Seokjin balled and un-balled his fists, scratching at the seams of his handmade trousers. His mom made them for him for this occasion specifically and would be very upset if she found out he had rubbed them raw, the material already thin as it was. He took a deep breath and stilled his hands only for his left leg to begin bouncing just as anxiously. His anxiety was through the roof as it is but knowing he was about to meet a complete stranger who would basically own him, had him almost hyperventilating. He hoped to whatever was out there that they would take mercy on him and that this stranger nice. He didn't know what he would do if he had to go from one bad environment to another. He only had an hour left before the plane landed in a country he's only seen on TV and with every passing minute, the knot in his stomach tightened just a little bit more.
Seokjin has never been this anxious in his life, but who wouldn't be when you're about to see the man who ordered you online?
The thought made him queasy seeing as he knew he was going to be a mail-ordered husband. It wasn't even the thought of being ordered that made him uneasy. He had always figured it would be with a woman, not a man. It wasn't as if Seokjin hated gays but he was raised a certain way. If anything, Seokjin envied Americans for their freedom. Gays were scarce where he was from, not that they didn't exist where he lived but that they hid themselves so well. If they were found out the public humiliation and prejudice would force them back into hiding. Employers could deny them, churches would shun them, and there was always the chance of getting beat if caught by the drunks late at night. Witnessing this only reinstated Seokjin's idea that men and women were meant to marry, not man and man or woman and woman. His father never made a clear comment to him when he was young about the issues but Seokjin knew not to bring it up. His uncle would be the only one to grumble when he was used as his mom's mannequin for the dresses she would make. Seokjin's father accepted it without saying much considering Mama's dresses brought in extra money each week that they desperately needed. It was his uncle that would voice his displeasure constantly.
Mama, on the other hand, didn't mind much considering Seokjin wouldn't even be on this plane headed to a foreign country to marry a man if it wasn't for her insistence. She seemed perfectly fine with seeing him off at the airport to marry a stranger that had the same genitalia. Not much was said except that she wished his marriage would be a good one and that he called or sent letters whenever he could if his future husband permitted. Of course, this stranger did pay way over Seokjin's original negotiated price, leaving his family well taken care of while he was gone. That is if his uncle didn't get ahold of the money first.
The memory of his mother tightened something in his chest. He hoped she made it back home safe, he hoped Bin Hyun was passed out somewhere and let her be. Kim Jeno was a hardworking woman who didn't deserve the kind of life she got, she had sacrificed so much for Seokjin and his baby sister, and by the stars, he would repay her. Seokjin knew the man he was sent to marry was wealthy, hell, he bought Seokjin's wager fee plus some, so yes, this man was very loaded in Seokjin's eyes. Jin was hoping he could persuade him to help him get his mother and sister over to the States before Bin decides to sell his sister off as well, only this time it wouldn't be to a mail-order facility but for prostitution.
He needed to get to know this stranger, find out his wants and needs in order to be the perfect husband. After he's wrapped around Seokjin's finger, there'd be no issue convincing him to send for his mother and sister.
Seokjin hated the thought of using a stranger but this stranger was about to be his husband, and who knows what he could be like? He didn't even have a picture for his profile and the agency Seokjin was with had a terrible internet connection so he couldn't go off of the pixelated image of him when he tried to search for him online. All he knew was that he owned many companies but not much was said about him. He didn't care if the man was ugly, he just wanted to know if he would be as cruel as Bin Hyun. Or much worse. Seokjin knew you shouldn't judge someone based on looks but sometimes seeing the cruelty in one's eyes was enough to say to hell with that statement. Going from one abusive home to another would honestly break him.
A little voice in the back of Seokjin's mind decided to worm its way forward, asking questions Seokjin refused to think about since the day he agreed to marry a man.
What would he be expecting from Seokjin?
Was he expecting Seokjin to be the masculine of the two? Did there need to be masculine of the two? Or maybe he expected Seokjin to do house-ly duties like cooking and cleaning? This would be fine considering he did much of that at home anyway. It was only two weeks ago that Seokjin agreed to marry him and had asked his sister and mother tips on the subject just in case. From the way his husband-to-be's voice cut in and out from that one video call they had, Seokjin figured he had to take on the more feminine role, which was fine, Seokjin loved cooking and cleaning. The stranger's voice was deep and demanded power in a way that Seokjin had never experienced before. It was intimidating. But the main thing that worried Seokjin was the sex.
Sex. Between two males. With two penises.
It's been a subject Seokjin hasn't wanted to think about: sex with a man. Seokjin wasn't even that experienced with sex in general and they definitely do not teach gay sexual education where he's from. Seokjin, of course, knew that one of them had to be on the receiving end and the thought terrified him. From that simple exchange over the phone, Seokjin knew he would be the one submitting to the man.
