— Next day —

March 12th, 2024.

5:30 am.

My morning alarm resounds through the room, my body rolling onto the mattress instantly to lie down on my back and reach my phone out. Feeling the comfort of her body against mine, I quickly reach to stop the alarm from ruining my mood. I then turn back towards y/n, embracing her tightly and nestling my head in the crook of her neck.

The warmth of her body in the morning, when I was used to spending all my nights and days all by myself, is like living again. I love this feeling so much.

No matter how much I would want to stay here, I press a kiss on her neck and open my eyes, gazing at her morning face I never got to see. A sense of peace brings a smile to my face, and I brush her cheek, press a delicate kiss on her lips, and then leave the bed.

I'm really not in the mood to work today; I barely slept last night and feel the lack of energy in my body. I'm used to working out, but this time this was totally different.

I remain seated on the edge of the bed, picking up my phone to check my texts and schedule. I feel so worn out that my eyes can barely focus, and my phone feels exceptionally heavy.

As the boss, I could take a day off, but it wouldn't be fair to y/n if she had to go to avoid raising suspicions. I heave a sigh and check on her behind me, leaning over to run my hand through her hair before standing up.

I decide not to wake her up but to let her sleep here and have a day off. I can already tell she must be exhausted, and her body must be aching. I adjust my sweatpants and make my way to the bathroom, where I plan to have my usual morning routine.

I'll still have to cook breakfast despite never doing so when I am alone. She is here today, so I want to make sure she eats well.

•••

6:40 am.

After cooking breakfast, I walk back up the stairs, the food ready on the dining table. I enter the bedroom and head towards y/n, who is still sleeping. In a sweet and gentle way, I bend over her and wake her up.

"Y/n..." I rub her stomach from over the blanket, going as tenderly as possible. Softly, she opens her eyes, her messy hair putting a smile to my face as she tries to adapt to the morning light.

"Hmm..." she grimaces and rubs her eyes.

"I cooked some food for you, but I need to leave for work," I smile at her and caress her cheek. "And Mister Jeon allows you to take a day off to recover from last night."

"What...? Why didn't you wake me up, Jungkook?" she complains and seeks for her phone. "Because I want you to rest. Now stop annoying me by arguing and just keep sleeping if you need; I packed the food in small Tupperware in case you wanted to sleep longer."

"But..." she drops her head on the pillow, huffing as if I had done something wrong. "Shut up and sleep," I act rude and bend over her, cup her cheeks, and press a kiss on her forehead before walking away. "Feel at home here, everything is yours," I let out on the way outside, making sure she won't be afraid to use anything in here, and I then leave to not hear her complaining.

I honestly would have liked to stay here all day long to take care of her, but I have to go to work. I cannot stop acting that way.

The main obstacle preventing me from fully embracing this feeling of 'love' is my constant uncertainty about what I am to her. What if I'm nothing but just her fuck buddy? Someone she wants only to have sex or please her? No matter the appearance and image I give myself in front of most people, it's fake. I am not that type of dominant man who bangs a lot of girls when he wants to; this isn't me. I only pretend to be like that to not be seen as weak and vulnerable.

Deep inside, I'm a caring and insecure guy who just desires genuine love from a woman, not based on my appearance. The problem is that I won't know what kind of person she truly is until I asked her.

I may have gone too fast; I may have misunderstood what Jaemin told me. She could be using me solely for physical pleasure, without any deeper connection.

This hurts when I think about it, but I feel like I might lose her if I ever ask her what I am to her. She may not enjoy cuddling at all; perhaps she only seeks physical intimacy and is drawn to me because of my assertive and dominant demeanor.

She might be disheartened if she discovered my clingy nature, my occasional childlike behavior, or how immature I can appear at times.

•••

12 pm.

'YOUR P.O.V'

I wake up after what seems like a long rest, feeling intense body aches, my muscles as tense as rocks. I groan while lying alone in bed, then check my phone to see the time.

When I look at the screen with my sleepy eyes, the first thing I notice is the texts from the same number.

