Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jeongguk has quickly learned that you can tell a lot about a person from their coffee order. Or their tea order, or whatever it is they order from the coffeehouse Jeongguk has been working at for two months now.

He isn't really a barista because Seokjin does not trust him as far as he can throw him with the expensive coffee machines yet, but Jeongguk does not mind being an over glorified waiter either. People are sometimes really mean to him for no other reason than that they are having a shit day and one of the baristas somehow managed to get their order wrong when Jeongguk knows that the order is perfectly correct, but Mingyu and Minghao always make it up to him with a meal anyway even if he wasn't the one responsible for the “wrong” order so it's all okay. Plus he is not the only waiter and that helps too.

A couple months ago, it might have wrecked him — the shitty customers with their shitty attitudes — but after he and Namjoon cut off all ties, nothing can really hurt him as much as that did.

Namjoon was older than him and he wanted something Jeongguk knew he could never give him so he had decided to end their relationship, but still hoped that they could be friends. Jeongguk knew that Namjoon was heartbroken and while there was enough guilt for him to end things altogether, he wanted their friendship to work again. And it had for a short while until Namjoon somehow got it into his head that Jeongguk was already dating again and then, well, the article on Namjoon's blog was all that Jeongguk needed to realize they could never really be friends again. It hurt like hell because Jeongguk was still a bit tender from the deaths of his grandfather and uncle and having to help his mom get through them back to back, but he couldn't fathom any more hurt on either of their ends. It would have turned into something even more ugly and awful and Jeongguk didn't want to end up hating Namjoon when all was said and done.

Of course, he had still loved Namjoon then, but now, it does not feel like that at all anymore.

Yugyeom keeps telling him he should just go and let his inner hoe wreak havoc across mankind, but sex is something that Jeongguk does not take lightly and he really doesn't want to somehow end up running into Namjoon at a club or something. One drink would be all that it takes to get Jeongguk back into his bed, except Jeongguk doesn't love him anymore and he does not want to start loving him again either. Sex isn’t going to solve anything for him and would only make matters worse.

Still, even without the sting of his last relationship, Jeongguk would find it hard to find just about anybody attractive enough to sleep with. Plenty of attractive people come into the coffeehouse, some even supermodel status with looks that could rival that of Seokjin's, but they do not capture his attention.

Not the way that one blonde man who comes in every Thursday and Friday evenings to order an iced Americano does anyway.

Mingyu and Seokjin both make fun of him for how he tenses and bumbles around every time Blondie comes in, but can they really blame him? Blondie has eyes that could pin just about anybody in place and hands that could carry the world. Jeongguk doesn't know anything else about him but from watching him, he thinks he has a pretty good idea about what kind of person he is at least. Seokjin says he doesn't get how Jeongguk finds him and not Seokjin attractive instead, but Jeongguk does not want to jump into bed with his boss for a large number of reasons that do not necessarily have anything to do with Seokjin being his boss.

(Besides, Seokjin can talk himself blue in the face, but it will never be enough to convince Jeongguk that his boss isn't seeing both of the cute dancers who drop by frequently to flirt with Seokjin like it's nobody's business.)

But, again, Jeongguk does not even know Blondie's actual name. And even if he did, he has no idea what he would do with the information anyway. It isn't like Jeongguk would just look him up on Facebook or something and add him as a friend. That's absurd.

Although, it isn't like Jeongguk also would not try looking him up on Facebook and stalking him if Blondie happens to keep his profile public either. That is if Jeongguk is lucky anyway and Jeongguk has the worst luck anyone could ever have so he feels confident in betting on the fact that things could never go that smoothly for him.

Right now, he is content with just this. Admiring from afar, from very far away.

And then, suddenly, one day, Jeongguk is much too close for comfort and he has no idea how to get back to where he was before. Or if he even wants to.

❧

It starts out like any other day.

Autumn has finally fallen away to reveal Winter's cold touch lingering in the air. Jeongguk has wrapped himself up in his favorite sweater and scarf and gone to the library after Yugyeom had sexiled him again. He left their apartment in his usual work pants since he figured that he could just walk to work once he is done at the library because it is not that far away.

It is quiet here in between the stacks of books and sounds of keyboards clacking away, as quiet as a library should be and when Jeongguk goes to check his Facebook, he finds a surprise he wouldn't have expected in years.

Namjoon has left him two new messages.

Jeongguk only blinks, quickly exiting out of the tab to avoid doing something stupid like reading and answering his messages. If he is going to read what Namjoon has to say after so many months, Jeongguk will wait until he is in the privacy of his own room in case he starts crying again. Yugyeom won't like it, but Yugyeom never liked Namjoon anyway so that is to be expected at least.

Mostly, Jeongguk just wonders when Namjoon decided it was time to unblock Jeongguk because after checking twitter, tumblr, and his blog site, Jeongguk can see all of Namjoon's posts now. He wants to dig and be nosy, see what his ex-boyfriend has been up to these past few months, but Jeongguk does not want to do this right now. He quickly checks to make sure that Namjoon is still blocked on all his accounts and then blocks him on Facebook before he closes his laptop.

Now he feels itchy and raw all over and his mind just won’t stop thinking. The quiet that had comforted him before is now suffocating and Jeongguk needs out. He packs up and decides to walk to work with his headphones blaring a new anime soundtrack in his ears to help muffle the beats of his own erratic heart. He knows he is going to arrive too early for Seokjin’s liking, but Seokjin will still let him clock in anyways. His boss is nice like that sometimes.

Jeongguk gets to work quickly and changes into the rest of his uniform in the bathroom when Seokjin side-eyes him for being so early. He won't ask about it yet, but the elder has known Jeongguk long enough to know when he is being bothered by something so he nudges Jeongguk in the side when he emerges from the bathroom and hands him a lemon muffin.

"I bet you haven't eaten anything yet," Seokjin murmurs, pulling them towards an empty table while Mingyu takes a customer's order at the counter. "Eat this before your shift. It's your favorite and Gyu's making a hot chocolate for you, too. You came in really early today, Gukkie."

"Hyung, you didn't have to do that," Jeongguk says in response, still not used to how Seokjin can turn from a childish flirt to a thoughtful hyung in a mere matter of seconds. "But thank you."

Seokjin only grins, pushing Jeongguk into his seat and leaving the muffin in front of him on the table as he heads back to the counter where Mingyu is setting down a cup. "Anytime."

Jeongguk shifts in his seat as he waits for Seokjin to return, pulling his sweater from his bag to put back on over the top half of his uniform. He has tons of white button-ups at home and an extra one kept here in his locker for when someone spills their coffee on him, but Jeongguk hates doing laundry so he would rather avoid any and all spills when he can. He feels warmer now with his sweater back on and when Seokjin returns with the hot chocolate and slides into the seat across from him, Jeongguk already knows that Seokjin is going to prod into his private life whether he wants him to or not.

"So," Seokjin starts with when Jeongguk has started unwrapping the muffin. "Wanna talk about it?"

A shrug is what greets the elder's question and Jeongguk knows he should feel weird about his boss wanting to know about his life, but Jeongguk has never been an hour and a half early to work before. Seokjin was bound to ask questions.

