Jungkook relaxed his shoulders as he exited the bookstore, his shift over. Jungkook worked many jobs, as he said before, one of them being a small twenty-four hour bookstore. He started work at twelve AM on the weekends and ended at nine AM. After which, Jungkook usually was free for up to an hour or two. It wasn't especially cold for being October meaning that walking to Got Jams? Café wasn't especially bad. He didn't own a car, if you were wondering. He'd never been able to afford one and even if he could, he was sure he wouldn't get one. It would just mean he'd get home quicker.

Jungkook pulled his hood up over his head as a blast of wind shot through the street, like flood gates opening, the cafe's exterior coming into view. Jungkook didn't know why he kept coming back to this one café. He thought the coffee tasted really nice and the employees were great and seemed to have positive attitudes but you could find that at most cafes. This one just seemed special. 

He pulled the glass door open and was met with warm coffee aroma and light pink walls. It was pretty empty for being a weekend morning which worried Jungkook a little. He walked over to his usual seat, the one by the window and pulled the menu out of its slot in the table. The café was a pretty chill place. Baby pink walls, soft yellow tulips on the tables, polished wood tables with slots at the end where the professionally printed menus were placed, café workers who appeared to get along with pastel pink aprons. It felt like you could easily fall asleep right then and there, he had to admit, he was tempted.

He scanned the menu which was adorned with flowers and aesthetic colored shards. He hadn't drank from the tea menu in a while. Ginseng, Oolong, Green tea. Earl Grey sounded nice. He hadn't had that in ages. He glanced up from his menu towards the counter where several employees were clustered up. Upon noticing his gaze, they all turned back to each other as if discussing who should go out to greet him. A mint haired boy nodded his head and grabbed one of the small notepads before rounding the counter. Jungkook looked up at the nearing figure as he approached.

"Hello, I'm Yoongi and I'll be your waiter today," The mint haired boy, Yoongi said as he smiled down at Jungkook. "Are you ready to order?"

Jungkook nodded and took a second glance down at the menu. "A large Earl Grey with cream, please," He quietly said, he hardly ever spoke at a regular volume. They didn't like when he was too loud.

"It'll be right up," Yoongi smiled again before going back to the counter.

The other employees surrounded the mint haired and seemed to whisper amongst each other. They occasionally looked over their shoulders at Jungkook as if he was the world's greatest mystery. He supposed he was to them. He did come in everyday, wearing dark colors, with his hood up, and never ordered the same thing twice. He had to be weird to some people.

A group of several boys walked into the café, breaking the peaceful silence. Jungkook recognized them, they came in every now and then. Mostly when they were in a mischievous mood. Like today. They stepped up to the counter where Yoongi now stood, alone.

"Hey, babe. What's a pretty thing like you doing working here and not a modeling agency?" What appeared to be the leader asked, his face contorted into an ugly smirk.

"I'm sorry?" Yoongi asked, obviously confused.

"You're hot, I'm hot, how about dinner?"

"N-No thank you," Yoongi tried to walk away, but was grabbed by the arm by one of the boys.

"I said dinner. You, me. You're coming," The other boy's grasp seemed to claw into his arm.

"Hey," Jungkook shouted, barely looking in their direction. "Leave the guy alone."

"I'm just asking him out."

"He obviously doesn't want to go with you, so leave him alone."

"Who do you think you are?"

"Someone who could mess you up really bad. Leave. Him. Alone."

The boys scoffed before the leader mumbled something like, "Let's get out of here" and let go of Yoongi before exiting the building.

A cluster of employees dashed over to Yoongi, surrounding him once more. Jungkook saluted before sinking into his seat again. His fingers snaked up the stem of the yellow tulip that sat on his table and fiddled with the petals. His mom had loved yellow tulips. She had them everywhere. The front yard. Backyard. In the kitchen on the counter. On the mantle in the living room. In the hallway on the little table. In the bathroom by the sink. In the dining room on top of the armoire. In the bedrooms, even in his own, on the nightstands. They were everywhere. 

He supposed he'd never be able to escape their tedious grasp. That he'd always have to be trapped somehow, even by flowers. Constant little reminders that his past wasn't that far behind him. That it could easily catch up and wrap a gloved hand over his mouth and drag him back. It would be so damn easy. All of that said by that leathery, yellow petalled flower. That leathery, yellow flower that had chained him away from being normal, from being able to go home without seeing eyes and arms, constantly trying to hurt him and finding reasons to hate and be angry with him. And that's how the petal he had been holding in his fingers wound up ripped away from the plant and in his crushing grip. He hadn't realized how odd the whole scene looked until he met eyes with the mint haired waiter who was holding his steaming cup of tea.

"Here's your tea, Sir," Yoongi said, not mentioning the crushed petal still in the boy's grip but obviously showing concern.

"Thank you," Jungkook brushed the hood off his head and made, unintentionally, cold eye contact with the waiter. The waiter's chocolate cat like eyes widened upon meeting his gaze and his light pink, thin lips parted slightly out of surprise.

"I- Uh, you're welcome. I'll bring your bill in a moment if you'd like."

Jungkook nodded.

"Oh, uh, thank you for helping me," Yoongi bowed slightly before he turned and headed to the cash register.

A puff of steam rose up from the slit in his cups lid and flowed into his view. The calm steam of a hot drink. The only thing that comforted him on a cold day or when things became too rough. He closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath in. The strong smell of the Earl Grey dancing around his nose. Sharp and lovely, a scent that you might want to spray in your home.

Interrupting his smell party was the overwhelming sense of someone watching him, and not just in the way the waiters and waitresses were. Jungkook opened his eyes, his pupils looking out the corner. The pink haired male that had sent him home days before. The one employee of Got Jams? that he didn't know. The pink haired male noticed that his gaze had been found and quickly escaped into one of the many doors that were behind the counter. Yoongi, holding a black clipboard in his hand, stepped up to the table and set it down.

"Here's your bill, sir."

Jungkook pulled out his wallet and set the said amount down on the clipboard, "Thank you."

"No problem."

Jungkook grabbed Yoongi's arm before he could leave the table, "Sorry, um, what's the name of the guy with pink hair? I've seen him somewhere before."

"Oh, Namjoon? Pink hair?"

Jungkook hummed.

"Yep, definitely Namjoon then."

"Thank you," Jungkook commented before turning back to his tea.

Yoongi grabbed the clipboard and money and loaded it into the register before going into the door the pink haired, Namjoon, had gone into previously.

Jungkook took a sip of his tea. He'd have to order Earl Grey more often. He checked his watch before pulling out a ten and leaving it on the table. He exited the café before heading in the direction of his next shift. Cheers for wearing cow hats and serving ice cream along side a cow mascot.

Word Count: 1404

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So, my writing style for this story shifted later on, so looking back on this now just makes the beginning seem really crappy. I hope you all will stick with me until I can say that I'm really proud of a chapter. Thank you for reading and I'll see you all next week!