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Once upon a time, in a faraway land called Seoul University, lived a handsome man named Kim Taehyung.
Taehyung had everything; he was very talented, smart, he had the looks and the personality. The only thing that he didn’t yet have was true love. It’s not like he was actively looking, but Kim Taehyung was a hopeless romantic and he knew that one day he was going to meet his true love. He was just getting a little impatient for that to happen.
Like all dashing fairytale heroes, Kim Taehyung had a best-friend-slash-mascot in the form of one Park Jimin. Jimin was fully supportive of Kim Taehyung’s role as a romantic prince, so supportive that he had even set Taehyung an account up on Grindr. That had not gone very well. In Jimin’s defence, he hadn’t expected the onslaught of anal jokes and dick picks that Taehyung received. He had just been trying to get his best friend laid.
After the awful Grindr incident Taehyung decided that he was going to be a little more patient in waiting for his true love, he’d read enough fairytales to know that he would meet his beautiful princess (or prince, in his case) at the right time.
Our story begins here, on a warm day at the start of Spring.
Taehyung had finished his stage acting class in a good mood, because they were going to be learning sword acting next week. As a dashing hero, Taehyung needed to know how to sword fight – how else was he going to protect his true love from dragons and shit?
He had practically skipped home, humming a love song on the way. He was sure that the birds were singing back at him and it made him smile wider. He was still smiling when he bumped into Jimin.
“Jiminnie!” He announced, running to hug his bestest friend. “Jiminnie I missed you!”
Jimin laughed warmly. “Missed you too Taetae. How was class!”
“Oh, it was great! Next week we’re doing stage fighting as well!”
Jimin smiled and ruffled Taehyung’s hair. “Sounds fun. Have you heard that Hakyeon is having a party tonight. You game?”
Taehyung was always game for a party, he might have been a dashing fairytale hero but even they needed to let their hair down every once in while.
So our story leads us to a Cha Hakyeon’s place later that evening.
Jimin was already swaying by the time they walked through the front door. He’d pregamed pretty hard before they set off. Taehyung had also had one or two drinks, but he had spent much longer getting ready so he wasn’t quite as far gone as Jimin.
The music was loud, just the way that Taehyung liked it, and he immediately made his way to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of something strong and alcoholic with a name he couldn’t pronounce while he watched Hakyeon and Jung Hoseok have some kind of dance battle in the kitchen.
After some time, he felt Jimin settle back beside him. The shorter man had run off right away to go and greet someone and Taehyung was surprised he was back so soon.
“My money’s on Hoseok.” Jimin said, and Taehyung shook his head.
“Hakyeon, definitely.” He replied.
They drank and watched for a while, before realising that there wasn’t going to be any winner because nobody was keeping any kind of score. Then Jimin saw someone else he knew and Taehyung decided to go for a walk and find somebody he knew so he wasn’t stood in a corner like a loner.
He eventually found Jihan, a friend of his from an acting class they had taken the previous year. He spends a while talking to Jihan and his friend Seojoon, and soon Taehyung was starting to feel the buzz from the alcohol take over.
“This is my jam!” He shouted over the music, as the Spice Girls’ song Wannabe came on over the speakers. It seemed like maybe Lee Sungjong had got a hold of the laptop that was controlling the music because he was the first to run into the middle of the room and start dancing. Taehyung glared at Sungjong – this was his jam! He strutted into the middle of the room, right next to Sungjong and began to move his body to the music. He’d always had a rivalry with Sungjong, another drama student who seemed to think he was the university’s resident handsome prince. (That was Taehyung’s title!)
Taehyung thought he looked good, but he was completely unaware of the people laughing at him because he seemed like he had lost control of his own limbs. If he was aware of them, he didn’t seem to care.
And then Sungjong grabbed someone from the crowd watching and Taehyung narrowed his eyes. How dare he try to outdo Taehyung. Taehyung scanned the crowd, looking for someone he knew. His eyes landed on Jihan and Seojoon, but they were glaring at him with a look that said “don’t even think about it.”
