“I’ll call you back, Jimin.”

Taehyung ended the call after Jimin’s farewell, casting his phone aside as he watched you sluggishly plop down onto a chair by the island.

“Hey, good morning.” Taehyung greeted.

Your eyes were nearly half-lidded, not even returning his greeting as you instead propped your elbows onto the counter, holding your head in your hands.

“Did you not sleep well?” Taehyung inquired, concerned by your lethargic state.

“I don’t even know. I think I eventually did but I tried sleeping mad, and that’s never good.” You answered honestly, groaning at the sleep still lulling the back of your eyes.

“It’s because of those women, isn’t it?” Taehyung accused bitterly. “Can you please tell me what they said? It’s bothering me too.” He admitted with an irritated tone, bringing his teacup to his lips as he kept recalling your hair from yesterday; most likely wet due to something they did.

And it still pissed him off, even if he didn’t exactly know why.

“I’ll tell you when I’m dead.” You deadpanned, collecting yourself and biting into a kiwi from a bowl of fruits.

You couldn’t help but remember the context of what they conveyed, nodding towards knowing Taehyung for more intimate reasons, and you oddly felt jealousy at the thought. Though you ultimately decided to leave it be, patiently wait for Taehyung himself to open up about his past with women.

Because after all, it wasn’t your business.

“God, why’d the night just have to suck so much?” You complained.

“I have no clue. I swear galas aren’t like that at all. They’re actually usually boring.”

“Well, clearly not this one.” You beamed superficially, assuming a perpetually grumpy mood as you began to pick at food.

Taehyung had done much thinking about the event when you’d both returned to your humble abode, you having shredded everything off your body to immediately sleep while Taehyung dressed down and sat in his office chair to brood.

There was something bugging him.

“Honestly, I think it all came down to one problem.” Taehyung claimed, leaning forward onto the island to level himself with you, hands clasped against the counter.

“What problem?” You questioned.

“I think it has to do with the legitimacy of our marriage.” Taehyung suggested. “Hisung only approached me because he thinks our marriage isn’t real, and said others can tell too. That’s not good at all.” Taehyung cautioned, becoming troubled by the realization himself.

You nodded in agreeance, recalling the events from last night. “Actually, I think you’re right. Those girls mentioned our marriage seeming fake too, and how people can apparently tell.” You informed, thinking it was alarming yourself three people had already told you the marriage seemed superficial.

“Really? Did they say anything else? Why they think that?” Taehyung asked eagerly.

You became apprehensive about spilling the details of what was said to you, not wanting to throw another pity party. So you masked some of the vile words and relayed an augmented summary instead. “It was just about the marriage lacking substance. There seems to be no love, so it seems fake.”

Taehyung digested that, rubbing against his lips inquisitively as he reviewed the information. “So the issue is we don’t seem in love?”

“Probably. You can usually tell when two people are in love, and that’s clearly not us.” You’re not sure why your heart felt a little sting at that claim, again painfully remembering you were robbed of ideally falling in love with someone, but now more so at the fact Taehyung and yourself could possibly never achieve that sense of love.

Taehyung also felt a twinge at your comment, thinking it was a touchy subject, though wasn’t against the idea if it ever auspiciously occurred in the future.

Could it ever really happen between you two, though?

“You’re right, but is anything we’re doing wrong? We act like a couple, don’t we?” Taehyung added, uncertain of the reason behind people’s suspicions considering how much of a show you two put on in public.

“I mean, maybe it’s not that.” You suggested. “I think it has to do with our statuses.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows.

“I’m some runaway heiress, Taehyung, and you’re one of the most powerful CEOs in Seoul. It could easily seem like something’s behind our marriage with that knowledge.” You reasoned, feeling some of the daunting words those women said to you resurfacing, pairing with your mother’s awful insults. “I have an incredibly scandalous reputation compared to you, it can seem fishy. ”

Taehyung painted his face with slight disapproval, not liking what you said. “You’re not just some runaway heiress…”

“Look, scratch the reason.” You moved on before you could overthink his sentiment. “We just have to appear more couple-like, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So why don’t we try it? We should probably start going on dates, maybe.. I don’t know, you start driving me to work or something, build our public image as a couple.”

