Work Text:
Beomgyu checks his phone.
It reads 2:39 pm.
The last time he checked it had read 2:31.
That's good, he thinks to himself. Eight minutes had passed. Better than last time when only three minutes had passed between checking. He nods and pats himself on the back, proud that his patience is steadily growing.
Sadly so is his boredom.
His shift doesn't end until 6 today and he swears that every moment is longer than the next. His last customer had come in just before two pm. He didn’t even think he could call them a customer. It had just been his Soobin hyung coming to see how he was doing and to remind him to come by the tiny hole in the wall diner he worked at to grab a bite after his shift.
Beomgyu had rolled his eyes, it’s not like he needed a reminder when that was their regular shmegular routine, but he was thankful nonetheless.
They lived in this small, quaint little town, where friendly (read nosy) neighbors knew everyone and everyone’s business. A town where you could leave the door unlocked and not worry. In fact, depending on who came in, you might even find it tidier than how you left it.
Regretfully this small, quaint little town was also smack dab in the middle of nowhere, a place where nothing really happens. If Beomgyu hadn’t liked the boys he grew up with he would’ve died of complete and utter boredom ages ago. But still… Beomgyu needed entertainment, and as sad as it was to admit, watching Soobin flip his pancakes onto the ground instead of onto the plate didn’t suffice as it once did.
So Beomgyu had secured a job at the gas station cause, well… if anything was bound to happen, it’d be here, right? This was where big city travelers had to come through to replenish gas and snacks as they continued their trek to a far more interesting destination. He hadn’t encountered much so far. Siblings squabbling over each other's music taste, couples arguing because one of them refuses to ask for directions, and grandmothers who enjoyed showing Beomgyu the gazillion pictures they had in their wallets of their grandchildren. The most entertaining yet by far was the time he watched a guy walk out of the gas station only to realize his six brothers had abandoned him as a prank.
Beomgyu sneaks a peek down at the time even though there’s no one around to scold him for being on his phone anyway.
2:45 pm.
He sighs and braces himself for another uneventful evening.
Beomgyu is busy taking on the daunting task of rearranging the granola bars displayed on the counter in order of yummyness (as any true granola bar connoisseur would) when the front door suddenly swings open. It’s opened rather harshly. It even goes as far as to startle him enough to drop a few granola bars. Jeez. Not even Yeonjun hyung slams the door open that hard when he’s in need of his slushie fix.
The door bell’s soft timbre is followed by a high pitched yelp of pain. He looks over to find a young man rubbing his forehead. Beomgyu tries not to chuckle outright when he realizes the boy must’ve accidentally hit himself on the door from rushing in too quickly. He’s all too familiar with that part. It happens to Soobin when he’s excited about showing him a new bread recipe he found.
Before Beomgyu can ask the stranger if he’s alright he's quickly making his way up to the counter. His voice carries a frantic tone when he speaks. “Hey! Hi, hello! Um. Do you guys happen to have a mechanic around here? My car just broke down and I’m running soooo late. My sisters’ gonna kill me, and of course I left my charger at home so my phone is dead- hey, do you have a charger I could borrow?- and I need to get going. Ugh. I don’t know what to do. Please tell me you have a mechanic here! Pleeeeeease!”
Beomgyu blinks up at the newcomer; a tall, pale boy with stark black hair, pretty wide eyes, and…. really soft looking lips.
He glances down at his phone.
3:04 pm.
Well look at that… exciting things do happen in this town.
“Um… hello? Mr. Gas Station Clerk… sir? I don’t mean to bother you but I could really use some help right about now.”
Beomgyu snaps out of his thoughts.
Right. Cute boy needs help.
“Dan’s,” he blurts out.
“Huh?” The boy stares at him in confusion. And no, Beomgyu totally doesn't notice just how sparkly the young boy's eyes get when he’s perplexed. Definitely doesn’t wonder if they’re always that sparkly.
Beomgyu points out the door. “Dan’s. It’s the auto shop just up the street. Red sign. There’s a person made out of tires wearing a skirt and a beanie out front. You can't miss it.”
The boy's bright eyes go even wider than Beomgyu thought possible. He smiles and holds his hands together in gratitude. “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOUUUUU.”
And just like that he’s bounding out of the gas station. This time Beomgyu chuckles to himself as he watches the boy’s figure speed away in the direction of the auto shop.
Beomgyu’s always had the habit of making fun of his friends when they have a crush or start dating. They’re gross, sappy, dumb and in love, and all of it makes Beomgyu sick to his stomach. There's this awful and awkward feeling he gets in his tummy when he hangs out with the more loved up one’s. He can’t help but cringe at the disgusting looks of adoration they throw at each other from across the table when they think Beomgyu’s isn’t looking. Beomgyu’s just trying to enjoy his pizza for Christ’s sake! He’s used to that feeling… but this feeling, this tossing and turning that he feels in the pit of his stomach, is entirely different from what he’s used to.
