Work Text:
jungkook had always prided himself on being the kind of guy who could keep his emotions in check. he wasn’t one for dramatic love stories or fairy tale romances—his life was neatly routine after routine between his rising acting career and his quiet life in sydney australia where the man proudly resided. that was, until he met kim taehyung.
the first time they met was at a random casual get-together after jungkook flew in town to california for his new project in a couple weeks, the party being arranged by a mutual friend in the industry. jungkook wasn’t particularly interested in socializing that night, but he came anyway, figuring he could enjoy himself to a few expensive drinks.
he had just poured himself a drink when he noticed the blonde-haired, hazel-eyed man sitting across the room. taehyung was mixed with mainly french, that much jungkook already knew from the introductions earlier, but he hadn’t paid much attention to the details. now, watching him animatedly talk with his hands while explaining something in a mixture of french and korean, jungkook found himself strangely intrigued.
“so, you always stare at people like that?” a voice asked beside him. jungkook turned to see their industry friend jimin smirking at him.
“I wasn’t staring,” jungkook scoffed, but jimin just raised an eyebrow before calling out to taehyung.
“taebear! come meet jungkook properly.”
taehyung excused himself from his previous conversation and made his way over, a relaxed grin on his lips. he had an attractive but not over the top confidence, the kind that made jungkook wonder if he was always this effortlessly charming.
“so, you’re the australian actor everyone’s been talking about,” taehyung said, extending his hand. his voice was smooth, accented but warm.
jungkook shook his hand, noting how soft it felt. “partially australian*, and you must be the french heartthrob.”
taehyung chuckled playfully. “partially french* , and that’s what they say.”
jimin clapped his hands together. “you two should get along! you’re both working in the same industry. who knows, maybe you’ll even end up in a project together.”
jungkook dismissed the idea with a laugh. “unlikely.”
little did he know, fate had other plans.
⸻
two weeks after their first meeting, jungkook sat in his manager’s office with the director he would be working with this time, mindlessly skimming through the script of his latest project. it was a high-profile romance drama, an adaptation of a popular novel, and he had been cast as the male lead.
“the chemistry between the leads is crucial,” his director had emphasized. “so, we made sure to cast someone who can match your energy.”
jungkook nodded absentmindedly. “who is it?”
the door opened before his manager could respond. jungkook looked up—only for his stomach to drop.
there, standing in the doorway with his usual air of nonchalance, was kim taehyung.
taehyung seemed just as shocked. “wait, you’re my co-star?”
jungkook blinked. “you’re the other lead?”
their director clapped his hands together. “ah, so you two know each other! that’s perfect. the familiarity will make things much easier.”
jungkook could barely process what was happening. he had spent the last two weeks convincing himself that the inexplicable pull he felt toward taehyung was nothing more than curiosity. now, they were about to play lovers on screen?
this was going to be interesting.
⸻
for the first few weeks of filming, jungkook and taehyung kept things professional.
sure, taehyung was flirty, but that was just his personality. jungkook chalked it up to their slight cultural differences—maybe his french side were just naturally more affectionate. as for himself, he wasn’t flustered. not at all.
“you keep looking at me like you have something to say,” taehyung teased one afternoon, as they were running lines together in jungkook’s trailer.
jungkook scoffed, looking away. “I was just thinking that your accent still slips sometimes when you speak korean.”
taehyung leaned in slightly, smirking. “is that a bad thing?”
jungkook felt an unexplainable heat creep up his neck. “no. just an observation.”
if taehyung noticed his discomfort, he didn’t say anything. instead, he continued his playful antics, brushing their shoulders together unnecessarily, holding eye contact a little too long. jungkook, in turn, reminded himself daily that he was straight.
but then came taehyung’s surprise birthday party.
⸻
jimin had arranged a small gathering for taehyung at a cozy rooftop venue. jungkook wasn’t planning on staying long, but as the night progressed, he found himself unable to leave.
taehyung was in his element—laughing, dancing, switching between languages effortlessly as he charmed every single person in the room. and jungkook couldn’t look away.
he didn’t want to admit it but he couldn’t wait for tae to open his presents, he had secretly bought him a beautiful diamond necklace the frenchie had been eyeing for weeks. it was sold out but the handsome raven pulled a few strings.
at one point, taehyung grabbed jungkook’s hand and pulled him onto the makeshift dance floor. “come on, aussie boy, show me how you dance.”
jungkook let out a thick laugh. “I don’t dance, kim.”
taehyung scoffed. “everyone dances.”
before he could protest, taehyung’s hands were on his chest, guiding him into the rhythm of the music. It was a simple gesture, but jungkook felt his heart hammer against his ribs.
this was different.
he wasn’t supposed to feel this way about another man.
especially not this gorgeous man.
as the night went on, jungkook found himself watching taehyung more closely—the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the way he absentmindedly played with his delicate rings, the way he seemed so effortlessly himself.
and for the first time, jungkook acknowledged the truth.
he was falling for him.
