let's not fall in love vii. | taehyung
pairing: idol!taehyung x idol!reader (ft. non-idol!jungkook)
genre: fake dating au, enemies to lovers, love triangle (eventual) | fluff, angst
word count: 1.8k
warning/s: the tension continues mwehehe.
summary: Two artists – one a rising idol with a well-liked image, the other an acclaimed idol with a recent scandal – are forced into a fake relationship as part of a publicity stunt orchestrated by their management.
masterlist.
all rights reserved © vantaenims - do not repost, translate, or claim as your own.
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“What are you doing here?,” you asked, confused as to why Taehyung is standing in front of your door at almost eleven in the evening, wearing a hoodie, mask hanging loosely below his chin, and holding a box of what seems to be like strawberries, “I thought I wasn’t seeing you until next week?”
“Strawberries,” Taehyung said with a grin, lifting the box slightly like that somehow explained everything.
You let out a short laugh, “Yeah, I can see that.”
“My grandma sent these.”
You blinked at him for a moment before taking the box of strawberries from him, “Okay, and?”
Taehyung sighed, already brushing past you and entering your dorm like he owned the place. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow and I didn’t want this to go to waste while I’m gone.”
“And you came all the way here just because of that?,” you asked, furrowing your brows as you shut the door behind him slowly and followed him towards the kitchen.
“Yes,” Taehyung answered as he rummaged through one of your cabinets to grab a small bowl, “By the way, do you still have that chocolate bar?”
“What chocolate bar?”
“The one that has been sitting in your fridge for ages,” Taehyung said, already opening the refrigerator before he snapped his fingers the second he spotted the said chocolate bar sitting beside a few yogurt cups.
“I genuinely forgot I have that,” you admitted, tilting your head to the side as you watched Taehyung.
It still surprises you sometimes how familiar Taehyung had become with your space but maybe, that shouldn’t have been surprising anymore because ever since that night at the beach, the two of you had somehow fallen into each other’s routines naturally, without really talking about it.
Sometimes Taehyung would show up at the studio while you were recording just to sit quietly in the corner and keep you company. Other times, you’d unexpectedly run into him at the cafeteria and end up sharing a meal together. There were days when you’d bump him in the elevator after a long schedule, and before you knew it, he’d already insisted on driving you home. And somehow, almost effortlessly, those drives home often ended with him sprawled across your couch or standing in your kitchen at midnight looking for snacks.
None of those were planned by Millie.
It just somehow happened.
“Eh, this should still be fine,” Taehyung muttered as he checked the expiration date on the back of the chocolate wrapper.
You placed the box of strawberries onto the kitchen counter before hopping up to sit just beside it, watching Taehyung unwrap the chocolate bar and break it into smaller pieces, dropping each piece into the bowl one at a time before sliding it into the microwave.
“Chocolate-dipped strawberries?”
Taehyung looked over his shoulder and winked, “You guessed it right.”
As the microwave hummed softly in the background, Taehyung walked over to the sink to wash his hands while you absentmindedly traced your fingers along the edge of the strawberry box beside you.
“You know,” you said, “you could’ve just given these to your manager.”
“The strawberries?,” Taehyung asked, glancing back at you while he dried his hands with the towel hanging from the rack, “He doesn’t even like strawberries.”
You snorted light, “Okay, then you could’ve just thrown them away if they got spoiled by the time you came back.”
Taehyung huffed and looked offended at the mere suggestion, “I’m not throwing my grandma’s strawberries.”
You let out a chuckle before you could stop it and Taehyung looked back, a small smile forming on his lips as he walked back and leaned against the counter across from you, arms folded loosely over his chest while he watched you with quiet amusement.
“Why? Don’t you like strawberries?”
“I do.”
“Good,” Taehyung murmured, stepping closer towards you just to flick your chin lightly before grabbing a strawberry from the box, “Because I wanted to share them with you. Now open up and say ahh.”
You quickly snatched the strawberry off of his fingers before he could feed you himself, biting on it as you rolled your eyes. Taehyung only chuckled under his breath, clearly amused, before grabbing one for himself, taking a bite on it whilst his eyes are fixed on you and you can’t help but feel the heat rising to your face.
“Do you like it?”
You nodded your head, swallowing first before you could answer, “It’s really sweet.”
“Of course, my grandma raised them with love,” Taehyung said, swelling with pride.
You laughed softly, shaking your head as you reached for another strawberry from the box and munched on it. The microwave hummed quietly in the background and every few seconds, Taehyung would glance over his shoulder at the microwave, checking to see if the chocolate had melted completely yet.
“I’ve been thinking,” you said with your eyes cast down on the floor.
“About what?”
“About… us,” you admitted, finally looking up to find Taehyung tilting his head in curiosity, urging you to go on, “I mean, when our contract ends, what do you think the company will do?”
“What do you mean?,” Taehyung furrowed his brows before pushing himself off the counter and walking over to stand in front of you. One hand rested beside your leg on the counter while the other grabbed another strawberry.
“Like, what would be our breakup story?,” you said, trying to sound casual, “Busy schedules? Incompatibility? Fell out of love?”
