Archive of Our Own

Step one: Acquire Target

"I think I'm in love," Taehyung shares, plopping down on the couch next to Jungkook, who doesn't even look away from the TV as he nods distractedly. Rude. This is a very serious matter to discuss.

Taehyung takes a deep breath before trying again, "I said, I think I'm in love," he repeats, earning himself nothing but a shush from the other boy as he continues to ignore Taehyung's most recent development. 

It's actually incredibly unfair for Jungkook to react like this because he likes to pretend that Taehyung falls in love with a new boy or girl every other week. It's absolutely ridiculous. Did Taehyung win 'Biggest Hopeless Romantic' as his high school superlative? Yes, yes, he did, but that doesn't mean that he's some easy serial dater. The nerve of Jungkook to call himself Taehyung's best friend when he can't stop stuffing his face with banana chips for three seconds and express some form of-

"That's nice, Tae," Jungkook mumbles as his fingers jam into the buttons of his controller. Taehyung's reached the point where Jungkook's limited attention span is no longer something he can accept as being part of his character, so he decides to take the necessary actions. 

He takes a deep breath, "Jungkookie, my sweet, emo, emotionally-constipated best friend, if you don't put that damn controller down and respond appropriately, then I am going to use every drop of hot water in this damn apartment for the next year. And not just that, I'm going to use your bath bombs, too," he threatens with a sweet smile, making sure to match his tone. 

Jungkook turns to look at him slowly, still not putting his controller down, "You wouldn't," he says, narrowing his eyes as he turns back to the screen. 

Taehyung genuinely laughs at that because, "Jungkookie, sweets, I think you've known me long enough to know that I most certainly would, so put your damn game on pause and listen to your best friend," he instructs in the same pleasant tone. 

"That's so low, Tae," Jungkook complains, but he finally has attention on Taehyung, so he's satisfied. 

He smiles, "Great. Now get this: I'm walking into the office. Normal day, right?" he starts, and his bestie for the restie is obviously more present in the conversation, but his enthusiasm could definitely use some work. 

Jungkook takes a deep breath, "Yeah, okay, and then what?" he questions robotically, taking off his glasses to clean them. 

"Then, I'm in the elevator, and Jungkook, I swear, cupid himself must have crafted this situation because the most beautiful man in the world comes racing just as the door closes, and I was able to stop it for him," Taehyung declares, feeling his smile go dopey as he remembers the adorable man with the plumpest lips he's ever seen catching his breath with red cheeks. 

Jungkook nods slowly, "Okay, what's so special about that situation? I held the elevator open for Mrs. Jung last week, and that definitely wasn't romantic," he counters for the sole reason that he's a terrible, terrible pessimist. 

"How dare you, Kookie. Do not compare your encounter with that wretch with the encounter I had with my Seojoon. The nerve," he reprimands, rolling his eyes at that asshole's typical behavior. 

"My bad," Jungkook apologizes in a tone that relays he clearly isn't, "So, is this guy just attractive, or... what? I mean, what makes you so sure that you like him?" he asks, but truthfully, Jungkook isn't an asshole, so his tone is entirely non-judgemental.

That's one thing Taehyung has always liked about him: he's unbothered. Prior to meeting Jungkook in the younger boy's first year of middle school, Taehyung had heard about a million times that he was "too much." Usually, he'd just brush it off, but that type of stuff sticks. It's hurtful. It's also the exact type of thing that Jungkook helped him realize was a good thing. The other boy is so calm and passive, very shy, but he tells Taehyung that he likes being around him because he makes Jungkook's life interesting. 

"Well, it's not that I really know that much about him, but his politeness, his friendliness, his demeanor... it was all very interesting. There's also the fact that he's hot as fuck, but that seems like a sort of vain reason to go after someone," he tacks on, making Jungkook shake his head while laughing. 

"Eh, at least you're honest," Jungkook rebuts, rubbing his eyes in pure exhaustion. "Are you gonna ask him on a date?" he yawns, his eyes closing for a second before he remembers he's in the middle of a conversation. 

Taehyung thinks about it for a second, "Should I? Don't you think it's a little soon? Should I try and woo him first?" he asks, biting the nail of his thumb. 

He honestly misses the days when he wasn't so scared of being rejected or coming across as too eager, but after a string of partners in college that broke up with him because it was getting 'too serious,' he's pretty disillusioned about the potential of dating in the modern world. He doesn't really like hookups; feels like he's outgrown them, but it seems like everyone and their mother is interested in his dick when he has a perfectly good heart to offer. 

"That's so stupid," Jungkook groans, lightly delivering a kick to Taehyung's thigh, "The point of a date is to see if you click. I don't know why people make it out to be like this big deal," he complains, scowling when Taehyung grabs his socked foot and stops it from continuing its assault on his leg. 

"You're so violent, Jungkookie," he scolds, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

Jungkook rips his foot away and stares at Taehyung with an unamused face, "I'm a boxer. It'd be kind of strange if I were a pacifist," he responds in a dry tone, picking up his controller again. Rude. This conversation is not over.

"What do you think you're doing?" Taehyung asks him, sharpening his eyes to let Jungkook know that his actions did not go unobserved. 

Jungkook's hand freezes from where it is on its way to click a button and turns to him with wide eyes, "I thought that was the end of your story. Are we not finished?" he asks, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he drops the controller once more.

"We most certainly are not! You're going to help me figure out a way to woo him," he demands, walking into the kitchen to get them some drinks (beer for Jungkook and strawberry soju for him), "You should know all about playing hard to get," he laughs, handing Jungkook his beverage.

Jungkook accepts the beer with a slight smile, "How the hell would I know about any of that bullshit? I haven't dated since college," he counters as if he's not proving Taehyung's point. 

"Exactly, Kookie. You don't date, so tell me, what would it take for you to change your mind? What differentiates another rejection from an answer in the affirmative?" he asks, making use of his law degree.

His best friend rolls his eyes, "Taehyung, I don't know how many times I'm going to have to explain this, but I'm just not interested in another relationship. The only thing that would make me say yes is if I suddenly wake up and feel the need to date again," he replies in a slightly annoyed tone. 

Shit. College has always been a bit of a grey area for their friendship. They went to middle school and high school together, but then Taehyung went to Yonsei, and Jungkook went to Busan University because he missed his parents. Something... something bad happened to Jungkook while he was there. Taehyung doesn't know what, and he doesn't know when, but he does know that when he went home for a break in Jungkook's sophomore year—Taehyung's senior year—the other boy was a fucking shell.

He's better now; definitely a little more jaded... a little more withdrawn, but he's better. So much better, in fact, that Taehyung tends to forget that the very reason Jungkook is so against branching out stems from whatever happened to him. 

"Okay, okay, I'll drop it," Taehyung soothes, trying to make the slight frown that had made its way onto Jungkook's face disappear.

 They sit in awkward silence for a couple of seconds, and Taehyung nearly considers calling it a night because Jungkook isn't the most social when he's forced to confront that he's not really as recovered as he likes to pretend he is. It's infuriating because sometime during their college years, Jungkook built this wall, and to this day, Taehyung hasn't found a way to break-

"Kindness."

Taehyung's head whips toward Jungkook when he utters the word, "What's that?" he asks, trying to confirm whether or not Jungkook is actually having a conversation about emotions. It's rare. 

Jungkook looks down at his hands, "I just like it when people are nice. I'm not that picky. I just don't get asked out by nice people," he explains choppily, eyes darting all around the room. 

"What do you mean you don't get asked out by nice people?" he asks in a way that makes him wish he had processed a little before speaking. He sounded too harsh. Too judgmental.

Jungkook shakes his head, "Let's not talk about this. It doesn't matter," he deflects, but there's a level of frustration to his words.

"Whatever, man," Taehyung sighs, returning the annoyance right back. It goes the same way every time. Jungkook opens up for a maximum of three seconds, and then he shuts down. 

It's predictable, just like the way Jungkook is about to further deflect by saying-

"It's late. I'm gonna go to bed, Taehyung. Good luck with your new boyfriend or whatever."

Like clockwork, "Alright, I've got to go into the office early tomorrow, but if you get a break from training, pop in for lunch," he replies, sending a lazy wave over his shoulder as Jungkook gets up to retreat to his room until he figures out a way to ignore his problems again. 

Typical. 

Also typical is the way Jungkook shows up to his work the next day, pretending like the tense moment never even happened, "I brought japchae," he announces when he enters Taehyung's office. 

"Did you see him?" Taehyung questions excitedly, grabbing the takeout from Jungkook's hands. 

Jungkook makes a pensive face before nodding, "I think. He's the guy with the idol face and the blonde hair, right?" he asks, smiling in satisfaction when Taehyung nods, "Knew it. He's definitely your type."

Taehyung's eyebrows furrow at that, "What?! I don't have a type! I've dated all types of people. Look at Hyunsoo and Yoongi; they're totally different," he protests because if Taehyung is one thing, it's a guy with pretty low standards.

His friend just rolls his eyes, "They were hardasses with pretty faces. You're predictable, Taehyung," he states, which is rich because if anyone is predictable, it's Jungkook. That boy's type is simply nobody because he hasn't dated in three years. 

"That's not a type! If that were a type, then I'd have dated you by now!" he laughs, stopping immediately when he sees Jungkook's disgusted face. "What the fuck was that face?" he questions, pausing in his bite.

Jungkook sends him a knowing smile, "Come on, Tae. I know way too much about you for you to ever be someone that I could date," he argues, shaking his head in bemusement. 

"Like what?! What do you know about me that is such a deterrent from ever wanting to date me?" Taehyung interrogates, quirking an eyebrow. 

Jungkook shakes his head in protest, "It's not you, Tae. Like it's not your personality. It's just... dude, you made me speak with your professor on the phone about a medical emergency because you had to shit, and he wouldn't let you leave," he says, telling the same damn story that he's never let Taehyung live down. 

"Okay, well, that should have just proved my perseverance to you. And you pissed yourself in sixth grade and cried about it for forty minutes before you let me help you!" Taehyung points out because Jungkook isn't so innocent when it comes to stories like that. 

When the other boy's entire face turns red, and he looks down at his food, Taehyung feels a little bad, "You didn't have to bring that up, Tae," Jungkook scolds in a soft voice, effectively making Taehyung feel like shit. 

Yeah, he probably shouldn't have mentioned that. The situation was actually pretty... bad. Jungkook used to be small when they were younger. He also had a really strong Busan accent, so when he joined Taehyung's middle school, he was an easy target. Kids in his class used to lock him out of the bathroom until he'd speak properly, and one day, they went way too far. Taehyung found Jungkook crying in piss-soaked pants, and it took him forty minutes to calm him down from a panic attack.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Taehyung apologizes in a soft voice, balking when Jungkook looks up from his food and starts laughing. 

"You're such a softie, Tae. That was over a decade ago. I really don't care anymore," he waves off, going back to eating his food before looking at Taehyung with sharp eyes, "But if you ever bring that up, I'm never doing your laundry again."

Taehyung holds up his hands in defense, "No need to get serious, Kookie," he teases with a fake-scared face, "You're sort of evil, you know that?"

Jungkook just shrugs, "Deal with it," he responds, giving Taehyung a curious look when they hear a loud knock at the door. 

"Mr. Kim," his Seojoon says in his bell-like voice, looking a little embarrassed when he notices Jungkook's presence. "Sorry, I didn't know you had... company."

Taehyung waves him off with a smile, "You're fine, Seojoon. Did you need something?" he asks in a tone he makes sure is pleasant. 

Seojoon, still looking at Jungkook, smiles awkwardly, "Um... I was going to invite you to come have lunch with me and the rest of the team, but I see you've already had something to eat," he reveals, and Taehyung has half a mind to chuck his Japchae out the window. 

"I can still go!" he protests, dialing back his enthusiasm, "I mean, I'm always hungry; just ask Jungkook," he urges, wanting to slap himself when he realizes he didn't even introduce his friend. 

Jungkook nods, "Yep, Tae could definitely go for some more food," he backs up because he's genuinely the greatest best friend on the entire planet.

"No, that's okay. We can just go another time. I don't want to steal you from your lunch date," he says with a tight smile, turning to leave. 

Taehyung watches him exit before turning to Jungkook. "What the hell was that?!" he exclaims, trying to figure out why the hell he just got his lunch invitation revoked.

Jungkook looks up at the ceiling with a sigh, "He's jealous," he states, flooding Taehyung's entire body with confusion. 

"Why the hell would he be jealous?!" he questions, replaying the conversation in his head. Nope. Nothing. Who the hell does Seojoon have to be jealous of?

His best friend just lets out a huff of laughter, "He thinks we're on a date," he explains, his small laugh turning into a full-fledged cackle. 

"Why on earth would he think that? Two friends can't have lunch anymore?" he asks before realizing their position. Oh. 

He and Jungkook are seated on Taehyung's work settee and Jungkook's got his legs in Taehyung's lap. Hmmm... they do look a little gay, but there's obviously a logical explanation for all of that. Jungkook just got done with leg day, so Taehyung, because he's the best friend on the planet, is massaging his shins like he always does. Nothing romantic about it. 

Jungkook must notice the position they are in at the same time because he removes his legs from Taehyung's lap, "He just doesn't understand a modern bromance, I guess," he shrugs before his eyes widen in excitement. 

"What?" Taehyung asks, returning the excitement, "You're scheming. What's that look?"

"He got jealous, Tae! That means he must like you, too," Jungkook concludes proudly.

Taehyung bolts up from the couch, "You're right! Holy shit, you little genius! He does like me!" he agrees excitedly before deflating, "But he thinks we're dating."

"That's honestly probably a pull point for him," Jungkook responds with a slight laugh. "I mean, think about it: people love a challenge, and what's more challenging than taking a man who's already got a partner?"

"Jungkookie, that's an incredibly fucked up thing to say," Taehyung admonishes in a serious tone, "Do you think I should play into it?"

Jungkook takes a sip of his drink with a pensive face, "How the hell would you do that? And why even bother? You could probably explain to him that we're not dating, and boom, you're a couple," he counters, laughing like it's that easy, but it's not. 

"But what if he only likes me because I have a boyfriend?" Taehyung asks, pacing as the pieces start to come together. 

"You don't have a boyfriend," Jungkook reminds him because he's an evil demon, "And why the hell would you assume that's the only reason he's interested?"

He raises a good point, but Taehyung's already got his evidence, "My phone buzzed when he walked in, you know?" he shares, waiting for Jungkook to follow his line of thought. 

"Okay..." Jungkook stretches out. "You're the senior attorney at this law firm; your phone's basically a built-in vibrator." Idiot. He never puts it together before Taehyung has to explain everything. 

Taehyung shakes his head, "Yeah, it is, but the email I was sent was about a meeting shortly after lunch. You wanna guess who sent it?" he asks, smiling when Jungkook's mouth opens in an 'oh' shape. 

"Seojoon," he answers, eyebrows furrowing once more, "But what does that have to do with anything?" he asks, and Taehyung honestly wouldn't even have to prep his best friend for a direct examination.

"Good question," Taehyung praises, patting Jungkook's head, "What's my one flaw?" he asks, regretting it immediately when Jungkook's face lights up. Taehyung braces himself for the sassy-

"I don't know, Tae. There are too many to name. There's the-" Jungkook starts his list, but Taehyung's trying to prove something, so he cuts him off. 

"Okay, I get it. I get it. What's my fatal flaw?" he rephrases, yanking on Jungkook's short hair in punishment. Asshole. 

Jungkook thinks about it for a second before a look of recognition passes over his face, "Late. You're late all the time," he answers, eyes closing when Taehyung starts brushing through his hair again. 

"Mhmm. And what do I have the secretaries on this floor do to help rectify that issue?" he asks because there's no way Jungkook doesn't know this one. 

His point is proven when his friend's eyes shoot open, "Email and reminder. No shit! He didn't come in here about lunch?" he asks, reaching the same conclusion as Taehyung. 

"Nope," Taehyung answers with a bemused smile, "I know about all of our lunches, which, by the way, are few and far between because half this floor is workaholics," he informs proudly. 

Jungkook shakes his head in disbelief, "So, he really only asked you because it looked like you had a boyfriend... huh, that kind of makes him a dick, Taehyung," he points out in a lazy tone. 

"It does not!" Taehyung argues, noogying Jungkook in response, "It just makes him a little bit jealous, but I can take advantage of that to score my date." 

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Jungkook asks, standing up and cracking his back. 

Taehyung smiles, "We're going to date," he declares proudly, grabbing Jungkook's shoulders in excitement at his own genius. 

Jungkook stares at him blankly, "We're going to what?" he asks in a bland tone, walking away to grab the takeout trash. 

"Well, fake-date. I figure that if I prove that I can be a loving boyfriend to you, all while making Seojoon jealous, then when I announce we've 'broken up,' he'll basically be obsessed by then," he lays out his plan, smiling in satisfaction.

"That's absolutely insane. Are you sure we didn't just jump to conclusions? Maybe your floor did agree to lunch as an orientation for Seojoon or something," he suggests, leaning on Taehyung's desk. 

Taehyung rolls his eyes, "Always such a pessimist, Kook. But I'll make you a bet," he offers with a sharp smile because if Taehyung's flaw is his lack of punctuality, Jungkook's is his inability to say no to a challenge. Granted, Jungkook wins almost everything he tries, but it's the principle. 

