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iboozi · 2 months ago

Text

CALL ME YOURS pt 2

Genre: black cat! (Ish) reader / golden retriever! Jeongguk, reader is a bookstore owner, jk is just him, strangers to friends to lovers?

Summary: In which books and cameras are discussed.

Part : 2/4

w/c : 2.7k

A/N: Part 2!! Fun fact, I actually used quotes that I tabbed in my own copy. Enjoy!!!

-Zoobi out 🪩

m.list, intro, part one, part three, part four

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Two.

Monday mornings came with a bliss that no other days did. People were introducing themselves back to work, getting their usual morning coffees and befriending their colleagues all over again. You supposed that you fit in somewhat with the rest of these workers, minus the colleague part - you were still working on hiring an employee – but Mondays signified a new start. It signified that you could leave the worries of the previous week behind and focus on the one ahead of you.

That was what you’d usually do, but unfortunately, the last conversation that you had with a real person, left you stewing over the fact that you didn’t tell them that the shop was closed over the weekend. It was not yourfault that you were in such a rush to make Jeongguk leave, that you ended up forgetting that teensy, tiny, minor detail.

It wasn’t like you actually expected him to come back. He didn’t seem like the person to dwell on anyone or anything for too long, especially people who kicked him out of stores. So, when the new workday rolled around, you didn’t spare any time waiting for him to burst in.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

The rain had subsided for the first time in days, leaving behind humid air and the delicate smell of rainwater. You had come to learn that it was always more beautiful after a storm. That’s why the pouring showers didn’t affect you anymore. Because there was always something to look forward to after.

Alas, with the humid air, came a sweaty journey to the bookshop. Leaving your apartment at eight in the morning left you regretting the fact that you didn’t wear a short sleeved top and instead you had to rely on the small table fan you had purchased on a whim many years ago.

Thank goodness for past you, because surviving in this weather would’ve been impossible. Tying your hair up with a makeshift hair tie (a ribbon found in the bottom drawer of the cash till) barely allowed a gentle breeze to caress your neck, in hopes of cooling you down.

The fan spluttered. Once. Twice. And before you could deliver a good hit to it, the door burst open.

Well, it partially burst open, before getting caught on the rug again. It was like déjà vu. Except, you definitely knew you had experienced this before. Same person, same boots.

You heard a grunt as the door swung open – properly this time, and Jeongguk sauntered in. In one hand was the copy of ‘Call Me by your name’ that you’d given to him a mere two days ago. In the other hand was a cold coffee, the fresh perspiration pooled around the rim, suggesting that the drink was made quite recently.

You gaped as he walked up to you, drink sloshing around and set tit down on the table you were sat at.

“Hey Jeongguk,” He smiled down at you.

You looked up at him with a small grimace on your face which. Was he quoting the book? You realised your emotions were far too evident on your face as his smile crashed down.

“Please tell me that wasn’t corny. It sounded much better in my head,”

You cleared your throat as you broke eye contact with him to look around the store before saying,

“Don’t think you want me answering that. I’ll just let you know that it works better in the book, and in the book only.”

He pouted lightly, before brushing a hand through his hair and nudging the cold coffee towards you.

“Whatever. I told you I’d come back. You forgot to tell me this place is closed on the weekends. Came both days hoping to see you and had to be told by the guy next door. He laughed at me. Twice.”

You fought a smile and pointed at the sign near the entrance,

“It says it right there. I just didn’t realise you meant it.”

“Of course I meant it.”

Your lips parted in a small ‘oh’ as you hesitantly looked up at him. He gave you a little smile that said you’re not getting rid of me so easily before looking around the shop as if looking for something. He let out an “ah!” as he spotted something at the back.

Following his gaze, you realised that he was admiring the beanbags. And before you could say anything to him, he was walking over to one. You watched in confusion as he lifted up a pink one with a singular hand and walked back over to you with it dangling from his shoulder.

He halted in front of you, deposited the bean bag and plopped himself right on top.

However, he must’ve underestimated the softness of the bag, so much so that he went disappearing past the desk in a flash as it absorbed his impact.

Stifling your laughter, you slowly peeked over your table, over to a mildly shocked Jeongguk, whose legs were now splayed out in a rather awkward manner, as he tried to accommodate himself in the beanbag.

