount of food they had consumed and that Taehyung had actually trusted Hoseok enough to use his precious camera to take photos.

“Do you have any plans yet?” Jimin then asked. “For your birthday. The big two-nine.”

“I mean…” Hoseok sat up with a grin, and then he threw his arms across the backrest of the couch and set his right ankle atop his left knee like a rich CEO. “I was planning for Pyeongchang.”

“Oh no.”

“Skiing.”

“Oh no,” Jimin groaned louder, and Hoseok snickered.

“Come on, I’m good at it! Haven’t been in two years. Alpensia has condominiums open. Three of them, and I—I mean, I may have put my name down for them. 700 meters up, Jiminie, come on. Even you have to know that that’s gold.”

“I know nothing about skiing other than that I can stay on my feet and that’s about it,” Jimin replied. “And what do you mean, three condos?”

“Three. One for Taehyung and me. One for Namjoonie and Seokjin hyung, because he swears he can get away from the hospital for that weekend. And one for you and Jeongguk.”

“Wh—Jeongguk?” Jimin repeated, raising his eyebrows. “What makes you think he’s coming?”

“Uh, because I’m telling you to invite him?” Hoseok said in a questioning tone, amused. “He’s part of the group now, isn’t he?”

“I didn’t know that we were initiating new members.”

“Well, the invite’s there. Otherwise, the room’s all yours,” Hoseok said cheerfully. “But he’s welcomed to come. I like him. He’s funny, and he’s almost as good of a dancer as I am. Almost, though. Tell him I said that. Almost.”

“I’ll say it with emphasis,” Jimin replied with a small smile, and then someone knocked on his office door.

“Jimin-ssi?” It was Hana, one of the receptionists for the marketing floor of the building. She was carrying a bag that looked suspiciously like food. “Hi. Sorry to interrupt.” She bowed her head slightly at Hoseok, who smiled kindly in return. “You have a lunch delivery.”

“Oh. Uh, I didn’t order lunch,” Jimin said, glancing over at Hoseok, who shrugged.

“It has your name on it. Black bean noodles and samgyeopsal. Side of… side of cabbage kimchi and pickled radish, iced tea to drink,” she read off the receipt stapled to the bag. Jimin slowly rose to his feet, still suspicious, and accepted the bag. Hana bowed her head again and disappeared, and Hoseok rose to his feet.

“You sharing?” he joked. “Shit, I’m hungry. I’m taking my lunch break now.”

“You didn’t get this for me?” Jimin asked.

“Why the hell would I buy you lunch?” Hoseok asked with a grin, and then he, too, vanished to go grab some food. Jimin closed his office door and carried the bag to his desk, and then he ripped into it and started removing boxes of fresh food. He broke apart the chopsticks and stirred the sauce into the noodles, watching the steam billow upward as he mixed carefully, jiggling his chopsticks around to incorporate the sauce. Before he even took a bite, though, he paused and considered.

Then he pulled out his phone and sent a text.

JIMIN [01:16:11PM]
Thanks for lunch.

JEONGGUK [01:17:05PM]
I don’t know what you’re talking about.

JIMIN [01:17:57PM]
You could’ve just taken me out, you know. I like a lunch date as much as the next guy.

JEONGGUK [01:18:44PM]
Yeah, I bet you do. Shut up and eat your noodles.

JIMIN [01:19:33PM]
Never said that I had noodles for lunch, but thanks for exposing yourself.

JEONGGUK [01:20:36PM]
I hope it burns your mouth. >_<

Jimin bit his lower lip in a grin when he saw the stupid little emoji at the end, like Jeongguk was frustrated for exposing himself. As he plucked up a piece of kimchi, he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. Jeon Jeongguk, professional escort, “anonymously” buying him lunch and sending it to his office. Just because.

Jeongguk didn’t know it, but Jimin had a long-term plan to be Jeongguk’s friend. Sure, he preferred being Jeongguk’s… well, Jeongguk’s everything. He could admit to that now, at the very least. He wanted to care for Jeongguk, spoil him, date him, wine and dine him, laugh with him, watch stupid movies with him, kiss him more than anything. And more, but Jimin wasn’t ready to have that conversation with himself yet. His dick was very ready for it, was begging him to be ready for it, but his brain wasn’t. Therefore, “friend” was a good start, just to prove that he was serious. It scared the shit out of him, but he was not really feeling a casual fucking around kind of vibe with Jeongguk. Not anymore. All that his plan included was the little things. Lunch dates, for example. Just small bursts of time until Jimin finally found the courage to say “fuck the contract.” The problem was that he knew fucking nothing at all when it came to Jeongguk sometimes, so he wasn’t ready to throw the contract out the window. It was a safety net of sorts right now. For all he knew, Jeongguk was just playing him, stringing him along as a high priority client.

Jimin enjoyed his lunch so much that by the time he was leaving the office to head to Thai-phoon, he wasn’t even hungry, nor was he in the mood to entertain a potential client. But Seokwon gave him two theatrically enthusiastic thumbs up as Jimin left the office, to which Jimin replied with a single choice finger over his shoulder.

Jimin pulled up to Thai-phoon at seven o’clock on the dot, not a minute later. He walked in and approached the hostess, but before he could even open his mouth, a voice interrupted.

“Park Jimin-ssi?”

“That’s me.” Jimin pivoted and found himself face-to-face with a young, eager man who couldn’t be more than nineteen or twenty-years-old. His hair was dyed platinum blonde and swept off his forehead, and he was wearing skintight black jeans and a tight white shirt with a flashy sequined jacket. Compared to Jimin’s work clothes, it was like night and day. He enthusiastically bowed and offered a hand.

“Hi. I’m Matt. My Korean name is Sangyoon, but I never liked it, so Matt is great,” he said with a dazzling smile. Jesus, Jimin wished he had the kind of excitement for life that this kid had. “Thanks for meeting me. You’re the first one from all these marketing companies who actually bothered, so I’m grateful.”

“I’m happy to help,” Jimin said professionally with a kind smile. Play your role, play your role, he told himself as Matt chattered happily to the hostess and led the way to their table. He was young, but he was pretty cute and seemed generally thrilled to be alive (probably the perks of being a trust fund baby), so Jimin figured he was worth entertaining.

“I’m paying!” Matt declared the moment they had menus in front of them. “So please get whatever you’d like. I heard their summer rolls are great, so maybe we can start with those. Also, someone said that their traditional Pad Thai is from the gods, but I never really liked Pad Thai that much, can you believe it? Maybe a nice red curry, but I’m not great with spicy, so I might have to ask them about it. Do you like spicy food?”

“Love it,” Jimin confirmed, trying not to go bug-eyed over the kid’s rambling. “I could go for the red curry and share it if you’re not up for the spiciness.”

“You’re so nice,” Matt gushed right away. “Do you really think my idea has a chance? I mean, two companies weren’t so kind when I pitched the idea. They turned me down right away, said that facemasks weren’t very original. But I just want to make my mark, you know? I’m super into skincare.”

“That’s a good starting point,” Jimin said gently. “What do you feel are your product’s strong points? The selling points, what will make it interesting to the general public. Your audience.”

Basic S.W.O.T. analysis. Matt clearly had a plethora of threats that put his business at risk for failure, mostly the oversaturated market. Jimin knew that much. But if he could pull enough out of Matt, he could take it back to S9K and find a strong selling point to give to Sunghoon, make the product look enticing, make Matt look good enough to represent.

As they ate their summer rolls, Matt gave Jimin a full-blown rundown of all the names he had brainstormed for his product, providing reasons as to why that particular name was the one. The problem was that Jimin knew the market well enough to make a mental list of how many were unoriginal or duplicated. Which were most of them.

Matt was in the middle of explaining why “Holy Hydrate” was a great name (it was not) when Jimin almost choked on his drink. Right behind Matt, being seated at another table, was Jeongguk. Jeon Jeongguk, his Jeongguk, sitting down at a table for two with a middle-aged man Jimin didn’t recognize at all. He was wearing black tight slacks and a white button-up with a black butterfly design on it, and it was unbuttoned enough for the black silk scarf he had around his neck to dip down the center of his chest.

He was with another client.

Jimin had never seen Jeongguk with another client before. It was jarring. He was still just as beautiful, but he carried himself differently. Everything he did was gentle. He hastily moved to pull out the man’s chair, even shooed the hostess away so he could drape the napkin into the man’s lap, rest a hand on his shoulder, and then sit down across from him. Then the man (he had to be at least forty, maybe older) reached out a hand to Jeongguk, and Jeongguk took it, resting their joined hands on the table as he leaned in with wide eyes full of interest, nodding and listening as the man began to speak. His thumb even massaged the man’s hand as he listened intently.

“Jimin-ssi?”

“Yeah! Yes, I’m so sorry. I apologize, Matt, I didn’t mean to get distracted. Let’s tuck away Holy Hydrate for a rainy day, shall we? Tell me more about Pore-Us. That one caught my attention.”

Matt relaxed significantly, especially when the waitress showed up with two bowls full of food to serve them. With steaming curry in front of him, Jimin stirred carefully and nodded, trying to hang onto Matt’s every word, because he was going to have to remember all of it to report back to S9K. He offered a small opinion to Matt and encouraged him to continue, and then he glanced up.

Jeongguk was staring right at him.

His client was chatting quietly with the waiter, clearly trying to order all the food and not letting Jeongguk do any of the work, giving Jeongguk plenty of time to look around. He stared straight at Jimin, and his expression was nearly impossible to read. It was almost… apologetic. Guilty. Like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Like he was stunned to see Jimin while he was out with another client. Uncomfortable. Unsure.

So Jimin just winked at him and glanced back at Matt, hoping that Matt couldn’t see his heart pounding against his ribcage. He forced himself to look straight at Matt, serve the kid all of his attention as they ate, offer him a bite of the curry with an ample amount of rice to mask the spiciness, encourage everything he said. What he couldn’t do was show Jeongguk that he was just as surprised and wanted to stare for the next hour and watch how the he worked. Jimin wanted to watch how Jeongguk interacted with his other clients, how he treated people who took up his time and paid him like a king.

Once their bowls were empty, Matt was so giddy and pleased that he reached over and grabbed Jimin’s hand.

“Seriously, Jimin-ssi, I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” he said with stars in his eyes. “You’re the first person who’s ever really believed in my ideas. My own father doesn’t even think I can do this. You’re an angel. I—Jimin-ssi, do you think S9K will take me in as a client? I really want to work with them. With you, specifically. Will you work with me?”

“I would love to work with you, Matt,” Jimin said with all the sincerity he had in his drained body. It was enough. Matt threw his arms up in the air victoriously with a little laugh, running his hands down his face. “I’ll be sure to recommend you to our marketing director. I have a feeling he’ll be happy to have you as a client, too.”

Another score for Park Jimin, Jimin thought to himself in tired amusement as Matt happily pulled out his credit card to pay for the meal, saying that he wished he could treat Jimin to dessert, but he was trying to cut back on his sugar intake. He even asked if he could hug Jimin before they parted ways, and Jimin accepted the hug, knowing that it would just sell S9K even further. Matt left with a radiant smile, another happy client doing business with Park Jimin.

Before Jimin left the restaurant, he pulled out his phone and sent a text.

JIMIN [08:51:28PM]
You look beautiful.

He sent the text to Jeongguk before he could second-guess himself, and then he practically ran out of the restaurant.

***

Tuesday morning, half past six. Time for another run, even though Jimin was too tired to even think about moving his feet. He was used to it now, but sometimes he wondered why he continued to go through the morning torture. He figured that it was just routine, but he also knew that he was still running such distances because he body hadn’t given out on him yet. He still had two functional hips, two relatively happy hamstrings, and decent ankles, so running was a gift every day in his opinion.

Jimin rolled his neck and shoulders, listening to his bones crack unhappily, grumpy for being woken up so early. It wasn’t as if they weren’t used to the daily awakening, and yet they groaned at him each morning. As he rode the elevator down, he bounced a bit on his toes, trying to center himself. He was taking his eight-kilometer route today, a bit longer than yesterday’s five-kilometer swift pace, and he still wasn’t sure if he was fully awake.

The morning air was downright frigid. It couldn’t be more than seven or eight degrees Celsius. Jimin was glad that he had put on a long-sleeved shirt and a long-sleeved compression top underneath, though his legs were a little cold from being exposed to the elements. He was wearing black gloves and a black beanie to keep his head and ears warm, but that was it. There was something exciting, though, about running in the cold until his body broke a sweat, until his nose was running and he could feel his cheeks redden. It was so satisfying, something that he couldn’t get in a gym or at a group workout session. He stepped outside and checked his smart watch, making sure that his heart rate monitoring was set and that the watch was ready to time his kilometers so he knew his pace—

“Fancy a running partner?”

Jimin almost tripped and fell flat on his face when he heard the familiar voice. He nearly gave himself whiplash looking up and over to the right.

“What…?”

“Some people don’t like running with a partner. Some people are cool with it. Don’t know which type you are,” Jeongguk said smoothly. He peeled himself off the wall where he had been pressing his glove-covered palms in to stretch his calf muscles, and then he swung his arms back and forth a few times. “If you don’t want me, that’s okay. I can run a different route.”

“Jeongguk,” Jimin said, and then he let out a weak laugh. “I—Jeongguk, I didn’t… I never called you or… I didn’t arrange—”

“Would you like a partner or should I run the opposite direction?” Jeongguk casually interrupted. He was wearing black track pants and a loose long-sleeved white top—nothing fancy. He looked so… normal. His face was still a bit puffy from sleep, though just barely, and his eyes were still mildly unfocused as he tried to wake up. But here he was, standing before Jimin, offering his companionship. For free?

“I… I’m doing eight kilometers today.”

“That’s fine.”

“Wh—Do you even run?” Jimin asked bluntly. It was a rude question, but it had to be asked. He couldn’t spend eight kilometers dragging dead weight just because Jeongguk thought it would be cute to come on a morning jog.

“You severely underestimate me, hyung,” Jeongguk said with a teasing tone to his voice. “Eight kilometers is just fine. You set the pace. Don’t mind me. I’ll just tag alongside, if that’s okay.”

“I mean… yeah. Okay. Sure,” Jimin said in fragments, still bewildered. Jeon Jeongguk, the man with a contract that specifically stated that any time spent with clients would be billed. Jimin was, first and foremost, Jeongguk’s client. There was no skirting around the fact, was there?

“Great. Whenever you’re ready. Oh, also, are you a talker or a silent runner? Probably should ask so I don’t bother you,” Jeongguk casually said. Jimin blinked dazedly at him a few times, still trying to determine if Jeongguk was a mirage or the real thing. This was too much for sixty-thirty in the morning.

“Um, I—I don’t know. I always run alone,” Jimin admitted. Jeongguk scoffed.

“Alright, fine. Light conversation it is, unless we’re too out of breath or our faces freeze. No pressure. You can start whenever.”

Jimin nodded, pressed a button on his watch, and then stepped off the curb and jogged across the street. Jeongguk trailed right behind him, and then Jimin began to find a pace that he liked. He had a habit of starting too slow and then dragging his feet the last kilometer or two, but he didn’t want to sprint the first kilometer and regret it the other seven, either. So he found a rhythm that suited him, and Jeongguk fell into step on his left side.

“I have a few questions for you, actually,” Jimin said as they finally found a good pace together. Jeongguk hummed, keeping right up alongside Jimin. “My first question is whether or not Yugyeom ratted me out.”

Jeongguk let out a breathy laugh. “Ratted you out?”

“You said that you told him about my lie. About visiting family,” Jimin said, taking a gulp of cold air. “And he said your cousin was nice or whatever. Had your best interests at heart. That’s me.”

“Right. That was me. I exposed you,” Jeongguk said breathlessly, and when Jimin glanced sideways, he saw the grin on the younger’s face. “Said that my cousin had such a guilty conscience that he admitted to meeting you. Imagine my surprise when Yugyeom said you were kind.”

“Asshole,” Jimin said, and Jeongguk snickered. “My second question is, did you try the red curry? It was delicious.”

“I actually went for the green curry,” Jeongguk replied smoothly, letting out a little cough as they hit the one-kilometer mark, according to Jimin’s watch. “Wasn’t too bad. Tastes better when I don’t pay for it. I’m sure you could say the same. Your date looked a little young.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm. Bit flashy, bit too eager to be on a date. Didn’t really seem like your type, but what do I know?” Jeongguk said, and that’s when Jimin stifled a laugh. Jeongguk didn’t hear it. “Hope he at least paid for you.”

“Are you jealous?” Jimin casually asked.

“What? No,” Jeongguk said with a short laugh. “Of course I’m not.”

“It’s fine if you are.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Eh, kind of sounds like you are,” Jimin said. He could hear the grin in his own voice, feel his cold face stretching.

“I’m not jealous,” Jeongguk said with more emphasis. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I was actually thinking about seeing him again,” Jimin said.

“What?”

“But if you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

“You can do whatever you want.”

“Yeah? Okay, good. I’ll text him tonight, then. Bet he’ll want to go to a nightclub with me. That would be fun. I haven’t been fucked after a night out in a long time. Shit, that would be so nice,” Jimin mused, and almost immediately, Jeongguk took a hand and shoved Jimin by the shoulder. Jimin stumbled and nearly fell into the street, but he caught himself and ran right back up to Jeongguk’s side, laughing.

“You’re an asshole,” Jeongguk said breathlessly. Two kilometers down.

“And you’re jealous. Lucky for you, that kid wasn’t a date. He was a potential client, you idiot, and I was sent to seduce him into coming to S9K with his business. And I fucking succeeded, too, so a compliment would be nice,” Jimin replied.

“A potential client?”

“Yeah. Turn left here. Yeah, he was just a kid with a stupid idea he wanted to market to the world.”

“Not a date.”

“Just admit that you were jealous. It’ll be a lot easier for you.”

“I really should’ve thought this through. Eight kilometers with you is hell,” Jeongguk complained. He wasn’t huffing and puffing at all, same as Jimin, which only proved that he was just as fit. Jimin had never see even a fraction of his body, but he had gotten his hands close enough to get some kind of idea. Jeongguk was very clearly fit, especially with his broad shoulders and his small waist. And those thighs, Jesus Christ. The things Jimin wanted to do with his thighs, specifically with those thighs around his neck—

“Any other questions, Your Majesty?” Jeongguk asked. Three kilometers down, a classic 5K to go. It was weird, how fast time flew while running with someone else.

“Nope,” Jimin replied, shaking his head.

“Were you serious?”

“About what?”

“You texted me before you left the restaurant,” Jeongguk reminded Jimin. “Did you forget at that?”

“I didn’t forget. I was serious,” Jimin said, and his heartbeat quickened, though not from the physical exercise. Jeongguk didn’t respond. He just hummed, and then he took a deep breath. That was it, it seemed, for the conversation. For the next few kilometers, all they did was run together. Jimin would point and give a few directions, especially when they turned and headed toward the Han River.

“It’ll be about seven-point-two kilometers by your apartment,” Jimin said, savoring the trickles of sweat rolling down his neck and his back underneath his shirt. That was the good feeling he looked forward to every time he went running. “I can just drop you off and run the rest of the way home.”

“Whatever works for you. It’s your run,” Jeongguk agreed. “What’s our pace?”

“Seven-forty-three per kilometer,” Jimin replied. “Pretty fucking decent. One of my faster paces.”

“Yeah? Bet it’s because of me,” Jeongguk said arrogantly with a grin. “Longer legs. Short people have to keep up.”

“You— asshole,” Jimin said, swatting at Jeongguk as they crossed the street towards Jeongguk’s apartment, Jeongguk picking up the pace to avoid being whacked as he laughed. Once they were across, Jimin paused his timer, and they both began to pace out front the building, panting and circling quietly. Jimin laced his fingers at the crown of his head and expanded his diaphragm as he paced, and Jeongguk rested his hands on his hips and tilted his head towards the sky, a trickle of sweat dripping down his throat. Jimin looked away, trying not to have dirty thoughts at quarter past seven in the morning. It was too fucking early to have a hard on.

“Thanks for the run. Won’t make this a regular thing, because fuck waking up early in the morning,” Jeongguk said, catching his breath. “But thanks.”

“You’re the one who showed up,” Jimin pointed out, using his sleeve to dab at the sweat gathering near his chin. “But yeah, anytime. Feel free to join in. I won’t stop you.”

“Yeah. Thanks. Um, about last night. I—”

“You were with a client,” Jimin interrupted, hands on his hips as he shrugged, finally finding a normal breathing rate. “Doing your job. Making a living. It’s fine.”

“Right. Okay. Have a good morning, hyung. Thanks for letting me tag along,” Jeongguk said with a small smile, and then he turned towards his building, fumbling around in his pocket for his keycard. Jimin stared at his back, head cocked slightly to the side. His heart was still racing, but he had to say it.

“You didn’t charge me.”

Jeongguk turned around just short of his building, right hand on the door handle.

“What are you talking about?”

“For New Year’s Eve.” Jimin swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath, trying to steady his knees. “I read your damn contract again. Read it very carefully. You have a section in there about holidays. You charge a fifty percent surplus on top of your regular rate. I should’ve been charged an extra 120,000 won in addition to the 240,000 won. So the total charge should’ve been 360,000 won.”

“Your math is impeccable.”

“I’m saying that you never charged my card,” Jimin pointed out. “I saw my credit card statement over the weekend and that charge wasn’t on there at all. In fact, I’m missing a few of your charges on the portal. They just… vanished.”

There was a staring contest between the two as Jimin held his breath, trying to figure out if Jeongguk had made a mistake and was embarrassed by his forgetfulness, or if he was just waiting to lump charges together from New Year’s Eve and all of their random meet-ups, or something more devious.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Have a good day at work,” Jeongguk said calmly, and then he pulled open the door and disappeared into his building. Jimin watched as the door closed and locked, and then he let out a little growl in his throat and pressed START on his watch. Then he turned and began to run back towards his apartment at a much faster pace than before, fueled by adrenaline.

Maybe it wasn’t too early to have a hard on. Jimin found himself in the shower before work leaning his forearm against the tiles, head against his wrist, touching himself with muffled whimpers. The more the arousal gathered in the pit of his stomach, the more he realized that he hadn’t had sex in months. Months, since late September. He hadn’t gotten laid in four months, something like a new record. And it infuriated him, because he knew exactly why. It was because Jeon fucking Jeongguk and his stupid contract, his stupid rules. He had Jimin so whipped, whipped enough that Jimin couldn’t fathom going out for a night and bringing a random man home for a quick fuck. Even when he was dating Minkyu back in the day, he used to think about doing something naughty. Now he resorted to jerking himself off in the shower, in bed most nights, wherever he needed to so he could find some kind of relief. And every goddamn time, he only moaned one name.

It was a name and a face he couldn’t seem to shake. The entire week, ever since Jimin told Jeongguk he looked beautiful, he received a stream of flirty text messages from the younger. Sometimes they were first thing in the morning. Sometimes they were during Jimin’s lunch break. Sometimes they were when Jimin was at 360 for drinks for Hoseok, Beomseok, and Junseo. Twice Jeongguk asked to meet Jimin for lunch, and twice, Jimin agreed and left work to meet Jeongguk somewhere. Jimin paid both times, and he checked the portal and saw absolutely nothing.

JEONGGUK [09:21:38AM]
Breakfast?

JIMIN [09:25:22AM]
It’s Sunday.

JEONGGUK [09:26:08AM]
And I’m hungry. Breakfast?

JIMIN [09:27:33AM]
I’m still in bed and have no plans to move for another hour or so.

JEONGGUK [09:28:14AM]
Prove it

JIMIN [09:30:29AM]
(photo attached)

JEONGGUK [09:31:42AM]
Wow

JIMIN [09:32:53AM]
????

JEONGGUK [09:33:14AM]
Nothing. We can do lunch this week instead. Hope that pillow appreciates you ;)

JIMIN [09:35:02AM]
You’re unbelievable.

They did lunch. They did lunch three out of five days that week, and Jeongguk let Jimin pay each time, though he did offer his genuine thanks. He showed further gratitude by sending coffee on Friday to Hana, and Hana brought it down the hall to Jimin, also bringing the second cup to Hoseok. Hoseok was beside himself and immediately texted Taehyung to say that “Jimin’s boyfriend is sending me coffee and you’re not,” to which Taehyung told him to go fuck himself and then fuck him later that night. Jimin just sipped his black coffee, no sugar or frills, because Jeongguk knew exactly what he liked.

But over the weekend, when Jimin was out at Cobra with Taehyung and two of their girlfriends from university, Nayeon and Sana, he could concentrate. He danced down and dirty with Taehyung behind him and Sana’s hands on his waist, but his mind was elsewhere. He wasn’t even drinking as much as usual. Nayeon clung to his elbow and asked Jimin to introduce him to the pretty girl over by one of the couches, but Jimin just kissed her forehead and pawned her off to Taehyung, so Taehyung took the responsibility and introduced the two so Jimin could keep dancing with Sana to distract himself.

He had to tell someone.

It was nearly February now. Jimin had been at it with Jeongguk for months, all the back and forth, and it was now at the point where he felt he was being driven mad with confusion. There was a signed contract floating around somewhere, but Jeongguk was disregarding almost all of it. Yet he brought up the terms and conditions when it suited him, when he felt vulnerable, when he felt like things were going too far. Jimin wasn’t stupid. He could tell Jeongguk was holding back, and he was over it. He needed a professional opinion.

“I don’t like being summoned.”

“I asked you to lunch.”

“I don’t like when courts do it,” Namjoon sighed, leaning back against the cracked leather of the booth and eying Jimin wearily over the top of his black-framed glasses. Then he pitched forward and rested his elbows on the table. “But since you offered to pay, here I am on a date during my lunch break.”

“It’s not a—you know what? Never mind,” Jimin said with a chuckle, already poking at the food. Namjoon had requested a hot pot little restaurant in between both of their offices, so they had steaming bowls of food in front of them already, having put together their own meals. “I needed to talk to you about something.”

“Is it legal? Did you fuck a stripper who’s threatening to sue? I’m an environmental lawyer, Jiminie, not a miracle worker.”

“Will you ever quit?”

“Apologies.” Namjoon grinned as he picked up his chopsticks, face full of dimples. “Continue.”

Jimin shifted his noodles quietly in his bowl, and that was when Namjoon stopped kidding around with him. He and Jimin had been friends for years and knew each other well enough to know when the other needed a listening ear. Something about Namjoon’s presence brought a sense of complete calm to Jimin, a serenity that he never normally had, a type of levelheadedness that he lacked. And Namjoon knew that Taehyung was, without doubt, Jimin’s best friend and soulmate. But there were some things that were better suited for a different set of ears, like Namjoon’s, and he knew that this was one of them just by the pregnant pause before Jimin finally blew out a breath.

“I just figured you were the person to talk to,” he quietly said. Namjoon nodded and took a bite of food, eyes on his friend. They had a history of chatting philosophically for hours on end with no real purpose, just going off on tangents together. They used to get high together at university and talk about existentialism. All of their deep conversations had created a bond of mutual trust.

“Go ahead.”

“It’s… It’s about Jeongguk.”

“Mhm,” Namjoon hummed.

“I… I need to tell you how I met him.”

“Not on a morning run?” Namjoon twirled some noodles around his chopsticks and looked up at Jimin with curious eyes.

“No. Not on a morning run.” Jimin took a deep breath, and then he carefully launched into the abridged version of the story. He told Namjoon about the cab ride. Even showed him Jeongguk’s business card, because he carried it in his wallet in case he ever forgot the phone number. Namjoon examined and scrutinized it like a legal document before encouraging Jimin to continue without even hinting at an older brother lecture. So Jimin avoided eye contact and continued to explain that he had paid Jeongguk for his services for the merger celebration and the holiday party, that he had tried to pay for New Year’s Eve and all the other meetings.

“But now I don’t know what’s going on,” Jimin finally said, exhausted just from having to explain it all. Namjoon was barely reacting, which he appreciated. He needed someone even-tempered to just listen to him, maybe provide some clarity. “He meets me for lunch when I ask him to, hyung. I—I went on a run last week and he was outside my apartment waiting for me. He ran with me. I didn’t even ask him to come. He just showed up like he knew my routine.”

“And he’s not asking to be paid?”

“No. I keep offering, but he just brushes it off. And his contract, that stupid fucking contract, right? It’s very specific. If you come into contact with Jeon Jeongguk and you’re a registered client, you’re getting charged. He charges ten thousand won per minute for phone calls that are considered service and not just arrangements for plans, same price for spending actual physical time with him. But my account hasn’t been charged. I—I have an account on his private portal. That’s how clients pay him.”

“And he’s not charging you at all?”

“No.”

“Even though you have a signed contract and he has very specifically stated that he’ll charge people for breathing the same air as him at the same time.”

“I—Okay, well, when you put it that way, it sounds awful.”

“I’m just making a point,” Namjoon said gently.

“Hoseok said he’s invited to Pyeongchang. For the skiing trip. For his birthday.”

“Yeah? What’d he say?”

“I haven’t invited him yet,” Jimin admitted. “I—I don’t really know what to say. I don’t even know how to invite him, hyung. It’s not just a few hours of his time. It’s three days. That’s… that’s a lot.”

“Well, this whole situation is a lot,” Namjoon said with a small laugh. “You hired a fucking escort, Jiminie. Not that it’s a bad thing, but you knew what you were getting into.”

“Yeah, I thought I did,” Jimin said in frustration. “But he’s not acting like an escort anymore. He only pulls out the ‘I’m an escort’ card when it’s most convenient.”

“Like when he thinks he’s getting too close to you, or when he’s scared.”

“Exactly.”

“So you think he likes you.”

“Shit, I don’t know,” Jimin said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “I don’t know, hyung. I can’t tell with him. He barely tells me anything about himself. I don’t even know when his birthday is, or his favorite color. The stupid shit that everyone knows.”

“Well, maybe you should tell him how you feel. Not everything. It’s pretty obvious to me that you have feelings for him. Correct me if I’m wrong. But maybe if you want to invite him to Hobi’s birthday weekend, you should tell him how you feel. Tell him you’re grateful for him, that he’s been good to you. And then offer Hobi’s birthday maybe as something nice you can do for him, you know? Show him you appreciate him.”

“You really think that’ll work?”

“I have no idea. I’d say yes, but Jeongguk seems a little unpredictable,” Namjoon confessed. “So I can’t guarantee that it will work, but feel like he’d appreciate hearing it. Maybe he hears it from other clients, but I have a feeling it would be a great deal more coming from you.”

“You think?”

“Jiminie, he’s showing up on your doorstep unannounced to go running with you. Obviously he feels something more than just an escort-client relationship.”

“Yeah. Maybe. Shit, I don’t know if I can do it,” Jimin sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t want to fuck this up, hyung. I thought it wouldn’t matter, but it does.”

“Yeah, because you like him. Of course it matters. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.”

“True. But you… you don’t think it’s weird? That he’s an escort? That I’ve seen him out with other clients. That he had a book full of people vying for his attention?”

“Yet you’re the high priority and he’s not charging you. What does that tell you?” Namjoon slurped up a bunch of noodles with his eyebrows raised, looking amused at how conflicted Jimin was, like he couldn’t understand why it wasn’t obvious.

“Okay. I… I’ll talk to him.”

***

Jimin chickened out for nearly a week before he finally plucked up the courage to text Jeongguk and ask for a coffee date to discuss something important. Jeongguk immediately inquired about the topic, but Jimin insisted on meeting in person. He wasn’t about to do it over text. It felt like a fucking marriage proposal when in reality, it was just a stupid weekend trip.

Buzzed was busy for a Monday morning, but Jimin managed to snag a table right by the window, one of their favorite. Favorites. He and Jeongguk had a fucking favorite table at a coffee shop that they frequented. It was bizarre.

Jimin flinched when he felt two hands on his shoulders, but when the hands massaged him for a few seconds, he instantly relaxed under the touch.

“Hey, hyung.” Jeongguk’s hands slipped off his shoulders, and then Jeongguk himself slipped into the seat across from Jimin. When he saw the cup of coffee sitting at his spot, billowing with steam, he bit the inside of his lower lip, and Jimin straightened up proudly.

“Black with one sugar,” he announced.

“Thank you,” Jeongguk replied, and he took a small sip with a satisfied sigh afterwards. “So. What was so important that you wanted to meet in person instead of chatting over the phone? You look nice today, by the way.”

“Well, I—oh. Thanks,” Jimin said, feeling strangely shy at the compliment. “You, uh… so do you. I just—damn it, Jeongguk.”

“What?” Jeongguk lifted his cup to his lips innocently.

“You always do this shit,” Jimin said in frustration. “I’m trying to get the upper hand and you always fuck me over.”

Jeongguk said not a word. He just sipped his coffee with a purposeful loud slurp that brought Jimin’s shoulders away from his ears as he relaxed slightly, trying not to melt under the intense gaze of Jeongguk’s beautiful eyes.

“I’m listening.”

“Yeah, I know you are,” Jimin sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Look, um…” Just say what you prepared. Say what you fucking prepared, be honest with him. Do what Namjoon said. Spit it out, damn it— “Look, I… Jeongguk, you’ve been really good to me. Too good. The times that we’ve—whenever I ask you to—what I’m trying to say is that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me since October. Since… you know. I just—you’ve helped me a lot. I don’t really know how to thank you.”

“Oh.”

Jimin looked up from his coffee, surprised. Jeongguk was usually far more eloquent and accepting of compliments thank “oh.” He always took them in stride with a proud smile, typically rambled some nonsense about how it was his job and that he was pleased his client was happy, all that bullshit. Instead, his brow was furrowed, his gaze fixed on a point somewhere on Jimin’s chest for a moment before he finally looked up, clearing his throat.

“Thank you,” he said stiffly. Jimin scrambled.

“Wh—I just—I mean that you’ve—you know. I-I didn’t really—it’s been really nice,” he stammered lamely, but Jeongguk was fully recovered, now sipping on his coffee. He set the cup down on the table, and then he squared his shoulders in a very business-like manner, sitting up straighter.

“I’m very glad you feel that I’ve done my job well. I’ve appreciated working with you,” he said formally. “I hope that we can connect in the future and you can share what you’re doing with your life.”

“What?”

“It’s been a pleasure, hyung, truly.”

“Jeongguk, what?” Jimin interrupted, holding up a hand. His heart was clenching painfully. “What are you saying?”

“That’s why I’m here in person, correct?” Jeongguk asked, the warmth evaporating from his voice, the voice he usually reserved for Jimin whenever they met. “To end our contract. I assume that’s why you called this meeting.”

“Jeongguk.” Jimin paused, and then he laughed, resting his elbows on the table and running both hands through his hair. “You’re an idiot.”

“Come again?”

“I’m not ending our contract, you moron,” Jimin said with a chuckle, relief suddenly flooding his entire body. “I’m trying to do the exact opposite.”

“…Oh.” Jeongguk’s voice immediately softened. His brow released from its furrow. He stopped holding his coffee cup with such a death grip. “Then what is it? What are you trying to say?”

“What I’m saying is that… is that Hoseokie hyung’s birthday is coming up next week,” Jimin said, his heart slamming wildly against his ribcage. “And we’re going to Pyeongchang to ski. We’re taking Friday off and having a three-day weekend for it.”

“Oh. That sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Hyung has Taehyungie. Namjoon hyung and Seokjin hyung are going. So I thought… I thought maybe I could invite you to come with me.”

It was out in the open now. The offer left Jimin’s mouth and swirled overhead, creating what felt like an ominous thundercloud of strangled hope that was sure to disappoint, especially when Jeongguk didn’t respond straight away. Jimin could feel the metaphorical rain pouring down on him the longer Jeongguk hesitated.

“It’s… I mean, it’s all expenses paid. I’ll pay for you,” Jimin added, his voice sounding weak despite how much he wanted to fight for Jeongguk. “I’ll pay for everything. I got a decent holiday bonus and—and I’ve been good with commission recently. I… I know it would be millions upon millions of won to have you for three days, so—so I don’t know, I figured we could work something out. A payment plan or something.”

“I don’t do overnight trips.”

“…Oh. Um—yeah. Yeah, okay. I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have asked. It was too much,” Jimin apologized, thought he could hear the wretched misery in his voice and it made his blood boil. He was such an idiot. How could he have ever assumed Jeongguk would agree to such a thing? The ice in the younger’s voice made it so obvious.

“I don’t have anything in my contract about overnight trips,” Jeongguk continued as if he hadn’t heard Jimin’s stuttered apology. “I—I don’t even know how that would financially work. And I have other clients who I see on weekends. Regular clients. I—the logistics of it are…”

“I’m so sorry,” Jimin apologized again, feeling painfully small. “I—I’m sorry. Fuck, I’m so stupid. I never should have asked. Let me just—I’ll pay for the drinks and you can go. I’m sorry.”

“Hyung…”

But Jimin shot up out of his seat and fumbled for his wallet, hurrying up to the cashier and beckoning to his table, mumbling the number and saying that they were closing out their tab and wouldn’t need anything else. She rattled off the total price, but Jimin didn’t hear it. He was too numb with humiliation, too heavy with rejection. Fuck, he hadn’t expected it to hurt so much. He dazedly handed over some notes to pay for the drinks, and then he received his change and stepped to the side, trying to take a deep breath. He didn’t do shit like this. Park Jimin didn’t go out on a limb for other men, never put himself out there so vulnerably. He had just made an utter fool of himself in front of the one man he was desperate to keep in his life for reasons he didn’t yet understand. What the hell was it about Jeon Jeongguk? He was a professional escort, for fuck’s sake. Of course he couldn’t drop everything and join Jimin on a stupid skiing trip. Jimin couldn’t even believe he had asked. His face was burning with embarrassment now, so much that he had to take three more deep breaths before returning to the table. He was genuinely surprised that Jeongguk was still sitting there, but now he was on his phone, brow furrowed again.

“I’ve paid. You can go,” Jimin quietly said. “I… I’m so sorry.”

Jeongguk’s face remained illuminated by the glow of his phone for a moment. Then he glanced up. It was short, but the look they shared was physically painful for Jimin. It felt like Jeongguk was tearing into his soul with his eyes. He expected the younger to say something. To maybe accept the apology. To restate his contract terms. He did none of that. Instead, Jeongguk just nodded once with pursed lips, stood up with his chair scraping, grabbed his bag, and walked away.

Jimin sat at the table and cried silently with his back turned to the other patrons for five minutes before he left the café.

Chapter Text

“You just got up and left?”

“Wh—I—he didn’t—What was I supposed to do?! He caught me off-guard! That’s not what I expected to hear!”

“You were supposed to say yes, you absolute dumbass. Christ, I didn’t raise you like this.”

“You didn’t raise me.”

“Come again?”

“Sorry. I’m sorry.”

“He asked you on a nice little trip, all expenses paid, and you just walked away. Think about that for a second. Evaluate your life choices, Guk. You think that was a good decision?”

“…No.”

“Based on everything that’s happened in the past few months, especially with the shit I’ve had to listen to when you’ve lured me over to cuddle, you think walking away was smart?”

“I don’t lure you over to cuddle.”

“Answer the question.”

“No. It wasn’t.”

“So how are you going to fix it?”

“I… just—just give me some time. I’ll fix it, hyung. I promise.”

***

Jimin asked Namjoon to sleep over on Monday night because he was too distraught. Taehyung was in Gwangju and not available, and Jimin knew Hoseok wasn’t a cuddler. Seokjin was at the hospital for his night shift, and Namjoon wasn’t really into cuddling either, but when Jimin called him sobbing, he showed up immediately with takeaway, soju, and the promise of cuddles. He let Jimin curl up in his lap while they watched a movie, and then because he was much taller, he agreed to being the big spoon in bed, and he stroked Jimin’s hair until Jimin drifted off to sleep.

When Taehyung came home from Gwangju on Wednesday, he barreled into Jimin’s apartment at eight o’clock at night and tackled Jimin onto the couch, smothering him in hugs. Jimin promptly burst into tears again, and even though Taehyung had barely a clue as to why he was so emotional (he only asked “is it Jeongguk?” and that was enough), he did his best friend duties. He held Jimin in his lap while they watched a K-drama, drew a bath for Jimin, and even washed his hair for him (they had no boundaries whatsoever), and then cuddled him in bed so hard that their legs were tangled up messily and Taehyung was able to pepper Jimin’s entire face with kisses until Jimin fell asleep.

The emotional rollercoaster subsided by Thursday, and for that, Jimin was grateful. He hadn’t received a single text from Jeongguk since Monday, hadn’t heard a peep, but he figured it was for the best. He felt like he had severely overstepped his boundaries, so he decided instead to focus solely on Hoseok, the birthday boy. He hadn’t skied in a solid two years, after all, so he had to put all his energy into not breaking his legs or causing an avalanche. Taehyung, however, was very open to the idea of causing a natural disaster and made several suggestions of how they could go about it.

“How many beanies did you pack?”

“Enough.”

“Baby, no, I need to know how many so I can figure out what I can steal.”

“You—little—shit—”

“ Okay, okay, ow!” Taehyung laughed, ducking away from the throw pillow Jimin was whacking him with on each word. “But you have the best beanies! You have a collection!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m willing to share.”

“You always share with me.”

“Taehyungie still has your neon pink one,” Namjoon declared as he emerged from the bathroom, and then he stuck a toothbrush into his mouth with a dimpled grin. From the couch, Seokjin let out an amused laugh, still scrolling through his phone.

