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“Babe close your mouth, you’re going to catch flies.”
Jungkook looks through the kitchen window at Yoongi’s voice, not being able to hear him clearly through the glass but understanding him nonetheless. He opens his mouth wide and closes it with a chomp in demonstration to him. Jungkook’s eyes crinkle as he grins, turning back around to head down the back porch and out towards the garden. The scene is familiar to Yoongi, bringing him back to one of his first encounters with Jungkook.
“Um, you should probably close your mouth before bugs fly in it.”
Back then, Jungkook hadn’t worn a smile that lit his entire face, eyes alive and bright. Instead, he had smiled shyly at Yoongi, averting his gaze to the coffee that was held in his own hands, head down with a blush dusting his cheeks.
Yoongi hadn’t realized at the time that he had been openly staring at the boy in front of him while he mumbled his coffee order- a vanilla bean latte- mentally kicking himself in the shin to respond. He remembers fumbling with the change he had been counting while Jungkook waited, feeling pretty embarrassed to be caught struggling by the boy in front of him.Yoongi couldn’t help the way his stomach flipped when Jungkook had raised his eyes to meet his, a smile ghosting across his features as he held out his hand for the coins and the receipt.
Yoongi had known then and there that he was completely done for.
He watches now as Jungkook kneels down at the garden in their backyard, pulling weeds he finds and tossing them in a garbage bag. He adjusts the vines of the tomatoes, moving the stalks and dangling parts of other plants to be placed in more comfortable looking positions.
The corners of Yoongi's mouth quirks up, amusement at the gestures of his boyfriend showing through. He knows the plants are most likely fine where they are, but Jungkook can’t help but worry over everything and everyone, whether they’re plants or people. He cares too much, especially when it comes to his gardening.
Yoongi looks away from the younger, going back to the task he was doing before Jungkook had walked up to the window. He wipes the bowl he’s holding with the sudsy washcloth, placing it on the drying rack next to the sink, repeating the process for a few more dishes until he sees movement from the window again. Pushing back the curtains a bit more he sees Jungkook stand up from his crouched position and walk out of view.
He returns a few moments later with a book in hand. He stops when he’s back at the perimeter of the garden, the book open to a page Yoongi can’t see. Jungkooks brows furrow in thought and Yoongi can't help but coo over the way he mouths out the words he’s reading. He watches as Jungkook looks from the book to the garden, concentration taking over his features. Yoongi's gaze travels up to Jungkook's hair as he flips it out of his eyes, reaching for a hat hanging out of his back pocket and laying it on his head, shielding the sun.
Yoongi grabs a dry cloth, reaching for a dish in the drying wrack and wiping it dry, giving him even more of an excuse to stay and watch his boyfriend work. Yoongi's eyes follow Jungkook's own as he turns his attention back to the book. He can make out the familiar squash and cucumber that adorn the books cover and he chuckles.
That damn book was pretty much the start of everything between them.
Jungkook had looked similar to what he does now. The stance was the same, his eyebrows furrowed and the look of concentration was the same. The only difference was his clothing.
Yoongi remembers the flannel Jungkook had worn that day- maroon with orange and yellow stripes with a black t-shirt underneath along with skinny jeans and a pair of timberlands to match. His red hair had gone perfectly with the flannel, something Yoongi had taken notice of straight away whenever the younger had walked into the bookstore.
When Yoongi saw him for the first time after their first encounter, he couldn’t believe it. He had chalked the first meeting up to a choice encounter. He had come to terms with the fact that he’d most likely never meet the other again.
Yoongi’s chest had sparked with hope when the boy walked into the bookstore, but it was instantly crushed when he forwent coffee and immediately went towards the stairs that led up to the books. Yoongi had tried not to think too much about the action and went back to work. The bookstore became busy after the boy had walked in, making Yoongi give his full attention to the customers wanting coffee and scones instead of his presence.
Hours went by, customer after customer came and went, and Yoongi all but forgot about the other boy that had occupied his mind at the start of his shift. At closing time, Yoongi was the only one left. The other employee had checked the upstairs before she left, leaving Yoongi the only duty of cleaning the first floor.
He locked the front doors, turning the open sign off before cleaning the tables. On his fifth table he noticed a book laying on the windowsill, along with a coffee cup and napkins. Yoongi sighed at the trash he’d missed picking up, throwing the now dirty rag onto the next table and taking the trash and book. Throwing the trash into the can, he headed up the stairs towards the bookshelves, glancing at the cover of the book in his hand.
