He was alone in the corner of the university library. It was one certain day around the lovely December in his third year of college era. The month he was born, the month he loved most. The one certain month with cold winter season, yet having such warm feelings. December. Everything was fine and normal. Nothing such a mess nor miserable, but one thing. He caught a flu. He didn't feel well since earlier in the morning, yet he had to finish the assignment before assisting the afternoon class if he wanted to rest for the following day. He wanted to enjoy the Christmas holiday without any burden of assignments.
He caught a flu and a bit headache. He sneezed and coughed in every minutes as his head wanted to meet a pillow. His throat felt dry as the cought slowly annoyed him. So he went to the side of the librarian desk and took some warm water.
And when he came back into his table, there was a warm grey beanie with small "RM" letters laid on top of one of the books he read.
Well, he needed one since he didn't bring his own. And he felt the cold was getting worse. He looked around his surrounding, empty. No one there. He actually wanted to ask who left the beanie for him because Santa way early for giving him presents, but he was the only person stayed in that corner of the library. He felt strange, and the unknown stranger who left the beanie must be an angel.
"Whoever you are, thanks anyway..." He mumbled.
He didn't know that in the hallway outside the library, there was this man fighting the cold weather.
"Where is your beanie?" The man who looked bright and positive asked the other one. "It's cold and freezing. Why didn't you wear it?"
"I didn't bring one." The handsome man answered nonchalantly.
"Huh? How come? You clearly wore it when we went to the library though..."
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Seokjin wondered if spring has finally came to say hi and spread the warm. He lost the counting days he didn't know anymore how long he was trapped inside the cockloft bedroom of Namjoon's classic mansion. He peeked outside by the large trellised window. The beautiful moss rose around the carnations garden were already blooming. They were so pretty and it brightened Seokjin's mood.
"Good morning, hyung..." Bomin greeted with a tray of breakfast. A bowl of cereals with milk and raisins. And a piece of banana.
Seokjin bit his lower lip. Lately, he felt hundred times hunger than usual. He wanted more than just cereals. He wanted some menus to be added for his breakfast.
"Where is Namjoon?"
Bomin took a glance as he put the tray on the study table. "Why?"
"Ugh..." Seokjin hesitantly answered. "I... I need to talk with him about the menus..."
Bomin raised his left eyebrow while looking at the tray. "Must be boring to eat this kind of breakfast everyday..."
"No..." Seokjin took the bowl. "I love cereals, just... My appetite was asking for more than just cereals. I want to ask Namjoon for adding my breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon." He grinned awkwardly. "Also for the afternoon tea. Uhm. I really want to eat crumpets."
"Crum what?"
"Crumpets." Seokjin half finished his breakfast. That fast. "I went to England last year with my parents and fell in love with this traditional British teatime treat griddle cake. And I'm craving for some crumpets now."
Bomin tilted his head. "You mean, you want Namjoon hyung to buy this cake right from England, hyung?"
"No no no." Seokjin almost choked by the cereals. "I mean, if you don't mind, you can search on google how to make this traditional cake. It's not that hard, really. I'm so sure you can easily making the perfect ones."
Bomin nodded. "Okay. I will tell Namjoon hyung." He said as he amazed with the speed of light the bowl was empty. Seokjin must be really hungry.
"Ahh, one more! Bomin ah!" Seokjin half shouted when the young lad almost reach the door. "If Namjoon granted my wish for having more items of my menu, especially this crumpets, can you please adding cinnamon powder for the topping?"
And Bomin gave him a thumb up, along with a cute wink. "Sure."
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Seokjin flipped the pages of manga he took from the bookshelves. He didn't really read it though. 21st Century Boys way hard for his brain. For him, manga should be entertaining, not confusing. He missed to read something light such as Kariage-kun. He sighed as he tossed the manga beside him and pulled his legs to lean his head on his knees.
His stomach grumbled. "I want pizza and Big Mac..." He desperately mumbled. "And potato chips..." He mumbled some more junk foods and jolted when the door creaked open. Bomin mouthed 'Hi' as he gave Seokjin a slight sign to see the tray he brought. But instead of giving any attention to the tray, his eyes glued on the person walked behind the young lad. It's Namjoon.
Namjoon that the last time they met no longer had him vent of rage and despair. Namjoon that he could communicate calmer and nicer the last time they met. Namjoon who finished the dinner he cooked without any complain.
And that made Seokjin smiled unconsciously.
The man stood up in front of the mattres with folded hands on his chest. Seokjin peeked on the tray that Bomin still held and glanced to the man, and back to peeked the tray. It's crumpets. Yay! But...
