The discomfort that Jimin was feeling didn’t last long because within seconds of Jeongguk entering him, he came. Jimin could feel the warmth of Jeongguk’s fluid drip from his hole. His inexperienced lover never fully penetrated him, but Jimin didn’t dare say anything for fear of shaking his confidence. Besides, the only thing Jimin wanted was to make him feel good. He wanted to give him something - anything to show him how much he loved him. Sex seemed to be the language that Jeongguk appreciated the most. 

The younger one rolled to his back. As he caught his breath, he mumbled words of concern, “Was I ok? You didn’t cum, do you want me to do it again? You were so good. You felt so good,” his words came quickly beyond his satisfied gaze.

“Don’t worry about me. You can take care of me some other time. This is about you. I love you…,” Jimin paused. As he leaned over to kiss Jeongguk, he felt something trickling down his thigh. Something didn’t feel quite right. He panicked. If it was what he thought it was, he didn’t want Jeongguk to see it. He popped up quickly, wrapping the comforter around his waist. He waddled towards the bathroom. “Be right back…I have to clean up,” he said quickly. 

Jeongguk was drawn to his feet and wrought with worry, “Is something wrong? Did I hurt you…or something?”

“No. Everything is fine. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right back.” Jimin closed the bathroom door, leaving Jeongguk in a tizzy. 

***

Jeongguk waited outside of the bathroom for thirty minutes - at least it felt like thirty minutes in his head. In reality, he had only been at the door for five minutes, but to Jeongguk who had no idea what was going on, it felt like he had been waiting for a lifetime.

He finally decided to knock, “Jimin. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

He heard Jimin laugh, “Nothing is wrong. Come in.”

Jeongguk burst in quickly. The comforter was bundled on the ground and Jimin was freshly showered with a towel around his waist.

“If nothing is wrong, why did you run out? We didn’t even get to cuddle.”

“I thought you had made me…well I thought that I was…hurt.”

“Are you?” Jeongguk’s eyes widened as he placed both arms around Jimin’s body.

“False alarm. I’m ok. Just turns out that I’m pretty bruised. We definitely need lube if we’re going to do this in the future.”

“Let me see it.”

“See it? See what?” Jimin’s eyes swept over his lover’s worried face. 

“Your bruise,” Jeongguk released Jimin’s towel and spun him around to face the sink. He dropped to his knees behind him and commenced examining Jimin’s bruised bottom. “Oh…ouch. That’s red and swollen. Jimin, I’m so sorry. Thank God you don’t have to work for a few days.”

“It’s fine, really. I’m tough,” Jimin teased.

Jeongguk pressed his lips to the overly pink and bruised flesh. “I’ll kiss your waist and ease your mind,” He mumbled, lips pressed against Jimin’s entrance.

The feel of Jeongguk’s lips made Jimin giggle. He leaned over the sink and allowed his lover to kiss his delicate opening.

“Ok shit…my cum is still trickling out of you and…it’s turning me on,” Jeongguk said softly.

“Look away. I can’t take any more of your obnoxiously long dick right now,” Jimin said out of self preservation.  

Jeongguk laughed and then slumped down on the side of the tub, “Maybe you were right. Sex is too much. You’re a dancer. Dancing is your entire life. We can’t risk your health just because I like to shove my dick up your ass. That’s a bit selfish.”

“Nonsense. I jumped you, remember?” Jimin reassured him. “Jeonggukie, my reluctance to have sex with you has nothing to do with my health. Millions of couples do this every damn day. We just have to be careful and plan better. The physical part of sex is not what scares me. It’s the emotions that seem to grow more and more intense everytime we’re together that scare me. We’ve hidden our love for so long. What happens when we can’t hide it anymore?”

“If you still feel this way, then why did you let me do it? Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

“A million reasons. I wanted you. I was overcome with emotion. I wanted to be close to you…as close as we could possibly be. I wanted you to feel good. I wanted to reward you for being so positive and so supportive during this difficult time. I wanted to feel you inside of me.”

“Basically, you lost control? Just like the first time. Jimin, what we’re not going to do is play games. Either we both agree that sex is part of this, or we agree that it isn’t. I can’t allow you to fuck with my emotions on a whim. It hurts me when you regret being with me.”

“Yea, I get it.” Jimin nodded. Jeongguk was asserting himself and drawing a line in the sand. It was a true sign of his maturity. “For the record, I don’t regret a damn thing we just did. I just didn’t expect it. I surprised myself.”

 Jeongguk was understanding but firm, “For once can we make love intentionally? Where neither of us will regret it? Where neither of us will feel guilty like we committed some sin? Can we make love under the best of circumstances with full happy consent instead of uncontrollable shame?” 

He wrapped the towel back around Jimin’s waist and stood to his feet. He was about to go back to the bedroom when Jimin caught his arm.

“You’re right. I’m just confused by how quickly things have changed. I mean why are we suddenly so undisciplined and why is it happening so frequently after all of these years? What does it mean…?” Jimin questioned.

“It means we want to physically express our love. It means it fucking feels good. It means our love is growing. That’s all it means. Stop overthinking everything.”

Jimin was quiet. He slid past Jeongguk and walked over to sit on the bed. He was pensive.

Jeongguk walked over and sat at his feet. He was afraid that there was more bothering Jimin than just uncontrollable passion. He bravely asked the hard question. “Was I terrible? Is that what’s really going on here? Are you having second thoughts about being physical with my inexperience?”

