The Cupid Complex

3. Promises

Jungkook knew that the evening was quickly coming to a close. It was odd to him that the time was flying by. He wasn't used to this sort of feeling. Normally every Valentine's Day dragged out until he was causing trouble between people just to have something interesting to do. This was different. After they had danced, the woman had wanted to walk with Jungkook down along the sidewalk to go window shopping. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he humored her and walked along beside her. She had his shoes back on her feet as they walked, looking at all the displays that were currently sick on the whole Valentine's Day holiday. It was overkill really. It was amusing to Jungkook that mortals were so hung up on the idea of love, but that they were so clueless about it all the same.

"So, that brute you were beating up earlier, who is he to you?" asked Jungkook, trying to create some sort of conversation.

The woman kept walking for a moment after that question had been asked of her, pausing in front of a shoe store where racks and racks of shoes were held. They were all elevated at different levels, but even Jungkook - who really could care less about what type of shoes he wore - recognized immediately the white pair that looked like the ones the woman had lost.

"He was my fiancée," she said. "I knew that he was a loser, but I...was willing to overlook it. I thought he loved me. I know I'm not perfect either. I just...I was willing to love him."

"Willing to love, but you didn't really love him then?"

"I've known him for the last five years. Though I didn't love him at first, I grew to love him the more time we spent together. I thought he had done the same. I was wrong, and it unfortunately wouldn't be the first time."

The whole time the woman was speaking, she didn't look over at Jungkook. Instead her eyes stayed on the shoes in the display. The price tag at their feet made her let out a small sigh of defeat.

"Come on," said Jungkook.

While she had been looking wistfully at the display, he had moved towards the shop door. He was currently holding it open for her.

"You can't have my shoes all evening," he continued. "I'll eventually need them back, and you need some proper shoes for your feet."

The woman nodded as she walked over to Jungkook, walking past him to enter the shoe shop. Since a lot of people were out celebrating Valentine's Day outside, the shop was pretty much empty. There were only one or two other shoppers in the shop right now. Jungkook wandered down an aisle that led to the women's shoe section, pausing between the rows. As he did, he noticed that the woman was immediately beginning to scrutinize the price tags again, passing over ones that even went over twenty dollars.

"Do you not have money on you?"

"I have money..."

"Aish..." he muttered under his breath. This woman was impossible.

Jungkook didn't really have money either, but he had influence. He stepped out of the aisle to see if he could spot an attendant. When he was able to find one, he walked right over to him. He looked bored out of his mind. As Jungkook approached him, he could see that the man had his phone out and was swiping back and forth on some sort of dating app; pictures of women disappearing left and right.

"Excuse me," Jungkook said, immediately gaining the man's attention. His eyes caught the name tag pinned to the man's work uniform. The bold black words 'Hi, my name is Adam' met Jungkook's eyes.

"Can I help you?" asked the man; more than just a little irritated.

"I want to strike a deal with you," said Jungkook. "I can get you a date if you can give that woman over there the pair of white heels in the display out front."

"Do you have money?"

Jungkook placed a hand on Adam's shoulder.

"What's money worth when you could have love?"

- - -

"I can't accept these."

Jungkook and the mystery woman that he had been spending all evening with were now walking down the sidewalk once more. This time they were heading back to where she lived. Jungkook had his shoes back on as - adorning the woman's feet - were the white heels that looked identical to the ones she had lost.

"You can accept those," said Jungkook. "You needed them."

Besides, it hadn't been that big of a deal for Jungkook to convince Adam to give him the heels for free, especially not when Jungkook had worked his magic on Adam's dating app. His power to make people fall in love worked even through the phone. It was convenient in cases like this.

"And I still don't even get to know your name?" asked the woman. "Or see your face fully?"

"Having a name and seeing a face makes things real," said Jungkook. "And it wouldn't be fair to you since I'm leaving soon. Besides, you're fresh off a breakup."

"Well aren't you full of yourself?"

Jungkook pulled up short when the woman made that comment. He could see a spark of fire burning in her eyes again.

"What?"

"You make it sound like - if I were to see your face and know your name - I'd fall for you immediately."

Jungkook smirked, rolling his eyes as he looked away from the woman. Overhead the stars were twinkling in and out of view. Soon Taehyung would be looking for him, and the two of them would return to their place - a place outside of time - to wait another 364 days to do this all over again. By the time they came back, this woman would more than likely have fallen for someone else. Maybe that could be a kindness he gave to her before he left. He could do like he did with Adam. He could make her fall in love, and then she would be happy and truly forget him.

"I will show you my face," he said finally. "But you have to promise me something first."

"Fine. I promise I'll kiss you."

"Excuse me?"

"Isn't that what you wanted me to promise you? I mean, you've been particularly hands on this evening."

"You're impossible," Jungkook said exasperated.

He couldn't believe that he was about to reveal his face to this woman. He hadn't ever done that in any of his previous trips to Earth. He moved to walk over to her, standing just a few feet from her.

"What I was going to have you promise is that you would tell me your name," he said.

"You're just dying of curiosity, huh?...I thought you just said names make things real."

She watched Jungkook, taking a step or two forward so that her delicate piano fingers could reach behind the back of his head to play with the black ribbon that was securing the mask in place.

"Stop being difficult," he said. "And don't go on to say it's not fair. Knowing my name along with my face..."

"Will only cause me insufferable amounts of pain...I know. I know," said the woman.

She paused for a moment. Jungkook could feel her fingers playing along the knot in the ribbon.

"My name is Ame," she said after a moment had passed. "Short for Amethyst."

Before Jungkook could make any sort of reply to her name, he could feel the masquerade mask come down from about his face. Their eyes locked, unhindered by any sort of mask.

After a second, their eyes weren't the only thing to become locked; Jungkook closing his eyes as he leaned in to kiss Ame delicately on the lips.