Automatic | Jinkook

2.0

The drinks weren't particularly heavy - especially not when he was used to carrying trays filled with food. But they were awkward, and he found himself weaving through the busy resturnat with care, barely making it around the corner before he was forced to stop short, nearly sending the filled to the brim glasses toppling.

Somehow they all stayed upright, and he said a silent prayer to whichever god had been looking out for him.

"Excuse me, I just need to -" Because the person was standing precisely where he needed to be, chatting away with the men who he was meant to be serving. And he could neither duck below them or around them, so his only option was to hope that they would move.

"Sorry, let me just -" There were moments that were only supposed to happen in movies, and the bad k-dramas that he watched late at night when he was kept awake. Never before had any of the things he saw in them actually come true.

Not until this very moment.

Because he was certain he had fallen asleep and was currently have some crazy kind of delusional dream.

"Seokjin?" Yet he heard his name, and he snapped out of the fog that had fallen over him. Let his eyes travel upwards just long enough to find the source.

Just long enough to wish he hadn't.

"Hello, Jungkook. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Of course Jungkook would be there, dressed like the important alpha that he was. And he would be on the other end, meant to serve him like the good little omega society wanted him to be.

"Yeah. Wow. You look -"

"Uh, not to break up this touching little reunion, but if I don't start drinking in the next ten minutes I'm never gonna get fucked up enough to do something stupid." The alpha in the middle was speaking again, and Seokjin found himself moving without even realizing it, settling the tray on the edge and beginning to place the drinks in front of the individual who had ordered them.

"Of course. I'm so sorry about that. Were you ready to order, or were you still waiting?"

"Well since this one wants to act like he doesn't know us, I guess we're ready to order." The third one spoke again, and Seokjin realized his hair was a dark gray with shocks of light lavender running through it. A strange combination which actually seemed to suit him.

Seokjin thought he could like him. Maybe. In another life where he was able to have nice things.

"I told you I was sorry for being late." Jungkook spoke again, and he got the distinct feeling that he did not want to be there to witness the following exchange.

"I'll give you guys a little more time." Because he currently had a date with the walk in freezer. The only place where he could have a panic attack and no one would question it.

...

In the end it was a three hour marathon that he regretted ever taking on. Drinks and appetizers, followed by three courses and dessert. He had refilled their drinks until he was certain he he was going to have to cut them off. Had bowed and reluctantly accepted all of their misplaced flirting. Had done an exceptionally good job of avoiding Jungkook's gaze or acknowledging that he existed at all except for when he was forced to take his order.

But it was over. And Hoseok hadn't been wrong when he said they'd probably tip well. Each one of them had slipped him a stack of bills that he had carefully placed into the pocket of his apron, whispering how very grateful he was and asking them to come back.

Awkwardness aside, he would much rather have had them than the other alpha's who couldn't get it through their heads that he wasn't on the menu. At least two of them had appeared too have enough sense to know he was never actually going to go home with them. And he had learned a valuable lesson.

That apparently you could actually smack it into someone. Because the one on his right had been nothing but polite since that moment on.

His back ached terribly. And he found himself reaching around to try and rub away the soreness as he gathered the last of the plates, placing them in a stack to be easily carried.

"Seokjin." His attention turned, and he watched in what could only be called horror as Jungkook jogged back to him - the only one who hadn't tipped him. Then again, he was the only one who hadn't gotten drunk enough to make terrible decisions.

"Hello again, alpha." He tried to smile. He did. Tried to make it soft and pretty. Just the way it always had been. But he knew he failed. Because all he ever looked now was tired. "Did you forget something?"

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't have any cash on me so I had to run to the ATM. I wanted to give you this." The stack of bills currently being held out to him was nearly twice as big as any of the other's, and for a moment he considered saying no. That it was too much. That he had already been given enough.

But this wasn't all for him. And he knew that he had to swallow down his pride and accept it.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you." He tucked the cash into a separate pocket, before shifting so he could bow low, taking in a sharp breath as the movement cause a pain in his lower back.

"Are you -" There was instant concern laced within the other's voice, and he hated the sound of it.

"I'm fine. Just a little sore. It's been a long day." A series of them, each one seemingly more impossible than the last. But he had gotten through them, and now he had a two day stretch ahead of him where he didn't have to return to this god forsaken place.

"Oh." Silence fell over them, thick and awkward, and he turned back to his task. Simply went back to clinking the plates together until they formed a stack and he could pick them up with ease, tucking them in close so even if he happened to bump into someone on the way they wouldn't go toppling.

"It was nice seeing you again, Jungkook. Have a nice evening." Part of him - nearly all, really, wanted to say so much more. Wanted to break down and let it all out. But he couldn't. Because strong was the only thing he had been for so long that all of those emotions had hardened down into a ball inside of him and he didn't think anything would ever be powerful enough to make it dislodge.

"Wait!" He was halfway across the small portion that should have been Hoseok's, but had been closed when they had made the switch, leaving it thankfully empty. "I was wondering if I could get your number. Maybe we could grab a coffee or something sometime. Catch up."

"That's really sweet, Jungkook. But I don't think so." It was more than sweet. It was tempting. But it was too late to fix everything now, and he wasn't naïve enough to think otherwise. "Thank you for coming, alpha. I hope to see you again."

He didn't. But he had to say something. Had to do something to fill the emptiness, to give him time to put space between them. Because in the end all he had to do was turn on his heel and it was too late for the other to do anything at all.

Which was honestly pretty ironic. But he had come to terms with the fact that's just how his life was now.