If he were to guess he’d think it was, dare he say… a flutter.
Ugh. Just what he needed.
He hasn’t liked anyone for a while. Not since kindergarten when he still found Yeonjun charming and not just silly. Of course he’d thought some passersby were cute, but all in all he hadn’t felt butterflies for anyone and if Beomgyu could have his way he’d rather keep it that way. He doesn’t want to turn into some stupid, love stricken fool who’s at the beck and call of some guy. Especially for someone who doesn’t even live in the same town as him! He remembers the dark cloud that had overtaken Soobin for a while when a cute boy who’d been flirting with him every other weekend in the summer never came back.
Pft. Beomgyu’s better than that.
So, no, if you ask Beomgyu, he is in fact not patiently counting down the minutes until this boy returns.
3:52 pm.
That’s when the boy comes back. His expression is more somber this time around.
Belmgyu was in the office getting a sip of his coffee. No he totally didn’t notice the moment the boy stepped onto the premises. No, he most definitely did not see that cool, tall glass of water on the corner of the security camera and then proceed to gulp down his americano and sprint back to the front. And no, he absolutely did not attempt to look as nonchalant as one possibly could while rearranging the single banana from the left side of the near empty fruit display to the right side of the near empty fruit display.
Only a crazy person would do all that.
Soon enough he hears the bell’s sweet, sweet sound, signaling that the boy had finally reached his destination.
He curses to himself remembering that his headphones are still sitting pretty on his head. He removes them and sends a silent prayer to the music gods that his hair looks good. He gives it a quick shake and turns towards the boy with a practiced look of shock on his face. “Oh, hey! Back so soon? How’d it go?”
“Uh,” the boy shuffles up to the counter. He sighs. He scratches his head. He pouts. Beomgyu feels the first telltale sign of those disgusting flutters again. “The guy who helped me, Taehyun-ssi, said that he’ll make some calls but he’s not sure if he can get the part he needs for at least a few days. It’ll most likely be at least a week until I get my car back.”
“Shit. I’m sorry,” and Beomgyu is. The boy in front of him looks so dejected and something tells Beomgyu that this isn’t a state he’s used to being in. Suddenly he recalls something the boy had mentioned earlier. “Oh! You said something about your phone being dead, right? D’you need to call someone?”
Beomgyu begins to pull his phone out of his pocket but the boy raises his hand in protest. The way the boy smiles sweetly at him makes the fluttering return with full force. “Thank you, but it’s okay. Taehyun-ssi let me use his work phone to call my older sister. She’s on her way now.”
“Oh, uh, that’s good then.” As Beomgyu says it, he feels a pang in his chest. Sure he’s glad the cute boy won’t be stranded here for too long… but does he really have to go so soon? “You’ll be outta here in no time.”
The boy laughs awkwardly. “Yeah, aha... Depends on your definition of no time.”
Beomgyu’s raises an eyebrow confused. “What do you mean?”
The boy shuffles from one foot to the other. “Well, you see, I was headed into the city so that’s already time consuming, plus traffic’s crazy at this hour so… it could be a while until my sister gets here.”
“Oh.” Is all Beomgyu says.
The boy smiles sadly. “Yeah. Oh.”
Silence envelopes them. The boy taps his fingers softly on the countertop. Beomgyu can’t help but notice how pretty and long they are. Can’t help but wonder what it’d be like to hold them. To have them run through his hair- wait.
Beomgyu shakes himself out of his fantasy and clears his throat. Maybe he should focus on being helpful instead of staring at the cute guy. He doesn’t want to scare him off. “I have my charger in the office… I could take your phone and charge it if you’d like? Might as well since you’re gonna be stuck here for a while.”
The boy lights up. “Would you really? Oh my god that’d be great, thank you so much!”
He fishes his phone out of his pocket and Beomgyu takes it back to the office where his coworkers charger lays forgotten in the corner. When he plugs in the phone, Beomgyu can’t help but notice the cute lock screen that reveals itself as the phone comes back to life. It’s a photo taken of the boy laying in bed surrounded by various plushies, all almost as cute as him. He stares at it a little too long, mesmerized by the pretty smile the boy in the photo has plastered on his face.
When Beomgyu returns, the boy is still standing in the place he’d left him, looking a little down and out. Though Beomgyu obviously doesn’t know anything about him, he already finds himself hating that look on the boy. He might as well attempt to keep the boy occupied, right? Neither of them are doing anything anyway.