"What's that?" Jungkook asks, feigning disinterest, but Taehyung catches the mischievous look in his eyes. Checkmate. 

"If I can prove to you that there's no lunch, then you have to go along with this dating thing and do what I say during the whole operation," he tells him, allowing Jungkook to set his own terms. 

Jungkook thinks it over for a second before nodding, "Alright, but if I win, then I get the bachelor pad after you finally settle down," he says, driving a really fucking hard bargain. 

The bachelor pad. The apartment that Taehyung and Jungkook decided to rent when Jungkook moved to Seoul. To be fair, Jungkook was the one who decorated it, picked it out, read through the entirety of the lease, and threw the welcoming party, so it's only fair. But... Taehyung really loves that damn apartment, so this is a hard bargain indeed. 

Bachelor pad. Date with Seojoon. Bachelor pad. Date with Seojoon. Bachelor pad... screw it. 

"Fine, you have yourself a deal, Kook... but I think you know your payout is a little better than mine, so I get to dress you up and style you when we do things in front of Seojoon," he tacks on because Jungkook is obviously a very attractive human being, but he doesn't really try. 

Seojoon is one of the most gorgeous beings on the planet, so Taehyung will have to present him with someone who actually poses a threat. Jungook, who wears sweatpants and Birkenstocks nearly everywhere, isn't really going to cut it. They're different types of attractive, but Seojoon is probably more aware of that fact than Jungkook, so a makeover is definitely going to be in the works. 

Jungkook scoffs, "You want me to be your damn doll?" he questions dryly, crossing his arms.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Taehyung questions, evading Jungkook's inquiry for his own safety. Jungkookie doesn't really take criticism that well. 

Jungkook's eyes narrow, "Yeah, I guess you can play dress up on the off-chance that your delusions prove to be true," he concedes with a sigh. Normally, Taehyung would have a rebuttal, but he needs to set his plan in motion, so he just grabs Jungkook's wrist to prove his plan.

He drags him through the office, stopping at a random junior attorney's desk, "Did we have a team lunch today? Some type of orientation?" he asks, bracing himself for any form of affirmation. 

"No, most of us had a working lunch," The junior responds, not looking up from where he's typing at a rapid pace. 

Taehyung turns to Jungkook with a smile as the other boy stares at the other attorney in disdain, leaning over his cubical and staring until he looks up, "I hate you," Jungkook states with zero emotion.

"He's just emotional," Taehyung steps in, trying to de-escalate the situation, "I think it's menopause. His mid-twenties are hitting him hard," he whispers before grabbing Jungkook's wrist to lead him to the elevator. 

They're in there for about 0.2 seconds before Taehyung's ego takes control, "Victory!" he booms, pumping his fist as Jungkook stares at him apathetically. 

"I really have to do this?" he asks with big eyes, and he must be desperate because he even brings out that infamous pout that used to get them out of trouble every time. 

Taehyung rolls his eyes, "Put that lip away, baby. Me and you are going steady whether you like it or not," he declares, grabbing Jungkook's hand when the elevator dings. Huh... it's a lot softer than he expected. 

"That sounds horrible out of context," Jungkook replies as Taehyung drags him out of the building. 

Thinking back on his words, they did sound sort of... aggressive, "Whatever, that's your problem now, boyfriend," he teases with a smile, patting Jungkook's cheek as they approach his car. 

"I guess it is," Jungkook sighs, which... ouch. It's just a couple of fake dates. It's not like they're fucking raw in Taehyung's office. 

"Hey, it won't be anything bad, I promise," he says seriously, opening Jungkook's car door, "After your match tonight, we'll plan things out. Nothing you won't be uncomfortable with, okay?" he reassures. 

Jungkook nods, starting up his car, "Okay, I gotta get back to the gym, or my coach is gonna tear me a new one," he agrees with a lopsided smile, shutting his door before driving off. 

"Bye, boyfriend," Taehyung says to himself, laughing a little bit as something bubbles up in his chest. 

Step 2: Planning and Prep

Taehyung's got one very drunk Jungkook on his hands. He always drinks after his fights, not much, usually a beer or two, but tonight, he won big time, so he had about four times that. It's usually not a super big deal because a drunk Jungkook is just a sleepy Jungkook, so it's not like Taehyung is sticking his neck out. Usually. Tonight, Jungkook has chosen to be a hyper little shit with extroverted ambitions. 

He's in the middle of retelling the story of his fight to the bartender for the eighth time tonight, "-And I went whoosh, you know? And he thought he got me, but he didn't," Jungkook slurs, chin resting on his hand as the bartender looks at Taehyung with help-me eyes. 

"Kookie, sweets, can you please work with me," Taehyung begs because this is the fourth time they've missed their Uber because Jungkook wants to stay and have fun with Taehyungie. He's so lucky he's got those big eyes; otherwise, Taehyung would have hauled his twenty-five-year-old ass out of the bar an hour ago. 

Jungkook's eyes go big as he turns to look at Taehyung, "Tae! Hi," he exclaims in an airy tone, body swaying dangerously off the stool. 

"Hi, Jungkookie," Taehyung greets for the nth time that night, "Can you do something for me, please?" he asks in a slow voice, wrapping his arms around Jungkook's waist to steady him. 

Jungkook turns his head to try and make eye contact with Taehyung, who is resting his head on Jungkook's shoulder, "Mmmmm... No!" he replies, breaking out into giggles as he denies Taehyung his wish. 

Okay, time to take extreme action, "Jeon Jungkook," Taehyung says in a low voice in the man's ear, "We're going home, okay? No more of this," he scolds in a stern voice, tensing as he waits for Jungkook's reaction. 

"Fine," Jungkook huffs after a couple of seconds of squirming, "Bye, bartender!" he exclaims, stumbling as Taehyung tries to lead him out.

Predictably, Jungkook falls asleep on the way back to their house, and Taehyung is nearly decked in the fucking face when he tries to wake him up, "Jungkook," Taehyung hisses out, "Wake up, we have to go," he tells him because the driver is giving them an irritated look. 

"Hmmm," Jungkook hums, bleary eyes opening. "Oh, sorry," he apologizes, thankfully less wasted than he was at the bar. 

Taehyung takes a deep breath, "Don't worry about it," he waves off, tipping the Uber driver an obscene number before walking around to open Jungkook's door. 

When they get into the apartment, Jungkook makes a beeline toward his room, most likely to shower, and Taehyung starts on his list. Hopefully, Jungkook sobers up enough to have this conversation when he gets out. 

He's about halfway through his list when a voice interrupts his thoughts, "What're you makin'?" Jungkook asks, placing his head in Taehyung's lap and handing him a towel. He's so damn lazy sometimes; he didn't even dry his hair or put on a shirt. The immodesty would make a virgin blush. 

"A list. I'll read you what I got, and you tell me what you think," Taehyung instructs, ruffling the towel through Jungkook's hair. 

Jungkook nods his head from under the towel, "Okay, I can say no, right?" he asks in a clear voice. 

"Yeah, if you don't feel comfortable with anything, then just let me know," Taehyung confirms, clearing his voice to read the list, "Number one, you'll go to four scheduled lunch dates with my team as my date."

"That's fine," Jungkook says, sitting up on the couch to put on a shirt and facing Taehyung, "I don't really know anyone on your team, so you're going to have to give me a crash course," he warns with a sheepish look. 

Taehyung quirks an eyebrow, "Why is it necessary that you know about them?" he questions, not quite seeing why that's something that would need to be done. 

"You know," Jungkook starts, hands motioning as if Taehyung only speaks sign language, "Ugh! Couples talk about work, man. They like know each other's work friends and stuff," he explains. 

"Very eloquent, Kook. I'm happy to see that those public speech classes in college paid off," he says sarcastically, "But I see your point. I'll give you a study guide or something," he concedes, internally groaning at the extra work. 

Jungkook's eyebrows furrow. "Just tell me about them, dude. I'll remember what you say," he argues, looking at Taehyung like he's a maniac. Either way, his words are actually pretty sweet. He always listens when Taehyung talks. 

"Alright, fine. My team is five people. It's me, Namjoon, Jin, Jimin, Hoseok, and Seojoon because he's my personal secretary and paralegal," he explains, giving him the bare bones of his team.

Jungkook smiles, mouthing the names to himself, "Okay, just tell me what they're like and tell them about me. Seojoon should think there's some type of familiarity between your friends and your partner," he instructs. Jungkook is weirdly conniving. It's a good thing he chose to be a boxer and not a lawyer. 

"Okay, establish a familiarity," Taehyung speaks out loud as he writes it down on his legal pad, "Number two: we need to be touchy," he says, grimacing when he hears it in real-time. 

Jungkook returns the grimace, "How touchy?" he questions, making a face like he just tasted something sour. Rude.

"We need to fuck nastily on the restaurant table. Lube and kimchi should be flying everywhere," he says in a serious tone, trying not to laugh at the horrified look on Jungkook's face.

Jungkook takes a couple more seconds to realize he's joking before his face breaks out in a bunny smile. "I agree. We have to switch positions at least four times, but starting in missionary is a must," he returns in a serious tone, before breaking out in cackles. 

Taehyung joins him, shaking his head in amusement, "You're so vile, dude," he says through residual chuckles, "But I was just joking. We only need to do simple things. Holding hands, cheek kisses, hugging, etcetera."

"That's so vanilla. We need to leave an impression," Jungkook declares, that competitive streak making itself known again. 

"Are you just using this as an excuse to make out with me?" Taehyung asks, laughing when Jungkook sneers in response. 

"As if, but as long as we're on the subject, we probably need to kiss at least once. Just a peck, though," he says, ears turning a little red. Huh. That's weird. 

Taehyung can't help but agree, "Fine," he says, looking up at the ceiling as he voices his next thought, "Should we... practice? You know, so it doesn't seem unnatural," he suggests, tensing when Jungkook doesn't answer for a couple of seconds. 

Jungkook swallows, his throat bobbing, "Yeah, okay. Should we do it... now?" he asks hesitantly, not making eye contact with Taehyung. 

"I guess... I guess there's no time better than the present," Taehyung declares in a false show of confidence, "But let's not talk about this again," he tacks on, scooting closer to Jungkook. 

"Yeah, it's just practice," Jungkook confirms, moving forward so his knees touch Taehyung's.

They stare at each other for a couple of seconds, neither of them making a move, and Jungkook begins to laugh a little, "This is ridiculous. It's just kissing. What are you, ten?" he teases, rolling his eyes with an amused smile. 

Oh, so he's assigning all the blame to Taehyung. That's simply not going to fly. "Oh, so I'm the one blushing like a virgin—Hey!" Taehyung shoots back, breaking out into laughter when Jungkook tackles him and attempts to initiate some form of play fighting. 

"Take that back! I'm not a virgin!" Jungkook exclaims, straddling Taehyung, who is looking up at him. 

Taehyung stares up at him, watching him come down from his laughing. 

"What?" Jungkook asks, smile fading a little as he looks down at Taehyung. 

He doesn't know why, but he can't bring himself to open his mouth and answer, so he sits up, situating Jungkook in his lap. Taehyung looks at his best friend for a second before grabbing him by the neck and crushing their lips together. Jungkook lets out a gasp of shock, and Taehyung smiles against his mouth as he teases Jungkook's open mouth with a little tongue. It's slow. Like every first kiss, they're trying to feel each other out at first, but then Jungkook brings Taehyung's other hand down to his back, and it gets a little more heated. 

Jungkook slips his hands in Taehyung's hair, and Taehyung somehow forgets that this is his best friend that he's kissing because he pushes Jungkook closer and takes advantage of his surprise by slipping his tongue in his mouth. It's when he bites Jungkook's lip and the other boy lets out a sound that's way too close to a moan that Taehyung realizes this is his fucking best friend that he's kissing. 

He leans back, pulling Jungkook away from him by the back of his shirt and trying not to think about the fact that there's a string of saliva connecting his lips with someone whom he helped change out of piss-soaked pants at age fourteen. 

Not to mention, Jungkook looks like he just got wrecked because his short hair is sticking out in all different directions, and his lips are all glossy and swollen, "Um... that was nice," Jungkook says, clearing his throat awkwardly as he dismounts from Taehyung's lap.

"Yeah, I think... I think we've got kissing covered," Taehyung says, making intense eye contact with his notebook as he pretends to smooth out the wrinkles in his t-shirt.

Jungkook nods, "Mhmm," he hums, head bobbing awkwardly.

Taehyung sits in what is probably the most uncomfortable silence ever recorded in human history for three seconds before deciding to break the silence.

"So next, I think we should-"

"Are there any more steps?" 

He and Jungkook say simultaneously, staring at each other before bursting out in laughter for genuinely no reason at all. Or maybe it's because this entire situation is ridiculous. Who cares if Taehyung and Jungkook made out for a minute? It doesn't change anything. They'll always just be friends. 

"You go," Jungkook says, cleaning his fogged-up glasses on his shirt and wiping away any evidence of what just took place. 

Taehyung nods, "Okay, the last thing I need you to do is go to the office party that I'm hosting at the end of the month. By then, Seojoon should like me enough for an immediate yes, so we need to act really tense, and the next time I see Seojoon, I'll lament to him about how we broke up," he explains, worry flooding him when he sees Jungkook looking at him like he's a damn idiot. 

"Tae, that's not going to pan out well," Jungkook says softly, "If you and Seojoon start dating, then what are you going to tell him when he notices that you're still living with your 'ex'?" he questions, quirking an eyebrow. 

Shit. He never really thought about that, "Well, fuck. What do you suggest that we do?" he asks because he doesn't know what angle to approach this from anymore. 

"We could start acting more like friends," Jungkook suggests in an unsure voice, "Like maybe you can tell him that we figured out we'd be better as friends," he clarifies, and Taehyung thinks it over for a second. 

He nods, "Yeah, yeah, that could work. We just need to make sure that it seems amicable and that we're not super touchy when Seojoon comes around," he agrees, writing down his thoughts. 

"Taehyung?" Jungkook calls out, and he responds with a hum to let him know he's listening, "What if Seojoon doesn't believe you? Would you move out?" he asks, and when Taehyung looks up, Jungkook is gnawing at his lip like he hasn't been fed in a year. 

Ugh. Leave it to Jungkook to overthink. "Jungkook, don't worry about it. I mean, how believable would we have to be for him actually to worry?" he says, but Jungkook's still gnawing away, so he's obviously not placated. 

"But what if we are? What if we are believable? Then what?" Jungkook questions, working himself up for no reason. 

Taehyung groans, "Will you stop being such a worry wart? You don't want to date me, and I can't even imagine dating you, you know? It'd be a mess," he laughs, quickly stopping when he sees the hurt look on Jungkook's face.

His best friend looks away from him, nodding his head, "Well, that's nice to hear," he says sarcastically, but there's an undertone of genuine upset in his voice.

"Come on, Jungkook. You know I didn't mean it like that," He tries to argue, but Jungkook is already standing up and shaking his head. 

"No, yeah, it's fine. I get it, dude. You've made your point crystal clear," he mutters, grabbing the towel next to Taehyung's head, "I'm gonna go to bed. We can talk more tomorrow," he says, and he's gone before Taehyung can fix anything. 

He's left with just his thoughts. Why does Jungkook even care if Taehyung would date him? Did he go too far? Was he too harsh? Is Jungkook actually tired, or is he angry? 

Taehyung gets his answer the next morning when Jungkook wakes him up with coffee and some breakfast, "Tell me about your work friends," he demands, sitting next to Taehyung on the bed. 

God, Jungkook's mood swings give him damn whiplash, "Um... well, he works in civil law, so that means he deals with-"

"No. Tell me about his personality. What does he like? What does he do on the weekends? What's something he's known for in the office?" Jungkook corrects, stealing Taehyung's chopsticks to take a bite of his food. 

"Oh. Well, he likes plants. Has a tone in his office. On the weekends, I'm pretty sure he lectures at Yonsei sometimes and goes on bike rides. And his funniest work story," Taehyung starts before laughing when he remembers. 

"What?" Jungkook encourages, a smile on his face as he waits for Taehyung to stop laughing. 

When Taehyung gets his bearings, he continues, "Well, one time when the elevator was out of order, he rolled down the stairs and ripped his pants," Taehyung tells Jungkook, breaking out into laughter when he remembers the wide-eyed look Namjoon gave him when he realized his pants were ripped. 

Jungkook starts laughing with him, "Okay, so he's a civil lawyer, he's clumsy, and he likes plants. Got it," Jungkook lists off, shaking his head in amusement when he notices Taehyung is still laughing, "Calm down, you goob!" 

"Okay, okay, I'm trying," Taehyung says, wiping the tears from his eyes, "Alright, sorry, who's next?" he questions, testing Jungkook's memory of his friends' names. 

"Um... Jin?" he questions, smiling when Taehyung rewards him with a bit of food. 

He needs to start taking advantage of Jungkook's love of all things edible. "Good. Jin is... he's a character. He works in corporate law because he has a lot of higher-up connections from his parents' company, so he comes off a bit posh, but he's really just an idiot who thinks he's funny," Taehyung explains with a fond eye roll. 

"So, do you like him or..." Jungkook trails off, stealing Taehyung's coffee mug. 

