I make my way up the stairs after chilling in the living room long enough. Jungkook said he would be in his gym finishing up a workout while I should get comfortable.

It's Sunday so it's a quiet and not very busy day, which is exactly why I got bored. I've been watching the new episodes of my show on his Netflix account and haven't found anything to entertain me after that.

Sometimes I feel like my attention span is very limited and it often turns out to be proven. Forgetting that Jungkook's house has a damn elevator, I take the last step up and can already feel my legs buckling under my weight. I feel like a grandma.

Strolling down the hallway, I sip at the water bottle I'm holding. I hope Jungkook doesn't think I'm interrupting his workout or something. I open the door and the mouthful of water immediately gets stuck in my throat.

I cough and this causes Jungkook to look from his corner to the door. His movement halts and he stares at me to make sure I'm not choking on my own saliva. I give him a thumbs up and he nods before continuing.

He's hanging from a bar right now, pulling himself up again and again with his strong arms. Puffs of air leave his parted lips whenever he exhales because the exercise is strenuous and takes a lot of strength.

He crosses his feet at the ankles, his naked torso glistening from the sweat and hot. With each pull he brings his body up and his chin over the bar, his back muscles and biceps flex.

My legs have just divorced.

Coughing again, I try to stop salivating over my own boyfriend, but it's hard. I close the door behind me so the air conditioner in this room won't run for nothing. Maybe I should set the thermostat even colder so I don't melt away in this wave of heat.

I mean, I've seen Jungkook bare-chested countless times, even completely naked a few times, but the sight always makes me stutter and react like a weirdo. But how could I not? Anyone who sees Jungkook like this would definitely relate to my reaction.

I continue to gulp down my water while grunts and groans fill my ears. I sit down on a bench in the other corner and let my eyes roam over each piece of equipment (but more often over him).

Jungkook then jumps down from the bar, his forehead sweaty, which he dabs with a towel. He picks up his water bottle from the floor and gulps half of it down within seconds. I watch his working neck.

"Sorry it took me longer today," he says, still breathing heavily as he turns to me. "Did you get bored?"

He doesn't have to apologize for taking time for himself. After all, we're two individuals who have different interests and aren't tied to each other. But he's still cute for thinking of me anyway.

"Don't apologize, I know how important your workouts are to you." I smile and test a dumbbell so heavy it almost falls on my foot when I pick it up. "I thought I might do a little yoga here while you work out. If that's okay with you."

"Of course." he nods.

I smile again and walk over to the wall where he keeps all his equipment. He got a yoga mat for me the other day so I can do it here whenever I stay over and I really appreciate that.

I've always thought about starting weight training as well because I know how much it can shape the body. It's not that I'm uncomfortable in my skin or not happy with my body, but I definitely need more strength in my arms.

Sometimes when I do my hair my arms start to hurt because I literally have two noodles attached to my body. Other than that, I can't complain. Maybe about my small bust size though. But I have wide hips to make up for it.

I lay the mat out on the floor and grab a towel from the small closet in the corner as well. I don't bother changing because I'm already in sweatpants and a comfortable shirt that's good for exercising.

I open up YouTube and instead of watching a yoga video, I click on one where a well-shaped woman is doing pilates and place my phone on the floor in front of me so that I have a good view of the screen to follow all the exercises.

Not half an hour later, my limbs already feel like I've run a marathon, but I keep going anyway. Switching from one exercise to another, I finish the video with success and take a big breath, dropping my butt to the mat.

The water in my bottle has warmed, but it's still a refreshment as it flows down my throat and I groan. I need a shower, wondering just how Jungkook manages to work out for so long without crumpling to the floor.

I watch him use a machine that trains his back muscles. I don't want to gawk because I don't want him to feel watched and uncomfortable or anything, but I literally can't stop.

His eyes meet mine in the mirror. "Don't look at me like that," he says and blood rushes to my head because he caught me doing it.

"Like what?" I ask, trying to cover it up and like I haven't been watching him as if he's the biggest spectacle.

"Like you're waiting for me to fuck you." He groans as he pulls the handles of the machine toward him, letting his back muscles ripple under his skin. "'Cause I will, Mikayla."

Oh my goodness.

"Right there. On your yoga mat." he looks away now, pretending he didn't just say what he said. Like he said the most normal thing in the world. Asking about the weather, or telling me what his favorite color is.

I aspire to be that level of unbothered.

I swallow the lump in my throat, trying to find the right answer, but I end up stuttering so I shut up. I never know what to say to his dirty talk, what reaction I can show besides blushing.

I didn't know I was into dirty talking until Jungkook started doing it because no one had ever done it to me before. He revealed a new kink of mine. Ignited a new spark inside of me that's not so easy to extinguish.

It's almost like I'm waiting every time for him to say something inappropriate in such a hot and seductive way. Maybe it's the moment that catches me off guard because I don't expect it. And certainly not from him.

He, who doesn't talk much, still says a lot.

