#i just wish there was a coffee shop nearby. starbucks doesn’t count to me and the rest are like a 30 minute walk lol

[saltinesinsoup]

worst thing in the world is being sleepy but needing to get shit done today. maybe i will nap and im also def going to sleep in tomorrow

[here4theheartbreak]

Sweet Cream Nights (jjk + ksj + myg)

AO3 Link Here!

Relationships: Jungkook x Seokjin x Yoongi Genre: smut, fluff Rating: Explicit Word Count: ~8.4k

Tags: smut, fluff, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, bakery au, coffee shop au, arcade au, getting together, polyamory, food play, oral sex, come eating, dirty talk, humping

Summary: The local video game arcade owner is in love with the local barista who is also in love with the local baker. What could go wrong?

A/N: Third Kinktober fic, day 5: foodplay

Friendly competition was healthy, normal, and expected from successful business owners with shops near to one another. It only made sense that the two best coffee shops on the same street would have a friendly rivalry, or that the local bakery would compete with the nearby diner serving fresh cakes. What wasn’t normal, and not expected, was the local bakery in such a cutthroat competition with the local arcade.

It wasn’t even really about the products, of course. Individuals routinely purchased snacks or lunch from Seokjin, the owner and baker at History in the Baking – the best bakery in town by any local’s standards, then stopped in two doors down to play a few video games, often with Jungkook, the owner of the Golden Closet; a newer, but booming arcade. There was no loss in business and nothing forcing the rivalry.

Nothing, that was, except Deja Brew, the small café and coffee shop nestled directly between the two businesses. Really, it was because of the owner of the shop, one Min Yoongi. 

Yoongi was everyone’s favorite. He liked to put on a grumpy front, often standing out in front of his rather adorable little shop as it opened at 6:37am sharp (he said, because 6:30 is too damn early, and what person wants coffee as late as 7:00am, really?) But it wasn’t real. No, the short, sweet faced grump was really as gentle as could be. He gave the bleary-eyed children of busy moms small sweets and volunteered with local charities. He often worked with Seokjin to make sure no product went to waste; every few days he and Jin would gather up near expiry products – Jin’s baked goods and breads and coffee beans that hadn’t sold, and Yoongi would drive them over to the nearby homeless shelter for breakfasts for the needy. 

This was where Jin first realized that he’d fallen truly head over heels for the barista. The only problem he had was that he wasn’t sure if Yoongi liked him back, or if he was even into men. And the idea of ruining the both friendship and business cooperation they had was more terrifying than keeping silent. 

Jungkook, on the other hand, knew almost immediately that he wanted to ask Yoongi on a date. The first week he’d moved into the empty space next to Yoongi’s shop, he’d wandered in, exhausted from an all nighter getting things up and running and just needing a quick pick me up. He’d expected something like a fancy Starbucks – in and out and perhaps a misspelled name on the cup to boot. What he’d gotten instead was a very concerned Yoongi herding him to a booth and a warm breakfast; the most delicious oatmeal he’d ever tasted, along with a rich, sweet coffee that made his toes curl and his heart skip. Though, maybe the heart skipping was more Yoongi’s doing than the coffee. Yes, Jungkook knew he’d been swept off his feet. His problem however was that despite being told he was handsome and being quite boisterous and loud in regards to his friends… Once someone he fancied came near, he clammed up; closing himself off and barely speaking more than a few words to the person. Which was what happened with Yoongi.

And Yoongi – for all his attention paid to customers, bills, and the local news – had no idea that he was being courted after by his two neighbors. When their rivalry picked up, Jungkook had blocked Jin’s back door for nearly three hours with a large truck first off; then Jin had had a whole pallet of flour ‘misdelivered’ to Jungkook’s door – he assumed they were old friends, or old enemies. Perhaps exes that were out to get one another. It wasn’t his problem, and he had no care about how they handled their rivalry – just as long as he wasn’t dragged into it. 

Seven months, it went on. Seven entire months of petty pranks and murmured name-calling and generally annoyed glares between Jungkook and Jin. And then it happened.

Jungkook was early in to the arcade. It was nearly 6:15, but the sun was shining and he was feeling particularly good. He’d spent the evening out with an old friend who had encouraged him to ask Yoongi out before someone (Jin) did. 

He walked past Jin’s shop, glancing in. He could see a few lights on in the back; Jin was always in early, working on his day to day treats. Despite his annoyance with Jin, he had to admit, the man was an excellent baker. And what was more, he was frankly stunning. Tall and broad, slender, with the face of a God – if Jungkook wasn’t so taken with Yoongi he may have gone after Jin. His custom pastries and cakes were stunning and elaborate, and his simple day to day cookies and pastries were always a hit. Rivalry or not, Jungkook knew good sweets, and that man’s were to die for. 

He passed the bakery without lingering too long and glanced into the front window of the café. Much to his surprise, the main lights were on; Yoongi normally kept them off until opening time. He looked a little closer, and his stomach did a tight little flip. Yoongi was sitting at one of the tables, sipping coffee… With Seokjin. 

They were laughing, and Jin reached over, brushing the tips of his fingers over Yoongi’s cheek. Jungkook saw red. It wasn’t fair. He reached up, ready to tap on the glass, draw Yoongi’s attention, anything. He froze though. What right did he have? He hadn’t made his move on Yoongi fast enough – that was on him. He sighed softly and shook his head, hurrying past the café before one of them caught him peering in like a pervert. 

Jungkook tried to ignore the ache he felt as he worked, but every time his mind drifted, it went to what he saw that morning. Was it what he had assumed? Were they just friends? He had to find out. He slipped out under the guise of an early lunch break, entering Deja Brew. 

Yoongi was behind the counter, looking stunning as always. He looked up and grinned. “Afternoon, Kook. What can I get you?”

“Whatever you think is good,” Jungkook said, settling in one of the tables. “You know I trust your opinion here.”

“Coming up.” 

The shop was empty; Jungkook knew it wouldn’t start getting busy again until about noon. It was nice; he could watch Yoongi working without others wondering what was wrong with him. Yoongi circled around to the table with a tray, setting a sandwich in front of Jungkook along with a coffee. 

“Mind if I join you? Grab my own lunch before the real lunch rush.”

“Of course not,” Jungkook grinned, trying not to sound too excited at the prospect. 

Yoongi set a similar meal down on the other side and hurried the tray back to the counter before sliding in across from Jungkook. 

Jungkook took a bite, groaning happily. “This is amazing.”

“Apple sausage with fresh veggies. I managed to get some really great products at the farmer’s market this weekend, and Jin gave me a deal on the bread. Nobody does these little sandwich loaves like he does.”

The smile slid from Jungkook’s face. He tried to replace it, ignoring the twist in his gut. Well, this was what he came for; might as well rip the bandage off. “You and Jin are pretty close, huh?”

“I think so,” Yoongi said casually, taking a bite of his sandwich. 

“How long have you two been…” He drifted off. Yoongi’s brows furrowed for a moment. He swallowed the bite in his mouth.

“Been friends? About a year. We met a few months before you joined our little shop front.”

“No… Dating,” Jungkook clarified.

Yoongi coughed, laughing after taking a swig of coffee. “Dating? No, no. Jin and I aren’t dating. I’d love to but… He’s not into me that way.”

“Are you kidding? He’s obsessed with you,” Jungkook said without thinking, wanting immediately to kick himself. “I saw you two this morning when I was walking to my arcade. I figured… You know… It was a date.”

Yoongi chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll take your word for it, but no… We were just having breakfast.” He hesitated. “Do you really think he likes me?”

Jungkook snorted. “He adores you. I mean, why wouldn’t he? You’re funny and smart and one of the most caring guys in this town. Plus you make amazing coffee, you’re independent. And you’re handsome as hell and I—” He froze, realizing Yoongi was staring at him, eyes wide. 

“I—I just mean you two are a good match,” he mumbled. 

“I appreciate the plethora of compliments, but no we aren’t.” Yoongi chuckled. “Jin’s damn near a model.”

“He really is. I’ve never seen someone with such broad shoulders that doesn’t look weird. And his smile…” Jungkook shook his head, smiling a little. “He’s stunning. But you are too.”

“Well, maybe I’ll ask him out. But… I don’t think he’d be into my lifestyle.”

Jungkook’s brows raised. He twitched his head to the side, mouth pursing. When Yoongi didn’t continue, he nudged him with his foot under the table.

“Lifestyle?”

“It’s… Very hard to explain.”

“If it’s not comfortable, I didn’t mean—”

“No, it’s not that. I am comfortable with it. I just wish others were,” Yoongi mumbled.

“It sounds intriguing… I’ll listen without judging, you know me.”

Yoongi smiled softly. “You do have a knack for that, don’t you?” He sighed. “I’m not… Comfortable in traditional relationships. I never have been.”

“Like sexually?”

“Oh no, no. I’ve always been very sexual being. No, I mean traditional monogamy. I believe in faithfulness and I abhor cheaters… But for me the traditional two-person relationship is dull and unfulfilling. It’s like… I feel like I have so much love to give and no matter how much I give to the other person there’s this space missing.” He sighed again. “It’s very hard to explain to folks.”

“You feel like the true way to be happy in a relationship is to have more than one partner?” Jungkook clarified. 

“For me, yes. I’m not disparaging traditional relationships, I just… When I date someone, I feel like there’s still this gap there, waiting to be filled by a third party. And it doesn’t matter to me whether that third is dating my first partner, or if they’re just dating me, or even if they’re dating someone else that I’m not dating, I’m okay with any combination, I just… I need to have more than what traditional monogamy can give me.”

“I get it,” Jungkook said, nodding. He sipped his coffee as he thought, processing the information. “I don’t see anything wrong with what you feel. You still love and believe in being faithful; I’m guessing seeking a third partner, or a fourth or however many would be something that you’d discuss with your partner originally.”

“Oh of course, but therein lies the problem. The majority of people don’t understand this mindset. They hear something about wanting another partner and insecurity crops up. Are they not good enough, do they not satisfy, am I falling out of love with them and there’s really no way to explain to a person who sees things in the traditional way.”

Jungkook nodded. He scowled at the remnants of his sandwich in thought, trying to put himself in Yoongi’s shoes, or in the shoes of someone Yoongi might be dating. 

“It’s gonna catch fire if you laser focus any more on that bread,” Yoongi joked, his voice a little tense. Jungkook looked up. “Oh, sorry.” He laughed. Yoongi looked as tense as he sounded, and Jungkook wondered if he was waiting for a sort of negativity about what he’d just confessed.

“I was thinking about the type of relationship you described.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, trying to put myself in that place – the mind of someone you might be dating who you told this to.”

“What’s the verdict? Would you dump me?” Yoongi laughed as he spoke, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Jungkook shook his head no.

“When I think about it, I don’t deny my initial thought would be to ask if you were happy – I feel like that’s everyone’s gut response. We were raised in a monogamy preferred society, so it’s just… Natural to think that way. Not right, of course… We were also raised in a heterosexual society and I think it’s pretty clear that’s bullshit.” 

Yoongi and Jungkook both chuckled at that. Jungkook continued.

“But I think if you explained that you were, and how you just told me about it, I think I’d get it. I would want to be with you in the process though. I don’t think I’d be comfortable with my partner seeking out another person without me. That would feel too much like hiding or cheating. But I think if we went together and met folks, or even had a person in mind that you wanted to ask, I’d want to like them too. Maybe not as much as I liked you, but some sort of friendship or agreement that you’d be good together, if that makes sense.”

Yoongi was silent for a long time after Jungkook spoke. He couldn’t figure out his expression. There were subtle shifts in it, and sometimes Yoongi looked close to tears, other times happy, and blank. Jungkook wanted to ask what he was thinking, or if he’d said something wrong, but didn’t want to push Yoongi into answering if he was still processing. 

