bright eyed, fresh faced intern jimin turns his driven, workaholic supervisor's world upside down with a twinkle in his eye and a dimple in his cheek

#vmin https://twitter.com/pjminss/status/1294500411584348161

It's the cheery 'good morning!' at first, and then the warm cups of hot cocoa on Taehyung's desk every morning because Jimin knows that the former doesn't like the bitter aftertaste of coffee.

It's Jimin's work ethic and his infectious giggles, his contagious laughter that makes Taehyung falter in his steps as he walks past the copy room and hears Jimin talking to one of their co-workers.

It's the fit of his pants, snug over his ass and loose fitting over Jimin's lengthy, slender legs, the fall of his silken shirts and the swept back hair that makes Taehyung's heart skip a beat too many.

It's the way Jimin always has this smug, knowing, playful little glimmer in his eyes when he catches Taehyung staring, and the way he holds a pen between his teeth, lips pursing in feigned thoughtfulness when he knows Taehyung is watching.

"What?" Jimin asks, biting back a grin as he catches Taehyung staring at him from across the room again.

Blinking, Taehyung averts his gaze in embarrassment & clears his throat. He shakes his head & mutters something under his breath that has Jimin breathing out an airy laugh.

It's the first time they find themselves squeezing into the narrow office pantry, momentarily caught against one another in between the cabinets. Taehyung forgets to breathe. Up close, he notices for the first time that Jimin's eyes are coloured with threads of honey and stars.

Company dinners on the weekends turn into dinner dates for two, both of them staying out hours after everyone has left.

Jimin discovers that Taehyung can't stomach beer or spicy food and Taehyung realises that mangos make Jimin scrunch his nose up in distaste.

They share their first kiss outside Jimin's apartment building, his small hands curling into the woolen breast of Taehyung's coat as he pushes himself up on the very tips of his toes and lets his eyes fall shut.

Taehyung's hands are warm and broad along Jimin's waist.

Taehyung's embarrassingly endearing when he's in love. He won't stop staring at him at work, will find excuses to stop by Jimin's cubicle far more often than he needs to, leaves coffee on Jimin's desk and says his name aloud without thinking.

Jimin isㅡhe's hopelessly endeared. Honestly, it's ridiculous and a little embarrassing, because the more subtle Taehyung tries to be, the less he actually manages to be.

Still, the flowers on his desk every Monday are a nice surprise, and Jimin pretends he's shocked to seeㅡ

a warm bagel & coffee at his desk every morning.

It raises a few eyebrows at the office, of course it does.

Jungkook seems to be especially intrigued, peering over the top of his cubicle wall every so often whenever he sees Taehyung's wild mop of curly hair passing by.

Namjoon, on the other hand, often falls victim to their clumsy displays of affection and risque shenanigans.

He'd once spent a month trying to clear his mind of the memory of Jimin's hand skirting dangerously close to Taehyung's clothed groin inside the copy room.

It's not that they're always 'risque', so to speak. But Jimin has fond memories, several months into their relationship, of semi-public, hastened acts of indecency that would make his mother collapse on the spot if she were to find out.

A particular favourite of his is the time they'd found themselves in the pantry again, pressed up together in the tight space with the door shut but unlocked.

He remembers pressing Taehyung back against the cabinetry, watching in sheer delight and fond amusement as the latterㅡ

tried desperately to rut his hips up against Jimin's thigh. They'd kissed until they'd forgotten how to breathe, lips numb and minds foggy, hands electric everywhere they touched.

Sometimes, Jimin will throw a coquettish smile over his shoulder and toss the other a wink that makes Taehyung stumble over his own two feet and falter mid-sentence.

If they're feeling bold enough, Jimin will turn back around and power walk his way across the office to Taehyung's room, and they'll kiss with Jimin's thighs pushed to the edge of the only desk in the room.

And if Taehyung shows up ten minutes late to a meeting with bittenㅡ

lips and a crumpled shirt, no one says anything when Jimin joins five minutes later, neat and collected, but with a redness over his lips that's hard to ignore.

It'd be silly to say they never have bad days though. Working together, being together under the pressures of a growing company with one partner having authority over the otherㅡit's bound to take a toll on them at some point.

