Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I want Kim Seokjin to fuck me.” 

Taehyung doesn’t mean to really say it out loud, but work is so dull and his mind is so full of daydreams of toned arms caging him in, pretty smiles, and sultry eyes that he forgot where he was for a moment, and once he realizes his mistake, he nervously glances up at his coworker in hopes he wasn’t heard. Fantasizing about someone finally taking his virginity isn’t exactly work appropriate, but neither is anything about his dark-headed, pierced, tatted, and foul-mouthed coworker-turned-friend, Jeongguk. 

Jeongguk raises a pierced brow and snorts around the sucker resting on his tongue. He takes it out to speak, setting what’s left of it on the wrinkled wrapper in front of him. “You’re not the only one.” He closes the magazine he’s casually flipping through, and sets it on the scuffed counter top beside the even more banged up cash register. “Over half the people I know want the same thing.” Jeongguk doesn’t say it to be reassuring, which is good, because it isn’t. Jeongguk probably knows at least half of the city, the perk (or disadvantage if it was Taehyung) adjacent to being the lead guitarist in a local band. Coincidentally, just like Seokjin. 

Taehyung groans, cheeks beet red with embarrassment, a twinge of jealousy, and internal anger at himself. “I’m aware,” he grumbles, his gaze falling to a patch of marker graffiti on the counter top. “I didn’t even mean to say it out loud. Forget you heard anything, please.” While he and Jeongguk are friends, Jeongguk is the one between the two of them to talk about who he sleeps with—or wants to sleep with. Taehyung still being a virgin is besides the matter, he’s certain he wouldn’t be the kind to kiss and tell once applicable. Therefore, Jeongguk has never heard about Taehyung’s desires, or partners and lack thereof, until now. Taehyung wants to crawl under the table and disappear.

Jeongguk chuckles, the sound vibrating all the way down Taehyung’s spine. Staticky Frank Sinatra plays over the record store’s ancient speaker system, and Taehyung wishes it would drown out Jeongguk’s delight at his expense and whatever he’ll say next. It doesn’t.

“You’re better off not knowing what sex with Seokjin is like,” Jeongguk says, still chuckling. He reopens his magazine and lazily scans the page. Someone passing by the storefront redirects the late afternoon sunlight into the store and across Jeongguk’s piercings. Taehyung stares at the one in his eyebrow, burning the bright image of the two metal balls into his mind for no particular reason.

“What?” Taehyung asks once he fully processes what Jeongguk had said. Despite his want for the conversation to end and be forgotten, he can’t help his curiosity. “Why’s that?”

“He’s too loud,” Jeongguk responds without looking up. He turns a page of the magazine, his eyes flickering over the content suspiciously fast for him to actually be taking any of it in. 

“But, that’s hot. Why would that matter?” Taehyung argues. A beat passes without a reaction from Jeongguk. While both prominent in the city’s sizable music scene, Jeongguk has never once mentioned knowing Seokjin. It shouldn’t surprise Taehyung, he knows their bands must’ve crossed paths at some point, but possessing knowledge about how Kim Seokjin is in bed is not music related, and it pushes Taehyung into uneasiness. “How do you know that?” 

Jeongguk flips another page and shrugs. He continues to speed-read his magazine. “Fucked around with him a few months ago after one of his shows at the Lucky Lady.” 

Taehyung’s spine straightens as he nearly flies off of his stool, his posture the best it’s ever been. “You? Seokjin?” Jeongguk looks up for a moment, his lined eyes unreadable. He nods. 

“How did you manage to do that?” Taehyung asks, uncaring of how rude he sounds. Seokjin seems like the type to like people less muscled, less wild, less intense. Jeongguk narrows his eyes, the eyeliner darkening his features. Taehyung suppresses a shiver.

“Write my final Lit paper for me and I’ll tell you,” Jeongguk says, lowly. Taehyung scoffs. This isn’t the first time Jeongguk has counter-propositioned Taehyung with something he wants in exchange for completed college assignments, and yet Taehyung reacts like it is. 

“Why would I do that?” Taehyung crosses his arms. Frank Sinatra turns into Led Zeppelin above Taehyung’s head. It distracts him, but only for a second, from watching Jeongguk pick his sucker up and lick it. Jeongguk’s tongue is pink from the candy. Taehyung has to look away. 

“I know your little game. You want to know how to bag Seokjin, so fine. I’ll help you if you help me.” Jeongguk smiles, the corner of his lips twitching into something more like a smirk.  

“I’m not playing any kind of game,” Taehyung argues, feeling affronted. “I don’t need your help.” 

Jeongguk flashes a grin. “Okay.” He pops the sucker back in his mouth. Taehyung shifts in seat and looks to the counter for reprieve from Jeongguk’s infuriating face, anxious for the end of his shift to arrive and save him. 

When closing does come, the last few hours passing by slowly and uneventfully, Taehyung clocks out immediately, and hurries out the door like a bat out of hell. Jeongguk isn’t far behind him, busy locking the door, and Taehyung leaves him in the dust. They hadn’t said much else to each other during their last few hours together, but that’s probably more because Jeongguk was busy listening to his band’s demos on a walkman he most definitely stole from the store’s back rooms ages ago. Taehyung didn’t bother with disturbing him, instead he’d quietly added to the mess of drawings on the counter, and counted how many people walked by the storefront without coming in. The number is eighteen, higher than yesterday’s. 

Taehyung makes it to the bus stop just in time, and throws his body through the closing doors. It’s dangerous, but not uncommon for him, and the driver stopped wasting his breath after the fourth time he’d scolded Taehyung for it. Taehyung bounds down the aisle for the last available window seat and plops down. He leans his tired head against the window, blonde hair flattening and becoming misshapen, and watches downtown pass by underneath the moonlight and flickering street lamps, letting thoughts of Seokjin circle in the back of his mind like they usually do. 

On the edge of spring turning into summer, the late evening’s heat has already reached a temperature that pushes people to seek the comfort of the inside of their cool apartments and homes before eight o’clock. Taehyung wishes he was already home himself, but he has twenty more minutes of a stuffy, yet surprisingly quiet, commute left. He wishes he lived only ten minutes from work like Jeongguk did, recognizing his block as the next stop. Taehyung frowns at his faint reflection in the window as their conversation from earlier resurfaces in his mind, desperately wanting Jeongguk’s deep voice and smirk far from his thoughts. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tries to push Jeongguk out of his head, Taehyung keeps thinking about Jeongguk—and Seokjin—and eventually how the two of them know one another. He fidgets in his cramped seat, feeling restless with the fact that Jeongguk and Seokjin had once slept together. 

Taehyung’s incessant, inconvenient crush—obsession—or whatever it is, on Seokjin has plagued him for about a month, ever since he saw Seokjin’s band play at one of the bars down the block from the store. Seokjin had come in and asked to hang a flyer for the show a few days before the gig, and had given Taehyung a personal, damning invite. He was all dark, ripped clothing, heavy-lidded eyes, and bright smiles, and it made Taehyung stupidly weak in the knees. Jeongguk wasn’t around when Seokjin had come in, and if he had been, Taehyung wonders if that would’ve changed everything. Probably not. 

Taehyung had attended the show alone, wearing his tightest jeans and watched Seokjin’s sweat-slick, bare arms from a bar stool, feeling the weight of need getting heavier by the minute and settling deep in his gut. He didn’t act on it that night, didn’t even go up and speak to Seokjin after the show, and hasn’t had the chance to work himself up to attending another gig since then. Seokjin has visited his thoughts at night before bed on more than one occasion, has taken up space in his mind during the times he’s supposed to be concentrating on inventory at work, and all the random moments in between. It’s gotten to the point where Taehyung wants him desperately enough that when he does see him again, if ever, he’s worried his inexperienced, horny ass will jump Seokjin’s bones in public and skip all of the flirting and small talk that Taehyung has always been terrible at.

The bus stop for Jeongguk’s block approaches at neck-breaking speed, and as the bus slams to a stop, Taehyung unconsciously finds himself standing and walking off the bus and toward Jeongguk’s apartment, head still full of Jeongguk and Seokjin. He’s visited Jeongguk’s place countless times, so he knows where he’s going, and about halfway to his apartment building, it belatedly hits Taehyung what he’s doing. 

“Fuck me,” Taehyung mutters under his breath. He wants Jeongguk’s stupid help with Seokjin, and his body acted on it and knew it before the rest of him did. Taehyung wants to turn around and save himself from further embarrassment, but he doesn’t, the bus has left and he evidently wants Seokjin more than he wants to save his pride. It’s an awful thing to want a man to fuck your brains out.

🎫

“I need your help,” Taehyung says as soon as Jeongguk opens his apartment door. 

Jeongguk’s barely been home long enough to settle in after their shift had ended, but he’s already wiped his eyeliner away and changed into thin, around-the-house clothing that shows off too many hidden muscles and sharp angles when shifted just right. As if making some kind of point, a hip bone pokes out tauntingly when he leans against the doorway and his shirt rides up. Taehyung blinks at it for one too many seconds before forcing his attention on Jeongguk’s face. He’s met with Jeongguk studying him carefully under fluffy bangs. He looks so soft without makeup or fixed hair that it disarms Taehyung for a moment, rendering him unprepared for the irritating blow of Jeongguk’s response. 

“Write me a paper in under three hours?” Jeongguk asks. “It’s due tonight.” Taehyung rudely thinks there’s a reason it’s taking Jeongguk so long to get through college at twenty-eight. He regrets the thought as soon as it enters his mind, feeling silently remorseful. 

The brief guilt loosens Taehyung’s tongue into agreeing without arguing, but he chews on his lip before sighing, making Jeongguk aware that it isn’t an ideal amount of time. “Fine,” Taehyung mumbles. Jeongguk’s grin is wide, splitting his face in two, his lips glossy and red enough that they suggest blood. He steps out of the way to allow Taehyung inside.

“I have the assignment already open on my laptop,” Jeongguk says, walking a few steps over into his kitchen and pointing at the computer sitting on his counter. Taehyung toes off his shoes in the entryway, and closes the door behind him, shutting out the warm, humid air attempting to stick to his back. He follows Jeongguk’s path and stands beside him in front of the laptop. Taehyung bends down closer to the screen to read what’s there. He shoots back up, his spine ramrod straight, yanking his face toward Jeongguk’s.

“It’s over a reading?” Taehyung shrieks, his voice reaching new octaves with every word. “Did you even open the book? I don’t have time to read an entire book and write something over it. I didn’t even do that myself when I was in college.” 

Jeongguk just blinks at him, a small smile on his lips. “I skimmed through the book. Does that count?” Jeongguk crosses his arms tightly, his pectorals popping out from the new constraint against them. Taehyung struggles to not glance down, seeing his pronounced, defined chest in his peripheral vision. Taehyung’s throat goes dry.

“Not really.” Taehyung presses his lips together. He itches to scold Jeongguk and put his hands on his hips. “Are you going to help me write this paper? You’re going to have to give me content to work with.”

“I can do that,” Jeongguk answers, grinning infuriatingly. Taehyung suppresses a whine, regretting ever befriending Jeongguk and saying ‘yes’ the first time Jeongguk asked for his help. They should’ve stayed strictly coworkers. But, tonight is Taehyung’s fault. He can’t blame Jeongguk for how he showed up on his doorstep. Besides, life before Jeongguk was admittedly dull, but Taehyung will never let him know that. 

Taehyung lets out a small sigh, containing the rest of it inside. He picks up the laptop and heads toward Jeongguk’s well-loved, sunken couch in the next room. “Let’s at least sit comfortably.” Jeongguk follows behind, softly humming a familiar tune in lieu of verbal agreement. Taehyung sits on the end, squishing himself into his favorite corner, and reads the assignment again before opening a blank word document.

“Give me a summary over what you read—or saw, I guess I should say,” Taehyung instructs once Jeongguk is sprawled out across the other two cushions beside him. His socked foot comes to rest near Taehyung’s knee. Taehyung looks at the pink and white heart-shaped pattern on the fabric while he waits for Jeongguk to answer. 

“So, it’s about this handmaiden…”

🎫

With five minutes to spare, Taehyung submits Jeongguk’s final Korean Literature assignment. He sighs, the pressure of the deadline now off his shoulders, and pops his rigid knuckles, feeling instant relief. He shuts the dying laptop down, and sets it on the coffee table, leaning back and closing his eyes for a brief moment. 

“Jeongguk, never again, I swear to god,” Taehyung mumbles, opening his eyes and turning his head to look at Jeongguk. “I honestly can’t believe we—I—did all of that in such little time.” 

Jeongguk huffs a laugh through his nose, smirks, and narrows his eyes. The lack of eyeliner makes him less intimidating to look at when he does that. “Don’t forget you came here wanting something.” 

Taehyung’s gut instantly stirs, his blood heating at Jeongguk’s words and tone. He blames the odd way Jeongguk is the one to affect him—of all people—on how pent up he’s been lately, how exasperated and exhausted he is with his virginity the closer he gets to thirty. Taehyung prays that his cheeks don’t turn red. He swallows before responding. 

“I changed my mind. Just let me have an I-owe-you instead,” Taehyung says, truly meaning it. He can’t talk about wanting Seokjin right now, not when Jeongguk keeps looking at him like that, so self-satisfied and at ease with having the upper hand. 

“Nah, you clearly want this bad enough. Let me help. Seokjin is as easy as he is loud,” Jeongguk replies, snorting. “Takes a bit of the fun out of it, but hey, maybe you’ll like that.” Jeongguk laughs fully at his little joke as he rearranges his long limbs on the couch. He sits up and leans back against the arm, tilting his head to the side to study Taehyung. 

This time, Taehyung’s cheeks most definitely heat under his heavy gaze, his blush revealing how nerve-wracking he finds all of this to be. He fights the urge to break eye contact with Jeongguk. 

“Oh my god, please just give me the I-owe-you,” Taehyung groans, not above begging at this moment in time. His pride can handle that, unlike anymore possible embarrassment. 

Jeongguk pretends to think by tapping the end of his pointer finger against his chin. Taehyung’s eyes linger on his jawline as he waits for the painful silence to end. “Mmm, no.” Jeongguk looks Taehyung straight in the eyes, his defiance hitting Taehyung hotly in his core.

“God. Where do we go from here then?” Taehyung whines, tempted to pitch a fit just so he can leave and forget the entire day ever happened. “You just tell me how you ended up going home with Seokjin and that’s it, alright? Nothing more, nothing less. Save me from the details, please.” His poor, envious heart probably won’t be able to handle anything more than what he’s asking for. 

A large part of Taehyung wishes he stayed on that damn bus and went straight home, but the smaller, secretive part of him is strangely feverish and delighted that he somehow found himself in this position. Taehyung can’t exactly pinpoint why that’s the case, and it bothers him, but he indulges it all the same. Maybe he has an untapped humiliation kink. Maybe Jeongguk will help him learn more about himself in this hopefully very short, very quick process. 

“I can do something along the lines of that,” Jeongguk agrees, his small, tight-lipped smile incriminating. 

A pit of dread forms in Taehyung’s stomach in the midst of the heat inside of him, cooking him and killing him from the inside out. “What does that mean?”

Jeongguk doesn’t answer or give any implication to what he meant, instead silently folding his legs in and sitting upright beside Taehyung, looming the obvious bulk difference between the two of them over him. 

“Might be fun to show you instead, don’t you think?” Jeongguk says, his voice low. Taehyung resists the urge to squirm under his gaze. Faint chills erupt along his neck. Jeongguk’s presence and persistence is a lot to behold most days, but tonight he seems to be on a different level altogether. Taehyung wonders if it’s because of how he voiced that he wants to get dicked down, but he realistically figures that would be out of Jeongguk’s interests. 

“You’re going to act out how you pulled Kim Seokjin at a bar?” Taehyung asks, unimpressed. His heart hammers in his chest all the same. “Sounds stupid to me.” 

“If you see how it went down, you’ll have a better understanding on what you should do,” Jeongguk says in a matter-of-fact tone, but his eyes and the corners of his lips hold a kind of mischief Taehyung knows to be wary of. 

“Are you trying to teach me what to do?” Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot up in bewilderment. “Jeongguk, this is not what I asked for. It’s starting to get out of hand, and I—”

“Why do you like taking the fun out of things?” Jeongguk huffs, cutting Taehyung off. 

“How is this fun? What do you get out of it? Seeing me wither away from embarrassment the longer this goes on? Jeongguk, I’m already humiliated by how all of this started, so can we please hurry this up and get it over with?” Taehyung sighs loudly and picks at the skin on one of his thumbs, his body wired with too much anxious energy and no outlet. 

“Taehyung, part of the charm is how I deliver the stupid lines. They sound a lot lamer when I just say them point blank,” Jeongguk grumbles, clearly starting to get as fed up with Taehyung as Taehyung is with him. 

“Fine. Hit me with it. Give me your charm,” Taehyung says. He folds his arms and waits, burying the desire to twist his features into something haughty and tap his foot against the hardwood floor. 

Jeongguk frowns, his brows furrowing. Taehyung glances at his piercing. “You’re always so difficult,” he mutters under his breath. Taehyung’s eyes widen in disbelief and he gets ready to scoff and call Jeongguk out on the irony of his words, but then Jeongguk’s continuing and doesn’t allow him to even try. “I changed my mind. You don’t get the charm. I started by telling him he looked good up on stage, and then I told him I was going home soon and that I was either going to fuck myself into my hand while thinking about him, or he could come with me and give me something else to fuck into.” Jeongguk leans forward, his expression turning bored right in front of Taehyung’s rapidly heating face. “Do with that what you will, Taehyung.” 

Taehyung wishes he could peel his jaw off of the floor and stop looking like an idiot, and also find words to respond with. He's too preoccupied by how his insides feel like molten lava attempting to seep out of him and consume him. Taehyung swallows hard, his throat dry as sandpaper. If someone had ever said that to him, he’d probably go home with them too, because who says shit like that? 

All of a sudden, Taehyung is hit with the sense that every ounce of Jeongguk’s confidence has been well-earned and proven to be justifiable. And with that revelation, what he wants from Jeongguk is flipped on its head. He wants what Jeongguk has—not just the easy ability to have sex with Seokjin, but the confidence, the nonchalance, brazen view surrounding sex that makes getting what he wants from someone so simple. 

“Oh my god,” Taehyung finally whispers, closing his mouth tight. It’s nothing, but it’s all he can think of, his mind still half-glitching.

Jeongguk snorts, looking up at the ceiling. “There. No details. We’re even. Thanks for your help with the paper.” He looks back at Taehyung, his face unreadable. Taehyung blinks once, twice, finally pulling himself completely out of his stupor. 

“You’re insane,” Taehyung says in one quiet breath. “How do you do it? I think I do want the details. How do you make it seem so easy?” Teach me what to do. 

Jeongguk raises a brow. He waits a few moments, the time passing irritatingly slow for Taehyung. “Are you—do…do you you have a difficult time finding someone to fuck? I kinda find that hard to believe.” Jeongguk looks up and around as if he’s truly thinking about it. “Maybe I should believe it since you haven’t slept with Seokjin yet. Hmm.” 

Taehyung frowns at Jeongguk, his melted, goopy insides twisting this way and that at what Jeongguk is and isn’t insinuating. “Alright. I get it. Seokjin is easy, and I’m stupid for wanting to sleep with him, and I’m stupid for not being able to get him to sleep with me yet. Thanks, Jeongguk. You’re such a help. I’m so glad I ever asked.” Taehyung rolls his eyes and moves to the edge of the cushion to get up and leave for the night. He’s at least severely glad to hear that he doesn’t scream virgin like he thought he did to everyone he meets, and he tucks that assurance away to reconsider when he’s alone.

“I didn’t say you were stupid,” Jeongguk replies. He makes a low noise sounding like displeasure deep in his throat, gaining Taehyung’s attention and stopping his movements for a moment. “I said I found it hard to believe that you would have trouble with this kind of thing to begin with. I’ve seen your legs in shorts. I know you have something to work with.” Jeongguk grins and Taehyung’s cheeks blaze red for the thousandth time that day. He stands quickly, comically fast. 

“I gotta go,” he blurts out, taking two steps at a time for the front door. “See you tomorrow!” Taehyung calls out without looking back. He hears a bout of shocked snickering as he shoves his feet into sneakers and whips the door open, stumbling into humid night air. Jeongguk doesn’t follow him out, and Taehyung isn’t too sure if that’s a good thing or not. 

Taehyung walks the stretch home instead of bothering with waiting for a bus, his nervous system too addled to sit still anyway. He frantically attempts to turn his brain off and the new, embarrassing replay of how sudden and awkward he left. There’s no doubt Jeongguk will tease him for it during their next shift. Taehyung has no idea what came over him, or caused him to react so severely from a comment about his damn legs. His neck heats as he unwillingly remembers the way Jeongguk smiled too big at him, and the deep timber of his voice as he admitted to looking at Taehyung. It was stupid. It didn’t matter. It only matters if Seokjin has noticed, but how would he if Taehyung never goes out? He’ll have to remedy that, and soon.

🎫

“Can I ask you something?” Jeongguk asks a few hours into their shift the next day. Taehyung is instantly on his guard. He shifts on his stool to look at Jeongguk cautiously. 

“Depends on what it is if you get an answer or not,” is Taehyung’s reply. He feels witty. He feels nervous. 

“Why the fuck did you leave like a bat out of hell last night?” Jeongguk’s face is serious, genuine. There’s no trace of yesterday’s easy smiles and taunting grins.

Taehyung makes a noise of disapproval. “Not getting an answer for that one,” he mumbles.

“I’m asking in case I said something wrong, or if I offended you. I’ve never seen you look so pale before,” Jeongguk says, earnestly. “I’d like to apologize if that’s the case.”

“No—Jeongguk,” Taehyungs starts, pausing to let out a small sigh. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just freaked out over literally nothing, and I don’t know why I did it either. I should be the one apologizing.”

Jeongguk shakes his head. “It’s okay, no apology necessary. We’re good.” He smiles crookedly, tilting his head. A few pieces of hair fall out of its gelled-back placement  away from his face. His forehead is exposed, his bangs parted. It’s how he usually fixes his hair, but after seeing it so fluffy last night, he looks different. Hot. Taehyung bites down a budding smile. They look away from each other synchronously, returning to their magazine and library book. 

Another hour of their shift passes, marking the halfway point. The minutes pass increasingly slow, and Taehyung is tiring of his book and the remix of Rod Stewart’s Greatest Hits CD playing over the sound system. He thinks Jeongguk chose it just to mess with him, considering Do Ya Think I’m Sexy and three different versions of the song have played back to back. Taehyung makes the executive decision to change it. He leaves his spot and closed book to walk toward the backroom entrance where the CD player and speaker controls are housed. Taehyung tries to think of an artist that can be used as equal annoyance bait, but he feels more in the mood for the mellow sound of Cigarettes After Sex, and he chooses them instead of poking back at Jeongguk. 

Young & Dumb sounds through the speakers, the track not as clear when pushed through the decades old system, but it’ll do. Nobody pays much attention to the music anyways besides him and Jeongguk, and they got used to the quality a long, long time ago.

“Terrible choice,” Jeongguk calls out over rows of used CD cases. Taehyung can see him clearly, his round head still downturned and reading his magazine. Turns out he poked Jeongguk after all, but he doubts it’ll leave much of a bruise.

Taehyung opens his mouth to retort, or tell him to be quiet, but then the door is opening and the small chime is alerting them of a customer. Except it isn’t just any customer, it’s Seokjin walking through the doorway. Taehyung’s embarrassment from yesterday’s conversations and events are still fresher than he’d like to admit, so he quickly shuffles backward into the opening of the backroom without thinking. He hides behind the wall, giving himself a moment to find composure, and once he feels ready and hears the steady murmur of Jeongguk’s low voice, Taehyung grabs an unopened box of inventory as a prop and something to hide behind.

As he walks back onto the main floor of the store, Taehyung refuses to look at either Seokjin or Jeongguk, pushing his curiosity and small flares of jealousy deep down where he can’t touch it. Out of the corner of his eye, Taehyung notices Seokjin handing Jeongguk a flyer. He pretends to restock shelves, instead making a mess out of them that he’ll have to reorganize later. Before Taehyung knows it, Seokjin is walking out of the store, and he is left feeling idiotic. Taehyung takes his sweet time before returning to the counter, his curiosity over the flyer pulling him there eventually. 

Jeongguk stares a hole into Taehyung’s head when he approaches, wiggling his eyebrows when Taehyung finally acknowledges him. Jeongguk pushes the flyer toward Taehyung. Taehyung glances at it sideways, not wanting to look like he’s giving it the majority of his attention like he actually is, and seeing it’s another shower the Lucky Lady. Jeongguk smirks.

“Here’s your chance,” Jeongguk says, nudging the piece of paper Taehyung’s way again. It nears the edge of the counter. Taehyung frowns. 

“Stop it,” Taehyung mumbles. “I’m going to regret yesterday for the rest of my life, aren’t I?”

Jeongguk shrugs, yet is clearly joyous over Taehyung’s minor turmoil. “You’re the one making it a whole predicament. Just go talk to him after his show. That’s all you need to do. Seriously.”

“Jeongguk, I can’t. That’s why there’s a predicament,” Taehyung nearly whines. 

“Why can’t you?” Jeongguk furrows his brows.

“I’ll make a fool of myself.” Taehyung says, feeling as if he’s stating the obvious. But, Jeongguk’s twisted facial expression says otherwise.  

“Why is that stopping you? Who’s to say you’ll do that?” Jeongguk scratches the back of his neck as if he’s genuinely confused. 

“I’m saying that’s what’ll happen. I’m not good at that. I don’t have the ex—” Taehyung cuts himself off before he turns the grave he dug himself yesterday into an abyss. Jeongguk blinks at him, letting the silence turn into an awkward one. 

“You don’t have what?” Jeongguk prods. The line between his brows cuts deeper as he tries to think of an answer in case Taehyung won’t provide one.

“I’ve never…uh—dated…before. I don’t have the um, experience,” Taehyung says, his voice dying out with defeat, mentally slapping himself for the terrible cover up. It’s at least a true statement. 

Jeongguk’s eyebrows raise high, wrinkling his otherwise flawless skin. His lips form a small ‘O’ instead of a response. Strange silence stretches between them, Taehyung extremely aware of how slow the seconds tick by. 

“It—” 

“Do—”

They begin speaking at the same time, Taehyung shutting up first, uncertain of what he was going to say anyway. Jeongguk waits a second, surveying Taehyung and if he should try speaking again. Taehyung looks at the counter, his ears heating under the scrutiny. 

“Do you, maybe, want to go together?” Jeongguk asks, voice quiet. Unsure. 

Taehyung would maybe rather fall off the face of the Earth than possibly compete with Jeongguk if Seokjin is looking at the two of them in a crowd and sizing them up. Sure, Jeongguk made it fairly clear he was no longer interested in Seokjin, but that doesn’t mean Seokjin feels the same. Taehyung now wishes he’d watched their interaction a little closer. There’s also the fact that although Jeongguk is always fun company, and it would be more enjoyable going to a show with a friend, there’s this whole thing that’s bubbling up between them now that he knows one and a half of Taehyung’s deepest secrets. Taehyung feels so off-kilter, and it’s hard to manage. He’s not sure how things will play out, and Taehyung doesn’t like not knowing. 

“If not, that’s okay,” Jeongguk says, sounding a little disappointed. It’s been a while since they’ve gone out together, and the realization suddenly makes Taehyung feel guilty for not even considering saying yes immediately. 

“No, yeah. That would be cool,” Taehyung responds, albeit a bit awkwardly.

Jeongguk beams, his teeth flashing and eyes turning into pretty, scrunched crescents. For the first time, the sight of it makes Taehyung a little breathless for reasons he can’t understand.

Chapter Text

Taehyung is aware of his virginity about fifty percent of the time, sometimes more, and sometimes less, but he’s uber aware of it now, and it seems like the universe is trying to rub it in his face as the night goes on. As soon as Taehyung had stepped into the Lucky Lady right behind Jeongguk, a poster with all of the bands playing tonight is on the first wall they pass, most band names terrible and sounding like a side effect of a geriatric medicine, but then there’s Seokjin’s band, ‘Satan’s Playboys’ and another one called ‘Virgins of Saints’. It’s all a bit up religion’s asshole for Taehyung’s taste. They’re set to play last, and it’s not like virginity doesn’t play hand and hand with the other factors of rock ‘n roll sometimes—musicians are obsessed with it in various ways—so Taehyung tries not to think anything about it. 

