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Rage. It’s a storm inside of him. It fills him to the brim and makes it difficult to pretend like everything is okay. But he has to, smiling sweetly as customers walk by and ignore his attempts to do so anyway. Laughing at kids who come up to him to ask him for something when really he just wants to tell them that the world is evil and they’ll see one day. He wants to tell them they should never love, to never trust another person with your heart or it will just get trashed and destroyed.
Jungkook’s in a horrible mood. He wishes he could ignore it, focus on the helping kids reach the large overly priced stuff animals at the top of the shelves, but he can’t get the images out of his head.
He shouldn’t have watched the video. He knew he shouldn’t have. Reading the article about infidelity and heartbreak was enough, but to watch the brutal fight that took place only worsened the sadness he feels.
“Are you okay, man?”
Jungkook rips his eyes from where he’s glaring at the bucket of mini penguin stuffed animals to take in the customer beside him. He wants to ask the man to let him seethe in peace, but he really can’t lose his job over this. Usually people ignore him like they have been all day, it would be right as he’s dealing with a shattered heart that someone will want to interrupt him.
He loves the aquarium he works at. It’s his favorite. Especially the penguin exhibit, which he can no longer go to. Ever again in his life.
“I’m fine,” Jungkook says, clearing his throat as his hands rub down his uniform shirt in case there are wrinkles. “How can I help you?”
The man is quite beautiful. Long shaggy bangs hanging over his forehead, cheeks round and mouth soft. He’s about Jungkook’s age, and if it had been the day before, Jungkook would be interested in asking the man out during his break. But now he has a new found distrust in love and romance.
“You look upset,” the man says. He laughs at himself, the sound of it nervous, as his eyes drop between them so Jungkook can’t fully appreciate the way his smile takes over his face.
“I have never been better in my life,” Jungkook assures him, maybe putting too much force into sounding it because the man raises his brows like he doesn’t believe him. He has kind, nice eyes, and it frustrates Jungkook because he’s sure every heartbreaker does. Have nice eyes. Trustworthy, misleading eyes. “Did you know penguins have a fidelity rate of over seventy percent?”
Jungkook thrusts a hand out towards the penguin display, missing the way the man’s mouth slowly falls open in confusion.
“And did you know that penguins cheat on their spouses? And then when their spouse tries to fight for their honor, they’re the ones left shattered to pieces?” Jungkook spits, heat finding its way to his neck. He keeps his voice low as not to disturb the children around them’s innocence, and it makes him come off like he’s seething.
He is .
It’s slow when the man finally responds, eyes widening a bit as he cocks his head to the side. “No, I didn’t know that.”
It’s spurs Jungkook on, the build up of how much it’s been bothering him all day coming out and spilling between them. He touches the man’s elbow to pull him aside so his boss won’t see, hiding behind the shelf of animal figurines.
He groans at the sight of the penguin in his hands. He wants to shove it back into the bin and offer him a more trustworthy animal, but he’d definitely get fired.
“There’s this video of a penguin coming home, well to their nest, to find his wife with another man,” Jungkook grunts roughly, hands moving into his pocket to pull out his phone because he’s sent the article to everyone he knows and regretted it because his friends are currently teasing him over in their group chat. “And would you believe that she chose the penguin that wasn’t her husband? Can you believe that?”
Jungkook thrusts the phone towards the man, and when he takes it into his hand, Jungkook cups his beneath it. He has nice hands, pretty long fingers. Long and delicate, knobby and strong heartbreaker fingers.
The man hesitates as his eyes flick down to the article, moving back and forth across the screen as he reads it.
“See? Romance is dead even for the animals. They’re supposed to mate for life, don’t you see?” Jungkook stresses under his breath. Ranting makes him feel better, but his chest is tight. “For life!”
The man’s lips push into a pout, head cocking to the side as he hands back the phone. “You know, I hate that they make the other male penguin out to blame. It’s the wife that cheated. Maybe he didn’t know she was married.”
Jungkook nods frantically as he touches the man’s shoulder and holds his other hand out to gesture wildly in agreement. “Right? I still hate her for choosing him, but she’s the homewrecker not the other guy.”
The man nods along. “Exactly. Unless they were bros. Then they’re both to blame, and that’d be even more fucked up.”
Jungkook groans as he pinches the bridge of his nose. The thought of that makes him so sad. “It would be so fucked up. Ugh, I hope they weren’t bros.”
