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The first time it happens, Namjoon almost thinks nothing of it. It's just Jungkook, taking a sip of his coffee. They all share food when they eat together, and living together means they share meals all the time.
It's just a sip. It doesn't take too long before he places the plastic glass back where it was on the table, right in front of Namjoon. Totally normal, except Jungkook sneaks up a glance at him as he does it.
“Jungkook, something wrong?” Namjoon asks, his eyes flickering up to meet the maknae's. He takes his own coffee and brings it up to his lips.
Jungkook gulps, his eyes trained on the end of the straw, where his lips were, before he looks away.
"Nothing, hyung.”
“Are you sure?” he presses, taking a swig of his own.
“Nothing.” He sniffs, scrunching his nose. “It’s just bitter.”
Namjoon laughs. “Of course it is. It’s an espresso.”
“Hyung always drinks espressos,” Jungkook mutters under his breath.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“It’s too bitter,” Jungkook complains. “Why do you like it?”
Namjoon shrugs. “I don’t know. I just do.” He puts his glass down.
Jungkook looks at him for a few more seconds, before reaching for the coffee again and sliding it towards him. This time, instead of bringing the straw up to his lips, he leans down to take a sip. Namjoon watches the way his lips wrap around the straw.
“I see,” Jungkook says, blinking hard as his lips smack distastefully. "It's good." He sticks his chin out and nods, before turning away.
Namjoon wishes he knew what goes on in their maknae’s head. Sometimes, he wishes it was him—well, scratch that, that was all the time.
The second time it happens, Namjoon is buying Jungkook coffee. Jungkook is familiar with the place—it’s the same one Namjoon always goes to when he’s working—a fact that he reminds himself of over and over again.
Because it’s not a date—it’s business, practically. They’re here to talk about the new song Jungkook is working on. He might need some help with it.
And of course, when has Namjoon denied him help? Their leader is smart and thoughtful, and he cares about all of them. It shows through the sweetness of the caramel macchiato he slides across the table.
Jungkook quickly takes his frustrations out about the song, and Namjoon listens to offer his advice. He’s always been a good listener, and his advice is solid.
A break—that's what Jungkook needs. Breaks are good, no matter how short. He needs to come back to the song another time, when he's ready for it. He's been looking at it for too long, working too hard, and it's never a good idea to overwork.
Jungkook slumps, because he’s not sure if he can afford a break right now. Isn’t time too precious? And what if he grows out of the song, begins to hate it? He's never going to release anything this way.
He does see Namjoon’s point though. His mind wanders as he sips his caramel, looking at Namjoon drinking out of his cup. He wonders how his hyung can stomach the bitterness of it. Coffee smells amazing, that’s for sure. But that taste? Needs an upgrade.
Namjoon got himself a hot coffee—or maybe it’s lukewarm at this point because of how long they’ve been talking.
He doesn’t really think about how he’s not getting his indirect kiss because they’re on the opposite sides of the table. And not to mention, the fact that they have their own separate coffees.
Or does he?
“It’s too sweet,” Jungkook says abruptly. “I feel like my mouth is coated in candy.”
“You want a sip of mine?” Namjoon asks. Without a thought, he immediately pushes his cup across the table, and Jungkook immediately grabs it.
“Oh, that’s much better,” Jungkook sighs.
Namjoon raises an eyebrow. “You’re getting used to the bitterness of it.”
“It’s an acquired taste,” Jungkook grumbles.
“Let me try yours.”
“Oh– sure.” Jungkook’s eyes widen as Namjoon’s hand reaches across the table, and knocks against his. He stays very still as the leader reaches for his coffee.
How on earth did the tables turn on him? He thinks he’s about to burst into flames from the way Namjoon looks up at him as he takes a sip.
Namjoon makes a face. A cute face. “Too sweet,” he says.
Jungkook smiles and takes the glass away from him—to bring it to his own lips.
They say the third time’s the charm, not that Namjoon would know anything about it. He’s returning from the gym downstairs, still in his gym clothes and thirsty enough to not stop to take a shower first. He makes his coffee and takes a sip or two.
There’s a magazine in his other hand that he looks at, a little distracted because it features Gangwon-do. He’s been thinking. Just a short day trip would be nice. Sometimes he needs a different location, a different view, for the thoughts to flow.
It’s not a break-break. It’s more like a faux break, to fool your brain into thinking—because brains are stupid, they obsess, they miss things, and they deserved to be fooled sometimes.
The coffee is cold this time, but Namjoon looks at it. There’s just something—lacking. He shuffles through the kitchen shelf that’s closest to the coffee machine before he finds what he wants, and adds a sugar cube to his coffee.
There. That’s better.
