Fake Love; NamKook

ChApTeR tEn

Namjoon

Between one blink and the next, Jungkook is leaning down near my face, inches apart. I swallow. Hard. P-practice? "I'm not sure—"
"I am." He pulls back and grabs my hand pulling me to my feet. I'm uncomfortably conscious of his skin on mine as he begins leading me out of his office and back to his—our—bedroom.
I have no idea what's happening right now or what he even means by 'practice'. He's younger than me...should he even be commanding me to practice such things with him?
A million thoughts run through my head as he stops at his dresser and opens it, displaying all his expensive jewelry and such.
He picks out a gold watch worth more than my life along with a rose gold ring and necklace. One not unlike the one he's sporting at the moment. He hands them to me. "Put them on."
Frowning, I hesitantly slip them on. "Why am I doing this?"
He opens his closet and rugs out a black and pink designer suit along with shiny black dress shoes. I juggle them in my arms, painfully aware of the difference in price at my own attire. Ripped jeans and a ragged tee shirt. Is this pity?
"Jungkook—"
"Kookie." He admonishes, cutting me off. He finally turns back around. "You should look good for our dinner date tonight, right? Matching jewelry is a start to admitting a relationship."
I'm skeptical but honestly know absolutely nothing about this stuff. "Fine but I'm not keeping this stuff. Way too expensive."
He waves it off. "Chump change. Keep them. I won't miss them or wear them again. We can get them tailored for you if need be, too." He encourages.
I stand awkwardly as he just stares at me...waiting. "Uhh, can I have a minute alone to change?" I blush.
He smirks. "Why? You used to change in front of me all the time. No problem, right?" He casually plops down on the bed, lounging comfortably all the while his eyes remain focused on me. Ugh.
I eye the clothes and the bathroom, debating. But at the same time I don't want him to think he's scared me off. He's right. We used to change in front of each other all the time. We're both men. Both grown ups.
Clearing my throat, I pull off my shirt as nonchalantly as I can and begin unbuttoning my jeans, never looking over at him. I feel his gaze, though. Unable to stop myself, I turn my back to him as I quickly pull on the sleek black pants and pink dress shirt, buttoning up the black suit jacket over top. Straightening the hem, I turn towards the mirror, shocked by the instant transformation.
I look completely different. Confident. Wealthy. Wow. No wonder all rich snobs act like they own the world. In an outfit like this...I feel like I do, too. Like I could be anything...I could be president.
I'm smiling as Jungkook walks up behind me and rests his chin on my shoulder, meeting my gaze in the mirror. "Feels good, right? You always look like this to me, you know? You should always feel this confident."
I look away, uncomfortable but not sure why. Shifting around, I turn to face him. "So what now?"
He grins. "Now, let's go out. Explore the city and grab some food."
"Aren't we eating dinner in a couple hours?"
He doesn't turn back as I follow him out towards the car. He opts to leave the driver and grab his own of many to drive. "This is for practice, remember? You are too tense, my friend. Let's go out and have fun, yeah? Do you even remember how to do that?" He teases, getting behind the wheel.
I scoff, climbing in. "I can have fun."
Rolling his eyes, he begins driving. "Oh really? If I can remember correctly, it was always me planning our adventures. Your idea of fun was staying in your room and studying new books or surfing the web."
I sniff. He knows me too well even still. "There's nothing wrong with either of those things."
He groans. "You have to stop being so antisocial."
"I like being alone. I'm comfortable that way. I mean..." I bite my lip, unsure how to continue.
He glances at me. "Did I bother you a lot? You could have just told me to go away if I was being too clingy."
"No. You weren't. I enjoyed your company. You were the only thing that kept me connected to the real world outside of the internet. My only friend." I reassure.
It's weird—talking to him like this again. It feels normal. The anger and resentment is nowhere present as we banter continuously, passing amusing insults at the other as he drives us towards the shopping district.
Of course, extra that he is, he takes us right to the designer stores. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, etc. I shake my head as he drags me into one after the other, leaving with bags and bags of unnecessary clothing and accessories.
He buys most for me and I internally curse at the no refund or return policies. He carries all the bags himself as we drop into a little booth at a boujee coffee shop.
I order a simple expresso and a piece of cake while he sticks with a healthier salad alternative and an Americana. I sneer at his plate. "Show off."
He pauses, mouth full and eyes wide. I laugh. He looks like a bunny. "What?" It's muffled.
"You've gotten really muscular over the years. I'm guessing you work out a lot and eat super healthy foods only? Where's that sense of adventure of remember from the fetus Kookie, hm?" I tease. "Afraid of a little sweet." I wave my fork full of cake in front of him.
Staring into my eyes, he accepts my challenge, snatching the end of my fork with his teeth and licking the cake off. He chews slowly, never removing his eyes from mine. "I'm not afraid of anything." He leans forward a bit. "And I love a little sweet."
My breath freezes at the husky tone of his voice, the darkening of his eyes. I've never seen him look at me this way before. I look away, flushed. Scooping up another piece of cake, I eat it for distraction, feeling weird.
He chuckles, finishing up his meal. He pays the tab as we leave, getting back into his car. Once inside, he snatches my hand, lacing our fingers together.
I stare at our hands. "What are you doing?"
He smirks, starting the car. "Practice, remember. It's normal to hold hands." He sounds exasperated.
"I know that!" I snap. "It's just...I didn't expect it, is all."
"Well...expect it often."