Permanent

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/23330725.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Relationship: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V
Character: Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung | V, Min Yoongi | Suga, Park Jimin
(BTS)
Additional Tags: taekook, vkook, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, tattoo shop a/u,
Tattoo Artist Jeon Jungkook, Tattoo Artist Kim Taehyung | V, Tattoo
Artist Min Yoongi | Suga, Established Relationship, taekook are
boyfriends, domestic taekook, Smut, Fluff, so much fluff you could make
cotton candy out of it, Angst, Hint of Angst, really it's only one scene,
Rough Sex, Top Jeon Jungkook, Bottom Kim Taehyung | V, side
yoonmin, Blink and you'll miss it, Whipped Jungkook, Jealous Jungkook,
Jealous Taehyung, for once, Taekook are in love, two idiots in love, two
tattooed boyfriends living with their temperamental cat, Time Skips,
Drabbles, series of One-shots
Series: Part 2 of Taekook Tattoo Shop A/U
Collections: Fics I'd read again, finitooo, Red + Blue = Purple, Donereadingyay,
Fave Taekook Fics (shin), Taekook Fic List (shin)
Stats: Published: 2020-03-27 Words: 34418

Permanent
by suicidebybooks

Summary

It's weird being with someone you once hated. It can make for some surreal relationship
moments, Taehyung has found out. But it turns out Jungkook--former pain in his ass and
current love of his life (who still manages to be a pain in his ass sometimes)--is totally
worth it.

Notes

Sequel to Under My Skin

This one's a bit different than the previous story--it's more a series of one-shots/drabbles
taking place over the course of about two years in Jungkook and Taehyung's relationship.
Each one can serve as its own standalone story but they're all loosely connected and are
arranged in chronological order.

Hope you enjoy!

See the end of the work for more notes

In his dream, Taehyung is flying.

He flies through a star-flecked sky, tumbling and wheeling through the clouds like Aladdin and
Jasmine during the scene where they sing ‘A Whole New World.’ But instead of riding a magic
carpet, he’s on the back of an immense black dragon, straddling its broad back, its scales rough and
incredibly hot against his naked thighs. The whole thing feels vaguely erotic and sensual,
especially since the dragon keeps looking back at him through hooded eyes, dark and suggestive,
full of feral lust and it’s so funny because its eyes look so much like－

But then a fluffy little bird is suddenly flying alongside him, buffeting his cheek with its furry
wing. (Furry? But birds don’t have fur, they have feathers.) Taehyung tries to bat it away with his
hand, wanting to be left alone with the dragon, to see if perhaps they might fly even higher, past
the moon and out into space where it will be just the two of them…

But this fucking bird won’t leave him alone.

“Stop,” Taehyung says, waving his hands at the bird. “Go away－”

He wakes up with a sudden lurching jolt, his eyes snapping open to see Spider Monkey looming
over him, green eyes narrowed, long black tail twitching in annoyance. The cat huffs at him,
pawing at his face again－gently but with still enough insistence to let Taehyung know that he isn’t
going to allow him to go back to sleep anytime soon.

Taehyung sighs. “Hey, Monkey Butt.” He reaches up and scratches Spider Monkey’s ears, eliciting
a throaty purr. “Guess you’re starving to death again, huh?”

Spider Monkey meows loudly, giving him a long-suffering look that Taehyung interprets as You
catch on quickly, pathetic hooman.

“Go on,” Taehyung says, gently pushing him away. “I’ll be right there.” After several months of
living with his boyfriend and his temperamental cat, he had quickly learned that the best way to
handle Spider Monkey was not to indulge him too much.

“If you do that, he’ll just take advantage and become even more of an asshole than he already is,”
Jungkook had said. “I don’t want him becoming one of those spoiled, finicky cats that always
demands food at three in the morning.”

So Taehyung, instead of scooping Spider Monkey up into his arms and parading him into the
kitchen so he can serve up His Majesty’s breakfast, shoos him off the bed, determined to stay put
for at least five more minutes so the cat would know who was really in charge around here. But
maybe he’d give Spider Monkey a few extra treats later, you know, just so he wouldn’t feel too
neglected.

Taehyung stretches, yawning, and rolls over to find himself face to face with the giant black dragon
from his dream. It’s not real of course, it’s the one consisting of black and grey pigment, the one
inked onto Jungkook’s back. But he has looked at this tattoo so many times, traced it with his
hands, his tongue, that he figures it was bound to show up in his dreams eventually. He doesn’t
exactly need Sigmund Freud to interpret the underlayers of eroticism that had accompanied the
dream dragon or explain to him why he’s feeling randy.
He crawls across the bed towards his still-sleeping boyfriend; he must have rolled away from him
sometime during the night. Placing his lips against the dragon’s fearsome head, he kisses his way
upwards to Jungkook’s shoulder, slipping his arms around his waist, spooning against him.

“Good morning,” he whispers, nuzzling against Jungkook’s neck. “Wake up, sleepyhead…”

He’s answered by a sleepy grunt and then Jungkook’s hand is feeling around for his, grabbing onto
it and lacing their fingers together.

“Still early, Tae,” Jungkook mutters. “Go back to sleep…”

Taehyung rubs his face against Jungkook’s back, in between his shoulder blades. “Don’t want to
spend the whole morning sleeping,” he pouts. “That’s no fun.”

It’s Friday, one of Taehyung’s favorite days of the week because Yoongi either gave them the
morning or the afternoon shift at Kraken Ink, which meant that they either got the beginning of the
day or the end of the day to spend together. Having evenings off was nice because they could go
out somewhere but mornings off are just as good because it gives them an opportunity to sleep late
and laze around in bed and indulge in a couple of rounds of morning sex.

But it seems his boyfriend isn’t properly awake enough yet for this particular activity.

Taehyung decides to try a different tactic. “Hey, you feel like pancakes for breakfast?” he asks,
hooking his chin over Jungkook’s shoulder.

Jungkook’s lips curve up into a sleepy smile, his eyes still closed. “If pancakes is a euphemism for
morning sex, then yes,” he mumbles. He rubs his face against the pillow, yawning. “Just give me a
couple more minutes, baby. Then I’ll smother your pancakes with my maple syrup…”

Taehyung giggles. “You’re so gross.” Then a wicked thought pops into his head, an idea that he
just knows will get Jungkook ready and raring to go.

“Hmm,” he whispers into Jungkook’s ear, rubbing his chest, “I thought I wanted some morning sex
but…now I kinda want pancakes instead.” He smacks a kiss onto Jungkook’s cheek and then hops
out of bed, hunting around for his red boxer briefs that Jungkook had tugged off him last night,
sending them flying across the room. He finds them near the door and pulls them on, giving the
waistband a cheeky little snap and behind him, he hears Jungkook stir.

Ah, at last the mighty dragon has awoken from his slumber…

“Taehyung,” Jungkook rumbles and a shiver runs down his spine at the sound of his boyfriend’s
deep voice, raspy and roughened with sleep.

He looks at him over his shoulder, batting his eyelashes. “Yes?” he says innocently.

Jungkook is sitting propped up on his elbows, all messy black hair and intense dark eyes. He glares
at Taehyung. “You get that cushy little butt of yours back in bed. Now.”

The command in Jungkook’s tone makes Taehyung weak at the knees, a rush of heat sparking in
his lower stomach. He almost gives in and dives back onto the bed but he manages to restrain
himself, wanting to draw out this game a little bit longer.

“Nope,” Taehyung says teasingly, shaking his head. “If you want us, me and my butt will be in the
kitchen making pancakes.” To emphasize his point, he gives his own ass a little slap before trotting
out of the room in nothing but his boxer briefs, humming to himself－and then almost trips over
Spider Monkey who immediately accosts him, meowing at the top of his lungs.

“Okay, okay,” Taehyung says, “I’ll feed you, jeez, just calm down…”

Once he’s doled out a can of Fancy Feast (Now with Extra Gravy!) and put the bowl in front of His
Royal Fuzziness, Taehyung sets about making his own breakfast, getting out the box of pancake
mix and some milk, whipping up the batter while a pan heats up on the stove. He wishes he had
brought his phone with him so he could have put some music on but he doesn’t dare return to
Jungkook’s lair, now that there are pancakes cooking in the pan. Because if he does return to the
bedroom, even for a minute, Jungkook will snatch him and drag him underneath the covers,
gobbling him up and then the pancakes will be left unsupervised and they’ll burn and their
breakfast will be ruined. Which would be a total bummer because, even though he had used the
pancakes as an excuse at first to lure Jungkook out of his cave, he’s really fucking craving them
now. Almost as much as he’s craving something else.

Any minute now, Taehyung thinks, checking the clock on the stove, should be out any minute…

He flips the first batch of pancakes over and gets out some plates and cutlery, setting them out on
their little kitchen table with the bottle of maple syrup that’s in the shape of a maple leaf. Then he
remembers the can of whipped cream in the fridge and takes that out as well but instead of putting
it on the table, he keeps it on the counter by the stove, taking a shot every now and then, squirting
some into his mouth.

He swallows a mouthful of creamy sweetness and the song ‘Cream’ by Prince gets stuck in his
head and he sings the lyrics under his breath as he slides the first few pancakes out of the pan and
onto a plate.

“Cream...get on top....cream....you will cop...cream...don’t you stop...cream...sh-boogie bop...”

“I’ll give you some cream,” a voice rasps in his ear and Taehyung squeaks in surprise as a pair of
muscular arms wraps around his waist, trapping him. God, he swears his boyfriend moves like a
ninja sometimes, he hadn’t even heard him come into the kitchen.

Jungkook kisses the nape of his neck, pressing flush against his back and Taehyung feels
something hard poking against his butt.

“Ooh, hello,” he says, fighting back a laugh, “looks like someone woke up with morning wood.”

“Not morning wood,” Jungkook growls, rubbing against him, “that’s all you, baby.” He nips at
Taehyung’s earlobe. “Did you really think you could run away from me?”

Taehyung bites down on his lip, grinning. Thrill of the chase, he thinks, works every time.

“I’m not running away,” he says lightly, “I think it’s quite obvious that I’m making pancakes.”

“Make ‘em later.”

“Sorry, babe,” Taehyung says, still not turning around, reaching for the bowl to ladle more batter
into the pan, “but I’ve already made the batter, the pan’s all heated up and ready to go so I think
I’m going to have to see this pancake-making business through to the end before I get up to
anything else.”

Jungkook slaps his hand away from the bowl, grabbing the pan by the handle and shoving it onto
one of the unlit burners before switching the stovetop off. “There,” he says gruffly, “problem
solved.”
Taehyung sighs. “Well, I suppose we can still eat the ones I already made...”

“Tae,” Jungkook says, a note of warning in his voice, “sex now. Pancakes later.”

“You sure?” Taehyung says, “because I－ohhh fuck...” His head falls back against Jungkook’s
shoulder as his boyfriend slides his hands up Taehyung’s chest and starts to play with his nipple
piercings, rolling them between his fingers.

“Still want those fucking pancakes first?” Jungkook asks, giving one of the piercings a sharp tug,
causing Taehyung to let out a pitiful-sounding whine, a bolt of pure arousal going from his nipples
straight to his cock.

“F-fuck that’s not fair,” Taehyung says breathlessly, squirming in Jungkook’s arms, “you play so
dirty...”

“I’m beginning to think,” Jungkook says, palming Taehyung through his boxer briefs, giving him a
rough squeeze, “that you might like it.”

“Mmm...maybe...”

Jungkook huffs a laugh against his neck, spinning Taehyung around to face him. “I think you mean
definitely.” He leans in to kiss him but Taehyung turns his face away, grabbing the can of whipped
cream off the counter.

“Want some?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow at Jungkook, giving the can a suggestive shake.

Jungkook smirks at him, opening his mouth so Taehyung can pour some onto his tongue—but
instead of doing that, Taehyung squirts it onto his cheek and then licks it off.

“Oops,” he says, smacking his lips, “sorry, I missed.”

“Give me that, you fucking brat,” Jungkook says, snatching the can from him and, before
Taehyung can stop him, he squirts a line of fluffy cream onto his collarbone.

Taehyung shivers. “Fuck, that’s cold.”

“That’s what you get for being such a little tease,” Jungkook says roughly before leaning down to
lick it off, his hands skimming down Taehyung’s back to knead his ass.

Taehyung shivers again for an entirely different reason, his body immediately responding to
Jungkook’s touch, to the feeling of his tongue against his skin. Because, just like he knows how to
get Jungkook into ‘beast mode,’ his boyfriend knows exactly what to say and where to put his
hands and mouth to reduce Taehyung to a quivering pile of jelly.

As if reading his mind, Jungkook moves lower, taking one of Taehyung’s nipples into his mouth,
sucking hard and Taehyung gasps, arching against him, his head spinning. “God, Jungkook...”

“What do you want, baby?” Jungkook murmurs, moving to lap at the other one, “I want to hear
you say it, come on...”

“W-want you to fuck me,” Taehyung stammers. “Fuck me like you did last night, please...”

“Yeah?” Jungkook straightens up, a smug grin on his face. He takes Taehyung’s hand in his,
placing it against his crotch. “You sure you want this dick, baby? You sure you wouldn’t rather
have some pancakes?”
Taehyung sucks in a breath, nodding frantically as he rubs Jungkook through the material of his
sweatpants. It’s almost embarrassing, how quickly Jungkook can wind him up so well, until he’s a
needy, whining mess but, honestly, Taehyung wouldn’t have it any other way. The sex between
them isn’t always rough or dirty, quite often it’s tender and affectionate but when Jungkook gets
that feral gleam in his eye and he looks at Taehyung like he’s a meal that Jungkook’s about to
devour－well. Suffice it to say that Taehyung loves it when Jungkook brings out his wild side.

Jungkook maneuvers him away from the stove and shoves him forward so he’s bent over the
kitchen island, holding himself up on his elbows. His boxer briefs are tugged off for the second
time in the span of twelve hours, left to pool around his ankles and Taehyung lets out a startled
groan when Jungkook lands a sharp smack on his ass, right where his heart tattoo is.

“Fuck, Tae,” Jungkook growls, “so hot seeing you bent over for me like this, fuck…”

“Nothing you haven’t seen before,” Taehyung says, starting to feel impatient now. “Come on, get
the lube out.”

Behind him, he hears Jungkook chuckle. “Always a sight worth seeing, baby. Trust me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Taehyung grumbles, “now would you just－” Then he gasps as he feels something
cold being traced down his spine and realizes Jungkook has just squirted a line of whipped cream
down his back.

“Jungkook, what the hell－”

“What, I can’t top off my dessert with some whipped cream?” Jungkook says and Taehyung looks
over his shoulder at him to witness the shit-eating grin on his face.

“I’m not an ice cream sundae, for fuck’s s-sake,” Taehyung says, his voice hitching as he feels
Jungkook’s tongue tracing his back, licking up the whipped cream.

“That’s right, you’re not,” Jungkook whispers into his ear, “you’re my cinnamon roll, remember?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes, laughing despite himself. “You’re such a jerk.”

“You love it.”

Jungkook pulls back from him and Taehyung hears him opening one of the drawers where they
keep the kitchen lube stashed. They tend to keep bottles of lube on hand throughout their entire
apartment because once they’re getting ready to fuck on the sofa or in the shower, it’s kind of a
mood killer when one of them has to go hunting for the bottle of K-Y Jelly in the bedroom. Not
super economical, having multiple bottles of lube, but practical in every other sense.

“Mmm…you ready, baby?” Jungkook asks, once he’s lubed up his fingers, drawing teasing circles
around Taehyung’s entrance.

“Have been for the last ten fucking minutes,” Taehyung grumbles, “in case you haven’t noticed.”
At this point, he’s ready to just use his own fingers and do it himself if his boyfriend doesn’t
fucking pick up the pace soon.

“You teased me first,” Jungkook reminds him. “Being all coy and shit.” He finally slips a finger
inside him and Taehyung bites back a groan. “But you can’t keep it up, can you? Can’t hide the
fact that you’re so fucking needy for my cock.”

Taehyung whines, the filthiness of Jungkook’s words combined with the feeling of his finger
slowly moving in and out of him pushing him to the edge of insanity, making his cock throb.

“J-jungkook, come on,” he stutters, “give me more, please…”

“You’d think you’d had enough last night, hmm?” Jungkook rasps, inserting a second finger,
moving them faster now and Taehyung moans as he feels Jungkook flick and curl them against his
prostate, stretching him open. “Think you’d had enough when I fucked you so hard last night,
fucked you into the mattress but you wanted more, didn’t you? Needed my cock so badly that you
asked for it again, Tae, you fucking rode me until you couldn’t hold yourself up anymore,
remember? Do you remember that? How you screamed out my name when I made you come…”

Taehyung wants to answer with a snappy retort, something along the lines of ‘Of course I fucking
remember, I was there, wasn’t I?’ But he’s too far gone at this point for that so he just writhes
against the countertop, fucking himself back on Jungkook’s fingers, desperate for anything
Jungkook is willing to give him. It’s already too much and not enough, he needs more, he doesn’t
care if Jungkook makes him get on his knees and beg for it, he just needs his cock inside of him,
needs it so badly he’d do anything for it.

Taehyung looks back at Jungkook looming above him over the counter and, even though he knows,
logically speaking, that he’s human, he somehow so resembles the huge black dragon from his
dream that Taehyung feels his breath catch in his throat.

Jungkook stares down at him intently, his eyes full of dark promise as he removes his fingers from
Taehyung’s hole and jerks his sweatpants down to free his rigid cock. Taehyung starts to drool at
the mere sight of it, a soft whimper escaping him.

“You know I can’t get enough of you either, right?” Jungkook murmurs as he lubes himself up.
“You know I’m always fucking aching to be inside you, Tae?”

Taehyung doesn’t trust himself to speak at the moment so he just nods feebly, wetting his lips with
his tongue.

“Good,” Jungkook says and thrusts inside of him, bottoming out in one swift stroke.

Taehyung cries out, arching back, his toes curling as Jungkook slowly withdraws almost all of the
way only to slam inside him again, hitting his prostate dead on.

“Like this, Tae?” Jungkook grunts, beginning to fuck into him properly now, grasping his hips,
pulling him back onto his cock at the same time. “You want it like this?”

“Y-yes, Jungkook, fuck, just like that, feels so fucking good, go harder, please...”

But instead of speeding up, Jungkook slows down, stops. “No, come on,” he breathes, “do that
thing that I like.”

Taehyung lets out a frustrated groan but obeys, going up on his tiptoes and starts to bounce his ass
backwards, essentially twerking up and down on Jungkook’s dick. His own cock is slapping
against his stomach, and the friction, the feeling of Jungkook inside him is so good, so fucking
incredible that Taehyung just knows that he’s drooling all over himself already and he’s close to
making an even bigger mess of himself.

“Fuck yeah, baby, back that fucking ass up,” Jungkook grits out, landing another harsh slap on his
ass. “You like fucking yourself on my dick?”

“Fuck, Jungkook, yes, I fucking love it,” Taehyung pants, looking over his shoulder as he gyrates
against him, “come on, baby, fuck me, want you to fuck me hard…”

Jungkook rolls his hips forwards while Taehyung continues to thrust back against him and they’re
really getting into it now, moving in tandem with each other. Thrusting, grinding, skin slapping
against skin and Taehyung’s voice is raised in a steady wail, ‘Yes, Jungkook, give it to me, fuck me’
which only spurs his boyfriend on to fuck him harder, pushing him to the edge, making his eyes
roll back in his skull.

“Fuck, baby, come on,” Jungkook growls, pounding into him, hammering against his prostate,
“come for me, wanna make you fucking come, wanna hear you fucking scream again－”

And Taehyung’s so close, fuck, he’s right on the brink now, and he hasn’t even touched himself
once but, god, he doesn’t need to, Jungkook always fucks him so well, always knows exactly how
to move, knows just where to aim to have him coming his brains out, coming untouched…

But just when he’s seconds away from his climax, Spider Monkey chooses that moment to jump
up onto the counter and saunter up to him, headbutting him and purring, licking his hair.

They both immediately freeze. Spider Monkey, seemingly oblivious to what they’re in the middle
of doing, continues to purr in Taehyung’s face, rubbing his wet nose against his forehead.

“Oh my god,” Jungkook says from behind him. He sounds absolutely horrified.

Taehyung starts to giggle uncontrollably, slumping against the counter as Spider Monkey licks at
his face. His boyfriend’s cock is still inside of him and now he’s got a cat trying to make out with
him.

“S-spider Monkey, g-go away,” Taehyung splutters, still laughing as he tries to push the cat away,
“this is not a threesome.”

“Did we just tip over into bestiality?” Jungkook says, causing Taehyung to dissolve into a fresh
wave of giggles.

“Well, whatever it is your cat’s trying to do to me, it definitely feels like a violation.” He’s still
attempting to fend Spider Monkey off but the cat is seemingly determined to get his snuggles in.

“God, just come here,” Jungkook says, pulling him upright and away from Spider Monkey’s tender
ministrations. He pulls out of him, causing Taehyung to groan but then he’s being spun around and
lifted up into Jungkook’s arms and his boyfriend is pressing him back against the cold stainless
steel of the refrigerator.

“Better?” Jungkook says huskily, smirking at him as he guides himself back inside of Taehyung,
readjusting his grip.

“Mmm...much better,” Taehyung whispers, wrapping his legs tightly around Jungkook’s waist,
threading his hands through his hair. Before he met Jungkook, he hadn’t even known that he had a
strength kink but now he loves how his boyfriend can pick him up, manhandle him, fuck him
against walls, fuck him standing up in the shower, and, like right now, up against the fridge.

Jungkook starts to move again, thrusting up into him and Taehyung whines, slotting their mouths
together, kissing Jungkook sloppily as he’s fucked against the cool, hard metal of the fridge.

“Fuck, Tae,” Jungkook snarls, panting into his mouth. “So good, feels so fucking good—fuck!”

“Oh, fuck, baby, me too,” Taehyung cries, “I’m so close, you’re gonna make me come—”
“No, it’s the fucking cat,” Jungkook says irritably, stilling inside of him again. “He’s fucking
rubbing against my ankles now.”

Taehyung looks down to see Spider Monkey entwining himself around Jungkook’s legs, purring
like there’s no tomorrow.

Taehyung can’t help himself—he completely loses it, bursting into gales of laughter, tears running
down his cheeks, laughing so hard that his stomach starts to hurt, laughing so hard that he actually
comes, spilling onto Jungkook’s chest.

He thinks Jungkook might have nudged Spider Monkey away because now he’s fucking into him
again, chasing his own orgasm and Taehyung can only cling to him, the overstimulation causing
him to dig his nails into Jungkook’s shoulders. He clenches around his cock, squeezing him tightly
and Jungkook shudders and groans his name, coming inside of him.

Taehyung feels himself begin to slide down the refrigerator and then they both sort of collapse onto
the kitchen floor, Jungkook still holding onto him as he sits back against the kitchen island,
Taehyung straddling his lap as they gasp for air.

