License to Cuddle

5

—"You really put the professional in professional cuddling, don't you?"

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Jungkook was supposed to have two weeks and six days to mentally prepare for his first cuddling session. Two weeks and six days. That would have been enough time to convince himself that he was a confident, open-minded guy who could try—and be good at—something beneficial like alternative touch therapy. That would have been enough time to bolster as much confidence as possible.

But right before leaving for work this morning, just four days after booking his first session, Jungkook had received a call from The Cuddle Sanctuary saying Taehyung could meet him sooner thanks to a last-minute cancellation. And boy, was it sooner. It was too soon, in fact. It was for six-thirty tonight.

Had it occurred to Jungkook that he could keep the original appointment? That he didn't have to accept the offer to move up their session? Of course not. Rather than concoct an excuse and say he couldn't make it tonight, he had thanked the receptionist and confirmed he would arrive right on time—six-thirty on the dot, yes, thank you very much.

Damn it.

He was supposed to have two weeks and six days.

Was Jungkook a little dramatic for thinking he needed three weeks to get into the right headspace? Maybe. After all, it was just cuddling. It was only holding a man who could very well be the most attractive person he'd ever seen. It was nothing but feeling and embracing his new hyung's body against his own. It was, at most, touching and being touched by Taehyung.

It was nothing.

Fuck, it was not nothing.

The whole practice of cuddling, the concept of letting down his guard long enough to share and receive comfort, was new to Jungkook. It was unknown. He didn't necessarily have the most experience with opening his arms and welcoming another into his personal bubble. There hadn't been many opportunities where he felt comfortable inviting someone so close that they'd share the same air as him. So to finally get the chance . . .

Jungkook was nervous.

What if he was bad at it? What if he couldn't relax? What if Taehyung thought he was too rigid and tense? What if he accidentally elbowed Taehyung in the gut or put too much of his body weight against him? God, Jungkook was going to look like an incompetent amateur who couldn't do something as simple as cuddle, wasn't he?

If only he had step-by-step instructions or a rulebook that gave a methodical approach to cuddling like a pro. Because Jungkook thrived when he had a clear understanding of how things worked; he became a more self-assured version of himself who was always in control. That's why he did so well in investment banking—he knew the rules, interpreted the trends, and identified patterns that would lead him toward success. He was the best of the best when he had a perfectly crafted game plan.

But he had no game plan for this. None whatsoever. All he had was a duffel bag with his hastily packed cuddling outfit and a shitload of anxiety over what was yet to come.

Fuck, why didn't he accept the refund when he had the chance?

That question echoed in his mind all day at work, but the thing was, Jungkook already knew the answer. All he could think about was the answer to that question. He thought about it as he researched alternative investments, scouring financials and building custom analyses to determine the best portfolio. He thought about it when he joined Jin for lunch, nodding his head to his mentor's stories but not truly listening. He thought about it when ordering his third coffee of the day, the combination of caffeine with his pre-existing nerves making him overly jittery. And he thought about it when he glanced at his watch—five after six, shit—and felt his heart drop to his stomach.