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During exam weeks, Hoseok likes to take Jungkook out for food every day.
Because Hoseok worries that, if he doesn’t, Jungkook will forget about food, sleep and everything but his work and as soon as someone opens the door to his dwelling to check on him he will devour them whole.
That, he thinks, is an accurate summary of an art student.
This tradition started back in high school, when Hoseok volunteered for the Sophomores-Mentoring-Freshmen programme that paired him up Jeon Jungkook – a kid solely interested in Art Class and nothing else.
It wasn’t a problem at the start of the year: Hoseok would see Jungkook in the hallway, wave at him, and at one point they’d have their mandatory weekly 5 minute meetup in which Jungkook would look up from his sketchbook exclusively when Hoseok repeated a question for the second time.
When midterms rolled around, Jungkook, as should’ve probably been expected, paid no attention to any of his subjects other than Art.
Needless to say: he failed most of his exams.
As a result, Hoseok got called in to the principal’s office to be lectured about keeping Jungkook in line for when his summer exams rolled around.
So Hoseok took him out for food every day Jungkook had exams and made sure he revised his other subjects in the half an hour window they had for their lunch.
Over the four years of Jungkook’s high school experience (and the three of Hoseok’s plus one year of university) it eventually got knocked into his head that he actually does have to do well in his other subjects if he wants to get into a good university.
Now, with both of them safely in college, there’s not much reason for this tradition to continue (other than the whole possibly cannibalistic consequence). However, they’ve fallen into the pattern of it now and, besides, Jungkook tends to calm Hoseok down when he gets stressed.
It may not seem like it, but Hoseok gets disastrously stressed sometimes – especially during exam weeks.
So if he has to buy Jungkook lunch for a week or so twice a year then it’s worth it (even if the kid acts like he hasn’t eaten since Hoseok took him out last exam season).
Unfortunately, their usual café just so happens to be closed today since the owners are on holiday for a week.
They come back the day after their last exam.
“Maybe we should’ve checked it was open before we told Jin to come pick us up in an hour,” Hoseok says, reading the notice over again as Jungkook’s shoulders slope in defeat.
Hoseok’s stomach growls at him, and he holds a hand over it and gives a whiny sigh.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to go somewhere else.”
Jungkook looks at him, clearly offended.
“But… we always go here,” He says firmly, “You told me last time that we couldn’t go anywhere else when I wanted to try the new seafood place!”
“That’s because I didn’t want seafood.”
“Hyung,” Jungkook grumbles, lightly punching his arm. He ignores him and instead takes a look around the area, scanning for restaurants and cafes – or anywhere that sells anything edible, really.
“Okay, how about there?”
Jungkook follows where Hoseok’s finger’s pointing to: what looks like an old-fashioned American-style diner.
The kind you’d see in a cheesey movie about the 50s.
“Great,” He says, voice dripping in sarcasm, “Maybe the staff’ll wear roller-skates and pin-up uniforms.”
Hoseok laughs.
But it’s not until they’ve scanned the menu and finally decided what they wanted (because, begrudgingly, Jungkook thinks that everything sounds really good) that they find out that their joke really wasn’t that far off.
One of the waiters comes over in a white, short sleeved t-shirt with white shorts and a bright red apron that matches his bow tie.
To top it off, he’s got striped knee socks, one of those little tiny hats and the biggest smile Jungkook thinks he’s ever seen.
His nametag reads ‘Taehyung’ with a small heart beside it and Jungkook has to try not to laugh at the way all of it pieces together so well.
And then he speaks, and Jungkook’s grin is smacked off of his face because wow, his voice.
“Hi. What can I get you?”
He doesn’t just forget what he wanted to order, he’s pretty sure he forgets his name, his age, what country he’s in, the year…
Luckily, Hoseok’s too overpowered by his hunger to care how unbelievably attractive this waiter is and he remembers their orders.
Not without giving Jungkook a condescending side-glance first, naturally, when he makes no other sound than “um” after Taehyung asks if that’s all they want.
“A napkin to clean up your drool might be good.” Hoseok jokes when Taehyung’s out of earshot and Jungkook frowns at him, taking out his textbook for Art History and opening it to a random page.
“I thought you didn’t have that exam until Thursday.”
Jungkook doesn’t look up at him, just hums – attempting to sound concentrated – and says “Good to be prepared.”
“Since when do you do that without one of your caring hyungs persuading you to?”
“You mean leaving me in the storage cupboard for three hours with nothing but my revision notes?”
“That was one time.” He says defensively, “And you refused to revise.”
“Well, yeah, but that’s only because-“
“You wanted to draw instead,” Hoseok guesses, and judging by Jungkook’s stunned look, he guessed right.
Jungkook doesn’t say anything, so Hoseok takes his silence as a victory.
The food comes and Jungkook follows through with his impulse to always put salt on his food before tasting it (which Hoseok keeps saying’ll come back to bite him in the ass someday).
That day is today, it seems.
Taehyung’s mid-sentence, telling them to just ask if they need anything, when Jungkook tips the salt shaker upside down and a few grains fall out of it.
And then, so does the lid.
And then, Jungkook can’t see his food past the mound of salt.
Taehyung doesn’t finish his sentence before he’s profusely apologising while simultaneously trying not to laugh. Hoseok doesn’t have that decency and begins cackling like an idiot.
