Coffee Love #21 - Attractive Pair
Word Count: 4,074

Date in Chapter: 2017 January 28

Note: Happens a few weeks after Coffee Love #20.

Jihoon’s POV

        Jihoon climbs onto the bed with a smirk, holding the kitten in one arm as he does so. Jungkook had stayed at Hoseok’s studio until late last night, practicing for the recitals that he has this evening, and now it’s time for him to get up so that he can go to work at the cafe.

(The night before)

        It’s never unusual for Jungkook to take some time coming back from the studio after dance practice. Jihoon knows that he likes to put in some extra practice just so he can be extra good when the show actually comes around, but practice was supposed to be over at nine. It’s almost midnight now, and Jungkook still hadn’t arrived home. Although he’s tired, Jihoon can’t sleep. He won’t sleep until he hears Jungkook walk through that door so that he knows he’s safe.

To keep his mind occupied and help him stay awake, Jihoon watches a drama on his computer. It’ll help the time pass faster, and it’ll give him something else to think about other than how empty the apartment feels when Jungkook isn’t around.

When one episode goes off, Jihoon checks the time. It’s almost half-past midnight, and Jihoon starts to get a little worried. He selects Jungkook’s name from his contacts, and he presses the phone to his ear. The first time he calls, Jungkook doesn’t answer, so Jihoon tries again. Sometimes Jungkook just doesn’t answer his phone, and it can be really frustrating to try to get ahold of him.

“Do you know what time it is?” Jihoon demands the instant he hears Jungkook pick up. He doesn’t even give him the chance to greet him over the phone.

He hears Jungkook sigh, and he imagines the younger sitting on the floor of the studio, his back against the mirror. It might not be accurate at all, but, when his hair is all damp from sweat, and he’s looking up at Jihoon with an exhausted smile on his face—panting to catch his breath, it’s one of Jihoon’s favorite images of Jungkook. “I’m almost done.” Jungkook tells him, and Jihoon clicks his tongue, annoyed. “You know, I’d have more energy to finish up quickly if you were here with me.”

Jihoon tries not to laugh at that, always thinking Jungkook is adorable when he does or says anything cheesy like that. “You should have the energy to finish up quickly so you can come home and be with me.” Jihoon says, pouting. “Besides, you have work at seven in the morning. You don’t need to stay out so late.”

“I’ll get up in time for work.” Jungkook says. “Just save some warm cuddles for me, and I’ll be home soon.”

(Current day)

        Yeah right, Jihoon thinks to himself. Like Jungkook would actually get up before seven after staying out until nearly two o’clock in the morning. Jihoon is tired too, having stayed up to wait for Jungkook, but he has to get out of bed or Jungkook never will.

Jihoon sets the kitten down on the lump in the bed that shows where Jungkook has the covers pulled over himself. He allows her to walk around on top of the younger, and Jungkook whines, knowing what’s coming. “Hyung, I swear to god.” Jungkook mumbles, but he doesn’t move out from underneath the covers.

Jihoon ignores Jungkook’s protests and complaints, and he scratches Marble on the back so that she’ll do that kneading thing where cats claw the piss out of whatever is beneath their paws. The covers are too thick, though, and it doesn’t even work. Jungkook just had to cocoon himself up today, didn’t he?

“That doesn’t even hurt.” Jungkook says, still mumbling and not budging.

“Yeah, well, you’re obviously awake, so just get up and get dressed.” Jihoon tries to be demanding, but it comes out in more of whine than anything.

When Jungkook doesn’t respond this time, Jihoon knows that it’s because he’s trying to pretend to still be asleep. He can only question why he even likes this pain in the so much.

“I think Seokjin hyung is the devil,” Jungkook says, finally rising from the dead. “He just had to schedule me to work this morning when he knows that there’s a show tonight.”

“It’s not his fault you decided to stay out until o’clock last night.” Jihoon points out, and he hopes that Jungkook’s too-tired-and-heavy-to-stay-open eyes don’t notice the small little grin on his face. “You’re lucky to have a boss like Seokjin hyung. Most other places like that would probably hate working around your dance schedule.”

There are many sides to Jungkook, and Jihoon would probably be lying if he said that grumpy, morning Jungkook wasn’t one of his favorites. He can be exhausting and annoying as to deal with, but it’s always fun to mess with him and argue with him. Small, playful arguments like this don’t really happen much later in the day.

