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The first time Jungkook walks into Seokjin’s cafe, he looks like he hasn't slept in at least a week- something Seokjin is rather happy about, looking back at it.
"Good evening," Seokjin smiles, feeling his scent sweeten a little more than he usually aims for with new customers. Though he isn't doing anything consciously, so he cannot be blamed.
The cafe is almost empty, only three hours before closing time. There's a small pack of omegas in one corner, drinking hot chocolate and studying in low voices, as well as a few single wolves having cake at the tables in the middle, but there is well enough open space for Jungkook to have his own nest (and if it wasn't, Seokjin would probably make it happen anyway- he looks like he needs it).
"Evening," he says back, voice low and a little raspy. Seokjin doesn't doubt its been a while since it was last used. The omega smells like dull frustration, dark bags hanging under his eyes and hair hidden under a very oversized black hoodie.
"You look like you need cake," Seokjin says, a little too sweet once again. "You like carrots?"
Jungkook nods, eyes a bit wider (like a baby deer, Seokjin can't help but think). "Yes, please... uh,"
He looks like a lost puppy, suddenly shifting on his feet and glancing behind himself, view of the cafe obscured by the huge hood.
"The nest right behind you is very cozy," Seokjin finds a plate, eyeing the carrot cakes for the best slice. "Take off your shoes and get comfortable for me. Do you like hot chocolate?"
Seokjin is sure the little one had been hoping for coffee, but Seokjin has a strict "no coffee for sensitive little ones after four o'clock"-rule and Jungkook has securely landed himself in that category. It doesn't help his case when he nods, eyes still wide, and shuffles backwards to the nest Seokjin had suggested (which coincidentally is both the one Seokjin can see best from the counter, and the one his maknaes had been sitting in only a few hours before, leaving their scent still sticking to the blankets).
Jungkook kicks his shoes off clumsily and crawls in on his knees, settling in against the back wall and pulling one of the thickest knitted blankets over his lap. (Seokjin will need to tell Namjoon about it. The alpha is always happy to see customers using his blankets, but when its such a cute one Seokjin is sure it'll have him all shades of pink and red.)
Seokjin sets the cake down on a bigger tray, one that can function as a table in the nest, and adds extra whipped cream to the hot chocolate, as well as a few gummy candies on the side, before carrying it over to Jungkook who has already started drifting off a little, head against the wall and knees tucked up against his chest.
"Here you go, sweetie." He sets it down in front of Jungkook, and leans over to rearrange the pillows to something more suited for one person. Jungkook watches him a little drowsily, letting his feet fall into a criss-cross as Seokjin prompts him, and smiling at the large piece of cake. "Careful of the warm coco, and tell me if you need anything more, okay?"
Jungkook nods gently, like the sweetheart he is. Seokjin resists the urge to leave a kiss on top of his curly head, now revealed as his hood has fallen, patting his shoulder instead before leaving.
Seokjin keeps an eye on him as he works, washing a few dishes and cleaning over the counter. Jungkook eats with deep concentration, eyebrows knitted together and pout pronounced. He sips at the hot chocolate carefully as instructed, getting himself a cream mustache and blushing pink as he catches Seokjin watching him lick it off.
Another customer comes in as Jungkook finishes the cake, and by the time Seokjin is free to look at him again, the boy is out like a light, curled up in Yoongi’s favorite blanket, with his mouth half open and the tray still in the middle of the nest, hot chocolate just over halfway finished.
Seokjin takes the tray quietly and pulls up the sliding wall at the edge of the nest a few inches, making it slightly more enclosed but without removing Seokjin’s view.
Jungkook sleeps well past closing time, curled up comfortably and after a little while smelling like a whole bakery, content and safe.
Seokjin lets him sleep for as long as possible, getting everything ready for closing, and then kneels down at the edge, gently shaking Jungkook’s shoulder.
Jungkook eyes blink open slowly, scent sweet, and then the omega is yawning dramatically and sitting up, rubbing his eyes. "Ah, sorry," he looks around, realizing that the cafe is empty and the backrooms are dark, and then blushes deeply again. "Oh my god, I'm-"
"No worries, sweetheart." Seokjin smiles, petting over Jungkook’s arm. "We're closing soon. Do you have a safe way to get home?"
Jungkook blinks again, mouth opening and closing a few times. "I, eh... I live on campus a few blocks away- it's okay," he nods to himself still a bit dazed, then his eyes land on the counter again and he sits up a bit. "I forgot to pay, hyu- sir, sorry. Let me-"
Jungkook tries to stand but Seokjin stops him gently. "Don't worry, hyung will take care of it. You just worry about getting home safe, okay? And having some more sleep?"
Jungkook blinks, eyes wide, and then he nods about five hundred times in quick succession.
Bunny, Seokjin decides.
"Would you mind texting hyung when you arrive? If you'd like my number?"
Jungkook’s eyes widen impossibly more, and the nodding continues sporadically until Seokjin has written his number on a napkin, helped Jungkook into his shoes and an extra jacket from his backpack- until they're standing together in the doorway, hesitating.
