Archive of Our Own

“Yo, Jeongguk, you ever heard of Aurora?”

“Like the polar lights? Yeah, who hasn’t?” Jeongguk kicked his combat boot clad feet onto the coffee table in front of the couch he was lazily relaxing on and eyed his boss.

“No, dipshit. The band.” Jeongguk’s boss, Yonghoon, let out an exasperated sigh.

“Oh. Um,” Jeongguk furrowed his brow, “No? Doesn’t ring a bell.” He paused. “Wait, it’s not that group that opened for Menagerie, right? The guys are stupidly attractive? Them?”

“You bet it is. I knew you went to go see them considering we literally ran into each other there, so I was about to insult you even more than normal.” Yonghoon nodded and adjusted his tie that he had loosened earlier.

“You’re an asshole.” Jeongguk scoffed at his boss in a lighthearted manner. They messed with each other a lot. “Why do you ask?”

“Since you’re finished with your other task, you’re now their bodyguard. Enjoy.” Yonghoon rolled his chair back from behind his desk just enough to retrieve a few papers stapled together from a desk drawer. “Tell the bass player I’m in love with him while you’re at it.”

Jeongguk took the papers once Yonghoon produced them and set them on the desk. “So, they have only been a group officially for a year? Damn.”

“Yeah, but they’re gaining popularity like crazy. They did an OST for a drama, and I guess the people loved it. Myself included, obviously. So, you’re going to be very needed.” Yonghoon said. “It’s no government official, but I hope it will do.”

“I’m on it. I didn’t like the whole almost getting shot thing anyway. I can handle being roughoused a bit.” Jeongguk shrugged and got up. “When do I start?”

“Tomorrow. You’re going to meet up with their manager in the morning and talk over things. They should give you a schedule. They’re also currently on their first leg of a tour as primarily openers.” Yonghoon said. “You get to enjoy going to a lot of concerts, so you better thank me later on. This is the best gig for you. I also considered giving you the job of being a bodyguard for this asshole singer, but Taemin made me mad and I gave him the job.”

“What did Taemin do to piss you off?” Jeongguk couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’ll never believe it.” Yonghoon deeply sighed.

“Try me.” Jeongguk responded.

“He…” Yonghoon let out a dramatic sigh. “He…I asked if he could grab me a coffee because he said he was getting one for himself. Well, he did and…I can’t even say it. He got me cow’s milk. Cow’s milk, Jeongguk. What kind of creature drinks that shit? Oh, I’ll tell you. A calf. Not a goddamn human.”

“You’re literally exaggerating more than anyone else I’ve ever met.”

“Yeah, but you love it. You love me.”

“Sadly.” Jeongguk forced himself up. “I guess I’ll see you around?”

“For sure.” Yonghoon also got up. They had been done with work for quite a while, but it was nice to unwind by chatting about whatever. “See you around and have fun.”

Jeongguk was appreciative that he had an amazing boss who was more of a friend than anything. It made life a lot easier.

“Thanks, man. See you.”

Jeongguk headed home to his dark and quiet apartment. He had forgotten to turn on the lights and there was no one else there to do it for him. He thought that he would have met the one by now, but that was just the hopeless romantic in him speaking. Jeongguk was content with what he had.

Once Jeongguk had locked the door, he sat down on his couch and looked through the papers Yonghoon gave him once more. It wasn’t a world tour, unfortunately, but it would require them being on the road mostly. So, it was time to pack.

…

Jeongguk decided on a fitted black suit with a thin tie for the day. At first, he felt a bit underdressed since it wasn’t as nice as what he wore on his last job, but quickly realized it was okay when he was escorted inside a lavish building by a security guard basically wearing a maroon version of what he had on.

The interior of the building was just as gorgeous as the outside. It was in the middle of the city and rose above the surrounding buildings. It made sense that it was nice, though. AMP was one of the most notorious labels for rock and alternative bands. The job was Jeongguk’s dream come true.

He figured he could look around another time, though, because Jeongguk found himself being meticulously screened before he could go further into the building. Jeongguk set down his well loved black backpack onto the conveyor belt to his right and watched it be checked. The bag was a stark contrast to Jeongguk’s attire, but he couldn’t help it. If he wasn’t in a suit, Jeongguk usually fashioned ripped jeans, scuffed combat boots, and oversized shirts that complimented it perfectly. It definitely didn’t scream ‘professional’.

Luckily, there were no issues with being screened and Jeongguk was given a visitor’s badge before he was escorted to the elevator. Once inside, Jeongguk pressed the button for the third floor and waited patiently, hoping that the elevator would stop on the way there and one of the other bands from the label would get on the elevator with him.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but it was okay because Jeongguk was immediately taken aback when he saw a framed vinyl signed by one of his favorite bands from the early 2000s. They had gone on a hiatus nearly decade ago and Jeongguk never had a chance to see them live, so it was amazing to know that musicians he adored touched the vinyl in front of him and walked the same halls that he did. They weren’t part of the same company, but the group had collaborated with bands from AMP.

Normally, it would have taken seconds, maybe a minute, to find the meeting room, but Jeongguk took longer because he stopped every time he saw a framed guitar, or an outfit from a music video that a musician wore.

“This is so cool.” Jeongguk said to himself as he tore his eyes off of a pair of signed drumsticks from an infamous band that had been around as long as Jeongguk had been alive.

Fortunately, the next thing on the wall was a plaque indicating he had made it to the meeting room. So, Jeongguk knocked and waited patiently for the door to be opened.

When it did, Jeongguk was a bit taken aback. One of the musicians from the label that Jeongguk had never seen greeted him with a kind smile. He had deep brown hair, slightly longer than Jeongguk’s who kept it simple for work purposes, and glasses that hung off the bridge of his nose. He was stunning.

“Hi there.” He said in a deeper voice than expected. “You must be Jeongguk, yeah?”

“Oh, yeah. Hi.” Jeongguk mustered up. “I’m looking for Aurora’s manager.”

“That’s me.” The guy responded.

“Wait, you’re the manager? I thought you were a musician.” This was the guy Jeongguk had to work closely with? He was screwed.

The guy let out a melodic laugh. “No,” He chuckled, “I’m the manager, really. Have you seen Aurora perform before?”

“I have. I just figured you were part of the company, not Aurora in particular, because you look like a celebrity. Like you should be in a band.” Jeongguk shrugged.

“If you heard me play the drums, then you’d think otherwise.” The guy responded. “Come in. I’m Taehyung, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Jeongguk cautiously followed Taehyung into the meeting room and sat across from him in a loveseat once Taehyung sat on a couch that probably cost more than the entirety of Jeongguk’s college tuition.

Once Taehyung sat down, he didn’t hesitate to get to business. He talked on and on about schedules, which Jeongguk understood. He much preferred the manila envelope filled with papers on top of the table between them that stated the exact things Taehyung droned on about, though.

“That about covers it for now.” Were the magic words from Taehyung’s mouth that Jeongguk was waiting to hear. “Any questions?”

“I do have a question.” Jeongguk said. “Why a new bodyguard so soon? What happened to your old one?”

“Oh.” Taehyung bit his lip in thought. “Well, he got mauled by a fan when he was trying to stop someone else from literally kidnapping Aurora. So, we need someone that won’t even let the guys get close to being taken. Please tell me you’re capable.”

“I’ve got this. Rest assured, I’ll be able to handle it.” Jeongguk reassured Taehyung, who sighed in relief. “I’m capable of making sure you and Aurora are safe.”

“Remember, I’m not part of the band. I’m not the talent.” Taehyung said. “I don’t need to be protected.”

“Sorry, but it’s my job to protect you, as well. You’re just as important.” Jeongguk responded. “These guys would be lost without you.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Taehyung compromised instead of rolling his eyes at the bodyguard. He didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with Jeongguk. “We’re going to go to the recording studio. The guys are there.”

“Sick.” Jeongguk was excited to meet them. He obediently followed Taehyung to the recording studio, where they stood outside waiting for the ‘recording’ light to go off before heading inside.

Once inside, Jeongguk saw a dark haired male get up from a rolling chair in front of a recording booth and grab a guitar that was lazily thrown on the couch behind him.

“Oh, hey!” Another person called, causing Jeongguk to glance over to the other guys in the room.

“Hey, guys.” Taehyung pocketed his hands and scanned the room. “I wanted you guys to meet your new bodyguard, Jeongguk.”

“You’re our bodyguard? Holy shit.” The guy holding the bass said. “You put our old bodyguard to shame. Anyway, I’m Hoseok.”

“Nice to meet you all. I’m looking forward to working with you.” Jeongguk offered Hoseok a friendly smile.

“Sorry it took me a sec to come over. The drums are an obstacle themselves. Ask my shins. I’m Namjoon.” The drummer stood next to Hoseok.

“I’m Yoongi.” The first guy Jeongguk saw strolled over. “I produce and I’m the guitarist. Those two that are too busy chatting inside our lovely soundproof recording room are Jimin and Seokjin. They were recording together since Jimin is the main vocal and Seokjin plays the keyboard and is sub-vocals.”

Hoseok sighed and banged on the door to the recording room, causing Jimin and Seokjin to jump. Yoongi motioned for them to exit the room and they did. They introduced themselves and Jeongguk introduced himself again.

“Have you heard our music before?” Namjoon questioned once introductions were over.

“Yeah, once. I saw you open for Menagerie.” Jeongguk nodded.

“Which we will be doing again on this tour. They always have such a lively crowd.” Yoongi said. Maybe he said more after that, but Jeongguk was too busy trying to not get overexcited about the fact that he was going to get to see Menagerie again. He might even see them backstage, getting the best view of the show.

“Well, I have a lot to do, so I’ll let you guys get to talking.” Taehyung glanced at his watch. “Get home early tonight to pack.”

“Alright, sounds good. What time should we meet? Also, who are we opening for tomorrow?” Hoseok questioned.

“I think at eight, but I can double check the itinerary. And you’ll be opening for Echo and Menagerie. Did you get the itinerary I emailed you guys? It should have everything on it.” Taehyung hoped, truly hoped, that they had at least scanned it over. He worked hard on it.

“Dude, I haven’t checked my email in years. I probably have like ten thousand emails.” Hoseok went to pull out his phone, but stopped. “Actually, I don’t want to know. I don’t need that negativity in my life.”

“I’ll make sure they read it.” Namjoon winked at Taehyung. “Don’t worry.”

“Cool.” Taehyung gave the group a firm nod before taking a step closer to the door. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.” He grabbed the door handle and hesitated before he turned back to Jeongguk. “Room 306. I should have clarified. Meet me there once they leave if you could.”

“Awesome, 306. Got it.” Jeongguk smiled at Taehyung. “See you.”

Once Taehyung left, Jeongguk spent a few hours talking with Aurora. They were all incredibly nice. And they seemed genuine. They were blowing up quickly, but were still humble. Yoongi let Jeongguk listen to the some of the song they were working on and got all shy when Jeongguk complimented him. After that, they hung out for a bit longer before Jeongguk made sure they all left the company building safely.

Since Jeongguk was out, he grabbed two coffees before he went to Taehyung’s office.

“Hey.” Jeongguk said and waited in the threshold of the office door.

“Hi.” Taehyung spared him a glance. “You can come in.”

“Cool.” Jeongguk did as he was told and set down a coffee for Taehyung. “You must be tired.”

“Damn,” Taehyung’s mood lightened at the sight of the coffee and the kind gesture. “Thank you, Jeongguk. How has today been for you?”

“Great.” Jeongguk sat across from Taehyung. “The guys are nice and the building is super cool.”

“Oh, shit. Speaking of buildings,” Taehyung scanned his desk before he finally lifted up a couple of papers and retrieved an official badge for him. “Here.”

“No.” Jeongguk grinned and took the lanyard the badge hung off of. “Not even a new photo? This one is so shitty.” He couldn’t help but laugh at the image. It was the same photo as the one on his visitor’s badge that he took earlier. They must have just made Jeongguk’s actual badge if they used the same photo. Jeongguk looked way more intimidating in the photo than he actually was. But, in reality, he was nervous and apparently his resting face when he’s nervous makes him look like he’s pissed.

“Let me get a better look.” Taehyung had an entertained expression on his face. “This is literally a great picture. It’s serving a look like you’re about to walk down a runway. Love that for you.”

“Like you said earlier, flattery will get you everywhere.” Jeongguk felt slightly more confident with the photo knowing that Taehyung liked it, given Taehyung was the hottest person he’s ever seen. “What are you up to?”

“Making sure I have all of the proper arrangements for tour buses and stuff. I’m just trying to be extra careful because I know touring is a lot on the guys. It has been, at least with the old bodyguard.” Taehyung adjusted his glasses. “The van is nice, by the way. That’s what we will be riding in, since it’s faster than the bus and we have to keep pace if we happen to get separated. We don’t need any close calls.”

“Understood. How much staff usually comes on these things?” Jeongguk was interested. He had no idea. He was never a bodyguard for a band. Just a few idols.

“Usually, each vendor has their own staff, so it makes life so much easier. We still need our technicians, production manager, the sound and monitor engineers, our lighting operator, and stuff. The rest can be covered by our venues. So, in total, we need at least twelve other staff. Luckily for us, the headliners help out the openers a lot with staff. I would know, considering I also work as Aurora’s agent and stage manager.” Taehyung paused. “Sorry, I know. It’s a lot and you don’t care.”

Jeongguk whistled. “Damn,” He said, “You do a lot. Holy shit. I mean, you’re basically doing three jobs by yourself. That’s really admirable.”

“Ha, nah.” Taehyung sat back in his chair and picked up the coffee Jeongguk left him. “I love doing this. Usually, it’s not this crazy because communication. But the promoter fucked us over with merch and that took up a lot of my time. I promise I’m not usually this frantic.”

“If this is frantic, you don’t want to see me even have the slightest inconvenience.” Jeongguk responded. “Are you heading home soon?”

“Uh,” Taehyung checked the time on his phone, “Yeah, I can do some of this stuff another time. I’m pretty much done, anyway.”

“Alright. I’ll walk you out.” Jeongguk said.

“You don’t have to. I’m not the talent, Jeongguk.” Taehyung shook his head. “Actually, I know what it is. It’s my charm, isn’t it? You just want to spend more time with me.” The mischievous grin on Taehyung’s face was going to cause problems for Jeongguk. He just knew it.

“Caught me.” Jeongguk would play along for sure. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

…

Luckily, Taehyung’s schedule he gave to Jeongguk was pretty straightforward because Jeongguk didn’t get Taehyung’s number. He completely forgot.

Still, Jeongguk arrived at eight in the morning as he said he would and he didn’t have a chance to speak to Taehyung before they were swept away to the venue to practice.

Aurora was practicing in the morning and then the headliners would be taking over for a bit before they practiced once more before the show. It was all standard procedure.

Jeongguk got out of the van he was in and immediately went to the van with Aurora in it to guide them out safely.

“I’ll take the front.” Taehyung got out of the passenger’s side and started a path for Aurora. Jeongguk followed behind and kept away the groups of people who had probably been waiting at the venue since dawn. It didn’t occur to Jeongguk just how big Aurora was getting. Jeongguk wouldn’t be surprised if he found out some of the guys in the band were famous beforehand and those fans eventually got into Aurora to support their favorite celebrity.

“Marry me!” One girl yelled. Jeongguk had no idea who it was directed at, but the look on Yoongi’s face indicated it was to him.

“I imagine that happens a lot.” Jeongguk momentarily put an arm around Yoongi’s shoulders to get him into the building before he released him and heaved a sigh of relief once they were safely inside the venue.

“You have no idea. Actually, you probably do. I’m sure you get hit on all of the time.” Yoongi said.

“That’s what I was wondering, too.” Jimin slowed down to walk the same pace as Jeongguk and Yoongi. “You’re so handsome.”

