Work Text:
Jeon Jungkook, is usually a calm and level headed person and he never loses his composure that easily but however there are few instances that make him lose his cool:
One- When his schedule is messed up
Jungkook is very particular about how he goes on in a day and has a schedule for each day that he likes to follow. Every morning he wakes up to make a to-do list and he feels at peace only when everything is checked off at the end of the day. He likes his days to be planned and well executed, well one would point it out as an occupational disorder of being a secretary but he would like to think of it as his way of life.
Two-Being under the eyes of too many people
Jungkook isn’t a big fan of attention especially when it’s focused on him. With his shy and introverted nature, it is a bit difficult for him to handle too many eyes on him. Well, Jungkook's definition of too many might be questionable though.
Three- Kim Taehyung
Well that man is no good news for his heart. Dealing with him on a daily basis almost sends Jungkook to the ER every single day because what do you mean his heart almost jumps out of his ribcage whenever the man is in his vicinity? Yeah that definitely calls for a health check-up and maybe he should schedule one soon.
Unfortunately, he is stuck in such a situation right now. Everything was perfect and according to his schedule– he had wrapped up his work exactly when the clock struck 8 PM and was ready to leave the office. He had to pick up Bam, his dog, from the training centre and was going to have a calm and relaxing weekend.
Everything was going perfect, until he was called into the CEO’s office just before he could leave.
“Sir?” Jungkook knocks on the glass door twice and lets himself in once he hears the CEO calling him in.
“Jungkook,” Taehyung looks up from his laptop, the frown in his face softening as he looks at his secretary. He lets out a sigh of relief and walks up to Jungkook.
“Thank God you are here. The Paris project is almost finalised. Mr. Charles wants to have an in person meeting and discuss a few things before signing the papers. So we will be leaving tomorrow morning.”
Jungkook is taken aback for a moment. One might think it’s because of the amount of information that is being dumped on him but no. He is taken aback by the sight in front of him. Taehyung is just at an arm's length distance or maybe even closer. The dishevelled look on the man in front of him is something that haunts Jungkook in his dreams. His black hair is pulled back, with the top two buttons of his shirt undone and a tie loosely hanging around his neck. The CEO has rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, leaving the expanse of his forearms in view of the secretary. The amount of honey golden skin peeking out of the clothes is perfect enough to drive Jungkook insane. The secretary balls his fist, controlling his urges to caress the tan skin.
Completely lost in the trance called Kim Taehyung, Jungkook fails to hear what the other has to say– at least for the most of it but he does catch up when Taehyung says something about leaving somewhere.
“Leaving?” Jungkook catches on to the only word he heard in the conversation and tries to save his face. This is something he learnt in the three years of being a secretary, a simple trick to make the other person repeat their words.
He watches the CEO walk back to his desk. “Yeah, we need to leave for Paris tomorrow and probably will have to stay there for a week or two, until the papers are signed.”
“Sir, ‘we’ are leaving?” Jungkook asks with hesitance laced in his voice.
“Yeah,” Taehyung nods as he rummages through his drawers. Taehyung picks up a few documents from the drawer and looks up to find Jungkook standing in the middle of the room with a shocked expression.
“I know it's very sudden but we have to go. I’m sorry to spring this on you without any notice.” Taehyung speaks up, noticing the hesitation in the younger’s face.
Jungkook immediately snaps out of his thoughts “No no Sir, I understand. It’s a part of my job so it’s totally not a problem.” In fact Jungkook totally understands the reason for the impromptu business trip, but it's just that knowing he is totally unprepared for this trip is what irks him and this was not a part of his schedule, so that speaks volume for his hesitance.
Taehyung gives him a grateful smile before continuing his work.
“I'll just go and prepare the documents and book our tickets Sir,” Jungkook says and turns around walking to the door as he makes a mental note to inform the training centre about Bam’s extended stay.
“You can work here,” he hears Taehyung say, making Jungkook halt his steps. He turns back to face Taehyung, who now looks flustered, as if regretting saying those words.
“I mean there is no one outside and you don't have to be alone there, you can just bring your laptop and work here?” Taehyung says and Jungkook is not sure if that is meant to come out as a question but nevertheless he agrees with Taehyung, because sitting with Taehyung and doing his work sounds better than sitting alone in an empty office.
So Jungkook goes back to his desk and quickly collects his stuff. He also calls the training centre and informs them about how he wouldn't be able to come pick up Bam today and also informs them about Bam needing to have an extended stay in the centre. He then makes his way back to Taehyung’s office.
When he comes into the CEO’s office, he slowly makes his way to the couch and settles down. He quickly makes a list of things that needs to be done before leaving for Paris on his to-do list and sets it aside.
“Sir, there is only one flight in the morning at 7 AM and only a few seats are left.”
“Yeah you can book that.”
After booking their air tickets and their hotel rooms, Jungkook moves on to the next task on his list, which is to prepare the documents for the partnership.
After some time, now both Taehyung and Jungkook are seated on the couch next to each other. Both of them are on their own laptops going through the necessary documents and by the time they finalise the papers the clock has struck 2 AM.
Jungkook closes his laptop and in his peripheral vision he can see Taehyung still working. He also notices the small sighs that occasionally leave the elder’s mouth, how his soft plump lips part slightly every time he lets out a sigh. Such a heavenly sight, Jungkook thinks. But when his mind starts to imagine how it would feel to leave small kisses all over those lips, how those plush lips would feel pressed against his, he immediately snaps out of it and totally blames the odd working hours for such thoughts.
He shakes his head internally, scolding his mind for wavering like that. But he also notices the worried lines etched onto the CEO’s forehead and how pale his skin looks. Taehyung has been working for months over this project, personally going through every design and detail, Jungkook knows how important this deal is but still he cannot help but worry at how worn out the elder looks, his eyes dull and deprived of sleep and the pale skin is a tell-tale of the skipped meals.
While Taehyung is still working, Jungkook excuses himself from the room and comes back with a cup of tea and a few crackers.
“Sir,” Jungkook calls out, grabbing Taehyung’s attention. “I made some tea and there were a few crackers.” He places the tea and crackers in front of Taehyung.
“Oh my god, you are an angel. Thank you so much Jungkook-ah” Taehyung says and wastes no time before delving into his cup of tea without noticing the blush that has furiously crept into his secretary’s cheeks.
With every sip, the lines on his forehead seem to ease and he seems to be more relaxed. “It's wonderful as always,” Taehyung compliments and continues with his work.
By the time Jungkook reaches home, the time is 2:30 in the morning. He directly goes to pack his things, throwing in all the decent pieces of clothing in his wardrobe into his big black suitcase. He then packs his backpack, making sure to take all the important work items with him. Once he is done packing, he opens his to-do list and checks off almost everything except the last one– learn the basic greetings in French.
He plops down on his bed with his laptop and searches for basic words in French. The one thing that has been bothering him ever since Taehyung told him about the trip was the fact that he doesn’t know French. When they started this project a year ago, Jungkook started learning a few greetings in French to impress their clients but that was all he knew. He didn’t bother learning more because all their communications were through emails and he has never spoken to the client directly, so it was all good.
But now going to a different country for a business meeting and not knowing their language irks Jungkook’s professionalism. Only if he had the time, he would have at least learned the basics of French but now he knows nothing but ‘bonjour’ and has to survive two whole weeks with it. This is why he likes to plan for everything so that he is never left unprepared but now he can do nothing about it and has to manage with whatever he knows.
He goes through various websites and notes down a few words that can come in handy for his survival in Paris. After scrolling through the websites for about half an hour he decides against the idea of learning French as sleep takes over his brain. He sets an alarm for 4 AM, an hour from now, and goes to sleep.
By the time they reach the airport Jungkook has managed to find a few offline guides such as ‘How to speak French in a week’ and ‘French lessons:101’. He downloads the guide PDFs on his ride to the airport.
“Here,” Taehyung gives Jungkook the boarding pass as they wait in the queue for the security check.
“You got them already?” Jungkook questions because aren't they supposed to be issued afterwards?
“Yeah, I downloaded them before coming,” Taehyung says as his lips pull into a tight smile.
“Oh,” Jungkook nods, he needs to improve his knowledge on these technical aspects.
The line is not too big but not too small. A decent crowd for a Saturday morning. Jungkook wonders if it's normal for Taehyung to take such impromptu flights, he wonders if he would ever be able to take one. Probably not anytime soon. But where would he go if he could take one? Will it be somewhere within Korea? Or somewhere out of the country? Maybe out of the country. He could go to London, or Japan. Yeah, definitely either one of those countries.
Lost in his thoughts, he doesn’t notice the queue moving in front of him until a warm hand nudges his back, urging him to move forward. The palm that spreads over his lower back is so warm and inviting that Jungkook feels the heat spread all over his body as he leans into the touch. He whips his head back to see Kim Taehyung standing behind him with his face an inch away from Jungkook's. Jungkook feels the heat rise to his cheeks with how close in proximity the CEO is and his warm hands on his lower back do nothing to help his raging heart.
