It had been a long time since he rode on a subway. They were always a little loud and most of the time crowded. But he never minded because he spent most of his time people-watching.
There was always the occasional couple, all hugged up or kissing. Before now, PDA had always irked him. But after being in an authentic love relationship, he got it. He too had experienced dating someone he loved to touch.
And then there were the workaholics. They seemed to spend their days coming and going. These people probably came from different backgrounds but they all had something in common. All of them were a part of the rat race. Coming and going. To clear his mind of his own problems, Jeon Jungkook was watching them.
He would take the scenic route today, as he had nothing else planned for the afternoon. He made it to Grand Central Station and it was full of New Yorkers scurrying about. He liked to listen to the hustle and bustle of busy New Yorkers. It was like white noise to him, very calming.
He joined the others onto the subway. It would be about a ten-minute ride for him, so he got settled in. His phone got his attention as it dinged. He had meant to turn it off. He would do so after looking at his messages again.
Taehyung
Baby, please answer
the phone. Where
are you?
Hmph. He's got the nerve to call me baby.
He decided to check his messages from Jimin.
Jimin
Hey, I just wanted
to check on you. After
what happened
yesterday, you must
be a total mess. Please
let me know you're ok.
Give me a call.
He texted him back that he was fine and that he would talk to him later. Then he turned off his phone. He needed to be able to think. Or better yet, not think.
This was his special hiding place. The borough of Manhattan had many charming and exciting places to settle into, but his favorite was a place on Lenox Ave in Harlem. The Red Rooster was an art piece in itself, but mainly an eatery where comfort food was served. The place had a bar. And there were tables at the front if customers wanted to sit in a window seat, to be able to people-watch as New Yorkers were rushing about.
His favorite thing about this place was that he could walk in and no one cared who he was. The chef and the wait staff grew to know him because of how much he frequented the place. But, other than that, The Red Rooster was a getaway spot that allowed him to keep his anonymity.
Usually, he would need to reserve a table, but today he got one in a secluded corner of the restaurant. This spot was perfect. He could still get a glimpse of the people walking outside, while also being able to people-watch inside the restaurant itself. But, most of all, he was visiting The Red Rooster to eat his feelings, sulk while drinking, and try to sort out all the battling thoughts that ran through his mind.
He ordered fried chicken with collard greens and honey cornbread. From the bar, he got the Passion In Harlem which had cognac, lemon, passion fruit, vanilla, and champagne.* He could drink up. It wasn't like he was going to have to drive home.
Home. That word made him feel sad, angry, and perplexed. What the hell was going on with his life? He had been stalked for months, only to find that the guy was stalking the wrong person. He could've been murdered by mistake. This shit only happened on tv. But, reality tv showed up in his life and would have subdued him if it weren't for the love of his life/door dasher/personal/secret agent Kim Taehyung. He saved him. Taehyung built him up to let him down. Jungkook's heart was crushed.
Taehyung was a perfect partner, so it seemed. He was gorgeous. As a matter of fact, he was so hot that he had Jimin and Baker as fans for life. He swooped into his life so fast. In a blink of an eye, he went from being his door dasher to being his lover. He made him believe that he could do a relationship. And now, he was the one that proved to him he couldn't handle it.
This feeling came about once he saw his driver's license. Why in the hell did he say he was 22? That was the question he had on his mind all the way from the hospital to his apartment the day before. Why did he have to lie about his age? Maybe it was because he was pretending to be a college student.
He didn't know much about relationships, but he thought that the situationship he had with him was special. Jungkook thought that there were no secrets between them. Taehyung seemed like an honest guy. But, he was wrong. He was a secret agent or detective.
He should have known he was a cop. There were some clues he looked over. For example, he always carried his gun. He even carried it when they went out to dinner. When the stalkers were after him, he always knew what to do next to try to catch them. Then he showed up in his office when the girl with the Russian accent held him at gunpoint and he restrained her.
He remembered that he showed him a special place for him when growing up. It was the cubby hole in his parents' basement. The hideaway was full of cops, crime, and detective clippings. He had shared that being a detective was his dream job. Back then, he thought it was adorable that he wanted to do that type of work. Taehyung could've confided in him inside that cubby. But he didn't.
Jungkook should have also known that he was older than 22. He was very articulate and insightful. He would marvel at his wisdom sometimes. He seemed to be already highly educated as he portrayed himself as a young college student.
Then there was the mind-blowing sex. How would a 22-year-old know how to satisfy him in bed like he did? He had to have had some experience. Taehyung pleased him so in bed that he knew he was addicted to his body. Kim Taehyung was a sex god.
He remembered once when they were both busy with work. He was out of town. Now that Jungkook thinks about it, he must've been working at his real job during the times he said he was busy. But, one particular time he was away for an evening. He was horny for him and he sexed him up on the phone. Tae talked him into an orgasm. His body shifted in his seat as he thought about it.
He should've known he was too good to be true. He ended up being a liar and a fraud. And now, Jungkook was probably pregnant with his child. Ever since he told him, he's been asking him to get the baby tested to make sure it wasn't Reed's. He doubted that it was the personal's but he needed to be sure.
He was in conflict and confused as to whether he would keep the baby or not. Could he handle being a father? And if he did keep the baby, what would his relationship be like with Taehyung?
A baby with him would be adorable though. Maybe he would have a little girl or boy that had big brown eyes like his, with thick brown hair.
His food was brought out to him and he dug in as he contemplated what to do about his life. He didn't know what he would do about Taehyung.
He said he loved him. But he had been lying to him this whole time. He did have to admit that he cared for him. He rescued him from the stalker situation. But, maybe he did that just because he was a cop-not because he wanted to help him. He was probably just performing his cop duties.
