Chapter Text
after taehyung left the room, he giggled like a fool and ran to the nearest subway station. it wasn't too difficult to pay for his ride, now that he stole mr jeon's wallet.
taehyung doesn't like to steal things per say, but he really needed the money and he didn't want to ask for none. it was annoying enough to be called a whore by a stranger. he only liked being called like that with his friends with benefits in very certain situations.
he got himself a big bag to put those bottles in, thankfully mr jeon didn't drink from both so they were still useful.
his time in tokyo was coming to an end, he realized as he sat on the train watching the first rays of sunshine. but he can go back home now, he hopes his father would let him crash longer than a few nights this time.
at least until he can get on his feet and find a proper part-time job. being an art student and working is tough, tiring and hell, who wants to work anyway? but he had to. they were poor. it was pure luck that he got a full scholarship and a dorm.
he still needed money for food though. with the little cash mr jeon had in his wallet, he can survive for a month or two. he was lucky to meet him, not only did he get an awesome blow job from a hot-daddy-material, but he got bottles he can sell and money he can use.
a dream! he thought at first, but no. this was very much real. he got off at nezo station, going back to his hostel.
when jungkook got back to his actual hotel, he needed a shower and to jerk off. it was a challenge to find a taxi that accepts apple pay, and thank god the boy didn't steal his phone too.
jungkook went in under the warm water and exhaled heavily. he wanted to fuck his new doll so badly, but he never takes advantage of them when they are in this kind of state.
yes, he was aware that 'tae', the japanese boy he met last night, was probably a little. sometimes, in specific times? it seemed like he can control himself to a certain extant. and as much as he wanted to fuck someone who wasn't his wife, he had some respect.
so there he was, standing in the 5-star-hotel shower, his fat cock in his right hand. his dick was so hard, veins show their patterns on the tight skin. with every stroke he felt them underneath the warmth of his own palm.
he imagined a lot of things, starting with his new doll. could be nice having a doll in tokyo, maybe he would agree going on 'breaks' like this more often. damn, he really wished he fucked him last night.
he didn't even care about the money, the boy can have all the money he wants, what jungkook cared about was stuffing that sassy mouth with his cock and coming deep in that boy's throat until he cries.
all jungkook thought about as he raised the pace around his shaft was how beautifully he could fit in tae and his petite figure. how bruised he would be after biting all over his golden skin. how prettily ruined he can make him.
"shit" he groaned, getting closer to climax. and how would it feel to have someone like tae riding his cock? probably amazing. he held himself tighter, the sound of his slick skin and the water falling over his head turned him on even more.
he loved how dirty it sounded, even though he was all clean.
no, he wanted to be dirty. fuck, he wanted this boy to make him so dirty. "you whore" he chuckled as he remembered that the boy cared more about the whiskey bottles than getting fucked.
jungkook made a bunch of noises when he felt himself almost there, almost coming. he pushed his front to the bath's wall, pressing his dick against the cool tile and thrusting into the wall imagining it was the boy.
he did it for a few seconds and he halted, his thighs shaking when he reached his climax and came all over his palm and dark green tile, murmuring some curses under his breath.
after he finished his shower, he decided to call his wife. he would return home tomorrow but for the sake of feeling like a decent husband, he thought he should.
"kook?" she asked worried, "is everything alright?"
he sat on the edge of his bed topless and with only a towel around his waist. "why wouldn't it be?"
"you never call when you're away on business"
"well, i'm not on business"
"right. do you want to speak with binnie?"
"not right now. how are you?" he asked coldly. he didn't want to talk to his son after jerking off to someone else's son right now. it felt weird.
jungkook always cursed the moment he found out they were having a kid. for multiple reasons. first would be their parents forcing them to marry quickly, the second is that he loved dicks. it made it harder for him, and he always felt like he wouldn't have that problem if they were at least having a girl.
jeon jungkook was (and still is) a weird man.
"i'm alright. preparing for paris. i can't bring soobin, though. i'll ask your mom if she can keep an eye while we're away--"
"i don't think i'll join you. i have nothing to do there"
"be with your wife..." she said quietly but he heard
"don't do this"
"fine. then you stay with him?"
"probably. we'll see"
he was planning on visiting his beautiful dolls while his wife would be away in paris for the annual fashion show. as the ceo of the korean branch, she had to attend those kind of events.
"how is tokyo treating you? did you do anything nice?" she smiled and gosh, sometimes he wished he had the decency of being a good person because she was alright to him. even though they weren't anything special.
it was literally a one night stand ending up with pregnancy and marriage. they didn't know each others' last names when he already knew how she sounded like when she comes. and no, being bi was not something his wife needed to know about him. even after 8 years together.
somethings are better kept secretly in the closet.
"hi dad"
"where the hell are you kim taehyung?"