Jungkook rapidly blinks, holding his breath back as he comes face to face with the CEO. His stupidly handsome face looks so soft under the airport lights and Jungkook has this urge to pinch his cheeks and leave kisses all over his tanned skin. The thought and the proximity does no good to his heart, he can almost hear it beating out of his chest and is afraid that the other man could also hear it.
Suddenly the space is too warm and he can physically feel the heat creeping over his cheeks, he prays to the lords above that the CEO doesn’t notice the embarrassing red painting over his cheeks.
“Go,” a soft whisper comes out of Taehyung’s parted lips followed by a honey dripping chuckle. Taehyung motions Jungkook to move forward and when Jungkook realises that he has been standing in front of no one for a long time he shuts his eyes in embarrassment and scrambles to move forward.
He quickly hands out his passport and boarding pass to the airport authority who takes it nonchalantly, stamping it a few times before handing it back to him. He quickly thanks the staff and grabs his papers and scrambles to the other side as he waits for Taehyung. He watches Taehyung do it so elegantly and confidently, the exact opposite of how Jungkook was. But hey Jungkook is not always like that, he was just caught off guard when Taehyung suddenly came too close into his space and that’s understandable because who wouldn’t malfunction seeing the CEO that close to their face, definitely not Jungkook. So he justifies his behaviour by putting the blame entirely on Kim Taehyung.
After all the airport formalities, Taehyung and Jungkook are spared an hour before they could board their flight. All this while Jungkook has not dared to look Taehyung in his eyes, embarrassed enough by his previous actions. Jungkook mindlessly scrolls through his phone, pushing reels after reels that pop up in his feed, as he waits in the lounge while Taehyung has gone to the restroom.
It's surprising how his feed is suddenly filled with lots of French and Paris content, damn these algorithms work faster than light. One particular reel catches his attention–‘Best Hot Chocolate in Paris’. As tempting as the title could be, the visuals that follow are drool worthy, almost leaving Jungkook gulping and licking his lips, as he watches a woman pour a thick, creamy hot chocolate into a cup and accompany it with a freshly baked croissant. It was as if he could almost smell the thick chocolate flavour right from his screen. He quickly looks at the description and finds the cafe’s name–Angelina Paris. A quick Google search shows him that the place is 30 minutes away from the hotel they will be staying in. He saves the reel, adding it to the hundreds of other reels that he had saved for later, planning to visit the place if his schedule permits and have a first hand experience of the flavours that bursted through his screen.
Now watching the reel made him crave something sweet. He could probably help himself with a chocolate chip cookie and coffee, but damn he is too tired to move his ass. He leans back on the couch and rests his head, mentally reminding himself of his incomplete to-do list as he closes his eyes. He has to learn a few French words before they land in Paris. Though the CEO did not ask him to, he still feels responsible because how else would he survive meetings after meetings if he doesn’t understand anything, also that would make him slack in his work and Jungkook hates that. Although he hopes for the meeting to be conducted in English so that he could catch up with what is being discussed.
He lets out a sigh, opening his eyes to see Taehyung walking towards him. He quickly straightens and adjusts himself on the couch as Taehyung comes to sit beside him. Jungkook scoots to the other side, not being able to manage with having Taehyung at close proximity. He has embarrassed himself enough for the year so he has to scoot away from the warmth of the CEO. But he gets caught before he could move an inch.
“Here” the CEO extends a coffee cup and paper bag towards him. “I-uh. I went for a coffee and they had these cookies that you usually have” Taehyung’s eyes widened at his own words.
“Uh, I mean the cookies that we have in our office, it's the same brand. Their coffee wasn’t too bad either and you know since it's morning and you-I mean all of us usually have coffee and cookies to eat? So I got you some?” It almost came out as a question rather than a statement. Taehyung consciously pauses his ramble as he waits, either for Jungkook to turn down his coffee or to accept it but what he doesn’t expect is for Jungkook to chuckle with something akin to fondness in his eyes. His eyes crinkle up to form a crescent as he looks at him with a toothy grin, trying his best to control his chuckle.
“Yes, Sir. I do drink coffee and I love those cookies. Thank you.” He smiles at Taehyung as he takes the coffee and cookies from him. Taehyung nods and clears his throat, deciding to keep his embarrassing words to himself.
Jungkook never knew that Taehyung could ramble like that, it was absolutely adorable. The simple thought that Taehyung had thought about him and got him not just a coffee and but also his favourite cookies makes him giddy and does not help his growing crush over the older man. And just for his own sanity, Jungkook does not probe into the thought of how Taehyung knew about his favourite cookie because after all, it could simply be the way Taehyung treats his employees, so he doesn’t get his hopes up.
After the coffee incident both of them fall into a comfortable silence as they mind their own work, Taehyung invested in his phone and Jungkook munching on his cookies. Soon after, they hear the boarding call for their flight.
Taehyung is the first to stand up from the seat. He stands in front of Jungkook and asks “what's your seat number?”
Jungkook quickly dusts off the cookie crumbles from his hand and takes out his ticket. “Uh it's 10B”
Taehyung scrunches his eyebrows and looks at his ticket and then at Jungkook’s. “Mine’s business class?” he asks, voice laced with confusion.
“Yes sir, there was only one seat available in business class. The other one is in economy,” Jungkook says as he stands up and wears his backpack.
“Oh,” Taehyung says and quickly takes Jungkook's ticket from his hold.
“Sir-”
“Here,” he shoves his own ticket into his secretary’s hand, turns around and walks to stand in the queue for boarding.
Jungkook’s brain stops working for a minute and it takes him another whole minute to realise what happened.
He looks at the ticket in his hand, the ‘business class’ in bold letters glaring right at him.
His eyes widen in shock and he runs to catch up with Taehyung.
He goes to stand behind Taehyung in the queue, catching his breath as he stares at the man’s back. He opens and closes his mouth a few times not knowing how to start the conversation.
Why did Taehyung give his ticket to him? Did he not like the seat? Did he want to travel in first class? But there was no other seat and business is still better than economy right?
A part of his brain says Taehyung is angry but he can’t comprehend any reason to justify that part of his brain. And then the other part, which is more lovesick and delusional, tells him that maybe Taehyung wanted Jungkook to travel comfortably. But then again it makes no sense because who in their right mind would exchange their business class seat with their secretary, just so the said secretary could travel comfortably? No one.
So he concludes that his brain is of no use right now and decides to ask Taehyung himself.
“Sir,” his voice came out more feeble than he thought but it seemed to grab the CEO’s attention.
Taehyung turns back and to Jungkook's relief the man smiles at him. Okay, so he isn’t angry.
“Sir the ticket, it's yours,” Jungkook says and stretches out the ticket in his hands.
“Well I have mine here,” Taehyung brings up the ticket in his hand and waves it in front of Jungkook. “And that's yours,” he says, pointing to the ticket in Jungkook’s hand.
“But Sir, this is business class and it's yours,” Jungkook rushes to explain. “And that’s an economy ticket”
“I know,” Taehyung says with a gentle smile and turns back to move forward in the line.
“But Sir…” Jungkook cannot let go of it.
Taehyung sighs and turns to face Jungkook. “Listen, you will take my seat, and I will take yours. It's been so long since I travelled in economy, I'm craving it,” he says and leans forward to whisper the last few words.
And then it happens again, the stupidly handsome face is once again in his personal space and Jungkook's entire mind short circuits. The CEO’s smooth golden skin and plush pink lips are so close that if Jungkook lifts his hand he should be able to touch those divine features. Unconsciously he balls his fist, just a preventive measure because he can’t really trust his brain-hand coordination in the CEO’s proximity these days.
Jungkook stares at Taehyung with wide eyes, his throat bobs with how hard he gulps. He keeps staring at him not realising that he is supposed to answer him.
“Okay Jungkook?” the CEO asks and Jungkook thinks he has never agreed to anything faster than this.
“Good boy.” The moment those words leave the CEO’s mouth, Jungkook's face turns beet red. His entire system reboots and he suddenly becomes hyper aware of his surroundings.
Had it been in any other circumstance, Jungkook is sure he would have combusted but right now all he can feel is the heat that spreads over his neck and how it travels all the way south. He looks down, highly embarrassed of his bodily reaction.
What the fuck is wrong with him, the chances of Taehyung saying it with an innuendo is less than zero yet his mind imagined the worst (probably the best) scenario and his body decided to betray and embarrass him in the middle of an airport.
God, it's just a term of appreciation and he shouldn’t be getting hard just because of that, he isn’t a high schooler anymore. Maybe it's because your long time crush and the hot CEO said it and that your praise kink is showing off, the lovesick and delusional part of his brain adds to the fuel. He internally curses his brain and wishes for the ground to swallow him right this moment. He thinks his sleep deprivation is starting to show its side effects.
