Work Text
Waking up to the incessant ringing of his alarm clock was by far Yoongi’s favorite way to start the day. If one could tell by the way he pushes it off of his bedside table, proceeds to pull his blanket over his head, and curl back in the warm confines of dreamland. Although he loved his job and the work he accomplished while at the shop; there was a reason he held a reputation of showing up only when he wanted to. Generously giving himself an extra hour of sleep was precisely it. After he managed to drag himself out of bed and into a much-needed shower, in order to at least be presentable in public, he grabbed his messenger bag and headed out the door. The tattoo shop Yoongi worked at was only a 15-minute walk from his apartment, and frankly the longest 15 minutes of his entire life. Or so it felt like it… Arriving at his destination, Yoongi walked through the small space of the foyer to the front corner of the shop, approaching the main desk. Stepping behind it, putting down his bag, and flopping down onto the cushioned chair he naps in more often than he will ever admit. Upon his arrival he had caught the attention of everyone else in the small shop, and while most were impervious to his tardiness, some of his more uptight co-workers did not appreciate the leniency he was granted by their boss, Kim Namjoon. Almost as if on cue, said boss appears out of his office in the back and gives the man already dozing in the chair a once over before sighing and proceeding with his task. Not daring to poke the bear that Min Yoongi is first thing in the morning. It wasn’t until a questionable amount of time had passed before he opened his eyes again to look at the world surrounding him. The shop was a quaint, little place that held almost everything that Yoongi loved in the world, minus the people of course. He had grown up loving art and had always dreamed of doing it for a living, even if that ended him in a less tasteful career than traditional artists. Nevertheless, he loved everything about the work he did. It wasn’t just about the art, though that was what got him there in the first place, it was about everything that came with it. From the atmosphere and the people, it captured and brought in. Crazy stories no one could make up even if they tried, to tear streaked faces of those remembering a loved one. He loved the adrenaline of the second you first mark someone’s virgin skin with ink that lasts a lifetime. The sheer fact that hundreds of people who came and went trusting Yoongi enough to mark their body permanently. Their happy faces and “thank you’s’” they carried with them simply because of Yoongi’s work. It was the most rewarding feeling he would ever know. It was a feeling that nobody could take away from him, one that was all his own. Even so, one of Yoongi’s favorite things about where he works is the fact that his favorite place in the entire world is directly across the street. Not only the only place the man will purchase coffee for more than a few dollars, but also the spot he goes to promptly escape all of his responsibilities. It is a quaint, cozy coffee shop that is connected to an upstairs library that is filled with everything from the classics to modern works of literature. Next to art, reading was one of the only other activities Yoongi could enjoy doing for hours on end. Almost everyday after work Yoongi would find himself on the second floor where the library was, with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other. He always carried a small blanket and neck pillow in his bag just in case he was too tired to read and would decide to nap up there instead. In the midst of his daydreaming he had failed to notice the bell on the door ringing and a customer waiting on him to provide them service. Slightly spooked, Yoongi halfheartedly apologized, glancing around the shop gauging everyone’s reaction before tending to his job with the customer at hand. After assigning said customer with their respective artist, he removed his sketch pad from his bad and started doodling. After all his first appointment wasn’t supposed to be here for another hour. He had time to do whatever he wanted for the time being.Not even five minutes into his mindless sketching he felt a presence looming in front of him. Looking up he came face to face with a smug looking Jungkook who had just wheeled himself over in a rolling chair after finishing with a customer and was now smirking up at him with his head resting in his hands. Unamused, Yoongi went back to his sketching. “What do you want Kook?” “Peachy as always Hyung.” Yoongi scoffed and continued to try and ignore the younger trying to start conversation with him. Not that he didn’t care for his friend, he did, really. He just did not see the appeal of indulging in small talk this soon of him waking up. Despite his mood he decided to try to indulge him a bit, after all Jungkook was one of the few people he actually cared for in this world. He was the closest thing to a little brother he had. “Shouldn’t you be working?” Barely choosing to glance up at Jungkook through his eyelashes. It was Jungkook’s turn to scoff, “Unlike you, Hyung, I’ve already finished up three customers today.” “Aren’t we just mister employee of the month.” Yoongi remarked with the least enthusiastic tone of the century. This remark made Jungkook laugh, satisfied with the conversation, he decided to wheel himself away to clean up his station and leave Yoongi to his own devices. Yoongi sighed looking out the window, seeing as how rain had started coming down in massive amounts, accompanied by thunder. This was his favorite type of weather. The kind that would find him curled up in a big chair in the library, wrapped in a blanket, with a novel or sketch book in his hand. He looked longingly out of the window to the building across the street. As much as he loved his line of work, it was days like this where he wished he could call it off and disappear to the cozy confines of the coffee scented haven.It was like the universe was against him when in the next minute his first customer of the day walked in asking for their appointment with none other than himself. This was going to be a long day… Close to ten tattoos later and Yoongi was finally finished and could go be lazy the rest of the day. Which is what he does every day, but it is still a reward, nonetheless. Cleaning up his station as fast as possible he grabs his bag from behind the main desk, but before he can walk out the door a hand on his shoulder stops him. Turning around to see Namjoon looking down at him with a sad smile on his face. “Forgetting you have friends here Hyung? All you do is come in and work anymore. Can’t even spare me a glance once in a while?” Looking up at the man who has been there for him through more than any other person, the smile on his face trying to play off the hurt in his eyes. Though it bothered him, he couldn’t let his friend see that. He turned so Namjoon couldn’t see how his words were affecting him, because it was easier to feign indifference if he did not let his emotions show. “Just tired is all. See you tomorrow Joon” He spoke as if nothing was bothering him as he walked out of the door without sparing a look behind him. If his heart was a thousand pieces in his chest due to his friends’ words and hurt expression, then no one had to know… Finally being able to purchase his iced americano and settle into