Their fights are never bad though, never terrible or cruel.

They're petty, incessant bickering filling the gaps between their free time as deadlines push closer and weigh heavy on their shoulders.

Sometimes, when Jimin forgets who's in charge at the office, when he lets his exhaustion and crankiness get the better of him, Taehyung swaps out his caffeinated morning drink with decaf, watching smugly from across the corridor as Jimin takes a tentative sip & scowls at the cup.

Their dynamic is strange at times, swinging between petty enemies to enamored lovers, only to hit the shores of a comfortable friendship at the end of the week.

And because Jimin is Jimin, and Taehyung is Taehyung, the question comes up one day as Taehyung whines beneath Jimin's solid weight, the latter practically folding him in half in an attempt to bury himself deeper inside of him.

"What are we?" Jimin asks, a little out of breath. He feels lightheaded, breathless, and his groin feels tight.

His thighs are tense, quivering a little, and he has just enough presence of mind to be able to reach down and gently push Taehyung's damp fringe away from his eyes.

"What?" Taehyung is too far gone, submerged in a headspace that's too distant and too removed from reality. He feels hot, overheated, even in his unbuttoned cotton shirt. His face is red, flushed with exertion, mouth tingling with the ghost of Jimin's lips over his own.

"What are we, exactly?" Jimin asks again, like he isn't balls deep inside of the other, like his mouth hasn't left countless marks over smooth, tan skin over the last several months.

Taehyung blinks slowly, like he's trying to keep up and understand the question.

"Really, Jimin?" Taehyung breathes out a noise of disbelief, thighs pressed nearly to his chest. It makes him even more breathless. "Right now?"

"Well, when else am I supposed to ask?" Jimin mumbles, nearly pouting.

"Maybe notㅡnot /now/?" Taehyung sounds incredulous.

"I want to know," Jimin asks, a frown creasing at his brows as he begins to pull away despite Taehyung's desperate little noise of frustration as the latter lifts his hips up and tries to rut closer.

"I thought we already knew," Taehyung huffs, squirming a little closer.

"Nㅡ" Jimin's words are promptly interrupted, Taehyung's mouth finding his clumsily as the younger pulls himself up and pushes Jimin down onto his back instead.

It's a sudden reversal of roles, and Jimin finds himself at a loss for words.

"Later," Taehyung murmurs, by way of apology, when he pulls back a little. His hand rests atop Jimin's bare chest, the latter's crumpled, silk neck-tie hanging loosely around his neck. Wrapping the material around his fingers, Taehyung uses the tie as leverage, gentlyㅡ

drawing the other close, closer, until they're breathing each other in. "You talk too much sometimes, Park."

There's no bite to his words, a blend of need and affection glimmering in his eyes.

Swallowing thickly, Jimin finally finds his voice again some time later, heart stuck in his throat. "Sorry, boss," he murmurs, but the corners of his lips quirk up a little in the barest hint of a smile.

[A/N: From here onwards, the thread will go back in time & start off from Jimin's first day at the office. Quote rts are very appreciated. I'd previously gotten almost no feedback throughout the entire thread & it's easy to feel discouraged so I'd love to hear from readers!♡]

the characters:
ㅡ park jimin, 28, the new intern with a galaxy brain and a peach for an ass
ㅡ kim taehyung, 28, assistant manager at his father's company because we love nepotism

ㅡ kim seokjin, 32. popular, ridiculously good looking, and makes a mean lasagna. works in the marketing dept.
ㅡ kim namjoon, 30. sales & accounting. looks intimidating until he walks into the elevator doors because he's too focused on reviewing the numbers.

ㅡ min yoongi, 31. has a perpetual hatred for humankind, but a sort love for life. kim taehyung's right hand man in the sales department. spends way too much time in the coffee room.
ㅡ jung hoseok, 30. literal sun with an infectious smile and contagious laugh. office worker.

ㅡ jeon jungkook, 26. also an intern, sharing the same office space as jimin. always has a snack in his bag or on his desk, and he might share it with you. once had a complaint filed against him because he was gaming on his phone and cursed aloud right as the VP walked in.

.

Roll the cameras, deadass.

Day one of what Taehyung is convinced is going to be the worst month of his employed lifeㅡ

Enter: Park Jimin.