How did it even work though?
The only hole he had was a butthole and that was definitely not sanitary, but he wasn't naive. He heard stories from the cruel men who frequently drank at the pub he worked at, he heard about the whore house that provided young boys to customers upon request. He heard of the cruel tales the men crackled at, the way they made those boys cry. It made him sick.
Nerves and the prospect that he would have been turned into one of those boys if he had stayed home jolted him from his seat. He clumsily sped walked down the aisle of the plane, bumping into strangers who stuck out a little too far. The plane was small compared to his original flight, only having three seats in a row. On his first flight, his husband-to-be had gotten him first-class tickets which almost brought Jin to tears because (1) he didn't even think he would ever fly on a plane, and (2) it was unnecessarily nice of his husband-to-be. The man didn't even know Seokjin and still gave him that luxury.
Seokjin managed to make it into the tiny stall that surprisingly fit a small toilet and the tiniest sink he ever laid eyes on. He heaved into the toilet, only releasing spit and tears. He was glad he had refused the small snack the flight attendants had offered him earlier. It was an awkward position since he couldn't bend over properly, the restroom being too small, but he managed. He calmed down after a while, sitting on the toilet and splashing some cold water onto his face.
He had to do this. He had to do this for his sister, for Jieun.
He took a deep breath and left the cramped bathroom to go back to his seat. He could do this. He had no choice.
He had to convince Jeon Jungkook that he was a worthy husband.
*******
"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Jimin asked as waited beside his best friend of 10 years for his mail-ordered husband.
Jungkook shrugged. "I get a husband for family gatherings and he gets to come to the States for free, doesn't have to worry about Immigration after we sign these papers, and I'd say I'm a decent human being to live with. It's a win-win, in my opinion."
Jimin sighed, rubbing his head in annoyance. "Who's to say he'll stay with you after getting married anyway? He'll have his green card as soon as he signs those papers. What's there to tie him to you?"
"Nothing. He is free to leave if he so chooses. I'm not a heartless man, Jimin. I know what I was getting myself into when I paid his wager. His profile said he didn't grow up well; his father died two years ago and his mom had to remarry in order for some stability." Jungkook said nonchalantly, his eyes never leaving the gateway doors.
"So, it's money," Jimin said with a chuckle, finally understanding Jungkook's advantage. "He'll stay with you because he's broke. All that money probably went to his family already."
Jungkook's lips twitched. "He'll probably leave me eventually, but for now the ball is in my court. I just need to get through the next family gathering without my mother setting me up with every girl she meets."
"She does realize you're gay, right?"
"Apparently not. Pretty sure she thinks Namjoon was just a phase."
Jimin snorted sliding his hands into his Dolce & Gabbana dress pants. He drew heads with his expensive get-up, but this was nothing new. Jimin was a sight to behold in almost every setting, his delicate features contrasted nicely with his hard, lean body. It drew the attention of both men and women.
Jungkook on the other hand was a striking contrast with his faded black jeans, leather jacket, and thick black combat boots. He made an intimating sight that contrasted with the actual look he was trying to go for: an attractive, put-together guy. The look was Jimin's doing, the shorter male refusing to let Jungkook meet his fiance in slacks and a flannel-like overcoat like the said male originally wanted. Jungkook wasn't as kempt as Jimin, but the result made up for a masculine and intimidating man. He drew as much attention as Jimin but for probably different reasons. The two made quite the sight as they waited for Jungkook's fiance.
"A phase you never grew out of," Jimin smirked.
Jungkook grunted in agreement, eyes following a recent arrival with long lean legs and a tight ass. He was a simple man.
"So, let me get this straight: you bought a mail-ordered husband to bring to your next family reunion because you didn't want your mom asking when you're going to get married? Like, why was this an idea? Is it that hard to meet someone and date?"
Jungkook's gaze flickered down to where his fingers twiddled the ring on his index finger. It's been almost 8 years since he dated anyone; since he brought anyone home to meet his parents. Strings of one-night-stands and friends with benefits didn't exactly scream boyfriend material. He didn't want to get hurt again and the best way to avoid that was to have complete control of the relationship. Yes, it was completely unorthodox, and yet it wasn't. Seokjin was benefiting from this arrangement as much as he was. The man got his green card as soon as he married Jungkook which allowed him to petition for his family to come to the States as well. Both parties got what they wanted out of it.
"I don't really know why, honestly. Guess I was bored and was tired of my parents hounding me about bringing someone home."
"Hmm. Okay. Most people would just download Tinder but I forgot who I'm talking to. Well, what's this guy like? I didn't even know they had mail-ordered husbands."