So Taehyung did what any brave prince would do in a duel of dance, he grabbed the first person he saw and pulled him into a spin.
He didn’t even look at the person’s face, he just grabbed their hands and started to pull them into the dance. He felt like the picture of dignity and grace – there was no way Sungjong could beat this-
The music stopped, and then dropped into some kind of ballroom dance song. Sungjong seemed to have planned this, because he pulled his dance partner into his arms and began to gracefully waltz.
Taehyung felt his own dance partner try to squirm away and he pulls him tight into his arms. “Please waltz with me.” He says, his voice low.
“I’m not really a waltzy person.” The stranger replies, and even over the music Taehyung could hear the warm tone.
“You are now.” He said, before pulling the stranger tight into his grip. “So let’s waltz.”
Okay. So Taehyung’s dance partner wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t one for waltzing. He must have stood on Taehyung’s feet about twenty times in the course of three minutes and he’s wearing Timberlands so it hurts, but at least he was going with it now.
Taehyung realises something about two minutes into the song, and that is that this stranger is attractive. Even in the dull lighting of the house party and after however many shots Taehyung had downed. He couldn’t take in all of the guys features, but he did notice the muscular arms and the tall frame and the way his voice was soft and hard at the same time.
The song ended and transitioned into something slightly more suitable for a house party full of twenty-somethings. Taehyung fully expected his mystery dance partner to make a quick escapes, but it seemed like he did like dancing, just not waltzing. He was suddenly throwing shapes at Taehyung and it barely took Taehyung a second to join in.
They danced together for a few songs, Taehyung caught up in the buzz of the alcohol and the music and the whole feeling or being young. His dance partner was moving so fluidly, as if his body had been made for this and Taehyung can’t take his eyes off the way this stranger seemed so caught up in it all too.
At some point, they ended up wrapped around each other, grinding to some song which was probably written for moments like this. Taehyung was slut dropping in front of his dance partner and if he was sober or watching this he would have felt mortified but he was young and drunk and he didn’t care.
Then the stranger’s lips were on his, and his hands were moving up and down Taehyung’s back. Taehyung might have been a romantic hero, but he was still only human so he was going to kiss this guy back.
The stranger pulled away from him and Taehyung felt something inside him go cold. He watched as the stranger bent down and unlaced one of his shoes.
“New shoes.” He said, to nobody really, as he pulled off the boot.
The stranger looked all ready to stand back up and carry on from where they left off and Taehyung was totally up for that, then somebody shouted over the music.
“Does anyone here know a Jung Hoseok? He’s puking in the potted plants. Can someone take him home?”
Taehyung’s dashing stranger stood up with a sigh. “That hyung.” He groaned, before rushing off.
Taehyung watched as his perfect stranger left him cold. He watched the dancer’s retreating back as it left the room and then bent down, picking up the brown Timberland boot that he’d left behind.
“Who was that?”
*
“I’m telling you Jimin, it was love at first sight.”
“Except that you didn’t even get a good look at him.”
Our hero and sidekick were sat in their favorite cafe, waiting for their close friend Namjoon to finish his shift so he could come and join them.
Taehyung sighed dramatically. “I saw enough to know he was gorgeous, and I know he wears Timberlands.”
“At least one in five people in this university own a pair of Timberlands.”
Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Why do you seem intent on ruining my romantic story.”
“We’ve been through this before, Taehyung. You meet someone and you think it’s the start of your romantic saga and he ends up being straight or having a boyfriend or being fifty years-”
“That was one time, and he was a young looking fifty year old.” Taehyung retorted. “Anyway, this time it was real. I know he’s not straight because he kissed me, and nobody with a boyfriend would have danced like that with me. There was a connection Jimin, it just seemed like he was meant for me. You wouldn’t understand...”
“You don’t even know his name. Could you even pick him out of a crowd.”
“I could if I saw him dancing.”
Jimin laughed. “Let’s just round up every homosexual in the college and ask them to freestyle for us, should we?”
It sounded like a good idea to Taehyung.