Seokjin sighs, tapping his fingertips on the table. "Gukkie, you know that I don't mind you coming in early, but it has never happened before and I just want to make sure you're okay. You looked out of it when you walked through the door and I was worried."

Now Jeongguk feels bad, but once he takes a bite of his muffin and watches the way the tense line of Seokjin's shoulders goes loose, he feels better. "I didn't mean to worry you, hyung. I'm sorry."

Seokjin brushes his apology away, obviously waiting for what Jeongguk is going to say next so Jeongguk lets out a breath and takes a sip of his hot chocolate before he says, "I was at the library before and I didn't realize until I had logged into Facebook that I had never blocked my ex. I kind of, just, panicked and left. I didn’t realize how early I would be. Sorry."

"Jeongguk, kid, you don't need to apologize for any of that," Seokjin shakes his head, reaching out to clap a hand on Jeongguk's shoulder. "Shit happens and I am not one to judge somebody else's life."

Jeongguk wrinkles his nose, brows scrunched together as he takes another bite of his muffin. "That's a lie, hyung. You bitch about the customers and their orders all the time."

A laughs bursts out of Seokjin in response, his face flushing a delicate pink that stirs something in Jeongguk's chest he thought might have died with Namjoon. "Shut up and eat. I'll let you start your shift a half hour early so you get the rest of this hour to finish eating, brat. Minghao is behind the counter with Gyu right now, but Seokmin will be clocking out halfway through your shift and Junhui should be coming in soon after that. 

"Okay, hyung. Thanks," Jeongguk murmurs, ducking his head so he won't have to see just how pretty his boss is.

Seokjin smiles and claps his shoulder again, standing up to go check on Mingyu. "Anytime."

Jeongguk resists watching him walk away, feeling something uncurl in his chest when he finally realizes that maybe he is capable of finding someone easily attractive again. Maybe not enough to have him romantically inclined, but Seokjin is handsome. Probably more handsome than any man alive actually.

(Possibly more handsome than Taehyung even, Namjoon's boyfriend and Jeongguk's old metamour.)

The lemon muffin and hot chocolate are calling to him, so Jeongguk pushes those thoughts aside as he finishes eating, glad when he has not spilled a single thing on him. Seokjin rolls his eyes at him from the back room and Jeongguk goes to join him, taking his sweater off and leaving his things in his locker.

"Done already?" Seokjin asks, brow raised in question.

Jeongguk nods, beaming when Seokjin only shakes his head at him and waves him back towards the front. "Have at it. Clock-in now and I'll let you off half an hour early if you want."

"I'll stay until closing," Jeongguk says back, already heading towards the computer in the back to clock into work. "If that's okay."

Seokjin waves his hands again, chuckling under his breath. "It's fine, Gukkie-yah. Go on and get to work, Gyu-yah expects there to be a rush soon."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Jeongguk responds as he finishes up on the computer, lifting one hand in a salute for Seokjin.

Seokjin rolls his eyes and shoos him out of the backroom, leaving Jeongguk to the frenzy that is the coffeehouse. He avoids spills as often as he can, but almost all his white button-ups have faint coffee stains along the cuffs and no matter the amount of bleach Jeongguk uses, they will probably always be there.

Mingyu was right about the rush and Jeongguk loses himself in it, almost forgetting that it is Friday until Blondie steps into the coffeehouse and Jeongguk feels the air rush out of him in a loud whoosh that startles the nearest customer. He flushes and apologizes, avoiding the counter until Blondie has finished ordering and has sat down at a table before he approaches it again and tries to act normal. Mingyu snickers, blowing kisses at him as he picks up a latte and takes it to the correct table.

He returns a few minutes later, finding a glass of their mineral water waiting for him and raises a brow at Mingyu.

"Table seven," Mingyu says without really looking at the counter, too focused on the machines behind him. "Minghao's taking his break and I still need to get three other orders out first, so give them the water and tell them it's an apology for their drink taking so long."

Jeongguk nods, wincing internally at how good of a barista Mingyu must be if he has never given an order late before, not even during one of their rushes, but is now. Mingyu presses a button on one of the machines and Jeongguk takes that as his cue to go convince table seven not to murder him.

It's only when he looks around for a table with the number seven on it does he realize that Blondie is sitting at table seven.

Blondie is typing away on his laptop, legs crossed one over the other and his black earphones in as he focuses on the screen before him. He is wearing all black today, but no sweater or jacket is in sight and Jeongguk finds himself frowning at that before he takes a deep breath and slowly approaches the table. He can do this, he assures himself. Just put the water down, explain about the wait and back away. Easy peasy.

Except it isn't that easy because nothing is ever that easy in Jeongguk's life.

Just as he has stepped up towards the table, Blondie looks up and meets his gaze, the first time he has ever done that before and Jeongguk knows he is blushing, but what is even more surprising is that Blondie is blushing right back as they continue to stare at one another. Jeongguk almost stumbles, the glass of water still held securely on his tray as he tries to think about why the hell he approached the table in the first place.

"Holy shit," Blondie whispers under his breath — almost quiet enough that Jeongguk could pretend he never even heard him — as his face slowly flushes a darker red by the second.

Jeongguk swallows and slowly puts the glass down, sweating when he realizes he can't keep his eyes away from Blondie's. "Um."

They stand there staring at one another for a few moments that feel like centuries until one of the machines starts whirring loudly and Jeongguk startles, stepping back and ducking his head quickly. "Sorry for the wait. Your order should be up soon, but please enjoy this free mineral water on the house."

Before any more can be said, Jeongguk presses his tray to his chest as he rushes away, feeling like he is hyperventilating when he can still feel Blondie's eyes on his back. "Oh, my god. Oh, my god!"

Mingyu laughs at him when he makes it back to the counter and presses Blondie's usual order of an iced Americano towards him. Jeongguk freezes when he realizes that Mingyu set him up, the asshole.

"Dude!" Jeongguk hisses at him. "What the hell!"

"You were never going to make a move so I thought we should do something to make him notice you," Mingyu grins back, still laughing even as he turns back to the machines again. "Go bring him his drink, Gukk-ah. Yell at me for it later when there are no customers around to hear you."

Jeongguk should be angry, but nerves are strangling him, so he wordlessly takes the cold drink and walks back to Blondie's table. He flushes again when he realizes that Blondie is still looking at him, still flushed red, and has now completely abandoned whatever he was doing on his laptop. His walk falters for a split second and then Blondie turns an even darker shade of red and forcibly pushes his attention back on his laptop in front of him while Jeongguk approaches his table.

"Iced Americano," Jeongguk says as he puts it down beside the untouched glass of water. "Hope you enjoy it."

Jeongguk turns to go before anything more can be said and practically runs back to the counter to grab the new drinks Mingyu is setting out. "Table four. Two more coming up for table six."

"I hate you," Jeongguk mutters at him as he takes the drinks.

Mingyu smiles after him, pitching his voice loud enough for the whole coffeehouse to hear. "Feeling's mutual, Jeon Jeongguk!"

"Oh, my god," Jeongguk whines under his breath when he sees Blondie's head whip around in Mingyu's direction, unabashedly taking notice of Jeongguk's name.

Someone needs to help Jeongguk get through the rest of this day or Mingyu is going to end up in a body bag and Seokjin is going to have to help him bury it by the end of his shift.

