Thank you all so much for coming to read this,

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In front of a room full of people,

Jungkook leans down,

and softly brushes his lips against hers.

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She blushes a little as they pull apart,

and Jungkook can feel the heat on his own neck and ears,

but he needed to take the step, he felt.

He heard Namjoon exhale sharply, and he turned to look at his leader.

He held onto his soulmate's hand,

because he was her link

to this room full of people,

and he didn't want her to feel intimidated.

She changed him.

He wanted to take care of someone now.

Her.

That was new.

She let him hold her hand in front of everyone,

and that should be considered a small victory for him too.

He reminded himself to be grateful for every small step forward.

He was glad....

That after all the things they'd been through, that they were still here.

He had lost his confidence in their bond, and her hand in his

felt like a brand new chance.

------

"You only have five hours to sleep," she giggles, pulling her hair out of his hand.

"Besides, that is the last thing I want you to be learning from Taehyung."

"Oh really," Jungkook lets go of her hair mustache,

"So there are things you want me to learn from him?"

The familiar red tints into her vision, and she knows exactly what he's feeling.

She reaches up between his brows and presses her fingertips against him,

sparking little zaps of gold sizzle through them both,

along to the rhythm of IDOL,

the first song that comes into her head,

as she sings softly "oh oh, oo whoa... oh oh oo whoa whoa..."

and zapping him with each syllable,

until he can't help but laugh.

"How did you learn to control it like that?" Jungkook shakes his head.

She shrugs.

"I don't know, but it's getting easier every day.

I just wake up each day,

and feel more... attuned to our bond."

Jungkook considers her silently,

his smile falling from his face,

his expression unreadable,

as she tells him

that she's more attuned to him each day.

He thinks he might like the idea a little more than she thinks.

"But I don't know,

for you,

it might be punching car windows," she smirks.

She laughs and nudges him with her shoulder, where they are sitting side by side joined together, healing.

He raises an eyebrow at her sass.

That's the only warning she gets.

You are still falling about

laughing at your own wit

when you see the lift of his brow

and the narrowing of his eyes.

Oh shi-

is the only thought you can manage

before

his arm snakes out at lightning speed

and grips you by the waist.

Your world is a whirlwind daze

as he spins you hard

and lifts you entirely into his lap.

He seems to enjoy the fact that your eyes are wide with surprise

because he grins

as he lowers his face against yours.

He's so close you can smell his aftershave,

the mint of his toothpaste

his breath against your lips,

as he warns...

"I put up with teasing from my hyungs.

But you...

"

He looks like he's about to ensure some kind of threat,

his gaze wandering...

When...

You recognize Jin's voice.

There's three loud knocks at the door.

"I see your light is still on! You should be sleeping!" the eldest bellows.

"Algesseo," Jungkook calls back,

his eyes not leaving yours.

"Jungkook," comes Namjoon's voice, also right outside the door.

"Can we come in?"

Jungkook sighs, dropping his forehead to rest against you.

You stifle a giggle.

"We're coming in!" shouts Jin.

And then he shoves the door open with a .

Namjoon cocks his head at the sight of you curled in Jungkook's lap.

"Are we interrupting something?"

He walks into the room, hands in his pockets.

"No- no," you manage to reply,

and you struggle to push yourself upright,

sliding backward to find your own space to sit,

independent of the maknae.

Jungkook doesn't help you, nor does he move away.

He just watches blankly

as you escape.

"What were you guys doing?" grins Jin.

You know you're beet red, and you just shrug,

trying to keep your mouth closed, to raise your IQ by 5 points.

The silence in the room grows awkward for a beat or two.

"Just talking about our bond," Jungkook finally answers,

his tone flat.

His displeasure at his hyungs barging into his room is clear.

His face is a blank, cold mask.

And from his aura, the two older guys finally realize that their maknae was going to be even bigger on privacy

now that his soulmate is around.

"Sorry, Jungkookie," Namjoon says first. "We just wanted to come say good night.

To you and your lovely soulmate."

Namjoon winks at you.

Jin flat out blows a huge kiss in your general direction.

"Good night Jungkook! Saranghae!"

It was clear they had wanted something else.

But Jungkook's attitude was clearly making them think twice.

And you couldn't help but wonder what they had originally wanted to say.

"I'm... we weren't really busy, did you guys want something?" you ask.

It didn't seem right to send them away.

Jungkook turns his head slightly at your words,

his piercing eyes

staring out at you

from under his dark bangs

making him look more intimidating than ever.

"Are you to not be alone with me?" Jungkook flat out asks you.

You freeze,

his predator stance

stealing your capacity to speak.

Namjoon's sympathy floods his entire face as he leans back in exasperation.

