"Taehyung, it's good to see you," Namjoon greeted as he walked into the meeting room with the other two boys.
"Good morning, guys."
"So let's get started, hmm?" Hoseok said once everyone sat down and took some documents out of his briefcase. "I'm sure Jeongguk explained to you some things."
"Yes, he did." Taehyung had a serious expression on his face as all of them. Apparently, when they were talking about business, they were completely professional about it, and although Taehyung thought it was the right thing to do, they seemed kind of intimidating.
"Okay, so the photoshoot and the commercial will take place outdoors, at the company's rooftop. We're thinking he can wear a black suit and a dress shirt with a floral design since it's spring. What do you think, Jeongguk?" Namjoon looked at the young CEO at last.
"Sounds perfect."
"I'm sorry, shouldn't we sign a contract first?" Taehyung asked hesitantly.
"The company's lawyer will be here in a moment, don't worry about that," Hoseok informed.
"The concept we want is..." Namjoon rubbed his chin in thought. "Serious, enchanting, and maybe kind of seductive. The photographer will give you all the directions so don't get nervous."
Taehyung gulped as he listened to Namjoon; he truly didn't want to get nervous about it, but he couldn't help it.
"You'll do great, I'm sure," Hoseok cheered him on as he detected how anxious the boy was.
"Yes, you have to be relaxed in order to do a good job. And all of us want you to do well." Namjoon offered him an encouraging smile.
"I want that too," Taehyung uttered with a mild sigh as he lowered his head.
After a few minutes, the lawyer came and explained everything to Taehyung thoroughly. Although the black-haired couldn't understand everything since he hadn't signed a contract before, he trusted the three boys, and especially Jeongguk. He knew that Jeongguk wanted the best for him and he wouldn't do anything to hurt him.
So he signed the contract, and Namjoon went with Hoseok to prepare everything for the photoshoot.
"I have work today, though. Will I be able to finish on time?" Taehyung asked the CEO as they strolled towards his office.
"Maybe you'll be an hour late or something. I'm sure Inguk will be okay with that."
"I'll call him." Taehyung fished his phone out of his pocket and called him.
Indeed, Inguk was understanding about it and didn't have a problem with him being late. "When will I start?"
"They will get everything ready as soon as possible. Don't worry so much about it," Jeongguk said softly as they entered the office.
"How can I not?" he murmured as he wilted on the couch.
Jeongguk peered at the boy through fond eyes for a moment and perched next to him. He cupped his cheeks, instructing him to look at him, and gave him a soothing smile. "You'll do great, Tae."
"You don't know that." Taehyung melted in his touch, placing his hands over his.
"I do know that." He dragged his thumbs across his smooth cheeks, eyes wandering his gorgeous traits. "Even if you just stand there doing nothing, you'll be the most handsome model ever."
A shy smile dangled on the corner of his lips as he lowered his gaze. "Who's exaggerating now?"
"I'm not, trust me."
"I didn't know you can be this sweet," Taehyung commented, a fragment of teasing in his voice, leading both to chuckle.
"Only for you." He enclosed him in his hug and caressed his back with tender moves.
Taehyung stayed silent at his remark and fastened his arms around his nape. He knew even if he asked why he was such an exception for Jeongguk, he wouldn't get an answer. Or at least an answer other than 'I don't know'. "You should work so Yoongi won't scold you again."
"I know." He released a faint sigh as he drew back. Although they were together from the moment they woke up, Jeongguk wanted to spend more time with him. He found himself wanting more. More of him. "Do you perhaps, um, want to sleep?" he asked in the hope that he could have Taehyung in his embrace again while working.
"Um, not really, I'm too tense to sleep now," Taehyung said with a small shrug, not failing to notice the slight pout that appeared on his face a second later.
"Okay." He presented an overcast smile to him and receded to his desk.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You're literally sulking right now." He couldn't constrain his chuckle at the endearing sight.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to cuddle you like before while working, but that would be weird if you don't want to sleep, right?" He tittered as he tossed his head down, uneasy.
"If it helps you, I don't mind." Taehyung, of course, was more than joyous at the thought of snuggling with the younger again. He could stay all day and all night in his warm, cozy hug, and he still would be unable to get enough of it — of him.
