Warm Tea and Soggy Chocolates
Summary: He's cold, soaked through and just wants to curl up back at home, but Jimin really needs one more sale for the charity today or he'll be eating nothing but instant ramen for weeks. Still he hopes for the best as he rings the bell on his last house for the day.
Jimin could feel his sneakers squelch as he climbed the front steps of the last house on the street. The middle class neighbourhood was on a hill that had a lovely view over the city, but little of it was visible due to the horrible weather. Four hours of walking door to door ensured he was soaked through, yet the rain showed no sign of stopping. It seemed like it had been raining for days now, and the autumn season Jimin usually loved for its warm tones of gold and red, seemed to be heading for a complete washout that not even hot chocolate and cozy nights in with vanilla scented candles and soft blankets could save.
Despite trying to avoid puddles, Jimin’s shoes had leaked and now even his socks were wet. The bottom of his jeans were splattered with mud and he was chilled to the bone. With a sigh he pulled the hood of his coat further up his head, trying in vain to keep the downpour off his already drenched blonde hair. His other hand was clenched around the cardboard handle of the box of samples he had now tucked under the opening of his jacket in a desperate attempt to keep them dry. In his heart he already knew it was a lost cause and that he’d have to pay to replace them, something he definitely could not afford, well at least not if he wanted to eat, as his next tuition bill was due in two weeks. He needed this sale, or even better a donation subscription. Maybe he could offer the sample box at a discounted rate to try and minimize his loss? It was better than nothing.
His finger darted out to press the doorbell before the same hand steadied the hood on his head again while he waited. He hated to admit it but this really had to be the last house of the day no matter what. He needed the money but if he kept going now he would only end up too sick to be able to work at all tomorrow. Better to be smart about this.
With no one answering he decided to give the bell one last chance then call it a day. He reached out again only to be startled by the door being jerked open, not by one of the grumpy pensioners that seemed to inhabit the rest of this street, but by a tall, drop-dead gorgeous man dressed casually in a plain wide necked white t-shirt and slouchy grey sweatpants. Dark hair curled on his forehead and silver hoops dangled from both ears, and the shirt slipped slightly askew and showed off his collar bones. He was buff as hell with a full sleeve of ink scrolling down his exposed arm, and might have looked tough if it hadn’t been for the wide doe eyes looking down at Jimin, clearly confused by what the stranger was doing on his doorstep. Jimin took a deep, low breath to try and collect himself, thrown off both by someone actually opening the door and by how a man this good looking could actually exist in reality.
“Hello!” he smiled cheerfully, trying to collect himself before he launched into his spiel.
He was actually a bit proud of himself that he managed to get the greeting out of his mouth despite a flush rising to his face. Silently he was cursing the weather gods. This was the first time he’d come face to face with a guy this good looking in ages and he knew he probably looked worse than a drowned rat right now.
“Hi I'm Jimin and I’m representing the Seoul Society for the Protection of Calico Cats today. SSPCC are working to raise money for our new sanctuary. Would it be ok for me to tell you a bit about what we do?”
He held his smiling eye contact with the taller man, hoping to keep the man from at least shutting the door in his face. Unsurprisingly to Jimin it didn’t seem to be his own sodden face that kept the man interested though, but the box tucked under Jimin’s arm.
“Are those chocolates?” He asked, his eyes wide as he reached out a long finger to point at the once elegant looking package.
“Umm...yes?” Jimin responded while thinking quickly on his feet. There is a script he’s supposed to use and he’s not allowed to diverge from it but at the same time, at least he has the man’s interest. Going off script versus getting the door slammed in his face? Yeah, he’ll call this a win for now. “They are artisan chocolates. Locally made.”
Now THAT definitely caught his interest.
The man at the door was practically drooling now, Jimin could see it in his eyes as they flit from the box up to Jimin’s smile and back again. For all those hard veiny muscles peeping out from the sleeves of his t-shirt, he looked a bit like a kid in a candy shop (no pun intended), and it was all looking rather promising until a deafening clap of thunder sounded above them causing Jimin to yelp and about jump out of his skin. The shiny foil packaged box nearly dropped to the ground and for a moment Jimin’s future flashed before him, seeing his next week of meals turn to instant ramen. Thankfully the dark haired man was fast. With lightning reflexes, his large hands scrambled to catch the box at the same time Jimin did, their hands meeting under its base to steady it.