“You’re starting a war, love,” he warned Namjoon.

“Okay, we need to get ready!” Hoseok called, clapping his hands while beaming, excited to be the birthday boy. They had chosen to gather at Jimin’s apartment, since it was a nice central location for the other four. “We have a two-hour drive with traffic, so Tae, sweetheart, I hope you brought all the snacks.”

“See that duffle bag, love?” Taehyung pointed. “That’s not clothes.”

“Smart man. You should marry him,” Seokjin said to Hoseok, and Hoseok blushed as he busied himself with his own bags. Jimin chuckled and started to gather his own belongings together, and Taehyung shoved into the bathroom to brush his teeth as well, shouting to Namjoon that he had his own toothbrush in the apartment, thank you, and that he didn’t need to share. Jimin hoisted one bag onto the countertop, and that was when there was a knock on the door.

“Did we order takeaway?” Namjoon asked over the sound of the running water from the faucet. “Baby, we just said we had snacks!”

“That wasn’t me!” Seokjin argued with a laugh. Jimin glanced over and noticed that Hoseok was standing at the doorway of the spare bedroom, arms crossed, leaning one shoulder against the doorframe with a small smile on his face. Jimin narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and then he went to the door and opened it.

“…Oh.”

“I’m not too late, am I?”

Jimin stared and stared until his vision blurred and doubled. Jeongguk was standing at his door, wearing black pants, a white pullover sweatshirt that was ten sizes too big on him (nearly to his knees), and a maroon beanie. He had a single bag slung over one shoulder. He was weirdly pale, his eyes shifting nervously as he incessantly chewed at his lower lip. He looked a little out of breath, like he had taken the stairs instead of the elevator.

“What are you…?” Jimin said quietly, not sure how he was speaking under the influence of such shock. Jeongguk shifted his footing.

“I… didn’t like the idea of you going alone,” he said, sounding uncomfortable but plowing forward anyways. “And you asked so nicely, and I—I didn’t want to say no. I just… didn’t know how to say yes.”

“But… But you have other clients. And I’m—I can’t really afford…” Jimin had to speak in a whisper now so that his friends couldn’t overhear, because he could feel their eyes burning a hole into his back. They still couldn’t see Jeongguk.

“I rescheduled my other clients,” Jeongguk replied hastily. “And—the money, just… don’t worry about it. We’ll figure something out.” He paused, and then a small little smile crept onto his face. “I haven’t take a vacation in years.”

“Jeongguk,” Jimin said softly, and then he stepped into the hallway and let the door close behind him. “How did you even know we were here? How’d you know what time we were leaving? I never—we never talked about that.”

“I… may have gotten Hoseok hyung’s extension number from the receptionist at S9K,” Jeongguk admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “And I asked him if I could still come along.”

“You what? He doesn’t—he doesn’t know that you—”

“No, he doesn’t know that I’m an escort,” Jeongguk interrupted with another small smile, quelling Jimin’s panic. “I told him that I hadn’t been able to go but then plans changed, and that I wanted to surprise you, and to let me know when you were leaving so I could meet you.”

Jimin leaned against his door with a heavy sigh, his hands trembling as he ran his fingers through his hair. It was wildly unbelievable, seeing Jeongguk standing in front of him with an overnight bag, wearing a beanie and soft street clothes and looking like a true twenty-five-year-old.

“I just don’t know how much I can afford,” Jimin whispered.

“I told you we’d figure it out,” Jeongguk said firmly. “The payment is the least of my concerns, and, though I appreciate that it’s a priority for you, I would rather just… be here to—I don’t know. Work with you, I guess.”

“Work with me.” Jimin felt himself deflate slightly.

“Spend time with you,” Jeongguk corrected himself with a sigh when he realized how formal he sounded, and Jimin straightened back up. “I’m sorry. I—I don’t do overnight trips. I specifically kept them out of my contract for a reason.”

“You don’t have to come.”

“No. I want to. I want to spend time with you.” Jeongguk took a deep breath and straightened up, but then he shrunk slightly and added, “Spend time with friends.”

The way that he said the add-on was so small. Shy, vulnerable, hopeful, scared. It was everything all at once and it hit Jimin like a cannonball to the head. Jeongguk had changed his mind not just because of Jimin, but in the interest of spending time with people his own age. Of being around people he saw as his friends. He spent so much of his time catering to grown men and women who sought companionship that Jimin often forgot that Jeongguk probably didn’t have many peers to support him. Maybe… maybe Jimin was giving Jeongguk something he needed. Maybe Jimin could finally help Jeongguk in a way he hadn’t been able to before, could finally repay him for the hell he had gotten Jimin through during the holidays.

“Come on in,” Jimin decided, and then he held out his hand to Jeongguk, his other hand twisting the doorknob. Jeongguk grabbed his hand immediately.

“HEY, LOOK WHO’S HERE!”

“JEONGGUKIE!”

“I THOUGHT YOU WEREN’T COMING!”

Seokjin leapt off the couch. Taehyung barreled out of the bathroom with his toothbrush still in his mouth. Namjoon stopped checking the snack supply and straightened up with a smile. And Hoseok, from the kitchen, beamed proudly like he had just pulled off a fantastic trick.

“You’re here!” Taehyung threw his arms around Jeongguk’s neck, toothbrush and all, and Jeongguk dropped his bag just in time to catch the older in a hug.

“We’re glad you could make it,” Namjoon added, reaching forward and offering a hand to Jeongguk while glancing sideways at Jimin. Jeongguk shook Namjoon’s hand happily and recaptured Jimin’s hand in his.

“All thanks to you, hyung,” Jeongguk said as Hoseok came over, and the two exchanged a one-armed hug because Jeongguk refused to let go of Jimin. Taehyung noticed, and Jimin’s face began to burn the more Taehyung danced victoriously behind Jeongguk’s back on his way to the bathroom. “And thank you for the invitation.”

“Friends only trip, right?” Seokjin said, shaking Jeongguk’s hand. “No one else would care to see the shit show that is Jung Hoseok on his birthday, especially on skis.”

“Wow,” Hoseok said loudly, but when Jimin glanced sideways, he saw the eager and excited glimmer in Jeongguk’s puppy dog eyes at the very mention of the word “friends.”

“We have a whole bag full of snacks,” Taehyung said, emerging from the bathroom with clean teeth and gesturing to his pride and joy, the duffle bag. “But I feel like you probably eat nonstop, so now I’m nervous that we don’t have enough.”

“I’ll hold back and save some for the others,” Jeongguk promised, sounding almost breathless with excitement. Taehyung clapped his hands a few times.

“Jeonggukie’s he-e-e-e-e-ere,” he sang out, snatching up bags and turning to his boyfriend. “Should we load the car?”

“Yeah, let’s go. You all packed light, right? One duffle bag each, I warned you,” Hoseok said. “It’s an SUV but the trunk space is limited.”

“The snacks can stay on my lap,” Taehyung decided. “Also, SHOTGUN!”

“We’ll take the middle, then, because I’ll be damned if I’m stuck in the backseat,” Seokjin said, hitching his bag onto his shoulder and taking Namjoon’s as well, leaving Namjoon with empty hands and the ability to give a spectacular eye roll, though he seemed pleased.

“Guess we’re in the back,” Jimin said quietly to Jeongguk.

“That’s fine with me,” Jeongguk agreed.

So they took the backseat of the SUV, keeping Jeongguk’s bag between them as Hoseok began to drive. Taehyung refused to use the navigation system and instead held his phone proudly, call out directions and angrily turning the volume of his phone down when the pleasant female voice beat him to the punch. Seokjin was a backseat driver for about ten minutes, but that didn’t last long, because the look Namjoon gave him was threatening enough. The duffle bag also didn’t stay on the seat. Jimin swiped it off, left his right window seat, and slid to the middle seat, buckling in.

“Is this okay?” he whispered to Jeongguk, his skin burning already as their thighs touched, his heart pounding. Jeongguk stopped searching for his AirPods for just a moment and flashed Jimin a small smile.

“Yeah, of course it is. Wanna share music?”

“What? Oh. Yeah, sure,” Jimin agreed. Jeongguk found his AirPods, gave Jimin the right ear, and took the left ear for himself. Then he turned on his music and relaxed into his seat with a sigh as Hoseok burst out into laughter when Taehyung forgot to mention the turnoff onto the highway and exchanged a few choice words with the map on his phone.

Jimin knew that Jeongguk had risked a lot by coming along for the trip. It was blatantly obvious, especially the way that he kept checking his phone every three minutes, and the music kept fading as notifications popped up. Jeongguk answered several messages with the screen hidden from Jimin, tongue poking out the side of his mouth as he concentrated, and Jimin felt himself tilting off the edge of a metaphorical cliff. Every little thing that Jeongguk did now was like a spark inside Jimin’s body, a body that was so desperate to feel heat, to feel fire. It was the strangest feeling, one that Jimin had never really experienced before. He had assumed that Minkyu had brought him some type of fire in his belly, but it had never felt quite like this.

“Okay, okay,” Jeongguk muttered as the song changed, and then he finally had to switch to Do Not Disturb mode and glanced at Jimin. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Jimin paused, rubbing his lips together, and then he added, “Business is business, you know?”

“Thank you for understanding,” Jeongguk whispered. “Do you wanna…?”

It took Jimin far too long to figure out that Jeongguk was offering his shoulder as a pillow. Feeling his ears burn, Jimin nodded and snuggled right up into Jeongguk’s shoulder. Jeongguk didn’t do anything different with his arms, didn’t change positions at all. He just let Jimin rest on him. Before Jimin closed his eyes, he saw Namjoon glanced over his shoulder.

This is what I wanted, Jimin tried to say with his eyes. This is all I wanted.

I can tell. That’s what Jimin assumed Namjoon was saying in return, at least with the way his eyes softened and his dimples indented his cheeks momentarily before he turned back around.

***

When they checked into Alpensia, Hoseok did all the talking, beaming and bowing excessively when all of the women at reception wished him a happy birthday. Then he bounced over with excitement, a bunch of keycards in his hands.

“Okay! Rooms!” he said cheerfully, and then he handed out keycards while Taehyung hugged him from behind, kissing his neck and nuzzling happily. “We’re all in the same hallway. Seokjin hyung and Namjoonie, this is yours. This is ours, TaeTae… Jiminie, this is yours and Jeonggukie’s.”

“We’re—?” Jeongguk began, but then he clamped his mouth shut and cleared his throat, adjusting his bag for a distraction. Jimin’s heart dropped into his stomach. Hoseok blinked, but then he shrugged and smiled at Taehyung. Jimin’s palms began to sweat. Surely Jeongguk had been about to ask if they were really sharing a room. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Jimin hadn’t even considered that sharing a room wouldn’t be a thing for Jeongguk. He wasn’t off to a good start.

“Okay, let’s get settled in and then meet for dinner. We’re already too late to get to the slopes tonight, so we’ll go tomorrow morning,” Hoseok said with a grin. “The restaurant I found is about to get me so fucking drunk, I can’t wait.”

“We’re taking birthday shots,” Taehyung declared. “We’ll meet down here at seven o’clock! Hobi hyung, that’s two hours. That’s plenty of time.”

“We don’t need to know that,” Seokjin complained as Hoseok reached around and smacked Taehyung’s ass in a reprimanding fashion, though they were both grinning.

“It’s my birthday, hyung,” Hoseok said to Seokjin. “I have high expectations. Don’t ruin it for me.”

“I’ll ruin you instead,” Taehyung said casually, and then they both hurried out with laughter, leaving the other four behind.

Namjoon and Seokjin disappeared to their own room to freshen up and have some time alone, and Jimin quietly walked down the hallway to the room marked on their keycard. He held the door open for Jeongguk, watching the younger slowly drop his duffle bag by the bed and then sit down on the edge, tense.

“Jeongguk-ah.” Jimin dropped his stuff, and then he sat on the bed as well, keeping his distance. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I forgot to tell you. I forgot that we were sharing rooms. If… If it makes you uncomfortable, we can arrange something. You can have the bed, and I’ll take a couple pillows and blankets to the couch. I don’t mind.”

“You’re not sleeping on the couch,” Jeongguk said with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. “Don’t—it’s not—I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. I’m just… not used to this. I don’t do things like this.”

“I know. I’m—look, are you sure? We don’t have to.” Jimin chewed on his lower lip nervously, avoiding eye contact. He squeezed his eyes shut, and then he heard Jeongguk exhale.

“Yeah. I’m sure. It’s fine. You wanna shower first, or should I?” Jeongguk asked. “Before dinner.”

“You can go first,” Jimin offered. Jeongguk nodded quietly and disappeared into the bathroom, and the moment he did, Jimin groaned and fell onto his back on the bed, throwing arms over his face. Shit, he was so dumb. The very last thing he wanted to do was make Jeongguk feel uncomfortable, and he wasn’t off to a good start. He should’ve talked about it with Hoseok, but then again, that would’ve been too much exposure, too much light shed on the situation. He couldn’t possibly—

“Do you think it’s a casual place, or fancier?”

“I don’t…” Jimin sat up to answer, but then he trailed off. Jeongguk was crouching down by his duffle back, rummaging through to look for clothes. And he was only wearing a towel, his entire upper body still wet, his hair damp. It was like he was intentionally setting a thirst trap for Jimin to fall into, and it was working. Holy shit. Jimin bit down hard on the inside of his mouth and stared as Jeongguk straightened up with two shirts in his hands, trying to figure out which one he like, his brow furrowed, his lips in a bit of a pout as he looked back and forth between the two. He was wearing nothing but a towel but he still had the audacity to look—well, shit, cute.

“Which one do you like better?” he asked, turning to Jimin and holding them up for an opinion.

“They’re… they’re both nice,” Jimin said in a daze. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. This man was too fucking good to be true. Water droplets trickling down his body, his abs, the curve of his hips, the veins in his arms when he unintentionally flexed to lift one shirt to his chest for size and then the other… fuck. Fuck, Jimin was so screwed. He couldn’t do a whole weekend away knowing that Jeongguk looked like this underneath his shirt—

“You good over there?”

“Hmm?” Jimin blinked, and then he deflated. Jeongguk was wearing a shirt now, had just picked one on his own. And Jimin didn’t miss the small smirk on his face before he bent back down to put away the other shirt. Furious, Jimin slid off the bed, and then he took a pillow with him and whacked Jeongguk with it.

“ Ow, what the hell!”

“You—absolute—asshole,” Jimin said with each hit, and Jeongguk laughed his pretty little head off, disappearing back into the bathroom to dress his lower half. He emerged fully dressed a minute later, towel drying his hair with a grin.

“You’re vicious for someone so small,” he teased.

“You wanna die in that bed?” Jimin threatened.

“Surprise me,” Jeongguk said, reaching into his bag for some face moisturizer. “You gonna take a shower, or what?”

“Fuck you,” Jimin sighed, and then he slammed the bathroom door and gripped the countertop, leaning forward and taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. If this was how the weekend was going to go, he wasn’t sure he was going to make it.

Unless he retaliated.

Jimin showered off and slipped on a pair of boxer briefs first, and then he wrapped the towel around his waist. He opened the door to let out the steam, and then he leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.

“Should I make you pick out my outfit, too?” he asked. Jeongguk stopped whatever he was doing on his phone and glanced up. Jimin watched as the younger’s eyes took him in from head to toe, slowly, deliberately. Then he looked back down at his phone.

“Nah. You can do that.”

“Yeah? Okay. I’ll just get dressed then.” Jimin casually said, and then he purposely took off his towel and tossed it on the ground near Jeongguk’s feet. Jeongguk immediately dropped his phone on the floor and looked up, wide-eyed. Jimin burst out laughing at his expression, the fact that his phone was lying on the floor forgotten, and Jeongguk knew it. He launched himself off the bed, and Jimin let out a yelp and tried to escape, but he didn’t make it very far. Jeongguk grabbed him around the waist, physically picked him up off the ground bridal style, and threw him onto the bed with gusto. Jimin landed in a heap with another breathless laugh, watching as Jeongguk snatched his phone up and cursed under his breath. Jimin scooted back onto the pillows and rested comfortably.

“This game is for two people, right?” he joked.

“Put some clothes on, you exhibitionist,” Jeongguk replied, reaching into Jimin’s back and throwing the first items of clothing his hands found.

“Kind of disappointed that you didn’t use the ‘like what you see’ line on me,” Jimin mused. “It’s a classic. Cheesy but effective. Really should rethink that next time.”

“You seem sure that you’ll get a next time,” Jeongguk teased as Jimin began to get dressed, checking the clock. Jeongguk returned to his phone quietly, and as Jimin slipped into his shoes, he realized that his heart was pounding furiously. The way that Jeongguk had manhandled him with such ease to throw him on the bed, in the moment, had seemed playful. But shit, now it didn’t. Now it was putting all kinds of terrible fantasies in Jimin’s head. He wasn’t going to make it, damn it.

“Are you drinking tonight?” Jimin asked, putting his watch on and watching Jeongguk at the same time. “You’re on vacation, after all. Glass of wine wouldn’t hurt, you know.”

“I might consider it,” Jeongguk replied. “Though I think it would be better to make sure Hoseok hyung consumes the most. For his sake and for Taehyungie hyung’s sake.”

“Neither one of them needs any kind of incentive to fuck each other senseless,” Jimin pointed out. “You ready?”

Jeongguk locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket, and then he held open the door of the room for Jimin.

Dinner wasn’t as much of a shit show as Jimin expected. Hoseok sat at the head of the table and accepted all drinks that came his way, as well as food that he happily passed around to the others. Taehyung fussed over him and smothered him in kisses, and typically, Hoseok scrunched up his face at such affection. This time, though, he continually turned and reciprocated the kisses, to which Seokjin let out a loud and dreamy sigh, propping his chin in his hand with his elbow on the table while batting his eyelashes.

“I can’t believe I’m marrying you,” Namjoon said, rolling his eyes as his fiancé’s antics as Seokjin grinned. Jeongguk nudged Jimin quietly and passed him some more food, and Jimin lifted his smaller bowl to accept. Then, as Jimin took a bite, Jeongguk’s hand began to massage the back of his neck in a very clear public display of affection. Jimin let it happen, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was for show or if it was real. Jeongguk’s hands were soft and warm, and he seemed to easily find all the cricks in Jimin’s neck that needed massaging. Jimin reached for some more noodles and caught Taehyung’s eye. Taehyung was beaming proudly, looking ready to do Seokjin’s dreamy sigh for real at the very sight of someone showing Jimin affection.

Dinner lasted so long that it was half past ten when they finally stopped drinking and eating and agreed to retire to their respective rooms. Taehyung picked Hoseok up and carried him to their room, making dramatic promises to ravish him all night. Seokjin and Namjoon, the calmest couple, just joined hands after pushing in their chairs, and Namjoon quietly turned and rested his head on Seokjin’s shoulder quietly. Seokjin leaned down and kissed his fiancé’s head, and then they both glanced at Jimin and Jeongguk.

“Think we’re waking up around eight o’clock to hit the slopes early,” Namjoon said. “Make sure you’re awake.”

“I’ll be up at sunrise to knock on your door,” Jeongguk innocently said.

“Please don’t.”

“Really loud. I won’t stop knocking until you answer,” Jeongguk added.

“Yah, this kid is really a pain in the ass,” Seokjin commented loudly to Namjoon, and Jeongguk snickered. “I can’t believe we accepted him into our inner circle.”

“Oh, there’s an inner circle?” Jeongguk asked with fake enthusiasm.

“You’ve said too much, run,” Namjoon insisted, and then he dragged Seokjin down the hallway, both of them laughing quietly.

Jimin and Jeongguk walked quietly to their shared room, and Jimin realized why Jeongguk was suddenly so quiet. It was bedtime. That meant sharing a bed, trying to sleep in the same space. That meant spending the night, so to speak, something that Jeongguk most certainly did not do on a regular basis, and definitely not with clients. Jimin wanted to offer up sleeping on the couch again, but he knew Jeongguk would just shoot him down. So instead, he quietly took the bathroom first. Jeongguk didn’t argue. He just nodded.

A goddamn enigma. That’s what Jeongguk was to him. Jimin scrubbed his back molars and pivoted to stand in the doorway, trying to gauge the situation. Jeongguk still wasn’t talking, though he had hastily changed into black pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt for sleep. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his left side to the bathroom, and he was massaging his hands with what Jimin figured was lotion. No wonder his hands were so soft. Jimin moved the toothbrush over to the right side of his mouth, and that was when Jeongguk glanced up and over. He was barefaced and sleepy, a bit of hair hanging into his eyes, and Jimin’s hand paused as his heart stuttered. He usually sought to deny it, but he couldn’t do it anymore. Jeongguk was absolutely beautiful. His skin was radiant, his eyes held galaxies in them, and his lips were begging to be kissed by someone, anyone. Jimin was sure that even in fifty years’ time, Jeongguk would still radiate a type of beauty that others would never understand.

Jimin barely understood it himself.

***

“Hey, hurry up so we can sleep!” Jeongguk called out as the sink turned on, and he hopped off the edge of the bed. His knees knocked together when he stood up, and he had to pause and take a deep breath through his nose, eyes closed. Fuck, why was his heart racing at such a late hour? The adrenaline couldn’t possibly be beneficial for sleep, could it? He only had one glass of wine. Surely that wasn’t the reason for such a spike in his heart rate.

You idiot. You know why. But he ignored what his head was saying and glanced over at the bathroom. Jimin didn’t even respond to him. He just finished his bedtime routine and flicked the light off, padding into the bedroom with a little yawn like a tired puppy dog.

“I like the right side.”

“What?” Jeongguk glanced over his shoulder, pausing from clearing out apps on his phone.

“I like the right side of the bed,” Jimin said in a small, sleepy voice, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips. “Can we switch?”

Jeongguk wanted so badly to refuse, to force him to take the left side of the bed, to tell him to suck it up and go to sleep and leave him the hell alone. But he couldn’t get any of the words out. He swallowed all of them along with his pride, mostly because Jimin pouted when he was tired. He pouted, holy shit.

“That’s fine,” he muttered, and he rolled over to the left side as Jimin shuffled around to the right, adjusting the waistband of his pajama pants like Jeongguk wasn’t staring. Jimin tossed his phone onto the floor once it was on the charger, and then he wiggled himself under the covers as Jeongguk absentmindedly adjusted his pillow, waiting for Jimin to settle in first.

“G’night,” Jimin whispered, and Jeongguk took that as his cue to turn off the lights, failing to respond. Once they were in total darkness, he slid down further underneath the covers with a heavy sigh, hoping desperately that he could sleep. The room was pretty dark thanks to the curtains, so surely that would help his cause, and after traveling all day and a long dinner, he was admittedly tired. He was actually quite glad that the blankets were heavy, because the heating was pretty weak in the room and it was—

“What are you—?” Jeongguk hissed, but the rest of the words came out only as a breath. Jimin had rolled over, and now he was curled up by Jeongguk’s right shoulder.

“It’s cold,” Jimin whimpered quietly. “Jeonggukie, I’m cold.”

“…Okay.” Jeongguk took his hands off his chest where they had been resting, and he opened up his arms up. Jimin instantly scooted and wrapped himself like a koala around Jeongguk. He snuggled his head right onto Jeongguk’s shoulder, threw his right arm across Jeongguk’s abdomen, and wrapped his right leg across his body around Jeongguk’s legs. Instinctively, Jeongguk turned in towards Jimin until they were both comfortable, and then he closed his eyes and let his head fall on top of Jimin’s.

“Thank you,” Jimin murmured, his nose nuzzling into Jeongguk’s neck before he let out a slow sigh, relaxing his body so he could fall asleep. Jeongguk stayed perfectly still, frozen in position, trying to wrap his head around what he was experiencing. The last time he had cuddled with someone, anyone, was years ago, back when his best friend wasn’t off living his dream life and they could spend time together. Jeongguk’s king-size bed had been empty for years. He slept alone every night. Now Jimin’s small hand was resting flat on his chest, right over his heart, and Jeongguk could feel him breathing gently on his neck. He could feel everything, every sensation heightened to an almost painful degree.

Fuck it, he thought. Fuck it all. Knowing that Jimin was fading into sleep, Jeongguk shifted and put his left arm as well around Jimin so that he was hugging the elder, and Jimin practically melted his body into him. While he steadily breathed, Jeongguk turned his head again and reached up his right hand to touch Jimin’s soft hair. Jimin let out a little hum in his half-sleeping state, which told Jeongguk that he liked it. Jeongguk took a deep inhale, and when he exhaled, he felt dizzy from how intoxicating just being physically close to Jimin suddenly was to him. He smelled like vanilla with a little hint of lavender and orange, so sweet and so soothing.

Jeongguk easily drifted off to sleep with Jimin in his arms, sleeping better than he had in ages. It was mildly miraculous to him, how quickly he had slipped into such a state of comfort with a beautiful boy lying in his arms for the first time. Truly the first time. He had never quite gotten the chance when he was younger. He had only decided that he was gay when he was fifteen, fresh into high school with judgmental eyes all over him and girls hanging onto his every word. So he had played his part, dating a few girls casually and feeling nothing when they kissed him, going through hell when he was outed against his will.

Then he had gotten to university, and the game had changed entirely. Clubbing at university turned into a place where he could sneak into bathrooms or go home with strange boys to experiment, to touch, to understand himself better. But then one older drunk asshole had tried to take advantage of Jeongguk in a bathroom, and Min Yoongi had walked in, a savior immediately. Took Jeongguk under his wing. Scolded him for being reckless. Helped him come to terms with his sexuality when his own parents had shunned him for admitting to preferring men. It was Yoongi, the badass kid working on his Master’s, who had cuddled Jeongguk close on the nights when Jeongguk came back to their shared apartment sobbing, used and broken after only one year in university. Yoongi in his bed didn’t count for anything, though he was admittedly quite beautiful. Yoongi had taught him how to experiment with other boys the right away, and Jeongguk had hardened fast. That was when he developed his business. He had sworn it was for money. He was lying. It was to keep himself from being hurt ever again. He had learned the hard way after one of his first hookups had gone horribly wrong, learned not to get attached. To disassociate.

But Jeongguk couldn’t figure out how to disassociate from Jimin. Park Jimin confused him more than any of his university hookups. Consumed his every thought whenever he was around, sometimes even when he was with other clients. Jimin was becoming an exception to all of his rules, and it terrified him in a way that he had never experienced before.

Jeongguk wasn’t sure what time it was when he stirred and opened his eyes, wondering what had woken him up. It didn’t take him long to figure it out. Jimin was still hugging him tightly, but he was murmuring to himself, his body twitching every so often.

“Mm… didn’t—no, you can’t,” he whispered with a whimper. “I never said… Please…”

“Hyung?” Jeongguk whispered, but Jimin let out another louder whimper, his body suddenly tensing up like he was afraid of something. Was he having a nightmare? He sounded scared, helpless. He muttered some other nonsense, but then he took in a sharp breath, and Jeongguk decided he had had enough.

“Hyung,” he said firmly, but when Jimin didn’t respond, he decided to push his luck. “Jimin. Jimin.”

Finally, Jimin stirred and hummed, and the he pressed one hand to Jeongguk’s chest to lift himself up. Jeongguk stared at him in the semi-darkness, the light from the nearly full moon streaming through the cracks in the curtains. His eyes were barely open, but he was staring down at Jeongguk curiously.

“Are you okay?” Jeongguk whispered, and he reached up and pushed all of Jimin’s hair away from his face in a daze.

“Yes. Why?”

“You… You were talking in your sleep. You sounded scared,” Jeongguk said. “I thought you were having a nightmare.”

“Oh.” Jimin’s giggle was soft and sleepy. “No, it was a good dream. Taehyungie says I have full on conversations in my sleep sometimes. Just don’t spill all my secrets.”

“I’d never,” Jeongguk said without thinking, and Jimin’s nose crinkled in a smile.

“Will you still hold me?” he whispered.

“Yeah. Of course I will.”

Jeongguk relaxed back into the pillow and let Jimin get comfortable again, and he hoped desperately that Jimin’s hand on his chest wouldn’t be able to feel his pounding heart. He closed his eyes and drifted off.

But it didn’t last long. It felt like only five minutes later when Jeongguk opened his eyes the next morning, and he immediately panicked. There was absolutely no alarm that had gone off, which meant it could be nearly noon. Wouldn’t the others have woken them up, though?

Then he glanced over at the window. There was early morning sunlight streaming through, the first hints of it, so he exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Then he adjusted his grip and hugged Jimin closer. Jimin was still lying in his arms, their legs tangled together messily. His hair was tousled with sleep, his lips were parted just slightly as he breathed, and he… holy shit. He was an angel. Even sleeping like this, with lines on his face from being pressed against Jeongguk’s shirt, he was an angel.

An angel Jeongguk had to wake up.

“Hyung,” he whispered, and then he shook Jimin ever so slightly. “Hyung. Time to wake up.”

“Mm.” Jimin shifted and then snuggled Jeongguk harder and tighter, like that would keep them in bed for longer. Jeongguk’s heart leapt into his throat, and then he let out a tired, breathy laugh.

“We’re going skiing today,” he whispered in Jimin’s ear. “And I’m gonna kick your ass on the slopes.”

The response was immediate. Jimin threw himself into an upright position, grabbed his pillow, and whacked Jeongguk with it. Jeongguk burst out into hoarse laughter and rolled a little, and then when Jimin tried to bring the pillow down again, he just snatched it from his hands. Jimin groaned and collapsed right onto Jeongguk, eyes still closed, brow furrowed, too tired to fight anymore.

“You’re such an asshole,” Jimin whined sleepily, burrowing further under the covers, his face shoved into the edge of Jeongguk’s pillow.

“An asshole who let you use him as a pillow all night, so ‘thank you’ would suffice,” Jeongguk teased. “Now get up, or I’m stealing your covers. Then you’ll really have something to yell about. It’s…” He grabbed his phone to check, letting out a sigh of relief. “It’s five past eight. Wake up.”

Jeongguk gave Jimin the benefit of the doubt and rolled of the bed, heading into the bathroom to get himself ready for the day. As he was brushing his teeth, Jimin shuffled in with his lower lip jutting out, squinting from the brightness of the bathroom lights, looking very grumpy. Jeongguk scrubbed his teeth with more vigor because it was all he could do to keep from grabbing Jimin and tucking the two of them away under the covers into an all-day cocoon, safe from the cold.

“I understand why you don’t do overnight trips,” Jimin said sleepily. “You’re a menace.”

Jeongguk spat out his toothpaste and rinsed his mouth. “Me? I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“You and your competitive ass,” Jimin grumbled. “First go-karting and laser tag, now this.”

“I like winning,” Jeongguk admitted sheepishly with a grin. Now if I could just figure out a way to win you over, that would be nice, he thought to himself. Explain to me why I turn dumb when I’m around you. It shouldn’t be this way. I should be able to disassociate, to detach, and I fucking can’t. I don’t fucking know how to socially interact with you. Because apparently I can socialize like a normal human being with everyone else, but you’re the exception. You’re always the fucking exception.

***

“These are the fanciest ski lifts I’ve ever seen,” Jimin commented. He swung his legs gently as the ski lift rose into the air to bring them towards the top, watching his skis move back and forth attached to his feet. Jeongguk was right beside him, wearing the appropriate gear. They were both wearing white helmets with blue tinted goggles, but Jeongguk somehow made it look good, even with the goggles push up on the top of his helmet. Maybe it was the pink flush to his cheeks from the cold, or the animated sparkle in his brown eyes, or the way he was tapping his ski poles together excitedly like a little kid. Jimin could feel himself internally melting the longer he watched Jeongguk in his peripheral vision.

“I haven’t skied in a year— woah, look at that,” Jeongguk interrupted himself, pointing out the view. Jimin followed Jeongguk’s gloved hand, and then he shifted nervously.

“Yeah, I haven’t been in two years and I’m not very good,” Jimin admitted. “You’d think I would have better balance or more grace, but no.”

“Didn’t you say you went to a performing arts high school? C’mon, dancer boy. Use your core,” Jeongguk teased, nudging Jimin with an elbow. Jimin gave him a look, and Jeongguk rolled his eyes. “Okay, never mind. As long as you’re not one of those awkward kids who just slips down the slope frozen like a deer in the headlights.”

“I mean, I’m not that untalented,” Jimin griped, and Jeongguk grinned.

The skies were crystal clear blue without a single cloud as they reached the top of the slope. They met Seokjin, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Taehyung, who had all taken the ski lift before Jeongguk and Jimin. The course was wide enough and gave plenty of room for amateurs and fun seekers alike to have a go.

“We’ll go first,” Seokjin declared.

“Yeah, because you’re living up to your stereotype,” Taehyung complained. “The almost-doctor who’s rich as fuck and can ski like a god. You’re a walking, talking K-drama.”

“I, for one, who like to see hyung’s talent for it,” Jeongguk said with raised eyebrows, pressing his fingertips to his chest with a grin. Seokjin threw a hand over in Jeongguk’s direction.

“See? Some sense!” he exclaimed. “I knew Jiminie picked him as a boyfriend for a reason.”

Namjoon, Hoseok, and Taehyung all said some form of “oh my God” or “shut up” as Jimin pursed his lips, but Jeongguk was the one who burst out laughing, relieving the tension immediately.

“It’s just one of my many perks,” he joked. “Show us what we’re competing with, hyung.”

So Seokjin and Namjoon took to the slopes first, and Seokjin wasn’t kidding—he was quite good. Taehyung pouted, but Hoseok just reached up and pushed his boyfriend’s goggles over his eyes, planting a small kiss on his nose.

“You look cute,” he said happily, and then he looked over at Jimin. “You go next—oh, okay, he’s super eager.”

“He’s competitive,” Jimin sighed, and Taehyung snorted with laughter as Jeongguk positioned himself and then planted his ski poles into the ground, flying forward and soaring down the slope with ease. “Like, woke-me-up-by-saying-he-was-going-to-kick-my-ass-on-the-slopes competitive.”

“Hope he’s got that same winning spirit when he’s fucking you,” Hoseok joked, and then he let out a yelp and immediately started down the slope to get away from Jimin’s ski poles, not interested in being impaled.

“Together?” Taehyung offered to Jimin, holding out his fist with a ski pole in it. Jimin bumped the fist.

“Together.”

They flew down the slopes together, and at first, it was terrifying. Jimin was sure he was going to break both legs. But then he glanced to his right and saw Taehyung casually gliding beside him, and he relaxed into it. Then he really began to propel himself, experimenting with different ways to shift and turn his feet to zigzag a little. Maybe skiing was like riding a bicycle.

“Hyung! That was great!” Jeongguk complimented the moment Jimin hit the bottom of the slope. He pushed himself over with a grin, goggles still on. “Thought you said you’d suck. You’re a natural.”

“That was only the first run,” Jimin sighed. “Give me some time, I’ll be on my ass soon enough.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself.”

“Hey.” Jimin scooted over to Jeongguk, shifted one ski pole so he was holding both in one hand, and then grabbed Jeongguk’s wrist. Jeongguk immediately shifted both poles into one hand too, taking Jimin’s gloved hand in his. “Will you go down with me this time?”

Jeongguk tilted his head to the side.

“Did it bother you that I went without you?”

“What? No, I—I didn’t…” Jimin trailed off lamely, and then he blew out a breath. “A little. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Jeongguk tugged his hand a little, making Jimin’s heart cartwheel. Then he dropped his voice a bit lower and added, “I like when you’re a little jealous.”

Jimin opened and shut his mouth several times like a fish out of water as Jeongguk grinned, shifted, and began to lead the way back to the ski lift. Jimin watched him for a moment, his mouth dry, but then he realized he’d miss the lift if he didn’t haul ass.

After three more trips down the slope, Taehyung absolutely insisted, no arguments to be heard, that Jeongguk and Seokjin race down the slope to see who was the better skier. Namjoon immediately kicked back and relaxed, egging his fiancé on, calling him a wimp for turning down Jeongguk.

“Do you see him?” Seokjin hissed, even though Jeongguk could hear. “He may look like a fluffy little bunny, but I’ve seen him without the padded jacket. He’s a muscle pig. He’ll run me into the ground.”

“I thought you were the world’s best skier,” Hoseok teased.

“I am!”

“Then prove it,” Hoseok goaded. Jeongguk glanced over at Seokjin with a competitive grin, swinging his ski poles back and forth.

“This is a set-up,” Seokjin complained. “But fine! I hope you’ll all be able to survive without my bright shining light in your lives, because this kid is about to kill me.”

“I’ll go easy on you, old man,” Jeongguk swore, and then he had to waddle away with a laugh as Seokjin sought to impale him with ski poles. The two of them shoved each other repetitively as they headed to the ski lift, and the other four stood back and watched. Hoseok and Taehyung started taking unnecessary bets, so Namjoon slid over to Jimin.

“Everything okay so far?” he quietly asked. “How was last night?”

“It was… nice,” Jimin said after searching for a simple word to describe it.

“Nothing happened, right?”

“What? No, of course not,” Jimin hissed, feeling his face flush. “No, we just—got ready for bed and—and then I… well, it was cold. So I may have cuddled him.”

“He was okay with it?”

“He hugged me.”

“Cute,” Namjoon teased.

“He woke me up because I was talking in my sleep and he thought I was having a nightmare.”

“ Very cute.”

“But it’s been… you know. It’s been really nice. I couldn’t even be mad at him when he showed up at the door. I wanted to, you know? I thought—I just thought he…”

“Rejected you.”

“Right. But he didn’t. And he came, so I couldn’t be mad.”

“Guess you’ll have to make the most of it, then,” Namjoon said with a small smile, nudging Jimin again. Then he glanced over at the slopes and let out a sigh. “You’d think that hyung would be a little less vocal. He’s barely ten meters down and I can already hear him yelling at Jeongguk.”

***

Jeongguk was mildly surprised when Seokjin, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Taehyung all finished skiing a little after what should have been lunchtime. Starving, they all made their way back to their rooms to shower off and change for a late lunch, probably an early dinner. Most of the walk, Jeongguk was in stitches from watching Hoseok reenact Taehyung’s epic wipeout in which he took Seokjin, the professional skier, down with him.

“Hyung?”

Jeongguk quietly knocked on the door with his head bowed. He had waited until Jimin was in the bathroom to duck out and walk down the hall. There was a scuffle, and then the door opened.

“You’re not interrupting,” Hoseok said immediately when Jeongguk raised one eyebrow. He glanced over his shoulder. “Just ignore him. He doesn’t like wearing clothes.”

“You’re lucky I’m not completely naked,” Taehyung said. He was lying on the bed in just his underwear, a lollipop in his mouth, propped up on pillows with a Nintendo Switch in his hands. “What brings you by, Jeonggukie?”

“I… Well, I had a present for you, hyung,” Jeongguk mumbled to Hoseok. When Hoseok brightened up, Jeongguk cleared his throat and straightened up. “Since it’s your birthday, and all.”

“The whole point of this trip was that you guys are the presents,” Hoseok emphasized, rolling his eyes. But then he made a series of weird alien noises and threw his arms around Jeongguk’s neck happily. “Thanks, Jeonggukie. You didn’t have to!”

“It’s small,” Jeongguk swore, but then he moved the bag from behind his back and handed it over. Taehyung let out an audible gasp and threw his Nintendo aside like it was trash when he saw the bag.

“ Chanel?” he said, wide-eyed. Hoseok peered into the bag suspiciously, and then he glanced back up at Jeongguk.

“Did you seriously get me a new bag?” he asks in disbelief. “Jeongguk-ah, this is—holy shit. This is too much.”

“I just saw it and thought it would suit you, that’s all,” Jeongguk said, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “Do you like it?”

Hoseok pulled the green bag out of the Chanel shopping bag and admired it with stars in his eyes. He turned and showed it to Taehyung, who was practically drooling. Not like Taehyung couldn’t afford designer brands when the whim struck, but as a gift?

“I love it. This is—you really didn’t have to,” Hoseok reiterated. “Seriously, this is—this is too much.”

“Well, happy birthday,” Jeongguk said awkwardly as Taehyung took the bag from his boyfriend’s hands to admire it, letting out a delighted breath as he turned it around a few times.

“I’m so glad Jimin met you,” Hoseok said with a grin, reaching forward and gently punching Jeongguk’s shoulder.

“Ditto!” Taehyung called out.

“Why, because I give nice gifts?” Jeongguk joked with a laugh.

“I mean, that’s the last of the reasons, but yes,” Hoseok agreed with a small chuckle. “He’s just really happy, that’s all.”

“Hey, you haven’t known him since you were five,” Taehyung said, sounding territorial. “That’s my best friend. And you’re right. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Should we say more? How lame and cringey can we get? Your turn, hyung.”

“Well, he’s not as stressed out anymore,” Hoseok added, glancing at Jeongguk. “Like, the stress of having to maintain his position at work and try to be a regular human and date when the pool of fish is small and kind of shitty. You know?”

“Yeah, where did he find you?” Taehyung joked. “You’re a gem.”

“Thanks,” Jeongguk quietly said, and Hoseok almost cooed.

“Look, he’s shy,” Hoseok said to his boyfriend, grinning. “Own it, Jeongguk-ah. You make our Jiminie happy. We just hope it lasts for a long time.”

