heart's on fire

Your sigh bounces off the walls, before the sound of your shoes being kicked off rings in the foyer. Your bag hits the floor once more, and the thwip of your coat being haphazardly pulled off is heard.

The patter of your feet on the carpet isn't as distinguishable. He waits quietly, slotting a Taco Bell receipt into the book he's reading to hold his place. He hears the jingle of your bracelets against each other as your hand grabs the knob of the bedroom door, twisting carefully.

You're shuffling around, he can hear you still. Muttering something unintelligible as you likely pluck at the buttons of your blouse, or the buckle of your belt. He hears the drag of the heavy mahogany drawers, the creak of the hamper, the jingle of your jewelry box. He hears another sigh, bitter on your tongue as the bedroom door opens.

You clear your throat softly, but say nothing as you walk into the hallway bathroom. Clunking of bottles, running water, the soft clank of your toothbrush against the marble holder. The click of the light switch.

Your fingers rap softly against the office door, and he hears the thump of your forehead on the wood.

"Seok? Please, please tell me you're home."

You open the door with your eyes screwed shut, your breathing shaky as he peers at you. "Seok?" "I'm here, baby."

You nod silently, closing the office door behind you. The lock clicks quietly, and he watches the way your fists clench slightly. His eyes trail you carefully – his t-shirt, his boxer shorts, his socks.

Wedding bands on your left hand, and the watch he bought you in college on your right wrist.

You're tired. You're defeated, you're solemn. He lets you approach him on nights like this. It's like approaching a deer: any sudden movements could make you flinch, could make you swallow your horrible day and just ask if he wants dinner. Of course he wants dinner, but he doesn't want to eat dinner when you're not okay. It's not the same, eating with you when you're not really there.

"Can I–" "Yes. Come." He slides the book onto the side table, his eyes glued to you as you slink his way. Your shoulders are tense as his knees brush yours, your foot pushing his ankle and making him press them together. Your legs slide on either side of his, his hands ghosting over your skin. He doesn't touch you, not yet.

You settle carefully in his lap, your arms gently wrapping around his shoulders. He settles his palms against your thighs as your body sags in his hold. Your lips brush his temple, before you settle your face into the crook of his neck. He leans his head back against the recliner, letting you nose at the skin. He lets his skin prickle as you press a kiss to the dip of his shoulder.

His hands slide up and down your thighs softly, "Hi." "Mmh."  "Long day?" "Mmh." He smiles inwardly as you move impossibly closer to him, his fingers barely breaching the hem of his boxers on your body. "I love you." "I love you, honey." "She speaks." "Mmh, barely." It's okay. It's okay that you don't want to say anything, that you just want to float in the endorphin rush of being held softly, tenderly by your husband. It's okay that you just settle into him, like a puzzle piece, because the feeling of you is a feeling of forever.

"Dinner?" "Mmh." "Wonderful, I also want pizza. God, baby, you just get me." "Mmh."

He feels your lips curl against his skin, his fingers squeezing your hip softly. "Missed you today, you know. Didn't get my kiss this morning." "Mmh, I'm sorry." "You should be, you've been gone for fourteen hours. So long without my girl." "Mmh. Mmh?" "Yes, yes I did take the trash out." Your lips brush against his clavicle, making him gasp.

"You're evil." "Mmh?" "...Okay, I also did the laundry. And I washed your green sweater, the one with the star on the shoulder." You nod, trailing your lips up his neck, your teeth nipping at his earlobe. He shudders, patting the side of your leg. "Stop." "Tell me more about the things you did today." "You just wanna get in my pants. You won't even eat dinner with me."

You scoff, landing a soft smack to his shoulder as you push back to look at him. He smiles, his hands squeezing your thighs softly. 

"You're pretty." "So are you." "Oh, you like me so much." "I do." You roll your eyes, your hands rubbing his shoulders lightly. You cradle his face softly, "I like you so much, I think I love you." "You think?" "I know." "Oh, you should marry me then." "I should, shouldn't I? But who wants a wife that leaves at six in the morning and gets home at eight at night and complains about how her feet hurt–" His hands move to your wrists, pulling them off his face and interlacing your fingers with his.

"I do. I want a wife who works hard for the things that she wants. I want a wife who lets me rub her legs all night long and not just because her feet hurt. I want a wife who likes to eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked in one sitting, I want a wife who just says mmh, and I understand. I want a wife, matter of fact, who tries to sneak into the house every night as if I'm not just waiting for her to get home like a devoted dog. I. Want. You." "Devoted husband." You attempt to correct him, but he only plants a kiss on your cheeks.

"You keep this roof over our heads, you keep us warm, clean, fed. I don't like that you're gone for so long, but you insist you don't need help. I can't force you to let me help you, but I can and I will always try and make things easier for you. Even if that means I make breakfast you forget on the table, or if I press your slacks at the ass crack of dawn." Your lip is jutted in a pout, trembling slightly as he leans forward.

"I love you, okay? I'd do anything for you, forever." "Even if I forget to give you a kiss goodbye and I accidentally hit you in the face when I move in my sleep?" "Even then. You know, you last kissed me at nine yesterday. It is..eight-fifty-two." "Wow, you're a trooper." You nod, resting your forehead against his, closing your eyes. "So brave, so strong." "It is eight-fifty-three." "Mmh?" "You just want me to kiss you first." "Mmh." He rolls his eyes, brushing his lips against yours. "I missed you, baby." He doesn't let you respond, kissing you softly. You smile into the kiss, moving his hands to your waist. His fingers grip the back of your shirt before splaying across your hips, feeling your tongue gently lick into his mouth.

"Nope, don't. We need to have dinner before we–" "I have three weeks of paid vacation time starting on Monday, we can literally have dinner any other time." He gapes, "You're kidding. That's literally, like, forever." "Forever is a feeling, you know. So…do you still want to have dinner now?" "...You know that we should, right?"

You only giggle as he peppers your skin in kisses, sighing before you run your hands through his hair. "Fine, fine. We'll have dinner. But–" "Yes, we can fool around while we wait for the delivery." "Mmh?" "And I'll rub your feet after." "You are an angel." And yet another night goes on, with Seokmin proving once more that forever is, in fact, a feeling. Sure, you'll be in his hands for three solid weeks – right in reach, melting for him over and over again. And sure, he'll miss you terribly when you inevitably go back to work, for fourteen hours a day. A fourteen-hour day where he cleans the entire apartment from crown molding to baseboards, where he shops for groceries, where he preps your lunches for the week.

A fourteen-hour day where he silently, secretly, works from home.

A secret you won't ever know about, not until you're ready to admit you want help. So he'll save the money, he'll keep quiet about the stress in his back. He'll rise with the sun, he'll kiss you goodbye every morning. He'll miss you, he'll yearn for the smell of your face cream until you lie down next to him at night, he'll hope the hours go by fast and he'll feel the weight of your leg on his hips as you fall asleep.

And he'll listen for your shoes, for the noises they'll make when you step into the apartment. 

It won't matter where Seokmin is, he'll hear it. He'll hear the comfort of it, of you finally coming home to him.

Not the sound of the door, not the sound of your bag hitting the floor in defeat. He'll hear your shoes, the click of the low heel on the foyer tile before you stand still for two minutes and twenty seconds to realize that you are home. He'll hear the soft thud of them being kicked off, and he will feel the tension in your calves dissipate as he closes his eyes. He'll remember the way you roll your ankles twice to the right, once to the left before you sigh.

It's all a routine, and a routine he's going to love forever.

After all…forever is a feeling.

A sheepish smile crept up on your face, prompting you to roll on your side just so you could press your face onto your pillow as if you're trying to hide away your blush from anyone when you’re literally all by yourself but you can’t help it, not when Hoseok’s too good at making your heart flutter and fill your stomach with butterflies just by doing the simplest of things.

“You must miss me alot, huh?” you teased as a way to cover up just how flustered you got.

“Awfully so”, Hoseok said, “Don’t you miss me, love?”

“Mhm”

Hoseok chuckled, “Doesn’t sound like it”

“I do miss you too, Hobi” you said in between yawns.

“Then, can you look at the moon for me?” Hoseok asked out of the blue.

“Why? It’s like–”, you paused as you peered at your phone to check the time, “2 a.m. in here.”

“Well, the moon looks exceptionally radiant tonight” Hoseok justified but you honestly can’t be bothered to get up right now, feeling too lazy and sleepy to even move a muscle.

“It sure is” you murmured and a short stretch of silence followed after with the exception of the faint sounds of breathing coming from the other line, one that drifts you slowly back to sleep but you were pulled out of your sleep in an instant when Hoseok spoke up.

“You’re not looking at the moon, are you?”

“Hobi, I love you but the bed’s too comfortable” you said in your defense as you let out a giggle for getting caught in a lie, “What’s with you and the moon, anyway?”

“I know this may sound cliché but you know how they say that no matter where you are in the world right now, we’re all under the same sky looking at the same moon?”, you nodded but you were quick to hum after you failed to realize that Hoseok can’t see you, “I’m just hoping if you could look at the moon with me right now.”

“But Isn’t it more convenient to facetime?”

“Come on, I'm trying to be romantic here”, Hoseok groaned, which in return made you laugh.

“Alright, alright” you slowly inched your body towards the edge of the bed as you swung your legs by the side to sit yourself up but you can’t seem to muster up the will to stand up just yet thus you remained to sit still for a moment with your phone still pressed to your ear, back hunched, and eyes still closed – not like you’ve pried them open in the beginning.

At the end, you eventually stood up as you scuffled closer to your window by sluggishly dragging your feet along the carpeted floor whilst you rubbed your eyes off sleep.

“Okay, I’m looking at the moon” you drew back your curtain as you looked up at the sky and towards the moon with only one eye open.

“Are you now?”

“I really am”, your sleep deprived ass must have clouded your judgement to see how ‘exceptionally radiant’ the moon is but to you, it looks pretty… ordinary to say the least but you knew better than to comment about it and ruin it again for Hoseok, “It’s a half crescent moon.”