“So, um,” Jungkook says, his chest heaving, “I guess my cat’s a fucking pervert now?”

“Well, it’s like I’ve said before,” Taehyung replies, sucking in gulps of air, “he takes after you.”

“Shut up.”

As if on cue, Spider Monkey comes over to them, meowing for pets and Jungkook gives in,
scratching his ears, tugging on them slightly.

“You’re fucking relentless, dude,” Jungkook says to Spider Monkey. Then he looks back up at
Taehyung. “So, how about those pancakes, huh?” His face splits into a loopy grin. “I think I’ve
worked up an appetite now.”

Taehyung laughs, kissing him. “I’ll give you some pancakes, all right…”

They do end up eating the pancakes for breakfast.

Eventually.

Taehyung loves Jungkook. He loves his boyfriend with his whole heart, his entire being.

But it isn’t always easy to love Jungkook.

There is a certain darkness still inside of him, a lingering shadow that can make him moody and
irritable on occasion. Taehyung does his best to bring light to this darkness with kisses and hugs
and affection, by just simply being there for him.

But he knows that Jungkook has gone through a lot of shit in his life－like his deadbeat dad
walking out on him and his mom when Jungkook was just a kid or his snooty ex-girlfriend leaving
him for another man, making him feel like he wasn’t good enough for anybody. So he’s got major
abandonment issues, which is understandable, but Taehyung sometimes feels as if Jungkook is still
a bit mistrustful of him and their relationship. Like he doesn’t quite believe it when Taehyung
makes it clear that he’s sticking around, like Jungkook is preparing himself for the inevitability of
Taehyung walking away from him.

Which is just not going to happen but Taehyung knows that so much heavy baggage cannot be
fixed with a few reassuring kisses and kind words. Still, he does his best and he knows Jungkook is
trying too, trying to overcome his intimacy issues for his sake. For their sake.

But still, the shadow manifests sometimes. And when it does, Taehyung feels helpless.

It manifests one day when they’re at the shop together, just the two of them working and Taehyung
is tattooing his last client of the day while Jungkook is up at the counter with his own client, doing
a consult.

Alex, the guy Taehyung is inking, is handsome, blonde and extremely chatty, telling him about all
the exotic places he’s traveled to, and he mentions the fact that he has a yacht at least twice. So
he’s a bit of a spoiled rich kid, the silver spoon type, but he’s not super snobby and is actually quite
nice, complimenting Taehyung on his tattoos and asking him where he’s traveled. They end up
having a pretty enjoyable conversation and Taehyung thinks to himself that it’s clients like this guy
that are the reason he wanted to become a tattoo artist in the first place－to connect with people
through his art, get to know them. Jungkook might not understand his affection for the human race
in general but Taehyung has always loved talking to people, making new friends, finding common
ground with pretty much anybody and everybody.

Once Taehyung is finished inking Pikachu on Alex’s inner bicep (and he thinks it’s kind of
adorable that the guy wanted a Pikachu tattoo), he brings him up to the counter to settle up.
Jungkook has finished with his consult and is just leaning against the back counter, scrolling
through his phone and Taehyung gives him a brief touch on the arm and a small smile as he passes
him. Jungkook looks up, returning his smile but it feels off somehow and a small warning bell
sounds in his head.

He tries to ignore it as he goes over the Tattoo Aftercare sheet with Alex, collects the cash from
him－including a tip so generous it’s almost kind of embarrassing.

“Thanks again,” Alex says, flashing him a boyish grin. “I admit, I was a bit nervous when I came
in here but you really helped calm my nerves. I appreciate that.”

“Hey, no problem,” Taehyung says, shrugging. “It’s what I’m here for.”

He smiles at Alex, waiting for him to say his goodbyes and leave the shop－but he lingers at the
counter, considering Taehyung for a few seconds.

“So…you guys are closing soon, right?”

“Um, yeah,” Taehyung says, not entirely sure where this is going. “In a few minutes so－”

“Can I maybe take you out to dinner, then?” Alex asks.

Taehyung blinks at him. “I-I beg your pardon?”

“Have dinner with me,” Alex says, his smile turning persuasive. “I’ve had a lot of fun talking to
you and…” he eyes Taehyung up and down, making a show of checking him out, “…I’d like to get
to know you better.”
Taehyung is thrown for a complete loop. He had been getting total straight-boy vibes from Alex
and he hadn’t been flirting with him at all, they had just been talking…

Without even turning to look at him, Taehyung can just sense the tension in Jungkook’s body, can
practically feel the hostility emanating from him in thick, dark waves.

Shut it down! his brain screams at him. Shut this thing down now!

“Thanks but no thanks,” Taehyung says to Alex, trying to keep things polite. “I have a boyfriend.
Whom I love very much,” he adds, raising his voice slightly.

“Boyfriend, huh?” Alex says, looking a bit disappointed but still smiling that flirtatious smile. “I
gotta say, the man’s a lucky guy.”

“I…um…” Taehyung doesn’t know if it would make things better or worse if he mentioned the
fact that his boyfriend was standing two feet away.

“Well,” Alex says, opening up his wallet and taking out a business card, “if things don’t work out
with your boyfriend…” he slides the card across the counter towards Taehyung, “…feel free to
give me a call.”

Then, before Taehyung can say anything else, Alex winks at him and walks out of the shop.

Taehyung looks mutely down at the card and then picks it up, tearing it in half. “Jeez, I thought
that guy was nice but he kind of turned out to be a bit of a tool, huh?”

No response.

He turns around to see Jungkook looking down at his shoes, arms crossed over his chest. Taehyung
sighs, throwing Alex’s card in the trash before going over to him and wrapping his arms around
him, pressing tightly against his side.

“Come on, bunny,” he says, “don’t be mad.” He presses a soft kiss to Jungkook’s cheek, rubbing
his chest. “Like I’d ever want to be with some himbo like that when I’ve got you.”

Jungkook covers Taehyung’s hand with his own and for a second Taehyung relaxes, thinking that
he’s reached him－but Jungkook gently pulls Taehyung’s hand away from his chest, stepping
away from him.

“We should lock up,” Jungkook mutters, still not looking at him as he goes to start flicking off all
the lights.

Taehyung feels a lump rising in his throat but doesn’t say anything, just goes to roll the shutter
down over the window. He hates it when Jungkook gets like this, he just feels so fucking
powerless against the demons that turn his sweet boyfriend into someone else, someone cold and
withdrawn. He knows it won’t last forever, that Jungkook will come back to him but, in the
meantime, he just doesn’t know what to do about it.

He holds Jungkook’s hand on the way home and, while Jungkook allows it, he still feels so distant,
like he’s a million miles away even though they’re physically touching. But Taehyung only
tightens his grip on Jungkook’s hand, instinctively knowing that meeting Jungkook’s distance with
even more distance is not the solution.

I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, he chants in his head as if Jungkook might be able to hear him
telepathically, I’m here, just please come back to me.
Jungkook doesn’t say one word to him the entire way home and by the time they get inside their
apartment, Taehyung feels like he wants to scream in frustration. It’s one thing to try and be patient
and understanding but it’s another thing entirely when he knows he hasn’t done anything wrong
and Jungkook is overreacting, giving him the silent treatment for no reason.

He leans down and pets Spider Monkey who has trotted up to them as soon as they get inside the
door, meowing at them like they’ve been gone for days.

“Yes, we missed you too,” Taehyung coos at him before straightening up, sighing. He knows it’s
pretty bad when Jungkook doesn’t even bother to greet his cat.

He turns to Jungkook, opening his mouth to suggest that they just put a movie on or something
until Jungkook is ready to talk about it—and that’s when Jungkook seizes him around the waist
and throws him over his shoulder, carrying him towards the bedroom.

“Hey!” Taehyung says indignantly. “What are you－stop－Jeon Jungkook, you put me down
this instant!”

But Jungkook ignores him, only answering him with a smack on the ass as he marches into the
bedroom, throwing Taehyung down onto the bed like a rag doll and slamming the door shut,
plunging them into darkness.

Taehyung tries to sit up but Jungkook is already climbing on top of him, kissing him—but not on
the lips. Instead, he’s got his mouth latched onto Taehyung’s neck, sucking and biting, marking
him as he rubs crudely at Taehyung’s crotch with the heel of his hand.

Taehyung squirms underneath him, trying to push his hand away. They shouldn’t be having sex
right now, they should be talking, Taehyung knows that it’s not good for them to be fucking when
Jungkook is in this state. But Jungkook is just so heavy and his body is already responding to
Jungkook’s touch, god, he’s half-hard already and starting to tremble...

And maybe if he gives in to this, he can reach Jungkook, bring his lover back from whatever dark
place he’s in right now.

“Jungkook,” Taehyung breathes, reaching for him, cupping his face in his hands, “kiss me...”

But Jungkook pulls away from him, sitting back on his heels, yanking Taehyung’s tee shirt off,
making quick work of his jeans and boxers, tugging them down his legs, throwing them into a pile
on the floor. He’s completely naked now, he’s been naked in front of Jungkook hundreds of times
by now—but he hasn’t felt so vulnerable and unprepared for a long time. Not since their first time
together.

“C-could we maybe have a light on or something?” Taehyung says uncertainly but Jungkook
doesn’t seem to hear him. He flips Taehyung over so he’s on all fours, facing away from him, and
spanks him－hard－his palm cracking against his ass.

“Jesus,” Taehyung says, jolting under the impact, “that really fucking hurt—”

“It’s supposed to hurt.”

Taehyung feels a tremor of unease at the harshness in Jungkook’s voice. He’s no stranger to dirty
talk, especially when it comes to having sex with Jungkook, they can both get downright filthy
sometimes—but this feels different. Darker.

He should say no, he should tell Jungkook to stop, but maybe he has his own dark side because a
part of him doesn’t want this to stop. A part of him wants to be taken, wants to be handled roughly,
wants to walk that thin, fine line between pain and pleasure.

So he clutches at the sheets as Jungkook roughly fingers him open, moving back against his hand,
not bothering to stop the moans coming out of his mouth. Then he hears Jungkook undo his belt
buckle and realizes that his boyfriend isn’t even going to bother taking his clothes off to fuck him,
that Jungkook wasn’t going to make himself vulnerable to Taehyung the way Taehyung was being
vulnerable for him. It should have disturbed him, that Jungkook is planning on using him like
some sort of fuck doll and it does—but, god, it turns him on too, being completely naked while
Jungkook remains fully clothed. He wonders if it’s some sort of kink he has and if it is, whether it
has a specific name or not.

He doesn’t have a lot of time to think about this though, because Jungkook is suddenly ramming
into him, setting a brutally fast pace, hips snapping against his ass, fisting one of his hands into
Taehyung’s hair, pulling his head back as he fucks him mercilessly.

“Yeah, come on, take it,” Jungkook snarls. “Take that fucking cock.”

And Taehyung does take it. He submits, fisting his hands in the sheets, crying out as Jungkook
punches his cock against his prostate, again and again and again. He can barely breathe, tears are
running down his cheeks, his cock is achingly hard and although what Jungkook is doing to him
feels good physically—in every other way, it feels wrong. Like he’s being fucked by a stranger,
someone he doesn’t even know. Or it’s almost as if Jungkook is fucking a stranger, fucking
Taehyung like he’s someone Jungkook doesn’t care about at all.

Jungkook pulls out of him and flips him over onto his back and Taehyung thinks that maybe
Jungkook will allow Taehyung to finally touch him—but Jungkook just grabs his wrists and pins
them over his head, his grip firm as he reenters him, fucking into him hard, his breath hot against
his face.

“You like being fucked like this, don’t you?” Jungkook growls in his ear. “You love this dick, love
being my little slut—”

Okay, that was new. But it would be useless to deny the dark, erotic thrill that hums through him at
Jungkook’s words.

“Yes,” Taehyung moans, “love what you do to me...” He struggles weakly against Jungkook’s hold
on his wrists. “Jungkook, come on...let me touch you...”

“No,” Jungkook snarls. “You’re mine, understand? You belong to me.”

And everything is starting to make a weird sort of sense now, even if what they’re doing, what
Jungkook is doing to him, isn’t healthy, is so far from okay. Taehyung can’t stop it now, even if he
wanted to, because he’s coming, Jungkook is driving into him, fucking him through his orgasm,
he’s coming all over his chest and Jungkook’s tee shirt, writhing around the bed as Jungkook holds
him down, still fucking him, not letting up until he shudders above him and Taehyung feels the
warmth of Jungkook’s cum spilling inside of him.

Jungkook pulls out and rolls off of him, collapsing beside him on the bed and, for a minute or so,
the only sound in the room is their harsh, ragged breathing.

Taehyung stares up at the dark ceiling, his mind a riot of chaotic confusion. Now that he’s come
down from the high of the sex, he’s not sure what to think, how to feel. Yes, it had been
pleasurable, toe-curling sex just like it always was with Jungkook but he doesn’t feel that euphoric
sense of connection, of all-consuming love that he normally does. Even when they have had dirty,
rough sex, Taehyung always felt loved and cared for. But not right now, not after something like
this. Now he feels…used.

Taehyung swallows thickly, a dull sort of anger beginning to pulse through him. “You can’t do this
to me, Jungkook,” he says quietly, not looking at him. “You can’t punish me for the things that
other people have done to you.”

He sits up, deciding to go take a shower, give Jungkook some space－but then he feels a hand on
his arm and turns back to look at his boyfriend, still lying beside him.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook says, his voice choked with tears. “Please, just－stay here, Tae. Please
don’t leave me alone right now.”

Taehyung feels his heart crack in two at how broken Jungkook sounds, how lost he looks in the
shadows of their dark bedroom. So he stays, stretching out beside him again, wrapping his arms
around him as Jungkook buries his face in Taehyung’s neck, clutching him tightly.

“I’m afraid I’m not good enough for you,” Jungkook says, his voice shaky, the words tumbling out
in a rush, “I’m afraid someone else is going to take you away from me.” I’m afraid, I’m afraid, I’m
afraid…

Taehyung presses a gentle kiss to Jungkook’s forehead, runs a soothing hand down his back. “I’m
not going anywhere, Jungkook,” he says. He pulls back slightly so that he can look Jungkook in the
face. “I’m permanent, you know?” He traces a finger over Jungkook’s bicep where he knows his
black panther tattoo is. “Like a…venereal disease. Couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”

Jungkook sobs out a laugh. “I’d never want to get rid of you.”

“Good. Because you can’t.”

Jungkook laughs again and takes one of Taeyung’s hands in his, pressing his lips to his palm.
“Fuck, Tae, you don’t even know how much you mean to me. Before I met you it was like…” He
takes a deep breath, tries again. “I mean, I felt like, I dunno, and then you came along and it was
like…” He trails off again, sounding frustrated. “Fuck, I can’t even fucking explain it properly.”

“It’s okay,” Taehyung says softly. “I’ve got the gist.” He leans over and kisses him, lacing their
fingers together. “I love you, you big dumb idiot.”

“I love you too, baby,” Jungkook whispers. “I love you so fucking much.”

They go take a shower together, holding each other underneath the soothing warm spray of the
showerhead, hands caressing, lips clinging and parting in gentle kisses.

They stay like that for a very long time.

The next day is one of Taehyung’s days off but Jungkook has a twelve-hour shift at the shop,
working with Yoongi all day.
“Will you come down and have lunch with me?” Jungkook asks, hovering around the front door.
He looks uncertain, as if he thinks Tahyung might say no. Because even though they made up last
night and Taehyung feels like they’ve mostly recovered, things still feel a bit fragile between them.

“Yeah, of course,” Taehyung says, kissing him. “Usual time?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook says, looking relieved. He leans in for another kiss and then another one and
eventually Taehyung has to shove him out the door so he won’t be late for work.

“See you later, you dork,” Taehyung calls after him as Jungkook walks away down the hallway,
acknowledging him with a wave of his hand.

Taehyung putters around the apartment all morning, putting some music on as he does a couple
loads of laundry, empties the dishwasher, and plays with Spider Monkey, throwing his toy mouse
around the living room for him to chase. As he watches the cat rip the mouse to shreds, his mind
drifts to last night, how precarious everything had seemed. Maybe it was a good thing that they had
time to themselves today but Taehyung still feels restless, missing his boyfriend.

He’d never thought he’d ever become so attached to someone. He hadn’t exactly been completely
alone or anything before he and Jungkook got together, he had always had lots of friends. But he
hadn’t really dated much and something had definitely been missing in his life before Jungkook,
that romantic, fairy-tale kind of love that he had always craved. It still baffled him sometimes that
he had found it with someone he had once considered to be his arch-nemesis.

He knows it’s kind of pathetic but he still misses Jungkook, always wants him around when he’s
not there, even if they’re only apart for a few hours. They just fit together, like two pieces of some
goofy puzzle, where one half is all rainbow sprinkles and pink unicorns while the other half is
covered in black howler monkeys, black wolves, and black dragons traveling through a dark
jungle. At midnight.

It shouldn’t work, it should make absolutely no sense whatsoever, but it does. Taehyung just loves
Jungkook. His grumpy bunny, the yin to his yang. And he knows that Jungkook loves him too,
even if he has a relapse into assholeness sometimes.

Just before one, Taehyung heads over to the shop, walking in the door to find Jungkook sitting at
the counter, working on a sketch. He waves at Yoongi, who is busy inking one of his clients,
returning Taehyung’s greeting with a nod and a brief smile.

“Hey,” Taehyung says, approaching the counter. “Whatcha working on?”

Jungkook’s head jerks up, startled, and he immediately flips the paper over, covering it by leaning
his forearms on the counter. “Nothing,” he says quickly.

Taehyung frowns at him. “Come on,” he says, tugging lightly on a corner of the paper, “let me
see.”

“No!” Jungkook says sharply and Taehyung pulls his hand away, feeling a bit hurt. They always
share their work with each other, Taehyung is always the first person Jungkook shows his sketches
to, and vice versa, finished pieces and works-in-progress, all the way down to silly doodles.

Jungkook catches the look on Taehyung’s face and immediately softens. “Sorry, just…it’s not
finished yet, Smurf. I don’t want to show it to you until it’s done.”

“Okay…” It’s definitely unusual for Jungkook to hold out on him like this but Taehyung tries not
to read too much into it. Maybe it’s just one of those sketches that won’t make sense until it’s
finished.

“Come on,” Jungkook says, standing up and laying the sketch face-down on the back counter.
“Let’s go eat.”

They go across the street to the little café and stand in line for sandwiches and donuts, doing the
subtly-holding-hands thing where they link their pinkies together. Things definitely feel easier
between them, even though there’s still a bit of nervous tension emanating from Jungkook－and he
insists on paying for all of their food, which means that he’s still feeling guilty about last night.

They snag a table near the window and settle in to eat, Jungkook telling him about a client he had
this morning who wanted ‘another one of those fucking feathers.’

“I ended up doing it,” he grumbles. “I didn’t feel like arguing with her.”

“And so today will forever be known as the day that Jeon Jungkook’s artistic integrity was
irreparably compromised,” Taehyung jokes and that gets him a reluctant smile. “Come on, bunny,”
he says, nudging Jungkook’s foot with the toe of his sneaker, “there’s always going to be clients
who insist on clichés even when your masterpieces are right there on our display wall. So, really
it’s their loss but the upside is, you still get paid.”

Jungkook grins at him. “Masterpieces, huh?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes. “Really? That’s what you took away from what I just said? You’re
unbelievable.”

“And you’re too cute for your own good,” Jungkook replies, tapping his foot against Taehyung’s
and they play footsie with each other as they continue eating. Once they finish, they linger for a
few extra minutes, Jungkook going quiet as he gazes at Taehyung across the table.

“This is going to sound stupid but I miss you when you’re not at the shop with me,” Jungkook
says, his cheek propped on his hand.

Jungkook’s words send a cascade of butterflies tumbling through Taehyung’s stomach and he feels
his cheeks warm. “Well, I miss you when you’re not at home with me,” he says, reaching across
the table and taking Jungkook’s hand in his. “Yoongi’s still looking for another artist, right? So we
can have days off together?”

“Yeah…” Jungkook glances out the café window to their shop across the street. “I asked him about
it this morning but he said it still might take a while. He has to find someone who’s not only a good
artist but will fit in with us, you know?”

“That makes sense,” Tahyung says, nodding. Then he smiles. “So we’re obviously going to nix
anybody with flower tattoos.”

Jungkook snorts out a laugh. “Obviously.” His face turns serious again as he rubs his thumb across
Taehyung’s knuckles. “Tae,” he whispers, looking down at their hands. “I’m really sorry about last
night.”

Taehyung feels something stutter inside his chest and he has to clear his throat before he answers.
“I know, bunny,” he says quietly. “And I told you, we’re going to be fine. We are fine,” he corrects
when Jungkook’s eyes dart back up to him, looking worried. “Just－don’t shut me out. Okay?”

“I won’t,” Jungkook says, bringing Taehyung’s hand up to his lips, kissing it. “I promise.”
All too soon, Jungkook has to return to the shop and they stand outside of Kraken Ink, both of them
drawing out their brief time together as long as possible.

“I’ll come around later so I can walk home with you,” Taehyung says, running his hands up and
down along Jungkook’s arms, copping a sneaky feel of his boyfriend’s biceps.

“You don’t have to…” Jungkook mutters, looking slightly embarrassed, his arms wrapped around
Taehyung’s waist.

“I know,” Taehyung says, gazing at him. “I want to.” He kisses him and then reluctantly pulls
away, turning to leave－but then Jungkook is grabbing his hand and spinning him back into his
arms and Jungkook’s lips are on his again, kissing him desperately, almost greedily.

Taehyung moans into his mouth, wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s neck, pressing against him
as they kiss and kiss and kiss. They’re practically making out with each other right there on the
sidewalk and Taehyung is pretty sure some woman passes them at some point, muttering out ‘jeez,
get a room’ but Taehyung doesn’t care, not when Jungkook is kissing him like this and he feels like
it’s just the two of them at the center of their very own universe.

“I love you,” Jungkook whispers fiercely when they finally break apart. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah,” Taehyung says, feeling a bit dazed. “I love you, too.”

Jungkook presses one last hard, hot kiss to his lips and then spins him around, sending him on his
way with a little slap on the butt and Taehyung practically floats home, still giddy from Jungkook’s
passionate kiss.

And, if he immediately dashes to their bedroom the minute he’s inside their apartment and
fingerblasts the fuck out of himself while thinking of Jungkook’s cock inside of him…well, who
wouldn’t in that situation?

He lazes on the couch with Spider Monkey for the rest of the day, watching a couple of cheesy
romcoms on Netflix and tearing up at all the sappy bits. Once Sasha and Marcus finally get
together at the end of Always Be My Maybe, it’s time for him to head back to the shop to collect his
boyfriend.

When he gets there, Yoongi is just heading out, turning off the open sign as soon as Taehyung
walks in.

“Hey, Tae,” he says, looking a bit tired but still offering him a small smile.

