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It's not that the man isn't handsome. It's that he's very confident. And very insistent. And Namjoon is caught off guard.
Usually casually dropping that you have a partner should work. True or not, that the person believes you or not, they should get the hint. This man does not.
"Oh? You do? Well, your "partner" isn't here is he? I'm sure he won't mind."
“Uuuuuh actually he is. It’s that one.” He points to Seokjin, long time friend who is coming back from the bathroom and who will definitely never let him live that one down but he just really needs an out right now so he’ll just live with the consequences later. He was left unsupervised. He panicked. At least Seokjin is very socially apt, more than he is. He’ll know what to do.
Jin nears them and the waiter immediately appraises him, clearly making a show out of it.
“So he’s your boyfriend?”, he asks looking him up and down.
“Yep. Right babe?”
Namjoon will definitely never live that one down now.
Seokjin barely glances at Namjoon to see him all stiff and wild looking before staring straight back at the waiter a definite customer service smile on.
“Yes, that’s right, I am. And you are? Ah! It’s so nice to meet you! The staff is so friendly here!”
And just like that he is leading him into another conversation, completely diverting his attention away from Namjoon who is very grateful. With one look Seokjin understood. And helped.
He can’t quite focus on what they’re talking about though. As soon as the word “babe” passed his lips he saw it very clearly, that bright red blush creeping on Seokjin’s ears. That’s all he can think about now. That was...interesting.
He barely registers the waiter telling them his break his over and that he must now get back to work and tend to other customers too.
“I guess I’ll leave you alone then, for now”.
It’s unclear if this is meant to be threatening or friendly so they both opt to laugh awkwardly and leave before he has a chance to come tend to them again. Just in case.
***
“Well, I guess that was the last time you were going to that coffee shop. I hope you savored it”
As he turns to laugh with Namjoon, he sees him pouting instead.
“Don’t tell me…”
“They have good coffee…”
“But terrible staff?”
“They let me prune the plants…”
“Only because they’re too lazy to do it themselves? You’re basically working for them for free?”
“But the plants...They need it or they may die...And they’re nice plants…”
His pleading, actually, truly sad about the plants, eyes are too much for Seokjin. He bends immediately.
“Ughhhhhhhh. Alright. You can’t go there alone anymore then. That waiter is a menace.”
“Soooooo you’ll come with me?”
“Yeah, can’t have you eaten alive. We also have plants that need caring at home. I guess it’d be sad if they died.”
“Thanks, hyung.”, Namjoon lowers his voice, “Truly.”
He shakes his head as to say “Forget it” or ‘It’s nothing” and goes on instead.
“You really like those plants, uh”
“Yeah…” Namjoon is a bit shy about that. He knows it sounds stupid but he truly really does like them. And caring for them. It’s a little thing in his life that makes him happy, that makes him feel useful and calm and kind and at peace despite the hustle bustle all around him. It makes him feel grounded.
“Alright then. How often do you have to go to keep them alive anyway?”
“Not that often. They do know to water them at least. Every few weeks?”
“Deal.”
***
Seokjin quickly learns to appreciate Namjoon’s plant parenting skills. Somehow, he manages to make his big clumsy hands extremely gentle, handling little leaves and delicate flowers, removing only what weights them down. He never hurts even a single healthy petal. And yet at home he also manages to break chairs by just breathing near them. It’s truly a wonder.
It’s also clear how much he loves doing this. He seems to get completely lost in it, alternating long stretches of silence as he focuses and others where he talks Seokjin’s ear off, explaining to him a plant’s type, it’s meaning in different cultures and what he’s doing to it and why.
Seokjin takes care of their orders and of keeping that waiter away. He takes care of protecting Namjoon’s little happy bubble.
He’s had to continuously up his game though.
At first his presence would be enough to keep the unpleasant man away. If he did approach, Jin would engage him in the fakest most customer service conversation he could. But then, gradually, he had started hinting that they weren’t being very couply, questioning their relationships and saying things like “If you don’t know how to treat him right, I’ll show you”.
“Haha, you’re funny. Don’t worry, I know what he likes.”, Seokjin had answered then, squeezing Namjoon’s thigh, his very high upper thigh, and keeping steady eye contact with the waiter.
After that one visit, Seokjin had apologized for possibly making him uncomfortable, but had quickly been reassured that he couldn’t be as creepy as the waiter and that he didn’t mind. He could touch him. That was fine. As long as it was him, it was all fine.
Seokjin takes his word for it, and from that moment on no one can accuse them of not sitting close enough together, of not looking like they care enough for each other. They may not hold hand, and hug nor kiss. But instead they sit close together, they fix each other’s hair and clothes. They feed each other. And, frankly, it’s not all that different from before. It’s only a little easier, a little more free. It’s comfortable.
Until the one day that doesn’t sit right with the waiter. Clearly, he doesn’t want them to be comfortable.
“Oh shit he’s coming”
“Oh not again. What isn’t he getting?”, Seokjin complains.
“I don’t know but he has that face I don’t like on. Quick, do something !”
“Like what??”
“I don’t know, kiss me.”
“What?”
