Archive of Our Own

It's been some time since Johnny opted to get himself a coffee from Starbucks before work, but the past few days have been pretty stressful. A client was acting up, accusing Johnny's team of sabotaging his marketing concept, even though they worked it out exactly how he wanted it. However things like that don't happen that often, but if they do it is a mess that luckily the law department takes over to deal with. So it's only natural that Johnny wanted to treat himself with some pricey coffee, hoping that it would help him survive the day in front of him.  

This morning it wasn't that crowded at the small coffee store near his workplace. Only two people were in front of him and a few people joined behind him, indicated by the cold stream of air that was coming in whenever the door opened. He swiftly glanced behind him, checking if there were more people coming in, bringing in fresh cold air as he slowly started to feel a bit cold in his suit pants.  That's when the stranger standing behind him caught his eye - he was wearing black skinny jeans that were slightly ripped on one thigh, paired with a thin dark blue jeans jacked, which assumably didn't kept him warm enough as his neck was covered with a thick maroon red scarf. The man's eyes were glued onto his phone where he furiously tipped a message while constantly adjusting his earphones as they almost slipped out of his ear. 

But suddenly Johnny got ripped out of his thoughts by a voice calling: "Sir it's your turn now."
As he was about to state his order, which he by now knew by heart as he always ordered the same thing - either an iced americano or a hot one depending on the weather, he halted for a second. Johnny took a short glance at the guy behind him again, who's eyes were still glued onto his phone, as this idea struck his mind. He lowered his voice while slightly leaning towards the counter: "I'll have a hot Americano and a hot Latte Macchiato for the man behind me, he looks like he would drink that. And could you please prepare that a bit later and then give it to him. It's supposed to be a surprise." The barista was looking at him confused, but nevertheless accepted his unusual request while telling his colleague to prepare the Latte a bit later. Now as everything worked out and he didn't had to argue with the barista, Johnny's face was decorated with a warm smile as he handed the employee the money for both drinks. Luckily his Americano didn't took long to make so it was already done as soon as he finished paying for the drinks. He quickly thanked the barista, while putting on a warm smile. As he was about to leave the store, he took a last glance at the stranger, who's now standing at the counter, the employee probably explaining to him that a stranger paid for a coffee for him. However Johnny didn't wanna experience his reaction, too afraid that it would get awkward, so he slightly rushed out of that store towards his company's building. But he knew that sometimes these random and slightly awkward ideas are the best and it hopefully made someone's day a bit brighter. 

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Today was one of the rare mornings a week where Johnny woke up early enough to eat breakfast with his flatmate Mark and get ready without being stressed about arriving potentially late at work. He likes those days, even though it meant that he got less sleep, but it still set up a good mood for the upcoming workday.

He quickly checks his twitter feed after putting on his skincare, checking if his friends embarrassed themselves online again. However upon opening the app he was greeted by a bunch of boring tweets, nothing interesting happened except a weird quote retweet by the official Starbucks account. To be honest, he wasn’t sure why he was even following them in the first place as he preferred drinking coffee anywhere else, but he still swiftly glances over that tweet. Starbucks captioned with a short „Help him find his prince charming“, paired with a heart emoji, which only made Johnny tempted to unfollow them. The original tweet featured a brief explanation that a guy searched for someone he met in a Starbucks downtown in Johnny's city, not really stating any details as it was paired with two photos of a handwritten note. However he couldn’t be bothered to read through both photos of the note as he wouldn’t be able to help this desperate stranger anyway. Or that’s what he thought. 

After closing the stupid bird app and (carefully) throwing his phone onto his bed he made his way to the kitchen, where Mark was already seated at the counter, munching on his Nutella toast while staring at his phone. „Good morning. Did you sleep well?“, Johnny automatically asked while preparing his Pour Over coffee. „Morning, yeah slept quite nice but maybe I should have slept earlier.“, Mark answers while looking up for a moment to give Johnny a sleepy smile. „Couldn’t end the call with Donghyuck again?“ „Yep. Neither of us wanted to actually hang up.“, the younger one said while bursting out into a small laughter. Johnny instantly started to smile while now pouring the hot water over the coffee beans. Mark and his boyfriend Donghyuck made up a big part of Johnny’s life as he instantly accepted Donghyuck into his family when the two started dating.

While his coffee was still brewing, he started to toast up a slice of bread and prepared some peanut butter to go onto it when Mark suddenly burst out into laughter.
„What’s so funny?“, he nonchalantly asked. „Dude I just scrolled through twitter when I saw this quote retweet of Starbucks official. It’s a post from a dude searching for the guy that bought him coffee on Monday morning at the store near your workplace. He even wrote a handwritten note explaining how it was more than just a basic coffee for him ahaha.“, the other one roughly explained, still not being able to stop laughing. That’s when it hit Johnny, that maybe, just maybe, he could be addressed with that tweet. HE could be the guy that the stranger searches for. A small feeling of panic grew in his stomach as he thought more about it. „Ahaha yeah I also saw that tweet. Really embarrassing to post something like that.“, Johnny tried hard to keep his voice calm, not wanting to let Mark know that maybe he was meant by it. He hastily finished making his coffee and his toast before excusing himself to Mark that he can’t eat with him this morning as „he remembered that he had to prepare something for work today“, leaving a slightly bewildered Mark behind, but by now he was used to Johnny also working when he’s home, so luckily he didn’t ask any questions. 

After almost running into his room he closed the door as softly as possible, again not wanting to look suspicious. He roughly placed his breakfast and coffee onto his desk before he threw himself on his bed to search for his phone, which was somewhere lost between his messy blanket and several pillows he owned. As he finally found it he sat down on his desk, planning to somehow eat his breakfast while searching for the tweet. As he expected it didn’t took him long until he found said tweet, a lot of his moots were talking about it and some even quote retweeting it. Some found it funny and some encouraged the stranger. Johnny took a deep inhale before he clicked on the original tweet to read it as well as the attached note. 

do @dodo201

This morning a stranger paid for my coffee at my local Starbucks near ncity square. I was really moved by it so I decided to search for him.
Maybe I can find you and thank you in real life as well.

Thanks for the coffee! I barely visit Starbucks as the prices are so high, but recently work has been super stressful so I decided to originally treat myself some matcha frappuccino or something (funfact: I don't like coffee.... but your thought counts). My best friend and I opened a shop a few months ago and it's been rough, we can barely pay ourselves enough to pay the rents, but we're still going because it's been our dream for years. I'm not gonna name our shop here as I don't want to use this for free promo. It wouldn't feel right. Sometimes I thought about giving up, not continuing to chase my dream. But then one day I decided to treat myself for something so pricey and you pay for me - a complete stranger. For me it was more than just a drink. It gave me hope to continue, made me realize that I can do it. I hope you also had an amazing day dear stranger. Thank you so much.

Johnny didn’t realize that he held his breath ever since he started to read the handwritten note. He let out a shaky but deep breath, all the air and tension now leaving his body while his mind went blank. He didn’t expect this simple gesture to cheer someone up as much as it did. He just thought that the stranger looked handsome so his mind just went: buy this beautiful person a coffee. Not really thinking that the other one would actually search for him.

He was lost in his thoughts when suddenly the loud notification tone from his phone ripped him out of his state. It was a message from his coworker Yuta, which said: „hey didn’t you say that you bought a stranger a coffee two days ago?“ together with a screenshot of Starbucks retweet.

Johnny groaned annoyed, he wasn’t ready to deal with all of that. The sudden attention was definitely too much for him, knowing that what feels like the whole world is watching this stranger searching for his prince charming. Searching for Johnny. He didn’t want to take such an important role so for now he decided to ignore the tweet as well as Yuta’s message. His coworker would bother him with that at work anyway. 

So Johnny quickly tried to eat his toast before he changed into his casual suit and roughly tried to fix his hair. Afterwards he swiftly gulped down his coffee, savoring the delicious taste as much as possible before bringing the dishes to the kitchen. Luckily Mark wasn’t seated at the counter anymore so Johnny didn’t had to act as if everything would be normal. He placed his dirty dishes into the dishwasher, hoping that Mark wouldn’t forget to actually turn it on today.

He then made his way back to his room, hastily grabbing his bag before he shouted: „Mark I’m gonna leave now! Don’t forget the dishwasher again.“ 

----------------------------

After finally coming home from work, Johnny was greeted by Mark, who was sprawled out on the couch of their big common room. His flatmate looked up for a second as Johnny entered the apartment, looking at him questionably. Of course Johnny understood what he meant, the other one probably waited for him before ordering some food. „I think I’ll first get changed and wash up, hope you’re not too hungry.“, he said while walking through the big room that accommodated both their kitchen and their living room space. The younger one simply just answered with a soft hum, his focus shifting again to the show that he had running on their tv.

