The Boxer and the Barista

Chapter 3

As the sound of Jimin's voice filled the apartment, Taehyung and Jungkook sat back in their chairs, attempting to hide their flustered appearances. They could hear Jimin's cheerful chatter from the other room, blissfully unaware of the intimate moment he had interrupted. "Should we..." Taehyung started, his voice trailing off as he gestured towards the living room where Jimin could be heard putting away groceries.

Taehyung glanced at Jungkook, who was still staring at him with an unreadable expression. They sat in silence for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Finally, Taehyung cleared his throat and pushed his chair back, standing up from the table. "We should help Jimin. He sounds like he's been out all day," he said, his voice sounding more composed than he felt.

The moment passed, Taehyung took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "I'll help him with the groceries," he stated, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions still coursing through him from the kiss. He glanced back at Jungkook, who still looked dazed, and gave him a small smile. "You alright?"

Jungkook nodded, finally managing to find his words again. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, his voice tinged with a mixture of embarrassment and something else. "I'll, um, clean up the kitchen." As he spoke, Taehyung picked up on the hint in his voice - he needed some space to process everything that had just happened.

"Okay," Taehyung replied, his gaze lingering on Jungkook for a moment longer. There was a silent understanding between them that they needed time to process the events and sort through their feelings. He gave the younger man a reassuring nod before turning and leaving the room, heading to the living room to help Jimin with the groceries. As he walked away, Taehyung couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves, still reeling from their unexpected moment.

As Taehyung stepped into the living room, he found Jimin, humming a cheerful song to himself, putting away the groceries he had bought. Jimin looked up as he heard Taehyung approach, immediately noticing the faint dusting of a blush on his cheeks. "Hey, Tae," he greeted, a coy smile on his lips. "What were you up to in the kitchen?"

Taehyung's cheeks flushed even more at Jimin's teasing tone. He cleared his throat and busied himself with sorting the groceries, avoiding Jimin's knowing gaze. "Nothing much," he replied, his voice coming out a bit higher pitched than usual. "Just helping Kookie clean up breakfast."

Jimin arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Right, 'cleaning,'" he teased, his tone suggestive. "And how exactly does 'cleaning' involve making each other all red and flustered?" Taehyung rolled his eyes, trying to put on a nonchalant demeaner. "You're imagining things," he retorted, though the heat in his cheeks betrayed his words. "We were just clearing the table, that's all." He busied himself with organizing the groceries, hoping that Jimin wouldn't press further.

Jimin, not one to be deterred, feigned a look of disappointment. "Ah, you're no fun, Taehyungie," he teased, playfully pouting. He leaned against the counter, his gaze fixed on Taehyung, clearly enjoying himself. "You sure you weren't up to something naughty?" he added with a wink.

Taehyung couldn't help but chuckle at Jimin's relentless teasing. He knew his friend was just messing around, trying to get a rise out of him, but he played along for entertainment's sake. "You're so dramatic, Jiminie," he quipped back, shaking his head in amusement. "Can't two guys just clear a table without it being scandalous?"

Jimin grinned widely, his teasing demeaner undaunted. "Of course they can," he replied, his voice dripping with faux innocence. "But it's so much more fun to imagine something juicy happening." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You know, like a secret rendezvous or a heated flirtation. Much more interesting than washing dishes, don't you think?"