For a moment, the man is silent before he turns and places his penguin on a shelf and hovers his hand around before grabbing a dolphin statute.
“What about dolphins?” he asks, seemingly genuine in his curiosity.
Jungkook sighs, shaking his head. “No, they bang everyone.”
The man laughs. It’s a nice sound, a deep rumble that makes his chest and shoulders shake. “I'm happy for them. What about hippos? You know I just learned they mate by flinging shit everywhere.”
Jungkook watches as the man’s beautiful hand stretches out to delicately place the dolphin statue back to the shelf and point to the hippo one beside it.
“They’re polygamous, they have more than one mate usually,” Jungkook explains. He grabs the seahorse off the shelf and hands it to him. “Seahorses mate for life. I think . After today, I don’t trust any species.”
A thought hits him and Jungkook groans, much to the man’s amusement. “I did read an article once that says the reason male seahorses carry the offspring is so they can be sure they’re the father. God, there’s probably a bunch of promiscuous mated seahorses swimming from sea grass bed to sea grass bed.”
The man laughs again, and Jungkook really likes the sound of it. He likes it even more when he places that heartbreaker hand of his against his arm, rubbing gently. “There’s nothing wrong with being promiscuous, bro.”
Jungkook sighs. “No, I know. I didn’t mean. I’m just flustered.”
“Do you want to go get coffee? Take your mind off adulterous sea creatures?”
Jungkook tenses, head turning as he eyes over him suspiciously. “Penguins are technically sea birds.”
The man rolls his eyes, but his smile is warm. “Is that a yes or a no?”
“Are you asking me out?”
The man’s mouth opens as he hesitates. “Well, I did come over here to flirt with you before I realized you were going through something so traumatic. Sorry if it’s bad timing.”
It almost sounds sarcastic. Jungkook crosses his arms over his chest and peers at the man. “It’s not funny. I’m really angry about it.”
“I can see that,” the man assures. He presses the tip of his tongue to his teeth before he jerks his shoulder towards the entrance. “And I’m here for you to vent about it. When’s your break?”
Jungkook tilts his head back as he looks over him from head to toe, looking for signs that he’s a heartbreaker. “Do you have a partner?”
The man laughs as his shoulders slump, hands sliding into his pockets. “No. I’m single. Would you like to look at my Facebook profile page to see?”
Jungkook tilts his head back and forth in contemplation. “I’m sorry. I don’t know you, and even if I did you could still make me emotionally invested just to bring another man into our nest and make me fight him to the point I almost die. Fight for your heart while you rip mine to shreds.”
Jungkook turns on his heels, stress filling him again. He tries to make himself busy by reorganizing one of the shelves but he really just wants to punch his fists into the box of stuffed penguins.
The man doesn’t give up, coming up behind him to touch his elbow. “Does your knowledge of animal mating habits only apply to those of the sea or land animals as well?”
Jungkook turns. It’s unfair how attractive the man is. He has a deep voice too, and Jungkook’s pretty sure he’s read an article that that means he’s untrustworthy. Or maybe it’s because villains in shows and movies always have deep voices. He doesn’t remember, but he’s torn between wanting to drown in the sound and well, no - he just wants to keep hearing the man speak some more. Maybe laugh again.
“Mostly just those of the sea,” Jungkook answers as if he’s uninterested.
The man smiles wide, hands moving in front of him as he speaks. Maybe he knows Jungkook’s attraction towards them.
God, has he been staring at them? Jungkook feels heat rise to his face at the thought of it and quickly tries to look at anything but the hands moving in front of him.
“Well, there’s this mating call in cranes,” the man starts, “One squawks and the other responds in turn. I will do that right now to show you my interest in taking you for coffee. So you see just how interested I am.”
Heat rushes into Jungkook’s cheeks even more, taking over his face. He is about to tell the man he’s bluffing, but when he opens up his mouth wide, Jungkook lunges forward to cover it with his hand.
The man giggles, his mouth hot against Jungkook’s hand. He thinks about how soft it looks, kind of wants to press his own mouth there instead of the palm of his hand.
“No?” the man asks, shaking his head. “Well, how about the barn owl? I’ll go search for a dead mouse -”
Jungkook huffs out a laugh, slapping his shoulder gently. “You like animals?”
“Love them,” the man says as he pulls out his phone and shows the back, which is covered in different animal stickers. “You seem well informed on the mating life of sea creatures.”