"Yes, he's an asshole, but he's sort of like the mentor of the office. He helps keep a lot of our junior attorneys afloat when they first get there," he replies, shaking his head at how fatherly the immature man has become. Right down to the dad jokes. 

Jungkook takes it all in, "Okay, is there anything else that sticks out?" he asks, yawning as he rests his head on Taehyung's shoulder. 

Taehyung thinks before it hits him, "He loves pink. Wears pink suits all the time. He's also a little vain, so complimenting him will get you far," he advises, wrapping his arm around Jungkook's shoulder when he shivers. The idiot is always cold and never seems to remember that Taehyung keeps his room on the cooler side. 

"Alright, who's next?" he asks, sighing in contentedness when Taehyung takes his hands in his own and starts rubbing them to warm them up. 

"Jimin," Taehyung answers, shaking his head in fondness at his work best friend, "He's really funny, you'll like him. All you really need to know is that he likes taking care of people, so don't be an asshole if he asks about your health or whatever," he warns, remembering the time he snapped at Jimin and his friend didn't talk to him for a whole month. 

Jungkook nods, "I won't be rude, Taehyung. I promise," he says as he takes his head off Taehyung's shoulder to look at him with earnest eyes. 

Oh god, not this again. Jungkook's always worried that he comes off as aloof or that he's going to embarrass Taehyung, and it stems from literally nothing. Jungkook is quite clearly shy. That's the only impression anyone has ever gotten from him. Nobody thinks he's aloof or an asshole or standoffish. The boy blushes when he introduces himself, for Christ's sake. The insecurity is so unfounded. Now, the part about embarrassing Taehyung... that one's got a foundation, but he tries not to think about that. 

"I know you won't. I was just saying," he soothes, squeezing Jungkook's shoulders. 

Jungkook nods, letting his head rest on Taehyung again, "What about um... Hoseoon?" he asks in a hopeful voice, frowning when Taehyung shakes his head. 

"Close. Hoseok," he corrects, feeding Jungkook a bit of their food. 

Jungkook nods, "Hoseok. Hoseok," he chants to himself, trying to commit it to memory, "Okay, tell me about him," he requests.

"Alright, well, Hoseok is pretty simple, too. He worked for the prosecution for a while, but when he started dating Yoongi, he became a private investigator for our firm," he explains, laughing at Jungkook's shocked face.

"Hoseok is dating your ex? Is Yoongi going to be there?" he rambles, only stopping his stream of questioning when Taehyung gives him another bite. 

"Calm down, man. Yoongi usually doesn't come to lunches, but he'll probably be there at the Christmas party," he replies, wincing when he realizes the problem with that.

Jungkook catches it, "Yeah, that's gonna be a problem, you know. Hoseok is in a relationship, so he'll be able to catch one, and Yoongi dated you, so he'll know what you act like," he points out, face lighting up as he has some sort of realization.

"You have a plan. What're you thinking?" Taehyung asks, removing his arms when Jungkook gets up to pace. That boy is always fucking moving. 

"We should go on a practice date today," he says, grabbing a blanket off Taehyung's bed to wrap around his shoulders, "I'll set up a camera, and we can see if we look like a couple."

Taehyung tries to find a flaw in the plan but comes up with none, "Alright, where do you want to go, sweets?" he asks, getting up to get ready. 

Jungkook follows him into the bathroom, taking a seat on the counter, "Let's go bowling!" he exclaims because he's an egotistical asshole (Taehyung adores him). 

"No. I'm not gonna have my score tripled again. That was humiliating," he replies, taking the hairbrush from Jungkook's hand when it's offered. 

"Fine. We could go to the farms. We haven't gone since we were like sixteen," he suggests, and Taehyung is open to it, but a drive from Seoul to Daegu is about an hour, so it'd definitely be a full-day trip. 

"I don't know, dude," he replies hesitantly, "You know it's a long train ride there, and you have training early on Sunday, so you're gonna be exhausted."

Jungkook frowns for a second before nodding, "Okay, then what do you want to do? I'm open to anything," he says with a tight smile. God, sometimes Jungkook seems to lose any form of fire in him. He turns meek. Taehyung wishes he knew what made him that way. 

"We could go get dinner tonight. We'll do it like a real date, okay? I'll give the full Kim Taehyung experience," he jokes, patting Jungkook's knee in thanks when the other man hands him his cologne. 

Jungkook nods, "Okay, what time and what restaurant?" he asks, pulling his leg up to rest his head on his knee. 

"Probably around 7:00. Something more formal, but not too formal. I haven't figured it out yet," he admits, his eyes bulging when he sees Jungkook's pouty face make an appearance. "What's that look for?!"

Jungkook sighs, looking away like he's the main character, "It's nothing... it's just... You're not being a very good date. Have you really put zero thought into this?" he says in false outrage. Oh my god, this fucking drama queen. 

"Get out, you ass. I need to take a shower. Emotional manipulation makes me feel dirty," he scolds, shaking his head in mock disappointment. 

Jungkook laughs, hopping off the counter, "Alright, I need to run some errands, so I'll be out until later, but you better clean up your act, or we're over," he warns, putting his nose in the air as he stomps out. 

Ah, so he's in a playful mood today. Taehyung should have known when Jungkook was receptive to Taehyung's touches. Most of the time, Jungkook is more of a quiet, distant presence, but every once in a while, it's like he and Taehyung switch personalities, and Jungkook becomes the more rambunctious of the two. It's always fun to see Jungkook with a loose tongue and a relaxed attitude. He used to act like that a lot, but ever since college, he's been a bit more to himself. 

"Okay, text me if you need anything," Taehyung calls out, turning on the shower to give himself time to relax. 

For the rest of the day, Taehyung researches restaurants and reads up on some of his cases. If he's being honest, Seojoon isn't the best paralegal. His notes are a little convoluted, and his research isn't as thorough as Taehyung prefers, but those are all things that can be fixed with a little practice. It's not too irritating...

...Okay, it's a little fucking irritating. Taehyung has seen the victim be addressed by three different initials, and he seriously doesn't understand why Seojoon couldn't just take the time to type it out. It takes half a second more, and it would have saved Taehyung a good forty-five minutes. It's okay, though. Everyone makes mistakes. He'll learn. 

Taehyung is hit with the idea of creating a study guide and emailing it to Seojoon about halfway through the seventh botched document. He spends the rest of his afternoon creating that and sends the email about ten minutes before Jungkook is supposed to be home. 

Seojoon:

Good evening. I am going through a couple of your reports, and there are a couple of issues that make them difficult to read. Attached below is a guide on how to format reports to maximize efficiency and conciseness. Have a nice night. 

Sincerely,

Kim Taehyung

It's about ten minutes later when he hears a ding on his laptop, alerting him that Seojoon has responded. 

Okay, I'll take a look. 

That's it? No questions about performance? No apologies for the inconvenience? Taehyung is Seojoon's boss, so what's with the informality? Yes, he is trying to date the other man, but that doesn't negate their current relationship. If anything, that relationship should remain professional during-

"I'm home, Tae!" Jungkook calls out as he enters the front door, "I'm gonna go get ready, and then we can go if that's okay with you."

Taehyung nods, trying to tamper down any residual frustration, "Yeah, that's fine. I made our reservation for about an hour from now, so feel free to take your time," he suggests, rolling his eyes at his own behavior. Get a grip, man. He's not actually your date.

It's about twenty minutes later when Jungkook steps out of his room, and the other man is his best friend. That's all. Just friends. But at the same time, Jungkook is objectively very attractive. So, when an objectively attractive human whose uniform is sweatpants and a black shirt decides to put an effort into themselves, well, Taehyung's going to notice. And notice he does because Jungkook looks otherworldly. 

He's got his hair parted down the middle, and it's a little curled near the bottoms. His clothes show off his body for once, and the way Jungkook's belt hugs his waist has Taehyung wondering what the fuck he does to get it so small. He's still wearing all black, but his black button-down adds an element of formality to his outfit, and his black combat boots tie the entire look together. If Taehyung didn't see Jungkook in an entirely platonic way, then he'd go as far as calling Jungkook fuckable and— is he wearing lipgloss?

God, when Jungkook gives half a shit about what he looks like, he sort of looks a little doll-like with his long, curled eyelashes and his glowy-looking skin. It's a shame Jungkook doesn't date. Taehyung shouldn't be the only one blessed with Jungkook's looks. 

That being said, he is supposed to be giving Jungkook the Kim Taehyung Experience even if he's not really Taehyung's date, "You look really gorgeous, Jungkook, seriously," he compliments, rolling his eyes when Jungkook's nose scrunches up in disgust. 

"That's cheesy. Save it for Seojoon," he advises, laughing when Taehyung offers his arm to take, "Are you serious, Tae? I'm not some fair maiden, you know?" 

Taehyung drops his arm in favor of grabbing Jungkook's hand, "You know you have to go along with some of this shit to make it believable, right?" he asks, leading Jungkook to their elevator. 

Jungkook presses the button for their main floor, "Yeah, I know. But we shouldn't do this stuff when it's just us," he argues, probably forgetting that nobody beats Taehyung in a battle of wills and wits. 

"Isn't the point of this to be natural? We need to make it look like it's second nature for you to be treated how I treat my partners," he rebuttals, leading Jungkook to his car and opening the door. 

The other man gets in the car, waiting for Taehyung to get in the driver's seat before continuing, "Yeah, but it's only four dates, you know? It's not like they'd expect for us to be faking," he responds, inserting one of Taehyung's jazz CDs.

"You underestimate how well my coworkers know me," he states, inputting the directions into the GPS and placing his hand on Jungkook's knee with a teasing smile.

Jungkook rolls his eyes, but Taehyung sees the small smile he's trying to repress, "You overestimate my patience," he says, looking out the window.

"You're such a hardass tonight, Jungkookie. What happened to that nonchalance of yours?" he questions, making sure to keep his tone light. 

Luckily, Jungkook doesn't sense his prying because he just shrugs, "I don't know. I guess I haven't been on a date in a while, but you're right. It's not a big deal," he says, and Taehyung feels his leg relax underneath his hand. 

They sit in comfortable silence for the rest of the car ride until they pull up at the restaurant that Taehyung picked, "Cloud," Jungkook reads aloud, "I've never heard of this place."

Taehyung shrugs, turning the car off, "Yeah, but they have something here that no other restaurant does," he responds, trying to keep the smile off his face. 

"Pufferfish?" Jungkook questions, exiting his side of the car. 

Taehyung laughs, meeting him on the sidewalk, "No, not pufferfish. They have cameras all over the restaurant, and at the end of the date, you can choose whether you want to download the footage for your table or not," he explains, smiling in satisfaction when Jungkook's eyes widen. 

"That's actually incredibly creepy, you know? But it is quite helpful in our case," Jungkook concedes, walking through the door.

"You're not into voyeurism, Jungkookie?" he asks, laughing when he sees the tips of Jungkook's ear turn a pink color. 

The poor man starts shaking his head rapidly, "Shut up, Tae. They can hear us," he hisses, walking up to the host stand. 

"Table for two. Under Kim," Taehyung tells the woman, "Relax, sweets, the workers have probably heard stranger conversations," he reassures, laughing when he sees the nod from the hostess. 

Jungkook rolls his eyes, and they're seated quickly after; both of them ordering a drink, "Should we like... hold hands?" Jungkook asks, and Taehyung can't help but laugh at how clinical Jungkook is treating a goddamn date. 

"Do you want to hold hands? Look, it's not about what we should be doing. It's about acting natural, so just pretend I'm your celebrity crush and treat me the same way," he instructs, looking down at the menu to decide what to order.

"Can I get your autograph," Jungkook asks in a serious tone, making Taehyung laugh.

He nods in response, "I'll write it with my tongue later," he promises, not looking up from his menu.

"That's a little forward, don't you think?" Jungkook asks, quirking one eyebrow. 

Taehyung shrugs, "Would you rather I say I'm gonna eat you out later?" he questions right back, trying to tamper down his amusement when he sees Jungkook's blank stare.

"I'd rather you show me instead," Jungkook breathes out, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. 

"That could definitely be arranged. What's dinner without dessert?" he counters, smiling when he sees Jungkook's bunny smile break out on his face. 

"You're so brash, Tae," he laughs, crossing his arms like he's actually offended, "Not sure how you have the balls to call yourself a romantic when it seems like all you want is sex."

Taehyung raises his eyebrows at Jungkook's blame, "What, you don't think sex can be romantic?" he asks, placing his menu back on the table to give Jungkook his attention. 

"Never was when I had it," he reveals, and Taehyung's a little confused because Jungkook had a boyfriend in college for his first year. 

He foregoes an interrogation to keep up their back and forth, "Well, that's because you haven't had sex with me, sweets. Just wait till we get back," he replies, leaning forward to hear Jungkook's reply. 

"Oh, so you think sex with you is really all that different from hookups?" he teases, taking his drink from the waitress but not breaking eye contact.

Taehyung takes his own drink, never removing his eyes from Jungkook, "Well, you'll just have to see, won't you, baby?" he asks, taking Jungkook's hand into his own. 

Surprisingly, that statement is what gets Jungkook because his entire face turns red, and he looks away. "Tae," he breathes out, but he doesn't really say anything else. 

"Really, Jungkookie? The petname is what got you?!" he questions, laughing when Jungkook kicks him under the table, "I should have known. You've always been a sucker for being taken care of, isn't that right, baby?" he teases. 

Jungkook shakes his head. "That's not true!" he protests, but his slight stall makes his words seem weak. 

"No?" Taehyung questions, rubbing Jungkook's knuckle with his thumb, "You don't like it when I do everything for you after a fight?" he asks because he knows Jungkook can't deny it. 

His best friend presents himself as anything but soft, and most of the time, that's accurate to his character. But every once in a while, every blue moon, really, Jungkook will be so exhausted after a fight that he's borderline docile. Taehyung will feed him, brush his hair after his shower, and read him his fight stats until he falls asleep. It's not like Taehyung doesn't like it, but they both know that Jungkook really likes it. His eyes get all glazed over, and he lets out hums of satisfaction nearly the whole night.

Jungkook's eyes widen when the question leaves Taehyung's mouth, "That's different, Taehyung. I can't be held accountable for what I do post-fight," he argues, putting on a polite smile when the waitress comes over. 

"Are you two ready to order?" she asks, smiling down at their intertwined hands, "You guys are so cute, by the way," she compliments, and Jungkook turns to him with an excited look. 

"Thank you, and uh, yeah, we're ready. What do you want, Jungkookie?" he asks, letting go of Jungkook's hand so he can order. 

Jungkook orders his food and takes Taehyung's hand again, linking their fingers together, "And what about you, sir?" the waitress questions, a sappy smile on her face. 

"I'll have the number 12," Taehyung answers, and for some reason, he can't take his eyes off of Jungkook. Realistically, he knows that Jungkook is only sending him sex eyes because he's putting on a show for the waitress, but the way the light is hitting Jungkook's face makes him look... radiant. Jungkook's gonna make someone very happy one day. He's gorgeous. 

Taehyung breaks out of his trance when the waitress speaks again, "Is that all for you guys tonight?" she asks, holding out her hand for the menus.

Jungkook jumps in, nodding. "Yeah, that's all. Thank you," he replies, handing her the menus. 

"Alright, well, you two enjoy your night," she says before walking away. 

When she's out of sight, Jungkook turns to him excitedly, "Oh, dude, we totally got this in the bag. She probably sees a thousand couples a week, but she thought we were cute," he says, squeezing Taehyung's hand. 

Taehyung nods encouragingly, "Yeah, I think we'll be able to fool Yoongi and Hoseok. We'll just have to up the ante a little because Yoongi knows that I can get a little..." he trails off, not really wanting to admit that he becomes a borderline sap when he's in a relationship.

Jungkook nods, "Sappy. Yeah, we'll just really ham it up in front of them. What should our backstory be?" he asks, making Taehyung want to slap himself in the face cause how the hell did he forget that?

"Friends with benefits turned dating?" Taehyung suggests, taking a sip from his wine. 

Jungkook's nose crinkles as he shakes his head, "Too cliché. It's out of character, too. I don't care about my hookups after the fact, and you barely ever do friends with benefits," he explains, and Jungkook obviously wasn't there for Taehyung's college years because Taehyung was basically fucking anything with legs back then. 

"You're right," he agrees because he'd rather not go into detail about his time as a fuck boy, "So, what are you thinking then?"

Jungkook shrugs, "I don't know. We could just say we started hanging out one-on-one and then decided to date," he says, and Taehyung nods.

"Yeah, that's plausible. Plus, it makes it seem like our relationship is more so one of convenience, so that will make the breakup easier to explain," he points out, taking out his phone to write the idea down.

"Mhmm. That's what I was thinking," Jungkook agrees as he begins playing with the rings on Taehyung's fingers, "When is the first lunch?" he asks in a slightly anxious tone. 

"This Monday. What's got your panties in a twist about it?" he asks, jokingly pulling his fingers away before bringing them back. 

Jungkook head moves side to side as he thinks, "I don't think I'll really fit in with that crowd, you know? Should I try and hide my tattoos?" he asks, pulling off one of Taehyung's rings to put them on his own finger.

"You'll be fine. They've seen you walk in with one of your tank tops, so they're well aware that you've got them," he reassures, brushing over Jungkook's knuckle tattoos. 