Jimin reacted immediately, “Oh, Jeonggukie!” He bracketed Jeongguk’s face and stared into his bright orbs with the utmost reassurance, “Stop. You felt wonderful. Making love takes time and practice. We’ve never traveled down this road together before. We know everything about each other except…how to fuck each other.” Jimin laughed at the realization, “It’ll get better and better the more we do it.”

“So you’re saying we can do it again? Are you willing to bend your steadfast rule that we shouldn’t be physical?”

“Yes, I’m willing to throw that rule completely out. I thought I could control it. I thought I could just wish it away. But after having a taste of you, I just want you more and more. We can’t ignore this - it would be torture for both of us. You were right all along, we’re grown men. But I still maintain that I’m not ready to share our news with anyone yet. Please tell me you respect that?”

“Of course I do. Talking with Tae really helped me realize that now isn’t the time for us to reveal our relationship. Most of the members already suspect something is going on, but for now there’s no need to confirm anything for anybody. We’ll be careful, more careful than before.”

“There’s another problem.”

“What’s that?”

“Military service. We’ll be stuck together for almost two years with no physical contact. No sex at any time.”

“Wasn’t such a big deal when I thought we would be separated. It’s going to be a little harder when I have to see you every day and can’t touch you. But again Jiminie, we’re grown men. We can handle it. That’s what vacations are for.”

Jimin removed his white towel but then quickly pulled on pajama pants. He didn’t want to take the chance of waking up Jeongguk’s loins again. His ass wasn’t ready for another round with him.

“Lay down with me,” Jimin asked.

“In the same bed? I get all of the special treatment tonight don’t I?”

“Ha-ha. Just lay down.”

Jeongguk cuddled up naked beside Jimin’s warm body. They cuddled under the sheets without the comforter. Jeongguk placed his head on Jimin’s chest, tickling his chin with his bushy bed-matted hair. 

“Are you sure that I can’t take care of you?” Once again Jeongguk alluded to the fact that Jimin had not orgasmed during either of their love making sessions. 

“I’m ok. Besides, we’re going to see your mother tomorrow. Limping around will make her suspicious.”

“Yikes. Forgot about that. Oh my God I can’t imagine how she would handle it if she knew we were having sex.”

Jimin brushed his fingers through Jeongguk’s hair, “I’m sure she suspects it already. It’s part of this…being in love. And she knows that we’re very much in love.”

“Whatever. Let’s keep her out of our sex lives.” Jeongguk blushed just thinking about discussing sex with his mother. “And no limping tomorrow. I don’t want her nosy ass asking questions.” 

They both laughed. And then came the crippling, silent realization.

“This is our last night alone for a really long time. I’m going to miss you.”

“Until Japan in November. We have so little time left. Our schedules are insane. We’re the only two who are still working.”

Jimin kissed the top of Jeongguk’s head, “When do you think I’ll see you again?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. But I’ll call you everyday…and I’ll text…and send you YouTube videos.”

“It’s not the same,” Jimin held Jeongguk tightly in his arms.

“We’ll be ok. This isn’t the first time we’ve been apart,” Jeongguk reminded him.

And with that, Jimin felt at ease. His plan for isolating themselves during Chapter two had worked. With confidence and sure-footedness, Jeongguk accepted their parting. No drama, no begging to stay together, no threats, just acceptance with the understanding that they would survive the distance. The Maknae was all grown up and standing on his own. Jimin was infinitely proud of him. Yet, there was a small piece of his heart that envied Jeongguk’s independence because Jimin himself didn’t feel nearly as strong.

The following morning, Jimin and Jeongguk headed to Busan for Chuseok. Jimin spent half the day with the Jeon family before venturing mainland to the mountains to be with his own family. The goodbye between him and Jeongguk was painful. They faced incertitude about the immediate future and when they would once again be together. Time was ticking and their military service was due to begin in two months. Jeongguk’s schedule would keep him out of Korea for the majority of the time And Jimin’s work schedule was set to gear up in November. Everything was discombobulated and work dominated their lives. They had but one small solace to hold on to - Sapporo, Japan.

***

October 12th, 2023

The official schedule in the team member group chat said that Jimin was flying back and forth between Seoul and Los Angeles. Even though Jimin had recorded most of his album,  MUSE, back in June the previous year, he still had a few vocals to complete as they put the finishing touches on the album’s production. He was busy, but not nearly as busy as Jeongguk.

With the release of his album Golden, less than a month away, Jeongguk was working 15-20 hour days. Plus, traveling back and forth through different time zones made it almost impossible to get in contact with Jimin. They texted often, but it wasn’t the same as hearing each other’s voices. They had a very healthy respect for each other’s sleep and they tried to avoid ever calling at odd hours of the night. Respectful as it may have been, it made them both miserable because they missed each other abundantly.

Jeongguk had a crazy seven days ahead. First he had several interviews on the morning of October 13th. Then he had his first solo performance at Music Bank. Between the performances, he had several phone interviews, a fan meet and dance practice. Even though he had performed at Music Bank countless times with BTS, this was his first time performing alone. His nerves were frayed. Performing his debut hit 3-D in English before a Korean crowd was a risky career move. He didn’t know how the crowd would react. But because of his stubborn commitment to doing things his way, he prepared a stage that would make history. Thanks to long talks with Jimin and Joonie, he felt confident that their fans would love anything he presented as long as he did his best.