Jungkook shakes his head, though his chest puffs proudly. “No. Just the interesting ones. Sea animals, lizards, amphibians, I like reading about. There’s this skink, well it’s like a lizard, who licks their potential partner as a mating ritual.” Jungkook gives the man a twisted face of amusement. “Can you imagine just like? Hey. Lick.”
“I can do that too,” the man supplies without a beat, a cheeky grin on his face.
Jungkook falls still, body tensing. The heat moves to his ears. “No, I didn’t mean. I meant.”
The man shakes his head, laughing under his breath as he holds his hand out. “I’m Kim Taehyung, by the way. I am very interested to hear about your passion for penguins and animals of the like, if you’d like to join me for coffee. I promise I’m single, though if our coffee date goes well, I might not want to be.”
Jungkook stares at the hand in suspicion before he brings his own up to it. “Are you a mate for lifer?”
Taehyung nods his head confidently. “Yes. I just haven’t found the one I wanted to squawk at yet. You though -”
His lips open again, his eyes gleaming in amusement, and Jungkook’s hand flies back up to cover his mouth. “Okay, okay. I’ll get coffee with you. But please no squawking.”
Taehyung nods until Jungkook let’s his mouth go. He holds out his pinky finger, and Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to curl his own around it. “You didn’t tell me your name, penguin boy.”
Jungkook grins. He wants to cover his face with his hands, but he feels like that will bring more attention to the blush on his cheeks. “Jeon Jungkook. Penguin expert.”
“Excuse me,” Taehyung says as he presses a hand to his stomach and bows. “Penguins just happen to be my favorite. Or were. The seventy percent of good ones that is.”
Jungkook nibbles on his bottom lip as he shifts from foot to foot. Taehyung seems teasing, but he also genuinely seems interested in talking about these things. He did listen to Jungkook until he felt better, after all. “I love all seabirds.”
He says it quietly, and Taehyung has a shit eating grin on his face as he leans in and turns his head so his ear is directed towards Jungkook. “What was that?”
Jungkook rolls his eyes. “I love all seabirds. My passion started because I thought my hyung was fucking with me when he said there was a bird called a booby. Don’t laugh, I was like twelve.”
Taehyung does laugh, but at least he has the decency to hide it behind his hand. Even if it distracts Jungkook for a moment.
“ Anyway ,” Jungkook goes on. “So I searched it up and one page led to another, I became the seabird expert amongst my friends.”
Taehyung nods along as he crosses his arms over his chest, his lips pressed together like he’s trying not to smile. “I’m sure that means you’re the most riveting one out of them.”
Jungkook scoffs. “I am. I can go on about the atlantic puffin for hours.”
He isn’t expecting the way Taehyung reaches out to circle his fingers around his wrist. It’s a meaningless touch, and it’s all Taehyung does before his hands drop.
“Well, I’d like to hear it,” Taehyung says, eyes between them. “Just let me know when you’re free.”
Slowly, Jungkook pulls his sleeve back and stares at his naked wrist. He shakes his head from side to side in contemplation, humming softly to himself. “Well, I get off in about an hour.”
Taehyung nudges their shoulders, amusement shining from his eyes like the sun glistens across the surface of the ocean. “I’ll stick around then. Don’t try and kill any innocent penguins until then, okay? Really looking forward to that date.”
Jungkook practically wheezes out his, “I’ll try my best.”
As promised, Taehyung appears back in the gift shop an hour later. He lingers by the entrance, hands in the pockets of a jacket he hadn’t been wearing earlier. He waves for Jungkook when Jungkook clocks out, and Jungkook tries not to stumble over his feet to greet him.
“You know,” Taehyung says without a proper greeting, “Atlantic puffins look like fake birds. I looked them up and kept thinking I was looking at it’s cartoon version.”
His body moves to the entrance, not even waiting for Jungkook to follow after him.
“I think they’re cute,” Jungkook responds, defensive.
Their elbows brush as Taehyung grins and looks at him. “I think you’re cute, penguin boy.”
Jungkook’s face burns hot enough to melt every penguin habitat everywhere. He elbows Taehyung, laughing nervously. “Ah, hopefully you’re not a sea lion.”
Taehyung makes a face at him, a frown instantly tugging at his lips. “What?”
There’s sweat at the back of Jungkook’s neck as he laughs again. “I mean like, they’re enemies. Penguins and sea lions. Sea lions eat them. Anyway. So tell me something about you?”
