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When people ask Yoongi where he works he says that he works at a department store. When people ask where Yoongi works when Namjoon’s around, Namjoon interrupts him and says that Yoongi works in the women’s section of a department store.
Yoongi hates Namjoon.
…no he doesn’t, but he seriously wishes that Namjoon wouldn’t tell people that—even if it was the truth.
So yes, he works in the women’s department. Yes, it’s awkward when he has to take inventory on bras and panties. Yes, it’s infuriating when old women glare at him like he’s the lowest scum on the planet just because they spot him messing around in a section that he, as a guy, typically shouldn’t be in. But it’s his job, and he likes his paycheck, so he gets over their judgmental stares and does his job right.
Well…at least, that’s what he thinks until one day, Yoongi is faced with a new challenge. A man. A fucking batshit crazy man.
“Can I help you sir?” Yoongi says when he spots the black haired male looking through the racks of jeans in his section and the guy blinks innocently as he pulls a pair of jeans from the rack. He holds them up in front of him and looks them over thoroughly, Yoongi waiting impatiently, before he finally says, “Hey, can you try these on for me?”
Yoongi is appalled.
“Um, sir, those are women’s jeans, and I am I store employee, I can’t just—”
“I know,” the guy says, suddenly pouting from underneath his bangs, “but it says ‘boyfriend jeans’ and I want you to be my boyfriend, so I was hoping you’d try them on for me?”
Taken aback, Yoongi sputters, his face turning red as he tries to think of a response that doesn’t embarrass him or get him fired, but luckily the guy seems to be embarrassed by his own cheesy pick up line as well, because he places the jeans back on the rack and covers his own reddening face with his hand.
“My name’s Jung Hoseok—remember that,” he says, barely able to look into Yoongi’s eyes before he turns and bolts from the woman’s section, making a break for the doors. Yoongi watches him flee, too shocked to curse or die of embarrassment, but he snaps out of it when he hears Namjoon cackling from the help desk 20 feet behind him.
“Oh my god!” the younger says, absolutely dying of laughter, and Yoongi charges at him, face redder than Namjoon has ever seen it before.
“Stop laughing!” Yoongi demands, grabbing the younger by his collar and shaking him furiously, but Namjoon only laughs harder because from up close he can clearly see how embarrassed Yoongi is. His face is flushed and his heart is pounding but he’s trying to hide it all behind anger and they both know that whoever that guy was he had done a number on Yoongi’s professionalism.
Oh wait, Yoongi knows who the guy is. Jung fucking Hoseok.
Jung Hoseok returns to the store two days later, and Yoongi spots him walking through the front doors immediately because to Yoongi, Hoseok is number one on his ‘if you see this man then run!’ list. So, he does just that. Yoongi ducks behind the rack of clothes he’s standing near and quickly sneaks his way into the nearby changing room, praying that Hoseok hasn’t seen him as he gets to work reorganizing the unwanted clothes that people had left behind. However his prayers are unheard because a minute later Hoseok walks into the changing room, faking obliviousness and acting surprised when he spots Yoongi refolding clothes nearby.
“Oh! Mister I’m-cute-and-work-in-the-women’s-section! I didn’t expect to find you here!” he says, annoyingly sarcastic (in Yoongi’s opinion) as he heads farther into the dressing rooms and closer to Yoongi. Yoongi really wants to hide behind the discard rack—because maybe if he’s out of sight Hoseok will just forget about him—but he doesn’t. Instead he steels himself for whatever may come and returns to doing his job as Hoseok hums happily and enters a stall.
Only twenty seconds later is the black haired pest exiting said stall, calling Yoongi to attention.
“Hey, um…”
“Yoongi,” Yoongi answers distastefully, refusing to look at him. Hoseok beams happily, testing Yoongi’s name on is tongue.
“Yoongi…I’m sorry, but could you please come and feel the material of this shirt for me? The tags say cotton, but I’m pretty sure it’s not…”
Yoongi sighs, irritated, and sets the shirt he was folding down as he begrudgingly turns to face Hoseok. He was standing a few feet from Yoongi, another pout on his face as he tugged at the hem of the black tank-top he’d tried on. It was just a simple black tank-top—one that showed off Hoseok’s muscled arms perfectly—and while Yoongi could tell that it was cotton just by looking at it he approached Hoseok nonetheless, because it was his job to help a customer—even if that customer was Jung motherfucking Hoseok.
“Here,” Hoseok says, holding a piece of the shirt out for Yoongi. Repressing a sigh, Yoongi takes it into his grasp and rubs his fingers against the fabric.
“It’s cotton,” he declares, matter of fact and straight to the point, and Hoseok frowns again.