Jeongguk nodded, and with a last flurry of thanks, the door closed. He took a few steps back, and then he leaned his back against the wall and took a deep breath. Happy, he thought to himself. I make him happy. Jeongguk was very used to making people happy. That was the selling point of his job. He had spent years creating happiness for others, even if ephemeral. Jimin was no different, but he was. He was so different. Over the past years, Jeongguk had escorted dozens of men Jimin’s age, some his own age, some even a year or two younger. Most all of them were attractive, most all of them had regular jobs and lives. Jimin certainly fit the mold, so what was it about him? Why was Jeongguk getting attached to this client and not the other hot twenty-something-year-old men he had escorted in the past? Why was he so readily breaking all his rules?

Jeongguk slipped back into the room, and he saw Jimin just sitting on the bed with his phone in his hands, still fully dressed, biting his lip as he focused on the screen. He looked up as Jeongguk walked in.

“Oh. I…” He locked his phone. “I thought you… left me.”

“Left you to go where?” Jeongguk asked softly, locking the door and a weird kind of fondness blooming in his chest.

“I don’t know,” Jimin said in a small voice.

“I was just giving Hoseok hyung a birthday present,” Jeongguk replied. “We should get ready to go eat, though. I’ll take the bathroom first, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, of course.” A small pause. “Jeongguk-ah?”

“Hmm?” Jeongguk paused just short of the bathroom, resting a hand on the doorframe. Jimin had gotten of the bed, and he was in the middle of wrestling his sweater off, practically taking his t-shirt with him as he let out a little grunt. It was kind of endearing, so Jeongguk just watched until Jimin emerged, slightly breathless as he threw his sweater onto the floor by his bag. Sometimes Jimin was intimidatingly mature and dominating. Other times, he was akin to a five-year-old. The duality was both startling and charming, something that Jeongguk wasn’t quite used to. A lot of his clients were men in their late thirties or early forties, most of them in unhappy marriages or unable to find a decent partner. A few dozen of his clients were women who wanted some kind of young boyfriend to show off to their friends, even though Jeongguk showed no signs of intimacy towards any of them. Sometimes he got lucky with elder clients who just wanted someone young to talk to and were willing to pay. Sometimes he hit the jackpot with young clients like Park Jimin who just needed someone to be there for them in a moment of need, and then it snowballed into something greater.

Or maybe that was just Jimin.

“What is it?” Jeongguk pressed again when he realized Jimin was hesitating.

“Are you… Are having a good time?” Jimin asked tentatively, pulling his bottom lip to bite between his teeth again. He looked like he was waiting for an explosion, the way his shoulders visibly tensed. Jeongguk felt his entire face soften, felt his heart settle. Weird.

“Of course I am,” he confirmed. It was the truth. Jeongguk couldn’t remember the last time he had spent a weekend away with friends. He wasn’t quite sure if Seokjin, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Taehyung were his friends. They sure felt like friends, and they treated him like one of the group, like Jeongguk had been there all along. They just accepted him as he was, never really asked questions about his life, never pried. He was just Jeongguk to them. He wasn’t Jeon Jeongguk, Professional Escort. After so many years, it was such a relief to be twenty-five and away on a ski trip that he felt like crying. And it was all thanks to the beautiful man standing across the room, cheeks still slightly pink from the cold, wondering if he was happy.

“You’re sure?”

“Hyung.” Jeongguk took a few steps forward but then stopped, too scared to get closer. “You’re paying for my entire weekend trip to a ski resort when you didn’t have to. Your friends… your friends are so nice to me. I love seeing Hoseok hyung so happy, too. It’s… honestly, it’s more than any client has ever done for me before.”

“Oh.” Jimin’s voice was small, and Jeongguk’s heart immediately plummeted. Jimin fiddled with his fingers in front of him distractedly for a moment. “It’s no problem.”

Jeongguk nodded firmly, his hands suddenly trembling, and then he threw himself into the bathroom, shutting the door a bit louder than he should have. He was going to have to admit it sooner or later, wasn’t he? That Jimin was a client with a signed contract, but he was… he wasn’t just that. Jeongguk wasn’t sure what to label it. The very thought frightened him. Instead, he used the shower as an excuse to scrub away any and all guilt, hoping that it wouldn’t radiate off him when he went back into the bedroom.

Once clean, the six friends met for a late lunch in which Jeongguk had never seen Jimin eat so much. Jimin normally ate smaller portions, relatively controlled, indulging only when he felt massively hungry. But now he was grabbing huge portions of noodles and asking for someone to pass the salted seafood, making Jeongguk spoon more rice into his bowl and also pour some spicy sauce onto it. Because everyone was so happy, Jeongguk pushed his luck and quietly asked Jimin to try a few foods. A few times Jimin turned his nose up, but then Jeongguk decided to stick his lower lip out and pout while offering a spicy abalone up to the elder’s mouth. Jimin eyed it suspiciously, but then he simultaneously winced and opened his mouth, eyes squeezed shut. Victorious, Jeongguk moved his chopsticks forward until the entire piece of abalone was in Jimin’s mouth.

“Chew, you fool,” Jeongguk said with a laugh when Jimin just sat there with his cheek puffed like a chipmunk, whining under his breath. Jimin opened only one eye to peek, and Jeongguk stifled a laugh. Then Jimin began to chew. The more he did, the more his shoulders relaxed.

“Oh.” He swallowed. “That’s actually pretty good.”

“Try it like this.” Jeongguk just started putting abalone with all kinds of different combinations, thrilled that Jimin was trying something new. When Taehyung noticed, all hell broke loose, Taehyung complaining that Jimin never tried new foods for him, only when his “boyfriend was spoon-feeding him.” Jimin just chewed with his mouth open at Taehyung to prove a point as Jeongguk busied himself with setting up another bite, feeling his face flush a little.

The night air was still freezing cold, and a very light snow began to fall as the six of them decided to go their separate ways for just the night to explore the area. Jimin and Jeongguk decided immediately to explore the shops, and Jeongguk quickly realized it was a brilliant idea. He got the chance to watch Jimin scurry around in an oversized black and white striped shirt and heavy coat with a beanie, letting out excited, breathy yelps whenever he found something he liked, strolling down the streets with a comfortable strut like he owned the entire resort. He then offered to buy Jeongguk whatever he wanted, to which Jeongguk immediately turned him down. Jimin pouted profusely, but Jeongguk swore he didn’t need anything.

“You’ve already bought me this trip,” Jeongguk said. “You don’t need to buy me a thing.”

Jimin still bought him a ring that he swore Jeongguk would love to wear, and Jeongguk immediately slipped it onto his right middle finger, admiring Jimin’s choice and hugging him in thanks. Jimin visibly blushed and shuffled off. Jeongguk decided not to tell him that he planned on wearing the ring every day if he could, even when he was with other clients.

By nightfall, there was an unspoken sentiment of trust and comfort between the two. There were fleeting moments when Jeongguk sensed that Jimin had something to say, like the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he always swallowed them down. Jeongguk felt the same, but his thoughts and feelings were far more muddled and full of uncertainty. Regardless, the quietness was nice. Jeongguk often felt like he needed to remain engaged and create small talk with all of his clients. Jimin was different. Jimin was perfectly content with admiring the world in silence with Jeongguk by his side.

Jeongguk finally felt like he could crawl into bed that night without feeling like his heart was visibly pounding outside his chest. Last night had been terrifying. Now he felt better. He quietly stood beside Jimin as they brushed their teeth together, and he bumped their hips together a few times until Jimin giggled with a mouth full of toothpaste.

“Jeongguk-ah.”

“Mm.”

The room was so peaceful at night, some moonlight seeping through the drawn curtains. Jeongguk heard Jimin roll onto his side, so he rolled inward and onto his side as well. When he did, he sucked in a breath. He was nearly nose-to-nose with Jimin, and he could hardly bear how beautiful he was. His high cheekbones, his smooth baby skin, his long eyelashes, the way that the shape of his eyes changed depending on how he was feeling. He was halfway to twenty-eight with a high-pressure job, but it didn’t show. None of it did. He looked ethereal.

“Did you play any sports in school? Or maybe an instrument?”

Jeongguk chuckled. “Why are you asking me that?”

“I was just curious,” Jimin said, and then he tangled his ankles with Jeongguk’s casually. “I don’t know much about your life.”

“That’s the point.”

“I know it’s part of your job and that stupid contract,” Jimin said with a hint of disdain. “But my question was harmless. I don’t think it jeopardizes your business.”

“I…” Jeongguk hesitated, but then he caved. “I wrestled in high school and did taekwondo growing up. I have a black belt. I didn’t like cardio sports much. I tried to play the piano, but I got bored with it.”

“Did you go to university?”

“Yes.”

“What did you study?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I studied marketing,” Jimin said, his eyes round and innocent as if he had just told Jeongguk brand new information. Jeongguk nudged his knee against Jimin’s, and Jimin snickered. “Just tell me. I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”

“That’s what they all say.”

“I really won’t.”

“…Visual arts.”

“Mm.” Jimin shifted so that their knees were tangled together, too. “I thought you would have studied business with all your contracts and rules and shit.”

“I started my business when I was nineteen,” Jeongguk said, not sure why he was revealing personal information without screening himself first. Jimin immediately propped up on one elbow and draped his right arm over Jeongguk’s waist. Jeongguk could practically feel his arm burning his skin, and he swallowed heavily.

“Nineteen?” Jimin asked, tilting his head to the side. “You became an escort when you were only nineteen? That… That must’ve been scary for you.”

“I was good at it. Meeting people. Making people feel better. Making them feel important. Giving them my time. I just figured that maybe while I was giving my time to people, I should take their money,” Jeongguk said with a breathy laugh. “I set my prices low at the start until I had enough experience. Then I created my book. The one you’ve seen. My client list. And then I hiked my prices and let word of mouth do the marketing for me.”

“You make me feel better. And important,” Jimin admitted, avoiding eye contact as Jeongguk held his breath, sensing there was more he wanted to say. “But… But sometimes I don’t think it’s because I’m your client. I don’t know.” He flopped back down onto his side. “It’s dumb. I’m sorry.” He rolled over onto his back, and then onto his right side, his back to Jeongguk.

Jeongguk decided he had two options. He could let it go, roll over, and fall asleep. That would be the easy thing to do. That was what he wanted to do. But instead, he went for the second option, wanting to let out a whimper of fear that he had never experienced before. He scooted until his chest was pressed to Jimin’s back, and he wrapped his left arm around Jimin’s waist.

“You haven’t been my client for a long time,” he whispered, and then he closed his eyes and pressed his nose into the back crook of Jimin’s neck briefly. “Goodnight, hyung.”

He tried to let go and roll back over to his own pillow, but Jimin’s hand was fast. He grabbed Jeongguk’s wrist.

“Stay.”

Jeongguk stayed.

Chapter Text

Jeongguk was supposed to be the stronger one out of the two, Jimin assumed. But on the ride back to Seoul, Jeongguk conked out on Jimin’s shoulder for the entire ride, sleeping the whole way through as Jimin played games on his phone and occasionally reached up and smoothed out Jeongguk’s hair. It was an unnecessary gesture, but he couldn’t help himself. Jeongguk’s hair was so soft, and he looked so young fast asleep.

“Jeongguk-ah.” Jimin shook Jeongguk gently. “You have to wake up. We’re almost home.”

Jeongguk took a deep breath, and then he let out a dramatic whine and drew his knees up onto the seat, nuzzling into Jimin’s shoulder in a purposefully annoying fashion. Jimin flicked the younger’s forehead, and Jeongguk woke up with a huff, brow furrowed, frowning, eyes barely open.

“Are you awake?” Jimin asked. Jeongguk tilted his head a bit to the side, still squinting, and then he just barely nodded a few times. When his eyes shut completely and his head lolled, Jimin snickered and took Jeongguk’s face in one hand, and that’s when Jeongguk finally opened his eyes.

“I’m awake,” he mumbled.

“Liar,” Jimin declared, and the pout Jeongguk gave him was almost too much. But Jeongguk conceded and yawned, moving back to his own seat so he could gather his bags.

Hoseok dropped Jimin and Jeongguk off at Jimin’s apartment after a ridiculously lengthy round of hugs and thanks. Taehyung insisted that they had to have a double date soon. Seokjin agreed and said a triple date would be fun. Namjoon just hugged Jimin quietly.

“Let me know if you need anything,” he whispered in Jimin’s ear before letting go. Jimin gripped him a bit tighter before releasing his hold, nodding as Namjoon readjusted his baseball cap and then hopped back into the car.

“I’ll walk you up.” Jeongguk slammed his car door shut after tossing his bag into the passenger seat, pivoting to face Jimin.

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” Jeongguk said.

“Really getting your money’s worth, aren’t you?” Jimin asked tiredly, and Jeongguk grinned with a shrug. They stepped into the elevator together and rode up to Jimin’s floor.

“I was actually thinking,” Jeongguk slowly said as they walked down the hallway. “Um… of how you could pay me for this.”

“Oh. Yeah, okay. I mean, we can do a payment plan or something. I can probably do it in thirds or something,” Jimin rambled, feeling his heart clench. Shit, why was this always so difficult?

“I don’t want your money.”

“…What?” Jimin stopped just short of his door, lowering the hand that had his keys in it.

“I don’t want your money this time,” Jeongguk said again, looking mildly pained as he leaned against the wall opposite of Jimin’s door. “It was a long weekend trip. That’s almost thirty million won. That’s obscene. I would never ask you to pay that.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“I’m not that much of an asshole,” Jeongguk pointed out with a small smile. “I just, um… I thought maybe you could pay me back another way.”

“Yeah? What is it?” Jimin unlocked his door and held it open, glancing back at Jeongguk, hitching his bag further up onto his shoulder. He cocked his head to the side when he noticed how tense Jeongguk looked. He was bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet, his shoulders up to his ears, his tongue darting out to lick his lips nervously. Then he blew out a breath, so Jimin shrugged out of his bag and came to stand in the doorframe. “Jeongguk-ah. What is it?”

“My best friend’s birthday is coming up.”

“Is it?”

“Mhm. March ninth.”

“Is this the one with the cat?”

“The one with—? Oh. Yeah. He does have a cat. She’s really sweet,” Jeongguk softly said, and then he gave his head a little shake. “Um… anyways, his birthday is coming up. And he’s having a dinner on the Sunday before. And—And I wanted to know if, um… if maybe you’d like to come.”

Jimin drew in a slow breath, and in only a matter of seconds, he considering everything that was packed into that one little request. Jeongguk had several rules stated in is contract, and the first and foremost was that he never shared anything personal with clients. He never allowed clients to peer into his life for even a moment. Now he was inviting Jimin to meet his best friend. Jeongguk was the type of person, Jimin had decided, who constantly had the curtains drawn. He never really let sunlight into his life, never let the outside world have the privilege of taking a peek. But this… this was like Jeongguk standing at the curtains with his fingertips pulling them back to take a glance. This was Jeongguk letting a little bit of sunlight into his life. So Jimin didn’t hesitate at all.

“Yeah, of course I’ll come. I’d love to,” he said right away. “It’d be nice to meet your best friend.”

“Mm.” Jeongguk clasped one hand in the other, his knuckles going white each time he switched his grip. “Yeah. Um—yeah, he—he said he’d like to meet you too, so… so, yeah.”

Jimin wanted to tease. He wanted to grin and laugh and slide up to Jeongguk and make jokes about introductions, about boyfriends, about Jeongguk mentioning him to a best friend. But it was blatantly obvious how uncomfortable and particularly terrified Jeongguk looked just asking. He tried a different approach.

“Just tell me where dinner is and I’ll be there. I’ll make sure to clear my schedule,” he said. Jeongguk finally made eye contact with a doe-like sparkle of hopeful innocence illuminating his young face. Jesus fuck, he was cute like this.

“Okay. Yeah. Good. Thanks, hyung,” he added quietly. “I’ll—um, I’ll let him know that you’ll be there. And I’ll text you the address and the time and date.”

“Okay. And this is what you want?”

“Huh?”

“For payment. I took up your entire weekend and you just want me to come to a birthday dinner,” Jimin said in disbelief, raising both eyebrows. Jeongguk shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets uncomfortably.

“I told you I don’t want your money,” he mumbled, his eyes averting downward. “So yeah. This is how you can pay me back. And, um… thank you. For inviting me to Hoseok hyung’s birthday. I’m sorry I was kind of an idiot and didn’t show up until the last minute.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Jimin softly said. “I’m glad you came. I would’ve been bored without you.”

Jeongguk made eye contact with Jimin, his lips pursed but his eyes sparkling happily. Then he nodded and pulled out his phone. His brow furrowed, and he sighed, rubbing his forehead and lifting the phone to his face to unlock it.

“I took off Do Not Disturb mode,” he told Jimin, sounding exhausted already. “And I have two hundred and six messages. I said I’d be back in town by three o’clock, right? It’s only four-thirty. Clients started messaging to set up sessions thirty seconds after three o’clock.”

“Sounds like you’ll be a busy boy this week,” Jimin teased, although the very thought of Jeongguk having to go home and answer to hundreds of clients and set up new appointments for escorting made his heart ache. He had known the younger for several months now, and Jeongguk had never once so willingly given away information about his profession. Now he was openly telling Jimin about his messages and his upcoming plans, and he sounded exhausted. That was something new.

“Mm. Maybe, um… you know. Maybe we can meet for lunch this week if I have a free hour or something,” Jeongguk said, blatantly ignoring his phone.

“What, to distract you from work? Naughty,” Jimin teased. “Goodbye, Jeongguk-ah. See you soon.”

Jeongguk flashed Jimin a small smile, and then he turned and walked down the hallway with haste. Just before he reached the elevator, Jimin heard him answer a phone call in a far different voice than he was used to hearing, and then he vanished.

***

Jimin celebrated Hoseok’s actual birthday that Wednesday, and he couldn’t help but think about Jeongguk while they were out for drinks with everyone from work to celebrate. He hadn’t heard from the younger since Sunday, not even a peep. Perhaps he truly was as busy as he had mentioned. Over two hundred text messages was a lot, after all, especially if his clients weren’t double or triple texting. Surely some of them had, but Jimin would be overwhelmed. Jeongguk, though, was a professional. He didn’t live in a luxurious apartment for no reason. Clearly he was good at organizing his session and his life overall. It had to be difficult to not have conflicting clients. Jimin wondered if the clients knew about one another like he had found out at Yugyeom.

On Sunday night while Jimin was washing his face before bed, his phone vibrated with a text. He patted his face dry with a towel, and then he leaned down and read:

JEONGGUK [10:49:24PM]
I miss you, hyung.

Never in the almost five months of knowing one another had Jeongguk ever dared to text something so personal. Jimin stared and stared at the message, unable to believe what he was seeing. He hadn’t even made an attempt to flirt. He just… missed Jimin? As Jimin waved his hand around to find his moisturizer without looking, he watched in amazement as the speech bubble hung out on the screen, meaning that Jeongguk was typing. And then it disappeared. And then it showed up again. Disappeared. Showed up once more, and now Jimin was holding his breath.

JEONGGUK [10:51:39PM]
Can I come running with you tomorrow morning?

JIMIN [10:52:04PM]
6:30am.

JEONGGUK [10:52:51PM]
I’ll be there early ;)

He was. When Jimin walked outside at exactly half past six, Jeongguk was already there, the ball of his foot pressed up against the wall with his heel on the ground to stretch. His face split into a tired smile when he saw Jimin, and Jimin just stared, breath catching in his throat. One day, Jeongguk’s beauty would stop stealing his breath. Today was not that day.

“How far today?” Jeongguk asked, and then he rubbed one of his eyes to get the sleep out of it.

“Five and a half,” Jimin replied. “Nothing big. Ready?”

“Ready.”

They took off on a different route than they had last time, and Jimin smiled inwardly at how simple it was for Jeongguk to just fall into step beside him, how easy it was for the younger to match his pace and not try to speed them up. They ran in comfortable silence for the first few minutes, Jimin admiring the scenery around them and the promise of spring, which was right around the corner.

“Sorry I haven’t been able to do lunch,” Jeongguk apologized breathlessly as they hit two kilometers. “My days have literally been planned out to the last minute. I don’t think I’ve paid for or made my own meal in five days.”

“Sounds luxurious,” Jimin teased, checking his watch for their pace.

“It’s not the worst thing,” Jeongguk replied. “But I’d like to just sit on the couch and have, like, six cups of spicy instant ramyeon.”

“Late night snack?”

“I have those catered for me, too,” Jeongguk said with a breathy laugh. “It sounds nice, but it isn’t always. Anyways, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Jimin said. “Think of me as just another annoying client.”

“You’re not,” Jeongguk replied, sounding amused. “You’re like… an escape from my other clients. Kind of sad that the only time I can see you is six-thirty in the morning.”

“Oh yeah?” Jimin grinned. “That’s why you chose to come running? Because this is the only time that works for you?”

“Well, I had a client until two-thirty in the morning. Came home, took a power nap. Now I’m here. I have breakfast with a client across town at nine o’clock. Supposed to go bike riding with another client at noon. Mom got a babysitter for her two kids after school, so I’ll meet with her at three o’clock. Different client is taking me to a wine tasting and dinner at six o’clock. Next client wants me to come over and watch a movie with him at nine o’clock.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jimin said as they hit three kilometers. “All that on a fucking Monday? So when do you get to breathe and take some time for yourself?”

“I don’t,” Jeongguk replied. “That’s the price I pay for being away three days.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Not your fault,” Jeongguk responded. “I made my choice.”

“Don’t you ever get tired?”

“I’m always tired.”

Jimin didn’t know what to say after that, so he left it alone. They ran the rest of the five and a half kilometers in silence, but it was a nice silence. Jimin only spoke to update Jeongguk on the route, and Jeongguk only hummed in response.

Jimin called the time when they made it back to his apartment, both red in the face and sweating but satisfied, both panting. Like before, they paced in a small radius and circled one another, hands on their hips or on the crown of the head, no words needing to be exchanged. Were it anyone else, Jimin would’ve caught his breath and then suggested taking a shower together, which of course would turn into very much not just a shower. But this was Jeongguk, and Jimin knew that if he were to even open his mouth and hint at something sexual, he would open a very unnecessary can of worms. He’d have to resort to jerking himself off in the shower alone for yet another morning.

“Maybe lunch this week,” Jeongguk said hopefully, patting his face with the sleeve of his shirt to get rid of some of the sweat.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jimin said with a shrug. “I have a massive meeting on Wednesday this week, anyways. We’re both busy. It’s fine. Focus on your other clients. We can arrange something another day.”

“Okay.” Jeongguk frowned slightly, and Jimin noticed. Was he disappointed?

Then it hit him.

“Check your schedule and text me,” Jimin said. “If—If you have a night that’s free, tell me.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Jimin crossed his arms protectively, hating what he was about to say next but taking the leap regardless. “Because if you have a few hours one night, you can come over. We can eat spicy instant ramyeon.”

“…Seriously?” After a long pause, Jeongguk cocked his head to the side, his eyes round with innocence as he stared Jimin down.

“Yeah. Seriously,” Jimin said, trying not to cringe. “Or—I mean, you don’t even have to text me. If you have a free night, just set up the hours in the portal. I’ll get the alert.”

“It’s cute that you think I’m still going to set things up in the portal. Have a good morning, hyung,” Jeongguk said with a grin, and then he saluted Jimin and turned to run the other kilometer and a half back to his apartment. Jimin stood and stared until he rounded the corner and disappeared, trying to wrap his head around what he had just heard.

Fuck, he was so dumb sometimes.

***

Wednesday damn near killed Jimin. He had to sit next to Seokwon the entire meeting and agree with everything the elder said, even though he desperately wanted to jump in and tear at Sunghoon’s throat for making such stupid decisions for the end of their first quarter.

“Jimin-ssi? Any suggestions?” Sunghoon asked.

“Yes, sir. Just a few,” Jimin said, rising to his feet and button his suit jacket. He glanced down at Seokwon, who gave him a look of warning, but then he glanced across the table at Hoseok, who was trying desperately not to laugh.

So Jimin didn’t hold back. He stood at the head of the table, requested that Sunghoon go back a few slides, and started to point out not one, not two, not three, but four different errors in the data. He even snapped at one of the first-year losers to take notes, because he wasn’t going to repeat himself. He told Sunghoon that four different clients in the month of February had ended their contracts with S9K to go to a different marketing company, and that it wasn’t because of him, but because of the incompetent marketing assistants. Seokwon looked ready to explode, but Sunghoon, the damn director, stood by and nodded as Jimin spoke, arms crossed, brow furrowed in concern.

“That’s all,” Jimin said in a huff, tossing the pen on the table that he had been clicking incessantly while giving his impassioned speech. There was a heavy silence, and then Hoseok leaned back in his chair with a grin and gave Jimin several loud slow claps, snickering. Even Junseo looked ready to applaud, and he normally wasn’t in these meetings.

“Seokwon-ssi, I would highly recommend that you put in extra hours,” Sunghoon said firmly, seriously. “Because I’m very tempted to give Jimin-ssi your position. Do better.”

“You should just promote him regardless,” Hoseok chimed in with a grin, and then he held up his hands in surrender. “Not that my opinion matters, but, you know.”

Jimin was so fired up by the time the workday finished at half past six that he snappishly refused to join the others for drinks at 360. Junseo was adamant that they celebrate Jimin’s badass interjection from the meeting and his almost-certain salary raise, but Jimin shook his head.

“No. That pissed me off. I need to go home,” he insisted, shrugging into his coat. “You guys have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Sometimes Jimin drove home and couldn’t remember how he got there safely. Tonight was one of those nights where he drove on autopilot, careening through the streets of Seoul for fifteen minutes without fully grasping that he was behind the wheel of a multi-ton car. His mind was racing faster than he could drive, and he just wanted to collapse onto his couch and for get that Wednesday ever happened. He parked in his designated space and took the stairs to his floor instead, hoping that the cardio would be a good distraction.

Most nights, Jimin hung up his bag and his coat and put his shoes by the door neatly. Tonight, he threw all of his stuff on the floor, leaving a trail as he headed straight into the kitchen for a bottle of soju. Fuck getting drinks with the guys. He wanted to drink alone and maybe sit on the couch in his underwear. He cracked open the bottle and took a large swig, and then he propped his elbows on the cool countertop and took a deep breath with his eyes closed.

You’ve saved up a lot of vacation days over the years. Maybe take a vacation, he told himself mentally. You have almost twenty-five days. Maybe use them. S9K won’t go up in flames without you. Or maybe they will.

Jimin took another large sip of soju, and then there was a knock on the door. He narrowed his eyes at the door, because Taehyung had a key and usually just let himself in and his neighbors never bothered him. With the bottle still in his hand, he shuffled over to the door without even checking the peephole and opened it tiredly.

“…Oh.”

“Hi. I brought, like, a million different kinds of ramyeon.”

“What…? “ Jimin trailed off and stared. Jeongguk was standing at his door with a shopping bag in his hand, wearing light wash jeans with large rips in the knees and a long-sleeved black shirt that was too big on him, and he had a black mask covering his mouth. He seemed to like drowning in his clothing. When he saw Jimin just blinking at him, he tugged the mask down to his chin sheepishly.

“I’m sorry, hyung,” he apologized. “I should’ve texted you or something, but I didn’t know I was free until, like, an hour ago, so I just thought I’d run to the store and grab what I could, and then—”

“Jeongguk.”

“Yes?”

“Come in,” Jimin sighed in relief. “Please. You have no idea how much I needed you to show up at my door.”

“Oh. Really? Rough day?”

“The fucking worst.”

“Well, I brought every kind of Samyang ramyeon I could find. There’s… okay. I have jjajang, carbo, cheese, mala, hot chicken flavor, and two times spicy. And then I also brought, um, these Indomie Mi Goreng noodles because I really like them,” Jeongguk said as he pulled out packets of ramyeon from the bag and set them on the kitchen countertop. Jimin pulled out four different pots from his cabinets and started to fill all four of them up with water. “I know they’re not microwavable, but whatever. These are better.”

“Jeongguk.”

“Yes?” Jeongguk pivoted to look at Jimin, who had just set the last pot full of water onto the stovetop. Jimin blew out a slow breath.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely. “Seriously.”

“Do you want a hug?”

Jimin snorted with laughter, amused. “A hug?”

“Yeah. I don’t know. You still look really stressed. And, you know, my job is pretty much knowing when people need to be taken care of,” Jeongguk reminded him with a small smile, leaning against the countertop. “So if you need a hug, I’m available.”

“Do you need a hug?” Jimin quietly asked, feeling the heat from the stovetop. Jeongguk shrugged and licked his lips distractedly, glancing back at all the ramyeon on the countertop. When he looked back around, he didn’t have much time to react. Jimin took a large step forward and wrapped his arms around Jeongguk’s waist. Jeongguk immediately pulled him in close and slipped his left arm around Jimin’s lower back, his right hand resting on Jimin’s head as Jimin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Jeongguk smelled kind of like patchouli, and Jimin only knew because the younger had introduced him to several essential oils he’d brought along on the ski trip.

“I’m sorry you had a bad day,” Jeongguk whispered.

“It’s not so bad anymore,” Jimin admitted.

“You know I’m an expert at cooking ramyeon.”

“Are you?”

“Mhm. I’m not really great a cooking much else, but ramyeon I can do.”

“Mm, okay. Dazzle me.”

Jimin reluctantly pulled out of the hug first as the water began to boil, and Jeongguk got to work. He tore open the packets for the jjajang, carbo, mala, and two times spicy noodles after Jimin pointed them out, and he popped them into the water and tossed the trash. Jimin handed him a pair of chopsticks from the drawer, and then he grabbed a second bottle of soju from the refrigerator and offered it to Jeongguk. He was mildly surprised when Jeongguk accepted, twisting the cap off and taking a lengthy sip before jiggling the noodles apart with the chopsticks. Jimin hopped up onto the countertop and took a sip of his own drink, and then he asked Jeongguk how his week has been so far.

As Jeongguk recapped some of the interesting stories involving clients from his week so far, Jimin found himself laughing far more than he expected. Jeongguk was leaning one hip against the countertop and watching the ramyeon with his peripheral vision, holding the sauce packets in one hand as he waited for the noodles to cook fully. He told his stories with animation as Jimin listened, enraptured. When Jeongguk started to drain the noodles and add the sauce, Jimin stared and watched him work. He couldn’t shake the fact that what they were doing right now was intimately domestic. Cooking dinner, having a drink, talking about the miseries of the week. It was something that Jimin had never truly had in his life. He had been in college when dating Minkyu, and Minkyu had never cared enough to cook with him, usually only bringing over some takeaway.

“I bought nuclear fire sauce because I like pain,” Jeongguk sighed once they sat down at the table, and Jimin let out a yelp of laughter, resting his head on the table momentarily. Then he beckoned for the sauce and poured some on the two times spicy noodles. Jeongguk had added extra cheese to the carbo noodles, and it was all steaming and ready to eat.

“Wait, get the kimchi from the fridge,” Jimin requested, and Jeongguk pushed his chair back and opened up the fridge. “Second shelf, wrapped up. It’s cabbage kimchi. Oh, and maybe the pickled radish? Do you see it?”

Jeongguk grabbed both items and returned to the table, and then he picked up his chopsticks and immediately dug into the carbo noodles, mixing up the extra cheese. Jimin took the spicy noodles first, and they both twirled a bite around their chopsticks.

“We have to eat all six,” Jeongguk said seriously. “I promised myself I would.”

“Deal.” Jimin tapped his noodle-filled chopsticks against Jeongguk’s, and then they both shoved the bite into their mouths, slurping up the remainder and chewing with cheeks full like chipmunks. Still chewing, Jeongguk reached over and grabbed noodles straight from Jimin’s bowl without even asking, and Jimin grabbed some mala noodles in interest. They ate and slurped and exchanged noodles and chatted and laughed for an entire hour, and Jimin completely forgot about his day at work. He focused instead on the way that Jeongguk’s eyes sparkled as he ate and talked, the dorky laugh he let out whenever something was truly funny, the little eyebrow raise and head tilt he did when something interested him. Jimin was starting to pick up on all his little habits and nuances, and that’s how he knew he was in too deep.

“Hyung, I’m so sorry, but I have to go,” Jeongguk said around nine when they were still sitting at the table, picking at the last of the kimchi. “I have another client at ten o’clock.”

“It’s okay. I’ll clean up. It’s only a few pots,” Jimin said with a shrug. Jeongguk gathered the bowls from the table and set them into the sink helpfully, and then he stopped Jimin short of the kitchen.

“Thanks for just letting me in,” he said quietly. “And eating your weight in noodles with me. It was nice to not have to put on an act for a few hours.”

“You can come over anytime,” Jimin replied with a small smile. “You know that, right?”

“I do now.” Jeongguk grabbed his keys from the countertop, checking his phone for the time once more. “Thank you. I hope you feel less stressed now.”

“I’ve never eaten so many noodles in my life, so yeah, I’m not as stressed,” Jimin said with a chuckle, walking towards the door with Jeongguk by his side. “If that’s what it takes to chill out on a weekday, then I’ll do it more often.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Next time we’re cooking,” Jeongguk decided with a grin, opening the door. He hesitated for a moment, looking slightly panicked. Jimin wanted to ask him what was wrong, but then Jeongguk took a single step forward and kissed Jimin’s cheek softly. “G’night, hyung.”

He ran out the door so fast that Jimin didn’t even have time to respond.

***

Jimin received a text message from Jeongguk with the name of a restaurant and a time to show up on the second Sunday in March. The second text that followed said that Jeongguk couldn’t pick him up and that he was sorry. Jimin told him not to worry, and then chose to take an Uber instead, trusting another driver more than he trusted himself to find a restaurant he had never been to.

At just a few minutes past seven o’clock, Jimin pushed through glass door of the restaurant, bringing in a chilly wind with him, and then blew out a breath as warmth enveloped him, the door closing behind him. He approached the hostess, who was watching him carefully.

“Hello. Um… is there a birthday happening here?” he asked, brow furrowed. He did a quick scan of his immediate surroundings, but he couldn’t see Jeongguk anywhere.

“Well, there’s a group of a few men towards the back there, and I believe there might be a birthday,” the girl said kindly. “You’re more than welcomed to go check and see. Do you know the name of the one with the birthday?”

“Uh, no,” Jimin said awkwardly. “I’ll—I mean, I can check, but—”

“Yah, Jimin-ah!”

Jimin abruptly stopped speaking and stepped to the right. In the back right corner of the restaurant in a semi-circle booth, there were four guys seated underneath dim lighting. One of them had stood up to call out Jimin’s name, and he beckoned. Jimin bowed politely to the hostess in thanks, and then he skirted around a decorative plant and navigated through a few patrons until he was at the back table.

“You’re Jimin, right?” The guy sat down as he asked.

“Yes, that’s me,” Jimin said with a small bow. “I… I was looking for…”

“Jeongguk’s outside.”

The man sitting on the right end of the booth spoke. He was leaning back casually, one knee up on the booth because of the empty space that Jeongguk had surely been occupying. He was wearing black ripped jeans and a cream-colored long-sleeved shirt that was at least four sizes too big for him. His black hair was hanging in his eyes casually, he had a black mask pulled down to his chin, and he was wearing black-framed glasses. He was small in stature, but his presence was massive. He didn’t have the ethereal type of beauty that Jimin was used to seeing in Taehyung or Seokjin, but he had a rare kind of beauty, a magnetic pull that Jimin couldn’t immediately explain.

“He went to take a call from a client,” the man said in a rather deep, croaking, kind of sleepy voice that suggested to Jimin that he was bored yet amused at the situation, maybe about everything. Perhaps that was just how he spoke. “So I’m sure he’s taking his time to get his money’s worth. Have a seat.”

Jimin quietly slipped into the booth.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” the man says. “A disgusting amount, as a matter of fact. Unbelievable how much Guk can talk when he cares about something. Nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Oh. Thank you. I… Is it your birthday?” Jimin asked carefully. There was a heavy pause, a heavy silence, and then the other three guys snorted with laughter as the man in glasses snickered and rested one elbow on the table, pushing a full glass of soju towards Jimin.

“Drink up, love. Won’t even pretend to be surprised. It’s my birthday, yes. Did Guk even tell you my name?”

“Yeah, of course he did,” Jimin lied immediately, gripping the glass. Then there was another loud silence where he realized that they were all waiting to hear the name, so he sighed in frustration. “Okay, no, but I was hoping that maybe he’d be here and that he’d introduce me so that I could lie and say that I’ve heard a lot about you, too. Shit.”

The other three guys laughed again, and this time, the man in glasses joined in with a gummy smile to match his laugh.

“He’s really something, isn’t it?” the man commented, and then he offered a hand. “Min Yoongi. Nice to meet you. I’m not in my twenties anymore starting tomorrow, so let’s talk about anything but that.”

“Deal. Nice to meet you, Yoongi-ssi.” Jimin shook his hand.

“Hyung,” Yoongi corrected him immediately. “This cute asshole is my boyfriend. Say hi, Jihwan hyung.”

Jihwan ruffled his blonde hair and lifted a hand in greeting to Jimin, grinning. He was quite attractive in a quirky way, much like Yoongi.

“That’s Jungwoo, and that’s Hojin. They’re dating and they’re really into PDA when they’ve had a few drinks, so please feel free to throw pickled radish at them at any opportune moment,” Yoongi said smoothly, introducing his friends with fake distaste but with a hint of pride in his voice. “Jungwoo is my right-hand man at work, but that’s beside the point.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Jimin said, bowing his head again. Then he took a long sip of his soju, feeling like he needed a bit more liquid courage to get through this without Jeongguk. Where the hell was he? Why was he talking to a client now, of all times?

“He’d rather be here,” Yoongi said, and Jimin glanced over for clarification. “Jeongguk. He got here before all of us. Sat right there—” He pointed to where Jimin was sitting “—and played the table drums for fifteen fucking minutes waiting for you. ‘Do you think he’ll come? Do you think he’ll show up? Should I call him? What if he doesn’t know where the restaurant is? I should call him,’” Yoongi rattled off, imitating Jeongguk as Jihwan, Jungwoo, and Hojin chuckled good-naturedly and Jimin’s ears burned in a mixture of embarrassment and pride. “Anyways, he got a phone call from a client and swore he wasn’t going to take it, but I think he got nervous when you were late. So he’ll be back.”

“Speak of the devil!” Jihwan called out with a grin, lifting his glass towards the door. Jimin looked to his left as Jeongguk came in from the outside cold. His cheeks were a bit red and he was still wearing his long black coat, looking like he had just stepped off a runway the way that his black hair fell into one eye. Jimin watched as he tucked his phone away, and then he made eye contact. Jeongguk stopped his forward momentum for just a moment, eyes widening, and then he rushed over to the table.

“Whatever he said to you is a lie,” Jeongguk said to Jimin immediately, pointing an accusing finger at Yoongi. “Anything that came out of his mouth, just think the exact opposite.”

“You have no faith in me, little brother,” Yoongi said, shaking his head with a small smile. Then he became a bit more serious as he picked up his half-finished drink. “Jimin’s been here for well over five minutes waiting for you, and you were on the phone with a client. Apologize to him.”

“I’m so sorry, hyung,” Jeongguk said with earnest immediately, bowing his head. Jimin stared in disbelief. Jeon Jeongguk was obeying orders and offering sincere apologies at the drop of a hat? Was Min Yoongi a miracle worker?

“It’s fine,” Jimin insisted, and then he scooted in towards Yoongi a bit more. “Do you want to sit?”

“Oh—yeah, are you—are you okay sitting next to Yoongi hyung?” he asked, and Jimin shrugged as Yoongi nudged him with an accepting smile. Jeongguk nodded and sat down on the end of the booth.

“Now that the town idiot’s here, we can finally order,” Hojin commented. Jeongguk threw one elbow onto the table with purpose and glared at Hojin, and then he grabbed the menu and offered it to Jimin.

“Have you ever been here before?” he asked Jimin quietly. “We come here all the time. It’s hyung’s favorite restaurant. You like samgyeopsal, right?”

“I do happen to be human.”

“Great, theirs is the best. And we can try some of this… maybe this? Fuck it, we’ll just order the whole selection from this one,” Jeongguk decided. “I’m paying for it all, anyways.”

“That’s nice of you,” Jimin said.

‘It’s hyung’s birthday, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jeongguk said firmly, and Yoongi overheard.

“He’s a good egg,” Yoongi said with a fond little smile. “Sometimes.”

“All the time.”

“On special occasions.”

“On every day of the week, asshole.”

“Mm, doesn’t sound like you.” Yoongi downed the contents of his drink, and Jeongguk immediately turned and lifted a hand at a waiter, who hurried over. Jeongguk pointed wordlessly to Yoongi, and the waiter accepted the empty glass and rushed away, surely ready to refill it.

“How long have you guys been friends?” Jimin asked conversationally.

“Baby Guk and me?” Yoongi asked, and Jeongguk groaned, slouching in the booth as Yoongi snickered, popping a cube of radish into his mouth as his eyes sparkled mischievously. “I was in my final year of university when he showed up, starry-eyed little first year student. We met at a club. I saved his ass, and he decided to worship me from that moment forward.”

“You’re so embarrassing,” Jeongguk grumbled, and Yoongi snickered.

