Work Text:
“WEE WOO HURT HAMSTER ALERT”
Yoongi was unceremoniously pushed out of the door frame of the small veterinarian’s office by a tall young man with wavy chocolate brown hair wearing scrubs. He watched in a daze as he saw the man rush over to the reception desk, all long legs and large hands, as he cupped something small and fragile in his palm. The employee looked frustrated at the empty chair and then proceeded to shout to the back of the office.
“HYUNG BRING ME SUPPLIES FOR A HAMSTER CAST NOW.”
Yoongi felt himself chuckle at the man’s demand, because “hamster cast” was a both terribly sad and ridiculously cute statement, and despite being shoved to the side Yoongi was intrigued. He led his fluffy barking dog over to the large front desk on his Totoro leash so that they could check in, but also to get a front line view of the action.
Yoongi walked across the small waiting room, passing an old chubby tabby who glared at him for no reason in particular, a shivering Chihuahua, and a Dalmatian running in circles so fast that Yoongi was getting dizzy just watching him. Once he approached the desk, and let his keys hit the wooden surface with a loud clink, the man, or boy he should say, finally looked up at him.
Whoa.
He had big brown eyes, so wide and open that Yoongi was nervous if he stared too long he might enter into another vortex and be swallowed whole. The man blinked up at him from his huddled position and Yoongi gaped a little at his long and fluttery his lashes, not to mention his honey skin, perfectly sloping nose, sharp jaw, and lips that Jesus couldn’t have crafted better. All in all Yoongi was sure he just stumbled into an episode of a TV Drama because there was no way this man was just living this pretty on his own.
“Hello?” Yoongi blinked and then felt a pang of embarrassment hit him as his cheeks flushed because the boy was getting his attention now, snapping his too long fingers in front of him.
“Ergh yes?” Yoongi mumbled, biting his lip awkwardly.
“Can you watch Captain Skittles for me? For like two minutes I swear! I just have to rush to the back and I don’t want to move him anymore than I have to. I saw him on the side of the road and I don’t know why a pet hamster was on the road unless someone put him there or threw him there. But if they threw him there then it’ll make me cry and I CANT cry again today, not after the pigeon incident, and so here is poor Captain Skittles and I think he has a broken arm so I need to get supplies for a hamster cast but it seems as if my Seokjin hyung, that actual vet here, is busy so PLEASE can you watch him?”
Yoongi was pretty sure the boy hadn’t breathed once during that whole monologue but he found himself dumbly nodding as the boy beamed back at him and ok, wow. He had this amazing smile, so unique, so fucking cute and wide it made Yoongi’s heart kind of flip over like five times, and for the second time he felt himself blushing only to see the boy to run off on those long legs of his.
“Hey!” Yoongi watched as the boy stopped in the door to one of the little rooms and peered back at him, “I’m Taehyung by the way!” and he smiled again. Yoongi grinned back, his gummy one, the one he usually liked to hide but there was no way in hell he could hide the joy blooming in his chest caused by the other magical human.
“Yoongi, me … I’m Yoongi,” He stuttered back, awkwardly raising a hand. Taehyung waved back and then was gone again.
Wow. Great job Yoongi, super smooth.
Yoongi adjusted his grip on his dogs leash, who was getting antsy at his lack of attention, “shh Holly, just be patient ok, Captain Skittles needs us.”
And for the first time really Yoongi looked at the little hamster placed so gingerly on the wooden surface. Taehyung had cradled him in a soft blue cloth which was now rumpled around the small critter. He was devastatingly cute but had definitely seen better days, with his soft brown fur, big eyes, and super cute paws. But his coat was dusted in a thin layer of dirt, probably from the road, Yoongi thought, simmering with small rage at anyone who could hurt another living creature, and one of his front paws was at a sickening angle.
Yoongi hoped Taehyung would return quickly, because he wanted to see Captain Skittles (cutest name ever??) recover and also because he was already starting to miss Taehyung’s face after only a whole two minutes and thirty seconds.
As if Taehyung was called by the thrumming of Yoongi’s heart he returned in a flash with a mini first aid kit. “Thank you! Yoongi, right?” Taehyung was grinning at him again as he laid the medical materials out on the desk, and began to prep the little hamster for treatment.
“Y-yes, Yoongi,” Yoongi swallowed in response, because man he was not good at this flirting thing. But god dammit if he was gonna try. “Taehyung, right? That’s a pretty name.”
