Chapter Text
Taehyung is of the opinion that his manager hates him. Like it was just ten minutes extra, not his fault he had such a large lunch, and him trying to take it with him to the front just earned him a hard glare. He will never understand how that led to him staying back to lock the shop. It was just ten minutes extra!
He had to clear his throat twice to catch the attention of hopefully the last customer of the night, the “what can I get you?” almost gets stuck in his throat because, staring at him with wide bright eyes is an epitome of his type. Like if his type and his type were to have a baby.
“Hiiii” he stutters out, clearing his throat and internally side eyeing himself, he has more game than that.
“Hi!” his type replies, wide eyes narrowing with an odd expression on his face that he can't place at eleven in the night, “I will have number two to go please, it seems you’re closing up already” he says the last part grumbled to himself and if this isn’t just the perfect opportunity
“uuh, actually we close at twelve so you can pick any seat of your choice and enjoy your highly caffeinated drink at so late in the night Mr.??” he cuts off, catching his breath from the ramble. And Mr. his type just stares at him, eyes fleetingly tapping at the different points of his face, like he is searching for something, and he must have found it because the tension he had no idea rested on the stranger's features drains into what looked like a shadow of a smile, and is that amusement in his eyes? He would rather the man look at him with love, but he'll take what he can get,
But just to be sure he darts his eyes to the nearest reflective surface checking if he has whipped cream on his eyebrows again.
“Jungkook”
“What?!” he asks, whipping his eyes back to – “did you say Jungkook? I’m Taehyung nice to meet you_ and you’re walking away” and he’s not mad at all, if he had ass like that, he would walk away from everyone.
He picks up his rag and drags it back and forth on one of the tables, anything to disguise staring unblinkingly at the love of his life.
Come Monday, or is it Wednesday today? And he is still talking about the love of his life to anyone who would listen. “Did I mention his eyes?’
“Yep! About a billion times” Jimin says with a smile that does not quite reach his eyes, and he knows that smile. It's the I stopped listening to you about the moment you opened your mouth but i'm too wrapped up in my faking to be a nice person personality that I started in high school to tell you - smile
“Oh, don't smile so hard Jiminah you’ll hurt your face” he scolds, whipping out his phone to call his one true hyung who is actually nice and would listen to him all day, “ heeeey!! Hobi hyuunnngg –“ he trails off practically flinging his phone and turning to Jimin with his best customer care smile “that will be fifteen dollars” he says in a voice too high to be real, pushing his own half empty cup of water into the hands inspecting his phone for damages
“smooth” Jimin says with an eyeroll, “and I am not giving you fifteen dollars for plain water,” he says speaking very much too loudly
Taehyung darts his eyes to the back and yep! His manager is still leaning there, staring at him like he knows exactly what is going on, he gives him his tips bringing smile, with the crescent moon eyes and everything before turning back to the devils incarnate in the name of his friend, whispering harshly “you work with big shots in LA and can’t spare fifteen bucks for your best friend in the whole wide world? you stingy ass”
“Manager!” Jimin blares, and the only thing stopping Taehyung from picking up the very expensive cup of water and dumping it on his friend’s head is the fact that he can’t fight. Seriously he tried once in high school and lost bad. Do not let the height fool you, Jimin whooped his ass.
He is still grumbling about the fact that he will never make it to that employee of the month board when the light of his life strolls into the shop wearing leather, the bells on the door sounding not surprisingly like wedding bells to him, tingling gently behind him. A sound that is most definitely not a squeal at all, escapes him as he turns around to the empty space where Jimin was seated before he remembers he chased him out with a knife.
“Hi Jungkookie..” he drawls, and the only thing stopping him from calling him the sweetest of names in the universes is the name tag on his chest.
Jungkook gives him an amused smile with an eye roll, placing his order and going to his now favorite corner in the shop, and if he spends the last hours of his shift staring at his precious, as he alternates between reading and writing in his small note pad, then well… staring is not a crime anyway.
Summer break is coming to an end, and he does not know how he feels about the fact that he has not seen Jungkook for weeks now. He knows the possibility of the man just passing through the town or visiting his family is high, because he grew up in this town and there’s no way he wouldn’t remember a face like that.
