#i suck at making cappuccinos. i will never make a cap that good again.

[littlekingbergara]

there's actually nothing better than a person who drinks a lot of cappuccinos telling you the cappuccino you made them is one of the best they've had.

[simmerandwrite]

strangers - steve rogers x reader

Warnings: mentions of sexual harassment and non-consensual touching, swearing.

Word count: 4870

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: When your subway ride home takes a turn for the worst, you hope a stranger in a coffee shop will help you out.

Notes: If you saw a snippet of this the other day, here’s the full thing! I wanted to tackle some ‘in need of saving’ tropes and this just sort of happened. I’ve never posted straight up on Tumblr before but I’m a bit lacking in my experience with reader fics, so I figured this was a good place to share it. no beta, any mistakes are my own! If you like it, let me know - thanks for reading!

—

Steve Rogers liked his days off. Not that he had a set schedule week to week anyway but when things aligned correctly, he could do whatever he wanted. No world saving, no training, no report writing, no meetings.

He had scoped out a small little coffee shop in Brooklyn where he liked to spend these quiet afternoons. Usually with a book in hand (he had so many books to catch up on) or some music loaded to his phone (Nat was currently educating him on 90s punk rock) or a notebook and pencil. People watching served as wonderful inspiration to sketch.

He sipped his cappuccino, eyes tipped downward at the book ahead of him on the table. He was interrupted just moments later as someone dropped into the chair across from him.

Now, Steve wasn’t intentionally hiding out at this hole-in-the-wall cafe. But he did put on his laughable disguise still - a beaten up Yankees cap and his prescription-less thick framed glasses. He liked the anonymity. That didn’t always stop people from recognizing him.

As he opened his mouth to question the person who was suddenly joining him for coffee, she slid her phone across the table to him. Her hand shook. His eyebrows flexed into a curious frown as he looked at the screen displaying a plainly typed note:

‘Do you mind if I sit someone is following me home sorry to disturb you’

—

As if your day hadn’t been absolutely terrible enough, you spotted the gremlin of a man on the subway watching you again. You knew he worked somewhere in the same office building as you because he always trailed a few paces behind you when pushing through the revolving doors in the lobby. It wasn’t uncommon to see the same people on the same subway line at the same time every day, but this man’s presence had become an unwanted downside.

He was always there. Worse than that, he seemed to be always watching you. Today, it was even more obvious that he was following you.

When that thought first occurred to you, it had been really easy to shrug off. He was just a guy taking the subway. But when he happened to be on the later train with you one day, an uncomfortable feeling settled in your stomach.

And now, as the car was filling up even more after the second stop in DUMBO, he had moved to stand and put himself even closer to you.

You had been going through so many Next Steps. God, that phrase was the bane of your existence. Next steps, next steps..

Maybe you could tell him to fuck off. You could make an appointment with Leanna in HR and see if there is a way to figure out the name of this guy - though he didn’t work for your company so that was likely going to be a dead end. You could start taking the bus to the village before grabbing the train. Maybe you could Uber home some days instead of taking the subway. Not that you could afford that but this guy was..

You stiffened immediately.

This guy was touching you. In the midst of the crowded subway car, he was pressed against you entirely. And was he.. His hips were moving against your leg and.. Wait, that was two hands on your hips now.. Hot breath whispered against your neck and -

Fuck.

You threw yourself through the mob as the train came to a stop. With hurried feet you ran onto the platform and up the stairs, doing your best to weave through the flow of people, like a fish trying to make it upstream. You tried not to be obvious but as you snapped your head over your shoulders to look back, you saw him there again.

He was smirking. No, snarling.

Next steps, next steps.

You joined a sea of people crossing the street, taking your first left to try and steer yourself into a particular direction. You were still a far walk from your apartment but with this man on your heels, you didn’t want to lead him anywhere near there.

You grabbed your phone from your jacket pocket, unlocking it quickly and scrolling through the contacts. Surely there had to be someone you could call but even then, what could they do? Offer advice?

It didn’t occur to you until then but would it be valuable to call the cops?

Despite the late day sunlight, you suddenly felt very aware of the emptiness of the sidewalk on that side street. You needed to be around people. It definitely wasn’t logical to be anywhere near alone with this guy and -

It sounded like his footsteps were getting closer. With a panicked gulp, you yanked on the door of a little hole-in-the-wall cafe. Your eyes scanned the space quickly once you were inside. You probably shouldn’t sit alone, you couldn’t run to the bathroom if you aren’t sure where it is or if you needed a key. There were too many variables.

You needed something. Next steps..

You spotted someone sitting at a small table near the window and without thinking, you sent out a silent prayer to whoever might be listening and you rushed over. The man was clearly alone, a half consumed ceramic mug of coffee sitting to the right of his book.

Swallowing hard, you quickly typed on your phone and slid it across the table to him after you sat. You tried your best to stay very calm and hoped that he would play along. God, what if he didn’t play along and -

Behind you, the door chimed once more and you desperately wanted to see if it was that man - if the gremlin had followed you inside. You clasped your hands together in your lap and forced a smile on as you looked at the stranger sitting across from you.

Despite not knowing him, there was a familiarity about his appearance. Behind his thick glasses, soft blue eyes searched you carefully. His eyes flicked to the screen once more, stiffening in his chair as he looked past you towards the rest of the cafe.

With his right hand, he reached into the inside pocket of his coat and took out a small notebook and a pen. He scribbled something quickly and turned the page towards you.

Are you hurt?

You shook your head quickly. He offered you a tight smile and wrote once more.

Buzzcut, grey jacket?

Your eyes blew open wide and you tilted your head into a nod.

I’m Steve

He flipped the notebook closed and extended his hand across the table, palm facing up. He leaned forward just slightly, meeting your eyes with a reassuring smile. “Play along.”

Your eyes flicked to his hand and you slowly unclamped your own, grabbing his on the table instead. He was doing an impressive job splitting his attention between you and his surroundings, eyes scanning the room. He squeezed your hand very gently, brushing his thumb against your knuckles.

“Tell me about your day.”

You sucked in a hard breath. You weren’t entirely sure what his strategy was but something told you this guy was in your corner. Though despite that, you could feel another set of eyes on you.

“Uh,” you started quietly, letting the air escape your lungs. “Surprisingly, I didn’t think it could get worse before I got on the subway after work. I had a review meeting that was not great and we had a free catered lunch that was not vegetarian friendly. Missed an important email and deadline and… well, here I am whining about it and interrupting your day. Listen, I’m going to-

You moved to stand up but Steve shook his head, grasping your hand. “Give it a few more minutes, I think he’ll give up and leave.”