It had been three days since the house party and Taehyung’s meeting with the mystery hunk and he had been unable to forget about him ever since. He just couldn’t forget the sparks that flew when he was kissing the stranger, and depsite what Jimin might have said it was absolutely nothing to do with copious amounts of Jello Shots Taehyung had downed throughout the night.
“What’s going on?” A new voice added. Taehyung looked up and saw Namjoon at the table, a tray of drinks in his hands.
“Taehyung’s in love.”
“Again?” Namjoon raised his eyebrows.
“I came out to have a good time and I just feel so attacked right now.”
Jimin and Namjoon rolled their eyes in sink, and Taehyung was so glad that he has his super sweet vanilla mocha to escape into because he kind of wanted to punch his best friends.
Namjoon slid onto the seat and Jimin and Taehyung filled him in on the events of the party.
“So you’re telling me that Taehyung pulled some random stranger into a waltz because of an imaginary rivalry with Sungjon-”
“That brat has it in for me!”
“And that stranger still kissed Taehyung?” Namjoon continued and Jimin nodded. “I think Tae might be right here then. It must be love at first sight for someone to deal with his weirdness that easily.”
Taehyung felt both insulted and victorious.
“So...” Namjoon continued. “We commence Mission FTDSAGTT.”
“Mission Fuhtuhfuhsuhahguhtuhtuh?” Jimin asked.
“Mission FTDSAGTT.” Namjoon repeated. “Mission ‘Find Taehyung’s Dancing Stranger And Get Them Together’.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
“Well, we know he wears a size nine Timberland, so I say we start from there.”
*
Namjoon’s genius idea leads us to the nearest shoe store that stocks Timberlands.
“Yes, we do sell those there.” The store clerk, Yoongi, told them after Taehyung handed him the shoe the stranger had left behind.
“Can you tell us who bought this pair?” Namjoon asked.
“Even if I knew, I can’t give customer details out.”
“How about CCTV footage?” Namjoon prompted.
“No.”
They eventually were kicked out of the store after Jimin tried to bribe Yoongi with a wad of notes.
“Well, that was a dud.” Jimin commented as they walked back to campus.
“That wasn’t my only idea-”
“No, Namjoon.” Taehyung interrupts. “No offense, but I think I’ve had enough of your great ideas. I think I’ll just have to forget the stranger.”
Jimin shook his head. “No, we’ll find him.”
“An hour ago you were against the idea of finding him.”
Jimin sighed. “Just because I’m a cynical fuck doesn’t mean Prince Taehyungie shouldn’t get his happily ever after.”
Taehyung grinned, one of his large boxy smiles that made everyone else around him feel like they should start singing. “You’re the best sidekick ever!”
“Thanks-” Jimin cut off. “Hang on, I’m not your sidekick- Taehyung!”
*
Jimin’s smart idea is sort of a good one.
They took a photo of the Timberland and posted it on the University Community Facebook page.
Does this belong to you.
Found at a house party last weekend.
Please get in touch if it’s yours.
Taehyung had wanted to add something along the lines of ‘your prince charming would like to meet you again’. Jimin and Namjoon seemed to think that would scare away the stranger so they vetoed that idea.
They then spent the rest of the evening following the post, waiting for any kind of notification.
There were a few comments, people tagging their friends with comments like ‘is dis urs’.
Taehyung really hoped that whoever his true love was, he could use correct spelling and grammar or it might just be a deal breaker for him.
They refreshed the page one more time, and a name popped up.
One comment from Jung Hoseok.
“Hey @Jungkook Jeon isn’t this yours?”
“Wait guys.” Taehyung announced. “It’s him.”
“How do you know?”
“I remember that he came to the party with Jung Hoseok.” Taehyung recalled, his smile spreading across his face. “We found him, guys!”
“Well what are we waiting for?” Namjoon scrambled over Taehyung and clicked on Jungkook’s profile. “Is it him?”
Taehyung squinted at the photo. Jungkook was attractive, unveblievably hot in some of these selcas he had uploaded. He clicked through the profile before landing on a video. “Me Like Yuh choreo by Hoseok.”