Jungkook looks at Jihoon with pouty lips, and he leans forward to rest his head on Jihoon’s shoulder. Jihoon imagines it can’t be a very comfortable position for the younger, but he does it anyway. “Will you come and stay with me at work?” Jungkook asks, whining and shaking his body cutely.

“I’ll come and sit with you.” Jihoon promises. He’ll have to if he plans to stay awake the whole day as well. If he stays home, he’ll end up falling asleep.

Jimin’s POV

        Jimin wakes up to the soft sounds of people talking in the living room and an empty bed. Frowning, he pushes himself up from the mattress. He hates the days Taehyung wakes up before him and leaves him in bed alone, but at least he knows Taehyung is here. His voice is one of the one’s he hears coming from the living room. The other voice, although familiar, is one that Jimin can’t place to a face or a name in his head. Taehyung didn’t say anything about having company in the morning.

Jimin slides off the bed, his feet naturally slipping into the house slippers as he reaches the ground, and he steps out into the living room. He used to be really shy about being in his pjs when having company over, but Taehyung’s been having people over a lot these days, so Jimin just sort of got used to it.

When he pokes his head around the corner, he sees Sungjae sitting on the couch with Taehyung, and Jimin attempts to bolt back to the bedroom and pretend to still be asleep. He attempts, but, thanks to Pixie, he fails. The dog acknowledges his existence in the room, and Taehyung turns to see him before he can even get out of sight.

“Jiminie,” Taehyung’s voice stops the elder in his tracks. “Did we wake you?”

Having been caught, there’s really no point in going back and pretending to be asleep now. Jimin really hates being around Sungjae and Taehyung because the two actually have a really good relationship together, and it sometimes makes Jimin feel left out. Jimin never feels left out with Taehyung.

“No, I was just…going to the bathroom.” Jimin says, awkwardly.

“The bathroom isn’t out here.” Taehyung assures him, and of course Jimin knows that. There’s no point to walk all the way down the hall if he just needs to go to the bathroom.

“I know,” Jimin returns. “I was going to the bathroom, but I heard you talking, so I wanted to see who was here.” Jimin says, and it’s at that point that Sungjae waves at him from the sofa.

“I’m copying Taehyung’s notes since I missed class yesterday.” Sungjae informs Jimin, but Jimin doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter why Sungjae is here. Jimin wants him gone.

“Great. Good luck with that.” Jimin says, and he turns toward the bathroom. If he’s going to make his lie at all believable, he has to actually go to the bathroom. And, honestly, he kind of does have to pee.

When he returns to the living room, all after washing his hands and such, Sungjae has already made himself comfortable on the couch, using Taehyung’s thigh as a pillow. He lies on his back with his paper propped up on his own legs, and Taehyung talks to him while pointing to the papers, probably explaining some things.

Jimin is not jealous. He doesn’t get jealous. He doesn’t have a reason to get jealous. Taehyung doesn’t even like Sungjae. Does he? No. Of course he doesn’t, and of course Jimin is not jealous. He’s just annoyed that Sungjae would come into Jimin’s apartment and use Jimin’s boyfriend as a pillow, all probably while drinking Jimin’s rich hot chocolate, because, if Jimin remembers correctly, Sungjae can’t stand dark chocolate.

“Care to make room for one more?” Jimin asks, walking up to the couch and standing between the two. He looks directly at Sungjae, expecting him to get up and move to the other side so that Jimin can sit between them. Instead, however, Taehyung pushes Sungjae and he scoots himself over as well, so that he’s the one sitting in the middle. “I don’t want to sit here.” Jimin says, pouting.

“You asked us to make room.” Taehyung tells him, and he forces Jimin down on the couch. “So I made room. I’d let you sit in the middle, but that doesn’t make any sense when we’re working on something.”

“Whatever, this is fine.” Jimin says, crossing his arms. This is most certainly not fine. He hates that Taehyung lets Sungjae hang all over him like he does. “You do remember that I have a show tonight, right?”

Finally, Jimin gets all of Taehyung’s attention when Taehyung turns around to fully face him. “Yes, Jimin,” His words finally come out caring and gentle—the way Jimin likes to hear him. “I remember that you have a dance thing tonight. This isn’t going to take all day.”

