Hope ~ Taekook

some taemin Action first

14:00. 

Taehyung grabbed his pill bottle from underneath the counter. It felt odd having to take his medicine on a day like this. The sun was shining through the shop windows and the smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. The flowers from outside tinted the light in inside the room in  gold, crimson, and earthy tones. Even the jingle of the bell above the door sounded more welcoming than usual.

The boy that was walking into the shop was holding some roses and smiled as he spotted Tae behind the counter. His pale blond hair seemed almost clear with the light hitting it from behind.

"I would like to buy these." He grinned.

"Of course. I'll just have to get some ribbon out of the back. One second please."

Taehyung scurried through the door behind him, leading into the storage room and kitchen. It took him about a minute before he found what he was looking for and he returned to the store to start tying together the other boy's Flowers.

"Too bad you don't have any monkshood. They would fit in there perfectly. But I guess these orange lilies and black roses should do the job, right?"

 Tae was surprised how much the other knew about the meaning behind the types of roses and colors he picked. He for sure didn't get them for someone he particularly liked and through further investigation Tae found out they were for a roommate that was moving out.

It was a lighthearted conversation, but the blond's eyes kept on gliding past Tae, right over his left shoulder. He turned around, pretending to look for the tape to see what was catching the other boy's attention. The door leading to the storage room had swung open, revealing his mattress and duffel bag laying in the back only partly hidden by one of the shelves.

As Tae turned around, the other boy wasn't smiling anymore but his eyebrows were furrowed.

"Do you live here?"

Tae's cheeks flushed, probably in a color matching some of the roses in front of him. This wasn't really what he imagined when he moved out of his parents' house, but he figured since he was the only one working in the shop, no one would find out until he had found a proper home to live in.

"It's only temporary. I am looking for a place to live at the moment." Tae couldn't stand the other boy's pitying looks so he turned around with red cheeks, this time really looking for the tape. Even though he could feel the blond's eyes piercing his back, he decided to ignore it, hoping the other would let the topic slide as well.

"Ah here it is!" He grabbed the roll of tape and turned back around but the other boy was still looking at him like before.

'"It's fine. Really. I'm saving money as well since I don't have to pay rent." That was a lie. Tae wasn't paying rent, but he wasn't exactly saving money either. Paying for a gym membership just so he could shower and wash his clothes wasn't cheap at all. But the other boy didn't have to know that.

"You can't be serious! What are your parents saying about this?" his eyes widened in shock.

Tae just shrugged. He could see in the other boy's face how uncomfortable it made him, he would probably drop the topic soon.

"You know the roommate I just told you about? The one who moved out two weeks ago?"

Tae nodded. This was taking an unexpected turn and he wasn't sure what to think exactly.

"It has been awfully quiet around the house since then... why don't you just move in? Even if it's just for a short time, it is probably better than living in the storage room of a shop."

Tae couldn't comprehend what he had just heard. This boy can't be serious.

"Is this a joke? Why would you let me, a stranger, into your house? You don't even know my name."

"So what is it?"

"Taehyung...."

"Okay Taehyung, nice to meet you. I'm Jimin!" With a reassuring smile he held his hand out, waiting for Tae to grab and shake it. As expected Tae did, despite the fact that this was probably a mistake and he didn't even have money to pay rent.

Jimin waited for him to say something but as soon as he noticed he probably wouldn't, he just continued talking: "Tonight is Yoongi's birthday party so if you would like to come and get to know the other roommate and see if you two are compatible you are officially invited."

"Other roommate?"

"Yeah, his name is Jungkook. I think you two will get a long just fine. I can't wait for you to meet him!"

"I have to work late today." He lied. He really did wish he could go but he probably would close the store as early as always. He had this strong feeling that he was missing something, that something was up. He knew that was just his anxiety talking but he didn't want to risk it anyways. He'd be uncomfortable all night and leave a bad first impression.

"Hm, how about tomorrow morning then? Kookie and I head out at 11am. Could you make it before that, to look at your room and all that? Of course nothing's decided yet and if you want to stay here, that's alright as well."

Tae nodded.

"Okay just come over whenever suits you." He smiled. A genuine smile. And Tae couldn't help but smile back.

Their conversation was interrupted by a phone ringing. Jimin grabbed his cell from the counter and laughed: "It's Jungkook! What a coincidence. He's probably mad I am not home yet..." He grinned and quickly wrote down their address before picking up.

"Hey, you won't belie-... yes... yes... omg Kookie. I am on my way just wait like five minutes.... Mhmm."

Jimin rolled his eyes but smiled and waved before walking out the door.

Tae waited until his voice faded before sitting down with his back leaning against the counter. He only realized his hands were trembling as he tried to carefully fold the sheet of paper containing the address of his possible future home. He held up his shaky fingers to where he could see them better and wondered at the equally weak flutter in his chest.

Hope was a dangerous, disquieting thing, but he thought perhaps he liked it.

A/N Thank you for reading! I would appreciate Feedback, comments and votes so I can keep on improving my story for you! I promise the next chapters will be getting longer and better!