It confuses Jungkook as to why Taehyung’s apologising when it was obviously some stupid kid who was here last’s ‘awesome prank’ but then he says “I was trying to prank my boss but he sat somewhere else today and, well, I forgot.”
And Jungkook doesn’t know whether he’s angry or annoyingly amused.
Hint: he’s not even remotely angry.
So he just laughs.
And Taehyung visibly relaxes.
“I’ll get you another one, obviously.” Taehyung picks up the plate in one hand and begins scribbling on his notepad with the other. He rips out the page and then hands it to Jungkook.
“Here, take this.” Jungkook looks down at the paper that has a signature scribbled on it and the word “I.O.U” underneath.
“What is it?”
Taehyung grins at him, lighting up his entire face, and says “If you come back anytime, hand this in and I’ll make you a free milkshake!”
It’s a strange offer.
But Jungkook tucks the makeshift coupon into his pocket with a surprising amount of care.
On their way out, Taehyung waves at him and Jungkook curses his heart for fluttering a little.
--
Jungkook is not much of a planner and actually doesn’t bring any form of protection from the rain when he decides to go out for a sugar break, despite the impending black clouds hovering ominously over the city.
But it’s hour six of him continually working on his final piece and Jungkook’s head is only functioning with half the power it normally uses.
He gets half a block before it starts raining torrentially and Jungkook quickly decides that perhaps going to the ice-cream parlour 20 minutes away isn’t the best idea right now.
So, he goes to the nearest place that’ll get him some sort of pick-me-up equivalent to the sundae he would’ve got.
Now some might say that a milkshake in a strange, vintage inspired diner is not entirely equal to a sundae (especially when there’s another ice-cream place beside it), but he’s got a free coupon.
And it’d be rude not to use it when Taehyung went to so much effort.
Jungkook heads to the counter and takes a seat on one of the stools there, hair dripping from the downpour outside and shoes squeaking against the foot rest of his chair.
Taehyung’s got his back to him, humming loud enough that he didn’t hear Jungkook come in and he isn’t really sure how to get his attention (also kind of doesn’t want to because his voice is also pretty when he’s singing).
He clears his throat.
Taehyung swings around with a smile that widens when he sees who it is.
“Here for a milkshake?” He asks, polishing a glass in his hand that looks suspiciously like it would occupy a milkshake.
“Yup.”
“Great, can I have the coupon?”
Jungkook didn’t expect him to actually ask for it. But, he fishes for it in his pocket anyway and pulls out a crumpled, rain-washed piece of paper (he dropped it in a puddle when he was checking he still had it), handing it to Taehyung who tilts his head at it, quizzically.
He flattens it out on the counter, examining the smudged ink and rain drop stains.
“Clearly well kept. You must’ve cared for it a lot,” Taehyung deadpans, but the corners of his mouth twinge upwards when Jungkook’s smile he didn't know he had crumbles.
“I’m kidding!”
Jungkook sighs, leaning on his hand and shaking his head as he mutters “How rude this waiter is…”
“Hey, I’m not rude!” Taehyung pokes Jungkook’s forehead, looking offended, but warping that into a prideful glow when he justifies it with “It’s just friendly teasing.”
Friendly teasing. He’ll have to remember that one next time Jimin threatens to beat him up.
“Whatever – I’ve got an exam in an hour so hurry up with that milkshake.”
Taehyung’s jaw drops in shock.
“You’re rude!”
Jungkook laughs obnoxiously proudly at that.
Taehyung makes Jungkook laugh a lot, it seems, and between drinking his milkshake and eating free fries given as a second apology for messing with the salt shaker (amusedly watching as Taehyung steals shares of both), the time passes oddly quickly.
Until Jungkook realises he’s horribly, horribly late.
He almost falls out of his seat when he looks at the clock and sees he has ten minutes until his exam starts; he stops mid-sentence, mid fry, and Taehyung looks at the horror on his face with a great deal of confusion.
Jungkook explains in a rush how late he is and thanks Taehyung for the meal before running to the door.
“Wait!” Taehyung calls out, but the kid’s already fleeing down the street with his phone threatening to fall out of his pocket from the speed.
“You left your textbook,” He says pathetically, looking at the forgotten book on the counter. He opens it up, with the fleeting hope that maybe there’s a name written in it but when there’s nothing apart from small doodles and scribbles on the inside of the cover, Taehyung closes it again with a sigh.
On the bright side, he’s guaranteed to come back since he forgot his book.
Small victories, Taehyung thinks to himself, as he begins to clean up his order – carefully placing the book under the counter for when he returns.
--
Jungkook comes back two days later for his textbook.
It’s earlier than Jungkook would normally go out to grab food, but he slept for a grand total of twelve hours the night before, completely missing breakfast but too hungry to wait for lunchtime.
He’s just grateful there’s no more exams, and he can just focus on his art again as opposed to its history and technicalities.
It’s a good day, and things seem to pick up even more when he enters the building.
Although it’s the weekend after exams, the diner’s quiet as it has been the other days – with a few regulars sitting, light conversation fluttering through the area.
Today, Taehyung is slinked in a booth near a window in the back, and it looks to Jungkook as if he’s drawing something.
The single skip in his heartbeat could’ve either been down to his deep love of art (and of seeing other people appreciate it) or because of his newfound preoccupation with Taehyung.
But Jungkook’s just here for his textbook.
He swears.
“Hello,” Jungkook says, sitting down in front of the boy, who he can confirm is scribbling into a sketchbook.