It would be easier to ignore if when he’d gone to grab a beer from the bar there weren’t two teenagers ordering mocktail, virgin versions of Sex on the Beach behind giggling hands and black credit cards. It shouldn’t have bothered Taehyung, but he could hear the two of them talking about Satan’s Playboys and the band members while they waited. The words ‘virgin’ and ‘Seokjin’ being roughly in the same conversation heated Taehyung’s cheeks, and he’d felt like it was directed at him even though the two are not related at all, nor was the conversation specifically for his ears to hear.

Then there’s also the fact that Jeongguk keeps bumping Taehyung’s arm when he moves to take a drink from his identical beer can, making Taehyung feel overheated and too big for the crowded room. He doesn’t know how this is relevant to his constant reminders of his virginity status, but it is somehow, and each time Taehyung tries to scoot over to give both of them space, Jeongguk seems to follow. They’ve been doing the same song and dance the past two hours they’ve been at the bar, except for the times one of them leaves for another round of drinks, or to use the bathroom, but Jeongguk has now been standing pressed into Taehyung’s side for ten minutes without moving away, and Taehyung can’t stop being too damn aware of his lack of sexual encounters, Jeongguk’s muscular arm and sharp hip bone, and how hard his heart is hammering now that it’s Seokjin’s band’s turn for the stage. Jeongguk keeps turning to Taehyung during their first few songs, but Taehyung refuses to acknowledge the eyebrow wiggles he keeps doing, or the way his eyes are so round when he looks over at him.

But eventually Taehyung has to acknowledge it just to get Jeongguk to stop, so he elbows him in the side and tells him to quit being weird. He finds out quickly that Jeongguk evidently doesn’t like being called weird.

“I’m only here for you, you dipshit, don’t be mean to me,” Jeongguk says, frowning. Taehyung turns to look at him, his jaw open in shock. He’s never been called a dipshit before. A laugh bubbles up in his chest, but it doesn’t escape.

“Jesus, sorry. I wasn’t trying to be mean,” Taehyung apologizes, slightly frowning back. “You’re not weird, it’s just that you keep distracting me.” 

Jeongguk mumbles something about the music not being that great anyway, but then he shrugs—his way of accepting Taehyung’s apology. Neither continues speaking, except Taehyung wants to ask what Jeongguk means when he says he’s only here for him, but the moment has passed and now it’s too late. They watch the performance for a while, sipping beer, eyes glued to the way Seokjin skillfully plays guitar, his arms glistening with sweat, and his muscles rippling as his fingers dance along the neck of his guitar and form chords only to rip them out. At least Taehyung’s eyes are glued anyway, his throat is dry too, and he can feel the hole Jeongguk is burning into the side of his face with his stare. His energy doesn’t feel teasing like it did before. Taehyung reluctantly tears his gaze away from the stage and makes eye contact with Jeongguk. He raises an eyebrow instead of asking him what he wants.

“What are you going to say to him after the show?” Jeongguk asks. His expression is unreadable, his eyes blank. Taehyung has never seen him so closed off before, Jeongguk has typically always been an open book for him. 

“I don’t know,” Taehyung admits. “I wasn’t planning on talking to him.” 

Jeongguk narrows his eyes. “What? Why are we here? Just for you to stare?” 

Taehyung blushes, feeling raw under Jeongguk’s judgemental gaze. “I don’t know, Jeongguk,” he responds, his tone reflecting his growing aggravation. “Why are you here? To judge me?” He looks away, Jeongguk’s expressionless mask too hard to look at. They’d been having fun together up until the last few minutes when something shifted them into being annoyed with each other. 

“I was going to help you,” Jeongguk says, simply, as if Taehyung should know exactly what he means. Taehyung looks back at him. His face is still void of emotion.

“Help me with what?” Taehyung asks when he doesn’t elaborate. 

Jeongguk sighs, sounding exasperated. “Going home with him.”

Taehyung climbs out of his pit of annoyance Jeongguk had dug for him. He blinks back at him. “Why?”

“Why? Why would I help you? Is that what you’re asking?” Jeongguk raises a brow and shakes his head. A small smile pulls on the corner of his lips, but it doesn’t win the tug-of-war game. “We’re friends, dumbass. That’s what friends do. You wrote my paper for me, remember? I told you I’d help.”

Taehyung considers his response for a moment. “You didn’t say you’d do this.” He’s not really even sure what Jeongguk is doing.

“What is ‘this’?” Jeongguk asks, evidently thinking the same thing Taehyung is. “I’m not going to be your wingman or anything like that, maybe if I hadn't slept with Seokjin before then I would, but I can be the board you bounce pick up lines off of.”

Taehyung blushes again. “I don’t have pick up lines.”

“ Nothing ? What do you usually say when you want to go home with somebody?” Jeongguk looks at him with bewilderment.

“Jeongguk, I told you that I don’t date—”

Jeongguk waves his hands around as if he’s telling Taehyung to stop. He shakes his head. “I’m not talking about dating. I’m talking about fucking.” 

If Taehyung’s blush wasn’t noticeable before, it is now, the deep color equivalent to a bride’s on her wedding night. “I’ve never had sex,” Taehyung admits. His blood instantly runs cold, shocked at himself for confessing. He had no intentions of telling Jeongguk, so Taehyung blames it on the fact that he can’t stop thinking about his virginity tonight, and how much beer is in his system. It’s not much, but he never drinks.

Jeongguk makes a noise that sounds like a choke, and his already round eyes grow even rounder. “ What ?” Jeongguk shrieks. The bar is loud considering the live music, but Taehyung hushes him and looks around as if anybody could actually hear what they’re talking about.

“Oh my god, I love embarrassing myself,” Taehyung groans, more to himself than Jeongguk. Jeongguk must hear him because he snorts, and then begins to laugh.

“What do you mean you’d never had sex? You’re almost thirty,” Jeongguk says, looking a little too gleeful for Taehyung’s liking.

“So?” Taehyung bites out, affronted.

“Wait, no—I meant, why? Is there a specific reason? Not many people do that, or at least the ones I know.” Jeongguk looks almost as genuinely curious as he does happy. Taehyung doesn’t know what to think of it.

“No…it just hasn’t happened for me yet,” Taehyung mutters, shrugging. He’s faking the nonchalance, his insides are like terrible static threatening to burst out of him.

“Well, no wonder you weren’t planning on going up to Seokjin tonight. I can see why it hasn’t happened for you yet, you’re holding yourself back.” Jeongguk doesn’t sound mean, or rude, just observant, but it still makes Taehyung bristle.

“Not everybody has your confidence, Jeongguk. Not everybody just knows what the hell to do all of the time. If only God had gifted me with those exact traits so I wouldn’t be a virgin at twenty-nine,” Taehyung grits out. Jeongguk jolts back a little, surprised at Taehyung’s sudden anger. 

“Whoa, slow down,” Jeongguk says, holding his hands up between them. Taehyung’s eyes flicker over the tattoos on one of his hands. “Taehyung, you don’t need any of that to have sex. Maybe confidence, that usually makes sex better, but—”

“I’m leaving,” Taehyung announces to cut Jeongguk off, seeing red and feeling the beginnings of tears, completely fed up with him. He won’t be made a fool, and watching Seokjin play isn’t worth whatever Jeongguk is trying to say. 

Taehyung turns to weasel his way through the crowd for the door, but a hot palm and long fingers wrap around his wrist, stopping him. 

“Wait,” Jeongguk calls out behind him. Taehyung tries to yank his hand out of his grip. He only ends up dragging him behind, Jeongguk too strong to shake. Taehyung curses his stupid, big muscles. 

They end up outside where it’s a lot quieter, and only a little cooler, Taehyung stewing in Jeongguk’s iron grip. 

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I’m not really good with my words, Taehyung. It’s why I just play guitar and refuse to help write the songs,” Jeongguk smirks sheepishly while he explains. “Sorry.” His apology is quiet, but sincere.

Yet still, Taehyung makes him wait for a response while he looks for an upper hand. He comes up empty; he doesn’t have one. 

“It’s fine,” Taehyung mumbles. “It’s just…it really is embarrassing to still be one at this age.” Another admittance from him tonight. Jeongguk should feel lucky. 

“It shouldn’t be,” Jeongguk says, softly. “It’s honestly kinda hot.” 

Taehyung wasn’t moving before, but he somehow freezes in place. “W-What?” He doesn’t dare look at Jeongguk. He finds the scuffed toe of his left boot fascinating.

“Yeah, it’s hot. Whoever you sleep with first is probably going to find it that way too. You know, the whole ‘you being solely theirs’ vibe. Not having been defiled by someone else’s dick. That kind of thing.” 

Swallowing becomes difficult, Taehyung’s spit thick in his throat. Breathing is only a tiny bit easier, and if it wasn’t essential Taehyung probably wouldn’t have been able to do it. “You don’t have to make me feel better,” he says, quietly. 

“That’s not what I’m doing. You know me, that’s not really something I’m good at either.” Jeongguk snorts. He'd just somewhat proven that earlier, but Taehyung has found comfort in his words on more than one occasion, so he knows Jeongguk is underselling himself. It puts Taehyung in a strange spot, but then Jeongguk speaks up again, saving him from a response. 

“Do you…want it to be over and done with? Or is it something…special to you?” 

Taehyung keeps looking at his feet. He realizes Jeongguk hasn’t dropped his arm yet, but he doesn’t try to release himself again. “I don’t know.” He sighs. “I don’t really give a shit anymore. It just feels like something that’s going to stick with me until I die at this point.” 

Jeongguk doesn’t respond right away, Taehyung’s honest words spilling onto the ground and melting from the summer night’s heat. They sour once made into a puddle. 

“It doesn’t have to be. Stuck with you, you know,” Jeongguk eventually says, terribly gently. 

“Well, yeah, but I don’t know how to…unstick it, I guess,” Taehyung responds. He kicks at the concrete with his boot. He feels Jeongguk watching as he does it. 

“I said I’d help,” Jeongguk says. His words freeze Taehyung again, freeze his lungs, his heart, his brain. Jeongguk’s grip on him burns hot like the sun. “Do a few more of my Lit assignments, and I’m game.” 

Taehyung finds his breath before a response. His reply is something simple though. “What the hell are you saying?” 

“I’m saying, if you’re interested, I’ll help you with the matter of your virginity and Seokjin. I can teach you what to do.” Jeongguk laughs all of a sudden. “Plenty of experience over here.” His laughter turns a bit into something that sounds self-degrading. Taehyung looks over at him finally, searching his face. Jeongguk’s expression is open, honest. 

“What? Why?” Taehyung can’t wrap his head around the offer. Jeongguk’s not really in his league—his nonexistent one—and they’re just friends. Not the kind that fuck around either. Unless Taehyung agrees. “You’re offering to help me learn my way around a bed, and I do your assignments in return? Isn’t that a bit…weird?” Taehyung might be a virgin, but he’s no prude. He knows the mechanics of sex. He doesn’t need Jeongguk to teach him everything , but it would be nice to learn how to start something with someone, or learn how to combat awkwardness. 

Jeongguk snorts a laugh, his eyes crinkling. His eyeliner darkens them despite his good-natured smile. “It’s only weird if we let it be, and if you want to put it like that, then yeah, I guess so.” 

“What other way should I put it?” Taehyung asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“We fuck. I pass Korean Lit. Much easier to roll off the tongue like that.” 

Taehyung’s eyes widen at his crassness, but he blinks the shock away, and pauses for a moment. He hesitates, but says, “You do realize I know how sex works, right? I don’t need you to teach me that.” 

“Yeah, I’d expected you to know at least how to jerk off.” 

Taehyung blushes. “Jeongguk, shut up,” he sputters. Jeongguk laughs, loud and wild. 

“Shows are about to pick up, so I need help with assignments. It’ll be a fair trade. I’ll show you what Seokjin likes, or how to be good in the sack if you want to know more than Seokjin’s vanilla tastes. Just saying, I’ve never had any complaints from past partners.” 

“That you know of,” Taehyung mumbles under his breath just to spite his cockiness. He tries not to think about what Jeongguk might be into if he has the audacity to call someone else vanilla. He also tries not to think about how easy it is for Jeongguk to offer to take his virginity. He’d called it hot earlier. It’s making his head spin, and he needs his mind right now to put an end to this wacked out conversation. He tries to shake it back into working order. “If this were to happen…how would it work? How many assignments do you have left?” 

“Four,” Jeongguk answers. A manic grin takes over his face, the corners of his mouth wicked. “Perfect for all four bases.” 

Taehyung finds the hidden warning in Jeongguk’s smile, but he still considers his offer anyway. He’d like to think about it longer, and come up with a more concrete plan. He feels insane for even considering it, but he likes Jeongguk as a person, and he trusts him despite his better judgement. When he’s alone and the lights are off, where no one and nothing can see or hear him, he’ll even admit Jeongguk is attractive. If someone was into earrings and tattoos and round eyes. If they liked pierced lips that allowed dirty words to slip from between them, or judgemental, pierced brows. Taehyung doesn’t. 

“Let me think about it,” Taehyung says after a beat too long. Jeongguk shrugs. 

“Fine by me.” 

🎫

Taehyung fully expects to feel awkward when he arrives at work and sees Jeongguk for the first time since their conversation, but he strangely doesn’t. Jeongguk had unlocked the door and came in before Taehyung, and now he’s sitting at the counter fiddling with a display of packaged guitar strings. He looks up when Taehyung crosses the threshold, smiling at him knowingly. It makes something spark and simmer in Taehyung’s gut. Probably nerves. A plan, a contract, whatever you want to call it, burns a hole in Taehyung’s back pocket when he sees that smile. Taehyung had agonized over it all night, going between wondering if he hallucinated the weird conversation between them, and finding it wild that it ever happened. He doesn’t know how to pull the paper out and talk about how he ultimately decided yes, he wants Jeongguk to help him, but like always, Jeongguk knows just what to do. 

“Go pick the music,” Jeongguk says. He leans forward on the counter, his long arms stretching over the top of it, his hands dangling in the air. Taehyung tries not to hit him when he walks by, but there’s limited room to pass without bumping into Jeongguk. Taehyung wants to huff at him, but the second he squeezes by, Jeongguk snatches the paper sticking out of his back pocket, shocking Taehyung.

“I knew you’d do something like this,” Jeongguk tuts, snickering. He unrolls the paper while Taehyung blinks at him, frozen. “I should find it silly, but it’s you, so I don’t.”

Taehyung doesn’t know what the hell that means. He somehow unsticks his feet from the floor and takes off toward the back, leaving Jeongguk with his carefully written out expectations. He doesn’t want to face more of Jeongguk’s scrutiny just yet. Taehyung’s cheeks burn as he rifles through jewel CD cases, pulls out a scratched Fleetwood Mac anthology, and shoves the first disc into the player connected to the sound system. Mystified plays over the speakers, and Taehyung slowly makes his way back to the counter and Jeongguk. Jeongguk’s eyes are still scanning over the paper containing what Taehyung wants to specifically learn, along with his limits. Taehyung chews on his lip, hoping Jeongguk doesn’t have too many harsh objections, or will tease him much. He watches Jeongguk’s lined eyes flutter, narrow, widen, and tries his best not to combust from nerves. His impatience runs out before his nerves do.

“Can you tell me what you’re thinking?” Taehyung softly kicks at the bottom of the counter’s structure with his boot. They’re the same boots he wore last night, the scuff on the toe worsening the more he kicks.

 “I’m not really thinking much,” Jeongguk responds, laughing at himself. Taehyung frowns, unsure what to do with that and what it means.

“This is stupid,” Taehyung mutters, grabbing for the paper. Jeongguk moves it out of reach. 

“No, this is why I trust you with my college work,” Jeongguk argues. He holds the paper up, grinning at Taehyung. “You’re somehow organized with everything you do.” Jeongguk then lays the paper flat on the counter. The edges curl, both of their eyes tracking to the movement. “Can’t imagine what your underwear drawer looks like.” Here comes the teasing. The back of Taehyung’s neck flares hot, and he groans.

“Can we just talk about this like adults,” Taehyung waves his hand in the direction of the plan he made. “And not mention my organizational skills.” A smirk Taehyung knows to be fearful of slides onto Jeongguk’s face. 

“Have you never been kissed before?” Jeongguk asks. “It’s number one on here.” Jeongguk jabs a finger on the paper near Taehyung’s handwritten number one. His eyes fall to Taehyung’s lips while he waits for a response. The heat on Taehyung’s neck spreads down his spine. “I probably find that the most difficult to believe out of everything you’ve told me.” 

Taehyung fights the urge to squirm, and he looks at his feet, praying for strength. “Technically, I’ve been kissed, but I was eight, and it was on the playground at school. Doesn’t really count.”

Jeongguk hums, and Taehyung dares to look up at him. He looks thoughtful, but the stupid smirk is still on his face.

“Number two, blowjobs. You didn’t write handjobs. Why?” The way Jeongguk says both ‘blowjobs’ and ‘handjobs’ should be a crime. Taehyung’s brain glitches for a moment as it conjures an image of Taehyung on his knees under the counter, between Jeongguk’s legs.

Chills rip down Taehyung’s spine, freezing the heat there. He swallows a whimper that tries to rise in his throat. This is all so strange, it’s making his body react so fucking strange . “I have a dick, and I know how to…touch…it. I can’t blow myself, so I need practice with that.” Taehyung feels so silly, feels skinned alive. 

Jeongguk’s eyes flash darkly. His smirk cuts into his face deeper. “So you think handjobs are easy on someone else? You think it's the same as touching yourself?” His words are harsh, but his tone is sickly sweet. It’s supposed to rile Taehyung up, and it does. He gets defensive immediately.

“I know it's not the same, but it’s not one of the things I worry about like I do with the rest of the fucking list,” Taehyung bites out. He frowns at Jeongguk, nearing his breaking point. Trying to arrange something like this with him is idiotic, and Taehyung should’ve never entertained it. 

Jeongguk leans back on the stool he’s sitting on, and Taehyung wonders how he does it since the seat is backless. His smirk dulls a bit, softening into something easier on the eyes, and he looks Taehyung up and down. He crosses his arms, his thick muscles bulging and crying for attention. Taehyung doesn’t give it to them, his gaze trained on Jeongguk’s eyes for when they flit back up to meet it.

“Show me what you can do. In the back room. Right now,” Jeongguk says, voice deep and sure. Taehyung’s knees wobble from the shock of hearing Jeongguk command him to do something.

“W-What? We’re at work. That’s immoral.”

“Nobody is going to come in this early in the morning. You know that. It’s always dead until the afternoon,” Jeongguk argues. 

They both know he’s right and that Taehyung doesn’t have anything to fight him with. Jeongguk blinks at him, and it feels almost like a test. Taehyung supposes it is—a test for how bad he wants this arrangement. His body feels hot, electrified, and it would be a lie if he said he didn’t want it. Taehyung didn’t expect things to begin this quickly, they’ve barely agreed to anything, but he’s not the type to back down from a challenge, especially one where his skills are questioned.

“Okay,” Taehyung finally says. He knows he could’ve argued if he really wanted to, and he of course had the choice to say no, but there’s something urging him forward and telling him to do it. He’s safe with Jeongguk. He knows this. 

Taehyung marches straight away for the backroom, his heart pounding and threatening to burst out of his chest. Sounds of Jeongguk scurrying behind him follow his steps. Taehyung pushes boxes this way and that once he walks through the doorway of the room, halfway barricading the entrance upon first glance from anyone who might walk in the store. Jeongguk squeezes past them, his broad shoulders and thick chest hitting the corner of one of the boxes in the middle. Taehyung looks away, his cheeks flushed. He swallows in order to ground himself, and counts to ten, breathing in and out. Holy fuck this can’t be that hard, right? He’s got this, right?  

Jeongguk wastes no time, unbuckling his belt and the button of his black, ripped-to-shreds jeans that are so ripped Taehyung could probably slip a hand under the open material on either side of his front pockets and find his dick easily. The thought sends a shiver down Taehyung’s spine, turning him on. He’s not sure what exactly does it for him. Jeongguk’s pants drop to his ankles, and the sight of Jeongguk pantsless in their place of work should look fucking stupid or comical, but it instead makes Taehyung’s throat dry. He reaches out with tentative fingers, nearing Jeongguk’s sizable bulge in his tight, of course black, boxer briefs. Taehyung’s dry throat turns wet with thick saliva the closer he gets to touching him.

“No dirty talk? You really do need to work on that, huh?” Jeongguk says, his voice low. Taehyung doesn’t know whether to blush or bristle. He settles for honesty. 

“Yeah. It’s on the list,” he answers, quietly. Jeongguk hums. 

“Alright, this is the only time you’ll get a double lesson, because half of it is free and I’m not doing free.” Jeongguk takes hold of Taehyung’s hand where it’s centimeters away from his cock, stopping him. His fingers tighten around Taehyung’s. “Tell me you think my cock is big. Say your hand isn’t going to fit all the way around me.” Taehyung doesn’t have to see him naked to know both statements are probably true. 

Taehyung’s knees almost give out for the second time that morning. Jeongguk’s voice is husky, deep, oozing with sex appeal. Fuck, Taehyung isn’t ready for this. Jeongguk is way sexier than he realized, or imagined. He’s got this though, he’s seen Jeongguk nose deep in five cartons of convenience store ramyeon. Not sexy. 

“Your cock is so big,” Taehyung says, dropping his voice an octave. He makes it a bit gritty too. “My hand isn’t going to fit all the way around you.” 

Jeongguk hums, his eyes closing, looking pleased. He releases Taehyung’s hand. “Try for me.” 

That does something to the amiable side of Taehyung, to the person who strives to be the best in everything. A small whine releases from the back of his throat, surprising both of them. 

“Yeah?” Jeongguk sounds like he just figured out all of Taehyung’s secrets. It shouldn’t be hot. “Are you going to be good for me? Gonna make me come nice and hard?” 

Another whine releases, and Taehyung reaches out for Jeongguk’s clothed cock. He brushes his fingertips lightly over his balls, dragging his hand upward and halting at his tip. He pays extra attention to it, circling his pointer finger over it. Jeongguk isn’t hard yet, but the force at which he shivers tells Taehyung it probably won’t take long. He feels good about that acknowledgment. 

“Touch me, Taehyung,” Jeongguk commands, softly. Taehyung obeys. 

Timid fingers pull Jeongguk’s waistband down, revealing intimidating length and girth that’s not even at its full potential, and Taehyung’s mouth waters. He looks up at Jeongguk before he touches him, meeting dark, eager eyes. Shocking Taehyung, Jeongguk leans over and spits on his dick, making it a bit easier for Taehyung to slide his hand up and down his length. 

Fuck . Taehyung is so turned on, his dick is twitching manically in his pants. “Jesus, Jeongguk.” 

Jeongguk laughs, the sound quiet and knowing. “I like it wet.” 

Taehyung looks at him one more time, keeping eye contact while he reaches for him and gently wraps his long fingers around his cock. Jeongguk’s eyes flutter closed, and Taehyung drops his gaze to what he’s doing. He works Jeongguk to hardness, pulling pretty noises out of him, stroking Taehyung’s ego and making him feel more confident. Something comes over him, maybe it’s more of the urge to please, or it’s instinct he didn’t know he had, warping the edges of his mind into understanding how to be seductive. Taehyung drops to his knees, still pumping slowly like he does to himself, and looks up, rounding out his eyes into the picture of innocence. 

Jeongguk looks down, sensing something is different, and groans. “Fuck, Taehyung. You look good down there.” Taehyung smirks from the praise. 

“Am I making you feel good? Does your big , heavy cock feel good?” 

Jeongguk starts to pant, and Taehyung suddenly has the urge to see him completely naked. He wants to watch his skin flush, glisten from sweat, turn purple under Taehyung’s teeth. It’s then that Jeongguk’s offer fully solidifies in his mind as something Taehyung wants. He needs to know more about Jeongguk in the bedroom, needs to know how he feels inside of Taehyung. Seokjin is far from his thoughts, and Taehyung doesn’t even realize it. 

“Yeah, doing so good,” Jeongguk answers, his deep voice completely wrecked. “Go a little faster.” Taehyung picks up speed, twisting his wrist, swiping his thumb, and he leans over to add to the spit that’s drying out. Jeongguk bucks off of the chair when he feels Taehyung’s saliva drip onto him. 

“Is that wet enough? Need more?” Taehyung asks, mildly concerned. 

Jeongguk shakes his head. “No—about to come,” he says around stilted moans. Taehyung hums, proud of himself and how fast he’s going to make Jeongguk orgasm. He told Jeongguk he knew how to touch a dick. 

Taehyung sneaks his other hand underneath Jeongguk’s balls, and brushes his thumb over them, using the spit that has run down to bring him over the edge. 

“Fuck, fuck, fu-u-uck ,” Jeongguk shouts, chants, moans. He scrambles to yank his t-shirt up, but he’s too late, and his fucking huge cock shoots out a load befitting of his size all over his shirt. “Goddamnit,” he grunts as he’s still coming, his body trembling, and his heavy eyes look down at the mess he’s made. 

Taehyung grins at him, leisurely pumping him as the last dregs of his come dribbles out, ignoring the way his own dick throbs in his pants. He’s not coming on company grounds. 

“Good?” Taehyung asks, slightly teasing. His eyes track the mess on Jeongguk’s chest all the way down his toned abdomen and toward the trimmed, neatened patch of pubic hair. He’s so incredibly hot, and Taehyung briefly wonders how he hasn’t noticed before. 

“Yeah, you weren’t kidding about not being worried. You shouldn’t be,” Jeongguk says, still a bit breathless. But then he groans again, looking at his shirt, knocking Taehyung’s hand away. “Sensitive,” he admits. His eyes widen all of a sudden. “Fuck, I don’t have another shirt.” 

Taehyung stands slowly, his knees cracking. His calves feel a bit numb as blood rushes back into the muscles. He holds his sticky hand out so he won’t accidentally wipe it on his clothes. “There’s some store shirts that haven’t sold in one of those boxes over there.” He points with his cleaner hand to a stack of boxes in the corner. Jeongguk makes a displeased noise, but he hauls his long body up, yanks his jeans up and holds them in place around his waist, and shuffles over. His dirty shirt falls down his torso. Jeongguk peeks into the box, ruffling through it.

“They’re all mediums. I can’t wear a medium,” Jeongguk complains. He looks over his shoulder at Taehyung, helpless. Taehyung shrugs at him, a lopsided smile twisting his lips. That new, sultry confidence is still sticking to his skin. Taehyung wants it to sink in and become a part of him. 

“You’ll look like you walked out of an eighties horror film,” Taehyung says. He snickers quietly. “Poor Jeongguk. He can’t wear his big , baggy clothes. Can’t hide his big muscles.” The adjective ‘big’ has been stuck in Taehyung’s mind ever since Jeongguk said it. Jeongguk narrows his eyes, Taehyung widening his right back at him. He’s surprised at himself at the teasing. Jeongguk stares at him, surveying Taehyung. A blush rises on Taehyung’s cheeks, and he fights the urge to run. It’s harder than he expects, so he steps toward the door, smiling nervously, and hightails it to the bathroom. 

Taehyung washes his hands thoroughly, splashing his face with cold water next, willing his dick to soften. He counts to twenty, and once he feels mostly stable, he rejoins Jeongguk on the floor of the store where he’s returned to the counter. Taehyung regrets leaving the bathroom immediately, because the second he’s faced with Jeongguk’s broad shoulders and chest and exposed vee line, his entire body turns beet red. Jeongguk shouldn’t wear a medium for god’s sake. The record store’s logo stretches into something unreadable across his chest, the thin, white material very see through, showing off Jeongguk’s dark nipples. Taehyung tries to make a joke about it to ease tension inside of him, but his tongue is plain fat and useless in his mouth. Jeongguk sees him staring, so he has to see Taehyung’s blush too, and he huffs. 

“Told you I can’t wear a medium,” Jeongguk grumbles. 

“You’re wearing it pretty fine,” Taehyung responds, attempting to joke like he wanted to, but it falls flat. Jeongguk blinks at him, and then he smirks. 

“Why thank you, Taehyung,” Jeongguk says with faux-politeness, but he looks mildly pleased. 

It dawns on Taehyung then that since he was using the only bathroom in the store, Jeongguk had to clean himself by some alternative way, and he doesn’t really want to know what that entails, so he changes the subject before he learns more about Jeongguk than he wants to in one day. All he can really think about is the paper they left on the counter like idiots, but leaving it in plain sight is still smarter than fucking around in the back room. Taehyung nods toward it before speaking. “We should finish talking about that.” 

Jeongguk looks down at the paper, nodding solemnly. “You want to get used to bottoming. Okay. That’ll be easy.” Jeongguk starts where they left off, at the third thing on the list. His grin is wicked, but he keeps it directed at the countertop. 

A squeaky noise leaves Taehyung, and he looks around like he wasn’t the one to make it. “Y-Yeah.” 