“That was close there,” he said looking at Jimin as he drew his hands back, ducking his head with a shy smile. Jimin can see he has a pretty mole that sits just under his lower lip, and it couldn’t have been a better place to accentuate the beauty of his lips if it had been placed there by Rembrandt himself. One of the man’s hands reached to scratch at the back of his neck nervously as the other gestured toward the interior.
“Why don’t you at least step out of the rain while we talk?”
Ok Jimin, that sounded a bit rude, he thought. Where else would it be? His garage?
But this–this was decidedly uncommon. In fact it had never actually happened before. Most of the time the door was shut in his face. Usually it happened with a “No, thank you” which was what kept the really awful days at least a bit bearable. A few of the kinder people would talk on the doorstep, and Jimin knew that if he at least got them to talk, he’d probably make a sale so that’s what he focused on. Just keep them talking as long as possible. And as an extrovert, a lonely one at that since his boyfriend had left him, meeting new people was the best part of the job. That and helping charitable causes.
Worrying about making many sales to keep his job was a new thing that Jimin wasn’t comfortable with. He worked for the agency the charity sourced its salespeople from, and this new boss was far more ambitious, always stretching for new and larger accounts. He had his sights set on large corporations that would pay more than the charities they usually worked for so now everyone was under pressure to produce the numbers that would attract the attention of new clients. Jimin had thought about leaving and trying to find something else, but as he was trying to earn his masters in education, the flexibility this job gave him, the ability to pretty much set his own schedule made it ideal. He really did want to try and stick it out until graduation. Knowing he was still representing charities made it a lot easier to push the office politics aside and focus on what was actually important to him.
The dark haired man in the doorway ducked his head as he smiled. “Yeah, of course inside the house. I’m not going to leave you standing in the rain,” he teased, opening the door wider and stepping back.
“You’re asking me to come in and tell you about our charity?” he tried to clarify, just in case.
Brilliant, Jimin. You’re socially brilliant. No wonder you haven’t had a date in nearly a year now.
At Jimin’s hesitation the man’s eyes went wide and he fumbled over his words.
“Oh, wait. Only if you feel safe of course! I...I understand if you don’t. I mean– I promise I’m not an axe murderer or anything…but of course an axe murder might just be saying that...but you know what I mean...”
Jimin’s eyes scrunched up into crescents as his whole face lit up with his laughter. While he might have seemed a bit imposing at first, the tall man had now gone beet red in embarrassment as he scrambled for words. It was at least 100% adorable. Maybe more than 100%. Jimin would definitely score it (and him) higher than that if it was allowed.
“No, no it’s fine! I’m grateful!”
He finally pulled himself together and stepped past the man, trying hard not to brush against him in the narrow tiled hall inside and get his host wet. He was thoroughly drenched from spending the last hour in the rain.
“Oh, I’m so sorry…I’m dripping all over your floor!” He looked down frantically to see if there was a doormat or rug inside he could stand on, something that would be less damaging than the expensive rug he was on. “It’s-it’s ok, I can just stand outside…” he said, making to retreat rather than cause a problem but the man had already closed the door behind him.
“Hey, don’t worry. Really.“ He ran his fingers through his hair trying to push his now damp bangs a bit off his forehead, and when he smiled again, rules be damned. Jimin raised the score anyhow. He was now at 200% adorable and rising quickly. “Would you like a cup of tea?”
Jimin looked up at him, meeting those big dark eyes with an expression that was shock mixed with happy and coated with a thick layer of eternally fucking grateful. “Oh yes, please. If it wouldn’t be any trouble, that would be beyond amazing. I’m...I’m Jimin by the way.”
The tall man held his hand out, gesturing for Jimin to take his coat off. “I know. You said,” he laughed softly.