“Shhhh,” Taehyung tittered at his words and was that a blush? Yoongi grinned to himself as he heard a small thank you leave Taehyung’s plush heart shaped lips. The boy was working meticulously on the task at hand, his hands working so well on such a small being that Yoongi wondered how nice his large hands would be on Yoongi’s much smaller frame.
The hamster, Yoongi, focus on the fucking hamster.
“So,” Yoongi coughed, “Captain Skittles?”
“Yes, that is his official title,” Taehyung said without missing a beat.
Yoongi beat down his chuckle because Taehyung wasn’t smiling and he hated how much he was completely enraptured with this perfect stranger.
“I like it, just wondered how he came to receive such a prestigious name, that’s all.” Yoongi responded perfunctorily and with that he could see a ghost of grin forming on Taehyung’s perfectly crafted face as he started to wrap the bandage around the little paw below him.
“Here, hold this,” Taehyung said, indicating the tiny gauze strip, and Yoongi did so without hesitation, watching as Taehyung added a miniature wooden splint to the mix and then took the gauze back to the finish the cast. Yoongi held the material once more as Taehyung taped him up with extreme care, and then he was done. The boy in blue scrubs smiled wide again, his hands on his hips and said, “Captain Skittles; he’s sweet and great and a little misunderstood. Maybe not everyone wants him, but for those who do he’s a treasure.”
Yoongi was in awe yet again because who was this guy? And also, was love at first sight real cause …
“TAEHYUNG!” without any warning a loud booming voice entered the lobby and there stood a tall very handsome, very intimidating man wearing scrubs and a white coat emerging from one of the many back rooms. “Care to explain to me why you are LATE? And also why you are using the reception desk as a suture table?”
“Hyung!” Yoongi saw the tall boy raise his hands up in exasperation, obviously not sorry in the least for his supposed indiscretions. “I was LATE because I was a saving Captain Skittles here, and I was doing an emergency tiny cast application because I feared if I moved him much more he’d be a goner. A GONER HYUNG. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT HAMSTER BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS.?”
“I am 100% done with this conversation. Just,” and Yoongi watched as the vet, Seokjin he assumed, placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh, “just finish up quickly, I need to take the next patient. Jungkookie left early today cause he was sick and then you were late and I had to take a call so now we’re behind.”
“Sorry, I’m trying to save lives,” Taehyung muttered but he lifted up Captain Skittles nonetheless, who was looking much better already, after being seen to by Taehyung’s magic hands, and he followed his boss to the back rooms, tiny hamster in tow.
Yoongi just kind of stood there, trying to process the last fifteen minutes of his life. When he woke up this morning, had he felt any different? Had he noticed a change in the wind, a gleam in the sun light, a new fragrance in the air, anything at all to indicate he would meet the love of his life today?
Yoongi wasn’t a cynic but he wasn’t really a romantic either, never really fanaticizing about that one person who could enter your life and change it in an instant. He had always thought that notion to be inherently silly, no real truth behind it because how could someone have that much of an impact so quickly? And yet here he was, completely smitten by a complete stranger with a beautiful smile and magical hands.
Yoongi was pretty sure he wasn’t real, instead created in a lab like The PowerPuff Girls, but instead of sugar, spice and everything nice, Taehyung was honey, sunshine, and a little bit of magic.
A week had passed. A whole week, seven long days, since Yoongi’s fateful encounter with Taehyung and Captain Skittles and yet he couldn’t get the boy out of his head.
At the vet he had met with Dr. Kim Seokjin for Holly’s routine check-up and got a full bill of health for his puppers and that had made Yoongi very happy because Holly was his world and a life without his dog walks and puppy cuddles wasn’t a life Yoongi was interested in.
Except after he had left the office, Holly at his side, he’d felt like he was leaving something behind. Taheyung, who had been helping other patients, called goodbye to him and had thanked him profusely with large waving hands and his too big to perfect smile.
Yoongi was a little in love with how the boys eyes squinted shut the wider his grin got.
He had it bad.
So all week Yoongi pined. He pined for the magical animal rescuer who worked at the local vet with his big eyes and strong hands and Yoongi wanted. He wanted a lot, which was saying something cause Yoongi was kind of a content person. Not to say to he wasn’t driven, no, Yoongi got things done when they were important to him. He got himself through college, well, and now worked as a high school music and band instructor which he loved but was not easy. He worked through his parent’s divorce while he was in university and their bankruptcy and learned to survive on his own. He got his own place, his own life, his own career. He worked, and he accomplished.
