"three tickets for avengers: age of ultron, please." namjoon slips a few five dollar bills across the ticket sales counter, trying to ignore his two friends arguing behind him. he takes the three passes that the worker hands to him and turns to glare at the both of them.

 

 

"either shut up or I'm not paying for your overpriced popcorn," he threatens, walking directly through their bickering. taehyung is the first to shut his mouth at the mention of his favorite buttery treat and follows closely behind namjoon to the snack counter.

 

 

"this isn't over, taehyung," hoseok mumbles as he falls in step with them.

 

 

taehyung and hoseok stop at the snack counter, pointing at different candies and drinks that they want while namjoon pulls bills out of his wallet. "two per person. hoseok, I swear to god, I'm not buying ten dollars’ worth of skittles again."

 

 

an unfamiliar voice unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh and namjoon glances up at the snack counter worker. it was a mistake, because now he can't take his eyes off of who is possibly the most beautiful boy he has ever seen.

 

 

"-please, namjoon-hyung, I promised kookie that is bring some back for him." taehyung pops in between the silver haired boy and the worker with the brightest smile he has ever seen (aside from hoseok and taehyung, but they don’t count because they are annoying).

 

 

"what? yeah - yeah, whatever." namjoon fixes his beanie and the youngest of the group steps up to the counter to order.

 

 

"can I get a package of jelly beans? oh, wait, no - I want sour patch kids. and a large popcorn with butter. what did jeongguk say he wanted? I think he wanted a twix bar, you have them right?" the candy boys nods. "yeah, I'll take one of those, and a soda, please."

 

 

taehyung ignores the glare namjoon is burning into the back of his head and pulls hoseok over to pick what he wants to order. as expected, he gets two packages of skittles and a red raspberry slushy.

 

 

when namjoon is pushed to the counter, he avoids looking directly at the worker and gets nachos with cheese and a bottle of water. he hands the money out to the boy and tries not to flinch back in surprise when their fingers brush for what seems like an extremely long moment.

 

 

"enjoy your movie." the candy boy says, and flashes them another smile.

 

 

the three walk into the theater and choose seats together in the back row. when the movies comes on, namjoon's mind is still stuck on the beautiful boy's smile.

 

 

..............................................

 

 

namjoon doesn't know why, but he finds himself back at the movie theater almost once a week for the next month. in that time, he learns the candy boys name is seokjin, and he works part time at the movie theater every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. and the looks seokjin gave him every time they saw each other definitely did not make his heart skip a beat.

 

 

"just a moment, please." seokjin looks up from restocking candy bars and his practiced smile instantly turns genuine when he sees who is there. "back again?"

 

 

“yeah,” says namjoon, eyebrows raising after setting his eyes on the unfamiliar accessory perched neatly on the candy boy’s nose. “I didn’t know you had glasses.”

 

 

heat rises up to seokjin’s cheeks, and he ducks his head in embarrassment. “yes, I do,” he confirms shyly. “it’s because I didn’t have time to put my contacts in before coming to work today.”

 

 

cute, namjoon thinks, and stuffs his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching over and lifting the boy’s chin to meet his eyes. instead, he grins and leans against the counter. “they’re nice – you’re nice, too.”

 

 

jin looks up, still blushing, but resumes his professional attitude and clears his throat. “thank you, namjoon. um, what can I get you?”

 

 

“what would you recommend?” namjoon asks, but he actually thinks, just one chance with you.

 

 

...............................................

 

 

thinking back on the last month and a half, namjoon can’t help but to be happy, and it reflects with the smile plastered onto his face as he buys a ticket for Paranormal Activity 5 for the third time in the last two months. the guy at the sales counter – min yoongi, as he’s come to know, rolls his eyes as he hands over the pass and turns to the next customer.

 
his mood dampens as he nears the snack counter. standing in seokjin's normal post is a different candy boy. one with the same professional smile shaping his lips and a name tag reading 'park jimin' to match. namjoon takes a tentative step up to the counter and nods a greeting to the boy.