It looks like some sort of design for an evening dress. Fashion design - possibly the last thing Jungkook expected Taehyung to be interested in considering he willingly puts on that uniform.
Although, he does look quite sweet in it.
Taehyung looks up in surprise, complimented by a sunny expression when their eyes meet.
He drops his pencil, using the now empty hand to wave at him enthusiastically.
“Here for your textbook?” He asks, picking up a different coloured pencil to lazily redefine his shading.
“Yeah,” Jungkook says, unsure of why he feels a little more hesitant around Taehyung today – figures maybe it’s because he’s not serving him; instead they’re sitting together as Jungkook watches him do one of his hobbies and not working. It’s weirdly casual for two basic strangers.
Taehyung’s not even wearing his little hat.
“Alright. I’ll get you it once my break’s over,” Taehyung sets down his pencil and picks up his sketchbook, holding it at weird angles and screwing his face up as he does.
“How long’s your break?”
He sets it back down with a sigh.
“It starts at 12, ends at one – so if you’re ever planning to drop by that would be a good time scale.” Taehyung laughs brightly before giving Jungkook a half-sceptical, half-overconfident look, “Of course, assuming you want to talk to me.”
He does. But he doesn’t say that. Just scoffs.
“How’d your exam go, by the way? Did you make it?” Taehyung’s apparently given up on his drawing now, as he snaps his book shut and crosses his arms, crumbling into a slouch when he rests his head on them. Now, he sounds solely interested in what Jungkook has to say.
Weirdly casual.
“Barely. As soon as I sat down they started handing the papers out.” Jungkook recalls the memory with a twinge of remorse, recalling how he had to basically fight one of the teachers to let him into the exam hall and how every single eye was on him in the room.
Needless to say he doesn’t think he did so well on that paper.
“Wow, good thing you didn’t wait up.”
“Yeah,” He agrees wholeheartedly. Missing the exam altogether would’ve been really really harsh on his final grade. “Sorry for leaving so suddenly.”
Taehyung sits up a little straighter in his seat, stretching out his arms with a short yawn. “Mm, I guess I can forgive you,” He decides, but Jungkook doesn’t like the devilish tone in his voice, “If you do me a favour.”
And there’s the reason why.
“What is it?” Jungkook asks, voice heavy with dread. Taehyung doesn’t seem the type to ask for small favours.
“Tell me your name,” He says.
“Oh.”
Well, that was anticlimactic.
He didn’t even realise he never introduced himself to him. Coming to think of it, Jungkook only knows his name because of the nametag.
“It’s Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook: digital media arts major by day,” He pauses as Taehyung’s eyebrow quirks up in anticipation, “international playboy by night.”
Taehyung clicks his tongue at him.
“That second part’s definitely a lie,” He says, giggling slightly when Jungkook frowns at him.
“Hey.” He stresses, but gets completely ignored by Taehyung, who formally introduces himself with a perhaps even more anticlimactic “I’m Kim Taehyung.”
Jungkook waits for him to say something else, but when he doesn’t he gets the urge to ask “Do you study anything?”
Taehyung shakes his head with a content smile. “I did a year in literature but I didn’t like it so I took a gap year to figure out what I wanted to do. I’ve settled on fashion design now, though.” He waves his book in the air, and Jungkook takes it from his hand to Taehyung’s surprise, but not in co-operation with his reflexes as he fails to take it back before Jungkook’s started flicking through it.
“You’re good at it.” He soon decides, and Taehyung doesn’t even try to hide the bashful grin that appears on his face.
“Yeah, I’m pretty stylish, so.”
Jungkook takes an obvious assessment of Taehyung’s uniform.
“Clearly.”
Taehyung scowls at him, but it’s drenched in fondness.
“Mean,” He says flatly.
Jungkook can’t help but smile at him.
--
The next time Jungkook visits the diner is unplanned.
He isn’t hungry (Seokjin made everyone an overzealous breakfast this morning) and he actually kind of wants to get home because it’s really warm and he just walked like two miles for no reason and he wants to take a nap.
But his pace slows down significantly when he looks in the window of the diner and sees Taehyung hanging around the counter, staring at the clock. Jungkook can make out his lips moving a little as if he’s counting.
Then, he checks his phone and sees that it’s 11:59am. Almost Taehyung’s break time.
He’s exhausted anyway, Jungkook quickly decides. Sitting down and having a drink sounds like a great idea.
He enters the diner and Taehyung’s head snaps away from the clock with an excited flare in his features.
“Jungkook! You’ve got 32 seconds to order before I’m on my break.”
“Uh, okay, then I’ll have iced tea.” Jungkook rushes out, saying the first cold thing that came to his head.
Taehyung surveys the counter and slopes his shoulders in an exaggeratedly defeated fashion, muttering, “Ah, where did I put the ice?”
Jungkook gives him a sceptical look, wondering whether he’s messing with him or not.
“Probably in the freezer.”
Taehyung makes an agreeing sound, “Now where is the freezer…?”
He’s messing with him.
“Taehyung” Jungkook whines, glancing at the clock and seeing the ten seconds until Taehyung’s break flicker by with a heavy heart.
“I’m just kidding” Taehyung matches Jungkook’s whiney tone and breaks into a wide smile when Jungkook does, “I’ll make whatever you like.”
And he does. The preparation of his iced tea eats into Taehyung’s break by at least a minute, but he doesn’t complain.
