A red-eyed Jungkook holds open a heavy wooden door. Inside, vines creep up the walls and hang from the ceiling with eclectic chandeliers. Animal print mixes with jungle florals on the cushioned chairs.

“Where are we?” you ask.

“It’s called ‘Secret Garden.’”

Taking your hand, he leads you past a tall indoor tree and greets the hostess. You follow the hostess, winding through the synthetic forest. You pass a giant birdcage housing an exotic bird and wonder if it’s real. It feels like an eternity before she seats you at a corner table with plants seeping out of the walls around it. You stare at the menu and try to make sense of it. Realizing your struggle, you look across the table at Jungkook.

“You,” you say, pointing a finger.

“Yes?” he asks with a crooked smile.

“You planned this.”

“I did.”

You giggle and take off your jacket. The waitress comes back, and Jungkook orders two glasses of wine. When she walks away, you stare at each other then giggle some more.

“I think this is when I’m supposed to ask how many siblings you have,” he says.

“Is that what you want to ask me?” you ask.

“No.” The waitress returns, placing two wine glasses on the table and taking your food order. “I’d much rather,” he says when the waitress leaves, “you tell me what you want me to know about you.”

You think for a moment, and the words flow out before you can analyze them. “I was raised with a set of rules I grew up to discover are meaningless. Life is so much more complex than someone’s arbitrary definitions of right and wrong. I shaped my life around cherry-picked half truths from a book that’s been mistranslated so many times that it’s lost its meaning completely. It took me a long time to unlearn the brainwashing that kept me afraid of everything—sexuality, power, independence. All things a woman can’t have and should never enjoy. I distanced myself from that environment, and I started to hear my own thoughts. One by one, I broke all those silly rules.” You sip your wine and smile. “Even though I don’t believe in hell, I like to think I’m going there when I die.”

“You and me both,” he says, smiling. “I prefer being with someone who makes their own way in life because I’ve had to do the same.”

The waitress returns with the food. You both take a few bites in silence enjoying the flavors as the silverware clinks against the plates.

“Did you go to college?” he asks. You nod. “What was it like?”

Memories of your college years flood your mind. “You have the most freedom you’ve ever had but are under so much pressure to figure out the career you’re going to have for the rest of your life. Expectations that have been built up for years come to a head. You walk around constantly questioning if you’re making the right choices. Lots of confusion. Lots of partying to soothe it. The next morning, all the same problems are still there except now you have a headache. Then you graduate.”

“Something tells me I’d do well in an environment like that.”

“That’s because you’re kind of a fuck boy.”

“Kind of? I’m hurt.”

Smiling, you take a few more bites of your food. As you chew, your mind drifts to other important things you should probably talk about on a date.

“I don’t want kids,” you hear yourself say. “I never have.”

“Good,” he says after swallowing a bite. “I’m not sure if I want them, either.”

Relief runs through you. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’s just like you said earlier about growing up with a set of rules that are meaningless. They’re a choice, not a requirement. People should be allowed to make up their own minds about such a big decision.”

You beam. “Exactly.”

“Besides, I don’t see my life slowing down any time soon.”

“I wouldn’t want it to.” He smiles across the table at you, and the waitress takes your plates.

A group of wait staff bursts through a pair of doors hidden by vines, clapping and singing. One of them holds a slice of cake with a sparkler in it, and you wonder what’s being celebrated. Turning back to Jungkook, he sits across you with a corner of his mouth pulled upward. The song seems to be getting louder. You turn around and see the group of smiling waiters heading your direction. You whip back around to Jungkook who’s giggling now.

“What did you do?” you ask.

“I told them it was your birthday,” he says, his shoulders shaking.

Clapping and singing surrounds you as complete strangers wish you a happy birthday, and Jungkook joins in. Some of the other customers turn around and stare while you shrink into your seat. Jungkook can’t contain his amusement as they set the chocolate cake and sparkler in front of you.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Finally, the torment ends with a cheer from the staff, and you thank them. Jungkook takes out his phone and snaps a picture of you with your cake obtained through deceit. When he’s done, you throw your napkin at him as the sparkler fizzles out.

“Really, Jungkook?” you say, feigning annoyance.

“But you’re so cute when you’re nervous,” he says, catching his breath. You narrow your eyes at him as he pays for the meal. He smiles. “At least take one bite.” He sinks his fork into the cake and holds it out for you. You look at him as you put your mouth on the fork and slide it off, inciting the desired effect in him. He dips a finger in the thick chocolate icing. “Try this.” You take his finger into your mouth and suck it clean. His breath catches when you swirl your tongue. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that mouth.”

“So use it.”

“Maybe I will.” You bask in his desire. “Let’s go,” he says, standing.

“More secret plans?” you ask as he helps you slip into your leather jacket.

“Possibly. Only because I’m having so much fun.” Taking his hand, he pulls you through a maze of tables, plants, and past the birdcage. If you weren’t holding on to him, you’d never make it out.

Your feet return to the cobblestone streets outside, and the cold air sharpens your senses. Smaller clouds roll through, allowing larger pieces of a starry sky to be seen. Settling into the SUV, Jungkook tells the driver another address. Tingles from your high spread through your body, and you nestle into the crook of his arm. With a finger under your chin, he tilts your head up to look at him.