“If you ever want to fuck me, just let me know. I like both,” Jeongguk offers, offhandedly. He peeks up at Taehyung, eyes honest. 

“Oh—I, okay, thanks, I think,” Taehyung responds, a bit awkwardly. The idea has his head spinning instantly, the image of Jeongguk beneath him a bit too much for him to fathom. He’s stuck picturing what it would be like while Jeongguk continues talking, Taehyung missing what he’s saying. 

“…five things on the list instead of four, so if you want to keep all five, I’ll need an I-owe-you, Taehyung. I only have four assignments left, remember?” 

“What?” Taehyung says, finally hearing the end. He could probably piece it together, but he’s still reeling from imagining Jeongguk’s bare skin against his silky sheets. 

Jeongguk narrows his eyes slightly, but he repeats himself. “Dirty talk and beating first date nerves are four and five on the list. You have five things, not four, so you owe me one last thing. I’ll let you know when I decide what it’ll be.” 

Taehyung furrows his brows. He supposes Jeongguk’s logic is correct, he’d forgotten about Jeongguk saying he only had four assignments left, but the unknown of what Jeongguk would ask of him makes him a little uneasy. It’s not a bad kind of uneasy, but his stomach twists into knots all the same. 

“Okay,” is all Taehyung has to say, being agreeable is the best he can do right now. It’s his list and his words, but hearing Jeongguk talk about them bluntly and looking at him like he’s ready to do all of it with Taehyung right now is rendering him a little speechless.  

“Is this the order you want things done in?” Jeongguk asks, re-rolling the paper and offering it to Taehyung. It hangs in the stretch of air between them. Taehyung slowly walks up to take it from him and shove it back in his pocket. 

“Um—no? Unless you think that’s how it should be?” 

Jeongguk shakes his head. “I think we can do everything in order you have it, except you work on your pick up lines and shit daily, or something like that.” He grins all of a sudden. “Shoot your shot with me every morning when you come into work.” 

Taehyung groans a little at the absurdity of Jeongguk’s phrasing and the idea of trying it every day. He figures he’s right though, practice makes perfect. During Taehyung’s silence, Jeongguk’s eyes flicker up and down his body. They linger over Taehyung’s crotch. 

“Did you want anything in return? I mean, do you wanna come?” 

Taehyung starts, jolting in place. “N-No, I’m okay.” He laughs, nervously. He isn’t hard anymore, but maybe Jeongguk likes things even. Seems like he does with his whole ‘I-owe-you’ business. Jeongguk hums, unconvinced, but he doesn’t push it. 

“Come over after work, and we’ll get started on number one,” he says, smirking. “I have an assignment due in a week. You can get started early if you want.” Taehyung nods, agreeing. 

The rest of their shift passes by without many interruptions, or customers. Taehyung is allowed to choose the music all day, much to his surprise. As the evening arrives, the awkwardness he keeps expecting to settle between them never appears. Jeongguk is his usual self despite the shirt he’s wearing, and Taehyung is himself too, although he’s more aware and continuously careful about new, lingering stares. 

Closing time relieves them from the boredom of work before they know it, the two of them respectively completing their end-of-shift duties. Instead of riding the bus home, Taehyung plans to walk with Jeongguk to his apartment after he locks the store up. He watches with pink cheeks as the muscles ripple under tight fabric that has started to loosen around the seams when Jeongguk turns the key and then pockets it. 

“Ready?” Jeongguk says, turning to walk in the direction of home. 

Taehyung nods as apprehension begins to creep up his spine and stall at the base of his neck. Words are hard for him once again, but Jeongguk fills the time they spend walking with one-sided conversation about his band and the show they’ll be playing out of town next week. Taehyung halfway listens, his thoughts already on Jeongguk’s lips the closer they get to his house. He’s nervous. He’s excited. Seokjin is still far from his mind. 

“…so I’ll have to practice more, but it’ll be fine. Yoongi tries to make it a bit easier for me sometimes.” 

Taehyung tunes back into what Jeongguk’s saying as they cross over onto his block. He racks his brain for any memory of the name ‘Yoongi’. He comes up empty. He hesitates to find out in case it’s offensive, but he hasn’t contributed to the conversation at all, so he asks. “Who is Yoongi? I’m trying to remember why that name is familiar.” It’s not familiar, but in case it should be, Taehyung covers his bases.  

Jeongguk looks over at him before answering. “He’s the keyboardist in my band.” He looks at Taehyung a bit strangely, for reasons he doesn’t understand. It’s then that Taehyung belatedly realizes he doesn’t remember a single thing about Jeongguk’s band. He knows he’s at least been told their name, or places they’ve played, but he can’t remember anything about them. He feels horrible, and with the way Jeongguk keeps looking at him with a very specific, pierced, lifted brow, he thinks Jeongguk might know he can’t remember. It makes him feel even more terrible. 

“O-Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Taehyung responds way too late. Jeongguk shakes his head, but he does a weird, half laugh. They’re a few feet from his apartment door, saving Taehyung from further embarrassment and reminders on how he’s kind of a shit friend. Jeongguk picks up where he left off, talking about the song list as if Taehyung knows each of them by name, stepping up to unlock his door. 

Jeongguk opens his door to an explosion of black clothing thrown on every piece of furniture in his small apartment. “Shit, I forgot about the clothes,” Jeongguk mutters. He steps in, kicks his shoes off, and turns to Taehyung with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about the mess.” He walks further into his home, snatching the majority of clothes as he goes. He disappears into his bedroom with a big pile in his arms. 

Taehyung takes his shoes off, and closes the door gently behind him. He looks at the few shirts left on the back of the couch. 

“Wardrobe problems last night. You know how it is,” Jeongguk explains, chuckling weirdly when he re-enters the room and grabs the last of the clothes. 

Taehyung thinks back to the outfit he had on last night, but it was dark like most of his clothes. Nothing stood out about his outfit then and it doesn’t now as he remembers it, but Taehyung doesn’t say that. After Jeongguk takes the last of his clothes to his room, it hits Taehyung that maybe, just maybe Jeongguk had tried on so many outfits and dressed for him last night. He shoves the absurd thought from mind as soon as it enters, because there’s no way it’s correct. 

Taehyung’s slowly poking around the books on Jeongguk’s counter, trying to decipher which could possibly be next on his reading list when Jeongguk rejoins him. There’s a book of poetry that’s thin, and two that are thicker that appear to be non-fiction. Taehyung has always liked to read, but he doesn’t do it often these days, and he’s not exactly excited about being told what to read when he has the time to do it, but it’s not the end of the world. Korean literature can be cool. 

“It’s this one,” Jeongguk says from over Taehyung’s shoulder, doing his whole mind-reading thing, and pointing to the poetry book. It’s obvious what Taehyung was looking through the books for, but he still gives Jeongguk the credit. 

“Poetry,” Taehyung notes, his voice a little flat. 

“Yeah, poetry,” Jeongguk says, his tone matching Taehyung’s. He snorts. “C’mon. We can watch something if you want, and I can order pizza. I’ll give you my class login and everything later.” 

Taehyung is still stuck on thoughts of kissing Jeongguk if he’s honest, blaming Jeongguk for putting it in his mind earlier in the day, but he’s also hungry, and television after a long day is always nice and mind-numbing. “Okay.” He follows Jeongguk to the couch, mimicking the way he melts against the cushions. 

Flipping through channels without slowing down to really see what’s on, Jeongguk stops on a movie channel, sees that it’s halfway over, but throws the remote on the table his socked feet are propped on anyway, subjecting Taehyung to the middle of something he’s never seen before. Taehyung doesn’t really care what he watches so he doesn’t fight it. The audio is in English though, and the Korean captions are lagging, so it makes it a bit more difficult to figure things out. Not so mind-numbing after all. Jeongguk pulls his phone out and dials a number, asking for a ‘large pizza with everything on it’ and he ‘means everything ’, looking at Taehyung to silently ask what he wants. Taehyung waves at him to say that Jeongguk’s order is fine with him. Jeongguk raises his eyebrows, but asks for another of the same thing. Taehyung isn’t a picky eater. He’s not really picky about anything. Maybe it’s why he’s a bit stuck in life at almost thirty. He doesn’t dwell on it. 

The phone call ends, and Jeongguk tells him the food will arrive in twenty minutes, placing his phone face down on the table beside the remote. A few more minutes of the confusing movie pass before Taehyung finally asks what the hell the plot line is. 

“It’s Transformers ,” Jeongguk responds. He looks at Taehyung like he should really know what that means. “Please tell me you know what that is.” He points to the screen, cars that turn into robots are speaking in English before their eyes. 

Taehyung grimaces, and shakes his head. “Er—no,” he says, disappointing Jeongguk. 

Jeongguk gasps. “What? Bumblebee ? Optimus Prime? Autobots ? Decepticons? None of that makes sense?” It sounds like gibberish that goes right over Taehyung’s head. 

“Are you going to hate me if I say I didn’t understand any of that?” Taehyung says. Jeongguk looks a little forlorn, and it’s stupid how it makes Taehyung feel the same. 

“No, but I’m not going to kiss you anymore,” Jeongguk answers, haughtily. He upturns his nose, Taehyung’s gaze following the blunt end of it. His face flushes pink once his words sink in. 

“I—what? Um, okay. T-That’s fine,” Taehyung sputters, the blush on his face spreading down the length of his body. Soon his fingertips will be red. 

Jeongguk bursts into a fit of giggles, holding his stomach like a child. It’s endearing even if it annoys Taehyung to be teased like this. 

“I’m just kidding,” Jeongguk eventually says after his laughter subsides. A big grin is still high on his face. “It’s a shame that you’ve never seen the movies, but it’s okay. We can watch them from the beginning another time.” Taehyung isn’t sure he’s interested, but he agrees all the same with a nod and an ‘alright’. Without Taehyung realizing it, Jeongguk shifts a bit closer to him on the couch and slings his arm over the back of it behind Taehyung’s head. He scoots over more, and this time Taehyung notices it, but he leans in with the farce that he’s explaining what’s going on on the screen. 

Taehyung can’t concentrate when he can smell Jeongguk’s cologne, and he’s still wearing the shirt that’s too small for him, a roll of golden skin showing as he scrunches his body on the couch. It messes with Taehyung badly , and it probably does exactly what Jeongguk wants it to do to him as he gets closer and closer until his lips are almost touching Taehyung’s ear. He’s whispering shit about ‘Cybertron’ and Taehyung doesn’t understand or care anymore than he did earlier, but gooseflesh is starting to crawl down his arms and legs, and he wants nothing more than to never have distance between him and Jeongguk again. 

Jeongguk’s lips brush against the shell of his ear, the metal in his lip cool against his flesh, and Taehyung’s shiver is so forceful that his shoulder bumps into Jeongguk’s chest. Jeongguk’s responding laugh is soundless, but his breath tickles Taehyung’s skin. Taehyung turns his head ever so slightly, Jeongguk’s smirking mouth now hovering next to his cheek, and whispers, “Will you shut up about Transformers , and kiss me, please?” 

Jeongguk beams. “Hmm, since you said ‘please’, yes,” he murmurs. He grabs hold of Taehyung’s jaw and turns it to align with his face. 

Soft lips meet chapped, and Taehyung wishes that for his first kiss after twenty-one years he remembered to slather chapstick on, but he didn’t give himself the opportunity. Once he gets over the minor anxiety of having dry lips, Taehyung begins to feel . His heart begins to pound, a numb kind of pleasure seeps into his bones and makes his skin tingle, and he understands what it’s like to truly want something. Taehyung’s hands slowly slide up Jeongguk’s arms and neck, and stop to cup his round cheeks. He hums, his lips hot as fire and needing more. Taehyung swipes a thumb across the soft skin of Jeongguk’s cheek, and Jeongguk seems to sense what Taehyung needs through the simple action. 

He presses against Taehyung harder, gently nipping at Taehyung’s bottom lip and licking over the spots he’d bitten. Taehyung gasps when Jeongguk starts to do it again, his mouth opening enough for Jeongguk to slide his tongue along the top of his bottom lip. Taehyung senses that he’s asking if he can slip his tongue inside, so he hums and opens his mouth wider. Jeongguk does exactly what he expects, licking into his mouth. Taehyung sees stars, and he thinks this is probably the best thing there is to sex and intimacy. His skin is on fire, and he feels so at peace with burning alive.

After what feels like glorious eternity, and when they’ve probably crossed into making out territory, Jeongguk pulls away panting, searching for air. Taehyung hands fall to his lap as he breathes in through his nose, closing his mouth. His lips feel a bit swollen, and he unconsciously brings his fingers up to touch them. They’re puffy and warm, making Taehyung smile to himself. He looks over at Jeongguk bashfully through his lashes, finding Jeongguk watching him with a smile on his face that Taehyung has never seen before. He looks sweet. It does something in Taehyung’s belly, flipping his insides.

“Was that okay?” Jeongguk asks, quietly. Taehyung notices his chest is rising and falling faster than normal, even after taking a moment. He looks down at his hands, still smiling.

“Yeah,” Taehyung says, softly. He can’t figure out the words he wants to use to give Jeongguk a better answer. He settles for adding, “It was perfect.”

Jeongguk makes a tiny strangled noise, pulling Taehyung’s eyes to his face. He hesitates but then says, “Seokjin’s lips are nicer. It’ll probably be better kissing him.” Jeongguk stands abruptly, leaving him with that , and walks to his door. 

Taehyung wants to argue just because Seokjin’s mouth is different in appearance, not necessarily ‘nicer’, doesn’t mean he knows how to use it, nor will it be ‘better’ for fuck’s sake, but he catches himself. Isn’t he supposed to want to kiss Seokjin? Taehyung thinks about it for a moment, picturing his lips and pressing his mouth against his, and it does stir something inside of him, but it feels different than what Jeongguk evokes in him. He doesn’t know what to think of that. He looks over at Jeongguk who is opening the door for the pizza delivery guy, pulling out his wallet and shoving bills in his hand. Jeongguk bids him farewell, and shuts the door behind him. He moves to return to the couch. 

Taehyung stares at his lips the entire time it takes him to walk back over, studying them. They’re pretty, pink, his bottom lip ungodly with the ring that goes through it, and he has such a beautifully pronounced cupid’s bow. The sight of them, while paired with the fresh memory of how they feel, makes Taehyung forget what Seokjin’s mouth looks like. Taehyung gives Jeongguk his full attention, just now wondering how he knew that the delivery guy was at the door. He’d never heard a knock, so he asks Jeongguk about it. 

“How’d you know he was there?” 

Jeongguk sets the boxes on the table in front of them before responding. “Magic.” 

Rolling his eyes, Taehyung grunts with disapproval. Jeongguk smiles like a dickhead.

“I saw him walk up.” Jeongguk nods to the window. The curtains are pulled to, and the fabric is black, but they have a certain level of sheer that makes it easy to see through. Taehyung wonders how translucent it is from the outside. He doubts they’re fancy enough to block outside viewers. He doesn’t care if the delivery guy saw anything, but still, privacy is important. He hopes Jeongguk has it.

When Taehyung doesn’t respond, Jeongguk reaches forward and opens the pizza box on top, revealing bread and sauce and everything —so much so that it looks difficult to pick up. Jeongguk ends up pulling the box between them on the couch to prevent making a mess. He digs in without preamble, dripping sauce onto the shirt he probably wasn’t going to return as soon as it reaches his mouth. His round eyes widen as he takes a bite, Taehyung unable to do anything but stare as he swallows and his lips turn glossy from saliva when he licks his lips. He finds him cute, and a messed up kind of hot since he’s simply eating, so Taehyung rips his gaze away and hesitantly picks up a slice. It crumbles once it becomes airborne, his slice quickly becoming naked. He has to lean over to take a bite.

Jeongguk’s attention is back on the movie, and Taehyung takes advantage of the fact he’s preoccupied to go back to staring at his mouth as he eats, his cheeks when he chews, his thick neck when he swallows, and his nose as it scrunches when he smiles at the television. He wants to kiss him again, but now isn’t the time, and he doesn’t know how to ask. Taehyung feels something shift inside of him the longer he watches him, but he ignores it, uncertain what it is anyway. Eventually, Jeongguk catches on, or he feels the unwavering attention, and he looks over at him. He looks at him knowingly, making Taehyung’s face burn.

“Can I ask why you’re watching me so closely?” A smirk pulls at the corners of his mouth. 

With a confidence from origins he’s unsure of, Taehyung shakes his head. “No.” He smiles.

Jeongguk hums, and narrows his eyes. He moves the pizza box to the table without looking at it. “You sure about that?” 

Taehyung nods, softly. His eyes betray him as Jeongguk twists his mouth in thought, flitting to the movement. His lips still look so shiny. Jeongguk shifts forward, closing the distance between them. He points to his bottom lip, tapping underneath it, right over the mole there. It distracts Taehyung for a moment. “You wanna make out again?” 

The question hits him like a truck, and Taehyung squirms. His mouth tastes like pizza with heavy-handed garlic, but he wants to kiss him again more than he can be bothered by the garlic. Jeongguk has to taste like it too, so it shouldn’t matter.

“Yes,” Taehyung whispers. Jeongguk grins, wide and genuine. The corners of his eyes crinkle prettily. He surges forward, grabbing Taehyung’s face and bringing it to him. Their noses smoosh in his haste. There’s a softness to this kiss like their first one, but Jeongguk is more abrupt, quicker, less patient this time. Jeongguk kisses him breathless, biting, licking, swapping spit until Taehyung doesn’t know up from down nor right from wrong anymore.

Jeongguk is the one to pull away and break them apart again, Taehyung whining when his mouth is left alone. If it was up to him, Jeongguk would be attached to his lips at all times. 

“Wanna find out what else my mouth can do?” 

Taehyung doesn’t have a chance to figure out what he means before Jeongguk is reaching over and tugging on his belt loop. Taehyung looks down at his lap, watching Jeongguk’s finger hook tightly around the skinny strip of fabric, also noticing his pants aren’t hiding the erection he was too focused on everything else to realize he had. Shit, he’s hard from kissing. That’s embarrassing, right?

“Shit, what?” Taehyung says, forgetting what Jeongguk had said. Jeongguk repeats himself, “Do you want to find out what else my mouth can do, Taehyung?” His finger twitches against Taehyung’s pants and waist. 

Taehyung doesn’t piece together what Jeongguk is asking until he licks his lips and pointedly looks at Taehyung’s crotch. Fuck .

“Oh my god, yeah.” Taehyung says all in one breath. He’s not sure Jeongguk understands him until Jeongguk slips off the couch and onto the floor, shoving himself in between his legs. 

Jeongguk parts Taehyung’s legs, and gets comfortable on the floor. He undoes Taehyung’s jeans, reminding Taehyung of this morning. Except it's Taehyung’s turn to come. He briefly wonders if this is somehow part of Jeongguk helping him with his virginity, if it’s a return favor for the handjob Taehyung gave him, or if this is just something Jeongguk wants. Taehyung doesn’t have the mind to really think about it right now, especially when faced with Jeongguk who won’t stop licking his perfect lips and making Taehyung delirious. They’re a bit swollen from kissing, and Taehyung wants them back on his mouth more than anything, more than his first blowjob. 

“Don’t feel bad if you accidentally fuck my mouth. I’m not going to choke, but if you actually want to fuck my throat, tell me beforehand,” Jeongguk says, pulling Taehyung the rest of the way out of his head. His eyes flutter closed, and he shouldn’t be affected by Jeongguk’s bluntness, but it’s hot, his words dirty enough to make an old woman cry and pray.

“O-Okay,” Taehyung says, letting him know he heard. Jeongguk smiles sweetly, but then he’s pulling Taehyung’s dick out of his boxer briefs and sliding his rough hand up and down his length.

“Pretty cock,” Jeongguk murmurs, licking his lips one more damn time. Taehyung moans, throatily. He looks up at Taehyung before he leans forward and sticks out his tongue. Taehyung thinks he might die the second Jeongguk puts his mouth on him.

“Jesus, Jeongguk,” Taehyung cries. 

Jeongguk makes a pleased noise, disarming Taehyung by flicking the end of his tongue over his tip. Taehyung throws his head back, closing his eyes when Jeongguk does it again. He continues to do it enough times to have Taehyung praying for less attention, his nerves on fire with an intensity he’s never experienced before. But then, his skin is aflame for the second or third time tonight as Jeongguk presses his lips to Taehyung’s tip, his piercing merely existing and touching him doing wonders to Taehyung, and parts them to wrap around him. Taehyung groans, his body shuddering at the feeling. Jeongguk buries the end of his tongue into Taehyung’s slit, making Taehyung’s limbs twitch and threaten to flail. Precome starts to leak out of him, but Jeongguk laps it up. 

Without warning, Jeongguk takes more of him into his mouth, slowly enclosing Taehyung in wet warmth. Taehyung’s eyes snap open and he jerks his head down to look at Jeongguk. He feels so good, and has to fight the urge to fuck into his mouth. He can’t get over the way Jeongguk’s lip ring feels sliding against the sensitive skin of his cock. It’s probably weird to be obsessed with a small piece of metal, but Taehyung is quickly barreling down that route without a care in the world.

Before long, Taehyung’s tip is hitting the back of Jeongguk’s throat and Jeongguk’s chin is pressing into his balls. Every bit of friction, pressure, skin-on-skin is glorious, and Taehyung tries his best to bury the orgasm that is flying to the surface. He wants to last longer, wants to feel more of what Jeongguk has to offer. He isn’t sure if he’ll get the chance again. Jeongguk looks up and watches Taehyung unravel through round, lined eyes, and long, wet lashes. It pushes Taehyung that much closer to the edge. Jeongguk bobs up and down beautifully on Taehyung’s cock, swirling his tongue around his tip when he backs almost all the way off. 

“Fuck,” Taehyung grits out. Jeongguk hums around him. His orgasm sits at the base of his dick, charged and ready to explode. 

Jeongguk pulls off completely to say, “You can come in my mouth.” His voice is shredded, a wet dream, sounding a bit like he just walked off of stage after an entire setlist. Taehyung latches onto his hair, his fingers threading through gel and soft waves, pulling him back into his cock. Jeongguk swallows around him the moment Taehyung buries his tip against the back of his throat. It only takes one more second for Taehyung to come. 

It’s infinitely better than coming by his own hand, and Jeongguk’s mouth alone attempts to turn Taehyung into an addict—an addict for sex, for blowjobs, for Jeongguk . Taehyung cries out his name as he falls down from the high, his skin buzzing and incapable of feeling Jeongguk’s mouth anymore, still shooting down Jeongguk’s throat. 

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” Taehyung mumbles obsessively, his body convulsing with the aftershock of his orgasm and the oversensitivity he’s beginning to feel since Jeongguk won’t let him go. Taehyung pulls at Jeongguk’s hair, signaling to pop off, and Jeongguk finally does. 

“Jesus, fuck,” Taehyung says, his wet cock flagging and resting against the open denim of his jeans. 

Jeongguk snickers, but it sounds off. Deeper. Grittier. “Well said.”  

“Thank you,” Taehyung replies, stupidly. He doesn’t realize it’s sarcasm. “Jeongguk, you’re incredible. Your mouth is fucking insane.” Taehyung is evidently honest and full of praise post-orgasm, and he also doesn’t seem to know how to close his mouth.  “I’m forever a changed man.” 

Jeongguk laughs at that, throwing his head back from the force of it. “I changed you as a man, huh?” Taehyung joins him in laughter, the sound of his overly-gleeful and uncontrolled compared to Jeongguk’s. 

“Sure did,” Taehyung agrees, heartily. “Gonna pop my cherry too.” 

A funny, happy look washes over Jeongguk’s face, but then it’s gone the next second. He starts to stand, but his legs must be a bit numb because he stumbles, catching himself against the table. After a moment of stabilization, he stands to his full height. 

“Want anything to drink?” Jeongguk asks, scratching the back of his neck. Taehyung nods enthusiastically. Jeongguk walks off to grab two bottles of water, handing one to Taehyung when he returns. Taehyung takes hold of it, cracking it open, and downing half of it. Jeongguk copies him, his eyes trained on Taehyung where he can see him on the edge of his line of vision. 

After he’s satiated and he recaps the bottle, Taehyung sets it beside him on the couch on the opposite end of Jeongguk’s side. Jeongguk steps over to sit in his vacant spot. He closes the bottle and places it on the table once seated. Taehyung belatedly realizes his dick is still out, and he hastily shoves it back in his pants, hissing when he’s still too sensitive for quick movements. He zips and buttons his jeans, ignoring the intense sensation in his gut. Jeongguk quietly laughs beside him, but it’s a good-natured kind. He stretches his arm along the back of the couch like he did earlier, and silently beckons Taehyung to curl up into his side. It doesn’t take anything to make Taehyung agree. 

They stay like that for a while, Jeongguk gently stroking up and down Taehyung’s arm as neither of them pay much attention to the last leg of the movie. When it gets close to time for Taehyung to leave, Taehyung begrudgingly announces it. Jeongguk’s delicate strokes on his skin turn into a squeeze around his bicep. He whispers in Taehyung’s ear that he enjoyed the evening. It gives Taehyung chills. 

As they stand, Jeongguk gives Taehyung the untouched pizza box, and tells him not to worry about the cost. They walk toward the door, and Jeongguk plops his poetry book on top of the box in Taehyung’s hands. He grins at him, saying he’ll text Taehyung his password for the college’s assignment interface since he never wrote it down for him. Jeongguk bids him good night with a chaste, quick peck on the lips and a wave as Taehyung walks out the door. He calls out that he’ll see him in the morning, Jeongguk humming in acknowledgement as he stands in the doorway and watches him walk away. 

“Don’t forget to have a pick up line ready!” It’s the last thing Taehyung hears before he rounds the corner of Jeongguk’s block. He’s glad Jeongguk can’t see the blush blooming on his cheeks. 

🎫

After Taehyung is home and squeaky clean in every way, especially from the grime of the store and the light sweat from having his dick in Jeongguk’s mouth, Taehyung crawls into bed with the poetry book for Jeongguk’s class. He opens it, only to read the first three stanzas repeatedly without retaining anything. His mind is too full of the events of the day, of his new liberalized sexuality. Jeongguk’s stupid lips take up eighty percent of his brain, and in a moment of thoughtless decision-making, Taehyung snatches his phone off of his nightstand, adjusts his glasses he only wears at night, when his contacts fail him, and if he’s reading for long periods of time, and turns on the camera. He puckers his lips into a pout similar to the one stuck in his mind, brings the open book up to his chest, and snaps a picture. He looks it over, seeing it’s just enough provocative to get away with faking his innocence if need be. 

Taehyung sends the photo still without thinking, and plugs his phone in before returning it to the bedside table. He closes the book, it’s obvious he’s not going to get far tonight, and turns off his light. When Taehyung’s fixing his covers and pillows the way he likes, his phone buzzes with a text back, but he doesn’t hear it over the rustling of sheets. He plops his head on his pillow once it’s situated, smooshing his body into the mattress. As the night quiets around him, Taehyung realizes what the hell he did by sending Jeongguk that photo. He’s pushing them into territory that’s more than just an arrangement between friends; friends don’t send flirty messages like that. 

He groans, his anguish echoing around the room. Whatever, it’s already done, and if Jeongguk reacts poorly, Taehyung can somehow say it was a joke. He regrets giving himself boy problems when that’s not really what they even are, and in the moments of his wallowing and panicking about Jeongguk, Seokjin comes to mind. Taehyung almost curses his name because all of this is boy problems, but he’s fucking twenty-nine. He tries to replace the thoughts of Jeongguk in his head with Seokjin’s mouth, hands, body, smile, but it doesn’t fit right, and it tastes wrong. 

Taehyung gives up on sorting it out before he has an aneurysm. Only a few hours ago did he have his first orgasm by the mouth of someone else, so he can’t be blamed for jumbled thoughts and questionable selfies. Taehyung knows deep down he can’t keep pushing the blame that belongs to him off onto shitty excuses, but he leaves it for another day like the rest of his problems. He eventually succumbs to sleep, dreaming of pink, pierced lips that love to tease Taehyung in more ways than one. And in his dream, Taehyung shuts them up.

Chapter Text

Taehyung wakes up in a cold sweat—a fucking icy sweat—thirty minutes before his alarm. His dick is hard and begging for attention, but he already can’t remember what has him so worked up. His dream is a blur, fading rapidly into nothing the longer Taehyung stays awake. He groans, swiping a hand down his face harshly, debating if he rubs one out really quick. His half-asleep brain decides on doing it in the shower. Rolling over and reaching for his phone, Taehyung checks it to see how much time he has before he needs to catch the bus. An hour. Perfect.  

