Work Text:
"You are ice and fire / the touch of you burns my hands like snow."
-"Opal", Amy Lowell
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Wonwoo was typing away on his laptop, fingers clacking loudly over the keys. The sound was comforting to him and helped him focus on his murder mystery novel. Not everyone liked the loud sound, but he was used to ignoring the glares by now. The two female characters were about to finally kiss when the bell over the door let out a loud ring to signal that someone walked in. Wonwoo frowned as his concentration was broken - until he realized that his back was really sore. He stretched and twisted to ease the throbbing pain, his eyes catching on the snow that was coming down much harder now. The snow looked more like a blanket as it came down in thick sheets.
The café was a quaint store with couches around a fireplace and a few tables spread around the store. Wonwoo’s favorite table was tucked in the back with potted trees surrounding it to give him at least a sense of privacy.
The author turned to the counter and did a double-take at the customer who just walked in. He was beautiful and Wonwoo had no other words to describe him in that moment (he was an author for Pete’s sake how could someone fry his brain that much already). The male seemed to be searching his pockets frantically, almost nervously, as he chatted with the barista.
Wonwoo curled his fingers around his cup, so he could get a refill. The man was still searching his pockets by the time he made it to the counter.
“Is everything okay, Jun?” The barista, a really nice man named Joshua, asked.
Joshua and Wonwoo knew each other since this cafe was where Wonwoo did all of his writing. Joshua was the only person Wonwoo really interacted with and he enjoyed the conversation immensely. The barista had a calming presence that helped the conversation to flow well. (He was also one of the few people who didn’t try to suggest a plot point when he learned the younger was an author.) Wonwoo felt like he could talk about anything with Joshua. The homey atmosphere of the café helped him to focus, which he knew was a direct result of Joshua’s presence.
As he stood there waiting, Wonwoo idly wondered if Joshua and Jun knew each other the same way.
“No,” Jun answered, the sad tone in his voice drawing Wonwoo’s attention from the bakery section to the back of the male’s head. “I left my wallet back at the apartment. I guess I’ll just head back.”
“Are you sure? I could just give you your hot chocolate on the house. It’s not a problem at all.”
Jun was about to protest his friend and flatmate giving him yet another free drink when the man behind him stepped up. He dejectedly stepped aside, knowing full well that he had been holding up the line. Luckily there was only one person behind him rather than a huge line like he had feared.
“I’d like a refill please,” Wonwoo ordered as he set his cup down on the counter. “And a hot chocolate for Jun.”
“Wow Wonwoo, that’s really nice of you!” Joshua smiled at the author brightly before picking the cup up from the counter and getting to work.
“Wonwoo, was it?” Jun asked as he extended a hand. “My name is Junhui, Jun for short. Thank you so much! I really owe you one.”
“It’s no problem. It’s not like this put a huge dent in my bank account.” Wonwoo found himself smiling as he shook hands with Jun. “Although I would remember my wallet next time.”
“That’s some really good advice,” Jun chuckled lightly. “I promise I’ll pay you back next time.”
“How do you know that I’ll be here?” Wonwoo could not believe he was flirting with this man for two reasons. He was way too attractive to be giving Wonwoo the time of day and also he never flirted with people he just met. It never happened, but now it was and he couldn’t say that he didn’t like it.
“You’re the author that Joshua always talks about,” Jun said in a matter-of-fact tone with no room for debate. Upon seeing Wonwoo’s confused expression, he supplied, “Joshua and I are roommates. You could say I’ve heard a lot of stories about you.”
Oh gosh. Please tell me he hasn’t heard about the one time where I spilled coffee all over myself and my laptop and got second degree burns.
“Here you go,” Joshua smiled brightly at both Wonwoo and Jun as he handed a cup to each person, unaware to the fact that Wonwoo was glaring at him.
“Thank you Joshua. So, what exactly have you told Jun about me?”
Joshua let out a light laugh. “Honestly, not much. Just that you’re an author who spends all your time here and how you have a book coming out soon.”
“Why do you look so worried?” Jun teased as he turned towards Wonwoo, gently blowing on his drink. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”
“Uh, no, not at all. That would be really nice.” Jun was already heading over to his table before Wonwoo could finish saying sure.
Jun sits down and takes a loud slurp of his hot chocolate. “Joshua is so talented. I’m so glad he works here. And I bet you were too when he drove you to the hospital.”
“You guys said he didn’t tell you about that!”
Jun smirked over at Wonwoo. His eyes shone happily as he looked over at the other male, already used to the companionship his presence brought. “It’s too easy to tease you. Of course Joshua told me that he took you to the hospital! How can you not tell someone? Especially when that someone is your roommate asking why you’re getting home at 1am from a shift that was supposed to end at 7pm.”
