Archive of Our Own

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Jungkook looks down at his hands. They’re shaking slightly from the force of his rage. 

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and all his plans are ruined. Less than a week ago he had a wonderful relationship with his lovely, amazingly perfect boyfriend, and they were going to go on an incredibly romantic Valentine’s date that Jungkook had been planning for weeks. 

Now he has no boyfriend, no date, and just a phone full of texts from Hollister Brad. 

“Look, Jungkook, you can’t argue with science. Maybe you and Taehyung were just not meant to be-”

Jungkook slams both of his hands down on Jin’s desk. 

Jin jumps and looks up at him with wide eyes.

“No,” Jungkook says, and his voice quivers a little. “I have to fix things.” He looks at Jin. “And you’re going to help me.” 

For the first time in Jungkook’s life, he thinks he sees a glint of fear in Jin’s eyes. 

♥♡♥

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9

“Funny meeting you here,” says a low voice directly into Jungkook’s ear. 

Jungkook jumps, nearly knocking over a shelf of discounted Christmas decorations. When he turns and sees it’s just Taehyung, smiling at him impishly, he relaxes slightly.

“Yeah- I- wait, what are you doing here?” Jungkook says. 

They’re in the Hallmark store, which Jungkook never goes in, except today he needs string lights, which, luckily, they have leftover from Christmas. He tries holding them out of Taehyung’s line of sight. 

“I come here every week to see if they have my name on any of the personalized keychains yet,” Taehyung says, gesturing to a big display of glittering keychains with names like Abigail and Brayden and Margaret. He sighs, a little dejected. “They never do, no matter how many times I ask the cashier to put a request in to the Hallmark headquarters.” 

“I don’t think there’s a huge market for Taehyungs around here,” Jungkook jokes, softening it with a smile. 

Taehyung pouts slightly. “Well there should be! I need to reach out to the Taehyungs in Korea to emigrate here. I’m also convincing Jimin and Namjoon to name their firstborn after me, but that’s an ongoing project.” 

Jungkook hums, trying to figure out how he can buy these lights without Taehyung noticing. Maybe he should just leave them and come back later. 

“What are you here for?” Taehyung says, peering around him. Jungkook tries to back away, but the aisle is small and he bumps a few boxes of months-old candy canes off the shelf. Taehyung grabs for the lights in Jungkook’s hand. “Oh! Are these for your apartment? They’ll look magical around your bedroom ceiling.” His eyes sparkle with excitement. 

“I- uh, yeah,” Jungkook says, grabbing them back. 

“Such a good idea,” Taehyung sighs as they walk to the register. “Maybe sometime we can do my apartment, too. I’ve always wanted lights, but Jimin says he’s too short to help hang them. The only time he’s ever used that as an excuse!” 

“Sure,” Jungkook says. 

Jungkook buys the lights as Taehyung inspects a shelf of very tiny decorative spoons. He feels relief once they’re in the bag, and Taehyung doesn’t seem to have anything else to say about them. 

Jungkook takes Taehyung’s hand as they leave the store, and Taehyung swings their hands between them as they walk through the mall. Giant red hearts and frilly gold ribbons hang from the tall ceiling, swaying idly overhead. 

“So…” Taehyung says. His eyes slide sideways at Jungkook. “Are you going to tell me what we’re doing on Saturday?” 

“No,” Jungkook says. He gives Taehyung’s hand a squeeze. “I told you, it’s a surprise.” 

“But I hate surprises.” 

“You love surprises.” 

Taehyung sighs. “Yeah.” He smiles a little, glancing at Jungkook. “This is the first time I’ve ever been dating someone on Valentine’s Day, you know.” 

“Yeah?” Jungkook says, heart skipping a little bit. 

“Yup, so I’m excited,” Taehyung says.

Jungkook feels a flash of nerves. “I hope it lives up to your expectations, then.” 

“Ah, Jungkookie,” Taehyung says, and the way he says Jungkook’s name is fond. Jungkook doesn’t think he’ll ever tire of hearing it said in Taehyung’s low, velvet voice. “I’ll like whatever it is, because it’s you.” 

Jungkook feels a burst of happiness too big for his heart, as he always does when Taehyung says things like this. Jungkook wishes he was as good with words, wishes he had a way to convey that he wouldn’t mind spending Valentine’s Day in the town dump, if it’s with Taehyung. 

Luckily, his plan consists of something far better than a trip to the town dump, so hopefully that counts for something. 

Jungkook settles for leaning over and kissing Taehyung on the cheek instead, getting a thrill when he sees the pink flush that appears on Taehyung’s skin. They’ve been dating almost three months now, but the glow hasn’t quite worn off yet. 

When they get to the food court, the rest of their friends are already there. 

“You two!” Jin says, pointing at them as they sit down. “You’re late!” 

“I didn’t know we had to be on time,” says Taehyung, grabbing a chair for himself and pulling out another one for Jungkook. 

“You should always be on time, for everything, if you want to succeed in life,” Jin says. He bangs his fist on the table, and then pulls out a stack of papers and pens. 

“Paperwork?” Jimin says, flicking his straw out of his mouth. He’s curled up under Namjoon’s arm and nursing a lemonade. “You’re really going to make us spend our lunch break filling out forms?” 

Jin silences him with a violent wave of his hand. “This is very important paperwork, and if you don’t do it, I’m not paying any of your overtime.” 

“You don’t even do payroll,” Yoongi mutters as Jin starts passing out his packets. Yoongi takes one and passes the pile to Hoseok, who passes it to Taehyung, who passes one to Jungkook.

He blinks at the bold lettering across the top of the page. 

“Are you serious?” Yoongi says, glancing up at Jin and looking severely unimpressed. “A matchmaker test?” 

“Yes,” Jin says, looking very proud of himself. “I know Hot Topic employees such as yourself have never felt tender emotions like love and affection, but this is a very important Valentine assessment that all mall employees are required to take in order to promote employee engagement!” He takes a deep breath, his face a little red. “This test will place you with your top ten, scientifically calculated, most compatible matches in this mall. And maybe,” he raises an eyebrow at Yoongi, “you’ll learn what it is to love another human being.” 

“The first question is ‘When is Kim Seokjin’s birthday?’” says Namjoon, squinting at the paper. 

“Oh, I know that one!” says Taehyung, scrambling to grab a pen.

“How does that tell us anything about who we’d match with?” Hoseok asks with a tilt of his head.

“It’s an indicator of class and taste!” Jin says, crossing his arms. 

Yoongi rolls his eyes. He puts his paper down and reaches for his sandwich. “I’m not doing this.” 

“You might change your tune,” Jin says, “when I tell you that everyone who fills out this test will be entered into a raffle to get Valentine’s weekend off. And that person’s number one match will get it off as well.” He wags his eyebrows. 

Jimin grabs a pen. “Babe, make sure you fill it out carefully so I’m your number one,” he says to Namjoon, who’s stroking his chin as he reads through the questions. 

“No cheating!” Jin says. He eyes them all suspiciously. 

The table goes quiet as they fill out their tests. Yoongi finishes first with a roll of his eyes, and Jin tells him to double check his answers.

“Jungkook!” Jin says, slapping a hand on the table. “I said no cheating! Especially on your boyfriend’s paper!” 

Taehyung looks over and sends Jungkook a dark look, then wraps an arm around his test so Jungkook can’t see. Jungkook looks back at question thirteen, “Solve:  x2 - 8x + 2 = 0”, and runs a frustrated hand through his hair. 

Jungkook’s the last one to finish, and by the time he hands it over to Jin their lunch break is nearly over. 

Luckily, because Taehyung is perfect, he bought Jungkook some food as he was finishing up. Taehyung holds Jungkook’s hand in his lap as he eats, outlining Jungkook’s tattoos with his fingers. Jungkook feels perfectly content to know that he doesn’t need a quiz to tell him that he and Taehyung are a match made in heaven, because that’s already clear.

He does hope one of them wins the day off, though. That will make his plans even better than they already are. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

“Why are you looking at puzzles?” 

Jungkook jumps and nearly drops his phone. Taehyung rests his chin on his shoulder, looking at his screen. Jungkook shoves his phone in his pocket and turns around to look more fully at Taehyung. 

“Is it for our date on Saturday?” Taehyung asks, grinning and rocking on his heels. “Are we going to do a puzzle?” 

“Are you on your break?” Jungkook asks.

Taehyung shakes his head. “I just had to use the bathroom and thought I’d use the nice one up here.” 

Jungkook smiles a little. His Bath and Bodyworks is two whole floors up from Taehyung’s pet store, but before they’d started dating, Taehyung would pass by with the excuse that he was using the bathroom on Jungkook’s floor because it had better soap. And sometimes, Jungkook would go all the way down to use the bathroom near Taehyung, even though Taehyung would always berate him for using terrible soap that dried out skin. Jungkook would tell him he’d use his employee discount to buy more lotion for himself, and then Taehyung would tell Jungkook to buy lotion for him so he wouldn’t have to trudge up all those escalators to get to the good bathroom. Jungkook did buy lotion for him, but Taehyung kept coming. 

“So do you think we got each other on the matchmaker test?” Taehyung asks, bringing Jungkook back to the present. “I kept second-guessing my answers all night. I definitely got the amoeba question wrong, but my evolutionary biology is so rusty.” 

“Hm,” Jungkook says. He’s not sure he knew any evolutionary biology  to begin with. He grabs the free sample of Winterberry Wonder hand cream, Taehyung’s favorite, and he holds out his hand for Taehyung’s.

Taehyung gives him his hand without question. “It doesn’t matter, we’ll be each other’s top matches. How can we not be?” 

