Work Text:
The cold streets makes you shiver even with all the layers of clothes you’re wearing, you press your dry lips in a thin line, but that only harms the damaged sensible skin. You’re not much of a winter person yourself; you hate all this cold, wet streets, the chaotic traffic and the annoying, disgusting steam.
It makes you think of winter back home, it’s just as cold, if not worst – but you liked winter just fine there.
You miss playing in the snow, the trees always tinkling with snow, the smell of fresh winter mornings that isn’t tainted with the toxic smell of pollution. The bone, chilling cold was as pleasing as it could get, but there’s the fireplace and the familiar faces and your favorite bakery shop. You’re not quite sure if you’re homesick because you can’t afford going back home for Christmas or if you’re just not cut out for the big city. Funny, though, you were so eager to live the pathetic small town just two, three years ago.
It’s relief seeing your colleague arrived earlier, the lights inside the shop is dimmed, the closed sign shows on the glass door. You push open the door and the bell announces you. Jaehyun raises his head to see you walking in.
“Good morning!” He greets you with a quick, tired smile.
“Morning!” You greet, smiling back at him as he goes back to work. “You beat me today,” you hear his scoff.
“Well, I might pass out during the day,” you hear him reply from under the balcony and you stop in front of it, unbuttoning your coat.
“Another night awake?”
“That fucking stupid project,” he grunts before appearing from the balcony, his face twisted in annoyance, “I swear, if no one send me their part in this I’m just gonna watermark the whole shit with my name with big, bold letters. I’m not going to give credit to anyone.”
“Can you do that, though?” Jaehyun shrugs in response, “How long ‘till deadline?”
“Uhm- four days?” He frowns, looking into the distance, “Wait, what day is today?”
“Today is the 28th”
“Three days, then” he corrects himself, looking at you, “Even if they send something I don’t think I have enough time to edit, so-” he shrugs, leaning his weight on his elbows on the balcony. “I don’t even care about the fucking prize, the shitty award or whatever- I just want a good grade, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry about it, at least you’ll make it,” you comfort him, patting one of his slumped shoulders.
“You’re right,” Jaehyun replies more energetically before pulling back.
“I’ll get ready and come out to help you real quick,” he hums as you rush to the locker room.
Inside the shop is warm and cozy and you, slowly, regain the sensibility on your fingertips, your lips, and on the tip of your nose. You go through the usual routine to get ready before meeting Jaehyun outside.
“What’s left for me?” You ask, finishing to tie your apron.
“Those two needed to be cleaned. I’m gonna get the pies-”
“Okay,” you shrug
“The espresso machine’s already on,” he warns over his shoulder.
There’s nothing but the sounds of Jaehyun at the back while you clean the machines, but this silence is welcoming and even relaxing. It contrasts so much with the view beyond the glass door. The chaotic traffic and people walking up and down the street. You enjoy these times before opening the shop, not knowing how the rest of the day would be.
***
Taeyong looked through the car window, irritated with the stillness. The car’s been stuck in traffic, not being able to move for far too long. Clicking his tongue, he lowers the partition with an impatient sigh. His driver looks at the review mirror, waiting. Ten, sitting by his side, spares him a watchful look.
“Isn’t there anything we can do to get out of here?” Taeyong asks, impatient.
“I ‘m afraid not, sir.” The driver replies with a trained apologetic tone.
Upset, Taeyong slumps back on his seat, undoing the button of his suit, blowing air out of his lungs, trying to tone down his anger.
“Are we too far from the company?” Taeyong asks, this time his questions directed at Ten, sitting by his side.
Doyoung spares a look at the map on his phone before replying.
“I’m afraid so.”
This reply only causes Taeyong to be even more discontent with the whole situation.
“This is ridiculous,” Taeyong protests in severe exasperation.
He glances outside yet again and sees you running out the door after a client.
“Taeyong, if you-” Doyoung’s cut off when Taeyong pushes the door open, letting the frigid wintery weather in the perfectly warm, luxurious car. “Taeyong!”
Before he could say anything else Taeyong’s walking on the wet streets, with drizzling rain falling on him.
“Park the car somewhere, don’t move anywhere without us.” Doyoung orders the driver and doesn’t wait for the response, already pushing the door open and chasing after his boss with an umbrella.
***
As soon as the sign at the door shows the coffee shop is open people come in, seeking the warmth and coziness as well as the drinks. Jaehyun busies himself to serve a couple of tables as you take his place at the balcony.
“What can I get-”
“Hey, Y/n!”
You blink, not quite believing the dazzling smile directed to you belongs to the awkward boy you had a crush on back in high school. Though now, Taeyong looks nothing like he did then. It hasn’t been that long and yet, he changed more than you could ever think.