So he went back to eating, finishing the last of his sandwich and sipping the sweet coffee while he waited. He looked outside, watching the traffic pass through the window. Some familiar faces passed by, likely heading into his arcade next door. He should head back at some point soon, he’d left Taehyung in charge, which was fine in the short term, but Taehyung had a way of getting too up in his head or too hyperfocused on one thing – so it was best to have a second person there to bring him back to reality. 

Jungkook was just about to clear his throat and call it a meeting when Yoongi looked up suddenly, meeting his gaze.

“Jungkook…”

“What?” Jungkook laughed a little, the intensity of Yoongi’s gaze startling. Not to mention, arousing; he’d never been looked at like that before. At least… Not by anyone he liked back.

“I’m in my late twenties,” Yoongi began, finally breaking the gaze to gather their plates. “And I’ve known this about myself since I was very young… Thirteen, fourteen maybe?” He rose, holding the plates and his empty cup. “In all that time I’ve never had someone respond how you just did. Taking the time to process and try to understand and… Get it. Maybe not think the same way as me but… Be able to offer me an answer that wasn’t going to break my heart. That would let me and them be happy.”

“I—”

Yoongi shook his head, his mouth curling up into a bright, gummy smile. “You asked about Jin because you’re jealous, didn’t you?”

Jungkook felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. He lowered his gaze, nodding softly. “That’s weird, huh?” He mumbled.

“I think it’s cute.” Yoongi leaned down, his breath warm on Jungkook’s ear. “And I think you’re cute Jeon Jungkook.” He shifted, pressing a quick kiss to Jungkook’s cheek before standing upright.

Jungkook’s head snapped up when Yoongi rose. “What?”

Yoongi smirked. “I don’t mince my words. You heard me.” Yoongi glanced at the door, nodding to a customer approaching that he must have recognized. “My lunch rush is about to start,” Yoongi said as the bell dinged, signaling the customer’s entrance. “Come by when I close. I want to talk to you more.”

Jungkook grinned brightly, his nose crinkling up. He rose quickly and nodded even as Yoongi walked away. “I will,” he said, not wanting to turn his back as he watched Yoongi walk behind the counter. “I’ll see you—” He winced when his hip bumped the corner of a table hard enough to sting. He moved out of the way, nearly running into the customer. 

“Sorry!” He cried, bowing low. He glanced up, his cheeks warm as he spotted Yoongi watching him, an amused smirk on his face. 

Jungkook made it out of the café and over to his arcade without any further accidents. His mind was whirring over what had just happened. Yoongi had said he was cute. Yoongi had kissed his cheek. And asked him to come over. Was this happening? Was he going to win the guy? 

The other information Yoongi provided him also crept back in. Now that Yoongi dating him might be reality, rather than theory, would Jungkook really be okay with sharing him with another partner? The more he thought about it, the more he realized he would. The idea of sharing Yoongi with someone else was intriguing. He wondered how date nights might look, if Yoongi would call them both boyfriends – if the other partner would even be a boy. What if he fell for that one too? It was something he’d never considered before; being in love with two men at the same time, but it was something that he was very interested in exploring. What was Yoongi’s type too? Would it be someone else similar to Jungkook? Or totally opposite? His mind wandered through all the possibilities, making the day pass easily. 

Shortly before closing time, the front door opened. Jungkook glanced up from where he was sanitizing one of the game systems. His brows rose, disappearing into his shaggy hair when he saw none other than Jin standing in his doorway. 

“Good afternoon,” he said politely, bowing. “You looking for something specific? We have some open computers at the internet bar, and some other game systems. I just cleaned this one, so—”

“I’m looking for you,” Jin said bluntly. His jaw was set, giving him a stern look, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. “Can we chat?”

“Of course.” Jungkook nodded, heading behind the small counter that housed a few mini fridges worth of snacks and books filled with codes and game information. He tucked the sanitizing supplies on the bottom shelf and waved Taehyung over. “Keep an eye on the front for me, okay?”

Taehyung glanced at Jin before nodding to Jungkook. Jungkook motioned for Jin to follow him, unlocking a nondescript door that led into an “office” – really it was a gutted storage closet, but it worked to keep the fancy and important stuff out of sight of customers… And for private meetings. Jungkook leaned on the small desk. 

“What do you need to talk about?”

“When did you start dating Yoongi?”

Jungkook blinked. “Who said I was dating him?”

“I saw you two this afternoon. He kissed you.”

“He kissed my cheek,” Jungkook corrected. “And you’re a snoop.”

“The shop’s windows aren’t exactly hidden away. I was walking past and saw.”

Jungkook nodded. He sighed and went around, slumping into the folding chair he’d set up to sit in while dealing with bills and other business things. “Well, we aren’t dating. I assumed he was dating you… I saw you two awful cozy this morning.”

“Oh, now who’s the snoop?” Jin grumbled, leaning on the door. 

The two remained silent for a long time, staring each other down across the small space. Jungkook couldn’t help but notice how the fabric of Jin’s shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. Though it was a well fitted, button up shirt, it still seemed tight with his body. His belt was cinched around his waist, making his slender hips all the more obvious as well. Jungkook couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to hold onto those slender hips, or wrap his arms around the broad shoulder span. And the more he looked, the more he noticed Jin’s mouth and neck. The curve of his throat, ridged with muscle, his full, pink lips that looked just a little chapped – but still oh so soft. The gentle curve of his nose and the smooth, shiny glow to his skin. Despite working in a bakery all day, not a hair was out of place, bangs parted just so to show a broad, smooth forehead that was begging to be kissed.

It was Jungkook who broke first, laughing in the silent room. He shook his head. “This is so stupid,” he said through bursts of laughter. Jin tried to remain stoic but broke as well, laughing along with Jungkook. 

When their laughter faded, Jungkook shook his head, wiping his cheeks. “Look, I do like Yoongi. That’s no secret. And yeah, he did kiss my cheek – he was flirting. So, if you like him… I encourage you to tell him.”

“You just said he likes you.”

“And he likes you too. He told me today.” Jungkook hesitated. He didn’t want to say too much about what Yoongi told him; it wasn’t his place to tell. “You should talk to him. His answer might surprise you. But either way – we’ve been fighting over him for months, when in reality this is his choice. He deserves to know the truth so he can make that choice.”

Jin’s shoulders sagged just a little. He nodded. “I know you’re right. But I don’t want to make it harder for him if he has decided to date you.”

“I know you don’t, but you won’t know what he decides until you tell him. He’s a big boy – I’m sure he can handle it.”

Jin chuckled. “True… Thanks, Jungkook.” He turned to go, then turned back. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a dick these past few months.”

Jungkook grinned. “I’m not. It’s been fun. I’ve kinda enjoyed our pranking.”

“Is that so?” Jin smirked. “Well, maybe I won’t stop then.”

“I’ll be waiting.” 

Jin turned and walked out, leaving Jungkook to wrestle with far more internal questions than he had answers for. 

That night, Jungkook headed over to Deja Brew as soon as he closed things up. The lights were mostly off, save for a few near the back and behind the counter. Assuming it was locked, Jungkook knocked gently. He saw movement from the back, and Yoongi came rushing out. Even in the fading sunlight, Jungkook could see he looked a little flushed and surprised. He opened the door, smiling brightly. “You came.”

“Of course I did… You okay?” Jungkook could see his cheeks were mottled and his hair was a little mussed.

“Yes. But… I have to tell you something.”

Jungkook stepped into the café, letting Yoongi close and lock the door behind him. He shouldered his bag a little higher onto his shoulder. “What do you have to tell me?”

“There’s been… A bit of a development. That I didn’t expect… When I told you to come by.”

“Oh?”

“Evening, Jungkook.” The voice came from the back room, where Yoongi had rushed from. Jungkook looked over Yoongi’s shoulder, his eyes widening. Jin was leaning against the doorframe. He was wearing the same shirt as he had been when he met Jungkook, but now it was hanging open save for two bottom buttons, his firm, broad chest exposed. It was damp with sweat and flushed red, as was Jin’s face and ears. His hair was a little mussed and his mouth – if anyone could believe it – was just a little plumper. 

“Oh!” Jungkook backed up. “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize—”

“Don’t go,” Yoongi whispered. 

“But you and Jin—”

“He came over,” Yoongi nodded. “But I want to talk to you still. I don’t want you to go, please.”

Jungkook nodded. He met Jin’s gaze, a little surprised to see a gentleness there. He’d won – he expected Jin to look smug. He followed Yoongi back into the back room, and Jin followed as well, leaning against a nearby wall.

“Jin came over earlier,” Yoongi began. “He said you encouraged him to.”

“I did. He came to me and I said it was only fair to you. To tell you how he felt and let you choose. I guess he did and… You did.”

“How do you mean?” Yoongi asked. 

“Well, you two…” Jungkook motioned to Jin’s open shirt. 

“Oh, yeah. We did. I mean, we are… But… I told you earlier today. How I felt,” Yoongi said. “You said… A lot. About how you’d feel about it. Was that true?”

“About the… More than one person thing?”

Yoongi nodded.

“Yeah, I meant it all. I wouldn’t mind. If I knew you cared and were happy, I’d try.”

“Well I told Jin too.”

“And I said the same thing,” Jin added. 

Jungkook smiled softly. “I’m glad. It’s good to find similarly minded people.”

“Jungkook,” Jin stepped forward. “You’re kinda dumb, aren’t you?”

Jungkook pouted. “No,” he mumbled. “I was just trying to be fair, I didn’t—”

“Jungkook, you and me and Yoongi all say the same thing. We’d be happy to try a relationship with more than one person.”

“Yeah, I got that…” Jungkook said, glancing between the two. 

“Right… And we both like Yoongi,” Jin continued. “And… Considering the way you were eye fucking me in the office earlier…”

Jungkook’s eyes bulged. He opened his mouth to argue, but Jin shook his head. “I know when someone is giving me that look. I would’ve told you to stop if I didn’t like it.”

“You…”

“Think you’re kinda… Annoying.” Jin laughed at Jungkook’s expression. “And really attractive. Plus you’re competitive and stubborn and loyal…”

“You didn’t lose anything, Jungkook,” Yoongi said. “If you don’t want to lose, that is. If you want… You can both have me.”

Jungkook’s eyes bulged. Comically, if the laughter of Yoongi and Jin meant anything. “You mean—I—I could be with you both?” Jungkook stumbled over his words, wanting to kick himself.

Yoongi nodded. “Why should I choose between you when you both want me and I… Want both of you. And since you’re both okay with sharing me, then… It only seems fair to do so.”

“I was simply getting started a little early,” Jin teased, pulling Yoongi back to him. He kissed him hard.

Jungkook wasn’t sure what to do. He’d just been given the okay – he could date Yoongi – and Jin. He stepped forward, setting his backpack on the ground. Cautiously, he reached out, touching Yoongi’s wrist. 

Jin broke the kiss. “Don’t be shy,” he murmured, nuzzling Yoongi’s neck even as he looked up at Jungkook. 

Jungkook took a deep breath. He stepped forward, pulling Yoongi to him and kissing him. The reality of what was happening seemed to hit him suddenly when their lips met. He grabbed his cheeks, holding him close even as Yoongi laughed into his mouth. Jungkook felt a warmth behind him and hands on his hips. Jin. 

“Can I share you too, Jungkook?” Jin whispered in his ear. Jungkook broke the kiss with Yoongi, looking over to meet Jin’s gaze. 

“I—I guess so.”

Jin smiled softly. He stepped to the side, wrapping one arm around Jungkook and pulling him into a deep, needy kiss. His mouth tasted of warm, sweet vanilla and a hint of spice, while Yoongi’s had tasted like coffee beans and chai. It was the perfect blend. 