Thankfully, Taehyung did not notice his reaction, the CEO turned back to face the queue after igniting a dangerous fire in Jungkook's stomach.
But again why was he being praised? (not that he would have minded the same words from the same voice in a different circumstance which includes kissing and beds…)
Then as if his mind is replaying the entire interaction, Jungkook begins to register what Taehyung had told him.
Taehyung wanted to exchange his seat because he craves to travel in economy? Who the fuck craves that?
He looks up at the man with a bewildered look and questions in his mind if the CEO is alright in his head or did he bang it somewhere that his insides have started malfunctioning.
With nothing but pure confusion and flushed cheeks, Jungkook trails behind Taehyung as they board the flight.
Today was adventurous.
Settling down in the aisle seat, Taehyung let out the breath that he had been holding for what felt like forever. He doesn’t know where he got the courage to be outrageously flirty with Jungkook today, knowing he barely had the courage to look into his secretary’s eyes in the past.
Even though he fumbled like a teenager he still felt successful in his attempts. Even through the slip ups in the beginning, he made Jungkook laugh. He got to hear those warm, soothing, therapeutic giggles and Taehyung wouldn’t mind becoming a clown if he gets to hear the younger laugh like that again.
Nevertheless he feels like he had outdone himself when he offered to exchange seats with the younger. A victorious smile graces his lips as he remembers how stunned and surprised Jungkook looked when he offered the seat.
Jimin might call him whipped and dramatic if he knows about this but what can Taehyung do, he is just a man with a heart and a heart that fell in love with the younger. So he did what anyone in love would, that is to make their embodiment of love feel comfortable. Although the only missing part is that they are not together. But Taehyung would rather act as a lover than confessing his love, because pinning feels better than rejection.
He leans back on his seat adjusting himself in the available space, economy is not bad though, he thinks. And then all of a sudden his own words dawn upon him. ‘Good boy’. He had called Jungkook a ‘good boy’ as they stood in the line.
Taehyung almost flies from his seat at the recollection. No wonder the younger looked too stunned to speak. He wishes he could vanish into thin air. He leans forward in his seat as he hides his face in his palms, embarrassment washing over himself.
He has an urge to run up to the younger and assure him that he isn’t a creep but just an overly excited man who had the chance to woo the love of his life and acted out on impulse but he decides against it. He quickly fishes out his phone and opens his chat with Jimin.
Taehyung
Shit shit jimin
I fucked up bad
Omg i'm going to die
I will never be able to see him
It's over everything is over
Jimin
Huh? What happened?
Hey!! What happened!! you alright?
Taehyung
Im dying
Going to wither and die as i watch the loml hate me
Jimin
Can you stop being dramatic
AND TELL ME WHAT HAPPEND
Taehyung
I called Jungkook a good boy
Jimin
Ohh sexy although i didn’t need to know about your kinks
Taehyung
JIMIN!!!!
I didn’t mean to say that, I'm embarrassed
He is gonna think I'm a creep
Jimin
That you are
Taehyung
Jimin????
Jimin
What? Who else remembers their secretary’s breakfast lunch and dinner menu
Stocks the entire office pantry with the secretary’s favourite food
Knows their favourite scent??
Should I continue?
Taehyung
I-
I'M DYING HELP???
Jimin
Alright first stop panicking
Is he with you now?
Taehyung
No
Jimin
You left him alone??
That's new
Taehyung
Stfu?
Jimin
Did you say that to him directly?
Do you think he would have noticed?
Taehyung
Yes to the first one
And I don’t know he looked a little stunned but that was also because I gave him my business class seat
Jimin
You gave him what?
Taehyung stop being a whipped cream challenge: failed
Taehyung
I just wanted him to be comfortable. I know he might have not slept well last night and I just wanted him to rest :(
Jimin
Awww lovesick idiot
Don’t worry im sure if he had noticed it and felt uncomfortable he would have said something
He hasn’t said anything right?
So I think you're good!
Don't overthink it
Taehyung
Okie :(
Jimin
Also while you are at it, might as well confess you know 😉
Paris, the city of love
Taehyung
Sorry Jimin I can’t hear you
Must be the network issue
Byebye
Jimin
BISH WE ARE TEXTING??
Ykw I wish Jungkook thinks you're a creepy ass
Taehyung
🤪
Taehyung locks his phone, turning the airplane mode on. He really prays that Jimin is correct and Jungkook never heard him say the G word.
For the sake of his sanity, Jungkook chose to focus his attention on learning French during the duration of his flight. He finds it difficult however when the phantom scents and ringing words of Taehyung breeze through his mind every five minutes but Jungkook doesn’t give up, he consciously shifts his focus onto these foreign words.
One hour into the journey, Jungkook is struggling with French. He has managed to memorise a few basic greetings like ‘ Bonjour’ ‘Bonsoir’ ‘Salut’ ‘Au revoir’. Although he isn't too sure how it's gonna sound when he says it. He also made some small notes in his cute little notepad just in case he forgets anything.
He decided to take a break and continue his French lessons later. He walks out of his cabin, intending to go to the restroom.
After finishing his business in the washroom, Jungkook walks back to his seat and just then he sees the CEO standing near it.
“Sir,” Jungkook greets, voice low.
“Hey! I was just passing by,” Taehyung says, flashing his infamous smile.
“Ah okay Sir.” Jungkook says, fiddling with his fingers.
“Sir, I think you should come back to your seat, I’m sure it's not very comfortable there,” Jungkook says, his voice laced with guilt. Taehyung is not used to travelling in economy and Jungkook feels guilty for letting the CEO exchange seats with him.
“No way! I am very much enjoying the aisle seat and I’ll let you know there is a grandma sitting next to me, she really has the most interesting stories to tell and it's lovely listening to her. So stay put here and I will go and continue listening to her story of how she and her grandson got into a fight. It's really interesting,” the CEO says with so much joy and a childish grin that Jungkook has never seen.
Jungkook can’t help but smile at Taehyung as he lets him be. After their brief exchange, Taehyung turns on his heels to leave but before he goes, he turns back, patting Jungkook's shoulder.
“Jungkook-ah there is still 12 hours until we reach Paris so get some sleep. Next time I see you, you better be sleeping.” With that he disappears into the other side of the plane. Jungkook didn’t understand what the CEO meant but when he sits back on his seat he sees one of his sticky notes stuck on top of his notes and it reads–‘ don’t stress too much, fighting! Get some rest’ written in the authentic cursive handwriting of Taehyung.
Reading the note, the corner of Jungkook's lips automatically lifts up as he breaks into a smile. Jungkook thinks, maybe he will survive this trip.
By the time they landed in Paris, Jungkook had already managed to memorise a handful of French words. He feels a bit proud of himself for his feat.
The moment he stepped his foot on the streets, Jungkook expected to witness all those cliche romantic scenes that the movies always portrayed to be happening in the streets of Paris, but to his disappointment the streets of Paris were nothing like that. He expected to witness at least a few hallmark worthy scenes but they never showed up. But one thing that felt different was the air. The air in Paris was different; it carried some kind of a warmth that soothes your skin on a chilly evening, something akin to comfort.
Jungkook shakes his head, laughing at his own thoughts. Maybe all the ‘romanticising my life’ agenda is making him delusional and his mind became creative by romanticising the air.
By the time they reached the hotel, it was already afternoon and their first meeting didn't start until late evening. So they decided to rest for the remaining afternoon and unwind from the travel.
Speaking of the hotel, it was nothing short of luxury. Although after becoming Taehyung’s secretary Jungkook had the opportunity to visit those high end hotels in Korea for a meal as he accompanied the CEO, he had never stayed in one and that too in Paris.
It's not like Jungkook couldn't afford it on his own. Sure he can, but that is only after months of savings and planning. But now that he is already here he might as well enjoy it. After unpacking his suitcase and arranging everything, he took a nice warm shower and changed into something comfortable.
He then opened up his laptop and went through the schedule for the next two weeks to make sure everything is in order. Too focused on work until he hears the doorbell ring.
Taehyung doesn’t know if it's a good idea. Ever since they landed, Taehyung for the most part avoided looking at his secretary eye to eye. The only time he looked at his secretary was when the other was not looking at him. Otherwise he totally refused to look at the other purely out of embarrassment. But now he is here to change that.
Ever since Jimin mentioned confessing, the word has been lingering in his mind through the entire journey. There is no denial with the fact that he is madly in love with his lil sunshine. Yes, Jungkook is the little sunshine of his life. His boring and brooding days turn golden just by the younger’s presence and he realised this the very moment when Jungkook joined as his secretary. Three years back when Jungkook joined as his secretary, Taehyung was enamoured by the younger. Jungkook felt like the missing piece of his life. The young energetic male was always enthusiastic to learn and help others and his eye blinding presence in the office made Taehyung's days far better.