“Hmm, is it? Are you sure about that?” Hoseok asked and with that tone alone, you could already tell the devious smirk on his face.

“How else would I know what the moon looks like tonight then?” you were getting a tad bit irritated now and you don’t know if Hoseok’s purposefully being a little shit right now but you do know and you hope your boyfriend does know that you’re not one to mess with specially when you’re woken up from your sleep.

“Okay but why don’t you look at it this time with both of your eyes open” you grunted but complied nevertheless.

“You’re so–Huh? What?”, you furrowed your brows in confusion, “How did you know that?”

“Know what?” Hoseok asked and you could hear him stifling his laugh.

“That i only have one of my eyes open”

“It’s because you’re looking at the wrong moon, love.”

If anything, that statement made you more confused than you already are and it also doesn’t help that you’re still drowsy from sleep. In fact, you think you’re so out of it that you think you’re starting to imagine things, mainly because you could see Hoseok right in front of your house, leaning back against the door of his car.

Wait.

“Is that you?”, you pressed your face closer against the window, trying to see if your eyes are deceiving you or not but you could tell just from his stance that it is your boyfriend.

“I don’t know? Why don’t you come out and see”

You did not waste any more time as you immediately dashed out of your room and ran down the stairs as quick as you can like you weren’t just half asleep awhile ago. Obviously, you’re wide awake now that your boyfriend whom you have not seen for months could be standing outside of your house right now.

It almost felt like forever when you reached your front door, finally opening it to see Hoseok standing a few feet away from you, smiling at you widely with his outstretched arms but you did not step out of the house just yet as you were still slipping on your slippers but due to your excitement, you accidentally chucked the other pair of slippers to your front yard as the clumsy person you are.

Hoseok bursted out in laughter as he watched you jog your way towards your slippers but before you could even bend down and retrieve it, he sneaked behind you as he circled his arms around your middle, lifting you up in the process as he spinned you around.

“Hobi!”, you shrieked in between giggles as you playfully slapped his arms, “Put me down.”

Hoseok complied, putting you down eventually yet his arms still remained to be wrapped around your waist and he took it as a chance to turn you around to face him, your laughter dying down as soon as your eyes met his.

“You’re here” you said with bated breath as you cupped the side of his face delicately.

Hoseok fondly smiled at you as he placed his hand atop of yours, head tilting ever so slightly to plant a kiss on your palm, “I’m here.”

You bite your lip as you try to fight the overwhelming emotions that’s coming all at once at you but your tears have managed to betray you. Embarrassed, you put your head down, letting your hair do its job to cover your face.

“Don’t cry now” Hoseok pulled you further into him as he planted a comforting kiss at the crown of your head, resting his chin there afterwards.

“You’re here” you stated once again, voice cracking this time.

“I know, baby. You’ve said that already” Hoseok chuckled as he swayed you both side to side as he let you take your time to cry but next thing he knew, you were pushing him away.

“You lied to me” you accused Hoseok as you pointed a finger at him.

“What?” Hoseok furrowed his brows with your sudden change of mood.

“You told me you were going to go on a week-long vacation with the boys after the tour” you whined as you wiped your wet cheeks with the sleeves of your sweater whilst you tried to keep your tears at bay, making you look irresistibly adorable.

“Baby, It’s a cover up not a lie”

“Still, you lied”

“Should I go then?” Hoseok raised his brow as he made it look like he was going to open the car door.

“You can’t leave now”, you said as you wrapped your arms around his neck, chin resting on his chest as you looked up at him with a silly pout on your face.

“Don’t think that I'll let you off the hook easily. May i remind you that you almost ruined the surprise because of your lazy ass”, Hoseok pinched your cheeks, prompting you to swat his hand away, causing him to put his hands instead on your waist.

“Okay, fine, i think that makes us fair”, you chuckled as you sniffed, “So Is this what the whole moon thing leads to?”

“Not exactly but i do have another surprise” Hoseok took his bucket hat off and you gasped after seeing his now clean cut hair but that’s not the only thing that took you by surprise, he also had his hair bleached and you must say that this new look on him had you weak on the knees.

“It suits you, Hobi”, you said as you ran your fingers through his silver white hair, “Is this why you’re calling yourself the moon?”

Hoseok shook his head as he intently looked you in the eyes, “I’m your moon because you’re my world and I orbit around you and you alone.”

“I hate you and you’re cheesy ways” You avert your eyes away from him as you purse your lips to stifle your giggles.

“You love me though”

“Sadly”, Hoseok poked your sides as he tickled you, making you yelp as you tried to grab his hands to stop him, “Okay, fine, I love you.”

“Say it like you mean it then” Hoseok grabbed your hand as he put them back around his neck, his hand finding its way towards the side of your face as he gently pulled you in to plant a kiss on your cheek.

“I love you and your cute little craters”

“Craters? You mean my dimples?”, Hoseok leaned back as he gave you a strange look, “Oh look who’s being cheesy now.”

“Well, you started it!”

Hoseok rolled his eyes before proceeding to close them as he smiled in a way that shows his dimples just like you asked him to and with that, you went on to slowly leave a kiss to each of his dimples but before you could even make it to his lips, Hoseok murmured a ‘come here’ as he took it upon himself to cut the chase short.

You fluttered your eyes shut once you felt his lips you’ve come to missed against yours and you let him close the nonexistent space between yours as he wrapped his arm around your waist whilst his other hand made its way around the back of your neck, prompting you to tilt your head to deepen the kiss.

The kiss you shared was slow, gentle, sweet, and full of longing you have for each other, just taking all the time in the world to make up for all the time lost and you didn’t know just how breathless you had become when Hoseok parted to rest his forehead against yours.

“I missed you”, you whispered.

“I missed you too, baby”

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Her. You know. The woman you’ve been making eyes at for the last month or so? Always comes in on Saturdays at this time of morning, always orders a caramel macchiato to go. And you always stare at her like a lovestruck puppy the entire time.”

Jungkook felt his face heating. Was he really that obvious?

He didn’t get a chance to refute Taehyung’s words before the door chimed again, and you swept in.

It must’ve started flurrying outside, Jungkook realized, from the snowflakes that dotted your hair and face, tiny drops of white that melted away as the heat of the coffee shop slowly thawed you. You peeled off your gloves and queued up behind Taehyung’s customer. He watched as you scanned the menu that hung on the wall behind him, eyes flicking back and forth as if mulling over your options, even though you always ordered the same drink.

Jungkook thought you had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen.

“Kook,” Taehyung’s voice broke through his reverie. “Large dark roast, with one shot of espresso, to go, for Yoongi.”

Jungkook sprang into action. “Got it.” He snatched a cup, grabbed his fine tip marker, wrote “Yoongi” on it in loopy lettering, then set about making the drink. Once finished, he stepped to the end of the counter and called out “Yoongi!” A sleepy-looking man with pink hair wandered up and took his drink with a grunt that Jungkook assumed meant “Thanks.”

When he returned to his spot by Taehyung at his register, you were already placing your order.

“Medium caramel macchiato to go, please,” you chirped, your voice the sweetest melody to Jungkook’s ears.

Taehyung asked your name and you mentioned it as Jungkook remained rooted to the spot, gazing at you softly.

“Did you get that, Kook?” Taehyung repeated your name. Jungkook blinked and nodded, reaching for a cup and his marker. He started to write, then paused, thinking hard.

A minute passed.

“Uh, are you planning on making that drink anytime soon?” Taehyung asked, smirking at his friend. “Or did you want to ogle our customer a little more?” Jungkook glanced up, relieved to see that you had wandered off to wait for your drink, well out of earshot of Taehyung’s teasing. He shot his friend a dark look, then finished what he was writing and hurried off to make your drink.

You heard your name called out a minute later and walked up to the counter where the doe-eyed barista stood. He didn’t acknowledge you, focused on cleaning his equipment, but you thanked him anyway and picked up your cup. Stopping by the door to put your gloves back on, you shifted the drink in your hands, noting in happy wonder that, below your name, there was an intricate, beautifully etched snowflake, with “Stay warm!” scrawled beside it.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

A week later, an amused Jungkook watched as a pile of shopping bags on legs burst through the door of the coffee shop. It trundled up to the counter, a pair of bewitching eyes peeking over the tops of the packages.

“Hi!” your voice rang out. “Can I get a medium caramel macchiato, to go, please?” Your face appeared as you lowered the bags, gingerly juggling them as you attempted to reach for your wallet.

“Starting your holiday shopping?” Taehyung questioned as you handed him your card.

“Finishing it!” you trilled cheerfully.

“Wow, this early? It’s only the beginning of December! I’m impressed.”

You shrugged, a pleased smile crossing your lips. “I like to get an early start, beat the crowds.”

As you and Taehyung chatted, Jungkook’s hands worked swiftly, his marker flying over your cup. He half-listened to your conversation, wishing he could join in. You and Taehyung struck up an easy rapport, gabbing away while Jungkook worked on your order.

He envied the way Taehyung could talk to anyone. Jungkook sometimes found it hard to say what he was thinking, especially if he was excited. He’d get overwhelmed and the message would get mixed up, words jumbling together somewhere between his brain and his mouth.

When a beautiful woman like you got his heart racing, he’d lose his words completely.

He didn’t realize how long he was taking until Taehyung raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking what he was waiting for. Jungkook ignored him and scurried off to make your drink.

You managed to rearrange your purchases by the time your order was ready, giving yourself a free hand. As you reached for your cup, thanking the dark-haired barista who was once again occupied with wiping down his workstation, you giggled at the detailed drawing of a cute little elf, a tiny gift box in its hands with your name written across it.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

“Hoseok!” Jungkook called out, pushing a tray of drinks towards the edge of the counter.

“Jin!” He slid another tray forward.

Another busy Saturday in December. Only two weeks left until Christmas. The closer the holidays got, the more hectic the little shop became, gallons of coffee flying out the door as sleep-deprived shoppers fueled themselves for more retail madness.