❧

"Your lover boy came in yesterday," is what first greets Jeongguk when he comes into work on Sunday.

"What are you talking about?" Jeongguk asks, pausing in his stride towards the back room.

Mingyu grins at him mockingly before he looks back towards the machines even though Jeongguk knows he should be hustling to the back room to drop his bag off in his locker since he's cutting it too close for the start of his shift. Jeongguk heaves a heavy sigh and levels a glare at the back of Mingyu's head before he continues towards his locker after another moment has passed.

It isn't mentioned so explicitly again during the day, but when they are cleaning and closing up, Jeongguk has to endure an earful of Mingyu's retelling of how Blondie came in the day before and asked about Jeongguk then left without ordering anything when Mingyu told him he wasn't working that day. Seokjin chimes in as he locks up that Blondie actually looks familiar to him now that he's paying attention and Jeongguk spends his entire walk home ignoring the ache in his gut that wants him to ask his co-workers to spill everything they might know about Blondie.

Jeongguk texts Seokjin when he gets home and receives a good night in return, but stays up until two contemplating whether he should finally open Namjoon's messages or not.

He doesn't and by mid-morning on Monday, he has forgotten all about it in favor of helping Yugyeom get rid of his latest one-night stand who won't leave their apartment.

❧

Apart from on Wednesday when the dancers come in again and flaunt themselves at Seokjin for almost two whole hours, the level of gay panic in the coffeehouse is pretty null.

(Of course, Jeongguk will not deny that his boss is an idiot if he really thinks he isn't dating the two dancers, but not his circus and not his monkey, so it definitely is not his problem.)

Seokjin hires a new hand Thursday morning and blows up Jeongguk's phone by lunchtime to get him to come in early. When Jeongguk does show up, almost everybody working at the moment looks beyond relieved to see him and he does not know if that is a good thing or not.

"Kid, I need you to clock-in as of yesterday. The new hire is a disaster and keeps spilling everything. I'm losing business fast," Seokjin corners him in the back room to say, his eyes wide and frantic. "Tell Yerim she can go home early."

Jeongguk shrugs and unlocks his locker to put his bag away. "Alright, hyung. Finally, you hired a girl, you sexist."

Seokjin dodges the punch Jeongguk aims at his shoulder and grins back at him, albeit weakly. "Only guys have applied to work here, not my doing or my fault, kid. Now go."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Jeongguk mocks a salute and clocks in afterward, wincing as soon as he steps out of the back room.

Yerim has dropped two glasses and the sound of glass breaking scares Jeongguk but it is also enough incentive for him to grab the broom and dustpan leaning on the wall behind the counter before immediately pushing the new hire away and cleaning it up himself. She walks away and comes back with a bag for him to drop the broken pieces of glass into and soon enough the floor is clear again and Seokjin has settled the customers down again.

"Follow me," Jeongguk says as soon as he has stood up again, motioning Yerim towards him as he walks to the back room once more.

Once there, he hands her the bag and crosses his arms over his chest, regarding her. "Throw that in the dumpster out back then clock out. Seokjin-hyung said you can leave early today."

She is young, probably around his age and pretty, but girls have never interested him. She's flushing a pale pink from what he hopes is embarrassment and wears a black pencil skirt with black tights underneath. Her white-button up is sporting three different stains and Jeongguk fights back another wince at her appearance.

"Because I'm so bad at this, right?" She asks, nodding her head before he even gets the chance to open his mouth. "Yeah, I'll leave early. Did he tell you what time I need to come in tomorrow... if he still wants me to come in tomorrow?"

Jeongguk uncrosses his arms and sighs, shaking his head for more his benefit than hers. "He hasn't said anything, but I'll ask while you're doing that and then come tell you. Alright?"

She nods and walks towards the back door, leaving Jeongguk to run a hand through his hair. He shakes his head again and walks toward the counter, picking up his tray before locating Seokjin near the bathrooms.

"Hyung," Jeongguk calls out, walking briskly over to his boss. "Yerim wants to know if you still want her to come in tomorrow. She seems pretty upset so maybe you should talk to her instead."

Seokjin sighs and lets his head bang against the wall with a dull thump that makes Jeongguk wince in sympathy. "Yeah, yeah. She's still in the back room, right?"

Jeongguk shrugs. "She should be. I told her to throw away the bag of broken glass first before she clocked out, but you can wait for her in there."

"Cool, kid. I got this, you go wait on these tables. Please, don't break any more of my glasses, I can't afford that."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Seokjin manages another weak grin at that and shoos him away before he walks to the back room himself.

After that, Jeongguk does not really pay much attention to anything else except working and distracting everyone from how awful Yerim was on her first day. Not to say that Jeongguk wasn't bad on his first day or that Seokmin wasn't either, but Jeongguk has never managed to break a glass before — not even on accident. He does not know on what basis Seokjin hired Yerim on, but he does know that it is not any of his business so he focuses on his work, on greeting and bidding the customers a farewell and is already halfway through his shift when he remembers that today is Thursday.

Because the bell over the door jingles and Jeongguk looks up to find Blondie standing there, staring right at him.

They both flush at the same time and Jeongguk immediately turns away, grabbing the order from the counter and getting the table number from Minghao before he shuffles away and Blondie approaches the counter as soon as he is done.

Jeongguk focuses on his work again, or at least tries to, but finds it hard to focus when he can feel Blondie's gaze burning holes into his back. Minghao doesn't rib him for it the same way Mingyu would if he was working today, but Seokjin is glaring at him and Jeongguk remembers why he should be on his top performance after the one Yerim put on. He winces internally and picks up Blondie's order from the counter, depositing it on his table with no problem and a polite "Enjoy your drink!" before he runs off again.

Seokjin's glare only seems to intensify then and Jeongguk gulps as he remembers how he laughed in Seokjin's face the day before when the dancers came around. Seokjin grins at him maliciously and Jeongguk feels his heartbeat spike in fear of what the elder might do.

"Jeonggukkie! Take your break!" Seokjin yells from behind the counter.

Jeongguk winces and turns his puppy eyes on him. "Let me work through it, hyung."

"No," Seokjin says with a grin that is much too happy for Jeongguk's liking. "You did that yesterday and you know I only let you do that once a week. Tough luck, kid."

"But hyung!" Jeongguk whines as he approaches the counter, pouting when Seokjin swipes the tray from him. "Hyung!"

"No buts! Take your break, kid. Minghao-yah already made your hot chocolate and I'll buy you another one of those lemon muffins you like so much," Seokjin says, already ringing up the muffin and passing the hot chocolate over to Jeongguk.

Employees never have to pay for their drinks when they are working, but Jeongguk could have bought himself the muffin just fine. He wants to argue about this, yet he finds himself taking it as Seokjin pays and levels him with a steady gaze that means he is about to say something Jeongguk will hate.

"Thirty minutes, kid. Go crazy."

"Thirty—!"

Seokjin puts a hand up to cut him off. "You worked through your break yesterday and you came in two hours early today, Gukk-ah. Take your thirty minutes and eat something, kid."

From a childish flirt to a thoughtful hyung. Jeongguk really wishes he could hate that Seokjin is his boss of all people, but he cannot deny that he appreciates his kindness anyway.