Jungkook smiles and squeezes some lotion into Taehyung’s palm. Very gently, he rubs it into Taehyung’s skin, enjoying the feeling of Taehyung’s hand between both of his. 

“Wait, how did you answer the question about how many instant ramens you can eat in one sitting?” Taehyung says. 

“Eleven,” Jungkook says. “It used to be thirteen, but I don’t have the stomach I did when I was in high school.” 

“Oh no,” Taehyung says anxiously. “I said my ideal partner should be able to eat thirteen! I forgot you re-challenged yourself. How many did you say your ideal partner should be able to eat?” 

“Uh, eight?” Jungkook says. He doesn’t quite remember. 

“I think I said I could eat nine,” Taehyung groans. “But even that was a guess. I’ve never tested it out like you.” 

Jungkook squeezes Taehyung’s fingers. “I don’t think it matters. That just means next time we buy ramen, we’ll know twenty is our limit so we don’t waste money.” 

A smile tugs at Taehyung’s mouth. “You’re right. That’s probably what counts in matchmaking. We’ll still be each other’s number one match.” 

Jungkook reaches for Taehyung’s other hand. “I don’t need a quiz to tell me you’re my number one,” he mutters, eyes focused on making sure all the lotion is rubbed into Taehyung’s skin. He feels his face warm. 

Taehyung doesn’t say anything, and when Jungkook looks up, he finds Taehyung smiling at him with the softest, warmest eyes. 

Jungkook looks back down, knowing his face is a full-out blush now. “It’s true,” he mutters, scowling at their hands. 

Taehyung sighs, one of his happy little sighs, and Jungkook doesn’t think about the quiz for the rest of the day. 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

“Hello, my toys! Cupid has arrived!” 

Jin breezes through Jungkook’s Bath and Bodyworks, handing out papers to Jungkook’s coworkers. 

When he gets to Jungkook, he pauses and raises an eyebrow.

“What,” Jungkook says, frowning. 

“Your test results were…interesting,” Jin says. “Very interesting.” 

Jungkook doesn't know what that means. Jin hands him his paper. 

Jungkook’s eyes skim it over, and his heart sinks a little when he doesn’t see Taehyung’s name listed in his top ten matches. His number one match is someone named Brad Miller, and he has no idea who that is. He doesn’t know who anyone else listed is either, except for Yoongi, who is his number eight match.

“You do both have a penchant for darkness,” Jin says ominously, reading over Jungkook’s shoulder.

“Who’s this guy?” Jungkook asks, pointing to his number one match. They have a 98% match score. 

Jin simply shakes his head at him in disbelief. “Are you so blinded by Taehyung that you don’t know who Brad Miller is?” 

“Um. Yes?” 

Jin sighs. “I had people bribing me to make Brad Miller their number one match, Jungkook, and you get him organically and you don’t even know who he is.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, like this is the biggest inconvenience of his job.

“Sorry,” Jungkook says. He folds up his paper and slips it into his pocket. It sucks that if he gets the day off that means Taehyung won’t, but his chances of winning the raffle are probably slim anyway.

“Jungkook.” Jin steps in front of him. He takes him by the shoulders and gives him a shake. “Have you ever watched a movie set in California? About people with surfboards and abs?” 

“Uh...I guess so?” 

“That is Brad Miller. He is the culmination of every hot surfer ever. He works at Hollister and every day he looks like he just emerged from ten hours at the beach. Do you understand?” 

“I… sure.” 

“Jungkook!” Jin stamps his foot. “You’re not appreciating this!” 

“Who cares?” Jungkook says, slipping out from Jin’s grip. “Taehyung’s not even on my list.” 

Jin rolls his eyes. “I admit, if upper management let me put together a mall kpop band like I asked, Taehyung would be our lead visual, after me, of course. But we live in an unenlightened western society, and I need to know what you’re going to do about Hollister Brad.” 

“Nothing,” Jungkook says. “What am I supposed to do?” 

“This is like if a medieval peasant had a chance with a prince and stayed with his peasant wife,” Jin says, rubbing his temple. 

“Taehyung is the prince,” Jungkook says, suddenly annoyed. He straightens a perfume display. “I don’t care about this Hollister guy. You should have just taken all those bribes.” 

“I run an honest and respectable mall,” Jin says, kicking Jungkook in the shin. Jungkook kicks him back, and they get into a kicking match that lasts until Jungkook’s manager gives them an appraising glance and leads a group of customers away. 

Jin straightens his dress shirt and tips over one of Jungkook’s perfumes, and walks out of the store.  

♡

“Jungkookie!” Jimin shouts from their usual corner of the food court, urgently waving him over.

Namjoon sits beside him, already eating lunch. As soon as Jungkook reaches them, Jimin makes grabby hands. “Let me see your matchmaker results.” 

Jungkook shakes his head. He sits down on Namjoon’s other side.

Jimin narrows his eyes at him, like he suspects Jungkook of wrongdoing. “Did you not get Taehyung on your list?” 

“Did you get Namjoon?” Jungkook shoots back. 

“Yes,” Jimin says, crossing his arms and tilting his chin up. “We’re each other’s number two match.” 

“Who’s your number one?” Jungkook asks, surprised that Jimin would be satisfied with this ranking. 

“Taehyungie of course!” Jimin says, lifting his chin higher. “We’re each other’s only true soulmates, so it only makes sense that he’s my number one, one hundred percent match. Namjoon understands. Right, babe?” 

“Right,” Namjoon says from around a french fry. He winks and hands one to Jungkook. 

“Wait, then who’s your number one?” Jungkook asks Namjoon, munching on the fry. Even if Jimin got Taehyung, Jungkook can’t imagine he wouldn’t be jealous of Namjoon getting someone else. Namjoon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. He hands it to Jungkook. 

Jungkook unfolds it and blinks. “Wait, it just says your own name.” 

Namjoon nods.

“Is it a mistake?” Jungkook asks, lowering the paper and looking at him. 

Namjoon shrugs. “Jin said it wasn’t.”

“My Namjoonie is so desirable that even he gets himself,” Jimin says, perching his chin on Namjoon’s shoulder. 

Namjoon’s cheeks go a little pink. “It’s good to love yourself.” 

“It’s only an eighty five percent match,” Jungkook says, frowning at the paper.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Namjoon says. He takes his list back and folds it up again.

Jimin looks at Jungkook and opens his mouth, no doubt to demand his list again, when Yoongi shows up. Jimin’s face lights up with a smile. “Let me see your list!” 

“No,” Yoongi says, sitting down with a cute little burrito on his tray. 

Jimin huffs and buries his cheek in Namjoon’s shoulder. “You and Jungkook are no fun,” he says to Yoongi. Yoongi shrugs. 

“Jungkookie!”

Jungkook looks up. Taehyung and Hoseok are walking toward the table, arm in arm. 

Taehyung disentangles himself and sits next to Jungkook. “You don’t have food yet? Come on.” He pulls him up by the elbow and leads him toward the salad line, because he likes to get the salad with the little crunchy wonton strips on it. Jungkook scowls and pulls him over to the pizza line instead.  

Taehyung turns around to look at him, eyes anxious. 

“So, what were your results?” 

“Uh-”

Taehyung’s pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. “I got Jimin as my number one, which was to be expected because we’re soulmates.” He smooths it out then holds it up. He pouts sadly. “You’re only number five.” 

“Oh,” Jungkook says.

“You were supposed to be my number two, at least,” Taehyung says. He looks so sad, Jungkook grabs for his hand. 

“It’s okay,” Jungkook says. “I like the number five.” 

That doesn’t seem to cheer Taehyung up, but he looks back up at Jungkook, eyes turning hopeful. “What number was I on your list?” 

Jungkook looks up at the menu, even though he knows he’s going to get the mega meat pizza like he always does. 

“Kook?” Taehyung says, tugging on his hand.  “Can I see?” 

“Tae, it’s not a big deal-” 

Taehyung suddenly has his arms around him, digging his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Jungkook tries to escape but Taehyung tickles him. “No- Tae- no- !” 

“Aha!” Taehyung says, holding up the crumpled piece of paper like he found gold. Jungkook tries to snatch it back, but Taehyung flees to the line for the salad bar again. Jungkook hates salad. 

But Taehyung is looking at the list, and he suddenly looks really, really sad-

Jungkook sighs. He walks over to grab the list, and Taehyung lets him take it, paper slipping through his fingers easily. 

Taehyung’s eyes are big when he looks at Jungkook. “You didn’t get me at all?”

Jungkook doesn't understand why everyone is taking this test so seriously. He didn’t think Taehyung would take it so seriously. Jungkook makes it clear how he feels about him all the time. 

Taehyung is silent for a minute, just looking at his hands. “You got Hollister Brad for your number one. He’s like, the most wanted guy in the mall.” 

“I don’t even know who that is,” Jungkook says. He runs a hand through his hair. “This is just Jin’s dumb quiz. It means nothing.” 

Taehyung falls quiet again, which is never a good sign. Jungkook doesn’t really know what to do, this is uncharted territory in their relationship. 

Before he can do anything, Taehyung says, “I guess you only got ninety eight percent with Hollister Brad. That’s not one hundred.” 

It’s a crumb, but Jungkook will take it. He takes Taehyung’s hand again and squeezes it. He wants to say something silly like you’re my one hundred percent or my only match is you , but he already said that yesterday and it seems like his week’s worth of words was used up with it. He kisses Taehyung’s cheek, watches the pink that blossoms in its place, and tries to think of something better to say. 

He’s so preoccupied in his thoughts that he doesn’t realize that Taehyung has ordered them both salads.

