—"Touch, when welcomed, can be grounding."

≣

Hot. Jungkook was fucking hot.

Everything burned—his ears, his neck, his face—and the exposed skin just beneath his collarbone felt uncomfortably clammy. Would it look strange to jump into the decorative fountain right behind him? Taehyung? Probably. So instead, Jungkook ran his fingers up his shirt, finding the button between his pecs and wondering if he could pop it open without drawing even more attention to himself.

"Undressing won't save you from answering my question, finance guy. Even if it is a tempting distraction."

Guess not.

Jungkook opened his mouth to deny it all—because really, he wasn't undressing or stalking or whatever else Taehyung thought—but the words died on his tongue. He wasn't stupid; he knew how this looked. Turning up at someone's place of employment after a single conversation . . . Yeah, he would be a bit creeped out if their positions were reversed.

So how did he explain to Taehyung that this was just a giant misunderstanding? That he'd been fascinated by their interaction and had only wanted to learn his name because . . .?

Well, Jungkook didn't have an explanation for that.

But he had to say something to satisfy those unanswered questions, something that wouldn't make him look more suspicious. Or foolish. Or pathetic. So he held Taehyung's searching gaze, stared back into his warm, gleaming eyes, and offered a self-deprecating chuckle.

"Do you believe in coincidences?"

"Are you saying this is a coincidence?" Something rumbled in Taehyung's throat—was it a sympathetic laugh? Or maybe a disbelieving scoff?—and his eyes sparkled even more than before. After a moment where he did nothing but assess Jungkook, he mused, "You coincidentally happened upon this place and decided you wanted to cuddle?"

"Yes. I mean, no. But—" Jungkook broke off in a huff, briefly looking towards the ceiling before returning his attention to Taehyung. "I took your advice. I looked up what you did and—"

"Whoa, wait a second," Hoseok interrupted, still behind the front desk and looking back and forth at Taehyung and Jungkook. Funny, but Jungkook had forgotten he was there. "Do you two know each other?"

"I wouldn't exactly say we know each other," Taehyung responded in a honeyed voice, the tone of it overly sweet but the depth crackling with something more mischievous. "Though I do believe finance guy got to know one part of me rather well."

Jungkook choked on a cough. "Still can't drop that, can you?"

"I can, but my ass can't."

A throat cleared to the side—Hoseok. His eyebrows were pinched together in a blend of confusion and concern as he said, "I really hope I'm misinterpreting this, but I have to ask. Did you two, uh . . . you know? I can't have clients and cuddlers . . . involved. Too much liability."

Before Jungkook could shut down that wildly inaccurate assumption, Taehyung let out another little sound again—okay, that was definitely a laugh—and responded, "No. Finance guy wasn't interested."

Hoseok considered that for a moment, pursing his lips and subtly shaking his head. And then, out of nowhere, he started snapping his fingers as he faced Jungkook. "I get it now! You prepaid for three sessions so you could spend time with Tae and—"

"No," Jungkook quickly responded, lacing that one word with as much finality as possible. For good measure, he shook his head at Taehyung and repeated, "No."

And he would have said more. He would have gone back to the beginning of his embarrassing story and explained exactly what had led him here today. But he didn't get the chance to do that because Taehyung's face broke into a wide smile filled with pure delight, and suddenly, Jungkook forgot everything he was about to say.

Words and speaking and conversation were all secondary to basking in that smile—that effortless, relaxed smile that radiated so much warmth that Jungkook could feel the heat of it on his skin—for just a few seconds longer.

But those seconds ticked by too quickly, and soon, Taehyung's mouth gradually settled into something less dazzling and more playful. More teasing. His tongue even made an appearance, swiftly darting out to lick over that full bottom lip and leaving behind a dewy sheen.

"Was this all some extraordinary gesture to get my attention?" Taehyung asked, finally breaking that brief span of silence and releasing Jungkook from under his spell. "Because congrats, finance guy. You have it."