His words were casual but had an authoritative tone. Once more his eyes left you, looking towards the front of the cafe. He raised his free hand and motioned to one of the baristas. You weren’t certain if this was the type of place who served people at their seats but clearly he had a comfortable rapport as the young girl approached with a warm smile on her face.

“Hey Tia, could I get another?”

“Anything for you?” The barista turned her head as she asked, pony tail moving from side to side.

“Uhm.” You paused and thought. You certainly had no desire to even consider a coffee order when you felt someone’s linger gaze boring into you. “A decaf con panna, if that’s possible.” The girl confirmed it was with a nod then left the table side.

“Con panna?” Steve’s lips pulled into a curious smirk. Something about his smile calmed you.

“Espresso with whipped cream on top,” you answered. “Short and sweet.”

“I’ll have to try that next time.”

Steve sure had a soothing smile. When his thumb stopped tracing against your palm - when did that even start? - you felt an empty sadness about the loss. Wow, what did that even say about your standards when a stranger was brushing his thumb against your hand that you were so grateful for? Well, it was a thousand times better than someone rubbing his -

You winced at the memory, biting down as you clutched your bottom lip between your teeth. Though that shameful feeling hadn’t disappeared, you managed to keep it at bay. But now, it seemed to have left an image you were unable to blink away.

The sweet smell of whipped cream and the shuffling of paper cups broke you from your trance. You reached for your bag to fish out a few dollars but when you looked up, Steve was waving a hand to stop you.

It’s not that you didn’t appreciate his kindness. You did. You really, really did. But given the last half hour, you still had a hard time settling your nervous mind.

“Thanks, Tia.” Steve’s eyes were jumping around the place as the barista grabbed the cash he offered. A loud stomp of footsteps drew their attention as the Subway Gremlin saddled up beside the table.

“Sorry to be a bother, darlin’ - any chance I can borrow your phone?”

You couldn’t help but look at him. Though his words were directed at the barista, he made a point to glance over at you.

You felt Steve’s hands grip yours. When you looked towards him, his eyes were very carefully watching the man. How did he manage to -

“Sorry, we don’t have a dedicated line available to customers.” Tia politely shook her head, pointing towards the door. “There’s a CityBank up the street that can help you, I’m sure.” She shrugged and headed back to the coffee counter.

The man stood still, opening his mouth to argue.

Steve sat back, shoulders broad and steady. “Did you need directions there? I think it’s just two blocks. Maybe 500 paces.” His tone was flat. “Just out the door and you’ll be on your way.”

You kept your eyes on Steve. He kept his stare directed at the man. Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, the man moved his feet. He turned on his heel, though not before stopping to look at you again.

“I will see you tomorrow, dar-

Steve released your hand and pushed his chair back, standing quickly and grasping the man’s shoulder.

Steve towered over him. “You have five seconds.” The man pulled away from Steve’s grip then finally stomped away. You kept your eyes tightly shut until you heard the chime of the bell indicating the movement of the door. Then, you collapsed onto your arms on the edge of the table.

Steve, meanwhile, headed to the door and kept watch for a few more moments to ensure the man actually departed from the area. Then, he stopped at the counter and exchanged a few words with Tia before returning you.

You were still doing your best to encourage the floor to open up and swallow you whole. How had this even escalated? The worst part was your mind seemed clouded with doubt. This man, you hadn’t even interacted with him before. Why was he suddenly so invested in you? To a point where he might follow you home? Were you just another target or had this been intentional?

You considered yourself a fairly observant person and yet..

You twisted your hands together in your lap and tried to consider what was going to happen now. Next steps, next steps..

“Hey.” Steve returned to his chair. Your eyes flicked up towards him, noticing he was sliding a bottle of water towards you. Your sad little espresso and whipped cream treat was deflated next to it. “Are you okay?”

You reached for the water bottle, twisting the cap open and taking a long drink. “I don’t know.” Chewing on your bottom lip, you shook your head. “No, actually. I’m not. It somehow feels like my skin is on fire and my lungs are failing me and I’m sweaty but I’m not and - and -

“Hey, hey. Look at me.” Steve spoke so calmly and evenly. “Just take a slow breath with me, okay?” You closed your eyes once more and followed his instructions as he walked you through a few breathing exercises. “That’s great, you’re doing great-

When he stopped speaking so quickly, you opened one eye to look over at him. His cheeks were a warm shade of pink and his mouth was twisted into a frown. “What?”

“It just occurred to me I didn’t get your name.” He paused, as if to consider his next thought. “Although, given what just happened with that man, you are under no obligation to tell me anything about yourself. I just.. I’d like to help.”

His genuine concern for you was surprising. You allowed a small smile to stretch across your face. “You’re very nice, Steve.”

You gave him your name and he smiled back, repeating it to himself. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Your smile turned downwards when you looked towards your phone. “I should probably get going. Again, I’m really sorry for dragging you into this mess but I appreciate the… solace.” You took a deep breath and pushed your chair back, pausing to tip the lukewarm espresso into your mouth. “I owe you one.”

You winced when you heard yourself and sighed. Why did you say that? This stranger, this friendly, broad shouldered, tall, handsome stranger who’s day you interrupted, did not need your weird backhanded flirting. In fact, even though every signal in your brain seemed on edge after, well, everything, the only thing that seemed to ground you now was the kindness of Steve. So you tried to will yourself not to ruin it with any additional commentary.

You weren’t entirely sure what had driven you down this particular street into this particular cafe and towards this particular man. But, you were certainly grateful. “Actually, do they have gift cards here? I’d love to buy you one to say thank you and -

“Are you going to walk? Wherever you’re going right now?” When you looked over, you saw that Steve had stood, too. You saw his eyes move towards the door and the far windows up the street where the man from the subway had gone. “I don’t want to overstep but I hope you’ll let me walk you home. Or far enough away to have cleared his radar.”

“I feel like I’ve already wasted enough of your time, Steve.” You truly felt worse and worse for interrupting his afternoon.

“Please, I insist.” Steve tilted his head, half a smirk on his lips. “You just said you owe me one, so. I’m cashing in the favour.”

“The favour repayment you’re cashing in is.. you doing me another favour? Do you know how favours are supposed to work?” Admittedly, you knew you would feel a lot safer having someone walk home with you. And something about Steve made you feel very secure, his presence like a comforting shield.

“C’mon,” Steve replied with a laugh, nudging his head towards the door.

When you stepped onto the sidewalk, you stopped to think. “Let’s go this way.” You turned to the right and Steve followed, staying on your shoulder closest to the street. You walked in a comfortable silence - which made you nervous at first. Then, as your steps fell into a pattern, the quiet soothed you.