But, on a day to day pattern, Yoongi liked to be lazy, in a comfortable fall and sweats with falling leaves kind of lazy. He loved sleeping in and late morning coffees with puppy cuddles and Netflix. He enjoyed ordering take out and composing a new piece for his students to try out while he sipped wine and wondered if he should adopt a cat. He felt enormous joy in his leisurely strolls through the sunny park with Holly as he bounded towards the other happy pups and Yoongi could sink into a good book on a wooden bench.
He loved his lazy happy lifestyle more than anything, it made his blood flow like a lazy river. He reveled in the slow company of his small dinners with friends, and low key movie nights with too much wine and open hearts. Yoongi was content.
Then Taehyung happened, and it was as if a knife had been wedged into his happy perfect calm puzzle. As if Taheyung had walked up to the puzzle and flipped it over with a smile and a wink. And Yoongi had thanked him.
And now he was sitting alone on a Friday night with his usual wine and Netflix binge and he wasn’t happy. Stupid dumb beautiful magical Taehyung who he had only spent no less than twenty minutes with was taking over all his cells and he was useless.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Yoongi heard himself saying and he saw the confusion in Holly’s face because it was 1:30 in the morning and it wasn’t when they went on walks, but the dog was not going to complain. He bounded up on fluffy paws and skittered across the wooden floor. Yoongi followed suit, adjusting his sweat pants and black Tshirt, grabbing a cap to slide on backwards before he grabbed his keys, wallet, and leash and was out the door, soft puppy paws behind him.
It was a pleasantly warm night. Yoongi breathed in the fresh night air as he left his complex and started walking down the street, passing little shops, empty lots, and dark buildings, letting his feet lead him. He saw them passing their usual dog park, which looked so beautiful in the glow of the moonlight and the grass blowing lightly in the wind. Holly stopped by a small glittering lake to look over at the placid ducks and Yoongi smiled as he barked his low gruff. “Come on,” Yoongi chuckled and he led the pup away before he jumped into the lake.
Yoongi had said come on but he had no real direction, only walking, only thinking, trying to maintain a grasp on what this whole Taehyung thing was and how he had lodged a place so securely in his heart. Even his students had noticed, saying he was smiling a lot more, zoning out, and just seemed elsewhere when he was usually so focused. Truth be told he was elsewhere, lost in the galaxies of Taehyungs eyes and the ocean of his heart.
Fuck, he had to get a grip.
And then --
“Yoongi?”
It couldn’t be possible … it just couldn’t. The wind was whipping it his clothes and a part of him wondered if he had imagined it but …
“Yoongi?” the familiar perfect low wonderful voice said again and continued its melody until Yoongi turned around, and there he was, Taehyung, in all his gorgeous glory, “It’s me, Taehyung, from Happy Paws Vet?”
Yoongi took Taehyung in, his eyes raking over the boy and fucking hell he was even prettier than he remembered. They were standing on an empty street corner, the low lights of the lamp posts casting a sheen of light over them and Yoongi laughed to himself because he knew this street; it was only a block away from the Vet and of course he would walk himself here. And then there was Taehyung, wearing tight black jeans with a soft white shirt and a black vest. He had pulled his mask down below his chin and Yoongi saw how his hair was straight today, his bangs shadowing his eyes and Yoongi swore that today, instead of a drama, Taehyung had walked straight out of an anime.
“Hi, yes hi,” Yoongi said and he walked closer to him. Taehyung had crossed the street earlier, coming from the opposite way Yoongi had, to meet him. Their steps were aligning, getting closer, their smiles growing wider, Yoongi pulling Holly along until they were only a few feet apart.
“Sorry if I surprised you,” Taehyung said, kneeling in front of Holly without any preamble, letting him sniff his hand before giving her curly fur some extra attention. “I felt the need for a walk and it’s so dead right now I couldn’t believe anyone else was out, so when I saw you, someone I recognized, I had to say something!”
“I’m glad you did,” Yoongi said, and he couldn’t stop looking at him, and thinking about how this was all too coincidental and maybe the universe was really doing something. Yoongi had never once believed in that sort of thing, but that was before Taehyung and Yoongi was pretty sure meeting Taehyung was about to change the entire course of his life.
“Me too,” Taehyung said and he was smiling again, getting to his feet now, “I was actually headed to the office if you want to come? I was going to check on Captain Skittles!”
Yoongi couldn’t have hid his gummy grin even he tried and he gave the pretty anime boy a resounding yes. Taehyung wasted no time leading the way to the little Vet shop, cooing at Holly as they walked together. Once at the gleaming front door, Taehyung reached in for some keys and proceeded to unlock the door. “I made a copy from hyung’s,” and Yoongi’s eyes must’ve widened at that because Taehyung only giggled adding, “don’t worry, he’s my cousin. He won’t fire me,” and then Taehyung grabbed his hand and led him to back, the dark lobby only illuminated by the soft lights of the back rooms.
