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Jimin stares at Taehyung across the table. “You found a mob boss, and instead of running away, you decided to help him out? And now you’re mad that he wants to do you favors?”
Taehyung wobbles his hand back and forth because it's kind of true but not that simple. “But I don’t need anything, and you know the rumors about him. I don’t know that I want to be part of that world.”
“Really?” Jimin stares at Taehyung before shaking his head. “You have rent and tuition, a new kitten to pay for, and you need to eat yourself. You need things, and if he’s willing to pay for it, you’re crazy if you say no.”
“But he’s a mob boss,” Taehyung argues, dropping his voice in case people are close enough to hear. “That’s not exactly safe or normal. And you want him to be my sugar daddy? That’s not really me.”
“Would you have sex with him even if he wasn’t rich, even if he wouldn’t pay your bills?” Taehyung thinks about it for a moment then nods, not wanting to lie to his friend. “Then if he does pay your bills, it’s a nice bonus.”
Taehyung sees his point, mostly, but he’s apparently not as practical as Jimin. “Yeah, but that doesn’t address the mob boss thing.”
Jimin shrugs. “People have been talking about him like that for years, and he hasn’t been arrested yet. If it hasn’t happened yet, it’s not going to happen. And as long as you don’t know anything, as long as you don’t do anything, you’ll be fine. You can’t be guilty by association.”
Well, not legally, but that doesn’t mean the cops couldn’t make his life challenging. And other people would probably judge him and assume. “I just don’t know if he’s worth that,” Taehyung admits, “and taking the time to get to know him and date him could screw me over.”
Jimin sighs. “Live a little. Give it a shot. If you don’t feel like it’s a good idea after a week, then stop. If he let you walk out after the first week, then he’ll let you walk out again.”
Taehyung isn’t so sure about that. If he’s honest, a lot of his nerves come from the fact that he wants this no matter what the consequences might be. Jungkook’s hot, and Taehyung’s pictured him with an open shirt every morning when he wakes up hard. He wants to get to know Jungkook while also getting to know his body. And yes, having someone willing to spoil him financially would be great.
“So, you going to try?” Jimin asks, pulling Taehyung out of his thoughts.
“I guess so,” Taehyung says, not the most enthusiastic response but all he’s got in him for right now. “He gave me his number that morning, before I left. Should I call him or text him?”
“Text him,” Jimin decides, “because you never know if he’s in a meeting. Just text.”
Taehyung opens his phone to Jungkook’s number then pauses, not sure what to say. It’s been three days since he met Jungkook, and he wants to have dinner together again, something they can do at home and in private. But it’s Friday, so will he already have plans? Will dinner at home be too suggestive for what he’s comfortable doing? He doesn’t put out on the second date. Not that their first dinner really counts as a date.
“Don’t overthink it,” Jimin tells him before polishing off his noodle dish. “Just text him.” Taehyung nods and commits to sending a text.
You free tonight?
The moment he sends it, he shakes his head. Such a lame text. His phone vibrates with a response pretty soon after.
For you, always. What do you want to do?
Does he really want to suggest dinner in private?
Dinner? Maybe at your house again? Don’t really want to dress up to go out.
Jungkook seems like someone who dresses up nice anytime he heads out. Pictures of him show up online and in tabloids all the time, so he has to look nice. Taehyung doesn’t want that.
Of course. I will pick you up after work. What’s your address?
No, he’s not ready for that.
I can meet you at your place. The bus gets close enough I don’t have to walk too far.
“Well?” Taehyung looks up from his phone to see Jimin waiting for him to say something. “Is he responding? Is he willing to hang out with you?”
“Yeah, he agreed to dinner,” Taehyung fills him in, “so I’m going to go to his place later.”
“Not going to have him pick you up?”
“Not yet. I don’t want him to have my address yet.” Call him overly cautious, he doesn’t care. Taehyung wants a little bit of space, just in case.
“Okay. Send me his address though,” Jimin says, “because I need to know where you are, just in case. Not that I could really do much against Jeon Jungkook.”
“Not helping.” Taehyung reaches across the table to smack his friend, and Jimin smacks him back, and they end up in a little slap fight across the table. They eventually have to leave for class, and it’s not until several hours later that he checks his phone and finds several texts from Jungkook.
If you’re sure, but I can send a car if you change your mind.
And what do you want for dinner? I’ll try to have food here by 7.
Taehyung smiles at his phone. He can easily make it to Jungkook’s by seven, even dealing with the bus. He might even splurge on getting an Uber.
Thai food? I’m not that picky. Surprise me. I’ll be there by 7.
He locks his phone to put it back in his pocket but hears the ding of a new text first.
Show up whenever you want. Can’t wait to see you.
Well, okay then. Taehyung shoots Jimin a quick text with the plan and Jungkook’s address and double checks the bus system to make sure this route will get him near Jungkook’s place. He’ll have to walk a bit, but it gets close enough. It’s probably for the people who work in the building, cleaning things or working security, people who might not have cars.