It's not his fault. No one's told him that there's such a thing as pants being too tight for the workplace.

The elevator doors 'ding' weakly as they slide open and Jimin looks up, lips pressed together and eyes wide. The air smells of florals, fragrance mists spritzed into the hallways. High heels and glossed loafers clack over the tiled floors as busy employees make their way about.

Drinking in the atmosphere, Jimin steps out of the elevator and onto the landing, taking in the sight of his new work space.

Everything is pristine and sterile, marble and glass, and Jimin can't help the way his eyebrows shoot up and his lips tug downwards, impressed. Not bad.

He feels a little like young Anne Hathaway, making her way into the hellishly perfect interior of what would have been Vogue.

Except that this isn't Vogue and Jimin is not Anne Hathaway.

His sense of style is much better.

Gaze skimming over the sign boards and the numbers and names over the doors, Jimin makes his way down the hallway until he comes to his destination.

KIM TAEHYUNG

ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER

Taking in a deep breath, he braces himself before lifting a hand & knocking.

"Come in," answers a cool, aloof voice. It's heavy and low, a pleasant baritone that rumbles quietly, and Jimin pushes the door open, head cocked to the side as he peers into the room.

"Hello, sir, I'm Park Jimin," he says tentatively, putting on his most winning smile.

Nowㅡ
Jimin's not one to be caught off-guard. He's not new to jobs, orientations, interviews & tests. One might even say Jimin thrives under pressure, a trait that made him formidable as a student.

Naturally, Jimin is prepared for whatever his new job is going to throw at him.

What Jimin does not expect, however, is for the chair to swivel around and for him to come face to face with a living, breathing Greek God.

Hoㅡly fuck.

"Park Jimin-ssi."

Jimin has to hold back a nervous giggle.

When Jimin heard 'Sales Manager', he did not think said manager would be one, twenty-something year old Chanel model with a face carved by angels and a voice as deep as the oceans.

He remains standing, smile plastered over his face until the points over his dimples begin to ache, andㅡ (Jimin glances at the name plaque)ㅡ Taehyung sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose like he's already considering firing him.

"Sit, please," Taehyung says.

"Ah, yes," Jimin says, giggling nervously as he scrambles towards the chair, sitting down. "It's nice to meet you."

He holds an arm out, extending a hand in greeting, and Taehyung looks down at it, blinking as if surveying something foreign.

"Yes." Taehyung blinks and nods curtly, bowing his head the slightest bit in greeting. Jimin's hand goes unshaken and he closes his hand into a fist, smile tightening.

"Anyway," Taehyung says, taking in a deep breath as he turns his attention back to his laptop. "Welcome toㅡ

ㅡKY Ltd. I hope you will be of great help to us," he says lightly, fingers tapping away on the keyboard. "If you have any questions, Min-ssi will be the one to go to."

Jimin lowers both hands to his lap once more and blinks. "Ah yes. Okay."

"Okay," comes the quiet, curt reply.

He blinks again, biting down on the inside of his cheek. The clock ticks away loudly, the click-clacking of the keyboard filling the space in between. Jimin wonders if he's supposed to say something.

He waits a few moments before opening his mouthㅡ

"That'll be all."

"Sorry?" Jimin asks, a little incredulous.

"That will be all, Park-ssi," Taehyung repeats slowly, enunciating his words
He spares him a glance as he nods towards the door. "You'll find your office down the hall and to the left."

And Jimin stares in disbelief becauseㅡ what a waste of a handsome face. He almost scoffs, but he supposes it's not unusual to have unfriendly bosses in the workplace and he presses on a thin lipped smile as he gets up and offers a bow.

"Thank you; have a nice day," he says.

~
The office is nice. Quite nice. Very nice. Jimin looks around with a look of appraisal, dropping his messenger bag to the floor next to his assigned desk.

"Jimin-ssi?"

Turning towards the sound of the voice, Jimin's brows shoot up in attention as someone steps into the room.

At the sight of Jimin, the newcomer breaks into a smile that's so bright that Jimin almost stumbles.

"Jung Hoseok," comes the introduction, and ahㅡthis one seems to approve of handshakes at least and Jimin feels himself relax into a smile as he reaches out to shake hands.