Not wanting to let Mark wait for too long Johnny quickly got out of his suit before he made his way into the bathroom to wash up. After he was done and already put on his pajamas he suddenly remembered the tweet from this morning again. The guy was probably still searching for him.
He opened twitter and immediately saw that tweet again on his timeline, which now got even more attention. More people cheering for him and encouraging him to keep on searching. Johnny let out a small sight, he knew that he shouldn’t ignore it anymore and that he should at least message the stranger. 

So he decided to first look at the other one's account. He clicked on the account of the mysterious user who’s twitterhandle was dodo201and his name „do 🐰“. The stranger's account looked rather simple, his header was a photo of the sky, his bio saying „not a college student anymore but feel like a broke one“, which made Johnny laugh a bit. He then decided to look at the others profile picture, which was rather simple - it was a mirror selfie, but you could only see his face, mostly covered by his bright blue phone. It wasn’t the prettiest nor perfect photo but it was somehow cute. Johnny swiftly closed the picture before he got up and made his way towards the living space to join Mark on the sofa. He roughly plopped down onto the couch, his flatmate only sparing him a short look before he focused back onto his tv show. Johnny continued to scroll through Do’s twitter account, reading through the random tweets about his life and the selfies he posted, from which Johnny could tell that the other man was indeed as handsome as he thought when he saw him at Starbucks. Do posted a lot of selfies and random life photos, giving Johnny a small glimpse of what the other man’s life might be.

After scrolling through at least ten different selfies Johnny could confidently tell that the others smile was breathtaking. He looked so carefree and happy whenever he smiled which made Johnny’s heart feel warm and cozy. He unconsciously smiled at his phone as he realized that the other one probably smiled like that after he paid for his drink. And before he knew it, his hands already acted on their own and sent the beautiful stranger a dm, simply saying: „hi, I think you’re searching for me?“. Johnny groaned, annoyed by himself as he mumbled: „I really fucking slid into his dm’s with such a stupid message.“ And of course Mark caught that, giving him an asking look. Johnny sighted while telling him that it’s nothing. „Dude, sliding in someone's dms is not nothing. U know I heard you saying that. Come on, tell me, who is it?“, Mark said while looking at him after letting out a short laugh. Johnny shifted his gaze to also look at his friend. He was greeted by a smiling Mark but he could see in his eyes that he was there for him and would listen to his story, because that’s what Mark always did. They were there for each other like brothers did, even though they weren’t related. Johnny then took a deep breath before telling him that he messaged that viral Starbucks guy, continuing to tell him the whole story how he bought a stranger a coffee earlier this week simply because he looked nice, but now said stranger is searching for him.

Once Johnny finished telling the whole story he was looking at Mark expectantly, waiting for him to react. However Mark only burst out into a small laugh, gaining a playful huff by his flatmate. After a few seconds Mark stopped, explaining that it all sounded so fake but he knew that it was real, which made it even more unbelievable. Johnny was satisfied, now he had someone who knew the whole story and someone he could annoy about any future updates, like when Do’s gonna answer him. And he knew that he could trust the other one. 
„Thanks for listening to me. Wanna order some pizza now?“, Johnny asked with a smile on his face. „Sure man I thought you’ll never ask that.“ 

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Johnny: 
hi, I think you’re searching for me?

Dodo: 
hi, yeah I think you’re right 😊
thank you for the coffee

Johnny: 
even though you don’t even like coffee? 
I’m sorry for that but you looked like you would like a hot Latte

Dodo:
well amazing maybe I should try to look less like that
But then cute guys wouldn’t buy me a coffee

Johnny:
Oh? So someone bought you a coffee before or who do you mean?

Dodo:
I’m gonna pretend that I can’t read that.

Johnny:  ok ok i get it 🤧
small question

Dodo: 
yes? 

Johnny: 
What did you mean with the note?

Dodo: 

I think it would be the best to explain that irl…. 
if that’s okay for you.

Johnny: 
sure 😊 Should I buy you a tea this time? Or a frappuccino?

Dodo:
this time it’s my treat
I know a really tasty and cute cafe downtown. Are you free tomorrow during midday?

Johnny: 
How about the day after tomorrow? Would be better for me 

Dodo: 
ok no problem ☺️ I’ll sent you the address 
*address link*

Johnny:
thanks. So i guess we’ll see each other soon

Dodo:
Yeah. Thanks for meeting up with me. The tweet probably seemed a bit creepy

Johnny:
Ah no worries it didn’t. And you’re welcome

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„Yo Mark! Could you come again and tell me if this outfit is okay?“, Johnny shouted through the apartment. He wore a plain white t-shirt, paired with a black skinny jeans and a fuzzy, cozy looking jacket. Knowing that he would probably get a bit cold in this fit, but he hoped that they would stay inside the cafe most of the time. Johnny turned around as he heard someone enter his room, but not much to his surprise, Donghyuck was standing in between the door frame instead of the boy he asked for. By now he was used to that, Mark’s boyfriend practically almost lived with them as he stayed over so often, but Johnny liked that. The three of them almost felt like a big family, sometimes even having fun nights watching movies together.

„I guess it’s alright, but you might freeze, you know that right?“, Donghyuck said while analyzing his outfit. „I know I know but I need to look good and that’s one of my favorite fits.“, Johnny said while looking at the other one apologetically. „Dude if you’re set on wearing this why asking me?“, Donghyuck said before he turned around to leave Johnny alone again. Johnny knew that he was already set on wearing this, he just wanted to make sure that it actually looked good.
He sighted as he swiftly packed a small bag to bring with him, it was already time to leave the apartment if he wanted to be there on time. 

He decided to take the subway downtown to a station not that far from the cafe location that the other one sent him. The cafe wasn’t that far from the Starbucks where they first met, so Johnny was quite familiar with the neighborhood. However he never realized there was such a cozy, homey looking cafe tucked between clean and modern fashion stores that framed the streets in that district.

He quickly glanced at his phone as he approached the right address - he was 5 mins early, but there was already a person standing outside the entry of the small store, earphone in his ears that were framed by delicate ear cuffs, probably listening to music while looking at his phone. Johnny couldn’t clearly tell if this person was the man he was looking for, so he decided to ask the stranger. „Hi, ehm are you Dodo?“
The other one now shifted his gaze from his phone to Johnny’s face as he looked up, letting Johnny know that he was in-fact Dodo as he felt addressed by the name. He instantly took his earphones out and put on a big smile, making Johnny’s cheeks change into a soft rose color. His smile was truly breathtaking, but it didn’t seem as genuine as it did in some of the photos he posted.
„I’m Doyoung, nice to meet you in real life Johnny.“, Doyoung said, which ripped Johnny out of his trance of staring at the other ones face. For a short moment Johnny panicked, did the other one realize that he was staring at him?
„Ah nice to meet you too Doyoung.“, Johnny quickly answered while offering Doyoung a big smile. „We should probably go inside, it’s not that warm these days.“, the other man said while walking towards the entrance.

As they entered the cafe, Johnny could tell that the aesthetic of the outside of the cafe was continued for the inside as well. The interior was mostly made out of wood, different colors of brown filled the room, paired with warm lights. It made him feel like he was at someone’s home, but he wasn’t gonna get an instant coffee served, like most of his friends did, but instead he would be ordering a nice warm Americano.
Doyoung lead them towards a small table with two chairs on the opposite sides, near the end of the cafe. After both of them got comfortably seated, Doyoung gave Johnny the menu that was laying in the middle of the table. „Don’t you want to look at it first? It’s okay, I can wait.“, Johnny said with a small smile while holding the menu towards his date. „Oh no it’s okay I already know what I want to get.“, Doyoung answered nonchalantly. Johnny quickly took the menu again and roughly skimmed over the pages. The cafe had a big variety of cakes to choose from and Johnny would love to eat a delicious piece of cake, but Doyoung told him that he wanted to pay for the cafe visit today and Johnny knew from the note that he posted with his original tweet that he wasn’t in the best financial situation. So in the end he stuck with his first idea: a hot Americano.

