Work Text:
The summer was still sweltering hot.
Doyoung had stepped inside the ice cream parlor, hoping for the relief of a quick blast of air conditioning, better than the high of any drug.
The cold had hit him full blast, but now there was just a different source of heat.
Because when he entered, Doyoung had laid his unworthy eyes on an angel.
Or a devil. Maybe he’d accidentally stepped into hell and was looking at Lucifer himself, with how cruelly the employee behind the counter had immediately stolen every shred of his soul.
The door rang a soft chime as it closed behind him, the speakers playing a subtle lo-fi beat. Already late noon, the shop still had the air of a kind of lonely morning, like a coffee shop without the rush-hour crowd. Decorated with a clear intent to draw the trendy mob, with an aesthetic wall of fake flowers and fairy lights meant for Instagram photos, Doyoung would have been a little intimidated even without the god of beauty apparently moonlighting as an ice cream scooper.
“Welcome!” the employee chirped, his perfect teeth smiling with the brightness of a thousand suns. “How may I help you today?”
The man’s hair was dyed a light pink, the same color as the peachy tones in his pale skin, an attractive flush across his cheekbones and nose. His features were sharp, as striking as a model at fashion week, but with his huge doe eyes and a halo of pink hair, he gave the ‘celebrity next door’ look that made Doyoung’s heart skip a dozen beats.
As he approached the counter, Doyoung was able to read the man’s name tag. Lee Taeyong. Even his name was cute. How could the universe even pretend to be fair, when a divine creature such as he apparently existed?
Doyoung screamed internally. Why hadn’t he put more effort into his appearance this morning? Why hadn’t he dressed in white-fucking-tie? His hair was probably a mess, and his wrinkled shirt definitely didn’t do him any favors.
Taking a deep breath, he scanned the menu. Taeyong was still smiling pleasantly with a saccharine customer service sweetness, melting Doyoung’s brain even more thoroughly than the summer heat ever could dream of.
The menu, written on a chalkboard with swirly calligraphy, listed hipster flavors like "ginger turmeric" or "goat milk and honey."
I could just order vanilla… but what does that say about me?! Green tea? Rosé, like Taeyong’s hair? How is ice cream so stressful?
“Ah… one small cup of mango, please.” His heart about to pound itself right out of his throat given how fast it was beating inside his chest, like the marching of a whole troop of soldiers, Doyoung managed to say his order with as much calmness as he could muster.
“Alright!” Taeyong took his order and began to scoop the tub of mango ice cream, humming to himself as he did so.
Doyoung fumbled with his wallet, trying desperately to dig it out from his back pocket before Taeyong finished his order.
Taeyong weighed the cup and punched in the number. "Seven and twenty-three cents."
Handing over the money for his overpriced ice cream without any hesitation, Doyoung took the opportunity to admire Taeyong's face, perhaps less subtly than he hoped it came across as.
"Are you a new customer?" Taeyong asked. "I don't think I've seen you in my shop before."
"Yes, but... I think I'm definitely going to come more often," Doyoung replied without thinking. Gah! That sounds so desperate, you creep!
Taeyong didn't seem to notice the red siren lights currently flashing all over Doyoung's brain. "It'll be a pleasure to have you again!" He sorted the money into the cash register and, while counting out the change, said "I'll be looking forward to it."
Before Doyoung could stammer a reply, Taeyong handed over his change while wearing a pleasant smile. "Enjoy!"
Doyoung weakly took his mango ice cream.
There was a small table against the wall that he chose to sit at, deliberately parallel to the counter. This way, he could look away from Taeyong when his poor heart couldn’t take it anymore, but he still was able to sneak glances from the corner of his eye as Taeyong went about his job, cleaning the ice cream scoop or refilling the trays of fruit toppings.
They were alone in the parlor—not many people had an appetite for ice cream at this early hour—and if Doyoung closed his eyes and deluded himself hard enough, he could almost imagine the background of the shop to wash away, to be replaced with the domestic life of a kitchen, Taeyong roasting coffee beans as Doyoung ate his breakfast.
Why am I thinking about this! Doyoung mentally slapped himself. We literally just met! He doesn’t even know my name!
He took as long as humanly possible to finish his ice cream, each tiny bite interspersed with a quick peek of Taeyong, but it was entirely too soon before he ran out of even the melted droplets to scrape off the sides of the paper cup.
He wished he could stay for hours more, but alas, he’d only ordered one scoop, and wouldn’t he look like a glutton if he went back to ask for more?
So with no more excuse to stay, Doyoung scribbled his number on a napkin and left it on the table with a quick <3 symbol before he left the parlor, back into the broiling sun.
The text came at 8pm, exactly when the ice cream parlor closed.
[XXX-XXX-XXXX]
Hello, you left your number on the napkin
This is Lee Taeyong from the ice cream parlor
Doyoung took one look at it, dropped his phone like it was made of hot coals, and promptly screamed into his pillow.
“What am I supposed to say?!” he wailed, kicking his feet into the mattress. Taeyong probably didn’t even like men, and with a face like that, he must have girls throwing themselves all over him. “And what was I thinking! Doyoung you stupid, impulsive idiot-”
[XXX-XXX-XXXX]
If you’re asking me out, the answer is yes
Quite literally, Doyoung felt his soul ascend to Heaven, being bathed in the chorus of cherubs strumming little golden harps and gliding on feathery white wings.
He screamed into his pillow again.
[Kim Doyoung]
Where would you like to go?