Take on me // Take me on (Chapter 3)
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After a long, cold shower and a change of clothes, Taecyeon headed to the coffee shop. He was in better spirits, but still a little sour. The paper had been discarded along with the pants that were now in the washing basket of his apartment, but the words still burned in his mind. He was not sulking, he just got bored by the fact that he had turned into the third wheel the previous night. He was more like the step at this point, considering there were two couples other than him.
Taecyeon shook his head and chided himself for that trail of thought. He was sober now. He didn’t have the alcohol to blame for such stupid reasoning; he had never been bothered by his friends and their relationships before, and he wouldn’t let that happen now. He had fun with them and he was actually happy they had each found their other half, even if in one of the cases they had always been there, just not realized it.
He was so distracted he ended up sitting at one of the tables instead of ordering first. He did have the intention to sit and have breakfast there that morning, but the place was not full and the line for orders had just a handful of people waiting to be attended. He didn’t feel like having Irish Coffee though, so maybe he should take a look at the menu first. He flicked through it but he couldn’t concentrate on the details, his eyes passing over the names of toasts, sandwiches, croissants and dozens of different morning beverages. That was until the corner of his eye caught something red moving his way and he looked up to see one Lee Junho standing next to him, a notepad and a pen in his hands.
Taecyeon stared at him, waiting for him to ask any of the typical waiter or bartender questions. But while he held back any words, his eyes took in the fluffy locks whose deep red was starting to fade, looking more like a bright pink now. Soon the roots would appear, unless Junho dyed his hair again. Taecyeon thought he would do that, he looked like he always took good care of his appearance. His hair was loose on top of his head, the fringe cut just above his eyebrows, the shell of his ears turning a light shade of pink as Taecyeon’s gaze lingered on him longer than he ever dared while they were face to face. His outfits were simple but nice; he had on a long-sleeved v-neck, blackish blue and slightly loose, but Taecyeon could still see that he was fit. He had noticed that before, but he liked the fact that he could still appreciate that regardless of what the other was--
“It’s rude to stare,” Junho said, arms at his back now. Taecyeon regretted the fact that the other’s hands were away from sight.
“I’m sorry.” Taecyeon’s eyes didn’t waver though. Junho’s eyebrows furrowed briefly; he seemed to be weighing the truth to his words in contrast to his actions. Maybe he was surprised that Taecyeon had apologized at all instead of denying it or dismissing his comment.
Taecyeon had no intentions of dismissing him yet. He could feel his mood improving, and instead of looking into it he simply decided to enjoy the moment.
“Would you mind sitting down?”
Junho’s eyebrows rose the slightest bit at that, but then he frowned again, his eyes narrowing. He looked around as if that could explain Taecyeon’s behavior, or as if he wanted to escape. It was probably the latter.
“Do you have a problem looking up at people?” He finally asked, sounding as interested in the answer as Taecyeon would be in a pet fair. Zilch.
He smiled at that, but not much-- he didn’t want Junho to think he was making fun of him. “No, I just wanna talk to you.”
Junho tilted his head to the side, and Taecyeon didn’t know where the thought came from, but he looked like a cat again. Why he would compare Junho to an animal he did not like was beyond him, because the same was not true about Junho--
Taecyeon blinked, breaking eye contact as he stared at the table. Oh no. He would chuckle at himself if he didn’t feel Junho’s piercing eyes on him, as if he had to make sure Taecyeon wasn’t a dangerous creature before he could get any closer.
Taecyeon slipped on what he considered one of his best charming smiles when he looked at Junho and asked, his voice soft and just a little teasing, “Do you have to be so difficult?”
Junho’s eyes turned to slits. His own smile looked disdainful as he whispered, “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who likes it easy.”
Taecyeon finally let out a laugh, a hearty one that surprised Junho but did not seem to scare him away. Good. This was good. “You’re right. Now, please, I’m sure your colleagues can take care of things while you give me five minutes.”
“Two.” Junho slipped on the seat in front of him, hands clasped on the table as he looked straight at Taecyeon. He hadn’t seen Junho put away the notepad and pen, but his hands were free, the long fingers entwined as one thumb stroked the other in what seemed to be an unconscious habit. Taecyeon noticed it was the left one that stood over the right one; when he himself did that, it was always the opposite. “One minute and forty seconds,” Junho drawled, and Taecyeon’s eyes snapped up to his nonchalant face. He had to take a deep breath so that he wouldn’t laugh again.
