Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There were many infamous organized crime syndicates, gangs and mafias all over the world.

Yakuza in Japan, Triad in China or Bratva in Russia just to name a few.

South Korea had none of that.

South Koreans weren’t known for their crimes—fast internet, technology, kpop. All good things, but not crime (well, maybe except for cybercrime). Sure, there was organized crime and some petty gangs running the streets—Jungkook would know, he used to be a part of one. Streets of Busan was where they'd started, now they were in the heart of Seoul, ruling the city without anyone even knowing about it.

Their business was completely clean from the outside. What happened behind the closed door was only for him and his crew to know about. Jungkook wanted it to stay that way. But like with everything else, there were many people looking at their hands, making sure that everything was legal and that there was nothing shady going on.

It had become more and more difficult to keep the door closed, the circle of people Jungkook could trust getting smaller, the betrayal being on the rise. It was easy to punish those who crossed him, make the problem go away with a simple call. But it wasn’t a long term solution. 

That was why he’d gathered his most trusted and closest members tonight—people he could easily call friends—his right- and left-hand men to be present as well, asking them for an answer to their problem.

“Why don’t you marry a lawyer?” his right-hand man, Hoseok, suggested.

By the curl of his brows Jungkook could tell the man was joking, but for some reason, his idea quickly got the approval of the other members gathered at the table. That spurred his friend on and he dropped his legs from the table, straightening his back as he gestured with his hands, explaining his idea further.

“Like, I know we’ve got plenty of those but they get less reliable day by day, ripping us off and wanting more than they give in return. But if you marry a highly respected lawyer who could handle our shit and make us look good on paper—I mean, who would dare to question it—us?”

“They’d have to be the best of the best. Someone who barely loses a case,” Namjoon pitched in. “Otherwise there’s no point. If someone takes us to court, we need to be sure they can win and that they’ll stay on our side. If not, then nothing’s gonna change. We’ll have to resort to bribing anyway.”

“There’s only that much dirt you can find on someone,” Yoongi sighed, his left-hand man. “Those pricks are getting braver, not letting themselves be bought that easily.”

“Which is why we’re here,” Jungkook reminded him.

“I’m not opposed to the idea,” Yoongi shrugged, leaning back on his chair, tapping his index finger on the table. “I think this could actually work.”

Hoseok wiggled his eyebrows at Yoongi with a smirk, happy that he was agreeing with him. The interaction didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of them, especially not Jin who caught onto it right away.

“I told ya that they’d get insufferable once they started fucking. Pay up, bitches,” Jin wiggled his fingers at them, palm up, expecting money to be handed over to him.

Hoseok laughed on Jungkook’s right, slapping his hand against the table and sliding down the chair. Meanwhile Yoongi, sitting on his left, scowled silently, glaring at Jin and everyone else gathered in the room.

“No one carries cash on them these days. Try your luck next time,” Namjoon barely managed to say before he was forced to duck his head as a box of tissues went flying towards him. “Very mature,” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He picked the box up from the floor and placed it back on the table, out of Jin’s reach.

Jin was glaring at Namjoon, while Hoseok was still laughing. Before the situation escalated, Jungkook decided that it was time to end the meeting and let everyone go on about their day. He tapped his knuckles against the desk and all at once, everyone calmed down, momentarily putting their personal affairs aside and looking directly at him.

“Get me dossiers of all the lawyers you think that could be potentially interested in this unusual arrangement. I expect it on my desk by Friday. You’re free to go.” He waved a hand at them, urging them to get going. Without even a nod of acknowledgment, everyone gathered their stuff and left the room.

Their voices, arguing with one another, still carried even through the closed door, making Jungkook shake his head with a tired exhale. He considered all those people his friends, but they were surely a loud bunch, one that was quite troublesome to deal with sometimes.

He appreciated every moment of silence he could get and those were usually very few and far between, but that was just how things here were. At Jeon Entertainment, the biggest entertainment agency in Korea, things were just chectic most of the time. But he supposed that was what just happened when you put so many creative people together and asked them to work together. There were no exceptions, even his own crew had an integral role in shaping their company, their own talents allowing them to accomplish all they did.

Hoseok, a street dancer, was now a worldwide class dancer, choreographing for not only idols at their company but for many international musical acts as well.

Yoongi and Namjoon, both underground rappers more than a decade ago, had made it big in the industry as famous rappers—Yoongi even as a record producer, working with many foreign artists and having his songs charting on the world’s biggest charts for weeks on end.

Jin used to be an aspiring actor, being told by everyone that he was too old to start. Well, ‘too old’ didn’t exist in their dictionary—Jin having just finished promotions for his blockbuster movie that aired in theaters all over the world was proof of it. That wasn’t quite enough for his dear and very hardworking friend, though, and his fans couldn’t wait for his debut as a main vocalist of a duo group with none other than Namjoon, one that was scheduled for next month.

Their most famous act, meanwhile…

Still being in the conference room, Jungkook turned around in his chair, taking a look at the view outside the window, especially the huge digital billboard staring back at him from the building across the street.

Kim Taehyung was currently touring all over the world, named the biggest musical act of the year and they weren’t even halfway through it.

They had it all, the whole world at their feet.

An entertainment agency was the best cover they could've asked for, and it was a decision they’d never regretted because it’d brought them immense profits as well. Not to mention, many of them were doing what they loved, which was also a win.

They could’ve gone completely legal many years ago, but where would be fun in that? At the end of the day, they were criminals, some that were very proud of who they were and what they’d succeeded at together.

They were untouchable… for now.

There was always someone lurking in the shadows hoping to ruin them, including other entertainment agencies, but he believed they were stronger and smarter than that. With the plan they’d just come up with, Jungkook hoped it’d only strengthen their position and if they got lucky, maybe even ruin some of their rivals, both in their homeland and abroad.

Taking one last look at the billboard, Jungkook got up from the chair. He grabbed his tablet and his phone from the table, pocketing the latter. There were many other things demanding his attention and that would keep him distracted as he waited for Friday to come, but he couldn’t deny that he looked quite forward to it.

He’d never quite thought about getting married and since it was nothing but a business arrangement, he’d no interest in it at all. However, he was curious to see who was crazy enough to say ‘yes’ to their offer and tie the knot with him.

By the time Friday rolled around, Jungkook forgot completely that his right-hand man was trying to get him married. When Hoseok dumped a bunch of dossiers on his desk, he was quite surprised, if not annoyed. He threw his arms in the air helplessly, a scowl on his face. “What’s all this trash?” he sighed, trying to push some of the papers out of the way and away from his keyboard.

“The lawyers you asked for,” Hoseok answered, dropping on the chair in front of his desk, throwing his legs on the surface, crossed at the ankles. Jungkook shoved his feet from his desk immediately, not bothering to pick up some of the files that he sent flying to the floor as did.

The question—‘what lawyers?’—was on the tip of his tongue, as well as just telling Hoseok to get the hell out and not bother him during work, but then it all clicked. As he remembered their meeting from Monday, there was something else that got him stunned and quite honestly, speechless. “That’s a lot of dossiers,” he pointed out, finally closing his laptop and focusing all his attention on his friend who was smiling at him smugly.

“Well, you’re Jeon Jungkook—one of the wealthiest men in Korea. Not to mention, you’re fucking hot. I’d be way more surprised if there were no volunteers.”

Jungkook wanted to be impressed, and flattered, but there was something else of concern that he had to voice first. He narrowed his eyes at Hoseok, not hiding his anger. “Please tell me you didn’t go flaunting to everyone who listened about me looking to marry a lawyer. I thought it was clear it was on a need to know basis only.”

Hoseok, with his curly brown fringe falling right above his eyes, stared at him for a moment, only to burst out laughing. “If only you could see your face,” he laughed, not mindful of how unamused Jungkook was. Once he finally calmed himself down, he brought his fingers to his lips and whistled, looking behind his shoulder towards the door. “No worries, those are just our new trainees,” he shrugged.

Jungkook almost groaned, knowing what that implied.

“You still gotta take a look at them. The actual dossiers are on the way. I’ve had Kangmin take care of everything.”

That reassured Jungkook and he relaxed, rolling his shoulders and resting comfortably in his chair. Kangmin was a trusted member and Jungkook knew he’d handle things very carefully and most importantly, privately.

“Were there a lot?”

Hoseok shook his head ‘no’. “Just three.”

Jungkook sighed. That wasn’t much, but it was still something they could work with.

They heard a knock.

“Come on in,” Jungkook said, trying to tidy up a bit and stack up some of the papers that were occupying his desk, courtesy of Hoseok.

Kangmin entered the room humming the typical, the most classic wedding song that people played when walking down the aisle. Hoseok clapped, very entertained by that and in tune with Kangmin’s sense of humor, while Jungkook simply rolled his eyes.

One would think that he was someone who took life way too seriously, but it was quite the opposite. The only difference was that he believed there was time and place for everything, and the future of their business wasn’t a laughable matter to him. Not when he was considering putting its wellness into the hands of a stranger. A stranger that he was going to marry, which was even worse.

Jungkook outstretched his arm, waiting for Kangmin to get closer. When he did, he snatched the three files he was holding, placing them on the desk in a row. “Do I just choose?”

“I guess it’s like Tinder, huh?” Hoseok mused, inching closer and hovering above the desk.

“Pretty much,” Kangmin agreed, standing to the side. “Just try not to be too picky. We did our best.”

Jungkook didn’t have huge expectations to begin with, but he urgently tried to lower them upon hearing those words. He didn’t really consider himself to be picky, but he definitely had a type. If he was supposed to spend the rest of his life—at least on paper and in the public's eyes—with the person he was about to choose, he’d rather them be at least somewhat compatible with him and check off some of the things he valued in a person. Then again, it was just business.

He opened the first file and promptly closed it, pushing it to the side. Hoseok snorted, but didn’t comment on it.

The first candidate was a woman, barely out of the law school and, well… a woman.

Jungkook was openly gay.

With a short exhale, he opened the second file. He had to stop at that one for a moment, reading up some of the provided information and taking a second look at the picture.

A man in his late 40s with a well established career and many victories under his belt. 

It wasn’t someone Jungkook would normally take interest in, but he was quite handsome and Jungkook could see them to make this whole ‘arranged marriage’ thing work. It’d be pretty believable, too. Still, he wasn’t quite convinced.

He opened the third file and didn’t even have to read the name, having already recognized the man by the photo alone. He closed the file and handed it to Kangmin. “Contact him and tell him we have a deal,” he said.

“Wait, I didn’t see,” Hoseok whined, making grabby hands at the file.

Kangmin slapped them away.

“Hey, lemme see!”

“You got it, boss,” Kangmin sent Jungkook a wink, snatching the file back from Hoseok who got ahold of it for a second and left the office.

“Who is it? Is he hot?” Hoseok inquired, pouting.

Whether he was attractive or not was subjective, but he was a legend—someone even Jungkook himself had heard about. He was one hell of a lawyer, it almost didn’t feel real that someone like him would be interested in an offer as such.

Jungkook cursed as Hoseok kicked him under the table.

“Is he hot?”

“Get the hell out of my office and take these with you,” he snapped, grabbing a handful of the papers and throwing them at his friend.

Jungkook had waited for Kangmin to come back with the good news that everything was arranged and they could go ahead and announce the engagement. To his disappointment, he didn’t hear back from his messenger on Friday. It was only on Sunday afternoon when a courier had showed up on his doorstep with an envelope; an invitation that assured him that everything was on the right track and that there was nothing for him to worry about.

Shortly after Hoseok had called him to inform him that his future husband had refused to agree to such a delicate arrangement through his middleman and expected him to meet him at a place called Rooftop Kloud to talk about the details—Jungkook wasn’t familiar with that establishment.

“He also said that you should wear a suit,” added Hoseok.

“Did he now?” Jungkook smiled, musing out loud.

“All details should be in the envelope. Do you need backup?”

“No, I think I can handle it.”

“Good, because my boyfriend’s cock isn’t gonna—“

Jungkook hung up, not wishing to hear Hoseok finish that sentence. His words still served as a cold shower to him and made his skin crawl. He had to give it to Jin, Hoseok and Yoongi were truly insufferable now that they were together. However, his most trustful crew members and very good friends fucking each other on a daily basis wasn’t something Jungkook wanted to dwell on, ever. There were more urging matters requiring his focus at the moment.

He’d already read the invitation carefully, but aside from the time and place, there wasn’t much to it—except for the owner’s pretty handwriting and the faint scent of his perfumes wafting off the paper. He was mildly intrigued by the choice the lawyer had made, almost as if inviting him to partake in some sort of game rather than just a simple meeting.

It just so happened that Jungkook was not such a bad player himself.

He dropped his phone on the table, tugging at the hem of his tee and pulling it over his head. He left it on the back of the chair and went to his walk-in wardrobe, taking off his sweatpants once he was inside.

If his future husband wanted him to wear a suit, he was going to wear a suit.

Jungkook hoped that the man was prepared, because he had a few tricks up his sleeve as well. Even if he thought that he was in control of the situation, Jungkook was going to prove him wrong.

Upon arriving at the Rooftop Kloud, Jungkook realized that it was a bar and that he was way overdressed, visibly clashing with the easygoing atmosphere of the place. Some other patrons gave him curious glances, others funny looks and Jungkook couldn’t blame them. He stood out like a sore thumb among the crowd.

He was sure that he’d been recognized by some people, but no one bothered him and sparked a conversation as he was looking around, searching for a certain someone. He wasn’t hard to find, even though he was wearing nothing but a simple long-sleeve T-shirt and a pair of tight jeans, currently sipping on some fancy concoction. Looking at him, Jungkook had to admit that Park Jimin looked good in photos, but he was drop-dead gorgeous in real life.

Jungkook started walking in his direction, not taking his eyes off him. He could only see his profile—his sharp jaw, plump lips, his perfectly combed black hair and an earring dangling from his ear—but that was still enough for him to be able to tell that he was attracted to Jimin.

Jimin kept his head high, showing off his neck. His waist was small, his T-shirt tucked into his jeans, naturally making your eyes follow the slope of his ass.

Park Jimin was not only smart and the best lawyer out there, but he was also incredibly handsome and insanely his type. Jungkook couldn’t ask for more, he had to give it to Kangmin—he’d found him the perfect husband.

When he was close enough, Jimin caught him staring. He watched a smirk pulling at the lawyer’s lips. Jimin initiated the eye contact and Jungkook could see the challenge in his eyes, one that he accepted right away, quite amused.

Just as Jungkook was nearing the table, Jimin pulled out the chair for him. “Sit down, baby. We’ve got a lot to talk about,” he smiled, his voice much softer than Jungkook had imagined it to be, flirty around the edges, too.

Before he sat down, Jimin scanned him from top to bottom, licking his lips as he did. “Nice suit,” he added, hiding his lips behind his glass as though he was holding back a laugh. “You’re on time, too. Gotta say I’m impressed.”

Jungkook finally sat down, realizing of his close proximity to Jimin, but not bothering to move his chair further away. If that was what Jimin wanted, Jungkook was going to enjoy the ride and maybe do a few bold things on his own. “Good. At least one of us did their part.” He took off his jacket, feeling a bit hot, and hung it on the back of the chair.

“What,” Jimin gasped. “Don’t I look nice?” Jimin leaned back on the chair, clearly to give Jungkook a better view on his outfit. Jungkook couldn’t help but smile.

“Already fishing for compliments, baby?” he asked, unbuttoning a few of the top buttons of his shirt and making the collar loose around the neck.

He shrugged. “Don’t have to. I saw the way you were looking at me.”

Jungkook’s staring was pretty shameless, but so was Jimin’s personality. He was oozing with confidence, perfectly aware of his good looks and the effect it had on others, including Jungkook. He found that extremely attractive.

“But…” Jimin popped his lips. “If you want this,” he trailed his fingers all the way from his collarbones to his chest and stopped just short off his belt. “You’ll have to do much more than just that.”

Jungkook curled up a brow at that statement.

They spent no longer than five minutes in one another’s company, but Jungkook already liked him. Jimin was the perfect person for the marriage arrangement his crew had come up with, but having that in mind, Jungkook knew better than to involve himself with Jimin intimately or emotionally.

It was just business like any other, but some flirting never hurt someone.

“I think it’s the other way around,” he paused as it was at that moment that a waiter showed up, placing a drink in front of him. He accepted it with a thankful nod. When he faced Jimin again, Jimin was looking at him with furrowed brows. “Let’s see what you’ve got and maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you have some of this,” he mirrored Jimin’s gesture from before, pointing at himself.

Jimin chuckled, putting his drink down. “You need me. Either we do this on my terms or I’m leaving,” his voice got deeper. It sent shivers down Jungkook’s spine, but definitely not because he was intimidated. Aroused, maybe, but not scared.

Jungkook decided to entertain him. He needed him, after all. The final decision was up to him, anyway, but he could let Jimin think otherwise for the time being. “And what are your terms?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink. He tasted the liquid on his tongue. Just simple whiskey, nothing like the drink Jimin was having. Although, now that Jungkook noticed, Jimin’s glass was already empty.

“I’m expensive.”

“Not a problem.”

“I don’t like people ordering me around.”

“Can be arranged.”

Jimin held his gaze, unrelenting.

Jungkook decided to clarify, “As long as you do your job, I don’t see why anyone would feel the need to order you around,” he answered, but it still wasn’t good enough. That reminded him at last why he hated dealing with lawyers. “No one will order you around.”

“Great,” Jimin smiled, stealing the glass from Jungkook’s hand and taking a sip. “Cheers,” he clinked the glass against his empty one that was left lonely on the table.

Empty handed, Jungkook leaned with his one arm against the table, turning his body sideways to face Jimin. “Anything else?” he asked with a sweet smile.

“I like to have my options,” Jimin mimicked both his pose and the expression. “I’ll be sure to include that in our contract,” he sent him a wink.

Jungkook didn’t say anything, but Jimin must’ve seen right through him.

“I know exactly who I’m dealing with, Jeon Jungkook-ssi. I know what you do. What Jeon Entertainment is up to. I want in, but if you ever think of screwing me over, I just want you to know that it won’t end well for you.”

He couldn’t tell whether it was brave or stupid of Jimin to threaten him knowing who he was, but either way, somehow it didn’t bother him. His smile only grew wider. “I’m assuming it’s not just an empty threat.”

“It’s not. But I’m sure we’re gonna be friends, right?” Jimin tipped the glass back, emptying its contents in one go. He slammed the glass on the table, the sound cutting through the loud voices and the background music, startling some of the other patrons sitting nearby. “Right, baby?” Jimin sought confirmation, his voice saccharine sweet.

It was time for Jungkook to make his move.

He reached for Jimin’s hand, surprising the lawyer. Jimin didn’t fight him, though, letting him take his hand into his. Their hand difference sparked Jungkook’s interest, but it was something he could think about later.

For now, it was showtime.

With Jimin’s hand in his, Jungkook got up, moving the chair a bit to the side so he had just enough space to kneel down. Jimin watched him with a frown, quite confused at first but it wasn’t for long. Jungkook’s intentions became very clear to him, especially when Jungkook tugged at his jacket and pulled out a tiny box from his pocket.

Panic flashed in Jimin’s eyes and he attempted to take his hand back, but Jungkook didn’t let him, putting just enough force to hold him in place.

“What are you doing?” Jimin seethed through his teeth but admirably, kept up the smile.

People sitting around started paying them some attention, whispering excitedly among each other. It clearly made Jimin nervous, but he hid it well. Jungkook knew because he didn’t take his eyes off him, studying him with growing curiosity.

“Park Jimin,” he said, opening the box with his one hand and tilting it towards Jimin. “Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”

Someone squealed behind them, startling Jimin and making him break the character, but he composed himself quickly.

No…

He actually one-upped Jungkook, giving the audience what they wanted: the perfect show. His bottom lip started wobbling first, then came the tears in his eyes and the emotional nodding as he answered Jungkook.

“Yes…” he sobbed, his voice shaky. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Everyone started clapping, congratulating them.

Jungkook took the ring out of the box and after placing the box on the table, he took Jimin’s hand and slipped the ring onto his finger. He was ready to get up from the floor, but then Jimin got off his chair and threw his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Instinctively, he caught Jimin, wrapping his arms around his middle.

Jungkook himself couldn’t stop smiling, but it was for an entirely different reason than everyone around them must’ve thought.

Jimin had his face tucked between his neck and his shoulder, whispering threats to him and how much he owed him for this.

“You’re the fucking worst, Jeon Jungkook.”

Jungkook laughed, tilting his head and pressing a soft kiss to the side of Jimin’s head.

“Welcome to the family, husband.”

Chapter Text

After their impromptu engagement, they'd celebrated a bit at the Rooftop Kloud just to keep up the act, accepting free drinks (but not actually drinking them) from other patrons and cupcakes provided by the bar itself. Once it was nearing midnight, they’d left for Jimin's house to discuss everything more thoroughly.

Jimin hadn’t come by car, which was good planning on his part considering he'd had a few drinks. Jungkook had driven them to his home located not that far from the bar, still in the Gangnam district. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it turned out that he and Jimin were neighbours, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

Jimin lived in a two store apartment and once he’d let Jungkook in, it was obvious that he lived there alone.

The interior of the place wasn’t something he’d expected at all, all warm and soft colors contrasting drastically with the impression he had of Jimin’s personality. He felt like daring colors, deep reds or greens would suit him more—but it was still very modern, clearly having been arranged with immaculate taste.

Jungkook had switched his dress shoes for a pair of pink, fluffy slippers and had followed Jimin to his kitchen where Jimin had drafted out a proper contract for them. One that had showed up at Jungkook's office the very next day. As soon as he'd signed it, Jimin and he had become officially married.

It'd been a week since then and as per their agreement—coming to the conclusion that they’d have to move in together in the future anyway, so why postpone the unavoidable—Jungkook had moved into Jimin's house as the other way around was apparently out of the question. Jungkook didn't mind either way, but as soon as he'd stepped into the house, it'd become apparent why Jimin was so adamant to include it in the contract.

It was the middle of the night during his first visit to the place, but as it'd been early afternoon when he’d showed up there for the second time, Jungkook had the chance to meet Jimin's senior dog. He was a 15-year-old Cocker Spaniel, wearing a cute shirt that was keeping him warm and a very colorful diaper.

Jimin had explained then that moving out wasn't possible for him as his beloved pet didn't handle new environments well and was simply too old for that. Jungkook understood completely and even bonded with the dog over the week. He loved animals and little Kimbap was a good company, even though he slept for the most part, occupying the whole couch as though he owned it.

The same couldn't be said about Jungkook’s husband, though.

They’d organized a meeting on Wednesday at Jeon Entertainment where Jimin had dived headfirst into their organization, going over their legal papers and meeting his crew members, including Hoseok and Yoongi. The meeting was successful and it was very clear right from the start that Jimin truly didn’t like to be ordered around, but also that his concerns were unjustified. Jimin bowed to no one and had intimidated everyone in the room with his presence to the point that no one had even dared to question him—let alone order him to do something—including Jungkook.