Taehyung became intrigued by your idea, accepting the proposal. “You’re right. Maybe we should even spend our lunches together?” He offered his own suggestion. “I visit you and you visit me, say.. once a week? People would always see us at each other’s workplaces so it could deal with the status thing.”

“Yeah, I think that works.” You agreed. “If we lay enough pieces of evidence, people won’t speculate so much.” You figured, feeling good about the proposal yourself.

“We’ll need to plant more evidence than just dates and driving, though.” Taehyung pushed himself off the counter and advised, gesturing towards your device suddenly. “What do you have me saved as in your contacts?”

You didn’t understand where he was going though followed his instruction, unlocking your phone and displaying Taehyung’s contact on the screen, turning the device towards him.

CEO Kim Taehyung.

“Why’d you give me such a formal contact name?” Taehyung nearly looked offended, folding his arms as he scrutinized you.

“Hey, you’re a year older than me. I thought I’d have some respect.” You pouted as you answered, knowing you were right in your action.

“I don’t do the whole age and honorifics thing.” Taehyung dismissed. “You should have me named as something less boring, more cute.” He proposed as he leaned back against the counter again, watching you in all your morning glory as you pouted grumpily at him.

You looked soft this way, and even if you were flashing him a testy look, he couldn’t help but find you cute for the umpteenth time.

You narrowed your eyes at him as you typed in a new contact name, snickering to yourself when you turned your phone back to him.

Taehyung zeroed in on the screen.

Bread Crust Boy

“That’s cute, right?”

“Yah, you’re so…” Taehyung huffed out before he leaned over and quickly snatched your phone from you, typing in something himself.

“Hey!” You almost propped off your chair and protested before Taehyung finished, flashing the screen to you.

Taehyung ♡

“There.” He smiled to himself accomplishedly, offering your phone back.

The emoji made you a little shy, never having thought about putting a heart next to his name. “Why the heart?” You grumbled under a rosy blush.

“It’s cute. I’ll change yours too.” You retrieved your phone and watched Taehyung pull his own out, typing with one hand.

You realized peering at him do so that even a relatively large phone appeared small in Taehyung’s hand, impressed by his ability to work his phone so deftly.

It made you momentarily think about what his hands could do in other scenarios.

Taehyung then hummed to himself satisfied and it brought you down to earth, seeing him grin at his screen before he turned his phone to you.

ARI ♡

“Now when people see our contacts it’s more realistic.” Taehyung explained, shutting off his phone as you caught sight of the plain wallpaper of his device.

“On that note, we should probably change our wallpapers. Make them pictures of us.” You suggested with a strawberry in your mouth, thinking this was one of the primary ways of flaunting a relationship.

“But we don’t have any pictures.”

“Sure we do.” You answered distractedly as you swallowed, accessing the camera on your phone suddenly. “Come here.” You gestured for him to come to you, holding out your arm as you remained in your seat.

Taehyung became a little apprehensive, stepping over to you with crossed arms not understanding what you’re doing. He made to your side and you draped an arm around him, pulling him down to your height and he complied by bending, becoming eye-level with you. His expression dropped once he caught sight of your camera app open.

“Seriously, we’re gonna take a selca?”

You smiled sweetly for the camera as you answered absentmindedly. “Yes we are, say cheese!” You cheered annoyingly, snapping the photo before he could even protest.

You reviewed the photo only to find Taehyung wasn’t even smiling, rather looking at the camera blankly and with crossed arms like he was fed up.

“Taehyung..” You whined. “Can’t you smile? Why is your face always so scary?”

“It’s a habit.” He defended, eyes narrowed.

“Well smile for me. We have to look like a couple, remember?” You tried to encourage, pulling him close to you again and extending your phone for another photo.