“Why didn’t you come last night?” Taecyeon decided to be straightforward, considering their time was so limited.
“What?” Junho sounded more offended than confused.
“Minjun invited you to go out with him-- with us-- our group of friends went to a bar and--”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Junho’s mouth twisted down at one corner, as if the mere idea was absurd. “First off, you don’t know anything about me,” he held up one finger, and he rolled his eyes when Taecyeon looked at it. “Secondly, even if Minjun hyung had invited me to go out to a bar, he should know I wouldn’t accept it. I don’t drink.”
Taecyeon was at a loss. He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t know what to say. Junho seemed to be diverted by his confusion.
“I don’t know why Minjun hyung would do that, but if he told you I was invited, he was lying. I’m glad the joke was on you though because I hate lies.” His tone remained calm while he said that, though the stress on the one word was clear. He leveled Taecyeon with a clear, unwavering gaze. “But more than that, I hate being accused of things I didn’t do.”
He didn’t give Taecyeon the chance to answer. Their two minutes were not over, but it was obvious he wouldn’t concede Taecyeon any other second of his time. He got up and nodded at one of the baristas behind the counter, who came to take Taecyeon’s order. Junho's little patience with him had seemingly just run out.
Taecyeon filed that thought for later. He had a few things to ask Minjun about, but first he had to decide on what to eat that wouldn’t further aggrieve the undigested talk he just had.
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“Come at me, bro.”
Taecyeon tried to hold it in, but he ended up laughing at Minjun, even if that meant he was letting the other win the first round. Not at a fight that wasn’t happening, but at their still upcoming argument.
Minjun grinned at him and undid his fake fighting stance to pat at Taecyeon’s shoulder. At first it looked like he was going to hug the taller one, but considering their sweat-stained tank tops, both would be thankful to let the hug pass this time. “I know you’re annoyed at me right now, but I did that for good reasons. I’m sure you’ve realized that and that’s only made you more annoyed, but that’s not all on me. You hate that I’m right.”
Taecyeon stared at his friend while he said that, and he was still staring at the same spot after Minjun put the jump rope aside to work on the thirty seconds of push-ups before he would get back to jumping.
End of Round 2: Minjun knocked him out before Taecyeon could even process what the other was doing.
Minjun shouldn’t have messed up with his head like that-- making him believe Junho was coming to their night out, knowing Taecyeon would confront the latter, letting him lose face over nothing.
But it wasn’t nothing. That was what added to Taecyeon’s annoyance and Minjun’s belief that he had done the right thing. Taecyeon had realized he cared. He had wanted Junho to be there, he had wanted to see him in a different environment and-- well, he didn’t know what would happen. Maybe they would talk. Maybe he would just watch Junho and hopefully get the chance to see other sides of him that their short meetings at the coffee shop didn’t allow. Maybe Junho would keep treating him the same way and Taecyeon would only get even more confused and either give up or try harder.
He had been leaning on the former when he left the coffee shop that morning. Now he was leaning on the latter again. Taecyeon was not one to give up, and Minjun was reminding him of that. That aside, Taecyeon could see Minjun was having fun with this. He was playing with Taecyeon like they used to do with each other, like they shouldn’t have stopped doing. Taecyeon could appreciate that, even if he didn’t know what that might mean for the other side of the equation-- what Minjun knew about Junho, what Junho knew about Taecyeon through Minjun. He didn’t really want to think about that, though.
“You’re gonna have to start from scratch if you keep like that,” Minjun said, a little breathless as he got up, rope in hand to do a minute of backwards jumping.
Taecyeon blinked at him. He knew Minjun meant their workout routine, but he decided to apply the words to what mattered. “You’re right,” he said, and turned to go for the gym showers.
x
It was almost eight at night when Taecyeon arrived at the coffee shop. That was the first time he was going there on the same day, and he was not that big of a coffee lover. He did like how it kept him going when he was tired or hungover and he considered it part of his routine, something he liked but that he wouldn’t miss as much as beer or soju. However, now that he was in line again, he didn’t feel like having anything off this place’s menu. What he really wanted after a workout session, even though that had been an incomplete one, was lots of meat and some juice that included all kinds of fruit possible. Okay, so he did have his cheeseburger and fries once in awhile, but taking care of his body had always been one of his priorities. He was his own boss, and that made health a priority.
“Good evening, sir. Have you chosen yet?”
