Chapter Text
He was staring.
Taehyung noticed his gaze from across the bar as he was polishing some glasses with a clean rag before hanging them up. He had come in earlier than usual and he was alone, chewing at his pierced bottom lip when he wasn’t downing another gulp of his second cold beer. He looked thoughtful; the socialite façade when he was around friends or dates faded into contemplation.
He’d looked in the direction of the bar before, but Taehyung had brushed it off, telling himself it was boredom, the kind that came with not knowing what to pay attention to. But no, now he couldn’t convince himself that’s what it was: The guy was properly watching him, eyes fixed on Taehyung as he hung the glass above the bar and grabbed a shaker to make a gin fizz.
What the fuck.
Taehyung blinked in his direction before turning back to work, a warm and unfamiliar feeling sliding down his spine. He cleared his throat, reminding himself of the task he had at hand as he squatted to grab an egg from the fridge.
He made a sour expression as he cracked the egg on the counter and separated the yolk from the white in a few swift, practised motions. No matter how many times he prepared this goddamn drink, it still made him wince to put a fucking egg white in a shaker. He immediately turned to wash his hands, taking longer than necessary to clean his fingertips with soap. He wiped his hands quickly to add the gin, syrup and lemon juice.
“Stop doing that face, Taehyung-ssi,” a familiar voice called.
Hyejin was leaning over the bar, tickets of new orders she just got in one hand. “We can’t have the customers see the flirty, cute bartender disgusted with a drink he’s making. It’s a bad image.” She smirked as she slid the paper to him. “You got two vodka martinis for table six, and another beer for Jungkook. Did you see him stare at you a minute ago?”
“I thought I was imagining things,” Taehyung said, a half smile on his lips as he capped the shaker for a dry shake. “He doesn’t have a girl with him today, either. It’s been what, two months? I think you might have finally cursed him.”
“Oh, please. He’s not done with breaking hearts, he’s just… simmering.”
Taehyung laughed, melodic and easy, before uncapping the shaker to add ice and shake again before serving. He glanced at the man, Jungkook, who was alone in his booth.
He was looking again.
Taehyung’s smile didn’t falter as he turned around to grab a bottle of soda water, but his mind was silently rushing with confusion now. He finished the gin fizz and slid it over to Hyejin, muttering “Table nine,” before getting started on the martinis.
He fought the urge to glance towards Jungkook again as he quickly whipped up the cocktails, one hand reaching for two chilled glasses without interrupting the stirring the other one did. He divided the concoction into the glasses, quickly garnished with olives and turned to pour beer from the tap for Jungkook.
His eyes finally flicked to the man despite himself, realising two people had joined him as he was working. One of them was a girl, beautiful, wearing a turtleneck that hugged her figure, sitting across from him with bright eyes.
He scoffed to himself, expression slipping into pity for a moment before he snapped back to his usual bartender behaviour. Laid back, comfortable, couldn’t be bothered. And it was true – he really couldn’t.
It was sad for the girls, though.
Jungkook’s dating life was a topic of relentless gossip among the staff. He was a regular, was at the booth in the back each Wednesday and Friday, usually with friends but sometimes with a date, too. They were always pretty girls, charming and talkative, with beautiful smiles and almost always genuine affection in their eyes.
They never stuck.
They rarely came back with him a second time. In a month, they’d be replaced by someone else – it seemed as though Jungkook got bored with them after just one date. Taehyung would notice him losing interest mid-sip; his movements would get automatic, his charm turn almost rehearsed.
He turned around to place the pint he had filled on the counter and looked up, meeting the same eyes that had been watching him throughout the night. He paused, startled, but didn’t let it reach his face.
“Hey,” Jungkook smiled, looking almost cute beneath the sexy that was so much it made Taehyung want to puke. “Can I order another beer and a cocktail? Something sweet, please. My… friend wants you to surprise her.”
Taehyung shook his head, the easy smile he used when talking to customers finally settling on his lips, just a second too late. “Sure thing. Does she like pineapple?”
“Um.” Jungkook blinked, shrugging slightly as his eyes followed Taehyung’s fingers to a shaker. “Sure, I guess.”
Taehyung hummed and turned around to grab rum and orange juice. “You always say that,” he observed, pouring the rum into the shaker without looking at it as he reached for another bottle. “When you order for a date, I mean.”
Jungkook blinked. He didn’t respond for a while, taken aback by the observation, brows raised with surprise. His expression softened after a moment, lips quivering into a smile.
“You’re judging,” he finally said. He didn’t sound angry or irritated – if anything, he sounded amused by the attention. His tone was level, confident. “Also assuming she’s a date.”