"Alright, thirty minutes," Jeongguk bites out, spinning on the spot with a pout on his lips as he ignores everyone else in the coffeehouse and marches his way over to an empty table in the corner.

He has just unwrapped his muffin when a shadow passes over his table and he looks up, meeting warm, brown eyes he is quickly becoming familiar with.

"Hi, do you mind if I sit with you?" Blondie asks in a rush like if he says it fast enough, Jeongguk will be less likely to say no.

Jeongguk shakes his head and quickly jabs an arm out to the seat across him. "I don't mind."

Blondie smiles at him and sits down, his usual laptop missing but the smell of his iced Americano is unmistakable. Jeongguk takes a sip of his hot chocolate when silence settles around them and tries not to focus on how awkward things just became.

From the corner of his eye, he can see Seokjin smirking over at them, but Jeongguk ignores that and takes a bite out of his muffin. Blondie clears his throat and Jeongguk wonders if he is going to say something to break the awkward silence, but Blondie only ends up taking a drag on the straw of his drink instead.

Jeongguk almost wants to roll his eyes at the entire situation, but refrains and decides he'll be the one to start the conversation.

"I'm Jeon Jeongguk. What's your name?"

Blondie blinks at him as if he never expected Jeongguk to speak up first. He recovers quickly though and smiles, knocking the breath right out of Jeongguk's lungs once more. His smile is that pretty. Somebody up there wants Jeongguk dead, don’t they?

"Yoongi. Min Yoongi."

"Cool," Jeongguk nods, picking at his muffin now. "What is it that you do? I've usually only seen you with your laptop every time you come in here. Why don't you have it with you today?"

Maybe Jeongguk should not have said that much because most of it makes him look like some kind of stalker, but Blon— Yoongi only smiles wider and takes another sip of his drink, looking pleased about Jeongguk noticing him.

(Honestly, who wouldn't notice Min Yoongi? He's so breathtaking and stunning and demands all of Jeongguk's attention whenever he comes into the coffeehouse. The man looks like Autumn and Winter had a demigod baby and he was the end result.)

"I'm a producer. I usually come here to work on some of my newer tracks, but I generally just do it all from home or at the studio," Yoongi says in a rush again, flushing all the way down to his collarbones when Jeongguk only blinks owlishly back at him.

"Oh, that's cool," Jeongguk offers him an encouraging smile. "Any songs I might know?"

"Depends on your music taste," Yoongi says with a shrug, still smiling and flushing a brilliant red. "I think my most popular last year was Wine."

Jeongguk slams his hands down on the table, shocking everyone within a ten-foot radius. "You work with Suran!"

Yoongi recovers quickly from his shock and offers another tentative smile that makes Jeongguk feel a bunch of fuzzy things he cannot even begin to explain. "Yeah. You a fan of hers?"

"Definitely. So, I guess, that makes me a fan of you, right?"

"Sure," Yoongi stutters out, his smile wide and bright and leaving Jeongguk's heart racing. "You could say that, yeah."

Jeongguk laughs, taking a bigger bite of his muffin and groaning when a chunk falls on his shirt. He would probably feel embarrassed if it had not resulted in Yoongi giggling at him and Jeongguk's blood sizzling through his veins.

After that, the conversation is easy. Yoongi grows more and more confident with each passing second and soon enough he's explaining the very basics of how to produce a song while Jeongguk listens with rapt attention as he eats the rest of his muffin and drinks his hot chocolate which has now gone cold. Yoongi uses his hands a lot as he speaks and Jeongguk finds himself tracking them, only stopping when he catches the tiny smirk on Yoongi's mouth and flushes at being caught.

Jeongguk has honestly forgotten how to do it from being out of practice for so long, but somehow, he's flirting with Min Yoongi. A usual shy waiter is now flirting and laughing with a very hot and serious music producer who Jeongguk is sure has hundreds of people wanting to be with him and he is the lucky one that Min Yoongi has decided to pay attention to.

He pinches himself a few times just to make sure this is not a dream and sighs with relief each time. Yoongi keeps talking for the rest of their conversation and once Jeongguk's break is over, he goes red again and stutters as he asks for Jeongguk's number.

Jeongguk feels his heart do black flips in complete and utter joy and enters his number into Yoongi's phone, winking at him before he stands up and takes his tray back from a very smug-looking Seokjin.

Later, Jeongguk will be mad about this probably, but for right now, he is much too happy to care.

❧

"So he asked for your number and that was it?" Yugyeom asks for what feels like the nth time.

Jeongguk sighs and checks his hair in the mirror. "Yep."

"Dude."

"I know, Yuggie. Trust me, I know," Jeongguk says in response, having heard Yugyeom's commentary on this too many times to count by now.

Yugyeom shakes his head and Jeongguk grins at him in the mirror. "Let's just forget about this for now and have fun at the club. Bet you'll have guys drooling all over themselves trying to get into your pants when we show up."

Jeongguk laughs, not sure whether to take Yugyeom's words at heart or not. "No one is getting into my pants tonight, Yuggie."

Yugyeom only shrugs and offers him a suspiciously innocent smile. "Never say never, my guy."

❧

The club is hot and crowded.

Jeongguk feels he would be more inclined to dance if three people hadn't already hit on him. If he were to join the throngs of people grinding against one another, there is no doubt that some creeper would try whipping their dick out on him right in the middle of the dancefloor. Jeongguk would very much like to avoid that at all costs tonight.

He sticks close to the bar and watches Yugyeom navigate his way through the club. He loses sight of him a few times, but Yugyeom's bright blue hair is hard to miss. Plenty of people have bought him drinks, but Jeongguk had sent them right back without even pausing to think about it. Automatically denying advances from anybody is habit by this point for him.

Before, it was because Jeongguk was taken and now it is simply because Jeongguk isn't sure he would like to be dating anyone at all. It is confusing being him.

What is even more confusing is when Jeongguk's phone vibrates and he pulls it out to find a text from Yoongi greeting him.

i didn't peg this club as your sort of scene

Jeongguk blinks at his phone, unsure of how to react. His thumbs are moving of their own accord though and there is not much Jeongguk can do to stop them.

you're here???

He frowns down at his phone, taking a sip of his drink as he waits for a reply. He has just set his drink back down on the bar when someone steps up beside him, invading all of his personal space rules and that seriously will not do.

Jeongguk opens his mouth to cuss out the motherfucker who dares bother him when he looks up and finds a familiar pair of brown eyes that peek at him behind a long set of bangs.

"Hyung?" Jeongguk manages to choke out, his arms flailing as he tries to grab onto Taehyung's own. "Holy shit. Please never do that again."

Taehyung grins at him, the boxy, squarish one that Jeongguk had not realized he had missed to this massive of a degree until now. "Sup, Gukkie-yah? How have you been? I miss you."

Just like a punch to the gut Jeongguk is flailing about again, trying to come up with something that will get that sad note out of Taehyung's voice. Maybe it is the tiny bit of alcohol in his system or maybe it is the longing Jeongguk has been harboring ever since his break up with Namjoon, but he doesn't want to let go of Taehyung just yet.

"Oh, god, hyung. You don't know how many times I wanted to call. How many times I—" Jeongguk sputters, falling short when Taehyung merely throws his arms around him and hugs him so tightly Jeongguk can barely breathe.