Beomgyu clears his throat. “So. Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, how'd you end up… here?” He chuckles at the adorably confused look that appears on the taller boy’s face. “I just mean that, you’re obviously not from here. So how’d you end up here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Oh!” He laughs in return and so what if Beomgyu finds his heart skipping a beat or two. “My family’s celebrating my little cousin's birthday. I live in a different city for school and work so I don’t always get to see them. I figured I’d take the night off and use this as an opportunity to see them all.” Beomgyu enjoys the way the boy lights up when talking about his family. Beomgyu has an older brother, and although Beomgyu chooses to believe he’s the epitome of a perfect younger brother, he knows his hyung would at times beg to differ.
He’s pulled out of his thoughts when he hears the boy groan in frustration. “Ugh, that reminds me I don’t even have a gift for him! I was supposed to have time. I swear I made a plan and everything!” He starts exasperatedly ticking errands off on his fingers; “I did all my homework last night so I could leave my apartment early today. I was supposed to have plenty of time to get there. I was gonna shop for a present at his favorite toy store. I was gonna go to this little coffee shop that I love for a treat and finally head over to my aunt's house, but I got held up this morning and now I don’t have a present! Jihun is eight, he needs a present!” He groans, one hand runs over his face exasperatedly and the other sits on the counter.
Beomgyu, not knowing what else to do, leans over to pat the boy’s hand reassuringly. “I’m sure Jihun will understand.”
The boy gasps suddenly and if Beomgyu looked closely he would surely see a faint blush paint the boy’s ears as realization sinks in. “Oh my god! I'm so stupid! Here I am complaining to you about my poor planning skills and I haven’t even introduced myself!” He stutters for a moment before sticking out his hand and plastering a dazzling smile on his face. “Hi! My name’s Kai!”
The cute boy, now known as cute Kai, has such a lovely, infectious smile, so bright and inviting, that it’d be a crime for Beomgyu not to smile back. So he does. He smiles and chuckles and shakes Kai’s hand and is thankful that his hair is long enough to cover the sight of his own ears that are for sure flushing red right now as he feels Kai’s soft but sturdy hands.
“Hi, I’m Beomgyu.”
“Oh I know!” Kai quips, leaving Beomgyu blinking at his confused.
“Uh…”
“Oh!” Kai laughs. “Your name-tag, silly!” Beomgyu looks down at his shirt and lo and behold there sits him name tag with its big chunky script; BEOM-GYU with a little bear emoji sticker tacked onto the end.
“Oh…” he looks back up embarrassed.
Kai giggles. He stutters some more before speaking, like he’s buffering (cutely). “Um. It’s a- a good name.”
That pulls a chuckle out of Beomgyu. “Is it?”
“Yeah,” Kai says a little too quickly. Beomgyu can tell he thinks so too from how Kai’s ears begin to redden further. “Cute boys always have good names.”
“Ah, so you think I’m cute, huh?” Beomgyu smirks.
Kai’s face falls. “Oh. I just- AHA. I, u-uh…”
Beomgyu likes watching the cute boy buffer and stutter as he attempts to come up with a response. He finds the way he tilts his head adorable.
“You know,” Beomgyu begins to shift the conversation shyly in his attempt to put the boy out of his misery. “We actually have a little toy section in the back if you wanna take a look? Knick knacks, slime, plushies, that kind of stuff.” Before Kai can respond Beomgyu begins heading towards the back of the store. He doesn’t look back to see if the boy is following him. He knows he is. He can feel it. He can hear the boy’s long strides. He can sense his presence close behind. He even thinks he can almost sense the smile and excited energy radiating off of the boy and suddenly Beomgyu’s super shy and very aware of the blush creeping up the back of his neck. Thank God for his wonderful long hair. He doesn’t dare look up at Kai once they reach the little toy section. Instead he fidgets with the arm of a stuffed bear. “Look, I know it’s not much, it’s no big city toy shop like you’re used to, but-”
His head jolts up at the dolphin scream Kai that elicits. “THEY'RE PERFECT!” Kai laughs and stumbles into him softly when he laughs. He giggles uncontrollably when he sees Beomgyu’s stunned expression. “Sorry, Beomgyu-ssi. I didn’t mean to startle you! I can be a little loud sometimes.” He looks shy at the end and Beomgyu speaks without thinking.
Beomgyu tries to not think about how nice it feels to have Kai propped up against him. “No problem. It’s cute… uh. You… you can call me hyung… if you’d like.”
Kai looks at him surprised and it’s his turn to blush again. “Beomgyu hyung. Hm.” Kai is tight lipped and starry eyed as he mulls it over. Right as Beomgyu is about to take back the offer, embarrassed, Kai giggles. “Sounds pretty.”
Beomgyu chuckles. “Careful. My ego’s big enough already.”