He places his coffee and magazine on the counter, intending to finish his shower. When he returns, both the items have found a companion, in the form of the maknae. Jungkook thumbs through the sea life on the magazine as he sips his stolen coffee.
He looks a little alarmed at the sight of Namjoon, bare-faced, wet-haired.
“H-hi, hyung. The coffee is good today. But what’s this?” Jungkook asks, hand still holding on to the drink as he indicates the magazine.
“Hmm?” Namjoon hums. Even fresh from his shower, he swears his heart beats faster than when he was at the gym. Maybe it was the drink. Or just the idea that Jungkook is drinking from the same straw where Namjoon placed his lips earlier. He clears his throat.
“Ah, this month’s magazine issue featured Gangwon-do. I’m thinking of visiting.”
“Yeah? I can drive you there.”
Namjoon blinks at Jungkook.
“We can go next week,” he continues, propping an arm against the wall as he puts the coffee down. “I don’t have anything planned.”
How considerate. And convenient, since Namjoon doesn’t have anything planned next week either—but there’s no way Jungkook would care to know that—right?
“Sure.”
Next week. A road trip with Jungkook. A lot of alone-time with him, with no one else to disturn their peace. And if that doesn’t make his stomach perform acrobatics in his chest, feeling like it’s going to burst any second, he doesn’t know anything else that will.
The fourth attempt happens during the trip to Gangwon province. It’s a long drive as Namjoon settles himself beside Jungkook, dressed appropriately for the weather in short shorts.
Driving is difficult, Jungkook thinks. He’s glad he’s a good driver.
Namjoon has been playing him demos of the album he’s working on as they talk. While he’s reminded every time that this is just for work (and Namjoon isn’t really here with him for the hell of it, duh), he’s also reminded that Namjoon is a genius. When it comes to music.
“...and that’s the one I thought I’d lost forever. Turns out it was on my desktop the entire time,” Namjoon chuckles at himself before he places his tumbler in the cup holder between them.
"It's amazing, hyung," Jungkook says truthfully. "It really is."
"Ah," Namjoon ducks his head bashfully. "Needs a little more work and it should be okay, I think. Not in a hurry or anything, but how far away are we, Jungkook-ah?”
Jungkook bites back a smile, because it’s been like half an hour. That tumbler isn’t going to last him. Well, he’s glad he brought backup in the form of a thermos or three, stashed away in the backseat in case anyone needs— Why is Namjoon staring at him?
Oh. He forgot to answer his question.
“Just a few more hours, hyung.”
“Ah.” Namjoon stretches in his seat, before pulling a knee up. The shorts slide higher up—as does Jungkook’s heart rate.
His eyes are locked on the road, he’s not going to look- he’s not going to look-
He looks.
He sneaks a glance at Namjoon from the corner of his eyes, maybe even stares at him for five seconds. It’s not every day that he gets to see what’s become of Namjoon’s thighs, strapped with muscle, thick and luscious ever since he began taking his gym workouts seriously—
Jungkook should probably focus. He’s got enough time to admire their charming leader from afar at their destination. That should be enough motivation.
But his throat is parched, his lips dry.
With one hand on the wheel, he takes the tumbler beside him on the cup holder, taking a noisy sip. He thinks about how kind and selfless his leader is, and his heart somersaults a little. Namjoon doesn’t complain, even though he must know it just means less coffee for him as long as they’re on the road.
He grins. He can’t wait to pull his surprise thermos(es) out.
The fifth and final attempt occurs while they’re at the coast in the evening. It’s not too crowded. Namjoon is listening to the sea and the way Jungkook’s soft, melodious voice sounds against it. Instead of pulling their laptops out, all they have are pen and paper.
And of course. A thermos. Namjoon doesn’t know where Jungkook keeps pulling them out of, but he’s grateful for it.
To him, Jungkook singing is the sweetest sound in the world, and the tranquility of the coast takes it to another level. Even then, he pulls his gaze away from the ocean and glances at him.
The golden maknae has his eyes closed and eyebrows knitted as he concentrates, pink lips moving even after he’s stopped vocalising them. The silver of the lip ring glimmers in the soft light.
“Ah, I got it!” His eyes snap open abruptly, and he reaches for his notebook to scribble out the melody. Namjoon’s heart fills a little as he applauds him.
“I’m glad this is working out for you too,” he says, taking a sip from Jungkook’s thermos. It’s espresso, made perfectly—exactly the way he likes it. (Made for him?)
Jungkook’s lips are pressed together as he finishes up writing, making the lip ring all the more prominent, and Namjoon is mesmerised.
Maybe it’s the constant soothing stream of ocean sounds. Maybe it’s the way Jungkook bites his lip as he surveys his writing. Namjoon doesn’t usually allow himself to have thoughts like this. But he wonders what Jungkook’s lips would feel like against his. What they would taste like. (Sweet?)