“Yeah, okay. You’re telling me that while you look like a fucking prince.” Jeongguk hesitated. “Oh, shit. Am I supposed to watch my language?”

Jimin laughed. “If that was the case, this one would have been kicked out a long time ago. He’s got a mouth on him.”

“Yeah, I do. You would know.” Yoongi playfully elbowed Jimin and winked.

Before Jeongguk could respond, Taehyung came over and grabbed him by the elbow. They slowed down, so they could talk.

“Let them flirt over there.” Taehyung said. “You handled that all really well earlier. If you keep it up like that, I want to see where this goes.”

“Yeah?” Jeongguk smiled. “I wouldn’t be mad about that.”

“Nice.” Taehyung responded. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Jeongguk watched Taehyung leave. He wondered if the manager was married, or how old he was. Jeongguk just wanted to learn about Taehyung in general.

Once they got to the stage, the stagehands at the venue helped set everything up and Aurora got to playing. It was nice to see them perform so close. It hadn’t quite hit that Jeongguk would be seeing amazing bands close-up. He knew that they were opening again for Menagerie at some point and Jeongguk desperately wanted to see them close up.

A few hours passed, lunch was served, and Aurora went to a local cafe for a bit and a comic book store before they went to practice again. Jeongguk was a textbook perfect bodyguard the whole time. Even when they got back, he handled the larger amount of fans anxiously waiting with ease.

Jeongguk had personally never listened to Echo, so he was pleased with how good they were. But Jeongguk completely forgot about them once Menagerie came out. He had been trying to hide his excitement all day to remain professional.

“Holy shit.” Jeongguk said to himself when he saw Menagerie performing. It was the coolest thing. He had been listening to them for years, since they started out their band in high school. Jeongguk was the same age as most of the members, so he always felt a bit of a connection. Especially since the lead singer was openly bisexual and the drummer had been dating the same guy since he was in high school. It was nice to see some representation in a band.

They were amazing, no doubt. Jeongguk wanted to watch longer, but his job was to keep an eye on Aurora and he knew he would have to be at the barricades with a few of the venue security guards to make sure everything went smoothly. Even though Aurora was relaxing backstage, there was no saying what crazed fans could or would do just to get close to them. Plus, he saw one of the security guards on his phone, swiping through a dating app instead of doing his job.

Jeongguk went back to the hall behind the stage that was filled with posters and doors with labels to the left of them. He saw Taehyung texting on his phone in the hall, leaning his head against the wall.

“So, do I call you Mr. Kim, or Taehyung?” Jeongguk sauntered over. He decided to wear a simple white button down and a pair of fitted black slacks that day. He also had on boots that were well-loved throughout the years.

“Taehyung, god. Please.” Taehyung lowered his phone and looked at Jeongguk. “Mr. Kim makes me feel like someone’s talking to my dad. I’m half his age, thank you very much.”

“Alright, no Mr. Kim. Gotcha.” Jeongguk leaned against the wall next to Taehyung. “Are you feeling any less stressed now?”

“Yeah, actually. I always overthink these things. I’m also guilty of micromanaging. Like, Taehyung, you don’t need to be in the dressing room getting the guys ready.” Taehyung put his phone in the back pocket of his ripped jeans.

“How long have you been doing this?” Jeongguk questioned.

“Well, I managed a group before Aurora for three years. There was a scandal between two of the members. Turns out, they were dating the same girl and all hell broke loose. So, yeah, now I’m a bit paranoid. But Aurora has been a breath of fresh air. I’ve been with them for a year. Eight months before their first album, and four afterwards.” Taehyung responded. “Sorry, I feel like I’m talking a ton.”

“If I didn’t want to listen, I could just walk away.” Jeongguk tried to make Taehyung feel better. “Sorry about that scandal. I can’t imagine. Relationships can be tricky. I’m just surprised they didn’t know in the first place.”

“Right?” Taehyung laughed. “What about you, hotshot? Are you dating anyone? Married, maybe?”

“Definitely not.” Jeongguk shrugged. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I just haven’t really met anyone.”

“Don’t lie to me and tell me the people you work for haven’t tried to date you. Or sleep with you, at least. I’m not blind.” Taehyung stood up slightly, so he wasn’t leaning against the wall.

“I could say the same thing for you, unless you’re in a relationship.” Jeongguk retorted. “Yeah, they do sometimes but I never reciprocated anything. I don’t know, I guess I’m sappy and prefer to have something that is more than that.”

Taehyung hummed. “I feel like you just said what I was thinking. I’m not dating, either. Everyone would use me to get to the band, anyway.”

“Well damn. Didn’t you know that it was my plan to use the band to get to you?” Jeongguk joked and Taehyung hit him in the bicep as he laughed.

“Shut up.” Taehyung grinned. “Come on, let’s get this show on the road.”

The rest of the show was phenomenal. It was incredibly difficult to keep the pit at bay, especially when they kept throwing things on stage and they could see Aurora watching the rest of Menagerie’s performance from the VIP section just to the right of the stage, which became a distraction, but the singing made it all worth it.

Jeongguk wasn’t even the one on stage and he had an adrenaline high.

Luckily, they were in a hotel that night. They left immediately after the show and drove three hours to a nice hotel. It was already past midnight, so Aurora went to their penthouse and Jeongguk had the room next to them. It was the best way to keep an eye on them. Taehyung and the rest of staff were on the floor just below.

When Jeongguk’s head hit the pillow, he was out. It was a long day. Of many.

…

The van Taehyung and Jeongguk were in had the back separate from the front, with just a small window that could be opened for someone in the back to communicate with the front. It would be good if someone wanted to sleep.

Whenever Jeongguk heard the word ‘van’, he thought about a dreaded minivan or one of those suspicious white panel vans that always park uncomfortably close to your car late at night. Luckily, it was nothing of the sort. The van had a very ‘private’ and luxurious vibe to it.

In the front sat two of the on road crew, while Jeongguk and Taehyung were in the back of a van that was nicer than Jeongguk’s dorm freshman year of college. There was even a television, not to mention the lavish couches and counters that decorated the back. All that Jeongguk had for entertainment in that dreaded dorm was a color changing strobe light he could admire while he sat on the sad excuse of a bed the college gave him.

Taehyung was typing away on his laptop while Jeongguk mindlessly scrolled through his phone.

Taehyung must have sensed Jeongguk was bored, because he looked up from his computer and removed his glasses.

“You didn’t bring any entertainment?” Taehyung questioned Jeongguk, who glanced at him from where he was sitting on the couch.

“I did, but I get motion sickness kind of easily and drawing doesn’t seem like the best thing to do right now. Video games would be slightly better, but I packed my Switch deep into my bag that’s in the tour bus storage.” Jeongguk responded. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure that the hotels for when we have to go to Japan are not going to surprise cancel on us. I’m an idiot and forgot to quadruple check yesterday. Then, we’ll have to go everywhere in private cars because we obviously can’t take the tour bus. Then, when we get back, the last limb of the tour will be back in the tour bus. Don’t even get me started about how expensive it is to keep the tour bus in airport parking.” Taehyung ran a hand through his hair. “I’m pretty much done, though. I just keep obsessively going over it. I’ve heard so many horror stories, and I don’t want to mess up with these guys. They’re really talented and I want to give them free time as well.”

“You’re a textbook perfect manager. I can’t tell you not to worry, but remember that you should be able to enjoy yourself too. Think of all the good food you’ll get to try. Specialties to certain places, you know.” Jeongguk tried to relieve Taehyung’s stress.

“What a breath of fresh air you are.” Taehyung closed his laptop. “But…if I’m not doing something, then it’s up to you to entertain me.”

“Oh, I didn’t process that this could be a possibility. How am I supposed to entertain you?” Jeongguk set his phone down on the couch.

“I dunno. Tell me a story. Do you have any embarrassing stories? Oh, maybe a terrible ex story?” Taehyung suggested. “Those are always funny.”

“I haven’t been in a relationship for a long time.” Jeongguk admitted. “But the person who turned me off to dating was pretty horrible.”

“Spill.” Taehyung set his laptop on the desk in front of him and went to sit next to Jeongguk.

“This…person. They matched me online. I know, online dating. Don’t shame me.” Jeongguk eyed Taehyung. “And everything was fun and games until I started noticing little things they said that were red flags. I thought I was being irrational, so I just ignored it. Let me just say that they were super into the paranormal and took me on a surprise date to an abandoned asylum and locked us in there. They brought a ouija board and all. I’m not one to mess with that shit and I literally broke down the door when they wanted to do a blood sacrifice to contact Zozo. Then they kept telling me they were going to hex me with some stuff they stole from my apartment. It was really weird.”

“What the hell? What kind of people do you date, dude?” Taehyung couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s wild.”

“Okay, then what about you?” Jeongguk smirked at Taehyung. “Make me feel better.”

“Ugh,” Taehyung groaned and leaned his head back against the couch cushions, “Kaoru. Hot Japanese teacher that I met in grad school. It’s the hot ones that are always hiding something. Some kinks are too much and crying when I say I’m not into some of them isn’t the way to handle the situation.”

Jeongguk couldn’t help but laugh. “Not the kinks.”

“I know.” Taehyung chuckled. “Thanks for sharing. You made me think about something other than work.”

“No problem.” Jeongguk smiled. “So, what’s the plan for when we get to our destination?”

“KS Records is organizing a bit of a fan meet for the guys, so we’re going to do that and then the rest of the night is off. I figured the guys could go to dinner or something. Relax for a bit.”

“That’s fun. Have you ever had a fanmeet for anyone you’ve managed?” Jeongguk questioned.

“I haven’t, so I’m a bit nervous. You think you can handle it?” Taehyung elbowed Jeongguk. “If any fans try to tackle the guys, you gotta act fast.”

“And if they tackle you.” Jeongguk responded. “Don’t give me the whole “I’m not the talent” thing, because you’ll thank me if someone tries to hurt you.”

“Am I supposed to see you as my knight in shining armor or something? Because I don’t.” Taehyung rolled his eyes at Jeongguk.

“Yeah, you are. Where’s the part where I save you and then you fall madly in love with me?” Jeongguk bit back a smirk when he saw Taehyung’s reaction.

“You don’t need to save me for that to happen.” Taehyung played along.

“Mr. Kim?” Taehyung and Jeongguk didn’t even hear the window that separated them from the driver slide open. “We’re almost at the hotel.”

“Okay, great.” Taehyung looked at Jeongguk. “Alright, just make sure no one gets to Aurora.”

“That I can do.”

Once the van stopped, Jeongguk got out and ushered Taehyung inside of the hotel before he went back to the tour bus and guided Aurora out.

It was kind of a mess, which was expected.

“Hoseok! I love you!” Some fan yelled and threw an open water bottle in their direction.

“Who the fuck throws an open bottle, or a bottle nonetheless, at someone they allegedly like?” Jeongguk groaned after he gently moved Hoseok aside and was the one that got soaked. Good thing it wasn’t acid.

“Maybe they wanted to see if he was a mermaid. You ever seen H2O?” Jimin said.

No, no one has seen that stupid show you’re obsessed with.” Namjoon put a hand on Jimin’s shoulder. “Come on.”

Once they got into the hotel, Taehyung looked at Jeongguk in surprise.

“It’s not that hot out.” Taehyung handed Jeongguk a keycard.

“Water bottle.” Jeongguk took the keycard. “Better me than Hoseok.”

“Not a good day to wear white though.” Taehyung eyed Jeongguk’s shirt. “For you at least, it’s pretty good for everyone else.”

Jeongguk scoffed. “Yeah, okay.” He chuckled. “Which floor?”

“We’re on the fourth. You’re with me tonight.” Taehyung said. “They were pretty limited and I planned this before we met. I guess I just got lucky that we have a hot bodyguard and not some creep.”

“Lucky me.” Jeongguk couldn’t help but grin. He liked Taehyung’s personality. There was no doubt he treated the groups he managed well if he was as cool with them as he was Jeongguk. Well, not the fake flirting thing. There was probably something against that.

Once Taehyung and Jeongguk got into the hotel room, Jeongguk changed and waited for Taehyung while he took a call. When Taehyung was done, the two left to usher Aurora to KS Records for the fanmeet.

Jeongguk and Taehyung got to ride with Aurora in a large black van, which was nice. Jeongguk wanted to get to know the band better.

“…How is this even going to work?” Seokjin asked. A valid question.

“The manager of KS Records called me earlier and said that you guys are going to basically talk to the fans, play a song if you want, and then pictures.”

“That I can agree with.” Seokjin nodded. “The amount of bras people throw on stage is astonishing.”

“Gross.” Jeongguk mumbled. He couldn’t imagine someone ripping off their bra and throwing it at the band like they would somehow entice the guys to sleep with them. Well, maybe it worked. Jeongguk had no idea. It wouldn’t work on him, though.

“Yeah…” Hoseok sighed. “Hopefully today will be different.”

“Well, we’ve got this one now.” Taehyung elbowed Jeongguk. “And I’m pretty sure he’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

“You bet.”

.

Once they got to the venue, a few more security from KS Records helped keep the crowd away while Jeongguk safely got everyone inside.

“Alright.” Jeongguk felt relieved when he got Aurora safely in the back room of the building. It hadn’t even been a minute until Jeongguk heard the bustling of eager fans filling the room where the fansign would be held. “Glad that’s been handled.”

“You sure you can handle this on your own?” Taehyung asked Jeongguk. “I’ve gotta talk with the manager for a bit.”

“Are you underestimating me?” Jeongguk playfully smirked at Taehyung. “I got this.”

“Okay, hotshot.” Taehyung grinned in return. “Good luck.”

Once Taehyung was gone and Aurora got the okay, the back door was opened to lead them to the fan sign room.

Immediately, everyone was ecstatic. It was endearing to see the band light up at the sight of people who had supported them and got them to the point where they were.

The stage already had intruments on it, but that was for later. The guys were going to talk first.

Namjoon approached a microphone in one of the two mic stands on stage and took it. He tapped on it before he spoke to the fans.

“Hey, guys! We’re Aurora.” Namjoon scanned the crowd with a content expression.

After more cheers died down, each member introduced themselves and Jeongguk focused on making sure everything was running smoothly.

And everything was running smoothly, until the photo ops came.

Well, it didn’t go to shit exactly, but some people were a little too touchy when they were explicitly told to stand in front of the stage while Aurora was sitting on the actual stage.

Some gifts were a bit questionable, too. Like a marriage certificate someone probably found online that they handed to Jimin.

Jeongguk watched Seokjin kindly take a bottle without a label on it that looked suspicious and put it behind him, in which Jeongguk took it to the back where he was putting the gifts they got. He threw away the bottle because it was obviously risky consuming anything that was in an open container. A kind gesture, yes, but brownies with a side of razor blades wasn’t exactly on the menu.

When Jeongguk came back, he immediately noticed a girl tapping her foot impatiently.

They made eye contact and she had the audacity to snap at Jeongguk to get his attention.

Jeongguk sighed, used his best customer service voice that he acquired from bartending, and descended the stairs to the left of the stage to approach her.

“I want a separate photo op. Can you get everyone but Hoseok to leave? And maybe he can come down and stand next to me for the photo. That, or I’ll go up there.” She eyed Jeongguk with a bored expression on her face.

“Sorry, but it’s group shots only.” Jeongguk responded.

“Come on.” She groaned. “Just this once. I have been a fan of Hoseok ever since he started posting covers like seven years ago. The other guys mean nothing to me.”

“If we accommodate you, then we would have to for everyone else who wanted to do the same. That would make this last so much longer.” Jeongguk wished Taehyung was around to help him handle the situation.

She scoffed. “Whatever, dude. Take the photo for me and just tell Hoseok to move from the middle so you can just crop everyone else out.”