Immediately after Music Bank, he was off to Budapest on October 14th for the filming of the feature song for Golden, Standing Next To You. It was a performance that had taken all of his strength and skill to pull off and it was finally time to film the video. The stress of having his body and mind ready for filming was yet another obstacle for him to overcome. The stylist had most of his wardrobe, but he still had to pack for a four day trip to Budapest and then another two days in Germany. 

He continued packing. It was important to get organized so he could head to bed early. The filming for Music Bank was to kick off at 4am the following morning. If he wanted a good performance, he had to be well rested. 

Yet, something was bothering him. He couldn’t fully focus on his packing because he didn’t know exactly where Jimin was. He wanted to try to get him on the phone just once before heading to Budapest. He looked around and found his phone laying on the shelf. To his dismay, he had missed two texts from Jimin. One simply said, “I love you”.  The other said, “Don’t forget it’s my birthday tomorrow.” 

Jeongguk scoffed at the second text. Of course it was Jimin’s birthday and of course he wouldn’t forget. Even though he held no hope of seeing him, he planned to mail his gift to him - wherever he was. Quickly he texted him back, “I would never forget your birthday. Never. Where are you btw? What city?”

There was no immediate response. Even though he wasn’t aware of it, Jeongguk's face filled with disappointment. He jumped over to the group chat to see if there were any updates on Jimin’s schedule. The last update was that he was in L.A., but there was no return flight listed. The mystery continued. He still didn’t know where his Jiminie was. 

Two hours later, his packing was complete. It was 9pm and he had to be up in five hours. Dead tired, he crawled into bed. As was his ritual, he read at bedtime. His reading was not for pleasure, but for education.

His last two bouts of sex with Jimin hadn’t been very pleasurable for his hyung and he vowed to learn everything he could about how to make sex feel good for both of them. To do that, he had to educate himself on how to make love properly, how to prep Jimin properly and how to make love without hurting him. He had several sources but his favorite book was The Joy of Gay Sex. He also read Out of the Shadows and subscribed to the YouTube Channel called Gay Men Going Deep. He had many resources that helped him understand how things needed to be done. He was confident that his next time with Jimin would be mind blowing. 

Jimin had promised him that practice would make him better. However, practice seemed to be the one missing piece from their relationship. They hadn’t seen each other in weeks, how were they supposed to practice? 

After another hour of reading, Jeongguk put his books down and pulled the sheets over his head. The last thought he had before drifting off to sleep was the memory of making love to Jimin in the swimming pool back in Jeju. His mind recounted holding him in his arms as the warm water gently splashed around them. He remembered the feeling of entering the man he loved and fucking him for the first time; he remembered the awkward strokes, and the pleasure of grinding his hips into him. He could feel his hoarse screams as he reminisced about orgasming inside of the man he loved. It was a sweet dream and a beautiful nightmare because Jimin was nowhere around. He missed him.

***

October 13, 2023- Music Bank

It was not unusual for the line of fans to be wrapped around the open hall in Yeouido-dong which was where Music Bank was filmed. Fans were very dedicated to BTS and they arrived early and stayed late. But Jeongguk was surprised to see such a long line for him. He waved as he passed by ARMY who were singing and dancing and passing out gifts as they waited for the doors to open. It was 3:00 am. Jeongguk was humbled by their support for him.

He was rushed out of the SUV towards the dressing room, where the styling team immediately began working on his hair and make-up. His signature white tank top and baggy khaki pants and long walker boots were almost identical to what he had worn in the 3-D video. It didn’t take him long to get performance-ready and by 3:45am, he was ready for his first take. After a quick meal of kimchi stir-fried rice, he was on stage doing the first sound check with fans. 

He smiled at all of them and talked to them as a collective. They bantered back and forth with him telling them about everything he had eaten and that he was still sleepy. He took a few questions, those that he could decipher through the crowd noise, and he answered them as best as he could. After several takes of his performance he took more time to talk to the audience as his hair and make-up were touched up.

“It’s Jimin’s birthday today.” He wasn’t sure why he blurted it out, but he did.

As to be expected, the crowd went wild. They screamed for Jimin and eventually began singing Happy Birthday to him even though he wasn’t there. Jeongguk could hear a few of them asking if he had spoken to Jimin.

He picked up the question, “Spoken to him? No. Not yet. I’m here performing and he’s traveling. I’ll text him at 10:13 exactly. He’ll like that.”

“He’s coming home, he’s coming home,” several of them yelled.

Jeongguk leaned down so that he could hear more clearly, “Home? Did you say he’s coming home?”

The fans knew the band’s schedules better than they did. No where in the gc did it say that Jimin would be home for his birthday. Several of the girls in the front had Jimin on the airport camera. Jeongguk stared at their phones and sure enough, there was video footage of Jimin boarding a plane. He was scheduled to land in three hours, just as Jeongguk was due to finish up his performance. 

“He’s coming back to Korea?” Jeongguk asked. He sounded silly, he should have known where his bandmate was, but he didn’t. Jimin’s schedule was so hectic that many of his travel plans were adhoc and not pre-planned. Leave it to the fans to tell Jeongguk where he was.

Jeongguk’s heart thundered in his chest. There was a window of about ten hours where he and Jimin could see each other. His mind was transfixed on a plan. If he finished up the Music Bank performance early, he could drop by his apartment and head to Nine One just in time for Jimin’s arrival home. The following day he could go directly to the airport. It was exactly what he’d been praying for, a brief visit before heading out to Budapest and Germany for the next ten days. It was a perfect window.