"I-" Jungkook takes a breath of the night air, waking up a bit more. "Thank you, eh, I didn't learn your name, sorry." He looks down but Seokjin can only smile.
"Kim Seokjin. Call me Jin-hyung, okay?"
Jungkook nods. "Jeon Jungkook, ah, I study art,"
Seokjin smiles. "You'll have to show me sometime."
Jungkook nods. "Okay, hyung." Then he is shuffling down the streets, holding onto his backpack straps with both hands.
Fifteen minutes later, just as Seokjin is has locked the front doors and started his own walk home, his phone pings with a message. Seokjin can't hold in the very intense flare of his scent as he opens Jungkook’s selfie, hair everywhere and smile big, dressed to a t-shirt in a colorful, but very tiny nest.
Finally home :)
-
The second time, Jungkook comes in is a bit earlier in the day, just after the lunch rush.
He looks more alive, having delivered the paper that had terrorized him for the past two months, as it turns out, and ready to celebrate with more cake.
"Hello, Jungkook-ah," Seokjin waves, placing a stack of cups onto a high shelf, glancing over at Yoongi in the corner who is already looking back with wide eyes. "Enjoying the sun?"
Jungkook doesn’t look like he's been enjoying the sun, wearing a brimmed hat and an all black hoodie with knee length shorts. His bangs are a little sweaty poking out over his eyebrows and his lips purse into a small pout. "It's trying to kill me."
"Maybe the black hoodie has something to do with it," Seokjin suggests, but Jungkook’s eyes slightly squint, and the pout grows deeper, so he points at the cake instead. "How about something cold then? I did mention the apple pie, I think, but we do have this amazing nectarine one at the moment- ah," Seokjin shakes his head. "You need both. Banana or chocolate milk?"
Jungkook blinks in surprise, pout melting away. "Banana."
"Perfect choice." Seokjin immediately finds an extra large plate, as he's planning to double the ice cream portion too, and points over to Yoongi in the nest Jungkook sat in last time. All the other nests are occupied, and besides, Yoongi would never forgive if he missed his chance to be introduced first. "Go sit with my mate over there, he'll probably teach you how to mess with my AC if you need it."
Jungkook eyes widen a little, and his head snaps back, immediately making eye contact with Yoongi. When he looks back at Seokjin he is immediately three shades redder and his mouth has slipped open just enough to take the teaspoon of ice cream Seokjin is holding up to him. Jungkook closes his mouth around it, nodding at Seokjin's raised eyebrow, and quickly stumbles over to Yoongi who has already made room.
Seokjin studies them closely as he scoops ice cream and warms the pie. Yoongi had eaten when he arrived (Seokjin had barely made the first sandwich before the omega was in his doorway, strangely awake for 9am, and demanding Seokjin scent and feed him so he could take a nap) but that was almost three hours and two iced americanos ago, so Seokjin threw two prepackaged sandwiches onto the tray just in case.
By the time he is carrying it out, Jungkook is out of his hoodie, revealing another fully black t-shirt underneath, and talking quietly with Yoongi, their feet tucked together in the middle of the nest.
"Eat the ice cream first so it doesn't melt, but i want to see the sandwiches gone too, okay?" Jungkook jumps slightly, but smiles down at the overstuffed tray and then up at Seokjin and- well, Seokjin needs to bite him and bring him home. Unfortunately he still has over three hours before Soobin comes to do the closing shift and having Jungkook newly mated in the back for that long would be unfortunate.
Yoongi salutes, pulling the tray a bit closer and spooning ice cream to put in Jungkook’s mouth before taking a bite himself.
Over the next half hour, Yoongi and Jungkook share the pie, Yoongi doing most of the sharing and spooning, while Jungkook takes sips of his milk in-between. Seokjin brings them tea as he comes to get the cake plates, wanting to save his blankets from the inevitable mess that is omegas napping on top of their tray, and scolds Jungkook for looking sleepy without eating his sandwich first.
Jungkook blushes again, but this time he his not curling in on himself, instead shoving his face into Yoongi's shoulder, who takes the ever so important job of glaring for them both. (Though the sandwiches and tea are gone by the next fifteen minutes and Jungkook is out cold in Yoongi's lap as the omega works on his phone).
When Seokjin hands the reigns over to Soobin and Kai, Jungkook has just woken up, looking at something on Yoongi's phone, chin hooked on his shoulder and looking ruffled while Yoongi talks. Seokjin sits down on the edge of the nest, looking at them quietly until Jungkook’s eyes stray over to him and he sits up.
Yoongi looks too, obviously having known about Seokjin’s presence already. "Finished?"
Seokjin nods, pulling Jungkook’s hair back, away from his forehead, when the omega scoots to the front of the nest to start putting on his shoes. "Should I-"
"Don't worry about it, sweetheart." Seokjin stops him before he can ask about payment, and Jungkook’s shoulders fall a bit again, head tilting to the side. Seokjin can almost see the thoughts as they bounce around his skull, but nothing quite seems to hit his mouth and they stay quiet until Yoongi is also putting on his shoes.