“Okay, maybe not. But I did save him from a shitty situation, and I decided that he was kind of okay, and we became friends. Lived together at university. I got my Master’s and trained him to be a good boy, and—okay, fine. I’ll ease up, I get it,” Yoongi said, grinning at the look on Jeongguk’s face. “And the rest is history. Best friends for life. We still haven’t gotten matching necklaces to commemorate it, but he keeps swearing it’ll happen one day.”

“I thought we were going for matching hair scrunchies,” Jeongguk said, and then the waiter came back to grab the food order. Jeongguk did all of the talking, making sure that all of the boys got everything they wanted, and then the conversation shifted to Yoongi’s line of work, because Jimin expressed interest. Yoongi explained that he was in music production, but Jeongguk made a fuss about how much Yoongi was downplaying it. Apparently Yoongi had struck gold about a year ago, meeting with a famous K-pop group and winning several number ones on music shows. He had then become a hot commodity for not only his producing, but his ability to write lyrics that tugged at the heartstrings and melodies that no one had ever heard before. Jungwoo was his partner, but Yoongi was the “head bitch in charge,” according to Jeongguk.

“So you’re a busy man,” Jimin said, reaching for another spoonful of cheese corn.

“Most days,” Yoongi said, but then he batted his eyelashes melodramatically and added, “But I always have time for my sweet Jeonggukie.”

And then the meat came in droves, so the other guys were distracted momentarily. The chatter was happy and full of life, and Jimin kept sneaking glances over at Jeongguk as he grabbed pieces of meat. Jeongguk’s shoulders were still up to his ears, but he was smiling and laughing more than usual, groaning in embarrassment nearly every minute whenever Yoongi opened his mouth. Yoongi kept giving Jeongguk a strange, pointed look, raised eyebrows and pursed lips and all. Jimin kept noticing, but Jeongguk seemed to be ignoring it. Instead, Jeongguk offered Jimin some more mushrooms.

Jimin was in the middle snagging a piece of kimchi to eat with his bite of meat he had when he felt fingers graze his left hand, which was in his lap politely as he ate. He froze for a moment, and then he realized what Jeongguk was trying to do. Still selecting his piece of kimchi from the middle of the table, Jimin quietly grabbed Jeongguk’s hand, laced their fingers together, and set their hands on his left thigh. He didn’t look over at Jeongguk for confirmation. Didn’t say a word. He just shoved the food into his mouth and waved a hand at Hojin to pass the seaweed sheets.

That was how they ate for the entire meal. Jeongguk ate with his left hand and didn’t make a fuss about it at all. Jimin didn’t bother to detach their hands. Even when Jeongguk showed him the dessert menu, their hands remained intertwined underneath the table, a little secret that the other four didn’t know about. If they did, they made no mention of it. Jimin had never been one for PDA, for long durations of hand holding, but something about it felt… normal. He didn’t want to let go, so they stayed that way until Jeongguk let out a heavy sigh.

“What is it?” Jimin asked.

“My phone.” Jeongguk reached his left hand into his pocket. “It’s been going off for an hour.”

“Ignore it,” Yoongi casually suggested, rubbing his right eye with a gentle fist underneath his glasses.

“I have been, but—but this… He’s much older, he doesn’t…”

“Hey. Take the call,” Jimin said, squeezing Jeongguk’s hand when he heard the worry in the younger’s voice. “It’s okay. We’re not going anywhere.”

“Okay. Yeah, okay,” Jeongguk said, sounding relieved. He squeezed Jimin’s hand back, as if thrilled that he had been given approval, and then he leapt up, grabbing his coat. “I promise I won’t be long. Ten minutes, maybe.”

“…Yeah, at ten thousand won a minute, I’m sure he will be,” Yoongi said when Jeongguk was out of earshot, chuckling with what Jimin thought was affection. He turned to Jihwan, Hojin, and Jungwoo abruptly. “Talk amongst yourselves.”

The three guys didn’t even question why. They slid closer together to converse as Yoongi scooted just a little closer to Jimin, and Jimin’s breath hitched momentarily.

“Are you okay?” Yoongi asked simply.

“I’m good,” Jimin confirmed, and then he felt his lips twitch in a little smile. “It’s funny.”

“What is?”

“Seeing him with friends. Makes him almost look… human.”

“Imagine that,” Yoongi said lightly, taking a sip of his drink. “He has his moments. I, for one, have decided that I like him better around you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because he’s happy. Jeongguk doesn’t do happy,” Yoongi said with a short laugh. “Or, at least, he’s good at faking it. He doesn’t do friendships. Relationships. Everything is business to him. He never talks about any of his clients. Ever.”

“Oh.”

“…This is the part where you ask me why I know so much about you,” Yoongi prompted, and Jimin let out a guilty little breath with a shrug. “I know that your birthday is October thirteenth. You have a younger brother. Your best friend is a photographer. You’re a picky eater, but you eat things just because he asks you to. You sleep on the right side of the bed, you like your water room temperature because it’s better for your stomach, and you think Infinity War is the best of the Avengers movies.”

Jimin stared at Yoongi without blinking, feeling weirdly removed from his body for a moment. His fingers started to tingle, but it wasn’t in fear. It was… maybe it was warmth. A strange warmth he couldn’t remember ever feeling before, though it was vaguely familiar. How did Yoongi know so much about him when all Jimin knew before arriving at this dinner was that there was a birthday boy?

“At the risk of embarrassing him, he talks about you nonstop,” Yoongi said, and Jimin felt his ears burn again as he averted his eyes. “Thinks that you hung the moon or some poetic shit like that. He’s never told me about any of his clients until you. He likes to pretend that he doesn’t feel human emotions, that he’s just good at playing his role, but it’s bullshit. Don’t believe it for a second.”

“I feel like I don’t know enough about him,” Jimin quietly admitted. “I… I’ve been trying for months. Asking him questions, trying to get information out of him. And I think I’ve learned a little, but… I mean, I didn’t even know he had friends. I didn’t know you existed until he invited me.”

“He doesn’t like to share,” Yoongi said, amused. “Me, specifically. He doesn’t share me with anyone because he’s a brat. But also because sharing me means that he has to let someone into his life. Means that he has to trust.”

“So he trusts me?”

“Put it this way.” Yoongi shifted in his seat. “He went through hell most of his teenage and university years trying to navigate relationships. The fact that he trusts you is pretty phenomenal.”

“Why? What happened?”

“The usual. He was rejected a lot.” Yoongi sipped his drink. “He faked straight in high school, dated a bunch of girls until they all realized the same thing—he didn’t want them. And then rumors spread, gossip started, and he spent his final year of high school in misery. Parents rejected him, called him gay slurs, kicked him out and cut him off the second he graduated high school.”

“Jesus,” Jimin breathed, brow furrowed.

“So, I mean, imagine going into university with no one,” Yoongi said. “Going in with that kind of freedom, you know? Realizing that you’re gay and that you’re free to experiment. Poor kid got his heart trampled on. That’s when I met him.”

“And helped him.”

“Yeah. And don’t—you know. Don’t think I’m telling you his sob story just to get your sympathy. He doesn’t need it, nor does he want it. It’s just… good. Good to know where someone’s coming from, even if they won’t admit it themselves.”

“He’s hinted at it.”

“That’s further than anyone else has ever gotten,” Yoongi commended with a chuckle. “But it’s good. I think he’s finally figuring out his type.”

“What’s his type?”

“You.”

“Bullshit.” Jimin laughed, leaning back in the booth as he checked the front door to see if Jeongguk was coming back yet. No sign of him. “That’s a line if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Sounds like it, yeah,” Yoongi said, amused. “But he used to think his type was the athletes, the tough jocks. You know he’s filthy fucking rich now, Jeongguk is. It’s gross, the amount of money he makes now. And men love that. They want it, they need it. But they’re only after the money, not Jeongguk as a human being.”

“So how does that apply to me?”

“How does it not apply to you?” Yoongi said with a chuckle. “You know what Jeongguk’s type is? His type is someone who wants him. Not someone who needs him. And you don’t fucking need him at all. You don’t need his time or his money or anything about him. You’re well-educated and intelligent, you have plenty of friends, you have a job that I think you might like on occasion, and you’re independent. You don’t need Jeongguk for anything. He doesn’t have to fake it for you. It’s just a matter of if you want him or not.”

Jimin sat quietly and soaked it all in, because something about it resonated. Yoongi was perceptive, and he was also right. He wasn’t smug about it, though. He just reached for the last of the cheese corn and chewed thoughtfully while watching Jimin for a reaction.

“Most people,” Yoongi started carefully, leaning one elbow on the table, “contact Jeongguk because they need him. He’s perfected the art of being needed. It’s amazing how many men, even women, are in relationships or marriages with absolutely no sense of companionship. Jeongguk changes their lives just by showing up and caring. Rubbing their back. Listening to them. Talking to them until they fall asleep. The stupid shit, you know? It’s fucking unbelievable how many people don’t give a shit about sex if someone’s playing with their hair or buying them ice-cream just because. And then they start to depend on him. That’s how he makes a living. So having someone who doesn’t need him but wants him instead is totally uncharted territory.”

“Guess I just don’t know if he wants me or not,” Jimin said softly, setting down his chopsticks and running his hands over his thighs anxiously. “That’s… I mean, that’s really it. I was never—I… I was never in this for his money or—or anything else. I needed his services the first time, but after that… I didn’t.”

“You’re good for him.” Yoongi crossed his arms, his eyes flicking over to the door. “I just hope that he realizes that. About time!”

“Sorry,” Jeongguk breathlessly apologized with a small bow, and Jimin scooted to make room for him. “I didn’t miss dessert, did I?”

“Jimin ate your share,” Yoongi sighed, shaking his head in feigned disappointment. The other three guys joined back into the conversation as Jimin sputtered in protest, but Jeongguk just let out a short laugh, relaxing into the booth.

“You wouldn’t do that you me, would you?” His eyes widened innocently.

“Never,” Jimin said, and right on cue, the waiter appeared with other staff flanking him, a birthday cake in his hands, candles and sparklers lit, and then the singing began. Yoongi sighed again and slumped in his seat, but Jimin didn’t miss the pleased expression on his face when he was asked to blow out the candles and make a wish. He decisively cut his own cake and passed around pieces.

“Hey, how did— yah!”

Jeongguk stifled a laugh, whipped cream still on his fingers from where he had spread it across Jimin’s cheek the moment Jimin had turned to address him. With a straight face, he took more frosting from his piece of cake and carefully streaked it onto Jimin’s other cheek, his nose, and then his lips. Jungwoo was laughing, and Yoongi was trying to get a discreet photo.

“Alright, clean it up,” Jimin insisted, resisting the urge to lick his lips. “Let’s go, loser.”

“Clean what up?” Jeongguk asked innocently, taking a bite of cake. As he chewed, he grinned with a scrunched nose, and then he reached for a napkin. Before his hand could get to it, Yoongi snatched it away, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Guess you’ll have to lick it off,” he teased, and Hojin, Jihwan, and Jungwoo burst out laughing, teasing Jeongguk immediately. Jimin wanted to wipe it all off and call the other guys idiots, but Jeongguk’s ears turned red, so he resisted.

What’s his type?

You.

“Come on, Messy Boy,” Jimin teased. “Clean it up.”

“That’s…” Jeongguk started, but then Jimin saw a flash of determination in his eyes. He leaned forward and began to pepper Jimin’s cheeks with kisses in an attempt to get all of the whipped cream off as Jimin squirmed and laughed, jokingly leaning away. Jeongguk managed to get the bit on Jimin’s nose, and then Jimin’s froze when he felt Jeongguk’s lips on his.

It’s just the whipped cream. That’s all it is. Just the whipped cream because Yoongi’s a provoking asshole.

The other four guys hollered and clapped as Jeongguk pulled away, snatched the napkin out of Yoongi’s hand, and used it to wipe Jimin’s face.

“Sorry,” he whispered, one hand behind Jimin’s neck as the other clean him off. Jimin smiled.

“Don’t be.”

Dinner didn’t last much longer. Jeongguk paid for the entire thing and waved off all the gratitude from the other boys. As they walked out of the restaurant, Jimin stood with the other three and watched as Yoongi pulled Jeongguk aside, their heads bent together as Yoongi spoke quickly with a few hand gestures, and Jeongguk just nodded and listened. It was jarring to watch Jeongguk so attentive and passive, but Yoongi had such a strong presence that it wasn’t much of a surprise.

“Jimin-ah!” Yoongi jogged back over, and then he extended a hand, which Jimin shook heartily. “Seriously so nice to meet you. I hope I get to see you again soon. Don’t be a stranger. And thanks for coming to celebrate my birthday.”

“It was really nice to meet you, hyung,” Jimin said sincerely. “And on your birthday, too. Thanks for having me.”

Yoongi saluted, took his boyfriend’s hand, and then walked off with the other boys, leaving Jeongguk standing by with Jimin. Once the other four were out of sight, Jimin immediately turned to face Jeongguk. Now he was feeling brave. Now he knew far more than he had going into this dinner. So he boldly wrapped his arms around Jeongguk’s neck, and Jeongguk immediately slipped his arm’s around Jimin’s waist.

“Wanted to ask you something,” he said quietly, almost hypnotized by how beautiful Jeongguk’s eyes were up close.

“I’m listening.”

‘I got an invitation in the mail on Friday from an old university friend, Sungwoon. He and his partner are getting married at the beginning of April. Well, not married officially, but you know what I mean. I was invited, and Namjoon hyung was invited, too. My friend gave me a plus one.”

“Mhm.” Jeongguk was already smiling with closed lips, dimples and all.

“I thought I’d ask if you wanted to come with me. Be my plus one,” Jimin said. “But there’s a catch.”

“What’s the catch?”

“This isn’t an escort thing.”

“No?”

“No. I’m not paying you to come with me. Fuck the portal. Fuck the contract. I’m asking you to come with me for free. As my plus one,” Jimin said quietly, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the ends of Jeongguk’s hair at his neck. “Will you?”

“Yeah, of course I will,” Jeongguk whispered immediately. “Can’t believe you thought you even had to ask.”

“Thought it was a formality.”

“Mm.” Jeongguk then made his move and leaned his forehead against Jimin’s, knocking all the air out of Jimin’s lungs. “Need a ride home?”

“Yes, please,” Jimin whispered, paralyzed. Jeongguk’s hands slipped off Jimin, and then he took Jimin’s hand in his and led him to the car. They rode to Jimin’s apartment chatting quietly and casually about dinner, Jimin complimenting Jeongguk’s friendship choices, Jeongguk rolling his eyes and trying not to smile from being so pleased. Then they pulled up to the visitor parking spaces outside Jimin’s building.

“You want to come up for a little?” Jimin boldly asked. The worst he would hear was “no.” He knew that now. There was very little consequence to taking a chance anymore.

“I have a client,” Jeongguk quietly said, and Jimin cracked a small smile.

“One-thirty in the morning?”

“One-thirty in the morning,” Jeongguk repeated in confirmation.

“It’s only eleven-thirty. If you want,” Jimin said, gesturing vaguely, “you can just come up for a little. I… I mean, it’s a Sunday. I’m going to bed, anyways. You can—you know. Tuck me in.”

“Tuck you in, huh?” Jeongguk said, his eyes sparkling as he leaned his elbow on the center console. “Okay.”

“…Okay?” Jimin echoed, stunned. Jeongguk’s lips curled into an amused smirk.

“You heard me.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Jimin hopped out of the car like the seat was on fire, and Jeongguk immediately followed. They rode the elevator to Jimin’s floor in a surprisingly comfortable silence, and Jimin tiptoed down the hall and unlocked his door. Then he tossed his keys and his coat aside, offering a silent hand to take Jeongguk’s coat. Jeongguk shrugged out of his and handed it over, and Jimin hung it up by the door.

“Think I have a total of four meetings this week,” Jimin sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. “Need all the sleep I can get. Probably won’t, though.”

“Not much of an early bird, are you?” Jeongguk teased, slipping his shoes off by the door like he lived there. Jimin suppressed a smile and toed his own shoes off, and then he padded with socked feet towards the bathroom.

“Never have been, but I still wake up at the crack of dawn to run. Think tomorrow will be my day off,” he sighed, flicking the light on. “You can wait in my room if you want.”

His heart pounding, Jimin watched as Jeongguk quietly slipped into his bedroom, his big eyes scanning the entire environment like he was trying to read Jimin just from the surroundings. Jimin hastily washed his face and brushed his teeth, and then he tiptoed back into his room, disappeared into the closet, and changed into pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. When he came out, Jeongguk was sprawled on his bed like a starfish, arms and legs out, staring at the ceiling.

“You look like you’re in crisis,” Jimin commented, smiling fondly. Jeongguk blinked rapidly a few times with big eyes.

“I usually am,” he said dramatically. Jimin snorted with laughter.

“Such a drama queen,” he teased. The response was immediate. Jeongguk launched himself off the pillows and pitched forward so fast that Jimin didn’t have time to react. All he could do was let out a helpless yelp as Jeongguk grabbed him around the waist, fell backwards onto the bed with him, and then manhandled the shit out of him until the covers were a mess, Jeongguk was lying on his back, and Jimin was lying directly on top of him, breathless. Jimin rested his arms on Jeongguk’s chest, palms overlapping gently by his heart, and stared down at the younger.

“I have questions for you,” he whispered.

“Like what?”

“Like your birthday. Or your favorite color. The stupid shit that I don’t know about you.” Jimin watched as Jeongguk tilted his chin downward just a little, making eye contact. He let his legs fall open until his knees were casually bracketing Jeongguk’s hips, and Jeongguk rested his left hand on the small of Jimin’s back.

“Okay. Go ahead,” he whispered. “Ask your questions.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“September first.”

“So you’re a Virgo.”

“Yeah. Are we perfectly compatible?” Jeongguk joked, throwing his right forearm across his forehead to rest comfortably with a dimpled grin. Shit, he was—oh no. He was cute. He wasn’t just the hot escort Jimin had met months ago. He was painfully adorable, too. God damn it.

“I don’t know, let’s pretend we are,” Jimin decided. “What’s your favorite color?”

“Guess.”

Jimin pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes contemplatively. “…Green.”

“Mm. What kind of green?”

“Like… like the green in nature. The nice green on the trees.”

“Very perceptive of you. Your favorite color is yellow.”

“How’d you know that?”

“That was just a lucky guess,” Jeongguk admitted with a grin as Jimin clicked his tongue, not amused. “I don’t know. You’re just all sunshine-y and bright and happy. Yellow seems like your color.” Then he lifted his right arm and slipped his hand to the back of Jimin’s head, gently playing with the short hair at his neck. “Ever had your hair a different color?”

“Mhm. Blonde. Silver.” Jimin paused, and then he bit the inside of his mouth before adding, “Pink.”

“Yeah? Pink?” Jeongguk’s grin changed from teasing to fond. “What kind of pink?”

“Bubblegum pink.”

“No way.”

“Mhm. Back in college.”

“Will you show me a picture of it one day?” Jeongguk requested, and Jimin nodded, mesmerized by the stars in Jeongguk’s eyes the more the younger talked. “Never pictured you with pink hair. Bet it looked cute.”

“I always look cute.”

“You got me there,” Jeongguk agreed, and before Jimin could stop himself, he let out a giggle and buried his face in Jeongguk’s neck. He thought to pull away, but Jeongguk’s grip around his waist tightened, and he turned and nuzzled his nose into Jimin’s hair before letting out a sigh. “Should probably change my hair one day.”

“Don’t.” Jimin lifted his head. “I like it like this.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Well, I mean—it’s your hair. You can do whatever you want. But black looks good,” Jimin rambled. “Unless you want to dye it. I can help you. Taehyungie dyes his hair all the time, I bet he could help, too.”

“Mm. I found his Instagram the other day. His pictures are incredible.”

“They are. He’s very talented. Speaking of which…” Jimin hesitated, adjusting himself on top of Jeongguk, surprised at how comfortable he was. It was intimate, lying on top of him like this. It wasn’t clingy or overkill, and it wasn’t for purposes of seduction. It was just… them. Just the two of them. “You said that you studied visual arts at university. What does that mean?”

“Photography. Videography. Cinematography. Had to do some drawing and painting. Art. The works,” Jeongguk quietly explained. “But being behind the camera was my favorite. I liked taking video best. Photography is nice too, though. I like capturing people in moments where they can’t see themselves. And nature. I love being alone in nature to take pictures.”

“Jeongguk-ah.” Jimin pressed up just a little further to make eye contact, suddenly realizing something. “When I was over at your apartment, in your bedroom. You… You had a lot of pictures hanging on the wall.”

“Mhm.”

“Did you… did you take those pictures? The ones of the waterfalls and the trees and nature?”

“Yeah. I took them all.”

“They’re so beautiful,” Jimin whispered. “You have a real talent for it, Jeongguk-ah. Why haven’t you… you know. Why haven’t you pursued it further?”

“Because I have my own business,” Jeongguk softly said. “That takes up a majority of my life. I don’t really have much time for my passions.”

“You should make time,” Jimin said firmly. “When you’re that talented, and if you love it that much, you shouldn’t let your work get in the way. You should get in touch with Taehyung sometime. He’s been searching for a partner for two years, probably longer. He hates working alone. Wants someone to take photos and videos right next to him, bounce ideas off someone, compare, admire their work. You’d be perfect for it.”

“I’d be giving up a lot if I did that,” Jeongguk whispered. “Not that it’s much, but to me, I built an empire. I have hundreds of people to think about. I’ve mastered the art of socializing, but not because I wanted to. I just did. It wouldn’t be easy to slip back into photography all alone.”

“You wouldn’t be alone. You’d have Tae. And me.”

“Yeah? And you?” Jeongguk stopped playing with Jimin’s hair, and when he reached up and brushed the back of his knuckles to Jimin’s cheek, Jimin’s eyes fluttered closed. Just that little touch had his skin on fire. “I could take pictures of you for the rest of my life.”

“Taehyung already has,” Jimin muttered, opening his eyes.

“I know. I saw them on his Instagram. You’re his favorite model. Always look so beautiful,” Jeongguk whispered. Then he stopped talking. Jimin tried to find something witty to say in response, but nothing came out of his mouth. His heart was in his throat now. He stared and stared, Jeongguk’s eyes burning a hole in him.

Fuck it.

“Jeongguk,” he whispered. That was all he had to say. Everything he wanted to say was right there, right in the way he said the younger’s name. Jimin felt Jeongguk’s fingertips grip his waist tighter. Jimin cocked his head to the side just slightly, feeling faint, but offering the invitation.

There was a moment where time seemed to suspend, where the world stopped moving around them and all Jimin could hear was his heart pounding in his ears. Then Jeongguk closed the gap. He lifted his head as Jimin’s eyes fell closed, and he felt Jeongguk’s lips on his as he let out the breath he had been holding. He sighed right into the kiss, parting his lips slightly to let Jeongguk in. His lips were soft, tasted like mint gum and Chapstick, and it was so gentle and curious that Jimin’s heart lurched. Jeongguk kissed him slowly, carefully, lips searching, almost questioning if every nanosecond of the kiss was okay. But then Jimin’s hands found Jeongguk’s face, and everything changed. Jeongguk’s hands slipped behind Jimin’s head, thumbs on his upper jaw, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss, his tongue sweeping Jimin’s bottom lip. Jimin whimpered and pressed his body against Jeongguk’s harder, desperately, feeling a spike of arousal deep in the pit of his stomach. They kissed until Jimin was sure his lips were bruised, until he was sure he was addicted to the feeling of Jeongguk’s lips, to his tongue in Jimin’s mouth. He wanted to be closer, closer, melt into Jeongguk, be part of him, breathe at the same time, never be without him like this again.

“Jeongguk-ah,” Jimin breathed, but his eyes fell closed again when Jeongguk pulled their lips apart and instead resorted to trailing kisses down Jimin’s jawline, onto his neck, close to his collarbone. Holy shit. “J-Jeongguk.”

“Mm.” Jeongguk focused on a particularly sensitive spot on Jimin’s neck, like he fucking knew it was there, and Jimin whimpered again, all sense of dominance completely gone. He couldn’t concentrate. He couldn’t take charge, especially when Jeongguk latched onto his neck. He became utterly lost in it, his entire body trembling from the lack of control. It wasn’t enough to leave a mark, but it was enough for Jimin’s eyes to roll to the back of his head. Then Jeongguk’s lips captured his in another kiss, territorial, needy—

An alarm started blaring. Jeongguk flinched immediately, and Jimin pulled away, burying his face in Jeongguk’s neck, panting. Jeongguk was also breathing heavily, but Jimin melted as Jeongguk turned and kissed his neck gently.

“It’s one o’clock,” he whispered.

“Mhm,” Jimin hummed back quietly.

“I need to go,” Jeongguk said in a raspy voice. It was instantly obvious how much he didn’t want to go, and the sound of his reluctant voice made Jimin warmer than he already was. “I don’t want to.”

Jimin almost giggled in delirium, but the alarm wasn’t stopping. He had to go. Jimin was genuinely stunned at the amount of self-control he was exhibiting. It would be so easy to drag Jeongguk back onto the bed, undress him, and fuck him senseless until he forgot that he had other clients who needed attention. Instead, he released Jeongguk’s shirt, watched as the younger slipped out of his hands physically and emotionally, even if the latter was only for a moment. There was a fleeting bundle of seconds where Jimin panicked, thinking that Jeongguk was climbing off the bed full of regret, wishing he had never succumbed. But then he grabbed his phone and turned to look at Jimin with a small smile on his face.

“Walk me out?”

“Yeah,” Jimin whispered. He rolled off the bed in a daze and followed Jeongguk into the kitchen, watching him unlock his phone and check his messages, probably checking the time as well, maybe resetting his reminder alarm. The entire time he slowly padded towards the door, Jimin stared in somewhat of a stupor, trying to wrap his head around what they had just done, what had finally happened. He watched Jeongguk slip into his shoes, trying to shoo away the fondness that bloomed in his chest with Jeongguk’s heels pressed down on the back heels of his shoes, the shoes not even on his feet all the way.

“Jeongguk-ah.”

“Hmm.” Jeongguk checked his messages with a furrowed brow once more, and then he glanced up, his beautiful face illuminated from the light of his phone. Jimin’s heart clenched, his lips tingling still, his mind sprinting faster than he felt his body could keep up.

“You’ll—You’ll still come with me to… to—”

Jimin’s meek question died in his throat the moment Jeongguk closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together again. Jimin melted into the younger, his left hand still gripping the back of the barstool, his right hand scrambling until he found Jeongguk’s hip. Jeongguk smoothly slipped his arm around Jimin’s waist and pulled him in closer, deepening the kiss so wonderfully that Jimin again sighed right into his mouth. It was incredible how his body automatically arched to fit into Jeongguk, how right it felt to kiss him, how perfectly they fit together—hands to hips, chest-to-chest, wherever. They just fit.

“Of course I’ll still be your date to the wedding,” Jeongguk whispered against Jimin’s lips. He planted one more small kiss on his lips, and then he backed up. “Goodnight, hyung. I’ll see you soon.”

The moment Jimin closed the door, he turned his back to it and slid down until he was on the floor, hands tangled in his hair, laughing in pure happiness and disbelief.

Chapter Text

Dating Minkyu in university had had its fair share of difficulties, many of which Jimin still couldn’t talk about to anyone but Taehyung. The hardest part had been the separation, the distance, where Minkyu had been working and living his life as an adult while Jimin was still in school. Finding time for one another had been the first nail in the coffin of their relationship.

But with Jeongguk, it was magnified times ten thousand. Trying to schedule time to see him was nearly impossible, and Jimin hadn’t realized it until the week after that fatal first kiss. He received one “I miss you so much” text on Tuesday, and that was it. He heard nothing all week long, and he knew that he had no right to be upset about it. In a figurative sense, he knew he had signed up for it, so he had no ground to stand on. All he could do was cherish that one text with its sad face emoji and send Jeongguk mentally waves of positive energy, maybe signals to let him know that he was cared for.

It wasn’t until Saturday morning when Jimin was stepping out of the shower after his morning run that the silent streak broke in a rather unexpected way. There was a knock on his door that startled the hell out of him and made him leap for his clothes at the same time. He shimmied quickly into underwear and track pants, threw the towel around his neck hastily, and hurried to the door. Through the peephole, he saw Jeongguk pacing in a small radius, probably worried that Jimin wasn’t home. So he opened the door.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

“Hi,” Jeongguk exhaled with a smile so heavy in relief and radiance that Jimin nearly melted on the spot. “Hi, I’m so sorry. I know I should’ve called. Probably should have texted you every day this week, too, but I’m not really great at this. I’m sorry, it’s just—”

“Jeongguk-ah,” Jimin interrupted with a chuckle, and Jeongguk snapped his mouth shut. “You don’t owe me an apology for anything. It’s your job. Do you want to come in? Do you have time?”

“Yeah,” Jeongguk sighed, his shoulders dropping. “Yeah, I don’t have to be with a client until eleven for brunch.”

“It’s only nine-thirty. Let me make you your first breakfast,” Jimin offered as the door closed.

“What? No, it’s fine. I’m not that hungry.”

“I feel like that’s a lie.”

“Right, but I don’t need you to…” Jeongguk trailed off when Jimin pulled the towel off his shoulders, draped it on the back of the kitchen chair carelessly, and yanked open the fridge to peer inside. Jimin pulled out eggs, diced peppers, mushrooms, some leftover salted seafood, and cheese. After setting it all on the countertop, he glanced over at Jeongguk.

“You okay with gyeran-mari? I’ll make it with whatever I have,” Jimin said. “I know it’s more of a side dish, but it’s good protein. Think of it as your appetizer before brunch.”

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?” Jeongguk softly asked.

“No. I told you forever ago.” Jimin pulled out a bowl so he could crack the eggs. “You shouldn’t spend your whole life taking care of people when no one’s taking care of you. Especially if you don’t have time for a daily self-care routine. That’s exhausting. Let me make you breakfast. Sit.”

Jeongguk quietly sat in the kitchen chair and watched without a word as Jimin cracked eggs and tossed the shells into the sink. Watched as he whisked it all up. Watched as he finely chopped the mushrooms, checked that the salted seafood was still good, dumped it all into the egg and mixed it again. Jimin pulled out a large pan and dropped some butter into it to start cooking, and that’s when Jeongguk got out of his chair and quietly padded over. As Jimin used chopsticks to move the chunk of butter around so it would melt, Jeongguk gently slipped his arms around Jimin’s bare waist and kissed his neck.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered, and Jimin shivered happily.

“I missed you, too. Pass me the bowl?”

Jeongguk used only one arm to reach over, grab the bowl, and bring it to the countertop beside the stove. Jimin used a large ladle to spoon in the mixture so that it filled the pan, and as he almost failed instantly in monitoring the cooking process.

“Not helping,” he whispered in a daze when Jeongguk’s hands began to run along his ribs and his back, his lips leaving gentle trails of fire along Jimin’s shoulders. “If you want breakfast, you better stop.”

“Make me.”

Jimin clenched his jaw and flipped the eggs one time, and then he pulled it off the heat and spun around quickly. He backed Jeongguk right into the opposite countertop and caged him in, hands on either side of the counter to keep him from moving, thigh in between his legs. Jeongguk slowly held his hands up in surrender.

“Point made,” he said with a grin. Jimin narrowed his eyes playfully, but then he cracked and smiled, turning back to his cooking so he could put it on a plate, roll it up, and cut it into pieces. He did just that as Jeongguk watched, and then he shooed Jeongguk to the table and made him sit before he served.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Sure,” Jimin agreed, pouring orange juice for the both of them and then sitting down, chopsticks in hand.

“You’re the first person who’s ever cooked me breakfast.”

“I am?” Jimin asked, feeling a weird mixture of pride and sadness. How could no one have ever cooked this man breakfast, someone so beautiful as Jeongguk? It was an abomination.

“Besides Yoongi hyung. He doesn’t count,” Jeongguk pointed out. “He fed me for years. But no one’s ever… yeah. I don’t know. It’s nice. This is nice. Thank you.”

“It’s just breakfast,” Jimin said with a small smile, watching Jeongguk chew happily. “This isn’t even a fraction of what I want to do for you. Someone should’ve been cooking you breakfast for years.”

Jeongguk picked up another piece of food, his ears flushing red with embarrassment. It was painfully adorable. Who knew Jeon Jeongguk, Professional Escort, had a shy side? Jimin was learning so much.

“You know why it’s nice?”

“Why?”

“Because.” Jeongguk set down his chopsticks, the food now gone, the orange juice drained from both glasses. “I created this lifestyle for myself, this business. And it exploded without my permission. Took on a life of its own. And I’ve… you know. I’ve been living like this for so long that now having something like this, like you… I don’t know. It just makes me realize that I’ve been missing out on a lot.”

Jimin, too, set down his chopsticks. Then he quietly got up and took a seat right across Jeongguk’s lap, twisting his upper body a little, wrapping his arms around the younger’s neck. Jeongguk responded instantly, his arms slipping around Jimin’s waist.

“Don’t make me sound better than I am,” Jimin whispered. “I’m not proud of a lot of what I’ve done, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I’ve done some stupid shit because of you. Questionable shit. Done things out of jealousy. Barely recognized myself. So don’t play me up like I’m… I don’t know.”

“Hyung.” Jeongguk let out a soft laugh. “I’ve lied to dozens of clients and cancelled at least fifty sessions with little to no warning just so I could come see you. Including this morning. Don’t ever think it’s one-sided. I’ve done some stupid shit, too.”

“I literally read your client book and played fake cousin.”

“We’re still on that?” Jeongguk asked, amused. “Let it go, hyung. It was dumb as hell, we recognize that. Congratulations on being blinded by jealousy.”

“Wow.”

“You’re not the only one,” Jeongguk whispered. “You think I felt good when I saw you at that Thai restaurant with that kid? Before I knew it was just business? I didn’t fucking sleep that night.”

“I told you that you were jealous.”

“Mm, you know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think you should kiss me.”

“That was the worst transition I’ve ever heard,” Jimin laughed, and then he leaned down and kissed Jeongguk as requested, feeling the younger smiling against his mouth when their lips met. And the more they kissed, the more Jimin realized that he could absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt get used to this. The dozens of other men he’d been with before had nothing on Jeon Jeongguk. Jimin typically had to have his dick in someone to feel any sense of arousal or intimacy or closeness. With Jeongguk, just a kiss did it. The kiss wasn’t dirty or sexual at all. There was no tongue, no teeth clashing, no moaning, no suggestive touching. Jimin was just on Jeongguk’s lap full on making out with him like two teenagers, and that was enough. His entire body was on fire, his insides trembling in excitement, his head dizzy.

“I should go,” Jeongguk whispered, his lips still on Jimin’s. “I can’t be late for this brunch.”

“It’s okay.” Jimin planted a few quick kisses onto Jeongguk’s lips, even though it made his chest dully ache to think about being apart again. “You can come over anytime, you know. Or just text me. I don’t care either way. I’ll take what I can get.”

Jeongguk didn’t have a smart response. He just gave Jimin a look with shining eyes, and then kissed him once more before Jimin hopped off his lap. Jeongguk walked quietly to the door, but then he pivoted sharply, grabbed Jimin around the waist, and kissed him so hard that Jimin bent backwards from the force, laughing.

“Yeah, I’ll miss you too,” Jimin muttered, shooing Jeongguk out the door. “Go, fool. Enjoy your brunch.”

“Don’t think it’ll be as good as what you cooked.”

***

“Remind me why I’m the one getting dragged here?”

“Because.” Namjoon held the door of the little restaurant open as a bell tingled overhead. “Seokjin hyung gave me this job, and I can’t do it alone. Plus, you’re my best man, so I’m using your services.”

“Okay,” Jimin said, slipping inside after Namjoon, “but why the hell is Seokjin hyung sending you to try out different foods? Isn’t he the chef of the family?”

“He said that since I’m a threat to humanity in the kitchen, I could make myself useful by trying to decide on food while he arranges pretty much everything else,” Namjoon said with a scowl, and Jimin snorted with laughter. If nothing else, Seokjin was always painfully honest.

“Did he recommend this restaurant?”

“Yeah. He said it’s street food style but on steroids. I don’t know. I guess he likes that kind of thing. You’re getting a free meal out of it, though, so don’t complain,” Namjoon threatened, and Jimin shrugged with a grin, happy to play along. The hostess brought them straight to a cozy little table by the window, and Namjoon slid the menu towards Jimin.
“Pick some things.”

The two of them argued playfully over what to order for a solid five minutes, trying to decide what everyone would like, but mostly what the groom and groom would like because, as Jimin said passionately, “this is a day about you two, not the other assholes you decide to invite, so fuck their palates for a day, okay?” That helped Namjoon narrow down his choices.

“Still can’t believe our little Sungwoon is tying the knot,” Namjoon said jokingly, taking a sip of his drink. “Jesus, the shit you two used to get into at university.”

“He sent a Polaroid picture of us in my wedding invite,” Jimin said. “It was fucking atrocious. I can’t believe I used to look like that.”

“It wasn’t that long ago.”

“My hair was literally bubblegum pink.”

“That was a good look on you, actually,” Namjoon said. “It wasn’t my best, though.”

“Pink was great on you.”

“Think I liked the platinum color best—oh, that looks really good.” Namjoon interrupted himself when their server returned with some small tapas for the two of them to try. Jimin wasn’t too hungry, but he wanted to make sure that he was demonstrating best man behavior. Namjoon had other friends, after all, and didn’t need Jimin as his number one guy on his wedding day. But he had chosen Jimin, and that meant a lot. So Jimin eagerly ate the first bite, nodding in approval the moment he had chewed enough to get a full idea of the flavor. Namjoon started writing down opinions on his phone, and Jimin smacked him with a laugh, saying that his limited palate was not a good indicator of what should be chosen as wedding food.

“Jimin-ah.”

“Mm.” Still chewing, Jimin glanced up at Namjoon, but Namjoon was focused only on the door of the restaurant.

“Is that…?” Namjoon squinted a little. “Is that Jeongguk?”

Jimin didn’t turn around right away, because if it was indeed Jeongguk, whipping his head to stare was not a good look. It certainly wasn’t the first time he had been in the same place as Jeongguk by accident, but he couldn’t make it obvious. Instead, he took a sip of his wine, snapped his fingers at Namjoon to stop staring, and then gradually turned around.

He was right. It was Jeongguk. He was with an older gentleman who could have probably been Jimin’s grandfather, since he was a bit hunched and had greying hair. He was also linked at the elbow with Jeongguk, and Jeongguk had a careful hand across his own body for support. The hostess sat them at a table, and Jimin watched in quiet awe as Jeongguk pulled out the man’s chair, squeezed his shoulder, put his napkin in his lap for him, bowed his head a little, and then sat down across from him. The older man opened the menu and then fumbled in his pocket for reading glasses, but Jeongguk held up a hand to stop him. Then he opened his own menu, got out of his chair, crouched down next to the man, and started reading off items. As he read, the man reached out a hand, and Jeongguk held it tightly, flipping the page with a thumb as he continued to read the menu with a smile.

Jimin didn’t realize that he had tears in his eyes until he blinked, and they fell onto his lap. Jeongguk had mentioned having elderly clients in passing, but seeing it in person was an entirely different story. It was quite easily the most beautiful thing Jimin had ever witnessed, and it was gut-wrenching at the same time. The dam of emotional turmoil burst inside of him, flooding his entire body with guilt, confusion, doubt, sadness, everything. This was exactly the reason why he couldn’t sleep at night sometimes. Seeing Jeongguk so engaged, truly interested in a client, caring so much… that was it. That was the ugly monster of it all, finally rearing its head. The core reason why Jimin couldn’t bring himself to committing to anything with Jeongguk—guilt. Horrible, crushing guilt.

“Is that his grandfather?” Namjoon whispered.

“No. Client,” Jimin quietly said. “That’s a client.”

“…Oh. Wow.”

Namjoon had said everything that needed to be said. Jimin just stared at all of the food in front of them, listening as Namjoon whispered that he could try it all because he could sense that Jimin was no longer hungry. Jimin slowly closed his eyes and nodded, taking a deep breath through his nose.

“Hyung, I need some air,” Jimin breathed, feeling faint. “I…”

“Go ahead. I’m almost done eating. I’ll pay. You wait in the car,” Namjoon insisted hastily, handing over his keys. So Jimin grabbed his bag and ran out of the restaurant, trying not to stumble into anything so that he didn’t draw attention to himself. He shoved open the door and staggered into the sunlight and cool April air. He threw open the car door and dropped into the passenger seat, and the moment he did, he had to fold over at the waist and drop his head between his knees, his hands tangled in his hair.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine,” he gasped, taking several deep breaths. “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine at all. Nothing about what he was doing was fine, and although he knew it hadn’t fully hit him yet, it was starting to fester. Deep down in his gut, he knew that he had built a figurative house of cards since the day of the holiday party, the day he had dared to feel something for Jeongguk. He had only added cards by opening that client book. And then he had continually stacked cards against one another, building up the house to something spectacular, something beautiful, but something far too fragile. And now the wind was coming, the storm, and Jimin was just watching it all roll in. Now he was seeing the fruits of his labor, but he hated the results.

“Jimin-ah.”

Namjoon fell into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut, twisting his upper body to rest an elbow on the center console.

“What is it? What’s going on in your head?” he asked, always looking for a deeper reason.

“He has all of these clients, hyung,” Jimin croaked out.

“I know.”

“Is it selfish?” Jimin asked, eyes burning with tears. “Is it selfish for me to want more with him? To want a real relationship? Knowing what I know?”