“Hey, Yoongi,” Taehyung replies. “Busy day?”

“Yep,” Yoongi says, yawning and heading for the door. “See ya tomorrow.”

“See you,” Taehyung says as Yoongi shuffles sleepily off into the night, looking like a tatted-up
zombie. Then he turns and smiles at Jungkook, who’s tidying up at the counter.

“Hey, baby,” Jungkook says, looking up and beaming at him. “Lock the door, would you? Don’t
want any more idiots coming in here.”

“Too late for that,” Taehyung says, turning the lock and walking up to Jungkook, grinning at him.
“You’re already in here, aren’t you?”

Jungkook huffs a laugh. “You’re such a brat.”

“You love it,” Taehyung says, coming around the counter to kiss him. He had only meant for it to
be a brief peck but Jungkook wraps his arms around Taehyung’s waist, prolonging the kiss, turning
it into something slow and deep, wonderfully sensual.

“Mmm…” Jungkook murmurs against his lips. “I missed you today, Smurf.”

“I missed you too,” Taehyung whispers. He tugs on Jungkook’s hands, starting to pull him out
from behind the counter. “Come on, let’s finish locking up so we can get out of here.”

“Uh, wait,” Jungkook says, pulling his hands away and reaching for a piece of paper on the back
counter. “I, um, want to show you something.”

Taehyung looks curiously at the paper Jungkook is holding, the blank side still facing him. “Your
sketch from earlier?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jungkook says, sounding nervous all of a sudden and Taehyung notices that his ears
have turned slightly red. “I drew it for you because…” He fiddles with a corner of the paper, biting
his lip. “Because I wanted to try and show what I was trying to tell you last night.”

“Okay,” Taehyung says and he’s very aware of his heartbeat right now for some reason. He holds
his hand out. “Can I see it?”

Jungkook wordlessly hands him the paper and Taehyung studies it, taking it in.

It’s not just one sketch but a series of different drawings, broken up into six panels, like a cartoon
strip or a storyboard. The first panel shows an enormous werewolf, drawn entirely in black ink,
standing in the middle of a forest clearing, its lips drawn back in an inhuman snarl, fangs long and
cruel-looking as people flee from it, their mouths drawn in long oval screams. At first glance, the
werewolf is terrifying, almost grotesque. But then Taehyung takes a closer look at its eyes, and in
them he sees not rage or hunger or bloodlust but－fear. Stark, all-consuming fear.

Jungkook has always had a knack for expressing his ink-drawn animals’ emotions through their
eyes. It’s one of his many gifts, one of the things Taehyung has always admired about his art. Even
before he even met him.

The second panel shows the werewolf still in the forest but alone now, all the people having fled
from it. It’s curled up on a nest of dead leaves, its tail wrapped around its massive body, its head
tucked into its arm and it looks so sad and lonesome that Taehyung feels an absurd urge to try and
reach into the drawing so he can comfort it, stroke its furry head.

His eyes stray to the third panel which is done in colour, whereas the first two drawings had been
strictly black and white. It shows a man walking up the forest path, a bouquet of sunflowers in his
hands and, even if Jungkook hadn’t drawn the man with blue hair and flowers on his arms,
Taehyung would have been able to tell that Jungkook had drawn him because of the incredible
amount of detail he had put into the figure, the face rendered with meticulous, loving strokes, the
flowers drawn on the man’s arms almost an exact scaled-down replica of his own flower sleeves.

Feeling his bottom lip start to tremble, Taehyung looks at the fourth panel where the man holding
the bouquet of sunflowers is standing in front of the werewolf and the werewolf is looking at the
man with a mixture of cautious curiosity and something else, something more profound.

Hope.

His eyes stinging with tears, Taehyung has to blink rapidly as he looks at the fifth panel, a close-up
of the man’s hand holding out a sunflower and the werewolf’s paw is reaching for it, the tips of
one of its claws just brushing one of the sun-bright petals and it so reminds him of Michaelangelo’s
depiction of God and Adam on the Sistine Chapel, their hands reaching for each other, that it steals
all of the air out of his lungs.

The sixth and final panel shows the werewolf transformed back into a man－a man with black hair
and animal tattoos and he and the man with the flowers have their arms wrapped around each
other, their foreheads pressed together, soft smiles on both of their faces as colourful flowers bloom
all around them.

A tear slides down Taehyung’s face and he doesn’t bother wiping it away. “Jungkook,” he says, his
voice trembling, “this is…” But he can’t even get the words out.

“That’s how I feel about you, Tae,” Jungkook says softly, standing beside him. “That’s how I felt
when you came into my life.”

Taehuyng clutches the drawing to his chest, stifling a sob. “C-can I keep this?”

“Well, yeah,” Jungkook says, giving him a small smile. “I drew it for you, Smurf.”

Taehyung can’t contain himself any longer. He flings his arms around Jungkook, hugging him
tightly. “Thank you,” he manages to gasp out, “this is the most beautiful gift anyone’s ever given
me.”

“Glad you like it,” Jungkook murmurs, wrapping his arms around Taehyung, hugging him back.
He presses a kiss to his cheek and then pulls back slightly, looking him in the face.

“I love you, Tae,” he says, stroking his thumb across his cheek. “You’re the best thing that’s ever
happened to me. I mean it.”

Taehyung wants to say something back to Jungkook, wants to tell him that he’s the best thing that’s
ever happened to him too, that he loves Jungkook more than anyone else on the entire planet. But
he’s too choked up right now, he doesn’t trust his voice at all so he just leans in and kisses him,
trying to convey the depth of his feelings without words.

Jungkook must be thinking along the same lines because he returns Taehyung’s kiss with such an
overwhelming sense of heartfelt emotion that Taehyung feels his knees buckle. The kiss goes on
and on and on, his heart keeps expanding with every brush of Jungkook’s lips against his and it
feels like he’s falling and flying all at the same time.

They break apart finally, gasping for air and Taehyung knows exactly what he wants to do now,
what he needs. He can’t wait until they get home.

“Stay right here,” he whispers and then goes and turns all of the lights off, rolling the shutter down
on the window but only halfway, so some light from the streetlamps outside spills in through the
shop window. He goes back to Jungkook, finding his lips again, reaching for the hem of
Jungkook’s tee shirt and pulling it up and over his head.

“Tae,” Jungkook whispers, hands hesitating as he reaches for Taehyung’s own tee shirt. “Are you
sure?”

“Yes,” Taehyung breathes. “Need you now, baby. I don’t want to wait.”

They undress each other in the darkness of the shop, hands skimming over heated skin, going slow,
taking their time. He has Jungkook sit down in a chair, straddling his lap as he rides him slow,
raining gentle kisses down on his forehead, his lips, his shoulders as he moves, taking all of him.
Jungkook moves with him, hands guiding his hips, pressing his lips to Taehyung’s fluttering pulse,
his collarbone, the sun and moon inked over his heart.

“Tae,” Jungkook whispers, saying his name like a prayer, “oh god, Tae…”

“I’m here, baby,” Taehyung whispers back, “I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I promise…”

And, for the first time in their relationship, he knows that Jungkook finally, completely believes
him.

“I dunno, Tae…” Jimin says dubiously. “He’s kind of a dick.”

“He is not a dick,” Taehyung hisses back. “How can you even say that, you’ve barely talked to him
for five minutes!”

Taehyung had finally managed to get Jungkook to agree to come to one of Jimin’s parties so he
could meet all of his friends. It had been a long time coming, Jungkook not exactly being the
sociable type and, for the first few months, Taehyung had kind of wanted to keep his boyfriend to
himself anyways.

But Jimin had been pestering him for weeks now to meet his new boyfriend so he could size him
up. So now here they are at Jimin’s apartment and Jungkook is doing his best to try and talk to
other people.

Needless to say, it’s not exactly going well.

Taehyung had invited Yoongi too so that Jungkook would have someone else to talk to apart from
him but now he’s wondering if that was such a good idea. Because instead of having one surly,
anti-social person at Jimin’s party, there’s two surly, anti-social people at Jimin’s party. Jungkook
and Yoongi are standing in a loose circle with Hoseok, Jin, and Namjoon in the living area and it’s
beginning to look more and more like they’re all facing off against each other instead of having a
friendly conversation.

And Jungkook hadn’t exactly made the greatest impression on his best friend when he had walked
into Jimin’s apartment, nervous and unsmiling, replying to Jimin’s casual questions with clipped,
one-word answers. (“What do you like to drink, Jungkook?” “Wine.” “Okay…red or white?”
“Red.” “Hmm…you don’t get out much, do you?” A shrug.)

Jimin had given Taehyung an incredulous look as if to say Seriously? This guy? And now the two
of them are having a whisper-fight in Jimin’s kitchen.

“Jimin, you promised,” Taehyung says in an undertone. “You promised that you weren’t going to
be prejudiced, you said that you would give him a chance－”

“You were the one who always went on about what an asshole he was before you started dating
him,” Jimin says, raising an eyebrow.

“That was before－”

“Yeah, well, maybe past you had a fucking point. He is an asshole.”

Taehyung groans in frustration. He should have known Jimin would bring that up. Before he had
gotten to know Jungkook and fallen in love with him, Taehyung had gone on plenty of rants to
Jimin about his ‘asshole co-worker’ when he had first started working at Kraken Ink. Now it was
coming back to bite him in the ass.

“He’s not at his best in social situations,” Taehyung insists. “He’s introverted and shy, it takes him
a while to warm up to new people. That does not make him an asshole.”

“He’s doing a really good impression of one,” Jimin grumbles. “Did you hear what he said to Jin
about karaoke bars? He said they were lame!”

“Oh, come on, how was Jungkook supposed to know that Jin owns one when he asked him if he
liked karaoke bars? He was just giving his opinion!”

“He’s rude,” Jimin whispers fiercely. “He’s rude and standoffish and I don’t like him!”

“He’s really sweet!” Taehyung counters. “He’s sweet and funny and the most talented, creative
person I’ve ever met! And didn’t I tell you that he brought me flowers the other day?”

“You said he brought you some buttercups that he picked at the local park!” Jimin retorts. “It’s not
like he brought you an actual bouquet from a flower shop or anything, he didn’t even bother
spending any money on you－”

“So what!” Taehyung whisper-screams. “I can’t believe how unfair you are being right now, I’d
rather have flowers that someone actually took the time to pick for me than a bouquet of stupid
overpriced roses any day of the week!”

Taehyung had practically swooned when Jungkook had brought him the flowers on a day he had
been working at the shop while his boyfriend had had the day off. It had been a total surprise when
Jungkook had walked in with the tiny little bouquet of buttercups, handing them to him. “For you,”
he said, smiling shyly and Taehyung had grabbed him and kissed him silly.

There were so many small moments like that with Jungkook that no one else got to see and
Taehyung is starting to feel annoyed at Jimin for his snap judgment, his instant dislike of Jungkook
just because his boyfriend sucks at parties. Because Jimin didn’t get to see the side of Jungkook
that Taehyung gets to see every day.

Like when he helps Taehyung re-dye his hair every time it needs freshening up and he pretends
that he’s crushing a bunch of Smurfs as he’s mixing the hair dye, doing high-pitched little screams
and cries of agony until Taehyung is practically weeping with laughter. Or when Taehyung catches
Jungkook dozing on the sofa with Spider Monkey curled up on his chest and Jungkook is talking to
his cat in a cute little baby voice, calling him ‘Banana Pants’ and cooing softly.

And Jimin is certainly not there when Jungkook makes love to him, whispering the most beautiful
words against his skin, covering his entire body with lingering kisses, tracing the lines of ink and
colour with his tongue.

There are hundreds of moments when Jungkook makes Taehyung feel so loved, so incredibly
special. And he hates that his friends are seeing Jungkook at his worst, making inaccurate
assumptions about him right off the bat. Just like Taehyung did when he first met him.

“You need to give him a chance,” Taehyung says to Jimin. “I swear, once you get to know him,
you’ll find he’s a really great guy－”
“Seriously?” Jungkook’s outraged voice comes floating over to them from the living room. “You
think Captain America is a better superhero than Iron Man?”

Jimin’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline and Taehyung kind of wants to light himself on fire.

“Oh no,” he groans. “They’re talking about Marvel movies.” He quickly dashes over to the living
room to intervene in an argument that most ten-year-olds would consider to be beneath them.

“Well, yeah,” Hoseok is saying, glaring at Jungkook. “Steve Rogers has actual super powers, Tony
Stark just has the suit. If you take that away than he’s just－”

“A genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist!” Jungkook says heatedly. “Jesus Christ, did you not

even watch the fucking movies?”

Hoseok opens his mouth to argue but, thankfully, Taehyung gets there first.

“All very valid points, gentleman,” Taehyung says, coming up behind Jungkook and trapping him
in a back hug. “But I’ve always been partial to Loki.” He leans in close, whispering in Jungkook’s
ear. “Especially when he says ‘Kneel before me.’”

Jungkook turns to look at him over his shoulder, a small smirk on his face. “I know that’s your
favorite part, Smurf,” he murmurs, “why else would you get me to say it when we roleplay－”

“Shh,” Taehyung admonishes but giggling despite himself. “Keep that to yourself, bunny boy.”

Jungkook turns more fully to face him and Taehyung pulls him slightly away from the group.

“So…” he says, rubbing Jungkook’s shoulders. “How’s it going?”

“Um, bad, I think,” Jungkook mumbles, looking a bit guilty. “Sorry, Tae, I really am trying but I’m
not good at shit like this.”

“I know you’re trying, bunny,” Taehyung says softly. “And it means the world to me that you’re
here.” He cups Jungkook’s face in his hands, kissing him and immediately feels Jungkook relax.
He pulls back, grinning cheekily at him. “Plus, I love that I finally get to show you off to all my
friends.”

“Not much to show,” Jungkook says, rolling his eyes. “I bet they’re all thinking ‘what the hell is
Tae doing with that potato?’”

“Aw, you’re not a potato,” Taehyung says, laughing. “You’re my sweet, hot-as-fuck boyfriend and
they’re all just jealous that I snapped you up first.”

Jungkook drops his gaze, looking down at his feet but not before Taehyung catches the shy grin on
his face. “You’re the sweet one,” he murmurs, giving Taehyung’s stomach a little poke.

“That’s because when I was little my mom dunked me in a barrel of sugar.”

Jungkook chuckles. “Hmm…well, that would explain a lot,” he says, kissing him again.

Taehyung sneaks one more kiss in before pulling away. “Hey,” he whispers, “you wanna get
revenge on them for having appalling taste in superheroes?”

“Um…okay,” Jungkook says slowly, frowning at him. “How do we do that?”

“I’ll show you.” Taehyung turns to the group, grinning at them. “Hey,” he says cheerfully, “who
wants to play Pictionary?”

Two hours later, Jimin is glaring at Taehyung and Jungkook, scraps of paper littering the coffee
table. “I don’t think it was very fair of you two to be on the same team,” he huffs. “Seems you had
a bit of an unfair advantage.”

“Oh, don’t be such a sore loser,” Taehyung says, grinning smugly, snuggling up against Jungkook
on the sofa. “You had an artist on your team, didn’t you? Second place is almost as good as first
place.”

They had all divided up into three teams－Taehyung with Jungkook of course, Jimin with Yoongi,
and Hoseok, Jin, and Namjoon making up the uneven third team. And Taehyung and Jungkook had
absolutely destroyed them, shouting out the answers to each other so quickly that their pens had
barely made any marks on the paper. “Jackal!” “Time machine!” “Sock puppet!” Then they had
obnoxiously high-fived each other after each correct answer while everyone else groaned
theatrically.

“Ugh, it’s like you two share a brain,” Jimin says, looking disgusted. “Seriously, how did you
guess the word ‘butt’ by drawing a heart?”

“Uh…inside joke.”

“I think we did pretty decent,” Yoongi says mildly, smiling at Jimin. “You guessed ‘Pirate’ right
away.”

Jimin blushes to the roots of his hair, looking bashful all of a sudden. “Well, it helps that you’re an
exceptional artist yourself,” he says shyly. “And I, um, really dig your skull tattoo, by the way. It’s
totally badass.”

“Thanks,” Yoongi says. He looks immensely pleased with himself.

Huh, Taehyung thinks. That’s interesting…

He turns to look up at Jungkook, his head lying on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “What did you think,
bunny?” he whispers. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, I did,” Jungkook says, kissing the top of Taehyung’s head. “But I think I need to get you
home, Smurf,” he murmurs against Taehyung’s hair, “so we can have some alone time…”

“Agreed,” Taehyung hums, leaning up to kiss him and when he pulls back, he catches Jimin
watching them, his expression softened a bit.

“Uh, nice to meet you guys,” Jungkook says awkwardly when they get up to leave. “This was…
fun.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you too, JK,” Hoseok says, offering him a friendly smile. During their game of
Pictionary, Jungkook and Hoseok had ended up unexpectedly bonding over a mutual love of horror
movies when Namjoon had been trying to draw a zombie.

“You guys will have to come over again next time,” Jimin says to them, walking Jungkook,
Taehyung and Yoongi to the door. He seems to be talking directly to Yoongi. “We’ll play Taboo or
something.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Yoongi says, gazing at Jimin. “I’d like that.”
They all say their goodbyes and Jimin even gives Jungkook a small hug before he leaves and right
then, Taehyung knows that Jimin has given his boyfriend the seal of approval.

This is later confirmed when they share an Uber home with Yoongi, dropping him off first before
being taken to their apartment and Taehyung gets a text from Jimin just as they pull up outside
their building.

Jiminie Cricket:

>ok u were right TaeTae, he’s not that bad…I suppose u can keep dating him :P<

>also…what’s the deal with Yoongi? Is he single or…<

TaeTae:

>single as a pringle. I’ll set u guys up ;)<

Jiminie Cricket:

>ur my fave person ever, I swear 2 god<

Taehyung laughs as they enter their apartment, kicking their shoes off. “Looks like Jimin’s
thirsting after Yoongi.”

“Yeah, I could kind of tell…” Jungkook says, grinning at him. “And I definitely caught Yoongi
checking out Jimin’s ass at one point.”

Taehyung giggles. “I ship it.” He wraps his arms around Jungkook’s neck, pressing against him.
“Thanks for coming out with me tonight, bunny. I know parties aren’t really your thing but I’m
really fucking proud of you for trying to make the best of it.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Jungkook says, placing his hands on his waist. “Your friends are
pretty cool, actually. I like them.”

“Hmm…not as much as you like me though, right?”

Jungkook chuckles softly, slipping his hand under Taehyung’s tee shirt and brushing a thumb
against one of his nipple piercings, causing him to gasp. “Tae…I don’t like anyone as much as I
like you…”

“Good,” Taehyung says breathlessly and pushes him back against the door, kissing him hard.
Jungkook has both of his hands underneath his shirt now, rolling his nipples between his fingers,
pinching and squeezing.

“What do you want?” Taehyung whispers, kissing his neck. “Come on, tell me…”

“You know what I want, baby,” Jungkook says huskily. “I want you to kneel…”

And Taehyung, quite happily, obliges him.

The music’s blasting, he’s wearing nothing but his rainbow-striped socks, pink boxer briefs and
one of Jungkook’s oversized black tee shirts and Taehyung is feeling hyper as fuck.

‘Just take those old records off the shelf…’

Taehyung has the remote from the TV in his hand to serve as a microphone (hairbrush
microphones are so last year) and he warbles into it as he boogies across the apartment, slip-sliding
around on his socks.

‘I sit and listen to them by myself…’

It’s just after nine o’clock in the evening, his boyfriend is going to be home any minute and as soon
as Jungkook gets in the door, Taehyung is going to jump him, push him down onto the sofa, pull
out Jungkook’s dick and bounce on it for hours and hours because he’s not just hyper, he’s fucking
horny.

‘Today’s music ain’t got the same soul…’

Taehyung does a power slide across the kitchen but it’s a bit too over-enthusiastic because he slips,
his rainbow striped socks going up in the air as he lands hard on his butt. “I’m okay,” he yells,
popping back up, undeterred. “I’m okay!”

‘I love that ole’ time rock n’ roll…’

Spider Monkey sits perched on their coffee table, watching him curiously, the way a psychiatrist
might watch the antics of a full-blown lunatic.

“Spider Monkey!” Taehyung cries, dancing over to him. “Come here, you little furball, dance with
me...”

He scoops Spider Monkey up into his arms and sways around with him, cavorting around the
apartment, kissing the top of the cat’s head and getting fur in his mouth.

“Blech! Okay, enough kisses for you, fuzzface, let’s reenact your favourite movie!”

Taehyung leaps onto the couch, standing on the cushions and holds Spider Monkey up over his
head.

“Aaaaaaaaah sivenyaaaaaah bobo eep insingya....”

It’s at this exact moment that Jungkook comes in, slamming the door behind him and storming into
the kitchen. Taehyung freezes, Spider Monkey still dangling from his outstretched arms but
Jungkook doesn’t seem to notice them. He grabs a glass from out of the cupboard, along with a
bottle of whiskey and slams them down on the counter, glowering the entire time.

Taehyung hugs Spider Monkey to his chest and drops down to sit on the sofa cross-legged,
grabbing his phone and pausing the music. He watches as Jungkook violently twists off the cap on
the whiskey bottle and pours himself a very large glass.

“Um...hey,” Taehyung says cautiously. “How was your day?”

Jungkook doesn’t answer, tossing back the glass of whiskey, emptying it in two huge gulps.
“Fucking Yoongi!” he bursts out, slamming the empty glass back down on the counter.

Taehyung sighs and sets Spider Monkey down on the floor. “Come here,” he says, patting the sofa
cushion beside him. “Tell me what happened.” It looks like his favorite activity of Bouncing on
Jungkook’s Huge Dick will have to wait.

Jungkook stalks over and drops down beside him, leaning his head back against the sofa cushion,
staring moodily up at the ceiling.

“So this fucking asshole walks in about ten minutes before we close, right? Asking for a fucking
rose tattoo. In colour. So I tell him, we’re closing soon and why doesn’t he book an appointment?
But no he’s being all belligerent and shit and is all like ‘are you really going to refuse my
business?’ and all that bullshit so I say I sure as hell am going to refuse his business when it’s ten
minutes to closing and my boyfriend’s fucking waiting for me at home—”

Taehyung winces slightly but feels a small glow of warmth all the same, knowing that Jungkook
was so eager to get home to him.

“The guy tries to argue, I keep telling him to fuck off and that’s when Yoongi comes out of the
back room.”

“Yikes,” Taehyung says. “Then what happened?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Well, at this point, everybody’s yelling. I’m yelling at the guy, Yoongi’s
yelling at me and that fucking asshole is yelling at both of us.” Jungkook heaves a sigh, rubbing a
hand over his eyes. “The guy finally left once Yoongi threatened to call the cops on him. But then
Yoongi fucking reams me out for losing my temper with the guy in the first place! Said if I don’t
check my attitude with customers, he’s going to have me making needles all fucking day like some
snot-nosed apprentice.”