And that was how Jeongguk ended up sitting on his chair again with Taehyung clutching onto him tightly. "Why is your skin so soft?" the older purred as he caressed his nape.
"I don't know, but since you like it, I'm not complaining," Jeongguk uttered in a playful tone, earning a soft giggle from him.
Taehyung remained mute after that, not wanting to distract him from his work. Being able to hug him like this without a particular reason felt like heaven to him. And since he didn't want it to end anytime soon, he let the silence reign over them and caressed his nape and back tenderly, enjoying as much as he could from that hug.
But he couldn't help but think about what it meant exactly. He dwelled on it over and over again without getting somewhere. It wasn't normal anymore, and he knew it. It wasn't normal to want Jeongguk around him 24/7. It wasn't normal to want to hug and touch him all the time. And it was definitely not normal to think about kissing him every time their faces were close.
After almost thirty minutes, he pulled back a tad, causing him to stop his movements. "Jeongguk, what is... this?" he whispered, a deep frown engulfing his features as he set his gaze on him.
Jeongguk's hands traveled from the keyboard to his waist and held onto it. "What is what?"
"This." He pointed between them. "I mean, it feels nice, but it's not something two friends would do?" he said, hesitant and unsure, his voice barely audible.
The younger gulped as he couldn't think of anything to answer him. It was strange for him too, and he had thought about it endlessly, but he couldn't find an answer himself. What was he supposed to say to him then?
"I—" He fell silent at the ringing of his phone. Perfect timing. "Hyung."
"Tell Taehyung to come to the rooftop. The photographer is here," Namjoon informed, and they hung up the phone.
"They're ready. You should go."
"I'm nervous," he mumbled as he clasped the boy, completely forgetting about their unfinished conversation.
"Don't be, Tae, you'll do great. Just follow the photographer's directions." He squeezed him a few times and gave him some heartening pats on his back.
"I hope so." Taehyung sighed as he heaved himself to his feet.
"Fighting!" He cheered with a broad smile as he held a first in the air.
"Thanks, Kook, you're the best." Taehyung broke into a grin and then trod out of the office. Once he got to the rooftop, Hoseok gave him his clothes and told him to change. The black-haired boy did without questioning anything, and soon enough, he was ready.
*This is what he's wearing*
"Wow," Hoseok uttered, amazed by how charming he was in that outfit.
"You look stunning, Tae," Namjoon said with an amused smile as he continued staring at the boy.
"Thanks." Taehyung dropped his head in timidity, nibbling his lower lip.
"Okay, guys! We're ready," Hoseok announced. "This is Kai, the photographer."
"Nice to meet you." Taehyung smiled at the boy as he bowed.
"I haven't seen you around. What's your agency?" Kai blurted out with furrowed eyebrows.
"Um, I don't have one? I'm not a professional model."
"Are you serious? With that face, everyone would be dying to have you."
"I doubt that." An awkward chuckle slipped out of his mouth.
"Kai has an eye for these things and many years of experience. Don't underestimate him," Hoseok said with a wiggle of his brows.
"It's okay," Kai chimed in. "He doesn't believe in himself yet, and it's normal since he doesn't have experience. So shall we start?"
Taehyung nodded and strode closer to the car that was parked at the center. It seemed incredibly expensive and luxurious, and although he couldn't recognize the brand, he didn't care that much about it. He inhaled a chest-swelling breath in an attempt to ease his rapid heartbeat, and he succeeded just a notch.
"Okay, great, taking deep breaths can help you relax, that's good. Now imagine that you're alone and you can't actually see me either. You can just hear my voice guiding you," Kai said in a delicate tone, trying to relax the boy more. "Now, lean against the car with your shoulder and put your left hand into your pocket. Cross your right foot over the other, yes, great," he said once he saw that Taehyung was following instructions well.
"Now, tilt your head slightly to the right side and look at the camera. Relax your lips and think that in front of you right now is someone you're craving the most in this world."
Only one person came to his mind once he heard what the photographer said. Jeongguk.
"Yes, that's perfect." Kai took the first two shots and seemed quite satisfied by the result. "You know the concept. All you have to do now is experiment."
And Taehyung did. He changed his posture but kept the idea of Jeongguk being in front of him. He even added a faint, alluring smile that made Kai exclaim happily at how natural Taehyung was on camera.