As soon as Johnny laid down the menu again he recognized that Doyoung was looking at something behind him, as he was seated with his back towards the rest of the cafe, so he turned around to see where the other one was looking at as he saw the waitress approach them.
Doyoung took the lead and stated their order, looking at Johnny with a big smile, that seemed more genuine than the one he gave him in front of the cafe, when it was time for him to state his order. After the waitress wrote down their orders on a small piece of paper she smiled at Doyoung, telling him that she would be back asap to bring him and his cute date their drinks. And by the looks they both shared, Johnny could tell that they knew each other so he quickly made a mental note that he needed to ask the other one about it later on.
After the waitress left Doyoung looked at Johnny with a small smile, making the other one feel warm and accepted. "So you probably have some questions right?", Doyoung said quietly, his facial expression now filled with some kind of pain that Johnny luckily wasn't picking up. "Yeah...." By no means did Johnny want to pressure the other one, but after such a cryptic note he expected some answers what the other one meant. 

"So back in college I majored in business, I only chose it because I had no idea what else I should take. In college I also got to know this guy named Taeyong and we instantly became best friends and powered through everything together. However after I graduated I had a hard time finding a job so I only worked at places where I didn't need any knowledge-.", Doyoung roughly explained everything when suddenly the waitress came back with their drinks. She quickly placed coasters on the table prior to  putting the cups down before she shortly nodded in Doyoungs direction and left. Doyoung now carefully wrapped his hands around the warm cup of hot chocolate in front of him before he continued.

"So basically I only had some normal jobs that didn't require any university degree. Up until Taeyong one day asked me if I would be down to open a shop with him. He trusted me and knew that I had the knowledge to be the co-owner of our own company which I really appreciated. Also his idea sounded really nice and I had nothing else to do so I decided to become his work partner as well." He took a short break from his speech to take a small sip off his hot chocolate. Face now housing a small smile as he thought about his best friend. "And around 6 months ago we finally opened it. Since then it has been rough since at first no one knew about us. It got better but you know, it's still not perfect and money was a bit tight as I also live downtown, so I barely go out to grab an expensive coffee."
Doyoung now looked up, the smile from his face was gone and replaced by some expression that Johnny didn't know how to read. "I am sorry though that I bought a coffee for you when you don't even drink coffee.", Johnny said in a soft voice. "It's okay, it's the thought that counts." Doyoung took another sip from his drink before he asked Johnny what he was doing for a living. "I work in a quite big company downtown in the marketing department. Back in college I majored in marketing, even though I was more interested in photography as I did that as a side job ever since high school. But I knew that being a full time photographer can be hard and back then I wanted to have a more stable future? I know it's stupid but it was okay as I enjoyed marketing. I started working at this company almost directly after I graduated so I don't know anything else." 

After finishing his small speech about his life, Johnny took a big sip off his Americano, hoping that it would ease his mind. He instantly realized that his and the other one's life were quite different. He had a stable job pretty much since forever and he lived comfortably with Mark. As he looked up to finally see the other one's reaction he was greeted with a small smile. It definitely felt awkward between them now but Doyoung tried to fix that with some nonchalant small talk. However their date didn't last for much longer, both rapidly finishing their drinks while realizing that the feeling between them was pretty awkward now. Doyoung quickly went towards the counter to pay for the drinks they had while Johnny walked towards the entrance. When Doyoung joined him and both exited the small cafe, Johnny asked him if he knew the waitress. Doyoung bursted out in a laugh that he quickly tried to stop while telling Johnny that Taeyong's sister owned the cafe and therefore he came there quite often to meet up with his best friend. Finally understanding the situation better Johnny let out a small hum in agreement, it only made sense that he would know the staff working there if he was friends with the family of the owner. As Johnny's question was finally answered he pointed in the direction where his subway station is, asking the other one if he would walk to the same direction. But Doyoung just pointed at the opposite side, telling him that his apartment was that way.
"So I guess it's time to say goodbye now.", Johnny said with a small smile on his face. "Yeah I think so. Thank you for meeting up with me Johnny.", Doyoung answered, mirroring the other one's expression. "You're welcome Doyoung." After both said their goodbyes they swiftly parted ways, neither of them looking back on the other one. 

While Johnny was on his way back to the subway station he took out his phone from his pocket and opened up the chat with his colleague Yuta. 

Yuta: 
ey please tell me how your date went ok?
u know the stranger looked really cute and handsome in the photos he posted. 
Just tell me ok? pleaseeee

Johnny: 
ah yeah sure. 
Yuta, my date is over now and let me tell you, it wasn't the worst but also- not the best? The cafe we went to was really cute and stuff and he paid for the drinks which was quite nice, but also he really doesn't have a lot of money so i could've also paid for my own drink. Anyway he just had such a different life? He told me about the struggles with his shop and stuff and I just can't relate? And then he asked me what I am doing and I have such a stable life with my fulltime job and my photography work. I almost felt as if he maybe disliked me because of my perfect life?
Anyway we are not a good match.

After sending his message Johnny sighed. Doyoung was kind and stuff but he didn't fit to Johnny and he thought it would be the easiest if they wouldn't see each other again. Johnny was ripped out of his thoughts as the phone in his hand vibrated, indicating a new notification. Of course Yuta immediately answered him, he was probably sitting at home just waiting for his friends answer. 

Yuta: 
Ok how about we go out tomorrow evening, drown out your thoughts in tequila and maybe you'll even see a cute guy that catches your eye? 

Johnny: 
Sounds amazing.

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Johnny just finished getting ready for his upcoming night out with Yuta, who would pick him up in half an hour. This time Johnny didn't need any help with his outfit as he felt confident finding an outfit for going drinking alone. Today he went with a dark grey skinny jeans with a few cuts in the front, which he paired with a tight black tee with some white print on the front, the collar of the shirt a bit destroyed to perfectly fit the jeans. The shirt roughly tugged into the jeans and everything paired with two silver chain necklaces in slightly different lengths. He was in the midst of messily slicking his hair back, leaving a few strands hanging down, when Mark peaked through the bathroom door. "Yo Johnny we're leaving now.", the other one said before letting his eyes wander over his fit. "You look amazing dude I can tell that you'll have a fun night with Yuta.", his roommate added teasingly, but Johnny could hear that he meant it genuinely. "Thanks. Have fun on your date night with Hyuck. I'll probably be back after you but I'll try my best to be quiet." Mark hastily left the bathroom and a few moments after Johnny could hear their front door falling back into place. He really hoped that his night would be as good as the couple's night would be. 

After he finished his hair he still had some time left until his friend would come to pick him up so he killed the time by scrolling through social media, nonchalantly liking the posts of his coworkers and friends. 

Yuta arrived at Johnny's apartment not long after, going up to Johnny's apartment while telling him that he already called a taxi that would be there in around 5mins. While both waited for their ride to arrive Yuta told him that at first they would go to one bar downtown to get some drinks in before they would move to another new bar that recently opened. It was a solid plan and Johnny always trusted Yuta's plans as they would usually end in a fun night. 

After a surprisingly fast taxi ride they arrived at their first location, a normal bar that they've been to a few times already. Nothing special but also not that bad. After entering the kinda crowded bar they sat down at a small table at the opposite side of the bar. Both men quickly scanned their surroundings for cute boys but sadly there was no one catching their eyes so they probably wouldn't spend too much time there. They quickly ordered some beer to get them going, while Yuta told him a bit about the second bar they would go to. Apparently the cute guy from the accounting department that sometimes helps them out told Yuta about the bar which was called "Mad City". He said that the interior was really modern with some nice neon lights and some comfortable furniture. Also the music choices were supposed to be really nice so he mostly went to that bar ever since it opened. At first Johnny thought it would be like any other bar but now it sounded like it would be different from the usual soccer-streaming-bars that took over downtown.
After one beer and a few vodka shots both men were a bit tipsy, not a lot but enough to say that they could end their first round and move to the other location. The other bar was a short walk away, the cold air sobering them up a little while they walked towards their destination. 