“Aw, I’m sorry, baby,” Taehyung says, running a soothing hand through Jungkook’s hair. “That
wasn’t very nice of him. Did he say anything else?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook grumbles. “Said he could replace me with a honey badger and no one would be
able to tell the fucking difference.”

Taehyung can’t help it. He lets out a small snort of laughter which he immediately stifles.

Jungkook cuts him a glance. “It’s not funny.”

“Well, I’m just saying, sweetie, that if there was a fight between you and one of the most vicious
animals on earth...I’d probably put my money on you.”

“Shut up.” But there’s a small smile playing around his mouth now.
“Look, bunny,” Taehyung says, snuggling closer and rubbing his chest. “I know you aren’t a fan of
people—”

“Why would I be?” Jungkook mutters. “People are dicks.” He places his hand over Taehyung’s,
giving it a little squeeze. “Present company excluded of course.”

“Naturally. But as I was saying,” Taehyung continues, “don’t you think maybe it might be time to
brush up on your people skills? It can go a long way in our line of work, you know.”

“I know,” Jungkook says reluctantly. “But I’m not good with people like you are, Smurf. It doesn’t
come naturally to me like it does to you. It never has.” He slumps his shoulders, looking defeated
and seeing Jungkook look so miserable makes Taehyung’s heart ache.

“Hey,” he says softly, putting a hand on Jungkook’s cheek so that Jungkook turns to look at him.
“It doesn’t mean you can’t get better at it. And you are capable of being sweet and charming and
really fucking funny—”

“That’s with you, though,” Jungkook insists. “I can be myself around you, Tae. But it’s different
with people I don’t know, I always feel so fucking awkward.”

“I know,” Taehyung says, caressing his arm. “You just need to practice a little more, get
comfortable showing that other side of yourself.”

Jungkook kicks lightly at the leg of the coffee table. “I don’t know how,” he says petulantly and
Taehyung has the absurd urge to kiss the pout off his boyfriend’s face.

“How about this?” Taehyung says, an idea sparking in his head. “We’re both at the shop tomorrow
so why don’t we try a little roleplay exercise－”

Jungkook smirks, cocking an eyebrow at him. “Roleplay, huh? Sounds kinky.”

“Not like that,” Taehyung says, smacking his arm lightly. “I meant that I’ll pretend to be a client so
you can practice your people skills, and then I can give you some tips.”

Jungkook considers him for a few moments, his gaze soft. “You would do that for me?”

“Yeah, of course,” Taehyung says, leaning forward and kissing the tip of his nose. “It’ll be fun.”

Jungkook’s bright bunny smile lights up his entire face and Taehyung melts a little bit. “You’re the
best, Tae,” he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, bunny.”

Jungkook pats Taehyung’s thigh－and then looks down, frowning slightly. “Okay, how did I
just realize that you’re half-naked right now and wearing one of my tee shirts?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Taehyung says coyly. “You are hopelessly unobservant sometimes.” He
bites his lip, turning shy. “I was having a one-man dance party before you came home.”

“Hmm…” Jungkook says, caressing the octopus tattoo on his leg. “You feel like having a two-man
sex party?”

Taehyung giggles, throwing his leg over Jungkook’s thighs, straddling his lap. “I thought you’d
never ask…”
“Now, remember, we’ve never met before.”

“Tae,” Jungkook says, crossing his arms over his chest. “I know how roleplaying works. We do it
all the time at home－”

“Hush. This isn’t like the stuff we do at home. This is different.”

The day is starting to wind down at the shop and Taehyung and Jungkook are taking advantage of
the usually-quiet hour before they close to try out Taehyung’s roleplaying idea from yesterday.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Taehyung says, heading for the door. “Just remember, you’ve never seen me
before so just treat me like you would any other walk-in.” He opens the door to head out but then
pokes his head back in. “Oh, and it’ll be my first time ever in a tattoo shop so just keep that in
mind.”

Jungkook smirks at him. “Duly noted.”

Taehyung goes outside the shop, waits five seconds and then heads back in, trying to recall how it
had felt when he had first set foot in a tattoo shop. Well, the first time he had been absolutely
smashed and had just ended up getting his nipples pierced so he didn’t really remember that time
very clearly－but when he had gone back to get inked for the first time, he remembered being
pretty intimidated, uncertain if he was doing the right thing, wondering if his parents would try to
kill him if they knew he was getting a tattoo. His dad certainly hadn’t been very happy when
Taehyung had finally told them about it.

So he tries to tap into that nervous energy as he approaches the front counter, fidgeting with his
hands and looking anxiously around the shop. Finally, he allows his gaze to land on Jungkook
standing behind the counter and regarding him calmly, a predatory gleam in his eye and Taehyung
feels himself actually blush.

“Well, hello there,” Jungkook purrs, his voice pitched low, “what can I do for you?” His gaze rakes
over Taehyung’s body, giving him a long, slow once-over.

Taehyung frowns at him, feeling like he should point out that Jungkook seems to be a little
confused about the type of roleplaying they’re supposed to be doing right now. But instead he
decides to meet Jungkook’s Seductive Tattoo Artist with his own Over-the-Top Blustery
Gentleman.

He takes a deep breath. “Why good day to you, kind sir,” he says loudly, putting on an atrocious
British accent, “I was just passing your fine establishment and came in to inquire after this tattoo
artistry that you seem to be offering－”

Jungkook’s eyebrows shoot up, his lips twitching. “Tae,” he says quietly, “what the hell are you
doing right now?”

“It’s called acting,” Taehyung stage whispers, “just go with it.” He clears his throat and goes on.
“Perhaps, my good fellow, you could be so kind as to enlighten me as to the types of services you
offer－”
“Did it hurt?”

“What?” Taehyung says, dropping the accent, giving Jungkook a puzzled look. “Did what hurt,
what are you talking about－”

“When you fell from heaven. Did it hurt?”

Taehyung stares at him for a few seconds and then rolls his eyes, blowing out a frustrated breath.
“You know, if you’re not going to take this seriously－”

“Me? What about you?” Jungkook says, laughing. “Coming in here and acting like a member of
the royal family. Although your accent needs work. Tom Hiddleston would be ashamed of you,
Tae.”

“Shut up.” But now he’s laughing too, unable to keep his giggles in check any longer. Once he gets
himself under control, he sighs, shaking out his hands. “Okay, let’s try again. And this time both of
us are going to act normal.”

Jungkook snorts. “Tae, when have either of us ever been normal?”

“Well, normal for us, then.”

He goes back out and comes into the shop again for take two.

“Um, hi,” he says shyly, going up to the counter and self-consciously rubbing his hand up and
down his arm, throwing himself into the role of Awkward College Kid Getting a Tattoo for the
First Time. “I, um, heard you guys do walk-ins...”

Jungkook’s eyes flick over Taehyung’s body for a brief second before locking in on his face.
“Yeah, we do,” he says casually, his lips quirking up in what could be considered a smile. “What
were you looking to get?”

“Umm...” Even though he knows they’re just pretending, he can’t help but feel slightly thrown off
by Jungkook right now as if they’ve gone back in time to when they first met at the shop and
Taehyung had been incredibly intimidated by the mysterious tattoo artist whose work had so
enchanted him when he first saw it on Kraken Ink’s website. Intimidated and intrigued and
instantly attracted, feeling immediately drawn to Jungkook as if by a magnet. The effect had been
slightly ruined when Jungkook had opened his mouth and been a complete dick to him. But that
was then and this is now so Taehyung tries his best to get his shit together.

“I was thinking a small bluebird, maybe?” Taehyung says, deciding to go with the first tattoo he
had ever actually gotten. “Right around...here?” He taps his hipbone and notices Jungkook follow
the movement of his hand, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

“Okay,” Jungkook says, his voice slightly raspy. “Have you ever gotten inked before?”

“N-no,” Taehyung stammers, feeling goosebumps prickle along his skin as Jungkook eyes him.

“Hmmm...first timer, huh?” Heat blooms in his stomach at the devilish smirk on Jungkook’s face.
“I bet you’re feeling pretty nervous...”

Well, he is now. God, if he had been confronted by someone like Jungkook the first time he walked
into a tattoo parlour he would have either run screaming from the shop or stripped off all of his
clothes and offered himself up on a silver platter right then and there.
Taehyung clenches his jaw. “Stop that,” he whispers.

“Stop what?”

“Stop fucking looking at me like you want to eat me!” Taehyung huffs. “And this is me talking, by
the way. If you’re trying to put me at ease by eye-fucking me, it’s totally not working. Try a
different tactic.”

Jungkook sighs. “You’re no fun, Smurf. How am I not supposed to eye-fuck you when you walk in
here looking like a fucking snack?”

“I’m not me right now!” Taehyung says, exasperated. “I’m a nineteen-year-old college student who
has never been in a tattoo parlour in my life and I’m scared out of my fucking mind! So I need a
little less eye-fucking and a little more reassurance, if you please.”

“Okay, fine,” Jungkook grumbles. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
When he opens his eyes again, he keeps his expression carefully neutral, offering Taehyung a
polite, though slightly strained, smile.

Oof, his customer service smile needs work. But at least he’s trying.

“So, uh, bluebird, huh?” Jungkook says and Taehyung nods.

“I, um, don’t have a picture or anything...”

“Okay...” Jungkook says slowly.

Taehyung raises his eyebrows, giving Jungkook a knowing look but his boyfriend still looks
clueless. “Sketch something out for me!” Taehyung hisses under his breath.

“Tae, this is ridiculous, you already have the fucking tattoo—”

“Well, just pretend that I don’t!”

Muttering under his breath, Jungkook grabs a sketchpad and pen and scratches out a small bluebird
on the paper before turning it around and showing Taehyung. “Like this?” he says gruffly.

“Um, yeah...” Taehyung says, surprised to see that Jungkook has drawn a rough but fairly accurate
sketch of the bluebird that already sits on his hip. Then again, Jungkook has seen it so many times,
touched it, kissed it...

Focus, Tae, focus!

He decides he should try being a bit finicky so Jungkook can practice being more graceful with
difficult clients. “But, um, do you think you can make it a bit smaller?”

Jungkook gives him an irritable look but pulls the paper back and redraws the bird, scaling it down
a notch.

“Perfect!” Taehyung says when Jungkook shows it to him. “So...what’s next?”

“Colour,” Jungkook says. “Come over here.” He abruptly turns around and goes over to his station,
not waiting for him and Taehyung rolls his eyes and follows him, deciding to let it slide for now.

Jungkook is already pulling out an assortment of blue inks when Taehyung sidles up to him and
leans in close.
“You know, you haven’t introduced yourself to me yet,” he whispers.

Jungkook heaves a sigh and turns to face him. “Tae, you know what my fucking name is－”

“Not if I’m a brand new client, I don’t. Introducing yourself and asking for your client’s name
should be the first thing you do.”

Jungkook grimaces but Taehyung just smiles sweetly at him, fluttering his eyelashes.

“I’m Jungkook,” he grits out. “And I’ll be your tattoo artist this evening.”

Taehyung giggles, holding out his hand. “And I’m....Loki. Of Asgard.”

Jungkook shakes his head slightly but takes Taehyung’s hand, his expression softened. “Loki, huh?
Cool name.”

“Why, thank you, Jungkook,” Taehyung says, trying and failing to do his British accent again.
“That’s jolly good of you to say.”

Jungkook bites down on his lip and Taehyung just knows that he’s trying not to laugh.

“So, um,” Jungkook says, turning back to the inks. “Here are all the blue shades for you to choose
from...” He raises an eyebrow at Taehyung, a smile hovering around his mouth. “Unless you want
to be completely unconventional and do a pink bluebird instead.”

“Ooh, joking around with me!” Taehyung says, completely breaking character. “That’s good,
bunny, that’s loads better already—”

“Tae—”

“Right, sorry,” Taehyung says, slipping back into his role. “I kind of like the idea of maybe a few
touches of pink on the breast, actually, I think that would look nice. But I’m not exactly sure what
blue will work best...” This was an actual dilemma he had had when he had first gotten his bluebird
tattoo. “Maybe you could help me?”

Jungkook gets the hint and takes the time to select colours with Taehyung, actually asking what he
thinks of the colour combination they choose instead of just getting impatient and picking
everything himself like he normally does with his real clients.

Then he asks Taehyung to lie back on one of their tattoo tables and snaps a pair of gloves on, going
through the motions of getting his needles ready—but really he’s just fiddling with the things on
his station seeing as he’s not really going to be tattooing him.

“So...” Taehyung says as Jungkook rattles the bottles of ink around, pretending to load his needle.
“Is this going to hurt, like, a whole lot or...”

“Well, yeah,” Jungkook says derisively, “you’ll be getting a needle punched into your skin, it’s not
exactly like getting a massage at a day spa－”

“Ahem.”

“Oh fuck, sorry.” Jungkook sighs and looks up at him. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, um, Loki, hip
tattoos hurt because it’s right above the bone. But you should adjust to the pain after a few minutes
and it won’t seem so bad.”

“And...” Taehyung prompts and Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“And, if at any point you feel like the pain is too much for you to handle, just let me know and we
can take a break. Okay?”

“Okay,” Taehyung says, granting him a smile. “Thanks for that, Jungkook, it really helps a lot.”

Jungkook shrugs. “No problem.” He starts to reach for the front of Taehyung’s pants and then
checks himself, pulling his hands back.

“Um, you need to, ah, pull your pants down a little bit,” he says, and he sounds a bit flustered. “So
I can, um, put it where you want it.”

Taehyung wants to tease his boyfriend mercilessly about that particular remark but refrains, pulling
his pants down just enough on one side to expose his bluebird tattoo.

“Like this?” he asks, and his voice comes out sounding slightly breathless.

“Yeah,” Jungkook says, holding his gaze for a few seconds. “Just like that.”

His tone triggers a vivid memory from last night when Taehyung had been riding Jungkook on
their couch. Fuck, baby, just like that, ride my fucking cock...

Blushing furiously, Taehyung tries to compose himself and, thankfully, Jungkook drops his gaze,
staring at the little bluebird tattoo.

“Um...how am I supposed to do this?” he says in an undertone.

“Just grab a pencil or something,” Taehyung suggests, “and pretend to trace over it.”

Once he’s acquired a pencil, Jungkook sits back down beside him and starts to lower the end with
the eraser to Taehyung’s skin before hesitating, looking up at him. “You ready?”

Taehyung bites his lip and nods. “Mm hmm…”

“Okay,” Jungkook says, touching the eraser to his skin. “Here we go.” He starts to gently trace the
outline of the bluebird, the soft rubber gliding over his hip. It tickles a little bit and Taehyung
squirms slightly on the table.

“Man,” he says, “if only all tattoo needles felt like this－”

“Bzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!”

Taehyung raises his head up, gaping at Jungkook. “Um…what are you doing?”

“Sound effects,” Jungkook whispers, tossing him a wink and Taehyung laughs, laying his head
back down.

Jungkook quits making the buzzing sounds and works in silence, drawing the eraser in circles
along his hip as if he’s filling in the tattoo.

Taehyung sighs. “It sure is quiet…”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Jungkook mutters. He glances up at Taehyung briefly before looking back at
the tattoo. “So…” he says tightly, “what made you want to get a bluebird tattoo?”

Taehyung has to swallow back a laugh. He knows Jungkook absolutely hates making conversation
with his clients while he’s inking them but, hey, they are trying to work on his people skills, that’s
why they’re doing this whole roleplaying thing in the first place.

“I don’t know, I’ve just always liked them,” Taehyung replies, even though he’s told Jungkook this
story before. “I remember watching Cinderella when I was a kid and wishing I had a couple of
bluebirds to help me get out of bed in the morning. I kind of always wished that my life was more
like a Disney movie in general, you know?”

Jungkook chuckles. “Yeah, my boyfriend’s a Disney fan too. He goes nuts over Beauty and the
Beast.”

Taehyung blinks up at the ceiling. “You have a boyfriend?” he asks, feeling an irrational tug of
jealousy before it dawns on him that Jungkook is talking about him. Duh.

The eraser stills on his skin and Jungkook looks up at him, a bemused look on his face. “Yeah, I
do,” he says softly. “And I love him very much.”

“Oh…well,” Taehyung says, feeling his face heat. “I love－that is, I know he loves you too. Very
much.”

“Yeah?” Jungkook says teasingly. “How do you know that?”

“I’m Loki of Asgard,” Taehyung says cheekily. “I have superpowers.”

“Knowing that two people are in love isn’t one of Loki’s superpowers.”

“Oh my god, shut up, you nerd.”

Jungkook chuckles and goes back to rubbing the eraser against his hip. A sudden thought occurs to
Taehyung and he lets out a loud snort of laughter.

Jungkook glances up at him again, his eyebrows raised. “What?”

“I was just thinking,” Taehyung giggles, “that if someone walked in and saw you rubbing a fucking
pencil eraser against my tattoo, they would think…they would think…” But then he breaks into
shrieks of hysterics, thinking of the look on somebody’s face if they walked in the shop and saw
Jungkook trying to erase his tattoo.

“Oh my god…” Jungkook says, slumping against him, burying his face in Taehyung’s stomach as
his entire body quakes with silent laughter.

“They’d call the fucking loony bin,” Taehyung hoots, “and Yoongi would have to come break us
out of the nuthouse…”

“He wouldn’t come get us,” Jungkook chokes out, “he’d fucking leave us there, you know he
would…”

“Okay, okay,” Taehyung gasps, wiping tears from his eyes when their laughter finally trails off.
“Let’s just wrap this up, come on, it’s almost nine…”

Still giggling, they go up to the counter to ‘settle up’ and Jungkook walks him through the Tattoo
Aftercare sheet, patiently answering a couple of his questions－“Will it be sore? Can I still do
certain…activities?”－and that gets him a knowing smirk.

“You should be fine,” Jungkook says, tilting his head to the side and gazing at Taehyung through
lowered lashes, “just tell your boyfriend not to touch the area too much while he’s fucking you.
Because I have a feeling that he will definitely want to bone you as soon as you get home.”

“Oh my,” Taehyung says flirtatiously, fanning himself with the Aftercare sheet, “how
scandalous…”

Jungkook grins at him. “Any other questions?”

“Nope, I’m all good,” Taehyung says. “Thank you very much, Jungkook, I really appreciate
everything you’ve done. I’ll definitely be back for another one at some point.”

“I certainly hope so,” Jungkook says, his voice suggestive and Taehyung feels a little tremor in his
stomach.

Two can play at that game, mister.

He coyly bites his lip and leans in close. “I almost forgot your payment…” He cups Jungkook’s
face in his hands and gives him a long, deep kiss, slipping his tongue inside Jungkook’s mouth,
moaning softly. When he pulls back, Jungkook’s eyes look glazed over and faraway.

“How dare you,” Jungkook whispers. “I have a boyfriend.”

Taehyung giggles. “I won’t tell my boyfriend if you don’t tell yours.”

“Deal,” Jungkook says and sneaks another kiss in.

Taehyung releases him and sways over to the door. “Good night, Jungkook,” he says, “it was a
pleasure making your acquaintance.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Jungkook replies smugly. “You have yourself a good night, Loki of Asgard.”

Taehyung laughs and exits the shop－only to immediately bounce back in, skipping up to
Jungkook.

“Oh my god, bunny,” he exclaims, throwing his arms around him. “You did so well! I mean, okay,
bit of a rocky start but then you really made me feel so comfortable and looked after and－”

“Tae,” Jungkook says, cutting him off, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s waist. “You do
realize the problem here, right?”

“What?” Taehyung says, frowning. “What problem, what are you talking about－”

“Well, I knew it was you,” Jungkook says, giving him a rueful smile. “I know we were supposed to
be roleplaying and all that stuff but I was still doing it with you.” He sighs, rubbing Taehyung’s
back. “I don’t think I’d be like that with an actual client.”

For a moment, Taehyung feels a little crestfallen but recovers almost immediately. “Never mind,”
he says, waving a dismissive hand. “It was still good practice, right? And now that I’ve gone
through the process with you, I can give you some better pointers on what to do with your clients.”

“Okay,” Jungkook says. “But can we work on it more tomorrow?” He tightens his grip on
Taehyung’s waist, pressing against him. “Kind of need to get you home and into bed, like,
yesterday.”

They shut everything down and lock up the shop before heading home to their apartment and
Taehyung loops his arm through Jungkook’s as they walk.
“So,” he says, giving his arm a squeeze. “You want to do some role playing when we get home?
Something more...fun?”

Jungkook smirks. “Sure. You wanna do hot school teacher and naughty student again?”

“Ooh, yes, sir,” Taehyung purrs, “I’ve been such a bad boy...”

They race home, reaching their apartment building in Olympic-qualifying time.

Over the next few days, Taehyung puts Operation Work on Jungkook’s People Skills into action.
(And he’s really going to have to think of a better name for it than that.)

He makes Jungkook observe and take actual notes while he deals with a walk-in—discreetly of
course, making Jungkook watch him from the counter while he inks a butterfly onto a soccer
mom’s ankle.

“Okay, bunny, time to show your work,” Taehyung says once the woman leaves. “What did you
write down?”

“Um,” Jungkook says, squinting at his notes. “Let’s see…‘smile excessively like a beauty pageant
contestant’…‘spend half the appointment walking the client through the entire fucking process,
babying the fuck out of them’ got that....oh and I also wrote down ‘pretend to be interested in every
stupid detail of the client’s boring life.’”

Taehyung glares at him, hands on his hips. “Okay, first of all, I do not baby my clients, I treat them
like actual people and not like they’re the dead pigs we used to practice on that have suddenly
gained the power of speech—”

“That’s a little harsh, Tae—”

“Second of all,” Taehyung continues, overriding him. “Making conversation with your clients
distracts them from the pain, which means they have a better experience which means that they’re
more likely to give better tips. Did you ever consider that angle, Grumpy McGrumperton?”

“Grumpy McGrumperton—”

“That woman just gave me a twenty-five percent tip,” Taehyung says, tapping the till for emphasis.
“Twenty-five. For a tiny butterfly tattoo.” He crosses his arms over his chest, blowing out a
frustrated breath. “You can act all high and mighty, like you’re too good to be nice to your clients
but at least my method pays off.”

Jungkook is staring at him, looking bewildered and Taehyung feels like he might have gone too
far.

He sighs. “I’m sorry, bunny, I didn’t mean it like that—”

“No, you’re right,” Jungkook says, shaking his head and stepping closer to him. “Jesus, I never
even considered the tip thing before. My average is fifteen percent. Twenty if I’m lucky.”

“But you deserve so much more than that,” Taehyung says, placing his hands on Jungkook’s
shoulders and giving him a little squeeze. “Your clients should be making it rain money on you for
the incredible pieces you do for them, bunny. It’s just that, well, you…”

“Have a shitty personality?” Jungkook grumbles.

“You do not have a shitty personality,” Taehyung says. “You have a great personality. You just
need to show it to your clients more.”

“Okay, but how do I do that?”