Not to say that he was some cold hearted bitch. His body language was openly flirtatious and his words sassy, everyone seemed to like him. But his boundaries were clearly delineated and he didn’t wish for them to be crossed.

Jungkook also learned that Jimin liked to order others around, not even bothering to hide the fact and throwing orders left and right at his crew, expecting everything to be executed without a word of objection.

Everyone had been throwing Jungkook hesitant glances at first, unsure whether they should follow with the things Jimin was asking of them or not. That was the moment when Jungkook had to remind them that that was what Jimin was here for and they should listen to him.

Jimin was working for them and Jeon Entertainment. Not to mention every other activity they were involved in were now in his care, too. It was in his best interest to keep things organized or else if they went down, as Jungkook’s husband, he was going to go down with them. Jimin was very well aware of all those things.

Jungkook couldn’t complain, though. Jimin was working very diligently, keeping his part of the deal and as long as he kept doing it, he thought he’d be happy.

He wasn’t.

He knew what he was getting himself into, and obviously him and Jimin becoming friends (at the very least) wasn’t part of the contract. However, Jimin straight up avoiding him and barely initiating any contact at all was weirdly off putting, making him feel as if he was an intruder in the house and not an actual occupant. It was an usual arrangement, yes, but they surely could make it work.

It helped that Jimin wasn’t home often, spending most of his time in his office and being busy with work. He was a bit of a workaholic, Jungkook noticed, but he still always made time for things that mattered to him the most.

…or animals that mattered to him the most.

They heard the click-clack of his boots first before they actually saw him descending down the stairs from the kitchen to the living room. Hoseok, sitting right next to Jungkook on the couch, dropped his feet from the coffee table to the ground, sitting straight as a pole and keeping his eyes anywhere but on Jimin.

Not that Jimin cared.

He regarded them with a cold glare, gently pulled Kimbap off Jungkook’s lap and left the way he came, cradling the dog in his arms and looking at the pup with bright eyes and a soft smile. Jungkook sighed, reverting his eyes back to the screen of the tablet he was holding.

As soon as Jimin was out of their earshot and the kitchen’s door closed behind him, Hoseok turned to him, placing his legs back on the table. Jungkook kicked them off, not even looking up to see his friend’s affronted expression.

“Damn,” Hoseok whistled a while later, sitting more comfortably on the couch, twisting his body sideways and placing his legs in Jungkook’s lap instead. “I’m assuming he didn’t let you tap that ass, did he?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes, focusing on the spreadsheet in front of him rather than Hoseok’s blather and his long monologue about how fine Park Jimin’s ass was. Jungkook knew it was, he wasn’t blind, but it had nothing to do with him.

“If not even Jeon Jungkook can have this cold hearted bitch, then the rest of us don't even stand a chance,” Hoseok kept wailing.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Jungkook mumbled just for the sake of shutting Hoseok up. His voice was muffled, lips covered by a hand that he was propping his head on. He was scrolling through the file, skimming it over, making sure that all the logistics for their next shipment were all in order. It was a mundane task, but something that had to be done and he preferred to do it himself.

“I don’t think Yoongi would mind having a threesome with him,” Hoseok mused, as though he was actually considering it.

Having checked everything thrice and now completely sure that everything was correct, Jungkook leaned back, locking the tablet and handing it back to Hoseok. “Hyung, he’d wreck you,” he laughed. He relaxed his face muscles, massaging his chin that went a bit numb from the way he was leaning on it.

He thought about Hoseok’s words. Just for a brief moment, his mind went places he didn't let himself explore in full detail before.

Jimin gave off the impression of a fiery type in bed, but who knew? Maybe he liked to take it slow as well? Maybe his dominant attitude wasn't the default one? Maybe he turned mellow and pliant behind the closed door?

Or maybe he was as intimidating in the bedroom as he was outside? Liked it rough and steamy, not the vanilla kind at all?

Jungkook couldn't help but wonder. Would Jimin let him fuck him or would he prefer to fuck him instead?

Hoseok put his legs on the ground, pushing himself off the couch. “Maybe that’s the point,” he winked at him.

“Well, I wish you all the best,” Jungkook smiled, amused. “Let me know how that conversation goes.”

Hoseok visibly shuddered. “No, thanks. I’m too young to die,” he whispered under his breath, grabbing his jacket from the backseat and putting the tablet into the bag he came with.

“And I’d never touch you, not even with a ten-foot pole.”

Jimin suddenly reappeared next to them, startling them both. He dropped on the couch, no longer in his formal attire but wearing comfy sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. Kimbap was toddling behind him.

Jungkook helped Kimbap to get on the couch, trying not to laugh at Hoseok’s blanched expression that was a weird mix between being offended and turned on. His dear friend was truly one of a kind.

Not knowing how to respond, Hoseok simply excused himself—going as far as bowing and apologizing to Jimin with an awkward laugh—and left.

Jungkook watched him climbing the stairs in a hurry, trying not to slip in the fluffy slippers he was wearing. It was a standard here, Jimin was obsessed with those. And Chelsea boots, but that was something Jungkook didn’t wish to discuss.

Jimin reached for the remote control, lifting his legs and placing his feet on the coffee table, earning a quirked brow from Jungkook. He turned on the TV, then Netflix right away. “How about a new rule?” he asked as he was scrolling through the movie selection.

Jungkook snorted, loosening the tie around his neck. “You certainly love those,” he commented, not annoyed but rather finding it amusing.

He rested his head against the backrest and relaxed his shoulders, glad to finally have some time to rest. He’d been working all day, having his crew members come in and out, keeping him busy and not giving him a chance to breathe.

He considered going upstairs to change into something more comfortable to wear, but the couch was too soft and warm, making him not want to move at all. If Jimin wasn’t here with him, he’d have at least taken off his dress pants, but he didn’t find it appropriate so he only took off his belt and untucked his shirt.

When the movie Jungkook didn’t recognize started playing, he was too focused, having already forgotten about Jimin and his rules. Jimin’s voice made him look away from the TV and focus back on him.

“Don’t bring work home on the weekend,” Jimin said, his voice final, meeting his eyes for a brief second before he looked back towards the movie.

Jungkook shouldn’t read too much into his words, but for a moment it almost made him believe that this was real. That they weren’t just playing house, but were actually together and in love. That Jimin’s words were that of a concern and not inconvenience.

He’d never thought that he'd get married and it was a funny feeling—it certainly made him smile.

“Sure, love,” he said sweetly, knowing it’d annoy the ever loving hell out of his husband.  “Anything for you.”

Jungkook getting married turned out to be a huge deal and soon after their engagement was announced, all the media had reported and wrote articles about it, some even requesting to interview them.

He was a CEO of a highly successful entertainment company at the mere age of 29, it was bound to create a buzz around him and his business. He was musically gifted as well, taking part in music production and even having released a few songs on his own in his free time.

He’d taken part in plenty of interviews, having spoken about many things, including the growth of the groups and artists that were under their wing. The fact that his engagement had sparked some interest and there were people interested in his personal life wasn’t surprising, especially that Jimin was no stranger to the public eye, either.

Some of the cases he'd taken on in the past had attracted lots of media's attention and were made out to be huge sensations. Jimin often worked with wealthy clients, and while some preferred privacy, others wanted publicity for their cause and that in turn forced Jimin to interact with reporters whether he wanted or not—which, he usually didn’t. While having an obvious need for attention, Jimin wasn’t particularly fond of having his face transmitted on the TV for the whole country to see.

Jungkook had seen some of his public appearances, noting that most of the time Jimin’s comments were snarky and that only if he didn’t choose the blunt way, telling everyone off straight away. All that while smiling a pretty smile, of course.

Having all that in mind, when he’d asked Jimin if he'd like to take part in a photoshoot and answer a few questions about their relationship, he expected to be met with a strong opposition—hoped for it, actually—but surprisingly… Jimin was quite thrilled about it, fully on board. That was something that Jungkook found suspicious, but it was only when they were already on the set, getting their makeup done that his concerns became justified. It only made sense that Jimin sought revenge after his sudden proposal.

“Look at you, pumpkin. Looking all sexy and dolled up for me,” Jimin chirped. He was making a kissy face and sending him flying kisses every now and then, while having a hand strategically placed on his thigh, squeezing from time to time.

Jungkook, currently having lip gloss being applied to his lips, only curled his lips in a small smile, trying to focus on everything else and not the hand that was inconspicuously getting closer and closer to his groin area.

‘Anything for you,’ he’d said, and Jimin was truly trying to make him eat his words.

That was another thing that Jungkook had discovered about his husband: he was quite petty. If you messed with him, he was sure to retaliate and in the worst way possible. Jungkook was fully aware of what he was trying to do, that being embarrassing him in front of their whole staff and the journalists they’d invited in.

Jungkook, thankfully, wasn’t a teenager anymore and wasn’t going to sport an erection just because Jimin was using some cheap and foul tricks on him.

He smacked his lips when the make-up artist was done, rubbing his lips together to distribute the lipgloss evenly. He caught Jimin’s hand just as he was sneaking it to the front of his pants, just where the zipper was. He intertwined their fingers, pressing a kiss to Jimin’s knuckles.

“Thank you, love,” he said, maintaining eye contact with Jimin.

The ladies around them cooed, covering their mouth with their hands. That had been a frequent occurrence since they’d arrived here. While PDA wasn’t his thing, he enjoyed himself to some extent. It was mainly because Jimin had been acting like himself again, being his flirtatious self and engaging with Jungkook in actual conversations, rather than just giving him a cold shoulder.

The reason for Jimin’s recent moody behavior had been also offered to him today. It turned out that he had a tendency to turn grumpy whenever he worked a tough case or something didn’t go as planned. That had relieved Jungkook because he much preferred that sort of dynamic between them—with them openly flirting with each other and playing house—than the alternative.

“Ready?” Jimin asked sweetly, sliding off the chair and tugging at their linked hands to make Jungkook follow him.

“Are you?” he asked back teasingly, walking behind him towards the set.

“As long as you’re with me, I’m always ready,” Jimin answered with a soft smile, his eyes full of affection, so sincere it could almost fool Jungkook that he truly meant it. 

His words induced another wave of loud ‘oh’s’ and ‘ah’s’ throughout the studio, as well as a few raised eyebrows from some of his crew members who were also present just to keep an eye on everyone and everything.

Jungkook squeezed Jimin’s hand, letting his expression soften, his eyes fully fixed on him. It was how he caught Jimin’s lip twitch ever so slightly, seconds away from losing his character and bursting out laughing.

He had to look away not to compromise them both and keep his face in check as he was very close to laughing himself now. He looked at the photographer instead and rolled his index finger in the air, letting him know that they were ready to go.

The set was a gray gradient backdrop and from what Jungkook was told, the photos were going to be kept black and white.

They’d dressed for the occasion, too, with their stylists carefully having picked their outfits.

Jungkook wore a turtleneck, a thick chain necklace around his neck, paired with dress pants and dress shoes. Jimin, on the other hand, was fully dressed in white, but similar to his outfit. He wore a pair of dress pants and a sheer, loose shirt with an extended downward collar—resembling that of a silky scarf, falling down below his waistband—and of course, dress but platform shoes.

Jimin looked very delicate in his outfit, somewhat younger with the way his hair was styled—his forehead hidden, soft locks falling over just above his eyes—but still alluring, yet cute at the same time. Every time he moved or raised his arms, Jungkook could spot a line of skin peeking through just above the waistline of his pants, including his abdominal v-line. Also the tattoo that was showing through the sheer material of his shirt, located on the right side of his ribs, spelling ‘nevermind’.

He was clearly fit, a hint of muscles on his stomach, as well as his toned arms. He looked like he enjoyed it, the subtle exhibit of his body, not shy in the least. Jimin was powerful in his demeanor in every meaning of the word, all while looking like an angel—although perhaps the saying, ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’, fitted him better. It was no wonder people found him intimidating.

In other circumstances—in another place, at another time—Jungkook would’ve loved to pin him against the wall and have him right here and now. But as they were now, fooling the world and having just become business partners, that was the last thing that was going to ever happen between them.

Jimin titled his head, his expression unreadable. Jungkook realized he must’ve been staring and he looked away, just in time as the photographer claimed his position behind the camera.

“Alright. Let’s start off easy, shall we?” he called out to them, half of his face hidden behind the camera. “Relax a bit and just look at me, okay? No smiles, we’re going for neutral this time. Okay, yeah, that’s perfect. Now three, two….”

They took a couple of photos like that, some together and some separately. After that came time for their ‘engagement photoshoot’. The gray backdrop was swapped for a pastel pink one and a couch was brought in, with flower petals scattered on the floor. They changed into different clothes as well, this time suits. Jimin wore a baby blue one, while Jungkook had a soft peach one.

After re-enacting their engagement and Jungkook getting on his knee in front of Jimin again—although they kept it much less dramatic and less emotional—and a few more candid photos, it was time to wrap up.

The couch was carried out and in its place a floral arch was brought in. They stood in front of it, having a dozen more photos taken, the photographer urging them to get closer and closer to each other with every next one. At some point they ended up facing each other, faces a breath apart, their profiles towards the camera lenses.

A mischievous glint flashed in Jimin’s eyes and Jungkook was sure he was going to finish the photoshoot with a bang.

Jimin turned his head to the side, addressing the photographer, “How about a kiss? Would that be okay?” he asked, using that saccharine sweet tone of his, knowing no one would be able to resist it and deny him anything.

The photographer liked his idea very much, if his excessive nodding was anything to go by. He gave them a thumbs up, his camera at the ready.

Jimin turned back to him, batting his eyelashes at him and puckering his lips. “Give me a kiss, Jungkookie.”

Jungkook stared at him, wondering what was going on in that pretty head of his. He remembered their conversation clearly. Jimin wasn’t against the idea of them displaying their affection publicly as long as it was absolutely necessary. Sure, he was flirty to begin with, but he had his limits and would never push too far, not without asking for permission first at the very least.

They’d never discussed kissing, but Jungkook figured it fell under the same rule: if it was necessary, they both had no qualms in going along with it. In this case, it wasn’t needed at all. In fact, it was Jimin who’d suggested it in the first place. It made him curious as to why.

Knowing Jimin, it served a second purpose than just making their relationship appear more real—if they wanted to look like a freshly engaged couple to everyone (despite being officially married on paper), it made sense for them to be touchy and very much in love with each other. No one was going to question a simple kiss, but there was no doubt that Jimin was playing a different game here, most likely having an ulterior motive steering his actions.

Not that Jungkook had anything against it. Jimin had been relentless in his teasing today, perhaps it was time for payback.

Jimin cooed, taking his silence as rejection and trying to salvage the situation. He brought his hand to Jungkook’s cheek, caressing it gently. He glanced briefly at the staff, eyes apologetic. “Ah, I’m sorry. He’s a bit camera shy.”

The female staff giggled, looking absolutely enamored by them. Even the photographer didn’t seem to mind, just shaking his head and expressing that it was fine. ‘We have enough photos as it is,’ he seemed to be communicating.

Jungkook wrapped his arms around Jimin’s waist, startling the smaller man as he pulled him closer. He pecked his lips without a warning, tasting Jimin’s lipgloss on his lips and enjoying a bit too much the initial shock on his husband’s face.

“Who’s shy? Me?” he smiled with a soft chuckle, not missing how Jimin looked flustered for a moment. “Just a bit starstruck by your beauty, love, that’s all. Here, lemme just…” he said, and before Jimin could say anything, he pressed his lips firmly against his.

Jimin was about to pull away as soon as their lips touched properly, having accomplished what he wanted, but Jungkook didn’t let him. He was sure the photographer expected a soft kiss, too—he could hear the shutter of the camera at first—but that was far from what Jungkook had in mind. 

Jungkook suspected that it was a dare as well, just Jimin trying to see if he was going to kiss him in front of everyone. Part of him didn’t want to give him that satisfaction, but now that he was pressed against Jimin, he planned to give everyone a good show. As for Jimin… Well, it was only fair he wrecked him.

With his hand still on Jungkook’s cheek and seeing that Jungkook had no plan to move away, Jimin grabbed onto his biceps, holding on. He involuntarily parted his lips with a gasp and Jungkook used that moment to pry them open further with his tongue, licking into his mouth.

The staff around them scattered around shortly after, with the photographer swiftly ending the photoshoot and urging everyone to leave—or maybe it was Jungkook’s crew giving that order, he couldn’t tell. His lips curled upwards, finding that chucklesome.

Feeling him smile, Jimin smiled as well, stepping on his tiptoes and pushing closer into Jungkook’s space. His hand moved from his cheek, wrapping around his neck. He was now kissing Jungkook back, humming into his mouth, his eyes partly closed.

It almost felt as though time had stopped for them, and whether it was still an act or not on Jimin’s part, things were growing heated between them. Jungkook found that to be the perfect moment to pull away, even though Jimin chasing after him nearly made him dive back in.

Jimin, once he realized what he did, ducked his head in short-lived embarrassment, trying to get his breathing under control. “Well,” he cleared his throat, his voice hoarse. “That was fun.” He licked his lips—consciously or not, Jungkook still tracked the movement with his eyes.

Jimin did a quick scan of their surroundings, chuckling as he realized that the studio was now empty, except for them.

He was holding onto him, and Jungkook didn’t think to move his hands away from his waist, either. “I guess we’ve sold it well,” Jungkook admitted, appearing unaffected. Thankfully Jimin couldn’t hear his erratic heartbeat.

There was a short pause between them, then Jimin hummed, “Yeah.”

Jimin’s voice was somewhat small, and Jungkook leaned back a bit, wanting to see his face. That was the exact moment when Jimin pulled away, though. Jungkook furrowed his brows, watching as he patted his cheeks gently, making him believe that he might’ve been blushing—Jungkook couldn’t tell because of the make-up he was wearing. He then straightened his jacket and ran a hand through his hair.

“Time for round two, huh?” He tilted his head at Jungkook, his charming smile back in place. Jimin was good at this game, but his eyes still betrayed him.

That kiss did something to them, but as it turned out, neither of them was willing to chew on it and find out what exactly.

“Round two?” He wasn’t quite sure what Jimin meant, but when Jimin started walking, he didn’t question it, going with him.

Jimin giggled. “The interview. Did you forget, love?”

Right, the interview, he thought.

He stretched his hand in an inviting gesture, letting Jimin walk first. “Lead the way, love,” he stressed the pet name, having a weird feeling that Jimin actually liked it. “We might have to stop by the bathroom, though.”

Jimin looked back at him, a crease between his eyes. “Why?”

Trying no to laugh, Jungkook wordlessly pointed at the very obvious tent in Jimin’s pants.

Jimin’s eyes widened as he followed the direction Jungkook was pointing at, the bulge in his pants impossible to miss. A silence ensued between them, with Jungkook waiting for Jimin’s reaction.

However, Jimin didn’t break his character, resuming his walk and musing out loud, “We, huh? You’re wilding today, aren’t you, Jungkookie?”

“What, does this mean you could use a hand?”

That seemed to be the tipping point and Jimin finally glared at him, clearly in an attempt to put him in his place. That was Jungkook’s cue to start laughing.

Jimin grumbled something under his nose and sped up his walking, leaving giggling Jungkook behind.

That meant Jungkook 2:0 Jimin, and it made him feel weirdly smug—because he tried to ignore the sudden feeling of endearment as he watched Jimin stalking off towards the nearest bathroom.

Chapter Text

Jungkook stared blankly at all the brochures placed on his desk. He could tell they were advertising all the different wedding venues one could find in Korea. Jimin had been very excited as he’d strolled to his office in his Chelsea Boots just a few minutes ago to show them to him. Jungkook wasn’t sure why. “What are you saying?” he asked, picking up one of them and eyeing it almost suspiciously, a frown on his face.

Jimin sighed, snatching the brochure from him. Jungkook looked up, watching him open it and skim over the information inside.

“I’m saying…” Jimin said, dropping the pamphlet back on the desk once he was done assessing it. “That we need a wedding venue.” He was standing beside Jungkook, having been leaning his back against the desk, but now he hopped on it, sitting with his legs crossed. He tapped at the brochures, looking into Jungkook’s confused eyes. “I’m here so we can choose one together.”

Jungkook truly doubted that Jimin was going to let him choose anything, although he was sure that he’d be the one paying for it. He wasn’t going to say that out loud, especially that with the answer he just received, he was still in the process of figuring out what Jimin actually wanted from him.

Jimin’s expression turned dreamy, eyes casted towards the window, already changing the subject. “A spring wedding would be lovely. It’s not too cold, not too warm,” he mused, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the desk. “But it’s gonna be summer soon, that’s not much time to arrange everything. Then again, you’re filthy rich, I’m sure we could pull through—“

Jungkook shook his head, stopping Jimin before he got too ahead with his fantasies. “We just got engaged less than two months ago,” he cut in, gathering the pamphlets and stacking them together. “And we’re officially married on paper. I don’t think any of this,” he waved the brochures in the air, “is necessary.” He put them on the far end of the desk, away from Jimin, hoping that that would be the end of that conversation. With Jimin, unfortunately, nothing was that easy.

Jimin narrowed his eyes at him, unimpressed and as stubborn as ever to get his point across. “Do you even know who you are?” 

Jungkook blinked at him, unsure as to what he was getting at.

“You’re Jeon Jungkook,” Jimin started explaining, placing his hand on the desk and leaning in, his eyes at the same level as Jungkook’s now.

It wasn’t often that they let themselves be that close to each other—unless they were in public and putting their ‘married couple’ act on. The sexual tension that arose between them in such moments was hard to ignore, but Jimin was a formidable opponent and Jungkook wasn’t going to lose to him. Even though it was pretty difficult not to look at his lips.

“A sexy billionaire in his late 20s, that’s who you are,” Jimin’s voice brought Jungkook back from his thoughts. “You own this company. You have six mansions in Seoul alone. A tropical island somewhere and you even acquired the biggest company in Korea that is producing banana milk. And that’s not even all.”

He shrugged, as if none of the things Jimin had pointed out was that big of a deal, fully aware of all those facts—all of them but one. “You think I’m sexy?” he smirked.

Jimin groaned, tired of Jungkook not listening to him, pulling back a bit but not averting his gaze. “Listen. My point is that you’re not afraid of spending money and buying some useless crap—“

“I like that island,” he argued, interrupting Jimin once again and getting slightly defensive. “You’d, too, if you just saw how pretty the sunsets there are.”

Jimin stared at him wordlessly for a few seconds, as though taken aback and finding Jungkook’s words ridiculous. “I meant the banana milk. The island sounds nice.” He rolled his eyes, not minding the indignation look on Jungkook’s face. “Anyway, we need a wedding. You’ll either give me one and then take me on a honeymoon or…” he sang, his voice as sweet as injeolmi, making a dramatic pause. He delivered his ultimatum loud and clear with a smirk on his face. “Or I’m breaking up with you.”

