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Everything is going as it normally would on a Monday afternoon. Sungyoon is working his part-time shift at the campus’s Starbucks, calling out customers’ orders as others take their own, sitting down and choosing to relax, study, or to sit and chat with friends.
His best friend Daeyeol also works there by his side. He was even present during Sungyoon’s first sip and personally trained him, teaching him everything he knows about espresso and coffee in general. Daeyeol has always been a really nice and caring friend to Sungyoon, so having him around was a true blessing for him.
Sungyoon had called out a grande hot americano for the cafe when the shift manager told him he’s good to take his lunch break. He was about to make his way out from behind the counter when a customer walked in. He isn’t one of their regulars, but he still recognized the man who entered the door.
”Jangjun?” he says to him.
“Hey, Sungyoon! I had no idea you worked here! And Daeyeol, too? No way!”
Daeyeol smiles and waves from the background when he registers his name being called.
“Yeah, I’ve been working here for a while. What brings you here?” Sungyoon asks, genuinely curious as to why he’s here considering this is the first time he’d ever seen Jangjun step inside his store.
“Well, I initially came here just to lay back, but now that I see you’re here, want to...have some coffee with me? It’s on me, I promise,” he says, knowing that Sungyoon was either on break or was getting ready to leave since he was taking off his apron. Sungyoon quickly takes a glance at Daeyeol, who is currently giving him a wide set of eyes while mouthing the words “Say yes!” Sungyoon feels as though he’s been put in a situation where he can’t say no, but he would be lying to himself if he pretended he didn’t desperately want to accept his offer. “Well, I do have plenty of time since I get a half hour lunch, so...why not?”
Jangjun gives a big smile showing all of his teeth, which Sungyoon found to be rather cute. “Great! So, um, what kind of drinks do you like?” He asks while looking at the menu in front of him.
“Personally, I really like blonde iced americanos,” Sungyoon replies to him. “Oh really? Why’s that?”
Sungyoon starts heading over to the old green sofa located just at the end of the bar and sits down. “Iced americanos are just espresso, cold water and ice. It’s pure caffeine, perfect for when you're pulling an all-nighter. Also, blonde espresso contains more caffeine than normal while having a more mellow and balanced flavor. Plus, I’m not too into sugary coffee.”
“Ah, I understand.” Jangjun makes his way back to the cash register. “So...Daeyeol! Can I have...a tall iced vanilla latte with whip and cinnamon powder? And for Sungyoon, give him his blonde iced americano. He’s in for a real treat today!” Sungyoon can only giggle to himself. He didn’t have the heart to tell him that Starbucks partners can get free drinks while they’re on the clock. Daeyeol, also knowing full well that he could just give Sungyoon the drink for free, decides to humor Jangjun and gladly takes his order and says his usual, “Alright! We’ll have those out for you as soon as possible at the end of the bar!” He then quickly glances at Sungyoon and winks in a teasing, annoying and exaggerated manner.
Jangjun then makes his way to the small chair right next to the sofa Sungyoon is sitting on. “So, Sungyoon...ahh, this is so weird, it’s just that we don’t normally have time to, uh…”
“...to talk”,“...to have a conversation,” they say at the exact same time. Jangjun flashes his killer smile again. God, he looks amazing. “Yeah, exactly! We rarely get the time to make conversation even if we have the same friend group. We even share a few classes! How come we haven’t?”
Sungyoon looks at him quizzically. The words he says are true but he never imagined Jangjun would notice. He and Jangjun have never had a one on one conversation. Of all his friends, he knew the least about Jangjun. They’ve barely spent any time together and whenever they did there were always eight other boys to get in between them. “Well...I’m not sure. I think that it’s just that...we genuinely never had the opportunity. Class time takes up the whole hour and you know how our friends are. They’re very excitable and need way more attention than I do.”
He feels like Jangjun is staring directly into his soul. His beautiful brown eyes… Jangjun lowers his gaze for a moment. “It’s really a sad missed opportunity, isn’t it, bun? I can’t believe this is the first time I get to see your beauty so up close and personal…” he says as he looks back up at Sungyoon and puts his elbow on the armrest, placing his chin in the palm of his own hand.
Sungyoon is floored by Jangjun’s sudden confession. He knows Jangjun has always been rather outgoing and blunt, but to be this forward so suddenly was kinda shocking to him. He shyly covers his smile knowing full well he’s blushing bright pink. If he’s being absolutely honest with himself, he’s had a crush on Jangjun for a while now and hearing him say these things just makes his heart swell.
“Wow, Jangjun, if you keep saying that I might just start believing you,” Sungyoon flirts back, hoping that Jangjun isn’t startled by him matching his energy. Jangjun smiles softly. “Believe it, then. I’m being serious.”
“Jangjun, I’ve got your iced americano and your iced latte!” Daeyeol calls from behind the bar. Jangjun gets up from his seat. “I’ll go get our drinks, you stay there and look pretty for me, okay?” Sungyoon giggles a little. “Okay.”