< Hey, are you awake? ]

< Oh, I forgot, after you ate, no need to wash the dishes. I'll do it, and if you want some clothes just look through my closet. I washed your clothes as well this morning ]

I smile at his adorable messages, his sweet gestures melting my heart. I don't ignore his message but reply immediately.

[ I just woke up and feel like a turtle with no energy or muscles...but other than that I'm fine. I'll wash the dishes I use though, and thank you for my clothes >

To my surprise, I quickly receive a response from him.

< Glad to know you're not mad about it ]

[ Why would I be? >

< Well, because that's your stuff ]

[ After what we did last night you still care about whether you have the right to touch my clothes or not? >

< You're right ]

[ ❤ >

He sends me one last text with a heart, so I put my phone down, taking a break after using my hand to hold this device for too long. This wouldn't be a surprise if I stood up and realized I cannot walk.

I lift myself up by obligation but notice something on my skin. Some purple and red marks are still visible on my wrists and thighs.

I don't pay much attention to it since I like it, and with great effort, I stand up from where I am. My body feels so heavy and weak.

Regardless, I need to shower and have the breakfast Jungkook prepared for me.

1 hour later...

After washing and placing the dishes in what I assumed was the right spot, I proceed to clean the table where I have eaten. However, I hear a door opening even though no one should be here at this hour.

My heart stops beating, and a rush of blood to my face causes me to tremble.

"Y/n?" the familiar voice instantly calms me down, a sharp sigh leaving my lungs. For a moment, I thought I was in danger. "Yes?" I respond to the man's unexpected presence, wiping the table one final time, all while I hear him settling in comfortably.

He doesn't answer anything more, so I put down the sponge I was holding and head to the living room. "Why have you left work so early?" I peek over the wall.

"Oh, well..." he shrugs and averts my eyes as I noticed a full plastic bag in his hand. "I wanted to..." he shows another side of him by seeming shy and walks up towards me, his long hair dangling as his head is not raised up.

"Are you okay?" I ask with some worry, not understanding this sudden change of mood. Once he reaches my level, his big eyes meet mine with different emotions from usual; his look seems soft but stressful. "Yes," a forced smile forms on his face. "Did you eat well?"

"I did..." I nod but remain doubtful about his answer. As he walks into the kitchen to put the stuff down, I follow him from very close. "I see that you took one of my hoodies," he gives me a brief but destabilizing glance, causing a sudden timidity to overwhelm me. "I like how it looks and feels..."

"It looks good on you," he barely pronounces in an audible voice, taking the items out of the bag. For some reason, the atmosphere feels chilly, leaving me puzzled about such a sudden shift.

"Do you want me to leave since you're back?" I stand still where I am, fearing that something could have happened and made him feel different towards me. "No, I want you to stay here; otherwise, I wouldn't have left work earlier."

"Wait..." I frown at his direct answer. "You left just to be with me?" my question gets him to smilz, and he turns away to open the fridge and fill it with what he bought. "Would that be ridiculous?" he doesn't peek at me once. "Not at all. That's sweet, but not a good idea."

"Do you like sweet men?" he brings up out of nowhere, making me wonder what could be happening in his head today. The usual Jungkook I know would have kissed me, touched me, or teased me. "Yes, I like sweet men too."

"Hm, good to know," he shakes his head up and down as if my words had made him feel satisfied, and he goes back and forth from the fridge to the table, putting the items on their spot.

"What's up with you? Has something happened?" I finally dare to ask, not liking this weird awkwardness between us. "Uh?" he turns his head in my direction, eventually laying his eyes on me for a few seconds. "Well, look at yourself. I can see there's a problem."

"There's no problem," he straightens his back, not taking his eyes off of me. I show my annoyance and cross my arms, not believing him. I glance away. "Alright..." leaves my mouth, and I head to the living room to not stay here when I can tell he is not being honest.

"What do you want to eat for dinner today?" he follows me and stands at the door frame that separates the kitchen and living room. "I don't know, but I won't stay, so—"

"Why?" his voice turns sorrowful. "I thought you would stay here and spend the day with me..."