Kai laughs, his eyes scrunching up cutely, and Beomgyu finds himself dreading when he won’t be able to hear the lovely sound anymore. Kai turns towards the toys. He immediately goes for the plushies, rambling on about trying to condition his cousin into loving plushies just as much as he does.
“Oh!” Kai picks up a reddish brown teddy bear and starts pointing at the older boy. “You! This is you, hyung!”
“Me?” Beomgyu guffaws. He stares at the bear. It’s cute but rather plain. It doesn’t even have a shirt on. Nothing special, just a regular teddy bear.
“YES!!!! It’s you!!! Oh my GOD, don’t you see it?!” Kai gasps and points enthusiastically at Beomgyu’s name tag. “Look! You even have a bear emoji on your name-tag. It is SO you!”
Well, if Kai thinks that this adorable plush bear is Beomgyu, then Beomgyu decides that it is so.
In an instant that bear is the most precious thing in this store… Okay, second most precious.
While Beomgyu is trying his damndest to not combust into flames right then and there, Kai has moved on to a plushie of a penguin, saying that if Beomgyu is the bear (and you most definitely are, hyung) then Kai is the penguin. Before Beomgyu can tease him, because how can this tall mountain of a guy compare himself to such a cute little plush, Kai sees a lion plushie that comes with its own little removable blanket stuffed in its back. “Oh this is great actually! Hyung, you guys have some really cute stuff.”
Beomgyu watches as Kai keeps flitting around the plushie rack. He laughs softly to himself when he notices that Kai hasn’t once put the bear back. In the end Kai holds the bear in one hand and the lion in the other.
“So,” Beomgyu’s words slice through the silence. “What will it be? The lion or the bear?”
Kai holds both plushies in front of him and makes a big show of mulling it over. “As cute as the bear is, this is for my cousin, and I think he’ll appreciate the lion more.”
Beomgyu smiles as he grabs the lion from Kai’s hands to take up front. “One lion coming up.” He makes a mental note to set the penguin and the bear aside later.
They start to make their way up front when Beomgyu hears a grumble. Huh. That’s weird, he thinks. I don’t remember thunder being in the forecast.
“Oh, sorry… that was me.”
Beomgyu turns around to look at Kai. The boy is now holding his stomach and it clicks in Beomgyu’s head. The boy hadn’t eaten.
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Beomgyu rests a hand on Kai’s arm and directs him towards the ready to eat foods section. “Come on, we should get some food in you.”
Kai nods shyly, unable to make eye contact with the older but that’s okay. Beomgyu watches patiently as Kai flits about, checking out all of his options and rambling about how grape juice is a bajillion times better than orange and how he will die on that hill.
“Do you like sweets?” Beomgyu asks suddenly.
Kai looks up at him. “Oh, yes! Egg tarts are my absolute favorite!”
Beomgyu nods and files that bit of information away. “Can’t say I’ve had too many of those, but my Soobin hyung works at the diner down in town and his coworker makes the best brownies.”
“Ooo! Well if he learns how to make egg tarts just as magical, I’ll have to come by more often,” Kai laughs softly as he jokes, but it’s just another piece of information for Beomgyu to keep until it comes in handy.
When Kai’s done picking his items, his stomach growling furiously now, Beomgyu helps him take his haul to the counter.
Beomgyu finishes ringing everything up while Kai pulls out his wallet. He’s listening attentively as the boy goes on and on about best bingsoo toppings when he suddenly stops talking. Beomgyu continues to scan the items but is taken aback when he hears the younger boy mutter a curse word. He looks up and finds the boy staring down at his wallet.
Kai looks up at him, once again a blushing mess, but now it’s not because of any awkward flirting they’ve done. The reason he’s now beet red is because when he looks down, all he can muster up in his hands is seventeen dollars.
“I… forgot that I gave the rest of my cash to Taehyun-ssi to get the part for my car.” He keeps checking and rechecking his wallet, as if some more bills will magically appear in front of him. “He didn’t even take the full amount. He was kind enough to take what I had and said to not worry about it. That I-I could pay the rest when I come back to pick it up. I can’t even put it on my card cause I haven’t gotten paid yet. I- I’m sorry, oh my god, this is so embarrassing. I don’t… I-”
“Kai-ah, it’s okay,” Beomgyu starts.
Kai protests. “No, hyung. I need to pay. I’ll just- look I’ll just take the plush and leave the food for now.”
“Kai…”
“It’s fine!” He insists. “My sister will be here… eventually. We have to get on the road immediately but she always has snacks in her car! Or I’m sure she’ll have some cash I can borrow so I can buy something for the road. It’s okay, I promise! Just the lion for my cousin.”
“Kai, you need to eat.” Beomgyu states softly.