You pushed your hands into the pockets of your jacket as you turned down the next block. You looked over at Steve, who turned his head towards you as you shifted. “You didn’t ask anything else about the man.. Who followed me.”

A quiet hum came from Steve. “I didn’t think I should. You seemed shaken up enough.” He shrugged, peering down at you through his glasses. “If you want to talk about it..”

“I work in this big office building in Midtown. The Clifton building?”

Steve motioned his hand diagonally. “Little bagel place downstairs? That’s right down from The Avengers tower, isn’t it?”

You nodded along. Right. Stark Tower was The Avengers Tower, now. It was the most iconic landmark on that block. “Yes. Actually, I work on the 40th floor, which makes for a great angle to see Iron Man coming in.” Your smile was fleeting when you continued on. “It’s a huge building. I work in human resources for this pharmaceutical company.. But there’s a law firm in there, too. Insurance companies, start ups.. Hundreds of people in and out all day long. Yet, that man on the subway has managed to..” You stopped yourself before your chest got too tight. “Let’s just say I’ve seen him around before.”

“Do you know his name?”

“That’s the thing!” You couldn’t help but laugh now, shaking your head in dumbfounded confusion. “No. I have no idea who he is. But he often gets on the same subway line as me, watches me from across the crowd then today..” You stopped and dragged a hand down your face. “It’s a sad truth but I would say most of my friends have been.. Touched inappropriately on the subway before. I guess it’s a weird right of passage or something..”

“Wait - what?” Steve stopped in his tracks and reached his hand out to grab yours. You stopped and looked up at his eyes, somehow both soft and dark with concern. “He touched you? What do you mean?”

You raised an eyebrow, wondering if his ask was authentic. When you saw the disappointment in his face, eyes flooded with something you couldn’t quite pinpoint, you realized his reaction was genuine. You opened your mouth to explain but suddenly it seemed impossible to find the words.

Steve let go of your hand as he absorbed your lack of response and reached for his phone. “You can file a police report, right?”

“No, no.” You stopped him, placing your hand on his as he held his phone. “Trust me, that’s just paperwork that goes nowhere. Without the guy's name, absolutely nothing would come from it anyway.” You shook your head. “It’s fine, really. I might just adjust my work hours and change my route home for a few weeks. Maybe he’ll give up.”

Steve muttered something to himself, shaking his head. His face shifted from concern to something else, like his brain was working on a different trail of thoughts. He spoke your name quietly, drawing your attention to him again. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

Steve’s kindness was a strange contrast to the entire experience on the subway. How one man could have such questionable intentions while another apologizes with sincerity for it was nearly jarring. Although, it did suddenly occur to you that Steve was just as much of a stranger.

“The worst part is.. men like that sever any opportunity for trust in other people. Especially blind trust. Like me telling you, a stranger, where I work and walking you to where I live. Funny enough though - every wire in my brain should be telling me not to and how it was a bad idea but.. I guess there is something about you.”

Steve sucked in a breath, eyes wide as he considered his response. “When you walked into the coffee shop, you could have asked the barista for help or tried to hide out in the bathroom. But you sat next to me instead. How come?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Like I said, there's just something about you, Steve.”

You walked in silence again, feet falling into a pattern once more. The sky was growing darker, the air cooler. After crossing the street again, you looked at him. “How do you feel about Prezio being traded to the Orioles?” You reached out and tipped up the brim of his Yankees hat. “A tragedy, right?”

A quiet laugh escaped him as he tipped his head. “I think it was a huge mistake. Don’t you think we’ve had a hard enough year as it is?” Your silence was filled with baseball talk instead and it seemed to put both of you at ease.

“This is me.” You stopped outside of a short apartment complex, pointing a thumb to the door.

Steve smiled, one hand in the pocket of his jacket as he studied you. Was this it? After the wild rollercoaster of emotions you had spilled onto him in the last hour, parting with nothing else seemed empty. Lacking. He opened his mouth and closed it, once then twice.

Finally, you cut in. “Thanks again, Steve. Really. If you hadn’t played along and scared him away.. well, I’m not sure where I would be right now. It means a lot that you cared enough about a stranger to make sure I was safe.”

Steve sighed out your name. “I’m sorry your barometer for kindness is so low.”

You sighed. “Yeah, me too.” Part of you wanted to do something. Say something else. Linger a tiny bit longer. But your feet shuffled and your hand reached for the door. “Have a good night, Steve.”

—

“I need a favour.”

“Well, good morning to you, sunshine. Did you lock yourself out of your computer again? FRIDAY can help with that.”

“Tony, this is serious.”

“Okay, okay. I recognize that scowl. How can I help you?”

“If I provided you some video footage from a security camera, can we track someone down? Figure out who they are? For full transparency, it’s just a civilian.”

“Sounds like we’re operating outside of the law, Rogers. Can you provide me with more context? I don’t mind the grey area - I just like the drama, too.”

Steve sighed, then reluctantly explained himself. The cafe. Your panicked message. The stalker of a man. The way you dismissed it all as a normal, unfortunate side effect of existing as a woman. His barista friend provided him with camera footage but he wasn’t sure it was enough.

Tony pinched between his eyes. “Men are scum. And I say that as someone in the practice of trying to be better. Recovering scum, if you will. I’ll see what I can do. FRIDAY, how quietly can we get into the security database at the Clifton building?”

—

Although you hadn’t lied to Steve, it occurred to you on your journey home that your guard should remain up. Which is why you had actually allowed him to walk you to your aunt’s apartment, instead of your own. She was happy to see you burst through the door and insisted you stay for dinner. That was a tiny silver lining to the whole mess.

The next day though, the thought of going into work was suffocating. So you opted to spend the day working from home instead, which your boss had been agreeable to, at least. One day rolled into two and you successfully avoided the office building until the following Monday. But then, you needed a plan. Next steps, next steps.

You took an Uber to the office early and left late at the end of the day, leaving out the back stairway and crossing a few blocks to take a different subway line home. It was unfortunate you had to cater your life to the chance you would run into this goon again, but your sense of security was slowly returning. That had to count for something.

Things shifted later that week. There was a sudden new policy sent out to all the staff in your office outlining new building ownership and training about sexual harassment policies.

“It’s a long time coming,” you heard someone mutter out in the elevator as you headed down towards the lobby.

“Guess Tony Stark just wants to own the whole block,” their coworker chirped back, pulling to loosen his tie.