Normally, this made Jungkook happy, because it meant the hours ticked by faster - and he usually left with bigger tips. But today, he wasn’t particularly enjoying himself.

He tried to convince himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that you hadn’t been in this morning, for the first time in weeks. That was certainly Taehyung’s theory, which he’d told Jungkook during their break, complaining that Jungkook’s sour mood was killing his “vibe,” whatever that meant. But he wouldn’t give Taehyung the satisfaction of agreeing with him.

Jungkook was in the middle of whipping up another tray of eggnog lattes when he heard Taehyung call out your name. As he dusted nutmeg over the drinks, he risked a swift peek at the register, where you stood talking at the blue-haired man taking your order. You were the last customer in line, which meant Taehyung could catch his breath and rest for a minute, before the next crowd shuffled in and the frenzy started all over again.

Jungkook quickly handed out the lattes, then hopped over to grab a cup for your order. Spotting a sly glance leveled his way, Jungkook understood with a sinking feeling that Taehyung was going to take advantage of the lull not to relax, but to bask in his favorite pastime - torturing Jungkook.

“I’m guessing you weren’t out shopping, since you are shopping bag free today,” Taehyung mused as he leaned towards you, resting his chin in his hand. “Not to mention you don’ t look like you’ve been fighting the crowds. No one who’s been out in those throngs could come in here looking as pretty as you do.”

Jungkook frowned as his marker swirled your name over the cup.

“Oh, no, I just needed my weekly fix of macchiato,” you answered, smiling sweetly in return. “I would’ve been here earlier this morning, but I slept through my alarm.”

“Late night?” Taehyung cocked an eyebrow.

You shot him a conspiratorial wink. “Oh yeah. This project I’m finishing for work kept me up all night.”

“Hmph, how rude of it. Well, I’m glad you came in. Wouldn’t be a good Saturday without my weekly fix of you.” He grinned, lips revealing a brilliant, boxy smile, hitting you with the full dazzling Taehyung charm.

Something that sounded like a rather annoyed grunt sounded from your left, and you turned to curiously eye the shaggy-haired barista standing next to Taehyung. He must’ve felt your gaze, because he suddenly looked up. As your eyes met, he froze.

You were struck by the thought that he very much resembled a deer caught in headlights.

After a few seconds, he seemed to snap out of it and spun on his heel, rushing off to make your drink. You cocked your head, wondering what that was all about.

“Sorry about him. Overcaffeinated. Hazard of the job.” Taehyung commented dryly.

You peered at the flirty employee standing at the register. “I’m sure it is.”

Your gaze kept snapping back to the tall barista crafting your drink. You watched him work in thoughtful silence, suddenly remembering something.

“Oh, do you have comment cards?” you asked Taehyung. “I wanted to tell your bosses how much I love the little holiday illustrations on your cups! They’re so cute and festive!”

Jungkook’s ears perked up. He tried to lean towards the conversation as unobtrusively as possible.

“The… holiday illustrations?” Taehyung repeated in a puzzled tone.

“You know, the drawings? Snowflakes and elves? I really like them.” You beamed. “They even look hand drawn, like a little personal touch. It’s a nice change from the plain cups.” Catching the confusion on his face, your smile began to falter.

“I have no idea what y-“

“Here you go, miss!” Jungkook cut Taehyung off as he set your drink at the end of the counter.

You strode towards the other handsome barista. As ever, his eyes were averted, but you caught a slight nod when you thanked him. Grabbing your drink, you twirled it in your hands until you saw your name. You grinned and brandished the cup towards Taehyung.

“I think this one is my favorite!” you giggled as you displayed a little reindeer, its antlers all tangled up in Christmas lights, the caption ‘Oh deer’ hanging above its head. “Thanks, guys!”

As the door closed behind you, Taehyung scrutinized Jungkook carefully, realization slowly dawning across his face. “Ohhhhhhh,” he crowed.

“Shut up,” Jungkook growled, walking away.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

“So, what will our artist-in-residence be sketching tomorrow, hmmm?” Taehyung teased Jungkook the following Friday. “Santa Claus? Christmas tree? Do you decide these things ahead of time, or do you find inspiration in the moment?”

“Don’t you have some work you should be doing right now?” Jungkook retorted as he tried to focus on the gingerbread latte he was crafting. Taehyung was crowding his workspace. “Cleaning? Restocking? Literally anything else?”

“Mmmm, nope,” Taehyung intoned. He draped himself across the counter to Jungkook’s left, not close enough to be in Jungkook’s way as he worked, but just close enough to be a major nuisance anyway. “You know what you should draw?”

Jungkook sighed, defeated. “What’s that?”

“Your phone number.”

“How… how do I draw a phone number?”

Taehyung stared at Jungkook.

Jungkook stared at Taehyung.

Taehyung sighed. “Dude. I just mean, give her your number already.”

Jungkook scowled. “Order ready for Namjoon!” He handed the drink to a tall man in glasses who flashed a dimple-laden smile. “Will you please drop it?” Taehyung had been hounding him about giving you his phone number all week.

Jungkook slipped past his friend, bolting for the stockroom in the hopes of ending the conversation. But Taehyung simply followed, undeterred.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is,” Taehyung went on as Jungkook paced the stockroom, pretending to take inventory of the cups and lids. “You like her, right? What do you have to lose?”

“I just… don’t you think that’s a little cheesy? Hey pretty lady, here’s my phone number! Call me!” Jungkook punctuated his words with finger guns, aiming at Taehyung.

“Well, yeah, if you do it like that, it’s definitely cheesy. Creepy, too.” Taehyung quipped. “Just write your number on her cup and leave it up to her. If she’s interested, she’ll call. If she’s not, she won’t. No harm done.”

“I don’t know,” Jungkook fretted. “What if she thinks it’s weird? Some random guy hitting on her? Or what if I make her uncomfortable? That’s the last thing I want!” Resigned to Taehyung’s nagging, he abandoned his inventory scheme and walked back out to the counter, knowing Taehyung would be on his heels.

“You’re overthinking this,” Taehyung declared.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Jungkook waffled, turning to look at his friend. “I think I’d feel better about slipping her my number if we’d ever talked before. We haven’t even exchanged a simple ‘hello’.”

“Hello!”

Taehyung and Jungkook jumped, both surprised to find you standing at the counter, smiling brightly. Neither had heard the door open while they were in the stockroom.

“We gotta get a louder bell,” Taehyung murmured.

“Is it always this quiet on a Friday?” you wondered out loud as you surveyed the nearly empty shop. Pulling off your pink knit hat, you shook the snow from the fluffy pom-pom before unraveling your matching scarf.

“You just missed the morning rush,” Taehyung told you. “The usual, to go?”

Jungkook automatically picked up a cup and reached for his marker when you shook your head.

“Actually, could I have that for here instead?” You held up a laptop case. “Need to get some work done, wanted a little change of scenery.”

Jungkook slowly lowered the cup as Taehyung grinned widely.

“Of course! We’ll be happy to have your company today.” Taehyung rang you up as Jungkook marched rotely over to the espresso machine, lost in thought. “Have a seat and we’ll bring it right out.”

You chose a table by the window where you could watch the crowds drift by. Shedding your winter gear, you sat down and started typing away as you waited.

The shop was quiet save for some tinny holiday music rattling out of a speaker overhead. But after a few minutes, you thought you detected a whispered argument, a few choice expletives being hurled back and forth in hushed tones. You chose to mind your business and kept focused on your work.

You were so in the zone that you didn’t realize someone was hovering over you until they cleared their throat. You glanced up, startled.

The handsome barista with the big eyes was staring down at you. Jungkook, that was his name. He seemed almost as spooked as you. “Sorry. I, uh, didn’t mean to scare you.” He held out a large cup on a saucer. “Here you go.”

You slid your laptop to the side to make room. He lowered the cup and mumbled a quick, “haveagoodday,” about to turn and walk away when your fingers closed around his wrist. He stopped, going completely still with shock.

“Oh, how cute!” you cooed as you inspected your drink. The foam floating on top of your macchiato had been deftly swirled into the shape of a polar bear, bundled up in a big hat and scarf. In your delight, you had reached out to grab the barista’s arm unthinkingly. Upon realizing this, you gently released him.

Peering up at him, you inquired, “Did you do this?”

Jungkook nodded, tongue feeling too thick in his mouth to speak.

“That’s so cool. Do they teach you how to make different designs when you work here?”

Jungkook shook his head. “They didn’t - they don’t teach that stuff here. I figured it out on my own.”

“You taught yourself how to make foam art?” Your eyes widened. “Wow!” You watched the little bear bob gently across the surface of your drink. “I’m jealous of your skills.”

You gazed up at Jungkook with a warm smile. His heart somersaulted in his chest.

“Th-thanks,” he stammered, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Um, enjoy your macchiato.”

He bustled back towards the safety of the stockroom and sat down on a pile of boxes turned into a makeshift chair. A moment later, Taehyung strolled in, hands in his pockets, expression nonchalant.

“Sooooo, how did that go?” His tone implied innocence, but Jungkook knew he’d been stretching himself over the counter as much as humanly possible, trying to listen in. But he didn’t care.

“She liked my bear. She said - she said she was jealous of my skills.” Jungkook clapped his hands over his ears, feeling to see if the tips were as hot as they felt. He scrunched his nose as he grinned at Taehyung.

“And then?”

“And then I came back here.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

Taehyung looked aghast. “Good god, the way you’re reacting, I figured you’d asked her out - or, more likely, she’d asked you out. You just talked about foam art?!”

Jungkook nodded.

“You’re hopeless, man. Hope. Less.” Taehyung drifted away, leaving Jungkook still smiling to himself.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

The next time you visited the shop, Jungkook did a double take. Then a third.

