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Donghyun sits in the corner waiting for Hyunwoo. He’s about ten minutes early, slightly sweaty from trying to rush here so he wouldn’t be late. He counts down the minutes until Hyuwoo arrives with his phone as he looks around him.
The empty table leaves his eyesight quickly, favoring the tables filled with pastries instead. He scans them for the one he’s most interested in, which leaves quite the debate in his head. Chocolate cake is always good and one of his favorites, but he’s never tried any of those yogurt doughnuts that are looking oh so enticing on the counter. Maybe Hyunwoo will want to share…
The thought of Hyunwoo brings about a rush of excitement. It’s been at least two weeks since Donghyun’s seen him. In between all of their busy schedules Donghyun’s been able to meet them all the past two weeks, once ending up at the dorm, but even then Hyunwoo wasn’t there, mostly spending his time alone and at work. It’s a shame, because Donghyun misses him, and if he knows Hyunwoo as well as he thinks he does, he misses him too.
So he practically jumps off his seat when he sees the familiar shape of Hyunwoo’s head and the bobbing off his hair as he walks in hesitantly, probably wondering if he’s even at the right cafe at all, because Donghyun suggested this place and Hyunwoo always worries more than he really should.
Donghyun catches Hyunwoo’s attention with a wave and welcomes him with a hug. He’s already rambling about the pastries, mostly consisting of praises of his newly favored extravagantly topped walnut-caramel muffin, as Hyunwoo takes off his coat.
There’s a moment where they’re both finally seated and it’s quiet and Donghyun takes in all of it. Hyunwoo in front of him again after far too long, the heavy but pleasant smell of freshly baked pastries infiltrating his nose, the dark brown hoodie Hyunwoo’s wearing that feels oddly familiar…
“You picked a great place, hyung. It looks lovely,” Hyunwoo says, but that’s right when it clicks in Donghyun’s mind so he doesn’t answer him.
“Is that my hoodie?”
Hyunwoo’s lips part slightly and he looks down before looking right back up, unsure what to do other than lie. “No.”
Donghyun reaches out to pick on one of his sleeves. “It is!”
Look. Hyunwoo found it in the washing machine the day after Donghyun moved his last stuff out and when he picked it up it still smelled like him. So while he wanted to give it back, the memory of Donghyun rotting away in a hoodie like this in their own home that wasn’t his anymore, not truly fully theirs… his body gave him a clear ‘no’ at the thought of doing anything but hiding it away in his closet until he grew comfortable enough to wear it himself.
Now it’s a staple of Hyunwoo’s closet, despite it only being so long since Donghyun stopped living with them.
“We probably just have the same one.”
Donghyun squints but his gaze softens quickly. It’s Hyunwoo, afterall. Even if he meant harm, Donghyun wouldn’t be able to care that much. And it’s Hyunwoo, so he most likely meant no harm at all. It only makes Donghyun worry a little more than he already did, knowing there’s always a reason when Hyunwoo’s too busy to meet with him or anyone. “I’ll let you keep it.”
“It’s not yours,” Hyunwoo tries for the last time before giving up at seeing Donghyun’s face, full of care and the hint of a smile, fond and entertained at the same time. “Fine. You accidentally left it behind and I didn’t want to give it back. It’s soft.”
Hyunwoo hides in the hoodie a little as he half-admits it.
“You can just say you have it because you miss me, you know.”
“I don’t.”
“Don’t miss me or that’s not the reason?” Donghyun laughs, shoulders shaking as Hyunwoo blushes.
He grumbles. “Fine. It just smelled like you. It’s nice. I like that.”
“Because you miss me…”
Hyunwoo looks away. There’s the trembling of his lips and the wavering of his voice and Donghyun holds his breath for a moment before Hyunwoo looks back at him and smiles his pain away and he can breathe again. “I miss you.”
Donghyun’s not the type to be all that physically affectionate, let alone in public, but he loves Hyunwoo and he cares about Hyunwoo and he cares about nothing else for a moment other than making sure Hyunwoo feels that same love. “I miss you, too, but you’re okay right? If you’re not you legally have to tell me and I legally have to make you all better. That’s my new job.”
Hyunwoo laughs at that, accepting the hand Donghyun puts on his own, stroking his thumb over the soft skin there. It’s soothing and Hyunwoo lets his mind drift towards a place where nothing ever hurt him. Or Donghyun. “I’m okay,” he swears, even though they can botht tell his voice sounds a little higher than usual. “I think I just want one of the pastries they’ve got here. The one you were talking about?”
Donghyun realizes he’s changing the subject, because it’s done all but subtly, but he also knows that’s just Hyunwoo’s way of saying he’s not ready to talk about it. they’re in public anyway, and they’re meeting to talk anyway, so he’s sure if Hyunwoo’s ready he’ll confide in him. In the meantime, they can have fun and Donghyun can show Hyunwoo how happy he is seeing him again every step of the way.
They get up to go to the counter for drinks and pastries right away. Donghyun shows the way and gives little anecdotes for quite a few of the pastries they come across because Donghyun’s been here far too many times and has tried a lot, too. “Minwoo likes that one,” he says, pointing towards an orange cake.
“Then I definitely don’t want it,” Hyunwoo jokes, telling the employee in charge of taking their order to get him that one regardless. “A little bit of everyone,” he says when Donghyun questions it, holding onto the same frizzed drink Dawit always orders with in his other hand the straw Jaeho got him as a gag fit last year.
Donghyun smiles with a little pain as he watches it. They’ll really have to talk later.
“Do you have any plans for today? Other than this?” Donghyun asks, sipping from his drink once they’re back at their table. Hyunwoo shakes his head. “Maybe I can show you my new apartment? I made sure to make a little place that has enough room for us to all play games again, like, when we’re hanging out.”
Hyunwoo smiles at that. “That’d be great. Going there today. And hanging out.”
Donghyun lifts Hyunwoo’s head up with his hand. “No sad faces. You know we’ll never truly end, right?”
But Hyunwoo lets his head fall on the, lightly, not hurting himself. Donghyun still looks worriedly at him for a moment. “Everyone’s just so hard to deal with now that you’re not there to tell them no.”
“I was usually the instigator.”
“But also the solution-bringer. Now Yewang or Yejun instigate and there’s no one to put out the fire.”
Donghyun laughs, even though he knows Hyunwoo really means this. “That’s why you’re upset?”
“I can’t sleep a wink.” Hyunwoo sighs, bringing his head back up to show his droopy eyes. “Can I sleep at yours sometimes? We’ve switched roommates again and now I’m with the dorm’s biggest snorer.”
Donghyun fakes a gasp, patting Hyunwoo on his head. “You’re always welcome to sleep over. There’s always room for you in my life.” Donghyun cuts off a piece of his muffin and hands it over. “So much so that I’m willing to share my pastry with you.”
“How generous of you,” Hyunwoo smiles, eagerly taking the first bite of Donghyun’s pastry. Humming, he provokes Donghyun. “It’s so good, I think I’ll just take all of it.”
Donghyun doesn’t care. “Then we have to switch.” So he’s ready to take Hyunwoo’s and switch it with his own when Hyunwoo quickly stops him, alarmed.
“I’m joking! I’m joking!” Donghyun just laughs but steals a bite from Hyunwoo’s cake regardless. Eye for an eye or whatever.
“Just eat,” he says, gesturing towards Hyunwoo’s cake and taking a bite off his own then. “You need to have enough energy if you want to beat me in one of the endless games we’ll play today, hm?”
Hyunwoo’s face brightens. He takes the first bite, hums again, and delightedly responds, “it’s so on.”