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Yoongi loves his friends very much, but sometimes he regrets being part of a group with only extroverts. However, it's not like he had any chances anyway: Taehyung is his childhood neighbor and friend and now roommate in college. Jimin is the guy Taehyung met and instantly befriend in his first class, and fast forward six months, they started dating. The kid started being so present in their dorm that Yoongi, with time, started considering the younger his friend too. And well, there is Hoseok, Jimin's roommate - "he's the best roommate, Yoongi!" - that, one day, decided to start having lunch with them and then going out, and he just never stopped. The good thing is that, at least, Yoongi bonded with him, thanks to rap and hip-hop songs, so everything is well.
Actually, not so well, because they are forcing Yoongi to go with them to this roller skate-coffee shop place. Why do they like going out so much - and doing things that require having equilibrium, something that Yoongi, 24 years old, can't ride a bike, doesn't have?
So that's where they are: Jam and Roller.
Yoongi was already tired when they got there. It was a long way and with three other extremely excited friends, he could feel all his energy being drained from his body. Introvert things, you can say. But in the few moments where he was thinking about a way of escaping that too colorful place, Hoseok had already sat on a table.
-Come on, Yoongi, it is not that bad! They have milkshakes, cupcakes and look at this, even lemonade, your favorite! -He said it as if this information changed anything.
They set and not even five minutes after, they already were thinking about skating.
-I think we should skate first, this is why we came here! - said Jimin, holding Taehyung's hand. - The other two of them, just as excited as him, shook their heads in agreement.
Yoongi still a little bit apprehensive, gave them a short smile.
-You guys can go, I will order a drink first. - Looks of disbelief were shared between the rest. - I promise I'll go, I just really need some lemonade. - He completed, giving them his best "I am so happy to be here" fake smile.
He knew that they didn't buy it, yet they still went to the rink proclaiming "You better come, Yoongs!". They were too excited to stay and actually convince him.
Yoongi watched them go and sighed. Maybe if he goes now they will not notice. He can call an Uber and do nothing in his bedroom. He can send an apology in their group chat saying that he got sick out of nowhere and-
-Hello! Welcome to Jam and Roller! Can I take your order?
Yoongi jumps in his chair and turns to look at the person with the deep voice.
-Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just heard that you were thinking about ordering something so...
The voice is actually from a tall guy with khaki pants, a white shirt, and a blue apron. And a really handsome face. Too good to be not a sin.
Oh shit, he has dimples.
Oh, but why are they disappearing?
-Sorry... I must have heard wrong. I'll come back in some minutes, ok? - The cute tall guy said, already turning his body.
Yoongi mustn't have answered him for some good 30 seconds - sufficient to become awkward.
-No, wait! - Yoongi said desperate and loud.
The guy - Namjoon, it's in his apron - Namjoon turned and smiled confusedly.
-Yes...?
-Sorry, I just got scared 'cause I didn't see you and I forgot to answer...? - Ok, that's a terrible excuse, Yoongi, shit.
Great.
-Okay... sorry again, do you want to order now? - Said Namjoon, confident.
How did he believe that try of an explanation?
-Yeah..., do you guys have lemonade?
-Yes! Ok, so one lemonade for table 4. Would you like some ice and sugar on it?
-Yep.
-Condensed milk?
-Hum, does this work with lemonade? I've never tried like that.
-Gets creamy. It's good.
-Sure. - Namjoon smiled again and it felt like he didn't embarrass himself just a minute ago.
-I'll be back soon, then.
-Thanks, Namjoon.
Namjoon was already turning when Yoongi replied. He stopped again and looked at the blond.
I said his name, oh fuck.
Yoongi, with eyes widened, stared at the cute-tall-in an apron guy called Namjoon.
However, cute-tall-in an apron guy called Namjoon, with a surprised face, just smiled again. Big dimples showing.
-Ok, so I'll be back again soon... what's your name, again?
Yoongi never told his name. He knew that. Namjoon knew that.
But again, why did I said his name? So I think it's only fair-
He shook his head and said slowly and low.
-Yoon- Yoongi...
The dimples that never disappeared, got it bigger.
(Is this even possible?)
-Well, Yoongi, I'll be back soon with your lemonade.
He didn't mean to blush, but Yoongi didn't even mean to be in this cafe either, so...
He just let himself smile shyly, red on the cheeks.
It's been three days since they have gone to the cafe. That day, Yoongi managed to convince his friends to not go into the ring, and in exchange, he bought milkshakes for them. Lucky him, Namjoon wasn't the one that came to get his order again, it was a buff kid with bunny teeth. And even though he wanted to see him again, he was grateful that's his little crush was kept in secret.