Every other time he’d seen you, you were dressed casually - usually jeans and boots, though one time in late October you’d worn yoga pants and a clingy tank top, apologizing for being sweaty by explaining you’d just come from your first (and last) attempt at pilates, and he’d accidentally inhaled a noseful of espresso when you’d removed your coat to reveal your form-fitting workout clothes.

But you’d never walked through the coffee shop’s door looking the way you did on this particular Monday morning.

You wore an immaculately tailored dark green wool coat, with large black buttons running down your torso, that nipped in tightly with a shiny belt at your waist, then flared out into a ruffled hem, accentuating your hourglass curves. A black pencil skirt peeked out from underneath the coat, stopping just above your knee. Your calves were swathed in dark nylons, and as you turned to make sure the door closed behind you, Jungkook noticed a seam running along the backs of your legs. He swallowed thickly as he followed the line down to the intimidatingly tall high heels you wore that gave you an extra few inches, bringing you eye-level with him as you sauntered up to the counter and smiled.

Right at him.

From his post at his register, Taehyung whistled. “Wow,” he said, breathing your name. “You look amazing!”

You tore your gaze away from Jungkook. “Thank you, Taehyung,” you flushed, giving a little twirl at his compliment. “I’m happy to hear you say that, because I haven’t worn my power suit in a very long time, and I really needed a confidence boost today!”

“Your power suit?”

“Yeah.” Your fingers dropped to your skirt, smoothing a nearly imperceptible wrinkle as you explained. “I’m hoping to close an important negotiation today. Business deals like this always make me super nervous. But this suit is my secret weapon. It’s like a coat of armor - makes me feel like I can conquer anything. And then, you know, I had to make sure the rest of me was pulled together nicely - hair done, heels on, complete the whole look.” You grinned, posing cutely. “You think it works?”

“It definitely works.” Jungkook heard the words leave his lips before his brain alerted him that he’d said them.

Two heads swiveled in his direction.

Before Jungkook could think about running away, your phone rang.

“Ah, excuse me, I gotta take this!” You stepped away from the counter as you swiped your phone open, but not before the baristas heard you answer with your full name.

Taehyung suddenly released his grip on his register, popping upright. “Did… did she just say…” He repeated your name to Jungkook, who nodded, still sweating from his accidental utterance.

Taehyung’s fingers flew over his phone. “Whoa. I knew that I knew that name!”

Jungkook just waited, knowing from his friend’s tone of voice that he had something interesting to share.

But he was not prepared for the headline on the article on Taehyung’s screen:

Country’s Youngest Tech CEO Now Country’s Richest Tech CEO

He gaped at the photo accompanying the headline. It was you, appearing very much like you did today, hair pinned up, makeup tastefully done, and wearing the same skirt with similar nylons and heels. The top half of your suit was on display, and Jungkook had to admit - calling it your ‘secret weapon’ was no lie, because you were absolutely lethal in the fitted jacket, ready to vanquish your enemies.

The satisfied smirk on your face knocked the air from his lungs.

Once he regained the ability to breathe, Jungkook peered at Taehyung, baffled. “You read Tech Biz Weekly magazine?”

“My roommate Jimin’s cousin’s boyfriend works for her.” Taehyung informed him as Jungkook scrolled his phone, reading. “He tweeted this article the other day. She’s a big deal in software. I guess she, like, revolutionized the work from home industry with a program or something? I don’t know, I just skimmed it.” He shrugged. “But the point is, her company is crazy successful and she’s stupid rich. Like, could probably buy several islands without blinking rich.”

“But… she wears jeans?” Jungkook’s brain was completely scrambled, making it even harder than usual to find the right words to express what he was thinking. You didn’t look like a CEO, he meant to say.

“Yeah, dude,” Taehyung confirmed. “Rich people wear jeans sometimes. You expect her to dress like that all the time?” He pointed to your back. You were still on your phone, pacing in an empty corner as you spoke.

“Well, no, of course not, but… she was here on Friday and not dressed in office clothing.” You didn’t appear to work in a stuffy corporate job. “Right. Work from home technology, remember?” Taehyung shrugged again. “She probably uses her own products.”

“But she’s always alone? Shouldn’t she have bodyguards or something?”

Taehyung gave him a look. “I don’t think many people recognize her. She’s rich, she’s not Beyoncé.”

“She’s our age.” How could someone his own age be so rich and powerful?

“She’s your age, dude. I’m still your hyung, you know.” Taehyung gazed into the distance. “Oh. That means she’s younger than me. I need a minute to process.”

Jungkook attempted to reconcile everything he’d read and everything Tae was (rather blasély) telling him with everything he’d learned about you over the last few weeks. He already knew you were smart and confident. Was it really so surprising that you could be a tech savant, too? It… made sense, as much as it all could.

It just meant that you were even more out of his league than he’d thought. As if you’d ever be interested in a goofy, tongue-tied barista.

You returned to the counter, sliding your phone back into your pocket. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries,” Taehyung waved his hand. “So, medium caramel macchiato to go?” “Better make it large today,” you stated, handing him your card.

Jungkook had barely put the tip of his marker to your cup before your phone went off again. Wincing, you mouthed an apology to the two men as you grabbed your card and took the call at the same time.

You were so absorbed in your conversation, going over the final details for your big meeting, that you didn’t note how long it was taking for your drink to be made. But eventually you heard your name called over the voice of the lawyer nattering in your ear, and you flashed Jungkook a quick smile as you grabbed your drink from him and dashed out of the store.

Jungkook tried to ignore the pang of disappointment that struck when you didn’t even glance at the drawing on the cup. Ah, well. You were clearly a very busy woman.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Two days left until Christmas. The coffee shop was a madhouse, with last-minute shoppers and holiday travelers packing the lobby and keeping the staff hustling from open to close. Jungkook barely had the time to think about you.

Yet somehow he did it anyway.

He wondered how your meeting went while he was whipping up peppermint mochas and snickerdoodle lattes. Wiping down his station, he imagined your face when you saw his drawing, hoping it had made you smile. Running to the stockroom for more cups, he remembered how you’d spun in your gorgeous coat and skirt, and paused to stare unseeing at the shelves, adrift in reverie.

He knew he’d have to get over this crush eventually. But it couldn’t hurt to stand there and pretend for a few moments that you might feel the same way.

It was while he was in the back that you entered the shop, door chiming as you scanned the counter.

Taehyung stood alone. Leaned alone, to be more precise, draped as usual over his register, blissfully enjoying a rare moment of silence between the swarms of shoppers. Catching your eye, he grinned.

“If it isn’t our favorite customer,” he greeted you cheerfully. You clocked the “our” as you reached into your shoulder bag and produced an empty coffee cup, setting it in front of him.

Taehyung snatched it up, examining it curiously. “You brought your cup back? Um, we appreciate your commitment to recycling, but we don’t reuse our paper cups. They are biodegradable, though.”

You didn’t reply, but simply reached out and rotated the cup in Taehyung’s hand until he saw it.

Inscribed across the cup was a stunning sketch of a fierce-looking woman, wielding a shield, sword raised above her head. Next to her was scribbled “파이팅.” Most would assume it was an illustration of a random warrior, but you recognized the woman’s eyes right away.

They were your own.

Based on the way Taehyung glanced between the drawing and your face, he recognized them, too.

“What does this mean?” you implored, tapping the word written in Hangul.

“Paiting,” Taehyung smiled. “It’s like, good luck, or let’s go! Like someone’s encouraging you.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, staring at the cup. Taehyung handed it back to you and you held it delicately, lowering your head as you contemplated his words. He opened his mouth to ask if he could take your order, but the question died on his tongue when you gazed up at him, an intense expression on your face. “Okay. Thank you, Taehyung.”

He tilted his head, not really sure what he’d done for you. “You’re welcome?”

You smiled. “I’ll see you later,” you said, walking away. As you exited the shop, shoppers streamed past you, filling the lobby again, and Taehyung’s attention was diverted by the next wave of customers.

It wasn’t until he was lying in bed that night, drifting off to sleep, that he realized he’d never told Jungkook about your visit.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Christmas Eve morning was mercifully slow. The neighborhood businesses were already closed for the holiday, so there weren’t any employees needing their daily caffeine fix. By now, most travelers had reached their destinations, so they were no longer piling into the shop. The only steady flow of customers were the remaining last-last-minute shoppers, those who had procrastinated until there were only literal hours left to shop, and thankfully they were more of a trickle than a flood.

Yet despite the holiday and the quiet, Taehyung wasn’t surprised to see you walk through the door.

“Is he here?” you inquired by way of greeting, dusting snow from your hat.

Taehyung didn’t bother to ask you to clarify. “Yeah, he’s in the back. Let me grab him.”

Jungkook was combing through boxes, scouring for more caramel syrup, when he heard his friend’s voice call out, “Kook. You have a visitor.” He lifted his head to glance at the doorway and ask who it was, but Taehyung had vanished.

He blinked, suddenly nervous.

Taehyung was missing from his register when Jungkook emerged from the stockroom. And you were standing at the other end of the counter, bundled in your winter gear, with a cup in your hands and a soft smile on your lips.

Jungkook forced his legs to carry him to his workstation. You looked up as he approached.

“Hi Jungkook.”

His name had never sounded so sweet.

“Hi,” he responded. “Um, can I help you?”

You waved the cup around. “Did you draw this?”

Jungkook nodded.

“I didn’t notice it until I was on my way to my meeting yesterday,” you confessed, twiddling the cup in your hands. “It… it made me smile. I wanted to tell you that. And thank you.” You blushed slightly, and Jungkook felt his own face heating in response. “The meeting went so smoothly. Even though I didn’t know what you wrote, I still felt like someone was cheering me on, and it helped. A lot.”

Jungkook knew he was still standing in front of you, but he felt like he was floating towards the ceiling.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, just barely loud enough for you to hear.

“Did you do all those other sketches? The reindeer, the elf… was that you?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought so.” You regarded him closely. “Did you draw them for all your other customers?”

He shook his head, fighting the urge to cover his ears, knowing they were burning. “No.”