“Hyung, I’m fine. I’m not even that hungry!” And of course Kai’s stomach decides to growl ravenously at that exact moment. Kai looks everywhere but at him. “I swear, I’m fine. I-I promise! Look, it’s just a few more hours, I’ll survive. I’ve gone longer without food. My family will have a feast and- and I can’t wait. It’s okay, really-”
At the mention of Kai going hungry Beomgyu’s own stomach twists uncomfortably.
“Pick something cheap.”
Kai stops rambling at the interruption. He looks up at the older boy quizzically. “W-what?”
“You have to eat something. I get it, you want to pay and that’s fine, but the plushie is going to eat up all of your money.” Beomgyu gestures towards the scanner. “I need to scan something, and,” Beomgyu picks up the lion plush from where it sits on the counter and rips the tag off, tossing it on the floor behind the counter. “Oops! Look at that. It doesn't have a price tag on it, so…” He shrugs. “Guess you’re gonna have to pick something cheap.”
The younger's eyes widened in disbelief. “Cheap? B-but it’s like- it’s gotta be at least 20 bucks! Hyung, I don’t want to get you in trouble, not for me. I can’t-”
While Kai rants, Beomgyu walks around the counter until he's standing next to him. He takes a quick glance around until he spots what he's looking for. He grabs it swiftly and walks back around to take his position at the register. Beomgyu holds his fist out, palm side down, and patiently waits for Kai to hold out his own hand to take its contents.
Kai does so, albeit incredibly confused, then stands there baffled as he takes in the tiny colorful package in his hand. “It's…. This is one of those dollar packs of gum?”
Beomgyu smiles softly. “I know.”
Kai stares at him, stares at the gum, then back at him. “And you… want me to give this to you… to scan?”
Beomgyu shrugs again. “Gotta scan something.”
The genuine worry in Kai’s eyes makes the butterflies in Beomgyu’s stomach work overtime. “But, hyung… won't you get in trouble?”
Beomgyu scoffs. “Pft. What are they gonna do? Fire me? Ha! I’m the genius who came up with Tteokbokki Tuesdays.”
Kai stares at him in astonishment. Beomgyu swears that his eyes glimmer when he looks at him. It almost makes him uncomfortable, to see this incredibly handsome boy staring at him as if he too is something incredible just for showing him a little kindness.
“Hyung… I-I don’t know what to say.” Kai says softly as he holds out the gum, never taking his eyes off his.
Beomgyu takes it. A spark of electricity runs through him when their fingers grace each others for a split second. He quickly takes the gum and scans it, hoping that Kai doesn’t notice the blush racing up his neck as he punches in his employee discount code. When Beomgyu looks up again he realizes that Kai too has a pretty rosy tint on his cheeks. He breathes a sigh of relief. It almost has a calming effect knowing that he's not the only one seemingly being affected by the other.
“Don't mention it.” Beomgyu smiles at the younger boy as he gives him his receipt. He’s rewarded with a warm smile from the younger before he stalks off to the little seating area in the corner of the store.
Once he sees Kai settled and eating at a corner table, Beomgyu quietly sneaks out of the gas station. The store will be fine without him for a couple minutes. It’s a slow hour. He just needs to have a little chat with someone.
“What do you want for it?”
The young mechanic doesn’t even pretend to look Beomgyu’s way. “Hello to you too.”
Beomgyu stifles the urge to roll his eyes at the younger. “Stop with the niceties and tell me what it is you want, Taehyun-ah.”
Taehyun gets up from where he was crouched down searching for something in his tool box. He wipes his oily hands off on a nearby rag, still bothering to look at Beomgyu as he stalks off towards the office area. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Beomgyu follows him. He groans and runs his hands over his face in exasperation. “Yes. You do.”
Taehyun looks back at him quizzically for a few moments before giving in. He sighs. “Did that kid send you over here to talk to me? I’m sorry, but I don’t have the part. His car will be ready in about a week.”
“That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Beomgyu spits out. Taehyun’s gaze sharpens, not liking the older boy's tone. “I’m sorry,” Beomgyu sighs. “I’m sorry. Look,” Beomgyu sits down in a nearby chair that looks reasonably clean. “The kid’s had a hard day, alright? Can’t you just cut him some slack? I know you can persuade Yeonjun to get you the part sooner.”
Taehyun scoffs. “Even if I could, why should I? He should just be thankful that I took what money he did have and not the full half of the payment upfront like work policy states we do.”
“Oh come on! You’re the one who helped Yeonjun make those policies, you can afford to bend the rules a little!” Taehyun gives him a pointed look at the suggestion. “And he is thankful! He didn’t send me to sweet talk you, this is all me. I just-” Beomgyu groans in frustration. He takes a deep, calming breath. He knows very well he won't get through to Taehyun if he loses his temper. “He’s just trying to get to his family, and he’s having a difficult time doing it. I just think he deserves a some good news.”