There was even more commotion when you exited the elevator and walked towards the large glass doors. A team of NYPD officers were standing outside, shoving someone in the back of their cruiser. Your eyes narrowed. You couldn’t be certain but from that angle, you certainly recognized the bad buzzcut. Your eyes darted around the lobby anxiously and across the room, a small crowd of suits and officers had formed near..

Tony Stark, himself.

Before you could even try to understand what was going on, you heard someone calling your name. You turned your head and saw someone who looked a lot like -

“Steve?” You took a few steps towards him, pausing to glance from him back at Tony Stark and.. “Oh my god. You’re Steve Rogers. Why didn’t you say something?”

Captain America had walked you home. Hidden behind glasses and a hat. And you always considered yourself observant.

Steve just smirked, shrugging a shoulder. “I didn’t think it was important.”

You couldn’t help but smile. “Should I be thanking you for all of this chaos?”

Steve furrowed his brow in mock confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, maybe I’m extrapolating here but the same day my subway stalker gets taken away in cuffs, Stark Industries buys out this building and mandates a new policy and code of conduct.”

Steve pursed his lips, swallowing back a mischievous smirk. “Here’s the thing. It occurred to me that your best choice of action after that day was changing your entire life to avoid that man. And I couldn’t help but think about how broken that system was.”

You sighed. It had occurred to you, too. While you were relieved to shake the man from your trail, your mind considered he would probably turn his attention to someone else. And that wouldn’t be fair.

“Well, Cap. Job well done. That scum of a man had priors in Jersey, too.” Tony Stark himself had walked to where you and Steve stood. His hand clapped on Steve’s shoulder. “You’re at least going to ask her out, right? I mean, I bought an entire building for you - make a move, pal.”

Steve flushed pink and you couldn’t help but do the same.

“I’m getting a bagel. You want a bagel?” Tony raised an eyebrow from you to Steve again, smiling proudly.

“I’m good. I recommend the poppy seed though!” You called as Tony flitted away, narrowly avoiding a proper looking blonde woman who seemed very tired.

You turned your attention back to Steve. “He seems like a lot.”

“He is.” Steve nodded, motioning his hand. “I know it’s only one thing, maybe a ripple in making a difference but.. I’m hoping one less inappropriate person on the subway can give you peace of mind.”

You smiled again. Though you had seen many appearances by Captain America on the news, seeing the man in person was different. It seemed Steve Rogers walked the walk. After parting ways with him before, though he had crossed your mind, you didn’t anticipate your menial issues leading to this.

“Thanks. Really. Even one person makes a difference.” You reached out and touched his arm. “Thank you, Steve.”

“I’m sorry about Tony, though. His comments about asking you out and.. that certainly wasn’t my goal here.”

“I don’t know. You just did me a huge favour getting rid of that gremlin. I think I owe you.”

Steve caught your cheeky smile and stood up a bit straighter. “Well, in that case, the Yankees are playing the Sox tomorrow night. Tony never uses his tickets and the seats aren’t half bad. What do you say?”

“You’re cashing in this favour to take me on a date? Usually people ask for help moving or a ride to the airport or something.” You let out a dramatic sigh. “Sure. I guess you can take me to the game, Steve. If you ask politely, I’ll probably even hold your hand.”

After work the next day, Steve met you outside and you took the subway together to the stadium. You knew this wasn’t the end of it for you or anyone else worried about their personal boundaries being crossed. But, as you gripped the subway pole and your fingers grazed against Steve’s, you could finally breathe again. For the first time in a while, you weren’t anticipating next steps.

It was just you and the kind stranger from the coffee shop.

[luminis-infinite]

I'll go the overused trope way and say - coffee shop au ?? Coffee shop owner Graves and customer queenie... Oooor coffee shop owner Queenie and Graves who pines helplessly from his table. Graves wearing glasses who stutters and generally makes a fool of himself each time she comes near his table. Graves the businessman who should be ace at this dating thing but really loses the ability to can around her and still comes everyday to see her. Queenie finds him adorable.

“He’s wearing a suit!”That’s Credence - her partner in crime slash barista bean - who can make the best cappuccinos this side of the ocean while dancing around his younger sister playing behind the counter and taking your order with a mega watt smile. Queenie slaps him lightly on the arm, careful not to disturb him too much as he carefully draws a design into the foam atop their latest customer’s order. Credence’s brows quirk and his tongue pokes out to the side, but there’s a mischievous smile on his face that makes her flush.“Shhhh! He’s right there!”

He is her not so mysterious admirer, all dark eyes and hair as black as jet, slicked back over an undercut in a style that should be illegal, thank you very much. He watches Queenie carefully sometimes, from his hidey hole of a table in the far corner of Queenie’s cafe, always from underneath those impressive brows and the thin, stylish - expensive - rims of his black glasses. Today, he waits patiently for his ridiculously large dose of caffeine, pecking away on the phone he’s cupped in his palm with one finger. It makes him look his age - early forties probably - but Queenie can’t help but smile when she sees it. This tall, imposing businessman in his impeccable suits and shining oxfords standing in her shop, peck-peck-pecking away at the touchscreen of a device that costs almost as much as Queenie’s monthly rent. Credence glances up from the drink to find a takeaway lid and scoffs when he sees Queenie’s besotted look. “You’re ridiculous,” he says, capping the drink and looking at the name scrawled along the side, as if he doesn’t already know who its for.“One extra large macchiato with three shots of espresso for Graves?”Graves slips his phone into the pocket of his ridiculously well fitting pants and ambles up to the counter, easily dodging around the other patrons that fill the space between where he was waiting and the busy counter. Graves gives Credence his signature smile - a small, half quirk to his lips that’s more out of curtesy than actual happiness or pleasure. “Thanks,” Graves murmurs. Queenie doesn’t know how, but his accent - vaguely Irish and pressed along the vocal cords like satin over gravel - colours that one word and makes her belly do flip flops. Graves eyes don’t meet hers as he takes his coffee and the lemon muffin he also ordered from Credence and begins to turn to leave. “Have a nice day!”Queenie calls out after him, placing the blender jug down on the counter a little too hard in order to wave to Graves before his back is to her fully. Graves starts at the sound of Queenie’s voice, and his shoe squeaks a little on the tile as he rights himself and faces her again. “T-thanks,” he says. Both Credence and Queenie gaze on as the tips of his ears begin to go a vibrant crimson. “Y-you too.”He offers her a small wave in return, like he doesn’t know what to do with his hand or himself before scurrying out the door. Graves has to pass by the front window on his way back to wherever he works - Wall Street, Credence will later suggest - and so they also get to watch how the blush creeps over his face as he heads down the sidewalk.For a second, just a brief second, Credence seems stunned absolutely silent. Then he rounds on Queenie with the most terrifying, half-manic grin on his face and delight shining in those kind brown eyes.“Not a word, Credence!” Queenie hisses, picking up the jug again and sticking it in the blender base in order to mix someone’s high fat, high sugar death sentence of a drink that is far too complicated for seven forty five in the morning.  Credence mimes the movement of zipping his lips shut. Queenie knows he will only keep the promise until they aren’t so swamped with customers.