It was Jungkook’s turn to roll his eyes. “Is that another one of your rules?”

Jimin’s smile turned even more wicked now that he knew he’d already won. “Yes.”

Jungkook didn’t have to agree to anything, let alone to organize a wedding ceremony that he considered to be a waste of time. But it was harmless so why not? Depending on the location, maybe he could still get some work done and his crew was long overdue for some vacation as well. Jimin had already proved himself to be useful to their organization and despite some of his members telling him that he shouldn’t let his guard down just yet, Jungkook somewhat trusted him. Enough to let him do whatever he pleased—as long as he didn’t break his trust, that was.

“Perfect,” he said sarcastically. He dug for his wallet and pulled out his card. He handed it to Jimin who happily accepted and pocketed it safely in his own wallet. “Have fun, love. Just don’t spend everything, we still need to eat something,” he added, hoping he could go back to work now. He was opening his laptop when Jimin placed his hand on the top, stopping him from doing so.

Jimin ignored his words, having no intention to leave, feeling rather too comfortable sitting on Jungkook’s desk. “Now, the venues….”

He leaned across the desk, making grabby hands at the pamphlets as they were too far for him to be able to reach them. Jungkook, resigned at that point, pushed them towards him. Jimin, very satisfied, clapped his hands and then sat back, sorting through them. “How about this resort? Oh, maybe a beach wedding—No, what if we take a cruise ship? And do it in the middle of the sea?” Jimin glanced at him.

Jungkook opened his mouth but at that moment the door to his office opened, revealing Hoseok who was wiping his bloody hands off with a towel. He promptly closed his mouth, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He’d told Hoseok many times not to do that here and take their most delicate and messy operations someplace else, but his right-hand man obviously never listened.

There was that but also… While Jungkook was confident that Jimin was aware of the way they handled their business sometimes and how they dealt with people who went against them—it wasn’t something they’d discussed beforehand. Jungkook didn’t want Jimin to see it for himself in such a straightforward and gruesome way, actually preferring to keep it behind the closed door without the need to address it. But it was too late now, the cat was out of the bag.

Jimin glanced at Hoseok, a note of irritation flashing in his eyes at first. When he caught a glimpse of Hoseok’s dirty hands, Jungkook could tell he immediately managed to put two and two together. He looked anxious for a brief second, making Jungkook raise his eyebrow in interest, but that feeling quickly dissipated, almost making him believe that he’d just imagined it.

In the end, Jimin groaned, not hiding his disgust and looked away, refusing to look anywhere in Hoseok’s general direction. Jungkook wasn’t exactly sure why, but Hoseok brought the worst in Jimin. His husband hated his right-hand man and instead of backing off, Hoseok enjoyed teasing him and pushing his buttons. Sometimes too far but again… Hoseok didn’t care. He lived off a thrill.

Angry Jimin was a sight to behold and a force to be reckoned with, which must’ve been what pulled Hoseok towards him in the first place.

As the ‘cleaner’ in their crew, people who knew Hoseok’s reputation both feared and knew not to mess with him. Jimin, however, was made different, starting a beef with him everyday—or rather standing his ground as it was Hoseok who always bothered him first. But as long as Jimin was loyal and Hoseok knew that it was nothing more but a friendly banter, Hoseok was never going to hurt him. Jimin probably was very much aware of that fact.

Jungkook didn’t let Hoseok kill people just because they were annoying, which Jimin was at times, but he supposed it just added to his overall charm. That was it. Jimin was a charmer and in the most twisted way possible, Hoseok and Jimin… It was just a guess on Jungkook’s part, but he wouldn’t be surprised if the two become good friends in no time.

“Do what in the middle of the sea?” Hoseok asked with a smile, closing the door. “Do you need help getting rid of a body? 'Cause I might know a guy,” he sent Jimin a wink, even though Jimin wasn’t looking at him.

Jimin kept his eyes fixated on the brochure he was holding. “We’re planning a wedding. You’re not invited, just so we’re clear.”

Jungkook leaned back in his chair, watching Hoseok stroll to his desk. He was sporting a mischievous smile, which was a clear indication that he was up to no good. Jungkook considered warning Jimin but decided against that, choosing to enjoy the show instead. If those two adults wanted to behave like literal children, they could be his guest. The least they could do was to entertain him if they refused to leave him alone so he could work in peace.

Once Hoseok got closer, he dropped his blood-soaked towel on the desk right next to Jimin, not minding at all Jungkook’s warning look—while he thought that Hoseok messing with his husband could be funny, he didn’t quite wish to have someone’s blood smeared over his desk.

Jimin got startled, jumping slightly, and upon his eyes zeroing on the towel, he ran away from the desk, his face twisted in anger. “You—” he seethed, ready to curse the ever living hell out of Hoseok. Jungkook knew he had a very rich vocabulary when it came to profanities.

“A sea wedding sounds nice but…” Hoseok continued unbothered. He leaned down, reaching for the brochure that Jimin dropped in his haste to run away from him. “I'm seasick so that’s a hard pass.”

Jimin swatted at his hand, snatching the pamphlet from the desk before Hoseok got ahold of it. “Didn’t I just say that you’re not invited?” He grabbed other brochures as well, keeping them close to his chest. “Anyway,” he said exasperated, not waiting for Hoseok’s response.

Jungkook felt a tap on his shoulder and when he looked up, Jimin was already looking at him.

“I’ll give you one chance,” he held one finger up to stress it. “One chance to pick our wedding venue. And since I'm feeling generous today, I might even take under consideration where you'd like to go for our honeymoon. That is, if you have something in mind.”

“There’s this place in—” Hoseok started but stopped himself when Jimin glared at him. Not for long, though. “What, I’ll be going with you whether you want it or not. You might as well consider—”

“No, thank you. We don’t need you third-wheeling,” Jimin shut him down immediately, his tone clipped.

“It’s not like you guys are even together for real. Meanwhile, I am his right-hand man. Which means I go wherever he goes.”

Jungkook looked between the two, slowly getting tired of their never-ending bickering. It didn’t look like they were going to stop any time soon and he tuned out their voices at some point, only snapping back upon hearing Jimin say, “…not, unless you want to get kicked in the balls,” and Hoseok challenge that back with, “Honey, stop talking big and bring it on. I ain’t afraid of some Chelsea boots.”

That was Jungkook’s cue to join the conversation. “Japan,” he said, drawing Jimin and Hoseok’s attention. “Let’s get married in autumn in Japan.”

Jimin pondered that for a moment, while Hoseok was already refuting his suggestion with a shake of his head and a whine. Jimin waved him off dismissively, smiling at Jungkook. “Alright,” he agreed after a second. Jungkook inhaled, about to exhale in relief when Jimin added, “We’re going to Europe then. I’ll start arranging everything.”

Jungkook sighed, giving up.

“I’ll see you at home, love. Bye,” he waved at Jungkook with a sweet, victorious smile. He swerved around the desk, staying as far away as possible from Hoseok, and walked out of the office. If Jungkook knew that it was all it’d take to get rid of him, he would’ve said something earlier.

Before the door closed, Hoseok yelled after him, unable to stop himself from adding fuel to the fire, “I’ll start packing!”

“Don’t you even dare!” Jimin yelled back but thankfully didn’t turn around, actually leaving—the click-clacking of his boots echoing throughout the corridor. Jungkook was growing to hate that sound.

“I hope we’ll go somewhere warm…” Hoseok mused wishfully.

Jungkook opened his laptop at last, wordlessly scanning the text to find where he left off. 

“…Yoongi could use some sun.” Hoseok sat down on one of the chairs in front of the desk, pulling one of his legs up, his ankle resting at his knee. “So…” Jungkook, having ignored him so far, looked up at him in question. “What’s this all about?”

Jungkook shrugged. If only he knew. But that reminded him. He pointed at the dirty towel with his chin. “Was this necessary?”

“Chill. It’s just ketchup,” he laughed. “I love messing with him. Did you notice how his nose flares when he’s angry?” Hoseok pulled at his nose, trying to mimic the exact expression Jimin had a tendency to sport on his face, surprisingly, whenever in Hoseok’s company. “It’s cute.”

Cute… Jungkook supposed it was—Jimin was cute. He had many sides to him, it was surely an adventure discovering them all.

“Do you need something or did you just come here to annoy me?” he asked instead, avoiding admitting to anything regarding Jimin.

Since he and Jimin had kissed a few weeks ago, Hoseok had been unrelenting in teasing him. He’d made it his life mission to remind him at all times that they weren’t going to last long and would be fucking in no time, their business only relationship being nothing but a faraway dream on Jungkook’s part.

‘You guys speak in sexual tension,’ he’d said, ‘God gave you a dick for a reason. Just get on with it and have some fun with your smoking hot husband before someone else will.’ Jungkook had ignored him then but it made him think. In their contract, they didn’t specify whether they should stay exclusive or not—Jungkook assumed they weren’t going to, their relationship wasn’t real, after all.

But what if it became real in some way?

Jungkook had no qualms admitting that he wanted to have sex with Jimin. He was pretty sure it was mutual. The only thing he was afraid of was what was going to happen afterwards. Their deal was delicate, and while they could stay professional now, could Jungkook be certain that it’d stay that way if they got involved intimately with each other? If they let themselves into their personal lives? If the sex stopped being enough and they wanted more? And… if they didn’t work out?

He didn’t think finding out was worth it.

Jimin was a powerful ally, it’d be a shame to lose him just because they both were attracted to each other.

Jungkook had been attracted to many people in his life, it didn’t mean he had to sleep with them. That, but he also didn’t want to give Hoseok the satisfaction that he was right.

“Oh, I'm sorry?” Hoseok gasped, offended. “I guess it's just your husband that has the privilege to storm in here whenever he pleases.” He grabbed the towel, turning around and heading towards the door. “Wow, marriage truly changed you,” he shook his head, glancing back at Jungkook as though he expected him to ask him to stay.

Jungkook stared at him, unfazed by his dramatic behavior. Hoseok’s eyes widened, taken aback that his tactics didn't work.

“Fine, fine. 'm leaving,” he scoffed eventually, switching to a grumpy expression. “I have work, too, y’know? Don’t you think I don’t,” he grumbled to himself, leaving out the door with the ketchup-stained towel dangling on his shoulder. Jungkook hoped he planned to throw it away before anyone would notice him carrying it around and question what he’d been up to. Not that it was a surprising sight around these walls but they could at least pretend that they were normal.

He waited until the door closed, immediately dropping his head on the desk and closing his eyes. Finally some peace and quiet, he couldn’t help but think.

It was a little bit after 7 pm that Jungkook was done with work and ready to go home. He should’ve finished much earlier but because of Jimin and Hoseok interrupting him earlier, he was forced to stay after hours. He was used to it so he didn’t mind it that much, but the past few weeks had been crazy and for many reasons.

Not counting his marriage with Jimin, just over a week ago there had been a police raid at one of his underground casinos. They still hadn’t figured out who had leaked the casino’s location, but thankfully, a few corrupt cops that were on his side had warned him just in time to evacuate the whole place before the police’s arrival. Still, the sudden halt in the casino’s activity cost him millions of dollars and he was very eager to find the snitch and let Hoseok deal with them.

There was that, but also Jin and Namjoon were debuting soon, as well as Taehyung was coming back to the country from his tour. Jeon Entertainment was busier than ever, but at the very least his friend was bringing home some good news.

Through Taehyung, who was always on the move and traveling all over the world, they had made many connections and this time wasn’t any different. They might have been just a syndicate from South Korea, but they were a powerful one and the ones in the know were aware of that. Many people sought to be on good terms with them, even better—wishing to be working with them, and as long as Jungkook found them useful, he wasn’t opposed to that.

Over the last few years, they’d done a lot all over the world, starting from helping fund political campaigns abroad to being hired as hitmen by those in need of their services. And Taehyung—the social butterfly he was—was the one to mingle with people and broaden their list of friends, allies and clients. His other specialty was finding dirt on them. With a face like his, people tended to reveal their secrets to him willingly. Taehyung wasn’t afraid to use them against them, either.

Every one of his members had a very specific role in his crew and that one was Taehyung’s. He was damn good at it and Jungkook hoped that now that he was back, he could perhaps snoop around and find out what the hell happened at his casino too. He hadn’t moved it somewhere else, but he hadn’t closed his other ones, either, letting them operate as usual. It was a risky decision, however, shutting everything down was a coward’s move and Jungkook was anything but one.

By the end of the week, he hoped everything was going to be taken care of.

On his way to the elevator, he passed by the lounge area and didn’t think much of it, not until he heard a very distinctive sound of someone giggling. Not just someone, because he immediately recognized the voice as the one belonging to Jimin. He stopped, making a 180-degree turn, and walked towards the room’s entrance. It just so happened that he bumped into Hoseok at the threshold, but he still caught a glimpse of Jimin talking animatedly with Jin at one of the tables.

“What is he still doing here?” Jungkook asked, peeking from behind Hoseok’s shoulder and assessing the situation.

Hoseok stepped around him, pouty look on his face. “Conspiring against you, I bet.”

That was something Jungkook could believe, considering Jimin was with Seokjin. He noticed that there were venue pamphlets scattered on the table, which didn’t bode well. “And you didn’t tell me because…?” He looked away from Jimin, fixing his eyes on Hoseok who was already leaving.

“You said not to interrupt you, so I didn’t,” he answered with an attitude, pressing the elevator button, his back turned towards Jungkook.

Jungkook knew it was all in good humor, but he couldn’t stop himself from deadpanning, “I didn’t, though.”

Hoseok shrugged, humming a song under his nose, very intent on ignoring him. With a sigh, Jungkook looked back at Jimin. Technically, he could leave him right there and go straight home, but since they lived together, he found it rude not to ask.

He entered the lounge area, smiling politely at some of his workers on his way to the table that Jimin and Jin were occupying. Jin spotted him but didn’t acknowledge his presence, entrapped in his story and Jimin’s full attention that was on him.

Jungkook rested his hand on Jimin’s shoulder, smiling when he got a little startled. He leaned down a bit, his lips close to Jimin’s ear when he asked, “I thought you said you were going home?”

He noticed Jimin’s cheeks bunching up, an indication that he was smiling, before Jimin eventually looked up, forcing Jungkook to slightly back away. “I said that I’d see you at home. Not that I was leaving,” he explained, his voice soft but a smirk playing on his lips.

Jungkook straightened his back, squeezing Jimin’s shoulder. “Well, I’m going home right now. If you’re done here, we can leave together.”

Jimin blinked, surprised at his offer.

Now that Jungkook thought about it, they’d never left home together before. They had different schedules and despite spending so much time here, Jimin actually worked at a law firm that was located quite a distance from Jeon Entertainment, so it made sense that they always traveled separately.

It made Jungkook regret that he’d even asked, having not considered whether it was something Jimin would be even comfortable with. But after getting over the initial shock, Jimin smiled and looked quite happy with his offer.

“Yeah, sure. Just let me gather my stuff,” he said, turning back to the table and collecting his brochures, as well as his phone and his tablet.

Jungkook squeezed his shoulder one more time before finally letting go. “I’ll wait in the car,” he informed him, about to leave when Jin cleared his throat, making him divert his attention to him, if only for a second. “See you tomorrow, hyung,” was all he said and then walked to the elevators.

He told himself not to overthink it and even if he wanted, he wasn’t given much time to do so. Just as the elevator arrived, Jimin came rushing after him. He jumped into the elevator a second before it closed. He wordlessly handed Jungkook his leather briefcase and Jungkook took it without questioning it, watching Jimin putting his jacket on.

“You and Jin…” he said, giving Jimin his briefcase back after he ruffled his hair in the mirror and reached his hand for it. “You guys are friends now?”

Not satisfied, Jimin kept flicking his bangs in the mirror, simultaneously running his tongue on his bottom lip. Which was something Jungkook just happened to catch out of the corner of his eye, not because he was staring at Jimin’s lips or something.

“He’s a fun person to be around,” he admitted, not really answering Jungkook’s question. “He heard that I’m searching for a wedding venue and gave me a few suggestions.” Of course he did, Jungkook thought grimly. “We settled on one option and he promised he’d book everything.” Jimin backed away from the mirror, sending Jungkook a smile. “You’re gonna love it.”

“I’m sure I will,” he smiled weakly.

“Winter wedding. The fuck is wrong with him?” Hoseok complained, rubbing his gloved hands on his arms, trying to warm himself up. “My balls are freezing.”

It was just short of two weeks after Jimin’s sudden declaration that he wanted them to have a proper wedding and with Seokjin’s help, they found themselves somewhere in The French Alps. They had a beautiful ceremony just a few hours ago in the town below, one attended by his crew, their closest friends and family (except for Jimin’s, for some reason) and of course, their business partners.

Now they were on the ski slope, some of them skiing, the rest of them coddling together and trying not to freeze. The weather was excellent and quite sunny, but that didn’t change the fact that at this altitude, it was still cold.

Jungkook didn’t even know how to ski, neither did Hoseok. At least their partners were enjoying themselves, skiing and playing in the snow together. Jungkook was sure that Hoseok’s misfortune was adding up to Jimin’s good humor. His husband was a petty bitch is what Jungkook was reminded of through this experience.

That idiosyncracy of his was quite growing on him. Or maybe he just liked to see Hoseok getting a taste of his own medicine. Whichever it was, he had to admit that Jimin fitted into their crew like a glove.

Chapter Text

He and Jimin didn’t share the master bedroom for obvious reasons, but since Jungkook’s room was smaller, Jimin was kind enough to let him use his walk-in closet to store his clothes.

The room was located between the master bedroom and the guest room, large enough to accommodate lots of storage space—four glass-door wardrobes each on every of three walls, a huge abstract artwork covering the fourth wall—and a comfy leather ottoman in the middle of the room, one that was currently occupied by Kimbap.

The old dog was sleeping, snoring soundly, leaving Hoseok little to no space to sit on the edge. He still lifted his head every now and then, prompting Hoseok to give him belly rubs and scratch him behind his ear.

Jungkook stood by the mirror, skillfully tying his tie. He was meeting some investors later in the afternoon and needed to look his part, not that it was an issue. He wore a suit pretty much every day, not so much the tie but he could survive.

He was more worried about Hoseok who looked the most uncomfortable Jungkook had ever seen him in the suit he was wearing. It was an unusual sight, but not something his right-hand man used to mind that much. However, after Jimin forced him to wear a tuxedo and a bow tie to their wearing, he seemed to despise the formal wear now. Although, Jungkook had a suspicion that it wasn’t entirely the reason.

“If I were you,” Hoseok started. Jungkook glanced at him, done with the tie. “I’d lock your bedroom’s door at night.”

Amused, albeit slightly confused, Jungkook turned around to face his friend. He caught him looking at Jimin’s impressive shoe collection. “Why?” he decided to ask, somewhat already predicting his answer.

“No sane person would have so many boots,” he scowled, getting up from the ottoman. “What if he’s a serial killer or something?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes. “I’m a mob boss. I think I’m safe.” He grabbed his jacket, slipping his arms into the sleeves.

Hoseok gave him a dirty look, having expected Jungkook to take him seriously. “All I’m saying is that someone who agrees not only to marry a mob boss but also to be his lawyer has to be a bit fucked in the head. It won’t hurt you to be careful around him.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, bending at the waist and examining Jimin’s glove collection this time. “Why would he need so many pairs of gloves if not to get rid of a body?”

Jungkook moved to stand next to him, barely holding in his laugh. Above the gloves there was a couple of shelves storing Jimin’s jewelry, as well as watches, and judging by the craftsmanship on some of them and the brands he recognized, he estimated that they must’ve been worth thousands of dollars. His husband sure had an expensive taste. “How’s Yoongi hyung, by the way?” he eventually asked after a beat of silence. “I heard he and Jimin are getting along very well now.”

Hoseok snapped his head, fixing him with a glare, not leaving Jungkook any other choice than to laugh at him and his irked expression.

It was a new development but after their trip to the Alps, Jimin and Yoongi had really grown closer and bonded over their love for skiing. They bickered a lot and Yoongi loved to tease Jimin, but as opposed to Hoseok, Jimin enjoyed his company. He often engaged Jungkook’s hyung in long conversations or straight up flirted with him, laughing at how shy Yoongi would get every time.

Apparently it infuriated Hoseok because between the two of them, it was Hoseok who seemed to be more approachable than the other way around. Jungkook suspected that deep down it endeared him, though, as he had a huge appreciation for people who saw through Yoongi’s resting bitch face and were motivated enough to get to know the real him.

In a way, it made Jungkook happy, too. Jimin was here to stay, hopefully for a long time. Jungkook had never asked him to do that, but it was great to see that he was making constant attempts to fit in and interact with his crew, even making friends with some of them. That would surely make for a much more smoother arrangement, even though things between them didn’t change that much.

Jungkook was on the fence whether he should be glad about the standstill in their relationship or not. It was what he wanted—had told himself that it was the right way to handle the situation—but with every kiss exchanged with Jimin, he was losing that conviction. He was afraid that if they let themselves act on their mutual attraction, they’d start down the slippery slope and ruin it for everyone.

He wasn’t known to be selfish, which was why he was holding himself back. So was Jimin, although his motives were unclear to Jungkook.

Something stumped the floor and when Jungkook looked behind his shoulder, alarmed, it was to the sight of Jimin groaning in the doorway. “What the hell is he doing here?” He pointed an accusatory finger at Hoseok, fully entering the room.

Jimin was shirtless and Hoseok whistled, shamelessly ogling his body. “Wow, you really do have a tattoo,” he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Get out.” Jimin pointed at the door, only lowering his voice when Kimbap stirred on the ottoman, waking up from his slumber. “I won’t repeat myself.”

“Well, nevermind then,” Hoseok said, a shit-eating grin on his face. Jimin didn’t look amused. The silence stretched with Jimin not saying anything, not provoked by Hoseok’s words at all and not feeling like indulging him about the meaning behind his ‘nevermind’ tattoo.

Hoseok cleared his throat, looking all levels of awkward. “I’ll see myself out,” with that, he was gone, with Jimin having the last word as usual.

Exhaling loudly to calm himself down, Jimin bent over the ottoman, placing a soft kiss on Kimbap’s head. The dog’s tail flapped a few times, expressing contentment. Jimin smiled and moved to his part of the wardrobe. He was oddly quiet, having not even acknowledged Jungkook’s presence.

Jungkook leaned against the glass door, expecting him to say something. He watched Jimin shimmy out of his sweatpants, his boxers hugging his ass tightly, his thighs having a hint of muscles and… oh. Was he shaving?

Feeling Jimin’s eyes on him, he looked up, acting like he wasn’t just checking him out a second ago. Jimin still didn’t say anything, having slid a dress shirt from a hanger and after putting it on, being in the process of buttoning it. Jungkook decided to risk it and ask, “Another rule?”

