taehyung went into work the following night, already feeling a little disappointed because of his strong doubts that that adorable customer would order from them again, at least not anytime soon. in reality, tae was just making a big deal out of nothing. but regardless no one could change his mind that yoongi probably didn't even care the boy had tripped and almost fallen on his rear.

but maybe, a little voice in his head chimed, maybe he would love the sugar cookies so much that he had to have them again.

or maybe, taehyung would have to accept that he wasn't as cool as he liked to think he was.

"hey, taetae, why the long face?"

"i don't have a long face, hyung."

hoseok chuckled at the boy's response, then approached him to offer an encouraging slap on the back. "nonsense! that's the longest face i've ever seen!"

"how long have you been here?" tae asked.

"about twenty minutes. i'm actually about to make a delivery. shouldn't take long, though, the guy lives like ten minutes away. ordered a dozen sugar cookies."

taehyung's heart stopped. without thinking - as most of his actions were done - he slapped his hands on hoseok's shoulders and blurted in a voice much louder than necessary, "what was the customer's name?!"

hoseok slapped the boy's face. "get a hold of yourself."

"consider myself gotten a hold of," he replied resolutely. "now what was their name??"

"yoongi, i think."

"yeah, that's it," miss saeyeong joined from behind the counter. she had just finished tying white string around a small box. "package is ready when you are, hoseok."

"got it, miss saeyeong."

all on its own tae's hand shot forward and seized his friend firmly by the wrist. and hoseok spun around, visibly and deeply puzzled by taehyung's spontaneous act. "what the actual, taetae."

"let me take care of the delivery."

another puzzled look. "...okay, but why?"

"...the customer is, uh..." c'mon, excuse, good excuse. "...i, uh...know the customer from high school. yeah. high school. we were good friends."

"oh, is that it?" scarcely holding back a smirk, hoseok began to nod his head in 'understanding.' "i see. 'high school'. well, if that's the case-"

he stepped over to the counter and picked up the package of cookies tied with string, then took it over to tae and placed it in his open hands.

"all yours."

taehyung's face brightened in simultaneous happiness and relief. "thanks."

"mm. get his number this time at least, will you?"

"...jerk. that's not why i wanna do the delivery."

"yup. sure, sure." chuckling to himself, hoseok smiled widely and gave his friend a firm pat on the back. "better get on your way. we don't wanna keep our loyal customers waiting."

taehyung certainly didn't. so after that comment the boy rushed out the shop door, hopped on his motorbike, and was on his way before hoseok could even think to say, "his number, taetae!"

taehyung didn't plan to ask for the man's number anyway. he didn't have that kind of confidence, especially regarding someone he hardly knew, and who hardly knew him, and who probably held the title as the most attractive person he had ever seen, and who probably thought tae was a clumsy weirdo after their first encounter.

so tonight was meant to change that impression. maybe. or something. tae didn't really think over how he would react differently this time, but hopefully anything different than stuttering and tripping.

he arrived at the door in a little under ten minutes. no traffic at this hour was convenient for making deliveries.

taehyung took a moment to get himself together, breathing in, reminding himself that this 'yoongi' guy was a human being, just like him, and there was no reason to be acting this way.

"cool. i'm cool. i got this."

he knocked lightly at the door.

a few seconds passed.

it opened again.

wait, crap, no, already??

"hello again!"

so far so good. except yoongi hadn't even entirely opened the door when tae decided to say this. yoongi slowly raised his head.

taehyung nearly forgot how short this man was. he had to crane his neck up just a bit, those familiar dark brown eyes locking on taehyung's and widening slightly upon a certain realization he made.

"you're...the one from yesterday."

voice as deep and soft and gentle as tae remembered. taehyung internally swooned. "yeah, i..." he cleared his throat. "...i am." flashing a smile, he quickly added, "and you're that customer from yesterday."

"i am," yoongi replied, which for whatever reason made tae's weak heart skip a beat. "i'm glad you're here."

...what? "...you are?"

"mm. i need to repay you for last time."

oh. "oh, no no no!" tae blurted, vigorously shaking his hands in front of him so as to stop yoongi before he could even reach for his wallet. "i said it was on me, remember? act of good customer service for a first-time customer. you...s-so you don't need to repay me."

yoongi looked sad. legitimately sad.

"oh...but i wanted to return the favor...somehow."

tae's heart clenched. oh, this isn't fair. oh, this is just brutal. "i-it's really not necessary," he said, attempting to smile in a reassuring but it didn't seem to be working. yoongi still looked sad. and boy, was that a heart-wrenching sight.