“Taeyong?” You gaped.
“Taeyong!” Doyoung calls, hurrying after him inside the coffee shop, “If you want we can go back to the hotel and I rearrange the meeting-”
Doyoung’s words are cut off, noticing Taeyong isn’t giving him any attention. Doyoung turns to look at you, someone who looks… Quite average, nothing like Taeyong’s usual interests.
“We can discuss something like this later, Doyoung.” Taeyong says rather gentle and that gets Doyoung puzzled.
“Yes, of course. Should I get you a table?” Doyoung asks with a light frown.
“I think Y/n could do that for me. Couldn’t you?”
“Uhm- I-” You start, but protests of the customers lined up cut your words. Taeyong wasn’t even in the queue.
“Hey, dude! I don’t care if you’re here for coffee or you just wanna flirt, but get in line.”
Someone says aggressively and Doyoung gets between the two people just so the other wouldn’t dare to push Taeyong as they intended to.
“Hey, Y/n!” You hear Jaehyun whisper by your side and you jolt in surprise, “I’ll take care of this, get him a table or something”
Jaehyun’s fast at the job and you step out of the balcony. Taeyong follows you to a more private table.
“Is this place yours?” He asks when you handle him a menu.
“No, I just- work here”
“And when are you free?” He places the menu on the table without even glancing at it while you stand there, waiting to get the order.
Your eyes wander around and you can tell there are quite the number of people looking at him. It’s not everyday someone like Taeyong comes along to place like that, people like him or, at least, the way he looks right now are usually found in over the top, expensive, luxurious restaurants, ordering food which you can’t even begin to imagine the names of, let alone pronounce if you ever came across.
“Y/n?” He asks again, in an inducing tone. With that smile that knocks the wind out of your lungs. You can’t believe you still have a crush on him after so long.
“Uh- Yes. Yes, what’s your order?” You ask automatically after snapping back to reality. He chuckles charmingly.
“I asked, when are you free?”
“At seven. We close at seven.” You speak up before you could stop yourself.
“Okay, then- I’ll come back at seven, then.” He stands up and Doyoung stands up after him. “I’m really glad I got to meet you again,” his smile looked quite sincere this time.
But that’s because, for a split second you could see the face of the boy you liked back then, instead of the arrogant man that was now taking your hand and bringing to his lips. You didn’t notice Doyoung’s eyes going back and forth between the two of you.
***
As soon as the shop got more of a free time, Jaehyun came to you as you cleaned one of the tables. Your mind went back and forth that moment over and over and still- you couldn’t figure how that could possibly happen.
“Okay, so- Tell me.” He asked, standing beside you as you repeatedly wiped the table, the same spot, over and over again. “Y/n?” He called, lowering his head to notice your eyes were looking into the distance instead of the the clean spot on the table or him.
“Y/n!”
His half-scream made you jump in place and look at him.
“What now? Did you really need to-”
“You weren’t even paying attention to the table. What do you want, make it invisible or something?”
“Huh?”
He points at the table you’ve been cleaning, literally shining at this point. A wide contrast to the others.
“We have two options now, either we clean the others the same way or get this one dirty,” he says thoughtfully, looking around for a moment before looking at you, “But, seriously- Who’s that guy?”
“Who?”
“You know who,” he insists, chasing after you when you run away from him, “The guy that came here looking for you.”
“He didn’t came looking for me!”
“He came in, ordered nothing. Just talked to you and left,” Jaehyun states
“You- might have a point.”
“Who’s him?”
“He’s- He’s just someone I knew,” you try
“You knew?” He asks with scoff. “He didn’t seem dead to me.”
“Oh, c’mon, Jae! I had a crush on him when we were in high school or something, that’s all.”
“Did you date?”
“No!”
“Then, why’s he here?”
“How am I supposed to know?” You ask in frustration. You’ve been asking the same question yourself. “He’s different. He’s…”
“Hot, gorgeous, beautiful…?” Jaehyung mocks as you seem to search for words.
“Whatever you wanna call it” You say, impatient with the way he keeps joking around with you. “But I was about to say that he doesn’t look like himself. Like the guy I had the crush on. Maybe- Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
“And- Still, you’re going with him?”
“I- You know, it might be nothing.”
“Yeah, and he might be a jerk. Look, this is what we can do for the day- You’re leaving with me today. We can do something fun that won’t end up with you getting hurt by the morning and leave me to take care of this chaos by myself. Deal?” You watch him manner his hand to the busy but now quiet coffee shop.
“What about your project?” He shrugs
“It’s almost done, I won’t add anything from anyone else by this point, so I can seat back and do nothing. So? Deal?“
“Deal.” You shake his extended hand to you with a self-assertive smile.