Jangjun comes back to his seat and hands Sungyoon his drink. They quietly enjoy each other’s company as they take a few sips of their drinks. Damn, he looks this good even when he’s just sipping from a straw? His thought was quickly interrupted by Daeyeol walking over to them with a plate. “Hey, this scone broke in half as I was removing it from the packaging and we normally aren't allowed to serve this to our customers this way so I decided to cut it up and let you guys have it for free. And to share,” he says that last part while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Sungyoon.
“Okay, thank you, Daeyeol, you’ve done enough for us!” Sungyoon dismisses the taller man as he gently pushes him away. Jangjun can only smile as he watches the two friends bicker. “Sorry about him, he’s extremely nosy. Knowing him, he probably did that on purpose just to see how we were doing.”
Jangjun nods. “I see…! So, about you and Daeyeol, how long have you known each other? You two seem really close!”
“Hmmm…we actually met when we were first years in high school. We randomly decided to sit next to each other, became fast friends that way and have been best friends ever since. Gosh, how long has it been…if we’re juniors in university now, that’s…”
“Wow, that’s at least five years…I’m kinda jealous that you’ve known each other for so long, haha,” Jangjun replies sheepishly as he slowly puts a piece of the scone in his mouth. Sungyoon leans down and also grabs himself a piece. “Yeah, and he’s actually the reason why I got this job. He mentioned they were in need of some new baristas and I figured that this was a pretty good way to make some money for myself while we’re here in uni. Months later here I am now, sitting in my store, enjoying some coffee with you,” he says before popping the scone in his mouth.
Jangjun scratches the back of his head and blushes slightly. He looks at Sungyoon’s face and gives him a warm smile. He chuckles to himself. “Hey, Sungyoon, umm..” he tries to speak. Sungyoon quickly tries wiping his own face. “Oh god, is there something on my face? Do I have crumbs?” Jangjun bites his lower lip, still smiling. “No, there isn’t anything on your face, don’t worry. It’s just that..”
Just that…what?
“...you looked super cute when you were eating. You really did look like a bunny. Now I can see more than ever why people gave you that nickname,” he says with the softest smile imaginable. Sungyoon’s heart skips multiple beats. Am I dreaming? Am I in heaven right now? “Oh, come on, you’re joking with me, right? I do not resemble a rabbit, do I?”
Jangjun grabs another piece of the scone and makes his way over to the empty spot on the couch next to Sungyoon. “You do, actually. And I wanna see it again up close. Can I…” he says as he leans in and brings up the scone to the rabbit’s mouth.
“…feed you…?”
Sungyoon feels himself blushing. He slowly parts his lips without much hesitation as he looks at the scone in the man’s hand, then slowly looks up at Jangjun’s eyes. He can finally see his crush’s face up close and personal just inches away from his own. He can see his captivatingly beautiful deep chocolate brown eyes, his lightly dyed auburn hair styled in a slightly disheveled coif with a few locks coming down to tickle his eyelashes. Jangjun places the dessert in Sungyoon’s mouth, Sungyoon closes his mouth and is mindful to not accidentally make contact with Jangjun’s fingers.
As if he’s in a trance, Jangjun doesn’t want to take his eyes off of Sungyoon’s lips. He’s obsessed with the way his pink lips purse and the way his jaw moves to chew on his food. Just like a rabbit. Jangjun looks up to admire Sungyoon’s face. He can now clearly see his jet-black permed hair that barely shows any forehead. Looking slightly below his forehead he’s met with dark brown eyes like a deep golden galaxy, easy to get lost in. Their eyes linger on each other for several moments. Sungyoon swallows the last bit of his dessert before he clears his throat, bringing the both of them back to reality.
“Hey, um…you were staring…” Sungyoon can barely muster. The auburn haired man is clearly taken aback and blushes for what seems for him to be the millionth time. “I…was I? I didn’t mean to, sorry…” Jangjun is never the type to stammer or get shy, so seeing him like this is truly a sight to behold for whoever is watching. Noticing this, Sungyoon decided to get bold.
“Were you thinking about what they feel like?”
“…would you be weirded out if I said yes?” Jangjun replies just as boldly. Sungyoon’s mouth can’t help but curl up at the ends.
Their moment is interrupted when Jangjun gets a phone call. He glances at his phone then gives Sungyoon a “Do you mind if I answer?” kind of look. Sungyoon motions for him to go ahead and Jangjun gets up to take the call.
After the several minutes he and Jangjun just spent, the atmosphere has gotten awfully quiet for Sungyoon. All he can do now as he waits for Jangjun to come back is think about what happened and reflect on his actions.
What the hell? Did I really just do all that? What the fuck is wrong with me? At least he seems to…feel the same? Right? He fed me…and he looked at…he even admitted to staring…and that he thought about…
Sungyoon lightly brushes his lips with his fingertips. He never took too much time to think about his lips, believing they were unassuming at best. But Jangjun just admitted to imagining what they might feel like. But in what way? Just by poking them? Surely he couldn’t mean…he wanted to know what they feel like against…his?