He puts his headphones in and settles in for the ride. It’s not too bad when he can scroll through Instagram and Snapchat, send a few messages, even do a little reading for his history class. When he reaches Jungkook’s building, Taehyung hops out and heads into the lobby only to realize just how out of place he is in such a fancy place.
There’s a desk with two men behind it who look like security guards dressed up as concierge. He thinks they look too broad in the shoulder to just man a desk. Taehyung’s steps slow to a stop, and then he tries to figure out what to do. Can he get up to the penthouse without permission?
His phone vibrates in his hand, and he looks down to see Jungkook calling. Taehyung answers the phone, grateful for something to do. “Hello?”
“Hey, babe. I told the doormen to expect you, so they let me know you’re here,” Jungkook says, explaining the timing of his call. “They’ll let you into the elevator that reaches up to my place, and they’ll type in the code to let you up, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks, Jungkook.” The call ends, and Taehyung looks up to see one of the doormen heading in his direction.
“This way, sir, to meet with Jeon-ssi.” He gestures into an elevator that opens pretty conveniently right as his arm finishes its movement. Taehyung steps into the elevator, and the doorman follows just long enough to enter a code on the keypad above the bank of buttons. He steps out, leaving Taehyung alone in the elevator on the way up to meet Jungkook.
The elevator opens to the same little hallway the other elevator from the garage opened into. Taehyung steps out and heads for the door which opens a few second later to reveal a smiling Jungkook. A small part of Taehyung wants to pout because he’s wearing a shirt, but he can’t expect him to be shirtless all the time.
“Hey.” Jungkook takes his hand as soon as he’s close enough, drawing him into his side. “Can I kiss you hello?”
It’s nice to be asked. “On the cheek.” Jungkook pouts but doesn’t argue, kissing him on the cheek. If things go well, Taehyung will probably be up for a goodnight kiss before he leaves tonight. He’s just not used to jumping into things super fast. He’s a slow dater, what can he say?
“Tell me about your day,” Jungkook says while leading Taehyung into the penthouse.
He doesn’t have much to talk about, just classes and another shift at the coffee shop. Taehyung tells him everything he can think of, boring details and all/ The best part was playing with Midnight between work and school. Jungkook still seems to soak in every detail. “Did you go to college before getting into business?”
Jungkook laughs, shifting his position on the sofa so they’re facing each other a little more head on. “I started at university, did two years, but that was it. I was building my businesses in my free time around classes, and when my classes cut into my ability to keep making money, I dropped out.”
It’s hard to get any kind of job without a college degree in South Korea, but if you make your own job, it’s probably not a big issue. “Is it hard, not having a degree?”
Shrugging, Jungkook takes a moment to gather his words. “To do my job, I don’t need a degree. There are some useful things you can learn in a class, but you can also learn them by doing and with some internet research. The issue comes from the old guard of people who don’t want to work with someone without a degree. They got one, so I can get one too. That’s the way it’s always been, so that’s the way it should always be.”
Taehyung wants to ask if the rumors about supposedly not so legal activities affect the way people work with him, but he doesn’t want to push it. “You seem to be doing well enough even with the handicaps.”
“Damn right,” Jungkook announces with a smirk. “I can admit it makes me a bit of an asshole, but I like knowing they have to come and work with me anyway because my company is just that good, that established.”
“You’re younger than them too, right?”
“Much. Thirty is not a common age for a CEO,” Jungkook says with pride.
There’s a knock on the door before Taehyung can say anything else, and dinner arrives. They put everything out on the large coffee table, sitting on the floor together. Taehyung wants to eat a little bit of everything and is glad they’re sharing.
“How do you do it?” Taehyung asks after he’s eaten enough to start feeling full. “How do you go from super formal and businesslike to all young and casual. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were still in university.”
Jungkook pushes his plate away and leans back against the sofa with a sigh. “I’m not that much older than you, not if you’re in university. At work, I’m busy and focused, have to act a lot older than I am. Outside of work, I relax, maybe go a little further in the opposite direction.”
That makes sense. Taehyung has to be all preppy and happy and cheery at work, and when it’s over, he just wants to frown for half an hour. “Do you have to be serious and older around your employees too, like Kim and Min?”
“No, I don’t,” Jungkook says, “not with them. In the office though, it’s a bit of a balance, more formal with older employees, a little less so with the younger ones. Everything in the business world is formal, but relaxing around younger employees makes them a little more relaxed which makes for better employees who are also more willing to stick around.”
Taehyung can see that. If he’s on pins and needles all the time at the office, just waiting to see if someone important might come by and judge him for not being appropriately formal would suck. He has no idea what he’s going to do in two years when he graduates and has to get a job and has to be in the business world.
“What’s wrong?” Taehyung turns to see Jungkook frowning at him and reaching out to pull him against Jungkook’s side. “You looked worried then panicked for a moment.”
“I have two more years of university, and then I have to get a job.” Taehyung shrugs, leaning down to rest his head on Jungkook’s shoulder. “It’s a little scary to realize. Not all of us can make our own companies and our own ways.”
“You ever need a job, let me know,” Jungkook tells him, arm tightening around his waist. “You seem smart enough, and there’s always an opening at Jeon Enterprises.”