 

 
jimin speaks first, "hello, what can I get for you?"

 

 

"uh." namjoon shifts his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. "no offense, but isn't it seokjin's shift right now?"

 

 
something like amusement sparks in jimin's eyes, and his friendly smile changes into a knowing grin. "you're namjoon, I assume? jin-hyung talks about you all of the time. still claims you aren't his boyfriend, though."

 

 
"no, no, we aren't - I mean, not that I wouldn't want to - but no, we're just friends?" the elder finishes lamely, now questioning what his relationship with seokjin really was. were they friends? or did he just see namjoon as an overly talkative customer?

 

 
jimin seems to see the inner conflict the silver haired boy was having and taps on the glass of the display case to get his attention. "don't think so hard, your concentrated face isn't as cute as seokjin-hyung says."

 

 
namjoon clears his throat, and looks back up at the younger. "anyways, do you know why he isn't here today?"

 

 
"he's sick. called in before his shift and asked me to fill in for him." the brunette rests his elbow on the counter and preps his chin up with his hand. "jin-hyung rarely gets sick, but when he does it lasts for more than a week, usually.

 

 

"will he be alright? is it usually that bad?" namjoon asks worriedly.

 

 
the other boy waves his hand dismissively. "he'll be fine, just give him a few days and he'll be up and running in no time."

 

 
"are you su-"

 

 
"yes, lover boy, your little boyfriend will be healthy again soon. now hurry and take some popcorn before you miss your movie." jimin fills a bag full of popped kernels and shoves it into namjoon's hands. "on the house."

 

 
"I'm older than you," he mumbles, but accepts the treat and shuffles into the theater.

 

 

I don't even like popcorn, namjoon thinks to himself halfway through the movie as looks down towards the still full container of carbs. he'll just give it to taehyung.

 

 

............................................

 

 

“hyung, where are you going?”

 

 

namjoon pauses on his way to the door to glance back at taehyung, who is crossing his arms over his chest and giving him a knowing look. he already knows what the elder is going to say, but he asks anyways just to spite him.

 

 

“out,” he replies, and turns the door knob to exit the room.

 

 

“then I’ll go with you, there’s nothing to do here anyways.” taehyung is beside him in a second, smiling his box smile up at him and waiting to follow him out.

 

 

namjoon hesitates, “oh, are you sure? what will jeongguk do while you’re gone?” he tries to distract the younger as he finally makes his way out of the house. the violet haired boy is close behind him, not wavering in the slightest as namjoon would have hoped. the two start walking down the street and to their destination. it was later than when namjoon had planned to leave, but if he was lucky seokjin would still be there. “he said he has to study for his exams coming up.”

 

 

“why don’t you stay back and help him, like a good boyfriend?”

 

 

taehyung just frowns and shakes his head. “I tried, but he said I was just being distracting.”

 

 

“no kidding,” the silver haired boy mumbles as they pass by a 24 hour convenience store, the movie theater isn’t that far away now, only a block or two ahead of them, and namjoon really didn’t want to have brought anyone else when he went to see seokjin for the first time that week.

 

 

since the elder boy had been sick recently, jimin had filled in for him, and the last time namjoon had gone to see if his candy boy had returned (two days previously), the worker had told him that seokjin was feeling better and would be returning to work that saturday. he would be lying if he said he didn’t want to speak to seokjin for longer than normal after not seeing him for almost a week.

 

 

“namjoon hyung, where are we going so late at night?” taehyung whines from beside him, and namjoon really wishes jeongguk wasn’t busy because this wasn’t how he wanted to spend his night. “are we almost there yet – oh, are we going to the movies? but you’ve been going there almost every day, aren’t you getting tired of seeing the same movies? why haven’t you brought me back any popcorn? why are you going so often? is there someone – wait, you’re going there to see that one candy counter worker, aren’t you? why didn’t you tell us you liked him, hyung? don’t you trust-“

 

 

namjoon closes the movie theater door behind him before taehyung can enter, and hurries up to the ticket counter. yoongi is standing there as usual, sipping from a tall styrofoam  coffee cup and half listening to whatever jimin is rambling on about next to him. he glances up just long enough to spot namjoon and to point his thumb in the snack counter’s direction before going back to ignoring jimin.