“He wears a freakin’ suit!” Credence crows to Newt, sprawled in his boyfriend’s lap. Tina, curled up beside Newt, idly plays with Credence’s mop of black hair as she listens to him. Queenie flushes when Newt’s eyes land on her and that knowing smile begins to creep across the Brit’s features.“And you should see him. He was all Mister Macho when he came in, but as soon as he saw Queenie it was boom! Little school boy blushing and stuttering when he sees the pretty teacher.”“It is not like that!” Queenie protests, gesturing with her bottle of beer. She might say it a little too loudly, and a little too quickly, but she’s tipsy and full of food and with good friends, so what does it matter?The trio laugh at her. Even Queenie’s own sister laughs along with her boyfriends. Queenie mocks a pout and curls up on herself in the armchair.The thing is, it is like that. And it’s too cute for words.

“Hi!”It’s seven o seven in the morning. Queenie just flipped the sign and already she has a customer. Normally, on a dreary Friday afternoon when the sun can’t break through the thick clouds obscuring the New York skyline and there are occasional rumbles of thunder, she wouldn’t be so bright and cheerful. But it’s Him, her first customer of the day, approaching the counter with his hands tucked in his pockets and a nervous grin creeping over those beautiful features. Really, it isn’t fair that he is so pretty, all straight nose with the slightest up turn to it, and those wide eyes framed by thick black lashes and guarded by brows Queenie swears have minds of their own. His jaw, too, is unfair - razor sharp at the hook and chin, but starting to go ever so slightly soft where it meets his neck. It makes her want to nibble it, to suck bruises into his skin and see if he’s ticklish there, or if he’ll moan. Queenie has to blink repeatedly to pull herself from her fantasy and focus on Graves.“Just the usual?”Graves nods, quick and jerky, already reaching into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. Then he seems to think better of it, pausing with his hand half way through the motion.“What do you recommend?”“Sorry?”Surprise floods her. Graves usually doesn’t say more than three words to her. Queenie thinks its all he can get out without stuttering and blushing as red as a tomato. Graves smiles and ducks his head, before sucking in a breath and asking her again.“Is there anything that you recommend? You know, to drink? I… Want to try something different.”That opens up a whole range of possibilities. Queenie hesitates, not wanting to give him the wrong thing and drive him away. She hums and haws for half a minute, very aware of the way his eyes never leave her face, despite the fact that his ears are starting to go pink yet again. Finally, Queenie figures his caffeine addiction might serve her well.“I make a mean iced cappuccino,” she says, pressing her hip against the counter and leaning in close. Graves’ cologne is subtle - and seems as expensive as the rest of him. Queenie has to stop herself from inhaling deeply and embarrassing the both of them. Graves’ ears are quite red by now. “I’ll try that… Um… a large… with a lemon muffin, please.”Queenie grins, “That will be six seventy, honey. Anything else?”“No, that’s everything thanks,” Graves murmurs, automatically. Something like disappointment blooms in Queenie’s tummy, but she doesn’t let it show. As she begins to turn and gather supplies, Graves’s scares both of them by yelping out, “Wait, no!”She saunters back to the front counter, heart in the back of her throat, as Graves seems to try and collect himself.

“Y-your number,” he mumbles, “If it wouldn’t be too forward.”Queenie has to stop herself from screaming as she takes her sharpie and scrawls it across his palm. They’re both grinning, ear to ear as she makes his drink and he promises to call after work. When Graves leaves, still beaming, Queenie shrieks and does a dance around the space behind the counter.

Credence gets to tell the story at their wedding. 

[taeken-my-heart]

Independent {f} - Chapter 6

Summary: Your mom calls you stubborn, your friends call you wild, and the boys you’ve left in your wake call you a frigid bitch.  You’ve built a life of independence and you like it that way. Kim Taehyung, however; seems to be able to change your mind.

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

Genre: Light fluff

Word Count: 4873

You sat quietly at the breakfast table, spacing out on the carvings of the wood as you slowly ate your cereal. Last night had been more intense than you were used to and now you weren’t sure how to proceed. You’d bared a part of your soul to Taehyung, something you’d never done with a man before, and now you felt like you were on unstable footing.

You’d been emotional last night, your wounds ripped open wide, but how would he behave in the morning now that you could mask the pain a little better? You were afraid to feel rejected, what if he felt he couldn’t handle your baggage? Sighing, you pushed your cereal around the edges of the bowl as Anna walked into the room, pulling a mug from the cupboard and going to make a coffee.

“You ok?” She asked, looking over at you as she poured the grounds into the filter and closed the lid, hitting the start button and leaning her hip against the counter.

You looked up at her and smiled tightly. “I’m fine, just have some things on my mind.”

“Anything I can help with?” She asked, coming to sit beside you at the table. You smiled again, shaking your head and looking down into your bowl.

“It’s ok, it’s nothing big.”

“Is it about that guy?” She asked gently and you chuckled lightly at the look on her face.

“These days it seems like it usually is.” You admitted.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

You sighed, leaving your spoon in your bowl and leaning back in your chair, looking up at the ceiling, “honestly, I like this guy and I’m scared. You know how I am, commitment issues or whatever it is that holds me back. We’ve been hanging out a lot recently and he makes me feel really happy and terrified all at the same time. I want to give him a chance but I don’t know how.”

Anna rubbed her lips together in thought. “I wish I had better answers for you, I know it’s hard for you to open up to people. I think the only piece of advice I can give you is to keep trying. Sometimes things take practice. We’re not always good at something the first time around but the more we practice the better we get. Liking someone isn’t supposed to be easy or pain free, you have to be willing to take risks.”

You sighed again, nodding and rubbing your eyes. “That’s difficult for me. I don’t want to get hurt.”

“Nobody does, but we can’t ever really be happy unless we know what it’s like to hurt first. You’ve been hurting for a long time now, maybe it’s time you give happiness a turn.” Anna smiled, patting the table before standing up, filling a coffee mug with the scalding hot liquid, and walking back into her room.