His cheeks feel hot but his forehead suggests it’s not a fever. He suddenly feels dizzy. He knows he’s not sick. I’m sick-headed. I can’t believe Jangjun is making me feel this way.
Lee Jangjun has gotten me to fall for him.
As Sungyoon tries organizing his thoughts, Jangjun walks back over to him.
“Hey, sorry about that. It was Taek, said he needs me back at our dorm,” he says as he slowly sits back down in the empty spot next to Sungyoon. “When I told him I was out meeting with someone…” he slowly brings his left hand toward Sungyoon’s face. He gently brushes the dark curly hair off of the rabbit’s forehead so he could see it better, “...he told me he was in no rush.”
Sungyoon’s heart skipped multiple beats in that moment. From the soft gesture, the words he heard him say and the way he whispered that last part, his mind takes off in many directions. He doesn’t know how much longer he can handle Jangjun’s bold teasing.
“But I think I should get going anyway,” Jangjun says as he stands back up. Although he thinks he’s being subtle about it, Sungyoon is visibly displeased. Seeing this, Jangjun slightly chuckles to himself and decides to make his next move. “Do you think we can do this again? I really enjoyed my time with you.”
“Uh…yeah. I’d like that a lot…I’ll be here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the midday,” Sungyoon replies to him. Way to fucking go, Sungyoon. You just gave him your entire schedule. He probably thinks I’m desperate now…
“Cool! Um…I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday then?”
“Yeah, see you on Wednesday!”
Jangjun smiles at that. “Awesome. And, um, can I ask for one more thing?” he says a little shyly. Sungyoon is a little curious as to where this might go so he nods in agreement. “Can I get a hug before I go?”
And that was it. That’s what made Sunyoon finally realize that it’s highly unlikely his feelings are one sided. He smiles softly and silently nods. They both spread their arms and go in for the hug. Sungyoon has never quite felt a warmth like this. Jangjun’s arms are firm and strong. Being in Jangjun’s embrace feels otherworldly to him. He breathes in Jangjun’s scent. It’s pleasant, citrusy… bergamot?
Sungyoon feels Jangjun’s hold on him tighten just a bit and also feels one of his hands comes up to stoke the back of his head. He never realized just how touch-starved he was until he felt a surge of electricity go up his spine. He responds by relaxing into the crook of Jangjun's neck, selfishly allowing himself to take in more of Jangjun’s scent and body. The hairs on the back of Jangjun’s neck stand up when he feels Sungyoon’s breath. They slowly pull apart and look each other in the eyes. The moment was long enough to satisfy the both of them but short enough to not be deemed inappropriate for the public. Jangjun takes Sungyoon's hands in his own as their eyes linger on each other for a while.
“I’m excited for our next date, Sungyoonie~! Rest well tonight and stay healthy for me!” Jangjun manages to say as he lets go of Sungyoon's hands, turns around and lightly jogs toward the door to leave. As he opens the front door, he turns back around, flashes Sungyoon his favorite bright smile and waves goodbye. As Sungyoon waves back, Jangjun makes his leave with a skip in his step.
Daeyeol comes up to Sungyoon and pats him on the back. “Wow, Sungyoonie, was all that about?” Sungyoon feels his cheeks flush. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What was what all about?” The taller man looks at him unimpressed. “You and Jangjun! You guys obviously like each other!”
Sungyoon’s mind suddenly floods with doubts again. “But…we’re just friends…” he dejectedly replies. Daeyeol seriously can’t believe his ears. “Sungyoonie, please, our entire friend group knows that you guys are helplessly in love with each other. You two make it so painfully obvious the way you stare at each other from afar every time we hang out.” Sungyoon looks at Daeyeol with a glimmer of hope and also a bit of embarrassment. He really thought it was subtle. “Think about it. First he paid for your coffee, then he fed you and then he asked for a hug. That hug had a lot of intention behind it. There’s something there, right? Ah! And on top of that, he asked you out on a second date!”
“Wait, earlier, did he say next date? This was a date? We just…!” Sungyoon says in a panic. Daeyeol can’t help but laugh. “Yes, Sungyoon! You just had your first date with Jangjun and he just asked you out for a second date! And you better get used to it, he knows your schedule now since you gave it to him without hesitation!”
Baffled, Sungyoon chuckles awkwardly.
Helplessly in love…painfully obvious…
After those words repeated a few times in his mind, Sungyoon put on a genuine smile. “You really think so…?”
Daeyeol mirrors Sungyoon’s smile. “Believe me, bro. Starting from today, you two are definitely something. This is just the beginning. Anyway, I’m definitely telling the rest of the guys about this,” he finishes with an evil grin, earning him a glare that could kill and an embarrassed blush from Sungyoon.