"We're desk buddies," Hoseok says, by way of introduction, as he grins and points to the desk opposite to Jimin's new home away from home.

"Are we the only ones in here?" Jimin asks, grinning as they stay holding hands, swinging their arms together briefly.

"No, Yoongi and Juㅡ"

There's a crash and a resounding clatter, the sound of metal hitting the floor followed by a quiet, 'fuck.'

"That would be Jungkook," Hoseok says, nodding soberly as thoughtful dimples press into the corners of his mouth.

"The photocopy machine angers him," Hoseok explains somberly, as if that helps.

Snorting, Jimin looks over his shoulder towards the door left ajar at the side of the room, moments before a fresh faced, bright eyed boy steps out and huffs in frustration.

And Jimin...Jimin wonders briefly, in between Hoseok, Taehyung and this tattooed Adonisㅡis he in heaven?

Does a corporate heaven built on the pinnacles of capitalism truly exist?

Jimin thinks so.

It's easy, fitting in and getting used to his new workplace. Jimin's made for sales, intelligent and bright and sociable. He's relentless and hardworking and all things considered, Taehyung has no complaints with his employees, exceptㅡ

Except that this is the third time this week alone that Taehyung finds himself awkwardly lingering by the door to the pantry as Jimin crouches down before him, rummaging through the cabinetry whilst talking animatedly.

"ㅡand I told her, because it had to be said," Jimin continues, seemingly never out of breath as he continues to talk, "that the proof is in the pudding."

Taehyung makes a vague, distant noise of agreement at the back of his throat, but he's not listening, instead focused onㅡ

doing his best to avoid looking at the curve of Jimin's ass in his soft grey slacks.

Exhaling a huff, Jimin straightens up and turns around to look at Taehyung with a helpless smile. "We're out of oolong. Should I make you a coffee?"

"I don'tㅡ" Taehyung starts and stops, blinking and looking away forcefully. "I don't like coffee."

Jimin blinks, smile falling off of his face. "How." It's a statement, not a question, and Taehyung looks indignant.

"It's bitter."

"You're joking." Jimin gawks a little, sputtering. "You don't drink any kind of coffee? At all?"

Taehyung shrugs & presses his lips together thinly. "Is that strange?"

"Uh, yeah?" Jimin laughs, brows lifting & disappearing beneath his fringe. "A little. How do you stay awake?"

It's the longest conversation they've had since Jimin joined the company & frankly, Jimin kind of wants to keep it going. When Taehyung isn't slumped behind his laptop with a frown on his face, there's almost something endearing & sweet in his eyes that Jimin can't get enough of.

"I wake up early and work out before coming into work," Taehyung says simply, like it's easy to wake up at the ass crack of dawn and deadlift before driving to work in a suit and tie with perfectly coiffed hair.

The efforts definitely pay off though, & Jimin isn't subtle whenㅡ

he nods with an expression of utmost approval, eyes scanning over Taehyung's long figure.

Squirming underneath the weight of the other's stare, Taehyung clears his throat and continues, "Exercising in the mornings is a good way to stay alert and stay in shape."

"I can see that," Jimin says quickly, smile bordering on coy as he turns back around and reaches for a mug that's placed far too high on the shelf. "I'm sorry, sir, but could youㅡ"

"Excuse meㅡ" A cheery, perky voice interrupts them, Jungkook squeezing past Taehyung with an easy smile and a rubber band holding his hair together in a ponytail.

And Taehyung finds himself squeezed to the side against the doorway as Jungkook slips into the narrow space.

"Oh, hey, hyung, need help with that?" Jungkook reaches for the mug before Jimin can talk, reaching up over his head to pick up a cup that, quite frankly, wasn't That high up in the first place.

But the pantry is small & Jungkook corners Jimin against the countertop, pressedㅡ

close with a hand that comes down instinctively to rest against the base of Jimin's spine, and Taehyung can only stare, speechless for a moment.

Cup now in hand and a dusting of pink over his cheekbones, Jimin turns back around with a sheepish grin. "So, hot cocoa, then?"

Taehyung blinks, mouth opening & then snapping shut as his eyes dart down briefly to where Jungkook's hand still rests against Jimin's back.