"...tokyo"
his dad exhales an annoyed heavy breath. taehyung could imagine perfectly how he looked right now. probably hungover and mad.
"dad, i had to get away. school was too much and--"
"if they kick you out, don't think for a fucking moment you can come stay with me. i don't have space for you, kid. and you should be fucking responsible for your own fucking--"
taehyung hung up. 3 'fucking' in one sentence can never end with anything good. so he can't come crash at his dad's place. there goes his plan to sell those bottles in exchange for some weed and a celine bag he really wanted.
fuck, he probably could have sold them for much more but he wasn't a complainer. he would take the weed and the bag and be very happy with it!
his mouth made a cute pout when he found the perfect spot in the airport to chill at before his flight. with no suitcase he had too much free time before his flight. all he had was this stupid backpack he bought that he shoved the two bottles into.
he already exchanged the japanese yen to korean won and used mr jeon's credit card to buy himself a lot of goodies and snacks. it surprised him that the card still worked. he expected it to be blocked by now.
it made taehyung think that mr jeon was a big doofes and also ridiculously rich.
aside for the amazing blowjob, he wondered what else mr jeon could do. what man has that much money and spends his time with someone like him? right.
a big doofes.
taehyung was about to go for another pointless stroll around the duty free when suddenly a large palm landed on his shoulder, making him turn around
"shit"
"yeah, shit"
"mr jeon--"
"give me back my wallet. i don't care about anything else you have to say"
"i didn't take your wallet"
jungkook started laughing. at first taehyung didn't understand, what was so freaking funny? was he planning to call security or something? but then he realized he was caught in a lie, again.
"so you speak korean"
"so i am" he raised a brow because the best way to get out of trouble is pretend like you did nothing wrong. "i said no english, never said anything about korean"
"are you even japanese?"
"what made you think i was japanese to begin with?" taehyung smirked. he watched as the grin flattered on mr jeon's face and turned into something more serious and quite scary.
"fuck, ok. take your stupid wallet. i already used the cash, though" he threw the leather material on the man's chest and started walking away.
"stop"
no way. taehyung walked a little faster. "yah, kim taehyung-- wait!"
well, shit. now he had to stop. he turned around to look at jungkook with panic, he gulped hard but not hard enough to make himself wake up if this was a dream. it wasn't.
"how do you know my name?" he said when mr jeon walked all the way to him. "i saw your id when you fell asleep for a moment there in the hotel, before i turned off the lights"
"so you already knew i was-"
"yeah"
"that's... why would you... i mean, why did you continue speaking in english?"
"it was amusing" jungkook shrugged, smirking again and oh god, did he have that lip ring that night? taehyung surely doesn't remember it. he kept staring at it, grabbing the older's attention.
"what?"
"just-- the lip ring. it's new?"
"huh? oh, yeah, no. i just didn't wear it that night"
"oh. ok. can i go now?"
"are you going back to seoul?"
"no, going on a six months vacation in latin america. of course i'm going back home. do i look like someone with money to go anywhere else?"
"was that suppose to be funny?"
"it's sarcasm. nothing your generation knows about, ajusshi"
jungkook bit his lip, no, to be more precise, he bit right at the lip ring and taehyung was drooling (mentally).
"you're cute, doll. where do you live in seoul? let's meet again"
"no way" taehyung flinched even though he wasn't touched
"you still owe me a fuck"
taehyung scoffed. "seriously, dude? a-- you're married. b-- you're old. c--"
"none of those seemed to bother you when i gave you head"
people were walking past them and giving them some weird looks. for a moment they both forgot that if they stand in the gate of the flight that goes to korea, there would probably be other koreans there. who can totally understand everything they say.
"will you lower your damn voice? i know you probably have some hearing issues due to old age but people can fucking hear you"
"some mouth you have, doll. i prefer those petals shut. or wrapped around my cock. your choice"
taehyung literally rolled his eyes. was this oldie serious? after he stole his money and ran away he still wants to meet him in seoul? something was off.
"why do you want to meet me? i took your money and i lied and i--"
"you're sexy and look fuckable. that's why i talked to you in the bar to begin with"
taehyung felt himself blushing. who even talks like that, jeez. he couldn't force away the giggle he felt like letting out in the moment. he watched enough rom-coms to know this only has to end in one way.
they have to fuck.
nothing to do about it, that's just how it needs to be.
"fine. on one condition" he pointed a finger up, mr jeon's eyes dropping to it, hoping that finger would one day be shoved inside his own ass, just for fun.
"buy me a first-class ticket"
"fine. anything else you want, doll?"
"are you for real?! you'll get me a ticket?!"
jungkook nodded, not understanding what the big deal is. "what else?"