Taecyeon looked up to see the barista whose last name was Shin, the one who seemed to share most shifts with Junho. He had a friendly, round face and eyes that looked distracted and innocent behind his round glasses, his perfectly trimmed straight brown hair adding seriousness to an otherwise boyish look. What made Taecyeon pay attention to him now was the sly smile he saw on the barista’s face, something he didn’t recall seeing before. He also heard a chuckle from behind the other, and then Junho showed up, a wide grin on his face as he handed a twice folded 10,000 won bill to Shin.
“Guess you won the bet,” Junho held him by the neck with his other hand, shaking his head at his colleague, eyes sparkling with amusement. Taecyeon was curious, interested-- even more when Junho took the other’s place behind the cashing machine and looked straight at him, that shimmer still in his eyes, the corners of his mouth still up. “10,000 won if you come back here this week, and I have to attend you if you come back on the same day. I don’t know why they’re punishing me this way, but here I am.” He paused, and bit his lip as if he had said too much. Taecyeon made sure to keep his eyes up and not look down; he didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable again. And even though Junho schooled his face into a more serious expression as they gazed at one another, he didn’t look displeased either. “What’s your order?”
Taecyeon noticed that not only the barista with the glasses, but another two working that night were staring at them. He felt his skin warm up but hoped his face did not betray anything else as he fixed his eyes on Junho again. He kept his voice quiet, hands in the front pockets of his clean sweatpants, fingers finding only the car keys and some change. His phone was in the car. “I’d like to talk to you. In private. It’s not an order-- I’m just asking.”
Junho looked at him for seconds that made Taecyeon feel like he shouldn’t have said anything; he shouldn’t have come so soon. But whatever Junho saw in his eyes made him nod, a brief, light movement of his head that Taecyeon almost missed. “Table 25,” he said as he scribbled something on a piece of paper that he ripped off his notepad and handed to one of the baristas responsible for making the drinks. Taecyeon frowned and was about to say he didn’t want anything when Junho cut him off, sounding mildly impatient, “It’s not for you.”
Taecyeon didn’t know what to do again, and that seemed to be Junho’s specialty. There was the Irish Coffee and the new ways he would find to make Taecyeon speechless. And he did that once more, by taking off his apron and handing it to the barista with the glasses, who just nodded as Junho whispered something to him. He went around the counter to push at the swing door on the right corner of the large wooden counter and walk up to Taecyeon. He seemed to hesitate for a millisecond once he stood a foot away, but that was over so fast, his footsteps so confident that Taecyeon was not sure he had seen it.
He followed Junho, his eyes passing over numbers on tables until they found the twenty-something ones, but they seemed to stop at twenty-four. After that there was the door that led to the backyard; Taecyeon barely glanced at the huge glass windows that were now past them as they walked on the path that led to the Special Events area. It was dark out but the few lampposts on the way lit up as they walked. Junho didn’t look back as he unlocked the door to the small glass house that stood at the end of the path, the ceiling lamps casting a dim light over the few tables arranged on the smooth ground of white stone now under their feet.
Taecyeon was impressed; the dark wood that supported the glass walls looked expensive, as well as the furniture inside. He wondered if this space was reserved for more than just special events, if it was for special clients as well. He could picture people enjoying rich flavored drinks accompanied by some tiny little casserole or a slice of toast while enjoying the sight of the flowers and plants that surrounded the glass house. It made him want to laugh, but he checked that and kept his face smooth as he looked around and finally spotted number 25, the first table in the single room.
He looked around for Junho and the other averted his gaze; it seemed he had been staring. Taecyeon relaxed as he took in the warmth that spread up Junho’s throat to color his ears and cheeks. He let his smile show as he said, as light as he could, “It’s not always rude to stare, y’know.”
Junho rolled his eyes but his face cracked and he let out a short, barely audible chuckle that made his cheeks rise as he looked away for a second. “Would you mind sitting down?”
Taecyeon laughed out loud, and motioned for Junho to join him as he sat down on the table, Junho taking the one other chair in front of him. “I’m sorry for earlier. I really am.”
Junho’s face softened and his lips spread into a near smile. His eyes passed over Taecyeon’s head to linger on the view beyond the glass before he looked at him again. “I guess you worked that out of your system?”