"No, thank you," he says, after a momentary beat. He steps out and makes his way back towards his own office, closing & locking the door.

Back in the pantry, Jimin deflates visibly & falls back to lean against the counter as Jungkook rummages through the mini-fridge for a soda.

"He hates me," Jimin mumbles, lips pushing out into a pout.

"Mm?" Jungkook looks over, lips wrapped around the neck of the bottle.

"Don't think boss hates anyone, honestly," Jungkook says, swallowing down the carbonated drink with a scrunch of his nose and a dimple at his chin. "He's always like that; think that's just the way he's built."

He nods thoughtfully as he walks past Jimin and exits the room.

Sighing, Jimin turns and picks up a sachet of hot chocolate anyway, heating up water in the kettle as he waits.

Elsewhere, in his office, Taehyung sinks into his chair and wonders what it is about the new intern that gets his hands clammy and his heart unsteady.

[continuing this tomorrow! ♡
if reading, please do take a moment to like, rt/quote rt with your thoughts, if you like this au. It would really make me feel happy & motivated sobs :( and if you don't like it, thenㅡ quote rt and tell me you don't like it too. good night.]

Time seems to pass both, too slowly and too quickly. A day becomes ten, and ten days turn into a month and then three. Jimin adjusts to his job fairly easily despite the long hours and hectic schedules and deadline after deadline after deadline.

Things don't change, not really.

Taehyung is still aloof, distant & professional yet Jimin finds himself staring at the other more often than not during meetings and discussions. It's easy to stare, when the other looks like That & from the looks of it, Taehyung seems to be used to being gawked at, unflinching.

"It's Jungkookie's birthday today," Jimin says idly one day, as he rearranges the files on Taehyung's desk.

If there's one thing Jimin does unfailingly, it's his ability to be shameless. Nevermind the fact that Taehyung had snapped at him just this morning for a mistake.

"We're having a team dinner tonight," he continues, pausing as he looks up at Taehyung, lips pursing slightly. "Will you come with us?"

"I don't have time for such frivolous gatherings, Park," Taehyung murmurs, reaching up to puah up the glasses perched on his nose.

Jimin blinks, mildly affronted, before he laughs shortly. "It's just dinner; you're going to be eating anyway, right?"

"I don't /do/ dinners, Park," Taehyung says, sighing wearily like the topic is physically paining him.

"At all? Or with your employees?" Jimin dares to ask.

Sighing again, Taehyung finally looks up at him and then instantly regrets it.

It's the first time today that Taehyung is actually looking at the other and for a moment, his mind short circuits at the sight of Jimin's low cut v-neck shirt tucked into a pair of fitted slacks.

The first thing Taehyung notices is that Jimin has a mole atop his collar bone. The next thing he notices is that Jimin's hair is now a faded, honeyed blonde that brings out the amber in his eyes, and Taehyung resists the urge to take off his glasses so that he can stop noticing.

He doesn't realise he's staring, frozen in place and a little out of breath, until Jimin looks down at himself self-consciously.

"What?" Jimin asks, inspecting his outfit. There's no official dress code at the company, not when they cater to runway magazines & fashion products.

"Nothing," Taehyung says, finally remembering to breathe. He takes off his glasses and sets them aside, rubbing at his temples.

There's a small pout over Jimin's mouth as he backs up a little, unsureㅡbut he's nothing if not persistent, so:

"So, team dinner?" He asks, hopeful.

There's a long, tentative pause in which Taehyung looks down at his laptop screen and stares until the numbers and graphs grow fuzzy.

"Maybe," he says finally, and pretends he doesn't feel something when he catches Jimin breaking into a brilliant smile in the corner of his eyes.

Andㅡ

Well, it's a start. Possibly agreeing to a team dinner is the least hermitic thing Taehyung has done in years, but Jimin didn't need to know that.

Although, then again, Jimin could probably easily tell that Taehyung wasn't exactly the most sociable person around.

~

Taehyung hates himself.

He remembers now, why he'd started turning down dinner invitations and other small gatherings. It's the music and the drinks, the clinking of soju glasses and the cramped, stuffy heat of small eateries and karaoke bars.