"Don't be like that, Jungkook. Sorry we interrupted, it's our fault.

She's just being polite."

Jin waves his hands, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere.

"Alright, alright, we just wanted to say, we talked with the managers and decided to hire a bonding expert.

To talk to you two and see if you can figure anything out."

And that breaks your spell.

"Soulmate experts are so expensive," you gasp out.

Since every bond was slightly different,

and most people wanted their details kept strictly confidential,

the price to talk to a professional about a soulmate bond was sky high.

"Finally!

She appreciates it!" Jin throws his arms in the air.

"The good experts cost $5000 just to open a file with, and $1000 every hour afterward! Sejin hyung and I were-"

Jungkook cuts him off.

"We don't need help."

He reaches over and gips your hand.

"We can figure it out on our own."

"Why?

How many more windows are you going to punch?"

Yoongi appears in the doorway, joining the conversation smoothly.

His voice low and dry, he meets the maknae head on.

Jungkook's hand tightens.

Yoongi presses him.

"Or if you don't care about yourself, then how many more times do you want her to be at the mercy of the bond?

She couldn't save herself from something as basic as a fall.

Did you forget how she hit her head on the cement?"

Yoongi's angled eyes scan Jungkook slowly,

and zero in on his closed fist.

"You have to , Jungkook."

Then the rapper was gone, a lazy wave over his shoulder as he disappears back down the hallway.

And that was that.

Obviously feeling their argument needed no more arguing, Jin shrugs and follows after Yoongi.

Namjoon gives you a friendly smile before he leaves too.

"Good night, you two," he says, closing the door behind him.

"Do you... think we need to talk to someone?" Jungkook turns to you.

And Yoongi's words,

like always,

have left an impact on him,

because his eyes are serious, all the prankster maknae light gone.

"We can't really afford our bond affecting Bangtan," you answer honestly.

"If something goes wrong... I-"

"There's nothing wrong with us," Jungkook cuts you off,

his grip on your hand tighter,

his tone defensive.

"I'm not saying there is.

But if something with the bond happens while you're in a concert,

or in public,

Jungkook. I can't...

I don't want it to hurt your career."

He doesn't respond.

His jaw is stubbornly tilted forward.

"Hey,"

you say gently,

turning to look him in the eye.

"Everyone has problems.

And that's okay,"

You pat his knee.

"What's important is that we want to work through them.

Together."

He drops his gaze

and quiets.

He stares at the floor silently,

as though he was thinking about it.

And then

to no one in particular, except the emptiness of the room,

he nods and says,

"Together."

------------------

------------------

She doesn't know which one of them is more nervous,

two days later,

as they take the elevator ride up the skyscraper.

She's in a black dress she wears for work meetings,

matched with black flats she felt she could run away in,

if necessary,

because a tiny part of her does want to run away.

If she could barely admit her thoughts to herself,

how would she admit them to a complete stranger in his shiny office?

There's definitely some sweat on her back from the anxiety of it all.

Equally tense beside her,

Jungkook is in a long sleeve, blue button up shirt,

which for him is the epitome of dressing up.

It's even tucked into a pair of sharp, tailored jeans.

He chose a pair of dress boots that had been polished by a stylist,

the leather warm and rich.

She wonders briefly how much his shoes cost.

His footsteps are smart but muted against the marble floors.

Maybe she had to start buying nicer clothes to walk beside him with.

But these thoughts are clearly the furthest thing from what's on his mind

as the elevator doors open on floor 73,

because he gives her a look

that can only be depicted as

a look that one might cast his fellow soldier

as they prepare to jump out of a plane into hostile territory.

A Bighit manager has accompanied them, and he smiles at them confidently.

She squeezes Jungkook's hand,

trying to give him reassurance,

but he offers her his elbow instead, like a gentleman.

She hooks her wrist into his arm.

He takes the first step forward.

They walk over the thick, lush grey carpet together,

approaching the set of receptionists

who both stand to greet them,

and the Bighit manager speaks to them about the appointment made.

They are professional and warm,

from behind a massive, granite desk.

---

"Please, call me Dan," was a man in a perfectly classy navy suit,

and silver glasses,

his smile so wise and understanding

that she couldn't help but genuinely like him

as he rushes to offer his hand,

and insisted that it was his honor to meet with them.

Jungkook, on the other hand,

stayed a lot more guarded,

his tone and expression polite and closed.

His spine was so straight and his shoulders so stiff,

that she instinctively sent him a few zaps of gold

to soothe him.

And Jungkook smiles grimly at her in response.

"Call me Dan" watches them carefully,

as this happens,

his eyes widening at their exchange,

and then he shrugs

as he says,

"I am assuming that you two know...

Your bond is special?

It isn't permanent.