Jungkook woke before the sun had properly risen. For a few quiet seconds he did not remember where he was. The bed felt too large, the sheets too soft, the air carrying a faint scent that was not his own. When he opened his eyes fully and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, the memory returned all at once, Taehyung's penthouse.
Jungkook groaned softly and dragged a hand down his face. His head felt heavy from the lack of sleep. The thoughts from the night before still lingered, stubborn and unresolved, circling his mind like restless birds. He turned to his side and glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table.
6:18 a.m. Too early.
Still, lying there any longer would only make his thoughts louder. With a quiet sigh he pushed the blanket away and sat up. The borrowed shirt stretched across his shoulders again when he moved, reminding him instantly that he was wearing Taehyung's clothes. His ears warmed. Jungkook stood and smoothed the shirt down automatically, as if Taehyung might appear any second and complain about him ruining the shape of it.
The guest room was silent. The hallway outside looked even quieter when he opened the door. The penthouse carried that early morning stillness that expensive apartments seemed to have, a peaceful calm untouched by the city waking up below.
Jungkook padded toward the kitchen, hoping to find a glass of water before Taehyung woke up. Maybe he could even sneak out early and avoid the awkwardness of sharing breakfast.
He rounded the corner and froze. Taehyung was already there. He stood by the kitchen counter with his back partially turned, one hand resting on the edge while the other held a mug. His hair was messy in the way it had been the night before, soft strands falling across his forehead. He wore a simple black long sleeved shirt and dark lounge pants, casual enough to make him look younger than he ever did in the office.
Morning light filtered through the tall windows behind him, washing the kitchen in pale gold.
Taehyung glanced up. "You are awake early."
Jungkook blinked several times before answering. "I thought you would still be asleep."
"I usually wake up at six."
Of course he did. Jungkook should have known someone like Taehyung would run on some impossible schedule even outside the office.
Taehyung lifted the kettle from the stove and poured hot water into another mug. "Coffee?"
Jungkook nodded automatically. "Yes. Thank you."
He approached the counter slowly, trying not to look as awkward as he felt. Taehyung placed the mug in front of him and Jungkook wrapped both hands around it, grateful for something to hold. The silence between them was comfortable for Taehyung. But for Jungkook, it was torture.
Taehyung finally looked up properly and studied him for a moment. "You slept well?"
Jungkook almost laughed. "Yes."
The lie came too quickly. Taehyung's eyes lingered on him with quiet skepticism but he did not push further. Instead his gaze shifted slightly, traveling from Jungkook's face down to the shirt he was wearing. The corner of Taehyung's mouth lifted faintly.
"The clothes fit you," he said.
Jungkook glanced down at himself. "Mostly."
Taehyung set his mug down and stepped closer. The movement alone made Jungkook's pulse jump.
"They look different on you," Taehyung added calmly.
Jungkook swallowed. "Different how?"
Taehyung reached out without hesitation and tugged lightly at the fabric stretched across Jungkook's shoulder.
"You are broader," he said simply.
Jungkook froze. The touch lasted barely a second before Taehyung withdrew his hand, but it was enough to send heat rushing up Jungkook's neck.
"And taller," Taehyung continued.
Jungkook looked up, startled. Taehyung stood close enough now that the difference was obvious. Jungkook had to tilt his head slightly downward to meet his gaze.
"I noticed yesterday," Taehyung said.
Jungkook's voice came out quieter than he intended. "I did too."
For a moment neither of them moved. Then Taehyung turned away as if nothing unusual had happened and opened the refrigerator.
"Breakfast?" he asked.
Jungkook blinked again. "You are making breakfast?"
Taehyung glanced back at him. "Do you expect my cook to arrive at six in the morning?"
"I thought people like you had staff for everything."
Taehyung closed the fridge door and raised an eyebrow. "People like me?"
Jungkook flushed. "I did not mean it like that."
A small smile tugged at Taehyung's lips. "I know."
He placed eggs and bread on the counter and began cooking with an ease that surprised Jungkook again. Watching him move around the kitchen felt strangely domestic. Taehyung did not rush. Every movement was calm and deliberate. Jungkook leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee while trying not to stare.
"You cook often?" he asked.
"Sometimes."
"You also wash dishes."
Taehyung looked amused. "You sound shocked."