Now would have been the perfect time to tell his side of the story, to prove once and for all that this was not some extraordinary gesture, but Jungkook didn't say any of that, of course. No, he crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I have a name, you know."

Taehyung hummed. "Why don't you share it with me, then? You obviously want to hear how it sounds coming out of my mouth and—"

"As much as I'd love to continue watching whatever this is," Hoseok cut in, pointing between Taehyung and Jungkook, "I have a train to catch. I'll leave you two to catch up."

"But my sessions," Jungkook implored, giving the owner a pained stare. He just needed two fucking minutes to talk without being interrupted; that's all he needed. Then he could run out of here to properly drown in his embarrassment and pray to anything out there that he'd never, ever see Taehyung again.

But Hoseok was already headed towards the door with a cheery grin lighting up his features. "Oh, don't worry about that."

Jungkook let out a relieved sigh. Thank god the owner understood; thank god he was about to get his money back and—

"Taehyung can help you book those."

Before Jungkook could protest or do something productive like bang his head against the desk over and over and over, the door to the sanctuary clicked shut, leaving him alone with Taehyung. Which was great. Fan-fucking-tastic. Because being alone with Taehyung was what inadvertently led to this insanity. Being alone with him—just talking to and bantering with him—was the whole reason Jungkook was the reluctant owner of three stupid cuddling sessions.

He feared what being alone with Taehyung would lead to this time.

"You know," Taehyung started, leaning in like he had a secret to share, "you could've just bought me a drink. You didn't need to prepay for three sessions to impress me."

It was never going to end, huh?

Jungkook inhaled deeply through his nose, trying to regain any semblance of composure, before saying, "I'm sorry to disappoint, but wanting to impress you had nothing to do with it."

A sharp laugh was Taehyung's first response, followed by, "Okay. Whatever you say."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Nope. But you can't blame me for that."

"Like hell I can," Jungkook muttered under his breath. "Why don't you believe me?"

Taehyung took a fraction of a step closer. "Because you don't have the best track record of telling me the truth, finance guy."

Jungkook's stomach did this weird tightening, fluttering thing, and he didn't know what to make of it. But he pushed that to the back of his mind as he also inched forward, leaving less than an arm's length of space between their bodies. Something woodsy with a hint of citrus filled his nostrils, the scent clouding his mind. "I've never lied to you."

"No?" Taehyung murmured. "You've never stared at my ass and tried to deny it? You've never said you weren't interested in me and then conveniently showed up where I work?"

"Fine. The first part of that is true," Jungkook reluctantly admitted as a new wave of warmth colored his cheeks. "And actually, the second part is, too. Even though my being here seems like—"

"Like you regretted turning me down at the bar?" Taehyung challenged, raising his eyebrows like that was the obvious answer. "Or that you wanted a second chance with me?"

"It's neither of those things."

"No? Well, then. Maybe you wanted to find out the brand of my pants."

"Your pants?"

"Yeah, because after ogling my ass in them for so long, you decided you really did want a pair," Taehyung said. "Or . . . Or maybe you are stalking me and have plans involving duct tape, some rope, and a gag."

Jungkook didn't even know how to respond to that.

Fuck, what was it about this man that threw him so far out of his element? What was it about him, Taehyung, that somehow annoyed and flustered and fascinated Jungkook all at the same time? Because he couldn't figure it out. He couldn't figure out why he was just standing here when it was perfectly clear that nothing would get resolved today. Or ever, it seemed.

Like most other things, it had to be the result of one thing:

Exhaustion.

But Jungkook wasn't feeling tired at all as he studied Taehyung's face—was that a tiny freckle on the tip of his nose?—and finally replied, "I promise you, whatever you're thinking of has nothing to do with my reason for being here."

Taehyung licked over his lower lip, though this time, it seemed less habitual and more intentional. "Are you sure? I have a very active imagination."