Jimin sighed. “Do I even have to say it?”

He should’ve probably already left, but instead he sat down next to Kimbap, putting the dog’s head on his lap, not minding his fur. Jimin watched the interaction, putting his pants on. “He just dropped something off.”

Jimin raised a sceptical brow at him. “In our wardrobe?”

Jungkook nodded, admitting it was a bit weird. “Touché.”

They stayed like that, Jungkook petting Kimbap while Jimin was getting himself fully dressed. When he was fixing his hair in the mirror—Jungkook learned that he had some weird obsession with his hair and touched it up often—Jungkook looked at the watch on his wrist. It was time for him to get going.

“Do you have any plans for today?” he asked, lifting Kimbap from the ottoman. Before leaving the house, they always left him in the living room where all his stuff like food and his favorite couch was. Kimbap still used the stairs on his own sometimes but rarely, and Jimin felt safer leaving him in the section of the house that was specially designated for him.

“Actually, yes. I’m going out,” he hummed, at last backing away from the mirror. He halted in his steps noticing that Jungkook was already carrying Kimbap. There was a weird look on his face, one that Jungkook commented on with a furrow of his brows, but Jimin continued as if nothing happened. In place of that, embarrassment pulled at his facial features. He even avoided making eye contact with Jungkook.

That intrigued Jungkook. It was none of his business but could it be… Before he could stop himself, the question had already left his mouth, “Alone?” He was ready to chastise himself for that, only Jimin didn’t give him enough time to do that.

Jimin shook his head, biting on his lip. He gave off the impression that admitting to whatever he was going to say was painful to him. That made Jungkook even more curious and instead of backing off, he patiently waited. He tried to prepare himself for the answer but in the end, it still surprised him.

It was with a resigned whine that Jimin revealed, “Taehyung asked me out for a drink.”

“You're going out. With Taehyung,” he repeated slowly, confusion seeping into his voice. Kimbap stirred in his arms. Jungkook placated the pup by rubbing a calming hand on his back, lulling him back to sleep in his arms.

“He wants to bond with me or something,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “I don’t know. He insisted so I said yes,” he shrugged, grabbing his bag. “If I’m not back by next morning you are free to come to the rescue,” he joked. Or did he?

Jungkook chuckled at that, following Jimin out of their wardrobe. “Well, I hope you have fun. Where’s he taking you?”

Jimin stopped by the front door, dropping his Chelsea boots on the floor. He put his pink slippers away, putting the boots on. Jungkook leaned against the door leading to the kitchen, one hand resting on the doorknob.

“Soap Seoul. Can you believe it?” He tipped his head back, amazement coloring his features. “I thought he’d take me to a jazz club or something. Not that I’d mind, still.”

“I guess he’s trying to impress you.”

Jimin smirked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “It’s kinda working.” He gently rubbed Kimbap behind his ear and with a wave of his hand at Jungkook left the house. He was expected to show up at the courthouse at 9 am, meanwhile Jungkook had a meeting at 9:30 at Jeon Entertainment.

He rushed down to the living room, placing Kimbap on the couch and draping his favorite blanket on top of him. He grabbed his briefcase and on his way to his car tried to ignore the irrational relief that washed over him as soon as Jimin confirmed that he wasn’t actually seeing anyone. Also how much more domestic their interactions had become recently. Instead, he thought about the progress Jimin made when it came to Taehyung.

When the two met for the first time, Taehyung, after his loud introduction that startled Jimin, had congratulated them and had proclaimed that he was going to sing at their wedding. Jimin wasn’t having it, immediately making him understand that that was never going to happen. But then, shortly before they were set to leave for France, Jimin had gotten extremely upset. He hadn’t revealed why, not to Jungkook at least, but Taehyung had quickly picked up on it and undeterred, had gotten to the bottom of Jimin’s sudden mood shift.

Just like that, a day before their departure Jimin found Taehyung and told him, ‘Alright. You can sing at our wedding.’ As Taehyung had grinned, he’d added, ‘But none of that ballad crap. It’s a wedding, not a funeral. Got it?’ Jungkook remembered that he whistled impressively, having been slapped on his chest by Jimin. ‘Well, that’s progress. At least you didn’t make him cry today,’ he’d said.

Jimin had made Taehyung cry later on during the ceremony, having written his wedding vows himself and making Jungkook improvise on the spot for something as beautiful and heartwarming to say. Taehyung, of course, had sung at their wedding and Jimin had absolutely enjoyed it, even though he’d probably never admit it.

Now the two were going clubbing together.

It was a huge progress, indeed.

Jungkook had been long asleep in his bed, Kimbap safely tucked next to him and snoring as usual, when he was woken up by something. For a moment he thought it was just a dream, but as he felt light streaming into his bedroom, he cracked one eye open, turning his head on the pillow towards the doorway, realizing that someone was entering his room.

His instincts kicked in right away and as he spotted a person standing there, he carefully reached for the gun that he kept under his pillow. While still pretending that he was asleep, he removed the safety lock. He decided to count to three and jump into action. Before he could do anything, though, a giggle erupted not so far from him and he froze for a second, only to let go of the gun and switch the nightstand lamp instead.

“Jimin?” he called out his name, pushing himself up to sit down and leaning his back against the headboard. The warm light had made him close his eyes promptly, but when he opened them again, there was Jimin standing at the foot of his bed and removing his shirt. Jungkook quirked an eyebrow. He was fully awake due to the adrenaline rush, and yet he still had a hard time wrapping his mind around Jimin’s sudden appearance in his bedroom out of all the rooms.

There came another giggle. “Oops. Wrong room.”

Now that Jungkook was sure there was no immediate danger lurking in the shadows, his heart rate slowed down, his body relaxing again. He rubbed at his eyes, a smile pulling at his lips. Jimin was clearly drunk and still in the process of undressing himself, having a hard time to unbutton his shirt.

Jimin was dressed differently than when Jungkook saw him in the morning. His black shirt was sheer, sleeves puffy, the front ruffled and adorned by a loose bow. His latex pants were hugging his legs in all the right places. He looked sinful, the eye make-up and his messed up on purpose hair adding to the overall look.

It almost made him believe that Jimin wasn’t here by accident.

That he wanted him to look.

“Did you have fun?” Jungkook watched Jimin struggle with his shirt, itching to get closer and help him. To keep his hand busy he started running his fingers through Kimbap’s fur, the dog not even budging at his touch.

Jimin gave up on the buttons, untucking his shirt and pulling it over his head. “Yeah. Taehyung—” The shirt got stuck momentarily, trapping his head in. He pulled it over with a gasp. “He’s not so bad.”

“Yeah?”

“He sure knows how to have fun,” Jimin giggled again, tossing his shirt on Jungkook’s bed. He started unzipping his pants next.

“I can see that,” he hummed. “I guess you’re officially friends now?”

“That…” Jimin paused, as though processing his words. “No. God, no,” he whined, shaking his head. “I let him sing at my wedding. Had a drink with him. He should not expect more,” his speech was becoming more and more slurred with each word, his eyes droopy.

Jungkook laughed, quiet enough no to wake Kimbap up. “I’m sure you two can reach a consensus. Taehyung’s great at not crossing any boundaries.”

Jimin backed away towards the doors, a silly expression on his face. “Consensus,” he tasted the word on his lips. “That’s a funny word. Well—” He tripped over his feet. Jungkook was ready to get up to help him, but Jimin regained his balance just in time. “I’ll be going.” With his body already hidden behind the door, only his head peeking out, he added softly with a small smile, “Goodnight, Jungkookie.”

That shy smile, the tone of voice he used. It did something to Jungkook.

“Sleep well,” he said, exhaling as soon as the door closed and Jimin was gone.

He stared at the door a moment longer and eventually chuckled to himself, shaking his head. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand to check the time. It was almost 6 am, too late to go back to sleep. He was usually up by seven anyway.

It was Saturday and exceptionally, he didn’t have anything to do. He could allow himself a day of lazing around in bed and perhaps… a bit of honesty with himself. It wasn’t a very noticeable change, but something had actually shifted between him and Jimin. Jungkook would like to think that he was the same as when they met for the first time, but Jimin…

That picture-perfect, artificial in a way, persona he’d so skillfully crafted for himself… it was crumbling.

“You’re on speaker,” Jungkook said, dropping his phone on the coffee table. He was kneeling on the floor and hovering above Kimbap, a puppy pad draped over the couch just in case. Kimbap had just woken up from his nap and his beads-like eyes were set on everything but him, as though that would stop Jungkook from what he was about to do. “Look, buddy. I dislike it as much as you do, but you know it’s time.”

“What are you doing?” came Hoseok’s voice from the speaker.

“Changing Kimbap’s diaper,” just as he said that, he tugged at the diaper the dog was wearing and removed it, throwing it into the trash can that he brought from the toilet.

“You—Ew. What?” Hoseok made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat. “You’re taking care of his dog now? While he’s doing what?”

“Sleeping,” Jungkook answered absentmindedly, taking a new diaper and pulling it over Kimbap’s chicken legs. “There you go, all done.” He patted the dog, getting up to his feet. “Wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

“Sleeping? At 2 pm?”

Realizing the direction their conversation steered into, Jungkook changed the topic. “Wasn’t there something important you had to tell me?” He gathered everything and with the phone stuffed into his pocket, he went to put all the items back in their respective place.

“No. You’re the one who called.”

Once he was done, Jungkook lowered himself on the chair in the kitchen, turning off the speaker and bringing his phone to his ear. “Right.” That Jungkook did. After he got up from bed, he called Hoseok to ask whether there was any new information about his casino. They still hadn’t found who sold them out by leaking its location. “And?”

“Nothing new. Tae might have a lead, though.”

That was news to Jungkook. “Why didn’t he come to me, then?”

“I don’t know, ask Jimin about it.”

“What has that anything to do with—” Jungkook paused, watching as Jimin entered the kitchen, his hair a mess and eyes barely open. There was one thing that stood out to him. He frowned, “Are you wearing my hoodie?”

“What?”

Jimin shrugged, opening the fridge. “Must’ve gotten mixed up in the laundry.”

Close to getting a whiplash, Jungkook quickly said, “Not you. I’ll call you back,” and hung up.

Jimin had grabbed himself a bowl in the meantime, now cooking some ramen for his breakfast. Jungkook didn’t think that ramen was good hangover food, but Jimin didn’t look hungover in the first place, and he wasn’t one to judge.

“Do I have something on my face?”

Jungkook blinked, having not realized that he was staring. “I just spoke with Hoseok,” he started, noticing how Jimin immediately rolled his eyes at the mention of Hoseok’s name. “He said something about Taehyung having a lead regarding the casino I told you about a few weeks ago.”

“Oh, yeah,” he hummed, sitting opposite Jungkook with a bowl of steaming ramen. “I figured out who’s stealing from us,” he smiled, obviously proud of himself.

Jungkook should be happy, too, that the mystery had finally been cracked, and yet… he felt rather puzzled. Sure, he was losing money, but it was simply because one of his businesses was not operating as usual. Jimin’s words were pretty straightforward, though, implying that someone was directly stealing from him—them…

Jimin’s choice of words astounded him. 'Us', he’d said and on second thought, he wasn’t wrong. They were married—more than that, they were business partners and Jungkook was paying Jimin for his services. If Jungkook was losing money, he supposed, Jimin was, too. He shouldn’t be reading too much into his words.

Before Jimin was going to explain, there was one other thing he wanted to know. “Is this why Taehyung asked you out? To help him out?”

Jungkook expected Taehyung to deal with the problem himself, he didn’t envision him enlisting the help of someone else, especially not Jimin. Not that it bothered him, Taehyung was free to do whatever he needed in order to accomplish the job, just a heads up would’ve been nice.

Jimin slurped on his noodles. “Not really. He did actually want to get to know me or whatever. Like, I had no intention to help him, but since he helped me with my case, I thought I’d return the favor. After a couple of drinks we started discussing work and then ended up going to the company to check our theory. Turned out that we were right. I looked through your books and found some discrepancies.”

That made him worry. Jungkook had an accountant to take care of their accounting records. How come he didn’t report anything? What was it that Jimin discovered?

“What do you mean?” He could feel his expression harden, his voice losing the airy note, becoming more serious. Jimin was licking the spices of his lips, but sensing the change in the mood, he pushed his noodles aside, meeting Jungkook’s eyes.

“The guy you left in charge of running the casino,” he said, matching Jungkook’s tone of voice. “He’s got a loose tongue. He stole a lot of cash, too. Now, okay, I’m pretty good at math, so it wasn’t that hard to make that connection. But in that case it should’ve been a child’s play for your accountant. Unless…” Jimin trailed off, giving him a pointedly look. Jungkook knew exactly what he was trying to say.

“Anything else?” He hoped there wasn’t more, but he still needed to ask. He’d already dialed Hoseok, waiting for the call to go through.

“Nope,” he said, popping the letter ‘p’. “It’s good to know that the judge Lee is a dirty little fuck and on our payroll. That will surely come in handy one day.” Jimin smiled to himself, doing a happy dance and going back to eating his ramen.

Until a second ago, Jungkook felt tense, but witnessing that scene… he snorted, running a hand through his hair, having a hard time fighting a smile. Just then Hoseok groaned into his ear, “What now?”

Jungkook opened his mouth, but Jimin interrupted him. He looked serious again, worrying Jungkook. However, it was his words that delivered the final punch to his guts. “By the way, don’t forget about Kangmin.”

Kangmin was one of his closet members, someone he grew up with. Jungkook couldn’t imagine him being his enemy. He cleared his throat, realizing that his hands started to shake. “What about him?”

“I don’t like his face.”

Jungkook was stunned into silence, at a complete loss of words.

“Samsies!” Hoseok yelled on the line.

Jungkook wore an expression of deep thoughtfulness, studying the face in front of him. He tilted his head from time to time, as though the change in the angle would help him reach a definite conclusion. It was dumb, but Jimin’s words stuck with him like glue and somehow he ended up staring at Kangmin, gauging his attractiveness.

He wasn’t the most handsome guy one could find in a room, especially not with the rainbow hair that didn’t suit him at all. He was always well groomed, dressing simple but easy on the eye (except, again, for the hair). His face could easily get lost in the crowd, he could blend in well, which was why they called him The Chameleon.

Now that Jungkook thought about it, there was something in his eyes that made him feel—

“You’re creeping me out, boss,” Kangmin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Jungkook blinked.

Everyone in the room was staring at him.

He felt even more silly now, feeling a faint blush spreading over his cheeks. He should really stop listening to Jimin and most importantly, not take everything he was saying seriously. Unless he wanted to make himself look like an idiot in front of his crew, although he had a feeling it was too late for that.

“Anyway, to sum up. Our good friends, the accountant and her boyfriend, are on a very romantic trip down the Han River. God only knows when they might be back,” Kangmin made a sign of the cross, a knowing smile on his lips. “Meanwhile, the casino has been relocated and is open again.”

Jungkook was relieved to hear that. “Thanks. Great job,” he said, his eyes landing on Kangmin first to express his gratitude, Hoseok second and last but not least, Taehyung. “You made Jimin do all the heavy lifting, didn’t you?” He grinned.

“What can I say?” He pushed his hair back. “He’s better at numbers than I ever will be,” he laughed. “I like him, though,” he admitted out of nowhere. Jungkook looked at him surprised. “He’s a fun guy. Definitely passed my vibe check. We make a great team, if I may say so myself.”

“He’s just as wicked as all those other lawyers we hired in the past,” Yoongi added. “But at least he’s our lawyer, right?”

Sitting next to Yoongi was Kangmin and just as everyone laughed, already sharing stories and funny anecdotes about their experiences with Jimin, he just smiled, watching everyone and their reactions.

‘I don’t like his face.’

Jungkook turned to look at Hoseok. His friend’s eyes were fixed on Kangmin as well.

Huh.

Maybe Jungkook should start disliking his face, too.

Chapter Text

The last couple of weeks had been… intense, to say the least.

With Jimin having many victories under his belt, Jungkook didn’t expect him to ride the wave of his success in solving the mystery behind ‘their’ casino, but that was exactly what he did. As if hit with a sugar rush, Jimin worked his ass off, working extra hours after his work at the law firm was done.

Every day he locked himself in his office at Jeon Entertainment, looking through their books and other documents. His very thorough searches, to the surprise of everyone, resulted in a long list of people that needed to be taken care of immediately. Jungkook had barely seen Hoseok these days as he was the one dealing with their problems and running ‘errands’ all over the city, even sending their men abroad to do the same.

It wasn’t just Hoseok and Jimin, though. They all were busy, trying to salvage the situation and make sure they had no more leaks and no people running around, talking about things they shouldn’t be talking about. Jimin’s discoveries were, of course, worrisome. There was a huge network of people conspiring against Jungkook in the shadows and only waiting for the right time to get rid of him. That wasn’t new, but the fact that everything happened right under his nose and he didn’t even realize was.

Someone very close to him must’ve had a hand in preparing to ruin him and Jungkook would be lying if he said that it didn’t upset him. It hurt to know that someone he knew had stabbed him in the back, but he wasn’t going to cry over spilled milk. Thanks to Jimin he was one step ahead and all he needed to do was wait.

Wait and try not to lose his mind in the meantime.

“Oh,” Jin gasped, looking behind his shoulder. Jungkook looked up from his tablet, raising his eyebrow in question. “He’s coming.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened. He dropped the tablet, listening intently. When he heard the distinctive sound of Jimin’s boots click-clacking in the near distance, he pushed his chair back and ducked under the desk. He was aware how ridiculous and childish his behavior was right now, but he couldn’t quite help it.

“Dude,” Jin’s voice came from above the desk, “Are you serious right now?”

Jungkook refused to answer that. “Just tell me when he leaves,” he whisper-screamed instead, internally patting himself on the shoulder for insisting on having such a huge desk. He fitted perfectly under it, still having lots of space to sit and even move around. He could stay here for a long while if needed.

“Wait, I don’t think he’s coming after all…” Jin trailed off, his voice unsure. It still made Jungkook partly leave his hideout and peek his head out. Jin was already standing on his side of the desk, clearly judging him with his eyes.

“What do you mean?” he inquired, stretching his neck and looking beyond the desk. The coast looked clear, there was no Jimin in sight. Weird.

“He just passed by your office.” It sure seemed like it. “His steps sounded quite angry, though,” Jin frowned, feeling puzzled by his own observation. It was eerily fascinating in a way but they could really guess Jimin’s mood simply by the sound his boots made when he walked. If he walked fast, heavily stomping the floor, he was mad. As Jungkook recalled his steps just now, Jimin had, indeed, sounded angry.

He leaned his arms against the desk and by using the surface as a leverage, hoisted himself up. He looked briefly at Jin and then without a word rushed towards the door. “Where are you going?” Jin called after him, but he didn’t stop to explain himself, walking down the corridor, looking left and right in search of Jimin.

His own actions amazed him, but if Jimin was angry… Well, he wanted to know why.

He spotted Jimin getting in the elevator and he had to run to squeeze inside before the door closed. As he rested his back against the wall to catch his breath, he noticed Jimin hiding his bewilderment, having not expected to see him. He acted odd, Jungkook knew him well enough at this point to be able to tell.

“Going home?” he asked, no longer breathing heavily. Jimin opened his mouth to answer but at the same time the door opened, making him promptly close it. Jungkook moved closer to Jimin to make more space for the other people getting in, bumping into his arm. He got startled when Jimin jerked away from him, grabbing his arm protectively, looking like a deer caught in the headlights and his face twisted in pain.

Jungkook wanted to touch him, gently run his hand over his arm, but mindful of them not being alone, he only leaned in, whispering, “Are you okay?”

Some defensive mechanism got activated in Jimin’s eyes, spreading all over his facial features, seeping into his body language. Then, he smiled politely out of nowhere. Jungkook glanced to the side, catching one of his employees looking at them. He smiled as well. He decided to ask Jimin again once they were left alone.

The elevator stopped on the ground floor and everyone spilled out, reminding Jungkook that it was now the afternoon break. Jimin was quick to follow, but Jungkook grabbed his wrist, mindful to not touch his possibly hurt arm, and pulled him back, pushing the button to close the elevator door. Jimin glared at him, not hiding his irritation.

“I’m fine,” he answered Jungkook’s question. “I just bumped into something.” He looked expectantly at Jungkook’s hand that was still wrapped around his wrist, then back into his eyes, waiting for him to release him. “Anything else?” he asked, visibly vexed and eager to leave.

Jungkook studied Jimin’s face. It could be that he was upset because of work—it happened many times before—but it seemed different this time and he doubted it was the case. There was something else going on with him today.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked again, thinking that maybe this time Jimin would indulge him and tell him the truth. But, in the end, the opposite happened as he only got even more mad, snatching his hand from him and pressing the door button, waiting for it to open. “Jimin?”

“My God, stop acting like you actually care,” Jimin snapped, his back facing Jungkook. “I’m fine,” he repeated himself through his gritted teeth. He exited the elevator, leaving Jungkook behind, his steps loud, making lots of noise in the lobby.

If Hoseok was here, he’d have most likely said that Jimin was making a scene and told him to tone it down, and Jungkook would have agreed with him. People were throwing curious glances at them, fishing for drama and something to gossip about, and as someone who prefered to keep his personal life private, Jungkook didn’t like the attention on them at all.

It was their first public ‘lover’s quarrel’ and Jungkook wondered what the best course of action in this situation was. He could leave back to his office, let Jimin cool down and wait for him to come to him. He could but… He was too intrigued to let go.

He scurried out of the elevator before the door closed, pulling out his phone. He quickly texted Seokjin that neither he and Jimin would be back in the office today and that he was in charge. As soon as he pressed ‘send’, he muted his phone, putting it back into his pocket. He saw Jimin exiting the building and not thinking much about it, he ran after him, catching up to him outside.

Jungkook stopped him, reaching for his hand and intertwining their fingers. Jimin snapped his eyes at him, a second away from cussing him out, but Jungkook didn’t let him. He pulled him closer and, fully conscious of the fact that there were still some of his employees watching them, pressed a quick kiss to Jimin’s lips. That successfully shut him up, his expression frozen, although losing some of the tension from before.

“Let’s go,” he said with a mysterious smile, turning around and tugging at their locked hands for Jimin to follow him. Surprisingly, Jimin didn’t fight him this time.

“Go where?” Jimin asked, his voice slightly distrustful.

Jungkook shook his head, pressing forward. “It won’t be a surprise if I tell you,” he said playfully, immediately realizing that it was a mistake and that it backfired.

Jimin halted in his steps, the grip he suddenly had on Jungkook’s hand forcing him to stop as well. When their eyes met again, it was clear that Jimin wasn’t gonna move any further until Jungkook explained to him where they were going. Jungkook didn’t mind, the problem was that he had no idea. He didn’t plan anything beforehand, it was a spontaneous idea on his part.

