It's nights like this that Jungkook loves New York City. He wears his long, black wool coat over his work suit to keep the evening chill out as he walks through Greenwich Village. A different kind of person is out this late at night, Jungkook thinks. Each person he passes has this unexplainable aura of vitality about them. Rather than associating night time with fatigue, these people clearly see night as a time to feel more alive. Jungkook wants to experience that free, liberating feeling. He wants to crawl inside their skins and understand firsthand what it feels like.

But, to his dismay, he fights off a yawn. He spent the day at work diligently, feeling the pressure to keep up his work now that he and Park Jimin are embarking on this...well, whatever it is that they're doing. It was ridiculously hard to focus this week, anticipation for he and Jimin's Washington Square Park rendezvous constantly pulling his thoughts away from his new cases. He went to court yesterday for a mild civil case and won easily, but the victory didn't feel remotely rewarding, not when Bruce Walker was in prison.

He had made some lie up about working late on a particularly difficult case to inform Marie of why he wouldn't be home in time for dinner. He knew he had to tell her something, as he had a feeling that telling her he's going searching for a murderer wouldn't go over very well. Jungkook feels bad lying to her, but then he realizes that this lie is minuscule in comparison to the other lies he tells her daily. 

("I love you, too," is a rather large lie, after all.)

As he catches sight of the big stone arch that is Washington Square Park's signature landmark, music begins to fill his ears. Jungkook smiles to himself as he properly enters the square and locates the musicians busking. It sounds beautiful, and Jungkook admires their bravery. Just last year, the Beatnik Riots were occurring. The local musicians were clashing with law enforcement over their expressions of free speech in this very park. Jungkook helped out some of the protesters in court, a firm believer in the constitutional right of freedom of speech, but also a lover of the music in the square.

The big fountain that lies in the center of the park is turned off and drained now, as the weather has grown colder, but Jungkook remembers throwing coins into the water and making wishes with Marie on one of their first dates. Marie thought it was silly and wasteful, but Jungkook loved the sentimentality of the action, the willingness to openly wish for your wildest desires. If Jungkook had been smiling, he knows the memory would have made the smile fade from his face now. Luckily, he doesn't smile at all anymore.

Then, he spies Jimin standing in the center of the fountain. He's looking at the grand arch, his back to Jungkook, but he sticks out like a sore thumb. Jungkook immediately feels overdressed, as Jimin is in a snugly fitting gray turtle neck, straight leg jeans and a lime green trench coat. It's very casual and very fashionable, and Jungkook's brain is having a hard time adjusting to seeing Jimin outside of work. Jungkook's brain can barely handle Park Jimin at work, so seeing him like this is sufficiently sending his poor brain into overdrive.

Jungkook's thoughts surrounding Jimin always make his heart contract and sink to the pit of his stomach. He can never quite discern why that is, but he never thinks too hard about it. He just resorts to focusing all his attention on his work to distract from the feeling until it goes away, but now, they're not at work. Jungkook has absolutely no method of avoidance.

Either way, he finds himself making his way to the center of the fountain, feeling foolish as a grown man doing something reserved for children. Jungkook takes one final deep breath, what he feels will be his last proper one of the night. Park Jimin has a weird way of sucking all the oxygen out of the atmosphere and leaving Jungkook breathless. He steps up onto the center platform of the fountain and joins Jimin in looking up at the arch.

"Very inconspicuous choice of attire for a stealth mission." Jungkook observes in place of a greeting. "You'll blend right in." Jungkook sneaks looks at Jimin out of the corner of his eye when the other man doesn move or react right away. He sees his plump lips curved slightly upwards, the street lights casting a glow that reflects in Jimin's chocolatey irises.

"You came." Jimin sighs, the satisfaction clearly evident in his voice. Jungkook fights the urge to roll his eyes, sensing that Jimin clearly feels this unspoken battle between them. He also evidently notices the fact that he has won, despite the fight that Jungkook put up a few days ago.

"Astute observation, Mr. Park." Jungkook quips sarcastically, and Jimin snickers at the fact he could get under Jungkook's skin in a matter of two words.