“It’s simple. You show off that gorgeous smile that I love,” Taehyung says, squishing Jungkook’s
cheeks. “You crack those witty jokes of yours. And you find common ground with your client.
And bunny,” he says, looking Jungkook in the eye, “there is always common ground. Always.”

Jungkook smiles at him. “Well, I guess you and I are proof of that.”

“Exactamundo, mon capitan.”

“You’re weird.”

“You love it.”

“I do,” Jungkook murmurs, kissing him. “I really really do.”

Taehyung gives Jungkook some other tips while they’re between appointments: Just start by
asking why they want the tattoo they’re getting and then use that as a springboard to ask other
questions. Remember, people love to talk about themselves so just keep the convo focused on them
and their interests. If all else fails, just ask them if they’ve seen any good movies lately. Works like
a charm.

And, to his credit, Jungkook does seem to be trying to take his advice. While they’re both busy
with clients, Taehyung overhears Jungkook ask the woman he’s inking if she likes dogs. The
question comes out sounding a little forced but she doesn’t seem to care because she ends up
treating Jungkook to a full-on monologue about her pack of Pitbull rescues and Jungkook even
asks her a bunch of follow-up questions and sounds like he’s genuinely interested. It’s the perfect
topic seeing as his boyfriend is such an animal lover and by the time he settles up with his client
and goes through the Tattoo Aftercare sheet with her, she’s beaming at Jungkook, thanking him
profusely and leaving the shop with a huge smile on her face.

“Bunny, that was amazing!” Taehyung gushes once they’re alone in the shop again. “You had an
actual conversation! With another person! See, I told you that you were capable of being nice to
your clients, I told you, I told you, I told you－”

“Okay, okay,” Jungkook says, smacking Taehyung’s ass to shut him up. “Calm your tits, Smurf.
She did most of the talking. But you were right, it wasn’t so bad. And did you see the size of the tip
she left? Over twenty percent!”

Taehyung hums, kissing him on the cheek. “More flies with honey.”

“I suppose…” Jungkook reaches for Taehyung’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Couldn’t do it
without you, Tae,” he says, sounding shy. “I really, um, appreciate you helping me with this shit,
you know? You’re kind of the fucking best.”

And, that night when they get home from work, Jungkook proceeds to show his appreciation in the
most thigh-shaking, toe-curling way, until Taehyung is gasping out that actually, no, Jungkook is
the fucking best.

Jungkook’s interactions with his clients steadily improves over the next few days, in fits and starts,
and he seems genuinely blown away that treating his clients like actual human beings leads to
much bigger tips. And Yoongi seems mollified that Jungkook is trying to do better and even jokes
with him that he’ll stop interviewing honey badgers to replace him. For now.

They do hit one little stumbling block one Friday afternoon when all three of them are milling
around the counter and a guy looking to be in his mid-twenties walks in, all fresh-faced and
wholesome looking.

Very subtly, Taehyung and Yoongi nudge Jungkook up to the front to deal with him. While
Jungkook has been getting better with his by-appointment clients, they’ve determined that his
walk-ins still need work.

“So, um, what were you looking to get, exactly?” Jungkook asks the guy once he’s introduced
himself.

“I want a Captain America tattoo! The shield, you know? I was thinking on my upper arm,
maybe…”

Standing behind him, Taehyung notices Jungkook’s shoulders stiffen and he and Yoongi exchange
panicked looks.

Common ground! Taehyung wants to scream at his boyfriend. Come on, find common ground, it’s
right fucking there－

“Captain America, huh?” Jungkook says. There’s a bit of an awkward pause and then he sighs.
“That’s cool, I’m, uh, a big Marvel fan myself.”

“Really?” the guy says eagerly. “That’s awesome! What did you think of the latest Spider-Man
movie…”

The guy chatters on about the films the entire time Jungkook is inking him－just like Jungkook,
he’s seen every single one and Taehyung is relieved by the fact that they’re having a perfectly civil
discussion about how Phase Four might play out in the MCU. But then the guy gets to talking
about Captain America again and his poor boyfriend looks like he wants to blow his brains out.

“Um…yeah, the elevator fight scene in Winter Soldier was pretty cool,” Jungkook says in the tone
of someone being forced at gunpoint to say that Justin Bieber is their favorite singer.

Thankfully, this leads to a conversation about other fight scenes in Marvel movies－ Jungkook
saying a little too insistently that the fight scene between Iron Man and Thanos is his all-time
favourite. But there are no more hiccups after that and when Jungkook is settling up with the guy
at the counter, they end up talking for an extra ten minutes about the upcoming Black Widow
movie and, for one wild moment, Taehyung thinks the guy might actually ask Jungkook to go see it
with him. In a strictly platonic way, of course.

“Thanks again, man,” the guy says brightly. “I’ll definitely be back for that Thor tattoo we talked
about.”

“Yeah, um, sounds good.”

The guy gives them one last All-American smile and heads for the door. Taehyung quickly nudges
Jungkook’s leg with the toe of his sneaker.
“Um...have a good day,” Jungkook blurts out as the guy reaches the door.

“Thanks, you too!”

The guy leaves and Jungkook turns around to face them, blowing out a breath.

“Aw, bunny, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Taehyung teases. “I think you might have even made a
new friend!”

“Fuck off, that was excruciating,” Jungkook says, rubbing his forehead. “Having to listen to him
bleat about Captain Goody-Two-Shoes.” He quickly recounts the cash the guy had given him.
“Nice tip, though,” he says thoughtfully.

Yoongi is studying Jungkook, a small smile on his face that could almost be described as fond.
“Good work, JK,” he says casually. Coming from Yoongi, it was the equivalent of a team of
football players lifting one of their teammates onto their shoulders after a touchdown and parading
him around the field. “You’ve come a long way, young grasshopper.”

“Shut up. No need to fucking patronize me.”

“Not patronizing,” Taehyung says soothingly, stepping close to Jungkook and looping his arms
around his neck. “Praising. As you deserve to be praised. You’ve been doing so well, bunny.”

“Hmm,” Jungkook says, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s waist. “I like it when you praise
me...”

They kiss and Yoongi starts making retching noises behind them.

“God, you two are gonna make me hurl. Thank fuck I get to leave now.” Yoongi had opened up
the shop that morning which meant that Jungkook and Taehyung were on their own for the last few
hours. “See you guys tomorrow,” he says, heading for the door.

“Oh, hey, Yoongi?” Taehyung calls after him, breaking apart from Jungkook.

“What?”

“Since you’re taking Jimin to a movie tonight, just thought I’d let you know that he likes to sit at
the back. And he’ll say that he doesn’t want any candy but make sure you get him some Twizzlers
or something. If you don’t, he’ll just get up halfway through the movie to go get some.”

“W-what?” Yoongi splutters. “How did you know－”

“I’m his best friend, remember? You really thought he wouldn’t tell me that you guys were going
on your first date tonight?”

“Oh…I….um…” Yoongi looks completely flustered and Taehyung has to bite back a laugh.

“Have fun and make sure you treat him right, Yoongi. If you don’t, I’ll sic my honey badger on
you…”

Jungkook chuckles. “They go for the balls, you know.” He snarls at Yoongi, baring his teeth.

“I fucking hate both of you,” Yoongi grumbles.

“Oh, and Jimin likes his eggs scrambled in the morning!” Taehyung shouts after him as he leaves
and is answered with a raised middle finger.
Taehyung and Jungkook burst out laughing. “Man,” Taehyung giggles, leaning against his
boyfriend, “I love that we can finally tease Yoongi about something. Get him back for all the shit
he says about us.”

“Well, in his defense,” Jungkook murmurs, leaning in close to kiss his neck, “most of what he says
about us is pure observation. I mean, we are pretty disgusting…”

“Mmm…” Taehyung says, arching his head back to give Jungkook more access, “that’s a good
point.”

Before things can get too steamy though, Taehyung reluctantly pushes Jungkook away. “I’ve got a
client coming in any minute now,” Taehyung says, nodding down at the appointment book. “And
then it looks like you’ve got a consult with a…” his eyebrows flick up as he reads the name,
“Chelsea?” He looks up, smirking at Jungkook. “Did you book a consult with someone from the
cast of Mean Girls?”

“God, she sure as fuck sounded like one on the phone,” Jungkook says, rolling his eyes. “Bet you
anything she turns out to be a sorority chick.”

They don’t have time to place bets, however, because just then Taehyung’s client walks into the
shop and he has to separate from Jungkook for the time being to ink a stylized Deathly Hallows
symbol onto Randy, a super sweet Harry Potter fan who wears the cutest nerd glasses.

“You think he gets a lot of Austin Powers jokes when he introduces himself to people?” Jungkook
says when a freshly-inked Randy leaves the shop. “Do I make you randy, baby? Do I?” His British
accent is almost as bad as Taehyung’s.

“Oh, stop,” Taehyung says, unable to keep from laughing, “he was a really sweet kid.”

“Not as sweet as you, Sugar Buns,” Jungkook says, reaching up to tweak one of his nipples
piercings through his shirt and Taehyung gasps, swatting his hand away.

“Sugar Buns? Nuh uh, no way, José, I am drawing the fucking line at you calling me that.”

“Oh, come on, it’s the perfect nickname for you,” Jungkook says, smirking and reaching down to
squeeze his ass. “You have the sweetest pair of buns I’ve ever seen, Smurf.”

Taehyung snorts with laughter, futilely trying to push him away. “Get away from me, you weirdo.”

“Gonna eat me up some sugar buns later,” Jungkook rasps, giving him a feral smile, “gonna stuff
my fucking face…”

He presses Taehyung up against the back counter, dipping down to lick at his neck again and it’s
beginning to feel less and less like they’re goofing around and more and more like it’s the start of
something intimate.

“Bunny, no,” Taehyung says, squirming against him, trying not to lose himself in how hot
Jungkook’s lips feel against his skin. “It’s five to eight, your consult will be here soon…”

“It’s just some sorority chick,” Jungkook murmurs, his teeth nipping at Taehyung’s earlobe now,
“she’ll be staring at her phone the entire time, she probably won’t even fucking notice if I take you
into the back for a quickie, come on…”

Taehyung gets his hands on Jungkook’s shoulders and pushes him away, keeping him at arms
length. “Okay, I’m pretty sure the first rule of having a good professional relationship with clients
is not disappearing into the back for a quick fuck during a consult.”

Jungkook scowls at him. “Buzzkill.”

“Pervert.”

Jungkook growls at him－literally, growls at him. “Didn’t hear you complaining last night.” He
locks his hands around Tae’s wrists and jerks him forward so he’s once again pressed flush against
his boyfriend’s hard body. “I remember you getting quite perverted yourself...” He presses a line of
kisses along Taehyung’s jaw, down along his neck and a soft whimper escapes him as he feels
Jungkook’s teeth scrape against his skin.

“Jungkook,” Taehyung says, “stop…” But his protests sound weak even to his ears.

“Don’t say shit you don’t mean, Tae,” Jungkook whispers, “don’t say ‘stop’ when you mean ‘keep
going’…”

Taehyung feels his resolve start to crumble and he thinks maybe it wouldn’t be such a big deal if
they went into the back room for five minutes when the door opens and they hastily pull away
from each other.

And into Kraken Ink walks not one, not two, but six girls, all with flat-ironed waistlength hair,
perky tits barely covered by tight, lacy camisoles, and bare, coltish legs revealed by even tighter
miniskirts. They all trip up to the counter, giggling in unison, their high heels clacking on the floor.
Although one girl clearly didn’t get the memo as she’s wearing Uggs but they all just scream
‘SORORITY SISTERS’ that Taehyung is surprised that a pack of toga-wearing frat brothers
doesn’t trail in after them.

Jungkook turns to him, eyes wide and pleading. Do I have to?

Taehyung nods, giving him a broad, cheerful smile. “Be nice,” he whispers, nudging him up to the
front counter.

Jungkook sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Uh, hi, I’m Jungkook. Which one of you is
Chelsea?”

There’s another eruption of giggling and Taehyung can tell, even though he’s standing behind him,
that Jungkook is clenching his jaw.

“That’s me,” the girl at the centre of the pack says in a breathy voice. She’s blonde and she’s got
the perkiest pair of tits among all of them so Taehyung pegs her as the alpha. He’d certainly met a
few of her type during his college years.

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought my squad with me,” Chelsea continues. She flashes a beauty
queen smile, all glossy pink lips and pearly white teeth. “Moral support, you know?” Then she eyes
Jungkook up and down, her gaze greedy and lingering. Taehyung frowns slightly, feeling a sliver
of unease. His uneasiness only increases when he realizes that they’re all looking at Jungkook like
that, like his boyfriend is a bottle of Dom Pérignon or Grey Goose vodka that they just can’t wait
to get their candy-coloured lips on.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Jungkook says shortly. But then his voice changes, becoming deeper and more
reassuring. “I, uh, know it can be pretty intimidating, getting your first tattoo.”

“First time for everything,” Chelsea purrs, tossing her hair flirtatiously over her shoulder and, as if
it’s some sort of signal, her squad giggles again.
“Okay…I already sketched out a hummingbird for you to look at.” Jungkook holds out a sketchpad
to Chelsea, showing her the small, intricately-drawn hummingbird he had done earlier. “We can
discuss any changes you might want to make－”

“It’s perfect!” Chelsea chirps, barely glancing at it. She twists a lock of blonde hair around her
finger, batting her eyelashes. “So that just leaves picking out the colours, right?”

“Er, right. If you just want to follow me over here…”

Jungkook leads them over to his station, the girls trailing after him like ducklings. If ducklings had
tiny waists and an insane amount of cleavage. Taehyung suddenly becomes aware that there’s a
pen in his hand and he’s been clicking it rapidly back and forth for god knows how long. He forces
himself to stop, sitting down at the counter and pulling one of his sketches towards him, figuring
he may as well get some work done while Jungkook is busy with Chelsea and her ‘squad.’

It’s fine, he tells himself, it’s totally 100 percent fine, those girls are just being friendly, there’s no
need to be insecure or jealous or －

“Where did you want it again?” he hears Jungkook ask and there’s another burst of shrill giggling
echoing around the shop. Taehyung looks up to see Chelsea give Jungkook the old ‘bashful smile
paired with a strategically placed lip bite.’

“I was thinking…” Chelsea says, lifting up the hem of her camisole slightly, exposing the curve of
her hip, “…somewhere around here.” She traces a finger along her hipbone in a tiny circle and
Taehyung can see her nails from across the shop, long and pointed and clearly fake. Just like her
stupid fake hair extensions and false eyelashes.

Come on, that’s not fair, Taehyung berates himself. It is so unfair to judge her like that just
because she’s a sorority girl. And just because she’s currently eye-fucking the living daylights out
of MY boyfriend.

“I’m not gonna lie, uh, Chelsea,” Jungkook says, “hip tattoos are pretty painful. If you really want
it there, that’s fine, but there are less painful areas like the arm or－”

“Like you have?” Chelsea interrupts, eyeing the tattoos covering Jungkook’s arms. She reaches
out, fiddling with the sleeve of Jungkook’s oversize black tee shirt. “Maybe you could show me
the rest?” More giggles from the surrounding girls. “I mean, just so I can get a better idea…”

Taehyung smiles to himself, going back to his sketch. Nice try, honey, he thinks. Like he’s really
going to fall for something like that.

He does some shading on the wings of the Pegasus he’s working on, waiting for Jungkook to snap
out a harsh ‘No!’ and tell all those twittering bitches to just get the fuck out of the shop already and
stop wasting his time.

But that’s not what happens.

“Uh, okay, sure.”

Taehyung’s head snaps up to see Jungkook rolling up the sleeves of his tee shirt, exposing both the
snarling black panther and the roaring tiger on his biceps. The girls swarm around him, ‘oohing’
and ‘aahing’ tracing their fingers over the ink, pressing so close that Jungkook is practically
engulfed in a sea of long legs and shiny hair.

“Oh, wow,” Chelsea breathes, eyeing the tiger, running a taloned finger along the tail. “These are
sooooo badass.” She smiles up at Jungkook, standing so close that her tits are squished against his
arm.

“Uh, thanks.” Jungkook looks a little embarrassed and uncomfortable, looking around at the crowd
of girls with a bemused sort of confusion. And, while he doesn’t look like he’s loving the attention
or anything, he doesn’t look like he’s hating it either. And, oh god, is he actually flexing right now?

Taehyung hears a crumpling sound and looks down to see his hand gripping the corner of his
sketch, wadding up the tip of the Pegasus’ wing. Taking a deep breath, he smooths it out again,
trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

He does not consider himself a violent person. So it’s a little unnerving how much he has to
restrain himself from storming over to the pack of sorority chicks, slapping their hands away from
Jungkook and screaming at them all to BACK THE FUCK OFF.

Taehyung continues to stew in silence as they finally get around to picking out colour and Chelsea
decides that she wants it on her wrist. Jungkook offers to ink it for her right now but Chelsea
declines.

“We’ve got a party to get to,” she says, flipping her hair again. Then she winks at him. “You
wanna come?”

“Uh…no thanks.”

She pouts and all of the other girls look equally devastated that Jungkook is not going to just up and
go to some frat party with them. Instead, he brings them all up to the counter and very
professionally books an appointment with Chelsea for next week.

“Thanks, Jungkook,” Chelsea coos, heading for the door with the other girls. “See you soon...”

“Yeah, um, have a good night, ladies.” And then Jungkook smiles, actually fucking smiles at them
and they all sigh dreamily and Taehyung think it’s a fucking miracle that they don’t all start
fanning themselves and swooning.

They finally leave and Jungkook drops into the seat beside him. “That went well,” he says. “Right?
I feel like that went well.”

Taehyung doesn’t look up from his sketch. “Oh, yes, it went extremely well,” he says acidly.
“Although I don’t feel like it was entirely necessary to being them all to the fucking gun show.”

“Gun show? What the fuck are you talking about—”

“Ooh, Jungkook,” Taehyung says, imitating Chelsea’s breathy voice, “let me see your
tattooooooos...let me cop a feel of your big biceps while rubbing my vag all over you...ooh they’re
so badass...” He drops the voice, glaring at Jungkook.

“Okay…” Jungkook says slowly. “Why are you so pissed off right now? You fucking told me to
be nice to them and they asked to see my tattoos so I showed them. What did you want me to do,
say no?”

“Yes!” Taehyung snaps. “You should have said no but instead you’re all ‘whatever you say, ladies’
and I had to fucking sit here and watch them touch you—”

Jungkook’s gaze darkens. “Holy fuck,” he says quietly. “Are you jealous?”
“No,” Taehyung insists. “It just...wasn’t super professional.” He gets to his feet suddenly, thinking
he’ll excuse himself to the bathroom for a couple of minutes, just so he can compose himself.
Because it’s embarrassing, getting so jealous and territorial when he’s always berated Jungkook for
acting that way. And now here he is, behaving just as badly, if not worse.

He starts to walk away and he almost makes it past one of the tattoo tables when he feels a hand on
his wrist and Jungkook is yanking him back, forcing him to turn around.

“You are jealous,” Jungkook growls. There’s an intensity in his gaze that Taehyung just knows
means trouble. “Admit it, Tae. Drove you nuts seeing those chicks touching me, didn’t it?”

Taehyung considers denying it but now that Jungkook has sunk his teeth into this, he knows he
won’t let it go. He’ll clamp down on Taehyung’s stubborn resolve and keep shaking and shaking
until it’s reduced to ragged pieces.

So he nods, his lips curving up in a slightly guilty smile. “I kinda wanted to gouge their eyes out,”
he admits.

Jungkook smirks. “I bet you did, you little hellcat,” he says, reaching down and squeezing
Taehyung’s butt, pulling him flush against his body. “Don’t want anyone else to even think about
having this dick, huh?” he rasps, grinding his hips in a slow circle. “Not when I give it to you so
good every night?”

Taehyung blinks at him, stunned, even as he feels his body start to respond to the roll of
Jungkook’s hips. “Oh my god, are you fucking turned on right now?”

“You better believe it,” Jungkook says, giving his ass another rough squeeze. “Seeing you get all
possessive and shit? It’s fucking hot.”

“God, you are so...” But Taehyung trails off when Jungkook starts to suck a mark onto his neck
and he forgets what he was going to say. He glances uneasily up at the clock. “Jungkook, wait...it’s
only twenty to nine, someone could still walk in here...”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Jungkook rips himself away from Taehyung’s neck and strides to the front
of the shop, switching the open sign off and rolling the shutter down on the window.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re closing early,” Jungkook replies, locking the front door. He storms back over to Taehyung,
eyes dark. “If you think I’m waiting another twenty fucking minutes to fuck you, then you
seriously overestimate my self-restraint.”

Jungkook grasps the back of his thighs and lifts him up onto the tattoo table so that he’s perched on
the edge and Jungkook is standing between his legs. At this point, Taehyung knows better than to
protest or refuse. He doesn’t want to anyways.

So he tugs Jungkook close by the front of his tee shirt, kissing him hard, their lips hot and greedy
for each other, tongues clashing. And, because he’s still a little pissed off, still a little miffed about
Jungkook letting those girls touch him, he tangles his hands in Jungkook’s hair, his grip firm,
pulling on it none too gently.

Jungkook groans into his mouth, his hands groping Taehyung’s ass. “Oh, fuck,” he breathes,
“you’re so fucking hot when you’re angry.”

Taehyung hikes up Jungkook’s tee shirt, forcefully pulling it over his head and throwing it on the
floor. “Are you gonna stand there and run your fucking mouth all night or are you going to fuck me
like you promised?”

Something sparks in Jungkook’s eyes and he fists a hand in Taehyung’s hair, roughly pulling his
head back, latching onto his neck again, biting down hard. “Now you know how I fucking feel,”
Jungkook growls. “Now you know what it’s like whenever I have to watch some fucking dickhead
hit on you.”

“Yes...” Taehyung isn’t sure if he’s agreeing with Jungkook or just encouraging him to keep
sucking on his neck. Either way, heady arousal is pulling through him, his cock trapped inside the
confines of his tight jeans and Taehyung decides that they’re both wearing too many clothes.

He pushes Jungkook away so he can whip his tee shirt over his head and Jungkook’s hands are
immediately on his nipples, pinching them between his fingers, sending a bolt of electricity straight
to his cock.

“You’re so fucking nasty,” Jungkook says roughly, “I’m surprised you didn’t come over and start
sucking on my dick when those girls were here so they would know I was yours.”

“You are mine.” Taehyung palms Jungkook’s cock through his jeans, rubbing it through the
denim. “And this is mine, too.”

“Holy fuck.” Jungkook surges forward, claiming his mouth again, kissing him filthily. Taehyung
moans into his mouth, rocking his hips forward. He doesn’t know where this attitude of his came
from, Jungkook is usually the dominant one when they fuck. But this push and pull, this give and
take is becoming addicting, turning him on almost as much as when he takes on a more submissive
role, letting Jungkook have his way with him.

He gets his hands on Jungkook’s pecs, giving them a rough squeeze, smacking his hand lightly
against his chest.