--
The mind of an art student is 30% creativity and talent, 10% passion and authentic drive and 60% stress and deadlines - at least in Jungkook's world.
Lately, though, Jungkook isn't sure this is completely true.
He's lost in thought, sifting through isles trying to find a nice cup to hold his brush water, when he decides to review his earlier analysis of an art students mind.
An analysis he's stuck with since high school.
Jungkook decides that, these days at least, his head is 100% occupied by his muse (okay, maybe 99% muse and 1% stress and deadlines).
Hoseok keeps telling him that referring to Taehyung as his Muse is kind of weirding him out and it doesn't make his obvious feelings any less real.
Jungkook knows that. But he continues to disagree anyway.
It's been two months since he first met Taehyung.
It's August now, and the days are longer and warmer and prettier which give Jungkook nothing but ideas that he itches to spill onto the canvas.
Normally, he'd paint landscapes and skies and the way the sunset's light cascaded into the room and it would be orange.
But everything he makes now has a figure in it with a captivating smile, sunlight tinting on them like a sparkle and it's a million colours all at once.
It used to be August that inspired him. But now, it's Taehyung in august.
It's Taehyung in July and Taehyung in June.
In every single month of the year and he's dying to see what he'll show him in Autumn, what ideas he'll spark.
If the discolouring leaves will blend as seamlessly with his faded brown hair as he's imagined.
If in winter, whether the cold will brush his cheeks with colour as delicately as he hopes.
If the spring will breathe anymore life into his eyes than they already possess.
Jungkook isn't that good at emotions.
Isn't that good at much except art, which is a twisted irony as art's supposed to be based on emotion; Passion: rapid heartbeats and the pain of adoration. A tight feeling in your stomach and a breathless, dizziness that doesn't concern you as it should.
Taehyung brings all of that to him. And Jungkook can't name his feelings but he knows they're there and he knows that they're foreign to him, frightening even.
He hasn't known him long, and Jungkook doesn't know what to call the spark of excitement he feels when Taehyung waves at him when he sees him or the hopeless, dreamlike sensation he gets when he listens to him speak.
Infatuation's too shallow.
Obsession's too misguided.
Like's too weightless.
Love’s too heavy.
Taehyung gives him creativity. He makes him feel so real and entirely make believe at the same time and he has no idea what to do with himself other than to create: to make, to imagine, to draw and paint.
Taehyung gives him inspiration. And Hoseok can laugh all he wants - but he's his muse.
Jungkook is holding up two glasses, debating which would be better for his brushes when a melodically deep, cheerful exclamation of his name breaks him out of whatever Taehyung-induced creative comatose he was in and the glasses almost fall to the ground as Jungkook jumps slightly.
But quick reflexes grab them and suddenly they're being handed back to Jungkook by someone with a contagious smile that breaks Jungkook out into something similar.
"Taehyung, what are you doing here?"
This is the first time Jungkook has seen him in his own clothes, as all of their time spent together's been exclusively at the diner. But it's 9:30pm and Taehyung is off duty, which supposedly calls for sandals and loose black dress pants that stop at his ankles and a oversized shirt with holes and rips lovingly torn into it.
Jungkook knows very little about fashion but he likes Taehyung's very much. If not for the sole reason that it is so disastrously him that it would look ridiculous on anyone else.
"I'm grocery shopping. Made myself a list and everything," Taehyung holds up said list like a show and tell and Jungkook finds amusement in it as he sees "cereal, cola and the chicken nuggets shaped like little people" scribbled on it, amongst other things.
"What are you doing here, Jungkookie?" Taehyung seems to call him that a lot, always grinning when he does and Jungkook's heart melts a little bit each time.
He holds up the jars in his hand, mimicking Taehyung, and says "I'm trying to find a good jar for my paint brushes."
Taehyung makes an 'ah' sound and then surveys both of the glasses in Jungkook's hands.
"I like this one," Taehyung points at the one with a golden, caramel lid on it, taking it from Jungkook and examining it further.
"Why?"
Taehyung looks up with a flicker of apprehension which seems completely out of place on his face because Taehyung's been forward from the moment they first met, but then he smiles with simplicity and says "the lid goes well with your eyes."
Jungkook doesn't have the heart to tell him he probably won't use the lid.
(He ends up keeping it beside the jar, and swears it's just in case he ever needs it.)
--
One particular day when Jungkook goes to get food at the diner (and is now such a regular that even the other customers start greeting him), he actually does not get any food at the diner.
In fact, when he goes in, the diner is empty apart from the manager, a few waiters, a technician of some sort and Taehyung, swinging his legs from where he's sitting comfortably on the counter.
When the door creeks quietly as Jungkook swings it open Taehyung immediately looks over his shoulder, jumping down and striding over to him.
"Yay, Jungkook! I was hoping you'd come around now," He says, taking Jungkook by the wrist before he can even acknowledge anything that's happened since he walked in.
"I was gonna come here for lunch," Jungkook says, trying to not focus on Taehyung's light grip on him, "But I'm assuming that's not an option?"
"Nope! Electricity's out so my breaks extended. Let's go!"
Jungkook doesn't even get a chance to reply before Taehyung's dragging him outside with a gleeful wave to his manager.
"We’re not going anywhere fancy, right? I only have money for diner food,” Jungkook says, figuring that Taehyung probably won’t want to go anywhere fancy dressed like that, but he asks anyway because he doesn’t really have the same humility that Jungkook has.
Or, really, any at all.