Jeongguk watched one of the employees from KS Records motion her over for her photo. He didn’t have a chance to say anything before she stared Aurora down.

“Can all of you move, so I can get a photo with Hoseok?” She jutted her chin to the opposite side of the stage.

“Excuse me,” Jeongguk interjected, “I already told you that we weren’t doing this.”

“But I don’t give a shit about them.” She complained. “I don’t understand why we can’t just tale a photo with one of them. This sucks for solo stans.”

“That’s rude.” The person who was next for a photo said. “They’re a group together and they’re talented. All of them.”

“Shut up.” The girl snapped, which was enough for Jeongguk.

“Alright, time for you to go.” Jeongguk motioned for her to move from where people were getting autographs.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes at Jeongguk. “Waste of my time.”

Luckily, the burdensome ‘solo stan’ followed Jeongguk towards the entrance of the building.

“Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine being disrespected the way you did to them. There’s a difference between preferring one member over the others but still loving all of them and outwardly hating the others in the band. Wouldn’t your feelings be hurt?” Jeongguk questioned as he walked her out.

“I guess you’re right, but I still deserve to meet him. I’ll get another chance.” Jeongguk watched her unlock her phone and glare at him. “Umm, can you leave now? I’m literally calling an Uber. You don’t have to watch me like some criminal.”

“Yeah, have a good one.”

Jeongguk wanted to call her out, but he refrained. Sure, he could have mentioned her roots that desperately needed to be retouched or maybe the fact that he could literally get her banned from seeing Hoseok, but he digressed. There was no reason to argue and Jeonggk had a job to do.

There was peace after, luckily. So much that Jeongguk was able to grab some more of the gifts Aurora had accumulated and brought them to the back.

Each member had a box filled with assorted gifts and it was nice to see that there was about an equal amount for everyone. Jeongguk put the items in their designated boxes, making sure he didn’t make any mistakes along the way. Like when he put a letter for Jimin in Yoongi’s things.

“How’s it going out there?” Taehyung emerged from the other door in the back room. “Sorry that took a while.”

“Everything is going well. They’re getting a lot of stuff.” Jeongguk said. “Had to ask someone to leave.”

“I missed it? Damn. I bet you look hot all confrontational.” Taehyung checked the time on his phone.

“Yeah, yeah.” Jeongguk knew Taehyung was joking, but compliments from someone who was obnoxiously attractive was a bit of an ego boost. “You coming, or are you staying back here?”

“I’ll come with.” Taehyung shrugged. “Why not?”

“Cool.” Jeongguk led them back out and continued what he did best.

.

After they were standing around for a while, Taehyung leaned over to Jeongguk and whispered.

“Hey, let’s play a game. Take a shot whenever someone asks the guys to marry them. Later on at the restaurant, we’ll cheers to it.” Taehyung said.

“I’d get alcohol poisoning, Taehyung.” Jeongguk laughed. He’d heard well over a dozen people ask. “Can I just buy us shots that we can take together?”

“You’re already trying to buy me drinks? I haven’t even started flirting yet.” Taehyung joked around. “Kidding, sounds good. You’re keeping me grounded, thank you. I thought I was going to be way more stressed.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Jeongguk corrected Taehyung. “We still have plenty of time left on this tour.”

“I don’t think you’ll disappoint.” Taehyung crossed his arms and watched Aurora interact with their fans.

Jeongguk did the same. There was a comfortable silence between the two.

“Three feet away from them, please. Come forward a bit.” One photographer motioned for a fan to move.

“What? No. Then I can’t touch them.” They leaned back against the stage, subsequently resting against Yoongi and Seokjin’s legs that were dangling off the stage.

Before they could go any further, which Jeongguk knew they would, he interjected.

“Little handsy there. Here,” Jeongguk motioned to the blatant ‘x’ on the ground that indicated where people should stand, “Just come here.”

“I just want hugs from them.” The fan turned to Aurora. They glanced from Seokjin to Jimin, noting the empty stage next to Jimin.

“Well, my apologies, but that’s not going to happen.” Teenage Jeongguk wanted nothing more than a hug from the lead singer of Menagerie, so he kind of understood the feeling the fan had, but the idea should never be executed. “I understand you love them, and they love you, but I think that it’s better to go for the photo and just the photo. Okay?”

The person slowly nodded in understanding. “Okay, you’re right. Thanks.”

It was a relief for Jeongguk to not have to kick anyone else out. The person got their photo and Hoseok was nice enough to shake their hand while they were on their way out.

Jeongguk returned to his position next to Taehyung.

“Hopefully that will be the last of anyone trying to act up.” Jeongguk looked at Taehyung. “You should have seen it. This guy, well, I shouldn’t even call him a guy. He was a kid, like sixteen tops. Anyway, he went over to Seokjin earlier and asked if he could take him to a dance they were having at his school. Luckily, Seokjin was charming enough to decline in a kind manner, so he wasn’t upset. But Seokjin’s expression was great.”

“Damn, I really missed all the good stuff.” Taehyung also looked over at Jeongguk. Jeongguk held his gaze for a few moment before he looked away, embarrassed. “Also, you’re calling a sixteen year old a kid. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-five. What about you?” Jeongguk questioned. He had actually been wondering for a while.

“Twenty-seven. We’re pretty close in age, huh? That’s good.”

That’s good? What does that even mean? Jeongguk had no idea but he would absolutely over analyze the hell out of it.

“Hey,” Taehyung placed a hand on Jeongguk’s shoulder. “Two consecutive marriage proposals. We’re fucked later.”

“I can only hope there won’t be any more.” Jeongguk sighed. He hated shots. “Please don’t get the top shelf liquor while we’re out, yeah?”

“Eh, we’ll see.”

.

An hour and a half later and they were done. Once everyone left, Aurora hung around in the back room while Jeongguk got all of their fan gifts together to put into the van.

“Hey, I’ll help.” Taehyung offered.

“Don’t worry about it. If there are fans in the vicinity, they’re going to be all over you.” Jeongguk responded. “Thank you, though.”

“I told you that you don’t have to look out for me.” Taehyung sighed and picked up a plastic tub full of the gifts for Seokjin.

“And I told you that I’m going to. You give off the vibe that you’re going to prioritize the guys and make sure they’re okay while you neglect yourself.” Jeongguk knew he was right.

“Psh, me? No.” Taehyung responded in a very unconvincing tone. “What?”

“Hey, if you’re going to get annoyed by me making sure you’re okay, fire me now. Because I’m not going to stop.” Jeongguk set down the box he was holding and placed his hands on his hips. “I’m serious.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes before he clicked his tongue. “Shut up and pick up the box. I’m not firing you. I’ll just…tolerate you.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Jeongguk said, satisfied. “I'm really not trying to be annoying, by the way. I just know this is stressful and I want you to enjoy yourself too. This is your first time doing something like this.”

“I know, I know. And I appreciate it.” Taehyung used his hip to push open the back door. “You’re really sweet.”

“And I don’t want you to think that I’m implying you can’t take care of yourself. I know you can.” Jeongguk wanted to make himself clear. He could tell Taehyung was a very strong and independent person. But Jeongguk could also tell that Taehyung would prioritize everyone else over himself.

“Nah, I know. You’re not condescending.” Taehyung watched Jeongguk pick up the box he set down. “I’d tell you if you were because that would be super annoying.”

“Okay, good.” Jeongguk seemed to be satisfied with Taehyung’s answer. He didn’t want to seem annoying. And he definitely wasn’t giving Taehyung special treatment. He always kept an eye out for everyone around him. Sure, maybe he was hyperaware of the manager, but that was probably normal.

Everyone headed to the restaurant that Namjoon had suggested once they were all set.

“If this place is good, you’re welcome. If it sucks, I didn’t suggest it.” Namjoon said as they got out of the van. Luckily, fans didn’t know where they were, so they had some privacy. That, and they were allowed to occupy the entire second floor of the upscale restaurant.

“It better be good.” Jimin got out after Namjoon. “Because you vehemently rejected my idea of getting Korean food.”

“We eat Korean food like every day. That’s so boring.” Namjoon rolled his eyes. “But I get it.”

Taehyung and Jeongguk exchanged a glance before they escorted Aurora inside.

Once inside, they were led to the second floor and into a roomy booth.

Jeongguk sat at the end of the booth, so he could get up if anyone were to bother them. Taehyung sat next to him.

Pretty much as soon as they sat down, everyone took a look at the menu. The event lasted longer than expected, so they were all hungry. And, of course, Jeongguk bought Taehyung a shot.

“What liquor is this again?” Taehyung eyed the shot glass with a wary expression. “It’s…this color can only be one thing.”

Taehyung was too immersed in an animated conversation with Namjoon when Jeongguk got up to order the shots. He wanted to surprise Taehyung and remind him that he doesn’t easily forget things.

“No, it’s not Fireball.” Jeongguk watched Taehyung’s expression lighten combined with a sigh of relief. “It’s whiskey.” And Taehyung’s expression fell again.

“Whiskey? Just make me drink lighter fluid while we’re at it. Gross.” Taehyung reluctantly grabbed the shot glass.

“It’s supposed to be good. Taste like orange, or something.” Jeongguk shrugged.

Taehyung accepted his fate and took the shot with Jeongguk.

“What the fuck? Where was the orange in that?” Taehyung immediately grabbed his water. “Maybe someone cut an orange in the same vicinity of that cursed liquid, but that doesn’t taste like oranges. You know what it tastes like? Shit.”

“Kind of concerning you know what shit tastes like.” Jeongguk said with a nonchalant expression.

“It’s my turn to order.” Taehyung looked around for their waiter. “I’ll rock your world in more than one way.”

“I don’t think any alcohol is good enough to ‘rock my world’, Taehyung.” Jeongguk finally grabbed his water. He couldn’t keep his cool anymore.

“Then I can the other way.” Taehyung smirked at him, knowing that Jeongguk’s expression was probably memorable at that moment, but he focused on the waiter that came over to take his order.

While they waited for their food and drinks, Yoongi spoke up.

“That’s up to you guys.” Taehyung took a drink of his mixed beverage. He had no idea what was in it, since he ordered it simply because it was pretty. “But be back by eight in the evening, because we’re driving to the next venue around then.” He paused. “Just make sure you’re careful, alright?”

“Are you sure we’re allowed to do that? You’re so cool about everything, but we don’t want the company losing their shit.” Seokjin seemed concerned.

“Of course.” Taehyung responded. “Most celebrities and musicians don’t have full-time security. I’m not going to breathe down your necks all of the time. I know I’m a joy to be around, but you guys need to have fun. Just let me and Jeongguk know where you’re going just in case.”

“Hell yeah.” Yoongi bumped shoulders with Jimin. “Wanna go out together? Maybe do something lame and romantic? Like an escape room?”

“An escape room is not romantic, but yes.” Jimin laughed. “Sounds fun.”

“I’m not third wheeling.” Hoseok playfully grimaced when he saw Yoongi and Jimin bonding. “Even if you two are cute, or whatever.”

“You two are actually dating?” Namjoon questioned. “Kidding, don’t answer. You two have been pining after each other for far too long. It’s nice to see you two actually together.”

“And this is where I tune them out.” Taehyung took another drink of water. “What do you have planned for tomorrow, handsome?” He averted his attention to Jeongguk.

“What? You don’t remember? I thought we were going on our date?” Jeongguk feigned offense. “Never mind. I guess I’ll maybe go to an arcade or something.”

“Of course I remember. I was the one testing you.” Taehyung liked Jeongguk’s personality. He was fun. “And you had me at arcade.”

“Sounds like a date, then.” Jeongguk debated taking another swig of his beer that he had ordered when they first got there, but it was pretty gross.

The shots arrived as soon as Jeongguk opened his mouth to say something else about their plans. Instead, he looked at the shot. “This looks radioactive, dude.”

“It’s blue raspberry. You heard me order it, don’t be so dramatic.” Taehyung took the shot without Jeongguk. “It was either that, or another one that whipped cream and amaretto and shit.”

“Wait, that sounds good. Why didn’t you order that one?” Jeongguk held the shot up, about to take it.

“I didn’t want to ask the fucking waiter for a blowjob.” Jeongguk was lucky he waited to take his shot until he processed what Taehyung said.

“What?” Jeongguk set down the empty glass. “Is it so top shelf that you tried to offer your services in return for grossly overpriced liquor?”

“It’s the name of the drink.” Taehyung clicked his tongue. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a blowjob before.”

“...This was the wrong time to listen in on your conversation.”

Jeongguk and Taehyung looked to their left at a very quizzical Hoseok.

“The drink. The shot. Not an actual blowjob.” Taehyung clarified. “I don’t need the details of his sex life.”

“What’s going on?” Seokjin looked over.

“Something about blowjobs.” Hoseok waved away Seokjin’s concern. “Anyway, you were saying?” He went back to his other conversation, leaving Jeongguk and Taehyung to talk amongst themselves once more.

Which they did until the food got there.

Once everyone ate, they went back to the hotel. They ended up staying later than expected, since everyone was enjoying drinks and chatting. Jeongguk was really excited to get to know Aurora better, to say the least.

When they got back, Taehyung and Jeongguk said goodnight to Aurora before they retired to their room.

Jeongguk laid on one of the twin sized beds on his stomach while he mindlessly scrolled through his phone. Taehyung had decided to shower, so Jeongguk didn’t need to entertain anyone for the time being.

Jeongguk heard the bathroom door open and felt the humidity from the hot bathroom almost immediately after. He looked to his left to see Taehyung clad in a hoodie and sweatpants.

“Hey,” Taehyung said, “Want to take a walk to the convenience store with me?”

It sounded nice. Jeongguk was down, especially since he had already changed into more comfortable clothes. He could just throw on a jacket and it would be fine.

“Yes, for sure.” Jeongguk got up and grabbed his jacket from where he had haphazardly thrown it on the desk chair in their room before he put it on. “This is just an excuse for you to get more alcohol, isn’t it?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Taehyung threw his hood on over his head and headed towards the door of their hotel room. “But, yes. And snacks because what’s drinking without good food?”

“Yeah, you have a point. Let’s head out.”

The two descended the elevator and walked to the closest convenience store. It wasn’t far, basically just across the street, but there was enough of a walk to make decent conversation.

“So, Jeongguk.” Taehyung pocketed his hands in his hoodie as they walked side-by-side. “Was this position what you were expecting?”

Jeongguk chuckled before he spoke. “Not at all. I wasn’t expecting to be happily hanging out with the band’s manager. And Aurora is so nice. I’ve worked for a lot of shitty people, and this is nothing like that. I’m really happy about how things are going.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Taehyung hummed to himself in content. “Are you upset about being away from home?”

“I’m kind of used to not being home a lot. I even had to be a live-in bodyguard for someone. But that was a couple years ago. I really like this because it still feels closer to home than anything else I’ve ever done. I know you guys probably won’t need me after this, so maybe my boss can do me a solid and get me something else local. If he does, I could finally get a dog. I haven’t yet because it won’t be very fair to the dog if I always left it alone, you know?” Jeongguk didn’t mean to talk so much, but Taehyung listened and he appreciated that.

“What?” Taehyung elbowed Jeongguk. “This isn’t a position specifically designated for the tour. We were hoping it would be permanent, or as permanent as possible. You’re doing a pretty damn good job. You protect the guys and you get along with them, which is the most important thing. If you want to leave after, no one is going to force you to stay, but we’d love to have you.”

“Then I’d love to stay.” Jeongguk felt like he could always do better at anything he did, so it was nice to hear that Taehyung thought he was doing great. “Maybe I can get that dog if that’s the case.”

“Only if you let me come with you when you get one.” Taehyung waited at the crosswalk until they got the go. He wasn’t to keen on getting hit by a car.