“Well, just because I introduced myself doesn’t mean you listened. I mean most people don’t,” Jimin joked as he tried to wipe the remnants of water off the sample box of chocolates with his sleeve. He was disappointed to see the state it was in. The contents weren’t damaged but the package was not in any shape to sell now and certainly wouldn’t impress a potential buyer. The paper, which had once been a shiny purple foil, was now water stained and frayed at the corners of the box where it had become wet.
“Why wouldn’t they? Listen to you, I mean.”
Jimin looked up to see if the man was joking but was only met with a wide eyed innocent stare. His words seemed to have been spoken sincerely and earnestly, as if he couldn’t truly believe why anyone would not want to talk to the salesman. But feeling the intensity of Jimin’s gaze on him seemed to leave him a bit flustered and he cleared his throat as he looked away. He held out the hand that wasn’t holding Jimin’s jacket.
“I’m Jeongguk by the way.” The megawatt smile he gave Jimin that made his nose scrunch up to the point where he almost looked like a bunny nearly floored him. Jimin took his hand to shake it and kinda never wanted to let it go.
“So, uhm, Jimin-ssi. What kind of tea would you like? I have normal black tea or a few herbal teas to choose from?”
“Oh, I don’t mind. I’m really just grateful for anything warm at this point. I really can’t afford to get sick.” He always attempted to keep thoughts of all those nasty upcoming bills in perspective but it was still a major stress.
“Lemon and ginger it is then,” Jeongguk said decisively. “It will help you ward off a cold.” He turned to head to the kitchen before inviting Jimin to follow along with him. “Why don’t you tell me about these cats while I make the tea?”
The atmosphere was comfortable, almost domestic as Jimin stood there in the kitchen watching the handsome young man fill and boil the kettle. It felt more like coming home from a day at work than a door to door sales call. The kitchen was warm. Utensils hung neatly over the stove. Jars of half filled spices on the wall rack and a large basket of onions, squash and other seasonal produce on the sideboard stood testament to the occupant’s culinary prowess. It was a room that was everything a kitchen should be, the heart of the home. Jimin couldn’t help comparing it to his own flat which seemed cold and lifeless since he and his boyfriend had broken up, no matter how many plants and cable-knit throws he filled it with. The pair made small talk until they both had a mug of tea steaming in his hands and they sat down at the kitchen table.
“So,” Jeongguk prompted. “Cats.”
Jimin set his mug down, reaching into his folder of papers for a copy of the brochure that would explain the charity, the prices of the boxes of chocolates, and the other donation options. There were pictures of the cats and where they were currently living, along with an artist's sketch of what the new shelter they were hoping to build looked like. He explained the history of the charity and a bit about their other fundraising efforts, but the man in front of him was only half paying attention. He was clearly trying to keep focused on what Jimin was saying but his eyes kept being pulled towards the box of chocolates, sometimes his tongue darting out to lick along his bottom lip The first few times Jimin brushed it off but it was getting harder and harder to keep talking when the man he was speaking was so clearly distracted.
“So Jeongguk-ssi, do you like cats then?”
“No, I don’t. Wait. Cats? What?”Jeongguk flapped and tried to hide his embarrassment behind his mug as he took a drink of his tea, gulping it down despite how hot it was. “Please can you repeat the question?”
Jimin only laughed. He was just too cute, but part of Jimin was disappointed. At some point in the past he might have actually considered himself a decently skilled flirt but today he was losing the man’s attention to a tattered box of soggy chocolates. That hurt.
“I asked if you actually like cats, but from the look on your face I’m thinking you like chocolate more.”
“No?” Jimin tilted his head to the side in confusion. “But you’ve barely taken your eyes off the sample box? I kinda figured you were hoping I’d offer you a taste,” Jimin teased, because why not at least attempt to flirt right? He mustered his confidence and gave his best flirty smile hoping it would be reciprocated.
“I can’t,” Jeongguk admitted as he sighed deeply, before draining the rest of his tea. “I’m allergic.”
...or maybe not. The blonde’s face fell, unable to hide his disappointment.