With clasped hands, Taehyung took them to the farthest room with all the teeny animals in their little recovery cages and stopped right in front of Captain Skittles, who was snoozing his little heart out. He had a new cast on, and Yoongi could see he had had a bath and looked much fatter already.
Taehyung literally was magic.
So then the magic boy just down in front of the cage and motioned for Yoongi to join him, Holly plopping into Taehyung’s lap, obviously tired from their long walk. Yoongi’s heart literally felt a pang of something as he saw Holly take so quickly to Taehyung. Like his puzzle was being rebuilt with new and old pieces and it felt good.
Taehyung leaned his head against the cool steel of the bars and closed his eyes, “I like coming here at night,” his lips moved lightly but with purpose, “It’s like I can feel the healing taking place,” he let one long finger slide down the bars of the cage. “The day time has a lot of rush, chaos, and sometimes sadness. I like to come here now, and hope for better things for the next day.”
They sat there for a long while, sometimes in silence and sometimes with soft conversation. Taehyung asked for Yoongi’s life story and was intrigued to hear how often he moved and the now to his life with his students. Yoongi spoke about his two main loves, music and Holly, and Taehyung seemed to glow with appreciation. They sat closer the more they spoke, Taehyung revealing more about himself, how he was in school for business because his parents wanted that for him, but all Taehyung wanted to do was take care of animals. His cousin, Seokjin, had convinced his parents to let Taehyung work for him part time in the guise of that it would be good business practice, and Taehyung was the most grateful. Even if he showed it in odd ways.
“Like breaking in,” Yoongi smiled.
“Like appreciating all life,” Taehyung said as their knees brushed.
Taehyung continued, saying he wanted to open up a big farm house for abandoned pets and take care of them and give them all the love they could ever want before finding their forever homes.
It was in that moment that Yoongi felt his heart click; no matter how stupid or soon or unrealistic it seemed, the universe had spoken and Yoongi decided that Taehyung was his forever home.
In the last few hours Yoongi had connected and shared more with Taehyung than he had in a long time. They laughed and spoke about their friends, and Yoongi shared college stories of how he locked all his friends out naked on new year’s eve, and Taehyung wiped his own tears away saying he had to steal that one for next year.
It was almost 4am, Holly was fast asleep on the floor and they were both leaning against the wall next to Captain Skittles’ cage, who was happily eating and walking around the best he could. Yoongi reveled in the heat from Taehyung’s arm next to his, and he watched mesmerized as Taehyung fidgeted with his long fingers. He was talking excitedly about his own dog now, Tannie, and how he and holly should be best friends. Yoongi agreed wholeheartedly.
The light in the room seem to dim and Yoongi was feeling a warmth spread around his heart the longer they spoke.
“I’m really glad I ran into you tonight, hyung,” Taehyung said and his voice was low now, soft and enticing; Yoongi was addicted.
“Yea?” He said, shifting just that much closer to him, feeling the boys heat move closer to his own chest like a magnetic pull.
“Hmm,” and Taehyung was now dragging a finger along Yoongi’s knee, and he felt shivers erupt down to his toes. “I was happy with our first meeting,” the boy said, his fingers dancing little circles over the material and Yoongi swallowed.
“Happy? How so?”
“Such a pretty boy with a pretty dog comes into my office and helps me save a hamster. Stuff for the books you know?” Taehyung wasn’t looking at him but if he was he would’ve seen Yoongi blushing furiously, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“You think I’m pretty?” Yoongi choked out, his voice too eager. He didn’t care.
“The prettiest,” Taehyung said so matter of factly, and then he looked up at him. It was too much, it was too fast, it was too soon but Taehyung was like a meteor crashing from space into Yoongi’s quiet atmosphere and he wanted nothing more than to explode into the stars with him.
Yoongi watched him breathe, his chest rising with an aura as if the magic was coming from inside the boy himself, his eyes wide and his lips perfect. Without hesitation Yoongi let the words fall out of his mouth. “Do you believe it fate, Taehyung?”
“Of course,” he said, without missing a beat. And then he blinked his beautiful brown eyes, ones that held galaxies of hope, at Yoongi, cocking his head, “do you?”
“I didn’t,” He confessed, and he felt their fingers intertwining, the dim light of the room making everything hazy along with the late hour and Yoongi was obsessed with the feeling. Electricity rushed through his veins as Taehyung threaded their fingers together, stroking his skin with his thumb, encouraging him to continue. “I didn’t, not till I met you.”
