Enchanted

one

The first time Taehyung saw him, he was just passing by.

He didn't have time to stop in and take a drink, he was on his way and already late to a meeting with the casting director at Burberry. But just for a moment, he was stopped in his tracks, and hit from behind by a disgruntled New Yorker who cursed at him. He didn't pay them any attention because all he could do was stare.

Long black hair tied up in a short tail with the bits that fell around his face, tucked behind his ears - ears that were pierced numerous times on both sides. Broad shoulders in a white shirt, rolled to the elbows to reveal a tattoo sleeve on one arm starting from his knuckles, the shirt tucked into black jeans, showing off a small waist. That was all he could see from the distance. A vague sense of a handsome face, great body, tattoos and piercings, and hair.

Another knock from another person trying to walk by, and Taehyung was snapped out of his stupor and on his way again, barely coherent enough to make a note of the name of the cafe: Golden Bean.

He didn't have time to go back to the cafe until months had passed. Work picked up as Fashion Week crept closer, and then he was traveling to walk for brands at the various fashion weeks around the globe. It was a hectic schedule, and one he wasn't sure he wanted to continue to repeat year after year. He loved modelling, but catwalk wasn't his favourite thing and leaving New York for too long wasn't something he enjoyed either. He had too many responsibilities, and he was more of a homebody than most realised.

It had been half a year since then, and it was glaringly obvious that the barista did not like him, nor care to know him. The absolute annoyance and judgement in his gaze every time Taehyung stepped into the cafe was on full display, no attempt to hide at all. It caught his attention more than intimidated Taehyung. This kind of deep and immediate dislike came from personal pain, more likely at what he represented to a stranger than he himself, which piqued his interest. It did the opposite of what the barista - Jungkook, Taehyung had discovered his name after he'd been refused a response when he'd asked, from overhearing it be called in the cafe one - intended. He kept coming back instead of being scared away.

Taehyung had never been one to run from a challenge, despite what his father thought (he just knew which battles were worth the fight. His father was not one of them). The cold and angry barista, however, was a fight worth having - and one he had planned on winning.

It was mildly amusing for Taehyung the day he realised that Jungkook was not just a barista, but the owner of the cafe. A secret slipped from the only other adult worker, a sardonic, heavily tattooed, mint-haired man with patience on a fuse as short as his height.

"He runs the place. Don't push your luck with him. He'll ban you from his store without hesitation if you piss him off enough."

Maybe there was something wrong with Taehyung, but instead of being worried, he became more fascinated. He was used to being disliked and spoken about behind his back, having it happen in front of his face was refreshing. There was also the fact that Jungkook made a damn good coffee, and for someone like Taehyung who disliked the drink and only drank it to survive, a coffee he enjoyed had been a rarity. He didn't want to give up the best coffee he'd ever had, so he took the mint-man's - Yoongi - advice and didn't push Jungkook. He came, ordered his coffee, drank it at whatever table or bench was available while he observed Jungkook and the others working and interacting. It was an enjoyable way to pass the time, and maybe he enjoyed the way that it seemed to annoy Jungkook.

Taehyung left his West Village townhouse that he shared with cousin Seokjin, and their best friend, Hoseok, and walked along the tree-lined streets, and down a few blocks until he reached the cafe. Set into the corner of the building on Perry and Hudson, the exterior of the shop was painted black over the red brick of the building, with large floor to ceiling, black-framed windows and the name, Golden Bean Coffee, printed white above the door, and on the short black shades over the windows. It looked monochromatic, modern and simple from the outside, and the inside was just the same. They'd kept the original red brick walls, with black and white accents and arts inside. The tables and chairs were black framed and dark wood. In the summer, there were tables outside as well, but it was a Fall, so it was indoor seating only. Taehyung didn't mind, he preferred it. The view was better inside.