“I said I’d love to stay for the job, not for hanging with you.” Jeongguk joked, but quickly backpedaled when Taehyung feigned offense. “Obviously, I’m kidding. You’ll be the first person I call.”

“Damn right I’ll be.” Taehyung lightly pushed Jeongguk forward by placing a hand on his back.

“What about you? How have you been able to balance managing and your personal life?” Jeongguk didn’t want to talk about himself anymore.

“Uh, honestly? Not well. I grew up in an environment where I was always told I could do better and was basically raised to work a mundane office job with people who always want to one-up each other. So, I pushed myself really hard and I’ve been trying to make this tour perfect for Aurora. As cheesy or cliche as this sounds, I’ve been feeling differently about it lately, and I think I can thank you for that. You’ve been encouraging me to relax and try not to stress about everything.” Taehyung paused to open the door to the convenience store and followed Jeongguk in once he was safely inside. “I was planning on working through the free day tomorrow initially, but yeah. We don’t actually have to hang out, by the way. I was mostly messing with you.”

“I want to.” Jeongguk spoke before he could process his words. “Really.”

Taehyung seemed to feel some sort of relief by Jeongguk’s words. He was always afraid of inserting himself where he didn’t belong. “Okay.”

Once the purchased enough drinks and snacks for the night, Taehyung and Jeongguk went back to the hotel. They spent the rest of the night watching a movie, talking about pointless things, and discovering that they had more in common than they thought.

It was really nice to instantly click with someone, only to find out that they have similar interests. Since that was the case, Jeongguk was optimistic that the free day would be fun if they were hanging out.

…

The drinking and movies did cause Jeongguk and Taehyung to get a late start to the day, but they made it out of the hotel.

“Jeez.” Jeongguk was instantly blinded by the sun, so he put on his sunglasses. “Anyway, you said they messaged you?”

“Yeah, let me just respond quickly.” Taehyung typed on his phone for a few seconds before he shoved the device into his jack pocket. “All good.”

“Well, now that I have you to myself, do you want to eat first? Or arcade?” Jeongguk questioned. “There are a ton of good places in the same area, so it’s not like it will be a big deal either way.”

“Let’s play games for a bit, yeah?” Taehyung suggested. “I really want to play some Arctic Thunder. Race me?”

“You bet.”

Jeongguk called for a car and the two were on their way. He was excited. It had been a while since he had gone to an arcade. Especially since Taehyung had suggested one of his favorite games, which Jeongguk hadn’t played for years.

When they got to the arcade, Jeongguk and Taehyung didn’t go straight to Arctic Thunder. Instead, Taehyung wanted to play some claw-machine games and Jeongguk was a bit surprised at how good Taehyung would be. He also didn’t know that he would be unexpectedly good at air hockey. Sure, it didn’t garner a prize like a claw-machine, but Jeongguk was proud.

“Okay,” Taehyung set his pusher down on the air hockey top and admitted defeat. They had already played two rounds of Arctic Thunder prior and they both desperately wanted to break their tie , “Since you won, what do you want to play next?”

“Are you down for shooting zombies?” Jeongguk already knew he wanted to play House of the Dead. It was his favorite arcade game, shitty voice acting and all.

“Umm, absolutely. Is that even a question? I’m insulted you even had to ask.” Taehyung smirked at Jeongguk and took his wrist to lead him to the game he eyed as soon as they had gotten to the arcade.

They made their way over the game and crammed themselves into the machine capsule. Jeongguk remembered using the privacy of the covered game to his advantage in high school. He had a couple of makeout sessions in it that usually got interrupted by someone pushing away the curtain in an attempt to take their turn.

“Alright, player one.” Jeongguk picked up his gun. “Want to go to the laboratory?”

“Sounds great to me.”

As soon as the game started up and the cutscene was finished, Jeongguk felt like a kid again. He couldn’t remember the last time he played And tit was really fun with Taehyung. Sure, the guy was a newcomer in his life, but Jeongguk felt like they had known each other for a long time with how well they went along.

The feeling didn’t die down at all during the day. In fact, things just kept getting more and more fun. The two even took photo booth photos together, which was icing on the cake. Jeongguk kept photo strips and that one would certainly go into the collection.

.

“Oh, fuck.” Taehyung quickly sat up from where he was relaxed on a couch next to Jeongguk. They had finally found themselves in a small coffee shop after going from arcade to food and back to arcade. “”It’s half past seven.”

“Shit.” Jeongguk was also blissfully unaware of how much time had passed. “I’ll call a taxi and get us back sooner. Don’t worry, you’re not going to get a bad rap regarding timing on my watch.” He took out his phone to work his magic.

“My hero.” Taehyung breathed a sigh of relief. “I was just enjoying the day too much. Enjoying your company.”

“Me too. I completely lost track of time.” Jeongguk responded. “But it was totally worth it.”

Jeongguk felt like there was something lingering in the air after he spoke, but it was probably nothing. Taehyung was too stressed about making it back in time, anyway. Jeongguk also had no idea what he was feeling. Taehyung was cool, and that was all he knew.

Taehyung tapped his foot anxiously and breathed out when Jeongguk got up and motioned for Taehyung to follow. They had made it on time, thanks to the bodyguard.

Once Aurora arrived, Jeongguk made sure they got onto the tour bus safely.

“Hey,” Hoseok stopped Jeongguk and Taehyung before they went into the other car, “You guys should hang with us in here until we get to the next destination. If you want.”

Jeongguk and Taehyung exchanged a glance before Taehyung spoke up.

“Yeah, sure.” Taehyung said. He looked over at Jeongguk once more. “Wanna?”

“For sure.”

Satisfied with his manager and bodyguard’s answers, Hoseok got into the tour bus followed by the two.

“Hell yeah.” Namjoon waved when he saw them. “What’s up?”

“Not much.” Taehyung walked towards the back of the bus and braced himself on the wall as they began to move. Afterwards, he went to the very back of the bus and sat on one of the couches. Yoongi was lounging out on the other couch and Hoseok kicked Yoongi’s legs away, so he could also sit. “How was your free day?”

“It was really fun.” Hoseok responded. “I hung with Namjoon and Seokjin. We all found a cool music store and spent a lot of time there. What about you two?”

“We went to an arcade.” Jeongguk said. “It was great.”

“Yeah, everything was fun except when Hoseok ate two too many cream puffs and almost puked all over my Gucci.” Seokjin sauntered towards the group and sat on the floor, leaning against the couch Yoongi and Hoseok were on.

“You bet that I couldn’t eat six of them, and I could. So, technically it’s your fault.” Hoseok glared at Seokjin. “You and Namjoon are monsters.”

“You wish.” Namjoon walked over with Jimin and the two sat next to Taehyung and Jeongguk.

“So,” Jimin looked over at Jeongguk and Taehyung, “You two hung out all day?”

“Yeah,” Jeongguk nodded, “It was nice. This all has been an amazing experience and I’m glad everyone has been so pleasant to be around.”

Jimin offered Jeongguk a reassuring smile, satisfied with his answer.

“Yo, Taehyung, are you single my guy?” Seokjin questioned out of the blue.

“Why?” Taehyung smirked at Seokjin. “You interested?”

“Hell no.” Seokjin scoffed. “I was just wondering since you know all about our personal affairs.”

“Hell no?” Yoongi nudged Hoseok with his shin. “You act like he’s some sort of repulsive creature when all of us know damn well he’s way too good looking for his own good.” He quickly glanced over at Jimin. “Sorry, I don’t mean it like that.”

“Oh, no. I get it and I agree.” Jimin reassured Yoongi.

“No, he’s very handsome, but I was just wondering. Is it a bad thing to be curious about him? Damn, guys. You’re brutal.” Seokjin huffed and leaned back.

“No more relationship talk.” Namjoon interjected. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“Well,” Taehyung pulled out his phone from his pocket, “We’ll get to the venue probably in the afternoon tomorrow where you guys are performing with Menagerie and Platonic Feelings. Then, we have to be right on the road for another show. After that one, we’re going to be going to the festival you guys are performing at and that will be the day after. It’s all in the itinerary.”

“Yeah, I’ll just constantly nag you for updates instead of looking.” Hoseok responded.

Taehyung ignored Hoseok. “As long as we can manage until we have to go to Japan, everything will be okay. I’m looking forward to you guys having fun in Japan. Are you excited?”

“Hyped.” Yoongi was the first one to speak up. “I can’t believe we have two shows in Japan. That’s going to be so fun. I haven’t gone to Japan before.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re excited.” Taehyung was happy that he made sure they would have a lot of free time in Japan. Not only did he want Aurora to enjoy the experience, but he also wanted to have fun. “Just a couple more days.”

…

The rest of the local tour was successful. The show where Aurora was headlining for Echo and Menagerie was an unexpectedly large show, so Jeongguk was plenty busy. Taehyung was also busy. He had a few phone meetings with the CEO of the company about the tour. Taehyung was doing an exceptional job and the CEO made sure that he knew.

Taehyung and Jeongguk hadn’t talked much since they hung out with Aurora. Taehyung was busy with meetings and Jeongguk kept quiet to not disturb him. Sure, the one person hotel room was a bit too quiet, but it was fine.

Jeongguk didn’t mind, though. They would be in Japan in a few hours and he had some friends there he really wanted to meet up with.

Jeongguk kept an eye on the itinerary and saw that they had a show in Shibuya, which was perfect, since that’s where his friends lived. It wouldn’t be for a few days, but Jeongguk was excited nonetheless.

However, he was far from excited at the sight of way too many fans at the airport.

“Jeez.” Jeongguk mumbled under his breath. “They’re a new group and they have this popularity. I can’t imagine when they get even more well known.”

“My life will become significantly more difficult.” Taehyung grabbed his bag from the van they were in. He couldn’t forget anything, or he would be screwed.

“That’s for sure.” Jeongguk opened the van door. “Okay, I’ll get the guys.”

Jeongguk hopped out of the van and went to the side of the tour bus to help Aurora out. He already knew he was going to get a headache by the constant flashing lights of cameras and high pitched screaming.

“Watch out.” Jeongguk grabbed onto Namjoon’s bicep. “I would prefer for you to keep all of your teeth and not break your arm.”

“Thanks.” Namjoon chuckled. “I should be more careful.”

“How can you? Hundreds of people are shouting your name.” Jeongguk closed the door behind Namjoon.

Jeongguk wanted to make more conversation, but he had to be vigilant and do his job. It was time to focus, not socialize.

As gently, but assertive, as he could, Jeongguk held out his arm to stop fans from getting too close. A security guard from the airport helped ward off fans in the front while Jeongguk took care of the back.

After a quick head count, Jeongguk noticed one was missing.

Jeongguk scanned the crowd for Taehyung and finally spotted him being shoved around by the constant motion of the crowd.

Jeongguk reached out to grab Taehyung’s forearm and pull him over. He placed Taehyung in front of him and kept away the fans.

“Thanks, I didn’t expect this.” Taehyung exhaled a deep breath.

Before Jeongguk could respond, Taehyung was grabbed by a couple of people.

Jeongguk did what he could and pushed them away and kept an arm out to assure no one grabbed Taehyung again.

“I’m literally not famous. I don’t know what they want from me.” Taehyung said. He knew better than to look behind him at Jeongguk as he spoke. Plus, Jeongguk seemed hyper focused.

“I already told you that you’re just as important. Still think you don’t need me?” Taehyung knew Jeongguk had a smirk plastered on his face, even if he couldn’t physically see it.

“Well, maybe I do since I now know you can handle six guys at once.” Taehyung paused. “I just realized how that sounded. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Okay, good. Because I can’t. I’m more of a monogamous person.” Jeongguk joked to lighten the mood, which Taehyung appreciated.

“You and me both, babe.”

Once they got into the airport, most of the crowd couldn’t follow, so things were easier. Security was a breeze and everyone could finally breathe.

Since they were at the terminal early, Taehyung made sure everyone had their passports and boarding tickets. He was going to quadruple check the hotel information, but he decided not to. Jeongguk’s reassurance that he was doing well helped wind him down.

Taehyung sat down next to Jeongguk with a sigh. Yoongi was to his left, listening to music and sharing his headphones with Jimin.

“Hey,” Jeongguk sat up slightly to look over at Taehyung, “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Taehyung furrowed his brow at the bodyguard.

“Because you were being pushed around quite a bit. I wanted to make sure you didn’t get hurt, and I wasn’t being cognizant of everyone around me.” Jeongguk felt guilty. Yeah, it could have been worse but still.

“You’re sweet, but I’m okay. And you did your job perfectly. I wouldn’t keep you around if you didn’t.” Taehyung smiled at Jeongguk. “I know you’re only asking because it’s part of your job to make sure people are okay, but you don’t have to with me. A couple bruises here and there isn’t anything new.”

“I’m not asking because it’s part of my job.” Jeongguk sat back.

“Aww.” Taehyung jutted out his bottom lip and grabbed onto Jeongguk’s arm. “So caring.”

“Shut up.” Jeongguk playfully rolled his eyes and brushed Taehyung off.

“You’re not what I expected at all, by the way. I thought you would be one of those super strict bodyguards who make their life revolve around going to the gym and thinking they’re the most important person in the damn world.” Taehyung rested his elbow on the chair’s armrest and propped his head up in his hand while he watched Jeongguk to see how he would react.

“Why? Because of my very scary and intimidating exterior?” Jeongguk laughed. “Taehyung, i unironically have like two stuffed animals on my bed that I sleep with and a trading card collection. I’m not scary.”

“Hmm, I don’t believe you. You might have to invite me over and prove me wrong.” Taehyung sat back more comfortably and drummed his fingers on his thighs. Jeongguk’s reactions were always entertaining to him.

“So, if I do, then what? Do I get a prize for proving you wrong? Do you have a 1999 Charizard as compensation for doubting me?” Jeongguk retorted.

“Oh, I meant the bed part. And I know how I can compensate you with that one.”

Yoongi let out an exasperated sigh from where he was sitting next to Taehyung. The music wasn’t loud enough to drown out his manager and their bodyguard’s incessant flirting. He turned to Jimin to see if he noticed too. “Were we like this before we started dating? If so, I want to formally apologize to everyone I have ever met.” He obviously spoke quietly, so Taehyung didn’t overhear.

“It’s cute. They suit each other. And, it’s just flirting. We have to do fan service all of the time, so maybe Taehyung has taken one from our book and he’s practicing on Jeongguk.” Jimin rationalized.

“Yeah,” Yoongi leaned back in his chair, “That’s probably all it is.”

.

The plane ride was kind of very miserable. The crying baby wasn’t as much of a nuisance as the child in the seat behind Jeongguk who apparently thought kicking the back of his chair was going to be his personality trait. And the couple Jeongguk was next to argued the whole time.

“I’m so sorry.” Taehyung mouthed to Jeongguk from the other side of the plane.

Jeongguk checked that no one was in the aisle, so he could lean over as much as he could to speak to Taehyung.

“What?”

“I said I’m sorry.” Taehyung laughed. “I promise the rest of the flights won’t be like this. Most of them are going to be the larger planes with three rows, so all of us should be able to be technically sitting next to each other.”

“Hey, I’m having a great time. I just found out that the husband’s ex-wife is the stewardess. His current wife is not happy.” Jeongguk lowered his voice.

Taehyung’s jaw dropped. “No way. I love the drama. I wonder what happened.”

Jeongguk grinned. “I’ll try to find out.”

“Keep me posted. I’m living for this.”

Jeongguk and Taehyung sat back and decided to watch whatever decent movies they could find for the duration of the plane ride. Jeongguk naturally kept one headphone out in case he heard any more drama.

Taehyung settled on a comedy and Jeongguk chose a drama.

Honestly, the drama was next to Jeongguk, so he didn’t really pay attention to the movie. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to finish an actual movie on the flight, since it was a short flight.

