pomegranate red ❧ n.jm | the golden fruit duology (2/2) ✔

01

"Hi, honey, how was work?"

Jaemin was already in your apartment when you got home that night, sitting in his favorite spot in your armchair, book in hand. As you walked around in front of him, you saw that this time his pick was Dracula by Bram Stoker.

"It was alright, lots of revising briefs," you stretched your neck out. "And what exactly do you do all day while I'm at work anyway?"

"I do own a business, you know."

"The Underworld is an LLP?" You joked as you stretched your shoulders next.

"An LLC actually," he quipped back as he flipped to the next page. "But I meant one on Earth."

"Glad you've got something to keep you busy aside from dead people," you twisted around to crack your back, letting out a groan when you heard a satisfying pop. "Dinner?"

"I know a place nearby."

And just under forty-five minutes later you were sat beside Jaemin in a private booth at a nice restaurant, drink in hand and food on the table.

"By 'know a place' you meant you had surprise reservations," you declared, affectionately bumping his knee with yours.

"Maybe so," he grinned, resting an arm over the back of the booth. "Did it work?"

"Depends, what were you hoping it would do?"

"Oh you know, woo you, make you fall madly in love with me, the usual."

"Hmm," you pretended to scrutinize your surroundings. "I guess I'm feeling mildly wooed."

Jaemin suddenly leaned in, and you watched him, breathless, eagerly awaiting his next move. You always enjoyed your back-and-forth, the seamless way you two went around each other, the mutual pushing and pulling. With him this close you reveled in the smell of cedar, cinnamon, and bergamot wafting around you, drawing you in even closer.

"Well then how..." his arm that had been resting on the back of the booth now wrapped around your shoulders, the fingers of that hand gently gracing over the shell of your ear "...about..." his cool fingertips brushed over the back of your neck, raising goosebumps in their wake to then caress over your other ear, "...now?"

Suppressing a giddy smile, you lifted your own hands to feel at your earlobes. You hadn't been wearing any earrings when you got to the restaurant, but now you could feel jewelry there.

"And what are these?" You asked as you felt over the smooth gems dangling from your ears.

"Opal."

Your enamored grin finally took over your face, "Okay, I'm officially wooed. The magically appearing earrings got me. Thank you, Jaemin."

"Success," he murmured before giving you a fond peck.

His hand stroked up and down your back as you leaned against him, enjoying the quiet that the private booth afforded you.

"You looked tired when you came home, Y/N," Jaemin commented, and you could hear the hint of worry coloring his tone. "More tired than just proofing briefs."

You sighed, reaching for your glass to take a sip of your drink, "It was the content of the briefs. I'm usually pretty ambivalent about the morality of the stuff we do at Kim & Moon. But the one that Ms. Haseul had written on this medical malpractice case..."

Your date didn't speak as he let you find your words.

"The argument she constructed... it was the first time I genuinely just felt... gross about the work I was doing, and all I was doing was proof-reading the thing! I didn't even write it! And I know Ms. Haseul doesn't actually believe in what's in that brief, it's just a legal argument, it's all putting together precedent and logic and interpreting the facts of the case. She doesn't even think it'll work; she just has a responsibility to try every avenue she can for her client. But... I don't know. Someone died in this case, Jaemin."