But this is Hidden-Ville we're talking about here, Hiddenville. The problem alone lies in its name. who would spend their summer vacation in a tiny hidden town like this? But as the days goes by, he is forced to think of the possibility that his Jungkook is just gone. He thinks about researching Jungkook on google. The fact that he barely paid attention in school and still graduated with one of the highest CGPAS in his class is a testament to his researching skills. But on a second thought he decides against it. Something keeps holding him back, something as silly as dare he say fate? He may joke around all he wants but he has never felt as attracted to someone as he feels towards Jungkook. Someone who has never even given him an atom of attention before, and he just wants to see where it will go. If it’s a fluke, then he is very capable of letting things go.
On his last day of work, three days until he finds his way back to campus, the bells on the door to the café jingles and he raises his head up from muscle memory, and suddenly, the air is clearer, and the sun is brighter. Even breathing comes easier. Because walking into the café and going straight to his spot is his- is Jungkook and oh! he is not alone.
The girl is almost the same height with Jungkook, with dark black hair, sharp eyes and high cheek bones, she looks around the space, locking eyes with him and the bland expression used when entering a foreign place slips off her face, replaced with that of amusement. Taehyung darts his eyes to that reflective surface again because is his face funny? He has a fleeting thought of Jungkook probably telling her something to cause the reaction to him, but he loses track of his thought when he notices that Jungkook and his date seem to be arguing, he can't tell for sure, but with the amusement and almost glee still on the girl's face and the stony look her date is giving her, he is almost certain.
He could actually wait for one of them to approach the counter for their order, but his eyes keep getting pulled towards Jungkook. He does not think the man has ever looked as uncomfortable in the cafe as he looks right now, and this unsettles something in him. It's a good thing they are not too busy right now. He makes his way to the table with a tiny note pad and a pencil between his lips, Jungkook looks up and makes eye contact as he approaches but immediately looks away when he gets to the table.
“Hi Jungkookie” he beams, because self-preservation? He doesn’t know her.
Jungkook grunts a response like there's something stuck in his throat, Taehyung stares at him, smile gradually slipping away, the easy comradery they seem to have built in the few days they saw each other, completely gone. One would think he would probably be the one being rude, with the amount of jealousy bubbling in his stomach right now. But then again Jungkook definitely does not know about the five-year plan he made, ending with them married with two kids and a dog. How would he, when he is actively living his own plans with his girlfriend who he was currently on a date with. And ignoring him when he’s just being nice.
Yes, he has never been one for subtlety, maybe Jungkook knows of his crush? Maybe it makes him uncomfortable? Maybe that’s why he brought his girlfriend here? A big back off sign? Has he been that loud with his affections?
“Hi!” the girl chirps from where she has been quietly watching them, that same amusement in her eyes and he really wants to ask her what’s so funny, but he remembers he is working and slaps his customer service smile on and asks her what she’ll be having. She rattles off her order with a smile on her face and he can’t help but notice how beautiful she is, with tiny light dancing in her eyes, he jots down everything and turns to Jungkook, catching him as he hastily looks away from where he was obviously staring at him again, what’s his deal?
“The usual?” he asks, accepting the soft nod he receives as an approval from him. Apparently, he’s mute now. At least his girlfriend seems nice
He can't bring himself to go back with their orders, so he bribes Rose to do it for him. Besides, everyone actually orders from the counter.
He keeps talking himself out of the bad mood, it's not Jungkook’s fault. He never even gave him a sign that he was interested. Just because someone attractive is nice to you don’t mean they want to fuck you. Hell, Jungkook wasn’t even that nice to him. He just looks at him like he is a butt of a joke that he is not in on, only a lunatic would get mad at the situation. He is already skirting the line, and there’s only so much he could get away with before his father actually goes through with his threats and gets him tested.
So, he empties out his locker, hugs his colleagues dramatically like he won’t be seeing them on his next long break. But they are all used to him now. He drives through town, picking up lunch and dropping it off for his dad, before going through a drive through to pick up hamburgers and fries for himself because he deserves it. And his dad really doesn’t need to know that he cheats on him with greasy food when he’s the one who insists on his dad eating healthy.
He decides to take the long way home at the risk of his food getting cold to take in scenery, he may bitch about his small hometown to anyone who would listen, but he wouldn’t swap his it for anything. He rolls the windows of his car all the way down, singing loudly to the latest hit on the radio, he had no idea he even knew the words to, but the song is catchy, and it always seem to be on replay on the radio stations.