Jeongguk smiled gratefully at the audience who still questioned if had wished Jimin a happy birthday.

“I’ll text him, or try to call him later. I promise,” Jeongguk responded. Only he knew that he planned to do much more than that. 

There was urgency to his performance. He wanted everything perfect with minimal takes. He pressed his dancers to do their best with the promise of getting out early. Many of them were traveling to Budapest with him, so it behooved them to put in the hard work necessary for an early wrap up. The final recording concluded at noon. As the crowd roared and the cameras went in for a close up, he flashed the 3-D hand signal that looked identical to the okay sign. When the cameras panned in, he did something unexpected by puckering his lips and popping his tongue inside of his cheek. Some in the audience knew what it meant, most didn’t. The producers however were completely clueless, allowing the footage to be recorded. Very few people in the building realized that he had just made an obscene gesture signifying a blow job - and the gesture was distinctly meant for Jimin.

***

Jimin’s flight landed at 12:00pm.  His plan was to go straight home, shower and then do a quick live for ARMY before laying down to get some rest. He had plans to hang out with some friends and enjoy a quiet night. The following day he planned a trip to Busan to see his parents and spend a few days with them. 

His birthday was not exciting for him, especially since this would be the first one without Jeongguk. Per the group chat, Jeongguk was performing at Music Bank and then heading straight to Budapest. Jimin lamented over the fact that they would not see each other. He searched online looking for the recording of Jeongguk’s performance. He found it. Like the proud boyfriend he was, he watched every bit of it several times, admiring Jeongguk’s incredible performance. Just as he made it to the end, his phone began buzzing with texts. Inside of each text was the exact same screenshot of Jeongguk’s ending pose at the Music Bank taping. The most urgent texts appeared to be from Namjoon and Tae, so those were the two that he read first. 

Apparently Jeongguk had made some inappropriate gestures on national television. It was all the buzz. The producers were already on the phone with Hybe to negotiate getting the performance edited. 

Jimin opened the screen shots that Tae and Namjoon sent to him. “Nice,” he broke into laughter. Leave it up to his Maknae to stir up trouble. From Jimin’s best guess, Jeongguk was gesturing a blow job on conservative Korean television. “I love you - you trouble maker.”

Jimin loved it, even though he was sad to know that the two of them wouldn’t be seeing each other anytime soon. There was no blow job in Jimin’s immediate future. He took Jeongguk’s little stunt to be a birthday joke. He didn’t take it seriously, even though the rest of Korea did. It was up to Hybe and Music Bank to figure it out. Jeongguk was very savvy and he knew how production worked. He knew that it would be cut before the final version aired. Still, that didn’t stop him from pushing the limits. 

 The city was littered with banners and billboards dedicated to birthday wishes for Jimin. He smiled as his driver curried him through the streets of Seoul towards Nine-One Hannam. The condo where he had lived since 2019, ironically held the same address as Jeongguk’s birthday. It wasn’t a coincidence. He and Jeongguk had chosen the place together as a secure place to live until enlistment. Only the members knew that Jeongguk maintained a unit in the condo as well, but for the purpose of evading stalkers who plagued him, Jeongguk spent most of his time at a staged apartment owned by the company. It was for his own safety as he waited for the construction of his new home to be completed. Namjoon owned a condo and Nine-One there as well.

Typically when Jimin would arrive home from a long trip, he could meet up with Jeongguk and spend time with him, but not this time. His boyfriend wasn’t there. Jeongguk’s schedule was packed and although he was still in town for the Music Bank performance, he was scheduled to leave the following day on October 14th. With his schedule being that tight, Jimin realized there was no way that he would get to see him, even if they were both in Korea for a few hours. He wasn’t surprised. Even before leaving Jeju, they knew that this was going to happen.

The driver helped Jimin with his luggage. Together with Jimin’s security team, they escorted him to the door of his apartment.  Jimin thanked them all and bid them farewell. They would soon be meeting up again for Jimin’s November 6th trip to Budapest.  

Jimin entered the code to open his door and stepped inside. As he walked through the apartment, he littered his clothes along the way. By the time he reached the bathroom, he was naked and ready to climb directly into the shower. The stench of airplane was annoying him and he wanted to shower in his fresh orange scented Loe’s shower wash. 

As he washed, his mind wandered to food. He thought about what he wanted to eat for lunch. It was still early in the day but he was starving. His hunger was partially triggered by the incredible aroma of  Makguksu that seemed to be wafting through his apartment. Jimin found it odd that the smell of the neighbor’s cooking was so potent in his apartment. That wasn’t something that normally happened.

At any rate, he wrapped himself in a towel and headed straight for his bedroom to get dressed. The lights were off and the curtains were drawn, leaving the bedroom almost completely dark. The few exceptions to the dankness were a series of bright candles on his dresser and window sill.  

Jimin immediately backed out of the room. Someone was there, someone uninvited. Only two people knew the code to his apartment, Jeongguk and his father. And he knew for a fact that it couldn’t be either of them. Jimin feared the worst; fans had somehow found their way into his apartment. BTS had stalkers, many of them were very savvy. His first assumption was that sasaengs had breached security and were in the apartment waiting for him. He had no idea if they wanted to harm him. He wrapped the towel tighter around his waist and ran towards his front door. His heart pounded with fear. He didn’t want to have to fight, but he was prepared to do whatever he needed to protect himself. He grabbed his phone from the kitchen counter on his way to the door. 

