Work Text:
Taehyun can blithely say that he had fun. He is an overthinker so you can’t blame him for doubting, hesitating and considering it a few times in front of his bathroom mirror- Yeonjun had to give him a full ten minutes pep-talk to not freak out too much about it and what to-dos and what not to-dos on his first date while fixing his hair for him.
Yes, 21 years of living and breathing and today marks Kang Taehyun’s first ever date with a real person, a guy he met at Yeonjun’s workplace.
The records store is only a few minutes walk from the campus. Taehyun usually ends his day after attending his lectures by hanging out with his favourite hyung (not his words) in the small cosy store. The owner keeps the store tidy with low ambience and slow music playing all throughout the day. There is a row of succulents on the cashier counter and houseplants around the store kept by the owner’s husband, who said that they would spruce up the place or else the store is just going to keep looking like an emo teenager’s dingy basement.
Yeonjun works there for almost a year now and the owner, Mr Min, doesn’t mind him being around as long as he doesn’t distract Yeonjun from doing his job. Not that he does, Taehyun usually just either lounging at the couch or doing his work on his laptop, eyes all scrunched up as his fingers glide across the keyboard.
There was only one time that Yeonjun got him to watch a great idol’s performance on the big screen in the store and they made quite a ruckus by fanboying and dancing around excitedly like a cat duo high on catnips. They got away with a strict warning from the store owner’s husband, Mr Jeon, but that’s it. Taehyun is a calm person, you can even pass him off as a cold, intimidating and mysterious person if you want to.
Which is why he finds himself quite befuddled when a tall, kind eyes, fluffy hair guy with dimples asked him out on a date after confessing that he’s interested in knowing him after observing him in the store and on campus for a while now. The tall dimpled looked very nervous to say those to him, he kept his head down and Taehyun found it endearing. It must’ve mustered all of him to confess. Obviously he didn’t take down the offer because the guy who asked him out is none other than Choi Soobin.
Taehyun has a disgustingly huge crush on him- not that he would admit it to his roommate, Yeonjun- for months since he first saw Soobin at a cat exhibition the university hosted during his first year. He still didn’t have any friends except for Yeonjun that time until he met Kai. The tall blonde was desperate to see and hold some cats at the exhibition and being the good friend he is, he decided to tag along. Taehyun came home that day with a sneezing fit and his mind full of Soobin snuggling with a fluffy cat while baby-talks to it.
He looks at the tall guy walking slowly to match his pace beside him. Their hands brush occasionally but they are both too shy to act on it, though neither of them makes a move to pull away.
Their date went from Soobin picking him up at the store and Mr Min teasing them to have a great time for the rest of the evening, to eating at a cute rooftop cafe that Soobin said his sister suggested to him to take his date today. After that, Soobin took him to the arcade and things got a bit heated when the VR mario kart got them to race each against the other, yelling on the top of their lungs when they bumped or passed by the other and when Soobin won the race. When they realised that it was getting late, Soobin offered to walk him home.
Taehyun doesn’t know if your date is supposed to send him up to his door, but Soobin doesn’t seem to be fazed when he holds the elevator door for him, and even thanks him so he thinks that it was the right move to do.
Taehyun stops fiddling with his sleeve when they finally get to his front door. He does feel relieved to see that Soobin is quite as nervous as he is.
“So, here’s mine. Thank you for the date today. I had a wonderful evening with you, the food, the games and thanks for walking me home.”
Soobin flashes his smile, all pearls on display with his eyes scrunched. It’s adorable.
“I’m really glad that you had fun, Taehyun. I was worried that you might find our date today boring or a bit too much like in the old movies.” Soobin shuffles in his spot, throwing his gaze elsewhere.
“Well then, it’s good that I actually love to watch those. They’re cliche but very cute nonetheless.” Taehyun assures.
“That’s good to hear,” Soobin chuckles. “I hope you like that I walked with you to your doorstep properly like how they used to do it.”
Taehyun grins, his cheeks now tint with faint pinks. “Well, you know what else they do at the end of their dates in the old movies?”
Soobin blinks at him, jaw slightly ajar before he smiles confidently, takes a step back and tips his imaginary fedora at him. It takes Taehyun a while to get it until he is wildly amused and confound completely by the gesture. Taehyun has to hold back his laugh but can’t help but to let out a small giggle.
“I’ll take my leave now. Goodnight, Taehyun-ah.”
He watches as the tall dimpled turns around and disappears into the elevator and out of sight. Taehyun doesn’t even realise that he is nursing a huge grin on his face when his roommate teases him about it. Yeonjun is in their kitchen and judging by the smell, he’s making midnight ramen for himself.