You were all about adjusting your position and smiling again until Taehyung spoke up all of a sudden, nearly making you choke.

“You like my smile, don’t you?” His voice was smug as ever, you snapping the photo just as your eyes went wide. You instantly took a trip down memory lane, recalling how you so boldly listed the things you liked about him last night, genuine things and he’d heard it all.

“Wh-what? I just said that for the guys, totally not true.” You sputtered, feigning innocence as you grimaced at the terrible photo you took; your expression surprised with Taehyung smirking devilishly.

“Hmm, sure.” Taehyung played along, though suddenly got all mischievous. “I recall something about my hands and voice too, no?” He began teasing, dropping his voice an octave lower as he ghosted the shell of your ear, arms unfolding so he could wrap his large, warm palms around your waist and pull you snug to his chest.

You shivered at the actions, feeling extremely attacked by nearly all of your favourite aspects of him coming on at once, and you deflected it all speedily.

“H-hey, we have a photo to take. Make it cute, cuddler boy.” You quipped back at him, knowing a clear blush was heating your cheeks while positioning the phone for another photo.

“Ugh, fine.” Taehyung groaned, ultimately assuming a friendlier smile as he still hugged around your torso, cheek to cheek as you two grinned for the camera.

You snapped the photo and admired it; both of you dressed all homey adding to the domestic feel of the selca while quite intimately close together.

It looked cute though a little too simple, didn’t convey the message you two wanted practically flashing in front of everyone like a neon sign. “This looks too plain, let’s do something cuter.” You suggested into the air, though beamed when another idea dawned on you. “Oh my god, let’s take a Live Photo!”

“What?” Taehyung questioned as he glanced at you.

“A Live Photo, genius. We’ll smile for the picture at first then do something cute, so when people hold down on it it’ll look all couply!” You were practically jumping out of your seat, explaining like an excited child showing off their favourite toy, and Taehyung found it incredibly adorable.

“Okay, that sounds good.” Taehyung and yourself then settled next to each other again, his arms encasing your waist tighter as you held the phone out.

“Remember, make it cute.” You remarked, feeling his temple against yours as you initiated the Live Photo.

You both smiled at first, your usual grins until you ended up scrunching your nose, eyes turning into pretty crescents and Taehyung flashed a boxy grin, free hand coming up for a V sign.

You thought that was the end, concluding the photo already cute enough until Taehyung suddenly turned his head and pressed a kiss to the apple of your cheek, your expression baffled.

The Live Photo caught Taehyung’s kiss though cut off right before your reaction, Taehyung’s soft lips now on your mind. Your own lips turned into an inquisitive pout, doe-eyes looking at him. “What was that for?”

“You said make it cute.” Taehyung casually shrugged, grasping his cup of tea from across the counter and taking a sip, eyeing you as he did so.

You could only sit innocently and break eye contact, timid about the fact that Taehyung just decided to kiss you. The little sound of his mouth leaving it also made something swell in your chest, finding the act too cute for its own good and you seriously needed to do something about your stupid blushing habit.

Why the fuck did he always get you like this?

Taehyung was unbothered as he watched you, your shy self returning to your phone reluctantly and he seriously couldn’t stop from snickering at your reaction.

“I’ll..uh, send it to you.” You offered practically hiding your face into your phone, working away on the device. “Live Photo’s don’t work on home screens, by the way. Unless you don’t care about your home screen.”

“We should change our home screens. Maybe one of our wedding photos?” Taehyung suggested, his hand hooked onto the back of your chair as he stood next to you.

“That sounds good. We should probably try keeping a wedding photo in each of our offices, the house too. Looks super domestic.” You proposed as you sent the photos to Taehyung’s contact.

“Our photographer sent some to me a few days ago, let’s look.” Taehyung placed his cup down and referred to his phone, bending down beside you and leaning an elbow against the counter to draw closer to you. His one arm was still around your chair and enclosed you, making your chest flutter a little.