It was a video of Jungkook dancing to Jay Park, and as soon as Taehyung saw the moves he knew this was the dancer from the other night. “It’s him.” He confirmed.
“Awesome.” Namjoon clicked on the message button and started typing.
“Hi, I don’t know if you remember me from the party the other day. I have your boot if you want it back.”
“Keeping it cool and casual. Good idea.” Jimin approved.
Taehyung personally would have made it more romantic, but Namjoon was controlling the laptop and he clicked send.
*
Taehyung spent the rest of the night waiting for a reply from Jungkook. He was repeatedly pulling up his messenger app, disappointment flicking across his features each time there was nothing.
Namjoon and Jimin had left for their own homes, but they had made him pinky promise to let them know if anything happened. Taehyung would never break a pinky promise.
To kill the time, Taehyung put on Tangled for the hundredth time. He could practically recite the script start to finish, but he loved the story of the punky heroine who save the hero just as many times as he saved her. It was just a real, pure fairytale romance.
Taehyung sighed in contentment at the ending, as Rapunzel was reunited with her real family, before realising that he hadn’t checked his phone in a short while. He loaded it up again and almost jumped in shock at the notification on the screen.
Jungkook Jeon:
Hi. I remembr u.
id like my boot back plz
Taehyung blinked. Was that all? He scribbled a reply.
Kim Taehyung:
No problem. We should meet up.
Jungkook Jeon:
R u on campus?
Kim Taehyung:
Yeah I’m in residence.
Jungkook Jeon:
Me 2. Wanna meet in the campus cafe in 30 mins.
Taehyung looked down at himself. He could be ready to go in twenty minutes, but he would need to change out of his One Piece pyjamas.
Kim Taehyung:
I’ll be there.
*
Our hero waits (im)patiently in the cafe for his handsome prince.
Taehyung watched the door impatiently, a glass of juice in his hand as he needed something to still his nerves. The thing about Taehyung, you see, is that like so many other people in the world, he was so much more confident with alcohol in his system and juice didn’t quite do the same thing.
He gulped as he saw Jungkook step into the cafeteria, his hair blown from the wind in the doorway.
It was most definitely a movie moment when Jungkook locked eyes on Taehyung and smiled. Taehyung could hear angels singing and bells ringing and fireworks exploding and all of the other cliches as Jungkook walked towards him.
“Taehyung?” Jungkook asked, even though the whole place was empty and Taehyung was the only other person there.
“Hi.” Taehyung responded, biting his lips. “Here’s your boot.”
Of all the eloquent and romantic things he could have said at that moment, Taehyung got straight to the point.
“Oh. Thanks.” Jungkook replied, picking up the shoe. “I’m like, lost without my trusty Timberlands.”
Taehyung nodded. “I’m like that with my favourite underwear.”
He kicks himself. What is this verbal diarrhoea?
“Erm… okay.” Jungkook looked unsure, like he was trying to make an escape and Taehyung wanted to say something cute and romantic, but every time he opened his mouth something weird left it.
“I mean, they’re really comfortable but I don’t wear them all the time because I wash them sometimes.”
Jungkook blinked. “Good to know.”
Taehyung slammed his lips shut.
“So… thanks for getting this back to me, Taehyung.” Jungkook said. “I need to get back, but I appreciate it. Take care.”
Taehyung watched as his true love left him once again, his chest falling as he realises he may have just made things so much harder.
*
“So close yet so far away.” Taehyung said dreamily, dipping a fry in Jimin’s milkshake.
“First, ew. Second, you had an opportunity and you decided to waste it convincing him that you wash your boxers. Your fault.”
“Have some sympathy!” Taehyung pouted. “Some supportive best friend you are! I bet Namjoon would be nicer about this!”
As it turned out, Namjoon laughed just as much as Jimin when he was updated on the situation.
Taehyung watched his hyung laugh with his arms crossed. “Are you about finished?”
“One minute!” Namjoon continued laughing and then… “I’m done.”