"you're sure there's not anything i can do?"

hoseok's teasing voice popped into taehyung's mind - "his number! his number!" - but tae promptly discarded it.

"you could invite me over for coffee or something some time," he said, though mostly joking, which he hoped would be indicated by the quiet laugh that followed the suggestion.

"okay."

his laughing stopped immediately. "what?"

"i don't mind," yoongi added, peering over his shoulder into his apartment. "it's not really the most plentiful place in the world but i always have coffee and tea on hand so if that's what you like then fine."

he couldn't even stumble over his words at this point. there were no words to stumble over.

"hello?"

"hi."

taehyung's voice cracked. his cheeks flushed.

oh, you've got to be kidding me.

"so would that be enough to return the favor?"

due to his brain malfunctioning at the moment, instead of responding to the question yoongi had just asked, taehyung blurted out a quick, "coffee and tea are both good."

this, however, in its own way sufficed as a response for yoongi.

"good." he nodded once, gradually - again, as all his actions were - and looked taehyung directly in the eye. "so what time is good for you? you work late obviously, and i don't really know what your schedule is like."

"i don't know what yours is like, either."

something akin to a smile grazed yoongi's lips - something similar, but taehyung couldn't fully or confidently call it one. but nonetheless he found it cute.

"i'm awake 90% of the day," yoongi said in a voice just barely above a whisper. "most of the time, anyway. and i don't really have a schedule. things happen when they happen. so whenever's convenient for you is fine."

"is tomorrow night at nine convenient?"

eye contact again. taehyung held his breath.

"you won't be working?"

"we're actually closed tomorrow," tae explained briefly. "and my classes will be over by then, so..."

"then that's fine."

silently yoongi reached into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out that ratty leather wallet of his, then took out a $20 bill. he then held it out for taehyung to accept. it took about two minutes for the boy to register what he had come here to do in the first place.

"the cookies! right!"

and so the exchange was made, with taehyung at first not realizing yoongi had given him too much. but he wasn't given the chance. yoongi was slipping back into his apartment before taehyung could do anything. in defeat, he stood at the doorstep for some time, hands in his pockets, sighing.

"at least he won't be able to see me tripping over my own feet like an idiot this time..."

the door opened. taehyung nearly jumped out of his skin.

"sorry." yoongi appeared. "i forgot to thank you."

"wh-"

"also, what's your name?"

that question. for whatever reason, it seemed a sweet one, the words pleasant, and especially coming from a voice like this, in all its raspy and attractive glory.

"taehyung."

"mm...i'll see you tomorrow, then, taehyung?"

"you will."

"okay. bye. thank you again."

yoongi retreated back indoors. and again, tae just stood there for a moment. a few moments, maybe.

"tomorrow at nine," he said under his breath. "tomorrow at nine."

with a kick of his foot he spun himself around, making his way back to his motorbike which he then mounted.

"tomorrow night...at nine."

*

"tomorrow night at nine."

"you're freaking kidding me."

much to taehyung's dismay, jungkook and hoseok were both present at the shop when he returned, silly, lopsided steps and a silly, lopsided smile drawing immediate attention. and tae knew beforehand he wouldn't be able to get out of telling a story, so he accepted his fate and explained himself.

"so what you're saying, essentially, is that you've got a date tomorrow night at nine."

"no, not a date," tae said defiantly, which earned him a scoff from both his friends. "hey! i mean it! yoongi's just..." he glanced away. "...returning the favor."

"returning the favor." hoseok sighed in what tae could only identify as pity. "that's like jungkook walking into the ramen place and kissing one of the staff members just for giving him ramen."

"that's nothing like this, though??"

"be quiet, jungkook, you coward. you know you want to."

"coward?? wh-! and when did this become national 'pick on jungkook' day??"

"i'm not picking on you, i'm just using you as an example."

"well, i don't approve."

"sad. so tae–" hoseok turned to him now with a bright smile. –"date or not, you gotta wear something nice, okay?"

shyly, tae averted his friend's gaze, shrugging as he whispered almost inaudibly, "i guess."

"wanna borrow something of mine?"

"jungkook, no–" the redhead groaned. "tae, just wear a nice button-down shirt and your jeans, maybe push some of your hair back with that headband of yours that makes you look hot."

"...i lost it."

"what?!"

"hoseok, could you make a delivery for me?"

"darn. we'll continue this later. i'll-."

"don't worry about it, hyung," jungkook interrupted. "i'll take care of things. so you wanna borrow my timberlands, tae?"

"jungkook, i swear-"

*

*

a/n:
when was even the last time i updated this lol