“That’s boring,” Taehyung said, chewing before he continued, “It should be something crazy.”
You raised an eyebrow, “How crazy?”
“Groundbreakingly crazy. Like, the media will catch you slapping me in the midst of a fight.”
You shook your head, laughing at the memory, “That almost sounds like our first date.”
“Or maybe,” Taehyung continued as he squinted his eyes at you, “You cheated on me with some famous actor.”
You let out a scoff, “Why am I the cheater? Why can’t it be you instead?”
“Because then it’d be scandalous,” Taehyung replied with a grin, “The entire public would turn against you because their nation’s sister isn’t actually as innocent and perfect as they thought.”
You stared at Taehyung in disbelief before bursting into laughter, grabbing a strawberry and throwing it at him, “Hey! You’re the one with a scandal here.”
“See? I’m the victim in this relationship,” Taehyung laughed, easily catching the strawberry in one hand before pointing his finger at you accusingly, “And it’s not a scandal it’s an-”
“Invasion of privacy,” you said, finishing his sentence as you swat his finger, “Yeah, yeah, I get it already.”
Taehyung rolled his eyes before tossing the strawberry into his mouth, “Glad we’ve cleared that up.”
You shook your head, still smiling faintly before your expression softened, “But, seriously. How do you think they’ll end this?”
“I don’t know,” Taehyung shrugged, his gaze drifting down towards his hand resting on the counter that’s just next to yours, “But all I know is that I don’t want it to end just yet.”
Your fingers paused around the strawberry before you could even grab it, “What?”
“Don’t you think It’s too soon?”
“Taehyung, the contract is only supposed to last three months,” you reminded him.
“I know, but like…,” Taehyung said, trying to find the right words to say as he rubbed his nape awkwardly , “the public likes us.”
“That’s your reason?”
Taehyung sheepishly smiled because he knew how dumb that excuse sounded the moment it left his mouth.
“I like having you around,” Taehyung added as his hand slowly inched closer to yours until his thumb brushed gently against the back of your hand. The touch was small, almost hesitant, but it still sent warmth rushing through you.
You swallowed slowly before letting out a small laugh, “Because I make you look good?”
“No,” Taehyung said, his expression turning unusually sincere, “I just… like being with you.”
The air suddenly felt heavier after that.
Only then did you fully realize how close Taehyung actually was. Both of his hands were planted against the counter on either side of you, trapping you there unintentionally, his body only inches away from yours. You could smell the faint sweetness of strawberries mixed with his cologne and you could feel the warmth radiating off him.
You were supposed to ask him what he meant by that.
Instead, your attention drifted to the way his eyes flickered down briefly towards your lips before slowly returning to your gaze again.
And suddenly, all you could think about was last night by your doorway. The way you thought Taehyung had been leaning in to kiss you, only for him to press a teasing kiss against your cheek instead. You remembered feeling ridiculous afterward for assuming anything more would happen.
So naturally, you thought he was only messing with you again now.
But Taehyung didn’t pull away with that teasing grin you had already grown used to. He didn’t laugh or say something ridiculous to ruin the moment either. Instead, he stayed exactly where he was, his eyes lingering on your lips for far too long to mean nothing.
Instinctively, your eyes flickered down to his lips and Taehyung caught it immediately. You could tell it with the way he’s now looking at you like he was silently asking for permission without actually saying the words out loud.
You could definitely now hear the violent pounding of your own heartbeat ringing in your ears. Your mind’s a mess because part of you wanted to shove him back slightly just so you could breathe properly again, to create some distance before this moment became something neither of you could take back. But another part of you—the louder part—wanted to give in completely and close whatever space remained between you, even knowing it would change everything after this.
It’s as if Taehyung must’ve read every thought running through your mind when you felt his thumb unconsciously brushing against the back of your hand again. Without even realizing it, your eyes drifted back down to his lips once more. This time, you found yourself leaning in too, slowly closing the distance between you until—
Beep. Beep. Beep
“The chocolate,” you said under your breath.
Taehyung let out a soft exhale, clearing his throat, “Right.”
No one dared to move an inch right away because the air is still thick with tension and Taehyung is still standing close enough that one small move would close the distance again and judging by the way his eyes kept flickering back to your lips, you could tell he was thinking about it too.
For a second, you genuinely thought he might ignore the microwave entirely and kiss you anyway. Instead, Taehyung dragged a hand through his hair with a quiet laugh under his breath, taking one reluctant step back.
“Shit,” Taehyung muttered as he pulled the bowl from the microwave, “It’s burnt.”
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A/N: I know I said that there'll be some drama for this chapter but I made this filler chapter before all that heavy sht because why not?
Anyway, I know I've been MIA and it's because a lot of disappointing things happened irl but on top of all that, something good happened and I managed to see BTS for the first time (I've been camping for 2 months and got a ticket just a week before the concert!!).
I think luck is back on my side again because what do you mean I'll be seeing them again on their anniversary huhu
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taglist: @taevestr, @calmyourtitts7, @petersasteria, @thatgirliehan, @lachimohannah, @echoes0fbangtan, @wannaghostbts