the warmth that was the giant library chairs, was like a breath of fresh air. Content with his peaceful surroundings, he let himself relax against the chair and watch the rain fall over the dreary landscape. It put him at peace focusing on the sound of the rain on the ground below, wiping his thoughts clean of how upset his friend had seemed due to his basically, nonexistent friendship lately. He did not have the emotional stamina to try and deal with his relationships, so instead he did what he did best. Ignoring all of his problems in favor for drowning in the comfort of a docile environment. Reclining himself back as he brought his sketchbook from his bag and drew anything and everything he could think of. Letting his mind wander to worlds he himself could not fathom traveling to, but dreamed about, despite how his heart broke at the impossibility. After all, how likely is it for two of your childhood dreams to come true in one lifetime? Shaking his head to rid himself of his impending dark thoughts; he looked around the room to get some inspiration for the next page of his sketchbook. As he was scanning the room his gaze landed upon a cute boy enthusiastically talking to someone behind the main desk. Correction. A very cute boy. Yoongi felt the heat of blush blooming across his face as he continued to observe the most adorable exchange of words, he has ever seen in his entire twenty-six years of living.Sue him. Finding the inspiration, he was after, Yoongi flipped the page in his sketchbook and started sketching the very animated gentleman working behind the counter. Trying not to make it obvious that he was peering at the stranger much more frequently than he should be. His heart constricted every time the man smiled; his eyes seeming to close completely while showing off teeth that out-shone diamonds. Yoongi almost had a heart attack every time he found himself staring particularly too long on the way the other man pushed his hair out of his face, or how he closed in on himself when he laughed. Making himself look even smaller than he already appeared, and if it melted Yoongi’s seemingly stone-cold heart nobody had to know. He even almost had himself fooled until a certain pair of bright eyes landed in his direction. Yoongi froze in fear and then, too late, realized he never looked away from the man staring back at him with an amused expression on his face. From what Yoongi could tell, his friend had also noticed the exchange and seemed to be making jokes with wild gestures and laughter. Yoongi definitely did not help his case when he jerked his head away with a definite blush across his face. Trying to feign ignorance even though he knew he was being blatantly obvious. He spent the rest of his time in the library working on his sketch purely from memory, not daring to damage his pride anymore than he already had. Not glancing at the man proved to be more difficult in practice than the idea had been in his thoughts. He had never had trouble ignoring other humans before, so to say he was terrified of the longing feeling in his chest when he couldn’t look at the cute librarian was an understatement.As if he had not already been having the inner turmoil of his life at the moment; he suddenly felt his whole world crashing down the second the attractive man decided to plop into the chair that was directly across from Yoongi. Ok, it probably wasn’t that dramatic but Yoongi felt every bit of its truth as his heart hammered in his chest as the stunning creature watched him with expectancy. The only thing he knew to do in order to save face was to put up a front and act like the brooding asshole he always portrayed. After all, pushing people away always seemed to be what he was best at. Sitting up straight in his seat and composing himself Yoongi put on his signature ‘unamused’ glare he gave to everyone when he wanted them to leave him alone. Seemingly unperturbed by his change in demeanor; the other man took it upon himself to make small talk between the two. “I like your tattoos.” The orange haired man said as he gestured down toward Yoongi’s arms that were showing through his black t-shirt. Up this close Yoongi could see just how soft that orange hair was, and how well it complimented the fluffy, cream-colored sweater the man had on. He was gorgeous. Yoongi was, both taken aback by the unexpected compliment and the awaiting expression the man across from him was wearing. Despite knowing that he was supposed to be answering with a “thank you” or literally anything; he couldn’t find it in himself to even breathe, much less form words to speak at the moment. He finally managed to produce a small “thanks” in return for the seemingly genuine admiration in the other’s mannerisms while he was trying to make small talk. Which frankly Yoongi hated, but even he could admit was much tolerable when initiated by an attractive person. Although, even by that little fact didn’t change the fact that Yoongi wanted to be left alone, so he left it as that small gesture of acknowledgement and hoped he would be left alone until he decided to head home. Throwing his left leg to rest over his right he curled his body into the arm of the chair and continued his drawing. Making sure to keep the content hidden from the other man as not to be even more embarrassed than he already was. Which is why the next question thrown his way actually made his heart stop. “What are you drawing?” The smaller male asked with probably the most endearing expression on his face; clearly actually really wanting to know. Yoongi could not fathom as to why someone would be so eager to know what’s in a stranger’s sketchbook, but maybe he felt like he would have shared with this stranger if he weren’t currently dragging the graphite tip of his pencil over the other man’s plush cheeks. Yoongi smirked a little at his next words as he thought of a way to diffuse his situation. “It’s a secret,” he mused as he kept a stoic look on his face even though he was quite proud of the groan that came from the seat in front of him. Causing said groaning boy to pick himself up off of the seat, fold his legs under him, and sit with his elbows resting against his legs. The man across from him seemed content with just sitting there and observing him as he continued drawing. He didn’t how what to do when he was gaining this much attention from a man he has been ogling all evening. Seeing as though no one has ever shown this much interest in him in all his years of living. It was nice to say the least, but Yoongi wouldn’t dare give in to these newfound feelings of infatuation. After all, the kid probably only felt it necessary to evaluate someone who had obviously been starting at him for the last hour and a half. He didn’t even really need to work on the drawing anymore because it was finished to the extent that Yoongi liked it. At this point it was just a distraction from the intense attention. Reaching his max level of discomfort, he finally decided to close his book and lean forward in his seat. He mustered up his most unenthused tone, “Do you always bother strangers in the library?” He quirked his eyebrow and prided himself on looking at the man’s face while he spoke. As easy as it was to get lost in those eyes, he managed. Meanwhile, the orange haired spoke back with amusement in his voice as he spoke back with a smirk plastered on his face. “Do you always stare at the employees at the library?"