“Hey, don’t you dare run off! Come here and tell me how your date went right now, and do not miss any details!” Yeonjun catches him and makes him sit on the counter beside the sink to tell him every detail of his date.
Taehyun sighs but is actually ecstatic to relive the evening again to his hyung and you guessed it, Yeonjun laughs his ass off at the sending off part.
“Y-you’re saying that that idiot did that at our door? Right there?” He points at their door, another hand still clutching at his stomach from laughing too hard.
Taehyun rolls his eyes. “He’s not an idiot.”
Yeonjun scoffs at that and hits his nape playfully.
“Of course you’d find that cute,” He shakes his head and turns off the stove. “He’s still an idiot to me for not kissing you at the end of your first date though.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Yeonjun can hear him pouting while saying that.
“Yeah well, let’s just hope that he’s not too dumb to not ask you on a second date.”
🐱🐰
Soobin didn’t ask him out for a second date.
In fact, the tall dimpled ghosted him after sending a goodnight message on the night of their first date and to make things worse, Yeonjun also told him that it’s been a while since Soobin came to the store too. The older told Taehyun that he might be busy with tests or classes and told him to not worry about it too much but that was already two weeks ago.
Left with his own thoughts, Taehyun starts to spiral and thinks that maybe that date was a mistake and that Soobin didn’t actually enjoy their date. Maybe that’s why he didn’t kiss him. Maybe that fedora hat tip was actually a sign of sending him off for the last time because Soobin doesn’t want to meet him anymore. Right?
“I don’t think he meant it like that, Taehyun.” Kai frowns, crumpling his paper and tosses it aside, sitting across from him at the table.
Taehyun shuts his laptop close and sighs, sinking back to the chair, it creaks. His hair falls back to reveal his forehead, he stares blankly to the grandly decorated ceiling of their library.
“Well I’m sure that I fucked up the date so badly somehow to make him ghost me like this.”
“You didn’t fuck up the date, Tae. It went fine, it’s just him . I did tell you that he is an idiot but I didn’t think that he’d be this dumb.” Yeonjun groans beside him.
“Maybe we could-”
Kai gets cut off by a group of girls giggling and getting shushed harshly by the blue long-haired librarian who is throwing daggers at them for acting so crude in the fine establishment. He catches Yeonjun staring longingly at the librarian but the topic of what the girls are talking about after they decide to settle down on the table right next to them coincidentally averts his interest.
“I can’t believe that Chaewon scored a cute date with Choi Soobin today. My friend saw them at our local cafe sharing a cake.”
A date? A crease forms between his brows.
The girls giggle and one of them says, “Yeah and they already know each other’s coffee order. It would be so cute if they dated each other.”
“They look so good with each other, I actually can’t help but to ship them.” And the rest of the girls agree with her and they continue to gush about the couple.
He can feel his friends’ gazes on him and Kai tries to reach for his arm. Taehyun stands up hastily and gives them a lame excuse to take a toilet break before leaving their table with his heart aching and disfigured.
🐱🐰
Hard to admit but his roommate can attest to the fact that Taehyun has been shutting himself more than usual in their small apartment. He stopped swinging by the records store after his classes and also stopped getting his weekly caramel macchiato at the local cafe.
Yeonjun doesn’t pry but keeps trying to cheer him up in his own subtle way. He does know that it sucks to have your very first date of your life turning out to be awful. Taehyun also sometimes wishes that he had never agreed on going on that date in the first place. He should’ve just let his crush be as it is because now his heart aches whenever he thinks about Soobin.
It’s fine, Taehyun tells himself. He’ll move on in a few weeks (at most) and things will be back to normal.
Well, no.
It’s Tuesday and Taehyun just has one class in the evening, sleeping in until the sun is already hanging up high in the sky. He had just finished his breakfast when there’s a knock on their door. He recalls that Yeonjun did say about having his parcel delivered today so he doesn’t think much when he walks to the entryway and clicks the door open.
It’s quicker than a blink, his hand reacts faster than his own brain can actually register what is going on until the loud slam rings throughout the house. He realises that he just slammed the door on Soobin’s face.
“Who’s at the door, Tae?” He jerks when Yeonjun calls out from the living room.
Taking a step back, his train of thoughts are rushing through all over. Taehyun runs to shut himself in his room after telling Yeonjun that the person at the door is for him.
Soobin takes in that Yeonjun is surprised to see him when the door opens again. The older hesitates to open the door more but opens it just enough for him to lean on the frame, giving him an intimidating look with his arms across his chest.
“Hey, long time no see. To what do I owe the pleasure, Soobin?”
“Hey, Yeonjun hyung,” He starts. “I’m here to see Taehyun.”
Yeonjun shakes his head, feigning ignorance. “Taehyun is not home.”
“..But he answered the door just now?” His brows knit.
