Jungkook had been allowed to transfer and he had done anything to get rid of that subliminal longing that burned under his skin since he had met the curse of his life, Park Jimin. He had tried wanking off to porn until he was oversensitive, he had slept with at least a dozen nameless girls, and he had even shamefully fingered himself to an orgasm, but the itchy feeling had not left him alone.

He was like a damn addict whose favorite drug had been taken away and replaced with a cheap dummy that was supposed to get him off the good stuff, and he hated himself for that. He did not want to be an addict; he only wanted a normal life, a family, proud parents, a good rank at the police, just what everyone else wanted. But he was stuck with his desire for a man.

And weak as he was, he had given in after a month and was now sitting at the bar of the Devil's Lair in his best party clothes and already at his fifth Tequila gold shot with cinnamon and a slice of an orange.

"I told you that running doesn't work," the mint-haired barkeeper had said and had poured him a shot on the house when he had seen him.

Jungkook knew that now. He had hoped that no longer seeing his person of desire would make the memories fade gradually, but it had only become worse. In every group of chatting people on the nightly streets he had searched for silver hair and every club entrance had reminded him of the Devil's Lair.

"Hey, tiger," the bartender shouted over the music. "Don't embarrass yourself." He placed a glass of water next to the shot glass. "Enjoy the night." He smiled a small smile at Jungkook and then he turned away to serve other guests. Nice guy.

Although Jungkook did not feel like a tiger at all, he did not want to get wasted to the point of turning into a wimp either. Simply being here had calmed the tickle under his skin, so he could as well make the best of it. Maybe if he indulged in his desire for men... No, that would only get him in trouble.

With a sigh, he knocked back the liquor and sent the water right after and then turned towards the dancefloor that was covered under sweaty winding bodies. Just like a devil's lair. He began to see where that name came from.

The thrumming bass pulled everyone into a trance, and after getting used to the fact that you could not evade other bodies, Jungkook just gave in to the grinding and swaying and allowed hands to explore what he had worked hard for at the fitness studio. He was just one of many horny people here, faceless in the dark of the club, nameless if he went home with someone. Relaxed he closed his eyes.

He was just one of many enjoying the music, just one of many wanting to feel desired, just one of many who wanted to touch and kiss, so he gave in when a pair of arms slung around his neck and soft lips met his. He was just here to enjoy himself, like the barkeeper had said, and those lips were too nice to let go of. Bold as he felt tonight, he put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer and felt the lips stretch into a smile before they left his mouth to whisper in his ear, "I thought you abandoned me."

Jungkook's eyes snapped open. "Jimin," he croaked out and pushed the other man's hips away from him and looked around panicked. Had anyone seen him kissing a guy?

"Bambi," the club owner sighed annoyed, but Jungkook could not look at him. Instead he stared to the side where the mint-haired bartender was running back and forth behind his counter.

"What are you scared of?" Jimin asked against his ear, sounding as if he was tired of Jungkook's anxious demeanor. But what had the man expected? That Jungkook would happily jump into his bed? That he would give up his career for a fuck?

"Look around. No one cares," the other tried to persuade him and Jungkook did. Unwilling but at the same time hopeful he looked around and only saw dancing and laughing people who enjoyed themselves. No one gave a fuck about him and Jimin. There were other guys pressed together by the crowd and not giving a shit and girls grinding on girls without a care for who looked at them. They all just wanted a jolly time.

Eventually, Jungkook's eyes came to rest on the devil himself. He did not look like a devil though, he only looked tired. Tired of Jungkook running away? Making a scene? No, that was too self-important of him to assume. Mr. Park was probably just tired from work. Having a night club must be exhausting.

Like the smaller man had sensed his change of mind, he slung his arms around Jungkook's neck again and they slowly began to sway with the crowd. And maybe this was not bad, maybe this was Jungkook's chance to have a taste of what he longed for, a chance to take off the edge. Slowly, he leaned in again and connected their lips for a shy kiss, and the response was equally careful as if not to scare him away.

Jungkook felt like a kid in the dark, trying to figure out what his surroundings were, and Jimin let him. He let him be shy and let him probe, pull back if he was overcome with sudden anxiety. And it felt right. It felt like coming home after a long long time of meandering, like breathing after holding one's breath for too long.