He screeches to a stop, cursing out religiously because where did he even come from? He rolls the car to a stop at the side of the road glaring at his almost roadkill, but Jungkook just keeps looking around like he is waiting for something to jump out and devour him at any moment now
“You know if you have a death wish they’re easier and less painful ways to go?” he speaks loudly to catch his attention, Jungkook turns and glares at him. Attention caught. Those eyes could do various things to him but scare him isn’t one of them, so he continues sarcastically “I hear drowning is not so bad”
“Shut up” Jungkook grunts out, Taehyung is actually beginning to think the other man is an animal of some sort, Jimin has been obsessing about one of his little books lately with a hot were wolf? Apparently grunting out words instead of communicating effectively does it for some people. Come to think of it, he never shuts up. He knows now that instead of snoring like a normal person, he talks in his sleep, he has various recording proof of this, such good friends he has. He thinks he just cracked the code of why he’s been single for so long, that has to be it.
“You space out a lot” Jungkook says with a small frown on his face, he wants to reach out and smooth it out, then he remembers he has a girlfriend and touching people without their permission is bad. plus, Jungkook looks like a biter
“When did you get into my car?” he asks instead,
Jungkook just gives him a deadpanned look before biting out, “drive” fastening his seatbelt and melting into the leather seat.
Taehyung love’s his car shitless, it belonged to his mother and that’s a testament to how old it is, so he knows his seats are not that comfortable to warrant the blending in Jungkook is attempting right now. “Are you okay?” he asks, starting the car and driving off, Jungkook ignores him of course. He is calculating how many years he would get, if he tells the jury that his unwanted passenger somehow tripped and rolled out of the car into the moving traffic all on his own, when the newly forced down his throat favorite song of the week starts playing again, he barely has the time to join the singer in belting out all of the words when Jungkook jerks like he he’s been struck, reaching out to turn off the radio
“How dare you?” Taehyung gasps, he really is thinking he dodged a bullet with this one because who forces themselves into someone’s car and messes with their radio? He reaches out to not only turn it back on, but to also turn it all the way up, and that leads to them fighting for the radio for a while, Taehyung is winning with just one hand, or maybe Jungkook is that tired.
“Could you at least turn it down?” Jungkook asks tiredly, and who is he to say no to his baby- okay halt, no referring to a taken man as baby even in his imagination. He offers his food to him instead to help him feel better
“don’t you dare touch my fries” he says, backtracking immediately “on another thought you could definitely have my fries, it's probably all cold and soggy by now.
Jungkook picks up the bag, putting his whole face inside to inspect the content before pulling out a burger, Taehyung has to grip the wheel tighter to stop himself from reaching out and squishing his cheeks, why is he so cute? and unavailable, and so hot at the same time, and sooo unavailable.
“Who said chivalry is dead?” Jungkook mutters, eyeing the weak fries like it personally offended him. Taehyung almost steps on the break because, chivalry? Why would? –
“What do you think about it?” Jungkook speaks suddenly, saving him from that train of thought.
“a little bit of context will go a long way here big guy” Taehyung replies with a smile
“The song! What did you think?” he grunts, and what’s with this guy and grunting? Seriously
Taehyung laughs, “what do I think about the song? Am I supposed to think something about it? It’s a pop song; I’m of the opinion that those aren’t really made to trigger thoughts. Maybe to forget them? It’s a simple song, that sounds like every other catchy song I hear on the radio, made to be fun?” he laughs again turning to Jungkook to gauge his expression as to why he asked that only to see him nibbling and nodding softly to his response. “How about you? He continues; you must hate it for you to fight so much to turn it down, even going as far as disrespecting my baby”
“yeah” Jungkook replies, “it seems to be following me wherever I go, and I’m sick of it
“Yeah, well popular songs terns to do that to you, at first, you’re like what’s this? You may like it at first or you may not, but listen to it long enough, and you’re belting out the words and dancing to it. And hear it too much, and you can develop a gag reflex to it.”
“Do you do that?" Jungkook asks, and that amuse look is back in his eyes “belt and dance to it?”
Taehyung takes that as the invitation that it is, to sing the song really loudly and off key. But at least he succeeds in getting one line of the chorus right.