During the same moment he’s shutting his phone off and getting up, he notices two unread messages from Jeongguk. Taehyung blinks a few times to readjust his vision, ultimately sliding his glasses onto his face, and unlocks his phone to click on the messages. He blinks a few more times once he actually reads what he said. 

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 11:09 p.m.

mm should’ve had my cock between ur lips instead

enjoy the poetry lmao

Taehyung can no longer wait for the shower, the rest of the little blood left in his veins flooding south immediately. He whimpers, needing someone else to touch him, not wanting to be alone. His hand flies to his waistband, yanks his pants down, and closes his fist around his weeping cock. Fleeting images of tattooed hands replacing his own go through Taehyung’s mind, along with pierced lips sucking on his skin. It’s only about five tugs on his cock before he comes, his back arching off the bed. 

🎫

After a shower, the first anxiety-induced crisis of the day knocks Taehyung senseless, a crisis over fooling around with someone—with Jeongguk of all people—for the first time in his life, and a stuffy bus ride, Taehyung arrives at work on the edge of his second panic attack. Why did he think about Jeongguk when he was jerking off this morning? The thought has been plaguing him ever since he had post-nut clarity in the shower. Is it because of yesterday and everything that they did? That would make the most sense, but it’s not all that reassuring. Things are happening quickly between them, but should he even be concerned? He was a little too comfortable at Jeongguk’s last night, and now that he’s separated from yesterday, Taehyung really can’t get over what the reasoning could be behind why he didn’t think about Seokjin this morning like he usually would. Is sex with Jeongguk going to completely alter his brain? Surely not.

Taehyung paces outside of the record store without considering that the store’s ceiling to floor windows are made of glass, along with the door, and tugs on his curls as he wears circles into the concrete. Before long, Jeongguk is opening one of the glass doors and yelling at Taehyung to come clock in before he’s late. Taehyung chooses to look at his raised eyebrow instead of any of his other damning features. The metal pierced through it only makes things worse. 

“What the hell were you doing?” Jeongguk asks, returning to his seat behind the counter. He looks every bit calm, collected, dark, and sexily fucked out like he always does, and it annoys Taehyung to no end. Annoys him because Taehyung is anything but calm or collected (really, he’s fucked out himself but that’s neither here nor there), and he’s frustrated he didn’t appear to have the same ground-shaking effect on Jeongguk that the other had on him. Seeing him tells Taehyung just why he didn’t think about Seokjin this morning. 

Look Like That by LÉON is playing overhead, the soothing sound of the singer’s voice trying to snag Taehyung’s attention, but nothing can pull him away from the man before him. It’s strange. Infuriating. Mind-boggling. It’s also none of those things.

Taehyung can’t think of a lie fast enough to save him, so he simply says, “I don’t know,” because truthfully, he doesn’t know how to voice all of what’s going through his mind. Jeongguk blinks back at him, suspicion behind his round, heavily-lined, brown eyes, but he doesn’t comment. Taehyung walks the rest of the way in, clocks in on the old desktop monitor, and takes his usual seat near Jeongguk beside the counter full of graffiti. He forgot to bring something to occupy his time. He should’ve brought the stupid poetry book for Jeongguk’s assignment.

“You don’t have anything to say to me?” 

Taehyung looks up, his brow furrowed. “What?” He was hoping they’d dropped the topic of his behavior outside. He really doesn’t want to admit to Jeongguk it was a fit of anxiety. 

Jeongguk leans forward, they’re not close enough to breathe the same puffs of air, to touch, or to see the imperfections on one another’s skin, but he moves in close enough to force Taehyung to look at his lip piercing. Force might be a strong word, but Taehyung is rarely anything aside from weak. 

“Ask me out. You know, give me a line, Taehyung.” Jeongguk smirks. The metal in his lip turns.

Oh. Oh. Taehyung had forgotten about Jeongguk’s idea. He panics inwardly and outwardly, standing from the stool and looking around the store as if anything near him could help somehow. He comes up blank, submitting to unfortunate defeat.

“I…forgot to think of something,” Taehyung says, meekly, feeling silly, his cheeks burning. He looks at the floor, annoyed with himself and still annoyed with Jeongguk.

Jeongguk snickers and reaches over to push Taehyung back onto his seat. “Are you sure you’ve never had anyone fuck your brains out? Seems like no one is home up there. Might need to write my papers myself.” 

Taehyung’s body turns rigid, his eyes flying to Jeongguk’s indignant face. “The hell?” Taehyung scoffs, caught off guard. “You’re a dick.” It’s not true just as much as it is, and yet Taehyung’s insult holds no bite. Jeongguk laughs it off, his eyes crinkling prettily.  

“I do have a nice, big one,” Jeongguk retorts, his smile as slimy as his words. It’s horrible how attractive it is. Jeongguk stands as Taehyung shoots him an unimpressed look. “You cover the front. I’ll finish the inventory today.” Taehyung’s face falls into something astonished, surprised by how Jeongguk dropped the topic. But then there’s the fact that he’s about to do inventory, the same job that is extremely boring. Taehyung hates it, and he’s drug the task out for a lot longer than it takes, Jeongguk never lifting a finger to help him until now. 

Taehyung wonders what his motive, his angle, his reasoning for offering to finish it could be, especially when said so offhandedly. Right before Jeongguk walks toward the back and out of sight, and before Taehyung can ask why Jeongguk is taking over inventory for him, he stops by Taehyung, his thigh brushing against Taehyung’s knee, and says lowly, “I expect you to have something that’ll make me want to bend you over the counter and fuck you right here by the time I get back.” 

Blood rushes to Taehyung’s neck, heating it, and then quickly drains south. He doesn’t have a chance to say anything before Jeongguk is walking off and quietly snickering to himself. But with that, Taehyung is suddenly determined to prove Jeongguk right, just so he can possibly slide the floor out from underneath Jeongguk and make him stumble. 

Jeongguk leaves Taehyung alone for a couple of hours, going in between the backroom and the main floor every so often, their eyes meeting now and again by chance. Taehyung spends his idle time by attempting to research what he was left alone to do, but he eventually finds it demeaning and pointless, his determination waning. Anything he sees online sounds corny, and it’s never words Taehyung can actually picture himself saying to anybody, much less Jeongguk. Jeongguk doesn’t look like an angel who has fallen from heaven, nor does he look like he’s from some state in America. Taehyung sticks with defeat, his old pal, again, spending the rest of his time while Jeongguk numbs his brain by counting never-ending merchandise gouging a dip into the wooden countertop. It’s now one of many. Before long, Taehyung calls out to Jeongguk, ripping the band-aid off of the inevitable. 

“I’m not doing this anymore. Pick up lines were your idea, not mine. They’re not something I’m interested in.” Taehyung sighs. “I officially give up.” The sounds of Jeongguk dropping a clipboard on top of a box and his clunky boots walking toward him suggest Taehyung is not getting away with his decision easily.

“Didn’t peg you as a quitter. Actually, I know you’re not,” Jeongguk says, tauntingly, as he approaches the counter. He’s still out of Taehyung’s range of vision, and Taehyung refuses to look at him just yet.

“I quit when I know my limits and strengths, and this is not something I can pull off. I don’t have charm like you, Jeongguk,” Taehyung uses Jeongguk’s word from a few days ago. “I’ll just hope that somehow my good looks and wit will get me farther than they have in the past.” 

Jeongguk laughs, too loud for comfort, and forces his way into Taehyung’s line of sight, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms on the surface. He’s never looked so sure of himself in his life, at least in Taehyung’s presence. Taehyung swallows, fearful of whatever smartass retort Jeongguk could possibly have.

“Baby, you have untapped potential. Quite literally,” Jeongguk says, grinning. “You can’t know your limits when you haven’t tried exploring them.” Taehyung frowns at him, frustrated with how he’s somehow making sense. It sounds more philosophical than what their conversation is worthy of. 

“You can say whatever you want, but I’m not changing my mind,” Taehyung counters, stubborn. He doesn’t care if Jeongguk is supposedly doing this to help him, or that he has a point. 

“We’ll see.” Jeongguk chuckles. “We can drop it for now.” He straightens, standing to his full height. Taehyung’s eyes follow his movements. “Want to come to a gig the guys and I snagged at the last minute? It’s at nine tonight at Janie’s. After, you can meet the bandmates you’ve seemed to have forgotten all about.” Jeongguk smiles despite his words being a little pointed. 

The abrupt change in topic has Taehyung lagging, his answer for Jeongguk just out of reach. He expected Jeongguk to argue with him a lot longer than he did, because when is Jeongguk anything other than difficult? When Taehyung’s silence continues, Jeongguk adds, “I was joking. Not about coming to the gig of course, but about you forgetting my bandmates. That’s, uh, no big deal.” Jeongguk’s words belong under the term ‘uncertain’, but his tone is casual. A bit too casual.

Taehyung wants to say that he hadn’t forgotten his bandmates, but that would be a lie they’d both see through and there’s no reason to go there, and his tongue and brain still haven’t synchronized yet to even try. Jeongguk looks like he’s about to give Taehyung an out, but finally, Taehyung spits out an acceptance to his invitation. 

“Yeah, of course. That sounds fun.” Taehyung offers a reassuring smile. He is being honest, he does want to go. “I can ask Jimin for his car.” Taehyung hates public transportation after ten p.m. and Jimin, the young dancer living on the floor above him, is an early sleeper who lets Taehyung borrow his old Civic for late night grocery runs for the price of free cat sitting. It works when it needs to.

“Fuck yeah, it will be. It’ll be a good set.” Jeongguk beams, raps his knuckles against the counter, and slips away from the pocked wood. He doesn’t acknowledge Taehyung’s plans of borrowing a car, unfazed and all-knowing about the solid agreement between Taehyung and his acquainted neighbor, having accompanied Taehyung on a few of those grocery runs before. Instead he winks as he takes a step back, his smile slipping into something smaller and satisfied. Taehyung isn’t sure what either is for and it leaves him staring at the space Jeongguk is now no longer occupying. 

Only after Jeongguk walks back to his pile of inventory does Taehyung realize in all of his time of knowing and working with Jeongguk, Taehyung hasn’t heard a single song from his band. He can’t actively recall their name either, and he wonders what’s in store for him tonight, if he’ll like their music, or if he’ll have to lie to Jeongguk’s face if asked about it. It hits him just how much of his mind Seokjin once did occupy, and how much information concerning Taehyung’s friend was pushed out because of it. It seems as if the reverse is happening now, and Taehyung isn’t too sure what to make of it. 

🎫

At eight-fifty p.m., Taehyung walks into Janie’s wearing his tightest outfit and glasses, and feeling stupid about both. He spots what he thinks to be Jeongguk’s band, simply from context clues, on the bar’s tiny stage, the men varying in heights and styles. Nobody up there looks or dresses like Jeongguk, and it definitely doesn’t help Taehyung figure out what music genre they might play tonight. After a few minutes of staring awkwardly in the doorway, Taehyung, pink-cheeked, finds an empty table near the wall and sits down. It’s then that Jeongguk joins the rest of his band onstage, walking over to the tallest bandmate to say something directly into his ear. Whatever he says, it seems like bad news considering how the other reacts to it, and the two of them disappear into a closed off area that Jeongguk came from. 

Taehyung reaches for a plastic menu, feeling like he’s stared enough, and looks over his drink options. Everything is a bit too fruity for his bland tastes, so he chooses his tried and true: whatever is on tap. Taehyung flags a waiter down and orders a pint and a plate of dakgangjeon he’ll probably get indigestion from when mixed with the nerves stirring around inside of him, but he’s at a bar, he’s hungry, and he needs something to do with his hands, so he’s left with no choice but to order it. There’s loud crackling sounds of feedback as microphones and sound equipment are being tested while Taehying waits and fiddles and folds and scrunches a napkin between his shaky fingers. Jeongguk still hasn’t reappeared with the tall bandmate. 

Taehyung doesn’t really know why he’s so antsy. The rest of their day had been a breeze. Few customers had come in, Jeongguk only teased Taehyung a couple more times during their shift, and somehow Taehyung was able to calm his mind after the whirlwind of panic he experienced this morning despite said bouts of teasing. He should be relaxed, easy-going, and happy to be off work for god’s sakes.

The napkin Taehyung couldn’t leave alone is in unrecognizable, crumpled, shredded pieces on the table when the waiter returns with a half-hearted smile and Taehyung’s order. A platter that could easily feed ten or more people is set before Taehyung, and he sighs, knowing he only has himself to blame for not reading the serving size under the menu item. He picks up a piece of the boneless, red, sticky chicken and pops it into his mouth. He slides the plate a little farther away from him, hoping in the back of his mind that Jeongguk might be able to help him finish it all after his show. Maybe the rest of his band too. Taehyung reaches for his glass, draining nearly half of it in one gulp. The beer is slightly sweet, mixing with the flavors of the chicken nicely, the room temperature liquid flooding his system and warming his belly. It does a little to push him closer to a more collected version of himself.

By the time Taehyung eats a few more pieces of chicken, Jeongguk has rejoined his band onstage, with the tall one in tow. Something inside of Taehyung settles at the sight of him, it’s probably the last sip of his beer, or the familiar face in an unfamiliar space, and his eyes glue to Jeongguk’s figure. Jeongguk doesn’t seem to have changed clothes after work, the same black, ripped jeans hanging loosely from his waistline, and the exact black tee he wore earlier swallowing his tiny waist whole. The lights dim suddenly and spotlights directed toward the stage flicker on. The fairly large sized crowd lets out varying levels of cheer for Jeongguk’s band, the guitarist himself erupting into a responding cry that could belong in war. Jeongguk’s mouth splits wide into a manic grin once he stops hollering, and he steps up to the microphone stand near him. Nothing but excitement, hunger, raw passion show on his handsome face, and it all combined together has Taehyung blushing and diverting his eyes every few seconds. 

Jeongguk is hard to look at for many reasons, whether it be because of the expressions he pulls while showing off his infuriating personality, or the crass jokes he lets slip out from between pink lips, but nothing compares to the way he looks now while on the precipice of a performance with the energy buzzing beneath his skin—evident by the way he bounces on the balls of his feet, and the glory-to-come shining in his eyes. He’s incredibly pretty—beautiful, more like—and Taehyung still doesn’t know how to cope with this new revelation, this new way of viewing Jeongguk. He’s going to worry himself to death over it by the end of the night given how this morning went. 

Taehyung forces his eyes on another band member, the drummer. He’s a shorter, dark-haired man that Taehyung thankfully remembers is named Yoongi. Yoongi looks quite bored when compared to Jeongguk’s obvious mania, and he looks really disinterested when next to a wiry man with a grown out perm and a heart-shaped, giant smile. Then there’s the tall bandmate near the edge of the stage, stoic with his arms crossed as he listens to the wiry one start to welcome everyone and introduce the four of them as ‘Appleneuse Bridge’.  

Appleneuse Bridge. Sounds sexy. Taehyung repeats it to himself a few times in a hushed tone to force himself to remember it. He won’t be caught asking questions he should know the answer to again. 

The crowd cheers again and starts to clap as the members scatter and find their places and adjust their instruments. Taehyung can’t help but watch as Jeongguk raises his microphone stand to where he wants it, the simple action concerningly hot. The image is like scattered dust in the wind the second Taehyung sees what comes next. In one fluid, practiced movement, Jeongguk yanks his shirt off with one hand and throws it somewhere toward the back of the stage. Before Taehyung can blink, Jeongguk then slings his guitar strap over his head, the shiny, black guitar swinging in the air before it smacks against his waist, and wraps a hand around the neck to stop the twang of pulled strings from ringing out through the amp. 

Jeongguk’s pants are slung indecently low on his hips and the bastard flashes a smirk at the squealing crowd, knowing exactly what his little display of rockstardom has done. Taehyung would normally find it cliché, or stupid since it's Jeongguk, but frankly, he’s at a loss for words. It was only the day before that he saw Jeongguk mostly shirtless for the first time in his life, so it shouldn’t be quite a shock to see him half-naked when the memory is so fresh, but shock isn’t exactly what is shooting through Taehyung’s veins. He’s no better than the rest of the middle-aged women in the bar losing their godforsaken minds over rock hard abs and pretty skin. 

If Taehyung thinks there’s anything to be said of how Jeongguk looks onstage, he’s utterly undone and speechless by how Jeongguk sounds onstage. His band plays the truest form of rock music, instruments pounded hard, voices shredded as much as guitar strings are. Every note that comes out of Jeongguk’s goddamn pretty mouth sounds like either a mixture of or straight up angelic, breathy, or euphoric. The act of performing looks like worship, or sex, for Jeongguk, not that Taehyung would really know what either truly looks like, but Jeongguk gives him the affirmation of something similar to both acts. It hurts to watch him, to take in the way Jeongguk’s face contorts into something painfully beautiful as he sings, growls, murders the microphone with a song Taehyung hasn’t had half a mind to pay attention to the words of. 

The entire set goes exactly like that: with Taehyung watching by means of an unhinged jaw on the floor and wide eyes going dry from lack of blinking. Jeongguk gets sweatier by the second, his gelled hair is no longer fixed, now rather a mess of dripping wet curls upended every few seconds by the simple, sexy motion of slinging his head back and showing off his thick neck. But then there’s the way his tattoos seem to sear into his tan skin like inky brands, demanding onlookers to decipher whatever fucked up creation is marking his body that really gets Taehyung worked up. It’s distracting, it’s everything, and it really hurts to watch. Taehyung learns this very night that he’s a masochist. 

By the time the set seems like it’s ending, Taehyung is already out of his seat, food cold and nearing stale, and booking it toward the bathroom. He needs a moment of nothing to stare at to cool his boiling blood—his motherfucking aching boner—down. But because either fate has a sense of humor, or Taehyung hasn’t had enough embarrassment all of his many years alive, seconds after swinging through the squeaky bathroom door, Jeongguk joins him in the squalor that passes for a public restroom. Neither of them expect to see the other so soon. It’s clear through small gasps, fast blinks, and furrowed brows. Neither speak just yet. It’s then in that shocked moment of silence that Taehyung sees the thing that will forever further ruin his life, something too small to see from far away. 

Jeongguk has a new lip piercing. It sits right above the fucking mole underneath his bottom lip. Taehyung feels the floor melt beneath him, his legs threatening to give out and let his body plummet. 

“What is that?” is what Taehyung unknowingly decides to break the charged, fragile silence with. Ultimately because Jeongguk isn’t a mind reader while encompassing a sex god, he frowns at Taehyung in confusion. 

“There’s a lot of unorthodox happening right here and now on my person, so what the hell are you referring to?”

Taehyung blinks at him, unable to register half of what Jeongguk just said when he has another piece of metal in his stupidly hot face. His words belatedly catch up to him. 

“Did you just say ‘unorthodox’ and ‘on my person’? Who the fuck are you?” 

Jeongguk looks like he flushes pink, but it’s hard to tell under the shoddy, green lighting and the sheen of sweat on his face, yet Taehyung accepts what he might see as fact and his neck warms from it. It’s not often that he has any sort of slight upper hand. Another charged beat of silence unexpectedly passes. They’re at a stalemate of unnecessary questions the other doesn’t know how to answer. 

“You’re wearing your glasses again.” It’s a statement, not a question. Taehyung treats it as such by ignoring it. He’d rather not think about his last pair of good contacts unexpectedly going into the trash after an unfortunate tear in the left lens after work. He’s in mourning. His glasses are horrible and his face looks smaller when he wears them. It’s a shame he finds it necessary to be able to see.

“The music was good,” Taehyung says in response, knowing in reality he can’t remember a single song after the way Jeongguk’s performance was shoved in his face and down his throat all the way to his groin. But Jeongguk doesn’t need to know that, he needs to hear Taehyung has enjoyed tonight (even if his level of enjoyment is still pending), and Taehyung needs Jeongguk to stop staring at his goddamn frames like he’s never seen them on his face before. (Granted, he hasn’t in person and Taehyung isn’t sure if that makes things better or worse for either of them.) He can’t exactly read Jeongguk’s reddening expression, or what it means that he’s staring so hard at Taehyung that Taehyung feels the need to blink for him in case his eyes dry out.

“Yeah?” Jeongguk says it like a question, but his voice is deep and unlike anything asking for reassurance. 

Apparently not yet done with damning surprises, Taehyung notices something important. He didn’t even realize his eyes were wandering Jeongguk’s sweaty frame until now that he’s staring Jeongguk’s erection straight on.

Jeongguk is hard. He looks really fucking painfully hard.

Taehyung can’t help but breathe out “holy shit,” under his breath. Jeongguk seems to immediately know why he says it. His eyes turn dark. 

“Adrenaline boner. Perks of the job.” Jeongguk shrugs. “Of the adoration.” He smirks. 

Taehyung doesn’t feel like shrugging. His spine turns rigid, his blood draining south, whatever is left in his nervous system now overwhelmed with the need to touch—to be touched.

“Want another lesson?” Jeongguk asks, his voice rougher than gravel. 

“Here? What exactly are you wanting to teach me?” Taehyung says it to be a bit of a shit, anxiety kicking in at the last second. It doesn’t deter Jeongguk. His face turns more smug, his perfect teeth blinding him with a sure smile and a promise of blood. Taehyung swallows.

“Did you get my text last night? You never responded.”

Taehyung’s stomach threatens to fall out of his ass at his question, turning upside down and sideways. His skin feels white hot. Jeongguk continues when Taehyung doesn’t answer. He steps forward as he reopens his mouth.

“No? The one where I said you should’ve blown me instead?” Another step closer.

Taehyung can only stare at him, scared if he moves any part of his body, even his lips, his knees that have turned into jelly will bend and he’ll easily give Jeongguk what he’s about to ask for. Jeongguk stops in front of him, leaning forward, his lips pressing against the shell of Taehyung’s ear. Taehyung can smell Jeongguk’s sweat, cigarette smoke clinging to his hair, the cologne on his collarbone that is almost completely worn off. It’s intoxicating. Distracting. Delicious. 

“Wanna learn how to swallow?” Jeongguk whispers. His breath is hot against his ear, but it gives Taehyung chills. 

Taehyung shifts quickly to shove Jeongguk back some, his palms spread flat on his bare chest, to find his mouth and devour him. It’s different from any of the kisses Taehyung was graced with yesterday. It’s sticky, hot, desperate in the way two adults needing each others’ bodies can only be. Taehyung wants more of it, wants more of Jeongguk’s tongue down his throat, more of the groans and whines and whimpers Jeongguk isn’t aware he’s releasing that Taehyung gulps down. When Jeongguk pulls back with a yelp and a sneer, Taehyung’s hands slip off his chest, brushing against Jeongguk’s nipples before they slap against his own hips. 

“Fuck,” Jeongguk spits. He shivers as he touches the angry looking area around his new piercing. The kiss was too good for Taehyung to feel guilty about hurting him yet. Jeongguk drops his hand. “You’ve already gotten better at that. Damn.” 

The compliment surprises Taehyung into smiling crookedly. He looks away, starting to feel a little embarrassed. 

“Do that thing with your tongue on my dick.” 

Taehyung nearly chokes, a shocked laugh rising and dying in his throat. He cuts his eyes back to Jeongguk who’s seemingly already forgetting about his swollen and potentially bruised lip, evident by how he’s unbuttoning his pants and tilting his chin up to square Taehyung with a look of expectancy. Taehyung looks down at his crotch and back to his heady gaze. 

The motherfucker isn’t wearing underwear. 

“You’re sick,” Taehyung says lowly, smirking to show Jeongguk he doesn’t really think that. “I’m not blowing you in a public bathroom.” 

“Yes, you will,”  Jeongguk counters, matter-of-factly. Those three words finish undoing Taehyung and seal his fate. 

Taehyung should argue, should protest and call Jeongguk a shithead, or something, but instead he drops to his knees, locks eyes with Jeongguk, and reaches forward, hooking his fingers onto Jeongguk’s lowered waistband. He doesn’t think about how he’s doing this for free, not for a lesson, not to get better at sex or anything like it. He doesn’t think about anything else except for the fact that he wants nothing more than to have his mouth around Jeongguk’s cock and to hear Jeongguk to tell him how good he’s doing. 

Purely as a last minute thought, Jeongguk stretches and leans over to lock the entire bathroom. Without realizing he’s about to do it, Taehyung licks a strip of drying sweat off of Jeongguk’s hipbone. Jeongguk instantly shudders and a hand flies to Taehyung’s hair, tugging on it.

“F-Fuck, wait,” Jeongguk demands, sounding breathless. 

“Mmm, no,” Taehyung argues, gently wrapping his long fingers around Jeongguk. Before he has a chance to hesitate, Taehyung takes him into his mouth.

Having a dick in his mouth is not what Taehyung expected it to be, the circumstances are definitely not, but Taehyung likes it a lot more than he wants to admit. Jeongguk tastes salty, is velvety smooth against his tongue, and his cock is a satisfying hot and heavy weight inside of his mouth. It’s grounding, it makes Taehyung’s eyes try and roll back, and it has his gut melting into liquid want for Jeongguk to fill him in every way possible. Taehyung moves forward, easing Jeongguk’s head toward the back of his throat. But then, everything starts to feel foreign all of a sudden and Taehyung forgets how to breathe, nearly panicking. 

Jeongguk senses that Taehyung is about to freak out, or hyperventilate, so he pulls his hips back a few inches, leaving his tip on the edge of Taehyung’s bottom lip. “Easy, tiger.”

Taehyung grunts at the horrible nickname similar to something a father might use, going so far as smacking Jeongguk on the hip. Jeongguk snickers, his laugh abruptly cutting short when Taehyung finds enough air and ground to resume swallowing Jeongguk down. He looks up, tears forming and pooling in his lashes. Jeongguk peers at him down his nose with punched-out awe. Taehyung isn’t exactly sure what to do, so he rolls his tongue in a way that bluntly pushes against Jeongguk’s slit, unraveling him.

“Fuck, Taehyung,” Jeongguk pants. He screws his eyes tightly shut. “You’re better at this than I expected.” It sounds like ‘good job’ to Taehyung, almost making him shiver in light of the new praise. Taehyung hums delightfully around him, reaching his hands up and lightly scratching at the dips in Jeongguk’s lower back before holding onto his hipbones. He readies himself to really make Jeongguk praise him, quieting his mind from fear that he’s doing poorly. Jeongguk understands this, swiping his free thumb over Taehyung’s jawline before landing his other hand in Taehyung’s hair. He gently, almost discreetly, helps guide Taehyung’s mouth down his length and back up, letting Taehyung choose the speed. They do this exact song and dance a few times until it becomes a seamless routine Taehyung doesn’t need to study any longer before putting on a performance. 

Taehyung gets into the zone, losing himself in all things Jeongguk: his smell, his taste, his sounds. He’s worked himself to the edge just from pushing Jeongguk there, his pants unbelievably tight and damp. Taehyung pulls back for a second to catch his breath, only enough to breathe properly through his nose to not choke, and it’s then that Jeongguk decides to open his mouth.

“Your glasses are really fucking doing it for me,” Jeongguk growls. His fist tightens around the chunk of Taehyung’s hair that he’s holding. Taehyung lets a small whimper out before pulling the rest of the way off.

After regaining control and another deep breath, he blinks innocently up at Jeongguk. “Yeah? Gonna blow your load on them?” He bats his lashes. He doesn’t know how Jeongguk brings out this confident side of him, maybe it's just how Taehyung is during sex, but Taehyung likes it. He feels more alive.

“Y-Yeah.”

“Show me how it’s done.” Taehyung smirks before diving back down. 

And it’s not long before Jeongguk does, jerking backward and out of Taehyung’s mouth, forcing a hand around himself to pump the beginnings of a load onto Taehyung’s lenses. Taehyung can’t see much of anything anymore, but it still turns him on bad enough that he’s coming untouched in his jeans. He cries out, his deep moan mixing with Jeongguk’s stuttered last few, collapsing back onto his heels. Once he’s able to feel his bones again, Taehyung shakingly stands and delicately takes his glasses off. It’ll be a few more minutes before he can have the mind to devise the best way to clean them. 

“God. You’re fucking hot, the show was fucking amazing, and that’s exactly what I fucking needed, baby.” Jeongguk laughs, throwing his head back. Taehyung starts at the pet name, his thrill ending at the revelation at being called hot, his loopy brain purring.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re God. We know,” Taehyung mutters, joking. He’s too ridiculously happy to ruin Jeongguk’s mood.

“You think so?” Jeongguk suddenly reaches out, taking hold of Taehyung’s glasses. With no indication, Jeongguk sticks out his tongue and flattens it against the right lens. Taehyung instantly flounders, his cheeks burning red.

“Disgusting, Jeongguk! What the hell is wrong with you?” Taehyung reaches for his frames but Jeongguk jerks them away, giggling gleefully. There’s something so grossly hot about it at the same time, at the way Jeongguk is still mostly naked with his pants around his thick thighs, that Taehyung nearly gets hard again.