“Fuck,” Jungkook breathes. “Do that again. Harder.”

So Taehyung smacks him again, hard enough to make his palm sting, hard enough to leave a small
red mark on Jungkook’s chest, right above his nipple.

“This your way of punishing me, baby?” Jungkook growls, grinding against him. “You wanna
teach me a fucking lesson for being such a bad boy?”

Taehyung nods, smacking the other side of his chest now, twisting one of his nipples between his
fingers. “I don’t want you to ever let anyone else touch you,” Taehyung grits out. “Especially not
some horny sorority chick. Got it?”

“Mm hmm,” Jungkook murmurs, running his hands along Taehyung’s thighs. He doesn’t seem
fazed at all by Taehyung treating his pecs like a pair of bongo drums. “Like I’d ever want anyone
else when I’ve got you, Tae-ger.”

Taehyung’s hands still on Jungkook’s chest and he feels his eyes start to sting with tears. ‘Tae-ger’
isn’t a nickname Jungkook uses very often but it always makes Taehyung melt for some reason.

“Don’t,” Taehyung says softly, caressing Jungkook’s chest, “don’t be sweet right now.” He
giggles. “You’re kinda ruining the whole animalistic sex vibe.”

Jungkook grins at him. “Right, sorry.” He reaches for Taehyung’s belt buckle, fumbling it open.
“Gonna fuck you so hard, baby－”
But Taehyung can’t help himself and he grasps Jungkook’s face in his hands and pulls him in for a
soft, sweet kiss. Because even in the middle of angry, rough sex, he still wants Jungkook to know
that he loves him.

Jungkook hums against his lips and then pulls back, raising an eyebrow at him. “Now who’s
ruining the animalistic sex vibes?”

“That would be you if you don’t take my pants off and get your dick inside me already.”

“Jesus－”

In one swift motion, Jungkook tugs his jeans and underwear down his legs (pausing to let
Taehyung toe off his socks and sneakers) and then the rest of the way off so that he’s finally
completely naked.

“You have lube, right?” Taehyung murmurs, getting Jungkook’s pants open and taking out his
dick, giving it a firm stroke.

“Mmm…naturally.” Jungkook takes out his wallet and pulls out one of those single-serving lube
packets that he always has on him. Taehyung leans back so he’s lying sideways across the tattoo
table, his butt hanging over the edge. He hooks his legs around Jungkook’s waist, pulling him
closer. But when Jungkook tears the package open and goes to lube up his fingers, Taehyung stops
him.

“No, just…put it on your cock,” he whispers. “I want you to fuck me open with your cock.”

Jungkook goes very still, gazing down at him. “You sure, baby?”

Taehyung nods, licking his lips. “Yeah, I’m sure.” He gives Jungkook a mischievous smile. “Come
on, baby, stretch me open with that nice big dick of yours.”

“You say the absolute nastiest shit, Tae,” Jungkook says, slicking himself up. “And I fucking love
it.”

Taehyung giggles but it turns into a whimper as Jungkook grasps his hips and starts to push his
way in. His fingers scrabble for purchase on the tattoo table, flailing around for something to grab a
hold of until he locks his hands around Jungkook’s forearms, inhaling shakily as he feels the head
of Jungkook’s cock stretching his hole open.

“Fuck, baby, so tight,” Jungkook says, his voice unsteady. “You okay?”

Taehyung nods jerkily, biting down on his lip. “Y-yeah, keep going, baby…don’t stop…” He lets
his head fall back on the table, forcing himself to relax. It hurts, but in a good way, the pain of the
stretch mixing with the wonderful feeling of Jungkook filling him up, creating an entirely new,
exquisite sensation.

Taehyung gasps when Jungkook finally bottoms out, every inch of his cock burning inside of him
but it feels so good, so fucking good, that all Taehyung wants in the entire world is for Jungkook to
start moving.

“F-fuck me,” he pleads, gazing up at Jungkook, still holding onto his arms. “Come on,
baby, move…”

Jungkook stares down at him, his expression intense as he grasps Taehyung’s thighs and begins to
rock his hips in a slow, steady rhythm, teasing him and Taehyung groans in frustration.
“Harder,” he whines, “don’t hold back, Jungkook, please…”

Jungkook tilts his head to the side, smirking down at him. “Hmm…needy little slut, aren’t you?”
he says casually, still not increasing his pace, his thrusts tortuously slow.

Taehyung feels his entire body warm at Jungkook’s words and he knows exactly what Jungkook
wants. They’ve played this game before.

“Y-yes, I’m your little slut,” he whispers, “I’m a whore for your big fucking cock, Jungkook, I
want it all the time, just please－”

“You sure, baby?” Jungkook says, raising an eyebrow at him. “You sure you want it that bad? You
kept saying no to me earlier…”

“I know I did and I’m sorry, I’ll never say no again, I promise.” He’s babbling now, desperate.
“Please give it to me, want you so bad, want you to fuck me hard－”

Jungkook stills inside of him and Taehyung wants to scream. Then Jungkook leans down, kissing
him deeply. “You know I love you, right?” he whispers. “You trust me?”

Taehyung nods. “You know I do.”

“Good.” Jungkook straightens up again, withdrawing his cock almost all of the way. “Tell me if
it’s too much,” he whispers before slamming back in, jolting Taehyung so hard that he feels his
back scraping against the padded leather of the table.

“Yes! Take me!” Taehyung cries as Jungkook starts to fuck into him with savage ferocity, dirty
words spilling out of his mouth as he repeatedly rams his cock against his sweet spot.

“Yeah, you like that? Like how that big fucking cock fills you up?”

“Yes…I love it…”

“I know you do, baby, always such a good little slut for me, always take it so good in your tight
little hole.” He throws one of Taehyung’s legs over his shoulder, keeping the other one wrapped
around his hip, his hand gripping the octopus inked on Taehyung’s thigh. “Bet you would have let
me fuck you like this in front of those girls…show them how much this dick belongs to you…”

Taehyung nods frantically, getting his hand around his leaking cock, jerking himself off sloppily as
Jungkook continues to pound into him.

“Oh, fuck, it’s all for you, baby,” Jungkook snarls. “Every fucking inch of it, only for you…”

Things are getting sweaty now and Taehyung is sliding back and forth on top of the table like a
Slip ‘N Slide. He’s got a deathgrip on Jungkook’s forearm, holding onto the inked crocodile for
dear life as he continues to move his hand, as Jungkook continues to move inside him and when his
orgasm hits him, it hits hard and without warning. He doesn’t even get a chance to tell Jungkook
that he’s close, he’s just coming all over himself, crying out as he writhes on top of the table.

Jungkook slows down, stops. “Fuck,” he says, blowing out a breath. His chest is gleaming with
sweat, pieces of dark hair plastered to his forehead. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Taehyung gasps out, his head spinning. “Sorry, I didn’t expect to finish so fast.”

“S’okay.” Then he grins at him. “You could say you came out of nowhere.”
Taehyung snorts out a laugh. “Shut up.”

Jungkook’s smile fades and Taehyung feels his dick pulse inside him. “Um…” He looks uncertain
now, as if he’s unsure of what Taehyung wants him to do.

Taehyung grants him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, keep going.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck, come here.” Jungkook wraps his arms around Taehyung’s waist and hoists him up, holding
him against his chest, lifting him completely off the table as he begins to fuck up into him.

“Oh, f-fuck…” Taehyung clings to Jungkook, burying his face in his neck, his oversensitive cock
rubbing against Jungkook’s stomach, their chests pressed together and sticky with his cum.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m close,” Jungkook whispers, his breathing harsh in Taehyung’s ear. He grips
Taehyung’s ass, moving him up and down on his cock and Taehyung, even through the haze of
overstimulation, marvels at his boyfriend’s strength.

“Come inside me,” Taehyung gasps, fisting a hand in Jungkook’s hair. “Come on, baby, fill me up
with your cum, want to feel it dripping down my fucking thighs, come on－”

“Holy fuck, Tae.” Jungkook thrusts up deep inside him, groaning as he comes and Taehyung bucks
against him, coming with him, coming again, a dry orgasm this time, shaking apart in his arms.

Jungkook wobbles dangerously and then he turns, grabs onto the table and collapses back onto it
with Taehyung still in his arms. There’s not a lot of room for both of them so Taehyung remains on
top of Jungkook, hissing as he pulls off of Jungkook’s cock before stretching out right on top of his
boyfriend, their skin overheated and sticky with sweat and cum. Like, a lot of it.

“Yoongi would fucking murder us if he walked in right now,” Taehyung says hoarsely once he’s
managed to get his breath back.

Jungkook hums in agreement, dropping a kiss onto Taehyung’s hair. “Whatever. He hasn’t caught
us yet. And we’ll sterilize. We always do.”

“Mm hmm.” Taehyung feels like it’ll take them quite a while to clean everything up after
something this messy but he doesn’t feel like pointing that out right now. He’s way too tired.

He lifts his head up, pressing his lips to Jungkook’s. “Mmm… that was really good, bunny.”

“Yeah…” Jungkook trails his fingers down Taehyung’s back, grinning at him. “I think I need to
make you jealous more often.”

Taehyung sighs, dropping his head back onto Jungkook’s chest. “You’re such an asshole,” he says
sleepily.
So they have established that Taehyung can get jealous too. But he’s still nowhere near as bad as
Jungkook.

Case in point, when Yoongi finally hires a new artist and the day he’s showing him around the
shop, Jungkook is behind the counter with Taehyung, his arms wrapped around him in a possessive
back hug, resting his chin on Taehyung’s shoulder, watching the new artist across the shop with a
wary expression.

Taehyung will admit that it’s kind of endearing but also kind of annoying because, with Jungkook
clinging onto him like this, he can’t get any work done.

“Oh, for god’s sake,” Taehyung finally says, “why don’t you just go ahead and pee on me to mark
your territory?”

“Pee on you?” Jungkook glances sideways at him, a smirk on his lips. “Didn’t know that was one
of your kinks, Smurf.”

“Ugh, you’re disgusting.” Taehyung tries to squirm away but Jungkook only tightens his hold on
him.

“Don’t know what you’re complaining about, it’s not like I’m doing anything unusual.”

“Bunny, you have not once let go of me since Adam came in this morning. Now, please, I need to
finish this sketch for my client.”

But Jungkook ignores him, continuing to watch Yoongi show their new artist around, his focus
hawk-like and suspicious.

Adam is their brand-new artist, well over six feet tall and built like a brick shithouse, towering over
all of them－especially Yoongi. He seems to share a penchant with Jungkook for black clothes, his
enormous frame decked out in a black tee shirt and black jeans. Though he is wearing red Converse
sneakers, which Taehyung finds kind of cute. He’s got long, shoulder-length black hair and
Taehyung finds him objectively handsome in a Byronic hero kind of way. If Byronic heroes had
full sleeves of Star Wars tattoos, a Darth Vader sleeve covering one arm and a Kylo Ren sleeve
covering the other.

“You need to give him a chance, bunny,” Taehyung says softly. “You can’t be getting all territorial
and possessive and hostile, you’ll just be making things miserable for all of us.”

“Mmm.”

Taehyung sighs. They had both met Adam this morning and while he had returned Taehyung’s
warm greeting with a friendly smile, he had seemed to be less impressed with Jungkook’s stiff
‘hey’ and Adam had shaken Jungkook’s hand coolly, his expression neutral. And that’s when
Jungkook had wrapped himself around Taehyung like a boa constrictor and he wouldn’t be
surprised if his boyfriend started hissing at Adam if he gets too near them.

Yoongi disappears into the back room to go get something and Adam looks over at them, hesitates
for a moment and then comes over to the counter and Taehyung feels Jungkook stiffen against him.
And not in the fun way.

“So…” Adam says, his eyes darting between the two of them. “You two are like, a thing?”

Jungkook just glares at him but Taehyung nods, offering him a smile. “Gee, how could you tell?”
he says and Adam chuckles. “Been together for just over a year now,” he continues, patting
Jungkook’s arm.

“Cool.” Adam reaches in his pocket and pulls out his phone and for one bizarre second, Taehyung
thinks he’s going to take a picture of them. But he shows them a picture instead, of him with his
arm wrapped around the shoulder of a cheerful-looking brunette. “That’s my girl, Daisy. We’ve
been together for almost three years.”

“Aww,” Taehyung says, studying the goofy smiles on the couple’s faces in the photo. “You two
are so adorable.”

“Thanks.” Adam takes the phone back, beaming down at the picture before slipping it back in his
pocket. “We can all double-date or something.” He seems to be addressing Jungkook directly and
there’s a bit of a pause before Taehyung senses the pieces coming together in his boyfriend’s brain.

Adam have girlfriend. Adam not try to take my Taehyung away from me.

“Uh, yeah,” Jungkook says and he at lasts loosens his hold on Taehyung, allowing him to breathe
properly. “That’d be fun. We could get Jimin and Yoongi in too, make it a triple-date.”

“We’ll all be one big happy tatted-up family,” Taehyung jokes and both Adam and Jungkook
laugh. And when Jungkook turns away, Adam gives Taehyung an understanding smile, one that
says Trust me, I know what it’s like and Taehyung knows that he’s not the only one that has to deal
with the antics of a jealous partner. The sweet-looking Daisy must have a possessive streak too.

And just like that, Adam becomes their co-worker and a fast friend.

Weirdly, it doesn’t even take that long for Jungkook and Adam to warm up to each other, both of
them discovering that they have a mutual love of horror movies (they have an hour-long discussion
about The Babadook one day) and they both become oddly enamored with each other’s art style.
Adam really seems to be into Jungkook’s animals and Jungkook thinks Adam’s morphing of
traditional Japanese techniques with sci-fi elements is ‘sick.’

It gets to the point where Taehyung actually starts to become a bit jealous of his boyfriend’s new
bromance.

“You weren’t nearly that nice to me when I first started working here,” Taehyung huffs once
Adam leaves for the day, telling Jungkook he’s going to check out It Follows on Netflix and let
him know what he thinks. “You were such an asshole to me and now here you are, bro-ing down
with Adam.”

“’Bro-ing down?’ I don’t think that’s a thing, babe.”

“Whatever. You know what I mean.”

“Okay, two things, Smurf,” Jungkook says, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s waist. “One, the
guy is built like a fucking tree. I’m not going to be an asshole to someone who could crush my
skull in his fist.” Taehyung opens his mouth to argue but Jungkook cuts him off. “And two, I was
an asshole to you when you first came here because I was intimidated by your insane art skills and
I was also conflicted about wanting to bang your brains out and hold hands with you at the same
time.” He gives Taehyung’s waist an emphatic squeeze. “I do not want to bang Adam’s brains out
or hold his hand. So it’s different.”

Taehyung kisses him, appeased for the time being. “Hmm…I suppose you have a good point.”

“You know I do.” Jungkook nuzzles him a little, rubbing their noses together. “And besides, with
him working here, I finally get to have days off with you. So I’m kinda grateful to the guy, you
know?”

It’s true. With Adam joining their team, Jungkook and Taehyung finally get two entire days off to
spend with each other and they celebrated their very first one by spending all day in bed,
alternating between eating copious amounts of takeout, fucking like rabbits, and watching animal
documentaries on YouTube. It’s so nice having more time to spend with his favorite person so, in
the end, Taehyung decides that Jungkook having a little bromance on the side can’t hurt.

As soon as Taehyung hears Lizzo’s ‘Truth Hurts’ coming out of the shop’s speakers, he can’t help
himself－he immediately abandons the sketch he’s been working on and gets up, wiggling his
hips, lip-syncing along.

‘I just took a DNA test, turns out Imma hundred percent that bitch…’

Jungkook, who is currently in the middle of sterilizing his station after an inking session, looks
over at him, smirking. “Love it when you dance for me, Smurf.”

“This has nothing to do with you,” Taehyung says loftily, dancing out into the middle of the shop
now, gyrating along to the beat. “What’s happening right now is strictly between me and Lizzo.”
He turns around and starts shaking his ass, bouncing it more than is strictly necessary, but that’s
only because Jungkook is watching. Luckily, it’s just the two of them in the shop and it’s almost
closing time so the chances of anybody walking in right now are pretty slim.

He feels a smack on his ass and then Jungkook’s arms are circling his waist from behind.
“Mmm…I think I might need to take you out dancing, Smurf.”

Taehyung whirls around, clutching at Jungkook’s shoulders. “Really?” he says excitedly, bouncing
up and down on the balls of his feet.

“Well, yeah. It’ll be fun.”

Taehyung considers him, running a hand through Jungkook’s hair. “I just never figured you for the
nightclub type, that’s all. Or I would have suggested it ages ago.”

They do a ton of other fun things when they go out on dates－wandering around art galleries,
having picnics in the park, going out for ice cream (when it’s Taehyung’s turn to pick) or going to
arcades and theme parks, having two-person bowling tournaments, or just hitting up the local
movie theater (when it’s Jungkook’s turn to pick). But, even though he loves dancing, Taehyung
had never suggested they go out clubbing because he had figured Jungkook would be absolutely
miserable in a crowded, noisy nightclub. And he always wants their dates to be something that
they’ll both enjoy.

“Tae, I’m not going to say no to you grinding up against me in a nightclub.” His smile turns a touch
feral and he reaches down to squeeze Taehyung’s ass. “I mean, that’s practically foreplay.”

“Hmm…I should have known you’d have an ulterior motive.” He leans in and kisses him, laughing
against his lips as Jungkook starts to sway along with him to the song. “Can we go tonight?”
“Sure. We’ll go home, feed Spider Monkey, get changed and then go out somewhere.”

Taehyung’s eyes widen as an idea sparks in his mind. “Ooh, can I pick out your outfit? I promise I
won’t put you in anything too outrageous.”

Jungkook grimaces so Taehyung escalates to an exaggerated pout, hitting him with full-on Puppy
Dog Eyes. “Pretty please?”

“Fine,” Jungkook huffs. “But if you try to put me in anything that has rainbow glitter on it or some
shit, I’m not setting foot outside the door.”

When they get home, Taehyung makes a beeline for their closet while Jungkook does his best to
appease their hangry cat with a tin of cat food and some extra treats. He already knows exactly
what he’s going to dress Jungkook in－a pair of black skinny jeans and one of his own button
down shirts, black with small flecks of gold all over it. It’s one of the only black items of clothing
in his flamboyant wardrobe which is one of the reasons why he’s almost never worn it.

He lays out the clothes on their bed and then turns back to his closet for the much more difficult
task of selecting his own outfit. “Put that on,” he says, waving his hand towards the bed when
Jungkook comes in. “Leave the top two buttons open on the shirt and roll the sleeves up. And make
sure you tuck it in, for god’s sake.”

“Aye-aye, captain.”

Taehyung changes into a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, gets stuck trying to decide between a blue
shirt with pink flamingos printed all over it and a pink shirt with yellow bananas before ultimately
deciding to go for something a bit more classy, picking out a silk blouse that has a gorgeous pattern
of flowers and butterflies with a bright green collar. To complete the look, he rolls up the sleeves,
exposing his flower tattoos.

“Uh, does this look okay?”

He turns around－and his jaw drops.

Jungkook is standing there, adjusting the sleeves of the shirt, looking like he just stepped out of the
pages of a high-fashion magazine. The rolled-up sleeves expose the crocodile and evil monkey
inked onto his forearms, the open neck of the collar revealing the sexy little dip between his
collarbone and the way he’s tucked the shirt in shows off just how svelte his waist is. Oh god, and
those thick fucking thighs in those pants…

Taehyung always thinks Jungkook looks hot no matter what he’s wearing. But seeing him in
something like this leaves him thunderstruck. It is so far removed from his standard uniform of an
oversized tee shirt and basic black joggers and, even though Taehyung picked it out for him, he
feels a strong urge to just rip the entire outfit off his boyfriend and get down on his knees and start
sucking his cock. Or, better yet, have Jungkook leave everything on while he fucks Taehyung into
oblivion.

“Tae?” Jungkook says, breaking him out of his dirty thoughts. “Why are you looking at me like
that, does it look weird or－”

“No,” Taehyung says, shaking his head. “You look－wow.” He goes over to him, placing his
hands on his shoulders, eyeing him up and down. “I’m going to need you to dress like this more
often because it’s really fucking working for me.”

“Oh?” Jungkook tilts his head, smirking at him. “Like what you see, huh?”
“Mm hmm…” Taehyung runs his hands down Jungkook’s chest, feeling the sculpted muscle
underneath the shirt. “We don’t even have to go out if you don’t want to…we could just stay in…”

Jungkook chuckles, taking Taehyung’s hand and leading him out the door. “And skip the
foreplay?”

They get an Uber to the nearest club, make out in line for ten minutes before they get past the
bouncer and Jungkook immediately pulls him onto the dance floor and they wrap their arms around
each other, bumping and grinding to the music thumping throughout the club.

It kind of catches Taehyung off guard just now naturally Jungkook moves to the music, rolling his
hips against him, swaying to the beat. Then again, he does have the most spectacular moves in the
bedroom so Taehyung figures that it’s really not that weird at all for Jungkook to be such a good
dancer. You’re supposed to be able to tell if someone’s good in bed by how well they dance so he
supposes it works the other way around too.

And, just like when they have sex, the way Jungkook is moving against him now is getting him all
kinds of hot and bothered. Jungkook’s muscular thigh is between his legs and he grinds against it
feverishly until he’s half-hard in his jeans, practically humping his boyfriend on the dance floor.
They’re looking into each other’s faces as they dance, Jungkook’s gaze dark and heated as he keeps
a firm grip on Taehyung’s hips and everything feels so hot and so close. Beads of sweat are starting
to appear on Jungkook’s chest and Taehyung wants to lick them all up, taste the salty tang on his
tongue. But then Jungkook leans in close, whispering in his ear. “Let’s go get a drink, yeah?”

So they head over to the bar and order a round of shots and then another and then another and
suddenly Taehyung is lying on the bar with his shirt open while Jungkook does a body shot off of
him. And then Taehyung does a body shot off Jungkook and they go out to dance a bit more before
going back to do more body shots off each other and finally Taehyung gets to his breaking point
and pushes Jungkook into a dark corner of the club, dropping to his knees and giving him as good a
blowjob as he can manage considering that they’re both completely wasted.

After Jungkook finishes coming down his throat, they decide to head home, having an incredibly
messy makeout session in the back of their Uber and now they’re sprawled across their bed, having
sloppy, drunk sex.

Taehyung has managed to get all his clothes off somehow, although he’s pretty sure his underwear
is still dangling from one of his ankles but Jungkook remains fully clothed, his shirt unbuttoned all
the way, his jeans pushed down just enough so he could take his cock out. He had tried to get
naked too but Taehyung had whined at him, telling him to leave his clothes on.

“So fucking hot like this,” he had slurred. “Fuck me naked, bunny. No, I’ll get naked, you leave
your clothes on.”