It was just a crush in the beginning but eventually he fell in love with the boy. The way Jungkook took care of him always felt a bit personal and Taehyung basked in it. He wanted to know if the younger felt the same way towards him but knowing that would mean confessing his feelings. No matter what, they were still bound by a professional relationship and Taehyung didn’t want to cross the line and make Jungkook uncomfortable.
But now all those buried hopes of his love being reciprocated were rekindled by their recent interactions. Though he might have ignored it, he surely didn’t miss the way Jungkook blushed in his proximity. Those deep shades of pink ignited hope in him.
So Taehyung plans to drop some subtle hints and see if Jungkook feels the same. The what if’s of his plan still occasionally plague his mind.
“What if Jungkook finds his actions uncomfortable?” “What if Jungkook reports his unprofessional behaviour?”
But in all honesty being reported to the HR is the least of his concern. His main concern is Jungkook leaving him. With sincere prayers to the lords above, Taehyung embarks on his mission of Wooing JJK.
His first step is to treat Jungkook with a meal. That is exactly what brings him to stand in front of the younger’s room. After a few seconds of waiting the door finally opens, the first thing Taehyung sees is the ever charming look on the younger’s face and as his eyes trail down he sees his outfit. So far, Taehyung has only seen the younger in formals and even during the travel the secretary still chose to wear pants and shirt. But now for the first time, he sees Jungkook in a casual outfit.
The loose shorts and beige colour hoodie that almost drowns him, makes Taehyung wanna gather Jungkook in his arms, smoother his face with kisses, wrap him up and cuddle him for an eternity. The messy hair and lavender after shower scent is so strong that it hits close to home .
It is as if Taehyung’s eyes refuse to let go of the sight before him, he keeps staring at Jungkook unknown to the fact that said male can feel his stare.
“Sir?” Jungkook was the one to break his bubble.
Taehyung clears his throat and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is “beautiful” . It's almost a breathy whisper but unfortunately it was loud enough to be heard by the secretary. The realisation dawns after his words are out. He violently clears his throat again “I mean, nice….” his eyes once again trails down “hoodie” he completes, pointing out the said hoodie.
Jungkook looks down at the piece of cloth and at Taehyung before giving him a gentle smile.
“I was here to ask if you want to go for lunch,” ‘Wait did it sound like I'm asking him out’ , Taehyung thinks and maybe it did so he quickly rephrases.
“It's lunch time, I was going for lunch, so I wanted to ask if you wanted to join as well.” ‘Okay, this sounds better’ , he lets out a breathy laugh at the end just to sound cool.
Jungkook looks confused for a moment before he agrees. “I’ll just change into my shoes,” he says and disappears behind the door.
Once Jungkook is out of sight, Taehyung punches his fist into the air followed by a little victory dance, ‘Yes! I nailed it’ . And when he hears the door open again he composes himself.
“Shall we go Sir?” Jungkook asks.
“Yeah, let's go,” Taehyung replies, leading the way.
Something had definitely shifted in the air and Jungkook felt it during lunch. Taehyung was overly chivalrous. From pulling out a chair for him to filling his glass with water, helping him with serving the food and holding the door open for Jungkook, the CEO had been more than friendly. It almost felt like their roles were reversed and Taehyung was in charge of taking care of Jungkook.
Taehyung's actions were so confusing that Jungkook doesn’t know what to make out of them anymore. Is the CEO finally interested in him? The question lingers in his mind as he sorts through his thoughts. He knows for sure that Taehyung doesn’t behave like this with other employees but what he couldn’t understand was why was he special?
“Ugh,” Jungkook groans in frustration. First the cookie incident, then all those close proximities in the airport, then the seat exchange and now all these chivalries are driving him insane. It pushes him to the edge making him want to grab Taehyung by his collar and ask for answers or maybe kiss the living daylights out of him. But now he can do neither of it so he resorts to burying his face in the hotel pillow and screaming into it.
It's exactly 4 o’clock when they exit the hotel. The company has a branch here in Paris and that is exactly where they are headed now. A chauffeur had come to pick them up and on their way Jungkook quickly skimmed through his notes and other documents for the meeting.
When they reached the office, everyone was on their feet ready to welcome the CEO. They welcomed him with bouquets and greetings. As Taehyung walked through the staff greeting them, Jungkook followed his trail. A sense of satisfaction courses through his veins when he sees how everyone respects the CEO. Watching Taehyung in his element has always been the biggest perk of his occupation.
As they navigate through the office and into the CEO’s cabin, Jungkook looks around the place. This isn’t as big as their Seoul office but for a branch office it's more than enough. The staff following Taehyung stopped at the threshold of his office and once they are inside Taehyung’s cabin, it's just the two of them.
“Do you like the office?” Taehyung asks as he walks to his desk.
“Yes Sir. It's simple and elegant,” Jungkook says with a smile.
And Taehyung seems to be very much satisfied with the reply. “You can take that table. I hope it's comfortable for you,” Taehyung says, pointing to a table on the other side of the room which seems to have been pulled into the cabin.
“Thank you Sir,” Jungkook says and settles into his assigned table.
About thirty minutes after settling into the office, one of the staff pages the message that the client has arrived in the meeting room. Jungkook is the first to receive the message, he hurriedly gathers his stuff and approaches Taehyung.
“Sir Mr. Charles has arrived. He is waiting for you in the meeting room.”
Taehyung gets onto his feet. “Okay. Is everything ready?” he asks as he moves out of the desk.
“Yes sir, everything is ready,” Jungkook says.
“Okay, let's go then,” Taehyung says and walks out of the cabin with Jungkook following him.
Jungkook follows behind Taehyung as he keeps chanting his greetings inside his head. ‘ Bonjour, Monsieur Charles ’ he keeps repeating it like a mantra, he doesn’t want to make a bad impression in the beginning. He also has his French notes with him, just in case he forgets anything.
When they enter the meeting room, they are met with Mr. Charles who enthusiastically greets Taehyung.
"Enfin ! Enchanté de te rencontrer, Monsieur Taehyung." (Finally! it's nice to meet you Mr. Taehyung) the very cheerful man comes forward to hug the CEO.
Jungkook who stands behind Taehyung feels the anxiety seeping into him because he understood nothing, why was a simple greeting that long? Jungkook wants to cry. It's not even the start of the meeting and he already feels doomed. And to add to his shock, Taehyung says "Ah oui, enfin. C'est un plaisir de vous avoir ici, Monsieur Charles."(Ah yes finally. My pleasure to have you here Mr. Charles)
What kind of sorcery is this? From when did the CEO start speaking French? Jungkook’s brain short circuits for a moment. If his brain wasn’t clouded with too many thoughts he would have appreciated how handsome the CEO is when he speaks French.
But right now too many things are happening around him. The client speaks with a rich French accent and Taehyung replies to him in the same manner, leaving Jungkook with no idea of what they are conversing. If this is how the entire meeting is going to happen then Jungkook is sure that he won’t survive this.
He tries to school his expression to not give out that he is on the verge of anxiety. He puts on his professional smile, takes a deep breath and follows Taehyung to their seat.
Thankfully no one asked him for his introduction because right now he cannot gather his mind to speak the foreign language.
He takes his seat next to the CEO. As everyone is still settling down in the room, Jungkook uses those few seconds to take deep breaths and gather his mind. In his panicked state he fails to notice how the CEO’s worried eyes are watching him intently.
When they announce the start of the meeting all eyes in the room fall on the presenter. Jungkook fumbles to open his tablet, hands sweating and starting to shake out of nervousness. He discreetly pulls his hands down to his pants and rubs them over it, in attempts to get rid of the sweat.
He starts to take notes, trying to keep his hands still and focus on the meeting. For the first few minutes everything seems to be fine and Jungkook is grateful that the speaker chose to speak in English. His racing heart slows down a little. He uses that moment of calmness to focus on the meeting and jot down notes. But as if his thoughts were jinxed the presenter gradually shifted from English to French.
Jungkook immediately stills in his actions when he hears his nightmare coming to life. He feels lost as he struggles to take down anything. He needs to take notes, Taehyung will need them and will later ask him to forward them to him. If he doesn’t have them then Taehyung might be disappointed. His mind tricks him with all the worst case scenarios of what will happen if he isn’t efficient in the meeting.
He doesn’t know what to do, he frantically looks around and everyone seems to be immersed in the meeting. He whips his head to his right and thankfully the CEO is intently listening to the speaker and hasn’t noticed his distress.