Yoongi’s mouth landed on his neck, his hand sliding Jungkook’s front as he and Jin kissed. He felt hands on his jeans and gasped, breaking the kiss. He glanced down. Jin was undoing Jungkook’s jeans. 

“You can stop me,” Jin said softly. 

“And me,” Yoongi added.

“No,” Jungkook leaned back, sliding his hand up Yoongi’s neck and through his hair. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He reached forward, touching Jin’s bare chest before sliding lower, his fingers tracing the firm muscle of his abdomen. He undid the other two buttons of his shirt and pulled it open just as Jin opened his jeans. The slid down a little, and Yoongi helped, pushing them the rest of the way down to his ankles. Jungkook toed his sneakers off and kicked the jeans off. He let go of Jin’s chest to turn, grabbing Yoongi’s belt. “I’m not gonna be the only one with no pants,” he said.

Yoongi laughed. “I’ve already had my pants off. I put them on when you came in.”

“Oh, is that so?” Jungkook undid his belt and unzipped his jeans. “What were you two doing in here?” He looked back at Jin, who smirked.

“I was showing him just how… Versatile my food can be.”

“Is that so?”

Jin nodded. Jungkook pushed Yoongi’s jeans down and turned. “Well now I’m envious… Can I get a lesson in that diversity too?” He pouted.

Jin smirked. “I’m sure that can be arranged. He circled around the two and opened a small fridge under Yoongi’s desk. He pulled out a small cheesecake and a can of spray whipped cream. “Mind if I get some things from up front, Yoongi?” 

Yoongi shook his head no, busying himself kissing along Jungkook’s neck. “Bet this isn’t at all what you expected tonight,” he murmured.

“Not at all,” Jungkook leaned into his touch. “But I’m not complaining.”

He turned, pulling Yoongi’s shirt off over his head. He took a moment to stroke his hands over Yoongi’s soft skin, tweaking his nipples just a bit and giggling when Yoongi hissed. Yoongi moved forward, forcing Jungkook to walk backwards until his back hit the wall. He moaned openly, grabbing Yoongi’s hips. 

“Don’t come in your shorts now, I have some fun for you two,” Jin teased when he re-entered, holding a cup of coffee and a bowl of what looked like ice. He set them on the table next to the food and beckoned the two over.

“Yoongi… He smirked. He scraped a small chunk off the cheesecake and brought the fork toward Yoongi. Yoongi opened his mouth for it, but Jin moved the fork at the last second, smearing the cheesecake over Yoongi’s bare collarbone. He looked at Jungkook. “Go on.”

Jungkook grinned. He moved forward, gently licking and sucking the cheesecake from Yoongi’s collarbone. He let his teeth graze over the area, enjoying the squeeze of Yoongi’s hands on his waist. 

“Take your shirt off now,” Jin whispered when Jungkook had cleaned Yoongi’s skin, and left an array of delightful red marks in his wake. Jungkook obeyed, stripping his shirt off and tossing it to the side. Jin did the same, and stripped his jeans off as well, leaving all three in their boxers. Jin grabbed the can of whipped cream, looking between the two. “Who wants a treat?” 

“Yoongi,” Jungkook said. “I stole his cheesecake after all.”

Jin stepped forward and reached out, palming Jungkook through his boxers. Jungkook gasped, his eyelids fluttering shut. 

“Lets get these off then,” Jin whispered, pressing a kiss to Jungkook’s jaw. Yoongi stepped forward, sliding them down his hips. Jin made a low noise of appreciation when his cock sprang free. He shook the can once more. 

“It’ll be cold,” he warned before tipping it upside down. He pressed Jungkook’s cock down a little further so it was more parallel to the ground and sprayed a few lines of the creamy dessert whip over his shaft. 

Jungkook forced his eyes open as Yoongi sank to the ground, licking his lips. He grasped Jungkook’s cock gently behind the tip, careful not to disturb the whipped cream, and looked up at him. Slow and steady, he began to lap to Jungkook’s cock, catching the cream with his tongue. Each inch slipped into his mouth, hot and warm and slick, Jungkook gasped, reaching out for anything to brace himself. Jin caught him, holding his hips to keep him upright as Yoongi sucked his cock.

“That’s it, feels nice, doesn’t it?” Jin murmured in his ear, reaching up to pinch Jungkook’s nipples gently. Jungkook moaned, stroking his fingers through Yoongi’s hair. 

“Wanna repay the favor?” He asked softly when Yoongi had sucked all the cream from Jungkook’s cock.

Jungkook nodded. “But—What about you?” He asked, sliding his hand down to palm Jin’s cock. 

Jin smirked. “Oh, wanna see what I have too?” He teased. Jungkook nodded.

“Only fair,” Yoongi said as he stood. He slid his own boxers off and they turned to Jin, shedding the final article of clothing he wore as well. 

Jin handed Jungkook a piece of ice. “Put it in your mouth… And suck my cock,” he instructed. He took a mouthful of coffee and knelt in front of Yoongi. Glancing up, he winked. He grabbed Yoongi’s cock and gave it a few strokes before slowly sliding it past his closed lips. Yoongi groaned and jerked. A bit of the warm coffee dribbled out, down Jin’s chin and chest. He began to bob his head, and Jungkook could hear the slosh of the coffee in his mouth as he sucked Yoongi. 

Jungkook dropped to his hands and knees and placed the ice chip in his mouth. He grabbed Jin’s cock and gave it a few strokes, blowing first gently on it. Jin shuddered and grabbed the back of Jungkook’s neck, squeezing just enough to be known. Jungkook watched goosebumps appear on his thick thighs. He leaned down further and sucked Jin’s cock into his mouth. He flicked the slowly melting ice chip over and around it, using Jin’s grip on the back of his neck to guide what felt the best. Yoongi’s moans were filling the air, as well as the heavy breathing of all three and the wet noises of the two sucking. Jin pulled back and swallowed, gasping and moaning Jungkook’s name. Yoongi sank to the ground and grabbed another ice chip, tapping Jungkook on the shoulder. He moved back, allowing Yoongi to take over. 

Jungkook stood and grabbed a forkful of the cheesecake. He slowly streaked it down his belly and over his cock, leaving a little bite on the tip of his cock. Jin smirked, his mouth open already. Jungkook guided him to his cock, moaning when Jin took his tip into his mouth. He sucked hard, flicking his tongue over the top of the head to get the remnants of cheesecake. He moved up then, shifting as much as he could with his cock in Yoongi’s mouth, and licked and nibbled at Jungkook’s belly. Down, over his cock, firm licks and daring grazes of his teeth that had Jungkook tensing in preparation for pain – and moaning in disbelieving arousal when it didn’t come. He was dribbling precoma freely, and knew he wouldn’t last long.  Jin pulled back and moaned, tugging on Yoongi’s hair gently.

“Stop, stop—I’m gonna come,” he whined.

Yoongi pulled back, looking up at him. “Isn’t that the point?” He teased. 

Jin chuckled. “I suppose. But it wouldn’t be fair of you to hoard it to yourself, what if Jungkook wanted a taste?”

Jungkook smirked. “He could share with me after it’s already in his mouth, I suppose.”

Jin’s breathing caught, just a bit, and he nodded. “I suppose he could.” He and Yoongi rose and Jin grabbed a small bowl from the fridge. “My homemade frosting,” he explained when Jungkook twitched his head at it. He uncovered the bowl and took a spoon, stirring it. “Yoongi. Come here.” 

When Yoongi approached, he slathered the frosting over the length of Yoongi’s thick cock, adding a playful swirl to the dollop at the tip. He looked to Jungkook. “He’s the only one you’ve not tasted yet. Go for it.”

Jungkook sank down and took him into his mouth quickly, moaning around his length. The rich, sweet vanilla cream blended perfectly with Yoongi’s salty precome, dribbling in and teasing him with the promise of more. Jungkook bobbed his head quickly, eager to swallow down both the frosting and Yoongi’s unique taste. Yoongi held back no sounds, tugging softly at Jungkook’s hair as he moaned happily. 

Jin dropped down next to Jungkook, shifting to suck and lick at the part of Yoongi’s cock not in Jungkook’s mouth. They switched, taking turns lavishing attention over Yoongi’s cock. Their mouths often met in wet kisses, his cock slotted between their lips. He whined, his hips bucking. 

“Please—” He panted. “It’s okay, you can come,” Jin purred, swallowing his cock down. He backed up, letting Jungkook do the same. They kept at it until Yoongi’s cock began to throb. As it did, Jungkook pulled back, holding it towards them and stroking quickly. The ropes of come erupted from his cock, hitting both on the cheeks and open mouths. Jungkook whined softly, feeling a rope shoot over his tongue. As his orgasm faded, Jin grabbed Jungkook’s face, kissing him hard. They cleaned Yoongi’s release from one another with kisses, sharing the salty treat between them. 

Yoongi sank down, his legs shaking visibly. He grabbed for Jungkook and Jin’s cocks, stroking one in each hand as they made out. Jungkook pulled back in time to see Yoongi leaning forward, swallowing Jin’s cock down as he stroked Jungkook’s. He switched after a few moments, wrapping his perfect lips around Jungkook’s cock and stroking Jin’s. 

“God, I’m already close,” Jungkook whined, holding onto Jin as Yoongi bobbed his head along his shaft. 

“Come in his mouth,” Jin murmured. “You can see how much he wants it.”

Yoongi whined in agreement, his breath hot around Jungkook’s cock. He began to bob his head a little faster, reaching up to play with Jungkook’s balls as he did. 

“That’s it,” Jin praised, stroking the back of Yoongi’s neck. Jungkook let his head fall onto Jin’s shoulder, his fingers biting into his side as Yoongi’s mouth dragged him closer to orgasm. He grunted, biting his lip. Jin slid his hand down, squeezing Jungkook’s ass. He brushed his finger teasingly over Jungkook’s hole, smirking when he jumped. 

“Sensitive,” teased.

Jungkook moaned, pushing his hips forward, pumping into Yoongi’s mouth, and back toward Jin’s hand. The hand disappeared from his ass for a moment. He heard Jin spit and it was back, one finger slipping into his hole. Jungkook shouted in surprise. His hips jerked forward and back, gagging Yoongi.

“Sorry,” he panted, laughing breathlessly as Jin began to finger him. Yoongi gave a thumbs up, shifting to adjust his movements. 

Jin found Jungkook’s prostate easily and began to rub and press it, murmuring soft praises in his ear. 

Jungkook whimpered. He tugged Yoongi’s hair gently. “I can’t hold back,” he gasped in warning. Yoongi nodded as well as he could and pulled back, focusing his oral work on Jungkook’s tip. He rubbed and pressed his balls gently at the same time Jin pushed a second finger up his ass, scissoring them and rubbing against his spot. Jungkook swore, his legs beginning to shake. His cock jerked as his orgasm hit, spilling ropes of come into Yoongi’s mouth. 

Jin slowed his fingers but kept them buried inside Jungkook, rubbing just enough to keep a low level orgasmic buzz running through Jungkook as he milked him dry. 

Yoongi rose, his mouth open to show the come in it. He winked at Jungkook before pulling Jin into a deep kiss. Jungkook struggled to stay upright, watching them share his come.

When Yoongi pulled away, Jin withdrew his fingers momentarily.

“Can I keep fingering you while I come?” He asked. 

Jungkook smirked tiredly. “Of course.” He bent over the desk, wiggling his ass playfully. 

“Wanna finger mine too?” Yoongi teased.

“Well, I’d like to do more than that,” Jin murmured, kissing Yoongi once more. “But I’ll settle for rubbing off on it… If you’ll let me.” 

Yoongi immediately bent over the desk next to Jungkook, kissing him softly. Jin added more spit to Jungkook’s hole, going back to fingering him lazily. Jungkook whined, his soft cock still dribbling weak ropes of come at the right pressure on his spot. He glanced over, watching Jin spit on his other hand to slick his cock. He slid it up, along Yoongi’s perky ass, and moaned, immediately beginning to hump against it. 