Time passed relatively quickly and, before Jeongguk knew it, they were in Japan.

Jeongguk did his thing and made sure Aurora was safe. He was relieved that the fans were being incredibly respectful, at least. There weren’t many issues. Actually, there were no issues whatsoever.

“I can’t believe that many people wanted to see us at the airport.” Hoseok waved to some fans outside of the car they were in.

“Better get used to it. I guarantee there would be more if you didn’t have tons of fans already waiting at the venue.” Taehyung set his bag down by his feet. “We’ll ride with you to the hotel.”

Aurora nodded and talked amongst themselves. Jeongguk didn’t have much of a chance to talk with Taehyung, given the manager was busy. It made sense, though. They were in an entirely different country and he had stuff to do. Hopefully, Taehyung wouldn’t overwork himself.

At least keeping to himself wasn’t bad. Jeongguk was occupied admiring his surroundings outside through the car window. He had never been to Japan, so it was extra exciting. He had time to wonder what he’d do in his free time. The limitations were practically endless.

…

“Yo, Jeongguk.” Namjoon waved at Jeongguk as he walked backstage. “Can you help me button this cuff? I’ve tried, but I can’t for the life of me.”

“Yeah.” Jeongguk laughed and went to help Namjoon. “Of course.”

“Thank you.” Namjoon responded. He watched Jeongguk button his sleeve, happy that someone could help him. “Look, the rest of the guys and I have been talking about how much we appreciate you. You’ve been taking great care of us, and that’s not something we ever got to experience. Thanks for that.”

“Absolutely. I’m really glad to be able to help out. Plus, I always get a free backstage pass to your performances, so can I really complain?” Jeongguk smirked at Namjoon. “I actually should be out there by the barriers right now, now that I mention it.”

“Nah, Echo is still out there. Relax for a bit. For once, we aren’t the openers.” Namjoon clapped Jeongguk on the shoulder before he walked away.

Jeongguk smiled to himself once Namjoon left. It was nice to be praised. He wasn’t too used to it.

Jeongguk was about to go check on the rest of Aurora in the hair and makeup room, but he nearly crashed into someone.

“I’m so sorry.” The person held onto Jeongguk’s bicep. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m-” Jeongguk hesitated when he looked at the person. It was the lead singer of Menagerie, Hyeon. Hyeon was actually the person who inspired Jeongguk to accept himself. Seeing someone who was openly part of the LGBT community who was unapologetically himself was so incredibly inspiring. Plus, it didn’t help that Hyeon was gorgeous. “Oh, wow. Of all people to almost knock to the floor, it would be the lead singer of one of my favorite bands. Are you okay?”

Hyeon tossed his head back and laughed before he smiled at Jeongguk. “Yeah, I’m great. That was completely my mistake. You know, all of those stage lights take a toll on your depth perception sometimes.”

“I completely get that. And that it can get so hot on stage. Yet you perform without a care in the world. I remember that clip of you that went viral from your show in Canada. People were freaking out over the fact you were wearing a turtleneck and trench coat in the middle of summer.” Jeongguk said.

“Anything for the aesthetics.” Hyeon winked at Jeongguk. “Hey, I have to head out, but will I see you around? You work with Aurora, right?”

“Yeah, I’m their bodyguard.” Jeongguk nodded. He couldn’t believe he was still talking with Hyeon.

“I can tell.” Hyeon smirked at Jeongguk. Which made sense. It was kind of a thing for musicians to flirt with their fans, and Jeongguk already exposed himself as being a big fan. “Then I’ll definitely see you around. What’s your name?”

“It’s Jeongguk.”

“Alright, Jeongguk. I’m Hyeon.” Hyeon extended his hand for Jeongguk to shake. “See you.”

Once Hyeon left, Jeongguk let himself internally freak out. Seventeen-year-old him was in love with Hyeon at one point, so seeing him and getting to shake his hand was on a whole other level.

Meanwhile, Taehyung had just gotten back to the venue. He was taking care of something at the currency exchange, so it took him longer than expected.

Aurora hadn’t started yet, luckily. If Taehyung had missed their show, he would be the world's shittiest manager.

Aurora was probably going to start soon, though, which meant Jeongguk was most likely already at the barriers. Taehyung could just find Aurora before they went on to make sure everything was okay.

“Did you see Aurora’s bodyguard, dude?”

Out of curiosity, Taehyung peered into one of the break rooms and saw Hyeon sitting with Menagerie’s bass player, Ilseong.

“I don’t think so.” Ilseong responded. Taehyung leaned against the hall outside, careful to not get exposed. “What about him?”

“He’s really hot. Like…it shouldn’t be legal to see him for free.” Hyeon said. “I was a bit taken aback.”

“You’ll have to point him out sometime, damn.” Ilseong chuckled. “I mean, you and Subin broke up. Anything is possible.”

“Shut up.” Hyeon laughed. “Anyway, where should we get food after this?”

Taehyung heard enough. He walked away and smirked to himself. He’d have to tell Jeongguk about what he heard after the show.

For now, Taehyung found his position backstage and watched as Aurora’s instruments were tuned.

“Where were you?” Yoongi approached Taehyung with the rest of the band. “One of the makeup artists was looking for you.”

“Really?” Taehyung questioned. “I was at the currency exchange. Gotta make sure you guys have funds to have a good time, don’t I?”

“You’re the best.” Seokjin said to Taehyung. “In our free time, why don’t we all do something together? That would be fun.”

“Oh, yeah. Good idea.” Jimin nodded.

“You really want to hang around your manager?” Taehyung offered the group an incredulous look.

“Um, yes?” Hoseok said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You’re more of a friend than anything.”

“Damn, thanks guys.” Taehyung felt flattered. “Sounds good to me.”

“You guys are out in ten.” A stagehand politely interjected themself to catch Aurora’s attention.

“Good luck, you guys.” Taehyung waved to Aurora. “Kick some ass.”

…

“What the hell happened?” Taehyung asked once he got a better look at Jeongguk. By the time the show was over, it was late at night and the ride back to the hotel was equally as dark.

Once Taehyung and Jeongguk got into their hotel room with sufficient light, Taehyung got a better look at Jeongguk’s face.

“Oh, here?” Jeongguk pointed at a red mark on his face. “Someone tried to throw their phone on stage, but they had a really bad aim. Clearly. But I’d rather it be a phone than a used article of clothing.”

“No kidding.” Taehyung flopped down on one of the beds. “Tomorrow is probably going to be a lot, considering it’s a festival. Aurora won’t have to go out until later, but I have to run the merch booth.”

“Want some help?” Jeongguk sat on the other bed. “And a second set of eyes never hurts.”

“You’re so nice. I can’t tell if I should be happy or annoyed.” Taehyung rolled over and sat cross-legged instead. “Guess what I heard earlier?”

What did you hear?” Jeongguk questioned.

“A certain someone talking about how hot you are. A newly single lead singer of a particular band.” Taehyung tested Jeongguk’s expression.

“Yeah, right.” Jeongguk rolled his eyes. “I ran into Hyeon by accident, but that was it.”

“I’m dead serious.” Taehyung shook his head. “He really did. Ask Ilseong if you don’t believe me.”

“What?” Jeongguk blushed. “He…woah.”

“Want me to put in a good word for you?” Taehyung smirked. “You never know.”

“No, no. I’m good. Just surprised.” Jeongguk waved his hands, as if Taehyung was about to grab the phone and call Hyeon at that very moment.

“Can’t blame him, though.” Taehyung said in a nonchalant manner.

“See? If someone’s going to think that way, do you really think I’d choose him over you?” Jeongguk playfully grinned at Taehyung. He liked their flirting antics. It didn’t mean anything…probably, it was just fun.

“You know the way to my heart.” Taehyung patted the spot next to him. “Want to watch a movie before we call it a night? Plus, I need to hear the story about the love triangle on the plane.”

“Sure. Too bad we don’t have popcorn, though.”

.

Jeongguk relayed the story to Taehyung, who was far too animated about the drama. Afterwards, they found a superhero movie to watch. It was one of the few movies actually on at that hour and it was already halfway through, but they still watched until Taehyung fell asleep.

As quietly as Jeongguk could, he slipped out of Taehyung’s bed and turned off the television. He grabbed the blanket that was still on the foot of Taehyung’s bed and tried to discreetly put it over him before he went back to his bed. Jeongguk almost crashed into a few things in the darkness, but he made it unscathed.

Since it was pretty late, Jeongguk had the idea of getting himself and Taehyung coffee in the morning before they headed to the music festival venue. He wasn’t sure about the time they were supposed to be there, but he imagined it was in the morning.

And Jeongguk kept his word when the morning rolled around. He quietly got ready and went across the street to grab more coffee and breakfast than anticipated. Jeongguk figured he could get some stuff for Aurora and leave it outside their hotel rooms. Then, when they woke up, they could have something as well.

Jeongguk did so and texted the group chat with Aurora that Taehyung had put him in before he went to his and Taehyung’s room.

As soon as Taehyung exited the bathroom with damp hair and saw Jeongguk, he had a lopsided smile on his face.

“Am I in love with you? Probably.” Taehyung graciously took the coffee Jeongguk handed him.

“That’s the plan. I’m trying to win your heart.” Jeongguk set down the bag of food on the desk in their room. “I didn’t know what time we’re supposed to head out, so I figured it would be best to go now.”

“We have some time.” Taehyung checked his phone that he had on his bed. “I thought you were out on the balcony, or something. Did I check? Absolutely not. It’s way too bright outside, so I just plead ignorance.”

“I get it.” Jeongguk sat at the desk. “Do you like strawberry or orange better?”

“You also got food? Jeez, Jeongguk.” Taehyung whistled. “I really might keep you for myself.”

“Oh no. That sounds so horrible.” Jeongguk said in a sarcastic tone. “You? Gross.”

Taehyung clicked his tongue and got up. He picked up the bag Jeongguk had set on the desk and walked into the living room. “Come on, let’s sit together.”

Jeongguk obliged and grabbed his coffee before he followed Taehyung to the couch.

“Better.” Taehyung said once he sat down. “I get to see that handsome face closer up. And, to answer my question, surprise me.”

“You got it.” Jeongguk randomly pulled out one of the pastries and handed it to Taehyung before he took one for himself. “So, are we bringing the merch over too?”

“Nah, some of the stagehands took care of that already. And, by that, I mean that they delivered the boxes to our booth.” Taehyung responded. “That’s it.”

“And you were going to do all of the setting up yourself and deal with a horde of people without any help?” Jeongguk questioned. “If we hadn’t had that conversation earlier, you would be doing everything on your own.”

Taehyung shrugged. “I could manage. I’m stronger than I look.”

“You look strong already and I don’t doubt that you could on your own. You don’t need my help, but I’d like to offer it. Plus, we get to spend more time together. That’s fun too, right?” Jeongguk had a genuine smile on his face that was pretty damn contagious.

“Right.” Taehyung smiled in return. “And then there’s a free day tomorrow. Then we head to Shinjuku and then Shibuya.”

“I’m excited for Shibuya. I have a couple of friends there that I want to visit. Do you know anyone in Japan?” Jeongguk took a drink of his coffee. The pastry sat abandoned on the coffee table.

“I don’t.” Taehyung shook his head. “How did you meet these friends?”

“Funny story. I played online games with a few people and one of them was my ex. I met these guys through him. But they’re not friends with him anymore, so that’s good.” Jeongguk said.

“That is good.” Taehyung agreed. Sharing the same friend circle with the person you’re dating is a double edged sword because breaking up tends to make friends choose a side.

“Would you…want to meet them? If you don’t know anyone else, I don’t want you to be alone. I mean, you can hang out with Aurora, too, but you’re invited.” Jeongguk suggested.

“I’m not going to interfere with your plans. It’s okay. Thank you though.” Taehyung appreciated it, but he felt like the friends might find it awkward that someone they didn’t know was there.

“They’re a couple, though, and I don’t want to third wheel.” Jeongguk pouted, which made Taehyung want to immediately cave.

“Oh, so that’s all I’m good for?” Taehyung raised his brow. “I see where we stand.”

“No, no.” Jeongguk set down his coffee and held onto Taehyung’s forearm. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.”

Taehyung couldn’t help but laugh. “I know. I’m just messing with you. But you’re too cute and now I feel bad.”

Jeongguk glared at Taehyung and sat back, arms crossed. “That’s not very professional, Mr. Kim.”

“Mr. Kim?” Taehyung grinned at Jeongguk. “Unless the professionalism is a kink I don’t know about, I don’t want to hear it.”

“It’s not.” Jeongguk responded. “Not into that kind of roleplay.”

“Good, good. Now let’s finish up so we can walk around the festival for a bit before we man the booth.”

.

There were already a lot of people on the festival grounds when Taehyung and Jeongguk got there, but they still decided to walk around and enjoy their morning. Plus, it gave them time to talk.

“What kind of music are you into?” Jeongguk asked Taehyung as they walked side-by-side. “I never asked.”

“A bit of everything. I especially like alternative music and I grew up listening to a lot of American and Canadian pop punk bands.” Taehyung responded. “You? Besides Menagerie.”

“Pretty much the same as you. Although, teenage Jeongguk listened to a lot of screamo.” Jeongguk wanted to laugh at his stupidity. He still liked the music, but he acted way too broody and wore far too much eyeliner at the time he was super into it. It was nothing short of tragic. “Do you have any siblings?”

“I have a younger brother. He’s your age.” Taehyung took out his phone to show Jeongguk a picture of him and his brother. “How about you?”

“I have two sisters and a brother.” Jeongguk sighed. “Big family, but I’m the baby so everyone loves me. I’m kidding, by the way. My brother is their favorite.”

“That’s cute. I always wanted a sister.” Taehyung loved his brother, but it would have been nice to have a sister too. “We should check out the stage that Aurora is going to perform on. I think it’s that way.” He pointed to their right. He didn’t mean to change the subject so abruptly but they were there for a reason and that wasn’t to talk about their families. “The merch booths are going to be closer to the center, along with the food and alcohol options.”

“Lead the way.” Jeongguk gestured for Taehyung to walk in front of him. “You know best. I’m just the bodyguard.”

“Then, should I call this exchange between us a business deal, or something else?” Taehyung felt weird walking ahead of Jeongguk, so he found his spot next to the bodyguard instead.

“This is a date, obviously. Or we can mix business and pleasure, you know?” Jeongguk bumped shoulders with Taehyung.

“Damn, we’re already on our second date then? What happens after the third? Which date do you kiss on?” Taehyung looked over at Jeongguk and met his gaze.

“Hmm, I guess there’s only one way to find out, yeah?” Jeongguk grinned in return. “Surprised the other bodyguard didn’t try harder to do a good job. If you’re like this with everyone, they’ll never want to quit. It’s quite an ego boost.”

“I’m not like this with everyone. You’re fun, it’s different. I hate joking around and people get annoyed by it. We’re allowed to have fun and enjoy ourselves too, right? In the past, I have always set aside my enjoyment and it’s really boring to live like that.” Taehyung hadn’t realized how much he neglected himself until he met Jeongguk.

“I completely get that. It’s nice that you’re learning that you’re just as important as Aurora. Prioritize yourself every once in a while, alright?” Jeongguk lightly elbowed Taehyung. “Now, is that the stage?”

“Yep, that’s it. Pretty nice, right?” Taehyung was so proud that Aurora could perform at the music festival. It was a huge deal for such a new band to have the opportunities they did, but they worked hard for it.

“Definitely. I can’t wait to watch them tonight.” Jeongguk said. “But…we should probably get to the merch stand, huh? More and more people are getting here.”

“I guess you’re right.” It’s not like Taehyung didn’t want to work the booth — he was having fun. But, Taehyung was also excited to see the turnout of fans. If they managed to sell out their whole stock of merch for that particular venue, Taehyung would be over the moon. “Should we place a bet, though?”