As they arrived they were greeted by dark walls framed with some big windows that were tinted and made it hard to look inside. Over the entrance there was a small red neon sign saying "Mad City", the bar namen, in a rough handwritten font. So far Johnny was pleasantly surprised by it, he didn't expect someone would open such a different place in his city.
As they entered the place Johnny was quite surprised by it. The space wasn't the biggest, but that also made it feel a bit cozy. At the opposite side of the entrance there was a long bar which took over almost the whole length of the wall, which was covered in nice shelves which housed a shit ton of alcohol bottles. On the window side there were a few modern tables with chairs. The walls were decorated with different neon signs in various shades of red, orange and yellow which kept the light in there quite warm. But the most eye-catching neon sign was hanging next to the bar, saying "thirsty" lit up in a orange-red fire color. Johnny understood why the guy from accounting mostly went here, it was a totally different experience and feeling from the other places. However much to Johnny's surprise, the bar wasn't crowded at all and only half the space was filled with people.
Yuta and Johnny swiftly made their way towards one end of the bar, from there they would have the best overview of the place. The bar was only occupied by one bartender who quickly made his way towards where they sat down. Johnny couldn't stop looking at him. The man in front of him was gorgeous, his red hair was slightly slicked back, he wore a light chain choker and a white blouse that hugged his small frame perfectly while the two top buttons of his blouse which were open, teased the customers. He looked very handsome but Johnny knew that the other one wasn't his type and neither Yutas. 

"Do you two know what you want to drink? Or should my colleague make something that fits your vibe? He's really good at that and almost always the customers love what he makes.", the bartender said in a calm voice. Wow now even his voice sounded handsome. Yuta and Johnny now nodded in agreement, getting something custom made just for you sounded interesting. "Okay great. My colleague will be here again in a minute and then he'll come to you guys ok?", the bartender now said while putting on a small smile. "Ok no problem.", Yuta answered as the other one walked away back to the other side of the bar. While waiting Yuta scanned the room, checking if someone caught his eye. And indeed a man sitting on the other end of the bar catched his gaze, he was slender but his body still looked like he did a lot of sport. From then one, Yuta eyed the other one, trying to sense if he was there alone or waiting for someone.
Much to Johnny's annoyance, no one really caught his eye, until the door next to the other side of the bar that said "private" opened and the other bartender came back into the main room. Much to his surprise said bartender was Doyoung. 

He wore black skinny jeans that were just the slightest bit ripped in the front, paired with a white blouse where the two top buttons were also open, accessorized with a thin silver necklace framing his neck, drawing all the attention to his exposed collarbones. Johnny quickly realized that this fit was really similar to the one he wore when he saw him at Starbucks and that's when he realized it - Doyoung co-owned a bar. This bar. Doyoung ran a hand through his hair as he walked towards where the other bartender was standing as he looked up and saw Johnny. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the other one, but he quickly put on a neutral face while talking to his colleague.
"Yuta, the guy that just came out of the private door, the other bartender, it's Doyoung.", Johnny said to his friend in a low voice, not wanting other people to hear him. Yuta slowly turned around and looked at him with a confused face. "The guy you just met yesterday?" "Yep right." Yuta's eyes now widened as he understood the situation. "Yo he looks amazing today. Are you sure your date was not good? I mean he looks fine.", Yuta ranted but hastily taking a break as he saw that his friend was slightly distressed. "Okay listen. You get up and walk towards the bathroom, from my observation I think it's the door next to the private one. And as you walk there make sure to make eye contact with him. In there just wait and come out after a short while but don't wait for too long ok?", Yuta hastily stated before dragging his friend down from the barstool and shoving him in the right direction. 

Johnny was still a bit confused by the whole situation but decided to follow Yuta's plan, hoping that it would work out. As he walked past Doyoung, who was still standing next to the other bartender, Johnny looked at him putting on a small smirk as the other one slowly looked up and right into Johnny's eyes. He then proceeded to walk towards the door that Yuta meant and luckily it really was the room leading him to the restrooms. In there, Johnny took a short moment to calm down while leaning against the sinks. He couldn't really understand why, but seeing Doyoung like this today changed his view of the other one. He just assumed he would own a boring and ugly store and that it flopped because the other one didn't worked hard enough. However Doyoung co-owned a whole ass bar that had an amazing interior and a well thought concept. He could understand the other one's struggles a lot better now and he wanted nothing more than to talk to him again and maybe go on another date to clear things up. Maybe in the end they could become friends, because having a friend who owns a bar would be super cool.
After a few moments Johnny left the restroom again and walked past the two bartenders again, making sure to give Doyoung a quick look over the shoulder while walking towards his friend again. As he sat down on the barstool, Yuta immediately whispered a few questions towards him, asking him if it worked and the guy looked at him. If Johnny succeeded in getting the others attention. Johnny swiftly peaked towards where said man was standing, who now said something to the other bartender before he moved behind the bar towards where they were sitting - for sure he got the others attention. 

As Doyoung arrived in front of them, Johnny could tell that he tried his best to look professional and unaffected. For a second he looked at Johnny and made eye contact, but he wasn't able to read the other one's emotions, before he looked at Yuta next to him, putting on a small smile.
"What are you guys doing here?", Doyoung asked, still looking at Yuta. "Well I could ask you the same.", Johnny snapped back, which made Doyoung’s head whip around as he now looked at him slightly confused. Sure Johnny already knew that he worked here, but he still wanted to hear it from the others mouth. "Well, I am working here. It's my bar, I own it.", he answered, still looking at Johnny. Johnny basically knew it, he was pretty sure that Doyoung wasn’t just simply working here, but Yuta was really surprised by the bartender’s answer as he by now still thought he was just simply working there. His eyes light up as he basically almost screamed at him if he's for real. The bartender was taken aback by the other one's sudden excitement, but he still shifted his attention towards Johnny's friend again. From then on Yuta started to ask a bunch of questions to the bartender, which he happily answered. And without fully realizing, Yuta started to flirt with the other one, throwing compliments at him. However Johnny's thoughts wandered somewhere else as he just stared at Doyoung. He inspected every inch of his face, not able to take off his eyes. 

Until Yuta asked a question that ripped him out of his trance: "So, are you single?" Johnny's gaze shifted, now staring at his friend next to him while he heard Doyoung answer. "Yes, the last time I had a boyfriend was in college." Johnny now looked at the man behind the bar again, who just laughed a bit, cheeks heated up from the whole flirting.
"How about you make the drinks now that the other bartender promised us?", Johnny suddenly said, interrupting the others' conversation. As Doyoungs attention now shifted back to him again, he put on a small smirk. "Or is it too hard to make drinks that fit us?", he asked teasingly. Doyoung now moved a bit back to take all the things out from behind the bar to make the other two a drink. 

He exactly knew what he would make for each of them, years of working as a part-time bartender during his college days paid off. He somehow mastered barkeeping at this point, which was probably also why Taeyong asked him to open the bar with him, wanting to take advantage of his skills. While he gathered all the ingredients for Johnny's drink, he could feel the others eyes on him. He watched him, watched every move he did. And to be honest, Doyoung liked it. He knew that he looked good in his work fit and that a lot of customers wished to take him home with them (which he never did because customers stay customers), but with Johnny it was different. He didn't fully knew why, but seeing him again today felt totally different than their date yesterday. Somehow he wished Johnny would want to take him home with him today. After gathering all the ingredients he wanted to use, he put on a small smirk while looking up and saying: "It'll be the best drink you ever tasted." He saw how Johnny's eyes glistered with something, but he choose to continue the drink by pouring everything in the shaker. 

The whole time Johnny's eyes were focused on the bartender. Following his hand movements. Bartender Doyoung affected him in a weird way, it made him want nothing more than to roughly kiss him. Of course when he first saw Doyoungs photos on twitter he thought of him as a handsome and pretty stranger, but he was even prettier in real life and seeing him mixing drinks was sexier than he thought. As the other one shaked the drink, Johnny's eyes fell on his white blouse that he was wearing and the two top buttons that were open. That way he could see quite a bit of the other one's smooth skin on his chest and his collarbones that were delicately framed by his necklaces.
The bartender however quickly finished the drink and poured into a basic cocktail glass before putting it down in front of Johnny, sticking a straw in it to finish it. Johnny's eyes now wandered up the other's fit until they stopped as he looked him in the eyes. "Now taste it.", Doyoung said with a small smirk. And Johnny did like he was told, he took the glass and took a sip from his drink. It was sweet, but not too sweet, the alcohol in it balanced it out. Honestly, the drink was perfect and exactly what Johnny wanted, but he still put down the glass again, before looking at the other one with dark eyes. 

"It is really good, but I bet there's one thing that tastes even better.", Johnny said with a smirk. He leaned in a bit, somehow wanting to close the distance between him and Doyoung. The later one held his gaze, their eyes locked and lust started to shimmer in both of their eyes. 