He looked around, searching for inspiration, trying to recall what places were nearby that they could visit. Just then he remembered his conversation with Namjoon and he knew exactly where he was going to take Jimin to help him get his mind off whatever he was dealing with. Or perhaps just to get him talking, the motivation behind his intention wasn’t exactly clear to him.

“There’s a cat cafe nearby, but knowing you, you'd probably try to shut the whole place down, claiming that their business’s unethical or something,” he huffed, rolling his eyes. “That’s why we’re going to the animal shelter,” he said, shaking his head to get rid of the strands of hair falling into his eyes.

He found out about this particular shelter from Namjoon who kept asking him about giving a concert there so they could raise some money and help the animals that were in the shelter’s care. Jungkook had told him that he should just make a hefty donation and be done with it, but then Jin had entered the conversation and in the end, they’d decided to host a fundraiser concert there, the lineup consisting of most of their artists, including Taehyung. The event was scheduled to happen next month and now that Jungkook thought about it, it wouldn't hurt to see the shelter for himself.

Jimin looked like he wanted to argue with him, but both of them knew Jungkook was right and that it was pointless. “I heard they’re looking for volunteers and what’s better than free labor that involves petting animals for free?” he added, grinning.

His offer was irresistible and Jimin, the animal lover he was, wasn’t immune to it either. Jungkook watched how the corner’s of Jimin’s lips started twitching, and when he stopped fighting it and they bloomed into a smile, he knew he won. With a wiggle of his eyebrows, Jungkook turned back around and guided them to his car.

“I actually wasn’t aware that such cafes exist in Seoul,” was the first thing Jimin said when they got inside the car. “I’ll certainly look into that,” he murmured, making a mental note of that and fastening his seatbelt. Feeling Jungkook’s gaze on him, he glared at him again, “What?”

“I have a rule for you,” Jungkook  announced, relishing in the shock that momentarily flashed through Jimin’s eyes. “No talking about work. Can you do that for me?”

It was Jimin’s turn to stare at him, gaping a little. When he snapped back from his thoughts into reality, he nodded slowly, almost shyly.

“Great, now let’s go,” with that, Jungkook started the car.

The shelter wasn’t that far, but before he’d drive them there, there was one other stop he wanted to make on their way. Jimin seemed to sense that to a degree as the different route they were taking made him somewhat uneasy—at least that was the impression Jungkook got after taking a quick glance at him.

“Are you sure we’re going to the shelter?” Jimin questioned him, attentively watching the road ahead of them and taking notes of every turn Jungkook made. That didn’t escape Jungkook, but he didn’t comment on it, choosing to be quiet.

Jimin asked a few more times but eventually gave up, changing the subject. “How come your shadow isn’t going with us today? Where’s he?”

Jungkook snorted as though the answer was obvious. “He’s busy, thanks to you.”

That information made Jimin smile triumphantly. “You have to admit he’s been slacking. All he ever does nowadays is sit in your office and bother you all day. Why are you even still keeping him around?”

“Well, if it’s not him, then it’s you sitting in my office all day.” He looked at Jimin pointedly, meeting his eyes for a brief moment. “Should I fire you too?” he asked teasingly, not hiding how amused he was.

Jimin scoffed, turning grumpy again. “Very funny,” he mumbled, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Jungkook laughed, at the same time pulling over and stopping the car. That caught Jimin’s attention and he looked around, not saying anything but looking confused once he realized they were very close to the shopping district.

“I’ll be back in ten minutes,” Jungkook said, lowering the windows a bit before pulling out the car key and stuffing it inside his pocket. “Here…” He turned on the radio, choosing Jimin’s favorite station. “So you don’t get bored.”

“What am I, a child?” Jimin shook his head with a frown, watching Jungkook slip out of the car.

With a wave of his hand and a wink at Jimin, Jungkook joined the busy street, rushing to the closest shoe store he could find. What he had in mind was very immature of him, but it’d been a while since he messed around with Jimin and upped him in any way. It was about time he created a gap in the silly score he was keeping between them. The last time he checked they were even and with how competitive he was, it didn’t sit well with him.

When he was back, Jimin had his eyes closed and was humming along to some song that was playing on the radio. Not wanting to scare him, Jungkook knocked on the window to alert him first before he got into the car. Jimin’s humming stopped, and feeling his curious eyes on him, Jungkook handed him one of the two boxes he was holding. With his legs still outside the car, he placed his box on his lap and started untying his dress shoes. He could hear Jimin opening what he bought him and he had to fight the smile when Jimin asked, “You’re kidding, right?”

Tossing his shoes to the backseat, Jungkook took out a brand new pair of sneakers and swiftly put them on. Once he was done, he pulled his legs inside the car, closing the door. The empty box landed next to his old shoes. When he looked at Jimin again, his husband was still gaping at the box, almost as though contemplating his life choices that ultimately led him to this moment.

“C’mon, I don’t want you scaring the animals at the shelter. Put them on and let’s go,” he urged him on, taking the box’s lid off himself. He grabbed one of the shoes, pulling out the balled up paper from the inside. He did the same with the other shoe. “C‘mon,” he repeated himself. “I promise they don’t bite.”

“My boots are not scary,” Jimin grumbled eventually, lifting the shoe hesitantly. “And it’s not like I don’t wear anything else—”

“You don’t wear anything else, except for the slippers,” Jungkook deadpanned, not leaving much room for discussion. They had been living together for a while and the only time Jungkook had seen Jimin wear any other type of shoes was when he went to gym. Once. “It’s time we change that.”

Jimin groaned. “These are new shoes. I’ll have blisters,” he complained, his eyes turning pleading. His expression reminded Jungkook of that of a puppy, but he was too well versed in Jimin’s tricks to be fooled by that.

A few seconds later, knowing he’d lost, Jimin put the sneakers on while Jungkook watched, feeling very satisfied. Jimin placed his boots inside the box, closing the lid and putting it gently on the backseat. When he turned around and sat properly in his seat again, he was fixing Jungkook with a scowl. “Happy?”

“Not quite,” he answered, having already pulled out his phone. “Show me.”

Jimin gaped at him, nonplussed.

Clicking his tongue and not waiting for Jimin to lift his leg, Jungkook leaned closer, straightening his hand out just enough to be able to capture Jimin’s feet. When his sneakers appeared on the screen of his phone, he quickly took the photo, not wasting time to send it into the group chat. “Cute. Hoseok’s not gonna believe this.”

“You are a child,” Jimin commented, fastening his seatbelt. His cheeks were dusted pink again, although Jungkook wasn’t sure whether it was because he was angry or embarrassed. Either way, he looked cute.

Tossing his phone onto the dashboard once he was done, Jungkook inserted the key into the ignition. “I’m not the one throwing a tantrum.”

“I’m not throwing a tantrum, I’m just—” Jimin started defensively, but catching Jungkook looking at him curiously, he closed his mouth with a sigh. “Let’s just go.”

Almost.

Jungkook smiled to himself. By the end of the day he was sure that he could bring the score up to four, leaving Jimin with nothing but his two, albeit freshly earned, points.

By the time they arrived home—having sent Namjoon to their apartment earlier to check up on Kimbap—they were completely soaked, the rubber soles of their shoes making a squelching sound with every step, their shoes leaving a wet trail behind.

Jimin had talked his ear off about his Armani suit during the car ride, scolding him for sprinkling him with water when they were bathing the dogs at the shelter and then later for making him get drenched in the rain. Not that the latter was Jungkook’s intention. He’d lost his car keys at some point and they needed to go back and search for them in the heavy rain. But despite all that, Jimin was smiling and was in a much better mood than earlier in the day. Jungkook considered that a success, although he still didn’t know why Jimin was upset in the first place.

They left their sneakers, now ruined by rain, by the door, shedding some of their clothes layers. Jimin shook off his dripping wet jacket, letting it fall to the floor. Jungkook, who was in the process of taking off his socks, felt water splashing over his ankles and instantly shivered. Tossing his socks aside, he moved to unbuttoning his shirt, while Jimin grabbed the hem of his and pulled it over his head, right away using it to dry off his hair, not bothering to go and grab a towel.

It wasn’t the first time Jungkook saw Jimin shirtless, but with Jimin’s skin glistening, droplets of water running down his chest, over his tattoo and his nipples hard from the cold, this time felt a bit different than the previous ones.

Although he couldn’t swallow down the immediate concern he felt noticing a purple bruise forming on Jimin’s arm. Jimin must’ve forgotten about it, not intending to reveal it to him, but just by looking at it Jungkook was certain that Jimin didn’t get it by simply bumping into something. However, he knew better than to ask about it. Jimin had already lied once, asked again, no doubt he’d just avoid the truth again.

“So…” he said, drawing Jimin’s attention. “Do you want to talk about it?” He let his shirt slide down his arms, then onto the floor. Jimin seemed to be too consumed by staring at his chest to register his question. That prompted Jungkook to take a step closer to him, his fingers skillfully unbuckling his belt.

“Talk about what?” Jimin asked eventually, basically forcing himself to look away. His fingers were trembling ever so slightly as he was working his own slacks open.

In any other situation Jungkook would’ve found that funny, them undressing in the middle of the hallway, not wanting to make a mess in the rest of the house. In these particular circumstances he was far from laughing, feeling the tension between them thicken, the heat in his stomach growing. Jimin couldn’t even look him in the eyes anymore, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth, his chest rising more rapidly.

Jungkook closed the distance between them, leaving just a few inches apart between their chests. The proximity made Jimin look up at him, his lips parting in some sort of a gasp. It could be that he just stumbled, but suddenly Jimin was pressed into him, their chests flushed together. Jungkook steadied him by placing his hands on his hips.

“Your case,” Jungkook clarified. “Isn’t this why you were in a bad mood?” Jungkook was certain it wasn’t, but it was a good way to start. At least, that was what he thought. Jimin, standing only in his boxers, suddenly looked so… touched, Jungkook was taken aback, having not envisioned that type of reaction at all. He promptly dropped his hands from Jimin’s hips, unsure what to do with them, pulling them back to his sides, already missing the feeling of Jimin’s skin under his fingertips.

Now looking shy, Jimin ducked his head. “No, I just…” he sighed, looking directly into Jungkook’s eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. “Just having a bad day, is all.”

Jungkook didn’t know what to believe anymore because Jimin’s words seemed genuine to him. He ended up smiling too. “Well, I hope I made it better, then.”

There was a pause, Jimin looking conflicted for a moment, and then he pushed himself to stand on his tiptoes and pressed a light kiss to Jungkook’s lips, whispering, “You did. Thank you.” He backed away slowly, almost as if he was waiting for something to happen, but seeing as Jungkook didn’t move at all, he ducked his head again and disappeared into the hallway.

Jungkook watched him enter the bathroom, still frozen himself, weirdly enamored by the gesture, the feeling of butterflies being set free in his stomach impossible to ignore. For someone who was so attracted to Jimin physically but also hell-bent on keeping their relationship strictly professional, it was almost ironic that he was the first one to catch feelings. There was no point in denying it.

The realization that he liked Jimin—that he liked him a little bit too much to just have sex with him and not ask for more—was unexpected but comforting, it felt good to finally have a proper term for his feelings. However, it was bittersweet too. How could it not be? He knew—had an inkling that Jimin didn’t feel the same, or maybe he just didn’t want to get his hopes up. He knew where his priorities lay, after all.

Still, he played right into Jimin’s hands. Weirdly, he wasn’t even mad.

There was only one bathroom and Jungkook had to wait for his turn before he jumped into the shower, turning the hot water on. He was shivering but the quick shower helped him warm up. When he finally dragged himself to the living room, Jimin was already lying on their pull-out couch, wearing his hoodie again and cradling Kimbap in his arms. Netflix was pulled up on the TV but no movie was playing, as though Jimin was waiting for him to join him.

Jungkook plopped on the other end of the couch, sitting comfortably and watching the screen. Jimin picked some movie—one that Jungkook hadn’t watched, which seemed to be an occurring ordeal as he wasn’t a movie person to begin with—and they watched it in silence, the only sounds being the movie and Kimbap’s soft snores.

As the movie progressed, Jimin was inching closer and closer to him, eventually ending up sitting comfortably between his legs, the back of his head resting on his chest. Jungkook had his arms loosely wrapped around his middle, not really paying any attention to the movie at that point. He’d tried to spark a conversation but Jimin had shushed him every time, being engrossed in whatever they were watching—at first glance it seemed to be a romantic comedy, Jimin’s favorite genre.

Jungkook could be stubborn if he wanted, though.

“What’s the story behind your ‘nevermind’ tattoo?” he attempted again, rubbing his cheek against Jimin’s temple and hugging him a bit closer to his chest.

Jimin took a moment, too caught up in the movie, before he looked up and turned to him, his brows furrowed. “Seriously?” he asked, not quite believing that Jungkook had the guts to ask him that after Hoseok’s failed attempt to get that story out of him.

But Jungkook was, indeed, serious, looking at him expectantly and waiting.

Jimin mulled over his question, conflicted whether to answer it or not, worrying his lip. Eventually, he twisted his body a bit to be able to see Jungkook better and not strain his neck, giving in, “It’s pretty boring,” he stated before he started.

As Jungkook stayed undeterred, he continued, his voice a bit flat and monotone, “I used to be bullied in school. It really fucked up my self-esteem, but then again… it was what pushed me to become a lawyer in the first place. As soon as I got in, I told myself that nothing my bullies said about me was true and to never mind what other people say or think about me ever again.”

Jimin paused for a moment, only to laugh a second later, “I guess that’s why I got that tattoo, but honestly it’s pretty blurry. I was quite wasted and then I woke up the next morning thinking I was dying. My ribs felt like they were on fire or something. I don’t regret it, though.” He shrugged at the end, a pretty smile on his lips, eyes sparkling with something like a fond memory he just recalled.

Jungkook had been listening intently, cracking a smile when Jimin started to laugh. The story behind his tattoo explained Jimin’s personality pretty well, filling out all the remaining blanks that Jungkook wasn’t able to figure out himself. It made sense why Jimin was so success driven, refusing to be ordered by anyone, always taking charge.

Well, not always.

The events of today showed Jungkook that Jimin liked to be taken care of. He liked to be appreciated, hugged. He liked to wear Jungkook’s clothes, even though they were too big for him. There were many soft aspects to his personality, but the trauma he experienced in the past stopped him from showing his vulnerability just to anyone.

Jimin was careful with choosing people he could trust and even then, he wasn’t an open book, steadily revealing himself chapter by chapter. Jungkook wasn’t sure how many chapters he was in, but he was far enough to… to give Jimin the benefit of doubt, to believe that his feelings were genuine and that maybe, just maybe, there was more than met the eye.

He felt that his own feelings were valid, especially that even Hoseok couldn’t provide him with all the answers and had his doubts.

“If it counts for anything…” Jungkook took Jimin’s hands into his, intertwining their fingers. “I think you’re pretty badass.”

Jimin raised a brow, a playful smile on his lips and holding back a laugh. “Oh, yeah?”

“Sexy and cute, too,” he added, examining their hands. Jimin’s hands were so small, fully engulfed by his own. “And considering Hoseok’s busy anyway, I don’t think he’d mind taking care of a few bullies as well.” 

Finally losing it, Jimin giggled. “I’ll keep that in mind. But for now…” Jimin turned around in his arms again. “For now shut up. It’s my favorite scene,” and with that, he fixed his eyes back on the movie, turning the volume up.

Jungkook rested his chin atop Jimin’s head, smiling to himself.

He was glad that he decided to run after Jimin and convinced him to spend a whole day with him. He not only learned something about him, but realized a few things on his own too. That brought his score all the way to five and even though Jimin’s score jumped to three, he was still winning.

Not only in this game, but in personal life as well.

Chapter Text

Jungkook watched Yoongi and Namjoon, both of them sitting at the desk and instructing Taehyung who was in the recording booth, headphones on his head and singing. They were in the studio, Hoseok and Kangmin squeezed with him on the couch, all three of them avoiding their responsibilities and counting down the time until they were able to go home. Jimin, on the other hand, was… somewhere, probably finishing up some work, although Jungkook had seen him earlier chatting with Jin in the cafeteria.

The fundraiser concert was a week away and after spontaneously deciding to release a promoting video, with Yoongi and Namjoon both scrambling to write some impromptu lyrics and music, they gathered to record the song and later shoot a quick music video.

Jungkook wasn’t needed here at all but this at least allowed him to pretend that he was doing something as opposed to not doing anything at all. There were definitely things that needed his attention, but he was too distracted to focus on anything, to be honest. It was only Wednesday, but he was eager to go home, having already informed everyone that he was going to be unavailable for the rest of the week. If it had anything to do with Jimin winning a case and taking a week off to celebrate it, well… Jungkook might’ve forgotten to mention that to anyone.

They didn’t really have any plans together, not that Jungkook was aware of. Jimin didn’t even know that Jungkook took some time off work as well. However, Jungkook hoped that they could spend some time together, maybe go out to eat something or go for a walk around their neighborhood.

He was used to them watching Netflix and chilling at home, but he wished they’d do something different for a change. They grew somewhat closer since their ‘date’ at the shelter, even though nothing between them really changed. What actually happened was that they ended up tiptoeing around each other, becoming bolder in their advances but at the same time… not really, acting rather shy.

“God, I’m so exhausted,” Hoseok groaned, throwing his head back and spreading his legs wide. Since he was sitting in the middle, that left Jungkook and Kangmin with little to no space, forcing them to scoot a bit to the sides.

“Hyung, you are exhausted?” Kangmin rolled his eyes at him with a scoff. “I was the one sent all the way to Europe, then back to Korea and back to Europe. If there’s anyone who has the right to be exhausted, it’s me.”

“You don’t look tired to me, though,” Hoseok glanced at him. Kangmin sputtered, about to argue, but Hoseok ignored him, reaching down and taking off his shoes. “I have blisters all over my feet from all that walking I had to do. Those pests spread all over the country, hiding in places I couldn’t even reach by car. Can you believe this? It’s not like my intention was to kill them or something.”

“Hyung, ugh,” Kangmin looked away, pressing a hand to his nose. “Your feet stink. Put those shoes on, I’m begging.”

“Blisters, you say?” Jungkook snorted. “That’s something you should talk with Jimin about. I’m sure he could sympathize with your pain.”

“Oh, trust me. I know. He chewed my ear off about those sneakers you forced him to wear,” Hoseok sighed, going as far as taking off his socks and massaging his feet.

Jungkook peeked out his head from behind Kangmin, looking curiously at Hoseok. “He did?” He didn’t hear anything about it.

Before Hoseok could answer, another voice joined them. “Speaking of Jimin… I’m pretty sure he’s in a good mood today.” Yoongi turned around in his chair, looking at them. “Mind telling me why y'all are here?”

Jimin was in a good mood, Jungkook knew that but… “How do you know this?”

Yoongi shrugged. “We had lunch together.”

“But shouldn’t you know this?” Namjoon glanced at Jungkook briefly, a teasing smile on his face. “Jimin and Yoongi hyung had been besties for a while, they eat lunch together all the time. I join them sometimes.”

“Contrary to popular belief,” Jungkook started a bit defensively, quickly switching to a lighter tone as soon as he realized. “I’m not Jimin’s actual husband, just a pretend one. I don’t keep track of people he hangs out with and what he’s doing throughout the day. He’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”

“That’s the craziest thing,” Kangmin suddenly said. “Boss, you made your contract with him so flexible. He’s basically doing whatever he wants, bossing us around. How come you don’t mind? Shouldn’t we keep tabs on him, make sure he’s not trying anything funny behind our backs?”

Jungkook didn’t even have to think about what to say, “I like him to think that he’s in charge, but it doesn’t mean that he is. As long as he’s doing his job, I don’t see why I should question his methods or get suspicious of him.”

Hoseok snorted, “He’s totally got you wrapped around his finger.”

“That’s not true.”

“Sure it is, but I mean, can’t really blame you. Right?” Hoseok looked around, searching for affirmation from the other guys. Everyone hummed in unison, making Jungkook roll his eyes at them. “Now, you are free to keep thirsting after his ass, instead of railing it, by the way,” he cleared his throat, his tone a bit judgemental. “And let him do whatever he wants, but maybe try to be more careful and less trustful around him. It’s better to be safe than sorry, y’know?”

At the same time Jungkook’s phone buzzed with a notification.

Ignoring his friends, he grabbed it, tilting the device to make sure that the other two wouldn’t be able to see the screen. He tapped at the notification, keeping his expression as neutral as possible upon noticing that it was a message from Jimin who was asking him whether he wanted to order some takeout and go home together. He quickly replied with a bunch of confirmation emojis and got up from the couch, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“Sorry, I gotta go. Keep up the good work,” he said, pretending not to see the eye exchange between the guys and Hoseok wiggling his eyebrows at him with a knowing smirk on his face. Shaking his head, he left the studio, making his way all the way down to the parking lot where Jimin promised to meet him.

He didn’t really care much about the conversation he just shared with the members, although he was pretty proud of the groundwork they laid. Even Hoseok acted out his role perfectly, all of them behaving naturally and not like they’d rehearsed it beforehand. They could only hope that the bait was taken, and if not, as long as they weren’t caught red-handed, they could just try again.

Just like every other evening they found themselves on the couch, Kimbap sitting with them, but this time with fried chicken and beer standing in front of them on the coffee table. Jimin was wearing Jungkook’s hoodie again, Jungkook didn’t even bother anymore to question him about it. At the same time, feeling comfortable as well, Jungkook was shirtless, only wearing sweatpants. While Jimin tended to get cold easily, he often felt too warm in his skin.

They chatted a bit, talking about their day and sharing some funny anecdotes. But as soon as Jimin started watching something, he always got too invested, being too distracted to keep up with the conversation, and this time wasn’t any different. Jungkook didn’t mind, using that time to sip on his beer and watch him, sometimes reaching out and wiping some sauce off the corner of his lips, licking his fingers clean afterwards.

They were halfway through the movie when Jimin’s phone startled Kimbap awake. Jimin didn’t react at first, too lost in the movie, and Jungkook had to nudge him to answer it. Quickly dropping his chicken wing onto a plate and wiping his hands clean, Jimin brought his phone to his ear, no longer leaving the room like he used to. That made Jungkook smile, the fact that Jimin was that comfortable with him and trusted him enough to listen in on his conversations.

Jimin hung up not even a minute later, having barely said anything. He sighed when he did, getting up to his feet, a frown on his face.

“Everything okay?” Jungkook asked over a mouthful of chicken, taking a sip of his beer.

“Apparently I forgot to sign something.” Jimin reached for his bottle, Jungkook giving it to him and watching him drink his beer. “They need me to get back to the firm.” 

Jungkook didn’t want to assume anything, but Jimin looked… almost disappointed? As if he really didn’t want to go and not because it was an inconvenience, but for an entirely different reason. Although, maybe Jungkook was just getting his hopes up and reading too much into it. It was early evening, he wouldn’t want to leave the house either if he was in his shoes.