When Beomgyu looks up Taehyun is staring at him intently, thoughtfully. Usually Beomgyu would sneer at the way his friend enjoys looking at you like he's staring straight into the deepest darkest depths of one’s soul, but right now all he can think about is trying to help Kai. And to do that he needs Taehyun.
He stares back at the boy, firmly holding his ground for the sake of a cute boy in distress. Beomgyu swears he can see the gears grinding away in that tiny head of his. The shift in his eyes speaks wonders compared to his predominantly monosyllabic mouth. Thankfully Beomgyu doesn’t need to figure out what it means.
“Fine.” Taehyun concedes, tossing the rag at Beomgyu, who in turn tosses it away in disgust. “Give me three days.”
If he weren’t in a dirty auto shop, Beomgyu would get down on his knees to thank the boy. Instead he closes his eyes and holds his hands together in show of gratitude, unwilling to hug the filthy mechanic. “Thank you. Thank you!” He happily bounds up from his seat and practically skips back towards work…
… That is until he hears Taehyun clear his throat.
“I think you're forgetting something.”
Beomgyu sighs and turns back around to glare at the mechanic. Damn. So close. “Alright. What do you want for it?”
Taehyun smirks.
When Beomgyu walks into the gas station he’s met with a stunned Kai at the counter. Kai looks up at the sound of the door opening. He smiles wide when he realizes it’s Beomgyu. He waves at him happily, as if the older wouldn’t have noticed him in the empty store. “Hyung! I was wondering where you ran off to!”
“Hey,” Beomgyu tries to think of an excuse quickly. “I just… went outside to- you know, lot pickup.”
“Oh!” Kai looks down confused. “But… you don’t have a broom and dustpan or anything?”
Shit. “Um. No need, there was no trash. Forgot this is a clean town.”
Kai giggles and Beomgyu‘s heart is racing nervously. “Okay. I was actually coming up to ask if I could get my phone? My sister shouldn’t be here for like another hour but I don’t want to miss any updates.”
“Oh. Oh! Right, of course.” Beomgyu skirts past Kai and heads for the office. He unplugs the now fully charged phone and smiles down at the cute photo one last time before heading to return it to its rightful owner. “Here you go, fully charged and ready to roll.”
Kai graciously takes the phone from him. Thanking him quietly, which is a total turn from the loud ramblings Beomgyu had gotten from him all afternoon. He looks like he wants to say something, he even opens his mouth but closes it swiftly. It’s cute how shy the boy is suddenly. Just when Beomgyu didn’t think he could be any more enamored by him.
“Um. Hyung?”
“Yes, Kai-ah?”
Kai is toying with his phone, flipping it around over and over in his hand nervously while the other hand clutches onto the lion plush for dear life. He’s blushing again. It sweeps over his ears and onto the apples of his cheeks and Beomgyu finds himself out of breath. “I just- I wanted to thank you, that's all.”
Beomgyu chuckles. “For what?”
“Oh, you know,” the blush on Kai’s face deepens. “Keeping me company, feeding me, helping me out with the plushie. Everything. I really appreciate your kindness.”
Beomgyu can feel a smile start to split his face open. “It was my pleasure,” he says, and he truly means it. He chuckles. “If anything I should be thanking you.”
“Thanking me?” Kai giggles. “What for?”
Beomgyu runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “Ah, this is embarrassing… but you coming in here was definitely the highlight of my day. If I’m being honest, it’s probably the best thing that happened in this quiet town in a really long time.”
“Oh.” Kai stares at him, eyes wide and shining like Beomgyu’s quickly grown used to seeing. The blush staining his cheeks looks so incredibly sweet that Beomgyu has to force himself to not coo over the younger boy and his strawberry cheeks.
“Yeah.” Beomgyu smiles over at him. “Oh.”
The silence between them speaks wonders. Beomgyu watches as one of Kai’s hands plays with the lion's fur and the other hand lays on the counter, his fingers gently tap tap tapping away like they’re trying to distract themselves. He wishes Kai didn’t feel like he has to stop himself from doing whatever it is that he wants to do. He wishes that he was a bit braver himself, maybe then he’d have enough courage to not stop himself either. Maybe then he’d be able to inch his own fingers closer towards the other boy. They stare at each other. Usually Beomgyu doesn’t like being gawked at, but Kai’s gaze is soft, almost like it’s caressing him. It’s like he thinks that if he stares at Beomgyu too hard, he’ll just dissipate into thin air. It’s clearly evident that they both have something on the tip of their tongue but neither wants to speak first.