"Anyway," I mutter to myself, returning the mat to its place. I mean, I would have loved it if he did what he said he would. I know he would, but I also know he won't.

"Can you give me a hand with something?" I hear him ask then, so I turn and nod at him.

"What do you need help with?" I ask as I then reach his side.

He wipes the sweat off his torso with the towel. "I want to do push-ups and I need you to put weight on my back."

He points his finger at an iron plate on the floor, the big signs of 50 pounds welded on it. And he wants to do push-ups with it? I'm constantly amazed at how strong this man even is. He's the freaking Hulk.

"Oh, okay." I nod before Jungkook gets into position on the floor. He props himself up on his hands, his posture annoyingly perfect.

He waits for me to place the barbell plate on his back and I roll it across the floor closer to him. I get ready to lift the weight but fail. Oh, okay, so it's being stubborn right now?

I try again, my arms shaking as I manage to lift the plate off the floor for just an inch. It slips out of my hand and my finger is pinched between the floor and the weight plate. I cry out.

Jungkook gets up from his position and takes my hand in his. "Fuck, are you hurt?" he asks, looking at my finger from all sides.

"No, I'm fine," I reassure him. "It didn't fall too hard."

"Are you sure?" he asks, now looking into my eyes. I nod with a laugh to show him that it's really no big deal. "I should have known."

"It's okay. Get in position, I'll try again." I clap my hand once and Jungkook looks at me like he's looking to see if I'm for real.

"No way." he shakes his head. "I'll find another way."

He looks around the room until his eyes find me. I look at him, confused.

"Get on my back," he says, already shifting into position.

"Jungkook, are you tired of living!" my shocked voice makes him laugh. "I weigh more than twice this plate you wanted on you."

He looks at me, his hair wet and sticking to his forehead. "I'll take that as an insult," he says, his eyebrow jumping up. Why is that hot? "I can bench press you as a warm-up, love."

That's it. I swoon.

I then shrug my shoulder because that's what he wants and if he thinks he can do it, I'll let him. He's still in position as he waits for me to get on his back and I'm debating inside if it's possible because I'm just a puddle of melted Mikayla.

I slowly climb onto his back, careful not to put too much weight in the wrong places. He waits patiently until I find the right placement and now I'm lying with my entire body on top of his, my belly pressed against his lower back.

"Hold on tight," he announces and I wrap both arms around his strong abdomen. I feel the warm and wet skin under my fingertips and almost shriek as Jungkook goes down into the first push-up.

He pushes off the ground with a precise and professional movement and I can't help the smile that fights its way onto my lips because it feels weird but funny at the same time.

Jungkook counts every push-up and with each one, I can feel his muscles tense and flex under my body. I press my cheek against his neck and he lets out a breath as he waits with his arms outstretched to regulate his breathing.

He ends up doing twenty reps and I can hear him panting. I can only imagine how exhausting this is.

"Come on, one more!" I cheer before Jungkook can sit back down.

"One more?" Jungkook breathes heavily, tilting his head to the side so I can look at his profile. The vein on his temple is visible.

"Yes, let's go!" I raise my motivational voice as if we're at a summer camp or in the military and I'm commanding him to do things.

"All right. One more for my hard-working girlfriend." he struggles.

I giggle under my breath because it's not me but him doing the hard work and I start to think Jungkook is teasing me about it. I could let him do ten more for being naughty, but my merciful side emerges.

Jungkook slowly lowers himself to the ground after the last push-up and lies down on his stomach with me still on his back. I get off of him and sit next to his heaving body as he tries to fight the fatigue off of himself.

"Teamwork makes the dream work," I say proudly and he lifts his head off the floor to look up at me. "I could do this more often."

"I bet you can." He smiles with a shake of his head before sitting down across from me, resting his hands behind his back.

"What are you going to do now?" I ask, looking around his gym.

He follows my gaze. "I think I'm going to do bench presses now and then finish with ab exercises."

He hops up from the floor and offers me his hand, which I gladly take. He pulls me up to him and then walks to the machine where he can do said bench presses. I watch with admiring eyes as he attaches plate after plate to the barbell.

Then he slides a bench under the barbell and reaches for his water bottle. I noticed it before, but now with the pumped muscles and all the sweat on his skin, I notice how buff he is.

He doesn't have a bodybuilder's body, but enough in all the right places. His shoulders, chest, and thighs are what stand out the most in all that pack of muscle. His chest might even be bigger than mine.

"I'm kind of jealous," I say, not realizing I said it out loud until Jungkook's confused eyes find mine and he looks at me with raised eyebrows. "I mean, your tiddies are almost bigger than mine."

He seems taken aback until he understands what I mean and looks down at his chest before letting out a half-laugh with a tilt of his head. He shakes his head and his eyes are full of amusement. "Your tits are perfect the way they are, Mikayla," he says.

Wow, that's vulgar.