“Really? Because I think it’s boyfriend material.”
Yoongi’s face tightens at his words, his lip curling up into a slightly disgusted snarl, and by the time he manages to meet Hoseok’s stare the black haired boy is grinning proudly, each one of his pearly whites revealed to Yoongi—because that’s how happy he was because of another one of his goddamn stupid puns.
“Jung Hoseok,” he speaks again, his eyes sparkling deviously as he turns as slowly makes his way out of the changing rooms. “22 years old. Don’t forget.”
Once he’s gone, Yoongi sighs and brings and hand up to his face, pausing in confusion when he feels how warm it is. And then realization dawns on him. He was blushing. That motherfucker had made him blush—for the second time.
The third time Yoongi sees Hoseok a week has passed, and Hoseok is getting scolded by some old hag for being in the woman’s section when he is, in fact, a man. At first Yoongi thinks that he should laugh at Hoseok’s misery—because the dude had embarrassed the hell out of him twice now—but then he realizes that Hoseok looks incredibly flustered and is apologizing profusely yet the woman still isn’t letting up on him.
Yoongi gets a little pissed.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” he says approaching the two, and they both turn to look at him. Yoongi meets Hoseok’s gaze first, and the youngers eyes are practically begging him for help. “Is there a problem here?”
“I just found this young man sneaking around the woman’s department!” she responds, her voice shrill and accusing and Yoongi wants to glare at her because clearly she has some weird conception of gender norms and what’s acceptable for a person to be doing, but he controls himself.
“Ma’am, even if he is a man it isn’t like he’s not allowed to be in the woman’s department,” he tells her calmly, but the old lady isn’t having it.
“It’s scandalous!” she says, waving her cane around in the air and nearly hitting Hoseok with it. Yoongi narrows his eyes at that, just barely managing to contain his anger. “Young men wandering around women’s clothing! It’s unbelievable! Him—,” she says, pointing at Hoseok, and the younger looks taken aback, “—and…and you!—,” she suddenly continues, pointing at Yoongi threateningly and Yoongi has had just about had enough of her shit.
“Putting young men like you in the women’s department will only breed unholy thoughts and—“
“Ma’am, I’m gay.”
“—management needs to rethink their decisions before they place young men to work in these departments! Young men are always lurching after woman—”
“Ma’am!” Yoongi shouts, finally stopping her, and she looks appalled. “I’m gay.”
“What—,” the woman starts, her eyes widening in shock as she staggers back and Hoseok quickly steps out of the way, still watching the scene that was unfolding before him quietly. “You—you—Jesus Christ did not die for someone like you! I—”
“Frankly, ma’am, I couldn’t give two fucks if Jesus Christ died for me. I never asked him to. Now please stop harassing innocent people and—”
“Oh my goodness!” she interrupts him, staggering back. She grabs her cane and starts hobbling away, grabbing her cross necklace as she makes her way towards the front of the store. “I can’t believe this! I’m going to talk to the manager right now!”
“Please go ahead!” Yoongi calls honestly after her, a snarl curling up his lip. After all, Namjoon was the manager on staff today and he was an avid supporter of the LGBT+ community and also Yoongi’s friend, so the old lady would find no comfort in him anyway.
Once the old woman is finally gone from their sight, Yoongi sighs and runs a hand through his bleach-blond hair, turning to face Hoseok. The younger still looks petrified, and Yoongi swears that there are tears brimming in his dark eyes.
For some reason, Yoongi suddenly has an urge to hug him—but he doesn’t.
“Hey,” he speaks instead, placing his hand on Hoseok shoulder. The younger looks at him like a sad puppy, and Yoongi flashes him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about what that old lady said, alright? You c—”
“I’m sorry!” Hoseok suddenly shouts, bringing one of his hands up to grip his black hair tightly. “I probably just got you in so much trouble just because I’m selfish and want to come and see you all the time! Ah man, on no, I—”
“Hey,” Yoongi laughs lightly, stopping Hoseok’s ramblings when he places both of his hands on the youngers shoulders, holding him steady. “I told you not to worry about it. You’re more than welcome to come and visit me whenever you want—”
Suddenly Yoongi stops, realizing that what the fuck is he saying?!—but before he can even thinking about taking his words back Hoseok’s ever-annoying smile is back on his pink lips, and he hugs Yoongi tightly for a few seconds before letting him go.
“God, you’re so great,” Hoseok sighs when he pulls back, happy as ever, and he winks when he sees Yoongi face flushing red for the third time.