Yuta, who was now long forgotten, still sat beside them, not wanting to interrupt them as he sensed the tension between the others too. His eyes quickly wandered towards the tall man at the other end of the bar, he still sat there all alone, so Yuta decided to shoot his shot and walked towards the other one.
However the other two did not realize that Yuta left, Doyoung just leaned more on the bar counter, nonchalantly saying: "I doubt that, are you sure." He slightly bit his lower lip as he said that, fully understanding how the other one meant his comment. He knew that he made Johnny go crazy, he could see it in the other's eyes which grew darker, filled with more lust, as the seconds went by. Moreover Doyoung knew that his eyes probably also filled up with more lust as time went by. They both wanted the same, having the same effect on each other. 

Johnny laughed while moving towards the bar counter, something in his brain told him to minimize the space between him and the other one. Wanting to be as close as possible. That's when Johnny abruptly moved his arm, which resulted in his glass falling over and spilling his drink on himself. 

He was so shocked by it his body just froze as he sat there, covered in this sweet sticky cocktail that instantly wetted his shirt and made it stick uncomfortably to his chest. However Doyoung immediately grabbed the glass to stop it from slowly spilling everything onto the other one, he carefully placed it on the bar counter before he moved to Johnny's side. He looked around for a second and luckily no other customers really cared about what happened, only Taeyong looked at him with a tiny bit of worry. Doyoung now stood in front of Johnny and all he could do was stare at him. Johnny looked down at the small puddle of liquid on the floor, not able to move due to him being so surprised. But Doyoung could only stare at him, recognizing how his now wet shirt sticked to his body, revealing his muscles or how some strands of hair fell into his face as he looked down, making him look even hotter than before. But he forced himself to snap out of his trance to help the other one. He quickly told Johnny to stay there while he hurried over to where Taeyong was currently standing at the other side of the bar. He tells him the obvious, that Johnny spilled his drink all over himself and that he could take him home to give him a clean shirt. Of course Taeyong directly understood Doyoungs underlying motivation of it and he was never the one to ruin Doyoungs dating plans, so he told him to take the other one home. But he also reminded Doyoung that he still needed him at the bar later on as finishing the night alone would be too exhausting, to which Doyoung promised him to come back not too late. 

He then quickly walked back to Johnny, who was now standing next to his barstool. He put his hand on Johnny's arm, trying to not get affected too much by the muscles he could feel under his hand, as he explained to the other one that he lives nearby and could give him a new shirt, telling him that he can't stay in this wet shirt anyway because he would get ill.
But Johnny quickly arrived back in reality, realizing that the other one was staring at his body and his wet shirt which stuck to his body. And he could clearly see the lust in Doyoung’s eye, realizing that they probably wanted the same thing right now. Johnny quickly accepted the other one's offer, looking at Doyoung with expecting eyes. The other one now started to walk towards the entrance of the small bar and Johnny followed him. He swiftly glanced over where Yuta sat at the other side of the bar, debating if he should tell him that he would be gone for a bit, but after seeing how passionately he was talking to the men next to him, Johnny assumed that Yuta wouldn't even recognized that he was missing. 

As they stepped outside, Doyoung swiftly grabbed Johnny's hand, interlinking their fingers as he looked at him. "You know so that you don't get lost.", he mumbled while walking and almost dragging Johnny behind him. However he quickly matched his walking speed, the two now walking next to each other while saying nothing. Johnny could feel how the sticky shirt now slowly dried and got colder, making him shiver a bit.
Luckily they quickly arrived at Doyoungs apartment complex as it was less than 10mins away from the bar. But due to its amazing location in the heart of downtown, he paid a hefty price for it each month. It was a smaller 4 floor house which housed a bunch of smaller apartments. After getting into the complex Doyoung walked up the stairs to the first floor. He walked straight towards his door, fiddling to find the right key for his apartment as his keychain was jam packed with different keys for the bar and his apartment complex. Meanwhile Johnny just stood behind him, waiting for the other one to open the apartment while his eyes were fixed on the other's hands.

When Doyoung finally opened the door, he walked into his small studio apartment as Johnny hastily followed him. He just stepped in far enough so that the other one could close the door behind him as he turned around, gesturing with his hand as he showed the other one the apartment. "It's not the biggest apartment but-", he said before Johnny interrupted him by softly pulling him into a kiss. At first Doyoung was taken aback, he didn't really knew if the other one really wanted to make a move on him, but after a second all the thoughts washed away and he kissed him back.
After a short while that felt like minutes, both pulled back, slightly panting from the shortage of air. "I didn't meant to...", Johnny mumbled as he looked down to the ground while he bit his lip. He didn't knew if he overstepped Doyoungs boundaries. "But I also want it.", Doyoung answered teasingly, the other one still not looking at him. Doyoung raised his hand and softly grabbed Johnny's chin and made him look at him. He could see the pure lust mixed with something else in the taller one's eyes, he wasn't sure what it was, but it made him feel even safer. He then pressed his lips onto Johnny's, who now stumbled a bit as the smaller one pressed him against the hard surface of the door. Both gave their everything as they roughly kissed, lips slightly parting wider and wider, wanting to get even closer. 

Both broke the kiss quite abruptly, gasping for air and breathing heavily when Johnny's eyes fell on the bed behind Doyoung, located in the corner of the room. He bit his lip, gaze shifting between Doyoung in front of him and the bed behind him before Johnny decided to swiftly kick off his shoes as he grabbed the other one's wrist and pulled him towards the bed. Doyoung quickly understood his intentions as he kicked off his shoes as well while he followed him. 

In front of the bed, Johnny kissed Doyoung again, the kiss was deep but also a bit desperate, Doyoung could tell that he wanted more. While kissing him, Johnny slowly lowered both of them on the bed, the other one underneath him and he held himself above him with his arms. One hand was next to Doyoungs face and the other one near his waist, luckily Johnny had enough strength to hold himself up like that and not crush the man underneath him. As they parted again, their bodies screaming to get some air and be able to breath, Johnny looked at the man underneath him. Doyoung looked amazing, his cheeks were flushed and had the most beautiful shade of pink on them, his lips were already swollen from the kissing and his eyes were dark and filled with desire and want. However Johnny also realized that the others outfit was a bit messed up as his shirt rode up a bit, exposing a patch of his perfect skin. Johnny quickly leaned down for another deep kiss while his hand next to the others waist slowly shifted and touched the small patch of exposed skin, before Johnny lightly moved it underneath Doyoungs shirt, caressing his waist and side, trying out what the other one would like. For a short moment Doyoung  shivered, not expecting the sudden sensation on his skin, but then he relaxed again, feeling comfortable with the others touch. Doyoung softly bit Johnny's lip now while his hands moved towards his chest, carefully touching the other’s hip area that was exposed as his now dried shirt also shifted. At first Johnny was as surprised as Doyoung was by the sudden touch, but it felt good. Doyoungs fingers were soft as they moved over his skin and he craved more. So he slightly lowered his body, now more parts came into touch as his legs and his crouch now laid on the other's body. However both pulled away again, panting for air as they looked each other in the eyes and both wanted the same. Each other. 

Doyoung slightly tugged at Johnny's shirt, wanting it gone, wanting to admire the whole beauty of the other one. And Johnny quickly followed the others unspoken desire by pulling up his shirt above his head, freeing his body from the stiff material that dried that way thanks to the drink he spilled all over himself. He roughly threw his shirt to the side as he slightly sat up, giving the man underneath him a better view. Oh and how Doyoung loved that view, he intensively looked at the others body, admiring his slightly toned abs while softly moving his hands along the others chest. Doyoung propped himself up for a moment to get a grip of the others neck before he pulled him down into a deep kiss. Johnny was so surprised by this sudden movement that he didn't really hold himself up, now lying on the other one hoping that he wouldn't crush him. But in reality the contact felt amazing and he just wanted more. 

But suddenly Doyoungs phone ringed, ripping them out of their moment as both looked at the small shelves next to the door where he placed his phone as he walked in. They suddenly remembered that they still had things to do, Doyoung was still supposed to be able to work today. They both looked at each other at the same time, Doyoungs eyes were still clouded with lust but it got less and less and Johnny was the same. However he knew that they had to meet again and sometime in the future continue where they had to stop it today. But for now Johnny didn't knew what to say, he opened his mouth, wanting to say anything but in the end he quickly closed it again. Not knowing what he should say. He quickly got up from above Doyoung and sat down on the edge of the bed. Doyoung also instantly got up and sat on the edge next to Johnny. He also didn't knew what to say, but he still decided to break the awkward silence first. "I should get you a fresh shirt.", he said while he got up from the bed and walked towards his drawer on the opposite wall. He then searched his clothes for a shirt that would comfortably fit the other one, but luckily as he liked to wear oversized clothing, most of it should fit Johnny. He looked through his oversized clothing as he felt a hand on his hip, slowly turning around even though he knew that the hand was Johnny's. Johnny was standing in front of him with quite a bit distance apart, not wanting to invade his personal space. The lust in his eyes wasn't fully gone, but it didn't dominate his look anymore as it was paired with fear. He feared that the other one might see it as a spontaneous one-time thing and a feeling that just overcame him. Johnny couldn't clearly say why, but he now had a fat crush on the other one and really wanted to give whatever was between them another chance. Doyoung on the other side just started to smile as he looked at Johnny, a comfortable warmth filled his body as he looked at him. He just really wanted to spend more time with him now, not really knowing why. But their first date was probably just a bad one, maybe one of them had a bad date or it was the awkwardness of seeing each other for the first time. But he wanted to get to know him better, the man that bought him a coffee. 