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“Apparently not,” he sighed again, putting the now empty bottle back on the table. If it wasn’t for the fact that they’d just started and weren’t even tipsy, Jungkook would’ve stopped Jimin from getting behind the wheel. Like this, he didn’t really have much to go on with and all he could do was accept it. “Well, I better get going. I’ll be back soon,” he said, suddenly leaning in.

For a moment Jungkook thought Jimin was going to kiss him—not on the cheek, which had recently become their thing—but as though realizing what he was doing, he awkwardly backed away, clearing his throat, “See you.”

Jimin disappeared then, climbing the stairs and leaving. When he reappeared a moment later, there were car keys and a pair of new sneakers—one that Jungkook had bought for him—in his hands. He hadn’t even changed his clothes, still wearing his hoodie and a pair of shorts, lingering a bit by the door. It was as if he really didn’t want to go, already impatient to get back home, and it made no sense unless… Oh. Considering their almost kiss, maybe… Oh.

“See you soon,” Jungkook said, realizing he didn’t say anything earlier. Jimin smiled at him and left with a wave of his hand, skipping out the door. Jungkook chuckled, shaking his head to himself. “I guess it’s just you and me again, buddy.” He glanced at Kimbap, patting him on his head. “Do you think I should brush my teeth?” he wondered out loud. Kimbap looked up at him, his gaze blank. “Too much?”

The dog closed his eyes, placing his head in his lap. Jungkook still decided to brush his teeth, but first he finished his meal and cleaned up the table, putting the still somewhat warm chicken inside the microwave to retain some of its heat in case Jimin wanted to eat it once he was back home.

When he came back down to the living room, he plopped down on the couch, his hand immediately coming to run his fingers through Kimbap’s fur. He kept at it for a few minutes, when suddenly a weird feeling took over him. Something didn’t feel right. He looked down at Kimbap, examining him for a second in silence. He swallowed nervously, patting the dog gently on the head. No reaction.

“Buddy?” he called out, his full attention now on the dog sleeping next to him. When Kimbap didn’t react, he shook him gently. “Kimbap?” Still nothing.

Jungkook twisted his body, hovering above Kimbap and bringing his ear to his snout. He could barely feel Kimbap’s breath tickling his ear. No, no, no, no. This wasn’t happening. Jungkook jumped to his feet, about to run off somewhere only to stop, completely taken aback and not knowing what to do. Thankfully, his initial helplessness lasted only a few seconds and he sprung to action.

He grabbed his phone first, searching for the nearest veterinarian clinic that would be still open. Once he found one, he pocketed his phone and ran to where Jimin kept all Kimbap’s stuff. He grabbed a thick blanket from the closet and a file containing all of the Kimbap’s medical records. On his way back he made one last step to his bedroom, grabbing his wallet and car keys, as well as a hoodie that he put on while jogging to the living room. Kimbap was still breathing when he wrapped a blanket around him and hugged him to his chest, but his breathing was extremely shallow.

He carried Kimbap to his car, placing him gently on the passenger’s seat, making sure that he was all tucked in and warm. The moment his phone connected with the car’s Bluetooth, he chose Jimin’s number and tried to call him, only to have a voicemail answer him instead. He cursed, trying a few more times until he reached their destination, in the end leaving Jimin a brief message explaining the situation and making sure to mention the clinic’s address.

Jungkook basically barged inside, screaming for the nurse to help him. A doctor emerged from one of the rooms, instantly realizing of the emergency and urging him inside. Jungkook placed Kimbap on the examination table, staying nearby and constantly petting him as he explained what was going on. When he mentioned Kimbap’s age, the vet tried to keep her expression neutral but she slipped up, only confirming his suspicion, something that he didn’t want to accept just yet.

It was what it was, though. She tried, she did. But Kimbap still passed away in Jungkook’s arms no longer than five minutes after their arrival. Jungkook felt tears pooling in his eyes as he was hugging Kimbap’s lifeless body, his face pressed to his belly, his eyes closed. It’d been just a few months, but Jungkook had gotten so extremely attached to this old, fragile man.

Jungkook enjoyed their time spent on the couch, Kimbap sleeping while he worked. He even enjoyed changing his diaper, finding that weirdly entertaining as Kimbap would always whine at him and try to run away. The evenings they spent together, all three of them cuddled up as they watched a movie, that had become something he looked forward to every day. He’d taken all that for granted and now a very integral part of it was gone. It hurt, it hurt so much.

“Jungkook?” came Jimin’s voice from the reception. Jungkook didn’t even have to see him, he could already sense it from his voice. Jimin was petrified.

Jungkook put Kimbap gently on the table, covering him with his blanket. He rubbed at his eyes, chasing away the tears. He wanted to cry, but knowing what was going to happen as soon as he walked out the door, he needed to remain strong. For Jimin. That was the only thing he could do right now.

He inhaled and exhaled a few times, opening his eyes. The doctor was looking at him, her eyes full of sympathy. Jungkook smiled weakly, making his way to Jimin. His steps were hesitant, the distance not long enough to give him time to prepare himself before he was going to deliver the news to Jimin. Although, all it took was for their eyes to meet and Jimin knew. It was as simple as that, no words were necessary. He just knew and that knowledge broke him.

Jimin shook his head slowly, his eyes open wide, lips trembling. His face contorted, and Jungkook was sure that the first sob that cut through the silence of the room quite literally broke his heart. He’d never seen Jimin like that, shaking violently and crying so painfully that Jungkook didn’t know what to do. Jimin completely broke down, and it was when he stumbled, losing his balance, that Jungkook finally moved and wrapped his arms around him, holding him steady and secure.

Jimin thrashed, wanting him to let go of him, but Jungkook held on tight, lulling Jimin in his arms, pressing kisses to his head. He didn’t say anything, knowing well that no words could soothe the pain and the loss Jimin was feeling right now. But he wanted to be with him, with him and for him, hoping that his presence could bring him at least some solace.

They stayed like that for long minutes, Jungkook waiting for Jimin to calm down just enough so he could let go of him and take care of everything. When that eventually happened, he tugged Jimin and had him sit down, kneeling in front of him just for a moment to wipe away the tears from his face with the sleeves of his hoodie. Jimin didn’t look at him, lost in his own world, still trapped in a state of shock. It was okay, though. Jungkook was going to make sure that he was okay.

Jungkook got up, coming up to the reception counter and ringing the bell. The doctor who had admitted them showed up, looking briefly at Jimin and then expressing her condolences to Jungkook. She’d left them alone earlier, understanding of the situation, and Jungkook appreciated that.

He had to ask, but Jimin didn’t want to see Kimbap one last time and agreed to the cremation. Jungkook paid for everything and after taking Kimbap’s blanket, he led Jimin to his car. Before driving off he texted Hoseok and Yoongi, asking them to take care of Jimin’s car and that he left the keys at the clinic. When they started asking questions, he muted his phone and started the car.

Jimin was quiet during the drive back home, staring out the window. Jungkook supposed it was better than him crying, although he suspected that it’d only get worse once they arrived home. Jungkook had to admit that he hated to see Jimin like this, with his lips quivering, his eyes red and puffy.

He wished he could ease his pain, but that could only happen with time. Aside from being here for Jimin and making sure he wasn’t going through this alone, there was nothing else he could do.

They took off their shoes in silence, Jungkook entering the kitchen and putting Kimbap’s blanket on the chair. Jimin followed him inside and Jungkook turned around to face him. He searched his head for something, anything he could say, but just then, Jimin stepped closer to him, croaking just one word as his eyes brimmed over with tears; just one word as though it was the band-aid—the magical solution to help his broken heart heal and, well, maybe it was.

“Jungkook.”

Jungkook immediately opened his arms, calling him over. “Come here.” Jimin practically jumped into his arms, pressing his face against his chest and starting to sob again. Leaving Jimin alone tonight wasn’t an option and he ended up carrying him bridal style to his bedroom where he placed him on his bed, lying down next to him.

Jimin was restless the whole night, dozing off and stirring awake, reaching for him every time Jungkook as much as moved a muscle. But come morning, he managed to fall asleep and so did Jungkook, both of them cuddled up under the comforter.

Jungkook poured himself some coffee, coming to the glass railing and staring out at the living room. Every inch of the room reminded him of Kimbap and it didn’t help that all his stuff was still strewn around. He thought to clean up everything, but decided that it was something that Jimin should do, eventually. Despite the early afternoon, he was still asleep in bed. That left Jungkook… thinking. He couldn’t let it go, that desperate need to help Jimin grief but also make him feel better. By the time he even realized what he was doing, he was on the phone with Hoseok.

“I need a puppy,” Jungkook said unceremoniously, not giving Hoseok any explanations, not even waiting for his greetings. He expected his friend to have even more inquiries after he’d made him drive Jimin’s car home, but it could wait. Before he changed his mind, he needed to get something done first.

Silence answered him and then Hoseok asked, not hiding his confusion, “What, am I supposed to steal one?”

Jungkook frowned. “What? No. Just get me a puppy.”

“How am I supposed to get you a fucking puppy? I can get you a date. I can get you drugs. But a fucking puppy?” he was lamenting, getting all dramatic for no reason. “Why do you even need a puppy? What happened yesterday?”

He inhaled and exhaled, bracing himself for his next words. It was still hard to admit it out loud. “Kimbap passed away,” he said at last.

Another drawn out silence.

“What puppy do you need?”

Jungkook smiled, reassured. “A cocker spaniel one. I’ll send you a photo.”

“I know what a cocker spaniel puppy looks like,” Hoseok huffed.

“I’m sure you do,” he hummed, pulling his phone away from his ear and sending a photo to Hoseok in their chat anyway. “Actually…” he was thinking. “Maybe get two. Just don’t steal them. Also avoid puppy mills. And if you can’t find any puppies, you can search for older dogs. Just make sure they’re a cocker spaniel. It’s Jimin’s favorite breed.” It wasn’t his intention to add that last piece of information, but it slipped out and it was too late to take it back now. Hoseok didn’t comment on it, though.

Jungkook heard some rummaging on the line, as well as some whispers, most likely Hoseok talking to Yoongi. He waited patiently, sipping on his coffee, feeling somewhat… lighter than before the call.

“Alright, good news. Yoongi knows a dude. We’ll get you those puppies, but you gotta wait a bit. That okay with you?”

“Perfect, thanks.”

“Before you hung up,” Hoseok said at the same moment Jungkook was about to do just that, clearly knowing him very well. “How’s Jimin holding up?”

“Not good, I’m gonna stay with him. Take care of everything in the meantime.”

“Well shit. If you need us, just call.”

Grateful for his friends, Jungkook tossed his phone on the table, bringing his empty mug to the sink. He’d transferred the fried chicken leftovers to the fridge earlier, now deciding to use it to make a chicken and rice porridge. He didn’t think Jimin could stomach anything else right now, but perhaps something that was easy on the digestive system would push him to eat something.

When he brought the steaming bowl of porridge into the bedroom, Jimin was already awake. He didn’t react when Jungkook called out his name and Jungkook sat down on the edge of the bed, placing the bowl on the nightstand. He rubbed Jimin’s shoulder comfortingly, not saying anything, giving Jimin time. He wanted him to know that if he needed him, whatever it might be, he’d be waiting, he wasn’t going anywhere.

He didn’t intend to stay with him this time, wanting to give him some time to process everything, but as he got up, Jimin reached out for him, pulling him back to bed. He didn’t fight it, laying down willingly and welcoming Jimin back into his arms. At some point when Jimin fell asleep again, his phone started to ring. Once, twice. It rang, or rather vibrated, and hung up a few more times. Rather more annoyed than curious, Jungkook grabbed Jimin’s phone, glancing at the screen.

There was an emoji of a devil instead of an actual name looking back at him.

He hung up the call and turned off Jimin’s phone without thinking much about it. He also promised himself one thing. Whether it meant something to Jimin or not… whether it was just all pretend for him or not… It was real for Jungkook and he wasn’t going to let anyone harm a hair on Jimin’s head.

Not even The Devil himself stood a chance against him.

It took three weeks but in the end, just like he’d promised, Hoseok got him the two puppies Jungkook had asked for. He brought them all the way from Germany and they were here now, in their home, sniffing their carpet. Jimin was still at work, not knowing anything, but Jungkook expected him to be back soon.

He couldn’t be sure how Jimin was going to react, the last couple of weeks had been quite rough for him, but he was doing better. They were doing better too. They’d gotten much closer, much more comfortable with each other. Jimin kissed his cheek good morning and goodbye every day, no longer sleeping in his own bed but Jungkook’s. They cuddled more than they used to, never taking it any further. In the past it’d have probably bothered him, it didn’t now.

He’d fully accepted his feelings for Jimin and he liked it, taking it slow, just being together without actually being together. He didn’t want to rush anything, especially not with Hoseok breathing down his neck and reminding him not to get too attached in case things didn’t go as planned. Jungkook already knew that he was going to be devastated if that happened. He was in love with Jimin, he didn’t want to lose him.

“Ouch,” he gasped suddenly, having been bitten by one of the puppies. He grabbed the rascal, gently turning her to her side and tickling her belly. One of the pups was golden, while the other one was black, having some specks of white spread all throughout her shiny coat. They were two girls and they were adorable, Jungkook kept cooing at them as he watched them play. They slept a lot after the trip, but now they were fed and wide awake, ready to cause some mischief.

Something fell to the floor and Jungkook snapped his head in the sound’s direction, his eyes falling on Jimin who was standing at the top of the stairs. Their eyes locked, Jungkook holding his breath and waiting for Jimin’s reaction. But Jimin was frozen, seemingly not knowing how to react, still processing the sight in front of him.

The puppies noticed Jimin at that point and losing interest in Jungkook, left the carpet and waddled over to the bottom of the stairs, happily wagging their little tails. That prompted Jimin to get down, albeit slowly, his moves calculated, eyes not leaving the puppies. When he sat down at the end of the stairs, a smile was creeping his way onto his lips, his eyes sparkling with pure joy. The puppies jumped all over his feet, trying to bite his ankles and climb over his legs. Jimin lasted a moment longer not petting them, only to give in, scooping both of them onto his lap.

Jungkook leaned back on his arms, watching them fondly, feeling incredibly soft, warmth spreading all over his body. He wanted to take out his phone and capture this moment forever, but he wasn’t sure whether it wouldn’t be too much.

Jimin opened his mouth, then closed it. He was conflicted about something, not for long, though, quickly making up his mind. “Thank you,” he said, quiet, looking shy again, his eyes glazed over. When he smiled, bright and full, Jungkook felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was an overwhelming feeling, but in a good way. He was happy, happy that Jimin was smiling again, admiring his pretty eye smile and his cheeks that were dusted a light shade of pink.

“I didn’t think I was ready, but…” He rubbed his face against one of the puppies' backs, gently hugging the other one to his chest and later placing a kiss onto her head. Jimin didn’t finish what he was going to say, a long whine escaping his lips instead as he kicked his legs in the air. Jungkook laughed at him, not hiding how enamored he was. “How are we gonna name them?” Jimin asked, acting like he wasn’t embarrassed, finally moving with the puppies to join Jungkook on the carpet.

Jungkook moved closer to Jimin, wrapping his arm around his waist, his chest flushed to Jimin’s back, propping his chin on his shoulder and looking at the puppies playing in front of them. He didn’t say anything about the way Jimin phrased his question, not how he should name the puppies but them, as though silently proclaiming that the dogs were theirs and not just his.

He hummed, thinking about it. “How about Peaches and Oreo?”

Jimin giggled, leaning into Jungkook. “Peaches and Oreo,” he tasted it on his tongue. “I like it, it’s simple and cute.”

Like you, Jungkook thought.

They played together with the puppies until they fell asleep again, then brought them to the couch and draped a blanket over them. When Jungkook started preparing dinner, Jimin was sitting next to him on the counter, dangling his legs in the air and telling him about his day and the case he was working on. It felt… domestic. Jungkook liked it, he could certainly get used to it.

As for the score he was keeping… he felt no need for it anymore. It started as a game, but as it developed into something so much more, Jungkook didn’t want to play anymore. All he wanted was Jimin and since Jungkook’s heart already belonged to him anyway, if he just said the word, Jungkook would give him the world.

He hoped that day would come soon.

Chapter Text

Jungkook entered the lobby, a bag with his laptop dangling on his shoulder, pushing a stroller in front of himself. Peaches and Oreo who were sitting inside were unusually quiet, but that could probably be explained by their visit to the park earlier where they’d run to their little hearts’ content. They must’ve been tired and Jungkook was grateful for that because he knew that otherwise he wasn’t going to get any work done with the two rascals running around his office.

It was somewhat a spontaneous decision for Jungkook to bring the puppies to work and he wasn’t even the one to make it. It was purely Jimin’s idea, something about not wanting the puppies to sit at home alone for too long and that it’d be easier to socialize them this way, and Jungkook had no heart to tell him ‘no’. Not when Jimin pressed himself to his side, giggling and having his arm looped around his, pointing out how they looked like a couple, as if forgetting that they were technically married, and later proceeded to kiss him goodbye, his lips almost brushing against his.

Jungkook was so unabashedly smitten that Jimin could ask him anything and he’d most likely do it, no questions asked. It was mostly due to the fact that he was now completely sure the feeling was mutual. Things were really working out for them the past few days, they’d been regularly going on dates, although without explicitly calling them as such. 

Jungkook cooked them dinner every day, while Jimin was in charge of breakfast. They slept together in one bed, often doing their morning routine together in the bathroom. Jimin sometimes walked around the house with nothing but a towel wrapped around his middle; on the other hand Jungkook had a habit of taking a shower with Jimin present in the bathroom as well, acting like he didn’t see Jimin watching him intensely through the glass.

The want was very obvious, but not enough to push them over the edge just yet, resulting in somewhat awkward touches at times and almost-kisses. Jungkook used to not mind it, but he had to admit that he was slowly growing frustrated. He wouldn’t be surprised if he lost it one of these days and simply pulled Jimin to his chest and kissed him silly.

A shriek suddenly cut through the silence and before Jungkook had a chance to look around and see what happened, someone jumped at him and there were arms wrapping around his neck. “Are those puppies!?” Taehyung squealed into Jungkook’s ear, absolutely elated, quickly letting him go and squatting next to the stroller, peeking inside. “Oh my God, so tiny, so precious,” he cooed, enamored by the sleeping dogs.

Jungkook wanted to keep moving, but with Taehyung in the way he was forced to stop. “Can you keep your voice down? People are staring at us.”

“Correction,” Taehyung said, not even looking at him, already in the process of unzipping the net that was sheltering the dogs from the outside world. “People are staring at you and they were already long before I’ve even made my presence known.”

Jungkook frowned, having not realized that. Although, he supposed that him pushing a doggy stroller through the lobby must’ve been quite a sight to see. Perhaps Jungkook should care more about his image, but he didn’t.

“So does this mean that we can bring pets to work?” Taehyung asked, and when Jungkook stepped around the stroller he saw him gently petting a sleeping Oreo.

“No.”

Taehyung scoffed. “Using your CEO privilege? I see, I see.”

Jungkook didn’t have to and yet he still explained, “Jimin doesn’t want them to be alone all the time, at least when they’re puppies. We both work a lot, that’s why they’re here with me. He’s picking me up later so we can go home together.”

“That’s awfully domestic of you,” Seokjin commented, appearing out of nowhere. He glanced inside the stroller, his eyes immediately sparkling with joy. “Puppies, huh? Can we—”

“No,” Jungkook repeated himself, this time more firmly, shushing them away and restarting his walk towards the elevator.

Now all he needed was to get to his office somehow, which he realized was going to be more difficult than he thought. He was stopped at every corner, but eventually he made it there in one piece. Although, he couldn’t quite focus on work anyway, because, unfortunately for him, the puppies ended up being a huge sensation. With everyone wanting to pet them, constantly visiting him in his office and pestering him, Jimin was forced to stop by the company in the afternoon and take Oreo and Peaches back home. But not without promising him to be back later, leaving his office with a mysterious smirk playing on his lips and a flirty flying kiss in his direction.

Jungkook was intrigued, to say the least, only to get disappointed when Jimin reappeared a few hours later, because nothing extraordinary happened. Jimin just sat perched on his desk—his ass barely missing Jungkook’s laptop—staring out the window and waiting for Jungkook to finish up some work. It was quiet and peaceful, and the taunting him smirk aside, Jungkook couldn’t wait to go home, snuggle with Jimin and the pups on the couch, watch some Netflix and then go to bed.

“I get it now,” Jimin hummed, quiet enough for Jungkook to miss it if he wasn’t so attuned to Jimin’s voice.

Jungkook glanced up at him, noticing that Jimin’s eyes were fixed on the window, which prompted him to abandon his work and turn around in his chair, wondering what it was that Jimin was looking at, whether it had anything to do with his teasing behavior in the afternoon.

“It’s the view, isn’t it?” Jimin continued, now looking straight at him. His gaze was so intense Jungkook felt goosebumps running down his skin, his hands holding tightly onto the handrests as though to brace himself. For what? He didn’t know yet. “You get to see the whole city, almost like it’s yours.”

Jungkook couldn’t tell where this conversation was going, but when Jimin pushed himself away from the desk and stepped right in front of him, placing his hands on his shoulders first and then climbing onto his lap, he felt he had a pretty good idea. Jimin was obscuring his view of the city now, the message he was sending loud and clear, ringing in Jungkook’s ears.

‘I’m yours too,’ was what Jimin was saying.

Jungkook gripped his thighs, shameless and not one bit shy, running his hands on them all the way to his ass. “You made me work really hard for this,” he pointed out with a smile, groping Jimin’s ass, not missing how his husband shivered at the touch.

Jimin looped his arms around his neck, resting his forehead against his. “They say all good things come to those who wait.” Jimin narrowed his eyes into slits, nosing at Jungkook’s cheek and tilting his head ever so slightly, pressing kisses to his jaw. When he stopped in front of Jungkook’s mouth, kissing the mole under his bottom lip, Jungkook had already dragged one of his hands back up, pressing gently on Jimin’s nape and pulling him closer. “Let’s not wait any longer, love.”

Jungkook felt his heart skipping a beat at the word of endearment slipping past Jimin’s lips, knowing that it wasn’t empty anymore, that it held a meaning now. He surged forward, finally pressing their lips together. Jimin was so responsive, humming into his mouth, darting out that sinful tongue and flicking it over Jungkook’s bottom lip, ushering him to open his mouth. Their tongues met in a hungry kiss, and Jimin’s intentions got further exposed as he lowered himself, rolling his hips down.

Jungkook bit back a groan, feeling himself growing hard in his slacks. It almost didn’t feel real, but there was no doubt, Jimin was in his arms and Jungkook was going to ruin him, take what he so long waited for, give twice as much back. He moved to the edge of the chair, tapping at Jimin’s leg, his other hand gripping his thigh. Jimin got the hint immediately and circled his legs around Jungkook’s waist, gasping and holding onto his shoulders when Jungkook got up, pushing the chair out of the way.