"Yeah, I'll try and shower before I get there, but I won't have time to look nice if I want to get there on time, so I'll just try and do some upkeep in the car," he says, and Taehyung doesn't really get why Jungkook doesn't see that he's one of those people that doesn't need to try to look nice. 

Either way, he doesn't want Jungkook to go down one of his insecurity spirals, "They're not going to judge you, I promise," he reassures before changing the subject, "So, what was your last date like?"

Jungkook furrows his eyebrows but goes with the change either way, "Um... I guess it was with my college boyfriend. He bought me dinner, and then we went home," he responds, but his body's all tense, and he's clutching Taehyung's hand like a lifeline.

Taehyung nods, "That's lame. My last date was worse, though. The guy I was talking to threw up on my lap when he went down on me, and then he ran out of the house and blocked me. It was his house," he says, making Jungkook bust out into laughter. 

"That's so bad! Did you just leave, or...?" he trails off, grabbing his plate from the waitress, "Thank you."

Taehyung takes his own plate, giving Jungkook an unamused look, "No, Kookie. After getting my dick thrown up on, I stayed there in my date's house and made myself a glass of wine," he replies sarcastically, picking up his chopsticks. 

Jungkook shrugs, "I don't know, Tae, when I was in college, this one guy busted in three minutes and passed out, so I stole four packs of ramen and a bottle of vodka before I snuck out," he says, shaking his head with a smile on his face.

"You're kidding!" Taehyung exclaims, laughing when Jungkook shakes his head, "That's... oh my god, sweets, that's horrible!" he chuckles, holding up a bite of his food for Jungkook to try. 

"Mmmm!" Jungkook says while making the angriest face Taehyung has ever seen. "Can we switch?" he asks sheepishly, looking down at his food in disdain. 

Taehyung rolls his eyes because this happens almost every damn time they go out together, "Are you kidding me?" he deadpans, but he's already switching their plates. He likes bibimbap, so it's no big deal. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't see Samgyeopsal on the menu," he apologizes, but he's already stuffing his mouth, so he's clearly not that sorry. 

Taehyung waves him off, "It's fine. Eat well, sweets," he replies, taking a bite of his own food. Spicy. Goddamnit. 

All the while, Jungkook is basically moaning into his plate, and Taehyung simply cannot stand for this, "Come here and switch our plates," he says, motioning Jungkook to his side of the table.

Jungkook scampers over, probably trying not to be a hardass because he's literally eating Taehyung's food, "What?" he asks with big eyes like he doesn't know what Taehyung is going to suggest.

"Sit here, and we'll share," he says, motioning to his leg. 

Jungkook's eyes go wide, and he quickly shakes his head, "Taehyung," he hisses, "I am not sitting in your lap!" he protests, going to sit back in his own seat. 

Taehyung laughs, "And why not?" he questions, switching their plates again. 

"'m heavy," Jungkook mumbles, gnawing at his lip. 

"And I'm a big boy. I can handle it, Jungkookie," he reassures, grabbing Jungkook's hand to seat him on his knee. 

Jungkook hides his face in his hands, eyes peaking out to see if anyone's watching, "This is so embarrassing," he complains, curling into Taehyung a little bit. 

"It's not," Taehyung argues, bringing a bite to Jungkook's mouth and tapping it on his lower lip when the other boy doesn't notice. "Couples do stuff like this all the time. Just think of it as part of the act."

Eventually, Jungkook uncurls from his shell of shame and takes the offered bite, sarcastically smiling as if to say Happy?

Taehyung smiles, rubbing Jungkook's back, "There you go," he murmurs, wrapping an arm around Jungkook's waist to stabilize him, "It's good, right?" he asks in a low voice, chuckling a little at the way goosebumps break out on the back of his best friend's neck.

"Yeah," Jungkook whispers, leaning back against Taehyung, "It's good," he confirms, and Taehyung's not so sure they're talking about the food anymore. 

They spend the rest of their dinner making casual conversation about their work week, their parents, and their plans for the future, and before Taehyung knows it, he realizes they're some of the last people in the restaurant, so he motions for the check. 

"Have a nice evening!" the hostess calls out as Taehyung and Jungkook walk out. 

It's when they're in the car that Jungkook bolts up in his seat, interrupting the comfortable silence. "Did we get the tape?!" he questions frantically, looking in the rearview mirror to see how far away they are from Cloud. 

"Relax. I'm gonna email them tonight, and they'll send it over," he reassures, pulling into their driveway, "For what it's worth, I don't think we'll need any confirmation since we had that waitress fooled."

Jungkook nods, "Yeah, I think we'll be able to put on a pretty convincing act. Seojoon will think you're the best boyfriend by the time we're done," he answers confidently, and Taehyung can't help but agree. 

Yeah, they've definitely got this under control. 

Step 3: The Operation

"Taehyung!" Jungkook pants, running into his office with wet hair and a hopping leg as he tries to pull off a shoe, "Sorry I'm late. Practice ran overtime because I kept losing focus." 

Taehyung waves him off, "It's fine. We had a meeting that ran a little overtime as well, so our lunch got pushed back by fifteen minutes," he reassures, fixing Jungkook's clear-rimmed glasses that had started to slip off his nose. 

"Thanks," Jungkook says, taking off his tanktop to change into something a little more formal, "How much time do I have?" he asks, digging through his bag to find something to put on. 

"Five minutes, give or take," he answers, grabbing Jungkook's hand to help stabilize his still hopping figure. "You're kind of a hot mess right now, you know," he teases, receiving an eye roll from Jungkook.

"Really? I would never have noticed that!" he replies sarcastically, throwing on a huge black sweatshirt as he strips out of his gym shorts, "Do you think I'll have time to blow dry my hair?" he asks through pants as he hops into black skinny jeans. 

Taehyung lifts his shirt so he can see the button, poking his belly button to see Jungkook squirm. He's so ticklish. "I don't think so," he replies with a smile as he sees Jungkook's hair drip down his neck and face.

"Shit. Do I look okay?" Jungkook questions, squatting down to tie his combat boots, "Be honest," he demands, making two bunny ears with his shoelaces. What a chump. One bunny ear and a wrap-around is clearly the superior method.

Taehyung looks down at Jungkook and takes in his appearance, "Yeah, you look great," he lies because Jungkook seriously looks like a flustered mess.

Jungkook gives him a dry look as he stands up, "You're a bad liar, Taehyung," he insults, fanning his face with a hand. 

Taehyung wipes some of the water that had dripped onto Jungkook's face away, "What?" he gasps dramatically, "How could you imply that I see my boyfriend as anything other than beautiful?!" he exclaims, shaking his head of faux disappointment. 

"God, don't even start," Jungkook says, shaking his head and sending water everywhere. "Time?" he demands, pulling out his phone to look at himself as he applies a pink chapstick. What a little narcissist. 

Taehyung is about to answer that it's time to go, but another voice beats him to the punch. "Mr. Kim, are you ready to leave?" Seojoon asks, face turning confused when he notices Jungkook's presence, "Oh, do you have other plans?" he asks hesitantly. 

"Taehyungie invited me to lunch," Jungkook says with a big bunny smile. Boy, he's really laying it on thick. 

"Yeah, uh, I don't know if I formally introduced you two, but this is Jungkook, my boyfriend," he says in a voice he hopes comes across as less lame than it sounded in his ears. 

Seojoon nods, "Pleasure. I'm Seojoon," he introduces himself. Normally, Taehyung would consider his shortness a little rude, but in this case, it's a good sign. Seojoon is jealous. 

"Are you guys ready? I'm starving!" a voice, Seokjin, says as he walks into Taehyung's office, "Oh, Jungkook, are you joining us?" he asks, and thank the lord for Seokjin's insane memory because he just established that he knows Jungkook. 

Jungkook smiles, "Hello, Seokjin. And, yes, Taehyung invited me to lunch. I hope that's okay?" he asks hesitantly, eyes going wide in false worry. God, he's such a little shit. 

"Of course! Yeah, no, that's fine! The more, the merrier!" he reassures, sending Taehyung a split-second look. Fuck. 

Jungkook lets out an audibly relieved breath, "Okay, good. I wouldn't want to intrude, but Taehyung talks about you guys all the time, so I guess I just really wanted to meet his team," he admits, sending starry eyes in Taehyung's direction. 

Taehyung holds back his laugh at Jungkook's doting boyfriend routine, "I told you it'd be fine, sweetheart," he reassures, grabbing Jungkook's hand as he tries not to let the smug smile at Jungkook's blush take over his face. 

"Alright!" Seojoon says, breaking the moment, "Are we ready to go?" he asks, and it seems like an innocent question, but his tone is a little... huaghty. Score. 

Taehyung nods, and the three make their way down. He makes sure to really play up the act, wrapping his arm around Jungkook's waist and pretending to whisper in his ear—the whole nine yards. In reality, he just started listing off the menu items, but nobody needs to know that. 

When they get in the car, Jungkook immediately starts laughing, "Ah, man. That was too easy. That Seojoon dude is so jealous," he brags, and Taehyung can't help but nod in agreement. 

"Yeah, no, at this point, I'm one ass grab away from scoring a date with him after this lunch," he declares, putting his hands up in defense at the glare Jungkook sends his way.

"You leave my ass alone," he warns, and Taehyung wouldn't be himself if he didn't take the opportunity to tease Jungkook. 

"But it's so nice," he laments, trying to keep his laugh down when Jungkook scoots closer to the window, "I don't know what your current workout routine is, but it's doing wonders for your-"

"Shut up! Too far!" Jungkook laughs, squirming further away from Taehyung, "Roll down the window. I don't know why you have this shit on child lock," he demands, leaning his head out the window when Taehyung obeys.

"What the hell are you doing?" Taehyung laughs as Jungkook closes his eyes. He's either attempting to be the main character, or there's some sort of strategy to this.

Jungkook opens a single eye. "I'm trying to dry my hair," he explains, as if it were obvious.

"Your mind," Taehyung states, not warning Jungkook that his hair's going to look like a damn poodle, "I'm in awe at your genius."

Jungkook nods, "I know. If I hadn't gone into boxing, then the STEM world would have had an innovator on their hands," he brags, frowning when the car stops. 

"We're here," Taehyung announces, trying not to laugh at Jungkook's half-dry-half-wind-blown hair. "What, you thought the drive was gonna be longer?" he asks in response to Jungkook's frown. 

"Yeah, sorta," Jungkook admits, unbuckling his seatbelt, "I may have made a mistake," he mutters as he looks at his hair in the mirror. 

Taehyung shakes his head, "It looks fine," he comforts (lies) as he smooths down Jungkook's bangs, "Unrelated, but you don't happen to have a hairbrush in that bag of yours?"

Jungkook sends him a blank look before lifting off his seat to dig through his bag in the back, "Luckily, I do," he says, but Taehyung's not really focused on his words. 

See, Taehyung has never really viewed Jungkook as a sexual being. He knows his best friend has sex, obviously, but he's never really thought about him in that situation. Unfortunately, with all that talk about Jungkook's ass, he can't help but take a peak, and it's... actually pretty nice. The skinny jeans are doing him right, and the way his sweatshirt rides up as he moves around exposes a strip of skin that has Taehyung swallowing as his mouth goes dry. 

"What the hell are you staring at?" Jungkook's brash voice says, breaking him out of his trance as his head whips up to see Jungkook looking at him over his shoulder. 

"To be honest, your ass," he replies, biting his lip jokingly. Jungkook must take it as teasing because he simply rolls his eyes and returns to his digging.

"Aha!" Jungkook exclaims, returning to his seated position, "Help a boyfriend out?" he requests, handing Taehyung the brush. 

Taehyung nods, trying to get over that strange moment as he combs through Jungkook's hair, "Are you ready, sweets?" he mumbles the question, pushing Jungkook's bangs out of his face.

Jungkook smiles, "Yeah, this should be easy," he reassures, giving a satisfied nod at Taehyung's styling when he looks in the rearview mirror. 

"Yep," Taehyung agrees, "You look nice," he blurts out, clamping his mouth shut because why did he just say that?

Jungkook shrugs, "Not really, but I guess it'll do," he replies, getting out of the car. 

Taehyung takes a second to get himself under control, "Chill, Taehyung. Stop being weird," he scolds himself before getting out of the car and wrapping his arm around Jungkook's shoulder. 

They enter the restaurant where the rest of his team is seated, and he greets them with a wave, grimacing when he notices that he and Jungkook will have to sit across from each other.

Jungkook turns to him with a bit of a panicked look, "Shit," he mumbles quietly, "What should we do?"

Taehyung squeezes his shoulder, "It'll be fine. Just make sure that we're more verbally couply," he instructs, taking his seat. 

"Taehyung!" Hoseok exclaims, standing up from his seat, "Oh- and I see you brought a friend."

Jungkook smiles, holding out his hand, "I'm Jungkook, Taehyung's-" he stalls for a second, probably not used to the words.

"Boyfriend. He's my boyfriend," Taehyung says with a smile that comes a little too naturally. 

"Mhmm," Jungkook agrees, sitting across from Taehyung, "It's nice to finally meet all of you. I've heard so much about you," he says politely, unfolding his napkin to put it on his lap. 

Namjoon, who is next to Jungkook, shoots Taehyung a curious look, "We've heard a lot about you, too, but Taehyung never told us you were his boyfriend," he says, loosening his tie. 

"Oh, well, it was a recent development," Jungkook explains calmly as he kicks Taehyung's knee to get the panicked look off his face, "We've been really good friends since high school, but we started hanging out more one-on-one, and decided to start dating."

Taehyung nods, "Yeah, I didn't really want to make an announcement until I was sure about the direction of the relationship, but we're... we're happy," he sighs, trying not to smile when he sees the sour look on Seojoon's face. 

"Ah, well, if you're happy, we're happy," Jimin says, holding out a hand across the table to Jungkook, "I'm Jimin. It's nice to finally meet you."

Jungkook nods, "It's nice to meet you, too. I would have come to one of these things sooner, but my training has me basically tethered to the gym," he explains, earning four nods of understanding and one confused look. 

"You work at a gym?" Seojoon asks, taking a sip of his wine. 

Jungkook shakes his head, "Close. I'm a professional boxer," he clarifies, smiling when Jimin shovels meat onto his plate, "Thank you."

"Professional?" Seojoon asks skeptically, "Is that a good career choice for the long run?"

Wrong move. Even though Taehyung knows Seojoon's only picking on Jungkook because of his jealousy, he definitely hit a sore spot. Jungkook's always being criticized for his career choice, and people tend to paint him out to be an idiot even though he makes more than enough money to retire young. 

"Probably not," Jungkook admits, and Taehyung is almost certain he's going to let it go, but then he sees his friend's eyes go sharp. "But I also have a Masters in investment, so I'm pretty much good in the long run. Are you sure law is good for the long run?" he asks in a sweet tone. 

God, if there's anything about Jungkook that's sharper than his punch, it's his tongue. Seojoon's about to find out just how bad a verbal whipping from Jungkook can be. 

"Why wouldn't it be?" Seojoon scoffs, showing his offense way too quickly. Wrong. Fucking. Move.

Jungkook maintains his pleasant demeanor, "Oh, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that... there are about a million lawyers out there, and since you're working as a paralegal, I assume you're not even a real one yet. Establishing a name has an expiration date, and you're not getting any younger. Do you really want to spend your life working to be average?" he asks in an innocent tone. 

Seojoon's pretty face turns a little ugly as he scowls at Jungkook, "How very bold of you to say," he comments, and the entire table goes tense. 

"Yeah, well, I guess the truth tends to be pretty taboo. It's weird how passive aggressiveness is accepted, but bold-faced honesty isn't. Don't you think?" he questions, and Taehyung sends him a warning look. Let it go, Jungkookie. 

Luckily, Jin steps in before Seojoon can respond, "That is weird. You know what else is weird? The fact that you knew Taehyung in high school. Tell us about that!" he demands, changing the subject with the subtly of a giraffe on rollerskates. 

Jungkook's demeanor turns relaxed once more, and a huge bunny smile makes its way onto his face, "Oh, Taehyungie was very different in high school, but similar at the same time. It might surprise you, but he was a bit of a class clown," he reveals, and Taehyung already knows where this is going. 

"Let's not talk about this," Taehyung says with a tight smile. 

Jimin shakes his head, "No. Let's. Taehyung hardly talks about his days in Daegu," he complains, shoveling more food onto everybody's plates. 

"I mean, I don't want to make Tae uncomfortable. It's up to him," Jungkook says, looking at Taehyung for permission, so Taehyung rolls his eyes before motioning for him to begin.

Jin claps, "Well, there you have it. Tell away, Jungkook," he exclaims, leaning forward because he's a fucking demon. 

"Well, there was this one time," Jungkook starts, already laughing to himself, "Our school ordered the entire senior class pizza, and the day before that, Taehyung was home, so he didn't know it was happening, and I was a sophomore, so I didn't know it was happening-"

Namjoon looks down, shaking his head with a smile, "God, I don't even want to know where this is going," he says, but his eyes are focused on Jungkook. Liar. 

