Chapter Text
Just something to relax with.
That's what Seokjin told himself as he had walked into the shop Jimin had suggested. And now that he had looked around, he realised why Jimin had that shit-eating grin on his face.
That little gremlin had told him this was a hobby store. Unless adult toy stores were now selling crochet kits, he was in the wrong place.
Okay, maybe he had been slightly more irritable than usual. Maybe he had complained about being single.
But this... Come on!
"Hey, good evening. Can I help you with something?"
Seokjin jumped, turning towards the deep voice and coming face to face with a bright smile and a very deep dimple.
"No, uh, thanks. I'm just... browsing, yeah." Seokjin could feel the heat rising to his ears as he fought to avoid eye-contact with this unfairly tall and cute man. Not that he was looking.
"Browsing's good. Maybe I could help you find something you like? What are you into?" Seokjin stared at this man smiling brightly, as if his words did not evoke the most ungodly images through Seokjin's brain.
"Nope. Just browsing, like I said. Thank you." Seokjin's thoughts were going haywire and he knew he had to escape before this very Fine™ man noticed he had tomatoes for ears.
He really had been single for too long.
He hurried towards the other end of the aisle without glancing back, praying that he was headed towards the exit.
"Oh. Uh... sure. Have a nice day then."
Seokjin did not respond. He knew he was being rude. But he would much rather be considered rude than make a bigger fool of himself.
"Park Jimin, I am going to kill you," Seokjin muttered under his breath as he walked towards the exit, not daring to look back.
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"I thought it would be funny! And you have been pent up, don't deny it!" Jimin was shouting from the other end of the room as Seokjin kept looking for more non-lethal things to throw at him.
"Funny? I ran into who could possibly be the most beautiful man ever crafted and almost made a fool of myself and you think that was funny?" Seokjin threw another cushion at Jimin. "Now he thinks I am some sort of sex pervert!" A slipper whizzed across the room towards Jimin, making him jump out of the way again.
Yoongi had not moved from the couch throughout this living room battle royale. He stretched his feet out in front of him and calmly caught a stray pillow that came his way.
"Hyung, correct me if I am wrong, but was the guy not at the same shop that you were in?"
Seokjin paused. "Well, yeah..."
Yoongi did not change his expression. "And why would he judge you for being exactly where he was?"
Jimin jumped in excitedly, "Exactly! He was there too!"
Seokjin looked at both of them with as much disgust as he could muster, "He was working there, Yoongi! He was there trying to pay his bills. Completely different!"
Yoongi shook his head and went back to scrolling through his phone on the couch. Jimin was dangerously close to the TV for Seokjin to risk throwing anything at him.
Seokjin sighed and went back to his room, cursing under his breath for having to survive idiots on a daily basis.
He needed to sleep. And the urge to murder his best friends had subsided for now.
Yoongi poked his head in a while later, "Hyung, I have a friend coming over tomorrow for lunch. You feeling up to cooking?"
Seokjin looked up from his phone at the offending floating head at his door. "Which friend? Why do I need to cook for them?"
Yoongi had the decency to look sheepish. "He is not exactly a friend, yet. I met him a few days ago at an event and we really hit it off. He wants to come over and check out my studio."
Seokjin smiled. Yoongi was very proud of his tiny studio that he set up in their apartment. But that still didn't answer... "Okay, but why do you want ME to cook for him?"
Yoongi came inside the room, his grin wide enough to show his gums. "Because, hyung, I want to make a good impression. And how can I do that without your food?"
Seokjin scoffed at the shameless audacity of this boy sitting on his bed with his teeth out, confident that Seokjin will agree. Which, to be fair, he will. But how dare he!
"Fine. Whatever. Now, begone, peasant, and let me be at peace," he dramatically swatted the air in front of him.
Yoongi, grin unmoved, got up and pulled into a deep bow. "As His Majesty wishes."
He turned back at the door, "Text me the groceries I need to get."
Seokjin just pulled the blanket over himself. "Switch off the light before you go."
Five seconds later, he smiled into the darkness and sent Yoongi the list.
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Jimin had already left for the gym when Seokjin woke up. Yoongi had not yet returned with the shopping. Seokjin had the whole apartment to himself. He sang to himself as he started prepping the kitchen.