“Fuck, just do it, he’s getting real close and real smiley”
He reads the panic in his face, takes a breath and just does it. He goes for it like they’ve done it countless times before and like it changes nothing.
Namjoon’s hand wraps around the back of his skull, his fingers digging in his hair, and their lips meet, again and again. There’s a the hint of a tongue and more lips meeting lips.
They lose track of time, only forcibly parting because they are interrupted by an unwelcome voice.
“Well, must be a special day. I would remember having seen that before.”
Seokjin places one last peck on Namjoon’s lips before turning to the voice.
“You probably just didn’t notice.” His voice is a lot less customer service today.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t miss such a nice little show. Was that all for me? Oh, how I’d love to join in sometime”
“That’s too bad. I’ve never learned to share.”
“Not even once? Not even just for me?”
“No. Never. I don’t share. And neither does.”
“Well that’s no fun.”, he pouts, right over Seokjin and directly at Namjoon, “Is that true?”
“Yep. We’re both real selfish and real boring.No fun at all.”
“Now, if you’d let us. We have plants to care for.” Seokjin’s words are mild but his expression and his tone are anything but. They say he means business. They say he’s done playing. And the usually so accommodating, the usually so nice and tame, man is kinda scary.
He’s raised his voice and it’s attracted the ever so elusive manager of the cafe, which the waiter has seen in his peripheral vision. It seems that manager maybe the key to repelling him. They all eye him. They all know they’ve all seen that.
“Of course. Of course. So nice of you to do for us. I’ll go back to watch the counter then.”
“An excellent idea.”, Seokjin smiles, all threat gone from him.
“That was kinda cool.”, Namjoon compliments.
“Wasn’t it?” he wiggles his eyebrows and it ruins the effect entirely, which makes the other laugh. “Hopefully, he’ll get it this time.”
They don’t talk about the kiss after that. Why would they?
Plants start appearing in their apartment. Namjoon isn’t the one who bought them. He cares for them anyway.
***
“You know that waiter at your plant café? He got fired.”, Seokjin announces one morning out of absolutely nowhere.
He only nods at the announcement at first. He doesn't really care about that guy. What he does care about right now is what exact species of plant that new one on the window sill is but the Internet is not being helpful at all.
“Wait. Did you do something?”
“No! But I should have. He was creepy and very disrespectful of your wishes and boundaries. Apparently, you weren’t his only “favored” customer though. Someone complained.”
“Oh.”
“So I guess now you’ll be able to start going back daily if you want. You won’t have to wait for me to come too and protect you.”
“Oh yeah I guess.”
“I know I know you’ll be so sad we won’t have to pretend this handsome face is your boyfriend anymore. If anyone asks, I broke up with you. No one would believe you otherwise anyway”
Seokjin has this overly smug face on, the one he has when he knows he’s being entirely ridiculous and is trying to make someone laugh. But it’s not working.
“Hey, I’m just kidding around. You can tell them you dumped me.”, he fake laughs.
Namjoon looks uncomfortable. Maybe Seokjin took the joke too far. Maybe he remembers the last time they went. The day he kissed him. He knows maybe he went too far that day too. He feels guilty about it. Maybe they should have talked about it then. Maybe he should have apologized.
“I wouldn’t though. Dump you, I mean. I wouldn’t dump you. If we were a real couple, that is.”
“Ah. Uh, thanks? I wouldn’t dump you either, you know? If you were my boyfriend? Yeah.”
“We’d make a good couple.”
“I think so. Very aesthetically pleasing.” he says proudly.
“Thanks. I think you’re handsome too” And Namjoon sees it again. That blush, bright red and creeping from the back of his neck to the top of his ears. “I also think you’re a good listener. And a comforting presence. And sometimes funny. And an excellent cook. And caring. And a hard worker. And highly intelligent.”
Seokjin’s blush only deepens and deepens. Namjoon usually only compliments him or express his affections when he’s had a drink. And it’s well, drunken and awkward. And kind of endearing but it’s nothing like what he’s doing now. He’s actually thinking this through, making sure he’s heard and understood. He’s making a real effort. What precisely is he trying to say?
“And that you’re not a bad kisser”, he continues.
“Oh yeah?”
“I don’t have enough experience to say for sure but I think yeah.”
Seokjin thinks for a moment, brain muddled.
“Kim Namjoon, are you telling me you wanna kiss me again.”
“I don’t know. Depends.”
“On what?”
“On you.”
“I don’t think so. If it did you’d have kissed me already.”
“I am cringing so hard right now”, Namjoon blurts out, actually looking like he’s in pain.
“You started it!”, Seokjin screaks, offended.
“I know!”
“Then just confess like a normal human being and I’ll kiss you!”
‘Fine! I like you. I like like you and maybe we can stop being pretend boyfriends so we can be real ones instead. That good?”
“Yeah…” He breathes. “Joon-ah…”
“Yeah?”
“You mean it right?”
“Yeah”
“Good. No more faking then. This is for real.”
“Yeah”
Seokjin comes closer.
Namjoon can feel his heart pounding in his chest. He sees him look down at his lips and licks them instinctively.
And they kiss. And they’re comfortable.
The End.