“Oh, whatever. Help me out. Clean off my stomach where some of my come landed.” Jeongguk grins widely, looking ever the idiot. Taehyung narrows his eyes and looks for said mess on Jeongguk's abdomen. “Oh, c’mon, baby, taste me.”

“Fuck, you—you are—” Taehyung sputters, internally at war with himself. His neck and ears feel like they’ve been through an incinerator. 

Difficult. The sexiest idiot alive. Insanely difficult.

“You know you want to,” Jeongguk continues to taunt now that he’s successfully done smearing saliva and come all over Taehyung’s glasses. 

“I’ve already t-t-tasted you,” Taehyung groans, embarrassment creeping up and embracing him from behind.

“No, not like—” 

A loud pounding on the bathroom door stops Jeongguk from finishing his sentence. The harsh jiggling of the doorknob comes next. The life nearly leaves Taehyung, but Jeongguk takes it all in stride. “It’s locked,” he says, reassuring Taehyung. Regardless of his own statement, Jeongguk refastens his jeans and moves toward the sinks to properly clean himself and the glasses up.

“Hurry, Jeongguk,” Taehyung stresses, the weight of being caught settling onto his shoulders and freezing his spine. 

“The door is locked, Taehyung. Chill,” Jeongguk huffs, but his tone is still mostly in good nature. He quickly washes Taehyung’s glasses with a pump of soap and water, slinging what’s left on his hand to his skin, rubbing it off. He runs his hand back under the water, along with Taehyung’s glasses to rinse both off.  

“I know, but still—”

“Chill. It’s fine. Here.” Jeongguk tosses Taehyung’s glasses to him with water still dripping off of the thin wire frames. Taehyung shakes them off before sliding them on.

“Thanks,” Taehyung mumbles.

“Get some water and swish it around in your mouth,” Jeongguk instructs, pointing to the faucet he left running. He steps away to grab a paper towel to rub over his stomach.

Taehyung obeys although annoyed, his heightened nerves blaming Jeongguk for almost getting caught, making sure he’s glaring Jeongguk’s way as he spits. He would’ve done this without Jeongguk commanding him to. Jeongguk just looks back at him with mild interest, the corner of his lips twitching ever so slightly. Taehyung doesn’t know what to think of it, nor does he understand what Jeongguk is thinking himself.

“Beautiful. Now, c’mon.” Jeongguk turns toward the door. “We can debrief later.”

Taehyung follows behind quietly, more so because he’s trying to gather thoughts, if any, on what just happened to even debrief. All he knows is that he feels good, despite the jolt at the end from the stranger they’re passing through the doorway now, and that he can’t believe he really just blew Jeongguk in the bathroom at Janie’s. If their goal is to actually go through Taehyung’s list, it seems that Jeongguk is going to take some of Taehyung’s reservations along with his firsts. 

As they’re walking down the narrow hallway that leads to either the main lounge or backstage access and storage rooms, Jeongguk looks over his shoulder briefly and says, “I’ll square up with you later tonight.” 

Taehyung’s cheeks pink before he rounds up the courage to be honest. He’s not entirely thrilled to share that he’s got uncomfortable proof of not needing to be ‘squared up with’. Jeongguk had him very hot and bothered already.  

With a deep breath, Taehyung murmurs that there’s no need, he’s satisfied. Jeongguk stops in his tracks, turning around and unintentionally pinning Taehyung to the wall. Or, maybe it is intentional. Jeongguk seems to like crowding Taehyung in every way possible. 

“What? Does that mean you came in your underwear?” Jeongguk sounds awed, surprised, and mortified. He reaches forward, cupping Taehyung’s dick through his pants. “So what happens when I do this?” Taehyung whimpers at the unexpected pressure, because evidently that’s what happens next. The cold, sticky, almost-dry come smooshes into his skin unpleasantly, but that’s neither here nor there. “What happens when I give you a handjob through your jeans using your old spunk?” Jeongguk begins to pump up and down Taheyung’s cock as best as he can. He suddenly drops his hand after a few jerks. “Guess we’ll never find out. Don’t want to be disgusting.” Jeongguk smiles knowingly, pleased with himself. “We’ll talk about this later too.” Taehyung rolls his eyes, trying his best to appear unbothered despite the whimper he’d let out. He ignores Jeongguk’s last sentence. 

“You’re not disgusting, Jeongguk.” 

“I am. I don’t care.” Jeongguk turns, stepping away from Taehyung and continues walking toward the backstage area. When they round the corner, his bandmates are almost done packing their equipment. All three attention spans hone in on Jeongguk who seems to slouch, or relax, now that he’s standing still. None of them seem unfazed by the faint sheen of sex covering him. Taehyung realizes belatedly that he might have that too. He tries to not worry over it, hoping nobody notices it. 

“There you fucking are,” heart-shaped grin grumbles.

“Just like Jeongguk to leave before we disassemble,” the short one—Yoongi says. 

“He’s here now, he can carry the rest of the shit out,” the tallest one says in a tone that means everyone’s first complaints are simultaneously their final complaints.

“Relax, I had to find Taehyung. He came just for me,” Jeongguk starts. Taehyung swallows drily at the double meaning. “So I couldn’t let him sit all by his lonesome any longer.” Jeongguk grins in a way that suggests everything about them that Taehyung was hoping his bandmates wouldn’t notice. They didn’t talk specifics about who could know about their arrangement or strange relationship, but Taehyung had assumed they both would keep it hush hush. 

“What’s with you and sounding like an old person today?” Taehyung mutters to Jeongguk’s back. With that, everyone turns to Taehyung. The three sets of eyes he doesn’t know study him closely, all three understanding to an extent the nature of their relationship. Things might be different in this moment if Taehyung had made a better effort with their friendship in the past by attending gigs, or even parties. From the way the tall one is looking at Taehyung, something tells him that wouldn’t have mattered. It eats at Taehyung’s insides a little, the unknown meaning of what that bandmate has behind his soft brown eyes. 

“He’s the youngest old man I know,” heart-shaped grin says, finally breaking the loud silence.  “Gets up early to drink green tea and do yoga with Namjoon just like them too.” He gestures toward the tall man beside him. 

Jeongguk makes a noise of protest that promises an oncoming argument, but Namjoon gets involved and shuts the fight down before it begins. 

“Taehyung, is it? What’d you think of Appleneuse Bridge?” It’s not a question Taehyung wants to answer while everyone looks at him, but it’s better than a lot of alternatives. 

“Jeongguk, load the van,” Yoongi says, his voice almost a soft grunt, while Taehyung finds a polite answer. Jeongguk mutters something under his breath, but does as he’s told. 

“I liked the show. It all felt very rock ‘n roll,” Taehyung answers. He laughs a bit awkwardly when none of them react. “Sick lyrics too,” he adds. He can’t remember any of them, but he hopes it earns him some favor. It seems to delight Yoongi, judging by the slight upturn of his lips. 

“You work with Jeongguk, right?” Namjoon asks, the same unclear look in his eyes. Namjoon turns to the other two near him. “He’s credible guys. He has to have pretty good music taste.”

“Not if he likes the shit Jeongguk likes,” Yoongi argues. He shuffles toward his drum set, picking up pieces and handing them to a returning Jeongguk. 

“Don’t insult me while I’m outside and can’t defend myself,” Jeongguk says to him, frowning, but he sounds playful. Taehyung quickly realizes this is how the four of them work. They act like brothers, like boys who grew up together. It twists something deep inside Taehyung, feeling like jealousy, but it’s more of an ache for something he’s never had.  

“Hurry up, I’m starving,” Yoongi counters. It makes Taehyung remember his open tab and empty seat. 

“This would go a lot faster if you helped,” Jeongguk deadpans, lifting equipment probably twice his bodyweight. 

Yoongi shakes his head. “Arms are still vibrating. I just handed you part of my drum set.” 

Heart-shaped grin cuts in, “I’ll help you, Gukkie.” Jeongguk frowns at the nickname, but it looks like how someone would frown at their mother for using an old term of endearment. 

“He’s got it, Hoseok,” Yoongi says, but he steps out of Hoseok’s way. Taehyung can hear Namjoon chuckle softly beside him. He didn’t know he had moved, but now that he knows he’s there, Taehyung can feel some of his body heat radiate toward him, bare forearm to bare forearm. 

“They’re always like this,” Namjoon explains quietly. He bends his head down a little to reach Taehyung’s ear. Taehyung unwillingly thinks about how Jeongguk was there not long before now. He suppresses a shiver. “This is Yoongi’s version of ‘I love you’.” 

“I can hear you,” Yoongi growls. “You’re shit at whispering.” 

Namjoon straightens, leaving Taehyung’s ear cold. “I wasn’t trying to whisper.”

Yoongi grunts and walks outside. Namjoon chuckles softly again. He turns to Taehyung. “We’re going out for hotpot if you’d like to join.” 

Taehyung feels like he should talk to Jeongguk about this before agreeing, he doesn’t want to overstep or overstay his welcome, but the other had mentioned an after, earlier, so he might not mind Taehyung tagging along. If he’s honest, Taehyung likes Jeongguk’s bandmates, even if they’re mostly arguing. There’s a comfortable atmosphere around them all and Taehyung likes seeing Jeongguk as an even more mellowed version of himself. 

“Um, yeah. Sounds good. Thanks,” Taehyung accepts, kicking himself for sounding off, but internally feeling warm at the offer all the same. 

“Jeongguk will be glad,” Namjoon says, dropping his voice in volume as the younger walks back inside. Namjoon gives Taehyung a knowing look.

“Oh, uh, we’re—”

Namjoon cuts him off with a casual wave of his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Taehyung sees Jeongguk glance over at them. “Just friends. I know.” With that, he leaves Taehyung to stand and blink at his retreating figure. Namjoon grabs the last of the sound equipment and follows Jeongguk outside. Taehyung is left alone for a few moments before Yoongi and Hoseok pop their heads in to check the floor for instruments and whatnot. 

Hoseok beams at Taehyung once finding the area empty. “Coming along? You can ride up front with me. Everyone else corrects my driving while they’re up there. Makes me crazy.” He uses his finger to make a swirling motion around his temple. Taehyung snorts. He can imagine Jeongguk being bossy. 

“Sure,” Taehyung answers, smiling. “I’ll meet you outside, I need to pay my tab.” Hoseok throws him a thumbs up, one that doesn’t fit the dark eyeliner around his eyes, nor the smudged lipstick on his neck. It’s goofy. It makes Taehyung like him more. 

🎫

Taehyung hasn’t had hot pot in quite a while, he hasn’t gone out with more than one person in maybe years, so he hasn’t had much of a reason to. He’s missed sharing a meal with a group like this. The last time that he did, it was with his parents and brothers back before all hell broke loose and splintered them apart. Taehyung was probably ten. Maybe nine. It’s a little fuzzy. 

When Taehyung has the chance to get a closer look at the band sitting around him, he realizes just how little he paid attention to the rest of them while they were on stage. He has a moment to just observe now that they’re eating and intently listening to Jeongguk. There’s a lot to be seen from a family seated together at a table, and it’s even more crystal clear to Taehyung that this is what they are to each other. 

There’s a nonexistent gap between Yoongi and Hoseok, much like the trio Taehyung is shoved between, their elbows knocking every time the other moves. Jeongguk reaches over both his and Namjoon’s plate nearly a thousand times before the night is over, but Namjoon doesn’t bat an eyelash like Taehyung does. Namjoon and Jeongguk are bulkier than Taehyung, making it a little crowded on their side of the table, but Taehyung secretly doesn’t mind. He doesn’t let Jeongguk know that though, telling him to scoot over every few minutes when he gets animated while telling a story and flinging his arms into Taehyung’s space and sometimes his chest. Jeongguk just ignores him, shooting him an indecipherable grin between thwacks and breathers from storytelling. Taehyung secretly doesn’t mind that either. 

Yoongi makes it known very quickly that he’s in charge of the large pot and its divided section in the middle of the table by a grunt and fast hands that push others away. He drops chunks of meat into Jeongguk’s bowl before he gives any of the others any, but nobody protests, they just add pieces into his bowl as well. While Yoongi stirs and plates, Hoseok eagerly takes the job of bringing side dishes and ingredients, hopping up from his seat on the booth at the smallest mention of either. Jeongguk seems to have fun with this, waiting until Hoseok comes back and barely sits before requesting something new. Feeling bad for Hoseok, Taehyung nudges Jeongguk in the ribs the fourth time he does it. Jeongguk surprisingly stops after being reprimanded. 

At the point when everybody, including Jeongguk, is nose deep in their bowls and quiet, Jeongguk leans over to whisper in Taehyung’s ear. His lips ghost Taehyung’s skin, sending chills down his spine. “I keep thinking about how you’re still wearing your come-stained underwear.” 

Taehyung’s knee jerks under the table, his entire being startled. He brings his foot down on top of Jeongguk’s chunky boots, the stomp pointless against the thick leather. He shoots Jeongguk a barely-held together glare, his insides aflame. “Don’t remind me. Can we talk about why you’re not even wearing underwear?”

“Only if you want to talk about the dried come in yours.” Jeongguk retorts quietly, smirking, his piercings pronounced. It makes Taehyung burn hotter. He looks down at his bowl to stop himself from combusting. 

“That’s a ‘no’ then.” He says it to a mushroom floating around in his portion of orange broth. Jeongguk chuckles under his breath.

“That’s a ‘no’.”

“Eat your food and leave me alone.” Taehyung doesn’t really mean it, but he doesn’t know how to feel or act with the ghost of Jeongguk’s breath on his neck as he sits at a table with mostly strangers. He doesn’t really know how to do either when it comes to Jeongguk, especially since last week. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to figure it out as time continues to tick by and it seems to become a daily occurrence for Taehyung to stick his hands down Jeongguk’s pants. 

“Yoongi, hall of fame. Ariana or Charli,” Hoseok says out of nowhere, placing his chopsticks on top of his bowl. Taehyung looks up in time to see Yoongi blink like an owl at Hoseok before responding. Taehyung then looks over at Jeongguk to see if he understands what’s happening. He appears bored, clueing Taehyung in on the fact that this is nothing out of the ordinary. 

“Do I look like I know who either of them are?” Yoongi frowns, lopsidedly. Taehyung thinks to himself that Yoongi has to know who the two pop icons are.  

Hoseok shrugs, grinning. “I’ve heard you play Charli while in the shower before.” Taehyung smiles to himself while Jeongguk barks out a laugh upon hearing this. 

“Bullshit. Absolute bullshit.” Yoongi frowns harder, looking exposed. He takes a moment. “Charli,” he mumbles, scooting away from Hoseok on the bench. Hoseok beams with delight.

As Taehyung watches the interaction end, Namjoon leans over in his space to say, “It’s something stupid we’ve played since college. It’s as simple as it sounds, you just choose between the artists given which one you personally think belongs in a metaphorical Musician’s Hall of Fame. It’s purely an opinions-based game, or a way to rile someone up if you’re Hoseok or Jeongguk.”

“Not true!” Jeongguk pipes in. “It’s just that nobody agrees with me.” Yoongi snorts, evidently agreeing with that statement only. He shares a look with Hoseok who radiates satisfaction, nodding along. 

“In what world would Zeppelin ever be placed above the Stones in terms of talent and greatness?” Yoongi asks, appalled by the memory of a past ‘hall of fame’ conversation gone wrong. 

Jeongguk huffs, leaning back into his seat and crossing his arms. “In every world. Namjoon thinks so too.” Namjoon throws his hands up in the air exasperatedly as if to say ‘leave me out of this’. Taehyung swallows down a laugh threatening to escape. The four of them act like three-year-olds instead of men somewhere in their thirties. “I know Taehyung does too. He would choose Richards over Page any day.” Taehyung’s jaw drops open, surprised by being pulled in, but he knows Jeongguk is too competitive to leave him out of it. 

“I don’t know how to talk to either one of you then. Jimmy Page is hands down one of the best guitarists of our time, and I don’t even know guitar like that,” Yoongi spits out, turning a bit pink. Hoseok’s grin grows wider. Taehyung thinks they look a bit funny sitting side by side while looking so opposite. Namjoon was right, this game seems to be a way Hoseok likes to start an argument. 

Hoseok opens his mouth to say something that looks like oil being added to a fire, but Namjoon suddenly sighs loudly, earning everyone’s attention and stopping Hoseok. His tone is nonsensical and sharp when he speaks. “Can we have a single meal where we don’t do this? You’re going to make me have indigestion.” The three bandmates blink at him, understanding by his stiff body language that enough has finally been enough. If crickets were at their table, they’d be heard chirping. A pin could drop at their feet and it would echo.

Yoongi and Hoseok exchange another look, but stay quiet. Jeongguk doesn’t argue for once, picking up his chopsticks and shoving a piece of bok choy in his mouth. Taehyung bites down on his lip thinking it’s all so unironically humorous and lovely and he wishes to be a part of it all of the time. A peace Namjoon evidently hasn’t known the entire night settles around them as they all finish their meal and visibly relax into the vinyl booths they’re seated on. It turns into the comfortable kind of silence that makes one forget they’re out in public and not in someone’s kitchen using their personal, worse-for-wear utensils and chipped bowls. 

Taehyung feels full in more than one way by the time they’ve all finished and Yoongi has left to pay. Before he goes, Taehyung offers him a handful of crumpled won, but Yoongi ignores his outstretched hand. Jeongguk takes the wadded mess from Taehyung’s hand instead and shoves it into his pocket. Taehyung just sighs, letting him. Hoseok watches the entire thing go down with mischief tucked into the corners of his mouth.

In a slow dance of slender limbs and complaints about bursting bellies, the party makes it outside and underneath the late night’s moon. Warm air fogs up Taehyung’s glasses for a moment, showing traces of where Jeongguk’s tongue had been. With pink cheeks, Taehyung snatches the lenses from his face and wipes them with the edge of his shirt. He feels Jeongguk watching him, probably with his signature pierced eyebrow-raise, but Taehyung doesn’t look at him, using all of his concentration on draining his face of embarrassment. In fact he’s so inherently focused that he doesn’t hear clearly what Hoseok says to Jeongguk, but he hears Jeongguk start to whine in response. Taehyung drops his shirt, raising his lenses to the streetlamp light above him. They’re still smudged, but it’ll do. He places the frames back onto his nose bridge, turning back to everyone else and the conversation that currently has all four of them frowning. It seems to be a never-ending cycle.

“I still think that our band name should be ‘Shadowbloom’,” Jeongguk says. Three indignant faces argue with him all at once, shutting him down. 

“This is why you don’t—” Hoseok starts.

“That gives—” Namjoon tries.

“Shut up, Jeongguk,” Yoongi says, venomously.

From how each of them sigh in different ways after Yoongi’s final words, Taehyung can tell they’ve all said those very same phrases before. Taehyung wants to ask how their band name came to be and why the interesting one Jeongguk is mentioning sits on a back burner, but the sight of Yoongi’s still present, deadly scowl tells him to keep his questions quiet. Jeongguk mumbles something that somehow sounds like ‘fine’ and ‘fuck you’ simultaneously, making Hoseok chuckle and everyone else deflate into their normal selves—normal from what Taehyung can tell. 

“Let’s fucking go. I’ve had enough of his ass for one night,” Yoongi grumbles, starting for their van. He jabs a thumb toward Jeongguk but it’s all in jest so Jeongguk doesn’t do anything but roll his eyes and follow behind. Namjoon steps into place beside Taehyung.

“I think you’ve officially been inducted into this shitshow.” Namjoon scratches the back of his neck, looking worn out. But it’s the kind of worn out that comes with chasing your dreams with the people you love while working your ass off. 

Taehyung smiles at him, albeit rather awkwardly. He wants something like that too badly to agree and accept so quickly. It aches within every fiber of his being, each squabble he’s watched tonight only making it hurt more in some kind of backwards way. 

Namjoon seems to take the hint that Taehyung is battling something internally and changes the subject. In this moment, Taehyung is acutely grateful for the other man’s sixth sense. “I’ve been bored with my music taste lately. You have any albums to recommend?”

“The Slider. T. Rex,” Hoseok throws a suggestion out from where he walks in line behind them. 

Namjoon throws a hand over his shoulder as if to swat him away. “I asked Taehyung, not you.”

Taehyung holds in a giggle, gently touching his fingertips to his mouth. He peeks over at Namjoon from the side, seeing the other smiling faintly. Taehyung thinks about an answer, a big array of artists flooding his mind but none seeming to fit the music taste Taehyung perceives to be Namjoon’s.

“Give me a genre,” Taehyung says, needing something to work with.

Namjoon pretends to think, dramatically putting the vee of his thumb and pointer finger to his chin. But then he drops his hand and shrugs. “I don’t give a shit at this point. I need something new. Let me have whatever you’ve got.” 

“I’m telling you, T. Rex is the shit you’re looking for,” Hoseok grumbles, trying again. “He’s versatile. A rock ‘n roll legend.” Namjoon waves him off again.

Taehyung thinks for another moment, deciding on an album he’s been loving lately. It’s mellow, warm, and perfect for slow summer nights. “Come into the store whenever you can. I have something you might like, but first listen requires the ancient isolated listening booth we have in the corner of the store. Those are my recommendation terms, take it or leave it.” Taehyung tilts his head to the side to look at him, leaving the artist and his album secretive and feeling pretentious about it, but for good reason. Certain music requires listening booths for first-time listening. Others require busted car speakers, while some even need headphones at night in bed. Taehyung doesn’t make the rules, he just follows them.

Namjoon grins, the wrinkles around his eyes looking less like exhaustion and more like a young life filled with excitement. “Okay, count me in. I can drop my shifts any time for something like that.” He doesn’t ask for the artist’s name like Taehyung hopes he wouldn’t.

Taehyung returns his smile and is about to ask Namjoon where he works, but they all make it to the rusted van they arrived in and Yoongi is telling them all to ‘hurry their asses up and get in’ so Taehyung loses his chance to ask. Somehow he’s squished against Jeongguk’s entire left side and isn’t in the passenger seat like on the way over here, something that doesn’t feel like an accident or chance at all, unable to buckle his seatbelt with Namjoon on his other side just like at the restaurant. This time, Taehyung minds his lack of personal space, the stuffy van’s interior constantly shoving Jeongguk’s sweaty, musky, boyish smell into Taehyung’s nose and making it difficult to breathe without heating his blood. Now is not the time to be turned on while in a compact van with four other men, but Taehyung’s body evidently doesn’t care about time or place. It makes the drive back to the bar feel that much longer.

Only through a prayer and a silent, dull stretch of ten minutes is Taehyung able to calm the rising boner in his pants and ignore Jeongguk’s presence against him. He dissociates the rest of the ride and thanks Hoseok when he’s dropped off before giving Yoongi and Namjoon both polite farewells. Just when Taehyung starts to internally panic over how to tell Jeongguk goodbye and not look expectant over an aforementioned ‘later’, Jeongguk hops out of the van, opens the back to grab his guitar case before slamming the door shut, and strides toward the car Taehyung borrowed without a backward glance or verbal acknowledgement of his departure. Nobody seems baffled by his behavior, instead waving to Taehyung as Namjoon shuts the van door and Hoseok speeds off. 

“You always do that? Give an ‘Irish goodbye’ to your bandmates?” Taehyung asks Jeongguk’s back. His heart swells at the way Jeongguk ultimately decided to end the night with him instead of his friends. Taehyung worries for the way the organ grows ten times the normal size, but he shoves the anxiety away for another time. 

Jeongguk stops in his tracks, turning around to look at Taehyung, baffled. “What?”

“Irish goodbye? You dip without saying anything? Well, I guess you didn’t actually d—”

“No, where did you get that phrase from?” Jeongguk looks completely stupefied, no longer simply baffled. He also looks like he’s on the edge of making fun of Taehyung, his smirk awfully sharp and his round eyes terribly bright.

“Movies,” Taehyung mumbles, already over the conversation and regretting it. He walks past Jeongguk’s still figure.

“So you know that, but you’ve never seen Transformers?” Taehyung can hear the arrogant smile in his voice and the way his stride turns long in order to catch up with him.

Taehyung ignores him and stops near his car, manually unlocking the Civic’s driver side only so Jeongguk can’t get in. Jeongguk leans on the frame comfortably, not allowing the locked door to stop him from being infuriating.

“Your place, or mine?” It’s not really out of the ether, especially when the same question has been in the back of Taehyung’s mind all night before he even showed up to the gig, but it feels like it is and it makes Taehyung’s skin break out in hives. Jeongguk grins, wiggling his stupid eyebrows. “Mine it is then. Take me home, Taehyung,” He says the last part a little dramatic and breathlessly while pulling on the door handle he knows isn’t going to give and let him in, disarming Taehyung another level. “Yours next time, no doubt. It’s been a while since I’ve been over. Gotta make sure there aren’t any more secrets of yours hiding under your bed.” Jeongguk pulls on the door again. Taehyung pushes the ‘unlock’ button on the keys. He wants to laugh, but it’s stuck in his throat. Jeongguk successfully opens the car door and slings his body into the passenger seat. 

Taehyung stiffly sits down, both his laugh and tongue still lodged in his throat, and cranks the engine. It stutters to life. Taehyung punches the radio on while waiting for the engine to heat up. Jeongguk sits there happily like Taehyung isn’t acting strange, taking it upon himself to flip stations while Taehyung slowly gets his shit together enough to drive. He’s not even sure what has him so rattled, but the night itself has been so out of the norm that there’s no telling what’s done it. As Taehyung drives out of the lot and Jeongguk stops on a country station to mess with Taehyung, he realizes he doesn’t have a norm anymore, not when he’s letting Jeongguk fuck his brains out and seriously enjoys it.

Chapter Text

Jeongguk practically pounces on Taehyung, kissing him harshly before he’s fully made it out of the car. He crowds his slim figure in against the doorframe, leaving his guitar case at their feet. His new piercing digs into the skin under Taehyung’s bottom lip, making him a pseudo matching pit. It fucking hurts the harder Jeongguk pushes, the pain finally outweighing the need to devour Taehyung. He jerks back as if lightning struck him. Normally he likes the pain sex and a new piercing provide, but this is white-hot, the area already agitated from what they did in the bathroom back at the bar.

“Fuck. Stupid,” Jeongguk huffs, annoyed with the pain interrupting him. He leans down to pick up his battered guitar case and steps backward in the direction of his front door, catching his breath. Taehyung swallows down air, shaking his head as if stunned, but follows him like a magnet, slamming the car door closed. The sight of him flustered fills Jeongguk with pride.

“When the hell did you find the time to get that done after your shift?” Taehyung asks, still breathless, heady gaze on his piercing. His chest still rises and falls dangerously fast. 

“Yoongi wanted another earring before the show and made me come along. It’s impossible for me to go in those shops without leaving without something new. It’s fun.” Jeongguk smiles at him like a kid, bumping his back against the door. The thud is comically loud, but neither of them address it. Jeongguk turns to prop his guitar case against the doorframe and jam the key in the lock. The door opens, his guitar case falling on top of the threshold. Jeongguk nudges it out of the way with his foot as if it’s not his most prized possession.

“Fun,” Taehyung echoes to his back.

Jeongguk hums in acknowledgement as he strides in, shedding his stretched shirt and throwing his keys once he’s inside. He hears Taehyung make a small, strained noise behind him before he shuts the summer night out with a closed door. Jeongguk abruptly turns to face him and drops all preamble, thinking three times of fucking around is enough to sidestep any kind of awkward romantics. He likes doing this to Taehyung anyways. It’s become his new favorite thing.

“I really want to watch you fuck yourself open,” Jeongguk says, noticing his voice already sounds affected. He internally curses himself for showing Taehyung too much, it’s been harder and harder to hide just how badly he wants the other man the more they do this, but it doesn’t seem to matter judging from Taehyung’s reaction to his request. It’s worth how he continuously steps to the dangerous edge of laying his heart bare.

Taehyung’s mouth falls wide open. “Jeongguk, holy shit, what happened to asking guests if they wanted anything to drink?” Maroon blooms across his cheeks, ears, and neck. He’s so pretty that it makes Jeongguk’s palms itch with the need to touch the color on his skin. 

“We were just at a restaurant, there’s no way you’re thirsty,” Jeongguk counters, deadpan. He can’t help his impatience, he already had to sit through a long ass dinner before getting to this. He’s had the very thing he asked for on his mind since first seeing that damn list. Taehyung bursts into laughter.

“I mean, yeah, but manners still exist.” Taehyung bites down his lip as his laughter dies out. It’s so fucking sexy that Jeongguk has to physically hold himself back from jumping him again.

“Don’t you think we’re a little past the point of manners?” Jeongguk raises an eyebrow, knowing he’s correct. Taehyung sighs, smiling faintly. 

