Work Text:
first meeting.
It’s a rare time in Seoul when it’s raining. Jeongguk curses and picks up his pace, finding the nearest closed shop to take shelter under. He’s soaking wet, exhaustion that runs bone-deep. Jeongguk had just lost his job, let off because the company decided to minimize at the last minute. Jeongguk made the mistake of being late one too many times. Now, he doesn’t have a job anymore.
It’s funny how the weather always reflects Jeongguk’s mood. It’s funny how this past month has been it’s just raining and in his hurry to get to work, Jeongguk forgot to carry his umbrella. Jeongguk doesn’t know what he can do except wait it out. His apartment is too far to make a break for it so, Jeongguk just sits down on the steps, thankful for his coat that keeps his pants somewhat dry. His phone is dead and the rain doesn’t show any signs of stopping so, Jeongguk just watches people as they run down the streets, shrieking.
Jeongguk keeps his eyes away from the couples underneath the red umbrellas.
A while goes by, it’s still raining heavily and a foot comes into Jeongguk’s vision. Jeongguk gets startled, looks up at the person’s face.
“Any reason you’re sitting here?” He asks, although it doesn’t sound harsh. The man has a sweet voice, making Jeongguk immediately want to trust him.
“It’s raining, so…”
The man nods like he understands. “You can wait inside, if you want.”
Jeongguk blinks in confusion. “Where?”
Turns out, the man- Hoseok’s father owns the dainty café that lies behind the shutter.
“It’s a gorgeous place.” Jeongguk says, shedding his coat at the door to maintain some sort of respect for Hoseok and not drip all over his store. He looks down at his boots, then back at Hoseok, who’s watching him with a mellow grin. “What should I do about these?”
“Leave them there. I’ll get you a pair of slippers.”
Jeongguk doesn’t ask Hoseok why he has a pair of slippers at a café, instead takes off his wet boots at the doorstep next to his bag, feeling awfully naked without his lesbian stomper boots as Jimin lovingly calls them. Hoseok brings him the fuzzy slippers with a bunny on them and Jeongguk finds that they’re just as soft as they look.
“How come you’re out in this rain?” Jeongguk asks, after cryptically thanking Hoseok. If it was Jeongguk, he wouldn’t have left the comfort of his home on such a rainy night.
“Dad forgot his phone here.” Hoseok answers, making himself busy by wiping down some of the tables. “He was supposed to get a call from one of his suppliers so, he sent me down here to get it.”
“Ah,” Jeongguk acknowledges, unsure of what else he can say.
It’s weird to find a stranger attractive but Hoseok looks pretty in the dim lights of the lamps. Jeongguk feels a familiar burn in his chest, looking away before Hoseok catches him. He seems nice, Jeongguk thinks as Hoseok offers to make coffee for him. He has a kind smile and a kind heart. Why else would he open up his café for a stranger? If things were different, Jeongguk could almost imagine himself liking Hoseok. Only if fate was that kind.
first coffee
Jeongguk doesn’t get a chance to visit the café the following week and return Hoseok’s red umbrella. Hoseok hasn’t called him either, probably deciding to let Jeongguk take his time. Jeongguk is too busy looking for a new job. He’s surprised by how calm he is, uncaring of the fact that he’s unemployed right now. Yoongi quietly tells him that Jeongguk is glowing and Namjoon calls his boyfriend a sap.
In the vein of that happiness streak, Jeongguk finds himself skipping to Hoseok’s café, umbrella in hand and expectations high. Jeongguk goes up to the counter, only to be met by an old man asking for Jeongguk’s order in a gruff voice. No Hoseok. Disappointment reigns, which is strange because they barely knew each other in the first place.
Jeongguk sips on his Americano, pointedly trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. That’s when Jeongguk feels it, the warm hand on his shoulder. Jeongguk almost gasps and he turns in his seat, coming face-to-face with Hoseok.
“Hey,” Hoseok greets, his mouth melting into a heart. “You brought my umbrella back.”
Jeongguk grins. “Of course.”
Jeongguk doesn’t take any efforts to give Hoseok the umbrella nor does Hoseok take it. Hoseok looks down at Jeongguk’s barely touched drink.
“You’re having the Americano, huh?”
Jeongguk nods, not wanting to sound rude and say it sucks.
“It sucks, though.” Hoseok says, frowning. “Let’s get you something much better, hm?”
Red umbrella forgotten, Jeongguk lets himself be lead by Hoseok to the counter. Hoseok gets him an over-the-top frappy drink, it’s so sweet, Jeongguk might die. When he tells Hoseok this, Hoseok just laughs.
Jeongguk’s heart does a weird tumble in his chest.
first dance
There’s a nervous energy in the air. The newly appointed dance instructor is supposed to come into today. Jeongguk started warming up too early and now, he’s starting to get very antsy, his concern shared by both Yoongi and Taehyung. They don’t know the kind of guy Jimin has hired and if he’s as bad as the last one, Jeongguk has vowed that he’ll quit.
“I have this feeling he’s going to be a prick.” Yoongi says, tying up his shoes. Taehyung flops down on the floor next to them, sighing quietly.
“You say that about everyone, hyung.” Jeongguk mutters. The coffee he shared with Hoseok this morning is still churning in his stomach and Jeongguk almost blushes. The door swings open, Jimin striding in with someone behind him. Must be the new guy, he hears Taehyung whisper.
“Everyone, I want you to meet Jung Hoseok. He’ll be training us from today.”
Jeongguk stifles the urge to gasp. It’s Hoseok. Jeongguk is far in the back of the class so, Hoseok probably doesn’t see him. Hoseok greets everyone the way he greeted Jeongguk. Warm, kind, smiley, welcoming. Jeongguk can feel everyone’s stress dissipating.
When Hoseok dances, it’s something else. Hoseok is so in control of his body yet so free that it’s almost humiliating to watch because Jeongguk knows he’ll never be able to get into the state. Trust your body and work hard, Hoseok tells them after he finishes the routine. For a first class, it’s pretty rough but Jeongguk has trained through worse. He hopes he’ll get through Hoseok’s class unscathed.
He probably does because Hoseok comes up to him later, a smile on his face. Jeongguk feels a flush crawl up his neck. “Hey, hyung.” Jeongguk says, unable to think of something else.
“Hey.” Hoseok says back. “You dance pretty well.”
Jeongguk feels like his eyes might pop out of his sockets. “Really?”
“Yeah. Want to come to the front with me?”
first kiss.
Jeongguk doesn’t expect to be sitting across Jung Hoseok in a karaoke room on a Friday night.
Jeongguk doesn't think he's exaggerating when he finds Hoseok gorgeous in the dim lights. Their friends are in front belting out lyrics and dance moves but Hoseok chose to stay behind with Jeongguk. They're both sort of drunk but not drunk enough for Jeongguk to miss how close Hoseok is to him, suddenly.
"Don't you want to go to the front?" Jeongguk asks, letting his head loll back against the seat. He finds Hoseok already watching him and something warm flashes through him.
"Nah, I'm good." Hoseok answers and they fall into silence again.
Jeongguk has gotten close to Hoseok these past few weeks. With the dance classes and Jeongguk frequenting Hoseok's café after work, they see each other a lot. Jeongguk's school boy crush has blossomed into something more and he wonders if Hoseok has noticed it.
Hoseok's eyes have not left Jeongguk. Jeongguk's heart pounds in his chest.
"Please tell me I'm not reading this wrong," Hoseok whispers and leans in.