“Anyway, I’ll see around hyung!” he says, turning away from Yoongi and heading towards the entrance. “And don’t forget! Ju—”
“Jung Hoseok,” Yoongi mumbles, finishing his words for him, and Hoseok looks a little surprised. However, he recovers quickly and presses his fingertips to his pursed lips, blowing Yoongi a kiss in goodbye before he turns and skips out of the store.
Yoongi remains where he stands, his palms covering his flaming face and his mind whirling until Namjoon’s sighing voice comes over the store’s speakers, a ‘would the blond male who works in the women’s department please report to the manager’ echoing throughout the store.
Sighing, Yoongi gathers his wits about him and starts towards Namjoon’s office, wondering just what the fuck he’s gotten himself into.
It takes another four days for Hoseok’s face to appear in the women’s department again, and during those four days Yoongi manages to decipher all the feelings floating around his head and heart. He realizes that Hoseok is annoying. He realizes that Hoseok—despite being annoying—is a nice person, and he lastly realizes that…well, he kind of likes Hoseok back. It’s not like Yoongi was suddenly in love with him… but , after Hoseok’s constant appearances in his life and his cheesy pick-up lines and puppy stares…Yoongi realized that he was cute. He was cute, and his biceps look nice in a tank-top, and despite the fact that his face wasn’t—to be blunt—the best looking, his wide smiles were endearing.
Yoongi decided that he would give Hoseok a chance.
However it’s not until after another one of Hoseok’s cheesy pick-up line session that Yoongi voices his newfound resolve.
“Hey,” Yoongi says, grabbing Hoseok before the younger can just leave after his flirting like he always does. Hoseok looks surprised, but nonetheless stops in his tracks and turns to look at Yoongi, eyes wide in questioning.
“You know,” Yoongi starts, embarrassed that he’s even about to say the words that he is, “if you want to go out with me just ask me on a date. You don’t have to keep using shitty pick-up lines…”
For a second Hoseok looks absolutely shocked before he frowns, saying, “I mean…I didn’t think they were that shitty…”
Yoongi laughs. “They were,” he informs the younger and then crosses his arms expectantly, confusing Hoseok once again.
“Well, are you going to ask me out or what?!”
“Oh,” Hoseok says, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment, and he shyly turns to face Yoongi, his sneaker tapping against the carpet under his feet nervously. “So, um, Yoongi…would you like to go out with me, say, this Friday?”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” Yoongi says, shrugging nonchalantly and faking boredom. Hoseok puffs his cheeks out when he sees that the blond is playing hard to get and Yoongi finally breaks out in a smile, Hoseok’s pouting too cute.
“Yes, Friday sounds great,” he says happily, reaching out on a whim to tuck a misplaced piece of Hoseok’s hair behind his ear. Hoseok blushes furiously at the action, even the tips of his ears turning red, but Yoongi only grins like he’s won the lottery.
“Finally I made you fucking embarrassed instead of the other way around,” he says, laughing, and then from somewhere behind them Namjoon’s voice appears.
“Oh my gawd! You two are so cute together! Eeek!” he says, grinning like the bastard he is as he leisurely leans against the help desk. “I can’t believe how adorable you two are, like—!”
“Namjoon!” Yoongi barks, his face flaming in anger and embarrassment, Hoseok’s hand intertwining with his the only thing that’s stopping him from going to beat his friend to a pulp. “Shut the fuck up!”
However, Yoongi’s anger only serves to fuel Namjoon’s playful attitude, because he picks up the phone beside him, presses a key, and suddenly the intercom of the store buzzes to life.
“Everyone, this is the manager speaking,” Namjoon starts, shit-eating grin lining his face as he locks eyes with Yoongi. By now Hoseok has placed his free hand on Yoongi’s cheek, his lips peppering kisses on the other as he whispers to Yoongi to ‘please calm down’, and if not for that Yoongi would have decked Namjoon by now.
“I would just like to inform you all that—”
“KIM NAMJOON!” Yoongi roars in warning, and Namjoon rolls his eyes.
“—today there is a buy one get one free deal on all jeans in the store—”
Yoongi sighs in relief, calming down considerably as Hoseok’s hand drops from his cheek, his face flushed because—
“—also MinYoongijustgothimselfaboyfriend! Ahem—anyway, thank you for your patronage, and don’t forget to ask your cashier about our saving rewards program. Have a nice day.”
When Namjoon’s message ends Yoongi flicks him off, blood pressure sky rocketing yet again, and he leans back into Hoseok’s shoulder, wondering what the fuck his life has become. However, when Hoseok giggles and presses another light kiss to his cheek, still trying to calm him down, Yoongi decides that maybe his life isn’t too bad after all.