Seeing how proud the smaller man was at his own declaration; Yoongi had indeed had enough of the library and its attractive employees for the day. Using the fact that it was getting late as an excuse to leave before his pride got crushed even more, if that were even possible at this point. He moved to pack up all of his belongings and make his way back to his apartment. The entire time he was packing up he could hear the other man chuckling softly while wearing the most endearing smile he had ever seen. Stealing one last glance at the overjoyed man, feeling his cheeks heat up more and more as the seconds passed, he threw his bag over his shoulder before walking past him and toward the exit. Just as Yoongi thought he was home free the other employee behind the counter that had been talking to the orange haired male spoke up, in the loudest voice he had come across in his entire life, as he passed the front desk. “His name is Jimin and he’s here every weekday except Friday.” Yoongi spared him one glance only to get a wink and an even deeper blush on his cheeks before he stormed off, slamming the door on his way out. Making it back to his apartment in record time, Yoongi only took the time to throw his bag in the corner of the room before subsequently throwing himself onto his bed. He was never this bothered by anything, always throwing on an ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude and moving on with his life. Out of all things to bother him to this extent it just had to be over a cute boy who just so happened to be the cause and witness of his demise. Taking out his emotions by thrashing around in his bed until he tired himself out, and then realizing after he was done that he was overreacting. He felt ashamed that a small encounter could make him feel like he was re-living his first high school crush all over again. This realization only made him burry himself further into the comfort of his bed and continue groaning to his hearts content. From now on, he vowed, he wouldn’t let this cute boy turn him into the soft mess of a man he was today. He would be stronger and act as he always does around strangers; that cold and heartless front he shows to everyone without hesitation. He could not let his feelings get in the way he had brought himself to live on his own. The only way he thought he could survive in this world was to shut everyone out and mind his own business. He only wished it were that easy to live out as it was to imagine in his head…
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Jimin had barely managed to fall asleep, only after the small clock on his bedside table read, “4:00AM.” Just to wake up merely 4 hours later clutching his chest, gasping for air as his body automatically curled in on itself, grabbing onto his fluffiest blanket for comfort. This was how most of his days started, panic waking him without so much as a warning to his conscious mind. Every night he fought to sleep, and every morning he fought with his body to just let him go back. After almost five minutes of willing his body to calm down, he felt the tightness in his chest slowly subside and his breathing go back to normal. Feeling his body relax into the soft blanket wrapped around him. Closing his eyes, he let himself get drowned in the feeling of the comfort surrounding him. His mind was far from at peace, and he never could fall back asleep after waking up drenched in panic. However, he allowed himself to bask in the feeling of his body unwinding and watching the sun come up and in through his window. The sunlight warming him and bringing him some much-needed peace and time to relax until he had to get ready for work. Jimin showered, taking his time to bask in his favorite strawberry scented shampoo and body wash before stepping out to dry himself. He snuggled into the soft towel he was using to dry his hair and face with, while another was wrapped securely around his hips. Breathing in the sweet-smelling fabric softener before lifting his head to look at himself through the fog in his bathroom mirror. Taking in the look of his sunken eyes in contrast to his clear, freshly washed skin and hair.He felt much better after a shower, but the lack of sleep still showed in his outward appearance. Reaching in his bathroom drawer he pulled out the emergency concealer and foundation he kept for these exact purposes. Dabbing a bit around his eyes and blending it in to the needed areas around his face before drying his hair and finding an appropriate outfit for his shift at the library. Jimin was grateful he had a job that allowed him to dress comfortably. Especially when he was working in the confines of a warm library that smelled like coffee and home. Even if it was a place he was obligated to frequent; it was still the only place in which he felt safe. Working in a quiet environment that attracted nice, quiet people whom he enjoyed being around, and an overly talkative co-worker that made him forget about all the bad in the world, if only for a few hours a day. Jimin had worked here for quite some time now, but only recently had he picked up the shift during the weekdays. Weekends not being enough to sustain him on his own; the extra time out of the house faired well for his mental health as well. This was something his best friend, Taehyung was happy about once Jimin had made the decision. Worried for his friend whom he knew had a history of terrible coping mechanisms and episodes of manic depression. Two things that proved the need to be watched over on a regular basis- not that Taehyung would ever admit to watching over him. Knowing how damaging that could be to an independent, full-grown adult. This was mostly due to the environment Jimin had lived in for the entirety of his young life. Home was never a comforting place to be for him considering what it was like for him as a child. Between screaming parents and bruises on every inch of his skin; home would never mean anything more to him than heartbreak and pain. This held true even though he had left at eighteen and had not set foot in the house he grew up in since. Solemnly accepting the fact that home would never be a place of comfort or safety for him; despite his parents’ presence or the lack