"I didn't either until I looked it up. I figured we were advanced enough as a society to have it but I still got a lot of judgment for being a man asking for men with some agencies. Pretty sure they hounded me more than they would have if I was just looking for a bride." Jungkook rolled his eyes over the whole fiasco. It took a whole month to find Seokjin's agency that didn't give him grief about being gay. He had almost given up on the very idea of having a mail-ordered husband at that point until he saw Seokjin's profile picture and then read his bio. His heart had reached out for the man immediately and two months later here he was waiting on his husband-to-be.
"I don't know much about him other than what his profile said. His name is Kim Seokjin and he's a few years older than me. He has a little sister named Jieun. His dad died about two years ago and that's kind of when his life went to shit, so to speak. Without his dad, bills started piling up, he worked at a mill and a bar but it didn't pay enough to help out the family. His mom married his uncle who is an abusive fuck--his profile didn't say that but I could tell he was getting abused at home. The guy spends what little money they have on booze and gambling which made Seokjin sign up with the mail-order agency. He hopes to be a great husband someday and he wants kids." Jungkook finished shortly.
Jimin nodded thinking for a moment before asking, "Was he originally for men? His profile, I mean?"
"Nope. It was originally for women, but for some reason, he had no takers. I think it was because he had only allowed for the 90-day trial rather than immediate marriage. That changed the day he also opened his profile to men as well."
"Huh. Okay. Well, at least you're getting him out of a bad situation but I'm pretty sure you're going to be in for a rough ride." Jimin said thoughtfully.
"Why's that?"
"Because the man's not even gay, Jungkook. You can't turn bi overnight. Clearly, he opened up his profile to include men because he was desperate to get out of there."
Jungkook sighed, stretching and hooking his arm on the back of the seats next to him. He ignored the glances he received from the action. "Yeah, I know."
"You literally could have chosen any other guy that was probably actually gay but you chose the straightest man on that damn site, didn't you?" It wasn't a question, not really.
Jungkook pursed his lips. It was true. He could have chosen someone else, someone that would actually be gay, someone who was actually attracted to men. But he didn't want to. He didn't want them. He wanted Seokjin.
After not getting a response, Jimin sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I guess we can rule out "if he stays" because there is no reason for that straight man to stay and play husband when he's not even gay."
"We don't know that. He could be a late-bloomer, we don't know that. Stop assuming his sexuality. He agreed to the contract for two years--"
"Contract? What contract? Two years?"
"Seokjin's agency is different than most of the ones I researched, okay? They allow for contracts which is why Seokjin originally had the 90-day trial. He changed it to a two-year marriage instead. So, he can leave after two years or stay if we get along well enough. The change actually brought a few contenders but I had outbid them. My family get-togethers are twice a year, so that means I get four reunions with him."
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Jimin gasped. "It all makes sense now. Not really, but I'm going to just go with it. I thought you would maybe get one reunion with him but now it all makes sense. Wait, are you still going to allow him to get his family over here?"
Jungkook nodded. "Of course, the only problem with that is because his family won't be coming over for marriage like him, their visas and possibly citizenships will take a lot longer."
"Wow, wow. Okay. I got you. Does this go for his uncle as well?"
"Hell no. I will not be helping him out with that one."
Jimin nodded, still pretty deep in thought. "When is he supposed to be here?"
Jungkook checked his smartwatch. "He should be here--" The gateway doors opened for foreign flights, indicating that Seokjin has finished with customs. "--right now."
Jungkook and Jimin stood from their seats and waited to spot Seokjin. Well, Jungkook waited to spot Seokjin, Jimin waited on Jungkook's cue. "Thanks for coming with me by the way," Jungkook muttered to Jimin.
Jimin turned to him with a bright smile. "Of course, what wouldn't I do for my kookie-wookie,"
"Annnnd, you ruined it."
"What? Ruined what?" Jimin badgered.
Jungkook ignored him, not raising to the bate. After the swell of people cleared out and no sign of Seokjin, Jungkook began to get antsy. "Where is he?"
"Oh no, he probably put on his straight-thinking hat and realized what a dumb idea this was," Jimin gasped mockingly.
Jungkook shot him a glare.
"Okay, okay. Sorry. I just couldn't miss the opportunity."
A high-pitched voice speaking Korean was heard as another person passed through the automatic doors. "No, I'm not married but I applied for a visa! I'm getting married! No one ever gave me my fiance visa!" Jungkook already chalked it up to the voice being his mail-ordered husband and made a bee-line toward the doors.
"Excuse me, sir, you can't go back there!" Jungkook ignored the guard and passed the doors.
There, a few yards down, dressed in a white button-down and thin tan slacks was his fiance arguing with a customs worker. Jungkook felt his breath catch. He looked even more beautiful in person and it took everything in him to keep walking and not just stop and stare. Seokjin's lips were wet with spit from constant licking and he was licking them right now as he listened to the woman behind to booth speak to him. He had the purest skin Jungkook had ever seen, it looked like it almost deflected dirt it was so pure.