“I don’t know if I can have an opinion,” Namjoon replied carefully. “He is what he is, Jimin-ah. The thing is, if he’s—you know. If he’s actively pursuing you, trying to be closer to you, trying to form some kind of relationship with you, then… I don’t know. Maybe he wants more, too. It might just be in a different way. Or maybe… maybe he’s just not ready yet. That happens something, Jimin-ah. Sometimes you find the right relationship at the wrong time.”

“I don’t want it to be the wrong time,” Jimin whispered tearfully. “I know that’s selfish. I know, I know, I—I can’t help it. I found him, hyung, and I can’t… I’m not ready to lose him. I’m not willing to let him go like that just because it’s the wrong time.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you,” Namjoon said sadly, stroking Jimin’s hair. “Do you have any plans with him soon? Maybe you could talk to him.”

“He’s supposed to be my date to the wedding.”

“Ah.”

“I—that’s the thing, hyung. I don’t think I’m ready for that, either,” Jimin rasped. “Not after seeing him with a client like that. I’m not—I’m not as emotionally stable as I thought I was. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this about anyone, and it’s—it’s really scaring me. I’m not ready to have him as a date to a wedding. I don’t know if I can handle it right now.”

“That’s your decision, love,” Namjoon said affectionately. “You’ll always have Seokjin and me.”

“…Have you seen the way Seokjin hyung dances?” Jimin croaked weakly, and Namjoon chuckled and turned on the car.

“Trust me, I’ve seen it all.”

***

Jimin was not one to cry, but Jeongguk… Jeongguk had made him cry so many times that he was losing count. The heartbreaking part of it all was that Jeongguk didn’t even know that he made Jimin cry. It was Jimin who was destroying himself, Jimin who was being eaten alive by his own emotions. Relationships weren’t supposed to be like this. They weren’t supposed to hurt so much. Or maybe Jimin had been doing them wrong his entire life.

He wanted to call. He wanted to find Jeongguk’s number in his Favorites and press it, wanted to see the goofy selfie the two of them had taken that he had set as Jeongguk’s contact photo. He wanted to hear that beautiful voice on the other end, hear Jeongguk’s laugh, hear him say nice things, hear his cute silence whenever Jimin complimented him. He wanted so much, but he could bring himself to call. It was a Friday night. Jeongguk was always booked on Friday nights no matter what. So Jimin used the back of his hand to swipe the tears off his cheeks, squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. He had to say something. He couldn’t just let it continue on like this. Maybe Namjoon wasn’t far off—right person, wrong time. There was a hit song in there somewhere.

Either way, the text Jimin sent cut a deep wound.

JIMIN [07:30:03PM]
Guk, don’t worry about the wedding date anymore.

When he didn’t hear back for three hours, he knew he had been correct. Jeongguk had been with a client, unable to answer his phone. But his innocent response only hurt more.

JEONGGUK [10:31:05PM]
Ah, what happened? Did the couple off the marriage?

JIMIN [10:32:45PM]
No. I just don’t know if it’s a good idea for us to go together. I need you to understand why.

JEONGGUK [10:33:09PM]
I don’t. Why?

JIMIN [10:34:14PM]
You have so many clients, Guk. They need your attention. I’ve seen it. I know they do.

JEONGGUK [10:35:33PM]
No, hyung, I cleared that day on my schedule, I swear I can go

JIMIN [10:36:44PM]
Guk, please. You know deep down that we shouldn’t be going on dates like this.

JIMIN [10:37:18PM]
It will only end up hurting your clients in the end. Please understand. Please, Guk.

JIMIN [10:37:45PM]
I’m not ready for this.

JEONGGUK [10:38:32PM]
But I don’t understand why you’re saying all this, hyung. I thought you were OK.

JEONGGUK [10:39:19PM]
What if I still want to see you?

JEONGGUK [10:40:56PM]
Hyung?

Jimin threw his phone across his bedroom floor and buried himself in his covers, tears soaking the pillowcase.

***

“Okay, we really have to stop.”

“Five more minutes.”

“You know how some people set one alarm in the morning and some people set seven alarms in five minute intervals?” Taehyung nuzzled Jimin’s neck. “You’re the second person. Get your lazy ass out of bed. It’s a fucking Saturday. We’ve watched three movies and eaten four cups of ramyeon already. You have a wedding to attend.”

“Namjoon hyung and Seokjin hyung can take care of the wedding attendance,” Jimin mumbled.

“Well, if you’d tell me why you were moping around, I could make you feel more festive,” Taehyung teased, and then he propped up on one elbow and kissed Jimin’s face until Jimin was squirming, desperate to get away. “Come on, let’s shower. I have to go see Hobi hyung, and you need to get your ass in a suit.”

So they showered together, and Taehyung made sure to give Jimin a longer scalp massage with the shampoo than usual, also digging his fingers into Jimin’s shoulders to relieve some of the stress. Taehyung was the only one who really knew that Jimin had been moping, even if he didn’t know why. Jimin had given most of his energy to his workweek, even agreeing to two nights of going out for drinks with Beomseok and Junseo. It was all a distraction, though, and Jimin knew it. He could admit that much to himself. Then again, he wasn’t quite sure how to make sense of everything happening in his life when it came to Jeongguk. He hadn’t received a single text or phone call, which was what he had basically requested by saying that he wasn’t ready and then promptly not responding to Jeongguk’s final texts, but it still hurt.

As Jimin buttoned up his dress shirt, he thought only of Jeongguk. How could he not? All he could picture was Jeongguk’s soft expression as he catered to the older man’s every need, the way that he massaged the hand of that other client at the Thai restaurant and gave him such rapt attention. Then he pictured the way Jeongguk smiled at him and held him close, the way they kissed…

“Hot damn, look at you. I should put Hobi hyung in a suit tonight just so I can take it off him,” Taehyung mused with a grin. Then he stepped up and planted a sloppy kiss on Jimin’s cheek. “Love you, sweetheart. Try to have fun tonight, okay? Maybe dance a little. Or at least laugh at Seokjin hyung. And tell Sungwoon congratulations.”

So the first thing that Jimin asked Namjoon and Seokjin in the car was if they would dance with him. The couple immediately started yelling and laughing and promised to dance with Jimin, saying they were willing to go as far as to start conga line just to ensure that he danced to his heart’s content, and so that they could efficiently and effectively embarrass him. Jimin clutched the wedding gift closer to his body in the backseat with a smile. This was good. He could do this. Weddings were no problem.

The ceremony itself was beautiful. Namjoon, the man who never cried, had tears in his eyes, and he also had Seokjin taking not-so-discreet videos and photos to commemorate the occasion. Jimin, however, just leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, enthralled by the way Sungwoon and his partner looked at one another, the way they spoke such loving words to one another, the way that Sungwoon beamed the entire time. It was the way neither one of them cared that their marriage wasn’t truly legal, the way that they cared most about the commitment to one another and not the paper document.

“An open bar for all four hours? Holy shit! Are we sure it isn’t Christmas?” Seokjin called out excitedly once they made their way to the reception hall and read the sign. Jimin jokingly shoved ahead of him to get to the bartender first, grabbing a drink and then ordering what he knew Namjoon and Seokjin liked. They both cooed over him dramatically as Jimin swatted them away.

“Okay, now we dance,” Jimin said happily after downing half his drink. “Come on, it’s a good song.”

The grooms still had not arrived yet, surely busy taking photos, so a lot of people were milling around on the dance floor, dancing casually and chatting with one another. Namjoon and Seokjin danced right beside Jimin, Seokjin making sure to do a lot of moves with his arms that had Jimin laughing that he looked like he was guiding airplanes.

One the grooms arrived, the deejay kicked it into high gear, making announcements and calling out each member of the wedding party to ensure they all received individual attention. Jimin stood on his chair and whistled with Sungwoon and his partner came through the archway, holding hands and smiling ear-to-ear, a photographer in tow.

“The grooms will now share their first dance together,” the deejay announced.

“Oh, I love this part,” Seokjin sighed, propping his chin in his palm dreamily.

“We still haven’t taken any dance lessons,” Namjoon hissed to Jimin, and Jimin snorted with laughter, trying to picture his two friends swaying back and forth to their first dance song without tripping each other. He was still giggling when dinner was served, and he had a mouth full of food when Sungwoon came around to their table to say hello.

“Everything’s beautiful,” Jimin gushed, hugging his friend.

“It’s better with you guys here!” Sungwoon complimented. “Thanks for coming.”

“Never send me another Polaroid like that again.”

“I have an entire collection, just you wait,” Sungwoon promised, skipping away before Jimin could retaliate.

Almost immediately after dinner, the deejay put on an upbeat song that have everyone cheering, and he called out that anyone who had themselves a date should come get funky on the dance floor. His words almost exactly, and Jimin did not have a date nor was he feeling particularly funky. He laughed at Namjoon as Seokjin dragged him off, promising to take photos and probably a fair few videos to use as blackmail. The bass dropped in the song, and the dance floor practically shook, so Jimin took a video of Seokjin waving his hands in the air like he just didn’t care, and then sending it directly to Hoseok and Taehyung. Satisfied, he grabbed for his drink, and then he looked back at his friends, feeling a strange sense of longing.

“Come dance with me.”

Jimin could have shattered the glass in his hand with how tightly he gripped it at the sound of that voice. He stared with a clenched jaw at Namjoon and Seokjin dancing for a few seconds, and then he slowly turned and looked up to his right, trying not to promptly burst into tears at the drop of a hat.

“Please,” Jeongguk added, offering a hand. He was dressed in a casual suit just like most every other man in the room, yet he was the one who seemed to stand out most. Jimin’s only question was how the fuck he managed to get into a wedding to which he didn’t know either groom, and why he was here when Jimin told him not to come.

“No, thank you,” Jimin quietly said, his heart pounding.

“Please, hyung,” Jeongguk replied. “It’s a wedding reception, and your date is asking you to dance. Come dance with me. It’s about to change to a slow song, I can feel it in my bones. C’mon, it’ll be cute.”

“It won’t—” Jimin cut himself off when the song changed from the upbeat tempo to a slower song, and the deejay happily called for all couples to head to the dance floor. He narrowed his eyes at Jeongguk, but Jeongguk just stared at him, though he was trying not to grin victoriously and it was obvious. His dimples gave him away.

“Fine,” Jimin whispered, and then he put his hand into Jeongguk’s and let the younger pull him up. It was incredible, how electric it was when they touched. Jimin could have held hands with Seokjin for hours and never felt the same spark. But now he was hand-in-hand with a man he was quite sure he had fallen for weeks ago, maybe even months ago, and he had some many questions and a lot of residual anger. He had been grappling with the very idea of Jeongguk for days upon days, and now he was just here, offering to dance like there wasn’t an unspoken deadline on their relationship.

Jeongguk gently pulled Jimin in towards him, and they just fit. They fit like puzzle pieces. Jeongguk’s right hand wrapped around Jimin’s left hand perfectly, and it was like the small space on Jimin’s back was made for Jeongguk’s other hand. They automatically began to sway to the music at the same exact time, not having to talk about how they were going to dance beforehand. It was so natural that Jimin wanted to cry angry tears.

“How are you here?” he asked, trying to control his voice.

“You put my name down as a plus-one and never took it off. So my name was on the guest list. I came to the reception, said I was sorry for running late,” Jeongguk replied. “Quite easy, actually, especially when I said I was with you.”

“I told you that we shouldn’t go on dates like this.”

“Did you mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me that you meant it,” Jeongguk requested. Jimin tilted his head a bit to look up at Jeongguk, and he opened his mouth to say he didn’t mean it. He wanted to so desperately, but the words ran out of his mouth before he could say them. And maybe, just maybe, he was tired. Fighting Jeongguk was exhausting. Fighting the attraction was draining the life from him. He didn’t want to deny it anymore. It was too hard on him, too detrimental to his state of mind. He couldn’t keep being the tough asshole without feelings, couldn’t keep denying everything or running from it. Jeongguk had already taken that mask off him. But this was a slippery slope they were on, a relationship made from glass dangling off the edge of a cliff. They were bound to break, weren’t they? But Jimin couldn’t help it anymore.

“I didn’t,” Jimin whispered miserably. “I can’t help it, Jeongguk-ah. I… I’m in too deep now. I get too—it’s just a lot to—your whole life, your job, your clients, it’s just…”

“Hyung.” Jeongguk cracked a small smile. “Did you know that I’m a great actor?”

Jimin just blinked, because acting didn’t sound relevant to the conversation. Maybe it was and he was just dumb. Jeongguk pulled him in closer, if it was even possible, until Jimin was sure the younger could feel his pounding heart. If he could, he made no mention of it.

“I cater to my client’s needs. I do exactly what they want me to do. I can be whoever they want me to be for a few hours. I can turn it on and off at the drop of a hat. I spend every day of my life as a chameleon. I just turn into what people need me to be. I never have time to be just Jeongguk. I know I’m successful. I know I’m rich. I know I have my clients to thank for that. But sometimes I get tired hyung. So fucking tired.”

“You…”

“Do you know how many clients I’ve asked on dates? One. Do you know how many clients I’ve introduced to my best friend? One. Do you know how many clients I’ve kissed? One,” Jeongguk listed, and then he pulled away and spun Jimin expertly, pulling him back in like a yo-yo, and Jimin was helpless. He was so fucking helpless for this man, and it felt so good. “Do you know how many clients I’ve opened myself up to? One. And I should hate every second of it, because you’ve made me so fucking reckless. I’ve made a mockery out of my own contract because I broke my one big rule—don’t fall for a client. Fucked that up at the Christmas party. Been going through hell ever since. I’ve been at this for six years, Park Jimin, and you’re the first and only client who’s ever gotten under my skin. You’ve given me the first fucking glimpse of what it’s like to be a normal twenty-five-year-old. I’ve been waiting for you to come save me from my own job for years and I didn’t even know it. Now say something. Please. I can’t ramble like this forever.”

“Kiss me.”

Jeongguk didn’t ask questions. While the music still played, while couples danced around them like a fairytale, Jeongguk took Jimin’s face between his soft hands and kissed him. It was a kiss that felt certain, like Jeongguk had been sure of himself all along. Jimin knew for a goddamn fact he hadn’t. But the longer they kissed, the more he believed every word Jeongguk had said. He wrapped his arms around Jeongguk’s waist and kissed him deeper, savoring the feeling of the younger’s thumbs brushing his cheek repetitively as their lips searched one another’s, knowing they were just in it to break one another because there were no set boundaries. But it didn’t matter, not right now. Jeongguk pulled away, but he rested his forehead against Jimin’s as they continued to sway to the music, barely sidestepping.

“Please tell me it isn’t just me,” he whispered. “I can’t be the only one out of the two of us who caught feelings like a dumbass.”

“You’re not. You’re just the dumbass with a contract who kept me from acting on those feelings,” Jimin whispered back jokingly. Jeongguk snorted with laughter and immediately pressed his lips to Jimin’s again, but Jimin could feel him smiling. “So can we—just destroy the—the contract and—stop,” Jimin laughed when Jeongguk continually interrupted him with kisses.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Jeongguk asked with a grin. His hands left Jimin’s face to grab at his hips, and Jimin inhaled sharply, their bodies now pressed together.

“I was saying to fucking destroy my contract and tell me how I can have you,” Jimin breathed. “Because I’m really fucking sick of waiting.”

“Consider it destroyed. You have me right now.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Jeongguk slowly licked his lips like he was trying to put the very obvious puzzle pieces together, and Jimin could barely breathe as he waited. Jeongguk trailed gentle, ghost-like kisses along the elder’s face and jaw until his lips were by Jimin’s ear.

“My apartment is only five minutes from here.”

Jimin ripped himself from Jeongguk’s hold and immediately tracked down Sungwoon on the dance floor to say goodbye, because as much as he loved his friend, he wasn’t going to wait another fucking minute to have Jeongguk the way he wanted him. Sungwoon hugged Jimin tightly and winked knowingly when he saw Jeongguk standing by, thanking them both for coming. Jimin then grabbed Namjoon’s arm when the elder passed by while dancing.

“I’m leaving,” he said, and Namjoon raised his eyebrows.

“Now? There’s still an hour left! Why would—oh. Oh, okay,” Namjoon said when his eyes fell on Jeongguk. He couldn’t hide the grin on his face, and when Seokjin stopped flailing and turned to pay attention, he had the same reaction.

“Go get your boy, Jiminie,” he teased with a wink, and then he waved over Jimin’s shoulder at Jeongguk. Jimin rolled his eyes at both of them, though pleased, and then he marched up and grabbed Jeongguk’s hand to lead him out of the venue.

“Thought I wasn’t allowed in your apartment anymore,” Jimin said to Jeongguk as they stepped outside, trying to make conversation because he couldn’t wrap his head around everything Jeongguk had confessed to only minutes ago, couldn’t fathom what was about to happen.

“I changed my mind,” Jeongguk replied lightly. “Don’t make me regret it.”

“Trust me, you won’t,” Jimin smoothly said, and he saw the darkened look in Jeongguk’s eyes before they both parted to hop into their respective seats. Once the car was on, Jimin immediately leaned in to fiddle with the radio, muttering to himself as Jeongguk snickered.

“I can always put on Mamamoo for you,” he teased.

“Shut up.”

Jeongguk was right—it took only two songs for them to reach his apartment complex, though Jimin couldn’t remember a single moment of the drive. He could barely sit still the entire time, and when Jeongguk parked the car, he seemed to do it in slow motion. Before he could even take his foot off the brake, Jimin threw open his door and got out. He barely let Jeongguk even step out of the car. He leapt over and pounced, slamming Jeongguk against the driver’s side door of the car to close it, kissing him fiercely. Jeongguk grabbed Jimin anywhere he could—his arms, his neck, his hair, his waist, wherever. Jimin pressed their bodies together, moving his hips against Jeongguk’s, trying to tell him exactly what he wanted. Jeongguk shoved his thigh in between Jimin’s legs, and Jimin gasped into the younger’s mouth, grabbing his hair at the base of his neck and tugging roughly. Jeongguk let out a small whimper that went straight to Jimin’s groin, because it was a needy kind of whining.

“More,” Jeongguk whispered. “P-Please.”

So Jimin readjusted his grip, grabbed more handfuls of Jeongguk’s hair, and tugged harshly, moving his head to the side to expose his neck. Jeongguk let out a soft moan and leaned back against the car further, his fingertips digging into Jimin’s waist so tightly that Jimin was sure he’d have ten little bruises in the morning. Then he dove and began to grab at the soft, beautiful skin on Jeongguk’s neck with his teeth, intent on leaving his mark. He felt Jeongguk’s knees weaken, and Jimin felt his self-control dwindling. Dominant only minutes ago, Jeongguk was starting to slip into a quite different headspace, it was driving Jimin crazy.

“Upstairs,” Jeongguk managed to breathe. “U-Upstairs, hurry.”

The hurrying was a mess of kissing and touching and slamming into walls, both of them laughing and gasping as Jeongguk weakened more and more. Jimin was good at asserting his dominance early on, and Jeongguk was falling into it easily, maybe even willingly. Jimin wasn’t sure how Jeongguk managed to open his apartment door, but they both stumbled inside, the door slamming behind them. Jeongguk didn’t give Jimin a chance. He picked up the elder and set him roughly on the kitchen countertop, and Jimin wrapped his legs around Jeongguk’s waist and pulled him in for a searing kiss that had Jeongguk whimpering, especially because Jimin was gently rolling his hips against Jeongguk’s to create friction.

“Bedroom,” Jimin gasped into Jeongguk’s mouth. “Bedroom. U-Unless you want me to fuck you on your couch.”

Jeongguk inhaled sharply, tugging Jimin’s hair, lips still all over his jawline.

“Yeah? You want to fuck me?” he murmured, biting softly at the sensitive skin on Jimin’s neck, surely leaving marks that would take more than a day to disappear. Jimin wanted Jeongguk to mark him up until it was painful, until he had bruises all over his sensitive skin, but also until he knew exactly how Jimin felt about him. He could already feel his cock leaking, the heat building in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he had ever felt so turned on, so electrified, so on fire, so goddamn needy. He had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from whining desperately, wanting more and more. The kissing was hot, but it was nothing compared to what Jimin was thinking.

“Want to fucking ruin you,” Jimin breathed, hands all over Jeongguk as the younger pulled him off the countertop messily. They kissed and backed up towards Jeongguk’s bedroom, stumbling and gripping one another, kicking off shoes. Jeongguk nearly ripped Jimin’s jacket off, and Jimin slid Jeongguk’s off and pulled roughly at his shirt until it was unbuttoned and on the floor.

“Fuck,” he breathed when he saw Jeongguk with just his shirt off again. His skin was flawless. He was toned like he had worked every goddamn day for it with a tiny waist, broad shoulders, and visible veins running down his arms, like he had just stepped out of every wet dream Jimin had ever had. Was there anything that Jeongguk wasn’t? “You’re so damn gorgeous.”

Jimin pushed Jeongguk onto the bed and up against the myriad of pillows, and then he climbed on top and straddled him, pinning his arms by the wrists above his head. Panting, he slowly began to grind on top of Jeongguk, feeling how hard he was, watching the younger thrash underneath him, throwing his head back into the pillow with a whimpering breath, eye closed. The moment he heard such beautiful sounds, something inside Jimin snapped. He dove forward and immediately latched his lips to Jeongguk’s neck again, sucking the skin to leave a mark as Jeongguk let out a surprised gasp. Jimin was not nearly as strong. Jeongguk broke the grip and grabbed Jimin by the hips, jutting his own hips upward to keep the momentum going.

“D-Don’t stop. P-Please don’t s-stop,” Jeongguk gasped out, his tongue running over his bottom lip several times. Jimin grabbed him by the jaw with one hand and kissed him again, and then he let out a moan that he barely recognized when Jeongguk’s hand finally reached between them to palm his aching cock. He sucked in a breath, and had he not been so aroused and drowning in the moment, he would have been embarrassed at how easily he was succumbing to Jeongguk’s touch. But tonight was not the time to overthink. Not when he wanted to be buried deep inside Jeongguk.

He wanted it all. All Jimin wanted to do was devour the man underneath him, absolutely ruin him, hear him beg. Or even better, hear him scream Jimin’s name. But suddenly, when Jimin opened his eyes and tuned in to what he was feeling, he realized something. Jeongguk’s hands were trembling every time they touched Jimin’s skin, and he was short of breath, but Jimin could immediately tell that it wasn’t just from the kissing. He was fumbling and lost for words and avoiding eye contact, three things very unlike Jeon Jeongguk.

“Jeongguk-ah.”

“Mm,” Jeongguk hummed, still gripping the back of Jimin’s neck, turning his lips towards another sensitive spot underneath Jimin’s left ear. Jimin let out an involuntary sigh, his eyes fluttering closed, his skin on fire the more Jeongguk nipped at it. Jeongguk’s free hand moved to Jimin’s belt, but Jimin stopped him short, even though he was so hard beneath his pants that it physically hurt.

“Wh-When was the last—when was the last time you…?” Jimin breathed, his breath hitching when Jeongguk effortlessly removed his belt with one hand, the other hand carding through Jimin’s hair.

“Why are you asking me that?” Jeongguk whispered, both of his hands falling onto Jimin’s bare back, fingernails digging in. Jesus fuck, Jimin was about to destroy him if he didn’t stop.

“Tell me.”

“I… It’s… I…” Jeongguk searched for an answer, but he let out a soft whimper when Jimin reached down and began to palm him through his pants. “Fuck… Fuck, it’s been—it’s been awhile,” he finally admitted, tripping over his words. In response, Jimin immediately reached down and made short work of helping Jeongguk out of his pants, kissing him roughly and desperately, teeth clashing together, Jimin’s ability to control himself diminishing every time he heard a moan from the back of Jeongguk’s throat.

“Do you still want me?” Jimin whispered, his heart leaping into his throat.

“Fucking yes, I want you,” Jeongguk breathed, both of them down to just underwear now, and it was still too much fabric. “C-Can’t believe you’d even ask.”

Already feeling a trickle of sweat down his spine, Jimin hastily removed Jeongguk’s underwear, and then he inhaled sharply. Not like he hadn’t expected Jeongguk to be big, but holy shit. He was starting to regret not being more of a bottom now. Jimin reached down and swiped his thumb over the slit, pumping a few times until his hand was slick with pre-cum. Jeongguk immediately began to writhe underneath him.

“ Fuck, that feels so good. F-Fucking hell,” he stammered helplessly. “Fuck, keep going. K-Keep going, don’t— shit.”

Jeongguk lost all of his words when Jimin bent down, took him into his mouth, and hollowed his cheeks, sucking and swirling his tongue around the tip, running his tongue along the sensitive vein as Jeongguk smacked the mattress with one hand and fisted the sheets, grabbing Jimin by the hair with the other hand. Jimin steadied himself and continued to take Jeongguk full in his mouth, all the way to the back of his throat, tears burning his eyes as he tried not to choke. Jeongguk’s hips stuttered and thrusted as he fucked into Jimin’s mouth desperately, toes curling.

“Hold on.” Jimin gripped Jeongguk’s hips. “What do you think you’re doing? Trying to fuck my mouth? Did I say to do that?”

“I-I’m sorry, I just—I need more,” Jeongguk panted, pouting. Jimin couldn’t believe that this was the same Jeongguk who demanded 600,000 won for an hour of time. It couldn’t possibly be the same person. Obediently, Jeongguk stopped trying to fuck into Jimin’s mouth and sank into the bed, licking his lips over and over again as Jimin took more of Jeongguk down to the back of his throat, humming in satisfaction.

“Fuck, you’re amazing. L-Look at me. Look at me,” Jeongguk gasped demandingly, pulling Jimin’s hair. With his cock still in his mouth, Jimin flicked his watering eyes up towards Jeongguk, purposely gripping at the base and circling his tongue around the head. Jeongguk let out a loud moan, shoving Jimin’s head down further onto his length. Jimin choked and coughed, but he didn’t stop. Jeongguk was panting and moaning and breathlessly cursing, and Jimin could hardly see straight anymore. With his free hand, he reached down and grabbed his own cock to provide some kind of relief, getting off on all the pretty sounds Jeongguk was making for him, in response to him.

“G-Gonna fucking—shit, I’m gonna cum if—if you don’t s-stop,” Jeongguk said. “Fucking love your mouth, holy shit. I—I’m…”

Jimin immediately removed Jeongguk from his mouth with a pop, and Jeongguk let out a huffy breath through his nose of displeasure, rutting his hips up as if searching for Jimin’s mouth again. Even in the heat of the moment, Jimin had to crack a smile.

“Lube and condoms,” he said, but Jeongguk didn’t move. “ Jeongguk-ah. What did I say?”

“R-Right! Right, sorry,” Jeongguk gasped, and he immediately rolled and yanked open the drawer of his nightstand, chest glistening with sweat, hands shaking. “I’m sorry, hyung, I—”
Jimin cut Jeongguk off by grabbing him by the jaw again, pushing upward slightly as Jeongguk choked on his words, lube and a condom in hand.

“I don’t want apologies. I want you to shut up so I can finally fuck you,” Jimin said, and then he threw his head back with a frustrated sigh, hardly able to think straight with the way his cock was throbbing, desperate for relief. He needed to be inside Jeongguk as soon as possible, but he knew Jeongguk needed to be prepped.

“I—Yeah, okay. O-Okay,” Jeongguk stammered eagerly, fisting the condom in one hand as Jimin snatched the lube out of the other. He drizzled a generous amount on his fingers, and as he coated them, he looked down at Jeongguk. He was naked and so goddamn gorgeous, his chest heaving slightly as he panted, his jaw clenching every few seconds, his hair already sweaty, his normally clear brown eyes dark with desire, pupils blown, his lips swollen from kissing and biting. Jimin had never in his life seen someone so fucking beautiful. It was painful. He couldn’t believe he had waited this long to fuck this man, couldn’t believe he had wasted so much time.

“Stop fucking playing with me,” Jeongguk said breathlessly, watching Jimin play with the lube on his fingers. “S-Stop it, Jesus Christ, just—just—”

Jimin reached forward and wrapped one hand around Jeongguk’s throat to cut him off. He remembered that one night go-karting when Jeongguk had happily let Jimin play around with mildly choking him. He still wasn’t sure if Jeongguk liked such a thing, but he hadn’t complained when Jimin had grabbed his face, so perhaps it was worth a shot. As if Jimin needed any more pre-cum to leak from his cock, Jeongguk gasped, “shit, yes. Harder. H-Harder, choke me.” So he squeezed a bit tighter, and Jeongguk’s eyes rolled to the back of his head in sheer pleasure. Jesus Christ.

“I’ll tell you no if I have to,” Jimin whispered, and Jeongguk just barely nodded underneath his grip. “You’re not ready for me yet.”

“Y-Yes I am,” Jeongguk retorted hoarsely, so Jimin squeezed again and Jeongguk coughed, his hands gripping Jimin’s ass, fingernails digging in, hips rocking.

“I said I’d do it,” Jimin barked, and then he softened his voice and leaned in. “Gonna open you up for me, love. Open you up so you’re ready for me. Okay?”

The way Jeongguk had been talking, Jimin assumed that he was used to being fingered. But when Jimin’s fingers so much as grazed his hole, Jeongguk grabbed for Jimin, stopping him short.

“Go easy on me,” he whispered, eyes shining, pleading. Jimin stared down at him, panting as he removed his hand from the younger’s throat. Right. Jeongguk hadn’t been fucked in awhile. Surely he just got himself off with his own hand when he needed to. If he wasn’t having sex as an escort, there wasn’t a reason for him to be opening himself up. He was scared. Didn’t want to be hurt. And even though all Jimin wanted to do was hurt him in the best way possible, he knew he had to pull back, even just a little. By saying those four words, Jeongguk had just made himself immensely vulnerable. Jimin could play the part of dominant top and make Jeongguk a submissive bottom until he cried, but this was Jeongguk. He couldn’t be too harsh, not their first time.

“I’ve got you,” Jimin whispered, and then he circled his thumb around Jeongguk’s rim as Jeongguk whimpered, eyes closed. He slowly inserted one finger up to his knuckle, and Jeongguk blew out a breath, still fisting the sheets. Jimin continued to open him up slowly as he reached up and wrapped his hand around Jeongguk’s hard cock again, grabbing more pre-cum that was leaking from the slit and circling his thumb around the head.

“Fuck,” Jeongguk moaned. “Oh my God. F-Fuck, I can’t—I— more. More, hyung, more.”

Jimin patiently inserted a second finger, and Jeongguk let out a loud whimper, legs shaking, and then he grabbed Jimin’s shoulders, his hands sliding off immediately from the sweat. Instead, he threw both of his arms overtop his face, panting, legs jerking when Jimin started to curl his fingers in just the right spot.

“You look so pretty like this,” Jimin whispered, still stroking Jeongguk with his free hand. “So goddamn pretty. Relax for me, Jeongguk-ah. C’mon. C’mon, baby, just relax.”

Jeongguk let out another moan at the sound of the pet name, “M-More. Please, more. Another, add another, n-need more.”

Jimin was leaking shamelessly onto the sheets, watching Jeongguk fall apart underneath him just from his fingers. No man he’d fucked had ever reacted to him like this, and it was making him feel primal and far too powerful. Every time he curled his (now three) fingers and hit the sensitive bundle of nerves, Jeongguk leaked more pre-cum onto his abdomen, muscles flexing, sweat dripping down his face, every sound from his mouth like music to Jimin’s ears. He was ready. He was so fucking ready.

“Will you be good for me?” Jimin whispered, rolling the condom onto his length with one hand as he leaned in and kissed Jeongguk’s jawline and neck, the fingers of his other hands still scissoring and searching to open him up. “Hmm? Tell me you’ll be good for me.”

“Y-Yes,” Jeongguk breathed. “Yes, I will. I’ll be good.”

It was unbelievable to Jimin how easily and readily submissive Jeongguk was when it came to sex. For months he had power-played Jimin, always the dominating force, always in charge, always stronger. Now he was naked and vulnerable and already half fucked out, begging Jimin for more and obediently responding to every question. It made Jimin moan quietly, his cock so hard that he couldn’t believe he was still functioning. He had no idea that this was a dynamic he liked so much, but he was absolutely reeling now. Jeongguk was so quick to become a frantic, stammering mess when he was scolded, so quick to be compliant. When Jimin removed his fingers, Jeongguk whimpered at the loss, back arching slightly as he searched for something, anything to fill him up.

“H-Hyung, please, I need— ah,” Jeongguk gasped. He had been trying to ask for some kind of mercy, Jimin assumed, but he lined himself up and gently pushed the tip of his cock into Jeongguk, shutting him up. Jeongguk whined and clawed at Jimin’s ribs, leaving immediate scratch marks, and Jimin took that as his cue to push in further, gradually.

“Shit,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re so fucking tight, Jeongguk. Fuck, you feel so good.”

He looked down at Jeongguk, hands on either side of the younger’s shoulders, and Jeongguk finally opened his eyes. They were watering with tears, sweat dripping down his face, his hair stuck to his forehead, lips parted as he panted in desperation, still leaning back into the pillows. Jimin reached up and pushed his sweaty hair away from his forehead to admire his entire face in all its beauty, his face while he was being fucked.

“H-Hyung,” Jeongguk whispered, eyes rolling to the back of his head when Jimin so much as breathed while inside him. Jimin leaned down to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear.

“Me too,” he whispered. “It’s okay. You’re do so well, baby.”

Jeongguk let out a pleased breath at the praise, and Jimin brushed his lips along Jeongguk’s neck, trying not to smile. No praise kink his ass. Not with Jimin inside him like this, not when he was tight as a vice around Jimin and feeling everything all at once.

“Okay. Move,” Jeongguk whispered. “Y-You can move. Need you to move. Want you to f-feel me. Want to feel you. Please.”

Jimin reached down and fiercely kissed Jeongguk, and then he pulled out nearly all the way before pushing back into him. Jeongguk let out a loud moan that filled the entire bedroom, echoing off the walls. Now Jimin couldn’t stop. He steadied himself and began to repetitively thrust into the younger, tripping over words he couldn’t get out the more that Jeongguk cried out and desperately grabbed for him.

“H-Harder. Fuck me harder,” he demanded, even though he was clearly overwhelmed. His legs were all over the place and he was trembling head to toe, but he was taking Jimin’s cock without complaint. “ Harder, hyung, h-harder. Please. Need it, I need it. Please, please, please.”

He was still polite even in the middle of being fucked. Jimin could barely breathe now. Jeongguk was still so tight around him and it felt so fucking good. His vision was blurring. His heart was racing. He could feel the buildup in the pit of his stomach already, could feel his knees shaking in anticipation of surely the best fucking orgasm of his life. Jimin slipped one arm underneath Jeongguk’s leg and pulled it up to his shoulder, and Jeongguk tilted his head back with a strangled sigh, exposing his neck and making Jimin feel wilder by the second. Jeongguk let out another cry when Jimin thrusted into him again roughly at just the right angle, and he finally reached down and grabbed his own hardened cock, chasing his orgasm as Jimin watched, fascinated, completely entranced, pupils blown. Jeongguk’s back arched off the bed for a moment as Jimin searched for another perfect angle.

“Tell me what you want,” Jimin said gruffly, his skin on fire as he pushed further into Jeongguk, skin on skin, dripping sweat. He’d never felt so goddamn good before, never fucked someone with such little control. “Tell me.”

“Fucking anything,” Jeongguk choked out. “Fuck, just—just—want you to ruin me. Fuck me harder, damn it. Fuck, oh my God.”

Jeongguk rolled his hips and Jimin felt him clench, rim tightening around him as Jimin’s brain began to fog. Suddenly, all he could imagine was being on his back with Jeongguk riding his cock, and he let out a moan, feeling the buildup intensify. The fantasies in his head while he was already inside the man he was desperate to fuck… what the hell was happening to him?

“Hyung, I can’t—I’m gonna—I’m gonna cum,” Jeongguk stammered, struggling to keep his eyes open. “Fuck, I’m gonna…”

“M-Me too,” Jimin said. “I—I’m so fucking close.”

“P-Please, I… I’m gonna…”

“Cum for me, love, go ahead,” Jimin insisted, and then he reached down and swatted Jeongguk’s hand away. Jimin took Jeongguk’s cock in his grip and began to work him with a deft hand, Jeongguk moaning loudly in the meantime as Jimin hit his prostate over and over again, having found the perfect spot. The next moan of Jimin’s name that he let out made Jimin clench his jaw, his stomach flipping. He watched as Jeongguk shuddered and threw his head back with a strangled cry, panting as he came hard all over his abdomen and chest. Jimin almost collapsed at the sight, and then he thrust harder into Jeongguk, watching the younger continually fall apart post-orgasm underneath him, begging for Jimin to finish, writhing and twisting, overly sensitive.

“Ride me,” Jimin demanded, seeing double vision. “F-Fucking get on top of me. Want you to ride me.”

Jeongguk didn’t need to be told twice. Without letting Jimin pull out, he rolled the two of them onto the next pillow, cum still dripping down his abdomen, set his knees on the bed, and sank onto Jimin’s cock. The way he moaned and threw his head back with his eyes closed was the most beautiful thing Jimin had ever seen. He lifted himself up and sank back down onto Jimin over and over, leaning in towards Jimin, teeth grabbing the skin on his shoulder, hands fisting the sheets beside Jimin’s head.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” Jeongguk panted as Jimin rutted upwards, his thrusts staggered and completely unpredictable. “M-Made me feel so fucking good, hyung. So good. Would—Would let you fuck me e-every day.”

His voice was enough for Jimin. It sent a pleasurable shiver down his spine, and then he moaned loudly and unashamedly as Jeongguk rode him straight through his orgasm. He filled up the condom like never before, feeling Jeongguk still tight around him once more, and then they both collapsed.

For a long and glorious minute, Jimin stayed on his back with his eyes closed, soaking the sheets, relishing in the feeling of Jeongguk’s chest on his, feeling his racing heartbeat, both of them blissfully ignoring the cum and sweat sticking the two of them together. Jimin preferred wet and messy. Maybe Jeongguk did, too, but right now, Jimin couldn’t think of anything but how Jeongguk felt around him, how he gasped and cursed with every thrust, how his eyes rolled back and he clenched his jaw after moaning. Dazed, Jimin reached up and touched his fingertips to Jeongguk’s sweaty hair.

“I need a minute,” Jeongguk said breathlessly, and then he gingerly peeled himself off Jimin. The moment Jimin saw Jeongguk’s eyes, he felt his cock twitch in interest all over again. Jeongguk’s hair was a sweaty mess. His lips were pink and swollen. His eyes were shining and half-lidded. He was completely fucked out, breathing with his mouth slightly open as he stared at Jimin. Jimin could barely breathe. He was so goddamn beautiful. So gorgeous. So easy to kiss, easy to fuck.

“I’ll give you more than that,” Jimin whispered as Jeongguk dropped to Jimin’s left side on his back, still catching his breath. They both rolled towards one another at the same time, and Jimin swooped in and captured Jeongguk’s lips in a kiss. It wasn’t the desperate kind of kissing like before. It was lazy and languid, tongues dancing, eyes closed. Jimin subconsciously tangled his legs with Jeongguk’s, his tongue sweeping Jeongguk’s bottom lip hungrily, and Jeongguk immediately raked his fingers through Jimin’s sweaty hair and moved his body closer until their hips were touching again.

“You’re so beautiful,” Jeongguk whispered, eyes glazed over as he stared at Jimin, fingertips still flitting across Jimin’s bare skin. “So goddamn beautiful. I… I’ve been thinking about you—about this—about… for—for so long.”

“Hope I went easy on you,” Jimin murmured, still tingling just from hearing the compliments.

“You did for our first time,” Jeongguk whispered, and then a tired smirk spread across his pink lips. “Next time, though, don’t be so nice. I like it rough. Don’t underestimate me.”
Jeongguk barely got the words about before Jimin was trying to catch them all, pressing their lips together eagerly. He was so exhausted, so spent, but could still feel himself getting hard just from Jeongguk’s raspy voice suggesting a next time. The things he wanted to do to this man… shit, the things he would let Jeongguk do to him. Jimin shivered as his eyes fell closed just at the thought of Jeongguk fucking him, of being helpless underneath him. He was never the type to think like that. Jeongguk was ruining him.

“Hyung—”

“Guk.” Jimin stroked Jeongguk’s hair, damp from sweat. “Just…”

Jeongguk seemed to understand that there was no time for talking. They both had heavy eyelids, after all. Jimin quietly rolled off the bed and padded into the bathroom, and then he wet a washcloth and brought it back to the bed. He quietly wiped Jeongguk down, then himself, and tossed the washcloth into the trashcan because he was too lazy to get up. Then he crawled back onto the bed, and Jeongguk immediately dove right into his arms. Jeongguk, who was both taller and physically stronger, rushing to be cuddled. It was too much. This man was truly ruining Jimin.

Ruining.