“Tae .” 

“I put a lot of cheese on yours!”

When they return to their table with their sad salads, Yoongi’s face is red and Hoseok looks bemused. 

“What’s going on?” Jungkook asks. 

“Hoseok and Yoongi got each other as number one matches,” Namjoon says. He looks like he’s trying not to laugh. 

“It’s so cute!” says Jimin, hands on his cheeks. 

“It was a test that Jin made up,” Yoongi says, mouth scowling and cheeks glowing. “Stop making it weird.” 

Hoseok opens his mouth, but Taehyung speaks first. “Yeah,” he says, opening the plastic container of his salad with a little difficulty. “That test really means nothing.” His voice has a note of finality to it.

Jimin turns in Jungkook’s direction to look at them both with an air of suspicion, but Namjoon starts talking about a little duckling shaped snow mold he bought for the next time it snows, and Yoongi quickly latches onto the change of topic.

Jimin catches Jungkook’s eye and raises an eyebrow, and Jungkook knows he isn’t out of hot water quite yet, even though it’s not even his fault. He spends the rest of lunch picking lettuce out of his cheese. 

♡

Jungkook is clocked out and about to head home for the afternoon when Jimin jumps out from behind an aromatherapy kiosk and ambushes him. 

“Taehyung told me he wasn’t on your list,” he says, shoving Jungkook in the chest. “How could you?” 

“It’s not my fault!” Jungkook says, rubbing his chest. That really hurt. 

“Of course it’s your fault,” Jimin says, shoving him again. “You were thinking of Hollister Brad when you filled out your test!” 

“I already told Tae, and Jin,” Jungkook says, “that I don’t know who that is! And I’m always thinking about Taehyung!” 

Jimin falters with his hand in the air, poised to hit him again. He narrows his eyes and lowers it. “Okay, that was sweet, but I’m still mad at you for making Tae sad.” 

“I didn’t mean to make him sad. I’m going to prove to him how much I-” Jungkook cuts himself off. “On Saturday. I’ve got a big Valentine’s date planned. And I told him the test was dumb, anyway. One of the questions asked if you’d make room for your ideal partner to float on a door with you if the Titanic was sinking!” 

Jimin puts his hands on his hips. “You said no, right?” 

Jungkook blinks at him. “Why would I say no?” 

Jimin widens his eyes. “Because Taehyung’s a romantic, and he’d choose to die so you could go on to live your dreams with the new hope he inspired in you!” 

“You know what else is romantic?” Jungkook says. “Not letting the person you love drown!” 

Jimin throws his hands in the air and turns away from Jungkook. “I can’t believe this.” He turns back to him. “And he didn’t drown, he froze to death.” 

Jungkook feels a flare of real anger. “Look, I know I’m not the smartest person in this mall,” he says, “and I probably didn’t get any of the math and science questions right, but I care about Taehyung.” He feels his face warm. “And that’s what matters.” 

Jimin looks back at him. He sighs, then walks over and pats his hand on Jungkook’s chest, like he’s soothing the place he hit him. “You really need to stop being sweet. It makes it hard for me to be mad at you.” 

Jungkook scowls. “It’s just the truth.” 

Jimin sighs again. “Okay, fine, I get it. But if I see you anywhere near Hollister or Brad Miller, it’s all over for you.” 

“I can promise that won’t be a problem,” Jungkook says.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12

“Hello? Jungkook? I’m Brad Miller.” 

Jungkook looks up from the case of hand sanitizers he’s loading onto a shelf. Looking down at him is an extremely tall, very buff, and very golden-haired young man who looks like he just manifested from an ad for surf boards. 

Jungkook shoots a glance around the store, suddenly afraid Jimin might be hiding and spring out from behind a basket of body sprays to hit him again. When that doesn’t happen, he looks back up. “Um, hi.” 

“I just wanted to come and introduce myself,” Hollister Brad says. His hair falls in waves down to his chin, a little like Jungkook’s, except it’s blonde. “Manager Seokjin said we were both each other’s number one match on the Valentine assessment.”

“Oh, well,” Jungkook says. He’s still on the floor. “Um, nice to meet you. I have a boyfriend.” He looks back at the shelf. 

“Manager Seokjin said that, but he said I should introduce myself anyway,” Brad says, grinning with very white teeth. “Hey, we should get lunch sometime on our breaks.” 

“I eat lunch with my boyfriend every day,” Jungkook says. 

“If he’s out sick or something, let’s do it,” Brad says. He nods like Jungkook agreed. 

“Um, I don’t think so,” Jungkook says, making a mental note to buy ten of these sanitizers for Taehyung so he never gets sick.

“I’m sure your boyfriend won’t mind,” Brad says. “He’s the guy at the pet store, right? He’s cool.” 

“Taehyung,” Jungkook says. “And he’s not that cool. I mean he is cool. He’s the coolest person I know. But he wants me to eat lunch with him only. Sorry. I have to get back to work now.” He turns back to his box. 

“Cool,” Brad says, like Jungkook didn’t say anything. “Nice. I’ll text you, then.” 

Jungkook nods, then frowns. He looks back up. “You don’t have my number.” 

“Manager Seokjin gave it to me,” Brad says. He shoots Jungkook some finger guns and another white grin. “See you around, JK.” 

Jungkook stares, open mouthed, as he leaves. Only his friends call him JK. Only his friends have his phone number. 

His coworker, a girl named June who often works the same shifts as Jungkook, comes over. “Wow, Jungkook,” she says. “How do you get the hottest guys in the mall to come visit you all the time?” she sounds half starstruck and half envious.

“You can take Brad,” Jungkook says, but the girl only laughs, like no one would ever actually say such a thing.

Jungkook’s phone buzzes in his pocket, and when he takes it out there’s a text from an unknown number that says, swing by hollister sometime, I’ll get you a discount ;)

Jungkook deletes the conversation, blocks the number, and goes back to work. 

♡

Taehyung is late for lunch. 

Still, sometimes things come up, shifts get busy, and Taehyung’s job can be especially unpredictable with the animals. Jungkook decides he’ll just have to take a trip to the downstairs bathroom with the bad soap later.

Luckily, Jungkook is halfway through his pizza when Taehyung finally shows up. Jungkook smiles and gestures to the empty chair beside him, but when Taehyung sits down, slowly and quietly and without any food, he immediately knows something is off. 

“Tae?” Jungkook says. 

“Taetae?” Jimin says from the opposite end of the table, leaning out of Namjoon’s hold like his soulmate senses are tingling. “What’s wrong?” 

Everyone falls quiet, because a sad Taehyung is a concern for them all. 

“What is it?” Jungkook reaches for Taehyung’s hand and pulls it into his lap, rubbing at his knuckles. 

“I heard that Hollister Brad was seen at Bath and Bodyworks today,” Taehyung says, staring down at the edge of the table, and Jungkook’s hands freeze.

“What?” Jimin says sharply. 

“Uh oh,” says Jin, hiding a cough behind a big gulp of his drink. 

“Jungkook?” Jimin demands, completely twisting out of the arm Namjoon has around him and going from small and sweet to large and scary in the space of a millisecond. 

“I didn’t ask him to come,” Jungkook says. “He just showed up!” 

“People are saying he asked you on a lunch date,” Taehyung says.

“I said no,” Jungkook says, looking back at him. “And I blocked his number.”

“He has your number?” Taehyung says. His eyes get a little red. 

“No- I-” Jungkook looks around the table, like any of them can help him. Hoseok looks a little frightened, and Yoongi’s eyebrows are raised ever so slightly. Namjoon looks at a loss beside Jimin. 

Jungkook’s eyes land on Jin instead. “Jin gave my number to him!” He points at Jin. “Blame Jin.”

Jin folds his arms. “I will not be blamed for this lover’s quarrel.” 

“You gave him my number without asking me!” 

But Taehyung just continues to look sad, and everyone is staring at them, and Taehyung’s hand is limp in his own. 

“Tae,” Jungkook says, lowering his voice so only Taehyung can hear. He squeezes his hand. “I told you, it doesn’t matter. It was just a made up quiz. I told him I didn’t want to eat lunch with him and that you’re my boyfriend. I- ”

“I think I need to be alone,” Taehyung says, and abruptly stands up, hand sliding out of Jungkook’s.

Jungkook looks up at him. “But you haven’t even eaten.” 

“I’ll get something.” 

Taehyung walks off. Jungkook stands up, but Jimin stops him. “I’ll go.” He points at Jungkook. “You think about what you’ve done.” 

“I haven’t done anything!” 

Jimin walks off after Taehyung, leaving everyone in an awkward silence that Hoseok finally breaks by asking Namjoon a question about crabs. Jungkook sits silently and doesn’t talk for the rest of lunch, slowly finishing his pizza and thinking about what he’s done. 

♡

“And then he offered me a Hollister discount, and I blocked his number!” Jungkook says. He runs his hands over his face. “Who’s even spreading these rumors?” 

When Jungkook opens his eyes again, Namjoon is sliding a cup of ice cream across the counter towards him, all the toppings mixed in and goopy, just like Jungkook likes. 

“Thank you,” Jungkook murmurs, sticking a spoonful right into his mouth. He sighs. 

“People like their workplace drama,” Namjoon says sympathetically. 

“Why can’t they just mind their own business,” Jungkook mutters, scowling and shoveling more ice cream into his mouth. 

“Kook,” Namjoon says, gently. “What’s done is done, and you can’t control what other people do.” 

“Then what do I do?” Jungkook says, hopelessness trickling through him. “I keep telling Taehyung it doesn’t matter, but he doesn’t believe me.” 