You sat quietly for a while thinking over your friend’s advice. It’s true, ever since your dad had died, you’d allowed yourself to wallow in it. It had been 8 years since your dad had died and everyone had moved on but you. Your mom and your brother of course still missed your dad every day, talked about him often, and kept old traditions they’d had with him, but they now focused on the beautiful memories while you still clung to the pain of his leaving you.

It was time; it was finally time to allow yourself to heal and feel something more than pain. Somehow, you would learn to let Taehyung in, to let him help you find happiness again, even if it was just as friends.

You weren’t really in the mood for the rest of your cereal but you did want a coffee and not one you had to make for yourself. Grabbing your coat and hat, you threw on your boots and walked out into the blistering cold. The café that Taehyung had showed you to was only a few blocks away, and though you hadn’t wanted to admit to him at the time, it really was the best coffee you’d had in a while.

You shivered as a particularly strong gust of wind whipped past your hair, tangling it around your neck and you picked up your pace, walking briskly against the frigid blast and in the direction of downtown. You could see the roof of the coffee shop coming into view and it took everything in you not to sprint the rest of the way. You hated winter, but you also hated running and really, you couldn’t figure out which one you hated more.

As you stepped through the door into the shop you shivered at the change in temperature and sunk deeper into your coat, feeling the heat of the nearby fire seeping into your bones. You decided to find a spot as close to the fire as possible before seeking out your beloved vanilla cappuccino. You found a large dark, leather armchair to the right of the fire and placed your coat and gloves there to reserve your space before heading back to the front to place your order.

After ordering you turned around and stood off to the side while you waited for your drink, choosing to survey your surroundings while you waited. It was fairly empty for such a cold day, but you supposed that was due to most others being in class. At 9 am, people were either still in bed awaiting a late class or already in some type of a lecture eagerly awaiting their chance to get back in their beds.

During your first year of college you’d had the unfortunate luck of getting only 9 am lectures for each class. Being on the bottom of the totem pole had sucked. Sophomore year was much easier to come to terms with when your classes were all at a much more reasonable hour.

Once your drink was up, you grabbed the steaming mug and headed back to your seat, curling your legs up underneath you and leaning on the arm of the chair as you basked in the warmth of the fire on your side. It was supposed to snow this afternoon and you were dreading it. The cold was awful but snow was even worse; it got all over everything and was cold and wet and when it somehow got into your clothes it made you want to cry a little. You shivered at the idea and scrunched up further in your seat.

“Shivering by the fire, huh?”

You looked up to find a guy you’d never met before smiling down at you, coffee cup in hand. “Just thinking of something unpleasant.” You said, watching as he took the seat opposite yours and leaned forward on his knees. He was an attractive guy, dark hair pushed up and under a hat, leather jacket pulled tight around his lightly muscled body, pointed nose, and rounded lips. He looked as though he knew he was attractive, though, and that was off putting.

“And what was that?” He asked. You were sure you knew his reasons for approaching you, all the men before had tried to weasel their way in with easy conversation and a charming smile, but you’d grown tired of the same methods. Despite your reserve, you decided to humor him.

“Snow,” you said simply.

“Snows unpleasant?” The guy asked, smiling again, “and why is that?”

“It’s cold and wet.” You say. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you told me your name.”

The guy smiled, taking a sip of his drink and extending his hand. “My name is Jack. How about yours?”

“Y/N.” You said, shaking his hand before returning to your drink.

“That’s a beautiful name, is it French?” He asked, a small smirk on his lips and you had to resist the urge to smirk right back. He was already too self-assured.

“It’s Latin.” You deadpanned. If he was at all deterred by your tone, he didn’t show it, sliding his cup onto the table resting between your two chairs and leaning once more onto his knees.

“Either way, it’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” His reply was too smooth and it nearly made you gag. How many women had he tried to get with such a cheesy line? You sighed, setting your own drink down and releasing your legs down to the ground, crossing one over the other as you surveyed him. He seemed like the type of guy that wasn’t used to rejection, too sure of himself. Basically, he seemed like the type of guy that usually approached you.

“Tell me, how often does that line actually work? I’m very curious.”

The guys smirk twitched at the corners, a sure sign that this was not usually how his conversations went, but he pushed forward.

“Who says it’s a line?” He asked, eyebrows rising into the edges of his baseball cap.

You laughed, “come on, I know a line when I see one. I get them so often it would make you dizzy trying to keep up.”

The guy was silent for a moment, tips of his fingers pushed together and resting against his bottom lip. “I think you should let me take you to a party this weekend.”

“No thank you.” You said, reaching for your cup again and taking a big gulp. It had cooled enough that it wasn’t scalding anymore but still warmed its way down your throat and into your belly.

“Why? You got a boyfriend?”

“I don’t need a boyfriend to say no. I’m just not interested, but thank you anyway.”

“Come on, it’s just one party, don’t be frigid.” He smirked.

You rolled your eyes, clicking your tongue and setting your cup back down, “why is it that when a man gets rejected, he automatically assumes the woman is frigid or a bitch? I’m going to assume it’s just a fragile self-esteem. News flash, Jack, not every woman wants to sit on your dick.” You grabbed your drink and pushed yourself from your seat just as you noticed Taehyung walking towards you from the front counter, coffee cup in hand.

He smiled brightly at you, coming to stop beside you. He frowned at your expression, looking down at the guy still sitting in the chair looking as though he’d been slapped.

“You OK?” Taehyung asked, looking back to you. You smiled and nodded.

“Fine. You coming?” You asked. Taehyung nodded, following after you as you slid back out the front doors and headed in the direction of the school.

The both of you walked in silence for a few minutes as you sipped at your cappuccino, letting it warm your insides as the wind whipped through you. Taehyung glanced at you but didn’t say anything, taking a sip of his own drink and staring ahead of him.

“So, I was thinking about stopping by Art History again, refreshing my memory of the content so that I can be more useful to everyone taking the class. Can’t really help with presentations if I don’t remember the details.” He said, smiling good naturedly down at you.

“That’s a good idea.” You said, watching as he nodded, and continued sipping at his drink and looking back ahead of him. “Why aren’t you asking about that guy?” You hadn’t meant to blurt that question, but now that it was out, there was nothing you could do and you were genuinely curious. He’d walked into a semi weird situation and didn’t even seem curious.

Taehyung shrugged, keeping his gaze focused ahead of him. “I figured it’s none of my business and that if you wanted to talk about it you would. You said you were fine so I didn’t want to pry.”

Nodding your head, you settled back into a comfortable silence. You’d never met a guy like Taehyung, everything he did and said attracted you to him more and left you feeling completely intimidated. Even your very best friends would pry their way into your business, but he didn’t and that left you feeling a strange sense of security that you hadn’t before.