“I’m observing,” Taehyung corrected. He added some pineapple puree to the shaker before filling it with ice and capping it. “It’s hard not to when you’re bartending. I witness a lot of bad decisions back here.”
Jungkook laughed at that, short but genuine. “You think I’m making bad decisions?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, now,” Taehyung shot back, smirking now. “I just said I witness them, not that you make them.”
“Right.” Jungkook didn’t sound very convinced, but he didn’t push. He watched intently as Taehyung used a paring knife to cut out a piece of orange peel for garnish. “Don’t act like you don’t ever have problems with girls, though.”
Taehyung couldn’t help it – he laughed, loud enough for some nearby tables to turn and look briefly. He shook his head slightly, skillfully twisting the peel and holding it, his laugh settled on his face as a grin before he placed it on top of the cocktail.
“I love women, Jungkook,” he said, clearly entertained, “they’re amazing. Like, I would kill for Hyejin. But.” He stopped for a moment to look at the drink he’d prepared with pride, then handed it over. “I’ve never had girl problems, no. I’m uninterested.”
Jungkook’s fingers lingered for a moment too long on Taehyung’s when he took the drink. He muttered a “Huh,” as he turned away to get back to his booth. He stopped to look back after a few steps, eyes sharper now with something close to curiosity, a small smile still on his lips. “Thanks for the drink.”
Jungkook stayed at the booth for an hour before coming back to the bar, beer still unfinished in his hand. Taehyung watched him approach from the corner of his eye as he strained a drink into a lowball glass. When he was done with it, he finally looked up, head tipping to the side with question.
“Something you’d like?” he asked lightly, placing the glass in his hand on the counter with a soft thud. His eyes darted to the visibly warm beer in Jungkook’s hand, pointed.
Jungkook looked like he was considering something for a moment, his lips pressing together and his heavily tattooed right hand coming up to touch the bridge of his nose. He finally shook his head, looking up again, gaze steady and heavy. “I don’t think I’ll finish this beer,” he said, sliding the pint towards Taehyung. “Can you make me a cocktail?”
Taehyung gave him a thoughtful look, then turned around and reached for the flavored whiskey on the top shelf – it was a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Apple, with a sweet but sour profile, which would work amazingly in a cheeky whiskey cocktail. His shirt rode up to expose the skin right above his low sweatpants as he grabbed it, and he shivered at the contact with air as he turned, his free hand fixing the loose fabric without giving it much thought.
“Okay, so,” he started as he grabbed a clean shaker. He didn’t overthink it, just turned the bottle to pour two ounces, painfully aware of Jungkook’s eyes following every move. “I’ll make you something kind of like a whiskey sour. The recipe normally calls for an egg white, but I’m not touching a raw egg right now, so you’ll have to make do. That okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. It’s not like I understand any of what goes into a whiskey sour,” Jungkook responded. He was watching, unashamed, his chin resting in his palm as he leaned in to observe Taehyung freehanding the cocktail for him.
Taehyung snorted. “Well, you’re watching very intently, I thought I’d talk you through it.”
“I just like watching you work,” Jungkook simply replied, voice stable in contrast with Taehyung’s breezy attitude. It made Taehyung pause, his shoulders tensing momentarily as he looked up.
What the fuck.
He swallowed, getting back to work and ignoring what Jungkook had just said. “Well. This is apple-flavoured whiskey. I’m giving you two ounces of it; more would turn a nice cocktail into a frat party nightmare. How do you feel about orange juice instead of lemon juice in it?”
“I trust your judgement,” Jungkook said, watching Taehyung pour some simple syrup into the shaker. “Why don’t you measure the ounces? Like, with the measuring things?”
Taehyung bent down and grabbed the bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice from the fridge, and he laughed at the question as he stood up again. “I free-pour, I measure by counting. Want me to show you? I’ll need some tequila for another cocktail, anyway.”
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed a bottle of tequila and got another shaker. He grabbed the bottle firmly by the neck, thumb on the pourer to make sure it wouldn’t fall. He then quickly turned it over to pour. “One, two, three, four–” He stopped, cleanly tilting the bottle back and placing it in its place again without looking at it, his eyes flicking back to Jungkook with a gleam. “That’s exactly one ounce.”
Jungkook huffed a laugh, clearly not convinced. He shook his head. “That’s a lie.”
“It’s not! You know what? Here.” He took one of the jiggers Jungkook had pointed out a moment ago and placed it on the counter between them. “The ‘measuring thing’. It’s called a jigger, by the way,” he said pointedly, taking the shaker that he just poured tequila into. He tipped it, carefully transferring the liquor into the jigger. He made a point to turn it completely upside down to make sure he got every last drop out.