Namjoon’s quiet for a moment, considering. “Maybe he needs you to tell him more than that. Words that express how you feel instead of telling him how he should feel.” 

Jungkook huffs, scraping at the bottom of his cup with his spoon. “I’m bad with words.” 

“You really aren’t,” Namjoon says with a slight smile. “You just need more confidence. And I’m not saying you need to recite poetry. Just be more vocal about how you feel.” Namjoon’s smile turns wry. “If he’s anything like his one hundred percent soulmate, I suspect he might just be someone who likes to hear that sort of thing often.” 

“I have a big date planned for Saturday,” Jungkook says, setting his empty cup down. “I have a plan, and I got all this stuff that shows how much I- ” He cuts himself off. 

When he looks up, he finds Namjoon looking at him with something excruciatingly soft in his eyes. Jungkook immediately feels his face go hot. 

“Tell him that ,” Namjoon says, voice exceedingly gentle, as if he knows if he says it any louder Jungkook might perish on the spot. “You haven’t yet?” 

“I- I mean,” Jungkook says, looking away, “all the online forums I’ve read have said it’s a little soon to say that after barely three months of dating, so- ”

Namjoon rolls his eyes. “Jungkook, stop reading that stuff. There are literally no rules. I know it might seem like there are rules, but there are none.” 

“I know,” Jungkook says. He plays with his plastic spoon. “I know.” Does he? Not really. Half the time he feels like he’s bumbling around in the dark with these feelings, and the only light is Taehyung’s smile, so Jungkook tries to make him smile as much as he can. 

Except he didn’t do a good job of that today, or yesterday.

“I just- ” Jungkook starts, frustrated. “It’s obvious, right?” Whenever he’s around Taehyung, it feels like his heart is bleeding all over his sleeve. It’s embarrassing. 

“I don’t know if my answer to that really matters,” Namjoon says. “Do you think Taehyung thinks it’s obvious?” 

Jungkook thinks about it. If he did, he probably wouldn’t be acting like this about Brad Miller. He probably wouldn’t be putting so much stock into a silly, fanciful matchmaker quiz. Or maybe he would, because he’s Taehyung and he likes fanciful things. 

Jungkook scrubs a hand over his face. “I have to tell him.”

“You’re not bad with words, Jungkook,” Namjoon says. “And even if you were, I don’t think Tae would care. I think he’d like all the words you have to give him.” 

Because it’s you, Taehyung’s voice from a few days ago says in Jungkook’s mind, when he was talking about how he’d enjoy their date no matter what it was. 

Jungkook groans. “I’m so dumb.” 

“You’re not dumb,” Namjoon says. He hands him a cup of brownie bits. “Take this and go home, your shift ended a half hour ago.” 

♡

Jungkook is about to head down the escalator, so deep in thought about his conversation with Namjoon, mind buzzing with how to rework his date with Taehyung on Saturday, that he doesn’t even realize when someone starts walking beside him. 

“Hi, JK,” Hollister Brad says, and Jungkook nearly jumps out of his skin. 

“Um, hi,” Jungkook says, and casts a quick, panicked glance around. Taehyung’s pet store is downstairs, but Jimin’s Sephora isn’t far. 

“You looked like you were thinking really hard, so I didn’t want to disturb you,” Brad says.

Jungkook frowns. “You did disturb me.” 

“Cool. Hey, come in here,” Brad says, and steers Jungkook sideways right into Hollister.

“Hey, wait, I- I have food,” Jungkook says, holding up his half-empty cup of brownies from Namjoon. “I can’t go in.” 

“That’s okay,” Brad says. “If you spill it on anything, you just have to pay for it.” 

“Wait-” Jungkook starts, but it’s too late. 

Everything’s a little too dark, and the music is loud and it smells like perfume, but dark, musty perfume, not like the nice ones at Bath and Bodyworks that Jungkook likes. Some teenage girls idly browse the jeans, and someone Jungkook thinks he recognizes from Yoongi’s Hot Topic is looking at the men’s shirts. That person glances up as Brad steers Jungkook all the way to the checkout counter. 

“I told you, I have a discount for you,” Brad says.

“That’s okay,” Jungkook says, trying to assess the quickest route out of the story. “I don’t shop here anyway.” 

“You should.” Brad stops and looks Jungkook fully up and down. “You’d look good in our clothes. Go pick something out.” 

“No thank you,” Jungkook says. “I- I have to go. I have an appointment. Dentist.” He hides the brownies behind his back.  

“I thought you might say that,” Brad says, planting Jungkook in front of the cash register and swinging around the counter. He has a little gold hoop in one ear and his shirt hangs loose off his shoulders like a 90s sitcom character. He reaches behind the counter and lifts up an enormous bag. “That’s why I picked some stuff out for you.” 

Oh god. Jungkook’s hands sweat. “I really don’t need that.” 

“Sure you do.” 

“I can’t afford it.” 

“That’s why I got you a discount.” Brad flashes him a blinding smile. He punches a few buttons on his cash register and the total amount dwindles from over three hundred dollars to five bucks. Jungkook’s mouth falls open. 

“I-” 

Brad holds his hand out. 

Fine. Whatever. If it’ll get him out of here faster, Jungkook will just pay the five damn dollars. He can donate the clothes somewhere.

As he’s trying to find a five dollar bill in his wallet, Yoongi’s Hot Topic coworker steps up to the register beside him.  They never exchange words when Jungkook stops by to visit Yoongi, and Jungkook doesn’t think he’s ever even heard them talk, but he’s always admired their style. They’re dressed completely in black, with darkest black lipstick, and with enormous black boots that Jungkook envies  but has always been a little too intimidated to ask about.

A very tall, pretty girl with giant curls steps up to the register with a bright smile. “Oh, hi, Marga! It’s always so funny you shop here.” 

Marga doesn’t respond, preferring to pay quickly and leave. Jungkook does the same, handing Brad a five dollar bill. 

The girl hands Marga a shopping bag over the counter, and Jungkook meets Marga’s eyes, perhaps to exchange a glance of familiarity,  or commiseration, because surely Marga recognizes him, too. 

Maybe they do, but it’s a bit hard to tell because Marga glares at him so hard their eyes nearly become slits. Jungkook’s mouth falls open again.

Then Marga turns around and walks out. 

“Marga’s so funny,” the girl behind the other register says, watching Marga walk out of the store. “Buying men’s shirts. Last week it was women’s pants!” 

Brad, about to hand Jungkook his bag, looks over at her with surprising sharpness. “Marga isn’t a girl or a boy, Ashley.” 

The girl - Ashley - looks at Brad with alarm. “Oh! I didn’t realize.” 

Brad sighs, and then looks at the space Marga just vacated. “Yeah. Marga is just…. a friend.”

He sounds slightly forlorn about it. Ashley blinks. 

Jungkook doesn’t understand what’s happening. “Um,” he says. 

Brad snaps out of whatever trance he’d suddenly disappeared into. “Oh, sorry, JK. Here you go, dude.” He hands Jungkook the bag. “Do you want to eat lunch together tomorrow?”

“I have a boyfriend,” Jungkook says. 

Ashley’s eyes light up. “Taehyung from the pet store, right? He’s so hot. He should work here.” 

“I- ” Jungkook starts, surprised. He clears his throat. “I think he likes the pet store.” 

“You should work here,” Brad says to Jungkook, and winks.

Jungkook never wants to come inside Hollister again. The musty perfume is clogging his airways. “I have to go.” 

He spins around, his enormous shopping bag nearly taking out a shelf of crop tops, and leaves the store before Brad can possibly say anything else. 

♡

Jungkook is nearly to the main exit of the mall when someone calls out his name. He closes his eyes, considering just sprinting for the doors, but when they call out again, he realizes it’s not Hollister Brad coming to chase after him with his receipt, or Jimin coming to beat him up, it’s-

“Tae,” he says, turning.  “Oh. Hey.” 

“Hi, Kookie,” Taehyung says, and he’s smiling at him, which is the total opposite of how he’d been looking at Jungkook at lunch, so that must be good, right? A welcome sensation of relief washes over Jungkook. 

“Why are you still here?” Taehyung asks. The giant hearts hanging from the high ceiling twist and sparkle above him. “Your shift ended like an hour ago.” 

“I stopped to talk to Namjoon,” Jungkook says. He knows Taehyung has an hour left of his own shift, and a crazy part of him almost considers waiting for him. 

“Tae-”

“Kookie-”

They both break off, smiling shyly. Jungkook gestures at Taehyung. “You go.” 

Taehyung rubs at the back of his neck. He looks sweet, cheeks pink, and Jungkook’s heart melts a little. He thinks of what Namjoon said, about what he needs to do, and his heart contracts with nerves and anticipation all at once. 

“I was thinking about today,” Taehyung says, voice sheepish. “About how I acted at lunch, and I talked to Jimin after I left and I think I was being a little dramat… wait, what’s that bag?” 

Jungkook’s entire body goes still. Taehyung’s eyes are looking down at Jungkook’s side, sweet smile gone and a frown tugging at his lips instead. 

Taehyung reaches out, and Jungkook instinctively pulls back. “Jungkook,” Taehyung says, face fully frowning now, eyebrows drawn. “Why do you have a- a Hollister bag?” 

“It’s not what you think,” Jungkook says quickly, which was definitely the wrong thing to say because now Taehyung looks angry. “I- he just made me take this, I would’ve thrown it away but it’s a lot of clothes so I was going to donate it-”

Taehyung reaches out again, and this time Jungkook isn’t fast again. He snatches the bag from his hand and opens it. “This is really nice stuff,” Taehyung says, voice quivering a little. He sucks in a breath and reaches inside. When he pulls his hand back out, he’s holding a card. It’s heart shaped. 