"Has your very active imagination considered that I'm a very clueless, very overworked person who made a very stupid mistake and who very, very much does not want to pay for cuddle therapy?"

Taehyung blinked. "So what you're saying is . . .?"

"That this," Jungkook emphasized, waving his hand in a flourish, "that me being here and, well, you being here, really is a coincidence."

A haughty smirk toyed at one corner of Taehyung's mouth. "I have a feeling none of this is a coincidence. I think it's something else entirely."

Jungkook had no clue what that meant, but he wasn't going to ask questions. Nope, he was finally going to set things straight and explain. "After that night at the bar—when you and I met—, I did some research on alternative touch therapy."

"Oh, really? Why?"

Taehyung was goading him, Jungkook was sure of it, but he fell into the trap and threw his hands in the air. "Because you told me to!"

"And do you have a habit of listening to strangers?"

"No, but I . . ."

"You . . .?"

"I just . . . I wanted . . ." Jungkook eyed the exit to this so-called sanctuary and considered for one second, two, three . . . And yup. Decision made. He rolled back his shoulders with a new determination and met Taehyung's twinkling gaze one last time. "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm leaving."

Jungkook ignored how Taehyung's brows furrowed in confusion as he headed towards the door, keeping his chin lifted and his posture tall. He was so over this entire situation, so mortified beyond belief, that he didn't even care about his money. If he had to lose 450,000 won to learn the valuable lesson of paying attention to what he was clicking online, then so be it.

He would never make such a careless mistake again.

"Finance g— Hey!" Taehyung called out from behind him, soft footsteps punctuating his words. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. Fuck, my whole livelihood is about making people more comfortable."

Jungkook had reached the door by this point, his hand frozen on the handle. He realized nothing good could possibly happen if he stayed, but this annoying itch at the back of his head told him to reconsider. To talk to Taehyung. To stay.

He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. And yet . . .

Jungkook let go of the door handle, turning back around and nearly jumping as he found Taehyung right there. And oh, they were close. They were so close that Jungkook could confirm that, yes, that was a freckle on the tip of Taehyung's nose. They were so close that he spotted one on Taehyung's mouth as well, the tiny freckle adorning the corner curve of his lower lip. And hell, they were so close that Jungkook could even hear Taehyung's quiet inhale—a tentative sort of sound—as he opened his mouth to speak.

But Jungkook beat him to it. "I didn't know that you worked here. I didn't . . . Fuck, up until thirty minutes ago, I didn't even realize I had bought these cuddling sessions."

Taehyung dipped his chin once, though he didn't immediately ask more questions or interrupt with a teasing taunt. No, he remained quiet. He was listening.

And that comforted Jungkook enough to step away from the door, to signal that he wasn't running away. Yet. And to further prove his point—to show he was a mature adult capable of having this discussion—he walked over to one of the nearby couches and sank down. Taehyung instantly followed, sitting next to him and silently waiting for Jungkook to continue.

So breathing in deeply, inhaling the inviting scent of Taehyung's cologne, Jungkook started from the beginning.

"That night we met, I was looking for more information. I was looking for—" Jungkook almost said you, but he swallowed that down. "I wanted to learn more about what you did, and that's how I found this place."

"How did that lead to buying sessions?"

"Auto-fill," Jungkook said, still pissed that his trustworthy timesaver betrayed him like this. "I made an account and auto-filled my information, but I didn't exactly pay attention to what it was filling in. Somewhere along the lines, I must've said I wanted to prepay for a few sessions. And since my credit card details automatically populated . . . Here I am."

Taehyung cocked his head to the side. "You made an account? Why did—? Oh. I see."

This couldn't be good. "What?"

"You wanted to find me."

All the blood drained from Jungkook's face. Sure, he could deny that very accurate assumption—well, he could try to deny that very accurate assumption. But what could he say that wouldn't lead to more questions he didn't know how to answer? Nothing, that's what.