"You can call me Jimin, you know. We're not at work." Jimin ignores Jungkook's attempts to push his buttons.

"Can we cut to the chase, Mr. Park?" Jungkook replies, being sure to tack the formality on at the end of his sentence just for Jimin's displeasure.

"What's your hurry?" Jimin counters. "It's a lovely Friday night in the city. It's cold, but we can't see our breath, so it's not too cold. Buskers giving us some smooth jazz, really boosts the ambience. Don't you think?" He asks, gesturing to the world around them. Jungkook liked their surrounding evening already, but when Jimin describes it, he thinks he likes it even more. Jimin tosses his arms out in exasperation when Jungkook doesn't respond. "Look at us! We're standing in the middle of a fountain! We're standing in the very place where people toss their coins in exchange for their dreams coming true. Isn't that amazing?" Jimin asks elaborates enthusiastically. 

Jimin's smile is so striking, so bright. His lime green trench coat's sleeves are a bit too long, and they come over his small hands. His hair blows in the slight breeze that perpetually breathes through the city. His voice is melodious and soft, blending seamlessly with the gentle jazz music in the air. Jungkook's mouth twitches, aching to pull the corners up into an equally bright smile. His knees feel like jelly and he feels a bit nauseous, that same twisty feeling that Jimin always unleashes in him.

"I suppose, but I do have a wife to get home to." Jungkook cuts Jimin's fantastical descriptions of their reality short. His stunning smile fades for a split second, so quickly that Jungkook has to question if he imagined it. But then, Jimin is shrugging his shoulders.

"Such a stick in the mud, Jungkook-ah." Jimin sighs, and Jungkook narrows his eyes at the other man. Jungkook-ah, his brain struggles to place exactly why that sounds familiar before he realizes his mother calls him that. The -ah attached to the end is a Korean thing. Jungkook likes it, he decides.

"That's Mr. Jeon to you." He corrects Jimin sternly anyways.

"You're not helping your case as a stick in the mud." Jimin replies matter-of-factly, humor in his voice that Jungkook doesn't entertain.

"Mr. Park." Jungkook says simply, warning in his tone. Jimin sighs out a breathy laugh and shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Fine. Let's go." Jimin gives in, stepping out of the fountain. Jungkook follows him begrudgingly.

"Well, where are we going? What are we even doing, anyway?" Jungkook questions Jimin in rapid-fire succession as he catches up to Jimin. He falls into stride next to him as he explains.

"We're going to talk to my source. But, you're not going to like where my source is." Jimin informs him knowingly, and Jungkook scoffs. He has a million other questions about Jimin's so-called source, but Jimin's last comment distracts him. "It's not exactly your kind of scene."

"You don't know that. I might like it." Jungkook retorts, not knowing why he feels the need to defend himself to Jimin in the first place.

"Men like you typically don't." Jimin reasons, and he sighs when Jungkook raises an eyebrow in question. "Straight-laced, clean, well-educated. On the straight and narrow with no intention to deviate. Men who dress like you. Men who are married." Jimin explains, adding the last characteristic almost as an afterthought.

"You seem to have me all figured out, Mr. Park." Jungkook says incredulously, eyeing Jimin curiously.

"You're rather easy to read, Jungkook-ah." Jimin replies, and makes a left down a dark alley. Jungkook hesitates a bit, but follows after a second.

"What did I say about calling me that?" Jungkook asks rhetorically, and Jimin just laughs and gives him a knowing look.

"See? Straight and narrow." Jimin uses that to push his goodie-two-shoes Jeon Jungkook agenda. Jungkook huffs out a sigh of annoyance and rolls his eyes.

"Just tell me where we're going, Mr. Park." Jungkook demands, and Jimin shrugs. He points up to a sign, one that can barely be seen in the dim light of the alleyway. Jungkook leans forward and squints to read, but once the letters process in his brain, he speaks up. "Okay, as much as I hate to admit this, you're right. I don't like this, Park. Not one bit." 

"Told you so." Jimin says unapologetically with a shrug. Jungkook looks up to the sky in frustration with Jimin's nonchalance. "Roll your eyes again, they'll fall out of your head and roll away." He says, and Jungkook scowls.