As your shadow loomed over him, Jeongguk whipped his head up at you before trying to explain himself, “I didn’t mean- I just wanted to sit near-,”

He breathed in before starting again, “I just wanted to talk to you. About the book. Y’know, because I promised.”

You looked into his eyes, trying to spot any hints of teasing. But all you found was that doe eyed look again, and alongside it, alarmingly red ears and a growingly flushed face.

You rounded the table and leaned down towards him. Jeongguk let out a tiny gasp as your hand brushed his fingers to grab the book and walked over to the corner where the rest of the beanbags were situated.

Imitating his previous actions, you also plopped down – much more gracefully- and glanced up at him.

“Come on then. Talk to me.”

Seconds passed. Jeongguk just stared at you. You couldn’t help but fidget as his eyes widened in surprise.

And almost like a whistle was blown at him, Jeongguk was scrambling up and over to you. Halfway through his journey, he turned back, bent down and snatched his pink seat before basically running over to you.

He launched the bean bag next to you – a little too close for comfort – and sat down like a dog waiting for their next order.

All through this, you just watched. Watched as he got excited to have a conversation with you. No one ever showed this much enthusiasm when it came to you, so you had to admit, you were just as excited. But, you had to restrain the smile threatening to stretch across your face, in danger of making that too evident to Jeongguk.

You watched as his open palm stretched out in front of you, and only realised he was asking for book back, when the lightest of smiles grew apparent on his face.

“Oh, um here you go. Sorry.”

He looked at you as he gently took the book back.

“Don’t apologise. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

You haven’t done anything wrong. Words you had wished to hear your entire life. Words that you waited eighteen long years to hear from your parents. The day never came, but how could someone you barely knew, someone you met merely two days ago, utter them so easily?

You felt tears well up in your eyes before you could stop them. You sniffed lightly, but you were distracted as Jeongguk flipped through the book. You noticed something as he tried to find a specific page. He had tabbedthe book.

Small blue sticky tabs to match the cover were dotted through the first quarter of the book. Small blue sticky tabs that matched the copy you had resting on your bedside table. Tabs that you flicked through every night, in hopes of reliving the book, like it was your first time.

Of course, yours was much more heavily noted – considering you had reread the book hundreds of times, but Jeongguk’s were growing seemingly close to your own worn out replica.

You kept silent as he reached the first sticky note. Jeongguk cleared his throat. Swallowed rather loudly and coughed once more.

He looked over to you to see if you noticed his loud gulp, but you refrained from making eye contact, in fear of spilling your secret to him.

Looking back down, Jeongguk started, “

“Do with me what you want. Take me. Just ask if I want to and see the answer you’ll get, just don’t let me say no,”

He gazed at you with a hopeful look, waiting for you to respond.

You smiled, “That was one of my favourite quotes.”

“That was one of mine as well! Well- considering how much I’ve read, that was the first that stood out to me.” He grinned at you and flicked through the book once more.

“I longed to touch his knees and wrists where they glistened in the sun,”

Jeongguk licked his lips and shot his eyes up at you, “I think the way Elio speaks is so true to himself. I see myself with him – uh not the older man part, but more so that he doesn’t realise his yearning, because he disguised it as hatred.” He rambled on, and you froze.

“You’ve…yearned for someone that you hated?”

He looked over at you,

“Hm? Oh no, not someone. I just used to think that I hated the idea of attention, but I craved being first in everything so people would notice me,”

You let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding. Silently reprimanded yourself for even being worried over the idea of him and someone else, and glanced over to him once more.

“You look like you were born to be in the eyes of others. You have that glow about you. And I noticed you. When you walked in on Friday. I noticed you.”

He looked at you as if in a haze. “I noticed you too.”

“What?”

“I mean – I noticed that you had a very impressive shop, so I had to look around. The toilet was a partial excuse. Actually, not really – I really needed to go.”

Jeongguk was flushing profusely as he rattled on and bit his lip in attempt to silence himself, displaying the hidden mole under his lip.

You zoned in on it, as you drew imaginary lines connecting the one on his nose to the one on his cheek, finally down to the new one you had just discovered. But before you could search for anymore, Jeongguk moved his head down as he fumbled through his pockets.

You looked on with confusion as he brought out his phone and swiped it open.

“Can I have your number? I wanna tell you every time I find a new favourite quote”

You paused as he held his phone out before you.

“I don’t have a phone.”

You watched as his shoulders softly deflated at your statement.