Jimin broke the kiss, panting slightly, his lips even more plump than usual and shiny with spit. “I guess all those muscles are not just for show,” he purred, running his hands down his arms. Jungkook turned them around, moving his laptop out of the way and setting Jimin down on the desk, pressing their groins together.

“Want to find out?” Jungkook teased challengingly, nosing along Jimin’s jaw, pressing a kiss just below his ear. Jimin giggled, tilting his head to the side, giving him more access. Jungkook reached for the buttons of his shirt, leaving kisses down the column of his neck, not missing the pleasant sighs leaving Jimin’s lips.

“Wait,” Jimin suddenly said, grasping his wrists. Jungkook looked up at him in question, slightly alarmed. “The door? What if someone walks in?” he asked, glancing nervously behind his shoulder.

That was new, the impression Jungkook had of Jimin was that he didn’t mind a little bit of shamelessness and exhibitonism. But he was happy to learn this new tidbit about him, even though there was a big oversight on Jimin’s part regarding the tall windows behind them, which were revealing them and what they were doing to the whole world.

Jungkook pecked Jimin’s lips, stepping away. “Be right back.”

Maybe Jungkook should be embarrassed about the way he straight up ran to the door to lock them, having Jimin laugh at him and almost falling off the desk, but it was just… so them, he couldn’t find in him to care.

“So eager, aren’t you?” Jimin said as soon as Jungkook was back in his arms, Jimin’s shirt was now halfway unbuttoned, revealing his collarbones and his chest. “I’ve really made you wait a long time, huh? I bet you wouldn’t have said ‘no’ to fucking me that first night we met, hm, love? Would you made me feel good?”

“Just as good as I’m about to make you feel,” Jungkook whispered, his breath ghosting over Jimin’s lips. Jimin parted his lips, inviting him in and Jungkook leaned in, his lips barely brushing against his—

“What the fuck!”

They both startled at the loud noise, jumping away from each other. Jungkook’s eyes darted to the door just in time to witness them rattle, and together with the voice that had just disturbed them, he knew exactly who was on the other side.

So did Jimin.

Shit.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Jimin proclaimed, rolling up his sleeves and getting off the desk, his eyes throwing daggers. Jungkook sighed, grabbing his wrist to stop him, guiding him to his chair and making him sit down. Jimin did so very reluctantly, huffing angrily and crossing his arms on his chest.

“I’m fucking bleeding,” Hoseok kept going, lots of profanities spilling out of his mouth. “Who the fuck closed this motherfucking door?”

Jungkook sighed again, going to open it. It could be nothing, it usually was nothing, but it was still Hoseok, his right-hand man, and Jungkook had to know what was the purpose of his impromptu visit. Besides, knowing the history of the relationship between Hoseok and Jimin, it only made sense that he’d cockblock them when they were getting it on for the first time.

He unlocked the door, a sight of Hoseok bleeding from the nose greeting him. He considered asking what the hell happened, but with Hoseok acting like he owned the place, he wouldn’t be surprised that he’d walked straight into the door without checking beforehand whether it was locked. Hoseok had a tendency to appear in Jungkook’s office whenever he felt like it, which made Jungkook think that maybe he should lock the door more often.

“So?” Hoseok walked past him inside. “What the hell is going on here? And…” he trailed off for a moment and when Jungkook turned around, he noticed Hoseok staring at Jimin who was sitting in his chair, his shirt buttoned again, glaring at them both. “What are you doing here?” Hoseok asked, striding to Jungkook’s desk.

“A better question is, what are you doing here?” Jimin spat back.

Hoseok shrugged. “Give me a tissue. I hit my nose while trying to get in.” He waved his fingers at Jimin and although it was the last thing Jimin wanted to do, he grabbed a handful of tissues and threw them at Hoseok. “You look like you had a fight with a grizzly bear and lost, by the way.”

Jimin groaned in frustration, turning away in the chair and facing the window instead.

Hoseok milled around in his office for a while longer, dealing with his nosebleed and talking about everything and nothing. When he finally left, claiming he was already late to his date with Yoongi (at what Jimin scoffed, muttering something that sounded akin to a curse, a literal curse, under his nose), Jungkook approached Jimin carefully.

“Jimin—”

“No,” Jimin said, throwing his arms in the air and getting up from the chair, looking at Jungkook angrily. “Do you see this?”

Jimin pointed at his crotch area and no, Jungkook didn’t. The bulge that was present in Jimin’s slacks just a few minutes ago was now gone.

“I’m going home. No, actually…” He stopped himself, something sinister happening in that pretty head of his if the devilish smile stretching his lips was anything to go by. “That motherfucker knew exactly what he was doing when he barged in here. I’m gonna ruin their date, it’s only fair. See you later,” and with that, he was out of Jungkook’s office, the click-clack of his Chelsea boots sounding even more threatening than usual.

Jungkook stared after him, somewhat at a loss of words but also not surprised at all at this turnaround of events, his now softening dick hanging pathetically in his slacks.

When Jungkook finally dragged himself home after receiving a bunch of photos of Jimin and Yoongi hugging on the ferris wheel with Hoseok angrily third wheeling in the background, he noticed that it was weirdly quiet inside. As he loosened up his tie, dropping his briefcase on the kitchen table, he took in the living room, searching for Jimin and the puppies. While he found the latter, Peaches and Oreo soundly sleeping in their playpen, Jimin wasn’t with them, the couch unoccupied, the TV turned off.

Wondering whether Jimin was still with Hoseok and Yoongi and contemplating whether to text him or not, Jungkook left the kitchen, his next destination being the walk-in closet. He was going to change into some more comfortable clothes and perhaps start on the dinner. Jimin had mentioned something about craving bulgogi and that was what Jungkook planned to make.

He walked past his bedroom, heading towards the master one, holding a tie and his jacket in his hand, his shirt already unbuttoned all the way down. He wasn’t sure what prompted him to stop, but when he listened in more closely, he was almost sure that there was someone in the bedroom… whimpering, moaning? No, Jungkook must’ve been hearing things. He was curious though and he pushed the door open with his foot, instantly coming to a halt and freezing in the doorway.

Jungkook, quite frankly, didn’t know where to look and he had a damn good reason for that. There, on the bed, was Jimin, fully naked, sitting on his knees, his back towards Jungkook, and fucking himself on his fingers.

It was… a lot to take in all at once.

A rather loud moan cut through the overall silence, one that prompted Jungkook to move. He stepped into the room, pushing the door closed with his back. The sudden sound made Jimin jerk on the bed and he threw his head to the side, hazed eyes meeting Jungkook’s across the room. “Welcome home,” he said sweetly, out of breath.

“Having fun without me, I see,” Jungkook said, eyes unashamedly roaming all over Jimin’s body, slow steps guiding him towards the bed. He dropped the jacket and his tie to the floor on his way, his phone that was sitting in his pocket going down with it.

Jimin shook his head, his fingers stuttering briefly before he found his rhythm again. “I thought we could finish what we started in the office.”

“Mhmm. Anything specific you have in mind?” Jungkook let his shirt slip off his shoulders and fall to the floor as he climbed on the bed, kneeling behind Jimin. He rested his hands on his thighs, hearing Jimin gasp and shudder at his touch, and stroke his skin up and inwards, palming his cheeks and pulling them apart, watching them jiggle when he let go of them.

“Wanna ride you,” Jimin basically whined, leaning into Jungkook as he pressed his lips to his shoulder, leaving a kiss, then licking a stripe up the side of his neck. Jimin’s words had an immediate effect on him, Jungkook’s already half-full cock twitching in interest, stretching the front of his slacks.

Jungkook looked down, watching Jimin’s fingers coming in and out of his hole. He counted two so far, not quite enough to accommodate him. He gently grasped Jimin’s wrist, stopping him from moving, pulling his hand away. A whine of protest left Jimin’s mouth and his hole fluttered, feeling empty, but Jungkook wasn’t going to let it stay that way for long. He gave Jimin a little push on the back and when he dropped on all four, sticking his ass out, Jungkook reached for the bottle of lube lying on the bed and coated his fingers well.

His one hand massaging and playing with Jimin’s cheek, spreading him open, Jungkook pressed two fingers in, smiling when Jimin moaned at the intrusion. Distracting Jimin with his fingers, Jungkook lowered himself down, licking down the crevice between his cheeks, his tongue circling half-way around his rim.

“Jungkook, what—Fuck.” Jimin’s head slumped forward, face pressing against the sheets as Jungkook added a third finger without a warning, a cry leaving Jimin’s lips after Jungkook curled his fingers, searching, searching and ultimately finding that sweet spot that made Jimin see stars.

“Ride me, you say…” Jungkook said after a while, fanning a breath over Jimin’s hot and wet hole, hitting his prostate every now and then as he moved his fingers at a steady pace, relaxing Jimin’s walls. “Are you sure you can handle it, love?” With his free hand, Jungkook fiddled with Jimin’s balls, sometimes using his mouth to suckle a bit, very determined to make Jimin come before they went any further and by the looks of it, he was close.

“A-Are you sure you can?” Jimin panted, already fucked out and barely keeping himself up on his elbows. “So obsessed with my ass, finally showing your true colors, aren’t you?”

“My obsession with your ass was never a secret,” Jungkook now admitted proudly, making Jimin half-scoff, half-laugh at him. “Now c’mere.” Jungkook pulled himself up and by hooking his fingers around Jimin’s elbow, guided him up as well. With Jimin’s back pressed against his chest, Jimin’s head resting on his shoulder, the different angle had Jimin moaning obscenely. Jimin’s cock was weeping, leaking precum everywhere and all it took was Jungkook wrapping his fingers around his length, stroking him a few times until he was coming all over the sheets and Jungkook’s hand, Jimin’s nails digging into Jungkook’s thighs for support.

Jungkook milked Jimin through his orgasm, slowing down his fingers that were moving in and out of his hole, still three but then just two, one until he removed them completely, smoothing his hand against Jimin’s hip, Jimin’s body going limp in his arms as he cried from overstimulation. Letting go of Jimin’s cock, Jungkook attached his lips to his neck, sucking bruises on his delicate skin, laving at them with his tongue, waiting for Jimin to come back to him.

“Wow,” Jimin exhaled after a beat or two, opening his eyes, turning in his arms searching for Jungkook’s lips. Jungkook kissed him back, moving his hands to wrap them around Jimin’s waist. “We should’ve done this sooner. To hell with being business partners, I’m gonna wreck you,” Jimin growled into his mouth as Jungkook was fighting a smile at his words, reminded of thinking the exact same thing earlier at the office. Jimin bit on his bottom lip and pulled it, his hands skillfully finding their way to Jungkook’s belt. 

Jimin unbuckled his pants quickly, almost angrily shoving them down his thighs. When he rubbed his now hard cock through his boxers, Jungkook hummed in appreciation, eyes not leaving Jimin’s face.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good, love,” Jimin said, a sinful smile playing on his lips as he dropped down to his ass, looking up at Jungkook through his hooded eyes. His fingers were hooked under the band of Jungkook’s boxers, but he didn’t look as if he was going to remove them any time soon. Instead, he brought his face closer to Jungkook’s groin, his cheek pressed against his thigh as he parted his lips, letting his breath ghost over Jungkook’s erection.

Jungkook felt shivers running down his skin, his cock twitching even though Jimin didn’t even put his mouth on it. Yet, despite all that, how hot he felt in his skin, the arousal that was getting rid of all the unnecessary thoughts in his head, watching Jimin… Jungkook felt so extremely fond and endeared. It was something he’d never experienced before with his previous partners and he knew why.

He’d never loved them.

With Jimin, he…

“What did you just say?” Jimin asked, his voice shaky, sitting straighter and staring at him as though he saw a ghost. Jungkook blinked at him, unsure what he meant. “You just… you said…” Jimin looked conflicted about repeating his words, insecure about something and it was then that it hit Jungkook.

He’d said those three words out loud. He didn’t mean to, not right now, but he certainly meant what he said.

Jungkook sat down to be at the same eye level as Jimin, reaching for Jimin’s hand, pulling it closer to his lips and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “I love you,” he confessed, and Jimin looked beautiful.

His cheeks were hot and red, much more than a few seconds before, and Jungkook already knew it was because he felt shy. His eyes were like dark, bottomless pools filled with stars, plushy lips parted in something akin to wonder. His expression was honest, not a mask he sometimes had a tendency to hide behind.

Right now, Jimin was wearing his heart on his sleeve, being like an open book, making it so easy for Jungkook to read him.

Jungkook inched closer to him, smiling fondly when Jimin ducked his head, wrapping his arms around him. Jimin leaned his head just above where Jungkook’s heart was, hugging Jungkook as well.

“I guess this means I won,” Jungkook said, propping his chin atop Jimin’s head, not a second later feeling Jimin gut him in the stomach with his elbow. He gasped, a bubbling laughter escaping his throat as he pulled away, clutching at his stomach.

“Don’t tell me you were keeping a score. What are you, a child?” Jimin huffed, presumably going for a scowl, but smiling like a lovesick fool instead.

“You love me anyway,” Jungkook grinned at him, coming incredibly close to Jimin, forcing him to lay down on his back. Like this, Jungkook was caging him with his body, supporting himself with his hands on both Jimin’s sides. They were back to looking into each other’s eyes, and Jungkook brushed away a lock of hair from Jimin’s face, caressing his cheek lovingly.

“I do,” Jimin whispered, the most vulnerable he’d ever been with Jungkook. It could be just lighting playing with Jungkook’s eyes, but he could swear Jimin’s eyes were teary. “I love you,” he breathed out, pulling Jungkook down to seal their lips with a kiss. It started sweet, loving, but that confession awoke something in them, ignited a passion within that wasn’t there before, making them desperate, even more impatient.

Jimin flipped them over, Jungkook ending up on his back, pulling Jungkook’s slacks and boxers off, throwing them away without even looking where. He was all over Jungkook right after, stroking his cock, playing with his balls. Jimin taking him in his mouth was a surprise, but he didn’t forget his promise, riding Jungkook right after, making him cry from how hard he came.

Jungkook was sure he must’ve blacked out for a long second, but when he came to, it was just in time to watch Jimin orgasm, feel the way he clenched around Jungkook’s cock, making him gasp too. Jungkook wrapped his fingers around Jimin’s cock, stroking him through his orgasm. He only let go when Jimin whined and slapped his wrist gently, his hips stuttering. He caught Jimin when he collapsed on his chest, breathing heavily but his face caught in a pure bliss, eyes glazed over.

Jimin felt like jelly in his arms and Jungkook moved him gently off himself, lying him down on the bed as he moved to a sitting position, removing the condom, tying it off and no matter how gross it was, dropping it on the nightstand for the time being, not feeling like getting up to dispose of it. He laid back down instead, lying on his side and pulling Jimin back to his chest, nuzzling his cheek against his shoulder.

“I got you, love. Just give me a minute,” Jimin mumbled, apparently now understanding Jungkook without words, keeping his eyes closed.

“Good. I was about to add this to our contract if you didn’t comply,” Jungkook joked, closing his eyes too, but only because he knew that Jimin was most definitely squinting his eyes at him. Jungkook could barely stop himself from smiling. Either way, Jungkook expected some kind of answer and when it didn’t come, he looked at Jimin, only to find him already watching him. It was difficult to say what he was thinking, but that soft smile of his told Jungkook enough not to worry.

“For being a mafia boss… how are you so…”

Jungkook furrowed a brow, wondering what Jimin was trying to say.

Jimin moved on the bed, getting up and when Jungkook reached for him, not wanting to let go of him, Jimin straddled his hips. He lowered himself down, cupping Jungkook’s cheeks and pecking his lips. “You’re such a dork, so soft, patient and gentle with me. It only makes me want to love you more.”

Jungkook ran his hands on Jimin’s calves, up his thighs. “I mean, you can try.”

Jimin shook his head with a roll of his eyes. “Is everything a competition to you?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, I’m certainly not against showing you how much I love you.”

“Great, but me first.”

“Jungkook—ah, wait!”

Later that night they found each other in the living room, making out lazily on the couch with some Netflix movie playing in the background, Oreo and Peaches back asleep in their doggy beds. Jimin fell asleep at some point and Jungkook carried him to their bed, setting their alarms first, then laying down next to him.

It was almost as if they were real husbands, a real family and Jungkook realized how full of need he was, desperate to make it become a reality. But it wasn’t his call to make, the decision was left up to Jimin and he told himself that no matter what it was going to be, Jungkook was going to accept it.

Jungkook felt they were going to talk about it tomorrow, he doubted Jimin could last any longer keeping up the lie. Jimin was going to come to him and explain everything, Jungkook was sure of that. There were many things Jungkook already knew, but not everything. That conversation with Jimin was going to fill in the blanks, help him understand how Jimin ended up in this situation, married to him, in the first place. It wasn’t of his own accord, but his feelings for Jungkook were real.

That was why Jungkook still had hope that despite everything, Jimin would still be here when he comes back home tomorrow night.

Chapter Text

Jimin sighed, smiling into the kiss, his fingers tangled into Jungkook’s hair. “You’ve got a meeting at 10,” he said between the kisses, gasping when Jungkook pressed the heel of his palm against his groin, rubbing at his hard cock through the fabric of his sweatpants. “Jungkook,” he moaned, sort of to remind him of his responsibilities but also as a plea for him to keep going.

“It can wait,” Jungkook murmured, pulling back briefly just to kiss Jimin again, teasing him a bit more before finally pulling at the waistband of his sweatpants and pulling down just enough to let his cock spring free.

Jimin was kissing him back just as eagerly, moaning into his lips when Jungkook wrapped his hand around his cock, gathering the precum from the tip and spreading it down his length for an easier slide. But then Jungkook’s phone started ringing again and he moved away from Jungkook’s lips with a pop, throwing his head back. “I don’t think it can,” Jimin said, catching his breath, his eyes closed.

Although fully aware that he couldn’t ignore it much longer, Jungkook started pressing kisses to Jimin’s neck instead in a desperate attempt, hoping it’d distract his husband well enough for him to forget about the outside world and focus on them and no one else. He was sure it would’ve worked if Jimin’s phone didn’t start ringing as well. That was the moment that they both pulled away from each other with a frustrated groan, Jimin rolling his eyes in disappointment.

Jimin reached for his phone, Yoongi’s face brightening up the screen, and he quickly answered it, pressing the device to his ear. “Yes?”

Jungkook still had his hand around Jimin’s cock and thinking he could get away with it, he gave it a hesitant stroke, looking away and pretending like he wasn’t doing anything at all. That was why he couldn’t exactly escape Jimin grabbing his wrist and twisting it away from his cock. As Jungkook was massaging his wrist with a pout when Jimin promptly let go of him, pulling his sweatpants up, Jimin seemed to be done with listening to whatever Yoongi was saying.

“I’m sending him to you now. He’ll be there shortly,” Jimin said, voice saccharine sweet. “Yes, hyung. Mhmmm. Yes, yes, of course. Your wish is my command.”

Jungkook had about enough time to cock his eyebrow at that one-sided exchange as he couldn’t hear what Yoongi was saying, when Jimin flicked his nippled first with a mischievous wink, then slapped him on his chest.

“Yoongi hyung’s telling you to hurry or else,” Jimin relayed him the message just as Jungkook hugged his chest, feeling slightly aroused from that nipple flick but also his skin stinging a bit since he was shirtless, the spot where Jimin’s hand hit him growing red.

“Yoongi hyung is not my boss and I still have to take care of that,” Jungkook said, looking at him pointedly and taking a step back towards Jimin.

Jimin shook his head, placing a hand on his chest to keep him at bay, using his fingers to trail over the reddened skin. When Jungkook pouted even harder, he was surprised to see Jimin looking shy.

“This was not a one-time thing,” he said, sounding vulnerable again just like he did yesterday night. “We don’t have to rush anything. I’ll still be here when you come back home.”

Jimin smiled and in a blink of an eye, the moment was gone as he was back to being his teasing and flirty self, flicking Jungkook’s nipple again and sending him a wink.

It might’ve seemed like nothing, but Jungkook felt choked up for a moment, relieved to hear Jimin say it but at the same time scared and paranoid, because from how emotional it made him. He couldn’t really tell whether Jimin meant it or not. Either way, having a hard time to formulate his thoughts into words and not wanting to spook Jimin, Jungkook decided not to say anything and let Jimin’s actions to speak for themselves.

“I was promised breakfast, though,” Jungkook said in a tiny voice, his eyes staring longingly at Jimin’s crotch area yet again.

“Oh my God,” Jimin whined, his cheeks turning pink. “Get out!” He grabbed one of the toasts they’d managed to prepare earlier before they started making out, throwing it at him and chasing him out of the kitchen.

Jungkook felt awful arriving at the Jeon Entertainment knowing that there was no meeting he needed to attend, that he’d lied to Jimin. It was the only way though, and as much as he loved Jimin, it was his actual responsibility to put his crew first and look out for them. That was why it was necessary, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

It was with a heavy heart that he’d contacted Hoseok earlier in the morning when Jimin was still asleep, giving him a green light. Now it was time to make sure they were going to bring it to an end. He allowed for the conspiracy against him to keep going for way too long to begin with.

Jungkook knocked three times on the door and walked inside the recording studio, seeing all the familiar faces. Yoongi, Namjoon, Taehyung and Jin were all here, waiting for him. “Hoseok?” Jungkook asked without wasting time, shedding off his jacket and sitting on the only empty chair at the desk. He tried not to look at the computer screens, but it was hard.

Out of the corner of his eye, he still caught a glimpse of the building where he and Jimin lived, as well as the view of their living room. Jungkook felt sick to his stomach and in a way, it was new to him. He’d ordered to kill—heck, he’d killed people himself before—and he never felt this nervous, feeling like he was about to throw up.

“They’re together right now,” Seokjin answered. “He doesn’t suspect anything.”

Jungkook nodded simply, his mind not even present in the same room with them. It made him realize that he didn’t actually need to be here, that it’d be better if he wasn’t. By the end of the day, he was going to know anyway. There was no point in him seeing it for himself as well. “Good, okay. I’ll be in my office then,” he said, ignoring the confused and concerned looks his friends sent his way, grabbing his jacket and rushing out of the room.

It was bad enough that he’d ordered his men to stakeout his home and watch Jimin’s every move, supervising Jimin himself felt like too much. Only, even when he left, his friends kept sending him updates, informing him that Jimin was home all the time, not making any phone calls and mostly just watching Netflix, cuddling with the puppies and playing on his phone. Which was reassuring, but Jungkook knew. It was coming and he needed to be ready.