"are you like, a sugar daddy or something?"
jungkook chuckled and shook his head. "i can be whatever kind of daddy you want, doll"
"holy fuck. that's awesome. fine, we got a deal" taehyung moved his hand forward, and the older shook it.
a deal it is.
deciding it's nicer to spend the remaining time before their flight together rather than alone, taehyung and jungkook walked around the duty free stores together hand-in-hand.
ok, i got carried away. but they did walk next to each other and looked like a perfect couple! only thing was, both of them were far from a couple, or perfect.
taehyung, in his natural habitat, felt more comfortable now that the truth was out and he didn't have to pretend to be someone he's not. he talked about himself, a lot.
"so yeah, and now i'm just gonna go back to uni and catch up with the past few days. no biggy"
jungkook only hummed and nodded to the information he got. he never asked for it, nor did he care. but he learned that the 20 years old was an art major in snu, doing so by getting a full scholarship and a dorm since his dad wasn't able to pay it,
speaking of, his dad was his only family. his mom ditched when he was young and since then he grew up with an alcoholic but mind you, a very kind hearted and loving dad that sometimes (just sometimes) gets a little too tired from taehyung so they argue.
jungkook could see why, though. taehyung was kinda tiring. too energetic, too talkative. if jungkook could have it his way, he wouldn't spend more time talking and more time getting to know each other in different ways...
but that wasn't possible at the moment.
one thing that he did think of was that moving taehyung out of the dorm would be ideal, if they want to be able to fuck regularly. of course, he would have to talk about it with the boy, explain that a one-night-stand wasn't enough anymore,
that a first class ticket should buy jungkook more of taehyung's time. not that taehyung was a whore or anything, but jungkook thought he's money worth more than this.
he could take him to the apartment, there's an extra room used for nothing anyway. would taehyung want that?
"do you like living in your dorms?" he finally asked once they settled down in the vip lounge, drinking mimosas. taehyung never felt more of a diva than he did now. he loved it.
"mm, does anyone likes living in a shared space with an exchange student that barely speaks korean or english?"
"i wouldn't know"
"fucking trust fund baby"
"i made my own money, taehyung. i didn't come from a rich family"
"bet you didn't come from a poor one, too"
touché.
"anyway, answer my question"
"i just did"
"i mean, would you have wanted to live someplace else?"
"like tokyo?"
"like an apartment with your own room"
"are you offering me to move in with you and your wife, daddy?" taehyung teased, giggling
jungkook's cock twitched hearing that word, he needed to shut that pretty mouth and shove himself into him, asap.
all in all, he kept his face expression blank and annoyed. taehyung was talking too much. "sorry, bad joke?"
"i own an apartment and it has a room. i don't live there"
"what's the catch?"
"who says there's a catch?"
"there's always a catch" taehyung sipped his mimosa, raising an eyebrow. before he could hear what jungkook had to say, the lounge started playing one of his favorite songs, by his favorite human being-- the queen of pop
"ariana! what are you doing here?!" he said too loudly. people were looking. not that jungkook cared much about what they thought, but taehyung was grabbing too much attention.
"shh, taehyung. this is not the place to scream like that, what's wrong with you?"
"it's ariana grande, bitch. thank you, next~~" he started humming to the song.
jungkook rolled his eyes and exhaled, eyeing him with intensity that should shut him up. it didn't.
they reached the gate just as boarding started for first class, taehyung tugged his bag higher on his shoulder and beamed at the agent "i love your nails!"
she blinked at him and then smiled. jungkook pretended not to notice the way strangers softened around taehyung so easily. it was the same in the lounge and in one of the stores earlier today.
first class was something else. a flight attendant greeted them by name before taehyung could even blink.
"mr. jeon, mr. kim" she said, like she'd known them since forever. "welcome aboard"
"that was freaking cool" the boy whispered to mr jeon.
they had the pair of seats by the window. a little island of privacy divider that could rise between them like a wall. needless to say, they never used it. taehyung claimed the window seat. the seats were the kind that leaned all the way back and had buttons that taehyung's fingers couldn't resist playing with.
"stop touching everything"
a flight attendant appeared with pre-departure drinks and hot towels. taehyung stared at the towel confused.
"for your hands" jungkook said. "not your face"
"i knew that" taehyung pouted
"you were going to put it on your face"
"no i--" taehyung glanced at the towel. "ok, maybe"
he wiped his hands carefully while the attendant poured them something sparkling.
jungkook buckled his belt and settled back as the plane started to move. he noticed how taehyung had buckled his belt too tight, it was sitting around him like it can choke his waist.
"hey" jungkook said.
"hey?"
"you can let go of my jacket now"
taehyung glanced down. his fingers were indeed clenched in the fabric like a baby at a daycare. he unclenched. "sorry, i get nervous sometimes"
"don't mention it"
not long after the lunch menus arrived. jungkook glanced, nodded, handed his back.
"how do you decide that fast?" taehyung whined, "i don't know what i want-- usually they just give me anything".