The longer they laid naked in the comfortable silence, the colder Jimin’s blood began to run. They had actually done it. They’d really gone as far as to have sex, and now Jimin could truly see how much he was ruining Jeongguk. He was destroying him. He was the one responsible for turning Jeongguk’s career into shambles. He was taking everything Jeongguk had worked years for and throwing it out the window. All of those clients would have to hear that Jeongguk wanted a relationship, would have to have their sessions cancelled someday, all because of Jimin. All because he had selfishly fallen for Jeon Jeongguk. All because he had fallen for Jeongguk as a human being, forgetting that he was first and foremost an escort for dozens upon dozens of people. Oh, God. Oh God, oh God, oh God. It hit Jimin like a fucking freight train, all intimacy suddenly forgotten. Jeongguk was suddenly breathing steadily in his arms, having drifted off to sleep fast, but Jimin was lying on his back staring at the ceiling with wide eyes that were burning. Burning with tears of pure panic. His chest was so tight that he almost gasped. His hands started trembling violently at the very thought of Jeongguk telling that elderly man that he was in a relationship.

Oh, God. He couldn’t do this to Jeongguk anymore. He couldn’t. It was too fucking much. The house of cards tumbled to the ground, hearts everywhere. He couldn’t fucking breathe. What was he doing? What the hell was he doing? How could he?

***

When Jeongguk woke up with sunlight streaming through the curtains, the first thing he did was reach out an arm with a small smile, eyes still closed, searching for the warm body that had been wrapped around him when he had fallen asleep. When his hand patted the cold sheets, he opened his eyes, the smile vanishing.

The bed on the right side was made. The pillows were resting against the headboard like they had been before. No note. Nothing at all. It felt like someone had grabbed Jeongguk’s heart with a rough hand and clenched. Then it sank, his bruised heart, deep into the pit of his stomach with a sorrowful sigh, circling the drain of distrust.

Jimin was gone.

Chapter Text

“She’s going to go numb if you keep petting her like that.”

“Mm.”

“Guk.” Yoongi sighed and sat down on the edge of his own bed, where Jeongguk was buried deep under the covers. His Chartreux cat, Bomi, was curled up practically on Jeongguk’s face, letting her favorite human repetitively pet her grey fur as she purred every so often. “Honey, it’s been three days. You have to check your phone. I can’t answer any of these messages.”

“I don’t care.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll answer them. ‘Hi, I’m in despair over another man, please leave me alone, I’m not escorting your ass today,’” Yoongi said, pretending to text. Jeongguk whined childishly, dragging Bomi closer to hide his face in her soft fur as Yoongi dropped his hands into his lap. “Fine. But you can’t keep sleeping over. Jihwan hyung loves you a lot, but he doesn’t want a threesome.”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk whispered.

“Yeah, okay. I get it. You’re heartbroken. Jesus, Guk.” Yoongi ruffled his hair with a small frown. “You went through hell ten times over at university and you never pulled this shit. This stay-in-bed-forever shit. You have to talk to me.”

“No.”

“No? Not even to your best friend and best hyung? Or has Park Jimin taken my place as your favorite?” Yoongi asked, but Jeongguk just whimpered pathetically and curled up more into a fetal position. Sympathetic, Yoongi reached forward and stroked Jeongguk’s dirty hair a few times. This was not what he expected from his resilient little brother, the man who juggled dozens of clients like he was the goddamn ringmaster of the escort circus.

“He won’t talk to me.”

It came out as nothing more than a whisper, but Yoongi heard it. Tired, he crawled onto the bed and rolled until he was the big spoon to a much taller Jeongguk, hugging him tightly. He didn’t even cuddle with his own boyfriend like this, but for Jeongguk, he made all the exceptions. He knew it mattered, too, because Jeongguk instantly scooted so that he was pressed right into Yoongi. Bomi even got up and pressed her front paws to Jeongguk’s hip, pushing up to see her real master.

“Get down, you weirdo, Jeongguk needs you,” Yoongi told her, so she floated back down towards Jeongguk and curled up again. “So let’s recap. I get a phone call Sunday morning and you’re fucking hysterical. You slept with Jimin and he disappeared. You tried to call him and it went straight to voicemail. You texted him and he didn’t respond. And now you’re here.”

“Right. So I don’t need to talk,” Jeongguk whispered.

“No, honey, you do. You really do. You need to tell me what Jimin is to you. That’s where we start, because if you can’t figure that out, then I can’t help you. Is he a client?”

“No.”

“He was, though.”

“Not anymore.”

“Then what is he? A friend?”

“Yes.”

“More than a friend?”

“Way more.”

“What do you want him to be?”

“I—” Jeongguk choked on his next words, sniffing quietly. Yoongi wrapped his arm tighter around the younger’s waist, and Jeongguk hugged the arm close to his body, knowing Yoongi would always protect him. “I don’t know. I… I’ve never been in this situation before.”

“And what’s this situation?”

“Normal. Normal life,” Jeongguk said softly. “Where I… Where I meet someone and—and fall for him and now…”

“Oh, so having feelings? That’s normal life to you? That’s what us mortal humans experience?” Yoongi teased with a small smile, ignoring Jeongguk’s subsequent whining. “I get it. You’ve been at this escorting shit for six years, Guk. You’ve been with hundreds of people, but you’ve never talked about a client the way you talk about Jimin. What is it about him? Tell me.”

“He’s… He’s just… He’s everything,” Jeongguk whispered. “R-Remember when we first met? And you asked me the kind of man I was looking for?”

“He’s it.”

“He’s exactly it. I didn’t know it until I met him. He’s… he’s so beautiful, hyung. And so smart. He cares so much about his friends. About me. He’s funny and interesting and… I don’t know. He—He’s not great with jealousy, though. But that’s okay. I don’t even care. He’s the first person I feel like I can just accept how he is. Flaws and all. None of it bothers me.”

“That’s new.”

“It’s fucking terrifying,” Jeongguk whispered. “I’ve been escorting for so long that I thought that it was all I was supposed to do with my life. Then I met Jimin hyung, and now I… now I want more. I want to actually—like, put my university degree to use. I want to be passionate about something again. I want a normal relationship. I want to go a day without my phone and not worry that someone desperately needs my attention.”

“All because of him, huh?”

“Yes.” Jeongguk sniffed again, and Yoongi felt a hot tear hit his hand by his thumb. Jeongguk didn’t cry much over real life (the end of The Good Dinosaur made him cry like a baby), but this was easily the sixth or seventh time in the span of a few days that he’d dissolved into tears. Yoongi had had enough of it.

“Well, if Jimin won’t talk to you, then who will? Do you know any of his friends?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. So think about them, then. Which one of them do you think you could talk to?”

“Not… not Seokjin hyung or Namjoon hyung. They’re older. They’re getting married soon. I don’t think they’d talk much about it,” Jeongguk muttered, reasoning with himself as he scratched Bomi’s ears. “And Hoseok hyung… He works with Jimin hyung. That would be too difficult, too obvious. And he’s not good at talking about feelings. Jimin hyung said so.”

“Anyone else?”

“…Taehyungie hyung might,” Jeongguk whispered, his heart aching. “He might talk to me.”

“As in, Kim Taehyung? The famous photographer you showed me on Instagram?”

“Yeah. Jimin hyung’s best friend.”

“And he’s a photographer, too,” Yoongi pointed out. “That could be mutually beneficial.”

“Maybe.”

“So why don’t you text him to see if you can meet up to talk?”

“I don’t think I can just ask him to talk,” Jeongguk mumbled, frowning. “Wait. What’s today?”

“May third. Sunday.”

“My photos.” Jeongguk suddenly straightened up. “Hyung, the pictures I get done every year, the headshots and stuff. I’m supposed to meet with my other photographer at the end of the month. What if I just ask Taehyungie hyung to do them?”

“I mean, if you have to be sneaky about it.”

“It’s a good segue,” Jeongguk argued. “I’m doing it. Hand me my phone.”

“Oh?” Yoongi rolled off the bed. “What’s this? Is this Jeon Jeongguk actually willing to join the land of the living? Bomi, baby, did you hear that? Jeonggukie’s gonna actually touch his phone. Get the camera.”

“Fuck off, hyung,” Jeongguk grumbled, so Yoongi smacked the phone into his outstretched palm. Jeongguk rolled onto his back, his body aching, and then he wrote out a carefully considered text message:

JEONGGUK [11:15:34AM]
Hi, hyung, it’s Jeongguk. I was wondering if you had a free hour sometime this week. I need my annual headshots done for my company, and I know you’re good with a camera. Will you help me out?

KIM TAEHYUNG [11:17:49AM]
Hey Jeonggukie! Haven’t heard from you in a million years. I’m not cheap, bub, are you sure?

JEONGGUK [11:18:36AM]
I can afford it, I promise.

KIM TAEHYUNG [11:19:51AM]
Are you free Wednesday at 6:30pm? I have an hour timeslot available. I’ll give you a family/friends discount ;)

JEONGGUK [11:20:43AM]
I’m free. Thanks so much, hyung. You don’t have to do the discount. It’s up to you.

KIM TAEHYUNG [11:22:02AM]
For you, baby boy, anything ;) Send me some of your previous headshots or photos if you have any to [email protected] and I’ll text you a location.

JEONGGUK [11:23:57PM]
I’ll do that right now. Also, can you not tell Jimin hyung that I’m using you as a photographer?

KIM TAEHYUNG [11:24:45AM]
I’d ask why, but maybe I don’t want to know. Also, I’m sending you a media release form once you email me. I can’t photograph that handsome face and not put it on social media ;)

JEONGGUK [11:25:34AM]
Sure thing. Thanks again, hyung. See you Wednesday.

***

“Thanks for agreeing to help me out.”

“A friend of Jiminie’s is a friend of mine,” Taehyung said with a cheeky grin, still fiddling with his camera. Jeongguk cleared his throat and shielded his eyes from the dull setting sun as he cocked his head to the side, surveying Taehyung. He typically took professional photos once per year, always at the start of May when the weather was nice, just a quick session for website or portfolio purposes. He had used the same photographer since he started his business at age nineteen. Now he was changing it up, and Yoongi was the only one who knew why.

“So, uh.” Jeongguk rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He’d hung out plenty of times with Taehyung, so why was he nervous? Fidgety? It had to be because they were one-on-one, but Jeon Jeongguk was the last person to ever feel displaced in a social situation. He knew that much about himself. “Just, you know. A couple of full body shots. A few headshots. Nothing major. We may not even need the whole hour.”

“Drop your hand.”

“What?” With one hand still in his pocket, Jeongguk slowly dropped his right hand from his neck, head still tilted slightly to the side. Before he could say a word, Taehyung lifted his camera and snapped a photo. Then he pulled away and checked the screen.

“I wasn’t ready,” Jeongguk said lamely.

“Really?” Taehyung asked innocently, though dramatically enough that Jeongguk knew he was teasing. “I was checking the lighting and the white balance. Could use this picture, though, you photogenic asshole. Okay, let’s go. Turn a bit to your left so I can angle this properly. Shoulders down.”

Jeongguk had been led through photoshoots before, but Taehyung was a different breed. He complied and took the shots that Jeongguk had wanted, but then he started to experiment. He asked Jeongguk to sit on the stone ledge for a few shots. Asked him to lie down. Asked him to situate himself behind the hanging branches of leaves and flowers and use them as a prop. Jeongguk had never felt so out of his element before, but Taehyung didn’t seem to care. Jeongguk couldn’t say it out loud, but it was mesmerizing, the way that Taehyung worked, and so interesting to study from a fellow photographer’s viewpoint. Taehyung did not follow the rules, and now it was obvious why he had just hit two million Instagram followers.

“So, why ask me to do these?” Taehyung asked Jeongguk conversationally as he scrolled through a few of the photos, and Jeongguk sat on the ledge.

“You came highly recommended,” he said evenly. Taehyung glanced up.

“I checked the previous work you provided as a reference point,” Taehyung replied. “You’ve used the same photographer for seven years.”

Damn it, he was perceptive. And he did his research. Jeongguk had to respect it.

“Right. Well, I thought I’d change it up,” he reasoned.

“Mm. So remind me how you met my sweet little Jiminie, again?” Ouch. Salt in the wound. Jeongguk wasn’t an idiot. Taehyung’s voice said it all. He surely knew that Jimin hadn’t been in touch for what felt like an eternity. Nevertheless, Jeongguk swallowed heavily and responded.

“We crossed paths on the same running route.”

“Ah, that’s right. Which one?”

“What do you mean?”

“I used to live with Jiminie up until last summer.” Taehyung lowered the camera and surveyed Jeongguk over his black-framed glasses, which he had slid on to look through his photos. “Lived with him for almost a decade. We were born the same year. We cuddled every night. I’ve seen him naked. So I always knew where he was, you know?”

“I don’t follow,” Jeongguk said, wondering why he felt such a fleeting stab of jealously hearing Taehyung speak.

“He would always go out for his morning run fifteen minutes before I woke up in the morning,” Taehyung explained. “And we had a system. He would write down the streets of the routes that he liked best, no matter where we lived. In his current apartment, he has five routes. They’re written on pieces of paper in a kitchen drawer. He always left one on the countertop so I knew his route and could find him if something ever went wrong.”

“That’s… that’s pretty smart,” Jeongguk admitted.

“So I’m wondering where you met him, exactly. Which route. Maybe which street,” Taehyung said harmlessly, but alarm bells and red flashing lights began to go off in Jeongguk’s brain. It was such a cute and innocent segue into a much more dangerous question. Shit.

“I can’t remember,” Jeongguk said casually with a shrug, his heart pounding in his ears. “I was too busy trying to chase him down.”

“Mm.” Taehyung lifted the camera and pointed it at Jeongguk, and then he snapped another photo. Jeongguk had to wonder how that photo would turn out, because he felt his brow furrowed and his face had clearly lost a bit of color.

“I, uh… I think we have all the photos we need,” Jeongguk said, trying to keep his voice even.

“Oh, I know that.” Taehyung chuckled. “Pretty face like yours? I got the shots I needed in the first ten minutes. You’re a natural. I’m just using up your hour of pay and fishing for answers.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“I love you with all my heart, so you know I’m not saying that I don’t trust you,” Taehyung carefully said, and he let the camera hang around his neck as he shuffled over to Jeongguk, hands in the pockets of his baggy black pants. “What I’m saying is that I don’t trust you. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

Jeongguk heard the difference in his voice when he said the same phrase, though. He wasn’t an idiot. He made a living off understanding human habits and reading people like the morning newspaper. Taehyung was no different, though when he was by himself without Hoseok or Jimin around, he was mildly intimidating for a reason Jeongguk couldn’t quite pin.

“What I’m saying,” Taehyung repeated gently, “is that I think you’re lying.”

“About what?” Jeongguk immediately said, wanting to smack himself in the face for answering so quickly, so defensively.

“About a lot. About your life. ‘Customer service’ is a pretty vague job description, but you drive a Mercedes and you’re rich as fuck. Jimin’s my best friend and he never mentioned you once until the night of the merger party when he texted me and said he had a date. I thought you were dating until suddenly he won’t even let me bring up your name. And then you asked me not to tell him about this session. Piqued my interest, you could say. So my question is, how did you really meet him?”

He could lie. Jeongguk licked his lips slowly, trying to hide his failing nerve. He couldn’t keep this act up forever. Taehyung was practically Jimin’s soulmate, the way it sounded. He wasn’t stupid, either. If he was already suspicious, any bullshit Jeongguk told him would immediately set off alarms. There was now no other option than the truth.

“Not running.”

“I figured as much.”

“Uh…” Jeongguk stalled for a minute as Taehyung sat down next to him on the ledge. “We shared taxi.”

“Oh. Cute.”

“Well, I kind of stole it from him,” Jeongguk admitted guiltily. “He hailed the taxi, but I needed to be somewhere, so I—you know. I just got into it on the other side.”

“Holy shit,” Taehyung laughed. “You’re the asshole who stole his cab?”

“Sorry, what?”

“Christ, he came home from drinks after work one day and went off about some asshole who stole his cab and read him like a book. That was you?”

“I guess so,” Jeongguk murmured.

“So that was it? Why lie about that?” Taehyung asked. “So you didn’t hit it off at first. Big deal.”

“That’s not it,” Jeongguk replied. “I… I gave him my card.”

“Your card?”

Jeongguk wordlessly reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed Taehyung one of his business cards with trembling fingers. Taehyung accepted the card and read it once. Twice. A third time. Flipped it over. Flipped it again. Read it repetitively.

“Is he… Did he pay you?” Taehyung whispered. Jeongguk couldn’t tell if he was mad or shocked. Maybe both. “Jeongguk-ah. Did Jimin pay you to hang out with him?”

“At first, yes,” Jeongguk quietly said, staring at one spot on the ground until he went cross-eyed, vision blurring. “The merger party. The company holiday party with the go-karting. H-He called me and asked for me. But I… I stopped charging him.”

“You stopped charging him?” Taehyung repeated, eyebrows raised.

“After New Year’s Eve. I stopped charging him for my time.”

“Why? I mean, as far as I can tell, you run your life like a business,” Taehyung said.

“I don’t know,” Jeongguk mumbled. “I just… did. I—” He shifted abruptly to face Taehyung, startling the elder for a moment. He couldn’t stop the confession from tumbling out of his mouth now. Taehyung had triggered something in him, and he hadn’t seen Jimin in what felt like decades. He had to get it out. That was the whole purpose of having Taehyung take these photos, but Jeongguk had been chickening out up until this point. “I didn’t want him to pay for it.”

“Why?”

“Because I had friends,” Jeongguk choked out. “He—He brought me to places with you guys. You and Hoseok and—you know. Everyone. And Jimin hyung, he’s so… he’s… Y-You know that his eyes disappear when he laughs.”

“Yeah. It’s cute.”

“And that he also throws himself onto you when he laughs.”

“Yup.”

“And that he’s a picky eater, but he’s tried a lot of foods for me and liked them.”

“Yeah?”

“And that his favorite color right now is yellow.”

“Yup.”

“A-And that he talks in his sleep.”

“Mhm.” Taehyung’s humming grew louder as did his amused grin, and Jeongguk’s face immediately burned. He couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to the nights they’d spent in the cabin for Hoseok’s birthday celebration, legs tangled together under the covers, Jimin’s head resting on his shoulder, nose pressed to his neck as he slept. The way he smelled like vanilla and lavender with a hint of orange, how soft to the touch his hair felt, how he whimpered and whispered in his sleep and clung to Jeongguk through his dreams. And that kiss, holy shit, that first kiss. Never mind the first time and only time they’d fucked, that first kiss was—fuck, Jeongguk would do anything to have just one more night like that—

“So what you’re saying is that you like him.”

“What?” Jeongguk said defensively, but Taehyung snorted with laughter. “No, I don’t—I don’t go past my boundaries with—with clients. I—I don’t involve myself in intimate relationships. It would ruin my business. Besides, he’s—I mean, he’s clearly not interested anymore.”

“Mhm.”

A few birds flew overhead, chirping as Jeongguk closed his eyes slow, feeling them prickle and burn. Taehyung knew Park Jimin better than anyone, and Jeongguk couldn’t talk to Yoongi about what went on in Jimin’s brain. Now the truth was pouring out of him like a burst dam.

“I didn’t even mean to,” Jeongguk said hastily, nearly slurring his words. “But he kept asking me to go places with him, and he was just a client, you know? I—I was just—it was just business. Good money. B-But he… he was so good to me after—after that first party, when he started to trust me. When he called me for the holiday party. He introduced me to people. He did things for me instead of me doing everything for him. He—He let me take care of him, b-but he took care of me, too. No one’s ever… my clients don’t really…” Jeongguk inhaled sharply, and then he held his breath when Taehyung took sandwiched his hand between both of his, still listening. Jeongguk blew out the breath he was holding and kept plowing on. “And he’s so nice. And so smart. And he works so hard. And he’s funny. A-And…”

“And you like him.”

“I like him so much that it scares me,” Jeongguk whispered, and his entire body nearly collapsed as the words left him. Relief. Such relief to finally admit it out in the open to someone. He wanted to cry. “I’m so dumb, I admitted it all to him and it just—it fell apart, and I don’t know what to do. You don’t understand, hyung. H-He could be my downfall. He could ruin my career, and I don’t even think I care. And now something—it just—something happened with us and he won’t talk to me anymore, and—but… but w-what am I supposed to do with my life if I’m not—if I can get him back, if I decide that…”

“If you decide to what, give up your escort life and let yourself fall in love?” Taehyung asked, sounding amused. “Jeonggukie, I hate to break it to you, but I think you’re already in love, so you might want to start looking at other career paths if you think you have to give it up for him. Though I’d probably ask first, because he’s pretty agreeable and he might be cool with a side hustle, but what do I know?”

“I’m not—I don’t…” Jeongguk trailed off, because he wanted to tell Taehyung that he was by no means in love with Park Jimin, but the words felt like horrible lies, and he couldn’t get them out. Now he was trembling head to toe in fear. Vulnerable, a completely new feeling that came with being involved with Jimin. This was exactly the reason why sex was off-limits in his escort business. Exactly the reason why he detached himself from the emotional side of his relationships with clients. Exactly, exactly, exactly. For everyone but Park Jimin. The fucking exception to every one of his rules.

“Look.” Taehyung re-gripped his hand. “Jiminie is my best friend. My soulmate. And he’s refused to talk to me about you for the past two weeks, no matter what I do. He never talked to me about you anyways, and he tells me everything. So something… there must be something about you that bothers him. And I don’t say ‘bother’ in a negative way. Just… you’ve affected him somehow. Affected him in a way that I—I mean, me! His best friend! I can’t even get through to him about it.”

“So you don’t know?” Jeongguk asked miserably. “You…You don’t know how he feels about me?”

“He hasn’t said it, but I’m not an idiot,” Taehyung said. “It’s pretty obvious.”

“Yeah?”

“He has feelings for you. I would say that he likes you, but it’s far more than that. It’s deeper. Maybe he’s spooked. Maybe he’s scared. I just don’t know because he won’t tell me.”

“Hyung, I asked you to take my photos just so I could talk to you,” Jeongguk confessed right away while flinching, and Taehyung snickered, squeezing Jeongguk’s hand again.

“I figured as much, sweetheart. Look, I can’t fix this for you. Whatever happened between you two is not my business. I never make anything my business unless Jiminie tells me to get involved. All I do is support him and love him. But if he means that much to you, maybe it’s time to make an effort.”

“…Yeah. Yeah, maybe it is.”

“He’s the most stubborn asshole I know,” Taehyung said with a fond smile, “but at the same time, he’s the sweetest and most understanding human being I have in my life. He’s both—just depends on the person. Jiminie went through a lot with his last relationship. He has a lot of insecurities because of it, always feels like he’s burdening people. He’s good at running away. And I guess with you, he’s a brick wall. So I think all I can do is wish you well.”

“Yeah. Thank you. Just… maybe don’t put my face on your Instagram just yet.”

“You’re ruining my life, Jeongguk-ah,” Taehyung complained immediately, and Jeongguk finally cracked a smile. “Fine. The things I do for you, I swear.”

“Also, I should tell you something else.”

“Yah, my ears are closed the day, no more secrets,” Taehyung said, covering his ears and jumping to his feet. Jeongguk stood up as well with a tired grin, grabbing Taehyung at the wrists. Taehyung lowered his hands obediently.

“My university degree is in visual arts. Photography and videography are my specialties. Specifically, nature and movement photography.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Taehyung’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you fucking with me?”

“I’m serious. I let my degree collect dust because I have my own business. But if I ever decided to… like, give it up, I—I don’t know. I just thought I’d tell you,” Jeongguk finished lamely, because he couldn’t bring himself to impose on Taehyung. Luckily for him, Taehyung was a step ahead.

“Holy shit, are you any good? Do you have any work you can show me? Please tell me you’re talented, Jeonggukie, my heart can’t handle it if you suck,” Taehyung pleaded, and Jeongguk snickered. He pulled out his phone until he found his personal file where he kept many of the digitals of shots he had taken during his final year at university. Taehyung snatched the phone and scrolled through, looking more amazed with each photo that he pinched and tilted to admire. He even watched a short bit of the video Jeongguk had taken of a beautiful temple in Bali when he had gone five years ago.

“What do you think?” Jeongguk asked, heart pounding.

“I think you fell from fucking heaven and you’re an angel,” Taehyung decided, handing the phone back. “And that you need to quit escorting right fucking now so you can come work with me. Clients like me enough, but imagine if you were there. We’d be so rich we wouldn’t even know what to do with ourselves! And not just that, but you’d actually get to take photos again. Do something you like. Not that you don’t like what you do now, but—I mean, you know.”

“Thanks, hyung,” Jeongguk said shyly with a small smile. “Thanks. I—I can think about it. I admire your work a lot. I like your methods. You don’t photograph like anyone else I’ve ever met.”

“It’s my charm,” Taehyung joked, and then he checked his watch. “Shit, that’s the time? I have another session tonight before I call it quits. You good?”

“Yeah. Thanks, hyung. For everything.”

“My lips are sealed,” Taehyung said, pretending to zip his lips and throw away the key. “But if I were you, Jeonggukie, I would do something about Jiminie before it’s too late.”

***

Jeongguk spent two hours hesitating over a single phone call. Two fucking hours of his life that he could have put to good use, but instead, he paced his kitchen looking for distractions until he finally plucked up the courage. It was nearly midnight, but it was a Friday. Surely Jimin was awake. He had to be, right? And Jeongguk, who had only just eased back into seeing clients, was free for the night. He could dedicate some time to attempting a phone call.

“Okay,” he whispered to himself, his heart pounding viciously, his fingers trembling. “Just… call.” He hit Jimin’s name and then pulled away from his phone like it was going to spontaneously combust, but then it started ringing. Shivering, Jeongguk pressed the phone to his ear. Two rings. Three rings. Four rings—

“Hello?”

“…Hyung?” Jeongguk croaked out, unable to believe that Jimin had actually answered his phone call.

“Who is this? Who is this, I can’t read my phone! Can you read my phone?”

That was when Jeongguk listened more carefully. There was the sound of heavy bass music. He could hear loud chatter and laughter in the background. Jimin was clearly trying to get someone else to look at his phone screen. And the tone of his voice suggested that he was tipsy.

“Hello?” Jimin called into the phone again, and Jeongguk heard him moving around. Suddenly, the atmosphere became quieter. “Hello, who is this?”

“I—Hyung, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called.”

“Wait, what? Jeongguk-ah? Is that you?”

“Yeah, but I—you’re out, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—I’m sorry, hyung.”

“Wait, what are you—why are you calling me? What’s going on?” Now the background noise was gone. Jeongguk heard the sound of cars rushing by, meaning that Jimin had gone outside.

“Nothing. Nothing’s going on, I just—I wanted to call you, but I shouldn’t have,” Jeongguk said miserably. Jimin was out on a Friday night not thinking about him at all. It wasn’t surprising, but it was odd, the way it still hurt. Jeongguk was not one to get hurt easily. He always protected himself, but he had even admitted it to Jimin—he had become reckless.

“Okay?” Jimin’s tone was questioning.

“Sorry. I’ll go.”

“Go? Wait, Jeongguk-ah, don’t hang up—”

Jeongguk hung up.

***

Jimin had never assumed that a single phone call would send an earthquake through his fragile stability, whatever kind of normalcy he had tried to find for the past two weeks. But hearing Jeongguk’s voice on the other line had sent him into a tailspin.

“It’s Saturday night.”

“Yeah, you got a problem with that?”

“Not at all,” Junseo laughed. He and Beomseok were standing right beside Jimin outside the bar waiting for their turn to go inside, because the bar was absolutely packed for a weekend per usual. “Just can’t remember the last time we said ‘fuck it’ and went out together on a weekend.”

“Okay, well, I’m pretty sure Areum and I are over, so I need a fucking drink,” Beomseok added. “Why isn’t Hoseok hyung here?”

“Pretty sure he’s balls deep in his hot ass photographer boyfriend,” Junseo joked, and Jimin cracked a small smile. “They’re so fucking domestic, when are we finally going to make fun of hyung for it? I’m tired of pretending that it’s not sickeningly cute and worthy of teasing.”

“I do that enough for all of us,” Jimin confirmed, and they stepped into the bar after checking in with security first.

Beomseok wasn’t kidding when he said he needed a drink. All three of them downed their first drinks in five minutes, easily, and Junseo even got a shot off a random girl for Beomseok to down without even questioning it. The bar was so crowded that people were sitting on top of tables to make space, but most everyone in the room was between eighteen and thirty-years-old or so, meaning no one truly cared how the place was crammed as long as they had a drink in hand. Jimin nudged his friends and said loudly over the music that he was going to go to the bar to grab another drink, asking if they needed anything. They did not. So Jimin nudged Junseo’s head, and then he snaked through the crowds to the bar.

“Hi,” he said to bartender when he got her attention. “Hi, can I add another vodka soda to my tab?”

“Sure, what’s the name?”

“Park Jimin.”

“No problem, give me just a minute!” she said cheerfully despite the chaos, and then she turned and added the drink to Jimin’s tab before reaching up to grab the vodka.

“Well, look who it is.”

Jimin’s blood turned to slushy ice in his veins the moment he heard that deep, sleepy voice. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself, and then he looked to his left.

“Come to drink your troubles away?” Min Yoongi asked, turning his chair to lean one elbow on the bar, one eyebrow quirked as he stared Jimin down. Jimin nearly collapsed under the weight of it, the intensity. If looks could kill… shit. Shit.

“No. Uh, I—I was here with some work friends,” Jimin stammered lamely as the bartender set down his vodka soda on the countertop. He didn’t touch it. “Just… just some of the guys.”

“Mhm.” Yoongi lifted his chin a fraction of an inch. “Well, since you’re here, I’ll give you…” He shook his left arm to move his sleeve, and then he glanced at his Rolex. “Five minutes. You have five minutes to explain to me why the fuck you left my best friend alone in his bed.”

“I… H-Hyung, I didn’t…”

“Five minutes to explain why he called me that morning fucking sobbing that you left him,” Yoongi continued. They were fighting words, but he was saying it all so calmly, and that was dangerous. “Why he’s fucking heartbroken. You have five goddamn minutes, no more, no less. Because I like you, Jimin-ah. I really like you, I do. So I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt for five minutes. Go.”

“Hyung,” Jimin whispered, his voice trembling. But Yoongi just stared, then looked back down at his watch.

“Time’s ticking,” he said. “Tell me what happened. Jimin-ah. Because I’ll go to the ends of the fucking Earth to make sure I never have to hear my little brother cry like that again. So talk.”

“I… we… we kind of…”

“Yeah, you had sex. Good. Keep going,” Yoongi supplied. Jimin collapsed weakly into the empty barstool and faced Yoongi, his knees pressed together, hands in his lap, ashamed.

“I panicked.”

“You panicked.”

“Yeah. I—I panicked, hyung. It was—it was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be with him like that. I’ve been dreaming about it for months. I—you know how I feel about him.”

“I mean, you’ve never told me, but I can assume. Go on.”

“And then I woke up and—and it all just hit me,” Jimin said miserably. “What I was doing to him.”

“Which was what? Treating him well?” Yoongi asked, raising his eyebrows and then taking a sip of his drink, watching Jimin carefully over the rim of the glass. Jimin shrugged sadly.

“No. Well, yes, but—maybe? I—I was ruining his life. He has a business, hyung. His entire livelihood is based on what he does. He has hundreds of clients. Hundreds, you know? He has rules, boundaries, and I just… I just went for it. I overstepped. I did too much, and he let me. I—I let myself have these feelings, and I panicked because—fuck, I don’t know. Because it felt like I compromised him. How can he run his business if I’m in his way? It—It can’t be like that. I woke up and it just… it hit me. I knew. I knew I had to go. I couldn’t—it makes me just as bad! Just as bad as any of his other clients who’ve tried to—I don’t know, seduce him or…”

“Mm.” Yoongi checked his watch. “Time’s up.”

Jimin slumped in his barstool. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll go.”

“Park Jimin, you really are an idiot.”

“What?”

“You really got up and left after you slept with him for the first time because you panicked over that? That’s fucking absurd. That’s the nicest reason I’ve ever heard and it just pisses me off more. Jesus Christ, do you hear yourself? Do you even know Jeongguk? Do you know even a fraction of what he feels for you? I never hear the fucking end of it. Don’t be thick, Jimin-ah. You’re smarter than this.”

“H-Hyung, I didn’t… what?”

“You could’ve talked to him,” Yoongi sighed, shaking his head. “He’s a grown man. He could’ve heard your concerns. You two have been tiptoeing around each other like dumbasses for months. I’m tired of being his therapist about it.”

“I…” Jimin couldn’t find words. “I’m—I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing to me? He’s the one you left alone in his bed. You really have a way of playing with his fragile trust,” Yoongi said with a tired, small smile and another shake of his head.

“I—you’re right. I should say something to him.”

“Yeah, well, you can say something to him now. He’s here.”

“He’s—He’s here?”

“Yeah.” Yoongi laughed humorlessly. “He wanted to come to a bar, and I honored his request. So he’s here. Good luck.”

“What do you mean?” Jimin asked, brow furrowed. Yoongi set his drink down on the bar and rested his elbow, sighing as he rubbed his forehead.

“I mean that he’s fucking wasted.”

“He’s—what? Jeongguk? My Jeongguk?” Jimin said without thinking twice. “Wasted? He doesn’t drink. He never gets drunk. There’s no way.”

“He’s completely fucked,” Yoongi said, rubbing his lips together as he glanced over at the bathroom. “I’m telling you, we got here and he came straight to the bar and just—I mean, one after the other. Nonstop for almost ten minutes. He’s drunk as shit. I tried to stop him, but he just—you know.”

“He doesn’t drink,” Jimin repeated, suddenly feeling frantic. “Have you checked on him? He could be in trouble.”

“I know my best friend,” Yoongi said evenly, raising one eyebrow as Jimin cowered ever so slightly in shame. Of course he did. Yoongi knew Jeongguk like the back of his hand. “He’s just having a hard time.”

“It’s my fault,” Jimin blurted out. “It’s my fault, hyung. He’s getting drunk because of me, it’s because of me.”

“Look alive,” Yoongi said with a sigh, tilting his glass somewhere over Jimin’s shoulder. Jimin whirled quickly on his heels, and his breath caught in his throat, but not in the way that he liked, that he had grown accustomed to around Jeongguk. Jeongguk had just emerged from the bathroom, and he was shoving people out of his way, innocent people who were just trying to dance. He looked lost, lost and absolutely wasted. But when he cleared a few people and saw Jimin standing there, he came to an abrupt halt, staggering slightly. For a moment, his face hardened. Then it contorted in pain. Then he pouted. Then he huffed. Then he slumped, so Jimin started to make his way towards the younger. Jeongguk only took a few steps to meet him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jimin asked accusingly, his voice trembling in fear. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry,” Jeongguk slurred. “I j-just needed you with me. I’m sorry about last night, hyung. I—I—I didn’t—I’m sorry.”

“Do you realize how drunk you are?” Jimin asked him a bit more calmly. Jeongguk appropriately swayed violently on the spot, so Jimin lunged forward and caught him before he stumbled. Jeongguk fell right into Jimin’s arms, and Jimin set him upright, even though Jeongguk was gripping Jimin’s elbows like his life depended on it.

“I know I am,” he said, his words running together. “I know, I know, I know. But you didn’t—you weren’t, you—you—Jiminie.”

“Yeah,” Jimin said softly, ignoring the lack of honorifics and instead inwardly melting and screaming in pain at the same time. He had never seen Jeongguk liked this before. His hair was a little sweaty, his eyes were glazed over and a bit bloodshot, half-lidded as he tried to focus on Jimin. He kept licking his lips and clicking his teeth together when he wasn’t talking, like he was trying to test how drunk he was. But he also looked… sad. So sad.

“Jiminie, I—I have to tell you something,” Jeongguk said, barely getting the words out. “Something really i-important.”

“Not now,” Jimin said. “Not here. Not when you’re like this. Not when you’re drunk. You might say something you regret.”

“No, no, no,” Jeongguk insisted, toppling to the side and grabbing for Jimin again. “No, I won’t. I promise I won’t.”

“Jeongguk, please don’t.”

“I wanted to—”

“Jeongguk, stop.”

“Don’t interrupt me!” Jeongguk said loudly, lurching forward and making Jimin stumble backwards a bit, still holding onto the younger. “D-Don’t. I’m trying to tell you that I’m in love with you.”

The entire bar became something like a vacuum, sucking all the air out of the room and out of Jimin’s lungs. He held Jeongguk by his slim waist, suddenly feeling like he was underwater. Everything sounded muffled, everyone was moving in slow motion around the two of them. Jimin finally found the courage to lift his eyes to look at Jeongguk. He assumed that Jeongguk wouldn’t be able to focus, that he’d be looking anywhere for a distraction. He wasn’t. He was staring directly at Jimin without blinking, and then he raised two trembling hands and rested them on Jimin’s face, stroking his right cheek with his thumb.

“I’ve been trying to tell you forever,” Jeongguk said, and Jimin could feel his fingers twitching. “That I love you. I love you so much. I’m—I’m completely in love with you. I love you, Park Jimin.”

“Jeongguk,” Jimin whispered, barely hearing his own voice, but Jeongguk interrupted.

“No. Y-You’re going to tell me that I’ll regret it, but I won’t,” he insisted, pulling Jimin closer. “I fucking love you. I can’t live without you anymore. I-I won’t stand for it. I love you. B-But I’m really drunk, and I won’t remember that I told you. So you have to remind me. Will you remind me? Tell me that I told you I love you. S-So I can say it again when I’m sober. Remind me, remind me so that—”

“Stop. Please stop,” Jimin pleaded, gripping the front of Jeongguk’s shirt. “Please. I can’t hear this right now. Not—Not now. Not like this. Not here.”

“N-No, just listen, I—”

“Baby, look at me.” Jimin reached up and laced his fingers behind Jeongguk’s neck to steady him. Jeongguk immediately stopped wiggling around when he heard the term of endearment, his eyes shining with hope along with horrible, heavy sadness as they locked onto Jimin’s. “Look at me, listen. Not here.”

“Take me home, then,” Jeongguk whispered. “Take me home, hyung. Please.”

Jimin couldn’t say no. He gripped Jeongguk’s hand tightly, purposefully, and then he marched over to the bar where Yoongi was still sitting, hanging out with a few friends, drinks on the bar. Yoongi saw Jimin headed his way as he tilted his head back to finish off his beer, and he didn’t even have to ask why. He reached into his jacket pocket and tossed Jimin the keys to Jeongguk’s car. Jimin caught them, held them up in thanks to Yoongi, and tugged Jeongguk’s hand.

“Are you driving my car?” Jeongguk asked, and he let out a snort of laughter, amused. “I’d never fucking let you do that, but here we are. This is funny. You’re funny.”

“And you’re wasted,” Jimin sighed, still pulling Jeongguk through the crowds until they were outside. He unlocked the car several times to find it in the parking lot, not surprised that it was in a reserved spot near the front. He carefully helped Jeongguk into the passenger seat, and then he took the driver’s seat.

“Jiminie.”

“Hyung,” Jimin tiredly corrected him, knowing that it was falling on deaf ears. Jeongguk had been resting with his head back, seat reclined, but he rolled his head slowly to the left to stare at Jimin as Jimin adjusted the seat settings to accommodate for his lack of height in comparison to the car’s usual driver.

“I-I don’t let anyone drive my car.”

“Well, you’re too drunk to drive it.”

“N-No, no. That’s a metaphor,” Jeongguk murmured. “It’s a fucking metaphor.”

“For what?”

“For my life. For my fucking life. I don’t let anyone do anything,” he said senselessly, though Jimin somehow understood exactly what he meant. “I don’t hold hands with my clients.”

“…Okay.” Jimin started to reverse using the backup camera as a guide, moving slowly.

“I-I don’t do overnight trips. I don’t play fake boyfriend. I don’t waive holiday surcharges. I don’t introduce clients to my best friend. I don’t get fucking drunk,” he said, sounding frustrated as he kicked his heels on the floor of the passenger seat like a child throwing a small tantrum. “I don’t do this.”

“So what are you trying to say?” Jimin asked, taking a right onto the main road as he gripped the steering wheel with two hands and white knuckles. Drunk words were sober thoughts, wasn’t that how the saying went? This was all coming from somewhere buried deep inside Jeongguk.

“I don’t have sex with clients,” Jeongguk mumbled, his eyes closed as he rested his head against the window. “Or enjoy it.”

“Mhm.” Jimin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying not to feel proud in such a weird moment.

“Do you hear what I’m saying?” Jeongguk asked, his words slurred together. “D-Do you hear me?”

“I hear you.”

“You ruined me,” Jeongguk muttered. “You fucking ruined me, Park Jimin. You ruined my career. You ruined my life.”

Jimin held his breath as he came to a red light, his hands suddenly trembling with cold dread. Maybe drunk Jeongguk wasn’t a good thing. Maybe he was being too honest. His conversational filter was nonexistent in his inebriated state, it seemed, and Jimin was the victim. Jimin had been waiting for this day ever since they slept together. He knew it had only been a matter of time. Jeongguk wasn’t the staying type. He wasn’t boyfriend material, but he had been so good at making it seem like he was. Jimin should have known better—

“But thank fuck,” Jeongguk breathed. “Thank fucking—I don’t even know. You ruined my fucking life and saved it at the same goddamn time. Who does that? Who does that, Park Jimin? Answer me.”