And that's why he goes back, in a fucking Monday afternoon, to Jam and Roller.
It's not like Yoongi is super shy, but going into a place for the first time alone can be a little intimidating, and he didn't actually have a plan on what to do there either, so he was kind of lost too.
He enters - the place is almost desert - and goes to the same they sat last time.
Okay, so maybe this was I stupid idea, I shouldn't have come. Maybe he isn't even working today- shut up Yoongi, you came because you like the walls- you. like. the walls. yep. that's it.
-Oh, hello, Yoongi! - He didn't realize he was looking down, but he didn't need to see to remember the voice.
-Hi, Namjoon. - He smiles in return.
That fucking dimples.
-Good to see that you came back. So, what would you like to have today?
-The same as the last time. -He responded automatically without thinking that Namjoon probably didn't even remember what he ordered last time. - Sorry, I drank a-
-Lemonade with sugar, ice, and condensed milk. - He answered confidently.
Oh, he remembers.
-Yep, you are correct.
He chuckles in return, before going back to the kitchen.
And maybe, just maybe, all the anxiety he was feeling about coming back to see Nam- the walls... passed.
It becomes a routine. He limits his secret visits to Jam and Roller to only three times a week - he is a broke college student after all. Every Monday Wednesday and Friday he goes, order some lemonade and study or produce something. Took some weeks for him to realize, but he actually enjoyed being there. He becomes a regular: He knows the name of the cafe owner - Seokjin - a really nice guy that loves to tell jokes whenever he gets out of the kitchen. And he found out the name of the other of the second waiter there, the buff kid one - in his apron, it's written "JK", but the kid, after the seven-time he went to get Yoongi's order he just - "My real name is Jungkook, you can call me that. I've seen you too much to find you calling me JK funny anymore. So, a lemonade?"
He becomes friendly with both of them.
And then there is Namjoon, of course. Yoongi still has a little bit of a crush on him, but not just because he thinks he's cute, but because he's a really nice, cool, and intelligent guy. He doesn't even ask for his order now. It's only: "Hi, I'll bring it for you in a bit, Yoongi" and he leaves. And when Yoongi stays a little late, studying and lost in the track of time, he brings free cake or a sandwich. If he tries to recuse, Namjoon ends up shushing him up whit a simple "when was the last time you ate?"
And they talk, they talk a lot. In the beginning, was only the "what do you study?"
"Music".
"Philosophy".
"Cool".
"Cool".
However, somewhere along the way, they found shared Interests. First was music, and then movies, and now they even talked about how Capitalism is not the best systemic way of living.
"Just too much injustice, you know? Why as thinking human beings we thought that this was the best?"
"Because, Joon, we can think, but we are really stupid and selfish."
"Well, we should change it." - He concludes with an exasperated sigh, cleaning table number five.
And maybe, just maybe, it's okay to have a little crush when they hate capitalism too.
Mid-terms, oh, mid-terms. The war every student has to go to.
It's been almost two weeks.
Yoongi considers that he has been doing okay.
Ok, he hasn't slept the necessary in the past 12 days, but it's all good. What is not good is that he hasn't gone to the cafe for the past week. He thought that he would get distracted there, but to be fair, in the library, things aren't going that well either. It's not because there is too much noise (because there isn't), it's quite the opposite: Yoongi got to a point where he is so used to the background noise of the contact of the roller stakes whit the ground, the occasional laughs and the blander while studying, that he misses it. A lot.
It's Wednesday; he's in the library with his friends and he can't handle it anymore. He has a test tomorrow morning about some Nietzsche stuff that he doesn't care about. He wants to be a musician, for fucks sake. He looks up from his notes and can clearly see Jimin trying to pull his hair out, just as frustrated as him. Hoseok gave up 30 minutes ago and decided to take a nap in his dorm. Taehyung, at this point, he doesn't even remember.
Just an hour more. Just one. And then you can go and relax for a bit.
So he tries. Yoongi looks back to his notebook and can't see a thing. Everything is shuffling. All the letters. And he can't.
He just can't.
In an abrupt movement, he drags the chair across the floor, which causes an out-of-tune sound to echo through the library, and gets up.
-Giving up, too? - Jimin says tiredly. Before he could even respond, the younger complements. - Don't judge you. Give me 20 more minutes and I'll be out of here. I hate this shit. - He gestures pointing to his notebook.
-Bye, Jimin.
The tired boy just emotionless waves in return.
Doesn't even remember how he got to Jam and Roller. He's just there, sitting at table number 4, waiting for nothing in particular.
-Well, hello, Yoongi! - Jungkook said in such an exciting way that he flinches. - The usual, I assume: one lemon- hey man, you good? - Yoongi didn't realize he was looking at the boy. - Have you been sleeping?
