moments like these//namkook

three

they go out to eat and jeongguk listens to namjoon ramble on and on about his music and what he enjoys to do. jeongguk learns that namjoon loves nature as much as he loves music. he loves animals and he loves fall weather. he doesn't like to use the word hate but rather the word dislike and he likes to put salt in almost everything and namjoon just shines. and jeongguk soaks it up.

he learns his friends names: kim seokjin (a psych professor), min yoongi (pianist, music producer), jung hoseok (dance instructor), park jimin (dance student), and kim taehyung (art history student). namjoon smiles so brightly and jeongguk feels his heart burst inside of him and he tucks his hand underneath his chin, propped, attentive.

it's when namjoon runs out of breath that he's stuck in a smile and looks at jeongguk. "why are you looking at me like that?"

jeongguk blinks, sets his hand on the cold table. he shrugs weightlessly. "just listening to you, i guess."

namjoon smiles again. jeongguk thinks it's one of his favorite things now. "well, thank you. for listening. and also sorry, i know i talk a lot."

"i don't mind."

"really?"

jeongguk smiles, cheeks flushed but he blames the food and the warmth inside of the restaurant. "really."

namjoon takes a sip of water and jeongguk is still looking at him so namjoon raises an eyebrow. "you know," he sets the cup down, folds his hands on top of the table and looks at jeongguk warmly. "never thought i'd say this a day in my life, but i'm glad you wolf-whistled at me."

pink stains jeongguk's cheeks. "but i didn't mean to, though."

namjoon shrugs and reaches over the table and touches jeongguk's fingertips with his own. jeongguk's head fills with misty clouds and he thinks a rainbow is peering behind one of them. it's beautiful, he thinks. "tell me about yourself? if you want to, that is."

"uh," jeongguk inhales, he stares at their fingertips still touching and he moves them closer to the insides of his fingers. they're not holding hands, but close enough to look like they are from a distance. "well, i have a brother. he's cool. both my parents. they're cool, too. i don't really have many friends, i guess? i've always stuck to myself to focus on my goals. i don't even think i have a specific goal, actually, i just-" jeongguk cuts himself off, sighing. "you told me that you have a purpose," (namjoon nods at this, attentively listening)  "and i don't think i've found mine yet? i dance, yeah, but it doesn't feel like my soul is attached to it. if that makes sense."

namjoon nods, smiling softly at the younger boy sitting in front of him. this time, he places his palm on top of jeongguk's hand and jeongguk feels warm. warm all over. "and that's okay. yeah. that's totally fine, jeongguk. you're still young like you have your whole life ahead of you. you'll find it. i promise," namjoon intertwines his pinky with jeongguk and gives jeongguk another bright smile and a run for his money at this point. "you're only human and you're allowed to feel unsure of things. as long as you're happy, then that is what should matter most of all."

jeongguk's mouth goes dry and he tries to form words that tell him how thankful he is for namjoon, how thankful he is in general. he is thankful. "i'm sorry if i sound like i'm complaining."

at that, namjoon just shakes his hand and swats jeongguk on the hand. "don't be silly. if you call that complaining just wait 'til you hear me talk about how yoongi doesn't clean up-"

"are you talking shit about me?"

both namjoon and jeongguk turn towards the voice to see a small man walking towards their table with a smirk on his face and icy blond hair covering his eyes while leading a pack of 4 other people and jeongguk feels small and looks at their intertwined pinkies but all namjoon does is roll his eyes and grabs jeongguk's hand, finally holding it in his and jeongguk's heart races.