⸻
after that night, something shifted between them and taehyung made sure to wear the necklace jungkook bought him, every day.
jungkook became more aware of taehyung in ways he hadn’t before. the subtle brush of their hands, the way taehyung’s gaze lingered a little too long. but neither of them addressed it outright.
instead, their banter became more.. flirty?
“you ever been to france? and don’t be lame and say you’ve been to paris.” taehyung playfully rolled his eyes while they were on their lunch break.
jungkook shook his head, mouth full of fries causing tae to laugh cutely at the sight. “no actually, but i’ve always wanted to go.”
taehyung smirked. “you should. I could take you.”
jungkook rolled his eyes, though his stomach flipped at the suggestion. “i’ll think about it, I heard it stinks.”
taehyung chuckled before he nudged him playfully. “and maybe i’ll visit australia. you can show me around.”
jungkook smirked. “only if you promise not to complain about the heat or fight a kangaroo.”
taehyung grinned. “no promises.”
they continued like this—flirting, teasing, never fully acknowledging the rising tension between them.
and yet, jungkook couldn’t shake the feeling that he was playing a dangerous game. because with each passing day, with each stolen glance, with each lingering touch, he was falling deeper.
and sooner or later, he was going to have to face it.
jungkook hated this.
not the filming—he was good at that. memorizing lines, conveying emotions, even the most intimate of scenes didn’t faze him. what did faze him, however, was the way taehyung’s hand lingered on his cheek a little too long after the director yelled “cut.” or the way he found himself replaying their scripted kisses in his mind, convincing himself that it was just acting.
it was just acting.
it had to be.
“you seemed tense today,” taehyung mused later that evening as they sat in jungkook’s trailer, unwinding after a long day of filming. he stretched his long legs across the small couch, looking impossibly relaxed. “you alright?”
jungkook exhaled slowly, pretending to be focused on his phone. “just tired.”
“hmm.” taehyung tilted his head, watching him closely. jungkook hated how observant he was. “you sure it’s not something else?”
he was sure. or, at least, he wanted to be.
⸻
as the weeks passed, their chemistry—both on-screen and off—became undeniable.
jungkook was an enigma to taehyung, a puzzle he was eager to solve. the australian was reserved, always holding himself back, but taehyung could feel the tension whenever they were alone. it was in the stolen glances, the way jungkook’s fingers twitched as if resisting the urge to reach out.
and taehyung? he wasn’t afraid to push.
“your accent is cute,” he teased one afternoon.
jungkook shot him a look. “cute?”
“yes. the way you say mate and no worries—it’s charming.”
jungkook scoffed, shaking his head. “and you? you flirt with everyone, or just me?”
taehyung grinned. “wouldn’t you like to know?”
jungkook rolled his eyes, but the flush on his ears didn’t go unnoticed.
they danced around each other like this for weeks, a careful push and pull neither of them fully acknowledged. they were both straight, after all.
right?
⸻
it was getting harder to ignore.
taehyung had a way of making me forget myself—forget the boundaries I had carefully put in place.
we were filming a particularly intense scene that day, one where our characters were supposed to be caught in a moment of undeniable attraction. we were close, too close, our faces mere inches apart.
I could feel his breath against my lips, warm and steady.
“cut!” the director called, but taehyung didn’t move immediately.
his hazel eyes held mine, searching, questioning.
my heart was pounding.
I forced myself to step back, laughing a little too awkwardly. “good scene.”
taehyung smirked but said nothing.
I was starting to wonder if he knew. if he could see right through me.
and that scared me more than anything.
⸻
“alright, educate me,” taehyung said one evening, lounging across jungkook’s hotel couch. “tell me something only an australian would understand.”
jungkook leaned back in his chair, pretending to think. “alright. what’s a bottle-o?”
taehyung furrowed his brows. “a what?”
“a bottle-o.”
“that’s not a real word.”
jungkook laughed genuinely. “it is. it means liquor store.”
taehyung scoffed. “australians are ridiculous.”