“Ah.” You bit your lip, fighting a smile. “You’re not much of a talker, huh?”

Jungkook just blinked his doe eyes in alarm.

“It’s ok. I talk enough for the two of us.” You suddenly dug into your bag, searching for something. “Anyway, like I said, I wanted to thank you. This time of year can be... hard, you know? I didn’t intend to visit this place so often, honestly - I’m not much of a coffee drinker, as you can tell by my preferred order.” You grinned and Jungkook couldn’t stop himself from beaming as well. “But you and Taehyung have always been so nice, and then the little sketches… well, they made me happy. I wanted to show my appreciation, so… here.” You thrust a small package into his hands. Jungkook stared at the beautiful gold wrapping paper, the gauzy white bow, and the tiny tag that read “Jungkook” in elegant handwriting.

A gift? For him?

He automatically moved to open the package and you quickly interjected. “Wait, don’t open that now!”

He stopped, gazing at you with wide eyes. You smiled at his startled expression.

“Sorry. I just… just open that later, okay? After I leave.” You cleared your throat. “I, uh, took the liberty of breaking it in. But I don’t draw, so… you’ll see,” you blathered, fiddling with the strap of your bag.

“Okay.” He easily acquiesced to your plea and tucked the package under the counter, out of sight.

“Okay,” you repeated, nodding. “I better get going. Got a lot of miles to travel today.” You edged towards the door. “Merry Christmas, Jungkook. Please give Taehyung my wishes for a good holiday.”

He nodded, watching you walk away. He felt like he was going to burst. As your fingers gripped the door handle, he found his voice, calling out your name.

“Merry Christmas. And… thank you.”

Your smile shone brighter than all the Christmas lights strung throughout the shop.

The moment the door closed behind you, Taehyung instantaneously reappeared. Jungkook assumed this meant he’d been hanging out in the back hallway, eavesdropping on your conversation. He didn’t care. He grabbed the gift and set it on the counter.

Taehyung gestured for him to continue.

The metallic paper sparkled as Jungkook turned the gift over in his hands. It was wrapped so neatly that it almost seemed a shame to tear into it. But he didn’t think he could wait a second longer.

Peeling back the layers of ribbon and paper, he found a gorgeous, leather-bound sketchbook. Tucked inside the cover was a row of pristine pencils arranged in a perfect rainbow of colors.

On the first page of the pad was written a little note:

Jungkook,

Talent like yours deserves a better canvas. Hope this helps.

And underneath your signature, a phone number.

“Whoa,” Taehyung marveled, plucking the sketchbook from Jungkook’s hands and inspecting the contents. “Fancy!”

Jungkook was halfway through the lobby before Taehyung looked up.

“Where are you going? You don’t have your coat!” he heard his friend yell as he opened the door and dashed out into the cold.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Falling snow made it difficult to see very far as Jungkook spun around, scanning the street. He shivered, wishing he had grabbed his jacket. But he’d been moving on instinct, his gut telling him to run out the door before he lost you.

Though he was starting to fear that he already had as he surveyed the scene around him. The boulevard was mostly bare, only a few other people out trekking through the wintry weather. Then he spotted it - that fuzzy pompom, bouncing on the top of your knit cap as you strolled away a few blocks down from the shop. Jungkook started to run, skidding slightly on the slippery pavement.

“Hey!” A voice was shouting your name. You slowed your pace, glancing over your shoulder, eyebrows shooting up as you saw Jungkook dashing towards you.

“Jungkook!” you exclaimed as he came to a halt, breath huffing into little white clouds as he panted in the chilly air. You observed his lack of outerwear with a frown. “You must be freezing!” Taking his arm, you ducked into the entryway of a closed clothing store, tugging him behind you, giving him partial protection from the snow and wind.

Huddling close to you in the doorway, Jungkook forgot his words again.

The wind whipped up, nipping at your face. Brushing your hair out of your eyes, you retreated more, leading Jungkook further out of the cold, until your back bumped the door behind you. You peeked up at him patiently, giving him time.

Eventually, he spoke. “I just… wanted to thank you. For the sketchbook. It’s amazing.” A shy smile crossed his face, eyes crinkling as he beamed, and you swore your heart skipped a beat. “No one’s ever given me a gift like that before.”

“Well, I have to be honest. I gave it to you for rather selfish reasons,” you admitted.

His deer in headlights expression returned. “You did?”

“Yeah. Because I can’t wait to see what you do with it.” You looked down at your feet, feeling slightly bashful yourself. “I’m hoping you’ll show me.”

Jungkook’s gaze flitted to your lips. He licked his own unconsciously, fighting the urge to lean in. Would it be too forward to kiss you?

You lifted your head, and something hanging above Jungkook’s head caught your eye as it swayed in the wind.

“Jungkook,” you murmured, pointing. “Mistletoe.”

His eyes followed your finger, missing the way you glanced at his mouth, watching the perfect cupid’s bow and pouty bottom lip pop open in surprise. He gawked at the little green sprig someone had strung up above the store’s entrance.

How else should he interpret the tiny plant, but as an answer to his question?

Jungkook cupped his hands over your cheeks, drawing you to him for a tender kiss.

Your eyes fell shut, lips brushing against Jungkook’s as he pulled you close. Warmth flooded from your head to your toes, driving out the winter air’s icy sting. Your fingers fisted in his apron as Jungkook hummed into the kiss, stepping forward until he was flush against you, pressing your back firmly into the door, causing you to squeak slightly.

Jungkook broke the kiss. “Sorry! I - I got carried away,” he apologized, dropping his hands from your face.

You shook your head vehemently. “No! Don’t apologize. That was really nice,” you gushed, releasing your grip, trying to iron the wrinkled material of his apron with your hands. “But you should probably get back to work before you catch a cold! I can’t believe you’re out here like this.”

Jungkook lowered his head, grinning sheepishly. “Yeah, I, uh, didn’t really think this through. I just wanted to see you. And….” he trailed off, running his fingers through his dark, messy hair.

“And?” you prompted him lightly.

“And ask if you want to get dinner with me. Maybe next Friday?” He peered at you hopefully. “I’ll bring my sketchbook.”

“To show me or to draw me?” you teased.

“Both, if you’ll let me,” he replied, without hesitation, a playful gleam in his eye.

Your face burned as you nodded your acceptance, suddenly too shy to speak.

Jungkook promised to text you before sprinting off back to work.

As the door chimed, announcing Jungkook’s arrival, Taehyung poked his head out from where he’d been standing in the back, savoring the quiet with a hot cocoa.

“Well?” he demanded.

Jungkook just smiled. He opened his gift, selected a pink pencil, and started to sketch.

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Her. You know. The woman you’ve been making eyes at for the last month or so? Always comes in on Saturdays at this time of morning, always orders a caramel macchiato to go. And you always stare at her like a lovestruck puppy the entire time.”

Jungkook felt his face heating. Was he really that obvious?

He didn’t get a chance to refute Taehyung’s words before the door chimed again, and you swept in.

It must’ve started flurrying outside, Jungkook realized, from the snowflakes that dotted your hair and face, tiny drops of white that melted away as the heat of the coffee shop slowly thawed you. You peeled off your gloves and queued up behind Taehyung’s customer. He watched as you scanned the menu that hung on the wall behind him, eyes flicking back and forth as if mulling over your options, even though you always ordered the same drink.

Jungkook thought you had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen.

“Kook,” Taehyung’s voice broke through his reverie. “Large dark roast, with one shot of espresso, to go, for Yoongi.”

Jungkook sprang into action. “Got it.” He snatched a cup, grabbed his fine tip marker, wrote “Yoongi” on it in loopy lettering, then set about making the drink. Once finished, he stepped to the end of the counter and called out “Yoongi!” A sleepy-looking man with pink hair wandered up and took his drink with a grunt that Jungkook assumed meant “Thanks.”

When he returned to his spot by Taehyung at his register, you were already placing your order.

“Medium caramel macchiato to go, please,” you chirped, your voice the sweetest melody to Jungkook’s ears.

Taehyung asked your name and you mentioned it as Jungkook remained rooted to the spot, gazing at you softly.

“Did you get that, Kook?” Taehyung repeated your name. Jungkook blinked and nodded, reaching for a cup and his marker. He started to write, then paused, thinking hard.

A minute passed.

“Uh, are you planning on making that drink anytime soon?” Taehyung asked, smirking at his friend. “Or did you want to ogle our customer a little more?” Jungkook glanced up, relieved to see that you had wandered off to wait for your drink, well out of earshot of Taehyung’s teasing. He shot his friend a dark look, then finished what he was writing and hurried off to make your drink.

You heard your name called out a minute later and walked up to the counter where the doe-eyed barista stood. He didn’t acknowledge you, focused on cleaning his equipment, but you thanked him anyway and picked up your cup. Stopping by the door to put your gloves back on, you shifted the drink in your hands, noting in happy wonder that, below your name, there was an intricate, beautifully etched snowflake, with “Stay warm!” scrawled beside it.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

A week later, an amused Jungkook watched as a pile of shopping bags on legs burst through the door of the coffee shop. It trundled up to the counter, a pair of bewitching eyes peeking over the tops of the packages.

“Hi!” your voice rang out. “Can I get a medium caramel macchiato, to go, please?” Your face appeared as you lowered the bags, gingerly juggling them as you attempted to reach for your wallet.

“Starting your holiday shopping?” Taehyung questioned as you handed him your card.

“Finishing it!” you trilled cheerfully.

“Wow, this early? It’s only the beginning of December! I’m impressed.”

You shrugged, a pleased smile crossing your lips. “I like to get an early start, beat the crowds.”

As you and Taehyung chatted, Jungkook’s hands worked swiftly, his marker flying over your cup. He half-listened to your conversation, wishing he could join in. You and Taehyung struck up an easy rapport, gabbing away while Jungkook worked on your order.

He envied the way Taehyung could talk to anyone. Jungkook sometimes found it hard to say what he was thinking, especially if he was excited. He’d get overwhelmed and the message would get mixed up, words jumbling together somewhere between his brain and his mouth.