 

 

namjoon approaches the counter carefully, not quite knowing what to expect after so long of not seeing or talking to seokjin. the elder is shuffling through rows of candy, restocking a few here and there and humming quietly along to some tune. not wanting to startle him, namjoon clears his throat to subtly get his attention. it works, and he speaks before he even glances up to see who it was. “I’m sorry, sir, but we are closing soon – oh, namjoon. I didn’t expect to see you today, how have you been?”

 

 

“good – I’ve been, uh… good. so, I heard that you were sick? are you feeling better?”

 

 

seokjin seems taken aback by this, but regains his composure quickly and nods. “yes, I’m much better now, thank you,” he says, “jimin told me you stopped by to see how I was, so, thank you.”

 

 

shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, namjoon rubs at the nape of his neck before responding. “yeah, you weren’t here, so I just wanted to know if it was anything serious or not...”

 

 

“thanks for that, namjoon, but I’m all better now.” although he says this, the candy boy’s cheeks are still slightly flushed, and namjoon wants to believe it’s from something other than a fever. “anyways, I was just about to close up, so maybe I’ll see you next time.”

 

 

the elder man circles around the counter and locks it behind him, and gesturing for namjoon to walk with him to the door. yoongi and jimin had left a while ago so seokjin locks the front doors to the theater after double checking a few things. he turns to the silver haired boy and opens his mouth to say good bye when the younger decides to speak instead. “I could walk you home? if that’s alright? I mean, it’s late and I wouldn’t want anything happening to you. n-not that I believe you couldn’t handle yourself!”

 

 

seokjin stifles a laugh and smiles brightly up at namjoon before nodding. “yeah, I’d like that.”

 

 

it is a fifteen minute walk from the movie theater to seokjin’s house. not much was spoken between the pair, only a few remarks here and there about random things that had happened to them throughout the week they had not seen each other. the silence between them was awkward in the beginning, but after about half way into the walk, they both seemed to relax.  

 

 

all too soon, they arrive in front of the brunette’s house and turn to face each other.

 

 

"thank you, namjoon, for walking me home." seokjin has a smile on his face, like the one he had the first time they had met, and namjoon tries not to get discouraged by how practiced it looks. the elder turns to walk to the door, but is stopped when his name is called.

 

 

"wait - sorry, but, i was just thinking; maybe we could go out sometime? I mean, like a date. but if you don't want to that's fine too, I understand..." namjoon trails off, avoiding looking up at the boy before him at all costs.

 

 

a hand slips into his, and suddenly jin is so close to him. he looks as nervous as namjoon, but his actions are bolder. "yes, I would love to go on a date with you. as long as it is not to the movies." namjoon forces his head up and their eyes meet. there is no doubt, no question in the look seokjin is giving him.

 

 

he doesn't know who leans in first, but he is very well aware of the soft pressure of his lips against the elder's. in that moment, he could feel how jin wanted this just as much as him. in a surge of confidence, namjoon wraps an arm around the boy's hips and his fingers loop through the brunette's belt loops to tug him closer until there is no distance left between them.

 

 

when they pull apart, they are breathing heavily, and the reality of what just happened snapped namjoon out of his daze.  

 

 

"was that too fast? I'm sorry, I should have-"

 

 

seokjin just hums and presses a series of kisses to the younger's lips, and it works to silence his worries. "no, it was perfect."

 

 

namjoon relaxes visibly, "you're perfect," he mumbles into the boy's collar bone.

 

 

jin scoffs. "I didn’t know you were so greasy. maybe I take back my acceptance.”

 

 

“what? no, hyung-“

 

 

seokjin quiets him with another kiss.