He had decided on a simple lunch.
If this new friend was anything like Yoongi, they would get too engrossed in whatever they got up to and food would be an afterthought, if at all.
It was nice to see Yoongi making new friends. He always seemed to have such a hard time among new people. It was a shame that so few people got to see the brilliant mind and the very playful personality that came out once he felt comfortable. Also, it would be nice to have someone else have to sit through a 45-minute drunken lecture on whiskey production.
He was wiping down the counter when the bell rang.
"Did you forget your keys again?" Seokjin shouted at the door, used to Yoongi's habits.
He wiped his hands on the apron around his waist as he walked towards the offending noise.
"How dare you make me cater to your whims, peasant?" Seokjin opened the door with a dramatic flair.
Yoongi was holding two bags with an awkward smile on his face. And he was not alone.
"Hi, hyung. Sorry I forgot my keys."
Seokjin was not looking at Yoongi. His eyes were stuck on the other awkward smile at the door. More particularly, at the dimple that smile was creating.
Did the universe really hate him this much?
Yoongi spoke up again, "Hyung, this is Namjoon. He came early. Said he was too excited. Could you let us in now? These bags are heavy."
Seokjin barely registered what Yoongi said but he stepped aside, letting them come in.
The beautiful man had a name. Namjoon. And Namjoon was now staring at him.
"Namjoon, this is Seokjin hyung. He is the one I was telling you about." Yoongi had deposited his bags in the kitchen and was back.
Namjoon smiled. "Hi, I have heard a lot about you." His eyes flicked down once and then back up. "I like your apron."
Seokjin suddenly realised the very flowery apron that he had on. He could feel his ears start to go red. But this was his home. His turf. He was not going to back down.
"Thanks. I think it looks good on me." He defiantly held his gaze with Namjoon.
Namjoon smirked, not backing down, "I bet anything looks good on you."
Seokjin's heart skipped a beat. Damn, that dimple!
Yoongi laughed at that. "Don't compliment him. He already has a big enough ego." He motioned towards the couch, "Make yourself comfortable. I'll go and freshen up a bit. I wasn't expecting you here so soon."
"No worries, man. I'll be fine." Namjoon smiled at Yoongi, dimple on full display.
Yoongi waved at Seokjin and made his way towards his room.
Seokjin's heart had barely calmed down. He had emptied out the bags and started sorting them when the deep voice called out to him, "Can I help?"
Seokjin paused and smiled at him. "Don't be ridiculous. You're a guest. Watch TV or something. Yoongi will be out soon."
Namjoon didn't move. He stared at Seokjin, while his mouth slowly curved itself into a smirk.
"You left my shop without buying anything yesterday. Didn't find anything you liked?"
Seokjin stilled. "Your.. shop?"
Namjoon's amusement was on full display now. "Yeah. My shop. Well, technically half-mine. I do have a partner."
Seokjin was still frozen. "You mean, you... own the shop?"
"Half of it, yes."
"Does Yoongi... know?"
Namjoon chuckled. "About my shop? Not yet. Never came up." He looked at Seokjin, mirth clear in his eyes, "Why? Was he the one who sent you there?"
Seokjin felt his face heat up instantly. "No! No, he did not. Someone else..."
Namjoon was chuckling again. "You're shy. Cute..." Seokjin did not see what was so funny. "I'll have fun corrupting you."
Seokjin's head shot up, his eyes wide, lips pouting. "What? What are you talking about?"
Namjoon's eyes flickered down to the pout, staring for maybe a second too long, before his eyes locked with Seokjin's again.
He walked up behind Seokjin, slow and assured, leaned in over his shoulder, put his arm around him and casually picked up a cherry tomato, "I guess we will just have to wait and find out," he said as he popped the tomato into his mouth, the corner of his lips curving up as he walked back towards the couch.
Seokjin's heart was threatening to leap out of his chest at the moment when Yoongi reappeared and invited Namjoon into his studio. Namjoon smiled, the picture of innocence, and waved at Seokjin before following Yoongi.
Seokjin put a hand over his heart and realised that he was probably a flaming shade of red, but he was smiling.