The heart inside Jungkook’s chest plummets to the floor. “No, Taehyung, give me that-”

Taehyung shoves the bag back at him but opens the card. Whatever it says, it makes Taehyung’s eyes immediately well with tears. 

Jungkook makes a grab for it. “Tae, no, I don’t even know what that is-”

Like his matchmaker quiz the day before, Taehyung lets Jungkook swipe the card from his fingers easily. To Jungkook’s horror, scribbled in the middle of the heart is ‘JK’, and when he opens it-

Dear Jungkook,

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You’re super hot
Let’s get lunch together sometime my treat

Yours forever,
Brad 

Jungkook looks back up at Taehyung, who, to his horror’s horror, is wiping at his eyes. Jungkook tosses the card to the floor and tries to reach for him, but Taehyung steps backward. “Taehyung, this is nothing, this means nothing. It doesn’t even rhyme!” 

Taehyung looks away, averting his eyes from Jungkook’s. “I have to get back to the store, I’ve been gone too long.” He wipes at his eye again with the heel of his palm. 

“Taehyung,” Jungkook says, “This means nothing, all of it. I don’t like Hollister Brad. I’m not eating lunch with him. It doesn’t matter what we were on each other’s quizzes. You’re the only one I’ve ever- ”

Jungkook cuts himself off, unable to say it. Not here, now, in the middle of the mall as Taehyung cries and the worst Valentine of all time lies at their feet. Not when Jungkook’s heart feels scraped out, and like Taehyung won’t even believe him if he does say it. 

“I have to go,” Taehyung says. “Please don’t follow me.” 

Taehyung turns back in the direction of his store, and Jungkook lets him go, a bag of three hundred dollars worth of clothes in his hand and a heart shaped card at his feet, feeling like he has nothing at all. 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Jungkook stands behind the cash register, trying to make everything fit into a box he stole from the back room. He tries squeezing another glitter bath ball in with the bottles of  Winterberry Wonder cream, but he might have overestimated how much can fit in one box. 

His phone buzzes in his pocket, and he nearly drops the bath ball in his hurry to check it. His heart beats high in his throat - and then it falls when he doesn’t see Taehyung’s name on the screen. 

It’s a text from an unknown number, but Jungkook’s eyes glaze over, thinking about how Taehyung hasn’t answered any of his texts, or calls, since yesterday. Not since before Taehyung walked away from him, tears in his eyes, because of that stupid Valentine Brad gave him.

The memory makes Jungkook’s chest contract with so much anxiety - about Taehyung being upset because of him, about Taehyung being sad, about Taehyung not answering his messages, about Taehyung - he can hardly stand it. He barely slept at all last night. 

Jungkook blinks, eyes refocusing, and realizes what the text from the unknown number actually says. 

Hey JK 

A dark inkling trickles down the back of Jungkook’s neck. But how? 

Jungkook stuffs his phone back into his pocket. He doesn't even want to think about that. He just wants Taehyung to talk to him. Not even Jimin has texted him to yell at him. 

He’s just going to have to hope he sees Taehyung at lunch. And if all else fails- there’s their date tomorrow. 

They just have to make it to their date. 

♡

Hey JK

I think u accidentally blocked me on my other number

Wyd?

Working I guess lol

Did u see my card yesterday?

♡

Jungkook is walking to the food court, phone in his hand that still hasn’t received anything from Taehyung, or Jimin, or anyone but Hollister Brad, and he’s starting to wonder if all his friends have disappeared off the face of the earth, or maybe hate him for breaking Taehyung’s heart, when the mall intercom crackles on overhead.

Jin’s voice rings out over the entire mall, bouncing off the giant hearts hanging from the ceiling. 

“I would like to announce the winner of our Valentine’s Day raffle. In a completely randomized selection, Jeon Jungkook has been chosen to have tomorrow, February 14th, off from work. Likewise, his number one match, Brad Miller, also will get tomorrow, February 14th, off. Congrats, lovebirds!” 

Jungkook freezes. His phone starts buzzing in his hand, but he doesn’t need to look at it to know it’s not from Taehyung. 

Jungkook unfreezes and runs for the food court.

Everyone is there, including Jin himself, though Jungkook doesn’t know how he could have gotten there so fast. 

“Jungkook!” Jin’s voice rings out. He spreads his arms as if welcoming a guest of honor. “Our raffle winner! What are you going to do with your whole day off tomorrow? ‘Hang out’ with Hollister Brad?” he says, using air quotes.

“I’m not doing anything with Brad,” Jungkook says, catching his breath. “You can take the day off back, I don’t want it.” 

“I’ll take it,” Yoongi says. 

Jin sighs. “I was rooting for you, Yoongi, I really was. But it’s too late to change it and I’m just afraid if I let you have the day off with Hollister Brad instead of Jungkook, Hoseok might be jealous since he was your number one match.” 

Hoseok shrugs, popping a fry into his mouth. “I don’t care.” 

Jin rolls his eyes. “Gap employees are so unromantic. No wonder your stores have been at war for fifty years, neither of you feel love. Yoongi, what do you even see in him?” 

Jin yelps, which means Yoongi probably kicked him under the table, but Jungkook doesn’t care about that right now. His eyes find Taehyung. 

He’s curled between Jimin and Namjoon, like he’s trying to be small. His hair is not nearly as fluffy as it normally is and he has a big hoodie on over his pet store t-shirt. He’s got one of Namjoon’s ice creams in front of him, but it’s melty, like he’s not eating it quickly enough. 

Jimin immediately glares at Jungkook, but Jungkook doesn’t care. “Taehyung,” Jungkook says, leaning over the chair in front of him. “Can I talk to you?” 

Jungkook doesn’t even know what he’s going to say.  He just knows that Taehyung hasn’t spoken to him for nearly a day and he’s about to go insane. He needs to make sure they’re okay. 

“Taehyung’s eating his lunch,” Jimin says frostily. Taehyung picks at his ice cream. 

“Okay,” Jungkook says. He looks at Taehyung again. “After lunch?” 

Jimin makes a little growling sound, but Taehyung looks at him, and then back at Jungkook, and says, softly, “Okay.” 

Okay. After lunch. Jungkook can wait that long. He buys a burger and plows through it without even tasting it. He listens as Jin makes a few more jokes at Hoseok and Yoongi’s - mostly Yoongi’s - expense.

Finally everyone stands up, and Taehyung is released from his little Jimin/Namjoon cocoon. Jungkook realizes Taehyung is wearing a sweatshirt that belongs to him. Jungkook’s darkest, baggiest one. It’s Jungkook’s favorite hoodie, but when Taehyung stole it he had no inclination of asking for it back. Seeing it on Taehyung now relaxes him a little. Things can’t be that bad if Taehyung is still wearing his clothes. 

“Can we sit by the windows?” Taehyung asks.

“Yeah, sure, anything,” Jungkook says. 

They don’t bother to say goodbye to their friends, and as they walk to a little two-person table by the windows, Jungkook knows what he has to say. He still doesn’t want to say it here at the mall, but it’s starting to seem like he might have no other option. He’ll say it, if that means making Taehyung feel better. 

“Tae-” he starts as soon as they sit down, but Taehyung interrupts him.

“Can I go first?” Taehyung says. His hands are inside the big front pocket of the hoodie, but Jungkook can tell his fingers are fidgeting. 

Jungkook nods, sitting back. “Of course. Go ahead.” 

“Okay, um,” Taehyung says. His voice is just loud enough to hear over the rumble of voices in the food court. He doesn’t meet Jungkook’s eyes when he says, “I don’t really know how to say this, but. I think we should break up.” 

The noise of the food court drops to silence. 

There’s a ringing in Jungkook’s ears, and he doesn’t think he heard Taehyung right. There’s no way he could have heard that right. “What?” he hears himself say, lost.

“We,” Taehyung starts, and swallows, like the words make his throat hurt. “We have to break up.” 

“No we don’t,” Jungkook says, and his ears are ringing so loud. His heart has fallen out of chest, off his sleeve, to the ground.  “That’s - you can’t - why?” 

“We’re just not a good match, Kookie,” Taehyung says softly. A tear slips down his cheek. 

This can’t be real. Taehyung, sitting across from Jungkook in Jungkook’s very own sweatshirt, breaking up with him. “But you’re wearing my sweatshirt,” Jungkook says, dumbly. 

“O-oh yeah,” Taehyung says. “I wore it so I- so I wouldn’t forget to give it back.” Then, to complete Jungkook’s agony, he strips it off, revealing his pet store t-shirt beneath. Jungkook watches, numb, as Taehyung carefully folds it. He pushes it across the table. 

“No,” Jungkook says, not touching it. “I don’t want it.” 

“It’s yours,” Taehyung says. 

“I don’t want it,” Jungkook repeats. He can never wear it again, now. There’s no way. It’s Taehyung’s “We can’t break up. It’s just a stupid quiz, Tae. Brad Miller means nothing to me.” There are tears in Jungkook’s eyes, hot and wet, and he tries not to let them fall. “Please don’t break up with me.” 

“It’s for the best,” Taehyung says, and blinks a new waterfall of tears.

“No, no, Tae,” Jungkook says, reaching across the table for him. Taehyung leans away, and Jungkook’s empty hand lands on his hoodie. “Please, it’ll be okay,” Jungkook says. “We can make it okay. I’ll fix it. I’ll be better. I’ll say what I mean. Taehyung, I-”

Taehyung takes a sharp breath and abruptly stands up. 