The tension is cut by the sudden jarring marimba tone coming from Kai’s pocket. He fishes his phone out and he quickly scans the message. His eyes grow wider the longer he reads. In the midst of joy he must be feeling at finally being rescued, Beomgyu swears he sees a flicker of sadness flit by in his pretty brown eyes.
He shoves his phone back into his pocket and looks up at him. “It’s my sister. Guess traffic was lighter than we expected. She’s- she’s outside.” He opens his mouth to say something else, but promptly closes it. This look of uncertainty washes over his face. His lips twitch, like they’re unwilling to let his spoken thoughts out. He clears his throat, “I guess I’ll- uh… get going.”
“Oh,” is all Beomgyu says. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you, huh?”
Kai smiles sadly. “Bye hyung.”
He nods his farewell as he watches the boy walk away.
He watches as Kai opens the door, as his tall frame being careful to not hurt himself again, as he takes his first few steps in the fleeting sunlight.
He feels his chest tighten the farther the boy gets. He knew he wasn’t going to be here long, but he’d still hoped for more.
It’s at that moment, just before Kai has gone out of focus, that he sees Taehyun come up to him.
Oh shit.
Kai is smiling politely as Taehyun speaks, but then something changes. Kai looks back towards the gas station, his mouth in the form of a little ‘o’. As Taehyun continues speaking, Kai’s smile glows differently. His eyes turn into crescents as realization sinks in.
And then he’s walking back towards the store.
Beomgyu panics. He frantically looks around in an attempt to look busy and not like he was wistfully watching Kai walk away. He ends up inspecting the display case of mint chocolate chewing gum. Ew.
He tries his best to pretend his heart doesn't race like crazy when he hears the doorbells timbre followed by a soft, sweet giggle.
Kai hurriedly shuffles up to the counter and stares directly into Beomgyu’s soul. “Thank you,” he breathes out, his smile never wavering.
Beomgyu stares back. He can feel his heart hammering away as he scans the boy's features. Soft lips, high cheekbones, and the most sincere gaze he's ever seen on a person. Bright and lovely brown eyes staring intently as Beomgyu. Beomgyu realizes a little too late that he's been staring at the boy instead of responding. Thankfully Kai takes his silence as confusion and takes it upon himself to elaborate.
“Taehyun-ssi says the parts were miraculously expedited.” He sounds so happy Beomgyu’s chest aches. “He can have my car ready in a few days instead of a week!”
Beomgyu finally finds his voice albeit a tad hoarse. “Sounds like you should be thanking Taehyunnie, not me.”
Kai hums, a phantom smirk grazing the corner of his soft looking mouth. “No. That’s not right. Something tells me you had something to do with it.”
Beomgyu shrugs. “I wouldn't know how to get car parts. I’m not a mechanic.”
“I know.” Kai goes silent but his eyes are loud. The genuine look they hold is nearly enough to bring Beomgyu to his knees. He stands there looking at Beomgyu expectantly until he finally caves.
Beomgyu snorts softly, just barely keeping in a smile of his own. “You're welcome.”
Beomgyu didn't know it was possible for Kai’s smile to grow even brighter than before. The force of his smile is so overwhelming Beomgyu would almost say he's afraid to look directly at it, fearing death by cuteness. But damn, what a way to go.
Kai’s eyes crinkle cutely. He nods goodbye and begins to make his way out. Beomgyu doesn't watch this time, already feeling that ache grow in his chest. He settles on waiting for the doorbell to sound, to notify him that the boy has undoubtedly left again.
But the ring doesn't come.
He looks up in confusion towards the door only to find Kai standing a few feet away from it, his pretty eyes trained on Beomgyu. He doesn’t look as nervous anymore. He looks brave.
“I'll be back on Tuesday. For my car.” He takes a few tentative steps towards Beomgyu. “When I come back maybe I can… I can come see you? If you’re not busy of course! And maybe… maybe you could show me that diner you were talking about?”
Beomgyu is stunned into silence, causing the boy's smile to falter for a split second. It takes everything Beomgyu has to not jump over the counter and kiss him silly right then and there.
“Yeah,” Beomgyu feels his lips twitch, and this time he allows himself to smile like he's been wanting to since the boy walked into his shop. “It's a date.”
5:49 pm.
Lately Beomgyu dreads this time of day and he’s going to be dreading it for a while.
“You’re the one who wanted to make a deal.”
Beomgyu looks up to see Taehyun smirk at him from across the counter.
“I did it for the good of the people,” Beomgyu states proudly.
Taehyun scoffs. “You did it to get that boy's attention and you didn’t even manage to get his phone number.”
The doorbell chimes and Beomgyu can’t help that for a moment his heart stutters a few beats, his mood perking up at the prospect of who it could be coming in. They turn towards the door in unison, but while Taehyun lights up, Beomgyu’s mood shifts back to its regular bored state.