Just as he was about to dial 2-1-1, he noticed his dining room table. There was food on the table and large bouquets of roses, carnations, lilies and hydrangea. Fine China that did not belong to him was meticulously placed in two distinct settings; one for him and another for a guest. It was beautiful. There were candles on the table, all in his favorite scents. Soft music was playing in the background and a familiar voice was humming along.

Jimin’s heart beat even faster, but this time for a completely different reason. He could see a muscular image with neatly coiffed, newly trimmed hair, standing behind the stove. He appeared to be wearing an apron, with nothing underneath. The soft light of the candles picked up indentions in his cheeks, the dimples that Jimin had kissed so many times. Even in the dim light, the rainbow of color up his right arm was visible. Jimin could hardly hear over the pounding of his anxious heart. All quieted as soon as the man spoke.

“Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” Jimin’s face broadened into a smile.

“Your robe.” Jeongguk lifted Jimin’s robe from the chair and placed it around him. He tied the strings into a hard knot before leaning his forehead against Jimin’s. “Happy Birthday.”

“And you are here…how? You’re supposed to be on your way to Budapest,” Jimin’s bottom lip began to tremble. His mind swirled, he couldn’t even believe what he was seeing. 

“We have exactly six hours. I had to see you.”

“But how…?” Jimin still trembled. Jeongguk’s skin felt like hot coals against his wet chilled body. Once again providing the Yin to his Yang. He rambled just to keep his voice steady and keep his mind busy so that he could outrun the tears. 

“Thank ARMY. They told me you were coming home. Otherwise, I would have been on my way to practice. I came here instead and bought everything we needed to have a private party. I have to film some footage tonight and then I head straight to the airport early tomorrow. We have six hours to get…done.”

“Done?” Jimin laughed, “What exactly does that mean?”

“Done…celebrating your birthday,” Jeongguk tucked the locks of Jimin’s wet hair behind his ear and then placed a carnation there to keep the hair in place. “I have dinner, champagne, cake, fruit, presents and dick. Which would you like to have first?”

Jimin burst into laughter again. He grabbed both of Jeongguk’s bare shoulders as he fell into his chest. “If I choose dick first…can we keep dinner warm and the champagne cold?”

“I can manage that.”

Jimin squeezed Jeongguk into a hug. Before they could get to the task of being lovers, they had to reconnect as friends. “I’m so proud of you. I saw the videos and your live performance. You sound terrific, but I can tell you were winded at certain parts. Stop smoking. I just watched your Music Bank performance…and your…wait.” Jimin suddenly understood, “You blew me on national television because you knew you would be here tonight, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Your little antics are causing all kinds of headache for management.” Jimin gave Jeongguk a high five.

“I’m sure they’ll work it out. I wanted to send you a message that I was on my way.”

 “Well that’s a message that I almost didn’t get. KooKoo, I just can’t believe you’re here. I never expected this. This is the best birthday present you could have given me.”

“It’s about to get even better.”

 Jeongguk lifted Jimin into his arms and carried him to the bedroom. He laid him gently on the bed and spoke softly, “I’ve prepared a very special day for you.”

“I don’t have much here to help us…,”

“...I have everything we need.” Jeongguk removed his apron to reveal a naked body that was saturated in a rich golden hue.

Jimin audibly gasped. He watched his band mate, lover and best friend crawl into the bed and hover over him. Something was different about him. In the few weeks since they’d been apart, he all of a sudden held a confident command over the bedroom. Jimin wilted as the younger positioned himself to serve a birthday that Jimin would never forget.

Jeongguk had never been so aroused. Feeling Jimin in his arms again caused hot blood to teem in his groin as he felt the cambric slide of the sheets over their bodies. His mouth went to the curve of his neck and trailed down to his shoulder. The smell of oranges from Jimin’s freshly showered body inundated his senses. He wanted him badly but he had to take it slow. Jimin’s hair was slightly damp and much longer than Jeongguk remembered it. It felt like fiery silk sliding over his fingers as he took handfuls of it and lifted it to his face. Intoxicated by him, he hunted for more of Jimin’s scent, drawing in with deep breaths.

 Tugging at the front of Jimin’s robe, Jeongguk caused the silky knot to slip loose. He pulled the robe free, trapping Jimin’s arms within the sleeves. He used the robe as a delicate restraint while smashing his lips against his hyung’s nipples, and trailing his tongue along his ribs. He nipped at his belly button and sucked his muscular chest mounds. He feasted on him, engaging all of his senses. He wooed him with traveling kisses, wet and artful and passionate. He loved him and he wanted to make sure that Jimin understood how much. 

The younger licked his way down to the tip of Jimin’s stiff cock. He flicked the tip with his tongue like a snake tasting his food. And just like a venomous snake, he went in for the kill.

Jimin moaned. His body drew into a helpless arch as he watched his entire cock disappear inside of Jeongguk’s mouth. Just as he adjusted to the pressure and warmth around his cock, he felt something hard and solid being inserted into him. His eyes flew open and he grabbed Jeongguk’s shoulders as if to push him away. Whatever was inside of him was slowly being pushed further into place. Jimin’s hands squeezed into fists over Jeongguk’s shoulders as the pressure intensified. Oddly enough, there was no pain, just intense pressure. He could feel the slick lubricant drip from his hole as Jeongguk settled an ass plug into his opening.