When a beautiful woman like you got his heart racing, he’d lose his words completely.

He didn’t realize how long he was taking until Taehyung raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking what he was waiting for. Jungkook ignored him and scurried off to make your drink.

You managed to rearrange your purchases by the time your order was ready, giving yourself a free hand. As you reached for your cup, thanking the dark-haired barista who was once again occupied with wiping down his workstation, you giggled at the detailed drawing of a cute little elf, a tiny gift box in its hands with your name written across it.

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“Hoseok!” Jungkook called out, pushing a tray of drinks towards the edge of the counter.

“Jin!” He slid another tray forward.

Another busy Saturday in December. Only two weeks left until Christmas. The closer the holidays got, the more hectic the little shop became, gallons of coffee flying out the door as sleep-deprived shoppers fueled themselves for more retail madness.

Normally, this made Jungkook happy, because it meant the hours ticked by faster - and he usually left with bigger tips. But today, he wasn’t particularly enjoying himself.

He tried to convince himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that you hadn’t been in this morning, for the first time in weeks. That was certainly Taehyung’s theory, which he’d told Jungkook during their break, complaining that Jungkook’s sour mood was killing his “vibe,” whatever that meant. But he wouldn’t give Taehyung the satisfaction of agreeing with him.

Jungkook was in the middle of whipping up another tray of eggnog lattes when he heard Taehyung call out your name. As he dusted nutmeg over the drinks, he risked a swift peek at the register, where you stood talking at the blue-haired man taking your order. You were the last customer in line, which meant Taehyung could catch his breath and rest for a minute, before the next crowd shuffled in and the frenzy started all over again.

Jungkook quickly handed out the lattes, then hopped over to grab a cup for your order. Spotting a sly glance leveled his way, Jungkook understood with a sinking feeling that Taehyung was going to take advantage of the lull not to relax, but to bask in his favorite pastime - torturing Jungkook.

“I’m guessing you weren’t out shopping, since you are shopping bag free today,” Taehyung mused as he leaned towards you, resting his chin in his hand. “Not to mention you don’ t look like you’ve been fighting the crowds. No one who’s been out in those throngs could come in here looking as pretty as you do.”

Jungkook frowned as his marker swirled your name over the cup.

“Oh, no, I just needed my weekly fix of macchiato,” you answered, smiling sweetly in return. “I would’ve been here earlier this morning, but I slept through my alarm.”

“Late night?” Taehyung cocked an eyebrow.

You shot him a conspiratorial wink. “Oh yeah. This project I’m finishing for work kept me up all night.”

“Hmph, how rude of it. Well, I’m glad you came in. Wouldn’t be a good Saturday without my weekly fix of you.” He grinned, lips revealing a brilliant, boxy smile, hitting you with the full dazzling Taehyung charm.

Something that sounded like a rather annoyed grunt sounded from your left, and you turned to curiously eye the shaggy-haired barista standing next to Taehyung. He must’ve felt your gaze, because he suddenly looked up. As your eyes met, he froze.

You were struck by the thought that he very much resembled a deer caught in headlights.

After a few seconds, he seemed to snap out of it and spun on his heel, rushing off to make your drink. You cocked your head, wondering what that was all about.

“Sorry about him. Overcaffeinated. Hazard of the job.” Taehyung commented dryly.

You peered at the flirty employee standing at the register. “I’m sure it is.”

Your gaze kept snapping back to the tall barista crafting your drink. You watched him work in thoughtful silence, suddenly remembering something.

“Oh, do you have comment cards?” you asked Taehyung. “I wanted to tell your bosses how much I love the little holiday illustrations on your cups! They’re so cute and festive!”

Jungkook’s ears perked up. He tried to lean towards the conversation as unobtrusively as possible.

“The… holiday illustrations?” Taehyung repeated in a puzzled tone.

“You know, the drawings? Snowflakes and elves? I really like them.” You beamed. “They even look hand drawn, like a little personal touch. It’s a nice change from the plain cups.” Catching the confusion on his face, your smile began to falter.

“I have no idea what y-“

“Here you go, miss!” Jungkook cut Taehyung off as he set your drink at the end of the counter.

You strode towards the other handsome barista. As ever, his eyes were averted, but you caught a slight nod when you thanked him. Grabbing your drink, you twirled it in your hands until you saw your name. You grinned and brandished the cup towards Taehyung.

“I think this one is my favorite!” you giggled as you displayed a little reindeer, its antlers all tangled up in Christmas lights, the caption ‘Oh deer’ hanging above its head. “Thanks, guys!”

As the door closed behind you, Taehyung scrutinized Jungkook carefully, realization slowly dawning across his face. “Ohhhhhhh,” he crowed.

“Shut up,” Jungkook growled, walking away.

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“So, what will our artist-in-residence be sketching tomorrow, hmmm?” Taehyung teased Jungkook the following Friday. “Santa Claus? Christmas tree? Do you decide these things ahead of time, or do you find inspiration in the moment?”

“Don’t you have some work you should be doing right now?” Jungkook retorted as he tried to focus on the gingerbread latte he was crafting. Taehyung was crowding his workspace. “Cleaning? Restocking? Literally anything else?”

“Mmmm, nope,” Taehyung intoned. He draped himself across the counter to Jungkook’s left, not close enough to be in Jungkook’s way as he worked, but just close enough to be a major nuisance anyway. “You know what you should draw?”

Jungkook sighed, defeated. “What’s that?”

“Your phone number.”

“How… how do I draw a phone number?”

Taehyung stared at Jungkook.

Jungkook stared at Taehyung.

Taehyung sighed. “Dude. I just mean, give her your number already.”

Jungkook scowled. “Order ready for Namjoon!” He handed the drink to a tall man in glasses who flashed a dimple-laden smile. “Will you please drop it?” Taehyung had been hounding him about giving you his phone number all week.

Jungkook slipped past his friend, bolting for the stockroom in the hopes of ending the conversation. But Taehyung simply followed, undeterred.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is,” Taehyung went on as Jungkook paced the stockroom, pretending to take inventory of the cups and lids. “You like her, right? What do you have to lose?”

“I just… don’t you think that’s a little cheesy? Hey pretty lady, here’s my phone number! Call me!” Jungkook punctuated his words with finger guns, aiming at Taehyung.

“Well, yeah, if you do it like that, it’s definitely cheesy. Creepy, too.” Taehyung quipped. “Just write your number on her cup and leave it up to her. If she’s interested, she’ll call. If she’s not, she won’t. No harm done.”

“I don’t know,” Jungkook fretted. “What if she thinks it’s weird? Some random guy hitting on her? Or what if I make her uncomfortable? That’s the last thing I want!” Resigned to Taehyung’s nagging, he abandoned his inventory scheme and walked back out to the counter, knowing Taehyung would be on his heels.

“You’re overthinking this,” Taehyung declared.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Jungkook waffled, turning to look at his friend. “I think I’d feel better about slipping her my number if we’d ever talked before. We haven’t even exchanged a simple ‘hello’.”

“Hello!”

Taehyung and Jungkook jumped, both surprised to find you standing at the counter, smiling brightly. Neither had heard the door open while they were in the stockroom.

“We gotta get a louder bell,” Taehyung murmured.

“Is it always this quiet on a Friday?” you wondered out loud as you surveyed the nearly empty shop. Pulling off your pink knit hat, you shook the snow from the fluffy pom-pom before unraveling your matching scarf.

“You just missed the morning rush,” Taehyung told you. “The usual, to go?”

Jungkook automatically picked up a cup and reached for his marker when you shook your head.

“Actually, could I have that for here instead?” You held up a laptop case. “Need to get some work done, wanted a little change of scenery.”

Jungkook slowly lowered the cup as Taehyung grinned widely.

“Of course! We’ll be happy to have your company today.” Taehyung rang you up as Jungkook marched rotely over to the espresso machine, lost in thought. “Have a seat and we’ll bring it right out.”

You chose a table by the window where you could watch the crowds drift by. Shedding your winter gear, you sat down and started typing away as you waited.

The shop was quiet save for some tinny holiday music rattling out of a speaker overhead. But after a few minutes, you thought you detected a whispered argument, a few choice expletives being hurled back and forth in hushed tones. You chose to mind your business and kept focused on your work.

You were so in the zone that you didn’t realize someone was hovering over you until they cleared their throat. You glanced up, startled.

The handsome barista with the big eyes was staring down at you. Jungkook, that was his name. He seemed almost as spooked as you. “Sorry. I, uh, didn’t mean to scare you.” He held out a large cup on a saucer. “Here you go.”

You slid your laptop to the side to make room. He lowered the cup and mumbled a quick, “haveagoodday,” about to turn and walk away when your fingers closed around his wrist. He stopped, going completely still with shock.

“Oh, how cute!” you cooed as you inspected your drink. The foam floating on top of your macchiato had been deftly swirled into the shape of a polar bear, bundled up in a big hat and scarf. In your delight, you had reached out to grab the barista’s arm unthinkingly. Upon realizing this, you gently released him.

Peering up at him, you inquired, “Did you do this?”

Jungkook nodded, tongue feeling too thick in his mouth to speak.

“That’s so cool. Do they teach you how to make different designs when you work here?”

Jungkook shook his head. “They didn’t - they don’t teach that stuff here. I figured it out on my own.”

“You taught yourself how to make foam art?” Your eyes widened. “Wow!” You watched the little bear bob gently across the surface of your drink. “I’m jealous of your skills.”

You gazed up at Jungkook with a warm smile. His heart somersaulted in his chest.

“Th-thanks,” he stammered, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Um, enjoy your macchiato.”

He bustled back towards the safety of the stockroom and sat down on a pile of boxes turned into a makeshift chair. A moment later, Taehyung strolled in, hands in his pockets, expression nonchalant.