"Dude, you don't have to apologize to me. I get it. You were both hurting, but Joonie-hyung asked me to give you space and I thought that was what you wanted, but now I realize I should have just bugged you anyway," Taehyung says, his voice still as soothing as Jeongguk once confessed it to be. "Now you're stuck with me. Hyung can deal."

Jeongguk feels on the verge of tears if he is being honest, but he isn't going to be honest enough to admit that so he clamps down on the emotions trying to choke him and murmurs, "But he's your other half, hyung."

As much as that fact used to hurt him, it was true. Namjoon and Taehyung had been made for one another. Even if Taehyung was okay with Namjoon dating other people — okay with Namjoon dating Jeongguk of all people —  and supported him through it all, Jeongguk had always known that he was never going to be as important as Taehyung. He knew that and had eventually accepted it because Taehyung was too good of a person to hate. He smiled almost all the time, ran up to random dogs on the street just to pet them, and he had welcomed Jeongguk with open arms once Namjoon finally introduced them. Jeongguk couldn't hate Taehyung even if he tried. (And he had and that had failed spectacularly.)

Taehyung shrugs, the motion feeling strange when Jeongguk can feel it with them being pressed together so tightly. "But he isn't everything I value in this world. You were my friend while you two dated and you'll be my friend after, too. As long as you're okay with that, I mean. I wouldn't want to force you to do something you don't want to do."

"Hyung, you have no idea how much I want that," Jeongguk laughs, pulling back from their embrace to look Taehyung in the eye. "I've really missed you."

"Of course, you have. Hard not to miss me," Taehyung grins back at him, letting his arms fall back to his sides.

Jeongguk slaps his arm, his amusement falling away when he thinks of the unread messages Namjoon sent him. "Hyung?"

Taehyung leans toward him again to hear him better over the new song that has just started playing. "Yes?"

"Do you know why Namjoon-ssi messaged me?" Jeongguk says all in one breath, loud enough that he is certain the girl beside them had heard him even over the loud, thumping music.

"Wait, what?" Taehyung asks, his eyes blown wide in confusion.

Now Jeongguk feels confused. "He didn't tell you? He messaged me on Facebook a while ago... I hadn't even realized he'd unblocked me until then."

Taehyung scratches the back of his neck, still looking unsure when he says. "Well, I didn’t know he unblocked you and he never told me anything about messaging you either. Did you read it?"

"No, I was too scared to open it. Still am really. I don't want to get sucked back into things with him," Jeongguk tries his best to keep his tone polite, all too aware of the fact that he's talking to Namjoon's boyfriend. "Sorry, maybe you wouldn't get it since you two are together right now."

"Nah, Namjoon-hyung can be a pain in the ass and I know that first hand. Don't worry about how I feel though, I'm your friend and that means I'm here to let you complain about any dumb guy you want to talk about whenever. We should get lunch sometime and talk shit about Joonie-hyung. I bet it'll be good for you," Taehyung says with a grin that could blind the sun.

Jeongguk feels a knot loosen in his chest with Taehyung's words and he smiles back, nodding his head and raising his voice so Taehyung can hear him over the new song playing. "Sure! I'd love that. Thank you, hyung."

Taehyung pats his back. "Anything for you, Gukkie-yah. I have to go now though, but it was great running into you again. I was already on my way out when I spotted you and I had to come and say hi. I'll text you about lunch soon?"

"Sure," Jeongguk replies. "That'd be great. Get home safe."

Taehyung gives him another hug and walks off towards the club exit where he joins a tall man Jeongguk would probably be able to recognize anywhere.

Namjoon.

Of course, Jeongguk thinks to himself, Taehyung would never come to a club by himself no matter how outgoing he is. Of course, he and Namjoon came here together and spotted him together.

And yet, when Namjoon looks up and their eyes meet, Jeongguk doesn't feel like he just got run over by a truck. He doesn't feel anything.

Huh.

Taehyung and Namjoon walk out and Jeongguk turns back to the bar, taking another sip of his drink. His phone vibrates in his pocket and he pulls it out again, studying the screen closely.

yeah, i'm friends with the dj, it's her first big gig. who was that you were talking to?

Jeongguk blinks, looking past the crowd of people on the dance floor and squints at the person behind the turntables. He can’t really make much of the DJ except for their short bob of hair swishing as they move. To the side, Jeongguk recognizes Yoongi’s blonde hair and wide shoulders almost immediately.

He waves and smiles when Yoongi immediately waves back at him.

do you know everybody who happens to be in the music business?

Jeongguk keeps his eyes on Yoongi, watching him lean towards the DJ before he quickly edges along the sidelines of the dancefloor.

i wish. if i knew iu, then my life would be complete and i could die happy

Jeongguk puts his phone back into his pocket and orders another drink when he realizes his is empty, waiting for Yoongi to step up beside him at the bar. He can feel butterflies fluttering about in his stomach and his hands are sweating, but his nerves are steady and when he feels the press of Yoongi's hip against his upper thigh, a grin spreads wide across his face.

"So you're a fan of IU, too?" Jeongguk says as he turns to face Yoongi.

Yoongi smiles back at him, leaning closer so Jeongguk can hear him. "Who isn't?"

Jeongguk shrugs. "Don't know. Can't think I've ever met someone who genuinely didn't like her."

"Actually, I think I can say the same," Yoongi admits easily, his shoulder bumping into Jeongguk's arm.

His new drink arrives and Jeongguk shoots it back, ignoring the burn of the alcohol sliding down his throat. Nothing like a little bit of liquid courage to keep Jeongguk on his toes around a guy he finds himself extremely attracted to. Yoongi gets himself a club soda and sips appropriately from it as they talk some more.

Jeongguk finds himself leaning into Yoongi's personal space, Yoongi's hand warm on the small of his back as he orders another drink. He is on his fourth by now, at least, and he feels a bit dizzy but for right now, he’s okay.

His phone buzzes again and Jeongguk lets Yoongi pull it out of his pocket and read it to him.

hot guy alert! going home with him and if i don't get back tomorrow by 1pm, call the cops. i'll share my location with you when i get to his place so you can storm the castle

Yoongi is laughing halfway through the text and Jeongguk has to swat at him three times before he gets through the entirety of it without snorting. Jeongguk had not expected for Yugyeom to go back to the apartment with him tonight anyway so the text doesn't come as much of a surprise to him. But, still.

"Now I have to take a cab home by myself. I'm too broke for that," Jeongguk groans, taking his phone back to send Yugyeom some eggplant emojis.

Yoongi laughs at him, pressing in closer when he says, "Then let me take you home. I came in my car."

Jeongguk pauses, his mind going a million places in a second. Did Yoongi just proposition him? Is Jeongguk actually considering it?

Aw, hell.

"Sure," Jeongguk leans in as well, taking care to make sure his voice is husky when he speaks directly into Yoongi's ear. "I'd appreciate that."

❧

Jeongguk doesn't know anything about cars, but Yoongi's is nice and shiny and probably a make that was released this year.

The last time Jeongguk was in a newish car was back when he was six and his father had just bought another car. His father has had the same car since and living in the city meant that Jeongguk walked, took a cab, or rode the bus to get wherever he needed to go.