He presses a kiss to Jimin’s lips, something that he doesn’t do in front of Sungjae often enough, and he turns to the aforementioned male. “I’m going to run to the toilet real quick, and I’ll be right back.” Taehyung says, and he sets his stuff on the coffee table before getting up.

Jimin has half a mind to follow him, but he stays put in his spot. Sitting there awkwardly, on the couch, with Sungjae. More than being alone with Taehyung and Sungjae, Jimin hates being alone with Sungjae. There’s always just this tensity in the air that practically suffocates him.

“Do you hate me?” Sungjae asks, only after Jimin hears the bathroom door close, and Jimin realizes that Taehyung had only been gone for a second so far. It already feels like hours.

“I don’t hate you.” Jimin says, shaking his head, wishing that he could be more honest. He’s just not that mean. He can’t even tell Sungjae that he greatly dislikes him. He wants to, but he can’t bring himself to say it. “It’s just…”

“You’re jealous?” Sungjae asks. “Because I’m so close to Taehyung?”

Jimin doesn’t even offer a nod in response. He refuses to accept that Sungjae makes him feel somewhat threatened when it comes to his best friend. Of course, he knows that Taehyung has to have other friends, especially because he and Jimin are in a relationship now—but he still wants to be Taehyung’s best friend. That’s a position no one else should be able to fill.

“You know, Jimin, we had that once.” Sungjae says, and there’s a tone in his voice that has Jimin looking up to meet his eyes. He’s looking at Jimin with a dark expression, somehow sitting closer to the younger than he had been when Taehyung left to go to the bathroom. “But you threw it away.”

“Yeah, for Taehyung.” Jimin says, leaning back further into the couch, wishing that it would swallow him away so that he didn’t have to sit here with Sungjae.

“And yet, it still took you many years to find out what he actually means to you.” Sungjae says, clicking his tongue as if he finds Jimin’s cluelessness to be the cutest thing. “Was it worth it?”

“What?” Jimin asks, and he swears he hears Pixie growling as Sungjae leans closer to Jimin.

“Was it worth it?” Sungjae asks again as if Jimin should just understand, but he’s quickly sitting back in his spot when the bathroom door comes open again.

In just a few short moments, Taehyung is rejoining them in the living room. “All right, scoot over.” Taehyung says, nudging Jimin to move to the middle of the couch.

Jimin shakes his head, not wanting to scoot closer to Sungjae now. “I’m comfortable.” Jimin chooses a lame excuse, but Taehyung doesn’t argue as he take his place back.

Then Jimin can only sit there and wonder if the reason Sungjae clings to Taehyung so much is so that he can have a better chance of getting close to Jimin.

Hoseok’s POV

        Seokjin hasn’t had very much time to spend with Hoseok since he and Namjoon brought their son home from the hospital. It’s fine. Hoseok gets it. As parents now, they’re going to have to take on some responsibilities that they didn’t have before. When Hoseok brought up their movie night that they’re supposed to be doing on the last Saturday of every month, Seokjin assured him that they could still do that tonight after the showcase.

“I can’t wait until he’s big enough to have playdates with Kijung.” Hoseok says, smiling fondly at his husband who is holding the baby right now. When Kijung was first born, Yoongi was afraid to touch him, but he seems so much more comfortable now.

“What about you two?” Seokjin asks, looking between Yoongi and Hoseok. “You’ve been back and forth on the subject of kids so much that I don’t know what you’re plan is.”

It is something that Hoseok and Yoongi have been discussing for a while, but Hoseok doesn’t really mind. He doesn’t want to rush into having kids before they are ready for it. In his mind, it’s better to do this back and forth thing than to just go for it and not really be ready.

Hoseok shrugs. “Hyung is still pretty set on my sister doing it,” He says. Now that so much time has passed since Yoongi first introduced the idea, Hoseok finds himself being more okay with it. When he really thinks about it, it’s not that strange. “So…obviously after she has her baby.”

“So you finally agreed to having your sister do it?” Seokjin questions.

“Look at us,” Yoongi says, pointing a finger back and forth between himself and Hoseok. “We might have ugly faces, but I think we’d make one hell of a cute baby.”

