Chapter 15: Shocked! Grumpy dude can smile!

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JB's pov.
JB's in a good mood, and he's going to have a good day, no matter what happens.

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The talk with Jinyoung had gone on better than JB expected, and as he hangs his cardigan on his coat hanger, he catches himself grinning in the mirror of his living room. Momentarily surprised, JB considers that maybe there is reason for that stupid smile. After 4 years, he’s finally figured out why Jinyoung had broken up with him; that it wasn’t only for the reasons he thought of, but something more, and rather than feel sad about it, it had been a relief. In some way, his memory had given him a selective view of their past together, making him lament for the loss of their relationship, but talking with Jinyoung today had reminded him that they had their fair share of problems back then, and maybe it was just as well that they’re now old enough to move past that and still be friends.

He likes Jinyoung, he really does, but as JB pops the top button of his collared shirt, he wonders how much of it had been exaggerated by the rose-tinted glasses of his younger self. He doesn’t like Jinyoung that way now – that much he’d realized, when he hadn’t felt upset that Jinyoung said he didn’t want to get back together, but to rather just be friends. But whatever the case is, he still likes Jinyoung, and honestly, JB’s kind of excited about getting to know 26 year old Jinyoung again, as a friend.

A purr behind him interrupts his thoughts, and JB turns to squat down, giving Nora a pat on her head. She leans into his palm, mewing, so he decides to rub her ears the way she likes it. It’s only when he glances at the mirror beside does he realizes –

Jinyoung had been right about the stupid faces he makes at his cat.

Filming the next morning is back inside Buzzfeed office, on a set this time. They do have a short outdoor scene, for when Yugyeom runs up to Junior’s “house”, to ask his boyfriend to forgive him, and to explain why he had acted poorly on the street during their date, but that’s later in the afternoon, so JB decides to drop by a café on his way to work.

He only intends to get a drink for himself, and Jackson, to thank the guy for prompting him to talk to Jinyoung, but as he’s queuing, JB thinks that maybe he should get Jinyoung a drink too, to celebrate their new friendship. Then he remembers how he had rejected Yugyeom’s offer for coffee twice, so he figures maybe he should get one for the guy too, as consolation. But if he does that, and doesn’t buy any for Mark who’s his good friend, that’ll be rude, so JB adds another coffee to his order, and by the time JB leaves the place, he’s holding way more cups of coffee and tea (variety, for those who don’t drink coffee, he thinks) than he had planned 15 minutes ago.

I hope they’ll like it, he idly muses, walking to his car with only a slight grin.

Jackson’s the first person he sees, while balancing the many cardboard holders and drinks on his way to the set. Without even saying anything, the blond guy just hurries over, and takes some of the drinks from JB’s full arms, and JB turns his head, sincere when he says, “Thanks man, that was such a pain to carry from my car.”

“No problem,” Jackson answers easily, but tilts his head like he’d thought of something. “Why do you have so many cups of coffee?”

“It’s for you guys,” JB replies, finding an empty table to off load his arms. He should have thought of how difficult it would be to carry enough coffee for the main video team members, plus the 2 lead actors and then some of the more important staff when he had bought it earlier. He rubs his forearms slightly, easing the red marks from the holders etched on them.

“Really?” Jackson’s putting the cups down as well, face hidden by his snapback as he arranges them on the table, but JB had seen the slightly wide-eyed approval on his face.

“Yeah, really. You can have the first choice, since you helped, though I didn’t get too many different flavours.” Maybe JB’s being cryptic, just saying it’s to thank Jackson for his “help”, which in this context sounds like it’s for helping him carry the things, when it’s really for helping him go talk to Jinyoung. But JB doesn’t know how to say what he really means, so he leaves it at that.

“Ooh, just for helping you carry them, I get dibs huh?” The amusement in Jackson’s voice is obvious as he carefully checks the labels on the cups to choose one, and JB wonders what his own face looks like right now. He’s starting to think he might have a very easy to read face, especially after he had caught himself looking silly in the mirror twice yesterday.

“Sort of,” JB replies, without thinking, then realized what he had said. Great, now he’ll have to explain to Jackson why he had bought coffee –

“If it’s for getting you and Jinyoung to talk, you don’t need to thank me. I needed you guys to talk as much as you guys needed it,” Jackson states, a tad too serious for someone who’s trying to whipped cream off his straw, and JB wonders if he had underestimated how perceptive Jackson can be.

Still focused on his whipped cream, Jackson continues, “But whatever it is, I’m glad you guys sorted things out, and if I get co