All the calmness that was previously settling in him is now dissipated and all he could feel is how close he is to a panic attack. There are too many people in the room and if Taehyung notices that he is failing in his job, then all the others will notice it too. It would become a black mark in his career but more than anything he is afraid of disappointing Taehyung. What if Taehyung finds him inefficient and decides he doesn’t need him anymore? With so much thoughts clouding his mind he doesn’t notice how his hands are trembling. With his dazed eyes he looks around and the presentation is still going on but he is slowly losing his focus.
His hands are trembling so much that he finds it difficult to even bring them down to his lap. He tries to keep them stiff but they don’t stop shaking. The more he focuses to calm down the more chaotic his mind gets. He slowly feels himself losing the sense of his surroundings but right at that moment a warm hand engulfs his own.
The large warm palm engulfed his hands in them. He watches with amusement as to how easily his palms fit in the other’s hand. He marvels at it as his hands are slowly pulled down from the table and pulled to the side as they get placed on the person’s lap. His hands are still engulfed in the strong warm hold but his eyes are solely stuck on the hands that hugs his, until he hears Taehyung’s voice. “It’s okay, just breathe kookie,” a slow whisper falls into his ears. He shifts his gaze from those hands and looks up to see Taehyung gently leaning to his side and looking at him with a comforting warm smile. At that moment everything went silent. The chaos in his mind went silent as if Taehyung's words had the power to pause them.
And then he breathes, as Taehyung continues to rub soothing circles over his knuckles. Taehyung has his hands in a tight but not bruising grip. The hold almost feels like him saying that he is here and everything is okay.
From then on Taehyung held his hand throughout the meeting even though after a few minutes Jungkook’s mind was clear and his anxiety settled down, Taehyung refused to leave his hands. Even when Jungkook tried to pull back his hand, Taehyung held them a bit more firmly, refusing to let go. The CEO even passed him a glass of water in the middle of the meeting. So at the end Jungkook couldn’t do anything but watch the CEO hold his hand for the entirety of the meeting. Occasionally Taehyung would gently press the palms of Jungkook's hand and massage it, relieving any remaining stiffness in the muscle, all while his hands rested on the CEO’s lap.
Though Jungkook was extremely grateful for the CEO’s action, he couldn't help but feel guilty and embarrassed. He could have potentially ruined the meeting and the thought that he still hasn't done his job properly makes him feel guilty.
Soon the meeting comes to an end and everyone stands up. So Jungkook naturally stands up with the others and tries to withdraw his hands but it looked like the CEO had other plans. Taehyung stood up from his seat while he interlinked his left hand with Jungkook's right hand. He bid his farewell with the client and Jungkook also did the same by passing them his polite smiles. Jungkook is thankful that their hands were safely hidden under the table, the last thing he wants is for someone to misinterpret the kind act.
Slowly everyone left the room leaving the CEO and Secretary behind. Taehyung slowly released his hands and turned to face Jungkook. The moment Taehyung let go of his hand Jungkook was ready with his apologies at the tip of his tongue. But before he could even mutter anything Taehyung is pushing him down, making him sit on the chair as he pulls another chair for himself. With worried eyes Taehyung cups his face in his palms and Jungkook can feel the warmth seeping through it.
“Are you alright? You looked like you were about to pass out. Do you still feel like that? What happened Kookie?” the nickname once again slips out of his tongue but this time Jungkook is conscious enough to grasp it. Jungkook feels extra warm with the sudden slip up.
“I feel better now. Thank you Sir. I'm sorry for losing focus in the middle of the meeting. I promise it won’t happen again,” Jungkook manages to say with his cheeks still in between Taehyung’s palms.
“Nonsense, you have nothing to apologise for. To hell with the meeting. I was about to stop it but I thought you might feel uncomfortable with the attention. You are more important than any meeting. I was so scared.” Taehyung says, the last few words come out as a whisper and there is a small pout sitting on his lips.
Jungkook almost tears up at Taehyung’s words. The fact that Taehyung thought and cared so much for him made his heart full with warmth. It wasn’t anything like the warmth that he felt in his cheeks when the CEO held them. Instead it was something that slowly crawled over his heart, spread over it thoroughly and made a place for itself. It felt like the first ray of sunlight after a cold wintery night, like a relief, something that made him feel safe and comforting. He doesn’t know when the first drop of tear escaped his eyes, he notices it only when he sees Taehyung panicking and gently wiping it off with his thumbs.
“Hey what happened? Are you hurt? Let me call the doc-” he doesn’t let Taehyung finish as he pushes himself to the edge of his chair and hugs Taehyung.
Taehyung’s hands fall from his cheeks and soon Taehyung holds him in his embrace. And at that moment, Jungkook felt the safest. He rests his cheek on Taehyung's shoulder and says “I’m fine. Thank you.” Before the CEO could respond, Jungkook pulled back from the hug.
Once he has put a safe distance between them, he suddenly feels shy. He hugged the CEO without any warning, his cheeks warm up with the stunt that he pulled on the elder. “Sorry,” he mumbles, eyes cast down on the floor.
“No, it's okay. I’m glad that you feel better now,” Taehyung says and if only Jungkook had the guts to look at the CEO he would have noticed the same shade of red coating the CEO’s cheeks.
After a few minutes of awkward silence they get up from their seat and move out of the room. Neither of them talk for the rest of the time they are in the office.
Taehyung would normally consider himself as a brave and strong person, he isn’t one to get scared easily by anything. But today he felt it in his bones when he saw Jungkook trembling in the meeting room. Looking at the younger being out of breath and with trembling hands made him worried and scared. It was the worst few minutes of his life because he felt helpless and didn’t know what to do. He had noticed the secretary being worried from the moment they entered the room but never did he think he would see the younger so vulnerable in the middle of the meeting. Thankfully no one else noticed it, Jungkook would have hated it if he attracted any attention. So Taehyung tried his best to comfort Jungkook and at the same time make sure no one else notices it. He felt Jungkook relaxing when he held his hands, so he made sure to never let it go till the end.
Even when they were left alone, Taehyung couldn’t shake off his worry for the younger. He went on to comfort the younger and couldn’t care less about how forward it came out. But he was entirely thrown back when Jungkook suddenly pulled him into a hug and mumbled a thank you. It felt so nice to hold the younger in his arms after years of yearning. So without wasting a moment he hugged back the younger and when they pulled back Taehyung noticed the light blush over Jungkook’s cheeks and smiled knowing he had a matching one.
Though they didn’t speak much after that, Taehyung couldn’t help but keep an eye on his secretary, to see any sign of discomfort. But fortunately there wasn’t any. Though Taehyung itched to ask about what happened earlier he knew it wasn’t the right place so he waited till they were out of the office.
As they were on their way back to the hotel, Jungkook was extremely silent in the car and it didn’t settle well with Taehyung, so he decided to break their awkward silence.
“Jungkook, is everything okay?” he asked, not exactly knowing how to start the conversation.
Jungkook looked at him with his round eyes and an involuntary pout and Taehyung immediately felt the smile crawling in his own lips. “Yes Sir,” Jungkook says.
“If you don’t mind, can you tell me what happened earlier? It's okay if you don’t want to,” Taehyung asks carefully.
“I kinda had a panic attack. But you helped me before it completely took over. Thank you for that,” Jungkook says, hands fiddling with the sleeves of his shirt.
“May I ask why?” Taehyung asks with hesitation. Jungkook doesn’t answer immediately, he keeps his head low and fiddles with the shirt material. Taehyung notices how Jungkook nibbles his lower lips and wishes he could stop the younger from bruising it.
“As the speaker started speaking in French, I didn’t understand what they were presenting and I got lost. I don’t know French,” Jungkook says but immediately hurries to add, “If I had a few more days I swear I would have learned the basics but I know it's not an excuse. I’ll-”
Taehyung interrupts him saying, “Jungkook-ah, it's okay. I never expected you to learn French and you don’t have to. It's perfectly fine. We have translators for that. But the fact that you took an effort to learn it despite the short notice is really appreciative. I appreciate that.” Taehyung looks into the secretary’s eyes as he speaks. He wants the younger to understand that he isn’t incompetent and that his efforts are appreciated. Because thinking that Jungkook almost had a panic attack just at the thought of failing in his job shows how sincere he is about it and Taehyung in no way would let him think that he is failing his work when in reality he is the perfect secretary Taehyung has ever had.
“Thank you,” Jungkook says sincerely with a faint smile ghosting his lips.
From the very next day all the meetings are conducted in English under the strict orders of the CEO. Jungkook totally wasn’t surprised by the change, he kind of expected it. After his conversation with Taehyung in the car and seeing how worried the CEO was for him, he could say he did expect something like this to happen.
However, the saying ‘expect the unexpected’ didn’t go wrong. Because even when the meetings were no longer causing his anxiety, what had him hyperventilating and fighting for his life was Taehyung's actions. Taehyung, as if it's an act of nature, continued to hold Jungkook's hand under the table. And this continued to happen in every meeting for the entire week.