The tequila settled right at the rim, and Taehyung smirked, self-satisfied.
“Exactly one ounce,” he repeated, emphasising the first word. He smirked, taking the jigger to get the tequila back into the shaker. “I don’t half-ass my job, Jungkook-ssi. I also don’t waste tequila – for your information, this is for a tequila sunrise I’m about to make for table four, because the lady I recommended it to is almost done with her first one, and she will ask for another. I can count with you again for the next ounce I’ll add.”
He was showing off, he knew, but he couldn’t help himself. Bartending for five years had made him proud to the point of being defensive about his work.
Besides, he loved proving he was right.
Jungkook shook his head slightly, an appreciative look taking the place of the sceptical one he had had a minute ago. “Impressive.” He looked at the now-empty jigger, then back at Taehyung. “You do this a lot? Show off to customers?”
“Only when I’m right,” Taehyung replied without missing a beat as he quickly finished the cocktail for him. He garnished it with a wedge of fresh orange and placed it in front of Jungkook. “There. Taste it.”
It was an easy night – Wednesdays didn’t tend to get very busy unless there was some special occasion. The bar was still humming with conversation and laughter, but it wasn’t chaotic, not like how Fridays and Saturdays were. Taehyung watched as Jungkook took a sip of the cocktail, curious about his reaction and proud of his work, when Hyejin appeared on his peripheral vision with an empty glass.
“A second tequila sunrise for table four,” she announced, and Taehyung grabbed the empty glass to place it in the dishwasher with a knowing smile.
He took a new, clean glass and came back, reaching for the shaker he had just poured an ounce of tequila in. He grabbed the bottle of tequila again, glanced at Jungkook with mischief and poured the second ounce. He didn’t count out loud this time, just tapped the counter with his idle hand four times before tipping the bottle back.
God he was enjoying being watched.
He handed the cocktail over quickly and wiped an imaginary spill off the counter. He didn’t turn to Jungkook again when he asked, “So, do you hover around every guy who implies he likes dick, or is this a one-off?”
Taehyung’s voice was casual, easy as always. He had asked the question like a joke, lightly, but the muscles on his neck were strained a bit – just enough for someone paying attention to notice.
Jungkook stilled, a measured silence within the noise of the bar settling on him. He tilted his head to the side, slightly. “I’m…”
“Can I get a shot?” a voice asked from the other side of the bar. Taehyung’s head turned to see a woman leaning against the counter on the other side of the bar, her forearms resting on the polished wood. She smiled. “Hi. I don’t know exactly what I’d like, I just… a shot, please?”
“You want something fun or basic?” Taehyung asked, conversational. His tensed muscles relaxed as he shifted his attention completely to the customer, putting some distance between himself and Jungkook.
The woman hummed as she thought about it. Her hair was done up cleanly, a few deliberate strands framing her face. “Something fun,” she replied as she pushed one of them behind her ear.
“I can give you a blowjob,” Taehyung said, his lips curving. His hands were already moving to grab a shot glass. “I mean, that’s the name of the shot, I’m not about to take you to the back or anything. Do you like amaretto at all?”
The woman laughed, loud and lively. Her cheeks flushed with a shade of pink that was unrelated to her blush. “Wow, um, yeah,” she said, clearly having fun as she watched Taehyung get straight to work.
He placed the glass on the counter and layered the shot carefully – amaretto and Irish cream liquor, topped with a swirl of whipped cream. He slid it closer to her, finally looking up again, smirking. “Careful with it,” he said smoothly, “it’s sweet, but it’ll catch up to you.”
The woman took the glass, carefully raising it to her mouth and tipping it back. Some of the whipped cream had caught on her upper lip when she set the glass back down – her free hand flew up to cover it. She laughed with apparent embarrassment as she took the handkerchief Taehyung silently offered her to wipe it. “Thanks. Oh, this is embarrassing, I’m so sorry.”
Taehyung huffed out a laugh, watching her. “Don’t sweat it,” he replied with a voice slightly lower than before, still sweet but deliberate, “it’s a good look on you. Plus, you’re lucky.” He took the empty glass and wiped the counter smoothly. “I’m very picky about blowjobs. Don’t hand them out to everyone – you were more than cute enough for it.”
She was blushing deeper now. Taehyung smirked – he liked teasing people, and loved it being visible. “Enjoy your night,” he said, shooting her a look before turning around.
Jungkook was still watching. Taehyung caught his gaze, still intense, a bit more charged now.