Jimin opened his mouth to speak, but his lips were immediately covered with Jeongguk’s large powerful hand. Jimin battled two of the most intense sensations he’d ever experienced; being fucked with an anal plug while simultaneously having his dick sucked. It was overwhelming and confusing. His body gingerly walked the line between pleasure and pain, the perfect balance of which pushed him to ecstasy. He could feel the twisting of the cold steel inside of him as he watched Jeongguk’s head bob up and down sucking him, deep throating him, eating him for dinner. His moans grew louder and louder as the muscles within his thighs began to twitch. He couldn’t believe it, after less than ten minutes of his birthday treatment, he was already about to cum. 

“What are you doing to me…I can’t…?”

“Shhh, relax,” Jeongguk commanded.

Jeongguk read every signal, interpreted every moan and delectable grunt. He was driving Jimin crazy, checking all of his boxes, feeding all of his needs. Jimin was right where he wanted him. It was time.  Jeongguk released Jimin’s cock from his mouth. He could taste the droplets of pre-cum that Jimin had left behind. 

Like a rising Phoenix, Jeongguk rested on his knees as he rubbed a vanilla scented lube up and down his shaft. The stroking from his hands sloshed the lube around, creating a slick shiny surface over his aggressive erection. Jimin watched with gleeful anticipation as the candle light reflected along the mighty shaft that was about to impale him. He stretched his body like a cunning cat, purring as his ass clenched over the steel toy that was stuffed inside of him.

With the anal plug still firmly implanted in the middle of Jimin’s body, Jeongguk rolled the elder to his side and nestled behind him. After several more flirty twists, the anal plug was suddenly released. A breath escaped Jimin’s chest as he adjusted to the cold empty feeling. The plug had done its job, leaving a slick gaping hole that would serve as Jeongguk’s target.  

Jeongguk pondered his older lover. He was unspeakably beautiful, cowering in front of him. Jimin’s body was both a delicate mechanism and a powerful tank. Although outwardly indestructible, his inner parts were extremely intricate and needed to be approached with gentle sensitivity. It was possible to hurt him, even though it was impossible to destroy him. Jeongguk had to keep all of that in mind as he contemplated how to enter him, how to sit inside of him, and how to fuck him just right.  

He moved with the slightest intimation of a thrust, sliding along the slick path set by the layers of lube. He rotated his hips slowly, pushing through the resistance of Jimin’s sweet vulnerable flesh. While using his flat palm to hold Jimin’s stomach, he whispered into the coil of his ear, “Tell me if it hurts. Stop me if it hurts.”

Jimin was silent, speechless. He had never been fucked from behind before. His eyes fluttered open and shut as if he were in a trance. The gentle loving insertion of his lover’s dick inundated him with overwhelming pleasure. He found himself bucking against him, eager to be fed Jeongguk’s full length.

Jeongguk continued to push himself inside of Jimin’s body. Despite the lubricated path, he found it more difficult that he expected to fully seat himself. Mostly Jimin was patient. He didn’t express any signs of pain so Jeongguk pushed harder with more force until every inch of him was inside. 

“You’re such a good hyung. I’m all the way inside of you. Do you feel it?”

Jimin whimpered with a nod. He bit his bottom lip as he clenched his eyes shut. His lover and his many inches of dick bulged inside of his stomach. It was the most complete feeling that Jimin had ever experienced in his life. He stretched his neck, coaxing Jeongguk to kiss it from behind. He felt the younger’s lips graze his shoulders and upper back. Jimin knew that Jeongguk was stalling, giving him a moment to adjust to the heavy cock inside of him. 

Jeongguk spoke with a  low raspy voice, one that Jimin seldom heard from his young lover, “Show me what you want and I’ll give it to you, as much as you need for as long as you want. Nothing matters but you.”

And with that their limbs tangled over the bed and Jeongguk’s hips began to rock. His aroused flesh dove over and over into the cove of Jimin’s body. In and out he pumped like a machine. He wasn’t gentle, he was appropriately rough for a man as powerful and needy as Jimin. Jimin’s ass was well conditioned, sending each of Jeongguk’s strokes deep into his soul. 

They groaned and grunted as they settled into a rhythm. Jeongguk held him with firm pressure, cupping him from behind as he pulled him against his solid weight. The room filled with the sounds from their clapping bodies. 

Jimin began to tremble. Everything that Jeongguk was doing to him was exactly what he needed. He bucked against each of his strokes, desperate for more.  Never had he felt so full before. He could feel the oncoming rush of an orgasm. Jeongguk’s hands were all over him, stroking his cock, teasing his nipples. He was being kissed, fondled, sucked and fucked all at a dizzying pace.

With no constraint he screamed, “Jeonggukie…stop…I mean…fuck oh fuck, I’m cum…!” None of Jimin’s sentences were complete. His muscles tensed as hot cum erupted from his pulsating tip. His entire body shivered and his eyes watered. He bucked hard against Jeongguk’s already aggressive fuck, moaning and screaming as his orgasm owned him. He found Jeongguk’s hand resting on his stomach and held it, squeezing for dear life.

He could feel Jeongguk’s grip tightening around him again. The rocking of his hips intensified as he pushed his dick in and out, in and out, in and out, slapping their bodies together like an MMA wrestling match. He took Jimin hard and fast, as was his nature. On the precipice, he began muttering into Jimin’s ear, “I love you. You’re making me cum so hard. Tell me you love me, tell me you love me, tell me…,”

Jimin was out of breath, he could hardly speak but he mustered every ounce of his strength to say  the words that Jeongguk needed to hear, “I love you…so much.”