"God, you sound like my mother." Jungkook drawls, pinching the bridge of his nose, Jimin's harmonic chuckle gracing his ears. It's almost enough to soothe the impending anxiety Jungkook is feeling.

"She sounds like a lovely woman, then. What's her name?" Jimin inquires.

"Jihyun-- wait, don't try and change the subject! What the hell are you thinking, coming to a place like this?" Jungkook hisses out through his teeth after having caught on to Jimin's attempt to distract him.

"Relax, Jeon. It's just the Peppermint Lounge." Jimin drawls.

"Don't play dumb, Mr. Park. You are a whole lot of things, but you certainly aren't dumb." Jungkook snaps. Like always, Jimin reacts the exact opposite way Jungkook thinks he will. Instead of fessing up and explaining why he brought Jungkook to the lounge where the newest dance trend was invented, go-go dancing, but the place that also doubled as a bar for homosexuals. The latter part to the Peppermint Lounge is infamous to native New Yorkers, so Jimin must know just as well as Jungkook does that they don't belong here. The Peppermint Lounge is a hotspot for two kinds of people, after all: teenagers looking to get into trouble and elitist wallstreet stockbrokers with secrets. Jungkook and Jimin are neither.

"You're calling me smart? Gee, thanks, Mr. Jeon!" Jimin exclaims, grinning ear to ear. Jungkook didn't think his smile could get any wider (or more beautiful) but it did when he simply glared in response. "Okay, look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I knew you wouldn't have come if you knew."

"Damn straight." Jungkook confirms, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.

"Well, the important thing is that we're here now. And so is my source. So, do you wanna throw a fit and leave, or do you wanna come help me get our first lead?" Jimin asks, putting his hands on his hips in a challenge. Jungkook never backs down from a challenge, especially not when it's Park Jimin on the other side, he's learning.

"What if people see us?" Jungkook whispers, and immediately feels so incredibly pathetic. He has seen many people's reputations tarnished by being associated with this place. Jungkook always prickles at homophobic comments, never makes them himself, either. But, he also never speaks up if he hears them.

"Well, you're not gay, are you?" Jimin asks.

"What? No." Jungkook denies quickly.

"Well, there's your answer. You're not gay, so you're not gonna be playing tonsil tennis with any men in there--"

"Ew, tonsil tennis?"

"--and you're married, so no one can say anything about you that will stick. Besides, if anyone sees you in there, that means they were there, too. They won't be able to say anything about you that you can't say about them." Jimin reasons with him, and Jungkook has to admit there's logic behind it. Jungkook wonders where Jimin gets such a level head, a steadfast confidence. If he were a law intern like Jimin, he would be terrified to go inside the Peppermint Lounge. If something were said about himself, his reputation as a successful lawyer would save him some face. If something presumtuous was said about Jimin, it would cost him his career.

"What about you?" Jungkook asks, and Jimin furrows his eyebrows. "Are you married?" Jungkook asks. Jimin holds up his left hand, and there are chunky silver rings on his index and pinkie finger, but his ring finger is bare. "Aren't you nervous to be seen in there?" An unreadable expression crosses Jimin's features.

"The risks outweigh the benefits." Jimin says, evidently choosing his words carefully. He shrugs as if he didn't just put a lot of thought into his prior sentence. Jungkook senses there's more to be said, but Jimin doesn't say it. Not wanting to pry, Jungkook sighs with finality and nods.

"Okay, let's do this." Jungkook declares, and Jimin's almond eyes light up so beautifully despite the bad lighting of the alleyway. "For the record, if anyone tries to say anything like that about you, you can sue them for defamation. I'll represent you." Jungkook adds, and Jimin laughs a bit under his breath, but his smile doesn't reach his eyes. Jungkook reaches for the door, but Jimin grabs his arm.

"Whoa, hold on. If you're worried about being seen, you need to change your clothes. You look way too...functional adult to be going in there." Jimin says. Jungkook looks down at his clothes--big black wool jacket and a gray suit jacket over a white button up. Black tie. Gray slacks and shiny black dress shoes.