It’s not like he thought he’d be able to sell the sample box anyhow with the state it was in but this confirmed it. And as kind as Jeongguk was, he wasn’t exactly the demographic that he usually received donations from. He tried to console himself that at least he had a nice cup of tea and a chat with a handsome man so it wasn’t a total waste of the afternoon, but financial concerns still lurked in the background spoiling an otherwise really lovely time.
“Umm, I should be going then, I guess,” he said dejectedly. “I apologize, I didn't mean to take up your time like this.”
His smile was sad but genuine. He had really enjoyed spending time here even if it made him nostalgic for the cozy domesticity he had lost when his relationship had gone up in flames. It was a poignant but pleasant reminder, a gentle kick up the arse, that he really needed to make an effort to get out more. That his life didn’t end when his ex walked out on him and that maybe, on another day when he didn’t look like he’d been dragged through a water bog backwards, he might even meet someone as kind and handsome as Jeongguk and have the courage to ask for his number. Maybe he’d even meet Jeongguk again if he was lucky.
The dark haired man looked up in surprise as Jimin pushed back his chair to stand.
“Wait, you’re going already? It’s still raining out there, isn’t it?” he said as he leaned over and craned his neck to try and see out the window from where he was sitting.
Though the window was splattered with raindrops, it seemed most of it had stopped though, or at least turned into a fine mist. The storm itself had definitely passed and the sun was pushing the clouds away. It was definitely no longer a reason Jimin should stay.
“Oh, or maybe not…” Jeongguk admitted reluctantly.
Jimin was busy gathering his brochures from the table when Jeongguk laid a hand on his wrist. Jimin’s eyes rose to look at him quizzically as he paused what he was doing.
“I just don’t want to disturb you further,” Jimin explained. It certainly wasn’t that he wanted to leave. If anything, he wanted to stay a long, long time and get to know Jeongguk better. “You’ve been so kind already, letting me come in and dry off. The tea and all.” He took his plump bottom lip between his teeth, the idea of wanting to see Jeongguk again strong in his mind. He just didn’t know if he’d have the courage or not to ask for his number.
“But- the charity,” Jeongguk continued. He hadn’t let go of Jimin’s wrist. “Aren’t you selling the box of chocolates?”
“Oh, well yes. I was actually hoping at one point to sell off this box as display but it’s kinda damaged fr-”
“I’ll take it.” Jeongguk cut him off, reaching for the wallet that was sitting on the countertop next to the coffeemaker before he even asked the price.
“I am, but you said they are really good ones, right? Have you tried them?” he asked eagerly.
“Oh god, yes! Definitely!” Now here was a subject Jimin could be enthusiastic about naturally. He adored chocolate, especially good chocolates. The ones in the box were among the best he’d ever tried and he’d love to eat them more frequently but they were well out of his price range. “Some companies give out really rubbish mass produced ones as an incentive for donations but these really are amazing! The only place you can even buy this brand is at that boutique in the west end of town. You know the one with the fancy topiary outside? Seokjin’s, I think it’s called. They are soooo expensive to buy but the owner is a friend of the charity’s director so he donates them.”
“Right, so I’ll take them.”
“But–you can’t eat them?” Jimin was curious now and perhaps prodded more than he should. “Are you planning on giving them as a gift or something? I mean the box is damaged…” he explained as he tried to point out where the paper had torn at the corners just in case the man hadn’t noticed and got upset later.
“It’s ok. The person I want to give them to has a good heart, I don’t think he’ll mind.” Jeongguk smiled, completely unfazed by the rips or other tears on the package.
“He? So are they for your brother? Or a co-worker? I might have a gift card in my folder somewhere…” Jimin tried to tell himself Jeongguk was only making polite conversation and it really wasn’t any of his business, but he had felt a twinge when he heard the box was to be a present for a man, and his courage to ask for the man’s number was rapidly dwindling.
“No. I was...uhm.” Jeongguk scratched nervously behind his ear as if he was already aware that what he was about to say wasn’t what Jimin would want to hear. “I was planning to ask someone out and I thought this would be perfect for him. It might sweeten the deal, and he’d agree to go on a first date with me.”