He was going to answer, he really was, but he didn't have the energy for it, so he just stared at the younger.
-So... I'll go and-
-Hey Kookie, everything is alright here? - it was Namjoon, and he couldn't even react to it.
-Joon, I don't think Yoongi is feeling good. Look at him. He's not answering, just staring, but it doesn't feel like he's actually looking at me.
Then there is this hand on his shoulder. So warm. So comforting.
-Yoongi? Hey... Look at me. -The voice is calm, low.
And he does. There's so much worry and his eyes. His black, black eyes.
-Are you feeling okay?
He nods his head positively.
-Do you want your lemonade?
He nods his head negatively.
-Ok... coffee? Seems like you need.
Another non-verbal yes.
-Black with sugar?
There is a last nod from Yoongi and is everything that Namjoon needed to ask Jungkook to prepare his drink. The younger goes and when he comes back Namjoon is still there, not saying a word, sitting beside de blonde, his hand still on his shoulder.
It takes some sips for Yoongi to talk again.
-Thank you. - He says weakly.
-You're welcome. - He waits some moments before asking carefully, - what happened?
-Mid-terms Joon. I hate them. I haven't slept decently in almost two weeks, I've tried to study in the library, but I miss being here. Like, a little too much if you ask me. And Nietzsche, whole fuck, Namjoon, how and why do you like these guys?! They're crazy.
He hears little giggles.
-Sorry, sorry, I'm not laughing at you, it's just that I get it. My tests just ended yesterday and I- I get you, Yoongi.
Without thinking, Yoongi puts his hand on top of Namjoon's and looks at him, smiling.
-Thank you, Joon.
It takes him exactly 15 seconds to realize what he has done and panics, putting his hand down.
-Sorry. - He says shyly.
Ignoring his apology, Namjoon offers, smiling brightly:
-Do you want me to help you with these crazy philosophers?
-I didn't mean to impose. You don't have to-
And for the second time this day, his hand was in Namjoon's, but this time, it wasn't him that took it. -You are not. I'm offering it to you.
-But what about your job? - He asks still in denial.
At this, Namjoon properly laughs. -Yoongi, have you looked around yourself? There is basically no one. As you said: mid-terms. And I doubt it that Jin would mind. He likes his regulars too much for it. Don't worry.
-Do you promise that you're not going to get in trouble?
Namjoon squeezes his hand softly, looking at him with something we can't really understand.
-I promise.
-Ok, - he breaths out. - thank you, Joon.
-Oh, don't thank me yet, my dude, we still have a long way to go.
They smile.
Normally, Yoongi enters de cafe slowly, trying not to make it obvious he is looking for Namjoon. However, today it's not a common day. He's fast-walking, turning his head for all the directions searching for the guy. He wasn't supposed to be so excited about this, but after Namjoon's help, there's a part of him, that since that day- the breaking down day- that wants to make that boy proud.
Namjoon is cleaning his usual table, not facing him.
Perfect.
Yoongi goes to him and taps his shoulder and says lively:
-Guess what?
As Namjoon turns, he lets a "what?" and smirks. This little reaction was the only one that Yoongi saw before sticking the paper in the face of the younger. - "I made it! I fucking did it" - his tone was a mix of happiness, gratefulness and relief.
Putting his two hands on top of Yoongi, Namjoon pushes back the paper enough that he could read.
Yoongi manages to see the milliseconds of changing expressions:
First, it was confusion, trying to see and understand what the paper was;
Second, it was the realization, his eyes got bigger his mouth opened a bit;
Third, it was happiness, his eyes got smaller and his dimples appeared when he smiled;
For the fourth, things changed; it was an action.
His arms opened, he got closer and for the biggest and, at the same time, the smallest second, Namjoon hugged him.
-Congratulations, - he said as he backs away from the hug. -Told you could make it, and you did!
- If you didn't help me, I doubt it I would make it. So, thank you.
It was such a sincere response and charged with emotion that Namjoon didn't feel like he could deny it. With a small smile, he accepts - "You are welcome".
Later when his drink came, Namjoon put two glasses of lemonade in front of him and left without saying anything.
In both of them, there was a stick note, one yellow and the other pink:
"This one is for not giving it up and studying, even if you were tired. You deserve it."
"And this one is because you nailed it your test, and I'm proud. =D"
He could feel his neck and cheeks getting hotter, but at that moment he didn't care who could see it. We looked up from the notes and in the door for the kitchen, two beautiful eyes studied his actions.
He raised the glass smirking, and speaking without letting any sound out, he said:
"To you."