Not a moment in his life has Jungkook ever considered Kim Taehyung his friend. To him, Kim Taehyung is the only person he can't touch. He's scared that his dirty hands will make Taehyung disappear like how the mermaid princess burst into those bubbles. 

And friends don't treat each other the way Jungkook and Taehyung treat each other. Friends don't hold hands a little too long like they do. Friends don't hug a little too tight like they do. Friends don't look at each other the way they look at each other—so raw and pure and full of feelings than they like to admit. And friends don't kiss like they do. Friends don't shove their tongue down each other's throat and then act like nothing happens 5 minutes after. Friends don't touch each other like they do, don't grab each other like they do, and don't usher each other into the dressing room like they do.

Friends don't undress each other like they do on the nights that are too lonely and each other is all they have.

At least to Jungkook, friends don't do those things.

But to Taehyung, that's what he thinks friends do. Which was both amusing and terrifying to Jungkook because if that's Taehyung's definition of friends, then Jungkook doesn't want him to have any other friends but him. That is why they end up the way they are today, with Jungkook being so possessive over the other male while he himself goes around from club to club living the young playboy life he is notorious for. Sometimes it isn't clear whether or not Taehyung is really that oblivious to Jungkook's feelings. But then the other times roll in and Taehyung, in his oh so innocent tone, asks his best friend whether or not he was stressed and needed some release, Jungkook knows that Taehyung is genuine.

That's their little codeword. Stress and release AKA —something Taehyung believes to be a common thing to do for a friend. Which it isn't! Not in a million years! But Jungkook is desperate, he did everything in his power to show Taehyung that they're not friends and they can't be friends because apparently, you are not supposed to be in love with your friends, either.

But here he is—Jungkook J. Jeon, youngest son of JS Corp, co-owner of JS Agency—in love with Kim Taehyung, his best friend who's also his buddy and now subtly his sugar baby.

There's no issue here, not at all. Everyone can carry on with their lives.

Jungkook sighs, throwing the stack of report papers onto the coffee table. Taehyung walks out and sees that and he frowns a bit.

"Hey, you okay?" Taehyung asks him.

Okay? Where can he begin that he's not, hasn't been, and probably won't be okay for a very long time? But Jungkook never tells Taehyung that. He keeps these thoughts to himself because if he dares say it, everything else will pour out of his mouth like the dominos.

They have just finished a showroom (Jungkook pulled some strings) with their friends and soon (as Jungkook planned) Taehyung and their friends will get an email from JS (the agency Jungkook begged his father for) telling them about their recruitment. But his sister, Haneul, has been skeptical about recruiting random people she's never heard of for such a new agency. Jungkook had to beg her too because their father only allows him half of the management right and he has to co-run the place with his sister's help. Well, since he's also an owner he uses the power he has—beg and aegyo. His sister almost smacked him but after some moments of dreadful cuteness she didn't ask for, Haneul finally said yes and proceeded with his plan (for now she isn't a Jeon, she's a Cho. It's to hide their connections and other s).

"I'm fine," Jungkook says in his throat.

Taehyung approaches where he sits and watches him silently for a moment before he asks,

"Do you need me?"

Jungkook looks at him. Really, he always looks into Taehyung's eyes whenever the other male asks this. For some reasons, Taehyung never suspects this look. Which is heartbreaking because, dude I am dripping with desire for you and not just what's in your pants but why can't you see that??

"Do you want me to need you?" Jungkook asks back.