Jungkook stares at him, throat closing off. He wants to say it, but he gets the feeling that if he does, Taehyung will run away. “No Tae-”

Taehyung shakes his head, wiping his face on his bare arm. Silence sits between them for a moment. 

“Our date tomorrow,” Jungkook tries, feebly. 

Taehyung lifts his head up and takes a deep, shaky breath. “I can’t, Jungkook.” He looks at Jungkook once more with big, wet eyes. “Goodbye.” 

The word is the final knife in the open wound in Jungkook’s chest. There’s blood everywhere, and as Taehyung walks away, Jungkook imagines his shoes trail red from where he’d stepped on Jungkook’s heart, lying exposed on the dirty mall floor. 

Someone a few tables over lowers their newspaper, and it’s Jimin, jumping up and wrapping an arm around Taehyung. Jimin casts a glance back at Jungkook and luckily there’s no heat in it. Just sadness.

Jungkook watches them go, and everything feels like pain. 

He doesn’t know how long he’s sitting there, probably not long at all, when a new voice says, “Come on, champ.” 

Namjoon picks up the hoodie on the table, because Jungkook doesn’t think he can bear to touch it. He puts a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder and somehow it gives Jungkook the strength to stand up. Jungkook absently thinks he’s going to get in trouble for being too long on his lunch break. If he returns from lunch break at all. 

“I tried to say it,” Jungkook says, swiping at his eyes as Namjoon leads him to his ice cream stand. “I- I tried to tell him but he looked like he was going to run away if I said it.” He sucks in a breath. “He did run away.” 

There’s a giant milkshake waiting on the counter when they reach the ice cream stand, but Jungkook doesn’t think he can even eat right now. 

“This is the dumbest thing ever,” Jungkook says, more hot tears gathering in his eyes. “That stupid quiz.” 

“Maybe let things settle a bit,” Namjoon says, dipping back behind the counter. “Wait till Valentine’s Day is over and Taehyung cools off.” 

Valentine’s Day is only tomorrow, but Jungkook doesn’t think he can wait that long.  

Their date. He’d been planning it for weeks. 

Jungkook pulls the milkshake toward him and tries not to get any tears into it. It’s all the flavors of ice cream and every topping mixed together into one. 

“You’ll think of something, Jungkook,” Namjoon says. “What you and Tae had is stronger than any silly quiz Jin made.” 

It was. Jungkook knows it was. He nods as the phone in his pocket buzzes for the millionth time. 

Jungkook freezes. 

He pulls it out of his pocket and finds forty three unread texts, all from the unknown number. Hollister Brad is, apparently, planning what they are going to do on their day off tomorrow. Jungkook ignores it all and quickly types, how did you get a new number?  and it hardly takes a second to receive the response. 

Manager Seokjin gave me a company phone.

Jungkook stares at the words. His hands begin to shake beneath his phone. 

“Uh, Jungkook-”

“Manager Seokjin,” Jungkook says, and even he is a little struck by the vehemence in his own voice. Namjoon’s face blanches slightly.

“Wait,” Namjoon says. “Wait, when I said, you’ll think of something, I didn’t mean- ”

“I have to go,” Jungkook says. He doesn’t even take his milkshake as he sweeps away from Namjoon’s ice cream stand. It’s too late. He thought of something. 

♡

Jungkook stalks past Bath and Bodyworks on his way across the mall, hardly caring if his manager sees him.

He arrives at a corridor marked Employees Only, and while he suspects that it doesn't refer to Bath and Bodyworks employees, Jungkook rushes right past it.

He gets to the door at the end of the hallway and starts pounding his fist on it until it opens. 

The door opens to reveal Jin, face alarmed. It immediately smooths over when he takes in Jungkook standing there. 

“Jungkook, hello,” he says. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Taehyung broke up with me,” Jungkook says. His hands are balled into fists at his side. If his fingers weren’t clenched they’d be trembling. 

Jin’s eyebrows raise in small surprise. “My condolences.” 

Jungkook takes a step forward. “It’s your fault.” 

Jin doesn’t back away. “My fault? Sounds more like you two have relationship problems to work out.” 

“We didn’t have any before you made us take your stupid matchmaking quiz!” 

Jin sighs, like this whole thing is very tedious to him. “Don’t blame the quiz for your issues.” 

“I didn’t know Brad Miller existed before this week.” Jungkook says. He holds his phone up. “And now I can’t get rid of him! Why are you telling him to text me? And visit me at my store? And give me three hundred dollars worth of clothes for free?” 

Jin looks genuinely surprised at the last one, and glances down the hall before tugging Jungkook into his office. He shuts the door. “I did not tell him to give you clothes for free.” 

Whatever. They’re in a donation bin now. “He said you gave him a company phone after I blocked him!” Jungkook says.

“Because he has important calls to make,” Jin moves around his desk to sit down.

“For Hollister ?” Jungkook’s whole body shakes with the force of his rage. 

“Hollister isn’t doing as well as it was a decade ago, business initiatives are needed,” Jin says, shrugging. 

Jungkook does not care about Hollister. 

He cares about Taehyung. He cares about telling him how he feels, even if his words aren’t perfect. 

Jin sighs. “Look, Jungkook, you can’t argue with science. Maybe you and Taehyung were just not meant to be-”

Jungkook slams both of his hands down on Jin’s desk. 

Jin jumps and looks up at him.

“No,” Jungkook says, and his voice quivers a little. “I have to fix things.” He looks at Jin. “And you’re going to help me.” 

For the first time in Jungkook’s life, he thinks he sees the faintest glint of fear in Jin’s eyes. 

“Why?” Jungkook asks, leaning over the desk “Why have you been making Brad talk to me? You know it makes Tae sad.” 

Jin’s fear turns to something like guilt, and then it smooths over again. “Look, Jungkook, sometimes in business you have to make difficult choices.” 

“But Taehyung is your friend!” Jungkook says. He stares at Jin, who simply stares back, until Jungkook feels his own shoulders fall. “I don’t understand. You’re not mean.” 

Jin opens his mouth. Closes it. Then he groans, pushing his chair back. “Jungkook, I’m trying to be unfeeling here!” 

“Why are you hurting us?” Jungkook asks. 

Jin puts his elbows on his knees and drops his head into his hands. He heaves a sigh. “Ever since you and Taehyung got together, sales have been down.” 

Jungkook frowns. “Sales? What sales?” 

Jin sits back up and throws his hands in the air. “All sales!” 

“In the whole mall?” 

“Yes, Jungkook, keep up!” Jin snaps his finger. 

Jungkook stares at him. “I don’t get it.” 

Jin groans. “Brad Miller is not the hottest employee in this mall. Taehyung is. I know I said people were bribing me to match them with Brad, but that does not compare to how many bribes I got for Taehyung. And ever since customers have found out Taehyung is unavailable, we’ve had fewer visitors. They’re not as interested in a taken man. Sales at the pet store are down thirty percent! Bath and Bodyworks has dropped nineteen perfect! You’re hot and taken, too! I couldn’t have it!” 

Jungkook can’t believe his ears. “But- but if you got me and Brad together, then I’d still be taken. Wouldn’t sales still go down?” 

Jin rolls his eyes. “Of course you and Brad would never work out. He’s an idiot. And you’re too alike. That’s why I matched you. So you could all destroy each other and end up single in the end.” 

Jungkook scowls. “I’m not like Brad.”

Jin shakes his head, then starts rummaging through one of the folders on the side of his desk. 

“I thought you said you ran an honest mall,” Jungkook says. “You matched me and Brad! You cheated!” 

“Oh, you did that all on your own,” Jin says. He pulls two pieces of paper out of his folder and slaps them in front of Jungkook. “That was the easiest part of this whole plan.”

In front of Jungkook is his own matchmaker packet, and Brad’s. He flips over the sheets with their results and his eyes skim over their answers. 

They both wrote that they can eat eleven instant ramens in one sitting. And they both chose milk over beer. They both answered lifting a heavy thing for the question, ‘If you were on a date with the handsomest man in the world (see fig. 1), would you impress him by writing a love poem or lifting a heavy thing?’. Jungkook stares at figure one, a scanned picture of Jin with a rose in his mouth, and frowns intensely at it.

 “Face it, Kook,” Jin says. “He’s your surfer dude clone. And you both got my birthday wrong!”  

“But we didn’t have exactly one hundred percent, there has to be one question-” Jungkook says, flipping the pages over. He skims past their same exact wrong answer to the math question and response of dog language to ‘would you rather dogs could speak human language or you could speak dog language?’

Jungkook reaches the last question, his last hope.

What is more important to you? 

A) Love

B) Being good looking

Jungkook looks up at Jin, mouth open. “Brad chose being good looking?” 

Jin shrugs. “I admit, no match is perfect. Except for Jimin and Taehyung.” 

Jungkook slaps Brad’s quiz down again. Then he reaches for the folder and rummages through it until he finds the one with Taehyung’s name on it to match it against his own. The answers don’t entirely match, but it’s not terrible.

Jungkook’s eyes halt on the final question.

Taehyung chose A) Love and scribbled “and my Jungkookie :)” beside it. 

Jungkook feels his heart crack down the middle all over again. Then he sees that Jin didn’t count that as a match with his own answer because of the amendment. 

He takes a deep breath. Carefully puts them back down, but not before his eyes catch on the list of Brad’s matches stapled onto his quiz. He stares for a moment.

Then he looks at Jin and says, “I’m giving my day off to someone else.” 

“You can’t-”

“Brad can still have his day off,” Jungkook pulls his phone out of his pocket, “but I’m giving mine to someone else.” 

