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it’s on their fourth date, with their hands intertwined in the falling snow, that jeongguk learns, shock overtaking him, that jimin has his tea differently. a lot differently.
now, it’s not like this was a big deal. it was just tea for crying out loud, and jimin still made his mouth turn up at the corners, still made his heart flutter in his chest. but jeongguk was a tea person, so it kind of was a big deal.
“what drink you want?” a simple question, spoken through his chattering teeth, as the icy wind blew seemingly right through his chest. a simple question that would affect them both forever.
“tea, god, i want tea,” jimin really doesn’t like the cold, jeongguk has learnt. why the elder agreed to go out with him in the middle of winter, that’s what jeongguk doesn’t understand, “how about you?”
“yeah, same,” jeongguk shivers and huddles closer, pressing their sides together in an effort to preserve heat.
the green starbucks sign is like a glowing signal of hope in the distance.
“how do you take your tea?” because fuck jeongguk has to distract himself from his fingers, which are slowly numbing.
“i, um…” jimin is almost pressing into his skin at this point, but jeongguk doesn’t mind, “i like plain tea.”
“oh cool,” jeongguk’s lips are blue, surely, “do you have sugar?”
“what?” jimin looks appalled, “no, god no. i hate sugar in tea. just tea. by itself.”
“wait, what?” but they’ve arrived at starbucks, and they’re tumbling inside, shedding coats and rubbing their hands together by the heater.
“fuck,” jimin mutters, still shivering, and wraps his arms around the younger.
“you don’t have sugar in your tea?” because jeongguk can’t let this go, apparently.
“no?” jimin raises an eyebrow.
“or milk then? not even milk?”
“no,” jimin’s noise crinkles in disgust, “ew. why would i do that?”
“because without it, tea tastes like shit."
jimin reels back, disbelief on his face, "come again?”
“you can’t have tea without milk or sugar. that doesn’t even make sense."
"ew,” jimin repeats, shaking his head, “that's disgusting. how can you even drink that?"
jeongguk shakes his head, tsking.
"i don’t even know you.”
when they have ordered their drinks, and are sitting on a couch, steaming mugs in hand, jimin presses his still-frozen lips against the younger’s.
so, maybe jimin has tea that’s gross, jeongguk thinks, as he runs his fingers through jimin’s hair.
but jimin’s lips are sweeter than even the best cup of tea.