Jungkook is on top of him, his thrusting a bit erratic and uneven. It’s not the most graceful sex
they’ve ever had but it still feels good－although part of that could just be the alcohol. And, for
some reason, Jungkook’s dirty talk gets really fucking weird when he’s smashed.

“Oh fuck, so hot when you sucked me off at the club, Tae,” Jungkook pants into his ear. “You’re
like my little fucking blowpop…licking me to get to the fucking center…”

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” Taehyung huffs. But then he moans, clutching at Jungkook’s
shoulders when Jungkook finally manages to start thrusting against his prostate. “Oooh, that’s
good, bunny, right there…”
“Yeah, that’s some good fucking dick, huh? I know you only let first-class dick in that little hole of
yours, that’s why I always bring my passport…”

“Bunny, do you think you could just…stop talking?”

“Don’t worry,” Jungkook grunts, “I’ll check my balls at the gate, they won’t be allowed in…”

Taehyung sighs, turning his head to the side－and spots twin gleams of green by the door, shining
at him through the dark like emeralds.

“Oh no,” he moans, “the cat’s fucking watching us again.”

“Let him watch,” Jungkook whispers, “let that nosy little fucker watch how good I give it to you,
he’s probably so fucking jealous.”

“Okay, that’s just wrong.”

Jungkook starts to increase his pace and Taehyung feels himself getting close－but then Jungkook
stills inside of him, slumping down on top of him, breathing heavily.

“Bunny, why’d you stop?”

“Fuck, I’m tired,” Jungkook breathes, his face nestled in the crook of Taehyung’s neck. “All that
dancing wiped me the fuck out.” He heaves a sigh, nuzzling him. “Just give me a few minutes to
rest, babe, then we can get going again.”

“You are unbelievable. Here, let me get on top.”

Jungkook rolls off of him and onto his back, humming one of the songs they heard at the club as
Taehyung clambers on top of him, taking a couple of seconds to reorient himself before sinking
down onto Jungkook’s cock, moaning as he starts to ride him clumsily.

“Yeah, baby, bounce on that fucking cock,” Jungkook growls, lifting his hand to smack
Taehyung’s ass but missing and smacking him on the hip instead. “Use me as your fucking
trampoline, come on…”

“Bunny, your dirty talk is so fucking weird when you’ve been drinking, just shut up already.”

“Why don’t you stuff your fucking dick in my mouth while you ride me if you want me to shut
up?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not physically possible. If it was, trust me, I’d be doing it already.”

“Nasty boy,” Jungkook slurs. “My nasty, naughty boy, so fucking good at riding my dick－”

“Okay, that’s a bit better.”

“Fuck, so good, Tae. If there was dick-riding in the Olympics, you’d win the gold fucking metal.
Every time. You’d be a fucking world-champion of dick-riding.”

“Not better, that’s worse. But thanks, bunny.”

Taehyung’s thighs start to burn and he stops moving, his chest heaving. “Fuck, I’m tired too. My
legs hurt.”

“I’ll make your legs hurt, all right.”

“You’re making my fucking ears hurt.”

Jungkook laughs and wraps a hand around Taehyung’s cock, starting to jerk him off in an awkward
rhythm. “Come on, Tae, come for me. Turn me into one of those Jackson Pillock paintings.”

“For god’s sake, it’s Jackson Pollock－”

But then he’s coming, spurting white streaks onto Jungkook’s chest and, even though it’s hard to
tell in the dark, it kind of does resemble one of Pollock’s splatter paintings.

“Fuck, my turn,” Jungkook says, grabbing onto Taehyung’s hips and fucking up into him, making
him cry out from the overstimulation. He clenches around Jungkook’s cock and Jungkook is
shuddering underneath him, spilling inside of him.

“Oh, fuck yeah, Tae, take that fucking cream filling in your little hole…just like those fucking
donuts…”

“I don’t wanna be a donut－”

Taehyung collapses on top of Jungkook, and he drunkenly thinks to himself that there’s probably
cum on Jungkook’s shirt and he’s going to have to get it dry-cleaned at some point.

“Fuck,” Jungkook murmurs. “That was good.”

“Yeah, but the next time we have drunk sex like that, I’m putting a fucking ball gag on you.”

Jungkook hums. “Whatever turns you on, baby.”

One night, Spider Monkey goes missing.

They let him out the fire escape window sometimes and he’ll go out into the alleyway and chase
rats or cruise for chicks (Taehyung assumes), but he’s usually only gone for no more than two
hours, always returning before they go to bed.

He’s been gone for five.

Taehyung knows how long Spider Monkey’s been gone for because Jungkook has been keeping
track.

“It’s been five fucking hours now,” he says irritably, peering out the window. “Where could that
little fucker be?”

“Bunny, I’m sure he’s fine,” Taehyung says from where he’s sitting on the sofa. “He’s probably
peeping in the window of that snooty little Himalayan cat that he’s got a crush on.” He pats the
cushion beside him. “Come on, come finish watching the movie. By the time it’s over, I bet you
anything he’ll be back.”
Jungkook reluctantly returns to sit beside him on the sofa, his arms crossed over his chest, gnawing
on his lip. They had been trying to watch It: Chapter One all evening but Jungkook has been
getting up every five minutes to go check for Spider Monkey, missing all of his favorite parts and
leaving Taehyung on his own to deal with Pennywise the Clown. He’s been using a pillow as a
substitute for burying his face in Jungkook’s shoulder because his boyfriend keeps getting up so
frequently.

A mere three minutes later, when Eddie is running screaming from the leper, Jungkook gets up
again, going over and opening the window this time, leaning out over the fire escape into the
growing darkness.

“Spider Monkey, you get your furry little butt in here! Now!”

“Oh, for god’s sake.” Taehyung pauses the movie and goes over to stand beside Jungkook,
frowning at him. “You know better than anybody else that Monkey will never come when he’s
called. Because one, he’s not a dog and two, he’s the stubbornest fucking cat who ever lived.”

Jungkook pulls his head back in, still staring out the window. “I just don’t know why he’s not back
yet,” he mutters, rubbing his hand up and down his arm. “He should be back by now.”

Taehyung wants to repeat what he’s been saying all evening, that Jungkook should just calm down,
that he’s sure Spider Monkey is fine. But Jungkook just looks so anxious, borderline panicked, his
eyes darting over the alleyway below, searching, worried.

Taehyung sighs. “Do you want to go look for him?”

Jungkook looks down at the floor and nods, still chewing on his lip.

So, armed with a bag of Whiskas Temptations cat treats, they head out into the neighbouring
streets around their apartment building, searching for their wayward cat.

“Here Spider Monkey!” Taehyung calls, shaking the bag of treats. “Here boy!” He feels kind of
stupid, trying to get a fucking cat to come to him, especially a cat like Spider Monkey, who always
pretends to be deaf when either Taehyung or Jungkook call his name. But he doesn’t really know
what else to do and he at least wants to try and do something. For Jungkook’s sake, if nothing else.

Two hours later, it’s now completely dark out, they’ve covered four blocks in every direction
surrounding their apartment building, and there’s still no sign of Spider Monkey. Although, they’ve
got six or seven other cats trailing them because they’ve all come meowing up to Taehyung for
treats and he just can’t say no to them.

They stop in an alleyway across the street from their building and Taehyung hands out more treats
to the gang of moochers. “Looks like we’ve acquired quite a herd,” he jokes, rubbing the ears of a
skinny tortoiseshell cat.

“Clowder,” Jungkook says dully.

“Uh…what?”

“A group of cats is called a clowder,” Jungkook says through gritted teeth. “Not that it does us any
good because none of them is the one we’re fucking looking for.”

He kicks savagely at a garbage can, sending it crashing away down the alley and the cats scatter,
bolting away from the noise, their ears flattened to their heads.
“Hey!” Taehyung says sharply and Jungkook looks up at him. “I am trying to help you here,
Jungkook, but losing your temper and taking it out on a trash can is not helping us find Spider
Monkey.” He blows out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his hair. “I’m worried about
him too, you know. But my feet hurt, I’m tired and I’m not in the mood to deal with you turning
into the Incredible Hulk right now.”

Jungkook blinks at him, looking a bit caught off-guard by Taehyung’s outburst. But then he sighs
and walks up to him, slipping his arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, baby,” he says softly. “I’m
just…” His throat works and he swallows thickly before going on. “I’m just really worried about
him.”

“I know,” Taehyung soothes, rubbing his arms. “But I’m sure he’s fine. How about this－we’ll call
it a night for now and if he’s not there when we get home, we can put up some posters tomorrow,
call around to some of the animal shelters. Okay?”

“Okay,” Jungkook whispers and Taehyung’s heart almost breaks at how much he sounds like a
little kid. A little kid who is lost and afraid.

He holds Jungkook’s hand as they cross the street to their apartment building, giving it a reassuring
squeeze. They trudge up to their door, open it－and there’s Spider Monkey, sitting on the window
sill of the fire escape, yowling his head off at them.

Taehyung heaves a sigh of relief. “God, there he－”

“Stupid fucking cat!” Jungkook bursts out angrily. He storms over to the window, yanking it open
and then slamming it shut again as soon as Spider Monkey jumps in, winding himself around
Jungkook’s ankles and purring.

“You fucking asshole,” Jungkook growls, picking him up. “I swear to fucking god, I’m going to
feed you to a pack of fucking wolves.” He hugs Spider Monkey to his chest, burying his face in the
cat’s fur.

Taehyung opens his mouth to say ‘See? I told you he’d come back’－but he stops when he sees
that Jungkook’s shoulders are shaking and he’s hugging Spider Monkey so tightly that the cat’s
eyes are bulging out of his head.

Instead he goes and wraps himself around the two of them, holding his little family in his arms for
a few minutes, feeling tears sting his eyes. “Come on,” he says softly after a while, “let’s all go to
bed.”

Jungkook lifts his head up, sniffling a little, and nods, apparently unable to speak. He refuses to let
go of Spider Monkey, even once they get settled into bed so Taehyung spoons him from behind,
whispering his ‘I love yous’ to the both of them and they all drift off to sleep together, warm and
safe.

“Tae, are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Taehyung opens his mouth to answer him but feels another sneeze coming on and quickly yanks
out another tissue from the box, ahchooing into it.

“I’ll be fine,” he croaks, his voice thick with mucus. “It’s just a cold, go on, you’ll be late…”

But Jungkook still hovers by the bed uncertainly, his dark eyes full of concern. “Maybe I should
－”

“I already told you, if you stay home with me, you’ll just end up catching it too and we’ll both be
sick and miserable. Now go.”

“Fine,” Jungkook says. “But I’ll come back around lunch to check on you.”

Taehyung mutters that this is unnecessary but Jungkook ignores him and starts to lean down
towards him.

“No, don’t!” Taehyung whines, pulling the blanket up over his face to cover his mouth. “Don’t kiss
me right now, you nutjob, or you’ll definitely catch it. And I won’t be able to take care of you
when you’re sick because I’ll be sick.”

“You’re being paranoid,” Jungkook grumbles and insists on pressing a kiss against his forehead
before heading for the door. “Get some rest, baby. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye,” Taehyung mumbles, swiping at his dripping nose. He absolutely hates being sick. Not only
does he feel gross by leaking mucus everywhere but this stupid cold also deprives him of
Jungkook’s kisses. And some other things of Jungkook’s as well. Not that he feels like having sex
right now－it would just involve more body fluids than usual and nobody wants to fuck someone
who is currently overflowing with snot.

He stays tucked into bed all morning, alternating between dozing fitfully with Spider Monkey
asleep on his legs and watching some of the animal documentaries that Jungkook has downloaded
on his laptop.

He’s in the middle of a fascinating documentary about spiders when he hears Jungkook come in
and he pauses it, hurriedly sitting up in bed and trying to collect all the wadded up tissues that are
scattered around him. He tosses them all into the trashcan by the bed, snuggling back down under
the covers as Jungkook walks in, carrying a large styrofoam cup and a can of Sprite.

“Hey, baby,” he says, sitting down next to him on the bed. “Brought you some soup.”

“You brought me soup?” Taehyung asks, smiling for the first time ever since he got this stupid
cold. “What kind?”

“Chicken noodle,” Jungkook says, cracking open the lid of the cup. “And a Sprite too, in case your
throat was still feeling sore.”

“Chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side?” Taehyung hums. “Bit of a weird combo, but I’ll
take it.”

“You’re going to have to,” Jungkook says, taking a plastic spoon out of his pocket and stripping off
the clear wrapping. “Doctor’s orders,” and Taehyung laughs weakly.

He dips the spoon in the soup, blowing on it for a few seconds before holding the spoon in front of
Taehyung’s mouth. “Say ‘ah.’”

“I can feed myself,” Taehyung protests. “I have a cold, not a broken arm.”
“Tae, just let me feed you and eat the damn soup.”

Taehyung gives him a reproachful look but allows Jungkook to tip the spoon into his mouth,
swallowing the hot, comforting soup. After a few more mouthfuls, Jungkook pauses to open the
can of soda and nods at the laptop as he hands it to Taehyung. “What were you watching?”

“One of your nature documentaries,” Taehyung replies, taking a sip of Sprite. “The one about
spiders. Did you know there’s a type of spider that if it bites you, you get really long, painful
erections?”

Jungkook chuckles. “I did know that, actually. I’ve watched that one before, it’s called the
Brazilian wandering spider. One of the most venomous spiders on the planet.”

“Right. Do you think they use its venom in Viagra pills?”

“Yeah, maybe.” He gives Taehyung a sidelong glance. “But it’s not like we’ll be needing those
anytime soon.”

“Not for a while. I think we’ve each still got a few years before we need to start popping little blue
pills.”

Jungkook snorts, spooning more soup into his mouth. “Shut up.”

Once Taehyung has finished eating all of the soup (and Jungkook insists that he eat all of it), he
snuggles down onto his side, hugging one of his pillows, and Jungkook tucks the blanket around
him. He continues to sit beside him for a few minutes, rubbing his back.

“Feel any better?”

Taehyung nods sleepily. “Thanks to you, bunny.” He gazes up at Jungkook, feeling such a huge
rush of love and affection for him that he almost starts crying.

“I love you, Jungkook,” he whispers. “You’re the best boyfriend in the whole wide world.”

Jungkook’s hand stills on his back and he blinks down at Taehyung, looking like he almost might
start crying. Then he clears his throat, giving him a soft smile. “I love you too, Smurf. But I think
title of best boyfriend goes to you. I’ll settle for second place.”

“Not second,” Taehyung murmurs. “First. Winner take all.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll share my trophy with you.”

Taehyung has to look away from him then or else he really will start crying. He plucks at the soft
material of Jungkook’s joggers, tugging on it. “I really want to kiss you right now,” he whispers.

“Me too, baby,” Jungkook says softly. He leans down and presses a gentle kiss to Taehyung’s hair.
“But not until you’re better. And then I’m going to kiss you until our lips go numb.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, promise.”

It only takes Taehyung a few days to fully recover and, once he does, Jungkook keeps his promise.
And then some.
Taehyung is having the best birthday ever.

He’s snuggled up to Jungkook on the sofa and they’re sharing a bottle of wine and watching
Taehyung’s favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast (the original animated version, not the
live-action remake.)

It’s been a nice low-key celebration so far, just the two of them, exactly how Taehyung wanted it.
Tomorrow night they’ll be at Jimin’s for a combination birthday/new year’s party so Taehyung
wanted his actual birthday to be just him and his boyfriend.

This morning, Jungkook made him waffles for breakfast, treated him to his first round of birthday
sex, took him out to one of his favorite art galleries, bought him a hot fudge sundae (even though
it’s mid-winter) and then had taken him home for rounds two and three of birthday sex before
ordering sushi for dinner and surprising him with a strawberry-topped cheesecake that he had
picked up yesterday and somehow kept hidden from him at the back of the fridge.

Now they’re cuddled on the sofa together, watching the end of what Taehyung considers to be the
most romantic movie of all time. They’re just at the part where Belle thinks the Beast is dead and
she’s sobbing over his body, whispering ‘I love you’ and Taehyung is tearing up like he always
does－and then beside him, he hears Jungkook sniffle.

He tears his eyes away from the screen to gape at his boyfriend. “Are you crying right now?”

“No,” Jungkook says gruffly, swiping a hand across his face. “I just have something in my eye.”

“Aw, you big softie,” Taehyung says, sitting up and taking Jungkook’s face in his hand and
pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. “You’re just the softest little bunny.”

“I’m not a bunny,” Jungkook grumbles. “I’m a badass motherfucker. I’m big and tough.”

“You’re my Cheese McSqueeze,” Taehyung says, squishing Jungkook’s cheeks. “That’s what you
are.”

“Yeah, well…don’t tell anyone.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

They finish watching the movie and just remain snuggled on the sofa for a few minutes, kissing
softly. Taehyung pulls back, stroking his thumb over Jungkook’s cheekbone. “Mmm…thank you
for giving me such a wonderful birthday, bunny,” he murmurs. “You’re the best boyfriend a boy
could ask for.”

“Same goes for you, Smurf,” Jungkook says, kissing him again. And then he pulls back, smirking.
“And why are you assuming we’re done with birthday stuff? I haven’t even given you your gifts
yet.”

Taehyung drops his gaze, smiling shyly. “You didn’t have to get me anything…you already got me
stuff for Christmas…”

“I know that,” Jungkook says. “But I still wanted to give you stuff for your birthday.” He scoops
Taehyung up into his arms all of a sudden and carries him to the bedroom. “Come on, they’re
waiting for you in here.”
Taehyung giggles. “Why am I not surprised?” He squeals with laughter as Jungkook tosses him
onto the bed, kicking the door shut behind them to keep out their interloping cat.

Taehyung reclines back on the bed, giving Jungkook a sultry look. “Mmm…I think I know where
this is going, bunny…”

“You think you do,” Jungkook says, heading over to his bedside table, flicking on the lamp, “but
you don’t.” He starts to rummage through the drawer and Taehyung sits up, watching him
curiously.

Finally, Jungkook finds what he’s looking for and drops down beside Taehyung on the bed,
handing him a small blue velvet box.

“Oooh,” Taehyung says, giving Jungkook a teasing smile. “Whatever could this be?”

“It’s a cock ring. Happy birthday.”

Taehyung shakes his head, grinning. “You’re such a jerk.” He opens up the box and gasps when he
sees what’s inside. “Oh, bunny…”

“You like ‘em?” Jungkook asks, resting his chin on Taehyung’s shoulder.

“God, they’re so beautiful, I love them.” Taehyung stares down at the two golden nipple rings,
each adorned with a minuscule turquoise bead. He’s never had a lot of variety when it comes to his
nipple piercings, usually just sticking to the small silver bars that he’s worn ever since he first got
them. But the little golden hoops are exquisite and incredibly sexy.

“Do you mind if I go put them in right now?”

“Mind? Tae, that’s kind of what I was fucking hoping for.”

“Hmm…why do I have the feeling that this is just as much a gift for you as it is for me?”

“Because I am inherently selfish and self-centered and any gift I give you is going to have strings
attached,” Jungkook jokes. He nudges Taehyung with his elbow. “Now go on, I want to see what
they look like on you.”

Taehyung goes into the bathroom and takes his shirt off, removing his old silver piercings and
putting in the new gold ones, admiring himself in the mirror. The new rings have a bohemian feel
and they go perfectly with the sun and moon inked on his chest. Seeing himself wearing them
makes him feel...pretty. Regal, almost. Like he’s a celebrated courtesan and he’s been presented
with an expensive gift by his lover. He supposes that’s exactly what Jungkook has done, the only
difference being that Taehyung isn’t some sort of high-class prostitute.

But if he looks the part, he might as well play it...

“Tae?” Jungkook calls from the bedroom. “What’s taking you so long, how do they look?”

“They look really good, bunny!” Taehyung calls back, trying to remove his pants as quietly as
possible. “You have good taste, I couldn’t have picked out anything better myself!”

“Well, come out and let me see, for chrissakes!”

“Patience, bunny, I’m still admiring them...”

“Tae, you get your cheeky little butt out here right now or I’m going to come in there and—”
Taehyung opens the door to the bathroom, standing there wearing nothing but his brand new nipple
rings and Jungkook stops in mid-sentence.

“Well,” Taehyung says, gazing at Jungkook through lowered lashes. “What do you think?”

“Uh, n-nice,” Jungkook stammers. “They look really nice.” He holds out his hand to Taehyung.
“Come here so I can take a closer look.”

Taehyung goes to him, clambering onto his lap, shoving his chest in Jungkook’s face. “You getting
a nice view from here?”

“Mm hmm...very nice....” He starts to lean forward, securing his arms around Taehyung’s waist.
“Fuck, Tae, you’re so fucking sexy...”

For the fourth round of birthday sex, Jungkook pays an incredible amount of attention to
Taehyung’s nipples, tweaking them with his fingers, laving them with his tongue, taking the new
piercings between his teeth, tugging on them ever so gently until Taehyung is a writhing mess in
his lap, arching into his mouth and begging for Jungkook’s cock.

And Jungkook gives it to him, fucking into him nice and slow, making Taehyung come a grand
total of three times before Jungkook allows himself an orgasm, filling Taehyung to the brim,
leaving him spent and shaking on the bed, completely overwhelmed, almost delirious with
pleasure.

“Oh fuck,” Jungkook says hoarsely as they lie panting beside each other, “I should have gotten you
those nipple rings for my birthday.”

“There’s always next year,” Taehyung breathes, resting his head on Jungkook’s chest. “You want
to get me something for your birthday, you go right ahead.”

“Hmm…definitely a cock ring next year, then.”

“Shut up.”

Jungkook laughs and pulls Taehyung up to kiss him, flicking one of his nipple rings, causing
Taehyung to moan into his mouth.

“I really like them a lot, bunny,” Taehyung whispers. “And I’m glad you like them too. Thank
you.”

“You’re welcome, Smurf,” Jungkook says. Then he smirks, squeezing Taehyung’s butt. “You
don’t really think that all I got you for your birthday was a pair of nipple rings, do you?”

“Um…”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “What, you’d think I’d just bribe you into sex with some fancy jewelry for
your nips and then call it a night?”

“Okay, first of all, you didn’t bribe me－”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right, you were begging for it, weren’t you?” He starts to tickle Taehyung,
dancing the tips of his fingers over his ribcage. “Can’t get enough of your birthday dick, huh,
birthday boy? You want some more of my icing on your cake－”

“Stop!” Taehyung squeals, squirming away, hysterical with laughter. “Bunny, stop, I can’t
breathe－”

Jungkook stops tickling him, finally pulling his hands away and Taehyung buries his face in his
pillow, still quaking with residual laughter. Once he manages to get himself under control again, he
looks up to see Jungkook hovering over him, grinning and holding a slim white envelope in his
hand.

Taehyung frowns at it, puzzled. “What is it?”

“You have to open it and see.”

Taehyung starts to reach for it but then Jungkook holds it away from him.

“Ah ah ah,” he says teasingly. “Kiss first, then I’ll give it to you.”

