Doll For Hire (Part 5)

Pairing: Taehyung x Fem Reader

NSFW CONTENT: 18+ ONLY

Summary: Kim Taehyung was once bathing in money, having enough to live comfortably for lifetimes. Now, however, he’s struggling to even make enough for rent. Needing a way to make ends meet, he offers himself to SugarDolls.com, and thus begins his secret life as your sugar baby.

Part 1 >  Part 2 >Part 3 > Part 4

Warnings: angst, slight age gap, power dynamics since it’s a sugar baby au, Su-Ji, nonsexual bathing and hair washing, reader navigating social cues around comforting others, tae being down bad

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“Why did you call me here?”

The tone is apathetic as nimble fingers swirl the straw of an iced macchiato.

“Because I need closure.”

Su Ji’s brows quirked up—the straw no longer keeping her attention.

“I just want to know if there’s really no chance for us. I’m probably the most pathetic man in the universe for wanting you back after everything, but I can’t help it. I can’t help that I’m still in love with you.”

She takes a deep breath, heart heavy at the confrontation.

“Look, Tae, I did love you when we were together. I loved all the extravagant dates, all the gifts you’d give, and I loved being Kim Taehyung’s girlfriend—genuinely. But now…it’s different. And you know it is. I have a reputation to protect, both my own and my family’s. I can’t love you if it costs me everything. We both have to move on.”

The confession has the opposite effect of closure: it only confuses Taehyung more.

“You say that, but you’re not moving on either. All those Instagram captions and showing up at my place when one of your friends could have easily picked up that necklace for you! I’ve dated you for seven months, Su Ji. I knowyou. When you don’t want to see someone, you go out of your way to avoid them. So, why isn’t it the same for me?”

Su-Ji gulps, her cold drink doing nothing to ease her ex’s burning gaze. After an anxiously long silence, her shoulders droop and the stoic façade comes crumbling down.

“Okay, fuck, you’re right. I’m not over you! I miss us. I miss you, okay? I’ve been a bitch because I’m fucking bitter. I’m bitter that I can’t be with you anymore. I’m bitter that your parents were stupid enough to lose your fortune. I’m bitter all the time, and I hate you for making me this way!”

Taehyung didn’t expect to lose his cool today, but even Su Ji admitting to missing him couldn’t soothe the anger bubbling in his chest.

“Don’t fucking speak on my parents,” he bites, “and am I supposed to feel bad for you? I’m sosorry me losing everything was inconveniencing you so much! How shitty of me!”

He stands up and darts out of the stuffy café, not giving her a chance to retort.

___

Su Ji’s words ring through his head for the rest of the day, making any task nearly impossible. He stays in his bed for hours, tossing and turning in restlessness. His stomach growls louder and louder by the minute, but he has neither the energy nor the appetite to do something about it. He’s relieved that Jimin’s coming home late tonight, too busy cramming at the library for an exam. The last thing he wants is pity, even if it is from Jimin.

His muscles feel tight and his head aches as he rolls into a different position for the hundredth time. He wishes he could just fall asleep.

His relentless tries to trick his brain into sleep is interrupted by his phone’s vibration. It’s you. He’s too tied to talk but picks up regardless.

“Hey, just called to push back our dinner date today. I have a thing I need to handle so let’s meet up at 7:30 instead of 7.”

Oh shit.

He had completely forgotten his plans with you.

“Yeah, that works” he croaks out.

“See you then.”

He clutches the phone to his chest as you hang up. With his current state, he’s not sure he’ll be good company for anyone, and the last thing he wants to do is leave his warm, comfy bed. If it was anyone else, he’d cancel, but this is his job. He knows you’d let him raincheck if he asked—you were kind like that. However, it would only irritate him more if he couldn’t even do his job properly: you were already doing so much for him, the least he could do is control his emotions long enough to give you a nice dinner.

___

At 7:29 he’s at your place, sitting across from you with a Michelin star meal in front of him. The dinner starts out relatively fine, with him putting in his best efforts to keep up with conversation and force a smile every couple of minutes. His stiffness doesn’t go by unnoticed, though. But you’re not one to prod.

It’s when the responses become three words max and the smiles don’t come at all that you become worried. You look over at his barely touched plate with a scowl.

“Are you not feeling well?”

He internally curses himself for being too obvious. He doesn’t know where his next words come from.

“I wish I was more like you.”

You watch him carefully, waiting to see where he’s going.

“Y’know, I used to feel bad for you when you told me why you started this” he motions between your two bodies, “I thought it must suck to see everything as business. But now, now I envy your perspective. I wish I could only see things that way. I wish a breakup was just some bad investment I could shrug off. It would hurt a lot less.”

He feels the tears prickle his cheeks as each word escapes him.