“Your face is not ugly.” Hoseok snaps, lightly flicking Yoongi on the nose, not at all feeling intimidated by the glare he receives in return. He’s never been really intimidated by Yoongi’s mean looks. They just have no effect on him, other than proving his point about how ing cute the elder is. “It’s the cutest.”

Yoongi sticks out his tongue, and Hoseok resists the temptation to lean over the table and bite him. He has to remind himself that, although still very young, there is a baby in the room. Not to mention, he needs to avoid getting the comment of being gross from Seokjin.

“Anyway, have you seen Kijung recently? I mean, other than when you got back from the trip.” Seokjin asks.

“Yes,” Hoseok says, eyes gleaming at the memory of having seen Kijung just a couple of days before. “He’s been saying a few words here and there, you know, but he said my name for the first time. Hobi Hobi.” He chirps.

Across from the table, Yoongi is smiling brightly, and Hoseok knows that they’re about to get that comment from Seokjin anyway. Despite Hoseok having tried to avoid it at all cost. “Isn’t he so cute when he gets all proud like that?” Yoongi ask, pointing at Hoseok from his side of the table. He looks at Jinhee, who’s still in his arms. Unlike Kijung, Jinhee doesn’t seem the slightest bit phased by Hoseok’s outbursts. “That’s your annoying uncle right there.” Yoongi says, lifting Jinhee up so that he can look at Hoseok, but he doesn’t. “He’s going to be your favorite. I can already tell.”

“And that’s fine,” Hoseok assures him, tossing his head up proudly. “You’re everyone’s favorite, so I think I can be Jinhee’s favorite.”

“Yoongi’s not my favorite.” Seokjin assures Hoseok. “Jungkook is my favorite.”

Hoseok’s phone goes off, and he pulls it out of his pocket to check it. “That’s my alarm letting me know that it’s time to set up for the show tonight.” Hoseok says. He stands and waves for Yoongi to do the same thing. Hoseok having to go super early to make sure all of the preparations are done means that Yoongi has to do the same. Of course, unless if he has something else to do at that time. “I’ll see you later, Hyung. At the show?” Hoseok asks.

“I’ll be there. Hyuna is coming over tonight with Seoyeon so that she can spend some time with Jinhee, and so Namjoon and I can come to the show.” Seokjin assures him.

“And movies afterward?” Hoseok asks when Yoongi has Jinhee handed over to Seokjin, pushing Hoseok toward the door.

“Yes, Hoseok.” Seokjin tells him. “We’ll still be watching a movie tonight.”

Hoseok tries to continue the conversation, but Yoongi keeps pushing him toward the door. Still Hoseok doesn’t stop talking back to Seokjin until they are actually outside.

“You need me,” Yoongi says, smiling, always proud when he does something to help Hoseok out in the slightest. “Without me, you’d never make it to your events on time.”

“I made it to them just fine before you, Hyung.” Hoseok reminds him.

“Yeah, but in just enough time that you had to rush everything.” Yoongi points out. “I make your life easier.”

“I wouldn’t say easier,” Hoseok says, leaning in for a kiss, but Yoongi turns toward the car, so Hoseok only meets his cheek. “But you definitely make it better.”

Jungkook’s POV

        Jungkook hates Seokjin right now. He knows that, like Jihoon said, he should consider himself lucky to have such a considerate boss, but he’s still ing tired after getting almost no sleep last night. It’s hard for him to keep up. He swears if he tries to fix a cup of coffee one more time without actually having the cup under the machine…

When he turns to hand the cup over to his customer, he finds Jihoon with his head down on the counter, eyes closed and breathing heavily. That’s the fourth time he’d fallen asleep since Jungkook came in to work. It’s only the beginning of the semester, and he’s already been lacking a lot of sleep. Jungkook knows that he didn’t really help that by staying out so late last night—Jihoon won’t go to sleep until Jungkook gets back. He wonders if Jihoon sleeps at all while Jungkook travels with the dance crew.

“Hyung,” Jungkook says, tapping the smaller one on the shoulder. “Smol hyung.”

Tired, and undeniably cute, Jihoon lifts his head from the counter to look at Jungkook. “What time is it?”

Jungkook looks over at the clock, and back at his fiancé. “It’s not even noon yet.” Jungkook tells him, and he stands up a little straighter. “Go home.”