You both scrolled through numerous photos, mutually dismissing most of them since they either appeared staged, someone looked too unhappy or they simply turned out unfavourable. You both were nearly giving up until Taehyung landed on a photo taken of you two at the altar, perfectly timed at the moment after you both shared your first kiss. You both were looking almost dreamily into each other’s eyes, in such a genuine manner it reminded you of why your expression appeared so in the first place.

Taehyung had made his little promise before he kissed you, and quite tenderly at that, dawning the realization Taehyung was actually a kind person, someone considerate enough to ensure your kiss was somehow magical despite the circumstances of your coerced marriage. It’s what made you look at him in earnest, your eyes shimmering brightly at him with a soft smile.

Taehyung found himself smiling at the photo as well, recalling that very moment. He’d thought your lips were so delicate, and sincerely hated seeing you fight so hard to do this for him, with him. So the sudden, emphatic need to make your world a better place, that he at least owed you the care of a real husband dawned on him at that time, smile warm as he looked into your Bambi-like eyes. 

Suffice to say, you both liked the photo, and it was you who spoke up to point it out. “I think this is the best one.”

“Yeah, me too.” Taehyung agreed with a grin as he looked at you, though you were only focused on the photo.

“We should get this printed, plaster it everywhere to be convincing enough.” You brought Taehyung back to reality, addressing the whole purpose of this conversation in the first place.

Taehyung mentally recollected and lifted himself off the counter. “Yeah, I’ll um.. send it to you for your home screen, get it printed for our offices and the house.”

You nodded as you returned to eating your breakfast, all completely normal and Taehyung couldn’t understand how you could be, thinking a lot just happened in the last 10 minutes that wasn’t exactly average between you both, and yet you were unaffected.

“How about we go on a date next weekend? I’ll take you somewhere.” Taehyung perked up from his own thoughts.

“Sure.” You agreed, distracted as you set the Live Photo as your lock screen.

“Is there anywhere you want to go?” Taehyung watched your distracted self, clicking away at the device and he oddly wished you’d look at him.

“I’d love anywhere. Do you have a favourite place?” You inquired unexpectedly, catching Taehyung off-guard.

“Me? My favourite place?”

“Mhm.” You nodded.

“My… favourite place?” Taehyung reiterated to himself, never having been inquired of such a thing before and didn’t know how to answer. “I don’t.. think anyone’s ever asked me that.”

You furrowed your eyebrows to yourself, eyes still glued to centering your lockscreen properly. “Really? Well, now I have. I’ll go anywhere you like. You’re in charge, Mr. Kim.” You gave Taehyung the wheel.

Taehyung sincerely tried not to feel affected by you addressing him as Mr. Kim, though felt himself tensing at the term more than he should’ve anyway, mind wandering places.

What would you sound like if you said that in another scenario?

Taehyung ticked his head to the side reprimanding himself, audibly taking a breath and clearing his scandalous thoughts. He then returned to his other intoxicating thoughts; where he’d realized he was seldom asked questions about himself, and you seemed to be the only person who ever did.

“Alright, then. I’ll think of a date for us.” Taehyung affirmed. “We should enact all this right off the bat, by the way. I’ll drive you to work from now on starting Monday, and I’ll come by at your lunch hour.”

“Sounds good. Though are you sure about dropping me off every morning?” You looked up at him beside you, knowing it was your own suggestion though only threw it out there for the sake of the conversation, considering later Taehyung had a more demanding career than you. “Don’t you start earlier than me?”

“I’m the CEO of my company, I can start whenever I want.” Taehyung shrugged, unbothered.

“Alright, Monday it is.” You smiled at him with a thumbs up, eyes flashing to your phone screen once again when a notification popped up.

Something occurred to you at the same time, though, speaking up when it tickled your brain. “Do you do pet names, by the way? I think we’ll seem 100x more convincing if we call each other by them.” You threw the suggestion out there, trying to remain calm though became anxiety-ridden gauging his reaction. He didn’t answer right away, rather remained standing in silence and you assumed this may have been too intimate.