“Hi, hyung.” Taehyuns voice comes out much softer. Yeonjun comes up behind Taehyun and slips an arm around the younger boy's waist.
Beomgyu pushes down the sudden urge to gag as he watches Taehyun’s Cheshire cat grin get replaced by a pink blush and a soft, smitten smile.
“Hey, honey,” Yeonjun smiles softly at Taehyun. “Beomgyu,” Yeonjun nods in acknowledgment towards Beomgyu before turning his full attention back towards the youngest. “I’m gonna go grab my slushie. Did you want me to get you anything?”
Beomgyu notices how Taehyun’s eyes sparkle up at their hyung. “I’m okay, hyung, but thank you. You go on ahead.”
Yeonjun squeezes his side before nodding once and stalking off towards the slushie machine. Beomgyu watches how Taehyun’s eyes follow the older boy… or rather how they follow the older boy's backside as he walks away.
“You’re disgusting,” Beomgyu grumbles.
The sparkle in Taehyun’s eyes has turned into one of mischief now that the eldest is out of ear shot. “Oh please, as if you didn’t drool over Kai-ah.”
Beomgyu clears his throat. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mhmm. Sure.” Taehyun studies him for a few beats. “So, you weren’t counting down the days until today? The day when he was supposed to come to pick up his car?”
“Nope,” Beomgyu says as he fiddles with his name tag.
Taehyun hums. He doesn’t sound convinced. “So you’re not at all fazed by the fact that he was supposed to be here a few hours ago?” Taehyun taps his fingers on the counter leisurely. He leans in closer. “You’re not ecstatic about the prospect of seeing him any second now?”
Beomgyu stares at him and prays his eyes don’t give him away. “He can do whatever he wants. If he happens to come in I’m not gonna stop him.”
Taehyun smirks. “And I’m sure that his coming here has nothing to do with why you put on your good hoodie and put your hair up in a ponytail cause you think it makes you look hot, huh?”
Beomgyu tsks and instinctively reaches back to pat his ponytail. He doesn’t think it makes him look hot. He knows it does. “What is this? Twenty questions?”
Before Taehyun can retaliate, Yeonjun has returned back, cheerfully sipping his slushie.
Beomgyu looks at the concoction the eldest has created. “Why can’t you just pick a flavor?”
Yeonjun shrugs nonchalantly. “What can I say? One fourth cherry, three fourths coke. It’s the best combination.”
Beomgyu stares at him deadpan. “I four fourths don’t care.”
Taehyun glares at him. “Whatever. We’re going to the diner for dinner. Soobin hyung said Felix tried his hand at making egg tarts. Who knows why, but if they’re anything like his brownies I’m sure they’ll be great. See you in a bit.”
Taehyun grabs onto the arm that isn’t carrying his slushie and tries to pull Yeonjun away, but the older boy stops him. “Oh, hold on, hun. I haven’t paid yet.”
Taehyun gives Beomgyu a firm glare while Yeonjun fumbles for his wallet. Beomgyu easily catches the hint and sighs. “It’s on me, hyung.”
Yeonjun’s eyebrows ride up until they disappear into his hairline. “You sure? You didn’t let me pay the last few times either.”
Beomgyu chances another quick glance at Taehyun before answering, the words just slipping out between gritted teeth. “Don’t worry about it. Anything for my favorite hyung.”
Yeonjun arches an eyebrow, confusion evident on his face, but he doesn’t argue. He simply slips the hand that isn’t holding his slushie into Taehyun’s hand and gently pulls him towards the exit
Taehyun smiles softly and then whispers so only Beomgyu can hear him, “Hope it was worth it.”
Right at that moment they hear the door slam open followed by a yelp of pain. Their heads whip around and Beomgyu’s heart flutters at the culprit. He’s sure his own eyes have begun to sparkle enough to rival that of Taehyun’s.
Kai.
He’s standing there, eyes bright, smile wide, with one hand rubbing his forehead where he’s hit himself (again) and the other waving shyly at Beomgyu. The way Kai is looking at him makes him feel like they’re the only two humans on the planet.
“Hyung! Sorry I’m late but I’m here now!”
“Yeah,” Beomgyu quietly responds to Taehyun, his eyes never leaving the boy that’s been invading his thoughts for the past few days. The reason he wore his good ‘boyfriend material’ hoodie and put his hair up in a ponytail. The reason he has two plushies sitting behind the counter with a ‘not for sale’ note stuck on them. The reason he convinced (paid) Felix to make egg tarts instead of brownies tonight. The reason he now happily gives Yeonjun free slushies and will continue to do so for the next month. “It was totally worth it.”