“Yes, but hearing, you know, what you said, is a little jolting out of nowhere.” Taehyung looks away, his red cheeks burning a shade darker. 

This is about to get really fucking entertaining. Finally. “What exactly did I say, Taehyung?” Jeongguk asks, smirking, hoping to make him squirm.

“Why do you like throwing me off balance so much?” Taehyung whines. Bingo.

Jeongguk shrugs, feigning indifference before he’s honest. “It’s kinda hot when you get all embarrassed.” Taehyung blinks blankly at him. A smile erupts on his face and he visibly struggles to tame just how much he likes the sound of Jeongguk’s interest. It gives Jeongguk a kind of hope he shouldn’t have.

“Freak.” Taehyung responds, clearly not meaning it.

“Disgusting freak. Get it right.” Jeongguk rolls his eyes, fighting a smile.

“You d—”

“Mmm, no, that’s enough chit chat,” Jeongguk immediately interrupts, flashing him a wicked smirk. Taehyung snaps his mouth closed obediently. It does wonders to Jeongguk’s already stirring dick. “Follow me.” 

“Bossy,” Taehyung mumbles, but he can hear his soft footsteps fall in line behind him. 

Jeongguk leads him toward his bedroom, smiling like an idiot since Taehyung can’t see his face. He smothers it before he speaks, changing his tone so Taehyung clearly gets the message. “You haven’t even seen that side of me yet.” He looks back over his shoulder, seeing Taehyung’s eyelids flutter. “You’ll get there eventually. If you deserve it.” He turns back around, letting Taehyung flounder in peace. They’ve made it to his doorway, so Jeongguk steps inside and over to direct Taehyung to his bed. “Strip and get on there.” He points to his unmade bed, to the dark satin sheets.

“What? You were serious?” Taehyung’s eyes widen, his fingers intertwining and knotting together.

“Dead serious.” Jeongguk’s expression doesn’t falter from stoic, showing Taehyung just how much he means it. 

“I thought you would—” Taehyung cuts himself short. Jeongguk’s heartbeat stutters.

“I would what? What is it that you want?” The blood in his veins begins to pound, roaring loudly in his ears.

Taehyung looks at war with himself. He finally spits it out, looking at the wall while he speaks. “I thought you would do that. I-I want to know how someone else would do it t-to me.” He stops for a moment, his voice dropping to a barely audible whisper. “I want to know how you would do it.”

Jeongguk swallows the lump that has risen in his throat. He knew that this deal thing they have going on would fuck him over, but he didn’t realize it would cut him open and make him bleed too. It hurts to oblige, no matter how badly he wants to, because he knows this is all for someone else later down the line. For fucking Seokjin. Jeongguk wagers another deal with him on top of the one they have to preserve his heart and his ego and everything else in between. “Teach me how to drive, and I will.” He says it because he wants it, and Hoseok won’t do it, and because he thinks Taehyung will disagree.

“What?” Taehyung asks, dumbfounded. His eyebrows scrunch up in confusion. “What are you even saying? I don’t have a car, Jeongguk.”

“Jimin does.”

“Then ask Jimin to teach you! I doubt he’d let me take his car out to put it at risk in the hands of someone unlicensed.” 

Jeongguk shrugs, appearing uncaring. “I don’t know Jimin.”

Taehyung sighs, exasperated. “I really don’t either!” His eyes widen so much they almost pop out of his head. “What are we doing? Why are we making deals all of the time now?”

Jeongguk laughs at the irony. Because Jeongguk doesn’t do things for free, he’s learned the hard way and he’s had his heart broken in two before. He also really likes sex. “You want my fingers up your ass, or not?” 

Taehyung frowns harshly. “Don’t put it like that.” He sighs again. “I’ll ask Jimin tomorrow morning.” The frown deepens on his face.

Jeongguk really didn’t expect Taehyung to agree and despite the risk all of this puts him at, Jeongguk grins at Taehyung. “You want me that bad, huh?” 

“No, I want to get off that bad,” Taehyung argues, but the red resurfacing on the tips of his ears says otherwise. Jeongguk doesn’t let himself think about the contradiction.

“Alright, well strip and get on my fucking bed like I already told you to do.” Jeongguk unleashes a bit of his domineering side, playing the field and testing the waters for what Taehyung will let him get away with. He’d never push Taehyung, or force him to do anything he’s uncomfortable with, but so far, Taehyung really fucking likes whatever Jeongguk tries. Or at least he seems like it, and even when he argues or acts annoyed, Jeongguk can see right through it. 

Taehyung shivers at his demand, his fingers trembling as he slowly brings them up to the collar of his shirt and pulls it over his head. The fabric drops to the floor almost soundlessly, Taehyung’s tight jeans joining it. Taehyung stands before Jeongguk in his dirty boxers, looking ever the sight of purity. How a twenty-nine year old looks like that, like how the sun feels when it warms chilled skin, Jeongguk doesn’t know. He doesn’t need to want him as much as he does. 

“Boxers too,” Jeongguk reminds him, giving him a certain look while tipping his chin up. Taehyung shivers again. He slips his underwear off and throws it on top of his pile of clothes. This is the first time Jeongguk has seen all of his golden skin bare. It’s a lot to take in. Jeongguk feels like a mortal standing in front of a deity. It’s a bit much after a long day and a show, but it’s everything Jeongguk needs at the same time. “If I’d never heard you open your mouth, I’d say you’re perfect just from looking at you.”

Taehyung presses his lips together, unsure of what to make out of Jeongguk’s backwards compliment. He moves toward the bed silently, letting the word ‘perfect’ ring out in the otherwise still room. Jeongguk’s blood roars in his ears again. He feels lightheaded as he watches Taehyung’s slender, long limbs and toned ass make their way to his bed. Honey-colored knees meet navy satin sheets, the contrasting colors the epitome of summer nights well spent. Jeongguk tries his hardest not to dive onto the bed with Taehyung, slowing his movements tremendously as he begins to walk over to him. He stops right behind him, the tiniest of space still left between them.

“Lay down, baby,” Jeongguk says, his tone a lot gentler than it's been before. He raises his hand to touch Taehyung’s flawless shoulderblade, but his hand stops short, his fingers hovering over his skin. He can feel the heat radiate off of Taehyung. It feels more intimate than anything else they’ve done. Jeongguk’s heart aches for a split second before he shuts the bruised, aged feelings and remembrances of heartbreak inside of the hard casing he’s built up over time and after lessons learned. 

Taehyung delicately sinks down onto the bed, his back arched beautifully as he stretches his arms out and flattens his body. Jeongguk’s mouth begins to feel dry. Tiny moles spread the expanse of his lower back, the lamplight caressing his skin and spotlighting each one. Jeongguk longs to trace them but that’s not what he’s here to do in this moment. Jeongguk steps away to retrieve lube before he undoubtedly loses himself in unrestricted access to Taehyung’s naked body. 

“Tell me the second anything feels wrong, or you don’t like it anymore. Tell me if you need me to stop. Don’t let me touch you if you no longer want it,” Jeongguk says as he walks back to his bed and Taehyung. 

Taehyung looks over his shoulder and nods. “I will,” he whispers. His lashes flutter and tendrils of blond waves fall over his browbone as he stills. Jeongguk’s fingers twitch, the picture of angelic innocence in front of him overwhelming. 

“Tell me if you want more too,” Jeongguk adds suddenly, his voice low. He can’t help it, his insatiableness reminding them of its never-ending presence. Taehyung buries his face into the sheets, his resounding response muffled. 

Jeongguk steps up to the bedside, making his knees flush with the mattress before he sinks down on them. He leans forward, pressing his skin into the soft flesh of the backs of Taehyung’s thighs. The corded muscle of his hamstrings flex upon pressure from Jeongguk, sending gooseflesh down Jeongguk’s spine. He reaches for the plump cheeks in front of his face, his dry mouth now drooling. Jeongguk imagines opening Taehyung up with his tongue instead, his nose rubbing against him, the temptation to lean forward and try almost too difficult to bear. Jeongguk tries to ask for permission without breaking.

“Are you opposed to me eating you out?”  Jeongguk is met with eerie, still silence. But then Taehyung takes a shallow breath. 

“N-No. Not opposed.”

Jeongguk smiles a small, victorious smile. He ditches the lube for now, thinking he’ll have Taehyung’s hole wet enough from his spit alone. He’ll never know attention or care like Jeongguk is about to show him. Now that he has full permission to unravel Taehyung, Jeongguk swoops down and places a kiss to the inside of his thigh. He works his way up, alternating between the supple interior of both thighs until he meets the underside of Taehyung’s cheeks. Jeongguk barely sticks his tongue out, licking lightly at the seam right before he bites down. Taehyung inhales sharply and his body tenses, but after a moment he relaxes, groaning into the mattress. 

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung says, but it’s muffled and unclear. Although inaudible, hearing his name still lights Jeongguk up, his cock jumping in his pants. Jeongguk bites him again, this time a little harder. Taehyung jolts beneath him, whimpering. 

“Can’t wait to have my tongue inside of you,” Jeongguk admits, gruffly. He inches forward and pulls Taehyung’s cheeks apart, biting down on his lip when he sees Taehyung’s pretty hole flutter. Jeongguk impatiently spits on it, needing to know what Taehyung’s reaction will be to all of this. 

Taehyung grunts and picks his head up as Jeongguk’s saliva runs down his taint. “Fuck, Jeongguk. That was hot.” 

Jeongguk hums, already leaning in to gently kiss his rim. Taehyung jerks off of the bed almost instantly, his back arching and head flinging back. 

“Sensitive?” Jeongguk teases, repeating the action that upended Taehyung. Taehyung squirms, already gasping for air before Jeongguk even really gets started. 

Sticking out his tongue, Jeongguk flattens it against Taehyung, keeping hot pressure directly on his entrance. Taehyung squirms again. Jeongguk ends up having to hold him down, using his forearms to push Taehyung’s hips into the bed as he keeps his cheeks spread open. He tries to shove his tongue in shortly after, but Taehyung is so incredibly, wonderfully tight that it doesn’t really go to plan. Jeongguk spits again in order to slowly work his way inside. Taehyung moans loudly, clawing at the mattress. His hips try to roll, but Jeongguk has him pinned down to where he can’t. 

“Fu-u-uck,” Taehyung whimpers. Right then and there, Jeongguk decides to make him speechless before he’s able to come. 

Jeongguk digs the tip of his tongue in again, meeting a little less resistance than before. His eyes roll back in his skull now that he’s able to taste Taehyung’s sweat and musk better. He moans against him, thinking about how Taehyung had taken the time to clean himself and prepare for something like this without Jeongguk knowing. He’s careful not the bump his piercing against Taehyung, making eating him out a bit of a challenge, but so fucking worth it.

Jeongguk has learned that Taehyung is easy to unravel, maybe due to his inexperience, but he really learns how easy Taehyung is when he has his ass eaten. It’s alarming, and shocking considering his virginity, how fast his body allows Jeongguk to shove the full length and width of his tongue inside. It messes with Jeongguk’s mind, telling him that Taehyung was molded and made to be his, and Jeongguk has to ignore the mindfuckery to stay focused. 

As soon as Taehyung is used to Jeongguk inside of him, he tries to push back and ride Jeongguk’s face, crying out how good he feels. There’s a moment where he moves fast enough that Jeongguk slips and Taehyung is able to grind against the blunt tip of his nose that has them both losing their goddamn mind. After that discovery, Taehyung does it again and Jeongguk lets him, whimpering at how nice it feels to be used. He’s not usually up for things like that, but the way Taehyung treats sex like a novelty he wants to learn everything about has Jeongguk feeling like a virgin-willing-to-try himself. Everything just feels so damn good with Taehyung and they’ve barely done anything together. 

“Want your fingers inside of me now. Need it,” Taehyung gasps all of a sudden. Jeongguk is so fucked out, he has to take a moment to bring himself back to reality in order to give him that. He pulls back enough to have room to slip his fingers in, the pad of his pointer finger finding Taehyung’s puffy rim in no time. Jeongguk circles the ridged surface a few times, slipping only the end of his fingertip inside just to tease. Taehyung gets fed up with the teasing fairly fast, growling at Jeongguk to stop. 

“Fuck into me right, Jeongguk.” 

Jeongguk pretends Taehyung is referring to his cock like he so badly wishes, burning what he said into his mind forever. 

“I am, you’re just being an impatient little bitch,” Jeongguk jokes. His voice is so shredded and abused that his response comes out sounding like someone else. Taehyung makes a noise that sounds like a laugh, but his vocal cords are just as fucked over as Jeongguk’s. 

“Can’t believe you just called me a bitch.” Taehyung hiccups, gripping onto the sheets hard enough his knuckles turn white. Jeongguk dips back in with his tongue to make him shut up. He shoves both pointer finger and tongue inside of Taehyung, stretching him. Taehyung cries out, whining that he loves it. Jeongguk beams, proud. 

Jeongguk works Taehyung open with his tongue and finger until he’s loose enough for two fingers, and then three. Jeongguk regretfully pulls his tongue out of Taehyung’s hole as he continues to pump in and out with his hand. He wishes he could watch Taehyung fall apart as he comes, assuming he’s about to orgasm, judging from how he’s arched and silent. 

“You close, baby?” Jeongguk asks. He hasn’t found Taehyung’s prostate yet, but Taehyung seems like he might come without it being touched. Jeongguk rarely doubts his abilities, but he definitely doesn’t when he has a man this undone beneath him. 

Taehyung doesn’t answer, telling Jeongguk everything he needs to know. Wanting to do his absolute best and not just good enough, Jeongguk angles his hand a little higher than what he’s been trying, and it works like a charm, the end of his finger bluntly rubbing against the spongy tissue of Taehyung’s prostate. Taehyung’s orgasm is instantaneous. He freezes up, moaning and staining Jeongguk’s sheets before he melts right into the mess. Jeongguk eventually, slowly removes his fingers for fear of overstimulating Taehyung. He sits back on his heels, his heart pounding, and doesn’t move, doesn’t utter a single sound for fear it will reveal everything. Everything he’s thinking, feeling, trying to hide. He waits for Taehyung to float back to consciousness before doing anything other than breathing.

“That—” Taehyung groans. He doesn’t finish whatever he’s going to say. Jeongguk waits him out, refusing to dictate where this conversation goes. 

“I’ve been missing out on so much,” Taehyung settles on, giggling. He buries his face in the sheets again. Jeongguk purses his lips, hiding his smile. Taehyung attempts to sit up, struggling to get control over his long, gelatinous limbs. He eventually manages it, crossing his legs under him and looking down at Jeongguk with a warm, awed smile. It’s too much to be presented with. “You’re really good at this—at sex.” 

Jeongguk shrugs, chuckling. He’s not sure how to respond to that. It all feels different with Taehyung, it’s the first time he’s really cared to do a good job at making someone else feel good. He’s serviced his partners before, but his own pleasure has always come first. It’s a terrible habit, but Jeongguk has been well aware of his selfishness for a long time. His father made sure to remind him of it all throughout his childhood.

“You’re just easy,” Jeongguk eventually says, teasing. Taehyung blushes all the same. Kneeling before him like this and looking at his pink cheeks almost has Jeongguk asking if Taehyung wants to stay the night, but then Taehyung is responding and saving Jeongguk from his potential mistake.

“I give you a compliment and then I just get shat on. Wow.” Taehyung slides off the bed at that, a secretive smile tucked into the corners of his mouth. He slips out of the bedroom, grabbing his boxers on the way out. 

Jeongguk stands, his legs numb, and tries to follow Taehyung, but ends up shut out on the other side of the bathroom door. He makes his way toward the kitchen instead, grabbing a glass and filling it with water for when Taehyung returns. He stands there at the kitchen counter, fingers drumming on the surface, staring at the tattooed digits that were just inside of Taehyung. With a bit of disdain, Jeongguk washes his hands and the lower half of his face just until he can shower. The pierced skin beneath his lip burns hot, the area incredibly sore. Jeongguk makes a mental note to properly take care of it tonight, cursing the inconvenience and his own impulsiveness. 

Taehyung appears in the hallway, cracking the bathroom door behind him. He disappears into Jeongguk’s bedroom, presumably to redress. He’s back in Jeongguk’s line of sight no more than a minute later. His glasses are slightly askew, his hair ruffled, looking so fucked out that Jeongguk feels it like a punch to the gut. Jeongguk wants to kiss him again, but he stays right where he is. Taehyung slowly makes his way to where Jeongguk stands behind the counter. He points to the glass of water on the counter.

“Do I finally get something to drink?” Taehyung smirks. His eyes are bright and soft at the same time. Jeongguk wants him in every way. 

Jeongguk lifts one shoulder in a half shrug, smiling faintly. “If you want.” 

“Thanks.” Taehyung takes the glass and downs the entire thing. It’s probably to make a point from when Jeongguk denied him earlier, but Jeongguk doesn’t care. He’d give Taehyung whatever he asked. If he digs his heels in and fucks around first, well, that’s besides the matter.

🎫

When Taehyung drives home, Summer Nights by Van Halen plays through the Civic’s mediocre speakers. It instantly reminds him of Jeongguk, making his neck flush, and he wonders why it’s on a rock station when he last remembers hearing pop play on the car’s radio. It’s just proof Jeongguk leaves his mark wherever he goes, including Taehyung.

🎫

Monday morning, bright and early, as Taehyung is getting ready for work, his phone buzzes with a text from Jeongguk saying he won’t be coming in today. Taehyung hasn’t heard from him since he left his apartment Friday night. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been on his mind, especially as Taehyung read the required reading for Jeongguk’s poetry assignment and started on the writing portion over the weekend. He had a moment of ‘what the fuck am I doing’ as he outlined the paper, but the way his back and ass were still sore reminded him exactly what he’s doing. He brushed it all away in favor of peace and motivation to get things done. 

The rest of Taehyung’s weekend went by in a mundane blur. Seems like today will too without Jeongguk to share his shift with. Taehyung sighs to himself. Jeongguk didn’t give a reason for his absence, and Taehyung isn’t sure if he should ask. They’re friends, they’ve been friends for a long time, so his questioning shouldn’t be weird, but Taehyung feels a bit weird about it regardless. He doesn’t want to come across as clingy, or nosey, but he knows he’s overthinking, so he just sends a damn text asking if Jeongguk is okay. He doesn’t respond for several hours, not until Taehyung is sitting numbly on a barstool behind the music store’s counter and toeing at the wobbly shelf beneath the register. 

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 10:56 a.m.

sick

can’t breathe without sneezing 

my snot is  green

Kim Taehyung 10:57 a.m.

Gross, Jeongguk. Does this mean I’ll get whatever you have?

Taehyung cares more than he’s willing to let on, hoping some teasing will do Jeongguk good. Maybe he’ll even miraculously be healed. Taehyung rolls his eyes at himself.

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 10:57 a.m.

wow thanks for ur concern for me

im fine dw

didnt want to come in and actually get u sick but now im thinkin i shouldve

As Taehyung is typing a response back, the store’s front door swings open, the bell ringing out. Taehyung realizes that he hasn’t turned on any music since clocking in, the bell a lot louder than it usually is. He sits up straight, preparing himself for an interaction, but then notices it's a familiar face walking up to him. He lets himself slouch a little in his seat at the sight of Namjoon in front of him.

“Hey,” Namjoon greets him first, smiling so prettily that his dimples pop out. Taehyung smiles back, endeared by how easy it is to be around Namjoon.

“Hi,” Taehyung says. “Jeongguk isn’t here right now.”

“Oh, I know. He’s got a cold or some shit. I’m on my lunch break, so I figured I could come by and listen to something. That cool?” 

Taehyung nods, standing from the stool to show him to the listening booth. “Yeah, of course. The booth is back here.” On the way over, he grabs Edwin Raphael’s Warm Terracotta on vinyl housed on the table with modern artists. It’s toward the front due to how many times Taehyung reaches for it.  

Namjoon follows him to the corner of the store, flipping through some of the vinyls he passes as he goes. Taehyung sets the vinyl on the player, leaving him rifling through a bin, and plugs in the over-the-ear headphones they keep back inside the booth. He wipes the padded ear piece off with disinfectant and by the time he’s done, Namjoon is standing beside him again. Taehyung places the headphones in Namjoon’s wide palm. “Here. Let me know what you think when you’re done.” He smiles wide, excited that someone else is potentially interested in some of his favorite music. 

Taehyung leaves him to listen, heading back to the front of the store and the counter. It’ll be roughly forty-five minutes before Namjoon rejoins Taehyung, so he pulls his phone back out to finish responding to Jeongguk.

Kim Taehyung 11:15 a.m.

Namjoon just came in to listen to some of my wonderful music recs

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 11:17 a.m.

damn it don’t make my bandmates ears bleed

we need him

Taehyung rolls his eyes, huffing a laugh.

Kim Taehyung 11:17 a.m.

His ears are about to be blessed. Shut up.

He hesitates a moment before sending another text unrelated to their stupid banter. ‘Do you need anything?’ he types out, hitting send before he can overthink it.

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 11:21 a.m.

from you? nah im ok

Taehyung frowns, annoyed by Jeongguk’s stubbornness. Determined to be helpful, he decides to show up with food after work despite whatever Jeongguk says. He closes their text thread, letting Jeongguk’s rude teasing be met with silence. During the rest of the time it takes for Namjoon to listen to Warm Terracotta, Taehyung tidies the store and turns on the overhead speakers to play The Beaches’ No Hard Feelings album. He fucks around with some of the shirts that haven’t been sold, unfolding them and refolding them. Then the board displaying all things local gets rearranged, Taehyung unpinning the events that have already passed. He moves the ‘Battle of the Bands’ poster set for next week to the middle of the board. Nobody really ever comes into the store, so it doesn’t matter, but the board helps Taehyung remember the things that are happening around him in case he’s bold enough to go out. 

Before long, Namjoon steps out of the booth and says, “Oh my god,” so loudly that Taehyung is concerned something is actually wrong. “Taehyung, you’ve brought me back to myself. That album is so melodic and poetic and fucking warm.”

Taehyung beams. “I’m glad you liked it. When it first came to the store in inventory, I put it on to give it a try, and instantly fell in love with it.” 

“Now I know how to heal myself after a long day,” Namjoon says, leaning on top of the counter. He looks like Jeongguk when he does it. It makes Taehyung’s heart squeeze. What the hell? Thankfully Namjoon keeps talking so Taehyung doesn’t have time to examine what that means. “Might need to come back later this week if Jeongguk isn’t feeling better by then. We have rehearsal for Battle of the Bands and he can’t talk, much less sing, right now.” 

Taehyung’s eyes widen. “He can’t talk? That sounds a little bit worse than just a cold.” Jeongguk didn’t mention his lack of voice in his texts. That’s how Taehyung knows he’s not taking being sick very well.

Namjoon shrugs. “Try getting someone that hard-headed to see the doctor. You can’t.” Taehyung shakes his head. He begins to wonder how he’s doing mentally if the possibility of not performing is looming over his head. Surely Jeongguk would go to the doctor then. Taehyung is about to say just that, but Namjoon speaks first. “I hate to run immediately, but I have like five minutes of break left, and there’s no way I can catch a bus back to the office that fast. See ya, Taehyung. Thanks again. I’ll see you soon!” Namjoon rushes to the door without looking back, leaving Taehyung blinking at his fast-moving figure. He finds it a bit comical how quickly Namjoon dipped, but understands all too well how difficult it is to catch the bus when you’re already running late.

The rest of Taehyung’s shift isn’t as bad, the brief hour Namjoon was there made his day a little brighter, and he spends some of the time figuring out what he could possibly take Jeongguk to eat. Soup is obvious, but what kind? Nothing spicy, especially if Jeongguk is struggling with strained vocal cords. When closing time creeps around, Taehyung shuts off the lights and locks the door. He walks to the bus stop, still thinking about curating a menu. He wishes he had someone to ask, but Jeongguk is the only person he talks to regularly, other than Jimin maybe once a week when he sees him in the stairway, or at his apartment before he’s left alone with his cat. This feels too trivial to bother Jimin with, so Taehyung takes the bus to the nearest market and grabs all kinds of vegetables and loose tea ingredients without a recipe in mind.

The trip back to his apartment is slow-going since he’s loaded down with bags and his usual bus isn’t the one he hopped on. The driver doesn’t have a heavy foot quite like the one Taehyung is used to. It feels like an eternity before Taehyung makes it home, but it’s only a little after seven p.m. He sets the bags on his kitchen floor once he’s able to make it up the stairs and through his door. Taehyung unpacks everything and blinks at it, still at a loss for what to make. Even after talking himself out of it, Taehyung finds himself outside of Jimin’s door a few minutes later, unsurprised by the predicament he’s in. He was plagued with overthinking at birth, and a lot of the time this ailment makes it hard to do anything he really wants to be the best at, i.e. making Jeongguk fucking soup. It’s stupid. 

Jimin answers the door in full sweats despite the outside temperature being somewhere in the ice cream melting stages. “Hello?” Jimin cocks a hip, propping his hand on top of it. 

“Weird question,” Taehyung starts. “What kind of soup do you make for someone who has a cold and lost his voice?” 

“I’m a shit cook.” Jimin laughs. “Don’t ask me.” 

Taehyung sighs. He shouldn’t have wasted his time bothering Jimin. “Damn it.”

“Just make seaweed soup,” Jimin says, leaning against the doorframe. Taehyung scratches the back of his neck, wondering if that could possibly be interpreted as anything in Jeongguk’s eyes. 

“I guess,” Taehyung replies. He sighs again.

“Is that all?” Jimin asks. He raises an eyebrow. 

“Uh–yeah. Sorry for coming up here just for that.”

“No worries. It gives me the chance to ask if you can come over Thursday to hang out with Tuna.” Jimin smiles, cheekily. Taehyung remembers then that he borrowed his car Friday. It feels like a world away from that night now that Monday has come and almost gone. Taehyung had shoved the car keys in his mail slot late Friday, so he hasn’t seen him since then.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll be around.” Taehyung then remembers Jeongguk’s deal from that same Friday night. He bites down on his tongue, nervous to ask something big of Jimin. He mentally curses himself for getting himself into this mess. There’s no way Jimin won’t find this weird. They’re purely neighbors with a small kind spot for each other. It’s not like Taehyung expects Jimin to trust him with more than his cat’s life. But, maybe that’s exactly how he’s proven himself worthy. “Actually, I have another weird question for you.” 

Jimin raises his other brow, both bleached, neatened eyebrows waiting for Taehyung’s question. “Yes? You’re not going to ask to sell her on the black market are you?”

“What? No,” Taehyung looks at him confusedly, not knowing if he should laugh at the obvious joke, or just get on with it. Ultimately, he just gets on with it. “I was wondering if I could borrow your car a little more routinely. To teach, um Jeongguk, how to drive. We won’t leave parking lots, or go on busy roads or anything like that. I know it’s a lot—”

“Sure,” Jimin says, cutting him off, not even batting a single, long eyelash. “I kinda need some extra hands with a new class I’m starting at the studio. You wanna help in exchange? It’s twice a week for an hour, but I’d need you for two hours on those nights.”

Taehyung doesn’t ask any details, just readily agrees, relieved Jimin doesn’t find him weird after all. “Yes. Just tell me when and where to show up. I’ll be there.” 

“Perfect.” Jimin smiles so big that his face turns into solely teeth and round cheeks. Taehyung laughs, surprising himself. “Here’s my number. Text me yours and I’ll send you the address and details.” He procures a business card from somewhere out of sight and places it in Taehyung’s hand. 

“Thanks,” Taehyung says, looking at the card. It’s pink, the font with Jimin’s business and telephone number written in classical cursive. It’s also pink. The aesthetic suits Jimin.

“Good luck with the soup. See you on Thursday around this time. Tuna will be excited.” Jimin stands upright, shifting to shut the door. 

Taehyung laughs again, thinking Jimin’s cat won’t care if he’s there or not, but he says, “Can’t wait. Have a good night, Jimin.”

As Taehyung heads back down to his apartment, he amusedly wonders how his life has gotten so tangled in making deals with the few people he knows. 

🎫

Taehyung brings his largest pot filled with soup on the bus knowing it was probably a bad idea, but luckily nothing disastrous happens on the way to Jeongguk’s. It’s awkward to carry, making the possibility of spilling it very high, but Taehyung makes it to Jeongguk’s doorway without any problems. He sets it on the doorstep in order to knock. He belatedly thinks he should’ve texted Jeongguk he was on his way over, but his knuckles go ahead and rap against the chipped paint, and he just hopes for the best, hopes that Jeongguk isn’t taking a late nap.