"should i choose for you something?"
taehyung nodded.
"you're a little baby, aren't you?" jungkook joked, then remebered that, to some extent, taehyung was exactly that, a little, and that he should be more careful with his words.
taehyung only blushed but didn't say anything back.
"mr jeon?"
"yes, taehyung?"
"what's your name?"
jungkook chuckled, "jeon jungkook"
"i like mr jeon better"
"pfft, that's a little rude. don't you think?"
"yeah" taehyung smiled at him
"mm"
"don't mm me"
"then don't say things i can only mm to"
"will try"
after their plates were cleared, he dug in his bag and pulled out a paper and a pencil. something to keep his hands busy, jungkook assumed. taehyung seemed very hyper and restless.
taehyung stole glances at jungkook every few seconds, but said nothing.
"what's your dad like?" jungkook asked suddenly.
taehyung's pencil paused. "that's so random"
"you mentioned him, so i was just curious"
"i mentioned a lot of things" taehyung looked at him with questioning eyes.
"i'm a dad. you have a dad. i was just curious what does one do for a living to have a son like you"
taehyung wasn't sure if that's suppose to be a joke, an insult or just plain honesty. he still found himself a little offended.
"you're a dad? like an actual dad?"
jungkook nodded, taking out his phone to show taehyung his son, soobin. "he just turned 8 in august"
"he's so cute! oh my god!" taehyung smiled, his eyes twinkled.
"he is, thank you, tae" jungkook smiled looking at the photo he took not too long ago.
"and the wife?" taehyung said lightly, "how is she like?"
there was a short beat before jungkook spoke. "smart"
"and pretty?"
"gorgeous"
"mm"
"don't mm at me"
taehyung giggled, "then don't say things i can only mm to", he winked
jungkook laughed and shook his head. this boy was menace
"is she prettier than me?"
"apples to oranges"
"huh?"
"two different kinds of fruits. can't compare"
"you can totally compare apples to oranges, jungkook"
"i really don't like the sound of my name on your tongue"
"so? who's prettier?"
"if you expect me to tell you that it's you, than you should give up"
"mm"
jungkook ignored him. "so, your dad?"
"oh, right. umm... he's just a construction worker. he works really hard, always did. i absolutely adore him. you look surprised"
"yeah, i just... i don't know why i thought you won't"
"i'm full of surprises, mr jeon" taehyung whispered, than placed a palm on jungkook's inner thigh, right below the crotch.
jungkook soaked in a breath through his teeth, loudly. "sensitive?"
"we talk about your dad and you're horny?"
"you have a son and you still want people to call you daddy?"
touché.
there was about an hour before they land, so jungkook took out his laptop and played something on netflix. taehyung, the curious cat, decided to climb on his lap so they can watch together.
he expected the older to say something snarky or push him away, but that never happened. jungkook only wrapped an arm around his waist and pushed him against his chest, enjoying the warmth.
"so..." taehyung said, "if i took that room you mentioned, what does it cost me?"
"nothing"
"my soul? my virginity?" he joked
"no"
"then what?"
"you'll share it with two other and you can't bring strangers. that's all"
taehyung made a thinking face. "define strangers"
"people i haven't vetted."
"you vet people?"
"i vet everything"
"did you vet the other two in the apartment?"
jungkook laughed, a little too much for taehyung liking.
"what? i missed the part that was suppose to be funny in my question"
"do you think i just let random people live there?"
"i'm random"
"well you-- ok, right. you are. but they were too, in the beginning"
"in the beginning?"
"they're my other dolls"
"your what now?" taehyung looked at him with wide eyes
"my other dolls" jungkook repeated casually.
"so you collect people?" taehyung said, half-laughing, half-scared for his life now. "like a hobby?"
"more of an arrangement"
"an arrangement" taehyung repeated. "so what does that even mean? are they, like, people you take care of?"
"in a way"
"or people who take care of you?"
jungkook's eyes cut to him briefly, "depends on the day"
"so these dolls... you pay their rent, feed them, brush their hair?"
"i give rent but they have their own jobs and can earn enough to feed themselves, taehyung". taehyung felt like it was a personal attack on his poor-state.
"i don't brush anyone's hair. i fuck"
yep, taehyung chocked on air. "you what now?"
"what are you so surprised about, doll?" jungkook pinched lightly the side of taehyung's hip
"how many dolls do you have in total?"
"three"
"including me?"
"if you agree to move in"
"wow, a full collection of dolls"
"it's not a collection"
"oh, it absolutely is" taehyung said, leaning closer to his chest so he can feel jungkook's breath against his neck. "you, sir, are a collector"
"you're being too loud again"
the silence that followed was a little awkward.