thereof. The library was quite a distance from where Jimin’s apartment building was located. Taking him nearly thirty to forty minutes to walk there every day- he didn’t mind. It gave him much needed time in the morning for him to clear his head and enjoy nature as he strolled along the sidewalk. Smelling the flowers and fresh-cut grass in the summer and the feeling of crunching snow beneath his feet in the winter. Getting lost in his thoughts until he found himself walking up to the door of the coffee shop; the bell ringing as a sign of him entering. Ordering a small strawberry tea for himself, as he does most mornings, before ascending the stairs that leads to the library on the second floor. It was around twelve ‘o’clock and he was the first to arrive- as usual. Tapping his ID on the machine that was on the wall next to the main desk; signaling the start to his work day. He got to work organizing the books on the shelves, making sure they were all in their proper positions and turned the correct way. This was his favorite part of his job; showing up early to the quiet environment and busying himself with the mundane tasks for the work day, while drowning in the soft piano music filtering in through the speakers in the ceiling. It was calming and a great way to motivate and prepare him for the rest of his day of dealing with the people in the library, and any mishaps that his co-worker accidentally comes across that needs tending to. Right now, he had the opportunity to be in his own space and get his work done without any outside interruptions. He was almost finished when he heard the bell chime on the door and the high-pitched tone of a voice traveling through the entirety of the library. “Jiminieeeee!” His co-worker, Hoseok, who was always too happy for everyone’s own good was confidently strolling to the main desk to clock in and begin his tasks for the day. Jimin swore he couldn’t be human because, really, what human could be that happy every day? Jimin finished organizing the last of the books on the shelves, picked himself up off the floor, and walking to sit on the stool that he dragged from the back room. Hoseok always brought them lunch before anyone started showing up. Sometimes Jimin would surprise the other and buy them food as well, although, he didn’t let himself dwell on the fact that Hoseok pays for their lunch basically every day. He knows how genuinely happy it makes the other to provide for his friends and has kept himself sane by that fact alone for the most part. Sitting back, making small talk, and eating food was how every day at work started for these two. Usually having approximately thirty minutes to chill before the first person would walk in and start browsing the collection presented in the library. They never had an incredibly vast number of people, but it was a fairly popular place for locals to come and wind down. Popular in the sense of old people and dedicated college students that would go there to study. There were the select few avid readers that came around and regularly returned books in favor for a new one to read until the next week. Jimin knew most of them by name and always tried to make the transaction a positive experience for them. He was a very friendly person, while not nearly as friendly as Taehyung and glad for that, who was always up for getting to know about new people. Being far from a shy person it was easy for him to bug the shit out of people he was curious about and not have any qualms on the matter. He believed a smile and nice gesture could make anyone’s day a little better; even when said person happened to be one of the most attractive men he had laid his twenty-three-year-old eyes on. Albeit, he wasn’t completely sure about confronting the man, sitting in the corner chair sketching, wearing black jeans who also happened to have two full sleeves of tattoos on his arms- Jimin always did love the bad boy look. It’s not like he felt obligated to speak to him, but he noticed when he walked in he wasn’t in the best mood and Jimin always did love to make other people’s days better. This one was needing much more courage than usual because of the immense attraction Jimin felt to the tattooed man. He spent a good hour or two contemplating his decisions when Hoseok spoke up, startling him from his thoughts. “Looks like you have a stalker.” Jimin, having no idea what his friend was talking about, looked at him quizzically with an eyebrow raised in question. Upon his confusion, Hoseok nodded in the direction of what he was considering stalker behavior. When Jimin turned to inspect the scene, he met the eyes of the tattooed man staring back at him. He watched as the other’s eyes grew wide in shock before he quickly looked away, back down at the page in front of him. “How long has he been staring?” Jimin asked incredulously, just finding out the man he had been secretly ogling had not so secretly been doing the same to him. Not that it bothered him in the slightest; if anything, it might have just given him the confidence he needed to bring himself to talk to him. “A while,” Hoseok answered, sitting to rest his head in the cradle of his hands as his elbows pivoted on the table below him. Looking up at Jimin and giving a signature wave of his eyebrows accompanied by a fat smirk. Jimin rolled his eyes at his friend before looking up at the person walking toward the desk with a select few books in their hand. Taking them and using the computer in front of him to check them out before giving them back to the person with a smile. Once he was finished he felt the rolling chair he was sitting in start turning as Hoseok moved him to face himself. Looking down on him, for he was now sitting on the stool while Jimin was in the lower, comfier chair. “So, you going to go talk to him? The way Taehyung talks he’s totally your type.” Jimin barked back a laugh, amusement written all over his face. Even though Jimin wasn’t particularly looking for a relationship, he couldn’t say his friends’ accusations were wrong. He did always like the bad boy types. “Eventually,” Jimin answered with a slight smirk on his face before rolling his eyes once again in his co-worker’s direction before turning back around to face his work station.