“You’re allowed to say no. I can handle the rejection. Plus, you don’t owe it to me anyways.” He pocketed his phone and reached for the book again.

You opened your mouth and hesitated. How would he understand this?

“I seriously mean it. I don’t have one. Well, I used to- but it broke a few years ago and I never thought to buy one again.”

Jeongguk looked up and scanned your face. You fought the urge to squirm under his heavy gaze and fiddled with your jeans. You opened you mouth once more, but he beat you to it with a grin,

“Guess that means I’m coming over every day.”

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

For four days, Jeongguk had been sticking true to his words. He came over at the most spontaneous of times, leaving you to wonder if he even had a real job, but every time, he would walk through the door with a beam on his face and a coffee in hand and sat down in his little corner near the back.

He never came up to the desk and disturbed you. Just waited till you finished with a customer and grew the confidence to sit yourself beside him.

You’d sit with your hands on your knees, back upright as he would begin every day with a new quote.

And on the Friday evening, as he was just about to delve into his analysis of Elio and Oliver, the bell chimed and in walked Namjoon and Seokjin.

Upon seeing you and Jeongguk in the corner, the pair froze. Looked over at each other and smiled, as if they knew something you didn’t, and walked over to their regular spot. Opened a book up and went into their own world.

All while you and Jeongguk watched with hesitant eyes.

He leaned into you and whispered,

“Are they a-?”

“Yep. Finish your little speech.”

“Rude. I call it a disquisition of one of the best books ever,”

You shrugged. “Semantics.”

Jeongguk huffed and closed his book.

“Y’know, I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“I know you don’t have a phone, but like what about photos? How do you keep memories?” His voice loudened with the last question, so you hushed him gently, before standing up and walking over to the cash desk. You gestured for him to follow you.

Footsteps followed behind as you leaned over to rummage around the top drawer. You froze slightly as the citrusy smell enveloped you. You never seemed to get used to the delicacy of Jeongguk’s smell. It seemed so contrasting to his outward appearance, but it fit him so perfectly, you couldn’t imagine anything else.

Ignoring the fluttering in your stomach, you turned around with the object you were looking for and dangled it in front of Jeongguk’s face.

“Cameras.”

Jeongguk’s eyes followed the movement of the camera as it swung from your grasp. He reached his hand out, meaning to grab it, but you snatched it back before he could.

“Uh-uh. Only looking. No touching.”

He pouted lightly. He hated that phrase – but it was used rightly so. After knocking over two shelves from leaning too heavily on it, he was very careful in his actions around you.

It’s not his fault he wanted to reach the top shelf. A customer was asking for a book, and you were occupied in the back, so he stepped up to aid a person in need. Also stepped on the shelf, and it came tumbling down.

At least the customer got their book.

But the phrase developed from then onwards and had been used a few times. However, to Jeongguk it was a few times too many. He was restraining himself well though. No more shelf stepping incidents.

“I just wanna see your photos. Please?” He whined out, like a defeated puppy.

“That’s invasion of privacy. How about a take a photo of you instead?” You mused back at him.

At that he perked up and quickly ran his hand through his hair a few times. You laughed at his new look – hair sticking up in multiple places – and reached out to pat it down.

Jeongguk froze as he felt the touch of your hand. Leaned slightly into your palm to relish the feeling. Closed his eyes as you reached a particularly sensitive spot. Your stroking of his hair soothed him, and he let out a little hum.

You looked around the shop, unsure what to do as Jeongguk practically nuzzled your hand and paused as you locked eyes with someone. Seokjin stared at you, hiding his laughter behind his hand. He was squeaking lightly, garnering the attention of Namjoon, who looked up at Seokjin and followed his gaze over to the little show you were putting on.

You immediately ceased your awkward petting of Jeongguk’s hair and cleared your throat. His eyes shot open in confusion, changing to a relaxed gaze as you quickly pushed him over to the back corner, where you were previously sitting – not before shooting Namjoon and Seokjin a sheepish smile.

You placed Jeongguk in front of a wall, adorned with fairy lights. The soft glow left a pinkish hue shining on Jeongguk, who was still trying to shake the feeling of your hand on his chest.

“Smile,” you whispered, before he could pose. His head snapped up.

“Oh, c’mon man! Not cool. Retake it. Now.”

“Nope. One time chance. My battery is running low.” You laughed as he lurched forward to grab the camera.

“The bar is full.”

“Shut up.”

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