[complete]soft for me

7

A few days after the hangover cafe morning Jeongguk receives a text.

Unknown:
hey jeongguk ɷ◡ɷ
this is taehyung
jiminie gave me ur number
hope thats ok?

Jeongguk doesn't know whether to be thanking heaven or cry because he is terrible at texting, much the same as small talk,

Guk:
Hi!

Taehyung:
i saw a rlly cute dog today that looked a bit like u
i just wanted to tell u

Guk:
Omg okay I wish I had seen
Wish I had seen any dog today

Taehyung🌻:
i feel u
would give anything to have my dog rn

Guk:
You have a dog??

Taehyung 🌻:
i doooo
wanna see him?

Jeongguk is distracted from cooing at the adorable dog by his owner, it almost makes him feel shy to look at. Taehyung looked so good with natural hair, Jeongguk doesn't know what to do with himself.

Guk:
!!!!what! a beautiful dog!
I miss him and I don't even know him

Taehyung 🌻:
hahaha he would love u im sure

They text for hours, and in the days that pass keep texting. Despite Jeongguks usual aversion to texting he finds talking to Taehyung surprisingly easy. Still taxing, taking up as much energy in his day as dance practice does. He has to try really hard to form sensible replies, feels like he's writing poetry or solving maths equations. The equations of what to say in social interactions. It's easier in person, where he can just smile instead of replying sometimes, maybe reach out and touch or just have an air about him. But texting bit down to the bone, forced him to condense his thoughts and make them straight forward.
Sometimes a simple four line text would take him half an hour, but Taehyung didn't seem to mind, always ready to reply as soon as he got a response.

Jeongguk is sitting on the floor in the dance studio, covered in quickly drying sweat, hunched over his phone texting Taehyung about an anime they've both been watching recently when Jimin slips down next to him.

"Who you texting kid? You're on your phone so much recently, I'd think you were avoiding talking to me," Jimin says brightly, sliding up closer to Jeongguk, breathing down his neck as he tries to read over his shoulder.

"Ah, Taehyung. Are you thankful? To me for giving him your number? Really helped a bro out didn't I?"

"Very grateful hyung," Jeongguk replies with a roll of his eyes even though he really is very thankful.

"So, hows the big crush going?"

"It's not, it's not like we're flirting or anything, just, becoming friends."

"Do you only want that though?"

"I'll take it."
He means it, Taehyung is funny and effortlessly the coolest person Jeongguk knows. He wants to know him, wants to hear his exaggerated stories about how his day was, wants to know what his favourite ice cream flavour is, wants to share stupid memes and laugh together. He would want to know him even if he wasn't the most stupidly attractive person Jeongguk's ever seen.

It's two weeks after they first start texting, becoming friends, that Jeongguk braves Jins cafe. It's a warm spring day and Jeongguk has spent the walk there smiling at the blooming cherry trees, at the happy bichon puppy he walks past, at each and every pavement crack he walks over. He's excited, carrying his class notebooks as an alibi to not talk too much, he just hopes Taehyung is actually on shift.
Luck is on his side when he slips through the door into the cafe, he's almost immediately greeted, "Gukkie! Good morning!" Taehyung says enthusiastically from when he's cleaning a table with a damp cloth.

"Hi hyung," Jeongguk can't help but grin.
"Want to order?" He asks slipping back behind the counter.

"An americano? And, maybe earl grey bundt cake?" He asks eyeing the baked goods on display.

"Of course," Taehyung gets to work on the coffee machine, "what brings you out today?"

"Studying, er and wanted to get out of the dorm since the weathers so nice"

"Ah, cherry blossom season, makes me feel alive when I walk to work."

"Everyone seems to be smiling this time of year," Jeongguk says with a smile of his own.

Taehyung hands him a tray with his cake and coffee, "I'm glad to see yours."

"Er, yea, glad to see yours too hyung," Jeongguk replies shyly, is Taehyung flirting with him? Is that what this is? Jeongguk can never tell but hopes that it's true.

"Thank you," He says taking the tray and coffee, "gonna study now."

"Work hard," Taehyung tells him with a salute.

Taehyung 🌻:
u make a bunny face when u drink

Guk:
Omfg ok