"so?" jungkook murmured once the episode of whatever it is they were watching ended but the attendant came by to check if they needed anything else. taehyung smiled wide and jungkook only shook his head too dismiss her.
the woman left probably thinking they were newlywed.
"she totally thinks we're together"
"does that bother you?"
"no" taehyung said quickly, "you?"
"i don't care what strangers think"
"so cool of you, mr jeon"
"so, you're in or not?" jungkook urged
taehyung repositioned himself on his lap so his ass is just perfectly aligned on top of his crotch. "i can't afford to feed myself" another swift movement on top of the said crotch, he could feel the other hardening below him
"i'll make sure you eat"
"i can't--" taehyung pushed his ass down, pressing it harder, "can't brush my own hair, mr jeon"
"fuck, doll" jungkook groaned from behind, "keep doing that"
taehyung chuckled, moving his hips again and again, "how long till we land?"
"less than an hour"
"i can totally make you cum by then"
"i'm sure you can, doll" jungkook kissed his neck, wet hot kisses.
"does your wife knows?"
"what do you think, taehyung?" jungkook stopped just to say that, then dived back into the neck.
"so let me get this right; you're married with a son, you liked being called daddy and fuck young boys like me in another apartment you own, which your wife is completely oblivious to? and you're hella rich if you can afford all of that"
jungkook paused, then let out a quiet chuckle, "that's right"
"so you basically have a grown-up doll house"
"never thought about it like that, i guess i do"
"are you gay?"
"does it matter?"
"do you fuck your wife?"
"does it matter?"
"mm"
"taehyung" jungkook warned, "in or out?"
"in. totally in" taehyung said, turning his head just enough so they can kiss.
it had been five days since the flight, though taehyung had replayed it in his head enough times to make it feel like five minutes ago.
they exchanged numbers before parting ways or more like jungkook typed his own number in and handed the phone back like it was a business deal, while taehyung saved it under:
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight)
naturally, he texted that same night.
just something casual like "did you get home safely?"
and then another one, because jungkook didn't reply for twenty minutes. "hello?"
the reply came immediately.
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): go to sleep
taehyung smiled at the screen like an idiot and absolutely did not go to sleep. instead, he covered himself fully by the covers and day-dreamed, well, night-dreamed, about jeon jungkook.
by day three, they were texting regularly. kinda. taehyung was texting paragraphs and jungkook was replying with one-line sentences that somehow managed to sound both cold and affectionate.
taehyung: good morning mr jeon ☀️ today i spilled a drink on my shirt but i looked cute while doing it so it balanced out
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): good to know
he'd read that and roll on his dorm bed dramatically, clutching his pillow, convinced it was some kind of oldies way of flirting.
packing took longer than he thought, mostly because he didn't actually own much, but he got distracted easily by the idea of how his things would look in a new space.
oh, and vitally.
vitally from europe.
he didn't know which country exactly, somewhere that started with 'the' maybe. the netherlands? the poland? the something. all taehyung knew was that vitally never cleaned, cooked things that smelled like farts and smoked weed in the room.
the last one wasn't an issue, more of a blessing for taehyung. he often stole his weed and smoked it.
"gonna miss you, tae" vitally said when taehyung announced he was moving out.
"you are?"
"you're a cool dude. living with you was like a reality show that never ends"
"umm, thanks?"
jungkook had texted him that morning to let him know when he's done packing so he can send someone to pick him up.
taehyung reread it three times.
taehyung: someone? *pouts in cute*
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): what
taehyung: want you to pick me up, pretty please
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): ok
well, that was easy. he threw the last shirt into the suitcase and zipped it shut. "goodbye, vitally"
vitally was not even there. taehyung checked his phone one last time. he sighed, muttered to himself, "it's temporary. temporary and definitely not romantic. totally professional business"
and yet, as he pulled his suitcase into the hallway, his heart did a stupid little thing, running ahead of him straight toward wherever jungkook was really the one picking him up, hoping he is.
the car was black and very mr jeon coded, which made taehyung smile before he'd even seen who was in it. then the driver's window rolled down and there he was in all his glory.
jungkook with one hand on the wheel and the other tipping his baseball cap back just enough to see his eyes. jungkook told him to get in while he hauled his suitcase into the trunk. once he got back into the car, he took off the cap. "seatbelt"
they pulled away from the curb and taehyung pressed his face to the window for two seconds, then spun back around with the restless energy
"so... are the other two home right now? i don't want to walk in and be like hi i'm your roommate, surprise! while they're mid... i don't know, you know, whatever"
"they know you're coming"
"are you nervous about me moving in?"
"no"
"liar"
"why would i be nervous?" jungkook asked and taehyung fell silent for three seconds "do i get a key? like a real key? i want a key i can hang on a lanyard and swing around while i walk on campus"
jungkook chuckled, amused, "yes. you'll get one"
"with a cute keychain?"