"Well, I would have come dressed for the occasion if I'd known where you were taking me--"

"For Christ's sakes, can you just drop it and let me fix you?" Jimin asks exasperatedly, and Jungkook, for once, drops it. He stops trying to pull his arm out of Jimin's grasp, and Jimim offers him a half smile after getting his way. Jimin pulls him so he's facing him directly and begins to slide the wool coat off his shoulders. Jimin's hands are light, and surprisingly warm for the weather, and they delicately brush across his skin through the layers of fabric. Jungkook is so distracted by the touch that he doesn't notice Jimin has taken off his blazer, too.

"Whoa, that's--" Jungkook begins to protest when Jimin's hands start to untie the black tie around his neck. His objections die on his lips when Jimin shoots him a warning look through his eyelashes that makes Jungkook's mouth go dry. He allows Jimin to remove the tie and toss it onto the growing pile of clothing on the ground. Jimin's nimble fingers unfasten the buttons of his shirt down to his sternum, and Jungkook swears he sees Jimin's Adam's apple bob in his throat. Jimin straightens the collar of his shirt, and give Jungkook a once over as his hands grip his lapels. Broad shoulders and a lean but muscular build, slim waist accentuated by the way his shirt is tucked into his belt, dress pants that are tight at the thigh but looser fitting below the knee. 

"Okay, I can work with this." Jimin says, and there's a huskiness in Jimin's voice that gives Jungkook goosebumps. Jungkook would blame them on the cold, but there's an intense warmth radiating from the pit of his stomach. His eyes finally connect with Jungkook's sparkling obsidian irises. As if something in Jungkook's gaze startled him, Jimin withdraws his hands quickly and clears his throat. When he speaks again, that raspiness is gone. "You're ready. Let's go find my source."

Jungkook stands in a daze for another splitsecond before rushing into The Peppermint Lounge after Jimin. They're met with a set of stairs as soon as they enter, and Jungkook follows Jimin down them. The familiar sound of The Twist coming from the jukebox fills Jungkook's ears, and when they finally reach the bottom of the stairs, Jungkook's eyes widen. Laughter and enthusiastic voices fill his ears, and he watches as the dancefloor pulses as people move and dance with one another. Women stand on tables, giggling and smiling with each other as they dance. Jungkook's jaw proceeds to drop when he witnesses two men brazenly engaged in a heated kiss, one pressed to the wall firmly by the other. That twisty feeling sieges Jungkook's stomach again.

He's not gay, he knows that. He just envies those two men. He wants to be that shameless, that free.

"You done staring like a deer in the headlights?" Jimin asks, having to raise his voice to be heard over the music. Jungkook snaps out of his state of shock with a nod, and follows Jimin as he weaves through the crowd. He feels no eyes and a million pairs on him all at once--some people are so immersed in their dance partner that it must feel like they're the only two people in the room, while others are looking for a new one. To the latter individuals, Jungkook and Jimin are the top contenders, and Jungkook is thankful they make it to the bar without encountering any propositions.

"Wow," Jungkook muses to Jimin, "this place is..."

"Alive?" Jimin suggests, filling in Jungkook's blank. "Full of energy, vitality?" Jungkook doesn't know how Jimin knew exactly what he had been thinking. The people here are living to be alive, that's for sure. They don't care as much about their image or their responsibilities as truly living, and Jungkook is so incredibly jealous of that. Despite him being right, Jungkook doesn't admit it.

"I was going to say interesting, but, I guess that works, too." He says as he takes a seat on a stool. Jimin smiles knowingly to himself as he follows suit. 

"I'm sure it does, Jungkook-ah." Jimin replies, his smile evident in his voice. Jungkook opens his mouth to scold him, but before the words can make it out, a new voice fills his ears.

"Jimin!" Jungkook glances over at the bartender as he bounds over and leans against the counter. Jungkook's eyes widen, and he has to consciously force his face into a state of neutrality. The bartender has curly, thick black hair, long in the back and falling in his eyes in the front. He wears white flare jeans and a white suit blazer, but there's no shirt underneath. The pure white agaisnt his golden skin is sinful, everything about the man across the counter is. His coffee colored eyes are full of fondness for Jimin, and slight curiosity when they connect with Jungkook's.