His hair was still damp from the shower, the faded grey shirt stamped with what looked like an unraveling mummy a little tight on him. He had had it for nearly three years now; it was a habit of his to wear the band shirts he still got after hitting the gym. Taecyeon didn’t know if his current, almost disheveled look gave away where he had been or what he had been doing, but he liked the fact that Junho got it and brought it up. It seemed one of the many walls that stood between them had tumbled down once Junho decided to leave his business persona aside and talk to him.
“You didn’t come here just to apologize,” Junho prompted, and Taecyeon realized he had been waiting for him to speak. Of course. He had made Junho cast his responsibilities aside and he didn’t know what for; Taecyeon should be seizing the chance for that instead of overthinking things.
“No,” a sigh came out of his nose as he ran a hand through his damp hair, at the back of his skull. “I want to know if you have anything against me. I mean, besides the fact that I’m one of the bad customers who’s always on the phone exactly when they should be answering that one question instead of making you misspell my name in so many ways.”
There was the shadow of a smirk on Junho’s face before he coughed and straightened up, his eyes on the door he had opened earlier. Taecyeon noticed that one of the other baristas had come to deliver what could only be Junho’s order: a tall transparent cup with a light brown beverage and ice cubes that swam under a thick swirl of whipped cream covered with chocolate chips. Instead of having the barista come in to serve him, Junho stood up and took the cup from his hands; Taecyeon didn’t hear what they said and he didn’t care. Much. He was more interested in the way Junho closed the door, how he still moved graciously, every step precise as he sat back down on his chair, drink in hand.
“One of the things about this job is that you have temptation around you every day,” Junho looked at him as he brought the green straw to his lips to savor the drink before placing it on the small table between them. His eyelids drooped down as he sealed his lips, looking like he needed that extra time to enjoy the taste. Taecyeon felt his mouth water at the sight, at every little thing Junho was letting him see in a matter of seconds, the minutes that were becoming more than Junho had been willing to spare him earlier that day.
“Do you like it?” Taecyeon asked, leaning forward just before Junho did the same to take another sip.
“The job? Yes. This drink? Very much.” He paused, gazing into Taecyeon’s eyes. “The temptation? I’m not sure yet.”
Taecyeon chuckled heartily, and it lingered at the corner of his eyes when he saw the sparkle in Junho’s gaze. “You don’t flirt at work.”
Junho’s eyes seemed to be assessing his statement: did Taecyeon really notice that? was it a mere question or was he testing the truth of his discovery? did he think Junho was flirting now?
Taecyeon wondered about all that. It seemed Junho wouldn’t confirm or deny his statement, and the doubt was not a bad one. He liked the idea of tempting Junho, and if he had been doing that without realizing-- most of the time-- it was even better. “Can I ask you out?”
Junho’s lips parted slightly, but he recovered quickly-- Taecyeon was the one who took a while to marvel at the way he had looked, the surprise in his slightly widened eyes, the tip of his tongue poking at the lower lip to draw it in as he bit his own mouth shut. “You’re spoiling the fun,” he said, but there was no complaint in his voice-- only a mocking tone that barely registered under the sight of the coy smile that drew Taecyeon closer. “I still have so many ways I could play with your name,” he shook his head in exaggerated regret, and Taecyeon laughed.
“Do I even wanna know?”
Junho shrugged innocently, sipping at his drink. He used one end of the straw to delve at the whipped cream and he took in a big chunk of it, sighing with delight. He placed the straw back in the cup and stirred, the melting cubes clicking softly before he drank a little more. He looked at Taecyeon as he spoke. “I’ve heard you can play music on your teeth.”
Taecyeon covered his face with his hands before he could stop himself. He was able to conceal any audible reactions, but barely. He couldn’t hold back a grunt when he heard Junho’s soft chuckle, though. “What else have you heard?”
“Not much,” Junho sounded like he was having fun with this, so his answer didn’t assuage Taecyeon’s fears. “Teethon.”
“No,” Taecyeon hated the moan in his voice, but it was worth Junho’s laugh, the mischief on his face as he stared at Taecyeon openly.
“Not Okay, Taecyeon?”
“Please, don’t.”
Junho sniggered, and it was clear he could go on, but he stopped. “I don’t wanna be a spoiler like you are,” he said, his smile wide and self-assured. “I didn’t even get to give you my yellow card.”
Even though it might have sounded obvious, Taecyeon immediately wanted to ask him if he was a fan of football. He was more intrigued by Junho’s own yellow card, though. “What is that?”
Junho shook his head at him. “That’s not the right question.”