“says the guy who casually shrugs and calls everything ‘c’est la vie.’”
taehyung grinned. “fair point.”
they spent hours like that, exchanging bits of their other cultures, laughing over mispronunciations and odd expressions. taehyung taught jungkook how to curse in french.. at the ravens request; jungkook introduced taehyung to vegemite (which, predictably, he hated the dish).
they were learning about each other.
and, in the process, jungkook was learning something about himself.
he liked taehyung.
more than he should.
more than he wanted to admit.
⸻
it happened gradually.
the touches became more natural. the lingering stares lasted a little longer. and neither of them addressed it.
until one night, when everything changed.
jungkook wasn’t sure why he said it—why, after weeks of denial, it slipped past his lips so easily.
“you know,” he murmured, voice softer than he intended, “I don’t think i’ve ever met anyone like you.”
taehyung looked at him, something unreadable in his expression. “quoi! is that a good thing?”
jungkook chuckled fondly. “yeah.”
silence stretched between them.
and then, taehyung smiled. not his usual teasing smirk, but something softer.
jungkook’s breath caught in his throat.
maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t the only one falling.
jungkook had always thought of love as something straightforward. you liked someone, you dated them, end of story. but with taehyung, everything was complicated.
he spent weeks telling himself it was nothing. that the way his heart skipped when taehyung touched him was just friendship. that the way he caught himself staring wasn’t attraction, just admiration.
but the more he tried to deny it, the more it consumed him.
the final week of filming was a blur. their characters were reaching the climax of their love story, and the lines between acting and reality were blurring dangerously.
the last scene was the kiss.
a real, deep, slow-burning kiss that would cement their characters’ love for each other. jungkook had done hundreds of on-screen kisses before, but this one felt different. because this time, he wanted it.
and maybe—just maybe—taehyung did too.
⸻
“action!”
jungkook’s heart pounded as he stepped closer to taehyung, their characters standing beneath the dim glow of a streetlamp. the script dictated the scene: a confession, followed by a kiss.
“you drive me crazy,” jungkook whispered, delivering his line truthfully. “I don’t know what to do with you.”
taehyung’s hazel eyes softened. “then stop thinking,” he murmured, eyes hinting he wasn’t acting either.
and then it happened.
jungkook closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to taehyung’s.
it was supposed to be just a sweet kiss for the cameras, but the moment their lips met, jungkook felt everything shift. taehyung definitely wasn’t just acting. his fingers curled around jungkook’s collar, his body melting into the embrace.
it felt real.
it was real.
the moment the director called cut, neither of them moved. jungkook could still feel taehyung’s lips against his, their eyes locked in something raw, something undeniable.
and then, taehyung returned a smirk. “you okay there, mate?”
jungkook swallowed before clearing his throat. “yeah. yeah, i’m fine.”
but he damn sure wasn’t now after that.
because he was completely, hopelessly, falling in love.
⸻
the wrap party was loud and chaotic, filled with celebration, but jungkook could barely focus. his mind was stuck on the kiss. on the way taehyung had looked at him. on the way he had felt.
he found taehyung on the balcony alone, sipping a glass of wine, looking out over the city lights.
“running away from the party?” jungkook teased, stepping beside him.
taehyung smirked. “just needed some air, people are starting to be horn dogs off the wine”
chuckles spread between them before a comfortable yet heavy air hung between them with unspoken words.
jungkook took a deep breath. “taehyung.”
taehyung turned to him, waiting.
jungkook hesitated, then exhaled. “that kiss…”
taehyung’s smirk faded, replaced by something softer. “yeah?”
jungkook forced himself to meet his gaze. “it wasn’t just acting. at least, not for me.”
taehyung’s lips parted slightly, as if caught off guard. but then, instead of teasing, instead of brushing it off like jungkook half expected him to, he smiled.
“good,” he said simply.
jungkook blinked. “good?”
taehyung chuckled, shaking his head. “yeah. because it wasn’t just acting for me either.”
the weight in jungkook’s chest lifted instantly, replaced by something warmer, something terrifying and exhilarating all at once.
“so… what now?” jungkook asked hesitantly.
taehyung set his glass down, stepping closer. “now?” his voice was low, teasing. “now, I take you to france like I promised.”
jungkook laughed, shaking his head. “and I take you to australia.”
taehyung grinned. “deal.”
and this time, when taehyung leaned in, there was no script.
just them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
hiiiii my loves i’m backkkkk, so sorry for the sudden hiatus >;( just life and college y’know, but! I definitely have some good stories lined and I hope you enjoyed this and the ones to come. love youuu also part two coming soon, stay gold and drink lots of water xoxoxo
~ Aaliyah ✨🩷