“Boy, if I had a nickel for every time you said that to me…” Taehyung says and Jungkook laughs
against his lips as he kisses him. He hands over the envelope while they’re still kissing, but not
letting go when Taehyung tries to take it from him.

“For fuck’s sake, give it to me!” Taehyung says, at last managing to wrench the envelope out of
Jungkook’s hand.

“Boy, if I had a nickel－” Jungkook starts to say but Taehyung shushes him, flipping open the
unsealed envelope and pulling out two slim pieces of paper.

He sits up, frowning down at them. They’re plane tickets. Plane tickets to…

“California?” Taehyung says cautiously, his heart beginning to drum in his chest. No way, there is
no way Jungkook has done this for him…

“Lots of things to do in California,” Jungkook says casually from beside him. “Surfing…
swimming in the ocean…and…oh yeah, isn’t that where the Happiest Place on Earth is?”

He beams up at Taehyung and Taehyung can’t contain himself any longer.

“YOU’RE TAKING ME TO DISNEYLAND?!” he shrieks.

“Yep,” Jungkook says. “We leave in a week.”

“OH MY GOD!” Taehyung tackles him back onto the mattress, smothering his face with kisses.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, bunny, you’re the most amazing, most wonderful, most
incredible－”

Jungkook laughs, wrapping his arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I wanted to take you last
year, Smurf, but we didn’t have Adam at the shop yet so I couldn’t leave Yoongi by himself.” He
grins smugly, flicking Taehyung on the nose. “I’ve been planning the whole thing for months now
and you never suspected a thing.”

“I fucking LOVE YOU,” Taehyung screams. “I’M GONNA SUCK YOUR DICK FOR A WEEK
STRAIGHT, I SWEAR TO GOD!”

“God, shut up, Smurf, the neighbors will hear you. Again.” He pats Taehyung’s butt. “There will
be plenty of time for dick sucking, trust me. Oh, and before you ask, yes, I booked us into the Fairy
Tale suite at the Disneyland hotel.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH－”
They go to Disneyland for four entire days and they have a fucking blast.

It’s the off-season, which is nice seeing as the park is less crowded and they don’t have to wait in
ridiculously long lineups but they spring for fast passes anyway because Taehyung tells Jungkook
that he wants to ride everything (Jungkook smirks at this and Taehyung punches him on the
shoulder).

The weather isn’t meltingly hot either but still warm enough for shorts and tee shirts and Taehyung
brings every single Disney shirt that he owns, happily walking around the park with Goofy or
Donald Duck emblazoned across his chest. He also buys a pair of Mickey Mouse ears the moment
they set foot in Disneyland on the very first day, trying to cajole Jungkook into wearing some too
but he adamantly refuses, sticking to his plain black baseball cap. Taehyung would have pouted
more but Jungkook always looks so hot when he wears baseball caps so really, he can’t complain
too much.

Jungkook also refuses to take any pictures with any of the characters, preferring to stay behind the
camera while Taehyung poses with Elsa and Snow White and, of course, Belle and the Beast. But
they do take a ton of selfies together, in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, on King Arthur’s
Carousel, and while they’re spinning around in the tea cups, Taehyung wearing his mouse ears in
every single picture.

They ride Space Mountain at least five times a day while they’re at the park, gorge themselves on
churros and Mickey Mouse pretzels, and soil the sheets of their bed in the Fairy Tale suite by
having crazy amounts of vacation sex. The first time they fucked in the huge canopied bed,
Taehyung left his mouse ears on as a joke but now Jungkook has made him wear them every time
since because they seem to turn him on for some reason. It kind of ruins his childhood when
Jungkook refers to it as ‘Disney sex’ and starts to call Taehyung’s ass ‘the Happiest Place on
Earth’ but having copious amounts of kinky sex while they’re at Disneyland definitely doesn’t ruin
his adulthood.

It’s their last day at the park and they’re currently sharing a cup of Pineapple Dole Whip between
them and poring over the map, trying to decide where to head next. Taehyung is torn between
suggesting they do the Pirates of the Caribbean ride again and hinting that they go back to their
hotel room for a while to ‘cool off.’ Because Jungkook is wearing a sleeveless black muscle shirt,
one that clings to his pecs and shows off his tattooed arms and Taehyung is having a hard time not
thinking dirty thoughts. And it seems wrong to do so when they’re surrounded by a bunch of
families with children.

“I dunno, babe,” Jungkook says, still peering at the map. “Whatever you want to do, I’m down
for…wouldn’t say no to doing the Jungle Cruise again, I guess…or the Haunted Mansion…”

Taehyung is about to lean in to suggest a little Disney-themed roleplay in their hotel room when a
little girl dressed as Cinderella comes up to Jungkook, taps him on the arm and demands to know
why he’s got animals drawn all over him.

Jungkook stares at the little girl for a couple of seconds but then he crouches down so they’re at
eye-level with each other and he gives her a warm smile.
“Well, that’s because I love animals,” he tells her. “So I drew them on myself so I could have them
with me all the time. What about you, you like animals?”

The girl nods shyly, studying Jungkook’s black panther tattoo with cautious interest.

“Yeah? What’s your favorite kind of animal?”

“I like polar bears!”

“Polar bears? Good choice, that is a great animal to have as your favorite. Did you know that
they’re skin is black underneath their fur?”

She nods eagerly. “And they can swim for a really long time too!”

“That’s right, they can.” He reaches up and tugs Taehyung down to kneel beside him. “My guy
here likes flowers so that’s why he’s got flowers drawn on him instead of animals. Aren’t they
pretty?”

Taehyung holds out his arms so the girl can see his flower tattoos and she inspects them carefully
before agreeing that they are in fact, ‘very pretty.’

“Are your parents around, sweetie?” Jungkook asks her. “They must be looking for you.”

Taehyung looks at Jungkook, at the way he’s looking at the little girl with friendly concern,
smiling at her and he feels something stutter in his chest. Maybe, he thinks, maybe someday…

“Emily!” A stern voice cuts across his thoughts and they all look around to see a sour-faced older
woman glaring at them, standing in line at the Pineapple Dole Whip stand. The girl’s grandmother,
Taehyung figures. “Emily, you come here right now!”

“Bye!” Emily waves at them before dashing back over to her grandmother and Taehyung and
Jungkook straighten up. The old woman is still glaring at them, hugging Emily to her side as if she
thinks they’re going to try and kidnap her or something so Jungkook rolls his eyes and takes
Taehyung’s hand. “Come on,” he mutters, leading him away.

“That was really cute, bunny,” Taehyung says as they walk aimlessly past food carts and crowds of
families. “I had no idea you were so good with kids.”

Jungkook shrugs. “It’s not like I’ve had a lot of practice with them. But they’re all right, I suppose.
Some of them, anyway.”

And again, Taehyung thinks maybe…

Or maybe not, he thinks five minutes later when they pass a harried-looking couple trying to
comfort a screaming toddler who is apparently having a temper tantrum over a dropped ice cream
cone. Taehyung seriously doubts that couple is having any sort of kinky sex in their hotel room. Or
any kind of sex at all for that matter.

To celebrate his new-found appreciation for not having to deal with parenthood right now, he pulls
Jungkook back to their hotel suite, blowing him in the massive shower in the bathroom before
retreating to the bed, finally making Jungkook wear the mouse ears this time while Taehyung rides
the fuck out of him.

They had planned on going out to watch the fireworks again on their last night at Disneyland but
they settle for having them as background noise while they stay cozied up in their suite, making
plenty of their own fireworks.

“Mmm…feels so good, bunny…”

Taehyung moans into his pillow as Jungkook runs his hands all over his skin but, for once, the
touching is not sex related. Instead, Jungkook is treating him to a full-body massage after a long
day at the shop, going all out with scented massage oil and candles placed on the night tables,
lending their bedroom a soft, warm glow.

Taehyung’s stretched out naked face down on the bed with Jungkook straddling his thighs, wearing
nothing but his boxer shorts and currently rubbing the kinks out of Taehyung’s lower back and the
whole thing is quite soothing and romantic.

Although Taehyung thinks it would be slightly more romantic if he didn’t feel Jungkook’s boner
poking into his butt cheek right now.

He voices this particular observation and behind him, he hears Jungkook snort. “I’d have thought
you’d be insulted if I didn’t have a boner right now.” His hands travel lower, kneading Taehyung’s
ass. “Especially now that I’m working on this area…”

Taehyung moans again, grinding his hips lightly against the sheets. He’d been half-hard for a while
now, trying to ignore it, just wanting to lose himself in the relaxation of the massage but, well, it’s
impossible not to get horny when Jungkook is touching him. Especially right around there…

“So sensitive, baby,” Jungkook murmurs, spreading his cheeks apart and then letting go, making
them spring back together. “So fucking sexy…”

Taehyung whines, arching back into Jungkook’s touch but then Jungkook moves his hands up to
his back again, tracing an invisible pattern with his fingertips.

“I had an idea the other day,” Jungkook says quietly, “for your back, I mean.”

“Oh?” Taehyung lifts his head off the pillow, gazing at Jungkook over his shoulder. “What kind of
idea?”

Jungkook leans down towards him, placing a kiss on his shoulder. “I want to give you wings.”

“Wings?” Taehyung says, feeling intrigued. “What kind of wings?”

“Angel wings,” Jungkook whispers. “Rainbow ones.”

“Rainbow wings…” He closes his eyes, trying to picture wings inked on his back and he can kind
of see it. It would take up his entire back and the feathers would be done in bright vivid colour,
starting with red on the top, fading into orange and yellow, all the way through the entire spectrum
so that the tips of the wings were done in purple. And the more he thinks about it, the more excited
he feels. He’s been saving the expanse of his back for something special, something unique but
he’s never been able to decide on what exactly he wanted to get. But the thought of rainbow wings
seems so obvious now, Taehyung’s surprised that he hadn’t thought of them first himself. It’s as if
Jungkook has delved inside his brain and plucked out the idea from his subconscious, an idea that
had been there all along but Taehyung had never been aware of until now.
“Yeah,” Taehyung says, turning over so he’s lying on his back, looking up at Jungkook hovering
over him. “I want that.” He smiles softly, running a hand through Jungkook’s hair. “I want you to
give me wings.”

“Then wings you shall have,” Jungkook says, leaning down to kiss him. And then moves to kiss
his neck, his intentions obvious.

“What made you think of it?” Taehyung asks, his eyes fluttering closed as Jungkook bites down,
sucking a mark onto his skin. “Wings, I mean?”

“Well,” Jungkook replies, lifting his head to look Taehyung in the face, “because wings would suit
you, I think.” He grins. “And because you’re my angel.”

“God, stop being such a cheeseball and come here already.” Taehyung grabs Jungkook’s face in
his hands, pulling him in for a kiss to shut him up. Because Jungkook’s words have left his eyes
stinging with tears and he’s going to dissolve into a sobbing mess if his boyfriend keeps talking
like that.

“You are, though,” Jungkook whispers against his lips, “you are my angel, Tae…”

Taehyung really does start crying then, tears running down his face as Jungkook opens him up and
makes love to him, slowly, deliberately, their oiled skin glistening in the candlelight.

“My angel,” Jungkook breathes as Taehyung comes apart underneath him, “my beautiful angel…”

Jungkook starts on the tattoo the very next day, inking Taehyung after closing hours because he
doesn’t want any interruptions. It takes him just over a month to complete it, multiple sessions
where it’s just the two of them in the shop, talking to each other over the buzz of the tattoo needle,
having deep conversations about life, the universe and everything in between, and then switching
to talking about nothing in particular, silly things like whether or not Spider Monkey would eat
them if they were both to suddenly die in their apartment and their cat had no other options for
food.

“Oh, he’d totally eat us,” Jungkook says. “He wouldn’t even wait until our bodies were cold.”

Taehyung forces himself to not peek at the tattoo until it’s complete and when the day finally
comes when Jungkook adds the last bit of colour and tells him to go take a look, Taehyung
scrambles up off the table and dashes over to the full length mirror. Taking a deep breath, he turns
around, looks over his shoulder－and gasps.

Feathers cascade down his back in exquisite, colourful detail, shaded in such a way that they look
three-dimensional, as if wings really are coming out of his shoulder blades. They’re more beautiful
than anything Taehyung had imagined and notices that Jungkook has reversed the order of the
colours that he had originally pictured, with purple on the top of the wings, fading into blue all the
way down through the rainbow with red at the wingtips. It’s a stroke of pure genius and Taehyung
feels his bottom lip begin to tremble as he stares at the wings in the mirror. His wings, given to him
by the person he loves most in the entire world.

Jungkook comes up to stand in front of him, looking at the reflection of the wings in the mirror.
“Well,” he says softly, “what do you think?”

Taehyung makes a strangled sort of sound in his throat and then throws his arms around
Jungkook’s neck, his entire body heaving with sobs.

“I’m, uh, hoping that’s a good reaction,” Jungkook says, placing his hands on Taehyung’s hips,
careful not to touch his back.

“Jungkook, they’re wonderful,” Taehyung gasps out. “I love them, they’re beautiful, you’ve made
me feel so beautiful－”

“You are beautiful, Tae,” Jungkook says, pulling back slightly so he can look into his eyes. “If
anyone deserves to have permanent angel wings, it’s you.”

Jungkook kisses him and with the wings on his back and Jungkook’s lips on his, Taehyung feels
like he’s flying.

“You feeling okay, sweetie?” Jimin asks. “You’ve been very quiet.”

Taehyung shakes his head, biting down hard on his lip to keep from crying. “I think Jungkook
might be thinking about breaking up with me,” he whispers.

They’re standing outside the movie theater, waiting for their Uber to arrive. Jimin had demanded
that they go out somewhere this evening, no boyfriends, no double dates, just the two of them,
something they hadn’t done in a while. Taehyung didn’t feel like he’d been very good company,
though. He couldn’t remember anything about the movie they had just seen, his mind too
preoccupied with thinking about Jungkook’s strange behaviour over the last few days.

“Break up with you?” Jimin says, his eyebrows shooting up. “Jungkook fucking worships you,
why the fuck would he break up with you?”

“I don’t know,” Taehyung mumbles, fiddling with the zip on his jacket. “He’s just been acting
weird lately. Like quiet and kind of distant.”

“But you’ve said before that he gets like that sometimes. Yoongi does too.” Jimin rolls his eyes.
“God, how the two of us ended up with a pair of introverts, I’ll never know.”

“This feels different, though,” Taehyung says, shaking his head again. “This feels like…”

Like he wants to end things with me.

Jungkook’s gradual withdrawal from him had started last week, when Adam had told them that he
had finally popped the question to his girlfriend Daisy, and she had said yes. Taehyung had
congratulated Adam with an enthusiastic hug but Jungkook had just said, ‘hey, man, that’s
awesome,’ and clapped Adam on the back before retreating to the counter, busying himself with
one of his sketches. And a suspicion had begun to form in Taehyung’s mind that Jungkook, upon
seeing another couple taking that next step, realized that he didn’t want that kind of commitment
with Taehyung. Maybe Jungkook wanted his old, solitary life back and he was trying to slowly
separate himself from Taehyung, wanting to let him down easy.

They were still having sex as frequently as ever though, once a day, if not more, and they had even
gotten freaky on the sofa earlier, right before Taehyung had gone out to meet up with Jimin. But
even the sex felt different, Jungkook making love to him with a frenzied kind of desperation, as if
every time they had had sex these past few days might be the last time.
And, just before Taehyung had left this evening, Jungkook had wrapped him up in his arms and
kissed him, long and hard, before pulling back and whispering ‘I love you.’ And it had scared
Taehyung, unnerved him. Because it felt like Jungkook was saying goodbye.

He tells Jimin about this and his friend gives him an incredulous look.

“So…he kissed you and told you that he loved you just like he does every single day…” Jimin’s
lips twitch, his eyes crinkling up. “Yep, you’re right, Tae, he’s definitely planning on dumping
you.”

“It’s not funny,” Taehyung huffs.

“Oh, I think it’s kind of hilarious actually, that you’re thinking Jungkook AKA the Man Who is So
Fucking Whipped for You, would actually break up with you. You guys have been together for,
what? Two and a half years now? Why would he break up with you now?”

Taehyung shrugs, staring at the ground. Their Uber finally pulls up and Jimin sighs, looping his
arm through Taehyung’s.

“Come on, let’s get you home to your whipped boyfriend so you guys can hash it out, declare your
everlasting love for each other, and then bang each other’s brains out.”

Taehyung knows that Jimin is trying to reassure him and he’s grateful to his friend for that. But he
still can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

The Uber pulls up outside his apartment building, Taehyung pays his share of the ride and then
Jimin pulls him in for a hug. “Love ya, babe,” he says. Then he pulls back, looking Taehyung in
the eye, gently brushing his hair away from his face. “And don’t worry, Jungkook does too. So
wipe that self-pitying look off your face and go kiss your boyfriend on the mouth.”

Taehyung nods and gets out of the car, his throat too tight to even mutter a goodbye. He walks up
the stairs to his floor, bracing himself as he approaches their apartment, wondering if he’ll walk in
to find all of Jungkook’s stuff gone and a note on the kitchen counter.

But when he opens the door, he pauses on the threshold, his mouth falling open as he stares around
the apartment. Every surface is covered with white candles in every shape and size imaginable; tall
pillars and tiny tealights, big ones in jars and small ones in tins. And there’s Jungkook, reclining
back on a fluffy white comforter and a pile of pillows in the middle of their living area, the coffee
table pushed out of the way to make room for the little nest that he’s made.

He grins at Taehyung as Spider Monkey parades across the blanket beside him, rubbing his face
against Jungkook’s chin. “Hey, baby.”

“Um…hey,” Taehyung says, closing the door and going over to them. “I’m sorry, am I interrupting
your romantic evening with Spider Monkey?”

“You are actually,” Jungkook says, his grin turning mischievous, “but there’s always room for one
more.”

Taehyung tries to smile but it goes wrong because his lips start to tremble and tears are spilling out
of his eyes and down his cheeks.

The grin vanishes from Jungkook’s face and he reaches up, pulling Taehyung down beside him.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Smurf…don’t cry…” He shoves Spider Monkey out of the way and then
pulls Taehyung into his arms, wrapping them securely around his waist as they lie there beside
each other. “Please don’t cry…”

“I’ve just been so w-worried,” Taehyung stammers. “I th-thought you were going to b-break up
with m-me.”

“Oh, baby, no,” Jungkook whispers, kissing Taehyung’s forehead. “I know I’ve been acting weird
lately but that isn’t the reason.” He gently wipes Taehyung’s tears away with his thumb,
swallowing thickly. “Far from it.”

Taehyung sniffles, plucking at Jungkook’s tee shirt with his fingers. “Then how come you’ve been
so quiet lately? Every time I’ve asked you about it, you’ve just sort of…brushed me off.”

“I know.” Jungkook takes Taehyung’s hand in his, pressing a gentle kiss to his palm and then to his
wrist. “It’s because I’ve been trying to think of ways to do this…to say what I’ve been wanting to
say for a long time now…”

Taehyung holds his breath, his heart pounding in his chest as Jungkook laces their fingers together
and gazes into his eyes.

“Tae－” Jungkook says, and then he pauses, exhaling shakily. “Tae, I want to spend the rest of my
life with you.”

There’s a beat and then a slow smile spreads over Taehyung’s face until he’s smiling so widely
that he thinks his face might crack in half. “Me too, bunny,” he says softly. “I want that too.”

“Yeah?” Jungkook says, squeezing his hand and Taehyung nods. “It’s just…I know we’ve never
really talked about marriage or anything before, not really. And－” He stops, biting his lip. “And I
just kinda wanted to know what you think about it. The whole ‘getting married’ thing, I mean.” He
glances away, a shadow passing over his face. “I just never had a good example of it growing up,
you know?”

“I know,” Taehyung says. “And, to be honest, I’ve never really been into the idea myself. Like
‘let’s show our commitment by signing a contract and getting the government involved.’”
Jungkook lets out a small chuckle and Taehyung laughs too. “It just never really made any sense to
me.”

Jungkook nods, frowning slightly. “It’s just you seemed so excited when Adam told you he was
getting married. I thought that’s what you might want too.”

Taehyung wrinkles his nose. “Nah. I mean, of course I’m happy for them but marriage just seems
like such a hetero straight-people thing. They’re weird like that.”

“Yeah…” Jungkook trails off, and he considers Taehyung for a long moment before he speaks
again. “But…you still want to do this with me, right? The forever thing?”

Taehyung snuggles closer, resting his hand on Jungkook’s cheek. “If you’re asking if I want to get
officially married and do the cheesy wedding and the stupid contract and the dumb ring exchange,
then the answer is no. But,” he goes on, brushing his thumb across Jungkook’s lower lip, “if you’re
asking if I, Kim Taehyung, want to spend the rest of my life with you, Jeon Jungkook, then the
answer is yes.” He smiles as Jungkook’s lips tilt up into his bunny grin even as a tear slides down
his face. “It’s always been yes. My answer will always be yes.”

“Me too,” Jungkook whispers, leaning in to kiss him. “I’ll choose you every day of my life, Tae.
Even when we’re old and grey and we need to pop boner pills to have sex.”
 Taehyung laughs. “Even when our skin gets all saggy and wrinkled and all of our tattoos look like
misshapen blobs.”

Jungkook rests his forehead against Taehyung’s, sighing happily. “Until the end,” he whispers.
“And even after that, I’ll choose you.”

So they don’t end up getting married. Not officially anyways but they do get tattoos on their ring
fingers to represent each other. Taehyung gets the small silhouette of a dragon on his left hand,
while Jungkook gets a little yellow sunflower. And they say half-mocking, half-serious versions of
wedding vows while they ink each other.

“I, Jeon Jungkook, promise to love you until the end of my days and keep giving you that sweet,
sweet dick every night until it stops working.”

“And I, Kim Taehyung, promise to put up with your assholeness until I’m dead, because you’ll
probably end up annoying me to death anyways. And this ass is yours forever, even after it gets all
flabby. So it’ll be yours whether you want it or not.”

And then Yoongi calls from across the shop, “I now pronounce you tattoo husbands. You can kiss
once you’re done inking each other. But only after you’ve sterilized everything.”

“Huzzah,” Adam adds, grinning over at them. “May the force be with you.”

And, just like that, they consider themselves husbands, partners for life. Maybe in another life they
do the whole marriage-and-kids thing. But not in this one. No, Taehyung is perfectly content to
spend every day with Jungkook, where it’s just the two of them, together (well, and Spider
Monkey, of course). He knows, with his entire heart, that their love for each other is just like the
dragon inked onto his ring finger.

Permanent.

End Notes

Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated :)

I'm on Twitter now! Come be friends with me so we can scream at each other about
Taekook, BTS, and anything else you guys want to talk about :D
One more thing: I'd like to give a HUGE shoutout to the reader who not only came up with
 the idea for the jealous Taehyung scene but allowed me to write it. I hope I did it justice! I'd
mention your username but I'm not sure if you're shy or not. But I'm sure you know who
you are <3

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