Doyoung placed his hand on the others neck before he softly pulled him down into a long kiss. As they parted he looked at Johnny again, who's fearful expression from earlier was replaced with a warm smile. "We should really get you a clean shirt and go back again. I don't know how crowded the bar might be.", Johnny's eyes widened in shock for a short moment as he realized that the other one had to work right now. With a short laugh Doyoung turned around again to search through his drawer again. "You know it's not like I regret it. Hell we haven't even done anything that could be regrettable. But I would really like to go on another date with you and maybe start again. pretending like that date yesterday never happened.", Doyoung said more to himself but knowing that the other one would hear him. He finally found a hoodie that he thought would look cute on Johnny, grabbed him and closed his drawer before he turned around to hold the hoodie in front of him to show it to the other one. It was a simple black hoodie that had some light print on the back as well as some small print on the front. Johnny liked it, the fabric looked soft and the print was nice. He instantly took the hoodie and caressed the soft fabric with his fingers as Doyoung told him where the bathroom was and that he should probably wash up a bit to get rid of the sticky residue of the cocktail that dried in his chest, to which Johnny agreed. He swiftly planted a small kiss on Doyoungs cheeks while saying: "I would love to go on another date with you.", before he left for the bathroom. Leaving behind a slightly flustered Doyoung. 

In the bathroom Johnny instantly started to roughly clean himself with a towel as he thought about what just happened. He felt so comfortable around the other one and he could tell that Doyoung also felt somewhat comfortable around him. He already knew Mark and Yuta would be screaming and squealing when he'll tell them the story. 

After he finished getting clean he quickly put on the hoodie that the other one gave him, it fit him perfectly. The fabric felt amazingly soft on his skin which made Johnny want nothing more than to cuddle right now. He swiftly left the bathroom and found Doyoung sitting on his kitchen counter, staring blankly into his apartment. Johnny walked towards him, but he didn’t notice him. Johnny now stood next to him as he said: “I am done now. The hoodie fits perfectly. Thank you.” Hearing a voice made Doyoung snap out of his trance and he looked up and smiled at Johnny. He expected the other one to look good in his favorite hoodie, but he never knew someone could look that handsome wearing a plain hoodie with some jeans. “You look perfect.”, Doyoung said without even realizing, but when he did, his eyes widened in shock as he moved his head not wanting to see the other one’s reaction. However he slowly turned around to face the other one as he could only hear a small genuine laugh. Johnny was now looking at him with the widest smile, eyes sparkling. “Thanks.”, he whispered while looking at him.
However he quickly changed the topic, telling Doyoung that they should probably go back to the bar so that Taeyong wasn’t alone for too long. “Oh you remember his name? I only said it like once yesterday.”, Doyoung asked, a bit confused that he would remember it. “Of course I remember it. It’s not like it’s such a common name in this area. And I also saw him today at the bar.”, Johnny answered nonchalantly, as if it would be the most normal thing to remember things like that. It made Doyoung blush, after their date he seriously thought that Johnny was just another fuckboy who pitied him for having such a boring life filled with small failures. But he wasn’t. In the end both had the wrong impression of each other. 

They quickly left the apartment, not wanting to let the other bartender wait for too long. While leaving the apartment complex, Johnny grabbed Doyoung’s hand, interwinding their fingers. At first Doyoung was taken aback a bit, but then he continues to smile. Realizing that everything is okay and both wanted the same thing: giving whatever their relationship was a second try.
They walk the whole way back in silence while holding hands, the city bustling around them as people were out and about going clubbing and drinking. It was a comfortable silence between them so no one tried to say a word. 

As they arrive at the bar they still hold hands, not letting go off the other one even after entering the building again. The place was now a slight bit more crowded, but it shouldn’t have been too stressful for Taeyong, but nevertheless it’s too much to handle it alone for the whole night, so Taeyong looked happy as he saw the other one entering the bar again. However as he saw the two of them holding hands, he raised his eyebrow, making sure that Doyoung knew that he would have to tell him everything that happened while they were away. Yuta was sitting at Taeyong’s side of the bar, talking to the stranger that he eyed since they entered the bar. And Johnny could tell by the way he talked that he had quite a few drinks, but the guy next to him also didn’t look too sober. His cheeks were constantly flushed a deep shade of pink as he was as touchy as Yuta gets when he becomes drunk. So both men were constantly touching each other's arms or shoulders and Johnny thought that it looked hilarious. As they arrived at the counter both let go off the others hand, Doyoung giving Johnny a reassuring smile as he instantly went behind the counter again. 

Johnny sat down on the barstool beside Yuta, lightly tapping his shoulder to let him know that he was back. His friend swiftly turned around and looked at him with a big smile before he introduced Johnny to the stranger. The stranger now gave Johnny a warm smile before introducing himself as Winwin, saying that he could probably not pronounce his real name as well as offering him a big smile. Johnny swiftly smiled back to not seem too rude, but he didn’t really care about his friend’s flirt right now. He could only think about how he could take Doyoung on a second date again.
Yuta instantly turned back again to face Winwin, continuing to talk to him and having a good time. Johnny knew that Yuta’s focus laid on the other man now and he would like to talk to him for the rest of the night. 

Lost in his thoughts, Johnny didn’t even realize that Yuta turned back again to talk to his flirt again. After a while Johnny snapped out of his thoughts and watched his friend for a moment. He could clearly tell that he was flirting with Winwin and Johnny didn’t want to ruin anything or any opportunity for Yuta so he decided to leave early already. He tapped Yuta’s shoulder again, which made him turn around for a second. Johnny told him that he was already done for the night and quite tired, telling him that he would leave already and if it was okay for the other one. Yuta instantly asked him if he should leave as well and if Johnny needed him, which he declined, reassuring him that he was fine and he would text him tomorrow. Satisfied with the answer Yuta waved Johnny a short goodbye before he turned around again.
However Johnny also wanted to say goodbye to Doyoung so he got up and walked towards Doyoung’s side of the bar, where he sat down on one of the free barstools. 

Doyoung was currently cleaning some glasses to make them look perfect when serving drinks, but he instantly realized Johnny sitting down so he put down the glass to walk to where he sat down. “What can I get you sir?”, Doyoung asked as if he would be a real customer. Johnny chuckled, not knowing if he should go with this roleplay or not. “Well how about your number?”, he answered, amazed by his own smoothness. Doyoung laughed but still wrote down his number on a piece of paper and gave it to the other one. Until now both only knew each other’s twitter account and using twitter dm’s to communicate didn’t feel personal at all.
He quickly took the small piece of paper and put it in his pocket, making a mental note to save the number on his way back home. Johnny then continued to tell the other one that he’ll already leave because seeing Yuta flirting with this guy made him feel like he was third wheeling, to which Doyoung just laughed. The bartender instantly told him that he would have an eye on the other’s friend and he should text him quickly, so that he would have his number and update him on his friend. Johnny agreed, he was touched by the others' offer of looking over his friend, even though Doyoung didn’t even knew Yuta. Johnny got up from his barstool while telling Doyoung that he would also message him about their next date.
“Sounds amazing! I’m excited to see you again.”, Doyoung said with a big smile on his face. “Same. Have a good night, I hope the rest of it won’t be too stressful.” “You too, get home safely.” Both had a big smile on their face while saying goodbye. And while leaving the bar, Johnny felt amazing and accomplished. Yuta was right, he met a cute guy that caught his eye this evening and he was really thankful for his friend that he chose this particular bar to visit today. 

While walking away from the bar Johnny took out his phone, ready to message the other one when he realized that the night subway was still running as it really wasn’t that late. He quickly walked toward the nearest subway station and took the next train that would also stop at the station near his apartment. While sitting in the subway, he took out the note the other one gave him, saving his number under the name “Dodo ♥️” before he also messaged him. 