And even though he hardly knew Taehyung, Jungkook got the sense that the man was an inquisitive sort of person. Taehyung seemed like someone who wanted to collect puzzle pieces and then fit them all together in order to see the bigger picture. And Jungkook had no doubt in his mind that Taehyung wanted to figure him out right now.

That, or call him out on his bullshit.

But for whatever reason, Taehyung didn't push. Instead, he angled his body more toward Jungkook and said, "Or . . . Maybe you did so much research on cuddling that you did want to try it, but you're too embarrassed to admit it."

"There's that overactive imagination again."

"You're deflecting."

"I'm not deflecting."

"You're definitely deflecting." Taehyung laughed, one of his shoulders brushing up against Jungkook's. "Tell me why you created an account."

Fuck, he thought he had evaded that question.

Every single muscle in Jungkook's body went tense as he stared at Taehyung with wide eyes. And his heart . . . It was beating too slowly. No, too fast. And was it palpitating now or something? Did his heart just skip a beat or two or five? And was he breathing too loudly? He was definitely breathing too loudly. Fuck, could Taehyung hear him swallowing? Could Taehyung—?

A gentle weight landed on Jungkook's forearm, the sudden sensation snapping him out of his impending panic. He looked down at his tattooed skin, to where Taehyung's hand rested over a design that read please love me, and let out, "What are you doing?"

"Touch, when welcomed, can be grounding. Is this okay?"

It was—both grounding and okay. So Jungkook nodded, concentrating on the warmth seeping into his skin.

"There have been a lot of studies about the power of human touch," Taehyung said, his voice low and mellow. "Regular contact can make people happier and healthier. But even brief contact, like this, can help release oxytocin and lower stress."

"Is this what you do in your cuddling sessions?" Jungkook asked, studying the way Taehyung's long, tan fingers contrasted with the inky tattoos on his arm. There was something . . . comforting . . . about that visual. It showed him that, for this moment, he wasn't completely on his own.

"Some of them, yeah," Taehyung answered, his thumb tentatively sweeping over Jungkook's skin. "Some people prefer minimal touching. They just want someone to sit next to them or to wrap an arm around their shoulders. But other people might want more contact. They might want to cuddle in the traditional sense of the word. It really depends on the person."

Cuddling in the traditional sense of the word . . .

Jungkook immediately remembered the pages upon pages of various cuddling poses in The Cuddle Sutra. But rather than picturing the illustrations, he envisioned Taehyung. He imagined Taehyung wrapped up and entwined with his clients, body against body in every possible way. And thanks to The Cuddle Sutra, Jungkook knew there were many ways to become tangled with another. There were multiple ways.

And instead of pushing those thoughts from his mind, he wondered how it might feel to be that close to someone, to feel their body breathe and shift and move. Would it be warm? Oppressing? Calming? Jungkook hadn't exactly had the chance to experience that level of proximity, of closeness, with someone before. He didn't know what holding a person would be like.

And he was so curious about it all that his brain-to-mouth filter malfunctioned, and he asked Taehyung, "Do you like to try out different positions? Or do you have a favorite?"

Something flashed in Taehyung's eyes. "To be clear, we're still talking about cuddling, right?"

"What else would—?" Jungkook gave him an incredulous look as it clicked. "Of course, we're still talking about cuddling. You think I would randomly ask about your preferences in bed?"

"No. I don't, actually," Taehyung revealed with a small smile. The gesture grew less hesitant and more teasing as he added, "After all, you are the person who thought about dating someone before sleeping with them. You probably like to wait until the third—maybe fourth—date to dive into those details."

Well, that was wrong. But only because Jungkook had never been on three dates with the same person. Hell, he barely went on second dates. And even then, talks of sex positions and preferences hadn't exactly come up. He wouldn't know how to answer—fuck, he wouldn't have an answer—if they had.

So he shook his head—his version of brushing off the topic—and reminded Taehyung, "You didn't answer my question. About cuddling."