He looked… interested.
As Taehyung placed the glass into the dishwasher, he realised how out of the ordinary that look was for Jungkook. He’d seen this man before, had glanced at him many times while working, and he didn’t remember Jungkook being so obviously focused before.
He walked back, leaning one hip against the station behind the counter and crossing his arms. “Sorry I had to cut you off there. Service comes first.”
Jungkook smiled, shaking his head. “Yeah, I figured. This cocktail is really nice, by the way. I didn’t get to tell you.”
“I know that already.” Taehyung considered him for a second. “Thanks, though.”
“Anytime,” Jungkook replied, raising his glass in a small toast before taking another sip. When he set it down, he cleared his throat and swallowed, choosing his words. “About your question. I’m not hovering, just curious, there’s a difference.” He looked up, meeting Taehyung’s eyes, stern. “And no, it’s not something I do often. I just like how your hands move when you’re working.”
“My hands,” Taehyung repeated, ignoring the pleasant tightening in his chest. He flexed his fingers against his biceps, suddenly very aware of them. He blinked once, taking time to register Jungkook’s words. “That’s… unusually bold.”
“You are, too.” Jungkook gestured loosely toward him, not looking away. “The wit, the flirting – which, I noticed, you’ve never done with me. You’re pretty bold. I might as well match it.”
Taehyung studied him, intently searching his expression for something unsure. He was surprised when he didn’t find any. He exhaled slowly; he could feel his heart drumming against his ribs.
It wasn’t like he’d never looked at Jungkook and wondered if he was into guys. The man was known as the sexy regular among staff for a reason; for God’s sake, he was smoking hot.
“So, let me get this straight,” Taehyung carefully started. He leaned in, brows raised, unbelieving and defiant. “You’ve been having an endless string of first dates right here, in front of me, and each time you’re… bored with them. Not interested.” He blinked. “What interests you now? My hands?”
“Um.” Jungkook looked like he was trying to determine how much to reveal, but his gaze dropped to Taehyung’s lips, then his neck, and it was practically screaming with intention. He pressed his lips together momentarily and toyed with the piercing on his lower one, then he finally looked up again. “Yeah. They’re definitely a strong contributing factor.”
They stood there for a moment, Taehyung leaning on the counter and Jungkook sitting on a stool on the other side of the bar. Taehyung’s jaw tightened. He was unsure of what to say, which was so unusual it could give Hyejin a stroke if she were there to witness it. He looked Jungkook up and down, feeling himself getting warmer with the settling realization that he wanted to fuck him.
“Alright,” he finally said, noticing he was looking at Jungkook’s hands that were wrapped around his glass with a firm grip. He snapped his eyes back to his face, willing himself to fucking stay focused. “I appreciate you being forward here, and I hope you know that I’m not the kind of guy that just sleeps with anyone.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at Jungkook’s lips as he hummed. “Who said anything about just sleeping together?” His eyes wandered down again, and he bit the inside of his cheek. “I mean, you’re obviously hot as fuck, but that’s not the only thing that I’m interested in.”
Taehyung breathily laughed, the sound escaping him before he was able to catch it. He turned his head, almost looking for something to ground him again, an order or a coworker, anything familiar. But no, just when he needed it to be busier, the night seemed to have decided to get slow. It made sense; there was an hour until closing, and people were starting to cool down – there wouldn’t be many orders until last call.
Still, though.
He shifted his gaze to Jungkook again, just to find the man looking at his hand that was over his bicep, as if studying for a life-changing exam. The attention was almost physically palpable; Taehyung could feel his skin getting warmer against it.
He didn’t sleep with or date customers. He never had, it was a rule he had set for himself a while ago and never betrayed.
Part of him was dying to break it now.
“I’m working,” he said, snappy, but his expression betrayed him – he was anything but unaffected. “I’ll get off in an hour.”
“I know,” Jungkook responded, his fingers toying with the rim of his glass. He waited for Taehyung to go on instead of trying to convince him or get more of his attention.
That was new – people usually pressed when they thought they could get yes as an answer. They’d usually ask again, lean in, insist. Jungkook didn’t; he asked and got back, leaving Taehyung to consider him without interruption. It was… nice. Considerate. A bit hotter than Taehyung was ready to admit to himself.
“Ask me again when I clock out,” Taehyung said, knowing full well that he could be walking right into a mistake, but he didn’t care enough. He licked his lips before turning away. “If you’re feeling brave.”
He heard Jungkook laugh as he walked over to collect a tray of empty glasses Hyejin just set down, but he didn’t turn to look at him again.