Johnny:
hi, how’s work going?

Dodo ♥️: 
You just left 10mins ago, it hasn’t changed a lot. 

Johnny:
You’re answering really quick, aren’t you supposed to work 👀

Dodo ♥️:
haha funny. I’m pretty sure my boss doesn’t mind me being on my phone

Johnny: 
Your boss sounds chill, is there a way I can meet him?

Dodo ♥️:
Ah I am sorry my boss is already taken and in a happy relationship for years now. 

Johnny: 
oh wait what- why did he never told me about it?

Dodo ♥️:
You never asked Taeyong about it. 

Johnny:
FUNNY. I ofc meant the other boss. 
Anyway when are you free to meet up again?

Dodo ♥️:
Already missing me?
But I am free tomorrow before work aka around lunchtime?

Johnny:
Sounds good. I’ll message you tomorrow where and when exactly we can meet.

Dodo ♥️:
Sounds perfect. Can’t wait ♥️

Johnny now smiled at his phone like a madman before he put it away. Oh how excited he was for his date tomorrow. And this time he would make sure to make the other one feel comfortable and the date going in the right direction. 

----------------------------

The next day Johnny woke up during a time that was usual for him when he didn’t had work. He loved weekends as that meant he could have a nice, calm breakfast with Mark and truly catch up with him. He usually babied his flatmate, taking care of him like an older brother does and making sure that he was both happy and healthy.

Johnny swiftly walked into the kitchen, not bothering with washing up or changing out of his pajamas before eating something and most important before coffee. As he arrived in the kitchen, Mark was nowhere in sight but Johnny could hear some moving in his room, so he decided to prepare his coffee and take out some ingredients for their breakfast. Things like jam and peanut butter as well as cheese and ham, everything that would work well with some toast. After he already put two slices of toast in the toaster, his flatmate finally entered the kitchen area as well, looking tired with his messy hair going in all directions. „Good morning. How was your night with Yuta?“, Mark instantly asked as he sat down on one of the stools on their kitchen counter. So while making his coffee, Johnny roughly tells Mark about last night. How he and Yuta first went to a bar they know and then went on to a new bar that opened a bit ago. How the bar was surprisingly owned by Doyoung. He also told Mark how he was flirting with Doyoung a lot, then spilled his drink over himself and Doyoung took him to his home. To that part Mark’s eyes widened, he looked at Johnny as if he was telling him a joke, not really believing him that he went home with the guy that he had an awful first date with. However Johnny ignored it and continued his story. Telling him that he made out with Doyoung before going back to the bar. 

„So first of all- HE OWN A BAR? Dude he sounded like he would own a stationary shop or something. He sounded so struggling- how can a bar struggle in this city where everyone likes drinking and going out?“, Mark basically shouts at Johnny before he calms himself, cheeks heating up as he was a bit embarrassed by his own reaction. „Yeah he owns this really cool bar downtown with his best friend. It’s called Mad City. If you go there with Donghyuck and your friends and mention me to him, maybe you get something cheaper.“, Johnny answered jokingly. „Ahaha will definitely go there. Oh but you’ve two been horny huh?“, Mark asks nonchalantly. „MARK! NO PLS NO you’re a baby.“ „I basically have a boyfriend for more than a year John plus I am 21. Not a baby anymore.“ „Anyways yeah. Yesterday has just been different, you know? We actually clicked and had such a fun time with each other and he also would like to see me again? I’ll take him out for lunch today before the shop opens again.“, Johnny says while putting jam on his now toasted toast. 

Like that both continued their breakfast, Mark asking questions about his night and Johnny asking Mark about his week and random stuff. It was comfortable talking to someone who feels like family while eating breakfast and it always calmed Johnny down and put him in a good mood. Hopefully resulting in a good day. 
After finishing their breakfast Johnny quickly took over the task of washing the dishes as he knew that Mark hated it. But luckily the dishes weren’t that many after eating toast for breakfast so Johnny managed to finish it rather quickly. He swiftly made himself another coffee before he went to his room again where he plopped down on his bed. He sent Doyoung the location and time for their meetup this morning, besides asking him if his shift went over well and if he slept nice. So he knew that he still had enough time left until he had to leave the apartment. But somehow he didn’t feel like spending the remaining time productively. So he spent some time mindlessly scrolling through his phone. 

When it was time to get ready Johnny browsed his closet, not really knowing what to wear until he remembered the hoodie Doyoung gave him. So he mindlessly chose a random white shirt with some small print to wear underneath the hoodie, pairing it with some white washed denim jeans. Styled like this, the hoodie looked really nice and Johnny really liked it. It kept him warm and cozy while looking good, something that not a lot of his clothes did as he mostly owned short sleeves. 

He eyed himself in the mirror one last time, checking if he had everything and looked good enough to take the other one out. But since he was happy with his fit he swiftly left the apartment, shouting his flatmate a goodbye, before leaving to take the subway downtown to meet up with Doyoung. 

Johnny arrived in front of the restaurant a bit too early, he expected it would take him longer to find the location as he’s never been there before. He chose a small Italian restaurant which, if the internet is right, is supposed to be owned by an Italian family and serves one of the most authentic Italian dishes in the town. He really hoped that all those reviews were right.

Luckily he didn’t had to wait for too long as Doyoung also arrived too early, smiling as he saw Johnny standing there. „Hi.“, Doyoung said almost a bit shyly as he now stood in front of the other one, giving him the most genuine smile Johnny has seen on the other’s face yet. „Hey.“, Johnny also answered smiling. They swiftly entered the restaurant, which definitely had some homey vibe to it, some Italian music playing in the background and they could hear some quiet chatter from the back, where he assumed the kitchen was located. Both sat down at one of the many free tables near one side of the shop. There were no other customers in the restaurant as the usual lunch time had already passed but it was still too early for dinner, but it was the perfect time for Doyoung to eat lunch as he had to be by the bar around the usual dinner time.
They skimmed through the menu while talking about what they could order and share, both wanting to try everything but they knew that they could never finish that much food. 
They decided to order some garlic pizza bread as a starter and a pizza and one pasta as the main meal. After they placed their order they talked a lot, Johnny asked Doyoung about the bar and about the whole story. So Doyoung told him about how he got to know Taeyong during university, during that time he worked as a part timer in bars and learned how to make cocktails. After university he had a hard time finding a job that has anything to do with his degree in business, so he just took on a few smaller part time jobs to earn enough money to live comfortably. But then Taeyong asked him if he wanted to open the bar with him, the whole interior and vibe was Taeyongs idea while the drinks and making custom cocktails was Doyoungs idea. They loved the bar, even though they didn’t had that many customers and it was rough financially, but still they wouldn’t be down to close the shop just because of that.
The whole time while Doyoung told his story, Johnny looked at him and listened carefully. This time he was genuinely interested in the other’s story and the more details he got to know, the more he admired the other one for taking such a big step just after graduation college. Opening a business wasn’t that easy, Johnny knew that from some friends he had during college and his own college days. Back when he tried to make freelancing photography his side job while studying. But it was harder than it seemed so in the end he gave up, photography only being his hobby since then. Sometime during their chat, the waitress brought out all of their dishes, so both started to eat while continuing the talk. Johnny told Doyoung about his flatmate Mark and how he is like a brother to him and how he helps him out a lot. Doyoung learned that Johnny was really lovely and caring, that he really looked out for all of his friends and as Doyoung assumed, he sometimes forgot to think about himself during the process.

After a while they finally finished their food, it took them longer than normally because of their chatter and laughter. They had a good time, laughed and smiled so much that Doyoung’s cheeks now hurt a bit. But it felt nice, both of them liked to be in the presence of the other one.

As promised, Johnny paid for everything. They swiftly left the restaurant to escape into the fresh and cold air outside to stand next to the entrance of the restaurant. „So I guess you need to go now?“, Johnny said with a sad undertone. He knew that Doyoung had to work but at the same time he really wished they could spend more time together now. Then suddenly Doyoung took Johnny’s hand in his own, which made him look at the other’s face. „I could but I want to spend more time with you. It’s okay I could ask Taeyong to prepare the bar for me.“ „Oh really? I don’t want him to dislike me because I am keeping you away from work.“ Well Doyoung didn’t expected Johnny to have this small fear so he laughed, looking at Johnny with surprise. „He won’t. During our uni days when he got together with Jaehyun I had so many group projects that I had to do alone because he spent all his time with Jae. He owns me one.“, Doyoung simply stated before he took out his phone to send a quick text to his friend, telling him that he’ll be at the bar a bit later today and if Taeyong could prepare everything. Without asking for an answer he quickly pocketed his phone again before intertwining his hand with Johnny’s. „I’ll treat you to a coffee.“, he says before he led Johnny down the street towards a familiar Starbucks location. 