"i'll let you pick that part"
taehyung pressed a hand to his heart. "yay!"
they hit a red light. taehyung took the opportunity to tilt his head and peer at jungkook like he was sketching him in his mind:
"stop staring at me" jungkook said without looking.
he flopped back in his seat and fiddled with the radio until jungkook pushed his hand away. "what do you listen to when you're alone?"
"my business-partner talking"
"huh?"
"usually i do business calls when i'm driving"
"oh. time management"
"exactly"
"do you think they'll like me? your dolls" taehyung asked suddenly. "yes" jungkook said immediately
"you didn't even think about it"
"i've already decided"
"about what?"
"that you'll fit"
"you sound so sure about me"
"i am" he said, and that was that.
taehyung looked back at the road with his cheeks warm. "am i the youngest? i feel like i'll be the baby"
"you are the youngest" jungkook said, "but you're not a baby"
taehyung grinned.
the car slid into an underground garage and settled in a spot that had mr jeon's name on it. they got out, jungkook taking taehyung's suitcase.
"ready?" jungkook asked at the elevator, taehyung nodded but he was nervous. people usually didn't like him. besides vitally, apparently.
the doors opened into a hallway so clean he could trace his own reflection on the floor. jungkook unlocked the door to a corner unit and stepped aside, "after you, doll"
the apartment was not a showroom. it was lived in and warm and exactly the kind of place taehyung would have imagined for himself once he had a proper job and money.
big windows, wood floors, shelves full with books, a leather couch with a some blanket flung across it, a coffee table, kitchen and three bedrooms.
a shared toilet but each had their own bathroom in the room.
a head popped around the kitchen doorway and then stepped out a tall man with a grin like sunshine and shoulders that could block out the sun. "hi. i'm mingyu"
taehyung blinked, "you're... not twenty"
"i am" mingyu said, "i'm twenty-eight"
"oh" taehyung said, "you're older than me"
"everybody's older than you" a second voice said, "i'm jeonghan. twenty-six"
"taehyung, twenty"
"is this like a new way people introduce themselves nowadays?" jungkook asked, seriously. the dolls laughed.
"you're cuter than jungkook described you" jeonghan said
mingyu elbowed him. "don't scare the kid"
"i'm not a kid" taehyung said on instinct.
jungkook set taehyung's suitcase by the wall and looked between them.
"anyway, call me tae" taehyung said
they settled next to the coffee table on the couch, with jungkook taking a chair to sit in front of the three of them.
"so" he began, "before anything else, you need to understand how this works"
taehyung nodded, "sure, house rules. got it"
"not house rules, our rules" jungkook said, "it's meant to make sure everyone understands each other"
"why do i feel scared?" taehyung chuckled awkwardly
"no need to be scared, taehyung. you're here because i chose you"
taehyung blinked. "umm, thank you?"
"being chosen", jungkook continued, "means belonging. i don't keep people i don't want around me and i don't share what's mine"
taehyung's fingers fidgeted in his lap, twisting together, but he kept his eyes on jungkook.
"you live here, you work, you study, you build your life. that's all yours. but the rest--" his hand moved slightly, a vague gesture that meant this space, these people, "the rest belongs to me"
taehyung felt a flicker of warmth and unease twist together under his ribs.
"that means a few boundaries. you don't bring outsiders into it. not physically, at least"
"what do you mean?"
"you're free to live your life. go to class, see your friends, whatever. you can even date. but when it comes to sex, you're exclusive"
"so, like, i can't--" taehyung's voice trailed off, he wasn't sure how to phrase it without sounding twelve.
mingyu helped him. "you can't hook up with random people. if your dating life gets that serious, you just leave the house. that's all"
taehyung's ears warmed. "oh. ok"
"my dolls belong to me and i'm the only one who can fuck you"
"jesus, kook. you can be a little more subtle" mingyu said
"but, i do allow my dolls to fuck each other. i'm a busy man, can't visit you that often. i understand you have needs"
taehyung blinked, unsure if he'd heard right. suddenly sitting in between jeonghan and mingyu felt too much, he felt too little.
"so we're like a circle?" taehyung said slowly, "that doesn't break?"
"exactly" mingyu said.
taehyung didn't know where to look. part of him wanted to laugh it off, make a joke about how weird it all sounded but he was aware of how serious jungkook's tone was
"in addition, you'll do monthly tests" jungkook said, "we all do them. even me. i'll cover the costs, of course. we all need to be clean"
taehyung nodded slowly, absorbing it all. he could feel jungkook's gaze flick over him now and then, measuring his reaction.
"this is a lot to take in" taehyung admitted.
"it is, doll" jungkook agreed. "but it works. they're still here, aren't they?"
jeonghan raised his glass. "three years, baby"
"alright then", mingyu stretched, breaking the quiet. "dinner?"