“Can I have sympathy now?”
“No.”
Taehyung needed to get new sidekicks. Maybe a talking rabbit or something.
*
As we have previously established, Taehyung was a hopeless romantic. As a result, every romantic movie he watched or romantic song that he heard reminded him of Jungkook.
He was walking to meet Jimin after class while singing along to Carly Rae Jepson’s song when he spotted Jungkook in front of him. He was stood with a slightly shorter man, looking over something on a phone.
Taehyung, being the romantic that he truly was, saw this as fate.
“Jungkook!” He shouts, waving like the idiot that he was.
The other boy’s eyes flick to him, he says something to the person he’s with and then waves back. “Hi Taehyung.”
“I see you’re wearing your timberlands again. Glad to have them back.”
“Very.” Jungkook laughed. “They are so comfortable. I missed them for the three days I didn’t have them.”
“I missed you for those three days as well.” The words left Taehyung’s mouth before he thought about them and as soon as he realised what he had said he turned tail and ran away.
He definitely was not telling Jimin and Namjoon about this, they would most certainly just laugh in his face.
*
“Stop laughing.”
“But it’s so funny!” Namjoon giggled.
Jimin couldn’t even speak, he’d already fallen backwards off his chair and was now slapping the floor in mirth.
Taehyung narrowed his eyes. “Seriously guys. Seriously.”
“You should have known we’d laugh at this!”
“I trusted you!”
“Serves you right then.”
Taehyung groaned. “What do I do?”
“I think the only course of action is surgery. We remove your voicebox and then you can’t ever embarrass yourself like this again.”
Taehyung blinked. “I hate you, Kim Namjoon.”
“Just message him. Tell him your have Tourette’s Syndrome or something.” Jimin suggested.
Taehyung nodded.
That might work.
*
It took Taehyung half an hour to write his first message.
He eventually sent it.
Kim Taehyung:
Hey.
Cool and casual. Taehyung approved.
Jungkook Jeon:
oh hi dere
What was with this guy?
Kim Taehyung:
Sorry about earlier.
Verbal diarhea
dioreya
Diarrheao
however you spell that word that means loose shit
Jungkook Jeon:
diarrheoa
diarya
diarhoea
you’re rite its hard
but its k I kno wat u ment
Taehyung stared at the last message. What did that mean?
Kim Taehyung:
?
Jungkook Jeon:
ugh I just mean that I really enjoyed that party
Kim Taehyung:
Me too.
There was silence then, neither of them typing as they both waited for the other to say something.
Taehyung was the first to bite.
Kim Taehyung:
Btw i’m pretty sure i’m seriously maimed from your waltzing.
Jungkook Jeon:
You’re the weirdo that dragged me into it.
Taehyung chuckled.
Kim Taehyung:
I needed to outwaltz Lee Sungjong.
Jungkook Jeon:
o so you jst used me then?
Kim Taehyung:
Maybe.
Jungkook Jeon:
*pout*
Kim Taehyung:
*wink*
Jungkook Jeon:
r u flirting?
Kim Taehyung:
Would it bother you if I was?
Jungkook Jeon:
g2g
im sure you have something 2 do anyway
like wash your fave boxers
Taehyung was left staring at his phone questioningly.
*
“It must be true love.” Namjoon hummed.
“I agree, for Taehyung to be putting up with Jungkook’s horrendous grammar.” Jimin added. “Also, there’s the fact that he’s spent the last hour ignoring our existence and rereading his messages with Jungkook.”
“I’m not ignoring your existence, I just prefer Jungkook to you right now.” Jimin and Namjoon chuckled. “but do you guys think he was flirting.”
“Definitely.” Namjoon responds and Jimin nodded sagely.
“He’s doing the whole ‘tease and leave’ thing.”
Taehyung groaned. “Why is it always so much easier in movies? The awkward hopeless romantic always gets the girl and they all live happily ever after. They never show the awkward flirting phase-”
Taehyung cut off when he heard the bell to the cafe jingled. “Oh my god. He’s here.” Namjoon and Jimin’s eyes jumped immediately to the door. “Don’t stare!”