Yoongi's car is like a dream and Jeongguk's mind wanders as he watches Yoongi's hands on the wheel.

God, his hands are beautiful. Jeongguk could write poetry about them and poetry has never been a part of his many talents.

"Take a left here."

Jeongguk settles back further into his seat, murmuring directions to Yoongi as the streets pass by. Yoongi's stereo is playing music, but the volume has been turned down so Yoongi can hear him and it feels ambient. Is that how the word is even supposed to be used? Jeongguk doesn't know.

The car ride is quiet though and Jeongguk can feel the butterflies in his stomach fluttering about again. He's nervous, but also excited. It shouldn't make any sense, but it does because he's going to get into bed with Yoongi.

Yugyeom was right. Jeongguk should never say never.

They arrive quickly enough and Yoongi parks a few spaces away from the entrance of Jeongguk's apartment complex, turning to face him as he kills the engine. Yoongi hasn't been making flirtatious comments since they left the club and as soon as they were back out in the fresh air, there had been at least five feet between them at all times since then. Maybe he needs a sign from Jeongguk to know that he wants this too. Jeongguk feels jittery, but in a good way and he isn't going to let this opportunity pass by.

Sex isn't easy for him, not by a long shot, and yeah, he might be disappointed by the fact that Yoongi wants to get into bed with him first, but Jeongguk wants it. He hasn't wanted that in a long while. Maybe this is what he needs to finally put Namjoon and his old heartbreak that he never feels anymore in the past for good.

Or maybe it isn't what he needs and is instead just a trainwreck waiting to happen, but Jeongguk wants it anyway.

"Do you want to come up?" Jeongguk asks, hoping that Yoongi doesn't notice how breathless he sounds.

He must though if his raised eyebrow is anything to go off of. "Your roommate won't mind?"

Jeongguk shakes his head, vibrating with his excitement now that Yoongi has expressed more interest. "He sent me his location a while ago and it's clear across town. Trust me, he won't mind."

Yoongi smiles at that. "I might fall asleep here, just as a fair warning. Loud places like clubs always tire me out."

"That's fine by me. My bed is big enough for us both as long as you don't mind sharing," Jeongguk responds with a grin.

His hands are sweaty and his smile is probably a bit too wide, but Yoongi just nods and undoes his seatbelt. "Sure, kid. I'll spend the night."

Maybe Jeongguk should be worried about the fact that he really doesn't know Yoongi enough to be extending this offer, but he did it and Yoongi accepted so there's no going back now. What's done is done.

Jeongguk nods back, his seatbelt already undone as he opens the car door and steps out onto the sidewalk. Yoongi climbs out of his car and joins him, pressing a button on his car keys so the shiny vehicle chirps as it locks. Jeongguk takes the lead and punches in his code for the front door before holding it open and letting Yoongi in first. They take the elevator up to the third floor and Jeongguk slides his key in easily, holding the door open for Yoongi again.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Jeongguk jokes, grinning from ear-to-ear as Yoongi steps inside and immediately slips his shoes off.

"Can't see anything, but I'm sure it's nice," Yoongi murmurs, his voice but a mere rumble until Jeongguk flicks on a light switch and the living room is suddenly bathed in warm light. "Oh, never mind. It is nice."

Jeongguk makes sure that the door is locked before he kicks his shoes off as well and herds Yoongi towards the couch. "Thanks. You want anything to drink?"

Yoongi perches on the couch, inclining his head as Jeongguk wanders into the kitchen. "What do you have?"

"Water, soda, sweet iced tea, beer, some vodka if you want that," Jeongguk says after opening the fridge.

"Water's fine then," Yoongi responds and Jeongguk nods, grabbing a water bottle and a can of Sprite for himself.

He walks back to the couch after and sits down on the other end, placing his drink on the coffee table Yugyeom insisted would make their apartment look like two struggling college-aged students weren't letting their lives be a complete mess. He grabs the remote as an afterthought then hands Yoongi his water, Jeongguk's smile full of nerves.

"Wanna watch something?" Jeongguk asks, waving the remote control in his hand around.

Yoongi smiles and nods. "Sure. I don't watch much TV anyway, so put on whatever you like."

The TV flickers on soon after and Jeongguk flips through the channels, trying to find something he thinks Yoongi would like. Yoongi only opens his water bottle and takes a sip before placing it on the coffee table beside the soda can while Jeongguk continues his search.

His search yields no results and Jeongguk decides his night is going to be awful until his eyes catch sight of a very familiar face on the screen.

"Do you mind if we watch this? My friend actually plays a minor role in this drama and I haven't had the chance to check it out yet," Jeongguk asks, looking to Yoongi for his reaction.

"You're friends with an actor?" Yoongi asks.

Jeongguk shrugs. "I met him before he his acting career started to take off, but yeah."

Yoongi grins, nodding his head again. "Then let's watch."

Jeongguk smiles and grabs his soda before he settles into the couch, eyes on the TV screen. Yoongi reaches out for his water bottle and finally relaxes into the cushions while he watches the TV. Jeongguk wants to reach out and touch him, but even he knows that you can't just jump into bed with someone. You have to work up to it, set the mood, and make sure all parties are willing before you do.

So he drinks his Sprite and keeps watching the drama, smiling and pointing at the screen when Taehyung shows up again. Yoongi smiles back at him, commenting on his lack of lines and his expressions while Jeongguk waits with bated breath.

He has no idea when Yoongi is going to make his move and it's making him a lot more than nervous. Maybe anxious would be the best word, perhaps? Although, Jeongguk doesn't quite feel anxious. He feels nervous and expectant, sure, but not anxious.

Excited, too, in more ways than one, but he can keep his hands to himself until the time is right.

So he waits, eyes trained on the screen while his hands sweat again. He sips on his soda and tries to concentrate on the episode, on following the plot, but finds that he cannot.

Yoongi isn't even doing anything, but he is distracting as hell.

Jeongguk can be patient when it comes to the important things though, so he focuses on the drama playing and waits.

And waits.

...And waits.

"Do you—?" Jeongguk's question dies when he turns and faces Yoongi.

Yoongi is curled up on his end of the couch, asleep. His mouth is parted open slightly and the water bottle is in his lap but in danger of falling. Jeongguk lets out a breath he had not known he was holding and reaches over to grab Yoongi's water bottle, placing it back on the coffee table.

He leans back into his own end of the couch and studies the older man, his nerves dissipating gradually. He thinks of everything that happened tonight and slaps his forehead, grumbling to himself for being so stupid.

When Yoongi had asked to take him home, he had really meant taking Jeongguk home and that was it.

Jeongguk is disappointed, but he also isn't. He is kind of relieved about being wrong because it means that whatever they are working up to, it won't be something as baseless as friends with benefits. Maybe Yoongi even intends to actually date him.

(And maybe Jeongguk would be okay with that.)

He turns off the TV and stands, stretching his arms up over his head until he hears bones crack. He still has his club outfit and makeup on, but Yoongi hadn't even bothered dressing up for the club. He's in joggers and a hoodie that makes Yoongi look softer than usual and has Jeongguk's pulse thrumming in his ears.