Every time they enter the meeting room, Taehyung makes sure that Jungkook sits to his right and when Jungkook is busy taking notes, the CEO would hold onto his left hand, sometimes fiddling with his finger or rubbing gentle circles over his knuckles. At the beginning, Jungkook was highly embarrassed and terrified, he would look at the CEO with blown out eyes and parted lips with panic written over his face. But then Taehyung would look back at him with gentle warm eyes and flash him an assuring smile with a slight nod and with that everything settles.
Once the panic washed down, Jungkook found comfort in the hold. He stopped panicking and now it has become a habit, Taehyung's way of communicating that he is there for Jungkook. And somewhere in between the exchanged glances, Jungkook understood those unspoken words.
Unsure of how to navigate these emotions both Taehyung and Jungkook settle with the unspoken domesticity for the rest of the week.
After an entire week of work, Jungkook finally gets his day off on Sunday. It was his first day with no work in Paris and Jungkook set out with a determination to explore the city of love.
He woke up later than usual and it was almost lunch time when he came down to the lobby. He decided against the idea of breakfast and planned for a brunch instead. He picked up his phone and scrolled through his saved reels finding the one which had the information about the hot chocolate place.
He then types out the shop’s name in Google Maps hoping to get directions but what he finds seemed to be difficult to understand, for one he was never good with direction nor geography. So he looks around trying to find someone who could help him and to his luck he does find someone. He approaches the man with timid steps, hoping he speaks English.
“Excuse me Sir,” Jungkook calls, trying to get the stranger’s attention.
The said man turns around and looks at him with a polite smile “Yes?”
“Oh my God you speak English! Thank God” Jungkook says his inner thoughts quite loudly for the stranger to hear him.
The man chuckles. “Indeed. How can I help you?”
“I was actually hoping I could get directions to this place.” Jungkook shows him the address.
The man leans in and looks at his phone carefully. “Oh I know this place. I can help,” he says.
“Really?! Thank you!” Jungkook thanks him sporting his bunny smile.
Taehyung overslept and missed his alarm this morning. Last night as a part of his Wooing JJK plan he had planned to take Jungkook for breakfast today and then find an excuse to go out with him so that he can show him around. But his sleep had other plans and he missed his alarm.
Even if he messed up the breakfast plan, Taehyung is no quitter. So he hurriedly got ready to execute the other part of his plan– that is taking out Jungkook for sightseeing (read: Date).
With half-done shoelaces, he rushed to the younger’s room, ringing the bell and waiting for him to come out, but unfortunately that never happened. Much to his disappointment, the door remained shut. With a heavy heart and a sad pout, Taehyung turned back on his heels and decided to go wait in the lobby, maybe he could call Jungkook as he waits.
He exits the lift and takes out his phone from his pocket as he walks towards the lobby. He searches up Jungkook's contact, planning to ask the secretary about his whereabouts.
But before he could call him, his eyes caught a glimpse of the younger.
There, within a few metres of his reach, stands Jungkook in his cargo pants and black t-shirt. An instant smile blooms on the CEO’s face on seeing Jungkook smiling so cheerfully. But Taehyung's smile soon morphs into a frown as he sees the reason for the younger’s cheerful smile. Next to Jungkook there is another man who much to Taehyung's dislike is leaning into his secretary’s personal space. The man looks suspicious and like someone you should avoid at any cost, because why would a stranger come into your personal space and make you laugh like that. Yeah, the man screams danger.
And Jungkook being the naive man he is, is giggling and smiling at the stranger. So Taehyung takes it upon himself to save his precious secretary.
“Jungkookie!” Taehyung shouts from across the lobby, uncaring of the stares he receives as he jogs his way to his secretary.
Never in his life did Jungkook think he would hear his name being called out so loudly in the middle of a hotel lobby, but it happened and all thanks to his CEO, Kim Taehyung.
He turned his head to see Taehyung dressed in a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, with half done shoelaces and messy hair, running to him, howling his name as if his life depended on it.
Jungkook couldn’t do anything but stare at the hot mess that is approaching him. Jungkook almost drools looking at the CEO, the line between appropriate and inappropriate getting diminished the very moment he saw the grey sweatpants and the messy hair.
He gets lost in the trance until he gets pulled towards the CEO by the CEO himself. Taehyung has a firm grip on his arm as he pulls him behind his back and shields him. With a confused face Jungkook looks at him and finds him glaring at the kind stranger.
“What is happening?” Taehyung scowls at the other man. He then turns to Jungkook and asks “Are you alright, Cheri?”
Jungkook scrunches his eyebrows ‘cheri? He is not Cheri, he is Jungkook. ‘Did the CEO mistake him for someone else?’ While his mind stays in the state of confusion, he sees Taehyung glaring at the stranger again.
The kind stranger huffs and chuckles, shaking his head. “Oh I was just showing him the directions,” the man says.
He watches Taehyung raise his eyebrows at the man, almost challenging him for God knows what reason. So before this turns any more dramatic, Jungkook intervenes.
“Yeah I was just asking for directions and he was gonna show me the way,” Jungkook says, attempting to divert the CEO’s attention to him and it works.
“Yeah, wouldn't want the pretty boy getting lost, right?” the stranger speaks out of turn, with a flirty grin and it is only now he realises that the man was in fact flirting with him.
Before he could react, Taehyung has invaded the stranger’s personal space and whispers something to him. Jungkook doesn’t catch onto what he says as he is busy trying to pull Taehyung back but soon the stranger murmurs a ‘whatever’ and walks away. It is only then that Taehyung lets go of Jungkook’s arm.
“What happened?” It's now Jungkook's turn to question. He looks at the man walking away and then at Taehyung.
“First of all, why would you go with him, a complete stranger for God’s sake Jungkook, why are you so careless? What would I do if something happened to you!” Taehyung speaks out with frustration brimming in his voice.
Jungkook is taken back by Taehyung’s reaction. He feels like a child getting scolded for speaking with strangers. He watches Taehyung groan and push back his messy hair. He looks so hot that Jungkook wouldn’t mind if he kissed him right this moment.
“Jungkook,” Taehyung calls out again.
“I just wanted to drink hot chocolate!” Jungkook groans frustrated, because if he is to get scolded like a child then he might as well act as one, the brat in him thinks.
“You wanted what?” Taehyung asks.
“Hot chocolate!” Jungkook bites back, forgetting that the man in front of him is his CEO.
Taehyung chuckles endearingly, “You could have just told me. I know some best-”
“I only want it from this place” Jungkook whines, voice demanding as his professional facade is stripped off as he shows the location in his phone. He soon realises how he had acted out of line but before he could do anything about it, Taehyung grabs his phone and looks at the screen.
“Alright we can go there, Cher” Taehyung says, handing back his phone, he takes one of Jungkook's hands and drags him out of the hotel without giving him a chance to process anything.
And the next thing Jungkook knows is that he is in a taxi with his CEO as they head to the hot chocolate place.
The first time Taehyung used the pet name, it was just to intimidate the stranger and make sure he doesn’t trouble Jungkook but the next time he slipped in the pet name was just for the feels , he wanted to see how it feels to address the younger with some sweet loving names. And in conclusion it felt heavenly. It made those butterflies in his stomach fly high.
Jungkook being the naive man he is, didn't understand what he said, all thanks to Jungkook’s limited knowledge in French. It was in a way advantageous for Taehyung.
The moment they stepped into the cafe, Jungkook’s senses were clouded by the strong aroma of chocolate and freshly baked goodies. The warm and rich aroma was engulfing him and pulling him further into the shop.
The cafe was crowded considering it was a weekend so Jungkook and Taehyung settled for outdoor seating after placing their order. Once seated and settled from his adrenaline high, Jungkook becomes conscious of the CEO’s presence.
Now looking at Taehyung who is busy tying his shoelace, sitting opposite to him at the table, Jungkook feels like a scent of domesticity is breezing around them. Everything feels like a dream– the whole trip feels like a lucid dream which he would vividly remember for the rest of his life.
Sitting at the cafe dressed in casual outfits and waiting for their order, Jungkook feels like he is on a date. Oh date? the lovesick and delusional part of his brain starts processing. Could it be a date? Well Taehyung doesn’t need to know but Jungkook could imagine it as a date right. He covers his mouth with his palm and silently giggles at the thought. How wonderful would it be to go on a date with this stupidly handsome man, Jungkook wonders as he stares at Taehyung with a love sick smile.
“Jungkook,” he hears Taehyung calling and on that cue he breaks out of his dream bubble.
“Sir.” Jungkook sees Taehyung shaking his head disapprovingly. Jungkook frowns not understanding the reason behind the disapproval.
“Hyung. Call me Hyung,” Taehyung says.
Jungkook physically pauses for a moment. “Sir?” he tries again, maybe he heard it wrong.