“Apparently I do,” Jimin whispered as he pulled into the parking garage and took Jeongguk’s empty valet spot. Without pushing the conversation any further, he leapt out of the car like the seat was engulfed in flames, and then he quickly jogged around to help Jeongguk out of the car. Jeongguk was nearly dead weight as Jimin took his arm and slung it over his smaller shoulder. Jeongguk sighed and stumbled alongside Jimin as they walked in tandem to the elevator, because there was no chance of Jimin being able to take the stairs holding all of Jeongguk up from the floor.

“You know what I think about a lot?” Jeongguk slurred, and then he lunged forward and shoved his keycard into the slot, looking proud of himself as he activated the button for the penthouse. Then he stumbled into Jimin and grabbed for him. “You know what it is?”

“What?”

“I think about how hot you are,” Jeongguk said with a snort of laughter. “All the fucking time. How my dumb ass got into your taxi and Jesus, you were so gorgeous. And then you asked me out. Not—Not that you really did because you paid me, but I-I-I couldn’t believe the hot guy from the taxi asked me on date. And then you—and then you matched.”

“What?” Jimin said, hot and bothered and confused as the elevator soared to the top floor.

“Your personality matched your looks,” Jeongguk barely managed to say. “You—You’re fucking beautiful. And I just fucked this up so badly, Jesus Christ. But you’re th-the most perfect man I’ve ever met. That’s what I think about. Oh, we’re here.”

The moment the elevator doors slid open, Jeongguk rocketed forward and flung open the door of his home, throwing things on the floor like his wallet and keycard. Jimin hurried in after him and picked them up, placing them on the kitchen countertop.

“Are you gonna leave?”

“Me?”

“No the other guy in the room,” Jeongguk said, throwing one hand up as he pivoted and faced his windows, suddenly eerily still, though he was still blinking slowly and swaying a bit.

“I’ll leave if you want me to,” Jimin softly said.

“Have you been fucking listening to me?” Jeongguk asked accusingly.

“Of course I have,” Jimin said, slowly approaching Jeongguk. “But I don’t know if it’s a good idea for me to stay when you’re like this.”

Jeongguk stood quietly with his hands in his pockets. Jimin waited, still behind Jeongguk, trying to figure out what the younger was thinking. Surely there were thousands of thoughts tumbling through his head as he tried to grapple with his situation.

“I…” He started, and then he swayed on the spot. “I’m… I…”

“Jeongguk?” Jimin asked, and then Jeongguk staggered alarmingly to the right, catching the wall. Jimin lunged, but Jeongguk kept stumbling, panting, until he found his bathroom. Then he dropped hard to his knees on the cold tile to vomit up all the alcohol he had consumed at such a rapid pace. Jimin instantly grabbed a washcloth from the shelf, ran it under cold water, and crouched down beside Jeongguk, pressing it to the back of his neck as Jeongguk gasped for air, coughing and spitting.

“You’re okay,” Jimin whispered, rubbing his sweaty back and stroking his hair away from his face. Jeongguk couldn’t answer. He threw up a second time, so Jimin soaked the washcloth again with more cold water. When Jeongguk slumped slightly, Jimin threaded his arms and gently unbuttoned Jeongguk’s shirt from behind. Jeongguk, panting and sniffing, let Jimin remove his shirt, and Jimin then squeezed the washcloth so that cold water would run down Jeongguk’s back. He let out a sigh of what sounded like relief as Jimin rubbed his back clean of sweat, soaking the washcloth a third time. He grabbed a second one, but this time he grabbed the little bottle of peppermint essential oil in the container on the bathroom countertop, put a few drops on the washcloth, and reached through and began to wipe Jeongguk’s face with it.

“It’s okay,” Jimin whispered again as Jeongguk whimpered, suddenly not a twenty-five-year-old smug escort anymore. “Here, can you sit back?”

Jeongguk’s entire body was trembling as Jimin helped him sit back against the wall. His face was pale, and his entire body was glistening with sick sweat.

“F-Feels good,” Jeongguk said in barely a whisper when Jimin brought the washcloth to his face again. “Hyung…”

“Shh.” Jimin draped one washcloth around Jeongguk’s neck and pressed the other to his forehead, and then he ran into the kitchen and grabbed two cups. He filled one with room temperature water, and then he rushed back to Jeongguk. “Rinse your mouth. Don’t swallow it. I don’t want you to vomit again. Spit it out in this cup.”

Jeongguk obeyed, and then Jimin rinsed out the cups and grabbed Jeongguk’s toothbrush and some toothpaste. It seemed so absurd, but Jeongguk couldn’t even move. He was so exhausted, still drunk, and now sick. Like caring for a child, Jimin gently opened Jeongguk’s mouth and brushed his teeth to get rid of the bad taste in his mouth, using the cups again for him to spit because he couldn’t find the strength to stand yet.

“I… I hurt,” Jeongguk whispered, his lips barely moving. “J-Jimin hyung, I… It hurts.” He shivered right on cue, his head lolling slightly as he closed his eyes.

“Okay. Do you want to take a bath before you sleep? A bath would feel nice,” Jimin rambled, frantic, not sure what else to do. Was he supposed to call a doctor? Call Yoongi? Drink himself into a stupor and cry a little? What was the fucking protocol for this situation?

But Jeongguk hummed, so Jimin practically fell headfirst into the bathtub as he cranked the water on. He made sure it was warm, but not scalding hot, and then he poured in a cup of Epsom salt infused with lavender essential oil. He went back and forth between checking the water and checking to make sure that Jeongguk was still alive. Once the bath was full, he crouched down and touched Jeongguk’s face gently.

“Baby, we have to get in the bath now,” he whispered, fingertips flitting across Jeongguk’s smooth skin. “C’mon. Help me out here.”

Jeongguk obediently, though heavily, lifted legs and let Jimin undress him. Then Jimin used all of his strength to get Jeongguk onto his feet and into the bath. Once he was seated and settled against the sloped back of the tub, Jimin watched, feeling panicked again.

“I—Jeongguk, I can’t—you have to stay awake,” he said frantically, dropping to his knees. “Jeongguk. Jeongguk-ah.”

“Mm.” Jeongguk’s eyes fluttered open, bloodshot with heavy eyelids.

“I’m coming in.”

Jimin didn’t consider it for more than a second. He undressed in record timing, and then he climbed into the bathtub and sat cross-legged between Jungkook’s splayed legs. He grabbed a third washcloth and started to run it along Jeongguk’s chest and neck, and Jeongguk sighed, eyes falling closed again.

“I love you so much,” he murmured, and Jimin’s heart leapt into his throat as his eyes burned with tears. Not now. He couldn’t hear it now.

“Shh,” he said again, and then he wrung out the washcloth on Jeongguk’s head and ruffled his damp hair a few times. “Just stay awake, baby, okay? Stay awake for me.”

“Anything,” Jeongguk mumbled, and he obeyed and stayed awake. Jimin scooted forward until he could wrap his legs loosely around Jeongguk’s waist, and for the first time, it didn’t feel sexual. It was intimate, Jimin’s entire body exploding with pure, terrifying love for the man in a sick state in front of him. He wanted to be this close to Jeongguk forever, and it scared him. As he traced lines on Jeongguk’s young face, he thought about what his life would look like if he woke up every morning sharing a bed. Cooking dinner for two people. Arguing over which drama to watch on TV. Growing old without being alone.

“Time for bed,” Jimin whispered, breaking out of his daydream and setting the washcloth aside. “C’mon, baby. You have to stand up now. I’ll get a towel.”

It was quite a feat, but Jimin managed to get Jeongguk out of the bathtub, drain the water, and wrap Jeongguk in a large, fluffy towel. His face was still pale, and he was still swaying slightly, so Jimin helped Jeongguk walk into the bedroom, and then he hung up the towel and helped Jeongguk sit on the edge of the bed. In frustration, he grabbed all of the pillows and threw them onto the floor, as well as the duvet. Jeongguk let out a cross between a whimper and a moan as he gingerly settled onto his back, head sinking into the pillow.

“I’m staying with you tonight,” Jimin declared, grabbing the lotion off the nightstand and squeezing a little into his hands. He was smart enough to know that Jeongguk never went to sleep without moisturizing, no matter what state he was in. He sat on the edge of the bed and took Jeongguk’s hands in his, massaging the lotion in as Jeongguk let out a little sigh, lips parting as his head lolled again to the side in sleepy pleasure.

When he finished, Jimin crawled onto the bed and slipped underneath the remaining single sheet, making sure Jeongguk was covered too, since they were both naked. He turned off the light, and then he carefully propped himself up on an elbow to monitor Jeongguk for a moment. He could hear the younger breathing steadily, which brought him some type of relief.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk whispered. Jimin instantly scooted until he was resting a hand on Jeongguk’s chest, feeling his heartbeat.

“Yeah.”

“Do you…” Jeongguk drew in a slow breath, licking his lips a few times. “D-Do you think we’re good together?”

There were so many answers to that question. So many logical answers, overthought answers, terrible answers. Jimin swallowed them all down and let them disintegrate inside of him. The time was long gone for him to overthink the possibility of being “we” and “us” with Jeon Jeongguk. They were far better than “good” together. They were meant for one another. The missing piece of each other’s messy life puzzle, the extra ten percent to the other’s one hundred, the confident exhale after the uncertain inhale, the second sound of the other’s heartbeat. They filled up one another’s empty spaces, completed the unfinished parts of the other’s life. Jimin wasn’t sure why it had taken him so long to admit it to himself.

“Yes.”

That was all he whispered. It didn’t require a lengthy response. Jeongguk didn’t require elaboration. Just hearing confirmation was enough. Jimin rolled on top of Jeongguk and brought their lips together. Jeongguk responded instantly, gentle hands resting on Jimin’s lower back as they kissed. It was soft, but with a certain sense of urgency. It was unlike how they had ever kissed before. Jimin gently nipped Jeongguk’s bottom lip, and Jeongguk sighed, fingertips digging into Jimin’s hips. Their tongues met as Jimin pressed his chest to Jeongguk’s, desperate to be as close as possible. He could feel Jeongguk growing hard beneath him, not unlike himself. But neither one of them pushed it any further or made any type of sexual suggestion. They just kissed until they were both breathless, lips swollen, bodies stuck together, limbs tangled with one another’s.

“Get some sleep, baby,” Jimin whispered, stroking Jeongguk’s hair affectionately. He couldn’t stop using the term of endearment. It just kept falling from his lips every time he so much as breathed in Jeongguk’s direction.

“Will you be here in the morning?” Jeongguk murmured. Jimin’s brow furrowed because it seemed like a curious question when they were already in bed together, but then it clicked. The last time they had shared Jeongguk’s bed, Jimin had left the moment Jeongguk had fallen asleep. “W-Will you… will you be here after I fall asleep?”

“Of course.” Jimin pressed a kiss to Jeongguk’s neck and buried his face in the same spot a moment later. Jeongguk’s arms tightened around him. “Of course I will. I won’t leave you. I’ll never leave you again.”

Chapter Text

“Hyung.”

Jimin slowly opened his eyes, and when he did, he nearly lost his breath. Morning sunlight was streaming through the gauzy curtains, casting beams across the floor and the king-sized bed. The duvet was a mess on the floor, long forgotten. Birds chirped as they flew by outside for background music, and Jimin stared at Jeongguk in a state of complete awe. They were both still naked from the bath last night, and a single sheet was draped messily across the two of them. Jeongguk’s hair was a tousled mess, but his eyes were clear and bright again, still sleepy, lips still a bit swollen from last night, parted slightly as he breathed. In the comfortable silence, Jeongguk tentatively reached up his left hand and pushed Jimin’s hair away from his eyes, his fingertips brushing his cheek afterwards.

“Jeongguk,” Jimin breathed, and then he pushed off his pillow and pressed his lips to Jeongguk’s. Jeongguk immediately hummed happily, taking Jimin’s face between his hands as they kissed. When his tongue gently pushed into Jimin’s mouth, Jimin rolled until he was lying on top of the younger, lips still together, a sigh escaping the back of his throat. They kissed for what felt like an eternity, the sun still rising, birds still chirping outside, the sheets rustling as they shifted into each other. Jeongguk’s hands flitted down Jimin’s bare back gently, and then he grabbed Jimin’s hips.

“Hey.”

Jimin pulled his lips off Jeongguk’s reluctantly, already breathless, his finger raking through Jeongguk’s messy bedhead hair.

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” Jeongguk whispered.

“You remembered.” Jimin’s heart leapt into his throat.

“I don’t remember much from last night,” Jeongguk admitted softly, reaching one hand up to touch Jimin’s face. “But I know that I told you I loved you. And I meant it. And that I needed to say it to you sober. I love you so much.”

He stared up at Jimin with his wide doe eyes, chewing his bottom lip nervously, waiting for the backlash. Waiting for Jimin to deny him, to reject him. Waiting for the moment when Jimin would crawl off the bed and leave him. But none of that happened.

“Surely you can’t love me as much as I love you,” Jimin whispered, bending down and trailing soft kisses down Jeongguk’s jaw. With his lips still on Jeongguk’s smooth skin, he added, “There’s no way. It’s impossible.”

“Mm.” Jeongguk turned and kissed the corner of Jimin’s mouth. “Is that a challenge?”

“Yes.” Jimin rested his forehead on Jeongguk’s, noses touching. “Love me more than I love you. Do you accept?”

“I accept. I’ll spend the rest of my damn life winning,” Jeongguk whispered, and Jimin finally let out a laugh and buried his head in Jeongguk’s shoulder. Jeongguk wrapped his arms around Jimin, their bodies pressed together, heartbeats syncing after a moment of silence.

“It’s about time you admit it,” Jimin muttered.

“I was scared.” Jeongguk stared into Jimin’s eyes when Jimin pulled his head up slowly. “I still am. I’m so scared of this. Of loving you the way I do. It’s fucking terrifying. I don’t know where my life goes from here. You… You have your job. Stability. I… I don’t know what happens next.”

“What happens…” Jimin pressed his lips to Jeongguk’s again, relishing every second of the kiss. “What happens is that you finally listen to Taehyungie and partner with him. Grow his business. Have a different set of clients. And if that’s not what you want, then we just keep exploring. We find something you’re passionate about. You have to do something you truly love.”

“So I should do you.”

“Asshole,” Jimin said, and Jeongguk let out a hoarse laugh that Jimin wanted to save to memory so that he could replay it for the rest of his life, anytime he felt sad or anytime he missed the newfound love of his life. “You could do amazing things with a camera in your hands.”

“I could do amazing things with you in my hands, too.”

“Jeongguk-ah.”

“Okay, okay. I know. It’s just scary,” Jeongguk whispered, exhaling deeply.

“But I’ll be here for you,” Jimin said softly. “Every step of the way. Every second that I can. You can have a busy day. A stressful day, crazy clients and all. But then… then you can come home to me.”

“Home to you?” Jeongguk repeated, eyebrows knitting together. “Home to…” He finally registered what Jimin was casually suggesting. “Hyung. I…”

“This apartment is way too big for just you, isn’t it?” Jimin whispered. Jeongguk burst out laughing again, but it was such a happy laugh that it made Jimin’s eyes burn with tears. He rolled Jimin with his arms wrapped around his entire body, and then he settled with Jimin underneath him.

“You want to live with me?” he whispered. “With me? You must be out of your mind.”

“Of course I am, look who I’m in love with.”

“I have some weird habits.”

“I can handle them.”

“I shower naked.”

“Well, now you’ve just crossed the line,” Jimin said, and Jeongguk laughed again, so beautiful and musical that Jimin laughed as well, deliriously happy.

“I was sick last night.”

“You were.”

“You helped me. You even bathed me,” Jeongguk recalled. “Didn’t you?”

“Mhm.”

“And they say the perfect man doesn’t exist,” Jeongguk said, and Jimin reached up and covered his hands with his face, embarrassed. Jeongguk chose that moment to drop all his weight on to Jimin and attack his face and neck with obnoxious kisses. Jimin let out a yelp and whacked Jeongguk playfully on the back, squirming underneath him until Jeongguk finally relented, pinning Jimin’s arms above his head as he stared down at the older, breathless.

“You sure this is the same Jeon Jeongguk, the companion who cares?” Jimin teased, and Jeongguk groaned, collapsing onto Jimin again. Jimin coughed and laughed at the same time, and then he poked Jeongguk until the younger rolled off to the side.

“I’m making breakfast,” Jimin declared. “I’m starving.”

“Shit, me too,” Jeongguk sighed. “C’mere.”

“Why?”

“So I can eat my breakfast,” Jeongguk said smoothly, and Jimin rolled his eyes, picked up a pillow, and threw it at Jeongguk’s face. “Okay, alright. Please, for the love of fucking hangovers, make as much food as possible. I want banana pancakes. I want eggs. I want avocado on toast. I want as much kimchi as you can find in this stupid house.”

Jimin snorted with laugher, throwing open Jeongguk’s drawers. He pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and a pair of sweatpants, and then he walked out of the bedroom, calling over his shoulder, “Why don’t I start with some ginger tea, you hot mess?”

Jimin stood in the kitchen and looked around, arms crossed, and then he realized that he didn’t know where anything was. This was the first time he had ever truly stayed at Jeongguk’s apartment. Clearly they were on the same wavelength, because when Jimin glanced over his shoulder, Jeongguk was standing at the threshold of the hallway, arms crossed, leaning against the wall with a smile on his tired face, wearing underwear only.

“You can just tear the place apart,” he permitted. “It looks like I barely live here, anyways. Might as well break it in.”

“Do you have any clients today?” Jimin asked, yanking open the fridge first to see what was there. To his surprise, it was well stocked, not what he expected from someone who always had his meals catered for him by clients. So he yanked out eggs, a few avocados, and the kimchi that was in a sealed container. Jeongguk disappeared into the bedroom, and then he reappeared wearing track pants.

“Yeah, but I’ll deal with it. Tell me what to do,” he said to Jimin. “I’m hungover as fuck and I’m not great a cooking, but I can follow instructions.”

“Yeah? Okay. Grab some bananas, and then peel them and mash them in a bowl.”

Jeongguk peeled the bananas, and Jimin cracked eggs into the bowl so Jeongguk could mix it together for simplified pancakes. He pulled out a toaster, and Jeongguk started laughing because Jimin was following all of the wild requests he had made only moments ago. Trying not to smile, Jimin mashed some avocado and added a few spices as Jeongguk asked which pan to use for the pancakes. Jimin added some butter and carefully instructed Jeongguk through the process.

“Ah!” Jeongguk threw his arms up happily after flipping both pancakes and seeing the golden brown on the cooked side. “Goddamn, I’m a chef, too. Who knew?”

“Show-off,” Jimin said, watching the toaster with crossed arms. Jeongguk immediately grabbed him around the waist and yanked him over, and then he put Jimin up onto the countertop. “You really like to manhandle me, don’t you?”

“You make it easy,” Jeongguk replied, standing between Jimin’s legs. Jimin lazily wrapped his legs around the top of Jeongguk’s thighs, and then he leaned in and kissed the man he’d been waiting to have like this for months. It was still surreal, playing house on a Sunday morning with Jeongguk, who wasn’t wearing a shirt and was volunteering to help cook.

“Guk.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m sorry.”

The bread popped up out of the toaster, and Jeongguk only twisted his upper body to turn off the burner from the stove so that the pancakes could finish. Then he gave his undivided attention to Jimin, his brow furrowed. Jimin instinctively reached up with a pointer finger and smoothed out the furrow until Jeongguk relaxed his face.

“Sorry about what?” Jeongguk asked.

“Leaving you like that. Leaving you that night. I panicked. It was too much, and I didn’t know how to deal with all of it,” Jimin admitted, and then he took a deep breath to continue. It was harder than he thought, being emotionally transparent, but Jeongguk was a willing listener. “You never deserved that, and I think I’ll owe you for the rest of my life. I was so afraid of being the one who fucked up your life.”

“You never fucked up my life,” Jeongguk said, resting his hands on Jimin’s face affectionately. “Ever. You only made it better. You showed me what a real life actually was. You gave me a reason to walk away from this lifestyle. I’ve been trying to find a reason for years, hyung. You can make it up to me by just being here.”

“I didn’t mean to make you cry, though,” Jimin whispered, gripping Jeongguk’s shirt. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Crying was good for me. Good emotional release. Made me feel human. But—” Jeongguk pressed his lips firmly to Jimin’s, and then he stepped back. “I think we should talk about this after breakfast. Because we have to, hyung. We have to talk.”

“Yeah, we do.” Jimin hopped off the counter. “Go sit down. I’ll serve.”

“I can help.”

“Did I stutter?”

Jeongguk huffed, and then he marched over to the table, made a show of dragging his chair out, and dropped into it dramatically, crossing his arms with great theatrics. Jimin watched the entire time, and when Jeongguk just blinked, he snorted with laughter.

They ate their weight in kimchi, and Jeongguk actually leaned over and kissed the side of Jimin’s head when he tasted the avocado on toast. Jeongguk’s phone was on the bar and it vibrated incessantly. While Jimin kept peeking over at it, Jeongguk just helped himself to more food, tangling his legs under the table with Jimin’s and asking a few simple questions. He was normally glued to his phone, always at his clients’ beck and call, but now he was blatantly ignoring every message he received.

Jeongguk collected all the dishes and promised that he would do the cleaning, and that Jimin could take a shower while he did. It was like a fucking dream every time Jeongguk opened his mouth. Jimin tiptoed into the bathroom, feeling strangely warm inside, and turned on the waterfall shower.

It was the most luxurious shower he had ever taken. He used shampoo that made his hair feel impossibly soft, two different body washes that smelled like Jeongguk, and a face scrub that made his skin smooth. When he wrapped himself in a fluffy white towel, he felt like he had just had a day at the spa.

“Jeongguk-ah?” he called out, standing in the hallway. “Can I borrow your clothes?”

“Yeah! Pick whatever you want!”

So Jimin carefully picked out a clean pair of sweatpants that were a little big on him, and then he shimmied into a white t-shirt. It all smelled like Jeongguk, sending a shiver down his spine. He used to laugh at Taehyung for sleeping in Hoseok’s sweatshirts, for putting the hood up and burying his face into it before falling asleep. Now he totally understood. It was addictive.

Jeongguk finished the dishes and padded into the bedroom, and he stopped in the doorway and stared. Jimin was lying on the right side of the bed on his back, pawing through an art book that Jeongguk had on his bedside table casually. He lowered the book just in time for Jeongguk to leap right over him to the left side of the bed, landing with a bounce.

“Oh, so you’re one of those people,” Jimin emphasized.

“One of what?”

“Those people who do everything dramatically. Like, instead of standing up, you do a somersault to get up. Instead of just walking to the other side, you literally dove over me like a swimmer,” Jimin explained, amused. “Is that you?”

“It keeps things interesting.”

“Alright, weirdo, come here.” Jimin opened up his arms after setting the book aside, and Jeongguk immediately rolled and nestled himself right in the perfect spot. Fuck, they fit together so well. Jimin couldn’t grasp it quite yet, the incredible way that they complemented one another. He couldn’t believe Jeongguk had been missing from his life for so many years, couldn’t believe he had wasted so many years without him.

“Hyung?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to have a relationship with me?”

“Yes.” Jimin turned and kissed the crown of Jeongguk’s head. “More than anything.”

“Good. Me too. So then I have a few conditions,” Jeongguk said against Jimin’s chest.

“Name them.” Jimin raked his fingers through Jeongguk’s dark hair. It was getting longer, not that Jimin minded. Jeongguk looked like a fucking god no matter what.

“No redecorating my apartment.”

“You think I’d ask to move in here if I didn’t like it?” Jimin asked, amused. “We’ll just go through all my stuff together and choose what to keep and what to donate or toss. Trust me, I’m not attached to much of anything I own.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Okay. My second condition is that I’m your boyfriend now.”

“Oh yeah?” Jimin said with a laugh, nuzzling the top of Jeongguk’s head. “Are you?”

“Yes.” Jeongguk tilted his chin to look up at Jimin with those brown doe eyes that melted Jimin’s heart every time. “Please?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good. So then we need to talk about how we’re going to be. Boundaries.”

“Well, then I think we need to talk first about your business,” Jimin said, even though it was painful. “Because my job is just my job. It’s a regular day at the office. The only thing changing is that I’m moving a few blocks away.”

“That’s my next condition. I’m willing and so fucking ready to start shutting down my escort services,” Jeongguk said with conviction. “I’m exhausted. I burned out years ago, hyung. I haven’t advertised in two years. My business comes from word of mouth. I think you were the first person I gave a business card to in almost a year.”

‘I’m flattered.”

“Well, you were really hot and you needed a date,” Jeongguk teased. “But anyways. The one-off clients will just get a message saying that I’m no longer offering services. The every-now-and-then clients will get the same thing. My regular clients will get a different message. I think I’ll offer final closing sessions just to say goodbye.”

“They’ll be heartbroken, Guk.”

“Yeah. A lot of them will be,” Jeongguk said in a hushed voice. “Dozens of them. But you know what, hyung? I can’t keep thinking about them. I’m the last person on my priority list. That’s wrong. I have to put myself first for once in my fucking life. And I have you to thank for that.”

“Baby, are you sure?” Jimin asked gently. “This is your life we’re talking about. You have to be sure about this.”

“I can’t tell you how nice it will be to wake up in the morning without a schedule,” Jeongguk said. “For the first time in six years. I’m very sure. But I do have extra conditions.”

“Name them.”

“There are three clients that I refuse to leave. I won’t make them pay anymore, but I can’t end my services.”

“Okay. What clients?”

“Song Hyojin-nim. He just had his seventieth birthday, and we celebrated together. We’ve been with each other for five years now. He doesn’t have any family, and he’s not married. He’s gay, and he could never admit it to anyone or live an open life. So I see him two days per week.”

“That’s beautiful. Will you ever let me meet him one day?” Jimin whispered, still stroking Jeongguk’s hair. The heart on this man was unbelievable. He was the most beautiful person Jimin had ever met.

“Maybe one day. Last time I met with him, I told him that I was in love. We cried together about it. I really care for him, and I can’t leave him. He’s like the only family that I have.”

“Understandable,” Jimin said, his heart swelling and threatening to burst from his chest.

“The other is a nineteen-year-old kid who found me last year. His family disowned him when he told them he was gay, and he’s been using the money he saved from his inheritance to see me once a week. I’ve been looking after him, making sure he’s safe.”

“You’re too good for this world, Jeongguk-ah. Seriously.”

“Stop.” Jeongguk let out a little breath. “Just—let me tell you about the third one.”

“Okay.”

“The third one is a K-pop idol. Can’t tell you who. But he needs me, maybe even more than the other two right now. Can’t explain it beyond that.”

“That’s fine. That’s all fine, baby, you can do whatever feels right,” Jimin said. “Seriously.”

“Good. Okay. Thank you. That’s it.”

“Really?”

‘Yeah. Those are my conditions. I want to keep my apartment how it is. I want you to be my boyfriend. And I want to see those three clients.” Jeongguk wiggled to get himself more comfortable, his arm slipping across Jimin’s waist. “Do you have any conditions?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“At this point, Guk, I just want to be with you. I just want to wake up in the morning and see you right next to me. I want to eat a meal with you at least one a day. I want to watch trash TV with you and eat ramyeon at one in the morning. I want to go on dates with you. I want to have fights with you, because we know that’s gonna happen eventually. I owe you the world. I want everything.”

“Mm,” Jeongguk hummed happily, nuzzling into Jimin’s neck. “Boundaries?”

“I don’t think we’ll really know our boundaries as a couple until we get into this.” Jimin scratched Jeongguk’s scalp gently. “I know that I need to let you live your life, same as I need you to let me live mine. If I want to go out for drinks after work with some of the guys, I will. I’ll text you to tell you where I am, but I have the right to do that.”

“Good. Me too. So we agree that we don’t have to be attached at the hip.”

“Agreed.”

“But we should always fall asleep in the same bed,” Jeongguk said, and Jimin’s eyes burned with tears in a matter of seconds. He had waited his entire life to fall asleep and wake up to the man of his dreams, and here was Jeon Jeongguk, asking to turn his dream into a reality. “Do you agree, hyung?”

“Yes,” Jimin whispered, and he rolled so that he could hug Jeongguk with both arms. “I’ve never agreed more.”

“I feel like this isn’t going to be as easy as we think it is.”

“You’re probably right,” Jimin reluctantly agreed. “But I’m willing to work on it if you are.”

“For you, anything.” Jeongguk shifted and rolled onto his stomach, resting his head on the pillow right beside Jimin, arms folded under his head. Jimin rolled onto his side and began to trace patterns on Jeongguk’s bare back, watching in awe as the younger’s eyes slowly fluttered closed and he sank into the pillow. But then he took a little breath and said, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“About your last relationship.”

“Oh. Yeah, go ahead.”

“You sure?”

“You deserve to know, Guk. I’ll tell you whatever you want to hear.”

“Okay. I just—I wanted to know what it was like. How it ended. What happened.”

“…His name was Minkyu,” Jimin began, the name sounding foreign leaving his lips. He couldn’t believe he was about to rehash such a story. Taehyung was really the only one who knew much of anything about it. “Minkyu hyung. We met when I was in my second year at university. He was in his final year. We met in the library about a week into the term and just kind of hit it off. Started sleeping together a week later, and it just turned into a regular thing. He asked me to be his boyfriend about a month later, and he said I could move out of the dorm and into his apartment, so I did. We lived together that whole year. Went on vacations together, the works. And then he graduated.”

“Did he treat you well?” Jeongguk whispered, and Jimin’s heart stumbled.

“I used to think he did, but now… now that I think about it, I don’t really know. He was kind and looked out for me, but I was like his dirty little secret. His parents never knew about me, even though he’d met my entire family. He never let me meet his friends, never introduced me to anyone in his life.”

“Hyung.” Jeongguk propped himself up on his elbows, and then he slipped his left arm across Jimin’s chest, hugging him close. When he leaned down for a kiss, Jimin was convinced that the universe’s magic finally hadn’t missed him, that the stars had at last aligned to bring him true happiness, that fate had finally intervened. The longer Jeongguk’s lips were on his, the more he believed that he wouldn’t have to run this time, that he could finally trust that his story had a happy ending. Jeongguk kissed him with a kind of innocent purity that Jimin had been longing for all his life, though there was nothing naïve about it. Jimin laced his fingers together behind Jeongguk’s neck, deepening the kiss with a pleased sigh.

“But it ended,” Jeongguk commented, still giving Jimin small kisses even though he had a little frown on his face. “Why?”

“Because he graduated and fell off the face of the Earth,” Jimin whispered, his forehead against his boyfriend’s. Boyfriend, holy shit. That was going to take some getting used to. “He changed his number, vanished from social media, stopped getting in touch with me. It… It broke my heart. I’d never felt so fucking lost in my entire life. I spent every night with Taehyung because I didn’t know how to be alone. And then I found out… I saw it online.”

“Saw what?”

“Well, his family was pretty wealthy, so sometimes they made the minor headlines. And I saw that he was suddenly engaged.”

“Holy shit.”

“To a woman.”

“Holy shit.”

“A rich, powerful woman with a well-off family. Arranged marriage, and his family was thrilled. They put announcements everywhere, planned the wedding for, like, three months from then. And I was a fucking wreck. Poor Namjoon hyung and Taehyungie had to put me back together. They’ve seen me at my worst. It was… I don’t know. It was a real dark time of my life. I stop trusting people, you know? I started thinking relationships were a scam. Started sleeping around with anyone who breathed in my direction and looked hot enough. All because of the way he abandoned me. That was—like, that was just what I thought would always happen to me. I figured that was just my life, right? So I started running away from people before they could do it to me.”

“That… makes a lot of sense,” Jeongguk said after some contemplation. He had listened so intently. Jimin couldn’t believe he had just told the whole story with almost no interruptions. “I wish you had never gone through that. You don’t deserve that kind of treatment.”

“But if I hadn’t gone through it, who would I even be, you know?” Jimin said softly. Jeongguk reached up with gentle fingers and moved Jimin’s hair away from his forehead. His brow was furrowed as his fingertips flitted across Jimin’s skin, like he was trying to read the stories there, trying to absorb the novel that was Park Jimin. Then he gave Jimin the softest, most gentle kiss, making Jimin’s heart cartwheel happily.

“I’ll always treat you well,” Jeongguk whispered against Jimin’s lips, like he was trying to feed the words right into Jimin’s soul. “Always. Please don’t ever run away from me. Even if it gets hard, do you promise? I don’t ever—hyung. Please. You don’t deserve that. You deserve everything. I’ll make sure you never feel like that again—oh. No, no, no.”

“It’s okay,” Jimin said with tears leaked from his eyes. “No, it’s fine, it’s fine. It’s good crying, I swear.” He let out a little laugh, more tears brimming in his eyes. Jeongguk leaned in and attacked his cheeks, kissing away every single tear and whispering sweet nothings in his ear until Jimin felt like he was floating—“I’ll be so good to you, hyung” and “I promise you” and “I’ll treat you like you deserve.” It was too fucking much, but in the best way possible.

“I don’t think you understand,” Jimin whispered. “I’ve been trying to get you to see the same thing about yourself, Guk. You take care of so many people, but what about you? Who takes care of you when you need help?”

“I try to take care of myself, but I haven’t been great at it,” Jeongguk murmured honestly, lips still on Jimin’s skin. “I think too much about them. About my clients. About other people.”

“Yeah, well, guess what?” Jimin rolled until he was lying on top of Jeongguk with a watery grin. “Guess what, Jeon Jeongguk? I’m about to rock your fucking world with how much I’m going to care for you. You won’t know what hit you.”

“Let’s fucking go. Bring it on.”

They were done talking after that.

***

Jimin didn’t move in with Jeongguk right away. They both agreed with conviction that they needed to let things settle, that they needed to just be together first without rushing into anything. Jeongguk, however, was a little impatient.

“Um, I kind of already put a hook for your towel in the bathroom, and I cleared out part of the closet in my bedroom, and I bought this really cool calendar that you can hang up and we can write down, like, the schedules that we have so that we know when to not bother each other, and—”

“Guk,” Jimin interrupted with a laugh, and Jeongguk clamped his mouth shut, bashful. Jimin immediately leaned across the little table in the café (a quick lunch break never hurt anyone) and kissed Jeongguk lightly on the lips. “Baby, I appreciate it, but don’t rush. That was your rule, remember?”

“Okay, but you know that I have a habit of breaking all my rules when you’re involved,” Jeongguk bellyached, propping his head in his hand grumpily. “I know it’s a boundary, still living apart, but it’s been two weeks.”

“Right, we’ve been dating for two weeks,” Jimin reminded him with a smile. “I don’t want to go overboard. You promised.”

“Okay. Right, okay. Um, then are you free one night this week?” Jeongguk asked shyly. “Yoongi hyung gave me his recipe for kimchi-jjigae and I did a practice round last night. It turned out pretty great, and I wanted to cook it for you, too. Hyung, I actually had time to sit at home in sweatpants and make dinner. Can you believe it?”

“Sounds like a dream,” Jimin said, still smiling. He couldn’t stop. Jeongguk was fucking radiant. Last week had been pandemonium, Jeongguk running around the city to say goodbye to is regular clients and have final session with them. Jimin hadn’t seen him for more than twenty minutes that week. But this week was different. Now he had only three clients, just like he had wanted. He had spent Monday and Tuesday following Taehyung around, much to Taehyung’s delight. Taehyung had even talked him into advertising. The moment Taehyung had put a series of pictures up on his Instagram of Jeongguk, Jeongguk with a camera, and four shots of Jeongguk’s work, chaos had ensued. Almost two million likes on a single series of photos and thousands of comments of people begging to know when they could book a session with the “hot new guy.” So then Taehyung had posted a follow-up photo of Jeongguk with Jimin, introducing his new partner as his favorite model’s boyfriend. Luckily, the likes and comments had still poured in. Taehyung was too popular, especially in the Asian LGBTQ+ community, to receive anything negative.

“Today’s Thursday, right? I can come over tonight,” Jimin agreed.

“And stay over?”

“Babe.”

Jeongguk promptly got out of his chair, crouched down by Jimin’s side, and yanked. Jimin didn’t fight it. He took Jeongguk’s face in his hands and kissed him firmly, sighing the more their lips searched each other’s. He could have this whenever he wanted, these kisses. It was unreal.

“I just want my boyfriend to sleep over,” Jeongguk muttered against his lips. “That’s not too much to ask, right?”

Boyfriend. It was the best thing Jimin had ever heard in his life.

“Okay. I’ll stay. But I’m going running in the morning and then I have to get to work on time,” Jimin murmured. “No distractions.”

“Done.”

“Jeongguk-ah.” Jimin said his name in a warning tone, but the laugh that escaped afterwards had Jeongguk grinning. “I’m serious. No distractions.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jeongguk innocently said as he sat back in his seat, blinking at Jimin with those beautiful brown doe eyes. When Jimin had slept over on Sunday night, Jeongguk had woken him up right before his alarm with a blowjob. No big deal. Jimin had just opened his eyes to see Jeongguk going down on him. So, naturally, Jimin had just retaliated by rimming Jeongguk within an inch of his life and then rolling off the bed and telling him to make himself cum. Jeongguk had quite literally almost cried and then had followed Jimin straight into the shower, where Jimin had pinned him to the wall and edged him three times until he was a sobbing mess before finally jerking him off properly. Needless to say, even though no actual sex had been involved, Jimin had been an hour late to work.

“You little heathen, you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Jimin said, and Jeongguk’s wicked grin widened. He checked his watch with a sigh. “Okay, I have to get back to work. I’ll be over tonight at seven-thirty. Is that okay?”

“You have a key,” Jeongguk said with a shrug, sipping the last of his iced tea. “I’ll pay, sweetheart. You go.”

It didn’t matter that Jimin wasn’t a client anymore. The pet names still did him in. He grabbed his bag and leaned down to kiss Jeongguk.

“See you tonight,” he whispered.

“Have a good day, hyung,” Jeongguk called out, and Jimin flashed him a smile before hurrying out of the café.

I love you.

It was odd. Ever since that morning, since they had woken up together, neither one of them had dared to say those words. Sometimes the way that Jeongguk kissed Jimin told him all he needed to know. Sometimes Jimin stroked Jeongguk’s hair one extra time, implying the feeling. But Jimin couldn’t bring himself to say it, not yet. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Jeongguk. He loved Jeongguk so much that it physically hurt him to be away from the younger for too long. He was hopelessly in love, but he didn’t want to scare Jeongguk off, either. The problem was that he had a feeling Jeongguk was doing the same thing, avoiding the words so that Jimin didn’t run away.

Yoongi had called them both dumbasses. Maybe he was right.

Nevertheless, Jimin showed up at Jeongguk’s apartment at a little past seven-thirty, using the extra keycard to access the elevator, and giving a courtesy knock on the door before he unlocked it and let himself in.

“Hi!”

Jeongguk immediately dropped the spoon onto the countertop, took a running start, and collided with Jimin, picking him up off the ground and spinning him around as Jimin let out a tired laugh of delight. There were so many things he was learning about Jeongguk, and the first one was that he was a cuddle monster. That was the only way to describe it. He sought over, demanded, yearned for closeness. If Jimin thought he was a skinship kind of person, it was nothing compared to Jeongguk, and it was so unexpected. The more comfortable they became in their relationship, though, the more Jeongguk tended to do things like hug Jimin until the elder was in fear of snapping in half. Then again, Jimin had a bit of a strength kink and liked Jeongguk using his muscles to practically crush him.

The second thing he had learned was that Jeongguk absolutely, without fail, had a fucking praise kink. I’m flattered, truly, but I don’t have much of a praise kink, he had once told Jimin, and it was the biggest lie of the year. Jimin hadn’t brought it up yet, hadn’t teased the younger about it yet, but the moment Jimin even so much as complimented Jeongguk (something as little as “your hair looks good”), he almost keeled over.

“It smells amazing,” Jimin said the moment he set his bag down and Jeongguk released him. Jeongguk’s eyes lit up happily, and he skirted back into the kitchen and yanked open a drawer to grab a clean spoon. He was wearing blue jeans with large rips in them and a black Champion t-shirt that was almost to his knees, looking fucking edible. And here Jimin was, tired and cranky from a tough day at work, desperate to get out of his clothes. But first, a taste test, because Jeongguk was almost bouncing on his toes in anticipation.

“Okay, try it,” he said as Jimin shuffled over, and he offered a spoon first of the broth. It was steaming, so he withdrew it and blew on it a few times as Jimin suppressed smile. Then he offered it again, and Jimin slurped it carefully.

“Mm,” he said, nodding. Jeongguk took that as his cue to plunge another spoon into his creation and pull out a piece of kimchi with the broth. “Baby, I don’t want to eat the whole thing before you serve it.”

“Just try it,” Jeongguk demanded. So Jimin obediently took a bite, and he nodded again.

“Amazing. Yoongi hyung’s recipe is great. But compliments to the chef,” Jimin added, and Jeongguk set the two used spoons into the sink with a proud smile, his shoulders pushed back. Jimin had discovered in the past two weeks that Jeongguk was trying very hard to be domestic, probably something he hadn’t had much of a chance to do since finishing university, maybe hadn’t ever had a chance to do. So Jimin was releasing the reins, giving up control to let Jeongguk try his hand at it. Jimin had been living on his own, cooking his own meals, doing the housework for years. Jeongguk had someone clean the house for him once a week, had clients buying him meals constantly. Now he didn’t have any of that, and it was by choice, so Jimin had to let it happen.