Taehyung is practically shining. It pours off of him like heat rays. “I actually came here for a job interview. Wanted to stop at the gift shop to get something for my little sister. Got something for me instead.”
Jungkook’s eyes nearly bug out of his head but he rolls them at himself instead when Taehyung pulls the tiny seahorse figurine out of his pocket. “What - what position?”
A deep chuckle leaves Taehyung’s lips before he replies, “At the penguin habitat.”
“Well, if you get the position. I’ll reconsider my newfound distrust in them and visit the exhibit again.”
It falls from Jungkook’s lips before he realizes he’s saying it, and he doesn’t realize the implication of it until Taehyung glows even more. “I guess I’ve found another reason to want the job.”
Jungkook glances at his toes as Taehyung presses against them so their shoulders have to touch while they enter the aquarium’s cafe.
The inside is decorated to resemble a fish tank. Fake coral reefs snaking up the sides of the walls and collected in the corners of the ceiling, the tables painted to look like the surface of water.
They fit themself at a high table, and Jungkook smiles at tiny fish decorating the wood. “They have these croissant sandwiches here where they put little eyes on it to make them look like crabs.”
Taehyung laughs, his eyes crinkling around the corners. “I think that would freak me out, to be honest.”
Jungkook nods as he rubs his sweaty palms over his work khakis. “Yeah. They taste good though, but you can’t really have a bad sandwich. Though, I’m not a big fan of tuna fish. It’s a bit salty, and I’m not really a salt fan you know. No offense to salt, I’m just more of a pepper guy.”
When he realizes he’s rambling, he glances up at Taehyung in apology to find the man staring at him with the most serious expression on his face. The hair at the back of Jungkook’s neck stands up when his eyes narrow.
“What?”
“Are you telling me,” Taehyung starts off, gently moving his finger through the air, “You eat seafood?”
Jungkook snorts so hard he has to touch his nose to make sure it hasn’t fallen off. “Stop. I don’t like thinking about it. It’s my favorite.”
Taehyung touches a hand to his chest, grimacing before he drops a foot off the stool like he’s about to leave. Jungkook giggles, reaching over the table to grab his hand so he won’t actually.
And maybe it’s an excuse to wrap his fingers around Taehyung’s long ones like he’s been wanting to.
“I won’t eat any in front of you, I promise,” Jungkook giggles before he pushes his bottom lip out. “Stop, I have no control over my tastebuds.”
Taehyung’s dissolve breaks quickly, his face relaxing like nothing happened. He places their clasped hands on the table, fingers curling around Jungkook’s as if to tell him that he can’t have his back. “I’m just teasing, penguin boy.”
It’s hard for Jungkook to resist the urge he has to wipe the back of his hand over his forehead. “You’re lucky you’re hot, or I’d be out of here.”
Taehyung grins big as his eyes drop to their clasped hands. “You think I’m hot?”
Jungkook scoffs, making a face at him. “No. I meant, uh, stop. You’re lucky you stopped by the gift shop so we could meet.”
Taehyung giggles, his shoulders shaking. It’s so adorable, Jungkook wants to marry him. “I am lucky. I’m glad I did.”
Their eyes hold each other for a minute, and when nerves fill him, Jungkook blinks and looks away first to call for the waitress to take their order.
“By the way, I think you’re hot too,” Taehyung says as he tugs his hand back, but only to slot their fingers together instead. “Even if when I first saw you, you were glaring at the pile of stuffed penguins like they fucked up your life.”
Jungkook shrugs like it isn’t a thing. “Yeah well, I just felt like my heart was put into a blender that was turned on to it’s highest setting today.”
Taehyung grins softly. “I hope I could make you feel better then. And if you need anyone to restore your faith in romance, I’m your guy.”
Jungkook peers at him suspiciously. “Trying to be my penguin other half?”
Without hesitation, Taehyung nods. There’s a confident look on his face. “I can promise you I’m within the seventy percent.”
There’s this odd urge Jungkook has to kick Taehyung under the table, and he does. He bites the inside of his cheek, trying to keep his smile from taking over his face like his chest makes him feel like it might. He fails, and it makes Jungkook’s cheeks hurt.
“I guess we’ll see,” Jungkook finally says, teeth rubbing over his bottom lip as he squeezes Taehyung’s fingers.
“You will see,” Taehyung assures him with a firm nod, “Penguin boy.”