"Yeah?" I ask, peering down at my shirt myself where his eyes are currently fixed. Then I tug on the collar and peek inside. "They're kind of small though."

When I look back up he's pursed his lips and shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe you should let me check too so I can judge better."

"Ha." I plant my hands on my hips. "Nice try."

That makes him chuckle again, a single dimple appearing on his right cheek. I stare at it and my finger tickles to touch it. I laugh too before moving to stand next to him as he gets under the barbell on the bench and brings his gloved hands to the bar.

Grunts and groans echo in the gym as he moves the bar down to his chest and away from his body with steady movements. I sit cross-legged next to him, starting to honestly think I'm bugging him, but I think he likes me enough to tolerate my annoying ass.

"Are you hungry?" I ask, rising from my spot after his first set. "Do you want me to make dinner?"

"I'm almost done, we can make it together," Jungkook suggests, brushing his hair out of his face.

I wave him off. "It's not a big deal. I like to cook."

He smiles at me as I walk to the door and thanks me for my offer. We have always cooked together so far, and sometimes he has prepared something for me, sometimes I for him. I don't count who did what more because we appreciate each other and take nothing for granted.

Jogging down the stairs after showering, I head to the kitchen and refill Bam's water bowl first. Then I check the fridge and ponder what I can cook with the ingredients I have on hand until I come up with a dish I haven't made in a long time.

I cut the eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes for the ratatouille, pushing away the urge to watch the matching movie as I do. Once I have everything prepared, I put the dish in the oven and set the timer to ensure I don't leave it in for too long.

Jungkook should be done with his workout and shower by now and I walk upstairs to let him know. I hear the sink water running in the bathroom, so I check there first. Sure enough, Jungkook is standing at the sink cleaning the mirror.

"Dinner's almost ready," I say, and he turns, nodding his head in understanding.

I prop my hip against the sink, looking at him for all that he is. His eyes look tired now from the workout and his body is relaxed from the shower. He's wearing a white shirt and gray sweatpants that make him look comfy and cozy.

My eyes fall on all his toiletries and one item, in particular, catches my attention. One item that always reminds me of him, makes my head spin and I always find myself taking a deep breath. His perfume.

I take the blue bottle in my hand and feel its heavy weight fall into my palm. Removing the cap, I bring it to my nose and smell it. It brings up memories of the first time I got close to this man standing next to me. The first time I took in his scent.

Maybe it was also the first time when fate brought us closer and drew a path for us in all the chaos that happened afterward. Because in the end, we managed to find each other despite every up and down.

"You know." I begin. "Megan always tells me I smell like you."

He props himself up against the sink with one hand, now giving me his attention. He listens to me, not even looking away from my eyes. Like he always does. When I'm with Jungkook, I know I'm being listened to, that there's someone who cares about my bullshit even how absurd it may be.

"Yeah?" he asks, bringing his hand to my hip and pulling me closer to him.

"Yeah," I confirm, a smile finding itself on my lips as he starts kissing my neck.

"Weird," he says, now pulling back to look into my eyes. "Jimin told me the same thing."

"Really?" I ask in amazement.

"Really." He smiles, placing a final kiss on my forehead.

He lets go of me so that he can dry his wet hair with a towel, from which drops of water are already falling onto his shirt. I always want to be like now with him. No worries in the world. And just us.

"Jungkook?" I chirp, playing with the hem of my shirt.

"Yes?"

I chew on my inner cheek. "Do you think this is a good time to tell my parents about us?"

He sets the towel down beside him to talk about this serious topic. We've been together for almost two months now and even though we both agree that no one but our close circle should know about us, we still haven't told my parents.

I don't know what I've been waiting for, but I'm sure of Jungkook and our relationship. He is my first time in everything and for the first time, I have these hard feelings that overwhelm me sometimes. I don't know what to do about it because I want to be around him all the time.

And I know my parents would never judge us even if they found out I'm dating my boss. It may not be considered okay in some parts of our society, but I don't care what anyone says as long as my parents and my friends support me.

"If you think it's a good time, it is," he eventually says. "I'll do anything that makes you feel comfortable."

I smile a sheepish smile as my eyes drop. I look back up. "Thank you. It's something that involves both of us, so I don't want to do anything that's not okay for you."

Letting your parents know about your relationship sometimes seems like a big deal. Sometimes it isn't. It probably depends on the person you're dating. I know my parents liked Jungkook the first time he came over for dinner.

"We could invite them to have dinner here," Jungkook suggests nonchalantly and I look at him like I'm looking at him for the first time.

What a lucky woman I am to have such a man by my side.

"That sounds good." I nod, my hand finding its rightful place on his chest as he moves closer again so he can snuggle me against him.

His closeness brings me comfort and security. I would never change any other moment to the present with him because he makes me feel alive. I could be doing anything and yet I know Jungkook would be here smiling with me even though I never imagined him to be like this.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for supporting the shit out this book, it makes me so happy🥹🥹🫶🏼🫶🏼