“Me?” and Taehyung swallowed, his thumb pressing down on his pulse. “Why me?”
“You found me,” Yoongi said, “you found me in my still life, and you moved me.”
“I found you,” Taehyung said, moving even closer now in the small room, and Yoongi could count his pretty lashes if wanted to. He wanted to.
“I was thinking of you tonight,” Yoongi admitted, shifting slightly so he was facing the boy better, their knees almost overlapping, their breaths intermingled. “Thinking of you and missing you, so I took a walk.”
“You missed me,” Taehyung repeated it like a spell and Yoongi was under it.
“And then you found me,” Yoongi said and now he was looking at Taehyung’s lips and he felt his breathing hitch because his heart was aching and he wanted so much.
“Were you lost?” The boy asked with such importance it made Yoongi flit his eyes up to Taehyung’s, who’s were wide and open, and he nodded in the late hour and the dim room, his eyes sparkling with fear and want and unshed tears and then Taehyung was kissing him.
The magic boy was holding his face with both his perfect hands, kissing him like they were the only two people in the whole universe and Yoongi sighed into the kiss, falling into his galaxy.
Click.
He felt the universe collide, the stars erupt, and black holes vanish as their lips connected. Taehyung kissed like he was infusing magic inside Yoongi’s soul and the elder just took it. He felt his spell overtake him and he was hungry. Hungry and eager for everything Taehyung was; for his strong hands, and magical mind and golden heart. Yoongi let his lips glide over Taehyung’s over and over again and let the other open his mouth, let his tongue slide in and find his own.
They kissed like they were born for each other, like the stars aligned for their mouths to meet one day, for their hands to find each other’s skin and grip with so much heat that Yoongi was gasping for air as he climbed into the younger’s lap.
“Shit, Yoongi,” Taehyung’s eyes were glassy and his hands, which had knocked over Yoongi’s hat long ago, were now fisting in Yoongi’s hair and his magic was turning into fire and Yoongi was ready to be a super nova.
“Yea, I know,” was all Yoongi could say and they were kissing again, and Yoongi wanted more, he wanted everything but they were still in a fucking medical room, and he couldn’t just undress Taehyung here and have him fuck him on the cold sterile floor.
Or …
No, another time. For now Yoongi just relished in how amazing Taehyung’s hands felt on his waist as he ground their hips together, how his tongue and teeth were currently working on a mark he would have to hide at school later, and how Yoongi had never felt so high in his whole life.
They kissed until their lips were sore and their bodies were sweaty against each other. Let their lips drag over and over until Yoongi was sure he had him memorized but also could never get enough. They kissed and giggled and kissed some more until they started getting sleepy and Taehyung said something about shutting their eyes for only a minute …
…
“KIM TAEHYUNG!!!”
Yoongi was jolted awake, his back sore and his lips tender as he felt soft arms around him and nose nuzzle into his neck.
“Five more minutes,” the magical voice said in a deep sleepy timbre, but the shouting continued and suddenly lights were thrown on and Yoongi saw Dr. Kim Seokjin standing in the doorway with another boy in scrubs with him.
“What the hell!?” He said, his voice almost a shriek of indignation, “I’ve told you OVER AND OVER again Taehyung, you are NOT allowed to come here at night and sleep near the animals!”
Taehyung was awake now, his brow furrowed as Yoongi got him to a sitting position. “Don’t listen to him Captain Skittles,” Taehyung said, stroking the cage bars at the little hamster.
“For the love of God, do I have to call your parents?”
“NO NO FINE IM UP!” Taehyung bolted to his feet in a flash, leaving Yoongi on the cold ground alone.
“Good, now take your friend and please GO HOME.” The Vet all but yelled at his cousin and so Taehyung grabbed Yoongi’s hand, who picked up holly, and they were out the door as another yell followed them, “AND DON’T COME BACK TODAY, YOURE GROUNDED.”
Taehyung guided them to the entrance, all smiles as Yoongi was still half asleep trying to figure all this out, but as they stepped outside and Yoongi saw the sun hit Taehyung’s face he felt his heart do that thing again.
Click
“Wanna go get breakfast?” Yoongi asked, still holding Taehyung’s warm hand.
“Fuck yes, I’m starving,” and then Taehyung kissed him again, sharp and hard and fucking magical, before he dragged them off to the nearest diner.
Yoongi didn’t know if he believed in fate, but he sure as hell believed in Taehyung.