Jungkook likes that about him.
"I’m paying for you!” Taehyung says as if it was obvious, but Jungkook gives him an estranged look to make it clear that it wasn’t.
“What? Why?”
“I’m taking you out, aren’t I?”
Jungkook laughs airily and jokes "Is this a date, then?"
But Taehyung doesn't hesitate for a second when he says "Sure, okay."
Jungkook chokes on his inhale.
He takes a quick glance at Taehyung, whose face is totally blank, whose hand is still holding onto his wrist.
A thousand better replies rush through his head:
That he was kidding, that he wasn't sure if he wanted a date yet, that he wanted many, many more after.
Somehow, though, all he says is "Alright."
~
The meal isn't awkward, the date isn't awkward. Nothing about it is awkward apart from Jungkook.
"It's kinda cute that you're nervous." Taehyung says with a tone of certainty, "It's like when we first met and you were all stammering and fidgeting after I ruined your food."
"I'm not nervous," Jungkook argues, keeping his eyes fixated on the path ahead of them, heading back to leave Taehyung off at the diner.
Just so he doesn't trip or bump into anyone, not because looking at Taehyung right now would cause him to have an internal (and possibly external) meltdown.
"You're not?" He asks with a teasing quality to it, something that sounds utterly disbelieving of him that makes Jungkook's chest tighten considerably.
"Nope."
He's nervous, he's so so nervous.
"Then, can I hold your hand?"
He's so, so, so nervous.
But he nods.
Taehyung takes his hand, and it's warm around his own, not too clammy or hot, just protectively warm.
Jungkook likes it. And he likes it even more when Taehyung laces their fingers.
He would’ve been content, with whatever upgrade this meant in their relationship – whether they were potential love interests or actual love interests or boyfriends. But today, Jungkook learns, that Taehyung likes to go that extra mile in all that he does.
He kisses him.
Taehyung’s lips are on his, so cautiously and comfortingly and Jungkook can tell that he’s a good kisser and he hates that the sole comprehensible thought in his head right now is “hm, I was right”.
His other hand’s just barely touching Jungkook’s chin, pushing it up just a little bit because Taehyung’s just a tiny amount taller than him and it’s perfect in Jungkook’s eyes.
And then it sets in what’s actually happening.
Taehyung is kissing him.
It hasn't even been three seconds when Jungkook pulls back suddenly as his entire body freezes up, face displaying every form of shock and surprise known to man and he does not know what to do.
He’s never kissed anyone before – let alone a guy.
And the guy’s his friend.
And he literally lurched back when he kissed him.
It’s a non-verbal ‘no homo’.
What would his mother say?
There’s so many other ways to react to this situation that would’ve been so much better but Jungkook acknowledges and ignores every single one and snaps "I've got to go!" backing away in a frenzied state. He doesn’t even want to look at Taehyung but he’s completely unable to take himself away from the startled look in his eyes.
Taehyung takes a step forward and opens his mouth to speak but Jungkook cuts him off with an unsteady, questionably loud "Bye!" Before he starts sprinting in the opposite direction, just barely hearing Taehyung yell his name before he turns a corner, away from The Embarrassment™ that he's pretty convinced he won't live down for at least three years.
He makes it five blocks before he realises he ran in the complete opposite direction of his apartment.
It’s then he also realises that maybe running away just made it look even more like a rejection.
Jungkook isn’t sure what it was, but it wasn’t that.
It’s ironic, how he’s so sure of that because it makes everything that happened in those few seconds utterly unnecessary and he feels betrayed by himself.
He knows it wasn’t a rejection, not when he wants to kiss him again this badly.
--
Hoseok thinks he’s gone crazy.
He’s looking at him from across the table like he’s sitting with an alien.
A restless, unnerved, probably sweating profusely alien.
Jungkook was too embarrassed to tell him what happened with Taehyung. And this is where it’s led him to: sitting in front of a lukewarm pancake stack, across from a bemused Hoseok.
Avoiding the constant stare of Kim Taehyung, who looks ready to pounce the minute he has to collect their plates. (He’s dropped two glasses already since he literally won’t look away from Jungkook).
Jungkook isn’t sure when his life got so weird. Or so centred around a waiter from a diner that, even without having an entire bottle being poured onto it, still manages to make their food a little too salty.
He didn’t kiss him back.
But, God, he wanted to.
There are two things that Jungkook does not cope well with: Romance. And spontaneity.
Put them together and it’s lucky if Jungkook can form words, nevermind have enough ettiquete left in him to not run five blocks when someone kisses him. Literally.
He should maybe tell Taehyung all of this: that he doesn’t hate him and wasn’t incredibly disgusted by him.
But he really, really can’t with Hoseok being right there.
Love (or, in this case, like) does not always conquer all, it seems. Especially not the onslaught of teasing and prying advice that would come from Hoseok (and in consequence, the rest of the hyungs) finding out. Also, there’s the possibility that Taehyung is mad at him and Jungkook really doesn’t want him to be mad at him for being a stupid asshole because he’s already blindingly mad at himself.
“Taehyung keeps looking at you, you know,” He knows. ‘Looking’ is a complete understatement, but he knows.
“You two’ve gotten pretty close, right?”
You could say that.
Jungkook pushes around the food on his plate, despite it being four pancakes on top of each other and, therefore, isn’t moving much, and mumbles a ‘yeah’, hoping that Hoseok will just drop it because he’s worried that Taehyung’s listening in on them at this point with some freakishly good eavesdropping.