"I-I didn't forced Bomin to make me those crumpets. Believe me!" Seokjin didn't know why he suddenly turned so childish and couldn't choose any better excuse than to make Bomin looked bad, and felt bad.
But the young lad chuckled. "You didn't, hyung. Don't worry. I actually forced Namjoon hyung to agree to let me make these crumpets. For us."
"Ehh?" Seokjin a bit confused.
"Well, I wanted to try the recipe, though I haven't try the original ones that made in England." Bomin laughed. He put the tray on the study table and took the portable tiny table from the corner of the room and settled it beside the mattress.
Seokjin peeked again. Some pieces of traditional British teatime treat griddle cake -midway between English muffin and pancake- enough for three people, along with hot mint tea. Two mugs of hot mint tea. That means Namjoon gonna stay there with him.
Bomin placed a chair and bowed when he finished the setting. "Enjoy your crumpets, hyung." And then he left the two.
"I really didn't forced Bomin to make this, you heard him..." Seokjin pouted since Namjoon looking at him like he did something so wrong, as he sliced the crumpets and bit it. "Ohh this is great! As delicious as I expect!" He said without bothered to offer Namjoon to sit and enjoy the traditional griddle cake with him. He could finish those all by himself though. "You know what. You only gave me a slice of cake for afternoon tea." He added. "You don't even give me some snacks between breakfast and lunch. And I actually have to eat something before I go to bed." He didn't care anymore, he wanted to get additional menus and additional snack times so bad.
Namjoon didn't respond the protest and walked heading the mattress to take the manga that laid there. The man reached for the manga by propped his left hand on the mattress, right next the pouted pretty guy. It was when the pretty guy stiffened. That weird feelings.
He felt weird for wanting to breath the masculine mix of bitter orange and pepperwood of Namjoon's perfume that blended with the man's sweat, more and more. It's calming and relaxing. And the sudden feelings of wanting the man to be near. He wanted to cuddle.
"Who said you have the right to treat my manga collection like this, huh?"
Well, Seokjin randomly tossed it and the manga flipped over on the mattress, with it's cover a bit folded wrong way.
Seokjin peeked the manga's latest condition and gulped. "Don't you want to try this?" He instantly changed the topic. "This crumpets usually served with butter, but cinnamon also doing the great job."
"You think you can make me forget this folded crumpled pages by changing topic?" Namjoon sneered as he sat right beside the jittery pretty guy, yet he didn't notice the awkward gesture since he was busy flipping the pages.
Seokjin squeezed the spoon on his hand. The itchy feelings in every second he breathed Namjoon's pheromones got him out of his mind. Made him dizzy and crazy. He tried to refrain any possibility of weird act, yet he failed. He jumped to cling his arms around the man's neck and burried his face on the man's chest.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Namjoon yelled by the sudden action. He pried the other's hands from his neck, but the hug just getting tighter.
"Just a moment. Please..." Seokjin wanted a cuddle, he didn't know why and he won't wait for permission. As if he needed ones. If Namjoon could touch him whenever the man want it, so why Seokjin couldn't?
"No." Namjoon forced the pretty one to release the embrace.
And Seokjin fought back to stay still. "I will koala you I don't care you like it or not, unless you tell me when will you release me so we can be friends and hang out like normal people!"
"What? Hang out? Are you fucking kidding me?" Namjoon mocked.
Seokjin tightened the hug to make the other man suffocated. "At least be friends!"
Friends? Namjoon himself admitted that he felt the weird stingy ache inside his heart since the chamomile tea affection. The stung feelings for Hoseok. The confusion between hatred, frustration, and the softness on the corner of his brokenheart that told him the pretty guy was being genuine and sincere.
"Next month." He finally answered with deep hoarse voice.
Seokjin loosened the hug and looked up. "For real?"
The man turned his head to avoid the eye contact. And nodded.
A deep breathe as he memorized the specific scent of Namjoon's pheromones -the masculine mix of bitter orange and pepperwood perfume that blended with the man's sweat- Seokjin slowly released the hug. "Thank you." He smiled with slightly triumph expression. "May I have some pocky and cinnamon tea for after dinner snack?"
Another sudden question that made Namjoon dumbfounded.
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Namjoon rested his back on the headboard bed as he flipped open Seokjin's pink cellphone and read some unread messages.
From Hyosang.
And then checking on emails, before his own cellphone buzzed. An incoming call from Yoongi.
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The afternoon tea was nice. Though Namjoon wasn't so responsive with the conversation Seokjin tried to build, the man seemed to enjoy the crumpets. And it's lovely for Seokjin's liking.
"Next month..." He grinned. "Next month we will be friends..."
It was around bedtime. Seokjin hummed some random songs while enjoying two boxes of pocky, as he staring the starry sky through the large trellised windows.
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