Gardening.
He had thought it peculiar at the time, that someone would pick up a gardening book, considering it was the middle of October and it was setting to be one of the coldest years they’d had in a long time.
Yoongi reached the top step, turning right and heading for the back corner of shelves. The second floor was quiet, even more so than the coffee shop on the first floor. Yoongi couldn’t pinpoint why, but the towering bookshelves and the smell of old paper was more unsettling to him than comforting.
He didn’t particularly like reading, had never been the best student or one to enjoy a book for fun. The only reason he took the job at the coffee shop was because it paid good and he received a decent amount of free coffee.
Now though, he had another reason to like the job.
Yoongi rounded the corner of the last row, walking towards the end and getting ready to make another right only to stop at the sound of a noise. Yoongi halted his footsteps, listening for more. He heard a sigh, the shuffling of feet, and then a small voice say “that doesn’t make any sense”.
Alarmed at the fact that he was not alone in the building like he should have been, Yoongi braced himself, holding the gardening book up and praying to God that he wouldn’t have to actually use it for self-defense.
Rounding the corner with a retort about using force if he has too, he came face to face with the man he’s been thinking about consistently since they met a few weeks ago. Dark and wide eyes move up to meet his and lips opening in an ‘O’, the man startles and jumps, the book he had been holding flying in the air and landing between them with a thud. Yoongi clutches his chest, his own paperback now by his side as him and the other stare at one another.
Neither one of them moves, both on guard before one another. It takes a moment for the other to get his thoughts together, eventually picking up the book on the floor and muttering an apology.
“Sorry-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to throw the book, please don’t hurt me or whatever you were going to do! I’m sorry if I-“
Yoongi comes to his senses as he listens to the other ramble, halting his words by raising his hands.
“Um, you’re fine, really! I was just coming up to put this book back.” Yoongi eyes the boy up and down, taking in his still scared expression, more apprehension than actual fear now. He clutches the book he’d dropped in front of him, gaze shuffling from looking anywhere at Yoongi. Yoongi takes in the cover of the book.
A squash and cucumber, with some title referring to the process of taking care of said plants and others like them.
He quirks an eyebrow but doesn’t question it. “I didn’t mean to scare you or anything, either. Since it’s past closing I didn't think anyone would be here. Actually, you shouldn’t be here.”
The kid scrambles with the book again, cheeks dusting a light pink as he grabs his bag from the floor, “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was past closing, I was just almost finished with the book and wanted to get done with it before I left.”
Yoongi watches as the boy puts the book he’d been reading back on the shelf before he’s ducking past him and running down the rows of shelves. A few seconds later Yoongi hears the thudding of his footsteps as he goes down the stairs.
Young is reeling from the encounter. He had hardly been able to get a word in but at least he’d been able to fully look at the other boy. He noticed, now that he was able to take in the others features, that the boy was young. Definitely younger than Yoongi, but probably not by much. There was an air of innocence around him, especially with the way he fumbled and stuttered towards Yoongi.
He thought it was cute.
Yoongi goes to put up the book that’s still in his hands. Surprisingly, it goes right where the others book had been placed. Odd, that the other was looking at a gardening book, much less wanting to stay past closing and finish said book.
Yoongi turns and walks back to the first floor, stopping however, when he sees a figure standing at the bottom of the staircase. It’s the boy, flannel now buttoned up and hands holding his bag straps with a purpose. His head is downcast, not meeting Yoongi's gaze as he walks down the steps.
The boy speaks up when Yoongi is standing in front of him. “Um, the door’s locked. I can’t get out.”
Yoongi takes in the others form, head still down, shuffling his feet a bit. He looks from him to the door and starts to make his way over when he sees that it’s raining.
No way is he having this boy, who’s an absolute cutie, walk in the rain and potentially get a cold and have a probable chance of not coming into the bookstore again for a while.
God, Yoongi’s really in over his head with this one.
He waves a hand at the boy and motions for him to take a seat. The other looks at him in confusion. Yoongi decides to take a bold step and pull the other by his arm towards a table, sitting him down and going to grab his abandoned rag and start cleaning again.