"No, no, it's not that bad," Jungkook reassures, waving his hands in a 'no' motion, "Anyway, Taehyung and I used to eat lunch in this one classroom, and we had the first lunch of the day. Apparently, the senior class was supposed to take the latest lunch, but neither of us knew that, so Taehyung and I just went to our normal one, and-"  he tries, but he's already begun laughing again. 

"What?!" Jimin asks excitedly, "What'd you guys do?"

Jungkook takes a deep breath, trying to recover, "Okay, okay, sorry. Anyway, Taehyung thought- oh my god, I can't," Jungkook says, laughing all over again. 

Taehyung rolls his eyes, "I don't know why you find this so funny, Jungkook," he scolds, but he can't suppress his own smile, "Just tell the damn story."

"Alright, jeez. Okay, so Taehyung thought that the teacher who proctored the room we always ate lunch in bought it for us, even though there were like twenty-five boxes-" he starts, but now he's just making himself look good. 

"Sweets, you better tell it right because you know damn well that you're the one who suggested that and went along with the plan," he scolds, rolling his eyes when Jungkook starts cackling.

"Alright, whatever. We both thought the teacher bought them for us, so we stole fifteen out of twenty boxes and left school to go eat pizza, but it gets worse," Jungkook relays, making eye contact with Taehyung as they both remember the next part. 

Taehyung groans, "The next day, there was a genuine witchhunt out for the culprits, so Jungkook and I got in my car, went home, got a piece of leftover pizza, and-"

"We hid it in this dude's folder! Lord, he was a dick, but everyone called him pepperoni for the rest of the year," Jungkook cackles, making the entire table laugh. 

Hoseok shakes his head, "You said Taehyung was a class clown, but it sounds like you two are partners in crime," he accuses, and Jungkook shrugs. 

"I guess you could say that. A lot of the trouble we got into in high school was a result of one of us not having common sense. Like I remember this one time Taehyung thought Prom King was the wildest guy at the party, so instead of campaigning he-" Jungkook starts, but Taehyung kicks him underneath the table. 

"I think we've heard enough stories from you, Kookie," he says through a nervous laugh. Nobody needs to hear about the time he attempted to twerk. Those were the dark ages. 

Jungkook rolls his eyes, "Fine," he says, but he mouths later at Jin, so Taehyung doesn't have hope that his secret will remain one for long. 

"Jungkook, you weren't so innocent of being an idiot in high school either," Taehyung points out because he's not about to be the only clown at this table, "Your teacher asked you who your sub was, and you replied that you weren't in a relationship!"

Jungkook sputters, "Anyone could have made that mistake! Fifty Shades of Grey was popular back then!" he protests, making the entire table laugh. 

"And you thought you'd be grey?" Taehyung asks, quirking an eyebrow, "That's a little ironic in hindsight, considering-"

Jungkook quickly cuts him off. "We don't need to go into that!" he says, probably not wanting Taehyung to reveal the fact that Jungkook told him the bruises on his wrists were from handcuffs one time. That boy couldn't be dominant if he tried. 

"Taehyung, stop embarrassing your date," Namjoon scolds, completely disregarding the fact that Jungkook has been doing that for the last twenty-five minutes. 

"Seriously," Jungkook agrees, shaking his head in disappointment, "I never thought my own partner would kink shame me in public, but here we are."

God, Jungkook is on a roll. He's got the entire table eating out of the palm of his hand—sans Seojoon, who has been frowning nearly the entire lunch—and he's barely even trying. It's easy to forget that Jungkook has this undeniable charisma about him because he's so quiet, but it's really easy to see when he's comfortable in an environment. It's nice, seeing him having fun. It's been a while since he's last let his guard down. 

They spend the rest of the lunch reminiscing, and when Taehyung drives with Jungkook back to his work, he's almost sad to see his best friend go. They live together, text all the time, call each other every couple of hours, yet Taehyung still misses his presence like a limb when he leaves. 

The lunch was successful, though. Seojoon was all over Taehyung when he left and even went as far as to inform him that he was single. The only person he's really worried about is-

"Taehyung," Jin says, walking into his office unannounced, "What the hell was that? Since when are you in a committed relationship with someone who you said you'd never date?"

Fuck. Taehyung forgot about that conversation. 

He tries to play it cool, shrugging his shoulders as he tidies up his desk, "I don't know, Jin. It just sort of happened, you know?" he says, but Seokjin just hits him with another blank stare. 

"Really? It just happened?" he mocks, making his voice sound like a mentally disabled cow's. That's just straight-up hurtful. 

"Okay, that was unnecessary, but what do you want me to say?" he asks, looking Jin dead in the eye. 

Jin looks up at the ceiling in annoyance, "Look, if you're together and you're happy, that's great, but if you're playing some game... that's dangerous," he warns.

"Why's that?" Taehyung asks exasperatedly before backtracking, "Not that we are, but for curiosity's sake."

"Because Jungkook really likes you. Everyone at that table could see it. You know his eyes only left you once?" he asks in a serious tone. 

God, Jungkook's acting must have really improved, "Well, that's because he's my boyfriend, Jin. We're serious," he reassures with a confident smile. 

"Alright, if you say that's the truth, then I trust that it is, but if it's not and something goes down, don't come crying to me," Jin warns before making his typical dramatic exit. 

Taehyung sits at his desk for a second in an attempt to process the meaning behind Jin's words. It almost sounded like he was implying Jungkook is in love with him, but that's crazy. Jungkook and Taehyung will always be best friends. 

... Sure they'd make a nice couple, but that's simply not the nature of their relationship. Taehyung likes Seojoon. Not Jungkook. 

Interlude: Debrief

"Did my hair really look that bad?" Jungkook asks, sighing in relief when Taehyung starts massaging his shins.

Taehyung shrugs, "Nah, it was a little bad, but no one said anything to me," he mutters distractedly, "How the hell do you get your legs so soft? It's like silk or something."

"I don't know, lotion," Jungkook answers, scooting closer so his thighs are in Taehyung's lap, "Go higher- ah, yeah, right there," he instructs, humming when Taehyung digs his thumb into his thigh. 

Taehyung rolls his eyes, "You could say please, you know? Manners. Is that concept foreign to you?" he asks, looking down in confusion when he notices two moles on Jungkook's left leg. How have I never seen those before?

"Please," Jungkook replies dryly, leaning forward to bite Taehyung's arm when he digs in too harshly, "Watch it!" he breathes out, trying to remove his thigh from Taehyung's grasp.

"Sorry, baby," he says, soothing the spot with his thumb and freezing when he realizes he just called Jungkook a damn petname. 

Luckily, Jungkook must not have noticed because he just waves him off. "'s fine. Did they fall for it? Your coworkers?" he asks, turning down the volume on the TV. 

Taehyung moves his head from side to side, "It's up in the air. Jimin thinks we're couple goals, but Jin thinks we've got ulterior motives," he replies, removing Jungkook's legs from his lap to get them some drinks from the kitchen. 

"Beer!" Jungkook calls out, as if Taehyung doesn't know his drink of choice by now. 

Taehyung digs through the fridge to find some soju and beer and walks back to the couch to reclaim his spot, "Do your legs feel better, or do you want me to keep going?" he asks, handing Jungkook his drink. 

"You can be done," Jungkook huffs, frowning as he turns his head away from Taehyung. 

Taehyung smiles, shaking his head, "God, you are such a damn baby. Put them back," he instructs, flicking Jungkook on the forehead. Fucking drama queen. 

Jungkook sends him a cheeky smile, "Whatever, I had leg day today. I get to be a baby," he protests. Taehyung's seen Jungkook's regimens, so he can't help but agree. 

"Yeah," Taehyung sighs, getting back to work on Jungkook's opposite thigh, "You can be a baby," he concedes, teasingly rocking Jungkook back and forth. 

The other man must be in a good mood because he simply laughs until Taehyung is done, "You're such an ass," he groans, lifting one of his socked feet to Taehyung's face. 

"Well, you are what you eat, so..." Taehyung jokes just to get a reaction out of Jungkook.

"Guess that explains your breath," Jungkook sighs because he has probably one of the quickest wits on the planet. 

Taehyung allows Jungkook to have his victory, changing the subject, "Alright, you win. So, what did you think of the team?" he questions, setting his seat on the table, "Lay down. I'll do your back."

Jungkook obeys, flopping over with a pained groan, "God, fuck my coach," he complains as he relaxes into the couch, "And I liked your team. Jimin is sweet."

"Great commentary," Taehyung replies, sitting on Jungkook's ass to enhance his massaging position, "Jesus, what the hell do you do to get your ass so perky?"

Jungkook glares over his shoulder, "Taehyung, I swear to god," he warns, not even finishing his sentence. 

As an apology, Taehyung works double time on Jungkook's back, "You're really no fun, you know that?" he complains, but Jungkook is basically a puddle on the couch. 

"Mhmm," he hums in response, "Go lower," he slurs out. Poor kid, his coach is really taking the piss out of him this week. 

"'s that good?" Taehyung asks, applying pressure to crack Jungkook's back, "Tell me if it hurts, sweets, okay?"

Jungkook nods into his arms. "It's fine," he breathes out. "Feels nice."

Well, shit, how the hell is he supposed to have a productive conversation about fake dating when Jungkook is damn near melting with how relaxed he feels, "Are you good?" he questions, rolling his eyes when Jungkook doesn't respond. 

He gets off Jungkook's back, pulling the other boy up by his shirt, and... he's fucking asleep. Peachy. 

"Jungkookie! Wake up! There's a fire!" he yells, abusing his freedom of speech in a way that would have their president rolling in his sleep. 

Jungkook bolts up, crooked glasses flying off his face, "What?! What do you mean fire?!" he yells, jumping up from the couch to look for the non-existent fire.

Taehyung really can't help himself, so he immediately starts laughing his ass off, "God, you- you should've seen your face!" he laughs, falling back on the ground when his knees go weak. 

It's quiet for a second after Taehyung stops laughing. When he looks up, Jungkook is glaring down at him, and that's the only warning he gets before he's tackled back to the ground.

"You asshole! Didn't your mom ever tell you about the boy who cried wolf?! See if I help you next time you have another cooking accident!" he threatens, and it's quiet for a second before Jungkook's lip starts to tremble with suppressed laughter. 

"You know it was funny," Taehyung argues, sitting up and tickling Jungkook, "I see you about to laugh!" he exclaims, going straight for Jungkook's ribs. 

Jungkook shakes his head, biting his lip, "That's cause-" he starts before breaking out into a peel of giggles, "Stop! Stop! I can't breathe!" Jungkook exclaims, too weak with laughter to push Taehyung away. 

"Do you give up?" Taehyung asks, going for Jungkook's armpits this time. 

Jungkook nods rapidly, "Yes, yes!" he says, gulping for air when Taehyung finally stops his attack, "You're- you're so mean!" he complains, trying to get his breathing back to normal. 

"And you're too easy," Taehyung teases, rubbing Jungkook's back. "Hey, you okay?" he asks, a little worried when Jungkook's breathing is still heavy. 

Jungkook nods, collapsing against Taehyung a second later, "Yeah, I'm okay," he breathes into Taehyung's neck. 

"You wanna go back to bed?" he questions, and he feels a little bad at disturbing Jungkook's sleep, so he's willing to postpone this conversation. 

Jungkook shakes his head, dismounting from Taehyung's lap to sit next to him on the floor, "I'm okay. My training isn't till later tomorrow," he reassures, hands feeling around for something.

Taehyung hands Jungkook his glasses, grabbing his legal pad and pen off the couch. "Okay, so the next lunch date is actually a company dinner. That okay with you?" he asks, reaching behind him to give Jungkook a blanket. 

"Mhmm," Jungkook hums, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders, "Do I need to dress nice?" he asks, reminding Taehyung of another part of their bet. 

"Yeah, but I get to dress you up, remember?" he questions, already planning what to put Jungkook in. Definitely something more colorful. He never gets to see Jungkook in color. 

Jungkook groans, rubbing his eyes, "Whatever. Nothing ridiculous, okay? We're not having another red carpet situation," he warns, making Taehyung laugh as he remembers the time in high school when the two of them showed up to Hoco in red suits to match the red carpet theme. 

"That was a miscalculation on both our parts. I mean, who would have thought that red carpet didn't mean you had to dress like a red carpet?" he says, taking a sip of his soju.

Jungkook clinks his drink to Taehyung's, "Preach. They really need to be more clear about their themes. Red carpet is honestly ridiculous, to begin with," he says, rolling his eyes. 

"Honestly! The student government totally fumbled with that one," he agrees before noticing Jungkook's slow blinks. "Alright, listen, let's go to bed. You're tired, and my brain is fried."

Jungkook nods, "Okay, goodnight, Tae," he says, standing up and grabbing both of their empty drinks, "I can throw these away. I'll see you tomorrow."

Taehyung salutes him. "Aye, aye," he replies, making his way to his bedroom. 

It's two weeks later when Taehyung gets to have the most fun he's had in a long damn time.

"Come on, man, you promised!" Taehyung complains when Jungkook won't let him put on the drugstore mascara he picked up on his way home.

Jungkook shakes his head, "That's- come on, Tae. You know that's a bit much," he tries to reason, but Taehyung is going to have the prettiest date if it kills him. 

"Open your eyes!" he demands, waving the wand around as Jungkook runs out of the bathroom, "Are you kidding me?" Taehyung mutters to himself. Great, now he has to play a game of tag. 

Jungkook is on the other side of the bed when Taehyung exits, and he can tell Jungkook is willing to rumple his freshly-made bed if it means evading the damn mascara wand. Time to pull out the big guns. 

"I'll buy you whatever you want!" he yells in an act of pure desperation.

His asshole of a best friend falls out of his defensive position and makes his way to Taehyung, "Okay, I want my motorcycle," he says, crossing his arms over his bare chest. 

"Done," Taehyung agrees, grabbing Jungkook's hand to lead him back to the vanity, "Now, open those pretty eyes," he mutters, resting his wrist on Jungkook's forehead. 

In a change of events, Jungkook actually does. "I'm gonna get my motorcycle," he sings to himself, and at least he's happy. 

"You're also gonna get double the charges for rent," Taehyung retorts, because who in the hell has the ability to drop a million won casually? 

"Don't care," Jungkook laughs, almost messing Taehyung up, "What color should I get?" he asks, giggling like a damn school girl shortly after. So not cute. 

Taehyung shrugs, "Black," he responds because it seems like the safe choice.

Jungkook hums, "Yeah, that'll be so cool," he damn near gushes. Taehyung won't lie. Jungkook isn't really a person who gets excited, especially over materialistic things, so it's not really putting him out that much that he has to buy him a whole-ass vehicle. It's nice. Jungkook's sweet when he gets what he wants. 

"Okay, we're done," Taehyung says, leaning back to look at his work. Pretty. Obviously, Jungkook is objectively pretty, but Taehyung will admit just this once that he finds Jungkook subjectively pretty. 

Jungkook's big eyes go even wider when he looks in the mirror. "Wow, they look weirdly long—like my mom's," he says with a smile. 

"You look like your mom, Jungkookie," he comments because it's true, "Remember when she used to tell you she made you pretty?"

Jungkook nods as he laughs, "Yeah, she's always had a weird way of complimenting people," he replies, furrowing his eyebrows when Taehyung brings out a hair curler.

"What?" Taehyung asks, putting it on the highest setting and dousing Jungkook's hair in heat protectant. 

"Now, where on god's green earth did that item spawn from?" Jungkook asks, ducking to avoid the wand. 

Taehyung takes a deep breath, "Jungkook, sweets, you know I have endless patience, but if you don't stop moving, then I'm going to shove this up your ass," he threatens, but Jungkook never lets him win.

"You're definitely not endlessly patient, Taehyung. The threat was one thing, but lying about your character was too far," he comments but lets Taehyung do his hair nonetheless. 

He's still a little bit squirmy, but Taehyung is able to make his hair look really nice, so he feels satisfied. "All done," he announces, letting Jungkook see the finished product as he sprays it in with hairspray. 

"Looks nice," Jungkook compliments, and he probably doesn't see it, but he looks absolutely beautiful. Taehyung's no makeup artist, but he's truly outdone himself. 

Taehyung nods, "You do," he confirms, walking out to bring in the outfit he picked last night, "Wear this," he demands. 

Jungkook looks at the white pants and nearly sheer pastel patterned shirt but simply shrugs, "Okay," he agrees, taking his shirt off. "Where the hell did you even get this shit?" he asks, looking at the pink belt in distaste.

"Our firm helped a fashion designer a while back, so we got a lot of free stuff to take home," he explains, looking at the way the top hugs Jungkook's chest, "You've got huge tits," he comments; laughing when Jungkook turns an unhealthy color of red.

"Tae!" he exclaims, "Don't call them that!" he scolds, crossing his arms over his chest and subsequently pushing them together.

Taehyung shrugs, "Fine, but just know it was a compliment," he defends, tearing his eyes away from Jungkook's nipple piercings that pop through the sheer material.

When Jungkook completes the outfit, Taehyung hears himself break into an evil-sounding laugh, "Oh, god, this is too good. I'm gonna have the hottest date ever!" he exclaims, turning Jungkook around to put a layered pearl necklace on him. 

"You really are pretty, Jungkook," he whispers, saying what he's been wanting to say but couldn't bring himself to say when Jungkook looked him in the eye.