It takes Jeongguk a while to get to the door, Taehyung has to knock again, but he finally opens the door with furrowed brows under messy bangs. He isn’t wearing makeup, making it the second time Taehyung is standing before his bare, beautiful face and unprepared for it. Pajamas that have seen better days hang loosely from his frame just like the rest of his wardrobe does. Taehyung finds himself hung up on how sick somehow looks good on Jeongguk, especially when his nose is cutely red. He looks the epitome of soft, knocking the breath out of Taehyung.

Jeongguk cocks his head in lieu of asking what Taehyung is doing at his door. 

“Oh, hi,” Taehyung starts, remembering Jeongguk can’t speak. “I, um, brought you something to eat. Namjoon told me you lost your voice. I thought soup might help. I don’t know.” Taehyung bends over to pick up the large pot at his feet. Jeongguk’s eyes widen, his mouth falling open slightly. He waves his hands as if to say Taehyung shouldn’t have done this. It’s more polite than he’s ever been in his life. Taehyung wants to laugh, but he doesn’t. 

“I’m not here to poison you.” Taehyung pushes his way inside and past Jeongguk. “I unfortunately want you around. Work was so boring today. Plus, if I killed you, your band knows who I am now. I think they’d come after me. Yoongi might at least.” He sets the pot on Jeongguk’s counter, hearing the door close and Jeongguk shuffle over to him. When he turns to look at Jeongguk, he’s shaking his head at Taehyung, but Taehyung doesn’t know why. He smiles something close to shit-eating at Jeongguk. “This is great. You can’t taunt me. I can say whatever the hell I want.” He’s kidding, they both know it, but Jeongguk goes as far as reaching over and placing his hand on Taehyung’s mouth to stop him from talking. Taehyung considers biting it.

“Go home,” Jeongguk tries to say, but it comes out so hoarse that it’s quieter than a whisper. Taehyung grins under his wide palm.

“No, I need to make sure you eat first,” Taehyung argues, his voice muffled. Jeongguk rolls his eyes, but he drops his hand. He points to his throat and then Taehyung, shaking his head. Taehyung takes it to mean that if he gets sick, it’s his own fault. He doesn’t care all that much. He watches as Jeongguk gets a bowl out of a cabinet and a large spoon out of a drawer.

The soup is still nicely warm inside of the pot, Jeongguk not needing to heat it up before sticking a spoonful inside of his mouth. He looks surprised that it tastes good, looking at Taehyung with wide eyes. Taehyung had tasted it before he left his apartment, but he’s never been known to be a bad cook. It comes with learning from a young age out of necessity, and then finding therapy in it as he got older. After a few bites, Jeongguk forgoes the spoon and drinks straight from the bowl. Taehyung knows it’s because of his impatience rather than the soup tasting that good, but he can’t help but take the opportunity to tease him again when it’s dangling right in front of him. Jeongguk rubs off on him more and more as the days pass.  

“First you were worried I’d poison you, now you can’t get enough of it. Make up your mind, Jeongguk. I’m not going to take it away from you.” Taehyung crosses his arms over his chest, watching Jeongguk with a smirk. Jeongguk tilts the bowl downward to scowl over the rim at Taehyung. He squints as if to say, ‘not funny’. 

Taehyung huffs a laugh through his nose and moves to sit at the counter’s bartop, resting his chin on top of his propped arm while he waits. Jeongguk fixes another bowl before putting the entire pot inside of his refrigerator. Taehyung can see a glimpse of inside of it from where he sits, seeing he was right to bring him food, the inside of it alarmingly empty. He doesn’t mention it though, instead saying, “Yeah, sure you can keep the pot.” Jeongguk looks at him, smiling as he raises the bowl to his mouth again. 

“I finished the poetry assignment over the weekend. I emailed it to you if you haven’t seen it yet,” Taehyung says, changing the conversation. Jeongguk removes the bowl from his face, swallowing. He motions with his chin at the laptop near Taehyung’s elbow sitting under a stack of unopened mail. Clearly he hasn’t checked his email. “You want me to go ahead and submit it?” Jeongguk nods. 

Taehyung reaches for the computer and turns it on. There’s barely any charge to it when the screen turns on, but Taehyung hurries in hopes he can do what he needs to before it dies. All of Jeongguk’s accounts are still logged on, so Taehyung doesn’t have to ask for any of his passwords. He makes it to his University's website and submits the paper. Once upon a time, Taehyung would’ve been appalled by the lack of integrity he’s partaking in by doing someone else’s assignments, but somewhere along the way, his morals have slipped a bit. The big ones like human rights and politics are still solid and set in stone, but things like writing a few Literature papers in exchange for sex has quickly, unknowingly become something he won’t bat an eyelash at anymore. 

He doesn’t think any of his company will look at him differently because of it, especially not his partner in crime, Jeongguk. Jimin has his own secrets, evident by locked doors in his apartment (not that Taehyung snoops, but Tuna is the most boring cat Taehyung has ever been around), and Jeongguk’s band doesn’t seem like the kind of people who would care either. If Taehyung gets arrested for academic fraud, he has a few numbers to call and bail him out needless to say. He realizes as he stares at the laptop screen that it feels refreshing to be where he’s at. The Taehyung of two weeks ago, a year ago, would say there’s no way he’d do something like this. He shuts the laptop down.

“Done,” he says, feeling a bit renewed after his revelation. Jeongguk looks at him no differently, chewing as he nods in acknowledgement. Taehyung just stares at him for a moment, unsure what to do next. Jeongguk lets him, staring back as he finishes his second bowl. 

“I guess I should get going,” Taehyung says in the silence. Jeongguk puts his empty bowl and barely used spoon in his sink. He comes around to lean against the counter, shoving one of his hands inside his plaid pants’ pockets. He points to his television with his other hand, tilting his head at Taehyung in question. 

“Uh, sure. I can stay to watch something.” 

Jeongguk nods, smiling a small smile. He walks to the couch, looking over his shoulder at Taehyung to motion for him to sit on the piece of furniture. There’s a blanket thrown over the back of it, letting Taehyung know this is where Jeongguk has probably spent most of his day. He curls into the corner farthest away from the television. Jeongguk turns it on and grabs the remote from the table before sitting beside Taehyung. In a flash, he throws his legs up on the empty cushions on the other side of him and lays down, resting his head on Taehyung’s thigh. Jeongguk grabs the blanket and throws it over him, acting like what he’s doing isn’t out of character for him. Taehyung could chalk it up to him being sick, Jeongguk will probably claim the same when he’s better, but it feels like it’s more than that. Taehyung fights the urge to brush his fingers through Jeongguk’s fluffy hair as he channel surfs. He stops on a Lifetime movie, dropping the remote on the floor near him, still within reach, and snuggles underneath his blanket. 

Jeongguk sneezes all of a sudden, his head coming off of Taehyung’s leg from the force of his sneeze. He’s gentle when he lays back down. Taehyung sits quietly, his body wired from the small moment of intimacy Jeongguk is sharing with him. He tries to watch whatever is on, but it’s extremely difficult when Jeongguk’s body heat is so comfortable, and Taehyung wants to touch his hair so badly. What’s probably only thirty minutes left of the movie feels like three hours. 

🎫

Jeongguk doesn’t make it back to work Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and Taehyung learns that he really hates his job when he’s the only one there. He especially dreads it by Thursday morning, and then all throughout the day. Jimin texts him a picture of Tuna around lunch time, an unsubtle reminder that Taehyung is supposed to watch him that evening, and Jeongguk surprisingly sends him a selfie when Taehyung is on the bus headed towards home. He’s heard a little bit from him the past few days, mostly updates on how he’s feeling after Taehyung has asked for them. But Taehyung is surprised to see an image file from Jeongguk. He clicks on it as apartment buildings that look like his but unfortunately aren’t pass by outside of the bus window. 

The attachment shows Jeongguk laying on the couch, shirtless, his collarbones at the bottom of the picture, smirking. The picture almost makes Taehyung laugh, more so because he doesn’t know why he received it, but of course Jeongguk looks hot and unamusing, and he looks a lot healthier than he did when Taehyung saw him on Monday. Another slew of texts comes through, these with actual words in them. 

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 6:37 p.m.

finally feel like a person again

voice is back and better than ever baby

i think namjoon prayed or some shit

he was worries

worried*

Taehyung sends back a crying emoticon and tells Jeongguk he’s glad. He’ll be damned if he tells him another time that he’s missed him so much at work. Once was enough. Twice will inflate Jeongguk’s already large ego. But, Taehyung really is glad, and he really has missed him, in more ways than one. They had an uncommon streak of seeing each other every day, and fucking around nearly just as much, that Taehyung is lonely and a lot hornier than he’s ever been before. He caught himself almost growing a boner earlier today when he was in the backroom grabbing a new shipment of CDs, thinking about when he gave Jeongguk a handjob in that very room. He hurried out of it with the box, rounding up memories of exam days when he was younger to squash the beginnings of a hard-on. His phone vibrates in his hand, forcing him to look at Jeongguk’s response.

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 6:45 p.m.

wud tonight

The question makes Taehyung’s stomach churn in anticipation. He hates now more than ever that he’ll be stuck with Jimin’s cat. 

Kim Taehyung 6:46 p.m

Cat sitting for Jimin

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 6:47 p.m.

boring

was gonna ask if u wanted to tag along and go to rehearsal

Taehyung frowns at his screen, standing now that the bus has reached his stop. He pockets his phone until he can get himself inside and able to respond. Once his shoes are kicked off and he’s over the threshold of his place, he pulls his phone back out.

Kim Taehyung 6:53 p.m.

Maybe next time? Idk how long Jimin will be out tonight

jeon jeongguk (bastard coworker) 6:55 p.m.

cool

Taehyung can’t decipher that ‘cool’, but it’s Jeongguk, so if he’s disappointed he won’t outright say it. He chuckles bitterly to himself, thinking Jeongguk is probably not disappointed. Taehyung moves on with his night, changing into comfortable clothes, and walking up the one floor to Jimin’s floor. Tuna ignores him like usual, just like Jimin flounces out the door upon his arrival like usual. He tells Taehyung to help himself to whatever is in the refrigerator and that he’ll be back in two hours before he shuts the door. Taehyung checks to see if Jimin actually has anything to eat, finds take out boxes, and decides he’s not that hungry. 

Taehyung goes to his couch and plops down on it, turning the television on to find a movie. He stumbles upon Transformers, the same one that Jeongguk found that time, and he figures why the hell not, he has nothing better to do right now. Since he never responded to Jeongguk’s message, he sends him a picture of what he’s doing, the camera angled only at the television. Jeongguk texts him back almost immediately, calling Taehyung a traitor. Taehyung laughs and drops his phone on top of the coffee table, letting Jeongguk get back to rehearsal, if he’s even there yet. He watches the movie attentively, until Jimin gets back, that is, knowing Jeongguk might ask him movie-based questions when he sees him next. Tuna only checks Taehyung out once the whole time he’s there, yet runs to Jimin the moment he’s home.

“Hi, my baby,” Jimin says, picking up the gray ball of fluff. “You two survived, I see.” Not for the first time, Taehyung wonders why he’s ever requested to cat sit. Tuna has to be left alone all day, unless he goes with Jimin to the studio, and he sleeps the entire time Taehyung is around. Taehyung doesn’t ask. 

“Yeah,” Taehyung says, turning the television off and standing from the couch. He never overstays at Jimin’s place. 

“I realized after I left that I don’t have any food here. I haven’t really kept up with my grocery shopping since I started preparing for my new class. Wanna go out? My treat.” It’s the first time Jimin has ever offered to hang out. Taehyung briefly wonders if it’s because of said new class that he’s supposed to help out with starting Monday evening. Either way, Taehyung would love to finally become actual friends with Jimin. He felt like ever since meeting Jimin, he would be the one that needs to set those boundaries first. Taehyung accepts because he would never dream of turning him down.

“I’d love to, but you don’t have to pay for me.” Taehyung walks toward the doorway and his shoes. Jimin sets Tuna on the floor.

“Oh, whatever. You can argue over the check with me in front of the waitress like a real adult.”

Taehyung has no idea what Jimin is referencing, but he nods like he does. Jimin leads them out of his apartment and locks the door.

“Noodles sound okay? I’m thinking udon.” Jimin heads down the stairs first, Taehyung hot on his heels.

“God, yes.”

Jimin drives them to a noodle place that Taehyung has never been to, the interior cozy and orange and modernized. Seoul’s lights blink on outside as the moon rises high in the sky, making the noodle shop feel even more cozy. Taehyung sits back in his chair as Jimin grabs them two menus. He returns, slapping them on the table and pulling out a chair to sit in.

“Taehyung, don’t look now, but there’s this really hot man that keeps looking at me. He has fucking dimples. Tell me I don’t need that in my life.” He says it like he knows he does. “I think I’m going to go talk to him if he doesn’t come over here first.”

Taehyung hadn’t known Jimin was into men before now, but there were signs. Lots of fuzzy decor in his apartment kind of signs. He fights the urge to turn around and look. There hadn’t been much of a crowd when they walked in, but Taehyung is never the kind of person to check out who else is in the place he just entered.

“Go for it,” Taehyung says, trying to be encouraging.

“I’ve got to make him really want me first.” Jimin fixes his bangs, looking over Taehyung’s shoulder. He smirks at whoever he makes eye contact with. “Do you have a significant other, Taehyung? He’s got a few other cuties with him in case you’re interested. But still, don’t look yet, they’re looking over here.” Jimin picks up a menu, now ignoring the staring hot man.

Taehyung has seldom come out in his life, holding onto the fact that he’s interested in women just as much as men for those who obviously aren’t okay with his lifestyle. He’s not proud of his silence, but he learned at a young age that staying quiet means safety. Jimin is safe though, safe enough to trust with Taehyung’s queerness like he trusts Taehyung with his own. “Anyone that’s tall, dark, and handsome?” He says it as a joke, picturing someone like Jeongguk, or even Seokjin, in the back of his mind. Jeongguk’s face is the one that lingers.

“There’s a dark-headed one with piercings and tattoos. You like that?” Jimin doesn’t look up from the menu when he says it, missing the way Taehyung’s eyes bug out of his head.

“Jeongguk?” Taehyung whispers, turning around just enough to look discreetly over his shoulder. He’s casual enough that he could appear to be looking at anything. Or, at least he hopes. 

Jeongguk, Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok all sit at a table on the other side of the restaurant. Namjoon is facing this way, he’s undoubtedly the hot one with dimples Jimin is interested in, seated beside Hoseok. Taehyung turns around quickly, his cheeks heating as he faces Jimin.

“Oh, you do like what you see,” Jimin says, smiling all cat-like. Somehow he looks like Tuna when he does it. “This could be fun.” He places his menu flat on the table and makes like he’s about to stand up. Taehyung flings his arm out to stop him.

“That’s Jeongguk,” Taehyung says in a hushed voice. “You don’t recognize him?”

“I’ve never seen Jeongguk before.” Jimin tilts his head, looking like he’s just understood something important. “He’s the one wanting to learn how to drive.” Taheyung nods. “He’s the one you’re interested in.” 

“Wait, no—”

Jimin dismisses Taehyung before he can argue. “Does that mean you know Dimples? This is so much better. Tell me how to keep his attention. I need something low effort. It’s been a long day.” 

Taehyung sighs. “I don’t really know the rest of them that well. I just know they’re in a band together. I thought they had rehearsal, but I guess it’s over with.” 

“A band?” Jimin looks incredibly delighted by this new information. “Who plays what?”

“Jeongguk plays guitar and is the main vocalist, Namjoon, the one with dimples, plays bass, Hoseok, the one that smiles a lot, is the pianist, and Yoongi, the small one, is the drummer.”

Jimin hums, smirking. “So he’s good with his hands.” He’s obviously talking about Namjoon, but Taehyung’s neck heats up when Jimin makes him think about how Jeongguk is with his hands.

“Um, yeah, probably,” Taehyung says, clearing his throat. He looks at the wall behind Jimin’s head.

Jimin looks at him properly. “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?” 

Taehyung rushes to shake his head and assure him, not meaning to make Jimin think that’s the case with his awkward behavior.

“No, of course not!”

“Okay good, because I really want you to use your connections when we’re done eating.” Jimin smiles big and bright. Taehyung inwardly sighs. He’s not good at playing wingman, or even middle man.

Turns out that Taehyung doesn’t have to put much effort into being a middle man, because when their waitress comes over to take their order, so does Jeongguk, evidently having seen him from across the room. Or, maybe Namjoon had recognized the other blond at Jimin’s table and told his own. Once they finish giving the younger girl their order, Jeongguk pulls up a chair from a nearby table and sits in it backwards, leaning his arms across the top of the backing.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Jeongguk jokes. His voice is still a bit hoarse, making his terrible joke come out scratchy. Jimin laughs in good nature though, Taehyung giving him an unimpressed pout in response instead.

“Hi, Jimin,” Jeongguk says, turning toward Taehyung’s neighbor—his new friend. 

“Nice to finally put a face to the name,” Jimin says, giving Jeongguk that cat-like grin of his. 

Jeongguk raises his eyebrows. “Oh, yeah? Does it live up to my name?” He looks at Taehyung, directing his next question to him. “You talk about me a lot?”

“All the time,” Jimin answers for him. He probably thinks he’s helping, but he’s actually making everything so much worse. Taehyung will never hear the end of this.

“Really?” Jeongguk looks like he just won the prize of a lifetime. “All good things I hope.”

“Very good. He—”

Taehyung stops whatever Jimin is about to say, honestly afraid of what he could say, and says to Jeongguk, “Bring your friends over.” 

Jeongguk smirks, but gets up without argument. He walks to the table he came from, speaking with Namjoon, and pointing to Taehyung and Jimin.

“I don’t know if I should kick you, or kiss you, Taehyung. I’m not sure I’m ready for Dimples yet, but here goes nothing,” Jimin says. Taehyung turns to shoot him a look that says he would choose to kick Jimin after what he implied in front of Jeongguk.

“You’ll do fine,” Taehyung says, not actually knowing that to be the case, but when one looks like Jimin, like beauty in its purest, unmade form, there’s nothing but success to be found. 

Jeongguk walks back over with an elated looking Namjoon, a confused Yoongi, and a grinning Hoseok. They all pull chairs up to the table, crowding them in. Jeongguk’s knee presses into Taehyung’s.

“Guys, this is Jimin, Taehyung’s friend. Jimin, this is Hoseok, Yoongi, and Namjoon. We’re all in a band about to head to rehearsal.” He points to each man when he says their name, each either smiling or nodding at Jimin. So they haven’t been to rehearsal yet. Taehyung finds himself curious what Jeongguk has been up to before now if not rehearsal.

Jimin bats his lashes, leaning forward to prop his chin on his open palm. “Nice to meet you,” he says mostly to Namjoon. “Play anything I’ve heard before?”

Hoseok laughs, taking it upon himself to answer for them. “Probably not. You could though, we have a show Saturday, that is if this one can make it through rehearsal okay.” He gestures toward Jeongguk. Taehyung turns his head to watch Jeongguk’s reaction. His mouth twitches ever so slightly before he smiles, playing off any concern he might have that tonight will go poorly. 

“It’ll be great. I feel better,” Jeongguk says, waving Hoseok off. Yoongi mutters something inaudible, and Taehyung can see Hosoek nudge him under the table, probably stopping an argument before it happens. Taehyung fights a smile. 

“What is it that you do, Jimin?” Namjoon asks, earning him a delighted grin.

“Dance. Teach dance. Depends on the day which one I do primarily.”

As Namjoon responds, Jeongguk bumps Taehyung’s knee, silently asking for his attention. Taehyung misses what Namjoon’s reply is as he looks over at Jeongguk. Jeongguk mouths, ‘you’re still invited’. Yoongi must be looking too, because he snorts quietly on the other side of Taehyung. Jeongguk glares at him hard enough that Taehyung thinks Yoongi might say something, but he doesn’t. Jeongguk turns back to Taehyung, waiting for his response. Taehyung assumes he means rehearsal since Jeongguk hasn’t invited him to anything else, but he’s with Jimin, he rode with Jimin, so he ever so slightly nods in his direction. Jeongguk glances at Jimin who’s perfectly happily intertwined in conversation with Namjoon. Jeongguk grins, returning his attention back to Taehyung. This time he mouths, ‘he can come too’. Taehyung has a feeling Jimin will say yes, but he’ll still leave it up to him. ‘Ask him’, Taehyung mouths back.

When there’s a small enough lull for Jeongguk to cut into Namjoon and Jimin’s conversation, he takes it, and asks if Jimin wants to attend their rehearsal with Taehyung. 

“Is that a normal thing to do?” Jimin asks, stunning Jeongguk. Hoseok bursts into laughter. Taehyung outwardly enjoys seeing Jeongguk being stumped, beaming at him. He’d wondered the same thing before, but he’d already met the rest of Jeongguk’s band so he assumed if they didn’t care, then he shouldn’t find it weird. Nobody helps Jeongguk out, staying silent and forcing him to come up with an answer.

“I mean, yeah? Why not?” Jeongguk eventually says.

“Nobody comes to my dance rehearsals.” Jimin shrugs. “But I’ve never asked anyone to, so maybe that’s my problem.” He smiles suddenly, showing Jeongguk he’s messing with him. “Yeah, we can come. Taehyung, want to?” 

Taehyung nods at Jimin, biting his lip. Their waitress appears out of thin air with two bowls and a check for Jeongguk’s party. Yoongi takes it from her and goes off to pay it while the rest of them stay and make conversation as Taehyung digs in. They stay even after Yoongi comes back, probing Jimin with more questions than they ever did Taehyung. Taehyung’s grateful he wasn’t grilled like this last week, and he’s glad to learn more about Jimin. Hosoek pulls out of Jimin where he’s from (Busan), how old he is (twenty-eight), and what he likes to do when he’s not dancing (veg out on the couch with Tuna). It eventually turns into a debate over which pop artist is the hottest right now, in terms of charts, a conversation Yoongi stays suspiciously silent during. Taehyung trades a look with Jeongguk after he notices how quiet Yoongi stays. 

Eventually, Jimin and Taehyung’s bowls are empty, and since Taehyung can get up from the table easiest, he stands to go get their check and pay. When he walks back to the table, everyone is standing, but Jimin has a peculiar look on his face as he watches Taehyung return to them. He doesn’t say anything, waiting for everyone to get outside and begin walking to their vehicles before opening his mouth. 

“Here,” Jimin throws his keys to Taehyung, “give your first driving lesson tonight.” Taehyung snaps his head toward Jimin, gaping at him.

“Now? I don’t even know how far away wherever we’re going is. You don’t have—”

“Now is just the same as any other time,” Jimin argues. “Thank me later.” He stops walking in the direction of his car and heads toward where Hoseok leads everyone else to their van. He catches up to Jeongguk and pulls him back by the shirtsleeve, pointing to Taehyung behind them without explaining. Jeongguk blinks at Taehyung, sees him holding the keys, and looks like he suddenly understands. He glances back at his bandmates one last time before striding toward Taehyung.

When he gets close enough, Taehyung offers him the keys. “He said now is as good of a time as any.” Jeongguk doesn’t look so sure, much like how Taehyung feels, but Jimin must be right, because if not, when will Jeongguk ever learn to drive?

It takes them getting in the car and Jeongguk starting it for Taehyung to want to ask why he’s never learned before. He keeps his curiosity to himself. Jeongguk goes through all of the motions expertly, but Taehyung guesses if he’s seen it enough times, he should know how to mimic cranking a car. 

“Brake is on the left and gas is on the right.” Taehyung gestures to the pedals at Jeongguk’s feet. “Press down on the brake as you shift the car out of ‘park’.”

“I know that much, Taehyung,” Jeongguk says, quietly, doing as Taehyung instructed him to do.

“Well, I don’t know how much you know,” Taehyung huffs. 

“I understand the basics, just not all of the traffic rules.” Jeongguk looks very vulnerable, melting Taehyung’s frustrations.

“Just…just ease out of the space and we’ll take it slow. Do you know how to get there?” Jeongguk nods. “Perfect. Cut the wheel to the right. Slowly. Yeah, you’ve totally got this.” Taehyung keeps his attention on all three mirrors, hoping to spot potential disaster before it happens. Jeongguk gets out of the parking spot without mishap, although a little jerky as he’s not used to the brakes yet. 

Surprisingly, Jeongguk seems less nervous once he gets on the open road. He drives slower than someone forty plus years his age, but that’s alright with Taehyung. Taehyung helps navigate him through intersections and crosswalks until they make it to neighborhoods. There are plenty of curves and hills that make them both nervous, but Jeongguk does well. He only panics once, near the four way stop close to their destination. It’s a busy intersection and most cars aren’t waiting the full three seconds before taking their turn, making Jeongguk feel like he might get hit. 

“Once you’re out there, you just gotta commit,” Taehyung tells him, hoping it gives him confidence. It apparently does because Jeongguk gooses it the second it’s his turn and he’s able to. He almost slings Taehyung back in his seat, but Taehyung doesn’t reprimand him, happy they made it through unscathed. 

Not long after the four way, Jeongguk parks on the street outside of a small, older looking home. Taehyung recognizes the band’s van on the other side of the street.

“This is Namjoon’s place. He’s the only one with enough space for us to practice inside,” Jeongguk explains. Taehyung looks at the exterior, taking note of the neat, square yard and the array of potted bonsai on his low porch. Jeongguk sits still for a moment. “Holy shit, I just drove. I just did that.” He looks at Taehyung, beaming with pride.

Without thinking about it, Taehyung quickly leans over the console between them and kisses Jeongguk on the cheek. “You did that.” Jeongguk jerks his head back, blinking rapidly at Taehyung. He recovers speedily, smiling shyly.

“Thanks,” Jeongguk says, quietly.

Out of nowhere, Hoseok starts knocking on Jeongguk’s window, hopping up and down on the street. Jeongguk startles, but opens the door and hands Taehyung the keys before stepping out.

“You just fucking drove! Now you actually have reason to talk about my driving. Before, you were just talking out of your ass. Good job, man.” Hoseok wraps Jeongguk in a tight hug. Jeongguk lets himself be embraced for a few seconds before he shoves Hoseok off of him.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” Jeongguk mumbles, but he’s smiling outside of Hoseok’s line of sight.

“I absolutely will. C’mon, Namjoon is already pulling out the party hats.”

Jeongguk groans. “I know you’re kidding, but I’m scared to go in just in case.”

Hoseok just laughs and yanks him along. “You too, Taehyung. C’mon.”

Taehyung locks Jimin’s car and follows them inside. Everyone else is already crowded in between instruments, books, and furniture in Namjoon’s small seating area, Yoongi behind his drums, Jimin on a very comfortable looking couch, and Namjoon standing in the corner with his bass slung over him. Hoseok leads Jeongguk to his guitar case on his way to his keyboard. Taehyung takes a moment to look at all of the art Namjoon has tastefully placed on his cream-colored walls. He wishes his apartment looked half as nice as Namjoon’s house. 

After admiring Namjoon’s interior decorating skills, Taehyung takes a seat by Jimin on the couch, dropping his keys into his lap. Jimin pockets them without saying anything. Taehyung tries not to feel like a teenager at the boy-next-door’s house while they wait for the other four to start playing. They talk amongst themselves, throwing out song titles and playing random chords before settling on a setlist to practice. Jeongguk counts them off, there’s no microphone for him to gyrate on for which Taehyung is grateful for, their instruments fighting with his barely healed voice for dominance over the volume in the room.

Jeongguk’s voice is grittier, raspier, sexier than the stunning version that it is when he’s one hundred percent well, and Taehyung hates him for it. He hates how Jeongguk makes his blood boil with want, but sitting beside Jimin in Namjoon’s house keeps him from reacting like last time he watched their band perform. From the way Jimin squirms every now and then beside Taehyung, Taehyung thinks he might be struggling just as badly. Rock ‘n roll looks good on all four of them, but Taehyung isn’t biased by thinking Jeongguk outshines them all. He probably is though, Jimin hasn’t looked at Jeongguk once.

Somewhere during song five, Jimin leans over and says into Taehyung’s ear, “Is it too forward if I offer to blow Namjoon after this? He’s so sexy.” Taehyung snorts, laughing at the irony of Jimin’s question. 

“I don’t think so,” Taehyung whispers back. He brings a hand to his face, his knuckles pressing into his exposed teeth, smiling as he remembers what happened in the bathroom last Friday at Janie’s. He meets Jeongguk’s eye, the other in the middle of a riff that doesn’t require vocals. Jeongguk furrows his eyebrows slightly at Taehyung, but Taehyung’s eyes flit to the metal in his lips. He drops his hand from his face, allowing Jeongguk to see his grin. Jeongguk’s expression changes to amused. Taehyung tears his eyes away.

“Are you busy Saturday?” Taehyung murmurs to Jimin. Jimin giggles.

