HELIOS// A Jikook AU.

Four: A Sky Full of Questions

"If people can learn to hate they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa.

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ONE YEAR LATER

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Jeon Jungkook was fed up of overconfident customers with a delusion of entitlement. They had this sort of expectation that because they contributed to his wages within a job that amounted to very little in their minds, they had the complete justification to demand every ounce of respect they thought deserved.

He had a few customers a week like it. They were obsessed with this out-dated perspective that hierarchy and class was an important influence in the makings of an individual. To the extent that one would automatically break their backs to simply perform a task, even if it were not within their job description. Within his society, generation was a crucial thing, even he, a Gen Z young adult acknowledged that. Respect was everything and he dared not disrespect anyone who had a more detailed, in-depth view of a subject. But this was different. These people hadn't deserved his respect in the slightest.

"You should see my cousin's income," he grumbled to himself, wiping down the table the pair had just vacated from and wanting more than anything to brandish a finger in insult. His cousin, Min Yoongi, was a businessman at a successful corporation, although, Kook didn't know much more than that. They didn't really speak of work at home.

Heading back to the counter with dirty crockery, Hoseok saw his approach and dramatically groaned, slumping onto the bar top with a huff. Unlike Jungkook, Jung Hoseok was not afraid to express his dramatic flare to the public eye. He had essentially become part of the furniture within the cafe: a day without Hoseok behind the bar, meant a completely different environment. And the cafe customers made sure to let him know that.

Today however, it was not his bubbly, sunshine personality that shone through the building. Any smile Jung Hoseok cracked was undoubtedly fake, produced in some attempt to hide his searing headache and churning stomach. He and Yoongi had attended an event at Eclipse the night prior, partying into the early morning hours and aptly forgetting it was a weekday and both of them had early work starts. They had woken in Hobi's apartment hungover, with Jungkook bashing down the door five minutes before Hoseok's shift began.

"Kookie save me from this trechary!" he cried silently, the plea becoming a whine as another order appeared upon the screen before him. Giving himself a quiet pep talk and personal countdown from five, he prised himself off of the counter and began tending to the coffee machine.

The younger grinned at the comedic sight. Despite claiming to be in horrible aching hangover pain, both lovestruck adults had reported that their night in the club had been incredible. Filled to the brim with fantastic performances and far too many specialty cocktails - a most certain dent to Hobi's monthly balance since he insisted paying for them all. Needless to say, they had gotten completely trashed.

Jungkook was eternally grateful for Yoongi sleeping over at his boyfriend's, otherwise Seokjin would probably be greeting two sleep deprived workers instead of one. He did not need to decipher much to realise the couple had done much sleeping - Yoongi's stumble, and the litter of hickies across his neck and chest revealed more than his younger cousin wished to know.

"Hoseok watch the steam!" The older wrenched his hand away from the coffee machine, hissing in irritation at himself for being so careless with a piece of equipment he'd spent most of his life glued to. He stuck his thumb into his mouth, glancing sheepishly at the young man he'd come to see as his younger brother.