Taking nearly thirty minutes more to evaluate the radiating aura of the man across the library. He finally decided now was a good time as ever to start up a conversation with the other. Jimin turned to Hoseok before quickly stating, “it’s your turn” before giving the padded seat to him.Walking past Hoseok and having to swat his hand away from the back of his thigh, getting an ear-full of his amused “go get ‘em tiger,” was the last thing Jimin did before making his way over to his previously dubbed “stalker.” Sauntering over to the man who was oblivious to the storm that is Park Jimin he was getting ready to experience. Jimin chuckled, in his own regard to how he was planning to approach the unexpecting stranger. He always said go big or go home, and he definitely wanted danger boy to have a good first impression of him. At least if it wasn’t a good impression it would at least be a memorable one Jimin thought once he was only a few strides away from his destination. Reaching the chair sat in front of the very attractive stranger, Jimin acted by throwing himself onto the chair, crossing his legs underneath him, while showing his brightest smile. Even with the death glare the man across from him was shooting his way, Jimin was never one to back down or give up. Using his surroundings to his advantage, he decided to choose a conversation topic he thought the other would be able to roll with best. “I like your tattoos.” Jimin sat in the seat patiently waiting for a response, smile never faltering for even a second, not wanting to show any signs of discouragement. He was confident in his people skills and was determined to at least try and make this seemingly upset person smile by the end of their encounter. He had also been kind of looking for an excuse to get a closer look at the ink that colored the others skin so well-Jimin really loved boys with tattoos. Apparently, the man sitting across from him was not expecting the sudden compliment, based on the shocked expression that fell on his face. The black-haired man seeming as if he was going through a mental breakdown before finally bringing himself to replying back. Jimin only smiled wider, thinking it was quite adorable how the other was reacting. Noticing how the stranger had closed in on himself in the chair in the awkward silence; Jimin needed another conversation starter in order to keep talking to him. Looking down and realizing he had been drawing in a sketchbook he took this as his cue. “What are you drawing?” Jimin asked very excitedly, hoping the other man would be generous enough to share it with him. The male in front of him seemed to tense up at the topic of showing his sketch book, but just as quickly a small smirk made its way across his face. Jimin saw this as close to a success he was going to manage; even if the smirk left as soon as it came, it was a success nonetheless. Receiving a snarky, “it’s a secret” was not the response Jimin was expecting and in turn frustrated him. Picking himself up from his seat with his arms and situating his legs in a more comfortable position, he opted to just sit in silence with the man if he wasn’t going to get anything from small talk alone. Resting his head on his right hand as it was resting on his knee, Jimin took his time studying the artist in front of him. From the ripped black jeans and combat boots he wore, to the way his fluffy hair fell into his eyes while he kept his gaze on the page in front of him. He had fair skin, was very small yet intimidating, and both of those factors plus the fact he seemed to be wearing black eyeliner, was driving Jimin to the edge of insanity. He was too pretty to be real. Interrupting Jimin’s thoughts was a deep voice accompanied by a very blunt question that had his head spinning. “Do you always bother strangers in the library?” lifting his gaze up until his eyes met Jimin’s; smirk coloring his face with mirth as he was clearly proud of the statement. However, Jimin was not the type of person to get embarrassed easily in social situations, and was very much aware of the fact he was openly staring at the man. So, instead of getting flustered and acting as the other was expecting him to, he returned the smirk with just as much amusement and shot back a, “do you always stare at the employees at the library?” Keeping their eyes locked and not trying to hide how proud he was of himself for making the male in front of him furrow his eyebrows in frustration. Showing that he indeed did notice and probably not making the situation any better for the man in front of him. His smirk growing exponentially when danger boy packed his things, mumbling something about the time before throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking away from him. Jimin was far from offended, keeping his position on the chair and silently smiling to himself. Shaking his head when he heard a familiar voice yelling out his schedule and name before the sound of a slamming door sounded through the library. Finding it endearing at how easily flustered the artist seemed to get from just a simple conversation and a bit of playful banter. Smiling and mulling over their encounter a few seconds more, before making his way back to the front desk where his friend was smiling at the smug expression he was wearing. Jimin slipped back onto the stool behind Hoseok as if nothing happened; meanwhile, Hoseok was too curious a creature to accept Jimin’s smile as answer enough to how the encounter went.“What did you even say to him for him to storm out of here like that?” Hoseok asked, turning the chair around so they were sitting face to face. Jimin simply shrugged his shoulders, as it wasn’t a big deal, “he got smart with me, so I got smart back.” Hoseok looked at him in amused disbelief, “and it made him act like that? He practically slammed our door off its hinges.” Jimin shrugged in reply as he thought it over in his head, “I think I embarrassed him.” Hoseok nodded his head in agreement before swiveling his chair back around and continuing his work. Another hour and a half passed before evening settled over the city and it was time to clock out and go home. The part of the day Jimin despised the most-going home. He always made sure to take his time saying goodbye to Hoseok before making his way onto the sidewalk on the path to his apartment. Walking as slow as possible and taking in every detail of the nature growing through the cracks in the concrete beneath his feet. Stopping by the local bakery, picking up dinner for himself and dropping the change he received from his purchase into the tip jar on the counter. Walking even slower the rest of the way always taking his time pulling apart his food with his hands. Drawing out the walk to his apartment building as long as he possibly can. The tight feeling in his chest shooting through his body again as soon as he is nearing the corner of the street a block away. It happens the same way every day. Anxiety slowly increasing the closer he gets to his apartment. Until he reaches the front of the building, shaky hands reaching to open the main doors. Running up the stairs as fast as he possibly can, always barely able to fit the key into the slot in the door before throwing himself into the front room. Only able to shut the door behind him before sliding down it into a pile of nonstop tears that wrack through his whole body. The speed he used climbing the stairs not making it any easier for him to catch his breath; stolen from him by the insurmountable anxiety he feels spreading through him. Only getting worse as the time passes; ears ringing, limbs falling numb, vision swimming with tears. The only sensation holding him to his senses were his hands digging into his knees as he hugged them, willing his body to free him from the hell he lived every day. It didn’t matter where it was he lived, no matter how many houses he had moved in an effort to stop his body from acting this way at the aspect of returning home. After countless attempts at trying to fix the damage his parents created he could only begin to believe this was something that would never change for him. Something he would never be able to move past no matter the efforts he made. Minutes pass that feel like an eternity for Jimin’s panic ridden mind. Body starting to feel the edge of calming down, slowly beginning to uncurl himself from his body and sitting up straight. Not daring to trust his legs to stand until their shaking subsided. Carrying himself from the entryway to his bedroom, body continuing to shake through the shock, before crawling onto his bed and burying himself into the soft blankets. Tears still making their way down his cheeks for a while longer before he was completely able to relax.