"Well . . . Like everything else, I prefer a bit of variety," Taehyung started, his eyebrows quickly flicking up. "But in my sessions, it's not about me or my preferences. I follow my clients' leads."

"How do you know what they prefer, then?"

"I don't. Not at first, at least. My clients and I establish an understanding of what works and what doesn't. We learn to trust each other and communicate our needs and boundaries. It's . . . It's a learning process, I guess. It takes time."

"So you don't curl up with everyone?" As soon as those words came out of Jungkook's mouth, he blanched. Why the fuck did he ask that?

Oh, right. Because his brain-to-mouth filter had not only malfunctioned, but it completely abandoned him by this point, allowing his private, unspoken thoughts to effortlessly and shamelessly roll off his tongue.

But miraculously, Taehyung didn't respond with a sassy comeback or playful sarcasm. No, his gaze softened as he answered, "No. Not with everyone."

Jungkook hummed as he looked down at his arm, to where Taehyung's fingers still glided over his bare skin. The sensation was light and barely there, soothing, and he couldn't help but melt further into the couch. The touch. Taehyung. The effects of this simple contact were wholly unexpected, but Jungkook couldn't deny that he felt calm and at ease. He was relaxed.

And not once since Taehyung touched him had his mind whirred with anxiety over work. Not once had he focused on his embarrassment over being here. Not once had he thought of leaving or running away.

Taehyung's touch truly was therapeutic.

And because he was so tranquil, so . . . safe . . . in this moment, he found himself talking more. "It really is a coincidence that the one place I created an account for happened to be where you worked. I had no way of knowing. If I had known you worked here . . . Fuck, if I had known who you were, I would have never even created an account. I wouldn't be here trying to get a refund."

Taehyung's hand froze higher up on Jungkook's arm, his fingers folding over a cloud and thunderbolt tattoo in the crook of his elbow. "You . . .?"

Jungkook looked up in time to find Taehyung frowning, almost as if he wasn't sure how to voice a particular thought aloud. But when their eyes met, when Jungkook saw the uncertainty clouding Taehyung's gaze, the other man shook his head.

"Hoseok doesn't typically give refunds," Taehyung said instead. "He had a few issues with scams and unreliable customers when he first opened the sanctuary. So that's why he created his non-refundable policy. That's why the website lists the terms and conditions right on the new customer form . . . right when you create an account."

There it was again—that unanswered question lingering between them: Why did you create an account?

And Jungkook couldn't—shouldn't—answer that . . .

He really shouldn't . . .

Fuck.

"I wanted to know your name," Jungkook admitted, unable to rip his eyes away from Taehyung's. "That night we met, I wanted to know your name. And I thought that finding a local cuddling place and creating an account would help. I thought that if I did those things, I could find a directory or something like that. But when that didn't work . . . I accepted that I'd never know it."

For some very odd yet amazing reason, Taehyung didn't ask why Jungkook had wanted to know his name. He simply started moving his hand again, fingers dancing in random patterns over Jungkook's arm, and murmured, "And do you know it now?"

"Taehyung."

"Kim Taehyung," the other man corrected.

"Kim Taheyung," Jungkook repeated, unable to help himself. For good measure, he said it again in his head. Kim Taehyung.

After a beat, Taehyung chuckled. It was an amicable sort of sound. "Well, are you going to tell me yours, finance guy?"

Oh, right. He should share his name; that usually came next when making introductions. "I'm Jeon Jungkook."

"Hm, Jungkook," Taehyung murmured, his voice as warm as his hand. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four. I'll be twenty-five in a few months."

"And I'll be twenty-seven in a few months."

Great, not only had Jungkook embarrassed himself in front of a suave, charming, and handsome older man, but he had disrespected said man as well. Quickly bowing his head, he said, "Ah. Taehyung-ssi."

That disarmingly beautiful—uh, bright—smile transformed Taehyung's face again as he laughed loudly and openly. "You stared at my ass, Jungkook. I think we're past that."