Once Kai was satisfied with the shots he had, he instructed him to go in front of the car and took some more there. Later, he decided to take some close-up photos with Taehyung in the car. Everything went by smoothly, and after almost one hour and a half, they finished.
"You're a natural!" Kai said with a beam, leading the boy to crack a sheepish smile.
"Thank you for your hard work." Taehyung started clapping then, and everyone followed his lead. He couldn't believe his first photoshoot was a complete success.
"You did great, Tae!" Hoseok cried with a perky voice.
"He did." Namjoon agreed with a nod.
"Thank you. What about the commercial?"
"All we need is a shot with you walking beside the car. We'll use the footage from this photoshoot."
"You were recording all this time?" Taehyung asked, surprised, since he hadn't noticed.
"Yeri was," Namjoon said with a chuckle as he pointed at the girl who was handling the camera.
"Oh, I didn't notice." Taehyung scratched the back of his neck, a tad embarrassed.
"It's okay. Now, let's take one more shot and we're done." Hoseok stepped aside with Namjoon following him.
Taehyung did what Yeri instructed him to do, and soon enough, he was done. Again, he thanked everyone and clapped for them, a sigh of relief passing through his lips since everything went well.
"You can keep the clothes. They fit you perfectly." Hoseok ruffled the boy's hair.
"Seriously? Can I?"
"Of course." Namjoon chuckled. "You can go back to Jeongguk now."
"Thank you, guys!" he said in a fit of excitement as he clasped the two boys. He decided not to change his clothes as he wanted to see Jeongguk's reaction. Everyone was praising him and telling him how good he looked in that outfit, and he couldn't wait to see his reaction too.
Once he was outside of his office, he knocked three times as usual and waited until Jeongguk let him in. He flung the door open and posed as if he was still in a photoshoot, staring at the boy with a rather sultry gaze. The moment Jeongguk looked up from his computer, he discerned his eyes enlarging and his mouth falling open.
"I look good, right?" Taehyung asked with a kittenish giggle as he swaggered into the room.
"Are you kidding? Shit, you look... wow."
To say that he looked good was a sheer underestimate for Jeongguk. He didn't seem able to even form a simple sentence upon seeing the ravishing boy. His mouth was still open by his amazement, his eyes still bigger than usual, and he was left gawking at him in a daze.
"You're not gonna ask me how it went?" Taehyung asked after a while as he perched onto the couch.
"Um, yeah, sorry." Jeongguk cleared his throat as he hung his head. "How was it?"
"Great! I did well. At least Kai seemed satisfied."
"That's good, Tae. Well done."
"Thanks!" Taehyung was beyond gleeful at that moment. His photoshoot went perfectly well, and he also managed to leave Jeongguk speechless with his appearance. What else could he ask?
"You finished earlier than expected too."
"Yeah, I was a natural as Kai said."
"Well then, I'll tell Hanae to drive you to work."
"No, I can take a bus."
"I'm not letting you do that," Jeongguk stated in a strict tone as he texted Hanae.
"You're so stubborn."
"It's a part of my charm," he teased as he recalled Taehyung's words from that night they were in his office.
"I bet it is." He snorted. "Thank you for this job, Jeongguk." He rose from his seat and traipsed closer without whisking his gaze away.
"My hyungs offered you the job." Jeongguk tracked his movements with his eyes in depth until the boy stood in front of him.
"I've already thanked them, but I haven't thanked you." He leaned down and muffled him into a tight hug. "Thank you, Kook."
Jeongguk slipped his arms around his waist right away. "Don't worry about it."
This particular hug lasted longer than usual. "Will you come by the cafe today?" Taehyung asked in a whisper as he looked at him fondly.
"Of course." A warm smile surfaced on his lips as he brushed his hair back.
"I'll see you later then?"
"Yes."
Taehyung gave him another short hug. "Bye."
"See you." He kept his eyes on the boy until the very moment he couldn't see him anymore. A long, pent-up sigh leaked out of his mouth as he started working again. This is getting out of hand.
⚜✳⚜
*Because many of you are curious about Baekhyun — after what happened between them, they didn't get in touch with each other. Maybe it seems weird to some of you, but it happens more often than you think. It has happened to me too😅💜*