“I was so grateful to have him at the hospital with me that I guess I never really thought about the implications on Joshua.” Wonwoo took a sip and tried not to look at Jun. For some reason, he suddenly felt guilty about when he burned himself months ago.
Joshua always went above and beyond a barista’s normal duties. It made Wonwoo feel like more than just a customer. Here, in the café where Joshua worked, he felt human for the first time in a while.
“So Wonwoo, what’s your book about?” Jun smiled widely and leaned forward slightly. There was no way he was going to let the other male disappear in on himself when they could be having a nice conversation.
Wonwoo felt warmth spread through him at the sight of Jun’s smile, a warmth that had nothing to do with the delicious coffee he just sipped. The two settled into an easy conversation as they waited for the storm to calm enough for them to get home. His thoughts never returned to the female characters while he was talking to Jun.
Before they left, Wonwoo made sure to give Joshua the massive tip he should’ve given him months ago.
Over the next couple weeks of random meet-ups in the coffee shop (usually when Joshua was working), Wonwoo started to learn more about Jun. He learned the man was originally from Shenzhen, China, had a younger brother, and was an actor as a kid. He adored the way his nose crinkled when he was laughing. Jun learned that Wonwoo also had a younger brother, likes the color blue, and can’t eat seafood. His voice had to be the deepest voice in existence; he loved listening to the other talk about anything and everything. They learned a bunch of facts about the other and wanted to keep learning more.
They never planned to meet up at the coffee shop, despite always texting when they weren’t in the other’s presence. They shared a strong connection and never seemed to tire of the other person despite talking to one another every moment they were conscious. Their friends thought it was cute (and only a little annoying how they were constantly on their phones).
(Minghao begged for an autographed copy of one of Wonwoo’s novels, but Jun was not going to ask and inconvenience Wonwoo.)
The weirdest thing Wonwoo learned about Jun was that he always carried an umbrella around when the forecast called for rain or snow. Rain, he could understand, but snow? It was weird to carry an umbrella around for snow.
The author did not hesitate to tell his new friend as much to which Jun only shrugged in response, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
That was the thing about Junhui. Wonwoo was always drawn in and wanted to learn more about the other. He didn’t notice it, but the feeling was mutual in every way.
“So Junhui, what do you do?” Wonwoo had realized the other night that he had no idea what the Chinese man did for a living. He felt really embarrassed that he had never asked.
“I’m a photographer,” Jun answered as he hit a button on his own laptop. He had started bringing his own work a few meetings ago (Wonwoo remembered exactly when because it was the time Jun wore that blue sweater that was too long for his arms, creating the most adorable sweater paws. Not that it was memorable at all....)
While Jun would work, eyes focused on the screen in front of him, Wonwoo couldn’t get any work done, instead choosing to watch Jun. The Chinese man would always scrunch his eyes and place a hand under his chin in concentration. It was cute, wait no, friends didn’t think that about each other. It was endearing.... Was that any better? Something told Wonwoo it was, in fact, way worse.
“That’s cool. Do you have a specific type of pictures that you take?”
“Hmm...” Jun tapped his chin as he looked away from his screen and at Wonwoo. The Korean felt his breath catch in his throat. “I wouldn’t say that, but you would think its wedding pictures around wedding season.”
“I bet you have to deal with a lot of stress.” Wonwoo could only imagine what it must be like to put yourself in the midst of a wedding. They cost too much and cause too stressful just to announce your love in front of everyone. It would be so much easier to have a small, intimate gathering and get married without all the decorations and food and flowers. They didn’t seem worth it to him on a personal level, but he could understand the appeal.
“Yeah, but the happiness is always worth it. Being able to contribute in my own small way is worth putting up with a little stress.”
Wonwoo sighed and turned to his laptop to pretend to do work. A warm blush spread over his face at how happy Jun was. His eyes shone when he talked about weddings. Even if they weren’t his only focus, he seemed to really enjoy them.
“Oh man!” He groaned when the huge white flakes falling out of the sky caught his attention. “Look how hard it’s snowing.”
Jun looked outside with a frown. He seemed to be contemplating something for a moment before he started packing up his stuff. “I’m going to head out, before it gets any worse.”
“Are you sure?” Wonwoo gulped the last of his coffee and started packing up as well. “I’ll come with you. You know, just to make sure you get home safely.”
“My hero,” Jun laughed loudly as he took both of their mugs up to Joshua. He told him he was heading home before going back to Wonwoo. They both bundled up with their jackets and scarves before heading out.
Once they stepped outside, Jun opened his umbrella and turned to Wonwoo. “Which way are you going?” The snow was already starting to come down harder than it had been a few minutes ago. It was hard to see a few feet in any direction.
