Chapter Text
jeongguk is late.
he’s usually never late, a feat that many of his coworkers admire about him, but today a series of very misfortunate events that may or may not be related to an old woman on the train have resulted in him turning up at his office about half an hour late for taehyung’s important meeting.
he was supposed to be here at a quarter to eight, and with taehyung’s meeting with their new client being at eight o’clock sharp, they would’ve had a bit of time left, allowing him to go over some details with taehyung and give him-
“the file!” jeongguk exclaims loudly as he drops his messenger bag onto his desk, the force of it sending a few loose papers flying to the floor. he opens his bag and retrieves the manila folder quickly, clutching it to his chest before sprinting down the hall and towards the conference room. he halts a few meters away from the glass door, far enough so no one but taehyung will be able to see him.
the elder looks both relaxed and rigid in his seat, a fake grin plastered on his lips while his right hand under the table flexes in and out of a fist. jeongguk can practically feel the tension rolling off of him, but that’s just because he knows taehyung so well that he’s able to see what others cannot. to any other person in the room, he might look like the epitome of ease and coolness, but jeongguk isn’t one to be fooled easily.
taehyung’s eyes, previously fixated on his clients, wander around the room until he spots jeongguk anxiously standing behind the glass that separates the both of them. with a slight tilt of his head, taehyung signalizes him to enter, the younger obliging hastily. he fixes his tie before knocking and entering the room, bowing to the clients before skipping over to where taehyung is sitting and handing him the folder carefully. the man dismisses him with a nod as he flips through the file to check if everything is there. a sharp ache flares up in jeongguk’s chest because taehyung won’t even look at him. taehyung always looks at him. he always looks and no matter how tired or busy he is, he smiles.
he snaps out of his thoughts when taehyung coughs, making him hurry back to the door and bow a last time before leaving the room with his head low. his cheeks burn all the way back to his desk.
“jeongguk-ah, come see me.” taehyung says as he breezes past jeongguk’s desk an hour later. the younger scrambles up from his chair and follows him into his office, taking a seat when taehyung tells him to.
taehyung looks at him pensively for a few seconds, but before he can even open his mouth, jeongguk bursts out into tears.
“i-i’m so s-sorry hyung!” he sobs, catching a glimpse of taehyung’s horrified expression before hiding his face behind his hands. he presses the heels of his palms against his eyes, willing himself to stop crying already, but the flow of tears doesn’t cease. suddenly, there’s footsteps and a thudding noise that sounds like someone dropping to their knees before taehyung warps his arms around jeongguk’s torso protectively, pulling him against his broad chest. jeongguk cries into the familiar crook of taehyung’s neck for a few more minutes, until the fabric of his shirt is absolutely soaked and the elder’s hands carding through his hair have calmed him down.
“it’s okay, it’s okay.” taehyung assures him for the millionth time, patiently waiting until jeongguk pulls away to pluck a tissue from the box on his desk. he hands it to the the younger who accepts gratefully.
he reaches back to grab another tissue, carefully drying jeongguk’s tear-streaked cheeks while the other cleans his nose.
“why are you crying?” taehyung asks softly as disposes of the tissues. jeongguk gasps, staring at taehyung like the answer to his question should be obvious.
“because i came half an hour late and screwed up your meeting!”
the elder chuckles lightly. “jeongguk. in the past year that you’ve been working with me, you’ve been late exactly two times. once, because you broke your arm and still decided to show up to work so i had to drive you to the hospital, and today.”
jeongguk winces at the memory, an apology already resting on his lips.
“it’s okay,” taehyung is quick to add, “i’m glad i did. really. you’re were so brave, weren’t you?”
he pats jeongguk’s face lovingly, the younger’s cheeks bunching up cutely when he smiles a perfect sunny smile that taehyung has been waiting to see ever since this morning. it seems like all his sorrows are long forgotten already. jeongguk looks at taehyung kneeling in front of him appreciatively, thinking about diving back into the warmth and comfort of the other’s body, but decides against it before he can fall for the temptation. it’s happened before.
“also, don’t worry about the file thing. i had it under control.” he winks, jeongguk giggling cutely in response. “got ‘em wrapped around my finger real good.”
“okay!” jeongguk jumps to his feet and stretches out his hands to help taehyung up as well. once taehyung is back on his own two feet, jeongguk notices how close they are. it’s nothing new, really. his heart makes a happy skip when taehyung smiles back and nimbly fixes jeongguk’s hair, a bit stiff with product where it’s parted in the front.
“can i make you s-some coffee to make up f-for it though? with a pretty l-leaf on it?” he asks, voice still a bit wobbly from his earlier crying. taehyung looks like he’s about to decline, but looking at jeongguk’s wide and pleading eyes, he can’t find it in himself to deny the younger.