He’s not sure how he feels about being given a job rather than earning a job, but when it comes time to pay his bills, Taehyung knows he won’t mind. “Thank you, Jungkook.”
“Of course.”
They sit there together for a long moment, but the lure of food can’t be resisted, and Taehyung reaches up to polish off the egg rolls. Once they’re fully done with dinner, they get the leftovers into the kitchen, and then Jungkook pulls him down into his lap in an oversized armchair.
Taehyung waits for Jungkook to speak up, waiting to see what he’ll say. He doesn’t say anything for a long time, but he does eventually speak up. “You asked for a week, but it’s only been three days. Did you already make up your mind?”
“Um…” Biting his lip, Taehyung tries to figure out what to say, glad he doesn’t have to look Jungkook in the eye right now. “I think so?”
“What are you worried about?” Jungkook asks.
“There are a lot of rumors about you.”
Silence.
Taehyung waits, not willing to say anything in case he says the wrong thing. Jungkook doesn’t say anything, but he doesn't seem mad because he’s running a hand up and down Taehyung’s back. If he was mad, he’d be stiff and frozen, right?
Eventually Jungkook sighs, hand stopping so he can wrap an arm around Taehyung. “Rumors happen for a reason. It’s rare for a rumor to have no basis in reality or fact. That said, my personal life and business lives are separate, and I do my best to keep them as apart as possible.”
So yes, the rumors are true. Not all of his business is legal. Taehyung wonders what exactly his not so okay business is, the news generally isn’t very specific, but he doesn't feel right asking and gets the sense that he probably doesn’t want to know.
“But does everyone else respect that?” Taehyung shifts so he can see Jungkook for this question. “If you had a partner with you when you were grabbed the other day, would they have been chained to a wall as well?”
Jungkook looks pissed, and Taehyung takes a few breaths to stay calm and in place on his lap. “If I dated someone long enough for my competition to know who my partner is, my partner will have the best security possible. And if my competition is targeting my partner, there are bigger issues to worry about.”
“Am I at risk just by spending time with you?” Taehyung asks, keeping his eyes on Jungkook’s. “Because my friend thinks I should just go for it, get to know you and just walk away if it’s not, but I don’t know you well enough to know if you’re worth the risks.”
“I’d like to think I’m worth it,” Jungkook jokes with a smirk and wiggled eyebrows before letting it fade to something more serious again, “but I understand your hesitance.” He sighs, cocking his head at Taehyung. “If we’re together for a bit, no matter how or why it ends, we have to make it a clear cut. The end, no more, you can’t even stay friends with any of my men if you get to know them and like them. That’s the only way to get fully out of this life.”
Taehyung understands that, but he’s not so sure that he can handle that. “Can we start like this? Just dinner here, watching a movie on Netflix instead of going to the movies, stuff like that? We can do dates at home, at least long enough for us to know if it’s worth the risks of being in public.” At least, he thinks they can, doesn’t see why it won’t work.
“Anything you want,” Jungkook tells him, pulling him back down to lie against his chest. “There’s something about you that’s different than other people who try to date me, and I want to get to know you, even if we have to jump through some hoops.”
“Different?” Taehyung asks. That isn’t always a good thing.
Jungkook laughs, the sound vibrating through his chest and up to Taehyung’s ear resting against him. “You practically ran away from me on Tuesday, couldn’t get away fast enough. And now, you still want to make sure you’re safe and covered. Most people just see the money and the youth, and that gets a little old.” He stops and blinks a few times. “So, actually, what do you see in me? What makes you want to try?”
Taehyung blushes, feeling slightly bad. “Um, because you’re hot? And then you were nice to me when I was really out of my element. And you got a vet for Midnight even if you did mock me for his name.” He smiles at the memory. “So that’s enough for me to try, I guess. It’s not like you know if you’re going to get along super well with someone without trying.”
“At least you recognized that I’m hot,” Jungkook teases him.
“I think you’d have to be blind to not see that you’re hot,” Taehyung tells him. He pushes up from his chest to smile at him. “So, we’ll do dates at home? Maybe you can see my place next time.” He feels a little silly now, not wanting Jungkook to pick him up earlier, but he feels better about everything after their conversation even with the non-admission admission that Jungkook isn’t just a businessman.
“Dates at home,” Jungkook promises him. “Makes dessert a lot easier.” Taehyung sits up to see him wiggling his eyebrows. Really?
“But sexy dessert takes at least three dates to get,” Taehyung says, “maybe more like six dates, honestly.”
Jungkook’s face softens as he pulls Taehyung in for a soft kiss on his cheek. “If you want to wait sixty days, it’ll suck for me, but we’ll do that. I might be a little pushy, but feel free to slap me upside the head if you need. I meant what I said the other day. Rapists suck, and coerced consent doesn’t count. I want my partner to want me too.”
Taehyung smiles and kisses Jungkook on the cheek in return. “Thank you.”
“Get used to it. Whatever you want isn’t just empty words.” Jungkook kisses him on the lips this time, sweet and chaste, and Taehyung can’t help but chase his lips for another kiss just like that. Who knew a mob boss could be so sweet?