“I said Hyung,” Taehyung emphasises and there is a fucking pout on his face.
With his mouth wide open, Jungkook dumbly stares at him. “But its not professional-”
“Jungkook, we have known each other for years now and don’t you think it’s time for us to be casual around each other,” Taehyung says and leans forward resting his forearm on the table.
The lovesick and delusional part of Jungkook's brain becomes hyper and gets him all excited at Taehyung’s words. It's time for them to be casual. His brain sends him signals saying that there could be only one meaning behind those words and that is Taehyung wants to get to know him. The adrenaline once again gets pumped in his body and Jungkook feels himself vibrating in happiness.
A shy smile dances at the corner of his lips. He suddenly finds it difficult to look Taehyung in the eyes. He subtly nods and then gathers his courage to slightly peek into the other’s eyes and say, “Okay Hyung.” The honorific feels natural and rolls out of his tongue easily. Jungkook likes the ring of it and he for sure will use it more often now.
“Cute,” he hears Taehyung say quietly and it immediately has an effect on him. His eyes become dazed and he feels the warmth that drapes over his cheeks.
He looks up at Taehyung and the elder is staring right back at him. Thankfully the waiter comes with their order, saving Jungkook from replying.
For a minute Jungkook gets distracted by the hot chocolate. He pours his serving in the cup and brings it to his mouth to finally taste the infamous hot chocolate. But it seemed like Taehyung had other plans–that is to torture his poor heart.
“So how is life?” Taehyung asks casually, making Jungkook choke on his first sip of his precious hot chocolate. He puts down the cup and violently coughs, patting his chest to calm his racing heart.
But Kim Taehyung doesn’t give him a freaking break because the very next moment the CEO is out of his seat and kneeling before Jungkook patting his back. Taehyung hands him the glass of water and grabs a tissue to wipe the corners of his mouth.
Taehyung gets so close to him and Jungkook panics and snatches the tissue from Taehyung’s hand. “I’m okay,” he says with an embarrassed smile.
Taehyung looks worried but decides to move back to his seat. “Jungkook-ah are you really fine? Your face looks red”
And who’s the reason? Jungkook wishes to ask but instead he smiles and assures him that he is totally fine.
After a few minutes of silence Taehyung speaks again. “So how’s life?”
“It's good,” as I'm here with you, he says , keeping the after thoughts to himself. “How’s yours, Hyung? ” he asks, forcefully fitting the term just because he likes the ring of it.
Taehyung bites the corner of his lips and he looks shy. “It's good. I have no worries with you by my side,” Taehyung says, looking straight into Jungkook's eyes. Making the younger look at him as if he has grown two horns.
There is a newfound confidence bustling inside Taehyung today and he decides to use it to his advantage and somehow wishes to confess to Jungkook on this fine day. He can see the impact his words and actions have on the younger and even though it's assuring enough, he still feels a bit scared.
Jungkook doesn’t explicitly say anything back to his reply, he just smiles and nods at him and it's not enough for Taehyung. He needs to get the younger speaking more.
“Are you dating anyone?”
This time Taehyung waits for Jungkook to finish taking his sip and then drops the bomb while he internally prays that the answer to this question is a no. Jungkook looks confused and shocked at his question. He watches the younger gather his thoughts before saying “No” and relief floods in taehyung’s mind. Without giving a break, Taehyung moves to the next question. “So do you have any particular type for your lover?”
Taehyung knows it is very invasive of him to ask such questions but today he can’t help as he needs to confess before he loses his confidence.
“I don’t have any particular type but I would like someone with whom I can be myself. I would love someone who is caring and trustworthy. Oh, I also like it if they are older than me by a few years.” Jungkook says with so much sincerity and Taehyung listens to him carefully as he creates a checklist in his mind.
So, Jungkook’s type is someone who is caring, trustworthy, loves him truly and someone older. He practically glows when he realises that he checks off all the requirements.
“Oh so someone like me,” Taehyung thinks out loud grinning like a Cheshire cat but it's too late when he realises that.
His face morphs into panic when he sees Jungkook frozen like a statue having heard his untimely confession. “I-I. Uh-” nothing useful comes out his mouth as he struggles to cover up. He feels terrible and guilty for being careless and his guilt doubles up when he sees tears brimming in Jungkook's eyes.
“Is this a joke? Is it a kind of corporate prank?” Jungkook asks frantically, turning around trying to find the hidden camera. He has seen these kinds of videos on the internet. When he doesn’t find any, he looks at Taehyung with tear glazed eyes.
“No, No it's not a prank or joke. I-I” Taehyung fails to complete as he sees the tears cascade down Jungkook's cheeks. Taehyung sighs and scoots forward in his seat and gently takes hold of Jungkook's palms. “Jungkook-ah,” he breathes in. “It’s not a joke or a prank. I was being serious.” There is a certain calmness in the way Taehyung speaks, it's reassuring and sincere.
The tears stop as the sincerity dawns on Jungkook. His gaze remains stuck on Taehyung as the elder slowly brings his other hand and gently wipes off his tears.
Taehyung chuckles, it sounds different and melancholic. “I’m probably gonna ruin everything right now but what's the point in holding back? What is love if I can't express it?” His hold on Jungkook’s hands tightens.
“Hyung,” Jungkook breathes.
“You don’t have to say anything. You have the final say, I promise. If you want to quit or never see me again, I will understand. I will respect your decision. But just… Please don’t hate me” Taehyung can feel the moisture gathering in his eyes, it's burning just like his heart.
“Hyung tell me,” Jungkook curls his finger over Taehyung’s, returning his hold.
Taehyung sees those eyes shine, is it love or hope? He isn’t sure but Jungkook holding his hand and encouraging him to say it out makes him hopeful.
“I love you. Truly, deeply and madly, I'm in love with you. Jimin says I'm a lost cause and–” Both of them burst into giggles. “See, I'm embarrassing myself. Can I try again?” Taehyung whines quietly as he hides his face behind their joined hands.
Jungkook laughs, shaking his head. “Nope. No second takes. Also it's cute, please continue,” the younger teases him.
Taehyung grumbles but nevertheless continues “I think it was love at first sight. Even though I didn't realise back then, now I know it was love at first sight. I found comfort in your presence. I just love you and no amount of words will ever be enough to express my feelings for you. You are very dear and precious to me Jungkook. I can’t lose you. So if you plan to let me down, please be gentle.” He looks at Jungkook with pious love and affection, hoping the younger could see it in him.
“Wouldn’t this be a perfect moment for the cherry blossoms to fall on us? Too bad there is none here. Maybe we should go back to Korea and do this again?” Jungkook says with a playful smile on his face leaving Taehyung dazed and confused.
Jungkook scoots forward leaning closer to Taehyung, now holding both his hands in his palms he says, “Hyung if you were a lost cause then I was a lovesick idiot pining over his boss for years now. I think we match each other’s freak.” Both of them break into a grin.
“I guess we do,” Taehyung replies.
“Honestly it was just an attraction in the beginning. I mean look at you, who wouldn’t fall for this gorgeous face.”
“Please tell me more,” Taehyung preens.
Jungkook shakes his head and playfully slaps the elder’s arm. “But then you were different. The way you treated me, always kind and caring. The way you always made me feel safe and comfortable in your presence made me feel things. Your personality definitely gave you some brownie points. And before I knew it, it was no longer just an attraction. I did fall for you and after that it was me just panicking in your presence because I thought if I was any closer to you I might end up doing something stupid.”
“I would have loved that,” Taehyung says.
“I bet you would,” Jungkook takes a deep breath, “Taehyung Hyung, I love you,” and finally says the three words that were stuck in his heart for years.
Taehyung has this stupid grin on his face as he hears Jungkook say the golden words. He sure looks like a puppy who found its owner, happy and excited.
“I love you too, Jungkook,” he says.
“So, Veux-tu être mon petit ami?” Taehyung asks with a smirk on his face.
“Huh?” Jungkook gets flabbergasted and turns red. Although not knowing the meaning behind the words, Jungkook feels his face flush red with Taehyung's accent. It sounds rich and thick just like the hot chocolate that was served.
Looking at Jungkook’s flushed state, Taehyung decides to tease him. “Mon chéri, veux-tu être mon petit ami?” he repeats.
Jungkook stares at him dumbly, cheeks growing red with every second. “Chéri?” he repeated like a child.
“Mon chéri,” Taehyung says and lifts his hands to cup Jungkook’s face. “My darling,” he whispers just for Jungkook's ears.
Jungkook gasps, red spreads across his neck, cheek and ears, upon knowing the meaning.
“Hyung,” he mumbles, shyly.
“Yes Mon Chéri.”
“You–you need to stop if you don’t want me dead,” Jungkook mumbles with flushed cheeks.
“Aww. Of course I don’t, mon amour,” Taehyung says with a hearty chuckle.