“Are you too embarrassed to talk to him in front of me?” Hoseok’s tone is obviously meant to be lighthearted and teasing but Jungkook can’t even play along because yes, that’s exactly it and the confirmation escapes his lips before he can even register the thought.
Jungkook looks up in time just to see the confusion in Hoseok’s face shift into realisation and a shit-eating grin.
“You… you two-”
Jungkook grips the sides of the table, literally hissing at Hoseok with as much vigour as he can without making a scene “Hobi, hold on, keep your voice down…”
“-you like him!”
Jungkook isn’t sure whether he’s imagining it or not, but he’s pretty sure it echoed a little.
He looks around at Taehyung whose mouth is wide open.
And he smiles so much that it looks like it’s going to transcend his face any second.
Jungkook sinks into his seat, wondering how far he has to go before he slips off the face of the earth.
“Sorry,” Hoseok says, but the single twisted up corner of his mouth completely erases all of its sincerity.
Jungkook manages to time it so perfectly that when Taehyung comes over to get their plates (he made Hoseok eat his food so they could leave) he excuses himself to the bathroom before they even have to come into contact.
He doesn’t miss the half-crushed, half-offended look on the waiter’s face, though.
Jungkook’s glad his face doesn’t get red when he’s embarrassed because he’s going to have to go back out there sometime and he would shrivel up if Taehyung knew how awkward he feels right now.
He gives his reflection a glare in the mirror, and mouths for himself to get a grip, you’re a grown man.
And he feels somewhat confident when he goes back out.
Until he sees Taehyung leaning against the wall in the small corridor between the bathroom and the main area and he wants to run back into a stall and lock the door.
“Hey,” Taehyung says with a neutral tone that Jungkook hasn’t heard from him before. He straightens up as Jungkook’s eyes fix on the exit as if he knows that he’s trying to figure out how many steps it would take him to reach it if he strode.
“Hear me out before you run off again,” The sheer mention of Jungkook’s reaction makes his entire body cringe, but the gentleness in Taehyung’s voice just makes him feel bad.
“I can’t, Hoseok and I'll be late to our classes,” It’s not technically a lie, because if they talk and work this out right now Jungkook won’t want to leave, and they will be late, but it one thousand per cent feels like a lie coming out of his mouth and he feels disgustingly guilty and bad when he looks at Taehyung’s disappointed face.
“Well, then, at least pick up when I call you later?” He tries, a hint of a smile on his lips as he blocks Jungkook from leaving with his arm.
“You don’t have my number.”
Taehyung’s arm drops pathetically. “You’re right, I don’t.”
Jungkook gives a sympathetic shrug that comes off rather half-hearted as he mumbles “I’ll see you around,” before he leaves Taehyung, shoulders slumped and all, standing in the corridor.
Whoever goes to the bathroom next is gonna be really confused.
Hoseok’s holding a napkin in his hand when Jungkook gets back, eyes fixated to it as if he’s reading it or something and-
“Taehyung left you his number on this napkin.”
Oh.
Hoseok hands him it and Jungkook reads it with the undesirable knowledge that Hoseok’s read it too, before him. Probably a few times.
His handwriting is crushed on there, smudged and messy because ‘somy, mypem’s bod!’ as he put it, which Jungkook deciphers to mean that his pen doesn’t transfer well onto napkins. Which makes him wonder why he didn’t just use his notepad – like he did for the I.O.U.
Then Jungkook reads ‘I thought it’d be more romantic on a napkin – like a romcom!’ which swiftly answers his question. He hates the way his mouth grins so brightly at something so insignificant yet undeniably Taehyung.
Jungkookie, please stop ignoring me!!! :( (even the nickname makes his insides feel all warm)
I’m really sorry I kissed you – it was stupid. I should’ve asked first. I mean, I asked to hold your hand, didn’t I? hehe… um… I was just messing around because we were on a ‘date’ I thought you wouldn’t mind and
Actually, that’s a lie, sorry.
I like you, kookie.
Here’s my number. Just in case by some miracle you’re not totally grossed out??? Or you want to meet up so you can fight me. That’s ok too!!
At the bottom is Taehyung’s number scribbled as delicately as he could.
It finishes signed ‘Tae ♥’ which is perhaps the most endearing thing Jungkook’s ever seen and he doesn’t even have to question himself whether he likes Taehyung or not because he knows he does already.
Hoseok’s trying not to smile at him, but Jungkook sees it.
“Are you gonna go tell him?”
Jungkook pauses in the middle of re-reading the note.
“Tell him what?”
Hoseok looks at him with genuine exasperation.
“You like him, too!”
Jungkook runs this over in his head.
He likes Taehyung, Taehyung likes him – so surely it should make sense that they can just confront each other and be together and live happily ever after, right?
Jungkook can’t say that he’s avoiding it because he’s afraid that Taehyung doesn’t like him, or that he’s angry at him or anything like that because – as evident from his note- he’s not.
But Jungkook isn’t good with romance. And especially not boys with pretty eyes and pretty smiles and soft hair and who smell like sunshine, for god’s sake and he’s never, ever, witnessed someone who made his stomach knot with every single word they say.
In short, Jungkook’s afraid.
He doesn’t need time to sort his feelings out, per say, because he’s confident of those, but he needs time to figure out how the hell he’s supposed to tell Taehyung that, actually, he does like him without combusting.