“Jas, I want to know something.” Delicious authority laces his voice. “Have you touched yourself to me?”

Blushing, you hold eye contact. “Yes,” you say quietly.

His lips press back into a smirk and eyes darken. “How many times?” You hesitate and watch as a fire blazes in his eyes. His hand grips your jaw. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“I’ve lost count.”

He gives a gratified smile. “Now, you don’t get to cum until I say so. Understand?” You feel so possessed by him that you can’t speak, so you nod. “That’s my girl.” With his hand around your neck, he kisses you with restrained passion.

The car stops in front of a tall rectangular building with a brightly lit platform at the top. You side eye Jungkook, and he laughs. At the top, the lights burn your eyes until they adjust. You can make out a large metal contraption and a sign that says “OverTheEdge: Europe’s Highest Swing.”

Your stomach drops. “Oh no,” you say, faltering. You take a step back.

He faces you, grabbing your hands. “You can do this. Good girls get rewards, remember?” He smirks.

Your mind races with possibilities, and you curse. “This isn’t fair.”

“I never said it was.” He chuckles, pulling you toward the metal swing.

He pays for two tickets, and you start trembling as you both climb into the seats. An employee secures you into the chair, and you’re lifted into the air.

“Damn you, Jungkook,” you say, white-knuckling the poles on either side of you. He laughs and holds a hand out. You interlace your hand with his as your heart pounds.

The swing lurches forward, and the ground falls away underneath you leaving your feet dangling above canal waters far below. You squeeze your eyes shut. Jungkook laughs, clearly enjoying himself. The darkness is even more disorienting, so you snap them open again. After a few swings, you notice notice how quiet it is up so high, and take in the skyline of Amsterdam. Little glimmers of light float along the canal waters, and your grip loosens on the pole.

“Not so bad, right?” Jungkook asks.

“It’s really nice up here. I feel like I’m flying,” you say, reaching out to try to capture an orb of light between your fingers. “How are you so fearless?”

“It’s not that I never feel fear. I do. When I feel fear, I view it as a challenge to conquer it. Prove that I’m stronger than my fear.”

“Do you have any idea how hot that is?”

He smiles broadly. “It’s just who I am.”

The swing slows down and comes to a stop, lowering to the platform. He puts an arm around you as you both walk away from the mechanical swing.

In front of the building, he walks up to the SUV passenger window, and the driver rolls it down. “We’ll meet you back here in a little bit,” Jungkook says to the driver. He hails a bike taxi and tells the driver to go to an address.

“Should I even ask where we’re going?” you ask, sitting on the bench at the back of the bike.

“No,” he says with a mischievous grin. The bike picks up speed, and the wind runs through your hair.

“So about this…reward.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it.” He kisses you, reaching his fingers down the front of your dress to pinch your nipple. You gasp, and he smiles slyly. He places a hand on your thigh. “You’re all mine. I can do whatever I want.” He runs a finger up your inner thigh. “And I know you’re going to be so good for me.” You kiss him hard as a way of asking for more.

The bike stops, and Jungkook pays the driver. You see a street lined in red neon lights separated by a canal.

“Is this what I think it is?”

“The Red Light District,” he says, snaking an arm around you. “You’re not curious?” You are. More than you want to admit, and your silence makes him smile devilishly.

Walking down the narrow street, the red lights reflect off the canal waters. There are buildings with large windows showing women in lingerie. Real women. Heat rises to your face, and you look away. Jungkook lights the second joint and takes a drag. When he passes it to you, you take a hit. The high becomes more potent again, sweeping you up and carrying you away. The street stretches in front of you endlessly.

Jungkook takes another pull from the joint, and the smoke captures the red light of the neon signs. You see desire in his eyes, but you’re not threatened by it. Heat grows between your legs. After you take a second drag, you lose your filter. Your eyes freely roam the women in the windows until they stop on one in particular. Her white lingerie contrasts well against her brown skin, and you devour her with your eyes. Jungkook stops.

“When were you going to tell me you like women?” he asks, smiling and raising an eyebrow.

“Is it that important?” you ask, facing him.

“You’re mine now. I want to know all your desires. All of them.”

“It’s become such a part of me that I didn’t think to tell you.” You shrug. “The sky is blue. The grass is green. I’m bisexual.”

“I like it.”

You shove his shoulder. “Of course you do. But you should know my sexuality isn’t performative for men to enjoy.”

He smirks. “That doesn’t mean I can’t like it. Especially when it’s you.” Greed flashes in his eyes. “Would you consider a threesome?”

“You know, that’s what gives bisexuals a bad name. We have to fight every day to tear down the stereotypes that—yes. Yes, I would.” He stares at you then breaks into laughter, and you grin.

Your eyes gravitate back to the woman in white who blows a kiss. You pretend to catch it and put it in Jungkook’s inner blazer pocket. Looking up at him, you run a finger across the silver chain around his neck.

“When are you going to fuck me, Jungkook?” you ask with puppy eyes.