“I’m gonna go change before we eat,” Jimin decided, and Jeongguk nodded, stirring the kimchi jjigae once more.

Jimin changed into track pants and a t-shirt, and when he came back out, Jeongguk was setting the stew onto the table, where two bowls were waiting. He also had some salted seafood and some seaweed sheets handy, as well as some steamed white rice, and he was glowing with pride. Jimin slipped his arms around Jeongguk’s waist, hugging him from behind.

“You did amazing, baby,” he whispered.

“Thanks. I put a ton of pork into it,” Jeongguk informed him. Jimin grabbed a spoonful of rice into his bowl, and then he used the wooden spoon by his place setting and spooned some broth on top of the rice. Jeongguk was eagerly doing the same thing, and then they both started eating. For about five minutes, the only sounds in the apartment were the sounds of delighted humming and chewing and crunching. Jimin had made the same meal countless times, but there was something different and more delicious about the way Jeongguk had made it that made Jimin want to overeat until he had a stomachache.

“So if I ask for leftovers that I can take to the office for lunch tomorrow, would you be okay with that?” Jimin asked once they had finished.

“Yeah, of course. Take whatever you want,” Jeongguk agreed. “As long as you help me clean up.”

“Well, you’re not doing any of that. Go relax. I’ll clean up.”

There was a relatively unspoken system between the two of them—whoever cooked didn’t clean, whoever cleaned the bathroom didn’t clean the bedroom, and so on. Even though it had only been two weeks of Jimin showing up at Jeongguk’s apartment (far more than he should have, but who cared?), they had somehow managed to figure out the maintenance parts of the relationship. The little things that people normally didn’t care about until they were a problem.

“Oh, this is what you were doing while I cleaned?” Jimin teased, crawling onto the bed where Jeongguk was sprawled out, eyes closed. The moment Jimin spoke, Jeongguk’s eyes shot open, and he rolled and tackled Jimin as they both laughed.

“You said I could relax,” Jeongguk said, pinning Jimin to the bed.

“You’re done relaxing,” Jimin said in a low voice, licking his lips. Jeongguk paused, cocked his head to the side just a little, and then dove down and kissed Jimin, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. Jimin reciprocated the kiss and immediately licked into Jeongguk’s mouth eagerly, and Jeongguk let him.

“What happened to no distractions?” Jeongguk whispered breathlessly between kisses.

“In the morning,” Jimin replied. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

The first and only time they’d had sex had been frantic and needy. It had been the cathartic release of all the emotional and sexual chaos and turmoil built up over six months. Now, though, Jeongguk was his. All his, all his to kiss and cuddle and hold and love whenever he wanted. But having Jeongguk to himself came with nerves, awful nerves. Now he had someone he was afraid to lose, which meant that he was hopelessly in love like never before. Currently, with Jeongguk lying underneath him, already breathless, Jimin could barely breathe himself. This time there was no burning desperation for sex, just a warm, blooming desire for it in the pit of his stomach.

“Baby,” Jeongguk whined, wiggling underneath Jimin, sounding annoyed that his boyfriend had gotten lost in thought. Jimin immediately bent down and buried his face in Jeongguk’s neck, trailing soft kisses on warm skin as Jeongguk let out a pleased sigh, pulling Jimin closer until their chests and hips were flushed together, Jimin straddling him, knees on either side of the younger’s waist. When Jeongguk’s hands gripped his ass, Jimin opened his mouth a little wider and began to claim a spot on Jeongguk’s neck right near his collarbone, sucking the skin as Jeongguk whimpered, fingernails digging into Jimin’s skin. Jimin didn’t stop until he pulled away and saw a bruise beginning to blossom, satisfied. His, his, his. All his.

“So impatient,” Jimin whispered. He hadn’t failed to notice how hard Jeongguk already was beneath him, and he had been rolling his hips dangerously slow while marking up what belonged to him. That was the funny thing about Jeon Jeongguk—dominant in the public eye, beautifully submissive behind closed doors, and only to Jimin. Only to him, and it made Jimin shiver.

“Wouldn’t be if you’d just—oh. Oh, God.” Jeongguk stopped complaining and let out a moan when Jimin continued rocking their hips together, but also reached down to circle Jeongguk’s nipple with a thumb, pinching afterwards. Jimin grinned into Jeongguk’s exposed neck, leaving a few more open-mouthed kisses.

“Sensitive, hmm? I’ll remember that,” he whispered.

“Hyung, please,” Jeongguk gasped when Jimin went for the other nipple. “Need you—need something—anything.”

“What do you say?”

“Please,” Jeongguk barely managed to get out. Jimin propped his elbows on either side of Jeongguk’s head, and then he stared. Brown eyes pouring into brown, exchanging galaxies, drinking each other’s stories. The men who had lain beneath Jimin in the past were always hard to remember. Their faces all seemed the same, their touch not effective, their words empty promises. A quick fuck and done. That was all it was. But Jeongguk was ethereal. Stunningly gorgeous, lips parted slightly, skin glowing, his touch enough to burn permanent marks into Jimin’s skin, his words linking together to create chains that could lock Jimin up for life. Jimin could close his eyes five days later and still remember the cut of Jeongguk’s jaw, the way his nose scrunched when he was truly happy, how his eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks when his eyes were closed, the way his lips felt against Jimin’s skin.

Jeongguk wasn’t hard to unravel. Jimin had been around him long enough to understand intimately what made the younger fall apart. Everything was still so new to the both of them, every moment an opportunity to explore the rich novelty of being together. So when Jimin pushed Jeongguk further up onto the pillows and bent his knees towards his chest, Jeongguk’s eyes widened, like he was having flashbacks to few days ago. He started to stammer, but then the stammering turned into a loud, uncensored moan as he threw his head back, fisting the sheets as Jimin gripped his thighs and bent down to eat him out again. The more he fucked into Jeongguk with his tongue, the more Jeongguk fell to pieces, breathing erratic, words failing him. When Jimin added a lubed finger to the mix, Jeongguk nearly fell off the pillows.

“Baby, please. Please, p-please, oh my God,” he said with a dry sob, panting and sweating, a mess for Jimin to revel in the more pleasure he felt. “O-Oh my God, I—I can’t, I—hyung, you—oh…”

Jeongguk tried everything he could to get the upper hand, but he was too weakened by the amount of pleasure coursing through his veins, his thighs shaking, his heart slamming against his ribcage, the ripples of arousal consuming his body. When Jimin took his mouth away and replaced his tongue with his fingers, that was Jeongguk’s breaking point. He began to fuck down harder on Jimin’s fingers, babbling incoherently, tears flooding his eyes, back arching off the pillows. And Jimin, hovering over the younger, was on fire. Every inch of his skin was burning, his cock was dripping shamelessly onto Jeongguk, and all he wanted was to feel everything all at once. He would never tire of seeing Jeongguk like this. Fucking never.

“Stop, stop it. Fuck, I want you right now,” Jeongguk gasped once Jimin was four fingers deep, repetitively brushing just the right spot that had Jeongguk leaking pre-cum everywhere. “Right fucking now. Please.”

Jimin thought to reach for a condom, but Jeongguk grabbed his wrist roughly.

“No. Please. No condom.”

“You sure?” Jimin breathlessly said. “I’m clean.”

“Me too. I’ve only been with you,” Jeongguk panted, licking his lips. “Please, hyung.”

So Jimin didn’t waste time. He squeezed out a generous amount of lube to coat himself, knowing that Jeongguk preferred wet and messy. Then he flipped Jeongguk over unceremoniously until the younger was on his hands and knees, barely able to hold himself up. Jimin ran his hands down Jeongguk’s back, admiring the curves of his perfect body, how open and willing he was for Jimin. Jimin lined himself up and teased, and Jeongguk’s head collapsed onto the mattress as he groaned.

“Please fuck me,” he pleaded. “Please, I’m begging you—oh. Oh-h-h my God.”

He stopped talking and begging as Jimin pushed in, immediately sucking in a breath as he watched himself bury deep into Jeongguk, slowly but surely. No matter what Jimin did, Jeongguk was always so hot, so tight, so ready. And he felt so fucking good all the time in any way that Jimin took him, so good that it made Jimin see stars when he moved as much as a centimeter. It was even better without the condom. Should’ve fucked him bare the first time. So he leaned forward and rested on Jeongguk, trailing kisses down his back, listening to the younger pant and adjust to being full.

“Tell me what you need, baby,” Jimin said, circling his hips just slightly as Jeongguk let out a whimper, fisting the sheets again.

“This,” Jeongguk breathed. “Th-This, just this. Fuck, I love you inside me. F-Feel so fucking good, babe. Never—Never want anyone else, ever. J-Just you. Please move, fuck, please move. Baby, I need—oh.”

Jimin pulled out nearly all the way before thrusting back into Jeongguk in one smooth motion, and Jeongguk’s legs shook dangerously. Jimin gripped Jeongguk’s hips, soaking in the way that his fingertips could dig into Jeongguk’s skin, moaning each time he watched his cock sink into Jeongguk over and over again, thrilled at how well Jeongguk just took him, took all of him and still begged for more.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jimin cursed when Jeongguk sat up and sank down onto Jimin further, bottoming out as he threw his head back onto Jimin’s shoulder, his back to the elder’s chest. Jimin splayed his hands on Jeongguk’s strong chest for a moment as he caught his breath, teeth sinking into Jeongguk’s right shoulder as he tried to breathe, tried to stop his head from spinning. The more that Jeongguk rode him, the braver he got, and the more Jimin lost control. He watched as Jeongguk rose up and sank down repetitively onto his length, unable to believe this man was all his. Holy shit, it was too much. Too fucking much. Jimin reached around and grabbed Jeongguk’s cock, working his hand around it as Jeongguk, absolutely shattered, dripped sweat and pre-cum, grabbing anywhere on Jimin that he could, mostly his knees and the sides of his thighs.

“Shit,” he cursed. “Fucking—oh my God. Fuck, keep going. K-Keep going, I—right there, right there, right there.” Jeongguk let out a loud moan, louder than any of the ones before, almost a dry sob as he nearly collapsed with the way Jimin was jerking him off. It seemed he’d had enough, because he abruptly fell forward off of Jimin, spun around, and pinned Jimin to the bed. Panting, Jimin reached up and grabbed Jeongguk’s shoulders.

“Ride me, babe,” he panted. “Want you to cum all over me.”

Jeongguk pounced, sinking down onto Jimin’s cock and immediately falling forward, hands gripping Jimin’s shoulders, sweaty hair falling into his eyes, all of his muscles flexing. Jimin fucked up into the younger, desperately searching for some kind of relief, feeling the pool of heat bottle up in his stomach, threatening to explode.

“Think you can cum untouched?” Jimin asked breathlessly. “Can you do that for me, baby? Can you?”

“I—I don’t know,” Jeongguk all but whined. “F-Feels so fucking good, so good. I—I can try. I’ll try.”

“Good boy,” Jimin breathed, and then he rutted his hips upward. Jeongguk let out a cross between a cry and a yelp, his breath stuttering, and Jimin circled his hips until he managed to find just the right spot. He knew Jeongguk was overstimulated, just needed to get him right to the edge.

“S-Say it,” Jeongguk gasped. “Say it.”

“Say what?”

“T-Tell me. Tell me you love me,” Jeongguk managed to say, and Jimin’s entire body reacted. There it was. Neither of them had dared to say those words since that night, since that beautiful morning afterwards. Both too scared, too worried of the consequences. Now, in the heat of the moment, if Jimin admitted to Jeongguk that he was hopelessly in love, would Jeongguk reciprocate? Was it real? If it was real, the very idea of love came at a high cost. Came with sacrifice. Was Jimin ready to say it all the time? Ready to hear it? Ready if Jeongguk wasn’t able to say it back like he had so willingly weeks ago?

“Jeongguk,” Jimin moaned as Jeongguk’s fingernails dug into his skin. “Guk, I—oh my God. Oh, fuck. Fuck, I love you. I love you so fucking much, baby, I’m so in love with you, holy shit. I love you, I love you, I love you—”

That was all it took. Jeongguk let out a strangled cry, head dropping as his entire body shuddered and he came hard all over Jimin’s stomach, came untouched. Jimin fucked him right through it to the very end, soaking in how beautiful Jeongguk was when he came, the look on his face, the way that his entire body reacted.

“C’mon,” Jeongguk said hoarsely, still wincing from how sensitive he was but not ready to give up. “C’mon, baby. Cum for me. Cum inside me, I want you to. Cum for me, love. Just for me. Only for me.”

Jimin was already teetering on the edge, so it took only a few words from Jeongguk. He moaned helplessly, breathlessly, and rutted his hips upward sloppily once more as he came more than he felt he ever had in his life, filling up Jeongguk, wildly satisfied with stars in his eyes at the very thought of his cum leaking from the man he loved. Jeongguk rode him right through it, hands all over, whispering sweet nothings of encouragement until Jimin collapsed.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk finally whispered once he rolled off Jimin.

“Mm.” Jimin hummed, and then he closed his eyes. Jeongguk always went to get a washcloth for them, so surely he—

“I love you.” Jeongguk’s lips brushed Jimin’s cheek for a soft kiss. “I love you so much it scares me. But I love you just the same.”

Then he rolled off the bed as fast as he could, before Jimin could even open his mouth to respond. Jimin heard the bathroom faucet running, and then Jeongguk tiptoed back into the room and crawled onto the bed to wipe the cum off Jimin’s stomach, to wipe away any lube until they were both clean, to wipe Jimin’s cum away from his thighs. He made to get up again, but Jimin pulled him back down until the younger was on top of him.

“Look at me,” he quietly demanded, and Jeongguk’s eyes met his. Jimin pulled Jeongguk down by the back of his neck and kissed him fiercely. “You don’t have to be scared. And if you are, then we can be scared together. But I love you so much. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life. You’re it, Jeongguk. Just you. I don’t want anyone else. I’m so in love with you.”

“Thank fuck,” Jeongguk breathed, collapsing onto the bed and curling up in Jimin’s arms. “I love you, baby. So much.”

Jimin shivered, and then he pressed a kiss to Jeongguk’s forehead. He couldn’t wait to love the fuck out of this man for the unforeseeable future. There were a lot of kinks to work out in their relationship still, but he was ready to tackle them head on.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Text

“You said there would be a surgical cap.”

“You know what, this doesn’t look like my high school graduation cap and gown.”

“Hang on, who came up with this hat? And how did you manage to make it look decent?”

“Have you seen his face? How could he not?”

“The colors aren’t really flattering, to be honest, goddamn.”

“Can someone please discuss the lack of a surgical cap with me?”

“Yah, I was promised free food, so who’s paying?”

“Finally, some sense!” Seokjin shouted, flapping his hands incessantly at the peanut gallery surrounding him post-graduation ceremony. He had been hooded (“knighted,” as Taehyung had proclaimed) and was now officially a doctor in every sense of the word. He had only invited his fiancé, but then Namjoon had said that Jimin should be invited. So Jimin had naturally brought Jeongguk along, and Jeongguk had declared that Taehyung could take the photos, so Taehyung brought Hoseok along. Then Jeongguk had asked if he could invite Yoongi, so now Yoongi was asking for the food.

“Please tell me you’re wearing clothes underneath that,” Taehyung said, eying Seokjin warily.

“He’s wearing a suit, you idiot,” Namjoon said with a laugh.

“Do you not know your fiancé? That man would one hundred percent go nude underneath the gown just for a laugh,” Jimin stated, and the other six burst out laughing, Seokjin included.

It was the end of August and almost unbearably hot, and since they had all dressed nicely, now there was a fight to find a car with decent air conditioning. Yoongi had driven, as had Namjoon, but there was a silent fight between Taehyung and Hoseok over which car to choose. Taehyung had taken a keen interest in Yoongi almost immediately, wide-eyed in a state of dazed admiration, calling Yoongi “hyung” and his role model even though they had known each other all of four hours. The fight didn’t last long, and Hoseok had to drag Taehyung away as he jokingly kicked and fussed, reaching out like he was being dragged into the abyss.

“You have some smart fucking friends,” Yoongi commented once he, Jimin, and Jeongguk were in the car. “Seriously. A doctor? A lawyer? Another marketing guru? A genius photographer? Anyone else we should make note of?”

“No, that’s about it,” Jimin said proudly. He was sitting in the backseat, having insisted that Jeongguk ride shotgun. Yoongi glanced down at the center console, where Jimin was holding tight to Jeongguk’s hand.

“You two are disgusting,” he sighed, though he sounded rather pleased. “Not in front of my innocent eyes.”

“Oh, please, we’re just holding hands. You should’ve seen what he did to me two nights ago.”

“Jeongguk-ah.”

“Seriously, hyung, his tongue, the way that he—”

Yoongi smacked the dial on the radio and cranked up the random song to top volume, drowning Jeongguk out immediately as Jimin threw himself sideways onto the backseat, laughing. Jeongguk looked rather smug as he released Jimin’s hand and used his free hand to squish Yoongi’s cheeks as the elder drove. Jimin had learned quite a bit about their brotherly dynamic over the past three months. Most of what he had learned was that Jeongguk called Yoongi about the stupidest shit (“I saw three butterflies today, hyung, is that a sign? Can you interpret that?”), and that Yoongi would absolutely jump in front of a speeding train for Jeongguk no matter what dumb thing he did. Regardless, Jeongguk had somehow found a way to weave Yoongi into Jimin’s little group of friends, and even though Jimin had initially sworn Yoongi would be the odd one out, he fit quite well.

Jimin spent the entire dinner on one side of the table, second from the left, and he took a moment to soak it all in. Seokjin was at the head of the table as the man of the hour, and Jimin wasn’t the one holding court. It was just the seven of them talking over one another, grabbing at food and laughing.

“You okay, baby?”

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m okay,” Jimin assured Jeongguk, feeling Jeongguk’s hand on his thigh comfortingly. “I’m great. It’s just weird.”

“What is?” Jeongguk clicked his chopsticks together a few times and turned to face Jimin.

“Not being alone,” Jimin said quietly. “It still hasn’t hit me yet. That you’re here. That you’re…”

“That I’m your boyfriend? The love of your life? You’re favorite person in the world?” Jeongguk listed with a grin, snapping his chopsticks together with each label. “Honestly, love, it doesn’t surprise me that it hasn’t hit you yet. I’m a fucking catch. Think you’ll need time for it to really sink in.”

“Yeah, okay, see if I sink my dick into you tonight,” Jimin fired back, and Jeongguk snorted with laughter, ducking his head a little and reaching for the kimchi again.

Because that was how things were now. Jimin and Jeongguk went home together from events like Seokjin’s graduation. They went home to their apartment. Jimin had finally agreed to move in at the beginning of August, the move coinciding with the end of his lease. And for the first two weeks, there had been a few spats. Jimin didn’t leave the bathroom the way that Jeongguk liked it. Jeongguk arranged his closet like a dumbass (in Jimin’s opinion). Jimin sometimes used multiple glasses just to drink water and Jeongguk called it a waste of clean dishes. Jeongguk kicked out of his shoes near the kitchen instead of by the front door. The first argument had been scary to Jimin, even though it hadn’t been intense. I’m going to lose him. That was all he had thought the entire disagreement. But after Jeongguk had taken a shower, he had just plopped down on the couch and cuddled Jimin while to watch TV.

It had only taken them three weeks to figure out a system for healthy arguments. Jimin was the kind of person who needed space after a small quarrel. Jeongguk needed to control his emotions and not blame himself for every little thing. They always heard each other out and compromised, even if sometimes the conversation after the fight made Jimin cringe and cry. They always fell asleep in the same bed. That was Jeongguk’s rule, and they had yet to break it, even on the one night when Jimin had thrown his towel at Jeongguk and said a few terrible things, threatening to run off. Jeongguk had just crawled into bed and quietly spooned Jimin from behind before they fell asleep.

“Are we sure this is the right way to celebrate your birthday?”

“You said you’d give me anything I wanted.”

“Within reason,” Jimin said indignantly, and Jeongguk stifled a laugh. It was the first day of September, a Tuesday, which meant that Jeongguk was celebrating turning twenty-six. Jimin had taken off work on purpose just to spend time with the birthday boy, and he was paying for it. Jeongguk had Jimin up on the kitchen countertop, because they were done with the cake mixture. Jeongguk had just put the cake in the oven to bake, which meant that they had time. The timer was only five minutes in, and they had been making out for all five minutes. Jimin’s shirt was on the floor beside Jeongguk’s, because as Jimin had found out, Jeongguk was not very interested Jimin because dressed when they were home together.

“I think this is reasonable,” Jeongguk said, grabbing the top of Jimin’s ass and scooting him forward even more. “You trust me, hyung, right?”

“Of course I do.” Jimin, his arms around Jeongguk’s neck casually, leaned in for another kiss. “With my life. You know that.”

“Then let’s go. Time for my present.”

“Ah-h-h-h, Jeongguk-ah-h-h-h,” Jimin whined dramatically, though he let out a squeaking laugh when Jeongguk effortlessly picked him up, and then he wrapped his legs around the younger’s waist, his heart already pounding painfully in his chest, wild with anticipation. He did, however, weakly kick his heels in a childish fashion against Jeongguk’s lower back just for fun.

“Tell me happy birthday,” Jeongguk said in a low, singsong voice, lips on Jimin’s neck.

“I’ll tell you happy birthday if you fuck me well,” Jimin whispered. Jeongguk dropped Jimin onto their (their) bed and then crawled on top of him, and Jimin had never been so happy to be caged in and helpless in his life. Jeongguk only got sexier over time. There was no limit to it, it seemed, no matter how hard Jimin looked for one. He sucked in a breath when Jeongguk dove and kissed roughly at his neck, going straight for a fading mark that he had made two days ago. Jimin winced and grabbed at Jeongguk’s back, breath quickening from the pleasurable pain, and then Jeongguk kissed the spot softly, humming with pride at his work.

“Hope they’re asking you at the office about all these marks,” he murmured.

“They did the first two weeks we were dating,” Jimin whispered. “But they know now.”

“Know what?”

“Who I get to fuck whenever I want.”

Jeongguk pushed Jimin back up onto the pillows and grabbed at the waistband of his pants, and in a matter of minutes, they were both completely naked, clothes strewn all over their (their!) room. Jimin quickly threw his legs around Jeongguk’s waist, hooked his ankles together, grabbed Jeongguk’s shoulders, and rolled them as fast as he could. Then he settled between Jeongguk’s knees, parting the younger’s legs to trail kisses on the insides of his thighs, grinning when he saw the bruises he had left from last time.

“Shit, look at you,” he breathed. “All marked up so pretty. Who did that to you, baby?”

“Mm,” Jeongguk hummed, shaking his head with a little whimper the close Jimin got to his hardened cock. He had long ago openly admitted to Jimin that he preferred to be entirely submissive in the bedroom, that he enjoyed the headspace. If he was going to be the one fucking Jimin, though, Jimin assumed he was going to have to do some power bottoming to make it work.

“Tell me, or I won’t let you fuck me,” Jimin warned. “Won’t let you cum, either. Poor baby boy, that wouldn’t feel too good, would it? Tell me who marked you up so well.”

“Y-You, hyung,” Jeongguk gasped when Jimin’s fingertips grazed the head of his cock. “You, fuck, you did. Mark me up more.”

“Between your legs? I’m the only one who sees that. You’re not showing anyone else, are you?” Jimin asked sweetly but threateningly, gripping Jeongguk’s thighs with fingernails digging into skin. Jeongguk whined, eyes closed.

“No, no, no,” he panted. “No, only you. Please, hyung.”

“You’re going to have to be a little stronger than this, love,” Jimin whispered teasingly. “Cock that big needs an ego to fit. C’mon, baby. Rough me up a little. You know I can take it. And I know you can give it to me.”

“Want—” Jeongguk shoved himself up to his elbows. “Want you to suck me off.”

“Whatever you want. You’re in control,” Jimin lied with a grin, and he bent down, but Jeongguk grabbed his hair to stop him. Jimin looked up, eyebrows raised.

“Want to fuck your mouth.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. So get on your knees.”

“That’s better,” Jimin whispered, rolling off the bed obediently. Jeongguk situated himself eagerly, and then he grabbed a handful of Jimin’s hair to tilt his boyfriend’s head back. Jimin blinked up at him, and Jeongguk immediately groaned, throwing his head back.

“How the fuck am I supposed to be in control when you look at me like that?” he complained, but Jimin just opened his mouth without a word. Jeongguk took a deep breath, and suddenly, Jimin saw a small shift in the younger’s eyes. “Hands behind your back.”

Jimin obeyed immediately, feeling a rush of adrenaline and a rush of blood straight to his neglected cock. He’d get attention soon. Right now, the birthday boy needed to be taken care of, and Jimin was going to give him whatever he wanted. He took Jeongguk’s cock in his mouth and hummed happily, sucking and running his tongue along the length with his hands behind his back as Jeongguk’s breathing became more erratic. When he tugged on Jimin’s hair, Jimin paused. They didn’t need words. Jeongguk immediately started thrusting. He started slow at first, but when he realized that Jimin was just taking it without complaint, he sped up his pace. He fucked Jimin’s throat in earnest, hips snapping, and Jimin gagged, eyes filling with tears as he tried to relax his throat the best he could.

“Fuck, oh my God,” Jeongguk said breathlessly, both hands in Jimin’s hair now. “Fucking hell, hyung. Shit, I could cum just from this. Holy shit. I’m—I need to—I’m gonna—”

Jimin immediately lurched his head backwards into Jeongguk’s hands, dropping his cock from his mouth.

“You wanna cum down my throat or inside me?” he asked hoarsely, looking up at Jeongguk. Jeongguk nearly toppled over.

“Jesus Christ. Both, but inside you for tonight,” he decided immediately, pupils blown. He hoisted Jimin off his knees and threw him roughly back onto the bed. “Get on your hands and knees, baby. I’m taking you from behind.”

“Fuck,” Jimin groaned, turning himself over and grabbing his cock at the same time to give himself some kind of relief. It felt so good until a hand landed on his ass hard and loud, and he let out a yelp, surprised by the spank.

“Didn’t say you could touch yourself,” Jeongguk said, grabbing for the lube. “Don’t do it again.”

“Fuck, Guk,” Jimin gasped. “Jesus, babe, you need to top more often.”

“Haven’t even fucked you yet and you’re already begging for more?” Jeongguk asked, sounding amused.

“I can admit defeat every once in a while,” Jimin said, sucking in a breath when he felt one of Jeongguk’s large hands rest on his lower back. He dropped his forehead onto the mattress, fisting the sheets, listening to the sound of lube squelching as Jeongguk rubbed his fingers together. “Shit, I haven’t done this in years.”

“I’ll be good to you, baby,” Jeongguk whispered. “You tell me when you want more, okay?”

The first finger was the most shocking. Jimin’s entire body trembled at the intrusion, his arms shaking, legs threatening to collapse. But once Jeongguk got him to relax, it was much easier. It burned and stung, didn’t feel great at first, but then he breathed into it and realized that Jeongguk was a finger deep inside him. Holy shit. His hot ass twenty-six-year-old boyfriend was fingering him and about to fuck him. Holy shit.

“Another,” Jimin whispered, clenching his jaw. Jeongguk slowly inserted another finger, carefully scissoring and opening Jimin up. Then it became pleasurable. Jimin felt sweat trickling down his back as he moaned, Jeongguk’s fingers twisting inside of him. When those fingers finally found his prostate, Jimin let out a cry, head falling onto the mattress again, his entire body quivering. Jeongguk reached around and wrapped his hand around Jimin’s cock, easily jerking him off to increase the pleasure as Jimin panted and writhed. The third finger was unbelievable. Jimin was steadily leaking into Jeongguk’s hand now, knowing that he probably looked like a mess—

“Fuck, baby, you look so beautiful,” Jeongguk complimented breathlessly. “Take my fingers so well. Bet you could cum just from this, couldn’t you?”

“Shit, yes.”

“You ready for me?”

“Y-Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready,” Jimin said with a dizzy head, and Jeongguk grabbed the lube again for his own cock, both of them preferring sex to be an absolute wet mess. Once he was lubed up, Jeongguk grabbed Jimin by the hips and pulled him closer. Jimin felt a series of kisses on his lower back, and then he felt the tip of Jeongguk’s cock at his rim, teasing. Holy shit, this was actually happening. Park Jimin, who hadn’t been fucked since he was nineteen, about to take it from behind.

For a good fucking reason.

Jeongguk slowly pushed in to just the tip, listening to the way that Jimin gasped and tightened around him immediately. He was so tight that Jeongguk nearly buckled at the feeling. It took minutes, easily, until Jeongguk finally bottomed out, and Jimin was quietly crying in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Jeongguk reached forward and stroked Jimin’s hair soothingly.

“So good, baby, so good,” he praised, even though he was trying to stay as still as possible because he knew that he would cum on the spot if he so much as moved right now. “Fuck, you’re taking me so well already. Look at you.”

“Guk,” Jimin whimpered.

“I’ll move when your ready, baby,” Jeongguk whispered, grazing his fingertips down Jimin’s spine. “You tell me when.”

“Fucking hell,” Jimin breathed. “Never. Probably never.”

“On my birthday? Don’t disappoint me,” Jeongguk said in a voice that had Jimin shivering. He released his hold on the sheets and blew out a breath, giving an experiment little twist of his hips and gasping in pleasure at the sensation.

“This better be the best fuck of my life,” Jimin said breathlessly.

“Oh, baby, don’t worry. You won’t be able to walk tomorrow morning.”

Jeongguk didn’t hold back after that. He gently pulled out almost all the way, and then he thrusted into Jimin smoothly. Jimin let out a moan and almost face-planted on the sheets, unable to believe that he was the one getting fucked this time. He had forgotten how good it felt, or maybe he had never really known. The boys (boys, not men) who had managed to top him before he was in his twenties hadn’t been very experienced, leading Jimin to choose topping, including with Minkyu. So perhaps Jeongguk, his Jeongguk, was about to show him what he had been missing.

“Shit, baby, you feel amazing. Look so gorgeous like this,” Jeongguk said, his breath coming out in pants as he kept up a steady rhythm, speaking over Jimin’s whimpers and moans. “Sound so fucking beautiful, too. Don’t hold back, love.”

“Guk,” Jimin gasped out. “G-Guk, please. Please, baby, I can’t—it’s—I’m—”

“You wanna ride me, love? Would that be better for you?”

“Y-Yes, yes, yes,” Jimin babbled, feeling like his words were slurring together. It took a little maneuvering, but Jeongguk sat back on his heels, still on his knees, and manhandled Jimin like a true boyfriend would until Jimin was facing him.

“Jesus, just when I thought you couldn’t get any more beautiful,” Jeongguk said, pushing damp strands of sweaty hair out of Jimin’s eyes and lining himself up again. “You’re fucking unreal.”

Jimin only responded by sinking down onto Jeongguk’s length, and both of them let out a string of curse words at the same time, because the new position was far more intense than the previous. Jimin gripped Jeongguk’s shoulders so tightly that his fingernails were nearly latched into skin. Jeongguk had both of his hands behind Jimin’s neck, and Jimin, panting, looked up into Jeongguk’s eyes.

“Is this a bad time to tell you how much I love you?” Jeongguk whispered. “Does that ruin the moment?”

“No.” Jimin leaned his forehead against Jeongguk’s. “No, this is all I ever wanted. Now fuck me like you mean it.”

Jeongguk took that as a challenge. He gripped Jimin by the hips and began to fuck up into him, but it wasn’t frantic or overly rough. It was intense and deep and had Jimin coming completely undone. This wasn’t just sex, not anymore. Jimin tried his best to do something, anything, but Jeongguk had total control. He kept one arm wrapped around Jimin’s waist, continually fucking up into him, and then he used his free hand to grab Jimin’s cock between the two of them.

“You wanna cum, baby?”

“S-So badly,” Jimin moaned, throwing his head back. Jeongguk immediately latched his lips onto Jimin’s neck and sucked a new mark as Jimin cried out, overstimulated and overwhelmed. “Please, please, please.”

“What’s that?” Jeongguk panted with a laugh. “Is that Park Jimin begging for me?”

“Fuck, yes,” Jimin gasped, head spinning in delirium. Holy shit, it felt so good. He felt so full, weirdly complete, and so in love. “Yes, need to—wanna—baby,” he whined, dragging his fingernails down Jeongguk’s back when Jeongguk changed the angle just a little. Jimin’s entire body trembled, and his hands began to shake as he gripped at Jeongguk. “Please, please, please, need to cum. Please.”

“Whatever you want,” Jeongguk whispered. One, two, three strokes and Jimin came with a strangled cry, grinding down sloppily on Jeongguk’s length, stars in his vision for one glorious moment. He barely registered Jeongguk laying him onto his back, but he absolutely registered when Jeongguk began to fuck into him with earnest, chasing his own orgasm. Jimin wrapped his legs around Jeongguk’s waist, moaning and writhing, desperate for the stimulation to stop but addicted to the feeling. It didn’t take long. Jimin whispered Jeongguk’s name, and Jeongguk spilled inside of him, gasping for air.

“Happy fucking birthday,” Jimin gasped, and Jeongguk let out a hoarse laugh, still panting, resting his forehead on Jimin’s shoulder, still inside him, cum and lube everywhere. “Holy shit.”

“Babe.”

“Yeah.”

“Babe.”

“What?” Jimin asked with an exhausted smile.

“I’m not a top.”

Jimin burst out laughing as Jeongguk collapsed fully on top of him, hugging their sweaty bodies together and laughing into the elder’s shoulder. Jimin reached up with a trembling hand and stroked Jeongguk’s damp hair, suddenly feeling an overwhelming rush of gratitude.

“Okay, we’re gross. Let’s go.”

Before Jimin could make a mess, Jeongguk scooped him up bridal style, and Jimin let out a yelp, yelling that Jeongguk was going to leave a trail of his cum on the way to the bathroom. Jeongguk just carried Jimin and set him directly into the shower, looking proud with himself for not dripping anything as he cranked on the water without warning.

“Fuck! You asshole!” Jimin shouted, because the water was freezing cold. Jeongguk was in near tears from laughing so hard, that stupidly endearing dorky laugh. So he leapt into the shower as well, letting out the same yelp and turning in hasty circles underneath the cold stream with his fists clenched against his chest, shivering dramatically as Jimin leaned back against the tiles, still laughing, not even caring about the mess dripping down his thighs. It didn’t even fucking matter.

This was the life that Jimin had been searching for since he was eighteen. This was the daily life, the passion, the love, the absolute chaos that he had longed for all those years. He had screwed up so many times, had been dealt shitty hand after shitty hand in the game of relationships, never once winning or getting the right cards to give him a leg up in the game. And then Jeongguk had stolen his taxicab and offered the exact right card to play. The game changer. Now Jimin was so stupid in love that he couldn’t believe he had ever doubted that relationships could be genuine and real. They had toughed it out after the honeymoon phase, had just fallen into a natural rhythm with one another. Jeongguk was, without a doubt, the most wonderful man that Jimin knew.

And it wasn’t like it had come easy to him, being so wonderful. He didn’t talk about it much, the way that his entire high school had turned on him for being gay, the way they had kicked him off the wrestling team and accused him of being captain just to touch boys, the way his parents had hurled gay slurs at him and kicked him out of the house. Jeon Jeongguk could have turned out a mess. Instead, he had chosen to become a beautiful soul, a soul who had chosen Jimin, of all people in the world. Jeongguk filled in all the gaps where Jimin was lacking. Jimin filled in all the voids in Jeongguk’s life, the things he hadn’t experienced as a normal young adult. Now they were in it together.

“C’mon.”

“I don’t—I can’t really—I don’t know.”

“Baby.” Jimin let out a small, fond laugh. “It’s just a wedding.”

“Yeah, but you’re Namjoon hyung’s best man, and I’m—I’m not even your plus one. They invited me,” Jeongguk hissed with emphasis, his face pale. “They put me on the guest list, babe. The actual guest list of people they want to attend their wedding. They gave me my own plus one.”

“Because they like you and probably want you to invite Yoongi hyung.”

“I could’ve just been your plus one.”

“Well, then I guess they wanted you to know how important you are to them,” Jimin said. Jeongguk let his head fall onto the top back of the couch, and Jimin reached up and poked the underside of his boyfriend’s chin with one finger. Jeongguk immediately opened his mouth to bite the finger, but he missed by a mere fraction of an inch as Jimin let out a yelp and retracted, collapsing again into Jeongguk’s left shoulder with a laugh. He was sitting sideways on the couch, legs over Jeongguk’s lap as they cuddled and watched mindless television. Jeongguk just wanted Jimin to watch Music Bank because Yoongi had produced the song for one of the idol groups having their comeback tonight.

“When is his song on?” Jimin asked restlessly. He had stopped watching music shows a few years ago because it had been too overwhelming to keep up.

“It’s probably towards the end of the program. They do that with the more famous groups,” Jeongguk said proudly, but then he stuck his lower lip out in a pout. “I don’t know about this.”

“Are we still on the wedding?”

“It scares me,” Jeongguk admitted, because he was always honest with Jimin.

“Why?”

“Because it’s—it’s the first—you know,” Jeongguk said, sounding pained that he had to explain it. Jimin just quietly sat there, toying with the younger’s fingers. “It’s our first real… thing.”

“You’re so poetic.”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk groaned, but then he sighed in frustration. “I mean… We’ve gone on dates before. I’ve met your work friends for drinks. You’ve come with me on photo shoots. That’s—That’s normal stuff. But this is… formal. This is a wedding. This is ‘hi, I’m Park Jimin and this is my boyfriend.’”

“Serious boyfriend.”

“Stop.”

“Very serious boyfriend who I love and adore and can’t stop thinking about at all hours of the day.”

“You’re an embarrassment.”

“The true love of my life with a hot ass and a dorky smile that makes me want to melt into the damn floor.” Jimin sat up and swung his legs until he was straddling Jeongguk’s lap, arms snaking around his neck. “Who can’t wink to save his life, who studies all the top viral trends on the internet and nails them in one go, who takes it well but also fucks me like his life depends on it.”

“Stop,” Jeongguk groaned again, his hands on Jimin’s waist immediately, no longer embarrassed. “What do you want from me?”

“I’ll take what I can get if you stop talking about the damn wedding,” Jimin whispered, bending to trail kisses down Jeongguk’s jaw to his neck. Their lips met hot and heavy, hands all over, full of tongue and small whimpers. Jimin had been thinking about Jeongguk naked all day long. Had barely been able to make it through the workday. Had skipped out on drinks on a Friday night just to come home and find his boyfriend fretting over a damn wedding invitation. Now he was trying to invite Jeongguk to have sex, if only he knew how to say it.

“Unless it’s ours,” Jeongguk breathed. Jimin let out a moan, and then he immediately pulled Jeongguk’s shirt off.

So much for watching a K-drama.

***

For the tail end of October, it was unseasonably warm in Seoul. The fading sun was at just the right angle for endless light to pour through the windows of the apartment. In the corner by the TV, there were still a few helium balloons that hadn’t deflated yet—31, the numbers in shiny gold, and a few HAPPY BIRTHDAY! balloons from Jimin’s birthday party.

Their apartment had seen a hell of a lot in three years. They had redecorated the dining area together, hung up heaps of Jeongguk’s photographs. There was a whole collage on the wall of photos with friends—of Jeongguk with Yoongi at Show! Music Core, of Jeongguk and Jimin with Namjoon and Seokjin at their wedding, a recent snap of Jeongguk and Jimin with Namjoon and Seokjin’s daughter (as responsible godfathers). A few photos of them at Hoseok and Taehyung’s engagement party, a few selfies that always made Jimin smile. There was also a bowl of water by the dishwasher and a thick blanket on the end of the couch for Miso, the fluffy Maltese poodle Jeongguk had come home with one random day back in April with heart eyes and a pout, begging Jimin to keep her. Now Miso refused to watch TV unless she was situated in Jimin’s lap.

“Babe?”

“Yeah?” Jimin said, setting his phone down and kicking his feet up onto the coffee table, Miso shifting her position against his thigh. Jeongguk shuffled out of the kitchen, holding two cups of instant noodles for their late night snack, chopsticks jutting out of each cup. He plopped down on the couch and handed Jimin his serving, and then they both pulled off the lids. Jimin stirred the ice in as the noodles cooled down to an acceptable temperature as Miso lifted her head in interest, sniffed, and then went back to resting. As he mixed, Jimin glanced over and watched Jeongguk furiously stir his noodles. When his tongue poked out between his lips in concentration, Jimin nearly exploded with fondness. Three fucking years together and Jeongguk still made him feel like a giddy teenager in love for the first time.

“What is it?” Jimin prompted, because Jeongguk had gotten distracted. Jeongguk realized as well, and he cleared his throat and jostled the noodles with his chopsticks. Then he gathered up a bunch, twirling them around the chopsticks. Just before he ate the bite, he turned his shoulders and looked at Jimin. Their eyes met. Jimin couldn’t believe his luck, being with this man. He had never loved anyone so much in his life. They had had their share of arguments over the years, but the arguments were nothing in comparison to the amount of overwhelming love they shared. This was the real fucking deal. Jimin never wanted anyone else, couldn’t imagine loving anyone else.

“Jeonggukie,” Jimin laughed. “What is it?”

Jeongguk tilted his head to the side, eyes sparkling. Then his lips twitched in a small smile.

“Do you think we’d make good parents?”