You still don’t speak. The expression on your face is unreadable, and the unease in the air is what snaps him back to where he is and what he’s supposed to be doing.

“I—fuck—I’m so sorry Y/N. I ruined your night, didn’t I?”

More apologizes fall from his lips as he takes a dining napkin and wipes his tears away.

“Taehyung, it’s fine.”

Your voice is firm yet gentle, and he still doesn’t know if you mean it or not. Only when you reach out to hold one of his hands does he feel a tiny bit of relief.

“It’s not fine. I know how stressed you get at work and how this is probably your only time to relax. It’s selfish of me to make it about myself. I’m so sorry.”

You regret not reassuring him right away. You wanted to, but you’ve never really comforted anyone before. Usually, money did the comforting for you, but this was not one of those situations. As much as you want to treat this as any other business relationship, it’s becoming more and more difficult to do so. And that terrifies you.

You shake your head to empty those thoughts. It’s not about you right now. You have to try, for him.

“Hey, it’s not selfish. Everyone has bad days.” your hand squeezes his tighter, “Whatever happened with that girl clearly has you out of it, yet you tried your best to be present with me. I appreciate that, honestly. But in the future, please put your health, whether physical or mental, first.”

He looks at you with those big brown, teary eyes and slowly nods. You notice his grip on your hand tightening as well.

You reluctantly let go, though. Opting to stand up and grab him a glass of water to replace the wine on the table.

He takes a few sips and regains composure, breath steadying.

“Can I please stay here for the night? In one of your guest rooms? I just don’t want to risk seeing Jimin today. He’ll want me to tell him what happened, and I don’t think I can do that tonight.”

You mentally applaud yourself for not asking the details—at least you’ve done one thing right.

“Of course. You can pick any guest room.”

___

You knock on the room he chose, hands equipped with clean towels and clothes. He lets you in, looking in no better state than before.

“Here’s a towel, and here’s some clean clothes that might fit you.”

He looks down at the clothes, most likely remnants of past hookups. He’s too grateful to dwell on that for too long, though.

“Thank you” he musters a tiny smile.

He expects you to turn on your toes and exit, but instead, you stand in the room lost in thought.

“Hey Tae?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I do something for you?”

He looks down nervously, not in any state to do something sexual—even if he was receiving.

“It’s not sexual” you quickly add, noticing the gears in his head turning.

“What is it?”

“It’s something that’ll help you relax. I just need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

He nods, needing anything he can get to not feel the way he does right now.

You smile and guide him to sit on the bed. “Stay here until I come get you.”

And then you disappear into the bathroom. Taehyung hears the water running for a good amount of time before it’s silent. You stand at the doorway and offer him a hand.

Entering the bathroom, it’s evident what you were doing. The bathtub is filled with bubbles and surrounded with lavender scented candles.

You gently tug at his shirt, taking it off his body. You reach for his pants next. He doesn’t question it and lets you do whatever you want, trusting that you won’t use this opportunity to take advantage of him. You said it wasn’t sexual, and that’s enough for him to believe you. It also helps that your gaze isn’t lustful, not even when you help him out of his boxers. There’s no eyeing him down or lingering on certainbody parts, just undressing as carefully as you can.

You lead him into the tub, making sure there’s ample bubbles to cover his body. He’s expecting you to undress and get in, but you don’t. Instead, you stay out of the tub and make your way behind him. The second your palms touch his scalp, the boy melts in your hands. You lather on the shampoo, massaging every inch of his brown locks. He leans all the way into your touch, reveling in the euphoria. Every movement of your fingertips makes him forget little by little of the day he’s had. His muscles relax under the warm water, feeling comfort amongst the scent of lavender.

Your touches, however amazing they feel, are nothing but platonic. You don’t push or nudge anything farther than washing his hair. That’s not what this is about.

You had watched something like this in a movie, years ago. Craved to be touched like that ever since. But none of your attempts at dating had given you courage to ask for something so intimate yet so platonic.

Even though it’s not you on the receiving end right now, you’re glad you can provide this for someone else. Especially someone so deserving.

After half an hour and a good hair rinse, you help the half-asleep man out of the tub, dried, and into a robe. He doesn’t say a word, just molds into whatever position you put him in and waits. The sleepiness is only enhanced when the blow dryer turns on.

“Goodnight Tae. I’ll be in my room if you need anything” you whisper while guiding him to his bed. Taehyung, however, refuses to let you go. He presses your warm body against his and nuzzles into your neck. It seems that a sleepy Taehyung is a clingy Taehyung, you muse to yourself.

“Stay with me tonight. Please. You’re so warm.”

His soft plead is enough to break any resolve you try to have, and that’s how you find yourself tangled under the sheets with his arms around your waist and faint snores in your ear.

Maybe I’m not so bad at this comforting thing after all, you think.

____

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