He picks Yoongi up then, carrying him bridal style to his bedroom. He promised Yoongi a bed, after all, and the couch would be an uncomfortable place to sleep even if Yoongi is quite shorter than him. He lays Yoongi down on his bed and fixes the sheets around him, resisting the urge to smooth down Yoongi's blonde hair. How attractive can one man possibly be?

Jeongguk shakes his head and rummages in his drawers, looking for something suitable to sleep in. He doesn't really have a pair of pajamas like Yugyeom does, but he finds one of his white T-shirts that are on the softer side and a pair of gym shorts he usually never wears to the actual gym and disappears into the bathroom he and Yugyeom share.

He washes his face and changes, leaving his dirty clothes in the hamper hidden in his closet when he walks back into his room. Yoongi hasn't moved one inch, but Jeongguk makes sure to step carefully and remain quiet as he plugs his charger into his phone. He walks back into the living room and finds his spare charger for the phone Yoongi left on the coffee table while they were watching the drama and turns off all of the lights. Once that is done, Jeongguk goes back to his room and slides into the other side of the bed, turning so he is facing Yoongi.

There is ample enough space between them, yet Yoongi is so close that it is hard for Jeongguk not to reach out and touch him. He isn’t wearing any cologne, but Jeongguk finds that Yoongi’s natural scent is heady enough to make him lean closer and take a deep inhale before he returns to his side of the bed with a content sigh.

It is dark in Jeongguk's room, but Yoongi is pale and stands out enough for Jeongguk to focus on him as his eyes adjust. It is late and Jeongguk should sleep even if tomorrow is his day off from work and he intends to sleep in anyway. As long as he is up by noon to make sure Yugyeom makes it back alright, he will be okay.

He wants to keep studying Yoongi's face and carefully committing his features to memory to draw later, but sleep is calling and so Jeongguk answers.

❧

In the morning, Jeongguk wakes up to an empty bed that is still warm.

He grunts as he remembers the night before and sighs, thinking it was all just a dream, then starfishes in the middle of his bed and buries his face in the pillow that holds Yoongi's scent the most. There is rustling and murmurs that Jeongguk can vaguely hear but it doesn't grab his attention enough to pull him completely away from unconsciousness. Someone pats his head and whispers something he can't make out, but he's asleep before they can even finish their sentence.

He wakes up later at around ten-thirty and sighs at his empty bed once again.

Maybe it was all just a dream after all.

Jeongguk grabs his phone to check the time and finds he has three new messages from Yoongi.

work emergency, sorry!

And then,

sorry for leaving without a proper goodbye

last night was great. thank you for giving me an excuse to leave the club early and for letting me fall asleep. i needed it. i can order you some breakfast to make up for leaving if you'd like?

Jeongguk feels like a schoolgirl with his cheeks flushing pink and his heart hammering away in his chest as he types out his response and sits up once he has hit send.

ubereats me some mcdonalds. i love those sausage egg mcmuffins with cheese and hashbrowns and my mother hates me for it lol

Yoongi responds twenty minutes later after Jeongguk has showered and gotten ready for the day.

your food is outside, you'll either have to buzz them in or go down yourself to get it

Jeongguk shakes his head but puts on his slippers and takes the elevators down to the ground level and quickly spots the UberEats delivery woman. She hands him his food and he smiles at her, thanking her, then disappears back into his apartment complex as he takes the stairs up to his floor this time.

i owe you my life, my savior. thank you for the food!

He eats and cleans up the kitchen, checking the time again. It is almost eleven and he shoots a text to Yugyeom, asking if he is awake yet. His phone chimes with an incoming message and he swipes his fingers across his screen, reading the new text from Yoongi.

it’s no problem. has your roommate gotten back yet or will you have to storm the castle soon?

Jeongguk grins, already knowing that he is about to spend the entire day texting Yoongi and lazing about the apartment. His chest feels the lightest it has ever felt in a long time once he realizes it.

no, but i would make a great knight in shining armor, wouldn't i?

He laughs when Yoongi's new message lights up his phone.

without a doubt

❧

The next day before work, Jeongguk gathers up his courage and opens up Facebook on his laptop.

He unblocks Namjoon quickly before he can think better of it and clicks on the unread message notification.

And then he stares at his laptop for a while, trying to register the words that should make sense to his brain but do not.

Suddenly, he starts laughing so hard he's gasping for breath curled into a ball on the floor and clutching at his stomach desperately by the time Yugyeom comes into his room to check on him.

"Bro, have you gone insane or something? It would suck having to find a new roommate because I had to put you in an asylum," Yugyeom asks, tickling Jeongguk's sides and stepping out of the way of the foot that Jeongguk kicks his way.

"The—!" Jeongguk tries, pointing at his laptop when it becomes clear that words are not going to be his friend right now.

Yugyeom rolls his eyes but sits down at Jeongguk's desk and reads what is on the screen of his laptop anyway. "Oh, dude. This whole time it was just spam? Are you joking?"

"I wish!" Jeongguk manages to get out past his breathless chuckles, his fit of laughter starting to die down.

"Well," Yugyeom says as he stands and walks towards the door. "At least you know that chapter of your life is done and over with now. If it wasn't, you would be in tears for a very different reason. It's good to see you happy again, man."

Yugyeom walks out then and Jeongguk hears him banging around in the kitchen a few seconds later. He hadn't realized he was over Namjoon until now, not until two nights ago actually, but now he is one hundred percent sure.

He sits up and sighs in relief, feeling steady and sure of himself again.

He really is over Namjoon after all.

Jeongguk deletes the messages and unblocks Namjoon on everything else. He grabs his phone and drafts a text, looking it over for a few minutes before he decides that it will do and presses send.

i'm free to do lunch next tuesday if that's an okay day for you, hyung. and i checked out the messages from namjoon-ssi. they were spam. i'm okay and i think i've finally gotten past all that, but i'd still like to talk some shit about your boyfriend. just to make sure it's all out of my system, of course.

Taehyung's response is immediate and delights Jeongguk a lot more than it should.

next tuesday works! of course. let the shit talking commence!

❧

Next Thursday finds Jeongguk at the coffeehouse again on his day off.

It has been a slow day and there is only one customer in the place at the moment waiting for their to-go order. Mingyu hands it to them and Jeongguk watches them walk out while Seokjin is flushing a bright pink in a corner of the coffeehouse as the two dancers croon at him, trying to woo him with a summer love song Jeongguk can't quite place. But he is smiling and holding their hands while they do it so Jeongguk figures that now would be the best time to act like a little shit.

"Hyung, why do you get to make goo-goo eyes at your boyfriends during work and I don't even get to flirt with any of the customers without you threatening to cut my paycheck in half?"

"Because they're my boyfriends and I'm your boss, you brat!" Seokjin yells back at him, face going from pink to red in a flash. "I'm allowed to."

"Aw, sweetheart, you know just what to say to make a guy swoon," one of the dancers says while rubbing his brown hair into Seokjin's cheek.

The pink-haired man nuzzles his face into Seokjin's neck and laughs when Seokjin sputters. "Babe, are you ever going to introduce us?"

Seokjin grumbles, glaring at Jeongguk then at Mingyu who is smirking and making faces at him from the counter. "That shithead over there is Jeongguk-ah who is so dedicated to being a server that he comes in even on his days off."

Jeongguk smirks at him, shooting finger guns at Seokjin's boyfriends when they wave at him. "Pleasure to meet you both."