“So, what do you think you’ll do for your project?” Taehyung asked, looking down at you as you made your way onto campus and towards your class.

“I was thinking of studying William Adolphe Bouguereau, he drew beautiful pictures of women and young girls and was known for his exquisite work in hands and feet. He drew a lot of things, but he was particularly talented at drawing girls and I think the way he drew them was very vivid and beautiful.”

“Yes, I know him. I really like his work, my favorite painting of his is called A la fontaine. It reminds me a lot of my childhood, playing out in the fields with my brother and sister. We would run by the river near my grandparents’ house and get so dirty that my grandma would make us march back down to the river and bathe before we could come into the house.” He laughed at the memory, finishing the last of his coffee and throwing it in a nearby trash can.

“My favorite is called The Hard Lesson and to be honest I think part of the reason I like it so much is because it’s hanging in my house and my dad loved it. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time looking at it and thinking about why my dad liked it so much and I’ve just grown really fond of it. Her eyes are so dark and serious but her face is so innocent that it makes me think she has a lot to say.”

“What do you think she would tell you if she could?” Taehyung asked, and his eyes were so wide and genuine that you found yourself really pondering his question.

“I don’t know, perhaps she would tell me about her life. There’s a sadness there, the kind that comes from hardship. I would like to ask her why she’s sad. Maybe she would tell me it’s because she hates to read,” you laughed at the thought as you walked up the stairs outside of the humanities building. “I think she would tell me about her life, though. She looks like her family can only afford a simple life and maybe it’s difficult to live at all. I don’t know, I just think she has a lot to say.”

Taehyung smiled, his eyebrow crinkling in surprise. “I’ve never met anyone with such a well thought out answer. You constantly surprise me, Y/N.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” You laughed.

“Definitely a good thing.” He smiled. You tried not to blush under the intensity of his stare, brushing your hair over your shoulder.

“Well what about you? What did you do your project on when you took the class?”

Taehyung smiled brightly and looked off into the distance, as though he were remembering the details so vividly, he could paint them for you. “I chose Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Did you know that Van Gogh actually thought that piece was a failure? It’s amazing how critical we can be of ourselves but everyone else around us can see the beauty. That picture makes me feel peaceful.”

The both of you enter your class and sit at the front as the rest of the class fills in slowly. “Well then it sounds like I’m in good hands with this project.” You smiled.

The rest of the period was spent listening to the professor as he gave more details on your presentation and then delved further into art during the renaissance. This was honestly your favorite time period for art, though your favorite artist was actually Monet because you loved the impressionistic style, something about the realism of renaissance art spoke to you. There was a simple and yet twisted beauty that you found incredibly intriguing.

By the time the lesson was over you’d almost completely forgotten Taehyung was with you. “It nearly slipped my mind how nice it is to just be able to sit and learn about art.”

“It is nice, renaissance is my favorite period. Are you still willing to help me go through some ideas for my project?”

“Of course.” Taehyung nodded, following you out of the classroom.

“Do you have any time now? I was heading to the library and figured you could come along.”

Taehyung glanced down at his watch and smiled, “yeah, I’ve got about an hour. I’m supposed to be meeting up with a couple other people from the class to help clear some things up but that’s not for an hour and a half.”

The two of you spent most of the hour giggling at the back of the library while talking about your favorite anime’s and people watching. The last ten minutes were occupied with scrambling together thoughts and notes before he had to leave to go help someone else with their project.

He’d given you some really good ideas for the project and helped you to solidify your own thoughts on what you wanted to do. You still had a few more hours before the final rehearsal and so you curled up into your seat and began your research. Bouguereau painted with a lot of muted earth tones, colors that were almost melancholy but not quite. They left you with a sense of hope and happiness. The children looked as though they’d been captured in photographs by their parents on foggy spring days when the weather was still just a little too crisp but they were too busy filling their memories with happy times to notice.

Sometimes the children seemed bored or even burdened by the drawings and that made you chuckle to imagine. The impatient quips to please hurry so they could run and play. You were unsure if Bouguereau used any real subjects or if the artist chose to use the same image in his head multiple times. Many of the girls had the same face, or at least similar and you began to wonder if that was because he used the same model or he was trying to say something deeper.

Perhaps he was trying to make a remark on the sameness of human kind or of children. The idea sparked even more similar trains of thought and you began typing notes and finding any resource you could to gather clues and by the time you had to go to rehearsal you’d already written 5 pages to accompany your presentation.

The walk to the fine arts building was quiet as you mulled over the new ideas in your mind and you barely registered walking into the concert hall and dropping your bag into one of the front seats. Professor Brinkerhoff nodded at you as you pulled your camera from your bag and you sat down, adjusting the settings and waiting for the rehearsals to begin. Today you were sure you’d at least get some nice pictures because it was a dress rehearsal and you’d missed the only other one yesterday. It wouldn’t feel so monotonous with this little bit of a change, but of course you still looked forward to being done with these rehearsals so that you could do something else that felt more rewarding.

The rehearsal began and you weaved through the sets, actors, dancers and singers as they began their performances getting the best pictures you could. As Taehyung came out to dance with his group you watched through the lens of the camera as though it were your first time again. His feet moved so fluidly, his body rolling as though he were a wave in the ocean, as though he was made to move in that exact way and it took everything in you not to shiver. He had a presence on the stage, he commanded eyes, even when he wasn’t in the center and it made you sad to realize that tomorrow night when they performed for all those people; all those talent scouts, that his life could completely change.

You felt selfish for thinking that and looked down at the pictures you’d just taken to distract yourself. You wouldn’t want anyone to hold you back from your dreams, who were you to even dream of being sad about him achieving his? He’d become such a big part of your life these last two weeks and it made your heart clench painfully at the thought of that changing. You sighed, shaking the hair from your face and lifting your camera back to your eye.

You were being ridiculous, you had no claim over him, nor did you want any. He was a free man; he could do whatever he wanted and you tried your best to convince yourself that you didn’t care if it had had nothing to do with you. They took a brief 10-minute break to get some water and have a snack and you walked to the end of the stage, slinging your legs over the edge and flipping through your pictures, deleting the one’s that didn’t live up to your standard.

You were in the process of deleting a particularly crappy one that made you grimace when someone sat beside you, nudging you with their shoulder. You looked up to find Taehyung smiling at you and you smiled back.

“Getting any good pictures?” He asked pleasantly.

“Of course,” you smirked, “I’m an excellent photographer.” Taehyung laughed and you found your smile deepening. “I also happen to have some pretty talented subjects.” You nudged him with your elbow, smiling back down at your camera and deleting a few more pictures.