"I was."
Taehyung flipped an egg in the pan. "Money does not prevent basic life skills."
Jungkook nodded slowly. They ate a few minutes later at the same dining table where Jungkook had dinner the night before. The city outside had begun to wake up, sunlight now spilling across the floor. Jungkook finished his food quietly, feeling the strange tension between them settle again. Taehyung wiped his hands with a napkin and stood.
"We should leave soon," he said. "The office will be busy today."
Jungkook nodded and stood as well. When they walked toward the door together, Jungkook felt the same confusing warmth settle in his chest again. He had spent the night in Taehyung's home. He had worn his clothes. Now they were leaving for work together. Nothing about that should have mattered. But somehow it did.
Taehyung closed the door behind them and stood there for a moment longer than necessary, keys still in his hand. Jungkook had already moved ahead toward the elevator, unaware of the quiet conflict that had begun stirring in Taehyung's mind.
He watched the younger man from a short distance. The oversized shirt stretched across Jungkook's shoulders again as he shifted his weight, the sleeves a little shorter than they should have been. Taehyung had noticed it the moment Jungkook stepped into the kitchen earlier. His clothes looked different on him, almost stolen.
And somehow that thought had not irritated him. It should have. Jungkook had always been troublesome in small ways. Too blunt for someone his age. Too quick to argue. Too expressive for an office that thrived on quiet obedience. Normally Taehyung found those traits exhausting.
But this morning something had shifted. Jungkook standing awkwardly in his kitchen with messy hair and sleep heavy eyes had not looked like the stubborn intern who challenged him at work. He had looked… softer. Uncertain and lmost shy.
Adorable? The word appeared in Taehyung's mind before he could stop it. He frowned slightly. Adorable was not a word he used for employees. Especially not for someone who had annoyed him so consistently over the past weeks.
And yet the image lingered. Jungkook trying not to stare. Jungkook blushing when Taehyung touched his shoulder. Jungkook sipping coffee like he was afraid to breathe too loudly. Taehyung exhaled slowly. Since when had Jungkook stopped being irritating and started being… interesting?
When Taehyung and Jungkook stepped into the office building together, the morning buzz that usually filled the lobby seemed to pause for half a second longer than normal. It was subtle, the kind of shift that could easily be ignored if one wanted to pretend not to notice. But Jungkook noticed. The receptionist looked up first, her polite smile lingering a moment too long as her eyes moved from Taehyung to Jungkook and then back again.
A couple of junior employees waiting for the elevator straightened slightly when they recognized the CEO walking in beside the youngest intern in the department. No one said anything, of course. This was Taehyung's company. People knew better than to stare openly or whisper while he was within hearing distance. Still, curiosity had a way of leaking through even the most professional environments. Jungkook could practically feel the questions forming in their heads as they entered the elevator together.
The ride up was quiet, but not empty. Two employees from accounting stepped in after them, both greeting Taehyung with respectful nods before pressing themselves politely to the side. Jungkook stood beside Taehyung, painfully aware of how close they were and how obvious their proximity must look to the others in the elevator. His mind kept replaying the fact that only an hour ago he had been eating breakfast in Taehyung's kitchen while wearing the man's clothes. Now he stood beside him in the office like nothing unusual had happened.
The doors opened to their floor and the reaction was even more noticeable there. Heads lifted from desks almost immediately. Some people greeted Taehyung as usual, but their eyes lingered on Jungkook for just a fraction too long. A few exchanged quiet looks once the two of them walked past. The unspoken question floated in the air. Why had the intern arrived with the CEO?
Jungkook tried to keep his face neutral as he walked to his desk, but he could feel the attention on his back like warm sunlight. Hannah noticed it too. She glanced from Jungkook to Taehyung's closed office door and then back again with a raised eyebrow that clearly demanded an explanation. Jungkook quickly busied himself with arranging papers that did not need arranging.
Across the room, behind the glass walls of his office, Taehyung stood by his desk watching the floor settle back into its normal rhythm. The suspicious glances had not escaped him either. He should have expected it. A CEO arriving with an intern was enough to start rumors before the morning coffee had even cooled. Yet for some reason the thought of those whispers did not irritate him as much as it should have. His gaze drifted back to Jungkook for a moment before he finally turned away to begin his day.