The strong body in his arms, the press of a foreign manhood against his hip, the scent that was so prominently masculine. This was what Jungkook wanted. This was what he wanted to go to bed with and what he wanted to wake up to, maybe have breakfast with and come home to after work, too. But could he have that?

"Disgusting," a voice cut through their moment and his head snapped up in panic.

"What are you looking at," Jimin barked at the rude guy, giving him the finger, but the man seemed unbothered by the gesture.

"A man-pussy by how it looks like," he spat with a degrading look at Jimin. "No one wants to see that, you know." The guy gestured at them.

A fist met the asshole's face and caused his head to fly around.

"Jungkook, stop," Jimin said shocked and grabbed the hand that was still balled up.

But Jungkook had seen red from the moment that guy had insulted his partner. Who did that trash think he was to call Jimin such a disgusting name?

"The fuck, man!" that bastard shouted when he had gotten his senses back. "Hey, aren't you that police guy from back-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Jungkook roared. His brain had switched into complete panic mode now. No one could know that he was an officer. Mostly not because of what he had done before with Jimin but also not because he had just hit someone in a way that could not be justified with self-defense.

"Jungkook, move," Jimin said and pulled at his wrist to make him follow him to the exit. That was probably the best thing in order not to pull too much attention to their little situation, so he followed with his head lowered.

"Hey! Hey, I'm talking to you!" that imbecile shouted after them. Some people just did not know when to stop.

A hand grabbed Jungkook's shoulder and threw him against the wall in front of the stairs.

"You punched me and now you run away? What a fucking pussy! No wonder you're a fag-"

Jungkook's knuckles hurt after the second punch and from far away he could hear screams and Jimin's hectic voice, but he did not care. All he cared for was to shut up this asshole. He would show him who of them was more of a man. Fuck, could he not even enjoy himself for one night?!

But before he could start remodeling that bastard's face properly, a pair of steel hands closed around his arms and he was dragged up the stairs.

"Let me go!" he shouted at the bumper but only received a stoic 'sure, outside'.

"Jungkook?" an all too well-known voice asked when the cool night air hit Jungkook's sweaty skin.

"What the fuck happened in there?" an even more familiar one asked.

Of all the people who could have been on duty today it had to be Namjoon and Taehyung.

"Jungkook, are you okay?" his senior asked him concerned after Jungkook had rolled his shoulders to smooth out the pain of the steel grip.

"This is the other one," the bumper said bored and pushed the asshole from before onto the street. The bastard's nose was bleeding Jungkook noticed delighted. But then the reality of the situation caught up with him and he froze in panic. How should he explain this? He had punched someone for using some nasty names, but that was no good reason to start a fist fight.

"What happened?" Namjoon asked once Jimin had joined them, his bumper -not very tall but impressively wide- posing like an unshakable wall behind him.

"Officer-" Jimin began when he understood that Jungkook would not talk. Could not talk. He was fucked. Or rather fired.

"That fagg- man punched me!" the imbecile interrupted, but no matter how bold he tried to appear, he looked nervous now that he was confronted with the police.

Namjoon looked at Jungkook and Jungkook looked at his feet. He did not want to see the look of comprehension on his friend's face.

"What do you have to say to that, Sir?" his senior asked and it took Jungkook some seconds to understand that he was meant. He looked up confused. Was Namjoon pretending not to know him?

"I... I..." he stuttered perplexed.

"Officers Kim," Jimin began again. "I was having a good and in no way indecent time with my friend Jungkook here and that man suddenly called me a man-pussy, so Jungkook reacted on impulse."

Namjoon and Taehyung's gazes turned very cold at those words and Jungkook felt like he saw his colleagues for the very first time. But to his surprise, their eyes were not directed at him but at the imbecile whom he had gifted a bloody nose.

"That... that..." the asshole stuttered under the dark looks he received. "They were making out on the dancefloor. That's disgusting."

"And others weren't?" Taehyung asked, sounding almost bored but with an edge of anger.

"No, I mean, sure. But they're dudes," the asshole tried to defend himself. His eyes flickered over Jungkook and Jimin like he suddenly was not sure of his own words anymore, and Jungkook felt his confidence returning partly.