"I gave him my number to relieve you of your selfie sharing duties."
"I did not share any selfies," Seokjin huffs rightfully, as he has been diligently guarding all of Jungkook’s pictures (though of course he should have expected that the maknaes spend more time in his gallery app than in their own and that would not lessen with all the talk of boba eyes that has been running around their house.)
"Should I drive you home?" Yoongi asks, taking Jungkook’s bag over his shoulder and reaching down a hand to help him stand up.
"Oh, it's okay, it's not very far-"
"Hyung doesn't mind, bun." Yoongi makes eye contact with Jungkook as he stands, smiling gently and looking just like he did when he first met Jimin and then Taehyung. Careful. Hopeful. Gentle.
"Ah... okay." Jungkook lets his eyes fall, and Seokjin takes to filling the silence after only a moment, dragging them both out to the car and calling dibs on the aux.
-
The third time Jungkook comes to the cafe, Seokjin is in a meeting in the back, trying to wrap it up before Leeyoung can start telling stories about his children again. It's just after ten in the morning and Soobin is running the front alone while the second batch of cakes wait to be decorated.
Seokjin is just about to fake a power outage when Soobin peeks into the office, slightly confused. "Hyung, are you busy?"
Seokjin jumps on the opportunity, exclaiming about how the kitchen has been flooded for the third time this month and water taps are made so cheaply these days before quickly logging out and spinning his chair to look at Soobin.
"Anything on fire?"
"No, or well, Taehyun might be?" Soobin frowns, but Seokjin feels rather sure that he would be more worried if his friend literally combusted in the middle of their shop. "It's an omega? He's asking for you- by first name,"
Seokjin’s eyebrows raise. Soobin knows all his boyfriends by now. Most of them would simply walk into the meeting if he wanted Seokjin for anything anyway, and none of Seokjin's friends are the type to show up asking for him without introducing themselves- unless…
"I'll be out in a moment."
As expected, the moment Seokjin gets eyes on the main room, he is met with Jungkook’s doe eyes, a little unsure, but not upset. Once he recognizes Seokjin, it's exchanged for a glowing smile.
Seokjin has been texting Jungkook more after the last time they met, hearing all about his school assignments and telling him about every new cake idea he's been working on. And of course there are the selfies, which Yoongi forwards to the group chat before Seokjin even manages to discover them in his own chat with Jungkook. He is starting to suspect the omega automated it. Either way they always create a ruckus Seokjin spends the rest of the day dealing with.
Jungkook is wearing the same thing he had been wearing in his morning selfie, a soft, yellow cardigan over a white t-shirt, with oversized light blue jeans hanging down over his shoes. His hair is a bit messier and his lips are bitten gently red. Seokjin can only be glad the days have become cooler again, as it seems Jungkook exclusively varies his clothing style based on vibes, rather than season.
"Hello, Jungkook-ah, how was your test?" Seokjin walks around the counter, laying an arm over Jungkook’s shoulders and pulling him into a sideways hug.
Jungkook’s smile blooms again. "I think I did really good,"
"I knew you would," Seokjin nods at Soobin. "He's clearly a genius,"
Soobin smiles back, obviously just as enamored with Jungkook as Taehyun on a table right by the counter and every other person in their broad vicinity.
"Cake it is," Seokjin nods to himself, pulling Jungkook around to the inside of the counter and opening the display case. "Have you had lunch?"
Jungkook only manages to shake his head before a fluffy sandwich has been chosen, and he can only barely nod before Seokjin has chosen a thick piece of lemon cake and started on the hot chocolate.
Jungkook rests his head against Seokjin’s shoulder, watching enraptured as Seokjin moves through the steps one handed. He nods with such enthusiasm at the whipped cream when Seokjin pulls it out that Seokjin not only makes a tower on his cup, but tilts his head back with a finger to the chin and gives him another swirl in the mouth (adorable omega bunnies first, adorable omega bunnies second, kitchen hygiene third).
Jungkook settles without issue in what has become his nest and Seokjin takes the opportunity to sit down with him, talking about the pack, and Jungkook’s school, and Seokjin's plans for the next carrot-chocolate cake hybrid. Neither of them drift off this time, settling into a gentle silence when the cake has been gone for a few minutes, Jungkook curled into Seokjin’s side and legs tangled together.
They sit there for a few hours, until Jungkook’s stomach grumbles again, and Seokjin remembers that its been a while since his own lunch.
"Should hyung treat you to some ramen? There's great place between here and your dorm."
Jungkook nods slowly, face pressed against the side of Seokjin’s chest, smelling like a vanilla cake just before its ready to be taken out of the oven.
Seokjin can already hear his mate's whining about Seokjin stealing the first date. He makes sure to send a proper selfie of them both, just to rub it in.
Either way, he is sure it won't be the last.