Taehyung had also catered to his needs. How did this fit in with his life of lies? He wondered about all the times they made love. Every time they had sex, it felt like they were one person. Their souls would be somehow melded together. He always performed aftercare if he needed it. He would make him bubble baths and massage his body if he had had a long day. He seemed to cater to his every need. He was indeed boyfie material. Was he doing all of that for his job, just to trick him? His heart sank as he thought that all that they had was a lie. How could he have been so stupid?
Taehyung had sent him text after text. He was worried because he had been left alone without his security. Even though the perpetrators had been caught, he knew Jungkook was a little fragile at the moment and didn't need to be left alone.
Taehyung hated himself for walking out on him. He just needed time to think. Jungkook laid some pretty heavy news on him. He had slept with someone else and was now pregnant. Taehyung hated the fact Jungkook was with someone else intimately. The thought made him see red. But, Jungkook was not his property to own. He was trying not to be possessive, but he really did love him. The thought of him being with someone else drove him nuts.
He had time to think and he came up with a decision that would affect them both. Taehyung didn't want to pressure Jungkook. But, he decided that if he would agree to it and still want to be with him, he would raise the child even if he or she wasn't his biologically. He loved Jungkook that much. If he loved Jungkook, then he definitely would love the child.
He shouldn't have lied to him. There were plenty of opportunities for him to come clean. He wished he could rewind and go back to when they were visiting his family. He wished he had told him the moment that he showed him his cubby hole he used as a kid.
A phone call interrupted his thoughts. It was Jeon Seojun.
"Hello," Taehyung answered.
"Hello, Taehyung. I hate to bother you but have you seen or heard from Jungkook? He's not at his apartment and not answering his phone."
"He's not texting me back. I don't know where he is," Taehyung said.
"Maybe you could call him instead of texting him? Maybe he will pick up," Seojun suggested.
"Sorry to say sir, but your son and I had an argument last night and he's very upset with me right now. I doubt if he picks up a call from me."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure he's a little on edge by what went down in his office. That's why I wanted someone with him at all times until he was no longer fragile. His mom is going crazy because he won't pick up the phone. So, I thought I'd call you for help."
"Well, I can look for him or try to call to see if he answers. But, Mr. Jeon, don't get your hopes up. He's really mad at me right now," Taehyung said before they hung up.
Where could he be?
He tried calling him first and the call went straight to voice mail. Then he texted him. He got no reply.
He checked with Jimin and he had informed Taehyung that Jungkook was not responding to his texts or calls.
Jungkook was upset and probably just needed to clear his head. Taehyung searched Central Park to make sure he wasn't there. He went to his favorite lunch spot in the Billionaire's Row area and he wasn't there. Looking for someone in New York was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Then Taehyung's mind was bombarded with a memory.
"What is this place?" Taehyung asked.
"You saw the sign," he said as he chuckled. "It's called The Red Rooster. I come here to be alone."
"But, there are lots of people here and outside walking by. How are you alone with all of these people around?"
"I don't know them and they don't know me. So, I can sit and be still, listening to my thoughts without being disturbed."
"But, when we walked in, the lady behind the counter knew you. She called you by name."
"The staff knows me because I come here quite a bit," he explained. "Let's order because I'm starving."
Jackpot. He had to be at The Red Rooster. He got onto the subway that headed toward Harlem. He made it to the restaurant and walked in. Sitting in the very back in a corner was a beautiful brown-haired man. He walked up to him and Jungkook looked up, astonished.
"Fuck, Taehyung! Why did you creep up on me like that?" He asked.
"I didn't mean to scare you. Your dad called me looking for you. We were all worried."
"I don't need you to worry about me anymore."
"You're saying that because you're upset. And you have every right to be."
"Thanks, Detective Kim, for your permission to be upset." He said that as he looked down and saw that his gun was on him and he had an NYPD police badge on his side.
"I didn't come to fight Jungkook. I was just worried about you. You've been through a lot and then you found out you were pregnant while learning also that I was an undercover cop. It's been a rough 24 hours for you. I'm sorry for the pain that I might've caused. I really am."
He continued as he took a seat in the chair in front of him.
"I still love you," Taehyung said as he placed his hand on top of his on the table.
"I may not have much experience with relationships but I don't think a person can say they love someone when they've lied to them for the entirety of their time together," Jungkook said.
"You're right. A relationship is built on trust. And I betrayed your trust by not telling you who I was or who I am. But, baby, I'm still Taehyung. I'm still the guy you fell in love with. I'm the guy that took you to meet my family because I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Jungkook, I want you to give us another chance. We can go as slow as you want."
He didn't respond. He just kept looking down at his drink.
He continued, "And as far as the pregnancy goes if you decide to take me back, I'll take care of, love, and cherish that baby whether it's mine or not. I'll support you in whatever you decide to do. I just want to be together, ok? Please, will you think about it?"
"What exactly am I supposed to think about?" He asked.
"Us," he answered.
"There was never an us. We were a lie from the beginning. You were my fake boyfriend in more ways than one."
"That's not true. Yes, you hired me to be your fake boyfriend. And I approached you due to my duty as a cop. But, we both caught feelings for each other and now here we are. I know you've dodged having relationships in the past because you didn't want to deal with crap like this. But, this is real life, sweetheart. You can't run from real life. You can't run from us. We happened, whether you like it or not."
Jungkook looked up at him without saying anything.
"I'll give you some time. But, for now, it's supposed to start raining soon and I'd hate for you to get sick. Can I accompany you in heading back to your place?"
Jungkook decided to leave with him. He paid the check and they headed out.
"I know you're still mad, but in the meantime, and in the spirit of honesty and transparency, there's someone I'd like you to meet."
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