But he shouldn't think that way. They're friends. Friends shouldn't want to kiss you on the lips, should they?
Their relationship goes so many ways, but not this one path. They’re friends and dorm-mates, co-workers and co-members all at once, and it frustrates him how limited his options still are. Doesn't help that Jungkook is younger than him, and he's known him since he was a teenager. It would be completely, utterly, inappropriate for him to-
“...Hyung?”
Namjoon blinks. Jungkook’s looking at him with those doe eyes he's known for years. Jungkook is still chewing on his lip, and he's closer than Namjoon thought he was.
“...Yeah?”
Jungkook leans in, and Namjoon—falters. No, he glitches, hands stuttering uselessly as he reaches for the closest item—which happens to be the thermos—and presses it into Jungkook’s hands.
“Uh,” he manages, looking guiltily from Jungkook’s face to the object now clutched tightly in Jungkook’s grip.
“Hyung, how did you know I wanted the coffee?” Jungkook asks, his face breaking into a smile. "We have telepathy, don't we?" he barks out in laughter.
Namjoon laughs, too. The sea rumbles back at them, constant and serene.
And then, there’s the one time they’re working in Namjoon’s studio, because he finally has a lead. As he said, he has everything he needs to make it work right in this room. His lyrics, the melody that came to him one night on the benchpress. And a demo by Jungkook.
It’s dawn by the time they finish up, and Jungkook is yawning into his sixth cup of coffee. A lot, for someone who doesn’t really like coffee, anyway.
Namjoon downs the rest of his cup in misplaced victory, and grins at Jungkook. “It’s done. We did it, Jungkook-ah.”
Jungkook’s eyes blink awake in an instant. “I’m so happy, hyung. I really am. I’m glad I could help too, I just-”
There’s a knock at the door.
“Nothing, just ordered some food for us,” Namjoon smiles sheepishly, stumbling over his feet to get to the door. Jungkook shakes his head at him. He’s pretty sure Namjoon is seventy percent coffee by now.
“You got milkshakes? With icecream?” Jungkook’s eyes widen at the sight of the food, ignoring everything else in favour of the soft colours of the drinks, swathed neatly in transparent containers. “Aren’t they going to melt? You don’t have a freezer here.”
“Ah, you’re right,” Namjoon scratches the back of his neck. “I didn’t think of that.”
Jungkook fishes them out first. He’s not going to let it melt if he can help it. “Let’s just eat that first?” he suggests.
That turns out to be exactly what they do. Namjoon sips at his latte, and Jungkook looks at it disapprovingly. His own banana milkshake is topped by vanilla soft serve, and it’s sweet. Much better than coffee.
“How do you drink so much coffee and survive?” Jungkook complains. His gaze lifts from the offending drink to the way Namjoon’s lips are enveloped around the straw. His tongue darts out to lick at his lips.
“This barely has any coffee,” he shrugs, sucking on the straw again.
Jungkook blatantly stares at the glossy piece of plastic, wrapped so intimately by Namjoon’s beautiful, plump lips. Is it wrong to be slightly jealous of an inanimate object? They spent the entire night going back and forth with his song, and Jungkook was happy to oblige. But this back and forth little dance they’ve been doing is making him a little frustrated with himself. Why can't he get this right? If only he knew what Namjoon really wanted. If only he could read his mind. If only—
“How’s yours?” Namjoon asks.
Jungkook shakes himself off his thoughts. Namjoon has his full attention on him.
“Huh?”
“The drink, Jungkook-ah,” Namjoon’s lips curve up into a slow smile, and it fills his stomach with butterflies. He tries very hard not to have his gaze go back and forth between his hyung’s eyes and lips. He looks at his drink.
“It tastes great, hyung!” Jungkook exclaims, and pushes the plastic cup towards him, “Here, you should try it.”
Namjoon should, shouldn’t he? Just a sip. But why is he closing the gap between him and Jungkook instead?
Jungkook inhales sharply as their lips meet. Namjoon’s lips are velvety against his, and he can smell the remnants of his cologne and Namjoon’s own scent. He can taste the bitter coffee his hyung likes to drink, sweetened by the latte he just sipped, further heightened with the banana milkshake he just drank. Good aroma, great mouth-feel.
And then it hits him that Namjoon is kissing him, and he reciprocates a moment after the dizzying effect of the realisation passes.
Time stops for a minute or two, because it feels like it’s been an hour when they finally pull back—and only because they’ve run out of air. They’re gasping against each other’s chests. Jungkook doesn’t even know who pulled the other closer and when.
“You’re right,” Namjoon says after a while, taking deep fluttery breaths as he gazes at Jungkook’s lips, “It tastes great.”