Wonwoo held his hand slightly to the right in an attempt to stay under the umbrella as much as possible. He knew he made fun of Junhui for it before, but it really came in handy right now. He wasn’t going to admit that he was wrong out loud, but something told him Jun was well aware of it.
“Me too.” The two started walking, trudging through the already forming piles of snow. Each footstep resulted in a crunch and moment of slight hesitation before they took the next step.
Wonwoo kept wrapping his jacket and scarf tighter around himself, but it wasn’t enough.
“This snow is really bad, huh? But it’s also really pretty.”
The photographer must have really wanted to take a picture since he pulled Wonwoo under an awning of a department store and pulled out his phone. Wonwoo could understand why he would want to capture the crystal light as it flowed through the snow. The younger was going to respond when he felt warm, soft lips on his. All he noticed at first was the warmth and then he noticed how well their lips fit together.
“Wow,” Was all Wonwoo could say after the kiss. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest and the cold seemed to disappear. He slowly opened his eyes to look at Jun, still trying to process what just happened.
“Sorry, I just noticed that your lips were really blue and we still have to walk through all this snow. I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable that’s the last thing I would ever want.”
Wonwoo was barely aware of Jun’s rambling as he cupped his face and leaned in for another kiss. The world seemed to halt as the snow swirls slowed and Jun ran a hand through his hair. The younger wrapped a hand around his waist....for warmth, yeah, warmth.
They pulled away and smiled at each other without saying anything. The pair started walking again after their hands were entwined. They walked for a few minutes before Wonwoo pulled Jun into a small building.
“This is my apartment building,” He explained as they walked into the elevator and Wonwoo hit the button for his floor. “I’m not letting you walk any further. It’s starting to get really bad out there.”
Jun shook off his umbrella and stomped his feet to get rid of some of the snow. “Thank you, Wonwoo. I really appreciate that.”
The doors slid open and the pair walked down the hallway until they reached the end. Wonwoo opened the door to reveal his small apartment. It wasn’t the biggest or the cleanest, but it was still home even if he barely spent his time there.
Wonwoo could feel Jun’s eyes looking around at the few photos that were placed around the apartment. Once their shoes were off, they sat on the couch together.
“I have a second bedroom, so there’s nothing to worry about.” The younger wasn’t sure why he said that, if he was trying to reassure himself or Jun, but as soon as he said it, he knew it didn’t matter how many spare bedrooms he had. He could be the richest man in the world with a million spare bedrooms; they would still be sleeping in the same bed.
Jun scooted closer until he was straddling Wonwoo’s waist. “I’d rather sleep in your room,” He breathed out before pressing his lips against the younger’s.
Wonwoo let out a moan as he dug his nails into Jun’s hips. After a few moments of hesitation, he ran his hands under his shirt and up his abs. He was surprised that Jun was so ripped under his shirt.
Making out with Junhui was even better than he imagined. He could feel his heart beating quickly as Jun sucked the breath out of him. A trail of fire burned where his skin touched Jun’s. The heat was intense, warming Wonwoo both inside and out. He could sit here and wonder how he got so lucky, but he would honestly rather devote all his attention to Jun.
With this thought, he licked into Jun’s mouth, meeting the tasteful mix of chocolate and peppermint. Jun let out a groan as he ran a hand through Wonwoo’s hair, tugging on the dark strands roughly. Wonwoo pulled him closer, pressing their chests against each other until the need to breathe became too strong.
The two eventually went to sleep in Wonwoo’s room. Wonwoo wasn’t surprised at all when Jun woke up way earlier than him. He felt a little bad about forgetting to warn Jun how late he sleeps in, but the older just laughed it off.
And he got a homemade breakfast out of it. If Wonwoo hadn’t been in love before, that breakfast would’ve changed his mind.
“So, Junhui has purple hair now?” Joshua asked as he looked over Wonwoo’s shoulder.
He wasn’t looking at his boyfriend, but Wonwoo knew exactly what he was doing. Jun was wearing the new white sweater that Wonwoo had bought him a few weeks ago that highlighted his beautiful tan skin. The Chinese male would be laying with his upper half on the table and his nose in Wonwoo’s new book.
This story was Wonwoo’s most recently published mystery novel and it was his best story. He was especially proud of a certain Chinese male character that was totally based off Junhui right down to the purple hair.
The two had been dating for about a year now. Junhui asked him out on their first official date during the breakfast he made for Wonwoo. They got dinner that night and became official after weeks of dancing around each other. Never once did they ever worry they were moving too fast. Everything felt comfortable and easy when Jun was by his side.