"Sir," Namjoon growled. "Are you aware that under the jurisdiction of Seoul's local government, discrimination of someone because of their sexuality is punishable?"

Jungkook's eyes widened and he wanted to slap his forehead. How could he have forgotten that? He could not lose his job for coming out as gay. But he could very much lose it for having started a fight at a bar. His stomach in knots he watched his two colleagues, who really seemed to stand behind the words which Jungkook had labeled as superficial proclamations of open-mindedness, which he would not believe in as a precaution in order not to assume that he had supporters at work.

The big mouth was suddenly quiet. "But he still punched me," he whined, sounding unsure.

Taehyung smiled coldly. "How about we call it quits. You won't be charged for discrimination, he won't be charged for punching you, and we won't have the trouble of filing all this nonsense. Does that sound good, Mr...?"

Now that the bastard was supposed to reveal his name and was exposed to the idea of getting a police registry entry, he seemed very much interested in leaving. "It's fine."

Taehyung grinned. "Perfect. Now you may leave. I'm sure that you received a house ban just now."

"A house ban? Why?" the idiot wanted to know with wide eyes and an offended look.

"Because I'm the owner," Jimin growled pissed.

Asshole's mouth opened and closed like a fish on land before he huffed like he could not believe it and turned around to leave with a tissue pressed to his nose, mumbling quietly to himself. Jungkook relaxed more with every step the asshole walked away.

"Are you good?" Namjoon asked him now with a concerned look.

"Thank you so much, hyung. Both of you," Jungkook whispered, feeling like crying now that the tension had left his body. "Really, thank you."

In the next second, he was embraced by an emotional Taehyung and could no longer hold back his tears from pouring out accompanied by embarrassing wet sobs. His friends really were the best people he could have ever wished for. How did he deserve them?

"Had I been with you, I would have held the guys arms back so that you could have used him as your personal punching bag," Taehyung murmured into his ear. "What a narrowminded country bumpkin."

Jungkook chuckled at the stupid insult and at his friend's soft heart. Sometimes Taehyung was too nice for his own good, too easy to corrupt when it was for his friends.

"Next time you have to hold back, though," Namjoon said with a soft smile. "Discrimination doesn't work this way. Let's hope the idiot will never find out."

That produced a real laugh from Jungkook's lips. "Hyung, did you bend the law for me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, you could interpret it in a way that he expected you not to kiss where everyone else is allowed to kiss, so it could be made into discrimination by-"

"Okay, we get that you studied law," Taehyung interrupter their colleague and let go of Jungkook. "Now go and snog the life out of your lover." He pushed Jungkook against Jimin, who had watched their little exchange quietly.

Embarrassed, Jungkook took a step back again. He did not know what to feel right now. He had had his first kiss with a man today, had been called a faggot, had almost lost his job, and had been outed to his best friends. It was too much at once and his head was spinning. Sure, he had been very bold today by testing his boundaries, but he in no way felt ready to leave with Jimin now, not even ready to kiss him again. He just wanted to go home, sleep, and think.

"Officers," the bumper suddenly spoke up. "May I take a picture with you for my boyfriend. I really want to remember this day." He looked like he had seen a miracle happening. Jungkook must look like that as well.

"Sure," Taehyung said with a wide grin and the three began to pose in front of the Devil's Lair.

"Jungkook," Jimin said quietly and pulled him away some steps to speak in privacy. Jungkook should probably be nervous at what would happen next, but he mostly felt exhausted and confused. "I would like to... I mean, could we exchange numbers?"

Against what Jungkook had experienced so often, Jimin's expression held nothing playful or seductive when he had asked that. It made the gray-haired look very much like an adult business owner, and the mental image of a demon in human form gradually faded to the back of Jungkook's mind. Jimin was just another guy. An exceptionally attractive one, but also one who paid taxes and ate breakfast in his pajamas. Or did he? Jungkook found himself wanting to know and at the same time nervous at the idea what it would take before one could see a Jimin in the morning.

"Sure," he said shakily and pulled out his phone. He could always run away. He had done that for the last month after all. But somehow, he did not feel like running away anymore.

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