At the end of it, Jungkook wishes he had super-fast healing, so he could jump out of a moving car without being worried. “wow” he says, sticking his finger in his ears in an attempt to pop it
Taehyung rolls his eyes, pulling into the driveway of his house. “Please, with a little training I could be singing on stage with that guy.”
“I can actually see it” Jungkook says with a chuckle, and it’s the first time he is going beyond a smirk or an amused look. Of course, Taehyung has to pause to take it, because the cutie actually smiles with his eyes, awwwwie.
“Is this your house?” Jungkook askes,
“it’s actually my dad’s house?" he replies sarcastically, "our economy doesn’t really make it easy for a college student to own a house now does it?”
“So, you brought me to your house after giving me cold burger and dead fries? How romantic”
Taehyung pauses to look at him, is that flirting? Does sarcasm play a role in flirting? Jungkook though is already making his way out of the car with a straight face, so maybe he was just joking? Obviously, he has a girlfriend.
“ha ha ha” Taehyung mocks a minute too late, “getting into someone’s car and ordering ‘drive’ doesn’t really give much info on where to go does it?” he complains, but Jungkook is already at the door waiting to be let in, “besides” he continues “I have to pack my bags anyway, leaving back to college in three days” he blushes, knowing he didn’t have to add that last part, but at this point? Embarrassment is his middle name.
They go straight to his room, he offers to order pizza, but Jungkook declines, saying he has had his full of unhealthy food for the week, so he goes straight to packing his few belongings because he travels like a cave man. And why is he packing three days before he actually has to leave? Well because if he does not, he'll forget something as important as his laptop charger. So, he focuses on folding while Jungkook goes around the small space poking and touching everything that catches his eyes until he finds his old guitar somewhere. Seriously, where did he find it? He can’t remember the last time he saw it
Jungkook turns to him with raised eyebrows, and Taehyung just raises his eyebrows back because two people can play that game. Jungkook rolls his eyes “you play?” he asks, and Taehyung could point out that see, you get answers when you use your words like a big boy, but he lets it go, and Jimin says he’s childish.
“Nope, but I had a lot of interests in a lot of things growing up” he answers instead.
Jungkook hums, finding his way to the only chair in the room. In three minutes, he already has the instrument tuned and is playing random tunes and sounds. Taehyung doesn’t have to ask if he plays because he obviously knows his way around the instrument.
Taehyung does not know how the time passed so fast, but one minute he was folding his clothes, and the next he was looking up to find it was already getting dark outside. Not long after that, he hears the sound of a car pulling up in front of the house, and the very beautiful girl from earlier is stepping out and leaning on the car. Jungkook’s girlfriend came to pick him up? it seems so far away instead of a few hours ago since they were all at the café.
he finds it funny how Jungkook just quietly did his own thing, while he did his so comfortably like this is not his first time in the house. Everything just seemed so natural he forgot that Jungkook is practically a stranger.
“Your girlfriend is here” he says to his house guest, who jerks like he was lost in his own thoughts or something
“My girlfriend?” Jungkook asks, and what’s with the amused look?
“yeah” Taehyung says pointing to the window, at the girl who is on her phone tapping away, when did Jungkook even tell her he was here? Maybe he texted her? who did he tell her he was with? The boy from the cafe who he wouldn’t even talk to? Jungkook rises from the chair, placing the guitar carefully like it is made of glass, before stretching like a cat. Then he is gone, muttering a quiet thanks on his way out.
And it occurs to him that he still knows nothing about the man. Not his last name, nor where he is from. He and his girlfriend are definitely not from here, he would have known them if they were, and no one drives a car like that in Hidden Ville. He watches Jungkook as he walks to the passenger side with his head down, ignoring the loud laughter coming from the shaking body of his girlfriend. Taehyung wonders what is always so funny. He sighs, turning away from his window. Summer is almost over, their vacation or whatever it is they’re doing in Hidden-Ville, is probably almost over and he is going back to school. Maybe it is all for the best.
He walks slowly to his desk, picking up the guitar almost as gently as Jungkook did, only to pause midway. Laying on his desk is a piece of paper from the little note pad on the desk, a piece of paper with a phone number written on it. Below the number, is a tiny neatly spelled Jungkook.
Taehyung lets out a breath he had no idea was holding. What the hell does this mean now?