After a while, Jin pulled his fingers free from Jungkook’s hole and squeezed Yoongi’s ass, swearing softly. 

“Spread it,” he panted. Yoongi obeyed, spreading his ass open for Jin. 

Jin spat against his hole, and Jungkook watched him slide a finger in gently. Yoongi moaned, deep in his chest as he did. Jin removed his finger and lined his cock up, poking the tip gently against Yoongi’s tight hole. He paused, jerking his cock quickly. 

He moved over to Jungkook, squeezing his ass. 

“Spread,” he panted. Jungkook obeyed, blushing darkly when he heard Jin spit and felt a glob land on his hole. Jin went immediately with his cock, spreading it with the tip and nudging Jungkook’s hole. Slightly more relaxed from the earlier fingering, Jungkook felt his hole give a little, and he moaned.

“Goddamnit,” Jin panted. Jungkook could hear him stroking his cock, the nudges against his hole becoming more persistent. “I wish I could fuck you both,” he grunted.

“Next time I’ll have lube,” Yoongi murmured. “I’d particularly like to see you take Jungkook and pound him against the wall… Looks like you make such pretty sounds with a cock up your ass, Jungkook.”

Jungkook laughed breathlessly, moaning softly. “I think I do… I love begging for it,” he admitted.

Both Jin and Yoongi made appreciative noises. 

“I’d like to fuck him after,” Yoongi continued. “Lay him on his his belly right over there… And fuck him after you gape his ass. You could fuck me while I was doing it.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jin swore. He moved between them and grabbed the plate of cheesecake, setting it on the table. With a soft groan and a series of rhythmic grunts, Jin came, thick ropes spilling from his cock over the dessert. 

Jungkook met Yoongi’s gaze and smirked, understanding the intention. They both grabbed forks and began to cut into the cake, feeding one another the come covered bites over Jin’s cock. He moaned softly, seeming to shudder and relax as they ate. Jungkook scooped up the last bite and stood straight, holding it out for Jin, he took it gladly, meeting Jungkook’s gaze as he chewed and swallowed. He leaned forward, kissing Yoongi and then Jungkook. Jungkook returned the kiss, pulling back to kiss Yoongi as well. 

The three redressed and cleaned up the office in relative silence, each seeming to be going over what had happened.

“So… That was… Admittedly a little unexpected,” Yoongi said finally, settling into his chair behind the desk. Jin, for all his gusto, looked a little shy, and Jungkook was worried. 

“Was it too much?” Jungkook asked. 

“I don’t think so. Not for me, at least… What about you two?” 

“I liked it,” Jin said. “I had fun and it was a good way to… Try out this dynamic, of all three of us. I’ve never… I’ve never dated more than one person at a time, but I like Jungkook, and I want to try it. And I know it’s where you feel comfortable. So for me, it was nice to sort of… See where we all stood and get close in a new way.”

Jungkook nodded. “I agree. I had said earlier today that I’d be fine with my partner dating someone else, and I kept thinking about that during the day. My mind did wander to Jin a few times, I won’t lie. I think he’s the best match for both of us. He and I have always had our…”

“Rivalry,” Jin filled in, laughing a little, and Jungkook nodded.

“Yes, rivalry. That I have enjoyed. And I obviously care a lot for you, Yoongi… I’m happy with tonight and… I hope we can move forward as a … Well, not really a couple, are we?”

Yoongi laughed. “Not exactly. There’s a lot of words that people have come up with for folks in our dynamic, we can figure it out later. For now I’m content just knowing that there’s no regrets. And that we all want to move forward into… Dating.”

Jungkook and Jin both nodded eagerly. 

“How will dating work?” Jungkook asked. “Do the three of us go together? Two at a time? I mean… Since Jin and I, I figured… You are okay with… Wanting to date me too?”

“I’d like to try it,” Jin said, nodding in agreement.

“I’ve never actually had this kind of relationship,” Yoongi admitted, “despite wanting it for so long. I think we’ll have to sit down together and really hash out what each of us need in a relationship, and how the other two can best provide it. I do know that for this sort of thing… We need to be open with each other.”

Yoongi rose as he spoke, going over to Jin and Jungkook. He took each of their hands in his own. “Communicating is the only way this can work, okay? No more secrets, no more unspoken words and passive aggressive pranking.”

Thy all shared a chuckle at that. Jungkook shook his head. “I think pranking has really become Jin and I’s love language… You’re not gonna stop the pranks, Yoongi.”

Yoongi sighed dramatically, grinning. “And here I was hoping I’d get to avoid Jin shouting at seven in the morning when you’ve stolen his mixer yet again.”

Jungkook grinned brightly as Jin laughed. 

“Look, that was a good prank!” Jungkook defended.

“Yeah, only because I returned it shutting down your fuse box the next day.”

Jungkook glared, but grinned as he was doing it. “We’ll keep you out of the pranks,” he promised, looking back to Yoongi.

“I don’t mind. Just don’t prank me.”

“It’s late,” Jin said. “Why don’t we all have a light dinner together tomorrow after closing? We can meet here, I’ll bring some stuff from the bakery too, and we can have some of the leftover sandwiches from your café. We can all sit together and really talk about what we need and what we’d like from this sort of relationship.”

Jungkook and Yoongi nodded. “I like that idea. I’d like to think more about it anyways,” Jungkook admitted. “I know I want this, but I’ve not been in a lot of relationships, so… When someone asks me what I want from even a traditional two person… I don’t think I could answer. I need to really think and figure it out.”

“I feel like that’s a fair assessment,” Yoongi said. “I’m in a similar boat. The idea that you’re both… Mine… It’s a lot. I’m happy. I’m just overwhelmed.”

“You never thought you could have this,” Jin said. Yoongi nodded.

“Well you do,” Jungkook stepped forward and hugged Yoongi tightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “And we might have to figure out the fine-tuning stuff, but you have us. It’s not a dream.”

Yoongi hugged him back, nuzzling his neck. “Thank you.”

“We care a lot about you, Yoongi. No matter what. I think I can speak for Jungkook too when I say that this is a good move for us all. We’re happy, and we’ll be happy like this,” Jin said. He wrapped his arms around them both, enveloping them in a tight hug. 

They separated after a moment and Jungkook grabbed his bag. “Come on, we should get going. Do you have any last-minute things to do?”

“No, I’m all closed up here, just have to shut off lights.” Yoongi headed to the back of the office and grabbed his jacket, flicking off the lights and basking them in darkness.

The trio walked to the doors and stepped out into the cool night air, letting Yoongi lock his door. They stood for a moment, all looking at one another in the streetlights. “Well, I go this way,” Jungkook said, jutting his finger in the direction of his bus stop. 

“I’m that way too,” Yoongi said. 

“I go the other way,” Jin said. He glanced around then stepped forward and kissed Yoongi long and hard. Jungkook chuckled a little at it. It was cute, if he was being honest. Jin glared playfully at him. “What’re you laughing at, punk?” He joked. He grabbed Jungkook’s shirt and pulled him into a kiss as well. 

He stood straight and fixed his shirt. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

“Get home safely,” Yoongi said. They watched Jin walk down the street before turning and walking up it. 

“How far up do you go?” Yoongi asked. 

“My bus stop is about two blocks away.”

“Do you live very far?”

Jungkook shook his head no. “Only a few miles. Just a little too far to walk or ride a bike in, so I have to do the bus.”

Yoongi nodded. “I only live about half a mile up, so I usually walk it. Do you have a car, for the winter?”

“No, but the bus stop is right outside my apartment so it’s not so bad. The city keeps these streets shoveled well.”

“Hm… Well, we’ll see when winter comes. I have a car, I just don’t bother using it except winter with how close I live. I wonder how far down Jin lives.” He glanced back. 

“We can ask him tomorrow.” 

They reached Jungkook’s bus stop. Yoongi sighed softly. “I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?”

“The conversation we had this afternoon gave me so much joy and confidence… Just hearing someone support me and give me hope that I could be truly happy… And then I know you sent Jin to me. Even though you knew it might mean losing me if I didn’t want you as a third, I… Your care means so much.”

Jungkook smiled softly. “I fell for you the minute I saw you, Yoongi. I want you to be happy, no matter what. And getting to be with you… And with Jin… It’s perfect. For as much as he and I argue, he’s an amazing man.”

“He is… And so are you.” Yoongi took Jungkook’s hands and squeezed gently. “I’m so happy that this happened.”

Jungkook grinned, his heart skipping a beat. He leaned forward and kissed Yoongi gently. “My bus will be here soon,” he said, not stepping away from Yoongi. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you.” Yoongi kissed him once more before letting his hands go and heading down the street. 

Jungkook sighed heavily, a grin on his face as he did. Though he’d been hoping for a good result from finally confronting his feelings, this was a better one that he’d ever imagined. He knew that their future would be a sweet as the coffee and pastries his new boyfriends created.

[molanran]

blueming - choi beomgyu

summary: pre relationship au! m/n is a tired college student that falls in love so easily. beomgyu is the cute barista that he falls for.

word count: 3k

now playing: blueming – iu & i’m so pretty - nature

notes: first in a series

m/n stumbles into his least favorite coffee shop exhausted, with a migraine, clutching an ice pack, and a gloomy disposition, wondering why everyone is so happy. it's not his fault, honestly it's not.

it's minju's.

she dragged him out last night to go shopping, which ended in disaster. he tripped over jewelry laying on the floor, got pushed into a wall and got slapped in the face, hard. not only that, but he got awoken by freaking justin bieber of all things and the starbucks across the street from his study hall is closed, and now he has to run all the way across to the other side of campus just to get a cup of freaking coffee.

wait, he also got knocked out after being hit by a trombone at orchestra practice.

he's internally yelling at minju in his mind before deciding to actually let her know how he feels via a strongly worded text message (she'll probably be fuming that he woke her from her sleep but he's too angry to care) just as he reached the front counter. still pounding away at his phone, he grunts out his order, dropping the exact amount of money for his venti-frappucino-with-three-espresso-shots. yeah, he's definitely not having the best morning.

"sorry, could you repeat that?"

m/n looks up, ready to glare viciously and direct his bad mood at the barista who obviously pays no attention... but instead gapes at him because the barista is actually really cute and damn maybe he's already got a crush. and, oh shit, he's the guy who minju tutors sometimes on weekends.

the barista (beomgyu, m/n remembers) stands there with an uncomfortable smile, awkwardly standing there behind the counter. (m/n would be lying if he said that wasn't one of the cutest things he's ever seen.) "your order?"

m/n gapes a little more before regaining his composure, a polite smile gracing his features. "yeah - right, sorry. um, a venti frappuccino with three espresso shots." he pushes the coins forward, waiting awkwardly.

beomgyu smiles again, this time an actual smile gracing his features (m/n will never admit that he swooned a little), appearing amused if anything. "right," he quickly scooped the change up before yelling behind him. "yein! large frap, three shots!" he registers m/n's change and hands m/n his drink. "thanks for coming to golden swirls! have a great day, m/n-ssi."

m/n blushes because beomgyu actually knows his name and he may or may not be screaming inside because of it. someone behind him coughs, interrupting his inner emotions and m/n is so glad that he's not in high school because he so has a schoolgirl crush.