As they arrived in front of the Starbucks where they first met, Johnny looked at Doyoung surprised, he didn’t expect him to choose a Starbucks to treat him to a coffee. Doyoung now also looked at Johnny and laughed as he saw his slightly confused and surprised face. „You didn’t expected this huh?“ „No, not at all. Isn’t Starbucks too expensive?“ „It’s okay. It’s not like I am THAT broke. It’s just- money is thigh but if I separate my expenses the right way I can afford an overpriced coffee for the cute Starbucks stranger.“, Doyoung said before dragging a now smiling Johnny into the coffee shop. 
They quickly ordered their drinks, a hot Americano for Johnny and a hot tea for Doyoung. After getting their orders they sat down at one of the small tables near the window front of the coffee chain. For a short moment Johnny watched the other one as he took a small sip from his tea, smiling happily afterwards as the warmth filled his body. „You just looked like someone who would drink a Latte Macchiato.“, Johnny stated without thinking. Doyoung looked at him surprised. „Oh I do?“ „Ah yeah you do. I mean maybe coffee can become your thing? I make pretty good coffee at home, you should try it.“, Johnny said cheekily. „Oh I would love to.“ Both started laughing from their little conversation. They quickly fell into a flow of chatter again, Johnny told Doyoung some stories from the time he tried photography while Doyoung told him about some of his weird encounters he had while working as a part timer in bars. Time flew by like that, spending it talking and laughing. Both already finished their drinks a while ago, but they still remained at the coffee shop, not wanting their date to be over. Doyoung swiftly glanced on his phone, wanting to check if Taeyong answered him but instead he was greeted by the big time display, reminding him that it was way past his time of arriving at the bar. And not much time was left until Taeyong would open it. „Johnny I think I really should get to the bar now. It’s already so late.“, Doyoung stated the obvious. Now Johnny also took out his phone to check the time and he was as equally shocked as Doyoung to see that it was already so late. „Oh shit I didn’t thought it would already be so late.“, he said while both got up to go out of the shop. 

They instantly left the coffee shop and Doyoung stopped in front of the entrance, thinking that they would part their ways, when Johnny interlocked their hands and gave him a smile. „I’ll walk you to the bar.“ Doyoung smiled as both walked the short walk to Mad City while holding hands. Once again this comfortable silence embraced them during their walk. It was healing.
They quickly arrived in front of the bar and Johnny was a bit sad that they already had to say goodbye now. Doyoung now stood in front of him, still holding his hand as he looked at Johnny. „I guess it’s time to say goodbye now.“ „Yeah I think so.“, Johnny said, not able to cover up the sadness in his voice. „But we can see each other again.“, the other one answered cheekily. „Yes please!“, Johnny said with a big smile. He was thinking the other one would leave like that, but Doyoung quickly tiptoed to give him a swift peck before he walked into the bar. Leaving behind a startled Johnny.

-------------------------

It already have been 5 weeks since Johnny randomly visited Mad City, not knowing that it was Doyoung’s bar. Ever since they had their second date, both messages each other every day and met up quite often to go on more dates. All these dates without one of them asking the other one out, the whole time spend dating. Mark already started teasing Johnny two weeks ago with that, constantly asking him when he’s gonna ask Doyoung out so they could finally call each other boyfriend. And every damn time Johnny tells him that it’s not as easy as Mark makes it sound like. Johnny liked taking Doyoung out on dates, visiting various cafes or restaurants with him, trying different food. However they also spent nights at home, sometimes even watching a movie with Mark. Overtime Mark got to know Doyoung and liked him in the same was that Johnny liked Donghyuck- in a way you like the partner of your brother. Sometimes Johnny also stopped by the bar to check in on Doyoung, allowing himself one drink before he went home again as most of the times he had to work the next day.
Moreover after Yuta and Johnny visited Mad City, they made sure to recommend the bar to all their coworkers and Mark also recommended it to his friends. And a lot of them actually visited the bar, liking it and recommending it to their friends. Like that the bar took off, not in a way where it got too crowded, but in a way where Taeyong and Doyoung could hire an employee, so that they weren’t as stressed and both could have at least one to two free nights a week, which Doyoung mostly spent with Johnny. During their many dates both got to know each other better, recognizing the little perks of each other, learning what their partner liked and what not.

Johnny thought about the past weeks as he took the subway towards the cinema. Thinking about it, about Doyoung, always made him happy. In such a relative short amount of time, Doyoung already became such an important person for him, a safe space. As he got out of the subway station and walked towards the cinema, he could already see Doyoung waiting in front of it. He looked cute, wearing a big cozy t-shirt, which probably belonged to Johnny, paired with some skinny jeans, holding a picnic basket. They automatically greet each other with a short kiss, both used to the skinship and affection. Johnny held up his arm towards Doyoungs side, so that the other one could link their arms. They instantly entered the cinema, instantly walking towards the snack bar. Johnny already bought the tickets beforehand online, as it was more carefree that way. He and Doyoung decided to watch a romcom as they didn’t want to watch any heavy movie at 11:30am. 
After getting popcorn and a cola they entered the cinema where the movie would start shortly. The cinema was really empty, probably due to the early time, but it was the best time for Doyoung and Johnny. Late enough so that Doyoung could get enough sleep, but early enough so that they could still do something else afterwards before Doyoung would need to work again. Johnny didn’t mind changing his schedule for the other one, before he met the other one he barely used his vacation days, but now he had a reason to use them. As they got comfortably seated, the ads that always play prior to the movie. Telling them about various things like ice cream or cars. It gave them enough time to find a comfortable position, both holding hands while eating the popcorn, that they placed between them, with their free hands. 

The movie went by rather fast and they spent the time lightly laughing at the funny scenes and cooing when the main characters finally made a move on each other and got together at the end. It made Johnny think about him and Doyoung, how in the end they also got together, even though the part of making it official was still missing. He lightly squeezed Doyoung's hand as the ending credits were rolling, making him go back to reality and letting him know that they should also probably leave the cinema now. Both swiftly gathered their things before leaving the cinema, throwing away the empty popcorn and drink containers before Doyoung guided Johnny to a small park near the river, not too far away from the cinema. During their short walk, they continued to hold hands, lightly swinging their hands between them. It was a warmer spring day, the cold winter weather from when they met long gone. They walked through the park until Doyoung saw a nice spot to sit down on a lawn next to the river. He quickly took out a picnic blanket from his basket and put it down before sitting on it. Doyoung softly patted the spot next to him while looking at Johnny with a smile, telling him to sit down beside him. Johnny quickly followed the others order and sat down closely beside Doyoung, watching him with a smile as he unpacked all the food he prepared. Johnny expected Doyoung to prepare some food, but not THAT much. He watched Doyoung with wide eyes as he unpacked different food, from kimbap to sandwiches as well as some glasses and some different bottles of coffee for Johnny, tea and some korean cider. 

After Doyoung finished taking everything out, he looked at Johnny with a big smile, eyes sparkling with affection and happiness. Johnny then got ripped out of his thoughts about all the food and looked at Doyoung, realizing that the other one was staring at him. „What?“, Johnny whispered softly as he took Doyoungs hand into his, caressing it with his thumb. „I always dreamed of taking my boyfriend out on a picnic date.“, Doyoung said happily while Johnny’s eyes widened in shock. Did he really just call him his boyfriend? And answered the question that bothered Johnny for days, no weeks? Maybe for Doyoung it wasn’t as a big deal as it was for Johnny, maybe Doyoung already viewed them as boyfriends for weeks? Johnny had so many questions but he knew that now wasn’t the time to ask all of those. The happiness that the other one- his boyfriend called him that word filled him with warmth as he smiled widely. „Now we can do all your dream dates.“, Johnny said before giving Doyoung a quick peck on his cheek, which made him blush. „I’m really grateful that my boyfriend prepared so much for this picnic.“, Johnny said. His voice was warm and affectionate, he was sure that Doyoung was able to hear that. Doyoung now leaned in to give Johnny a kiss, before putting some space between their faces. Just inches away from each other, both smiled widely, feeling comfortable and safe. Johnny couldn’t wait what the future would hold for him and his (now) boyfriend.