“A bet? On what?” Jeongguk eyed Taehyung with an entertained expression.

“Whoever helps the most customers wins.” Taehyung said. “What they win is up to us, though. You’re for sure going to have to choose a dinner spot when you lose, though.”

“I’m very competitive, Taehyung.” Jeongguk responded. “You sure you wanna do this?”

“With you? Yes.” Taehyung nodded. “How about this? Whoever loses has to choose a place for dinner and buy the meal. Aurora is performing around five, so we should have time after.”

“Deal.” Jeongguk stuck out his hand. “Let’s shake on it.”

“You’re on.”

A bet is a bet and Jeongguk didn’t lie when he said he was competitive. All they had to do was lay out a few ground rules. Like no sabotage, the usual.

Once the bet was settled, Jeongguk was more determined than ever.

When they got to the booth, Jeongguk put the different shirts on display, as well as the posters and accessories. Once he was finished, he took one side of the table while Taehyung took the other.

Almost immediately after they opened up the merch booth, they had customers. It was really cool to see how excited everyone was. There were a lot of people who wanted photos with Taehyung, as well. It was entertaining to see Taehyung get flustered, and it also gave Jeongguk time to make more sales than Taehyung.

However, at the end of the day, Taehyung had helped more people. By five.

Five. Jeongguk’s life was unfair.

“This day keeps getting better and better. We sell out all of the merch and then I win the bet.” Taehyung put his hands on his hips and looked up triumphantly. “Feels good.”

Jeongguk sighed. “Can you at least give me an idea of what you like? Any preferences?”

“Hmm, I want you to choose something that’s very you, if that makes sense. Something different. I have a feeling you won’t disappoint.” Taehyung responded.

That was a challenge Jeongguk was willing to take on.

“Alright, you got it.”

…

After the show, Jeongguk got Aurora back into the hotel with little issue. One person tried to push through the crowd and shove a camera in Namjoon’s face, but Jeongguk handled them. He was also careful to not lose sight of Taehyung.

Aurora was exhausted after the show, given they hung around to meet fans after, so they had decided to stay in and order room service. It worked out to Jeongguk and Taehyung’s benefit.

And Jeongguk had already planned his evening with Taehyung anyway. He hoped Taehyung would like it. It was very Jeongguk, to say the least.

Jeongguk tried to be quick when Taehyung was showering, since there were a few things he needed to get and somehow he managed. He shoved the things he got into his bag that he was to bring.

“Are you ready?” Jeongguk put on a leather jacket he had thrown on his bed and grabbed his wallet that was placed next to it.

“Yep.” Taehyung was wearing ripped black jeans paired with a burgundy button down. Luckily, he had a jacket in hand, because Jeongguk’s plans were outdoors. “Time for you to woo me.”

Jeongguk opened the door to the hotel room and let Taehyung out first. They went to the lobby and out the front of the hotel.

“Where are we going, Jeongguk?” Taehyung admired the beautiful river they were walking next to, but he didn’t see any restaurants in the vicinity.

“Right…here.” Jeongguk stopped walking once they got to an open area of grass. The river’s surface was dancing with the reflection of the numerous lights in the city. It really was abeautiful sight, to overlook the river at night, and Taehyung would have never had the idea to do whatever Jeongguk had planned. If he lost, Taehyung was just going to choose a random restaurant.

“What’s your plan?” Taehyung walked over to the railing encompassing the river and looked out at the sky before he faced the other male.

“Okay,” Jeongguk set down his bag and opened it, “Don’t let the hotel know that I stole one of their blankets for this.” He removed a blanket from his bag and unfolded it to set down on the grass. “And then I picked up a few things like sake and snacks. I figured we could grab some stuff at the convenience store just over there. It’s apparently one of the best ones in Japan.” He added. “Sorry if this isn’t what you had in mind. I just thought it would be really different, like you wanted.”

“No, no. It’s perfect.” Taehyung went over to the blanket and examined it. “Should we wait to set this out until after we get stuff at the store?”

“Oh, yeah. Good point.” Jeongguk picked up the blanket and haphazardly shoved it into his bag. “Let’s do that first.”

Once they got what they needed, Taehyung and Jeongguk made it back to the spot Jeongguk had picked out and Jeongguk set out the blanket once more.

“You know,” Taehyung sat down and took out all of the things they got, “This is better than any date I’ve ever been on. You thought this out and it has meaning. I really like that.”

“Really?” Jeongguk was flattered by Taehyung’s words. “Even if it isn’t a fancy restaurant and sake that is way too expensive despite tasting vaguely of rubbing alcohol?”

“Especially because it isn’t. Something doesn’t have to be extravagant for it to be fun. I know, I know, the guy who is wearing a Fendi jacket is saying he doesn’t need extravagant things. But I mean it.” Taehyung handed Jeongguk a pair of chopsticks.

“No, I get it. And I appreciate that.” Jeongguk split his chopsticks. “So, your exes just tried to win you over with lavish dates? Where was the wildest place you went?”

“You’re going to laugh.” Taehyung was about to open up a can of worms. “We went to Paris for my birthday. He wanted to go to fashion week, and it happened to fall on the week of my birthday. It was perfect in his eyes. Except when we got to the fashion show, it became a shit show. He’s the type of guy who only wears designer or super luxury, so it was just him whining the whole time that he wasn’t the only one wearing Tom Ford. Some guy was wearing the same suit as him and he cried. For like an hour.” He shook his head at the memory. “Yeah, it was a cool experience, but it ended up being more stressful than fun.”

“Maybe you just weren’t there with the right person.” Jeongguk opened up some of the containers of food they got. “You’ll have to go again and actually enjoy your time instead of lugging around an extremely fashionable man the whole time.”

“Yeah, you might be right.” Taehyung agreed. “But the point I’m trying to make is that simpler things are better. Pretty much everything we did was unoriginal and only for him. I appreciate doing things my partner likes, but he would always consistently choose seafood restaurants knowing I’m allergic to shellfish.”

“You’re allergic to shellfish?” Jeongguk immediately dug into his pocket to find his phone. He used the flashlight on it to check all of the containers to make sure that Taehyung wouldn’t have an allergic reaction. “I need to check these.”

“You’re too cute. It’s okay.” Taehyung placed a hand on Jeongguk’s knee. “We didn’t grab anything that I’m allergic to. I made sure I didn’t and I checked what you were grabbing. We’re safe.”

“Okay,” Jeongguk heaved a sigh of relief, “Almost messed up the night before it even started.”

“Not at all. This is great.” Taehyung could see Jeongguk was genuinely worried and Taehyung really appreciated it. “Now, let’s eat.”

Once Jeongguk and Taehyung ate, Jeongguk cleaned up and they lounged out on the blanket. The sake was just enough to warm them up, but they were nothing close to tipsy or drunk.

“Have you ever stargazed before?” Taehyung laid back on the blanket. “I don’t know shit about astronomy, but it’s just pretty.”

“Nah, I haven’t.” Jeongguk sat cross legged and leaned back to look up at the sky. “I don’t know anything about it, either. I wish I did, but it’s too confusing.”

“This is a nice way to end the night regardless, even if I don’t know jack shit about constellations.” Taehyung said. “Are you excited to do whatever the hell you want in Japan on your free days? ”

“Yes. I want to check out the gashapon so badly. And maybe find anime figures that aren’t grossly overpriced. One can dream.” Jeongguk sighed. “Sorry, I know. It’s lame.”

“What is? Anime? You know I like it too, right?” Taehyung looked over at Jeongguk.

“I’m starting to think you have no flaws. It’s kind of weird. Are you some sort of cyborg? If so, that’s a really good fake human skin you’ve got on.” Jeongguk said. “Maybe you’re a synth.”

“Unfortunately, I am merely a human.” Taehyung got himself up, so he could also sit cross-legged. “Should we head back? It feels like we just started out the night, though.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t realize it was getting late. I lose track of time when I’m with you.” Jeongguk forced himself up. They had been standing for so long all day that his legs desperately wanted to give out.

“Same here.” Taehyung picked up the blanket for Jeongguk and kept it in hand. “Thanks for tonight.”

“You really had a good time? Like, genuinely?” The sincerity on Jeongguk’s face was so endearing to Taehyung. Jeongguk seemed like the kind of person who wasn’t able to hide his feelings well, given his expressions are so…well, expressive.

“Absolutely. And, look at that, we’re even going home together. That’s how you know it was a good date.” Taehyung smirked at Jeongguk.

“True, I guess this is what happens after a third date after all.” Jeongguk threw his bag over his shoulder. “I’m so glad we get along and I can be friends with you and Aurora. It’s so much better than having to try and always be professional.”

“Couldn’t agree more. This is one of those ‘friendship beyond the workplace’ things, and I appreciate that.” Taehyung felt like he could be so open around Jeongguk. It was really refreshing. Taehyung hoped that Jeongguk felt the same.

“Me too.”

…

The next day didn’t entail too much, except for traveling to the venue and staying in a different hotel the next night. The concert was also a success, naturally.

Aurora had invited Taehyung and Jeongguk to breakfast in their penthouse, so the seven enjoyed the morning together.

“Alright. Is everyone ready?” Namjoon clapped his hands together once they finished eating.

Jeongguk gathered his things together and got up from the couch. He had to figure out something to do.

“Hey, where are you going?” Jimin went over to Jeongguk. “You’re leaving?”

“Yeah.” Jeongguk sat on the ground to lace his boots back up. “You guys have plans.”

“Umm, you’re invited.” Jimin responded. “We thought you were coming, too.”

“Wait, really?” Jeongguk was surprised. He figured they wouldn’t want their bodyguard around while they enjoyed free time.

“As someone who has been hanging out with you quite a bit, don’t act so surprised. Believe it or not, we don’t think you’re too shabby.” Taehyung said from where he was sitting with Yoongi.

Jeongguk really didn’t expect for them to all hang out. He did want to get closer with Aurora, but didn’t want to feel like a burden. No one else he worked with ever asked to hang out.

“Okay, pull my leg, make me go.” Jeongguk finished lacing up his shoes and stood up. “What do you guys have planned?”

“Shopping, of course.” Seokjin said. “And then I know we wanted to check out one of the dog cafes. I’ve gotta pet a Shiba Inu.”

“We should check out one of those outlets with a shit ton of anime stuff. I know Jeongguk wanted to do that.” Taehyung sent Jeongguk a reaffirming smile.

“For sure. We’ll make sure we do what everyone wants to do.” Namjoon added. “Let’s head out.”

Surprisingly, Jeongguk suggested that he could drive. Taehyung had rented out a couple of extra vans for the traveling crew, and those didn’t need to be driven by drivers when they were just going to hang out. So, there were some spare vans laying around that they didn’t have to return until they went to the airport the next day.

Everyone took Jeongguk up on the offer and he drove to their first destination, which was the shopping district. Jeongguk would have to keep an eye on the group and make sure they were safe, so the close proximity in the shopping district was either going to be a blessing or a curse.

Luckily, everything was okay and Jeongguk didn’t have to worry too much. The best part of all was that he had a blast. Jeongguk could get used to being around Aurora and Taehyung. It was really nice.

…

The next couple of days passed by quickly. Before Jeongguk knew it, they finished off their show and it was their free day in Shibuya.

Aurora told Jeongguk and Taehyung that they were welcome to join them, but Jeongguk already had his plans and Taehyung was going with him.

“…Do they know I’m coming? Or am I just going to show up and make it awkward?” Jeongguk and Taehyung opted for public transportation to get to the shopping district where they were meeting Jeongguk’s friends.

“I told them I’m bringing someone. Don’t worry.” Jeongguk waved away Taehyung’s concern. “Thanks for coming with.”

“Why are you thanking me? I should be thanking you.” Taehyung responded. “The guys said they will keep me posted regarding their whereabouts, so I’m not too stressed.”

Good. You really are an amazing manager.” Jeongguk scanned the station they were in through the windows and got up. “This is it. Go ahead in front of me and I’ll respectfully shove anyone out of the way that tries to push past you.”

“You’re working overtime, Jeongguk.” Taehyung chuckled, but he did as Jeongguk said. There was something about Jeongguk being hyper aware of Taehyung’s safety that he really liked. Sure, it was Jeongguk’s job, but still.

Once they were safely in the station, Jeongguk checked his phone.

“They said they’re waiting by the exit,”Jeongguk checked the surroundings and broke out into a smile when he saw his friends, “And there they are. Come on!” He excitedly headed towards his friends while holding onto Taehyung’s arm to make sure he didn’t get lost in the bustling crowd.

“Guk!” One of Jeongguk’s friends, a tall male with burgundy hair, grinned and pulled Jeongguk into a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You too, Keii.” Jeongguk hugged the guy back before he released him and moved onto the slightly shorter blonde.

“Did you get more handsome?” The blonde cradled Jeongguk to his chest. “So precious, our little baby.”

“You’re six months older than me.” Jeongguk retorted, no malice in his tone.

Before his friends could say anything else, Jeongguk made sure to introduce Taehyung.

“This is Taehyung.” Jeongguk motioned to the manager. “Tae, these are my friends. Keiichi,” He nodded at the taller, “And Teppei.”

“Nice to meet you, Taehyung.” Teppei offered Taehyung a friendly smile.

“Finally, Guk.” Keiichi clapped Jeongguk on the back. “Finally you’re dating someone! I fucking hated Seungwoo for what he did. Seriously, he thought we would still want to be friends with him? Who the hell would choose him over you?”

“Oh,” Jeongguk chuckled, “We aren’t dating.”

Keiichi and Teppei exchanged a look.

“Why not?” Teppei knew exactly what he was doing. He and Keiichi had been so desperate to find someone for Jeongguk since they always felt responsible for Seungwoo’s actions. They weren’t of course, but still. Ever since the breakup, Jeongguk had been super apprehensive about introducing anyone to his friends because he didn’t want a round two of what happened with his ex. Of course, Jeongguk didn’t seriously date anyone after Seungwoo, but he was still worried. His friends were really important to him, so he was very careful about who he should bring around.

“We haven’t known each other long. He’s the manager for the group I’m working for now.” Jeongguk replied.

“Jeongguk, with all due respect, you never introduce anyone to us. Not even that Rowoon guy who was trying to date you. That says a lot.” Teppei gasped Oh no,” He lowered his voice and eyed Taehyung, “You’re not…straight…right? I can’t believe I have to ask such a horrible question.”

“Not even close.” Taehyung couldn’t help but laugh in response. “Little does Jeongguk know, my plan today was to woo you guys, so he has no choice but to fall in love with me.”

“Ooooh, I like him.” Keiichi grinned. “Come on, let us introduce you to the wonders of Shibuya.”

Given Jeongguk and Taehyung had no idea where they were, they obediently followed.

“So, you manage bands?” Teppei slowed his pace to talk to Taehyumg, while Keiichi talked Jeongguk’s ear off. “That’s really cool.”

“Yeah, it’s awesome. Especially when the band is amazing.” Taehyung responded. “And they really are great guys. If you and Keiichi ever want, feel free to come to a show.”

“I might like you better than Jeongguk.” Teppei snickered. “Kidding, you’re both great. Also, as cliche as this sounds, he seems really happy and relaxed right now. We weren’t kidding when we said he didn’t introduce us to anyone. Even when we were staying in Seoul, he refused. I guess you made the cut.”

“It’s probably just because we work together and I had nothing to do today. He’s really nice, as you surely know.” What Teppei said did make Taehyung wonder about Jeongguk, but it was definitely nothing more than becoming good friends quickly.

Teppei shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, man. Friends, or whatever, thanks for treating him well. It’s my bad that Jeongguk has been the way he is. I was the one who met Seungwoo first, introduced him to Keii, and then Jeongguk came into the picture. But, like, why would we stay friends with that asshole afterwards? Who cheats on someone like Jeongguk?”