"thanks- i'll be going-" m/n runs out of the door before he could embarrass himself further, almost dropping his coffee as he goes and accidentally knocking his laptop bag that's swung over his shoulder into the wall outside. he looks at beomgyu through the large window, watching how he serves the next customer before quickly heading off towards his next class.

not even ten seconds later, he's managed to almost break his laptop, spill his coffee over a random stranger and he just wants the ground to swallow him up. his patience has run thin and he finds himself swearing because of how awful this one morning has gone. fuck today, fuck his life, just fuck

.

most of the time, m/n's lucky to have minju in his life. they share an apartment together with minju running a home business as a pastry chef, she helps him with all of his assignments and they've known each other forever. but today, he really hopes that he has awoken her from her sleep (he doesn't want anything horrible to happen to her, he loves her too much) because it's her fault that he's injured. (maybe not completely her fault, not that he'll ever admit it.)

after getting back to the apartment and telling her of his god-forsaken awful day, she has the audacity to laugh.

she laughs so hard that she ends up falling off the couch, her makeup smudging which he's sure she'll be upset about. he doesn't really appreciate that she's laughing and he thinks that maybe he should take photos or a video because she laughs like a horse on crack. he chooses the third option which is attempting to make her spontaneously combust with the power of his glare.

"what the actual fuck." if anything, she laughs even harder and starts rolling around on the floor. he grabs a nearby throw pillow and launches it at her.

(she retaliates, flipping the couch over and them sitting on his back, she tries suffocating him with a surprisingly lethal fluffy cushion.)

after she stops attempting to strangle him and they put their living room back to the original state, they return to their previous conversation. but he immediately wishes that she's still attempting to murder him, because she is smirking. (he's so going to be antagonized for another week)

"so what basically happened, is that you publicly humiliated yourself in front of a cute guy and now you've turned into a weeping willow." she almost bursts out laughing again after her summary, instead pinching his cheek.

m/n immediately recoils, covering his face with another throw cushion. "yes, thank you for reminding me of the possibly most embarassing period of my life."

"you could've been worse. you could've spilled coffee on him, you could've fallen flat on your face as soon as you walked through the door." she laughed while he blushes even harder than he thought possible. (leave it to minju to bring up previous events.)

"i hate you," he manages to squeak out from underneath the pillow, curling in on himself.

"i love you too," she pats his head affectionately. "now i'll order some chinese food and we'll spend the whole night watching cheesy rom-coms while i try to cheer you up with some horrible puns and jokes."

(m/n cracks a smile because he honestly couldn't ask for a better best friend.)

--

after finally managing to finish his music assignment and edit another three essays as well as helping minju with baking cupcakes, m/n skypes kangmin. kangmin (the same person who chose to go in china instead of staying in seoul, the traitor) has been the third member of their group ever since the beginning of elementary as well as the exact reason for m/n's sexuality crisis. (which may or may not have included a temporary relationship and a lot of making out.)

it's not like m/n can hold it against him, but of course he still wonders why all of his friends have to be so damn good looking and adorable.

kangmin, unsurprisingly, doesn't answer the phone the first time but the second time yejin had picked up the call. yejin was the last member of their group and was the most creative and independent of the bunch. she was the first person that m/n had met that he loved within the first five minutes of meeting. of course, sometimes she was over-dramatic and hyperactive but it didn't really matter, she was still one of his best friends.

"hey m/n!" yejin smiled, flashing her pearly whites. "kangmin is currently busy working on that huge programming or digital project that he got a week ago."

yejin faces the camera towards kangmin, showing him with his head in buried in his hands. there were papers strewn all over the desk while his computer was closed. she subtly takes a picture of his distress before tapping him on the shoulder. kangmin's head snaps, a grimace present until his eyes lands on m/n's face appearing.

"m/n!" kangmin yelled, snatching his phone off yejin. ignoring her rude remark, he positions the phone in a way that both yejin and himself appear on the screen while still being close enough to hear. "sorry, i love you but this stupid piece of code is giving the biggest trouble ever and i just can't take it anymore."

he groans dramatically in his hands while yejin rolls her eyes at him, patting his head fondly.

"you'll be fine." she coos at him, rubbing his hair affectionately. "what's up m/n?"

"i may or may not have met someone..." m/n trails off, laughing at their reactions. yejin starts clapping excitedly and squealing while kangmin's head snaps up with a bright smile on his face.

"who is it? it's not that creepy guy in orchestra is it? if it is, you could do so much better.." yejin rants, not stopping even when kangmin covers her mouth with his hand.

"and i may or may not have also embarassed myself in front of him." yejin shuts up straight away, both her and kangmin starting to giggle.

"how bad was it?" kangmin inquires, a cheeky glint in his eye. "falling-flat-on-your-face-bad or peeing-your-pants-because-you're-so-nervous-bad?"

"neither,"

stares.

"maybe worse,"

more stares.

"it was clown-at-kangmin’s-eighth-birthday-bad."

long story short, kangmin’s parents had hired the wrong person and accidentally hired a drug dealer who tried to convince the kids that the cocaine he brought was sherbet. 

kangmin’s parents were mortified at the time but kangmin continues to tell the story whenever he gets the chance.

m/n eventually ends the call because yejin and kangmin are laughing so hard at him and, god, why does everything with him have to be so complicated and embarassing? (he may also have rejected the next two calls, accidentally)

minju, being the absolutely amazing best friend that she is, is so much more helpful than his other two friends. meaning that since she's already laughed at him, she's moved on to the point where she decides that she's going to be a helpful friend.

(m/n shudders at the thought. last time minju decided she was going to be a 'helpful friend', he ended up in the hospital for two weeks and failed two assignments.)

unfortunately, minju turns out to be his only option to call when he sees beomgyu again at the shop.

"please, please, please, come here right now. starbucks is closed, beomgyu's on shift and i need someone here to make sure i don't embarass myself."

turns out, this is the one time that minju isn't available.

"you should've asked me before. i'm too busy. i've got to juggle six different pastry orders and they all have to be done in a couple of hours because i'm catering for a wedding."

well, fuck. m/n looks inside the coffee shop again, noticing that this time beomgyu is looking back at him. beomgyu smiles and waves, while he leans against a broom. m/n can't help but smile back, pocketing his phone and walking through the door.

as soon as he's in the door, he sees the broom that beomgyu is leaning on slips and makes him fall over. he rushes over to beomgyu quickly, helping him back up. beomgyu blushes a bright red while m/n helps him back over to the counter despite being told numerous times that he's fine.

"seriously m/n-ssi, i'm fine." beomgyu giggles. he fucking giggles and suddenly there's a hand on his arm and somehow all the oxygen has left his lungs and why is it so suddenly hot?

"are you sure?" m/n asks again, checking for any injuries. beomgyu nods again, walking awkwardly back behind the counter.

"venti frap, three shots right?" beomgyu's eyes shine, a small blush coating his cheeks. m/n nods, handing over his coins.

beomgyu scoops them up but accidentally drops a few on the ground. after all the coins are picked up, yein suddenly appears by his side with a coffee in her hand.

"smooth move, casanova," she nudges him playfully, before handing the coffee to m/n. beomgyu blushes brightly, moving over to start cleaning the counter.

"thanks, i guess." m/n says awkwardly. "i'll see you later, yeah?"

he runs out the door, waving to them as he goes. he's a few metres away from the coffee shop before he does a happy dance because he didn't embarass himself in front of beomgyu.

(this doesn't erase his bad luck however. he manages to keep his coffee intact, but someone else spilled their coffee on him, he got attacked by a rabid cat and chased by a group of dogs on the way home.)

--

the next time m/n sees beomgyu, it's in the comfort of his own home.

but that doesn't mean, he's ready to face his crush.

m/n's woken up by minju's banshee scream, her high pitched tone filling his entire room. he wishes his first instinct was to cover his own ears but no, his first instinct is to get up and make sure the bathroom door is closed. (every time minju screams, the large mirror in their bathroom 'mysteriously' breaks. and the money that pays for it 'mysteriously' comes out of his own wallet.)

he walks into the living room and he knows he looks like a mess.

his hair is strewn everywhere, making him look like he just got zapped with lightning. he's wearing a plain white shirt but he's only one inside while the other half is wrapped around his shoulder, exposing his lower body. he's also wearing his rainbow briefs while he's got kittens on his socks.

m/n's barely got his other arm in the shirt before he hears a cough behind, where he's met with beomgyu's blushing face.

beomgyu looks like he's trying so hard to look away, he's got his face hidden behind one of his books but his eyes are visible at the top, (it certainly has nothing to do with the way his nose starts to bleed a little) while minju doesn't look much better herself.

she hadn't bothered to brush away her bangs and instead was trying to pour herself a cup of coffee, a large yawn escaping her lips.

"we, meaning me, wants you to make us breakfast," minju speaks like she doesn't know that she just embarrassed m/n in front of his crush. (to her credit, she probably doesn't. she occasionally leaves their apartment half naked because of her tired stupor.)

"uh, r-right." m/n stutters, running back to his room, locking gazes with beomgyu before his door swings shut.

minju eyes him weirdly as he goes. (usually he'd yell at her to stop being lazy and do it herself but he seemed to be too stunned to do anything. she'd have to bring beomgyu around more often.)

"is he okay, minju?" beomgyu puts the book down.

"he'll be fine," minju yawns again, wrinkling her nose. "i've already accomplished my duty as a best friend by bringing you here." she ignored beomgyu's questioning gaze, bringing her mug to her lips.

m/n walks out of his room, looking more presentable but also looking like he was going to cut a bitch. (in every case, minju.)

"give me that," m/n swiped minju's mug from her hands, taking a deep gulp of her bitter coffee. he ignored minju's scathing remark and turned to beomgyu, unstartled. "will pancakes be okay, beomgyu-ssi?" his voice took a much softer tone than when he spoke to minju.

"yes please, and i'd rather you'd just call me beomgyu, m/n-ssi." beomgyu smiled.

"then i would insist that you'd do the same, beomgyu-ah." m/n smiled, shooing minju out of his kitchen and getting the ingredients out.

minju huffs and takes a seat next to beomgyu, crossing her arms.

"are you ready to carry on, beomgyu-ah?" minju asks, wiping her face with a wet wipe.

"gimme a sec," beomgyu rests his head on his arms as he watches m/n move around in the kitchen.

m/n's got his headphones in his ears as he hums delightfully, flipping pancakes with ease. he dances his way around the kitchen, pulling out syrup and strawberries and eating utensils, preparing breakfast with a soft smile on his face.

beomgyu can't help but watch the other male with a dumb smile on his face, not looking away even when there's a steaming hot plate of pancakes in front of him.

"i hope you like them," m/n smiles, taking out his left headphone. he fucking smiles at beomgyu, who feels his entire being heat up. (beomgyu tries to ignore the way his heart pitter-patters in his chest. that traitor.)

when beomgyu takes a bite, he moans in delight. m/n pretends to not notice, shoveling his food in his mouth. (his blush totally does not give him away.)

"so m/n-ah," minju starts, taking back her mug and refilling it. "when's your next class?"

"i'm free today. my chemistry professor called in sick so he just emailed everybody their latest assignments. i'm going to die." m/n cringed, taking a sip of his water.

"i bet physics is looking pretty good right now, huh?" minju had a triumphant look on her face.

"people who take physics usually don't have a life, or friends." m/n flicked her forehead, distracting her long enough to steal her coffee again. "no offense, beomgyu-ah."

"none taken, m/n-ah." beomgyu shrugged his shoulders. "what do you study?"

"i'm making my life hard by majoring in dance with a minor in chemistry." m/n put his two thumbs, his entire being oozing with sarcasm. "commuting to two different campuses four times a week, what fun."

"that's like me!" beomgyu's eyes were a little wider. "i'm a vocal major with a minor in physics. moving between the two campuses is such a pain."

"does that mean you know soobin-hyung? i think he's a vocal major as well?" m/n asks.

"bunny-hyung?" beomgyu's eyes glaze over in realization. "he takes care of me, you know, being one year older. does that mean you're friends with yeonjun-hyung? he still owes me twenty dollars."

"soobin-hyung owes me fifty!" m/n almost yells. "but it's okay because he buys me lunch every other day."