Jin narrows his eyes. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m calling Yoongi,” Jungkook says. “Then you’re going to help me with my plan.” 

“But sales-”

“I don’t care if this mall goes out of business,” Jungkook says. “I’m getting Taehyung back.”

Jin sighs, defeated. “Why did I even bother getting a business degree just to let a bunch of teenagers ruin all my plans.” 

“I’m twenty!” 

“Twenty is the new sixteen. Now tell me what you need me to do so we can get this over with.” 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 

Taehyung sits forlornly in one of the makeover chairs in Sephora as Jimin applies a shimmering blue eyeshadow over his eyelids. 

“I just keep thinking about them together,” Taehyung says, eyes closed. His heart feels like a million shades of blues and greys in his chest, still so pulsing and raw. He’d spent his whole dinner break crying. Jimin took one look at Taehyung and dragged him to his Sephora for a makeover before he went back to his pet store for the last few hours of his shift. “I hate thinking of Brad visiting Jungkook in Bath and Bodyworks. Of Jungkook rubbing Parisian lavender oil into his muscles.” 

Jimin clicks his tongue. “I don’t think the Bath and Bodyworks employees are allowed to touch customers, Taetae.” 

Taehyung opens his eyes. “What? Yes they are, Jungkook puts that stuff on me all the time.” 

Jimin just looks at him.

Taehyung sighs and looks away. “Or, he used to.” He feels his eyes well up.

“No, no, none of that, you’ll ruin my makeup job,” Jimin says, putting his pallet down and swiping his thumbs under Taehyung’s eyes. “I worked really hard to make your eyes look like a mermaid’s. You can’t ruin it.” 

“Okay,” Taehyung says, sniffling. He feels like the opposite of a mermaid right now. He feels like a sea slug. 

“Look, Taetae,” Jimin says, once Taehyung’s regained some of his composure. “I  know I keep telling you this, but I think you were a little rash. Jungkook really cares about you.” 

Jimin’s said this about a million times since Taehyung broke up with Jungkook yesterday. He’s been saying it since before Taehyung broke up with him. But it really doesn’t make him feel any better. It’s just another punch to Taehyung’s heart. 

“But he has Brad now,” Taehyung says. “And we didn’t even match on the test. Well, I matched with him, but he didn’t even get me .” Tears spill over.

Jimin tuts, but just dabs at his tears with a cotton round. 

“Taetae,” he says after a moment, “we’re soulmates, right?” 

“Yes,” Taehyung answers instantly.

“If we didn’t get one hundred percent on the quiz,” Jimin says, “would we still be soulmates?” 

“I…” Taehyung sees where Jimin is going with this. “Yes.” 

“If we didn’t match at all,” he says, “would we still be soulmates?” 

Taehyung sighs. “Yes.” 

“So maybe it’s not so different with Jungkook,” Jimin says. “You guys were doing well before this whole quiz thing.” 

They were. They were doing so well. And Jungkook kept telling Taehyung that the quiz didn’t mean anything. 

It’s just hard, when Hollister Brad keeps talking to Jungkook and giving him clothes and writing him love letters. And when Jin keeps coming into the pet store and reminding Taehyung that Brad and Jungkook are perfect matches and will probably get married and adopt a dog from him.

It’s Taehyung’s secret dream to adopt a dog with Jungkook. He has names picked out!

“Tae,” Jimin says, bringing him back out of his thoughts. His voice is soft and he’s looking at Taehyung so kindly. It brings more tears to Taehyung’s eyes. Jimin really is an angel, and Taehyung doesn’t need a quiz to tell him how much Jimin understands him. Jimin understands him because he’s his best friend. 

Jimin wipes the last of his tears away. “He didn’t take the day off today, you know.”

“I know,” Taehyung says softly.  He’d heard a rumor that Brad had still taken the day off but Jungkook didn’t. 

“So I’m just saying, if Jungkook tries to talk to you, listen, okay?” 

Taehyung nods. He will, if Jungkook tries to talk to him. If Taehyung didn’t irrevocably destroy everything they had. 

“I know you have Namjoon,” Taehyung says, “but will you be my Valentine, Jiminie?” 

Jimin smiles and hugs him. “Of course, Taetae, you’re always my Valentine,” he says into his hair. He pulls away. “Namjoon’s got nothing on you, baby.” 

“Except the best thighs.” 

“Well yes, that goes without saying.” 

They smile at each other, and Taehyung feels a little better. 

Taehyung stands up. “I need to get back.” 

“One more thing,” Jimin says. He reaches for some lipstick and swipes some on Taehyung’s lips. “Perfect.” 

Taehyung doesn’t really understand why Jimin’s so intent on making him look special on a very non-special night, but it helps, a little. He might not be going on a Valentine’s date, but at least he’ll look nice selling puppies. They always seem to sell more when Jimin does his makeup. 

“Have fun with Namjoon later,” Taehyung says, because Jimin’s shift ends in an hour and Namjoon is taking him out. Taehyung tries not to be jealous, but at least Hoseok and Yoongi are coming over to watch sad movies with him. And Yoongi promised to hold his hand. It won’t be the same as Jungkook’s, especially without the tattoos he loves, but Taehyung’s hand has felt so empty these last few days. 

Taehyung slowly makes his way back to the pet store, not really caring that he’s been gone too long. He’s got a face full of makeup but his chest feels cavernous, damp and dark and empty, like bats live inside of him, and not cute bats, either. Evil bats, chewing on the flesh of his heart and-

Taehyung stops short. The lights in the pet store are off. 

He looks around, but everything else looks normal. People walk past, glance at the dark storefront and then away. Like it’s normal. 

Huh. 

His manager suddenly appears from the darkness, standing at the door. “Taehyung!” she says. “You’re late from your break. Come inside.” She says it like all the lights in the store aren’t off.

“Okay,” Taehyung says. He wonders if this is a trap. It’s not like he has much to live for right now, anyway. He follows her.

It takes a second for his eyes to adjust. For a moment, it’s dark. Then lights flicker on. 

Taehyung blinks. And then he gasps. 

It isn’t the ceiling lights that illuminate the store. It’s fairy lights, strung along all the pet cages. 

The puppies glow, tumbling around, and little twinkling white stars hang from the ceiling, rotating slowly. Gentle music begins to play from somewhere, jazzy and a little mystical, just the kind Taehyung enjoys. Like he could be in a coffee shop or a spa or an exhibit at an air and space museum. 

Taehyung is so busy looking around that it takes him a moment to realize that his manager has disappeared, and standing in the middle of the store, surrounded by all the lights is-

“Jungkook,” Taehyung breathes. The bats suddenly stop gnawing at his heart. 

He’s more handsome than Taehyung has ever seen him, which is saying a lot, because Taehyung thinks he’s handsome all the time, especially in his puffy black jackets. They always make Jungkook look like he’s about to trek Antarctica and play with penguins, or explore the moon like an astronaut who commissioned a tasteful black spacesuit instead of the usual white. 

This Jungkook’s long hair is brushed back on one side, neat and curled around his chin. He wears a white button-up shirt tucked into black dress pants, and he holds a rose in his tattooed fingers.  He looks like he’s on some sort of reality show where he has to choose one date out of a dozen contestants.

Except he’s only looking at Taehyung, and there aren’t any other contestants. There never have been any other contestants, Taehyung realizes with utmost clarity. 

Jungkook’s only looking at him, and he’s so stupidly handsome Taehyung feels a little woozy. Is this a dream? The combined scents of dog and Bath and Bodyworks might be affecting him. 

Jungkook steps forward, and for some silly reason he looks uncertain. “Tae?” 

“What- what are you-” Taehyung starts. Jungkook really looks like a prince. Taehyung takes a breath and starts over. “What is this?” 

“I wanted to tell you something,” Jungkook says, voice low and soft, like it always is.  “I know you cancelled our date but… I was wondering if you might reconsider?” 

He looks so tentatively hopeful it breaks Taehyung’s heart. 

Taehyung takes a breath and opens his mouth. 

“Wait, but first,” Jungkook says quickly, “you need to know that there was never anything between me and Brad.” His eyebrows pinch, like they get when he’s nervous. “It’s all Jin’s fault. He made the quiz to break us up, because we attract more customers when we’re single.” 

Jungkook launches into the tale of Jin’s scheme,  about how he created the test and influenced Brad to go after Jungkook. How he was trying to make Taehyung single again. As Jungkook tells it, Taehyung slowly inches closer. 

By the time Jungkook finishes, Taehyung stands right in front of him. Jungkook’s cheeks glow red under the lights, so round and perfect. Taehyung wants to pinch his lips like a fish. 

“So to pay me back, I got him to let me skip the rest of my shift and help me set all this up,” Jungkook finishes. He takes a breath. 

Taehyung smiles. “Smart Kookie.” 

“Not really.” Jungkook ducks his head, and Taehyung feels endlessly charmed. He reaches for the rose in Jungkook’s hand, and it slips from Jungkook’s fingers easily. 

How could he ever have broken up with him? How could Taehyung have doubted him, when Jungkook was always showing him the million ways he cared?

Taehyung feels his eyes tear up, and Jungkook’s eyes go wide. 

“No- no more crying,” Jungkook says, hands fluttering, like he wants to touch but isn’t sure he’s allowed. “You’re not supposed to cry anymo-”

Taehyung surges forward and kisses him. 

He presses his body completely against Jungkook’s, because he wants Jungkook’s touch, he wants his warmth. He smells like honey and lavender. 