"That asshole behind the counter is Mingyu-yah who is the greatest barista this world has ever seen. He never gets an order out late. Ever. Not even during a rush. I have no idea how he does it," Seokjin says as he points at Mingyu, his tone of voice changing from annoyed to amazed. "He has to be an undercover god. That is the only explanation."

"Hi! Not a god, but it's great to finally be introduced to you both. You've been coming in here for months trying to flirt with Seokjin-hyung and I almost thought it wouldn't work," Mingyu laughs, laughing louder when Seokjin glares at him and flips him the finger. "I'm glad to see that it did. Finally."

"Asshole," Seokjin huffs out, his ears and neck now as red as his face.

He points to the pink-haired man with a smile that makes Jeongguk want to gag. "This is Jimin." Then to the taller man on his other side. "This is Hoseok. They are my boyfriends."

Jimin giggles and pokes Seokjin in the side, giggling even harder when Seokjin makes a squawking sound and tries to hide behind Hoseok, only to be poked by him as well. Jeongguk laughs at his boss, walking over to the counter where Mingyu is snickering and orders a hot chocolate and lemon muffin.

"So, when is Lover Boy coming in?" Mingyu asks once Jeongguk has paid and gotten his change back. "You wouldn't be here on your day off unless he asked you to meet him here or something."

Jeongguk only shrugs, laughing when Seokjin squawks again and starts yelling about how inconvenient dating is. "In a few minutes probably. I got here earlier than I thought."

"Ah, so it is a date! I knew it!" Mingyu shouts, reaching over the counter to shake Jeongguk by his shoulders. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Because it isn't a date?" Jeongguk tries, pushing his thumbs into Mingyu's wrists so he will let him go. "He just asked me to meet him here because he wanted to talk about something. I don't think that counts as asking me on a date."

Mingyu rolls his eyes and tries shaking him again, laughing when Jeongguk steps back and swats his hands away. "It's a date, shut up."

"You shut up!"

"You!"

"Give me my hot chocolate already! You don't want this to be the first time you get an order out late," Jeongguk gripes, reaching over the counter to shake Mingyu instead. "I'm not worth your perfect record."

Mingyu grins, pushing him away as he steps back towards the machines Seokjin still won't let Jeongguk touch. "Shut up. Your hot chocolate is almost done, I'm waiting on the milk to finish heating up right now, asshole."

Jeongguk laughs at him. "Thanks, Gyu-yah."

"Yeah, yeah," Mingyu throws over his shoulder as a machine beeps and he focuses on making Jeongguk's hot chocolate instead. "Just take it and claim a table for you and your date because it is definitely a date."

His hot chocolate is done so Jeongguk takes it along with his muffin and sticks his tongue out at Mingyu, turning to pick out a table Yoongi would probably like best. He's debating on a corner table or one by the front windows when the bell rings over the door and Seokjin stops squawking in light of the new customer. Jeongguk looks up to find Yoongi walking in, smiling at him like he's the best thing Yoongi has seen all day and flushes a bright pink as his heart tries to beat its way out of his chest.

"You're so gone, it's not even funny," Mingyu whispers behind him, laughing when Jeongguk turns his head to shoot him with a glare he is sure Seokjin would be proud of.

Jeongguk turns back to face Yoongi though, smiling again until he realizes Yoongi is staring at Hoseok and Jimin. Yoongi shakes his head and comes to the counter, bumping his hip into Jeongguk's leg as he orders and pays then squeezes Jeongguk's hand before turning to face Seokjin and his two boyfriends.

"So this is why you two recommended this place to me, isn't it? Because your boyfriend is the owner," Yoongi grunts, walking over to where the trio is standing by the corner of the long counter that is directly facing the back room. "Assholes."

Hoseok grins at him, motioning towards Seokjin's face. "Can you blame us? We want everyone to see just how pretty our new boyfriend is."

"He's the prettiest," Jimin adds on, poking Seokjin's side to make him squawk again. "And the jumpiest. Don't you agree?"

"Whatever you two say," Yoongi rolls his eyes and sticks his hand out for Seokjin to shake. "I'm Min Yoongi and I wish you good luck with these two. They're a menace."

Seokjin shakes his hand, dropping it when Hoseok pokes his other side. "I'm Kim Seokjin and please take care of our Jeonggukkie or I will gut you. He's my best server!"

"I'm the only one you like!" Jeongguk shouts at him, stepping forward when Mingyu shoves him towards the others.

"Untrue! I like Seokmin-ah more than I do you, you brat!"

"False!" Jeongguk yells, sticking a finger in Seokjin's face. "You like me best! Admit it already."

Seokjin shakes his head and points toward one of the corner tables on the other side of the coffeehouse. "Go start your date and leave me alone or I'll fire you."

"Hyung! You wouldn't!" Jeongguk shoots back, grinning when Yoongi rolls his eyes at them both and stalks off towards the counter for his drink and then the table Seokjin had pointed to.

"I wouldn't, but I would cut your paycheck," Seokjin says easily, smirking when Jeongguk steps back in false shock. "Go to your date, brat. Leave me and mine alone."

Jeongguk shoots him finger guns and walks backward, months spent swerving through the tables letting him do it without knocking things over. "Gotcha!"

Seokjin huffs and squawks, running behind the counter when both his boyfriends poke him at the same time for being a mean boss. Jeongguk laughs at him, grinning at Mingyu when he turns and then lets his smile soften once he catches Yoongi's eye.

"Things always like this when your boss is around?" Yoongi starts with, brow raised in question.

"Not a chance. We'd be out of business if it was," Jeongguk chuckles as he unwraps his muffin. "So, what's up? You said you wanted to talk about something."

Yoongi nods, setting his drink down on the table then steeples his fingers together. "I actually wanted to ask you something. It's kind of important and I didn't really know a better place to ask than here."

Jeongguk nods, taking a bite out of his muffin and quickly chewing it before he swallows. "Then shoot. I'm all ears."

He blows onto his hot chocolate and takes a tiny sip, setting it down on the table as well before he grants Yoongi his full and undivided attention. Yoongi is starting to flush, his cheeks turning pinker by the second. He takes a deep breath and Jeongguk almost wants to reach out touch him, reassure him that he can ask whatever it is he wants to, but something tells him not to so he keeps his own hands in plain view on the tabletop.

"Do you want to go on a date with me this weekend? We could do dinner and a movie or play some mini-golf. Whatever you'd like to do," Yoongi says slowly, his cheeks a bright pink and the shift of his gaze nervous.

Jeongguk blinks at him, his heart picking up speed as he continues to stare. He honestly never thought this was going to ever happen to him again — not after Namjoon — but he's past that now. He knows that he is and Yoongi is a really great guy, who is kind and wants to date him. Forreal date him and it isn't even a question whether or not Jeongguk wants to date Yoongi. He has been ready to start dating again, he is sure of that as he is sure of anything else, but Yoongi is sitting in front of him, nervously waiting for an answer and Jeongguk almost feels bad for letting him get the chance to doubt anything between them.

Jeongguk finds that the right answer to Yoongi's question is already on the tip of his tongue so he smiles and reaches out, taking one of Yoongi's hands in his own.

"I'd love to."