"oh my god, they're perfect for each other." beomgyu rolls his eyes, stabbing his pancake with his fork.

"they're disgusting. i hate seeing them meet up, like they haven't seen each in a million years when in reality it's been like four hours." m/n agrees, wrinkling his nose.

minju looks between the two males, wondering how they could be so oblivious towards one another.

"they're idiots. idiots who hopelessly crush on each other." minju complained under her breath. she held up her phone, pretending to use it as a mirror, only to snap a pic of m/n and beomgyu interacting with each other, bright smiles on both of their faces.

m/n briefly looked at her, a weird look on his face.

"you'll thank me later." she smiled innocently, tapping her phone with a wink.

[nazariolahela]

Chapter 15: The Arrangement

Pairing: none

Word Count: 1884

Rating: PG-13

Description: The hunt for Tariq continues, and Hana struggles with pleasing her parents. 

Notes: Constructive criticism welcome. Thanks for reading.

Catch up here

Disclaimer: All TRR characters used belong to Pixelberry. This story is only for entertainment purposes.

Riley sat at a table inside Starbucks, sipping her Caramel Apple Spice drink as she scrolled through her social media. Her co-worker Mindy had texted her earlier this morning, asking to talk to her about the kiss at the club. The two women had been avoiding each other and it was beginning to take a toll on their work. Riley agreed to meet with her to hear her out. She figured this would prevent things from getting awkward at work. The coffee shop was abuzz with early morning commuters purchasing drinks and snacks in preparation for their workday. Riley briefly looked up from her phone to scan the establishment, in search of Mindy. A few minutes later, Mindy spotted Riley sitting and approached her cautiously.

“Hey Riley…” she said, trailing off. Riley looked up from her phone at Mindy and smiled lightly. Mindy took a seat across the table from her and sucked in a deep breath.

“So, let me start out by apologizing for my behavior the other night. It was out of line and I’m sorry for violating you. I hope this doesn’t affect our working relationship or our friendship any more than it already has. I won’t use my drinking as an excuse, but sometimes I get a little flirty when I drink, and I guess I misinterpreted your feelings for me. I promise that I will ask next time I try to kiss you.”

Riley nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Just so you know, I do value our friendship. You were the first person who was nice to me, and you’ve really helped me find my footing in this job over the last few weeks. I’ve been having a really hard time since I’ve been back and your friendship is the only thing that has kept me going. I don’t want to lose that.”  

Mindy smiled and reached across the table, placing her hand on Riley’s. “I promise not to betray your trust. I really do value your friendship.”

The two women visibly relaxed and Mindy quickly changed the subject. “So, are you excited about the UN Gala coming up?”

Riley cocked an eyebrow at her. “Diana mentioned it, but she said I wasn’t ready to work it yet.”

Mindy drummed her fingers on the table. “Aww, that sucks. Maybe you can work it next year.”

“Have you worked it before? What’s it like?”

Mindy’s face lit up. “So, it’s this huge fundraiser they put on every year. All these celebs and rich people show up and donate money. I met Leonardo DiCaprio last year.” She pulled out her phone and flipped through her photos until she found the one. Riley took the phone and examined the photo. Mindy’s face beaming next to a well-dressed Leonardo DiCaprio. The face of another gentleman in the background, who looked oddly familiar, caught Riley’s eye.

“What about this other guy?” she asked, handing the phone back to Mindy.

Mindy took the phone, zooming in on the photo, as she tried to identify the other man. “Oh, him? I think he’s some foreign leader. Or used to be. He said something about abdicating his title recently. I didn’t really catch his name, but he was super flirty with all the female servers and I’m pretty sure he tried to slip me his number.”

The blonde hair and piercing blue eyes were a dead giveaway, and she couldn’t believe she didn’t figure it out right away. “Leo…” she whispered.

“Yeah! That was his name. Wait, do you know him?”

Riley looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “Kind of. He’s connected to someone from my past.” The last time she had seen Leo was the Coronation. The memories of that evening came flooding back to her and she had to fight back the tears that were starting to brim in her eyes. Riley shook the thoughts from her head, rose from her seat, and grabbed her purse. “I’ve got some errands to run, but thanks for meeting with me.”

“Yeah, no problem. Everything alright?” Mindy questioned.

“Y-Yeah. I gotta go. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.” Riley replied and rushed out of the coffee shop. She clutched her purse to her chest, choking back tears as she hurried down the street back to her apartment.

***

The Royal court was on its way to Shanghai for the next stop on the Engagement Tour. Hana’s knee bounced nervously as she sat on the plane, watching the clouds pass by her window. Maxwell appeared and took the seat next to her. “Hey! You doing alright?!”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m just nervous about seeing my parents. My dad is still hounding me about my marriage prospects. I don’t have the heart to tell him that I’m not interested in Lord Neville or Rashad.”

He reached across the seat and took her hand in his. “It’s going to be okay. You’re a beautiful, intelligent, strong woman. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Any guy would be lucky to wife you up,” he said as he winked and wiggled his eyebrows.

Hana giggled. “You always know how to cheer me up. Thanks, Max.”

“Glad to be of assistance. Don’t stress about it. There’s still time to find a suitable match. And, hey! If worst comes to worst, we could marry each other.”

Hana’s eyes grew wide. “What?! You’re kidding right?”

Maxwell shook his head.

“Are you sure about that? You’re serious about us getting married?”

He shrugged. “Why not? We’re best friends. We obviously care about each other. And I’m a pretty great catch.”

“But, Max. I don’t love you like that.”

“I know. It would be more a marriage of convenience. To get your parents off your back. And Bertrand off mine.”

Hana fiddled with the hem of her skirt. “Max. You know I adore you, but I can’t ask you to do that for me. You deserve to marry someone who loves you. Not because their parents want you to. What if you meet someone? Or I do?”

Maxwell chuckled. “Listen. We can figure out all the details when the time comes. But think about it.” He stood up and leaned in, pressing a light kiss to her forehead, and walked away.

A few seats away, Liam, Olivia, and Drake sat next to each other in hushed tones. Drake nursed the glass of whiskey in his left hand as he listened intently to Olivia and Liam discuss what they had learned from Bastien about the blackmail and Tariq’s whereabouts.

“I still can’t believe your father would do something so abhorrent,” Olivia scowled.

Liam ran his hand down his face, exhaling deeply. “I know. I’m still in shock. I can’t help but think about Lady Riley. If only she was here…”

“Has anyone been able to reach her?” Drake asked, topping off Liam’s drink.

“Last I heard, she had spoken with Maxwell a few weeks ago. Since then, it’s been radio silence. She hasn’t responded to mine or Hana’s text messages at all,” Liam replied despondently.

Olivia leaned over and rubbed soothing circles on his back. “She’s obviously still upset. I can’t say I blame her. But that’s just one more reason to get to the bottom of this blackmail situation.”

Liam nodded and polished off his drink. “I have some phone calls to make. If you’ll both excuse me,” He stood up, bowed to Drake and Olivia, and made his way to the private quarters of the plane.

Drake shook his head. “I’ve never seen him like this. He’s not doing so well. We need to find Tariq soon.”

“But even if we find him, what if we can’t convince Riley to come back to Cordonia?” Olivia replied.

“She’ll come back,” a voice answered behind them. They both turned to see Maxwell standing there, phone in hand. “She’s struggling with the blowback from the scandal. Once we get Tariq to make a statement and clear Riley’s name, she’ll have to come home.”

“How can you be so sure, Max?” Drake asked.

Maxwell sighed and took a seat. “She loves him. I’ve seen the way her eyes light up when she talks about him. Right now, she’s just waiting for everything to blow over so she can come home. She’s not happy in New York and she knows it. She just doesn’t want to admit it yet. Cordonia is her home.”

The three of them sat in silence as the plane began its descent into Shanghai.

***

After the tea ceremony, and the blowout with her father, Hana decided to go for a walk to clear her head. She walked for several blocks until she reached the Yu Garden. A young mother and her two small children emerged from the entrance to the garden, speaking excitedly about their visit. A small smile spread across Hana’s face as she recalled the memories of going there as a child with her mother. Hana searched her pockets for Yuan to pay the entrance fee but stopped when she remembered that she had left her purse behind. Reaching back into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and called Maxwell.

“Hey, Hana! Everything alright? Olivia said you left the tea ceremony upset.”

“Yeah. Can you send a car for me? I’m at Yu Garden and I forgot my purse.”

“Sure. I’m sending one for you now. Hang tight.”

Hana hung up the phone and sat on a nearby bench. She smiled as she watched the families entering and exiting the gardens. A father and daughter held hands as they smiled and walked past Hana, and she felt a pain in her chest. She didn’t understand why her parents insisted on marrying her off to a man she was not in love with. Or any man, for that matter. She wished that they’d just let her find her own partner and let her live her own life. She stared out across the pond and watched the dragonflies land and take off from the cattails. Finally, a black town car rolled up and the driver stepped out.

“Ms. Lee?”

She turned from the bench to see him standing near the back door. “Yes, that’s me.”

The driver nodded and opened the door, motioning for her to get in. She stood from the bench and swept her skirt off, then climbed inside. The driver shut the door behind her and rounded the car to the drivers’ side. Once inside, he steered the car back towards Hana’s hotel. She leaned her head against the window and watched the city whiz by.

When they arrived at the hotel, Hana made her way up to her room and crawled into bed without removing her clothes. She laid in bed for several minutes, staring at the ceiling, before a knock at her door caused her to sit up.

“Hana, it’s Maxwell. Are you in there?”

She pulled back the sheets and climbed out of bed. She opened the door and he pushed past her and took a seat on the desk chair.

“Have you talked to Riley lately?” he asked.

“No. Why?”

A Cheshire grin spread across his face. “Because the next stop on this tour is her stomping grounds.”

Hana’s jaw dropped. “You mean…?”

“That’s right. Pack your favorite baseball cap. We’re going to New York.”

[thecaffeinatedcreatives]

“We don’t get much work done here, if we’re being honest. Why are we together?” –brielle

The Joe and the Juice on Broadway is the site of many moments like this, where my writer friend Brielle and I attempt to be productive and inevitably fail. Why? On one hand, it’s the fact that our friendship is fueled by terrible memes and lots--I mean lots--of caffeine. But on the other, the fact that we are the least adventurous creatives on the planet.

We get coffee a lot, but 98% of the time, it’s at the same place. (The other 2% is at Starbucks, when Joe and the Juice is closed. But that basically doesn’t count.)

It’s funny, because I remember promising to myself, when I first came to school in New York City, that I would “explore every weekend” and “take advantage of the city.” The only problem is that I’m a broke college student who has too much work and not enough time.

So why not multitask? Why not use the coffeeshops that Brielle and I haunt as an excuse to get out, to explore? (The answer: because it takes time and money, and we’re lazy and like Joe and the Juice. But no more!) So here begins a story about coffee, fiction, and the crazy friendship that somehow connects the two.

This week, we’re starting at the place where it all began: Joe and the Juice (on Broadway.)

We took more than three hours to decide on our criteria for judging the coffeeshops we visit, and in line with our name (Caffeinated Creatives), we have stuck to a cheesy but memorable set of “C”s:

Caffeine

Chow

Cost

Character

Connectivity

Convenience

and, for bonus points, Cause

Here we go:

The “joe” part of Joe and the Juice comes first for a reason: it’s delicious. Smooth espresso ground, tamped, pulled, and poured right in front of you. Never burnt, always strong. I’ve never been disappointed with my usual Pink Latte (pink=large!)

Unfortunately, there’s room for more coffee/espresso options. If you’re not happy with a latte or drip coffee, you’ll be happier elsewhere! They do, however, offer iced versions of nearly all the coffee drinks. If your taste for caffeine runs in the direction of tea, you’ll have even more limited options--and this blog probably isn’t the one for you!