Exhausted beyond belief, Jimin snuggled into his bed until he was comfortable. Grabbing onto a pillow, holding it to his chest as he curled into it as much as humanly possible. Allowing himself to fall into a few hours of sleep; knowing it would be the only he would get for the night.
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Yoongi has spent the majority of his downtime at the shop unconsciously staring at the library he has been avoiding for the entirety of the week. Spending the weekend after the incident rolling around his bed, getting tangled in the covers more times than he could count, and trying to forget about the cute boy he was drawing at the library.Thousands of thoughts running through his mind as he tried to piece together the interaction. Why would someone like him approach Yoongi? Why did he show so much interest in him?Yoongi had come up with the conclusion that he probably had some kind of kink for guys with tattoos and didn’t actually care about getting to know him anyways. He had his fair share of people that came up to him with just a phrase of, “always wondered what it would be like to get fucked by someone with tattoos.” In which Yoongi would take any method to show how angry he was before storming off with flying curses.His appearance was every definition of the word ‘twink’ and a lot of guys only approached him because he was small and had tattoos and that fit every fantasy in their wet dreams. Even though Jimin-Yoongi totally didn’t repeat his name like a mantra in his head after he had the information-was the same size as him; Yoongi couldn’t get the thought out of his head that he was the same. He didn’t even know if he liked guys but the way he carried himself was the stereotypical definition. Yoongi felt bad for labeling someone he didn’t even know but it’s not like he plans on talking to him ever again.If the way he has been avoiding his favorite place in the entire world just so he wouldn’t run into him is any indicator. He was pathetic-he knew.Yoongi sighed as he shook himself from his spiraling thoughts and tore his gaze from the building across the street. Abruptly laying his head down on the desk in front of him and groaning until the next customer walked in.Not picking up how Namjoon was observing him from across the room while he was placing a temporary stencil to his clients bicep. He had been worried about Yoongi for a while now, but the way he was acting now was different than usual. He didn’t know where to place it.Once they were finished with their work for the day and Yoongi was cleaning up his station for the last time that evening Namjoon approached him, straddling the leather chair he had just finished wiping off. Earning a glare from Yoongi at the action.Before Yoongi could question him about his motives Namjoon spoke up first. “What has had you so distracted these last few days Hyung?”Yoongi was a little shocked to say the least, not expecting that to come out of Namjoon’s mouth. He didn’t think he had been that obvious for someone to pick up on his change in mood, but apparently, he had been wrong.Yoongi simply shrugged his shoulders before answering, “nothing in particular. I’m fine, and it hasn’t been affecting my work I promise. I’ve just been thinking a lot is all.”To say he was worried that his boss was planning on letting him go was an understatement. They had known each other for the better part of 11 years, but Namjoon was a business man and Yoongi knew he wouldn’t hesitate to let him go despite their past. His is very good at keeping work and his personal life separate-unlike himself apparently.“That’s not what I’m worried about Yoon; I’m worried about you. You don’t seem to be doing well lately and you won’t talk to me. I know more than anybody how much that library means to you so why are you looking at it so sad?”Yoongi felt that familiar pang in his heart that he felt when he made those he cared about sad and worried about him. Namjoon had been the closest thing to a brother he has ever had outside of his actual family, and he hated to make him feel like anything less.Yoongi sighed and rolled his stool up beside the chair, making himself comfortable before replying, “I’ve just had a lot on my mind is all.”“Like what? Did something happen?” Namjoon looked concerned beyond belief and Yoongi felt it within himself that his best friend deserved the truth. Especially with the distance he has kept between them the last few weeks.“Kind of, but it’s really nothing serious. I’m just really dumb and made a fool of myself.”Namjoon’s eyebrow raised at that comment and he seemed to perk up with interest.“At the library?”Yoongi couldn’t bring it within himself to speak so he settled for nodding his head as he lowered it in shame.“Come on Hyung use your words. I can’t read your mind you know.”Yoongi looked around at their surroundings making sure everyone else that was still present wasn’t listening in to hear about the embarrassing tragedy that was Min Yoongi only a few days prior. Seeing that Jungkook and Jin weren’t around anywhere-those two couldn’t keep their noses out of drama if they tried-and everyone else was minding their own business, he knew it was safe to talk.He sighed and played with his fingers while he spoke, “I went to the library a few days ago and saw an attractive person and decided to draw them. So of course he noticed me staring and came over to talk to me, but then I made a dumbass remark and he threw in my face that he noticed me staring and I was so embarrassed.”He didn’t dare look at Namjoon’s face after he finished speaking, embarrassment flooding his nervous system even more now that he said everything aloud.It took a good fifteen seconds before Namjoon absorbed everything that Yoongi said and was shamelessly throwing his head back with laughter. Causing Yoongi took look at him with a shocked yet unamused expression at the way his friend reacted toward his inner turmoil.By the time he was finished laughing Yoongi was giving him a death glare with his arms folded defensively over his chest.“I’m sorry Hyung, but the reason you’ve been so out of it all week was because you got embarrassed in front of a cute boy?”Yoongi groaned which only made the other go into another fit of laughter.“Don’t say it that way! It just makes me sound more pathetic.”