“Here I cum baby,” the room exploded with Jeongguk’s loud orgasmic song. His body shuddered as his balls emptied. Wave after wave of cum clogged Jimin’s hole, flooding him with the younger’s seed. 

Jimin could feel the warm velvety fluid cling to his walls. He clenched and tightened his body in an effort to squeeze everything out of the Maknae. He knew at that moment that they both were experiencing something they’d never felt before. It was a sexual breakthrough that boded very well for their future.

Jeongguk’s full body convulsed several times before his cock finally stopped squirting. As soon as he was quiet, Jimin pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him.

He slapped his chest with a big hearty grin, “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?”

Jeongguk broke into laughter, “Liked that, huh?”

“WHAT? HOW? WHEN? HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DO THAT?”

“Happy Birthday.”

“Jeon Jeongguk, I’m serious. That is not how I left you four weeks ago.”

“I told you that I was committed to making this work for both of us. I read everything that I could find about sex and studied - and watched how they do it in porn. I just got…better…tried out some of the things that I learned. It was all for you because I love you.”

“Wow. Like wow. It didn’t even hurt…well fuck yeah it hurt…but not like it usually does. I feel good and so satisfied.”

“Good because at some point over the next six hours, I’m going to fuck you again before I leave.”

Jimin’s eyes bulged. He nodded with a devilish grin, “Yes, sir.”

“We don’t have much time today, but next time we’re together, we’ll take our time and really, REALLY do it right. Are you hungry? I can only keep dinner warm for so long.”

Jimin stared up at the ceiling and placed his hands in prayer position. “Not sure if I thanked God lately, but thank you God. Thank you for him. Amen.” Jimin laughed, “Yes. I’m very hungry.”

 ***

Dinner conversation was plentiful. They both had so much to say, so much to share about their different projects. Jimin was hard at work preparing MUSE for the 2024 release and Jeongguk was days away from his first solo debut. 

Jeongguk showed him the storyboards and all of the different scenes for his upcoming video shoot. Jimin doted on his short hair and how much weight he had lost while preparing for his debut.

“It’s like a tribute to Michael Jackson,” Jimin boasted as he flipped through the pictures of Jeongguk’s wardrobe. “I saw the choreography, oh Jeonggukie, this is going to be epic. You think they’ll submit it for a Grammy?”

“Probably. My guess is that they will submit all of our solo work. Hey, I have a surprise for you. I’m doing a remix for SNTY with…Usher.”

“You’re fucking kidding me?” Jimin jumped to his feet with excitement.

“He reached out to us when he heard the song and the rest just worked out. Jiminie, I know how much you like him. I thought this was a good way to pay a small tribute to you.”

“Usher is a big name, KooKoo. This is absolutely incredible news. Who would have thought ten years ago that you would be working with a legend?”

“I’ve been working with a legend for the last ten years. His name is Park Jimin.”

Jimin blushed. He grinned and stared down into his empty plate. “I’m not a legend. That’s just your love bias talking.”

“You’re a legend. I knew that before I even loved you. Enough about me, tell me what’s happening with MUSE.”

Jimin was more than happy to share his video concepts as well. “Speaking of tributes, I have a small surprise planned for you in the feature single WHO. But, I can’t tell you much about that quite yet.”

“Looking forward to it,” Jeongguk laughed.

Their conversation was interrupted by a series of phone calls.  Jimin’s phone steadily rang with different friends and family calling to wish him happy birthday. At one point, Jimin held a facetime call with the other members including Hobi and Jin. They all sang happy birthday to Jimin. Tae had questions about how the two had found time to be together, but Jeongguk deflected his inquiries in front of the others. 

Their night together moved much too quickly, but they made the best of it. They ate Jeongguk’s homemade dinner. They fed each other cake, and swallowed large quantities of champagne. The liquor in their systems only made them more sexually aggressive. With empty champagne bottles, dirty dishes, pots and pans, pieces of cake and balloons strewn all over the apartment, they enjoyed Jimin’s personal party to the fullest. 

There was a polite knock at the door. A neighbor had stopped by to inquire about all of the moans and screams coming from the apartment. His query was never answered because inside, Jeongguk had Jimin spread eagle over the kitchen table, fucking the life out of him for the third time that same day. It was their passion filled love making sessions that spurned the disturbance amongst Jimin’s neighbors. 

With the knowledge that they only had a few more hours together and a few more weeks before enlistment, they didn’t hold back. They fucked as much as they could before it was finally time for Jeongguk to go.

“Is this all of your luggage?” Jimin asked quietly.

“I had to pack heavy…it’s going to be a long trip. You know how that goes,” Jeongguk said sadly. “I brought all of it here so that I can go straight to the studio for the recording. I’m going to get a few hours  of sleep and then head straight to the airport tomorrow.”

“I wish I could go with you. I would love to watch you film the video.”

“I wish you could come as well. It would be fun,” Jeongguk smiled.

The two made small talk as Jeongguk dressed, “I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen.”

“You didn’t have to do that. Dinner was absolutely incredible. One of my best birthday dinners ever,” Jimin wiped tears from his right eye.

“Don’t do that. Don’t start with the tears. We’ll see each other in a little over a month -  in Tokyo!” Jeongguk said brightly “When are you heading to Budapest?”

“November 6th. I’ll film for two days and then head back here to do a photo shoot.” More tears. Jimin was having trouble accepting that Jeongguk was leaving, “This has been the best birthday.”