Jungkook looks over his shoulder with a smile, "Thanks. It's not really my... style, but I guess if you like it, then that's nice," he replies, grabbing the white coat Taehyung set out for him. "Are you ready to go?" he asks. 

Taehyung, who just put on one of his suits, nods. "Sure am, sweets," he says, linking their arms together. This time, Jungkook doesn't protest. 

When they get to the dinner, Taehyung is seated in between Seojoon and Jungkook, which is a good sign of his progress. Seojoon is the one who made the seating chart. Unfortunately, Jungkook is sat next to a real sleaze. The dude's been hitting on him for nearly the entire dinner, and at one point, Jungkook asked him verbally to stop. 

"No date, Seojoon?" he asks, suppressing his smile when the other man shakes his head. 

"I'm sort of holding out on this one guy," Seojoon admits, touching Taehyung's arm for a split second. "But I don't think it's going to happen."

Taehyung shakes his head, "Well, he'd be an idiot to say no to you," he says before realizing he just called himself an idiot. 

"Yeah, I guess I can hold out hope," he responds, circling his food with his fork. 

Taehyung is about to respond, but he feels Jungkook grasp his forearm, alerting him of some type of situation, "What's up, Jungkookie?" he asks, but he honestly didn't even need to because fucking Chul has his hand on Jungkook's thigh. 

"Can you please help me? I'm seriously about to punch this dude in the face," Jungkook says, putting his mouth close to Taehyung's ear. But there's something in his tone that Taehyung doesn't hear often from Jungkook: panic.

Yeah, time to deal with this situation. "Chul, if you don't take your damn hand off my boyfriend in the next three seconds," he says in a serious voice, not voicing the actual threat. 

"Come on, man. You really let him leave the house dressed like a slut and expect other men not to want him?" he asks, and Taehyung's already mad, but when he sees Jungkook cross his arms over his chest, that's his last straw. He made Jungkook uncomfortable.

"You need to shut the hell up before you give me more shit to write down when I report you," Taehyung warns, grabbing Jungkook's hand to bring him to the bathroom. 

"God, the nerve of that guy. I mean, how's he gonna blame you for him being a pervert? He's acting like I put you in lingerie and sent you out of the house! It's absolutely ridiculous-" he starts but quickly stops when he hears a sob. 

"Oh my god!" Taehyung exclaims because Jungkook never cries, but he's straight-up sobbing right now, "Shh, what's wrong, sweets?" Taehyung soothes, pulling Jungkook into his arms.

Jungkook shakes his head against Taehyung's neck and continues to cry like Taehyung has never heard before. "Come on, baby. You're okay. I'll fix it for you, okay? What do you need?" he murmurs, rubbing Jungkook's back. 

He doesn't get any reaction other than a louder sob, so he simply holds Jungkook as he continues crying. God, what could have caused this? Was it something Chul said? 

"'m not a slut," Jungkook mumbles through hiccups, before pulling back to look Taehyung in the eyes, "I- 'm not, right?" he sobs out, and Taehyung's not really sure where this is coming from, or what about that phrase triggered Jungkook so bad, but-

"You're not," Taehyung affirms, "You're not, I swear," he reassures in a serious tone. God, he should have paid more attention to Jungkook. He talked to Seojoon most of the night, but Jungkook seemed to be doing fine talking with the people surrounding him. What the hell was Chul saying to him that entire time? 

"Do you want to go home? We can go home, I swear. The dinner is basically over," Taehyung offers. He honestly just wants to go home and take care of Jungkook. Something really got to him tonight, and Taehyung is willing to bet his right arm that it has to do with what happened to him in college.

Jungkook shakes his head, "What about- about Seojoon?" he asks, and Taehyung could honestly care less about his workplace crush when Jungkook's entire body is wracking with suppressed sobs. 

"Fuck that. You're upset," Taehyung says, grabbing a paper towel, putting it under the sink, and wiping Jungkook's face off, "Come on, let's go home, baby," he says, grabbing Jungkook's hand to lead him out of the restaurant. 

Taehyung doesn't even stop to say goodbye to his colleagues when he exits because Jungkook is looking almost like he did that time Taehyung visited him during college. He looks fucking miserable, and Taehyung's not letting it go so easily this time. 

He buckles Jungkook up before getting in the driver's side of the vehicle and speeding home. The entire time, Jungkook continues to cry, and Taehyung really doesn't know what to do, so he just holds Jungkook's hand and tells him everything will be okay. 

"Alright, we're home," he says, leading Jungkook to their apartment building. He holds Jungkook the entire time their in the elevator and feels genuine pain in his chest when Jungkook asks-

"Can I go take a shower? I feel dirty," he says through tears, and Taehyung has to hold back his own as he nods.

"Yeah, go ahead, sweets. I'm gonna be out here when you're ready, okay?" he asks in a soft voice.

Jungkook nods, "Okay," he responds through a sob, and Taehyung feels actual sorrow when Jungkook walks away to shower because... that's Jungkook. 

That's the person who's been Taehyung's best friend for years. That's the person who Taehyung has watched grow up, and who grew up with Taehyung. That's the person who he's only seen cry one other time. That's the person who he's watched rebuild himself from his lowest point. That's the person who never lets people's words get to him. That's the person who makes sure he always has the upper hand. 

That's Jungkook, and he's fucking crying because he feels dirty. He's truly never seen Jungkook look so... so vulnerable, and he has to get to the bottom of this. 

It's twenty minutes later when Jungkook walks out in one of Taehyung's hoodies and a pair of flannel pants, placing his wet head on Taehyung's lap and handing him a hairbrush. Ah, so it's one of those nights. 

"Can I ask?" Taehyung questions after a couple of minutes in silence. 

He waits for Jungkook's approval, sighing in relief at the whispered, "Yeah."

"What happened to you? In college," he asks, waiting with bated breath for the shutdown. 

Jungkook is quiet for a couple of seconds, "I met someone that I thought was really, really nice, so I started dating him," he explains in an emotionless voice.

"What went wrong?" Taehyung questions because there's obviously not a happy ending to this story. 

Jungkook sits up, takes a deep breath, and looks Taehyung in the eye, "He wasn't as nice as I thought. It was really good at first, but that's how they get you. He would get me gifts all the time, walk me to class, take me on dates, you know... he was the perfect boyfriend, but then..." he trails off, eyes going blank. 

"Then, what?" Taehyung prompts in a soft voice, not really wanting to hear what he suspects. 

"He, um... he started to get really controlling. I didn't notice it at first. I guess people never really do, but still, I just thought he was a little possessive, but it started to get a little bit scary at one point. I didn't really notice, but at some point, he became the only person in my life. Maybe it was because he made me cut off all my friends, or maybe it was because he would accuse me of cheating every time I went out, but all I had left was him," he explains, voice going emotional near the end. 

"Um... the first time he hit me, I didn't really have someone to go to, and I was so stupid because it happens once or it doesn't happen at all. Like, we know this stuff, right? We're taught it in school every year, but I guess I just wanted to believe that he was telling the truth. I wanted to be the exception."

Taehyung feels his entire body go cold, "He- he hit you?" he questions, trying to stop the tears from filling his eyes.

"Mhmm," Jungkook sobs, "And he did it again. It started over muh-me going out, but then it would be because I looked at him the wrong way, and at some point, he just stopped apologizing. I- I wanted to tell you, I swear! You're the first person I tried to call about it, but I guess you were busy because you didn't pick up, and then he made me block you," he says, voice cracking. 

"I- I'm so sorry, Jungkook. I swear if I had any idea what was-" he tries, but Jungkook just shakes his head. 

"I don't even know if you would have been able to- to get through to me," he says, swallowing down his sobs, "The only reason I was able to get away was because he beat me so bad he had to call the hospital. I just remember him calling me a- a slut, and then I woke up with my mom next to me. I hadn't talked to her in months," he cries, collapsing into Taehyung when he gathers him in his arms. 

"Shh, I know, it's a lot," Taehyung comforts, kissing Jungkook's hair.

Jungkook shakes his head, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying. It happened so long ago," he says through a sniffle. 

"Jungkook, sweets, what you went through was traumatic, okay? You don't have to keep it bottled up around me. You don't need to pretend like everything is fine. You're my best friend. I don't want you to hide the parts you think are too heavy for me to handle," he tells him, sighing in relief when Jungkook nods. 

"I wanted to tell you," Jungkook explains, "I really did, but it just happened so long ago, and I went to therapy for it, and I thought I could just ignore it, but then tonight happened, and it was like I was back there."

Taehyung nods, rubbing Jungkook's back, "I'm sorry. I really didn't notice that it was that bad? Did he say anything else to you, or was it just that one time?" he asks, wincing when he hears Jungkook's dry cough.

He gets up to get some water for him, but he still catches the soft, "He said a lot of stuff. It was a lot like you heard, but then he called me a slut, and I just... it was Sunghoon again."

Taehyung hands Jungkook his water bottle with a sympathetic smile, "Sunghoon? That was that fucker's name?" he asks, already planning on suing his ass, the statute of limitation be damned. 

"Yeah, but before you go all lawyer on his ass, he's already in jail. My parents made sure of that," he reveals with a laugh and Taehyung is relieved to hear the first good news of tonight.  

He sighs in disappointment because "I wasn't even there to help you. I was probably at some damn party, and you were prepping for a trial to talk about being fucking abused." Taehyung can't even imagine how hard that time was for Jungkook. 

"Eh," Jungkook replies, gulping down the water. "I kind of snapped back from it quickly. I was mostly angry. I don't know. My therapist says that every victim has a different reaction, but at least mine gave me great motivation for boxing. I swear, my stats increased by like twenty percent," he laughs, and Taehyung is honestly just happy to see something other than tears on Jungkook's face. 

Taehyung smiles awkwardly, "Oh, well, that's nice," he says, wincing at how weird he's being. 

Jungkook's smile fades, and he looks at Taehyung with a blank stare, "I'm still me, you know. I had an episode, but that doesn't mean that I'm not the same person. You don't have to treat me like I'm all fragile," he scolds, and Taehyung nods. 

"I know, you're definitely not fragile, Kookie. I've seen you fight," he laughs, but in the back of his mind, the image of Jungkook in the hospital is still prevalent. 

His best friend rolls his eyes, "Look, I know it's a lot to take in, but when we wake up tomorrow, I don't want you to treat me differently," he demands with a hard look. 

"I won't," Taehyung says, holding out his pinky like they used to do when they were in middle school. 

Jungkook links his own pinky, "I'm serious," he warns, "If you start being weirdly nice to me, I'll kill you."

"Trust me, the teasing... that's not going away any time soon," he reassures, flicking Jungkook's ear. 

"Good," Jungkook says, turning on the TV, "Wanna watch SpongeBob?"

Taehyung nods, "Yeah, turn it on," he replies, pulling Jungkook's legs into his lap. 

From then on, things are normal, but they're also better. Before Taehyung and Jungkook had that weird, unspoken secret, but now it's like they're better than ever—almost like they're back in high school. God, that had to be the golden age of their friendship. Jungkook was two years younger than him, but Taehyung still felt more connected with him than any of his peers because Jungkook was funny. He was funny and fiery and shy and he matched Taehyung's energy so well. 

It's almost like they're back in that place, and it's great. Even better is their fake-dating plot. Seojoon has basically admitted he's jealous, but what kind of sucks is that he totally hates Jungkook. Taehyung's sure that once they stage their breakup, Seojoon will be more tolerable, but Taehyung always feels really conflicted when Seojoon implies that Jungkook is a waste of his time. How could Jungkook be a waste of anybody's time?

The third lunch went the same as the first, with Jungkook charming the fucking pants off Taehyung's colleagues and Taehyung throwing in a flirty comment every once in a while. It's gotten so much easier with time, and the word boyfriend kind of leaves his mouth naturally.

It's been... fun. Taehyung's not going to lie; he's going to miss it a lot. Jungkook's a really good boyfriend, and it's nice that they've been able to get a lot closer. Taehyung and Jungkook were never as touchy as they are now, but it feels like second nature to latch onto Jungkook's waist or pull Jungkook onto his lap or hold Jungkook's hand or do Jungkook's hair. Obviously, he can do all that stuff with Seojoon when they get together, but it won't be the same...

Tonight's the last night, though. They're going to the office Christmas party, and they're going to have to act like two best friends. It's been the goal this whole time, but it'll definitely be weird. 

Step 4: The breakup

"No, don't hold my hand," Taehyung directs when Jungkook reaches for it while they're in the elevator. 

Jungkook nods, "Sorry, I forgot," he replies softly. He's been a little more reserved tonight, but maybe he's just getting in character. 

The elevator dings when they get to the top floor. "Are you ready?" he asks Jungkook, who stares silently for a couple of seconds.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm ready," he answers, hand twitching toward Taehyung's before dropping. 

Immediately, they're greeted by Taehyung's team, "Ah, there's the happy couple! Looks like you two are under the mistletoe!" Jimin exclaims with a smirk, and Jungkook's head whips to him with panicked eyes.

Taehyung doesn't really see another way out of this, so he grabs Jungkook's waist and pecks his lips, "There, if you guys wanted a show, then you're gonna have to pay extra," he jokes, motioning for Jungkook to head to the refreshments table with him. 

"A little warning would be appreciated next time," Jungkook says as he ladles punch into a plastic cup.

Taehyung shrugs, "It was just a peck. I'm pretty sure kissing your mother has more sexual connotations than what I just did with you," he responds, looking around to find Seojoon. 

"Please don't bring my mother into this," Jungkook requests, handing Taehyung a chocolate-covered strawberry. 

Taehyung nods, "Yeah, uh, thanks. Look, I'm going to go search for Seojoon and let him know we're basically over, but if you need anything, just call me or ask Jimin," he instructs, walking away when he zeroes in on Seojoon. 

"Hey, Taehyung," Seojoon greets him with a smile, handing him a flute of champagne. "Looks like they brought out the good stuff for this party."

"Yeah," Taehyung mutters distractedly, trying to put on the 'I'm going through something' act, "I don't really know if I'm in the mood for celebrating."

Seojoon's eyebrows furrow in concern, "Did something happen? Is everything okay?" he questions, pulling Taehyung into a private room to talk. 

"I—I don't want to air my business out to you," he sighs, really laying it on thick.

Seojoon shakes his head rapidly, fluffy hair falling back to perfection once he's done, "No, it's fine. We're friends, remember?" he says with a smile, rubbing Taehyung's shoulder in support. 

"I think Jungkook and I are going to break up after tonight," he reveals, expressing a little emotion in his voice. 

Seojoon is quiet for a second before responding, "Well, if I'm being honest, I never really thought you two were a good match," he admits slowly. 

"Yeah, for me, it just felt like I was going through the motions with Jungkook. We only really ever started dating because we were both lonely," he agrees, telling the other man he and Jungkook's fake backstory. 

"Honestly," Seojoon starts, "I felt like he was always way more into you than you were into him. I don't know if you know this, but he would always glare at me whenever we talked. I think he was jealous."

Taehyung furrows his eyebrows because that definitely wasn't part of his and Jungkook's plan, "Um... yeah, I never noticed that, but he's always been a little jealous, so that would make sense. You're, you know, attractive, funny, vibrant, so I can see why he'd be insecure," he comments, internally apologizing to Jungkook for throwing him under the bus. 

Seojoon blushes, "Well, I don't know about all that, and I don't really know your relationship, but I think you're doing the right thing. I mean, I was shocked when I first found out you two were dating," he says in a nearly scandalized voice. 

Taehyung laughs, "Yeah, we don't really seem like we'd fit, huh?" He agrees because, honestly, he and Jungkook, it's just ridiculous. In a real-world setting, they would never work. 

"Right! I mean, not to jump the gun, but Jungkook seems a little... brash for you. I'm not trying to be rude, but you're entirely out of his league," he expresses, shaking his head in disbelief at the fact that Taehyung and Jungkook were even together. 

Taehyung puts his hand on Seojoon's knee, "Well, who do you think I should date? Who's someone that is in my league?" he asks, leaning forward when Seojoon's eyes dart to his lips. 

"Well, me, I guess," he blurts out in response, "Look, I'm going to be honest with you, Taehyung. I've liked you since we first met in that elevator, so if you want to give us a try, then I certainly wouldn't be opposed," he admits in a breathy tone, pressing a shy kiss to Taehyung's lips. 

Taehyung leans back in, pressing a longer kiss to Seojoon's lips, "That can certainly be arranged," he replies before pulling away, "But I have to break up with Jungkook first. You understand, right?"

"Right," Seojoon answers with a decisive nod, "But don't turn this into a 'the other man' type of situation. You should break up with him tonight."

"I was already planning on it. I think he knows, too. He's been a little distant," Taehyung lies, frowning in fake annoyance. 

It's about an hour later that Taehyung goes to collect Jungkook, whom he's made sure to avoid for the majority of the party, but is surprised to be greeted by the glare of Jin, "I told you, Taehyung," he says, shaking his head with a sardonic smile.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asks, laughing nervously when Jin laughs in what he assumes to be disbelief. 

"Come on, Taehyung. I'm not an idiot, okay? You and Jungkook obviously had some sort of scheme going on, which is fine; that's your business. But you didn't have to completely ignore him tonight," he scolds, motioning to where Jungkook is sitting next to Jimin with a small frown on his face. 