“Well he uh already left using the backdoor.”
“You live in a fucking apartment, hyung. There's no backdoor.” He gives him a deadpan look.
Yeonjun shrugs and juts his chin, looking ridiculous. “And what if we actually do?”
“Can I just please talk to Taehyun. I know it’s overdue but I’m-”
Yeonjun pushes himself off the frame and finally opens the door, gesturing to get inside with his chin.
“You should tell those things to Tae, not me. Well that is if he wants to talk to you.” Yeonjun walks him to the small hallway. “Taehyun’s door is on the left. Try knocking first.”
Like a ship following the lighthouse's guidance, Soobin moves to the door and knocks after Yeonjun leaves to the living room. He doesn’t say anything, he’s just silently hoping that Taehyun would open the door for him again.
The door creaks open a few seconds later.
“Yeonjun hyung, has he left-”
Taehyun’s eyes meet him again but this time Soobin is determined to not get a door slammed on his face again, quickly he puts his foot between the door and the frame just in time before Taehyun can close it. It works, the door is blocked but also the sharp pain shooting into his feet now feels like a throbbing stab with Soobin yelping in pain.
Taehyun’s eyes widen as he gasps and opens the door to get to the tall dimpled now crouching on the floor groaning in pain.
“Why did you hold the door with your foot, you idiot?!” Taehyun gets closer to check on the poor foot.
Soobin pouts and leans on the door. “I just want to talk to you again.”
He huffs and looks away. “Well you're two weeks late for that.”
“I know, I'm sorry.”
Soobin tries to look at him when Taehyun offers his hand to get him off the floor but the younger insists on not meeting his gaze at all.
“Why did you actually come here?”
“I couldn't stop thinking about you ever since our first date.”
Taehyun scoffs but he can feel his cheeks and ears heating up. He’s internally scolding himself for getting so easily flustered by the sweet words from a tall devilishly handsome guy.
“Really? Didn't you just go on a date with Chaewon a few days ago? Seems to me like you already got over me.”
Huh?
“What? Taehyun, that wasn't a date, I swear! I’m serious. We were just hanging out as friends. It’s impossible for it to be called a date because the only person I have eyes for is only you.” Soobin takes a step closer.
“I'm really really sorry it took me this long to talk to you again. I was just super embarrassed after the whole fedora thing and that you must've been disappointed in me for not kissing you at the end of our date. I’m sorry. You must’ve been looking forward to it and you must've also thought that I'm an actual idiot and very very cringey. So there's no way you'd want a second date with me.”
Taehyun groans behind his hand. “You really are an idiot.”
Soobin pouts again.
“So these two weeks you've been assuming all the time that I'm disappointed in how things happened between us?” Soobin nods.
Taehyun sighs and tugs him by the collar, finally has enough of this.
“Listen to me, Soobin hyung. You should stop assuming how people would think and feel and that you should really just ask them how they feel about it because none of the things you said- the things you assumed about me are true.” He pauses because yes, his ears are heating up and he is sure that Soobin can see that they are red.
“I thought that you were so cute when you tipped your imaginary fedora instead of kissing me like how typical first dates are supposed to go.” His hand eases from his collar and starts to fiddle with Soobin’s lapel instead.
“Really??” Soobin holds onto his elbow.
Taehyun nods shyly. “Yeah, and I was hoping to get the kiss on our second date but I didn't realise that I was waiting for something that would never come.”
Soobin shakes head pressingly and pulls him closer by the elbow.
“Taehyun. I'm actually here to apologise and to beg you for another chance for a second date. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this on our date but I really like you. Like a lot and it would mean the world and the universe to me if you'd like to go on a second date with me. Please?”
Taehyun giggles. “I like you too. You don't have to beg, hyung. I've been waiting for it.”
Soobin leans down and rests his forehead on his. “I’ll be sure to kiss you at the end of the date this time. I should pack a lip balm as a reminder and to be prepared.”
Taehyun hums and lifts a brow, playfully tugging on Soobin’s lapel again to whisper, “Or we can just-” His eyes fall down to the other’s lips and back up to his eyes.
“I’m not opposed to that amazing idea, Taehyun.”
He giggles and leans down to capture Taehyun’s soft lips, pressing against each other until one of them tilts and starts to properly kiss the other. His hands are sliding down to the younger’s small waist to pull him closer and to hold him up because he’s currently on his tiptoes. Soobin squeals internally at their height difference and pecks him sweetly a few times in the form of his cute aggression. Taehyun can feel Soobin cracking into a smile on his lips and bites the corner of his lips in return.
Soobin pulls away for a second and asks, “I can still kiss you at the end of our second date, right?”
He rolls his eyes and tugs on his nape. “Shut up and kiss me again.”
Soobin gladly obliges.