"yes please" jeonghan said, setting down his glass
taehyung hopped up with jeonghan and mingyu towards the kitchen because he wanted to be a good roommate, and maybe a little people-pleaser, when a warm hand hooked his wrist and pulled him gently back.
"hey" jungkook said.
taehyung turned, surprised at how close he suddenly was. "you're ok?"
"of course" taehyung said with a smile
but mr jeon's gaze searched his face. not suspicious, but more like he was checking on him. taehyung did what any twenty-year-old who wanted to look cool would do. he smoothed a palm down the front of jungkook's chest.
"you don't have to help today" jungkook said, his fingers still around taehyung's wrist. "let them fuss. come here, doll"
he pulled him in until taehyung's shoulder was tucked under his chin in a tight hug. "you sure you're ok?" jungkook asked again in taehyung's ear
taehyung considered being brave and admitting he was scared and worried, and not expecting this is what it meant to be a doll but only a "mm-hmm" came out.
jungkook's palm coasted up and down between his shoulder blades. "good" he murmured. "because i really want you here, doll"
the nickname felt bittersweet, but taehyung will just have to get used to it. he was one of them, now. a doll.
"i like the place", he said into jungkook's shirt. "it likes you back" jungkook joked
the hug lasted exactly the right amount of time before it could become clingy. it ended with jungkook's hand lingering at the nape of taehyung's neck and a thumb on taehyung's lower petal, taehyung leaned into it.
taehyung went up on his toes and kissed him.
he fully expected to be dodged. or smirked at. but jungkook did none of those things. he accepted the kiss.
taehyung made a small whimper when jungkook's hand on his neck started pressing and soothing.
jungkook's mouth tipped at one corner as he parted away, his thumb brushing under taehyung's jaw, "breathe"
taehyung breathed. a little too much.
and then he felt a new pressure. a new warmth on his back, and arms sliding around his waist.
a kiss skimmed the soft place just under his earlobe. taehyung startled, half-laugh, half-gasp, eyes flying up to whoever is behind him.
jungkook watched taehyung, reading his face.
taehyung turned his head and found mingyu right there with his chin hovering by his shoulder and a grin.
"this is an official welcome" mingyu murmured, and tightened his hold on taehyung enough so that he felt perfectly, ridiculously sandwiched between the two of them
"oh" taehyung said, biting his lower lip "hi"
mingyu chuckled, the sound vibrating against taehyung's back. jungkook still had his hand at his neck.
before taehyung could even decide what emotion to file this under, jungkook leaned forward and brushed a kiss against taehyung's, a peck.
but then, without any pause at all, jungkook tilted his head further and kissed mingyu.
more than a simple peck.
something a little more indecent and long enough for taehyung to notice how practiced it looked. how easy.
jungkook's hand slid away from his neck to rest on mingyu's shoulder and pull him closer, taehyung in between the two of them.
and, of course. of course it shouldn't bother him, but still, something inside him prickled.
he told himself that it's just new. yeah, a new thing that he has to get used to. nothing more than that. and what a ridiculous emotion it was, to feel jealousy in that situation.
jungkook was married to a woman. he didn't belong to mingyu, anyway.
he didn't belong to any of them.
when jungkook pulled back, mingyu was still smiling. taehyung tried to match it, even though something wobbled under the surface of his grin.
"see?" mingyu said lightly, his voice brushing his ear, "nothing to worry about"
taehyung nodded quickly, because of course there was nothing to worry about. absolutely nothing.
that evening passed in a blur. dinner was fine. mingyu and jeonghan were nice, which somehow made taehyung even more aware of himself. the conversation flowed easily between the three of them, full of inside jokes and little stories he didn't understand yet but laughed at anyway.
taehyung tried to match the others, but he kept catching himself glancing at jungkook too often. at the way he poured wine for the others, the way he listened to them talk, the small, almost invisible curve of a smile whenever mingyu teased him.
it was all... bearable. still awkward, but bearable.
after dinner, jungkook left and mingyu washed dishes while jeonghan put something on the tv. taehyung slipped away with the excuse of unpacking.
his new room was simple but nice. a lot of space. it had a warm light, double bed, clean walls that he can decorate however he wanted to. but the quiet was heavier than he expected.
did he lowkey miss vitally? maybe just a little.
he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his phone.
it wasn't midnight yet. so technically, technically, he'd be following the rule.
not that it would have stopped him if it was midnight.
he opened their chat. taehyung typed, deleted, retyped. he wanted to sound casual. chill. totally unaffected by the fact that his brain had been spinning since the moment jungkook hugged him earlier.
taehyung: hi :)
he stared at it. too short. he added:
taehyung: hi :) thanks for dinner. it was really nice.
too boring. he added again.
taehyung: i'm like 95% sure jeonghan trying to feed me into a food coma but i appreciate it.
he hovered over send, bit his lip, then hit it.
the read receipt came fast.