“Sooooo, how did that go?” His tone implied innocence, but Jungkook knew he’d been stretching himself over the counter as much as humanly possible, trying to listen in. But he didn’t care.

“She liked my bear. She said - she said she was jealous of my skills.” Jungkook clapped his hands over his ears, feeling to see if the tips were as hot as they felt. He scrunched his nose as he grinned at Taehyung.

“And then?”

“And then I came back here.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

Taehyung looked aghast. “Good god, the way you’re reacting, I figured you’d asked her out - or, more likely, she’d asked you out. You just talked about foam art?!”

Jungkook nodded.

“You’re hopeless, man. Hope. Less.” Taehyung drifted away, leaving Jungkook still smiling to himself.

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The next time you visited the shop, Jungkook did a double take. Then a third.

Every other time he’d seen you, you were dressed casually - usually jeans and boots, though one time in late October you’d worn yoga pants and a clingy tank top, apologizing for being sweaty by explaining you’d just come from your first (and last) attempt at pilates, and he’d accidentally inhaled a noseful of espresso when you’d removed your coat to reveal your form-fitting workout clothes.

But you’d never walked through the coffee shop’s door looking the way you did on this particular Monday morning.

You wore an immaculately tailored dark green wool coat, with large black buttons running down your torso, that nipped in tightly with a shiny belt at your waist, then flared out into a ruffled hem, accentuating your hourglass curves. A black pencil skirt peeked out from underneath the coat, stopping just above your knee. Your calves were swathed in dark nylons, and as you turned to make sure the door closed behind you, Jungkook noticed a seam running along the backs of your legs. He swallowed thickly as he followed the line down to the intimidatingly tall high heels you wore that gave you an extra few inches, bringing you eye-level with him as you sauntered up to the counter and smiled.

Right at him.

From his post at his register, Taehyung whistled. “Wow,” he said, breathing your name. “You look amazing!”

You tore your gaze away from Jungkook. “Thank you, Taehyung,” you flushed, giving a little twirl at his compliment. “I’m happy to hear you say that, because I haven’t worn my power suit in a very long time, and I really needed a confidence boost today!”

“Your power suit?”

“Yeah.” Your fingers dropped to your skirt, smoothing a nearly imperceptible wrinkle as you explained. “I’m hoping to close an important negotiation today. Business deals like this always make me super nervous. But this suit is my secret weapon. It’s like a coat of armor - makes me feel like I can conquer anything. And then, you know, I had to make sure the rest of me was pulled together nicely - hair done, heels on, complete the whole look.” You grinned, posing cutely. “You think it works?”

“It definitely works.” Jungkook heard the words leave his lips before his brain alerted him that he’d said them.

Two heads swiveled in his direction.

Before Jungkook could think about running away, your phone rang.

“Ah, excuse me, I gotta take this!” You stepped away from the counter as you swiped your phone open, but not before the baristas heard you answer with your full name.

Taehyung suddenly released his grip on his register, popping upright. “Did… did she just say…” He repeated your name to Jungkook, who nodded, still sweating from his accidental utterance.

Taehyung’s fingers flew over his phone. “Whoa. I knew that I knew that name!”

Jungkook just waited, knowing from his friend’s tone of voice that he had something interesting to share.

But he was not prepared for the headline on the article on Taehyung’s screen:

Country’s Youngest Tech CEO Now Country’s Richest Tech CEO

He gaped at the photo accompanying the headline. It was you, appearing very much like you did today, hair pinned up, makeup tastefully done, and wearing the same skirt with similar nylons and heels. The top half of your suit was on display, and Jungkook had to admit - calling it your ‘secret weapon’ was no lie, because you were absolutely lethal in the fitted jacket, ready to vanquish your enemies.

The satisfied smirk on your face knocked the air from his lungs.

Once he regained the ability to breathe, Jungkook peered at Taehyung, baffled. “You read Tech Biz Weekly magazine?”

“My roommate Jimin’s cousin’s boyfriend works for her.” Taehyung informed him as Jungkook scrolled his phone, reading. “He tweeted this article the other day. She’s a big deal in software. I guess she, like, revolutionized the work from home industry with a program or something? I don’t know, I just skimmed it.” He shrugged. “But the point is, her company is crazy successful and she’s stupid rich. Like, could probably buy several islands without blinking rich.”

“But… she wears jeans?” Jungkook’s brain was completely scrambled, making it even harder than usual to find the right words to express what he was thinking. You didn’t look like a CEO, he meant to say.

“Yeah, dude,” Taehyung confirmed. “Rich people wear jeans sometimes. You expect her to dress like that all the time?” He pointed to your back. You were still on your phone, pacing in an empty corner as you spoke.

“Well, no, of course not, but… she was here on Friday and not dressed in office clothing.” You didn’t appear to work in a stuffy corporate job. “Right. Work from home technology, remember?” Taehyung shrugged again. “She probably uses her own products.”

“But she’s always alone? Shouldn’t she have bodyguards or something?”

Taehyung gave him a look. “I don’t think many people recognize her. She’s rich, she’s not Beyoncé.”

“She’s our age.” How could someone his own age be so rich and powerful?

“She’s your age, dude. I’m still your hyung, you know.” Taehyung gazed into the distance. “Oh. That means she’s younger than me. I need a minute to process.”

Jungkook attempted to reconcile everything he’d read and everything Tae was (rather blasély) telling him with everything he’d learned about you over the last few weeks. He already knew you were smart and confident. Was it really so surprising that you could be a tech savant, too? It… made sense, as much as it all could.

It just meant that you were even more out of his league than he’d thought. As if you’d ever be interested in a goofy, tongue-tied barista.

You returned to the counter, sliding your phone back into your pocket. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries,” Taehyung waved his hand. “So, medium caramel macchiato to go?” “Better make it large today,” you stated, handing him your card.

Jungkook had barely put the tip of his marker to your cup before your phone went off again. Wincing, you mouthed an apology to the two men as you grabbed your card and took the call at the same time.

You were so absorbed in your conversation, going over the final details for your big meeting, that you didn’t note how long it was taking for your drink to be made. But eventually you heard your name called over the voice of the lawyer nattering in your ear, and you flashed Jungkook a quick smile as you grabbed your drink from him and dashed out of the store.

Jungkook tried to ignore the pang of disappointment that struck when you didn’t even glance at the drawing on the cup. Ah, well. You were clearly a very busy woman.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Two days left until Christmas. The coffee shop was a madhouse, with last-minute shoppers and holiday travelers packing the lobby and keeping the staff hustling from open to close. Jungkook barely had the time to think about you.

Yet somehow he did it anyway.

He wondered how your meeting went while he was whipping up peppermint mochas and snickerdoodle lattes. Wiping down his station, he imagined your face when you saw his drawing, hoping it had made you smile. Running to the stockroom for more cups, he remembered how you’d spun in your gorgeous coat and skirt, and paused to stare unseeing at the shelves, adrift in reverie.

He knew he’d have to get over this crush eventually. But it couldn’t hurt to stand there and pretend for a few moments that you might feel the same way.

It was while he was in the back that you entered the shop, door chiming as you scanned the counter.

Taehyung stood alone. Leaned alone, to be more precise, draped as usual over his register, blissfully enjoying a rare moment of silence between the swarms of shoppers. Catching your eye, he grinned.

“If it isn’t our favorite customer,” he greeted you cheerfully. You clocked the “our” as you reached into your shoulder bag and produced an empty coffee cup, setting it in front of him.

Taehyung snatched it up, examining it curiously. “You brought your cup back? Um, we appreciate your commitment to recycling, but we don’t reuse our paper cups. They are biodegradable, though.”

You didn’t reply, but simply reached out and rotated the cup in Taehyung’s hand until he saw it.

Inscribed across the cup was a stunning sketch of a fierce-looking woman, wielding a shield, sword raised above her head. Next to her was scribbled “파이팅.” Most would assume it was an illustration of a random warrior, but you recognized the woman’s eyes right away.

They were your own.

Based on the way Taehyung glanced between the drawing and your face, he recognized them, too.

“What does this mean?” you implored, tapping the word written in Hangul.

“Paiting,” Taehyung smiled. “It’s like, good luck, or let’s go! Like someone’s encouraging you.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, staring at the cup. Taehyung handed it back to you and you held it delicately, lowering your head as you contemplated his words. He opened his mouth to ask if he could take your order, but the question died on his tongue when you gazed up at him, an intense expression on your face. “Okay. Thank you, Taehyung.”

He tilted his head, not really sure what he’d done for you. “You’re welcome?”

You smiled. “I’ll see you later,” you said, walking away. As you exited the shop, shoppers streamed past you, filling the lobby again, and Taehyung’s attention was diverted by the next wave of customers.

It wasn’t until he was lying in bed that night, drifting off to sleep, that he realized he’d never told Jungkook about your visit.

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Christmas Eve morning was mercifully slow. The neighborhood businesses were already closed for the holiday, so there weren’t any employees needing their daily caffeine fix. By now, most travelers had reached their destinations, so they were no longer piling into the shop. The only steady flow of customers were the remaining last-last-minute shoppers, those who had procrastinated until there were only literal hours left to shop, and thankfully they were more of a trickle than a flood.

Yet despite the holiday and the quiet, Taehyung wasn’t surprised to see you walk through the door.

“Is he here?” you inquired by way of greeting, dusting snow from your hat.

Taehyung didn’t bother to ask you to clarify. “Yeah, he’s in the back. Let me grab him.”

Jungkook was combing through boxes, scouring for more caramel syrup, when he heard his friend’s voice call out, “Kook. You have a visitor.” He lifted his head to glance at the doorway and ask who it was, but Taehyung had vanished.

He blinked, suddenly nervous.

Taehyung was missing from his register when Jungkook emerged from the stockroom. And you were standing at the other end of the counter, bundled in your winter gear, with a cup in your hands and a soft smile on your lips.

Jungkook forced his legs to carry him to his workstation. You looked up as he approached.

“Hi Jungkook.”

His name had never sounded so sweet.