Taecyeon was amazed by him. He let out a brief, quiet laugh and leaned back on his chair. He watched as Junho finished his drink, savoring what was left of the whipped cream, munching on a few chips when he managed to slide them up the side of the cup with the straw till he could bring them to his mouth.
“Would you go on a date with me?”
Junho’s smile was a slow and pleased one, but he still shook his head at Taecyeon-- not to say he wouldn’t, but to tell him to try again.
“I bet your number will look better than my name written there?”
Junho’s chuckle was a humming sound that came from his throat, and he looked adorable yet stunning, his handsomeness drawing Taecyeon in again. Junho bit at the straw once before he discarded it in the cup, and he got up to throw it away. He stood by one of the glass walls, opposite where Taecyeon was sitting. Taecyeon found himself staring at his side profile-- the long neck, the curve of the Adam’s apple, the sharp jaw, the high cheekbones-- while Junho seemed to be intent on the building at the other side of the yard, the work he had put a pause on to give Taecyeon some of his time.
Taecyeon got up and walked slowly to him. Junho stood his ground, looking straight ahead until Taecyeon stopped a foot away, facing him diagonally.
“Close enough,” Junho warned him, his piercing eyes swiping back into Taecyeon’s inadvertent ones, striking him.
There was a certain kind of question that would be considered a foul worth of a yellow card. And it was related to Junho’s phone number. “My name for your number?” Taecyeon tried, his voice and face unsure but also amused, and that earned him another of Junho’s beautiful, genuine smiles.
“Do you want to go out with me that much?” he teased, and lifted his left hand to show a card between his fingers. He seemed to expect Taecyeon to take it, so he did that, and Junho looked at the card now in Taecyeon’s right hand when he added, as an afterthought, “I’ve never written my number on that.”
Taecyeon stared at the smooth rectangle of paper, the edges so sharp he was almost sure they could cut him if he mishandled the card. There were five letters in a white lowercase font on the otherwise yellow surface,
srsly,
and on the back, bolded black letters on a white surface that seemed to have some yellow details on it,
gtfo.
Taecyeon’s eyebrows shot up at that. Junho was bold; people could get offended and react badly if they got a card like that as an answer to some sweet talk. Junho must be aware of that, though.
“Some people have a sense of humor, others don’t,” Junho swiped at the air dismissively. “For the ones who don’t, you have to look closer.”
Taecyeon frowned at the card as he noticed there were faint yellow letters around the black ones.
“Seriously, just Get The cofFee, Ok?” Junho paused so that Taecyeon could figure that out. “The period turns into a question mark.”
Taecyeon stared at him. “How many douchebags did you have to deal with before you decided to just give them a card?”
Junho bit at his lower lip, looking a little embarrassed. “I guess I went too far the other day...”
Taecyeon shook his head; he appreciated the near apology but he wasn’t thinking about that now. “I did too. You were just-- teaching me a lesson. Or two. Or more...”
Junho’s bitten mouth broke into a bashful smile, if he could actually look like that. Taecyeon let his eyes linger on his face, and it didn’t seem to annoy Junho this time. He hoped he wouldn’t be annoying Junho anymore, especially not when he was just acting on his instincts-- showing the way he was drawn to him, how much of his attention Junho could hold.
“So...” Taecyeon checked the card again to ensure he was not making a fool of himself, “You said you’ve never written your number on one of these...”
Junho nodded, meeting his eyes when Taecyeon looked at him.
“I don’t want this to be the first time. I mean, who knows, maybe you’ll tell me to go places after you get to know me better.”
Junho laughed out loud. “Yeah. Maybe I will do that now if you don’t cut to the chase.”
“So you want me to chase you?”
“Don’t make me give you a red card and mean it.” Junho crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at him, the change so abrupt Taecyeon started at him. Junho lifted one eyebrow as if daring him to apologize instead of getting on with it already.
Taecyeon was amused but also afraid that Junho might actually carry out his threat, so he spoke quickly. “Wanna go out with me?”
It took him a couple of seconds, but Junho’s facade melted and he smiled at him. “Yeah, Orc Taecyeon.”
“Why--”
“Your name for my number, remember?”
Taecyeon gaped at him. “That was not what I meant!”
“Yeah, whatever,” Junho was beaming though, so Taecyeon had to deal with it. He sure could handle that and other things, he would soon realize, but first he had to follow Junho back inside so that he could grab a pen and a piece of paper to write his phone number on.
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