“We should go.”
Hoseok pauses, a hundred signs of frustration whipping by on his face.
He sighs dramatically and says “I already paid.”
Before they leave, Jungkook takes a look behind him and sees Taehyung woefully drying a glass.
When they make eye contact, Jungkook looks away.
--
Jungkook’s made a habit of going past the diner – just to check on Taehyung.
He can’t stop thinking about him and it’s annoying.
Every single smudge on the canvas looks like Taehyung, every laughter on the street sounds like Taehyung, every baked good and sweet scent smells like Taehyung.
He’s had enough.
It’s in these moments of watching Taehyung go about his day, with an obvious puncture in his usual cheerful persona, from outside the diner that Jungkook just wants to punch himself and tell himself to grow the hell up and go talk to him.
But the more Jungkook leaves it the scarier confessing to Taehyung gets. And he can’t even say why it’s scary, because he knows if he tells him it’ll be fine – but he puts it off anyway.
He guesses this is the reason his art teacher always tells him to start his project early and stop leaving it until the first deadline.
Only there aren’t any deadlines – just Jungkook moping and Taehyung sad and Hoseok getting more frustrated by the day.
It’s been a week since Jungkook last spoke to him, at the diner with Hoseok, but it hasn’t been a week since Taehyung spoke to Jungkook.
It’s been about… three minutes.
Because today when Jungkook went past the diner Taehyung saw him.
He saw him, dropped a plate, and sprinted to the window (knocking over someone’s water in the process), smooshing his face up against the glass in a way that could only be described as, well, a puppy with its face pressed up against a window.
Jungkook completely blanked him.
Or at least he likes to think he did. In reality, he made an ugly sound of surprise, stammered some nonsense about him having to be somewhere and powerwalked the rest of the street.
And then, Taehyung texted him.
Tae♥: well…. u didn’t run 5 blocks this time – am I getting somewhere?
Which is… strange. Because Jungkook didn’t give him his number.
He had the decency to enter Taehyung’s number into his phone (and rename him), but he never texted him.
Me: … how did you get my number???
He texts back almost instantaneously.
Tae ♥ : i have my ways ;*
Tae ♥ : anywho~~ now that you’re talking to me – I’m sorry!!!! I’m sorry Jungkookie :(((
Jungkook doesn’t text back.
Five minutes later he gets a message from Taehyung that says ‘ok… :(( have a nice day :D’
He finds it agonisingly endearing.
--
Hoseok is done with Jungkook’s moping.
He won’t go to the cinema with him to see the new marvel film they’ve been waiting for, he won’t go out for lunch with him to their favourite café, he won’t even let Hoseok show him his new dance routine to make sure it’s okay.
“Jungkook, when are you gonna just talk to Taehyung-ah?”
Jungkook lifts his head from where it’s hung over the edge of the sofa, to look at Hoseok sitting at the other end (“like a normal person, kookie”) from between his knees.
“Don’t call him that. It’s too casual. You sound like we’re all best friends.”
Jungkook lowers his head down off the side of the sofa again and Hoseok feels a shred of disappointment at thinking Jungkook was coming around for a second.
Hoseok gets what Jungkook calls his ‘asshole grin’ and stretches his arms above him, saying “Well, he told me it was okay when I saw him at the diner yesterday,” in the cockiest, most asshole grin tone he has.
Jungkook’s head rises up so fast Hoseok wants to ask if he got whiplash, but thinks better of it before he does because Jungkook’s kinda scary (but still adorable) when he’s angry.
And he’s super strong.
“You… went to see him?” Jungkook doesn’t sound angry (thank God) but he does sound a little afraid, if not, definitely perplexed. Hoseok nods.
“Why?”
“I wanted a smoothie. And I gave him your number, but I had a coupon so-“
Jungkook bolts upright, “You gave him my number?!”
“Duh, who else would it be?”
“He hasn’t stopped texting and calling me!”
Hoseok feels pleased with that information, and Jungkook seems to get more agitated when he notices.
“That’s good! I told him to not stop calling you until you stopped acting so pathetic.”
“Pathetic?”
“You should’ve seen his face when he heard that – lit right up! So cute,” Hoseok rambles on during which Jungkook tries not to think about how he looks when he’s that happy and focuses more on which window would be best to throw Hoseok out of.
“Don’t worry though, I didn’t say anything about you liking him – you can do that yourself!”
Jungkook relaxes back into the sofa with a sigh of relief, “Thank God.”
“He did ask though,” And here marks the return all of the tension in his body “and I told him to try asking you in person because you’re bad with romance and if he leads the way you’ll follow!”
“That is not true,” Jungkook says firmly, glaring at Hoseok with an undeniably childish pout.
“Isn’t it?”
“No.”
“Then prove it!”
Jungkook’s face falls.
“What?”
Hoseok laughs darkly, contrasting completely with his cheery expression.“Prove it!” He coaxes, “Go tell Taehyung you like him. Then I’ll believe you,” He says it as if it’s that simple and for a second it sounds like it is.
Hoseok grins when Jungkook’s eyes flicker with that little bit of competitive drive he hates to show.
Jungkook is insanely, insanely competitive and Hoseok always likes to use that to his advantage.
His and Jungkook’s advantage, of course. He only wants what’s best for him.
And Kim Taehyung is just that.
“Fine,” Jungkook says.
Point one to Hoseok.