The “juice” part takes up the majority of the menu on the wall, but isn’t my favorite. But I’m no juice aficionado. The juice is also much more expensive!

Which brings us to the most unnecessarily expensive thing here: the sandwiches. Sure, they’re “healthy” but they’re small, usually half cold, and still about $10. We don’t usually get any of the food here. (There’s a Pret, Chipotle, McDonalds, Wendy’s, and all of Turnstyle Market at Columbus Circle nearby.)

Here’s a shocker: Joe and the Juice is not cheap. A Pink Latte is $4.40, a large juice is $8.80, and the sandwiches are even more. My defense comes in two parts:

I stay here for hours at a time on a single Pink Latte

I have a loyalty card (see pic!) that brings down the cost of a Pink Latte to about $3.95

The loyalty cards are awesome. The yellow latte loyalty card costs $39.85 and gets you 10 coffee drinks of your choice. They don’t expire, and mine usually lasts me about three weeks--less during finals!! 

You can also get loyalty cards for juices and sandwiches, although these two are, unsurprisingly, more expensive. But if you use them wisely, they do help save some $$$

The strongest point of each and every Joe and the Juice is the ambiance. Bright with sunlight. Modern, Scandi decor. Lots of art. Greenery. Very loud, thumping music. Constant chatter. If you’ve ever wanted a coffee shop that felt like a daytime nightclub, here’s the one for you.

Sometimes it’s as much a curse as a blessing--especially if you ever have to take a phone call!--but on the whole, the character of this place keeps me coming back more than anything. Anywhere can have good coffee. But not everywhere can be somewhere I willingly want to be for 5+ hours at a time!

It feels warm here, even in the dead of New York winter. (And I’m not just talking about temperature!)

Wifi? Free.

Outlets? Plenty.

Cell service? Strong.

What else could you ever want? This is how I come and stay forever. Computer dies? No problem. Online research? Done. Mom calls? Answered: “No, Mother, I’m not in a club. Just Joe and the Juice.”

To reserve some modicum of privacy, we’ll be considering the middle of Columbus Circle our “home.” As such, Joe and the Juice is a very convenient 3 minute walk away! Their hours are 7am-8pm on weekdays and 8-8 on weekends, and I’m usually there until closing. I wish they stayed open until 9 (or even later), but I suppose late-night coffee is what Starbucks exists for.

Conclusion: (this isn’t one of our Cs, but it might as well be)

Joe and the Juice on Broadway is definitely my go-to “third space” for working, writing, and procrastinating. I love the folks working the bar (they know my name and order!). It’s easy and comfortable, and I kinda feel like I’m cheating on them as I begin to take on this project of exploration. 

But never fear, Joe, I’ve got at least six more drinks on my loyalty card. I’ll be back.

[peanutdream]

Hey.............. Do all those ask things please I am Curious enjoy

1.      Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? 

Spotify. I don’t think I can even use Pandora since I’m from theNetherlands?? Last time I checked I couldn’t.

2.      is your room messy or clean?

A combination ofboth.

3.      what color are your eyes?

I think it’sgreenish??

4.      do you like your name? why?

 I used to really dislike it, but that was mainly because there was a Dutch song about my name (this one) that some boys from my class sang EVERY fucking school day, and sometimes even multiple times a day. It really ruined my name for me. Recently, though, my mom told me that?? The song came out somewhere around the time before my grandpa died when he was still hospitalized?? and?? he heard the song and liked it??? So i don’t really hate the song anymore, and I’ve kinda grown to like my name again. A lot of people still refer to me as ‘Rose��, though, since that’s just a lot shorter.

5.      what is your relationship status? 

Single and ready to eat an entire baguette.

6.      describe your personality in 3 words or less

funny jumpluff eat

7.      what color hair do you have?

Dark blone

8.      what kind of car do you drive? color?

I haven’t really driven in my mom’s car yet but it’s silver colored.

9.      where do you shop?

stores, usually. I mostly buy stuff at the mall that’s in my town, but sometimes I feel Fancy and I take the bus to a nearby city.

10.  how would you describe your style?

“i wish I was as cute as some of my clothes”

11.  favorite social media account

??????????????? of the ones I own?? someone else’s??? U gotta be more specific.

12.  what size bed do you have? 

a normal one. for a single person. because i’m single.

13.  any siblings?

Nope!

14.  if you can live anywhere in the world wherewould it be? why?

Mmm, somewhere near a forest is Great.

15.  favorite snapchat filter? 

I Don’t Use SnapChat Enough For This But I Remember One With A Princess In A Car And I Think That One Is Pretty Rad

16.  favorite makeup brand(s)

I never......... buy make-up............. I wish i did, though. Sometimes I want to buy some, but then it’s like?? it’s expensive, and I don’t really know what I would need to buy anyway.

17.  how many times a week do you shower?

Depends on how many times I need to go out. I do shower atleast once every two days, though.

18.  favorite tv show?

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Do series count? or just?? random shows?? Or can I just put in a random show that I’ve recently watched?? because then I’m just going to say Grace & Frankie because that one is Very Good.

19.  shoe size?

smol. 38 I think.

20.  how tall are you?

also very smol. 1.57 meters.

21.  sandals or sneakers? 

Sneakers when I have to walk A Lot, sandals when I’m at the beach or just?? at home I guess.

22.  do you go to the gym? 

lol no.

23.  describe your dream date

That’s a tough one. I’d have to say April 25th, because it’s not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket!

idk dude I think just?? hanging out with the person I really like would be very chill already?? Maybe some looking at the stars and?? laying outside in a grassfield?? that sounds pretty chill I think.

24.  how much money do you have in your wallet atthe moment?

About 7 euros I think

25.  what color socks are you wearing? 

Black + pink.

26.  how many pillows do you sleep with?

One normal head pillow + 2 neck pillow things.

27.  do you have a job? what do you do? 

haha no.

28.  how many friends do you have? 

6 close friends and?? a Whole Bunch of people that I consider friends but that I don’t talk as much with.

29.  whats the worst thing you have ever done? 

I’m not sure honestly, although I probably have done or said some bad things?? 

30.  whats your favorite candle scent? 

Roses and other flowers.

31.  3 favorite boy names

shrek, donkey, farquaad.

32.  3 favorite girl names

fiona, dragon, uhhhh fiona’s mom.

33.  favorite actor? 

Ryan Reynolds or Tom Hanks.

34.  favorite actress? 

Merryl Streep or Viola Davis

35.  who is your celebrity crush?

shit I don’t know dude. 

36.  favorite movie? 

shit there are so many movies that I love??? The Swan Princess, Matilda, Forrest Gump, A Lot Of Disney Movies, La Vita e Bella, Miss Congeniality and?? a lot more I think??

37.  do you read a lot? whats your favoritebook? 

Dead Withc Walking by Kim Harrison, although I really love the HP books too. I love reading and wish I did it more tbh.

38.  money or brains? 

money seems to be working pretty well for trump but honestly i think i prefer brains.

39.  do you have a nickname? what is it? 

Rose. There was this one week where my nickname was Cheese though.

40.  how many times have you been to the hospital?

I went to the hospital pretty often as a child because I was?? Not Very Tall?? and the docters were Concerned or something. they basically took some blood and checked how much I had grown since the last time I visited. 

When that was done I didn’t visit the hospital until I got hit by a car on my way to school and broke my clavicle. It hurt. A Lot.

The last time I went was like, 2 years ago?? To get my thyroid tested?? I was basically Really Fucking Anxious back then and constantly felt like?? Like shit I guess?? And as if I was going to die?? Sort of?? but not really?? Let’s just keep it at “I was really anxious about having a fast heartbeat” to keep it simple. I’m over it now, though. God, even just walking made me anxious back then. 

41.  top 10 favorite songs

NICE that’s more than ONE song. They’re not going to be in any particular order though. And also probably more than 10.

Day6: I Wait - Congratulations - I’m Serious.

Fall Out Boy: Sugar, We’re Going Down - Miss Missing You - Young Volcanoes - Rat a Tat

BTS: RUN - INTRO: What Am I To You - Crowtit - Ma City

Shortstraw: Thailand

Walk the Moon: Tightrope - Anna Sun - Shut Up and Dance 

Man Man: Loot My Body

Raleigh Ritchie: The Greatest - You’re A Man Now Boy

42.  do you take any medications daily? 

hell yeah. The Good Shit That Helps Me Against Hayfever.

43.  what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc)

Dry hands, oily face

44.  what is your biggest fear? 

Losing my friends.

45.  how many kids do you want? 

Not sure. No kids?? One kid??? I think it eventually also depends on my partner I guess??

46.  whats your go to hair style?

“Listen I combed my hair but the moment I stepped outside the wind acted like an asshole.”

47.  what type of house do you live in? (big, small,etc) 

medium house.

48.  who is your role model? 

ONE, as in, the one who came up with One Punch Man. 

49.  what was the last compliment you received?

“I like your sweater.” 

50.  what was the last text you sent?

“I’m home around 2:30, want to drink some coffee together?” = me @ my mom.

51.  how old were you when you found out santawasn’t real?

I never believed in Santa. as in, the american one. I think I was like, 10 or something when my mom told me Sinterklaas doesn’t exist??

52.  what is your dream car? 

one i can drive in without crying.

53.  opinion on smoking?

please don’t blow your smoke in my face. I personally dislike it but?? it’s your choice if you want to smoke.

54.  do you go to college? 

hell yeah.

55.  what is your dream job? 

Something I genuinely enjoy, that happens to pay decently.

56.  would you rather live in rural areas or thesuburbs? 

Suburbs I think??

57.  do you take shampoo and conditioner bottlesfrom hotels? 

I don;t visit hotels often enough to steal enything from them.

58.  do you have freckles? 

Don’t think so.

59.  do you smile for pictures?

I do. That is, when I’m not avoiding the person who is taking the pictures. 

60.  how many pictures do you have on yourphone? 

117

61.  have you ever peed in the woods? 

Yes. It is necessary if you want to play in the woods without peeing your pants, really.

62.  do you still watch cartoons? 

hell yeah!!

63.  do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s orMcDonalds?

I didn’t visit a Wendy’s during their one year stay in the Netherlands, so I can’t really compare them. 

64.  Favorite dipping sauce? 

Sour Cream.

65.  what do you wear to bed? 

Pyjama’s. As long as it’s something that I can wear pj pants with, it’s fine for me. I really hate not wearing pants during summer. the sticky sweat feeling between my legs is the worst.

66.  have you ever won a spelling bee?

We don’t really have those in the Netherlands lol.

67.  what are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, gaming? ? I think?? can talking with friends count as a hobby?

68.  can you draw? 

Depends on what it is that I need to draw.

69.  do you play an instrument?

I can play the (acoustic) guitar and the glockenspiel!! Also a little bit of recorder!! 

70.  what was the last concert you saw? 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I think it was a Fall Out Boy concert?? From their American Beauty/America Psycho tour??

71.  tea or coffee?

Coffee. Tea is alright but it’s?? ?? ? yeah.

72.  Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?

it’s been, what, a month since a Dunkin Donuts first opened in the Netherlands??? Somewhere in Amsterdam even I think?? So uhhh. no. I don’t really have any reference material.

73.  do you want to get married?

I think so.

74.  what is your crush’s first and last initial?

l i sten  n o.

75.  are you going to change your last name when youget married? 

Maybe?? If it’s not something like Naaktgeboren?? because there was an episode on Zoop where someone’s name was Ben Naaktgeboren which may sound ok if you’re not Dutch but it’s not a name I’d like to have.

76.  what color looks best on you? 

Green/red??

77.  do you miss anyone right now? 

I sometimes wish I lived closer to my online friends so I could hang out with them more but?? I can still talk to them whenever. I do sometimes miss my grandparents though.

78.  do you sleep with your door open or closed?

It’s usually not entirely closed.