Jihoon doesn’t say anything. He just looks at Jungkook with the most tired, puzzled look on his face.

“You can’t even keep your eyes open, and you’re clearly tired.” Jungkook says. “Go home and get some rest.”

Jihoon shakes his head, like Jungkook knew he would. He always calls Jungkook stubborn, but he’s more stubborn. Jungkook kind of thinks of himself as a pushover when it comes to Jihoon. You know, rather than being stubborn.

“You’re here, and you have to work, so I’m staying here, too.” Jihoon insists. “Besides, you’re the one who asked me to come.”

“Yeah, well I changed my mind.” Jungkook says, feeling bad because Jihoon obviously needs to sleep. “I’m the one who stayed out until two in the morning, so you go home and sleep.”

Instead of getting up and leaving, like Jungkook wants him to do, Jihoon just hands over another five dollars. “Give me another coffee.” He says. “I’ll be fine.”

Namjoon’s POV

        Namjoon doesn’t wake up from his nap until he hears little feet stomping around the house, and the sound of Latte’s massive paws following after. That must be Seoyeon and Hyuna, here to babysit Jinhee so that Seokjin and Namjoon can go to Hoseok’s dance class show. They don’t attend all of Hoseok’s shows, even when they’re in the area, but they do when Hoseok demands they do so because it’s been such a long time since they’ve gotten together. Since Jungkook and Jimin are part of the dance class as well, that means that, for the first time in a long while, the whole group is going to be together again.

Namjoon gets up and comes out into the living room, where he sees Seokjin talking to Hyuna. The elder smiles at Namjoon when he enters the room, but he doesn’t skip a beat in telling Hyuna whatever it is that they’re talking about.

“And if anything happens, you have our number.” Seokjin says.

“Yes, she has your number. She has my number. A list of our friend’s numbers is on the counter in case we don’t pick up,” Namjoon says, nudging Seokjin toward the door. More than anything, he’s just happy to be getting out of the house—something he hadn’t really done since Jinhee was brought home. “Everything is going to be fine, Hyung. Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Seokjin says, trying to fight against Namjoon’s nudges. “Here’s a list of emergency—”

“Hyung,” Namjoon says, forcing Seokjin to turn around. “She’s already raised one child. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”

Namjoon can’t deny, however, that it feels good for Seokjin to be the panicky one again.

Jihoon’s POV

        Jihoon is always so proud to see Jungkook on stage. To see him dancing with the rest of the crew members, really taking over the show because he’s one of the main dancers, so he naturally gets some of the coolest parts in the dances. He loves to hear the crowd cheer for him, and he even likes the way they get excited when Jungkook teases them by lifting up his shirt a little—hopefully thinking of Jihoon while he does it, but the one thing he doesn’t like is when he dances alone with Jimin. Just the two of them. On stage.

Of course Jihoon knew that there was going to be a dance like this, Jungkook practiced it with him. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was to feel a little bit jealous at seeing Jungkook and Jimin together.

“They look good together, don’t they? Dancing, I mean.” Jihoon mumbles to Taehyung.

“Who? Jungkook and Jimin?” Taehyung asks.

Jihoon nods, thinking about how good Jungkook and Jimin must have looked together when they were a couple.

“Yeah, they might look good together,” Taehyung says, nudging Jihoon’s shoulder. “But no one looks as good with Jimin as I do.”

He sounds confident, and Jihoon wished that he could feel like that. Really, he always thought that he and Jungkook were an awkward looking couple.

“Yeah, I mean, you two look good, too.” Jihoon says, “But…”

“Look,” Taehyung says, placing a hand on Jihoon’s shoulder. “You and Jungkook are an attractive pair, too. You two are ing cute. I think it’s the height difference, but whatever. It’s cute.”

“You think so?” Jihoon asks, gaining confidence now.

Taehyung nods. “Look, I’ve known Jungkook longer than you have, and I’ve seen him with Jimin.” Taehyung tells him. “He’s completely different with you. He turns to mush around you, and he’s so ing happy about your existence. You two are ing cute.”

And this is why Jihoon likes talking to Taehyung. He’s so good at bringing Jihoon’s spirits up when they fall even the slightest. He’s a good friend to have around for sure.