“Ah come on Hyung it’s not pathetic. It’s cute.”Yoongi fixed him with another glare before stating defensively, “I am not cute.”“Of course, we all know you are the hardest hard ass of them all don’t worry.”Yoongi regrets everything as his friend stands from his position and claps his hand over his shoulder before walking into his office to finish up his work for the day. He does manage a small smile to himself at the way he got Namjoon to laugh though. He missed having him around as a friend and he told himself that he was going to try to be a better friend to him than he has been lately. The key word being try. Yoongi wasn’t good at maintaining his relationships and he knew that, but he wanted to get better for those he cared about. He just hadn’t found the right answer yet. Thirty minutes later Yoongi finds himself standing outside of the exact place he had told himself he would never go again as long as a certain somebody was on duty. He found he couldn’t help himself as he heard the bell ring as he opened the door and walked up to the counter to order his iced americano. Craving the bitter taste of coffee he had been depriving himself of all week.Not daring to walk up the stairs to the library knowing that the pretty male was on duty. He instead decided to grab a seat in the corner of the café and open the book he had been reading recently. Maybe he wasn’t as strong as he once thought. Or maybe Jimin just made him that weak. He hadn’t decided yet, but once again he found himself shaking the thought of the man out of his head for fear of giving in to his feelings.He by no means has a crush or anything, that would be ridiculous seeing as they have only met once. Although, he couldn’t deny he was quite enamored by the way the other paid close attention to him and held a confident aura.After realizing he was getting nowhere with his book, stuck reading the same paragraph over and over again as his thoughts ran wild. He decided it would be best to just go home and sulk some more if that’s all he was going to get done in his free time anyway.Throwing his now empty cup of coffee in the trash next to the entrance Yoongi made his way out onto the side walk before looking up through the glass that peaks into the library upstairs. Shaking his head to himself he looked away before he could shame himself even more for his high school like behavior. The next morning began with his ringtone blasting throughout the small space of his room and a curse on the tip of his tongue as Yoongi answered Namjoon’s call.“It’s seven in the morning; the fuck do you want?”He could hear a small ‘tsk’ noise from the other end of the line before Namjoon spoke, “good morning to you too sunshine; don’t guess you want to hear I’m giving you today off then.”Yoongi scrunched his face and roughly ran his hand down the front of his face before rolling over on his back. “Why would I have the day off? I know I have appointments scheduled today.”Namjoon let out a small chuckle before answering, “Maybe because I’m a good friend and decided to give all of your appointments to Jungkook so you could have the day off.”Yoongi sat up scratching at the back of his head sleepily.“You didn’t have to do that. You know I like to work.”“Please just don’t think too much about it and take the weekend to clear your head before coming back on Monday okay Hyung? Think of it as a little mental health breather.”Yoongi sighed and stated a small “okay” into the phone as Namjoon screamed an “I love you” before Yoongi could hang up on him.Throwing his phone on the other side of the bed before he covers the entirety of his body with his comforter, and snuggling in as far as he could is how Yoongi found himself starting his next three days off. He wasn’t surprised to say the least when he woke up at nearly one o’clock in the day. He spends the next three hours mindlessly drinking homemade coffee and sketching throughout his sketch book. He has yet to shower and change out of his pajamas; the most he had accomplished so far in his day being getting up and making the pot of coffee.If he settled down with the whole pot resting on his night stand then no one was around to judge him for it.Nearly four cups of coffee and a few very detailed sketches later Yoongi was interrupted by his stomach growling for sustenance. He did not want to get out of bed, but the longer he waited to eat the harder it was going to be to ignore the feeling in his stomach.Nearly thirty minutes later he gets the motivation to walk to the small kitchen in the corner of his living space. Opening the cabinets and fridge only to find them barren as a desert. He would have to go buy groceries and if he thought getting out of bed was a challenge this time he was faced with a much greater one. One that required him to get ready and go into the outside world.After much bitching and groaning Yoongi managed to get himself into the shower and a clean set of clothes before heading into the world in search of food.Not much time passes before he is unpacking ramen and a few other essentials into his kitchen. He doesn’t have a car, so he can never pick up much from the grocery store when he goes, but after all he is only buying for himself so it’s not too big of a deal.Cooking his ramen on the stove Yoongi starts to think that maybe he would like an excuse to cook actual meals sometimes. That thought leaves almost as fast as it came once he realized what that could possibly mean for his current mindset. He really needed to get his thoughts in check before going back to work on Monday. He was missing his time at the library and no nosey librarian was going to ruin that for him.Once he was finished with his food he got settled into bed again to finish where he had left off in his sketch book.Even though he had a very underwhelming day Yoongi was still proud of himself for even getting up to clean himself. He found himself feeling better than he had all day and wanted to sketch something a bit more happy than what he had previously been working on. He found himself flipping to the page with Jimin’s face on it.He had never been this enamored with someone after just meeting them and Yoongi was scared to see what would come of it.Once Yoongi had worked for hours sketching out immensely detailed flowers and butterflies in the space around Jimin’s portrait. He found himself falling asleep