Doyoung waits a couple of days under the pretense that he has to help his parents around the house. Really, he just wants to stall a little, in case Taeyong decides he doesn't like Doyoung after all, so that their friendship can last longer than a day. But the following week, he asks Taeyong to come shopping with him so they can pick out their dessert-meal. Taeyong replies in seconds, saying he's ready whenever Doyoung is.
Doyoung swings by Taeyong's place in the late afternoon to pick him up. An older man is working outside when Doyoung pulls up; he turns off his lawnmower and comes up to Doyoung's passenger side window as Taeyong struggles into his shoes on the front porch.
"I'm Taeyong's dad," the man says, pulling his work glove off and offering his hand to Doyoung to shake. "We're glad Taeyong has a friend this summer. He's only got a part time job with a bunch of old hacks like me, so we were worried he might get lonely."
"Ah," Doyoung manages. "I'm glad he and I met, too. I also would've been lonely."
"If he ever bothers you, let me know," Taeyong's dad says, but his tone is fond. "I'm pretty sure we raised him right, but still."
"Are you embarrassing me," Taeyong asks, flatly but with amusement, as he approaches.
His dad stands up, laughing. "Only a little. Have fun, you two."
"Sorry about him," Taeyong says once he's shut the door. "He's too friendly for his own good."
Doyoung snorts. "What's that saying about the apple and the tree?"
Taeyong punches him weakly, laughing. "Hey, without me you'd be eating cake alone on your floor," he points out, which Doyoung doesn't have a rebuttal to.
"He seemed nice," he says instead as he maneuvers them onto the street.
Taeyong smiles. "He's the best," he agrees.
They chat about their weeks as they make the short drive to the nearby grocery store. Taeyong works at the local pet shop as a cashier. He says he likes being around animals, teaching people how to care for their pets.
"Do you have any?" he asks Doyoung as they pull into the parking lot.
"Yeah, we have a couple cats," Doyoung says, turning his car off. "They're cute, but a little shy. You might get to meet them today, but they usually hide in my parents' bedroom when we have guests."
"They'll come say hi when they're ready," Taeyong says, nodding.
They stroll the aisles of the grocery store, eyeing the tightly packed shelves. Doyoung leans over the handlebar of the cart, pushing it along, while Taeyong points at different snacks to see if Doyoung's interested.
"So, can I ask why your therapist wanted you to do this?" he asks as he throws a variety pack of Airheads into the cart.
"Um," Doyoung says, remembering his mother's warning. "I... may or may not be incredibly, uh, toaster-bathtub, and... she thought it would help. You know. Trying random things I want to do."
"I see," Taeyong says, taking it in stride. "Well, let's see if we can't prove her right, huh?"
"Yeah," Doyoung says faintly.
On top of the Airheads, they end up with tres leches cake, strawberry mochi ice cream, a six-pack of red velvet cupcakes, and a couple of king-sized KitKats. Doyoung also snags a big bottle of Coca-Cola. Taeyong faithfully totes the bag to Doyoung's car, chatting away. "I've never had tres leches cake before," he says. "I'm excited to try it!"
"It's really good," Doyoung says. "You'll never want any other kind of cake ever again."
"We'll see about that," Taeyong giggles, lowering the goods into the backseat with care.
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The Bucket List | Doyoung/Taeyong
FanfictionDoyoung's always been a bit depressed, but this last year has really put him through the wringer and he's been pretty suicidal. So his therapist cuts him a deal. Make a bucket list. A real, actual bucket list, of all the things he wants to experienc...