Jungkook was with the same guy Taehyung had seen the last time. Jungkook’s friend was the first one to notice Taehyung and he nudged Jungkook. The taller man’s gaze followed his friend’s to the table and smiled when he locked eyes with Taehyung.
“Oh my god he’s coming over here...” Jimin whispered. “He’s greeting Taehyung, he’s smiling. Now he’s giving me a funny look-”
“Taehyung, is there a reason your friend is giving a running commentary of everything I do?” Jungkook asked.
“He forgot his meds this morning.” Namjoon responded.
Jungkook looked unsure. “Okay… So… mind if we sit?”
There was a shuffle at the table as everyone squeezed into the booth. Taehyung found himself pressed into Jungkook’s side and he was pretty sure that was part of the plan because Jimin was taking up way more space than he needed. Good sidekick.
“I’m Namjoon and this is Jimin and you already know Taehyung.” Namjoon started the introfuctions.
“I’m Hoseok.” Jungkook’s companion said.
Ahh, so this was Hoseok. Taehyung made a mental note to send him a bouquet of flowers or fruit basket or something because it had been Hoseok’s comment on the Facebook post that had helped him find Jungkook.
There was chatter at the table as they ordered drinks and got to know each other.
“So you’re Jungkook of the Timberlands then?” Jimin piped up after a while, and Taehyung swallowed.
“Oh, you heard about that?”
“We heard all about that.” Jimin replied, and Taehyung recognised a sly twinkle in his best friend’s eyes. He tried to kick Jimin under the table, but instead he got Namjoon who shot him a glare. "I'f go as far as to say that it's all we've heard about."
Taehyung was mortified.
“You too?” Hoseok piped up, and Taehyung felt Jungkook tense beside him. “All Jungkook’s been able to talk about since the party is the gorgeous man who made him waltz.”
Taehyung felt his face colour at Hoseok’s words. Jungkook thought he was gorgeous? He sneaked a glance at the younger man and found Jungkook avoiding his gaze, his face red to his ears. He nudged Jungkook’s side and, in a moment of either stupidity or bravery, grabbed Jungkook’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.
Jungkook froze again, and then he squeezed Taehyung’s hand back, and the younger man took that as a victory.
There was silence at the table as the three of them looked at Jungkook and Taehyung, silence that was only broken by Jimin whispering “I ship this so hard”.
Taehyung bit his lip and turned to Jungkook. “I think they’re waiting for us to do something?”
Jungkook nodded. “I get that feeling too. It’s disconcerting.”
Taehyung agreed. “What do you think they want from us?”
Jungkook shrugged.
A heavy sigh came from Namjoon, who glared at the two of them. “Just kiss already, or one of you ask the other out.”
Jungkook shrugged. “Wanna go out?”
Taehyung smiled. “Only if you wear your Timberlands for novelty sake.”
Jungkook chuckled. “Will you wear your lucky boxers?” He asked, before flushing. “Not that I think I’m going to see them or anything-”
Hoseok groaned and stood up. “I’ve seen enough of this weird awkwardness.”
Jimin and Namjoon agreed, vacating the booth and leaving just Jungkook and Taehyung at the table.
“You know.” Taehyung started, turning to Jungkook. “There’s only one thing left to do.”
“Hmm?” Jungkook hummed.
“It’s the final scene. The fairytale hero finally rescued the princess – or prince, in your case. We just have to kiss, and then we all live happily ever after.”
Jungkook raised his eyebrows. “I’m going to pretend I know what you’re talking about, because it means I get to kiss you again which I’ve been wanting to do for weeks.”
Taehyung was the one to close the space between their lips, and it was a soft kiss. The kind that promised more, but left Taehyung sated.
The curtain falls on our heroes as they share true love’s kiss, birds chirp a love song and bells ring. A pop cover of a cheesy Disney song plays in the background (and Taehyung loves the music choices of this cafe).
And they all live happily ever after.