"Oh. I—"

"Call me hyung."

Jungkook's own mouth threatened to spread into a wide smile, so he bit down on his bottom lip to suppress it. The corners still quirked up anyway. "Okay. Hyung."

Their conversation fell silent after that, the only noise coming from the splashing fountain in front of them. Jungkook supposed it was finally time to leave, to let Taehyung go on his merry way. But his legs didn't move; they didn't want to. Every part of Jungkook's body wanted to stay seated in this sanctuary and to consume the temporary peacefulness that Taehyung was gifting him.

But Taehyung didn't get the memo, apparently. His fingers paused over Jungkook's skin, lingering for a couple of seconds longer before withdrawing altogether. "I'll talk to Hoseok on Monday. I'll get him to refund you."

Jungkook should have been happy, but instead, he was thinking of how he already missed the subtle warmth and reassuring weight of Taehyung's hand. Was that weird? Was it strange that he wanted to ask Taehyung to touch his arm again? How could he get him to—?

Oh.

Jungkook's heart began to beat faster as he considered, his eyes trailing from Taehyung's face to his fingers to his face again. He shouldn't do this . . . It would be stupid if he did this. He should thank Taehyung for agreeing to help him with the refund, apologize over this mess, and then walk away from this place . . . from Taehyung . . . once and for all. He should do all of those things.

But he didn't.

"How would it work?"

"How would what work?" Taehyung asked.

"If I kept the sessions," Jungkook clarified, his voice a bit strained.

Taehyung didn't immediately respond. He just . . . looked at him like he wanted to peer into Jungkook's mind and find answers to a number of unasked questions. And while Jungkook would never say this aloud, he would answer. If Taehyung would only put his hand back on his skin, Jungkook would answer any damn question he had.

Fuck.

"Well," Taehyung started, "we would match you to a cuddler based on your preferences and availability. And since you're new, we'd want you to speak with your cuddler before the first session. That way, you can make sure you're comfortable with that person. And if you are . . . Then you'll start cuddling with him."

Him?

Ah, right. Taehyung had overheard part of the debacle with Hoseok and assumed Jungkook only wanted a male cuddler. Which wasn't true . . . Well, it wasn't one hundred percent true, at least. Because if he was going to do this, if he was going to actually use these sessions, he did want a male cuddler.

But not just any male cuddler.

"You'll have to discuss a few things, of course," Taehyung went on, completely oblivious to the debate going on in Jungkook's head. "Like if you'll meet here or at one of your homes. What your cuddle outfits will be. Oh, and you'll review the cuddler code of conduct so you understand the rules of the service . . . You'll also acknowledge that sexual acts are forbidden. That these services are a safe way to experience platonic touch only."

"Wow," Jungkook breathed. "That's . . . a lot."

Taehyung nodded in agreement, his features arranged in a slightly more serious expression than before. "Professional cuddling is a very carefully negotiated experience. It involves communication and respect. It involves consent. And if those elements exist between you and your cuddler, you can build a wonderful partnership that is mutually beneficial. You can create something life-changing."

Jungkook wasn't sure how life-changing cuddling could be, but . . . Fuck it. He wanted to try. So he dipped his chin once and said, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll keep them. The sessions. Can you help me schedule something?"

One corner of Taehyung's mouth twitched—almost like he was trying to smirk—before it fell flat again. But Jungkook didn't have the chance to further observe his facial expressions because Taehyung had straightened up from the couch and was now walking back towards the reception desk.

"Most of us are booked out," Taehyung called from over his shoulder. "But I'll look at the schedule to see which of the guys are available the soonest and—"

"Hyung." Jungkook scrambled up from his sitting position and followed after him, ignoring his racing heartbeat as he approached the desk. When he met Taehyung's gaze again, he said, "Don't . . . Don't look at anyone else's schedule. Just look at your schedule."

Taehyung's lips parted. "You want me? Just . . . me?"