“of course.” jeongguk squeals in delight, pecking taehyung’s cheek in thanks before hurrying out of the door.
park jimin, jeongguk is pretty sure, must be somehow related to the devil. third cousin twice removed or something. one second, the pink haired man is an angel, all sweet cheeks and eye smiles, and the other, he’s all dark under-eye circles and death glares.
today, jeongguk is in luck.
“jeonggukkie!” the elder sing songs as he walks up to the coffee machine that jeongguk is using and halts next to him, leaning against the counter.
“yes jiminie?” jeongguk asks, bending forward to be able to make the leaf he’s promised taehyung. it has to turn out amazing, but jimin keeps distracting him.
“make me some coffee please!” jeongguk can’t see him, but he can hear that jimin is smiling like an idiot. well, maybe jeongguk should rethink his definition of ‘luck’.
he frowns, then remembers that jimin probably can’t see his face either when he’s all hunkered over the cup of coffee, so he gives a disgruntled noise to express his disagreement.
“oh come on! i don’t know how you do it, but when you make coffee it just tastes ten times better than when i do it.” jimin whines, nudging jeongguk’s side. the younger spills.
“god damn it jimin! you messed it up! what am i supposed to do now?” jeongguk cries, looking down at his destroyed foam leaf. he looks at jimin in exasperation, the other grinning back at him.
“you can give it to me? i don’t mind that it’s not pretty.”
the younger huffs, cocking his hips in annoyance. “that’s so weird. the coffee comes from a machinehyung.”
the shorter grins and pats his cheek, biding jeongguk goodbye before reclining to his own office where hoseok is already waiting for him with a new case.
“taehyungie! how’d it go?” jeongguk asks as he hesitantly peeks his head into taehyung’s office where the elder has been crammed into for the past few days. he’d just got off an important call to a lawyer from their rival company and jeongguk had decided to cease the occasion and interrupt him, only for a bit.
“good. it went well.” taehyung answers curtly, going through a stack of papers on his desk in search of something, letting out a small noise of victory when he finally pulls a manila folder from the mess.
jeongguk waits for him to say something more, but it never comes. “i- okay. i’ll be outside if you need me.”
taehyung hums, scanning the documents in front of him, then typing something short into his computer. when jeongguk still hasn’t moved from his spot, nor made any noise, he looks up.
the younger’s distraught expression finally slaps some sense into him.
“wait, don’t go. i’m sorry for acting like an ass but there’s this deadline i’ve gotta meet and-“
“let me help you then.” jeongguk interrupts him, pulling another chair to taehyung’s desk and reaching for the files as soon as he’s seated. taehyung watches him with both a small smile and dark circles under his eyes.
together, they fly through the case, working for hours on end until they can finally call it a night at 6pm with only one coffee and two bathroom breaks.
“thank you for your help gukkie. you can go home now, i’ll probably stick around for a few more hours.” taehyung says, raising his hands above his head to stretch.
jeongguk huffs. taehyung furrows his brows.
jeongguk pouts. taehyung gives in.
“what is it?” he asks, voice soft as ever, almost tentative.
“hyung has to go home too. you’ve been in here way too long and are in need of a good nights sleep.” the younger peers up at him through his eyelashes, big doe eyes sparkling innocently.
“but-“
“no but’s. you’re going home to eat and sleep and that’s final.” jeongguk insists, already on his feet to grab taehyung’s coat. the elder rises to his feet as well, letting jeongguk put the coat on him without any complains. it’s cold outside today, so jeongguk wraps a scarf around his neck too, just to be safe.
“thank you guk-ah. always taking such good care of me. what would i be without you, huh?” taehyung smiles as he watches jeongguk button up his coat. the younger flushes under the praise, patting the soft fabric on taehyung’s chest once he’s done buttoning him up. if he were a real life bunny like taehyung always says, he’d probably hide his face behind his ears right now.
“l-let’s not think about that, please. you’d be a d-disaster.” he giggles, stuttering a bit like he does when he’s nervous.
taehyung agrees all too easily, eyes flitting over to the window to check the constantly worsening weather outside again. he tilts his head down to press an absentminded kiss on jeongguk‘s forehead.
“agreed. hey, do you want me to drive you home? i don’t want you outside in this kind of weather.”
“i mean- i could take a cab.”
taehyung scoffs, pulling jeongguk out of his office by his wrist, making sure to lock the door before grabbing the younger’s bag and coat. “nonsense. i can drive you. it’s not that far.”
“okay.” jeongguk agrees happily, following taehyung with a warm, fluttering feeling inside his chest.