It had only taken a few months until Jun moved out of his apartment with Joshua and moved in with Wonwoo. It had been harder for Jun to find time to make it to the cafe to see Joshua during the warmer months since he had been busy with one photoshoot after another.
Now that it was colder, his work had slowed down. Unfortunately for Joshua, his old roommate had picked up Wonwoo’s newest novel on their way out and hadn’t been able to put it down yet.
“Yeah, he dyed it a few months ago. I think he really likes it since he’s kept it this long.”
Joshua nodded and handed the drinks over to Wonwoo. “I’m glad you two are happy. Can you please try to get him to put the book down long enough to say hi?”
“I’ll do my best.” The author let out a low chuckle before heading back to the table.
The couple had agreed to leave their work behind at the apartment and spend some well-deserved down time. It had been awhile since they had more than a couple hours to spend together. Jun would have to leave before Wonwoo would get up and Wonwoo would be out at the cafe later than Jun would stay awake. Jun’s wedding season was over and Wonwoo had finally released his book, meaning they had a few months together before things started to get hectic again.
“Here you go,” Wonwoo placed Jun’s mug of hot chocolate on the table as he pressed a kiss to the other’s forehead. “What do you think so far?”
“I agree,” Jun replied, obviously distracted by the book that his nose was still buried in.
“Joshua wants you to come say hi.”
“Yep.”
Wonwoo sighed, a smile reaching across his face, and leaned closer to whisper in Jun’s ear. “Joshua said it was okay if I take you right on this table.”
“Great idea.” The younger rolled his eyes and took the book out of Jun’s hands. “Hey! I was reading that!”
“I know, but we agreed no work.”
“It’s not work if I’m reading it.” Jun crossed his arms over his chest like a toddler that had just been denied another cookie.
“Go say hi to Joshua. He really misses you.”
“Fine.” Jun got up with his hands across his chest and stomped over to Joshua. It took about one second of talking to Joshua for Jun to lose the act as a smile was placed over his face. Joshua had that effect on people; he could turn even the grumpiest person’s mood around.
Wonwoo happily watched his boyfriend talk with his favorite barista. The two were so excited to finally see each other after a few months apart. He opened the book to see where Jun was and noted that he hadn’t been introduced to his own character yet. Wonwoo wanted to be there for his freak out when he finally reached that part.
It was a good fifteen minutes before Jun returned to their table and that was after their conversation got cut short since Joshua was working.
“Did you have a nice chat?”
“Yeah! We’re going to go out for lunch tomorrow if you want to join us.”
“That sounds really nice.”
Jun smiled at his boyfriend and pressed his hand to his lips before picking up the book. Wonwoo knew Jun was gone to the real world for the time being. His sigh was negated by the smile on his face as he watched Jun read his book.
He had expected they would have an actual conversation, but watching Jun’s unfiltered reactions to his book was really nice too. Jun would make all these little gasps and groans at every twist and turn of the plot.
It was really obvious when he was finally introduced to his character. His jaw dropped open and he looked up at Wonwoo and back to the book about ten times before he could form words. His first words were in Chinese, but he quickly remembered that Wonwoo couldn’t understand him. “Is this detective based off of me?” He asked excitedly in a loud voice, but no one seemed to mind at this afternoon hour. “Oh my gosh, Wonwoo! He even has purple hair! That’s soooo not normal for a detective.”
“Merry Christmas, Jun,” Wonwoo leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. “What do you think?”
“This is so awesome! Thank you so much!”
“I love you, Jun,” Wonwoo took Jun’s hand in his and squeezed.
“I love you too. Can you believe this all started because I forgot my wallet?”
“To be fair, I would’ve talked to you anyway.”
Jun raised an eyebrow. “Really? You would’ve talked to me ?”
“Yep. I would’ve talked to you because you’re gorgeous and obviously someone very special.”
“Obviously, huh?”
“Obviously,” Wonwoo agreed before leaning forward to kiss his boyfriend’s lips.
The couple left when their stomachs started to growl for lunch, waving goodbye to Joshua and promising to see him tomorrow. They bundled up before stepping out into the cold.
“Hey Wonwoo?”
“Yeah?”
He turned his head in time to meet Junhui’s lips with his own. The kiss became heated as Jun slipped his tongue into Wonwoo’s mouth and wrapped an arm around his waist tightly.
Wonwoo was sure that the warmth of Junhui’s lips and presence could melt the tightly packed snow around them. Both men counted their lucky stars that Jun forgot his wallet that day.
Wonwoo was hyper-aware of the ring in his pocket as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk kissing. It was a plain silver band that he was certain Jun would like. He knew he would have to plan everything out, but it was only a matter of time before he finally proposed.
Fin.
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