"I don't like the fact you're lying and hiding something from me," I give a straightforward explanation, not standing it at all. "Y/n..." his hand runs through his hair, the strands softly laying down onto each other to skim his skin. "I just feel weird since this morning. I got something on my mind, and I just can't brush it off."

"What's on your mind?" I wait for him to speak, worried. "It's...I'm scared this could ruin everything between us."

"Between us? What do you mean?" some pain spreads through my chest, my thoughts messing my mind up and making me imagine the worst. "I mean...I just-" he sighs, struggling to get the words out. "After all that happened between us, I'm wondering what we are. What I am to you..."

"Jungkook...." I frown. "Are you not sure what you want anymore? Are you doubting?"

"What?" his facial expression changes in a sudden, "Of course not. I know what I want. The thing is, I'm worried about the way you see our relationship. Is it serious to you? Or are we just fuck buddys?"

"Why are you suddenly thinking about this?" my anxiousness fades away the more he explains himself. "Because I feel like this isn't right...I don't like the way this is going. We only have sex, we don't talk or spend time together outside of that. I don't want to continue with this if that's all it's going to be. I wanted to talk to you right after we had sex for the first time, but I couldn't. I was too scared to bring it up and maybe lose you because you don't want anything emotional with me," he speaks in a genuine manner, sounding so affected by this matter.

Even though I remember how sweet he was with me last night and this morning, I would never have expected him to be that type of guy. He looks like the type to be the whole opposite. A man who does not want anything serious with a woman.

A smile spreads across my face, and a wave of joy floods through me upon the realization that he might be the good one. "You really think I would not like it? That's the total opposite; I feel much better now that I know you feel that way. I don't like that type of relationship either."

"So, you don't only want me for sex. Do you?" his tender gaze breaks my heart, his sweet and lovely side affecting me. "I don't, Jungkook. I want more than that."

"But do you love me?" he nibbles on his lips constantly, not leaving these poor red ones alone out of nervousness. I just cannot answer him right away. "I'm...I'm not ready to use that word yet. I'm in love with you, but I'd rather not say or hear you use that word."

"Hm..." he nods to me, still looking a bit disappointed. "I understand, but I love you. I mean it. I know it might be a little too early to say that, but that's how I feel."

I smile at him, then shyly look away, torn between the fear of heartbreak and the warmth of his words. "So...Are you staying here today?" he asks again in a hesitant voice, showing a side of him I like so much more than the one I know. "Yes."

Daintily, he shows how happy this makes him. For a moment, my heart flutters with hope.

He comes up to me without saying anything and puts his arms around my body. And suddenly, I realize that my chest was bearing some heavy burden that I hadn't even recognized until it was lifted.

"Why were you scared to talk to me earlier?" I bring this back up, feeling the need to hear him tell me more. He brushes some strands away from my face, and says, "I thought you just wanted to have sex with me. So I shut up, but I quickly realized I was falling way too hard."

"I'm gonna be honest with you. I also thought the same about you. I thought you'd only want me for sex, and that I'd never get to date you. I never thought you'd actually be interested in me as a person," I tell him the truth now that he did too. "You were wrong. I'm not that type of person. I actually care about you and want to be with you. I crave you, but like, in every way. I do love sex with you, but I want affection. I want to cuddle with you, hang out with you, and know you more on a deeper level. Sex and nothing more with you would just hurt me."

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his lips, his hand still holding my face. He smiles as I whisper, "I want the same things too."

"This means a lot to me," he whispers in return. "I won't always be that soft and tender, though," he cups my chin and presses on my cheeks. "I'll be tough when I need to be, or when you want me to be."

"Well, I love it the way it is right now. I love the soft and gentle Mister Jeon," I wrap my arms around his thin waist, his eyes twinkling with affection as he leans in for a kiss. "Enjoy it while it lasts," he sneers and takes me in his arms.

I would not have expected things to go that way. This feels like a dream come true.

•••

1:30 am.

I quickly look to my right, where the front door is located, far behind the back of the sofa. As the doorbell rings, Jungkook removes his tie, casually dropping it on me with a smirk, before heading towards the person hiding behind the door.

Curiously peeking at him, I recognize a familiar voice as he opens the door.