with his sketchbook open on that same page before he could stop himself.Needless to say, he felt kind of weird about waking up to seeing the mans face first thing when he woke up that morning. He told himself he should probably stop worrying so much about the little things because its not like any of his thoughts were going anywhere when they kept spiraling in circles. He knows he needs to lighten up and not worry so much about how he feels.It’s easier said than done when all Yoongi has ever done is over analyze every aspect of his entire life. He supposes the depression has something to do with it, but he pushes that thought out of his head as soon as it begins. He knows he’s doing it again…Before he can start dwelling on it too much, he drags himself out of bed and makes himself get ready to go out. It had made him feel better yesterday, and when he thinks about how long it had been since he had sat mindlessly in the library, his heart hurt a little.Packing his bag with all of his essentials, Yoongi made his way out of his apartment building and onto the sidewalk. Playing soft piano music in his headphones to drown out the sounds of the city around him.It didn’t take long for him to get to his destination. Wallet in hand and his order on his lips as he approached the counter of the coffee shop. It was exciting to know that after his purchase he would be able to climb the short staircase that led him into his own little utopia of silence and books.Wasting no time, Yoongi grabbed his drink and ascended the stairs. Walking over to his favorite corner which was unoccupied, he took in the mixed smell of coffee and books. He plopped himself down into the chair before releasing a sigh of comfort. Yoongi felt like he was home.He spent most of his time at the library today reading the book he failed to yesterday. Finally, being surrounded by the comfort of the library he was actually able to focus on the content rather than the thoughts running rampant through his head.He was able to relax after so many days of stress and worry. Yoongi made a mental reminder to thank Namjoon.Yoongi had went through an entire eight-hour piano playlist before he made a note of how late it had gotten and that he should probably go back home soon. Taking in his surroundings finally looking up from his book for the first time since he sat down. He realized that he was one of the only people still left other than the employee behind the desk.Taking this as his cue that he would probably be kicked out soon, Yoongi packed up all of his belongings. Making sure to throw away his trash before he made his way to the staircase.Although, before he could make a step to leave he was stopped by the feeling of something hitting him in the back of the head. Turning his head only slightly to see what the object was-an eraser, before turning all the way to raise his eyebrow at the culprit.Facing the desk Yoongi recognized the face of the man who had deliberately made things worse during their interaction the other day. At his expression the man behind the counter simply sat with his head rested on one of his hands while his other hand-the one that threw the eraser no doubt- was waving at him. A slight smirk playing on his face at seeing the way Yoongi had initially reacted.Yoongi brought his hand up to take out his earbuds, “did you just throw that eraser at me?” Yoongi questioned pointing to the ground where the eraser sat.The employee shook his head, “the real question is why did you avoid the library all week and only come on one of the days you knew Jimin wouldn’t be here?”Yoongi was surprised at how forward this person was although not surprised by what he had seen from him a few days ago. He was definitely the type of person to get on his nerves easily. Well, easier than most people.Stepping closer to the desk Yoongi crossed his arms across his chest, “maybe some of us have a life and aren’t able to have as much free time as others may like them to.”He got a scoff in return, “you have come in here every single weekday since I’ve worked here just to sit in the exact same spot everyday and do absolutely nothing. You can’t fool me that easily.”At that Yoongi didn’t know what to say. He had no reason to pay attention to who worked here before he had gotten approached by one of them. Maybe he should have paid attention sooner, so he wouldn’t keep making a fool of himself in front of strangers.As his mouth kept opening and closing like a fish the man behind the counter finally broke the awkward silence.“I’m Jung Hoseok by the way. One of Jimin’s friend and probably the best employee at this establishment.”Yoongi scoffed at the comment before adding, “Min Yoongi.” He may be rude, but he wasn’t impolite.Hoseok perked up at this, clearly not expecting reciprocation on Yoongi’s end to give his name.“Soooooo Yoongi Hyung, you gonna answer my question? Why are you avoiding Jimin?”“Didn’t say you could call me Hyung. How do you even know I’m older than you?”Hoseok smirked, “February 1994”At that statement Yoongi shut up and groaned in disapproval.This made Hoseok smirk before adding, “so Hyung, why?”Yoongi didn’t feel like explaining himself to a stranger and much less one that has ties to someone that hasn’t left Yoongi’s mind since they met. Adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder Yoongi put his earphones back in before adding a quick, “bye Hoseok.” With that he didn’t hesitate to walk straight out of the library and not look back.Hoseok wasn’t surprised that he didn’t get a response out of the man, and it’s not like he actually needed an answer. He just wanted to mess with him a little after seeing how easily flustered he had gotten before.He decided to text Jimin before he locked up for the night.
‘Jiminieee your boyfriend stopped by today’
‘Hobi-Hyung he isn’t my boyfriend. You didn’t chase him off again did you?’
‘Maybe a little but I got his name for you’
‘You make it sound as if I wanted his name in the first place’
‘Awww come on Jiminie you haven’t shut up about how attractive he is all week’
‘Just because someone is good looking does not mean anything’
‘So you don’t want his name?’
‘I didn’t say that…’
‘LOLOLOL you’re cute Jimin. It’s Min Yoongi.”
‘Let’s not talk about this ever again ok Hyung?’
‘Whatever you want Jiminie’
Hoseok was proud of himself to say the least.