“I take it back, I hate you,” Jungkook grumbles.
“Oopsie. I'm afraid there is no return policy,” Taehyung says and Jungkook fondly rolls his eyes at him.
“So as I was asking–”
“One more word in French, I'm yeeting myself out of this place,” Jungkook glares at him.
“I was asking, ‘Will you be my boyfriend, Darling?’” Taehyung finishes with a gentle and affectionate smile.
Jungkook nods. “I will.”
“Thank you, mon petit soleil.”
Taehyung brings Jungkook's hand to his lips and places a kiss on the top of his palm, the best way to seal the deal.
After their heartfelt confessions in the cafe, Taehyung takes Jungkook to visit the Eiffel tower. What would be a Paris trip without the Eiffel tower?
It's late afternoon when they reach the tower. The weather is calm and breezy. The sun, which is half hidden behind the clouds, casts its warmth in the air, balancing the cold breezes.
With the confession still fresh, Taehyung and Jungkook shy under each other’s gazes. It's nice to be young and in love like this. It's not everyday that they get to have these soft moments so both of them bask in it while it lasts.
With comforting silence enveloping them, hand in hand they climb all the way to the top of the tower.
“Hyung! This is wonderful!” Jungkook drags Taehyung nearer to the railings. “Woah,” Jungkook marvels at the view. “It's beautiful,” he says, eyes stuck at the cityscape before him.
“Yeah, very beautiful,” Taehyung replies, eyes stuck on the younger.
“Can we take some pictures?” Jungkook asks with his puppy eyes on display and Taehyung thinks he could never get used to the stars that shine in those boba eyes of his love. “Sure darling.” Taehyung takes out his phone and steps behind to capture the entire view.
“Say cheese,” Taehyung says and Jungkook flashes his million dollar smile for Taehyung.
He asks Jungkook to give a few poses and the younger complies. He clicks more photos than Jungkook asked for, clearly for his personal collection.
“Hyung, let's take a selfie.”
Taehyung then moves to stand next to Jungkook and stretches out his right hand to click their selfie. “1, 2, 3” Taehyung says and Jungkook tip toes on his feet to kiss Taehyung on his cheeks. Click!
It was almost evening when they headed back to the hotel. Jungkook suggested that they stop at another cafe before going back to the hotel. Since the cafe was nearby the hotel, they decided to just walk back to their hotel afterwards.
After the second round of munching on croissants, pastries and drinking coffee, Taehyung and Jungkook come out of the cafe only to realise that the weather had betrayed them. The sun was no longer visible as the grey cloud had taken over the sky and the pitter patter of the rain was the only thing that could be heard.
Taehyung and Jungkook stand under the roof of the cafe as they wait for the weather to calm down.
“Jungkookie, what do you think about the rain?” Taehyung asks as they interlace their fingers. Jungkook looks at the rain and thinks for a moment. “Hmm…well it's nice and romantic. Most romantic films and novels have at least one scene where the male and female lead either kiss or dance under the rain,” he giggles in between. “Have you watched such films?” he asks Taehyung with excitement.
Taehyung looks at him with a cheeky smile. “I may or may not have watched such films but right now we are gonna experience it, hold tight Mon Chéri,” Taehyung says and before Jungkook could process it, he is being dragged by Taehyung into the street.
“Hyung!” Jungkook cries as Taehyung bares them in the rain. The heavy droplets of water pour down mercilessly, drenching them completely from head to toe.
“Jungkookie!” Taehyung shouts above the pounding sound of the rain. He turns back and looks at Jungkook with a flashy smile. He stretches out his hands for Jungkook and when the younger claps his palms, he gently tugs him forward making Jungkook crash into his chest.
Even though it's a struggle to keep his eyes open under the downpour, Jungkook looks at Taehyung with a gleeful smile.
“Hyung,” Jungkook chuckles as his heart races out of his ribs.
Taehyung looks back at him with the same joy and Jungkook finds himself getting lost in those warm brown eyes. Despite the coldness seeping through his clothes, Jungkook's heart feels warm and protected under Taehyung's gaze.
Taehyung snakes one of his arms around Jungkook's waist, pressing him closer to his chest. Being pressed against the elder with their clothes hugging their figures due to the rain, makes it more intimate.
Jungkook feels Taehyung’s palm rubbing his lower back while his eyes are fixed on Jungkook's. Jungkook arches his back, pressing himself closer to the elder, lifting his chin and moving closer to Taehyung’s face. The water dripping from Taehyung's bangs falls over Jungkook's face as the rain washes them down.
Their breaths get heavier and with every rise and fall of their chest, they can feel each other’s heart beating against their skins.
“Jungkookie…” Taehyung whispers as he grips onto Jungkook's waist.
“Hyung, kiss me,” Jungkook replies.
Taehyung leans forward, eyes locked into Jungkook's and slowly places his lips on the tip of Jungkook's nose and tenderly kisses it. The warmth of Taehyung's lips on his nose makes his heart soar in happiness. He then watches Taehyung's eyes trail down to his lips.
“You have a mole here,” Taehyung breathes as he caresses the small beauty mark with his thumb. “It's cute,” he says and then leans in again to kiss Jungkook's lips.
The moment Taehyung placed his lips over his, it felt like crashing into the clouds–soft and tender. Taehyung’s lips were firm against his but yet they were tender like a child's skin. Jungkook slightly parted his mouth letting Taehyung slot their lips together. It was euphoric–kissing under the rain–Jungkook felt like the main character of a romance novel.
In the middle of an empty street in Paris, Taehyung and Jungkook found themselves kissing under the rain. When they moved their lips against each other, nothing else in the world mattered. It was just Taehyung, Jungkook and the Rain .
They didn’t realise how long they had been standing there kissing until they heard a honk. Taehyung was the first to break their kiss when they heard an old man shouting from the car. “Rentrez chez vous, les enfants (Go home kids).” Taehyung looks back at Jungkook who is clearly still in a daze because of the kiss.
He grabs the younger’s hand and runs to the other side of the street. Jungkook runs behind him with laughter spilling along their way. Once they make it to the pavement, Taehyung lets go of his hand and both of them are panting and struggling to breathe in between their laughter.
“I love you,” Jungkook says in between his breaths.
“I love you more mon cher” Taehyung replies fondly. “Come on let's go,” he stretches out his hand and Jungkook holds onto it as they walk back to the hotel. The rain tapered off, paving the way for the lovers.
Few days later in Seoul
Taehyung walks out of his car and strides into the building, the staff greeting him as they pass by. The CEO enters his floor and stops by his secretary’s cabin. “Please get me my schedule,” he says and when the secretary nods, he walks straight to his cabin.
“Excuse me Sir,” he hears his secretary knock on his door.
“Yeah come in,” he says standing near his desk.
The secretary walks in with the files in his hand and Taehyung's eyes follow his movements like a hawk. He sits on top of the desk, with his arms crossed at his chest, shamelessly staring at his secretary.
After carefully placing the files on the table, Jungkook steps back and matches Taehyung’s gaze. He sighs and steps forward into the space between Taehyung's legs.
“Why is your tie crooked?” He frowns and brings his hand up to fix the CEO’s tie. “Maybe because I have a cutie to fix it,” Taehyung replies, holding onto Jungkook's waist. Jungkook lets go of the tie and scoffs at the CEO.
“Then go to your cutie to fix it,” he says, mocking the elder.
“You know it's you, mon petit rayon de soleil ,” Taehyung says as he caresses the underside of the younger’s chin.
Jungkook weakly punches the CEO’s shoulder and whines. “Why baby?” Taehyung chuckles and pulls him closer.
“I still don’t know what it means,” Jungkook pouts.
“Aww but then why are you blushing if you don’t know what it means?” Taehyung teases him, making the younger’s cheek blossom into that beautiful shade of red.
“Hyung~”
“Don’t worry, you don’t need to know,” Taehyung chuckles.
“Meanie,” the secretary mumbles and escapes out of his hold. Jungkook walks back to the door and turns back to say “Your schedule is on the table along with your to-do list for the day.”
“Does it have your name on it?” Taehyung asks with a cheeky grin.
“Your professionalism is going down the drain Mr. CEO,” Jungkook glares at him from the door.
“Hey did we just rhyme?” Taehyung jumps down from the table excitedly.
“Idiot,” Jungkook scolds him with a smile on his face, endeared by his silliness.
“Yours!” Taehyung shouts back as he watches Jungkook disappear behind the door.
Once Jungkook is out of the room, Taehyung looks into the file and takes out the to-do list.
- Sign the London contract
- Meeting with Mr. Choi
- Discussion with designers
- Meeting with Mr. Mark
- Date at 7 pm with your Mon chéri
With love, Ton cher
The note ends with a cute heart drawn by Jungkook. “You did add your name to it,” Taehyung mumbles and breaks into a toothy grin.
