Work Text:
Crimson Coffee. It was a humble coffee house off the corner of that generic street of townhouses with a road that occasionally got covered in vegan food carts. Why the owners chose that plot of land, no one thought up the courage to ask. But, there it sat, with its red and white awning. The worn brick that surrounded the insides had chinks and cracks in it, and the chalkboard sign out front had a very bright welcome picture of…a chicken?
Jaewon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It had been a long day, and now he had a pastel rainbow chalk-made chicken to deal with. And whoever had drawn it. He groaned to himself. It wasn’t like he was in an area he knew. He had been on his way back from school, lost in his music, when he realized he was also physically lost. He’d really only been brought back by his music cutting off and telling him, ‘yep, yeah, you’re out of battery.’
He was in an unknown part of town, with no phone and a bad mood. Jaewon looked down at his forearm. He reached out to rub at the words tattooed on it, their presence comforting. “Here’s your mocha.” Jaewon pulled his jacket’s black denim sleeve down and pushed his way inside the shop.
A bell chimed as he walked in, the door closing quietly behind him. The tables and couches scattered about were almost devoid of people, just the few laptop-goers in the corner using the—no doubt—free Wi-Fi. They looked about his age, so it was probably for schoolwork. Jaewon approached the front, a barista with bright blonde hair reorganizing some pens on the counter. He quirked an eye towards his nametag, which read Daehyun.
“Um, excuse me?” Jaewon glanced down at the man as he looked up at him. The barista seemed to hover there for a moment before snapping up to his full height (which was about half a head taller, much to Jaewon’s slight dismay). “Ah! Yes! Welcome to Crimson Coffee, where our coffee is definitely not decorated with the blood of our enemies!” Daehyun recited with a wink. “It’s a work in progress,” he shrugged as if that explained it all.
Jaewon knew immediately who had drawn the chicken.
He shifted slightly from foot to foot, eyeing the ground with surprising interest. “Can I get a mocha with whipped cream, please?” His usual order, ever since he turned fifteen and the first words his soulmate would speak to him ingrained themselves in his skin.
He was rung up and passed the money over, turning to lean back against the counter while he waited for his coffee. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daehyun rushing into the back room and some hushed whispers that he probably wasn’t supposed to hear.
“Just go out there!” He recognized this to be Daehyun’s voice.
“It probably isn't him.”
“Stop being a baby and just ask!”
"No."
"Well, I'm not going out there."
“Fine.”
After this supposed conclusion, he heard the coffee machine finally start to go. Jaewon was slightly curious as to who his new barista was. He fingered his plain choker nervously before spinning around. Behind the counter was now another very tall man, though his hair was black.
It took an agonizing amount of time for the coffee to be made. Finally, the plastic top was popped on and protector slid over the outside. The barista, whose nametag Jaewon could now see said Dongho, walked over to the counter. Dongho's gaze seemed to be piercing through the windows far behind Jaewon.
“Here’s your mocha.”
Jaewon short-circuited. “Mocha. Mocha. Soulmate. Soulmate. Mocha.” His eyes widened and his jaw almost unhinged itself. It seemed his soulmate had been hiding in this almost-dead coffee shop this whole time.
--- --- ---
Jaewon was practically hugging his coffee to his chest as he was led very gently towards the nearest table. “I-I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t be interrupting your work.” He protested fitfully. He wasn’t particularly focused at the moment, so the sharp shush from his soulmate worked immediately. Jaewon sat as soon as he felt the chair. He was still for a moment before the most beautiful face he had ever seen came into his view across from him.
“You 'k?”
He nodded. A hint of a smile drew on the Dongho’s face and Jaewon almost died right then and there.
“So…I guess we’re soulmates then.” Dongho pulled up his hoodie’s sleeve to show off the words Jaewon had just fumbled over a moment ago as though they needed more proof. He had recovered enough now to make a coherent thought.
“I guess so.”
Jaewon was sure that they probably had the most awkward first meeting. But he wouldn’t have it go any other way.
“By the way, do you have a charger?”