Work Text:
“You should kiss me,” Jimin whispers. Minjeong startles, turning to look at her partner in shock. They’re undercover at a high-society art gala, trying to get in with the head of a notorious money laundering operation, and they’re posing as a couple. It’s been fucking with Minjeong’s head all night. They’re dressed in matching shimmering silks and drifting through the party arm in arm and Jimin just asked Minjeong to kiss her.
“I should- what? J- Karina, are you sure?” Minjeong asks, eyes wide. She’s imagined a thousand different first kisses with Jimin, but none of those fantasies have been wild enough to have Jimin be the one to initiate. Minjeong has long since resigned herself to being Jimin’s partner and friend and nothing more, so her heart isn’t quite sure how to handle this, aside from what it's doing now, which is attempting to beat itself out of her ribcage.
“Yeah,” Jimin mutters, seemingly confused as to why Minjeong is confused, “You seem worried about being found out. A kiss would solve that, no?”
And, oh- of course. Jimin doesn’t really want to kiss Minjeong. It’s to keep their cover intact. Only Minjeong would get those two things confused.
“I- okay. If you’re comfortable with it,” Minjeong whispers. Jimin nods, her eyes empty of any emotion, save maybe concern for her friend. Minjeong’s chest aches. This kiss will mean nothing to Jimin, and everything to Minjeong.
Minjeong guides them further into the party, under the guise of finding a table on which to leave her champagne flute, but also to make them more visible. No reason to kiss Jimin without an audience, right? They make up a bit more small talk. Minjeong tells a joke that’s a little mean, and Jimin laughs that loud, full laugh, where she throws her head back and her glossy hair catches the light of the crystal chandelier, and Minjeong thinks, This is it. If they were really engaged and in love, with no cares in the world other than what expensive art to furnish their home with, this is when Minjeong would kiss her.
So she does.
Minjeong reaches up and gently takes Jimin’s jaw in her hand. They make eye contact, and Minjeong holds it for a moment, just taking in Jimin’s gorgeous face, the familiar determination in her eyes. This is probably going to be her only chance to do this, and she wants to savour every moment.
When Minjeong finally shuts her eyes and tilts her head up and presses her lips to Jimin’s, sparks fly up her spine. Jimin’s plush mouth is soft against hers and the faint floral scent of her perfume seems to be everywhere, all of Minjeong’s senses flooded with Jimin, Jimin, Jimin. Minjeong melts into the kiss, and Jimin steadies her with a hand on her waist. Heat seeps through the thin fabric of Minjeong’s dress in the shape of her palm.
Somewhere in the back of Minjeong’s brain she knows that this is more than enough to keep their cover, that Jimin must be expecting her to stop soon, but she feels a sense of urgency now, a sudden hunger for as much as Jimin will allow her to take. Minjeong starts to deepen the kiss, and Jimin lets her in, lets her press closer and lick into her mouth. Jimin tastes like the strawberry lip balm that she’s obsessed with, the one that Minjeong always keeps an extra of in her purse for her. She feels like a goddess, like heaven, like home.
A crash and the sound of a champagne flute shattering sounds from the other side of the gallery, and guests standing around them gasp and turn. The commotion breaks Minjeong out of her reverie, reminding her that the world is larger than Jimin’s grasp on her hip and lips on her own. She pulls away.
Jimin’s cheeks are flushed pink, and her eyes are unreadable. Minjeong can usually read Jimin like an open book.
“I… I think that was convincing,” Jimin finally says. Minjeong nods, not speaking for fear that opening her mouth will allow the inexplicable sob building in her throat to escape. Jimin looks at her for a few moments longer. She then silently offers Minjeong her arm. Minjeong inhales deeply to steady herself before taking it.
Jimin, always the professional, manages to smoothly and organically bump into the target and engage him in conversation. Minjeong hangs off of her arm, too distracted to do much but smile and nod. Her mind is elsewhere for the rest of the night.
She can’t decide if she’s happier for having been able to kiss Jimin, just once, or if knowing what it feels like makes the ache in her chest even worse.