"Jin, I know you think you know something, but Jungkook is fine. If he were actually upset, then he'd come to me. We're best friends," he explains, pushing past Jin to prove his point.

Jungkook looks up with a feeble smile, "Hey, Tae," he greets before standing up. "Is it time to go?" he asks, hoisting himself up from the couch.

"Yeah, let's go," Taehyung replies, much harsher than he normally would, but it's for the act, so Jungkook will understand.

"Bye, Jimin," Jungkook says in a voice that's almost meek, giving a soft wave. "It was really nice to get to know you."

Jimin pulls Jungkook into a hug, "It was nice to get to know you too, Jungkookie. I put my number in your phone, so call me if you ever want to talk," he offers, petting Jungkook's hair. Huh, that's weird. 

"Alright, time to go," Taehyung says, grabbing Jungkook's wrist to drag him to the elevator. He waits in anticipation for the doors to close. "We did it!" he exclaims in celebration.

Jungkook offers him a small smile, "So, Seojoon went for it?" he asks in a supportive voice. His reaction is a lot more muted than Taehyung expected, but he's probably just tired. Social battery and all.

"Sure did," Taehuyng confirms, heart beating as he revels in his success. "And! And he kissed me," he reveals, sighing as he replays the memory in his head. 

"That's great, Tae. Um... look, I think we should talk about something before you jump the gun on this one," he begins, tampering down some of Taehyung's excitement. 

Taehyung nods slowly, "Okay..." he says, drawing out the word, "What's up?"

Jungkook takes a deep breath, "I... um... I don't really approve of Seojoon," he reveals in a hesitant tone.

"What?" Taehyung asks in a bland tone. That's just utterly ridiculous. Why would Jungkook go through the trouble of fake dating him if he didn't approve of the person they were doing this for?

"Yeah, I don't approve," Jungkook says in a stronger tone, "I think that Seojoon's honestly a bit of an asshole, and quite frankly, I think he's a bit of a homewrecker, too."

Taehyung goes to answer, but the elevator dings, "We'll talk about this in the car," he grits out. 

The walk to Taehyung's car is completely silent, and so are the first five minutes of the drive as Jungkook bounces his leg up and down. 

"Jungkook, you're my best friend, and I respect your opinion, but we were never dating. You know that right?" he asks because the other man's claim that Seojoon is a homewrecker is so stupid when put into context. 

Jungkook's face turns completely blank, "Yeah, no, I know that. Of course, I know that, but if you really look at the situation-" 

"If I really look at the situation, then I'd see a fake relationship that's built on nothing but my desire to date Seojoon. Because that's what it was," he interrupts, turning up the music before Jungkook can answer. 

He doesn't look at Jungkook for the rest of the ride, and when they get back to the apartment, it's dead silent as Jungkook rushes to his room and slams the door. God, Taehyung has no idea what crawled up his ass, but his weird entitlement to Taehyung's love life was way out of line. 

It's fine, though. Jungkook is probably just a little tipsy and a little emotional at having to lose a couple of Taehyung's friends. Everything will be fine tomorrow, and Taehyung and Seojoon can officially start dating. 

Step 5: Reveling in Success

Jungkook has to be the worst judge of character on the planet. Truly, because Seojoon is a fucking dream to date. He's hot, he's fun, he's hilarious, and he works with Taehyung. If the other man had any flaws, it'd be that he and Taehyung don't really have that much in common. It's sometimes irritating how quickly Seojoon is to wave his concerns, but he worked for this relationship, so he has to be happy. He is happy... 

And luckily, just as Taehyung predicted, Jungkook dropped the issue the next morning and apologized to Taehyung. Their friendship returned to how it was before Seojoon, which is totally fine because Seojoon is what he wanted, so it's not like he can keep prioritizing Jungkook, even when he wishes he could... There are moments when Taehyung would normally be there for him but isn't, but Jungkook seems fine, so Taehyung is pretending everyhing is, too. 

"Wait, so you literally tampered with evidence?" Seojoon asks from his place on Taehyung's settee. 

Taehyung balks at the accusation, "What, Seojoon, are you fucking crazy?! I simply spilled coffee on a file. That's hardly 'tampering with evidence,'" he replies, mocking Seojoon's voice when he repeats his words. 

"Well, is it really that crazy of an-" Seojoon starts, but they're interrupted by a knock. 

Taehyung looks up to see Jungkook with a bag of food dressed in his workout clothes, "Hey, Tae! I saw your text. I didn't really know what you wanted, so I went to the stands and- oh, hi, Seojoon," he greets, and Taehyung's still trying to figure out why he's here in the first place. 

"Jungkook, uh, what're you doing here?" he asks, laughing awkwardly as he exchanges a yikes look with Seojoon. 

Jungkook throws him a confused look, "What do you mean? You sent me a text asking me if I wanted to visit you for lunch," he explains, pulling up the text on his phone. 

"Oh, well, that's my bad. I meant to send that to Seojoon," he clarifies with an apologetic smile. 

Jungkook gives him a slow nod as his arm falls limp next to his side, "Ah, I see. Um... I'm just gonna go. I'll see you later, Tae," he says before bolting out of the room. 

It's quiet for a moment before a cold voice breaks it, "Why the fuck would he be seeing you later?" Seojoon asks with a sharp look. 

Taehyung feels that the only way to go from here is honesty, "Because Jungkook's my roommate. We lived together before the breakup, and he just never really got around to moving out," he explains, trying to think of an excuse without revealing the entire... scheme he and Jungkook had going on. 

"Taehyung, I know we've only been dating for a couple of months, but I really don't feel comfortable with you living with your desperate ex. I mean, did you see the way he ran in here? It was borderline pathetic!" Seojoon exclaims, but Taehyung can only focus on the first half of his words. 

"What would you prefer I do? Kick him out on the street?" he questions sarcastically, balking when Seojoon only responds with a pointed look. "You're kidding? He was my best friend way before we dated, and it was only a month!" 

Seojoon shrugs, "Yeah, but he's also your best friend who's fucking in love with you, so how do you think that makes me feel?" he questions, crossing his arms. 

God, it's either come clean or kick Jungkook out, "We were never dating, okay? I only did that shit to make you jealous, but he's really just my best friend," he admits, closing his eyes quickly after. The confession kind of hurts. Their time together felt real, and Taehyung feels like a dick cheapening it. 

"Oh my god, are you being serious?" Seojoon laughs, but he doesn't seem to be mad, so Taehyung will have to take that as a win. God, Seojoon is kind of an ass. 

"Uh, yeah," Taehyung responds dumbly, sighing in relief when Seojoon's smile grows. He really didn't want to have a conversation about his feelings for Jungkook. 

"Ah, so you must have really liked me. I knew you could never go for someone like Jungkook," he says, shaking his head in amusement, "I mean, look at him! The tattoos! So trashy!"

Taehyung shrugs, "I don't know. I kind of like them," he defends, and maybe it's because he's been given an explanation for every drop of ink on Jungkook's skin, but he feels a little offended on his best friend's behalf. Jungkook is gorgeous. His tattoos are anything but trashy. They're beautiful. He's beautiful. 

"Oh, please. You really don't need to pretend anymore. Him, on the other hand, I hate to break it to you, Taehyung, but your best friend is seriously in love with you," he scoffs with an eye roll. 

Taehyung laughs, "Seojoon, I've known Jungkook my entire life. I'm pretty sure I'd know if he was in love with me," he responds, laughing to himself at how ridiculous that sounds. He'd have known. He'd have done something. 

"How the hell do you not see it? I'm telling you, Taehyung, Jungkook's got some type of infatuation with you. I mean, why else would he agree to fake date you?" he poses the question, and realistically, there could be a ton of reasons, but now Taehyung's mind is stuck on Seojoon's theory.

Jungkook was the one who suggested practicing kissing. He was the one who blushed during their dates. He was the one who rested his head on Taehyung's shoulder. He was the one who initiated the hand-holding most of the time. He was the one who was upset after the operation. He was the one who raced here with lunch even though Taehyung hadn't invited him in in months. Does Jungkook feel something, too? 

"Jesus fucking Christ. Jungkook has a damn crush on me. I mean, obviously, it would never work because that's just ridiculous, but holy shit. What the hell am I supposed to do? He doesn't really have any other friends, but I seriously don't know if I can keep being his friend now that I know," Taehyung expresses, just trying to de-escalate the situation, whipping around when he hears a sniffle. Shit. No. No. No. 

Standing in his doorway is probably the most distraught Jungkook he's ever seen, and there's a file at his feet, "Um... Jimin asked me to drop that off," he explains through tears. "And um... I just wanted to say that you don't really have to worry about us being friends because I don't really want that anymore," he says in a shaky voice before exiting. 

The weight of what just happened hits Taehyung a good ten seconds later, and he bolts up from his seat, chasing Jungkook down, "Wait! Sweets, wait! Come on, I really didn't mean it like that! I jumped to a conclusion and was just spitballing!" he yells as Jungkook literally runs away from him. 

He taps on the secretary's desk, "I'm gonna be out for the day. Cancel all my meetings," he says, trying to catch the elevator before it closes. It's too late, so he goes to the emergency stairs and runs down them like a madman. 

When he exits at the bottom floor, he sees Jungkook booking it for the exit, "Jungkook! Stop! Hold on! Just listen!" he yells out, not caring that the entire lobby is looking at him. 

In a turn of events, Jungkook actually listens, but he's mad. "What!" he yells through a sob. "You want me to sit here and listen to you explain why you were just about to drop a decade's worth of friendship because you thought I liked you?"

Taehyung's mouth goes dry because he really doesn't have much to say. "Jungkook, I'm—I wasn't going to do that. I got a little carried away with a theory, but I'd never do that to you. You know that," he tries, his eyes widening when Jungkook regains his composure in a split second. 

"It's fine," he says in an emotionless tone. "I'm gonna go home. Figure your shit out." Taehyung balks at the sudden mood switch but assumes that Jungkook must have rationalized that Taehyung wasn't going to actually do any of the shit he was spewing in the moment. 

He nods, "Okay. You're okay, right?" he asks, trying to gauge Jungkook's mood. 

"I'm fine," Jungkook replies in a cold voice. "Go to work. We'll figure it out later." 

So Taehyung does. He watches Jungkook leave and assumes that they'll work it out when he gets home. Later that evening, he bursts through the door anxiously, anxiously greeting him: "Jungkook! I'm home! I really think we should try and clear the air!" he says, but then he notices it.

The house... it's missing... not just Jungkook, but anything to do with him. The pink microwave that Jungkook was always a little scared to use. The blanket on the couch that Jungkook always wrapped himself in during movies. The pictures of Jungkook and Taehyung that his best friend insisted they hang up. The magnets on the fridge that never really held anything up. It's gone. All of it's gone.

But Jungkook wouldn't just leave, right? Taehyung rushes to Jungkook's room for any form of an answer, and he honestly to god wishes he hadn't because it's entirely barren. There's only his furniture and a couple of stray hangers in the closet. None of his collection of action figures. None of his piercings that always littered his dresser. Not even his damn LED lights. The only thing on the bed is a letter. 

Taehyung opens it with shaky hands and immediately wants to cry when he sees the familiar glittery black ink that Jungkook used all throughout high school. It's smudged with some sort of liquid, but Taehyung doesn't want to think about Jungkook crying, so he quickly gathers himself to read it. 

Dear Taehyungie Taehyung, 

You should know by now that I'm not really good with words, but I guess I wanted you to have some form of closure in case I ever go through with this. Lately, I've been feeling like you don't really value me anymore. Maybe you figured out that I really love you, or maybe you figured out that I'm not really worth the struggle, but I kind of get the feeling you're over me. 

I know you're probably trying to think of some form of evidence to back this claim up because you're a like a lawyer or something ^^ hehe. Anyway, you might not have noticed, but you don't really care to talk to me anymore. Last week, I tried to initiate a conversation about sixteen times, but you only responded once. Did you know you called me annoying? I don't even think you were joking like you usually do, and I try not to take things to heart, but that one made me not want to try in person anymore.

So, I switched to text. You always used to tell me that I was really bad at replying, but I invited you to hang out with me almost every day, and you only replied once. I wish you would have said something other than 'busy' because it made me feel really insignificant. I keep telling myself that it's because you're in a fresh relationship, but you've been in relationships before, and you never acted like that toward me. Why don't you like me anymore, Tae? What did I do to become so unimportant to you :(

Hi, it's me again. I decided to continue this letter because you forgot to show up to one of my matches again. I got really hurt because my opponent punched me in the face (Ouch!), and when I asked you to brush my hair like usual, you told me that you couldn't because you were in a relationship. I don't understand, Tae. I just wanted to be taken care of for a night cause my head hurt really bad. Why am I such a burden to you now? I thought you liked to take care of me too :(

I guess this letter has become more of a diary, but I don't really know if I'll ever actually move out. I just wanted to say that you didn't have to be so mean to me today, Taehyung. When I asked if you wanted to go to the strawberry farm with me, you laughed at me and didn't even answer :( Do you not like the farm anymore? I thought that was your favorite place! I'm sorry :(

Hi, I'm back. I feel a little better today because you gave me a hug when you left for work. It felt like old times again. I've been thinking about when we fake-dated a lot lately, which I know is really pathetic, but it just made me feel a lot happier. Ever since college, I've been really scared of getting in another relationship, but you made me feel really safe. Sometimes, when you would call me nice names and dress me up and call me pretty I would pretend it was real. I was so happy because it was almost like you liked me too :) But I guess you're in a relationship now, and you made it really clear that you never liked pretending to date me in the first place :((

I've been thinking about moving out more and more. Taehyungie, I miss you so much, and if you ever find this, I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to stick around, but I feel so sad lately. I don't think you've noticed because you spend a lot of time away, but I can barely smile these days. The only reason I really do is one time you told me you thought it was pretty. I wish you wouldn't have said such nice things to me when we were pretending. My stupid brain kept taking it serious :(

I don't think I love you anymore. I'm gonna move out. Today, Taehyung, you kind of implied that you only ever stuck around because I didn't have anyone else. Well, I'm leaving, so you won't have to worry about that. I don't think I've ever felt so much pain in my life than when I heard those words. Not even when I got beat unconscious. Your words still sting more. I need to move on, and you obviously don't even love me as a friend anymore, so I'll let you move on, too. 

Let's be happy apart because we couldn't be happy together. I'll never forget the good times, and try and forgive the bad. Bye bye :(

You're old friend,

Jungkook

Taehyung stares at the letter as tears of sorrow leak from his eyes. Jungkook loved him? Jungkook loved him for years, and he took him for granted because he got into a relationship? Taehyung, he doesn't really like to think about it, but there was a time when he liked Jungkook, too. There was a time when he would imagine their fake dating was real. And even now, he finds himself comparing his and Seojoon's relationship to his and Jungkook's. 

But that's never going to happen now because he just messed up the greatest thing he ever had in his life. Seojoon is... well, god, Jungkook was right. He's bitchy and mean and he talks about Jungkook like he's lesser and he pisses Taehyung the fuck off. He just felt so stupid because he had that terrible outburst where he told Jungkook he never enjoyed dating him, even when he did. he loved pretending to date Jungkook because... fuck it. 

He fucking loves Jungkook. He loves Jungkook's smile and his laugh and the way he returns Taehyung's energy and the way he loves to be taken care of and the way he's shy and the way he's bold and the way he's so strong but so soft. He loves Jungkook, but he pushed him away and treated him like he was nothing, so now he can never have that relationship. He screwed up. 

He was so deep in denial that he spouted off about kicking Jungkook out when, in reality, he'd sooner break up with Seojoon than leave Jungkook stranded like that. He'd sooner chop off his damn right arm than leave Jungkook feeling abandoned. But he did just that, didn't he?

Taehyung ignored him for months, trying to ignore the fact that he was in love with the man, and in doing so, he ruined what they had. How could he ignore Jungkook's requests to hang out? How could he ignore Jungkook when he tried to start a conversation? Why the hell did he try so hard to ignore his love for Jungkook? Why was he such a fucking coward? 

He, god, can't just let the other man leave, so he picks up his phone and dials Jungkook's number, waiting with bated breath for him to answer.

Hey, it's Jungkook; please leave a message at the- Ah! Taehyung, Stop!

Taehyung starts downright sobbing when he hears the voicemail because they recorded it when he and Jungkook were in high school. They're so integral to each other's lives that it leaks into even the smallest aspects of them. 

He has to try again. 

Hey, it's Jungkook; please leave a message at the- Ah! Taehyung, Stop!

Again.

Hey, it's Jungkook; please leave a message at-

Again.

Hey, it's Jungkook; please leave a-

Again.

Hey, it's Jungkook; please-

He's not going to answer, so Taehyung decides to just do what the damn recorded message tells him.

"Hey, sweets," he sobs out, trying to collect himself, "I... um, I read your letter, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you and that I pushed you away and made you feel unimportant. You- Kookie, you're everything to me. I, uh, I let you slip away because I didn't think you loved me back, but you do, right? You love me, too? Or, I guess you did. I- God, this is hard."

Taehyung takes a deep breath before continuing, "I guess I just couldn't live with myself if you thought you were the only one. I love you, too. I really do. I've loved you from the moment I saw you. I know that may seem like a lie in light of everything, but you've always been it for me. I just want you to know that if you ever decide to text me or call me or invite me to the farm with you or brush your hair or have a conversation or watch a movie, then I'll be there in a second. I love you, sweets, and I'm really fucking sorry," he ends, not even trying to stop each fresh wave of tears. 

It wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to just be another scheme of his and Jungkook's, like the pizza or the tuxedos, but it became too real, too fast, and Taehyung couldn't keep up with his feelings and his need to deny them. 

Jungkook is loyal. He's always been that way, but everyone has their limits. Taehyung wouldn't blame him if he reached his. 

And he doesn't. He doesn't blame Jungkook when the other man doesn't come back. He doesn't blame him the first month or the next or the next. He doesn't blame Jungkook when his relationship with Seojoon ends. He doesn't blame Jungkook when he shows up in his dreams every night. He doesn't blame Jungkook for anything. There's only himself to blame. 

Step 6:  Reparations

Six months. Jungkook has stared at the message day in, and day out for six months. He lives alone now, well, not entirely alone. He got a puppy. Bam. But other than that, it's really just them. He tries not to think about times when he was happier. Tries to move on, and he really should just delete the damn message, but he lets it sit. 

He needs to stop being such a coward and just open it, but he's scared. He exited Taehyung's conscience with nothing but a childish letter, and he's scared that the voicemail is going to confirm what Jungkook has known all along. That Taehyung doesn't give a shit about him. 

Jungkook's almost a hundred percent sure the message is going to destroy his mental health, but he decides to listen. He deserves closure, right? 

----------------------------------

Taehyung is simply going through the motions. Work. Home. Sleep. Rinse and repeat. Jungkook was everything to him. He was the reason he smiled every day. He was the reason he rushed home from work. He was the reason he smiled through work. He was his reason for everything. 

But he's gone, so Taehyung feels nothing. It's probably not healthy to be living the way he does. He should probably speak to a professional, but he doesn't deserve that. He hurt the one person he loves more than anything, so he deserves to rot, not move on and live a happy life. How could he be happy without Jungkook anyway? The other boy is never going to speak to him again. 

That's why Taehyung thinks he's fucking hallucinating when he sees Jungkook standing in his office with a hairbrush and a bag of food. Realistically, there's no way Jungkook would have come back, but that doesn't stop Taehyung from accepting the hairbrush and going through his best friend's hair when Jungkook sits down in front of him. 

"I had a really hard fight recently," Jungkook starts, talking like everything's normal. "All I wanted was for you to brush my hair. I really missed it." 

Taehyung swallows the lump in his throat, "I missed it, too, sweets. What'd you bring me?" he asks the hallucination because he just wants to pretend like everything is fine. He wants to pretend like Jungkook never left. 

"Japchae. It's been a while, but it's still your favorite, right?" Jungkook asks, turning around to look up at him. 

Taehyung clamps his mouth shut to stop a sob from escaping, "Mhmm. Sure is, baby," he responds, not even bothering to wipe the tears away from his face. God, the mind can be so cruel sometimes. 

"Why are you crying?" Jungkook asks in a concerned voice. "I thought you said you wanted me, too?"

"I- Stop. You're not real," Taehyung protests, sobbing because it's not fair. How could his mind create this image of Jungkook that feels so real? 

Jungkook's eyebrows furrow in confusion, "Tae, it's me. I... um... I listened to your voicemail, and I thought that maybe we could try and talk some things out. Are you okay?" Jungkook asks softly, moving to sit next to Taehyung on the couch.

"You're- you're real?" Taehyung breathes out, heart exploding in his chest, when he realizes that the Jungkook in his office isn't some sick hallucination. "I'm so sorry," he blurts out as the tears in his eyes fall at a faster pace. 

"Yeah, well, you should be," Jungkook scolds, but his tone is light. "You made me really upset, you know?" he admits in a more serious tone this time. 

Taehyung nods, "I know. I read your letter, Kookie. I know it's not really an excuse, but I guess I should try and explain."

Jungkook shrugs, "Yeah, I mean, I guess you sort of explained in your voicemail, but... why'd you do all that? Did you—was I not important to you? Why'd you treat me so nicely just to turn around and act like I didn't exist?" his voice cracks with emotion. 

"No!" Taehyung protests, "You were always important to me. You're my everything. Seriously. It was just that... I realized I loved you a long time ago, you know? And I guess when we dated it was like I was constantly reminded of what we could never have. I was... in denial. I was a coward. I tried to put all my energy into Seojoon, but he wasn't you. He was..." Taehyung trails off. 

"A fucking bitch, I know," Jungkook finishes, nodding in understanding. Taehyung really shouldn't laugh. Now's not the time, but Jungkook's dry humor is always going to make him laugh. Even at the most inopportune of times.

"Yeah, he was a fucking bitch," Taehyung agrees, letting out a laugh when Jungkook gives him an 'I told you so' look. "I guess you knew that all along, huh?"

Jungkook shrugs, "I guess you could say that. I was also... really jealous. I know it's kind of wrong of me, but I seriously hated Seojoon because every time we were doing something that seemed real, I was reminded that it was all for him. Why couldn't it have been for me?" he whispers in a sad tone. 

"It was," Taehyung admits immediately. "I wanted to do all of that stuff with you. I wanted to date you and kiss you and introduce you to my friends, but I wasn't ready to accept that, so I used Seojoon as an excuse."

Jungkook nods in understanding, "I get it. I sort of did the same thing when I agreed to go along with all that stuff. I knew that a lot of it was unnecessary, but I wanted to have those memories. I wanted to see what it'd be like if I actually got to have you the way I wanted." 

"You can," Taehyung replies immediately. "I know, um, I know I screwed up, but I do love you a lot, and I'd do basically anything to have a shot at actually dating you. For real this time."

Jungkook gives him a sad smile, "I missed you a lot, Tae. I thought about you everyday and tried to make new friends, but you were all I could think about. I want to date you, too. Do you think we could try again?" he asks in a hopeful tone. 

"Yes," Taehyung blurts out. "I- just, yes. I promise to be better. I didn't mean any of that shit I said to Seojoon. You're the only person I've ever wanted to date. It's you, so please let me. Please." 

"Okay," Jungkook agrees. "I'm gonna give it a try, but I really need you to be patient, okay? You hurt me really badly, and I felt so betrayed, so I need time to learn to trust you again. Can you give me that?" 

Taehyung nods, "I can," he breathes out with a smile. "We've got time, sweets. We'll make it work." 

Jungkook nods, "Yeah, we'll make it work. First step. You need to buy me my motorcycle as an apology. You forgot about it, but don't think that I did," he teases, but Taehyung's willing to do anything for him. 

"Done. Let's go," he declares, grabbing Jungkook's hand like he's wanted to since they first stopped doing it on that stupid elevator ride. 

Jungkook laughs, "Tae, I was just kidding! You can't buy me a motorcycle!" he exclaims, but lets himself be dragged out the door nonetheless. 

"I can buy you whatever I damn please, baby. You're mine to take care of freely now, so we're getting that damn motorcycle," he says, leading Jungkook down the elevator and out to his car. 

Predictably, Jungkook picks out a black motorcycle, giving Taehyung a sweet kiss on the cheek when he gives the dealer his card, "You really don't have to do this," Jungkook whispers in his ear. 

"I know," Taehyung replies, "I want to. I want to do things for you." 

Jungkook's ears turn red as he looks down with a smile, "Thank you," he says, pecking Taehyung's lips this time. 

It's gonna be okay. They'll work through this. 

Step 7: Happiness (and sex)

"Taehyung! No! We can't bring more than a couple of pounds home!" Jungkook protests as Taehyung attempts to load another basket of strawberries into the trunk of the truck. 

He gives Jungkook a confused look, "And why not?" he questions, pulling the basket out of range when Jungkook tries to grab for it. 

"What the hell are we going to do with seven pounds of strawberries? Seven!" he exclaims, laughing when Taehyung starts running away to try and avoid Jungkook's attempt to take the basket. "Okay, fine! But you're throwing them away when they mold!"

Taehyung smiles in victory, "Thank you, sweets. You'll find a way to use them, though. Or maybe we can feed them to Bam," he suggests, laughing when Jungkook outright glares at him. 

"Don't even think about it. Bam is a fine pedigree, Taehyung. He doesn't eat berries. He eats fish and meat," he argues, sitting in the trunk of Taehyung's parents truck. 

Taehyung sits next to him, kissing his forehead, "Baby, Bam eats kibble and whatever falls on the floor. I think he'll be fine," he reasons, pulling Jungkook closer to him when he shivers at the cold bite of the night. 

Today... today was a really good day. It's been about six months since they started dating, and they've been taking it slow, but recently, Jungkook moved back in to their home, and Taehyung really wanted to take him on a date. It was a clear choice to go to the strawberry farms, and Jungkook just looked so happy all day. God, to think they could have been doing this all along. 

Jungkook sighs at the new warmth before giving Taehyung a sweet kiss on the lips, "I had a lot of fun today, Taehyung. Thank you for taking me," he says in a sugary tone, and Taehyung pulls him back in by his waist. 

"I'm happy, sweets," he says, seating Jungkook in his lap. "You looked so gorgeous today. Wanted to mark you up to keep those country boys away from you," he murmurs, kissing down Jungkook's neck. 

"Taehyung," Jungkook says through a satisfied hum. "Are you gonna fuck me?" he asks in a way that's somehow innocent. God, he's so cute. 

"Do you want me to?" Taehyung asks, biting at one of Jungkook's beauty marks on his neck. Jungkook's so goddamn sensitive. All it takes is a little bit of biting for him to be a shivering mess in Taehyung's lap. So fucking pretty. 

"Mmm, yeah," Jungkook whispers in his ear, biting the lobe. "I rented a hotel. Want you to eat me out on the bed. Will you, please?"

Taehyung feels his eyes widen at Jungkook's filthy words and he quickly removes Jungkook from his lap to get to the hotel ASAP. 

"You're a demon, you know that?" he questions on the ride over when Jungkook attempts to give him road head for the eighth time. Taehyung would accept if he didn't plan on getting them to the hotel alive. He has to stay strong. 

Jungkook nods. Fucking shameless. "You don't want me to suck you off?" he asks with a pout, resting his chin in his hand on the center consol. 

"Baby, I'm pretty sure we both know the answer to that," he replies, parking like a mentally disabled donkey when they pull into the hotel.

Taehyung's pretty sure the entire lobby saw him make out with Jungkook on the way into their room, but he's always so desperate to have Jungkook's pretty little lips on his. The first time they kissed, Taehyung didn't really get to taste him, but ever since, he takes every opportunity to slip his tongue in Jungkook's mouth to get a hint of the sweetness that's always there. 

Before Taehyung knows it, Jungkook pushes him on the bed and takes him down to the root. God, Taehyung feels fucking euphoric when Jungkook starts sucking at his tip, letting out little moans that send vibrations all the way through his body. 

Taehyung can't contain himself when Jungkook starts laving his tongue up and down the shaft, swallowing around the tip every once in a while. He feels himself start to fucking leak over Jungkook's tongue, and he made a promise to the boy to eat him out and fuck him real nice, so he pulls Jungkook off by his hair. 

"Why?" Jungkook whines, probably not noticing the way his hips are jerking against the bed in desperate need of friction. 

Taehyung pulls Jungkook off his knees and turns him on his stomach, "Because, I'm gonna make you cry all pretty now, baby?" he says, pulling Jungkook's pants and briefs off. 

He takes his time, kissing down Jungkook's back before he spreads him open and licks a stripe right down to his pink rim. God, Jungkook's always so fucking clean. He's so responsive, too. Damn near sobbing when Taehyung finally sticks his tongue inside after licking him for a couple of minutes.

It's when Jungkook starts to grind back in desperation that he decides he can move on, "Lay on your back, sweets. Gonna finger you real nice," he says, pulling Jungkook's legs up to his chest when the other boy gets in position. 

"Taehyung!" Jungkook moans when Taehyung puts his first lubed-up finger in. It's goes in a little too easy, and Taehyung can't help but tease. "Did baby play with himself earlier?" he asks in a slightly condescending voice that goes right over Jungkook's head. 

Jungkook nods, "Mhmm. In the shower this morning. Wanted you to fuck me all day," he whines, whimpering when Taehyung rams his fingers into his prostate over and over again. 

It's when he slips the third finger in that he sees Jungkook's pink cock start to jerk on his stomach, precum leaking all over his abs. 

"Taehyung, please," Jungkook whimpers, hips twitching down to meet Taehyung's finger thrusts. 

Taehyung smiles, "Please, what? Come on, use those words, Kookie," he instructs, leaning forward to suck one of Jungkook's nipples in his mouth. 

Jungkook can barely do anything but moan as Taehyung pulls at his piercings with his teeth, and Taehyung laughs when he sees the little bit of drool that's made its way out of his mouth. 

"I thought you wanted something. Guess not," Taehyung shrugs, doubling his efforts when Jungkook starts whining as he slows down his thrusts.

"More, more. Please touch me!" Jungkook begs, tears running down his face as his stomach starts contracting. 

Taehyung laughs, "I am touching you, sweetheart? Be more specific for me," he requests, kissing Jungkook's lips to try and bring him down a little. 

"Cock, please. Want you to touch my cock," he whimpers, chasing Taehyung's lips when he pulls away. 

Taehyung strokes Jungkook's cock for a couple of seconds, and it starts to leak like a damn faucet as his gorgeous Jungkooki's thighs start to twitch at the stimulation. 

"Good boy. Did such a good job asking," Taehyung praises into his ear, giving him the kiss that he keeps leaning forward for. 

Jungkook calms down a little bit, making a noise of confusion when Taehyung pulls his fingers out, "Taehyung," he sobs in distress, and Taehyung quickly kisses away his tears. 

"Don't cry, baby. Shh, you're okay. I'm gonna fuck you now, alright?" he questions, waiting for Jungkook's nod as he continues to kiss his wet cheeks. 

"Please," Jungkook begs, wrapping his legs around Taehyung's waist, "Please, Taehyung," he whimpers out, throwing his head back when Taehyung finally enters him. 

"Feels good?" Taehyung asks, trying to see if Jungkook has adjusted after a minute or two. 

Jungkook nods, "Mhmm," he says in a voice that's a little too spacey. 

"Good boy. Keep using those words for me, okay? Want you to keep those gorgeous eyes on me the whole time," he instructs before beginning to move slowly. 

Jungkook nods, going to reply but moaning loudly when Taehyung hits his sweet spot, "There, there, please," He chants in a breathy tone as he moves his hips to meet Taehyung's thrusts. 

"You're so tight, baby. Feel so good around me. You're made for me," he whispers in Jungkook's ears, chuckling when Jungkook shivers.

"Tae," he hears Jungkook moan in a high-pitched voice.

"Right there, baby?" he asks, increasing his speed and throwing his head back when he feels the tight heat clench around him. God, Jungkook feels like fucking heaven. His body's so damn soft.

"Yes, fuck, right there!" Jungkook yells in a whiny voice, clasping his legs tigher around Taehyung.

It's when Jungkook clenches the tightest he's ever been that Taehyung grabs his waist with one hand, lifting him up to have better leverage, and grabs his cock with his other hand.

"You're so tiny here, baby," Taehyung says, biting Jungkook's earlobe. "So goddamn pretty for me. Such a dream."

Jungkook doesn't even respond besides moaning even louder as he fucks into Taehyung's hand, "Gonna cum! Please, faster!"

"I got you, sweetheart," Taehyung says, feeling his own orgasm approaching when Jungkook starts moving his hips in a nearly hypnotic way.

It's not long before Jungkook comes all over his hand with a high-pitched moan, body twitching as he rides out his orgasm. Taehyung thrusts a couple more times before following shortly after, collapsing into Jungkook's neck right after. 

"Good boy. So pretty when you cum. So lucky you're mine," he pants, trying to gain his composure after coming so hard. 

When he looks down, Jungkook is out, so he runs to the bathroom to grab a wet towel to wipe him down before going back to rinse off. 

He smiles when he sees the way Jungkook's mouth forms a pout through his puffy cheeks that are pressed against the pillow. 

"Love you, sweets," he whispers in his ear before pulling him back against his chest by his waist. 

The next morning, Taehyung is woken up to the smell of strawberries, and a freshly showered Jungkook is right next to him with a stack of pancakes. 

"Oh, you're awake. I got us breakfast from downstairs," Jungkook tells him, resting his head on Taehyung's shoulder as he climbs back in bed. 

Taehyung wraps his arm around him, "Have I ever told you I love you?" he asks. 

Jungkook nods, "Literally every day," he answers, and Taehyung shoots him a confused look.

"Sorry, man, I was talking to the pancakes. Awkward," he teases, laughing when Jungkook punches his arm. 

"You're such an asshole," he groans, opening his mouth for a bite. 

Taehyung shrugs, "Yeah, but I'm your asshole," he says, grimacing when he realizes how gross that sounds.

"That one didn't quite land," Jungkook points out, laughing at Taehyung's face. 

He can't help but agree, though, "No, no, it did not," he concedes, holding up another bite for Jungkook. 

"I love you," Jungkook whispers, clasping their hands together.

Taehyung smiles, kissing Jungkook's forehead, "I love you, too, sweets," he says back.

"I was talking to the pancake."

"Asshole."