“Hi,” he responded. “Um, can I help you?”

You waved the cup around. “Did you draw this?”

Jungkook nodded.

“I didn’t notice it until I was on my way to my meeting yesterday,” you confessed, twiddling the cup in your hands. “It… it made me smile. I wanted to tell you that. And thank you.” You blushed slightly, and Jungkook felt his own face heating in response. “The meeting went so smoothly. Even though I didn’t know what you wrote, I still felt like someone was cheering me on, and it helped. A lot.”

Jungkook knew he was still standing in front of you, but he felt like he was floating towards the ceiling.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, just barely loud enough for you to hear.

“Did you do all those other sketches? The reindeer, the elf… was that you?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought so.” You regarded him closely. “Did you draw them for all your other customers?”

He shook his head, fighting the urge to cover his ears, knowing they were burning. “No.”

“Ah.” You bit your lip, fighting a smile. “You’re not much of a talker, huh?”

Jungkook just blinked his doe eyes in alarm.

“It’s ok. I talk enough for the two of us.” You suddenly dug into your bag, searching for something. “Anyway, like I said, I wanted to thank you. This time of year can be... hard, you know? I didn’t intend to visit this place so often, honestly - I’m not much of a coffee drinker, as you can tell by my preferred order.” You grinned and Jungkook couldn’t stop himself from beaming as well. “But you and Taehyung have always been so nice, and then the little sketches… well, they made me happy. I wanted to show my appreciation, so… here.” You thrust a small package into his hands. Jungkook stared at the beautiful gold wrapping paper, the gauzy white bow, and the tiny tag that read “Jungkook” in elegant handwriting.

A gift? For him?

He automatically moved to open the package and you quickly interjected. “Wait, don’t open that now!”

He stopped, gazing at you with wide eyes. You smiled at his startled expression.

“Sorry. I just… just open that later, okay? After I leave.” You cleared your throat. “I, uh, took the liberty of breaking it in. But I don’t draw, so… you’ll see,” you blathered, fiddling with the strap of your bag.

“Okay.” He easily acquiesced to your plea and tucked the package under the counter, out of sight.

“Okay,” you repeated, nodding. “I better get going. Got a lot of miles to travel today.” You edged towards the door. “Merry Christmas, Jungkook. Please give Taehyung my wishes for a good holiday.”

He nodded, watching you walk away. He felt like he was going to burst. As your fingers gripped the door handle, he found his voice, calling out your name.

“Merry Christmas. And… thank you.”

Your smile shone brighter than all the Christmas lights strung throughout the shop.

The moment the door closed behind you, Taehyung instantaneously reappeared. Jungkook assumed this meant he’d been hanging out in the back hallway, eavesdropping on your conversation. He didn’t care. He grabbed the gift and set it on the counter.

Taehyung gestured for him to continue.

The metallic paper sparkled as Jungkook turned the gift over in his hands. It was wrapped so neatly that it almost seemed a shame to tear into it. But he didn’t think he could wait a second longer.

Peeling back the layers of ribbon and paper, he found a gorgeous, leather-bound sketchbook. Tucked inside the cover was a row of pristine pencils arranged in a perfect rainbow of colors.

On the first page of the pad was written a little note:

Jungkook,

Talent like yours deserves a better canvas. Hope this helps.

And underneath your signature, a phone number.

“Whoa,” Taehyung marveled, plucking the sketchbook from Jungkook’s hands and inspecting the contents. “Fancy!”

Jungkook was halfway through the lobby before Taehyung looked up.

“Where are you going? You don’t have your coat!” he heard his friend yell as he opened the door and dashed out into the cold.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Falling snow made it difficult to see very far as Jungkook spun around, scanning the street. He shivered, wishing he had grabbed his jacket. But he’d been moving on instinct, his gut telling him to run out the door before he lost you.

Though he was starting to fear that he already had as he surveyed the scene around him. The boulevard was mostly bare, only a few other people out trekking through the wintry weather. Then he spotted it - that fuzzy pompom, bouncing on the top of your knit cap as you strolled away a few blocks down from the shop. Jungkook started to run, skidding slightly on the slippery pavement.

“Hey!” A voice was shouting your name. You slowed your pace, glancing over your shoulder, eyebrows shooting up as you saw Jungkook dashing towards you.

“Jungkook!” you exclaimed as he came to a halt, breath huffing into little white clouds as he panted in the chilly air. You observed his lack of outerwear with a frown. “You must be freezing!” Taking his arm, you ducked into the entryway of a closed clothing store, tugging him behind you, giving him partial protection from the snow and wind.

Huddling close to you in the doorway, Jungkook forgot his words again.

The wind whipped up, nipping at your face. Brushing your hair out of your eyes, you retreated more, leading Jungkook further out of the cold, until your back bumped the door behind you. You peeked up at him patiently, giving him time.

Eventually, he spoke. “I just… wanted to thank you. For the sketchbook. It’s amazing.” A shy smile crossed his face, eyes crinkling as he beamed, and you swore your heart skipped a beat. “No one’s ever given me a gift like that before.”

“Well, I have to be honest. I gave it to you for rather selfish reasons,” you admitted.

His deer in headlights expression returned. “You did?”

“Yeah. Because I can’t wait to see what you do with it.” You looked down at your feet, feeling slightly bashful yourself. “I’m hoping you’ll show me.”

Jungkook’s gaze flitted to your lips. He licked his own unconsciously, fighting the urge to lean in. Would it be too forward to kiss you?

You lifted your head, and something hanging above Jungkook’s head caught your eye as it swayed in the wind.

“Jungkook,” you murmured, pointing. “Mistletoe.”

His eyes followed your finger, missing the way you glanced at his mouth, watching the perfect cupid’s bow and pouty bottom lip pop open in surprise. He gawked at the little green sprig someone had strung up above the store’s entrance.

How else should he interpret the tiny plant, but as an answer to his question?

Jungkook cupped his hands over your cheeks, drawing you to him for a tender kiss.

Your eyes fell shut, lips brushing against Jungkook’s as he pulled you close. Warmth flooded from your head to your toes, driving out the winter air’s icy sting. Your fingers fisted in his apron as Jungkook hummed into the kiss, stepping forward until he was flush against you, pressing your back firmly into the door, causing you to squeak slightly.

Jungkook broke the kiss. “Sorry! I - I got carried away,” he apologized, dropping his hands from your face.

You shook your head vehemently. “No! Don’t apologize. That was really nice,” you gushed, releasing your grip, trying to iron the wrinkled material of his apron with your hands. “But you should probably get back to work before you catch a cold! I can’t believe you’re out here like this.”

Jungkook lowered his head, grinning sheepishly. “Yeah, I, uh, didn’t really think this through. I just wanted to see you. And….” he trailed off, running his fingers through his dark, messy hair.

“And?” you prompted him lightly.

“And ask if you want to get dinner with me. Maybe next Friday?” He peered at you hopefully. “I’ll bring my sketchbook.”

“To show me or to draw me?” you teased.

“Both, if you’ll let me,” he replied, without hesitation, a playful gleam in his eye.

Your face burned as you nodded your acceptance, suddenly too shy to speak.

Jungkook promised to text you before sprinting off back to work.

As the door chimed, announcing Jungkook’s arrival, Taehyung poked his head out from where he’d been standing in the back, savoring the quiet with a hot cocoa.

“Well?” he demanded.

Jungkook just smiled. He opened his gift, selected a pink pencil, and started to sketch.

today is what most people would call a very shitty day.

everything is tumbling down on top of you, crumbling in your hands and breaking right by your feet. just as you step through the front door of your apartment, you feel as if today is the last drop before your cup of water flows over. except, it isn’t water flowing out of a cup. instead, it’s tears pressuring on behind your eyelids and blurring your vision to a point where you can’t see a thing.

your feet feels heavy as you kick off your shoes, your coat doesn’t make it to a coat-hanger, and your purse lands on top of the coat on the floor. when you enter the living room, your favorite person looks up at you with a smile so bright that you feel really bad when it falters again in a matter of seconds.

man, it feels good to ruin someone else’s mood!

jungkook doesn’t think twice about it as he gets up from the couch, making his way to you in three long strides. your bottom lip is quivering as he cups your face softly. there’s a deep, worried frown on his face and now you want to cry even more, your heart breaking at the sight of him feeling your pain as if he was the one having a shitty day.

“bad day?” he asks, voice tender and comforting somehow.

he offers you a small smile as you look up at him, nodding as a tear escapes and rolls down your tear. his thumb quickly wipes it away and keeps brushing over your cheek, touches so soft and careful because he knows. he knows exactly what you need and what you need, you’ll get.

“c’mon,” he says, hand dropping to intertwine with yours. you let him pull you along towards the couch, following his every move and before you know it you’re cuddled up in his arms, underneath a fuzzy blanket. he’s hugging you tightly to his body, lips continuously pressing soft kisses to your forehead. “just let it out, baby, i’m right here,” he whispers, giving your entire body a squeeze as an encouragement.

you close your eyes, letting out a heavy sigh and that’s all it takes for the tears to finally fall. all of them, one by one, rolling down your cheeks. jungkook stays silent, letting you hide your face in the crook of his neck. his heart breaks at the sound of your sobs but he knows that it’ll help if you just let it all out at once. he knows you’ll feel better, lighter and relieved after you’ve cried all the struggles away. not that they’ll be gone forever but for now, they will.

“i love you so much.”

his words are comforting, they bring a warmth to your chest and your heart as you finally feel lighter in his embrace. there are no more tears, just damp lashes and slowly drying tears on jungkook’s neck. he smiles to himself as he feels you sniffle lightly before kissing his neck a few times. it’s the small gesture he needs to know that you’re grateful for the simple, small things he do in times like this.

he’s your comfort and he’s your anchor, keeping you grounded and sane on days where everything feels like nothing will get better. he’s right here to remind you that it’s just a bad day, not a bad life and that things will get better with time. it just takes a bit of patience and strength.