Damn. Taehyung didn’t know that, but he would pretend he did to not embarrass Teppei.

“No kidding. Well, good on you guys.” Taehyung looked ahead to see Keiichi grabbing onto Jeongguk’s forearm, explaining something in great detail. “Keiichi seems sweet, too. How did you guys meet?”

“We’ve known each other since high school, if you can believe it. He was a grade above me and I always stayed late at school working on homework, so I watched his basketball practices a lot. I was like, ‘damn, number eight is pretty cute’ and that turned into me looking for him on campus during the day. I thought he had no idea who I was until I stayed one day working on a project and he sat down next to me and gave me a drink. He said he always saw me working so hard and that I should take care of myself. From there, we got close and then started dating. It’s been amazing ever since.” Teppei said.

“That’s cute. I don’t talk to people from high school, so it’s nice to hear that you do. And that it’s your boyfriend nonetheless. I kind of get the overworking thing, though. I’ve been doing a lot of that and Jeongguk has been reassuring me.” Taehyung felt Teppei looking at him, so he tilted his head and furrowed his brow. “What?”

Teppei smirked and focused back on the street. “Nothing.” He replied.

“Babe, I was telling Jeongguk about that guy who tried to hack into your Steam.” Keiichi slowed down to walk next to Teppei, allowing them to hold hands. “With all of the security precautions Steam has, I was surprised he managed.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m glad we sorted it out because I would have been pissed if I lost all of my achievements.” Teppei heaved a sigh of relief. “Truly traumatizing.”

“But you know that isn’t traumatizing?” Keiichi looked at Taehyung and Jeongguk. “Our plans for today. And our plans start with getting the best sushi you’ll ever have.”

.

Okay, Jeongguk’s friends were great. Jeongguk was great. It was an amazing day. Taehyung would have had no idea what to do if it wasn’t for Jeongguk. Plus, it was their last day in Japan and it was certainly made special.

After dinner, they spent the evening looking for a few more things Jeongguk wanted, and then Teppei and Keiichi took them bowling.

Taehyung hadn’t been bowling in like a decade, so he was worried he would be the worst.

But he wasn’t.

Keiichi was. He was too stubborn to get the assist to allow bumpers, so he ended up with eight gutter balls and a lot of regret.

“Honestly? Just a fluke.” Keiichi huffed as he sat down next to Taehyung. “I’m really good at Wii Bowling. Next time you guys come around, you’re on.”

“Totally down.” Taehyung unlaced his bowling shoes to change back into his regular ones.

“Me too.” Jeongguk won, not to anyone’s surprise.

“I wish you guys didn’t have to go. Move to Japan.” Teppei joked.

“Move to Seoul.” Jeongguk retorted. “Then I’d actually have local friends.”

“Well, you have Tae now.” Keiichi had been talking with Taehyung for a while and had insisted that Jeongguk make a group chat for all of them.

Taehyung looked over at Jeongguk, to see the bodyguard already looking at him.

“True.” Jeongguk responded. “Screw you guys then.”

“You dick.” Teppei hit Jeongguk’s bicep. “Come on, let’s get out of here and we can walk you to your station.”

Taehyung was going to let the three do their thing and talk, given they were longtime friends, but all of them made sure to include Taehyung.

Jeongguk was sad to see his friends go, but their reassuring hugs and promises to see each other sooner made him feel better.

“Bye, guys.” Keiichi released Taehyung and he and Teppei watched the two until they got into the station before heading out.

Taehyung and Jeongguk mostly stood in silence on their way back, given it was surprisingly packed, but they had time to chat once they got to the station near their hotel.

“So,” Jeongguk was glad there were quite a few blocks until they got to the hotel. It was nice weather to leisurely walk in and talk in, “What did you think?”

Taehyung pocketed his hands and walked alongside Jeongguk. “Your friends are so nice. Makes sense, though, since you’re a sweetheart.”

“I’m really not.” Jeongguk responded. “You don’t have to say that, no one else is listening.”

“I’m being genuine.” Taehyung slowed down his pace ever so slightly. “Take a fucking compliment.”

“Well, thank you.” Jeongguk was glad it was getting dark because the dumb smile on his face would have made Taehyung take his compliment right back. “Also, sorry they thought we were dating.”

“I didn’t mind whatsoever.” Taehyung placed a hand on Jeongguk’s shoulder as they walked. “It was an honor. But…I have a question. Why bring me along? I know what you said, but still. Your friends said you don’t even introduce them to people you aren’t dating because you’re afraid of having another falling out and them picking sides. Not that we will, but what if I got close with them and then we had a falling out? What would you do?”

Jeongguk hummed. That was a tough question. “Uh,” He paused, “I don’t know. I just felt comfortable with you being there.” He paused again. “Besides, they would totally take my side if something happened between us.”

Jeongguk’s grin made Taehyung shove him. “Probably.” He laughed. “I’ll have to introduce you to some of my friends when we get back. They’re super fun guys. Haven’t seen them in a while, but witnessing you with your friends made me miss them. I’ve been only thinking about work.”

Jeongguk looked ahead of them to see the hotel. Yes, they could chat inside, but they wanted to take advantage of the weather. Luckily, there was a bench close to them, so Jeongguk led Taehyung there.

“I’m glad you’re letting loose a bit. Gives you more time to focus on what you want. Your interests.” He said. “You’ll have time to do whatever the hell you want to do. Hey, you could even go on a couple of dates and get a free dinner out of it.”

“You’re right.” Taehyung nodded. “I can. But, about the dating thing, why would I want to do that when I’m sitting next to my number one?” He offered Jeongguk a playful wink.

“If this was any other scenario, I’d think you were genuinely flirting with me, Taehyung.” Jeongguk grinned at the manager.

“You caught me. I can’t help but to profess my undying attraction to you.” Taehyung stood up and extended his hand. “Come on, let’s go back. It looks like it might rain.”

Jeongguk took Taehyung’s hand and kind of sort of didn’t really let go of it as they walked. But Taehyung didn’t pull away, either.

When they got back into their hotel room, Taehyung and Jeongguk packed away their things. They had to leave relatively early tomorrow morning and Jeongguk would absolutely forget something if he rushed to cram everything into his bag last minute.

“Did you finish?” Taehyung asked when Jeongguk entered the bedroom. He was already laying in bed and watching something on his phone.

“Yeah, I got it all.” Jeongguk pulled off his hoodie and fixed the tee shirt he had under it. “You?”

“Mhm.” Taehyung hummed. “Come on over, if you want. I’m watching someone playing the newish Resident Evil DLC, since I haven’t had the chance.”

“Oh, fun. You’ve gotta play it, too.” Jeongguk made sure to turn off the main lights before he made his way over. He would be way too lazy if he told himself to do it later.

“When you invite me to your place once we get back, we can play together.” Taehyung sat up patted the bed next to him. “Come on.”

Jeongguk made his way over and leaned back against the headboard and plethora of pillows hotels always assumed people needed.

“Perfect. Also, can I use you as a pillow so I can hold this for both of us to watch?” Taehyung asked Jeongguk.

“For sure.” Jeongguk tried not to think about it too much when Taehyung laid his head on his chest and kept the phone in view for both of them.

“There are so many games I need to catch up on.” Taehyung clicked on the next part of the video.

“You have time, don’t worry. Also, let me hold it. Your arm is probably tired.” Jeongguk took Taehyung’s phone.

“You’re a hero amongst men. My hand was cramping up.” Taehyung cracked his knuckles before he got comfortable again. “Anyway, video.”

The two watched in silence for a while and, once the video ended, Jeongguk asked Taehyung if he wanted to watch the next video.

“Tae?” Jeongguk questioned when he got no response.

Jeongguk got a better look and saw that Taehyung was sleeping, so Jeongguk set Taehyung’s phone down and tried to get up as quietly as he could.

“Stay.” Taehyung mumbled. “You’re comfortable.”

“Uh, are you sure?” Jeongguk asked, uncertain.

“Yes, just turn off that bright ass lamp and stay.” Taehyung replied.

Okay, well, that apparently was the plan. Jeongguk didn’t mind and evidentially Taehyung didn’t either. The only problem was that Jeongguk was starting to see Taehyung in a different light. A light that kind of made Jeongguk want to hold Taehyung’s hand a little bit more, and lay in each other’s company every night.

…

Once back in South Korea, Aurora went straight to their venue and performed. It was so busy that no one really had much of a chance to breathe.

One of the hotels fell through, so Taehyung wasn’t present for the concert and he had to travel back to the company to speak with them about a rumor that was spreading. Aurora was already getting rumors surrounding them, which was ridiculous. But Taehyung had to be professional and he was. He even trusted Jeongguk enough to take care of things while he was gone.

Things got sorted out quickly and Taehyung was able to make it to the concert the next day. Unfortunately, Aurora was already performing,so Taehyung hung out in the back for a bit. He ran into the manager for Menagerie and talked for a while.

“How has the tour been treating you?” Menagerie’s manager, Jisoo, sipped on a coffee as he spoke to Taehyung.

“It’s been good.” Taehyung responded. “How about for you all? You’re heading to Europe soon, yeah?”

“Mhm, two more shows and then we’re going to London.” Jisoo definitely had a lot on his plate, and Taehyung respected it.

“Jeez. That’s great. Maybe we’ll be going there with you sometime.” Taehyung really hoped that Aurora would be able to tour the world. He knew they really wanted to. They had the talent to get them far.

“Definitely.” Jisoo smiled. He glanced over to his left and his smile widened even more. “There are your boys.”

“Tae! Welcome back.” Namjoon looked like he was still on an adrenaline high from the show. “We missed you.”

“Sorry about having to take care of things. It looks like we’re all set for now.”

“That’s good.” Yoongi ran a hand through his damp hair. “Those damn lights are so hot out there.”

“No kidding.” Taehyung looked at the group and noticed that Jeongguk wasn’t there. “Hey, where’s Jeongguk?”

“Oh, there were some people being rowdy out there and he was taking care of it.” Jimin filled Taehyung in.

“Hey, want to hang with us in the back for a bit?” Jisoo suggested to the band, seemingly nothing Taehyung’s worried expression. “The guys wanted to chat with you guys anyway.”

“I’m down.” Hoseok readily agreed.

Once Aurora was gone, Taehyung waited around for a bit and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jeongguk.

“Hey,” Taehyung quickly made his way to the bodyguard, “Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jeongguk gave Taehyung a thumbs up. “I’m good. Someone was trying to crowdsurf and use it as a tactic to get past the barriers. We made sure they didn’t get past us, but I did accidentally get kicked in the head.”

“Yeah, I can tell.” Taehyung furrowed his brow. “You sure you’re good?”

“Just a headache, really.” Jeongguk said. “I’m good.”

“Come on,” Taehyung placed a hand on Jeongguk’s back to lead him towards where Aurora was, “There should be some medication somewhere around here.”

Jeongguk obliged and the two made their way inside the room where Aurora and Menagerie were.

“There’s the human punching bag we call out bodyguard.” Hoseok grinned broadly when he saw Jeongguk. “How’s the head?”

“Just a headache. I’m really fine.” Jeongguk didn’t want people to worry about him, since it was his job to take care of others.

“I got you.” Oh shit. Jeongguk didn’t even see, or even notice, Hyeon in the room, so he had a feeling of nerves wash over him when they made eye contact.

Hyeon got up and grabbed a backpack that was haphazardly thrown in the corner of the room. He retrieved some headache medication and brought it to Jeongguk.

“Thank you, I owe you.” Jeongguk graciously took the pills.

“You don’t, but if you really feel like you have to, I can get your nu-” Hyeon was cut off by Taehyung interjecting.

“Sorry, one sec.” Taehyung smiled at Hyeon. “Water.”

Taehyung dragged Jeongguk away and got him a bottle of water.

“Well, that’s probably our cue anyway.” Jisoo stood up and placed his hands on his hips. “Ready, boys?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Hyeon got something else out of his bag before he headed toward his manager.

The rest of Menagerie made their way out before Hyeon, and the singer made a small detour over to Jeongguk.

“Here, DM me. This is my name.” Hyeon handed Jeongguk a slip of paper with Hyeon’s handle on it.

“I already follow you.” Jeongguk laughed.

“Oh.” Hyeon smirked. “Awesome. Then I’ll DM you, unless you get to me first. See you.”

Hyeon left and Aurora got comfortable lazing around in the back. They couldn’t leave until after the show, of course, or they would be stampeded.

“I’m so hungry that even cardboard doesn’t sound so shitty.” Hoseok groaned and laid down on one of the couches in the room.

“How about I go pick something up for you guys?” Jeongguk suggested. “Then you guys can relax back here and not have to wait until midnight to finally eat.”

“No, no.” Namjoon replied. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I insist. Now, I’ll be back. Any suggestions?” Jeongguk patted his back pocket to make sure his wallet was there.

“Thank you, Jeongguk.” Jimin didn’t want to admit it, but he really did want something. “Anything is fine.”

“Sure.” Jeongguk nodded. “I’ll be back.”

“And I’ll come with.” Taehyung glanced back at Aurora. “Don’t…leave or anything like that please.”

“That’s way too much effort. I’d like to do the bare minimum right now.” Yoongi yawned. “Thanks, guys.”

Jeongguk and Taehyung talked with Aurora for a bit more before they left the venue.

“How did things go?” Jeongguk asked while he and Taehyung walked to a local fast-food place. Sure, maybe it wasn’t ideal, but it was something.

“Everything was good. Yeah, my ear was talked off, but that’s pretty normal.” Taehyung walked alongside Jeongguk. “How about you? Were you miserable while I was gone?”

“Mhm.” Jeongguk hummed. “Absolutely devastated. I was wondering how I could go on.” He clutched a hand to his heart. “But I was strong.”

“Well, I’m here now. So I think your life has greatly improved.” Taehyung chuckled lightly. “You’re welcome.”

“I think my life already greatly improved when we met.” Jeongguk shrugged. “Lame, sure, whatever. But this has been great. Especially sharing a room because I’m not used to having someone around. I keep to myself, but it’s surprisingly nice.”

“Awww.” Taehyung linked arms with Jeongguk. “No wonder Hyeon’s interested in you.”

Jeongguk scoffed. “It’s his job to flirt. Plus, it’s been years since I had a crush on him. And it was superficial. Who knows, maybe he could be the shittiest person once you get to know him. Now, you? I think I know you quite a bit and you’re damn great.”

“So, should I drop my social media handle and hope you DM me asking me out?” Taehyung kept their arms linked as he bumped shoulders with Jeongguk.

“I think we’re beyond communicating through social media. Plus, haven’t we gone out plenty of times already?” Jeongguk grinned at Taehyung.

“Fair. I guess that means I don’t have to worry about him stealing you away?” Taehyung let go of Jeongguk and continued to walk next to him.

“Never had to worry in the first place.” Jeongguk corrected Taehyung. “So, I was looking at the itinerary. Only two more shows after this, huh?”

“Mhm. But Iwas talking to the company yesterday and we’re probably going to do another tour close to the beginning of next year. This tour was to kind of just test the waters. And things have been going so well, so I pretty much already got the okay.” Taehyung told Jeongguk. “Ready to travel with me again?”

“You know I am. I’ve been getting you all to myself. I almost feel guilty.” Jeongguk wanted to continue to flirt. He really did.

“Hey, I could have bought another hotel room if I really had an issue with you. My only complaint is that I didn’t get any single beds.” Taehyung could feel Jeongguk tense up for a moment next to him before relaxing.

“Yeah, I agree honestly. I was more comfortable sleeping with you than expected.” Jeongguk gasped lightly. “Shit. That…I need to phrase things better. Sharing the same bed, I should say.”