"Hey, Taehyungie." Jimin says sweetly, and Jungkook has to resist doing a doubletake. He rarely hears men address one another so affectionately. A small voice in his head reminds him that it's normal in Korean culture for men to be that comfortable with one another, so that must be it. The other man is undoubtably Korean, so it must be a Korean thing. "Slow night?" Jimin asks sarcatically, knowing that every other seat at the bar is full. Taehyung chuckles heartily, his voice deep and smooth.

"Very funny. Who's this?" Taehyung asks, glancing to Jungkook again, and Jungkook clears his throat awkwardly, holding out his hand.

"I'm Jeon Jungkook." He introduces himself properly. A smirk appears on Taehyung's lips as he lets Jungkook's hand hang in the air for a moment, just looking at it before Jungkook awkwardly puts it back down by his side. His face feels like it's on fire with embarrassed blush, and Jungkook has always been a blusher, so he knows he must look ridiculous right now.

"Don't freak him out, Tae. He's easily spooked. He works with me." Jimin chastises Taehyung gently, and Jungkook shoots Jimin a pointed look as Taehyung hums in understanding.

"I am not easily spooked, Mr. Park--"

"Are you Korean, Jeon Jungkook?" Taehyung asks, and Jungkook's jaw drops when he hears the familiar, nostalgic sound of the Korean language replacing the English he accustomed himself to. He hasn't spoken Korean since he lived at home with his mother and Seokjin, not having had anyone else to speak it to until now. He doesn't think he's ever even spoken it in front of Marie before. Taehyung smile smugly as Jungkook stutters for a few seconds.

"Yes, I am." He says, the Busan dialect feeling choppier than he knows it sounds as it comes out of his mouth. Jimin just looks on with curiosity in his eyes.

"Ah, a Busan man. I'm from Daegu myself. Fresh of the boat for university in '57."  Taehyung informs him, and Jungkook nods along, readapting to the syllables of his homeland. "You scared me for a second, though. It took you so long to answer I thought my Korean radar was broken and I offended you because you're actually Japanese or something." He adds, and Jungkook chuckles softly.

"Nope, your radar definitely still works." He assures Taehyung, who laughs a bit, before glancing over to Jimin where he sits uncomfortably watching the exchange.

"Oh, Jiminie's feeling left out. His parents never taught him to speak Korean." Taehyung explains, and Jimin rolls his eyes, but there's still a smile on his lips.

"Cool, now we can talk shit." Jungkook says, not missing a chance to mess with Park Jimin, even if he can't understand what he's saying. Taehyung snickers and picks up a cup, filling it a dark liquid--bourbon.

"I like him, he's funny." Taehyung informs Jimin, and Jimin raises his eyebrows, sending Jungkook a sharp look.

"That's generous. He has the sense of humor of a brick wall." Jimin states, and Taehyung laughs again, while Jungkook glares at Jimin this time.

"He's just mad that he can't understand my jokes." Jungkook says for the hell of it, and Jimin just sighs and takes a gulp of the alcohol in his cup.

"It's settled, Jimin-ah, I like him better than you." Taehyung turns to Jimin as he laughs, and Jimin clearly doesn't buy it, but plays along.

"Well, are you gonna ask your new best friend what he wants to drink?" Jimin counters, and Taehyung opens his mouth to answer, but then his espresso colored eyes land on something over Jungkook's shoulder. 

"I feel like I don't have to." Taehyung responds, and Jungkook and Jimin share a perplexed look, but then a hand taps on Jungkook's shoulder. He glances over his shoulder and spins around on his stool to face the inquirer. He feels his heart drop into his stomach when a tall blonde man dressed similarly to Taehyung looks down at him. There's a smile on his lips, but a kind of intensity in his eyes, something Jungkook can only describe as hunger. He squirms under his gaze, but not in the way he does when Jimin looks at him. This is more of a discomfort, a feeling that makes him feel dirty. When Jimin looks at him, he feels like he's on fire.

"Wanna dance with me?" The man asks, and in Jungkook's twenty-five years, he has never felt such a sickening yet thrilling feeling. His voice gets caught in his throat for a moment, but Jimin's muffled laugh spurs him into action.