Ok. That’s that then, Jimin thought. His head dropped in disappointment. Well, it was a nice idea, but that it fell through wasn’t really a surprise. Jimin still felt his stomach twist at the thought of Jeongguk asking someone else out but at least it came up in conversation before he had made a fool of himself asking for the man’s number himself.
“So how much are they? The chocolates,” the young man asked, holding his wallet open, fingers poised to pluck out the required amount.
“Well, the box is damaged so you can have them for half price,” Jimin assured him, trying to keep the disappointment from his tone and his hands steady as he tucked the leaflets back into his folder and closed the pocket with a snap.
“No. Here, take this.” The man handed him more than double what Jimin asked. More even than the box would have cost originally had it not been soaked in the rain. “I mean it’s for charity right?”
“Right,” Jimin smiled thankfully as he tucked the money into an envelope and hastily wrote out a receipt. “This is very generous of you, Jeongguk-ssi. Thank you. Seriously, thank you so much.”
Not only would it actually help the charity, but bringing in an extra donation might keep Jimin’s boss off his back for a while as well. A win for both the cats and Jimin personally. At least there was this bright side he told himself as he walked slowly back to the hallway and started to slip his shoes on again. They weren’t dry by any means but at least they no longer squelched when he moved. He waited quietly while Jeongguk brought his jacket from where he had hung it over a radiator to try and dry it out. The young man was so sweetly considerate it made his heart ache. While he didn’t miss his cheating ass boyfriend, he did miss having such sweet and caring moments. Jimin reached out to take the coat but Jeongguk only held it open, encouraging Jimin to allow him to slip it onto his arms and shrug it up onto his shoulders.
He faced Jeongguk again, taking in his features one last time before he left. He really hoped their paths would cross again one day. Maybe if Jimin did enough good deeds, fate would be kind and he’d run into him again.
“So, uhm...thanks for the tea. And for the conversation,” Jimin said shyly as he shifted his belongings, which were now much easier to carry minus the soggy box of chocolates. “I hope it’s not too forward to say, but I did really enjoy this afternoon.”
“Not at all. It was definitely my pleasure,” Jeongguk returned as he reached past Jimin, his long arm allowing him to grasp the doorknob and open it behind him. The weather had indeed cleared up and the air was full of the post rain smell of drying grass and wet pavement.
“And thanks again for the donation,” Jimin hesitated on the doorstep. He wanted to say more, to find a way to keep Jeongguk talking, but there wasn’t really much else to say at this point. “I- I hope whoever he is enjoys the chocolates and you get your date.” He actually did try to put his heart into the words but...meh.
“Me too!” Jeongguk beamed back. “I’ll be a lucky guy if he says yes.”
Jimin just gave a little nod, his full lips turned upward into a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes but he’d had months to practice hiding his sadness now and it was unlikely someone like Jeongguk who just met him would notice.
“Have a good afternoon, Jeongguk-ssi!”
Turning away from Jeongguk, Jimin tilted to check the sky for signs of further rain before stepping out of the house. It was only when he was about to step down off the porch he heard Jeongguk’s voice calling him.
He forgot something? What did he forget, Jimin wondered. He tried to do a mental check of his belongings as he turned around only to see Jeongguk holding out the foil paper covered box to him.
“But you bought them. Those are yours.”
Oh crap. Jimin panicked. Was there a misunderstanding? Did Jeongguk think he bought a new box? Was that why he had given him so much money?
“I’m sorry! I-” He hurried back towards the young man to try and explain.
Jeongguk only stood in the doorway, grinning at the anxious look on Jimin’s face.
“So…” he cleared his throat. “About that first date? Are you free tomorrow evening?”
Jimin’s small hands reached out to receive the box of chocolates, eyes wide in surprise and a huge grin plastered on his face. Dented and water splooged, this was still the most precious gift he thought he’d ever received. When he looked into Jeongguk’s face and saw the nervousness there as the dark haired main waited for his answer, his heart jumped and he was sure that if he hadn’t studied so much math in his life he’d never have been able to come up with a number large enough to score how adorable this man in front of him was.
“Yes. Yes! I most definitely am free tomorrow evening," he grinned. "And any evening after that.”