“I’m fine with either of those things, don’t you worry. Phrase things however you want.” Taehyung pointed ahead of them. “There it is. Let’s hurry and get the stuff.”

Taehyung didn’t give Jeongguk any time to answer, but they could talk more once they got to the hotel room that evening.

…

“The whole concept of it is just stupid.” Jeongguk and Taehyung had walked around the hotel once they got back. They were currently sitting near the indoor pool. Obviously, they didn’t go in. But there was a nice ambiance. The glass windows that posed as walls allowed a decent amount of moonlight in. Enough for them to see each other. “You know?”

“Absolutely.” Jeongguk was quite comfortable. It wasn’t the plan, but they found themselves sitting together in the same lounger mindlessly talking. It definitely wasn’t meant for holding two people and was more well suited for simply laying out by the pool, but they didn’t care.

Jeongguk ran a hand through Taehyung’s hair as they talked. Taehyung’s phone was resting on Jeongguk’s thigh, having been there since they long abandoned it after watching a video. “Random question, but what’s your favorite food?” He questioned.

“Hmm,” Taehyung thought, “Fried shrimp.”

“What?” Jeongguk clicked his tongue. “You said you’re allergic.”

“So, you do listen.” Taehyung hit Jeongguk’s chest before he got comfortable again. “I’m not sure. I guess any meat dish that isn’t too spicy. Why do you ask?”

“You told me to invite you to my place once the tour is over. You think I’m going to have you over and not feed you?’ Jeongguk chuckled. “And the tour is ending soon, so I’m just thinking about the impending doom of going back home to my apartment and hoping that no one stole my PS5. I’ve had someone break into my car before and steal a tablet, so I kind of lost trust in humanity.”

“What the fuck, people suck. I’m sorry.” Taehyung replied. “But I like that you’re thinking ahead. Even if you are just using me for company.”

Jeongguk sighed dramatically. “Obviously, you know that’s not true. Like, yes, I enjoy your company, but I want to do more than just have you stand there and look pretty.”

Taehyung hummed, already planning on a way to mess with Jeongguk. “What more do you want to do? Could you please elaborate?”

“You know…” Jeongguk said in a suggestive tone. “Balance checks…do dishes…all that shit.”

“I thought you were going to say something hot, but you say that instead.” Taehyung acted as if he was going to get up, but Jeongguk pulled him back down.

“Brat.” Jeongguk pulled Taehyung close again. “Anything else you want to watch?”

Taehyung reached for his phone. “Sure. There’s this new show I heard a lot about. Want to check out the first episode?”

“Yeah, why not?” Jeongguk agreed and Taehyung pulled up the show.

The two were so engrossed in it that they had gotten to the second episode without realizing it. One of the main characters was talking about his crush on a supporting character. He said something along the lines of, “I just want to be there to talk to her, to hold her hand, to see her smile. I want to go to sleep with her by my side. I want to explore the world with her. If only she could see that, then she could truly understand the way I feel for her. Sure, maybe my feelings are a little strong, but hopefully she’ll feel the same way if we start dating.”

Jeongguk got a bit distracted by his words. Evidently, so did Taehyung, considering he lowered his phone and looked quite pensive.

“Holy shit.” Taehyung finally said.

“Are we…” Jeongguk furrowed his brow.

“Are we dating?” Taehyung leaned back to look at Jeongguk.

“Wait,” Jeongguk sat up, taking Taehyung with him, “Are we?”

“If those are all the fucking signs that you like someone, then maybe.” Taehyung locked his phone screen once he realized the show was still playing.

“...I think we are.” Jeongguk also seemed shocked. “We’ve even been on ‘dates’ and everything.”

“What the fuck.” Taehyung’s expression finally relaxed and he laughed. “I mean…”

“I’m not mad about it, to be honest.” Jeongguk tried to act nonchalant.

“Yeah…neither am I.” Taehyung trailed off.

“Well…what do we do about it now?” Jeongguk questioned.

Taehyung shrugged. “I mean, you could kiss me.”

Jeongguk smiled before he pulled Taehyung over and cupped his cheeks before kissing him.

Jeongguk’s plan was just for a quick kiss, but apparently Taehyung’s wasn’t because he held onto the back of Jeongguk’s neck and kissed him again.

Kissing turned to making out which turned to a bit of touching.

Jeongguk was busy getting familiar with the feeling of his lips against Taehyung’s neck when he felt Taehyung run a hand along the waistline of Jeongugk’s sweatpants before dipping below them.

As much as Jeongguk didn’t want to say anything, he had to.

“Wait,” Jeongguk said, bringing his lips back to Taehyung’s, “Maybe we shouldn’t do this here.”

“I guess.” Taehyung said against Jeongguk’s lips. “I don’t want to be arrested for public indecency.”

“Me neither.” Jeongguk separated from Taehyung to look into his eyes. “Wouldn’t be good for either of our images.”

“Good thing we have a hotel room.” Taehyung forced himself up and extended a hand to help Jeongguk up. “Unless you didn’t want to keep on going.”

“I absolutely do.” Jeongguk quickly responded. “Come on, hurry, because I don’t know how long I can keep my hands off of you.”

“So needy. I’m coming, I’m coming.” Taehyung made sure he picked his phone up from where it fell on the ground.

“You will later, that’s for damn sure.” Jeongguk wrapped an arm around Taehyung’s waist when the manager approached him. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Jeongguk!”

…

“Can you get radiation from stage lights? Those mutherfuckers were practically burning my skin with how hot they were.” Yoongi huffed once Aurora gathered together after the show. They had one more show, and that meant they had to ride in the tour bus for a while before they got to a hotel.

“I don’t think so, but I agree that they were way too hot.” Namjoon sighed. “Playing an instrument is enough to work up a sweat and then they shine those lights on us.”

Hoseok purposely bumped into Namjoon. “Cool concept. Instead of complaining, let’s get out of here. This whole building is a disgusting temperature.”

“Alright.” Jeongguk had to get to work. He led the group to the back entrance and waited for everyone to congregate before he opened the door.

Once everyone was together, Jeongguk opened the back door and someone immediately tried to rush him.

“Woah, woah.” Jeongguk held their forearms and furrowed his brow at him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m VIP. I just need to get in.” The person tried to look past Jeongguk, but he stopped them.

Jeongguk shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t think you are.”

“Well, who do you think you are, telling me what to do?” The person aggressively pulled away from Jeongguk to glare at him.

“I’m a bodyguard for one of the talents here.” Jeongguk replied. “And you’re not getting in. I’d like for you to go behind the blockade like the rest of the people patiently waiting.”

“Wow, he’s so hot when he’s all strict and stuff.” Taehyung said while he watched Jeongguk with his arms crossed and a smile playing on his lips.

Seokjin looked over at him and raised a brow. “What?”

“Oh, nothing.” Taehyung said. “Don’t worry about it.”

Seokjin shook his head in confusion and focused back on the altercation at the door.

“Blockade.” Jeongguk said in a demanding tone.

“No.” The person retorted.

“It’s blockade, or you don’t see them at all. Your choice.” Jeongguk gave the ultimatum. “Do you want to be escorted off the premises, or do you want to see the band?”

The person let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, whatever. I’ll go behind the stupid blockade.”

Jeongguk smiled brightly at them. “Thanks!”

Before letting Aurora out, he made sure the person was tucked away and wouldn’t try to pull the same stunt again.

Jeongguk deemed the path to the bus to be clear, so he opened the door completely to let Aurora out. The other bodyguard could deal with the person. Aurora was done.

Thanks to Jeongguk, everyone got on the bus safely. Jimin insisted that Taehyung and Jeongguk ride in the tour bus with them since it was going to be their last show the next day.

“This has been so fun, but tiring. I couldn’t imagine if we danced, too. Doing the same dance practically every day for months? No thank you.” Hoseok sat against the couch with a gaming system in hand.

“No kidding.” Seokjin replied. “And we got muscles over here saving our asses. Did you guys see when a video camera smacked him in the temple? Surprised he didn’t pass out.”

“More surprised that someone brought a video camera, to be honest.” Yoongi said in a nonchalant manner. He was sitting on the couch, while Jimin was leaning on the couch right in front of him.

“Waters.” Jeongguk entered the back of the bus and gave everyone a water. “We’ll get to the hotel in a little over two hours. Want to eat before then, or do you want to wait?”

“Oh!” Jimin spoke up. “Let’s wait and all have dinner together.”

Everyone agreed that it was a good idea. The only issue was choosing where.

Jeongguk sat at a vacant spot on the couch and set two water bottles down on the floor next to him.

Taehyung stood up from where he was leaning against the wall and approached Jeongguk only to sit next to him and kick his legs up on his lap.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got hurt?” Taehyung questioned. “Are you alright? It got you in the temple?” He leaned closer to Jeongguk and moved his hair out of the way.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. I’ve gotten concussions at other jobs and this is an instant replay of what happened before, so this is nothing.” Jeongguk took Taehyung’s hand and squeezed it. “I got you a water. Want it now?”

Taehyung shook his head. “No, I’m good. Because then your hands will be all condensation-y and clammy feeling if you pick it up and I’m looking after myself. I don’t want to hold slightly moist hands. I’m fine with lukewarm water.”

“You sure?” Jeongguk furrowed his brow. “Because I ca-”

Jeongguk stopped speaking when he finally tore his eyes away from Taehyung and saw that the entirety of Aurora was watching them.

“What.” Hoseok questioned.

“Is this like a couple of besties thing, or?” Jimin waved a finger in between Jeongguk and Taehyung.

“Oh, nah.” Taehyung looked quite smug. “We’re dating.”

“Wait, what the fuck. Since when?” Yoongi finally looked up from his phone and Hoseok did the same with his gaming system. “I just thought your flirting was meaningless.”

“Good question.” Jeongguk exchanged a smile with Taehyung. “We realized it yesterday, but I don’t think we can pinpoint a day where we were basically already acting like a couple without dating.”

“Interesting.” Seokjin hummed. “Love that for you.”

“Is there something against co-workers dating?” Jimin asked.

“Jimin,” Yoongi set his phone down and put his hands on Jimin’s shoulders, “We’re literally dating.”

“Besides, they don’t have to tell anyone they don’t want to.” Namjoon added.

“And we’re going to still be professional and all that shit. We ended up having a talk about it after,” Taehyung hesitated, “Never mind. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that you guys don’t have to worry that our performance at our jobs will go down because we’re together.”

“I didn’t think that for even a second. You guys are great at what you do.” Namjoon nodded at them.

“Agreed. But I have a more important question and that is where we’re going to eat. I’m indecisive but I will say no to every suggestion you give me until I feel like you said something good.” Seokjin said.

“You’re just going to complain for fifteen minutes until someone says Italian food and then you’re suddenly in.” Jimin rolled his eyes. “Amateur move.”

“Oh, Italian. I like that. Let’s do that.”

…

The group was seated in a nice and secluded area, so they had some time and privacy to just hang out.

They chatted over a couple of drinks and each other’s company.

“Why does it feel like something really depressing is ending, so we’re all gathering together for one last time?” Jimin said before he made a face of disgust when an alcoholic beverage was slid in front of him by Yoongi.

“Right? Like…literally going to be seeing you guys all of the time as per usual.” Namjoon replied.

Jeongguk chuckled at the group’s remarks, so Taehyung looked in his direction. Jeongguk had a small smile on his face as he watched the interaction. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just cool that I can do this. I’ve never been able to before.” Jeongguk remarked and took the drink Taehyung was holding to try it. “Why is that disgusting?”

Taehyung scoffed. “It’s not bad. You’re just a baby. Pretty sure you’re the youngest one here.”

“Not by much, unless you want to play the whole ‘young guy seduces hot older coworker’. Then, I might be in.” Jeongguk elbowed Taehyung, and the gesture was returned with an arm around his waist.

“Whatever you want.” Taehyung responded. “Are you excited for tomorrow’s concert? Your boyfriend Hyeon is performing.”

Jeongguk lightly hit Taehyung’s thigh. “Stop. Don’t even joke because I’m probably not even going to make eye contact with him.”

“I’m just fucking with you. I’m not concerned.” Taehyung grinned. “So, what are you going to order?”

.

The rest of the night was really fun, everyone had to agree. The best part was that Taehyung and Jeongguk got to end it together.

Honestly, even though Aurora, Taehyung, and Jeongguk knew that there was going to be plenty more concerts, they still felt a bit disappointed in the morning. But everyone made sure to give it their all.

When Aurora practiced, they truly enjoyed themselves. It was nice for Jeongguk to see. He hadn’t known them for too long, but he knew how passionate they were and how much they truly loved what they did.

Plus, Aurora wasn’t the opener at their last show, which was nice. They were one of the main bands to perform, and they deserved the attention.

During the show, Taehyung watched on with a smile on his face. It was so nice to see that they didn’t have to struggle with a new bodyguard, or stress with a shitty micromanaging manager. They simply enjoyed what they did, worry free. Unfortunately, a lot of groups couldn’t do that because they had horrible managers and inept ‘bodyguards’.

Taehyung scanned the blockades and saw Jeongguk.

Jeongguk must have noticed that Taehyung was looking, because he turned his way and brightly smiled at him while he waved.

Taehyung waved back and winked at Jeongguk. It was also a plus to see the bodyguard not get something thrown at his head. It would probably happen again at some point because people are unpredictable.

After the show, Aurora was taken back to the company, where they soon went home. They were all relieved to sleep in their own beds, since all of the exhaustion from the tour was weighing down on them.

“See you guys!” Hoseok twirled his keys around his index finger. A king size Sleep Number mattress on top of a very tasteful bed frame is calling my name. Maybe not the probably disgusting broccoli I accidentally left in my bridge, but I can order while in bed. Hell yeah.”

“We have dramas to catch up on.” Jimin linked arms with Yoongi. “Catch you all later!”

“And I’m going to go pick up my dog from my friend’s house.” Namjoon picked up his keys that he had dropped.

“Me? I’m going to eat my bodyweight in ice cream and dessert.” Seokjin waved. “Bye!”

Once Jeongguk made sure that all of the members of Aurora were gone, he went to take his leave.

“Hey there.” Taehyung eyed Jeongguk as he removed his keys from his pocket. “Do I still have that invite?”

Jeongguk sighed. “Look. I just want to go home and be on my own. Thanks for wh-” He caved when he saw Taehyung’s expression falter. “I’m kidding! I’d love for you to come.”

“You’re an ass.” Taehyung shoved Jeongguk. “You’re lucky I like you.”

“You’re alright, too.” Jeongguk smirked at Taehyung. “Come on, let me give you the grand tour of my apartment.”

“I think I’m going to be far more focused on seeing your bedroom, but I’m down to entertain you until we get there. You can show me your video collection, or whatever cute shit you like to do that makes you happy.” Taehyung smiled. “Ready?”

“Yep, you have everything?” Jeongguk wanted to double check. He almost forgot his wallet.

“Mhm.” Taehyung hummed. “All ready.”

“Cool. Let’s go.” Jeongguk made his way over to the entrance of the building.

“…You’re still making dinner for me, right?” Taehyung opened the door when they made his way over.

“Tomorrow. Let’s order in tonight.” Jeongguk led Taehyung to his car.

“I like how you’re already planning for tomorrow. Maybe we can go to my place tomorrow, then? Cook together?” Taehyung walked alongside Jeongguk to the parking garage that was barren of illumination.

“It’s a date then. I’m looking forward to it.” Jeongguk draped an arm around Taehyung’s shoulders.

“Me too. I’m excited for whatever is coming.” Taehyung responded, happy to be in Jeongguk’s company.

“Well,” Taehyung totally set Jeongguk up with that comment and Jeongguk wasn’t going to let the opportunity to make another suggestive remark slide. Not with how much he loved Taehyung’s reaction last time, “ I do know something or someone else that is going to be comin-”

“Jeongguk!”