“You can stay here for a bit, until it stops raining. Don’t want you catching a cold or something.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Yoongi sees the other blush a bit, bringing his hands to his lap.
He mumbles a thanks, question in his tone as he wonders what to call Yoongi.
He realizes he hadn’t even introduced himself yet. “It’s Yoongi, Min Yoongi.”
The boy smiles a bit, nodding his head, “Oh, okay. Thank you, Min Yoongi.” He licks his lips before speaking again. “I’m Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook.” A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth at his slightly mocking comment towards the older.
Yoongi all but rolls his eyes, wiping down the last table with vigor. He catches Jungkook’s eyes, the others big and wide, watching him work.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook.”
Jungkook snaps out of his daze, eyes flickering to the rain tapping against the window. He takes a breath before answering. “It’s nice to meet you too, Yoongi.” He seems to hesitate a bit, lips starting to form a question. He shakes his head and leans further back in his seat.
“Were you going to ask something?”
Jungkook meets Yoongi’s eyes once again, nodding a bit as he clears his throat, “Uh, yeah. I was just...wondering if I could possibly go grab the book I was reading before.”
Yoongi swears his heart has never thumped in fondness quite like this.
He nods his head, gesturing to the stairs in a ‘have at it’ motion. And that’s how they spend their night, until the rain stops and Yoongi finished with cleaning the store. Jungkook had long ago finished the gardening book, opting to converse with Yoongi as he worked. Yoongi’s chest fills with warmth as he watches Jungkook grab his things, both of them heading out the shop doors and walking in the same direction, Yoongi walking the other home.
As he sneaks glances at Jungkook, watches as the street lights cast a gleam in his eyes, Yoongi can’t help but admit it, he’s already totally whipped for him, and in the best way possible.
Yoongi is snapped out of his revery by an arm wrapping around his waist. He startles, dropping the bowl onto the floor and watching it land with a crash. Jungkook mumbles a curse before picking up the bowl and placing it on the counter.
“You would think after two years of dating you’d be less jumpy around me.”
Yoongi exhales at Jungkook’s comment, leaning back into his chest, the youngers arms now back around his middle. He hadn’t realized Jungkook had come in, too busy reminiscing over their earlier times together.
“Maybe once we’re finally married I’ll be less prone to jumping at the drop of a hat.”
He feels Jungkook’s arms tighten him in a hug, feels his nose nuzzle into his neck, inhaling his scent. Lips latch onto the skin of his neck, quick pecks trailing up and under his ear, along his jaw, and finally landing on the corner of his mouth.
“Only a month left until that happens. I highly doubt you’ll keep your word, though. As long as we’ve known each other you’ve always been a scaredy-cat.”
Yoongi smacks the others arm, turning to fully face him. “Oh hush, you used to be worse than me.”
“Yeah, keywords ‘ used to ’.”
Yoongi wraps his arms around the younger, bringing him close once again. Jungkook rests his head on top of the olders, reveling in the warmth emanating from him. Yoongi can smell him, can feel the sweat that sticks to the youngers skin and shirt. He must have been working hard outside. Who knew gardening was so taxing on the body.
“Jungkook you need to go shower. You smell.”
“I will in a minute. I just want you to see how it turned out first.”
Yoongi looks at Jungkook quizzically, eyebrow already quirking up in question.
“I thought you were just working on planting some more vegetables?”
“Well I was, but I was also working on something else, too. Look.” Jungkook points out the kitchen window. Yoongi looks to wear the youngers finger lands, spotting what looks like a twig springing from the ground.
“What is it?”
Jungkook sighs at Yoongi’s question.
“Babe, we’ve been together for how long and you can’t even tell what a tree looks like?”
“Jungkook how was I supposed to know? That literally looks like a twig you pulled off of one of the trees out front.”
He feels Jungkook huff, placing a kiss on his head.
“Well it’s not. It’s a willow tree. I know they're your favorite, and I wanted to do something special for you. Actually, for us. It can be our tree that we grow together. I mean, I know you don’t like gardening, but a tree’s not that difficult and I thought it could kind of signify us officially starting our lives together-.”
“Jungkook, hush.” Yoongi turns back towards the younger, placing a light kiss on his lips, hands cupping his face.
“I love it.”
Jungkook’s face breaks out into a grin, reminiscent to the one he had shared on that night they first left the bookstore together.
And Yoongi falls even harder.