“Better than that time I dropped a thirst video?”

Jimin laughed. “Yea, even better than that. Thank you for doing this. Thank you for making this day unforgettable.” Jimin’s laughter slowly turned into tears. He spoke with a hard voice as he tried to push back his sobs, “I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time saying goodbye.”

“Because it’s happening just like you were afraid it would. The sex is making everything more intense.”

“It’s not just the sex. It’s you.”  Jimin grabbed Jeongguk and pulled him into a hug.

“I love you too Jiminie. I have to go…I have the studio booked. The managers and the security team will be here any minute to pick me up.”

As soon as Jeongguk said it, his phone rang. Ji-won, his manager, was calling from downstairs to tell them they had arrived.

“Hello, yea, I have so much luggage. Can someone meet me at the elevator?” Jeongguk watched Jimin disrobe and redress. He bantered back and forth with his manager as they negotiated the logistics of their transportation but he could not take his eyes off of Jimin. After ten years, ten long years, he found him more beautiful than the day they first met. His long silky black hair, and crescent shaped eyes, contrasting against his pink pillowy lips were an absolute dream. “Uh yes, I’m here. On my way down.”

Jeongguk balanced his two large suitcases on their wheels and then secured his backpack.  Since he was in the middle of filming for a documentary, he carried his hand held camera with him to grab additional footage. His hands were truly full. 

Jimin walked him out, pulling one of his large suitcases. They met the managers at the elevator. “I better go. I’m about to do a live broadcast with ARMY for my birthday.”

“That will absolutely make you feel better. They will have many birthday wishes for you,” Jeongguk encouraged.

“Yea.” Jimin leaned in and gave Jeongguk one final hug. He whispered quietly into his ear, “I’m going to marry you someday.”

Those words were not as Jeongguk expected. He felt a lump in his throat and the sting of tears in his bright eyes. He didn’t want to cry in front of management, nor did he want to display too much intimacy. But Jimin’s words choked him up. He tightened their hug. He held Jimin for so long that Ji-won cleared his throat as a friendly reminder that Jeongguk had to go. 

It was the arrival of Sejin that lowered the intensity of the moment. He arrived with a birthday cake for Jimin, just in time for the taping of his live with ARMY. 

“Hey, Jeongguk. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Sejin surveyed the situation, curious about why Jeongguk was with Jimin when he was supposed to be in Budapest.

“On my way out. Just had to drop by and give something to Jimin,” he laughed. “I fly out tomorrow.”

Sejin could only imagine what Jeongguk had given Jimin for his birthday. In fact, he didn’t have to imagine because judging from Jimin’s glow, he already knew. “I’m here to take you back to Hybe offices so you can film…unless you plan to go live from your apartment?” Sejin spoke to Jimin.

“No, no, I’m ready. Just saying goodbye to Jeongguk. I have to get my bag and we can go.”

Jeongguk and Jimin parted even though their eyes remained interlocked.

“Bye, have a safe trip,” Jimin did what he could to lower the emotional tension between them.

“Yea, call you when I get settled,” Jeongguk responded.

Jeongguk was just about to get on the elevator when he suddenly lifted his camera. Clad head to toe in his custom CK blue jean set, he aimed his camera at Jimin. He took two final shots of his beloved as a tribute to Jimin’s 29th birthday. They were pictures that would forever remind them of their special night. Jimin smiled, caught slightly off-guard by the sudden photoshoot. 

____________

Later that evening, Jimin went live. And just as Jeongguk suggested, he felt much better talking to ARMY. Namjoon, sensing that he may be feeling a bit down with Jeongguk traveling, stopped by to grant him birthday wishes during his live broadcast.

Someone mentioned Jeongguk in the comments. He broke into song, “ppeuriri” with a loving smile as he teased 3-D, and then sang a melody with the words, “I miss you. I miss you. I miss you.” It was all for his Jeonggukie whom he was missing very much. His most riant smile came when he explained how 3-D had suddenly become ppeuriri and how he was scolded by Jeongguk. 

He talked about visiting his parents, eating seaweed stew and posting tik tok dances. But he artfully avoided telling everyone that he and Jeongguk had seen each other. That was a secret for him and his lover to keep.

When asked about Jeongguk, he sighed and had this to say, “Jeonggukie? Jeongguk is very busy these days. I’m worried because he might be so tired.” He looked down at his phone. There was no filter that could hide his melancholy and his worry. Just speaking Jeongguk’s name was difficult because it triggered so much emotion within him, especially given the incredible day they had spent together. 

Minute 23:16

After fifteen minutes trying to convince the fans that his sweater was not inside out, he finally moved on to talk about practice and comments from Jin. Forty-five minutes later he closed the live broadcast by telling ARMY how much he loved them, warning them not to get sick, and thanking them for wishing him a happy birthday. 

He walked away from the broadcast feeling hopeful and happy, but anxiously anticipating his trip to Japan…

***

[To Be Continued…]

_________________________

And...we are at the end of part THREE. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reading. A few words about minute 23:16 and why I highlighted it. This was Jimin's (presumably) first birthday was Jk was traveling and couldn't be with him. If you notice, he starts singing 3D, but then transitions into a made up song with the lyrics of "I Miss You." I believe the I Miss You may have been triggered by comment, but the song that he sang using those words felt like it was meant for Jk, since Jk was so heavily on his mind. He mentions him three different times during this live and as you can see from his face, he really was worried about him and missed him. Tell me what you think in the comments.