However, from all the things he expected to happen, he didn’t envision Jimin to appear in his office in the late afternoon, dressed in Jungkook’s hoodie, wearing the same sweatpants he was wearing this morning. As if that wasn’t enough, Jungkook wouldn’t even know that he was coming if it wasn’t for the text Taehyung had sent him at the last minute, because Jimin didn’t wear his Chelsea Boots as usual. No… he was wearing the sneakers Jungkook had bought him, which sent Jungkook spiraling into an even bigger panic, even though he did his best to remain calm, play his part and see what Jimin decided.

Jimin looked anxious himself, pulling on his bottom lip as he walked towards Jungkook’s desk, his steps hesitant. He was holding something, quite a thick file, and Jungkook couldn’t help but wonder what was inside.

Jungkook was thinking of something to say, but by the time Jimin stopped in front of him, it was clear that the act was up. He tried not to show his disappointment, feeling his heart sink, alas reminding himself that whatever Jimin was about to tell him, he was going to accept it and if necessary… let him go, even if it hurt.

It was going to hurt nevertheless, but that wasn’t going to change his feelings for Jimin. He was never going to let anyone harm a hair on Jimin’s head, he’d said it before and he meant it. He’d just have to find a different way to protect everything else that he loved and treasured, just never at Jimin’s expense.

In the meantime, when Jungkook lost himself to his thoughts, Jimin placed the file on his desk, taking one step back. When Jungkook eventually looked at it, his face fell but not in a bad way. More than anything, Jungkook found himself being rather confused, that feeling suppressing how nerve-racking this was for him.

“What’s this?” Jungkook asked, taking one last glance at the file and then looking directly at Jimin who was still avoiding eye contact with him. That pushed Jungkook to get up from the chair, walk around his desk and stand right in front of Jimin, the close proximity finally making his husband look at him.

Jimin swallowed before he answered, “Divorce papers. I… I hope we can mutually and peacefully terminate the contract we have,” he mumbled the last part, not even hiding the guilt and the shame, painting an even clearer picture for Jungkook.

But it wasn’t quite complete yet.

Jungkook didn’t know what to say, having not prepared for this scenario beforehand.

Jimin was full of surprises, indeed. But him asking for a divorce and trying to void their contract was actually a good thing, it gave Jungkook hope that he could still turn things around, make Jimin stay with him because he was sure it was something they ‘mutually’ wanted and make their relationship real, more real than it already was, all while saving his business and protecting his members as well.

“Well, go ahead. Explain,” Jungkook urged him, searching for Jimin’s eyes every time Jimin tried to look away.

For someone so fierceful and confident in court—anywhere, really—Jimin looked small and pitiful right now, his eyes glassy, close to tears, almost as though what he was doing was bringing him a lot of pain.

“Jungkook, please… Just sign the papers,” Jimin attempted to convince him, his already teary voice telling Jungkook that all Jimin needed was just a little push to finally crack and tell him everything.

That was exactly what Jungkook gave him.

He turned around, grabbed the file and pulled a bundle of papers out, ripping them all one by one, letting the pieces fall slowly to the floor as Jimin watched with his eyes wide open. “No, I don’t think I will. You know why? Because when we were having sex this morning, you kept telling me how much you love me and I know it was real. I know that it wasn’t just sex either, neither for me nor you. That’s why I’m not signing anything until you tell me what the fuck is going on.” He threw angrily the empty file to the floor, as well as the rest of the papers, stomping them with his shoe to get an extra point across.

Jimin opened his mouth, slowly working himself up to reveal the truth—Jungkook inhaled sharply—but promptly closed it, shaking his head, backing out at the last second. “You’re gonna be mad,” he croaked, clearing his throat, about to turn away. Jungkook didn’t let him, gently grasping his shoulders and leaning down to look deeply into his eyes, assure him that he was not only safe with him but was safe to talk to him as well.

Jimin’s hesitancy was also proof that Jungkook’s feelings mattered to him, that he didn’t want to leave and wasn't merely saying this just to placate Jungkook.

“Jimin, please,” Jungkook begged, stroking Jimin’s shoulders, not missing the first of tears welling up in Jimin’s eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong, love.”

At the pet name leaving Jungkook’s lips, Jimin sniffed, momentarily closing his eyes to compose himself, while Jungkook patiently waited.

When their eyes met again, Jimin looked ready.

He stirred in Jungkook’s arms and Jungkook let go of him, assuming he needed space. What Jimin did though, was sit on Jungkook’s desk in his usual spot, his eyes casted at the view outside. It was almost as though it was his safe place and maybe it was.

His tone switched to business-like, although some of that initial wetness remained, softening his voice a bit. “It wasn’t a coincidence that my file ended up on your desk. In fact, the other two lawyers that were presented to you have been chosen at random, they haven’t even been made aware of any deal.”

There it was, the moment Jungkook had been waiting for.

“You were never supposed to choose anyone else,” Jimin added just to make it absolutely clear. He looked conflicted again for a moment, and to be able to see his face, Jungkook moved to stand by the desk, facing Jimin’s profile.

Jimin sighed, his eyes still fixed on the view outside the window, a new resolution making its way to his face. “Someone came to me. Told me about the whole deal and that you were looking for someone to marry. I laughed and immediately declined, threatening to call the police if they didn’t leave my office.”

Perhaps Jungkook should be surprised, but that sounded exactly like something Jimin would do. The only thing that worried him was the knowledge that his crew… they didn’t really take ‘no’ for an answer, not when there was something they badly wanted and needed to make happen.

“I knew it was a risky move…”

Jungkook wasn’t sure whether it was something Jimin was conscious of doing, but when he reached his hand and started rubbing his arm—just where Jungkook had seen him being bruised before—Jungkook could feel his blood boiling. The only thing that made him stay calm and stopped him from bursting out the door was that he wanted to hear the whole story first before making the ones responsible for this pay.

“And as it turned out, they were quite convincing. I was backed into a corner and could do nothing but agree to marry and work for you, while also helping them to bring you down. Be their inside-inside man, if you will. They promised I was your type and that it was going to work, and, well, it did. As much as I hoped you wouldn’t agree to my ridiculous rules and bossing your men around, you still said ‘yes’. You went above and beyond, matching my energy and going as far as childishly competing with me over which one of us would break first so we could have a little bit fun on the side. Just some casual workplace romance,” he snorted, shaking his head.

“I gotta be honest, though,” his voice dropped lower, now just a whisper. He looked Jungkook in the eyes. “I was terrified to meet you. I’ve done my research and walking to that meeting with you was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Realizing that you were attracted to me was even more scary, but that helped me formulate a plan. A way for me to get out of it without losing my life.”

It was like Hoseok suspected after all, Jungkook had never been more relieved.

“I thought that I could use it to my advantage. Make you want me, fall in love with me. This way, if they ever came after me, you’d protect me.”

Jimin looked away again, wrapping his arms around himself. Jungkook wanted nothing more than to hug him, but after what Jimin just confessed, he didn’t think it was the right time.

“I was planning to do it for a while, play the perfect husband, just do my job, learn everything there was to learn about your business, Jeon Entertainment and every shady thing you’ve ever been involved in to use it as my leverage, and then… If I could, buy my freedom, let you buy my silence. Or simply run away, I don’t know. But what I didn’t take into consideration was that…”

Jungkook could no longer hold himself back, he stepped in front of Jimin, obstructing his view at the window, pressing closer to pull him into his arms and hold him tight, propping his chin atop his head. He could hear Jimin sob, “I’ve never thought I’d fall in love with you. That I’d want to stay with you and for all of this to be real.”

That was the only thing Jungkook hoped for, that Jimin wasn’t in on it willingly. Now that he knew that for certain, there was nothing holding him back from loving Jimin now, neither from getting rid of the rats in his crew and moving on.

“And that,” Jimin sniffed, choking on his tears a little. “That complicated everything, because I’m not like this. I’ve never even had a speeding ticket. I’m an obedient citizen who sends criminals to jail, not works with them. Every time you’ve placed a target on someone’s back—every time I’ve done it by revealing the names of your crew members and other people you’ve done business with that were conspiring against you—whenever Hoseok has talked so lightly of the people he’s killed… I was scared out of my goddamn mind, worrying that I’d end up being next. But I—I still gave you a hint?” Jimin both said and asked at the same time.

That he did, he gave them a hint and they used it well.

Hoseok had sniffed out that something was up way before that, only not informing Jungkook about it because he was holding back until he knew more. But as soon as the culprit who had revealed their casino location had been dealt with, they sprung to action, with Taehyung having been gathering information ever since. They were well aware of who the rat was, they only waited because Jungkook had asked them to, wanting to find out where Jimin’s loyalties lay.

Now Jungkook wanted to hear it.

He grasped Jimin’s arms gently, pulling him away just enough to cup his cheeks, wipe away his tears with his thumbs. “Tell me their name,” he said softly, hating to see Jimin cry, especially that he was partly to blame for it.

Jimin stayed silent.

“Love,” Jungkook let go of a breath, leaning in and placing a kiss on Jimin’s forehead. Jimin closed his eyes, leaning into his touch. “Just tell me the name. I’m not mad, not at you. I promise everything will be okay, just tell me.” Jungkook ran his fingers through Jimin’s hair, watching his husband open his eyes again.

They exchanged a look, a wordless conversation, and whatever Jimin must’ve found in Jungkook’s eyes, it convinced him to reveal to him something that most definitely could cost him his life, that was if Jungkook wasn’t here. But he was and he wasn’t going anywhere.

“It’s Kangmin,” he said breathlessly, finally getting it off his chest.

It took Jungkook a long while to get over it, over how Kangmin betrayed him. Kangmin was one of his closest members, a friend, someone who was by Jungkook’s side since the beginning. He helped Jungkook build the empire Jungkook called theirs, it belonged to everyone in his crew, not just him. But he blew all that, choosing to stab them in the back. Hoseok couldn’t wait to deal with him accordingly, Jungkook was going to let him at last.

Jungkook let go of Jimin, but he still intertwined their fingers, using his other hand to grab his phone. He texted Hoseok just one thing, a single thumbs up, and locked his phone again. Hoseok knew what to do, Jungkook was going to join them soon. But before that, there was still something he needed Jimin to hear.

Jimin had been watching him all this time, and despite all the emotional stress he was in, he still scowled as soon as he noticed who Jungkook was texting. Knowing everything, it made sense why Jimin didn’t like Hoseok, his right-hand man was much harder to fool than the rest of them, including Jungkook. They seemed to be thinking the same, because Jimin ended up asking, “He knew, didn’t he?”

Jungkook smiled, reaching for Jimin’s other hand and locking their fingers as well. “He’s much smarter than you give him credit for.”

Jimin let out a laugh to himself. “He saw right through me.”

“Not at the start,” Jungkook clarified. “But eventually he did, yeah. He’s had his suspicions regarding Kangmin and you. You saying that you hated Kangmin’s face, as silly as it was, it put things in motion. Definitely sped up the whole process.”

Jimin didn’t answer, the brief smile that had pulled at his lips now gone, his face falling. That prompted Jungkook to explain it to him, make him believe that he was safe and didn’t have to worry about anything.

“Nothing has to change,” he started, right away seeing that Jimin didn’t agree with him. “I love you—” Jimin’s lips wobbled at the confession. “—I love you and I want to make this—” Jungkook shook their hands and held them up. “—real with you. If that’s what you want. If it’s not and if you prefer that I completely disappeared from your life for good, I’ll do it.

”Your happiness is the most important to me, I just want you to know this before you make a decision. I’m not mad and I don’t want you to feel bad about what happened. You’ve had no choice to marry me, and it was nothing but business on my part, at least in the beginning. In a way, I was your employer and I’ve tried to restrain myself from falling for you, especially when I found out you were working with Kangmin, but I did. I did fall for you anyway and I don’t regret it. Still…” Jungkook brought their hands up to his lips and placed a kiss against Jimin’s knuckles. “The decision to stay or walk away is yours.”

Jungkook lowered their hands, untangling his fingers, even though Jimin seemed to be reluctant to let go. His phone pinged at the same time, announcing Hoseok’s arrival. “I need to go now,” Jungkook said, taking a step back.

Jimin’s arm jerked forward as though he was about to grab for him and pull him back, but he held himself back.

Jungkook reached inside his pocket, pulling out the key to their apartment. He placed it on the desk, pushing it towards Jimin. “Once I’m done, I’ll come back here and if this key is still here, I’ll take it and come home to you. If it's not, I’ll accept your decision. Regardless of what you decide, I consider the contract between us void. I’ll make sure to take care of all the paperwork later.”

Jungkook didn’t wait for Jimin’s reaction, deciding to give Jimin some time alone so he could think everything through and so he wasn’t persuaded by anything Jungkook might’ve said or done. Leaving his office, he tried not to think that this might’ve been the last time he saw Jimin, choosing to stay hopeful instead.

Jungkook nodded at his crew members outside one of the dance studios and then walked inside, hearing the door being closed behind him right after. They were locked inside now and it was a good thing, considering Kangmin was sitting tied to a chair in the middle of the room, his lip busted and bleeding. Hoseok was standing in front of him, wearing brass knuckles. When Jungkook stepped closer, he noticed there was blood on them. 

Once Jungkook stopped before Kangmin, he barely flinched at the fresh bruises and blood all over his face, feeling not sorry at all. He was disgusted, in fact, especially when Kangmin looked at him, acting like he didn’t know why he was here in the first place.

“Boss—” Kangmin started but Jungkook didn’t let him finish, moving away instead and with a barely there lift of his fingers, Hoseok stepped in, punching Kangmin in the stomach. Kangmin wheezed, crying out in pain. He could scream and cry all he wanted though, with the walls being soundproof, no one was going to hear him, let alone come save him.

“Drop the act,” Jungkook said, then shrugged. “Unless you want Hoseok to give you a slow and painful death, then be my guest.”

Kangmin needed a moment to find his speech ability back, but once he did, he only ended up disappointing Jungkook even more.

“Boss, you cannot be serious! Do you—do you really believe that slut? He’d say anything to save his skin! He’s got all of you wrapped around his finger, you need to open your eyes and—”

Hoseok punched him again, twice this time. “Keep his name out of your mouth, you fucking rat,” he growled, spitting at Kangmin as he straightened up.

“Yoongi, now’s not the time to pop a boner,” sounded Seokjin’s voice.

Jungkook looked behind his shoulder, noticing that his friends were sitting by the wall, watching everything unfold. Yoongi’s cheeks were a deep shade of red and he looked away as soon as his eyes met Jungkook’s.

“That was so fucking hot, I can’t really blame him,” Taehyung said, a bit flushed himself. “It’s not really often that we get to see him in action.”

Namjoon and Seokjin hummed in unison, nodding their heads in agreement.

Jungkook shook his head with a roll of his eyes, a little tired sigh escaping his lips. He looked back towards Kangmin, waiting until Hoseok dragged him back up to sit more straight on the chair.

“I’m not gonna ask why,” Jungkook started slowly, and by the way Kangmin looked at him, he was listening to his every word. “I don’t really care. All I’m gonna say is that you’ve picked the wrong lawyer to mess with. But you’ve already known that, haven’t you? He’s been interfering with your ‘business’ since the casino accident. How did threatening him go for you? Not so well, huh?” Jungkook waved his finger, Hoseok punched Kangmin straight on the face, but held himself back enough so he wouldn’t lose consciousness. “I gotta thank you, though. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve never met him. So thanks, I guess.”

Kangmin knew what was coming next, which was why he tried to say something, throwing himself on the chair, a meek 'boss' leaving his mouth, but with how weak he was and how tightly he was tied, it was futile. It took Hoseok no longer than a second to grab Kangmin's head and twist his neck. They all heard the snap, and when Hoseok let go, it was over.

“No one knows about this except for us?” Jungkook asked just to make sure, not phased by the sight in the slightest.

“Yep, for now,” Hoseok answered, taking off the brass knuckles. Yoongi was already next to him, handing him a wet towel. Hoseok thanked him, wiping off the blood off his hands. “But news travel fast. If we want to eliminate everyone who worked with him, I’ll need backup. People we can trust.”

“Hasn’t Jiminie given us a list? We’ve already known for a while who betrayed us and worked with Kangmin. Hoseok hyung has taken care of most of them, hasn’t he?” Taehyung approached Jungkook from behind, wrapping his arms around him and propping his chin on his shoulder. He was speaking to Jungkook, but his eyes were on Namjoon and Seokjin who were by Kangmin’s body, untying him from the chair and setting up a body bag on the floor.

“It wasn’t a full one,” Hoseok said, and Jungkook added, “Jimin already risked a lot by giving it to us, but since Kangmin needed him to gain my trust so he could use him to end me, I guess he let him. But I’m sure there are still people who were working closely with him that we don’t know of yet. Pretending that we didn’t know something was up was difficult enough, and Kangmin was careful. With him out of the way though, I don’t think anyone will be dumb enough to throw a coup.”

“Well, I’m sure whatever Kangmin was hiding, Jiminie has already found out about it. I bet he keeps the full list at his office too. I’ll go check.” Taehyung gave Jungkook a big smooch to his cheek, and when Jungkook slapped his hand over his cheek, rubbing Taehyung’s saliva off his skin with an annoyed frown, he let go of him. “In the meantime, you should go home. Tell Jimin that we’ve got everything handled.”

“And you should give him a kiss from me,” Hoseok said, now next to the body too, grabbing Kangmin by his shoulders while Namjoon was holding his legs. Seokjin was instructing them and guiding them towards the body bag.

“And a hug from me,” Yoongi murmured, always shy with affection and yet when it came to Jimin, always ready to spoil him with it.

Jungkook didn’t have the heart to tell them that there was a huge chance Jimin decided to leave their life for good. He left with a nod and a small smile, quickly glancing at himself to check that his suit was pristine clean before he dragged his feet back to his office, loosening the tie around his neck.

He didn’t quite want to go there, but it was the only way for him to know for sure. That was why taking a deep breath, Jungkook walked inside and didn’t stop until he reached his desk and… He exhaled, his mouth agape and eyes wide opened, because the key was still there in the exact spot he’d left it, waiting for him.

Feeling himself breaking out into a huge, relieved smile, Jungkook snatched the key, about to run out of his office and go home to Jimin, but that was when he heard some rustling and when he looked up, his office chair started slowly turning around. Jungkook got tensed for a moment, aware that he was an easy target right now, but upon noticing Jimin’s reflection in the window, he immediately relaxed, stuffing the key into his pocket.

“I thought you’ve gone home already,” Jungkook said as soon as Jimin faced him, sitting curled up in his chair, hugging his legs, his hoodie pulled over his knees.

“Is it over?” Jimin asked quietly, no longer crying, but his eyes were red and puffy.

Jungkook came closer and brought his hand to Jimin’s cheek, caressing it gently. Jimin closed his eyes, letting him. “He won’t bother you ever again.”

Jimin let go of a breath, his shoulders sagging in relief.

They stayed like that for a moment until Jimin eventually opened his eyes again, reaching out his arms to him, hesitantly at first but then more confident. Jungkook leaned down, waiting for Jimin to wrap his arms around his neck first, then pulled him up, holding him bridal style. With Jimin in his arms, Jungkook turned them around, sitting on the chair himself and with Jimin on his lap.

Jimin rested his head against Jungkook’s chest, fully embraced by Jungkook’s arms, and while Jungkook still felt a bit unsure, he was telling himself that Jimin’s presence here had to mean something good. Luckily, he didn’t even have to wait long to find out what precisely it entailed.

“I thought about what you said…” Jimin said, absentmindedly playing with Jungkook’s tie. Jungkook could see Jimin’s hands were shaking, but his voice was nothing but collected unlike before. “I love you,” he confessed, making Jungkook’s heart flutter in his chest. “I love you and I want you.”

Jungkook was looking ahead, but when Jimin tugged at his collar he looked down, meeting his husband’s beautiful eyes.

“I want you to keep telling me everything and being honest with me. I decided that I’ll keep helping you too, so you don’t go to jail.” He cracked a small smile before his expression turned back to being serious. “But… I don’t need to know everything, not unless I ask and want to hear about it. I want no Hoseok barging in here with blood on his hands, no talking about murder and how you deal with stuff. I don’t want any of it.”

Jungkook smiled softly, placing his hand on top of Jimin’s. “That can be arranged.”

Just like during their first meeting months ago, Jimin’s gaze hardened, needing a straightforward and concrete anwser, not a promise.

He chuckled, “Alright, we’ll add it to the contract as well.”

Jimin pouted, “I thought you said we’re voiding the contract.”

The corners of Jungkook’s lips raised even further up. “The business one. We’re still married, love.”

“Oh.”

“Unless—”

Jimin shook his head ‘no’, placing a finger against Jungkook’s lips to stop him from continuing. “No, I want it. All of it, including our marriage. But maybe…” Jimin’s cheeks became slightly warmer, more pink in hue. Jungkook raised a brow, wondering why Jimin was getting shy all of a sudden. “Maybe you could ask me to marry you again. For real this time…”

Oh.

“…start wearing your wedding band and… take me on a proper honeymoon.”

Jungkook couldn’t stop himself from smiling, grinning like a lovesick fool, finally certain that they were going to be okay. “That’s a lot of demands you have.” He let his hands wander, moving them from Jimin’s back to his ass, then to his thighs and back. Jimin fought a smile, leaning into his touch.

“You have an island. I’ve heard the sunsets there are very pretty.”

“Mhmm, they are very pretty,” Jungkook hummed, mindful of Jimin twisting his fingers into his hair and pulling him down slowly. “Maybe we could even have a cruise wedding just like you wanted?”

“Oh, I’d love that,” Jimin whispered, his lips a breath away from Jungkook’s.

“I think Hoseok likes you too much to say no this time.” Jungkook wanted to close the distance between their lips, only to feel Jimin shove at his chest and look at him ridiculously, not hiding his annoyance. Jungkook blinked. “What?”

“Do we really have to bring him up all the time? I’m sick of him,” Jimin started fussing, crossing his arms on his chest.

“No, you’re not. Besides, he really defended your honor back there.”

Jimin perched up at that piece of information, feigning ignorance but alas being extremely curious. “He did? No, wait. You mean you didn’t?” he asked, shaking his head in a mock disappointment. “I knew I should’ve dumped your ass and agreed to having a threesome with them,” he sighed dramatically.

Jungkook, on the other hand, almost choked on his saliva. “He actually asked?”

“Yoongi hyung did.” Jimin shrugged, while Jungkook couldn’t quite believe how his hyungs were both trying to steal his husband away from him. “But anyway.”

There it was, Jimin’s lawyer mode on. Jungkook felt a shiver running down his spine, especially when Jimin shifted in his lap, placing himself directly on top of his dick.

“Do we have a deal?” he asked, articulating every word with a press of his ass down on Jungkook’s cock, the friction beginning to make Jungkook feel arousal slowly building in his stomach.

Jungkook cupped the back of Jimin’s head, urging him closer and bringing their lips together. “We have a deal. You’re the boss here, after all,” he said before kissing Jimin silly.