 "I'm not much of a dancer." Jungkook replies, trying not to be rude. There's a deep, instinctual urge to show repulsion, but there's an equally strong urge to consider dancing with this man, and the combination leaves Jungkook's head spinning.

"Okay, then, can I buy you a drink?" The man asks.

"Oh, he's persistent." Taehyung murmurs in Korean, and Jungkook has to bite the inside of his cheek not to laugh. 

"I...already have one." Jungkook lies unconvincingly. So unconvincingly, in fact, that the man looks around-- in Jungkook's hands, in front of his seat at the counter.

"And where is it, exactly?" The blonde man asks, his blue eyes drilling into Jungkook's. 

"Um, right..." Jungkook panics, managing his signature tight smile to hide it. He looks around for some other excuse, and spys the cup of bourbon in Jimin's ring laden hand. Jungkook's eyes come to rest on Jimin's twinkling ones, and he takes the glass from his hand. He doesn't break eye contact as he brings the cup to his lips and downs the rest of the drink in even gulps. He hands Jimin the glass once he's done, enjoying the burn that coats his throat and Jimin's darkening eyes. "Right there. That was it." Jungkook breaks eye contact and turns back to the blonde man.

"Well, can I buy you another one?" He attempts again. Jungkook suddenly feels the weight of his wedding ring on his finger, suddenly hates himself for playing this little game. If he were a bachelor, it would be different. If he were gay, it might be different, too. But, Jungkook is neither of those things.

"No." Jungkook finally says, voice firm. The blonde's face falls, and he shrugs before walking away. Jungkook turns back to face the bar, and Taehyung whistles lowly. Jungkook can't make himself look at Jimin.

"Damn. We have a heartbreaker on our hands, don't we, Jiminie?" Taehyung muses, pouring a new glass full of a liquid Jungkook recognizes as soju. Soju always wrecks him and leaves him with a powerful hangover, but he needs to take the edge off of his newly painful thoughts, so he takes the glass when Taehyung offers it to him.

"Something like that." Jimin says. Jungkook can't make himself look at Jimin, although he feels the look practically burning holes in the side of his head. "Listen, Tae, can you go grab Frankie? Jeon and I have to talk to him about the...the thing I was telling you about." Jungkook knows he could scold Jimin for sharing confidential case information with a civilian, but he decides against it and sips his soju. As if sensing Jimin and Jungkook's shift in dynamic, Taehyung's wipes the smile off his face and nods.

"Yeah, I'll go grab him." Taehyung nods, giving one last concerned look before walking into the back room. The silence that somehow envelops them in the loud and chaotic room is thick an heavy. Jungkook lets the soju and the bourbon cast the comfortable warmth of tipsiness over the world, and he feels a little less like he hates himself. He tries to remind himself how much he loves Marie, but then, he hates himself for a different reason.

"Why didn't you tell him you were married?" Jimin speaks up, and Jungkook lets out a heavy sigh. He brings his glass to his lips and drinks the rest. Jimin's question hangs in the air for a bit, before Jungkook decided he owes at least Jimin an answer. The answer won't be honest, but, hey, an answer is an answer.

"Wanted to see how much I could wrap him around my finger if I wanted to." Jungkook says, still refusing to look at Jimin. He doesn't want to see the disappointment he knows is on his face.

"You're an asshole, Jungkook-ah." Jimin snaps, his voice taut enough that Jungkook almost winces. 

"Yeah, I am." He sighs, and the two sit in silence while they continue to wait for Jimin's source, Frankie. Jungkook wants to tell Jimin the truth, wants to tell him everything. He has an odd charisma about him that practically pries the secrets from the depths of Jungkook's consciousness. But he can't admit it to himself aloud yet, let alone someone else.

He can't admit the fact that he didn't tell the man he was married from the start because he liked pretending he wasn't married. Being single was fun for a moment, even if it was a man. Especially since it was a man. He thinks the only thing he would like less than Jimin's disdain and disappointment is his pity. So he says nothing.

eeeeeeeee i love writing this story so much

but cue the "jungkook is a little shit" ao3 tags oml

lmk what you think!!!

<3,

r