When they break apart, Jungkook looks a little angry, like he did when he asked Taehyung out. Taehyung feels a rush of happiness and kisses him again. After a moment, he feels Jungkook give in and kiss him back. 

When they break apart again, Jungkook’s lips are stained dark from the lipstick Jimin put on Taehyung earlier. It makes him look slightly debauched, and Taehyung starts crying again because it’s all so romantic. His chest isn’t a cavern, it’s a galaxy. 

“Taehyung,” Jungkook says, thumbing beneath his eyes. He sounds a little teary himself. “Hey, don’t cry. Don’t cry, I love you.” 

Taehyung sniffles hard. “What?” 

“I love you,” Jungkook says again, words spilling out of his mouth. “I love you. I love you so much.” 

“But- all the forums say three months is too early-”

“I know,” Jungkook says, and he looks a little angry again, angry and teary, staring hard into Taehyung’s eyes. “But I don’t care. It’s how I feel.” 

“Oh,” Taehyung says on the edge of a sniffle. It takes a moment for him to absorb it. 

And then he smiles, he’s smiling so big his mouth feels too large for his face. His chest feels like the Rainbow Road and his heart is on star mode. Tears gather in his eyes again. “Oh!” 

“You don’t have to say it back or anything,” Jungkook says quickly. “I just wanted you to know.” 

“But I love you too,” Taehyung says, easily, the tears slipping from his eyes. Jungkook looks so stunned Taehyung laughs, and then kisses him again wetly, and then pinches his lips like a fish. 

“We’re in love, Jungkookie,” Taehyung says, and his heart feels like it’s on fire in a good way. He feels giddy. There’s a lot of different scents going on in this place. 

Jungkook’s face looks a little wondrous. “Oh- wait, I have something for you.” 

As Jungkook bends down to get something from a box, Taehyung realizes he still has Jungkook’s rose in his hand. It’s a little squished from their kissing, but he tucks it behind his ear anyway. 

When Jungkook stands back up, there’s a small box in his hand. 

Taehyung freezes. “Um. I know the forums don’t matter, but they definitely say three months is a little fast for this.” 

Jungkook frowns, confused, and then he looks back down at the box in his hand and his eyes go wide. “Oh my god, Tae, no, this isn’t- god, no, just- just open it.” He thrusts it at Taehyung.

Taehyung takes it. “Your actual proposal better be a lot more romantic than that.” 

Jungkook’s cheeks are glowing again. “Oh my god, Tae.” 

“I’m just trying to be transparent,” Taehyung says. “No more secrets between us.” 

“There weren’t any secrets,” Jungkook says. And yeah, that’s true. 

“Just misunderstanding,” Taehyung says, and kisses him on the cheek in apology as he opens the box. When he looks down at it, he goes still. 

“I’d meant to give you this on our date tonight,” Jungkook says when Taehyung doesn’t say anything. “I’d meant to give you all this stuff on our date. I wanted to string these lights up in your apartment. I’ve got- I got some of your favorite lotions and glitter bath balls with my  employee discount. And I wanted to give you this. But since this is kind of our date, I thought maybe now… would work.” He trails off a little uncertainly.

Taehyung stares at the box in his hand. 

With careful fingers, he lifts the keychain out of the tissue paper. A little bronze puzzle piece. With his name engraved on it. 

“Because- you know, how you can’t ever find keychains with your name on them,” Jungkook says, talking a little fast. “And, I just thought. It’s a puzzle piece, right? So I got myself- ”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out another keychain. A puzzle piece with Jungkook on it. With sweetly shaking fingers, Jungkook reaches out and takes Taehyung’s piece, and fits them together. 

“Because we’re a match,” Jungkook says, and then laughs like he’s embarrassed. 

Taehyung stares. His heart feels like an earthquake. 

“Tae?” Jungkook says, starting to sound legitimately nervous. 

Taehyung grabs Jungkook by the shoulders and kisses him hard, harder than he’s ever kissed him or anyone. Jungkook stumbles backwards, knocking over his box and sending the gifts inside rolling in every direction. Jungkook steps on a glitter bath ball, and Taehyung steps on another, and suddenly they’re in a puff of glitter.

They stare at each other, covered head to toe. 

There’s a mewling sound in the cage beside them, and Taehyung pulls away from Jungkook. “The kittens- Kookie, the kittens, they’re covered in glitter.” 

“We’re covered in glitter.” 

“Jungkookie.” Taehyung’s laughing, and crying, and he takes Jungkook’s glittery face in his hands. “I love you.” 

Jungkook smiles and slips Taehyung’s keychain back into his hand. 

The store lights blink on. All their friends stand by the window, applauding. 

Jungkook groans, face red and sparkling. “I told you not to watch!” 

“It took me forty five minutes to string up all these lights! And I nearly fell and died hanging up the stars!” Jin says. “I deserved to watch.” 

“And I stalled by doing Taehyung’s makeup,” Jimin says.  He fixes a look on Jungkook. “Which you didn’t even notice, by the way.” 

“Of course I noticed,” Jungkook says, offended. He looks back at Taehyung and his eyes go a little soft. “He looks beautiful. Like a mermaid.” 

Taehyung beams at him and Jimin looks gratified. 

“That was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Hoseok grins. He’s wearing a red sweater with little white hearts. “Yoongi cried.” 

“I did not ,” Yoongi says, but his eyes do look a little red. 

Namjoon walks over and puts a hand on both Taehyung and Jungkook’s shoulders. “I’m happy for you guys, I knew you’d work it out.” He gives a meaningful look to Jungkook, who beams back. 

Namjoon pulls his hand away, frowning down at the glitter. Jimin makes a “tsk” sound and comes over to brush them clean. 

“Happy for you, dudes.” 

Hollister Brad stands at the entrance to the pet store, hair combed to the side and little hoops glittering in his ear. He’s got a white dress shirt on. 

Beside him stands Marga from Hot Topic, whose giant black boots have always reminded Taehyung of Jungkook. Marga and Brad’s hands are clasped together between them.

Jin squints at them. “Don’t you two have the day off?” 

“Yeah. We’re on a date.” Brad says, his smiling teeth so white Taehyung wonders if he should put on sunglasses. 

“At the mall?” Hoseok asks. 

“Where else would we go?” Brad rolls his eyes. Marga glares at them all so hard Taehyung feels himself recoil slightly into Jungkook’s side.

Marga pulls Brad back out of the store.

“Bye, JK!” Brad yells as they disappear into the Banana Republic next door. 

Taehyung looks at Jungkook, who shrugs. “I gave my day off to Marga,” Jungkook says. He smiles a little. “They were Brad’s number five match.” 

Taehyung feels his whole self melt a little. He’s pretty sure he has the sweetest and smartest boyfriend in the entire world.

He plays with Jungkook’s fingers, gently pressing the tips of his own against his tattoos. “Were you just stopping by on your way to the bathroom?” he says, eyes flicking back up.

Jungkook’s eyebrows draw together, then clear when he catches on. “Yeah. The soap was really bad though.” 

“It dries out your skin.” 

“It’s a good thing I got you all this lotion,” Jungkook says, gesturing to the mess on the floor. “Can I borrow some?” 

“Sure. Then maybe we can hang these lights in my apartment instead?” 

Jungkook smiles a nose scrunching smile, and Taehyung wants to kiss him again.

“Sorry, Taehyung?” Taehyung’s manager interjects, looking a little awkward. “I was going to let you leave early, but I don’t think we can leave the kittens like this.” 

Everyone looks at the kittens. They putter around in their cage on their tiny legs, fur covered in glitter. Jimin holds three in his arms. 

“I’ll clean them,” Taehyung says. It’s his fault, after all. And glitter isn’t good for the kittens. He looks apologetically at Jungkook, because it does make him really sad to have to cut their date short.

Jungkook squeezes his hand. “I’ll help.” 

“So sweet,” Hoseok murmurs, and Taehyung thinks he hears a sniffle from Yoongi’s direction. 

They gather up the kittens, and Taehyung shows Jungkook to the back room, feeling oddly excited because bathing animals is something they’ve never done together before, and the little tub they use is really cute. 

Jimin drags Namjoon out of the store so they can go on their Valentine’s date, and Taehyung insists Yoongi and Hoseok go watch sad movies without him. 

“If you don’t end the sexual tension that’s been dividing The Gap and Hot Topic for the past six hundred years, you’re both fired,” Jin says, pointing at them. “It’s my last business move to save this mall.” 

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Yoongi says, but his face is cherry red. It only turns redder when Hoseok says he bought a box of chocolates to share, and now that Taehyung won’t be joining them they’ll have even more for themselves, and isn’t that great? 

Taehyung and Jungkook carefully haul the cage of kittens to the back room. Taehyung shows Jungkook the right temperature to set the water, arranges the soaps, and carefully slips rubber gloves on over the tattooed hands he loves so much as the tub fills. Jungkook rolls the sleeves of his dress shirt up, revealing the rest of his tattoos, and Taehyung nearly faints from sexiness. 

The kittens meow for his attention, and it only takes another few seconds for Taehyung to give it to them. 

It’s not an easy task, washing kittens, but Jungkook does it carefully and gently and with utmost concentration, heeding all of Taehyung’s instructions. 

Some might say it’s not an ideal activity for a first Valentine’s Day with a boyfriend, but Taehyung doesn’t mind. The kittens are cute, Jungkook’s tattoos are on full display, and Taehyung likes glitter. He’s got a keychain with his name on it in his pocket, and its perfect match is right beside him. Taehyung’s perfect match is right beside him.

Cleaning up a mess isn’t that bad, even on Valentine’s Day. Not if he’s doing it with Jungkook.