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): get some rest, doll. first days are always the hardest.
taehyung smiled at his screen, sinking backward into the pillows. he typed immediately
taehyung: sleep is overrated
he waited, watching the empty typing bubble that didn't appear. dramatic sigh. he rearranged himself with the blanket inching up to his chin.
taehyung: it's not midnight so technically i can text you. right?
taehyung: unless there are secret rules i don't know yet
taehyung: do you have secret rules? is that a rich-people thing?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): one-- you are breaking a rule
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): two-- there are no secret rules
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): three-- i don't belong to 'rich people' as a species
taehyung: you answered in bullet points. i feel very managed right now
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): managed is better than feral
taehyung: bold of you to assume i'm not both
he hugged the pillow and kicked his feet, this was fun.
taehyung: what are you doing?
he pictured jungkook in one of three states: 1) lying on big bed and texting him chaise,
2) working in his home-office being distracted (in a good way) and texting him,
3) doing push-ups for no reason, and texting him.
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): reading a contract
taehyung: ewww, lame.
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): language
taehyung: ewww, lame, sir
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): better
taehyung: you're so weird
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): you texted me first...
taehyung snorted into the pillow.
taehyung: i texted you because my room echoes and i don't like hearing my own thoughts
taehyung: also the hallway light just turned on by itself and i think the apartment is haunted
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): it's the motion sensor. mingyu probably just walked by
taehyung: how do you know it's him??
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): he has trouble falling asleep
taehyung wanted to ask how did he know that. jungkook told him that he never sleeps with his dolls, literally, of course. so how would he know something like that about mingyu?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): you on the other hand... should go to sleep
he looked at the clock. 11:21 pm. plenty of legal time left to text with jungkook.
taehyung: are you mad at me for texting? be honest
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): no
taehyung: but are you annoyed?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): no
he rolled to his side and grinned at the screen.
taehyung: i'm honored
taehyung: do you think i'm fitting okay so far? in the house i mean. not like... 🍆🤯🫠🤤
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): you're fine
taehyung: define fine
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): jeonghan likes you. mingyu is protective. that's good.
taehyung: you forgot to say you like me.......
he stared at the message bubble, then considered deleting it, then decided to be brave-slash-stupid.
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): i took you in, didn't i?
taehyung: that's so not the same thing
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): go to sleep, taehyung
the way he typed his name made taehyung feel like a bell being rung. he ignored it. professionally.
taehyung: will you be here tomorrow?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): yes
taehyung: because of me? :)
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): maybe
taehyung: cool
jungkook stopped replying, or more like, didn't add anything further. taehyung thought it's better to just let it stop here. but of course, he found a new important thing to add.
taehyung: i liked it earlier...
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): which part
taehyung: the living room
taehyung: you know
taehyung: when you.... you know
taehyung: it was nice
he chewed his bottom lip
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): you were shaking
taehyung: i wasn't
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): you were
taehyung: okay maybe a little
taehyung: new things make my bones shaky
taehyung: but i don't run from things i want
and there it was, a flirt wrapped in a harmless sentence. he tossed the phone to the other side of the bed.
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): noted
he grabbed the phone as soon as the buzz came
taehyung: do you run from things you want?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): i walk
taehyung: slow and mean?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): steady
taehyung: steady is mean's older brother
the dots hovered. disappeared. returned.
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): go to sleep, taehyung
taehyung: you keep saying that like it's easy
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): it is if you try
taehyung: there's a bug in here trying to kiss my ankles
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): the vent by the window. close it halfway
taehyung: you know everything huh
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): i know my house
taehyung: your doll house
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): careful, doll
taheyung grinned again, for no reason.
taehyung: you said i fit
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): i did
taehyung: i want to
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): then sleep and go to class and stop finding more reasons to text me
taehyung: HOW DO YOU KNOW
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): goodnight
he laughed into the dark.
taehyung: i think i was really brave today
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): you were
taehyung: thanks daddy
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): taehyung...
taehyung: *smirks in innocent*
taehyung: do you ever think about how crazy was the night we met?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): yes
taehyung: really? you do?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): you cost me 4 million, that's a lot of money to think about
he turned his face to the wall to muffle his giggle.
taehyung: and that's all?
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): no
taehyung: what else?
his chest did the soft ache again.
taehyung: i'm trying not to be clingy, but i want to know
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): try harder then.
taehyung: oh come on, tell me!
11:56 pm. his eyes felt heavy, but his thumbs weren't done typing.
taehyung: jungkook?? tell me...
after a few minutes, he felt defeated.
taehyung: ok... goodnight then
he held the phone to his chest, and his screen lit once more;
👀 mr jeon (don't text after midnight): goodnight, doll.
but taehyung was already asleep.