You grimaced at your mistake, retracting the idea. “Um, if you’re uncomfortable with that we don’t-”

“Jagiya.”

“What?”

“I do pet names. I always planned to call my wife Jagiya.” Taehyung confessed, tone casual next to you and you suddenly became aware he was still holding the back of your chair, his proximity apparent as ever.

“I like Jagiya, it’s pretty.“ You admitted.

“What about you?” He asked.

You became shy about exposing yourself, deciding instead to make this amusing. “Guess.”

“Hmm, babe?”

“Taehyung, everyone likes babe and baby. Those are a no-brainer.”

“I was just making sure.” Taehyung countered. “What about honey?”

“No, too 70′s.”

“Darling?”

“You wanna go 50′s, now?”

“Umm.. Princess?” And that’s when your cheeks immediately heated, freezing on spot and feeling your heart leap even if it was just for a second, hoping Taehyung wasn’t paying attention to you.

Though his next words proved you wrong.

“Wait, you like princess?” Your chest fluttered at his reiteration of the term, this one pet name having always been your weakness.

“No, I don’t.” You grumbled, hiding your hot face in your hands so he wouldn’t be able to see you, though Taehyung was always about teasing.

You felt him bend down next to you, speaking smugly into your ear with a purposefully lowered tone. “Don’t lie to me, princess.”

“Shut up, Taehyung.” You huffed. “I know you like it when I address you formally.” You retorted back, now daring to stare him square in the face with narrowed eyes, and watched as he slightly sputtered. “What? I never said that.”

“Please, I can tell you have a name kink, especially with your titles. It’s obvious.” You teased him, stating it so matter-of-factly it had Taehyung quipping back in seconds.

“No I don’t, there’s no proof.” He tried to deny convincingly, standing up and folding his arms as he looked away from you.

“Oh really, Mr. Kim?” Your tone suddenly became sultry as you reached out for his forearm, and you couldn’t help but become alighted by the feel of his veins underneath his skin.

Taehyung visibly tensed, his eyes almost alarmed as he glanced at you touching his arm, rebutting as a distraction. “Yes, Mrs. Kim. I don’t feel anything.”

“Are you sure, Chairman Kim? I think you’re lying.” You then slid your hand up to his bicep, smoothing him over as you continued to tease smugly. It only made Taehyung’s jaw lock harder, physically reacting to your every addressment and it had you nearly cackling.

Though Taehyung knew how to fight back. He suddenly became bold and positioned his hands on either side of your seat, leaning over and drawing his face so near your own your breath hitched dangerously. “I think you’re the one lying, Princess.” His tone scarily dropped an octave. ”I know you like it when I call you that.”

The coldest shiver ran down your spine, sucking in a breath. He stared deviously into your eyes with his deep voice hanging in the air, breath fanning your face, and you turned away from his scrutiny before it could affect you deeply.

“What? I never said that.” You held your head up high as you diverted your eyes and copied him, causing Taehyung to bite back a smile at your little act.

He found himself enjoying this more than he should’ve, both of you nearly on the same wavelength of energy and it was genuinely amusing.

Taehyung couldn’t suppress the feeling of eagerness that now overtook him considering your newer, more engaging arrangements. Maybe in near anticipation of being able to spend real time with you, even take you out on a date and explore a new level of intimacy paired your already thrilling chemistry in mind.

It made Taehyung smile at first, though ultimately fade upon further thought.

He suddenly remembered how unaffected you seemed earlier by the idea of your new couple-like tactics, and felt discouraged even more recalling this marriage has only ever been something fake to you in the first place. It caused him to squash any thought of that something else he’d mention to Jimin earlier, translating to him ultimately burying his exhilaration deep down to avoid developing anything at all.

Little to Taehyung’s knowledge, though, was that you were bubbling with eager excitement all the same underneath, only deflated by thinking this didn’t mean as much to Taehyung as it did to you.
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Very late update. U know Sunday's are meant for sleeping tho...
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