79.  do you believe in ghosts?

Not really.

80.  what is your biggest pet peeve? 

when an inanimate object still falls over even though i’ve called it “dude!” and “bro!” many, many times.

81.  last person you called`

My phone says it’s my mom.

82.  favorite ice cream flavor? Lemon

83.  regular oreos or golden oreos? 

what the hell are golden oreos????? Why would you eat gold????

84.  chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? 

Chocolate

85.  what shirt are you wearing? 

One with Dory on it with the text “I have 99 problems but can’t remember ONE

86.  what is your phone background?

(This picture)

87.  are you outgoing or shy?

I used to be Super Shy, but now it’s getting a little bit less I think?? I’m pretty outgoing when I’m with friends, though.

88.  do you like it when people play with your hair?

hell yeah.

89.  do you like your neighbors? 

I don’t really know them but I think they’re alright??? 

90.  do you wash your face? at night? in themorning?

Before + after sleeping.

91.  have you ever been high? 

nah

92.  have you ever been drunk? 

nope

93.  last thing you ate? 

un petitfour

94.  favorite lyrics right now

Basically just?? the lyrics of If I Could Tell Her from Dear Evan Hansen. god I love that song.

95.  summer or winter? 

summer.

96.  day or night? 

both?? 

97.  dark, milk, or white chocolate? 

All of them. 

98.  favorite month? 

June bc it’s my birthday month B)

99.  what is your zodiac sign

Cancer

100.   who was the last person you cried in frontof? 

My mom, probably?? 

Thanks for letting me answer all these questions!! 

[londonlanded]

Week 20

Just as I had done a few weeks before, it was time to say another goodbye to a member of the front office team on Monday. Anette, our Norwegian-American intern, was moving on to another department to continue her cross training. While we lost her at the office, we at least had an excuse to meet up and go for an incredible meal in Notting Hill. I wish I had chosen a somewhat more budget-friendly neighbourhood to set my sights on. 

My week was fairly slow, with the exception of my Thursday decision to sign up for the London Half Marathon (March 10th, you heard it here first if I don’t go through with it....). I spent Friday in the office decorating it for the upcoming holiday season with one of my colleagues. 

I have to say it was a bit of a challenge trying to finagle stockings onto slick surfaces so they didn’t slip while simultaneously answering phone calls and trying not to fall off the rolling office chairs we were using as stools. Still, things were fairly mellow until Saturday, when, you guessed it, I hopped on a plane yet again. 

From work, I walked to Victoria station and hopped on a Brighton-bound train to Gatwick airport, arrived gloriously early yet again, and stopped for my usual pre-flight Starbucks. 50 minutes in the air later, I had arrived at my destination, and nothing could have prepared me for the emotions, the experience, the incredibly powerful feelings that would emerge as a result of me setting foot in the Netherlands. 

I knew things were different the second I landed. Now, before I inundate you with emotional and unrealistic dialogue, I should mention that there are a whole crap ton of confounding variables that might have made me feel the way I did. As most of you know, I lived in Holland for a year during my undergrad. That year was probably the best of my life, I spent most of my non-class hours with phenomenal people doing incredible things, my life was surreal and unrealistic, the original Dutch dreams. I cycled thousands of kilometres, flew hundreds more, ate my weight in waffles and cried it in tears that sprung from both joy and parting. 

Holland felt like home, there is no doubt about that, but my youthful exuberance led me to believe that my sentiments were rooted in the experience itself, and not at all in the place I was living. How could I feel at home in a country where I couldn’t speak the language, where street names were misspoken and social conventions unknown. The most I could do was say "nee, bedankt" when offered my receipt at the till, most of the other words I knew were used in reference to food, or were used to swear at people. I figured the Netherlands were just the convenient crossover point for the people that were making my year what it was, I thought that my centrally located city's main benefit was the fact that it was relatively painless to get from my door to the airport. I was grateful to my home for the fact that it was simple and easy to escape. 

Flashbacks from that year have been springing to mind since I returned. I remember biking home very late one night (perhaps in a questionable state of mind), and seeing something the size of a kleenex box lumber across the road in front of me before diving into the grass on the opposite side of the road. I hopped off my valiant steed to investigate, and I came across the first wild hedgehog I had ever seen. 

Down the road from my old Dutch flat, fields gave away to hills and farms, horses grazed and came up to the fence that stopped them from traipsing all over the local kids’ playground. I used to cycle from my house to the neighbouring town, flanked by pear trees and windmills that were probably older than Canada. A few friends of mine decided to take a day trip to Cologne the next day, they arrived early in the evening, it was September and still warm enough to go out and not fear we'd be underdressed. We left my house close to midnight, and walked west to the field I had only seen by day. We found ourselves on a path between vegetable patches, and a manor house the size of a small hotel emerged, lit up and clearly visible on the hill ahead of me, a behemoth of an object to have been missed by my ignorant sunlit eyes. A rustling nearby, my first hedgehog's spiky companions scurried across the path before us, we laughed at the strangeness of the Netherlands' endemic nature. I remember thinking that the combination of pears, hedgehogs and potatoes was a silly one. We sat on the long, winding driveway of the newly-discovered-but-always-there-mansion and played guitar as our energy faded away, the four of us fell asleep on my bed and floor before catching an early morning train. 

I would get so frustrated when I got caught behind a literal swarm of school children being led by their teacher, all on bikes, all travelling at Dutch speed, which wasn't quite quick enough for my North American pace. I didn't realize how magical it was that I was witnessing over a dozen helmeted tweens, all able to cycle better than the average adult, getting themselves from A to B without needing a school bus or seatbelts. The main square of my little Dutch town of Maastricht was constantly full, the patios of every restaurant were full every single evening. Summer mornings, you had to fight with locals for a seat. The greatest challenge us restless north Americans faced was finding somewhere that made coffee in a takeaway cup, and by the time I was leaving the Netherlands, I had become used to sitting still while sipping the small but remarkably potent cups I was served, usually alongside a cookie or a piece of nougat to make you feel justified in your sitting. I was made fun of my European friends for the pace at which I lived my life – my Dutch companions never once ate a meal while standing over the sink, not even pausing to sit down. They were astonished at the speed at which I moved, at the rate at which I got things done. And yet, they weren’t markedly less productive, it just seemed like they enjoyed the process more. 

All these things, I attributed them to being isolated to the town I was in, or maybe, to the time of day, to my own lack of observation skill, to a whole host of other causes for these little phenomena that meant I didn't realize the single most unifying, fundamental factor. It was all inexcusably Dutch. Or at least, those are the pieces that are now coming clear now that I’ve had a few years of distance between my life then and now. And maybe those aren’t the quintessentially Dutch things that people go to The Netherlands for, maybe that’s not what makes Holland what it is. But there were things happening around me that were more global than I realized. This trip to Amsterdam solidified the guesses I had been making at what made my life what it was. 

Our first night was led by a local friend of mine, we were guide to a quiet bar you could both drink with and hear people in. She left us to our dancing devices and yet again, the best part of my night involved French fries. Kliene friet met ketchup. Burned the crap out of my palate. Didn’t mind. Almost murdered Paris in his sleep because the boy sounds like a freight train. 

The next morning, Paris displayed his talent for sleeping and I for waking at dawn, I had my first walk around of the area since I hadn’t really gotten the chance to the night before. We were an eight minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal, I stopped for a coffee and a break from the rain. I bought a €6 umbrella from a nearby shop which wound up being a lifesaving purchase. I realized my hesitance for buying an umbrella all this time was because I've been put off them by Halifax's weather. If you've got an umbrella in Halifax, you're definitely a foreigner, because the wind renders them useless within a few minutes of having them open. The Dutch rain is different, or maybe, it simply obeys the laws of gravity. Most days, it falls straight down, you don't have to worry much about being hit from the side like you would in Nova Scotia. After a coffee and my damp walk After a coffee and my damp walk back to the hostel, Paris had woken up and I got geared up to go see my friend’s rugby game. 

I met Saskia when I was in the Netherlands, and she’s quite high on the list of the best human beings I’ve ever come across. Her rugby career started quite late, but took off like a shot, and before long she was playing for the Dutch national team, and is now one of the leaders of the Amsterdam women’s team. I didn’t get the chance to see her play back when I was in the Netherlands, but the weekend I was in Amsterdam happened to be the same weekend her team would be facing off against Delft, their newest and greatest competition. I made it just after kick-off, and before I could even find a seat, I was riddled with Jewish mother anxiety as I watched my friend face being literally demolished by a team of the strongest looking women I had ever seen. If you’ve never seen a women’s rugby game and you get the chance to, I strongly recommend it. It was one of those experiences I wish I could shove in the face of any chauvinistic, anti-feminist, unequal twit who might doubt that women are any less than a force of nature. I know, I’m pad lady, I’ve said my bit. But the performance of power and resilience these women put on was one that put my televised shpiel to shame. It also made me frankly determined to never let any child of mine play rugby. Unless they really want to of course. But I’d be much more keen on, oh, I dunno….any other sport that doesn’t involve throwing your entire bodyweight into another human being without any padding on??? 

Regardless, I witnessed another side of the sport that I wasn’t counting on seeing as well. There’s a cabin out back behind the pitch where everyone collects at half time, where you can grab a pint throughout the game. It’s warm and welcoming, and when the wimpy members of the audience get too cold, you can go sit by the fire and thaw. 

Supporters of both teams collected there, and I realized that most of the people in attendance knew each other somehow, and were actually keen on each other’s company. It was much like what you’d see at a high-level hockey game, only the sense of camaraderie that was present in the rugby club wouldn’t ever exist at the rink. At least in my experience, it’s more of a rivalry than it is any sort of friendly encounter. Saskia had described it to me before, but I wasn’t counting on seeing it myself. Perhaps it comes from the high-risk nature of the sport, in that everyone’s in it because they love it, and they know what they stand to lose. I don’t think I’ve ever hugged Sas tighter than I did that afternoon, I think I was trying to communicate that I was happy she hadn’t died in spite of the hour and a half I had just watched her dance ominously close to things winding up that way. 

From there, I made my way to the aptly named Sunday market, which was a perfect mix of fashion, food, and local art. I picked up a few postcards and a meal’s worth of samples, and made it back to the city centre in time to meet up with Paris and another one of his friends to go up to the highest point in the city. 

For 12 Euros, you can head to the to p of the A’DAM tower, and for another 5 you can dangle off the edge of the building on some remarkably slippery hydraulic swings. Paris and Haval did the honours while I took photos, and the three of us took in the view of the city by night. I’ll have to go back by day, it’s probably too much to ask for it to be a clear one, but I can imagine the view to be beyond spectacular if that were the case. 

Paris and I hunted down food, and I spent the rest of my evening getting my ass kicked at pool. I’m honestly not bad, and Paris had only ever played once before in his life (when he had learned how to play about two days prior), but he’s got that kind of mind. 

I’m glad I didn’t put any money on myself winning, the number of times I sunk the 8 ball early certainly weren’t helping my chances. I also have a knack for forgetting what colour was mine, so I sank a few for him as a favour. 

We found a shop that exemplified Paris’ attitude towards life so far, quite anti-Amsterdam as far as statements go, but amusing nonetheless.

We walked for an hour or so that night, talking and enjoying the misty chill. Once you accept that you might as well be constantly damp, you stop minding. We took photos and tried to make the night last as long as we could bear, we were getting our bearings finally, to the point that we didn’t really need the map anymore. 

Amsterdam is basically a semicircle that winds its way around the station, it expands in arcs from the centre and as long as you can remember which way is the middle, you’re never really lost. We returned to the hostel and I returned to trying to sleep in spite of my three snoring roommates, and I thanked my lucky stars the next morning that I only had to handle two nights of that madness. 

Next week, Dutch withdrawal and my last week in London for a while!

e