“You’re mistaken if you think my ass will be anywhere other than wherever they’re playing. It’s nice to actually enjoy the music the hot guy’s band plays.” 

Taehyung chuckles, agreeing silently. “Wanna go together?”

“Sure thing, baby.” Jimin beams.

🎫

Taehyung goes home alone that night, letting Jimin live out whatever fantasy he lays on Namjoon, and telling the rest of them goodnight, promising he’ll see everyone Saturday. He makes Jeongguk promise he’ll be at work in the morning before he gets a goodbye though. Jeongguk does, smirking, and Taehyung walks off before Jeongguk can say something he doesn’t want to hear. He only has to walk two blocks before making it to a bus stop, taking the bus back into the heart of the city before getting on his actual route. He’s reminded why late night transportation sucks, but Jimin does him so many solids that he couldn’t take tonight away from him. Taehyung makes it home a little after ten, stripping his clothes at the door and collapsing into bed as soon as he reaches it. He falls asleep immediately, not really even knowing how tired he is until his head hits the pillow. 

That night, Taehyung dreams about Tuna of all things.

🎫

“Does this belong in ‘Alternative’ or ‘Indie’?” Jeongguk asks, holding up a newly released vinyl from a small artist neither of them have heard of. Taehyung shrugs, continuing his job of reorganizing. They actually had a handful of customers this morning. It probably has to do with an old rock song trending online. Taehyung doesn’t care either way, but customers do mean he has to reorganize after, no matter what age they are. “I’ll just stick it in ‘Alternative’. It’s broader.”

They go back to their respective tasks, Jeongguk humming the entire time. It sounds like a song from his own band. Taehyung almost asks if he’s ready for tomorrow night, but Jeongguk starts speaking first. 

“What are you doing tonight?” It’s said casually, but Jeongguk won’t look at him, so Taehyung knows there's a motive behind his simple sounding question.

“Probably just gonna cook something, clean it all up, and then watch something before going to bed,” Taehyung replies, honestly. It’s lame and he knows it. He’s fine with it.

“Want company?” Jeongguk asks, still not looking at him. In all of their few years of friendship, Jeongguk has never been a homebody like Taehyung. It surprises him that he asks to stay in with Taehyung, but maybe it really shouldn’t. Part of Taehyung wonders if Jeongguk comes over, will it be anything more than just hanging out? He doesn’t let that train of thought become known. Instead, he teases Jeongguk just because it’s been a while and he feels at ease.

“Mmm, I did think about inviting Jimin over, but I don’t think I will since I’ll see him tomorrow.” Taehyung finishes the stack he was alphabetizing. He walks to the next bin to do the same thing.

“Oh,” Jeongguk replies, finally looking at Taehyung. Taehyung feigns indifference, keeping his eyes on the vinyls at his fingertips. “Does that apply to me too?” 

Taehyung’s mouth twitches, giving him away. “No,” he says, simply. “You can join me if you’d like.”

Jeongguk smiles sweetly, showing Taehyung unfiltered emotion. It catches him off guard. “Cool, I’ll bring your pot back.”

🎫

That evening, Jeongguk does bring Taehyung’s pot back, grinning big and proud that he followed through and remembered. He looks incredibly dorky and it makes Taehyung laugh a little too hard. Taehyung wasn’t allowed much time to tidy before Jeongguk arrived, but it doesn’t bother him that much since he keeps his place neurotically neat. It’s been a while since Jeongguk has been over though, so he looks around like he’s seeing it for the first time. Taehyung takes the pot from Jeongguk’s arms and places it on the counter out of the way. It looks to be sufficiently clean, but he’ll wash it again once Jeongguk has left. 

“Smells good in here,” Jeongguk says while lifting up the throw Taehyung has laid across the back of the couch. Taehyung snorts at his odd behavior. Jeongguk looks at him. “Checking for more of your secrets.” He grins, stupidly. 

“Oh my god,” Taehyung groans, but he finds himself smiling back at Jeongguk. “I don’t have any left. Nothing worth knowing anyway.”

“Hit me. I’ll be the judge of that.”

Taehyung laughs, yet his old friend anxiety reawakens inside of him. “You only have my childhood trauma left to hear. It’s not really a conversation for dinner.” Jeongguk’s expression is unreadable, but he lets the topic go.

“What did you make for dinner?” 

“Just some kimchi fried rice. I wasn’t feeling inspired enough to make something more.” 

“Better than most of what I make for myself. I’m not complaining.” Jeongguk walks over to the stove the food is still sitting on. Taehyung has a few eggs he hasn’t cooked yet out on the counter. Jeongguk pokes at one of them, rolling it around.

“That doesn’t mean much coming from someone who has an empty refrigerator.”

Jeongguk looks back to smile from ear to ear at him. “I know.”

Taehyung frowns, stepping over to save the egg from Jeongguk’s hands, and crack the rest of them over the oiled pan he left out. Jeongguk turns the stove eye on for him, staying close enough to crowd Taehyung’s space. The kitchen is sacred to Taehyung, he likes to be alone while using it, but he notices that he strangely wants Jeongguk to keep standing right where he is. And Jeongguk does, quietly peering over his shoulder while Taehyung cooks. 

Because Taehyung starts to become too aware of how good Jeongguk smells, his cologne overpowering the smell of food when he’s this close and Taehyung is so focused on his presence, he almost burns their eggs. Smoke starts to billow, warning Taehyung that the underside is browning. 

“Whoa,” Jeongguk says, reaching forward to turn off the gas and take the pan off the eye.

“Sorry,” Taehyung says, blinking at the pan. He feels Jeongguk look at him, but he doesn’t meet his gaze, embarrassed.

“No problem,” Jeongguk replies, easily. There’s a pause. “Uh, where are the plates?” 

Taehyung motions to the cabinet next to the sink. Jeongguk goes to it, opening it and pulling two plates out. He guesses correctly where the utensil drawer is, grabbing two sets of chopsticks, and hands a single plate and chopstick set to Taehyung. 

“Thanks,” Taehyung says. He steps back, motioning for Jeongguk to fix his plate first. 

Jeongguk does without arguing. Once he’s done, Taehyung fills his own plate and joins Jeongguk at his small kitchen table. Taehyung plops his plate and chopsticks down before he busies himself with finding something to drink.

“Water? Soda? Soju?” Taehyung calls out, opening the refrigerator.

“Water, please,” Jeongguk answers. Taehyung stands upright to look at him over the doorway.

“Did you just use your manners?”

Jeongguk shoots him an unimpressed look. Taehyung continues to poke at him. 

“Thought you said we were past that.” Taehyung raises an eyebrow.

“Fine. Give me water, Taehyung. Better?” 

“No,” Taehyung responds, laughing under his breath. He grabs two bottles out and returns to the table, handing one to Jeongguk. He pointedly doesn’t thank him for it.

They eat in almost silence, talking about their shared day a little bit, going over the details of Jeongguk’s show tomorrow, betting on if Jimin will go home with Namjoon afterwards or not. Taehyung says ‘yes’, but Jeongguk says ‘no’. Taehyung clears their empty dishes away when it comes to that, placing them in the sink to deal with at another time. He puts the leftover food in containers he’ll send home with Jeongguk later. 

“You wanna pick a movie? Play a game?” Taehyung asks, joining Jeongguk where he’s moved to Taehyung’s couch. He doesn’t sit, waiting for the answer that’ll tell him which remote to grab.

“Neither,” Jeongguk replies, looking hungrier than he did before he ate. His eyes are dark. Smudged. Fuck, yes. Taehyung knows that look. He thought tonight would come to this, but he didn’t want to be too hopeful, nor get ahead of himself. “There’s no point in turning something on we’re not going to finish.”

“Bold statement,” Taehyung says. His fingers twitch where they hang as his sides. 

Jeongguk smirks. “Do virgins own condoms?” 

Like always, Taehyung nearly chokes at Jeongguk’s brashness, but this time he saw it coming. They’ve both wanted it since last Friday, since Taehyung silently begged for more while Jeongguk fingered him. Since Jeongguk ate him out like his life depended on it.  

“That sounds like the beginning of a bad punchline.” Taehyung reaches forward and pushes Jeongguk’s head to the side, knocking him off balance. “Yes I have condoms, but I don’t think I’m going to let you have one.” 

Jeongguk laughs, sitting back up. “You want me raw? Now that’s bold,” Jeongguk counters, making Taehyung shove his head again. 

“How do you make it sound so gross?” Taehyung complains, walking away and leaving Jeongguk laughing on the couch. 

It’s not long before Jeongguk is right behind Taehyung, the two of them stopping outside of Taehyung’s bedroom doorway. A warm hand slides around Taehyung’s waist, pulling him back against Jeongguk’s front.

“I really want to fuck you, if that wasn’t clear,” Jeongguk says into Taehyung’s ear, his breath hot on his skin. “But if you’re not ready, then—” Taehyung twists around in his loose grip, standing chest to chest with Jeongguk.

“I’m so past ready, Jeongguk.” Taehyung leans forward, purposefully bumping his nose against Jeongguk’s. “If that wasn’t clear a few weeks ago,” he adds with a whisper. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous, but the nerves flipping around inside of his gut are nothing compared to how bad he wants this. Jeongguk’s smiling when Taehyung kisses him. Taehyung is gentle, not wanting to upset the still healing piercing below his bottom lip, but he does lick over the older lip ring. It pulls a low sound from Jeongguk who doesn’t kiss back as gently.

Things speed up after that, Jeongguk kisses him breathless, all teeth and needy noises, as he backs Taehyung into the room. He pulls away first, giving them each a moment to breathe, but then he’s asking Taehyung for lube and a condom.

“They’re both in the top drawer of my bathroom dresser,” Taehyung says in between gasps for air. His bottom lip feels numb from how many times Jeongguk bit down on it. Jeongguk leaves the room to find both, returning empty-handed after a moment. 

“You have too many drawers,” he says, agitated.

“But I only have one top drawer,” Taehyung argues. Jeongguk shakes his head. Taehyung notices his lips are also swollen.

“There’s nothing in there except for band-aids.” 

“What?” Taehyung says, dumbfounded. He knows they can’t be anywhere else, he hasn’t used lube in a while, and he just bought the stupid condoms. He leaves Jeongguk in his room to go find them. 

The drawer is empty of anything save for band-aids like Jeongguk said. Taehyung nearly tears his bathroom apart looking for them. He eventually finds the drugstore bag containing the box of condoms on a top shelf, the lube sitting beside it. He has no earthly idea when he could’ve possibly moved them, but it’s not a high priority for him to figure it out right now. Taehyung takes the entire box, along with the small, half-empty bottle back to the bedroom. He offers them to Jeongguk, appearing sheepish. 

“They were on a shelf I don’t remember putting them on.” 

Jeongguk takes hold of the box, ripping it open. He takes a singular packet out, dropping the box on the floor. “Maybe you have a ghost.” He smiles crookedly, grabbing the lube from Taehyung’s outstretched hand.

“If I had one, I figured it would be rooting for me, not hiding what I need to finally have sex.”

“Must be a virgin too. Might be envious,” Jeongguk teases, setting both condom and lube on Taehyung’s nightstand. Taehyung frowns at his response. Jeongguk returns to him, hooking his pointer and middle fingers into Taehyung’s belt loops and pulling him flush once again. “Maybe it wants to have sex with me.”

Taehyung smacks Jeongguk’s chest and attempts to push him away, but Jeongguk’s hold on him is tight. “That’s so dumb.”

“Don’t be rude to your ghost. It might hide more of your things.” Jeongguk leans in. He chews on his lip ring, grinning like an idiot.

“I’m being rude to you, not the hypothetical ghost.”

“Well there goes your chance to have a sensational first fuck.” Jeongguk drops his hands and acts like he’s about to leave the room.

“Hey, you said first that you wanted to have sex with me,” Taehyung counters. “I know you’re not leaving.”

“You’re underestimating my levels of restraint.” Jeongguk smiles, but it borders on something painful enough that Taehyung becomes uncertain which it is. He sounds honest. Taehyung doesn’t know how to respond. But then, Jeongguk is switching gears, his expression back to cocky. 

“I’m going to let you dictate how this goes tonight.” It’s not at all what Taehyung thought he’d say. 

“I don’t want that,” Taehyung says, his voice small. “Don’t do that on my behalf.” Taehyung pauses. “Restrain yourself, I mean.” Jeongguk raises his eyebrows. His mouth falls open and he laughs quietly. Darkly.

“You definitely don’t want that,” Jeongguk argues, still laughing. Taehyung is about to argue, but Jeongguk stops him. “We should start over, yeah?” Taehyung nods because his head his full of ghosts and Jeongguk being pained by something and he doesn’t know what else to do.

“Jeon Jeongguk, nice to meet you. I want to fuck you.” Jeongguk’s lopsided smile almost makes Taehyung forget whatever just happened. He decides to let it go for now. Jeongguk obviously has reservations, but they don’t seem to be about this, so Taehyung respects his silent boundaries and drops it. He looks to the floor, smiling close-lipped at it. 

Taehyung gazes up through his eyelashes. “Kim Taehyung, the pleasure is all mine. I’d like for you to fuck me.” He bites down on his bottom lip, feeling a blush creep up the length of his neck, creeping around to his cheekbones. Jeongguk notices it, his eyes falling to the new eruption of color.

“Glad we have that settled,” Jeongguk says, his voice deep. Gritty. Affected. Taehyung thinks for a moment that they should talk about this more, but everything feels right, so he doesn’t bring it up. “Come here, Taehyung.” Taehyung steps forward, taking Jeongguk’s outstretched hand. 

Jeongguk’s other hand comes up to gently hold onto Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung fears the heat on his skin might scorch Jeongguk exactly like it’s trying to do to him. Instead of bursting into flame, Jeongguk guides the hand he’s holding to his hip, bringing Taehyung’s hand under his shirt, and flattening it out against his equally hot skin. Heat travels all the way up Taehyung’s arm to his ears, adding to the warmth already there. Taehyung stares Jeongguk in the eye, silently giving himself to Jeongguk before his skin is bare and he’s forgetting his own name, deliberately choosing to make it mean something more than their juvenile deal. 

Taehyung is treading dangerous waters, but this is what he wants for his first time, even if Jeongguk won’t care after it’s all said and done. Taehyung realizes now in this moment that there’s a reason he’s let all of this happen, a reason he’s wanted it all so badly. This was never about Seokjin, it was always about Jeongguk, and Seokjin was always a placeholder. Sure he’s attractive, but it’s more that Taehyung needed someone that wasn’t his only friend to think about while he touched himself. Taehyung won’t say any of this, especially not now, but he’d be remiss if he didn’t admit any of it to himself. He knows, just like he did when this started, that he wants this no matter how Jeongguk feels. They’re operating under a deal, so Taehyung isn’t held to anything to be honest, but when this deal is over, he’ll do Jeongguk right by telling him the truth. As for now, he’ll be utterly selfish.

Jeongguk moves the hand on Taehyung’s neck up to the bottom of his scalp, carding his long fingers through Taehyung’s curls. He lightly scratches through Taehyung’s slow-growing, dark roots, making his eyes roll back in pleasure. Taehyung tightens his grip on Jeongguk’s hip, his nails digging into his soft flesh. Jeongguk sucks in a breath, bringing his other hand to the skin of Taehyung’s neck that he abandoned. He pulls Taehyung close, guiding his mouth to his. Jeongguk kisses him stupid, pushing him into his face harshly as if Taehyung is about to be yanked from him. Taehyung adds his free hand to Jeongguk’s other hip, latching on. They work together to eradicate any space that’s between them, Taehyung holding Jeongguk fast against his body. 

When things get heated enough that Jeongguk’s kissing could be classified more as his tongue down Taehyung’s throat, Taehyung already has his hands high up on Jeongguk’s shoulderblades, scratching angry marks into his skin. Jeongguk pulls back, gasping for air, untangling himself from Taehyung so he can throw his shirt off. Taehyung hurries to get his hands on him again, his hot palms gluing themselves to Jeongguk’s infuriatingly tiny waist. 

“You kinda drive me insane,” Taehyung admits, his voice so deep that it sounds unrecognizable to his own ears. “Nobody looks like this.” Taehyung nods to the waist he’s gripping like it’s a lifeline. He laughs incredulously. Jeongguk just huffs with amusement.

“It’s hard work, baby,” Jeongguk jokes.

“Yeah,” Taehyung snorts. He traces Jeongguk’s vee lines. “Jeongguk, do more than kiss me, please. I need it.” 

“Fuck, yeah. Yeah.” Jeongguk grasps the hem of Taehyung’s shirt and slowly pulls it over his head. He leans down to place a kiss on Taehyung’s chest, right in the vee between his pectorals. It’s intimate. It’s the kickstarter that floods Taehyung’s blood south.

Jeongguk unbuttons his own jeans and kicks them off before taking the time to undress Taehyung out of his. He sinks to his knees, pulling Taehyung’s jeans down as he goes. Denim joins denim in a pile they won’t revisit for a while, Jeongguk nuzzling his face into Taehyung’s groin now that his pants are out of the way. Jeongguk looks up at him, Taehyung meeting his round eyes. There’s so much there that Taehyung doesn’t even know where to start with deciphering it all. Jeongguk slides his hands up Taehyung’s thighs, hooking his fingers into the waistband of his underwear, slipping them down his legs. He makes a noise of unabashed want when Taehyung’s cock springs free in front of his nose.

“Can I watch you open yourself up for me this time around?” Jeongguk sounds so stricken when he asks that Taehyung immediately gives him the answer he wants. 

“Yes,” he breathes. If he’s honest, he’s intrigued by the idea of putting on a show. 

Taehyung helps Jeongguk stand again, letting go of him to slink toward the bed. He feels Jeongguk’s eyes on him as he goes, and hears the snap of a waistband as Jeongguk finishes undressing. Taehyung snatches the lube from his nightstand before he crawls onto the bed. Jeongguk doesn’t join him, instead standing at the foot of his mattress, looming as he watches. If it wasn’t Jeongguk, Taehyung would probably hate it. 

Taehyung positions his pillows to where he can prop himself up comfortably. He lays down like he does when he’s alone, spreading his legs and bending his knees. Jeongguk groans quietly. 

“This is for you,” Taehyung says, out of nowhere. A whimper escapes from Jeongguk this time. 

Once he’s uncapped the bottle in his hand, Taehyung squirts some onto his fingers, rubbing it in between his fingertips. He throws the bottle off to the side. Jeongguk’s eyes follow his every movement. When he’s deemed the lube warm enough, Taehyung reaches between his legs and lightly presses his fingertip to his rim. He hasn’t been touched there in a week, to which he knows to mean it’ll take some time to work himself open. Taehyung tries not to think about that, and instead fills his mind with everything that happened last Friday night. It’s not like he’s really been able to think about anything else since. He tells Jeongguk something along the same lines as that.

“You were the last one to touch me,” Taehyung says, voice low. He stares with lowered lids as Jeongguk runs a hand through his hair, seeming as if he’s holding himself back. “You made me feel so good,” Taehyung continues. “It just gets better every time you touch me, Jeongguk.” He stops himself before he reveals too much.

Taehyung circles his entrance, pushing against resistance after a moment. The tip of his finger barely slips inside. He pulls out to try again, hoping he can do this for Jeongguk and not need his help. Taehyung wraps a hand around his leaking dick, loosely stroking it up and down a few times, relieving some of the tension in his body. He pictures Jeongguk nose deep inside of him as he pushes his fingertip back in, the sexy image aiding him farther inside this time. 

His eyes flutter closed, but the sound of Jeongguk spitting forces them back open lightning fast. Jeongguk had just spit on his hand, enclosing his now wet palm around his angry looking cock. Jeongguk touches himself at a leisurely pace, spending extra time at his tip. Taehyung watches him with drool collecting in his mouth. Taehyung unknowingly licks his lips, remembering how his cock felt against his tongue. He’s eager for it to split him open, his hand trying to quicken its pace on its own as he fingers himself, but no such luck.

“Couldn’t stop myself,” Jeongguk pants. “You look so hot right now. Felt like I was going to explode.” Taehyung purrs, pleased. A second passes, Taehyung’s frustrations resurfacing.

“I need you to talk to me,” Taehyung says, trading Jeongguk’s admittance with his own. He strokes his dick again, sending a small wave of pleasure down his spine. “Really gets me going when you do.”

Jeongguk growls, the sound turning a desperate whine. He fists his cock once more before he grits out a response. “What do you want me to say? I can tell you how pretty you look, or how badly I want to hold your thighs together and fuck into them, or how you’re doing such a good job readying your hole for me. Which will it be?” 

“Fu-u-uck, Jeongguk.” Taehyung’s head flings back onto the pillows, a moan working it’s way up his throat. “The…the good job one,” he chooses. 

Jeongguk hums. “You don’t really need me to tell you how incredible you are. You see what you’re doing to me. How hard you’ve made me by spreading your legs like a slut.” 

It’s not what Taehyung asked for, but it works. He thinks he might like it better than being outright praised. Taehyung whines, his body shuddering. He wants Jeongguk to touch him, wants his hand to be Jeongguk’s. He pushes his pointer finger farther, hitting his prostate. Taehyung sighs, relieved he’s getting somewhere.

“Call me a slut again,” Taehyung asks. He feels the bed dip suddenly. Taehyung lifts his head in time to see Jeongguk crawl toward him and settle in between Taehyung’s open legs.

“Baby, you’re not a slut,” Jeongguk says, softly. “I’ll call you that some other time.” He changes directions again, giving Taehyung whiplash and the opposite of what he keeps asking for, but Taehyung trusts him nonetheless. Trusts him to understand what he needs, like he’s doing right now. Jeongguk gently removes Taehyung’s hands from in between his legs, knocking them out of the way. 

“You’re so beautiful, Taehyung. So much so that I don’t really know how to tell you properly,” Jeongguk praises him. Taehyung whimpers quietly, having never been told something like that before.

Jeongguk leans down to kiss Taehyung’s inner thighs, biting here and there, licking over where he might leave a mark. Taehyung squirms beneath his soft lips, aching everyhwere. Jeongguk expertly finds the lube without taking his attention away from Taehyung’s legs, gets some on his fingers, and presses a slick fingertip to Taehyung’s rim all in a span of seconds. Taehyung’s whine is high and needy when it rips from his throat. Jeongguk works his way in, alternating between ‘good boy’ and ‘you’re doing so good for me’. Taehyung is simple at heart, he just wants to know he’s making someone else happy too.

Before long, Jeongguk is able to make quick progress, surpassing Taehyung’s one finger with three of his. Taehyung has become a whimpering, moaning, brainless, thrashing mess under Jeongguk’s attention. He tries his best to grind down on Jeongguk’s hand, the other man encouraging him each time he does it with a ‘just like that, baby’.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” Jeongguk groans, barely bringing Taehyung back to his body with that statement. “Fuck, I need you now. Do you feel ready?”

“Yes,” Taehyung pants. “Fill me up, Jeongguk. Please.” 

“Christ, the way you say my name,” Jeongguk mutters. He pulls his fingers out of Taehyung, making him cry out at the loss. Taehyung’s hips buck up, desperate for anything to make him come. He’s so far from who he was before Jeongguk started touching him. Sex is nothing without Jeongguk.

Taehyung hears the condom wrapper rip, but whatever comes next is a blur until Jeongguk’s hands are on him again. Jeongguk hovers over Taehyung, lowering himself and aligning his cock with Taehyung’s entrance. He kisses him before he takes the last bit of Taehyung’s virginity away, licking into his mouth and biting the tip of his tongue playfully. Jeongguk pulls away, needing to look at what he’s doing. He grunts as the head of his dick presses against Taehyung’s rim, making Taehyung moan breathily. Taehyung’s eyes threaten to close, but he forces them open, wanting to take in everything. He watches Jeongguk’s muscles strain as he slowly pushes in, notes how he clenches his jaw and it makes him the sexiest version of himself, sees how Jeongguk’s eyes are full of something Taehyung thinks he’s not supposed to see.

“Tell me if it’s too much,” Jeongguk says, looking pained by how slow he’s going. 

Taehyung wishes he was more coherent so he could reassure Jeongguk over and over again that everything is beyond perfect. The way his big cock is splitting Taehyung is exactly what he wanted. The sounds he’s making are so fucking hot that Taehyung prays to never hear anything else. 

“Fuck me hard,” Taehyung whispers. He places a sloppy kiss on Jeongguk’s cheek. Jeongguk moans, his hips stilling, but he quickly finds his rhythm again and picks the pace up a notch. Taehyung jolts as Jeongguk thrusts deeper, deliciously sensitive.

When Jeongguk bottoms out, he stops to let Taehyung adjust. Taehyung takes the chance to bury his hands in Jeongguk’s hair and pulls his mouth to his. “I feel so full. I fucking love it,” Taehyung murmurs against his lips.

Jeongguk can only groan in response, his hips twitching with the need to pound into him, but he waits with a patience Taehyung has never seen before in him. Taehyung becomes the one with unmatched restlessness, trying to grind on Jeongguk no matter how many times he’s told to wait. Finally, fucking finally, Jeongguk pushes him down into the bed with his forearm and moves, pulling out to push right back in. 

“Yes,” Taehyung whines. Jeongguk finds a rhythm that Taehyung moans and whimpers and chants whatever nonsense pops in his head to. 

Eventually, Taehyung is loose enough that Jeongguk can slam into him and angle his dick differently to where he hits Taehyung’s sweet spot repeatedly. Taehyung sees stars, and shortly after that, he’s coming. Jeongguk continues to fuck him senseless, continues until Taehyung is milked dry. He then reaches his own climax, thrusting into him hard, and stilling as he fills the condom inside of Taehyung. Taehyung doesn’t miss, even in his post-orgasm haze, how akin Jeongguk looks to how he does while he’s performing on stage. It does something to Taehyung, to be proven right, so much so that he hungrily dives in to kiss Jeongguk. Jeongguk isn’t ready for it, so they end up knocking teeth, but he tries his best to oblige and kiss Taehyung back as he comes down from his high. When Taehyung pulls away, Jeongguk can’t help but collapse on top of him. Taehyung giggles under the unexpected weight. He’s so deliriously happy.

As it takes time for Jeongguk to feel his limbs again, Taehyung lightly runs his fingertips up and down Jeongguk’s back, humming softly. Jeongguk just burrows his face into Taehyung’s chest. Taehyung could honestly fall asleep like this, as strange as it sounds. But after a few minutes, Jeongguk is ready to pull out. He does so and stands from the bed, tying off the condom and leaving to throw it away. He comes back with a wet rag to clean Taehyung off with, wiping his abdomen off. Taehyung takes the rag from him and throws it somewhere on the floor, laying back and patting the empty mattress beside him. Jeongguk dives head first into the empty space like a child. Taehyung laughs like one.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” Jeongguk asks out of the blue as if he’s one of those University recruiters. Taehyung reaches over and resumes tracing Jeongguk’s skin, running his fingers over tattooed and unmarked skin alike.

“Hell if I know,” Taehyung says, his voice shot. It’s the only thing in his highly organized life that he doesn’t have control over. It makes him insane. “Why?” He doesn’t ask where the question came from, but the want to do so sits in the back of his mind.

“Just wondering,” Jeongguk mumbles. Taehyung hums, accepting his answer.

“What about you?”

“Hell if I know,” Jeongguk parrots, turning to face Taehyung. He grin, his face smooshed into the sheets, his no-longer-fixed hair flopping over his forehead. “But, hopefully graduated and touring the country.”

“With the ‘A’ in Korean Literature I’m about to get you, you’ll definitely be graduated.” Taehyung traces a splotch of ink he can’t find any picture in. Jeongguk snorts. There’s a pause before Taehyung asks, “So, touring? That’s where you four as a band want to end up?”

“Yoongi says a record deal, Namjoon says bigger venues, and Hoseok says he doesn’t care. So, yes? We don’t know. None of us are really all that great at looking ahead. I’m trying to get better at it, but it’s hard.” Taehyung makes a sound like he agrees, when he very much doesn’t. Planning for what’s ahead is all he knows. Well, mostly. 

“What if y’all found a manager?” Taehyung has made his way to the dark swirl that begins on his neck and starts his full arm sleeve.

“Too expensive,” Jeongguk replies. He shivers when Taehyung touches the dip between his neck and shoulder. Taehyung hums again.

They grow quiet side by side, Taehyung thinking about Jeongguk’s predicament and his band’s future, Jeongguk snoring lightly as Taehyung puts him to sleep. After a while, Taehyung stops touching him and reaches for his sheets that were kicked off a long time ago. He pulls them up over Jeongguk, and snuggles into his side, sighing contentedly. He drifts off next to him, his mind completely quiet for the first time in years.