Jungkook finally made it to his side, tearing his eyes away from his husband to be to look at the customs worker. "Is there a problem?"
The woman gave him a confused stare as the guard finally caught up to him. "Sir, I said you can't come back here. You need to leave immediately or I will be forced to remove you." The man was very overweight and looked to be struggling to catch his breath. It was a little concerning.
Jungkook looked at the guard before turning back to the woman behind the desk. "I'm sorry," He said in English. "I think there was a mix-up with papers but he," He nodded in Seokjin's direction. "Is my husband. Well, soon-to-be. For some reason, his visa was sent to my home instead of his but I have everything right here." Jungkook pulls out his wallet and a small identification card with Seokjin's picture and information on it. Seokjin had done all the paperwork over in his country but all documents had arrived at Jungkook's home. He slides the card over the counter.
The guard seems to have caught on and apologized before nodding to both Jungkook and the woman and returning to his post. Jungkook chanced a look over his shoulder to see Soekjin staring at his back with wide eyes. He glanced up only to quickly avert his eyes, a light blush blooming on the tips of his ears. He dropped his book bag and bowed deeply.
Any other time Jungkook would have snorted or smirked, but there was something about Jin's innocent appearance that had his mouth going dry instantly.
The customs worker cleared her throat drawing Jungkook's attention. "Have you spoken with a representative yet about the marriage?"
"Yes, everything is all taken care of, Seokjin should have had someone to talk to before he came over," Jungkook looked back to which Seokjin gave a quick nod before he continued. "Yup, we just need to have the paperwork signed for the marriage and everything will be solidified."
The woman nodded. "You have 90 days from today to have those papers completed or people will be knocking on your door looking for him. You should also visit the immigration office here for paperwork and to make sure you have the proper documentation. Understand?"
"Crystal."
After some more questioning and making sure all documentation was correct, the woman let him and Seokjin free. Jungkook offered to take Seokjin's carry-on which he gave without a word. They met Jimin on the other side of the doors looking ready to brawl.
"What the hell, Kook, you can't take off like that and--O-oh, hello," Jimin stammered as he watched Seokjin peak out from behind Jungkook. The man was clearly larger in width in shoulders but he managed to curl in on himself to look almost invisible behind Jungkook. It also helped that Jungkook was carrying a very packed bookbag that was clearly Jin's.
"H-hello," Seokjin said shyly and gave a deep bow. Seokjin's accent was strong but he appeared to know and understand some basic English. His voice was soft and Jungkook would be lying if he said he didn't like the sound of it.
"I'm not sure how much English he knows but it's probably better to speak Korean in front of him," Jungkook decided.
Jimin gave the same grand bow before straightening. He brought out his hand to shake, remembering his manners and holding on to his forearm. Seokjin came forward and returned to gesture with a bright smile. Jungkook felt a little guilty for not bowing and shaking Seokjin's hand properly.
"That's going to be difficult for you considering you hate speaking Korean," Jimin said pointedly at Jungkook. "Hello, Kim Seokjin-ssi. I'm Park Jimin, Jungkook's friend." Jimin said in Korean to Seokjin.
"I don't hate talking in Korean, I'm just not good at it..." Jungkook grumbled, walking away.
"It is nice to meet you, Park Jimin-ssi. Since you are a friend of my wi--husband," Seokjin's eyes widened comically at his own mistake but he was glad Jungkook was out of earshot. "You may call me Seokjin."
Jimin's eyes gleamed with amusement but he gestured for Seokjin to walk beside him as they followed Jungkook at a much slower pace. "How was your flight, Seokjin-ssi?"
"Oh, it was amazing! It was the first flight I've ever been on. I was scared but I made myself sleep."
"Oh, you took medicine?"
Seokjin shook his head. "No. I made myself go to sleep. I can make myself sleep within minutes."
Jimin's brows shot up. "Wow! That's some talent!"
"Seokjin," Jungkook called over his should.
Seokjin immediately shot to his side with his head bowed. "Yes, husband?"
The response stopped Jungkook dead in his tracks. It was strange having someone respond so quickly and submissively to him. "Uh, please call me Jungkook." Seokjin nodded quickly, head still bowed. Jungkook was going to ask the older man to look at him but he didn't want to push the man too much on his first day in another country. "What does your luggage look like?"
Seokjin cocked his head. "You have my luggage. My bag on your back."
"You didn't bring anything with you?" Jimin asked cautiously.
"I brought what I needed," Seokjin answered simply.
Jungkook considered for a moment before nodding. "Okay, well, let's find the immigration office and get outta here. I hate airports."