catch-22.

⭐ thirty-one ⭐

"Hey," Namjoon is all smiles and deep, hollow dimples as he steps out of his car. Christ, Taehyung feels weak in the knees as he finally sees Namjoon after so long (literally one day, he can hear Hoseok sneer out).

The song can be heard clearer now and that infamous scent that seems to follow Namjoon is much stronger, that honey and ocean breeze sweeping Taehyung's heart and flying off with it.

Namjoon looks good. Really good, his green hair looking like molten emeralds in the afternoon sunlight. He's still, obviously, in his uniform – all prim and elegant compared to how Taehyung's own uniform usually is at the end of the day.

"Hey yourself, hyung." Taehyung replies back, smiling just as bright (or brighter) than the sun.

It doesn't take long for Namjoon to take notice of Taehyung and his outfit. He seem to have been a little busy staring and acknowledging Taehyung's presence before realizing that Taehyung was no longer in his uniform.

Taehyung squirms as he feels Namjoon's gaze inspect him, he gulps loudly when Namjoon finally makes eye contact with him and his heart beats a little faster when he notices the blush decorating the older boy's cheeks.

"How come you're all dressed up?" Namjoon asks, a tiny frown burrowing between his brows.

Taehyung shrugs, "I, well – I thought we should look, you know, presentable." He finishes lamely. Though, Namjoon doesn't seem to find it odd, instead he sighs fondly and rolls his eyes, sending Taehyung a pout.

"You should've texted me that, then. Now I look worse off standing next to you –"

"You never look bad, hyung." Taehyung interrupts quickly.

He thinks about adding some joke to make it sound less blunt, since Namjoon is staring at him with wide eyes, but Taehyung swallows and holds the taller boy's stare. He's wooing Namjoon, needs to make his heart flutter.

"It doesn't matter anyways," Taehyung says, skipping his way to the other side of the car. "We both look good and there are bigger things waiting for us than arguing about clothes."

He gets inside the car and looks at Namjoon through the window, for a few seconds the light peers delicately into Namjoon's face.

It kisses his smooth skin softly and Namjoon's smile lilts at the ends upwards, his eyes so twinkly as they gaze straight into Taehyung's own.

Then he climbs into the car, "Where to?"

*

The bowling place Taehyung chose isn't that packed, but then again it is a Tuesday evening and not many people chose to go out during the weekday.

Which was one of the main reasons why Taehyung chose a Tuesday over a Friday night, their chances of being seen by a fellow classmate were slim to none and Taehyung didn't want for a group of girls or blabbering boys to gossip about their little outgoing.

Some may say he was being paranoid (code word for: Jung Hoseok) but Taehyung knew how the inner circles of school gossiped worked. And he was well verse in the fascination of wanting to be nosy around relationships.

Though Namjoon and Seokjin weren't (were not, will never be if Taehyung has it his way) in an official relationship, they were seeing each other and that was the bait that high school students needed.

It didn't help that their blossoming (cue for Taehyung gagging) relationship was something straight out of a Netflix cliché, the nerdy boy dating the school prince. And if these people found out Taehyung was being a little too touchy and flirtatious with Namjoon outside of school, well it was over for them.

So he was eternally grateful that there were a few people scattered around the place, most of them college students from the nearby university.

Namjoon looked around the place and shifted uncomfortably, Taehyung figured it was either because he was embarrassed about wearing his school uniform while literally everyone else was dressed casually or he felt out of place, Namjoon wasn't the most sociable person ever.

"C'mon, you go ahead and chose out shoe sizes. I'll pay for the tickets." Taehyung pointed towards the rows of shoes and Namjoon looked conflicted for a few seconds before sighing and grabbing two pairs of shoes.

Bowling is apparently very expensive, Taehyung cringes just a bit as he gives the man $30, sending Yoongi a thank you virtually through his mind for always paying for him when he third-wheels with the couple.

He thinks it's worth it though when he catches sight of Namjoon looking through the menu of snacks and foods.

The blue neon lights of the bowling place illuminate Namjoon's features and the way the colors gloss over his body and make him look ethereal reminds Taehyung of the time they ate ramyun late at night.

"Order whatever you want hyung, food is all on me."

Namjoon hums without looking up, "As long as I'm paying for dessert."

Taehyung begins to protest but Namjoon sends him a look, so alike to Hoseok's Do As I Say, so Taehyung shuts his mouth and nods solemnly.

"Have you ever played before?"

Namjoon shakes his head, "Does the wii count?"

"Of course," Taehyung jumps from his seat, wearing the uncomfortable shoes. It never once crosses his mind how Namjoon knew his size. "But just so you know, I'm a full on pro. I'm all about strikes."

Namjoon scoffs, "Don't be so self-assured about it, haven't you ever heard of Icarus?"

By the end of their very competitive bowling game where Taehyung, Senior Bowling Professional, lost to Rookie Beginner, there is a full on pout pursing his lips.

Namjoon is enjoying himself all too much, teasing Taehyung about his loss. Taehyung snarks back at the older boy, but always makes sure it ends in smiles and flushed cheeks. They've eaten to their hearts content, having had pizza, nachos, cheesy fries, and way too much Mountain Dew.

Namjoon argues for the dessert but Taehyung says "When our date ends." It slips out of his mouth before he can take it back, and Namjoon's only sign of having heard the word the pinkness that blooms over his ears.

Taehyung feels rather accomplished. They have to rush into the car, the tickets for Parasite he bought are for 6:45 and they had gotten too caught up in bowling to have noticed that by the time they were finished it was past 6.

Just like the bowling alley, the theatre is relatively empty. Taehyung goes to the machines in the middle of the theatre lobby while Namjoon buys them some expensive milkshakes from the snack bar.

Taehyung sends him a mock glare when he catches up to the boy, getting the strawberry large milkshake Namjoon hands him, his hands turning clammy when he says, "This isn't the ending dessert for our date."

Hearing the word date rolling off Namjoon's tongue is surreal to Taehyung. He can't stop smiling as he hands the tickets to the person at the admission stand.

The college boy gives Taehyung a weird look, "Number 6 on the left," and turns back to stare at the empty theatre.

He's in a daze to be honest as Namjoon opens the door for him, the commercials having already started. There aren't that many people in the room, but Namjoon still makes sure to whisper as he finds their seats Taehyung got them in the middle.

It might seem pretty shitty, since the movie is really good and under different circumstances Taehyung would have had his full attention on it (especially since Choi Wooshik is starring in it and Taehyung has a very huge crush on the actor) but the only thing that is currently bouncing around in his mind is this isn't the ending dessert for our date.

It also doesn't help that Namjoon doesn't seem to notice the way their arms have slowly intertwined, their fingers loosely lacing together like the time they were at the play.

Taehyung can't stop staring blatantly at Namjoon's side profile, eyes tracing the slopes and contours of Namjoon's face.

Every time Taehyung finds himself reminiscing about a particular memory, he finds that he is mirroring new moments between himself and Namjoon. It's beautiful. Namjoon is beautiful.