The Arrangement

21

Taehyung awoke still enveloped in Jungkook's arms. A content smile spread across his lips as he snuggled closer into the younger's chest, realizing he made it through the night without any additional nightmares.

"Either you're awake or you smile in your sleep," Jungkook mumbled, his hand moving to Taehyung's hair. His fingers ran through the fine strands, making the elder sigh in relaxation.

"Thank you," Taehyung murmured into his chest. "I haven't slept like that in a while."

He closed his eyes again, listening to the sure and strong beat of Jungkook's heart.

"Can I ask you something?" Jungkook broke the silence after a while.

Taehyung propped himself up on the younger's chest, a playful mood taking over him. "You just did."

A finger poked him in the cheek.

"Wow," Jungkook chuckled, "Mr. Mysterious and Moody over here knows how to crack a joke. This should be national news."

"Kook . . . "

Amusement lit up Jungkook's eyes. "Right. International news."

Taehyung cheerfully smacked his chest. "You are impossible, Jungkook."

"I liked it better when you called me Kook," the younger said honestly before his gaze turned a little more serious. "I wish . . . I wish I had another name to call you by."

Taehyung saw a flash of longing in his eyes, but he pushed that to the side. "One day," he said, not quite sure if he meant it or not. "Was that your question for me - what my name was?"

"One of many," Jungkook shrugged, "but no. I was curious . . . and you don't have to answer . . . but since all those stories about you are false . . . you're not actually a playboy . . . right?"

It was Taehyung's turn to chuckle. "No. I don't actually sleep around or have lines of people throwing themselves at me."

Jungkook quirked an eyebrow.

"Okay," Taehyung amended, "I do have a lot of people offering themselves up to me. But I never accept."

It was true. Taehyung turned them all down. While yes, it would be satisfying to scratch certain itches, intimacy went far beyond the physical for him. He wanted to experience that closeness with someone who truly cared for him, not just for V.

He learned that the hard way when he first entered the industry.

"Good," Jungkook said simply.

Taehyung raised his eyebrows in response, waiting for the younger to elaborate.

A flush colored Jungkook's cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound so . . . "

"Possessive," Taehyung finished.

"Well, you are my mentor after all. I don't want to share you with anyone else."

Taehyung smiled and reveled in the way Jungkook's face lit up in response. "So greedy. Never would have pegged you to be the jealous type."

"I'm not jealous," Jungkook pursed his lips. "I just don't like picturing you touching anyone else."

"Could it be," Taehyung smirked, trailing a hand up to Jungkook's throat, "that you only want to picture me touching you?"

He shifted his head so he could connect his lips to the younger's neck. A soft groan was his reward for planting small kisses there.

Taehyung pulled away. "Was that a yes?"

Jungkook looked up into his eyes, mouth parting as he took in V leaning over him. His breath hitched at the sight and he gently placed his hands against the artist's chest.

"I used to think that you were hot," he let out.

V swung a leg over Jungkook, straddling him. "Oh? But not anymore?" His own hands ran up and down Jungkook's torso as the younger shifted his grip to V's hips.

"You're more than that. You're beautiful."

V froze on top of him, his eyes desperately searching Jungkook's.

"Has no one ever told you that before?" Jungkook would be shocked if that was true. Anyone who took the time to get to know V - or try to get to know him - would see this completely different side of him.

Jungkook knew V was hurting from a rough past, but even still, there was a determination within the elder. V was a fighter - he was consistently trying to be better. Jungkook could see the effort grow each day.

V finally shook his head, signaling that no, no one ever had told him that before.

"I've always been hot. Sexy. Attractive. It's what I wanted the world to see V as, and I guess I got what I wanted. People started just seeing me as an object . . . I was too far down the rabbit hole to try and fix it," V admitted, still looking down at the younger with a very raw and open expression.

Jungkook felt a warmth bloom within the center of his chest. It must have taken a lot of courage to reveal that, but V trusted him enough to share.

He carefully rolled V off of him so they were laying down side by side, facing each other.

V furrowed his eyebrows. "Why did you do that? I thought - "

Jungkook knew what V thought. He thought they were going to get physical. Especially as V's light kisses to his neck aroused him to no end, which V surely felt sitting on top of him.

"You are more than an object, V. You are so much more than that. And yeah, you are hot and sexy and attractive. But you are even more beautiful. And I just want to appreciate that for today."

The space between them dwindled as V moved closer to Jungkook. Their lips ghosted over each other's, softly tasting and teasing. Jungkook groaned as he pulled back.

"Don't make me go against my word, V," he said, removing the artist's hand that had found its way to his waist.

V stuck his tongue out at him, a gesture that surprised Jungkook.

"Okay, okay," V replied. "It's our day off today. What do you want to do?"

"What do you typically do when you're not working?"

V looked away, pursing his lips as he thought. "I don't really get any days off. There's always something scheduled for me. But because of the mentorship program, my team modified my schedule to better match yours."

Jungkook rolled to his back as he digested that piece of information. To have no free time to enjoy other hobbies and interests outside of work . . .

That sounded miserable.

"I want to do whatever you want to do," V said finally.

Jungkook shook his head as he laughed. "Great. Now the pressure is on. If I don't come up with something good, you might very well tell the world how lame I am."

V nodded seriously. "Pretty much."

"I hate you," Jungkook teased.

A pillow hit him square in the face.

"Say that again," V dared, his hands already searching for another pillow.

"I . . . " Jungkook started, giggling as a pillow found its way into the artist's grip. He shielded his face preemptively.

"Go on," V ordered, the pillow now raised directly above the younger's face.

"I know what I want to do."

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》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

Who thinks they know what JK wants to do??

Also, I accidentally published Chapter 22 last night when I first started working on it. Classic me. Soooooo, to apologize, I will be double updating today. Woo!