--
Jungkook doesn’t know why he agreed to it, and as Hoseok drives him to the diner he does nothing but fret and worry and stress the entire way.
“Stop freaking out,” Hoseok says with an annoying sense of ease, “He likes you!”
Jungkook tries not to wind himself up any further as he peers at Hoseok from his peripheral.
“That’s not the issue.”
“What else could possibly go wrong?”
“The issue is I don’t know if I can get the words out.”
“You’ll be fine. You just have to say it.”
“That’s all I had to do the first time. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m not great in this area.”
“I’ve noticed. We’ve all noticed.”
It’s true, Jungkook hasn’t exactly been a cassanova in his life.
A girl tried asking him to prom once in High School and he crashed into the locker behind him, walked into an open one and hobbled away with an apology.
“Why don’t we buy a big coat and-“
“No.”
Hoseok looks at him with a hurt expression as he pulls over outside the diner.
“You don’t even know what I was gonna say!”
“Buy a big coat so you can stand behind me and say it so I don’t have to.”
He raises his eyebrows in surprise, Jungkook clearly having been right, and mutters “I can do a really good impersonation of you.”
“Shut up, Hobi,” Jungkook says only semi-serious.
“Shut up, Hobi,”Hoseok repeats in a slightly higher, partially mocking, definitely exaggerated voice.
It’s good.
Jungkook scoffs and unclicks his seatbelt.
“Wish me luck,” He says, getting out of the car.
“Good luck. If anything goes wrong you can wear my clothes and pretend it was a doppel-“
Jungkook shuts the door.
He takes a breath before he enters.
But when he sees Taehyung, all traces of being calm and collected disintegrate entirely.
Jungkook rushes up and touches Taehyung’s arm, who spins around looking as if he’s ready to punch the potential kidnapper in the face if he needs to.
“Oh! Jungkook, it’s you!” He says excitedly, bouncing up on the balls of his feet slightly with a boyish smile.
Luckily for Jungkook (who hasn’t had the time to think of any words to say yet) Taehyung seems to have an entire soliloquy planned for this exact occasion and launches straight into it, not even giving himself a minute to breathe.
“It’s okay if you don’t like me back – well obviously you don’t because you literally ran away – but I just want you to stop avoiding me! I can conceal my feelings really well, watch!”
Taehyung inhales and exhales before putting on a strange voice, “Taehyung, how are you and Jungkook?” He looks to Jungkook and says in a stage whisper “That’s supposed to be my mom.”
He shrugs with a blank expression Jungkook’s only ever seen when he’s spaced out and can’t actually imagine him using it in daily conversation.
“Yeah we’re getting on well.
The strange voice comes round again, slightly higher this time, as he says “Oh, you aren’t interested In each other?”
Taehyung laughs, and it sounds weirdly genuine – Jungkook’s impressed at his acting - , “Of course not, mom. We’re just friends. Besides I’m interested in his hot friend.”
Taehyung looks at Jungkook with clear expectancy, grin evident on his face and eyes forming smile creases and he looks so ridiculously cute.
That once again Jungkook has no words.
“See? I can act well! I don’t care if you don’t like me – well, I definitely care, it makes me sad – but I don’t want to pressure you and I just want your company because I really really like you and you smell like honey and cinnamon and I like the way I can sit in silence with you and feel comfortable and your hair is really shiny and-.”
“Taehyung,” Jungkook’s voice surprises not only Taehyung, but himself, and Taehyung looks 40% fearful and 60% hopeful before Jungkook says “Have you eaten yet?”
Now, he just looks incredibly confused.
“Um, no.”
Jungkook smiles and says “Great lets go get food,” taking his hand and pulling him in the direction of the exit. Taehyung takes off his hat and apron with one hand and throws them on the coat rack, glancing over his shoulder at his boss with an exclamation of “I’m taking my break now!”
Neither of them say a word as they walk down the street, Jungkook glares daggers at Hoseok sitting in his car to warn him not to follow them.
He gives thumbs up with his Asshole Grin in response.
Taehyung seems to want to test the waters between them as he says “Not a date this time, I assume?”
Jungkook stops walking, and Taehyung looks like he’s about to start apologising all over again.
“No… it’s a date,” Jungkook says in a tone that sounds like it should be followed by ‘idiot’. If Taehyung looked confused earlier, now he looks completely lost.
“It is?” He asks and Jungkook kind of wants to relish in how goddamn cute he looks like this – with a tiny shred of hopefulness that makes him look almost child-like.
Jungkook is so, disastrously, smitten.
“Yeah.”
Taehyung looks like he could launch off into space right now from happiness. He moves to take Jungkook’s hand but then he stops himself and tilts his head, one corner of his mouth upturning simultaneously.
“Will you freak out again if I kiss you?”
Jungkook laughs, knows he’s only meaning it as a joke.
But today is the day that Kim Taehyung learns that Jungkook likes to go the extra mile in everything he does.
Just like him.
He places both hands on Taehyung’s shoulders to take his attention (although Jungkook’s sure neither of them could look away if they tried) and he leans in, stopping himself before their lips meet.
He can hear Taehyung’s surprise in his throat; can feel the warmth from his breath.
“Nope. Will you?”
He’s never heard someone deny something so quickly in his life.
Taehyung smiles as Jungkook kisses him.
That’s something that he decides right then and there that he loves about Taehyung.
It’s after ‘the way that he hums when he thinks no one’s going to hear him’.
And right before ‘the way falling in love with him feels.’