"Um," Jungkook swallowed. "I mean, this was kind of like a consultation, right? I feel comfortable with you—ah, with everything you said. And I figure when I'm terrible at this whole cuddling thing, I won't have to worry about embarrassing myself in front of someone new. You've already seen me like . . . well, like this, so it shouldn't be as awkward."

"You won't be terrible at it," Taehyung replied, his voice rich and smooth like velvet. He peered down at the computer and began to click and type and click again. "I won't have any openings for two weeks or so. I'll get you in as soon as possible, but if you want to meet with someone else . . ."

"I'm not in any rush, hyung." Seriously, he could wait. He would probably need the two weeks to pump himself up, to prepare for being so close to Taehyung. That kind of confidence wouldn't necessarily come easily to him.

But then something else dawned on him. "Unless you don't want me as a client?"

"What's this? Are you worried that I'm not interested?"

"Kind of," Jungkook mumbled before thinking better of it. If Taehyung didn't want to work with him, then there was no way in hell that he'd keep the sessions.

"Jungkook." Taehyung looked up from the computer as he ran a hand through his hair, pushing the thick strands off his forehead. "I want to cuddle with you, too. Okay?"

"I . . . Okay."

With a hum, Taehyung continued. "We'll go through preferences and boundaries during our first session, but in the meantime . . . Do you need to update anything on your new client form? Is the availability you entered accurate?"

Jungkook honestly didn't know what he clicked when filling out that questionnaire. "We probably should review that. I mostly clicked random buttons."

"Seems like we have a lot to cover, then." Thankfully, Taehyung didn't sound annoyed over that fact. "What's your username?"

"Nope."

"What do you mean, nope?"

"I'm not going to say it," Jungkook asserted, keeping his tone as unyielding as possible.

But that seemingly challenged Taehyung. He leisurely licked over his bottom lip before saying, "I can't schedule you unless I know your username."

"You can look up my name."

"There could be dozens of Jeon Jungkooks in our system."

"I sincerely doubt that."

"Unfortunately for you, you're not the one behind the computer," Taehyung beamed. "And unless you want me to book you with someone else, I suggest you tell me your username."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Want to test that theory?"

Jungkook exhaled loudly and deeply. He would crawl over the desk and type in his own damn name if he had to. Okay, no, he wasn't going to do that; he didn't want to look any stranger in Taehyung's eyes than he probably already did. So instead, he pushed his lips into a pout and put on his best puppy dog expression. "Please don't make me say it."

"Cute," Taehyung commented, "but that's not going to work."

Oh, fuck—Jungkook's cheeks felt warm again. But if he wanted this . . . if he wanted to cuddle with that insufferable man . . . he had to play by Taehyung's rules. So dropping his voice into a whisper, he said, "Cuddlebunny97."

"What was that?"

"You heard me."

"I don't think I did."

Jungkook planted his hands on the desk and leaned in closer, once again getting a whiff of Taehyung's cologne. "This will be the last time I ever say that username. Cuddle. Bunny. Ninety. Seven."

Taehyung's face lit up with an inner glow—or was it a twinkle of mischief?—as a rich chuckle tumbled out of his mouth. "Okay. I just have to say one thing."

"No, you don't," Jungkook interjected. His voice kicked up an octave, nearly sounding like a whine, as he added, "Hyung."

But Taehyung wasn't deterred. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

Oh. Alright. That wasn't bad. That was fine.

Or it would have been fine. It would have been fine if Taehyung hadn't winked and offered up two more words:

"Cuddle bun."

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

By far, this is my favorite chapter/dialogue I've written in a long time. I'm loving the chemistry between these two already! What did you all think of their second meeting?

Now that JK has decided to keep the sessions, how do we think that experience is going to go? What do you think is going on in Tae's head during all of this?

Get ready to dive deeper into the world of professional cuddling in these upcoming chapters . . . It's going to be an entertaining ride. But as always, I am going to work hard to shed light (and accurate details) on this industry!