Taehyung’s roommate came to sit beside him and you looked up, smiling. “Hey.” He greeted.

“Hello.”

“You excited? Rehearsals are almost done and then you’re free.” He said. You laughed, nodding.

“I won’t deny that I’m pretty excited. I will miss seeing you guys perform, though. You’re honestly all so talented.”

“Even this guy?” Jin smiled, wrapping Taehyung in a head locked. You laughed rolling your eyes.

“Yeah, even him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Taehyung scoffed, pulling his head out of Jin’s arms and you smirked.

“Just take the compliment.” You said. Taehyung smiled, sticking his tongue out before the director called everyone back to their places and rehearsals resumed.

Soon enough everyone was packing up, wishing each other a good night with promises to celebrate when the show was over. You were surprised to find yourself waiting for Taehyung and this time Jin joined as well.

“I’m surprised you don’t have any plans, from what Taehyung says you sound like Mr. Popular.”

Jin grinned and shook his head, “he’s grossly exaggerating my popularity.”

“I’m really not,” Taehyung insisted, “Jin is very handsome and nice, a lot of people really like him.”

“Speak for yourself!” Jin scoffed, “you’re always surrounded by people, even when you’re all alone people naturally gravitate to you. It’s like moths to a flame.”

You laughed, “Wow, I’ve never seen a dick measuring contest in reverse before.”

Taehyung blushed, his smile curling as he looked down at the ground, shoving his hands deeper into his coat pockets.

“Ah, Taehyung always overly compliments the people he likes. You should hear what he says about you!” Jin insisted. Taehyung’s blush deepened and you found your own face heating up at the thought.

“Well speak for yourself, Jin.” You insisted, steering the conversation away from you and Taehyung out of sheer embarrassment and you could see Taehyung visibly relax. “You were raving about him as well.”

“It’s true, I like to make sure my friends know they’re appreciated.” Jin shivered suddenly, rubbing his hands together and blowing warm air into them, “man what I wouldn’t give for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate right now.”

The three of you paused outside your house and you chewed the inside of your cheek in thought, “well,” you started, “I do happen to have both of those things inside, if you wanted to come in for a little bit.”

Jin’s eyes lit up and he grinned, “I would honestly love that, if you’re up for it, Tae.”

Taehyung nodded, shoving his chin deep into his woolen scarf. “That sounds great, actually.”

The three of you made your way into your living room, kicking off shoes and outerwear to make your way to the kitchen where you could practically hear hot chocolate calling your name. Sarah was standing by the kitchen sink filling a glass with water when you entered and she smiled at you before noticing the two guys behind you. You saw her eyes shift immediately to Jin and you had to stifle a laugh. You should have known this would happen, Jin was exactly her type.

“Hey,” she smiled casually, but you could see right through her. The vague eye shifting announcing her need for introductions.

“Hey Sarah, I invited some friends over for hot chocolate, hope you don’t mind.” You said.

“Of course not!” She smiled, and you could see her internal eye roll at the fact that you weren’t going to introduce her. “Hello again Taehyung, nice to see you. And you are?”

You turned to watch Jin as you dug through the fridge for the milk and were pleased to find he looked equally as affected by Sarah as she was of him.

“I’m Jin.” He replied, reaching his hand forward.

“Sarah.” She smiled, shaking his hand for what felt like way too long before clearing her throat and sitting at the table. “So how do you know Y/N?”

“The recital, actually. I’m in the drama department and I’m also Taehyung’s roommate.”

“Oh wow, so you must be a pretty good actor.” Sarah surmised. The blush on Jin’s cheeks made you want to laugh, but you bit down onto your bottom lip to stifle your giggles as you set to work warming the milk.

“I don’t know about that, but I do try very hard.” Jin murmured.

Taehyung scoffed, patting his friend on the back, “Jin is so modest he’d never tell you, but he was the recital committee’s top choice this year!”

You turned to look at Jin in surprise, “I didn’t know that!” You said and you smiled at Jin’s sheepish look.

“It’s really not a big deal. Of course, I’m incredibly honored, I was just surprised they didn’t give it to someone more talented.”

“If they chose you then that means you’re the most talented. Have you thought about what might happen tomorrow when the recruiters come?” Sarah asked, leaning her elbows onto the table.

Jin shrugged, “I’ve thought about it a little bit, but to be honest I’m afraid if I think about it too much, I’ll jinx it. I just want to enjoy the experience.”

“Don’t worry, man, we’ll have fun and whatever happens, happens. You know?” Taehyung smiled.

They stayed for the next hour chatting and drinking hot chocolate together before Taehyung insisted, they go back home because he still had a math assignment to finish. You stood, walking them to the door and continuing to chat while they put on their shoes and coats and you walked with them just outside the front door.

“Thanks for inviting us in,” Jin said, reaching to give you a quick hug.

“Yes, thank you so much.” Taehyung smiled as you pulled away from Jin and smiled at the both of them.

“Of course, it was really nice to just talk. Good luck tomorrow guys, you’ll be amazing!”

Taehyung frowned, stepping slightly closer and grabbing onto the end of your sleeve. “You’re coming tomorrow, right?”

Jin walked to the end of the drive way to wait and you looked up at Taehyung. “Oh, well, I hadn’t really thought about it. Did you want me to come?”

“Yes,” he nodded quickly, “it would help me feel less nervous.”

You had originally planned on spending more time in the library working on your upcoming assignments but he looked so sad at the idea of you not being there that you couldn’t help nodding. “OK, I’ll be there, but only if you promise to have a good seat saved for me.”

Taehyung smiled again, wrapping you in a giant hug and lifting your feet from the ground, squeezing you tight. You squeaked at the suddenness, your heart racing in your chest as you clung to his neck for dear life. He set you down, smiling sheepishly at you.

“Sorry about that,” he murmured, “got a little too excited there. I’ll make sure you have a good seat so you can see my beautiful face.” He grinned and you laughed softly, smoothing your hair back.

“OK.” You said. Suddenly Taehyung was bending forward, kissing your cheek softly, lingering only a second before pulling back and smiling.

“Thanks for saying you’ll come.” He whispered. “See you tomorrow!” Jogging quickly to Jin’s side, they headed back home leaving you standing at the door staring at their retreating backs like a fool.

How in the world would you survive him?

As always, thank you for reading! I’ve mapped out the whole story now and found out it’s gonna be a long one so buckle up folks, there are some fun chapters ahead!

Chapter 5

Chapter 7

Copyright © 2017  by taeken-my-heart (Nora.) All rights reserved.