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After a short pause, her companion added, “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.”
Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation –
“Excuse me, do you happen to know where the cookbooks are?”
Startled from his reading, Yoongi snapped his book shut and looked up at the man in front of him. Or, rather, gaped up at the glorious countenance before him. The man could have easily played the stoic hero in the novel the librarian had been losing himself in: He was tall, broad shouldered, and had that elegant beauty that bespoke of refined breeding. Tipping his head slightly to one side, he narrowed his eyes as his brain attempted a hard reboot. But, all he could think about was how magnificently beautiful the man in front of him was…and how utterly grateful he was that his copy of Pride and Prejudice was tucked inside a fake book cover. “Uh.” He was the picture of eloquence really. “Cookbooks?”
The handsome man nodded, a bright smile causing his eyes to vanish into slits and little wrinkles to appear on either side of his nose. “Yeah. You do have a section, right?”
Yoongi cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, we’ve got cookbooks.” Sliding out of his seat, he double-checked that his book was shut before sauntering around to the other side of the counter. “I can show you where they are.”
Falling into step with the petite brunet, the man hummed happily under his breath. “I just moved to the area,” he confided after a moment of silence. “So I haven’t learned my way around yet. Next time, though, I promise I’ll bring you cookies or something as a thank you.” Tipping his head back, Yoongi found himself yet again confronted with that happy bow of a smile. “I’m Seokjin. Well, Jin. But .. yeah.” The man giggled, his broad shoulders shaking with each squeak.
Yoongi’s heart fluttered like it was some sort of ridiculous Regency era fan trapped inside his chest. (Could he get any more ridiculous?) “Yeah,” he mumbled after a moment. Shaking his head, he continued at an even faster pace towards the cookbooks. The sooner this man was delivered to the home section of the library, the sooner Yoongi could go hide behind his book.
“Do you have a name?” The brunet nearly tripped at that. “It’s just…you didn’t say yours?”
A bright, telling flush painted itself on the pale curve of Yoongi’s cheeks. “Yoongi. Just…Yoongi. No nickname.” He cleared his throat. “Here’s the cookbooks. I can check you out when you’re ready.” His shoulders drew up around his ears. “Help you check out. Your books. If you decide you want any.” Not even waiting for a reply, he all but dashed back to the counter. Picking up his book, he flipped it open to the right page and buried himself in the wonders of Jane Austen once more.
Chapters 58, 59, and 60 all melted away before Yoongi heard the soft ding of the bell in front of him. Blinking over the edge of the book, he looked up to find Seokjin – Jin – resting his elbows on the counter. Setting his book down, using a Magic 8 ball as a paperweight, Yoongi nodded to the stack. “I guess you found what you wanted, huh?”
Jin beamed at him. “Yep! This should at least get me started. I figure I can try a recipe from each book, and if I find one I like I can renew the book.”
Nodding, Yoongi drug the books over to the scanner. “So, you’re new here. You bring proof of residence with you, so we can get you a card?”
Jin produced a bill, which the librarian took. While Yoongi was distracted, the tall blond looked down at the book left open on the countertop. “Ooh! I never would have pegged you for an Austen fan. That explains why you kept sighing, though. I love Pride and Prejudice!” Jin had no idea that Yoongi’s eyes could get so big, but it seemed the quiet librarian was just full of surprises. “Have you read Sense and Sensibility?”
Yoongi was very tempted to duck down to hide in the cubby with the computer tower or run to the back. Surely Taehyung, social butterfly that he was, would be more than happy to help check Seokjin out. Help him check his … Whatever. But it was the kid’s break. It’d be cruel for Yoongi to interrupt that, just because he’d been caught reading a book. (A girly book, according to Namjoon, but it was still one of Yoongi’s favorites, so shut up.) “… Yeah. I like it.”
“Colonel Brandon is my absolute favorite!” Jin said happily, leaning his chin into hands like he was some sort of flower boy on display. He definitely was no Darcy – maybe Edward. Maybe.
“He’s pretty good.” Yoongi handed Jin his brand new card. “A bit…harder to get a read on.”
Taking the card, Jin winked. “I like guys that are a bit more mysterious. They’re more fun.” He tucked the newly minted library card away in his wallet. “Say… I heard that they’re showing Sense and Sensibility at The Peony. I know it maybe isn’t Pride and Prejudice, but I promise to not be too prejudice against your opinions on Brandon if you’ll not be too proud to accept my offer?”
Sitting the scanner down, Yoongi stared at Jin for several long moments – face entirely blank. Thinking he might have perhaps misread the situation, Jin opened his mouth to apologize, but Yoongi beat him to the punch: “If that’s your idea of persuasion, I might be better off taking a walk in the park.” He flushed a horrible shade of pink – again! “There’s a café down the street from there. One Fine Day. You want to meet there before for some coffee?”
Jin was practically effervescent. “It sounds like a date, Just Yoongi. Seven okay?”
Yoongi nodded. “Seven.”
“Can I get your number?” Jin took the stack of books that the brunet slid across the counter to him.
“No.” A tiny smirk curled the edge of the man’s lips. “It’s on the bottom of your receipt. See you at seven, Jin.” He winked at the shocked expression on Jin’s face before sailing off towards the break room. The moment was ruined when Yoongi dashed back to snag his book. “What, I’m on the last chapter!” was his only defense before he scurried off once more, leaving a giggling Jin in his wake.